News 3 May

 

 

We do go there often. It take just about an hour and half to get from our home to just the other side of Penrith. Whitbarrow. For three of the days we were there a road was closed while they laid a new water main so we were forced to go via the village of Greystoke. It’s quite a detour but extremely rewarding.  And Greystoke has  a castle, no less. It isn’t open to the public and this somehow makes it even more appealing. There’s something about the name… I feel a story coming on…. Which secrets does this castle hide?

We also enjoyed a puppet theatre at the Upfront Arts Venue.This has a café and a gallery as well so this will soon be featured on my Creative Café Project site. They hold live music events. Thie gift shop is very tempting and not too expensive.

Naturally I had to visit my favourite Lakeland bookshop atPooley Bridge and I just had to buy a couple of books. I chose ‘Fin & Ana’ books by R. Fox They’re in a similar format to the classic Beatrix Potter stories. The stories are a little twee but nevertheless charming. The pictures look as if they’ve been generated by AI and the books are clearly sell-published. Not that that means they can’t be of good quality. There is little information about the books on Amazon but plenty on R Fox’s author page.

Each book ends with a description of a walk in the area where the story is set.

I’ll have to read these more carefully before I make any sort of judgement and anyway I suspect they’ll end up in The Young Person’s Library.

 

 

Writing news

I’m continuing with my work on the seventh Schellberg book. It now seems to be almost more about how homosexuality was treated in Nazi Germany than about the resistance, Neverthelss, one of the main characters, Adelhard Braun, may even be distracted by his involvement in resisting the Nazis from the problems that his homosexuality pose.  

I have a review of Of Mice and Men on Talking About My Generation: 

 

 

This was an interesting performance in that a story that embraces little inclusivity is inclusive: one actor is blind and two are autistic. As ever, a very moving story.    

 

 

I have a second article on Talking About My Generation about the Manchester City of Literature Map.  visit the Alliance Française and also offer some creative writing in other language exercises.     

 

On My Blog

 

I have a special offer where you can buy all of my Schellberg books in paperback form for £20.00 

 

 

There is an Leexcerpt of my resource for creative writing teachers Let’s Get Writing This includes information about how to find the resource. 

 

 

There is an appeal for a review of The Best of CafeLit 4  As ever, please remember how important reviews are for us writers. They don’t need to be long and they should be constructive.  It is possible to do both in a two to four lines!  

 

 

I also have a short article about reliance on how the Internet may have stopped us juststumbling across some information:  Is there something to be gained from older technology? 

 

The Young Person’s Library

I’ve added two books this month, both of them YA

 

First, there is the final part of Jeanette Greaves’ Ransomed Hearts series. Silverwood Rising tells of the werewolf community now out into the open and recognised by the general public.

 

 

Then there is Monika Feth’s Der Libellenflüsterer is a thriller for YA. It contains multiple points of view and it really improved my German vocab. 

 

Recommended read

This month I choose Silverwood Rising mentioned above. 

 

 

This is the fourth and final book in Jeanette Greaves ‘Ransomed Hearts’ series.

 Yes, we certainly all know by now that this series is about werewolves and Greaves has created her own brand of them. 

Read more here  

 

Giveaway  

This month I’m giving away a copy of January Stones 

 

These stories were written one a day throughout January 2013. They were originally published on a blog called Gill’s January Stones. In fact, they were published in reverse order. The first one you read here, When Physics Got Sick, was the last one to be written and originally published on 31 January 2016.

Sometimes the stories would come right at the beginning of the day. Sometimes they would take a while longer.

Do they have a theme? Not really, though the idea of ‘stones’ is one of turning them over slowly on the beach until we find the right one. It’s not a bad time of year, anyway, right at the beginning in January, as the New Year starts and the days slowly become longer.

There was no strict word count. Each story is as long as it needs to be. It had to be finished, though, by midnight of that day.

