My enormous thanks to Emma Finnigan PR for a copy of The Homecoming by Rosie Howard in return for an honest review. I had intended to read The Homecoming some months ago but life’s events got in the way when my mother was ill and my reading time evaporated. It was certainly worth the wait.

The Homecoming is published by Allison and Busby and is available for purchase here.

The Homecoming

Maddy fled the idyllic market town of Havenbury Magna three years ago, the scene of a traumatic incident she revisits most clearly in her dreams. Even so, when she is called back to help at the Havenbury Arms when her godfather Patrick suffers a heart attack, she is unprepared for the welter of emotions her return provokes.

Psychologist and ex-army officer Ben is sure he can help Maddy to resolve her fears, until he finds himself falling for her, and struggling with a recently uncovered family secret of which Maddy is blissfully unaware.

Then Maddy’s mother, Helen, arrives and Patrick himself must confront a few uncomfortable truths about his history and the pub’s future.

My Review of The Homecoming

Patrick’s heart attack means Maddy has to return to Havenbury and to a trauma she’s desperately trying to forget.

I have an aversion to using genres to categorise books, but I can’t think of any other way to describe Rosie Howard’s The Homecoming than to say it is women’s fiction at its absolute finest. The Homecoming is such a satisfying read and I enjoyed every moment of the experience.

Firstly, The Homecoming is so well written and mature. Rosie Howard’s prose style is effortless to read – a bit like eating the finest dark chocolate. It does have the ubiquitous 30 somethings of its genre in Maddy, Flora and Ben but it also has more mature characters in Serena, Giles, Patrick and Helen so that it goes beyond the usual scenarios into a much more engaging and entertaining read which held my attention without fail from the first page to the last. I love the potential for future Havenbury stories as there is a cast of people I already care about waiting to be developed in new adventures. Even Pirate the parrot felt real and vivid.

The plot is so well structured. Rosie Howard provides a wonderfully warm and engaging main story which is brilliantly entertaining escapist reading with lovely romance and self-discovery at its heart, but so much more besides as she explores the concept of community, PTSD, issues of trust and how one small untruth can impact whole lives. I think any reader with similar elements in their own lives would derive huge comfort from this story. There are totally realistic and plausible twists and turns along the way so that the reader is completely entranced by, and immersed in, the narrative.

I loved the way in which relationships were presented. As in real life, people in The Homecoming do not always behave well or rationally and I found myself desperate for them all, except Kevin and possibly Simon, to have a happy ending. You’ll have to read the book yourself to find out whether that happens – and I really recommend that you do!

If The Homecoming is to be the first in a new Havenbury series then let me move in. I’m desperate to know more about the people and the place. I thought Rosie Howard had produced a pitch perfect story that left me feeling uplifted and beguiled and I can’t wait for the next installment. I loved it.

About Rosie Howard

I’m often flying off to new places but I don’t travel much by train (though I have been on the Bullet train in Japan) so it gives me enormous pleasure to welcome fellow traveller Mark Johnson to the blog today as he stays in to tell me about his 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 Mark Johnson

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Mark. 

Hi, first of all thanks for asking me. It’s lovely to be here with you.

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

I’ve brought my debut novel Changing Trains. Apart from being my first work, I brought it because I wanted to take you back to the 1980s, when Europe was still emerging as a Continental powerhouse.

We still had border controls, and every country had its own currency. But more importantly, it was that time just before our lives were all changed by the arrival of the internet, mobile phones and, ahem, social media.

(Absolutely. I was just finishing my degree, getting married and starting my career in education. The 1980s mean a lot to me and I think Changing Trains could be exactly my kind of read.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Changing Trains?

One reader referred to the story as ‘a gentle, coming-of-age travel adventure’, which I really liked. It tells the story of Sam, a London professional who, while boarding a Eurostar to France in the present day, has a chance encounter that compels him to remember another train journey he took as a young man, back in 1985, that changed his life and destiny.

(Sounds fascinating. Tell me a bit more.)

If you’ve read Call Me By Your Name, or seen the BAFTA and Oscar winning film of the same name, you may also like Changing Trains. Another reader said  they thought it had a similar feel and mood and could even be the story of what happened to that story’s main character next.

The story is about travelling, learning about new countries and also finding one’s place in the wider world. When Sam set off on his adventure at 19, he has no idea who he is or what he wants to do. There are also questions he must face about his own inner self. He’s uncertain of his sexuality – although he has a ‘kind of’ girlfriend – and taking himself off into the world and away from his small town origins helps him come to terms with this question.

(I adore travel and I really do think it broadens the mind and helps us understand our place in the world. I think Sam’s story sounds wonderful Mark.)

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

Let’s start with the music, to get the mood going. I’ve brought an old mix tape with some Jimmy Somerville, Simple Minds, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Culture Club. This is the kind of music Sam has on his Walkman as he wanders around on Europe’s trains with his Interrail pass.

(Oh yes indeedy – my kind of music. Though I’m sorry there’s no Roxy Music too. I’m rather fond of Bryan Ferry. You won’t mind if I have a bit of a dance will you?)

I also brought a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape white. It’s not very well known that there’s a white version, but it’s one of my favourites and perfect for kicking back with a good book. If you want to open it, I’ll carry on.

(You’re my kind of guest Mark. I’m very partial to champagne. I’ll just fetch the glasses…)

I also have some photos of my Interrail trip. Changing Trains isn’t an autobiography, but I did go Interrailing in 1985 and this was the inspiration for the book.

In one of the photos, you’ll see my Interrail pass, International Youth Hostel Guide and a city map of Venice. Of course, these days, you would probably have all these in digital form on your mobile phone, but there’s something about having the real things in your hands. And they never run out of power.

In another picture that’s me chilling out on Monte Carlo beach. I forgot I had this picture and only found it recently. I love it because it has a real sense of place thanks to the unique Monte Carlo Sporting Club in the background. I also thought it was so cool that they actually used natural materials for the parasols on this very posh beach. Very green and eco friendly. My character Sam visits this same beach in the book and has a rather risqué encounter there. That’s all I’m saying.

(Now that is intriguing! Great photo Mark – a real 80s feel to it.)

The last photo is my favourite. The old French SNCF trains look so nostalgic now and really like something from the golden age of rail travel, even though they were notoriously late and not always very reliable. I actually wrote much of the book while travelling back and forth between London and SW France on the Eurostar and TGV trains, which are far more comfortable and luxurious, but they don’t have the same character as the old trains.

I still travel on the Eurostar and TGV trains, so if you see me typing away or staring out the window (what I call research), do say hello.

(I will indeed – though with the French rail strikes at the moment it could take a while…)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Mark, to introduce Changing Trains. It sounds like a book that might just evoke many memories for me and Linda’s Book Bag readers. I’ve really enjoyed our time together.

Changing Trains

If you liked Call Me By Your Name, Changing Trains will transport you back to the same time period and one working class boy’s coming-of-age journey of discovery and sexual self awareness.

After a busy week in the newsroom, editor Sam is looking forward to relaxing on his regular Eurostar journey from London to his second home in the south west of France.

But a chance encounter at the busy station compels him back to a time in the 1980s, when he travelled parts of Europe by train alone and in search of adventure, self discovery and his place in the world.

A sun-kissed, coming-of-age story set in a time just before mobile devices, the internet and social media, Sam travels across Europe, with its varied currencies, border controls and strange cultures, keen to better understand his own nature and his relationship with others in a new emerging world.

Changing Trains is available for purchase here.

About Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson is a Scottish born journalist, writer and broadcaster. For three years he wrote a weekly column for the Daily Telegraph on life as an expat commuter. He has also worked for award winning news organisations such as the BBC, Bloomberg TV and Dow Jones Newswires.

He’s spent most of his life working as a journalist in the City of London, covering the ups and downs of the global financial markets.

In the noughties, he spent three years living in Dubai and has extensively travelled the world for work and pleasure.

He now lives between London and New Aquitaine in France, traveling often by eurostar and TGV and longs for the day when he doesn’t have to ‘change trains’ to get to the south west.

You can find out more by visiting Mark’s blog, following him on Twitter @MJKennington or finding him on Facebook.

Oh my goodness am I a lucky blogger. Some little while ago I received an invitation from the lovely folk at Quercus to afternoon tea at The Covent Garden Hotel in London with wonderful author Rosanna Ley to celebrate the publication of  her latest novel Her Mother’s Secret. Now, having loved every word I’ve ever read from Rosanna Ley, I jumped at the chance.

Rosanna is no stranger to Linda’s Book Bag, having written a fabulous guest post on Travel and Research when The Little Theatre by the Sea was published. You can read that post here. I also reviewed Rosanna’s Last Dance in Havanna here and that book made it onto my favourite reads of the year here. So you can see why I was so excited.

And what a wonderful afternoon it was.

I tried very hard (and unsuccessfully) not to be too star struck meeting Rosanna and was thrilled to hear all about her next book (though I don’t know if I’m allowed to say too much about it yet, except to say Rosanna’s husband came up with the title!) and to talk with her about travel and her research as that’s another of my great loves alongside reading and books. It was smashing to have author and Heat Magazine‘s Book Review Editor, Isabelle Broom also there as I love Izzy’s writing too.

We were treated to a glass of bubbly and some delicious sandwiches, cakes and scones with our choice of tea so that I think I ate my own body weight in goodies. With the royal wedding coming up we opted for that version of afternoon tea to celebrate Rosanna’s Her Mother’s Secret.

(The waiter had to talk us through the food as there was so much to choose from!)

