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

No Good Deed Anthology - Review by Judy Darley

A lovely review of No Good Deed from Judy Darley. Thrilled that she enjoyed my story, A Longing for Clouds:-

A Longing For Clouds by Amanda Huggins is redolent with aromas that weave through the passages, evoking the rich, sensual squalor of heat, from “the pungent scent of overripe mangoes” to “sandalwood on warm skin”. Huggins’ story is a masterclass in engaging the senses, as she evokes scenes vivid with jewel colours, textures and flavours, overlaid with a yearning nostalgia.

“The only sound she could hear was the faint tinkle of the tiny bells on the women’s bracelets and ankle chains. The noise reminded Maggie of the dress she wore to Deepak’s wedding; cerulean blue with bells around the hem. It conjured the warmth of the soft Jaipur dusk; the air heavy with incense and sandalwood attar, the gate adorned with flowers. Bright saris, silk scarves billowing like jewel-bright parachutes. The bride, nervous and pale, beautifully gift-wrapped in red and gold.”

You can read Judy's full review here

Book review: Unprotected by Sophie Jonas-Hill

What the publisher says:

“She's fighting to save everyone else, but will she have anything left to save herself?

Witty, sharp and sarcastic tattoo artist Lydia's life is imploding. Her long-term relationship has broken down after several miscarriages and she's hiding from her hurt and loss in rage. After a big night out she wakes beside a much younger man who brings complications she could really do without.

As her grief about her lost babies and failed relationships spirals out of control, she obsesses about rescuing a wayward teenage girl she watches from her window and gets more involved than she should with her charming but unstable young lover.”


My review:

Unprotected is an unflinching and powerful story of the complexities and frailties of relationships in all their guises, of family secrets, of love, heartbreak and grief, of addiction, loyalty and betrayal. Lydia is a compelling character – mixed-up, messed-up, startlingly honest, filled with anger born of grief, yet still determined to save everyone else.

The story gallops along at a unrelenting pace, keeping you hooked until the end, and even though this is far from an easy read, there is hope as well as darkness.

Jonas-Hill’s style is bold, vivid, sensitive, raw and beautiful, and Unprotected packs a real punch – I can’t wait to read more from her.

Illustration Copyright Sophie Jonas-Hill

You can buy Unprotected HERE 

COVER REVEAL TIME!

I'm so excited to share the fabulous cover for my poetry chapbook, coming soon from Maytree Press.  

Huge thanks to Alice Parker for this beautiful illustration.

My Review of The Naseby Horses by Dominic Brownlow

 

THE NASEBY HORSES
Dominic Brownlow
(Louise Walters Books)

The Naseby Horses wraps you up inside an unsettling, disturbing, almost surreal narrative  that doesn’t let you go.

Simon is an epileptic, enigmatic and obsessive, both an unreliable narrator and a compelling and credible one - truth, time, and place are constantly shifting, and we are always conscious of the fact that the narrator knows more that he is sharing.

The story centres around the disappearance of Simon’s twin sister, Charlotte, and the bond that exists between the pair is beautifully drawn.

Moody, claustrophobic, yet filled with chilling beauty, the Fens are revealed in poetic and elegant prose, and the natural world forms a glorious backdrop to the narrative.

This is a beautifully observed and rewarding novel, measured and steady-paced, and the gorgeous prose demands close attention.

You can buy a copy here

Poetry Review - Keepsake by Kayleigh Campbell

I've just finished reading Kayleigh Campbell's gorgeous poetry chapbook from Maytree Press, and I've dipped into Ghost Hospital by Pauline Rowe, which I will review shortly. Deryn Rees-Jones has called it 'remarkable', and I'm really looking forward to reading it from cover to cover.

KEEPSAKE by KAYLEIGH CAMPBELL Maytree Press

Kayleigh Campbell's debut poetry collection is confident, vivid and haunting. She has an emotional maturity way beyond her years, and a true understanding of the human condition. These poems are heartbreaking, utterly honest, and deeply personal. Campbell is not afraid to show vulnerabilty, and in doing so she gives us licence to do the same. She takes us on a journey through post-natal depression, through doubt and change, through love and family relationships in transition. Her work is powerful and stark, filled with the ache of loss.

These poems are beautifully crafted, they soar and plummet, and stay with you long after you close the book.

Buy a copy here

STORGY

Thrilled to see my story, Uncanny, published on the Storgy website today. Here's a taster - click on the link if you want to read more!

Uncanny by Amanda Huggins

By Storgy in Fiction on October 28, 2019

The new waitress says he reminds her of someone. She presses a finger to her lips, frowning slightly as she looks him up and down, then shakes her head.

‘I can’t think who it is. The image is blurred, a little fuzzy around the edges. If I could sharpen you up, pull you into focus, I might be able to figure it out.’

She smiles at him, tilts her head to one side, all pout and flirt, then reaches up to adjust her hair, holding the clip between straight white teeth. He wants to lean across the counter and trace his finger down the curve of her slender neck. He can sense the pull of her, the dangerous current that would drag him under, yet he wants it all: to taste the salt of her skin, to feel the crackling static of something he’s always been too timid to take.

Book Review - Love by Hanne Orstavik

Love by Hanne Orstavik

Love is set in a small village in north Norway. It follows the story of a mother and son, Vibeke and Jon, who have only lived there a few months. It is the evening before Jon’s ninth birthday and a travelling carnival has arrived in the village. Jon goes out to sell lottery tickets for his sports club and Vibeke sets off to the library. We follow them on their separate journeys through a cold winter's night; journeys filled with the weight of unrelenting menace and foreboding.

A palpable chill runs through the icy heart of this deceptively simple story, conveyed so precisely in Orstavik's sparse yet poetic language. Love explores the distances between people, while seamlessly weaving the two viewpoints tightly together, so that we are taken from Jon’s world to Vibeke’s and back again within just a few short paragraphs.

This slender novella is compelling, powerful and dark, packed with tension and yearning; a haunting tale about loneliness and the search for love. I was captivated until the very end. 

This is a book I won't be lending to anybody in case I don't get it back. It's already on the to-be-read-again pile :-)

(Reviewed after receiving an ARC from And Other Stories in exchange for an honest review.)

The Cotton Grass Appreciation Society

A fantastic launch event for The Cotton Grass Appreciation Society at the Marsden Walking Festival last Saturday. 

Published by Maytree Press, the collection features forty seven poems inspired by the South Pennine landscapes, towns and people. The book features poems by myself, Simon Armitage, Tom Weir, Hannah Stone, Jo Haslam, Gaia Holmes and many more. 

Get your copy now https://maytreepress.co.uk/shop-poetry-book/

At the Kitchen Table

The late spring snow
catches us off-guard,
drifts against the henhouse wall,
blots out the distant moors.

And here, in this borrowed house,
we watch, transfixed,
brave the blizzard
to throw scraps for the birds,
half-wishing it could always be like this.

Just you and I
at the kitchen table—
your crossword, my novel,
the weekend papers,
the last bottle of oak-aged red
waiting on the shelf.

Yet we know
the snow will thaw by morning,
and we’ll drive down the lane
for bread and logs,
ice-melt from the trees
pattering on the bonnet.

Then, too soon,
the workday grind will call us back
to the small house in the town,
where everything is a little less bright
and a little less kind.

As we leave,
the weather will change again,
the brilliant shine of it
making us smile,
and I’ll point out a newborn lamb,
his ears luminous, backlit by the sun,
as he watches us drive away.

Amanda Huggins