BLOG TOUR: The Princess of Felling - Elaine Cusack

The Princess of Felling describes Elaine’s childhood and adolescence growing up on Tyneside in the 1970s and 1980s. The book pays homage to her home town of Felling on Tyne and is an extended, loving letter to her late parents.

This illustrated poetic memoir features a Foreword by Michael Chaplin, photographs of Felling taken in summer 2018 by Rossena Petcova and unique maps by poet and artist Steve Lancaster.

The book contains reminiscences by Felling folk plus guest appearances by Nick Heyward, David Almond, Tracey Thorn, Sir Kingsley Amis, The Reverend Richard Coles, Lady Elsie Robson, U.A. Fanthorpe, Gyles Brandreth and more.


What did I think?

I've lived in Wardley, neighbouring 'The Felling', since I was 3 years old, so I was very intrigued by The Princess of Felling by Elaine Cusack.  Of course, you don't have to live in, or even know where Felling is, to enjoy the book as it's part personal memoir of a child of the 70's, part homage to Felling, part musical influences and part portrait of family life in the North East with a sprinkling of poetry in between.

I was hooked from just reading the introduction as Elaine talks about being the Princess of Felling in her very own castle when she was a child.  I had seen Elaine's 'castle' ruin on many occasions and always wondered what it was, well now I know!  There were so many things that resonated with me in Elaine's story; I suppose being a child of the 70's too, I have some things in common with Elaine.  A lot of Elaine's stories brought a smile to my face, especially when she was reminiscing about her Nan; my Nanna always had a bottle of Puroh milk too and I remember her using it to make rice pudding.  Such happy memories!

Following in Elaine's footsteps, I also left my primary schoolfriends in Gateshead and took the short trip across the Tyne to go to senior school in Newcastle.  I went to Central High whereas Elaine went to Church High but we had similar experiences with our accents making us stand out from the posh lasses.  I'm sure like Elaine, I wasn't even that Geordie to begin with but I sounded like I'd just come out of the pit in comparison to the Ponteland crowd.  It does make me smile remembering that and it's funny that it wasn't something on which any of my friends ever remarked, it was just something that made me feel different but I wasn't changing my accent for anybody and Mam will always be Mam!

Elaine has also shared a few poems in her book and I think Skin Stains is the best poem I have ever read.  Now I'm not a poetry lover as they don't normally make sense to me but I got every single word of Elaine's writing.  Poetry for the people!  

What a fabulous collection of poetry and reminiscences!  I learnt a few things about the area that I didn't know and remembered things that I was surprised were still stored in my memory.  Just Elaine reminding me about the call of 'Allyooken' brings back such happy memories of a time gone by when we played out in the street until dark, running off far and wide in a game of hide and seek.  'Allyooken' was a call to return to the street for those who were still hiding and hadn't been found.  I can't even say 'Allyooken' without singing it: Aaaaaaaalyooken!

The Princess of Felling is a chart-topping literary mix tape; there's something for everyone in this fabulous memoir.  It's not only about Elaine's life and the history of The Felling (the 'The' is obligatory if you live there), there's the fabulous poetry and reminiscences of the music scene in the 80's (from Elaine's appearances in the audience of The Tube that was filmed in Tyne Tees studios).

Elaine's writing is so full of love for her family, her home and her music that some of it inevitably rubbed off on me and brought some of my long forgotten memories to the fore.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Elaine for dusting off and digging out some of my old memories.  The Princess of Felling is an outstanding memoir and an absolute must read if you're a child of the 70's (but still a mighty fine read if you're not).

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy your copy in person from selected outlets including Hexham’s Cogito Books, Felling Volunteer Library, Newcastle Central Library, Happy Planet Studio and Gallery in Whitley Bay and online from Elaine’s publisher www.limelightclassics.com.

About the author:

Find out more about Elaine’s writing and forthcoming gigs by visiting www.dipdoomagazoo.wordpress.com, www.ticketsource.co.uk/cusackmansions and by liking her Elaine Cusack writer page on Facebook.










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Even Stranger (Strange Series Book 2) - Marilyn Messik

With the swinging sixties staggering, shamefaced and flustered, into the slightly staider seventies, life for Stella, isn’t going as smoothly as she’d like. As an ordinary person, who happens to have some extraordinary abilities, it's frustrating to find that something as simple as holding down a job, throws up unexpected hurdles.

She'd be a darn sight better off if she could ditch the conviction she knows best which, together with a  chronic inability to keep her mouth shut and her nose out of other people's business, has led her more than once off the straight and narrow into the dodgy and dangerous.  Plans for a safer future, include setting herself up in business, squashing her over-active conscience and steering clear of risky and unpleasant.

Unfortunately, the best laid plans can lead to the darkest places.

What did I think?

Having read and enjoyed Relatively Strange, the first book in Marilyn Messik's Strange series, I couldn't wait to get stuck into book 2, Even Stranger.  I didn't think it was possible but Even Stranger is Even Better than Relatively Strange.  Reading about Stella as her life progresses through the 1970's is like catching up with an old friend; perhaps there's something strange about these books after all, as I didn't realise how firmly Stella had planted herself into my head.

I love Marilyn Messik's dry humour, which actually starts off as a very wet dunking in a lake for Stella.  It's not laugh out loud funny but it's more of a laughing at the strange events and very quirky family members in Stella's life.  The 70's has turned into a very eventful decade for Stella; not only has she started a new business but her gift is attracting attention from some unsavoury characters.  Stella gets herself into some jaw-dropping scrapes in this instalment of the Strange series that kept my eyes firmly glued to the page.

Not only can Stella fly, but she has the ability to see inside people's heads, which some might see as a gift but to others it's a curse.  As Stella grows older, her ability also grows with her and she can place, and even alter, thoughts in someone's head.  I don't envy Stella at all as I really don't think I would like to be privy to people's thoughts; it's bad enough seeing their dubious actions without actually knowing what they were really thinking.  Although Stella's gift can come in useful at times and when others like her get together, their power is extraordinary.

The Strange series is proving to be quite a unique, thrilling and riveting set of books and I can see myself reading them all over again in the future...or was that thought surreptitiously planted in my head by Stella?  Marilyn Messik has really outdone herself with this outstanding sequel and I'm chomping at the bit to catch up with Stella in book 3.  

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Because of You - Hélene Fermont

How desperate are you to get the one you love?

When Hannah and Ben meet at a friend's party, he knows she's The One. But Hannah's in an intense relationship with Mark and planning to return to her native Sweden to embark on a teaching career.

Desperate to make Ben fall in love with her, rich spoilt heiress Vanessa sets in motion a devious string of events that ultimately changes the course of four people's lives indefinitely.

Hannah is the love of Ben's life, yet Vanessa will stop at nothing to claim the man she is convinced is her destiny.

Because of You is a dark, morally complex and cross-generational story of enduring love, fate and destiny.  

What did I think?

Because of You is an epic saga spanning the 1970's to the present day and crossing the continent from England to Sweden.  Hannah is such a lovely caring character that you feel yourself looking out for her as the story progresses.  I've never seen such an extent of growth in a character as I saw in Hannah; she evolved from a quiet young lady to a strong beautiful woman, in spite of all the bumps in the road on her journey.

Hannah comes to London in 1978 to study and lodges with her grandmother's friend, Ella.  It was hard for her to leave her family and Sweden behind, but she quickly makes friends with another Swedish girl, Sanna, and gains entry into her circle of friends.  As Hannah is introduced to the sparkly discos of the 1970's she catches the eye of reputed bad boy Mark.  Mark pursues Hannah and she agrees to give him a chance to prove he's not the bad boy that everyone thinks he is.  I was with Hannah's friends on this one and knew he wasn't good enough for her, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

While Hannah is still in a relationship with Mark, she meets Ben at a friend's party.  It is clear that Ben is the man for her but Hannah has such strong values that she won't consider taking anything further with Ben whilst she is seeing Mark.  Ben cannot forget Hannah and knows that they are destined to be together, and he doesn't care how long he has to wait.

As the years go by, Hannah splits up with Mark (hurrah), starts a relationship with Ben (hurrah) and goes back to Sweden to work as a teacher.  She is loved by the children and her colleagues, in fact loved a little bit too much by one of them.  Linus is a creepy colleague who is completely infatuated with Hannah.  She thinks she can handle him by telling him she's not interested but he doesn't seem able to take 'no' for an answer.  Linus is insanely jealous of Hannah's relationship with Ben and the threat of just how unhinged he is seemed to hang over the story like the Sword of Damocles.  Linus isn't the only one threatening the happiness of Ben and Hannah. Rich-bitch Vanessa has her eye on Ben and will do anything to get her claws into him, even resorting to joining forces with Mark in an elaborate scheme to break them up.  Oh it's all going to end in tears, but for whom?

My heart was breaking on several occasions as Hannah always thinks of other people before herself.  She deserves to be happy but she puts her happiness at the bottom of the list and puts other people before herself, even doing what she thinks is best for them rather than what they actually want.  There is so much going on in Hannah's life that some part of it with resonate with every single reader.  It is written so warmly that I almost felt as if I was part of the family, eating Zipporah's apple cake or celebrating Zadie and Walther's wedding anniversary with a glass of fizz.

A beautiful epic story of life, love and destiny, Because of You captured my heart and captivated me from start to finish.  It is so true to life with so many ups and downs but the strong sense of family was a shining beacon of hope throughout.  One thing I will say about the characters in this book, they sure do have big babies!  Two babies are born in the book, both weighing one stone with not a raised eyebrow in sight.  It was enough to make my eyes water!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.  

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Born into a bilingual family (Swedish/ English) Hélene Fermont enjoyed an idylic childhood on the outskirts of Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city and major cultural hub. Growing up in the 1970s she had a brief musical career on Swedish TV and radio. Hélene lived in London for over 20 years but has recently returned to Sweden. Hélene is a former teacher, a practising psychologist, and currently the author of three novels, all of which are psychological suspense with a nordic noir flavour. Her fourth novel is coming soon!

Social Media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helenefermontauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/helenefermont

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/helenefermontwriter/



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BLOG TOUR: Because of You - Helene Fermont

How desperate are you to get the love of your life?

Hannah is the love of Ben's life, yet Vanessa will stop at nothing to claim the man she is convinced is her destiny.

Because of You spans 36 years in the life of Hannah Stein, a Swedish teenager who arrives in London, at the tail end of the disco era, for a gap year before embarking on a teaching career. The people she meets change the course of her life irrevocably and the novel charts her changing personal and professional fortunes over the next three decades. Because of You is about love, coming of age, friendship, bereavement, stillbirth and rape. Its themes include redemption, acceptance, fidelity and family. Because of You is a story that every woman can relate to.

Because of You is the deeply moving debut novel by Scandinavian writer Helene Fermont. It’s a gripping work of modern women’s fiction with a distinct ‘Scandi’ feel and a psychological twist. 

Scandinavian noir has firmly established itself as a bestselling genre in the UK. Because of You takes the elements that make this style of writing so compelling – the realism and dark, morally complex mood – and combines it with women’s fiction.

This is a dark, morally complex and cross-generational story of enduring love, fate and destiny and will appeal to readers who appreciate an emotive, uncompromising and fulfilling read driven by character and circumstance.

What did I think?

Because of You is an epic saga spanning the 1970's to the present day and crossing the continent from England to Sweden.  Hannah is such a lovely caring character that you feel yourself looking out for her as the story progresses.  I've never seen such an extent of growth in a character as I saw in Hannah; she evolved from a quiet young lady to a strong beautiful woman, in spite of all the bumps in the road on her journey.

Hannah comes to London in 1978 to study and lodges with her grandmother's friend, Ella.  It was hard for her to leave her family and Sweden behind, but she quickly makes friends with another Swedish girl, Sanna, and gains entry into her circle of friends.  As Hannah is introduced to the sparkly discos of the 1970's she catches the eye of reputed bad boy Mark.  Mark pursues Hannah and she agrees to give him a chance to prove he's not the bad boy that everyone thinks he is.  I was with Hannah's friends on this one and knew he wasn't good enough for her, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

While Hannah is still in a relationship with Mark, she meets Ben at a friend's party.  It is clear that Ben is the man for her but Hannah has such strong values that she won't consider taking anything further with Ben whilst she is seeing Mark.  Ben cannot forget Hannah and knows that they are destined to be together, and he doesn't care how long he has to wait.

As the years go by, Hannah splits up with Mark (hurrah), starts a relationship with Ben (hurrah) and goes back to Sweden to work as a teacher.  She is loved by the children and her colleagues, in fact loved a little bit too much by one of them.  Linus is a creepy colleague who is completely infatuated with Hannah.  She thinks she can handle him by telling him she's not interested but he doesn't seem able to take 'no' for an answer.  Linus is insanely jealous of Hannah's relationship with Ben and the threat of just how unhinged he is seemed to hang over the story like the Sword of Damocles.  Linus isn't the only one threatening the happiness of Ben and Hannah. Rich-bitch Vanessa has her eye on Ben and will do anything to get her claws into him, even resorting to joining forces with Mark in an elaborate scheme to break them up.  Oh it's all going to end in tears, but for whom?

My heart was breaking on several occasions as Hannah always thinks of other people before herself.  She deserves to be happy but she puts her happiness at the bottom of the list and puts other people before herself, even doing what she thinks is best for them rather than what they actually want.  There is so much going on in Hannah's life that some part of it with resonate with every single reader.  It is written so warmly that I almost felt as if I was part of the family, eating Zipporah's apple cake or celebrating Zadie and Walther's wedding anniversary with a glass of fizz.

A beautiful epic story of life, love and destiny, Because of You captured my heart and captivated me from start to finish.  It is so true to life with so many ups and downs but the strong sense of family was a shining beacon of hope throughout.  One thing I will say about the characters in this book, they sure do have big babies!  Two babies are born in the book, both weighing one stone with not a raised eyebrow in sight.  It was enough to make my eyes water!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest opinion.  I am releasing my review as part of the blog tour arranged by Bookollective.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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The Letter - Kathryn Hughes

This is a story of two women living in Manchester decades apart but both with heart wrenching stories.

Chrissie meets Billy in 1939 and just as war breaks out, she finds out that she is pregnant.  Billy reacts badly to the news and decides to write Chrissie a letter.  Before Chrissie receives the letter she is packed off to Ireland by her strict parents.

Tina is married to Rick and is a volunteer at a charity shop in 1973.  Rick is an alcoholic and Tina is a victim of domestic violence.  Tina finds Billy's letter in a donated suit and she sets out to find Chrissie to deliver the letter.

Part Two of the book focuses on William, Chrissie's son, who was born in a convent in Ireland and adopted by an American couple.  William has travelled to Ireland and then Manchester to find his birth mother and joins forces with Tina when he finds her searching for Chrissie to deliver the letter from his father.

The story of Rick and Tina is disturbing at times due to the depths of the abuse and violence and the story of Billy and Chrissie is heartbreaking as Chrissie is ultimately forced to give up her son.  I was close to shedding a tear on more than one occasion and I would recommend that you read this book with a few tissues by your side.  Kathryn Hughes really brought the characters to life and gave a voice to the story of thousands of women who have given up their babies in convents across Ireland.

I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Buy it from The Book Depository

Leaves - John Simmons

This is a beautifully written book.  It is set in 1970 and is split into 5 parts; 4 parts representing each season and 1 final part for New Year.  You can really feel the seasons through the writing; the chill of Winter; the promise of Spring; the madness of Summer; and the crispness of Autumn.

Meet some of the residents of Ophelia Street; Keith and Brenda, who have been unhappily married since their shotgun wedding as teenagers; siblings Gerald and Selene, Gerald owns the local factory and Selene runs around after him like a servant; and Robert Johnson, bullying his mother and driving his flashy sports car up and down the street, thinking he’s landed on his feet when Gerald hands over the reins of the factory.  I felt like a curtain twitcher as I peeped into the lives of the residents of Ophelia Street and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to satisfy my curiosity.

There are some other residents but the main characters were really brought to life and have stuck in my mind long after reading the final page.  I have to give a special mention to Mrs. Johnson’s pets - Timmy the cat and Joey the budgie who don’t escape Robert’s bullying.

I loved the way the book was split into seasons and watching the way the street changed over the year – the introduction of the offenders hostel, the factory closure and the murder of little Elaine Card.  People might feel cheated that the murderer isn’t identified, but I felt all the clues were there as I interpreted the child’s sock as a trophy.  I actually thought there might have been another murder - I thought Selene would end up putting arsenic in Gerald’s whiskey!

I really liked this book – I’ve been talking about it since I finished it.  It’s a year in the life of Ophelia Street as the leaves change from green to gold before finally losing hold and tumbling to the ground.  There’s murder, suicide, death, divorce and new beginnings - what more could we ask for?

Thank you to Urbane Publications for allowing me to read this book before publication.

Preorder now from Amazon.co.uk - released 30 June 2015