Novelicious.com | The Women's Fiction Blog for Readers and Writers

Review - Out of Sight Out of Mind by Evonne Wareham

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

Dr Madison Albi is on her way home from a work function when she finds a homeless man in an alley. Scared, the homeless man tries to attack Madison but he ends up unconscious on the floor. The man is injured and badly malnourished and Madison cannot leave him alone in the cold, dark alley, especially when she feels a connection to him. Madison is a scientist but she’s no ordinary scientist; she can read minds and the energy she feels while in the homeless man’s presence is more powerful than she’s ever experienced.

Upon waking, the homeless man reveals he has amnesia and can’t even remember his own name or how he ended up on the streets. Madison offers to help him recover his memory using her powers but neither of them is prepared for what lays hidden in his mind.

It took me a little while to get into the book, however my attention was grabbed as soon as Alec and Vic were introduced. The two men not only know all about the homeless man (who becomes known as Jay) and his memory loss but they know all about Madison and her powers too. Alec and Vic are made out to be the bad guys but there are so many twists and turns throughout the book that you don’t know who you can and can’t trust until the end.

Novelicious Chats To... Sarah Tranter

Sarah's debut novel is No Such Thing As Immortality, you can read our review here.

Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

I’ve recently started getting up really early to get a couple of hours writing in before the kids need breakfasting, school run etc. So the alarm goes off at 5am. Once I’ve done the morning school run, I tend to deal with emails, facebook, twitter etc and then have another few hours to write before it’s time for school pick-up. Once the kids are home, there’s no writing until they are in bed ― which is getting later and later these days. Quite often I find I’m too pooped to begin writing again, getting into that zone etc ― hence the new early morning routine. It’s all very different to when I wrote No Such Thing as Immortality. Then the kids were that much younger, in bed by 7pm so I’d begin writing then and often be at it through the night. I’m not a morning girl, but needs must.

When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

Celebrities ― not usually. Although saying that, one did keep popping into my head when I was working on Romancing the Soul (January 2014 release date). It was a very, very nice mental image, so I didn’t mind too much.

People I know? To date ― not consciously, but I would be amazed if they don’t appear subconsciously. I would hope, not in a recognisable form. I am always finding snippets of my life appearing in my writing, so it’s bound to happen with people I know or have known, too. Perhaps a character trait, or a mannerism. It’s inevitable.

What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?

I know this is so boring ― but it has to be Pride and Prejudice. I read it at school for A levels and didn’t ‘get’ it. It was only when I re-read it in my 30s that I suddenly saw the book in its full glory and found myself laughing out loud at it. I absolutely adore Jane Austen’s humour. And then there is, of course, Darcy. It is the most perfect book.

Novelicious Chats To...Evonne Wareham

Evonne Wareham's debut novel, Never Coming Home - here's our review - won the 2012 Joan Hessayon New Writers Award. Her second novel, Out of Sight Out of Mind, is published this month by Choc Lit. Evonne recently answered a few questions for our Novelicious readers.

Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

The shape of the day depends on where I am in the trajectory of the book - I do a lot of planning in my head, and research, before I start to write. If I'm actually writing, then my ideal is to be able to spend the whole day on it. When I was working full time in London I completed a book by writing for the whole day, every Sunday. It took a year :) In the real world, I write when I can - I get a lot done on trains.

When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

No - I don't base my characters on real people, whether I know them or not. They are strictly out of my imagination. I find they build up slowly, during the planning stage. It's fun finding out about them, discovering how they react to different situations. There is nothing to beat putting a character into a scenario and knowing exactly how he or she will behave. That is the point at which they become real. Unfortunately after that they are sometimes too real, and want to go off and do all sorts of stuff you never planned.

What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?

I'm cheating and choosing the work of the American romantic suspense writer Karen Rose. I think her books are so clever and well crafted (not to mention the hot heroes).

What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?

A lot of planning first. Theoretically there is only one draft - but by the time it is finished ... Well, a mess does not describe it. I write long hand so there is stuff on the back, and round the margins, and on inserted bits of paper, and if desperate, the back of bus tickets. Then comes the bit when I type it up, and can't read my writing ...

What was your journey to being a published author?

A very long one. I've been writing all my life but took me a while to discover my voice and decide what it was that I wanted to write. I think the years of experimenting were useful. It was a long learning curve.

What do you think is the biggest myth about being a novelist?

That writing a book and getting it published is a way to make a lot of money, very fast. It is for some people, but I think reports of huge success and six figure advances give the general public the impression that it is like that for everyone. Most writers don't make vast amounts of money from it. You have to like what you are doing and get satisfaction from writing the best book you can, and then holding the finished article in your hand, as well as from any financial rewards. There is nothing quite like the feeling when you first get to hold a copy of a book that has your name on the cover.

