Posted Saturday, 17 October, 2015 by jorielov A Kiss from France, Silverwood Books, Susan Hughes 7 Comments
I dearly love reading war dramas – there is something about being centered inside a period drama that takes place during a war where you get to see the sociological effects of both the strain of war and the pulling together of humanity. People knitted themselves closer together in communities and cities, helping not only the war effort itself but drawing a closer tuck around the will to overcome the adversities which were not even known at that point in time. This can be readily seen in war dramas that take place immediately after one of the World Wars or those in-between years where peace was commonplace and tensions were less distraught with uncertainty.
I appreciate the chance to dip back inside History to understand those generations and better get a glimpse of my own family’s heritage for the eras in which my relatives lived inside but were unable to share living histories or stories with me lateron. There is a connecting thread of interest for everyone or we wouldn’t have so many lovely war dramas to read – I think this niche of historical fiction seeks not only to educate us on the past, but to help us draw a line of empathy towards knowing how strong we all can be when circumstances dictate impossible situations.
Whenever I find a stirring dramatic war drama, odds are in favour I will want to devour it’s chapters whilst connecting with it’s lead characters. I felt a strong connection with A Kiss from France as I appreciated where the story was set (with the women who worked in munitions making) and I applauded the focus on the postal mail angle, too! I grew up realising that sending mail to deployed servicemen and women was a kindness that gave a bit of reprieve and a jolt of hope to those who received our letters and cards. Unable to find the words to send as a young girl, I sent mail to servicemen and women in 2011 and 2012; hoping in some small way I could uplift their day with a bit of cheer.
The correspondences in this novel talk about how given limited time and resources, these silk postcards were a handmade approach to send a bit of cheer back to someone who was not expecting a reply from someone who was deployed. I can agree with the sentiment of wanting to make that connection because I think that is why mail is still very important today for those who are deployed. Being able to send anything back in response is a bit of a luxury, and to imagine how much joy those men had sending these home is unmeasurable.
In regards to the story, I had a cursory insight into this setting due to an episode of Foyle’s War where there was an explosion at a munitions factory and a murder mystery for Detective Foyle and Sam to solve. You were able to see a take-on what the munitionettes lives were like as the episode gave way to seeing Sam work undercover. I appreciate watching the serial for it’s cutting research and it’s insightful new approach to showing us the war era between both World Wars by giving us an inside breech into everyday people’s lives. Similar to reading war dramas, Foyle’s War is approachable due to how it’s centered on humanity and focused on the will of the heart to both survive and to live as well as one can during times of difficulty.
In lieu of a being able to read this for review, I wanted to offer the author a guest feature as a tipping stone towards being able to find a print copy of it on my own. All the guest features I host in lieu of reviews are a small bit of hope for me in return, as one day I’d love to find a way to gather the print editions to happily engage with lateron. I hope you enjoy where the conversation took us and that if your a regular reader of historical fiction with a specific focus on war dramas, this one might touch your heart to pick up.
London, 1917. Lizzie Fenwick is young, ambitious, and in love. At least, she thinks she’s in love with the soldier who answered the note she concealed in a box of ammunition shells. She spends her days filling shells with TNT, and her nights dreaming of the mysterious Harry Slater.
Eunice Wilson knows the exact moment her marriage to Jack began to fracture. He refused to enlist, and their patriotic neighbours never let her live it down. Now he’s been conscripted and she can’t help but feel regret for shunning Jack before his departure.
As separate tragedies cause Lizzie to make hard choices and Eunice to cope with loss, the two women are unsure how to adjust when peace finally returns. Little do they know that an earlier war-time betrayal will force Lizzie and Eunice to confront everything they knew about friendship, loyalty, and love.
A Kiss From France is a historical fiction romance novel set in London’s East End during World War I. If you like compelling human stories, believable female protagonists, and the suspense and intrigue of war-time London, then you’ll love this heartfelt tale of two women who yearn to feel alive in a broken world.
I didn’t realise they made silk postcards – do you know who created the one you found amongst your grandmother’s belongings? Was it one she made herself or one you feel she might have received? Do you know what led to the art form of sending handmade postcards such as the one which inspired your novel?
