Tag Archives: One More Chapter

Location, Location, Location: The French Cookery School.

Guest Post, Location!, Review, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , ,
Today, I am delighted to welcome Caroline to my blog as she shares the inspiration for the location of her latest novel, The French Cookery School. Over to you, Caroline …

In what feels like another life, I was a media agent running a business representing celebrity chefs. It was a fascinating job; all days were different, and I worked closely with various talented chefs who wanted to enhance their careers within the media. My job was to help them develop and find work that would project them via TV, magazines, events, festivals, etc. It took me to some fascinating places. One day, I might work with a five-star hotel that wanted a chef to gain Michelin stars for their restaurant. Next, I would fly to Florida, where I had placed a client at the Orlando Food Festival. It was hard work and challenging at times, but as you can imagine – I loved my job.

My new novel is called The French Cookery School.

The story was inspired by a week I spent in France many years ago on a press trip to a gorgeous old farmhouse on the edge of the Charente. The host, Chef Valentina Harris, invited me to attend alongside notable journalists and experience the cookery course that Valentina and her helpers were running. It was a magical time, and I fell in love with the house named Le Touvent, which had been the former boyhood home of the late President Mitterrand.

The journalists would experience the cookery course and then write about it in their publications, filling the places with bookings for the summer. In the mornings, we would work in the kitchen and learn various techniques, such as how to prepare an octopus or make fresh pasta. We were taken to local attractions – perhaps a porcelain factory or a picnic by the river in the afternoons. In the evening, we would dine around a large table in a courtyard under a canopy of trailing plants, pretty lanterns and a starry sky. Friendships were formed, and confidences exchanged as we all came together in this magical place.

I knew that one day, I would set a novel in a fictional setting using Le Touvant as my guide, so on a return visit to France, I visited the Vienne district. My research proved fruitful, as I found many interesting places to take my characters to, and The French Cookery School was born.

As a writer, there is nothing quite like immersing yourself in the location that will become home for your characters, and I thank Valentina Harris for inspiring this story.

Carol, I hope you enjoy The French Cookery School and wish you and your visitors many happy reading hours. Warmest wishes, Caroline xx

Thank you for the wonderful post, Caroline. I have read and immensely enjoyed The French Cookery School, and I am happy to share my review …

In this fast-paced, fun-packed novel, I loved being transported to La Maison du Paradis, where the cast of mature characters came together to create tantalising culinary delights that were as sumptuous as the beautiful French setting.

The new and recurring characters were likeable and created a good mix. I enjoyed watching them develop through the novel as their reasons for attending the cookery school were revealed, and they faced their personal difficulties.

With a perfect blend of humour, heart, and realism, The French Cookery School was my favourite Caroline James novel to date (and I have greatly enjoyed many of her previous novels). Proving that it’s never too late to find joy, fulfilment, and a sense of purpose, the story left me with a big smile and a sense of warmth.

About the book:

The recipe for a perfect summer…

Step 1: Mix together a group of mature students
Step 2: Add in a handsome host
Step 3: Season with a celebrity chef
Step 4: Bring to the boil at a luxurious cookery school in France!

Waltho Williams has no idea what he’s letting himself in for when he opens the doors to his beautiful French home, La Maison du Paradis. But with dwindling funds, a cookery school seems like the perfect business plan…

Divorcée caterer Caroline needs to be able stand on her own two feet. While warm-hearted Fran hopes to help her beloved husband fulfil his lifelong dream. And for food journalist Sally, it’s a PR opportunity – until a certain celebrity chef gets under her skin…

But will the eclectic group be a recipe for success, or will the mismatched relationships sink like a souffle?

Whip out an apron, grab a wooden spoon and take a culinary trip to La Maison du Paradis…

Discover more about books by Caroline James: The French Cookery School | The Cruise | The Spa Break | Hattie Goes to Hollywood | Boomerville at Ballymegille | The Best Boomerville Hotel | Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me | Coffee Tea the Chef & Me | Coffee Tea the Caribbean & Me | Jungle Rock

About the author:

Caroline James always wanted to write, but instead of taking a literary route, followed a career in the hospitality industry, which included owning a pub and a beautiful country house hotel. She was also a media agent representing celebrity chefs. When she finally glued her rear to a chair and began to write, the words flowed, and several novels later, she has gained many bestseller badges for her books.

