I have a copy of Kismet by Luke Tredget on my TBR and it looks fantastic. I’m thrilled to welcome Luke to Linda’s Book Bag today as part of the launch celebrations for Kismet so that he can tell me more about it.

Staying in with Luke Tredget

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Luke. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me and tell me more about Kismet.

Thanks for having me Linda.

Tell me, what can we expect from an evening in Kismet?

You can expect a story that is relatable to many people, since it is set in a very recognisable version of London and features a main character, Anna, who is stumped by a very common problem – whether or not to accept the imminent proposal of her long term boyfriend, or give it all up in the hope of finding someone more exciting. To help her make the decision she has an app (Kismet, which gives the book its name), which in the world of the novel has completely replaced normal dating, because it is so effective at using our online data to match us with compatible strangers.

(Now that IS an interesting premise for a narrative – especially as I once found myself in a similar situation to Anna – but in those days there was not even Internet!)

Because of this near-future element, and the questions it poses about the role of social media and technology, many have compared the book to the TV series Black Mirror. But because it is essentially a romantic tale about a comically flawed heroine, others have compared it to Bridget Jones. I certainly didn’t set out to create such a hybrid, but I’m definitely happy with those comparisons!

(I imagine you’re thrilled by them. I certainly can’t wait to read Kismet and find out for myself.)

What else have you brought along and why?

I have brought the ingredients needed to heighten the reader’s empathy with Anna, the protagonist. A bottle of white wine (if you matched Anna glass for glass throughout the book, you’d be in a sorry state), a laptop with a Spotify account and expensive speakers (Anna puts almost as much faith in Spotify to suggest music for her as she does Kismet to suggest suitable men), and a series of tapas dishes to keep appetites at bay (the climax of the novel is centred around a Spanish themed birthday dinner party at Anna’s flat).

(I can’t drink the wine but I can certainly help out polishing off the tapas!)

And finally, since the book features so many phones (and the phones in the book cause people such mischief), it will be necessary for all guests to leave their own phones at home! If such a thing is physically possible….

(Oo – I’m not sure that is possible in today’s world but we can certainly give it a try!)

Thanks so much Luke, for telling us more about Kismet. Congratulations on your debut and good luck. I’m off to begin reading it!

Kismet

Anna is in love.
Or maybe not.
She’s a free spirit: definitely happy.
Or is it more panicked?
In any case, she is living life to the full. Or maybe to the edge.
And having a glass of wine.

With a big birthday just around the corner, an important new project at work, and a boyfriend she suspects might be about to ask her a significant question, Anna should feel like she has it all together. But somehow, she just doesn’t seem to be sure about, well, anything. So she gets out her phone and decides to download Kismet.

Will she embrace the life she has, or risk everything for the life she imagines?

With the warmth of David Nicholls and the off-kilter charisma of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, Kismet is a love story about imperfect people in a world obsessed with perfect matches.

Kismet is available for purchase in all the usual places, including directly from publishers Faber and Faber.

About Luke Tredget

Luke Tredget is an aid worker and writer based in London. He works for the Red Cross, and his journalism has featured in the Guardian. His first novel, Elation, was shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead Bursary in 2013. He completed the Creative Writing MA at Birkbeck in 2015, and his novel Kismet will be published by Faber and Faber (UK) and Little, Brown (US) in 2018.

You can follow Luke on Twitter @luke_tredget and there’s more with these other bloggers:

I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for A Child Called Happiness by Stephan Collishaw as I adored his previous book, The Song of the Stork and you can see my review of that book here.

To celebrate A Child Called Happiness, not only am I reviewing it, but I have the chance for a lucky UK reader to win a paperback copy of the book. You can enter the giveaway at the bottom of this blog post.

A Child Called Happiness was published on 17th May 2018 by Legend Press and is available for purchase here.

A Child Called Happiness

Three days after arriving in Zimbabwe, Natalie discovers an abandoned newborn baby on a hill near her uncle’s farm.

115 years earlier, the hill was home to the Mazowe village where Chief Tafara governed at a time of great unrest. Faced with taxation, abductions and loss of their land at the hands of the white settlers, Tafara joined forces with the neighbouring villages in what becomes the first of many uprisings.

A Child Called Happiness is a story of hope, resilience and reclamation, proving that the choices made by our ancestors echo for many generations to come…

You’ll find an extract from A Child Called Happiness here.

My Review of A Child Called Happiness

Newly arrived in Zimbabwe Natalie has no idea what the country is really like.

A Child Called Happiness is an intense, terrifying portrait of a country permanently on the brink of violence and disaster.

Stephan Collishaw has the ability to transplant the reader into another environment completely through his words. He uses such a beautiful vocabulary and a melodic variety of sentence structure so that I found all my senses heightened as I read. I have only ever been to the border of Zimbabwe from Zambia but I know other parts of Africa well and A Child Called Happiness is a book that captures the area so perfectly.

I thought the title was inspired. Natalie finds an abandoned and ailing child which is subsequently named Happiness. The child’s metaphor for the county is so clever. What happens through the microcosm of that child is an intelligent and moving representation of what is happening in the country. The research to underpin the narrative is wonderful. I have my own image of Mugabe and found Stephan Collishaw has shifted my perspective and understanding.

Although I found Natalie’s story enormously engaging, she and the other characters are less well defined than the country itself at its most elemental level. This is by no means a criticism of the book, but an appreciation of how Zimbabwe, its culture and heritage are at the very heart of A Child Called Happiness. The two main narrative threads weave around each other like strands of DNA so that the reader comes to understand nothing is separate or unrelated. I thought this was a beautiful effect.

