I can’t thank Emma Finnigan PR enough for my review copy of Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford that I will be reviewing soon. In the mean time, I’m thrilled to bring you a publication day guest post from Jamie who agreed to write something for me on the difference between writing a novel and writing a screenplay. I love what he’s come up with.

Love and Other Consolation Prizes is published by Allison and Busby today, 12th September 2017, and is available for purchase here.

Love and Other Consolation Prizes

1909, Seattle. For twelve-year-old Ernest Young, a charity student at a boarding school, the chance to go to the World’s Fair feels like a gift. But when he’s there amid the exotic exhibits, the half-Chinese orphan discovers that he will actually be a prize, raffled off to ‘a good home’. He is claimed as a servant by the flamboyant madam of a high-class brothel. There he forges new friendships and discovers a sense of family for the first time. Perhaps this is the home he’s always wanted?

On the eve of the new World’s Fair fifty years later, Ernest is juggling memories and the demands of his ailing wife as well as long-held family secrets which threaten to leak out.

A powerful new novel, inspired by a true story,from the bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

Novel Versus Screenplay

A Guest Post by Jamie Ford

LINDA (V.O.)

I asked Jamie to comment on the difference between writing a novel and writing a screenplay. I wonder what he’ll come up with?

BLACK.

INT. JAMIE’S HOUSE – OFFICE – MORNING

Jamie sits at his desk. He sips a cup of coffee.

JAMIE (to camera)

Writing a novel is like building a house. You put on the roof, install the plumbing, hang the wallpaper, lay the carpet–you do everything.

Jamie opens a screenwriting program and begins writing this.

JAMIE (CONT’D)

But a screenplay is more like a blueprint. It’s your design, but other people are going to finish the job–the director, the editor, the producers, the talent, etc. At first I hated the idea, but I’ve fallen in love with the concept of collaboration. Plus, I re-outlined HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, and actually (I think) made a more compelling story.

SFX: The doorbell rings.

Jamie looks outside and sees a FedEx truck. He goes to the door and signs for a package from Alison & Busby, which contains finished copies of his new novel, LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES. He returns to his desk.

JAMIE (CONT’D)

Where was I? Oh, yes: screenplays. I don’t feel like I’m compromising, I’m just translating my work to a different medium. The characters, interestingly enough, take on new life because I have the opportunity to add to their backstories.

But there are constraints. Like time. Instead of 350 pages I have 120 minutes. So some things may change in the final script.

SFX: Jamie’s iPhone rings. He answers.

DIRECTOR (on the phone)

Dude! I love this book! It’s got everything. But you know what would make it better? Zombies! I’m serious. HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF ZOMBIES AND APOCALYPSE. I’m talking to one of Tom Cruise’s people and he’d love to do a historical zombie flick. IT WOULD CRUSH AT THE BOX OFFICE. ALL WE HAVE TO DO…

Jamie hangs up.

JAMIE

You just have to make sure things don’t get out of hand.

SFX: Jamie’s phone rings again.

JAMIE (CONT’D)

Yeah. I’m not going to answer that.

SFX: Jamie’s iPhone continues to ring.

BLACK.

About Jamie Ford

Jamie Ford is the great grandson of Nevada mining pioneer Min Chung, who emigrated from China to San Francisco in 1865, where he adopted the western name ‘Ford’, thus confusing countless generations. Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a New York Times bestseller, and has been awarded the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. It has been translated into twenty-nine languages. Having grown up near Seattle’s Chinatown, Ford now lives in Montana with his wife and children.

You can find out more about Jamie on his website and you can follow him on Twitter @JamieFord. You’ll also find him on Facebook.

I have been hearing excellent things about the writing of Jaime Raven and so I’m thrilled to be able to share an extract from his latest book, The Mother, here on Linda’s Book Bag as part of the launch celebrations.

Published by Avon Books on 7th September 2017 by Avon, an imprint of Harper Collins, The Mother is available for purchase through these links.

The Mother

I’ve taken your daughter, as punishment for what you did …

Prepare to be gripped by the heart-stopping new thriller from the author of The Madam.

South London detective Sarah Mason is a single mother. It’s a tough life, but Sarah gets by. She and her ex-husband, fellow detective Adam Boyd, adore their 15-month-old daughter Molly.

Until Sarah’s world falls apart when she receives a devastating threat: Her daughter has been taken, and the abductor plans to raise Molly as their own, as punishment for something Sarah did.

Sarah is forced to stand back while her team try to track down the kidnapper. But her colleagues aren’t working fast enough to find Molly. To save her daughter, Sarah must take matters into her own hands, in a desperate hunt that will take her to the very depths of London’s underworld.

An Extract from The Mother

‘I’ve just called the office and told them to circulate the photo and alert uniform. Just to be on the safe side.’

It should have reassured me but it didn’t. Instead his words brought a sob to the surface and I had to force myself not to burst out crying.

‘Take this,’ Brennan said, handing me a handkerchief he produced from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

I lowered the visor and looked at myself in the mirror. The face that stared back at me was pale and gaunt. I suddenly looked much older than my 32 years.

Tears sparkled in my eyes and my short brown hair was dishevelled from where I’d been raking my hands through it.

I dabbed at my eyes with the hanky and then used it to blow my nose.

‘You need to tell me where to go,’ Brennan said.

I cleared my throat and told him to take a left at the next junction and then the first right after that. He didn’t respond, just concentrated on the road ahead.

‘Thank you for coming here with me,’ I said. ‘I’m grateful.’

