This Time Forever, by Linda Swift, Reviewed.

This American Civil War romance does much that genre readers will expect of it. I was introduced to

it by a friend of a writing friend who knows of my interest in the romance genre. It is clearly written with a female readership in mind, and I have no argument with that.

The central romance runs the course of hope, challenge, new hope, further challenge, etc. But it does it well, with some fairly detailed history of the times it presents. I suspect US readers will find it more familiar, since it’s a part of their history. For me, as a Brit, there were odd references that were obscure, and some geographical aspects that had little meaning. But these didn’t detract from the story and didn’t interrupt the flow. Pacing is good, as is the use of language.

The characters, always a vital aspect of any story for me, are well drawn. They have their faults and their positive qualities, and none is a caricature or stereotype. The different attitudes of both sides in the war are well expressed, and, as should be expected in our more enlightened times, the evils of slavery are depicted in subtle but definite ways. Certainly, the right wing, greedy, and abusive way of life of those in the Confederacy are demonstrated, but these are not thrust down the reader’s throat.

The story moves well, slowing for the romance, speeding up for the action. There is a good deal of tension between both family members and the main protagonists. Evil and good are well represented as are loyalty and betrayal. Love, of course, is given a good ride and drives much of the action in the story, as it should. The author has managed to get inside the contemporary religious hang-ups of the age, describing the mistaken guilt and hypocritical judgment that would have been common at the time.

In spite of a slightly slow start, the story develops a good pace as the action progresses and conflicts rise to the surface. This is a good read and one of the better examples of the romance genre. I enjoyed it and found I was eager to reach the denouement and the satisfactory conclusion. Recommended.

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#BookADayUK; A Reader Event For October. Day 29

The Books Are My Bag.com promotion to support independent bookshops is coming to a close.

Today's theme is 'Most memorable fashion moment'. For me, this is a difficult one, since I am of the same mind as Oscar Wilde on the issue of fashion. He said: 'Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.' In fact, I'd go further. Fashion is probably one of the most irresponsible industries that we have to endure. It makes women, and more recently, many younger men, feel inadequate and unsatisfied with their bodies. It demands that people replace their wardrobes with increasing frequency, thus wasting valuable resources in a world with finite supplies of almost everything. And it grants an inappropriate status to those who simply have the good fortune to be today's accepted version of beauty.

However, since this is actually about book shops, and therefore books, I shall have to find something that has some mention of fashion or at least clothing in its content. To be honest, since the issue doesn't interest me, I'm struggling. And the only book I can recall with any sort of mention of clothing is one of my own. So, I'll shamelessly promote my own book, which can be ordered from your local book shop. It's received a lot of 5* reviews, so it must be considered a good read. Try Breaking Faith: you never know, you might enjoy it!

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The Bull At The Gate – Writing About Alternate Realities

This weekend sees the launch of Linda Acaster’s The Bull At The Gate, Book 2 in the Torc of  Moonlight trilogy of occult thrillers set in northern England. One of the challenges facing an author is writing with depth, and she’s visiting the blog to explain how she creates multi-layered fiction within a single book and across a trilogy. Do leave a query or comment as a copy of Books 1 and 2 will be awarded to one lucky person.  (Please note; this prize has now been awarded.)

~~

Thanks, Stuart, for the welcome.

Ever witnessed an event alongside a friend and later listened, incredulous, to their account of what happened? And when you voiced your take on what occurred they stood open-mouthed staring at you? It’s all a matter of perception, and everyone’s perception is different.

I use this insight with varying emphasis throughout the Torc of Moonlight trilogy, which follows the resurrection of a Celtic water deity. Nick carries the novels. In Book 1 he’s nineteen, studying at Hull’s university, and like many of his age believes in the indestructibility of youth; Alice is his true love. Or is she? Is his perception coloured by events, both earthly and occult? The ambiguity is drip-fed from an early stage and encouraged by the use of a historical Prologue through which readers perceive the contemporary events.

This ambiguity is carried across to the two parallel storylines, one contemporary, one historical. Is a middle-aged tutor as lecherous as hearsay suggests? Why has he and a girlfriend from his younger days kept in touch if they bicker like an old married couple? Is the Romano-Briton a Gabrovantices Celt or as Roman as his name? What befell him in his own time to trap him in water he envisages as a blessed Pool, despite it now being no more than a muddy puddle?

As have many cultures, Celtic lore held the power of the indivisible three in high esteem. That number is woven throughout the three storylines, and is the reason for a trilogy rather than a series. Not until the ending of Book 1 does the unnamed deity make a true appearance, yet, like the power of the three, it has resonated within each storyline throughout the novel.

In keeping, newly launched The Bull At The Gate opens three years after Torc of Moonlight closes and contains three storylines running parallel. Dragging himself from the grip of post traumatic stress syndrome, Nick moves to York to work at the university, arriving in February just as the Jorvik Viking Festival commences.

Yet beneath the city’s mediaeval minster cathedral sits the foundations of the Roman fortress that garrisoned the infamous Ninth Legion, and the Sixth Victrix. Across the river stood the colonia Eboracum, its Forum, public baths, temples and cemeteries now buried beneath a modern urban sprawl. For the Romans, Februalia is a time for cleansing, and a retired legionary has a pressing need to cleanse the Temple of Mithras. Christ-men are building their own temple and turning covetous eyes on both dressed stone and a spring sacred to the goddess Luna.

