Regular Linda’s Book Bag readers might be forgiven for thinking I’ve become a Sue Moorcroft stalker as she seems to be featured on the blog nearly as often as me, but actually I’m one of a privileged street team who get to meet up with Sue regularly in real life and have early copies of her books. It’s such a treat to be part of that team.

I’m delighted to be hosting Sue again today as we stay in together to chat all about her latest book, One Summer in Italy.

You can see other Linda’s Book Bag posts with Sue in the following links:

An interview with Sue Moorcroft

A guest post from Sue on over-sharing and my review of The Christmas Promise

A guest post from Sue on her fantasy holiday companions

My review of Just For The Holidays

A guest post from Sue on loving a village book

My Review of The Little Village Christmas

Staying in with Sue Moorcroft

Hi Sue and welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag.

Hi Linda!

Thanks so much for staying in with me tonight.

Thanks for inviting me over this evening. It’s a while since we got together – the last Team Sue Moorcroft Christmas lunch, I think – so it’s lovely to see you.

(You’re right – a mad Christmas lunch I think. I was sorry I couldn’t make the recent one on Saturday too as they are always good fun – and include chocolate – usually chocolate brownies!)

I think I know the answer to this, but which of your books have you brought along this evening? Why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought my latest: One Summer in Italy. It’s set in the Apennine Mountains in the region of Umbria. I love Italy and have been lucky enough to spend a week or two there each summer for the last five years. Knowing how much you like to travel yourself, I thought you might like it.

(I do indeed like to travel and one of these years I’m going to come with you to Italy on a writing retreat and get my own novel finished!)

What can we expect from One Summer in Italy?

It’s a story set around a series of promises Sofia makes to her father, Aldo. Poor Aldo has had heart trouble for many years and Sofia has spent half of her life as his carer. Before he dies, he asks her to do all the things she hasn’t been able to do: to be free as a young independent woman should be, to travel, and visit Aldo’s hometown, Montelibertà, and say sorry to his brother Gianni. As he’s always been vague about his family and why he never goes home, Sofia’s intrigued.

After years of her main companion being her dad, she speaks Italian well enough to get herself a job as a waitress in the garden café at the front of a hotel, Casa Felice in Montelibertà. She doesn’t want responsibility, or to care for anyone, or to be inside. Unfortunately, she’s almost embroiled with poor Amy, who’s left her home in Germany after discovering a secret that has blown her family apart. She ends up taking responsibility for Amy, who really does need a friend, especially as mercurial hotel owner Benedetta is apt to sack seasonal workers for the least thing. Happily, Sofia and Amy are befriended by English tourist Levi Gunn who’s in Montelibertà to paint watercolours and roar around on his motorbike. He helps calm Benedetta down … at least at first. Then he becomes part of the problem.

(This sounds such a great read. I’m so glad I have One Summer in Italy on my TBR.)

One Summer in Italy is about new beginnings, old wounds, and what you give up for those you love. The most important promise Aldo extracts from Sofia is to be happy. It’s tricky, sometimes. Will she get there in the end?

(I think if we can be happy, that’s the most wonderful thing in life Sue.)

What else have you brought along – and why?

 Chocolate.

(Ha! I knew it!)

You didn’t really think I wouldn’t, did you? I’ve brought plenty for you too – a Toblerone bar and chocolate brownies with chocolate ice cream. (May I stick that in your freezer? Thanks.)

(You may – though you’ll notice I had to do a quality control on the Toblerone…)

I’ve also brought white wine: Orvieto Classico. I had to buy it in the UK, not in Umbria, though Aldo tells Sofia to drink it in Montelibertà, as it should be drunk, fermented for the Italian palate. I’m really pleased that Aldo recommended it to Sofia, though, because it’s my new favourite.

You can have all the wine Sue and I’ll stick to the chocolate. Thanks so much for staying in with me and telling us all about One Summer In Italy. I can’t wait to read it.

Thanks for inviting me over! See you again soon. x

Definitely!

One Summer in Italy

When Sofia Bianchi’s father Aldo dies, it makes her stop and look at things afresh. Having been his carer for so many years, she knows it’s time for her to live her own life – and to fulfil some promises she made to Aldo in his final days.

So there’s nothing for it but to escape to Italy’s Umbrian mountains where, tucked away in a sleepy Italian village, lie plenty of family secrets waiting to be discovered. There, Sofia also finds Amy who is desperately trying to find her way in life after discovering her dad isn’t her biological father.

Sofia sets about helping Amy through this difficult time, but it’s the handsome Levi who proves to be the biggest distraction for Sofia, as her new life starts to take off…

Published by Harper Collins’ imprint Avon Books, One Summer in Italy is available for purchase through these links.

About Sue Moorcroft

Award winning author Sue Moorcroft writes contemporary women’s fiction with occasionally unexpected themes. The Wedding Proposal, Dream a Little Dream and Is This Love? were all nominated for Readers’ Best Romantic Read Awards. Love & Freedom won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA in 2013. Sue’s a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner, a past vice chair of the RNA and editor of its two anthologies.

The Christmas Promise was a Kindle No.1 Best Seller and held the No.1 slot at Christmas!

Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles, writing ‘how to’ and is a creative writing tutor.

You can follow Sue on Twitter @SueMoorcroft, find her on Facebook and visit her website.

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