Since I began this Staying in with… feature on Linda’s Book Bag I have featured authors who are new to me, who are friends in real life, and who have made me laugh, cry and think. Today’s guest, José de la Torre, is one of those who is making me think!

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 José de la Torre

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

It’s an honor to be here with you, thank you for inviting me along.

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 new book Spiritual Living for Busy People, because I honestly believe it may help people who may be searching.

There’s a growing trend in this country of people who consider themselves to be spiritual, but not necessarily religious.  I grew up in a very religious household, so I struggled for many years with my heart and mind at odds with each other, with my mind struggling with the faith I was raised in, while my heart sought a deeper spiritual connection with the Creator.  After twenty years of searching, I think I finally found answers that reconciled my heart with my mind.  Now I want to share those thoughts with others who may be struggling with the same thing.

(What an interesting premise for your writing. I think many, many people are indeed searching for their own version of spirituality José .)

What can we expect from an evening in with Spiritual Living for Busy People?

If you’ve been struggling with faith, or have been wanting to find more meaning in life or understand who we are and where we come from, then this book may help you find answers to all those questions.  Even if you are comfortable with your faith, you may find ideas in this book reaffirming or encouraging.

The basic conclusion I came to is that we’re all sparks off the Divine flame, so there’s nothing to do necessarily to be spiritual, because we are, at our core, spiritual beings.  Not only that, but we also have a mental body and an emotional body, that all combine and work together as a whole in our physical body.  Imagine that we create our own reality starting with a desire in our soul, then it becomes a thought, and that thought becomes energized through our emotions until it is acted on by our body.

(That’s quite profound. I’ll need to think hard about what you’re saying here.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I brought a couple of pictures with me that I wanted to share with you.

When it comes down to it, all we have is each other.  Our lives are shaped and defined by our relationships with each other.  We get the most out of life when we love others freely, and in return, we receive love.

I was watching the sunset this evening and it was gorgeous!  It reminded me of the beauty of God’s creation.  It was as if though God had made a live painting with the sky as the canvas!  The first picture I’d like to share then, is that of a couple in love admiring a beautiful sunset.  It reminds me that it all comes down to loving each other, and it also reminds me to take the time to admire the beauty around us and to give thanks for what we have.

(You’re absolutely right that we need to be more aware of the simple pleasures in life and to be grateful for what we have – especially when we are so much better off than many others.)

When I was a young boy, we’d go camping in Boy Scouts almost every month.  One of my favorite parts of camping was lighting a camp fire at night, and then singing corny camp songs or telling outrageous ghost stories to try and scare each other.  Then when everything was over, I would just sit and stare at the flames. They can be quite mesmerizing!  Once in a while, there would be a popping sound, and an ember would go flying out.

To me, the fire is a good analogy for the Creator.  Creation is born out of a creative force that is fiery.  If God is the fire, then each of us is like a spark that pops out of the fire.  We are a tiny miniscule version of the Creator, and have part of the Creator within us.  Through that spark, we are connected directly to the Creator at all times as well, so there is never a time that we are separate from Creation or the Creator.  Even now, I enjoy watching sparks fly off from a campfire.  Even the tiniest spark has the potential of starting a brand new fire.

How interesting. Thanks so much for staying in with me and sharing your book, Spiritual Living for Busy People and your beliefs José. I’m sure you’ve given many of us food for thought.

Spiritual Living for Busy People

In today’s frantically busy world, how can we find the time to live spiritually? What does living spiritually mean, anyway? Why are we even here? What is the point of it all?

Spiritual Living for Busy People answers all of these questions, and many more.

When you read this accessible, thought-provoking book, you will:

• Learn what it means to live spiritually, and why taking small breaks for spiritual refreshment can offer great benefits.

• See how you can live spiritually, without a significant investment of your time.

• Discover your purpose in life, your reason for being here.

• Find out how you can MAP IT FIRST, DUDE to find the path to fulfillment.

• Claim your power to create the life you want.

• Consider how obtaining inner peace can contribute to world peace.

Be at peace!

Spiritual Living for Busy People is available for purchase here.

About José de la Torre

José de la Torre, who holds a degree in mathematics from Arizona State University, a Masters from the University of Texas at Austin and did a stint in the Peace Corps, was raised Catholic and spent 20 years searching for meaning. During that time he read hundreds of books on spirituality, philosophy and metaphysics. He wrote Spiritual Living for Busy People because he wanted other people to have an easier time in their own search for spirituality and meaning.

You can find out more on José’s website. You’ll also find him on Facebook.

It’s been my absolute privilege to feature C.L. Taylor on Linda’s Book Bag before when Cally wrote a super guest post about the things that terrified her as a child (here) when The Missing was being launched, when we bloggers revealed her novel The Escape (here) and more recently when I reviewed The Treatment in a post you can read here.

Today I am reviewing Cally’s latest book, The Fear, and would like to thank Sabah Khan at Avon Books for sending me a copy in return for an honest review. I was so sorry I couldn’t participate in the blog tour as I didn’t trust automatic scheduling whilst I was away on holiday, but am delighted to have been able to review anyway.

