Devon Book Club discussion
Archive
>
Giveaways 2022
I would love to be included in the giveaway Ian, not sure how to share the post though :(
Mod
Duly entered. I copied the message from our Facebook page and forgot to edit out the share the post bit - have now done so
I would like to be entered please. I walked past Liznojan the other day and it caught my eye in the window!
My copy is coming from the library. My reservation is in. I'm looking forward to it! This post reminded me to actually reserve it rather than keep it on my to read list. So thank you!
Mod
Hi Lucy. Have you see that Ruth will be doing a talk at Liznojan on 3/2- hosted by me? It would be lovely to see you there if you can make it
Mod
Excellent - look forward to hearing what you think - there are just a few tickets left at our event in Tiverton (Liznojan Books) on 3/2 if you can get there.
Mod
Mod
Richard Handy has offered 2 copies of "Loyalty and Lunacy" and you have until 5PM on 6th February to enter (details at the end of this post)
About Loyalty and Lunacy:
"A remarkable story of love, honour and sacrifice in the face of wickedness. Sometimes we tolerate the intolerable and come out stronger on the other side …
It’s 1913. Gertrude is a young scullery maid on the country estate of Sir Cuthbert Ackroyd and she dreams of a better life with her love, John Anderson. But she owes a debt of honour – no thanks to Master Davy Christian, a drunken aristocrat and psychopathic malcontent.
Davy lusts after Gertrude and uses the class divide to hide his wickedness, but there’s a fracas in the barn and Davy is sent away. He returns as an officer in the British Army, and with war looming, Davy plans the demise of John, and everyone and everything that she holds dear.
John and Gertrude’s worlds soon spiral into madness, but if they can hold true to each other, and keep a solemn promise, they might just survive …
A very personal story, inspired by true events."
I asked Richard to tell us about himself and his work:
"I have lived in Devon for nearly thirty years on the edge of Dartmoor. I've always loved creative writing and history, so writing historical fiction is a natural genre for me. I started life as an academic, and got the writing bug early on with my scholarly works; producing numerous articles, book chapters and even a textbook. I found myself drawn more into the world of publishing, and I have been a commissioning editor and founded a few publishing imprints. I still hold a professorship with a local university, and I am still a freelance editor with Elsevier, Wiley, and a few others.
However, being an author is both a passion and a vocation for me. I’ve always written stories, but started work on my first novel in 2009. Good writing and a quality product matters, so I took my time to get it right, eventually publishing the first book in my Danny Nash WWII spy thriller series in 2016 (The Reich Device), the second volume was published in 2020 (The Wolfsberg Deception), and the third instalment will be released in 2022, so watch out!
But let me tell you about, Loyalty and Lunacy. It is set at the start of the Great War on a country estate of Sir Cuthbert Ackroyd near London, and it is based on true events (all carefully researched using original historical documents). The genre is firmly historical fiction, with some romance, and a strong element of suspense driven by the personal relationships and conflicts between the characters. The narrative draws on the class divide during the onset of the Great War, with the main character, Gertrude, a scullery maid, being abused by a psychopathic aristocrat. She falls for John, the strong and handsome gardener, but there is also a tension with her best friend, Peter. All are dogged by the psychopathic aristocrat, Davy Christian, whose twisted sexual cravings place Gertrude in danger, while he schemes for the ruin of John and Peter.
Loyalty and Lunacy is both heart-breaking and uplifting, and the villain brings a darkness/psychological angle to the plot. My novel is both gritty and edgy, but perhaps love endures? In terms of books in the marketplace, my book is on the same theme as Atonement by Ian McEwan where love is shattered by the rigid boundaries of society and war. Also, the tragedy in Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks. I hope the twists and turns of the plot in Loyalty and Lunacy offer something a little different, and with a satisfying denouement. A good book should get an emotional reaction. Some of my advanced readers reported ‘being in tears’ at the bittersweet ending. It will certainly leave a lump in your throat. I am very proud of this book and generation it remembers. I hope you enjoy reading it."
I'm sure we will, Richard and I am sure there will be a lot of interest in our giveaway. So, to enter all you need to do is to like this post and leave a comment below saying that you'd like to be entered by 5PM on Sunday 6th February (UK Only).
Mod
Hi Lucy - and entered you duly are :)
Mod
Hi Jo - thanks and consider yourself entered :)
Mod
Look out for the next giveaway which will be announced tomorrow
Mod
I particularly love to share the work of writers who are most active in our community and this week I am delighted to feature the work of Abigail Yardimci, who is also generously offering a giveaway of the first in her
trilogy . In this giveaway everyone can be a winner (see below for details)."Life Is Yours is an inspirational, uplifting novel about heartbreak that starts on New Year's Eve and flows into the most unexpected year of magic and discovery - all based on the author's own lived experience."
A giveaway with a difference - something for everyone:
When I spoke with Abigail she told me that she wanted to introduce her work to as wide an audience as possible. And so, this week you can all get a digital copy of Life Is Yours for free but one lucky winner will get a signed hard copy with a personalised dedication.
To get a free copy of the book you just need to sign up to her readers list by following this link https://dl.bookfunnel.com/28ganra4y4 and leave a comment on this giveaway post by 5PM on Sunday 13th February. Abigail will then draw a winner for a signed hard copy of the book. (UK Only for the signed copy)
The trilogy is published by Soft Rebel Publishing and all three books, "Life Is Yours", "Destiny Is Yours" and "Everything Is Yours" are available to buy on Amazon.
More about Abigail:
Abigail is a mum of two, one half of a multi-cultural couple, and lives in South Devon in the UK. She loves to blog and gets her kicks from mindful parenting styles, creative living and chocolate in abundance.
She now works as an author and we have loved sharing her journey over recent years as she has introduced us to her "Life Is Yours trilogy"
Mod
ABOUT Alison
“Alison grew up in Kingsbridge and now lives in Ivybridge, so have spent nearly all her life in Devon. In the course of research for her last book ‘The Glass Bulldog’ she discovered that, in fact, she has Devon ancestors, the Finnimores. Recently Alison set up the South Hams Authors Network, to support and encourage other local authors like herself. They meet once a month in Ivybridge but also have an online forum and Facebook page. She has organised library readings and radio interviews for the group's authors. Running the authors network takes up most of Alison's time, but apart from this, she has a husband, five cats and a rabbit!”
ABOUT Alison's new book A Ha'penny Will Do
Love, dreams and destitution
Three members of one family are linked by their struggle to survive poverty and war at the turn of the last century.
Kate, a homesick, lonely Irish immigrant, dreams of being a writer. After difficult times in Liverpool she comes to London looking for a better life. Hoping to escape from a life of domestic service into marriage and motherhood, she meets charming rogue William Duffield. Despite her worries about his uncertain temperament, she becomes involved with him. Will it be an escape or a prison?
Fred is a restless elder son, devoted to his mother yet locked in a tempestuous relationship with his father. War intervenes and he secretly signs up to serve abroad. Is his bad reputation deserved? What will become of him?
Joe, too young to sign up for WW1, is left to endure the hardships of war on the home front and deal with his own guilt at not being able to serve. He starts an innocent friendship with his sister-in-law which sustains him through hard times. Will he survive the bombs, the riots, the rationing and find true love in the end?
These are their intertwined and interlocking stories recreated through the medium of diaries, letters and personal recollections, based on the author’s family history covering the period of 1879 – 1920. The truth is never plain and rarely simple.
This novel is described as "a fresh and compelling look at life for the working-class poor in England at the end of the Victorian era. Covering issues such as the struggle for home rule in Ireland, the hardships of domestic service, marital strife, the suffragettes and the horrors of World War 1 on the home front and abroad, this is a realistic and gripping tale which keeps the reader involved in their human plight all the way."
I asked Alison what inspired her to write this novel and she told me:
“Every family has its secrets, its mysteries, its half-truths. Ours is no exception. When I was growing up, I was fascinated by tales of my grandad and his Irish mother. Her Irish origins seemed such a romantic and exciting notion that I was desperate to know more.
“She came from the poorest area of Cork,” my mum told me, “and was a great beauty, so we believe. Her name was Kate. Unfortunately, she died when the children were quite young, and their father had to bring them up.”
“Your grandad, Joe, was one of four brothers,” she continued. “There was Ern, who was a hero in World War One; he married your gran’s sister. Then there was Bill, the youngest, who used to do magic tricks on stage, and of course, Fred, who no one talks about.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Well, they say he went bad and disappeared off somewhere.” I was confused by what was meant by ‘went bad’. Had he been in prison, or worse? This intrigued me, but no one seemed to know the answers.
After extensive research, I have finally pieced together the truth of what happened to this family – a truth which is never plain, and rarely simple. The mists of time have parted briefly to reveal a glimpse of their lives. What I discovered was quite unexpected and surprising; including another brother who had never been mentioned before: Albert. Why has no one talked about him? Readers of the novel will have to decide that for themselves.
