Guest Post & Review! Goodbye Henrietta Street by Lin Treadgold!

Guest Blog from Lin Treadgold, Author of romance novel Goodbye, Henrietta Street.

I am delighted to be invited by Sheryl Browne as a guest on her blog. Sheryl and I have something in common. We are the proud owners of Jack Russell Terriers! -  both with their own story to tell. I am sure if they could write, it would be both poignant and heartwarming. In the meantime, we have to be content with two little dogs that watch our every move and sit faithful by our sides as we write our work in progress.

Dogs can be a great comfort for those who suffer illness, but they are also very good for authors who would quite happily sit by the computer all day and write (like me!) I feel it’s important to exercise and my Dylan makes me do all the things that are good for me. He drags me out of bed and won’t settle until he has been walked. They say a walked dog is a good dog and I have to agree with that. A walked human is a healthy one too.

There is only one problem with having a Jack Russell, they love the attention and just as I am settled into editing my work in progress, along comes Dylan, ‘turboing’ around the house at the very point when my story is going well and my mind is truly locked on to an important scene in the book. No matter what I say or do, won’t make him stop until he has had his walk.

SB: Oh, I so agree, Lin. Snoops gets his football out. I kid you not. His second nickname (the first being Rambo – superstar of Recipes for Disaster) is Peckham (as in Pelé and Bekham) and he boots it like a pro – mostly straight into my shins. Needless to say, he gets my attention!

When I first joined Safkhet Publishing for my novel Goodbye, Henrietta Street, we had only acquired Dylan a few months before. I found it very hard to edit and have an unruly puppy by my side, but with patience we managed him well and within weeks he became a real fun dog. We have a routine and now my time is split between walking the dog and writing the book. When I learned how Sheryl’s dog, Snoops, had been cruelly treated, I was glad she could give him a loving home. Sheryl and I found we had a mutual interest other than writing, we could also talk dogs as well! 

Goodbye, Henrietta Street will be launched on 1^st July 2013 and if I can enjoy my time and success as an author as much as Sheryl is doing with her latest book Recipes for Disaster, I feel sure that between us we can take on the world and follow our aspirations well into the future. I always wanted to write a book, not necessarily to be famous, but to prove I could do it. I write because I can!

To be an author you must have determination and not worry about how long it takes to get there. Once you have decided on your goal, there should be no stopping to achieve it. I wish all new writers good luck and my advice is to write and enjoy every moment. My Dylan has lots of determination and Sheryl informs me that Snoops is the same. With our dogs beside us, I know they will never cease to inspire. All those walks clear the air and allow the writer to enjoy the writing process and stay healthy at the same time.

SB: Snoops is and endless source of inspiration and comfort, Lin. My partner is actually seriously in love with him. Not sure where this leaves me…  Thanks so much for sharing.  Snoops and I wish you the absolute best of luck with Goodbye, Henrietta Street.

For my pre-publication review, please see below!

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An island paradise in Cornwall
The eternal nature holiday or just a passing wave on the beach?

Pippa Lambton's life has fallen apart and husband Rob is ready to give up their marriage. Three years before, their son Daniel passed away; he was the glue that held them together. Now, Pippa's left home for the beautiful Isles of Scilly, for a chance to rediscover herself. She meets handsome Norwegian nature warden, Sven Jorgensen, who teaches her about the island wildlife.

Pippa finds herself laughing again. She is aware of Rob's dilemma over his childhood adoption and their turbulent relationship, but after an awkward kiss with Sven, she is torn about how to proceed. There is much to resolve, and leaving Rob could prove a disaster. Is her affair with Sven a holiday fling? How can she walk away from Rob after losing Daniel? Should she leave her home in Yorkshire for Sven and his island paradise? Find out more in Goodbye, Henrietta Street.

Pre-publication Review!

‘Goodbye, Henrietta Street’ is a poignant romance novel based in Yorkshire and the Cornish Isles of Scilly. 

The poem at the beginning of the book sets the scene for this story perfectly. Within the opening chapter, it soon becomes clear that Pippa Lambton is struggling to come to terms with the ‘worst thing that can happen to a parent’, the loss of her child, and the subsequent devastation grief can wreak on a marriage. I have to say that, as someone whose parents suffered a similar loss in very similar circumstances, I drew a breath. For obvious reasons, I immediately wondered whether Pippa’s grief would be believable. How does one cope with such a loss? Can one ever get past that kind of grief? It tore at my heartstrings a little, but I have to say, yes, Pippa was totally believable. I felt her pain. 

Pippa and Rob (the lost little boy’s father) married very young, as was often the case in the seventies and eighties. Friends from their schooldays, they came together, had a child together and possibly would have stayed together, but for the fact that the child was the cement in their relationship. With little Daniel gone and Rob internalising his grief – as men sometimes do, Pippa was alone and adrift trying to deal with the loss on her own. Time passes, but it doesn’t heal the gaping wound in her heart and the distance between the couple only grows wider. Choosing to take a holiday away from Rob and her hometown in Yorkshire, Pippa goes back to the beautiful Isles of Scilly, where she has treasured memories of Daniel in happier times. Her hope is to try to come to terms with her loss, examine her life and her marriage and find a way forward.

Through interests in common, wildlife, conservation and bird-watching, she soon meets handsome Norwegian nature warden, Sven Jorgensen. Though initially hiding heartbreak of his own, Sven is kind and caring, happy and carefree. He’s also intuitive. Sensing Pippa’s deep sadness he takes her under his wing, teaching her about the island’s wildlife.

Sven is just the tonic Pippa needs and the outcome might seem inevitable, but the author weaves in backstory in regard to Sven which keeps you turning the pages. She also keeps Rob’s life back in Yorkshire – and the lives and turbulent marriage of a couple close to them – running alongside Pippa’s story, making the book a satisfyingly rounded read.

The scenery on Scilly and attention to detail vis-à-vis wildlife and conservation is beautifully done. Lin Treadgold has obviously done a tremendous amount of research.  The questions are all answered, the overriding one being can Pippa let go her guilt and her grief and find happiness, yet still hold her son’s memory intact in her heart.

Goodbye, Henrietta Street is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I have to admit, if I thought I’d find a gorgeous Viking in the shape of Sven waiting, I’d be packing my bags and hopping aboard the Scillonion ferry in a flash. Loved it.