When I received the first copy of the Ulverscroft large print edition of 'The Twisting Vine' I was delighted with the cover art.
The girl looks slightly dischevelled and the doll's eyes are very striking.
The doll has an intermittant but haunting presence in the story.
I still wish the book had been published under the title, 'Through Glass Eyes', instead of the title chosen by the original publisher, Hale.
Ulverscroft who publish books for the partially sighted, cirulate them throughout the world.
I am proud to be associated with The Ulverscroft Foundation.

Through Glass Eyes is a story of struggle and conflict, fluctuating emotions and tension, in times of peace and war, set against a backdrop of town and country settings.

From teenage maid to affluent middle-aged woman, Lucy Oldfield, witnesses the growth and development of her own family and that of a close friend.

As the story unfolds, character traits such as fortitude and selflessness are revealed, but temptation, deceit and trickery are also evident. Lucy's life is also touched by the trauma of mental illness.

'The Twisting Vine' follows the fortunes of two closely-knit families over a period of almost thirty years. Their lives are loosely inter-connected by the unobtrusive presence of a porcelain-faced French Bru doll.

Note - The doll's apparel, which changes through the story, serves as an extended metaphor to parallel the ageing process (infant to school girl, to nurse and finally grand dame).

A feather duster flicked across the small squares of glass in the bay window.
Lord Farnley stood for a moment looking up at the swinging sign: Terry's Toys for the Discerning Child. And beneath it in small gilt letters: Proprietor - J. G. Terry Esq. It was the first time he had visited the shop.
The bell above the door tinkled but the diminutive lady wielding the duster didn't turn. 'Mr Terry'll be with you in a minute,' she piped.
Lord Farnley gazed around. In his opinion the shop was a veritable Aladdin's cave for any boy or girl, discerning or not. Packed with all manner of playthings, there was barely an inch of spare space for the dust to settle on. Even the floor was cluttered. Behind a solid wooden cart, the battlements of a castle rose two feet from the ground, its drawbridge suspended on two lengths of bronze chain, its mesh portcullis raised. A doll's pram large enough to accommodate an infant stood against the wall. A hobby horse with plaited mane leaned precariously against it. Taking pride of place on the glass fronted counter was a doll's house, its front wall hinged open to reveal a stately interior. All four floors, from basement to attic, were filled with fine furnishing, each piece, standing no more than an inch in height, perfectly crafted. At the other end of the counter a regiment of toy soldiers was assembled in formation, in front, a row of archers kneeling, behind them two lines of infantrymen and, at the rear, mounted cavalry, swords drawn, poised for the charge.
After a few moments, the shopkeeper emerged from the back of the shop blowing his nose loudly. On seeing his customer he stuffed the red handkerchief into his pocket. 'Can I be of assistance?'
Lord Farnley stumbled over his words. 'A doll,' he said. 'For my daughter.'
'What sort of doll, sir? Terry's Toys stocks quite a selection.'
The proprietor was not wrong. Dolls were the predominant items on the shelves. There were dolls of every description. Rag. Wooden. Felt. Fashion dolls with heads of bisque, composition, Parian. Some with cork pates. Japanese dolls. Leather bodies. Fixed eyes. Feathered eyebrows. Sleeping dolls. Talking dolls. Teddy bears. Golliwogs. Even a doll with a string pull arm capable of throwing kisses.
Being little more than five feet tall, Mr Terry regarded the world and his customer from over the top of his gold rimmed spectacles. 'Might I enquire how old the child is?'
'She will be eight

'She will be eight on her next birthday.'
'Ah,' the man said, his face broadening in a smile. 'Then this will be a birthday present.'
Lord Farnley ignored the comment. 'I want your very best.'
'The best?'
'The best doll you have.'
'Sir, I can boast a small selection of dolls from the finest workshops in France. Bru, Jumeau, Thuillier and Steiner. But I do not display those particular items on the shelves. Too valuable. If you would give me a moment.' Without waiting for an answer, he shuffled towards the door. After a whispered word with his wife, the pair scurried into the back room.
Lord Farnley admired the metal soldiers while he waited.
Mrs Terry returned first. After hurriedly clearing the counter she flicked over it with the feathers. Her husband followed carrying a long box.
'What I have here,' he said, as he laid it carefully on the counter, 'is probably one of the finest fashion dolls in the world. A truly exquisite Bru, from the atelier of Paul Girard. It only arrived last week.'
'Then I would like to see it.'
'Certainly, sir.' The shopkeeper stroked the lid affectionately before lifting it. Inside, the printed label confirmed the toy's French origins. Mr Terry appeared nervous as he peeled back the layers of paper.
Lying on its back, the doll's eyes were tightly closed. The upper lids, framed beneath feathered eyebrows, were shadowed with a hint of blue. Thick dark lashes rested on delicately blushed cheeks. The round bisque face was full, the mouth, as if to smile or speak, slightly open. The rose coloured lips turned upwards softly at the corners. Beneath the hat trimmed with feathers, dark locks fell in soft waves. The doll's expression was wistful and gentle.
'Real human hair,' the woman said. 'And pearls,' she added, pointing to the tiny earrings hanging from the pierced lobes. 'Perhaps you would like Mr Terry to take it out so you can see it properly.'
'Thank you, I have seen enough. I would like it delivered to Heaton Hall.' Lord Farnley hesitated. 'On second thoughts I will take it with me.'
Mr Terry glanced at his wife. 'Begging your pardon, sir, but am I serving his lordship himself?'
Lord Farnley nodded.
The man behind the counter appeared flustered as he bowed his head. His wife tucked the feather duster into the folds of her serge skirt and dropped several curtsies.
'Is there anything else I can assist you with your lordship?
'No, thank you.'
(sorry this module won't take any more print)

For centuries, dollmakers have used mohair to create flowing ringlets for their dolls' hair. With its soft handle, beautiful lustre and ability to accept both natural and synthetic dyes, mohair is the traditional material used.

Dawn Duncan of the Diamond Angora Stud in Western Australia handcrafts lengths of wefted mohair. These are sold to dollmakers in Australia and overseas.

Dolls' wigs can vary in length from half and inch on the small boy dolls to 12 inches (30 cms) on the large traditional European style dolls. But to produce a 12 inch fleece takes 12 months hair growth.

To achieve this Dawn picks the animal which she thinks will be suitable. The selected angora goats with a six months fleece, are kept in the shed for a further six months.

Dawn does not bleach or comb the mohair. I select animals with a free flowing blocky staple. A goat whose mohair is dry and fine is more likely to get crossed fibres as the hair grows," said Dawn. "Some style and character are important but if it has too much character, it is not suitable."

When preparing the wefts, Dawn works with the shorn end of the mohair. She hand picks each staple and machines it into a long weft, up to 1.5 meters in length. The wefts are then washed and dyed. Dawn uses human hair dyes but has used synthetic dyes to produce vibrant colours. The dollmakers need up to one meter to make a wig for a large doll. This is sewn in circles onto a mesh on the doll's head," said Dawn.

But not all dolls have long or curled hair. Sometimes dollmakers straighten the hair or cut it short for fringes. "People want short hair for baby dolls. Kid fleece is popular for fairy dolls; fly-away hair with a nice lustre." Some dollmakers want hair on tanned skin to make a pate, and long mohair is in demand before Christmas for Father Christmas' beards.

In my forthcoming novel, The Twisting Vine, an antique French Bru Doll plays a significant role.

Where did you get the idea for this novel?

About seven years ago I did a correspondence course in Writing for Children.
As one of the assignments I wrote a short story which I set in England in the late 1800s, about an aristocrat who buys an expensive French fashion doll for his young daughter who is dying. That item was only a few hundred words in length but last year I developed an adult novel of 74,000 from that opening scene.

What was the working title?

I wrote the novel under the title 'Through Glass Eyes' - this refered to the eyes of the Bru doll as it has an unobtrusive presence throughout the story. The publisher however did not like the title and I was asked for other ideas. I suggested, 'The Twisting Vine'.

Does the new title have any bearing on the story?

Much of the story evolves around a cottage with a honeysuckle vine growing over the porch.
But there is also a darker side in that two of the characters' minds are twisted, one by trauma, the other by senility.

When was the novel accepted and when will it be in print?

I only signed the contract for this novel a week ago. I have not had an expected publication date as yet but would imagine it will be between 6 and 9 months.

Who is the publisher and where will it be published?

Hale Books, London is my publisher (as with my first novel, SEA DUST). It will be published in hardback and be available in England and Australia and of course on-line to anywhere else in the world.

more to come.........see below

1 May - The galley proofs arrived today.
This is when I check through all the changes that have been marked by the copy editor, proofreader and typesetter before the proofs are sent for printing and binding.
This is not the time for me to be making any further changes to the manuscript, but it is an opportunity to re-read the whole work and if there are any mistakes which have not already been found, then I can make the necessary amendments.
Changes to the proofs should be kept to a minimum as they can be very expensive at this stage.

Note: Despite the most careful checking, I did find a couple of minor errors in SEA DUST when it came out in print. (I think it happens in most books).

24 May
Getting desperate. The original typescript has not yet arrived for me to check the proofs against. The Production department at Hale say they sent it by surface mail which can mean it will take three months to reach Australia.
As it may take another two months to get here (and the book is scheduled to be released in August), I returned the proofs today after carefully checking them. I hope I haven't missed anything.

Now waiting to see the finished book cover - I hope I like it.

July 2006 - I visited Hale Books and London and collected a copy of the new cover which I have just uploaded.
It was great to meet Mr. Hale and his staff, particularly the editorial and production people who, until now, have been names at the foot of emails.
Within a few weeks the book will be back from the printers ready for distribution.
Because postage to Australia is slow, The Tiwsting Vine will be out in England before I even see a copy.
Fingers crossed that it will be as well received as 'Sea Dust'.

PS. The Typscript never did arrive - lost somewhere in the mail between England and Australia!

19 August
Amazing - Just got news that my book has sold on to Thorpe/Ulverscroft for publication in Large Print.
And that is before it actually comes out in it's origain form - Wow!!

23 August 2006 - I receive my first copy of The Twisting Vine from London - WOW!!
I am delighted with the finished product and hope this book will perform as well as SEA DUST my previous historical novel.

Jan 2007 - learned that the LARGE PRINT version will be published in May 2007

Photo: actual jacket cover.

1 March and suddenly things have started to move. Today I received the cover rough - that is the artists drawing of the jacket cover - from the Hale Books.
I have been asked by the publisher to give my comments.
To be honest, seeing a picture/jacket for ones story is always a bit of a shock at first.
Of course the artist puts his own interpretation on what he thinks the characters look like.
The drawing I received has a girl on it. She is holding a doll. But of course neither are anything like the characters I created in my mind.
But how can I expect the artist to be a mind reader?
I have accepted the cover design but asked that the girl's face be softened slightly.
It will be interesting to see the finished product.

Also today, I recieved the first batch of edits on The Twisting Vine.
These are structural edits - where things in the story don't work or make sense.
For example I had red leaves on a desciduous vine in the middle of winter. And the cost of an item I had said was in the shillings, in an era when it would have been a few farthing.
I am thankful I have a great editor, (the same editor who helped produce Sea Dust) and I am delighted to be working with her again.

PS. When I get confirmation of the book's cover, I will post a copy on this site.

This is a rough drawing of the proposed cover for The Twisting Vine.
I did not have any input into what went onto the book's jacket.
My concern with this design was the artist had given the girl a hard face and I have asked that it is softened.
The suggested colours are green and cream with the honeysuckle flowers in a shade of orange.
I will probably not see the finished jacket design until the book comes out.
I hope I will like it.

I loved my previous cover for SEA DUST - you can see a picture of that at the bottom of this lens.

July 21 - Last week I visited the publishing house in London and collected a copy of the book's cover (see top of page). I am pleased with it.

Word count: 73,000 words
Genre: Historical - Women's fiction
Time lapse: 30 years
Dates: 1896 to mid 1920s
Settings: Yorkshire - Leeds and Horsforth, Tunbridge Wells, Bombay, India - and at sea

Synopsis:

1896: Lord Farnley purchases one of the finest French dolls available for his sick daughter. When Miss Beatrice dies, instead of destroying the doll as instructed, Lucy Oldfield steals it.

Shortly after the girl's death, Heaton Hall is sold, and Lucy returns to her ailing mother and the back-to-back streets of Leeds where she grew up.

Arthur Mellor, a man she is barely acquainted with, establishes a friendship and despite her suspicions about his intentions, he wheedles his way into her life. When Lucy falls pregnant, Mellor leaves. Lucy must find a job in order to support herself and her son, James.

After working several years for an antique dealer, Lucy's is invited to keep house for Edward Carrington. She and her son move into one of the three country cottages owned by Edward and for several years life is idyllic.

Besides other things, Edward teaches James to shoot and ride, but on one of his treks across the moors, James discovers a wagon which has rolled over. The driver is dead but his nine year old daughter, Alice has survived the accident.

Unable to trace her relatives, the girl stays with Lucy and James until Alice's mother, Pansy is located. When her difficult situation becomes known, Edward offers her accommodation in the third cottage.

Synopsis discontinued (I can't reveal all!)

With the outbreak of war and a devastating fire which almost claims a life, James leaves England to join his regiment and Lucy and Pansy fall prey to the menacing torments of an itinerant worker.

A sudden death and an unexpected discovery see Lucy embarking on a voyage to India.
And fate has a cruel twist instore.

The Twisting Vine is due for publication in August.

Purchase a copy via Amazon UK, WH Smiths, Borders and other good bookshops - also awvailable in UK libraries.

The LARGE PRINT version will be available in May 2007

LARGE PRINT edition due 2009 from Ulverscroft.