Katharine Johnson's Blog, page 20

Book review – Foxtrot in Freshby by Awen Thornber

[image error]

Paperback £5.99, kindle £1.99, KU ASIN B0776SKHMM, publisher: Crooked Cat Books

I was drawn to this book by its gorgeous cover but as soon as I started reading I got pulled into the story and devoured it in one go.

When dance teacher Gina Pendleton throws her cheating boyfriend out of the house she has to find a way of paying the bills. She decides to turn her love of dance into a business and starts offering lessons in her home but in doing so angers the owner of the established dance school nearby. Strange things start happening and it seems Gina’s being targeted by thieves and vandals. When she meets Chris Jackson she finds herself falling for him as well as his dance steps – but Chris has a secret. What’s he hiding and dare she trust him?

An intriguing, engaging, uplifting light read, peopled with believable characters with plenty of conflict.

 

 

Author Visit – Susan Roebuck

Today’s visitor has set her new novel in beautiful Portugal where she lives.

[image error]

Forest Dancer is set in the magical forests just outside Lisbon, Portugal. It is a story that fans of Polina will enjoy with characters that are genuinely flawed yet decided on bringing out the best in themselves. Flora Gatehouse has just recently lost her father, but she has also suffered a devastating blow in her career; her failed audition that sees her moving to a small cottage in Lisbon, Portugal, the only inheritance left to her by her father. Follow her story as she embraces the life of a small village with its dark secrets, and falls for the forest ranger, Marco. But can she totally become part of this little hamlet and can she ever reconnect with her dream to become a principal ballerina?

[image error]

Thank you Katy for inviting me to your coffee shop today. Could I have a small black coffee please with just a drop of milk in it? (Here in Portugal it’s called a pingado)

Certainly – that’s a new word I’ve learnt today! Now my first question is, who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Ha! This is a good one. I’d have quite an explosive dinner party with these people I think:

1. Jesus Christ (I’d invite him for obvious reasons – and I’d make sure there weren’t 13 people at the table)

2. Stephen Fry because he’s such an intelligent and witty person – and I’d love to hear what he has to say to Jesus and vice versa.

3. Oscar Wilde because I think he’d either have a huge argument with the two above or just be very interesting to listen to.

4. William Shakespeare to hear what he has to say about the world today and if he can give me any writing pointers. I also love the way he makes new expressions up (that later become integrated into the language) and perhaps he’d share a few.

5. I was going to say Cleopatra but I think she’d put a damper on things. So I’ll go with Marilyn Monroe instead because I want to know what really happened to her and I also think she’ll flirt beautifully with everyone at the table (except me, of course!).

6. Kit Harrington because I can flirt with him (probably won’t do me any good, but I can try)

7. Terry Pratchett because he’d join in all the conversations and probably take the mickey out of some of them. I hope he brings Nanny Ogg along too because I’d like to hear about her cook book.

8. Betty Davis and Joan Crawford – I might learn some lessons in bickering.



That would be an amazing evening. I love the idea of asking Shakespeare for writing tips! If you could spend a day with a fictional character who would it be and what would you do?

Bilbo Baggins from LOTR. I’d love to be in a little village with cottages built out of the hills and where everyone knows each other and helps each other out. I’d go exploring and maybe ask Bilbo to take me to see Tom Bombadil in the forest (because I love forests).

I had a feeling you did! Where do you write? What would your ideal writing room look like?

I write in a spare bedroom which we use as an office. It looks out over the point where the mighty Tagus River meets the Atlantic Ocean and I can watch the cruise ships and tankers coming in and out of Lisbon harbour. Ideally, I’d like the office to myself but I share it with my husband (don’t tell him that).

 

That sounds an idyllic location although I fear I’d spend most of my time looking out of the window. Do you ever get writer’s block, Sue? And if so how do you deal with it?

People say there is no thing as writer’s block and that we just run out of ideas. This may, in part be true, and when I come to a shuddering halt I know I’ve got to go off somewhere and do something else. It may be for a day or longer, it depends. But I don’t push it (unless I’m on a deadline) and ideas will always come rushing back.

Another point is that if you have any stress of some kind in your life (health or family etc.) then you might have to admit you can’t write. I’ve experienced this and I think my mind was too full of the problems I was facing. Again, we have to be kind to ourselves and just wait for things to calm down. I suppose our minds are like computers – there’s just so much you can pack into the memory at one go.

Finally, I do believe that writers, in general, lack self-worth (I’m not saying every one of them, but some – myself included). Sometimes I avoid getting down to work because I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to write a word. In this case it’s worth forcing it because I’ve found that if I make myself write, the words come tumbling out.

I find that too. If you just write the first words that come into your head, knowing you’ll delete them afterwards, it can help you get into it. What would you say is the best thing about being a writer?

You can work at home to your own timetable. If you’re a creative person with lots of ideas, it’s an outlet for them.

And the worst?

Getting a fat bottom! Getting a “writers’ hump” because I spend too much time at the computer. Having to promote my work. I’m the world’s worst salesperson and all I want to do is write, but if I don’t tell the world about my work, how’s it going to know about it? Knowing the difference between telling the world about my work and spamming the life out of everyone.

Ah, I know just what you mean – it’s such a tricky balancing act, isn’t it? Thanks for coming along today and very best of luck with your book.

Thank you for having me today, Katy.

[image error]

More About Sue

I was born and educated in the UK (I am British!) but now live in Portugal. I’ve been an English teacher for many years with the British Council and also the Portuguese civil service where I developed e-learning courses.

My first love is, of course, my husband, my second writing, and my third painting. And now I have time to be able to indulge in all three.

“Forest Dancer” is my fourth novel, the second in the Portuguese series – the first called “Rising Tide” which is set in a small fishing village on the Alentejo coast. 2018 will see the third in the series: “Joseph Barnaby”, which is set on the island of Madeira.

Forest Dancer (paperback and ebook) on Amazon : myBook.to/ForestDancer1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanRoebuckauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sueroebuck

Blog: http://www.susanroebuck.com

Book review – The Heart’s Invisible Furies, John Boyne

[image error]

Published by Random House UK, Transworld, Black Swan

ISBN 9781784161002

An absolutely amazing book that I found completely absorbing. It’s powerful, heart-wrenching and in several places had me laughing out loud. In 1945 sixteen year-old Catherine Goggin is cast out of her parish in rural Ireland by the priest for being pregnant. She starts a new life in a new place, giving up her baby to a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun. Cyril is constantly reminded as he grows up that his parents are only his adoptive parents and that he’s “not a real Avery” – but then who is he? The only certainty he feels is his love for his best friend Julian but that’s not only illegal – to admit his feelings would be to risk everything.

There’s so much more to come as we follow Cyril up to the present day through his relationships, bereavements and a crime, living in Amsterdam and New York and then back in Ireland. Throughout the story there are tantalising near-miss encounters between the two main characters who are unaware of their connection –  will they ever find out?

I found all the characters plausible and especially loved Cyril. The dialogue is wonderful, exposing people’s bigotry, hypocrisy and breathtaking lack of self-awareness.

I’d thoroughly recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the book which I was under no obligation to review.

My rating

Book review – Purgatory Hotel by Anne-Marie Ormsby

[image error]

I love stories where a main character is a mysterious building and had heard lots of good things about this one. When Anne Marie visited this blog recently to talk about her new book I was hooked.

After a brutal attack Dakota Crow finds herself a guest at a grim Victorian hotel with a menacing clientele. It soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary hotel. She is already dead but why is she lumped in with rapists and murderers and the shadowy figure that stalks her down the dark corridors? And how can she escape to somewhere safer?

She must have done something bad in order to be housed here. The only way to move on spiritually is to face her own demons and make amends for the crime she committed in life but what can she possibly have done to deserve this?

Through a book in the Library of Remembrance we see her life story written out before her eyes, not only unmasking the identity of her murderer but also revealing her own crime.

