Publication of Hope in the Valleys and News of a Competition

With the publication of Hope in the Valleys today, Francesca is celebrating with a competition in which you can win copies of the various Valleys books and other goodies.

What an exciting day, with Elizabeth’s (and Gwen’s) stories the next to be published in the third episode of the Wartime in the Valleys series.

To celebrate, there’s a chance to win signed books, ebooks and other goodies in a simple to enter competition. The first prize is signed paperbacks of all three books, plus a basket of goodies. Second prize is all three ebooks, with a box of goodies. Third prize is an ebook of Hope in the Valleys, plus a bag of goodies. The items selected are either retro or connected in some way to World War 1.

There are three great prizes to win.

Did you know that ginger nut biscuits, Garibaldi, custard creams, Nice, Bourbons and shortbread were all around a hundred a years ago? So were wine gums, aniseed balls, jelly babies, humbugs, pear drops and chocolate limes, a mixed bag of which has been included in each prize.

And a prize to do with novels set in Wales wouldn’t be complete without a pack of Welsh cakes, would it?

To enter the competition, head over to my Facebook page and either like or follow it. Then go to the post headed *Competition Time* and answer the simple question there in the comments.

Easy! Good luck / Pob lwc!

ENTER THE COMPETITION HERE: https://www.facebook.com/FrancescaCapaldiAuthor

Will Elizabeth choose love over duty?

It’s August 1917 and WW1 continues to take a toll. The villagers of Dorcalon, a mining village in the Rhymney Valley, try to keep hope alive; but every day brings fresh tragedy as more of their sons and fathers are killed on foreign battlefields.

Elizabeth Meredith, daughter of mine manager Herbert, enjoys a privileged position in the village, but she longs to break free of society’s expectations.

Falling in love with miner, Gwilym Owen, brings more joy to her life than she’s ever known… until she’s forced to choose between her love and her disapproving family. Seeking an escape, Elizabeth signs up as a VAD nurse and is swiftly sent to help the troops in France, even as her heart breaks at leaving Gwilym behind.

Separated by society and the Great War, can Elizabeth and Gwilym find their way back together again? Or will their love become another casualty of war?

Available here:

Amazon http://author.to/FrancescaCapaldiAuthor…

Kobo http://bit.ly/3uVQ8u2

Apple https://apple.co/3aNTiIg

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Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Good Night!

Francesca explains the Welsh expressions used in her Wartime in the Valleys books

Someone asked me a while ago about the Welsh phrases used in the Wartime in the Valleys series. Although it’s implied that my characters are speaking Welsh much of the time, as many would have in the Valleys a hundred odd years ago, I’ve been careful to use only a few expressions, to add a flavour of the area.

I think some people have struggled with these expressions so, as the third in the Valleys series is going to be published in a week, I thought I’d write a blog post including all the phrases used and their translations. I’ve been through all four books (as there’s another, Trouble in the Valleys, due out in the spring), so hopefully have found them all.

I’m not a Welsh speaker myself, as my Welsh mother wasn’t either, only speaking a few phrases, but I’ve been endeavouring to learn some on Duo Lingo. Whether I’ll ever feel proficient enough to talk to a native seems currently unlikely. Unless it’s to say ‘Bore da,’ to my Welsh speaking friend Angela Johnson (author of another novel set in Wales, Arianwen) as we meet for a coffee. It’s been an interesting experience, learning the language of my past ‘fathers’. I think my mum would have enjoyed the opportunity to have a go at Duo Lingo too, if such a thing had been around in her time.

My favourite Welsh phrase of my mother’s? Ych y fi! You have to hear it said to appreciate how much it evokes what it means, which is Ugh! But to give you an idea, it’s something like ‘uh-ch ah vee‘, where the ch is a guttural sound at the back of the throat.

As Truman Burbank (sort of) said in The Truman Show , ‘Bore da, and in case I don’t see ya, prynhawn da, noswaith dda a nos da!’

Bore da	Good morning
Prynhawn da	Good afternoon
Noswaith dda	Good evening
Nos da	Good night
Hwyl fawr	Goodbye
Diolch yn fawr	Thank you very much
Nadolig Llawen	Merry Christmas
Siôn Corn	Father Christmas
Bach (m) / fach (f)	An endearment (literally ‘little’)
Cariad	An endearment (meaning ‘love’ / ‘sweetheart’
Mamgu	Grandma
Ych y fi!	Ugh!
O Duw!	Oh God!
Diolch i Dduw!	Thank God!
Y Newyddion	The News
Gymanfa ganu	A singing festival
Eisteddfod	A competition including poetry and music
Songs:
‘Y Delyn Aur’	‘The Golden Harp’
‘Dawel Nos’	‘Silent Night’
‘Calon Lân’	‘A Pure Heart’
‘Ar Hyd y Nos’	‘All Through the Night’
‘Suo Gân’	‘Lullaby’

Hope in the Valleys is out on 20th January, currently available as an e-book and paperback, and can be pre-ordered from these outlets:

Link to Amazon in all countries: author.to/FrancescaCapaldiAuthor

Kobo:

UK bit.ly/3uVQ8u2

Can https://bit.ly/3GL9LvF

Aus https://bit.ly/3ywSQZz

NZ https://bit.ly/34b6ljJ

US https://bit.ly/3nTUjor

Apple UK: https://apple.co/3cqsH5O

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3spMiII

WH Smiths: https://bit.ly/34CHbxN