The Bitter Trade by Piers Alexander

I was drawn to this book by the cover and having read the synopis expected a book about the importation of coffee in the seventeenth century.

Instead the book was about a young man, called Calumny living with his family in rural England during the terbulance of the seventeenth century, the removal of James II and the installation of William of Orange.

Calumny has a hatred for his father, He can not understand why they live in the middle of nowhere, why he can not read and why he not allowed to learn a trade that will enable him to leave his family home and become his own person.

Very little is known of his father's background, but before long a visitor from his father's past arrives and with them a set of decisions to be made and Calumny has to find a way to undestand and deal with the secrets of his father.

Overall, I was a little disappointed there was not more details of coffee trading, but overall this was a good storyline. There was a little disjoinedness between the historical facts, but nonetheless this was an enjoyable read and this is a book I would recommend and I am looking forward to the sequel.

To whet your appetite here is an excerpt from the book

"In 1688, torn by rebellions, England lives under the threat of a Dutch invasion. Redheaded Calumny Spinks is the lowliest man in an Essex backwater: half-French and still unapprenticed at seventeen, yet he dreams of wealth and title.

When his father’s violent past resurfaces, Calumny’s desperation leads him to flee to London and become a coffee racketeer. He has just three months to pay off a blackmailer and save his father’s life – but his ambition and talent for mimicry pull him into a conspiracy against the King himself. Cal’s journey takes him from the tough life of Huguenot silk weavers to the vicious intrigues at Court. As the illicit trader Benjamin de Corvis and his controlling daughter Emilia pull him into their plots, and his lover Violet Fintry is threatened by impending war, Cal is forced to choose between his conscience and his dream of becoming Mister Calumny Spinks."

This is a debut novel from Piers Alexander and you can read al little about him as well as following via various social media channels.

Piers Alexander is an author and serial entrepreneur. After a successful career as CEO of media and events companies he became a Co-Founder and Chairman of three start-up businesses. In 2013 he was awarded the PEN Factor Prize for The Bitter Trade. He is currently working on the sequel, Scatterwood, set in Jamaica in 1692.

For more information visit Piers Alexander’s website. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Bitter Trade has been on a book tour for the last month and today marks the end of the tour. You can read the reviews from other readers by clicking the relevant links below:

Monday, October 13

Review at Back Porchervations

Spotlight at Literary Chanteuse

Tuesday, October 14

Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, October 15

Interview at Back Porchervations

Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Thursday, October 16

Spotlight & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, October 20

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, October 21

Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, October 22

Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Thursday, October 23

Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Tuesday, October 28

Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Wednesday, October 29

Spotlight at Unshelfish

Thursday, October 30

Review at Broken Teepee

Saturday, November 1

Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Monday, November 3

Review at Book by Book

Review & Interview at Dab of Darkness

Tuesday, November 4

Review at Just One More Chapter

Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Wednesday, November 5

Review at Turning the Pages

Guest Post at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, November 6

Spotlight at Let Them Read Books

Monday, November 10

Review at A Book Geek

Tuesday, November 11

Review at Book Nerd

Wednesday, November 12

Spotlight at Layered Pages

Friday, November 14

Review at Anglers Rest

Review & Giveaway at Booklover Book Reviews

The book tour was hosted by Amy at Historical Fiction Book Tours and this review will also appear at Historical Tapestry next week.

Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase by Louise Walters

This is the story of Roberta interspersed with the story of Dorothy who is Roberta's Grandmother.

Dorothy has been a widow for many years, her husband her Polish serviceman killed in the line of duty. That is the story fed down the generations of Roberta's family.

Roberta likes to read, and she loves to see what information she can find in books, items that were former bookmarks. Then one day she is reading a letter that has spent decades in a book that was once owned by her Grandmother and all of a sudden there are questions and curiosities to discover.

The letter which had been found in a book, inside a suitcase which had the name label on "Mrs Sinclair" was clearly addressed to her Grandmother by her Grandfather. The date on the letter was after the date in which her Grandfather had been killed in action. Yet who was Mrs Sinclair?

Roberta starts to ask her father some questions, without mentioning the letter. He repeats that as far as he knew his father had been killed in the war. Roberta ponders on whether to ask her Grandmother, who by now was resident in a residential establishment. Dorothy sadly has dementia.

The letter and is central to the characters in this story, and across the pages, we suddenly on occasions head back to the war years and to the early life of Dorothy. The things that happened and are remembered, those that happen and yet forgotten and those that happened and are twisted to weave a different set of events. A family history and background that is shaped because of actions of several people.

This is a great book. Having been in a reading slump for the last six months or so, I have got back to normal and read this book over the space of a few days. The storyline is complex, yet not complicated, the story is told on several levels and for a first novel the author has done remarkably well. This book is a genealogists dream!

