Category: Historical fiction Page 21 of 25

Interview with Marie Evelyn: The Turtle Run

On August 4, 2016

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction, Interview

It’s interview time at my blog today, and I’m delighted to welcome Marie Evelyn to the chair. Let’s pop the kettle on- but how many cups are we going to need/

Over to you Marie…

coffee and cake

What inspired you to write your book?

The Turtle Run was inspired by something my mother once witnessed in Barbados (described in the book). She came across barefooted, blue-eyed, fair-haired children struggling to carry buckets of water from a standpipe to their chattel house and learned that they were the descendants of the Monmouth rebels, who were exiled from England to Barbados in 1685.

This experience encouraged my mother to study more about the Monmouth rebellion, led by Charles II’s illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth. Although the book is contemporary, and has a strong romantic element, the theme is about how people’s lives are influenced by the fate of their ancestors. Certainly the miserable situation of many ‘Redlegs’ (to give them their politically incorrect name) was the legacy of their exiled forebears.

Do you model any of your characters after people you know? If so, do these people see themselves in your characters?

The self-interested Francesca was based on a neighbour and school classmate of mine in Barbados. (Name changed – of course). To be fair, she may have matured into a wonderful woman fighting for human rights since I was on the island, but when I knew her, all the indications were that she would take ‘shallowness’ to new depths.

The Turtle Run cover

What type of research did you have to do for your book?

My mother had a long association with Barbados and we lived on the island throughout my childhood. There was also a family connection to the Redlegs. My mother did a little research out there to try and discover more about the original exiled Monmouth Rebels but it was only many years later – after we had moved to the UK and my parents had retired to Dorset – that she was really able to research the beginning of the story, which has so many local connections with south-west England.

The Somerset Heritage Centre (http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/archives/) was a useful source of information and this short event in British history has inspired some really interesting books. But for a ‘Monmouth fix’, I would leave the non-fiction books and turn to Lorna Doone.

What excites you the most about your book?

The book has a strong theme of trying to understand the present through understanding the past. Although I am more interested in the challenge of writing a story where there is a connection between a contemporary character’s situation and the situation of his/her ancestors from hundreds of years before, just having characters uncover a secret about their own immediate family can be really engaging.

If you were stranded on a desert island with three other people, fictional or real, who would they be and why?

Enid Blyton would be one as I have a rather complicated relationship with her. Of course, several of her books were on the theme of children living on islands, though as practical guides to island-survival they would be pretty hopeless as the children never seemed to have much problem finding food, and never had go to the loo. I should be very grateful to her for firing my young imagination, but the problem was that I assumed her stories had some basis in reality. As my image of what England would be like was entirely informed by her books, I experienced no small disappointment when we did finally move here, and as for my subsequent experience of boarding school – let’s just say that I felt very misled. I would probably end up chasing her around the island pelting coconuts at her.

I would also choose Louisa Dixie Durrell – who must have been a real character but was reduced to ‘Mother’ in Gerald Durrell’s books and who seemed to have a very placatory role during her children’s squabbles. I imagine she would act as peacekeeper on the island, and would try to persuade Blyton that I wasn’t throwing coconuts deliberately. Finally, I would have Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Captain Von Trapp’s fiancée in the Sound Of Music) to add a touch of style and class. She could enjoy the child-free island and use the time to reflect on her extreme good luck at losing Von Trapp and his warbling children to an ex-nun with a guitar.

I guess our survival would depend upon Enid Blyton’s expert naturalist knowledge, and I would have to hope that she’d forgotten the whole coconut-pelting episode.

Links

https://www.facebook.com/Marie-Evelyn-920546144697589/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Turtle-Run-Marie-Evelyn/dp/1783753277

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28330185-the-turtle-run

Bio

Marie Evelyn are a mother and daughter team originally from the Caribbean but now based in the UK.

Mother Margot (Margot Gameson née Evelyn) has been published previously as Mary Evelyn and daughter Marie Gameson was longlisted for The Bridport First Novel Prize in 2015. The Turtle Run is their first novel together and is based on their firsthand experiences of growing up in Barbados, showing a side of the island probably unknown to most visitors.

A former journalist, Margot in particular has seen the island go through a lot of changes, especially in the lead up to independence – Barbados celebrates its 50^th anniversary as an independent nation this year. However The Turtle Run shows there are still resonances of its lesser known history on the island today.

The family moved to the UK in the 1970s and eventually settled in an area where many of the Monmouth rebels originally came from. Margot is now retired and Marie works in IT.

***

Wonderful interview, many thanks Marie,

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

Guest Post from Carol McGrath: Stories that have Influenced my Writing

By Jenny Kane

On July 21, 2016

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction

I love this guest post! Carol McGrath has given us a wonderful insight into some of the stories that set her on her own writing path. For me it was Robin Hood who made me pick up a pen, for Carol it was…Well why not grab a cuppa, put your feet up, and come and find out.

Over to you Carol…

The Handfasted Wife The Betrothed Sister

I am delighted to be asked by Jenny to talk a little about books that I have loved in my youth and how these tales inspired me to write- even the novel that I amused myself writing, aged nine years old.

For those reading this, my novels are stories of real historical persons infused with a sense of adventure. I mix real historical characters who are researched with invented characters. The imagined personalities come from deep inside me, from the imaginative pool that grew out of my early reading tastes. Both The Handfasted Wife and The Betrothed Sister, historical novels about the noble women who survived the Battle of Hastings, contain a skald, poet and spy, as their most significant secondary character. His name is Padar.

Padar grew out of my youthful love of the Robin Hood legends, a passion I know that Jenny and I share. Padar owns rebellious characteristics, and becomes outlawed after The Battle of Hastings. Following the Norman Conquest he is constantly in danger. He is a small man in stature, clever, independent and resourceful. When Padar is charged by King Harold to watch over his wife and younger children, after the king’s defeat and death at Senlac, he travels with King Harold’s handfasted wife, Elditha (Edith Swan-Neck) to Ireland where she hopes to reach her sons, help them rebel against Norman rule and reclaim their lands. In The Betrothed Sister, Padar sails with Elditha’s daughter Thea (Gita) into Rus lands where her cousin, King Sweyn of Denmark, has arranged her marriage to a prince of Kiev. Padar, too, finds romance.

Five go to Treasure Island

The earliest novel I attempted to write was based on Enid Blyton’s Famous Five. I was nine years old, recovering from mumps, living with my family in a lonely home in the country. My childhood oeuvre was another adventure for George, Ann, Julian, Dick and Timmy the dog, set in a haunted house in Donegal- one we fantasised about on childhood holidays. The mountains lay behind and the sea in front so there was lots to imagine- lights flashing at night in the mountains, smugglers on the island we could see from the cottage we rented. I wrote in chapters and with pen and ink- laboriously in one of my Dad’s Ministry of Agriculture notebooks. Goodness knows what became of that valiant effort.

Jane Eyre

As an older child, I was influenced by writers such as Jane Lane and Geoffrey Treece. I had to read from my version of The Children’s Crusade out to an inspector who came to my school- another brave attempt to write a short novel. I loved The Rider of the White Horse by Rosemary Sutcliff. It is about Thomas Fairfax, a Parliamentarian military leader during The English Civil War and it gave me an interest in the period. I also read many classics. Jane Eyre was, and still remains my favourite. During my teens, I read everything I could borrow from the library by Jean Plaidy, Anya Seton and Margaret Irwin. Probably Seton’s Katherine stands out as a long-time influence on my writing today.

Katherine

Although my main degree is in English and Russian Studies, Medieval History was my subsidiary subject. It is such a strange world, accessible and inaccessible both, a truly foreign country, yet all around us. I have long enjoyed medieval romance as well as the history which reaches into the early Tudor period with its guilds, feast days, superstition, beautiful manuscript work and so on. I jump forward in time now, however because Thomas Hardy was my specialist English degree subject and he gave me a love for landscape and memorable female characters. Yet I also loved William Faulkner and E.M. Foster. Moreover, I read Pasternak’s Dr Zhivago over and over. It was just so romantic, a novel that contains the perfect mix of sweeping historical event and romance.