We’re taken back to Dakota’s childhood, witnessing with her the secrets and lies surrounding a damaging relationship as she grows up – and the devastating consequences.

If you’re a fan of creepy hotel stories you’ll love this. I’m not a huge Horror reader but this isn’t full of guts and gore. It’s more of a psychological paranormal read. It’s classy and beautifully written.

The back story is disturbing and heartbreaking, the details skilfully teased out and the discoveries chilling. I’ll certainly be looking out for other books by this author.

My rating:

 

The Befana’s on her way!

[image error]Tonight is Epiphany Eve, the night when Italian children hang up a stocking in preparation for a visit from the Befana. This banevolent Christmas witch flies from house to house on her broomstick coming down the chimney to fill stockings with sweets and treats.

When my three were little they adored 5 January in Italy and insisted on bringing the tradition home. The children would gather in the town square to wait for the arrival of the Befana, excitement growing to fever pitch as they were led into the small theatre. The chanting of Be-fa-na! grew louder and louder until it was almost deafening. Then a huge cheer broke out as the Befana ‘flew’ down onto the stage on her broomstick and the children rushed forward to claim their sweets.

To be honest she did look a bit scary to me with her beaky nose and warty chin and it’s well known she can be strict – children who’ve been bad during the year will receive coal rather than presents in their stocking and children found out of bed when the Befana comes at night might well receive a whack from her broom – but she’s much more loved than feared.

During Mussolini’s government in 1928, the period in which my novel The Secret is set, the Epiphany on 6 January was appropriated by the State and made a national holiday with the aim of unifying Italians around a religious and domestic celebration. Il Duce renamed it Befana Fascista and much publicity surrounded the distribution of gifts to poor Italian children.

Parents were encouraged to ensure that the Fascist Befana brought only Italian-made toys which would help develop children in their roles as ideal Fascist citizens – boys like Gianni in The Secret received guns while girls like Irena and Martina received dolls.

But the Befana tradition goes back a long way and has pagan origins as the old year was swept out ready for the new one. It also fits with the Christian legend of an old woman who gave the three kings a bed for the night on their journey to find the baby Jesus. In the morning they invited her to come with them but she said she had to finish sweeping her house. She set off later to find them but couldn’t so she continues to fly the world on her broomstick looking for the baby and giving presents to all the children she finds.

The Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas festivities and for many Italian children the end of their school holidays. It’s always a shame to have to take down the decorations and lights on Twelfth Night but knowing the Befana will be coming when the house is clear is I’ve found a handy incentive!

 

Book review: The Couple Next Door

[image error]

The Couple Next Door, Shari Lapena, Penguin

The story: it’s every parent’s worst nightmare – Anne and Marco’s six month-old baby daughter disappears from her bed. When their babysitter cancels at the last minute Marco persuades Anne to leave baby Cora sleeping while they go next door for a grown-up evening with friends, bringing a baby monitor with them and checking on her every half hour. Who could have taken her and why? And will they get her back?

My review: I bought this in paperback a year ago and am so pleased to have finally got round to reading it. It’s certainly a compelling story and for the first half at least I found it very convincing. It’s told in the present tense and from different third person viewpoints as it follows the investigation closely so we get to see each person’s thoughts and reactions and the detective’s theories. Secrets are gradually revealed about characters, their relationships and their past which add to the complexity of the case.

I didn’t find the second half so plausible but it kept me turning the pages anyway. The kidnapper’s identity was revealed quite early (although there is more to be revealed)  which made some of the investigation seem redundant but it was interesting to see how people reacted to questions and also how they started to question themselves and others around them.

It’s not impossible to believe someone could make the decision this kidnapper did – I remember a similar case in real life but that situation was different in a way I thought quite crucial. I found myself questioning whether this particular character would have really have acted in the way they did with the other person involved, given their personal circumstances and connections.