I also found out what happened to Fred; but again, you’ll have to read the novel to find out! Therefore, I can now present the authentic stories of Kate, Fred and Joe, recreated through diaries, letters and my grandad’s memories. The mysteries are solved, and the ghosts are appeased. I hope I’ve brought them justice at last.”
What is the meaning of the title?
“This comes from a very old Victorian rhyme which my Grandad (Joe, in the story) frequently used to quote at me. It now seems appropriate to use and I think he would approve! It has also been used in Ireland with the tradition of burying the wren, which is also mentioned in the novel. I believe that maybe if Kate had had a ha’penny or two, her life could have been very different.”
To enter the giveway:
Please just simply leave a message below saying you'd like to be entered by 5PM on 27th February (UK Only). Good luck.
Alison's other publications:
The Glass Bulldog, published 2019, nominated for the Walter Scott prize for Historical Fiction
Someone Else, a short novella, published March 2020, during lockdown
Various short stories including The Other People, which won the Exeter Literary Festival prize for flash fiction 2021
Contact details:
Website: https://alisonhuntingford.com
Email: legin_@talktalk.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahuntingford9/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ahuntingford9
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahuntingford9/
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
4th March 2pm at TOTNES LIBRARY reading from the novel. Free entry.
8th March 10.15 am Interview on Chat and Spin digital radio
Sounds interesting, I'd like to be entered please.
Alison sounds like a very interesting lady. I'd like to enter please.Cynthea Gregory
Mod
Thanks Lauren - good luck
Mod
Thanks Ley - you're in the hat :)
Mod
Cynthea Gregory"
Hi Cynthea - duly entered :)
I recently entered a competition on Facebook and won Alison's book. I finished reading it yesterday and enjoyed it very much - a great read.
Mod
Fabulous - you read that quickly
Mod
It's a privilege to share a little in the excitement of a book launch and I'm delighted to tell you about the debut by the hugely talented Rebecca Lowe. And read on for details of a giveaway to celebrate the launch of her book The Slow Road To Tehran, released tomorrow 24th March by September Publishing. This is a remarkable book that I hope you will enjoy as much as me. Before telling you about the book, let me say a bit about Rebecca, as the book stems from her work and life experience.
Rebecca is a journalist based in London, specialising in human rights. She has reported extensively on the Middle East and North Africa, including stories on nuclear diplomacy in Iran, refugee rights in Lebanon, military impunity in Egypt and sharia law across the region.
Rebecca talks about how the 2011-12 ‘Arab Spring’ and its aftermath filled her with optimism that cataclysmic change was afoot. Such hopes proved unfounded and now, as conflict intensifies and Islamophobia gains newfound political legitimacy across the world, fear and mistrust between East and West has never been higher.
She argues, very persuasively that this fear is based on ignorance and lack of understanding and that countries in the Middle East are far from the homogeneous hotbed of chaos and fanaticism many believe. They are deeply complex, diverse and rich with contradiction. Beneath the violence and political wrangling highlighted daily in the media lies a deeper truth: that of cultures and communities living normal, familiar, peaceful lives.
To explore this further Rebecca decided to cycle, alone, from London To Tehran and to illuminate our understanding by telling the stories of the people of the region rather than politics. To show that countries are more than a mere reflection of state policy or series of cataclysmic events. To bring humans back into the debate.
About The Book:
This is a fascinating, often funny and always revealing account of the journey and the places and people Rebecca met, the vast majority of whom were generous, kind and welcoming.
Rebecca's two-wheeled companion, Maud, wheezed and creaked its way (rather like Rebecca) over 11,000 KM, carrying her through a diverse range of landscapes. Fiercely hot desert, high mountains, lush valleys and a range of towns and cities. Her account reveals the history of the countries through which she passes and explores the ideas and traditions that shape their cultures, social context and their politics.
The book is funny, wise, moving and enlightening and is accessible and beautifully written. I can't praise it highly enough. It deserves to be read widely and I hope you will all do so.
To help you along the way the publishers September Publishing have kindly given me two copies to offer as a giveaway. To participate just leave a comment below saying you'd like to be entered by 7PM on Sunday 27th March (UK only I'm afraid).
Good luck to you and congratulations to Rebecca and her team.
