I’m absolutely delighted to have a very special giveaway here on Linda’s Book Bag today – a box set of Audible mystery novellas, The Morning, Noon & Night Box Set: Murder in the Morning Edition; Murder in the Afternoon Extra; Murder in the Night Final by Peter Bartram, read by Matt Jamie.

Peter is no stranger to Linda’s Book Bag, having previously featured in the following ways:

Writing about a 1960s setting here.

Explaining why he wrote a trilogy here.

Introducing his protagonists here.

Not only do I have a giveaway that you can enter at the bottom of this blog post, but I have a smashing guest post from Peter today explaining just how Matt was chosen to read the books.

In case you’re not the lucky winner of the Audible The Morning, Noon & Night Box Set: Murder in the Morning Edition; Murder in the Afternoon Extra; Murder in the Night Final, it is available for purchase here.

The Morning, Noon & Night Box Set:

Murder in the Morning Edition;

Murder in the Afternoon Extra;

Murder in the Night Final

Welcome to Brighton, England – where they do like to murder beside the seaside…

Evening Chronicle crime reporter Colin Crampton and his feisty Australian girlfriend, Shirley Goldsmith, take on their toughest assignment yet in this trilogy of comic crime adventures.

The adventure starts in Murder in the Morning Edition when Colin and Shirley witness an audacious robbery. But nothing about the robbery is what it seems. Before long, Colin and Shirley are drawn deeper into danger. Colin encounters a motorcycle rocker with bad teeth, a dyslexic tattooist, and a seller of novelty toilet-roll holders as he chases down his story.

The mystery deepens in Murder in the Afternoon Extra as the body count climbs and Colin finds himself hunted by a ruthless killer. Before long, Colin discovers his hunt for the truth has dumped him right into the middle of a conspiracy he could never have foreseen. As he battles to find a way out of danger, he meets a stripper with a pet python, a clumsy assassin who kills the wrong people, and a slot machine salesman with even less luck than his punters.

The climax explodes in Murder in the Night Final when Colin and Shirley uncover the stunning secret behind the robbery and the murders. As the two face new threats, they tangle with a doorman with a cauliflower ear, a motorcycle rocker’s moll, and a ruthless killer who keeps chickens.

If you enjoy books by authors like Janet Evanovich, M C Beaton, and Simon Brett, you’ll soon be hooked by the mix of murder, mystery, and mirth in the Morning Noon & Night trilogy. Come and join the fun….

How We Chose One Actor From 56,000 To Read Crampton Audiobooks

A Guest Post by Peter Bartram

I was delighted when I heard that three of my Crampton of the Chronicle comic crime mysteries – Murder in the Morning Edition, Murder in the Afternoon Extra, and Murder in the Night Final – were being turned into audiobooks. But the books are narrated in the first person – by Colin Crampton, the central character – so I knew the success of the audiobooks would rest on whether we could find a reader who could capture Colin’s distinctive voice.

Colin is a shrewd character who can be tough when he needs to be but who also has a perky humour which keeps on breaking through. He’s a master of the one-liner. So the actor needed to know how to talk tough but also how to deliver a line to raise a laugh.

So where did we start in our search? Well, it was with a giant database of 56,000 actors who read audiobooks. The database contains actors from all over the world, but most of them are based in the UK and United States. We had to find a way to whittle those 56,000 to the one who would be right for the Crampton books. We did this by applying a number of filters to the database. There were obvious ones like gender, nationality and language. Those alone cut the numbers to a few thousand – but still too many to review one by one.

So then we applied some more subtle filters to the selection. One of these was voice age – how old the actor sounds when he speaks. Colin is twenty going on thirty in the Crampton books, so that reduced the possible choices further.

Then we looked at the question of accent. The database filters offered us 17 different British accents to choose – from “BBC English” to Cockney. We chose the “general British” accent. And then we had to decide on “voice style” – what the actor’s voice sounds like. We had to choose from 62 different styles ranging from “authoritative” to “intimidating”, from “sarcastic” to “sophisticated”. We thought Colin had an “engaging” voice.

So after we’d applied all those filters, the 56,000 actors had reduced to just 19. We listened to samples from books the 19 had already read and drew up a short-list of three which we reviewed in more depth. And from that, one candidate stood out above all others – Matt Jamie. Matt already had experience of audio work. He’d worked on a crime-based radio drama called Strawberries and Scream and recorded a series of crime stories with a water theme called Blood Waters. He’d also recorded Phantom: Edge of the Flame, a spin-off from Phantom of the Opera.

Matt says: “When I’m asked to read a book, I decide whether the characters or the subject matter interest me. And, then, perhaps more importantly, whether I think I can do it justice. Different books have different styles. Some might have many characters in them. So I have to think about whether I can capture them all and deliver the story or the facts in an engaging way.”

You can hear how Matt reads from Murder in the Morning Edition, the first book in Peter Bartram’s Morning, Noon & Night trilogy, by following this link and clicking on the sample button.

About Peter Bartram

Peter Bartram brings years of experience as a journalist to his Crampton of the Chronicle crime series – which features crime reporter Colin Crampton in 1960s Brighton.

Peter has done most things in journalism from door-stepping for quotes to writing serious editorials. He’s pursued stories in locations as diverse as 700 feet down a coal mine and a courtier’s chambers at Buckingham Palace. Peter wrote 21 non-fiction books, including five ghost-written, before turning to crime – and penning the Crampton of the Chronicle series of humorous crime mysteries.

Peter is a member of the Society of Authors and the Crime Writers’ Association.

You can find Peter on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @PeterFBartram, visit Peter’s website here and find out more about the Colin Crampton books here.

UK Giveaway

An Audible The Morning, Noon & Night Box Set

Murder in the Morning Edition; Murder in the Afternoon Extra; Murder in the Night Final.

Peter has kindly offered a lucky Linda’s Book Bag UK reader a promo code together with the text of an e-mail explaining how to use it and the terms and conditions which Audible asks to be passed on to the winner. If you would like the chance to hear all three novellas, click here to enter.

Giveaway closes at UK midnight on Friday 6th July 2018 and is independent of Linda’s Book Bag. I am not responsible for the code’s activation.

Whilst we’ve been enjoying an unusually warm weather here in the UK, I think we can forget that this sunny weather is commonplace and sometimes even tedious to others. I’m staying in with Katherine Luck today and she seems to be one of those who really could do with our usual summer rain!

Staying in with Katherine Luck

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

Thanks for inviting me!

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

I brought my second novel, The Cure for Summer Boredom, which just came out in June. It seemed fitting since it’s summer and some of us get bored this time of year—especially yours truly. When I get bored, I read—or write—novels.

(Now that is a whole new concept to me Katherine. I love the summer and never get bored at all. Why do you think you do?)

I guess it’s the lazy, languorous pace of summer days that gets to me. That’s what my book’s main character, Ruby, is battling: summer boredom. But unlike me, when she gets bored she gets into trouble. Hilarious trouble.

Ah – so what can we expect from an evening in with The Cure for Summer Boredom?

Well, you won’t be bored, that’s for sure! The story takes place in a fictional town somewhere in Texas called Somwärin, Texas. It’s home to a whole gaggle of wacky characters, from furniture-obsessed Swedish ex-pats to slightly supernatural trailer park residents to long-haul truckers who believe their CB radios are sending them mystical messages. And, of course, Ruby.

You’d think nobody could get bored in a town like that—but Ruby’s not your ordinary girl. And the adventures—and misadventures—she gets into are also anything but ordinary! There’s plenty of heart in the story, too. Sort of Little Women meets The Dukes of Hazzard. I like to think of it as all the fun of the YA books I read as a kid during those long days of summer, but written for grownups.

(So a bit more adult in its themes then?)

Yeah, it’s definitely not a kid’s book! There’s a town-wide festival of drunkenness, grand theft auto, a kidnapping that goes sideways, looting, a general riot. Just your typical summer in Texas.

(Crikey! It sounds a bit busier than my sleepy little town here in Lincolnshire!)

I’m not sure I dare ask this, but what else have you brought along and why?

Edible glitter! I had no idea such a thing existed until I wrote a scene in which Ruby decides it would be a great prank to swap a bag of glitter for the bag of sugar her mother’s using to bake a cake. It all goes comically awry and nobody gets glitter poisoned fortunately, but I got to wondering what would happen if someone actually ate glitter. And lo and behold, I found out that edible glitter not only exists, it’s quite the hip condiment. You can put it on anything—cake, ice cream, pudding, pizza.

Yes, pizza. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but the night is young and I noticed a pizza delivery place just up the road…what do you say?

(I say I think I might prefer pepperoni but I’m willing to give the glitter a try if I must!)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Katherine. I don’t know about The Cure for Summer Boredom, but I’ve found it a very unusual and entertaining evening!

The Cure for Summer Boredom

It’s summer in the little town of Somwärin, Texas, where the most anticipated event is a wrestling match between a man in a bear-suit and a bear in a man-suit. To Ruby Bejou, it looks like just another boring summer. And when Ruby’s bored, she makes trouble.

But this year, things are different. Her daddy accidentally starts a cult for long-haul truckers. Her big sister is on a mission to win a cutthroat beauty pageant and won’t let anything get in her way—except maybe her enormous boobs. Her little sister is out to destroy the town bully, even if it sparks an international diplomatic incident with the entire nation of Sweden.

And Ruby? She’s determined to stay out of trouble. With the help of a psychic newspaper editor, a tooth witch who transforms coins into teeth, and a forbidden library guarded by the entire town, she just might cure her summer boredom for good.

The Cure for Summer Boredom is available for purchase from Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and many other booksellers through the links here.