Published by Avon Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, The Fear is available for purchase through these links.

The Fear

Sometimes your first love won’t let you go…

When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn’t what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.

Now 32, Lou discovers that he is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, she returns home to confront him for the damage he’s caused.

But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that she could once again become his prey…

My review of The Fear

Boyfriend Ben’s attempt at a romantic surprise backfires dreadfully for Lou.

The Fear is a twisty, clever thriller that held me spellbound from start to finish. There are elements where the reader needs to suspend disbelief as characters don’t always behave rationally and there are a couple of inconsistencies with regard to phone signals for example, but these have no negative effect at all because the plot is so thrilling and engaging and C.L. Taylor writes so well and convincingly. On several occasions I had to put down The Fear as I was reading to give myself a break, often exclaiming ,’Ooo’ as I did so because it has such a claustrophobic and disturbing atmosphere.

At times I found the subject matter very uncomfortable to read, with a much older man exploiting teenage girls, especially in the italicised first person accounts of the past from Lou, but I think this is one of the many successes of the writing. C.L. Taylor makes the reader understand completely how the inappropriate relationships develop and how plausible such manipulative men like Mike can be. I loved the way she illustrated the impact of such behaviours on so many people and I found Wendy a particularly strong, obsessive individual who gained my empathy despite her own creepy behaviour.

I found myself completely invested in the characters, desperate to know what happened to them all and even having finished the book, I’m still thinking about Chloe and Lou especially, because they felt so real to me.

However, as well as being a highly entertaining story, The Fear has many layers of depth that really cause the reader to contemplate society and how we judge and are judged by others. The impact of social media, sexuality and the way in which teenage girls can be so affected by their sense of self-image, the attitudes of the press and the police all swirl beneath the surface of a cracking story so that there is enhanced intensity. Not every person who commits a crime is caught and punished and I think this is what makes C.L. Taylor such a good writer. She doesn’t always provide easy answers and solutions, so that her writing has a genuine supremacy. She makes her readers think whilst entertaining them brilliantly.

I thought The Fear was a corker of a read. It’s one of those books that worms its way under a reader’s skin and doesn’t let them forget it in a hurry. I really recommend it.

About C. L Taylor

C.L. Taylor studied for a degree in Psychology at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle then moved to London to work as a shipping co-ordinator for a medical publishing company. Made redundant after two years she re-trained and moved to Brighton where she worked as a graphic designer, web developer and instructional designer over the course of 13 years. She currently works 4 days a week as a Distance Learning Design and Development manager for a London university, looks after her toddler son 3 days a week and squeezes in writing her novels when she should be sleeping.

You can follow C.L. Taylor on Twitter and find out more about her on her web site. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

I’m delighted to welcome an inspirational author to Linda’s Book Bag today – Juanita Ingram. Juanita has achieved so much in her life and I’m delighted she’s agreed to stay in with me and chat a bit about her latest 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 Juanita Ingram

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Juanita. 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?

Today I brought with me my new book that just came out on April 16th. Fabulous, Faithful and Free is a straight-talking book on how to continuously feel fabulous while staying within one’s financial means, living beyond the labels and limitations that hinder one’s progress, whilst truly investing in and being faithful to oneself in order to turn dreams into reality and to become both mentally and financially free.

(Fabulous, Faithful and Free sounds like a book we could all benefit from.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Fabulous, Faithful and Free?

I take readers on a journey and help them to living a Fabulous Faithful and Free life. I go in depth about the importance of self-worth, the power of the 3 “Ps” (Positivity, Preparation and Permission), what true beauty is (energy, balance, radiance and polish), and therefore the importance of loving one’s body regardless of size and self-perceived flaws. Furthermore, I provide sound financial wisdom as well as fashion advice and tools such as: style principles to develop your unique look, savvy shopping strategies and building blocks for a flexible wardrobe.   Consequently, this book will help readers to become their elegant and best-self, whilst encouraging readers to celebrate their uniqueness, through providing tools to enhance their mind-set and outward appearance. Most importantly, it will help them to live their best life by pushing past the limiting labels placed on them by society and being free to be all that they are purposed to be without apology. The very last chapter of the book is actually a workbook that helps bring everything, all of the strategies in the book, together and provides a practical application for all that is presented in the book.  There is something in this book for everyone, whether you are picking up the pieces of a broken life, or looking to add more to your list of accomplishments, now is the time to press the reset button, eliminate disruptions and distractions, and embrace being Fabulous Faithful and Free.

(What a wonderful approach Juanita. I think your book sounds inspiring.)

I truly desire for readers to experience life to the fullest, because I know that it is possible. I want readers to live their dreams rather than just dream. I reaped the rewards of hard work, determination and self-discipline, and now I want to pass the baton on to others In this book readers will learn how to:

• Prepare for destiny
• Let go of past mistakes
• Become financially stable
• Look like a million pounds
• Celebrate your uniqueness
• And much more

(I have a feeling many Linda’s Book Bag readers will be very interested in your ideas.)

