Tuesday 28 May 2019

Guest Post - Gail Aldwin - Writing & Running

Gail Aldwin's new novel, The String Games, has just been launched by Victorina Press, and I'm pleased to welcome Gail back to my blog to talk about the connection between running and the creative process.




'When four-year-old Josh is abducted and murdered during a family holiday in France, Nim, aged ten, becomes an only child. To cope with the tragedy, Nim reinvents herself but continues to carry a burden of unresolved grief. As an adult she returns to France determined to find out more about the circumstances of Josh’s death. How will she deal with this new information and what are the implications for her future?'

'Gail Aldwin’s The String Games takes hold of the reader and the juncture of the head and the heart and simply does not let go. With courage and tenderness, and an unblinking eye, Gail Aldwin explores the ways in which the loss of a child explodes a family. Treat yourself and read this one.' Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean

And this is what the book bloggers have been saying so far:

'A story with an astute and lucid understanding of what it means to be a female growing up in a world of adversity and loss.' Linda Hill, Linda’s Book Bag

'The author writes really well and the attention to detail and the authentic feel to the narrative make this a compelling and thought provoking read.' Jo Barton, Jaffa Reads Too

'It’s ultimately a story of hope and forgiveness, fresh starts and new beginnings: it’s quite beautifully written, and I enjoyed it very much.' Anne Williams, Being Anne

'You you can tell from the start it’s going to be something special.' Jennifer Rainbow, Bookworm Jen

'A stunning piece of literature that is devastating and truly heartbreaking, with hope all rolled into one!' Laura Turner, PageTurnersNook



WRITING & RUNNING 
by Gail Aldwin


In October 2016, I met a friend from London in Salisbury. Our trip happened to coincide with the Salisbury half marathon and my friend spent the whole day trying to persuade me to sign up for the next year. Although I had never run before, not even to catch a bus, by the end of the day I had agreed to it! I spent the next November and December wondering how I could get out of this promise but in January 2017, I started ten months training that led to the completion of my first half marathon in two hours and fifty minutes.


I felt absolutely dreadful once I was over the finish line: didn’t know whether to stand up or sit down. The medal was too heavy to wear and I couldn’t eat or drink a thing … but I had done it. Forward another two years to March 2019, when I completed my second half marathon in Weymouth. This took two hours and thirty-two minutes to complete and I felt brilliant at the end.


Entering the Weymouth half, I decided to follow the recommended advice for an endurance run and cross train by swimming and walking alongside running practice. This helps to build stamina by exercising different muscles. It seems to me that tackling the creative endurance task of writing a novel requires the same approach. I’ve always written short fiction and poetry alongside novel writing and I certainly believe this exercises different creative muscles and builds stamina to complete the creative endurance task of writing a novel.


It took five years to complete my debut novel The String Games, which is published by Victorina Press today. Along this journey, I’ve also had Paisley Shirt  a collection of short fiction published by Chapeltown Books, and adversaries/comrades a poetry pamphlet published by Wordsmith_HQ. As a result, I can certainly recommend the practice of cross creative training and running isn’t bad for the creative brain either.




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Gail Aldwin

Thursday 23 May 2019

My New Short Story Collection!

I'm delighted to announce that my new short story collection, Scratched Enamel Heart, will be published by Retreat West Books in Spring 2020! Here's what RWB had to say:-

Enamel_heart-Image

AMANDA HUGGINS SIGNED FOR SECOND SHORT STORY COLLECTION

We are delighted that Amanda Huggins, the first author signed to Retreat West Books, has signed with us again for her short story collection, Scratched Enamel Heart.
The stories in this collection show the strength and resilience of the human condition. Tales of hearts that are broken, won, mended and lost, tales of young hearts, jaded hearts, hearts that grieve deeply and soar with joy. 
Alongside new work that has not yet been published, Scratched Enamel Heart contains the story, Red, for which Amanda won third prize in the 2018 Costa Short Story Award.
Amanda Saint, publisher and commissioning editor at Retreat West Books, said:  “Amanda’s writing is beautiful and we are proud to be publishing it, and delighted that she has chosen to stay with us for her new collection of stories.”
Scratched Enamel Heart will be launched in Spring 2020.
Amanda said: “I was immensely proud to be the first writer signed by Retreat West Books, and I’m thrilled that they will be publishing my second collection, Scratched Enamel Heart, next Spring. It’s really exciting to be a part of the growing Retreat West family, and I’ll always be grateful to Amanda Saint for believing in my writing. 
She has achieved so much in such a short time – including her well-deserved shortlisting in the 2019 Saboteur Awards for most innovative publisher. I was pretty chuffed that my first collection, Separated From the Sea, received a special mention in the short story category as well, along with fellow RWB author, FJ Morris, and the charity anthology, Nothing Is As It Was. Not a bad achievement for a fledgling indie publisher!”

Friday 10 May 2019

Popshot Magazine

I'm thrilled that a story from my flash fiction collection, Brightly Coloured Horses, has made it into the Escape issue of Popshot magazine. Not only is Popshot a beautiful magazine, it is full of fabulous stories and poetry, and is available in some stunning bookshops worldwide. I recently spotted it in Tokyo, and last year in Lisbon. It's a lovely feeling to know that my work will be there in those bookshops!





Traveller's Tales: A writer's love affair with Japan

I'm over on the Inside Japan website today, talking about why I love Japan.

Fuji - Copyright M Wharton

After becoming interested in Japan as a child, award-winning short story and travel writer Amanda Huggins fell hook, line and sinker for the country as an adult. But what is it about Japan that captured her imagination?

Japan: Where it all began

Spring in Kanazawa
Kanazawa - Copyright A Huggins

Whenever I return to Japan it feels like an emotional homecoming, and I’m both relieved and excited to be back. Yet I’ve always struggled to explain or define this strong connection, or to pin down exactly why I love the country so much. Perhaps the words remain elusive because the reasons are more spiritual than tangible.
Cherry blossom in Kobe
Kobe - Copyright A Huggins

I learnt my first word of Japanese when I was a child. The word – which I couldn’t pronounce correctly – was yurushite, meaning ‘I beg your forgiveness’, and it appeared on the box lid of my Sorry! game – a souped-up form of Ludo. The board itself was decorated with elegant Japanese gardens: cherry blossom, stone lanterns, autumn maple trees, waterfalls and distant mountains. The beautiful board, and the evocative description of Japan as ‘the land of politeness’, were enough to instil a faint yearning that I didn’t understand, a yearning that was cemented by the amateur production of The Mikado that my mother took me to see. The white makeup and scarlet lips, the intricate hair decorations, the beautiful colours and patterns of the kimonos, all seemed magical.


You can read the full article here

Vo(i)ces II - A Review by Cathy Bryant

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