Guest Post with Eva Glyn

As part of my series welcoming RNA Cariad Chapter authors onto the blog, this week it's a huge pleasure to welcome the lovely Eva Glyn. (She also writes under her own name as Jane Cable.) Set in beautiful Croatia, Eva's books never fail to impress me and her latest novel, The Dubrovnik Book Club, is superb. It was published by One More Chapter on March 8th.

Eva, welcome. When I read your novel, I loved how the books chosen at the book club were relevant for each of the characters who chose them in turn. I think you're going to tell us how you went about deciding what those would be. It's over to you!

CHOOSING THE DUBROVNIK BOOK CLUB BOOKS – EVA GLYN

One of the joys of writing a book about a book club was knowing that I’d have to choose books for them to read – especially as most, if not all, of the selections needed to tie into the plot.

Claire is the new manager of The Welcoming Bookshop and has rather had the book club thrust upon her by her enthusiastic assistant, Luna, so I asked myself what she might pick at short notice. Her answer was Britain’s bestselling book of the year before, a cosy crime by Richard Osman.

To support her in her new endeavour, Claire recruits her Croatian cousin Vedran. He’s not much of a reader and he’d rather stay at home these days, having been pilloried on social media following the disappearance of his girlfriend. Which is the reason why Luna recognises him, and two thoughts collide in her mind: that Vedran is too nice to be a murderer, and inspired by The Thursday Murder Club, could they not solve the mystery of what happened to Didi and clear his name?

The second book is Vedran’s choice and he asks Claire to pick a sporting biography. This really isn’t her forte so she chooses one which looks as though it has more to it than simply balls, if you’ll pardon the expression. It’s Marcus Trescothick’s Coming Back to Me, a book which affected me profoundly when it came out in 2008, dealing as it does with the cricketer’s battles with mental health. Vedran, however, takes great offence at her choice – as far as he’s concerned, mental health is not something which ought to be discussed. Not an uncommon opinion in Croatia.

Karmela, a professor who has only joined the book club to admire the medieval architecture of the shop, agrees with Vedran. So to give them a little respite, the next title I chose was book club classic, William Boyd’s Ordinary Thunderstorms. Because there were certainly plenty of those rumbling around the group.

When Karmela’s turn comes she picks a British classic, Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Without realising just how like Elinor Dashwood she is. Head before heart, self-contained… But the next book on the list has the potential to open old wounds; Priscilla Morris’s Black Butterflies, which is inextricably linked to the past Karmela has tried to bury for so long.

There are two more titles, but as I write this I realise that to tell you about them would give away too much of the plot.

At times it was more than challenging to pick the right book, and along the way I read and rejected so many – including Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, which I loved and almost fitted in so many ways. Just not quite well enough. Hopefully, with my final choices, I’ve got it right.

 

THE DUBROVNIK BOOK CLUB  - BLURB

In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins…

Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.

But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine…

Buy links for all formats and retailers can be found here: 

https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-dubrovnik-book-club-eva-glyn

EVA GLYN BIOGRAPHY

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Her love affair with Croatia began in 2019, and since then the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground for her books, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. Her second novel set in the country, An Island of Secrets is a dual timeline looking back to World War 2, and although her third is a contemporary romance featuring mature main characters, The Collaborator’s Daughter, has its roots in that conflict too.

Inspired by authors she loves such as Libby Page and Faith Hogan, Eva has wanted to write books about unlikely friendships for a long time. March 2024 saw her dream realised, when The Dubrovnik Book Club was published.

Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and is lucky enough to be married to the love of her life, who she’s been with for almost thirty years. She also writes as Jane Cable.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Follow Eva on

Instagram: @evaglynauthor
Twitter: @JaneCable
Bookbub: @EvaGlyn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvaGlynAuthor/

Thank you, Eva. You certainly did get your choices right. It's a fascinating book and it made me want to go back to the stunning city of Dubrovnik. It's already doing so well and I wish you much continued success with it.

You may read my review of The Dubrovnik Book Club here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6195090240?fbclid=IwAR1jMyaixqPu1WsUsEKheqxJ4Ca9UOuvLaXct9toZoetv0q9s5zhp8HR6Ss

Thank you for reading. I'm sure you found Eva's piece as interesting as I did. 

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For more information about me and my books, please visit my Amazon page.

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'I just adore Jan Baynham's books - they each read like a beautiful saga - stretching over a couple of generations, the stories just grab you and draw you in.' 

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Guest Post with Jacqui and Anna Burns

This week I am delighted to welcome Jacqui and Anna Burns to the blog for the first time. Their situation is unique in that, as mother and daughter, they write novels together. People are always curious about how the set-up works. Now published by Allison and Busby, their third novel, Poles Apart, will be published on the 21st March.

Jacqui and Anna, welcome. Please tell us about your new novel and writing as a duo even though you live two hundred miles apart. Over to you both!

Jacqui - We started our first novel during lockdown in 2020 and we had no idea if anything was going to come of it. We had tried writing a play some time before this, but the Covid pandemic gave us the space to take it further and see if we could finish a whole novel. We had the germ of an idea after a cruise we took in 2019 when we stopped for the afternoon in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. Why had we never heard of this place before? We decided to set our novel there and it gave us a great excuse to go back a couple of years later. We were thrilled when Honno agreed to publish it.

Anna – We finished that first book, Love at Café Lompar, in five weeks and felt very pleased with ourselves. Naïve, to say the least, and we soon learned about the process of editing and the time and agony it takes. Poles Apart is our third book and I have to admit it’s our favourite. Not only is it set in Pembrokeshire, which is close to home, but female friendship is at the heart of it. We have four main characters – two each – and they all face challenges in their lives. Despite living in a small community, the women are quite isolated. A pole dancing class brings them together and, despite their different ages and circumstances, they form a close bond.

Jacqui – It was such fun to write. We wanted it to be funny but also poignant. A pole dancing exercise class seems so out of place in a sleepy village, but it’s a great vehicle to unify the women when faced with opposition from, let’s say the less enlightened, members of the community. We wanted the women to push themselves out of their comfort zone and it was wonderful to seem them develop and grow from their experiences, despite being painful at times.

Anna – We were ecstatic when Bill Goodall agreed to represent us and he secured a two-book deal with the publisher Allison and Busby.

People often ask how we write as a duo and if we ever disagree. Well, of course we do at times, but generally it works really well and it’s half the work – not just the writing, but the editing and promoting, too.  I have a one-year-old, very lively baby boy so it’s marvellous to share the workload. I’m also back in work as a psychiatrist after maternity leave. I write on my phone when he’s asleep. If you’re determined enough, you’ll find a way to write! I would like to write my own novel in time but I think the dynamic my mother and I have is quite unique.

Jacqui – We’ve written novel number four – Escape to Pumpkin Cottage, set in the Wye Valley – and we’re a quarter of the way through number five. There’s no time to rest! My dream would be to have Poles Apart made into a drama for the BBC, like the wonderful Men Up. Fingers crossed!

Blurb

Four women, one sleepy village ... It's time to give life a whirl.

The Pembrokeshire village of Morlan is undoubtedly a beautiful place to live, but four of its female residents find themselves in search of something more.

Gwen seems to have it all but in reality, her marriage is on the rocks. Meg has struggled with her health and her love life has barely got a pulse, but is she ready to shake things up? Recently widowed Ivy is fed up, but at seventy-two can she put herself first and revamp more than just her home? Mum of two Summer dearly loves her two children but is desperate to escape the sleep-deprived fog that has settled over her.

The announcement that pole dancing exercise classes are coming to the village offers something fresh and exciting to each of them, as well as the discovery of previously hidden strengths. As the group comes together, a bond is formed that will allow them to overcome the trials and tribulations that lie ahead.

'Poles Apart is an absolute joy to read and a reminder of the value of female friendship.' Helga Jensen, author of 'Fly Me to Paris'.

'This book is an absolute tonic. If you need a lift, read it!' Luisa A. Jones, author of 'The Broken Vow'.

Social Media Links

Website: Mother and daughter writing team | Anna and Jacqui Burns

X/Twitter: @annaandjacqui 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poles-Apart-uplifting-feel-good-friendship/dp/0749031905

Thank you both. Writing together obviously works well for you both and the new novel sounds wonderful. I'm very much looking forward to reading it. I wish you both much success with it and hope the sales soar. 

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed meeting Jacqui and Anna for the first time as much as I did.

You may also follow me on:

X/Twitter - @JanBaynham

FaceBook - Jan Baynham Writer

Instagram - janbaynham

Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jan-baynham

For more information about me and my books, please visit my Amazon page.

Did you know that all my novels are available to read on Kindle Unlimited for those of you who subscribe?

'I just adore Jan Baynham's books - they each read like a beautiful saga - stretching over a couple of generations, the stories just grab you and draw you in.' 

Amazon Reviewer 5*