Bon jour Peepsickles!

Spring, perhaps the loveliest of seasons with regard to rebirth, spring flowers, warmer temperatures, green grass beneath my feet, and longer days. To me, it is all of these things and more; it’s a special kind of awakening, the days are twelve hours long and lengthening, in truth it’s a Renaissance.
All over the world people have different ways with which they celebrate spring. Officially it begins on the spring or vernal equinox, between March 19 and the 21st, when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading northward.  These days depend on whether it is a leap year or not. It is the balance of common years and leap years that keeps the calendar date of the equinox from drifting more than a day from 20th March each year. Some different cultures celebrate the beginning of their calendar year with the Northward equinox, for example the Persian calendar.
So if spring is almost upon us what do people do? How do you celebrate this great time of regeneration?
Green or clean Monday – A Holiday!
Clean Monday is known by different names: Green Monday, Ash Monday, or Monday of Lent. I live part of the year in Cyprus, where a large majority of people speak Greek and follow Greek customs. The common term for this day, “Clean Monday”, refers to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods. In this way, the faithful begin Lent with a clean conscience, with forgiveness, and with renewed Christian love. Clean Monday is a public holiday in Cyprus, where it is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish and other fasting food. A special kind of bread is baked only on that day, named “lagana” and the children practice the widespread custom of kite flying. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Orthodox Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on major feast days, but shellfish is permitted in European denominations. People on Clean Monday usually take their picnic baskets and put inside fasting foods because it is the day that Lent begins.
With the start of spring, other countries celebrate in a similar fashion. We see numerous craft fairs advertised, your local garden centre heralds in the arrival of spring seedlings, and family day outings to the zoo where many new-born animals can be seen. If the weather permits we fire up the grill, go for picnics, pitch a tent for the weekend, organise indoor games if it’s raining, play cricket and rounders (type of like baseball!), and tempt taste buds with a new taste of spring recipes!
A Taste of spring
There are some amazing recipes around these days –often filled with incredible ideas and ingredients. Some people don’t have the time to spend hours in the kitchen, so I’ve included one of my favourite recipes here – I hope you try it out for yourselves!
Chicken with spring herbs
Ingredients for 4 people:
•    a handful of finely chopped chervil leaves,
•    ½ bunch of finely chopped parsley
•    2 tablespoons of mint
•    1x 250g tub mascarpone cheese
•    4  chicken breasts (complete with skin)
•    6 leeks or 12 spring onions, sliced lengthways
•    1 glass white wine
•    25g butter
Method – dead easy!
1.    Heat the oven to 180C/fan or 160C/gas 4. Mix the herbs with the mascarpone and season well. Remove the skin carefully from the chicken breasts and spread a quarter of the mixture on each breast. Put the skin back down and smooth it gently over the mascarpone.
2.    Put the leeks or spring onions in a baking dish, cut-side up, and pour the white wine over. Season. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables. Dot the butter over the chicken and leeks and roast for 20 minutes until the chicken skin is crisp and the leeks tender.
And for afterwards…Rhubarb Tarts – a little longer to prepare but taste sublime!
•    1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail
•    3 tablespoons sugar, divided
•    2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam, divided
•    40 1/4-inch-thick slices fresh rhubarb (preferably bright red; 3 to 4 stalks)
•    4 sheets fresh filo pastry or frozen, thawed (each about 13×17 inches)
•    1/2 cup) ¼ lb unsalted butter, melted
•    Finely grated orange peel
•    Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Preparation
•    Stir cranberry juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon jam in heavy large saucepan over low heat just until jam and sugar dissolve. Remove syrup from heat.
•    Arrange fresh rhubarb slices in single layer in syrup in pan. Place pan over medium-low heat and bring to very gentle simmer. Cook rhubarb 1 minute only. Remove from heat. Turn rhubarb slices over. Simmer again until almost tender, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Set pan aside and cool rhubarb in syrup.
•    Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 1 filo pastry sheet on work surface (keep remaining 3 sheets filo covered with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out). Brush sheet with melted butter; sprinkle all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Fold sheet lengthwise in half, then crosswise in half. Fold crosswise in half 1 more time, making 8 layers. Cut into 5×3-inch rectangle; discard filo trimmings. Repeat with remaining 3 filo sheets, making four 5×3-inch rectangles (8 layers each).
•    Arrange filo rectangles on large rimmed baking sheet. Overlap 10 cooked rhubarb slices snugly on each filo rectangle, leaving small plain border. Add remaining 1 tablespoon raspberry jam to syrup in pan. Stir mixture over low heat until jam dissolves and glaze is smooth. Brush some glaze over rhubarb on each filo rectangle.
•    Bake tarts until filo is crisp and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer tarts to cooling rack. Sprinkle finely grated orange peel over. Tarts can be made up to 4 hours ahead for your picnic. Let stand at room temperature.
•    Serve tarts with whipped cream.

