Feliz Año Nuevo – New Year, New Publisher

Happy New Year everyone, sorry I haven’t been very active on here and my social media accounts of late, but there has been lots going on and I am pleased to announce the 3rd edition of Flip Flops, Fiesta and Flamenco will be available to pre-order next week.

The big news is I have  new publisher; Whisper Publishing are a small independent UK publisher who I can’t speak highly enough of. They have worked closely with me over the last few months to redo the cover and have even included one of my short stories in their anthology of romance stories “Whispers of the Heart” to be released on Valentine’s Day.

I have also been working on the sequel which will be available later this year.

So if you haven’t read my debut novel yet, what are you waiting for?

Join Abby Lou, their friends and menagerie of animals as they begin in a new life in the Andalusian hills.

Here are what readers are saying about Flip Flops Fiesta and Flamenco

“On the same lines as Under a Tuscan Sun only funnier, in my opinion, this laugh out loud story is a must for Chicklit fans and a fantastic debut for the author” Amazon

5☆The Perfect Feel Good Holiday Read!

Flip-Flops, Fiesta & Flamenco is a deliciously heart warming and fun read. With the added bonus of some gorgeous fur babies along the way! Amazon

5 stars 

“Wonderfully entertaining read with a menagerie of interesting characters. The conversations were hilarious and had me laughing out loud several times. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Chick Lit”. Amazon

“I really liked this book , easy to read, believable characters and some fabulous furry friends who steal the show.” Goodreads

“Quite possibly the funniest book of the year” Goodreads

Escape the miserable British winter and head to Southern Spain on an adventure that will have you chuckling and reaching for the tissues.

 

 

The Flourishing Soul of Flamenco — synkroniciti

The word flourish signifies not only rampant growth, but a gesture or set of gestures that personify vitality and life. That gesture may be expressed in words, carpentry, architecture, music, dance, cooking. There is no pursuit known to humanity that cannot be executed with flourish. One of the most striking exhibitions of this creative gesture […]

via The Flourishing Soul of Flamenco — synkroniciti

I love the passion of Flamenco and found this article fascinating. If you love all things Spanish, as I do; check out my novel Flip-Flops, Fiesta & Flamenco and escape to the Andalusian hills for a while.

“The Flamenco Dancer”

(By Windamere)

In Barcelona, Spain
A solemn beauty to behold
yet fiery, none can contain,
Or so I have been told.

Travel to this country town
Hidden from the world
Here she comes around
And drama is unfurled.

Floating across the floor
With passion and with ease
The flamenco of old lore
She dances like a breeze.

A challenge in her eye
Scarlet skirts a-twirl with fire
Aloof and catlike, gliding by
She has but one desire.

Fierce as a bullfight
Glances full of dare
She makes a wondrous sight
Dancing with such flair.

Clicking castanets
In graceful flowing fingers
I will not soon forget,
Such memories so do linger.

Alas, she is now finished
No more dancing to be done
Her spells hold undiminished
On everyone old and young.

Who Doesn’t Love a Bargain?

Head to Andalucia, this summer for fun, frolics and lots of laughs

Excerpt 

” The women laughed as he told the story of how his dour-faced Geordie assistant had inadvertently walked into the bathroom of a pipe-smoking eighty-something señora straddling the crapper.

“Then there was the blocked pipe of this restaurant we were doing up. Stuck like glue it was, so Stan’s underneath it with the wrench, when the thing gives way and thousands of cockroaches fall onto his head. You should have seen him. It was like one of those bush-tucker trials from I’m a Celebrity. Bloody hilarious.”

The girls fell about laughing as he waved his arms about impersonating Stan, shouting GET ME OUT OF HERE in a terrible Geordie accent.

 

All About Me!

In the spotlight today is author of Flip-Flops, Fiesta and Flamenco, Donna Hepburn. Thanks for joining me Donna. First of all, would you tell my blog readers a little about yourself? I live in the North East of England with my partner and two beautiful boxer dogs; Floyd and Freya. When I’m not writing I […]

via #AuthorInTheSpotlight Donna Hepburn – #author of Flip-Flops, Fiesta & Flamenco @DonnaHepburn66 — Portobello Book Blog

Marrakech

Marrakech will be featuring in the second instalment of the Meditteranean Dream series, so I thought I would give everyone a taste of this vibrant, colourful city

Marrakech is made up of two areas; The Old City (also known as “Medina”), which is home to the souks (markets) and Modern City, where you will find Guéliz (the commercial quarter) and the residential area or l’Hivernage.

Photo credit; Jay Galvin

Djemma El Fna, is the hub of  Marrakech and it is here you will find street performers such as belly dancers, snake charmers and musicians along with some of the best street food in the world.

” Walking through the archway into the Souk, Abby felt an immediate assault on her senses, fingers brushing the apricot paint of the ancient walls, which flaked away when touched, she gazed in astonishment at the chaotic labyrinth before her.

The noise hit her first, shouts from the sellers and unfamiliar music ringing in her ears, the putrid smell of tanneries along with the aroma of a million spices, scented oils, coooking, scorched metal, animals and sweat making her nostrils flare”

A riad is a traditional Morrocan home with rooms around a central courtyard or garden. When Lou gives Abby a birthday gift of a cookery course in Marrakech she has no idea how it will change both their lives.

