Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 25
April 8, 2015
Experience the Life of Barn Stormers in The Flying Circus by @SusanCrandall
The 1920s was not only about bootleggers and flappers; it was a time for barnstormers in their Jennies. Aviation was changing. Curtiss Wright was doing his thing, making better engines, planning for the future: commercial flight. Records were being made and broken.I wanted to read this novel because of its heroine: Cora Rose Haviland, a socialite turned daredevil wing walker. As far as heroines go, she doesn't disappoint. She rides around on a motorcycle, jumps it through hoops of fire, gives men what for, and all this with a cute little dog in tow. Though fictional, she could be any number of women who really existed, like Mabel Cody, or Blanche Stuart Scott.
The story is really focused on a young man named Henry though, a German forced by a prejudiced society to deny his heritage. It's just after The Great War and emotions are still running high. Though in third person POV, it follows solely Henry. I disliked this method of narrative. I had expected that the story would follow all three of them equally, perhaps alternating POVs, giving equal page time.
Henry is on the run from the law for reasons not revealed to us fully until the end, so I will say no more about that. He's an insightful young man though who is an aircraft mechanic and pilot (after he meets Gil). I liked him, but for a main character, he's very subdued, rather "overcome" by the other two characters.
Gil is a former WWI pilot who flew reconnaissance. He has no interest in doing a flying circus and both Henry and Cora rather force the whole thing on him. In my opinion, he's the most sympathetic character. Cora, while I loved her, got on my nerves at times. She goes from brave to stupid rather quickly. I wish the novel had had alternating POVs so that perhaps we could have gotten in her head and found out what exactly was motivating her to be this way. Her brief bits of explanation to Henry, I simply found unsatisfactory.These three travel town to town, promoting, flying, coming up with stunts--and in Henry's case, safety features--drinking, saving lives, being hit by tornadoes, all kinds of things. And unavoidably, there is a love triangle, though I don't feel there's any real romance in this. The triangle is brief and feelings are never fully reciprocated at the same time, not until the very end. Cora seems to "love" the one who's there or more exciting at the moment. I don't feel this should be in the romance category (which is where Amazon Vine placed it).
It addresses many issues though as well as fully immerses readers into the early days of aviation: shell shock, shame, prejudice, and just what makes a person "free". It's a fun book; the characters grow on you (the reader), and the story will not quickly leave your mind after you're done, like most books nowadays. There's a lot of uniqueness within its pages. And the ending was well done.
I received this ARC via Amazon Vine. Quote may not be exact in the the final printing.
April 7, 2015
A Chance Kill: Darkly Ironic WWII Thriller by @LettersPaul, Review & #Giveaway
Please join author Paul Letters as he tours the blogosphere for A Chance Kill, from April 6-10.Publication Date: February 26, 2015Silverwood BooksFormats: eBook, PaperbackPages: 300Genre: Historical Fiction
A Chance Kill is a wartime thriller where an old-fashioned love story forges through a conspiracy of authentic, action-filled adventures.Based upon the author’s grandmother’s experience, seventeen-year-old Polish catholic Dyta Zając finds herself forced away from wartime Warsaw due to her family’s shadowy connections. Dyta’s time on the run sets her on a path towards confronting the ultimate Nazi.Half a continent away, an RAF bomber crew embarks upon Britain’s little-known first offensive of the war. Courtship edges Dyta’s destiny closer to that of members of the RAF crew – and toward the Allies’ most brazen covert operation to strike at the Nazi elite.But more dangerous than the enemy, however, is the assumption that your enemy’s enemy is your friend…*****REVIEW*****
It was Dyta, the female protagonist, who attracted me to this novel. I hadn't read a book dealing centrally with a non-Jewish Polish woman who is involved in the struggle against the Nazis. All the books I'd previously encountered that took place in Poland during WWII were focused on Jews trying to survive the Holocaust. So this is an unusual perspective for me. Dyta also has some formidable skills that would make her stand out in any context.Paul Letters likes to employ dark irony. I enjoy the cleverness of irony in the context of satire. In a serious novel dark irony intensifies tragic events and gives them more impact. I appreciate that this is the author's goal. Dark irony shocks readers. It makes a dark book feel even darker. Those who are familiar with my reviews know that I don't prefer dark fiction. Yet whether Dyta is in Warsaw, Paris, London or Prague she is always an inspiring element in this book. She burns brightly in the darkness that surrounds her. I always hoped as I was reading A Chance Kill that she would ultimately prevail regardless of the tribulations that she experienced.
I did notice that this author has a tendency to utilize expository lumps for the purpose of characterization as if he wanted to get characterization out of the way so he could focus on action. For me, action scenes that contain little in the way of characterization seem very dry. If I'm not reviewing a book, my normal habit is to skim the details. I had to fight that proclivity while Tom, the RAF pilot male protagonist, was battling Messerschmitts.
Both the protagonists are well-intentioned people with blind spots based on assumptions. They grow beyond their assumptions to become stronger individuals. The crucible of war also shapes their lives in ways that they never expected. Tom is not as unusual as Dyta, but he is courageous and tries to be principled.
Let me point out that although this book contains romance, it definitely isn't part of the romance genre. Letters is under no obligation to provide his readers with a HEA ending. From a relationship perspective, this book ends on a cliffhanger note. There will be a sequel, and we will presumably find out whether the romance survives.
Since I am interested in aviation, I wanted to find out more about the planes that play a part in A Chance Kill. I was particularly intrigued by the RAF's Mosquitos which were known as Mossies. They were faster and more maneuverable than anything that the Germans had, and they were made of wood. Here's an article about them on Wikipedia. I was so impressed with them that I'm giving this book an extra bike.
Buy A Chance Kill
Amazon UKBarnes & NobleBook DepositoryKobo
About the Author
Author Paul Letters deals with a physical disability (which is twisted and transposed to a character in A Chance Kill). It prompted Paul to change his life and give up full-time teaching to write. He studied history, education, international affairs and literary journalism at the Universities of Cardiff, Oxford and Hong Kong.Paul is from England and now lives in the jungled fringes of Hong Kong. He writes freelance journalism, most often for the South China Morning Post, and is currently working on a World War Two novel set in Hong Kong.For more information please visit Paul Letters’ website. You can also find him on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter. Follow the WWII 75 Years On Twitter page for daily tweets on what happened in history 75 years ago.A Chance Kill Blog Tour ScheduleMonday, April 6Review at Flashlight CommentaryTuesday, April 7
Review at Books and Benches
Spotlight at Beth’s Book Nook BlogWednesday, April 8
Review at Quirky Book Reviews
Review at Back Porchervations
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation
Spotlight at With Her Nose Stuck In A BookThursday, April 9
Review at History From A Woman’s Perspective
Spotlight at Boom Baby ReviewsFriday, April 10
Review at The Great Reads!
