Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – New Author on the Shelves – #Biographical #Fiction – Ever Rest by Roz Morris

Delighted to welcome journalist, ghostwriter, editor and writing coach Roz Morris to the Cafe and Bookstore with her books. Today I am featuring her latest release Ever Rest: How far must you go to come back to life?

About the book

I almost regret this is not a true story, because I believed every word.’ Amazon reviewer
‘Highly captivating, highly unusual… one of the best novels to come out of Britain this year.’ Garry Craig Powell, author, Stoning The Devil

Twenty years ago, Hugo and Ash were on top of the world. As the acclaimed rock band Ashbirds they were poised for superstardom. Then Ash went missing, lost in a mountaineering accident, and the lives of Hugo and everyone around him were changed forever. Irrepressible, infuriating, mesmerizing Ash left a hole they could never hope to fill.

Two decades on, Ash’s fiancée Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy.

Hugo is now a recluse in Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels himself both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right. While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice. How far must they go to come back to life?

A lyrical, page-turning novel in the tradition of Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, Ever Rest asks how we carry on after catastrophic loss. It will also strike a chord with fans of Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones for its people bonded by an unforgettable time; fans of Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, for music as a primal and romantic force; and Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air for the deadly and irresistible wildernesses that surround our comfortable world.

One of the recent reviews for the book

JAW VINE VOICE5.0 out of 5 stars A new peak. Recommended.  – Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 June 2021

First and foremost, this is her best writing yet, which is heaped praise in itself. And yet subtly different from what’s gone before (principally ‘My Memories of a Future Life’ and ‘Lifeform 3’). This doesn’t have the ‘immersive dream’ style quality I detected in those books. ‘Ever Rest’ is in and of the world as commonly perceived (I presume…), albeit two pretty rarefied slices of it, namely: rock music stardom and serious mountaineering. Which, from the ease of handling (no ‘info-dumps’ or ‘enough-with-the-detail!’ longueurs), I must assume both to be Ms Morris’s fields too. Or else convincing research lightly conveyed. Plus, the people who speak to us here seem real. They have both standard and surprising opinions: they behave sensibly and stupidly: one steals bikes! Speaking of which, Ms M has a knack for Zen level minimalist scene/character description, and metaphor/simile that is a sinful incitement towards theft.

One of the other things I really liked is that the narrative flow is refreshingly non-linear. i.e. it skips along, not plods, and spares you every day, year and journey. If the Himalayas are visited we don’t necessarily hear about the initial taxi to the airport and meal breaks en route. ‘Realism, yes: reality no!’ is a wonderful precept re authorship. It can make the difference between books that feel like duty, and page-turners.

Finally, there’s not a duff line in it: which is quite a statement. And the deadpan discography is a stroke of brilliance.

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And:Amazon US

A selection of books by Roz Morris

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US –  More Reviews:  Goodreads – Facebook: Roz Morris Writer – LinkedIn: Roz Morris –  Twitter: @roz_morris 

About Roz Morris

‘A unique voice rising in contemporary fiction.’

Sign up for Roz’s newsletter – Roz Morris Writer

NEW NOVEL! Roz’s long-awaited third novel, Ever Rest, is now available. ‘So real, I expected to see stories about the characters on the news.’ See for yourself.

FOR WRITERS! Nail Your Novel Workbook: Draft, Fix & Finish With Confidence. All the steps of Nail Your Novel expanded into in-depth exercises to take you from idea to done.

READERS’ FAVOURITE: Not Quite Lost: Travels Without A Sense of Direction. ‘An ode to the quiet places you never dreamed would tell you a tale.’ As featured on BBC radio.

Roz Morris writes fiction and essays about unusual ways we can be haunted and how we seek people and places we belong with. Her work has been profiled by The Guardian, Literature Works, the Potomac Review, Rain Taxi and BBC Radio. Her novel Lifeform Three was longlisted for the World Fantasy Award.

Her fiction has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, although you won’t have seen her name on the covers – she began her career in secret, ghostwriting fiction for big-name authors.

Her own novels have been described as ‘profound tales and compelling page-turners’, with fine-honed language, unforgettable characters, and gripping, unusual storylines. Plaudits include a top-ranked title in the American Library Journal programme, a longlisting for an international award alongside Neil Gaiman and a finalist position in the People’s Book Prize 2017.

She is a writer, journalist, fiction editor and the author of the Nail Your Novel series for writers. She teaches creative writing masterclasses for The Guardian newspaper in London and is also the author of a series for writers – Nail Your Novel.

 

Thanks for dropping in today and it would be great if you could share the news of Roz’s latest book…. thanks Sally.