As well as two super authors in the star guest Rosanna Ley and writer Isabelle Broom, fellow bloggers Laura and Heidi were there along with press officer, lovely Olivia Mead from Quercus, and My Weekly‘s Commissioning Fiction Editor Karen Byrom.

We had a fabulous afternoon with wonderful bookish chat, much laughter and scrumptious food. Even better, I came away with a wonderful copy of Rosanna’s Her Mother’s Secret too. I’ll be reading that and blogging about it as soon as I can.

Her Mother’s Secret

For many years Colette has avoided returning to her homeland – the magical island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany – afraid to confront the painful memories she left behind. She is living on the Cornish coast when she hears about her mother Thea’s failing health and realises that the time has come for her to go home. But can Colette ever forgive Thea for what she has done?

Despite Colette’s wariness, romantic Belle-Île still fascinates her. She takes on the running of her mother’s flower shop and makes friends with Élodie from the Old Lighthouse where Thea once worked as a nanny and with the enigmatic Étienne who shares Colette’s mixed feelings about the island. As Thea opens up to her for the first time, Colette finds herself softening and being drawn back into the landscape of her past. But can Belle-Île also be a part of her future?

The ghosts of that past still linger. What happened all those years ago and how did it cause the rift between mother and daughter?

It becomes clear that the beauty of Belle-Île hides a devastating family secret – one that Colette is determined to unravel at any cost.

Her Mother’s Secret is published by Quercus and is available for purchase here.

About Rosanna Ley

Rosanna Ley is the bestselling author of novels including Return to Mandalay and The Villa, which sold over 310,000 copies. In February 2015 Return to Mandalay was shortlisted for the RNA Award for the Epic Romantic Novel. She has written numerous articles and short stories for magazines, and her novels have been published in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Norway, Hungary, Portugal, Lithuania, Turkey and the Czech Republic. The Villa is also published by Quercus in the US.

Rosanna has also worked as a creative writing tutor for over 20 years. She has led courses for colleges and universities in England, and runs her own writing retreats in the UK and abroad in Italy and Spain. She has worked with community groups in therapeutic settings and completed an MA in Creative Writing for Personal Development in order to support this. She also runs a manuscript appraisal service to appraise and mentor the work of new writers.  She is married with children and lives in Dorset.

You’ll find Rosanna Ley on Facebook and can follow her on Twitter @rosannaley. You can also visit her website.

My grateful thanks to Jenny Platt at Penguin Random House for a copy of Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling by Emer Mclysaght and Sarah Breen in return for an honest review and for inviting me to be part of the launch celebrations.

Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling was published on 3rd May 2018 by Penguin and is available for purchase here.

Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling

Twenty-something Aisling – that’s pronounced Ashling – is the sensible sort.

She wears kitten heels for the sake of her arches.

And a great night out is knowing the immersion heater at home is securely switched off.

In other words, country girl Aisling likes to play it safe in the big city.

But that hasn’t helped get her man John to hurry up and pop the question.

Throwing caution to the wind an impatient Aisling tries to encourage him, only for her whole life to come crashing down.

Now no umbrella, electric blanket, nor sensibly sized heel can save her.

What’s a complete Aisling to do?

My review of Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling

With all her friends marrying off, Aisling is waiting for long term boyfriend John to propose too.

I have to be completely honest and say that for the first two chapters, although I was enjoying Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling, I didn’t love it. It felt a little bit too self consciously like modern Irish female fiction with colloquialisms and its occasional dialect so that initially I thought it was trying too hard. However, it wasn’t long before I was drawn into the rhythm of the writing, hearing Aisling’s voice as if she were actually one of my own friends and enjoying the humour, so that I found I actually couldn’t put it down and I WAS loving it. Very quickly the narrative style seemed to be natural and realistic, enabling me to picture setting and character perfectly and I found myself wanting to return to the book at every available opportunity. I am now desperate to know what happens next to Aisling and  hope there will be a follow up book.

I found Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling a smashing escapist read with a depth of emotion and variety of theme that genuinely surprised me. It’s not often a reader can say they have been reduced to tears over a wheel clamping episode in a book! I laughed aloud frequently too. I thought the plot was deftly handled so that there were true surprises along the way making for a thoroughly enjoyable story. To say too much would be to spoil the story for other readers, but at the heart of the writing are two major themes of relationships and identity that are both comprehensively and brilliantly handled.

The characters are varied and engaging. Of course Aisling takes centre stage and she is the prism through which we view everyone else, but her descriptions, her ability to digress and her honesty (and frequent confusion) make her a truly understandable and empathetic character. I found the manner in which the layers of character were uncovered in the others by Aisling’s observations was finely tuned and very effective.

Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling has something for every reader because although we may not all be a complete Aisling, I think we all have a little bit of Aisling in us. I thoroughly enjoyed Oh My God, What A Complete Aisling. I found it entertaining, engaging, funny and emotional. It left me feeling as if I had had a really lovely reading experience and I thoroughly recommend it.