Interview at Back Porchervations
Guest Post at History From A Woman’s Perspective
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews
GIVEAWAYA Chance Kill Giveaway
April 6, 2015
Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey
When I first came across this blurb and title, I was somewhat afraid to read it. I was afraid it'd mostly be written through the hero and heroine's letters, with little to no dialogue.I'm pleased to say that wasn't the case. There's plenty of dialogue, character interaction, and also a modern-day story following another couple who, each in their own ways, manage to tell us what happened so long ago to split Stella and Dan.
There are letters, from Dan to Stella, as the modern heroine finds them, but they don't take pages and pages of the book. Instead, the novel goes back and forth between 2011 and 1943. It's not jarring, but a smooth transition.
The writing is excellent. I was surprised to look her up on Goodreads and find no other titles to her name. I got the impression while reading that she is a very skilled, professional author.
I confess to growing bored at times though. If I can read just a few sentences on each page and not miss a beat for a few pages, I'd say it's a bit overwordy. It began to feel like a 600-some page book. However, this could be because I've read so many WWII stories by now that nothing was new to me, at all. Not Dan's aviation tales, not the rationing issues... Absolutely nothing was new or remarkable with the WWII story.
But what I really disliked in the end were the heroines. The modern one, I just never got invested in that story, not like I did the historical one. I didn't grow to care for that couple like I did Dan and Stella. DS came alive for me. And having became intrigued/wrapped up in Stella, she and her choices disappointed me most of all. I'd hoped she'd have developed a bit of backbone in the course of the tale. I wanted to slap what was left of her wits right out of her when I realized she'd stayed in an abusive relationship for all those years, denying herself happiness, because she "didn't deserve it".I like my heroines with a bit more spine.
I received this via Amazon Vine.
April 4, 2015
The Reading Radar 4/4/15, Featuring @Janelinfoot @KateQuinnAuthor @AinsliePaton @StephMThornton @readingthepast @bcwilliamsbooks
It's crazy the different ways I discover books to read... I've said this before and I'll say it again. Twitter works. I found this upcoming novel while browsing all the people I've followed on twitter. Some of them I didn't know (I blame those giveaways that make you follow 5,000 people who never give you the time of the day. I don't bother anymore.) Some were authors whose tweets are just getting lost in a bunch of daily crap posted by those 5,000 people...etc. Apparently I've been following Jane Linfoot and when I looked at her profile, I discovered her upcoming title really appeals to me. Why? Because like the heroines in her book, I love vintage things, from clothes to movies.
So, on the radar this week is The Vintage Cinema Club by Jane Linfoot.
"A witty, warm-hearted romp through the lives and loves of four friends – with a cool retro vibe, and a sense of fun that will never go out of fashion." – Debbie Johnson, author of the best-selling ‘Cold Feet At Christmas’.
Meet The Vintage Cinema Club….
Izzy is a wow at making unwanted things pretty, but with three brothers and her shabby chic furniture business to run she doesn’t have time to date. Could a fabulous French proposal change her mind?
Single mum Luce’s vintage bridal dresses are exquisite, but there’s no way she’s ever going to wear one or walk down the aisle for that matter. She’s a strictly no romance, one night kind of woman – or so she thinks…
Ambitious Caitie came down in the world fast when her husband’s business crashed. Only The Vintage Cinema Club, and Caitie's great eye for quality pieces, kept them afloat when they lost their home. But even though Bonkers, her beloved pet Lurcher, is great, he isn’t cutting it as a child substitute and the sadness she felt before is starting to creep back in.
Dida seems to have it all – a chocolate and banana cake recipe to die for, lovely kids (most of the time!) and a great lifestyle. But what good is a fabulous home, when your marriage has more cracks than a pavlova and your husband is having it off with half of Lithuania?
Four retro fabulous friends, in love with all things vintage, run their dream business from the faded grandeur of a rescued cinema. When that dream comes under threat, they’ll do whatever it takes to save it.
Fans of Lucy Diamond, Michele Gorman and Milly Johnson are going to love this heartfelt, funny story.
***
I spent last week reading and enjoying Kate Quinn's Lady of the Eternal City. I liked it so much, I went to look at her other titles. You may remember me reviewing A Day of Fire , an anthology that included a story by Ms. Quinn that featured a wonderful heroine named Diana. I discovered while browsing the blurbs that Diana is in Daughters of Rome, so of course, I must read that. It's been out a few years, but that doesn't mean it's not worth mentioning.
A.D. 69. Nero is dead.
The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….
Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.
But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress.
***
The Real CoverAnd Twitter worked again. I've been following Ainslie Paton. She guested on the blog a year or so ago. But as I said above, 5k (Okay, it was 900-something people) tweet and retweet and her tweets weren't getting seen by me, but I looked at her profile and spotted this awesome banner with her books done with entirely different covers than what they really have. Confession: I don't look twice at books with half-nekked men on the front. I don't. I just roll my eyes and move on, but the covers on her twitter profile made me look and as a result, I've added this one-- Unsuitable --to the radar/wishlist. The premise is terrific. And because I loved it so much, I tweeted Ms. Paton and got the "fake" cover art to share with you too. It made me do a double take and then made me laugh. Thanks, Ms. Paton, for letting me share it.
Fake Cover
Can they make trailblazing and homemaking fit, or is love just another gender stereotype?
Audrey broke the glass ceiling.
Reece swapped a blue collar for a pink collar job.
She’s a single mum by design. He’s a nanny by choice.
She gets passed over for promotion. He struggles to find a job.
She takes a chance on him. He’s worth more than he knows.
There’s an imbalance of power. There’s an age difference.
There’s a child whose favourite word is no.
Everything about them being together is unsuitable.
Except for love.
***
Thanks to Reading the Past and Amy Johnson, whom I've mentioned before, I found out one of my favorite authors has a book releasing end of this year. The Conqueror's Wife by Stephanie Thornton. I've featured both Daughter of the Gods and The Tiger Queens on the blog.
We are the women who loved Alexander the Great. We were lovers and murderers, innocents and soldiers.
And without us, Alexander would have been only a man.
Instead he was a god.
330s, B.C.E., Greece: Alexander, a handsome young warrior of Macedon, begins his quest to conquer the ancient world. But he cannot ascend to power, and keep it, without the women who help to shape his destiny.
His spirited younger half-sister, Thessalonike, yearns to join her brother and see the world. Instead, it is Alexander's boyhood companion who rides with him into war while Thessalonike remains behind. Far away, crafty princess Drypetis will not stand idly by as Alexander topples her father from Persia's throne. And after Alexander conquers her tiny kingdom, Roxana, the beautiful and cunning daughter of a minor noble, wins Alexander’s heart…and will commit any crime to secure her place at his side.
Within a few short years, Alexander controls an empire more vast than the civilized world has ever known. But his victories are tarnished by losses on the battlefield and treachery among his inner circle. And long after Alexander is gone, the women who are his champions, wives, and enemies will fight to claim his legacy…
***
The same blog also has informed me of Beatriz William's upcoming release: Tiny Little Thing. Why I'm interested? I really liked The Secret Life of Violet Grant .
