#HistFicMay - What's that about?

I came across the hashtag, #HistFicMay, by accident and I'm so pleased I did. Scottish writer, Virginia Crow decided to run a social media event on Twitter throughout May, giving an opportunity for historical fiction authors to spread the word about their writing.

Every day writers are invited to answer questions and accept challenges with posts, pictures and/or quotes, using the hashtag #HistFicMay. The first week was about introductions; the second was about research; the third was about sub-genres; the fourth is now about characters and in Virginia's words, 'the last few are random!' We could take part as often or as infrequently as we wanted to.  

I took the opportunity to answer questions and prompts about my new novel, with its working title of A Tale of Two Sisters. Having now completed my first set of edits, I found taking part proved to be an excellent way of reflecting on what this fourth novel is about. The novel is set in rural Wales and Sicily in 1943 and 1968. It involves a family secret, forbidden love and ultimately forgiveness, where two sisters work together to clear their father's name of a crime he did not commit.

My main character is Claudia Rosso. She is an artist who travels to Sicily from her native Wales to find out why her father, Carlo, a former Italian POW interned in a prison camp in mid-Wales could never return to his homeland when WW2 ended. 

When identifying a sub-genre in my novel on Day 15, I found this perhaps the most useful and I can see it will help when having to tell people about my writing. Yes, all my novels are set in different historical eras, but there are not necessarily about the historical events themselves. They are family stories about ordinary people living at certain times in history, having to deal with what that era demands of them. Therefore, I do not write historical fiction 'per se'.The sub-genre I identified was 'historical romance'. There is a love interest in all my books and in A Tale of Two Sisters, there is a love story in both the 1940s story and the 1968 one. Claudia is taken on her first boat trip by Alessandro and they visit a heart-shaped cave. They are just friends but could he have something more romantic in mind? On Day 17, the quote I chose to illustrate my sub-genre was from further on in the story.

'It was turning into a perfect evening. There was something quite sensual about being with someone who took your hand and kissed you gently, looking at someone with longing but knowing they weren't ready to love you back. Yet. That word was important.' 

Courtesy of G. Lancett

The biggest pitfall for my sub-genre of historical romance was early on in the novel when I had to allow my characters to fall in love yet stay within the rules imposed on the POWs regarding fraternisation with local women. Even after Italy capitulated in 1943, that rule remained and if it was broken, the POW would be confined to the prison camp. Did I succeed?

As well as thinking about my own novel, it's been so good to read the posts from others taking part. The benefit of Virginia's idea is that I've found lots of new historical novelists to follow. Many of their books sound wonderful and are finding their way onto my ever-growing TBR pile. When May is over, I shall continue to keep in touch by taking part in #HistFicThursdays. So a big thank you to Virginia! 

Thank you for reading. Do you have a sub-genre in your writing? If so, I'd love you to comment and tell us all what it is. 

Hopefully, next time I shall have more news about the new novel with a confirmed title, a cover and a publication date from my new publisher, Joffe Books/ Choc Lit Publishers . Watch this space! 

You may follow me on Twitter @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

For more about me and my books, please visit my AMAZON page where all the novels are 0.00p on Kindle Unlimited at the moment if you are a subscriber.

 Guest Post With Sally Jenkins

Today I'm very pleased to welcome fellow Joffe Books /Ruby Fiction author, Sally Jenkins, to the blog. Her debut novel, Little Museum of Hope, is due to be published tomorrow, Tuesday 25th April.

Sally, welcome. I'm really looking forward to what you have to tell us about your new novel. It's over to you.

Little Museum of Hope 

When I give talks about my writing or mention it to friends and family, one question pops up again and again: Is it autobiographical - did this happen to you? My answer has always been an emphatic No, and I believed that to be true.

However, on reflection, I’ve been lying.

In Little Museum of Hope, several characters share chunks of their life stories with the creator of the museum, Vanessa. None of these stories mirrors my own life but several of them draw directly on tiny parts of my own experience. When I listed these, I was shocked at how much of my life is in the novel:

·       Within the museum is the Mended Heart Café, also run by Vanessa, even though she is a disaster at baking - like me! My cookery teacher wrote on my school report: Sally’s written work is far better than her practical work. Vanessa received the same diplomatic criticism.

·       Maxine is one of the first donors to the museum. She shares the story of her teenage love affair with the boy next door and its dark repercussions into her future. I never got as far as the love affair but I did have a crush on our neighbour’s son and, like Maxine, watched for him out of the window.