Her Amazon Top Five Bestseller, The Cruise, is described as: ‘Girl power for the over sixties!’ Caroline’s hilarious novels include The Spa Break and The Best Boomerville Hotel, depicted as ‘Britain’s answer to the Best Marigold Hotel’.

The French Cookery School is set in the magical environment of La Maison du Paradis, where an eclectic group of guests get more than they bargained for when they come together for an unforgettable week.

Caroline likes to write in Venus, her holiday home on wheels and in her spare time, walks with Fred, her Westie, or swims in a local lake. Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, the SoA, ARRA and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists. She is also a speaker with many amusing talks heard by a variety of audiences, including cruise ship guests.

Follow Caroline and keep up to date with her new releases here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter sign up | BookBub Profile

Paws and Prose with Eva Glyn.

Guest Post, Paws and Prose, , , , , , , , , , ,

Today, I am very happy to welcome Eva Glyn to my blog. Eva and I have known each other for almost a decade. She is a dear writing friend and author of many wonderful books, the latest of which, The Dubrovnik Book Club, is a moving story with a feline character who will steal your heart as much as the lead characters.

Please welcome Eva as she shares more about how that cat found its way into The Dubrovnik Book Club …

The first time I saw the draft cover for The Dubrovnik Book Club, the chair next to the table was empty. The next time there was a really cute little ginger and white cat on it.

“I hope you don’t mind,” my editor (a dyed-in-the-wool dog lover) told me, “but I asked the art department to pop one in.”

Not any cat, though; I recognised it straight away from one of the many pictures of Dubrovnik’s cats I’d shared on Instagram. This one was particularly gorgeous, photographed at ground level outside Sveti Vlaho church and taking more than a passing interest in the camera.

Dubrovnik’s cats are famous. The old town is full of them, many of no fixed abode, but others no doubt simply availing themselves of an extra meal from the various feeding stations which dot the narrow streets. Tourists who know about the cats arrive with bags of treats in their luggage, and I have no doubt at all that Dubrovnik is one of the best places in the world to be a cat about town.

There was a small problem with the cat on the cover of The Dubrovnik Book Club though – there was no cat in the story. Now, authors are (in)famous for taking their covers too literally, but I wouldn’t want to disappoint a reader who hoped to meet one, and I suppose I always knew that one of my main characters, Claire, was definitely a fan.

      The Orthodox church was set back a little from the street, allowing the pale sunlight to bathe its creamy frontage. Behind the elaborate railings that protected its terrace were half a dozen or so of the old town’s stray cats. A huge ginger beast wrapped around the terracotta support of a potted palm, watched from a safe distance by an equally impressive white one with black and tan splodges. Several more stretched out on the paving, making the most of what little warmth there was in the rays of the sun.

      Claire adored cats. They’d always had one at home when she was growing up; ever since a stray tortoiseshell had turned up at the back door, just as they were settling into their house in Chiswick. A movement behind the palm caught her eye, and two kittens emerged, eyes wide and tiny tails upright, before starting to tumble together, a mass of ginger and white fur.

      Their innocent play was infectiously joyful and Claire could not help but laugh. She had to recapture that joy in life for herself and the only way to do it was by losing her fear.

So, of course, when one of the strays, a ‘wobbly kitten’ incapable of looking after herself properly, turns up in the courtyard behind the bookshop Claire and Luna take her in and christen her Mis, which is Croatian for mouse, because she squeaks rather than mews. Little do any of them realise that their kindness could actually put Mis’s future well-being in jeopardy…

Aw, thank you for sharing how Mis came to find her way into The Dubrovnik Book Club. I loved meeting her in the story, too. xx

About the book:

In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins…

Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.

But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine…

Buy links for all formats and retailers can be found here.

My review: 

I enjoy Eva Glyn’s writing, and the setting of The Dubrovnik Book Club comes to life brilliantly through her detailed depiction of the ancient city in which it is located. I greatly enjoyed seeing the city through the eyes of Karmela (perhaps my favourite character), a history professor with a passion for her subject and tenacity to uncover those hidden from history.

