My grateful thanks to Patricia Furstenberg, author of Puppy: 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles for sending me a copy of the book in return for an honest review. Patricia has featured on Linda’s Book Bag before with a super guest post that you can read here all about the importance of reading.

Published on 31st October 2017, Puppy: 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles is available for purchase here.

Puppy: 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles

A puppy’s first year is filled with findings, wiggles and laughter.
Puppies squirm in all the odd places, sniff all the strange objects, lick everything they can and find something to splash into even when we don’t want them to!

This book of poems explores the first year of a puppy’s life, going through an adventure after the other, one month at a time.

Puppy’s first days, puppy’s first weeks in a new home, puppy’s encounters with snow and the school bag, puppy’s duty to protect… What happens when puppy is full of good intentions, yet his actions go wrong?

Read the rhymes and laugh with your little one.

Puppy: 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles is an auditory feast for children, a fun read-aloud for parents, and treat for dog-lovers, young and old.

My Review of Puppy:12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles

The first year in Puppy’s life sees a great many adventures and a lot to learn.

What a charming book this is. I must first commend Patricia Furstenberg on the fabulous quality of the illustrations as Puppy: 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles could be enjoyed through the pictures alone as there is so much to look at and discuss. It would be just right for pre-school children. Although there are rhymes as suggested by the title, not all the text conforms to this pattern and I liked that. It means that language can be enhanced and explored whilst the story is being enjoyed.

I really liked the way the book is divided into months for the first year of Puppy’s life so that I could see a month per bedtime as a story, making it excellent value for money. In each month there’s a subtle moral or principle behind the story so that it might be about the importance of family at Christmas in December or the fact that starting school means attending every day and not just once as in the September tale, or the challenges of trying new experiences like going to the beach in July. All these elements means there’s something to talk about with young children and afford them the opportunity to consider what could be challenging concepts in a safe environment.

Another element that I found really satisfying was the underpinning love throughout. I felt as emotional as Granny at Christmas! Here we have a book that exemplifies caring for your family and being together, making it a lovely book to share together.

One thing I would say is that I think Puppy would be fantastic for merchandising. Any child would adore a Puppy cuddly toy (and so would this adult!).

About Patricia Furstenberg

Patricia Furstenberg came to writing though reading. After completing her Medical Degree in Romania she moved to South Africa where she now lives with her husband, children and their dogs. Patricia became taking writing seriously  after becoming one of the WYO Christie winners. She enjoys writing for children  because she can take abstract, grown-up concepts and package them it in attractive, child-friendly ways while adding sensitivity and lots of love.

All of Patricia’s children’s books are available here.

You can follow Patricia on Twitter, find her on Facebook and visit her website. She’s also on Goodreads.

Having recently met R.V Biggs, author of Song of the Robin at a blogger and author event, I just had to invite him onto Linda’s Book Bag to tell me more about himself and his writing.

The first book in Robert’s Sarah Macintyre series, Song of the Robin is available for purchase here.

Song of the Robin

It wasn’t the whispered voices, or the unsettling dreams that had begun to trouble Sarah Richards so much as the visions… visions of a man more ghostly than real.

In the space of a single day, her visitor appears several times, but is the spectre harmless or are his intentions malevolent.

Seeking the support of a friend, Sarah endeavours to identify her unknown stalker. But with each visitation she becomes ever more bewildered… and as her orderly life begins to unravel, she questions the reality of all that she knows, and with mounting horror, even her own sanity.

An Interview with R.V Biggs

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

Thanks Linda for inviting me, and it was a pleasure to meet you in Birmingham during September.

A little about me? Well I was born on a Monday in a leap year and my star sign is Leo… birthstone Peridot. Apparently in dog years I’m 427 years old!

I was very shy in my younger years, which probably explains why I was 32 before I met my soul mate (we were meant to be together and were heading along our own paths until the point where destiny played its part.)

I have a passion for mystery, or the fight between good and not so good. Among my favourite stories are The Lord of the Rings (the original books, read when I was in my early twenties), and also Afterwards and Sister, both by the wonderful Rosamund Lupton. One of my favourite films is ‘Signs’ by M Night Shyalaman. A spooky but destiny ridden film starring Mel Gibson that tests the hero’s faith until the touching end.

As for family, I have four step children and soon to be six grandchildren. Life has been busy, though I still work for a living. My wife now has most grand parenting duties!

Ten years ago, and fascinated by alternate therapies, I took a Reiki level 1 course. I think the experience may have guided my writing.

I love the outside world and sunshine (Leo remember), but though I love the Med, I’m happiest under sunny Scottish skies with the wind blowing fresh salt air into my soul.

Why do you write?

For me, and I think because it’s my time. It’s utterly absorbing. When I write, or edit… I’m focussed on the screen in front of me. I’m not thinking about the DIY that’s not finished (or started) or what I need to do at work. A friend once asked me if I thought I was being selfish and I admit I’d never thought of it that way. As couples most of what we do together is shared, but writing is different unless of course you are part of a writing couple. Writing lets me focus on my inner thoughts and imagination.

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

I’m not sure there was a conscious realisation of this. The half awake dream I had and the song lyrics that triggered the dream, kick started Song of the Robin and that took place in the autumn of 2007 so I guess that would have been the start.  The first time I said anything aloud about writing a novel was to my wife a few weeks later while on holiday in the Dominican Republic. Telling someone else made it suddenly very real. After that, it almost became an obsession. Difficult to get off a zip wire once you’re on it. At the beginning I simply had a story to tell, as a challenge and for my own pleasure. But then the idea of publishing crossed my mind which of course brought a whole new set of challenges.

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

From what I’ve read I think most authors would say the actual writing is the easy part, not in the literal sense of course, and that’s my experience too. It’s hard work creating a consistent and flowing story line though. Many people have also said that editing is the hardest task but I’m not finding that at the moment. Its laborious for certain because whole sections sometimes have to be rewritten or recreated… moved around. To edit I use software to help spot proofing mistakes, check on writing style and diction along with overused words etc. It also suggests other improvements that you can choose to ignore. It’s an invaluable aid and I think has helped improve my writing. I may find it hard again when I restart the third novel. I have a timeline for it and key events but not much that stitches it all together…. yet.