The Library Book ~ An Anthology

This slender volume comprises of short writings from twenty five different authors. Each one sharing across the page why they love and value libraries and the importance that libraries have played in their individual literary careers.

Most of the authors I had heard of, some I had read books that they had penned and one in particular is a favourite of mine.

More surprisingly, one of the authors had focused their chapter on their childhood years in Surrey, and more importantly the town I still refer to as home. Furthermore, there was even a mention of the road that my family had links to for almost a century. Sometimes, things are meant to be and perhaps this little book which was the first I selected from the library after my Mum passed away, was meant to come into my life and link my present to my past.

It was a lovely book and I enjoyed reading. I feel that we undervalue libraries in this age of smart phones and the internet and perhaps we need to take stock, just as these authors have done and remember the "good old days"!

The Newfound Land (Graham Saga Book 4) by Anna Belfrage

Back in October I read and reviewed the three earlier books in the series.

Book 1 - A Rip in the Veil
Book 2 - Like Chaff in the Wind
Book 3 - The Prodigal Son

In this latest book, Matthew and Alex continue their journey in Maryland in 1672. The family have been fairly successful. They own land and the family are thriving.

Sadly, their enemies have found them, their is a degree of ill-health and there is a general feeling of unrest.

Slave traders, missing children, men capturing women and the white man ignoring the Native Americans.

Like with the earlier books in the series, there is a sense of similarity with the Outlander Series Diana Gabaldon. This is a great series of books and I look forward to reading the next in the series.


About the Author

I was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I’m multilingual and most of my reading is historical – both non-fiction and fiction.

I was always going to be a writer – or a historian, preferably both. Instead I ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for my most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career I raised my four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive … Nowadays I spend most of my spare time at my writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and I slip away into my imaginary world, with my imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in my life pops his head in to ensure I’m still there. I like that – just as I like how he makes me laugh so often I’ll probably live to well over a hundred.

I was always going to be a writer. Now I am – I have achieved my dream.

For more information, please visit Anna Belfrage’s WEBSITE.

Disclaimer - I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One Little Christmas Tree by The Curto Family & Rusty Fischer

A delightful children's book about a small Christmas tree, sitting and waiting to be selected by a family.

Planted as a small tree, he waits and waits for the moment when the owner comes along with a bucket to dig him up.

Over the years, other trees come and go including the fully grown tree next to him and suddenly he feels all alone. Then one year he finally understands the point of the Christmas tree selection and the happiness that brings.

This was a delightful small part; part of a trilogy. The accompanying Facebook Page.

Disclaimer - I was provided with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas at the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith

Earlier this year I was asked by Dr Bill, a fellow contributor to the In-Depth Genealogist magazine if I would review a book in the Homeplace Series. I was delighted to, and you can read that review HERE.

A few weeks ago I was delighted to be asked if I would review the latest in the series, a festive tale. What follows is some details about the book, the author and a trailer video before my review.

About the Book
Vision to Action Publishing announces the release of "Christmas at the Homeplace," by William Leverne Smith, aka, Dr. Bill, a resident of Hollister, MO, on October 25, 2013, at Amazon.com with the print edition, Kindle edition to following shortly.

Hollister, MO, October 25, 2013 -- "Christmas at the Homeplace is the fourth book in "The Homplace Saga" series of historical fiction family saga stores set in a rural river valley in the southern Missouri Ozarks near a fictional western branch of the Current River (NW corner of Shannon County). Set in 1996, the story has a "homecoming for Christmas" theme affecting members of the extended families of the central characters. "The Homeplace Saga" series

Will they all be home for Christmas? For the first time since their father died, Karen (Bevins) Winslow is expecting all her children in Oak Springs for Christmas 1996. This Christmas of homecomings offers some surprises as "The Homeplace Saga" continues. Will Staff Sergeant Travis Inman arrive home from Bosnia in time to see his baby daughter for the first time at Christmas? Will a life-long friend of the Winslow family move to Oak Springs permanently? Does Peter have a son? The boy's mother insists he does. How would this change the inter-generational dynamics in the family businesses in the Oak Creek valley of the southern Missouri Ozarks? Learn more by reading this latest addition to this continuing family saga.

Also, follow local veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Bevins and her young lawyer friend, Brian Kirk, as they temporarily lay aside their personal family history and genealogy research to work with City Librarian Judy Watson and others to form and create an Oak Springs Historical and Genealogical Society. Their hope is that by reaching out to the community they can locate additional local historical records on their families back to the first settlements in 1833 when Jennifer's McDonald ancestors were among those first arrivals in the valley. Learn what else occurs, before Christmas, as Jennifer and Brian devote their full attention to this new set of activities.

Book Trailer



About the Author
.

William Leverne Smith was born and raised on a Midwestern farm. A passion for family history and genealogy studies provides background for his writing.
He and his wife live in a cabin in the Missouri Ozarks.

