Gail Aldwin's Blog, page 3

Highlights from three weeks in Cyprus

History

Cyprus has one of the oldest recorded histories in the world including many episodes of invasion and settlement. It was claimed by Alexander the Great in the fourth century and then came under Roman possession. In 1191, Richard the Lionheart took control while on crusade. He later sold the island to Lusignans who ruled for 300 years. It then fell under the Ottomans until the British arrived in 1878. Shown below (from top left clockwise) are some of the historical places I enjoyed most. The Cyprus Museum in South Nicosia (Lefkosia) boasts this semicircle of terracotta figures from the seventh century BC showing tall warrriors at the back reducing in size down to tiny demon-servants and snakes. We enjoyed a few hours at the ancient city of Salamis which had all the trappings of a Roman settlement including a colonnaded Palaestra (middle). The ruins of the medieval abbey at Bellapais were very evocative (much more so than the now dilapidated house where Lawrence Durrell wrote about life on the island in Bitter Lemons of Cyprus). Poor Hippolytos looks embarrassed while reading the love letter from his stepmother Phaedra in this wonderful mosaic at Pafos.

Food and drink

The Cypriot diet is somewhat determined by whether you’re in the north or the south of the island. In the north it’s possible to get slightly bitter black Turkish tea, whereas in the south you can easily order a pot of Earl Grey. The photos show a seafood platter served in Polis, a feta and dill scone taken in the garden of a north Nicosia bookshop, a cake from a patisserie in Famagusta, a market stall supporting the Mediterranean diet, an Turkish coffee served with a glass of water, Ottoman sherbet (and under the middle pot were two cubes of Turkish delight).

Walking trails

Around the major tourist towns are long promenades which make for good walking. We enjoyed several amazing sunsets during walks to the furthest points along the coast around Pafos. After an underwhelming visit to The Baths of Aphrodite outside Polis, we joined a trail which took us onto the Akamas Peninsula from where we had the fabulous (middle) view. We diverted from our itinerary to reach the Troodos mountains on the only sunny day forecast all holiday. Fortunately the weather stayed with us for a trek around Mount Olympus following the Artemis Trail.

The Green Line

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 under the pretext of protecting Turkish Cypriots who make up 18% of the island’s population. With 40,000 troops on the ground, the north of the island was seized and settlements like Varosha were abandoned for forty years. The ghost town near Famagusta has now been opened and is monitored by the UN. The neglected postbox is just one of the landmarks. Border control in Lefkosia means passing through the Green Line which is the buffer zone between north and south of the island. In North Cyprus there are many areas that are fenced off as forbidden zones. Even around a headland near Famagusta, it was impossible to walk along the coast.

We travelled around Cyprus using local buses and so enjoyed the experience we may well dig out our backpacks again to take a journey along the coast of Turkey. What’s the best bus trip you’ve ever been on? 

Book Spa at Mr B’s Emporium

I purchased a Book Spa as a birthday gift for my daughter in 2023. It’s been a long time coming (I reserved a place for myself too) and we finally made the trip to Mr B’s in Bath this week. The Book Spa involves chatting with a member of the bookselling team over tea and cake to gain an idea of our interests. Nethmi then collected a tower of books for us to browse. (The Reading Spa includes £60 to spend on books, plus a Mr B’s mug and cloth bag and a £10 gift card for future purchases.) Here is the stash of books I chose.

I went with a broad range of requests (and likewise my daughter) but these are the books I took away with me:

A novel written in second person: How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid. A riveting tale of one man’s journey from impoverished rural boy to corporate tycoon.

A memoir: PriestDaddy by Patricia Lockwood. Lockwood and her husband move back into her parents’ rectory, where she learns to live again with her family’s simmering madness, and to reckon with the dark side of her religious upbringing.

Novel in translation (French): The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos. Story of a book sensation.

