The bride wore what? Gasp!...

 ...by Heidi Catherine

When Mary Queen of Scots wore white to her wedding in 1559, she caused quite a stir in the French Court.  At that time, white was a colour used by royalty for mourning.  But white was her favourite colour and that was what she insisted on (and given she didn’t seem to have had too much say in who she married, I can’t say I blame her).

But this trend didn’t really catch on until Queen Victoria wore white to her wedding more than 300 years later.  Strangely, I’d never really thought of Queen Victoria as a trendsetter, but there you go.  And here I was thinking that white was chosen by brides as a symbol of purity.

I really enjoyed researching bridal dresses when writing my novel, The Soulweaver.  The book has a multicultural feel to it, with part of it set in Hong Kong.  When my main character, Lin, gets married, she most certainly doesn’t wear white, instead opting for red – a more traditional choice for a girl of her cultural background.  Here’s a short excerpt from the story:

Lin would wear the red gown her mother had worn on her own wedding day.  It was a gown Lin had often tried on as a girl, parading around their small apartment as if she were Queen of China.  She loved the feel of the silk against her skin and would run her small hands over the smooth lines of the dress, as she admired the way the delicate gold leaf pattern wound its way from her shoulders to the folds of fabric bunched at her feet.  She’d longed to be tall enough, with curves in the right places, to do the dress justice.

Now here she stood at eighteen years of age, certainly tall enough.  And the way colour rose to Reinier’s cheeks when he saw her at the registry office, she knew she had the curves as well.

Have you ever been to a wedding where the bride wore a colour other than white?  If you’re married, did you wear white to your wedding?  I did, but I never really stopped to wonder why.  I had no idea I was following in royal footsteps.  Who knows, perhaps in another 300 years brides will all be wearing black!

about the book...  She’s loved and lost him a hundred times across a thousand years. She can’t bear to lose him again.

Lin’s dreams are haunted by faces of people she’s never met. Unable to shake the feeling she’s lived before, she’s drawn to Reinier—a stranger whose soul is heartbreakingly familiar from a time gone by.

Reinier helps Lin unravel the mystery of her past life as Hannah, a girl who sacrificed herself for her true love, Matthew. As Lin falls hopelessly in love with Reinier, her memories of her life as Hannah sharpen and she finds herself unable to let go of Matthew.

With her heart torn in two, Lin must decide whether she should stand by Reinier’s side or track down Matthew and fight for his love. What she doesn’t know is that her decision will ripple across our troubled planet, affecting far more lives than just her own.

Winner of Romance Writers of Australia’s Emerald Pro award, The Soulweaver is a story that will change the way you see the world.

The Soulweaver is available for order now.  A free prequel novellette called The Moonchild, which introduces you to two of the main characters from The Soulweaver in the lifetime they lived before the book takes place is available for download.

about the author...  Heidi Catherine can be found on Facebook, Twitter or on her website.

Come stroll with me...

Detail on old shopfront, Tours

...through the city of Tours...

I've come into town from Montbazon on the bus for a whole €2!  And that's good value in my view.  The bus station isn't worth a second glance but the railway station, less than 20 metres away, is.  Constructed in 1898 it is a striking piece of architecture.  But that's not why you should visit - just take a couple of minutes to have a look at the walls inside.  Yes I'm not joking!  There are some stunning representations of fin de siècle travel posters set into the walls enticing you to come to destinations such as Cahors, Biarritz, Mont d'Ore and many more.  Sadly, none have been captured for the album!  But then, that's a reason to come back isn't it?

From the station on Place du Général Leclerc, it's an easy walk down rue Bernard Palissy, around the tiny park in Place François Sicard - that's my spot for lunch - past the Musée des Beaux Arts (another reason to come back) and onto the subject of my first visit, Cathédrale St Gatien.  And that name, by the way, is relatively new.  

The original cathedral on this spot was dedicated to St Maurice and built by the then Bishop of Tours (337-371), Lidoire.  Burnt in the 6^th century and rebuilt and rededicated, it still did not have an easy time of things.  Destroyed yet again in 1166 because of Louis VII's spat with our own Henry 2, rebuilding began as early as 1170.  But the work was very slow with the chancel taking 43 years to complete (1236-1279).  

Rose window,
Cathédrale St Gatien 

The transept was built in the 14^th century and the nave was finally completed in the 15^th century.  Then the cathedral was extended and the towers added - the first in 1507 and the second - taking 13 years of work - was completed in 1547.  Seven architects later and what you see today is a record of architectural styles.  It's hard to call this building either gothic or Romanesque because both styles are clearly represented, as is the renaissance.  So I'll just call it a mish-mash!  

The cathedral received its new name in 1356.  The windows in the chancel are stunning pieces of work as are the three rose windows and it really is worth the wait for the sun to move round and illuminate them properly.

Watch out for the one on the right!

From here it's a ten-minute walk down rue Colbert, once the principle street in medieval times, and rue du Commerce to Place Plumereau - the locals call it 'Place Plum'.  Here you can find some of the best places in town to drink coffee, eat and meet friends.  But in the streets around here are some of the oldest buildings in the city with some very interesting features on the shop and house frontages.

I'll be back in Tours next month when I will be sharing with you some further delights in this fabulous city.

From Far Off Whisper...

... to printed page

Author, John Jackson

Writing is a lonely business – or it can be.  For an over-gregarious soul like me that can be even more of an incentive NOT to write.

So why did I?

There's an old saying that if you hang around with talented people, then some of their talent might rub off on you.  Whether it did or not is not for me to say, but their keenness to write, and their joy in their successes certainly did.

I got to know several members of the Romantic Novelist's Association.  They were friendly and welcoming, but after a while, the drip started.

"Oh, go on, John. You know you want to give it a go!"

So I found myself up and e-mailing an application to their New Writers' Scheme at midnight on January 2^nd.  Much to my surprise, I was accepted!

I had a story in mind.  It was my good fortune to have a couple of ancestors worthy of note (at least for me) lurking there, and one story leapt out at me.   My 5 x Great Grandfather was an Irish peer called Robert Rochfort, and he was a BAD MAN!  Eventually, the story in my mind changed into one I knew I wanted to write.

My first draft was completed inside 6 months, and ran to 95,000 words.  This went through the New Writers' Scheme, where an experienced author in my genre gave it a VERY thorough crit.

So I did a rewrite, and started the eternal search for a publisher or agent, and I have now built up a lovely collection of rejections.  I also had the manuscript edited again by a professional editor.  She was also a tremendous help.

Time passes, but then I had it looked at by an editor with Harper Collins.  She told me what the problem was.  It seems that all readers empathise with the first strong character they meet – and thus they HAVE to meet their hero early, otherwise they will put their emotional investment into the wrong character.

This was easy to understand, and to rectify.  I had to move things round with a good sized structural edit.

I was also advised that the max length for a first historical novel was 90,000 words.  So I cut and slashed about 10,000 words out of it.  This tightened up my writing, and it has meant that the book is a fast-paced read.

I was on the verge of self-publishing on Amazon (as many do), when I was made an offer by Crooked Cat Books.  Crooked Cat are one of the new breed of publishers.  They will publish your book, and provide you with a cover and an editor.  They will also manage your royalties, for a 4-Year period.

I did a lot of "due diligence" on Crooked Cat before signing with them, but heard nothing but praise from their signed authors; I can only agree with them.

Getting a book published is a long, slow process.  Crooked Cat were able to give me a publication date quickly, although this was several months away.  Meanwhile I had to go over the manuscript with their appointed editor.  Happily, an old friend of mine, Sue Barnard.  It was a pleasure working through the manuscript with her, and we got through the whole edit process in about a month.

I had my own ideas for the cover.  I knew there was a large portrait of Robert Rochfort at Belvedere.  Unfortunately, there was no suitable high-quality copy available.  Fortunately, the management at Belvedere were cooperation itself, and told me they were perfectly happy for me to arrange for someone to come in and take a suitable picture.  They didn't even charge for the picture's use.

My proof copy arrived, and I held it in my hands – and at that moment I KNEW I was an author!

Heart of Stone 

You can follow John on Facebook and Twitter

I'm reviewing Marianne in Chains...

... by Robert Gildea

This book was recommended to me as a 'first class treatise' on France during the occupation.  As I'm not an historian I am not really qualified to comment on the veracity of that particular description and my review will not attempt, in any way, to do so.  But, having had the book sold to me thus, I have to say that I am very glad I bought it and read it.

As an avid reader, a very ordinary traveller through life and France, I am often drawn to books about the life and times of one of my most favourite places.  The country is vast, it's history inextricably linked with our own, the geography is varied and the culture and customs fascinating.  I am still learning about this amazing place.  And Gildea's book has been no small part of my most recent learning.

It is a vast tome.  At over 400 pages of information and comment, supplemented by a further 90+ of appendices and detailed index, it is not a book to picked up in the hope of an easy or quick read.  That being said, once I had accustomed myself to the style of writing and the format, I did get through it in about 7 days as I found the content so fascinating, it was very difficult to put it down.

Focusing on the period from June 1940 to the end of the war, Gildea uses archive material, personal interviews, diaries and eyewitness accounts to set out what life was like, for people across the social strata of the time, in 3 specific départements during the occupation (in my experience now referred to by the French as les années noires).  The area 'of study' that he uses stretches from the west coast inland to just east of the tiny village of Bléré on the river Cher and north to south from Chateaubriant to Machecoul.  In terms of the geography it represents - I would guess - between 5% and 7% of the whole country.  So it is not a particularly large sample area.  However, it is an area where I have a spent a great deal of time, with cities, towns and villages that I know well.  So, reading about the history of that dark period, as evidenced by the seemingly vast array of records, papers and information that Gildea examined, was a bit like discovering the difficult past of a very old friend.

Tours, a city referenced in the book

It is clear from early on in the book that Gildea is seeking to present a particular view of that time in history.  What I can say is, that I was overwhelmed by the breadth of evidence presented, the detail included and what I concluded was that people, no matter what their background, were doing their best to survive in very difficult circumstances.  A society of people constantly forced to make choices, where the alternatives were frequently 'a rock' or 'a hard place'.  I often found myself wondering how I would have reacted had I been there, faced with the same challenges and difficult choices.  A thought-provoking, and at times very moving, book that I feel has informed and helped me to a greater level of understanding about this period in French history.  And that, in no way means that I agree wholeheartedly with all of Gildea's conclusions.

I will be visiting Tours at the end of the month.  If you would like to join me, there will be more about this city's role under the occupation.

Relationships... We all have them...

Not necessarily the girlfriend/boyfriend type.  I’m talking about the relationship a mother has with her son, a grandchild has with their grandparent.  Even the close relationship between best friends.

Family doesn’t always mean flesh and blood.  I know that blood is meant to be thicker than water but you hear too many times about parents turning their back on children, and siblings stealing each others wives.  Sometimes it’s the family we choose for ourselves that stand by us thick and thin.

But what is it about family?  I have a very large family.  Myself, I grew up an only child as my brother passed away when I was only two.  Him being just a few months old.  But my mum is one of six and my dad is one of eight, and with that comes cousins and second cousins and first cousins once removed etc etc.

I don’t think I’ve ever met all my cousins.  I’ve certainly never had them all in the same place at the same time.  I have a few I know well.  The ones that used to visit often when we were growing up, and the one that grew up just down the road.  I grew up in East Sussex and Liverpool was so far away, but that is the beauty of family.  These people that in normal times would be complete strangers, are part of our lives and we love each other even though we barely know each other.

We’ve had a couple of Long Lost Family moments of our own in the last few years.  It turns out that mum doesn’t have six siblings, but six and a half as her dad had a baby not long before my mum left home.  So, now all grown up, I have an Aunt who is only two years older than me, and guess what… three more cousins!

Our family has had a big hole in it since way before I was born.  My mum’s biggest sister moved to Australia when my mum was only three, and they lost contact with her when their mother died when my mum was only eleven.  Aunt Bernadette has always been spoken about but non of us ever thought we would see her again.  How is it so possible to miss someone you’ve never known, but I have.

We tried writing to Cilla Black, Davina MacCall and trawling through records to find her with no luck.  I even searched Facebook for people with the same name as her and her two children.  Not one lead to anything.  Then last year, on Boxing Day, we got an announcement we never expected.

Aunt Bernadette had been found.

My auntie Teena gave us the news.  We being so far away joined by skype as many of our other family members crammed into their utility/computer room.  There were tears of joy and laughter.  The news we had all been waiting for was finally here.

The six siblings all journeyed to meet her, in Venice of all places, and finally after 46 years they were all together.

On the 23^rd December 2017 I finally got to meet my long lost aunt.  It was amazing.  She had travelled all the way from Australia to spend Christmas with us all and cook us Christmas dinner with Teena.  Her thirty plus hours of travel put our six and a half to shame.  It was an amazing few days, going round to their last remaining aunts and uncle and hearing them all share stories of the past.

Watching my great uncle, who is 92 and partially blind, look at his niece and say 'I never thought I would see you again' broke my heart.  We spent days each of us in turn crying, sometimes setting the other off.  We are a very emotional family it turns out!

But the strangest thing is, even though I had never met her before and even after five days of speaking, I barely even know her.  I love her.  She is family.  It is like she’s never been away.

about the book...  What if you’re in love with another woman’s man?  Casey Turner finds herself sad and single again after a seven-year relationship.  Having suffered multiple miscarriages, she is adjusting to the realisation she will never be a mum, just as all her friends are getting married and having children.  Feeling alone, she finds herself drawn to a man she can’t have: her ex’s best friend.  Although he has a girlfriend, she can’t stay away.  But does he really care for her, too, or is he just having his cake and eating it?  Torn between her feelings and her morals, is Casey destined to follow the wrong path, or will she see sense before time runs out?  Available now on Amazon  and the launch party is on January 12th... Join the party Book Launch

about the author... Carrie-Ann lives in South East England with her three children, her cats and her dog with her mum just a short drive away.  She is never bored.  She fills her time with reading, writing, tv series binge watching, amateur dramatics, dog walks, dinner with friends, the park, taking her children to clubs and the odd glass or three of something alcoholic.

Carrie-Ann is a self confessed Social Media addict who can normally be found somewhere floating around the World Wide Web.  However, learning to use it for marketing has been a trying experience.  She would love you to get in touch by connecting to her on Facebook or on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and other sites. All can be found at http://www.carrieannschless.com 

as well as her blog.

What's coming up in 2018...

...... welcome to another year of blogging...

It's a new year.  That means there will be new opportunities, different challenges, new

Rose window, cathedral Tours

people to meet.  It is also an opportunity to reflect on the old year.  Last year, here on James et Moi, I took you to some of my favourite places : Montbazon  Le Puy-en-Velay and  Argentat .  And 2018 will see me taking more strolls around the streets of various towns and villages in France.  Please accompany me towards the end of January, when I will be making a visit to Tours.  It is an amazing city with a fascinating history.  Later in the year I will be spending some time in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Tence, Yssingeaux and Le Chambon.  I also have no doubt that there will be interesting little places that I happen upon by accident and that they may also feature in a post. Watch this space! 

Last year, I featured posts and interviews from guest authors and they took us to places further afield, such as Portugal with Isabella May on one occasion, the Auvergne with Marie Laval and I took some time out to visit  Edinburgh and indulge my love of the works of Robert Louis Stevenson. There will be new authors appearing on the blog in the coming year, established authors making a return and lots about books for you to enjoy.  Coming up this month, you will be meeting Carrie Ann Schless and John Jackson.  There will be lots of other author posts in the following months too.  

Last year I featured book reviews for the first time and I included my thoughts on a variety of books - not all of them fiction.  I think that, of all the books I read last year - 42 according to Goodreads -  The Unfree French and Marianne in Chains (review to feature later in the year) were the two that had the most impact.  They were both thought provoking and provided two very different viewpoints on the same period of history.  I will be continuing the reviews throughout the year.

And, as always, there will be some fab photos to illustrate the posts. I hope you will be able to join me and that you will enjoy the journey!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year