In the summer of 1966, Christina Hardcastle—“Tiny” to her illustrious family—stands on the brink of a breathtaking future. Of the three Schuyler sisters, she’s the one raised to marry a man destined for leadership, and with her elegance and impeccable style, she presents a perfect camera-ready image in the dawning age of television politics. Together she and her husband, Frank, make the ultimate power couple: intelligent, rich, and impossibly attractive. It seems nothing can stop Frank from rising to national office, and he’s got his sights set on a senate seat in November.
But as the season gets underway at the family estate on Cape Cod, three unwelcome visitors appear in Tiny’s perfect life: her volatile sister Pepper, an envelope containing an incriminating photograph, and the intimidating figure of Frank’s cousin Vietnam-war hero Caspian, who knows more about Tiny’s rich inner life than anyone else. As she struggles to maintain the glossy façade on which the Hardcastle family’s ambitions are built, Tiny begins to suspect that Frank is hiding a reckless entanglement of his own…one that may unravel both her own ordered life and her husband’s promising career.
So, on the radar this week is The Vintage Cinema Club by Jane Linfoot.
"A witty, warm-hearted romp through the lives and loves of four friends – with a cool retro vibe, and a sense of fun that will never go out of fashion." – Debbie Johnson, author of the best-selling ‘Cold Feet At Christmas’.
Meet The Vintage Cinema Club….
Izzy is a wow at making unwanted things pretty, but with three brothers and her shabby chic furniture business to run she doesn’t have time to date. Could a fabulous French proposal change her mind?
Single mum Luce’s vintage bridal dresses are exquisite, but there’s no way she’s ever going to wear one or walk down the aisle for that matter. She’s a strictly no romance, one night kind of woman – or so she thinks…
Ambitious Caitie came down in the world fast when her husband’s business crashed. Only The Vintage Cinema Club, and Caitie's great eye for quality pieces, kept them afloat when they lost their home. But even though Bonkers, her beloved pet Lurcher, is great, he isn’t cutting it as a child substitute and the sadness she felt before is starting to creep back in.
Dida seems to have it all – a chocolate and banana cake recipe to die for, lovely kids (most of the time!) and a great lifestyle. But what good is a fabulous home, when your marriage has more cracks than a pavlova and your husband is having it off with half of Lithuania?
Four retro fabulous friends, in love with all things vintage, run their dream business from the faded grandeur of a rescued cinema. When that dream comes under threat, they’ll do whatever it takes to save it.
Fans of Lucy Diamond, Michele Gorman and Milly Johnson are going to love this heartfelt, funny story.
***
I spent last week reading and enjoying Kate Quinn's Lady of the Eternal City. I liked it so much, I went to look at her other titles. You may remember me reviewing A Day of Fire , an anthology that included a story by Ms. Quinn that featured a wonderful heroine named Diana. I discovered while browsing the blurbs that Diana is in Daughters of Rome, so of course, I must read that. It's been out a few years, but that doesn't mean it's not worth mentioning.
A.D. 69. Nero is dead.The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….
Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.
But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress.
***
The Real CoverAnd Twitter worked again. I've been following Ainslie Paton. She guested on the blog a year or so ago. But as I said above, 5k (Okay, it was 900-something people) tweet and retweet and her tweets weren't getting seen by me, but I looked at her profile and spotted this awesome banner with her books done with entirely different covers than what they really have. Confession: I don't look twice at books with half-nekked men on the front. I don't. I just roll my eyes and move on, but the covers on her twitter profile made me look and as a result, I've added this one-- Unsuitable --to the radar/wishlist. The premise is terrific. And because I loved it so much, I tweeted Ms. Paton and got the "fake" cover art to share with you too. It made me do a double take and then made me laugh. Thanks, Ms. Paton, for letting me share it.
Fake CoverCan they make trailblazing and homemaking fit, or is love just another gender stereotype?
Audrey broke the glass ceiling.
Reece swapped a blue collar for a pink collar job.
She’s a single mum by design. He’s a nanny by choice.
She gets passed over for promotion. He struggles to find a job.
She takes a chance on him. He’s worth more than he knows.
There’s an imbalance of power. There’s an age difference.
There’s a child whose favourite word is no.
Everything about them being together is unsuitable.
Except for love.
***
Thanks to Reading the Past and Amy Johnson, whom I've mentioned before, I found out one of my favorite authors has a book releasing end of this year. The Conqueror's Wife by Stephanie Thornton. I've featured both Daughter of the Gods and The Tiger Queens on the blog.
We are the women who loved Alexander the Great. We were lovers and murderers, innocents and soldiers.And without us, Alexander would have been only a man.
Instead he was a god.
330s, B.C.E., Greece: Alexander, a handsome young warrior of Macedon, begins his quest to conquer the ancient world. But he cannot ascend to power, and keep it, without the women who help to shape his destiny.
His spirited younger half-sister, Thessalonike, yearns to join her brother and see the world. Instead, it is Alexander's boyhood companion who rides with him into war while Thessalonike remains behind. Far away, crafty princess Drypetis will not stand idly by as Alexander topples her father from Persia's throne. And after Alexander conquers her tiny kingdom, Roxana, the beautiful and cunning daughter of a minor noble, wins Alexander’s heart…and will commit any crime to secure her place at his side.
Within a few short years, Alexander controls an empire more vast than the civilized world has ever known. But his victories are tarnished by losses on the battlefield and treachery among his inner circle. And long after Alexander is gone, the women who are his champions, wives, and enemies will fight to claim his legacy…
***
The same blog also has informed me of Beatriz William's upcoming release: Tiny Little Thing. Why I'm interested? I really liked The Secret Life of Violet Grant .
In the summer of 1966, Christina Hardcastle—“Tiny” to her illustrious family—stands on the brink of a breathtaking future. Of the three Schuyler sisters, she’s the one raised to marry a man destined for leadership, and with her elegance and impeccable style, she presents a perfect camera-ready image in the dawning age of television politics. Together she and her husband, Frank, make the ultimate power couple: intelligent, rich, and impossibly attractive. It seems nothing can stop Frank from rising to national office, and he’s got his sights set on a senate seat in November.But as the season gets underway at the family estate on Cape Cod, three unwelcome visitors appear in Tiny’s perfect life: her volatile sister Pepper, an envelope containing an incriminating photograph, and the intimidating figure of Frank’s cousin Vietnam-war hero Caspian, who knows more about Tiny’s rich inner life than anyone else. As she struggles to maintain the glossy façade on which the Hardcastle family’s ambitions are built, Tiny begins to suspect that Frank is hiding a reckless entanglement of his own…one that may unravel both her own ordered life and her husband’s promising career.
April 3, 2015
The Judith Redline Coopey Tour
Please join Judith Redline Coopey as she tours the blogosphere with HF Virtual Book Tours for four of her historical novels, The Furnace, Looking for Jane, Waterproof: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood, and Redfield Farm: A Novel of the Underground Railroad, from March 16-April 6.