Sign up to receive this news letter monthly and grab your free materials.  You’ll find an e-book file and a PDF plus a lot of other free materials here.

Please leave a review on Amazon, if you’re allowed to, on Good Reads and anywhere else you can.

 

 

The Schellberg Project

The posts may be helpful for teachers who are familiar with the Schellberg stories or who are teaching about the Holocaust.  They may also be interesting for other readers of historical fiction.

 

 

In case you’re not already familiar with it I’ve posted an excerpt from The House on Schellberg Street on the blog. I’ve chosen the second chapter this time.  This is the first chapter in the thread about the house itself.

 

 

 

I’ve written a review of Michael Rosen’s One Day. This is a story about Holocaust survival and about living one day at a time.  I’m not convinced though that this is a picture book for children. 

 

 

I’ve also taken a look at the attempts to ‘cure’ people of homosexuality 

 

 

Some notes about my newsletters and blogs

They do overlap a little but here is a summary of what they all do.

 

Bridge House Authors For all those published by Bridge House, CaféLit, Chapeltown or The Red Telephone or interested in being published by us. General news about the imprints. News for writers. Links to book performance. Sign up here.

 

The Bridgetown  Café Bookshop where you can buy my books and books published by Bridge House Publishing, CafeLit, Chapeltown Books and The Red Telephone.  Visit us here.     

 

Gill’s News: News about my writing, The Schellberg Project, School Visits and Events. Book recommendations and giveaways. Find it here.   

 

Pushing Boundaries, Flying Higher News about conferences and workshops to do with the young adult novel. (infrequent postings) Sign up here.  

 

Red Telephone Books News about our books and our authors. Sign up here.

 

A Publisher’s Perspective Here I and some other editors blog as a publisher. Access this here.   

 

The Creative Café Project Listings and reviews of creative cafés. See them here.   

 

CaféLit Stories Find these here

 

Gill James Writer All about writing and about my books. View this here.

 

Gill’s Recommended Reads Find information here about books that have taken me out of my editor’s head and a reminder of the ones I’ve highlighted in this newsletter.    

 

Gill’s Sample Fiction Read some of my fiction here.

 

The House on Schellberg Street All about my Schellberg project. Read it here.

 

Writing Teacher All about teaching creative writing.  Some creative writing exercises. Access this here.  I also invite other writers to provide prompts and work for critique.     

 

Books Books Books Weekly offers on our books and news of new books. Find them here. 

 

The Young Person’s Library The children’s book catalogue. Access it here.

 

Fair Submissions  Find it here.   

Opportunities for writers are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.  

Happy reading and writing.

 

 

   

 

  

 

Offer on hard copies of these two special books:

 Two beautiful hardback souvenir books for £25.00 

A continuing response by writers to the Covid19 pandemic in 2020 and during the ongoing aftershocks in 2021.

This collection is of work by writers we have published before and whom we trust, and their trusted colleagues. When disasters strike writers respond and react in words. They share with us their hopes and fears. They describe and rationalise.  Like its companion book this volume contains pieces of fiction, flash fiction, script, poetry, memoir and some texts which cannot easily be categorised.              

There is a loose chronology here – the texts are listed by the order in which they were written and / or by the times to which they refer.

There are messages of hope, cries of despair and acts of kindness.

This hardback book is above all a glimpse, a snapshot of some astonishing human history.     

Aftermath is the second book in a series of creative responses to the 2020 pandemic and its aftermath.    

RRP £13.00

A response by writers to the Covid19 pandemic in 2020, this collection is of work by writers we have published before and whom we trust, and their trusted colleagues. When disasters strike writers respond and react in words. They share with us their hopes and fears. They describe and rationalise. This volume contains pieces of fiction, flash fiction, script, poetry, memoir and some texts which cannot easily be categorised.

Film Noir by Gill James, orange juice

Here is my short story that appears in The Best of CafeLit 7

 

 

“To the side a little. That’s it. Now smile. Look down.” 