I love spring! It’s a promise of long, sunny, summer days. Do tell me what your special spring activity is,

Thank you for dropping by and I sincerely hope your spring is special this year too.

Faithx

  Good Day!

I don't know but if you're like me, then your days and weeks are absolutely whizzing past this year. So fast I can hardly keep up with the day to day things, let alone get on with that most important item of all...writing! I have two novels with my editor (fingers-crossed she'll like them and sign them off) and I'm 12,000 words into my work in progress - another mystery murder set in The Cotswold Hills in England. But just lately my website had been sadly ignored. I've interviewed other writers, spoken about certain writing aspects for starters - but I don't think I've ever posted sample chapters of my novels on here. So! Here is a sample from my best-selling novel The Assassins Village. I do hope you enjoy it and many thanks for stopping by.

Have a great weekend and make sure you have some time to yourself!!

Faithx


The Assassins' Village Chapter 5. Sunday 29th.
 

Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.

Macbeth. Act 1 Scene 3

Leaning against the old china sink, Sonja drank her second glass of ice-cold water. She normally walked her dogs in the cool of the early morning, but today she somehow could not get herself together. She had not slept well during the hot and airless night, and just as the first grey light had spread over the hillside opposite, she had fallen into a deep troubled slumber. When Leslie woke her a little later, asking when she might or might not be preparing breakfast, he had found that she was annoyed, as she’d overslept for the first time in years.

‘You might have woken me before now,’ she grumbled, tossing the crumpled and damp bed sheet to one side. ‘Now I’m all behind, and the dogs haven’t had their early walk,’ she paused at the end of their bed in an accusatory stance.

Leslie eyed her with a rather baleful expression that could have meant anything. He twitched the sheet to recover his legs and picked up the book he had been reading. He had been in the mood for sex earlier, but he knew what the answer would have been if he had suggested it. Her and her annoying, damn dogs. These days she had little time to spare for him. Apart from the animals, she spent hours working in the garden and the rest in the kitchen. Her passion was making the most lavish of iced cakes, which she sold to a baker’s shop in Episkopi.

Sonja gave an exasperated sigh, before flouncing off towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Leslie gave a little spiteful smile. He was out of sorts himself for these past few days. It was time for someone else to feel irritated with life.