The Furnace (Juniata Iron Trilogy, #1)
Publication Date: October 1, 2014Fox Hollow Press
Formats: eBook & Paperback
Pages: 336
Series: Volume One, Juniata Iron Trilogy
Genre: Historical Fiction
READ AN EXCERPT.
Elinor Bratton, young, beautiful, and privileged is pregnant and cast aside by her lover, the wealthy and spoiled scion of a eastern Pennsylvania family. As a result she is forced by her father into an arranged marriage to a man she barely knows. Adam MacPhail, a common iron worker whose only wish is to become an iron master agrees to the match as a means of realizing his dream. Ellie’s father, Stephen Bratton, well to do, well connected and determined to save his daughter’s reputation, orchestrates the union -- not as Ellie would have it, but as he sees fit. So begins a marriage in a time when a woman had no voice, no rights, no say in matters directly pertaining to her. Ellie, exiled to the wilderness of western Pennsylvania with a man she would not have considered three months before, declares her intention to make Adam’s life miserable and make her father pay for his high-handed disregard for her rights. Adam, unschooled in dealing with women, chooses to focus his energy and attention on turning a down and out iron furnace into a profitable, well-ordered producer. Through the first half of the nineteenth century, the couple struggle to establish a life, disentangle an ill-conceived marriage, and make a success of a derelict furnace through the ups and downs of an unpredictable industry. Volume One of The Juniata Iron Trilogy, The Furnace chronicles Ellie and Adam’s efforts to find a balance and build an enterprise worthy of Pennsylvania’s iron industry, producing Juniata Iron, the finest in the world.
Looking for Jane
Publication Date: December 21, 2012Fox Hollow Press
Formats: ebook & Paperback
Pages: 238
Genre: Historical Fiction
READ AN EXCERPT.
“The nuns use this as their measuring stick: who your people are. Well, what if you don’t have no people? Or any you know of? What then? Are you doomed?” This is the nagging question of fifteen-year-old Nell’s life. Born with a cleft palate and left a foundling on the doorstep of a convent, she yearns to know her mother, whose name, she knows, was Jane.
When the Mother Superior tries to pawn her off to a mean looking farmer and his beaten down wife, Nell opts for the only alternative she can see: she runs away. A chance encounter with a dime novel exhorting the exploits of Calamity Jane, heroine of the west, gives Nell the purpose of her life: to find Calamity Jane, who Nell is convinced is her mother.
Her quest takes her down rivers, up rivers and across the Badlands to Deadwood, South Dakota and introduces her to Soot, a big, lovable black dog, and Jeremy Chatterfield, a handsome young Englishman who isn’t particular about how he makes his way, as long as he doesn't have to work for it. Together they trek across the country meeting characters as wonderful and bizarre as the adventure they seek, learning about themselves and the world along the way.
**************REVIEW****************
I had a hard time getting into this novel at first. I will confess it seems like a whole lot of nothing for the first half, as the heroine gets in a stolen boat and begins a journey down a river, picking up some awful characters as she goes. It seems without a real plot, as though the story just changes direction with the river, which could be what the author intended, and just didn't appeal to me.
I became very frustrated with the heroine. For girl so very smart--she seems right through the pastor and the fools following him--she's very dumb when it comes to Jeremy. She complains about him; he isn't treating her right; he's inviting bad people into their boat/lives, and yet even when she has a chance, she doesn't just row away and leave him there, and she was pretty much already surviving on her own, so I wasn't buying that excuse. And as Jeremy kept popping up, I kept getting more aggravated.
But I really appreciated one thing: Everyone keeps trying to convince Nell that if she gets her face/roof-of-mouth problem "fixed", she'll have less hardship, 'cause folks will no longer look at her and think she's dumb or treat her bad because she's "ugly". Nell refuses/questions this, says she's happy with herself the way she is and changing her face may change her. I appreciated this. After all, she's not the one with the problem; it's others, so why should she change?
But in conclusion, I was very bored with this story. It gets sidetracked from the main, finding Calamity Jane, plot too often.
Waterproof: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood
Publication Date: May 1, 2012Fox Hollow Press
Formats: ebook & Paperback
Pages: 266
Genre: Historical Fiction
READ AN EXCERPT.
Fifty years after an earthen dam broke and sent a thirty foot wall of raging destruction down on the city of Johnstown, PA, Pamela McRae looks back on the tragedy with new perspective.
When the flood hit, it wiped out Pam’s fondest hopes, taking her fiancé and her brother’s lives and her mother’s sanity, and within a year her father walked away, leaving his daughter—now the sole support of her mother—to cope with poverty and loneliness.
The arrival of Katya, a poor Hungarian girl running away from an arranged marriage, finally gives Pam the chance she needs to get back into the world; Katya can care for her mother, and Pam can go to work for the Johnstown Clarion as a society reporter.
Then Davy Hughes, Pam’s fiancé before the flood, reappears and, instead of being the answer to her prayers, further complicates her life. Someone is seeking revenge on the owners of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, the Pittsburgh millionaires who owned the failed dam, and Pam is afraid Davy has something to do with it.
Redfield Farm: A Novel of the Underground Railroad
Publication Date: April 2, 2010Formats: ebook & Paperback
Pages: 280
Genre: Historical Fiction
READ AN EXCERPT.
Ann Redfield is destined to follow her brother Jesse through life – two years behind him – all the way. Jesse is a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and Ann follows him there as well.
Quakers filled with a conviction as hard as Pennsylvania limestone that slavery is an abomination to be resisted with any means available, the Redfield brother and sister lie, sneak, masquerade and defy their way past would-be enforcers of the hated Fugitive Slave Law.
Their activities inevitably lead to complicated relationships when Jesse returns from a run with a deadly fever, accompanied by a fugitive, Josiah, who is also sick and close to death. Ann nurses both back to health. But precious time is lost, and Josiah, too weak for winter travel, stays on at Redfield Farm. Ann becomes his teacher, friend and confidant. When grave disappointment disrupts her life, Ann turns to Josiah for comfort, and comfort leads to intimacy. The result, both poignant and inspiring, leads to a life long devotion to one another and their cause.
About the Author
Judith Redline Coopey, born in Altoona, PA holds degrees from the Pennsylvania State University and Arizona State University. A passion for history inherited from her father drives her writing and a love for Pennsylvania sustains it. Her first book, Redfield Farm was the story of the Underground Railroad in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The second, Waterproof, tells how the 1889 Johnstown Flood nearly destroyed a whole city and one young woman’s life. Looking For Jane is a quest for love and family in the 1890s brought to life through the eyes of Nell, a young girl convinced that Calamity Jane is her mother. Her most recent work, The Furnace: Volume One of the Juniata Iron Trilogy, is set on an iron plantation near where she grew up and tells the story of an ill conceived marriage of convenience as it plays out over a lifetime. As a teacher, writer and student of history, Ms Coopey finds her inspiration in the rich history of her native state and in stories of the lives of those who have gone before.For more information please visit Judith Redline Coopey's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
April 2, 2015
*Gasp!* A Heroine Who Doesn't Want Marriage and Kids? Unthinkable! A Guest Post from J. Ellen Ross
Recently, I was reading romance novel I had picked up for free from Amazon. It wasn’t terrible and after a very long work week, I was enjoying a guilty pleasure when the story veered into the stereotypical romance happily-ever-after territory. The lead female gets pregnant, they decide to get married, everyone is thrilled.
