An Extra Extra Slice of Cake With... Eleanor Swift-Hook

Today I am delighted to welcome back for the second time my fabulous writer friend Eleanor Swift-Hook.

(c) Ian Bristow

Eleanor enjoys the mysteries of history and fell in love with the early Stuart era at university when she re-enacted battles and living history events with the English Civil War Society. Since then, she has had an ongoing fascination with the social, military and political events that unfolded during the Thirty Years' War and the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. She lives in County Durham and loves writing stories woven into the historical backdrop of those dramatic times.

What is your latest writerly news that you are bursting to share?

Gosh! That would have to be that Lord's Legacy, my historical fiction series with a tiny bit of a 'What if...?' twist in its tail, is getting out into the world thanks to my publisher Sharpe Books.

The series is set in the English Civil War (if you don't know much about it, think roughly The Three Musketeers kind of era) and tells the story of Philip Lord, a mercenary commander with a reputation for ruthlessness gained in the wars raging across Europe. 

Against the backdrop of civil war, Lord returns to England with a treason charge hanging over his head and in search of his identity and heritage. The truth about that lies in the hands of a mysterious cabal calling itself the Covenant, and their secret conspiracy which began a century before. 

It is a series for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, murder mysteries or just a thundering good adventure story.

What was the best book you read in 2022?

Always a toughie to answer that one and for the last twelve months it's been particularly hard as I've had a lot less time for reading than usual. 

One book I read that I really found powerful was Jenny by Jane Jago. It is a contemporary novel and charts the path of a woman who escapes an abusive relationship and learns to trust again. But it's written in a way that allows more than just that, it has a strong element of a thriller too. The kind of book that stays with you for a long time after you’ve read it.

Share your favourite book cover from the books you have written

My favourite cover from the Lord's Legacy series is probably that for The Mercenary's Blade. The style of the cover chosen by my publisher is photographic and that brings the period visually to life.

How has your writing changed over the years?

I think that is difficult to answer for oneself. It is more likely other people will notice the changes. 

That said, I like to think I have improved at least somewhat. I have worked on making my writing more immediate and set deeper into the head of each character. And having to edit to meet the demands of my publisher has undoubtedly done wonders for tightening up my writing, I’m sure.

On a more macro scale I've moved genres into historical fiction, but find there is very little difference in the basics. A good story is a good story and the elements of character, plot, pace and writing style that make it so, are consistent across all genres, in my opinion.

What was the last cake or pudding you had whilst out and about?

Was a while ago but was a rather lovely lemon drizzle cake. I'd highly recommend trying one if you have yet to do so.

You can connect with Eleanor and find out more here:

Website: eleanorswifthook.com

Blog: eleanorswifthook.com/blog

Twitter: twitter.com/emswifthook

Book link (to the series): amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BKMQ9TLN

Lord's Legacy Page on Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088374540675

Amazon author page: amazon.co.uk/Eleanor-Swift-Hook/e/B0BKTP1CMG

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Melissa Leedom. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours through Kofi and buy me virtual tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Slice of Cake With... Tom Hamling

Today I am delighted to have a slice of cake with children's author Tom Hamling.

Tom lives with his wife and three children in Norwich, UK. He and his wife both write for popular parenting blog See What Mummy Says. Together they have written for brands such as Bickiepegs, INTU Shopping Centres, Wagamamas and have a regular column in Iceni Magazine.

Tom released his first rhyming picture book in 2019. Tom enjoys spending time with friends and family, and loves watching his children play using this to inspire his stories.

What kind of books do you write?

I write short fun stories for younger people which may or may not rhyme with “scripture cooks”. My characters adventure together using imaginative play.

Can you describe your writing why?

I watch my children play using their amazing imaginations and find it incredibly sad how early children seem to lose that ability to transport themselves to another world. I’d love to create a world where children can escape, whenever they need to and that doesn’t rely on any expensive technology. 

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

We put on our helmets

And special space suits

A warm pair of gloves

And big heavy boots

We lay back in our seats

The countdown has begun

The engines are roaring

3...2...1!

Up we go

As high as the stars

We’ve seen Saturn and Venus

And “Look, there’s Mars!” 

From Look, There’s Mars!

Tell us about your latest project

I currently have three rhyming picture books available from Amazon, Waterstones online and a variety of shops in Norfolk. There are two further books in the series, which are currently being worked on by the wonderful illustrator, Rachel Edwards! 

I am currently writing a middle grade adventure novel but its very early in the process so I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything else! 

What is your favourite cake?

A man of simple taste, Victoria Sponge is my choice of cake (Must be accompanied by a sugary cup of tea!)

You can connect with Tom here:

www.seewhatmummysays.com

Twitter: @whatmummysaysuk

Instagram: @seewhatmummysays

Facebook: See What Mummy Says

LinkedIn: Tom Hamling 

Join me next week when I will be having an extra, extra slice of cake with E.M. Swift-Hook. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours through Kofi and buy me virtual tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Slice of Cake With... Isobel Blackthorn

Today I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Isobel Blackthorn.

Isobel is an award-winning author of unique and engaging fiction. She writes dark psychological thrillers, mysteries, and contemporary and historical fiction. On the dark side are Twerk, The Cabin Sessions and The Legacy of Old Gran Parks. Her Canary Islands’ collection begins with The Drago Tree and includes A Matter of Latitude, Clarissa’s Warning and A Prison in the Sun. Her interest in the occult is explored in The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey and the dark mystery A Perfect Square. The esoteric theme pervades much of her writing. Isobel is currently at work on a new mystery series, her sixth Canary Islands’ novel and a dark esoteric mystery.

Isobel has a background in Western Esotericism. She holds 1st Class Honours in Social Studies, and a PhD from the University of Western Sydney for her ground-breaking research on the works of Alice A. Bailey. After working as a teacher, market trader and PA to a literary agent, she arrived at writing in her forties, and her stories are as diverse and intriguing as her life has been.

Isobel performs her literary works at events in a range of settings, gives workshops in creative writing, and writes book reviews. Her reviews have appeared in New Dawn Magazine, Esoteric Quarterly, Shiny New Books, Sisters in Crime, Australian Women Writers, Trip Fiction and Newtown Review of Books. She talks regularly about books and writing on radio, in Australia, and on occasion in the UK and USA and Canary Islands.

British by birth, Isobel entered this world in Farnborough, Kent, She has lived in England, Australia, Spain and the Canary Islands.

What kind of books do you write?

I write rich stories with a strong element of social realism. I aim to entertain, but there’s a part of me that takes a deep interest in history and culture, and I love researching new topics. I like intrigue, drama, conflict, all the stuff of good fiction. My stories also tend to be setting rich.

Can you describe your writing why?

Writing must be written into my DNA. I’m hard-wired this way. I’m not suited to much else. The motivation to write comes from within, from a deep need to create and give expression to my imagination.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

This paragraph is from Sing Like a Canary (Canary Islands Mysteries Book 5). I have enjoyed writing most of my books but this one was very special as it’s based on the true story of when my mum was a copper in London’s Metropolitan Police:

I’d always enjoyed keen eyesight. Ever since I was a child my eyes would home in on little bits of evidence – the shoelace of Carl Fisher’s school shoes in the bushes where Fiona Macintyre was molested, the missing tooth of Wendy Fraser in the gravel edging the school driveway after her skirmish with notorious school bully Sharon Weare – and it was this natural talent that had led me to join the constabulary. You’d make a great detective, my mother had said, which was a progressive thing to tell a daughter in the 1960s. I had a habit of finding myself in the right place at the right time, too, and I had a good nose for sniffing out clues. You’re a natural, Marjorie Pierce. Isn’t that what they’d said, back in the days of my police training. It was 1977 by the time I joined the force at the tender age of twenty-four, and indeed they had. That was what they’d said when they weren’t being lewd. 

Tell us about your latest project

My latest release is a cosy mystery. Murder in Myrtle Bay (Ruth Finlay Mysteries Book 1) is set where I used to live in Australia, and features the adorable and quirky sidekick Doris Cleaver. In this the first in the series, Ruth is a journalist writing for a lifestyle magazine and the duo find themselves unexpectedly trying to discover who murdered Ruth’s old tennis coach. It’s a complex case. Every suspect has a motive. Most had the opportunity. 

I loved writing this book so much. It’s also dedicated to the real Ruth Finley, who was the relative a lovely friend. Ruth was a high school teacher with a warm and strong nature. I came to know her all too briefly when I decided to name the main character after her – the outcome of a Facebook post. (You never know what can happen when you put character name queries on Facebook!)  Ruth was taken much too soon, but she did read the early chapters and journeyed along with my writing process all the way to publication. I have never written a book in such a disciplined fashion because we all felt in a race against time. Murder in Myrtle Bay is a fun feel good read, as you would expect with a cosy mystery. Especially so, as my intention was to entertain Ruth. It was uncanny, too, that my crafting of the fictional Ruth’s father actually resembled the real Ruth’s dad! 

What is your favourite cake?

Fruit cake as long as my slice comes with a thick layer of Marmite instead of icing.

You can connect with Isobel here:

isobelblackthorn.com
facebook.com/Lovesick.Isobel.Blackthorn
goodreads.com/author/show/5768657.Isobel_Blackthorn
twitter.com/IBlackthorn
instagram.com/isobelblackthorn

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Tom Hamling. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours through Kofi and buy me virtual tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.

A Slice of Cake With... Melinda Kucsera

Today I am delighted to have a slice of cake with author Melinda Kucsera.

Melinda writes fantastic short stories, novels, and books when not being kidnapped by dragons or chased by armies of fictional creatures. 

What kind of books do you write?

I write about reluctant heroes, unique magical systems, enchanted trees, found families, and immersive worlds filled w/intrigue, ancient evil, and forbidden magic.

Can you describe your writing why?

I write because my characters will not let me do anything else. They’ve taken over my newsletter, and they complain to readers when I don’t write about  them. I publish my books because I promised my sister before she passed away that I would, and my characters make sure I keep that vow 4-6x per year. (They’d love it if I could write more books per year. I told them to learn how to market and sell their books, so I don’t need to work full-time to subsidise the costs, but they have yet to do that.)

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

From Curse Breaker Revealed 

The outer door opened before Sarn could pull up his head map, and Ranispara strode in.

“Sorry I’m late. I came as soon as I could. Your note didn’t say what the problem was, just that it was urgent. So you’d better start talking. I need to get back out there. Inari? Where are you?” Ranispara stepped into the foyer. “Oh hello, Sarn. How are you? I’m glad you’re better, and who is this?” Ranispara crouched when Ran rushed over to say hello.

Sarn had told his son probably a thousand times not to talk to strangers, but the boy never listened to him. He watched the tragedy play out in slow motion, but there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it. Ran past by just out of reach. Maybe he could have used his magic to grab the boy, but Sarn didn’t call it, and it didn’t rush to his aid either.

Ran skidded to a halt in front of Ranispara, and her eyes widened at the sight of him. “Hi, I’m Ran. I’m his son.” Ran pointed at Sarn. “Who are you?” Ran thrust his hand out.

Ranispara shook it. “I’m Ranispara. I’m Inari’s friend, and I work with your father.” Her gaze sought him out. “Is he really your son?” She mouthed that question, so she didn’t offend Ran.

Sarn nodded as he dropped onto the couch and put his head in his hands. “You can’t tell anyone about him. They’ll take him away from me if you do, and I can’t live without him.”

“No. Nobody’s taking me away from you. You’re the best Papa in the world.” Ran crashed into his legs.

Damn it. He shouldn’t have said that in front of Ran, but it was the truth. Sarn put his arms around his son, but nothing would ever be the same. Too many people knew about him now. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew. Then they’d take the boy away from him.

“I’m sorry.” Inari rested a hand on his shoulder.

“What’s going on? What did I interrupt?” Ranispara rose and faced Inari.

“We have a bargain. He’ll come once a week with his son so I can make sure they’re both all right.” Inari gestured to them.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Ran glared at them as he ticked his points off on his fingers. “Papa takes good care of me, and so does Uncle Miren. We play games. We read books, and sometimes we have adventures, but not lately because Papa is busy lighting crystals and doing other magical stuff.”

“I’m never too busy for you.” Sarn hugged his son.

“I know. But you’re too busy for adventures right now. And that’s okay because people need light, and you must light the crystals. When I get more magic, I’ll help you.” Ran patted his knee.

Sarn hoped that day never came. He couldn’t imagine his son with his magic. Sarn didn’t know what to do now, either. Should he extract the same promise from Ranispara?

“You don’t have to worry. I won’t tell anyone about him.” Ranispara sat across from Sarn.

“Do you promise?” Ran squirmed until he faced her.

“Yeah, I promise.” Ranispara leaned forward and winked at him.

And just like that, she was bound to her word. Sarn covered his face again with his hands. This time, he wasn’t the one who’d bound her. Ran had done it with his little magical gift, and Sarn needed to have a long talk with him about that.

“Promises are binding for mages,” Sarn reminded his son, even though it was too late.

“I know.” Ran patted his knee again. “But you needed that promise, and you didn’t want to ask for it, so I did it for you. That’s what family’s for.” Ran shrugged, then wriggled out of his arms. “Can we have cookies now?”

To read the rest, get Curse Breaker Revealed.

Tell us about your latest project

In Curse Breaker Revealed, the 9th book in the Curse Breaker series, Sarn can’t keep his son a secret for much longer, not when his enemies are hunting for the boy. 

When his bored son goes on a small adventure, they capture him and take him away. Sarn uses all his magic to find and follow the boy. Four humans won’t be much of a match for a mage.

But the Twice-Born still lives, and he will collapse the mountain to keep Sarn away from his son. Nor is he the only one standing between Sarn and the boy. An evil spirit wants his magic since Sarn is the only mage left, and it’ll steal his body to get it. 

How can Sarn save his son when he needs someone to rescue him?

If you’re new to the series, start it for FREE with Curse Breaker Enchanted. 

What is your favourite cake?

I’m not a cake fan, but I love ricotta pie. It’s an Italian version of the NY cheesecake made with ricotta instead of cream cheese. Ricotta pie is healthier, fluffier, lighter and so yummy! 

You can connect with Melinda here:

Newsletter signup: mkucsera.com/welcomecharacters

TikTok: tiktok.com/@MelindaKucsera_fantasy

YouTube: youtube.com/user/mkucsera28

Website: melindakucsera.com

Patreon: patreon.com/melindakucsera

Gumroad Store: mkucsera.gumroad.com

Join me next week when I will be having a slice of cake with Isobel Blackthorn. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours through Kofi and buy me virtual tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find out more about her books on her website clairebuss.co.uk. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop. Never miss out on future posts by following me.