Glancing out of the nearby window Leslie saw that the sun had climbed halfway up into the sky. Already, he could feel the promise of another scorching day. Another ten minutes and it would be too hot to lie in bed. The sound of the telephone brought him out of his reverie; it was early for friends to call despite a Cypriot day starting at first light. Slightly puzzled, Leslie lifted the receiver and listened.

~~~

Sonja hadn’t noticed it was yet another beautiful and sunny day. Leslie’s sudden announcement that the police were planning on paying them – no him, let us get that straight, a visit later that morning had placed her mind in a whirl. She could not begin to imagine what they could possibly want with Leslie. He had done nothing wrong that she knew of, except been extremely late in taxing the car again. As usual he had misplaced the renewal paperwork, and being a complete computer dinosaur, he hadn’t yet mastered the art of doing it over the Internet despite everyone saying how convenient and simple it was.

Leslie said that the policeman was adamant. He wanted to speak to Leslie, and would around eleven o’clock be convenient? On a Sunday as well!

Shortly after eleven, the doorbell to the courtyard rang and Sonja opened it to face two men dressed in suits. One was short and swarthy with a badly pitted olive complexion. His mother had obviously never heard of acne treatment when he had been in his teens. He was about forty-ish, had a receding hairline, and looked grumpy.  The younger man was tall and rangy; his dark brown eyes were alert, probably never missing a thing. Sonja felt him staring deeply as the older man addressed her, and despite the sun, could not help suppressing a shiver.

‘Kuria Flowers? I am Inspector Andreas Christopopodolou and this is my colleague Sergeant Yiannis Loukiades. I believe your husband is expecting us, yes?’

Sonja took the dry outstretched hand in front of her. Later, she wished she had never been there to receive them. That she had never met the two policemen who were so polite to her. But above all, she wished she had never learnt the reason why they had cause to visit her husband in the first place.

How could he the stupid fool?

For years, she had known about his past affairs with other, prettier women. But to have the police involved in something that was so scandalous, and sordid. At first she refused to understand what they were saying. When they interviewed Leslie she couldn’t believe her ears. It must be all a ghastly mistake? The woman must be partly to blame evidently. Those who wore short skirts and low-necked blouses were nothing short of being common surely? Her mind whirled with all sorts of questions as she listened to what they had to say.

As soon as the supercilious inspector and his observant sergeant had left their house and were out of earshot Sonja turned to Leslie in a rage.

‘How dare you! It’s bad enough that I have had to put up with your affairs over the years, but now this. They accused you of pestering her! Do you know how serious that is? And what if our so-called friends and neighbours get to find out, eh? Can you imagine the mileage they’ll get out of it?’ she hissed at him. ‘What were you thinking of? You’re nothing but an ageing Lothario and a bloody stupid one at that.’

Sonja’s voice took on an edge that was bordering on the hysterical. She persisted in shouting at him. Her body shook with anger. Her usually pale eyes darkened as she worked herself up into a fury; her face suffused a mottled red. As much as Leslie was used to her often-short outbursts of temper, he appeared taken aback by the hate and venom that showed in the stiff rigid lines of her body and face. Never, had he seen her so angry. In order to diffuse the situation he attempted to make light of the matter.

‘Sonja, Sonja calm down. I tell you it’s all a little misunderstanding. I haven’t been near her at all. Okay, I admit I was attracted to her, once upon a time, but that’s all it was, just a slight attraction to a pretty woman. We enjoyed a mutual flirtation. That is all. Believe me. Nothing happened. Honestly.’

‘Do you really expect me to believe all that, that bullshit? I heard what the police said. They wouldn’t have come here if she hadn’t made some sort of complaint about you. I know she is the last of your tarts in a long line of your “little lapses in marital harmony”. As if that is not enough! You are a bloody liar! You couldn’t leave her alone, like all the others, another one of your “horizontals”. Except this time, you couldn’t take the hint when she told you to leave her alone. That it was all off. Oh no, not you.’

‘I’ve told you the police have it all wrong,’ he whined in a conciliatory tone as if he was just realising she was going to make this difficult for him. ‘It’s all been blown out of proportion, believe me.’

‘That’s half the trouble. I don’t bloody believe you. Leslie, why would they have bothered to come all this way? It’s a good half an hour from Limassol. No. You’re lying again, only this time you’ve gone too far. You’ve probably terrified the little harlot and a good thing too, she should have known better. She should have kept her hands off someone else’s husband. God knows there are enough single men on this island for her to pick and choose from.’