When I read a book by this author, I expect some characters to bring with them a dose of realism. The cast of The Dubrovnik Book Club are all such characters. They each carry their own battle scars – some from the literal battles they have fought defending their country and others born from their life experiences.

The main characters, the supporting cast, and even the stray cat they befriend have a personal struggle that forms part of their story. It draws them together and ultimately makes them the ideal support for each other. As they work together to save the book shop (and related book club), mysteries are solved, friendships are formed, and personal growth and freedoms are found. To that extent, despite the scars of war, fear of Covid, homophobia, abuse and Cancer (all of which are sensitively raised within the pages of the novel), there is a good balance of warmth, hope, love and friendship.

It is an enjoyable and engaging read that will undoubtedly leave you wanting to visit Dubrovnik.

About the Author:

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Her love affair with Croatia began in 2019, and since then the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground for her books, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. Her second novel set in the country, An Island of Secrets is a dual timeline looking back to World War 2, and although her third is a contemporary romance featuring mature main characters, The Collaborator’s Daughter, has its roots in that conflict too.

Inspired by authors she loves such as Libby Page and Faith Hogan, Eva has wanted to write books about unlikely friendships for a long time. March 2024 saw her dream realised, when The Dubrovnik Book Club was published.

Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and is lucky enough to be married to the love of her life, who she’s been with for almost thirty years. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Discover more about Eva Glyn: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter sign up | Book Bub

Location, Location, Location with Eva Glyn.

Guest Post, Location!, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , ,
Having read and reviewed The Collaborator’s Daughter recently, I am delighted to welcome author, and writing friend, Eva Glyn to my blog as she talks about Dubrovnik, the stunning location of her book. Over to you, Eva …

One of the early reviews for The Collaborator’s Daughter said it was a homage to Dubrovnik and its people, and I thought, ‘job done’. Well, obviously not the book’s only job, but a pretty important one to me.

Writing as Eva Glyn, I am contracted to write books set in Croatia, so location is vitally important. It’s becoming what readers expect when they pick up my book, a virtual trip to that part of the Mediterranean, with its beautiful scenery, fascinating history and warm and welcoming people.

Although I flirted with Dubrovnik in The Olive Grove, The Collaborator’s Daughter is my first book set in the city’s old town, although it will not be the last. For me, there is no finer place to be, with its terracotta roofscape enclosed within medieval walls that rise up and down with the rhythm of the rocks they stand on. Outside, the sea glistens pure azure, and inside, it is so compact it feels like a village.

Of course, in high season particularly, it’s jam-packed with tourists. Not only groups from cruise ships and Game of Thrones fans (it was one of the iconic filming locations) but day-trippers from local resorts and seaside hotels and people staying in the old town itself.

The best advice is to go early or late in the season or early in the day. When I was researching The Collaborator’s Daughter last year, we had to visit in July, but even so, walking the city walls (one of the must-do attractions) at eight in the morning, it was relatively quiet. And I needed to go there because it’s where my main character Fran heads to do some of her thinking as she tries to work out what best to do with her life.

Cat on the city wall.

Another iconic place Fran visits – or rather, is taken by local widower Jadran, is Gradska Kavana for coffee. The terrace is in the centre of some of the major tourist attractions; the Sponza Palace, the Rector’s Palace, Sveti Vlaho (Saint Blaise) church, the bell tower and the famous statue of Orlando. It’s a marvellous place to people-watch and drink a delicious cappuccino. A little pricey for Dubrovnik maybe, but cheaper than most of the UK coffee chains and so much better.

Gradska Kavana terrace.

The Sponza Palace is another location that’s key to The Collaborator’s Daughter. In the 1944 storyline, it is where Fran’s father, Branko, works for the city’s fascist mayor, to use his words in the book, the place the web of evil spins out from. For all that, it is an incredibly beautiful building with a much longer happy history, and inside hides the Memorial Room to the Dubrovnik Defenders, a heart-breaking homage to the men who lost their lives in the Homeland War of the 1990s.

Sponza Palace.

But here I am, beginning to sound like a tourist guide again. I just can’t help it. With somewhere so warm, friendly, and beautiful, I am compelled to keep going back. And to keep writing about it.

