Country Child celebrate the work of some of our outstanding local authors...

When it comes to literary talent, the south west is truly spoilt for choice.  Fiction, crime, thriller, non-fiction and children's - this part of the country has got it all, in abundance!  Here's a selection of books by local authors that Country Child are a little bit excited about...

 

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Bitter Orange is the third novel by Winchester-based novelist and short fiction writer, Claire Fuller.  Published by Penguin and released on 2nd August, the novel has already been the recipient of some fantastic reviews.

Frances Jellico is dying and remembering when, in the summer of 1969 she was commissioned to survey the follies in the garden of Lyntons – a decrepit and almost derelict country house. There, living in the attic for a month or so, she meets Cara and Peter who are staying in the rooms below hers. This unusual couple encourage Frances to stay up late, to smoke, to eat and drink as much as she wants, and to ignore the work she has been commissioned to do. But Frances discovers a hole in her bathroom floor which allows her to spy on Cara and Peter, an act of duplicity she is unable to resist. As Frances falls under her new friends’ spell and she learns their stories, the house offers up its own secrets, until her life is changed forever.

“It is rare for me to put down a novel and then immediately consider rereading it to see what cleverness I might have missed. This time, though, I am tempted.” The Sunday Times, July 2018

 

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Gail Garbutt was bought up with a series of different breeds of dogs in a freezing house in Gloucestershire. One way and another they always seemed to come first, having their beds in front of the Aga!  Once married, Gail bought her first terrier, Floosie and has since owned Ditto, Rubble and now Sixty. She lives in Wiltshire with her husband; and has two grown-up sons

If you love your dog, then he or she deserves a name you both love too; this light-hearted book provides you with an inspiring selection of fantastic names to call your new best friend, from ‘Antic’ to ‘Zuzu’, ‘Rough & Tumble’ to ‘Topsy & Turvey’. Broken up both alphabetically and into a variety of imaginative themes such as ‘Dirty Dogs’, ‘Literary Legends’, ‘Drinking Friends’ and many more, there’s a name for every pup – however ‘Flirty’ or ‘Loopy’ they may be! Running alongside these listings are fascinating sections about the five senses we share, and all manner of doggy facts, quotes and poetry to remind us of the joy and privilege it is to share a life with a dog.

 

A Pony Called Secret

 

Olivia Tuffin lives on an arable farm in Dorset with her farmer husband, Clive, their new baby, three ponies, two dogs and a pet sheep. Olivia never outgrew the pony-mad stage and spent her childhood reading every pony story every written, doodling horseshoes on her schoolbooks and dreaming about the pony she would one day own. She has always loved writing, and her own ponies and their funny antics provide daily inspiration for her stories.

It’s summer time and Alice and Secret are going on a Pony Club trip to France.Alice is over the moon to be show-jumping at an international festival! She soon makes new friends, including the gorgeous Seb. But when Finn gets into trouble, Alice has to work out who her real friends are, and prove just how far she and Secret have come together.

“The author’s genuine love and knowledge of ponies shines through the pages and will satisfy the most ardent animal lover.”

 

 

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Lucinda Miller is a working mum of three and founder of NatureDoc. She runs busy clinics across the UK specialising in childhood nutrition. She has been practising as a naturopath and herbalist for 20 years and is also qualified in Functional Medicine. She lives with her family in Wiltshire.

In the mad rush of family life, many parents find themselves too busy to cook and rely increasingly on shop-bought convenience foods to get everyone through the day. Drawing on her 20 years of clinical practice, child nutrition expert Lucinda Miller shows how vital it is that we reverse this trend and bring back home-cooked food as a mainstay of family life. She offers a series of simple steps to help your child build a positive relationship with food and have huge benefits for their long-term health and wellbeing.

 ‘The Good Stuff’ has over 100 easy recipes carefully created to boost daily nutrients, and to improve concentration, mood, sleep, gut health, weight, immune issues, and much more.

 

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Originally from Portsmouth and hailing from a Naval family, Paul Brown specialises in maritime history. He's written several books, had articles published in leading maritime magazines and is a member of the Society for Nautical Research and the Naval Dockyards Society.  He is passionate about all things maritime.

In his latest book, British Naval history expert Paul Brown explores Portsmouth Dockyard's 800 years of social and industrial history during the crucial periods since its creation under King John, from the Middle Ages to the present day.