Re-emerging from the Gloom

I know you haven't heard from me for a while and I'm not really sure why. I suppose I have been having one of those periods when you think you might as well jack it all in and get a proper job. After the exciting involvement with the Waterloo Collection anthology that I bored you all with last time, I was devastated to hear of the death of Proffessor Richard Holmes who was also involved with it. I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person but I loved him on screen, his passion for his subject was so close to the surface and infected everyone he met; he was a proper gentle man. One of the last things he did was to sign the author copies of the anthology and I shall keep mine close to my heart.

So, the news about Richard's passing took the shine from the pleasure of having three of my Waterloo stories included in his project - I like to think he might have read and enjoyed them. Since t hen I have been writing and writing, keeping my head down, not hearing anything from my agent, often wondering if it is really worth all the sweat and tears I shed over my work; when out of the blue, another publication appears.

I am getting quite a list now. I had forgotten I had submitted a few stories to Vintage Script; a magazine offering short historical stories and articles, so when I heard one of mine was included in the first issue, it picked me up no end. Vintage Script will fill a gap in the market for people like me, mad on history. I don't buy any magazine's apart from BBC's History, Myslexia and the Historical Review, oh and the Richard the Third Society Review because other magazine's dont seem to cater for me. I will buy and enjoy this one though and will be submitting more stories and articles to it too. So good luck to Vintage Script and thank you to Emma for selecting my story, you have providied the fillip I needed.

The Waterloo Project

In June 1815 The Battle of Waterloo brought to an end almost twenty-three years of European conflict. Of the four battles that made up this campaign Waterloo is the most famous and has become iconic with the Anglo/French wars. It was Napoleon’s first personal defeat marking the end of his bid for power.

The battle took place just south of the town of Waterloo on the ridge of Mont St Jean, in and around three farms, Hougoumont, La Haye Sainte and Papelotte. It was a hard fought, bloody battle that resulted in massive casualties on both sides.

Hougoumont Farm was placed under the charge of Lieutenant-Colonel Macdonell. Wellington’s instructions being that he should "defend the post to the last extremity." Macdonell certainly followed this command and repelled the French assault for an exhausting nine hours.

During the maelstrom the main building was destroyed, as was the tower, cowshed, coach house and stables. Otherwise, the farm remains intact However, almost two hundred years of neglect have taken their toll and the buildings are now very much dilapidated. The walls of the great barn are bulging and despite recent attempts at repair, the farm is vulnerable to vandalism and the detrimental effects of the weather.

In recent years historians and conservationists have banded together to form The Hougoumont Project to raise funds for the farm’s restoration. Professor Richard Holmes is chairman of the project. He says ‘My own visits to Hougoumont left me increasingly worried about its condition, and a number of other visitors – from professional battlefield guides to enthusiastic amateurs – wrote, telephoned, or emailed to suggest that something should to be done as a matter of urgency. A small group of us met (fittingly enough in a Berkshire pub), and Project Hougoumont was formally launched in June 2008.’

The project intends to sympathetically restore the existing buildings, and develop the wider site providing educational facilities and enabling living history events to be held. The chapel has been restored and some of the breaches in the walls repaired but there still remains much to do. Professor Holmes goes on to say, “In my long experience of historical battlefields, few spots have the haunting appeal of the farm complex of Hougoumont on the field of Waterloo. In seeking to preserve this iconic spot we do not simply remember the British troops who held it. We also applaud the courage of the German infantry who fought for the wood in front of it, of the brave Frenchmen who came so close to taking it and turning the fortune of the day, and of the cavalry whose charges swirled up and down the slopes within sight of its ancient walls, now in such acute peril.’

Several fund raising schemes are being set up by The Hougoumont Project to coincide with the forthcoming bicentenary celebrations in 2015. One of these schemes is an anthology of short stories set in and around the battle.

This book, The Waterloo Collection – an anthology of short stories is available for pre-order on Amazon, priced £11.99 with proceeds going to this worthy cause. (Yes, some of mine are in it.) Professor Holmes, who has written the foreword, has kindly agreed to sign copies at Bookstop during the Tavistock Music and Arts Festival on April 23rd 2011. We hope to see you there.

