…the party continues!

Another wonderful launch party for In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree. This time held at The Cleeve Bookshop, hosted by the lovely owner, Will. We did a really good Q&A session and had questions from the audience too! Lots of interesting conversations about the partition of India and the Raj. Met up with a few old friends and made some new ones.

I’m also celebrating In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree’s Amazon ranking this week….40 in Asian fiction!!! Arundhati Roy and I are neck and neck…I mean…come on…we should be popping open the champagne!

Also this week, I announced my book bundle giveaway…they have been won by a person in Devon who was really chuffed when I messaged her with the news…congratulations!

In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree launch party!!

She’s finally out in the world for all to see. I’ve been working on this beauty for some time…look how pretty she is! I’m thrilled that sixty of my dearest friends and family came to celebrate the launch in this gorgeous venue in Cheltenham. We decorated the room with vibrant marigolds and colourful posters. We had bhangra and bollywood sounds and incense filling the autumn evening. Spicy snacks, homemade Tamarind cake and cinnamon flapjacks to nibble. My friend Marcus (a very fine Shakespeare tour guide in Stratford-Upon-Avon) skilfully guided our author Q&A session.

It was a thrill to sign so many books and chat about my new novel in a room full of joy and positive energy.

Everyone was intrigued by my unique giveaway…the tamarind seed. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see Tamarind growing abundantly in Gloucestershire, Totnes, Stratford and Ascot!

If you’d like to read an unputdownable Anglo-Indian family saga based in India and Pakistan…she’s waiting for you on Amazon.

A little tease!

The marigolds have arrived! The posters are printed. The tamarind seeds are packaged and the recipes have been tested. This can only mean one thing…it’s nearly time to celebrate the launch of In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree!!!! I’m SO excited. I have a BBC Radio interview lined up for Monday 27th and shall be stocking shops this weekend …all ready for the official launch on 29th.

In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree

10 years ago I published my first novel; Dance with Fireflies. I never dreamt it would be one of the most rewarding things I have ever accomplished. It has brought me new friends, exciting challenges and a degree of self-worth. Every copy sold gives me a genuine feeling of accomplishment and joy.

And here we are 10 years down the road….10 years! In this time I have extensively researched and written the sequel to Dance with Fireflies.

In the Shadow of the Tamarind Tree is an Anglo-Indian family saga that unfolds during the brutal partition of India in 1947.

Seen through the eyes of an Anglo-Indian family, we witness, as a backdrop to the story, the violent partition of India. Clashes between brutal mobs on the streets of Bombay and Karachi intertwine with the lives of the characters. 

As the tensions escalate in Phyllis’s motherland, so too does the tension within the family’s over-crowded home. They struggle to find harmony as rumours of an illegitimate child born to Beatrice, the mistress of Phyllis’s dead husband, are confirmed. 

Written in the dual narrative, we know that Phyllis and Beatrice’s worlds are about to collide, with heart-breaking consequences.

When writing the manuscript, I travelled once again to one of my favourite countries in the world…India. This time, I was fortunate to visit the ancestral home of my family who lived in Benares (Varanasi). The colonial bungalow is very much how it was then, with an arched veranda and the old mango tree still bearing fruit after all these years in the compound’s garden. The well where they drew water is still in use and even the colour of the interior walls live on.

I managed to visit Wilmots’s (my great grandfather) grave. With the help of my sister’s (Susie) amazing research some years before. I sprinkled bright orange marigolds from the bungalow’s garden over the grave… my tears surprised me, as I found myself suddenly connected to an ancestor I never knew.

Simultaneously, Alfie, my son travelled to Karachi in Pakistan and located the graves of my great uncles; Cyril and Maurice. Such an incredible experience for him. He called me as he walked through an old Catholic cemetery. We had no idea if they existed or not, so it brought more tears of joy when he managed to find a huge marble headstone. By coincidence it was 31 years to the day that Cyril (called Wilmot on the headstone) had died!

As I turned my attention to the design of the book cover, I felt it was only fitting to have an illustration depicting the beautiful Mughal inspired arch of the bungalow’s veranda. I collaborated with a book cover designer and I’m thrilled with the results.

In the shadow of the Tamarind Tree will be available on Amazon at the end of October 2025.

An interview with Indian writer, Sheikh Pervez Hameed.

On a recent trip to India, we were lucky enough to stay at Delhi Bed and Breakfast for a few days. This beautiful homestay was like walking into a jewellery box spilling over with wonderful things! It was clear from our initial conversations with owner Sheik Pervez Hameed that we had a lot in common. Like me, he has a passion for writing. We also share a similar approach to our novels. We both write in scenes…I think it’s a visual approach to writing a chapter. You kind of step into it as you write. I view my novels as quite filmic…I think he feels the same about his. Safe to say we had lots to chat about over the exquisite breakfasts cooked for us each day. If you find yourself in Delhi for a few days I would highly recommend you stay here and enjoy some great conversations!