Alongside the well researched aspects is a cracking narrative too. I loved the story. There’s a tension that made me quite uncomfortable at times and a depth of sadness for what could be, but may never quite be, achieved. Themes of love and loss, anger and grief, hope and betrayal all give such a satisfying depth so that I immediately want to go back and re-read A Child Called Happiness as I’m sure I’ve missed aspects of this intelligent, beautiful and intense story.

A Child Called Happiness is a wonderful book. It confirms for me that Stephan Collishaw is a writer of integrity and skill who should be so much wider read. I feel privileged to have encountered his writing.

About Stephan Collishaw

Stephan Collishaw was brought up on a Nottingham council estate and failed all of his O’levels. His first novel The Last Girl (2003) was chosen by the Independent on Sunday as one of its Novels of the Year. In 2004 Stephan was selected as one of the British Council’s 20 best young British novelists.

After a 10-year writing hiatus, The Song of the Stork was Stephan’s highly anticipated third novel. Stephan now works as a teacher in Nottingham, having also lived and worked abroad in Lithuania and Mallorca, where his son Lukas was born.

You can follow Stephan on Twitter @scollishaw. There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Giveaway

For your chance to win a paperback copy of A Child Called Happiness by Stephan Collishaw click here.

UK only I’m afraid. Giveaway ends UK midnight on Friday 25th May 2018.

Having met him in real life, I’m such a fan of T.A Williams so I’m hugely grateful to Ellie Pilcher at Canelo for inviting me to be part of the launch celebrations for his latest book Dreaming of St Tropez.

T.A, or Trevor, has been such a regular feature on Linda’s Book Bag, having written about how much of himself goes into his books here, and why he writes books for women here.

I have also reviewed Trevor’s Chasing Shadows here, Dreaming of Venice here and To Provence, With Love here.

Dreaming of St Tropez is published by Canelo and available for purchase here.

Dreaming of St Tropez

After a disagreement with a billionaire, architect Jess Milton is ‘let go’ from her job. However fortune intervenes – an elderly client asks Jess to dog-sit overweight, but loveable dog Brutus in St. Tropez.

Fed up with the mega-rich, Jess is reluctant to visit the playground of billionaires, but an all-expenses-paid trip and the promise of sunshine seals the deal.

Little does Jess know how much time she’ll be spending with the family living in St. Tropez. The sullen, but very good-looking David and his millionaire father are both welcoming but guarded, haunted by their pasts…

Can Jess bring some sunshine back into their lives – and, just maybe, find love in the process?

An Extract from Dreaming of St Tropez

Chapter 3

The next few weeks turned out to be very busy, and full of surprises. The first surprise, of course, was for Hope, who was blown away by the chance of visiting her dream destination, rent-free. She immediately set about trying to sublet her flat so she would have money to keep her going at least for a good few weeks. Her excitement was clear to see and Jess felt very happy for her.

As for Jess, in spite of her reservations about St-Tropez almost certainly being full of filthy rich, objectionable people, she began to feel a growing sense of excitement as well. The weather in London had improved slightly, but it still felt like winter in the mornings, and the idea of some Mediterranean sunshine was very appealing. As long as the sun shone, she felt sure she would be able to tolerate the people. As for money, the golden goodbye from her old firm would be more than enough to keep her all summer if she chose to stay in France for the full three months.

The next surprise was Mrs Dupont’s car. The following Saturday, Jess went over to the old lady’s house to pick up the car for the weekend, so as to get a bit of practice driving again. The surprise came when she opened the garage door and discovered that the vehicle in question was an absolutely enormous dark blue Range Rover. It was twice the length of anything she had driven before, and so high off the ground that she had to physically haul herself up into the thing. Apart from its size, the added complication was that it was automatic, and she had never driven an automatic car before.

Inside the vehicle – she couldn’t bring herself to refer to it as a car – everything was sheer luxury. It was a symphony of cream leather, burr walnut and thick-pile carpet, and this opulence felt as daunting as the size of the thing. After an embarrassing delay while she had to consult the handbook to discover how to start the engine – apparently you had to keep your foot on the brake at all times – she manoeuvred her way very gingerly out of the garage and into the traffic.

She immediately made two discoveries.

When she put her foot on the accelerator, the big heavy vehicle instantly turned into a Formula One racing car, and she found herself speeding along and in imminent danger of ramming the cars in front. It went like a bat out of hell. Fortunately, the brakes worked equally efficiently.

The second discovery was more welcome. Other road users appeared to be awed by the sheer mass of the Range Rover and she found that, from the commanding height of the driver’s seat, she was able to cut through the traffic pretty effortlessly. By the time she had negotiated her way through the crowded roads of northwest London and onto the M25, she was beginning to relax. And after her initial concern, driving an automatic turned out to be wonderfully simple, and she soon got the hang of it.

The next surprise came a few days later. Jess and Hope were on Google Earth, checking the address of the house in St-Tropez that Mrs Dupont had given them. They discovered that this was a villa, set in huge grounds. But the surprise was where it was situated. It occupied an absolutely fabulous position, only a few short metres from the sea. It was just outside the town, directly overlooking the Mediterranean. The views from the house had to be unbelievable.

From what they could see from the satellite image, there was a swimming pool, and what looked like a private pathway to secluded beaches. It was hard to make out any more than just the roof of the little house in one corner of the grounds where they would be staying, but they could see that it was separated from the villa by a wonderful, verdant garden, containing a number of statuesque trees, including tall palms. Hope raised her eyes from the screen and glanced across at Jess.

