I’m delighted to be supporting fellow blogger and friend Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources in bringing you a super guest post from Lara Temple to celebrate Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal. We all need a bit of romance in our lives and not only is Lara explaining how the dynamics work between her protagonists, but you have the opportunity to win one of three e-copies of Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal further down this blog post.

Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal is published today, 22nd February 2018 by Mills and Boon and is available for purchase here.

Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal

“Women either ran from Lord Ravenscar or ran to him.”

A Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies story.

Alan Rothwell, Marquess of Ravenscar, is furious when unconventional heiress Lily Wallace refuses him purchase of her property. He can’t even win her over with his infamous charm. But when fever seizes him and they’re trapped together, horrified, Alan realizes Lily’s attentions will compromise them both! His solution: take Lily as his betrothed before desire consumes them completely…

It Takes A Strong Heroine To Make A Strong Hero

A Guest Post by Lara Temple

The reason I began writing regency romances was because I love to daydream. Some people watch television or reads books to lull them into sleep – I daydream. These daydreams are the stage onto which I invite my heroes – they are strong, complex, sometimes aggravating, often tortured, and always ready (with some prodding) to undergo an emotional journey that will land them just where I want them.

So it’s all about the hero, right? Of course not! No hero worthy of his name is of any use to me without that emotional journey. For anyone to really change and grow and learn, they need an equally strong force working on them (internal or external). So I see my heroes and heroines as the case of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object and both having to give (they trade places throughout my books).

It doesn’t mean my heroines and heroes need to be extroverts or domineering – strength of character comes in many forms. Just as I love a charming rake as much the strong silent types, my heroines can be all along the spectrum – but they will never simper and they will never be truly passive (though they may be cautious and suspicious and afraid of being hurt).

The one thing I need from my heroes is that they earn my respect as they undergo their emotional journey towards the HEA and I can’t respect a hero who wants a passive woman. I mean, how is that even possible?

In my Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies series my three heroes are all rakes who have been labeled the Wild Hunt Club because of their sporting and racing prowess and success with women. But they have a hidden side – they are also benefactors for Hope House, a home for wounded veterans. The war has affected each one deeply and they tackle their own wounds and losses by helping wounded veterans.

I love the tension between the rake and the redeemer that runs through their tales. This is why I needed three strong heroines to help them complete their journey to open themselves to the love they both fear and crave. If these men are going to trust someone enough to lean on them, that person would have to have an inner core of strength and integrity.

So in Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Bride, Nell might suffer from panic attacks but she is a fearless rider and has found her strength through working as a schoolmistress and training horses. When she takes her fate into her hands, she won’t allow fear or disappointment to take away the opportunities she seeks. It’s her determination and bravery that give Hunter the strength to face his own demons. It is precisely because he believes she can stand up for herself and doesn’t always need him to shield her that shows how much he respects her and values her. My kind of hero.

In Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal, Lily knows she wants a family. She had a lonely, isolated childhood and is willing to compromise in her choice of husband so she can have children and a modicum of freedom. Lord Ravenscar lost his parents and baby brother to disease and has sworn never to open himself to such pain and guilt again. He made his own way in the world and other than his friends he needs no one and nothing. Children in particular are not an option. But Lily’s combination of strength and vulnerability draws him even if what they want is in complete opposition. I can’t imagine anyone matching up with a rakish self-made charmer like Ravenscar who couldn’t meet him at his level, whose strength and vulnerability push and shove at him until his defenses crumble.

It’s that dance of strength and weakness (and which is which in the end?) that I always love about romance novels. So, yes, my heroines are always strong even when they are weak, and always have agency even when they are deeply vulnerable. The same can be said for my heroes. And neither would have it any other way…

(Fascinating Lara. I’ve never thought about physics in relation to romance before! Thanks so much for this guest post and happy publication day.)

Thanks so much for having me on your blog!

Giveaway

For your chance to win one of 3 e-copies of Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal click here. Open internationally.

Please note this giveaway is run independently of Linda’s Book Bag.

About Lara Temple

Lara Temple writes strong, sexy regency romances about complex individuals who give no quarter but do so with plenty of passion. Her fifth book with Harlequin Mills & Boon, ‘Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal,’ will be published in March 2018, and is the second in her Wild Lords series. Her four previous books are: Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress, The Duke’s Unexpected Bride, The Reluctant Viscount, and Lord Crayle’s Secret World.

When she was fifteen Lara found a very grubby copy of Georgette Heyer’s Faro’s Daughter in an equally grubby book store. Several blissful hours later she emerged, blinking, into the light of day completely in love with Regency Romance but it took three decades of various fascinating but completely unrelated careers in finance and high tech before she returned to her first love.

Lara lives with her husband and two children who are very good about her taking over the kitchen table for her writing (so she can look out over the garden and dream). She loves to travel (especially to places steeped in history) and read as many books as possible. She recently went looking for that crowded little bookstore but couldn’t quite remember around what corner it was…hopefully it is still there and another girl is in the corner by the window, reading and dreaming…

You can discover more by finding Lara on Facebook, and by following her on Twitter @laratemple1. She also has a website, is on Goodreads and has an Amazon author page.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’m just delighted at the wonderful range of authors this Staying in with… feature is bringing me into contact with. Today it gives me enormous pleasure to welcome Rajiv Mittal to Linda’s Book Bag.

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 Rajiv Mittal

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

Thank you for having me, Linda.

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

I’ve brought my debut novel Brahmahatya.  The name is a Sanskrit word for ‘the act of killing a Brahmin’, a deed considered worse than ordinary murder.

(Oh! I’ve learnt something new already!)

I have chosen it because I would like the evening to be about understanding Indian culture, its spiritual books and the thought processes that influence its people in their relationships.

(This is brilliant as I’m travelling to India later this year.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Brahmahatya?

An unhurried unravelling of ideas and people that you will meet during the journey.  I also hope you will set aside a bit of time for yourself to reflect once it ends.

Here are a few reader comments after their journeys …

‘Brahmahatya’, through its many references to ancient scriptures and the use of Sanskrit words, is also a narrative on man’s conflict-ridden relationship with the Divine. It is this that gives the book a timelessness, even as it raises ever-pertinent questions about rituals, faith, free will and karmic destiny. Faith is almost a character in itself. There’s gravitas, and lovely philosophical questions. This is apparent through the voices in the characters’ heads, which the readers are made privy to, and where debates between “right” and “wrong” rage. Where their relationship with god is forever in flux…

It is a stirring book, at once heavy with sadness and light with a beauty which one may call … divine. It ends on a note of calm reconciliation, even though it remains upon the reader to weigh the cost at which this peace has been reached.

Sakshi Nanda (www.sakshinanda.com)

Deploying human emotions at their vulnerable best, especially grief, anger, hate, revenge and ultimately peace, this book lays it all, bare and raw.  A highly suggested read, delve into this ocean of the worst of human emotions, and retrospect.

Anuradha Khaitan (www.merrygoreviews.com)

Complicated yet integrated characters, a skilfully created sequence of inevitable events and a thick suspense plentifully fed by a revengeful, murderous intent, Brahmahatya has it all.  To make the novel additionally delectable, there is the generous inclusion of local flavor.  This, I said to myself, is an Indian story written in English.

Dagny (serenelyrapt.com)

(You must be absolutely delighted with those reader responses. Congratulations.)

What else have you brought along and why?

I have brought along a few links through my journey of writing the book. I am hoping this will make reading Brahmahatya a very special experience that will remain with you long after the book is just a memory.

1. The words that inspired me to write it:

• Whomsoever you encounter is the right one.
• Whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened.
• Each moment in which something begins is the right moment.
• What is over is over.
  • Author – Unknown

2. A link to the start of the journey here.

3. What struck me when I looked around my dad’s retirement home:

An old man took his phone to a repair shop.

Repairer: Nothing is wrong with this phone.

Old man: Then why don’t my children ever call me?

4. The quiet, unhindered steady chant that treads through the book:

“Brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva.  According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe…”

(What a mind blowing thought!)

I do hope you will enjoy the journey.  Thathasthu. (It will be so).

I’ve found staying in with you highly interesting and thought provoking Rajiv. Thanks so much for being here.

Brahmahatya

A story of revenge and redemption and deeds shaped by forces that humans believe they have defined through mythology and scriptures but still struggle to understand.

A woman employee of a retirement home is shocked to discover that a new resident is in fact the son impersonating his father. The son is seeking revenge. She, by her past actions, is unwittingly complicit in his being there and now tries to thwart his peculiar plans. A senile woman-resident and an enigmatic founder offer him sage advice. The samudra manthan (a major episode in Hindu mythology), a slightly dim secretary and a sinister boss play their part in ensuring justice is finally served but in an unexpected manner.

The novel quotes frequently from the ancient Hindu scriptures and stories that the protagonists use to justify their actions. The treatment of the elderly in society is a major theme.

Brahmahatya is available for purchase from your local Amazon site.

About Rajiv Mittal

I was born in Chennai, India in the early nineteen sixties. I am an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a CPA from Australia. I now live in Melbourne after a stint of several years in the Middle East.
Writing was a vague aspiration. It became reality thanks to a stranger who said I reminded him of the main character from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann. He quoted from it, ‘Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.’

You can follow Rajiv on Twitter @rajivmittal63 and find him on Facebook.

Today I’m thrilled (and not a little afraid after our conversation) to be staying in with Rachel Abbott to celebrate the launch of her latest novel Come A Little Closer.

Come A Little Closer was published by Black Dot on 15th February 2018 and is available for purchase here.

They will be coming soon. They come every night.

Snow is falling softly as a young woman takes her last breath.

Fifteen miles away, two women sit silently in a dark kitchen. They don’t speak, because there is nothing left to be said.

Another woman boards a plane to escape the man who is trying to steal her life. But she will have to return, sooner or later.

These strangers have one thing in common. They each made one bad choice – and now they have no choices left. Soon they won’t be strangers, they’ll be family…

When DCI Tom Douglas is called to the cold, lonely scene of a suspicious death, he is baffled. Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she get there? How many more must die?

Who is controlling them, and how can they be stopped?

Staying in with Rachel Abbott

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

I am delighted to have been invited, Linda. Thank you.

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 thriller, Come a Little Closer. The title seems perfect for an evening in, but then again, maybe not! I’ve chosen it because I believe it’s my most chilling novel to date, and one that I have been thinking of writing for nearly four years.

(I’m not certain I think it makes for a cosy evening in! Just reading the blurb makes me nervous…)

However, fears aside, what can we expect from an evening in with Come a Little Closer?

You should prepare yourself to be locked in, I think, both physically and mentally! But the ever-reliable DCI Tom Douglas will step in to provide a little comfort when things become unbearably tense.

I like to think that the short prologue sets the scene perfectly.

I don’t know myself any more. My life is unrecognisable – severed into two distinct periods: Before – when I could feel the wind on my skin, watch the sky turn from blue to black, hear the birds singing in the morning, smell the earth, damp with rain; and After – the life I am in now, where I cannot tell if it is night or day and the only sound I hear is the slap, slap of bare feet on a linoleum floor.

I sit on my narrow bed, staring at the bare wall opposite, wondering how I came to be here. But I can find no answers. All I know for certain is that they are coming. They come every night.

I didn’t understand how easy it could be to lose a life. To lose my self. But now I am not me any more. I’m someone else. Someone I don’t recognise.

My name is Judith. And I killed a man.

That should give you a clear idea of what you are in for this evening – lots of shivers down the spine!

(Eek! Send Tom quickly!)

What else have you brought along and why?

I’ve brought along some photographs of Burma – or Myanmar as it is now called – which is where I was when the idea for the story came to me. It features at the start of the novel, but I resisted the temptation of making the early part of the book into a travelogue, although I would have loved to write more about this wonderful country. It’s where my main character, who remains nameless for about half the book, begins her story.