About Katherine Luck

Katherine Luck is a writer based in Seattle. She is the author of the novels In Retrospect and The Cure for Summer Boredom. Her articles and short stories have been featured in Reuters, The Amistad, Seattle Woman Magazine, Oregon Literary Review, and Crosscut.com. You can read more of her work, including the “Dead Writers and Candy” series, on Katherine’s website.

You can follow Katherine on Twitter @katherineluck.

My enormous thanks to Jasmine Marsh at Hodder for sending me a copy of The Balcony by Jane Delury in return for an honest review.

The Balcony will be published by Hodder and Stoughton on 26th July 2018 and is available for purchase here.

The Balcony

What if our homes could tell the stories of others who lived there before us?

To those who have ventured past it over the years, this small estate in a village outside Paris has always seemed calm and poised.

But should you open the gates and enter inside, you will find rooms which have become the silent witnesses to a century of human drama: from the young American au pair who developed a crush on her brilliant employer to the ex-courtesan who shocked the servants, and the Jewish couple who hid from the Gestapo to the housewife who began an affair while renovating the rooms downstairs.

The house has kept its inhabitants secrets for a hundred years. Now, they are ready to be brought to the light. . .

My Review of The Balcony

One house with ten interwoven stories spanning over a century.

When I began reading The Balcony I hadn’t actually read the blurb and was initially thrown by the fact that I had what seemed to be totally discrete and unconnected stories. My preconceived ideas were quickly challenged and I found myself immersed into a lyrical and enchanting world based around one house and its occupants.

The quality of Jane Delury’s writing is so sophisticated and actually quite tense and disconcerting so that I felt reading The Balcony was like having something tantalising and beautiful just out of my grasp. I loved the atmosphere of the writing and could appreciate its depth and richness but I can’t quite define why it is so impactful. Having the one house as a backdrop gives a coherence and balance that is perfectly poised.

The way in which history swirls on the page, with links between the stories being uncovered a bit like fairy tale treasure, is spellbinding. Sometimes it is the characters who reverberate through the tales, sometimes a theme and sometimes something tangible like peg solitaire or Russian dolls. Indeed, the Russian dolls are an apt metaphor for the structure of the stories. Each is different and unique in its own right but connected and understandable in relation to the others.

And the themes depicted here are universal ones that permeate humanity; love, hate, death, birth, jealousy, survival, war, identity are all here, making for a book that a reader can return to several times over and still find something new and relevant.

The Balcony was unexpected. Each story stands alone and is satisfying to read, but taking the collection together, seeing the connections intertwine and having those moments of clarity and understanding elevate The Balcony into a truly mesmerising read. I thought it was intelligently written, beautifully constructed and fascinating. I really enjoyed it.

About Jane Delury

Jane Delury grew up in Sacramento, California and attended UC Santa Cruz. She spent her junior year abroad in Grenoble, France, and she returned to the University of Grenoble after UCSC to complete a master’s degree and to teach English. Following several years in France, she moved to Baltimore to study fiction in the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars. Her short stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, The Southern Review, The Yale Review, Five Points, Narrative, and other publications.

She has received a PEN/O. Henry Prize, a Pushcart Special Mention, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Story Award, a VCCA fellowship, and grants from the Maryland State Arts Council. She holds a BA in English and French literature from UCSC, a maîtrise from the University of Grenoble, and an MA from the Writing Seminars.

She is an associate professor of creative writing and English at the University of Baltimore, where she chairs the School of Communications Design.

You can follow Jane on Twitter @JaneDelury, or visit her website for more details.

I love historical fiction and am delighted to have been asked by Katie Ashworth at Penguin to be part of the launch celebrations for The Bomb Girl Brides by Daisy Styles. I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to review yet but it gives me enormous pleasure to be able to share an exclusive guest post by Daisy Styles all about a day in her life.

The Bomb Girl Brides was published by Penguin on 28th June 2018 and is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

The Bomb Girl Brides

It’s 1944 and Britain is a country at war. The young women of the Phoenix munitions factory are giving their all to the cause, but romance is beckoning . . .

The life of a Bomb Girl isn’t usually glamorous. But Maggie is getting married, so she is going to make sure her wedding day is – even if she does have to spend every other day slaving on the factory floor.

This blasted factory was not what Julia had in mind either. She had always dreamed of attending Oxford University rather than getting her hands dirty and the easy laughter of the other women intimidate her terribly.

But they are all here together in this munitions factory in a Lancashire mill town, sharing firsts, pitching in and getting on. Despite rationing, dangerous hard work and new situations these Bomb Girls are going to do their best at work, and in love.

A Day in the Life of Daisy Styles

A Guest Post by Daisy Styles

I HAVE 2 TYPICAL DAYS!

FULL ON WORK DAY

As soon as I wake up I’ll have the next section of the book formed in my head; it happens overnight, so grab some coffee, never hungry at this time, find my glasses, feed the dog then upstairs to my attic room study where if I’m left to my own devices I’d write flat out till mid-day. It is the very best part of the day for me. However my old black Labrador, Millie, who’s going blind gets in the way of Bomb Girls and we have to go round the local grave yard where she sniffs two thousand blades of grass before she relieves herself!  However there are advantages to this tedious process because by the time I’m back home the sentences have run on in my head and I’m already well into the next chapter. So thanks for hassling me, Millie! It’s always been like that, I can physically stop writing but the story keeps on rolling as if it’s got a life of its own regardless of me.