Far from the Maddening Crowd

Of course, my early stories were never published. Nor did I ever imagine I would one day be published. It was many, many years later that I began to write seriously. Mine was a long apprenticeship involving an MA in creative writing and an MPhil, short story writing, plays and poetry. Yet, I have never forgotten my very early writing experiences or all those wonderful novels I enjoyed reading in my youth. And so, if Padar has been an enduring secondary character in The Handfasted Wife, truthfully he grew out of my love for Robin Hood and stories of high adventure. I would say that my love of writing and for creativity has its foundations in my early reading and a fabulously imaginative childhood that allowed me so much time to read.

pregnant woman working ***

Carol McGrath lives in Oxfordshire with her family. She has an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her debut novel, The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 entitled The Daughters of Hastings, was shortlisted for the RoNAS, 2014 in the historical category. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister followed to complete this best-selling trilogy. Carol is the co-ordinator of the Historical Novels Association Conference Oxford September 2016. Find Carol on her website:

www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk.

Thank you Carol. It never ceases to amaze me the reach that some stories (in our cases, those of Robin Hood), have. Writing something that touches generations of people must be a truly magical feeling.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

Birthday Blog: Sherwood in Dartmoor?

By Jenny Kane

On July 13, 2016

In Blog, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction, News, Romance

This time last year, I shared a birthday blog with you saying that for years I’ve intended to write a story based on the moors of Devon, and yet somehow time, and other work commitments, have never allowed it.

This year for an early birthday present, the lovely Dr K took me for a weekend away on Dartmoor. We weren’t there just to escape from our workaday lives however- I had a mission. I wanted to find a place that could- in my mind at least- double for fourteenth century Sherwood!

Don’t worry dear reader- my increasing age hasn’t addled my brain (well, not much). I am in the midst of writing an entirely medieval sequel to my popular timeslip novel, Romancing Robin Hood, and as it is one heck of a drive up to the midlands from Devon, I wanted to find somewhere more local to visit that would let me feel a little of the forest atmosphere.

RRH- new 2015

When I write I find it essential to experience the location about which I’m writing. Obviously, until they invent time machines, I can’t nip back and feel the medieval air myself- and I have been to Sherwood many times so I have memories to fall back on- but I wanted to stand in a woodland area where I could see nothing modern, hear nothing modern, and soak up the atmosphere.

Only a few minutes along a walk by the side of the Teign Valley, I found what I was looking for. Oak trees, spaced widely, but close enough to form cover. No modern edifices in sight. No buzzing from mobile phones. No planes flew sounds overhead. The air was right. The breeze was right. The scent in the air was right. In my minds eyes Robin Hood himself could have been hiding anywhere close by – or in this case the new outlaw – a less pleasant outlaw who, for now, shall remain nameless…

A wonderful walk later- and a rest by the thirteenth century Fingle bridge (more outlaws are hiding I’m sure), and many new ideas were brewing in my mind for the medieval mystery forming in my head. Mathilda (who you will remember from Romancing Robin Hood), is in for quite an adventure…

And talking of brewing- let’s all settle back with a cuppa-(coffee for me please)- and a nice nibble of birthday cupcake, and contemplate if I am going to kill anybody off- or not…

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Guest Post from Jane Jackson: The Master’s Wife

By Jenny Kane

On July 11, 2016

In Fiction, Historical fiction

I’m delighted to welcome one of my fellow Accent authors to the blog today. Jane Jackson is a truly excellent writer, and an all round lovely person. She is here today to share some of the background to her novel, ‘The Master’s Wife.’

Over to you Jane…

When Caseley and Jago Barata’s two young sons die in an epidemic while he’s away at sea, her grief and his guilt create an unbridgeable chasm between them.

Believing he failed his wife when she needed him most, Jago cannot turn to her for comfort. Seeking escape from his guilt he takes up with his former mistress, devastating Caseley when she finds out.

Aware of Jago’s undercover work in Spain, and deeply anxious that increasing unrest in Egypt could lead to war, the British Treasury asks him to carry £20,000 in gold to Egypt to bribe the largest Bedouin tribe to fight on Britain’s side.

What had caused the unrest? Ambitious to make Egypt more like Europe, Khedive Said then his heir and nephew Ismail had raised money for their expansive but poorly-planned schemes through crushing taxation. When that wasn’t enough, they took out huge loans at high interest rates from British and European banks.

By 1876 Egypt faced bankruptcy. Anxious to protect its 44% share in the Suez Canal, Britain demanded – and was granted- joint financial management of Egypt with France. Ismail was deposed in favour of his son Prince Tewfiq, and left for exile in Naples on a train loaded with gold, objets d’art, jewels and furniture.

The poorest Egyptians saw little improvement in their lot. They toiled for overseers employed by large landowners and too often had to choose between buying seed for their own small plots, or a length of cloth to replace the rags that were all they had to wear.

Wilfully blind to their own part in fuelling the upsurge of anger, the ruling elite refused to believe that the fellahin would ever rebel. But the Egyptian poor, who did not want their country ruled by Turks or by Europeans, had found a charismatic leader in Egyptian-born Col. Ahmed Arabi. (There is a saying that those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it, and I see painful similarities between these events and our current situation)

Jago’s mission to Egypt would take him away from home for at least three months. Desperate to escape a house filled with memories, Caseley pleads to go with him. He is reluctant, concerned for her safety. But she demolishes his argument by pointing out that for her the worst has already happened so what has she to fear? Besides, the official language in Alexandria is French which she speaks and he doesn’t. if only for this he needs her.

The Master's Wife

Because I’m a plotter, I had mapped out the story’s route. But Caseley and Jago are strong people and once the journey began they took over, reacting in ways I hadn’t planned or expected. This led to unforeseen consequences. It was as much an adventure for me as it was for them. I lived the events with them. I laughed, wept and had my heart in my mouth more than once. Would Jago fulfil his mission? Could he and Caseley find a way back to each other?

***

Excerpt:

Gesturing towards an alcove screened from the cabin by the folds of a thick dark curtain, he moved to the open doorway. ‘You know your way around. I want to get underway.’

‘Yes, of course.’

They were husband and wife and as wary as strangers. He disappeared and she heard his boots clang on the chased brass treads of the companionway. Alone now she pressed a gloved hand to her dry throat as her heart thudded. Not too late…With all her heart she hoped so.

Everything was as she remembered: the table designed to fit the narrowing stern and edged with a wooden lip to prevent things sliding off. The shelf above filled with books and sea junk secured by a beautifully turned fiddle rail. The shallow brass lamp suspended beneath the open skylight.

Her gaze moved from the clock and barometer to the squat stove standing on its protective metal plate in front of the forward bulkhead and bracketed by a full coal-bucket and basket of logs.

Through the open skylight came the sounds of a ship making ready for sea: the rattle of blocks, snapping canvas, and the crew’s banter. Six years had passed since her last trip and it was exactly as she remembered.

She crossed to the sleeping alcove. Pushing back the curtain she saw the nightstand. Beneath a hinged lid was an enamel basin. A cupboard underneath held a chamber pot. Light fell across the bed and her breath caught in her throat.

Immediately after proposing to her, Jago had instructed Hammer to widen the narrow berth so it would comfortably accommodate them both. She had made a mattress to fit and bought new blankets. In that small private space they had discovered each other, shared their pasts and talked of their plans for the future. Their elder son had been conceived there. She had slept in Jago’s arms, safe, loved, until her advancing pregnancy had made it uncomfortable and unwise.

The berth had been reduced to its original size. Rejection stung like a slap. She lifted the blankets and saw the mattress had been made smaller. Their time together, her presence here, her part in his seafaring life, he had erased it all. She had believed herself numb to further pain. She wasn’t.