‘Wow, what a place!’

‘You aren’t joking. It’s amazing.’ Inevitably, as she looked at it, Jess put on her architect’s hat. ‘I can’t see much of the villa from above, but from the roof tiles, I reckon it’s probably old traditional Provençal style. It’s called Les Romarins, which apparently means rosemary bushes, and that sounds pretty traditional, doesn’t it?’

‘It’s hard to judge from the air. Is it very big?’

‘It’s biggish, but not too massive. I’d say the footprint’s about one-fifty to two hundred square metres. To give you an idea, this flat of yours is maybe forty square metres. And I’m talking footprint – you know, the area of just one floor. Although it’s difficult to judge from an aerial photo, it looks like this villa’s got a second storey, at least for part of the length of the building, so it’s a good size house. But it’s the position that’s amazing. It’s right beside the sea, on the Côte d’Azur of all places.’

‘So it would appear that your Mrs Dupont’s son isn’t short of a bob or two.’

Jess was beginning to get a bad feeling about this. ‘To own a place like that, he must be worth an absolute bomb. What have I been telling you about my not wanting to get involved with the filthy rich again? Maybe this trip to France isn’t such a good idea, after all, Hope.’

‘This trip to France is a bloody marvellous idea, Jess, and you just remember that.’ Hope took hold of her arm and looked her firmly in the eye. ‘Now, don’t you go getting all bitter and twisted about things, all right? The man’s the son of your Mrs Dupont, and you keep telling me she’s a sweetie. He’s probably just as nice. So, he’s loaded – that doesn’t mean he’s automatically bound to be another Drugoi.’

Jess repressed a shudder.

Jess visited Mrs Dupont regularly and they promised to stay in touch over the next few months. She liked the old lady a lot and dearly hoped that her son would be equally pleasant.

Finally, the end of May arrived and Jess and Hope went round to collect the dog and wish Mrs Dupont and Mrs Forsythe well. As they climbed into the huge car, Mrs Dupont handed Jess a little package, containing the registration and insurance documents for the car, Brutus’s pet passport, and dietary and care instructions for him. The dog himself stood in the boot, surrounded by doggie toys and his luxurious bed, wagging his tail as his mistress disappeared from sight. Jess had no doubt the old lady would be in tears, even though she knew he would be in good hands. She glanced across at Hope.

‘We’d better take damn good care of our four-legged friend. She obviously loves him to bits.’

‘He’ll be fine. I see what you mean about her being a sweetie. He’s a lucky dog to have a mistress like that – although she hasn’t been doing him any favours as far as his diet’s concerned. Do you want me to open this package and see what she says about what we’re supposed to feed the dog?’

‘Good idea.’

As Jess manoeuvred the car through the London traffic, Hope opened the package from Mrs Dupont and perused its contents. The first thing she found came as a huge and very welcome surprise to Jess. It was a thick envelope marked Expenses, and it contained five thousand euros in cash and a scrawled note saying, Please keep what’s left over and have a wonderful holiday.

Jess was totally awed by Mrs Dupont’s generosity. Hope, on the other hand, was equally awed by the sheet indicating the dog’s dietary requirements. She read it out loud, disbelief in her voice.

‘Our hairy friend back there has a bowl of muesli and a big helping of dog biscuits for breakfast every day. He prefers full cream milk with his muesli, but skimmed is also acceptable. If he’s still hungry, he also has two or three slices of unsmoked back bacon.’

‘I’ve never heard of muesli as part of a canine diet before. He’s a Labrador, for crying out loud! Of course he’s hungry. They always are. So, we can safely assume he gets bacon every morning as well. Little wonder he’s a bit paunchy.’ Jess shook her head as she squeezed the big vehicle past a red bus and followed the signs for the motorway.

Hope was still reading.

‘It’s called killing with kindness, but listen to this. He has two main meals a day – taken at one o’clock and seven o’clock. At least one of these must include half a pound of best steak, medium to well done, allowed to cool, but not too cold. As a treat, every day at four o’clock, he’s allowed a slice of cake or, his personal favourite, a doughnut (jam, not jelly). Blimey, Jess, this dog eats better than I do.’

‘Poor Brutus. Carry on like this and he’s on course for a heart attack.’

‘Or some sort of awful stomach disorder.’

(And now, of course, I can’t wait to read the rest!)

About T.A.Williams

T.A. Williams lives in Devon with his Italian wife. He was born in England of a Scottish mother and Welsh father. After a degree in modern languages at Nottingham University, he lived and worked in Switzerland, France and Italy, before returning to run one of the best-known language schools in the UK. He’s taught Arab princes, Brazilian beauty queens and Italian billionaires. He speaks a number of languages and has travelled extensively. He has eaten snake, still-alive fish, and alligator. A Spanish dog, a Russian bug and a Korean parasite have done their best to eat him in return. His hobby is long-distance cycling, but his passion is writing.

You can find Trevor on Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon. You can also follow him on Twitter and visit his website.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

A couple of years ago when I was a relatively newbie blogger I interviewed Nicola May here on Linda’s Book Bag. Today I’m delighted to welcome back Nicola to the blog to stay in with me and tell me about one of her books.

Staying in with Nicola May

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

Hello and it is an absolute pleasure to be staying in with you, Linda.

