One of the delights of blogging is that books I’m introduced to books I wouldn’t necessarily encounter. We’ve Come To Take You Home by Susan Gandar is one such book. Susan has kindly agreed to provide a guest blog today all about how her debut adult novel We’ve Come To Take You Home doesn’t shy away from difficult stories, and I’m delighted to be sharing her post with you.

Available from the publishers in ebook and in paperback as well as on Amazon UK and Amazon US, We’ve Come To Take You Home was published by Mataor on 28th March 2016.

We’ve Come To Take You Home

‘Powerful, intelligent and moving …’ Graeme Simsion, author The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect

‘We’ve Come to Take You Home’ is an unusual and compelling story of love, loss and the importance of family.

Samantha Foster and Jessica Brown are destined to meet. One lives in the twentieth century, the other in the twenty-first century

April 1916 and thousands of men have left home to fight in the war to end all wars. Jessica Brown’s father is about to be one of those men. A year later, he is still alive but Jess has to steal to keep her family from starving. And then a telegram arrives – her father has been killed in action.

Four generations later, Sam Foster’s father is admitted to a hospital’s intensive care unit with a suspected brain haemorrhage. A nurse asks if she would like to take her father’s hand. Sam refuses. All she wants is to get out of this place, stuck between the world of the living and the world of the dead, a place with no hope and no future, as quickly as possible.

As Sam’s father’s condition worsens, her dreams become more frequent – and more frightening. She realises that what she is experiencing is not a dream, but someone else’s living nightmare…

We’ve Come to Take You Home is an emotionally-charged story of a friendship forged 100 years apart.

Taking on the Difficult Stories

A Guest Post by Susan Gandar

Whilst working as story consultant on the TV hit show Casualty I gained a reputation for taking on so-called ‘difficult’ stories . The expected result might have been a drop in viewing figures. Quite the opposite happened – they rocketed from 7 million to 14 million.

And I’ve followed much the same game plan with We’ve Come To Take You Home. Both Sam’s story and Jess’ are ‘difficult’, in the sense they are strongly rooted in reality, in small detail. My own mother died of a brain haemorrhage. I had many of the same experiences as Sam, including being too afraid to hold her hand, a fear I never overcame, but Sam does.

In Jess’ story, I don’t try to soften up what was a very challenging and harsh time. She loses her father, her baby brother dies of starvation, very common during the First World War, but not often admitted or spoken about, and her mother commits suicide, again not in the least unusual. She’s left alone, working as a maid in London, and ends up, at the age of 15, pregnant not knowing whether the father of her child is alive or dead. Does she or doesn’t she keep the baby? It would be a very difficult decision for a girl of that age now. But can you imagine what it must have been like in 1917?

I didn’t want to go down the typical linear narrative structure instead choosing to run the two stories together, side by side. They bump into each other along route before tying up firmly at the end. And, guess what? This is the structure that was so successful on Casualty and one I believe will appeal enormously to young adult readers who so are used, and so able, to do multi-strand thinking. I read an interview with the agent Darley Anderson not so long ago – about young adult readers, the need to reach out to them, to offer something structurally, in the sense of narrative, different. And that’s exactly what I’ve tried to do.

And then just to make my life even more difficult, I add a touch of ‘fantasy’ or ‘magic’ – although I would prefer the description, ‘supernatural’ or even ‘spiritual’. Because in the context of We’ve Come To Take You Home, there are no ghosts, only spirits, and they are as real as you and me.

An odd mix, but boundaries exist to be challenged.

About Susan Gandar

My father, John Box, was a film production designer, working on ‘Lawrence of Arabia’, ‘Dr. Zhivago’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘A Man For All Seasons’ and the musical ‘Oliver’. Our house was always filled with people, usually eccentric, always talented, invariably stroppy, discussing stories. My mother put my father’s four Oscars to good use as toilet roll holders, doorstops and hat stands.

A major chunk of my childhood was spent loitering around on film sets. Who needs an ‘English education’ when you have the polystyrene-coated streets of downtown Moscow, ten miles outside of Madrid, to explore?

But then the years of ‘Who Will Buy My Sweet Red Roses’ came to a rather abrupt end. Reality knocked on the door in the guise of the Metropolitan Line to Shepherds Bush and the BBC. Working in television as a script editor and story consultant, I was part of the creative team responsible for setting up Casualty. I became known for going after the more ‘difficult’ stories at the same time successfully racking up viewing figures from 7 to 14 million.

I went on to develop various projects for both the BBC and the independent sector. The period I enjoyed most was working with Jack Rosenthal, a wonderful writer, on the series Moving Story – ‘That’s a situation, a good situation, but now you need to make it into a story.’

Martin, my husband, was made an offer he couldn’t refuse and we left England to live in Amsterdam. ‘Ik wil een kilo kabeljauw, alstublieft’ (I want a kilo of cod please) will, if all goes well, buy you a piece of cod – I decided to concentrate on my writing rather than my Dutch pronunciation.

My debut novel, We’ve Come to Take You Home, set in the present and in 1918, a crossover aimed at the adult and young adult women’s popular fiction market, was published on 28^th March by Matador.

You can find out more about Susan on her website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

I’m incredibly grateful to Alison Davies at Atlantic Books for a copy of How To Find Your (First) Husband by Rosie Blake in return for an honest review. How To Find Your (First) Husband was published by Corvus on 2nd June in paperback and e-book and is available to purchase from Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles and from all good bookshops.

You can also find my review of one of Rosie Blake’s other books How To Stuff Up Christmas by clicking here.

How To Find Your (First) Husband

Isobel Graves moved to LA determined to be the Next Big Thing. Instead, she is dressed as a giant prawn handing out fliers promoting a fish market. Rather than attending glamorous parties and dating exciting men, her evenings consist of watching box sets with her sort-of boyfriend, whose idea of romance is a late-night drunken text.

Where did it all go wrong?

When Isobel catches sight of Andrew Parker, her childhood sweetheart, in the background of a TV news story she feels it’s a sign. If she’d stuck with Andrew everything would have turned out better. Now she just needs to find him…Join Isobel as she travels from LA to Devon and to a remote Malaysian island in search of true love.

My Review of How To Find Your (First) Husband

Oh my goodness, I adored this book. Just occasionally there’s a novel that is a perfect embodiment of its genre and How To Find Your (First) Husband by Rosie Blake is just that – perfect. I’m always sceptical about books that are said to be ‘hilarious’ or ‘funny’ as I seldom find them so, but I really did laugh aloud at this romantic comedy. I think it was because the humour felt so natural and not at all self-conscious or contrived. Isobel’s asides to herself and the reader created an intimacy so that it felt like sharing an in-joke with a close friend. For me, Isobel’s mother was a great source of amusement.

With apologies to all Geography teachers everywhere, I loved the range of characters. This is a perfect example of show, don’t tell, to create the individuals, that all writers could benefit from reading. Characters are gradually uncovered so that we get to know them at the same time as Isobel. I think the fact that there are only half a dozen characters focused on helps this too. I felt sorry for Liz and Andrew in many ways and sympathised with Mel’s fears and insecurities. Iz seemed completely natural – a real person, not a fictional character and I was desperate for her to be happy.

The plot is fast paced and thoroughly entertaining whilst retaining a realism that makes the story all the more attractive. I simply did not want the book to end because I enjoyed reading it so much. I thought the premise that Isobel is looking for her childhood sweetheart worked exceptionally well and certainly rekindled a few memories of my own early immature loves.

Underlying what is essentially a light hearted beach read are some deeper themes – the protection of wildlife, knowing what we really want from life, not letting the past adversely affect our present and future – all of which enhance the reading experience. This isn’t to say that the novel veers from a deftly written escapist text, but that it has layers that reward further thought.

Having read the story I’m desperate to be on the beach. Rosie Blake conjures up setting so well, invoking all the senses so that I really was transported to an island paradise in Tioman. There is a clear distinction between LA, Cornwall and Malasia so that a real sense of place comes through.

If you’re looking for the perfect romantic comedy to take on holiday, look no further. How To Find Your (First) Husband is a simply wonderful summer read. When is the next Rosie Blake book due as I don’t think I can wait long to read it?

About Rosie Blake

Rosie is an author of comic commercial fiction. She spent her university years writing pantomimes based on old classics (highlight: ‘Harry Potter: The Musical’) and went on to write short stories and features for a range of publications including Cosmopolitan,The Lady, Sunday People, Best and Reveal magazines. She worked in television as a presenter on both live and pre-recorded shows in Bristol and London. She has written three novels and plans to write many more.

Rosie likes baked items, taking long walks by the river and speaking about herself in the third person. Her greatest ambition in life is to become Julia Roberts’s best friend.

You can follow Rosie Blake on Twitter and via her web site.

I’m fast becoming a fan of children’s fiction and am delighted to be part of the launch celebrations of Alfie Bloom and the Talisman Thief, the second book in the Alfie Bloom series by Gabrielle Kent. Alfie Bloom and the Talisman Thief was published by Scholastic on 2nd June 2016.

This lovely fantasy book is aimed at 8 – 12 year olds and is available for purchase here in both paperback and e-book or directly from Scholastic. You can find out more on Goodreads too.

Today Gabrielle Kent tells us all about the origins of Alfie Bloom

Alfie Bloom and the Talisman Thief

When Alfie Bloom inherited a castle and a centuries-old magic, his dull and lonely life was changed forever. But Alfie’s new life has come with dangers he never could have expected. When Ashford the butler is kidnapped in the middle of the night, the castle comes under threat from a terrifying enemy. Trapped inside with only his twin cousins and best friend Amy, it’s up to Alfie to defend his inheritance and prevent a terrible fate from befalling the whole of England!

The Origins of Alfie Bloom

A Guest Post by Gabrielle Kent

I have loved castles since I was very young. I visit local ones wherever I go and always wondered what it would be like to have one of my very own. In 2006 some friends took me to Castle Coch in Wales. It is a fabulous place full of quirky little touches and looks as though it was built by someone who wanted a fairytale castle of their very own. In one of the rooms I came across a carving of The Fates above a fireplace. I felt as though they could come to life at any minute and tell me my destiny. I imagined a child inheriting the castle and talking to The Fates. As I made the long drive back from Cardiff to Teesside the idea grew bigger and bigger, and by the time I got home the story of Alfie Bloom was ready to be written.

The name of the town where the story is set, Hexbridge, is a blend of the North Eastern towns Corbridge and Hexham. I see the novel as being set around that beautiful area and think the composite name sounds magical. The creation of Hexbridge was influenced by the age and layout of Helmsley and Alnwick market towns. When I was eleven years old, my class went on a field trip to Alnwick. We visited the castle and I was struck by the ornate coaches inside. These were in my head when I wrote about the coach that took Alfie to learn of his inheritance. During that visit to Alnwick there was a medieval festival held in the market square. Everyone was dressed in costume and there was dancing, food and craft stalls and a ducking stool in the centre of the square. That festival influenced the Samhain and Beltane festivals that Alfie attends in the first two books.

Like Alfie, I moved town in my final year of primary school. This was a really significant event for me, I had to build friendships and get to know the temperaments of my new teachers. I was really impressed with the beautiful Victorian building after the modern, blocky grey school I had moved from. There were rumours that there were secret passages behind panels and the school stage. I imagined Alfie and his friends within the corridors and school hall of that building as I was writing about Wyrmwald House. I visited that school recently and was very pleased to hear that tales of secret passages from the headteacher’s office are still going strong!

