Authors at The Grand

#AuthorsAtTheGrand

25th Oct – 7pm

Meet the Authors:

Karen Aldous, Kerry Barnes, Tony Barnes, Tony Basset, Michelle Birkby, Roger Nolan, Lizzie Chantree, Elaine Everest, Elaine Roberts, Lindsay Fairgrieve, Jean Fullerton, Katie Ginger, Colette Kebell, Natalie Kleinman, Joy M Lilley, Sue Moorcroft, Emma Pullar, Sarah Stephenson, Greta Sykes, Denis Pepper, Philip Hadland and DA Kent – Joint Authors       

The Grand front (Photo courtesy of The Grand)

Apart from meeting 25 fabulous authors at The Grand and the opportunity to WIN 25 BOOKS – what else can you see and do in Folkestone?

As a frequent visitor to Folkestone and Hythe for many years staying with friends who live in the area, I’ve had the privilege of getting out and about and exploring this amazing coastal resort first-hand and still enjoy this pleasure immensely. One reason in particular is that access has improved enormously. For example, from London St. Pancras the journey time is just 53 minutes. From Ebbsfleet International which is closer for me, it’s just 36 minutes, and Ashford International, only 15 minutes. Travelling by car may not be as quick but is also easy as Folkestone is only a few minutes from the M20 making it just an hour and forty-five-minute drive from central London. And naturally, should you need somewhere to stay, The Grand is a beautiful aparthotel on The Leas of Folkestone which overlooks the vast English Channel, walkable from either Folkestone Central or Folkestone West as The Grand is in a striking position on The Leas. Parking is also easy and it’s a great spot from which to start exploring.

• A graceful majestic character, The Grand dates back to 1899 when it was completed by builder Daniel Baker and opened not only to the public, but to British royalty. King Edward VII was a frequent visitor and who, by his regal presence, enticed many people to the Leas and The Grand and its elegant dining rooms and iconic Palm Court. It was the place to see and be seen and remains a hub of activities. Keppels wine bar and award-winning bistro continues with period functions offering jazz nights and vintage dances. The Grand’s amazing history and versatility will astound you. It’s a wonderful place to stay as well as an icon of the Folkestone skyline. Photo provided by The Grand.
  

  The Leas (The Grand) last Century black and White

• Situated high on The Leas just in front of the Grand is a great spot for whiling away the hours by the bandstand imagining long gone eras and bands playing those nostalgic tunes whilst enjoying the superb views across the English Channel and on finer days, a glimpse of the French coast. It’s like travelling back in time. But before you get too comfortable take a stroll along the esplanade along the cliff and gardens feeling the soft breeze on your skin whilst contemplating your evening entertainment at the Leas Cliff Hall, a nearby entertainment venue advisable to book in advance. Acts are varied, whether touring bands, comedians, musicals or theatre productions, there’s something for every taste.
• From the Leas, the zig-zag path leads to the lower promenade and a stretch of a beautiful sandy beach. It’s useful to know all this is achievable by bicycle too. In fact, it’s possible to cycle most of the coast on the wide, flat esplanades. You have the luxury to choose to walk or cycle down the zig-zag path to the beach and Mermaid Cafe through the lower coastal park. This takes you via a grass amphitheatre and adventure play area, where many free activities take place in summer before heading for the beach. Explore further too walking along the lower promenade towards Sandgate or the bustling harbour central Folkestone.
  

