R Cawkwell

ARC Review: ‘Six Women of Salem’ by Marilynne K. Roach

Da Capo Press

3rd September 2013

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ARC Review: ‘Local Customs’ by Audrey Thomas

22 February 2014

Dundern

In 1838 the writer Letitia Landon married the governor of Cape Coast Castle, Captain George MacLean while the captain was on leave. It was a whirl-wind romance. They sailed for Cape Coast a few days later, arriving safely after five weeks. Eight weeks later Letty was dead. Initially her death was recorded as accidental – an overdose of prussic acid, but events surrounding her death caused a storm in London’s literary crowd, her husband was accused of neglect or cruelty, and there were rumours of suicide. The mystery remains – how did she die? Award winning writer Audrey Thomas first heard Leticia Landon’s story in 1964 while visiting Ghana. She visited Cape Coast Castle during the two years her husband taught at the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Their guide told her about the famous English lady who wrote books and who’s death was surrounded by mystery. This is her answer to that mystery.

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Review: ‘Dead Ever After’ by Charlaine Harris

2013

Gollancz

The final adventure of Sookie Stackhouse begins the day after the penultimate novel ended: Sam the Shapeshifter lived and Eric the Vampire is not happy that Sookie used the fairy gift from her great-grandfather to bring Sam back and not to get him out of a sticky political situation. Everyone is upset. And then an old enemy comes back in to Sookie’s life, an instrument of unknown enemies. When she is murdered the police would quite like it if Sookie were the murderer. It all gets very stressful for Sookie as more enemies come out of the woodwork and Eric divorces her. Sam is distant and confusing, Bill a little too friendly.

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TONIGHT The Nightmare Factory Book Club feeds you to the werewolves

BookPeople

~post by Steven W

Good evening, weary travelers. Come in from the rain and fortify yourself with a warm beverage, why don’t you? Bring us news of the outside world as we rummage through this old curiosity shop that we call home. Perhaps one of our old, forgotten trinkets may be of some assistance to you on your journeys, friend.

Have you any use of a “Mogwai”? No, no, of course not. They are dreadful creatures indeed with pretentious dietary restrictions. How about a “Lemarchand’s Box”? We can show you the “Lament Configuration”. Not your cup of tea? We understand. Hell dimensions can be so tiring with their desperate neediness. Surely what you need is a ventriloquist’s dummy with something on its mind. No? A haunted camera? A conch shell that sings with a mermaid’s voice? A murderer’s jacket? A tincture of laudanum? Aha! We should have guessed it with…

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The weekend is about to begin

For some people people that means sleeping late, shopping and hobbies (going out with friends counts as a hobby) or spending precious time with the family. Except some of us work shifts or weekends. Which makes it difficult to have regularly scheduled hobbies.
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Review: ‘My Brief History’ by Stephen Hawking

10th September 2013

Bantam

Stephen Hawking has written several popular science books that have been incredibly well received. And now he has written his own story. I have read an uncorrected e-book and am now able to review it.

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Review: ‘Happy women live better’ by Valorie Burton

2013

Harvest House Publishers

America’s ‘Happiness Queen’ Valorie Burton wants to start a conversation between women about why they aren’t happy and provides thirteen ‘happiness triggers’. Ms Burton is a professional counsellor I understand, from this book, and has made a career of helping others find happiness; so just the person to write this sort of book. I have a review copy, which is incomplete, so I shall confine my comments to structure and available content. I would have liked to have seen the contents of the projected appendices and conclusion; I’m sure they would have been very interesting.

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:: Writing Women – Welcome to Mslexia. The magazine for women who write. ::

:: Writing Women – Welcome to Mslexia. The magazine for women who write. ::.

Ladies (and gents – I can’t see how you shouldn’t find it interesting) if you’re a writer I highly recommend this magazine. I have been a subscriber for two years now and always find something in it to read. It’s published four times a year to an excellent standard. They are always looking for submissions from women writers. They have fiction and poetry competitions, and helpful information.