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

La Tzoumaz

Inspired not only by my love of the snow-covered Alps and skiing but of course my beautiful, loving friends. Like I said, all my novels so far have evolved around romance and family dynamics so I thought it was time to experiment with some of the other relationships that are a major part of our lives – friendships. Naturally, I’ve steered away from divulging anything about my real friends’ personal lives, but I’m sure they will recognise snippets of themselves on the ski-slopes and the après ski scene we’ve enjoyed. We’ve had so much fun over the years on and off the piste!

Five Ladies Go Skiing

None of us started skiing from an early age, but we’ve had a wonderful time learning as adults and found its something all our children have taken to and created some of the best family holidays as well  friends. Pushing ourselves to learn a new skill has been one of the most challenging, but also one of the best experiences. I can’t pretend it wasn’t hard work and it helps to get your fitness up before you go, but along the way, there are so many things you learn about each other as friends too. In one of my friends, one that had been skiing a few years more, I found a new realm of faith and trust. Just one example is when she offered me her time and patience when I was gaining confidence not only as a first-time skier, but, since -  safely taking me and showing me around some of the most challenging slopes in Europe and of course, some of the most amazing mountain restaurants and après ski Europe has to offer.

Her generosity and skill took my own skiing to level to do the something similar for others including our other friends and wider family. And I can say, hand on heart, skiing has enriched my life so much, that even now at a ripe age of 21 and a bit (ha ha) I still love and enjoy skiing with my children and small grandchildren, who even at the age of five, whizz ahead of me! One of the many joys of being an older woman is being a gran.

So this story in particular may appeal to older readers who can identify with the characters more. It’s a risk for me as an author with a younger, wider readership, but I believe friends are a subject worth celebrating and I hope it’s still a fun read for any age.

 Five Ladies Go Skiing

In ebook and paperback

Five ladies, one unforgettable trip…

Escape to gorgeous Switzerland this winter with the brand new, uplifting read from Karen Aldous.

When Ginny Watts’ husband passes away, she is left grief-stricken, not only over her husband’s death but the secrets he has left behind…

Luckily for Ginny, she has four wonderful friends – Lou, Cathy, Angie and Kim – poised to whisk her away on a ladies’ skiing holiday to beautiful La Tzoumaz, Switzerland.

While all of them appear to have their lives together from the outside, little do the ladies know that every single one of them is fighting a secret battle.

As the trip unfolds, they realise that fears of tumbling down the slopes after too much après-ski fun is the least of their worries and all is not what it seems…

A novel of love, loss and friendship, perfect for fans of Jules Wake, Erica James and Cathy Kelly.

Available in ebook 5th Nov 2018  – Paperback 13th Dec 2018:

AmazonUK

AmazonUS

AmazonAus

ibooks

Nook

Kobo

Rosemary Goodacre

What was the inspiration for your debut ‘A Fortnight is not Enough’?

I began with the fantasy of enjoying a holiday so much that I refused to come home.

2. What was is that drew you to the setting for your story?

We enjoyed a holiday in the south of France in 2016. Its connection with famous artists provided a way of developing the story.

3. Tell us about your main character – what motivates her, what are her dreams, and what is her worst nightmare?

Imogen is 18 and finding her way in life – in fact this could be regarded as a Young Adult novel. She loves painting and would like to work as an artist. She is being manipulated by an older boyfriend when she meets Jules, an art student, who motivates her to follow her dreams.

4. What was the very first novel you penned and where is it now?

I’ve written various novels for years. The earliest one I still have on the computer has a theme of Good versus Evil. It concerns a woman whose dabbling in magic brings her under the influence of and attractive but sinister man.

5. What are you currently working on?

I’ve recently completed a novel entitled The Day of the Dolly Bird, which is a romance set in the Swinging Sixties. Through the New Writers Scheme of The Romantic Novelists’ Association it has received a largely favourable report from a professional novelist.

I’m currently working on a historical romance set in World War I.

6. When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always loved reading and had the urge to write. I used to dabble as a child, and a friend and I used to produce little monthly magazines.

7. What would you advise a new novelist?

Be persistent! Of course, you need to study the market, but still bring your own ideas to the writing.

8. Other than writing, what other hobbies or interests do you enjoy?

I try to keep fit by doing Zumba and taking country walks with a group.

I do voluntary work one day a week for a charity which trains disabled adults.

I love travel, particularly to the continent, and enjoy classical music.

9. What is your favourite part of the UK?

I particularly love spectacular scenery, like in the Lake District, or Perthshire.