Link to The Waterloo Collection on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-WaterlooCollection/dp/0956765424/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301493520&sr=1-1

Also available are some brilliant art prints by renowned military artists who are very generously donating 25% of sales to the Hougoumont Project. You can find details on the website http://www.waterloo-collection.com/index.html

Short Story Competition

The Cwrtnewydd Scribblers writing group, of whom I am a proud member, have launched a short story competition.
It has been a long hard winter in the UK this year and summer still seems a long way off so, to bring the warm weather a little closer, the theme of the competition is to be Summer Sun, Summer Fun. Your story can be in the genre of your choice (but keep it clean please). The winner will receive £40, the second prize is £20 and the runner up will win £10. All winning entries will be offered inclusion in The Cwrtnewydd Scribblers’ Annual Anthology due to be published in time for Christmas.




For further details and rules of entry please see our website: http://www.cwrtnnewyddscribblers.webs.com/

Sultana: New release from Lisa Yarde

Sultana
by
Lisa Yarde

A review by Judith Arnopp



Fatima is the granddaughter of the Sultan of Granada and as such has lived a life of luxury, safe from dangers, her future secure. But there are underlying political currents and intrigues that she knows nothing about.
When she is married off to the Sultan’s nephew, Faraj, a man governed by resentment and insecurity, neither party is pleased at the match. His determination to seek vengeance for the murder of his family and his struggle to regain his rightful inheritance results in bitter civil war. The marriage between Fatima and Faraj, two strong willed characters, could go either way and the novel tracks the progress of both their personal relationship and the war.

***

Thirteenth century Moorish Spain is a new world to me. At first I found the place and character names confusing but a short while into the story it all became clear.
Sultana is superbly written. Lisa Yarde lifts the reader from the ennui of the twenty-first century and thrusts them into the turmoil of medieval Spain. Each page is eagerly turned as she deftly details every aspect of Granadian life, the clothes, the food and the riches. Lisa penetrates the mind of Fatima to illustrate the unfolding war through her eyes and allow the reader to experience both her insecurity and her pain. The story moves through war, treason, murder and despair but, despite that, it remains a romance, a heavenly blend of sorrow and joy, just like life.
This book was a whole new experience for me. I know next to nothing about the days of the last Moorish dynasty but Lisa writes with the confidence that only thorough research can provide. Sultana is a worthy addition to any book shelf, this is one to keep.

Both paperback and kindle editions of Sultana are available on Amazon.

The return of the blogger

I am back, sort of. After spending Christmas under a thick blanket of snow, pudding and wrapping paper, I dug a way out and found that it was mid-January, my worst month. A dark, cold month, a month of misery, post Christmas fat and penury. It should be a time of new beginnings and optimism but it isn't and so I've been pretending I am not here. Although I hate to wish my life away, I just long for it to be February, when the promise of spring is more evident.

Things aren't all bad though. For Christmas I was given a wii fit plus and, after years of thinking up excuses not to go jogging or join a gym, I now have a method that is fun. I have used it everyday since December 27th, only gently as I am very unfit and don't want to do permanent damage. I have lost 9lbs so far, which is, for me, miraculous.
I'm following the Slimming World plan, at home on my own as there isnt a class close enough and my income won't stretch to joining online. The plan suits me as it is generous and caters brilliantly for vegetarians. And I do feel better already, more positive, confident, thinner, fitter even though there is still such a long way to go. I am trying to look no further than the next goal, half a stone at a time, for small steps make up a mile and all that.

As to work, well I am rewriting and editing The Forest Dwellers and not finding at all it easy. There are parts of it that I am reluctant to lose, small minutae that help explain the whole, and I am trying to figure out how to blend them in better rather than omit them altogether. I don't think I am alone in disliking the rewriting process, I miss the thrilling creative flood of the first draft, the interaction with the characters, and not knowing how it will all end.
Rewriting isnt art, I have become a mechanic retuning an engine and the real trouble is that I preferred the engine when it ran a little rough and used up a little too much fuel. I am fixing something I dont want fixed. I suppose its all part of becoming a professional but its rather like having given birth to a child and someone says its nose is all wrong and you feel you have to get it altered :)

The sun will help when it comes. I am indoors too much and miss the feel of the gentle spring breezes, the birds singing, the green aroma of growing grass. So, I look forward to the springtime, just a few weeks away, when everything will be right again. Until then I trudge doggedly on, rewriting my novel and reshaping my body. Belated New Year wishes everyone :)

Author Interview with novelist, Helen Spring

Helen Spring is the author of among other things, The Chainmakers, Memories of the Curlew and Strands of Gold. I am delighted that she has agreed to let me interview her for my blog. Both a wonderful writer and friend, she has offered vital assistance to my own career and I hope that the tips and advice she offers will be useful to all my readers.

