Author: whatcathyreadnext

WWW Wednesdays – 14th February ’18

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WWWWednesdays

Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, this meme is all about the three Ws:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Why not join in too?  Leave a comment with your link at Taking on a World of Words and then go blog hopping!

Currently reading

The Bell by Iris Murdoch (paperback)

A lay community of thoroughly mixed-up people is encamped outside Imber Abbey, home of an enclosed order of nuns. A new bell, legendary symbol of religion and magic, is rediscovered. Dora Greenfield, erring wife, returns to her husband. Michael Mead, leader of the community, is confronted by Nick Fawley, with whom he had disastrous homosexual relations, while the wise old Abbess watches and prays and exercises discreet authority. And everyone, or almost everyone, hopes to be saved, whatever that may mean…Iris Murdoch’s funny and sad novel is about religion, the fight between good and evil, and the terrible accidents of human frailty.

BrewingUpMurderBrewing Up Murder by Neila Young (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)

As the owner of Mystery Cup Café in Wilton, Missouri, a town made famous by a string of long-ago murders, Blake Harper is used to the mysterious. When her barista is found strangled in a mound of coffee beans, Blake vows to find the killer, even though her sister, the town’s lead police detective, tells her to stay out of it. Blake finds plenty of suspects, like the owners of a rival coffee shop and the handsome new bookstore owner. But when new threats are made, she soon realizes the danger is centered around Mystery Cup and someone is targeting her personally. Will Blake be able to solve the murder, find a new barista, and perfect her recipe for espresso brownies before she becomes the next victim?

Recently finished

The Wicked ComethThe Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin (eARC, NetGalley)

The year is 1831. Down the murky alleyways of London, acts of unspeakable wickedness are taking place and no one is willing to speak out on behalf of the city’s vulnerable poor as they disappear from the streets.  Out of these shadows comes Hester White, a bright young woman who is desperate to escape the slums by any means possible.

When Hester is thrust into the world of the aristocratic Brock family, she leaps at the chance to improve her station in life under the tutelage of the fiercely intelligent and mysterious Rebekah Brock. But whispers from her past slowly begin to poison her new life and both she and Rebekah are lured into the most sinister of investigations.  Hester and Rebekah find themselves crossing every boundary they’ve ever known in pursuit of truth, redemption and passion. But their trust in each other will be tested as a web of deceit begins to unspool, dragging them into the blackest heart of a city where something more depraved than either of them could ever imagine is lurking… (Review to follow)

In Strangers' HousesIn Strangers’ Houses by Elizabeth Mundy (eARC, NetGalley)

There are some crimes you can’t sweep under the carpet . . .

Lena Szarka, a Hungarian cleaner working in London, knows all too well about cleaning up other people’s messes. When her friend Timea disappears, she suspects one of her clients is to blame. However, the police don’t share her suspicions and it is left to Lena to turn sleuth and find her friend. Searching through their houses as she scrubs their floors, Lena desperately tries to find out what has happened. Only Cartwright, a police constable new to the job, believes that this will lead to the truth – and together they begin to uncover more of Islington’s seedy underbelly than they bargained for.

But Lena soon discovers it’s not just her clients who have secrets. And as she begins to unravel Timea’s past she starts to wonder if she really knew her friend at all. (Review to follow) 

TheRainNeverCameThe Rain Never Came by Lachlan Walter (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)

In a thirsty, drought-stricken Australia, the country is well and truly sunburnt. As the Eastern states are evacuated to more appealing climates, a stubborn few resist the forced removaftl. They hide out in small country towns – where no one would ever bother looking.

Bill Cook and Tobe Cousins are united in their disregard of the law. Aussie larrikins, they pass their hot, monotonous existence drinking at the barely standing pub. When strange lights appear across the Western sky, it seems that those embittered by the drought are seeking revenge. And Bill and Tobe are in their path. In the heat of the moment secrets will be revealed, and survival can’t be guaranteed. (Review to follow)

BrotherBrother by David Chariandy (eARC, NetGalley)

