Saturday, July 12, 2014

JESSIE by Rebekah Lyn (16 - 18 July)



The four Cole boys suffer abuse at the hands of an alcoholic father, while largely being left to their own devices by a heartbroken and overworked mother.  Their adventures on their island home have become a welcome escape, and one of the only things in life the boys can truly rely on. Jessie, the youngest and a dreamer, becomes enamored with US plans for manned space flight and its race to the moon, stirring his own dreams of one day becoming an astronaut. In a strange twist of fate, it is the space program and the momentum it gains that abruptly brings their beloved island life to an end. The family is forced to move to the city and start anew.

Life in town creates new challenges, financial pressures, news of the Vietnam War and the impending threat of the military draft for Max the eldest of the Cole brothers. 

Guest Post:
So, Who's Your Publisher?
My best friend's son text me out of the blue to tell me his buddy was finishing up a book that he thought had a great plotline and wanted to know if my publisher only took Christian books. I smiled at the text from this kid I've known for twenty years but haven't seen since his high school graduation. This was the latest in a serious of similar inquires from friends, relatives, or perfect strangers who happen to be friends with someone who knows me.
I replied to the text with the answer I am starting to get down pat. Self-publishing is the way to go if your friend has the nerves for it. Have him call or email me and I'll share everything I know.
When I started this publishing journey I was working with a writing partner, DiVoran Lites, who is several years older.  She'd gone to writing conferences as a young woman and even had one of her books considered by HarperCollins. She never got published though and focused her energy on raising a family. We both finished our books and while I started working on a new story she went back to do more polishing and refining. With my second book written I decided it was time to start looking into publishing.
I read tons of articles, started following literary agents on Facebook and Twitter, subscribing to their blogs, and crafting query letters. I sent out a few queries and kept reading everything I could find on publishing. That's when I discovered self-publishing.
I liked the idea of having complete control over my manuscript, being able to follow it from start to finish, keep track of sales and manage pricing. I talked about all I was learning with my writing partner, hoping she would take the plunge with me. She smiled and encouraged me, but didn't think her book was ready yet. In October 2011 I uploaded my first book, Summer Storms, and learned that publishing was only the second step in the writing journey. Now I had to learn how to get my book in front of people who might find it interesting.
About six months after I published Summer Storms, DiVoran started asking questions about my experience and before I knew it, she was pulling out that old book that had been sent to HarperCollins, dusting it off and getting it ready to publish. I'd found an editor and a cover designer by this time and they were both working on getting my second book ready for print so I put my friend in touch with them. At this point our publishing journey took a small split as DiVoran was more than happy to have the editor do the book formatting while I like to maintain that control.
Another friend of a friend, Dean Gaschler, asked me for direction when he started working on his book of short stories from his career at Walt Disney World. For many years Dean chose the family that would be the grand marshal of the Magic Kingdom parade and had collected their stories. I shared with him all I had learned from my first two books as he and his wife helped me complete the trailer for my third book. In the end, Dean chose to go with a local small press and he seems very happy.
Everyone is going to have a different comfort level and I try to make sure those who ask for my advice know the pros and cons of self-publishing. If you want your book to succeed, this becomes a full-time job and there are days when it may not seem worth it. But then there are the days you get to interact with a reader and hear what they enjoyed about your book and there are the days when aspiring writers will come to you for advice. Those days make all of the hard work worthwhile. I love sharing my experiences with others as well as learning from those who have more experience. That is one of best parts of the indie writing scene, the camaraderie and support.




Set Back
April 25, 1961

Jessie stood at the edge of the playground with two other boys, anxious for the next space launch. Recess would be over any minute. There would be no time for a hold in the countdown. Two weeks earlier the Russians had announced the successful launch of Yuri Gagarin into space. Once again the Americans had been left behind but today’s launch would hopefully be the last before America put their own man into space.
Jessie held his breath as the rocket appeared above the trees. Then it happened. The plume of white smoke erupted into a fiery ball, debris flying in all directions. Jessie didn’t wait for the teacher’s frantic call to take shelter in the school. He shook his head and turned his back on the carnage. At the door, the teacher gently laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. Any other day and Jessie might have resented it, but he knew, today, it had nothing to do with his father and the reputation he’d developed for himself the past couple of years.
When school was out, Jessie dragged his feet along the familiar path home. He kept walking when he came upon his brothers, his head down, watching the sand shift beneath his worn-out sneakers.
I heard the explosion.” Max draped an arm over Jessie’s shoulders. “Sorry.”
Jessie nodded.
Maybe we should go out to the beach, see if we can find any pieces,” Ricky suggested.
The thought turned Jessie’s stomach, but then he stopped. “That’s not a bad idea. I’d like to have something to remember we at least tried to get to space.”
Don’t talk like that,” Sam said. “We’ll get there, it’s just going to take time.”
Jessie knew Sam was trying to be encouraging, and so attempted a smile of thanks before shifting course across the large field of scrub grass.
The boys spread out when they reached the beach. The tide was low but turning. Jessie took the section closest to the water, knowing the rising tide would cover it in another hour. The salty tang of sea spray filled his nostrils and he inhaled, while his eyes and ears locked away every detail of the sand and surf.
He saw a flash of light ten feet ahead and quickened his pace, keeping his eyes on the spot. The ocean foamed up, then slowly retreated. Jessie squatted down to find a silver and black triangle, partially buried in the sand. Another wave rushed toward him, splashing over his feet and soaking the bottom of his shorts. He held onto the metal afraid the undertow would pull it out to sea. When the water receded, Jessie pulled the debris free of the remaining sand. It was five inches tall and three wide. Turning it over in his hands he noted scorch marks and part of what he thought might be the letter U or A from the USA painted on the side of the rocket.
Guys,” he waved to his brothers.
Max arrived first. “What’d you find?”
Jessie handed him the piece of metal.
Cool.” Ricky joined them and reached for the newfound treasure.
Good job, Jess.” Sam clapped his brother on the back. “I didn’t think we’d find anything that big.”
Jessie reached for the metal and traced the rough edges. “You don’t think they will give up do you?”
Sam shook his head. "Since the Russians have gotten into space already, I don’t see how we can give up now."
"I hope they don’t.” Jessie tore his gaze away from his find and looked at his brothers. “I want to be an astronaut."
Max laughed. "You can't be an astronaut."
"Why not?"
"Cause you gotta have money to be an astronaut. You don't think Shepard and Grissom and all those other guys are dirt poor do you?"
"Maybe they’re not dirt poor, but they aren’t filthy rich. They were chosen because they were in the military and had good records."
"So you gonna enlist when you turn eighteen? We'll probably still be in that dag gum Vietnam and you'll go and get yourself killed the first day in the jungle."
"Nuh-huh. I know how to take care of myself. I hide from you in the woods all the time." Jessie balled his hands into fists and planted his feet.
Sam stepped between them. "Cool it, Max. If Jessie wants to be an astronaut, then maybe he can be. Lots of things are changing."
Max snorted. "Yeah, and I could be President."
"If that happens, then I'm moving to Mexico," Ricky quipped.
Jessie laughed and unclenched his fists. Yet again Sam had brokered peace without anyone coming to blows. Maybe Sam was the one who would become President.
Sam stepped back. “Let’s head home.”
Did you hear Mom and Pop got another letter from the government yesterday?" Max asked as they walked along the hard packed sand.
"About what?" Jessie asked, turning up the beach, shuffling through the soft sand to a well-worn path across the dunes. Thick saw palmettos, sea grapes, and sea oats grew on either side of the path, slowly thinning as the boys moved farther from the beach.
"About buying our land. They want to expand the missile complex more. They've been buying up all the land around here." Max swatted at a dragonfly buzzing around his head.
"But they already have so much land, what do they need more for?" Jessie ducked under the wispy needles of an Australian Pine tree, his brothers close behind.
"How'm I supposed to know? I didn't see the letter, I just heard them arguing about it after we went to bed. Mom wants to take their offer, but Pop doesn't want to move."
"I don't want to move either," Ricky agreed. "I like being close to the beach and huntin' in the woods."
"I don't think we have much choice. Sounded like the government letter said we take the offer or they'll just take the land away from us."
"They can't do that," Jessie cried. "We've lived here forever."
"Not forever, you moron," Max sneered. "Mom and Pop only moved here during the war, when Pop got assigned to the Banana River Naval Air Station."
"Still, that's practically forever." Jessie let his fingers run through the thin pine needles as they emerged from the copse of trees into a clearing.
"There are families that have lived here since the 1800s and they’re being bought out too. I don't think the government is going to consider our twenty years here more important," Sam replied.
Jessie rolled his eyes. Leave it to Sam to know the history of the island.
"But they can't just take our land," Jessie insisted.
"Yes, they can, it's called eminent domain. If they can prove to the court that private property is needed for public use and fair compensation has been offered, the court will likely rule in favor of the government."
"But this isn't public use," Ricky interjected.
"Yes and no." Sam leaned forward, obviously warming to the subject. "A public park isn't being created, but the research being conducted and the satellites being launched are for the public good. Plus, the government will probably be able to make a pretty good case for public safety. Think about how close this piece of the rocket landed to our house. The government can use this incident and the others before as evidence of danger to the people still living on this end of the island."
"All right, professor, we get it, but it still doesn't mean I want to move," Ricky interrupted.
Up ahead, Jessie could see the orange grove that bordered their land, and glanced back over his shoulder. He couldn’t see the beach through the trees, but it had taken less than five minutes to stroll home. Sam was right. This one had been a little too close for comfort.


