FRANCES’ BOOKS

Sunset in mountains

READ ABOUT ALL MY BOOKS ON THIS PAGE:

Novels: Finding Jo (women’s contemporary); Ebony the Cat (a novella for cat lovers); Brown Eyes (women’s contemporary/dog lovers).

Non-fiction: One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis (all round advice on how to stay mobile and active); Give and Take with a Capital G  & T (interviews with 20th century women about their marriages from war time and onwards); Please Don’t Die Yet – I’m Not Ready (a personal account of losing parents).

Ebony the Cat – A quest for survival

   

Ebony the black cat was a little kitten of eight months when her owners moved and left her behind. With no home to go to, no food or shelter, she had to fend for herself and keep herself safe from predators. She became adept at stealing food, hunting for mice, and finding places to sleep. Eventually, she was rescued by a cat charity. This novella (short book) is written in Ebony’s voice, with cat facts and human insights. For cat lovers everywhere of all ages!

E-book: Amazon    at other retailers.   

Universal Book Link for Ebony the Cat

 

Read the outstanding reviews of Ebony the Cat. 

Brown Eyes

The family dog sees everything

A watchful eye as a marriage falls apart. The phone call, the rows, and the split are all watched by the family Labrador. Benji spends a lot of time observing the members of his beloved family. He knows their habits and he senses their moods. The agony of seeing them unhappy and hurting each other is unbearable. Where did his perfect life go?

Meriel finds consolation and distraction in the arms of another man, but the children and dog are deeply disturbed by it all. The family are tearing each other apart. Has the marriage really ended, or can they try to heal it?

Despite the obstacles, the couple  start to progress on a path of reconciliation until Phil exposes a new revelation. It seems there is love buried deep underneath the hurt and pain, but Meriel’s stubbornness stands in the way of the family’s happiness. Her life is further turned upside down when a friend dies, and as her perspective changes, hope returns.

Like a fly on the wall, Benji sees it all. Narrated by both the dog and Meriel, Brown Eyes is a novella (a short read) written by the author of Finding Jo.

Universal Book Link for Brown Eyes as an e-book.

Available at all book stores, Waterstones and Amazon:

Brown Eyes on Kindle; Brown Eyes in paperback

SEE THE REVIEWS OF BROWN EYES 

Finding Jo

A heartwarming journey

At breaking point Jo deserts her dysfunctional family and possessive boyfriend. She arrives in Delhi, disorientated and tired and takes the train up to the Jasanghari retreat near Shimla in the Himalayas. There she makes good friends, learns new skills and delves into her psyche to understand what motivated her impulsive behaviour. In the peaceful surroundings Jo finds a sense of equilibrium, that has eluded her before. An unwelcome visit from a family member and complications with new friends starts to shatter her peace of mind. Even life in paradise presents challenges that she needs to cope with.

Social media for Finding Jo Instagram  and on Facebook. 

This is a universal link to give you buying choices for ebooks: Finding Jo. 

Paperbacks:  at all book stores including Amazon and Waterstones

 

See the blog: Culture Shock – A Different World. 

REVIEWS FROM BLOG TOUR IN 2021

Northern Reader:

This is a thoughtful book which is written with a real insight into what people really want from life and relationships. It comments on the emptiness of many people’s lives as they seek what they think is important in terms of money and relationships. The dialogue is well handled, revealing much about the characters with humour and skill. This is a book which is well worth reading and for its inspiration that there may well be more to contemporary life.

Reading Becomes a Pattern

This was the best new novel to read. If you liked Eat, Pray, Love then you will enjoy this…………Such a wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone.

Bibliotica:   

At the same time, Ive’s writing puts you smack in the center of every scene. From Jo’s first steps in India as she’s realizing no one is there to meet her,  to her purchase of a train ticket and beyond, I could feel the heat and hear the noise of begging children, rickshaw drivers seeking clients, and vendors offering their wares (do not drink the green juice!),  and at one point I even checked to make sure my own purse was still on the chair in my mother’s guest room. That’s how vivid the writing is in this novel.

But the dialogue is equally well-crafted.   India is a place of extremes… major cities teeming with people, and then the Himalayas, which are unrelenting and unforgiving. Life, itself, can also be full of extremes. In Finding Jo, highs and lows in both landscape and emotion are represented with care and skill, making a compelling novel that lingers with you long after you’ve finished it.

Sign up to the Fivewrite newsletter by emailing: frances@fivewrite.co.uk 

One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis

‘This book should be prescribed on the NHS by all doctors. It can’t be, but if you have osteoarthritis or want to live a happier and healthier life, buying this book is the best investment you could ever make.’ From the foreword by Professor Sir Sam Everington, GP in East London, Chair of NHS Tower Hamlets, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS England national adviser on general practice care models.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRST CHAPTER AT: book2look.com  

Conquer osteoarthritis and don’t let it get a hold. This informative book helps you to stay active and mobile. Learn about diet, weight loss, and exercise which is right for you. Also supplements, complementary therapies, and  practical tips to help you maintain a good quality of life. Prompted by determination to remain fit and active following a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in the knee and hands, Frances Ive researched how to help herself and then wrote One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis to share her findings with others. Available at Amazon and Waterstones, and independent bookshops.  

Give and Take With a Capital G & T   – Interviews with women and a few men whose marriages were from the 1940s to 60s in the UK.

Many felt that they were happier in their day when roles were more defined and the man tended to be the breadwinner and the one in charge, but the women wouldn’t turn the clock back on equality. Almost all felt that equality for women was ‘only right’, ‘deserved’ and ‘a good thing’. And almost without exception they were scathing about relationships today – ‘People get fed up with each other after five minutes and they’re off!’

They all felt that the remedy for a good marriage was ‘give and take’. Available as a Kindle e-book at Amazon.

Please Don’t Die Yet – I’m Not Ready –  A Personal Account of Losing Parents

“People sometimes think they can predict how they will feel when their parents die….To rationalise about feelings which will come when you are strong and feeling secure is entirely different from experiencing them for real when you are very vulnerable.”

Losing a parent is something most of us will face at some time in our lives, yet we are rarely prepared for the traumatic effect it can have , particularly if we are young.

Death has always been a taboo subject for the British but times are at last changing. Frances Ive was 26 when her father died in the 1970s and she felt completely lost and didn’t know how to cope.

Her book, Please Don’t Die Yet – I’m Not Ready illustrates how repressed grief can lead to ill health and can have a long-lasting effect on the person’s life. However, while there are no quick fixes for dealing with the death of a parent, it does give us the opportunity to grow and develop maturity.

“At first it seems impossible that we will ever recover because the pain is so great. But eventually we achieve this growth. I am who I am now because of the pain and sorrow in my life, as well as the good times.”  Available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon.