Helena Halme's Blog, page 30

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith - review

I was a little disappointed in the second Comoran Strike novel. The plot is well crafted and intricate enough for me not to guess the identity of the perpetrator until the end, but there's something missing from the prose. To me it felt as if J K Rowling, writing as Robert Galbraith, was already bored with her new characters, in the same way as the detective hero, Comoran Strike, is fed up and frustrated with his physical condition. Comoran is an Afghanistan war veteran with a prosthesis, and his missing leg continues to hamper his surveillance work. He does, however, have some impressive friends in high places, a fact which enables him to catch the killer in the end.

It may be that it's the subject matter of the novel - the literary world - which is making our author yawn. JK Rowling certainly has a go at each role in the publishing world; we have the celebrity-seeking mid-list writer, the ruthless agent, the self-important, successful author, the pathetic self-published writer, the blogger who cannot spell, the eccentric publisher who hates writers...OK, it may be that it was me who resented the literary caricatures.

In spite all of the above, I was keen to get to the end of the book to find out who did the ugly deed, or wether anything romantic will occur between Strike and his beautiful assistant Robin. So, I enjoyed the read, sort of.

The Silkworm is a good, dependable detective tale without too much excitement.

The Silkworm (Comoran Strike Book 2)
Price from £6.99 (Kindle edition)

Coffee and Vodka paperback is nearly here!

I can hardly believe it myself that I'll soon be able to hold a copy of Coffee and Vodka, with its spanking new cover, in my hands. But today I've had the final versions of both the interior layout by the intrepid Roz Morris and the front and back cover design by Jessica Bell, so that wonderful day will soon be here.

I thought after publishing my first book, The Englishman, the second novel would just be run of the mill, but no, in some ways it's even more exciting. It could be because this time around I'm more knowledgeable about the process of getting a Kindle book into a paperback version, and so feel much more in control of the process. (Even though I've been much busier with my day job).

Anyway, here is the new cover in its full glory. What do you think?

The paperback copy will be on sale very soon - watch this space...

Moomins on the Riviera - a new feature film

I was lucky enough to be invited to the press screening and interview sessions with the team of the new Moomins on the Riviera film yesterday. This is one of the bonuses of being Head of Finn-Guild, the Finnish-British society, and editor of our quarterly magazine. As a blogger, I have been invited to press screenings before, but this was particularly special for me because the Producer of this film is an 'old' school and university friend, Hanna Hemilä. Plus the film, which is a French/Finnish collaboration, features my favourite Finnish comic strip cartoons, the Moomintrolls.

Inspired by her own visit to the Riviera with her mother, Jansson created Moomins on the Riviera, a charming tale which addresses universal aspects of life such as finding joy in small things, the value of cross-cultural understanding and the power of optimism. This new hand-drawn feature animation  is the first time there has been an audio visual adaptation of Jansson’s original comic strip.

There have been surprisingly few full-length films featuring the Moomins, something I quizzed Sophia Jansson, the artistic Director of Moomin Characters Ltd, and niece of the creator of these popular creatures, about. 

'I'm surprised about this myself,' she said. 


Hanna Hemilä (left) with Sophia Jansson (right)Sophia told me she'd simply not had many pitches where a film maker wanted to use the hand-drawn comic strips. She mentioned this fact to our mutual friend, Hanna Hemilä, a few years ago. 'But I'm a film producer,' said Hanna, and promptly contacted Xavier Picard, and together the two made a proposal which Sophia gladly accepted. As those of you who've ever been involved in film making know, it's a process which takes years, and there are many hurdles to be jumped. Sophia said Hanna warned her that the project would take some time, so she was prepared for the four-year time span, during which she was involved at every stage of the production, ensuring that Tove Jansson's original work was sympathetically represented. 


Director Xavier PicardThe French Director Xavier Picard told me that he had himself been introduced to Moomins many years ago, when working in Tokyo. He said the Moomin comic strips have never really been widely known in France in a way they have in Japan, or here in the UK. Since then, Xavier said he'd grown fond of both the artwork and the ethos of the Moominpappa, 'To live in peace, grow potatoes and dream,' and that a major reason why he wanted to do the film was to get people in France to learn to love Moomins as much as he does.

In the UK the  comic strips were first published by The London Evening News as early as 1954.  At the time, the Moomin characters were all over London, and advertised on the side of the double decker buses. So, it's quite fitting that the International Premier for the newest Moomin film should take place in London today.