Strands Of Gold takes the reader from the shores of England to colonial Singapore and on to the gold fields of Kalgoorlie in Australia.
Lucy Rowland’s childhood comes to an abrupt end when she returns home from England to Singapore to find her father and her childhood home at risk of financial ruin. Although on the verge of losing her heart to Greg Lamont she is coerced instead into marriage with the rich and powerful Sir Gilbert Howell. Lucy withstands the brutality of marriage to Gilbert until freed by the violent intervention of her uncle Matthew.
Together with childhood friend, Jarvis, Lucy and her uncle flee to Australia where, with new identities, they attempt to start a new life. Lucy’s new found peace and prosperity is destroyed when she challenges the corruption of the wool trade and makes a new enemy in the shape of George Carmody. As her past threatens to overwhelm her she is whisked from danger and embarks on yet another journey with her rescuer.

Helen Spring weaves a wonderful tale of adventure and love that immediately emerges the reader in Lucy’s world. Her language is rich and tasteful, like good chocolate, and the well-drawn characters exist within a fully realised setting. This is a story of love and friendship and as the strands of gold wrap around you, you will found yourself totally absorbed. This novel does not let go until the end is reached and Lucy’s story lingers long after the last page is turned.
Works by Helen Spring include:

The Chain Makers: ISBN: 978-0-59544765-7

Strands of Gold ISBN: 978-1-907986-16-9

Memories of the Curlew ISBN: 978-1-84923-490-0

Hi Helen

Welcome to my blog and thank you for agreeing to an interview.
As you know I am already a fan of your work and greatly enjoyed your medieval novel, Memories of the Curlew, featuring Gwenlian, the twelfth century Welsh princess and her battles with the Normans. I came to Strands of Gold with great expectations and I wasn’t at all disappointed.

First of all can you tell us a bit about yourself, when you began to write, your ambitions, your experiences of the process of becoming a published author? I have a lot of aspiring author friends and I know they will appreciate any tips you can offer.

I have always written, but when I was young it was just articles and short stories, to fit in with earning a living. I did not start to write novels until I took very early retirement to look after my elderly mother. When Mum had a nap after lunch each day, I would write for a couple of hours, and I wrote my first two novels in that way. I then had lots of very complimentary rejections! They always said things like ‘We love this but....’ The best tip I can give is to write the kind of thing you enjoy yourself, in that way you develop your own distinctive voice.

And you certainly have a strong voice. I think what makes Strands of Gold great for me is its unique story and setting. It took me to some very unexpected places. Where did you come up with the idea and the setting? Have you been to the places you write about?

I love the period from about 1880 – 1920, and originally I wanted to write about Colonial India, but then I decided that writers like Paul Scott and John masters had done it all so well already. I investigated Singapore and found that was interesting too, and the story came to me. I had never been to Singapore or Australia at the time, although I have now. When you are writing history, the settings will be so different from today, and so I feel a good archive makes for better research than any personal visits. For example, I found some wonderful letters which were written from English emigrants in Australia back to their families in Britain, where they described their feelings about the strange new world, making it possible to see Australia through their eyes.


When I was reading it I really bonded with Lucy straight away. She is a great character. In some novels with a female lead, the feminine characters can emerge as a bit insipid, indecisive, soppy even but Lucy is none of these things, without being too feisty she is a perfectly balanced, believable character. Did you base her on anyone you know?

Gosh! I find the question a little embarrassing because I really didn’t base her on anyone at all, I just made her up. I think I was perhaps looking to myself for the kind of reaction I would have to Lucy’s various troubles. I suppose I can be a bit feisty, but I don’t think I’m particularly well balanced. I go off at a tangent sometimes, but usually come down again fairly quickly. Perhaps Lucy behaves as I wish I had done when I was younger!


I know from personal experience how much research is necessary for a period novel and I often find I do far more than I need and end up with reams of notes that are never used or referred to. Do you have any tips for streamlining the background reading?