Alfie’s relationship with his cousins is very much influenced by my relationship with some of my cousins in Ireland, particularly my younger cousins Niall, Aisling and Sinead who lived on a farm in Wicklow. They were wildlings and had the best ideas for adventures. We built forts from haybales, climbed trees in the orchard and raided my aunty’s secret chocolate stash for midnight feasts – despite still being full from the massive feasts she cooked for us every evening. Those summers were pretty idyllic and an escape from the rough estate where we lived back in England before moving to a new town. It was as though I got to step into a magical world for a few weeks each year and I wanted to carry that feeling into my writing.

So, while the idea for the first book came to me at Castell Coch, the origin of the Alfie Bloom novels lies in all the places I have visited, the people I care about, and the adventures that I hope I never stop having.

About Gabrielle Kent

Gabrielle Kent has worked in and around the videogames industry for fifteen years and currently lectures in games art and design at Teesside University. As well as teaching, she directs and presents Animex, the UK’s largest annual games and animation festival, bringing young people together from all over Europe. Gabriellehas written and contributed to a number of articles, papers and broadcasts on gaming and is a regular judge on the Games BAFTA awards. In 2006 she was voted one of the Top 100 most Influential Women in the games industry by US based Next Gen magazine.

You can find out more about Gabrielle Kent on her Website and you can follow her on Twitter.

I’m indebted to Laura Nichol at Black and White Publishing for an advanced reader copy of Willow Walk by SJI Holliday in return for an honest review. Willow Walk will be released in paperback by Black and White on 10th June 2016 and is also available in e-book on Amazon and from the publisher. Willow Walk follows SJI Holliday’s debut Black Wood and is the second in the Banktoun trilogy.

Willow Walk

When the past catches up, do you run and hide or stand and fight?

When a woman is brutally attacked on a lonely country road by an escaped inmate from a nearby psychiatric hospital, Sergeant Davie Gray must track him down before he strikes again. But Gray is already facing a series of deaths connected to legal highs and a local fairground, as well as dealing with his girlfriend Marie’s bizarre behaviour. As Gray investigates the crimes, he suspects a horrifying link between Marie and the man on the run – but how can he confront her when she’s pushing him away? As a terrified Marie is pulled back into a violent past she thought she’d escaped, she makes an irrevocable decision. And when events come to a head at a house party on Willow Walk, can Gray piece together the puzzle in time to stop the sleepy town of Banktoun being rocked by tragedy once more?

My Review of Willow Walk

Sergeant Davie Gray has an embryonic relationship with Marie Bloomfield but Marie has a past that will come back to haunt her.

I have a confession to make. Black Wood by SJI Holliday has been languishing on my ‘To Be Read’ pile for over a year and I haven’t got round to reading it. Having devoured Willow Walk in day that I simply had to put on hold until I’d finished it, I’ll be digging out Black Wood immediately. I’m sure there are Banktoun nuances I’ve missed by not having read Black Wood, but Willow Walk is fantastic as a stand alone book.

By the end of the prologue my heart was racing and it didn’t slow down until well after I’d read the last word. This is thriller writing at its best. It’s taut, pacy and heart-thumpingly good. What is so effective is what isn’t said as well as what is. SJI Holliday knows exactly how to build suspense by drip-feeding information so that the reader’s imagination runs riot. I found the build up sinister and I was unnerved by the letters from Graeme that intersperse the narrative, bringing him into sharp focus.

I found the tightly knit community of Banktoun as claustrophobic as Marie’s habit of holding her breath under water when she goes swimming. What also held my attention so effectively is that Davie Gray isn’t a policeman with deep psychological issues of his own as in so many crime based novels and this made Willow Walk a refreshing and captivating story for me.  There’s quite a range of characters but they are all skilfully linked either through the main or sub-plot which weave in and out and complement one another perfectly.

Willow Walk also made me think as much as it entertained me. Love is explored in all its passions and frailties so that I was left questioning whether I felt repulsion or sorrow for Graeme. Similarly, I felt almost guilty about the way our society deals with the production, distribution and use of legal (or herbal) highs, how we treat those with a range of mental health issues, how our institutions succeed or fail because of the integrity of their staff. There’s so much in this novel that I think it will repay several reads and there will always be more to uncover. This is such intelligent writing.

