Rivers of France ...

… I’m picking up my route from where I left you on my last post - Orléans. Read on... 

I brought you into the city of Orléans on the D2152, and we will leave using the same road, heading west. I chose this thoroughfare because it skirts the river on the left through Meung, Beaugency, Mer and finally brings you into the heart of the city of Blois.

Blois, with a population of over 47,000 inhabitants, is a substantial city with an even greater history. Archaeological excavations of recent decades have revealed a substantial collection of hunter-gatherer camps in the area dating back to approximately 8,000 years ago. There are also Gallic traces that suggest Blois, as we now know it, was an important location on the ancient road linking Chartres and Bourges. The river has always been a major route.

Despite these ancient origins, the city of Blois has been a major source of power since the 9th century. The House of Blois has been in existence since then until it was ceded to the crown in 1397. With the power and wealth of the French Crown behind the city, you won’t be surprised to learn that a château was built here in the 13th century and later inhabited by Duc Charles d’Orléans. In 1462, his son Duc Louis was born in the château, and he would become King Louis 12. I have an earlier post about the magnificent château – it really is worth a visit - which you can read Here

But today I want to take you and show you something much smaller that is often forgotten. The city is built on high ground, so we will leave the river and climb the steep path up towards the cathedral – another magnificent building that has to be seen.

At the top of the path in place Saint Louis is a three-storey house referred to as La Maison des Acrobates. Everyone is so intent on seeing the Gothic architecture of the church that they often fail to notice this little gem among the other buildings opposite.

Built in the 1470s, it was originally referred to as La Bourse des Escholiers de Bourmoyen. The word bourse in a scholastic context means grant, so the house was for the use of the scholars who qualified for the support. It is timber-framed and the decoration on the exterior is worth the effort of the steep climb. It is the external decoration that gives the house its current name. If you look carefully at the wooden pillars, you will see that they are covered in carvings of acrobats in various poses. If you are familiar with medieval clothing, you will also notice that the acrobats' shoes are poulaines. These soft, flexible, and completely flat unisex shoes, with their long, pointed toes, were used throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. They were slip-ons and sometimes were secured with a short drawstring at one side or a pull-over toggle that slipped into a small loop.

These shoes were so comfortable and flexible that they were used by professional dancers and acrobats, as demonstrated in the carvings, to perform the moresque, a very lively and popular dance from the Middle Ages.

The rest of the house's history is shrouded in mystery. At some point in the 17th century, the house was occupied, but historians have been unable to identify who the occupant/s might have been. All the more reason to visit in my view!

Unfortunately, the house is now in private ownership, so visitors can only admire the exterior.

If you want to catch up on any posts you may have missed, click the following links: Rivers of France  La Loire  Digoin  Nevers  Orleans

The Seasonal Collective ...

... has been hard at work since our last publication.  If you like short stories, read on ... 

For the last four years, I've been working with a group of authors from the other side of the pond that we refer to as the Atlantic Ocean.  Over that time, we've produced four multi-genre collections of short stories, the first, Autumn Paths, being published in September 2021.  From the very first germ of an idea in January 2021, we took almost nine months to create the content and publish the book in both e- and print format.  We have continued to deliver three more miscellanies of stories since then, thereby forming the entire seasonal paths series.

If you haven't read any of them yet, perhaps some comments from a reviewer about the first book (see below) might encourage you.

'This enticing collection of short stories are [sic] sure to uplift, inspire, and satisfy hungry readers. With tales spanning multiple genres, including adventure, mystery, sci-fi, and more, you'll find something for everyone. I very much enjoyed the variety and impressive quality of the storytelling. Every story was developed and executed well, and each author brought a unique perspective and writing style to the collection. Autumn is the underlying theme, but these stories are perfect to read any time of the year. I look forward to reading more stories by these talented authors.'   Reviewer in Canada

Even though we have completed the 'Paths' series, we haven't been idle.  We've decided to create another series of related anthologies.  Thus far this year, we have created more stories, compiled them, designed a cover, and are now about to move to the proofreading stage.

For this new series, the writing team has changed and we've increased our number to ten.  The constitution of the Seasonal Collective may have evolved since we first started out in 2021, but the enjoyment, camaraderie, and support across the team are still very much alive.  I'm really looking forward to seeing our new anthology in its final form.

So, watch this space for some exciting news coming soon ...