(It’s a place I’d love to visit so thanks for bringing the photos Rachel.)

I’ve also brought some sweet sherry. I’m not a fan – and neither is my character – but she finds herself drinking it rather more often than she would like to, so I thought we could try it and see what we think. I wondered about bringing some bath salts and a claw hammer, but thought neither seemed appropriate for an evening in.

(I’m not keen on sherry either but I think I might need some Dutch courage to read Come A Little Closer. If I said I was relieved you didn’t bring the claw hammer would you believe me?)

My books usually feature some kind of food – because I’m a big foodie – but not so much in this one, apart from a particularly unappetising bowl of thin soup. We need something to make the sherry taste better, though, so I thought I would make some of my home-made chicken liver pate and some crispy crostini to spread it on. Might as well have something full of iron to keep us healthy and the red-blood cell count high. We might be needing it.

(Now you’re talking. Oh!  – er, blood did you say?)

And finally, we might listen to the second movement of Beethoven’s 2^nd symphony. If anything fits the mood of the book, I would say that’s it. Beautiful as it is, it is so haunting. Perfect for listening to in the bath – but if I say any more, I would be giving the game away.

Now you’ve terrified me completely Rachel, I’d like to say thanks for staying in with me, but I hope you’ll stay a bit longer. I’m not sure I want to be on my own!

About Rachel Abbott

Rachel Abbott’s debut thriller, Only the Innocent, was an international bestseller, reaching the number one position in the Amazon charts both in the UK and US. This was followed by the number one bestselling novels The Back Road, Sleep Tight, Stranger Child, Nowhere Child (a short novel based on the characters from Stranger Child), Kill Me Again and The Sixth Window.

Rachel’s novels have now been translated into over 20 languages and her books have sold over 2.8 million copies in the English language.

Rachel splits her time between Alderney – a beautiful island off the coast of France – and the Le Marche region of Italy, where she is able to devote all her time to writing fiction.

You can find out more about Rachel on her website, or by following her on Twitter @RachelAbbott. You’ll also find Rachel on Facebook and on her blog.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

With a trip to India coming up soon, I’m delighted to have the chance to visit slightly earlier by interviewing Sonia Bahl whose novel The Spectacular Miss begins in Calcutta.

I also need to apologise to Sonia as this interview has been sitting in my inbox for three months – but actually, I think it was worth waiting for as I loved hearing about The Spectacular Miss.

The Spectacular Miss is available for purchase here.

The Spectacular Miss

I learned that I am, despite my early years spent as a swaggering boy, at heart just a middle-class,hard-working, risk-averse, un-creative, strait-laced, routine-obsessed 
conformist. In case I forgot to mention it, I’m also prudish to the point of being puritanical.

But at eight, Nira had only one over-powering wish—to pee standing up like a boy. In fact, to be a boy.

Join Nira as she steps into her brother’s clothes and becomes the self-appointed Al Caponesque gang leader of the neighbourhood boys. Her oddball yet madly loving family shapes her personality, and a poignant relationship with her brother’s best friend shapes her life.

She uses uninhibited candour to detail her coming-of-age journey from Calcutta to London, from tomboy to reluctant woman-in-progress . . . always trying to fit in, but always failing. She’s a laugh a minute, and yet she breaks your heart with her subconscious, percussive yearning for the one person who is always too old, too far, too married to be hers.

An Interview with Sonia Bahl

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Sonia. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing and The Spectacular Miss in particular. Firstly, please could you tell me a little about yourself?

I was born and raised in Calcutta, and I’ve lived and worked in Jakarta, Miami, Johannesburg, Brussels and Singapore, making ads for everything from candy to condoms, while dreaming of changing them from 30-second spots to full length feature films. I threw caution and my full time job as Executive Creative Director, McCann-Erickson to the winds and embarked on the riveting, rejection-filled screenwriting journey in the US. Happily, my day job now entails writing movies and getting paid for them!

I live, write and rewrite in Singapore and the three loves of my life remain my daughter’s light-up-the-world smile , my dog’s hunky good looks and my husband’s ceaseless patience and incredible friendship.

(Crikey – that’s quite a leap you took! How exciting.)

Why do you write?

To be honest, it’s pretty much the only skill I have!

(I’m sure that’s not true!)

When did you realise you were going to be a writer?

There was no light bulb moment. I started as an advertising copywriter – loved every minute of it. Moved to screenwriting – thought I had died and gone to heaven. The book – well, that felt like I got lucky, like a first-time winner at a casino! If ever there was an early indication of having some sort of predilection towards writing it came from an entirely biased audience of one, my grandmother. As a child I wrote her letters detailing all sorts of mundane events with dangerous degrees of exaggeration. She’d laugh till she was ready to collapse and couldn’t wait for the next one. So if that is anything to go by, I knew I was going to be a writer before I was even ten years old.

Which aspects of your writing do you find easiest and most difficult?

Easiest: working in isolation.

Most difficult: working in isolation.

What are your writing routines and where do you do most of your writing?

Since I write screenplays, they tend to have a life of their own and deadlines imposed by third parties – studios, directors, producers who are sitting in a different country…sometimes you do end up writing at all odd hours or having discussions at even odder hours. When I’m writing for myself it’s a lot more regular – wake up, work out, get ready and write. And write. Break for lunch / errands /meetings. Go back to writing till the evening. Of course, being a Virgo helps. I’m told we are crashing bores. I am a self-confessed disciplined bore. I write from my study at home – it has a cinematic view of a tropical rainforest – in the middle of the city. Only in Singapore!

(I’m very envious. I loved Singapore when I visited.)

You write ads and screenplays. How do these disciplines impact on your novel writing?

All writing helps. But I’m certain it’s the many years spent as a copywriter that deserve a high five. The devotion to brevity, seduction through simplicity, and avoiding boredom at all cost, are all tattooed into my DNA  for posterity. I suppose writing screenplays makes one see things in scenes – even before they’re out of your head and on the paper!

The Spectacular Miss is described as a ‘coming of age’ book. What were you hoping to achieve through your narrative?

It’s a shout-out to the square pegs, the misfits, the late bloomers: “You have no idea how lucky you are – don’t try to fit in!”

The Spectacular Miss has humour. How easy or difficult is it to balance humour when you’re writing?

I feel that self-deprecating humour is a handy default setting for me. It comes to my rescue when I’m overwhelmed or underwhelmed. It’s essentially acknowledging the awkward, the elephant in the room, the gauche parts of yourself – and putting it out there.

The Spectacular Miss Nira is very much shaped by her family. To what extent do you feel we are all a product of our upbringing?

Family is my resting pulse. It was for me when I was growing up. Still is. Alan de Bottom said this wonderful thing: most of our childhood is stored not in photos but in certain biscuits, lights of day, smells, textures of carpet. Childhoods, and therefore, families are inescapable. Speaking for myself, the family I grew up in and the one that I acquired along the way, have a knack of seeping into everything I do.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to read?

I have extremely schizophrenic reading tastes – Mohsin Hamid, Nick Hornby, Shel Silverstein, John Green, Fitzgerald (always Fitzgerald), Jumpa Lahiri, Elizabeth Gilbert, Bill Bryson, Ann Tyler, Salman Rushdie, the latest bestseller, Rolling Stones magazine, The New Yorker movie reviews, The New York Times every day.

(I love the idea of having schizophrenic reading tastes Sonia.)

The Spectacular Miss has a cover that suggests a conflict between masculinity and femininity to me. How did that image come about and what were you hoping to convey (without spoiling the plot please!)?

