Author's note

I have just typed THE END, having finished the story Saving Grace.

As an author, every book I write matters to me, every story and every character resonates in some way, to a greater or lesser extent. But this particular story will also strike a chord with many of you, due to the fact that it is about a child's perception of her parent's failing marriage. 

Having been a step-child myself, I know how hard it can be. And also how wonderful. So I included a final word. Here it is :-

 

Author’s note.

 

This story is dedicated to my [step] father who raised me from the age of seven and treated me as if I were his own child.

 

Saving Grace was written for all you boys and girls who find that sometimes real life is hard and hurtful. It has been written with love and with hope. In many ways it has been written for the adults in your lives, as much as it has been for you.

 

The job of a step-parent is a tough one and has been vilified in many stories. But for every evil Queen in Snow-white, there are a hundred good men and women, doing a great job of parenting kids that aren’t their own. Likewise for every ‘wicked’ step-child who deliberately scuppers his/her parent’s new relationship, there are a thousand others who accept and value the new adult in their life.

 

I hope this book goes at least a little way towards helping children and adults find a sure footing in difficult times and situations.

 

Carmen Capuano.

Saving Grace will hopefully be available soon. Until then ...

Happy Reading!

Saving Grace

Sadly I am coming towards the end of Saving Grace. She has been a lovely character to write about - a little girl with profound problems and a deep heart.

The book was written for 10-12 year olds but like all my other works, I think adults will enjoy the honesty in it as much as children will.

Here is a little snippet from today's writing:-

It was lovely to see Millie again and Grace was thrilled when the camel seemed to recognise her, leaving her feed bag and coming over to nuzzle her big head into Grace’s shoulder.

“I missed you, lovely girl,” Grace told her, “but I’m so pleased you are happy and looked after.” She kissed the camel on its long nose. “And you should be proud of your daughter – Sirrie is just as sweet as you are Millie.”

Although Grace couldn’t be sure, she thought that Millie looked proud at the mention of her calf. She turned her head towards Sirrie and snorted loudly.

Grace laughed. “Yes Millie, I agree, you did a good job there.” She swallowed a lump in her throat and said the words that were so painful to utter. “I might not see you again. You, or Sirrie.” She tried to smile but couldn’t. “I will miss you all dreadfully, but if I stay I will miss the people I love in my own world.” She wiped at her eyes.

“And coming backwards and forwards between the two places is hurtful – too much time is skipped over…” she hesitated to explain the truth that there was a possibility that if she came back again it would be several Santerra years from now and perhaps by then there would be no Benito or Millie or…

“I have to get back to my own world. And I have to stay there because that is where I belong. But my heart will always love you.” She plonked another kiss on the camel and was only half surprised when a large tear plopped onto her shoulder. Millie was crying. Silently Grace buried her face in the camel’s warm neck and let her tears fall.

 

Happy Reading!

Exciting news!

I am very pleased to be able to inform you that the Bromsgrove Standard will begin serialising one of my books at the end of March!


Being a local newspaper with its ear to the ground, the Standard works harder than most national newspapers to deliver what its readers want - pertinent information and articles with a local flavour.


Some of you may have read my short story which appeared ahead of  Valentine's day a few weeks ago, but the story which will now be printed bears no relation to the previous one.


Storm Clouds is about what might happen if our current global weather extremes continue. It is a story about ordinary people who suddenly find themselves in extraordinary situations and how they strive for survival against the odds.


You will meet Jack Ryan [named after the famous Tom Clancy character by his father] who suddenly finds himself in charge of his nephew Dan, in a perilous situation. And you will meet Doctor Georgia Wade, who shelters her best friend's three children from the encroaching storms.


I hope you will love my characters as much as I do.


If you would like to get your story hit all in one go then follow this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=carmen%20capuano&sprefix=carme%2Caps&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acarmen%20capuano


In the meantime - everlasting thanks to the Bromsgrove Standard and Happy Reading! x

EVENT CONFIRMED

13th August I will be conducting a talk and book signing at Lord Morton's Tea Rooms. Ticket price to include Pimms and canapés in the garden, main course, dessert, coffee and author talk. £14.95 Phone 01299851201 to book.

Here I am at my latest book signing event. Wish I hadn't slouched!

Photo courtesy of Gem Media.

Saving Grace

There's a soundtrack that's running through my head. It goes a little like this...

"Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be?
The true love story
That is true of you and me?...

Where do I start?"

Do you recognise it? It is the theme from the film Love Story. Perhaps the words are a little wrong but the sentiment isn't.

And yet the story I'm working on isn't a love story - it's the exact opposite in fact. It's a story about how one little girl is striving to cope with the breakdown of her parents' marriage. But the sentiment of that song is what is bursting forth from her heart and it has impaled me, as her creator, with its hurt.

Poor Grace is utterly, emotionally lost. I only hope she can find her way out of the wilderness and into the light...

COMING EVENTS

Hi all.

I have been asked on numerous occasions to add an events page to the blog. I haven't done this in the past, as many of my speaking events were closed to the public, such as the recent talk I gave for the clients/ associates of Suttons and Robertsons.

However, since this year I am also involved in many events which are open to the public, I have set up an events page which you will now find listed under the PAGES section to the right of this main part of the blog.

For your convenience, I have also this time listed it here :-

EVENTS

Here is a list of my coming events.

There are more than I have listed but these are 'closed events' where unless you are a member you cannot attend. For this reason I have not included these here.

Where possible I have included the details of the relevant person to contact should you wish to attend.

6th March  I will be attending a networking event where copies of my books are included in the raffle prize. Please contact Gem Media for tickets. UPDATE - NOW SOLD OUT.

19th March I will be at The Hive in Worcester, taking part in their Space Day, exhibiting my books and signing copies 5-8pm. For more details see http://www.thehiveworcester.org/family-events.html

20th March I will be at the Literary Festival in Bleakhouse Library, giving a short talk on my books and signing copies. Please contact Ian Grey on 0121 422 2798 for details.

21st March I will be found in Droitwich Library for the Space Day Extravaganza. This will be a brilliant event and an opportunity to learn about space and rockets and everything astronomical. I will be propping up a table laden with my books - come talk to me. This is an open event so you can just come along.

17th April I am presenting trophies to the winners of the Book Quiz at Bleakhouse Library. Please contact the library on 0121 422 2798 if you wish to attend.

TBA I will be conducting a talk and book signing at Lord Morton's Tea Rooms. Details will be posted when date is confirmed.

September I will be at the Salt Festival in Droitwich

24th & 25th October I will be giving a talk and signing books at the brand new Lickey Poetry Festival. Details to follow on how to gain admission.

This Twitter comment made me smile :-


Sajid Javid MP ‏@sajidjavid 8h8 hours ago

Enjoyed this Valentines's Day short story by #Bromsgrove author @carmencapuano http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/2015/02/14/entertainment-Valentines-Day-story-127005.html … @BromStandard

Details

Here is the link again as requested.


http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/2015/02/14/entertainment-Valentines-Day-story-127005.html

I am putting a link on here for no other reason than I liked it. I'm sure you will too...

It's uniquely Irish and is about 50 Shades of Tea :)


Here it is http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/fun-times/watch-a-uniquely-irish-version-of-fifty-shades-of-grey-311786.html#.VNp4YuAf8WQ.facebook

Saving Grace

Here is a little excerpt from Saving Grace that I have just written.

“But I want them to stay together!” Grace wailed, feeling herself start to tremble with fear.

“Sometimes we can’t always have what we want,” Benito said kindly. “And when people love us we have a responsibility to them.”

“Don’t you mean that the other way around? That if they love us they have a responsibility to us?” Grace queried.

Benito shook his head. “Being loved is the greatest honour anyone can bestow upon you. So you have to measure up to it. You have to put aside your own fears and desires and think about what is best for them.”

 

Saving Grace is a book for children which blends reality and fiction in a way that helps them come to terms  with the concepts of divorce and separation.  Darkly humorous, it is insightful and thought provoking.

 

You can hear me talk about Saving Grace, Split Decision, The Owners and all of my soon-to-be-released books at one of my forthcoming talks. Details to follow shortly.

 

Happy Reading. 

I must apologise for the lack of blogging over the last few days, but things have been frantic and there is just so much going on.

Please bear with me as I have a whole list of events to post. Next week things should be calmer and I will get up-to-date with you all.

Until then - Happy Reading!

What an honour!

I have been very honoured. The Bromsgrove Standard very kindly asked me to write a special short story for them on the lead up to Valentine's day.

You can find the story here, http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/paper/ on page 12 of the newspaper. I hope you enjoy it.

I remember the very first time I ever read the Standard. I was house-hunting in Bromsgrove and it seemed like a good idea to read the local newspaper to get a flavour of what life could be like here. It was also the first time I had encountered a local newspaper, since none of the cities I had lived in before [Glasgow, London, Birmingham] had published anything so closely linked to the lives of its inhabitants.

The distinction between a national newspaper and a local one, is more than just a difference in the types of articles they cover, for the disparity lies not just in scale but in proximity. The Standard knows its readers ['demographics' to other newspapers] better than just by their bank balances and the size of their homes - it knows their hearts, the things that make them tick, their whims and their foibles and it knows this because the people who write for it are local too. 

I can't claim to know you all so intimately, but over the past two years I have had the pleasure of conducting a number of talks around the area, so I hope you will enjoy my little offering.

Happy Reading.

Thank you!

Many thanks to the Stroke Association who hosted one of my talks today. Talking about my books never fails to excite me and it is always lovely to have such an appreciative audience.   


Writing stories is both the hardest and the easiest thing I have ever done. It is hard because it requires you to bare your soul and to commit yourself entirely to the story, but it is also the easiest, because for me writing is not a choice, it is a compulsion.


The one question I am always asked at any of these events is how do I find the time to do everything. The truth is that I don't. Like all of us, there are times when I am forced to make a choice between what I want to do and what I have to do. Mostly I am sensible with my time - but not always!


My point here is that I will notice if I haven't written a chapter that day, but the kids will never notice if I failed to vacuum. Life is short. And sometimes it's hard. Live it how your heart dictates.


Carmen x.

New book on the horizon...

Hello again!

If you have heard any of my talks, you will know that I am compelled to write according to which characters shout the loudest to attract my attention. That's why I am now working on a new book entitled Saving Grace.

Grace is a young girl who is torn between her parents as the adults struggle to cope with their disintegrating marriage. The story is told from her perspective and is darkly comical. I think you are going to like her a lot.

Here is the very first page of Saving Grace. If you enjoy it please take a look at my other books.

N.B. Split Decision will be out in March.

The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons, The Plan and Ascension will follow shortly.

Chapter 1

 

 

The rain slashed at the window pane, thick tears of anger streaming down the glass before running off the window sill to puddle on the ground outside. Grace turned her face away from the crying window and closed her ears to its wet misery.

“Well maybe it isn’t YOUR fault but it isn’t MINE either you know!” The shrieking voice had a quiver at the end which tugged painfully at Grace’s heart.

A momentary silence followed, during which the continual cry of the rain seemed to become deafening. “No it’s never your fault, is it? That would just be ridiculous.”

Even heard through the closed toilet door she could hear his strident tones, full of sarcasm.  It was a funny word – sarcasm. She had learned it only last week during an English lesson. What had struck her at the time, was that she had always been able to recognise it in his voice, she simply hadn’t had a name for it. Now she did.

It was a shame to use such a pretty sounding word for such a vile meaning. Perhaps that particular tone of voice could have been called ‘I’m being nasty but pretending it’s funny’ instead, or inpif for short. His voice was hard and brittle, his sentences so sharp and cutting, she almost couldn’t remember the soft tones and rounded words of so long ago.

Grace stood rooted to the spot, hands outstretched in the bathroom sink. As if hypnotised, she watched the water swirling over her soapy fingers, washing away the suds and the dirt together, making no distinction between one or the other, rinsing her free of anything and everything.

Sometimes she wished she could do that with her whole life… just rinse it clean away. Gurgling, the water swirled away and down the drain, the sound so much like laughter it made her wince. It was a sound which lived only in her memory.

The end!

I have just typed the final words of my latest book. My heart is pumping hard with adrenaline and my head is exploding - the last few chapters were a real crescendo of action and revelations. I thrilled along with the characters, worried for them and held my breath. Now it is done and I am both elated and saddened.

Jessica was a great character to work with, strong and forceful she was everything I hope I would be [but fear I wouldn't be] in a crisis and I will miss her immensely. 

I still think I may have to change the title of the book as there was a short lived tv-series by the same name, so I will have to think about that at some point. However since this book will not be out until after Split Decision it's not something I have to worry about immediately. I'll let you know what I decide!

Happy Reading! 

A little snippet!

Here is the latest paragraph from my current book. I have about five chapters left to write and so am very near to the conclusion. I wonder how it will all turn out...

I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to do it. But I know it has to be done. Give me the strength to bring about the right outcome, to save these girls and others like them…give me the courage to stand up to whatever lies ahead and the wisdom to know what to do and when to do it, I prayed.

I felt the words with every atom of my being; sensed the syllables and the syntax form from the particles of my soul, fusing themselves together through not just desperation, but a sense of wonder at how little of the world and its intricacies I really understood.

Happy Reading!

A warm welcome from the WI!

Many thanks to Finstall Cross WI. Last night a large crowd turned out for their first meeting of the year and to hear me talk about my books and the way I write. An enthusiastic audience, they listened intently and asked intelligent questions.


Although I do quite a lot of author talks and books signings in various places, I never lose that enthusiasm I have when talking about my books and the characters within them...they are like old friends, even the nasty ones!


This was only my second foray into the world of WI and I found this particular group to be very different from my previous experience. These ladies were lively, feisty and had a very, very active social life...something I must admit to being a little in awe of.


With so many available groups offering a variety of activities to their members, I had to wonder why so many women isolate themselves as they get older.


Many, many years ago, when I was around 22, I dated a young man who had lost his father at an early age. His mother had remarried soon after, to a very kind, gentle bear of a man called John.
 Unfortunately at the age of 46 [if memory serves] John had a fatal heart attack and died, leaving my boyfriend's mother twice widowed by the age of 45.


I remember the shock and the sense of loss I felt that the world had lost such a lovely man. I can't, even now, get fully to grips with how his wife must have felt, having had to bury two men she adored within the short span of her lifetime.


At the time, 45 had seemed moderately old - having now passed that age myself and also watched the world reassign the concept of 'middle-age' to a yet slightly distant decade, as people strive to stay younger for longer - I had thought that her life was effectively over.


With her role as wife effectively swept away in one cruel stroke and her role as mother diminishing with her brood finding life partners and moving out to homes of their own, I feared for what the future held for this indomitable lady. I wish I had known about the WI then, as I would certainly have steered her in their direction.


But it was another age. People in their teens and early twenties now are used to seeing people in their forties, fifties and even sixties wearing the same clothes as them, frequenting the same pubs and even using modern technology such as android phones and IPods.


Back then there was more of a distinction between generations. People in their sixties did not wear jeans; women over a certain age did not wear high heels or any clothing which did not include a high fibre count in polyester and anyone over the age of thirty-something could not properly understand or work a video recorder.


So when did this change take place? I honestly don't know. It must have been gradual I guess but it was certainly sweeping. I wonder too what prompted the change. Did we all as a nation, nay species, decide that we were going to live more until we died? Or was it something about my own generation, some refusal to let time catch them in it's grip without giving it at least a good run for its money? Perhaps you have your own theory.


All I know is this - I'm glad of the change and in particular I was heartened by the vivaciousness of last night's WI group. So watch out ladies - one day I might just join you!


Until then, Happy Reading!

A little bit of me...

Not every possession in life tells a story, but some certainly do. One such item is a gold bangle which bears my name and which I designed and had made for me in rose, yellow, and white gold, almost twenty years ago.

I had just graduated from university and felt that life had perhaps begun to open doors previously closed to me. Old gold from single earrings where the other in the pair was lost, broken necklaces and other odds and ends were smelted down and within a few weeks my creation was born.

Designed so that it could be worn permanently, night and day, my bangle was there with me through thick and thin.  It was on my wrist when my ex-husband proposed, when we married and when our children were born.

Insentient, it did not see, it did not record, but like a beloved teddy, my heart assigned it emotions nonetheless. It witnessed my tears, the sad breakdown of my marriage and my eventual journey into the minefield of dating...and then perhaps echoing me a little bit, it broke.

It slipped from my wrist like a forlorn lover, parting from me with regret and sorrowful backward glances.

For so long it languished on my dressing table waiting to be fixed. And every time I glanced in its direction I promised myself that I would attend to it soon...and yet I did nothing.

Until today. Chastened and ashamed by the fact that daily I mourned its absence and yet did nothing to change the status quo, I  took a trip to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham. A couple of years ago the catch that had originally closed the bracelet had broken and I had taken it to a wonderful repair shop called A and A.

There they had listened to the problem and designed an ingenious pin system to fix it. The repair was made and the charge was reasonable. So today I took it back there. I explained that the pin had unfortunately come loose and that I wanted the whole thing soldered shut.

A very nice man listened intently, disappeared with my bracelet and reappeared five minutes later with it repaired and sparkling clean.

So if you are looking for a repair to a beloved piece of jewellery, perhaps a piece that you hold dear to your heart and have been afraid up until now to let out of your sight, then I can say to you that I highly recommend A and A.

For caring and prompt service, for people who listen, for the skill to work and rework jewellery to the customer's satisfaction and for the sheer workmanship they bestow upon every job :-

A and A Jewellery Ltd  http://www.aajewellery.com/

2015

Have you had a merry Christmas and New Year readers? Have you eaten and drunk your fill, kissed your loved ones and revelled in the warmth around you? I hope so. Because the alternative is not good!

Don't worry, I'm not going to get all dark and brooding with you. Well ok, maybe just a little then. This is a difficult time of year for many people, a time when they feel lost or afraid, without comfort or solace in their lives. Believe me, I have known this from first hand experience, although I have always been lucky enough to have had more than a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Recently, however, I was faced with someone who struck me as such an individual. Crippled by a severe mental condition and fed a diet of prescription drugs, he should have been a spaced out zombie but instead I found him to be articulate with a quiet grace. He radiated an ease and serenity that most people could never achieve with a lifetime's trying. In fact, he reminded me somewhat of Bubba's character from The Green Mile [heart-breaking film].

We are a strange species us humans and I think that had I not ended up being an author, I would have been well suited to anthropology, as watching people's reactions to things fascinates me. To understand what makes people tick, what motivates and defines their actions would be a fine thing indeed, although I suspect that the study would be infinite in its course.

Do not concern yourself unduly, for I am sliding into this frame of mind as I prepare to restart my latest novel from where it left off before Christmas. A dark, supernatural type fantasy, it delves into the human psyche deeper than even I thought it would.

As an author it is easy to become so immersed in your work that real life seems almost wishy-washy in comparison. Colours are never so bright as when they are described in minutiae on a pristine page, emotions never so heightened than when dissected by a pen. That's why this has been such a good break for me. But now it is almost time to begin to turn my mind back to the tales which jostle in my head, the characters who fight for my attention...

So one last thought before I let my mind be devoured by the darkness... 2015 is here already. It will only come once in your life, so make the most of every day, of every minute, to make those around you know how much you care.

Have a happy and joyous 2015 readers.

Carmen.