EVERLASTING LANE BY ANDREW LOVETT

Drawing on his own childhood, Andrew Lovett’s debut novel Everlasting Lane is a wonderful evocation of the eternal summer of a 1970s childhood – sun-soaked and nostalgic and with the soft focus and warm glow of a Polaroid – but offset by darkness.

The village of Amberley in the book is part-based on Aldenham, where Andrew attended college, at Wall Hall, and Everlasting Lane itself was inspired by Hilfield Lane in nearby Patchetts Green and Loom Lane in Radlett, along which Andrew traipsed as a student. The enchanting name of a residential street in St Albans lit the spark of the novel’s title.

“It’s like a compendium of long lanes that I’ve had to walk down in my life,“ laughs Andrew, who lived in Bushey, Oxhey, Radlett, St Albans and Apsley before moving up to Yorkshire. “I used to drive past Everlasting Lane in St Albans and think it was such an evocative name. I always thought ‘Someone should write a book with that title’.“

Everlasting Lane is told from the point-of-view of ten-year-old Peter and is a bittersweet and delightfully strange evocation of the complexities of family relationships and the lasting effect of early childhood trauma.

“Aldenham is where my heart still lies,“ says Andrew.

  • Everlasting Lane is available to buy from galleybeggar.co.uk or amazon.co.uk

FROM THE FRONTLINE: THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SIR BASIL CLARKE BY RICHARD EVANS

Former Watford Observer journalist Richard Evans has completed his first book detailing the life of the most intrepid correspondent of World War One.

Richard’s background in journalism acted as the perfect tool to research the life of Sir Basil Clarke, a war correspondent, who defied a ban on reporters to live as an ‘outlaw’ and report independent news from Dunkirk in 1914.

Richard, who was initially surprised at the lack of information and knowledge about Clarke, says: “It turned into more of a detective story of trying to get kernels of information from here, there and everywhere.“

The book, entitled From the Frontline: The Extraordinary Life of Sir Basil Clarke, outlines how Clarke risked his life to remain as one of two reporters left near the battle on the frontline. This biographical account depicts how Clarke delivered firsthand reports from the Battle of the Somme while controversially also accusing the government of ‘feeding the Germans’ after a poorly enforced naval blockade.

The book also explores how Clarke moved from reporting into public relations, establishing Britain’s first PR firm in 1924.

Richard, who left the Watford Observer in 2002 and is now head of the Diabetes UK press office, believes both the PR and journalism industries would do well to remember Sir Basil nowadays.

He says: “We are missing the opportunity to learn from him so hopefully there’s an element of that as well as being a ripping war yarn.“

  • Both hardcover and electronic editions of the book can be purchased from amazon.co.uk

LA POSADA AMOR BY EMILY O’NEILL

Lounging by the pool of a cute little hotel, strolling along the beach, sipping pina coladas at sunset – the ingredients of the perfect holiday.

South Oxhey musician and former journalist Emily O’Neill took all of these from her trip to Puerto Morelos in Mexico, added a splash of imagination and came up with her very first work of fiction – which has won a place in a vacation-inspired short story anthology, Sunlounger.

“I was on holiday and I just weaved some ‘what I know’ with ‘what I imagine’,” says Emily of her story, La Posada Amor.

“The name comes from my favourite little bar/hotel in Puerto Morelos – it really was as cute and romantic a place as I scribbled it to be.

“The bartenders Angie and Ernesto are real, as is the cat! It was a completely real setting and characters, but the romantic angle was fiction – I was far too busy eating tacos to worry about romance in real life!“

La Posada Amor tells the story of a girl on holiday with her gay best friend and who isn’t looking for love, but who meets a ‘swarthy local guitar player… and shenanigans ensue.

“The anthology takes about 20 minutes per story,“ says Emily, “so order a pina colada, read one story, then order another and read the next one!“

  • Sunlounger is available from va-va-vacation.com

STUCK BY PAUL CROWNEY

In modern-day London, Herb attempts to arm a cow; journalist Jack finds himself under the spotlight; Todd accidentally kills his girlfriend; Dan witnesses an attack but does nothing; Ronald’s life is torn apart in a pub; and a man who believes he is trapped in a coma connects them all.

Part thriller, part psychological drama, Stuck, the debut novel from former Watford Observer reporter Paul Crowney, is a darkly humourous contemporary fiction that delves into the lives of these men as they come to terms with the consequences of their actions and inactions.

  • Stuck is available to download from amazon.co.uk

HERTFORDSHIRE A LANDSCAPE HISTORY BY ANNA ROWE AND TOM WILLIAMSON

Hertfordshire is the theme of a new book which examines how the county’s landscape has evolved through history, from the University of Hertfordshire Press.

Hertfordshire - A Landscape History investigates the historical processes that have contributed to both the present day rural environment and the development of Hertfordshire’s towns and suburbs.

Split into 10 chapters, the book covers the entirety of Hertfordshire with sections devoted to the uniquely different landscapes which can be found in the north, west, east and south of the county. Using illustrations and extensive research, the county’s diverse landscape is used to highlight sources of information about the past.

The book follows the development of the Hertfordshire landscape from the middle ages up until the present day. Co-author Anna Rowe is no stranger to Hertfordshire as author of Medieval Parks of Hertfordshire (Hatfied, 2009) whilst also co-ordinating the research work of Hertfordshire Gardens Trust.

  • The book can be purchased online from Amazon as either paperback or an ebook.

THE MULTICOLOURED HAT BY BARBRA DEAN

Mrs Getahat made herself a beautiful multicoloured hat from the leftover material used to make other hats.

One very windy day, it flew off her head to begin adventures of its own. Can you help Mrs Getahat find her hat?

The Multicoloured Hat is a children’s book that former Bushey resident Barbra Dean has written. Barbra, who now lives in Spain, created the book, which sees a hat fly to different children giving them added confidence and self-belief.

  • It is now available in eBook or paperback from Amazon.co.uk