I can’t say any more without giving spoilers and in any case you might feel differently. None of this stops The Couple Next Door from being a rollicking read which kept me up late into the night so if you’re a fan of domestic noir I’d definitely recommend it.

My rating:

 

Meet the author of The Soul Weaver – Heidi Catherine

[image error]Today’s coffee shop guest has come all the way from Australia. Heidi Catherine’s beautiful novel The Soul Weaver is published later this month. I have an Author Q&A but first let’s take a look at the book.

[image error]She’s loved and lost him a hundred times across a thousand years. She can’t bear to lose him again.

Lin’s dreams are haunted by faces of people she’s never met. Unable to shake the feeling she’s lived before, she’s drawn to Reinier—a stranger whose soul is heartbreakingly familiar from a time gone by.

Reinier helps Lin unravel the mystery of her past life as Hannah, a girl who sacrificed herself for her true love, Matthew. As Lin falls hopelessly in love with Reinier, her memories of her life as Hannah sharpen and she finds herself unable to let go of Matthew.

With her heart torn in two, Lin must decide whether she should stand by Reinier’s side or track down Matthew and fight for his love. What she doesn’t know is that her decision will ripple across our troubled planet, affecting far more lives than just her own.

Winner of Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Pro award, The Soulweaver is a story that will change the way you see the world.

Q&A

Welcome to the coffee shop Heidi. What would you like?



I’d love a skinny cappuccino please. Those apple and cinnamon muffins look great too! Thank you.

If you have had a previous life who were you and when was it?

I love this question! Given that I wrote a whole book on reincarnation, clearly I have a fascination with this subject. I’ll try to keep my answer short. Recently I had a past life reading with the most amazing kinesiologist. She told me that I had three past lives that she could see, which had relevance to my present life. Firstly I was an actor in black and white movies, which is supposed to show my ability in this life to slip into many roles. I was also a miner trapped underground, hence my desire to have freedom to stretch and grow. And I was a dancer, which apparently shows that I have ease and purity (definitely not rhythm, as I have none of that whatsoever in this lifetime!)

I love the sound of the black and white movie actor – what a fascinating life! How does where you live inspire what you write?

I live in Melbourne, Australia, and I’ve recently moved to a house that’s built in the grounds of an old mental asylum. A lot of the old buildings are still in the estate and are now occupied by a university. We have a wildlife sanctuary at one end of our street and an old spooky chapel at the other. I love it! I haven’t actually written any new books since living here, but I’m very keen to write one that’s either set in the old asylum or with something supernatural going on in one of the buildings.

That sounds wonderful. Now, if you could have a superpower what would you choose?

Definitely teleportation because I love to travel, but I really hate to fly. It would be so good to be able to blink my eyes and pop over to Paris for the day. Or Rome. Or Mykonos… That’s one of the reasons The Soulweaver is set in Australia, Hong Kong, London and New York—while I was stuck in the one place writing it, my mind could travel around the world.

I agree it’s one of the best things about being a writer – being able to travel anywhere inside your head! What is the story behind your story? 

I was a very curious child and one day I asked my mother what would happen if a widow remarried, only to one day find herself in heaven with two husbands. My quick-thinking mother told me that in heaven there’s no jealousy, only pure love. I really liked that answer (and I still do!) and over the years I thought about this a lot. This was my inspiration for writing The Soulweaver. I wanted to put my main character into the position where she has two men that her soul has loved in different times and she has to choose between them.

How do you deal with rejection?

I make a pasta dish that I call Rejection Pasta, as I made it once after receiving a crushing knockback from a publisher that I had my heart set on. When I ate it, somehow it made me feel better. So usually I’ll pour myself a big glass of wine, eat a bowl of Rejection Pasta and give myself permission to feel really sorry for myself for the rest of the day. Then I get out of bed the next day, force a smile on my face and get back to work. I think it’s healthy to allow yourself be upset and mourn the lost opportunity, as long as you don’t let yourself fall into that black hole for too long.

I love that. I might have to add Rejection Pasta to the coffee shop menu. What’s the best piece of advice on writing you’ve been given?

