Writer and friend, Kate Field...

Carbis Bay, St Ives

... is visiting the blog today.  Hello, Kate, and thanks for taking some time out to be here.

One of the things I love best about writing is the way that my books become scrapbooks of memories.

Sometimes, the memories lie in minor details that I add here and there: the name of a pub or house that forms a link to my childhood, or a character name that has a family connection.  Other times, they might come from a trait that I give to a character: in the WIP I’ve just finished, the protagonist’s grandmother likes to nudge people with her elbow to get their attention or to emphasise a point, just like my own grandmother did.

More often than not, the memories relate to places that I’ve been and that are connected to a particular book.  I still remember sitting in a leather, wing-back chair in a draughty holiday cottage in Kent, writing my first novel, even though it was over twenty years ago.  I’ll never forget being in Jersey when I wrote the scene in my first published book, The Magic of Ramblings, where Cassie realises that she’s in love with Barney, because I had no idea that it was going to happen at that point in the story!  And whenever I think about Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings, I remember the fun lunches shared with the Authors on the Edge in Hebden Bridge.

In my latest novel, The Man I Fell in Love With, I used some of the locations I’d travelled to recently as the setting for the book.  Most of the story takes place in Lancashire, where I live, and Ethan’s house, Waterman’s Cottage, was inspired by a small building on the edge of a reservoir about a mile away from my house. During the course of the story, the characters spend a summer holiday in St Ives in Cornwall, and that was great fun to write because I’d visited St Ives on holiday the year before I wrote the book.  The lead character,

Mary Black, does many of the things we did on holiday: she visits the Minack Theatre, walks the coastal path from Carbis Bay to St Ives, and has breakfast at the Porthminster Café.  I can’t look at those chapters now without memories of a wonderful holiday rushing back.

Brooklyn Bridge, New York

The other location that features in The Man I Fell in Love With is New York.  I wrote the story not long after visiting New York with my husband to celebrate a special wedding anniversary, and that undoubtedly influenced my choice of setting for an important scene in the book.  We had an amazing time in New York, strolling through Central Park, walking the High Line, exploring Brooklyn and marvelling at the view from the Top of the Rock observation deck.  You’ll have to read the book to find out what the characters get up to in New York!

about the author... Kate writes contemporary women’s fiction, mainly set in her favourite county of Lancashire, where she lives with her husband, daughter and mischievous cat.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Kate’s debut novel, The Magic of Ramblings, won the RNA’s Joan Hessayon Award for new writers in 2017.

about the book... Sometimes we find happiness where we least expect it…

After twenty years of contented marriage, no one is more surprised than Mary Black when her husband announces he’s leaving her... for another man.

For the sake of the children, Mary has no choice but to pick herself up and start again.  She hosts family meals that include Leo and his new partner.  She copes with the kids wanting to spend less time with her, and more time with their “fun” dads.  But one thing she can’t quite ignore is Leo’s gorgeous brother, who has just come back to town…

After living a life of sliding doors and missed opportunities, can Mary finally put herself first and take a chance that could change everything?

A wonderfully uplifting novel full of wisdom, spirit and charm – this is a love story with a difference…

You can get Kate's book  Here

You can follow Kate on  Amazon  Twitter and  Facebook

Another fellow Author on the Edge will be visitng the blog next month, so watch this space...

What better time is there...

…than the week that includes Valentine's Day to review Stephanie Cage's latest novella, Paris Proposal?  As I can't think of a better time, that's what I'm doing today!

Published in December 2018, this is a book I've been waiting to read in its entirety ever since I heard the first hint of the idea that has become the whole story.  Set in the heart of Paris, with engaging characters and an exciting storyline, I found I could not put this piece of writing down until I had got to the end.  Yes, I read it at one sitting.

The central character, Holly Gardiner, is whisked off to Paris for New Year's Eve by her boyfriend, Ryan.  Holly is expecting one outcome, a romantic one that involves a ring.  Ryan, on the other hand, delivers something completely different, and Holly finds herself, tearful, alone and a bit drunk in the most romantic city (in my humble opinion) in the world.

In a nightclub, as midnight draws closer, she meets Jean-Luc and his friends, Marc, a lawyer and Pierre, a journalist.  As time moves on Holly becomes more enthralled with Jean-Luc, and then he surprises her.  Holly isn't quite sure how to react.  But midnight has not yet struck.  Jean-Luc is showing little sign of leaving Holly to her own devices and his friends have suddenly and sensitively disappeared into the background.  Is the Frenchman quite what he seems?

I can't answer that question for you but what I can say is that both Holly and Jean-Luc are believable and fully rounded characters.  Holly's distress at the outset of the story, covered by her bravado is cleverly woven through her thoughts words and actions.  Similarly with the charming, caring and sincere Jean-Luc.  But then a hint of danger begins to seep into the mix, and I was left wondering how it would all end.

Using Paris as the backdrop for the story was an ingenious choice.  As I followed Holly and Jean-Luc across the city, I could almost feel the cobbles under my feet and hear the water of the Seine as it lapped around and under the arches of the bridges.  There really is something magical about being in the heart of Paris at night - and if you haven't experienced that yet, then make sure you do soon.  You won't regret it.

A fabulously romantic story, set in a beautiful city that is a favourite of mine, and a plot that keeps you turning the page.  What more could you wish for from a book?

You can find out more about Holly and the book Here and you can get the book on Amazon

Crooked Cat Publishing's Loved Up Sale...

...is now on!

Loads of books for sale at 99p/99c or equivalent.  Not just Romances, but Mysteries, Thrillers, Contemporary Fiction... Check it out... 

Shhh! Don't tell anyone else I said this... but my own books, available from Amazon, are also included in the sale and Montbel is being featured today on www.mybookplace.net and on www.booklemur.com  

Check out the links and grab yourself a bargain ebook!

A favourite poem for Valentine's Day...

THE FOREBODING

Looking by chance in at the open window

            I saw my own self seated in his chair

With gaze abstracted, furrowed forehead,

            Unkempt hair.

I thought that I had suddenly come to die,

            That to a cold corpse this was my farewell,

Until the pen moved slowly on the paper

            And tears fell.

He had written a name, yours, in printed letters

            One word on which bemusedly to pore:

No protest, no desire, your naked name,

            Nothing more.

Would it be tomorrow, would it be next year?

            But the vision was not false, this much I knew;

And I turned angrily from the open window

            Aghast at you.

Why never a warning, either by speech or look,

            That the love you cruelly gave me could not last?

Already it was too late: the bait swallowed,

            The hook fast.

                      Robert Graves

Jottings from the Journals... Nevers

Tuesday, 19th

…Camped near Nevers and strayed into town for a brief look round.  Need to decide how long to stay…

… the Palais Ducal dates from the 15^th century.  It is a quite magnificent example of Renaissance architecture, with its round towers and the pointed roof that give it that very French look.  According to my guide book, it was once the home of the Dukes of Nevers.  Now it houses an annexe to the law courts.  It appears that the Chevalier au Cygne (The Swan Knight), an early ancestor of the family, inspired the tale of Lohengrin which Wagner used as the basis for his opera.

But Nevers has an even more interesting tale to tell, that of Vert-Vert.  Vert-Vert was a parrot who lived with an order of nuns in the city.  He was very well looked after, so much so that the sisters of the motherhouse asked for him to be sent to them so that they could enjoy his company.  After much debate within the order, Vert-Vert was prepared for his journey along the Loire to Nantes.  Regrettably, his travelling companions - two Dragoons - were of 'the lowest sot' and Vert-Vert began mimicking their foul speech.  By the time he had reached Nantes, Vert-Vert did not want for 'curses and oaths' as he 'could out-swear a devil in a holy font.'  One can imagine the looks of shock on the nun's faces at his first utterances.

Porte du Croux, Nevers

Vert-Vert was returned to his original home in Nevers.  In order the bring the unruly bird under control, Vert-Vert was condemned to silence along with a period of fasting and solitude.  Having re-acquired his good manners, he was then brought out of confinement to live amongst the nuns, who spoiled him.  Eventually, 'Stuffed with sugar and mulled with wine' this rascal of a bird 'Changed his rosy life for a coffin of pine.'

But that is not where this story ends!  Jaen-Baptiste Gresset (1709-1777), a poet and dramatist, published his poem 'Vert-Vert, histoire d'un perroquet de Nevers' in 1734.  The story and the poem inspired paintings by Jean François Millet, Auguste Couder, Fleury François Richard and their respective canvasses hang in galleries across France.  Later, in 1869, Jacques Offenbach staged his comic opera based on the poem in Paris.
I think that parrot has a lot to answer for!




When I got home after this trip I looked up the poem and there are a number of English translations.  It is quite a tale!

Friend and author, Jennifer Wilson...

... makes a very welcome return to my blog this week.  Jennifer, thanks for making time to be here and great to have you visit the blog again.

JW   Hi Angela, and thank you so much for inviting me!

AW  I understand you have a new book due out on the 31st - and I can't wait to hear about it...

JW  My new release, Kindred Spirits: York, is set, unsurprisingly, in York.  At only half an hour down the line from Darlington, where I grew up, York is the closest to home of the Kindred Spirits locations so far, and it was lovely revisiting places I had known well as a child, and discovering some stunning new locations for my ghosts to inhabit throughout the novel.

AW   York!  Fabulous city and a favourite place of mine to visit too.  But I'm interrupting, tell me more...

JW  I knew early on that my four main leads would be Harry Hotspur, Dick Turpin, Guy Fawkes, and Richard Plantagenet 3^rd Duke of York (yes, the father of my usual favourite leading man!).  Given that these were four adventurous and active men, I wanted York to have the largest geographic coverage of any of the books so far, and travel across the city, rather than staying fairly close to a single building or area.  That gave me free reign to research all the various haunted buildings, streets and pubs of the city, seeing who might be interesting to interact with my main story arc, that of looming chaos within the community.

