From 8-14th June, Kindred Spirits: Ephemera was out on tour, organised by the fabulous Mary Anne Yarde and the Coffee Pot Book Club.
It was great fun, preparing guest posts for the wonderful book-bloggers, and hearing what they think about the stories. Happily, the responses were good! And so I’m thrilled to share with you here, every stop of the tour. If you’ve read the book, I would love to hear what you think too.
Day One: First up, we visited the Coffee Pot Book Club’s own blog, here, then headed over to Dodging Arrows, A History Writer’s Blog, here, for the first review of the tour. You’ll have to visit the website for the full review, but here’s a snippet:
“Because of the insight the author shows, this book is both entertaining and interesting. The reader never feels that the characters are stereotypes, chiefly because of the cleverly choreographed interaction between them. I found it a book that was easy to dip into and most enjoyable to read.”
Day Two: Today, we also stopped at two blogs. On Judith Arnopp’s blog, here, you can read an extract of our visit to Carlisle Castle, where there’s a rather interesting football match taking part (things really are about to ‘kick off’!)… Secondly, we visit fellow Ocelot, Cathie Dunn, here, for a spotlight post.
Day Three: Day three was a one-post day, visiting Candlelight Reading, here, for the second review of the tour. Again, make sure you visit the blog for the whole thing, but this is how the review ends:
“If you want something to read, grab a cup of tea and sit down with one of these short stories. I can assure you, you will read more than one, no matter whether that was your intention or not!”
It is, of course, every author’s goal to keep those pages turning, so I’m glad it worked here!
Day Four: Today, we headed to Mary Ann Bernal’s blog, here, where you can read about the inspiration behind the collection, including for some of the individual stories.
Day Five: For our fifth day, we have another extract to tempt you with, this time over on Sylv Jenkins’ blog, here, where we’re travelling to Leicester. No prizes for guessing which historical hero we’re visiting there…
Day Six: Today, we were back to two stops! Firstly, visiting the blog of my good friend, Alex Marchant, where you can read, here, about how Richard III became my muse (and wooden mouse, remember!). Then, it was off to Zoe’s Art, Craft and Life blog, here, for a review. Here’s a snippet from her lovely review:
“Every famous setting from St Paul’s Cathedral to Windsor Castle used in this book brought to life the buildings and its residents who all have their own stories to tell. Jennifer C Wilson’s approach amused and delighted me. However, you don’t need knowledge of history to enjoy this book. From the cast of characters list at the start to the setting of the scenes, you soon become immersed in the afterlife unfolding as you read. I would happily recommend this book to anyone.”
Day Seven: How the week flew! On the final day of the tour, Ephemera visited the blog of Emma Lombard, here, where we headed back to Carlisle Castle, and last but by no means least, to Mercedes Rochelle’s Historical Fiction Blog, here, where Mercedes kindly shared her review of the collection, including:
“The ghosts are randomly thrown together and it’s fun to see how their well-known personalities interact. Events are scheduled for grand reunions and sometimes ghosts meet who haven’t seen each other since they were alive—for instance Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Arguments need to be derailed, and new ideas are voiced. It’s kind of like they are still alive, though some are missing: those who have gone into the light. Or are the missing spirits simply elsewhere?”
The release of Kindred Spirits: Ephemera was a nerve-inducing one for me, being my first full collection of short stories, rather than simply contributing one to a multi-authored anthology. However, I’m thrilled to bits that you’re enjoying meeting old friends and new amongst the afterlife, and I cannot wait to take you travelling again in the future.
There are a couple of hints as to where the series might be heading next, so keep in touch for more details as they come along!
Huge thanks again, to Mary Anne Yarde for organising such a great tour.
Jennifer C. Wilson 