Speaking of writing, SJI Holliday’s narrative style is incredible. Her dialogue is natural and the range of sentences give tension and atmosphere. She can pivot the whole plot on a couple of words. Stunning stuff.

Willow Walk is just how I like my crime fiction – the psychological elements far outweigh the police procedural ones so that I feel as tainted by the criminals as those in the book who come into contact with them. I can’t recommend Willow Walk highly enough.

You can find out more about SJI Holliday via her website, by following her on Twitter or finding her on Facebook.

When I began Linda’s Book Bag my intention was just to post an occasional review of the books I read. However, in the year since I began, the blog has evolved to try to support authors as much as I can. Today, I’m delighted to be spotlighting Micah K. Chaplin’s self-published novel Dropped Third Strike (A Portland Pioneers Novel #1) which is released today 6^th June 2016. This adult romance is published in e-book and is available on Amazon. You’ll find more about it on Goodreads.

Dropped Third Strike

Kate Marks is hitting it out of the park as general manager of the Portland Pioneers. Her childhood friend Reid Benjamin is struggling to hit anything at all and, as a result, has suddenly found himself out of a job. When Kate hires him as hitting coach for the Pioneers, she’s determined to keep everything strictly professional, but she has underestimated Reid’s charm. His proximity has forced her to face a past she would rather forget. Reid wants another chance, but Kate isn’t convinced he’s changed his game.

About Micah K. Chaplin

Micah K. Chaplin is an Iowa girl with a passion for writing, live music and Texas Rangers baseball. Sometimes the three loves combine.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree in mass communication from Buena Vista University in 2002. She published her first novel in 2003 and you can find more of her writing here.

You can visit Micah’s website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

 

 

I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I’m so drawn to this one for Time After Time by Hannah McKinnon that I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations. Time After Time was published in e-book on 2nd June 2016 and is available for purchase here.

As an aspiring writer I’m thrilled to be hosting a guest post from Hannah McKinnon with fantastic tips for when a writer gets stuck.

Time After Time

Hayley Cooper, a powerful but now struggling lawyer, fantasizes about what her life would be like if only if she’d made different choices. It’s understandable; the past two years have been hell. She barely sees her kids, her boss is trying to sabotage her, and her marriage is falling apart.

Burnt out, Hayley goes to sleep wishing for a different life. When she wakes up married to her first boyfriend, one she has not seen in over twenty years, she realizes there might be some truth in the saying “be careful what you wish for”. Over a single weekend, like Ebenezer Scrooge, Hayley gets to see her life on other side of the white picket fence – not just with her first ex, but with each of her past loves. But is the grass always greener, and will she ever want to go home?

MUSE GONE AWOL? Use The Matrix!

A Guest Post by Hannah McKinnon

Writers are frequently asked where they get their ideas from. It’s almost embarrassing to admit that, often, we don’t have a clue. Although concepts appear in our hearts and minds at sporadic intervals, the exact source usually remains frustratingly obscure.

Most writers will have an exception or two. Take my debut novel, Time After Time, as an example. The idea came to me one morning, seemingly out of nowhere. In hindsight I can trace it back to the fact I’d been living in Canada for a year, was homesick, and going through a ‘What if I’d made different choices?’ phase. That thinking led to the creation of my protagonist, Hayley, who asked herself the same questions, and the story was born.

It’s fabulous when inspiration strikes, but what if you can’t come up with a single, well, ‘What if’?

Enter The Matrix (Keanu Reeves welcome, but unfortunately not required), a nifty technique my writing teacher, Brian Henry from Quick Brown Fox introduced me to. It’s a tool you can build extensively, cross-reference and use to kick-start the most stubborn of minds.