When I asked Hanna about her biggest challenges in producing a Moomin film, she told me it was at first difficult to convince the movie people that a new cartoon strip film should be in 2D, and not in 3D. 'Tove Jansson's hand-drawn drawings would not work in 3D,' she said. Secondly it was difficult to explain that the Moomin characters have universal appeal; that the stories have sadness and humour, which works both on adult and children's level.


Here's  the short synopsis of the film:

The Moomins, Snorkmaiden and Little My, in search of adventures of their own, set sail for the glamorous Riviera. They arrive after a journey fraught with menacing storms and desert island dangers, Moominpappa (Nathaniel Parker) befriends an aristocrat and adopts a new name ‘de Moomin’, Snorkmaiden (Stephanie Winiecki) is dazzled by the attentions of a playboy, and Moomin (Russell Tovey) is torn between the simple life he feels comfortable with, and the luxurious movie star lifestyle that his beloved Snorkmaiden yearns to have. An exasperated Moominmamma (Tracy Ann Oberman) retires to the relative calm of their trusty old boat to wait for her family to come to their senses. For the very first time, the unity of the Moomins is threatened.
I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and particularly a little side story about a dog, who to his shame only likes cats. Moominmamma is at hand to solve the dog's problem by convincing another dog to be painted with stripes and so disguised as a cat. 'Is the paint water proof?' asks the ever street-wise Littly My. And as predicted both dogs happily play together until the cat/dog goes for a swim...
Do go and see this wonderful film - apart from the humour and loveliness of the script, the Moomins on the Riviera is beautifully produced in wonderful pastel colour palette, which leaves you feeling sunny and happy. Just as if you too had had a little trip to the Riviera.
Below is a clip from the film, where Moominpappa is chatting about 'de Moomins' with his new friend Marquis Mongaga.

Moomins on the Riviera will be showing at the London Film Festival
1 pm 11 October 2014 Hackney Picture House (Sold Out)
3 pm 18 October 2014 Odeon Leicester Square (Buy tickets here) 

Chorleywood Indie Litfest

It's October and the countdown to Chorleywood Litfest has begun!

This is going to be my first appearance at a Literary Festival and I am looking forward to it with a mixture of trepidation and excitement. The entrance is free and there will be some forty indie authors like me, so I think I'll be safe amongst my ALLi friends.

So put this date in your diary and come and discover what Independent Authors are all about!

Chorleywood Literary Festival – Indie Author FairTriskele Books, the  Alliance of Independent Authors  and the Chorleywood Literary Festival are coming together this autumn to organise an 
INDIE AUTHOR FAIR

Love reading? Like meeting authors? Curious about independent publishing? Come to the Indie Author Fair! Meet forty authors at a pop-up bookshop showcasing the ground-breaking, genre-crossing, experimental, enticing, exciting and beautifully presented world of indie publishing. Children’s & YA authors, bestsellers, poets, writers of adult fiction and non-fiction, an author collective, members of The Alliance of Independent Authors – everyone’s going to the Fair. Hear works read by the authors themselves. Join in with story time sessions for children of all age groups. Browse the books while having afternoon tea and discover a hidden treasure. 

Admission Free
For more information, please browse the online catalogue. 

Summer House with Swimming Pool

As soon as I began reading this novel, I was struck by how much the prose reminded me of Vladimir Nbokov's Lolita. There is the narcissistic narrator, almost proud of his repulsive character, there's the sense of sexual wrongdoing, there's the plot, which constantly makes you question your morals.

Narrated by a professionally frustrated family doctor to the stars in Holland, March Schloss, the story weaves it's way through pivotal months in his and his family's life.
Part domestic thriller, part traditional literary fiction, The  Summer House with Swimming Pool  is about moral dilemmas just like Lolita, and Koch's previous novel, The Dinner. Also just as in that novel, we soon realise almost no one in the story is innocent, or doesn't have something to hide, or is thoroughly selfish, or unlikeable (in itself not a crime). 

The main character, March Schloss, is a doctor, and the inner thoughts he reveals to us are what we all fear; that doctors are only human and as such detest having to inspect hairy bottoms, or have sick people cough phlegm at their face. What Dr Schloss has to tell us none us want to hear. We soon realise that Dr Schloss' world view is more skewed than normal and largely  based on the biology lectures of a discredited professor. But as the plot unwinds, we come to realise our narrator does have reason to be unhinged and we begin to understand why he carries such rage within him. But does his situation justify his actions? 
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this powerful novel. It's shocking, and at times even a difficult read, but Koch's skilful writing makes the effort worthwhile in the end. I couldn't recommend this book highly enough.

