Charlie's latest newsletter
Welcome from stormy England. It blew a hoolie last weekend and this weekend looks just the same - had to cancel an author/reader lunch today because we’re all cleaving to our settees and battening down the hatches.
News
The most exciting development at the moment has been listening to audio samples for narrators for the Lindenshaw books. It’s a real thrill to hear how other people interpret your characters and also an eye opener. I’ve always said that characters belong as much to the listener/reader as to the author and often I discover all sorts of things about the people in my books that I didn’t realise, simply by talking to my readers. For example, I’ve been told by four people-all of whom should know-that Orlando Coppersmith from the Cambridge Fellows series is somewhere on the autism spectrum. I didn’t write him with that intention, but if he is, then I’m pleased to know the fact.
Am reposting the link for the Portsmouth Book Fest programme as the embedded links to the individual events don’t always work. Just to remind you, it’s ‘Is the romance genre all fluff and kittens?’ on March 5th with me trying to keep several other authors under control. Then there’s Mysteryfest on the 7th March, an all day conference (with light lunch) in which I’m popping up twice. I’m also looking forward very much to listening to Len Tyler speak, as he’s one of my favourite mystery writers.
Thanks to all those who tweeted their favourite LBGTQTIA+ books as part of Romance Reading month. There’s a move abroad within the RNA’s rainbow chapter to make the second Sunday of each month a day for a rerun of that. Next one would be Match 10th so…
Share your favourite LGBQTIA+ novels to @RNAtweets using the following hashtags. #DiamondRainbowReads #RNA60
This week’s excerpt is inspired by an exhibition that’s currently on at the Imperial War Museum London, and which I doubt I’ll be able to visit, given the pressures on the old diary. It’s about keeping the troops entertained in WWI, which is right up my street, and made me think of one of my favourite creations, Madeleine from Awfully Glad.
Excerpt:
“Welcome, gentlemen. So nice to see you again, Captain.” She offered Corry her hand-he bent over it, lips hovering just above the knuckles.
“And you, too, my dear. I hope your sister is well?”
“She is, thank you. Doing some nursing work. We all have to play our part.”
“Indeed.” Corry grinned.
“And how’s Elizabeth?” Madeleine asked, gently wafting herself with an improvised fan. Apparently it wasn’t just the young officers who were getting overheated.
“She’s keeping well. Being brave for the sake of the boys.” Corry’s smile softened as he spoke of his wife and family. “Now, may I introduce some of our men? Madeleine, this is Lieutenant Browne.”
“Delighted.” Browne delicately shook the hand presented to him, then slipped back as the other two jostled for position, Hampson being bold enough to kiss the red-gloved fingers.
“You sang so beautifully. Like an angel,” Cole said when it was his turn, blushing from neck to hairline.
“Thank you, although I mustn’t take the credit. It’s an excellent company.” Madeleine turned her deep blue gaze on Cole. “What did you think of the tenor? Such a fine voice. He was in the West End, of course, before he signed up.”
“Um. Yes. Very good,” Cole stammered, looking like a nervous schoolboy. The flower of King George’s army rendered helpless by a pair of sparkling eyes and a dress which had slipped to show just a touch too much shoulder. Maybe it had been deliberately arranged that way.
“I saw him in The Mikado when Noah was a boy.” Corry laughed. “Are they allowing them to sign up at his age?”
“That was his father, as well you know, you naughty boy.” Madeleine slapped the colonel on his arm with her fan. “I shall have to report back to Elizabeth.”
“Heavens!” Corry raised his hands in mock surrender. “No mentions in one of your dispatches, please. She’ll have my guts for garters.”
Madeleine smiled, then inclined her head regally. “Now, tell me about yourselves, lads. Have you got sweethearts at home?” She winked at Corry again, the pair of them evidently enjoying the discomfort of the younger men. “Or would it be wrong to mention them? I understand a lady’s name should never be mentioned in the mess. We should adhere to that rule.”
The conversation turned to a gentle probing of where the officers came from. Gradually they lost their unease, opening up their hearts to pour into Madeleine’s willing ear-to the extent that they became bold, bolder than was perhaps wise, in the circumstances.
“Sorry if we’re being forward, but we wondered if you would join us for a drink, afterwards? There’s a little estaminet…” Hampson’s words petered out under Madeleine’s piercing blue gaze.
“But of course. Once I’ve changed out of my working clothes.”
“Oh, yes. Come on chaps, let’s leave the lady to it.” Whether Hampson was in a hurry to leave the room to spare Madeleine’s modesty or hide his own blush, who could tell. The blush deepened to an ugly red at her reply.
“Oh, no need for that.” She favoured Corry with a wink. “Stay and keep me company.”
“I…ah…we…oh!” Hampson’s eyebrows shot up as Madeline unpinned her wig and removed it, to reveal short cropped hair, a couple of shades darker than his, dark auburn with sweat. She smiled, but not her usual coquettish smile; this one was masculine, the lines of the mouth suddenly hardened. The illusion had been broken.
“Lieutenant Samuel Hines, gentlemen. Female impersonator extraordinaire. And a very old friend of the family,” Corry added, maybe in case his officers thought he spent all his off duty hours hanging around with men wearing lipstick.
“Not so much of the old,” Sam replied in a voice which had gone down an octave since he’d last spoken. He began to wipe the make-up off his face. “Sorry to shatter any illusions,” he said, addressing Cole, who was clearly trying to give the impression he’d known all along. “Better you know now before we get to the estaminet. A bit of footsie under the table might have ended up with you getting your shins raked.”
Corry laughed. “You should have seen Sam on the rugby pitch. Usually played hard but fair, except when the ref wasn’t looking!”
And finally - Has to be one of the exhibits from another IWM site, this time at Duxford.
Charlie
News
The most exciting development at the moment has been listening to audio samples for narrators for the Lindenshaw books. It’s a real thrill to hear how other people interpret your characters and also an eye opener. I’ve always said that characters belong as much to the listener/reader as to the author and often I discover all sorts of things about the people in my books that I didn’t realise, simply by talking to my readers. For example, I’ve been told by four people-all of whom should know-that Orlando Coppersmith from the Cambridge Fellows series is somewhere on the autism spectrum. I didn’t write him with that intention, but if he is, then I’m pleased to know the fact.
Am reposting the link for the Portsmouth Book Fest programme as the embedded links to the individual events don’t always work. Just to remind you, it’s ‘Is the romance genre all fluff and kittens?’ on March 5th with me trying to keep several other authors under control. Then there’s Mysteryfest on the 7th March, an all day conference (with light lunch) in which I’m popping up twice. I’m also looking forward very much to listening to Len Tyler speak, as he’s one of my favourite mystery writers.
Thanks to all those who tweeted their favourite LBGTQTIA+ books as part of Romance Reading month. There’s a move abroad within the RNA’s rainbow chapter to make the second Sunday of each month a day for a rerun of that. Next one would be Match 10th so…
Share your favourite LGBQTIA+ novels to @RNAtweets using the following hashtags. #DiamondRainbowReads #RNA60
This week’s excerpt is inspired by an exhibition that’s currently on at the Imperial War Museum London, and which I doubt I’ll be able to visit, given the pressures on the old diary. It’s about keeping the troops entertained in WWI, which is right up my street, and made me think of one of my favourite creations, Madeleine from Awfully Glad.
Excerpt:
“Welcome, gentlemen. So nice to see you again, Captain.” She offered Corry her hand-he bent over it, lips hovering just above the knuckles.
“And you, too, my dear. I hope your sister is well?”
“She is, thank you. Doing some nursing work. We all have to play our part.”
“Indeed.” Corry grinned.
“And how’s Elizabeth?” Madeleine asked, gently wafting herself with an improvised fan. Apparently it wasn’t just the young officers who were getting overheated.
“She’s keeping well. Being brave for the sake of the boys.” Corry’s smile softened as he spoke of his wife and family. “Now, may I introduce some of our men? Madeleine, this is Lieutenant Browne.”
“Delighted.” Browne delicately shook the hand presented to him, then slipped back as the other two jostled for position, Hampson being bold enough to kiss the red-gloved fingers.
“You sang so beautifully. Like an angel,” Cole said when it was his turn, blushing from neck to hairline.
“Thank you, although I mustn’t take the credit. It’s an excellent company.” Madeleine turned her deep blue gaze on Cole. “What did you think of the tenor? Such a fine voice. He was in the West End, of course, before he signed up.”
“Um. Yes. Very good,” Cole stammered, looking like a nervous schoolboy. The flower of King George’s army rendered helpless by a pair of sparkling eyes and a dress which had slipped to show just a touch too much shoulder. Maybe it had been deliberately arranged that way.
“I saw him in The Mikado when Noah was a boy.” Corry laughed. “Are they allowing them to sign up at his age?”
“That was his father, as well you know, you naughty boy.” Madeleine slapped the colonel on his arm with her fan. “I shall have to report back to Elizabeth.”
“Heavens!” Corry raised his hands in mock surrender. “No mentions in one of your dispatches, please. She’ll have my guts for garters.”
Madeleine smiled, then inclined her head regally. “Now, tell me about yourselves, lads. Have you got sweethearts at home?” She winked at Corry again, the pair of them evidently enjoying the discomfort of the younger men. “Or would it be wrong to mention them? I understand a lady’s name should never be mentioned in the mess. We should adhere to that rule.”
The conversation turned to a gentle probing of where the officers came from. Gradually they lost their unease, opening up their hearts to pour into Madeleine’s willing ear-to the extent that they became bold, bolder than was perhaps wise, in the circumstances.
“Sorry if we’re being forward, but we wondered if you would join us for a drink, afterwards? There’s a little estaminet…” Hampson’s words petered out under Madeleine’s piercing blue gaze.
“But of course. Once I’ve changed out of my working clothes.”
“Oh, yes. Come on chaps, let’s leave the lady to it.” Whether Hampson was in a hurry to leave the room to spare Madeleine’s modesty or hide his own blush, who could tell. The blush deepened to an ugly red at her reply.
“Oh, no need for that.” She favoured Corry with a wink. “Stay and keep me company.”
“I…ah…we…oh!” Hampson’s eyebrows shot up as Madeline unpinned her wig and removed it, to reveal short cropped hair, a couple of shades darker than his, dark auburn with sweat. She smiled, but not her usual coquettish smile; this one was masculine, the lines of the mouth suddenly hardened. The illusion had been broken.
“Lieutenant Samuel Hines, gentlemen. Female impersonator extraordinaire. And a very old friend of the family,” Corry added, maybe in case his officers thought he spent all his off duty hours hanging around with men wearing lipstick.
“Not so much of the old,” Sam replied in a voice which had gone down an octave since he’d last spoken. He began to wipe the make-up off his face. “Sorry to shatter any illusions,” he said, addressing Cole, who was clearly trying to give the impression he’d known all along. “Better you know now before we get to the estaminet. A bit of footsie under the table might have ended up with you getting your shins raked.”
Corry laughed. “You should have seen Sam on the rugby pitch. Usually played hard but fair, except when the ref wasn’t looking!”
And finally - Has to be one of the exhibits from another IWM site, this time at Duxford.
Charlie