I cannot begin to tell you how thrilled I am to be welcoming Catherine Isaac to Linda’s Book Bag today to share her novel You Me Everything with us all. I absolutely adored it and have my review here. I was so lucky to meet with Catherine recently to talk with her about the book too so it feels like an old friend is staying in with me today.

In fact I loved reading You Me Everything so much that when I found myself quoted on the back cover I was so excited. I even went into my local supermarket and rearranged some of the books there so that my quotation was showing!

You Me Everything is published by Simon and Schuster and is available for purchase through these links.

You, Me, Everything

You and me, we have history.
We have a child together.
We have kept secrets from each other for far too long.
This summer, in the beautiful hills of the Dordogne, it is time for everything to change.

Staying in with Catherine Isaac

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Catherine. I’m just thrilled that you’re here. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

It’s pleasure Linda. I’ve looked forward to it ever since I read your terrific review of You Me Everything.

Tell me, why you brought You Me Everything along to share this evening? 

I’ve written ten novels altogether but I’ve brought You Me Everything because it’s such a special novel to me. After writing for a decade the pseudonym Jane Costello, I chose to publish my latest book under the name Catherine Isaac – simply because it’s bigger and more ambitious than anything I’d ever attempted before. And it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s changed my life. It’s the first book I’ve ever had published in the USA, it’s been translated into more than 20 languages and it’s been optioned for a movie by Lionsgate and Temple Hill, the team that made The Fault in Our Stars and Twilight.

(I know when we met in person we spoke about the extra dimensions to You Me Everything than in your previous work Catherine. I’m so excited for you that it has done so incredibly well as it is a truly wonderful book.)

For those yet to read it, what can we expect from an evening in with You Me Everything? 

I’ve come to think of You Me Everything as a love story in the widest definition of the term. It’s about love at its worst and best, but most of all, it’s about finding every bit of joy in life, no matter what is thrown at you. I’ve been fascinated by the response to the book from readers. Some say it’s ‘feel good’, others that it’s ‘heart-breaking’. Marie Claire said it would, ‘stay with you long after you’re done.’ I think the review that best summed it up for me though was from fellow author Isabelle Broom, who said the novel: ‘Broke my heart and made it soar!’

(And Isabelle Broom knows a thing or two herself about fabulous writing! I agree with every one of those statements.)

What else have you brought along and why?

The novel is predominantly set in a chateau in the Dordogne in France so I’ve obviously brought a very nice bottle of Bergerac and lots of delicious food. A number of scenes in the book revolve around a big dinner table on the terrace of the chateau, with tealights twinkling and children’s laughter ringing in the air.

I’d suggest we start with a glass of cold pastis, before tucking in to a charcuterie platter with dry cured meats, mousses and sliced, smoked duck breast, all served on a slate board. There would lots of lovely cheese – those gooey Cabécou goat cheeses are my favourite – and strawberries with mimosa ice cream for dessert.

Oo – you can come again! Thanks so much Catherine, for staying in with me to talk about You Me Everything. I loved having you here.

About Catherine Isaac

Catherine Isaac was born in Liverpool, England. She studied History at the University of Liverpool, then Journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University, before beginning her career as trainee reporter at the Liverpool Echo.

She rose to the position of Editor of the Liverpool Daily Post and wrote her first book, Bridesmaids, while on maternity leave, under the pseudonym Jane Costello. Her nine subsequent novels were all Sunday Times best-sellers in the UK.

You Me Everything is her first book writing as Catherine Isaac.

She lives in Liverpool with her husband Mark and three sons. In her spare time she likes to run, walk up mountains in the Lake District and win at pub quizzes, though the latter rarely happens.

You can visit Catherine’s website for more information and follow her on Twitter @CatherineIsaac_. You’ll also find Catherine on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I try to have an eclectic mix of books and authors on Linda’s Book Bag but one genre that features less frequently is post-apocalyptic fiction. Today I’m rectifying that by inviting Geoffrey Pierce to stay in with me and tell me about one of his books.

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 Geoffrey Pierce

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Geoffrey.  Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thank you so much for inviting me.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’ve brought along my debut novel, Manna City. It’s the story of a pregnant woman whose unborn child shows her visions, leading her through a treacherous post-apocalyptic desert. She’s helped on her journey by a one-armed man and an escaped slave. I know, it sounds a bit dark, and it is, but there’s yang to balance with the yin.

Gosh – that sounds quite a narrative. You’ve piqued my interest right away. so, what can we expect from an evening in with Manna City? 

I think you can expect to feel grateful for what you have. It’s not easy living in the desert, especially in the future.

(I think you’re absolutely right Geoffrey. We should feel grateful for what we have. My travels in third world countries show me that.)

Consider the following: The apocalypse wiped out almost all life on earth. You’ve been living in a desert cave for years, hiding from lawless killers and the beasts that hunt you. You’ve been struggling to find enough food and water to survive. Now there is a baby on its way. And ever since conception, the child has been talking to you, telling you of a place where there is plentiful food, water, green grass, and safety. The baby has shown you visions of a man who will lead you to this place. And now he’s here. Are you going crazy, or will you trust the visions and journey out into the treacherous desert?

(I’m liking the sound of Manna City more and more – and I understand the title more now too!)