When a female student is reported missing, the police suspect Nick of being involved in her disappearance, and as events from Book 1 return to haunt him, he realises that it’s not PTSS that he’s been suffering. Trapped between worlds, Alice is trying to contact him, and in doing so she may have opened a portal that has closed around the missing girl. But who is going to believe that he’s not an over-enthusiastic historical re-enactor? Can Nick reach and free both the girl and Alice, and is it love or guilt that’s driving him?

Whose perception of reality is correct: the police who believe Nick needs psychiatric help? His work colleagues who think he’s trying to pass reproductions as true archaeological artefacts? The Roman who is convinced an Otherworldly force is bent on destruction of everything he holds dear?

Ambiguity need not slow a novel, but it does add depth because it makes the reader work. Get into the mind of each of your viewpoint characters and truly understand their perceived reality. Where does it state that one, or more, cannot be an unreliable narrator?

Book 3 of the Torc of Moonlight trilogy, currently being written, starts three years after the close of The Bull At The Gate, is set in another university city, Durham, and again has two contemporary and one historical storylines. A sense of symmetry creates a background resonance of its own.

~~

Linda Acaster has written in a number of genres, and her back catalogue holds seven published books including a writers’ resource, over 70 short stories, and a plethora of articles for writers’ journals. Torc of Moonlight is currently discounted to 99p/99c. The Bull At The Gate is now available on Amazon and in all other eformats from Smashwords while distribution filters through to the iBooks, Nook, and Kobo stores. For more information visit her website.

Ghost in the Gold, by Lilleyn Kaye, Reviewed

Looking for fantasy, I came across this book via a recommendation, and I’m glad I did. Lilleyn Kaye is a new author to me and I’ll certainly look out for more of her work. In this tale of witchcraft and love, she sends the reader on a journey with plenty of twists and turns.

Those familiar with my reviews will know that I’m very keen on good characters. In Ari, Sira and Dion, this writer gives us well-rounded characters with their flaws and idiosyncrasies; people we can relate to and empathise with. But, in Claudia and Edward, she gives us a pair of the most wicked individuals you could ever wish to find on the page; I can only hope never to meet such evil in real life!

The theme of the book allows for plenty of sex, but this is neither intrusive nor excessive, as it’s an essential component of the story. In particular, the sexual awakening of young woman with no experience is handled well, illustrating the theme of the corruption of innocence without straying into prurience.

The story is well written and paced, taking the reader through events that slowly build into a nightmare experience. The final third of the book is fast-paced and tense, culminating in a denouement that is both inevitable and satisfying. Have your tissues handy.

A fantasy romance with edge, this is a book that will hold your attention and reward your time with a story well told. Fully recommended.

The Third Twin, by Dani Sinclair, Reviewed

This is a Mills and Boon Silhouette, ‘Intrigue’ romance. That probably means a lot to those who read these books regularly. As a writer, and a bloke, I read this one to see whether it was a genre I could write. So, bear all that in mind as you read this review.

It is, of course, a love story. But it’s also a lot more. The element of crime is strong, as are the elements of family and social injustice. A lot of readers condemn these books out of hand, assuming they’re poorly written and formulaic. I found this to be neither of those things.

There is suspense, mystery, tension, both sexual and general, and there is, of course, a burgeoning romance. It’s this final element that’s formulaic. The reader understands that the two main protagonists are destined for each other and recognises the barriers placed for them to cross in order to arrive at the essential happy ending (no, I don’t think that’s a spoiler: a romance of this nature has a happy ending; they all do).

As for the writing? It’s tense where it should be, description isn’t overdone, the action scenes are well handled and the relationships, complex and multi-faceted, are presented cleverly. I found the plot a little over-cooked and the author seemed to have found herself in something of a maze, if the denouement narrative is a guide. The ending reminded me a bit of Agatha Christie’s Poirot and his habit of describing his method of detection to the gathered guilty and innocent.

For me, character is the most important factor in a book. The individuals who people these pages are well drawn and various. That they can be slotted into various stereotypes is inevitable, given the narrow guidelines determined by the publishers, but that doesn’t prevent these particular players from being real people. I enjoyed the strong female lead and the object of her desire fitted in well with her hopes with enough potential flaws to make the reader wonder just enough. The minor players were also well constructed.

There is inevitably, given the specifics set by the publishers, rather more telling than showing than is good for the book. And some of the twists and turns seem to have been inserted ‘on the hoof’ rather than planned; but I can hardly complain at that, since I do it all the time myself.

But, in spite of its intended female readership and the slant it must take for such an audience, I enjoyed the read and found it largely satisfying. For those who care, there remains an unanswered question, of course. The answer is that I have already written a book containing much of what we find here, but I couldn’t write for this specific genre. It’s too confined and controlled for the way I write. But that’s not a reflection of the ability of this author; she’s worked within the constraints admirably and turned out a pretty good read that, I imagine, will sit very happily with those who more regularly read this type of fiction.

So, if you enjoy your romance with intrigue, mystery and some threat facing the heroine, you’ll get good value and plenty of entertainment from this one. Give it a go.

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