Hughes responds: The postcard I found among my grandmother’s possessions was most likely made in France and sent to England. I have a handful of them; some might have been sent to her and others to her mother (unfortunately they have previously been stuck onto some sort of backing, for display purposes I believe, and any personal information has been obscured). These WW1 silk postcards became very popular among the Allied troops. Sending a card was much easier than a letter because they often had pre-printed, quite sentimental, messages on them and only required a signature. It became quite an industry among French housewives who, capitalising on the postcards’ popularity during the war, began to embroider Allied flags and patriotic messages onto them. Later they were manufactured in factories to cope with the demand. Read More
Posted Saturday, 17 October, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 20th Century, Blog Tour Host, Brook Cottage Book Tours, Debut Author, Debut Novel, During WWI, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The World Wars, War Drama
Posted Thursday, 15 October, 2015 by jorielov A Woman of Note, Carol M. Cram, Lake Union Publishing 0 Comments
Acquired Book By: I am becoming a regular tour hostess and reviewer for BookSparks, as I began to host for them in the Spring ahead of #SRC2015. I am posting my Summer Challenge reviews during October and November due to the aftereffects of severe lightning storms during July and August. As I make amends for the challenge reads I was unable to post until Autumn; I am also catching up with my YA challenge reads and the blog tours I missed as well. This blog tour marks one of the books I felt curious to read independent of the previous selections. I look forward to continuing to work with BookSparks once I am fully current with the stories I am reading for review.
I received a complimentary copy of “A Woman of Note” direct from the publicist at BookSparks in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why this title stood out to me to read:
I personally grew up listening to classical music – either by vinyl records my family had collected or live in person at symphonies and musical concerts. I was instantly drawn to the verbosity of the classical composers and the emotionally keen insight their chords of choice drew out of their compositions. There is an eloquence and a hidden language to classical music – it’s so very evoking of thought and feeling it’s hard to listen to a piece and not become moved by the experience.
I’ve had my eye on Indie Writers for awhile now, and being a book blogger I try to seek out hosting an independently published author whenever a chance presents itself. I must admit, I was a bit surprised Lake Union Publishing is attached to a particular online giant, but it’s the stories the authors are telling which has given me the chance to celebrate their novels. For this reason, I am thankful I found Catherine Ryan Hyde’s The Language of Hoofbeats about a blended family of at-risk foster children who find a safe haven after placement and adoption. (review) And, quite surprised to find the heart-warming historical tale of The Shepherdess of Siena by Linda Lafferty where I was caught up inside a beautiful horse drama. (review) Sometimes the best stories are the ones which unexpected alight in your hands to read!
And, yet this isn’t my first musical fiction story I’ve ruminated about as I have started to find a secret niche of stories emerging of late where music is centered into the heart of the novel. Imagine my joy in being able to travel through the different centuries and imaginations of the writers who are bringing music into a literary showcase?
You can happily view my other thoughts on behalf of the following stories, where I reveal a few more tidbits about my own appreciation and passion for the musical arts:
Note on the Cover Art: I felt the portrait of Isabette on the cover was quite a clever one to be showcased because it showed her passion for her artistry. It has a very touching simplicity to it and reflects well the century in which the story is taking place. I liked the little details of the rose on her dress to the crimson colour of her outfit to the bracelets she’s wearing. It gives a small impression of the character’s personality whilst clearing stating how keenly important music was to her as it was her soul’s passion.
A Woman of Note
by Carol M. Cram
Virtuoso pianist Isabette Grüber captivates audiences in the salons and concert halls of early nineteenth-century Vienna. Yet in a profession dominated by men, Isabette longs to compose and play her own music—a secret she keeps from both her lascivious manager and her resentful mother. She meets and loves Amelia Mason, a dazzling American singer with her own secrets, and Josef Hauser, an ambitious young composer. But even they cannot fully comprehend the depths of Isabette’s talent.
Her ambitions come with a price when Isabette embarks on a journey that delicately walks the line between duty and passion. Amid heartbreak and sacrifice, music remains her one constant. With cameos from classical music figures such as Chopin, Schubert, and Berlioz, A Woman of Note is an intricately crafted and fascinating tale about one woman’s struggle to find her soul’s song in a dissonant world.
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9781503946835
Also by this author: Author Q&A with Carol M. Cram
on 8th September 2015
Pages: 358
Published By: Lake Union Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback, Audiobook, and Ebook
About Carol M. Cram
Before her debut as a critically acclaimed author of historical fiction, Carol M. Cram wrote dozens of bestselling college textbooks for courses in computer applications and communications. She served on the faculty at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada, for more than two decades and facilitated workshops for corporate and government clients in her role as vice president of Clear Communication Consultants. Carol holds a master’s degree in drama from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in business administration from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. She lives on Bowen Island near Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband, painter Gregg Simpson.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Read More
Posted Thursday, 15 October, 2015 by jorielov in 19th Century, Austria, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, BookSparks, Coming-Of Age, Composer, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Mental Health, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Musical Fiction | Non-Fiction, Psychiatric Facilities, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Fiction
Posted Wednesday, 14 October, 2015 by jorielov A Curious Beginning, A Thousand Words for Stranger, A Woman of Note, Avelynn, Darkness with a Chance of Whimsy, Decorum, Eight Hundred Grapes, Fool's Gold, Ghostlight, Girl Waits With Gun, Ignoring Gravity, Inspector Dewey, Mrs. Sinclair’s Suitcase, Recipes and Road Stories, Summer by Summer, Summer Campaign, The Dust that Falls from Dreams, The Particular Appeal of Gillian Pugsley, The Tulip Resistance, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, The White Magic Five and Dime, Those Who Remain: Remembrance and Reunion after War, Yellow-billed Magpie 1 Comment
I loved the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity that it gives the reader! :) Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read which would provide a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! :) Love the concept! Therefore, this weekly meme was originally hosted by Should Be Reading who became A Daily Rhythm. Lovingly restored and continued by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. Each week you participate, your keen to answer the following questions:
-
What are you currently reading!?
-
What did you recently finish reading!?
-
What do you think you’ll read next!?
After which, your meant to click over to THIS WEEK’s WWWWednesday to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! :) Perhaps even, find other bloggers who dig the same books as you do! I thought it would serve as a great self-check to know where I am and the progress I am hoping to have over the next week!
Join the Convo via: #WWWWednesday
What are you currently reading!? (Wednesday to Wednesday)
- A Woman of Note by Carol M. Cram (blog tour Thursday!) (Synopsis)
- Decorum by Kaaren Christopherson* (Synopsis)
- Those Who Remain by Ruth W. Crocker (Synopsis)
- The Tulip Resistance by Lynne Leatham Allen* (Synopsis)
- Summer Campaign by Carla Kelly* (Synopsis)
- Fool’s Gold by Zana Bell (Synopsis)
- A Thousand Words for Stranger by Julie E. Czerneda (Synopsis)
- The Particular Appeal of Gillian Pugsley by Susan Örnbratt (Synopsis)
- Yellow-billed Magpie by Nancy Schoellkopf (Synopsis)
- #SRC2015: Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave (Synopsis)
- #ReadingIsBeautiful: Summer by Summer by Heather Burch (Synopsis)
- Ignoring Gravity by Sandra Danby (Synopsis)
*Titles were blog tours I missed hosting over the Summer.
A beautiful mixed bag of readerly delights await me, as I tackle the stories I had meant to read and review over the Summer (June – September) whilst dipping into my first reads for Autumn! As you might have noticed I have an appreciation for stories during the war eras and for war dramas in particular, but I took a chance on a non-fiction piece that is set around redemption and solace when I elected to read Ruth W. Crocker’s book. The Tulip Resistance will be taking me behind the lines of war from a Dutch perspective whereas I generally enter through the World Wars through the British or French lines of perception. Read More
Posted Wednesday, 14 October, 2015 by jorielov in 18th Century, 19th Century, Anthology Collection of Stories, Back to the Classics, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Discussions, Books for Review Arrived by Post, Chunkster Reading Challenge, Classical Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Foodie Fiction, France Book Tours, Get Steampunk'd, Go Indie, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Library Find, Love for Books Readathon, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Reading Challenge Addict, Reading Challenges, Rewind Challenge, Science Fiction, Seriously Series Reading Challenge, SFN Bingo, TBR Pile Challenge, tCC The Classics Club, The Dystopia Challenge, Tomorrow Comes Media, Wicked Valentine's Readathon, William Shakespeare Challenge, Wuthering Heights, WWW Wednesdays, Xchyler Publishing
Posted Wednesday, 14 October, 2015 by jorielov Ice Whispers, K. Willow, Self Published, The Hidden Hills Saga 0 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I was selected to be a tour stop on the “The Hidden Hills Saga” virtual book tour through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of “Ice Whispers” the first book in the series direct from the author K. Willow, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
I love reading Southern Lit:
I have been reading Southern Lit for several decades now, as I appreciate reading stories set in the South for both historical and contemporary stories. Southern Gothic runs close to my wanderings in Southern Lit as the two tend to walk together inasmuch as they are completely separate from each other. What I appreciate the most about Southern Lit are the courageous stories of the men and women who overcame their adversities and their difficulties in ways that truly champion the spirit of humanity.