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

As it is a new release, I have brought along The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay to share with you. It is the ninth romantic comedy I have written and I’m proud to say I have published this one myself. At the time of writing this I am nestling against Jojo Moyes in the Top 20 of the romantic comedy chart on Amazon; how wonderful is that!

(Absolutely brilliant! Huge congratulations.)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay?

From the title and cover, readers might expect a twee type romantic comedy, but it is far from that. My main character, Rosa, was brought up in foster homes so is quite a tough cookie for readers to relate to at first. It is also far from a straightforward boy meet girl story.

In fact, a review on Amazon from Dash Fan sums it up in a nutshell:

The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay has it all, Humour, heartache, mystery, romance, sex, a lil’ bit of magic, nosy neighbours, charm, wit, adorable fur babies, memorable characters and a quaint shop. It triggered so many emotions, it was an uplifting story full of warmth and laughter the tugged on my heart strings. It made for a compulsive read that I couldn’t put down.

(What a perfect review. It certainly makes me want to bump The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay up my TBR pile!)

What else have you brought along and why?

I have brought along a painting of a corner shop. My dad is an artist and he painted this.

(What a talented family you are – writers and artists!)

This shop used to be in a little village in Sunninghill near to where I live. I have happy memories of buying sweets from those big old sweet jars there as a child. It is long gone now, but when my dad gifted me the painting, I looked at it and said out loud ‘I’m going to write a book based around a corner shop.’

(Fantastic inspiration for writing. I always love hearing where authors get their ideas for their stories.)

I decided to set the book in a fictitious Devon village as I adore the South West of England, especially a little village called Dittisham. As Rosa was walking the steep streets of Cockleberry Bay I not only imagined the steep streets of Dittisham, I also thought of Clovelly and a mixture of the other beautiful Devonshire villages and beaches I have visited.

(I know that area well as I spent my childhood summers on holiday there. I love Clovelly.)

The cherry on the cake is that my dad also illustrated the book cover, incorporating the original shop that he painted, which makes it very close to my heart.

Oh, I’m sure it does. Thanks so much for coming onto the blog to tell me about The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, Nicola. I can’t wait to read it.

The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay

Rosa Larkin is down on her luck in London, so when she inherits a near-derelict corner shop in a quaint Devon village, her first thought is to sell it for cash and sort out her life. But nothing is straightforward about this legacy. While the identity of her benefactor remains a mystery, he – or she – has left one important legal proviso: that the shop cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it.

Rosa makes up her mind to give it a go: to put everything she has into getting the shop up and running again in the small seaside community of Cockleberry Bay. But can she do it all on her own? And if not, who will help her succeed – and who among the following will work secretly to see her fail?

There is a handsome rugby player, a sexy plumber, a charlatan reporter and a selection of meddling locals. Add in a hit and run incident and the disappearance of a valuable engraved necklace – and what you get is a journey of self-discovery and unpredictable events.

With surprising and heartfelt results, Rosa, accompanied at all times by her little sausage dog Hot, will slowly unravel the shadowy secrets of the inheritance, and also bring her own, long-hidden heritage into the light.

Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay is available for purchase here.

About Nicola May

Nicola May lives in the UK, five miles from the Queen’s castle in Windsor, with her black-and-white rescue cat, Stan. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks – and, naturally, enjoying a flutter on the horses.

She won Best Author Read at the Festival of Romance for The School Gates and Christmas Evie, in 2012 and 2014 respectively.

She classes her novels as ‘chicklit with a kick,’ writing about love, life and friendships in a real, not fluffy kind of way. She likes burgers, mince pies, clocks, birds, bubble baths and facials – but is not so keen on aubergines.

You can find out more by visiting Nicola’s website, finding her on Instagram and Facebook and following her on Twitter @nicolamay1. All of Nicola’s books can be found here.

I’m so pleased to be starting off lovely Patricia Furstenberg’s As Good As Gold blog tour today. Patricia was my first Staying in With… guest here and has been on the blog several times. Patricia wrote a super guest post for Linda’s Book Bag about the importance of reading that you will find here, and another about celebrating diversity in children’s fiction here. I was also privileged to review another of Patricia’s children’s books, Puppy: 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles, here.

As Good As Gold is available for purchase on Amazon UK , Amazon US and Amazon Canada.

As Good As Gold

As engaging as a tail wag

Celebrating the simple things in life as seen through the eyes of our old time favourite furry friends, As Good as Gold is a volume of poetry revealing the talent and humour we always knew our dogs possessed.

Dogs are full of questions, yet they are famed sellers of innocence especially when it comes to explaining their mishaps and often foolish effervescence through ponderings such as “Why IS a Cat Not Like a Dog”, “As Brown as Chocolate”, “Silver Stars and Puppy Tail” or, best yet, “Dog or Book?”

A book with an enormous heart for readers of all ages, it includes 35 poems and haiku accompanied by expressive portraits of our canine friends.

My Review of As Good As Gold

I have a confession to make. I’m not much of a dog lover. I’m more a cat person so I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy As Good As Gold, celebrating dogs.

I needn’t have worried. I thoroughly enjoyed this charming collection of verse and as a result of reading it I think I understand dogs so much better. I did rather enjoy the poems with cats in them too though! One element that particularly appealed to me was the range of nature and animals included. This isn’t just a collection of poems about dogs, but affords an insight into other creatures and nature too. My favourite was the personification of the wind in One, Two Three. I loved all the Haiku as little gems of brilliance.