When blogging and writing non-fiction projects, he goes by Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith, on such blogs as Dr Bill Tells Ancestor Stories, Dr Bills Book Bazaar, and others.
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/
http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/

The Review

Whilst I have read an earlier published book in this series, it is quite possible to read and get into the series from this book.

The characters are easy to get to know and I found that I was looking forward to catching up with the characters.  This is a story, not just of family at Christmas, the interactions with kin, but also the responsibilities of running a family trust and the formation of local historical society.

I found that I need to start reading again from the beginning of the series, so that I can get a sense of timeline. That is not the fault of the book and author, but simply how I typically  read and process books that are part of a series; I love to read them in order!

I enjoy this series and this book was a welcomed addition. There are relatively few genealogical type mysteries, so when one comes along it is always nice to read. What is really nice is when the book is part of a well created series, such as this one.

Book Details
Publisher: Vision to Action Publishing and CreateSpace
Format: Trade Paperback - 6x9 - 154 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1493510405
ISBN-10: 1493510401
Available from Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

The Prodigal Son (Graham Saga Book 3) by Anna Belfrage

This third installment in the trilogy finds Matthew returned from the plantations. Back in Scotland the relationship with his brother continues to rage in an unhealthy manner, alas that is not the only consideration.

This book is set in the period where we see Charles II restored to the throne and the Country embarking of a period of social, economical and political unrest.

Meanwhile, Alex is frightened as to what the future holds for them and finally issues Matthew with an ultimatum. What will he do?

Reflecting over the trilogy, this book, as with second in the series can be read as standalone books, although the background is entwined within the story line of this book.

Anna has a delightful website where you can read about the series and download the few chapter in a PDF file.

About the Author

I was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I’m multilingual and most of my reading is historical – both non-fiction and fiction.

I was always going to be a writer – or a historian, preferably both. Instead I ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for my most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career I raised my four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive … Nowadays I spend most of my spare time at my writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and I slip away into my imaginary world, with my imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in my life pops his head in to ensure I’m still there. I like that – just as I like how he makes me laugh so often I’ll probably live to well over a hundred.

I was always going to be a writer. Now I am – I have achieved my dream.

For more information, please visit Anna Belfrage’s WEBSITE.



See others participating in the Book Tour HERE

Like Chaff in the Wind (Graham Saga Book 2) by Anna Belfrage

Having read and reviewed book one in the series; you can read that review HERE.

The second book in the series set out with Matthew in Edinburgh. There has been bad feeling between him and his brother and much damage has been done to their relationship, to the point of no return.

In Edinburgh, things take a turn for the worse, as Matthew is captured and sold off as an indentured servant to spend his days on the plantations of the Colonies.

Alex is desperate to be reunited with her husband, but does she manage it? As I turned each page I was really caught up with the story line. Does Alex become reunited with her beloved Matthew?  - you will have to read the book to find out!

Again, a well laid out plot which has received much research. I just wondered as I read the sentence that explains the indentured ship crossing the Atlantic, when did the ocean receive it's name? There were a few scenes that made me question the plot, but I decided that it was important to not look at the events of the 1600's with a 21st Century mind. I really enjoyed this book and am very glad that I did decide to read them in the published order and am looking forward to reading and reviewing the finale in the series.

Anna has a delightful website where you can read about the series and download the few chapter in a PDF file.

About the Author

I was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I’m multilingual and most of my reading is historical – both non-fiction and fiction.

I was always going to be a writer – or a historian, preferably both. Instead I ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for my most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career I raised my four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive … Nowadays I spend most of my spare time at my writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and I slip away into my imaginary world, with my imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in my life pops his head in to ensure I’m still there. I like that – just as I like how he makes me laugh so often I’ll probably live to well over a hundred.

I was always going to be a writer. Now I am – I have achieved my dream.

For more information, please visit Anna Belfrage’s WEBSITE.

I shall be back next week with the review of the final book in the series as part of the book tour for book three.

See others participating in the Book Tour HERE

Disclaimer- I was provided with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A Rip in the Veil (Graham Saga Book 1) by Anna Belfrage

A little while ago I was given the opportunity to review the 3rd book in the Graham Sage by Anna Belfrage. As I read the synopsis I discovered a problem; I had not read the first books in the series. So my response was I would love to read the third book, but I would also read and review the first two in the series.

After a few days the books arrived and I started to read. Lately I have been in a reading slump. Over the years I have periodically stopped reading, recharged my batteries and started again. This time my recommencement in reading coincided with the arrival of these three books and I was hooked from the start.

There was something very readable about this book. From the first sentence I was hooked, and that enthusiasm for a book, or in this case three books has not happened for a while, a very long while and even my favourite authors had not reinvigorated my reading.

We start the scene with Alex, driving along when she is caught up in a severe thunder storm. As the storm rages Alex is thrown together with the second central character of the book, Matthew. The problem is that Alex and Matthew both exist, but 300 years apart.

Set in both Scotland and America, Alex is a modern woman living in a past time where outspoken women were not encouraged, and women were meek, mild and knew their place. Matthew on the other hand knows that Alex is trouble, she is outspoken and he believes a woman before her time, if only he knew!

There is a similarities between this series and the popular series by Diana Gabaldon; that is not a negative. Anna has researched thoroughly and delivered a wonderful themed story that simply drives you to keep reading and move across to the following books in the series.

Anna has a delightful website where you can read about the series and download the first chapter in a PDF file.

About the Author

I was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I’m multilingual and most of my reading is historical – both non-fiction and fiction.

I was always going to be a writer – or a historian, preferably both. Instead I ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for my most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career I raised my four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive … Nowadays I spend most of my spare time at my writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and I slip away into my imaginary world, with my imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in my life pops his head in to ensure I’m still there. I like that – just as I like how he makes me laugh so often I’ll probably live to well over a hundred.

I was always going to be a writer. Now I am – I have achieved my dream.

For more information, please visit Anna Belfrage’s WEBSITE.

I shall be back a little later in the week with the review of the second book in the series before joining the book tour for book three.

See others participating in the Book Tour HERE

Disclaimer- I was provided with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Tracing Your House History by Gill Blanchard

I was recently given a copy of this book to review and what a delight it was.

This book is more than a guide to researching the history of your house, or a house of interest. It is a font of interest if you are seeking to research and understand the social and domestic lives of people and their communities from early times.

The book is comprehensively laid out over 7 chapters and gently walks readers and researchers through where to find information. Starting with indexes, catalogue's and transcriptions before moving along to finding archives in Records offices, local history libraries, heritage, local and family history organisations and numerous on line resources.

The section on dating your home and house style is very comprehensive, starting with looking at architects and their role and then moving along to dating a building.

This nicely links into the third chapter which features architecture styles across the ages, commencing with Prehistoric through Norman, Medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian times. This chapter also looks at Modern homes, before moving onto discuss and provide resources for model villages, Garden Cities and Philanthropic Schemes, new towns and council housing. Also touched upon is the Public Health and slum clearances, why they were necessary and what gave rise to them in the first place along with locating the redevelopment and clearance records.

The book progresses to the process of building local knowledge, by looking at local histories, the importance of oral histories, local tales & legends and the foundations they can provide in research. This is followed by two important areas; finding out about local history and then about the resources of Societies, groups and information. Moving on from that is a section that looks at the visuals of such a study; photographs and postcards, along with paintings and drawings which add illustrative social context to your study.

Chapter 5 is a very full and comprehensive chapter on resources. Many will be already known to family historians, such as Birth, Marriage and Death records, Parish records, and Census returns. Also included is business and occupation records, directories and gazetteers, Electoral registers and poll books, Fire Insurance records, Glebe and estate records. Various taxes are looked at, such as Hearth, Window and Land taxes. Land registry, deeds, Manorial records, Maps and plans. The National Farm Survey 1941-1943 which is a an often neglected source in family history research, Quarter session records, Land Owner returns 1873 – 1876 and Valuation Office Survey 1910 – 1920 and finally Wills. A real bonus for this chapter is the inclusion of the useful and comprehensive time frame for each resource.

The final two chapters deal with how you can present and write your own house history, but similarly this can apply should you be researching a One-Place study, before moving along to the directory of resources looking at Organisations, Websites and a selected Bibliography. There is an index at the end of the book.

All the way through there are illustrations in black and white with links to numerous and various web pages.

This book has been thoroughly researched and presented; and I believe it should be considered the book for those researching houses or a One-Place Study. It was a true delight to read and review.

Disclaimer – I was provided with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Children's Book: Little Blue Cloud by Inbal Argov

Not having any children, I rarely read children's books. However, I was approached and asked if I would review this book.

Available from Amazon, where it is FREE to download on 18th and 19th July on both the US and UK sites.

Inbal Argov has both written and illustrated the book. The book is not very long, just the right length for little ones.

The story is of Little Blue Cloud, whose parents are Mother Lightening and Father Thunder and the story is told through the seasons using rhymes and is uniquely illustrated.

At the end of the book you can by completing a form with your first name and email address be sent a free audio book edition.

I read via my iPad and I could fully appreciate the illustrations. The author has produced a short video to promote the book.



Overall, I like the quirkiness of the book. The cleverness and yet simple way to tell a story to pre school children. The illustrations are lovely and it is a nice bonus to have access to a audio book telling the story.

Disclaimer - I downloaded a copy of the book and have given an honest review.

Murder by the Homeplace by William Leverne Smith

From the back cover

"A police radio scanner call of '419' - "dead human body" - on a bucolic fall afternoon in the south-central Missouri Ozarks small town of Oak Springs sends a part-time local newspaper reporter, Penny Nixon, on the adventure of her life-time. Warned by her editor to only look for 'human-interest angles' to the story, her actions bring her perilously close to interviewing the knife-wielding perpetrator of a bizarre murder. The victim is a recently disgraced young attorney who only weeks earlier was involved in a domestic violence incident with his 'banker's daughter' bride in this quiet small town."

This week see's the launch of the book tour for the latest edition to the fictional Home Place Series by Dr Bill. 

This recent novella is set in the fall (Autumn if your this side of the pond!) of 1987, just after Back to the Homeplace

Author

Dr. Bill is a life-long learner with a passion for family history and, more generally, the social history of each of his ancestors and their descendants. He enjoys writing on various platforms and venues, including six blogs, novels, non-fiction books and ebooks, three topics published at Examiner.com .

He is author of The Heritage Tourist column published at the digital magazine The In-Depth Genealogist.

Check out Dr. Bill’s first novel, “Back to the Homeplace,” which is a family saga loosely based on my family history research and life through the years; and blog: The Home Place Series He can also be found at Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories: Dr Bill Tells Ancestor Stories

Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, I liked the characters; they were well developed. The central character called Penny is a newspaper reporter/freelance writer and I liked the way the storyline was written, in a conversationalist style.

As a reader it was almost possible to walk alongside Penny as she seeks and uncovers information through her interview skills. The moment I started reading the novella had a feel of Kinsey Malone from the Alphabet series by Sue Grafton and I smiled as Dr Bill threw that bit in too!

This does not feel like a regular who done it, but as a gentle mystery, as the character teases the information from her interviewees. Written in a diary style it is easy to keep track of the flow of information as the story builds.

I really must seek out the rest of the series.

Disclaimer - I was provided with a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.

13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories by Dr Bill (William L) Smith

Yesterday I reviewed this great book by Bill Smith. Today I have a real treat.

I have a digital copy of the book to give away - as this is an e-book the give away will be international.

So what are you waiting for?

To enter and have a chance of winning please leave a comment about what your genealogy plans are if you win the copy of the book along with your email address.

The giveaway is open from today until 3rd April 2013 and the winner announced on this blog & via email. The winner will be selected by www.random.org


The giveaway is now CLOSED

13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories by Dr Bill (William L) Smith

From the back cover

"Dr. Bill enjoys telling and sharing ancestor stories and related family history social context. He has published four family histories, to date, with more in progress.

For the latest on Dr. Bill, his writings and stories, see his complementary blog at: Dr Bill Tells Ancestor Stories

Do you have family history and ancestor stories collected and researched?

Do you want to share them and tell your stories, but don't know how or what venue to use?

This book has your answer.

Preservation and interpretation of your ancestor stories will occur most effectively if you use multiple approaches to telling your ancestor stories to your family and interested others. Showing you how to this is the purpose of this book.

The content of you telling of ancestor stories includes your life as well as the lives of your two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great grandparents, etc., and their siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Ancestor stories include the social context in which these folks lived, their clothes, their farms or ranches, their religion (or not), their occupations, their loves and antagonisms, their education (or not), their friends and neighbors, and the mundane details of their daily lives.

13 sections suggest a variety of ways to tell your ancestor stories; each section has a Planning Worksheet to assist you in doing it most effectively.

"Telling a story about an ancestor can be a gift to oneself and to one's family. It is powerful to have your stories heard". - Judy Shintani"

Author

Dr. Bill is a life-long learner with a passion for family history and, more generally, the social history of each of his ancestors and their descendants. He enjoys writing on various platforms and venues, including six blogs, novels, non-fiction books and ebooks, three topics published at Examiner.com .

He is author of The Heritage Tourist column published at the digital magazine The In-Depth Genealogist.

Check out Dr. Bill’s first novel, “Back to the Homeplace,” which is a family saga loosely based on my family history research and life through the years; and blog: The Home Place Series He can also be found at Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories: Dr Bill Tells Ancestor Stories

Review

I recently had the opportunity to read Bill's book and I am so glad I did. As an experienced researcher it is very easy to get caught up in the whole research aspect and delve deeper into our ancestry and to forget that behind each of those names was a person who had a life and a whole series of emotions just like us.

Bill's book enabled me to grounded, to take a step back to almost basics and contemplate the stories behind those facts and to debate how I was going to share those stories. The book contains a series of worksheets which allow for reflection, development or change. The subjects of the worksheets are -

• Blogs
• Book
• Newsletter
• Website
• Podcasts
• Videos
• Wikis
• Scrapbooking
• Brochures
• Posters
• Arts & Artefacts
• Oral Performance
• Other - Re-enactments & National Heritage

Many researchers and family historians use a combination of those mentioned, but what struck me was how much do we use them and do we really use them to their full potential? This book gives us an opportunity to explore how we use the mementos left by our ancestors in order to tell their story. 

A memento maybe a ticket - I have one of a plane journey that I took. At first glance it shows that during 1994 I left the UK to go to Kenya. The story behind it is the detail. The burst of heat the moment the plane doors opened, the walk across the runway to the shed like immigration area. All those details and more build up a snapshot of an event. In this case, whilst I kept the ticket all these years I had not actually delved deeper until I read this book. If we are not recording our experiences for future generations how are those generations going to know?

As I said, this book enabled me to be grounded. To look beneath the facts and realise that there was a story to be told and that those stories can be told using a variety of methods. Different methods will suit different researchers and similarly engage different readers. By using a variety of methods you will keep the engagement of your reader for longer. Going a step further, this book is also a great tool for planning engagement and involvement for those researching a specific location or family group. 

This book is a great reference book; I certainly view it as an essential in the family historian tool kit.

13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories by Dr Bill (William L) Smith is available to purchase from Dr Bill's Non Fiction Book Store. Stay tuned for a giveaway raffle tomorrow!

Disclaimer - I was provided with a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The One Penny Orange Mystery by Morris Ackerman

I was intrigued with I saw this book , and reminded of happy memories of 40 years ago when my Grandfather put a 1p British stamp into a matchbox and told me to see if I could find any others amongst a pile of envelopes.

The book made it's way across the Atlantic and I was fairly impatient to start reading. I did early this week and finished it a day or so ago.

There was a real sense of innocence about this book. The storyline and the characters and I knew within a page or two that I was going to enjoy it.

The character names are great, a play on the world of stamp collecting, which all starts when an British Official who spent many years working for the Government, first in India then in Mauritius fleas the start of an uprising taking with him a set of old historical papers.

The character, which has the wonderful name of Major Edward Postmark returns to Mauritius after some years to the house which he owns to sell up before returning to England. He sorts through his belongings in the house and comes across the pile of papers he recalls fleeing the embassy with years before. Amongst the papers is the One Penny Orange Stamp which is the catalyst of the whole mystery.

What follows through the rest of the pages is the valuation and then eventual sale of the stamp alas it is not without its problems. The author introduces readers to a series of characters, the stamp authenticator, stamp dealer, security agents and rather enthusiastic stamp collectors. Also thrown into the mix is a few red herrings. All of these individuals wish to own a valuable stamp, and some are prepared to regardless of the stakes.

The mystery structure was a good one, I certainly did not solve the who done it before the end of the book. This was a great book, with a strong storyline and none of the violence that perhaps might have wielded into the pages. It was a gentle page turner and it is this gentleness that had an innocence about it which I enjoyed.

This has potential for the start of a series, perhaps involving a Two Pence Stamp, but we will have to wait and see, but I do hope so. I loved this book and is certainly one of the favourites for the year.

The book which I do recommend is available from Amazon US, UK and Book Depository

Disclaimer - I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Weekend Cooking - Cheese & Beer by Janet Fletcher

I had a real urge to eat a huge chuck of cheddar through this book.

It is a rather fascinating account of which beers to drink and whilst consuming various cheeses.

A huge focus on beers of the US, but there was mention to some European beers and ales. Lots of explaining and information on why some beers are heavier than others and then why particular cheeses work with those beers.

There was mention to the various regional and area beers of the US and those that had a basis on beers from other Countries for example the beers that had an Irish heritage.

I have to say that I love cheese and probably rather boring in my consumption of it. I like a very strong cheddar. In England we tend to classify them with 1 meaning very mild and 5 very strong. I usually by at least a 4, whilst hubby likes a mild cheese usually a 1 or 2. Every now and again I offer him and piece of cheese which he takes and then I watch the facial expressions as he realises he has been "had" again!

That said, I do eat various Italian cheese, Edam from The Netherlands and I always used to like Roule with strawberry. A lovely soft French cheese was perfect with Hovis biscuits. Sold in very few places, there was a cheese shop in my home town and Harrods amongst a few others. Sadly, the makers have stopped making it. I did email the company, but never received a response.

Turning to the beer aspect of the book. I am not a beer drinker really, although I do like a shandy on a hot summers day, but those are few and far between in the wet isles! Meanwhile, hubby is the occasional beer drinker, liking lagers, and ales.

Here is a picture of a tinned advertising feature. These are reproductions, well they were made in the late 1980s from 1930s originals. The picture is of Newcastle Brown Ale, which is always the ale that I put in the Christmas Puddings then hubby gets the left overs!

For me this book was a winner. It made me think and reflect on our eating and drinking habits. Shared conversation hubby as we chatted about the various beers and cheeses.  This is definitely a book that would be great on my cookbook shelf and there is potential for someone to write a similar book featuring the various beers and ales of the United Kingdom.

Overall the book was comprehensive, well written and researched.

Disclaimer - I was provided with a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Taking part in Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads

Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear

Just before Christmas Maisie and her employee, Billie see a man commit suicide in the street. The man was clearly a War Veteran and events very quickly turn Maisie back to her nursing days during the Great War. Soon after an anonymous letter is received by the police threatening violence if the comments in the letter are not adhered to.

Soon, Maisie is seconded to the Police as she and the police try and unravel the circumstances of the two issues. Is that deceased man part of the conspiracy to cause chaos in London? Next some animals in an animal shelter are found dead, the potential result of inhaling a poisonous gas, and then on the back of another letter some birds are found dead.

Maisie springs into action as she and Billy try to discover the truth whilst confronting their own fears. Billy meanwhile, is still struggling with his wife Doreen who can not move past her grief following the death of their little girl and soon Doreen is admitted to hospital to receive treatment.

In this book, which I think is one of the best, the author has tackled some real issues for the early 1930s. There has clearly been research done into early offerings by the War Office and poisonous gases and the 1930s treatment of those who were suffering from some kind of mental illness.

About Jacqueline Winspear

Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in the county of Kent, England. Following higher education at the University of London’s Institute of Education, Jacqueline worked in academic publishing, in higher education, and in marketing communications in the UK.

She emigrated to the United States in 1990, and while working in business and as a personal / professional coach, Jacqueline embarked upon a life-long dream to be a writer.

Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Elegy for Eddie, A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, and Among the Mad, as well as five other national bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha, Alex, and Macavity awards for the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs, which was also nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel and was a New York Times Notable Book. She now lives in California and is a regular visitor to the United Kingdom and Europe.

Find out more about Jacqueline at her website, www.jacquelinewinspear.com, and find her on Facebook.

Book Tour Hosts

Monday, March 4th: The House of the Seven Tails – Maisie Dobbs

Monday, March 4th: BookNAround – Birds of a Feather

Wednesday, March 6th: Peppermint PhD – Pardonable Lies

Thursday, March 7th: Melody & Words – Birds of a Feather

Thursday, March 7th: The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader – Messenger of Truth

Thursday, March 7th: Anglers Rest – Messenger of Truth

Thursday, March 7th: Lavish Bookshelf – An Incomplete Revenge

Friday, March 8th: Olduvai Reads – Maisie Dobbs

Friday, March 8th: 5 Minutes For Books – Pardonable Lies

Friday, March 8th: In the Next Room – An Incomplete Revenge

Friday, March 8th: Anglers Rest – Among the Mad

Friday, March 8th: The Road to Here – Among the Mad

Friday, March 8th: A Bookish Way of Life – The Mapping of Love and Death

Friday, March 8th: The Book Garden – The Mapping of Love and Death

Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear

This is the fourth book in the Maisie Dobbs series. This series gets better and better and as the character develops and takes further shape, we as readers are drawn in all the more to a great series.

The central character is Maisie Dobbs, a former nurse during the Great War. Now, though Maisie is a private investigator working in London and owns her own business, car and home. A rarity for the 1930s, this book is set during 1931. During this page turner Maisie is asked by Georgina Bassington-Hope to investigate the death of her brother, a former soldier and artist who died tragically whilst he is setting up an art exhibition. Nick has experienced war. His way of coping with the events he witnessed, first as a front line soldier and then as a war artist, is to paint what he sees and this does not always bode well with those around him. As Maisie investigates she encounters secrets, war stories, smuggling and does eventually seek out the truth.

Meanwhile, her associate Billy encounters a tragedy of his own and Maisie breaks off her relationship with her latest suitor.

The author has captured the essence of a "modern woman", perhaps Maisie was a woman before her time as she sets out on the road to independence and maintaining that independence. Very well researched and despite being a fictional book based upon tragic life events and the aftermath.

About Jacqueline Winspear

Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in the county of Kent, England. Following higher education at the University of London’s Institute of Education, Jacqueline worked in academic publishing, in higher education, and in marketing communications in the UK.

She emigrated to the United States in 1990, and while working in business and as a personal / professional coach, Jacqueline embarked upon a life-long dream to be a writer.

Jacqueline Winspear is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Elegy for Eddie, A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, and Among the Mad, as well as five other national bestselling Maisie Dobbs novels. She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Agatha, Alex, and Macavity awards for the first book in the series, Maisie Dobbs, which was also nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel and was a New York Times Notable Book. She now lives in California and is a regular visitor to the United Kingdom and Europe.

Find out more about Jacqueline at her website, www.jacquelinewinspear.com, and find her on Facebook.