I think this reviewer summed up the experience of reading the book pretty well when she said:

It’s not often that I read a book that I have a physical reaction to. I’ve only just finished it and can still feel the tightness in my chest, the curl of my toes and the echo of my racing heart. I already know it is a story that is going to stay with me because I felt so deeply entwined in the feelings of the characters. Disturbing read, in all the right ways. Can’t wait for more of what this author has to offer.

(What a fabulous review. You must be thrilled with those words.)

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought an image of a desert flower Linda. I think of my main character, Nista, like a flower in the desert – she is incredibly strong, using all of her resources to suck every bit of nutrition out of the earth around her in order to survive; she’s vulnerable because of the fact that she is such an anomaly – she is a figure of beauty and love in a world where those “resources” have been greatly diminished; and she shows the rare kind of determination we attribute to things that grow in places where life seems not only improbable but prohibited.

(That’s such a wonderful analogy Geoffrey.)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Geoffrey, to introduce Manna City. It sounds like a book that could just turn me on to reading more post-apocalyptic fiction!

Thank you again, Linda. I truly appreciate this opportunity to share my book with your readers.

Manna City

Nista is nine months pregnant, starving, and living in a cave. Her husband, Dane, thinks she’s gone crazy. And the first time she heard the voice of her unborn child, she thought she’d gone crazy, too. But the child has told her too many things, shown her too many things that have come to pass. She knows…someone is coming to usher them away from their isolated purgatory. Someone is coming to lead them through the unforgiving desert – teeming with lawless killers and savage beasts – to the last bastion of civilization, a mythical land of plenty called Manna City.

Manna City is available for purchase here.

About Geoffrey Pierce

Geoffrey Pierce was raised in Upstate New York. He spent several years roaming the deserts of Arizona and Utah, climbing through the mountains and valleys of California, and cavorting with the beasts in Yellowstone National Park. He spent far too much time in college attaining a B.A. in English Literature and Philosophy, an M.A. in Teaching Arts, and another M.A. in English Literature. He’s had an array of jobs, from painting and construction to working at a law firm and slinging medical equipment. After teaching for several years, he resigned to be a stay-at-home father. Now that his son is in school full-time, he works as a custodian, handyman, substitute teacher, and daycare provider at his son’s school. Geoffrey is a New Voices Playwright Award-winning author who currently lives in South Florida. He enjoys camping with his family.

Geoffrey has just joined Twitter where you can follow him @BruceLeePierce.

You know, some authors feel like old friends even when I haven’t met them in real life and lovely Mary Grand is one such author. I’m delighted to welcome her back to Linda’s Book Bag today to tell me about one of her books. Previously Mary told me all about a sense of place in a smashing guest blog here.

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 Mary Grand

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Mary. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thanks, it’s lovely to have a chat with you Linda.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I have brought my new novel Behind the Smile because it is set in one of my favourite places, Mottistone Down here on the Isle of Wight. It is a place of stunning beauty and it is here I created the fictitious village of Elmstone (no planning permission needed for a writer!).

On the actual downs are some wonderful features that I used in the story including the Longstone, the Tudor manor hidden down among the woods, the mysterious isolated cottage and sprawling Compton bay that you can see in the distance. Pepper, my cocker spaniel and I are up on the downs in rain, snow, fog and yes, even sunshine; no two days are the same.

(Thanks so much for bringing these photos too Mary. I’ve travelled all over the world but I’ve never been to the Isle of Wight and it’s on my wish list. I think a visit to your fictitious Elmstone would be a very good place to start.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Behind The Smile?

Our evening with Behind the Smile will be quite an emotional one. Behind the Smile is a dark family drama; it explores what people are hiding behind a mask of fake smiles.

(Oh great! I just love an emotional read. Tell me more.)

Lowri is the person we will spend most of the time with and her journey is not easy.

At the beginning of the novel we find her pregnant, facially scarred from a car accident, abandoned by her lover. She decides to reunite with her husband and move to the idyllic village of Elmstone on the Isle of Wight.  She is deeply unhappy but hides her feelings.  Lowri is befriended by Carina, the beautiful Italian woman living in Elmstone manor, and Heather, the popular local café proprietor. Both appear to Lowri to have perfect lives. However she slowly discovers that Heather and Carina are also both living a lie, that behind their smiles lie secrets, addictions and an obsession that threatens to destroy her.

(Behind the Smile sounds brilliant and just my kind of read.)

You can see why we are in for an emotional evening! However I hope we will end our evening with a sense of hope and find that not all smiles are fake, it is possible to have a smile on our face that reflects genuine happiness inside.

(Interesting concept Mary. You’ve really got me intrigued.) 

As well as a smile, what else have you brought along and why?

I have brought along my cocker spaniel Pepper – I promise that if I give him a dog biscuit he will settle down and sleep for the evening!

(Oh my goodness. Isn’t he just gorgeous? It’s probably just as well that I no longer have four cats though…)

He has spent many hours with me on the downs and also rested on my feet as I wrote Behind the Smile. I always have a cocker spaniel in my stories as Pepper is an integral part of my life now (My children complain that I have more pictures of him on my phone than them).

(My family claim cats were my children – I didn’t have any real ones – so I understand the bond completely!)

While researching the book Pepper and I we went up to the Longstone on the Downs in the dark. My husband accompanied us as Pepper is more likely to chase a rabbit than protect me if anything untoward happened. It was incredible; we heard owls and foxes. There was more light than I expected but the Longstone seemed a bigger and more threatening .The isolated house which looks idyllic in the day looked lonely and abandoned.  It was all very atmospheric until my husband stepped in a cow pat which rather ruined the mood but was very funny.

(I’m not sure I’d have gone on my own with or without Pepper so I think, cow pats aside, it’s a jolly good thing your other half was with you Mary!) 

Thank you so much for staying in with me to tell me about Behind the Smile Mary. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed hearing all about it and not only do I want to read it as soon as I can, I want to get to the Isle of Wight too!

Thank you so much for a lovely evening Linda, Pepper and I have had a great time.

Behind the Smile

Lowri is pregnant, looking forward to a new life with her lover, Simon. But her plans are shattered. She finds herself alone, her face scarred, her future uncertain

Her estranged husband, Jack, proposes they “settle” for each other, and raise Lowri’s unborn child on the Isle of Wight, in the idyllic village of Elmstone.

Lowri is befriended by Carina, the beautiful Italian woman living in Elmstone Manor, and Heather, the popular local café proprietor. However, she soon discovers that no-one is the person they appear.

What dark secrets is Heather hiding from her family and from the village?

Why is Carina desperate for Lowri to fail in her new life and prepared to go to increasingly desperate lengths to destroy her?

As she confronts her own insecurities, and faces another devastating loss, will Lowri find the courage to be proud of the person she is hiding behind the smile?

Will she find true love amid the confusion and intrigue?

Behind the Smile is available for purchase here.

You’ll also find Mary’s Free to Be Tegan here, Hidden Chapters here, Catching the Light here and Making Changes here.

About Mary Grand

Mary Grand was born in Cardiff UK and has retained a deep love for her Welsh roots. She worked as a nursery teacher in London and later taught deaf children in Croydon and Hastings. Mary now lives on the beautiful Isle of Wight with her husband, where she walks her cocker spaniel Pepper and writes. She has two grown up children.

You can visit Mary’s website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @authormaryg.

When the lovely team at Bookollective asked me if I’d like to help celebrate Scoop of the Year by Tom Claver I was so sorry I couldn’t find time to read the book as I was just leaving the country on my travels, but I really wanted to be part of the tour. Thankfully, they were able to step in and interview Tom for me so I’m thrilled to be able to bring you that interview today.

Scoop of the Year is published by Troubador and is available for purchase through these links.

Scoop of the Year

Martin, a hapless journalist on a weekly financial magazine, sees his life take a nosedive with the arrival of Tom de Lacy, a well-heeled reporter who grabs the limelight, not to mention the well-paid industrial correspondent’s job that he has his eye on.

He does his level best to sabotage Tom’s career, only to see his rival land a plum job in television.

But watching his rival’s success while his life disintegrates makes Martin a desperate fellow. Falling on hard times can be murder, and in certain circumstances could even give rise to it.

So when Martin gets a scoop on a major corporate scandal, he just has to grab the opportunity with both hands. He sees it as not only his turn to shine, but his duty.

A Bookollective Interview with Tom Claver

So, in a change to what normally happens on Linda’s Book Bag – over to Tom and Bookollective!

Who is your perfect reader?

The one who reads to the very end and feels a sense of loss when closing the book because they’ll miss my characters. Scoop of the Year is constructed as a thriller but you don’t have to be a lover of thrillers as it is a satire about journalism and ambition. The story is about life’s dreams, setbacks, and opportunities. The protagonist, Martin, is a dubious character who initially has no ambition apart from derailing the career of a rival reporter. But when a scoop lands in his lap, his ambition turns to outshining his rival despite the fact that it could cost him his life.

What books are on your bedside table?

There is an embarrassing pile of books gathering dust and making me feel guilty. I’m currently reading Eating People is Wrong by Malcolm Bradbury. The book’s humour really appeals to me and I love one particular line where a member of a literary society asks the protagonist, a professor of English, whether he knew lots of writers. He replies, ‘I know some, but I think I prefer people.’ Books still to be read include Jo Nesbo’s Phantom, Ace Atkins’ The Ranger, Stephen King’s Misery, and Michael Dobbs’ A Ghost At The Door.

Do you have a writing routine?

I write every day, unless I’m on holiday. Sometimes it’s just not possible to do much for one reason or another, but I will always write something or re-edit a chapter. I can’t start the day without a walk in the countryside followed by a good read of the newspaper, especially the obituaries. It’s so fascinating to read about a person’s life and the risks taken on the way. Then, I’ll make myself an espresso, as I’m a coffee addict, and get down to work. A break for lunch, and back to the grindstone in the afternoon.

Where do you write best?

In my head! The problem is committing ideas to paper; it is never quite the same as it was in my mind. I have a quiet study to carry out the physical task of writing and editing, but if I could only type directly from the part of my brain with all the brilliant ideas it would be so much better.

Where did your inspiration for Scoop of the Year come from?

After working 35 years in British newspaper and television newsrooms, I can assure you there was no shortage of inspiration.

What are you working on next?

I’ve been kicking around a few ideas, working on them separately until I feel one of them has legs. I’ve reached the stage to go ahead with one of the ideas and will now focus on making it work. It will be different in style to both Scoop of the Year, and my first book, Hider/Seeker, but it is nevertheless a classical thriller. I don’t really want to reveal too much about the new book as it is still early days.