I don’t eat much at lunch time because if I do I feel sleepy and that effects my writing, believe me it’s not like I’m not hungry I just don’t want to feel full and heavy, so soup or an apple and biscuit and back to work. Around 3 pm I flag – I need distraction, physical exercise, a swim, a bike ride, a chat with a pal – anything that means I’m not staring at the computer screen. I’ll return to work about six, usually editing which suits me at that time of the day as it’s a different form of writing or I’ll do some research, googling dates and events, and WW2 time lines, VERY important for saga writers otherwise my readers get cross and quite rightly tick me off. I pack up for the day around 7.30 pm, then supper, glass of wine, and TV, with my feet up in front of the wood-burner. Job done!

NON-WORK DAY- TREATS GALORE!

Jump in the car (regardless of the season) and drive to Norfolk or Suffolk where I’ll meet up with a friend. We walk all day on any of the wonderful beaches available to us.Make sure we have a really nice lunch in the Victoria at Holkham or the Wentworth at Aldburgh then walk a lot more, usually we stop for a rest and sun bathe (if it’s hot!) in the afternoon then off we go again.

Often stop overnight in “The White Horse” at Brancaster or the “Black Lion” in Walsingham – perfect end to a perfect day.

Thank you so much for telling us about your two days Daisy. I think I’d be much better at the second version than the first!

About Daisy Styles

Daisy Styles grew up in Lancashire surrounded by a family and community of strong women whose tales she loved to listen to. It was from these women, particularly her vibrant mother and Irish grandmother, that Daisy learned the art of storytelling. There was also the landscape of her childhood – wide, sweeping, empty moors and hills that ran as far as the eye could see – which was a perfect backdrop for a saga, a space big enough and wild enough to stage a drama, one about women’s lives during the Second World War.

You can find Daisy on Facebook and there’s more with these other bloggers:

I love a good thriller and I’d like to thank Midas PR for inviting me to be part of the UK launch celebrations for A Steep Price by Robert Dugoni. I have A Steep Price very firmly on my TBR and have been hearing wonderful things about it so I am delighted to hear from the author himself as Robert has agreed to stay in with me today to chat all about A Steep Price.

Staying in with Robert Dugoni

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Robert. Thank you so much 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?

I’ve chosen A Steep Price. It’s my latest Tracy Crosswhite Novel, the sixth in the series, and I’m always most excited about my latest.

(And blog readers will find all your Tracy Crosswhite books here.)

What can we expect from an evening in with A Steep Price? 

Hopefully you’ll become so engrossed in a mystery and suspense novel that you’ll forget to cook dinner, forget to eat, forget to do the laundry, and refuse to go to sleep until the very last page. When you close the book, my hope is you will think of the characters as friends and family, which you might need because your real family and friends won’t be happy you ignored them!

(Oh! I really like the sound of this one. I’m having a special reading month in August when I intend to read exactly what I choose and A Steep Price is going straight on that pile of books!)

Beyond that, I hope you’re motivated to find out what happens next, and if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series that you’ll be persuaded to go back and find what you missed.

(I have a feeling I just might…)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I brought the notes I took after I got out of the cab taking me from SFO to my mother’s house. The cab driver was east Indian and we got to talking. He’d just been married and said it was an arranged marriage, that he’d only met his bride twice before they were married. I asked him if it was scary to marry someone he barely knew, and he said that his parents were the product of an arranged marriage and had been married for thirty years. He also said that arranged marriages had a lower percentage of divorce than traditional western marriages. I found the whole thing fascinating and when I got out of the cab I took my notepad and wrote down the entire conversation. That became the idea for A Steep Price.

(I love the idea that a chance conversation has become an entire novel Robert. I think that’s what sets authors apart from the rest of us – they are like magpies and see the potential in all kinds of places.)

Thank you so much for staying in with me to discuss A Steep Price Robert. I’ve been hearing such good things from the other bloggers on this tour and I am really looking forward to reading it.

A Steep Price

Called in to consult after a young woman disappears, Tracy Crosswhite has the uneasy feeling that this is no ordinary missing-persons case. When the body turns up in an abandoned well, Tracy’s suspicions are confirmed. Estranged from her family, the victim had balked at an arranged marriage and had planned to attend graduate school. But someone cut her dreams short.

Solving the mystery behind the murder isn’t Tracy’s only challenge. The detective is keeping a secret of her own: she’s pregnant. And now her biggest fear seems to be coming true when a new detective arrives to replace her. Meanwhile, Tracy’s colleague Vic Fazzio is about to take a fall after his investigation into the murder of a local community activist turns violent and leaves an invaluable witness dead.