Book Tour Hosts

Monday, March 4th: The House of the Seven Tails – Maisie Dobbs

Monday, March 4th: BookNAround – Birds of a Feather

Wednesday, March 6th: Peppermint PhD – Pardonable Lies

Thursday, March 7th: Melody & Words – Birds of a Feather

Thursday, March 7th: The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader – Messenger of Truth

Thursday, March 7th: Anglers Rest – Messenger of Truth

Thursday, March 7th: Lavish Bookshelf – An Incomplete Revenge

Friday, March 8th: Olduvai Reads – Maisie Dobbs

Friday, March 8th: 5 Minutes For Books – Pardonable Lies

Friday, March 8th: In the Next Room – An Incomplete Revenge

Friday, March 8th: Anglers Rest – Among the Mad

Friday, March 8th: The Road to Here – Among the Mad

Friday, March 8th: A Bookish Way of Life – The Mapping of Love and Death

Friday, March 8th: The Book Garden – The Mapping of Love and Death

The Persian Square by Iran Davar Ardalan

Introduction

The moment I saw this book I was intrigued. As regular readers of my blog will note, I have a distant ancestor who died in the Gulf of Persia in 1812 and therefore whilst not a direct link with that time, I was curious and wanted to read  more on the region.

This book did not disappoint. Firstly, it is not a e-book in a regular sense. This is a interactive book which embraces, as all books do, a conversation between the reader and author, this takes that conversation to another level and allows those of us with an iPad to truly experience that reading and conversation on another level entirely.

Furthermore, the book is incomplete. I do not mean that the author simply had enough half way through, but instead Iran has developed the book to enable others to be inspired to share their Iranian heritage. With submissions made via the website and the book revised and updated.

About the Author (details from the press release)

Davar Ardalan is a Senior Producer at NPR News, responsible for the daily live broadcast of NPR’s Tell Me More with Michel Martin. From the opinions of global newsmakers to listeners, the wisdom of renowned thinkers to activists and spiritual leaders, Tell Me More brings fresh voices and perspectives to public radio. In October 2012, Ardalan was part of the NPR team that produced a live Twitter Education Forum, engaging a diverse community via social media tools on the topic of education reform.

Prior to TMM at NPR, Ardalan was in charge of Weekend Edition were she helped integrate social media tools and expanded audience interactivity. In 2009, she collaborated with the Association for Independents in Radio (AIR) on cutting edge interactive media projects that captured stories and images from around the country and encouraged audience participation across platforms.

Ardalan has also worked as a Supervising Producer for NPR’s Morning Edition where she helped shape the daily newsmagazine, and was responsible for decisions that required elaborate coordination such as broadcasts from Baghdad, Kabul, and New Orleans. She is the author of My Name Is Iran. 

Links

Official Website - http://www.thepersiansquare.org/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/persiansquare

Information Video - http://vimeo.com/60423991

Review

The book is available to download from the iTunes store. The download took a little while to download and once it had and I started reading I could see why. The book contains:

• 30 media files. 
• Hyperlinks to guide you through the book
• Images, sound recordings and interviews
• Notes enabling the reader to learn more about a fact
• A full bibliography at the website http://www.thepersiansquare.org/
• Favourites
• Twitter enabled - Tap on any of the text and add the twitter #PersianSquare
• Video

Within the interactive functionality of your iPad you can explore the history and depth of Iran with the individual who is believed to be the first Iranian to visit America and become Naturalised in 1875. You can read about a publication written in 1898 with the aim of educating Americans on Persian women, Educational influences, sporting events. You can listen to music clips from the early 1910's. Touch the screen to explore the hidden photographs of Philadelphia's Persian Pavilion.

The author has shared a great deal of her own family history as an illustrative point, with her Grandmother falling in love with Persia following marrying an Iranian Doctor. Together they lived in Iran and established a hospital there.

In 1935 the Persian Monarch changed the name of Persia to Iran. This was a turning point of the Countries heritage. Americans in the region were encouraged to return back the America in the years leading up to the Second World War. In the late 1970's the political instability in the region meant that there was mass migration from Iran to American. Incidently many also fled to England, as very good friend of mine did with her family.

There is a rather interesting chapter on Iranian author's and in particular female authors and various book suggestions. This is further followed by chapters and information about those of Iranian descent as they made their mark in the Western world in an assortment of fields, journalism, medical and business.

Overall, I enjoyed loved this book. It was so much more than turning the pages, literal or otherwise. It was a completely interactive experience and one that clearly shows the love the author has for both her heritage land and her profession. This was a rather unique way of bringing the two together and to share the stories contained within the book.

In much the same way as the book, my reading of it is also incomplete as I shall periodically continue to read about the region.

The Persian Square is published on 4th March 2013 and is available from the iBooks Store.

Disclaimer -  I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.