Snap. Snap.

Cherry’s neck and shoulders ached with the effort of holding her head stiffly for so long. Despite the hot studio lights, she was trying not to shiver. She had to admit: it was just as her mother had promised. Being this thin made her feel the cold. She could hear that constant voice.  “You need to eat. You have to keep your strength up. Young girls don’t need to be that slim.” The trouble was they did. Even if it made them feel cold.

“Come on sweetheart. Where’s that lovely smile. Not long now.”

Snap. Snap.

“Okay, honey. That’s it.”

 

“I have to give it to you. They look good.”  They were studying the portfolio Gaston Pictures had sent through.

Cherry wasn’t so sure.  “They make me look fat, Mum.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re not at all fat. That red top really suits you.” Her mother frowned. “Even if it does show more than it ought to.”

“Mum!”

“Well at least they’re good pictures.  They ought to get you some work.” Her mother sniffed. “They’d really better with what they’ve cost.”   

Cherry shuddered. Had this really been such a good idea after all? What if it didn’t work? It had to. It just had to. 

 

“Yes your portfolio was very nice, dear, but we have hundreds of collections like that. You really need to be a bit different to stand any chance these days.”

“Perhaps I should try somewhere else?”   

“Well, I don’t think you’ll find anywhere more efficient than our company.” The receptionist glared down at Cherry from her high stool. She seemed to be turning up her nose as if Cherry was something the cat had brought in. “Anyway, we’ve already gone to substantial time and trouble circulating your portfolio to the top companies. If you withdrew now we would have to charge you.”

“How much?”

The receptionist tapped her long fingernail on the keyboard. She glanced at her computer screen and smirked.  “Five hundred and seventy-five pounds.”

That was it then. She wouldn’t be able to get out of this.

The receptionist smiled a little more gently now.

“You’ll have to be patient. Once they’ve seen you enough they’ll start remembering your face. You’ve got quite a pretty face, really.” 

It doesn’t heIp, though, does it?  Mum was going to be furious.

 

“Where are you off to in such a tearing hurry?”

Oh no. It was Kevin Hughes. She’d never hear the last of it if he told everybody at school where he’d seen her.

“Aw, you’ve not been to one of those poncy agencies who promise to get you modelling jobs. Rip off or what?”

“Shut up, Kevin Hughes.”

“You’d do better letting me take you on my mobile and pasting it on Facebook.”

“Don’t you dare.”

Snap. Too late. He’d done it. There would be trouble if he did put it on Facebook. The agency would drop her.  It was a strict rule: no promoting yourself on social media.

Kevin was now already half way down the High Street.  

 

Two weeks later when she called at the agency there was a much younger receptionist there. Candy, said her name badge.  Cherry guessed she was only a couple of years older than herself.

“Hiya. Cherry isn’t it? We’ve had a bit of news.”

Her heart started thumping and her mouth went dry. Was this going to be her big moment?

Candy tapped away at her keyboard. The printer whirred into life and started chugging out paper.

“Modes Gaston. They’d like to actually see you. Only thing is, they want you to lose a couple of kilos. And they’d like you to have your hair cropped and streaked orange. Of course, they’d expected it done at a top salon. The details are here.” She handed Cherry the printout. “There’s a list of recommended salons at the end with a list of charges.”

Cherry looked at the papers. God, her mother was going to freak.

“Now, don’t go getting your hopes up too much. You’ll have to make those changes before they’ll even look at you. They may still reject you. But it’s a step in the right direction and cause for celebration. Go, girl. ”

 

Kevin Hughes was waiting on the pavement again when she got outside. Before she could stop him he’d got out his phone and was snapping away.

“Please don’t put them on Facebook,” she begged. “It will spoil everything."