‘She’s not a harlot,’ Leslie said quietly. ‘You’ve always liked Tilly before.’

Sonja could not stop herself. Before she knew what she was doing she had hit Leslie hard across the mouth. ‘Don’t you dare mention that woman’s name to me,’ she screeched, her Scottish accent becoming more pronounced. ‘Get out. Get out before I throw you out. I’ve a good mind to anyway. I’ve had enough. This is the final straw.’

Leslie reeled back from the force of her hand. An angry red mark was livid across his left cheek and his lower lip was bleeding from where Sonja’s ring had torn his unprotected skin. He looked astounded at her violence; a cold nasty glint appeared in his eyes. He drew himself up, a threatening look upon his face. ‘I doubt that. I doubt that very much. You’re forgetting My Lady, that I own this house. It’s in my name only. Likewise, the same will apply when we eventually move to our new one next month. So don’t you ever forget it,’ he withdrew a cotton handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his split lip before continuing. ‘No, my dear. Remember, I call the final tune,’ his rejoinder was accompanied with a spiteful malicious smile.

‘You’re a total bastard! I hate you!’ she spat at him.

‘Maybe, but while I’m alive, I’m the one that calls the tune. As I’ve said before you’ve nothing without my say so. And you know what they say about hate being akin to love.’

‘You’re nothing but a-a, fucking power freak,’ she replied shakily.

‘Oh, you can talk,’ he said, putting his handkerchief away. ‘I’m going out now for a walk. It’ll give you time to think about your position and let you calm down. Go and try to repair your face. Crying doesn’t make you in the slightest bit attractive.’

Sonja could not believe he could be so horrible, so completely thoughtless and cold. She watched him as he cockily crossed the tiled floor of the dining room. He picked up a straw hat and placed it jauntily on his head. Without bothering to give her another look he flung open the door to the outside. The blazing sunshine streamed into the room, dust motes whirling in the draught. Seemingly, without a care in the world, he sauntered down onto the cobbled lane that led to their usual walk along the lower track.

Still standing where he had left her, Sonja began to shake uncontrollably. She knew not why, but found she couldn’t stop. She shook with anger and shock. Her legs felt wobbly and she could not move. She was annoyed with herself for letting it come to this. Furious with him for the distress it caused her. Most of all, she was livid because he did in fact hold all the cards. He was right; he did own the house. She possessed very little money of her own, a small pension and a few savings. He had not wanted her to have a career. Leslie preferred her to stay at home and provide all the comforts he desired. All their time together she had been forced to accept his domination over her. She hadn’t noticed it at first, during their early and happier years. Later she began to resent his control. Once he died – and he was nearly twenty years older than she – then his will stated that the house would become hers. There was not a lot to look forward to until then.

Not until she was free of him.

Sonja finally realised. It had taken something like this for the reality to sink in. A tear escaped her eye and then another. Damn him! Damn him to hell. She traced Leslie’s footsteps over to the outer door and took hold of it to close it. Before she could do so however, a shadow fell across her and she looked up to see Alicia standing there.

There’s reviews…and there’s reviews.

The subject of reviews and what makes a good qualified review has troubled me for some time (probably ever since I started receiving them on my own books!) Now I’m not about to start a whinge over my own book reviews as on the whole I’m very grateful for those readers who take the time to read and write reviews and in the main my reviews are looking good.
And I’m the same as many authors and look forward to the next review. But sometimes I really wonder about some of those so-called ‘reviewers’.

When above all else the purpose of a review is not to caress the author’s ego or put them down. A review is written so readers can ascertain the calibre of a book. By being given information and opinions on the book readers can make their own decision on whether they might want to buy and read that book.
So what should a reader look out for in a review? I know what I like to see included and below I’ve mentioned a few of my favourites.

First, I want to know that the genre is one I want to read. If it’s a genre I hate then I won’t read it, no matter how many 5 stars the review is given. The only exception here is when the book is remarkably different from others in its genre – then I might be tempted.