About Emer Mclysaght and Sarah Breen

Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen conceived the character of Aisling in their sitting room in 2008, when they began to observe the many traits, characteristics and quirks of a very particular type of Irish girl; one they identified around them and one they identified with.

Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling was an instant sensation in their native Ireland and the Number One bestselling adult fiction title of 2017.

Emer McLysaght is the former editor of The Daily Edge and has worked extensively in journalism and radio.

Sarah Breen is a journalist whose work has appeared in Stellar, Image, U, the Irish Independent and The Gloss.

You can follow Emer on Twitter @EmerTheScreamer and Sarah @sarahjaybee.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Since I began this Staying in with… feature on Linda’s Book Bag I have featured authors who are new to me, who are friends in real life, and who have made me laugh, cry and think. Today’s guest, José de la Torre, is one of those who is making me think!

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 José de la Torre

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

It’s an honor to be here with you, thank you for inviting me along.

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 new book Spiritual Living for Busy People, because I honestly believe it may help people who may be searching.

There’s a growing trend in this country of people who consider themselves to be spiritual, but not necessarily religious.  I grew up in a very religious household, so I struggled for many years with my heart and mind at odds with each other, with my mind struggling with the faith I was raised in, while my heart sought a deeper spiritual connection with the Creator.  After twenty years of searching, I think I finally found answers that reconciled my heart with my mind.  Now I want to share those thoughts with others who may be struggling with the same thing.

(What an interesting premise for your writing. I think many, many people are indeed searching for their own version of spirituality José .)

What can we expect from an evening in with Spiritual Living for Busy People?

If you’ve been struggling with faith, or have been wanting to find more meaning in life or understand who we are and where we come from, then this book may help you find answers to all those questions.  Even if you are comfortable with your faith, you may find ideas in this book reaffirming or encouraging.

The basic conclusion I came to is that we’re all sparks off the Divine flame, so there’s nothing to do necessarily to be spiritual, because we are, at our core, spiritual beings.  Not only that, but we also have a mental body and an emotional body, that all combine and work together as a whole in our physical body.  Imagine that we create our own reality starting with a desire in our soul, then it becomes a thought, and that thought becomes energized through our emotions until it is acted on by our body.

(That’s quite profound. I’ll need to think hard about what you’re saying here.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I brought a couple of pictures with me that I wanted to share with you.

When it comes down to it, all we have is each other.  Our lives are shaped and defined by our relationships with each other.  We get the most out of life when we love others freely, and in return, we receive love.

I was watching the sunset this evening and it was gorgeous!  It reminded me of the beauty of God’s creation.  It was as if though God had made a live painting with the sky as the canvas!  The first picture I’d like to share then, is that of a couple in love admiring a beautiful sunset.  It reminds me that it all comes down to loving each other, and it also reminds me to take the time to admire the beauty around us and to give thanks for what we have.

(You’re absolutely right that we need to be more aware of the simple pleasures in life and to be grateful for what we have – especially when we are so much better off than many others.)

When I was a young boy, we’d go camping in Boy Scouts almost every month.  One of my favorite parts of camping was lighting a camp fire at night, and then singing corny camp songs or telling outrageous ghost stories to try and scare each other.  Then when everything was over, I would just sit and stare at the flames. They can be quite mesmerizing!  Once in a while, there would be a popping sound, and an ember would go flying out.

To me, the fire is a good analogy for the Creator.  Creation is born out of a creative force that is fiery.  If God is the fire, then each of us is like a spark that pops out of the fire.  We are a tiny miniscule version of the Creator, and have part of the Creator within us.  Through that spark, we are connected directly to the Creator at all times as well, so there is never a time that we are separate from Creation or the Creator.  Even now, I enjoy watching sparks fly off from a campfire.  Even the tiniest spark has the potential of starting a brand new fire.

How interesting. Thanks so much for staying in with me and sharing your book, Spiritual Living for Busy People and your beliefs José. I’m sure you’ve given many of us food for thought.

Spiritual Living for Busy People

In today’s frantically busy world, how can we find the time to live spiritually? What does living spiritually mean, anyway? Why are we even here? What is the point of it all?

Spiritual Living for Busy People answers all of these questions, and many more.

When you read this accessible, thought-provoking book, you will:

• Learn what it means to live spiritually, and why taking small breaks for spiritual refreshment can offer great benefits.

• See how you can live spiritually, without a significant investment of your time.

• Discover your purpose in life, your reason for being here.

• Find out how you can MAP IT FIRST, DUDE to find the path to fulfillment.

• Claim your power to create the life you want.

• Consider how obtaining inner peace can contribute to world peace.

Be at peace!

Spiritual Living for Busy People is available for purchase here.

