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Happy Birthday Mr Dickens: Master at Baddies

Carol Rivers — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:46:25 +0000

This week marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’s birth. He was a writer most of us have read as some point, or seen his books dramatized or listened to an audio of his works. So apart from taking a great pleasure in joining in with the virtual celebrations, I’m holding one of my own. Here at my workplace, with the blink and wink of technology around me, I sit quietly, thinking of this great man. The body of mouth-watering stories he gave us is vast. I concentrate on one, Great Expectations, and visualize Pip and his meeting with the convict, Abel Magwitch, on the marsh. This was always my favourite scene, before the book got going. And I’ve drawn from the “feeling” many times, as I’ve written The Baddie. Millions of writers, actors and dramatists have done the same as I and I’ll wager that Charles Dickens has been recalled by the power of thought to this earth, so frequently, that he now treads a red ethereal carpet to our minds, souls and spirits. So today, I’m thanking him for being such a great mentor. He wrote with gut instinct and that’s what I admire and envy the most. Pip had trust in a man he hardly knew. The Baddie who was to change his life after only a short but unforgettable meeting. This trust was the premise of an incredible story. Pip also placed his trust in a young woman, Estella, who, haunted by her past, was in danger of becoming a Baddie. However, through love and compassion, the Baddie is transformed and brought into the light. So Charles, thank you for this one aspect of the written word that had helped me through many dark hours of plot construction. So much more of course in his writing, to be grateful for. But, with the book I shall have published this year in May, The Baddie returns in EAST END JUBILEE. Like Dickens’s heart-stoppingly brilliant character of the lost convict, I create Eddie Weaver, husband to young Rose and devoted father, as a man seeking to make his family’s life better, but unable to stick to the letter of the law. And now I’m smiling as I close this blog. I’m just a rookie at all this stuff and can’t hold a candle to the Great Man’s thinking. But I do have access to my imagination and like to believe it is there that we meet and discuss all The Baddies down the ages. Once again, Happy birthday Charles Dickens. And thank you.

The Connection Between Past and Present

Carol Rivers — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:46:22 +0000

The Amazon promotion of EAST END ANGEL was very rewarding. I enjoyed feedback from so many readers and realize just how wonderful technology is. The Kindle and its kind are bringing readers ever closer to discovering new authors and fresh talent and in my case, the Carol Rivers novels. For those interested in the thrills and spills of family dramas, my stories are set before the 1960′s and continue back to the Great War. Writing these books has taught me that the connection between past and present is remarkable. I would say, breathtaking.

It’s great to be finishing a book at the beginning of a New Year, knowing that very soon I will be submitting it to my editor. But I have very happy memories of October of 2011, when my last book IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, was published in hardback, paperback and Kindle and crept into the Sunday Times chart.

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER is set in 1919 and tells of a family in London’s East End, suffering the traumatic effects of the Great War. As I have written before, the specific issue is of soldiers deserting the front line and the attitude of society towards their unfortunate families. Digging deep into the subject, some of the personal testimonies I researched were heartrending. They also mirrored similar accounts of our troops and their families in the most recent of wars like Iraq and Afghanistan.

What was once called shell shock is now known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now at least, PTSD is recognized as a serious condition and can be treated, whereas in 1919 it was viewed with contempt and shunned. When these young men couldn’t function, they were classed as deserters or malingerers. Some were executed, a tragic injustice. I hope the story will help to enlighten readers as the novel unfolds.

The book I am about to complete draws a similar link between past and present. It involves the promise of celebrity and fame sought by youngsters of the 1930′s and the dangers of unscrupulous opportunists using these young people for their own gain. History repeats itself in a never-ending cycle. Fame and fortune, war and glory, are now transformed by technology. But always, the emotions remain the same.

With each book I’ve tried to capture some of these emotions. And most importantly, I believe that no matter how hopeless a situation may seem, it’s always possible for love and the strength of family and friends to redeem us in the end. Perhaps, this most of all, is a message that, with my writing, I would like to take into the New Year!

EAST END ANGEL goes promo at £1.99 with Amazon Kindle!

Carol Rivers — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:41:56 +0000

Just had to write a few lines for EAST END ANGEL. Amazon Kindle are promoting the book at £1. 99. This is a fabulously affordable price for an ebook and I’m over the moon for the readers. It’s only for a few weeks, but a brilliant opportunity for those Kindle owners who would like to dip their toe into the sparkling waters of the historical thriller. Here’s the blurb!

June 1941, Isle of Dogs, London.
In the dark days following the Blitz, happiness visits young Pearl Jenkins as she celebrates her marriage to Jim Nesbitt.
But what should be a joyful occasion is marred when a fight breaks out between Jim and Ricky Winters, an unwelcome visitor from Pearl’s past. And to Pearl’s horror, the new beau of her wayward younger sister Ruby.
Increasingly uneasy at staying at home when other men are off fighting for their country, Jim enlists, leaving Pearl at home – alone, pregnant, and at Ricky’s mercy… .
Together, Pearl and Ruby must bring up baby Cynthia while struggling to make ends meet and dodge the doodlebugs. And all the time, Pearl must hide the dark secret she harbours, one which would tear the two sisters apart as well as her marriage.
Then tragedy strikes both on the home front and in the trenches and Pearl is forced to fight like never before to keep her family safe.

Hope everyone enjoys!

Celebrity 2011 – Celebrity 1935

Carol Rivers — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:55:57 +0000

Drawing to a close, is the old year. And with it, my current novel, set in 1930′s London. This book has no official title as yet but has been great to write! The East End in 1935, had many similarities to today. The search for celebrity on stage and in the music halls was ferocious. Just like our fascination with X Factor and Celebrity Come Dancing, Hollywood in the 30′s comes into its own. Every girl wants to dance like Ginger Rogers and partner a cool guy like Fred Astaire. Last week we saw Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani winning the spectacular glitter ball(s). Their chemistry and talent was outstanding and in the late thirties the thirst for the excitement through the dancing and singing idols of the day was at its peak too. Silent pictures were a thing of the past. Music halls had begun to lose their attraction. Superstars like Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable and Greta Garbo were attracting picturegoers all over the world. So I don’t have to look far for inspiration. There is so much talent today; wannabees must sing, dance, act, perform, become athletes in their own sphere and compete for the viewers’ digitally short spans of attention. It’s all about ratings – just as the movie producers and directors of the inter-war years were to discover, when many of the fabulous silent picture stars, could no longer hold an audience. You needed it ALL when Hollywood invested in the talkies, just like the hopefuls of today. And so, my 18 year-old twin heroines, Marie and Vesta, are caught up in the glamour of their newly-found fame. It’s the perfect time for me to round off a book, absorbing the emotions of the star-studded performances of 2011, and transferring them into the limelight and celebrity of 1935. This book will be published October 2012, and I’m eager to see if, like its predecessor IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, it captures the collective imaginations of 2012!

Thank you! 5th on Simon&Schuster’s bestselling books list.

Carol Rivers — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:45:40 +0000

I can’t believe this, but this morning, my book, IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, is fifth on Simon&Schuster’s bestselling books list. My editor tells me it has also gone to No3 on the Heatseeker’s chart. The news from MIDWINTER since its publication in October, has been constant and positive. I owe a big vote of thanks to all those lovely readers out there, who have been on this journey with me. I’ve already thanked all my facebook and twitter chums, and now, to everyone who has used my Contact Carol link on my website or who has in some way, provided me with the wealth of feedback I’ve received – a big THANK YOU! Some readers have been with me since 2004, when my first novel LIZZIE OF LANGLEY STREET was published. The book’s theme dealt with the repercussions of the Great War. My heroine, Lizzie, 15, is a carer in 1919, just like many young people today find themselves caring for a disabled parent, in 2011. Lizzie’s dad is suffering from a terminal illness, a result of his horrendous experiences in the trenches. Lizzie’s mum is worn out and ailing too, after rearing a big family on a shoestring. No matter how much Lizzie tries to hold their lives together, the close-knit unit begins to fragment. This tale deals with grief and separation, poverty and crime. And in all of the following books, one published each year, I explore these topics which mean so much to me – and to the readers, it seems, who have always been kind enough to spur me on. Thank you, sincerely. From what you have said, it’s clear that although life can throw unimaginable suffering our way, the antidote is often the healing power of true love. In sickness and health we need each others support and affection. Medicine can do a lot, but we also need a solid hand to clutch or a shoulder to lean on. If the books can contribute to any part of an emotional lift for you, then I feel I’m heading in the right direction. So, on this very special day, I send all my love and thoughts to you, the readers. CarolRx

Reading Matter(s)

Carol Rivers — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:53:40 +0000

I like to re-read my old favourites and at the moment it’s Harry Bowling. Like Dickens, Harry and Catherine Cookson chronicled stories from the places and people they knew best. They told it all without fuss, elaboration or boastfulness. They used the vernacular of the street combined with an instinctive skills of diarists that make them mesmerizing. They wrote with the voice inside their heads. “Listening” to them was how I learned to harness a force inside my own head, this creative internal voice that became a way to reconcile my experiences in life. Through reading, I found help to articulate my emotions. Dickens with his keen observance and compassion, Harry with his humour, Catherine with her candid honesty. I came to know these writers and all the others that followed, intimately. What wonderful teachers we find between the pages of books. And they are all uniquely ours and eternal.

For those who would like to know more about the London area I set my novels, please follow this link

http://www.islandhistory.org.uk/

Thoughts Go Out Today November 11 2011 – Nov 11 1918

Carol Rivers — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:56:28 +0000

Nov. 11, 1918 and the conflict of World War I came to an end following the signing of an armistice between the Allies and Germany that called for a ceasefire, effective at 11 a.m. We know this the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

REMEMBRANCE WEEK & DAD

Carol Rivers — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:59:00 +0000

Dad’s Distinguished Service Cross, awarded during World War 2 at Buckingham Palace by the King, stands on a wooden plinth in Mum’s lounge. The ribbon is torn, the medal dull. Surrounding it are other smaller tributes to his naval days, during service on a British light cruiser, HMS Sheffield. The (late) Lieutenant Commander Skeels, having won his officer’s stripes, returned to safety a small fleet of LCI’s (landing craft) navigating the Atlantic, dodging German submarines and enemy destroyers to arrive for battle at the Sicily landings. Dad’s own words were “we hung by our eyelids” as they waited, little corks of crafts, bouncing on choppy seas, the men inside these metal boxes prepared to give their lives for King and Country. That phrase never ceases to inspire me, a phrase he used to describe the morale of the British sailors under his command. Sometimes when I’m writing and the struggle is uphill, I think of him, his eloquence and gentleness, and his deep reserves of positive energy and adventure. And so when CONNIE OF KETTLE STREET came about, my third book in the Rivers’ series of historical novels, I gave Vic, my hero, Dad’s naval journey. It started with his training at Pwllheli, (Butlins holiday camp turned training centre for naval recruits), through the terrifying Scapa Flow to Murmansk Arctic Circle missions. HMS Sheffield was part of the escort fleets to our merchant ships crossing freezing U-boat filled seas, a perilous and un-envied task! Then Dad set off for New York to gather his charge of LCI’s, a flotilla of landing craft prepared for the Sicily landings. In the book, Vic’s sweetheart Connie discovers a baby boy, during the Blitz. This little fellow, called Lucky, orphaned and yet still alive, becomes a son to Vic. This is the story of not just one orphan, but of many who shared a similar fate. I’d like to think that Dad, if he’d had such a son, would have been as proud of him as I am of a truly special father who stands with me as I set these stories on paper. This particular book has proved so popular, that Simon&Schuster, my publishers, have decided to release it next year under the title of COCKNEY ORPHAN. I’m very pleased of course, but particularly so, as it was my dad’s journey into combat as a very green newbie. So when Sunday comes, as the tributes around the world remind us of all those who have risked life and limb in conflict during both World Wars and those conflicts right up to the present day, the men and women of our armed forces still fighting for Queen and Country, my first thoughts will be of you, Dad.x

The pic is a view from Sheffield as she sails on convoy duty through the waters of the Arctic ocean. In the background are merchant ships of the convoy. In the foreground is the silhouette of a lookout using a telescope

Go, girl, go!

Carol Rivers — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:35:05 +0000

Jackie Collins (respect!) has picked up another award. This fabulous Simon&Schuster author has never stopped selling her books. She is feisty, glamorous, talented, exceptionally skilled and a brilliant all-rounder. If anyone needs to learn marketing and promotional skills, just visit Jackie’s webpages and Twitter. She is truly AM-A-ZING!

Well done, Jackie! And may there be many more books to come.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15591714

29 in Sunday Times paperback chart – thank you!

Carol Rivers — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:29:36 +0000

A day’s work done and lovely news from my editor. IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER has crept up to number 29 in the Sunday Times paperback charts. My husband asked me how I felt and really, the overwhelming emotion is gratitude. People have taken the time and trouble, not to mention the expense of precious pennies in this uncertain financial climate, to buy my book and put it up there on the charts. So I want to take this opportunity in a blog to thank all the readers of the Rivers novels, not only for buying it, but for your warm support, many emails and FB messages that have poured in recently and to whom I always reply to personally. It’s you who have made MIDWINTER such a success. Thank you! I will never forget this wonderful publishing month of October 2011. It has been everything I could have hoped for and more! Last night I spoke to a lady called Jill, who told me that my previous book EAST END ANGEL had come into her life when she was at her darkest point. She said the book tipped the scales and seemed to encourage her interest in life again.For the first time I realized how much of a responsibility I have to readers – to anyone who seeks inspiration to help them out of a ‘dark place’. And if that is the single cause for writing and producing my stories, then that is my life’s ambition fulfilled. I hope to continue to be able to do this, to provide an escape route which otherwise wouldn’t be there. There is always light at the end of the tunnel and this is my core belief and the reason why I write. So I hope to continue and with each book learn more about human nature, its brilliance, its strength and resourcefulness. Thank you, everyone! This day is very special and I owe it all to you. I hope that I can give something as rewarding back with the next book – and the next – and hopefully continue to be blessed with, (as my fav tec Poirot would say) “zee hard-wearing and creative leetle grey cells!”