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

By far the majority of Song of the Robin and its sequel Re-Union were written while holidaying in remote Scottish cottages. Time, space, a clear head and a wife who loves walking the dog for a few hours then sitting by the fire knitting with a pot of tea and a wee dram helps enormously. Much of the storyline for Song of the Robin developed in my head while I was walking the dog. The dog never talked to me much… just roamed ahead sniffing under bushes.

Of course writing on holiday is a situation that occurs irregularly so is hardly a routine. I have however developed the habit of spending an hour after work editing. I’ve yet to find out if that habit will extend into the third novel when I pick it up again because I usually have to be in a quiet place… what I call the zone in order to create.

Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Song of the Robin?

Song of the Robin describes a young woman’s week long struggle with what she sees as encroaching madness as she tries to maintain control of her sanity. The main plot carries an air of mystery about it, until that mystery is revealed, but even afterwards the struggle continues with elements of spirituality threaded throughout.

It started as a simple fight for survival but became a romantic mystery as it focuses on themes of destiny and the deepest love between two people and their beliefs in the strength of family.

Song of the Robin doesn’t fit neatly into one particular genre. Why did you decide to write it this way? 

As a first time author, I perhaps have the luxury of ignorance when it comes to all things ‘authory’ so I confess I didn’t really plan for anything… no time line, no subplots, little in the way of arc and no genre. I had a concept but with no storyline at all, and hence no specific genre in mind. I think Song of the Robin, which was the last of several titles, started out as romantic drama but quickly became a psychological tale, though as you say it doesn’t quite fit into perhaps a standard genre and I’m happy with that. It’s certainly not a thriller though perhaps the reader is better placed to decide what thrills them. I’ve always liked stories that bring elements of mystery into them and these elements ‘appeared’ as the tale unfolded. I think that answers why I decided to write it that way… my own arc… it grew along with the story, or as Indiana Jones may have put it, I made it up as I went along.

Song of the Robin is partly set in Scotland which I know is a very important place to you. How did it feel to capture this setting in your writing?

Yes you are sooo right in that Scotland has a place in my heart. Living there for a year was ‘our great experiment’ but wrong time, wrong place and we took the decision to return home. It was hard to leave it behind… the dream of living in an old Crofters Cottage surrounded by fields instead of concrete and tarmac, but an easy decision to make in the end. Reality makes one adapt.

It was five years after leaving Scotland that the idea for Song of the Robin came into being and I soon learnt while developing the story that I was using my writing as an emotional download. I wanted my protagonist to fall in love with the country as I had done. I needed romantic events to take place there because Scotland is full of romance. I like to think I captured the mood well, and an early review on Amazon did comment with praise on my descriptive turn of phrase (something I learnt from Tolkien of all people… how to build a scene). I’ve copied below an extract. The scene is from a real beach in Ayrshire and one that I’ve visited many times though not often enough. This is looking back on an event ten years prior to the story:

On the last day of their stay, the weather had been stunning, bringing a lie to the popular belief amongst many of the English that Scotland was always cold and wet. Sarah wanted one last picnic, so John had gone into town on his own to pick up provisions, leaving Sarah to chat with his grandparents. It had been almost four o’clock when he returned and they headed off to the beach to find a quiet spot with sand dunes at their backs and a clear view of Arran, Ailsa Craig and Kintyre to the front. With only a few people wandering along the shore, walking dogs or taking children out after school, the afternoon was tranquil.

Laying out a blanket and making a fire in the sand, they made the most of their last meal. John had brought simple food that cooked easily and a sparkling wine that was cool and fruity. The evening held a calm and relaxing stillness.

When dusk had begun to settle and the shadows deepened, John grabbed an extra blanket and threw it around their shoulders, tugging it close. With only tee shirts to cover them, the waning of the sun had brought a cool bite to the air, and Sarah shuddered as she folded into his arms.

The light from the sun had weakened, and the sky turned from blue into shades of orange and red with high fluffy clouds blushing pink.

Apart from the occasional piping of small birds pecking the sand and wading in amongst the weed along the shoreline, not a sound disturbed the evening. As they’d sat huddled warm within their blanket, watching the rippling of tiny waves caressing the shore, occasional spouts of water left the calm surface of the sea as marauding Gannets dived like spears into the depths searching for their supper. The sharp, craggy peaks of the Mountains on Arran silhouetted against the fading light looked dramatic, wild and formidable.

The colour of the sea had turned to a bright orange, dazzling and glittering as it rippled on its silken surface. A myriad of tiny diamonds floated on the brighter golden path that travelled from their feet to the horizon where the huge and glowing ball of the setting sun melted into the water. The languid slap of tiny waves broke upon the shore but Sarah took no notice as John rose to his feet —-

I’ve left out the end for fear of spoiling the scene.

(That’s beautifully evocative Robert.)

Song of the Robin has a cover that I know you spent some time deciding upon. How did that image come about and what were you hoping to convey (without spoiling the plot please!)?

Deciding on a theme for a book cover I think is the hardest task of them all. We’re always told not to create our own book covers and to use professional services but you’re spot on in saying I spent a while choosing the imagery on  the existing  cover. It was taken from a scene in which Sarah is blundering about in a fog with only the Robin for company. In choosing the images, I wanted to convey an air of mystery and confusion hoping a potential buyer would think, ‘what is that Robin doing there and why the sidelong glance from the eyes’.

I browsed the shelves of Waterstones to see what others use in Psychological Drama novels. Eyes figure often as do landscape scenes with a character walking away into the distance. I’m still not sure I’m happy with what I have, and have other ideas from other scenes that may fit a more standard approach for Psychological Drama.

If you could choose to be a character from Song of the Robin, who would you be and why?

Other than the Robin, it would have to be John. He’s so much a part of Sarah that it is hard for him to be away from her. His life is nothing without her. Destiny played its part in bringing them together, which has parallels with how my wife and I met.

If Song of the Robin became a film, who would you like to play Sarah and why would you choose them?

Has to be an English actress.  My first thought was Michele Dockery of Downton Abbey Fame. I first saw her on TV in an episode of Waking the Dead and thought her portrayal of a 30 year old rape and trauma victim was exceptional, very moving. However, and being picky, her appearance doesn’t fit how I imagined Sarah. The actress who I’ve seen many times recently and seems perfect is Sophie Rundle of Dickensian, Happy Valley, Peaky Blinders, Brief Encounters fame.

When can we expect to see Re-Union, the sequel to Song of the Robin?

Re-Union is currently undergoing a penultimate edit. I say penultimate because the final stage for me is to turn on ‘text to speech’ in MsWord and have the whole thing read back to me. Surprising how many ‘invisible’ errors crop up when you use your ears instead of your eyes. After that, it’ll need a Beta Reader to provide feedback but I’m aiming for early in the new year for a release.

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

I guess mostly psychological or crime drama though I’ve mixed it up a bit. I recently finished the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson. That’s basically 12 novels of fantasy. It took me a long time since I usually only read at bedtime. When I finally finished I was stuck in his world and it took me a while to figure out what to read next. I’m currently reading Anne Cleaver’s The Crow Trap, one of the Vera series.

If you had 15 words to persuade a reader that Song of the Robin should be their next read, what would you say?

If you think you’re alone in this world then think again? Listen for the Robins!

Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions.

About R.V. Biggs

R. V. Biggs lives in a small ex-mining village near Wolverhampton, England, with his wife Julie, a cat and a dog. He has four grown up children and five grandchildren. Robert worked for a global communications company for thirty five years in a variety of roles before making a career change into health care. He now works for Birmingham Children’s Hospital where he helps to provide Mental Health Services for children and young people.

Along with his wife, Robert has a passion for Scotland and they both lived there for a year in a remote but modernised Crofters Cottage.

Walking with the dog is a favourite pastime and much of the story line for his first novel was developed during these lengthy outings.

Robert took a Level 1 Reiki introduction course several years ago and has been interested in spiritual health ever since.

You can follow R.V. Biggs on Twitter @RVBiggs. You’ll also find him on Facebook.

Oo I love a thriller and am delighted to be featuring London Noir by Ann Girdharry today. Even better, Ann has agreed to write a guest post for Linda’s Book Bag all about how writers switch off from the writing process.

London Noir is available for purchase here.

London Noir

Memory loss, nightmares, the urge to kill – Sophie has it all. Is it really Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? Or something more sinister? Kal is about to find out…

After a near-fatal road accident, Kal helps a young girl in trouble.

The girl’s friends are being murdered one by one. Why? And who by? Kal must kick start herself out of her downward spiral to save the young stranger. But Kal is in the grip of the London Cartel and is someone after the girl, or is the girl after someone?

Turning Off the Killer Thoughts

A Guest Post by Ann Girdharry

Do writers of suspense thrillers have to cut themselves off? How do they switch off from their noir creations?

Linda had a great idea for this guest post. She wondered if I could write about switching off from writing.

I’m going to give you an eyeball on how I do that, but first, it got me thinking about a couple of famous authors who are a lot more interesting than me.

Have you heard of Thomas Harris?

He’s a famous author – creator of the serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, (made into the film The Silence of the Lambs). Harris avoids publicity and hasn’t given an interview since 1976 (according to Wikipedia). Little is known about his private life, because it’s, well – private.

Is he a recluse? Harris’ agent says, “(Harris is)… reclusive, but is seldom morose, even though he is so often alone, working in an office separate from his house, in quite an isolated setting.”

Well, I can tell you that’s quite normal.

I sometimes can’t wait for the kids and my husband to quit the house in the morning. I have the whole day. Just me and my writing. And the cats. Yippee.

Harris is lucky – if I could have an isolated writing hut in some remote setting, believe me, I would.

Then, the late and wonderful Terry Pratchett. One of my favourite authors. He had an eccentric side to his personality. Later in life, he was out-spoken, for instance on Alzheimer’s disease and assisted death.

How did he switch off?

Apparently, Pratchett had a fascination with natural history and he owned a greenhouse full of carnivorous plants. (I think that must have been a lot of fun).

Pratchett was also a keen astronomer and had an observatory in his back garden.

These seem absorbing leisure activities. And ones that he did alone. Quite fitting for a man with such an extraordinary imagination.

And how about little me? I trained in psychotherapy. In direct client work, I learned how important it is to keep a professional distance.

The same is true with my writing. I write crime suspense thrillers. I delve into the minds of perpetrators and murderers. I talk about their motivations, their sadistic impulses. Gruesome stuff. But it’s only half the story, because the second part of the story is the person who’s going to track them, outwit them, and take them down.

To switch off, my favourite way is to go rollerblading. An hour rollerblading on a nice cycle path – surrounded by nature, working up a sweat. It clears my mind. Or swimming, that’s a good one too.

Sports get me out of my head and back into my body.

I also enjoy gardening.

Since we moved to France, I’ve had to adapt my gardening knowledge to the Mediterranean climate. Many of the plants and flowers I loved in England would die here. Gone are the days of my allotment in Brighton. I’ve come to know the native plants that thrive in this climate, where it’s so hot and dry during the summer. An hour weeding, pruning, or generally pottering amongst the flowers, clears my head like magic.

For me, the dark must always be balanced by the light, and by the mundane and the beautiful. That way, I can keep on writing and keep on delving deep into my fictional characters. And hopefully, spinning stories for many years to come.

(We hope so too Ann! And I’m with you all the way with gardening. I love it as a way to relax.)

About Ann Girdharry

Born and educated in the UK, Ann Girdharry is a trained psychotherapist and has worked as a manager in the not-for-profit sector for many years.

Today she lives in Montpellier, France with her husband and two children.
​
She writes suspense and thrillers, is a book reviewer and occasionally blogs for the Huffington Post UK.

You can follow Ann on Twitter @GirdharryAnn and visit her website to find out more. Ann is also on Facebook.

My enormous thanks to the team at The Dome Press for sending me a copy of Life’s A Drag by Janie Millman in return for an honest review. I was particularly looking forward to reading Life’s A Drag as I used to babysit someone who is now a highly successful drag queen and I thought I might learn something!

Life’s A Drag is available for purchase on Amazon and directly from The Dome Press.

Life’s A Drag

Roz and Jamie have moved to leafy Suffolk from London in search of a quiet life so it is a surprise to find that the village is embarking on its riotous annual drag competition. Fuelled by large quantities of alcohol and ubiquitous community spirit, they soon find themselves caught up in a battle for the identity of the village itself.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Drew is fighting his own battle to save his club and the livelihoods of his closest friends.

Though they seem worlds apart, it soon becomes clear that appearances are not everything and that sometimes human connections can surprise us.

A heartwarming, romantic comedy.

My Review of Life’s A Drag

With an eccentric drag queen competition in an English leafy Suffolk village and a struggling drag club in San Francisco, there’s more in common than might at first be thought.

I really enjoyed the opening to Life’s A Drag and then I struggled a bit with thirty pages or so as there seemed to be an overabundance of expletives and so many characters introduced at once I felt rather lost and confused.

However, once I had clear who was who and which male had which drag queen name I settled into the rhythm of the novel and thoroughly enjoyed it, actually feeling quite emotional at times and especially when it came to an end.

The characters are wide ranging and eclectic with someone for every reader to champion and care about. I especially liked Drew, Roz and Jamie who are the lynchpins of the story. Life’s A Drag is a witty commentary on modern life, being a fun and slightly over the top entertaining read and although I did feel that Vicki and Fergal were slightly clichéd, they were absolutely necessary to act as a foil to others in the Suffolk setting and I think they balanced the book really well.

Speaking of setting, I thought Janie Millman had it spot on. I am now desperate to visit San Fancisco for myself, having had a glimpse into the zany world that exists there, though I have a horrible feeling I wouldn’t experience it quite so dramatically as the characters in Life’s A Drag, sadly!

Although Life’s A Drag is humorous and I chuckled frequently, especially at some of the dialogue, there are some incredibly deep and important themes underpinning the action too so that I think Life’s A Drag can be enjoyed on many levels depending on the reader. The exploration of love in its various forms is wonderful. Society’s prejudices, family dynamics and what constitutes real friendship are woven throughout so that reading Life’s A Drag leaves the reader feeling good about life, positive and uplifted.

Life’s A Drag is by no means perfect, but it is a smashing read. It engaged and entertained me. I was completely convinced by the relationships and frequently had a smile on my face as I read so that I’d defy any reader to finish it and feel they hadn’t found a delightful escapist book.

About Janie Millman

Janie Millman is an actress, writer and co-owner of Chez Castillon.

She met Mickey, her husband, playing romantic leads in a summer season of comedies at The Little Theatre, Sheringham, on the Norfolk coast. Both actors for more than twenty years, their roles have ranged from Ninja turtles to acting in Olivier Award-winning stage productions and working on screen with Hollywood stars.

Although still acting, Janie is now concentrating on writing. Life’s A Drag isher debut novel.

You can follow Janie on Twitter @ChezCastillon, or visit her website. You’ll also find Janie on Facebook.

I love having guest posts from a wide variety of writers on Linda’s Book Bag and I’m thrilled to welcome Kim Erin Cowley to the blog. Kim’s novel Interloper tackles the issues of gender that many of us never consider and she writes about the power of fiction to allow us to experience life vicariously today.

Interloper was published in August 2017 and is available for purchase here.

Interloper

What we do is hard, because it’s not supposed to be possible.

Change was everywhere in early 1980’s London. New sights, sounds and the fresh confidence of a new generation determined not just to subvert, but to become the future.

Lee Habens arrived from small town grief, seeking her own change. She hoped to be part of the new revolution – but on her own terms. In short, Lee needed to become the woman she had not been born.

She would need to find ways to support herself and to fund a complex and terrifying journey she could only loosely comprehend. She would need to walk the delicate lines between the straight world and places where genders pass and blur. And she would need to do it all unnoticed – until it would be time to move beyond, to the life for which she’d always felt destined.

There would be new challenges, old secrets and relationships of impossible promise – for if a new life could be created, perhaps even love could stand a chance.

From West London to Brighton, Bristol and the South of Spain, Interloper echoes a time of optimism and flamboyance; fear and danger. The prize is peace and a place to call home. For the interloper to finally belong.

Taboo – The Power of Fiction

A Guest Post by Kim Erin Cowley

Even the word seems not to belong: Taboo. It has neither an Anglo-Germanic feel, nor spelling – and that’s because we owe it to the kingdom of Tonga. The word came back from faraway lands with Captain Cook in the 18^th century and quickly found a home in the social consciences of English people, who knew only too well the nature of the forbidden.

We don’t say the word by accident. If feels fulsome and warm to mouth. When introduced to a conversation, it usually demands instant attention. We are drawn to taboo by excitement or rebellion – and yet we are often fearful of guilt by association.

Perhaps this is why the book still provides the most accessible and yet private window to the voyeur. From Lady Chatterley to Fifty Shades; In Cold Blood to American Psycho; Dorian Gray to The Line Of Beauty, we choose the kind of ink that doesn’t stain.

Nothing else transports us to other worlds so honestly and completely. We are privy to motives and behaviours that may offend and even disturb, but the nature of the medium forces us to take in a feeling or a thought – and at least try to understand – before turning the page. It’s just us and the tale in those moments. Nobody else has to know.

We can even try on the events we read, wearing them in an imagined version of our own lives. How would I cope if this was me? What would people say? Would my life even survive this? Empathy dressed by literature.

Where we take our newest complexity is then up to us. Do we delve silently, deeper into the genre – or seek out a companion by asking another if they have read a particular title and then trying to gauge their perspective?

For some who have wondered as to the true appeal of the unspoken, fiction can genuinely provide answers or unlock thoughts and feelings long in search of words. Passion and instinct drive most of what dares to head out beyond the pale. Sometimes a writer speaks for us, because we cannot – or dare not. One thing is for sure, having been exposed to a pure and new perspective, we are never quite the same. When it comes to art – and indeed heart – we cannot un-know what has been learned.

The wider world can live within a single room. All that is needed is a book and an imagination.

About Kim Erin Cowley

Kim Erin Cowley was born on the Kent coast in 1963 and moved to London at the age of 19.

Kim Erin Cowley began a media career in the 1980’s, dealing with promoters and record companies on behalf of various music magazines including Sounds and Kerrang!.

By the beginning of the 90’s she’d found her way to the film business – initially in the shape of trade titles, Variety and Screen International and for an extended period, at the British Film Institute. Kim Erin Cowley spent almost two decades providing support services to producers, distributors and broadcasters.

As a result of her experiences of changing gender Interloper was written.

You can follow Kim on Twitter @kimerincowley, visit her website and find Interloper on Facebook.

Life has been so busy this year that I haven’t been able to support Brook Cottage Books as much as I would like. Today, I’m putting that right with an interview with Lesley Cookman, author of Murder by the Barrel.

As well as an interview with Lesley, there’s a chance to win one of two e-copies of Murder by the Barrel at the bottom of this blog post.

Published by Accent Press on 5th October 2017, Murder by the Barrel is available for purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Murder by the Barrel

When the village of Steeple Martin announces its first beer festival, the locals are excited. Beer, sun and music, what could possibly go wrong?

But when an unexpected death shakes the village, it’s up to Libby Sarjeant and friends to solve the puzzle.

Was it just another rock star death or is there something more sinister afoot?

An Interview with Lesley Cookman

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

I’m a former journalist turned author. In the past, I’ve been a model, actor, air stewardess  and disc jockey, and I live on the Kent coast with two cats and occasional returning children.

Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Murder by the Barrel?

Steeple Martin, the village where Libby Sarjeant lives, is hosting its first beer festival, which is somewhat marred by Libby’s discovery of a body. She and her friends, of course, get drawn into the investigation.

Why do you write?

Sorry about this, but it pays the bills…

(I think that’s a fabulous answer Lesley – so many people ask authors what their ‘proper’ job is aside from writing. Good for you!)

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

It rather grew on me after Which Computer asked me to write an article 35 years ago.

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

I’m rather haphazard about routine, but I do have my own office where most of the work gets done.

How has teaching writing affected your own craft?

I suppose it clarified my thoughts. It surprised me, too. But I don’t think it actually affected my writing. I’ve long since decided no one can be taught how to write, only the practicalities of the business. This is not to decry those who still teach it – I have the greatest respect  for people like Sue Moorcroft, whom I’ve known for years. We shared a publisher for a while, both having written “HowTo” books. Mine was on Pantomime!

(I love Sue Moorcroft too!)

You studied for an MA in Creative writing. What was the most valuable thing you learnt about writing during that time?

I met my publisher! Apart from that – nothing. See answer above! It was a very early MA, taught mainly by Worthy Welsh Poets. I knew more about the publishing industry than they did.

As well as murder stories, you also write romances under another name. How far do the two genres overlap and how far do they differ?

I’m answering this in self defence! I don’t do romance! Those two were written in the 1980s and republished under a pen name to preserve my anonymity by my publishers, Accent Press. Like a lot of people, I was under the misapprehension that anybody could knock off a Mills and Boon. No, they can’t. I now number several romantic authors among my best friends, including two Mills and Boon best sellers, and I’m ashamed of my former attitude.

(I think many others may have had that same attitude Lesley!)

Murder by the Barrel has a cover that reminds me of an old master painting and makes me think of a traditional, Agatha Christie type book . How did that image come about and what were you hoping to convey (without spoiling the plot please!)?

My publisher decides on the cover images, merely asking me if I approve before they go in the catalogue!

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

My own genre, and a lot of it!

About Lesley Cookman

Lesley Cookman writes the Libby Sarjeant Mysteries and the Edwardian mystery series, The Alexandrians. She has a varied background as a model, an air stewardess (when it was posh), a nightclub DJ (in a silver sparkly catsuit), editor of a Music Hall magazine, The Call Boy, a magazine called The Poulty Farmer, and pantomime writer and director. She lives on the Kent coast and has four grown up children who are variously musicians and writers, two grandchildren and two cats, not necessarily in that order.

You can follow Lesley on Twitter @LesleyCookman, visit her blog and find her on Facebook.

Giveaway

Thanks to Brook Cottage Books and Lesley, for your chance to win one of two e-copies of Murder by the Barrel click here.

Please note this giveaway is run independently of Linda’s Book Bag.

I’ve ‘known’ lovely Darcie Boleyn electronically ever since I first started blogging two and a half years ago and I’m thrilled to be part of the launch celebrations for her latest book Christmas at Conwenna Cove.

Published by Canelo on 9th October 2017, Christmas at Conwenna Cove is available for purchase here.

Christmas At Conwenna Cove

A heartwarming, romantic and Christmassy novel set in the gorgeous Cornish village of Conwenna Cove.

When Grace Phillips travels to Conwenna Cove to help her parents move there 30 years after their honeymoon in the village, she sees why they fell in love with the place. The festive decorations, carols in the air and constant supply of delicious mince pies certainly make it hard to leave. Grace soon meets local vet Oli Davenport and initially finds him rude, but learning about his passion for animals and how much he cares for his two kids helps Grace to see a softer side to Oli.

It’s been two years since Oli lost his wife to cancer. Though he loves eleven-year-old Amy and five-year-old Tom more than anything it’s hard to be mum and dad. He has no interest in romance until he crosses paths with beautiful and kind-hearted Grace. The sparks fly but both Oli and Grace are holding onto fear about letting someone into their heart.

As the snow falls and Christmas wishes come true can Conwenna Cove work its magic and help Grace and Oli find the happiness they both deserve?

An Interview with Darcie Boleyn

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Darcie. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing and Christmas at Conwenna Cove in particular.

Firstly, I’d like to ask, why do you write?

I can’t imagine not writing. Writing is my creative outlet; it is a way of getting the characters and stories out of my head and into the world. If I didn’t write, I think my head might combust!

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

I’ve always written, and as a child I used to enter short story and poetry competitions. This continued when I went to university but then, as life became busier, writing took a back seat. I nursed the dream to write for years when my children were young, and I tried to write a novel but spent far too much time procrastinating, which meant that it didn’t get finished. A few years ago, my husband encouraged me to really try again, and following a few false starts, I finally had that amazing acceptance email. Since then, I haven’t stopped!

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

Creating new characters, and watching as their lives unfold is a very enjoyable process. The way I’d describe my character development is that it’s like entering a dark corridor where the lights come on automatically, one at a time, as I move forwards. I don’t always know exactly what’s at the end, or even the next step, but as one light comes on, I can see more of the way ahead and this keeps going until I reach the end. In terms of difficulties, having an idea for a new story when I’m halfway through my WIP can be hard. I have to stop and make notes then carry on, because it’s important to finish the book I’m writing or I’d have half-written books piling up and never get them published.

Your books are frequently described as heartwarming. How far is this a deliberate aim of your writing and how far is it a natural outcome?

I am a very soft and warm-hearted person and I believe that love is extremely important to us in all its forms. Relationships with partners, children, relatives and friends are central to our lives. The people we surround ourselves with might not be immediate family members, but they will be the ones that matter most, the ones we are there for and who are there for us. I do set out to create relationships and situations that will convey the importance of human relationships but some of it inevitably develops – and shines through – with the story and characters. I also believe that our relationships with animals and the world around us matter too. That’s why greyhounds have a starring role in this series.

It’s only relatively recently that you’ve been writing full time. What advice would you give to those contemplating taking the leap from their current role into that of full time writer?

For me, circumstances meant that I was able to make this leap. I was teaching for twenty years then became unwell and decided that it was time to make some life changes. I was writing anyway, and knowing that leaving teaching would enable me to write full time gave me extra motivation. If you want to write full time and are in a situation where you can go for it, then do so. It was the best thing I could have done for my family and me. However, individual circumstances differ and not everyone will be able to follow their heart. If you can’t give up the day job, try to write as much as you can, as often as you can, and keep trying to get published or to get more books out there. Most importantly, write because you love it and because you can’t imagine not writing.

Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Christmas at Conwenna Cove?

Christmas at Conwenna Cove is the second book in the Conwenna Cove series. The books can be read as standalones or enjoyed together. This story gives readers the opportunity to revisit the beautiful Cornish village at Christmas, to catch up with characters from Summer at Conwenna Cove and to meet new ones, including new greyhounds. Christmas at Conwenna Cove is about love, loss and new beginnings, as well as moving on from grief without forgetting the ones you loved and lost. I want readers to be able to feel that there is always hope, however difficult and painful life can be at times.

Christmas at Conwenna Cove has a beautifully festive cover. How did that image come about and what were you hoping to convey (without spoiling the plot please!)?

After my editor read the novel, we discussed what I’d like on the cover and we were in agreement about what features were important. It had to be festive, it should have the main character Grace on it and it definitely had to have a greyhound!

You’re from Wales. Why have you chosen Cornwall as your setting for the Conwenna books?

I chose Cornwall as the setting for the Conwenna Cove series for several reasons.  Cornwall is an absolutely beautiful location. It has a dramatic coastline, stunning beaches, pretty fishing harbours, spectacular scenery and a rich and intriguing history.  As a teenager, I enjoyed some amazing family holidays in Porthleven; they were magical times and I treasure the memories. Life can be so stressful and hectic, and taking time out to be with loved ones is incredibly important. Holidays can be restorative and allow your body and mind to recuperate from the ups and downs of everyday life. Cornwall is the perfect place to do this and that’s why being in Conwenna Cove has such a positive effect on the characters in Summer at Conwenna Cove and Christmas at Conwenna Cove.

What would you say to those readers who believe Christmas books shouldn’t be read until December?

This is obviously down to personal preference, but for me, the build up to Christmas is part of the fun. I believe that Christmas stories can be enjoyed at any time of the year, but they’re even better in the months, weeks and days leading up to the festivities, as they creative that delicious Christmas mood and build anticipation.

How do you celebrate Christmas?

I spend Christmas with my family: my husband, children, dogs and bearded dragons. We have something nice to eat on Christmas Eve, along with mulled wine for the adults, then snuggle up with the dogs to watch a Christmas movie – usually my favourite National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. On Christmas morning, I’m usually the first one awake and I rush around waking my family up then get them all downstairs with the dogs. We’ll make big mugs of tea and bucks fizz then head into the lounge to put on festive music and to open gifts before enjoying a breakfast of smoked salmon and poached egg bagels with maple syrup. Lunch is around one-thirty followed by a lazy afternoon when we’ll watch TV, read new books and eat far too much chocolate.

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

So many authors inspire me and I enjoy reading a wide variety of genres. This is always a difficult question, as I’m worried I’ll miss someone out if I start naming authors, but I do love reading contemporary romance – especially rom-coms –domestic noir and thrillers. I enjoy the build up in a romance novel and how the characters can be pulled together then pushed apart until they realise they can’t live without each other. With domestic noir and thrillers, I enjoy the twists and turns in the story and how the writers keep me guessing until the end.

If you had 15 words to persuade a reader that Christmas at Conwenna Cove  should be their next read, what would you say?

If you want a heart-warming festive romance with greyhounds, then read Christmas at Conwenna Cove.

Thank you so much Darcie for your time in answering my questions.

About Darcie Boleyn

Darcie Boleyn has a huge heart and is a real softy. She never fails to cry at books and movies, whether the ending is happy or not. Darcie is in possession of an overactive imagination that often keeps her awake at night. Her childhood dream was to become a Jedi but she hasn’t yet found suitable transport to take her to a galaxy far, far away. She also has reservations about how she’d look in a gold bikini, as she rather enjoys red wine, cheese and loves anything with ginger or cherries in it – especially chocolate. Darcie fell in love in New York, got married in the snow, rescues uncoordinated greyhounds and can usually be found reading or typing away on her laptop.

You can follow Darcie on Twitter @DarcieBoleyn and visit her blog.

You’ll find all Darcie’s books here.

It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome Barbara Copperthwaite, author of Her Last Secret, back to Linda’s Book Bag. Although I’ve met Barbara several times, you may not have had that pleasure so you might like to read an interview I conducted with her when I was just setting out as a blogger and Barbara’s writing was really taking off.  I also have my review of Barbara’s The Darkest Lies here.

Today I’m thrilled that Barbara has agreed to write a very special letter to her five years ago self because I think her words will give hope to all those aspiring writers out there.

Her Last Secret was published by Bookouture on 13th October 2017 and is available for purchase 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.

A Letter To My Five-Years-Ago Self

Dear Barbara (aka ‘Me’),

So, here I am in 2017, about to publish my fourth book, Her Last Secret. What are you up to? Oh, I remember: you’re in 2012, working as a Special Projects Editor for a magazine company. You’ve got an idea for a book you’ve been working on for a few months now, snatching time on the train commute into London, and although it’s growing slowly you’re starting to feel quite fond of it. You’re even starting to wonder if it has potential to be more than a hobby, and you’ve tentatively mentioned the plot to a couple of mates who haven’t fallen on the floor laughing at the idea. Which is a good start.

The job is taking up a lot of time, though. It’s all-consuming, which is why you’re on pretty decent money. The long hours leave you exhausted; being up at 5.30am to catch the train from Colchester to London, and not getting home until 7pm, means that after you’ve eaten you’re ready for bed. You’re loving the creativity of the job, but are already aware you’re simply not getting the buzz from your work that you used to.

I’ve got bad news for you, Barbara. It’s going to get worse. You’ll work through most evenings and weekends, and you’ll become more tired, and more miserable, and live more for those snatched minutes on the train when you lose yourself in writing. The need to write will burn brightly in you, reminding you of what you used to love about your job so much. You’ll wonder why rising through the ranks means having to leave behind the very reason you became a journalist in the first place.

Sounds awful, doesn’t it?

Actually, it’s brilliant. It makes you reassess your whole life, and you realise you want to take a leap of faith and go back to writing for a living again. Bye bye, career ladder. I’m not going to deny it’s a terrifying thought, and you’ll have loads of doubts. How will you manage? Is it a midlife crisis? Are you going to lose everything you’ve worked so hard for? Don’t listen to them, listen to the conviction that it’s time to shake up your life. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about because I’m now writing my fifth book.

There’s going to be a hell of a steep learning curve ahead of you, though. But it will be FUN!

When you finish your book, Invisible, it will be rejected by innumerable agents – but they’ll all have such INCREDIBLE things to say about it that, instead of feeling down, you’ll feel invigorated. The story has great potential, the experts all agree, so why not publish it yourself?

Of course, that’s when the real fun begins because you know nothing about the book publishing world, publicity, cover design (luckily, you live with a talented artist who has that covered)… You’ll rediscover the joy of learning new skills, though. Right now, you think social media is full of saddos posting about what they had for breakfast. Yeah, about that – you couldn’t be more wrong. Facebook and Twitter will be two of the most useful tools you’ll learn to use. Thanks to them, Invisible, becomes a bestseller on Amazon. You’ll learn to blog, too, and even create your own website. Even better, you’ll make incredible connections with readers, book bloggers, agents, publishers. Not bad for a someone who barely knew what a tweet was in 2012.

Thanks to social media, you’ll find the confidence to write your second book, Flowers For The Dead. You’ll be terrified again, scared that you can’t repeat the success of your first book. Sadly, that fear never gets any better – and I speak as someone who has been a USA Today bestseller, and Amazon bestseller in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. Even landing a deal with your dream publisher, Bookouture, on the strength of your third novel, The Darkest Lies, won’t rid you of your fears. But by the time the fourth book, Her Last Secret, is about to publish, you’ve learned to accept insecurity as a part of the creative process. The biggest change probably sounds the smallest, though: when people ask you what you do for a living, in five years’ time you’ll no longer consider yourself a journalist; instead your answer will be ‘author’. Eek!

See, there are so many exciting things ahead of you over the next five years. And look at you, hunched over your desk, in your London office, beavering away and wondering what on earth you can do to get the buzz back in your career. You’ve no idea of how much your life is going to change. My advice? Have the courage of your convictions, and break free from the office. Have confidence in your ideas, no matter how crazy. But most of all, have fun – enjoy every single second of the years ahead of you, because they’re brilliant.

Lots of love,

Barbara

About Barbara Copperthwaite

Barbara Copperthwaite is the international best-selling author of psychological crime thrillers Invisible, Flowers for the Dead, and The Darkest Lies.

She credits much of her success to her twenty-plus years’ experience as a national newspaper and magazine journalist. She’s interviewed the real victims of crime – and also those who have carried those crimes out. Thanks to people sharing their stories with her, she knows the emotional impact of violence and wrong-doing. That’s why her novels are gritty, realistic and tackle not just the crime but its repercussions. It’s what has made her a USA Today bestseller.

When not writing feverishly, or throwing tennis balls for her dog, Scamp, she is often found hiding behind a camera, taking wildlife photographs.

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

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My enormous thanks to Emma Petfield at Hodder for a surprise ‘day’ proof copy of The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night by Jen Campbell.

The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night will be published by Two Roads Books, an imprint of Hodder and Stoughton, on 2nd November 2017 and is available for pre-order here.

The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night

‘These days, you can find anything you need at the click of a button.
That’s why I bought her heart online.’

Spirits in jam jars, mini-apocalypses, animal hearts and side shows.
A girl runs a coffin hotel on a remote island.
A boy is worried his sister has two souls.
A couple are rewriting the history of the world.
And mermaids are on display at the local aquarium.

The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is a collection of twelve haunting stories; modern fairy tales brimming with magic, outsiders and lost souls.

My Review of The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night

With mermaids, coffin hotels and hearts cut from animals, The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is a cornucopia of outstanding short stories.

My goodness me. What a collection of stories. I couldn’t decide whether to be horrified at the same time as being mesmerised by the opening story, Animals, and from that point my free will was entirely removed and I had to read just one more until I had consumed the entire collection in one sitting. It’s stunning.

Jen Campbell has an imagination that is awe inspiring. Her writing is mythological, poetic and beautiful so that it felt like the literary equivalent of a rich Persian carpet, full of texture and allegory whilst being completely individual and fabulously crafted. There’s poetry, prose and drama between the pages of The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night.

Sometimes the writing is like a stream of consciousness with asides dropped in seemingly apropos of nothing and yet perfectly pitched so they make absolute sense. Reading this collection made me look at life philosophically and completely differently. It was akin to allowing colour into a previously black and white world and to be honest, I feel slightly off-kilter having read it. I loved the underlying themes of sexuality, identity and difference, love and death which ebb and flow throughout. There’s also a strong exploration of mothers that I wasn’t sure whether was intentional or co-incidental, but was nonetheless fascinating. Equally fascinating were the interlaced references to art, literature, religion and folklore so that Jen Campbell’s writing made me want to go skittering off to look up references and continue the magic outside the book.

I can honestly say I have never read anything quite like The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night and I loved every single word of these stories. Bravo Jen Campbell!

About Jen Campbell

Jen Campbell is an award-winning poet and short story writer. Born in the north east of England, she now lives in London, and is the author of the bestselling Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series and The Bookshop Book. She worked as a bookseller for ten years.

Her first children’s book Franklin’s Flying Bookshop is published by Thames and Hudson.

A respected and influential book vlogger  with almost 30,000 subscribers, she has won an Eric Gregory Award for poetry in 2016 and has been a judge for the Costa and Somerset Maugham awards.

She is a little bit obsessed with the darker side of fairy tales. She lives in London.

You can find all Jen’s books here. Jen has an amazing vlog with over 35,000 subscribers, a website and you can follow her on Twitter and find her on Facebook.

As a blogger you sometimes know that you’d love a book that you sadly haven’t got time to read. Among the Branded by Linda Smolkin is one of those books. However, I am lucky enough to have Linda on Linda’s Book Bag today (and that feels very strange to have so many Linda’s!) to tell me all about Among the Branded.

Among the Branded is available for purchase from your local Amazon site.

Among the Branded

What if a 70-year-old letter from World War II changed the course of your life?

While attending Valor of the ’40s, art director Stephanie Britain stumbles upon a flea market selling letters from the war. She buys a handful, hoping they’ll inspire the redesign for a client’s website at her branding and design firm. She’s at first drawn by the lost art of penmanship, but soon discovers a hidden treasure nestled inside declarations of love from homesick soldiers. Stephanie enlists a coworker to translate one and realizes it’s not a love letter after all. When a shocking discovery about a client causes Stephanie to question her principles and dedication to her firm’s business, she’s forced to make a difficult decision—one that could give her peace of mind, yet ruin her career in the process.

Contemporary fiction with a historical touch, Among the Branded explores family life, an unexpected friendship, and moral conflicts that make us wonder what’s more important: our livelihood or our beliefs.

An Interview with Linda Smolkin

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Linda (and it seems odd to be writing that). Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing and Among The Branded in particular. Firstly, please could you tell me a little about yourself?

Thank you, Linda. Great first name, by the way! Without boring your readers with too much detail, I live in the Washington, DC area with my family of four (hubby, teenage son, and dog). I’ve been writing forever and fortunately I get paid for it in my day job, which is great because I have very few other skills!

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

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was ten and saw my first TV commercial. At the time, I didn’t realize the profession was called copywriter, but that’s what I became after graduating university.

Your day job sees you writing very different materials to novels. What skills are transferable do you think?

So many! Meeting deadlines. Learning how to chop unnecessary words. Being able to work well with editors and colleagues who review my work. Knowing that when people want to make changes—or aren’t crazy about the first draft I’ve written—that it’s not personal. Having a thick skin!

So, which aspects of your writing do you find easiest and most difficult?

The easiest part is when I hand my manuscript over to my editor and wait for her feedback (I take a deep breath and wait), or when I’m having fun coming up with new ideas for books. The most difficult aspect is when I’m editing and I have to dig deep to either get on the same emotional level as my character or understand my characters’ motivations and why they do what they do.

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

I work full time so I write/edit my novels in the evening or on the weekends at home. Right now, as I type, I’m in that fun stage of thinking up new ideas for a third book. My editor has my second novel, which will come out in Spring 2018, if all goes as planned.  This is her second read-through so I’m hoping (knock on wood) that I’m almost there!

Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Among The Branded?

The story connects the past with the present and follows Stephanie Britain, an art director who works at a branding and design firm. She befriends a Holocaust survivor while, at the same time, finds out something disturbing about her newest client. Throughout the novel, she deals with difficult choices of how to remain professional while taking a stand for what she believes in. The story also touches on friendship, family, and the lessons history can teach us.

The concept of surprising discovery underpins the plot to Among The Branded. How did that story arc come to you and have you had any similar personal experiences?

I never thought of it this way, but you’re right. This concept comes into play when Stephanie deals with a moral dilemma at work based on her surprising discovery. From that, I figured a way to get from A to B by having Stephanie attend a living-history event (Valor of the ‘40s) and stumble upon a flea market where a woman is selling love letters from WWII. There’s a twist with this because one of the letters isn’t what Stephanie thought it would be. So, yes, the concept of surprising discovery plays out in different ways throughout the novel. I haven’t had a surprising discovery to the extent of my character, but for example, I’ve found notes left in library books. When reading the notes, I sometimes feel guilty because they weren’t meant for me, but I couldn’t help myself!

(I think we’d all do exactly that!)

You had an agent rejection because Among The Branded was ‘too controversial a topic’. What is the role of fiction in dealing with the difficult issues do you think?

What’s great about fiction is that there are so many genres and readers who enjoy a variety of books. There’s something for everyone, and I think it depends on what you’re in the mood to read. When I’m writing, I’m not really thinking, “I have to bring this idea/theme home because it’s important to me as an author,” but in general I do think about moral dilemmas, the various types of relationships people have, and how differently people mourn when losing a loved one. Those are some things I tend to write about, and often I gravitate to reading those types of books. At the same time, if someone tells me that they want to escape in their fiction and not having anything too deep, I completely respect and understand that.

How did you go about researching detail and ensuring Among The Branded was realistic?

I read books, did Internet searches, and listened to and read veterans’ stories on the Veterans History Project, which is a project of The Library of Congress. The description on their website says it makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may better understand the realities of war.  Also, my father was a Holocaust survivor and, although one of my characters was inspired by him, the two are very different. But the one thing they have is common is their ability to have sense of humour. I was always amazed at how my father could have such a great sense of humour after going through what he did. In my novel, I talk about how laughter is the best medicine, and I believe that.  Regarding the moral dilemma my main character faced: Stephanie could have responded in many different ways. I don’t want to give it away but it was very important to me to make her decision realistic and not far-fetched. We never know how we’re going to handle a situation until we’re put in it.

If you could choose to be a character from Among The Branded, who would you be and why?

I’d probably choose to be Svetlana. She’s my main character’s friend and colleague. Svetlana is a secondary yet important character in the story. She’s confident, smart, and has skills, such as programming, that I don’t have. And, she’s a bit sassy and likes to use colourful Russian language at times.

If Among The Branded became a film, who would you like to play Stephanie and why would you choose them?

I was thinking about this recently and at that time I chose Jessica Chastain, and I still think she’d make a great Stephanie. But not just because they’re both about the same age and have auburn hair. Chastain is great at playing characters who are confronted with difficult choices and put in tricky situations. Besides, she was fabulous in The Debt, The Help, and Zero Dark Thirty.

I know you’re very happy to Skype book clubs to talk about Among The Branded. How might book club members get in touch with you?

I would absolutely love to join a book-club conversation. I have a contact page on my website at lindasmolkin.com where you can send me a note.

And finally, if you had 15 words to persuade a reading group that Among The Branded should be their next read, what would you say?

Eek, the pressure is on! I’d say:

A modern-day twist on historical fiction about family, friendship, and difficult choices we must make.

Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions, Linda.

Thank you, this was a lot of fun!

About Linda Smolkin

Linda Smolkin always wanted to be a writer—ever since she saw her first TV commercial and wondered how to pen those clever ads. She got her degree in journalism and became a copywriter. Linda landed a job at an advertising agency, where she worked for several years before joining the nonprofit world. Among the Branded is her debut novel.

You can follow Linda on Twitter @lindasmolkin, and visit her website for more information. You’ll also find Linda on Facebook.