 

To tell of my new Moroccan Love,
Ô, I court her everyday.
But just as a pearl in the mud is a pearl,
So is my Love just an Arab girl…
in that I offer her constant, loving woos,
but she’ll ask me in return that I give her flooze*.
That’s when I kiss her and shrug, and I say, “Someday.”
And she gives me her love free anyway.
* * *
Ô, my Love is a child of the souks.
In Casablanca born.
A gypsy thief, “Soukaïna” named.
We met in the souks of Marrakech,
It was here my heart she tamed.
Ô, she came at nineteen to Marrakech,
In search of wild fun.
And she lived in Marrakech seven years,
Before my heart she won.”
― Roman Payne

Author Focus – Khaled Hosseini

So, My debut novel Flip-Flops, Fiestas & Flamenco has been out a few weeks now and I have been doing a few interviews lately for blogs. Surprisingly many people seem interested in my eclectic reading taste, which got me thinking; maybe I should do a feature on here? 

As an author, I find the other authors fascinating, I could do book reviews, I certainly read plenty, but there’s already lots of reviewers and wonderful people they are too! Anyhow, I thought I might do a monthly feature on authors I love.

Starting with one of my favourites Khaled Hosseini

“Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.”

Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan on March 4, 1965. The eldest of 5 children he had a privileged upbringing  and remembers fondly flying kites with his cousins in the city

His father was a diplomat and the family were living in Paris during the April Coup of 1978; unable to return to Afghanistan they sought political asylum in the US in 1980, where 15-year Khaled went to San Jose high school, California

After graduating from college, he trained as a doctor and went on to work at the Cedars- Sinai medical centre in Los Angeles

He has published 3 outstanding novels, The Kite Runner, (2003)  A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) and And the Mountains Echoed, (2013)  all of which I have loved

All Hosseini’s work is beautifully written and the prose is exceptional something I aspire to and am a long way from achieving as yet. Words like powerful, haunting, mesmerising often appear in reviews of his works and I for one, think the man is a literary genius.

My personal favourite is A Thousand Splendid Suns, not only are the protagonists in this one female but the story shows how women should help each other and not see others as competition, at times harrowing, hard to stomach and unimaginable this novel stayed with me a long time after I read it and no matter your religion, creed or colour is worthy of being a classic.

“It was only a smile, nothing more. It didn’t make everything all right. It didn’t make ANYTHING all right. Only a smile. A tiny thing. A leaf in the woods, shaking in the wake of a startled bird’s flight. But I’ll take it. With open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting. – Amir”
― Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner

As with the other two books, Hosseini focuses on the complexity of relationships and creates a moving masterpiece that pulls the heartstrings

The bittersweet story of two women finding refuge in each other in the midst of Afghanistan’s troubles is a truly special one and A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of the books which I would place in my top 20 books of all time.

Hosseini writes like nobody else and his books should be on everyone’s TBR list

What do you think?

Which is your favourite Khaled Hosseini book?

Flip-Flops, Fiesta and Flamenco by Donna Hepburn

Thank you Chells and Books for this fantastic review, so glad you enjoyed it

What’s in a Name?

How to name fictional characters

There’s been a lot of talk about the royal baby the last few days (Congratulations Will & Kate by the way) and much speculation about the new little prince’s name. While us common folk might toy with the idea of Moses, Mackenzie or Messi (yes, seriously one of my neighbours just lumbered her son with that beauty)  the Royals have to stick to traditional choices. I’m plumping for James.

But what about naming characters in your novel? I was lucky when writing Flip-Flops, to be honest, the names just fitted the characters although I did have fun with naming the animals. However, after being asked the question several times in interviews, it seems that for some, the whole process can be difficult and filled with perils.

Of course, if you’re writing a book set in World War II it’s unlikely your heroine will be called Kylie or Jaiden and the name also has to fit, I mean Darren Smith and the Philosophers Stone doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.

Here are a few things to consider when christening your literary characters;

Say the name out loud, this is extremely important; if you haven’t already check out the story of Dickens Cider to see why.  Also if your book is audio-enabled the name should be clear and easily understood.

A terrific way to draw attention to a character is to use alliteration, for example, Bilbo Baggins, Willy Wonka and Peter Parker but this can be overdone and you don’t want everyone in your story to have double initials.

The key is to mix it up have names that sound different and are of different lengths, avoid ones with the same endings such as Jason and Mason and god forbid don’t have any that rhyme such as Tina and Nina or Chelle and Belle

Ethnicity is also an important consideration no native North American Indian is going to be called Mabel and similarly, an English aristocrat is unlikely to be called Vladimir and as any author knows there are always people eager to point out mistakes

A good name should be easy to pronounce, roll off the tongue, be from the right era and perhaps most importantly fit the personality of the character, you’re not going to want to name a serial killer Peaches for instance.

Don’t name characters after people you know, especially not really horrible ones, you don’t want a lawsuit or them coming after you with a chainsaw

Think unique, meaningful and suitable and you won’t go far wrong and if you get stuck make like William and Kate and start scouring those baby names books.

Do you have any tips, when choosing names for your characters? Are there any characters you think were misnamed? Are there exceptions to the rule?

 

 

 

 

Flip Flops, Fiesta & Flamenco by Donna Hepburn

Thank you for a great review, glad it made you smile

Tea & Cake For The Soul

The humorously written first page instantly grabbed me with myself being a fifty something menopausal woman and boy do we need to laugh at ourselves when we reach that time of life. Luckily, unlike Abby,  my husband hasn’t run off with his Secretary. Mostly because his Secretary is me, but I love these stories of people who rise up from the ashes, especially when it’s written with humour.

Abby is offered the chance to go and live her dream in Spain with best friend Lou and, after dismissing it initially, she realises what a great opportunity it is and off she goes leaving her two grown up sons to fend for themselves. The friends pack up their belongings and head off to the continent with a dog and two cats and a box full of shall we say “interesting” items.

Author Donna Hepburn is a self-confessed non-lover of chic lit…

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‘Flip flops, Fiesta and Flamenco’ by Donna Hepburn

Thank you so much for this fantastic review Samantha