If you want to try the first series of books then you can get them using the links below 

Autumn Paths   Winter Paths   Spring Paths   and   Summer Paths

June 24th - I'm reviewing The Paris Express ...

 ... by Emma Donoghue.  This is a fiction woven around an actual event.  Read on ...

I came across this book whilst I was browsing in my local branch of Waterstones.  The cover captivated my attention.  When I opened it at a random page and began reading - I never read blurbs - I was instantly intrigued.

In October 1895, the Paris Express left the Norman seaside town of Granville - then considered to be the casino town of the north - for Paris.  It was a regular route, and if you check the map, you will see that the rail line is still there.  Back then, the steam train took seven and a quarter hours to complete its journey, arriving at Paris Montparnasse at four in the afternoon.  Today, the same journey is about three and a half hours.  What makes the journey on October 22nd, 1895, so unique is what happened once the train reached Paris.  The engine entered the station at too fast a speed and derailed.  There is a photograph of the tragic accident, taken a few moments after the derailment occurred.  That photograph was reproduced in numerous newspapers across the world  - to use an anachronism, it went snail-mail viral - because the derailment was iconic.  If you've ever come across an old picture of a steam train hanging out of the first-floor windows of a large station building with steam still issuing from the boiler and its nose resting on the pavement amongst a load of rubble, then you've seen the express of the title.  If not, you can view it Here

In the notes at the back of the book, the author gives an insight into the amount of research she undertook to create her story.  So you discover which of the characters within her story were real and which were wholly or partially fictional.  She also gives a little more detail about what happened after the crash.

The story is told from multiple points of view: some passengers, some train staff, and some station staff.  But whichever character is speaking within the narrative, their voice is as individual as they are.  Throughout the book, there is a steadily growing sense of foreboding with the tension ramping up as the train speeds towards its destination.  In many respects, this story is as gripping as any crime or mystery thriller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and having read the book, I will be taking it with me to France.  I will have to follow the train route, but rather than stop at each destination along the way for a few moments as the train did, I will explore each new place along the route.  Granville, Argentan, and Paris are already well known to me, but that doesn't mean I won't be making another visit!

You might also be interested in my reviews of Metropolitain or Clouds over Paris or Paris Echo

Summer's here and so is the ...

... Live at the Libraries Festival in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Bilton, and Ripon.  Read on for more details ...

The Live at the Libraries Festival runs from August 13th to the 15th, and the full programme is being finalised as you read this post!  But, this is an event that I will be involved in, and I can tell you a little more about it even though I can't yet release the full details.

The festival runs across three days, and there are events planned for all four sites - Harrogate, Knaresborough, Bilton, and Ripon.  We have panels and workshops, and we are covering more than just crime, as we did last July.  This time around, we have events for poets, writing for children, and my favourite genre of crime.  So please do keep checking with your library to see what's coming up, meanwhile, here's some advance information about the content of the crime events.

Wednesday, August 13th

What I can tell you today is that we have a Just A Minute event for the audience to ask the panel of authors questions, but each writer only has one minute to give a reply.

I will be hosting an event about Creating A Villain.  No matter what the crime there is always a baddie in the story somewhere, and some of those villains come back again and again - just like Flambeau of the Father Brown books or Moriarty of the Holmes stories. Speaking as a writer myself, I can also tell you that creating a villain can be fun. Afterall, the likes of Moriarty and Flambeau are just the kind of characters that everyone loves to hate.  There will also be three other authors helping out with what I think will be a really fun and interactive session.  Full details will be released soon.

Ever wondered how authors put their crime novels together?  Ever thought about plotting your own crime story?  Well, Live at the Libraries will be your opportunity to put those vague ideas into some sort of order.  With a panel of authors you'll be able to create a crime from the scene of a murder, plan red herrings and misdirections, and gather evidence. Plotting A Crime could be just the event you might need.

Thursday, August 14th

As well as audience questions participation, there will be workshops running during the festival.  I will be hosting a workshop on how to Create A Character for a Crime Novel.  By the end of the session participants will have a character sketched out, will have been taken through a methodology for creating that character and will have some additional information/references to enable them to take their character and research further

Through an audience participation event we be will asking Who Do You Want To Murder? and How Do You Plan To Get Away with It?

Some of the above events will take place at more than one venue and until the programme is finalised, I can't be more precise.  But as soon as I get the final details, I will post the full information here on the blog and across all my social media.