What else have you brought along and why did you bring it?

I brought along with me my crown and sash from the time that I competed and won the title of Ms. World International! It is a reminder for me to never second guess yourself and to never place limits on what you can achieve.

(My goodness. How exciting!)

I’ve competed and won many titles, in fact, Madame Noir acknowledged me as one of the Top 7 Black Women in Pageantry to turn Beauty into Business along with Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey, and Vanessa Williams. I brought it to remind myself and others that it is okay to be more than just one thing in life. I wear many hats, Attorney, Author, Actress. I want others to know that if you take the limits off, you can give yourself permission to excel in all the areas of life that you are gifted in.

That’s fabulous advice. Thank you so much for staying in with me to tell me about Fabulous, Faithful and Free. You’ve been a true inspiration.

Fabulous, Faithful and Free

Are you stuck in a dead-end situation?

Do you know you have great potential inside, but fear you’ll always fall short?

Do you feel like you’re letting yourself down?

Fabulous, Faithful and Free is your roadmap from stuck to stellar!

In Fabulous, Faithful and Free, Juanita takes you step-by-step through a personal transformation that will unlock your unique gifts, reveal your true beauty, and unleash your wildest dreams.

Fabulous, Faithful and Free is available in all the usual places including here via Juanita’s website.

Proceeds from the book will be donated to charity. 

About Juanita R. Ingram

Juanita Ingram is an author of both children’s books and inspirational books for women. She is an international speaker at conferences and on radio and television on various topics regarding female empowerment, beauty, fashion, legal topics, and self-worth. Juanita Ingram is the Founder and Chair of Dress For Success Greater London.

Juanita Ingram is the first African-American woman to compete and win the title of Mrs. Indiana United States in 2007 and has since gone on to compete and become the first African-American Ms. World International 2012, Mrs. UK Universe 2013 and Mrs. Great Britain World 2011.

You can find out more by visiting her website. You can follow Juanita on Twitter @Juanitaingram. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

My enormous thanks to Emma Finnigan PR for a copy of Beneath the Water by Sarah Painter in return for an honest review and an apology that it has taken so long to get round to reading it!

Published by Lake Union on 8th February 2018, Beneath the Water is available for purchase here.

Beneath the Water

Munro House is the new start Stella needs. But it will also draw her back to a dark past…

Devastated by a broken engagement, Stella Jackson leaves her old life behind for a new start in rural Scotland. But when she arrives in the remote coastal village of Arisaig, nothing is what she expected.

At the edge of Arisaig sits Munro House; grand, imposing and said to be cursed by a string of tragic deaths. No less intriguing is its eccentric and handsome young owner, Jamie Munro, who hires Stella as his assistant while he pursues a seemingly impossible aim. Working through the great house’s archives, Stella soon finds herself drawn in by a cache of increasingly erratic letters from a young Victorian woman about her husband, Dr James Lockhart, a man whose single-minded ambition has strange parallels with Jamie’s.

Just as Stella begins developing feelings for Jamie, she discovers that the connection between the Lockharts and the Munros could have sinister repercussions for them both. She’s finally found the life she wants to live—but is it all an illusion?

My Review of Beneath the Water

A break up with her unfaithful boyfriend sees Stella running away to old university friends Rob and Caitlin in Scotland.

I’m going to be totally honest and say that Beneath the Water is not a perfect book for me. There are times when I felt Stella would have been more confrontational or straightforward with Rob, Jamie and Caitlin, so that I did need to suspend my disbelief on occasion and I would have liked a more equitable balance between present and past events, giving the subplot greater status.

However, that said, I think the fact that Beneath the Water is slightly off-kilter is actually a positive aspect as it reflects the ominous events and atmosphere surrounding Munro House. I thought Beneath the Water was a very entertaining read. It has elements of romance, crime, history and psychological thriller so that I really do think there is something for every reader between its pages. Although I felt sometimes characters might have behaved differently, there is no denying we can’t really know how we might respond until we’re in a similar situation. What Sarah Painter does so well in Beneath the Water is show how we never really fully know ourselves, never mind other people, and that makes for a very interesting read.

I really enjoyed the exploration of science and how history and genetics can, or can be perceived to, affect present lives. Beneath the Water made me realise just how much we take for granted and expect from medical advances today with little or no regard for those who have put themselves through severe experiments for our benefit. I always enjoy a book that makes me think. Consequently, I’d have liked to hear even more about Jessie and the lives in the past as I thought those passages through Jessie’s letters were very creepy and menacing.

I particularly enjoyed the evocative setting of highland Scotland. The plot of Beneath the Water is dramatic and entertaining. I could really see this narrative translating into an excellent television series, especially as Sarah Painter uses the weather and a very visual description of facial expression so effectively, so that actors could portray the characters easily. The relatively reduced number of characters also added to the claustrophobic and threatening undercurrents providing a very evocative effect.

Beneath the Water is unusual, entertaining and actually very thought provoking. I found it intriguing and enjoyed it.

About Sarah Painter

Before writing books, Sarah Painter worked as a freelance magazine journalist, blogger and editor, combining this ‘career’ with amateur child-wrangling (AKA motherhood).

Sarah’s debut novel, The Language of Spells, is contemporary fiction with a touch of magic, while her latest, In The Light of What We See, mixes historical fiction with psychological thriller. Yes, she finds it difficult to stick to one genre!

Sarah lives in rural Scotland with her children, husband, and a grey tabby called Zelda Kitzgerald. She drinks too much tea, loves the work of Joss Whedon, and is the proud owner of a writing shed.

You can follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahRPainter, visit her website and find her on Facebook.

Sometimes books look so gorgeous that I’m devastated I can’t read them all. My guest staying in with me on Linda’s Book Bag today, Daralyse Lyons, has some fabulous covers for her many books and I’m delighted she’s telling me all about one of them today.

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 Daralyse Lyons

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Daralyse. 

Thank you for having me!  I love the idea of connecting with an avid reader in a cozy and intimate forum and being able to chat about my work.

(Which is exactly why I set up this staying in with series, Daralyse. I wanted authors to be able to showcase their books in an informal way as I simply can’t read and review all the ones I’m offered.)

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

I’ve written and published 20 novels so far, all of which are available on my website, but I’m sharing The Murderer’s Wife with you because it has so many enticing elements – romance, mystery, humor…  It’s an engaging read and one that appeals to a broad spectrum of readers.  And I hope your readers will connect with me via my website and tell me what they think of it!

(I hope they will too Daralyse.)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Murderer’s Wife?

What you can expect from a night in with The Murderer’s Wife is a mystery and a love story.

Laura Cutty is in love with a murderer.

She knew when she married him that Thomas Cutty was a killer. She accepts that about him, just as he accepts everything distasteful about her – like the way she cracks her knuckles when nervous or uses the last of the toilet paper without replacing the roll.

Twelve years of marriage and two beautiful babies later, and Laura and Thomas have learned to love the life they built together – a life that depends on Laura never asking the question: Who did Thomas kill last night?

(Oh! What a premise for a book, It sounds intriguing. I’ve never really thought about the partner of a murderer before.)

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it? 

I’ve brought along a cup of hot cinnamon spice tea because I’m almost as voracious a tea-drinker as I am a reader and writer.

(That makes two of us then – I think I have tea rather than blood in my veins.)

And I’ve also brought my character, Laura Cutty, to be with us.  Laura is amazing, but she doesn’t get out much because she’s too busy taking care of her kids and cleaning up after her husband so he doesn’t get caught for any of his crimes.  But she’s happy for the chance to be social.

(She’s very welcome – as long as she’s not scoping me out to be her husband’s next victim!)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Daralyse, to introduce The Murderer’s Wife. I shall be locking the doors very firmly after you leave!

The Murderer’s Wife

Laura Cutty is in love with a murderer.

She knew when she married him that Thomas Cutty was a killer. She accepts that about him, just as he accepts everything distasteful about her – like the way she cracks her knuckles when nervous or uses the last of the toilet paper without replacing the roll.

Twelve years of marriage and two beautiful babies later, and Laura and Thomas have learned to love the life they built together – a life that depends on Laura never asking the question: Who did Thomas kill last night?

The Murderer’s Wife is available for purchase from your local Amazon site.

About Daralyse Lyons

In the second grade, Dara (or “Daralyse Lyons” as her angry teacher called her) was sent to the principal’s office for misbehaving. When she arrived, instead of going in to see the principal and accepting her punishment, Daralyse lied about having a stomach ache and needing to see the nurse. She’s been telling stories and putting on performances ever since.

She wears many hats as an author, actress, yogi, and transformational coach/speaker, but the common thematic elements to all her endeavors is her love of stories and desire to help people find happiness. A summa cum laude graduate of New York University with a double-major in English Literature and Religious Studies and a minor in History, Daralyse brings intelligence, sensitivity, enthusiasm, creativity and business acumen to all of her endeavors.  She lives in the quaint Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.

You can find out more on Daralyse’s website, by finding her on Facebook and following her on Twitter @daralyselyons.

Having previously enjoyed Anne John-Ligali’s lovely novella The Big Event, my review of which you can read here, I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for her latest story, The Weekend Spa Break, thanks to fellow blogger and tour organiser Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources. Not only do I have my review, but there is a very special giveaway message from Anne too!

Part Two in the Friendships Online Series The Weekend Spa Break is available for purchase here.

The Weekend Spa Break

After finally meeting in person at the publishing party of the season, Constance and Estelle are determined not to let their friendship return to mere virtual champagne bottles and uploaded pictures of food.

It’s been a busy year, and Constance feels it’s time to reward herself with the spa break Estelle gave her for Christmas. Naturally, Constance wouldn’t dream of taking anyone other than Estelle, and this will provide the perfect opportunity to bond with her new chum.