‘You don’t need to be,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t let you do this by yourself. I can imagine what you must be going through.’

Brennan, who had a grandson a similar age, had met Molly a couple of times when I’d taken her into the station. He had always been understanding of the problems faced by single mothers in the department and I’d come to view him almost as a father figure as well as my boss.

Right now I was so glad he was with me. I knew he would do whatever he could to help me find my daughter.

‘It’s the house up there on the left behind the privet hedge,’ I said.

My childhood home was a semi-detached pre-war property in a quiet, tree-lined street. My father’s ageing Mondeo wasn’t parked out front so I took that to mean that he was still at his allotment.

‘Have you got a key?’ Brennan asked.

I nodded and extracted my keys from my shoulder bag.

A short paved pathway led up to the front door and as I approached it my emotions were spinning. I didn’t bother to ring the bell, and my hand shook as I fumbled to insert the key in the lock.

As soon as the door was open I called out and stepped inside. But my heart sank when there was no response.

‘They might be in the back garden,’ Brennan said as he followed me in.

I hurried along the hallway and threw open the door to the kitchen, hoping to see or hear Molly.

Instead I was confronted by a sight that caused my stomach to give a sickening lurch.

About Jaime Raven

Jaime Raven is a full-time author living in Southampton UK. He spends some of his time writing at his second home on Spain’s Costa Calida. He has three daughters. He was born in London and grew up in the gritty streets of Peckham where his family were well known street traders.

You can follow Jaime on Twitter @JaimeRaven1 and visit his website.

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Every time I meet Barbara Copperthwaite I’m struck anew by how modest, unassuming, friendly and talented she is so I’m thoroughly delighted to be helping reveal her latest book, Her Last Secret.

I’ve been lucky enough to interview Barbara for Linda’s Book Bag here, and I have reviewed another of her books, The Darkest Lies, here. When Barbara’s Flowers for the Dead hit its first book birthday she kindly returned to the blog to tell me a bit more about that journey and you can read her thoughts here.

Her Last Secret will be published by Bookouture on 13th October 2017 and is available for pre-order here.

Her Last Secret

There are some secrets you can never tell.

The last thing to go through Dominique Thomas’s head was the image of her teenage daughter’s face and her heart lifted. Then the shot rang out.

They were the perfect family. Successful businessman Ben Thomas and his wife Dominique live an enviable life, along with their beautiful children; teenager Ruby and quirky younger daughter, Mouse.

But on Christmas Day the police are called to their London home, only to discover a horrific scene; the entire family lying lifeless, victims of an unknown assailant.

But when Ruby’s diary is discovered, revealing her rage at the world around her, police are forced to look closer to home for the key to this tragedy.

Each family member harboured their own dark truths – but has keeping their secrets pushed Ruby to the edge of sanity? Or are there darker forces at work?

This dark, gripping psychological thriller will have you holding your breath until the very last page.

About Barbara Copperthwaite

The people behind the crime, from the perpetrator to the victim and beyond, are what intrigue Barbara Copperthwaite.

She was raised by the sea and in the countryside, where she became a lover of both nature and the written word – the latter leading to a successful career as a journalist. For over twenty years people have kindly and bravely shared with her their real experiences of being victims of crime. Now, through fiction, Barbara continues to explore the emotional repercussions.

You can find out more about Barbara by visiting her website and following her on Twitter. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

Having met lovely A.J. Waines I’m delighted to have an extract from her latest book, Lost in the Lake, to share on Linda’s Book Bag today. Lost in the Lake is the second in her Dr Samantha Willerby series. I have reviewed the first, Inside the Whispers, here and another of A.J. Waines’ brilliant books, No Longer Safe here.

Published on 7th September 2017, Lost in the Lake is available for purchase in the UK here and the US here.

Lost in the Lake

She came at first for answers…now she’s back for you

Amateur viola player Rosie Chandler is the sole survivor of a crash which sends members of a string quartet plunging into a lake. Convinced the ‘accident’ was deliberate, but unable to recall what happened, she is determined to recover her lost memories and seeks out clinical psychologist, Dr Samantha Willerby.

But Rosie is hiding something…

Sam is immediately drawn to the tragic Rosie and as she helps her piece the fragments together, the police find disturbing new evidence which raises further questions. Why is Rosie so desperate to recover her worthless viola? And what happened to the violin lost in the crash, worth over £2m?

When Rosie insists they return to the lake to relive the fatal incident, the truth about Rosie finally creeps up on Sam – but by now, she’s seriously out of her depth…

 The second book in the Dr Samantha Willerby series, Lost in the Lake is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat Psychological Thriller that will leave you glancing over your shoulder.

An Extract from Lost in the Lake

Prologue

Did I make you jump? Turning up like that in your own kitchen? You have to admit, it must have been a nasty shock.

I bet you thought you’d been ever so smart at covering your tracks. But, be honest, you made a complete hash of things. You made out you were one step ahead of the game all along, but once you scooped the ultimate prize you couldn’t work out what to do next! Face facts, you were too ambitious for your own good and hadn’t thought things through properly.

You took great delight in explaining your cunning scheme to me, even though it was bound to leave you with egg on your face. I could see you thought you’d have the last laugh. I could tell your little brain was ticking over, thinking that once you’d told me the whole story, there was no way I’d be walking out of there. But that’s where you went wrong. You underestimated me. Most people do.

I could feel rage burning up my insides as you brandished that bottle of whisky like we were mates – in it together.

