Welcome back to the third and final day of my Southern Virtual Mini Book Festival. I hope that you've enjoyed meeting all the authors so far and maybe even found some books to add to your own TBR's to enjoy while lazing by the pool on holiday or just relaxing in your own back garden with your feet up!
The final three authors have been waiting very patiently so let me introduce you to today's first guest, Jane Cable.
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| Photo courtesy of Jane Cable |
Jane Cable’s third novel is Another You and was published by Endeavour Press at the
end of 2016. Jane lives on the Hampshire-Sussex border and writes romantic fiction
with a ghostly twist and beautiful British settings. Find out more about Jane
and her books at www.janecable.com
As Jane is going to interview one of the characters in her latest book it seems only right that I tell you about that first.
The hardest person to save is yourself…
Another You is a romantic
suspense novel set in Studland Bay in Dorset. Marie Johnson is trapped by her
job as a pub chef and by her increasingly poisonous marriage to the landlord.
Worn down by his string of affairs she has no confidence, no self-respect and
the only thing that keeps her going is watching her son Jude turn into a
talented artist. But the sixtieth anniversary of a D-Day rehearsal which went
tragically wrong triggers chance meetings which prove unlikely catalysts for
change. Will they be enough to set Marie on the path to a better life?
* * * *
INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE ADAMS, WORLD WAR 2 VETERAN
George Adams is
immaculately turned out in a navy blazer and regimental tie. A gentleman of
mature years, he nevertheless springs to his feet as best he can on his walking
stick and steps forward to shake my hand.
“You must be the lady
from The Purbeck Gazette,” he says. “Would you like a drink?”
“A coffee would be lovely, thank you.”
He leans over and
taps his stick on the bar. “I’m sorry, Jude – could you make this young lady a
coffee, please?”
The barman’s smile is enough to melt hearts at fifty paces. “Of course, George,” he beams. “I’ll bring it over.”
Once we are settled George turns his
piercing grey eyes onto
me. “You wanted to talk about Exercise Smash?”
“Yes, we’re running a feature on the preparations for D-Day. I understand you took part.”
“Briefly. Buggered up my arm when it all went pear-shaped and that didn’t take long, I can tell you.”
I pull out my notebook. “Go on…”
He fingers his tie, angling the motto towards me. “’Quis Separabit’ – that’s a bloody laugh. The top brass, that’s who separated us, sending us out in those death traps. I ask you, bloody great tanks and all they had was a bit of canvas skirt blown up with gas and they expected them to float from three miles out. Three miles! It got a bit choppy and we never had a chance.”
“So what happened to you?”
“Bloody thing sunk. And once they
started, there was nothing you could do to stop them. Dropped to the bottom like stones.”
He shudders. “D’you know what saved me? The supreme irony this; it was army
incompetence. Issued me with the wrong size boots, they did, so I was wearing
my own. They were much lighter so I was able to pull free.”
“Did you swim for the beach?”
He shakes his head. “Broke my arm, but
we were far enough into the bay for a destroyer to pick me up. Lucky my Mae
West inflated too. But the other poor buggers – trapped, they were. And ours
wasn’t the only tank to go down – not by a long chalk.”
I lick the end of my
pencil. “Six men died, didn’t they? Why do you think it’s taken so long for
them to be remembered?”
“Well it was all so hush-hush. That’s war, I’m afraid. It was top secret what we were doing here – the whole place was sealed off from the rest of the world and that’s quite easy to do at Studland. A peninsular, isn’t it? Take the ferry across from Sandbanks away and it’s pretty remote. A place like this holds its secrets for a very long time, I can tell you.”
“Secrets? What sort of
secrets?”
He pauses before he answers, glances towards the bar. “Well,” he starts, but his reply is drowned out by the thrum of an aircraft low overhead. The old pub walls seem to shudder as it passes, the momentary silence which follows filled by a woman sobbing in the distance.
“I’m sorry, George, I didn’t hear you.”
He looks down, shakes his head. “I’m sorry, my dear, I’ve forgotten what I was saying.”
“About secrets?”
“Yes. Perhaps I was. And most of them are best kept that way.”
* * * *
George sounds like a wonderful character and one that would definitely have some interesting stories to tell. I've taken a look at the reviews for Another You and there are quite a few that talk about the setting of the book, Studland, which George mentioned above. It sounds and looks like a wonderful place to visit and according to the reviews I've read Jane captures the setting perfectly. That's got to be another reason to want to read the book! If you've read it I'd love to know if you agree.
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| Photo source: Visit-Dorset.com |
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| Photo source: nationaltrust.org.uk |
If you'd like to find out more about Jane and her books or connect with her, you can use the links below:
Website
I'd like to say than you to Jane for stopping by today and for introducing me to not only George but your other books as well. It's been a pleasure to host you.
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