(Thanks all – I really enjoyed finding out more about Tom and Scoop of the Year.)

About Tom Claver

Tom Claver was a director of a publishing company and is now a freelance journalist who has worked in print and television. He was brought up in London and currently lives in Dorset with his wife.

You can find out more by visiting Tom’s website. You can also follow Tom on Twitter @Tom_Claver and find him on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

As part of my degree I studied Slavery and Emancipation in the USA. When I heard that Elliott Light had written The Gene Police it prompted so many memories for me I had to invite him on to Linda’s Book Bag, especially when I learned that he had taken 15 years between books two and three in his trilogy. Luckily he agreed to tell me more.

The Gene Police is published today, 15th May 2018, and is available for purchase here.

There’s a brilliant YouTube trailer for The Gene Police here.

The Gene Police

The Gene Police is a work of fiction that wraps a murder mystery in elements of the eugenics movement. To be clear, it is not a treatise on the subject but should enlighten readers about this little known pseudo science and hopefully inspire some of them to delve deeper into its history, its proponents, and its impact on American life.

The author puts it this way:

My interest in race issues can be traced to growing up in the segregated suburbs of Washington, D.C. My mother’s relatives were slave owners. My great great uncle was a famous eugenicist who was instrumental in the passage of the miscegenation and sterilization laws in Virginia. I’m convinced that if we as society are to rid ourselves of the curse of racism and white supremacy, we need to continue to keep the issue in the public conversation. My hope is that The Gene Police will add to the dialogue about racial issues by teaching readers about America’s fascination with eugenics while simultaneously entertaining them’.

The Fifteen-Year Gap

A Guest Post by Elliott Light

The Shep Harrington SmallTown® Mystery Series is currently three books:  Lonesome Song (2002), Chain Thinking (2003), and The Gene Police (to be released in January of 2018).  It doesn’t require a calculator to notice a considerable gap between episode 2 (Chain Thinking) and episode 3 (The Gene Police).  The reason for the gap has to do with being laid off, learning  how to write patents, and well, writing a lot of patents.  Patents are largely left-brain exercises that suck up lots of time, energy, and creative juices.

While retirement brought an end to patent writing, it didn’t automatically revive the mindset needed to write another book.  But once bitten by the writing bug, the urge to write may go into remission but it never really goes away.  The itch returned (I know, old people talk in medical terms), but how to scratch it?

I tried to write a really cool thriller involving a forgotten cold war op that put the world on the brink of nuclear war.  I toyed with another thriller in which the human herd was to be culled using a virus and a randomly administered vaccine.  I played with third person narrators.  Then I wrote a mystery set in World War II in which the main character’s father is a famous eugenicist.

So what is eugenics? Marilyn M. Singleton, M.D., J.D., answered the question this way:

Eugenics is a science that deals with the improvement (as by control of human mating) of hereditary qualities of a race or breed. The word is derived from the Greek word eu (good or well) and the suffix –genes (born). Eugenics is sometimes broadly applied to describe any human action whose goal is to improve the gene pool.

In the most general terms, it is the belief that the human population can be improved by affecting who mates with whom. A race, according to eugenics, can be improved by having those with the best genes mate and produce offspring that are equal or superior to their parents. Conversely, a race can be diminished by allowing a person with good genes mate with a person with inferior genes. (Singleton, Marilyn. “Moral Detour.” Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, V. 19, No. 4 Winter 2014, p.114.)

While I had an interesting subject to play with, I was writing without inspiration.  Slowly, the reason because obvious – I missed the characters I’d created in Lonesome Song and Chain Thinking.

Bringing the eugenics story line to a small-town setting didn’t seem too difficult.   I had a plot, a protagonist, and a cast of supporting characters.  All I needed was a narrative that could be told by my old friends.  But the complexities of writing such a story were quickly revealed.

Lonesome Song takes place in 2001 and Chain Thinking in 2002.  The main character, Shep Harrington is in his early thirties.  At least two characters, Doc Adams and Carrie Toliver are in their eighties.  In order to use the supporting cast to tell about events in 1950, The Gene Police had to take place in 2003, otherwise some of the characters would be close to a hundred years old.  Similarly, the characters involved in the events of the forties and fifties had to be the right age to allow some of them to be brought into the early 2000s.

Another consideration is that in an episodic series like mine, the characters are the structure that bridges the episodes.  Hopefully, readers are drawn to the major characters.  I had to be certain that the personality and voice that made a character unique and likeable were carried into The Gene Police even as new information about that character was revealed.

Hindsight teaches that before starting Chain Thinking, I should have created a “file” for each character appearing in Lonesome Song that at least included the character’s age and birth date.  Of course, like many writers basking in the joy of a first published book, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead.

In order to write The Gene Police, I had to construct a spreadsheet that not only reflected basic biographical information, but the age of each character at critical points on a timeline.  The critical points represented dates when the path of a “new” eugenics character intersected with the path of one or more “permanent” characters.  Highlighting these data points on the timeline helped enforced a “plausibility” requirement that kept the plot from seeming contrived.

With the cast assembled and ages known, the last major challenge was keeping the story technologically honest.  The changes in communications, attitudes, and social media since 2002 are dramatic.  No really smart phones, no lightening internet data speeds, no tablets.  Computers and laptops ruled the day.

Bridging the  fifteen-year gap was without question a challenging experience.  In the end, only you, the reader, can decide how successful I was.

NOTE:   Another consequence of the 15 Year Gap was learning how books are currently marketed.  The explosion of social media not only offers new ways of getting in touch with potential readers,  but obligates writers published by small presses and  self-published writers to create and maintain social media accounts.  Reviews have always been important but writers ignore blogger sites at their peril.  This post is a testament to not only the power of bloggers, but to the critical service they provide.  My thanks to Linda Hill at Linda’s Book Bag for making this platform available to me.

(It’s my pleasure Elliott. Good luck with The Gene Police and don’t leave it another 15 years to write the next book!)

About Elliott Light

Elliott Light is a retired patent attorney living in Florida with his wife Sonya and our feline, Tsuki.  He spent most of his life in the Washington, D.C. area, growing up in McLean, Virginia where gossip spread without the Internet, party lines were common and secrets were hard to keep.

When Elliott was in his early thirties, he was accused of a crime he didn’t commit. This experience with the so-called justice system ended after a two year ordeal without an indictment and without going to trial, leading Elliott to never fully believe that prosecutors, investigators, or the government are as interested in the truth as they are in getting a conviction, an attitude that he shares with the semi-fictional Shep Harrington.

The Shep Harrington SmallTown® Mystery series began with the publication ofLonesome Song in 2002.

You can find out more on Elliott’s website. You can also follow him on Twitter @elliott_light.

Now, not many Linda’s Book Bag readers know that I am a huge fan of the Tour de France. It used to be my count down to the summer holidays when I was teaching and I was in Paris for the final of the 100th Tour in 2013. Consequently, when lovely Kathleen Jowitt asked me if I would like to be part of the launch celebrations for A Spoke in the Wheel, I jumped at the chance. Kathleen kindly agreed to stay in with me to tell me all about her latest book.

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 Kathleen Jowitt

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Kathleen. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thank you for inviting me! It’s nice to have a bit of a sit-down at this stage on the blog tour.

I bet, so make yourself comfortable! Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’ve brought A Spoke in the Wheel. It’s the story of what happens when a disgraced professional cyclist meets a disabled cycling fan; a story of assumptions, of redemption, and of coming to terms with one’s own limitations.

As for why I’ve chosen it, it’s my newest book, released just last week, and I’m very excited to share it!

(Oh! Congratulations and a belated Happy Publication Day!)

What can we expect from an evening in with A Spoke in the Wheel?

Some surprises, I hope. I always like to play with literary clichés – like the person ‘who’d rather die’ than live with a disability, or the elite athlete whose career is ruined by a false accusation – and bring them more into line with reality.

So in A Spoke in the Wheel we have a disabled character who isn’t holding her breath for a miracle cure and is just getting on with her life. We don’t have the squeaky-clean sporting hero; we’ve got an ordinary bloke who did as well as he could and then made some bad decisions trying to get better.

More than anything, though, what I hope you’ll see in A Spoke in the Wheel is characters who are human, who have their virtues and their flaws, who are doing the best they can.

(I think A Spoke in the Wheel sounds a brilliant book. I like that concept of inverting expectations and clichés.)

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought a handful of spoons and a box of matches. This is a nod to two metaphors that meet in A Spoke in the Wheel.

(Now you’ve got me intrigued! Tell me more.)

Cyclists talk about ‘burning their matches’. They know that they only have so much energy, and that they have to conserve it to make sure that they can get through the day’s racing.

Meanwhile, many disabled people use the ‘spoons’ analogy to express the concept that their physical energy is limited, and that they only have the capacity to complete so many tasks in a day. There’s a really brilliant essay about this here that your blog readers might like to see Linda.

(I’ve had a read of that post and it is so good Kathleen. Thanks for pointing us at it.)

I was watching the Vuelta A España (that’s the Spanish equivalent of the Tour de France) with my partner a couple of years ago, and he made a comment to the effect that professional cyclists probably would understand the concept of ‘spoons’ because they do spend much of their time at the limits of what their body can do.

That was where this book started. Both those metaphors say the same thing: you only have so much physical capacity to get you through the day, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. There comes a point where there are no more spoons in the pile; there are no more matches in the box.

(I wish someone would tell my 84 year old mother that – she really doesn’t need to wash the kitchen floor at six in the morning and then wonder why she’s worn out at 11!)

I began to wonder how two people who were familiar with those concepts might come to interact with each other, and what they might think of each other when they did. Everything else came from there.

(How interesting. I love hearing where authors get their inspiration.)

I’ve also brought some coffee and cake to keep us going. If you go out on a cycling club ride, the chances are you’ll end up at some café or other. How do you like your coffee? And what sort of cake will you have?

(Hmm. I’m really a tea drinker but have just started trying a coffee now and again so you’ll have to guide me on that one Kathleen. As for which type of cake – that’s easy. All of them!)

Thank you so much for staying in with me to tell me about A Spoke in the Wheel Kathleen. I think it’s one of those books I’m going to really enjoy.

A Spoke in the Wheel

The first thing I saw was the wheelchair.

The first thing she saw was the doper.

Ben Goddard is an embarrassment – as a cyclist, as an athlete, as a human being. And he knows it.

Now that he’s been exposed by a positive drugs test, his race wins and his work with disabled children mean nothing. He quits professional cycling in a hurry, sticks a pin in a map, and sets out to build a new life in a town where nobody knows who he is or what he’s done.

But when the first person he meets turns out to be a cycling fan, he finds out that it’s not going to be quite as easy as that.

Besides, Polly’s not just a cycling fan, she’s a former medical student with a chronic illness and strong opinions. Particularly when it comes to Ben Goddard…

A Spoke in the Wheel is available  for purchase on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Lulu and through iBooks.

About Kathleen Jowitt

Kathleen Jowitt was born in Winchester, UK, and grew up deep in the Welsh Marches and, subsequently, on the Isle of Wight. After completing her undergraduate degree in English Literature at the University of Exeter she moved to Guildford and found herself working for a major trade union. She now lives in Cambridge, works in London, and writes on the train.

Her first novel, Speak Its Name, was the first self-published book ever to be shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize.

You can visit Kathleen’s website, follow her on Twitter @kathleenjowitt and find her on Facebook. She’s on Instagram and there’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’m absolutely delighted to be staying in with H.A. Leuschel as part of her blog blitz through Rachel’s Random Resources. Helene has previously featured on Linda’s Book Bag here when she wrote a stunning guest post for me called Mindreading Matters and I reviewed one of her stories from Manipulated Lives.

Not only am I staying in with Helene today, but there is a super giveaway (run independently of Linda’s Book Bag) that you’ll find at the bottom of this blog post too.

Staying in with H.A.Leushel

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag, Helene.

Hello Linda! Thank you very much for inviting me on your lovely blog today.

My pleasure! Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’ve brought along my latest novella My Sweet Friend, a book that explores the difficult topic of pathological lying.

Experts say that determination and perseverance can make a person a master in any area. Willpower and grit to never let up on reaching a goal can mean for some that they are admitted to the Military Academy, others step onto the most coveted of Olympic podiums as a gold medallist, others still win elections to lead a country but … what if honing a skill leads to a much less honourable outcome? What if a person’s finest skills were to tell lies? Worse, what if that same person also lacked the conscience to feel remorse for deceiving others but believed her actions were justified? This is what My Sweet Friend is about.

(This sounds utterly fascinating, especially as I think I might have taught a couple of pathological liars in the past.)

What can we expect from an evening in with My Sweet Friend?  

I would hope that you experience the novella as a compelling read which would make you think as well. Feedback for My Sweet Friend has been wonderful so far. Readers have come back telling me that they read it in one sitting, have found it thought-provoking, a page-turner and some mentioned that it packed a punch for them.

(Knowing how good your writing is Helene I can quite believe it!)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I’ve brought along something pink because I think it’s such a ‘happy’ colour. Pink flowers for instance look vivid and fresh, yet also have a relaxing effect on my mind.

I’ve also decided to bring along some tea. I’m a big tea lover and won’t shy away from trying any new herbal concoction or fancy mix like Coconut and green tea or chilli with cocoa. My children often call me Ms Tea because they usually see me with a cup either warming my hands, propped next to the computer when I write or while I’m devouring my latest read or listening to their happy chatter.

I think today we should have a green matcha latte as it’s a cup of tea with a twist (I like to drink it with almond milk).

(Goodness me. I thought I knew everything there was to know about tea drinking but this is a new one on me. Looks ‘interesting’!)

In case the weather is too warm for tea though, I also brought a tub of ice-cream – can you guess the flavour?

(There’s a bit of a hint of mint there Helene but I can’t spot any chocolate chips!)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Helene, to introduce My Sweet Friend. I think it sounds a really interesting read and am looking forward to it reaching the top of my enormous TBR!

My Sweet Friend

A perfect friend … or a perfect impostor?

Alexa is an energetic and charismatic professional and the new member of a Parisian PR company where she quickly befriends her colleagues Rosie and Jack. She brings a much-needed breath of fresh air into the office and ambitiously throws herself into her new job and friendships.

But is Alexa all she claims to be?

As her life intertwines with Rosie and Jack’s, they must all decide what separates truth from fiction. Will the stories that unfold unite or divide them? Can first impressions ever be trusted?

In this original novella, H.A. Leuschel evokes the powerful hold of appearances and what a person is prepared to do to keep up the facade. If you like thought-provoking and compelling reads with intriguing characters, My Sweet Friend is for you.

My Sweet Friend is available for purchase through these links.

About H.A. Leuschel

Helene Andrea Leuschel grew up in Belgium where she gained a Licentiate in Journalism and Communication, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels, London and Edinburgh.

She now lives with her husband and two children in Portugal and recently acquired a Master of Philosophy with the OU, deepening her passion for the study of the mind.

When she is not writing, Helene works as a freelance journalist and teaches Yoga.

You can find Helene on Facebook, follow her on Twitter @HALeuschel or visit her website.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Giveaway

Win a signed copy of Manipulated Lives by H.A. Leuschel

(Open Internationally)

For your chance to win a signed copy of Manipulated Lives by H.A. Leuschel, click here*.

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then the organiser reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time they will delete the data.

Linda’s Book Bag is not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

I’ve been lucky enough to stay in with several Urbane Publications’ authors here on Linda’s Book Bag, and to meet many of them in person too so I’m delighted to welcome another of the Urbane family, David Barker, back to the blog today to tell me about one of his books. David previously provided a smashing guest post about the motivation for writing that you can read here.