As well as being an enjoyable read, I think As Good As Gold has huge potential as a family or school collection. There’s a lot that can be learnt about rhythm and rhyme and language but, even better, there’s so many voices present in the poems that they would make great mini plays and performance pieces to be read aloud. I could easily envisage Yellow as a play for small children. There’s considerable fun to be had beyond just reading and enjoying the poems.

As well as fun and engaging poetry in As Good As Gold, there are some utterly heart melting photographs of dogs in this collection too so that I think the book would make a wonderful gift for all dog lovers regardless of age.

About Patricia Furstenberg

Patricia Furstenberg came to writing through reading. She always carries a notebook and a pen, although at times she jots down her ideas on the back of till slips or types them on her phone.

Patricia enjoys writing for children because she can take abstract, grown-up concepts and package them in humorous, child-friendly ideas while adding sensitivity and lots of love. What fuels her is an exhilarating need to write and… coffee:

“How many cups have you had this morning?”

“None.”

“Plus?”

“Five cups.”

Between her books you can find the beloved Joyful Trouble, The Cheetah and the Dog, Puppy, 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles.

She is a Huffington Post contributor and pens the Sunday Column for MyPuppyclub.net as well as dabbing in freelancing. After completing her Medical Degree in Romania she moved to South Africa where she now lives with her husband, children and their dogs.

All of Patricia’s children’s books are available here.

You can follow Patricia Furstenberg on Twitter, find her on Facebook and visit her website. She’s also on Goodreads.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I think most people who are regular Linda’s Book Bag visitors know in the last two or three years my husband has had a mini stroke and my Dad has died from a massive one so you’ll understand why I have invited Greg Payan onto the blog 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 Greg Payan

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Greg. 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? 

I’ve brought along, Please Stay, my recently published memoir.  It tells the story of my then girlfriend (now wife) who was stricken at the age of 39 by a near fatal brain aneurysm.  She endured a Grade IV brain hemorrhage and was brought the hospital with heart and lung failure.  Through texts, emails and social media messages, I documented her ordeal of 24 days in the ICU, and her journey to recovery. While the beginning of the book starts out pretty scary, I can assure the reader it does have a happy ending.  One person called the book more of a love letter, than an actual memoir.

(I think this is a wonderful way to celebrate a life returned Greg.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Please Stay?

I think the reader will experience a range of emotions, from laughter to tears.  I think the book is very unique in that it’s a memoir told in real time as things were happening and my wife was battling for her life.  Since so much communication happens through texts and e-mails these days, when she eventually recovered two years after her bleed, I had a diary of everyone I was in correspondence with the entire time.  The notes were not just updating friends of her condition, but because my wife was a teacher, she had beautiful letters from former students and friends about how she impacted their lives, letting her know she was not allowed to die yet in notes that I read at her bedside in her various states of consciousness.

(I’m sure those messages must have helped her recovery too.)

I love reading the reviews that have been published because as with any form of art, you put it out there because you’re proud of it, but you wonder if others are truly moved by your story.  Some of the reviews have really validated what I thought was a really interesting book.  One review I liked noted that the book “calls readers to question their own legacies and to celebrate their lives and the love of the people in them,” but I think my favorite review was “Please Stay grabs you immediately with its raw vulnerability and humor sprinkled throughout such an uncertain time in this couple’s life. This story will challenge you on every page. Not just by compelling you to reflect on life’s biggest themes of death and love – but also a hundred micro reflections nestled in between.”

(You must be so pleased with those reader responses Greg.)

When you put something out there that moves people, I think that’s succeeding.  I hope I did that with Please Stay.

What else have you brought along and why?

I have brought a large glass of red wine which is how I like to unwind at the end of a long day.  I think some background music is needed as I’m not a fan of reading in total silence.  I’d probably put on some Eva Cassidy or some Cassandra Wilson.

(That was clever as I don’t drink ordinary wine so you won’t have to share. I love your taste in music though.)

Lastly, I’ve also brought along this great photo of my wedding day.  Holly and I dated for over 10 years before her aneurysm ruptured.  Once she was well enough, she immediately wanted to get married, although she never did before.  Almost 5 months to the day after her bleed we went to City Hall and got married.  A photographer friend took this photo which hangs in our living room next to my reading chair that I look at and give thanks to every day.

Oh my goodness. What a glorious photo. I’m so pleased life has worked out for you now. Thanks so much for explaining the inspiration for Please Stay Greg. I hope it does really well for you.

Please Stay

Please Stay is the story of a healthy 39-year old college professor struck down by a sudden, near fatal brain aneurysm. After a short prologue, the book begins as Holly wakes up with a debilitating headache as readers feel the panic in those initial moments of confusion before a brain bleed is diagnosed at the hospital. Readers learn about her through letters sent by close friends and former students, who sent memories to be read at her bedside while she was on a respirator, fighting for her life, about the impact she had on their lives. They plead with her not to die through their words and share what she means to them.

Please Stay is both an extremely compelling story and an interesting story-telling methodology. A multiple-perspective take on a life-threatening situation, it documents love and luck in a hospital in New York in a real-time narrative as things unfolded. The story is told through actual correspondence which updated friends, colleagues and loved ones through long emails at the end of each of 24 ICU days; text messages sent back and forth to Holly’s sister as things unfolded; and photos documenting events as Holly fought to live. The reader experiences the fears and prayers of Holly’s loved ones who come to the realization that she may eventually recover but be left compromised, potentially losing her writing and teaching career and altering irrevocably her myriad relationships.

Please Stay is a book that one person described as ‘more of a love letter at times, than a standard memoir.’ Another noted that it is ‘honest, vulnerable and unflinching.’ It’s a unique story of love and survival that speaks to people across boundaries of health and wellness. It’s a story of faith and hope and love. Replete with tender anecdotes, the book calls readers to question their own legacies and to celebrate their lives and the love of the people in them.

Please Stay is available for purchase here.

About Greg Payan

Greg Payan was born and raised in Queens, NY. While currently working full time as a journalist, fate intervened when his then partner, now wife, was struck by a sudden brain hemorrhage. He detailed the health crisis in his memoir, Please Stay (2018), his only full-length book. Employing actual correspondence which updated friends, colleagues and loved ones through long emails at the end of each of 24 ICU days; text messages sent back and forth to family as things unfolded; and photos documenting events as they happened the reader experiences the fears and prayers of all involved in a medical crisis.

Oh my goodness! Yesterday was the 4th Annual Bloggers Bash Awards and I can’t believe it but Linda’s Book Bag actually won best overall blog! I mean really – I genuinely had no expectation of winning and was completely thrilled and delighted to have done so.

If you were one of the people who either nominated me, or voted, may I just thank you from the bottom of my heart. I honestly feel a little bit emotional at and incredibly humbled by this win.

All the winners received a certificate and a wonderful stone notebook from OurGreenStory. I’m looking forward to receiving my award winner’s Amazon voucher too as I’m sure there’s a book or two I don’t yet have on my TBR!

I have been attempting to attend the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards for a while. Having begun blogging in 2015 I was nominated for, and won, the Best Book Review Blog in 2016. I’d have loved to be at the awards that day but I had already booked tickets to see Bryan Ferry at Burghley House and you all know my obsession with him!

(I know you’re all sick of this photo but I just couldn’t resist adding it in again!)

Last year I was nominated again and had intended to go. I bought my ticket and was all set. Then came whatever it was that had me passing out and hallucinating at the drop of a hat and I didn’t leave the house for six weeks. Sadly I didn’t make it to the awards.

This year I thought ‘third time lucky’ – and how lucky it was. I hardly knew anyone there and it was a brilliant opportunity to meet bloggers and make new friends.

Having lunch with fellow bloggers

There were some excellent presentations, particularly from Sacha Black who came up with the idea of the Awards in the first place and spoke about targeting readers through mailing lists. Sacha has a full list of all this year’s nominees and winners here. Do take a look as there are some smashing blogs to follow and it was thrilling to see so many bloggers I know both online and personally recognised for their efforts.

Last year’s Overall Best Blog winner and this year’s runner up Ritu of But I Smile Anyway gave a smashing talk about managing time as a blogger – a commodity we could all do with increasing!

The day concluded with an excellent panel discussion before lots of lovely informal chat around the courtyard and bar. I was disappointed I had to dash off for my train as I’d have loved to stay longer. At least I made it this year!

If you’re a blogger and haven’t yet become part of the Blogger’s Bash, do get involved. There’s a Facebook group here you can join and it doesn’t matter whether you are nominated for an award, win or just enjoy blogging – it’s a wonderful community to belong to.

My enormous thanks to all the committee who work so hard to put this all together. Roll on 2019!

I’m delighted to welcome back Emma Salisbury to Linda’s Book Bag. A couple of years ago I met Emma in person and she then wrote a fantastic guest post for the blog, all about Location, Location, Location that you can read here. Today Emma has agreed to stay in with me to tell me about another of her books.

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me to tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with Emma Salisbury

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag, Emma. 

Hi Linda, thanks for having me.

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? 

I’ve brought along my latest DS Coupland novel, ABSENT, published 19 May.

(Oo. Happy publication day for yesterday Emma!)

I’ve chosen it because of what it now symbolises. I was widowed suddenly part way through and for a long time I couldn’t eat, sleep or get dressed, let alone write. Several months down the line I thought the time was right to see if I could continue with the story. Everything about me had changed, you see, it changes you as a person, and for a while you can see only negative changes and I worried that this would impact my main character, DS Kevin Coupland. He was always going to be angry in this story because of what happens in the previous book, but I didn’t want him to behave out of character. It took a while to find his ‘voice’ again but when I did it felt very natural, and even in his darkest moments he retains his humour and pig headedness that readers have come to love. ABSENT took twice as long as any other book I’ve written to complete, but the fact that it is now here brings be immense joy.

(I was so sorry to hear about you loss Emma. I know many other Linda’s Book Bag readers, me included, have suffered grief in recent months. I’m so glad you managed to find your authorial voice again and that writing can bring you joy.)

What can we expect from an evening in with ABSENT?

ABSENT is a gritty police procedural set in Salford, Greater Manchester, featuring DS Kevin Coupland. Overweight, overworked and over forty he worships his wife and daughter and tries his utmost to separate them from the world in which he inhabits. Unfortunately for him he discovers that something that happened during an investigation into a serial killer case that he’d worked on the previous year comes back to bite him in his personal life, while at the same time trying to discover the identity of a child found in a bag.

(This sounds brilliant.)

The over-riding theme is about people who go missing without anyone noticing – and the book explores how that can happen. It is also about loss in many its forms, and forgiveness, and hope.

(I’m always amazed at how easy it is for people simply to disappear. I’m sure we all know loss in some form too so I think ABSENT would appeal to all of us.)

What else have you brought along and why?

Well I’ve brought along my pestle and mortar. I had one years ago and didn’t use it but find I’m using this one all the time. I think that makes me a grown up.