Some are obvious, for example, I had to revisit the glorious York Minster, which I hadn’t been inside since I was at school, alongside Clifford’s Tower, and big tourist traps such as the Shambles.  But it was down the Shambles that I discovered, thanks to my fabulous editor Sue Barnard, St Margaret’s Chapel (and St Margaret herself, if I’m honest).  If you find yourself wandering the Shambles, do take a closer look in this beautiful little haven amongst the busyness of the rest of the city.

There are other treats too, such as the park behind the Minster, where the Bishop’s Palace was located.  For whatever reason, I’d never taken the time to wander through, and relax on the grass for a while, making notes about what I had visited already.  Given that we were at the start of the 2018 summer heatwave, I wasn’t the only one enjoying the fresh air and shade of the trees.

I’ve said so many times that for me, getting under the skin of a location is the most important thing, in terms of my writing.  For two of my settings, Edinburgh and York, I thought I already knew them pretty well, and that the research would need just a couple of specific points being checked, nothing more.  I was completely wrong, and actually quite glad about that.  I found so many new places (and people) of interest, and really re-connected with York and its history. After not having visited properly for so many years, three trips in six months was wonderful, and I’m planning another one for a couple of weeks’ time, to keep the exploring going!

AW   I know exactly what you mean about fully understanding a location you want to use as a setting.

JW   I’d love to know whether readers think I’ve managed to capture the city.

AW  And I will certainly do that for you.  I just want to get my hands on that book asap!  And here's a link to buy the book : Kindred Spirits : York

...about the book  In the ancient city of York, something sinister is stirring...

What do a highwayman, an infamous traitor, and two hardened soldiers have in common? Centuries of friendship, a duty to the town, and a sense of mischief – until they realise that someone is trying to bring chaos to their home.

Joining forces with local Vikings, the four friends keep an eye on the situation, but then, disaster strikes.

Can peace be restored both inside and out of the city walls?

…about the author  Jennifer C. Wilson is a marine biologist by training, who developed an equal passion for history and historical fiction whilst stalking Mary, Queen of Scots on childhood holidays (she has since moved on to Richard III). Enrolling on an adult education workshop on her return to the north-east of England for work reignited her pastime of creative writing, and she has been filling notebooks ever since.

In 2014, Jennifer won the Story Tyne short story competition, and has been working on a number of projects since, including co-hosting the North Tyneside Writers’ Circle.  Her Kindred Spirits novels are published by Crooked Cat Books and her timeslip novella, The Last Plantagenet?, by Ocelot Press.

She lives in North Tyneside, and is very proud of her approximately 2-inch sea view.

You can follow Jennifer on Amazon  Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  and on her Website   

Come stroll with me...

… through Salles-Curan, a sleepy village in the Averyon.  Parking is at the foot of the village and the road winds round the outside of what remains of the old ramparts.  As I walk up the hill I'm struck by the idea that I've been here before, but the pâtisserie on the right on the opposite side of the road doesn't seem familiar.  I cross and read the notice on the door which tells me it is opening soon.  The picture of the 'pastissou' on the wall beside the main window also seems familiar and I make a mental note to check out the cake.

A little further round there are some steps on my left and I pass through an ancient archway and into the old medieval part of the town.  The houses lean against each other, the road is necessarily narrow to keep out the sun and right at the heart of the town is the church,  More steps and I go in.

Dedicated to Saint Géraud, it is very small and gothic in style.  The sun streams through the large stained-glassed window behind the altar, illuminating the beautifully decorated rood screen.  But there's a surprise waiting for me and after some hesitation, I decide to move forward.  The choir stalls sit on the other side of the screen and they are all immaculately carved with all sorts of creatures from the sea.  They are also a little dusty!  I spend some time working out what all the creatures are and I'm certain some of them, a bit like our own dear old Nessy, are just a fiction from the wood carver's mind.  According to a short note in the church, this was a collegiate church and therefore meant for the Bishop and his priests rather than the local populace.  It is 15^th century -  absolutely all of it, including the stained-glass window and the woodwork.

Back out in the sunshine and I nod to the pair of lions that guard the door.  They seem very well behaved.  The coat of arms above the door of the church is that of François d'Estaing, the Bishop of Rodez.

On the street, I continue to wander and from an open window above comes the smell of

garlic and smoked meat, reminding me that it is lunchtime.  But as I follow the road I come

across a stunning array of plants and flowers in front of a house - a burst of vibrant colour amongst the ochre of the stone.

On the edge of the old town sits the ancient fortified chateau.  Originally built by Guillaume de La Tour in the 1440's it soon became a residence for the bishops of Rodez and, for a time, the whole disocese was run from here.  At one time there was a winter garden and park which augmented the chateau, and of the once three aligned towers, only one remains today.

Moving on and into the more modern town that surrounds the old one, I come across the war memorial and a monument to Eugène Viala (1859-1913), a poet and a painter who was known as the bard of the Lévézou.  Apparently this little place was his home town…


Le Pastissou is made from walnuts and caramel, is dusted with icing sugar and has a pastry base.  It is a speciality of the Averyon.