Everyone except this reader. I just wasn’t in the mood for it that night and I posted this to Twitter:
This started a conversation on Twitter and on my Facebook page about why children and marriage seem to be the go-to ending in romance novels and why any other ending is so taboo.
I think taboo against writing characters that are happy without children/marriage exists because for many people, getting married/having children is what they imagine for their own lives. Living a complete life without either or both, is hard for some to picture. So, in that way, the traditional romance novel ending is playing to the largest audience. But, of course, there have always been those that by choice or chance, that lived happily ever after without children or without getting married.
It exists because it’s a culturally accepted way to tidy up all the supposed loose ends. Sure, the conflict may have been resolved, but if they’re not married what are your characters doing with their lives? The marriage/children trope tells your readers exactly what happens after the book ends. They’re married and raising children and many, many people can instantly relate to that. Of course, there are lots of readers, like me, that can’t relate. I don’t have children, by choice.
It seems like these are some of the last taboos in romance writing. Many romance writers have moved past the point where all the female characters are helpless victims in need of rescue. It isn’t shocking anymore to have a spunky girl/woman in a lead role. But how often does that spitfire character fall happily pregnant and marry the hero?
Mores have changed. Look at the way books on shifters have flourished and the rush of women that read M/M gay romance and erotica. Twenty years ago, you saw very few books like these in mainstream bookstores, but now they fill categories on Amazon. The landscape of what American readers want in romance novels has blossomed into a garden of different subgenres and grown well outside the confines of 1980’s and 1990’s romance.
But childfree/marriage free romance novels remain few and far between. Why? For me, it’s fear. As a brand new author, it’s scary to buck the script, because the script sells. You’re just getting started, you need to make a name for yourself and you don’t want to offend the biggest reader demographic, who obviously like and buy books that deal in marriage and kids.
Of course, if writers aren’t willing to write characters that eschew the traditional happily-ever-after ending, how will it ever change? When I started writing, I committed to crafting books I would want to read, so I found ways to hint around the fact that children and marriage were simply not important to my story.
In my first novel, the heroine never says she doesn’t want children, because I didn’t want to alienate readers. But she doesn’t want them and takes steps to prevent them. I had a list of compelling reasons ready for her to recite, reasons that were not offensive, fit the character and the story perfectly. I’m mad now, because I pulled that scene, fearing I would turn people off my book.
In the sequel, I hint around saying she won’t have children and that her lover knows the reasons. Is she unable? Or unwilling? I leave that up to the reader to decide. Thinking about it now, I may rewrite it and have her announce her intentions clearly.
As for marriage, mine is a fantasy novel so marriage fit the needs of the story - kings and queens and dynasties. But, my hero is ambivalent about marriage. The heroine uses marriage to prove a political point, but never feels it necessary for the relationship. Also, I never write about the wedding. I end the first book before the marriage occurs to demonstrate that it’s just not that important to the overall arc. The next book picks up two years after the wedding happens. Time has passed, then, without any description of what shape their wedding took.
I think that there’s room enough on bookshelves and on our e-readers to have great stories that don’t fit the script 100%, but that still resonate with readers. Obviously, authors can’t expect to draw in readers that love the neat, tidy baby-and-wedding ending if they march through their novel screaming about hating kids and traditional marriage. But, we can find ways to introduce readers to alternate endings that buck the script and still tell a great story. It just means being a little subversive.
***
Leisha’s father, the king of Tahaerin, bartered away her childhood with his failed invasion of a neighboring kingdom. She grew up a hostage, a guarantee of the king’s good behavior. At sixteen, she returns to a land and a throne she knows almost nothing about.
Her powerful and ruthless uncle plans to force her into a marriage or take her crown by violence. The nobles of her kingdom all expect her to fail spectacularly and are eager to fight over the scraps. But, Leisha has no intention of going along quietly with any of their plans.
As a boy, Zaraki watched as slavers butchered his family. Orphaned and starving, he was taken from the streets, trained to spy and kill. He finds a position with the new queen when he is forced to flee the only home he remembers. But the job is far larger than he anticipated and Leisha’s life is threatened from all sides.
Leisha will fight to hold her crown and her throne with the help of an unknown and unproven spy. Zaraki will try keep her alive and to keep the oaths he took - to be loyal to her, to keep her secrets and never, ever fall in love with her.
***
I live in Texas with my husband and our four rescue dogs. I work in high tech, which has nothing to do with fantasy, romance or writing.
When I'm not busy chasing dogs around or rushing someone to the vet, I love to read and play video games. I have a hobby of having hobbies, so I've also been known to do sculpting, beadwork, and painting.
Everyone except this reader. I just wasn’t in the mood for it that night and I posted this to Twitter:
This started a conversation on Twitter and on my Facebook page about why children and marriage seem to be the go-to ending in romance novels and why any other ending is so taboo.
I think taboo against writing characters that are happy without children/marriage exists because for many people, getting married/having children is what they imagine for their own lives. Living a complete life without either or both, is hard for some to picture. So, in that way, the traditional romance novel ending is playing to the largest audience. But, of course, there have always been those that by choice or chance, that lived happily ever after without children or without getting married.
It exists because it’s a culturally accepted way to tidy up all the supposed loose ends. Sure, the conflict may have been resolved, but if they’re not married what are your characters doing with their lives? The marriage/children trope tells your readers exactly what happens after the book ends. They’re married and raising children and many, many people can instantly relate to that. Of course, there are lots of readers, like me, that can’t relate. I don’t have children, by choice.
It seems like these are some of the last taboos in romance writing. Many romance writers have moved past the point where all the female characters are helpless victims in need of rescue. It isn’t shocking anymore to have a spunky girl/woman in a lead role. But how often does that spitfire character fall happily pregnant and marry the hero?
Mores have changed. Look at the way books on shifters have flourished and the rush of women that read M/M gay romance and erotica. Twenty years ago, you saw very few books like these in mainstream bookstores, but now they fill categories on Amazon. The landscape of what American readers want in romance novels has blossomed into a garden of different subgenres and grown well outside the confines of 1980’s and 1990’s romance.
But childfree/marriage free romance novels remain few and far between. Why? For me, it’s fear. As a brand new author, it’s scary to buck the script, because the script sells. You’re just getting started, you need to make a name for yourself and you don’t want to offend the biggest reader demographic, who obviously like and buy books that deal in marriage and kids.
Of course, if writers aren’t willing to write characters that eschew the traditional happily-ever-after ending, how will it ever change? When I started writing, I committed to crafting books I would want to read, so I found ways to hint around the fact that children and marriage were simply not important to my story.