About José de la Torre

José de la Torre, who holds a degree in mathematics from Arizona State University, a Masters from the University of Texas at Austin and did a stint in the Peace Corps, was raised Catholic and spent 20 years searching for meaning. During that time he read hundreds of books on spirituality, philosophy and metaphysics. He wrote Spiritual Living for Busy People because he wanted other people to have an easier time in their own search for spirituality and meaning.

You can find out more on José’s website. You’ll also find him on Facebook.

It’s been my absolute privilege to feature C.L. Taylor on Linda’s Book Bag before when Cally wrote a super guest post about the things that terrified her as a child (here) when The Missing was being launched, when we bloggers revealed her novel The Escape (here) and more recently when I reviewed The Treatment in a post you can read here.

Today I am reviewing Cally’s latest book, The Fear, and would like to thank Sabah Khan at Avon Books for sending me a copy in return for an honest review. I was so sorry I couldn’t participate in the blog tour as I didn’t trust automatic scheduling whilst I was away on holiday, but am delighted to have been able to review anyway.

Published by Avon Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, The Fear is available for purchase through these links.

The Fear

Sometimes your first love won’t let you go…

When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn’t what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.

Now 32, Lou discovers that he is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, she returns home to confront him for the damage he’s caused.

But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that she could once again become his prey…

My review of The Fear

Boyfriend Ben’s attempt at a romantic surprise backfires dreadfully for Lou.

The Fear is a twisty, clever thriller that held me spellbound from start to finish. There are elements where the reader needs to suspend disbelief as characters don’t always behave rationally and there are a couple of inconsistencies with regard to phone signals for example, but these have no negative effect at all because the plot is so thrilling and engaging and C.L. Taylor writes so well and convincingly. On several occasions I had to put down The Fear as I was reading to give myself a break, often exclaiming ,’Ooo’ as I did so because it has such a claustrophobic and disturbing atmosphere.

At times I found the subject matter very uncomfortable to read, with a much older man exploiting teenage girls, especially in the italicised first person accounts of the past from Lou, but I think this is one of the many successes of the writing. C.L. Taylor makes the reader understand completely how the inappropriate relationships develop and how plausible such manipulative men like Mike can be. I loved the way she illustrated the impact of such behaviours on so many people and I found Wendy a particularly strong, obsessive individual who gained my empathy despite her own creepy behaviour.

I found myself completely invested in the characters, desperate to know what happened to them all and even having finished the book, I’m still thinking about Chloe and Lou especially, because they felt so real to me.

However, as well as being a highly entertaining story, The Fear has many layers of depth that really cause the reader to contemplate society and how we judge and are judged by others. The impact of social media, sexuality and the way in which teenage girls can be so affected by their sense of self-image, the attitudes of the press and the police all swirl beneath the surface of a cracking story so that there is enhanced intensity. Not every person who commits a crime is caught and punished and I think this is what makes C.L. Taylor such a good writer. She doesn’t always provide easy answers and solutions, so that her writing has a genuine supremacy. She makes her readers think whilst entertaining them brilliantly.

I thought The Fear was a corker of a read. It’s one of those books that worms its way under a reader’s skin and doesn’t let them forget it in a hurry. I really recommend it.

About C. L Taylor

C.L. Taylor studied for a degree in Psychology at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle then moved to London to work as a shipping co-ordinator for a medical publishing company. Made redundant after two years she re-trained and moved to Brighton where she worked as a graphic designer, web developer and instructional designer over the course of 13 years. She currently works 4 days a week as a Distance Learning Design and Development manager for a London university, looks after her toddler son 3 days a week and squeezes in writing her novels when she should be sleeping.

You can follow C.L. Taylor on Twitter and find out more about her on her web site. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

I’m delighted to welcome an inspirational author to Linda’s Book Bag today – Juanita Ingram. Juanita has achieved so much in her life and I’m delighted she’s agreed to stay in with me and chat a bit 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 Juanita Ingram

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Juanita. 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?

Today I brought with me my new book that just came out on April 16th. Fabulous, Faithful and Free is a straight-talking book on how to continuously feel fabulous while staying within one’s financial means, living beyond the labels and limitations that hinder one’s progress, whilst truly investing in and being faithful to oneself in order to turn dreams into reality and to become both mentally and financially free.

(Fabulous, Faithful and Free sounds like a book we could all benefit from.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Fabulous, Faithful and Free?

I take readers on a journey and help them to living a Fabulous Faithful and Free life. I go in depth about the importance of self-worth, the power of the 3 “Ps” (Positivity, Preparation and Permission), what true beauty is (energy, balance, radiance and polish), and therefore the importance of loving one’s body regardless of size and self-perceived flaws. Furthermore, I provide sound financial wisdom as well as fashion advice and tools such as: style principles to develop your unique look, savvy shopping strategies and building blocks for a flexible wardrobe.   Consequently, this book will help readers to become their elegant and best-self, whilst encouraging readers to celebrate their uniqueness, through providing tools to enhance their mind-set and outward appearance. Most importantly, it will help them to live their best life by pushing past the limiting labels placed on them by society and being free to be all that they are purposed to be without apology. The very last chapter of the book is actually a workbook that helps bring everything, all of the strategies in the book, together and provides a practical application for all that is presented in the book.  There is something in this book for everyone, whether you are picking up the pieces of a broken life, or looking to add more to your list of accomplishments, now is the time to press the reset button, eliminate disruptions and distractions, and embrace being Fabulous Faithful and Free.

(What a wonderful approach Juanita. I think your book sounds inspiring.)

I truly desire for readers to experience life to the fullest, because I know that it is possible. I want readers to live their dreams rather than just dream. I reaped the rewards of hard work, determination and self-discipline, and now I want to pass the baton on to others In this book readers will learn how to:

• Prepare for destiny
• Let go of past mistakes
• Become financially stable
• Look like a million pounds
• Celebrate your uniqueness
• And much more

(I have a feeling many Linda’s Book Bag readers will be very interested in your ideas.)

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

I brought along with me my crown and sash from the time that I competed and won the title of Ms. World International! It is a reminder for me to never second guess yourself and to never place limits on what you can achieve.

(My goodness. How exciting!)

I’ve competed and won many titles, in fact, Madame Noir acknowledged me as one of the Top 7 Black Women in Pageantry to turn Beauty into Business along with Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey, and Vanessa Williams. I brought it to remind myself and others that it is okay to be more than just one thing in life. I wear many hats, Attorney, Author, Actress. I want others to know that if you take the limits off, you can give yourself permission to excel in all the areas of life that you are gifted in.

That’s fabulous advice. Thank you so much for staying in with me to tell me about Fabulous, Faithful and Free. You’ve been a true inspiration.

Fabulous, Faithful and Free

Are you stuck in a dead-end situation?

Do you know you have great potential inside, but fear you’ll always fall short?

Do you feel like you’re letting yourself down?

Fabulous, Faithful and Free is your roadmap from stuck to stellar!

In Fabulous, Faithful and Free, Juanita takes you step-by-step through a personal transformation that will unlock your unique gifts, reveal your true beauty, and unleash your wildest dreams.

Fabulous, Faithful and Free is available in all the usual places including here via Juanita’s website.

Proceeds from the book will be donated to charity. 

About Juanita R. Ingram

Juanita Ingram is an author of both children’s books and inspirational books for women. She is an international speaker at conferences and on radio and television on various topics regarding female empowerment, beauty, fashion, legal topics, and self-worth. Juanita Ingram is the Founder and Chair of Dress For Success Greater London.

Juanita Ingram is the first African-American woman to compete and win the title of Mrs. Indiana United States in 2007 and has since gone on to compete and become the first African-American Ms. World International 2012, Mrs. UK Universe 2013 and Mrs. Great Britain World 2011.

You can find out more by visiting her website. You can follow Juanita on Twitter @Juanitaingram. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

My enormous thanks to Emma Finnigan PR for a copy of Beneath the Water by Sarah Painter in return for an honest review and an apology that it has taken so long to get round to reading it!

Published by Lake Union on 8th February 2018, Beneath the Water is available for purchase here.

Beneath the Water

Munro House is the new start Stella needs. But it will also draw her back to a dark past…

Devastated by a broken engagement, Stella Jackson leaves her old life behind for a new start in rural Scotland. But when she arrives in the remote coastal village of Arisaig, nothing is what she expected.

At the edge of Arisaig sits Munro House; grand, imposing and said to be cursed by a string of tragic deaths. No less intriguing is its eccentric and handsome young owner, Jamie Munro, who hires Stella as his assistant while he pursues a seemingly impossible aim. Working through the great house’s archives, Stella soon finds herself drawn in by a cache of increasingly erratic letters from a young Victorian woman about her husband, Dr James Lockhart, a man whose single-minded ambition has strange parallels with Jamie’s.

Just as Stella begins developing feelings for Jamie, she discovers that the connection between the Lockharts and the Munros could have sinister repercussions for them both. She’s finally found the life she wants to live—but is it all an illusion?

My Review of Beneath the Water

A break up with her unfaithful boyfriend sees Stella running away to old university friends Rob and Caitlin in Scotland.

I’m going to be totally honest and say that Beneath the Water is not a perfect book for me. There are times when I felt Stella would have been more confrontational or straightforward with Rob, Jamie and Caitlin, so that I did need to suspend my disbelief on occasion and I would have liked a more equitable balance between present and past events, giving the subplot greater status.

However, that said, I think the fact that Beneath the Water is slightly off-kilter is actually a positive aspect as it reflects the ominous events and atmosphere surrounding Munro House. I thought Beneath the Water was a very entertaining read. It has elements of romance, crime, history and psychological thriller so that I really do think there is something for every reader between its pages. Although I felt sometimes characters might have behaved differently, there is no denying we can’t really know how we might respond until we’re in a similar situation. What Sarah Painter does so well in Beneath the Water is show how we never really fully know ourselves, never mind other people, and that makes for a very interesting read.

I really enjoyed the exploration of science and how history and genetics can, or can be perceived to, affect present lives. Beneath the Water made me realise just how much we take for granted and expect from medical advances today with little or no regard for those who have put themselves through severe experiments for our benefit. I always enjoy a book that makes me think. Consequently, I’d have liked to hear even more about Jessie and the lives in the past as I thought those passages through Jessie’s letters were very creepy and menacing.

I particularly enjoyed the evocative setting of highland Scotland. The plot of Beneath the Water is dramatic and entertaining. I could really see this narrative translating into an excellent television series, especially as Sarah Painter uses the weather and a very visual description of facial expression so effectively, so that actors could portray the characters easily. The relatively reduced number of characters also added to the claustrophobic and threatening undercurrents providing a very evocative effect.

Beneath the Water is unusual, entertaining and actually very thought provoking. I found it intriguing and enjoyed it.

About Sarah Painter

Before writing books, Sarah Painter worked as a freelance magazine journalist, blogger and editor, combining this ‘career’ with amateur child-wrangling (AKA motherhood).

Sarah’s debut novel, The Language of Spells, is contemporary fiction with a touch of magic, while her latest, In The Light of What We See, mixes historical fiction with psychological thriller. Yes, she finds it difficult to stick to one genre!

Sarah lives in rural Scotland with her children, husband, and a grey tabby called Zelda Kitzgerald. She drinks too much tea, loves the work of Joss Whedon, and is the proud owner of a writing shed.

You can follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahRPainter, visit her website and find her on Facebook.

Sometimes books look so gorgeous that I’m devastated I can’t read them all. My guest staying in with me on Linda’s Book Bag today, Daralyse Lyons, has some fabulous covers for her many books and I’m delighted she’s telling me all about one of them today.

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 Daralyse Lyons

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Daralyse. 

Thank you for having me!  I love the idea of connecting with an avid reader in a cozy and intimate forum and being able to chat about my work.

(Which is exactly why I set up this staying in with series, Daralyse. I wanted authors to be able to showcase their books in an informal way as I simply can’t read and review all the ones I’m offered.)

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

I’ve written and published 20 novels so far, all of which are available on my website, but I’m sharing The Murderer’s Wife with you because it has so many enticing elements – romance, mystery, humor…  It’s an engaging read and one that appeals to a broad spectrum of readers.  And I hope your readers will connect with me via my website and tell me what they think of it!

(I hope they will too Daralyse.)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Murderer’s Wife?

What you can expect from a night in with The Murderer’s Wife is a mystery and a love story.

Laura Cutty is in love with a murderer.

She knew when she married him that Thomas Cutty was a killer. She accepts that about him, just as he accepts everything distasteful about her – like the way she cracks her knuckles when nervous or uses the last of the toilet paper without replacing the roll.

Twelve years of marriage and two beautiful babies later, and Laura and Thomas have learned to love the life they built together – a life that depends on Laura never asking the question: Who did Thomas kill last night?

(Oh! What a premise for a book, It sounds intriguing. I’ve never really thought about the partner of a murderer before.)

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

I’ve brought along a cup of hot cinnamon spice tea because I’m almost as voracious a tea-drinker as I am a reader and writer.

(That makes two of us then – I think I have tea rather than blood in my veins.)

And I’ve also brought my character, Laura Cutty, to be with us.  Laura is amazing, but she doesn’t get out much because she’s too busy taking care of her kids and cleaning up after her husband so he doesn’t get caught for any of his crimes.  But she’s happy for the chance to be social.

(She’s very welcome – as long as she’s not scoping me out to be her husband’s next victim!)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Daralyse, to introduce The Murderer’s Wife. I shall be locking the doors very firmly after you leave!

The Murderer’s Wife

Laura Cutty is in love with a murderer.

She knew when she married him that Thomas Cutty was a killer. She accepts that about him, just as he accepts everything distasteful about her – like the way she cracks her knuckles when nervous or uses the last of the toilet paper without replacing the roll.

Twelve years of marriage and two beautiful babies later, and Laura and Thomas have learned to love the life they built together – a life that depends on Laura never asking the question: Who did Thomas kill last night?

The Murderer’s Wife is available for purchase from your local Amazon site.

About Daralyse Lyons

In the second grade, Dara (or “Daralyse Lyons” as her angry teacher called her) was sent to the principal’s office for misbehaving. When she arrived, instead of going in to see the principal and accepting her punishment, Daralyse lied about having a stomach ache and needing to see the nurse. She’s been telling stories and putting on performances ever since.