As the excited pair spend some quality time together, they realise it’s not just writing books they have in common, but something that goes much deeper. After a few Jacuzzi sessions, facials, pedicures, and a massage by sexy Senior Therapist, Julio, everything seems to be peachy until an unexpected visitor turns Constance’s weekend of bliss … on its head.

A two-day spa break.

Sparkling water on tap.

And the perfect massage.

But who’s rubbing who up the wrong way?

You can see a smashing trailer for The Weekend Spa Break here.

My Review of The Weekend Spa Break

Constance is in need of a treat and a weekend spa break with Estelle seems just the thing.

Although it would be good to have read the first in the Friendships Online Series, The Big Event, because it’s lovely to continue the story, it really isn’t necessary. Anne John-Ligali drops in just the right level of information so that The Weekend Spa Break works just as well as a stand alone read as it does as part of a series.

I love how Anne John-Ligali packs so much into a novella and she doesn’t stint on the appeal to the senses either. It’s the attention to detail from the aroma of a burning cake to an expensive perfume, or the texture of a fur coat to the taste of champagne that gives a liveliness and vivacity to the story. She includes vivid colour and texture so that reading The Weekend Spa Break is a very stimulating experience.

The plot of this novella is packed with interest with some surprises too and I can’t wait to read the continuation to see what happens next in Constance’s life. However, despite an interesting storyline, for me it’s the pleasure of the underpinning themes and messages that I so enjoy about Anne John-Ligali’s writing. She has great insight into how we think and behave as humans and her writing illustrates the basic human need for friends and family, the difficulties of being a single parent with a challenging child, our reliance on social media and our basic requirement to look after ourselves as well as others. ach of these elements is woven into the narrative in a natural and engaging way so that I found myself nodding in agreement with Constance at times.

I really recommend the Friendships Online Series. In the same way Constance took a short break out of her life to enjoy (most of the time!) her spa break, reading The Weekend Spa Break gave me time out from my busy life and I enjoyed the process very much.

About Anne John-Ligali

Anne John-Ligali is a writer and the founder of Books and Authors UK, a popular website featuring author interviews and book reviews.  She loves all things books: reading, writing, going to book events, and meeting other book lovers. She has written a series of short stories and is currently writing her first novel.

Anne has always loved stories and read many books as a child, including the entire Sweet Valley High and Caitlyn series.  Her interest in writing fiction came years later, when she began writing for pleasure in 2007.

Originally from Peterborough, Anne now lives in London. After moving to London, she studied graphic design at the University of Arts and has held a number IT administration jobs in the city. Anne continues writing and aspires to write more women’s fiction books, a non-fiction book and several children’s books.

You can find out more about Anne on her blog, on Facebook, Instagram and by following her on Twitter @AnneJohnLigali.

There’s a special message to follow from Anne John-Ligali:

Giveaway

To mark the release of part two in the friendships series, I’m giving away a Sanctuary Spa gift set and a signed printed and bound copy of The Weekend Spa Break to one lucky winner.  At present, there are no physical copies of The Weekend Spa Break available, so this is a treat.

To enter you only have to do is visit my Twitter page https://twitter.com/AnneJohnLigali and retweet the pinned tweet showing this GIVEAWAY.

A winner will be chosen at random by Tweet Draw and announced on Saturday the 19^th of May at 20:00hrs.

Competition is open worldwide.

Good luck

(Linda’s Book Bag readers please note that this giveaway is totally independent of the blog!)

There’s more about Anne with these other bloggers too:

Everyone who regularly visits Linda’s Book Bag knows I love to travel. Consequently, I’m delighted to welcome Fay Henson to the blog today to stay in with me and tell me about one of her books as I have a feeling Fay is going to get me wanting to pack my case once again!

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 Fay Henson

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Fay. 

The pleasure’s mine Linda, I’ve been looking forward to joining you.

I’m sorry it’s taken so long! Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

Well, I’ve brought my debut book, a New Adult Romance called Tuscany – a novel, which I think will be perfect to transport us away this evening from our usual climate and put us in the mood for an Italian summer holiday.

(I’m sure it will, Fay. Tuscany is an area I haven’t been to much except Florence and Pisa so I’d love to travel further.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Tuscany – a novel?

Tuscany – a novel is told through the eyes of a strong-minded seventeen-year-old girl Caylin from Bristol.  I know you’ll want to follow Caylin and to stand right behind her as she abandons her parents in her plight to find fun and friendship whilst on holiday. During her turbulent story we’ll soon discover exactly what she gets up to, but until then, here’s a piece when she finally returns to the hotel to face her parents.

“There they were, my mum and dad were standing with their backs to the hotel building and looking out over the views of olive trees and grape vines. I wondered if they weren’t looking forward to returning to Bristol as well; that they’d had a great time together and they were taking their last glimpses of the pretty surroundings just like we did in Siena. They looked lovely together, Dad, just a bit taller than Mum and I could see they’d caught a lot of sun. I was sure they didn’t realise we were standing a short distance behind them.