Two careers are on the line. And when more deadly secrets emerge, jobs might not be the only things at risk.

A Steep Price is available for purchase here.

About Robert Dugoni

Robert Dugoni is the No. 1 Kindle bestselling and No. 1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series, including My Sister’s Grave, Her Final Breath, In the Clearing, The Trapped Girl, and Close to Home.

His books with Amazon Publishing have reached more than 3 million readers through print sales and digital downloads, and have twice been nominated for the International Thriller Award. He is also the author of the Edgar Award–nominated The 7th Canon; the New York Times bestselling David Sloane series, which includes The Jury Master, Wrongful Death, Bodily Harm, Murder One, and The Conviction; the stand-alone novel Damage Control; and the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year selection.

Robert Dugoni is a two-time nominee for the Harper Lee Award for Legal Fiction and the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for fiction.

You can find out more by visiting Robert’s website, finding him on Facebook and following him on Twitter @robertdugoni 

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My enormous thanks to Emily Burns at Bonnier Zaffre for a copy of 29 SECONDS by T.M. Logan in return for an honest review. I had meant to read 29 SECONDS months ago but as ever, life intervened and with my mother in and out of hospital I simply didn’t get round to it. I’m delighted to rectify that today.

29 SECONDS was published on 8th March 2018 and is available for purchase here.

29 SECONDS

What if a single 29 second phone call could change your life forever? ‘Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear . . .’

When Sarah rescues a young girl in trouble, she expects nothing in return. But her act of bravery puts a powerful and dangerous man in her debt. He lives by his own brutal code, and all debts must be repaid – in the only way he knows how.

He offers Sarah a way to solve a desperate situation with her intolerable boss. A once-in-a-lifetime deal that will make all her problems disappear.

No consequences. No comeback. No chance of being found out.

All it takes is a 29 second phone call.

BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A NAME TO GIVE. DON’T THEY?

My Review of 29 SECONDS

A chance encounter will have consequences that reverberate for Sarah in ways she could never imagine.

I’m going to be completely honest and say at the outset that I found the plot of 29 SECONDS fairly implausible. And ironically, that’s why I enjoyed the book so much! 29 SECONDS would make a fabulous Bondesque film and I think reading it with that level of willing suspension of disbelief means that it is thoroughly engrossing and absorbing.

The plot races along, twisting and turning so that the reader never quite knows what will happen next and T.M. Logan’s use of short pacy chapters with some deliberately and carefully withheld information means that the reader experiences some cracking surprises. I found it enormous fun to read and was thoroughly entertained.

I thought the characters were disagreeable and vexatious. I wanted to thump Alan, shake Sarah and slap Marie. I think it takes quite clever writing to create characters that the reader really doesn’t like at all and yet still make them want to know what happens. Even though Sarah is the victim in so much of the action, I felt little sympathy for her, but I wanted her to triumph at the same time. I’ve ended the read being as confused by my own responses to the story and characters as the characters in it are to their own decisions and actions. Again, I think that is such clever manipulation of the reader by T.M. Logan.

I loved the pivotal concept of the book. A chance event and snap decision can affect a person’s whole life and 29 SECONDS is an extreme version of what could occur. We all have those ‘what if’ moments and I know I have on occasion considered the same decision Sarah has to ponder, albeit not very seriously from me. 29 SECONDS really makes the reader think.

There is also a smashing weaving of literary allusion too so that 29 SECONDS has echoes of Marlowe and Shakespeare that give small frissons of recognition for the reader too. The themes of sexism, abuse, family loyalty and protection all have real relevance in today’s society and the references to real people add an extra layer of authenticity.

29 SECONDS is a book where the reader has to acquiesce in accepting the plot, but that done, it is a wonderfully entertaining read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

About T.M. Logan

T.M. Logan was born in Berkshire to an English father and a German mother. He studied at Queen Mary and Cardiff universities before becoming a national newspaper journalist. He currently works in communications and lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children. His debut novel Lies (2017) sold more than 300,000 copies in the UK and is being published in ten other countries worldwide. His new thriller, 29 SECONDS (2018) is out now in paperback and e-book.

For more detail you can join T.Mm Logan’s Readers’ Club. You can also follow him on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor and find him on Facebook.

My enormous thanks to the poet Ankita Singh for sending me a copy of her latest anthology Scattered Constellations in return for an honest review.

Scattered Constellations will be released on 31st July 2018 and is available for pre-order here.

Scattered Constellations

Words tumble out, with no pause;
From the pen, my anelace,
That I hold so graciously,
(In awe of its majesty, its power)
In my hand.

They form thoughts, hopes and musings;
Reflect my soul, my entire being,
And spread across the page,
Like scattered constellations
Across the sky.

Scattered Constellations is a YA Free Verse Poetry collection.

My Review of Scattered Constellations

A collection of poetry looking at all aspects of love.

I really enjoyed reading Ankita Singh’s collection Scattered Constellations and all the way through I kept thinking ‘Oh, that’s exactly how I used to feel when I was a young woman’ or ‘I would have been so helped by these poems when I was struggling with the concept of love as a teenager,’ without actually realising until afterwards that I was reading an anthology aimed at the Young Adult (YA) market! I think this goes to show what an excellent collection this is for readers aged 15-25.

Ankita Singh explores all kinds of love in her poems. There is everything from burgeoning sensuality to familial, same sex, unrequited, mutual, controlling and prevented love so that there really is a poem for everyone between the pages of Scattered Constellations. I found the poems Gold and Colour especially poignant because sadly we still live in a world where the hue of someone’s skin can affect every aspect of their life – even love.

Scattered Constellations made me think of W.B. Yeats’ ‘tread softly for you tread on my dreams’ because Ankita Singh explores so vividly how love is the stuff of dreams, of the mind and soul as well as the heart. She doesn’t use elaborate language or self-consciously literary techniques in presenting her poems so that they feel real, true and authentic. I think Ankita Singh is a very perceptive and talented young post and definitely one to watch.

Scattered Constellations is well worth dipping into as I’m sure you’ll find a poem that tells your story too.

About Ankita Singh

Ankita, though lives in the historical city of Aurangabad, spends most of her time between the pages of a book. If she’s not reading, she can be found scribbling ideas into her journal or petting her cat, Harry.

Ankita’s poetry collection ranked among the Top 15 while on Wattpad, a feat that she’s extremely proud of. She used to write under the pen name ‘Swibells’ until she realised that her own name isn’t all that bad. (Though she still manages to use her pseudonym at times!)

She’ll soon be starting her Bachelor’s in Arts, and is shocking excited about it! (She’s 18!)

Ankita is also an avid blogger at Anky’s Book Bubble, a blog where all she talks about is books! She loves interacting with her fellow bibliophiles, so don’t hesitate in contacting her through her blog, via Facebook, Instagram or on Twitter @AnkySwibells.

Anyone who knows me well also knows I have absolutely no hand eye co-ordination whatsoever. Consequently, I’m always intrigued by sports of any kind requiring that very skill. Today, I’m pleased to welcome Steve Dressing to Linda’s Book Bag as I have a feeling I might just learn something as he tells me about one of his books as we stay in together.

Staying in with Steve Dressing

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

I’m happy to be here!  Thank you for inviting me and I love how you decorated the place!

(That’s very kind of you. Not too many cat ornaments I hope!)

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

I’ve decided to bring Game Keepers. The book is my debut novel, so it’s very important to me and it seemed fitting to bring it along. It’s great to have finally published my first book, but the journey to get here may be what I enjoy the most about this whole process.

(Oo – interesting. Tell me more.)

I’ve always turned to writing in the forms of poetry, creative writing, and storytelling from middle school to graduate school, but writing became much more important to me later in life. After the last of our three children began elementary school, my wife, Julie, and I decided that one of us needed to stay home to support them. We agreed that I would be the one and I’ve been very happy with our choice! Our oldest daughter was just beginning to write in school at this time and would come home every day with a different story in her hand. This and my experiences helping at the school and coaching Little League baseball helped me rediscover my passion for creative writing. Seeing the pressure they faced from demanding parents, teachers, and coaches, I wanted to empower children to be themselves through my stories.

(That sounds a fabulous reason for writing.)

My early books didn’t see the light of day, however, and I returned to my roots as an environmental scientist, working part-time while the kids grew into young adults. However, with the change in leadership at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year, work became scarce. My adult children encouraged me to return back to my true love: writing. Publishing this book was fifteen-year journey, but I’m very happy about that. I just hope others can enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed writing it!

(Fifteen years may feel like a long time Steve, but other authors who’ve stayed in with me have had similar experiences. I’m glad you finally made it!)

What can we expect from an evening in with Game Keepers?

You can expect an evening where you can completely be yourself, one where you don’t feel the pressures from the outside world.

(That’s a book I could definitely do with!)

Game Keepers uses baseball as a theme to address some of the challenges kids face trying to enjoy doing what they love when confronted with relentless pressure from parents and coaches to be the best. You may experience a little magic as well. The book takes a turn when the kids of the Waterfalls Youth League escape into an underground world “Down Home” and encounter magical creatures that help them become better at baseball. Most importantly, though, an evening with Game Keepers would lead to an adventure you would never forget. The experience would bring out your inner child and encourage you to follow your dreams.

(Well we all need a little magic in our lives occasionally…)

Here’s a reader’s review:

to Young Folks: If you love to play — or know someone who does — you’re sure to enjoy this book. The kids seem very real, the adventures (and mysteries!) pull us in and make us want to stay!

to Parents and other Grown-ups: It’s a delightful read! Many characters can be visualized as around the reader’s own age. The team includes both girls and boys, and characters whose enthusiasms reach to music and reading, as well, so non-athletic young readers will find much to draw them too. As an adult, I enjoyed references to Wonderland’s white rabbit, the secret underground world, and the untalented-but-persevering apprentice, to name a few. I especially appreciated the explanation of how I, too, may have had amazing experiences but not remember!