You’ll find a variety of stories set in the South being featured on my blog, as I gravitate towards this section of literature quite often. Tara Conklin’s The House Girl left a strong impression on me for her convicting narrative and her ability to knit the heart of her characters so true to their spirit as to allow us to become emphatically tied to their plight. (review) Christina Baker Kline writes the psychological and emotional tides of her characters quite well as read in Sweet Water. (review) For socioeconomic disparity and gutting realistic narrative set against actual events, the duo of Tom Franklin & Beth Ann Fennelly left me pensively reposed after reading The Tilted World. (review) My heart nearly broke whilst reading Balm due to the soulful prose writ by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (review); only to become properly shattered whilst caught into the emotional eclipse Katy Simpson Smith gave me in The Story of Land and Sea. (review)
The entreat I took inside To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis was a feast for my senses as Andra Watkins has styled her own Southern Lit flavour to bend genres to her will. (review) When it comes to slavery and the Underground Railroad, (outside of Conklin’s prose) I felt Coopey endeared the heart of those who felt the harsh punishments were deeply against humanity within the pages of Redfield Farm. (review)
Imagine my delight in finding a Self Pub author who is creating a series set in the antebellum South who is creating her own niche for this type of story; putting a darker spin on the traditional tales set here and keeping in step with the backdrop we already appreciate.
Ice Whispers
by K. Willow
Slavery of a different kind, beyond physical chains, leads to a different type of escape . . .
Marissa Kristofferson can taste freedom. Her long years of suffering at the hands of her sadistic husband, Lance, are coming to an end as he lies dying. But she is stunned when he reveals the contents of his will and what she must do to keep Kristofferson Plantation, and how he plans to keep her bound to him even beyond the grave.
The beautiful slave Lolley has always envied Marissa’s life, and after learning that the master has also ordered her freed after his death, she is determined to reach for the life she wants by becoming the mistress of Marissa’s son, Shane, though she does not realize the lengths Marissa will go to to prevent the match, or the far-reaching consequences that will follow.
And Shelby, the plain and dutiful slave of free blacks, is unwittingly caught in the shocking drama that unfolds as a family is torn apart. Used as a pawn in a game of rivalry, deception, and betrayal, hers is a fight for survival while attempting to remain true to herself.
Three women—so very different but each carrying dark secrets that are closely intertwined, caught in a world between slave and free, a world which is becoming more fragile and precarious as war threatens and alliances shift, and each harboring seemingly impossible dreams of a better future.
In this first book of a dark historical saga, K. Willow paints a lush, emotional portrait of scandal, murder, injustice, and the ties that bind in the antebellum South.
Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9781502953797
Series: The Hidden Hills Saga, No.1
Also in this series: Intangible, Beneath Creek Waters
on 21st November 2014
Pages: 276
Self Published Author via CreateSpace & BookBaby
Available Formats: Paperback & Ebook
About K. Willow
K. Willow is a novelist and award-winning writer with a background in television, film, theatre, and soap operas. She writes dark historical and urban fantasy and lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest
Hidden Hills is the setting; the plantation is where the drama revolves:
Willow has started a series set at a plantation within the proximity of Hidden Hills, of which by observation is within range of Charleston. It is here where she sets her characters and her saga to have the foundation laid for the ensuing novels that will follow Ice Whispers. Hidden Hills is aptly named as there are a heap of hidden secrets whispering around the willows and shade trees as their are stars in the heavens! It’s quite an interesting set-up where nary a character is immune to one of the bubbling controversies that are bubbling to the surface, save Aggie. (or at least thus far)
In this place, perception is paramount above all else (as in most Southern Lit stories, the classes are sharply writ and reflected against each other; the same as they are in Victorian or Regency stories) and if someone takes an unfortunate step out of where they are slated to belong, the upturning effect could be quite devastating. There are darker shades of reflection on how women are treated (both slave and free) and how certain men treat their wives without compassion for their well-being. Read More
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Wednesday, 14 October, 2015 by jorielov in 19th Century, African-American History, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Equality In Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Psychological Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Self-Published Author, Small Towne USA, The Deep South, Vulgarity in Literature
Posted Tuesday, 13 October, 2015 by jorielov Ann Farnsworth, Cedar Fort Inc, Sweetwater Books, The Throne of David 0 Comments
There was a moment whilst I was reading ‘The Throne of David’ where I settled inside this beautiful passage of a man finding himself between living and dying – he was cast between the worlds and equally so, caught between letting himself go and fighting to come back to the surface of where he fell below the ocean’s currents. It was a passage that was written with such a clarity of knowing what would happen inside those moments of where the soul takes over the conscience thinking of the man and a will to survive is not the only motivation behind what is happening.