What advice can you give to our readers who want to write a novel of their own?

Persist, and enjoy it. It may take a long time so you need to have fun along the way.

What are you working on at the moment?

I'm at the planning stage of a book that involves a robbery. This is giving me an excuse to research priceless paintings and how to steal them.

Thanks, Evonne!

My Writing Room - Amanda James

Today we bring you the writing room of lovely Amanda James, the author of A Stitch In Time, which we'll be reviewing here soon.

My Writing Room by Amanda James

I would love to be able to tell you that I write in a shed. I have shed envy big-time, and many author friends have them. I don’t, sadly...but one day. I would love to be able to tell you that I write in a beautiful Cornish cottage from a window overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I don’t, sadly...but one day. I would love to be able to tell you that I write in a Californian beach house overlooking the Pacific Ocean – a place I live when not at my Cornish pad. I don’t, sadly...but one day!

Review – The Gilded Fan by Christina Courtenay

Reviewed by Debs Carr

 

 It’s 1641 and because Midori Kumashiro's mother was English, she has no option but to find a way out of her homeland in Japan or face execution. Her half-brother secures her a passage on a trade ship with Captain Nico Noordholt, who agrees to take her first to his home port of Amsterdam and then on to London to meet her mother’s family, who she hopes will take her in. Nico isn’t happy about having a beautiful young woman on-board knowing his occasionally unruly sailors will find her very tempting, especially after they’ve been at sea for several months. However, his conscience won’t allow him to leave Midori to die, and so he feels he has no option but to take her with them as long as she abides by his strict rules.

 

Not everyone on the ship is as honourable as Nico though, and after a frightening incident, one of the older sailors offers to guard her. Midori is capable of defending herself, having been trained to use a sword by her warlord father and half-brother, but she is only used to defending herself against one aggressor at a time. When they eventually arrive in Amsterdam, Nico discovers Midori’s true identity and that her proposed destination is not London, but Plymouth. They learn about each other’s past and it becomes apparent that whatever attraction they may have for each other, it will be hampered by their inescapable circumstances.

Top 5 Writing Tips from Henriette Gyland

 1.Write. This may sound simplistic, but the best way to learn something is to actually do it. That applies to writing too.

2. Read. I've heard people say they don't read while they're working on a novel because they worry that their own voice will become corrupted by it. I think this is nonsense. First of all, no one can create in a vacuum, and secondly, why deny yourself the kind of pleasure you're hoping to give to others one day, with your book?

3. Set yourself realistic targets and finish what you start. That's exactly what you'll have to do once you have a contract, so you might as well practice now.

4. Find a writing buddy or a support network. No one except a fellow writer truly understands what it's like to have your work rejected, and this kind of support is vital to keep you going.

5. Don't try to be something you're not. If you write, say, light-hearted chick-lit, don't impose a literary style on it. It won't work. Instead always be proud of what you do, whatever your genre or niche

You can read Jenni's review of Henriette's book, Up Close here.

Review - No Such Thing As Immortality by Sarah Tranter

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

 

Since becoming a vampire, nearly two hundred years ago, Nathanial Gray has chosen not to feel any emotion. He is out driving with his best friend and fellow vampire, James when they are involved in an accident, running Rowan Locke off the road. Nate isn’t hurt during the accident, but something strange begins to happen to him. His body starts surging with emotions that do not belong to him, emotions so powerful that he is unable to function properly. It soon becomes clear that the emotions he is experiencing are coming from Rowan and there is no way Nate can block them out. For the first time in both his human and immortal life, Nate feels a connection to a woman. Not only does he experience every emotion Rowan feels, Nate can't help felling concerned for her welfare as she lies in hospital. He worries about Rowan and needs to be close to her to the point of obsession, which is all very alien to him especially since he shut off his feelings two centuries before.

Nate’s family are worried about him as he struggles to cope with Rowan’s onslaught of emotions and they are horrified when he insists on being close to her, feeling the irrepressible need to protect her. Nothing can change Nate’s mind, so his family are forced to go along with his plans. Fellow vampire Madeleine is compelled to investigate Rowan and is puzzled by the lack of information on Rowan's Aunt Hetty. Nate felt there was something very off about the woman when he met her at Rowan’s bedside, which only adds to Madeleine’s intrigue. She is determined to discover what secrets Aunt Hetty holds, particularly when it appears Rowan’s safety is in jeopardy and Aunt Hetty may be the only one who knows how to keep her out of harm’s way.