About The Author



Rebekah is a Christian with a heart for new beginnings. She is a Florida native and a graduate of Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Fl. A love of history, research and journaling led naturally to a passion for writing. She enjoys travel and has traveled extensively across the United States and Canada as well as Europe and the Caribbean. Her reading taste run from the classics to light fiction. When she is not working or writing, she enjoys cooking, baking and sharing recipes on her blog.

Her current works include, Summer Storms and Winter's End, books one and two in The Seasons of Faith series, and Julianne the first book in The Coastal Chronicle series. She is currently working on Jessie a coming of age novel set in coastal Florida during the early days of the United States manned space flight program. Jessie is the second book in the Coastal Chronicles Series.





Connect with Rebekah through:

Blog:  http://www.rebekahlynskitchen.wordpress.com/
 Rebekah Lyn Books
Faith-Adventure-Hope
379 Cheney Highway #230        Titusville, Fl 32780 

JESSIE by Rebekah Lyn (16 - 18 July) Giveaway

Please find below the giveaway link or code (whichever you prefer to use.)

The giveaway consists of:

So for the US
Gift Bag
Autographed book $15.99
NASA Retrospective DVD $29.95
Tote bag $10
Necklace $10
Apollo 11 patch $5.95
Pen $3
Space Ice Cream $4.00
Magnet

International
$50.00 PayPal Casand and digital copy.

Reviewers:
$15 cash or amazon GC and autographed copy for favorable review.



Link:

Code:

<a id=rc"-a455c748" class=rafl"" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a455c748/" rel=nofollow"">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>

Fabulosity Reads Book Promotions is a book touring website that promotes authors and their precious works to an extensive audience using blogs, twitter, Facebook and other Social Media, with the aim of introducing them to an appreciative readership. 
They offer a diverse range of both complimentary and affordable products to help the reach of your book go that much further.


Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Never Upon a Time Book Release Friday 11th


Synopsis

You’ve always hated her, but you might not know the whole story. . .

Edith may not be brazen and enchanted like her twin sister, Ember, but in a world of dying magic, perhaps her simple desires are enough.

After a Selection Banquet gone awry, Edith is left without a suitor or a plan. Befriending a little white fox and occupying herself with a philanthropic project outside castle walls, Edith soon rebuilds morale and musters enough courage to reach out to her estranged twin sister.

But Ember’s been harboring an evil secret - and thwarted love and jealous can turn acts of merit into classic tales of wickedness in this new twist on an old tale.


Excerpt

“Away with you! Or I will scream as if I’m being murdered.” Gretchen’s voice grew shrill.
The fact that the word “murder” was in a small child’s vocabulary scared Edith more than the threat itself. “I will go, I will go,” she said hurriedly. Edith decided to leave her cape and make a run for the Wood. Secrecy was more important than the shawl and gifts, so she decided to make a getaway and hoped abandoning the cape would perhaps serve as a reason to return. Whether or not she wanted to brave such a return was still up for debate.
“Father and Mother will be walking up the same pathway you took to come here. To avoid them, you must go a different way or stay parallel and concealed in the forest beside it. Unless you want to bump into them?” Her tone was sarcastic. “I’m sure after yet another futile day of hunting and foraging for squirrels, they’d love to see you.”
Edith didn’t acknowledge Gretchen. Instead, she ran headlong toward to forest’s edge for fear of what might happen if Ember discovered that her most hated rival was at her cottage. When she reached the edge of Elfin Wood, a curious pull behind Edith’s ribcage had her look over her shoulder for one last glance at the dilapidated cottage. She saw her nephews standing at the window. Rune was waving profusely, hands full of the cookies Edith had made. Dash, whose eyes could be seen peeking happily from under the hood of his aunt’s cape, blew kisses with razzleberry tart stained hands. Edith clutched her chest and stepped into the tangled brush of the Wood.

Buy Links


About the Author

Meredith Jade was raised in a small town by parents who taught her to love reading. From the moment she could hold pencil to paper, she wrote. After graduating college and traveling abroad teaching English in Uttaradit, Thailand for a year, she came home. Writing was that home. Her writing has a range of inspirations, all a result of her voracious reading as a child and young adult. Anything from Victorian Literature to bird watching guides to NY Times best sellers have served as an agent for her imagination. Never Upon a Time is her first novel.


Connect with Meredith

Email: meredith.jade7@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meredith-Jade/648465681892404?ref_type=bookmark
Blog: http://thereaderproject.wordpress.com
Twitter: @meredithjade

Fabulosity Reads Book Promotions is a book touring website that promotes authors and their precious works to an extensive audience using blogs, twitter, Facebook and other Social Media, with the aim of introducing them to an appreciative readership.
They offer a diverse range of both complimentary and affordable products to help the reach of your book go that much further.



Sunday, July 6, 2014

Shattered Imperfections Tour







blurb / synopsis
Nobody is perfect. Through the scandalous family lies that bind them all together the Shaw women have survived. Four generations of women have tackled ups and downs: now, Annette is perfectly comfortable wither life. Charlene has tasted the bittersweet notes of success. Raven is preparing for the wedding of a century, and a life rich in love afterward. Beautiful, young Royael has all the pleasures of a princess…
While Dallas is in uproar over a gruesome rape-homicide, a lead Detective transforms into the ultimate stalker. A hitman lurks nearby. And death will surely come. The list of those wanting vengeance has reached its peak, but the Bible says that “God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”
Take one last roller coaster ride with the Shaw and Devereux families. Will there be rest for these souls?

Guest Post
Sequels, Sagas, and Trilogies…Oh, My!
You’ve written your best work and the reading world will love the masterpiece. Like a crafty writer, your brain has already worked plot-points and scenarios for a fantastic sequel. Then there’s a “creative brain explosion” and your mind has conjured up an outline of a three book, four book,–no wait–a five book series.
The upside of writing a series:
  1. After completing the first book, a writer has bonded with their characters. Choosing to write one an additional book or more will intensify character development. These characters become real and readers feel a connection and in a sense it makes the plot–all the pain the characters go through–even more explosive. As the author of the Shaw Family Saga, I’ve come to love and connect with my characters. Fans and bloggers have commented on how real the characters seem. Even by the last book, I’ve gotten reviews about grown with the characters.
  2. Readers are loyal. When they find an author that they love, they scour the internet–or the back flap of a novel–to find out more about said author. Hooking a “bookworm” with the first in a series can lead to a lifetime relationship, meaing increased book sales.
  3. Trilogies are often paused on cliffhangers–it is a form of enticement to continue on to the next story. Readers love books that stir their emotions. A good story can stay on a readers’ mind long after they’ve turned the last page of the book. We’ve all seen those reviews that say “can’t wait for the next one!” (Caution, if the plot points are developed incorrectly this is also a con, which will be noted on the “downside” of writing a series.)
  4. There is a potential for increased interaction with fans. Venting and praising in the form of reviews are a bookworm’s go-to. Authors get a chance to learn what fans may or may not have liked. This can lead to interaction by engaging on social media. For example, having a Facebook/ Twitter event where the readers can say what they would like to see happen next. Be creative, and listen to what fans have to say. It will spark ideas or potential changes in a story that you hadn’t even known was possible.
  5. Brand–it’s a big word in the publishing world. Being known as the author of the “Hunger Games” series or the [insert the first famous epic author at the top of your head here] really solidifies a brand and increases the word-of-mouth aspect of marketing that helps authors sell, sell, sell.

The downside of writing a trilogy
  1. Time can be the biggest issue. Sagas are usually written over an extended period of time. While writing the subsequent stories, I had to continuously revert to the previous book(s). And for those stories that have even more in a series, being consistent throughout is important.
  2. Another issue with consistency is that novelist must edit their work. Editting… what a no-brainer! Sometimes scenes have been cut out or added in and it’s easy to forget. A writer has the unedited version of a story in their memory–and if done right– the readers have the fully edited story that has been prepped for consistency and flow. So toggling back and forth from stories or having a chapter outline is key.
  3. Continuing the story with different segments must be done with “refresher information” in between to ensure cross-consistency. It takes a creative novelist to determine how much back story or “refresher information” to add in the next read. So new fans can be in ‘the know’ and old fans aren’t bored.
  4. Through researching different sites, many readers complain about overly-developed first stories. We get it, book one sets the stage for the entire series. But, creating a new world and a hundred pages of the novel can be highlighted as purely setting is a no-no. Or there’s an arsenal of characters in the story that have a back story–adding another fifty pages. While focusing on just these two parts of a novel, the author hasn’t even developed an interesting plot, leading to slow introduction book.
  5. The author decides to spoon feed the reader sets of plotlines. Without juicy webs of tension, the reader is caught in a tangle of sticky never-ending webs. Based on readers’ comments, if plotlines are being opened, opened, opened, they may just set the book aside or rant in the form of a review because nothing is being resolved. This is an epic fail.

To write a sequel, saga, or trilogy, the choice is yours
Whether you choose to write a standalone or you’re in it for the long haul, there are many pieces of the puzzle to take into perspective. Outlined above are a few–subjective–reasons to continue on the road to a saga or not. What are some other ideas you can think of before taking the plunge? Don’t introduce a problem in book one with no intention of ending it until book three. Keep in mind, it’s a big job. Have flash cards of very important points available for each book so you can cross reference. You don’t want to weave a stick web of never-ending plot.


Excerpt
I did it,” Royael smiled up at Cassidy. For the fourth time, she rubbed her hands together and placed them behind her back in order to stop the finger twiddling habit that her mom, Raven had.
I know,” Cassidy patted the top of her head.
Is Sadie coming over now? You don’t have to watch us anymore.” Royael wanted Sadie back to babysit not this woman.
We’ll just have to see what your father says,” Cassidy replied, smothering the bread with peanut butter and jelly.
Did you chill the glass for my milk?” Royael asked in her bossy tone.
Uh-I forgot.”
That’s why I need Sadie! “You said after I told dad that Tyriq met mom at the mall, Sadie could come back! I want Sadie.” She went off just like she’d seen her friend Kimberly do when wanting to go home from the party. She’d never been one for a fall on the floor tantrum type. But she’d taken her mom’s suggestion and worn her only pair of jeans today–old ones. She’d fall out if need be. When Cassidy didn’t respond, that’s exactly what she did.
It was so quick, Cassidy standing over her. Cassidy’s hand clamped over Royael’s mouth and nose. The fire sparked in Cassidy’s dark brown eyes. “I said wait till your father, Jon, gets home from jai–his trip! Now…”
Royael tugged and pulled. Her nose was crushed, and she couldn’t breathe.
Will you wait?”
She nodded vigorously.
With a smile, Cassidy took her hand away. “Give me a hug, Royael.”
Snail paced, Royael got off the floor and moved toward her. She didn’t want to, because the last time Cassidy had held her in a bear hug so tight it took her breath. Now she was just recovering from the woman’s smothering, but Royael put a smile on her face and hugged her.
You know I’m looking out for you, right?”
Ye…yes,” Royael said through grimaced lips.
Raven loves your little brother more than you. You know that, right?”
Yes,” tears formed in Royael’s eyes. Why doesn’t Mommy love me as much?
You want Sadie to come back and babysit and play. You want it to be just you and Jon and Sadie; right? NOT RAVEN!”
Royael nodded, eating up Cassidy’s realities. It was exactly what she wanted. “Yes, me and Daddy and Sadie to babysit.”
So you need to be a good girl. When he comes home, you can ask if it’s okay for Sadie to come over.”
I thought you said she could stay? She could babysit me forever? You said Daddy would leave Mommy after finding out that she’s still friends with Uncle Ty! You said they’d get a device.” I don’t know why they can’t be friends, but I have to get Sadie back! And Daddy all to myself.
Divorce not device. But yes. I did.” Cassidy took Royael’s face in her hand. She rubbed at the tears. “There there, dear child. Your father loves you. One day, you won’t have to worry about Raven bothering you anymore. But for now, just wait till Jon gets home. Andddd?”
I remember, Cassidy. I can’t mention that you helped.” Royael said with her eyes wide. Every time Cassidy finished their conversation with the long-winded word as if she didn’t remember how to keep a secret.
Yes.” Cassidy nodded.
The sound of the monitor came on. Noah cried. They ignored it. After a while Royael’s baby brother would stop crying. He always stopped.
How about until you see Sadie, you put make up on my face?”
Royael held in her smile. “Okay, Cassidy.” I’ma make you look like a clown.



About The Author

Contact links:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6535805.Nicole_Dunlap

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Châteaubriant Loire Valley France

Châteaubriand And Ruffigné

this lens' photo
They say when we are born we have only two fears the fear of falling and the fear of being alone. Our parents, coupled with our environment (the people we associate with, our music and the literature we read), as we grow older, dictate what we fear.

A mix bag of fears come from people purchasing property and usually those fears are caused by one person, the Estate Agent.

My first experience with an Estate Agent's tour was in the 80's, Loire valley France - well technically the Brittany ferry terminal in Portsmouth.

I had purchased property in England, but this type of Estate agent is a different animal and in those days they weren't as infamous as they are today. The advertisement in the exchange and mart read: Property viewing trips £99 for a week, including travel and hotel.

Our escort, a middle age Englishman who wouldn't of look out of place selling second-hand motors from an east-end car sales forecourt, crammed us into his min-bus with five other people. I was starting to become cynical.

When we arrived in Chateaubriand we were introduced to his French business partner. The Frenchman was charming, helpful and believable.

Eventually we found the perfect property for us before we told the agent that night over dinner. He preceded to over sell the property and his final-what he thought was the closer...

He told us the reason the French owner was selling because he makes a modest living growing fresh produce, but has had enough of the constant raiding of said garden by the wild deer jump over the fence from the forest at night - in fact, they practically live on the property. I nearly chocked on my Chateauneuf du Pape and my significant other was in fits of laughter. The agent threw a hissy-fit, which was even funnier, he left the next day. We signed with the Frenchman, secured the property and drove back to Blighty.

A month later, we returned with our furniture and started our dream. Two days went by, and one night, we came back to pitch black. As I drove onto the land, we stopped and stared in horror, as we looked down the land towards the forest, there were eyes everywhere, high-beamed-stunned, they eventually disappeared into the forest. I don't know if the agent knew this for real, but it was true. The deer did practical live on the land - at night anyway.




Ruffigné


When I first arrived in Ruffigné the village was quiet. The first thing I noticed was the church missing its spire, which collapsed in 1916 and was never replaced.

The village had a boulangerie (bread shop) and a bar called Chez Ann. It seemed like most of the village were in the bar when we walked in. Their eyes focused on us followed by greetings. One man threw his lips on my partner’s cheeks four times; by the time we left the bar that day they lined up to kiss her. Several people were dressed in costumes. Woman in sack-back gowns with tall hair and men dressed as musketeers. As the day was The Fête de la Fédération – Bastille Day.

Outside, three Frenchmen urinated up the side of the building as the only toilet was reserved for females.

At the time the BBC had a program called Post Card. A fly on the wall situation where they gave a couple, who had just moved to France, a camera and told them to get on with it. He was refurbishing the house and she was an artist, both from London, and I felt a connection with this couple as I was doing the same and there they were sat in the corner of the bar apparently they lived down the road from me.

The property was so cheap in this region even the two young BBC produces brought farm houses. Prices started at two thousand pounds and you could buy a large place with land for under ten grand.

A French farmer wasted no time introducing himself as my neighbour and what did we have planned for the cider apples from the orchard. I replied ‘nothing’ he asked ‘what do we want for them’ and I jokingly said our grass cut all two and a half hectors.

The next day several people and tractors turned up to cut down the over grown grass and a huge cider apple harvester truck to harvest the apples – turned out they are worth a lot.

I did get a chance to sample the cider as the bar stops trading when the maire (Mayor) turns off the lights to the village and the doors are locked. The pumps turned off and several barrels of cider heaved onto the bar you just hand the landlord a couple of francs and help yourself. After a few of them my words “I’ll never use the outside toilet” went out the door.
My place in France.




My Favorite French Film






Châteaubriant

Steak For Two


 
  Ingredients

1 whole Beef tenderloin, 6 pounds, trimmed
3 tbls butter
8 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat the Oven gas mark 6 – 400F – 200c.

Season the meat with salt and ground black pepper covering the whole joint.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the beef and sear for 3 minutes turning. Place in the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  • Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 4 tbls white vinegar
  • 4 tbls white wine
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed
  • 15 peppercorns
  • crushed
  • 4 tbls finely chopped shallots
  • 11/2 tbls chopped tarragon
  • 11/2 tbls water
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 11/2 cup unsalted butter
  • melted

Instructions

  1. For the sauce
  2. Combine the peppercorns, wine, vinegar, shallots, and tarragon in a saucepan and bring to the boil reducing for five minutes and strain.
  3. Mix the liquid in a bowl with the egg yolks - the bowl should be in hot simmering water. Whisk until frothy adding the butter until the sauce thickens.
  4. Season with salt and pepper

 Films set in France






Films set in France
It was because of films like this period adventure, I sat and watched on a Sunday afternoon, that started me thinking about France as a child and it is still a classic to this day. One of those films that could never be remade successfully because of the actors like Stewart Granger, Janet Leigh, Mel Ferrer and Eleanor Parker. - this film was directed by George Sidney and based on the book by Rafael Sabatini.
Scaramouche


Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Chris Haslam’s EL SID



Another Great Read

this lens' photo
It's not very often I have feelings of loss or nothing to look forward to after finishing a book, but my latest read had me totally gutted when I turned the last page and read, the end. El Sid by Chris Haslam, is the last book he wrote following the Alligator Strip and his first book, Twelve Step Fandango.

Chris Haslam works as a journalist in London and gained food for the mind through various experiences and some diverse jobs from around the world, including a ski guide and firearms instructor. You get a sense of his research skills when reading his books and feel as though he has been to the places he describes so vividly.

We start in present day, meeting Sidney Starman ?El Sid' at the penultimate episode in his life. He wants to spend his last time on this planet looking for gold and to find out what happened to a lost love. He entices the help of a couple of troubled likely lads who are more than likely to scupper everything they tried to do to reach the goal.


EL SID


This is a journey into the past, unravelling the truth by flitting back to 1937. When El Sid was a soldier with the foreign brigades in the Spanish civil war and was embarking on an unauthorised covert operation, led by a hard-ass American, named Cobb and a dodgy German killer called Kreuz. They travel across enemy lines to stop the execution of a Gypsy thief, who knows the whereabouts of a hundred boxes of stolen Spanish gold, a part shipment of a larger hoard on its way to Russia, naively for safe keeping.

The progression of their road trip and a combination of bad luck and listening to El Sid’s stories force Sid’s companions, Lenny and Nicholas, to become more and more sceptical along the way whilst facing their own inner demons and questioning their own worth. The journey starts across the bay of Biscay and Santander, Alhambra, Palencia and eventually on to their destination of Montalban, Teruel province in Aragón.

Numerous visits to Spain made sure the historical side is well researched and chilling to think of a world that existed like that, not so long ago and how cheap life was then.

As usual in Chris Haslam’s books, like twelve step fandango and the Alligator strip. The ending starts to collect momentum and finishes with several directional choices, with the author choosing a less than obvious route. 

Two ex-cons are promised a share in a hoard of stolen Spanish Gold, taken in the Spanish civil war. The brains behind the caper is Spanish Civil war veteran, Sidney Starman. Now on the last leg of his life, he wants to return to his past, pulled by the curiosity of a lost Love and the need to know, is the gold still there.



Reasons why I liked this book so much

El Sid


First the characters, you can look at an older person and think that what you see is what you get, in regards to their lives, judging them by how they are and look now and not really putting any thought into how they were. Even at my age, my daughter is astonished when I know the words to the latest hit song. She not realising it is a remix from my youth.

The author gives us chapters in present day, and then contrasts it with events that took place in 1937, the two subordinate characters, Lenny and Nick, treat old Stanley like a doddering old fool. Yet when we read what he was up to in the war, it’s amusing and shocking. We share the secretes that Sidney has been hiding and get a feel for what he is capable of, it also shows in contrast how much these ex-cons are loses. I have some more reasons, but I think they could spoil it for those that may read the book.

Towards the end you realise just how powerful and heart-breaking Sidney’s journey is. Remembering what had happened in the past and painfully thinking what if, as you shift uneasy on your seat, wondering where this is going.

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Twelve Step Fandango

Alligator Strip


Twelve Step Fandango introduces us to Martin Brock, a likable, yet amoral anti-hero and drug dealer living up a mountain in a forgotten pueblo with a wild and bitter, German Chica, whose unquenchable habit and deceit lands them on the wrong side of some scary French gangsters. This is a cringing, kick ass ride at break neck speeds.

Once I read it I had to get his next book Alligator Strip, about the same character, but this time starting in Marrakesh Morocco, the place he fled to at the end Of Twelve Step Fandango. He eventually ends up in Florida, dodging bullets, ex-husbands, tornadoes, and falling in love with a hot pole dancer, whilst working a scam with a gold coin dealer. Superb!






MEET THE AUTHOR

The Best Comfort Food

Delicious Tomato Soup - Comfort Food

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There are many categories of comfort foods, and I prefer the one that describes comfort food as sentimental and nostalgic, evoking a positive feeling.

Certainly when I have my chosen flavour it reminds me of a time in my past that felt and seemed positive. There are a lot of recipes out there and variations; seems like everyone has their take on this popular soup.

My favourite recipes I have hunted down and tried because I was looking for a particular version that is as close as I could get to a leading brand. That brand holds a lot of memories...

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Comfort Food and Nostalgia

Now and again when I was ten or eleven I used to walk home at lunch time to eat, as my mother had mentioned, she would also be home for lunch (a rare occasion), and there waiting for me was a bowl of cream of tomato soup. Okay I’m not going to lie and suggest my mother made it, she had an hour at best for lunch, and was a bus ride away from work.

No this was out of a tin, ‘Heinz’ and we didn’t have it often. I’m not sure if my mother added something, or if it was simply the memory of spending half hour with her that for some strange reason, at this time of the day, was different, less stressed, and almost cheerful, or the hot crusty cobs(bread rolls) she would layer on with butter like she didn’t care. That’s my earliest memory of comfort food, Ice cream, chocolate bars and sweats in general, notwithstanding.
 

Soup of my day

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Tomato Soup

Ingredients

  • 7 tablespoons olive oil.
  • 1 clove of garlic.
  • 3 large carrots peeled and diced.
  • 1 large onion sliced.
  • 3 28-ounce cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil crushed.
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat adding the onion, garlic and carrot, cook until soft, add the basil and cook for five more minutes.
  2. Stir in the broth and add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20-35 minutes.
  3. Add the saucepan contents to a blender and purée, and strain back into the saucepan.
  4. Now over a low heat stir in the cream and heat it through to the desired temperature and season to taste with ground black pepper and salt.
 

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