I like a brief description of the plot – just a few lines will do to hook me if it’s written well.

If the book is based on murder then it should say how blood thirsty the book is. Some people hate lurid scenes, some adore all that gore. I for one don’t. Other topics that should be mentioned in a review is whether there is religion, strong sex, politics and or distasteful subjects such as child molesting. To not include scenes like this might incur bad reviews from a purchaser. If I buy a book with good reviews then I want to know that I’m not going to be disappointed by reading some topics that are taboo for me. However, if some scenes such as I’ve mentioned do in fact further the plot then mention that too. As a reviewer, everyone has different likes and opinions. Someone you like/dislike may work in entirely the opposite way for another reader.


I believe a review should include something that stands out and is not mentioned in either another review or from the synopsis/book description. This might be the style of writing, the gentle humour or a quirky character which adds to the story.


I always think it’s nice if you can recommend this book to certain people – adults who like horror, romance, or which age groups it will apply to. If there is something that is going to be hated by some people then mention this and why, without giving the whole plot and story away


If the book is part of a series, then you can compare this with the others. Likewise if the writer has written other books, say how their characters and story flow (or not). Has the writer developed both characters and plot-line?


I like to know if I’m going to be hooked from the beginning with a fast-paced book or if I’m going to be drawn in gradually. Am I going to be entertained, educated, amazed by the pace, action, drama, originality and can I relate to the story in any way? Is it believable?

I love it when I have finished a book and yet I can’t get it out of my head. Share if this book has affected you in any way, either in a good or bad way as both are important.


And what do I hate to see in a review and believe adds nothing of value ? All too often I see reviews written by people who believe the following points add something and yet I truly believe they do nothing.

Being downright nasty about the author. You are reviewing the book, not the author.


Using rude comments. I won’t mention any here, but we’ve all seen them and some are outrageous. If you think the book is bad then use a kind word you can use and give your reason why you think the book is bad.Giving a reason/s is vitalbecause some readers’ ideas may be completely different from yours. From the author’s side, giving reasons for dislike may help them to improve future writing, but only if your logic is solid.

Sarcasm. What does this do except show up the reviewer?


Spoilers and destroying the book’s ending. After reading a book and then writing a review because you enjoyed it, part of the purpose of that review is to help the author sell extra copies. Don’t tell future readers the whole plot and essence of the story. No one will buy the book if they already know the ending or all the exciting stuff?


When mentioning the negatives include at least one positive comment in the review. There’s usually at least one likable thing in any story and someone might buy the book, purely due to that one positive comment you’ve made.

I think many reviewers forget that they should not be trying to persuade readers to read or not read the book; instead they should be telling them what they thought of the book. This means a reader can make their own informed personal decision to buy or not buy. There is a big difference.

And if a hate a book? This is dead easy. If I really think a book is appalling then I simply don’t review it.

If it’s that bad then whatever I write, it won’t serve the purpose a review is intended to serve. Readers don’t care if I hated the book; they just want to know if they will hate it too. And essentially that’s what your review would tell them. You can try softening a review, but usually it is better to ‘walk’ away and forget about it.

As a writer I receive reviews of all sorts, good and bad. It hurts when I receive a review which clearly indicates the reader has missed the point entirely or hasn’t even read beyond the first few pages. Or I don’t know what I’m talking about – I spend weeks in research and most of my work is first-knowledge. But what really pees me off is when I read a review from someone who can’t even spell let alone write!!

But when I read a new 4 or 5 star then, wow! It really makes my day! I am after all human like the rest of us.

So, please whether you’re a reader or writer, remember you are reviewing a book not the writer, and your job is to tell future readers what you thought of the book!

I've just sent my latest manuscript off to my editor, so fingers crossed she likes it and gives me the go ahead to publish hopefully next month!! Look out for 'Seeds of Time' and the follow-up 'Harvest'.

Happy reading everyone! And thanks for dropping in once again. Take care

Faithx