She wears many hats as an author, actress, yogi, and transformational coach/speaker, but the common thematic elements to all her endeavors is her love of stories and desire to help people find happiness. A summa cum laude graduate of New York University with a double-major in English Literature and Religious Studies and a minor in History, Daralyse brings intelligence, sensitivity, enthusiasm, creativity and business acumen to all of her endeavors.  She lives in the quaint Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.

You can find out more on Daralyse’s website, by finding her on Facebook and following her on Twitter @daralyselyons.

Having previously enjoyed Anne John-Ligali’s lovely novella The Big Event, my review of which you can read here, I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for her latest story, The Weekend Spa Break, thanks to fellow blogger and tour organiser Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources. Not only do I have my review, but there is a very special giveaway message from Anne too!

Part Two in the Friendships Online Series The Weekend Spa Break is available for purchase here.

The Weekend Spa Break

After finally meeting in person at the publishing party of the season, Constance and Estelle are determined not to let their friendship return to mere virtual champagne bottles and uploaded pictures of food.

It’s been a busy year, and Constance feels it’s time to reward herself with the spa break Estelle gave her for Christmas. Naturally, Constance wouldn’t dream of taking anyone other than Estelle, and this will provide the perfect opportunity to bond with her new chum.

As the excited pair spend some quality time together, they realise it’s not just writing books they have in common, but something that goes much deeper. After a few Jacuzzi sessions, facials, pedicures, and a massage by sexy Senior Therapist, Julio, everything seems to be peachy until an unexpected visitor turns Constance’s weekend of bliss … on its head.

A two-day spa break.

Sparkling water on tap.

And the perfect massage.

But who’s rubbing who up the wrong way?

You can see a smashing trailer for The Weekend Spa Break here.

My Review of The Weekend Spa Break

Constance is in need of a treat and a weekend spa break with Estelle seems just the thing.

Although it would be good to have read the first in the Friendships Online Series, The Big Event, because it’s lovely to continue the story, it really isn’t necessary. Anne John-Ligali drops in just the right level of information so that The Weekend Spa Break works just as well as a stand alone read as it does as part of a series.

I love how Anne John-Ligali packs so much into a novella and she doesn’t stint on the appeal to the senses either. It’s the attention to detail from the aroma of a burning cake to an expensive perfume, or the texture of a fur coat to the taste of champagne that gives a liveliness and vivacity to the story. She includes vivid colour and texture so that reading The Weekend Spa Break is a very stimulating experience.

The plot of this novella is packed with interest with some surprises too and I can’t wait to read the continuation to see what happens next in Constance’s life. However, despite an interesting storyline, for me it’s the pleasure of the underpinning themes and messages that I so enjoy about Anne John-Ligali’s writing. She has great insight into how we think and behave as humans and her writing illustrates the basic human need for friends and family, the difficulties of being a single parent with a challenging child, our reliance on social media and our basic requirement to look after ourselves as well as others. ach of these elements is woven into the narrative in a natural and engaging way so that I found myself nodding in agreement with Constance at times.

I really recommend the Friendships Online Series. In the same way Constance took a short break out of her life to enjoy (most of the time!) her spa break, reading The Weekend Spa Break gave me time out from my busy life and I enjoyed the process very much.

About Anne John-Ligali

Anne John-Ligali is a writer and the founder of Books and Authors UK, a popular website featuring author interviews and book reviews.  She loves all things books: reading, writing, going to book events, and meeting other book lovers. She has written a series of short stories and is currently writing her first novel.

Anne has always loved stories and read many books as a child, including the entire Sweet Valley High and Caitlyn series.  Her interest in writing fiction came years later, when she began writing for pleasure in 2007.

Originally from Peterborough, Anne now lives in London. After moving to London, she studied graphic design at the University of Arts and has held a number IT administration jobs in the city. Anne continues writing and aspires to write more women’s fiction books, a non-fiction book and several children’s books.

You can find out more about Anne on her blog, on Facebook, Instagram and by following her on Twitter @AnneJohnLigali.

There’s a special message to follow from Anne John-Ligali:

Giveaway

To mark the release of part two in the friendships series, I’m giving away a Sanctuary Spa gift set and a signed printed and bound copy of The Weekend Spa Break to one lucky winner.  At present, there are no physical copies of The Weekend Spa Break available, so this is a treat.

To enter you only have to do is visit my Twitter page https://twitter.com/AnneJohnLigali and retweet the pinned tweet showing this GIVEAWAY.

A winner will be chosen at random by Tweet Draw and announced on Saturday the 19^th of May at 20:00hrs.

Competition is open worldwide.

Good luck

(Linda’s Book Bag readers please note that this giveaway is totally independent of the blog!)

There’s more about Anne with these other bloggers too: