Anyone who knows me also knows that I love travel as much as books and today it’s a welcome return to Linda’s Book Bag for M.P. Tonnesen who has previously provided a wonderful post on To Travel is to Live here on the blog to celebrate another of her books Desert Skies: Rebel Souls.

I’m hoping that today she’ll be taking me on more travels as we stay in together.

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me to tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with M.P. Tonnesen

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag Michelle.

Which of your books have you brought along to share with me and why have you chosen it?

I have brought my debut novel, The Cosmopolitan Islander, with me because this book was my maiden voyage into writing fiction. I learned so much from writing and publishing my first novel – about the craft, the industry and myself.

(I think many authors find that first book a steep learning curve!)

What can we expect from an evening with The Cosmopolitan Islander?

You can expect a colourful journey around the world – from the Irish Sea to Copenhagen, Brussels, Singapore, London and New York! – with Chloe on her search for happiness.

(Oo. Sounds great. Apart from Copenhagen I’ve been to all those places so it’d be good to return to them via the book.)

The Cosmopolitan Islander is about women’s roles in the 21st century; the juggling act many women face of having to be an executive in the boardroom, mother in the nursery, and domestic goddess in the kitchen – and bedroom.

But it’s also about the wider issue of identity in general – men’s too. How you and your perspectives and values develop through life and are influenced by who you meet, what you do, the choices you make, and even where you live.

It’s about love and sex and the balance between the two; about power and money, and how these impact our lives, careers, hopes, and dreams.

I hope you will enjoy reading this exciting story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

(I think The Cosmopolitan Islander sounds a corker of a read.)

What else have you brought along and why?

As a nod to my home country – and that of Chloe – I have also brought some Danish liquorice. I know salty liquorice is an acquired taste (kids in Denmark grow up eating it!), but these little beauties are covered in milk chocolate and sprinkled with liquorice dust which makes them divine and irresistible! I’m normally quite an anti-sugar Amazon, but I dare you to not enjoy them too 😉

They go perfectly with a cup of vanilla rooibos which I have brought along as well.

I hope you will enjoy this little trinity of delights. Happy reading!

I will indeed. A book, some food and tea – my idea of heaven! Thanks so much for staying in with me to tell me about The Cosmopolitan Islander Michelle.

The Cosmopolitan Islander

What if life as you know it was turned upside down? Would you still be the same person?

When Chloe is forced to leave behind her cosmopolitan life in London to move to a small island in the Irish Sea, she is faced with a myriad of challenges.

How will she and her family adapt to island life? Will she find new friends? What about her career? Most importantly, will the love of Chloe and her husband survive their amorous adventures?

Join Chloe on her journey through her past and her present to make sense of her life, herself, her hopes, and dreams amid her personal upheaval.

The Cosmopolitan Islander is a thrilling novel about female roles and identity in the 21st century – and about how the journey of life can change your destination in the most unexpected way. It takes the reader from the Isle of Man and around the world, traversing the timeless themes of love, desire, family, friendship, power, and ambition.

The Cosmopolitan Islander is a must read for the modern woman – and man; for expats and others in cultural encounters; for islanders and globetrotters; and for anyone in-between.

The Cosmopolitan Islander is available for purchase here.

About M.P. Tonnesen

M.P. Tonnesen is an award-winning writer and businesswoman living on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. She authors contemporary fiction with an adventurous twist, writes business and lifestyle articles for magazines, as well as advises companies on change and communication.

She has a Master’s degree in International Business and Intercultural Communication. She has also studied Creative Writing at London School of Journalism, Faber Academy and Isle of Man College.

She is originally from Denmark, but grew up in a multicultural family and has lived in Brussels, the Middle East, and London before moving to the island with her family in 2011. Her novels are inspired by her experiences working, living and travelling around the world.

She enjoys reading and telling good stories, going on adventures and eating dark chocolate. She also dabbles in yoga, running and juggling two kids.

You can follow Michelle on Twitter @mptonnesen and visit her website. You’ll also find her on Facebook.