‘Let’s toast our windfall’, you suggested, trying to make me smile. By then, however, my fury with what you’d done had ignited from a niggling spark into a white-hot ball of fire. Every moment I was forced to endure with you, a growing, uncontainable frenzy was building inside me.

You reached over to the draining board to find two glasses and that’s when you made your fatal mistake.

You should never have turned your back.

(I don’t know about blog readers, but this makes me desperate to read on!)

About A.J. Waines

AJ Waines has sold over 400,000 books worldwide and topped the UK and Australian Kindle Charts in 2015 & 2016 with her number one bestseller, Girl on a Train. Following fifteen years as a psychotherapist, she is now a full-time novelist with publishing deals in France, Germany, Norway, Hungary and USA (audiobooks).

Her fourth psychological thriller, No Longer Safe, sold over 30,000 copies in the first month, in thirteen countries. AJ Waines has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Times and was ranked a Top 10 UK author on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) in 2016. She lives in Hampshire, UK, with her husband. Visit her website and blog, or join her on Twitter, Facebook or on her Newsletter.

There’s more about and from AJ Waines with these other bloggers too:

Ever since I read Watermelon years and years ago, I have loved Marian Keyes’s writing. I was thrilled to go and see Marian in Nottingham some months ago and hear her speak about her life and writing too. So, when The Break was made available on Netgalley I broke my self-imposed ban (because I have more books than I can ever read) and requested it. I was delighted to be approved.

The Break was published by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on 7th September 2017 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

The Break

Amy’s husband Hugh has run away to ‘find himself’. But will he ever come back?

‘Myself and Hugh . . . We’re taking a break.’
‘A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?’

If only.

Amy’s husband Hugh says he isn’t leaving her.

He still loves her, he’s just taking a break – from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in South East Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it.

Yes, it’s a mid-life crisis, but let’s be clear: a break isn’t a break up – yet . . .

However, for Amy it’s enough to send her – along with her extended family of gossips, misfits and troublemakers – teetering over the edge.

For a lot can happen in six-months. When Hugh returns, if he returns, will he be the same man she married? Will Amy be the same woman?

Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then so is she . . .

The Break is a story about the choices we make and how those choices help to make us. It is Marian Keyes at her funniest, wisest and brilliant best.

My Review of The Break

After two bereavements Hugh needs time to find himself again, but Amy might actually be the one needing to do so too.

I’m going to be totally honest and say that when I began The Break I was disappointed. For the first few pages it felt as if I was reading more about Marian Keyes’ own family than about Amy and Hugh and I kept thinking ‘Oh. I know why that is in there…’ and it felt as if too many characters were introduced in one go with too much description of clothing!

However, it was no time at all that I was completely swept up in the story and all my reservations had been abandoned as I became absorbed in exactly the kind of book I was expecting and wanting. From that shaky early point onwards I loved, loved, loved The Break. And those who know me will know that I must have enjoyed it as I spent quite a bit of the latter part of the story in tears – I adore an emotional read. I was relieved the chapters are so short as I found I needed a little ‘break’ of my own at times. They serve to make The Break fast paced so that it’s easy to get drawn in to reading just one more chapter! There’s also a deft touch of lightness with some very witty one liners and laugh aloud moments alongside the more emotional passages so that The Break feels perfectly balanced.

Along with her trademark ‘Irishness’, Marian Keyes always produces human, flawed characters that evoke a strong response in me as a reader and every person in The Break was as vivid as anyone I’ve met in real life. I hated Hugh to start with because of his effect on Amy, yet by the end of the book my attitude towards him had changed completely. As Amy’s personality is gradually revealed so Marian Keyes examines what love really is, what makes a marriage and how we are consumed by guilt, fear, hope and devotion to become rounded and fulfilled people. This is such skilled writing.

And it was the themes that I found so absorbing. The Break makes the reader consider what constitutes fidelity and betrayal, what makes a family and friendship so that as well as being an interesting story, there’s much to think about. There are some serious political topics covered too, although I don’t want to spoil the story by saying too much.

After a slow start when I wasn’t sure, I really, really enjoyed The Break. Reading it was a bit like running a bath with too hot water. Once I’d got the temperature right I sank in and wallowed in every glorious moment.

About Marian Keyes

Marian Keyes’ international bestselling novels include Rachel’s Holiday, Last Chance Saloon, Sushi for Beginners, Angels, The Other Side of the Story, Anybody Out There, This Charming Man and The Woman Who Stole My Life. Three collections of her journalism, Under the Duvet, Further Under the Duvet and Making It Up as I Go Along, are also available from Penguin. Marian lives in Dublin with her husband.

You can find Marian on Facebook and Instagram and follow her on Twitter @MarianKeyes. Marian Keyes also has a wonderful website.

I am thrilled that I have a copy of Magdalena McGuire’s Home Is Nearby on my (900+) TBR and will be sharing my review later. However, today, Magdalena has agreed to be interviewed on Linda’s Book Bag so I’m delighted to welcome her to the blog.

Published by Impress Books on 1st November 2017, Home is Nearby is available for preorder in e-book and paperback through the publisher links here.

Home is Nearby

1980: the beginning of the Polish Crisis. Brought up in a small village, country-girl Ania arrives in the university city of Wroclaw to pursue her career as a sculptor. Here she falls in love with Dominik, an enigmatic writer at the centre of a group of bohemians and avant-garde artists who throw wild parties. When martial law is declared, their lives change overnight: military tanks appear on the street, curfews are introduced and the artists are driven underground. Together, Ania and Dominik fight back, pushing against the boundaries imposed by the authoritarian communist government. But at what cost? ‘Home Is Nearby’ is a vivid and intimate exploration of the struggle to find your place in the world no matter where you are.

An Interview with Magdalena McGuire

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Magdalena. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing and Home is Nearby in particular. Firstly, please could you tell me a little about yourself?

Thank you so much, Linda! It’s lovely to have a chance to chat about books and writing. I really enjoy your blog and am in awe of how many books you read!

A bit about me: I was born in Poland – or, the Polish People’s Republic, as it was known at the time. My mother is Polish and my father was Australian. They met in the university city of Wrocław, where my book is set. My mother was studying literature and my father was teaching English and learning Polish. Despite the language differences between them, it didn’t take long for them to fall in love, get married and have a baby – me!

University of Wrocław

At the time, food was scarce in the shops in Poland, and my parents believed Australia would be a better, or at least easier, place to raise a child. We moved to Australia when I was two years old. I grew up in tropical Darwin, with cyclones and palm trees and multiculturalism. So a very different place to Poland! Growing up, I often wondered what my life would have been like if we’d stayed put in Poland. I guess that’s why I have the desire to write about Poland; it’s my ‘sliding doors’ moment, my chance to live a life that could have been mine, but wasn’t.

When did you realise you were going to be a writer?

I sometimes joke that I had a misspent youth. While other people were out getting life experience, I was buried in a library, reading. I’ve always been a voracious reader and when I was young I particularly loved reading books about girls who love reading books. Anne of Green Gables was my hero (I haven’t been game enough to watch the new TV adaptation in case they ruin it for me). Other heroes included Anastasia Krupnik and Cassandra Mortmain from I Capture the Castle. Through them, I could see that it was possible for an ordinary girl to become a writer. I wrote lots of stories when I was a girl and then when I was a teenager I just stopped. I became paralysed by the notion that I had to write something ‘good’ instead of just writing for the pleasure of it. I didn’t return to writing until fairly late in life. Since becoming an adult, I’ve been writing fiction for about four years and it’s my absolute passion. I’m so lucky to have writing and books in my life.

(I think that writing for pleasure rather than to produce the next Austen or Tolstoy is something that many aspiring writers need to allow themselves to do!)

Which aspects of your writing do you find easiest and most difficult?

I find it all hard, but first drafts are a killer. I find it particularly scary sitting down at the computer and having no idea where the story is going and having that little voice in my head saying: this is crap, what a waste of time, why do you think you can do this? Finishing a first draft feels like an immense achievement, even if the quality of the writing is no good. Once that first draft is done, I can get to the fun part: editing. I love tinkering with structure and polishing sentences and adding in unexpected details that enrich the story. Sometimes I feel like I could spend a lifetime writing and rewriting and editing the same book.

What are your writing routines and where do you do most of your writing?

Most of Home Is Nearby was written soon after my baby was born, so my routine, such as it was, consisted of dashing to the computer to work as hard as I could while the baby was sleeping and finding myself getting really into it just as he woke up… However, all writers have time pressures to deal with and in some ways it’s a good thing because it lends a sense of urgency to your writing.

Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Home is Nearby?

Home is Nearby is about a young Polish woman, Ania, who wants to be a sculptor. She moves from her small village to Wrocław to study art and very quickly falls in with a group of bohemians who, despite the difficult political and economic circumstances that surround them, live life to the fullest. Everything changes when martial law is declared in Poland and Ania is forced to make a decision that will shape the rest of her life.

Communist style apartments in the village where my grandmother lives

Home is Nearby explores our need for emotional roots in our lives and yet you have moved from Poland to Australia. What impact has this had on your writing?

That’s a really interesting question! In the past, I moved around a fair bit. First there was the big move from Poland to Australia, and after that I relocated from Darwin to Brisbane (Darwin was so unlike the rest of Australia that moving ‘Down South’ was a really big deal for me!). After I finished university in Brisbane I had a brief stint teaching at a cattle station in the Northern Territory, then I moved to Perth, then London, and then Melbourne where I’m now based. I feel conflicted because I’m a homebody by nature and yet if I stay in one place for too long I get restless. Now that I have a child I can’t just pick up and leave when I feel like it, but I do fantasise about shifting our family somewhere else, like Europe, or South America, or… the list goes on.

In terms of my writing, I think that moving around has given me an insight into what it’s like to feel like an outsider, a foreigner. These experiences have inspired what, I now realise, are the central themes in my work; questions around place and belonging and identity. Sometimes I feel envious of people who have a strong and long-standing connection to ‘home’. For me, home isn’t one place, its multiple places from my past and present.

(I think Melbourne is one of my favourite cities so I envy you that as a home location.)

As Home is Nearby is based in Poland and you live in Australia, how did you go about researching settings and detail to give authenticity to your writing?

Cold War exhibit in Warsaw

I went on a research trip to Poland and immersed myself in the culture and history of the place. When I came back, I read lots of fiction and non-fiction books by Polish authors, as well as books about Polish history, literature and art. In addition, looking at photos was a key part of my research into 1980s Poland. What did people wear? What did their kitchens look like? Getting these details right was vital for the authenticity of the book. I love researching and felt like I couldn’t start writing until I had the world of the novel clear in my head. However, at some point I had to draw a line and say, okay, now it’s time to write.

To some extent Home is Nearby explores ‘what if’ as a central theme. Why was this important to you?

I think my whole desire to write fiction comes out of ‘what if’ questions! Fiction allows us, both as readers and writers, to imagine ourselves inhabiting different lives and different worlds. I love this. I love the opening up of possibilities that fiction affords. In Home Is Nearby, I wanted to know what it would be like being a young woman who lived in Poland during that momentous time, in the 1980s, when civil liberties were being curtailed and when ordinary people were compelled to stand up for what they believed in. I wanted to know what might happen if love and politics came into conflict, what would happen if the question of ‘doing the right thing’ was more difficult than you could ever have anticipated.

If you could choose to be a character from Home is Nearby, who would you be and why?

I’d probably choose to be Małgorzata, because I’ve always wanted to be one of those arty wild girls, and because in reality I’m nothing like them. I’m too restrained to get up to the type of antics that Małgorzata gets up to in the book.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to read?

I mainly read literary fiction novels and short stories. I’ve just finished reading The Power by Naomi Alderman and it absolutely blew me away! I can’t remember the last time I read such an exciting and thought-provoking book. I found myself choosing to read this book rather than go to sleep – as the parent of a one-year old baby, that’s saying something!

If you had 15 words to persuade a reader that Home is Nearby should be their next read, what would you say?

Experience the wildness of art scene in 1980s communist Poland without having to leave home.

Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions Magdalena and for the wonderful photographs from your research trip.

Thank you so much for having me, it’s been an absolute pleasure!

About Magdalena McGuire

Magdalena McGuire was born in Poland, grew up in Darwin, and now lives in Melbourne. Her short stories have been published in the UK and Australia by The Big Issue and The Bristol Prize, and by Margaret River Press respectively. She has published widely on human rights topics, including women’s rights and the rights of people with disabilities. She is an avid reader and particularly enjoys reading books about girls who like reading books. Her first novel, Home Is Nearby, is set in Poland, Australia and the United Kingdom, in the eventful period of the 1980s. She is also working on a collection of short stories that focus on questions of place, identity and unbelonging, particularly in cross-cultural contexts, as well as another historical fiction novel.

You can follow Magalena on Twitter @Magdalena_McG and visit her website.

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I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but Mystical Circles by SC Skillman really appeals to me and so I’m delighted to be featuring it on Linda’s Book Bag today as part of the launch celebrations. I have an interview with SC Skillman that sheds light on Mystical Circles in a very enlightening way!

Published by Luminarie, Mystical Circles is available for purchase here.

Mystical Circles

“Hi, you in crowded, stressed old London from me in the peaceful, perfect Cotswolds. Massive change of plan. I’m in love. Craig’s gorgeous, sexy, intelligent. Paradise here. Staying forever.”

Juliet, concerned that her younger sister has fallen in love with the charismatic Craig, leader of the Wheel of Love, sets off for the Cotswolds to investigate, fearful that Zoe has become entangled with a religious cult.

She arrives at Craig’s community hoping to rescue Zoe. But  intrigues, liaisons and relationships flare and flourish or fizzle out quickly within this close circle, and despite her reservations, Juliet is drawn into the Wheel of Love… with completely unforeseen consequences.

An Interview with SC Skillman

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag. Firstly, could you tell me a little about yourself?

I was born and brought up in Orpington, near south London. As a child I was inspired by Enid Blyton. I started writing adventure stories at the age of seven; the love of writing that her stories first instilled into me has strengthened over the years. I studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and my first permanent job was as a production secretary with the BBC.

Later I lived for nearly five years in Australia before returning to live in the UK.

I now live in Warwickshire with my husband David, son Jamie and daughter Abigail. Nearby are three of England’s most famous destinations: the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon Avon and the two great castles at Kenilworth and Warwick.

Without giving away the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Mystical Circles?

Mystical Circles is set in the beautiful Cotswolds hills, not far from my present home. It’s a psychological suspense with a hint of paranormal. When freelance journalist Juliet learns that her sister Zoe has fallen for the charismatic leader of a mystical cult in the Cotswolds, she sets off to investigate, and to rescue Zoe. But she is unprepared for what her investigations will uncover. Intrigues, liaisons and relationships flare and flourish or fizzle out quickly within this close circle, and despite her reservations, Juliet is drawn into the Wheel of Love… with completely unforeseen consequences.

(This sounds really intriguing!)

Your writing considers the themes of spirituality and human psychology. Why do you choose to write about these themes?

I’ve always been fascinated by the interaction of different complex personalities, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for a writer. The general inspiration for Mystical Circles arises largely from the advice I give an aspiring writer: read a lot, listen to people’s conversations, be observant about the details of your world, and especially about human behaviour and interaction.

More specifically, for the story, themes and characters of this novel, I drew upon my own past experience of “hunting in ‘Guru Land’”. My journey has led me from the insights of the late Laurens Van Der Post and the inspirational writings of the late Dr Raynor Johnson via a mystical mountain in the Himalayas (Mount Neelkanth near Badrinath) to a dream yoga course in Brisbane Forest Park.

I lived in Bayswater in London for eight years and during my time there I attended courses and lectures at the Theosophical Society in Gloucester Place, and investigated spiritualism at the Spiritualist Association in Belgrave Square and at the White Eagle Lodge, Kensington. I also became a member of the Centre for Spiritual & Psychological Studies which met at the Royal Overseas League, St James’s Street and spent a weekend with the group at Hawkwood College near Stroud in Gloucestershire. I additionally studied the teachings of Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh at his Body Centre in Belsize Park and at his Hertfordshire branch Medina Rajneesh. In both places I experienced Dynamic Meditation and his own brand of group therapy.