Keep watching this space, and I hope you will join me and other Yorkshire authors at Live at the Libraries in August. 

It's Summer and the Newark Book Festival ...

 … will be here very soon.  Read on for more detailed info ...

This year, the Newark Book Festival will run from July 10th up to and including July 13th. As with previous festivals, there will be plenty of events happening all over town during those four days.

Along with workshops, author interviews, specific events for children, and music, there will also be an amazing Book Fair.  In the Market Place, there will be loads of book stalls and I will be there, too!

So, please do join me on Sunday, July 13th, in the Market Place, Newark, NG24 1DU.

I will be there all day from 10.00 am and I will be signing and selling books. I will have all six of my Jacques Forêt Mysteries with me.  So, if you would like to chat about France, the Cévennes, the stories, or even Jacques himself, please drop by and say hello.  I will also be able to give you the latest info on the next book in the series.

I will be bringing the three fabulous Miss Moonshine anthologies as well.  If you are in need of a feel-good, heart-warming read for the summer, then these collections of gentle stories will see you through the holidays.  They are ideal for those few moments when the kids are busy, and all you need is a cuppa and a bit of me-time.

In addition, I will have the multi-genre miscellanies of tales from the Seasonal Paths Collection. All four are now available in print and E-format.

It would be great to see you there if you can make it.

A full program of events is available to consult or download Here  Let's hope that the weather will be sunny and warm.

Rivers of France ...

Photo by DXR

... I’m continuing my journey along the river La Loire.  I’m making a brief stop at Briare and then making my way to the city of Orléans.  Read on…

In my last post, I took you along the left bank of the Loire to La Charité.  If you want to continue your own trip along the quiet riverside roads, as I do, then leave La Charité on the D7.  This road meanders through to Herry and onwards to Couargues and Sancerre until it joins the D955.  This is a much busier road and it crosses the Loire at Cosne and joins the D907 to take you to Neuvy-sur-Loire and Briare.  Whenever I’m in the area, I always have to stop at Briare.  It’s a vibrant town with a pâtisserie I’ve visited often, and there is the Canal bridge across the river.  This magnificent piece of engineering is down to Monsieur Eiffel and was completed in 1896.  I have a previous post all about the bridge, and you can read that Here.  By all means, have a look at the viaduct and do spend some time here in town – it’s worth it.  But I’m going to move on.

Leaving Briare, you can still follow the river along the minor roads that take you to Ouzouer, Sully, St-Benoît, St-Martin, and St-Denis before reaching the heart of the city.  Orléans is both a city and a metropolitan urban area.  The ‘city’ has a long history and was originally a Gaulish settlement right on the river.  In 52 BC, Julius Caesar destroyed the original settlement and massacred the inhabitants.  I guess that was one way to make his presence felt!  In the 3rd century AD, Roman Emperor Aurelian rebuilt the city and named it after himself - Aurelianorum.  Over time and history, this became the name we use today.

Orléans sits at the most northerly point of the river.  If you look at a map, you will see the river follows a generally northern route from its source, but at Orléans, it kind of turns west and slightly south to cover the final section of the route to the sea at St Nazaire.  Whilst gazing at your map, you will also note that the point where the river turns is the closest it comes to Paris.

During earlier periods, and especially the Middle Ages, proximity to Paris was of great strategic importance.  Because of the river – a major transport and cargo route - Orléans became a rich and powerful city, it was the capital of the kingdom of Orléans, and eventually the principal city of a duchy held by the house of Valois-Orléans.  Through Louis 12, the family became the kings of France and one or two of them were crowned in the cathedral.  And that’s where I’m taking you next.

Once you hit the outskirts of the city, make sure you keep to the north embankment with the river on your left.  There are various areas to park along the road (D2152), and the nearer you can get to Pont George V, the better.  The bridge links in with rue Royale, a long straight road that is worth a look.  When it intersects with rue Jeanne d’Arc, please stop and take in the cityscape.  On your right, at the top of the street, is the magnificent Cathédrale Sainte-Croix.  You really do need to be that distant from it to be able to take in the fabulous architecture.  If you want a pic, be careful to avoid the trams!  They seem to appear from nowhere.

