Abba | Emma Undercover

Age in an ocean of youth

Writing has never been about the number of words. The song title “Turn, Turn,Turn.” is only three words but it was this addition that Pete Seeger applied to the biblical words of Ecclesiastes and made the song something of a philosophical icon of the last century

I can never see sunflowers without this song running through my head when I am here in France. The French word “tournesol” carries the notion of turning to the sun. We have fields of thousands of joyful shining faces that turn and turn and turn to their guiding sun. Of course, they have their season, and the season turns.

Close to my home there is a field of such flowers. In the middle is a rigid old tree, long dead. My pagan heart has been pondering this scene. The vibrant brash beauty forms a sea around this old rock. The picture at its most obvious level is of youth and death set in the context of time and season. Even so, the dead tree speaks as loudly as the clamouring crowd at its feet. Once it was a seed. Now it is an orator as the crowd turns its face to follow its message across the perfect blue sky each day closer to autumn and harvest.

In a similar mood I found myself in the 12^thCentury Romanesque church of Saint Savinien a few nights ago. The occasion was a concert performed by the Mukachevo boys choir. This group of young men from Ukraine visited our little village in France as part of a programme operated by “Eurochestries”. Broadly the idea is to spread the culture and music of “Euro” peoples to each other and to give opportunity to young folk to express their talents and see foreign lands. And there in the middle of this ocean of youth was a fossilised Romantic novelist applauding my little heart out to these wonderful young guys. They opened with JS Bach (Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring) and ended with ABBA (Thank-you For The Music).

Watch the videos and catch the re-writing of the lyric for the soloists in the ABBA song. They didn’t have any “girls with golden hair” but they pulled through like super troupers.

And there it is – my wonderful life here in France. Turning tournesols reach for the sun. Young men stretch their voices upwards with the joy and talent of youth. And my eyes, ears, hands and life – here to see, hear, love and write.

The principal contents of this post were featured on my Venture Galleries Authors Collection blog

Emma Thinx: Youth is a box of chocolates. Age is fat, sugar and doctors. Wisdom is eating the pralines.

Welcome to the launch party for my new novelette – a gritty romance called

‘Love in a Hopeless Place’

You can find the book here

Thank you for coming along!

I just fancied a quick ‘apéro’, to say hello and introduce you to this final book in my novelette and short story series, following on from ‘Sub-Prime’, ‘The Chosen’ and ‘Escape To Love’.

I’ll only keep you here for half an hour or so – with some excerpts, music from the book, virtual drinks, nibbles and some prizes – props from the book!

[This post will grow as I add more information during the launch – please check back for updates. If you come to the post after 8pm on 19th June it will be complete and probably rather longer than my usual posts!]

First of all let’s get the party going with the starter track on my playlist…. just click the box below to listen.

This is the song that is playing at the start of Chapter 1… arguably a catalyst for the events that follow.

Picture the scene… a Working Men’s Club… a “do” for the employees of a local warehousing business…

In the words of Lyn, the first person narrator of this tale, here is the opening paragraph of the book:

“You can’t blame the music for what happened. You can’t blame the budget-brand vodka or the own-brand cola. You can’t blame anyone but me and the great gaping hole I used to know as ME.”

As we’re talking drinks and this is a party – anyone for a glass of bubbly to celebrate with me?

//www.youtube.com/get_player

Back to Lyn and her colleagues:

“It was a big Friday feeling with a gap-toothed glitter ball and spotlights with their faded pink cellophane glamour.”

Get the picture?

Now it’s time for the first little competition. As I mentioned when you arrived, the prizes are all props from the story… I will reveal them during the course of the party. To be in the draw for all the prizes (one per person) fill in the rafflecopter below…

And the first prize out of the hat will be… a rather lovely disco glitter ball (on a keyring!)

Enter your details once below, to have a chance to win this or one of the other prizes coming up shortly (only one entry needed to have a chance for all the prizes).

Unfortunately this competition is closed – but here is another where you could win a copy of the e-book of Love in a Hopeless Place – the draw for this is on the 2nd of July 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More fizz anyone or maybe some nibbles?

or perhaps some nuts…

Time to change tracks… we’re still at the party with Lyn and this is the last dance of the evening.

Whilst you’re enjoying Lionel, let me show you the next prize something from the warehouse where Lyn works… something for the weekend ;-0

(Bet you hope you don’t win these eh!?)

Back in the book… Lyn is getting in the mood…

“…and that was where I started to lose it – I mean lose the will to pretend. You know that feeling you get sometimes when your face aches from smiling when you’re out in company. My life had been that smile.”

and this was the music that accompanied her thoughts…

…and this was what helped her get her mind where she wanted it to be… (Yes it’s another prize!)

Ah slight problem… we’ve started drinking this too…

Never mind, a substitute prize… a copy of the book itself

Back to the story… Lyn realises the joy of her new love but can she control her lover’s emotions?

“To want is easy. To be wanted is a delicious warm bath but with someone else’s hand on the hot tap.”

and another romantic track….

Moving away from the story itself – the cover of the book has proved popular, so my next prize is your very own ‘Love in a Hopeless Place’ flower tattoo (it’s a temporary one so nothing too risqué).

I don’t want to reveal too much more about the plot… but on the way to the climax of the story Lyn hears the following song on the car radio and ironically remarks that it could be her theme song.

‘Love in a Hopeless Place’ – the title of the book is taken from this song and also provided the perfect themed link between all the books in the series –

Back to the plot… A member of Lyn’s family is a night-club bouncer, but maybe not at The Seahorse Club. My last prize is your own membership pin to that very club… a beautiful enamel and crystal confection – the very seahorse at the heart of the club logo….

To finish this off with my usual flourish… these are my thoughts as I have partied this evening, from the social club glitter ball my thought reflections are patterned out below……

Emma Thinx: Neither Life nor Love are ever perfect but there is no perfect Life without Love

A big thank you to everyone who has lasted to the end of this post. I hope you have enjoyed the virtual party and popped your name down for a chance to win a prize?

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