I let Joe’s hand go free as I walked slowly up to them, keeping my tattooed wrist facing inwards towards my body. ‘Mum, Dad,’ I said. My voice sounded nervous.”

(Woohoo! I think we have all had similar moments to Caylin. Of course, I now want to know what happens next!)

You might like to know what one reader said about it too Linda:

‘I really enjoyed it! I’m sure that the character of Caylin is one that a lot of teenagers will be able to relate to. I found the descriptions of the Italian landscape and Siena itself to be very accurate. I hope there’s going to be a sequel. I’d recommend it to everyone, particularly teenagers.’

(What a smashing endorsement.)

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I thought it would be appropriate to bring along my cocktail making kit and prepare us a Mojito, the drink Caylin tries (a little too much of) in Siena, and I’ve ordered us pizza from the Italian restaurant to wet out appetites before we head to Siena in Tuscany – a novel buon appetito!

(I have a cocktail shaker in the kitchen cupboard as I’m rather fond of the occasional cocktail. This will set us up perfectly for our pizzas.) 

Oh yes, I thought you’d like to see a photo of the book in Siena’s main square called Piazza del Campo, where Caylin first meets Stefania.

That’s brilliant. What a perfect place for Tuscany – a novel to be positioned.

Thanks so much for staying in with me Fay, to introduce Tuscany – a novel. You’ve made me want to visit the area. I think the best way to do that would be by reading your book first.

Thanks very much for inviting me over Linda, you’ve been a wonderful host.

(Thanks Fay – though you did bring the food and drink so I can’t take any credit!)

Tuscany – a novel

Caylin agrees to go away on holiday to Italy with her parents but she soon wishes she could be spending it with people her own age.  On reaching the point of desperation, Caylin sneaks away from the hotel and hitchhikes alone to the city of Siena where her stay becomes a fusion of love, sadness, hate and new experiences.  And being branded a thief, isn’t what she bargained for either!

Tuscany – a novel can be purchased here.

About Fay Henson

A few years ago, Fay and husband made the ‘now or never’ decision to relocate with their three children from the UK to Tuscany.  She soon discovered that she was in the perfect place for writing, and commenced with travel articles until moving on to fulfilling her passion for novel writing.  Inspired by the very appealing surroundings and tourists who visit, Fay says that it would  have been difficult not to write a story based in Italy.  As well as writing, she loves to take their fox terrier Bobby for walks whilst mulling over a plot, drinking coffee in the traditional Italian bars, wine and pizza!

You can find Fay’s book on Facebook and can follow her on Twitter @FayHenson_.

Since I began this Staying in with… feature on Linda’s Book Bag I’ve chatted to many, many authors about their books. Today, I welcome Mary Monro whose story has an added extra as I think you’ll agree.

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 Mary Monro

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Mary. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it? 

I’ve brought Stranger In My Heart, my book about my quest to explore the stranger I called Dad, 30 years after he died. I want to inspire people to explore their own family histories, because so often we don’t really know our parents and grandparents, other than title and role, and they have much to teach us about who we are. The theme of my Dad’s life is resilience, and it reverberates through his whole story. The Chinese are an extraordinarily resilient people and I have been inspired by my travels in China, retracing Dad’s wartime exploits, as well as by learning how he coped – thrived even – in adversity.

(You’re absolutely right Mary. So many people I know wish they had asked more when parents and grandparents were alive. I’m so glad I had time to talk with my Dad before he died.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Stranger In My Heart? 

It’s a mixture of Second World War adventure, with a daring escape from a Japanese PoW camp in Hong Kong across 1200 miles of war torn China; a biography of one of the many unsung heroes of the Greatest Generation; and my own journey of discovery, retracing Dad’s escape route across modern China and researching the context of his story and how it fitted in with the Far East war strategy. Along the way I discovered Dad’s connection to the creator of King Kong (Merian Cooper – who also flew the plane in the finale – see https://youtu.be/NOq8IjDMKIw), how he went climbing with Sherpa Tenzing in 1946 and how he was a founder of the Riding for the Disabled Association in the 1960s!

Dad (Left), Tenzing Norgay (middle), another Sherpa

(Wow! What a life he led Mary. You must be so proud of your Dad.)

Damien Lewis, author of Hunting The Nazi Bomb says of the book “A well-written and deeply satisfying book, packed with information and adventure, as Mary Monro struggles to understand her WWII hero father, her inheritance, and herself. Above all, a damn good read!”

(What a lovely response.)

What else have you brought along and why?

 

I have a folder full of Dad’s papers from WWII – his travel pass for China, a report on conditions in the PoW camp in Hong Kong, a letter from General Wavell congratulating him on his escape, letters to family, old photographs etc.

(These are absolutely fabulous documents Mary. Thank you so much for sharing them with Linda’s Book Bag readers.)