In my first novel, the heroine never says she doesn’t want children, because I didn’t want to alienate readers. But she doesn’t want them and takes steps to prevent them. I had a list of compelling reasons ready for her to recite, reasons that were not offensive, fit the character and the story perfectly. I’m mad now, because I pulled that scene, fearing I would turn people off my book.
In the sequel, I hint around saying she won’t have children and that her lover knows the reasons. Is she unable? Or unwilling? I leave that up to the reader to decide. Thinking about it now, I may rewrite it and have her announce her intentions clearly.
As for marriage, mine is a fantasy novel so marriage fit the needs of the story - kings and queens and dynasties. But, my hero is ambivalent about marriage. The heroine uses marriage to prove a political point, but never feels it necessary for the relationship. Also, I never write about the wedding. I end the first book before the marriage occurs to demonstrate that it’s just not that important to the overall arc. The next book picks up two years after the wedding happens. Time has passed, then, without any description of what shape their wedding took.
I think that there’s room enough on bookshelves and on our e-readers to have great stories that don’t fit the script 100%, but that still resonate with readers. Obviously, authors can’t expect to draw in readers that love the neat, tidy baby-and-wedding ending if they march through their novel screaming about hating kids and traditional marriage. But, we can find ways to introduce readers to alternate endings that buck the script and still tell a great story. It just means being a little subversive.
***
Leisha’s father, the king of Tahaerin, bartered away her childhood with his failed invasion of a neighboring kingdom. She grew up a hostage, a guarantee of the king’s good behavior. At sixteen, she returns to a land and a throne she knows almost nothing about.
Her powerful and ruthless uncle plans to force her into a marriage or take her crown by violence. The nobles of her kingdom all expect her to fail spectacularly and are eager to fight over the scraps. But, Leisha has no intention of going along quietly with any of their plans.
As a boy, Zaraki watched as slavers butchered his family. Orphaned and starving, he was taken from the streets, trained to spy and kill. He finds a position with the new queen when he is forced to flee the only home he remembers. But the job is far larger than he anticipated and Leisha’s life is threatened from all sides.
Leisha will fight to hold her crown and her throne with the help of an unknown and unproven spy. Zaraki will try keep her alive and to keep the oaths he took - to be loyal to her, to keep her secrets and never, ever fall in love with her.
***
I live in Texas with my husband and our four rescue dogs. I work in high tech, which has nothing to do with fantasy, romance or writing. When I'm not busy chasing dogs around or rushing someone to the vet, I love to read and play video games. I have a hobby of having hobbies, so I've also been known to do sculpting, beadwork, and painting.
April 1, 2015
Women of Rome, Pillars of Strength: Lady of the Eternal City (The Empress of Rome #4) by Kate Quinn
I'm not a big fan of Rome. Roman stories tend to focus too much on war, bloodshed, and gladiators. It's a lot of testosterone, but Ms. Quinn shows us that the strength and power of Rome not only lied with its men, but also its women, women like Sabina and Annia.Annia is only a girl in this novel, but I have no doubt (at least I hope!) she'll be in a future novel, kicking butt and taking names--or maybe busting more nuts, literally.
Sabina is Empress, married to an emperor with foul moods, a thirst for blood, and a desire for his own sex. It's an unusual marriage. How she withstands the moods, the tiptoeing, the loneliness...is beyond me, but she does. As the hero's father says to him one day, a true soldier bides his time... I think that's what she does. Because she never comes off weak or out of control. A pillar of strength, she is.
The story periodically strays to Vix, her former lover and the emperor's main "bodyguard". I confess my mind began to stray when it focused on Vix. I didn't care about Judea or its war or his wife or daughters or even the arguments between him and the emperor. It just didn't interesting me as much as Annia....my favorite character in the entire novel, a little girl who loves to run, who busts nuts, who say the wittiest things, and stands up to anyone.There's an angry emperor, a war, a wall being built, travels, temples, romance, secrets, feisty females, and there's also a murder. Who did it? Why? What will happen to those who find out? The ending is a rush of a excitement that readers will not soon forget.
I also felt that this novel showed different marriages very well. You can be married to your best friend and not feel desire. There's no shame in it. You can be married to someone you have nothing in common with and yet still desire. Vix and his wife wanted different things and in the end, one could not accept the other. Perhaps it wasn't intended, but I began to muse on marriage and how we mustn't want to change our partners but accept them for who they are, much like Sabina and the emperor do.
It's a long book, over 500 pages, and I could reveal more, but I don't wish to spoil it for anyone. Suffice it to say, the writing is well done, the sexual scenes and relationships revealed tastefully, and the history--while I am not an expert on Rome, I can say that I was transported. I was in the story. I was running through the vineyards with Annia, lounging with Antinous and Hadrian on the couch. I was able to transport myself from 2015 Utah to 100-something A.D. Rome. And while it didn't interest me as much, the war in Judea, I walked away having learned much.I'd also like to add that I have not read books two and three. (Though book two is on my wishlist now!) and yet, I did not "miss a beat" as the saying goes.
I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2015
The Shepherdess of Siena by Linda Lafferty
It took me a bit to make the connection, but I've read about the crazy Medicis before, in Elizabeth Loupas's
The Red Lily Crown
. Once I realized who I was reading about and began "recognizing" events, such as the murdering of wives and the alchemy, I could not help but compare the two novels.Both novels educated us about the Medicis through the eyes of strong women of the times: Loupas gave us a female chemist; Lafferty gives us a lady jockey. Both were considered shocking and unusual during this time period.
As far as heroines go, I prefer this feisty girl jockey. She's a shepherdess who loves horses, has a unity with them, is determined to be the first girl to run the Palio--a race. And this isn't just running in a circle, but through town full of obstacles, sharp turns, people with whips and very little rules.
This young girl who has never rode before suddenly declares she's going to not only race in, but win, the Palio and her determination very nearly gets her there. It's never too late to chase a dream. I also took away from this a moral: it's not really about winning. You don't have to make first place to "win". It's about determination and passion for what you are doing.
So she becomes the heroine of Siena...meanwhile, the Medicis are poisoning each other. First it's the sisters, then it's the granduca himself...and there's magical paint. And then it seems like Virginia Tacci, heroine of Siena, is fated to a life in "prison". Will anyone be able to release her? And once released, will she want to be free?I said above, I preferred this heroine, but as far as writing goes and the Medici plotline, I prefer Loupas's writing and interpretation. I didn't find myself as engrossed with the Medicis' lives and scandal and disputes in this one as I did with Loupas's novel, probably because Virginia herself never really deals with them. So the two stories are not as entwined and it was jarring at times to go from one setting to another. Without the likable heroine connecting it all, I began to lose interest.
When it was Virginia talking--first person, her POV--I was happy. When it went to the Medicis or the painters or any other character, I was not as engrossed. I confess to moments of boredom. The Medici story simply did not appeal to me as much as Virginia's story.
But what a courageous heroine--her determination, her passion only for horses, her riding astride and refusal to dress as a boy because she is proud to be a girl. Her insistence on a feminine version of the word jockey. She's terrific and an inspiration. Had the story just been about her, I'd have been happier. Though I did take away some new knowledge from this, such as the siege/starvation of Siena. I did not know about that.