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 David Barker

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, David. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. Which of your books have you brought along this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I have chosen Rose Gold, book two in the Gaia trilogy. It’s just been released (Urbane Publications) and I’m excited to see what readers make of the follow-up to my debut novel.

(Oh – congratulations and happy book birthday!)

What can we expect from an evening in with Rose Gold?

The Gaia trilogy is set in the near future at a time when resource constraints have combined with terrorism and climate change to create a huge amount of geopolitical tension. The British secret service have established a new branch – Overseas Division – to monitor the water situation. Sim Atkins is one of the heroes from Blue Gold who is called up for another dangerous mission at the start of Rose Gold. A new base on the moon is a rare example of international cooperation but not everybody is keen to see it succeed. Sim quickly discovers that he has a very personal reason for helping to keep the moon base safe. Meanwhile back on Earth, an investigative journalist thinks that she has stumbled upon a major scoop about the company that owns the moon base. Can she uncover the truth before they can silence her?

Rose Gold can be read as a standalone novel, though readers of Blue Gold will have a deeper understanding of the world setting and some of the characters’ back stories. Readers can expect plenty of action and tension, but also a story about family and the lengths we will go to protect our loved ones. The Gaia trilogy will conclude with White Gold next year.

(This sounds such an exciting and innovative trilogy David. I know blog readers will love your books.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I have brought a beautiful 3D printed scale replica of the moon, with all of the craters and mountains faithfully rendered. I hope the photo does justice to the model and its clever lighting. [For the cognoscenti out there, it’s set at the moon phase called Waning Gibbous in the photo.] I have always been fascinated with the moon. When I read about the imminent missions to land once again on the moon (China, India and Russia), and hopefully to start mining for resources there (e.g. moonexpress.com), I knew I had to set an adventure on a lunar colony. I still sometimes get up in the middle of the night to stare at the full moon on a clear night, and wonder what it would be like to stride across the surface. Maybe one day…

(I love to travel David but I think I’d be far too claustrophobic to go to the moon with present travel arrangements! I hope you make it one day though…)

Thanks so much for staying in with me and telling me all about Rose Gold, David. I’ve been really intrigued and look forward to reading the whole Gaia trilogy.

Rose Gold

Rose Gold is the thrilling sequel to the bestselling Blue Gold.

In the aftermath of a world war for water, geopolitical tensions remain high and terrorism is a daily fact of life in the 2030s. But a mining base on the moon offers a rare example of international co-operation and a possible solution to the world’s energy problems. Yet not everyone on Earth is keen for this endeavour to succeed…

Sim Atkins and his wife are desperate to start a family. But a shocking message from the moon base tells Sim that he is already a father and that his son’s life is in danger. The mining station is full of suspects and, worse, the woman who fathered his child. Can Sim rescue his son and save his marriage?

Gopal and Rabten – the Gurkha and monk who helped Sim on his last assignment – are on the trail of terrorists and a giant airship. What the agents discover in the cargo hold makes Sim’s mission even more vital. When they get trapped, Freda Brightwell – Sim’s old partner in Overseas Division – is called out of retirement for one more mission.

Once again, corporate greed threatens the lives of millions. Overseas Division s finest are back at the sharp end. And this time, the stakes are far more personal.

Published by Urbane Publications on 10th May 2018, Rose Gold is available for purchase here.

About David Barker

David was born in Cheshire but now lives in Berkshire. He is married to an author of children’s picture books, with a daughter who loves stories. His working life has been spent in the City, first for the Bank of England and now as Chief Economist for an international fund. So his job entails trying to predict the future all the time. David’s writing ambitions received a major boost after he attended the Faber Academy six-month course in 2014 and he still meets up with his inspirational fellow students. He loves reading, especially adventure stories, sci-fi and military history. Outside of family life, his other interests include tennis, golf and surfing.

You can follow David onTwitter @BlueGold201 and find out more about him on his website.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My enormous thanks to lovely Philippa Ward at Titan for a copy of A Breath After Drowning by Alice Blanchard in return for an honest review.

Published by Titan on 10th April 2018, A Breath After Drowning is available for purchase through these links.

A Breath After Drowning

The stunning new psychological thriller from the award-winning author of Darkness Peering and The Breathtaker.

Child psychiatrist Kate Wolfe’s world comes crashing down when one of her young patients commits suicide, so when a troubled girl is left at the hospital ward, she doubts her ability to help.

But the girl knows things about Kate’s past, things she shouldn’t know, forcing Kate to face the murky evidence surrounding her own sister s murder sixteen years before.

A murder for which a man is about to be executed.

Unearthing secrets about her own family, and forced to face both her difficult relationship with her distant father and the possibility that her mother might also have met a violent end, the shocking final twist brings Kate face to face with her deepest fear.

My Review of A Breath After Drowning

Kate Wolfe’s life is about to be turned upside down when everything she thought she knew about her family’s past is brought into question.

Before I begin my review proper, I’m going to get one small grouch out of the way. As with many American based books, there are several references to particular brands in A Breath After Drowning which I find distracting and alien to my British reader taste. I never feel I really need to know whether a character is wearing a particular make of watch or suit. As a result, it took me a little while to attune to the style, but once I did I was totally ensnared.