Review - Dream a Little Dream by Sue Moorcroft

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

Liza loves her job as a reflexologist at The Stables, an holistic treatment centre within the grounds of an hotel. But she doesn’t love working for The Stables’ manager, Nicolas, nor does she respect him as a businessman. Liza has big ideas for The Stables, to help move it into a more profitable enterprise, but Nicolas refuses to listen to her ideas, never mind implement them.

When it dawns on Nicolas that The Stables is in trouble, he considers selling the lease and handing the business over. When Liza hears his plans, she decides to take action, hoping to buy the lease and run The Stables herself, bringing in her ideas to improve the business. But her dream of running The Stables isn’t as easy as it sounds. There is the question of finance and, even if she somehow manages to raise the money needed to buy the lease, she has Dominic Christy to contend with.

Dominic feels like he has lost everything – the job he loved and his girlfriend, Natalie. To top it all off, he’s crashing at his cousin’s house, taking up her spare bedroom and being subjected to her mothering. When Dominic learns that the lease for The Stables may be going up for sale, his interest is piqued and he sees great potential for The Stables and the surrounding area. However, unfortunately for Liza and the other therapists, a treatment centre doesn’t feature in his plans. As Liza fights Dominic for control of The Stables, she also has to fight her growing attraction to him. Terrible at relationships, Liza has sworn off men completely but she can’t seem to stay away from this particular man.

Review - Move Over Darling by Christine Stovell

Reviewed by Jennifer Joyce

Coralie has recently moved to Penmorfa, a village on the Welsh coast, after swapping her high-pressure career for the more serene Sweet Cleans, a business she has set up herself. Coralie makes her own beauty and cleaning products entirely from natural ingredients and sells them from her little shop in the village. Gethin grew up in Penmorfa, but escaped a harsh, controlling father in his late teens after winning an art competition and following his dreams of becoming an artist. Gethin has been living and exhibiting his work in New York for the past fifteen years, but reluctantly returns to Penmorfa to sort out the family home after his father’s death. Coralie and Gethin don’t get off to the best of starts after an incident with a slightly feral cat. However, Gethin finds himself strangely pulled towards Coralie and though she tries everything in her power to resist, Coralie ends up in Gethin’s New York studio, sitting for a portrait.

Move Over Darling is a tale of two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic who meet and fall in love, but struggle with their feelings due to problems in their past. Coralie has taken sanctuary in Penmorfa, while Gethin is determined to put his childhood village behind him for good.

Liz Harris' Top Tips for Writers

Liz Harris' book THE ROAD BACK is published by Choc Lit. You can read our review here.

1.  Read as much as you can, especially in the genre that you hope to write.  There’s no better way to learn than to read the words of others.

2.  Write for a short period every day, ideally at least 30 minutes. With our lives as busy as they are, if you wait for a stretch of a few clear hours, you might never get started.

3.  Don’t canvass opinions too widely about what you’ve written, but do listen to the advice of someone you trust, who is in a position to know what they are talking about. Listening to critical advice, evaluating it and putting it into effect, is the best learning tool of all. 

4.  Read sections of your work aloud. There’s no better way of picking up awkward structures, repetitions, clunky dialogue.

5.  Writing is a form of communication.  Correct punctuation and grammar helps communication.  Try to get it right at the editing stage, but don’t get bogged down with it when writing your early draft.

Novelicious Chats To... Liz Harris

Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

My average writing day is also my ideal day. I start with roughly an hour on twitter. It’s my way of exercising my writing muscles – not to mention the pleasure of having a chat with my friends! Then I edit the previous day’s work. After that, I write all morning, stopping briefly each hour to make a coffee.

Whilst I drink my coffee after lunch (yes, I drink too much coffee), I glance again at twitter. Then it’s back to the book. I stop at around six, have a quick peek again at twitter, then watch the News on TV with my husband. Unless I’m very pushed, I don’t write in the evening unless my husband is away.

When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

Unlike many authors, I don’t. No, not even Richard Armitage!

My hero and my characters grow in my head, untainted by any changes in a celebrity’s appearance or by the roles that they play, or by any revelations there might be about their private lives.

What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time, and why?

I am going to be very corny – I adore Pride & Prejudice.  I know it’s a book that many men enjoy, but I think that generally it’s more of a women’s book. I love it for many reasons other than yummy Mr. Darcy! I like the characters in the novels I read to have interesting foibles, and Jane Austen has given us many characters rich in foibles in Pride & Prejudice, as well as a very romantic story line. Unlike many authors, she doesn’t condemn her characters in her own voice. Instead, she allows the characters to condemn themselves memorably with their every utterance. I mean, who can ever forget Mr. Collins and his arrival in the Bennet household?

What is your writing process? Do you plan first or dive in? How many drafts do you do?