Coming of age in The Park, a cluster of town houses and leaning concrete towers in the disparaged outskirts of a sprawling city, Michael and Francis battle against the careless prejudices and low expectations that confront them as young men of black and brown ancestry — teachers stream them into general classes; shopkeepers see them only as thieves; and strangers quicken their pace when the brothers are behind them. Always Michael and Francis escape into the cool air of the Rouge Valley, a scar of green wilderness that cuts through their neighbourhood, where they are free to imagine better lives for themselves. Propelled by the pulsing beats and styles of hip hop, Francis, the older of the two brothers, dreams of a future in music. Michael’s dreams are of Aisha, the smartest girl in their high school whose own eyes are firmly set on a life elsewhere. But the bright hopes of all three are violently, irrevocably thwarted by a tragic shooting, and the police crackdown and suffocating suspicion that follow. (Review to follow)

RusticlesRusticles by Rebecca Gransden (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)

In Hilligoss, a tired man searches for a son, a flamingo enthrals the night, and fireworks light up the lost. In these stories and more, Rusticles offers a meandering tour through backroads bathed in half light, where shadows play along the verges and whispers of the past assault daydreams of the present. Walk the worn pathways of Hilligoss. (Review to follow)

What Cathy (will) Read Next

TheFragileThreadofHopeThe Fragile Thread of Hope by Pankaj Giri (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)

In the autumn of 2012, destiny wreaks havoc on two unsuspecting people – Soham and Fiona.

Although his devastating past involving his brother still haunted him, Soham had established a promising career for himself in Bangalore.  After a difficult childhood, Fiona’s fortunes had finally taken a turn for the better. She had married her beloved, and her life was as perfect as she had ever imagined it to be.  But when tragedy strikes them yet again, their fundamentally fragile lives threaten to fall apart.

Can Fiona and Soham overcome their grief? Will the overwhelming pain destroy their lives?

John MacnabJohn Macnab by John Buchan (hardback)

Three high-flying men – a barrister, a cabinet minister and a banker – are suffering from boredom. They concoct a plan to cure it. They inform three Scottish estates that they will poach from each two stags and a salmon in a given time. They sign collectively as ‘John Macnab’ and await the responses.

 

 

 

 

Q&A: Getting Home by Wolfe Butler

whatcathyreadnext

When an author contacts you about reviewing their book and the description sounds intriguing, it’s frustrating to know it’s going to be several months before you’ll be able to  read and review their book.  Such is the case when Wolfe Butler contacted me about his novel, Getting Home.    However, although it’s going to be a while until I get to read it, that doesn’t mean I should hide it away from followers of my blog who may not have such large review piles as me.

I’m pleased to say, Wolfe has agreed to answer some questions about Getting Home, including the inspiration for the book and his own very personal writing journey.  If it sparks your interest in the book, you can find purchase links below.

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Getting HomeAbout the Book

Dealing with a past he cannot remember, a future he is not sure he wants and questioning everything from his sanity to his sexuality, Tom Jacobs feels ever more certain that the only solution is to end it all. A high level career, a perfect marriage, a power family – from the outside Tom seems to have everything he could want. Yet, try as he will, he cannot seem to escape a constant need to run. Plagued with nightmares and an ever increasing need to control his life with alcohol, Tom is spinning out of control. What begins as a mission to end it all becomes a twenty year journey to the life he was meant to live. With unexpected turns, heartbreaking revelations and unlikely allies Tom is finally on the road that leads to Getting Home.

Format: eBook, paperback (218 pp.)      Publisher:
Published: 9th November 2017                Genre: Literary Fiction

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ  Amazon.com ǀ Author Website
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Getting Home on Goodreads

Interview with Wolfe Butler, author of Getting Home

Without giving too much away, can you tell me a bit about Getting Home?

Getting Home is the story of Tom Jacobs and his journey of self-discovery. When we first meet Tom, he is from an affluent family, has a perfect girlfriend he intends to marry and a career that men twice his age are still fighting for. Not everything is as it seems, though, and Tom is fighting internal monsters that are threatening to break out. The internal battle becomes so overwhelming that Tom decides his only option is to leave everything behind.

What was the inspiration for the book?

I have agonized over this question. I started Getting Home over fifteen years ago. I remember deciding that rainy August afternoon that I was going to start writing again. What become the Prologue for the book was really just stream-of-consciousness writing. After a few minutes, as happens so frequently with authors, a small voice started to speak in the back of my mind. Tom Jacobs was born and told me his story.

Getting Home is your first published novel.  Can you tell us a bit about your writing journey?