***

You can buy The Master’s Wife from all good retailers, including- : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-Wife-Captains-Honour-Book-ebook/dp/B01DPSLP5C

***

JanepinkRS

Bio

I have lived in the same Cornish village nearly all my life.

My first book, a romantic thriller, was published in 1982. After four medical and ten contemporary romances for Harlequin as Dana James published worldwide I began writing longer historical romances. Of the fourteen published as Jane Jackson some remained Cornwall-based, others – set in the C18th and C19th – ventured to foreign shores while maintaining strong Cornish links. After joining the RNA in the early 1990s I reached the shortlist for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Eye of the Wind in 2002, and was shortlisted for the Historical Prize in 2010 with Heart of Stone, and in 2016 for The Consul’s Daughter. Crosscurrents published in 2016 was shortlisted for the Winston Graham Historical Prize. The fourth in my ‘Polvellan Cornish Mysteries’ series, Secrets and Lies written as Rachel Ennis was published in April.

Teaching the Craft of Novel Writing for over twenty years from Ad. Ed. to MA level has been both a pleasure and a privilege. Ten of my former students are now multi-published novelists.

www.janejackson.net

www.facebook.com/JaneJacksonAuthor

www.facebook.com/PolvellanCornishMysteries

***

Many thanks Jane, wonderful blog.

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Review: Knights of the Apocalypse- Robin of Sherwood as you’ve never heard it before

By Jenny Kane

On July 5, 2016

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction, review

For those of you who follow this blog, or who know me in what is laughingly called “real life,” you won’t be at all surprised to know that I loved the brand new Robin of Sherwood audio episode from the very start.

“But you were bound to love it!” I hear you cry – well no actually. Robin of Sherwood was a formative and important part of my life, and if this production had not done its predecessors justice, I would most certainly have said so.

RoS 2016 KOTA

The Knights of the Apocalypse stars the original cast of Robin of Sherwood, with Jason Connery as Robin, bar the late and much missed Robert Addie and Jon Abineri.

Addie was ably replaced as Guy of Gisborne by Freddie Fox, and the Lord of the Trees himself, Abineri, had his role taken on by his son. His voice is so spookily similar to Herne’s, that it was nigh on impossible to tell father and son apart.

The Knights of the Apocalypse was written after the end of the original series by the creator of Robin of Sherwood, Richard ‘Kip’ Carpenter, but it was never filmed. In tribute to Kip, who died in 2012, every penny in profit from the sales of #KOTA will go to his favourite charities

KOTA 1

As I donned my headphones- chocolate and drink to my side- ready to indulge in this two part episode of nostalgic heaven, I will confess to a slight increase in heartbeat as the first few sounds hit my ears.

Hoof beats…fast…through shadows…and there were voices…and then…the theme music! (The original series theme music, provided by Clannad, introduced both episodes) A smile passed over my face that felt just as broad as it did every time I settled down on a Saturday evening at 5.35pm, 30 years ago.

Judi Trott and Nickolas Grace

Listening with closed eyes throughout, I could hear and see every image. The visuals in my head were conjured by the sounds I heard as crisply as it would have been if I’d been watching on television. It was as if time had stopped and, to quote Alfred Noyes, “…the dead where coming back again, the years had rolled away- in Sherwood, in Sherwood, about the break of day….”

Yet, time hasn’t stopped. 30 years really has passed since we last left Robin and his men without Marion, who’d entered a nunnery in a turmoil at the end of the final televised episode. We have been left on a cliffhanger all that time…until now.

RH- RoS 2

Once Clannad’s theme of ‘Robin…the Hooded Man….’ had faded away, the audio tale begins with Robin giving a role call- yes, all the outlaws are there- even Marion.

I am keen to give no spoilers, and so will hold back from a detailed- or even vague- account of the story. I will say that every cast member was outstanding- that Nasir (played by the ever excellent Mark Ryan), spoke more in these 2 audio episodes than he did in the entire 3 televised shows, and that the show was very much stolen by Nickolas Grace as the Sheriff and Ray Winstone as Will Scarlett- partly because their lines were so clever, and partly because they delivered them with such humour.