A Breath After Drowning is a fast paced and exciting thriller with an excellent added and compelling psychiatric dimension that comes roaring through the professions and patients in the narrative. I was so impressed by the level of detail that helped the reader understand various viewpoints and rationales without detracting from the fast-moving action. There is no doubting the level of research that has gone in to making A Breath After Drowning believable and, sometimes, quite a gloriously uncomfortable read. Initially I wondered if the focus on the psychiatric aspect was too great, but as the novel progressed I could see exactly how and why the first half of the novel had the balance it did. This is such clever writing.

Also, in terms of psychiatry and psychology, I felt Alice Blanchard manipulated me just as well as any of the characters manipulate one another. I found I suspected just about everyone of just about everything during the course of my reading so that I was desperate to reach the conclusion to A Breath After Drowning and find out the truth. I wasn’t disappointed either!

In all honesty, A Breath After Drowning is a difficult book to review. I don’t want to say too much about the exciting plot for fear of spoiling the story for other readers and similarly, to reveal much about character could also lead to spoilers. I’ll just say that I found each of the characters very distinct and realistic personalities so that I had a clear knowledge of them. I found the balance of the sexes very interesting and thought the way in which Kate’s relationship with James adds some much needed light relief was very well handled.

The themes underpinning the action illustrate faultlessly how fragile we are; how we are all affected both by nature and nurture and how easy it is to slip from so-called ‘normal’ behaviours into spiralling mental illness. Themes of self-deception, obsession and grief give gravitas so that A Breath After Drowning is actually quite disturbing beyond being a very entertaining book.

I began A Breath After Drowning wondering if I was going to appreciate it as it didn’t seem to appeal to my reading taste and ended up thinking it was skilled, riveting and exciting. It’s a super read.

About Alice Blanchard

Alice Blanchard won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction for her book of short stories, The Stuntman’s Daughter. Her first novel, Darkness Peering, was a New York Times’ Notable Book and a Barnes & Noble Best Mystery. Her thriller, The Breathtaker, was an official selection of the NBC Today Book Club. Alice has received a PEN Award, a New Letters Literary Award, and a Centrum Artists-in-Residence Fellowship. Her books have been published in 16 countries.

You can follow Alice on Twitter @AliceBooks333 and visit her website for more information.

It’s been such a pleasure not only meeting new authors through this Staying In With… feature on Linda’s Book Bag, but finding new publishers too. Today I’m featuring another of Open Books‘ writers, Diana Tarant Schmidt as she stays in to tell me about one of her books.

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 Diana Tarant Schmidt

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Diana. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

Well, at this point I only have one novel to share, but am hoping to break from my cloud of fatigue soon and finish up the draft of my second. My first is called Remember For Me and it really is a part of my soul in so many ways.

I started writing it to reflect and process on the Alzheimer’s Disease with which my grandmother was battling. I decided to give that battle a purpose and create a reason why people have this disease, as well as cancer.

(What an inspiring reason for writing Diana. I’m sure your grandmother would be thrilled to know what you’ve done. I think your cover reflects perfectly that hazy memory Alzheimer’s can produce.)

Beyond that, I wanted to show my students and my two young children, that trying and failing at something was more important than anything…who knew I would actually publish this thing?

(I quite agree. Having a go is all we need to do – and who knows where it might lead?)

And now, I am propelled by each review or comment that proves to me that this little story I made up has brought comfort into the hearts of others.

What can we expect from an evening in with Remember For Me?

On that note, Remember For Me has been such a wild ride for me. I wouldn’t know where to begin. But, I adore seeing what it brings to other people, so I will share some of those responses:

“While my heart was breaking in one chapter, the next chapter filled me with faith and hope.”

“Remember For Me is so believable that it delivers a bit of peace, something I had no idea I was longing for.”

“Instead, it made me consider where my faith does fall, and after consideration… I decided it lay in humanity. The good, the bad and the ugly.”

(These are wonderful endorsements. They have made me really want to read Remember For Me too.)

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I brought with me a picture of my grandmother and grandfather (about whom the book centers). It’s funny how you look back and remember those who influence you most, as heroes. In this book, I was able to make those heroic memories a reality.

(That is such a stunning photograph. I can’t think of a better way of honouring your grandparents than by writing a book prompted by them.)

Thanks so much for staying in and telling me all about Remember For Me Diana. I wish you every success with it.

Remember For Me

Clara Eros thought her life was ending with Alzheimer’s. She was mistaken.

A war between good and evil has raged for as long as humanity has existed, and the balance of power between its forces has always remained equal. But that longstanding balance has begun to shift, and the survival of mankind may be at risk.

What is the source of this duality, and how do the proponents of light and darkness use humans to further their cause? When Clara Eros awakens with no memory, her questions are fundamental: who is she; and why is she here?

The answer she receives is predetermined and singular: she has been recruited to fight a battle against the reign of darkness. But is Clara just a pawn in a much larger game?

Once her transformation is complete, Clara finds herself, in body and mind, as a younger, stronger version of the person she can no longer remember, and now she must search for the common thread hidden within malevolence and turn the tide in a war where humanity is succumbing to chaos and brutality. Will she be strong enough to bring humanity back into the light?

Remember For Me is published by Open Books and is available for purchase here.

About Diana Tarant Schmidt