Hello Ian, this sounds fascinating. Please enter me into the giveaway! thanks
It sounds like a fascinating book please enter me in the give away
Please can I enter the giveaway you? You’ve said so many wonderful things about this book.
Hi Ian, please enter me for the giveaway of The Slow Road To Tehran. It sounds fascinating.
This sounds great! Please could you enter me in the draw, Ian? Thank you! Ruth
I read 'While Paris Slept' just after it was published. I really enjoyed it; and would highly recommend it to others.Cynthea
Mod
Hi Jane - it really is a fab book. Duly entered
Mod
Duly entered
Mod
I really loved it. Good luck
Mod
Of course Amanda - good luck
Mod
Such an important book. Duly entered
Mod
Ruth"
You are in the hat Ruth
Mod
Cynthea"
That's great to know Cynthea.
I’d like to be entered please. Thank you.
Hi Ian, thought I'd already done this but apparently not. I'd love to be entered for this fascinating sounding book.
Mod
thanks Lucy - entered
Mod
Glad you found it in the end Ley - I had entered you anyway as you had replied to my e-mail
Thanks for the info, please enter me into the draw, thanks
I’d love to be entered too! It sounds fascinating! I’m ready for another really good read! xxx
Mod
I'm sorry you couldn't all be winners. This is certainly a book to have a read of when you get a chance.
Mod
Ruth Druart is both an active member of Devon Book Club and lives in Paris, the city that has inspired her writing.
Her debut novel, While Paris Slept came out in March 2021, to international acclaim, being translated into 22 languages. Now her second book,
The Last Hours in Paris, was released in hardback on July 7th. This time Ruth writes about the liberation of Paris and the aftermath of war, when revenge, retribution and secrets bring their own conflicts, disrupting the course of her characters' lives. Elise, Sebastian and Josephine need to search deep inside themselves to find the answers.
Headline has kindly given me 3 hardback copies to give to our community. If you would like a chance to win a copy just reply to this post by 8PM on Sunday 17/7. (UK ONLY)
I'd love to be included in The Last Hours In Paris giveaway :-)
Devon Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Mango Bay (other topics)The Serial Killer’s Daughter (other topics)
The Last Hours in Paris (other topics)
The Last Hours in Paris (other topics)
The Last Hours in Paris (other topics)
More...
While Paris Slept
18 years to write
2 years on the path to publication
Translated into 22 languages at the last count
Just published in paperback as one of Headline Books leading titles for the Spring
And I have 5 copies to GIVE AWAY to celebrate this moment with you and with Ruth (see below for details)
And, if that's not enough, you can meet Ruth at an event we have planned at Liznojan on 3/2 where I'll be in conversation with her about her work, her journey to publication and beyond.
Last year, you may remember that we enjoyed Ruth's Diary of a Debut Writer. You can watch them on our YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC39S...
"How does it feel to be her publisher?", I asked her editor, Sherise Hobbs (no relation) from Headline Books
‘The journey towards publication is such a long road for an author and it’s thrilling when Publication Day finally arrives. We are so excited for Ruth, and it’s wonderful to see how her warmly her debut novel is being received, both in the UK and the US, but also all around the world.’
About the book:
"One woman must make the hardest decision of her life in this unforgettably moving story of resistance and faith during one of the darkest times in history.
Santa Cruz, 1953. Jean-Luc is a man on the run from his past. The scar on his face is a small price to pay for surviving the horrors of Nazi occupation in France. Now, he has a new life in California, a family. He never expected the past to come knocking on his door.
Paris, 1944. A young Jewish woman's past is torn apart in a heartbeat. Herded onto a train bound for Auschwitz, in an act of desperation she entrusts her most precious possession to a stranger. All she has left now is hope.
On a darkened platform, two destinies become intertwined, and the choices each person makes will change the future in ways neither could have imagined.
Told from alternating perspectives, While Paris Slept reflects on the power of love, resilience, and courage when all seems lost. Exploring the strength of family ties, and what it really means to love someone unconditionally, this debut novel will capture your heart."
I am so delighted for Ruth and her team at Headline and her agent, Sheila Crowley from Curtis Brown Literary and Talent Agency that this book is such a success and delighted she's coming to see us in Devon next month.
And so to the giveaway. To enter the draw for one of the 5 copies simply leave a message below for Ruth, and share the post adding that you'd like to be entered BY NOON ON SUNDAY 23/1/22 (UK ONLY). Good luck
You can find out more about Ruth and her work here https://ruthdruart.com/