I received this via Netgalley.
March 30, 2015
Q & A with Hannah Fielding, Author of Indiscretion
Today we have Hannah Fielding, author of a new historical romance called Indiscretion. After reading the following blurb, I not only wanted to read it, but had some questions for her too.
A young woman's journey of discovery takes her to a world of forbidden passion, savage beauty, and revenge.
Spring, 1950. Alexandra de Falla, a half-English, half-Spanish young writer abandons her privileged but suffocating life in London and travels to Spain to be reunited with her long-estranged family.
Instead of providing the sense of belonging she yearns for, the de Fallas are driven by seething emotions, and in the grip of the wild customs and traditions of Andalucia, all of which are alien to Alexandra.
Among the strange characters and sultry heat of this country, she meets the man who awakens emotions she hardly knew existed. But their path is strewn with obstacles: dangerous rivals, unpredictable events, and inevitable indiscretions. What does Alexandra's destiny hold for her in this flamboyant land of drama and all-consuming passions, where blood is ritually poured on to the sands of sun-drenched bullfighting arenas, mysterious gypsies are embroiled in magic and revenge, and beautiful dark-eyed dancers hide their secrets behind elegant lacy fans?
"Indiscretion"is a story of love and identity, and the clash of idealsin the pursuit of happiness. But can love survive in a world where scandal and danger are never far away?
First of all, why Spain? And why this time period? What drew you there?
My romance with Spain began when I was in my early teens after I saw a film called Pleasure Seekers. The wonderful setting and atmospheric music made me dream and triggered my imagination. Then once I had visited that beautiful sun-drenched country and met with their hospitable, fun-loving, flamboyant people, I was charmed and the seeds for Indiscretion were sown.
I decided to set Indiscretion in the fifties for three reasons: 1) Because it is a period I know well2) Because that era fifty or so years ago saw major changes in society and therefore there is much to explore in terms of romance in that era 3) Because I was so taken by Spain that I knew that my inspiration would not stop at one book and I was giving myself the chance of writing a sequel or even a trilogy.
What drew me and captured my heart in Spain was its rich culture and its ancient varied history. Spain is a land of drama. The people are intense, their culture, their music, their traditions personify passion and fire. They are never in a hurry. If you don’t make it today, there is always mañana, tomorrow… life is lived to the full. The Spanish seem to be totally in tune with James Dean’s immortal words, ‘Live as if you’ll die today.’
Did you travel to Spain to visit places you mention in the novel?
Yes of course. ‘Write about what you know’ is a common piece of advice given to writers, and I agree with it. The more experience you bring to bear in your fiction, the more genuine and realistic the story is. So when I write, I like to get a feel of the place where my romance novel is set. I need to experience its weather, view its countryside, mingle with its people and try its exclusive cuisine. Every facet of a country helps me to form the setting of a film in my mind where I can place my characters, knowing that their experience will be genuine and that my story will come from the heart.
From the blurb, I understand there’s some Flamenco and some bullfighting in the story. What kind of research did you do for both? Did you take dance lessons? Go see a fight? Or was it all book research?
I love dance. I love ballet and flamenco and folk dancing. From the age of five to the age of sixteen, I took ballet lessons in which we were taught not only classic dancing, but also folk dancing from various countries, namely Russia, Hungary, Egypt and of course Spain; and so naturally Flamenco was part of the programme. As a young girl I dreamed of being a ballerina; now I am content to watch and be swept away by the beauty of a dance.
As for bullfighting, of course I went to a bullfight. You don’t go to Spain and not attend one of Spain’s most important rituals – it is actually their national sport. Bullfighting pre-historically was steeped in the culture of Mediterranean countries. In Ancient Greece for example, the legend of the killing of the minotaur was symbolic of a bullfight.
My experience, of course, was enhanced with additional book research, to make sure that my facts were absolutely right.
Speaking of research, did you by any chance come across some interesting fact or story that caught your attention but simply didn’t fit in the book? Something shocking? Funny?
Yes, I did come across a gypsy ritual that might be considered ‘shocking’. It was about thirty five years ago, in a pueblo, a village of Andalusia. Knowing about my fascination with gypsies a Spanish friend took me to a gypsy wedding. It was set in a sort of a big warehouse with crowds of people clothed in a dazzling array of bright colours and bold accessories. Suddenly, while the singing, dancing and merriment were going on, the young bride was taken into another room by three older women under the enthusiastic cheers of the guests. My friend explained that gypsy tradition stipulates that the bride must be a virgin and therefore before the wedding is consummated she must be subjected to the gypsy custom of prueba del pañuelo, a public ritual to certify her virginity, carried out with a white handkerchief. Once the test shows a positive result, known as the ‘three roses’, the women come out of the room and sing ‘El Yeli’ to the couple as they shower the bride with sugar-coated almonds and the ceremony can go on. If the result is negative, the wedding will be cancelled.
What’s your next project?
There is a sequel to Indiscretion, Masquerade, which will take my readers to the next generation of the Rueda and de Falla families. More fiery emotions, more colourful traditions, more outlandish rituals, and a passionate love story to which you can look forward.
Thank you so much for joining us! I can't wait to read your novel! Good luck.
Hannah Fielding is an award winning contemporary romance fiction writer. She was born and raised in Egypt and is well known for her passion for travel. Her novels are all set in exotic locations and feature wonderfully vivid imagery and descriptions. Her first novel, 'Burning Embers' was published in 2012. 'The Echoes of Love' was published in 2014 to critical acclaim. It was awarded the IPPY Gold Award for Romance and was described by The Sun newspaper as, 'An epic love story that is beautifully told...'. Indiscretion is due to be released on April 9th, 2015.
A young woman's journey of discovery takes her to a world of forbidden passion, savage beauty, and revenge.Spring, 1950. Alexandra de Falla, a half-English, half-Spanish young writer abandons her privileged but suffocating life in London and travels to Spain to be reunited with her long-estranged family.
Instead of providing the sense of belonging she yearns for, the de Fallas are driven by seething emotions, and in the grip of the wild customs and traditions of Andalucia, all of which are alien to Alexandra.
Among the strange characters and sultry heat of this country, she meets the man who awakens emotions she hardly knew existed. But their path is strewn with obstacles: dangerous rivals, unpredictable events, and inevitable indiscretions. What does Alexandra's destiny hold for her in this flamboyant land of drama and all-consuming passions, where blood is ritually poured on to the sands of sun-drenched bullfighting arenas, mysterious gypsies are embroiled in magic and revenge, and beautiful dark-eyed dancers hide their secrets behind elegant lacy fans?
"Indiscretion"is a story of love and identity, and the clash of idealsin the pursuit of happiness. But can love survive in a world where scandal and danger are never far away?
First of all, why Spain? And why this time period? What drew you there?
My romance with Spain began when I was in my early teens after I saw a film called Pleasure Seekers. The wonderful setting and atmospheric music made me dream and triggered my imagination. Then once I had visited that beautiful sun-drenched country and met with their hospitable, fun-loving, flamboyant people, I was charmed and the seeds for Indiscretion were sown.
I decided to set Indiscretion in the fifties for three reasons: 1) Because it is a period I know well2) Because that era fifty or so years ago saw major changes in society and therefore there is much to explore in terms of romance in that era 3) Because I was so taken by Spain that I knew that my inspiration would not stop at one book and I was giving myself the chance of writing a sequel or even a trilogy.
What drew me and captured my heart in Spain was its rich culture and its ancient varied history. Spain is a land of drama. The people are intense, their culture, their music, their traditions personify passion and fire. They are never in a hurry. If you don’t make it today, there is always mañana, tomorrow… life is lived to the full. The Spanish seem to be totally in tune with James Dean’s immortal words, ‘Live as if you’ll die today.’
Did you travel to Spain to visit places you mention in the novel?
Yes of course. ‘Write about what you know’ is a common piece of advice given to writers, and I agree with it. The more experience you bring to bear in your fiction, the more genuine and realistic the story is. So when I write, I like to get a feel of the place where my romance novel is set. I need to experience its weather, view its countryside, mingle with its people and try its exclusive cuisine. Every facet of a country helps me to form the setting of a film in my mind where I can place my characters, knowing that their experience will be genuine and that my story will come from the heart.
From the blurb, I understand there’s some Flamenco and some bullfighting in the story. What kind of research did you do for both? Did you take dance lessons? Go see a fight? Or was it all book research?
I love dance. I love ballet and flamenco and folk dancing. From the age of five to the age of sixteen, I took ballet lessons in which we were taught not only classic dancing, but also folk dancing from various countries, namely Russia, Hungary, Egypt and of course Spain; and so naturally Flamenco was part of the programme. As a young girl I dreamed of being a ballerina; now I am content to watch and be swept away by the beauty of a dance.
As for bullfighting, of course I went to a bullfight. You don’t go to Spain and not attend one of Spain’s most important rituals – it is actually their national sport. Bullfighting pre-historically was steeped in the culture of Mediterranean countries. In Ancient Greece for example, the legend of the killing of the minotaur was symbolic of a bullfight. My experience, of course, was enhanced with additional book research, to make sure that my facts were absolutely right.
Speaking of research, did you by any chance come across some interesting fact or story that caught your attention but simply didn’t fit in the book? Something shocking? Funny?
Yes, I did come across a gypsy ritual that might be considered ‘shocking’. It was about thirty five years ago, in a pueblo, a village of Andalusia. Knowing about my fascination with gypsies a Spanish friend took me to a gypsy wedding. It was set in a sort of a big warehouse with crowds of people clothed in a dazzling array of bright colours and bold accessories. Suddenly, while the singing, dancing and merriment were going on, the young bride was taken into another room by three older women under the enthusiastic cheers of the guests. My friend explained that gypsy tradition stipulates that the bride must be a virgin and therefore before the wedding is consummated she must be subjected to the gypsy custom of prueba del pañuelo, a public ritual to certify her virginity, carried out with a white handkerchief. Once the test shows a positive result, known as the ‘three roses’, the women come out of the room and sing ‘El Yeli’ to the couple as they shower the bride with sugar-coated almonds and the ceremony can go on. If the result is negative, the wedding will be cancelled.
What’s your next project?
There is a sequel to Indiscretion, Masquerade, which will take my readers to the next generation of the Rueda and de Falla families. More fiery emotions, more colourful traditions, more outlandish rituals, and a passionate love story to which you can look forward.
Thank you so much for joining us! I can't wait to read your novel! Good luck.
Hannah Fielding is an award winning contemporary romance fiction writer. She was born and raised in Egypt and is well known for her passion for travel. Her novels are all set in exotic locations and feature wonderfully vivid imagery and descriptions. Her first novel, 'Burning Embers' was published in 2012. 'The Echoes of Love' was published in 2014 to critical acclaim. It was awarded the IPPY Gold Award for Romance and was described by The Sun newspaper as, 'An epic love story that is beautifully told...'. Indiscretion is due to be released on April 9th, 2015.March 29, 2015
Just a Little Something I Bought...
I didn't intend it, but Sundays on the blog have become Whatever Day, when I share random things I think you all may like, may find interesting, or may want to try/buy yourself.
For me, Etsy is the new Ebay. I had a bad experience on Ebay with one of those sellers in China and ended up with a product not as described and out of my dough. Since then, I've completely shut down my Ebay and turned to Etsy, where I've had no trouble and I'm supporting small businesses. We all win...except Ebay. LOL
Last week I acquired and shared with you a girl-power tee shirt. This week, I nabbed myself a deaf-power tee shirt from
And I had this made:
I was able to choose the shirt color and the font.
If you've been following this blog a while or have read my memoir, you'll understand why I chose those words. Though it took me a long time to realize it, it seems other people have a problem with my disability more than I do. I've been denied jobs and all kinds of things, just because I'm deaf.
I've learned to work around it. Why can't others?
That being said, I will confess to wishing I could just go to the movies like other people (the theater near me stopped with open captioning altogether) and I've finally been convinced to check into a cochlear implant in my left year--which doesn't work at all, and when I was talking to my audiologist about the 50, 70k bill that would be involved in the process, I confessed I thought I should get funding from those who disqualified me from my occupation years ago. I said, "They're the ones who have a problem with my hearing loss, who say I can't do my job because of it. They should pay to fix it."
And that was part of the inspiration behind this shirt.
Is there something you'd like to say on a shirt?
The shop I ordered this from is No Sleeves, No Problems and the link to their shop and also to the listing for the custom tee shirt are all above.
For me, Etsy is the new Ebay. I had a bad experience on Ebay with one of those sellers in China and ended up with a product not as described and out of my dough. Since then, I've completely shut down my Ebay and turned to Etsy, where I've had no trouble and I'm supporting small businesses. We all win...except Ebay. LOL
Last week I acquired and shared with you a girl-power tee shirt. This week, I nabbed myself a deaf-power tee shirt from
And I had this made:
I was able to choose the shirt color and the font.
If you've been following this blog a while or have read my memoir, you'll understand why I chose those words. Though it took me a long time to realize it, it seems other people have a problem with my disability more than I do. I've been denied jobs and all kinds of things, just because I'm deaf.
I've learned to work around it. Why can't others?
That being said, I will confess to wishing I could just go to the movies like other people (the theater near me stopped with open captioning altogether) and I've finally been convinced to check into a cochlear implant in my left year--which doesn't work at all, and when I was talking to my audiologist about the 50, 70k bill that would be involved in the process, I confessed I thought I should get funding from those who disqualified me from my occupation years ago. I said, "They're the ones who have a problem with my hearing loss, who say I can't do my job because of it. They should pay to fix it."
And that was part of the inspiration behind this shirt.
Is there something you'd like to say on a shirt?
The shop I ordered this from is No Sleeves, No Problems and the link to their shop and also to the listing for the custom tee shirt are all above.
