I know I said I wasn’t really doing blog tours for a while here on Linda’s Book Bag but when the author lives in your nearest town and is a friend it does mean there have to be some exceptions! My thanks to Ross Greenwood, author of Shadows of Regret and to Caroline Vincent, tour organiser, for inviting me to take part. I’m thrilled to have a guest post from Ross today all about Seizing the Day.

Ross has been a frequent visitor to the blog and you can read a post in which Ross introduces his protagonist for Abel’s Revenge here. You can also read my Lazy Blood interview with Ross here, a guest post and my review of The Boy Inside here and my review of Fifty Years of Fear here.

Published yesterday, 20th January 2019, Shadows of Regret is available for purchase here.

Shadows of Regret

Katie committed a terrible crime. Sixteen years was the price she had to pay.

Once released from prison, she finds the world has changed. Her chances appear bleak, but Katie is a survivor.

Isolated and alone, she struggles to make sense of her new life. Starting again isn’t easy, especially after what she’s done.

Despite not feeling free or safe, Katie overcomes her fears and confronts the future. But history won’t remain forgotten.

Gradually, memories of the past are revealed. When Katie finally exposes the awful truth and sees there are others who share the blame, she must choose her path.

Will she seek redemption, or will she take revenge?

Seizing the Day

A Guest Post by Ross Greenwood

As some of you may know, Linda is concentrating on her own reading and, hopefully, maybe even some of her own writing… She’s had quite a year. We’ll miss her. When I first started out writing four years ago, she was one of the first people to help. She did a blog post for me when I didn’t know what one was, she added me to groups I never knew existed, and has been consistently helpful and friendly ever since. At the back of my mind, I was wondering how she managed it all. We know now. Thank you for everything.

(Linda: My goodness Ross. You’re making me blush. You’re very welcome to it all!)

She offered a guest post for Shadows of Regret and I’d like to take up her theme of taking control and doing things now, while we still have time.

Thirty years ago, I had a grey patch at the back of my head. I never thought too much of it, although it fascinated my mother. Twenty years ago, my hair began to fall out. Under the now gone grey patch was a squidgy spot, like the flesh on your forearm. I still wasn’t concerned but it slowly grew. I eventually went to the doctors where they decided it was a cyst. I went to Stamford hospital and, for an hour under agonizing local anaesthetic, they tried to remove what turned out to be a tumour.

Not their finest hour. People offered to sue the hospital for me, but there was no malice. I was left with a hefty scar and the knowledge that life was precarious.

But in a way, I’m thankful for it. I bought a scary motorbike and travelled the world. My wound was always a talking point. Risks were taken because I’d seen the worst that can happen. I became flakey at times, as if a job was not worth it, or a relationship didn’t seem to be working, I’d chuck them in at the drop of a hat. Life was too short.

Obviously, you can’t live your life that way for too long. I ended up with a fair few regrets and was unemployed on numerous occasions, skint on many others. I did some terrible jobs; data input or stuffing envelopes in Peterborough, but found some great roles; Call Centre Manager in West London.

Finally, I was lucky enough to find love, have children, and got married. It’s been that which grounded me.

I had a plan for writing a book bubbling away for years in my mind but I couldn’t think of a gritty end, or a decent beginning! I then met an ex-girlfriend, one I’d casually discarded many years before, at my sister’s barbecue. She was the HR manager at our local prison. The only one in the country with a male and female side. We need more officers, she said. We’ll take anyone. She got her revenge.

The first six months in the job were awful. I’d lived an eventful life but nothing prepares you for prison. The sights you see don’t leave you. I was tempted to jack it in, like I’d done on so many other occasions, but this time I didn’t. I’d finally grown up. I did four years in the end, both on the male side of the prison and latterly with the women too.

The urge to finish my story strengthened and I remembered the best part of the shock I received. Seize the day, don’t put things off if you can help it, you don’t know what’s around the corner.

When I left, I had my tale to finish, and through books such as Shadows of Regret, I also had other’s stories to tell.

I hope you enjoy reading about dark lives.

Ross Greenwood

(Oh we will Ross! Can’t wait to read Shadows of Regret too as soon as I can. Thanks so much for a brilliant guest post. I couldn’t agree more. Seize the day!)

About Ross Greenwood

Ross Greenwood was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until he was 20, attending The King’s School in the city. He then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

Ross found himself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually, so he says “when things had gone wrong.” It was on one of these occasions that he met his partner about 100 metres from his back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. And, according to Ross, he is “still a little stunned by the pace of it now.”

Lazy Blood book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then four years as a prison officer got in the way. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave the author the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep he completed it in the early morning hours.

Ross Greenwood’s second book, The Boy Inside, was picked up by Bloodhound Books, and in September 2017, Fifty Years of Fear was published. The year 2018 saw the publication of his next psychological thriller, Abel’s Revenge. All his books are thought provoking, and told with a sense of humour.

Ross Greenwood hopes you enjoy reading them.
Please feel free to get in touch on his web site.

You can also follow Ross on Twitter @greenwoodross and find him on Facebook.

Ross’s books are:

The Dark Lives Series:
#1 Fifty Years of Fear – Getbook.at/FiftyYearsofFear
#2 The Boy Inside – Getbook.at/TheBoyInside
#3 Lazy Blood – Getbook.at/LazyBlood

Abel’s Revenge – Getbook.at/AbelsRevenge
Shadows of Regret – Getbook.at/ShadowsofRegret

There’s more with these other bloggers too: