Souvenirs of Kyiv by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger The Herr Oberst came to me on a sunny afternoon just a week ago. Forever Home by Graham Norton The Back Quay of Ballytoor was where things used to be. The Double by Fyodor DostoevskyIt was a little before eight o’clock in the morning when Titular Councillor Yakov Petrovich … Continue reading My Reading – December 2022
Background Music – 2022
People have always loved music, both making it and listening to it. Many of us like to have it in the background while we work. Unfortunately, while I can block out random chatter and street noises when I need intense concentration, I can’t block the music. Music is for the times when I can appreciate … Continue reading Background Music – 2022
Christmas – A Time of Cheer for All in Hobart Town
When we think of a 19th century Christmas, I suspect most of us think of an idealized image – the decorated tree with toys and gifts, stockings hanging from the mantelpiece stuffed with oranges and nuts, the table groaning under the weight of roast beef, ham and roasted potatoes, not to mention the flaming brandy … Continue reading Christmas – A Time of Cheer for All in Hobart Town
Son of Anger by Donovan Cook
Today I’m delighted to be shining a spotlight on Donovan Cook’s newly released novel, The Son of Anger, as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. Son of Anger is the first book in The Ormstunga Saga. Ulf is like a storm, slowly building up its power, he grows more … Continue reading Son of Anger by Donovan Cook
The Founding by Michael L Ross
Today I’m delighted to be sharing an excerpt from Michael L. Ross’s latest released novel, The Founding, as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. The Founding is the third and final book in Michael’s series Across the Great Divide. Will and Robert had never done a drive before. Charlie … Continue reading The Founding by Michael L Ross
Her Castilian Heart by Anna Belfrage
Today I’m delighted to be shining a spotlight on Anna Belfrage’s recently released novel, Her Castilian Heart, as part of a blog tour hosted by The Coffee Pot Book Club. Her Castilian Heart is the third in Anna's Castilian series. Blood is not always thicker than water… At times a common bloodline is something of … Continue reading Her Castilian Heart by Anna Belfrage
My Reading – November 2022
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John BoyneLong ago before we had discovered that he had fathered two children by two different women, one in Drimoleague and one in Clonakilty, Father James Monroe stood on the altar of the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, in the parish of Goleen, West Cork, and denounced … Continue reading My Reading – November 2022
Putting Words in their Mouths – Writing historical fiction based on real lives
At the Springs, Mount Wellington c.1880 Last month I was invited by the writer, Jean M Roberts to contribute a post about my latest novel to her blog, The Book’s Delight. My post looks at the challenges I faced trying to write accurately and honestly about the characters of my novel and not treat them as … Continue reading Putting Words in their Mouths – Writing historical fiction based on real lives
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Some thoughts on re-reading
I recently re-read Pride and Prejudice, a book I last read some time in the mid-1970s. In the intervening years, I have watched a couple of film adaptations but haven’t been struck giddy by the story. And I have no particular fascination for the Regency period. When I think of that period I don’t think … Continue reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Some thoughts on re-reading
Book Review – Father by Allan Hudson
Father, by Canadian writer Allan Hudson, is set during World War 2 and follows the experiences of Tanner Hill from 1942 through to his return home after the war. This novella starts with a prologue detailing the arrival of two Hill brothers in Canada in the 1840s and the lives they build for themselves in … Continue reading Book Review – Father by Allan Hudson
Catherine Meyrick 