And best of all? You don’t have to come up with the content alone. Here’s how it works:

Step 1

Gather input from movies or television shows (reality TV seems to work particularly well for unique characters), people watch at a coffee shop, doctor’s office, bar or supermarket, and ask your family, friends and colleagues to name one or more of the following:

Different and unique characters, for example:	Lines of dialogue, for example:	Peculiar situations, for example:	Interesting objects, for example:
Yoga master in a thong	“I’m not that kind of person.”	A blind date on Friday the 13th	Shattered fish tank
Cook who has lice	“I’m the kind of woman you’d want to sit next to.”	Premature burial	Overturned kayak
Granny on a skateboard	“Don’t leave a single one alive.”	Wing-walking	Bloodstained envelope
Promiscuous nun	“I should have been cremated.”	Being summoned to the cockpit by the pilot	Small, dusty walnut box
Ragged child in the street	“This will be your first of many.”	Christmas in June	Advert for baby shoes that have never been worn

Step 2

Pick two or more items from the same or different columns to build your ‘What if?’ question. For example; what if a cook had lice, and thought he should have been cremated after he died while catering for a Christmas party in June?

Sounds strange? Sure! Is there potential for a funny ghost story? Absolutely. You can run with the first idea or continue until you find something that inspires you more. And if you’re still struggling, keep adding to your list of possibilities.

Step 3

Write. Brian recommends setting a timer for 20-30 minutes during which editing isn’t allowed. Silencing the inner critic lets the ideas take shape without negativity. You can always go back and change things later.

While you may feel the piece doesn’t have the makings of a novel to begin with, the idea could quickly transform into a short story, and also banish writer’s block by allowing the mind to focus on something else – however weird and whacky.

I wrote A Walnut Box during one of Brian’s writing workshop in which we used The Matrix technique. The items I chose were the blood-stained envelope, a walnut box (which also gave me the title), and the line “First of many.” Within the 30 minute timeframe I had the bones of a short story. I worked on it some more, and it was subsequently published online.

So if you’re still waiting your much-missed muse to return, give it up already! Build The Matrix and write something. And who knows? You might always be able to say exactly where you got your inspiration from…

For more inspiration from Hannah, follow her on Twitter, (and search the #whatif hashtag) visit her website, find her on Facebook or see posts with these other bloggers:

I’m delighted to be reviewing One Hot Summer by Kat French as part of the launch celebrations. One Hot Summer was published on June 2nd 2016 in e-book and paperback by Avon Books. One Hot Summer is available for purchase from Amazon, Waterstones and Harper Collins. My grateful thanks to Louis Patel for my review copy.

One Hot Summer

Alice McBride is determined that the one thing she won’t lose in her marriage breakup is Borne Manor, her beloved home, but she gets more than she bargained for when she rents it out for the summer and a sexy cowboy comes to stay.

Country music star Robinson Duff has had his own share of heartbreak and needs somewhere quiet to hide out for the summer. Neither Alice nor Robinson are in any position for romance; the timing is terrible and they’re both rebounding like out of control frisbees.

Can a holiday romance help mend their broken hearts. Or will it just make things even worse when the long hot summer comes to its inevitable end?

My Review of One Hot Summer

Alice’s husband has been unfaithful and when he leaves her for a fellow actress she has to find a way to bring in extra money if she is not to lose her beloved home, Borne Manor. When Robinson Duff, a country singer on the rebound from a broken heart, moves in, life for Alice is about to change.

One Hot Summer is an entertaining read just right for taking away on holiday. There’s steamy romance, thwarted love, jealousy and an abusive mynah bird all contributing to sheer escapism and not a little pandemonium.

I enjoyed this rather steamy chick-lit novel and found the cast of characters eclectic and amusing. I wouldn’t mind meeting Robinson Duff in real life! There’s an underlying sensuality to many of the scenes with quite a lot of undressing taking place so that the reader is never quite sure what will happen next.

The plot moves along seemlessly with a strong focus on romance balanced by Alice’s practical need to keep her home afloat. Underpinning the lighter elements is the serious point that many are living with estranged relationships and broken hearts but there is an uplifting optimism here too. I found there was quite intense emotion created amongst the sexier passages.

There’s considerable humour in One Hot Summer, especially through Stewie Heaven’s ever changing wigs and Rambo the mynah bird’s inappropriate commentary on life, all adding to the enjoyment of this lighthearted summer read.

If I could change one element about One Hot Summer it’s that I’d like fewer expletives. Whilst they help build tension, dialogue and character, some felt a little intrusive to me and occasionally interrupted the flow of reading. That said, I think I’d forgive cowboy Robinson anything if he spoke to me the way he does to Alice!

You can follow Kat French on Twitter and find her on Facebook. There is more about One Hot Summer with these other bloggers too:

I’ve been featuring a few books for children on Linda’s Book Bag and am delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for Erica’s Elephant by Sylvia Bishop, with illustrations by Ashley King. Suitable for children aged 6-8 years old (and middle aged women) Erica’s Elephant was published in hardback and e-book by Scholastic Books on 2nd June 2016 and is available from Waterstones, from Amazon and all good book stores.

I have a review of Erica’s Elephant, but when I said I’d be part of these launch celebrations I was also asked to write a few lines about what I’d do if I found an elephant on my doorstep so you can read my thoughts about that too!

Erica’s Elephant

When Erica Perkins wakes up on the morning of her tenth birthday, the last thing she expects is to find a very confused elephant sitting on her doorstep. So begins an unlikely friendship. But can a small girl and a rather large elephant learn to live together in a tiny terraced house? And when the dastardly owner of the local zoo plots to steal the elephant, will Erica be able to outsmart him?

You can see more about Erica’s Elephant on Goodreads.

My Review of Erica’s Elephant

Erica lives alone and on her 10th birthday her Uncle Jeff sends her a live elephant with a bad knee. This is the start of a series of problems and some interesting life lessons!

I thought Erica’s Elephant was pitched perfectly for the age group of 6 – 8 year olds. The language is simple and clear, but not patronising, with sufficient depth to allow both slower readers and the more able to enjoy the story on different levels.

There’s all the ingredients for a charming and exciting story with elements children will know and understand; like being in trouble with authority, running away, feeling lonely and needing friends. The concept of being friendless is sensitively handled and would be fabulous for children who feel isolated form their peers.

There are many references to wildlife, natural environments and zoos so that discussions could take place about how we care for and protect the animals on the planet. I also loved the way Erica learns not to judge others by appearances and realises that not everyone is as they seem. Erica’s Elephant has important life messages for children that are presented in an entirely natural and non-preachy way.

I really enjoyed this story and must also mention the high quality illustrations provided by Ashley King. They enhance the text and serve as a wonderful visual stimulus. If I were a primary aged child I’d be thrilled to receive this lovely book.

An Elephant on the Doorstep

I’d love to find an elephant on the doorstep – think of all that manure for my garden and allotment! I also have an old tree stump from a long gone flowering cherry that is taking up too much border space and an elephant would have no trouble extracting it from the garden so that I could plant even more herbaceous perennials.

However, what I’d most likely do if I found an elephant on the doorstep, is bore it to tears. And elephants do cry – I’ve seen the wetness from their eyes at close quarters. I’d be so over-excited because I love wildlife and have been on several safaris, being privileged in seeing elephants in several countries of Africa and Asia. So, I expect I’d get us a cup of tea and some chocolate and make any visiting elephant look through all my holiday snaps (like the one above I took in South Africa last year) to see if they recognised any of the elephants I’ve seen, or the places I’ve been…

About Sylvia Bishop

Sylvia Bishop is 23 years old and has recently graduated from Oxford. She is one half of the brilliant improvised comedy duo Peablossom Cabaret. Erica’s Elephant is her first book, and she intends it to be the first of many quirky stories for young readers.

You can find out more about Sylvia on her website on Instagram and by following her on Twitter.

You’ll also find illustrator Ashley King on Twitter and his website.

There is more about Erica’s Elephant with these other bloggers too:

It gives me enormous pleasure to be celebrating the relaunch of Anything For Her by Jack Jordan, first published last year. It has a special place in my affections as it was one of the first books I’d been offered by an author when I first started blogging and I was amazed by the quality of the writing of this talented young man. Anything for Her is currently available in e-book for only 99p here where you can also read the beginning of the book to find out for yourself what a gripping story it is.

Since the original publication, Anything For Her has been given a stunning new cover which better represents some of the book’s content.

My original review is available to read here, but I’d like to reiterate what a great story-teller Jack Jordan is and urge you to read Anything For Her.

You can find out more about Jack Jordan on his website and you’ll find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Anything For Her

Sometimes the past comes back to haunt you.

Louise Leighton’s life has fallen apart, all because of one fateful night. Her husband is an adulterer, her sister is his mistress, and soon, Louise will lose everything she owns. But she never imagined she would lose her daughter.

Eighteen-year-old Brooke Leighton is missing. It’s up to Louise and the Metropolitan Police to find her. Has Brooke run away? Or has she been taken against her will? And can Louise aid the investigation without mentioning the night where all of her troubles began?

If she mentions that night, she will incriminate her daughter for heinous crimes. But if she doesn’t, she may never find Brooke; and if she has been abducted, the person who took her may come for Louise, too.

Sometimes the past comes back to kill you.

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You can read interviews, guest posts and reviews from other bloggers so that you don’t just have to take my word for what a thrilling read this is!

I’m delighted to be bringing you the cover of Daisy James’ latest novel When Only Cupcakes Will Do which will be published in e-book by Carina on 4th August 2016. When Only Cupcakes Will Do is available to order here.

It’s such a lovely looking, summery cover that I can’t wait to read the story too. Linda’s Book Bag regulars may remember that Daisy James featured with a food themed guest post last year and you can read that post here.

When Only Cupcakes Will Do

When life gives you lemons, make lemon drizzle cupcakes…

Lucie thought that proposing to her boyfriend in Tiffany’s would be the best day of her life. Until he said no. In just a few seconds, her whole world is turned upside-down! And when she accidentally switches cocoa powder for chilli powder at work, she finds herself out of a job, too…

Baking has always made life better in the past, but can Lucie really bake her way to happiness? Starting her own company, selling cupcakes out of an old ice cream van might just be the second chance that Lucie needs!

Of course, she never expected to find love along the way…

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You will find Daisy James on Facebook  and you can follow her on Twitter but you might also be interested in Daisy’s other books which you can find here.

The Runaway Bridesmaid

What a girl wants…

Squeezing herself into a frothy, flouncy, bubble-gum pink dress, Rosie Hamilton thinks that being a bridesmaid for her spoilt little sister Freya can’t get any worse.

But discovering her boyfriend in a cupboard with the bride, ten minutes before Freya is due to say ‘I do’, is the icing on the sequinned wedding cake – and Rosie’s cue to pack her bags.

Swapping her Louboutins for Wellingtons, Rosie throws her bridesmaid bouquet in the air and flies from bustling New York to sleepy Devon. Her late Aunt Bernice’s cosy countryside cottage is the only place that’s ever felt like home.

Now, for the first time in her life, and with the help of her beloved Aunt’s diaries, Rosie must put herself first for a change – and decide what she really wants…

If The Dress Fits

She might be the most famous person in the country, but no one even knows her name…

Callie’s exquisite, glittering silk gown has been shortlisted for the celebrity wedding of the year. But just as all her dreams are coming true, disaster strikes!

Leaving behind the bright lights of London, Callie is forced to return home to sleepy Althorpe. And there’s one man she hopes to avoid – the childhood sweetheart who turned her life upside down. But now she’s back, is it finally time to stop running?

Yet, as Callie faces her past, a Cinderella-like hunt begins for that perfect, pearl-embroidered dress, mysteriously submitted without a name…