We could drink Chinese tea and look at my photos from when I retraced his escape route across China!

(I’m always up for a cup of tea and a nose through other people’s photos Mary. I’ll put the kettle on!)

 

Guiyang, Guizhou and Rice Terraces, Guangzi

(You can see all my photos and blog about my travels here.) I met many amazing people along the way and fell in love with China and its fascinating culture and history. China and Dad were both undiscovered countries to me and both needed a lot of time and effort to explore, both preserve a few secrets, but both rewarded me with an enormously enriching experience.

Karst landscape Guangxi

Linda’s Book Bag readers might like to know that there is a Spotify playlist for Stranger In My Heart here and that it will be released on 9th June – my father’s birthday!

What brilliant timing! Thank you so much for staying in with me Mary, to introduce Stranger In My Heart. I feel very privileged to have found out about your Dad and your travels tracing his steps. What a wonderful way to preserve his memory. I’m sure he would be touched and delighted to see what you have done.

Stranger in My Heart

Stranger in My Heart describes the transformation of a stranger called ‘Dad’, who died in 1981, into someone the author knows and honours, while expanding her own sense of self and enriching her life. It began at her mother’s 80th birthday party in 2007 when a friend described her father as a ‘20th Century Great’. Mary Monro already knew her Dad had fought in Hong Kong in 1941, had been imprisoned by the Japanese and had escaped across China. She didn’t know that he had been Assistant Military Attaché in China 1942-43 and had hatched a plan to evacuate all the PoWs he’d left behind in Hong Kong; or that he’d fought in the blood and sweat stained hell of Burma 1944-45.

Published by Unbound on 9th June, Stranger in My Heart is available for purchase here. You can also pre-order Stranger In My Heart here.

About Mary Monro

Mary lives in Bath with her husband. She practises as an osteopath in the picturesque Wiltshire town of Bradford on Avon, treating people three days a week and horses and dogs one day a week.

Mary is a Trustee of the Sutherland Cranial College of Osteopathy and Member of the Royal Society of Medicine and Association of Animal Osteopaths. She was formerly a marketing consultant, with 5 years experience at what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers, and three years with strategy consultancy, P.Four (now part of WPP). She began her marketing career with Cadbury’s confectionery.

You can visit Mary’s blog for more information and follow her on Twitter @monro_m276.

When fellow book lover and blogger Sharon asked if there were any bloggers willing to take part in a blog tour for I Am… I wasn’t actually taking on more blog tours because I was about to go away, I’m inundated with books and my mother has been so ill I didn’t have a minute to spare. However, when I discovered what had led to the creation of the I Am… anthology I couldn’t resist. I’m so glad I agreed to participate.

I Am… isn’t for sale conventionally, but copies can be obtained via donation to Ceartas by contacting them through their website.

I Am…

I Am… an anthology of the work created by some of the individuals who use Ceartas’ services.

Ceartas provide independent advocacy to people over the age of 16 living in East Dunbartonshire. Thanks to generous funding from Big Lottery Scotland, Investing in Ideas, they were able to employ a Writer in Residence to facilitate an 8 week programme for people who have used the services of Ceartas.

Many individuals who seek advocacy only do so when all other routes have been exhausted. Many feel disempowered, voiceless and personally deconstructed. Using your voice and telling your story is the antithesis to being recognised only by a label.

Independent advocacy is about ensuring individuals have a voice and what better way to assist that process than using creative writing as a means of providing an outlet for that voice. There are so many labels attached and assumptions made about people living with long term conditions;  many face stigma and discrimination as part of their daily lives; they are often denied a voice or lack the confidence to use their voice and speak up for themselves.

Writer in Residence, Donna Moore from Glasgow Women’s Library, worked with the group over a period of eight weeks to create a portfolio of participant’s work to include in the anthology.

My Review of I Am…

I Am… is a collection of writings from staff and clients of the Creatas Advocacy Service.

I Am… is a little gem of a book. Firstly, it is the result of a very worthwhile project that aimed to provide an outlet and voice to often disempowered individuals and that is hugely worthy and would be worth reading just to make the reader feel they are supporting others. I loved the way the sections are divided and entitled so that they almost become a poem in their own right at the start of the book as participants adapt and respond to the course.

Secondly, however, it’s a little cracker of a book regardless of its origin. I Am… is a real smorgasboard of delights so that there is something for every reader. I thoroughly enjoyed all the entries, feeling that the introductory I Am poems gave me an insight into the people behind the writing. I really hope they will all go on to develop stories around the characters they created in the CharacterBuilding exercise too. The group short stories carried out in a similar format to playing consequences were enormously entertaining and I especially liked Story 10. But right the way through this uplifting and engaging anthology are delights of all kinds. I think the piece I liked the most was Helen’s response to Imagine, based on an image. I found her piece enigmatic, intriguing and so revealing of character in just 25 words over 5 lines.