  Folkestone Warren

  

  Folkestone toward harbour

• After that delightful stroll or ride taking in the beach and sea air, your appetite will soon be grumbling so will appreciate what’s in store. The harbour area and Harbour Arm have recently become a highlight of any visit to Folkestone due to fine dining options around the harbour and the numerous pop-up bars, music and restaurants on the harbour arm. You’ll hear the buzz feel the vibrancy as you approach, especially at the weekends. Breweries and bakeries fight with Champagne and cocktail bars, tasty plant-based cuisine complete with Greek delights, Indian street food, hog roasts and a whole host of artisan treats, not to mention fluffy pancakes. It’s an experience you’ll not want to miss before heading for the Creative Quarter and art galleries of the High Street.
• If its wet and blowy however and you’d rather find shelter, head back up again to the Leas and The Grand for their traditional ‘Afternoon Tea’ at their Salon de The via the Leas lift. A funicular railway which is around 135 years old, Grade II listed, and one of the oldest water lifts in the country but it will carry you up and back to another time – towards the Grand or another option is the Folkestone Museum exploring even more of the town’s people and history. In the Town Hall, Guildhall Street, explore ancient, military, maritime and natural artefacts as well as fashion and social. Adults as well as small adults will enjoy the displays and interactive activities this little gem offers. If it’s more of the military history that appeals, you’ll need to travel to RAF Hawkinge, a bus from the harbour every 30 mins or a 10 minute car journey north, to visit the Kent Battle of Britain Museum. A must see. Owned by a devoted enthusiast and helped by equally enthused volunteers, it claims to be the largest private museum dedicated to the heroes of 1940.
  

  author even prize drawer poster

• So, I hope you’ve been tempted to make a weekend trip to Folkestone on Friday 25^th Oct beginning with the #AuthorsAtTheGrand event at The Grand meeting many authors who are on standby to say hello, have a chat about their books, their genre, sign books you can purchase from them on the night at discounted prices and of course, meet other readers and discuss books with them too. Like the other authors, I hope to see you there.
  

  Six books Banner

Welcome Sophie…

Sophie Hedley with Author Julie Cohen

Sophie, the obvious question. You have reviewed hundreds of books on reviewedthebook.co.uk in less than three years, supporting authors with reviews, Q&A’s, guest posts etc, How did this happen and why?

In the summer holidays before I started University, I began reading a lot more and browsing various book blogs. I joined Goodreads and posted a few short reviews and in the end I just thought why not, and made my own blog. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d keep going more than a few months. I’d really not read an awful lot before I began blogging. But then I found the book community on Twitter, I met lots of lovely readers and authors on Twitter, discovered tons of book recommendations and completely fell in love with reading. It wasn’t until life became really tough that I realised how books have the ability to not only distract you from your problems but to inspire, motivate and make you feel something again. My reviews (the positive ones anyway) are my way of paying back to the authors a little bit of what their writing has done for me, and I hope they encourage readers to buy the books and see for themselves.

What grabs you most about a book?

I’m drawn to a cover first and foremost, so if the cover or title doesn’t get my attention, it’s less likely I’m going to turn it, read the synopsis and buy the book. But as for the content, I love a book that can hook me straight away. The first thing that needs to grab me is the main character. I want to know their voice and see their personality shine through very early on. Of course, I love a dreamy setting and a sweep-you-off-your-feet romance (or a thriller full of shocks and unpredictability) but whatever book I’m reading, whatever genre, it’s the characters that need to grab my interest and have me turning the pages.

Speaking of Characters – Of all the books you’ve read, which characters have remained with you? Hero, Heroine, Antagonist, Friend, Setting?

Great question!  Hero – Jed from Mandy Baggot’s Made in Nashville. He’s not your typical hero but that made him all the more attractive. I think I fell in love with him. Heroine – Can I pick two? Grace from Carmel Harrington’s Beyond Grace’s Rainbow is a really special character – she’s strong, positive and brave in the face of adversity and a really inspiring character. More recently, my favourite heroine has been Jacks from Perfect Daughter written by Amanda Prowse. She’s also a really inspiring person but too down-to-earth a character to realise that, and I love those honest, genuine characters you’re allowed to really get to know and root for. Antagonist – This is a toughie. Probably Patrick from Death Sentence by Sheryl Browne. We get to hear from his perspective and he is vile – disgusting, creepy, unrelenting. But a brilliant character. Friend – I love books that revolve around a group of friends – The Year of Taking Chances by Lucy Diamond, Nicola Doherty’s Girls on Tour series, Jill Mansell’s Three Amazing Things About You, The Vintage Cinema Club by Jane Linfoot and The Time of our Lives by Jane Costello are some of my faves. But if I’m picking a supporting character then probably my namesake Sophie from your book The Vineyard and Midnight from Tilly Tennant’s Mishaps in Millrise series because both characters are really supportive but lots of fun too – the ideal friends. Setting – Ashford from Rebecca Raisin’s Gingerbread Café books is magical and my absolute favourite. Who wouldn’t want to live in a town with a café selling the most mouth-watering cakes, a set of lovely, friendly villagers and a dreamy bookshop on the corner?

Sophie with Author Karen Aldous

With the many invites you have to book launches, what are among your most memorable moments?

• I still can’t believe I get invited to book launches, and my aim is for one day not to be the awkward one stood in the corner. I remember being at the launch for Pippa Croft’s Oxford Blue series and spotting Julie Cohen somewhere in the mass of guests and being completely star-struck and shy until the bloggers I were with dragged her over to chat to me. I was the same when I met Katie Fforde at the Festival of Romance. Passing Katie her handbag was about all the excitement I could cope with that day. The blogger launch party for Helen Lederer’s Losing It was another memorable experience, mostly because she was quite drunk before we got there and disappeared half way through (though she did chat to us all first!). Really, all these events are memorable to me and through signings, launches, parties, afternoon tea and meet-ups, I’ve met almost all of my favourite authors, so I’m very lucky.

With all that you do, including your studies in sports journalism, how do you manage your time?

• With no sleep! In all honesty, time management is not something I’m good at, I just get up early and stay up very late to try and squeeze everything in. When I’m at Uni, most of my free time is spent in the library either reading, writing, prepping some blog posts or catching up on some of my sports journalism work so I can crack on with my blog when I’m home. Now I’m trying to get into the habit of writing daily too, my routine is to spend the first hour or two of my day writing, study during the day, blog during the evening and read on the commute, in my breaks and until about 3/4am at night. Weekends I relax, tweet and occasionally say hello to my family and then back to it Monday. It won’t last forever but it works for now.

If you could lunch with three authors, dead or alive, who would they be and why?

Oh no, I’m useless at these questions, and a total nightmare of a dinner guest. I would just have to cop out and pick Amanda Jennings, Rowan Coleman and Carmel Harrington, one because I’ve already met them so I wouldn’t hide under the table (much) and two, because they’re writers of three of my favourite books so I could steal all their ideas and inspiration.

What inspires you?

There’s so many things I take inspiration from. As a person, my mum has been my biggest inspiration for making the most out of life. For being strong and being kind. As a writer, it’s a bit of a cliché but there’s always something to inspire me. Books, nature, music, daydreams, other people’s conversations… I’m a big people-watcher, so there’s always something!

Social networking is an essential tool for you and, part of what you do, which medium/portal do you enjoy the most?

Twitter because it’s quick and interactive. It’s the best place to connect with authors, bloggers and publicists, and those people you’d feel a bit creepy sending a friend request to on other social media sites. From a blogging perspective, most of my readers have found me via Twitter and it would be pretty pointless for me to blog without using Twitter too.Facebook is a bit more personal but I tend to, other than linking to blog posts, only use it when I have some news to share. I really don’t care for all the attention seeking and selfies. Shelfies, however…

Thrilled that you have now begun your own novel and have recently become a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writer’s Scheme – Can you tell us about your novel?

Of course. It’s a contemporary romance, set in the run up to Christmas. Kayla and Jay’s relationship is in a bit of an extended honeymoon period, where they’re blissfully happy and madly in love, looking forward to their first proper Christmas together. But life begins to get in the way. There’s family crisis, work crisis, secrets revealed and then tragedy strikes, and Kayla and Jay are hit with the strong possibility that their first Christmas together could also be their last .I’m hoping it’s one of those books that will have you smiling one minute and moved the next. It’s set in a fictional seaside town and I’ve very optimistically planned out the next two books in the series. We’ll see how it goes.

Beautiful bookworms – Sophie and her mother

Your young and beautiful Mum, who died recently – what do you think she would say about your journey so far?

Mum was the biggest bookworm and so I know she’d love where things have taken me. She’d have been proud when I won the Romance Blogger of the Year award – in fact, I’m pretty sure she’d have told everyone she knew and turned me into a local celebrity. She’d already started stealing the books I was sent to review so I think my TBR would be much smaller, instead of the complete chaos it is now. Mum always wanted to write a book, if she’d been well enough, and so I think she’d persuade me to keep on going with mine, although I know she wouldn’t let me get away with writing a bad one! She’d probably tell me to stop writing such soppy romance and go chop some characters’ heads off or something, because crime and thrillers were her favourites. It was the way my mum spoke about the books she was reading that made me take an interest in books too, so I like to think she’d know she’s the inspiration behind where my life is taking me.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

I try to not think too far ahead. But, nice house, two cats, working with a successful sports broadcaster, three books published, another book driving me mental, still reading, still blogging, still dreaming a bit too optimistically.

Just You – Just for fun:

• Summer or Winter – Summer
• Book or Kindle – Both! Kindle at a push
• Pepsi or Coca Cola – Pepsi
• Handbag or Rucksack – Handbag
• Foyles or Waterstones – Waterstones
• Skirt or Trousers – Trousers
• London or Bradford – Bradford, just
• Train or Bus – Train

Where can we read your reviews and amazing Bookblog or find you on social media:

Blog: http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiertb

Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004910118967

Blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reviewedthebook

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SophieHedley1/posts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiertb/

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/reviewedthebook

Thank you so much for taking time out to tell me more about yourself Sophie. You really are a shining star!

Karen Aldous – Author of The Vneyard

Yes, it’s called ‘The Joan Hessayon Award’. You may or may not have heard of it but I will explain because, if any new writers are reading this, it will certainly be of value. It is an award given annually to graduates from a scheme run by The Romantic Novelists’ Association called ‘New Writers Scheme’. It’s prize is the generosity of  Dr David Hessayon who continues to support his late-wife, Joan’s legacy to reward new writers. Joan Hessayon was a successful Historical Fiction Writer and member of the RNA.. This prestigious scheme is  highly respected by publishers and agents and,  I feel, was instrumental in helping me get my novel out to readers.

I did this by joining the Romantic Novelists’ Association as an associate member which allowed me on to the scheme because I had never had a novel published. This is open every January. Once accepted, you are entitled to send in your manuscript for a professional critique. That’s right, a professional author will read your manuscript and send you a report suggesting ways in which you can improve your work. For example, my reader picked out that my point of views POV needed to stay consistent within a scene, particularly when starting out. I was also, she pointed out, using my punctuation wrong after sentences in speech. They seem minor things now but, these are all so important in making your work professional and at a standard where the publisher is likely to read on when you send that make or break submission.

Having gone through this process, I sent my first three chapters and a synopsis to CarinaUK, a digital-first imprint of Harlequin/HarperCollins and eight weeks later received a two-book contract. Yes I was shocked, my first novel published by the first publisher who received it! Lovely shock of course, but this preparation was so important for me and one I would thoroughly recommend. And, graduating has given me the chance to enter this award. Each published novel that goes through the scheme is then entered for the Joan Hessayon Award. The final product is then judged on a point system by the RNA who will then reveal, at the annual Summer Party, the winner.

Of course, I would love to win but I know that I am among very talented writers who also deserve to win and Good luck to all my fellow contenders! The point is, we have all achieved publication and are following our dreams. What more could we ask!

For full details about the scheme, read here The RNA NWS

Karen’s Debut Novel

To purchase ‘The Vineyard’ click here: TheVineyardAmazonUK      TheVineyardAmazonUS   TheVineyardKOBO

My second novel is also published ‘The Chateau’ and my third, ‘The Riviera’ is being released 10th July. This will be available for pre-order soon. I am currently writing my fourth novel with CarinaUK.

Short-Story Writer Wendy Clarke tells us about her ‘Star Makeover’ with Celebrity Make-up Artist -Gemma Aldous

Karen,Wendy,Gemma

Wendy – You won this ‘Make-over’ competition in December – what was your first reaction?

Well, funnily enough for a couple of days I didn’t even know that I had won. I was visiting my daughter in Hamburg and hadn’t been onto social media. I think it was the last day of my stay when I eventually logged on to Facebook and Twitter to find that everyone seemed to know I’d won my fabulous prize except for me! It must have seemed very odd that I hadn’t responded. Anyway, when I found out I’d won, I was super excited. I don’t often go in for competitions but this was a prize I really fancied and I couldn’t believe I had won it.

You have a wonderful husband who wanted to make it even more special for you! Tell us about it?

My husband has proved to be very deceitful – but in a good way! He couldn’t think of anything to get me for Christmas and, knowing that I hate travelling to London on my own, decided to combine my prize with a weekend away. He got in touch with Karen and asked if the makeover could be linked in with a Valentine Ball at Gray’s Inn so that I had somewhere to go to show off my make-up. Not only that, but he also booked for us to see War Horse the following day, so the weekend became a very special one indeed. I didn’t find out about all this until Christmas Day!

Wendy & Gemma brush

Please tell us about your day and how you felt about being The Star of The Chateau?

I had the most wonderful day. Karen and her husband met us at The Royal Horseguards Hotel where we had a lovely lunch in the restaurant. Gemma met us for coffee, after which the men took themselves off and we went to my hotel room to start the celebrity make-over. What a great time! It felt such a treat to be pampered (and the bottle of Prosecco certainly helped!) After seating me in the window, which had perfect afternoon light (and an amazing view of the Thames) Gemma opened her huge suitcase of cosmetics and got to work. Although Gemma asked questions about what make-up I usually wore and what I liked, I was happy for her to just do what she thought best. After all, whatever she did was going to look a hundred times better than my attempt. I had no mirror in front of me and so I didn’t see the finished result until she’d finished and I couldn’t have been happier! She’d somehow managed to make me look like my husband’s favourite… Kylie!

Wendy & Gemma hair

Have you read The Chateau?

I read The Chateau very recently. Contemporary Romance isn’t a genre I usually read but I soon realised that it was pure escapism! Once I’d got over the amusement of the lead character having the same name as my nephew, I found myself carried along with the romance, the beautiful setting and the intrigue of the historical sub plot. I’m going to Switzerland this year and would love to visit the town and the chateau where the story takes place.

Wendy & Gemma lips

You have a collection of gorgeous short stories published, titled ‘Room in Your Heart’ – How did that come about?

I have been writing short fiction for women’s magazines for nearly three years and it seemed a shame for the stories not to be seen by a wider audience. A lot of my stories are romances so I decided to put together a romance collection. All the stories have been previously published in The People’s Friend magazine.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently in the final stages of putting together my second collection of stories called The Last Rose, which will be published in March. As well as this, I am continuing to write for the magazines and having recently joined the RNA New Writers’ Scheme, am in the early stages of my first novel which is very exciting.

Wendy – The Star of The Chateau

Tell us who would be your ‘Dream Valentine’ and why?

My dream valentine would be my husband – after his wonderful surprise, how could it be anyone else!

Wendy with husband Ian

Thank you so much Wendy for entering The Star of The Chateau - You really do shine!

Special thanks also to Ian who made it even more special especially as it was Valentines Day

And huge thanks go to Gemma Aldous – Make-up Artist and  the lovely Tay Pickering at Chicks that Read Blogger and Reviewer for organising The Star of The Chateau Makeover Prize competition.

Click here to purchase Wendy’s Short Story Collection

Click here to purchase The Chateau by Karen Aldous

Click here to purchase The Vineyard by Karen Aldous