Novel set in a distant country (Buenos Aires, Argentina – the novel also happens to be in translated): Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro. Rita is found dead and the case is quickly closed but her sickly mother is determined to find out who is the perpetrator.

An introduction to a world I know nothing about: The Turnout by Megan Abbott. Set in a ballet school where an interloper upsets the balance of this tightly knit community.

An outstanding debut novel: Everything I Never Told you by Celeste Ng. About growing up in small town Ohio as the daughter of first-generation Chinese immigrants.

Picture book suitable for my yet-to-arrive grandson: Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. I was sold on this book when a toddler entered the shop and started reciting the words.

Another good thing about investing in a book spa is that a list of every recommended book is compiled. I’ve already downloaded and have begun listening to The Girls by Emma Cline (another title in the debut novel category). I’m thoroughly enjoying the narration by Cady McClain and the rich, sensory prose.

Have you read any of these books? If so, please leave a comment – I’d love to know what you think!

How much can I squeeze into 2024?

I thought 2023 was eventful but this year is turning out to be even more so. I’m delighted to share the news that my daughter and her husband are expecting a son in May. When our first grandchild arrives, we’ve been asked us to block out a month to help. This feels like an incredible privilege and we look forward to spending time with the family in Keynsham. Meanwhile, we have a 3-week backpacking holiday in Cyprus, a fortnight in Edinburgh and my mum’s 90th birthday to celebrate in April.

Me and Izzy on a recent trip to the Cotswolds.

David is in the process of clearing his aunt’s flat ready to sell it and fund her care home place. Fortunately, she’s very happy in the care home and it’s a joy to visit her and listen to her positive response to aging with good physical health, family around her and the excellent meals provided. We will be spending more time in Exmouth over the summer to finish work on the flat.

In November 2022, we bought a retirement flat for ourselves in New Malden, SW London. It is currently being renovated and we look forward to staying there in the future. When the work is completed my mum will move in for a month to see if she likes living there. If she does, she’ll look to buy a similar property.

We’ve just agreed on a three-generation holiday in St Agnes, Cornwall at the end of the summer and then David and I are again walking from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. This time we’re taking the inland route and I vow not to have a heavy backpack. We’re planning on staying a couple of nights at some of the stops to really appreciate the towns and countryside we’re walking through.

Come November, we’ve booked a 30-60-90 party to celebrate the birthdays of Izzy, David and my mum. Afterwards, we’ll be getting into gear for Christmas. How am I going to get any writing done?

New manuscript for 2024

Photo: Nick Morrison, Unsplash

The manuscript of my latest novel is almost ready for submitting to agents and publishers. I was in the same position two years ago and it took ten months to secure a deal. I’m going to use the same approach as before. I’ve compiled a list of where to send the manuscript and will work through it by sending out submissions in batches. In the last few weeks, I’ve been polishing the opening chapters and was keen to look back to see how the first paragraph had changed during the latest revisions. The essence remains the same but little tweaks have meant the writing is tighter. Here are the paragraphs for you to compare:

July 2023, Slingback Resort

Moonlight slid through the full-length windows and illuminated the trail of their abandoned clothes across the hotel bedroom floor. Night came early in the southern hemisphere and Ashley anticipated the rest of their evening. She wanted to enjoy drinks on the terrace but it wasn’t the right time to suggest the idea. Instead, she straightened the pillow in its white cotton case and rested against it. The air conditioning pumped cool waves across their naked bodies and she longed to share the warmth emanating from James’s skin. Inhaling the briny smell of sex and sweat, Ashley moved closer and placed her head into the nook between his chin and shoulder. A sigh made her slump closer.

November 2023, Three Couples

Moonlight slunk into the hotel room and Ashley noticed how it illuminated the trail of abandoned clothes across the marble floor. James had cracked her open like a nut. She stretched on top of rucked cotton sheets until a tap on her shoulder registered. His index finger commanded that she tuck her head into the nook between his shoulder and chin. She settled into place there, and found the musky smell of him soothing. James sighed as the tension he carried evaporated. It was the same for her. She enjoyed a momentary sense of relaxation but then heat from his body pulsed and she was glad of cool bursts from the air conditioning unit.

January 2024, The Upgrade

Moonlight crept into the resort room and illuminated the trail of their abandoned clothes across the marble floor. Sex had opened and released Ashley. She stretched on the creased cotton sheets until there came a tap on her arm. It was an invitation to tuck her head into the nook between James’s shoulder and chin. She found the musky smell of him soothing but his body heat pulsed and she was glad of cool bursts from the air conditioning unit.

You’ll notice the title has changed three times but there are smaller differences too, such as the first verb which has changed from slid, to slunk and then to crept. The most recent paragraph sticks more closely to Ashley’s viewpoint and condenses some of the earlier ideas. Now I’m looking at this in detail, it occurs to me there are too many body parts mentioned: an arm, a shoulder and a chin. Oh dear! Does this mean yet another draft? What do you think of my attempts to improve the opening?

The Christmas tree is back in the loft!

I’m one of those people who struggle with Christmas. It’s a legacy from my childhood when money was tight, my father always drank too much and everyone made an effort to have a good time. Since my own children have grown up, it’s become a lot easier and we’ve introduced new Christmas traditions which I really enjoy like the 9am Christmas morning parkrun along Weymouth seafront. I also love visiting Weymouth on Boxing Day to see children riding their new bicycles and scooters. This year, the sea glinted silver under leaden clouds and was absolutely beautiful.

The new addition to our Christmas celebrations is Truffle, my daughter’s puppy. She’s still in training and tries very hard not to jump up, steal newspapers or lick everything off the kitchen floor. Unfortunately, my husband was clearing up his wine making kit (as if there isn’t enough to do on Christmas eve) when Truffle guzzled a few elderberries. My daughter was worried and rang the emergency vet who recommended a visit to the practice in Bournemouth. They duly set off but avoided a consultation charge by ringing a special phone number to be told Truffle hadn’t eaten enough elderberries to poison her.

My husband always cooks the Christmas dinner (my contribution is making red cabbage in the slow cooker). It was a splendid meal followed by music (I can play Jingle Bells on the piano – thanks to learning how to read a few notes on Duolingo‘s music programme) and singing – I just had to share with everyone my karaoke performance of Killing Me Softly which (after hours of practice), I’ve finally nailed. Well, the first verse anyway.

As for writing, I’ve submitted the opening 25,000 words of my new novel to Kate Nash’s mentoring BookCamp 2024. I thought I’d have it finished before Christmas but there was more to do than I’d anticipated. Several 6am starts and I sent it off yesterday. Hurray! (Now I need to go through the rest of the novel with a fine-tooth comb.)

I’ll close with a couple of Christmas snaps and greetings to you and yours for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024.

All quiet on this blog!

Apologies for the extended gap between posts. Behind the scenes I’ve been busy working on my latest novel – and also a couple of pitches which I submitted as part of Bookouture’s annual pitch party on 5 December. Here are two pitches I submitted for a novel which has the working title The Upgrade.

MORIARTY x CLARK-PLATTS

During a holiday on a remote tropical island, a woman gets caught up in tensions between the local population and rich tourists. The husband she should be able to trust is the reason she’s a target. Can she escape the ensuing danger?

FOLEY x THE WHITE LOTUS

Three mismatched couples form a competitive friendship while on holiday. Amongst the flirt, the bully and the show-off is somebody with a secret. Temperatures rise and storms threaten. Who’s to blame when one of the group goes missing?

If you’d like to help me out with a little market research, please let me know in the comments which pitch you prefer. There’s another opportunity coming up with Kate Nash Literary Agency for their 2024 Bootcamp Mentorship and I’d like to get my ducks in a row.