·      

 Stephen tells Vanessa how he learned to bell ring, in order to cope with grief, and reveals that it created new problems in his life. He donates ‘Diagrams’, a bell-ringing book, to the museum. I have been a church bell ringer since the age of fourteen and I own a copy of that book – albeit without the loving inscription found inside Stephen’s copy. My own experience in bell towers was invaluable to accurately describe Stephen’s first trip up a spiral staircase and into the ringing chamber.

·       Rose has a very minor role in Little Museum of Hope but, like me, she discovers the benefit of a Speakers’ Club. Some years ago, when I began to write seriously, I joined a Speakers’ Club because I knew I needed to grow my confidence in order to promote myself and my books. It was one of the best decisions I ever made!

·       I’m probably not the only 1960s (and possibly later?) baby to have had to learn to walk by pushing a cute stuffed dog on a frame. My Ruby Fiction editor put her hand up to this as well! When Joanne brings her old family album to the museum it features a picture of her, as a toddler, in the garden with a dog just like my own.

·       I work part-time in IT and, in the past, I’ve struggled to make my job interesting enough to use in fiction. In Little Museum of Hope, Karen has an office affair and her employer is an IT company – finally giving me the opportunity to drop in a few tiny details to add realism (not about the affair!).

Back to that original question: Is it autobiographical - did this happen to you?

New answer: None of the things in Little Museum of Hope happened to me in their entirety but there’s a little bit of me in many parts of the book. Plus, there may be more than I’m owning up to here!

About Little Museum of Hope

A jar of festival mud, a photo album of family memories, a child’s teddy bear, a book of bell ringing methods, an old cassette tape, a pair of slippers …

These are the items that fill the exhibit shelves in Vanessa Jones’ museum. At first glance, they appear to have nothing in common, but that’s before you find out the stories behind them …

Because Vanessa’s Little Museum of Hope is no ordinary museum – its aim is to help people heal by donating items associated with shattered lives and failed relationships, and in doing so, find a way to move on, perhaps even start again.

The museum soon becomes a sanctuary for the broken hearts in Vanessa’s city, and she’s always on hand to offer a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a listening ear.

But could the bringer of Hope need a little help moving on herself?

Buying Links

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Museum-Hope-Guaranteed-heartstrings-ebook/dp/B0BW4SZXRQ/

Sally's AMAZON page

About the Author

Sally Jenkins lives in the West Midlands with her husband. When not writing and not working in IT, she feeds her addiction to words by working part-time in her local library, running two reading groups and giving talks about her writing. Sally can also be found walking, church bell ringing and enjoying shavasana in her yoga class.

Get in touch or follow Sally:

Website/blog: https://sally-jenkins.com/

Facebook: SallyJenkinsAuthor

Twitter: @sallyjenkinsuk

Instagram: @sallyjenkinsuk

Thank you, Sally. That was fascinating. I'm sure readers will now be guessing about which other autobiographical snippets you didn't own up to! I hope the novel does really well and your sales soar. 

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed reading Sally's post. As readers, do you wonder how much of a novel may be autobiographical? As writers, Do you include events and experiences from your own life in your novels? I'd love it if you commented below. Thank you.

You may also follow me on Twitter: @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page. 

For more about me and my novels, please visit my AMAZON page.

 

Guest Post With Kirsty Ferry

Today, I'm delighted to welcome writer, Kirsty Ferry, back to the blog. We are both authors with Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction, which are now part of a much larger publisher, Joffe Books. Her new novel, Bea's Magical Summer Garden, is to be published tomorrow, the 18th of April. 

Welcome back, Kirsty. First of all, congratulations on the publication of another novel in the Schubert series. I'm dying to know if this story is going to be the last in the series and if so, how you feel about that. Over to you!

I can’t believe this is the sixth Schubert the Cat book! When I started a few years ago with Every Witch Way, I didn’t think for one moment I’d end up writing six novellas about this magical, mystical black cat. Bea’s Magical Summer Garden wasn’t meant to have Schubert in, but as any author will tell you, when we hit that creative block we just have to set the work aside for a little and see what happens. In this case, Schubert was pretty insistent about being in the book, so I had to give in and let him appear, and the book came much, much more easily after that.

I’d run out of McCreadie siblings by the time I started Bea, although from the moment Bea appeared as a minor character in It Started with a Wedding, angrily hacking back her overhanging plants at the behest of The Man in the Big House, I knew she was going to be the focus of the next book I wrote. It was just a case of finding a story that fit with her, and going from there.

During lockdown, I had a lot more daytime TV on, and I watched programmes such as Homes Under the Hammer and Escape to the Country. I will often put them on ‘for the dog’ when I’m in the house during the day now; but as he sleeps most of the day, I am the one that has the guilty pleasure of peering into other people’s homes and seeing the transformation of the auctioned properties in Homes Under the Hammer. I must, however, confess to yelling at the TV when I feel people have just gone on and wasted the Escape team's time, and I do occasionally mutter obscenities at the smug people who buy an auctioned home to ‘add to their portfolio of multiple rental properties.’  But it’s like poking your tongue into a poorly tooth; it’s enjoyable in a weird way! And it certainly inspired this book.

I have always loved old houses, and houses with secrets, and although Glentavish House – the Big House in the book – doesn’t really have any secrets, I liked the idea of someone buying a slightly run-down place and loving it again. A sort of Hammer in the Country mis-mash, I guess! An unfinished folly was also a lovely thing to imagine; it sort of brought the two halves of the story together, and it fitted with the tragic life of Lady Clementine whose husband hadn’t managed to build her the place she wanted whilst she lived one hundred and fifty years ago. I did have a slight danger of dwelling too much on Lady Clemmie’s potential ghost running around Glentavish in Bea, and had to rein her in. Both Bea and Marcus, the other main character,  are a little too down-to-earth to accommodate ghosts in their day-to-day lives, so the odd time where Clemmie makes herself known should hopefully have a bit of a ‘less is more’ feel. I do love writing my ghost stories, and may pick my timeslips up at a later date; but for now I am enjoying writing more contemporary, humorous books.

And will there be a seventh Schubert book? At this present moment in time, I just don’t know. My wonderful little publisher has now become part of a wonderful big publisher, and whether I can indulge my own follies with writing more Schubert books is for the future. But in the meantime, I do hope you enjoy Bea’s Magical Summer Garden, and enjoy Schubert’s latest foray into his wonderful, magical world!

About the book

What’s not to love about Bea’s Garden?

Its higgledy-piggledy layout, fascinating plants and occasional resident black cat makes it the most charming place to visit on a sunny afternoon. Plus Bea has bees – and her Honey Festival is sure to create a buzz.

But not everyone thinks Bea’s Garden is the bee’s knees.

The Man at the Big House next door has been a thorn in Bea’s side for the longest time, with his unnecessarily snippy letters about her beautiful climbing plants ruining his ‘clean lines’. Could he and his poisonous project manager Carla pose problems for her Festival? Or can Bea rely on the Man’s cousin – and her newest annual pass holder – Marcus Rainton to fight her corner?

With bee best friends, big black cats, a secret garden gate and a surprising identity reveal, Bea’s Garden is surely in line for its most magical summer yet!

Bio

Kirsty Ferry is from the North East of England and lives there with her husband and son. She won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing Competition in 2009 and has had articles and short stories published in various magazines. Her work also appears in several anthologies, incorporating such diverse themes as vampires, crime, angels, and more. 

Kirsty loves writing ghostly mysteries and interweaving fact and fiction. The research is almost as much fun as writing the book itself, and if she can add a wonderful setting and a do9llop of history, that's even better.

Her day job involves sharing a building with an eclectic collection of ghosts, which can often prove rather interesting.

For more information about Kirsty, visit:

www.twitter.com/kirsty_ferry

https://www.facebook.com/kirsty.ferry.author/

www.rosethornpress.co.uk

Buying links:

Kirsty Ferry (choc-lit.com)

Thank you, Kirsty. That was so interesting. Your enthusiasm for writing ghost stories is clear. I love the fact that you can choose between your timeslips and your contemporary, humorous stories. Good luck with the sales of your new novel.

Thank you for reading. I hope you like the sound of Kirsty's latest novel as much as I do. 

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer page on Facebook. For more about me and my books, please visit MY AMAZON PAGE.

 Stories in a Flash

This week, I met up for lunch with writing friends I made at a short story course run by Lynne Barrett-Lee almost ten years ago. We meet every few weeks and this time we looked at our flash fiction entries for a competition. I rarely write short stories or flashes these days so it was good to return to a genre I enjoy. 

What is flash fiction?

Here is a blog post I wrote back in 2018 and it was good to be reminded of what the judges of a flash fiction competition may be looking for: 

Flash Fiction goes by many names including micro fiction, short shorts, nanofiction. At my very first lesson on a short story course, I learned that a 'drabble' is a story in just 100 words and one of the most famous examples of flash fiction is a mere six words, attributed to Ernest Hemingway. 'For sale: baby shoes, never worn.' The reader is left with so many images and interpretations that are left unsaid. Flash Fiction appears to have gained in popularity over the last few years and there are plenty of opportunities to submit your stories. In fact, there is now a National Flash Fiction Day, held this year on Saturday June 24th. So what are the main characteristics of a Flash Fiction?

• Brevity. It doesn't matter what the specific word count is, Flash Fiction condenses the story into the fewest number of words possible. You have to ask yourself if every word is essential to the story. This 'paring to the bone' is an excellent discipline for me as I tend to be very wordy when I start writing a story. 

• A beginning, middle and an end. In spite of its concise form, the story structure and plot need to show a complete story. 

'For me, the basic fictional elements, such as character, setting, conflict, and resolution, still need to be present.'  Lindsay Stanberry-Flynn, Competition Founder and Judge of Worcestershire LitFest Flash Fiction competition  

• A twist or surprise at the end. Not all stories have to have one but it makes the reader think, long after reading. Other people say that the last line of a flash fiction can take the readers elsewhere, to a place where they can ponder about the ideas in the story, making re-reads inviting. 

Every year since I began submitting in 2014, I've been delighted to see one or more of my flashes published in the annual Worcestershire LitFest Flash Fiction competition anthology, having come second once and short-listed on a number of occasions. This then means I'm invited to the launch of the book each to read out one or sometimes two of my flashes. Fingers crossed that they will enjoy reading the three pieces I've sent off today

Do you like to write Flash Fiction? If so, how do you go about writing it? Do you start with a longer piece and chip away until all the superfluous words have gone or start writing with the tight word count in mind?

Thank you for reading. I'd love to read your comments about Flash Fiction. 

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

For more about me and my writing, please visit MY AMAZON PAGE. Thanks.

 Guest Post with Emma Bennet

Today I'm pleased to welcome romance author, Emma Bennet, to the blog to talk about the role YouTube plays in her writing.

Emma, it's over to you.

Starting My YouTube Channel

I discovered the wonders of YouTube a few years ago, but it was a while before I stumbled upon Authortube, the corner of YouTube with writers producing videos. I was soon absolutely hooked! How I wish this information had been available to be when I was writing my first romance, The Green Hills of Home, more than a decade ago. Not only is Authortube full of writing advice, but there are lots of opportunities to take part in live writing sprints, which definitely makes the writing process less isolating. I also love watching author life vlogs.

I mulled over starting my own channel for more than a year before I took the plunge in March 2022.

I wanted a channel for several reasons. The main one was so that I could offer support and advice to other authors about both writing and marketing your books. I also figured I would learn an awful lot myself while researching for my videos. Becoming a proper part of the Authortube community also really appealed, they all seemed very supportive of one another, sharing one another’s videos, co-hosting live streams, and shouting out about each other’s books. I discovered this to be true very early on, and it’s made such a difference to my writing to have this wonderful group of cheerleaders.

There were many things holding me back from starting a channel, however. Number one being the equipment I had - I didn’t have a fancy camera, microphones, lighting and sound equipment. I didn’t even have a lovely, quiet place to film: I share a house with five boys and two large dogs! I began filming on an iPhone 5s, which I had to prop up on a stack of books because I didn’t have a tripod.

Of course, I was also worried about making a complete fool of myself, but I figured I just wouldn’t tell anyone I was doing it for a while.

So, one afternoon when all my family was out, I recorded my first video. It was a ‘write with me’. The lighting was dreadful, and the video quality wasn’t great. Oh, and I’d made the mistake of filming in portrait instead of landscape. I also didn’t make a thumbnail for it. But, I had officially had a video available and this is the way I would advise anyone interested in doing the same to start. Try it out with what you’ve got so you can see if it’s for you before you commit to buying a load of equipment.

So, almost a year on, I’m on track to be monetised this year, which would be amazing. I upload two videos and at least one short (a video less than a minute long, like a TikTok) a week, as well as hosting at least two live writing sessions a week. I’ve also been able to collaborate on videos and live streams with other authors, and will be taking part in the Authortube Writing Conference later this year.

Running a YouTube channel is definitely hard work and isn’t for the faint-hearted, but I absolutely love it.

Find me on YouTube at: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKJKt8kmDXrWQAGkTV1VHMQ

For everything about Emma, her website, her books and social media links, please click on:

https://linktr.ee/emmabennetromance

BIO:

'Emma grew up and lived in London, before falling in love and moving to Wales to marry her own hero. Emma now lives with her husband, 4 children, and many animals a few miles outside a small Welsh market town, She can often be found in rivers attempting to control two overexcited chocolate labradors.