Write the book you’d love to read. When I started out, I wrote books that I thought would be easy to write and to get published. I was wrong on both counts. Because I didn’t love what I was writing, the words didn’t come easily. And once I had finished that painful writing process, the manuscripts were missing that special x-factor that makes them shine. It wasn’t until I wrote The Soulweaver that everything clicked for me. I loved every minute of it and I think that shows in my words.

And finally, what are you working on next?

I’m working on Books 2 and 3 of The Soulweaver series, which follow my main characters into their next lifetimes. I also have a couple of crime novels and a middle grade novel sitting on my computer, which I’d like to revive. So there’s always something to do!

Fantastic – thanks so much Heidi and best of luck with your book. I can’t wait to read it.

Quick crime reads

 

[image error]The lull between Christmas and New Year is perfect for catching up on some reading especially if Santa brought you some books as presents but with all the comings and goings I find it hard to get stuck into a novel so short stories are my favourite reads at this time of year. These are some of my favourites of 2017:

 

[image error]A Maigret Christmas, George Simenon, Penguin

It’s Christmas in Paris but beneath the sparkling lights and glittering decorations lie sinister deeds and dark secrets. In the first of this collection of three stories, Maigret’s Christmas is interrupted by two unexpected visitors who tell him a mysterious intruder dressed as Father Christmas has broken into a little girl’s room on Christmas Eve.

I really enjoyed this quirky tale. I must admit that I haven’t read other Maigret books but will be putting this right in 2018. The plot is unusual and cleverly constructed and the setting is perfect. I love the characterisation, especially the detective and his wife.

(I received a copy of this story from Penguin via Netgalley in return for an honest review)

 

[image error]

 

Murder on Christmas Eve, Profile Books

A superb selection of festive crime tales by popular authors including Ellis Peters, Val McDermid, Ian Rankin and GK Chesterton. My favourite was Cambric Tea by Marjorie Bowen. A young doctor is called to a sick man who claims he’s being poisoned by his wife. The doctor’s shocked to discover the wife is a woman he was once in love with – can she really be to blame? I loved the situation and the characters and although the revelation at the end didn’t come as a surprise it was logical and satisfying

 

 

[image error]

 

Murder Under the Christmas Tree, Profile Books

Ten classic Christmas mysteries featuring crime’s best-known sleuths including Holmes, Rebus and Cadfael.

In my favourite, The Necklace of Pearls by Dorothy L Sayer, a valuable necklace goes missing at a Christmas dinner and Lord Peter Wimsey makes an ingenious discovery. I love the way it unfolds and the brilliant hiding place.

 

 

 

 

 

[image error]

 

Sleep No More, PD James, Faber & Faber

Six murderous tales from the Queen of Crime. My favourite was Mr Millcroft’s Birthday. It’s about a terrible secret revealed to a brother and sister by their elderly father when they visit him in his care home. Is he telling the truth or is it his crafty way of getting them to pay for more desirable accommodation? I loved the way this played out.

 

 

 

 

 

[image error]

 

Mystery Tour, The CWA Anthology, Orenda Books

A collection of criminally good stories set around the world, including a treacherous cruise to French Polynesia, a terrifying trek in South Africa, a murderous train ride across Ukraine and a vengeful killing in Mumbai. It’s hard to pick a favourite but if I had to it would be You’ll be Dead by Dawn by CL Taylor which starts with a body found washed up on a Thai beach. It’s a very well structured psychological tale with a great ending.

 

 

Have you got any short crime recommendations for the year ahead?

 

 

 

[image error]

Half-price Book Sale

[image error]It’s sale time at Crooked Cat Books. This cold weather is the perfect excuse for retreating indoors and snuggling up with a wintry read. The eBook of Lies, Mistakes and Misunderstandings is available for 99p/99c as part of the post-Christmas sale on Amazon but only until tomorrow 29th December.