(You must be delighted with that reaction to your writing.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I wanted to bring right outfielder, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees but his schedule was a little full.

(Ah! Now as a British reader I have no idea who that is!) 

I decided to bring my Little League patch from 1968, the year my all-star team made it to the state championship finals in New York. I still remember the joy of that experience. We were a very good team, but very lucky as well. Back then it was single elimination, one loss and you go home, so every game mattered. We came back from behind to win several games during the tournament, but ultimately lost in the semi-final by blowing a lead. My memories of that experience are what I hope for today’s kids when they compete in sports, music, or whatever interests them most. I felt no pressure to perform and just worked hard because I loved the game.

(That looks like a very precious and treasured possession Steve.)

I also decided to bring a photo of me with my Dad because it shows both of us smiling and simply enjoying the baseball experience together. I don’t remember him ever giving me grief for the many failures I had in baseball, but I do remember the pats on the shoulder. He was the local American Legion Commander when I played American Legion baseball as a teenager. I remember being nervous about him traveling on the bus with us for a playoff game, but all he had to say later was that we had some crazy guys on our team that made him laugh. We had fun.

(That’s such a wonderful photo. He must have been very proud of you.)

Thank you so much for staying in with and chatting all about Game Keepers Steve. I have a feeling your book would have made quite a difference to me as a child. I wish you every success with it.

Game Keepers

Baseball is no longer fun for the kids in the Waterfalls youth league after the playoff game ends in an ugly argument among parents and coaches. The players leave the ballpark in shame, but big George Starr kicks at the ground and everything changes.

An amazing adventure begins as they discover a magical world underground, Down Home, and encounter strange and magical beings who help them play better and have fun. Trouble begins, however, when several players break the rules of this new world.

An intruder presents them with a far greater challenge.

Can the kids of the Waterfalls youth league stop this trespasser and save Down Home without breaking more rules and risking permanent banishment?

Published by Number 6 Publishing, Game Keepers is available for purchase here.

About Steve Dressing

Steve Dressing was born in Waterloo, New York, and was the youngest child in a family of nine. Growing up, Steve developed a passion for baseball, reading and music. Legend has it that Steve learned how to catch the day he learned how to walk. Before publishing his first work, Steve worked as an environmental scientist in the EPA. He became inspired to write Game Keepers while coaching Little League in Alexandria, VA.

You can find out more via Twitter @Number6Publ and Facebook.

When The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard was first published I was lucky enough to host an extract that you can read here. I had intended to read and review the book soon after but somehow my copy vanished somewhere in my 900+ TBR. (I think Elvira may have eloped with Harold Fry as I can’t find him either!)

However, lovely Ellis Keene sent me another copy of the paperback as I shall be lucky enough to stay in with Frances Maynard here on Linda’s Book Bag on 12th July when I do hope you’ll come back and join us. Consequently, seven months later than planned I finally have my review of The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr!

Published by Pan Macmillan, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr

Funny, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is the perfect story for anyone who doesn’t quite fit in – and for everyone who chooses not to.

Elvira Carr is twenty-seven and neuro-atypical. Her father – who she suspects was in the secret service – has passed away and, after several Unfortunate Incidents growing up, she now spends most of her time at home with her overbearing mother. But when her mother has a stroke and is taken into care, Elvira is suddenly forced to look after herself or risk ending up in Sheltered Accommodation. Armed with her Seven Rules, which she puts together after online research, Elvira hopes to learn how to navigate a world that’s full of people she doesn’t understand. Not even the Seven Rules can help her, however, when she discovers that everything she thought she knew about her father was a lie, and is faced with solving a mystery she didn’t even know existed . . .

My Review of The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr

Elvira is used to her overbearing mother dealing with everything from what Elvira wears to where she goes and what she eats, but life is about to change.

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is a refreshing insight into the life and mind of Elvira – a young woman whom society would at best describe as ‘different’. And it is this difference that makes for such a satisfying read because Elvira’s fears, her insecurities, her need to be loved for her own sake, alongside her realisation that not everyone can be taken at face value is absolutely no different from the needs and understanding of all humanity. Elvira actually embodies the emotions all of us have at some point and I loved her for it.

There is sadness and pathos in the book as Elvira navigates her way through life, but so much more about her is uplifting and enlightening. Who couldn’t love someone who knows absolutely everything about biscuits and their packaging? The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr made me smile and laugh, especially when Elvira began to develop her rules to help her cope in society. I have a feeling if we all took them on board the world would be a better place. I can’t say too much about the rules and what happens as a result of them as this would spoil the story, but they make the structure of the book so satisfying to read.

All the characters are extremely well depicted. I really want to meet Mark as I have something I would like to say (and possibly do) to him! I want to know what is happening to Elvira and Sylvia et al now I’ve finished the book as they feel so real that I care about what happens next to them. I’ve even found myself wondering what Elvira would say in certain situations as if she’s a friend I haven’t seen for a while. Frances Maynard has made me care about the people in her story and given them such vivacious and dynamic personas that I am missing them in my life. Whilst Elvira’s mother is quickly ‘off-stage’ in the story as she moves to her care home, she still remains pivotal to how Elvira thinks and behaves and this is so cleverly written. This even more the case for Elvira’s father who has died well before the story begins but is actually the catalyst for so much of the action.

Indeed, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr has wonderful plotting. Certainly it is an account of Elvira’s coming of age but there is mystery too so that the reader, whilst being several steps ahead of Elvira through the hints dropped, experiences her new perspective on life with her and I found that very effective and engaging indeed.

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is an absolutely smashing read. It made me happy to have encountered Elvira. She has brightened my life, entertained me and given me a whole new perspective on the way we interact in society and that is quite a triumph. I really recommend it because it will warm your heart and lighten your soul. Wonderful!

About Frances Maynard

Frances teaches English part-time to adults with learning difficulties, including Asperger’s. She is married with one grown-up daughter and lives in Dorset.

You can follow Frances on Twitter @perkinsfran1 and visit her website.

Having lived and worked in New York for a while I love it when I find new to me authors who either live in The Big Apple too or who have set their books there. Consequently, it gives me great pleasure to welcome C.T. Sullivan to Linda’s Book Bag today to tell me about one of his books.

Staying in with C.T. Sullivan

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

Not only is it a pleasure, Linda, but it’s raining outside.

Not in the UK it isn’t! It’s been unusually hot and dry here. You can’t have good weather all the time. We’ll just have to chat about books. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’ve brought Apple Insider – An Englishman in New York. Pegasus gave birth to it three months ago and I think it’s ready to venture out on its own.

(Now this does pique my interest having been an Englishwoman in New York!)

What can we expect from an evening in with Apple Insider?

A journey full of fun and discovery. When my wife, Deborah, was seconded to her New York office for three months, I was part of the package. There, purely as ballast, I decided to keep an account of my experiences and observations whilst foraging around in the bizarre, fascinating and naughty bits of Manhattan’s historical underbelly. Apple Insider is an informative and humorous account of my three- month stay in the city that appears to ignore the practice of sleep. The book has been described as ‘a sort of Bill Bryson in reverse.’ Well, if it is only half as good as that then the wonderful Mr Bryson will be twice as good as me. I’ll take that!

(I bet you will. I love the sound of Apple Insider.)

Grahame Pearson, magazine editor, wrote:

Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Carnegie Hall, yellow cabs, the Empire State Building – Sullivan has anecdotes to tell about them all. He has a gift of regaling the reader with facts but in a way which will leave you breathless with laughter. I loved it.

Susan Davis, prize-winning author and literary critic, wrote:

C T Sullivan captures the spirit of NYC with all its many quirks and contradictions with wit and style. Apple Insider is a funny book, liberally peppered with comic gems and set-pieces. The setting is powerfully evoked, becoming almost a living presence ensuring the reader will feel they have made the trip with the author. Some stunning imagery and very fine writing make this a thoroughly entertaining read. 

(You must be delighted with those comments Chris. I will have to travel back to New York as soon as I can through Apple Insider.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I’ve brought along, as my guest, my golden Labrador Woof. This is because he loves Apples, he is English and he’s never been to New York.

(Isn’t he just adorable? This is usually a cat oriented house – I almost said cathouse but that would have different connotations with the American connection – but Woof is very welcome.)

Also a picture of Central Park, which is not just a miracle of engineering slipped into the middle of a concrete jungle, but an oasis of calm. Without this mollifying, predominately green escape I would, most likely, have had to write this book with crayons from a secure facility.

(I agree. What a place to go.)

Thanks so much for staying in with me and chatting all about Apple Insider Chris. It has made me want to head back to New York and to read the book as soon as I can.

Apple Insider

When Chris accompanies his wife Deborah on her secondment to her New York office, it heralds ninety-one days of joy, frustrations and craziness.

As he uncovers this amazing city’s history of surprises and seedy secrets, join him in his many adventures, from dicing with death in an elevator, entertaining a wacky wedding party and having a set-to with a mad traffic cop, to Deborah being arrested by airport security in Toronto.

Apple Insider –  An Englishman in New York is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

About C T Sullivan

Christopher Sullivan was born in London’s East End amid tough, sharp-witted cockney characters, but was brought up in a Wimbledon council flat from an early age. After a grammar school education he had a long and successful career as a city money-broker. On leaving the city, whilst learning his craft as an author, he worked as a lorry driver, landscape gardener, film extra, and sung and played guitar in pubs and wine-bars.  He is a singer-songwriter, performs stand-up musical comedy and has written short stories and poems from the age of ten. Loves: music, sport, Woof and wife (not necessarily in that order). His first novel, crime thriller Reasonable Force, was published by Pegasus in 2015.

You can follow Chris on Twitter @Sullyonair, find him on Facebook and visit his website for more details.