Passing Shadows (by Della Galton)

(Amazon UK link)

I wanted something light and undemanding to read on my Kindle for an hour or so on a recent flight, which I could then dip into at odd moments while travelling. Skimming through the couple of hundred items I’ve downloaded (mostly free) in the past few years, I spotted a novel by Della Galton, who is one of my favourite short-story writers.

‘Passing Shadows’ is about a young woman called Maggie who runs an animal rescue centre. She has recently finished a difficult relationship, and trying to avoid the attentions of the local vet. She’s also struggling to keep her centre going, relying on donations; and she desperately needs a handyman to mend broken fences and keep the place well maintained.

Into her life comes Finn, an artist who can turn his hand to maintenance and repair work. Maggie first meets him in tricky circumstances where she’s not at her best, but eventually he takes on temporary work and a room in her cottage. By rather a huge circumstantial leap, Finn turns out to have known (briefly) Maggie’s best friend Sarah, who has a delightful five-year-old son called Ben….

The revelation of exactly what part Finn played in Sarah’s past takes quite a while to unravel, although it was obvious from the first mention of circumstances what it was going to be. That didn’t matter; it was nicely done, with growing tension until Maggie learns the truth. She then has to keep the truth from Finn, because Sarah is scared of her fiancé's reaction; this is central to the book, but I had a hard time with that storyline, since I could not see any reason for lies on such a big scale.

Maggie’s dilemma, however, is real: does she go along with what her friend has begged her to do, constantly feeling that she’s keeping something important from Finn, or does she betray her friend’s confidence to tell the truth? I was also surprised at Finn’s extremely negative reactions when he discovers the truth.

Still, overall I enjoyed the novel. The writing is good, and in most cases the conversation sparkles. I liked the unusual setting, and loved Maggie’s deep compassion and sense of integrity. I don’t mind a slight suspension of reality in fiction, and perhaps there are people like Sarah who can’t trust anyone. The ending is perhaps a bit too neat and tidy, and the epilogue a little fluffy, but I like stories where all the loose ends are tied up, and that certainly happens.

There’s a slight layout problem in my Kindle edition, in that the name of Maggie’s mother’s hotel appears to have been set as a subheading. But it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book (and may have been corrected in subsequent editions).

The link above is to a paperback edition of this book, as it no longer seems to be available for the Kindle. 

Review copyright 2017 Sue's Book Reviews

Ice and a slice (by Della Galton)

(Amazon UK link)

I’ve very much liked the short stories and writing advice I’ve read by Della Galton.  I read one of her novels 18 months ago, which I also liked. I downloaded this one when it was available free for the Kindle, just over a year ago, and decided to start reading it on a recent flight.

‘Ice and a Slice’ is a story with a strong message, but it’s not written in an ‘educational’ style. And I found it compelling reading. It’s told in the first person by Sarah Jane, who is known to most of her friends as SJ. She’s in hospital when we first meet her and we learn that she’s fortunate to be alive, as she had drunk a litre of gin in a short period…

The rest of the story takes us back to different stages in her life, some in the previous few weeks, and some rather earlier. We see her when she first realises that she may be drinking rather too much, and makes a first nervous - and somewhat defensive - visit to a counsellor. We see her when she’s a teenager, and worried about her younger sister Alison. We learn that she and Alison aren’t speaking… and eventually discover why.

It’s a cleverly written book, gradually revealing SJ’s past, and exploring some of the reasons why she began drinking so heavily. Alongside this runs a subplot concerning her best friend Tanja, who has something else to deal with but won’t, at first, confide about it. We discover exactly why SJ refuses to speak to Alison; by the time it’s revealed it was fairly obvious what was going to be discovered… and then we meet Alison for ourselves.

The narration is clearly that of someone unreliable - SJ has increasing memory lapses, and is a stressed, anxious person who finds it hard to forgive. Yet she makes an excellent protagonist, whose story had me almost on the edge of my seat.

I see from reviews that this book has been immensely helpful to several people, both those struggling with drinking themselves, and those who are their families and friends. Perhaps some of it is unrealistic; I don’t know, but I would recommend it highly.

The Amazon link is to a printed paperback versions of this book, but it's also available in Kindle form, though no longer free. 

Review copyright 2016 Sue's Book Reviews

Lessons in love (by Della Galton)

(Amazon UK link)

For some time now I have enjoyed short stories by Della Galton, who is widely published in women’s magazines. She has also written some excellent books about writing, and a few novels. But there’s something extra special about her short stories. So I was delighted to find that she has published collections of them as ‘Daily Della’ in Kindle form, some of which are - or have been - available free.