Colin Baker and Barnaby

There was humour, menace, tension, and a wonderful star studded support cast. Michael Craig returned as Robin’s father, the Earl of Huntingdon, and Philp Jackson reprised his role as the Sheriff’s brother, Abbot Hugo. Colin Baker and Anthony Head were superb guest stars. Head really has cornered the market in evil, almost pantomime, villains! It’s the laugh- he just has the evil laugh off to a tee!!

Directed by Robert Young, the original TV director, produced by Barnaby Eaton-Jones, and put together by the executive producers, Spiteful Puppet Entertainment, who are an award-winning audio production company (BBC Drama Awards, New York Radio Festival); The Knights of the Apocalypse was excellent from start to finish.

There really is only one question left to ask…

When will there be another one?

Oh- and can I help write it/be in it/do something….? OK, so that’s a lot of questions…

If you don’t have your copy yet you can buy one here- https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robin-of-sherwood-the-knights-of-the-apocalypse#/ and find out my details here – https://www.facebook.com/KnightsOfTheApocalypse/

Happy reading- or in this case- listening, everybody.

Jenny x

And breathe…

By Jenny Kane

On June 16, 2016

In Blog, Books For Children, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Historical fiction

I think it’s fair to say that I’ve had a busy couple of months- but boy they have been so much fun!!!

Writing is, on the whole, a lonely business. You sit at your desk (or coffee shop table in my case), and let fictitious happenings fill your mind, flow through the arms into your fingers and onto the computer screen, or onto the pages of a notebook. These last eight weeks however, very little actual writing has had the chance to form as I’ve been on something of a grand tour book wise.

(Take a deep breath 20160430_091519 before you read this paragraph- well, sentence!)

Starting back in April with a brilliant World Book Night event arranged by Annette Shaw down in Dartmouth, travelling on to Chepstow to sell copies of Romancing Robin Hood to the wonderful folk who attended this year’s Hooded Man event (celebrating the 30th anniversary of Jason Connery’s adoption of the role of Robin of Sherwood, as well as the birth of the latest Robin of Sherwood audio adventure, The Knights of the Apocalypse – #KOTA), before heading off to London to be part of the aforementioned #KOTA premiere, and then back to Tiverton to arrange the local literary festival, before I dashed- only an hour after the end of the festival- off again to the NEC in Birmingham to attend a book event and award ceremony for the ‘other me’.

Annette Shaw introduces World Book Night

The cast of Robin of Sherwood

In amongst all that my latest novel was released as well- not to mention there was real work, life etc to squeeze in.

Now I’m taking a minute (well, a day), to myself to let it all sink in before I start writing my next novel. This new story will be much inspired by my travels with the Robin of Sherwood crew. Called The Winter Outlaw it is to be based, not of RH himself, but a group of historically accountable noble outlaws who admired his stories. (Out Nov 2017)

My fingers are itching to write again- but first I need another cup of coffee!

I’ll leave you with a few more photographs from my recent adventures,

Many thanks for all your support as ever. Writers are nothing without readers,

Jenny x

20160526_131619

With Katie Fforde and the TivLitFest team

Wedding of Little John and Meg – (Official event photo)

20160430_091519

Festival-ing: Tiverton Literary Festival 8-12th June

By Jenny Kane

On June 1, 2016

In Blog, Books For Children, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction

Hello my lovely friends.

You may have noticed a dip in the number of blogs appearing on my site over the last couple of weeks. There is a very good reason for this. I’ve been neck deep in organising- with my two lovely colleagues- this year’s Tiverton Literary Festival!

Only a week away now, the last minute rushing around and sorting out things to make sure the festival runs smoothly is in full flow! It’s amazing how many tiny tasks are involved in event organising, and I take my hat off to anyone who does it for a living.

The line up really does offer something for everyone. We have poetry, romance, crime, writing workshops, a writer’s market, a children’s story trail, historical research, journalism, and even a tiny touch of erotica.