Yes, the research can become so interesting you never want to start the writing! With hindsight, I think it is best to read two or three books on your subject first, to get a ‘feel’ for it, and then just start writing. If I get stuck about something, I just type in ‘INFIL LATER’ and carry on. When you have got the story down and have your first draft, you can go through and look up what you still need. I think this saves a lot of time.


That is a great tip; I will use it! Now, I have to ask about your sexy male lead, Greg Lamont; he is drop dead gorgeous. Is he a figment of your imagination or do you have your own Greg stashed away at home? You don’t have to answer that!

Wow! I wish I did! Yes, he is rather gorgeous isn’t he? I was quite in love with him when I was writing the book. Greg is entirely a figment of my imagination, but he’s given me lots of fun in spite of that! I have never met a real man quite so dishy, but I can always hope!


He may be waiting just around the next corner, Helen! In the second part of the novel when Lucy is in the outback you can almost taste the dust and feel the flies biting. How did you manage to come up with such a realistic depiction?

I think I just put myself into Lucy’s place and imagined to myself what it must feel like. This is the kind of detail you can fill in when you do your re-write, to make the description really intense. Sometimes I find it useful to get out the Roget’s thesaurus and look up a few words, and get lots of alternatives to consider, to make it all become richer and more detailed.

Good old thesaurus, where would we be without one? I know followers of my blog will want to know what you are working on now and when it will be available. Can you give us some teasers?

At the moment I’m working on a sequel to an earlier novel, ‘The Chainmakers’. It is set in occupied Rome during the Second World War. It is intended to be a great love story, but at the moment the war keeps getting in the way! (Which I suppose it would have done at the time!) I am only into the eighth chapter, but have done all the research, so I hope to crack on and perhaps get it finished for Spring next year.


I shall look forward to it. That is brilliant, Helen, thank you. I wish you all the luck in the world and I am waiting impatiently for your next novel.

Thank you so much for inviting me.

It was my pleasure. More details of Helen’s work can be found on her website: http//www/helenspring.co.uk

Cwrtnewydd Scribblers Presents ...

Cwrtnewydd village lies between Lampeter and Newcastle Emlyn, huddled about a small Welsh river in the Cledlyn Valley. It is essentially a farming hamlet and, although there is no longer any shop, the pub has closed and only the school remains (for now) the inhabitants manage to maintain a sense of community. The village has its historical roots in farming and the woollen industry but, more recently, the village has welcomed incomers from the world over. Living in a remote area has its benefits peaceful vistas, solitude and tranquillity, but there are also drawbacks. We are all vulnerable to accidents and every villager, directly or indirectly, has benefited from the service supplied by the Air Ambulance.

I have lived here for sixteen years. You can see from the picture that it can be an isolated lifestyle. Luckily, I love the peace; it enables me to write undisturbed and the ever-shifting moods of the countryside inspires and colours my work. Writing is a solitary, often lonely occupation and for many years I thought I was the only writer living in Cwrtnewydd. You can imagine my delight to discover that, not only were there other writers but they also held a flourishing writer’s group every Monday.

Two years ago I plucked up all my courage and asked to join them. There were five members at that time and they welcomed me with open arms and I have since found excellent friendship, support and encouragement. I had never before joined a group, unless you include creative writing classes with Dic Edwards at Lampeter University and, without hesitation, I would recommend that all writers join or form a group. It will help your focus, objectivity and provide a critique service for your embryonic manuscript.

We call ourselves the Cwrtnewydd Scribblers and in 2010, after receiving a most welcome grant from the The Co-Op Community Fund, which paid for the ISBN numbers, we put our heads together to come up with a collection of work.
Although it is the first I have been involved in, Of Cake and Words is Cwrtnewydd Scribblers’ second collection, comprised of poetry, short stories and anecdote. The group is responsible for every aspect of the publication from the cover design to the forming of the publishing company, Cledlyn Publications. The book is a non-profit based venture with fifty pence of the cover price going to Air Ambulance, Wales by way of acknowledgement of the invaluable service they provide to rural communities. The Cwrtnewydd Scribblers will be attending the Lampeter Winter Fair on November 27th where copies of the book and other works by our members will be available.

If you are unable to attend, copies are obtainable from any member of the group contactable via our webpage: http://www.cwrtnewyddscribblers.webs.com/. Priced £3.50

Cwrtnewydd Scribblers, Of Cake and Words, (Lampeter: University of Wales Press: Cledlyn Publications, 2010)