One Scheme of Happiness by Ali Thurm

One Scheme of Happiness is a dark and unsettling tale exploring themes of obsession, jealousy, deceit and desire. It is a beautifully written novel, well-paced, with a strong and atmospheric sense of place.

Helen has always been the shy one, the one who stayed behind in her hometown and cared for her sick mother. When her friends return to the quiet seaside town, Helen’s repressed emotions are unleashed. She becomes embroiled in Sam and Vicky’s unravelling marriage and complicated games, yet at the same time she is playing a game of her own. As her uneasy friendships with Sam and Vicky become mired in deceit, Helen starts to make bad decisions and destructive choices.

The novel explores what happens when someone will do almost anything to get the thing they think they want. What appears to be a straightforward love triangle turns out to be something much more complex and much less predictable - no one is who they first appear to be - and Helen’s life spins out of control as she begins to self-destruct.

One Scheme of Happiness draws you in from the start and doesn’t let you go. A confident and accomplished debut.

THE BLURB:

"It’s funny what you remember about childhood games.

Helen was always the wallflower at school, while Vicky and Sam were the golden couple. But as time passes, and the teenage sweethearts’ relationship begins to falter, Helen faces a choice – will she help her friends rekindle their marriage, or will she help herself to the man she has always loved?

You know what they say...it's always the quiet ones you have to watch."

You can buy a copy here 

Interview with fellow Maytree poet, Tim Taylor

 

I'd like to welcome poet and novelist, Tim Taylor to my blog today. Tim will be reading from his poetry collection, Sea Without a Shore and his novel, Revolution Day at Denby Dale library at 7.30pm on 31 January.


Welcome to Troutie McFish Tales, Tim!

Many thanks for hosting me, Amanda! 

How long have you been writing poetry?
 
Since I was a child. I still have a folder of poems I wrote at primary school! I drifted away from it a bit as I got older, though still wrote the odd poem from time to time.  I’ve been writing poetry more consistently for about the last ten years.

How did you get involved with Maytree Press?
 
There is a lively poetry community in Marsden, just down the road from where I live in Meltham, and there have been various events associated with the ‘Poetry Village’. I got involved with some of those, and since I was looking to publish a collection at the time when Maytree emerged from that scene, it seemed natural to see if they would be interested in publishing my poems.

Do you prefer writing poetry or fiction?
 
That’s a difficult one. I enjoy them both in different ways. For me, poetry is more sporadic, as I feel I need an idea to work with and when I get one there can be a frantic burst of activity; whereas writing a novel is a steadier long-term process of developing themes and characters and weaving them together. Both can be very satisfying.  

Who are your favourite poets and authors, and which of them influence your work?
 
Picking out a few names from the huge list of writers I like I would mention: 

Poets: Wilfred Owen, Sylvia Plath, Dylan Thomas;

Novelists:  William Golding, Haruki Murakami, Ursula Le Guin

I try not to write novels that draw directly on other authors, though I’m sure the subconscious influences are there.  The same is partly true in poetry, though I have sometimes written poems that were explicitly influenced by a particular poet (including those mentioned above).

And if you weren't Tim Taylor, who would you like to be?
 
I think I’d just like to be me, but better!

Finally, would you like to share a poem?
 
The Old Couple

When they were young
their love was a thing of flame.
Colliding like two asteroids
they were magnificent
but sparks would leap from jagged edges.
Incandescent, they would fly apart,
only to spiral inwards once again.

Look at them now,
sitting to watch the sun go down,
still warmed by the embers of that ancient fire.
She leans on him, and he on her;
time has smoothed their curves and hollows,
sanded them to fit each other
like pebbles rubbed together by the sea.


Many thanks to Tim for answering my questions, and for sharing that wonderful poem.

You can also find out about Tim and his writing on his Facebook Author Page here

And if you'd like to read more of Tim's poetry, here's some further information about Tim's collection:

Sea Without a Shore

In his debut poetry collection, Tim Taylor explores the transformative effect of the wild Yorkshire landscape he now calls home. He expertly immerses the reader in the landscapes and history of the South Pennines before challenging our senses with brave new perceptions from house plants to outer space. Set in two distinct parts, this is a debut pamphlet that takes the reader from the dark peaks of Bleaklow and Black Hill (Ungrimming) to the far reaches of our solar system (Pioneer) and back to the living room (The House Plant). Poetry at its very best, highly-innovative and effortless; a feast of words to transform your day.

You can buy a copy here

   

Book Review - Maggie of My Heart by Alison Faye

I read this novella in one sitting - a short and pacy slice of sleaze-noir! 

 

This gorgeous slice of noir would make a wonderful TV drama. A tautly-paced page-turner that demands to be read in one sitting. With pitch-perfect writing, and each character a gem, Maggie of My Heart draws you into its gritty world and doesn’t let you go until the last page. Maggie is a wonderful character, strong and yet vulnerable, a woman who has escaped a life of crime and sleaze only to have it rear its ugly head again in the form of her erstwhile lover, Johnny. I was rooting for her every step of the way with my heart in my mouth.  

You can get a copy here