I don’t ever just dive in. The Road Back and A Bargain Struck required a knowledge of the period and location, and I did a couple of months research on each before I began. The structure for The Road Back grew naturally out of my research–I followed the lives of my characters separately until they met, and the story of what happened next was a natural outcome of their pasts.

With A Bargain Struck, I did a much more detailed plan than I’d ever done before. I began the novel where a lot of novels end, and I needed to know in advance where each chapter was heading to make sure that the readers kept turning the pages to find out what happened next.

Before I start each day’s writing, I go through the work that I did on the previous day. When I complete the whole book, I go through it all again. I then send it to a friend who reads everything that I write and who comments. I then give effect to her comments, and the book is finished. Until I have to go through it again, that is.

Review - The Road Back by Liz Harris

Reviewed by Jenni Cahill

Patricia Carstairs hasn’t had an easy start in life. Despite Patricia craving the love and attention of her father, he only seems to notice her ill brother, James. Kalden also hasn’t had an easy childhood, as he has always known that, as the fourth son of a Ladakhi family, he is destined to leave his home and join the monastery. George Carstairs, is an ex-army major and spent time in Kalden’s homeland, Ladakh, north of the Himalayas, during the war. In the 1960s, Patricia helps her father compile a book of photos, maps and memories of George’s time in Ladakh and shortly before her 18th birthday, the pair visit the place that captured his heart.

Like her father, Patricia quickly falls in love with Ladakh and is in awe of its beauty and the tranquillity that is so different from her life in London. When she meets local man, Kalden, she experiences real love, possibly for the first time in her life. But their love cannot flourish. Patricia and Kalden live so far apart, leading completely different lives and coming from very different cultures. The odds are against them, but fighting their growing feelings for one another proves to be too difficult. They have to be together, whatever the consequences.

The Road Back is a beautifully written story of forbidden love, sacrifice and loss. Patricia and Kalden feel they are destined to be together, but continuing their relationship will mean going against George’s wishes. Patricia has never been able to stand up to her stern, unrelenting father, but she can't bear to lose Kalden and face a future without him. I really felt for both Patricia and Kalden as they were growing up. Patricia wanted nothing more than her father’s approval and for him to be proud of her, but George’s mind is always focused on his eldest child, James. Kalden was lucky enough to grow up in a loving family, however tradition dictates that he will not inherit his parent’s land and marry like his brothers, but that he will one day soon become a monk. Although this is not the path Kalden wishes for himself, he has little choice.

Review - Vampire State of Mind by Jane Lovering

Reviewed by Debs Carr

Jessica Grant knows her vampires. Come to think of it, she also knows her werewolves, shadows and ghouls too. She's a liaison officer and runs the York Council tracker programme with her assistant, Liam. Together they watch over the Otherworlders and check that they're all in their allocated places and not causing trouble. When there is an emergency Jess goes looking for the miscreant and tranqs them.

Unfortunately, there's an ex-colleague who causes her more trouble than she'd like. Sil, a handsome vampire, and Jess have a hate/hate relationship. All was going well between them until he went to kiss her and she suddenly pulled away. Since then the tension between them when ever they meet has been palpable and Jessica does her best to stay out of his way and not fall for his considerable charms. Sil, who's in charge of Otherworld York, senses when Jess is thinking about him and although he wants her, he can't forgive her for rejecting him. When Jess is warned that someone is after her, people begin to die and they both soon realize that if they want to avert all-out war, then Jessica has to find a way to stop this new threat to her town and everything she holds dear, and Sil is determined that she won't have to do it alone.

Review - The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay

Reviewed by Jenni Cahill

Melissa Grantham has never visited her ancestral home, Ashleigh Manor, due to a family rift years ago. The current occupant is her great aunt Dorothy, whom Melissa has never met. Melissa is invited to stay at Ashleigh for the weekend and when she arrives she feels a strange sense of déjà vu, as though she has been there before and knows the house well. Once inside, Melissa is overwhelmed by smells and emotions from long ago. During her weekend at Ashleigh, Melissa dreams of Sibell, a young widow who lived at the manor house during the 15^th century, and Sir Roger, a medieval knight. The dreams are vivid and remain with Melissa even after she leaves Ashleigh.

Melissa returns to Ashleigh to stay with her great aunt and the dreams intensify. She begins to hear voices and sees the ghostly image of the knight from her dreams. He asks for her help but before she is able to, Melissa must find out more about Roger and discover why he has been unable to move on from Ashleigh for over 600 years.

The Silent Touch of Shadows is two love stories rolled into one. While Melissa unravels the tragic story of Sibell and Roger, she meets Jake, the local vet who lives in a nearby cottage. Jake has also been disturbed by vivid dreams and is strangely drawn to Melissa.