Short stories are ideal reading when travelling. So on a recent coach journey I delved into ‘Lessons in love’, part of the ‘Daily Della’ series. There are five short stories in this book, all very different.

The first one, which gives the book its title, features a young woman who is trying to help a geeky (and attractive) man learn how to dress and behave on a date. I could guess where the story was going from the romantic point of view, but was pleased and surprised to find that there was an underlying twist to the story which I had not expected. The writing is excellent, as is the characterisation.

The second one isn’t so much a story as an exploration of synaesthesia, a condition which I have read about several times. There’s a low-key romance, but nothing unpredictable or surprising, other than the way that the author evidently understands this trait. The language is poetic and I enjoyed the story very much.

The three other stories are different again, all involving light romances, all well-written, and all with people I could relate to. I’d have liked there to be more stories - or longer ones - but since the collection was free I can hardly complain about that. It was slightly disappointing that I was only a little over half-way through, percentage-wise, when I came to the end of the short stories, but that was the case with the last ones I read too.

Overall I enjoyed this collection of stories very much. They offer something a little different from the average short story, and made great reading while travelling. Only available in Kindle form, as far as I know, and while no longer free, fairly inexpensive.

Review copyright 2016 Sue's Book Reviews

Helter Skelter (by Della Galton)

(Amazon UK link)

The author Della Galton is one of my favourite short-story writers. She regularly features in women’s magazines and has published some collections too. Her plotting is excellent, she creates believable characters, and she often uses humour. She has also written some excellent books about writing, which I have found extremely helpful, and I was privileged to attend one of her workshops last year.

However, although she has published a few novels I had not previously read any of them. So I was pleased to be given ‘Helter Skelter’ for my birthday last year, and finally picked it up to read about ten days ago. The story is about Vanessa, a young woman who used to work in a fairground. We learn right at the beginning that she gave birth to a stillborn baby six years previously, and is still grieving; however she split up with the baby’s father, and is married to a wealthy, if rather dull businessman.

Conflict begins when Vanessa receives a letter; she argues with her husband, and then, hoping to reach some kind of amicable agreement, sees something that shocks her - and triggers her to get in touch with her old fairground friends whom she has not seen since she left her former boyfriend Garrin.

The plot is well crafted. Although the inevitable outcome is fairly predictable, there are developments that I was not expecting and it makes a good read. I found Vanessa quite believable, if absurdly naive at times; her husband turns out to be a manipulative control freak, and while this is hinted at in the early chapters, she seems entirely unaware of his dark side, and far too trusting. I would have expected somebody raised in a fairground to be rather more streetwise.

Garrin is believable too; his main passion is horses, and he’s quite abrupt, even rude at times when his impatience is triggered. Yet he has a softer side that few people are aware of. He’s not the kind of person who appeals to me but he has a deep friendship with Vanessa, going back to their childhood. I liked Izzy as well, the older woman who brought Vanessa up; she’s now quite frail, but still has a lot of wisdom. There are some other likeable minor characters who helped to flesh out the novel, and who worked well.

On the other hand, I found it very difficult to believe in Vanessa’s husband, and the other ‘villain’ of the piece. They didn’t seem to have any redeeming features, but there was no indication as to what motivated them to their unpleasantness. I found it hard to be emotionally involved in most of the conflict.

Also on the less positive side, I found some of the conversation a bit stilted, which surprised me. I also felt at times as if I were being ‘educated’ rather too much about horses and show jumping, topics in which I have no interest whatsoever. I’m sure the research was thorough and the writing realistic, but most of the time this information wasn’t relevant to the story. The other thing that bugged me was the detailed ‘intimate’ scene - something that happens in so many women’s fiction books these days, but which then makes them unsuitable to recommend to young teenage friends (and some of my adult friends) who might otherwise enjoy them.

Still, it’s a good story overall and the ending was entirely satisfactory.

Currently available in paperback, and also, inexpensively, for the Kindle.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's Book Reviews

Feeding the ducks and other stories (by Della Galton)

(Amazon UK link)

Having read and enjoyed a couple of non-fiction books by Della Galton, and a handful of short stories published in women’s magazines, I was delighted to find a short story collection of hers available for free download on my Kindle nearly two years ago. I finally started reading them just recently. Short stories were exactly what I wanted to read in a busy period.