Farnsworth delve into a deeper part of what happens when we are taken out of our ‘life’ and placed in this in-between place between where we are, where we could be going, and where we might honestly end up. It’s a fusion of spirituality and an awareness of what can be felt and seen between the veils of where time and life intersect. I was caught so tightly into her vision of what David Lord was experiencing that I wanted to know more about how this section was written, hence this guest post!
What I hadn’t expected is that the inspiration behind this passage was heart-centered on a personal tragedy and was written after a period of healing on behalf of a Mum who had lost her child. I hadn’t realised I would broach a subject that was so dearly personal to Ms Farnsworth, but it’s how she responded to my enquiry that touched my own heart. Despite the circumstances of her son’s death, it’s how his passing has influenced and inspired his mother that truly stays with you as you read their story.
This new insight into ‘The Throne of David’ provides a beautiful back-story to David Lord’s out of body experience and re-grounds part of his character’s journey in the author’s search for understanding about what happens when this chapter of our lives ends. It’s a beautiful testimony about life and the heart of how each hour we are given with each other is a treasured gift not to be forsaken but cherished and celebrated. I found her response quite uplifting and a lovely open letter from a Mum to her child.
The book begins when a mysterious letter is delivered to the Prince of Wales 32 years after it was posted. Hinting of a secret royal marriage, the letter raises the specter of an unknown heir to the British throne and sets in motion a desperate race for the truth.
The search sets David Lord, an American accountant, against the unlimited resources of the Royal Protection Service (the SO14) who do whatever it takes to protect the King of England.
Critical to settling the issues spawned by the letter is locating the coronation stone, one of the holiest artifacts of the Hebrew nation and a companion to the Ark of the Covenant, of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ fame. The coronation stone legend originates in ancient Israel and travels, over time, to Ireland, Scotland and London. The revered stone is currently on display in Edinburgh castle.
Or is it?
Mounting evidence indicates that the genuine coronation stone disappeared before it ever reached Westminster Abbey. The sacred stone Mr. Lord uncovers could prove the downfall of the House of Windsor or validate their divine right to rule through the ancient Throne of David.
Proposed Topic:
There is a sequence within The Throne of David where David Lord takes an ethereal journey outside of his body where the journey of his soul is revealled for a brief expanse of the story. The way in which you portrayed this journey was quite beautiful – my question truly is how did you come up with the vacuum of space you’ve explored and painted such a clear picture of what he was thinking and feeling during this moment of being between life, death, and heaven?
You can write any length you’d like on this as it was truly such a curious part of the story — I loved it personally. I was wondering if you did research about near death experiences or it this sequence just came to you as your wrote it?
Before you read this Guest Post, kindly note the author invites you to read the passage from her novel which inspired me to pitch this topic of enquiry on her website.
You can find the excerpt here.
The story of my novel ‘The Throne of David’ is really a tale of a 50 year old mother who finally saved up enough life experience to write a book. There is a scene in the book that has captured my readers attention in a way I never anticipated. It is a sequence of scenes where David Lord is out of his body, some would say he was dead. But, for me, death is really nothing at all. Read More
Posted Tuesday, 13 October, 2015 by jorielov in 21st Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Britian, British Literature, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Crime Fiction, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Equality In Literature, Espionage, Good vs. Evil, Grief & Anguish of Guilt, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical Thriller Suspense, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Inspired by Stories, Modern Day, Political Narrative & Modern Topics, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Treasure Hunt