My most quirky New Age experience was in Australia, walking backwards through the rainforest as part of a residential Dream Yoga weekend held at Cosmos Lodge, Mount Nebo, Brisbane Forest Park.  It was on this occasion that the course leader, a dream interpretation guru called Greg, spoke the memorable words: ‘If you master the art of lucid dreaming, death will be a breeze.’  Something from all these experiences has played into Mystical Circles.

Many reviewers refer to the wonderful quality of your characterisation. Which is more important to you as a writer, character or plot and why?

I believe that character and their motivations and relationships drives plot, and plot often arises as you get to know your characters really well and watch them responding to and reacting against each other. An essential task when one plans a novel is to create a ‘bible’ for each character. I love observing people and listening to conversations and also I love writing dialogue. It’s one of my favourite things about writing fiction. From the point of view of a reader, I believe the greatest joy in reading novels is to be inside the heads of fictional characters. When we feel we are living inside the mind and heart of someone else, when we feel we share their joys and sorrows, and understand how they think, this is the greatest transformation of which a novelist is capable.

(Oh yes. You’ve summed that up beautifully. That’s exactly the experience I want as a reader.)

You’ve lived in Australia which has a strong aboriginal tradition of Dreamtime and now live in an area of the UK steeped in history. How far do you think living location impacts on a writer?

It has a strong impact. I have known of several novelists for whom “the spirit of place” is of paramount importance. Everywhere I have lived I have sought out these things: water (in rivers and lakes), trees and forests, beautiful gardens, castles and historical sites, high viewpoints with panoramic vistas.  All these things have a powerful emotional effect upon me.  Nevertheless I am aware, that wherever you go in the world ‘you’ are still there. You can never escape from yourself.

I set out to develop this idea in Mystical Circles, as I brought together several troubled individuals, many with problematic family relationships, in an idyllic location. All the members of the Wheel of Love (the cult group) have escaped from their normal lives, to come apart and find something special, a spiritual haven. Yet the one thing they cannot escape is themselves: their own hearts and minds and, most importantly, the emotional position they take about their past. I believe our greatest challenge in life is to understand ourselves, and understand the human heart. Being in a beautiful geographical location can impact us strongly, but not in the way we might hope, if we are trying to escape ourselves. In aboriginal spirituality, human lives and every aspect of the land have been so intimately linked over many centuries, that it was only the incursion of an alien culture which introduced negative influences. I have been deeply moved by aboriginal spirituality, through some of the places I’ve visited in Australia, and hope to incorporate this in a future novel.

When you’re not writing, what do you choose to read?

I read a wide variety of books both fiction and non-fiction, of different genres, and I always review them on Amazon and Goodreads. I have just finished reading How To Think Like Churchill by Daniel Smith and am halfway through a novel called The Life of Elves by Muriel Barber, and have several physical books and kindle books on my TBR piles. I will read Young Adult, thrillers, fantasy, comedy, historical, suspense, psychological, crime, paranormal, romance…  I love the novels of Phil Rickman, Susan Howatch, Dan Brown, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling and many others. In my teens I read through Thomas Hardy, Emile Zola, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Dickens. And I also love Jane Austen and the Brontes.

If you could choose to be a character from Mystical Circles, who would you be and why?

I’d choose to be Theo. He is something fresh coming in from the outside into the hothouse environment of the group, and he is all about people on spiritual journeys and he believes in coming alongside them, without judging. He listens to people and helps them to see themselves differently and how they might move forward in their journeys of self-knowledge. But also he is someone whose background hides a mystery and that creates an extra sense of intrigue about him.

If Mystical Circles became a film, who would you like to play Zoe and why would you choose them?

This is easy because, as a keen film buff and TV drama fan, I have plenty of ideas for my dream cast! Currently, to play the part of Zoe, I feel I would like Sophie Turner (who plays Sansa in Game of Thrones). Firstly she looks right – she has long auburn hair and is physically my idea of Zoe.  She is a diverse actress, who used to be in Playbox Warwick near where I live – a wonderful youth theatre which my children attended – and can play a young naive, excitable character, which is how Zoe is when she precipitates the action of this novel.

If you had 15 words to persuade a reader that Mystical Circles should be their next read, what would you say?

Like troubled family relationships infused with spiritual and psychological tension? This book is for you.

Thanks so much for telling us a bit more about Mystical Circles and your interesting life!

About SC Skillman

SC Skillman studied English Literature at Lancaster University. She has previously worked within a BBC radio production office and later spent four years in Australia. She now lives in Warwickshire with her husband David, their son Jamie and daughter Abigail.

You can find SC Skillman on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. You can also visit her blog.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Having previously featured Georgia Rose and her Grayson Trilogy on Linda’s Book Bag here, I am delighted to be featuring the latest book from Georgia, Parallel Lies. Those who know me know I’m a cat fiend and so I couldn’t wait to see what Georgia had to say about her character Cat in her guest post today.

Parallel Lies will be published by Three Shires on 12th September and is available for purchase here. In celebration, Georgia is running a giveaway and you’ll find more details further down this post.

Parallel Lies

‘My name is Madeleine, Madeleine Ross. It is a name chosen with thought and because it is classy, and that is what is needed here…’

Madeleine Ross has life exactly as she planned it.
Cosy cottage, friendly village, satisfying job.
Company… when she wants it.

It’s an enviable existence for an independent young woman, and one she’s keen to protect.

Enter Daniel – strong, dependable and a danger to everything she’s built. He’s not something she was looking for, but hearts can’t be controlled and maybe, just maybe he might be worth letting into hers.

But, all is not what it seems. Because Madeleine is hiding a lifetime of secrets. Deep secrets.

And they never stay buried for ever.

Her darkest secret returns, like the proverbial bad penny. He is her first love, shadowy, dangerous, the baddest of bad boys. No matter how far she runs, or how well she hides, she can never escape him.

Or her past.

Here he is, on her doorstep, with a proposition she is powerless to resist but which could devastate the future she hoped to have.

Can Madeleine satisfy the old love while keeping the new?

You can’t always get what you want but, desperate to preserve the life she has worked so hard for, Madeleine is willing to risk everything to prove that she can.

Cat

A Guest Post by Georgia Rose

Who doesn’t love a kitten meme? Or not get completely distracted by those funny cat videos on YouTube or Facebook? I know I do, and this is where I have to get my cat fix as although I’d love to have one, I live too close to a busy-enough road and I just couldn’t bear the worry, and potential loss.

As anyone who has read any of my work knows I incorporate animals into my mix of characters. In the Grayson Trilogy there were horses and, of course, one superb little dog, Susie. In Parallel Lies, there’s Cat. (There are also a couple of horses, who are playing small parts, but this post is not about them.)

I don’t just put animals in there for window dressing either. Just as pets are an essential part of many people’s lives they are an important part of the storyline and, in this case, my main character’s development.

As well as providing entertainment and companionship we all know of the therapeutic power of having animals around us, of how good they are at healing both mind and body. They lower blood pressure, they ease stress and depression, they engage interest and evoke emotion. This is why they are taken into hospitals to cheer the spirits of patients and why they are welcome visitors in retirement homes brought in to brighten the days of the elderly who so often suffer from loneliness.

There is nothing as soft as the deep thick fur of a cat and getting that throaty purr response of contentment when they are stroked or kneaded is both relaxing and good for the soul.

Nothing says relax more than a chilled out cat…

So in Parallel Lies Cat gets more than just a passing mention. He has a role to fulfil just like all those faithful creatures that are around us have and he has an impact on Madeleine Ross that changes her attitude to him entirely.

He doesn’t have much of a name though, does he? This is in homage to the cat-of-the-same-name in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, one of several films that contributes in some way or other to the story line of Parallel Lies. But the reasons why will probably fill another blog post somewhere else on some other day 😉

(I agree with every word Georgia. We’ve never had more than four cats at the same time but without any at the moment I’ll get my fix through my reading and the Internet!)

About Georgia Rose

Georgia’s background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines; the others are a product of her overactive imagination!

Following a long stint working in the law Georgia set up her own business providing administration services for other companies which she does to this day managing to entwine that work along with her writing.

Her busy life is set in a tranquil part of rural Cambridgeshire where she lives with her much neglected family of a husband, two grown up children and two dogs.

You can find out more about Georgia Rose on her web site and on Facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter. You’ll also find all about Georgia on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Goergia’s Giveaway

Win paperback copies of A Single Step, Before the Dawn, Thicker than Water and Parallel Lies!

Plus! Large and small heart covered notebooks, 5 heart decorated Thank You cards, Butlers Milk Chocolate Hearts, Divine Dark Chocolate Hearts, a tin of Lovehearts and a bag of Percy and Penny sweets (with special lovers strawberry hearts!)

The Kindle is NOT included!

All you have to do is click here and follow the instructions!

(Please note – this giveaway is run by Georgia and not Linda’s Book Bag!)

Every blogger knows that it isn’t possible to read every book you’d like to and just occasionally one gets away that you really regret not having read. This is the case for me today with Parent Teacher Association by Jennifer Soosar. I so liked the sound of Parent Teacher Association that I asked Jennifer if she’d tell me a bit more about the mental health theme in the book.

Published by Black Opal Books, Parent Teacher Association is available for purchase here.

Parent Teacher Association

Fresh out of a mental hospital, Lizanne Demeter is thrilled to get a second chance at her career when she’s hired to teach third grade in the backwater town of Splinter Wood, Pennsylvania. But hopes for a peaceful new life are ruined when Naomi Seabrook, a demanding “helicopter parent,” pushes Lizanne to the brink.

While struggling to maintain control of her classroom, Lizanne begins to unravel the secret behind Naomi’s hell-bent agenda. As deadly clues emerge, Lizanne suspects Naomi is guilty of more than just overindulging her child. With her life teetering on chaos, Lizanne risks everything to expose the shocking truth.

But first, she must race against her own spiraling sanity to prove herself a more dedicated teacher than anyone dared imagine–the kind of teacher who makes ALL the difference.

Mental Health

A Guest Post by Jennifer Soosar

Lizanne Demeter is the main character in my novel, Parent Teacher Association. She’s the most enthusiastic, dedicated teacher you’ll ever meet. She adores children and places a high value on education. She’s single, lonely, and looking. She also just got out of a mental hospital.

I didn’t plan on burdening my protagonist with mental illness when I started writing Parent Teacher Association. All I knew was that I wanted to write a psychological suspense set in an elementary school with the main conflict being between a parent and a teacher. Psychological suspense stories emphasize the psychology and unstable emotional states of its characters so I knew I’d be writing about people with inner problems.

In the story, Lizanne clashes with Naomi Seabrook, a pathological “helicopter mom.” In order for the conflict to work, Lizanne had to have a similar, yet different, level of intensity to match Naomi’s. While I used Lizanne’s mental illness as a foil to the “fanatical mom” character, it also opened up new places I could go in the plot. Places I hadn’t planned on.

It was interesting to write a character with mental health issues, especially a character who’s a school teacher. The stereotypical image of an elementary school teacher is of a woman who is ‘good-ship-lollipop’ perky and perfect. But teachers are not perfect human beings. We see examples of that everyday in the news. We also remember our own elementary teachers from our school days, both the good and bad ones.

I didn’t judge Lizanne for having these challenges. In fact, I gave her more freedom and allowed her to make major choices in the story.

Since I was writing something psychological, I felt at liberty to fully explore the complexities and pathology of her mental state. I think the extent of her situation is what makes her a compelling, multi-dimensional character. Lizanne is unpredictable which keeps things interesting, and adds suspense. I think readers who enjoy this genre will enjoy Lizanne. She’s challenging and puzzling, yet is a character you can root for and empathize with.

Mental illness is a prevalent topic in our society today and I think it was important to explore that in fiction. I didn’t want to shy away from having a main character with these issues. At the core, Lizanne’s main struggle is to maintain her health as she battles loneliness and the stress of her job. It’s something anybody can relate to. As the story unfolds, we start to see how Lizanne’s faults are taken advantage of and aggravated by others, and how Lizanne chooses to rectify the matter. Fiction has enough room for a medley of characters with all manner of problems.

About Jennifer Soosar

Jennifer Soosar was born and raised in Toronto and has a degree in anthropology. Her short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Flash Bang Mysteries, and Out of the Gutter Online. Her debut psychological suspense novel, Parent Teacher Association, was published by Black Opal Books this summer. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime.

You can find out more on Jennifer’s website, and follow her on Twitter @jensoosar.  There’s a Facebook page you might like to visit too.

Now when I was asked by James Scanlan at Saqi Books if I would like a copy of Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic edited by Lynn Gaspard in return for an honest review, the title so caught my imagination I had to say yes!

Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic was published by Saqi on 17th July 2017 and is available for purchase in e-book and paperback here.

Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic

‘Bursting with creativity, wit and intelligence’ Brian Eno

How can you tell if your neighbour is speaking Muslim?

Is a mosque a kind of hedgehog?

Can I get fries with that burka?

You can’t trust the media any longer, but there’s no need to fret: Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic provides you with the answers.

Read this book to learn how you too can spot an elusive Islamist. Discover how Arabs (even 21-year-old, largely innocuous and totally adorable ones) plant bombs and get tips about how to interact with Homeland Security, which may or may not involve funny discussions about your sexuality.

Commissioned in response to the US travel ban, Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic includes cartoons, graffiti, photography, colouring in pages, memoir, short stories and more by 34 contributors from around the world. Provocative and at times laugh-out-loud funny, these subversive pieces are an explosion of expression, creativity and colour.

Contributors: Hassan Abdulrazzak, Leila Aboulela, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Shadi Alzaqzouq, Chant Avedissian, Tammam Azzam, Bidisha, Chaza Charafeddine, Molly Crabapple, Carol Ann Duffy, Moris Farhi, Negin Farsad, Joumana Haddad, Saleem Haddad, Hassan Hajjaj, Omar Hamdi, Jennifer Jajeh, Sayed Kashua, Mazen Kerbaj, Arwa Mahdawi, Sabrina Mahfouz, Alberto Manguel, Esther Manito, Aisha Mirza, James Nunn, Chris Riddell, Hazem Saghieh, Rana Salam, Karl Sharro, Laila Shawa, Bahia Shehab, Sjón, Eli Valley, Alex Wheatle.

My Review of Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic

With an eclectic mix of entries from colouring in through photos to essays, poetry and fiction, a book endorsed by Brian Eno immediately gets my attention!

I had no real idea what I was getting when my copy of Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic arrived and to be totally honest, I’m not sure what I’ve just read. I think I’m too ignorant of the Islamic culture to understand fully all the implications of some of the entries, but I still found this an intriguing and entertaining read. Saying that, I think the book achieves what it sets out to do and raises awareness and questions in those, like me, who don’t really think deeply about Islam and what it means in today’s society. I also think that my response of ‘so what?’ to many of the pieces, because I felt they could be true of any human being, not just someone Islamic, was also the whole point. Islam has been so demonised in recent years that many see anyone from an Islamic background as a potential threat rather than another human being! Joumana Haddad’s piece on keeping her son quiet on the Paris metro really brought that home, as did Karl Sarro’s entry on getting a green card to work in America as I’ve been through that process myself and as a white British woman, found it equally as ridiculous.

I didn’t enjoy the more overtly political writings as much as the more personal ones. The essay I enjoyed the most was Amrou Al-Kadhi’s about being a drag queen. He certainly undermines the stereotyped suicide bomb wearing terrorist view of his ethnicity!

I found Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic interesting, engaging and occasionally too self-consciouly politically correct or politically angry but I feel my responses arise more out of my own ignorance than the intrinsic worth of the book. I urge others to read it and form their own views. It certainly makes you think!

About Lynn Gaspard

Lynn Gaspard is the publisher of Middle-East specialist press Saqi Books. Shortlisted for the Independent Publishers Guild Young Publisher of the Year Award in 2013, Lynn Gaspard is a trustee of the Shubbak Festival and sits on the English PEN Writers in Translation Committee.

You can follow Lynn on Twitter.