Liz Fenwick's Blog, page 6

Christina Courtenay’s Top Three Books Set in Cornwall

To celebrate the paperback release of A Cornish Stranger on the 23rd of April and Under A Cornish Sky of the 7th of May I’ve asked several of my favourite authors to share their top three Cornish reads.

Here’s what Christina had to say…

Apart from your own lovely books, my top three stories set in Cornwall are:-

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier – I know, predictable, but such a wonderful story (apart from the ending which I would have liked to be different)!

Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt – used to love her novels, read every one and they’re all wonderfully Gothic and romantic. In this, her first one, the setting was as important as the characters themselves and I think this was when I first fell in love with Cornwall.

The Memory Garden by Rachel Hore – a wonderful time slip featuring a beautiful garden!

My latest book isn’t set in Cornwall, alas, but the next best thing – Devon. The Soft Whisper of Dreams is a contemporary romance with some paranormal and suspense/thriller elements. The heroine, Maddie, finds out she’s adopted and an old nightmare comes back to haunt her. When she visits friends in Devon to recover from the shock, she meets dangerously handsome Alex, has a disturbing encounter with a gypsy fortune teller and, terrifyingly, her bad dreams seem to be coming true …

You can find out more about Christina’s books on her website: http://christinacourtenay.com/ or on

FB: https://www.facebook.com/christinacou... or on twitter: https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

 

Please pop back tomorrow to see Emylia Hall’s top choices…

Janet Gover’s Top Three Books Set in Cornwall

To celebrate the paperback release of A Cornish Stranger on the 23rd of April and Under A Cornish Sky of the 7th of May I’ve asked several of my favourite authors to share their top three Cornish reads.

Here’s what Janet Had to say…

Apart from your books, Liz – I will say….

Daphne Du Maurier, one of my favourite authors, wrote many books set in Cornwall. Rebecca is top of my list, but there was also Jamaica Inn and, well, too many to list.

Victoria Holt wrote fabulous books set in great gothic mansions, usually on the cliffs of Cornwall. Penmarric is one that leaps immediately to mind. It had me wanting to visit Cornwall before I had even come to the U.K.

Susanna Kersley also writes a wonderful mix of historical and timeslip – her novel The Rose Garden is set on Cornwall. I loved it. It was haunting and beautiful.

My latest book is The Wild One. Just as you have Cornwall as your particular setting –I have Australia. This book is the second in the Coorah Creek series, set in a small outback town.

http://janetgover.com/

https://www.facebook.com/janetgoverbooks

 

 

Please come back tomorrow to see Christina Courtenay’s top three books set in Cornwall….

Julia Gregson’s Top Three Books Set in Cornwall

To celebrate the paperback release of A Cornish Stranger on the 23rd of April and Under A Cornish Sky of the 7th of May I’ve asked several of my favourite authors to share their top three Cornish reads.

I had a little chat with Julia and here’s what she said…

‘My favourite Cornish books have to be : ‘Rebecca,’ Patrick Gale’s ‘Rough Music’, and ‘The Shell Seekers.’ I interviewed Rosemund Pilcher years ago, and she was a darling.’

 

Julia’s latest book is ‘Jasmine Nights’

JASMINE NIGHTS is a tale of decadence and destruction, of love and of danger. It is the captivating love story set in an extraordinary world.

http://www.juliagregson.net

 

Please pop by tomorrow to see Janet Gover’s top three books set in Cornwall…

Dinah Jefferies’s Top Three Books Set in Cornwall

To celebrate the paperback release of A Cornish Stranger on the 23rd of April and Under A Cornish Sky of the 7th of May I’ve asked several of my favourite authors to share their top three Cornish reads.

Here’s what Dinah had to say…

‘I tend not to have favourite books as such, as I have such a butterfly memory. But the three books set in Cornwall that come to mind, apart from your own that is, are Rosamund Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers, Mary Wesley’s The Camomile Law and Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. All of them elicit the same response and that’s the longing to be there. There are others and I did enjoy the original Poldark books all those years ago. I’d say Rebecca is my absolute favourite, because of its mystery and darkness.

 

While in my memory, Cornwall is a place of blue skies, blue seas and wonderful coves, it does have a dark history too: the wrecking, the mine closures and so on. And what I love most about Cornwall are the cliffs, the wild seas, and the stormy skies, even though they can be bleak and overwhelming. I love to sense the way Cornwall must have been in the past, stuck right there at the end of the world: ‘Here be dragons’. And, for me, Daphne du Maurier captures some of those qualities and the darkness in Cornwall’s history in Rebecca and Jamaica Inn.’

 

Dinah’s latest book is The Separation

A country at war with itself,

a family divided and betrayed,

a bond that can never be broken…

 

You can find out more about Dinah and her work at www.dinahjefferies.com

 

Please stop by tomorrow and discover Julia Gregson’s top three…

Elizabeth Buchan’s Top Three Books Set in Cornwall

To celebrate the paperback release of A Cornish Stranger on the 23rd of April and Under A Cornish Sky of the 7th of May I’ve asked several of my favourite authors to share their top three Cornish reads.

Here’s what the wonderful Elizabeth Buchan had to say…

The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley

The image of a camomile lawn is such a brilliant and haunting one and provides a central image for the book and powerfully suggests the wild beauty and aromas of Cornwall which the family carry around with them for the whole of their lives and to which they return, even in death.

The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier

The love story between the crippled Honor and Richard Grenville, the King’s General in the West, takes place at Menabilly, the house that was to dominate the author’s imagination for most of her writing life. Set during the English Civil War, it is a harsh, but powerful and moving, love story in which two strong, attractive but flawed people are sacrificed to the divisions being fought between Parliamentarians and Royalists.

Zennor in Darkness by Helen Dunmore

Its 1917 and D.H. Lawrence and his wife, Frieda, are sheltering in the Cornish village of Zennor. But, as Helen Dunmore’s exquisite writing reveals, the times have triggered suspicion and turmoil. To read it is to have truths about human nature forensically and poetically revealed.

Elizabeth’s latest book is I Can’t Begin To Tell You

For British-born Kay Eberstern, living on her husband Bror’s country estate, the Nazi invasion and occupation of her adopted country is a time of terrible uncertainty and inner conflict.

Bror is desperate to preserve the legacy of his family home, even if it means co-existing with the enemy, but Kay knows she cannot do the same. Lured by British Intelligence into a covert world of resistance and sabotage, her betrayal of Bror is complete as she puts her family into danger.

Tasked with protecting an enigmatic SOE agent, a man who cannot even tell her his name, Kay learns the art of subterfuge. From then on, she must risk everything for the sake of this stranger – a stranger who becomes entangled in her world in ways she never expected.

Meanwhile, back in England, those tasked with running vulnerable agents in the field are also fighting a battle to keep them safe…

I Can’t Begin to Tell You is a story of bravery, broken loyalties, lies and how the power of love can bring redemption even to the darkest of places.

www.elizabethbuchan.com

@elizabethbuchan

Please pop back tomorrow for Dinah Jeffries top picks!

Fanny Blake’s Top Three Books Set in Cornwall

To celebrate the paperback release of A Cornish Stranger on the 23rd of April and Under A Cornish Sky of the 7th of May I’ve asked several of my favourite authors to share their top three Cornish reads.

The wonderful Fanny Blake talks about hers…

So my favourite Cornish novels are (omitting du Maurier who I read again and again)

Penmarric by Susan Howatch – I remember reading this huge engrossing family saga for the first time and being completely swept away by it. There was also the added thrill of discovering a new author whose books I used to fall upon every time a new one was published.

Zennor in Darkness by Helen Dunmore – her mesmerising debut set against the backdrop of the First World War that takes place in the village of Zennor where DH Lawrence and his wife Frieda come under suspicion from the local community.

Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale – a family comes to grips with the death of their mother in this fabulously involving novel. Reading this was my introduction to another novelist I have yet to be disappointed by.

My own novel The Secrets Women Keep is partly set in Cornwall.

‘Wise, wry and richly entertaining, THE SECRETS WOMEN KEEP celebrates the passionate, emotional lives women lead as wives, mothers and grandmothers.’

My latest novel With a Friend Like You is out in paperback on August 13th.

‘With her wisdom, insight and wicked humour, Fanny Blake shines a light on to female friendships, in this delicious tale of two so-called best friends.’

Website www.fannyblake.co.uk

Twitter @FannyBlake1

Facebook www.facebook.com/FannyBlakeBooks

 

Please join me tomorrow to find your Elizabeth Buchan’s top three…

Jane Bidder’s Top Three Books Set In Cornwall

To celebrate the paperback release of A Cornish Stranger on the 23rd of April and Under A Cornish Sky of the 7th of May I’ve asked several of my favourite authors to share their top three Cornish reads.

I met Jane Bidder through the Romantic Novelists’ Association and love her work. I was delighted when she said she would share her favourite Cornish books and have to admit to being just a little bit jealous of the possible connection to Frenchman’s Creek…

FRENCHMAN’S CREEK by Daphne Du Maurier. My great great grandfather was quite a famous portrait painter called John Hanson Walker whose patron was the artist Lord Frederick Leighton. Family legend has it that Hanson-Walker inspired Frenchman’s Creek. It happened like this. Artists often told their sitters stories while they worked in order to keep their subjects’ attention. My great great grandfather was painting the portrait of an aristocrat and, at the same time, telling him about a pirate forebear who had married a well-to-do Lady in the Isle of Wight. There is some truth in this although we suspect that Hanson-Walker, who was a great story-teller as well as painter, might have elaborated on this. In the corner of the room, watching her grandfather being painted, was a small girl, curled up on a chair. Her  name? Daphne du Maurier…. There are indeed similarities in the tale….

 

THE SHELL-SEEKERS by Rosamunde Pilcher.  In the nineties, before I was a published novelist, I came second in The Lady short story competition. Part of my prize was lunch at The Savoy with the judges: Arthur Hailey and Rosamunde Pilcher. I was over-awed by their company but was particularly drawn to Rosamunde Pilcher with her warm eyes. I’d always loved her books but after that lunch, I went home and began reading them all again. Now I live by the sea and often think of THE SHELL SEEKERS when I’m walking the dog on the beach.

 

CHILDREN’S HISTORY OF CORNWALL by Peggy Burns. I came across this when writing a book review column. It provides the answers to questions such as : When was the Cornish Rebellion. Where can you find Merlin’s Cave? Why is Cornwall’s flag black and white. Great fun for children and adults – and useful for research too.

 

My latest book THE WITNESS by Jane Bidder ( published by Accent Press in paperback £7.99) is about Alice, an unhappily-married middle aged woman who restores china but can’t mend her own broken heart. One day, she sees a couple doing something illegal in the park. She is the only witness. If she takes the stand in court, her own past will come spilling out and destroy the carefully-constructed life she has built for herself. But if she doesn’t, a young woman’s life will be at risk – the kind of woman that she used to be……Can Alice really allow that to happen?

 

THE WITNESS was inspired by a real-life story . It is set on the borders of Devon and Cornwall. It’s got several five star reviews on Amazon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Witness-Jane-Bidder/dp/1783751371

https://www.facebook.com/JaneBidderAuthor?ref=hl

Hope you’ve enjoyed Jane’s selections. Please pop by tomorrow for Fanny Blake’s selection.

Katie Fforde’s Three Favourite Books set in Cornwall

To celebrate the paperback release of A Cornish Stranger on the 23rd of April and Under A Cornish Sky of the 7th of May I’ve asked several of my favourite authors to share their top three Cornish reads.

Here’s what Katie had to say….

‘Well, one Cornish book I love is ‘It Happened One Summer’ by Polly Williams. She’s such a great writer.

‘One for the Summer’ by Judy Astley is also a favourite and ‘The Owl House’ by Crosbie Garstin is also one I love. It’s old – probably not available but a ripping yarn nevertheless.

Of course I knew Katie had a book set in Cornwall…

My own ‘set in Cornwall’ book is ‘A Perfect Proposal’ It’s not all set in Cornwall but the bits that are are because of the wonderful bookseller Ron Jons, who I met in Falmouth while on a writing retreat.

Then she kindly said…

Not forgetting the lovely Liz Fenwick! She writes lovely books too!’

 

Katie’s latest book is ‘A Vintage Wedding’:

In a small Cotswold country town, Beth, Lindy and Rachel are looking for new beginnings.

So they set up in business, organising stylish and perfectly affordable vintage weddings.

Soon they are busy arranging other people’s Big Days.

What none of them know is that their own romances lie waiting, just around the corner …

 

You can find Katie on Twitter  @KatieFforde or more information on her website katiefforde.com

 

Please stop by tomorrow to find out Jane Bidder’s three favourite books set in Cornwall.

A Cornish Stranger…out in paperback and my favourite books set in Cornwall

Yesterday saw the release of the paperback for A Cornish Stranger and before I know it – it will May 7th and Under A Cornish Sky will be out in trade paperback (the big paperback). So to celebrate two books out, I thought I’d ask some of my fellow writers what their top three favourite books set in Cornwall. Hopefully this list might help fill the Cornish void that will emerge when Poldark finishes on Sunday…

To begin I’ll tell you my top three novels set in Cornwall. It’s always hard to choose because they change depending on mood but at the moment…

 

1. Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier. This is the first book of hers I’d read and it still holds top place.

2. The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher…totally engrossing and wonderful…

3. Not Forgetting the Whale by John Ironmonger…love this book! It captures a mythical, magical Cornwall that I’ve been privileged to catch a glimpse of every so often.

 

Tomorrow I’ll be sharing the lovely Katie FForde’s top three!

London Book Fair 2015 – Authors – Why Go?

Why I Go To The London Book Fair

 

First let me say I go because I have meetings with my editors from other countries. It is a golden opportunity to meet them and discover what if anything I can do to help them sell my books. Because a book fair is all about selling books – just like any other industry fair – it’s about sales and acquisitions. In the normal course of things the author, the content provider, doesn’t have a role to play.

 

Liz Fenwick

However the second reason I go to the London Book Fair is to connect – to the industry. As writers we are cut off from the business side of books. We write the words away from the selling. If we’re lucky we meet once or twice a year with our agent and editor and maybe publicist. We subscribe to The Bookseller and read the deals that are done for other authors and the best sellers lists. It keeps us informed but it doesn’t give you the buzz. The London Book Fair is about the buzz, what’s new and what’s hot.

 

Carole Blake in the IRC LBF15

The place positively pulses with energy and excitement. Who will land the best and the biggest deals. In the past few years a place has been made for authors at the fair – Author HQ. It gives authors a ‘home’ to meet other authors and hear industry experts talking about the innovation and marketing developments. This is the place to network.

 

IRC (International Rights Centre)…speed dating agents style

The big fairs are agents’ lifeblood. They make deals all year round but during the days of the fair it is deal central with meeting after meeting with barely a moment for a coffee or a breath. They are focused on their clients and not looking for new ones at this point. In the International Rights Centre, which looks more like a speed dating event, deals are done in half hour slots. It is intense. While having a meeting with an editor, I have noticed the agent next to me has pitched ten different authors to the editor with them. The focus required must be huge.

 

Joanna Penn, Mel Sherratt and Brigid Coady

This isn’t a place to ‘find’ an agent or a publisher but it is certainly a place to see how they work, to understand the industry better, and to connect to other authors. I met with twenty fellow authors some of whom I’d only ever met on-line. I have been a published author for four years and an apprentice for seven years before that. During that time I have met many in the industry so in the course of the fair I chatted to six agents other than my own, five editors from other publishers, four publicists, a few journalist and masses of other new people who work somewhere in the field. But most of these were quick hellos in passing – never when they were engaged in a meeting and never when they were up in the International Rights Centre.

 

The Bookseller Stand

Authors do have a place at the London Book Fair. They need to learn, to connect and to remind the industry that the content providers want to know what is happening, what is now and what everyone thinks the future will be. We also don’t want to miss out on the good drinks parties!

So for authors who are thinking of venturing next year…go with your eyes open, comfortable shoes, listen to the buzz, attend a seminar or four but do not disturb the business at hand. If you want direct contact with agents and editors go to the events where they schedule to meet authors – like the Festival of Writing where pitch sessions are a daily event.