Finally too, I Am… isn’t just a book for readers as there is so much inspiration for writers to enjoy. Many of the pieces would lend themselves to continuation or adaptation by anyone looking to enhance their own creative writing – such as George’s response to In The Picture (I’d certainly love to know what happened next). In addition, Donna Moore’s introduction to each section over the eight weeks gives brilliant stimuli so that anyone can have a go at the exercises she has used with the group.

I Am… is a highly entertaining, stimulating and interesting anthology and I thoroughly enjoyed reading every word.

About Ceartas

Ceartas provides an advocacy service for people in East Dunbartonshire irrespective of their cultural background, gender, beliefs or sexuality.

Ceartas employees are committed to providing a service based on the principles of equality, fairness and justice, striving to ensure that the views and opinions of individuals are heard and respected, affecting in a positive way the lives of people using the service.

You can find out more about Ceartas by visiting their website and following them on Twitter @CeartasAdvocacy. You’ll also find them on Facebook.

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I can’t believe it’s almost exactly three years since one of my very first blog posts was a review of Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton. You can see that review (and how Linda’s Book Bag has changed) here.

Today I’m thrilled to be part of the launch celebrations for Sharon Bolton’s latest book, The Craftsman, and would like to thank fellow blogger Tracy Fenton and LeanneOliver from Orion for inviting me to participate.

Published by Trapeze, an imprint of Orion, The Craftsman is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

The Craftsman

Devoted father or merciless killer?

His secrets are buried with him.

Florence Lovelady’s career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Glassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago. Like something from our worst nightmares the victims were buried…ALIVE.

Larry confessed to the crimes; it was an open and shut case. But now he’s dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves.

Did she get it wrong all those years ago?
Or is there something much darker at play?

My Review of The Craftsman

As a young inexperienced policewoman, Florence Lovelady finds herself an outsider in a community where children are going missing.

I really, really enjoyed The Craftsman. Sharon Bolton has such assurance in her writing that it feels a total pleasure to immerse yourself as a reader in her narrative. The first person approach means that Florence has a clear and striking voice making every element of the story absorbing and plausible. Normally I prefer stories that remain in one time frame, but The Craftsman is written with such skill that the two eras, whilst distinct and evocative in their own right, are so well linked and so perfectly balanced that I loved the approach here.

The plot races along. Although some elements are fairly easily guessed, this doesn’t detract from the story but rather gives a sense of satisfaction. I loved the analogous use of quotation from Shakespeare, and both the obvious and implied links with Macbeth that weave through the text especially, because they gave an added depth to an already engrossing and captivating read and hinted at a world beyond just the corporeal. Much of the time when I was reading I experienced an unnerving frisson of fear and, indeed, of plausibility so that reading The Craftsman has left me unsure of my own beliefs. On occasion it is incredibly creepy. There’s a seamless blend of the prosaic and the mystical as well as a clear insight into old fashioned chauvinistic policing that I thought was completely compelling. This is such well balanced writing.

I thought the creation of character was outstanding. Each individual is so complex and flawed and yet utterly believable that they hold a fascination for the reader. I can’t say too much without revealing parts of the story which would spoil the read, but there are still those about whom I am undecided; Florence, Tom and Dwayne especially, even having read the climax to the story, so that there are multiple ways of enjoying this book.

The Craftsman is a cracking crime thriller, but it is so much more besides. It is an exploration of the world we inhabit and the world we don’t. Sharon Bolton challenges our thinking of how patriarchal society and mystical belief works. Reading The Craftsman has left me enormously entertained and really quite unsettled. I recommend it without hesitation as a cracker of a read.

About Sharon Bolton

Sharon (formerly S J) Bolton grew up in a cotton-mill town in Lancashire and had an eclectic early career in marketing and public relations. She gave it up in 2000 to become a mother and a writer.

Her first novel, Sacrifice, was voted Best New Read by Amazon.uk, whilst her second, Awakening, won the 2010 Mary Higgins Clark Award (part of the prestigious Edgars) in the US. In 2014, Lost, (UK title, Like This, For Ever) was named RT Magazine’s Best Contemporary Thriller in the US, and in France, Now You See Me won the Plume de Bronze. That same year, Sharon was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library, for her entire body of work. In 2016, Little Black Lies won the Dead Good award for the best twist.

She has been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, the Theakston’s Prize for Best Thriller, the International Thriller Writers’ Best First Novel award, the Prix Du Polar in France and the Martin Beck award in Sweden.

With ten books to her name, Sharon is a Sunday Times bestselling author and has been described by a reviewer for that newspaper as being ‘unable to write a sentence not suffused with menace.’

Sacrifice has been made into a Hollywood film starring Radha Mitchell, Rupert Graves and David Robb. Little Black Lies and the Lacey Flint series have been optioned for TV.

Sharon lives with her family of four, one of whom is a food-stealing, rabbit-chasing lurcher, in the Chiltern Hills, not far from Oxford.

You can follow Sharon on Twitter @AuthorSJBolton, and visit her website. You’ll also find Sharon on Facebook, Instagram and Goodreads.

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