Along rue Jeanne d’Arc – the Maid of Orléans – there are loads of posh shops, so you can give the credit card some serious stress if you wish.  Personally, I just like the association with one of France’s most historic young women.  Born in Domrémy-la-Pucelle in 1412, into a farming family, she grew up to be called into service to save her country from the dominance of the English.  Charles 7 took a risk and sent her, along with more troops, to Orléans to lead his demoralised army and resolve the siege of the city.  Jeanne arrived in April 1429.  Nine days later, after fierce fighting, the English abandoned the city.  Rather than let the fleeing English army get clean away, Jeanne encouraged her men to pursue them to prevent a regrouping and any possible second assault.  The French army continued to rout the Brits until they reached the city of Rheims, where Charles 7 was crowned King of France with the still very young Jeanne at his side.

Regrettably, Jeanne’s personal history is not so great after that triumph.  She failed in the siege of Paris in September and the siege of La Charité in November 1429 – hence my reason for coming from La Charité to Orléans.  In another battle in Compiégne in May 1430, she was captured by Burgundian troops (great mates of the English at the time), and handed over to the Brits six months later.  Jeanne was committed for trial, found guilty of heresy, and burned at the stake on May 30^th, 1431.  And now, almost 600 years later, she is one of the most famous women in European history.  And for me, as an actor who has played the role of Jeanne when I was still a teenager myself, there is something really special about being on a street named in remembrance of her, in the city that is the site of one of her most decisive battles.

Photo by SelbyMay

But the basilica awaits.  Replacing the ruins of a Roman Temple, the cathedral was constructed between 1278 and 1329.  Jeanne reportedly visited the cathedral to pray during and after the rout of the city.  So, walking rue Jeanne d’Arc is something of a recreation of history, and I can muse about the fact that I may be treading in her footsteps!

The cathedral was partially destroyed by the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion in 1568, but it was rebuilt in the Gothic style, and that is what we can see today.  The vast nave is long with high vaulting, and the upper windows let in natural light, giving the impression of lightness despite the substantial size of the edifice as a whole.  The play of the light in this interior inspired a scene in the first of a new series of cosy crime stories.  And when you get here and take a look for yourselves, you’ll fully understand why!

There will be more from my journey along La Loire next month.  So watch this space.  If you want to catch up on any posts you may have missed, click the following links: Rivers of France  La Loire  Digoin  Nevers  

I'm reviewing Ravens Hill ...

... by friend and author, Garth Pettersen.  This is the fifth book in the Atheling Chronicles.  Read on to find out what I thought ...

I read a great deal, and not just particular types of fiction.  I also read non-fiction, too.  Some of the types of books I can’t resist are historicals.  I find they help fill gaps in my knowledge, and if the story is a good one, I get a lot of enjoyment out of living in a previous era for as long as it takes me to get from the first page to the last one.  I can honestly say that when I discovered there was another book in the Atheling Chronicles available for pre-order, I just had to buy it.

Battle-weary Harald, son of King Cnute, has returned from his warring exploits in Wales, and as a reward from his father, has been gifted land.  He and his wife Selia travel to their new estate.  Expecting to find the estate well managed by the incumbent Steward, Harald discovers he has walked into a feud.  There are tensions between the tenants and the Steward, there is open avarice about the estate from the neighbours, and there is general mistrust throughout the whole community.  It’s quite an undertaking that Harald, as the new Lord, has to handle with only Selia at his side, as he works out who he can trust, who he can’t.  When one murder becomes two, deliberate sabotage becomes obvious, and a significant threat to the whole community has to be dealt with, Harald and Selia really rise to the challenge.

I read a lot of crime novels and look to other types of stories to provide a little relief from that particular diet.  That being said, I also have to point out that this ‘who dunnit’ really kept me enthralled.  Whilst the murders are central to the plot, they are not the only threads running through the book.  The tension in the story gradually builds until it becomes a raging race to get to the end.  I read this book in two chunks because I just could not put it down.

It was really good to be back with Harald and Selia again in this, the fifth story in the Atheling Chronicles.  I enjoyed learning more about these two very well-defined and astute characters.  The ‘baddies’, and there are a few in this book, were equally as enticing to read – afterall, we all love to hate someone don’t we, and books most often gives us that opportunity!

The historical setting of the 11th century is very well handled and clearly fully researched – thanks, Garth, for the bibliography at the end of the book.  There are certainly a few of those that I will be reading in the future.  An excellent story that kept me turning the page right to the very end, and fully deserving of its five-star rating.

If you would like to know more about Garth and his books, check out my interview with him Here  You can read my review of the previous book, The Sea's Edge, Here 

You can get all of Garth's books on Amazon