Thank you so much for the lovely post and sharing your wonderful pictures, Eva. I greatly enjoyed The Collaborator’s Daughter and wish you every success with it. xx

About the book:

In 1944 in war-torn Dubrovnik, Branko Milisic holds his newborn daughter Safranka and wishes her a better future. But while the Nazis are finally retreating, the arrival of the partisans brings new dangers for Branko, his wife Dragica and their baby…

As an older sister to two half-siblings, Fran has always known she has to fit in. But now, at sixty-five years old and finally free of caring responsibilities, for the first time in her life, Fran is facing questions about who she is and where she comes from.

All Fran knows about her real father is that he was a hero and her mother had to flee Dubrovnik after the war. But when she travels to the city of her birth to uncover the truth, she is devastated to discover her father was executed by the partisans in 1944, accused of being a collaborator. But the past isn’t always what it seems… And neither is the future.

Purchase and discover more here. | See my review here.

About the author:

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Her last holiday before lockdown was a trip to Croatia, and the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove, and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. Her second and third novels set in the country are dual timelines looking back to World War 2, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter. Eva Glyn is published by One More Chapter, a division of Harper Collins.

Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and has been lucky enough to have been married to the love of her life for more than twenty-five years. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Discover more about Eva Glyn: Website | Facbook | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter sign up

And, while blogging, I have exciting news to share. All of my romance novels are now available on Kindle Unlimited; enjoy!

Location, Location, Location with Caroline James.

Guest Post, Location!, , , , , , , ,
I’m pleased to welcome Caroline James to my blog, not least because her post is going to whisk us away for some Easter sun as she tells us all about her forthcoming novel, The Cruise, and the inspiration behind its exotic setting. Over to you, Caroline …

A Caribbean sunset.

‘Can you write a romcom, set in an exotic location, about three friends in their sixties, heading off on a luxury cruise?’

That was a question from my publisher when discussing the brief for my new novel, The Cruise. Yes, I most certainly could! It was a pinch myself moment when I heard the title and the subject matter. Here was an opportunity to set the novel in a place I knew well and to virtually revisit the Caribbean.

My characters are three friends in their sixties. Kath is widowed, Jane unmarried, and Anne is almost-divorced. They join the Diamond Star, a luxury ship for those of a certain age, to set sail on a Christmas cruise, little knowing how their troubled lives are about to change.

Jane, Kath and Anne.

The story gathered pace as I wrote, and the ladies journeyed through the islands. I relived a time when I, too, discovered the Caribbean, when, in my early twenties, I was married to a Bajan man. We’d met when we were both working in London.

I was a naïve young girl when I first experienced life in Barbados and the islands. Still, memories don’t fade, and my recollection of those days served me well when writing The Cruise. Characters that I saved in my story bank began to come to life. Here was an opportunity to enrich the narrative, for I was familiar with the setting. I could taste the smoky rum and feel the tropical sun on my skin. I remembered the beautiful tranquil Caribbean Sea lapping soft white sands, contrasting with the wilder Atlantic rolling over miles of empty beach, where the two seas meet at northern points on some islands.

The Caribbean Sea in Barbados.

It was a joy to take my characters to markets in Martinique or an aerial tour of Antigua. I joined them on the balcony of their cabin to witness a stunning sunrise and magical sunset where the flame-like sky was hypnotic.

The fish market women who feature in The Cruise.

My marriage didn’t last, but I had reason to revisit the Caribbean a couple of decades later when my son owned a business there. For several years I indulged in a way of life so different from my life in northern England, and Barbados became a second home.

In The Cruise, Kath, Jane and Anne take an island tour around Barbados, and I couldn’t stop smiling as I wrote the chapter. Suddenly, incidents that had amused me on the island helped shape their tour. From the taxi driver smoking whacky baccy in his weed wagon, eating chicken feet in a rum shop, then swimming unknowingly in shark-infested waters, my ladies experience it all!

Whatever location your travels take you to, take care, safe journeys and happy reading.

With love,
Caroline. x

Thank you so much for sharing your inspiration, Caroline. It was great to hear more about the location of your novel, which is my current read, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. As you would say, I am sure it is going to fly! xx

THE CRUISE

 
Three friends set sail on a luxury cruise…

Will they be able to catch a husband on the open seas?

When widowed Kath, unmarried Jane and almost-divorced Anne decide to set off on a Caribbean cruise, they have no idea how their lives are about to change! The friends leave behind heartache and disappointment and, determined to find Anne a new husband, swap Christmas turkeys and BBC reruns for crystal waters, white sandy beaches and smooth golden rum. Throwing caution (and tradition) to the wind, they begin to husband hunt on the luxurious cruise ship. But will Anne get her wish, and will the friends find the comfort and joy they seek aboard the Diamond Star? With a cast of colourful characters from naturist Bridgette, con-artist gigolo Dicky and Londoner Selwyn, who is letting his old life go as he too embraces the new – all is revealed in this sparkling new novel by Caroline James.

The Cruise – Publishing as an eBook on 20th April 2023 / Paperback July 6th 2023

Publisher: One More Chapter for Harper Collins UK

Links:  Amazon | Apple Books | Kobo

 About the author: 

Best-selling author of women’s fiction, Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that often features in her novels. She is based in Lancashire but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, which includes talks and lectures on cruise ships, Caroline is a member of the RNA, the SWWJ and the SOA. In her spare time, Caroline likes to swim in a local lake or walk with Fred, her Westie.

Books by Caroline James: The Spa Break | Hattie Goes to Hollywood | Boomerville at Ballymegille | The Best Boomerville Hotel | Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me | Coffee Tea the Chef & Me | Coffee Tea the Caribbean & Me | Jungle Rock

Discover more about her novels or contact Caroline here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Amazon Author Page | Newsletter sign up | BookBub Profile

Review of Eva Glyn’s The Collaborator’s Daughter.

Book Review, Review, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , ,

My writing buddy, Eva Glyn, who also writes as Jane Cable, has a wonderful new book coming soon. The Collaborator’s Daughter is a dual-timeline novel set in Dubrovnik. Eva will be stopping by my blog on May 5th to talk about the setting of the novel, but as I have recently finished reading an advance copy of this book, I couldn’t wait to share my review.

The blurb:

In 1944 in war-torn Dubrovnik, Branko Milisic holds his newborn daughter Safranka and wishes her a better future. But while the Nazis are finally retreating, the arrival of the partisans brings new dangers for Branko, his wife Dragica and their new baby…

As older sister to two half-siblings, Fran has always known she has to fit in. But now, for the first time in her life, Fran is facing questions about who she is and where she comes from.

All Fran knows about her real father is that he was a hero, and her mother had to flee Dubrovnik after the war. But when she travels to the city of her birth to uncover the truth, she is devastated to discover her father was executed by the partisans in 1944, accused of being a collaborator. But the past isn’t always what it seems…

Published by One More Chapter.

My review:

There is much to like about this well-researched, dual-timeline novel. Set largely in Dubrovnik in 1944 and 2010, the story follows sexagenarian Safranka, who seeks to discover the truth about her father’s life and the circumstances of his death. Fran is a likeable character, she is quick to jump to conclusions at times,  but I enjoyed her journey of discovery (in more ways than one). The people she encounters in Dubrovnik are mostly welcoming; I particularly liked Jadran, who plays a significant role in her search.

The author’s depiction of the setting transported me to Dubrovnik in both time and place. I was drawn into the story, reading it over a weekend as I willed Fran to find and recognise the truth she was searching for. Based on real events, the impact of war is shown through the far-reaching consequences for all of those touched by it; because of this, it is an emotional read.

Preorder The Collaborator’s Daughter here.

(US cover)

You’ll notice I have shared both the UK and US covers. As I read, my kindle showed the US cover, it is my favourite as a result. Which do you prefer? Either way, you can enjoy the same great story within the cover.

About the author:

Eva Glyn writes emotional women’s fiction inspired by beautiful places and the secrets they hide. She loves to travel but finds inspiration can strike just as well at home as abroad. Her books are published by One More Chapter, an imprint of Harper Collins.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with her husband of twenty-six years. She also writes romance with a twist of mystery as Jane Cable.

Discover more about Eva Glyn: Facbook | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter sign up 

In other news, my romantic comedy, The Purrfect Pet Sitter is 99p for a limited time only.  

Find out what happens with Lisa Blake rediscovers the one she let get away!