10. Which writer or writers inspire you most?

Jane Austen is hard to beat, and George Eliot. Among contemporary writers I love the humour of Terry Pratchett and the quirky stories of Marina Lewicka. I enjoy books by Barbara Kingsolver and I was recently very impressed with Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and mean to read some more of her books. I also loved The Time Traveler’s Wife by  Audrey Niffenegger. Amazingly it was her debut novel.

11. If you were to invite three prominent people, dead or alive to dinner, which three would you invite and why?

What a tough choice! At least one needs a strong sense of humour. I’ve decided on Leonardo da Vinci and Marie Curie with Victoria Coren Mitchell to provide an element of wackiness.

12. What would be your favourite menu? Starter – Main – Desert

Salade Niçoise, Noisettes of Lamb and Strawberry Pavlova – yum.

Karen, thank you very much for hosting me on your Blog.

• 

  A Fortnight is not Enough

   

  Links:

  You can purchase a copy of Rosemary’s novel here:

  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fortnight-not-Enough-Rosemary-Goodacre-ebook/dp/B079M7BXPC/

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  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010332099458

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What constitutes a romantic setting?

Romantic Setting

For me, a romantic setting is a place that evokes all the senses! Somewhere which not only captivates my vision but both excites, and invites me to breathe in the air. A scene so epic, so inspiring, I can feel its vibrations resonate so that I imagine myself walking hand in hand with a loved one, embracing an escapist existence. Most likely, a setting is basking in sunshine like the hills of Provence or Tuscany, not only arousing my visual senses but conjuring memories of fragrance like perfumes of lavender or pungent fruits. Golden sandy beaches will enthuse my ears with sounds of softly lapping shores or, rhythmic waves. Santorini sunsets will invoke further sensual sensations, such as warm rays of mellow heat caressing the skin or the drool of saliva savouring a Greek salad and let’s not forget the heady scent of sunshine itself, sipping a cool Rose wine from a cliff-side terrace!

Oh, the magic of the Mediterranean always does it for me as I’m sure it has for thousands, but, as a reader, I love to wrap myself up the warmth of beautiful memories and immerse myself in that shower of sunshine which only lasted a week. Even when I’m in the mountains, I prefer the sun to be glistening on the snow. Yes, I love a good story but, if it can also transport me away from gloomy bruised skies and whisk me to heavenly happiness, then, I can recalibrate my inner equilibrium. It works for me. And, I am sure, it is why I am driven to transport others to escape. By travelling and, arousing my own senses, it heightens my desire to write and thus, create characters who can live and breathe the air and soak themselves in the atmosphere of some exotic destination. I can then share the experience with others and enjoy writing the story with fabulous settings, because I like to read them.

Vineyard

Of course, exotic locations are subjective. Readers will reach for their own idea of escape and there is no pleasing every reader. But what a novelist can do is to create and evoke the reader’s senses and, make the setting so enticing, that the reader wants to go there and be carried to the scene. At the heart of my second novel, The Chateau is the Chateau de Chillon. A medieval castle on the edge of Lake Leman. This is a prime example of the dichotomy of what is considered romantic because it can appear quite eerie and haunting at times but stunningly romantic at other. The book was actually inspired by a dream; a woman was being repeatedly submerged in water by a thick rope at a castle doorway. The image of her gurgling for breath still plagues me. However, as I’d often been swept away by the sight of the Chateau and, Montreux in particular had beckoned me for so long, I was naturally drawn to tell her story from this Swiss enclave. And then, quite rapidly, as I asked myself questions, researched the Chateau’s history, the characters came alive and the setting became, well, romantic!

Doorway to the Lake

We love to read about two characters who fall in love but, also as readers, also like to fall in love with the characters, the place, the era, the hopes we have for the characters and their dreams. Yes, from writing novels I’ve learned so much about how as a writer, it is me directing the story and engaging the reader to feel the essence of the setting and its romance and now view it as an integral part of the writing process. A romantic setting is more about how the characters evolve in their environment and what it can add to their story. Both The Vineyard and The Riviera are set in the beautiful settings of Cannes and Provence on the French Riviera but I hope as a writer, I have not just laboured on descriptions of the lush landscapes or carped on about the cosmopolitan glamour of Cannes but have breathed life into the lives of the characters who live there and warmed you, the reader with a blanket of emotions in which to submerge – whether you sought a romantic setting or not. I think, it is therefore, the reader who decides what constitutes a romantic setting based on the novelist’s job to evoke their senses.

http://getbook.at/TheVineyard

Not-since-Peter-Mayle

http://getbook.at/TheRiviera

http://getbook.at/TheChateau