To make the week extra special, we’d love to see you there too!

Tiv Lit 2016 - main poster

Tickets for the events can be purchased online from www.tivlitfest.co.uk, or (if you are local enough) from Reapers on Bampton Street, and Tiverton Library.

Happy reading everyone!

Jenny xx

Tiverton Literary Festival…Not Long Now…

By Jenny Kane

On May 14, 2016

In Blog, Books For Children, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction

For the past 5 months, my colleagues and I have been working our little socks off, so that we can bring you another brilliant book event.

Tiverton Literary Festival, 8th-12th June 2016

Tiv Lit - K Fforde and Judi

Our line up includes worldwide best selling author, Katie Fforde,

Michael Jecks, Katie Griffin, Ruth Ware, (a stunning trio of best selling crime writers),

Tiv Lit 2016 - Crime

and Jonathan Green (Dr Who fans DO NOT MISS THIS).

Tiv Lit 2016 - J Green

Not forgetting, Kate Lord Brown (with a brilliant writing masterclass); Marissa Farrar (back with her Self Publishing Workshop by popular demand), historian, writer, and radio presenter, Suzie Grogan; Rough Guide Writer and novelist, Rebecca Hall; renown journalists Fasial Islam and Alex Sehmer; novelist Laura Wilkinson and myself, talking about writing without agents or big publishers, and much much more!

Tiv Lit 2016 - K LBrown

On the Saturday (11th June, from 10am) we will be wandering through town with our children’s story trail. There will also be an authors’ market in the grounds of St George’s Church, Fore Street, Tiverton; where writers can sell their books, sign, and chat to the public and each other. If you would like to reserve one of these tables (free of charge) please contact me via info@tivlitfest.co.uk to reserve your space.

All the details about the events, and the link to buy tickets, are on the website- www.tivlitfest.co.uk

tivvibadge_website a

I would recommend securing those tickets very soon. Especially for the workshops, the tea with Michael Jecks and myself, and the ‘Real Life of an Erotica Author’ evening, as places are limited…

See you there!

Jenny x

Nothing’s Forgotten: The Premiere- Kindness and Camaraderie

By Jenny Kane

On May 9, 2016

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction

With two days passed now since returning from the premiere of the new Robin of Sherwood audio production, The Knights of the Apocalypse, the daily routine of life has settled, and my next novel is getting a little more of the attention it needs if I’m ever going to reach the deadline. Before I get back on with reality- or my version of it at least – there is time for one more #KOTA blog.

The title of today’s blog is well chosen.

I have taken many things away from the #KOTA premiere; the most enduring feeling however- and I’m aware this is going to sound twee – was the sense of gratitude, of friendship, and of pure joy.

KOTA prem 2

Sat in the audience for the show, watching everything happen around me as I always do, I was struck once again that the actors before me were not just a group of people who were doing their job. These were men and women (well, woman really), who were friends. Some of them have stayed in the acting business, others have branched into other related disciplines, while some have moved on completely, but they have remained friends. That love and loyalty to each other came over in the piece of audio art they (along with Iain Meadows from Spiteful Puppets, Barnaby Eaton-Jones, and the brilliant producer, Robert Young), have created.

panel

It was during the Q&A session after the premiere had been aired, that this strength of friendship and camaraderie came across most of all. As the audience fired questions, the laughing actors on the stage revealed that, with the exception of Peter Llewellyn Williams (Much) – who was most put out at being the only honest one amongst them- had permanently ‘borrowed’ things from the set.

Judi Trott (Marion) keeps Marion’s hair in a plastic bag in the wardrobe, Jason Connery has retained some of his outfit, and Mark Ryan (Nasir) has umpteen swords and a throwing dagger above his fireplace in LA….

We learnt that one evening in LA, not too long ago, Jason and Mark rather overdid the whisky, and Jason challenged Mark to a sword fight…we were not privy to know the outcome of this challenge!

We found out that Peter does own more than one jumper- a relief to those of us who attended The Hooded Man event almost two weeks ago.

I also discovered that Peter, who usually works alone these days, had suffered a massively sore throat as a result of all the talking he did at The Hooded Man Event. (I’m the same- I talk to hardly anyone all day- by the time I got home late on Saturday night I was sounding most husky).

I found out that the lovely lady sat next to me in the pub after the event went to Leicester University with me- and was doing the same course! (small world indeed), and it was revealed that, as a group, the RoS fans are not the best singers, despite the efforts of one of our number to keep us in tune.

Last of all I discovered that it’s a really really bad idea to run across London if you’ve accidentally packed a pair of jeans that are a size too big and you don’t have a belt…anyway…

Before I go, thanks again…

To Iain Meadows for his splendid sound production- and for taking the time to chat to me despite being up to his eyes in things to do.

To the cast who made everyone feel as if they’d known us all their lives.

To Barnaby for being such a fine wearer of red glasses.

To Kim for her most excellent photography.

And to you, loyal blog reader, for putting up with me going on about Robin Hood rather more than I normally do!

Jenny x

Nothing’s Forgotten: The Premiere of The Knight’s of the Apocalypse #KOTA

By Jenny Kane

On May 8, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Fiction, Historical fiction

Where to start? Thirty eight years after the beginning seems like a good place.

Two years ago, a producer of many a radio show, Mr Barnaby Eaton-Jones, ran an event called The Hooded Man. This was a celebration of the 1980’s television show, Robin of Sherwood, which finished approximately thirty years ago. That event, in 2014, was attended by many members of the original cast, and it set Barnaby a-thinking…an audio version of the final episode that Richard ‘Kip’ carpenter had been scripted but which had never been filmed…ummm…

KOTA prem notice

To cut a long story short, the cast said yes – and this weekend just past saw the audio premiere of The Knight of the Apocalypse (#KOTA), in the Guy Whittle Auditorium, within the Royal Society of Medicine building on Wimpole Street, London.

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Starring Jason Connery as Robin, the entire cast (except for the much missed Robert Addie, who has been ably replaced as Guy of Gisborne by Freddie Fox, and John Abineri, who has passed the torch of Herne the Hunter onto his son- who sounds so much like his father it is truly spooky), #KOTA carried on the story a little time after the final televised episode (The Time of the Wolf).

Unbelievably I, along with many other fans, found myself at the premiere. I must pause here to thanks Annette for organising the post and pre drinks venue- the Cock and Lion pub- where I met my fellow premiere revellers. And who should I find the moment I walked through the door, partaking of a drop of sustaining juice before they metaphorically donned their outlaw attire , but Peter Llewellyn Williams (Much) and Mark Ryan (Nasir).

We moved from the pub to the main venue, where champagne a plenty greeted us, along with the most splendid Barnaby Eaton-Jones.

With a film crew from the BBC keeping tabs on us (but not ITV curiously), we progressed- a little merrier than before- to the main event, and the auditorium itself.

In the presence of Jason Connery (Robin), Judi Trott (Marion), Peter Llewellyn Williams (Much), Mark Ryan (Nasir), Robert Young (producer), Iain Meadows (sound producer), and Barnaby himself, we settled down to giggle our way through a behind the scenes film of the recording.

I’m not going to tell you about the audio itself, because that would ruin it for you. I will tell you that the cheer that went up with the HTV music played, and the theme tuned sang out was probably heard far beyond nearby Bond Street. If you’d like to hear #KOTA for yourself, then you can order your copy here- https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robin-of-sherwood-the-knights-of-the-apocalypse#/

After the show was over, a Q&A session followed, but I’ll tell you more about in the next blog tomorrow…

All too soon it was over, but there were still photos to be taken with the cast before we all returned to the Cock and Lion pub. I found myself sat with the delightful Mr Connery and some friends talking about life, the universe, and his latest film Tommy’s Honour, which opens the Edinburgh Festival in June- check it out. I’ve seen a bit, and it’s awesome.

What an incredible day we had- and now…well…now I’ll write another blog (but first I’d better do the ironing!)

Jenny x