There is so much to be said here. While I have always loved writing, I never really felt that I would be willing to put anything out for others to judge. Getting Home became my therapy. I lost the love of my life during the journey. Tom and his battles became the way I learned to deal with all the painful emotions that were eating away at me. There was also a certain amount of liberation of being able to do anything with Tom’s world with no real-world consequences. It really helped me make a lot of important life choices.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered when writing the book?

Self-doubt was number one. I would sit down and write a few chapters and be so excited about the story. Then the doubt would set in. I would tell myself it was terrible, and no one would ever want to read it. Inevitably, I would shelve it until inspiration hit again a year or two later. [Cathy: I reckon many authors will identify with this.]

What advice would you offer to writers working on their own first novel?

Just. Keep. Writing. I could kick myself for not writing Tom’s whole journey when I first started the book. But then again, it would likely be a very different book because my life experience over the fifteen years is largely what shaped Tom’s story.

I read a quote recently from Stephen King, “Write a page a day, only 300 words, and in a year, you have written a novel.” Simple words but profound. I think especially as new writers we are overwhelmed by the scope of 80,000-100,000 words or more. Break it down and commit to 300 per day. Likely you will write more than 300 and be done in no time.

Your bio photo shows a figure with a suitcase.  Is travel an important element of your inspiration for writing?

First, I must admit, the picture is not me. Rather it is a stock image. I currently do not have any quality pictures of me. I do not like to be photographed, but I am working on it and hope to post some soon. I chose that picture for my profile because it fits the character of Tom Jacobs and his journey.

I do love to travel, though my greatest inspirations always seem to come from everyday life. The overly well-dressed man at the coffee shop. The tired mom in the grocery store with four small children. The obnoxious loud mouth at the end of the bar. There are characters everywhere. People inspire me more than anything.

On your blog you’ve recently started to publish book reviews.  How do you view the prospect of being on the receiving end of reviews of your own book?

Honestly, it terrifies me, but with an odd excited terror, like riding a roller coaster or going through a haunted house. I know not everyone will love Getting Home the way I do. I do not think it is perfect, but I finally pushed myself into publishing so I would stop working on it and move forward. My only hope is that the bad reviews will come with some clear direction as to why the reviewer hated the book. I want this to be a growing experience. Just saying, “It stinks!” or worse does not help anyone.

Do you think the story of Tom Jacobs, the protagonist of your novel, would have been different if he’d followed the advice of one of your own ‘Life Lessons’, namely to fill one’s life with positive people?

I believe sometimes in our lives we choose our journeys and sometimes our journeys choose us. Tom was destined to ultimately live the life he ended up with. There was someone waiting for him that needed him. Readers will understand when they read the book. No, I think no matter what pithy advice Tom may have been given, even if he tried to apply it, he still would have done the same things.

Which other writers do you admire or enjoy reading?

Wow, this could be a long answer. Michael Crichton is probably my favourite, if I had to choose just one. He was one of the greats that we lost much too soon. His book, Sphere, has been a favourite for decades. I also have great admiration for Dan Brown and Nicholas Sparks. Dan Brown really knows how to build anticipation and play out action in a way that keeps you turning pages. Nicholas Sparks knows how to make you feel emotions and fall in love. Jane Austen, though that may be a little cliché, is my other favourite. Pride and Prejudice is a masterpiece and the only book I have read many times. Of course, it also helps that it was the favourite of my wife.

What are you working on next?

I have six works going right now. The two I am most excited about are quite different. The first is a science fiction tale of a man who wakes up in a professed paradise but with no memories leading up to that day. He starts to have vivid dreams that make him doubt which is reality, the daily life or the dreams.  The other is more of a romance but also dealing with memory loss. This time it is a woman who wakes up in a large estate house, badly injured and with no memories. I am not far along with this one, but I already know that nothing is as it seems. I do, however, have the draft opening chapter for this one posted on my blog.

About the AuthorWolfe Butler

Wolfe writes: ‘My name is Wolfe Butler. I have been an avid reader and writer most of my life. Like so many other writers, I did not believe in myself enough to think that I could make a living as a writer, so I pursued a professional career in financial services. Twenty years later and I am not as young as I once was, but I am taking the time to pursue my passion and really give writing a chance.’

Connect with Wolfe

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