Being of a certain age and fast approaching a ‘big’ birthday, I’m delighted to welcome Hannah Lynn to Linda’s Book Bag today. As part of the launch celebrations for Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin, Hannah has written a wonderful guest post for me to share with you today for when she’s approaching the same birthday as me.

There’s also a super giveaway from Hannah that you can enter at the bottom of this blog post.

Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin is available for purchase here.

Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin

When George Sibley dies, his only son, Eric, has no idea that his inheritance will come with conditions. Now, if Eric is to ever get his hands on his father’s treasured Aston Martin, he must somehow juggle his hectic career and family life in the city, with regular visits to the small riverside town of Burlam.

Life for Eric quickly becomes a chaotic kaleidoscope of grumpy pensioners, wellington boots and vintage auto-mobiles, fraught with heavy machinery mishaps, missed deadlines and drug raids, the result of which leave his marriage, job and sanity hanging in the balance.

Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin is a light-hearted and humorous tale of a man who reluctantly goes digging amongst the weeds in order to discover his roots.

When I’m Sixty

A Guest Post by Hannah Lynn

I look forward to writing guest posts. I like opportunity to interact with readers through a medium other than my books, I feel it gives them a chance to know a bit more about me as a person. That said, some posts are definitely easier to write than others. When Linda suggested I write and tell you three things I will do when I am a grumpy old pensioner, to link in with the release of my third novel, Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin I was instantly in love; the hard part was going to be stopping at three.

The first one was easy.

I will wear whatever I want, whenever I want. To be fair, age has not restricted me to much in this matter so far. The first time I went wakeboarding I was wearing a dress, and wore similar attire when zip-lining through the jungle in my twenties, but when I am older, I will take it to the extreme.

I will wear a ball-gown in my garden and head to the takeaway in elbow high gloves and tiara. I will wear ripped jeans to meetings, will change my hair colour on a monthly basis, if not more, and will own every shade of lipstick in the spectrum, some of which I will wear at the same time. Nothing will be too casual or too formal. As long as the clothes suit my mood, I will always be perfectly dressed.

I will go to restaurants and order triple desserts. I have a sweet tooth, I’m not going to deny it. I’m one of those people who struggles to find a single thing on the main menu because I’m too busy eyeing up the desserts. Banoffee or creme brulee? Chocolate brownie or cashew cheesecake? Right now my only really options are to try and persuade my husband or friends to order differently and hope I don’t end up with a major case of food envy. When I’m old I will refuse to adhere to the shackles or culinary constraint. Those days will be over. I will order double desserts, triple even, as many as I want. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week if that’s what I want.

I will sing everywhere. If you were to talk to my family, I suspect that they would tell you this is already the case. (My father-in-law once said visiting us was like stepping into a musical only you didn’t know when the next song was about to start and generally had no idea was going on with the plot. I think that was a compliment. I definitely took it as a compliment.) However, I feel there is much more room for spontaneous outbursts of song. Ordering my desserts — see above — would be even better if done in song. Singing while paying for shopping would act as a welcome distraction to the money spent. Even walking the dog (or in my case cat. Don’t ask.) could be made all the more jovial with a sprightly tune accompanying our footsteps. Don’t expect a quiet time if you drop in to visit me in my golden years, that’s for certain.

There you have it, three things I will do when I’m old. The thing is, while writing this post I came to the decision that life might be a little sunnier if, rather than waiting until I’m older, I started doing those things now.  So, with that in mind, I’m off to get my ball-gown on and go order myself a sticky toffee pudding. I only hope they can decipher my order in song.

Absolutely wonderful Hannah! I agree with each of your choices completely. The thing is, I’m rather nearer the ‘old’ bit than you are so I’m going to take your advice and start now – with the triple desserts!

About Hannah Lynn

Hannah Lynn is an award-winning, genre-defying novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments – a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015, she has since gone on to write The Afterlife of Walter Augustus – a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist – which won the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and the delightfully funny and poignant Peas and Carrots series.

While she freely moves between genres, her novels are recognisable for their character driven stories and wonderfully vivid description.

She is currently working on a YA Vampire series and a re-imagining of a classic Greek myth.

Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent ten years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then around Asia. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction Now as a teacher, writer, wife and mother, she is currently living in the Austrian Alps.

For more information you can follow Hannah on Facebook, Twitter @HMLynnauthor, Goodreads and Bookbub.

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Giveaway

Hannah Lynn is celebrating the publication of Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin by running a super giveaway to win a $50 Amazon voucher. To enter, click here.

Please note this giveaway is independent of Linda’s Book Bag!