Friday 14 June 2019

It's published! THE WEDDING DRUMS

Hi All

It's out!

A novel set in 1917 Trinidad, with characters that will make your eyes stream, your heart break, and your arms reach out to protect them.

Two girls. Two arranged marriages. Two different paths. Both perilous.





The Wedding Drums is now on Amazon. Here is the link for the UK, but it is on all the Amazon territories, so you should find it in most regions in the world. If you go on Amazon books and type in The Wedding Drums by Marilyn Rodwell.

You will find that the paperback is available, as well as the ebook.

I hope you enjoy reading it after all this time waiting for the novel. Also your feedback would be much appreciated, on this blog, also review on Amazon. But please do not give away any of the plot which will spoil it for others.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=TheWedding+Drums&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Just to tell you, that the book came our on Amazon 9 days ago, and readers worldwide - USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and at the moment, a copy is in Egypt cruising down the Nile.


HAPPY READING!

Find me on my Author page on:

 Facebook - www.facebook.com/marilynrodjohnatty
Twitter- www.twitter.com/outofthecocoa
Instragram@sumai105
Blog - Http://www.outofthecocoa.blogspot.com


Monday 8 April 2019

Sneak Preview of the Basis of the Cover to THE WEDDING DRUMS




Hi All

Keeping you up to date with progress so far.

Well, it appears that the interior of the book is ready to go, thanks to Sarah of Goldcrest Books. But the book cover is yet to be finalised. I am being a little fussy here, because I would like you, my readers and customers to have a book in your hands that you want to pick up, read, tell your friends about, and KEEP! Yes, keep. Because the book cover will be based on an original painting of mine which I did when I was age 13, similar to the age of Amina and Sumati, main and leading characters in The Wedding Drums.

I am hoping that you will not want to give your copy of the book away, but keep it as part of a collection of similar novels, which I intend to use other paintings of mine. Apart from the story, the cover represents part of the unique nature of these novels.

Hope you don't have to wait too long now for the publication of The Wedding Drums.

Follow this Blog to keep in touch.
www.outofthecocoa.blogspot.com
Facebook - Author Marilyn Rodwell
www.twitter.com/outofthecocoa
email - marilynrodwell@gmail.com

Love

Marilyn xxx


Saturday 23 March 2019

Hi Everyone

Apologies for my absence.

THE WEDDING DRUMS IS ALMOST HERE!

The publishing process is quite time consuming as you can imagine. Reading through every word, every sentence, every paragraph, and chapter to the end, is only part of it. It seems to demand my attention again and again through the process, and at every stage. However, each time I re read it, I have enjoyed it immensely, and get lost in the story and the plight of the characters. I get anxious to see what they do next, end up in tears, or burst out laughing. Yes, I sometimes forget what is coming, because I become as engrossed in it as a first time reader!

Just to keep you up to date with the process -

I have been told that formatting is almost done, just a few tweaks left to do.

The book cover is the exciting part right now, and in the process of being created. I believe that covers are also important to the book and the reader. Some you want to pick up, others, you're not that keen on. I cannot wait to see the final version of the cover of THE WEDDING DRUMS. I am hoping that it will be based on the one I chose in the first place, which is an original oil painting of mine which I did as an early teen, at 13 years old. When you purchase the paperback, you will have a print of the original as yours to keep. Hopefully, the next one in the series will also utilise another original oil painting of mine, so you will have a collection of my paintings with the novels.

I will keep in touch and let you know when it becomes available is on Amazon. It should be a matter of a few weeks now.

Face Book  - Author Marilyn Rodwell.
Twitter - www.twitter.com/outofthecocoa
Instagram - @sumati105

Feel free to post comments and questions, and I will try to answer as soon as I can.

See you soon!



Tuesday 15 January 2019

Wishing you all a very happy 2019

Hello all

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!

WISHING YOU ALL A HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL 2019

Some good news - My novel THE WEDDING DRUMS, set in 1917 Trinidad, will be published within the next few weeks, and will be available on Amazon. I intend to keep you all regularly up to date on here with information and pictures related to the novel, including recipes, as well as a few other of my interests.

Two best friends seeking freedom from arranged marriages, follow two very different and perilous paths.

You can also like, follow and contact me on Facebook.

Search - Author Marilyn Rodwell @marilynrodjohnatty

Friday 16 December 2016

The Idea came from my own ancestry....

...And from a part of British history you didn't know about.


Like most who watched Who Do You Think You Are, last week, I was most intrigued to discover that the well known TV Science presenter, Liz Bonnin, like me, also has Indian-Trinidadian roots. In fact, I didn't watch the programme at the time, but friends contacted me the following day to ask me if I had seen this most interesting revelation. So I watched it on Catchup TV.

The Indentureship period lasted for 79 years between 1838 -1917. An estimated total of 551,395 Indians were taken to work from India to the Caribbean, on ships that were previous slave ships, with the chains removed. The journey across the sea was horrendous and lasted between 3-6 months from Calcutta. Not all survived the journey. On arrival, life was far from the rosy picture that was promised. This Indentureship period, a part of  British history, is little known except by some historians - mainly ones who studied West Indian history.

My novel, The Last Year of Childhood, is set in 1917 Trinidad, in the backdrop of the tough living environment, where hard work was rewarded with poverty, dangerous working environments, injustice, sickness, and corruption. 

The main character, 12 year old Latchmin, is the daughter of indentured Indians, and is fortunate to have a better life than most in the village. She is a determined young girl with a plan to improve her future. But no one can escape the killer diseases they face. The novel opens in her bedroom where she is seriously ill, and dying from typhoid. 

This novel is one of a kind, but there are plans for more!

It is a sort of VS Naipaul come Khaled Hosseini.

It is Commercial Literary Fiction, -very readable, with plenty of depth for Book Groups to extract good discussion. The characters will intrigue you, show you something you really didn't know, but you will identify with all that happens because they are as human as you are, and their hopes and dreams are the same as you have for yourself and your children. They fear the same things you do, and they feel sad and lost when terrible things happen to the ones they love.

This novel will be published, whether it is by traditional means, or self published. I've been told over and over again, that it is a novel that needs to be published. I feel the market is ready for it! Fiction readers need more than what is already out there. There is nothing at the moment about this aspect of British-Caribbean History .

Brexit will bring the return of the Commonwealth in better ways than the past.

This novel is fresh and new. 

Tuesday 8 November 2016

WHERE TO START WRITING A NOVEL

How to Start?

Where or how to start is a question a lot of people ask.

To those who have never written a whole novel, the answer is very simple. It's even easier than learning your ABC, where you need to start at the "very beginning" according to Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.

Start writing anywhere! If you didn't get that... here it is again -

Start ANYWHERE.

Start with a thought. Thoughts can be easily translated into words. Write down your thoughts, even if they are in just key words. Jot down words, phrases, sentences, ideas, that include. ANYTHING.

Write ANYTHING, ANYWHERE.

That's right. I mean ANYWHERE. In bed, in a cafe, in the middle of the night. But mostly, you don't have to write in straight lines. True! Take a sheet of paper or get a notebook and write anywhere on that page, as the thoughts come into your head. Keep that piece of paper. Later you can connect up those thoughts with arrows. lines, and colours.

Then you can take any of those words, phrases and sentences, and expand on the idea.

While you are doing this, some kind of form will take place. You might see a scenario in your mind, a setting, a country, a town, people saying and doing things.

What are they doing? A story will begin to form from those ideas. Often they will connect with your own experiences or information already in your head.

Give the characters names. Don't spend too much time choosing names, you can always change them if they don't suit you later. But often these names stick with you.

Using some of the words and sentences you've already written, write a paragraph.

Don't be shy. No one will see it besides you. Don't show it to anyone. Not yet. People are not always as encouraging as you'd like them to be.

Now try to write a short outline of the story you have in your head so far.

Don't worry if it is short, you just need something to launch your ideas off. Like a springboard.

After a couple of days, write a scene that is in your head. It doesn't have to be the first scene in Chapter one. Just any scene. This means that you can write any scene at any time. With a computer, you can always cut and paste it into the correct place later. All you need to do is concentrate on writing.

Here is a TIP -

DO NOT EDIT OR DELETE ANYTHING. IT MIGHT COME IN USEFUL LATER. IGNORE MISTAKES UNLESS THEY ARE TINY, LIKE ONE WRONG SPELLING OR GRAMMATICAL MISTAKE.

Start! Now!

Rome wasn't built in a day. Remember it takes time to create something worthwhile.

Good Luck.

Wednesday 20 July 2016

Meat Loaf - a recipe (not the music band)

Meat Loaf - by request

This is a gluten free recipe, as it has no bread crumbs. If you wish to add breadcrumbs, just add a handful. This is also the same recipe for burgers, or meatballs.

You will need a small loaf tin
Oven at 200C

Ingredients

400g (approx.) mince beef/lamb
1 med/lg egg
1 small onion, grated or chopped very finely
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 tbl sp fresh herbs (parsley/thyme) or, half tsp if dried
a pinch salt and pepper (optional)


Method

Mix all ingredients thoroughly with your hand, or a wooden spoon.

Press into the loaf tin and place the tin in a heated 200C oven for 25-30 mins.

Remove meatloaf from oven, and allow to cool slightly before cutting across into 1" slices, or larger, whilst still in the tin.

Remove slices carefully, and serve with potatoes, green or other vegetables.

Make a quick gravy with your favourite gravy powder, or make to another recipe.