(I’m sure it does. Though with four D.S. Coupland novels under your belt I think you’re probably pretty grown up already!)

I’ve brought my new favourite sneakers, comfy as anything but look stylish too. They’re from a lovely boutique in North Berwick and I find it impossible to come out empty handed.

(*Sighs. I love shoes but with a foot problem I can only wear a couple of styles now. I’m so envious of these Emma. They look great.)

I also brought bubbly. I think it’s important to celebrate the good times, gives us something to look back on and smile. And what girl doesn’t like a glass of fizz!

Couldn’t agree more! I’ll get the glasses. Thanks so much for staying in with me to tell me all about ABSENT Emma. I’ve really enjoyed our chat.

Thank you for having me, Linda.

ABSENT

The worst things happen in plain sight.

When he stopped a serial killer in his tracks earlier in the year he thought that would be the end of it, but for DS Kevin Coupland his nightmare has just begun.

A child’s body is discovered hidden in a bag, kicking off a major investigation for Salford Precinct’s murder squad. Soon the National Crime Agency roll into town and Coupland is under strict instructions to play nice.

He’s got enough on his plate to worry about politics. A shock discovery in his personal life is starting to take its toll, causing him to make decisions that bring him to the attention of the powers that be for all the wrong reasons.

DS Alex Moreton returns from maternity leave to find her partner deeply troubled, but with a cold case to review she’s in no position to prevent him hitting the self-destruct button.

As he hunts down the child’s killer Coupland is forced to reflect upon his own life and find an answer to the question he’s been avoiding. Is it possible to accept the things you cannot change?

ABSENT is available for purchase here.

About Emma Salisbury

Emma Salisbury writes gritty, crime fiction that focuses on the ‘why’dunnit as well as the ‘who’. Emma worked for a housing association supporting ex-offenders into work which provided her with a lot of inspiration. Her novels have regularly been in the top ten Hardboiled chart and she was awarded an Amazon All-Star bonus for being one of their most read authors.

You can find Emma onTwitter @emmasauthor and Facebook. Emma’s website can be found here. All of Emma’s books are available for purchase here.

I’m always thrilled when I can feature authors I’ve actually met in real life so it gives me enormous pleasure to welcome back Rebecca Bradley to Linda’s Book Bag today. Rebecca has previously written a couple of wonderful guest posts for me; one on A Sense of Place that you can read here when Made To Be Broken was published and another about Consequences when Three Weeks Dead was released that you can read here.

Today I’m staying in with Rebecca to hear about her latest book.

Staying in with Rebecca Bradley

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag, Rebecca. Lovely to see you here again. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

Thank you for inviting me to stay in with you, Linda. I have brought Dead Blind with me. Dead Blind is the most recent of my novels and was only released on 8^th May. This book means a lot to me because both the main character, DI Ray Patrick and I have had to deal with life-altering medical conditions that have affected our time in the police service. Ray’s desire to stay in the job was a need I felt but was unable to fulfil. But I was able to put my emotions into the page.

(I know you’ve struggled with your health Rebecca so I’m thrilled for you that you’re able to write such great books. Congratulations on Dead Blind.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Dead Blind?

As well as being a crime novel Dead Blind is also a very character driven book as we are with Ray as he struggles to cope with his face blindness in the work environment and in his personal relationships. He’s keeping a huge secret and it takes a toll on him. He’s desperate to resolve the situation he feels he has put the team in but he doesn’t quite know how to do it and he’s backed himself into a corner by not coming clean in the first place. In reading this story you will be in for a tense evening, so if you fancy a page-turning read, with characters you care about, then this might be the book for you.

(I certainly do fancy a page-turner with characters I can invest some emotional response into. Dead Blind sounds just my kind of read.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I’ve bought the old game of Guess Who from the 80s. Ray might not be able to recognise faces but I’m sure he could play a game of Guess Who – after all, he can identify individual characteristics on a face, like a moustache or spectacles, he just can’t put the face together and put a name to it and luckily with Guess Who the names are written on the cards! 🙂

(And now you’ve made me feel very old Rebecca! Guess Who is after my time so I’ve never played. I think we should settle down to a game and put that right immediately.)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Rebecca, to introduce Dead Blind. And congratulations on this latest novel.

Dead Blind

How do you identify a ruthless killer when you can’t even recognise your own face in a mirror?

Returning to work following an accident, Detective Inspector Ray Patrick refuses to disclose he now lives with face blindness – an inability to recognise faces.

As Ray deceives his team he is pulled into a police operation that targets an international trade in human organs. And when he attempts to bring the organisation down, Ray is witness to a savage murder.

But it’s a killer he will never remember.

The pressure mounts as Ray attempts to keep his secret and solve the case alone. With only his ex-wife as a confidant, he feels progressively isolated.

Can he escape with his career and his life intact?

Dead Blind is available for purchase here.

About Rebecca Bradley

Rebecca Bradley is a retired police detective. She lives in the UK with her family and her two cockapoo’s Alfie and Lola, who keep her company while she writes. Rebecca needs to drink copious amounts of tea to function throughout the day and if she could, she would survive on a diet of tea and cake while committing murder on a regular basis, in her writing of course.

She writes the DI Hannah Robbins police procedural series and has also released a standalone novel, Dead Blind, about a cop who acquires prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness.

You can follow Rebecca on Twitter @RebeccaJBradley, find her on Facebook and visit her website where you may even find a free book!