And, indeed, I enjoyed them very much. Each story features likable people in believable situations which generally turn out to be not quite as they first appear. They are officially classed as ‘twist in the tail’ stories, but whereas that genre can be quite spooky or unpleasant, these are all delightfully gentle stories where most of the endings made me smile.

My only problem with this book is that it’s so short. There are five short stories in all, including the title one (‘Feeding the ducks’). I hadn’t noticed that when I started reading, although it turns out that there’s a useful index at the beginning. Thus it was a disappointment when I was only a little over 52% through to realise that I had come to the end. The rest of the book contains an introduction to Della Galton’s other work, with a short bio and advertising. I don’t mind this kind of thing at the end of a book in principle, but to take up almost half of it was annoying - and far too much to read on the Kindle.

Since I didn't pay anything for this book, I can hardly complain about its length from my personal point of view. But as it’s now 1.53 from Amazon, this seems a bit overpriced to me for just five short stories, and I can’t give it more than a guarded recommendation, despite the high quality of each of the stories individually. They are not, as far as I can tell, available in print form.

Still, they made excellent reading, and I may well re-read them at some point.

Review copyright 2014 Sue's Book Reviews

Moving on from short story to novel (by Della Galton)

(Amazon UK link)

I first came across Della Galton a little over five years ago, when I bought 'How to write and sell short stories' after several recommendations. I found it very readable and full of excellent advice. When I subscribed, for a while, to a writing magazine I was pleased to find that Della Galton was a regular contributor.

In 2012 she published another writing book, 'Moving on from short story to novel', and I bought a copy almost as soon as it was available. I started reading it immediately, but for some reason it didn't grip me - or perhaps I had too many other books to read. But, being more organised this year and determined to read several writing books from cover to cover, I started it again a few weeks ago and have now finished.

I thought it a very useful book. It does what the title suggests: it explains the differences between short stories and novels, from the point of view of writing them. The author makes it clear that it's not simply the difference in length that distinguishes them. She looks at complexities of plotting, depth of characterisation, flashbacks, description and more, using her own personal experiences with plenty of examples that illustrate the differences well.

Each chapter is short, with a quick summary at the end. In later chapters, subjects such as editing, finding titles, writing synopses and blurbs are covered, followed by explanations about competitions, finding an agent and/or publisher, and more. The style is light and readable, and while there wasn't anything that gave me a lightbulb moment, it was a useful book which I may well refer to in future.

This is really intended for short story writers who are thinking about expanding into novels, and is aimed at the UK market primarily. However it could be used as a general guide for anyone who wants to write fiction and hopes to see it published.

Recommended. Available inexpensively in Kindle form (at least in the UK) as well as paperback.

Review copyright 2014 Sue's Book Reviews

How to write and sell short stories (by Della Galton)

(Amazon UK link)

I'd never heard of Della Galton, but saw this book recommended very highly on at least two blogs I frequent, which are run by writers. So I bought it at the Book Depository at the end of December, and thought I might be dipping into it throughout the year. That's usually how long it takes me to read books about writing.

However, I finished 'How to write and sell short stories' this morning. I found it a very helpful - if lightweight - book, with advice on characterisation, plot, ideas for stories, and a great deal more. There are no exercises, which I think is probably a plus since I tend to get either bored or frustrated with exercises in writing books. There are, however, some good suggestions for getting started: the main advice, repeated more than once, being to set a twenty-minute timer and just write!

There are also some useful chapters at the end on finding a market, submitting, and keeping records. None of that was new to me, which is perhaps why I finished the last part of the book at one sitting. But it was a useful overview which I'm sure would be of benefit to anyone new to writing, or who has not submitted stories to magazines before.

I found Della Galton to have a breezy and friendly style which made the book very readable. I didn't have to think too hard, yet I felt uplifted and inspired with what she said. There was plenty to encourage me, including the chapter about rejections. There are tips from other writers at the end of most chapters, which reinforce or add to the main text.

My only minor complaint about this book is that the pages aren't laid out very well. There are frequent places where the heading of a new section within a chapter is at the bottom of the previous page, for instance. I found this quite disturbing at first, but I got used to it. I don't know if I had an early edition that had not been checked for layout, or whether this is a new style in non-fiction books. Still, even that didn't distract from the excellence of the writing and advice.

Very highly recommended to anyone interested in writing short stories, whether or not you have had any published.

Review copyright Sue's Book Reviews, 30th January 2009