Scotland votes 'No'!

Out of a hap-penance, the Englishman and I have been in Scotland during this historic time when the country decided on its future.

We'd been invited for a weekend of fly fishing on the Scottish Borders (him on the river, me tucked up in the house by an open fire writing), so I decided to kill two birds by taking a week's holiday and adding some time to do research for the sequel to The Englishman. The novel is partly set in Helensburgh, so I needed to 'smell the air' and get the sense of the place again. But we also decided to take a nostalgic look at Edinburgh, a city where we spent a very happy six weeks some 30 years ago.

A selfie outside our favourite Italian
delicatessen in Edinburgh,
Valvona & CrollaWhat became immediately noticeable was how engaged everyone was in the the looming vote on Independence. In Edinburgh as well as in Helensburgh people were talking politics on the street, in cafes and pubs. There were both 'Yes' and 'No' signs, as well as Scottish and British flags, everywhere.

An Edinburgh household clearly supporting
a 'No' vote.On the whole, the discussions seemed heated but good natured, and the only signs of political passion gone too far were a few defaced 'No Thank You' -signs placed on lamp posts and on fields around the countryside. In Queensferry I was accosted by a 'Yes' voter for sporting a 'No' sticker, but again, it was fairly good humoured banter rather than angry show of aggression. (The guy was also a very good-looking, so I really didn't mind...)

The Forth railway bridge in Queensferry was stunning.As a Finn, I can understand why a small country like Scotland would wish to be independent. However, as a student of Political Science and Economics, I couldn't comprehend how Scotland would manage on its own after so many years being part of the United Kingdom. There were so many questions left unanswered about foreign policy, taxes, health care, pensions and so on.

Politics aside, I feel privileged to have been here when the Scottish vote was cast and am - I have to admit - quite relieved about the result.


The Yes and No campaigners are almost indistinguishable
in Helensburgh

'MOOMINS ON THE RIVIERA’ CAST ANNOUNCED

I am so excited to be able to share the English-speaking cast of this new Moomin film, announced in Helsinki today, with you. I'm particularly excited about Russell Tovey and the local North London stand-up comic, Dominic Frisby. I cannot wait to see the film!
The hand drawn animation feature Moomins on the Riviera’s English cast is revealed:

Award winning British actor Russell Tovey (The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Grabbers, Being Human, Him and Her) plays Moomin. Nathaniel Parker (Merlin, Stardust, The Haunted Mansion, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and Tracy Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Filth) play Moominpappa and Moominmamma respectively. Stephanie Winiecki, in her first major movie role, plays Snorkmaiden. The irrepressible Little My is played by Ruth Gibson. Philippe Smolikowski is Moominpappa’s new best friend, the wannabe artist, Marquis Mongaga. Dave Browne plays the upper-crust playboy Clark Tresco, who sets his sights on Snorkmaiden. Shelley Blond (Tomb Rider video game, Cruise of Gods) plays Audrey Glamour, the Hollywood actress, idolised by Snorkmaiden.Other roles are played by Dominic Frisby (The Inbetweeners Movie), Ian Conningham, Alison O’Donnell, Bernard Alane, Bruno Magnes, Maria Sid, Beata Harju, Andy Turvey, Kris Gummerus, Glyn Banks, Lee Willis, Sanna-June Hyde, Christopher Sloan and Leslie Hyde.You can watch the English trailer at:www.moominsontheriviera.comhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ie8lqrOe_4http://vimeo.com/handleproductions/moomin 

MOOMINS ON THE RIVIERA, based on the original comic strips by the celebrated author, painter and illustrator Tove Jansson, is a bitter-sweet adventure taking the Moomin familyfrom their beloved Moominvalley to the glamorous Riviera, where Moominpappa befriends an aristocrat and adopts the name ‘de Moomin’,  where Snorkmaiden is dazzled by the attentions of a playboy and Moomin learns that jealousy’s sting is the most painful of all. For the very first time, the unity of the Moomins is threatened.A Finnish/French co-production, the film is directed by Xavier Picard and produced by Hanna Hemilä.                

Thai style pork meatballs with noodles in a fragrant broth

For some reason I've been craving Thai flavoured pork meatballs for some time, and I love noodles, so combining red curry paste and herbs, I made up this recipe. It was so good and popular with Daughter and The Englishman, I thought I'd share it with you.
The meatballs can be cooked in the oven on a non-stick oven tray, or be fried in a heavy based pan (in which case roll the meatballs in little plain flour before frying in hot vegetable oil).
For the meatballs you need:
500 grammes minced pork1 egg3 water chestnuts, chopped2-3 spring onionshandful of fresh coriander1 red chilli (seeds removed)I glove of garlic crushed1 cm piece of ginger, peeled and sliced2 teaspoons of sesame oil 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce2 teaspoon of oyster sauceBlitz spring onion, coriander, chilli, chopped water chestnuts, garlic and ginger in a food processor until finely chopped. 
Mix the minced pork with all the ingredients including the egg and form into about 16 balls. Bake in 180 c oven for 20 minutes. (Or coat in flour and fry in small batches.)
For the noodles in fragrant broth you need:
one teaspoon vegetable oil1.5 tablespoon red Thai curry paste,tin of coconut milk1.5 litres of vegetable stock250 grammes packet of medium egg noodles1 teaspoon of brown sugarA carrot cut into matchsticks3 chestnut mushrooms thinly slicedSpring onion, cut in half and finely slicedHandful of coriander, finely choppedLime juice to tasteThai basil, finely choppedWhile the pork meatballs are cooking, start preparing the broth and noodles. Heat oil in a large pan and fry the red Thai red curry paste for a minute or two until there's a strong scent of spices. Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock. When the broth comes to boil, let it bubble for a couple of minutes. Next, add carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes according to how small the matchsticks are. Add mushrooms and cook for a further two minutes. Finally add the noodles and cook according to packet instructions (mine took 4 minutes).
When the meatballs are cooked through, remove from the oven, cover with foil and rest for a few minutes. Add them to the broth, sprinkle with some fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with more lime wedges.

Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

I totally loved Liane Moriarty's previous novels ('What Alice Forgot' ,'The Husband's Secret') but 'Little Lies' exceeded all my expectations. The story evolves around a school in a nice sea-fronted neighbourhood in Sydney where an unspecified tragic event takes place at a parents' fund-raiser. The story is interspersed with police interviews, adding an intriguing teaser quality to the plot, which isn't really needed because the writing is so well crafted that the reader is completely in the book's thrall anyway. 
The story is told from the point of view of three mothers: the single mother Jane, the confident Madeline, and the beautiful Celeste, whose five-year-olds are new to the Pirriwee Public School. Any mother will recognise the terror and delight of those first months when a child starts school told so well in 'Little Lies', but this novel is about so much more. It's about lies, as the title suggests, but it's also about secrets, friendship, sex, love and marriage.Because there are so many twists and turns in the book, I won't go into the detail of the plot. I envy anyone who has yet to read this novel; so I shall leave you all to find out what happens to the families of Pirriwee Pubic all by yourselves. Be prepared for a en emotional roller-coaster and give up all your free time to Liane Moriarty's prose; I consumed 'Little Lies' under a week because I just could not put the book down!Little Liesby Liane MoriartyPenguin

Authors, be careful what you read...

Does what you read affect how you write?

I've just finished reading The Woman in the Picture by Katharine McMahon. This novel, following the life of a female lawyer, Evelyn Gifford, in the 1920s London, is written from the point of view of the heroine and very much in a formal style of the time.

I loved the book (gave it 5 stars on Goodreads, no less) and was so engrossed with Evelyn's trials and tribulations (excuse the pun), that when I went back to writing my current book, Oh England!, I found that I was using the language of the 1920's rather than the 1980's which is the time period of my novel.

It's not the first time that I've noticed this phenomena.  When in the middle of a new book I have to be very careful with the kinds of books, or genre I'm reading. Even the period of my reading matter can sometimes be detrimental to my writing. Same goes for reading books in another language; since I begun writing in earnest, I've had to give up on Finnish and Swedish books in their original language altogether. Sad, I know!

At times when - like now - I am in the crucial second part of the novel, I've had to suspend all reading of fiction all together.

Who would have thought that writing fiction sometimes forces you to stop reading it?

Do you find that you need to keep to your genre and time period when in the middle of a writing project, or as me, have to go cold turkey on reading all together?