Kevin grinned. “Okay. I promise I won’t Give us your phone and I’ll put my number in. Then send us a text so I’ve got your number and I’ll send the pictures over.  So that you can see how much better I am than whoever you‘re paying all that money to. “

Cherry sighed and gave him the phone.

 

“Oh my god. What have they done to you?” It was the snooty older receptionist again. “I hope you didn’t pay them. In fact they ought to pay you. Compensation for wrecking your career.”

It had looked all right when they’d first got it done. No way would her mother pay those top salon prices and they’d gone to the place in the village her mother used.  But now it was beginning to grow out and her dark roots were showing. Her hair had gone really dry as well. It had taken her quite a while to lose the extra two kilos.

She felt really ill. She’d not slept because she’d been so hungry.

“Listen, sweetie, we’ll have to get you fixed. I‘m going to make you an appointment with one of our recommended salons.  ”

“I don’t think I can afford it,” Cherry mumbled.

“You can’t afford not to. And we can’t afford for you not to have this put right.  We’ll just take the fee out of your first pay packet. Take a seat over there.”

The woman seemed to take ages on the phone. Cherry felt really sick and thought she might have to rush out at any minute to throw up.

“There. You’ve an appointment in half an hour at Gregor’s. There’s a taxi waiting outside.”

Thank goodness she could get out now.

She rushed down the stairs. The fresh air made her feel a little better straight away. There was the taxi waiting for her. And so was Kevin.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

Why must he keep taking photos?

The flash made her blink. But when she tried to open her eyes there was just blackness.      

 

“Oh you’re awake now then?” 

Cherry’s head hurt.  She couldn’t make out where she was.  Her arm was sore. There was a tube sticking into it. It led to a bag of clear fluid that was hanging off something that looked a bit like a hat stand.

“The doctors say you were dehydrated.  And that you’re much too thin. This lark has got to stop my girl.”

“Leave me alone, Mum.”

What was she doing here?  What about Gregor’s and Gaston? She guessed that would all be over for a while, if not for good.

“Okay, I’ll leave you for a bit. He wants a word.”

She looked to where her mother was pointing.

Oh no. Kevin Hughes again.

“You scared us. Are you all right now?”

“What do you want, Kevin?”

He took a large brown envelope out of his shoulder bag. “This came. I thought you might like to see it.”

“Bog off, Kevin.”

“Okay, I’m going.” He put envelope on the bedside table and held his arms up in the air.

 

“What did he want?” Her mother was holding a cup of what looked like dishwater but she suspected it was supposed to be weak coffee.

Cherry nodded towards he envelop.

“Aren’t you going to open it?”

 “Shall I?”

Her mum opened the envelop before she could even pick it up. “Oh my god.” She put her hand in front of her mouth.

  “What is it?”

Her mother handed her a large black and white photograph. It was of Cherry with her hair tousled and looking just a little bit tired.  Yet there was something extraordinarily good about it.  She looked, well, glamorous.

“It’s fantastic, isn’t it?”

Yes, it was good. But she didn’t want to agree with her mother too soon.

“Oh, wait. There’s something else here.”  She pulled out a closely typed document.

“What is it?”

Her mother took a few moments to read it.

“Apparently you’ve been invited to work for the Nouveau Fim Noir Company.”

“What’s that?”

“They make old-fashioned black and white films. Did I leave my phone here?” Kevin was back and was now on his hands and knees searching under the bed.

“Only they want you to put on a bit of weight. Listen. Grow the orange hair out, they say. But keep the tom-boy look.” Her mum looked up from the letter.  “See. I told you.”

“You didn’t mind me sending them off, did you? Only I knew you would be exactly what they were looking for.” Kevin scrambled up on to his feet, the phone now in his hand. “The photos look really good in black and white.”     

Tempted? Find your copy here.  

About the author: 

Gill James writes all sorts of fiction - novels, short fiction, flash fiction and experimental fiction. She is also a publisher and editor. Visit her blog at http://www.gilljameswriter.eu/