Yesterday I was invited to join Sampford Courtenay Novel Writers to talk about The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell. It was a really fun morning where I got to share lots of tips and tricks for completing a novel. If you’d like me to attend your writing or book group (so long as it’s accessible from Dorset or London), please let me know.

Travel and other distractions

It’s been weeks since my last blog post and my only excuse is that I’ve been travelling again. I was fortunate to deliver input at the Mani Lit Fest in Greece where the wonderful historical fiction author Carol McGrath was my host. Don’t miss out on her latest title The Stolen Crown, a fascinating story from medieval history featuring the Empress Matilda – and only 99p for a kindle at the moment. Below is a photo of me preparing to deliver a workshop about writing a successful pitch for entry into online pitch parties and in this way attract the interest of agents and publishers. I also delivered a talk about research relating to The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell. Thanks to everyone who has read the novel and a big bonus thank you to everyone who has rated and/or reviewed the book.

David and I had a splendid time in the Mani. For me, the highlights included taking part in a yoga session by the sea (with fabulous author Deborah Swift for company) and an amazing sunset along the coast.

We returned to one of my favourite places called Gerolimenas (you can read about my first visit here) and managed a couple of walks – one involved scaling a mountain and the other was a cliff top walk. Here’s a photo of the beautiful harbour of Gerolimenas which was a thriving place in the 1870s when it supplied over 7000 quails a month to diners in Paris.

If you look into the distance behind the harbour, you can see a village in the hills. The second photo was taken from the village and you can just about see three Mani towers on top of a mountain. That was where our first circular walk took us. The path is along old donkey tracks which aren’t well marked – or that’s our excuse for getting lost! We visited two almost deserted villages and then followed a zig-zag path – quite a challenge for someone who is prone to tripping (and David who’s afraid of heights).

Our next stop was Momenvasia which took all day to reach by bus (including a four-hour wait in Sparta). The rocky island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Its fortified town can only be seen from the sea and comes as a delightful surprise. Buildings on the lower and upper town are topped by a citadel. The island has a long history including Byzantine and Venetian administrations.

We returned to Dorset at the end of October so that I could join a celebration of scriptwriting at Dorchester Arts Centre. I performed in an excerpt from a full-length screenplay which was written in collaboration with four others. I also dramatised the opening pages of The Secret Life Of Carolyn Russell and presented this as a monologue. Here I am introducing the piece at Tom Brown’s pub.

Now the colder weather is definitely upon us, I’m knuckling down to the task of revising my latest manuscript. I’ve also taken up a new pursuit – singing! I joined a beginners’ online class at the City Lit (there’s another class starting in January 2024 if anyone’s interested) but the programme of songs is proving something of a challenge so I’ve also signed up for one-to-one tuition. I wonder whether singing will become my new glorious obsession. What do you think?

Who gives ⭐ reviews?

One of the joys of writing a commercial novel is reaching a wider audience. The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell hit the Amazon top 100 bestselling titles in women’s psychological fiction and thus my book was introduced to many new readers.

In the 10 weeks since release, The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell has notched up 140 ratings on Amazon including many positive words and one review. Here it is:

I have to admit, this review did take the wind out of my sails and it made me wonder if some reviewers enjoy being nasty. I read out of my comfort zone much of the time and can always find something to admire in the work. At the risk of seeming to stalk Bakewell Tart, I did check out her other book reviews and noticed similar wording used in a review for an author who had secured over 3,000 favourable ratings. It did make me question her judgement and whether Fruitcake might be a better name.

During the last week, I’ve also noticed some members of a Facebook writing group go on a rant about reviewers.

I don’t subscribe to reader bashing either but I do think there could be writer’s revenge in the last message.

While reviews can cause much ire, are they actually bad for a book’s performance? I don’t think so. They may induce sympathy purchases or prick the curiosity of readers to see which side of the fence they fall on. Either way, bring on your reviews – good, bad or ugly. And, if you haven’t purchased your copy yet, The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell is part of a September kindle promotion where all these suspenseful titles are available for 99p until the end of the month.

The other notable thing is an interview with Hazel Butterfield for Women’s Radio Station (also scheduled on Men’s Radio Station) where you’ll find me sharing some top tips for wellbeing and chatting about writing. The interview broadcasts every day this week at 5am and 5pm BST. If you get a chance to tune in, do let me know what you think.

Introducing Lucy S Johnson and her novelette The Sizewell Murders

One of the joys of social media is the chance to meet other writers online. In response to a tweet/X where I offered an interview on The Writer is a Lonely Hunter, I was delighted to be contacted by Lucy S Johnson. I found the title of her most recent work The Sizewell Murders intriguing and I was pleased to read an excerpt. Here’s a little more information about Lucy and her work.

About Lucy

Lucy S Johnson writes crime fiction under the name of Ellis Johnson. This includes the Mary Slacker novelette duology (featuring an ensemble cast of chattering class wannabes) and her forthcoming D C I Doggett series – kicking off with ‘The Sizewell Murders’ (where a rotating cast of criminals, set in sleepy Suffolk, confront murder most foul against the backdrop of the construction of a new nuclear power facility in the area). 

Writing Career: Lucy began writing seriously at about thirteen. In 1995, she started the first draft of a story about crazy film students, which would become her first novel, a retelling of Michael Powell’s ‘Peeping Tom’, featuring an array of officers, detectives, and a hapless web designer facing the bewildering prospect of online dating with catastrophic and deadly results. 

Suffolk is also the setting for Lucy’s upcoming series of D C I Woolley mysteries. Novels such as her forthcoming ‘Ghost Car’ are set in or near to Beccles, while other books include a variety of different settings, in particular North London. 

Lucy currently resides in Bungay, Suffolk, on her own without so much as a cat. She is a boat owner, reader, movie lover, and can actually play the guitar! 

About The Sizewell Murders

In ‘The Sizewell Murders’, indie writer Lucy S Johnson redefines the crime genre for the 21st century. She takes all the well-worn but much-loved tropes fans will recognise and gives them a new spin that update the time-honoured staples of the genre. A grizzled old copper (DCI Doggett) is tempted out of retirement to investigate the disappearance of a beautiful young girl (Cora – the chief nimby’s cleaner). As Simon tries to clinch the deal his problems seem to multiply – are his spoilt, rich daughters involved or implicated, can his marriage survive the strain?! In doing so she meets the high standards that all crime fans will expect – the cherry on the cake is that her writing is hilarious and she is having the time of her life as an author. 

Join Lucy on her writer’s journey.

And now, onto the Q & A:

GA: What got you started as a writer? 

I started a few years back – I found out that it was possible to publish your own work and promote it via Amazon in conjunction with social media channels. I just got on with it. 

GA: Where did you find the inspiration for The Sizewell Murders? 

Circumstances took me to Suffolk where I now reside. There is a lot of local furore around the eponymous power station – I liked the idea of weaving a trail of corruption around realising such a controversial construction project alongside a selection of almost stock crime/thriller characters. 

GA: Your main character is the wonderfully idiosyncratic Doggett, reluctantly retired from the police force. What were the challenges in writing close third person from his viewpoint? 

I am not a retired policeman propping himself up with an ill-chosen snifter, however I have a lot of feeling for the opposite sex who are in the twilight years of their career. He is the least troublesome of my ensemble cast. 

GA: How did you choose Doggett’s name? 

It is just a play on words really – Doggett, Dogged, it is his character. He doesn’t really give up although he would be a lot better off if he would! 

GA: You call The Sizewell Murders a novelette. Can you explain the term novelette? 

I looked it up on the internet, apparently you can have a long length work of fiction that isn’t fully a novella – technically it is a novelette. I was tired of the pressure to produce a longer word count so I thought I would leave the work as it stands. I would rather write in the manner of a Dickens than a Dan Brown anyway. 

GA: With regard to the word count for a novelette,  Jericho Writers  explains: 

…the novelette falls somewhere in between a short story and a novella. With a word count of around 7,500-19,000 words, the novelette borders both the top end of a short story and the length usually acceptable for a novella… the novelette enables writers to give more flesh to the bones of their short story, though the writing still needs to be concise. 

GA: I also came across this  interesting article  in the Guardian, in praise of short books.

GA: Do you have a typical writing routine? 

When I was under the pressure to prove I could do it (write a book), I knocked out 1-3k words a day – however a good friend fed and watered me over that time. I would say to writers or people who want to be writers, write as well as you can, not as much as you can. That isn’t really fashionable at the moment, especially when it has never been easier to publish and reach an audience but it would be nice to look back and not regret one’s output, after all we are putting our name to it or even our reputation in whatever small way. I realised I was a writer when I looked back and saw the vast collection of notebooks I have amassed, full of my scribbles, ideas and notes to self. I can’t change, managing creative people is really herding cats! The routine part would really be showing up in on-line communities – to be frank. 

GA: What are your favourite and least favourite parts of writing? 

I love positive feedback – don’t we all? I was almost beside myself when I realised I could actually do this for a living. Working alone can be a bit monotonous so that is not great – you do need validation in some respect, that is why the ability to meet the public via the internet is such huge progress – for all writers, however they are working. 

GA: Are you part of a writing community? If so, how does this help? 

I have mixed feelings about writing communities – I have been a member of several but I am quite distrustful of other’s supposed expertise. We can all get hold of Stephen King’s book about being a writer and proclaim ourselves, and established institutions have their agendas, inevitably. Let the work speak for itself and find your way – there is no shortage of advice out there if that is what you want or need but they don’t necessarily know better than you. You must put in the time and effort, it is boring really. I realised it is a business and my efforts are no better or worse than anyone else’s. 

 The Sizewell Murders will be released on 28 September 2023. It’s available for pre-order through Amazon UK and Amazon US now.

Last month of summer

Much of August was taken up with a rather wonderful cruise around the Norwegian fjords. We went because I’d bought a lavish evening dress in 2022 and hadn’t had a chance to wear it. There was also the small matter of a 32nd wedding anniversary to celebrate. (Our 30th was a damp squib thanks to Covid.) I wasn’t entirely confident cruising was going to be our thing and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like on the ship – my nearest comparison was a shopping centre! I’m pleased to report P&O’s Aurora was a delightful place to spend time. Here are my top three highlights of the holiday:

Skjolden

After two days at sea looking out on nothing more than (thankfully) flat, grey water and the occasional cargo ship or off-shore wind farm, we woke up in Skjolden (otherwise known as the king of fjords). We went for a walk around a lake and admired the reflections in the water and strolled past a couple of dramatic waterfalls.

Visits to Norwegian towns

We docked at eight different places. Usually we could walk straight off the ship but on one occasion had to catch a tender. Most of the towns boasted churches, museums and riverside walks. I can’t say these brief visits really provided a sense of place but the beauty of the fjords in which they were nestled was undeniable.

Onboard activities

Each evening we were provided with a programme of events for the following day. During the cruise, I enjoyed lectures on art and Norwegian history, I joined line dancing and dance fit classes as well as regular sessions at the gym. I even attended a vocal workshop. We were allocated a dinner table in the restaurant at 8:30pm and found our travelling companions to be great fun. And, of course, there were two occasions when I got to wear the lavish green evening dress on formal nights. Thanks to plenty of exercise and portion control on restaurant servings, I avoided putting on any weight.

You may notice the lavish green dress matches the cover of The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell perfectly. From today for the whole month of September, you can buy a kindle copy for only 99p. Do check out the other suspense titles from Bloodhound Books, too.

https://geni.us/SecretCaroylnRussell

How did the month of August go for you? What plans do you have for autumn?