 

 

Snowed-in together at an isolated farmhouse, disgruntled, out of work Jack falls in love with enigmatic, aristocratic Giselle. But he gradually starts to question how much of what she tells him about herself can be true. Just after revealing a shocking secret she disappears and he finds himself under suspicion for murder.

 

 

[image error]I woke to find a heaviness in the air, a muffled quality that made it feel as if I was lying on the seabed. I drew back the curtain. Everything was white. Snowflakes the size of feathers drifted silently down. The fields, trees and track were already covered. I felt a surge of happiness at the sight, followed by a rise of panic…

You can find out more about this 1930s crime story on the My Novels page of this website or buy the book here: http://mybook.to/LiesMM 

[image error]

For 200 other amazing titles in the sale please go to Amazon and check out Crooked Cat Books. Happy reading!

Author Visit – Alice Castle

What a pleasure to have Alice Castle here in the coffee shop again! When she last visited it was to talk about her cosy crime novel Death in Dulwich. Today she’s here to tell us about the next book in the series The Girl in the Gallery which is hot off the press today. Over to you Alice!

[image error]

Hi Katy, it’s lovely to be on your blog today, thanks so much for hosting me and letting me tell you a bit about my latest book, The Girl in the Gallery.

The Girl in the Gallery is a cozy crime murder mystery with a dash of romance. The book opens when my single mum amateur sleuth, Beth Haldane, stumbles on a terrifying new exhibit when she pops into the Picture Gallery in Dulwich before work. This Gallery bears a very strong resemblance to Dulwich Picture Gallery, which is celebrating 200 years of art for the public this year. It’s a beautiful building, designed by the architect Sir John Soane, but at its heart is a mausoleum, containing the dead bodies of the original collectors in marble coffins, on display to the public. Very odd. I have always thought it would be a brilliant location for a murder mystery.

Who is the girl in the gallery? Beth sets out to solve the mystery, along the way stumbling across other themes which I hope will resonate with any parents of teenage girls. The dangers of social media, peer pressure, eating disorders – and worse – are all examined. Meanwhile, Beth’s tentative relationship with DI York moves up a gear. But will Beth find all the answers in time to prevent another tragedy?

The book is the second in my London Murder Mysteries series. The first, Death in Dulwich, was published in September this year and was number one in the Amazon satire/detective fiction chart. I’m very glad to say it’s also been a big hit in Dulwich bookshops. You can read either novel as a stand alone story, but The Girl in the Gallery features the same central characters as Death in Dulwich, and of course features the south London suburb too.

I lived in Dulwich for four years, after nearly a decade in Belgium. I found the area, and the people, really welcoming and I am repaying them by setting a series of grisly murders in their midst, which I really hope they won’t take the wrong way. It is a perfect, village-like setting, where people know everything about each other – or think they do. I think of it as a contemporary St Mary Mead, the place where Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple solved unspeakable crimes. I was really thrilled when a review of Death in Dulwich said Beth was a modern Miss Marple.

The third installment in the series, Calamity in Camberwell, should be out in 2018, and again can be read as a stand alone or as the next installment of Beth’s adventures. This time, Beth is on the trail of a missing friend, with plenty of obstacles thrown in her way. And will she give in, when her friends urge her to give online dating a try?

About Alice

[image error]Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, set in Brussels and London, was a European best-seller which sold out in two weeks.

Alice is currently working on the sequel to Death in Dulwich and The Girl in the Gallery, the third book in the London Murder Mystery series. It will be published by Crooked Cat next year and is entitled The Calamity in Camberwell. Once again, it features Beth Haldane and DI Harry York.

Alice is also a top mummy blogger, writing DD’s Diary at http://www.dulwichdivorcee.com.

She lives in south London and is married with two children, two step-children and two cats.

Author website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/alicecastleauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DDsDiary?lang=en

Links to buy books: MyBook.to/GirlintheGallery myBook.to/1DeathinDulwich, myBook.to/HotChocolate

 

Thanks so much Alice – I’m really looking forward to reading The Girl in the Gallery!