You know how life can be a bit of a challenge at times and we all need a bit of a feel-good factor? Well, when lovely Helena Fairfax got in touch about a brand new collection of stories from nine author friends, Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings, I just had to add to the pressure of today’s publication and ask each of the authors involved to come on the blog and tell me a bit more by asking them ‘What would you most like to find in Miss Moonshine’s shop?’

I’ll hand over to Helena and the others to tell you more once I’ve given you the important book information! Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings is released today and is available for purchase here.

Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings

Sometimes what you need is right there waiting for you…

Miss Moonshine’s Wonderful Emporium has stood in the pretty Yorkshire town of Haven Bridge for as long as anyone can remember. With her ever-changing stock, Miss Moonshine has a rare gift for providing exactly what her customers need: a fire opal necklace that provides a glimpse of a different life; a novel whose phantom doodler casts a spell over the reader; a music box whose song links love affairs across the generations. One thing is for certain: after visiting Miss Moonshine’s quirky shop, life is never the same again…

Nine romantic novelists from Yorkshire and Lancashire, including best-selling and award-winning authors, have joined together to create this collection of uplifting stories guaranteed to warm your heart. This intriguing mix of historical and contemporary romances will make you laugh, cry, and believe in the happy-ever-after.

Helena Fairfax Introduces

Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings

Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings is a collection of feel-good stories put together by a group of us Yorkshire and Lancashire authors. We’re all members of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and we began meeting regularly for lunch in Hebden Bridge a few years ago. We’ve since become great friends, and putting together this collection of stories has been great fun from start to finish. Because we meet on the border between our two counties, we call ourselves ‘Authors on the Edge’ 🙂

The central character in our collection, the wonderful Miss Moonshine, appears in each one of our stories. Miss Moonshine owns an ‘Emporium’ – really just a shop with a jumble of bric-a-brac. But Miss Moonshine and her shop seem to exert a magical quality over whoever enters. As we write in our blurb: ‘With her ever-changing stock, Miss Moonshine has a rare gift for providing exactly what her customers need…One thing is for certain, after visiting Miss Moonshine’s shop, life is never the same again.’

Life is certainly never the same again for any of our heroines!

When I started putting this post together for Linda, she suggested we all of us answer the same question: ‘What would you most like to find in Miss Moonshine’s shop?’ When I put the question to the other eight authors, they thought it was a brilliant idea!

(I’m relieved to hear that Helena!)

Here is what we Authors on the Edge would each love to find in Miss Moonshine’s Wonderful Emporium:

Melinda Hammond: I write a great deal about Regency society and I would love to find a ticket for the legendary Almacks, which was the venue for a regular exclusive society ball. I’ve seen a ticket in a museum in LA, of all places, but they are very rare. They were highly prized amongst the young ladies of the Regency, who went there to find themselves a husband. However, the patronesses were incredibly strict (today we might say snobbish) and not everyone was allowed access. Even the Duke of Wellington was turned away once, for not wearing the correct evening dress!

Mary Jayne Baker: What I’d love most to find would be a beautiful vintage fountain pen that would help me write the perfect book…

Marie Laval: I’d like to find one of those paperweights with a tiny landscape, a park and a manor house. At night, I would imagine that I can see some light in the windows of the manor house… And perhaps escape to a dream world in there!

Angela Wren: I’d like Miss Moonshine to stock a silver bracelet, exactly like the one my parents bought me for my 18th birthday. Very sadly I lost it some years later and despite every effort to trace it again, I was unsuccessful. And no matter where I am I always look in jeweller’s shops in the hope of finding an exact copy of it – but alas that has proved to be fruitless as well.

Sophie Claire: What I’d wish to find would be a box of inspiration to fuel a lifetime of story-writing. If anyone could conjure up something as magical and exciting as that, Miss Moonshine could!

Kate Field: I’d like to find a jar that I could fill with all my worries and doubts. As there’s a touch of magic about Miss Moonshine, it would be a special jar so that once a worry was in there it could never trouble me again!

Helen Pollard: I would love it if Miss Moonshine sold me some kind of talisman that she sensed was meant just for me; something to soothe my spirit!

Jacqui Cooper: I love stationery and I have special notebooks I use to jot down all the ideas I have for stories. I’d love to find a beautiful notebook in Miss Moonshine’s shop – one that, when I opened it, had just a phrase or a random thought on every page for story inspiration.

And as for me, Helena Fairfax, what would I most like to find? Jacqui Cooper has a story in our collection that I loved. It’s about a necklace that transports the heroine to another life whenever she wears it. My daughter lives in New Zealand. I would love to find a necklace that would transport me there whenever I put it on. That would be wonderful!

(These are wonderful responses Helena. Thanks so much to you all for taking past and a VERY happy publication day for Miss Moonshine’s Emporium of Happy Endings.)

Thank you so much for having us, Linda, and for the fun question!

We’d love to put the same question to you and your readers. What would you most like to find in Miss Moonshine’s Emporium? We’d love to hear from you!

Oh – there’s a challenge. Do respond in the comments! I think I’d quite like to find way to get good night’s, dream filled, sleep as I seem to have forgotten how to do that.

As well as having met some of these lovely authors in real life, some have featured on Linda’s Book Bag before so here are some links:

An extract from The Honey Trap by Mary Jayne Baker 

An interview with Marie Laval and an extract from her Little Pink Taxi

A Trick or Treat guest post from Helena Fairfax and what happened when we stayed in together!

My review of Felicity at the Cross Hotel by Helena Fairfax