The author of seven romances, Emma also runs a YouTube channel (see link above) full of tips and tricks for writers, book recommendations, author life vlogs, and live writing sprints.

Emma likes (in no particular order): cake, books, Cary Grant films, prosecco, chocolate, guinea pigs, knitting, quilting and happily ever afters!'

Thank you, Emma. I'm sure I'm not alone in finding out how you came to run your own YouTube channel really interesting.

Thank you for reading. Have you got a YouTube channel like Emma? What are the benefits for your writing? Do you watch writers on YouTube? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thank you.

You may also follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

For more about me and my books, including Her Mother's Secret currently reduced to 99p, please visit my AMAZON PAGE. Thanks.

 Me and My Lists

I'm most definitely a list person. There's nothing I like more than ticking off a list or striking a line through something that's been done. After getting fed up of finding random pieces of paper on which, to him, were a series of unrelated words, my husband found the ideal book for me. 

Mrs Hinch -The Little Book of Lists is listed as a best seller on Amazon so it makes me think that maybe I'm not alone in relying on lists. Each week and in one place, I can list what to buy, when to post birthday cards, keep track of dates of appointments, and when to meet someone. So could this little book help me with my writing?

I read somewhere that finding a shopping list could be a great way into writing a story. Who does the list belong to? Can you tell from the items on the list the lifestyle of that person? How many others are in the family or do they live alone? Does the person have any pets? Have any of you tried this?

When I was still at the querying stage and received a rejection for my novel, I would highlight all the positive comments in one colour to give me the motivation to carry on submitting and the suggestions for improvement and why the manuscript wasn't accepted in another. I would then list all the ideas I agreed with and enjoy ticking them off one by one as each was addressed. It must have worked because I was thrilled when my debut novel, My Mother's Secret was published by Ruby Fiction as part of a three-book contract.

When starting a new novel, I list my characters and where they may fit in the story. What are they like in appearance, what are their personalities, do they have any particular traits, what are their backstories? The list of questions is endless. (See what I did there.) In that way, I get to know my characters really well from the outset.

Perhaps the main use of lists for me in the writing process is in editing. Before submitting to my publisher, I spend considerable time self-editing and polishing the novel until it is as good as I can make it myself. First, I start with a complete read-through to see if the story flows without any plot holes, noting anything I find in the form of a list to refer back to and hopefully tick off. I do this on my Kindle and make notes as I read. Next, I ask myself a series of questions including these important ones:

- does that scene move the story on?

- does the reader need to know that?

- is there anything that was set up in the novel that was not resolved by the end of the story?

When it comes to line editing where I try to sharpen and tighten the writing, that is where lists come into their own. I look at whether I could have used a better word, expression, or sentence. Everyone is guilty of repetition; I certainly am. In novel four, my characters 'beamed' a lot and 'hearts raced' too many times.  By making lists of the words I overuse and other 'weak' words, I was able to use the 'Find and Replace' function on Word and hopefully improve my writing.  Often, I needed more dialogue rather than reported speech which slowed the pace and to get inside the characters' heads to know what they were feeling.

I submitted novel four with its working title, A Tale of Two Sisters, last week after I'd done as thorough an edit as I could. If the publisher likes it, I will then receive edits from my editor and work through those in the same methodical way that works best for me using lists. I'm really hoping I can share Claudia and Giulietta's story with you. 

Thank you for reading. Are you a list person like me? If you're a writer, do you find lists help you when writing, and at what stage? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

For more about me and my writing, please go to my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE. Thank you.

Guest Post with Victoria Cornwall

I'm very pleased to welcome author Victoria Cornwall to the blog. Her latest novel, Waiting for our Rainbow, was published by Choc Lit Publishing UK last week.

Victoria, welcome. Your new book looks and sounds wonderful. I can't wait to hear about the inspiration for the story so it's over to you!

Thank you. Sometimes historical facts can be all the inspiration you need for a story. It leads to questions like what must it have been like to be there at the time? What would I have felt and done in the same situation?

Try to imagine you’ve just reached adulthood. Dances, boyfriends and a little independence from your parents are finally on the cards. Suddenly all that is put on hold when war is declared. The horror of war affects every aspect of your life during the years that follow. It’s no wonder you begin to feel war-weary and despondent.

Suddenly a truck full of American soldiers arrives and park-ups in the village square, turning the quiet village into a hive of activity and excitement. Their accents and white, broad smiles remind you of handsome movie stars and for a moment it feels as if Hollywood glamour has arrived in your provincial life. Unlike your own British soldiers, who wear cheap serge wool, these foreign soldiers wear expensive and combatively stylish uniforms. These young men have a surprisingly laid-back attitude and you watch, intrigued, as they climb down from their trucks with cigarettes casually held between their lips. No standing to attention for them, instead they chew gum as they wait to be told what to do.

You soon discover these men are very different to any male family member or neighbour you have met before. These men are extrovertly confident, with money in their pockets and unique chat-up lines. Even the music and language they use are very different to what you have ever known before. It's all very alluring to you, a war-weary young woman starved of fun.

You don’t yet know that despite their outward confidence, these men have never known the terror of war and shot a gun in combat before. They don’t even know why they have arrived in your village. But you soon learn that they want to have fun in their time off and so do you. There is almost a tangible air of excitement around you as you soak in the organised chaos with your eyes.

A lone soldier’s gaze meets yours across the crowd. The connection sends a pleasant shiver through your body, a feeling you have never felt before. If he asks you on a date, could you resist him?

As I researched the arrival of American troops in Cornwall preparing for D Day, I had to ask myself the same question. Inspired by numerous relationships between British women and American soldiers during the preparations for D Day, this novel is about Joe and Anne’s blossoming love story, the hurdles they face and the inevitable goodbye they would one day have to say. Find out if Anne can resist Joe in Waiting For Our Rainbow as he prepared for the greatest amphibious assault in military history – an operation that would become the turning point in the war that killed and maimed so many.

Thank you, Victoria. I want to read your novel even more now. I can't wait to read Joe and Anne's love story.

Waiting For Our Rainbow was released as an Ebook on 31^st January, 2023. A paperback and audio version will follow shortly afterwards.

Social media links

Website: www.victoriacornwall.com

Twitter: @VickieCornwall

Facebook: www.facebook.com/victoriacornwall.author

Instagram: www.instagram.com/victoria_cornwallx

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3hTR1yuAwJUbFyj0k9P4eQ

Pinterest: uk.pinterest.com/vickiecornwall/

About the book

Waiting For Our Rainbow is a WW2 romance between an American soldier and a young Cornish woman during the preparations for D Day.

 Would you give your heart away if you knew it could only end in goodbye?

It should have been a time of romance and excitement for Anne – but it’s 1941 and the war is raging. So instead, she spends her days repairing spitfire wings and reminding herself that the real sacrifice is going on far away from her Cornish village. 

When the news breaks that America has entered the war, it brings cautious hope to Anne and her family. And eventually, as the Jeeps filled with GIs roll in, it seems their little community is to play a pivotal role in the next stage of the fight.

But the Americans don’t just bring Hollywood glamour and optimism, they also bring something more tantalising – so when Anne meets handsome Joe Mallory, she has to remind herself of exactly why he’s there; that any relationship between them could only end in goodbye.

But is the inevitability of ‘goodbye’ powerful enough to stop what has already begun to blossom?

Buying Links

Amazon UK: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BPDC858B?th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true

Amazon US: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BPDC858B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/waiting-for-our-rainbow

Nook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waiting-for-our-rainbow-victoria-cornwall/1142809568;jsessionid=96765A2776CD637D2D9CED2EBF434313.prodny_store02-atgap03?ean=2940185649831

iBook:

https://books.apple.com/gb/book/waiting-for-our-rainbow/id6445001570

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Victoria_Cornwall_Waiting_for_Our_Rainbow?id=p5igEAAAQBAJ

Bio

Victoria grew up on a farm in Cornwall and is married with two grown up children and three grandchildren. She likes to read and write historical romance with a strong background story, but at its heart is the unmistakable emotion, even pain, of loving someone.

Her books have subsequently reached the finals of the NEW TALENT AWARD at the Festival of Romantic Fiction, the RNA's JOAN HESSAYON AWARD, the 2021 RNA's Goldsboro Books HISTORICAL ROMANTIC NOVEL AWARD. Her books have also been twice nominated for the RONE Best Indie or Small Published Book Award by InD'tale magazine.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Thank you for reading. As a writer, has a historical event inspired you in your writing? As a reader, what history-inspired novel would you be drawn to? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thank you.

You may also follow me on Twitter: @JanBaynham and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.

For more about me and my writing, please visit my AMAZON page.