What form does your writing take? I write fiction, mostly novels that weave emotionally-driven character arcs into stories involving politics, social justice, or personal redemption. I love when a story feels both intimate and urgent.

How often do you write? Almost every day—sometimes in full scenes, sometimes just a few lines or edits. I find consistency matters more than volume.

How does your writing make you feel? Alive, often surprised, and occasionally overwhelmed. It’s a strange but rewarding thing to discover something you didn’t know you needed to say.

Where and when do you write? I write mostly in the mornings, usually tucked away in a quiet corner of my B&B, before the day properly begins.

What do you write about? I write about people navigating complex emotional and moral terrain—often across lines of caste, class, and power. While the book is fiction, the central events are drawn from real incidents I’ve fictionalised for privacy.

What is the best thing about writing? That moment when a character does something unexpected—and it just feels right. Like they’ve come alive beyond your control.

How long have you been writing for? Properly? Just a couple of years. But stories and scenes have lived in my head for much longer than that.

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My first writing advice for 2021 is here!

2020 has been the worst year for many people in a long time. For someone like me and just on a VERY personal level, it hasn’t been too bad. Sure I miss my old life: being sociable, travelling about and lunching (I secretly miss that more than anything!). …but it’s also brought out the hermit in me. I think a lot of writers have quite enjoyed the time to excuse themselves from the world and create. I must admit to diverging slightly. I have found my love of painting and have set up a fortnightly painting challenge on Facebook (The Isolation Studio). So I’m now dividing my time between painting and writing. Living the dream…..just need to keep that pesky virus away! In the meantime here are my latest writing tips, book reviews and reader questions.

Autumn 2020 writing column

The autumn edition of my writing column is here. It’s packed with great tips to help you write a novel along with some great book reviews from my summer reads. I had a mailbox bursting with reader questions… you’ll find them on page four.

The Isolation Gallery

Since facing the prospect of weeks/months stuck at home, (Shhh..don’t tell anyone but it actually suits my hermit instinct) I decided  to start a virtual gallery on Facebook. It’s called The Isolation Gallery. Here’s how it works:

Everyone is welcome to join (we have over 4oo members already).

Each day by 10am (GMT) I post a word or theme for guidance.

You then go off and paint, write, draw….doodle pictures in the sand with a stick…whatever. Then upload your image to the site.

The purpose of the site is to create an online community of creative people.

Our strapline is: No judgement. Pure enjoyment….you can tell I used to work in advertising right! Haha :))

Anyway above are some of my sketches…I now have to think of tomorrow’s word. Want to know what it is? Come and join us. All welcome. No previous experience necessary!

 

 

Food, love & Italy: a recipe for success in Jane Hugen-Tobler’s debut novel.

If like me, you enjoy a taste of Italy in the 1920’s, mixed with the promise of love and fine food then look no further for a great debut novel by Jane Hugen-Tobler.

Set in 1927 the ancient lemon tree sits resplendent on a farm in Italy. It holds the secrets of former kings and saints and has been protected through time by the Hugen-Toblers. 

The farming family’s future is in the balance when tragic events unfold, and the tree is threatened.

Corrado’s passion is cooking. When he leaves Italy for London no one knows the unimaginable effect it will have on the tree and his family…

In London, Margaret is trapped in a loveless marriage with an older man who has a dark secret. He constantly buys her shoes but cannot make love to her.

Shifting between drab, grey England and vibrant, sunny Italy, Margaret and Corrado find themselves embarking on life changing journeys; little do they know how inconceivably important it will become when their lives collide and cultures clash.

I think Jane’s novel has certain similarities to Dance with Fireflies. I can’t wait to tuck into this beautiful book.

I caught up with Jane to ask her my usual clutch of author questions:

What form does your writing take? What is important to me is family so writing mirrors my experience of life. I think it’s good to write about what you know. I also love to explore European culture, particularly because I am part Italian and wanted to connect with my roots and history. Food is a big part of our family life; I am also fascinated with the 1920s, so all these ingredients have come together in my fictional novel Love, Life and Lemons.

How often do you write? I don’t write as much as I’d like as I work full time in a secondary school, I am an English tutor for GCSE in the evenings and I also have a family. Fortunately I get the school holidays off and that tends to be when I write the most. However I think about writing every day – it’s like a huge jigsaw puzzle in my mind that I’m constantly trying to piece together. I have a journal with me at all times and jot down any ideas, sentences, scenes or characters that come to mind.

How does your writing make you feel? It makes me feel whole. I see it as a healing process – a way to make sense of the past – and move on from it. I love writing when it’s going well because I forget about everything. Time disappears and I get completely lost in another world. I have learnt that even when it isn’t going well it is a process towards getting it right so when I have writer’s block I try to write my way through it and hope that good things will come eventually.

Where and when do you write? I write on my laptop at my kitchen table because I have a small house. When my daughter left home I used her room as a study with my own desk; but she came back (which I’m very happy about!) I tend to write best in the mornings. I suffer from insomnia, like many women my age, and get up early so I have no interruptions while everyone else is asleep.

What do you write about? Relationships – the difficulties people face and how they resolve them. For the past 7 years I have been writing Love, Life and Lemons so that has taken all my time. I also write poetry, some of which is incorporated within my novel. Now I have started my new book which is inspired by my latest holiday. As I was 50 this year I have been doing 50 things to celebrate. One of them was going to the Amalfi Coast in Italy. My husband organised a boat trip for my birthday where we visited various wonderful places around the coastline. On the way back we visited a secret cave and my new story stems from that. It is about hope and giving women from history a voice. I feel excited to be back to trying to figure everything out again. Now I have written one book I have the belief that I can write another. My husband is a huge support to me and he helps me come up with the stories. We go on long dog walks in the Devon countryside and mull things over.

What is the best thing about writing? Creating a whole imaginary world and its characters. As a writer you want the people you invent to be three dimensional and seem real. Since finishing my novel a friend asked me if I was writing a sequel. I said I didn’t think so because I’ve got an idea for a new book. She was disappointed and asked me what happened to two or three of the characters. I laughed and said I don’t know because they’re not real people! That was a real compliment because to her they were obviously well rounded characters that she believed in.

How long have you been writing for? I’ve always loved English and written poetry for many years. It has only since I went back into education that I have really written stories. I had some difficult teenage years. My parents divorced when I was 13 and I suffered with anxiety and depression. This culminated in me stopping going to school, so I left with no qualifications. I had my first son when I was 18 and then the rest of my family followed. I decided to go back to studying when I was 40. I went to a GCSE English literature evening class, which I loved. Then I went to Exeter College and undertook an Access Course studying English and History – the equivalent of taking 2 A-levels in one year. It was hard going as my family were younger then and I also had a part-time job. It was like a dream when I found I had been accepted at Exeter University; however, I hated it there. Despite feeling privileged to have got in, I felt like an imposter and an outsider and cried a lot. I was so much older than all the 18 year olds, the majority who had been to public schools. Thanks to my husband and family I persevered. They were very proud of me when I graduated with a 2:1 and a more importantly the beginnings of my novel.

If you would like to know more about Jane Hugen-Tobler or fancy a taste of this family saga, click on one of the links below.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaneHTLoveLifeLemons

Twitter – @lovelifeandlem1 // https://twitter.com/lovelifeandlem1

Blog: https://janehugentobler989252359.wordpress.com/

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Life-Lemons-Jane-Hugen-Tobler/dp/1072792923/ref=sxin_1_sxwds-bia-wc1_0?cv_ct_cx=love+life+and+lemons&keywords=love+life+and+lemons&pd_rd_i=1072792923&pd_rd_r=c936b386-a157-45f8-a6c0-8152a380b26a&pd_rd_w=ma9eH&pd_rd_wg=lrtJ5&pf_rd_p=e6929d27-d522-411d-816a-d675bc331519&pf_rd_r=YNZDGPE5RK6Z2CEG2BFE&psc=1&qid=1579110894

 

 

 

 

 

Marseillan Book Club and beyond!

 

 

 

Marseillan is a beautiful town in the Languedoc region of Southern France. We spent a magical six weeks here as the long summer days slowly came to an end.  Our townhouse was in the heart of the old village. The tiny balcony gave us views of the narrow streets and the many resident cats who mercilessly teased the dog.  Our days were spent walking the vast windswept beaches, eating the fresh seafood (oysters are a big deal here!) and sampling the many vineyards offerings. We borrowed some bikes from our newly acquired friend (hi Martin!) and peddled our merry way to Meze… such a delight to cycle through vineyards …all helped by a few tastings en-route.

With so many distractions on our doorstep (the port with fine restaurants, the pretty cycle to the Canal du Midi and Agde beyond, sketching in Meze, driftwood painting and days out to Carcassonne and Gruissan to name a few)  it was hard to stay focussed on the job in hand : To complete book three!

One of our last memorable evenings in Marseillan was spent drinking Beaujolais Nouveau with our ever expanding group of lovely friends from all over the globe.

After a couple of glasses/bottles oops………the lovely Anita, thought it would be nice to feature Dance with Fireflies for their next book club choice. So here we are, a few months on and back in the UK. The Marseillan Book Club met for their January session. Here are some photos from that night and some comments too….

“Loved the book.  Enjoyed the feeling of adventure with the sense of foreboding. Good storytelling.  Realistic. When is the sequel coming out?”

I’m told the book club carried on the theme with curry for dinner and came up with suggestions for actors if the book would ever come out as a film. Elizabeth: Maggie Smith. Margaret: Olivia Coleman. Phyllis: Claire Foy.

The bad comment…Yes, only one! “The book ended abruptly.”

So thank you Anita and the rest of the lovely Marseillan Book Club and all our new friends that made us so welcome…..we had the best time ever….Hopefully see you all in 2020.