The key protagonist is a diehard Tomboy – entirely influenced by her two brothers, one who she hates (he’s closer to her age) and the other  who she worships (he’s ten years older and supremely indulgent of her ridiculous ways).  The cover tries to capture the spectacularly uninhibited Tomboy who, like most Tomboys, must transition through the awkwardness of feeling feminine feelings before she can find the comfortable balance of being who she is. And then becoming brave enough to go after what she wants.

As you also write screenplays, if The Spectacular Miss became a film, who would you like to play Nira and why would you choose them?  

Actually, the book has been optioned by a leading Bollywood studio and I’m lucky enough to be writing the screenplay for the big screen. If it were Hollywood, a young Anne Hathaway would do great as Nira! In Bollywood it would be Alia Bhatt, a brilliant young Indian actress. She’s the right age, is fearless about shedding the usual trappings of vanity, has the perfect mix of vulnerability, bravado and chutzpah, and of course, she has the acting chops.

(Wow – how exciting.)

If you had 15 words to persuade a reader that The Spectacular Miss should be their next read, what would you say?

Awkward square peg, vulnerable, brave. Ultimately, an enduring love story – madcap energy, hilarious and poignant.

Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions, Sonia.

About Sonia Bahl

Born and raised in Calcutta, Sonia has lived and worked in Jakarta, Miami, Johannesburg, Brussels and Singapore, making ads for everything from candy to condoms, while dreaming of changing them from 30-second spots to full length feature films. She threw caution and her full time job as Executive Creative Director, McCann-Erickson (Indonesia) to the winds and embarked on her riveting, rejection-filled screenwriting journey in the US. Finally her day job entails writing movies!

Sonia lives, writes and rewrites in Singapore and the three loves of her life remain her daughter’s scorching tennis backhand, her dog’s hunky good looks and her husband’s incredible friendship.

You can follow Sonia on Twitter @soniabahl and find her on Goodreads.

It’s another new to me author to stay in with on Linda’s Book Bag today. I’m so enjoying meeting so many new books and their authors and R.L. Bartram is no exception, especially as I’m rather fond of historical novels.

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

Staying in with R.L. Bartram

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Robert. 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?

Hello Linda. It’s a great pleasure to be here with you this evening. Tonight, I’ve brought my new novel Whippoorwill. This is my second novel. It’s an Historical Romance set against the background of the American Civil War. It’s been published by Troubador on Nov 28^th, 2017 and is available in both paperback and Kindle editions. There’s an undeniable romance that surrounds the old south, which still exists today, to some extent. It fascinates me. I’ve used it to add atmosphere to my novel and I’d like to share it with your readers.

(Sounds great.) 

What can we expect from an evening in with Whippoorwill?

Quite a lot. A passionate, spicy love affair. Life changing events. Broken hearts, intrigue, betrayal, adventure, espionage. And much more. Let me tell you a little bit about it.

(Oh, please do.)

Barely fourteen, Ceci Prejean is a tomboy running wild in the hot Louisiana summer. After breaking the nose of a local boy, her father decides to enlist the aid of Hecubah, a beautiful creole woman, with a secret past, who takes Ceci in hand and turns her into a lady.

Now eighteen, Ceci meets and fall passionately in love with handsome young northerner, Trent Sinclaire. Trent is a cadet at the West Point military academy. They begin a torrid affair, even as the southern states begin to secede from the Union.

Only weeks before their wedding, the civil war begins. Trent is called to active service in the north, leaving Ceci heartbroken in the south.

Swearing vengeance on the Union, after the untimely death of her family at the fall of New Orleans, Ceci meets with infamous spy master, Henry Doucet. He initiates her into the shadowy world of espionage.

Infiltrating the White House, Ceci comes face to face with Abraham Lincoln, a man she’s sworn to kill. Forming a reckless alliance with the actor John Wilkes Booth, she is drawn deeper into the plot to assassinate the President of the United States. A Confederate spy in love with a Union officer, her next decision will determine whether she lives or dies.

I’m pleased to say that Whippoorwill recently received its first five-star review.

“I absolutely loved this book. Enthralling, engaging and really enjoyable. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre of reading.”

Hopefully there’ll be more to come.

(I notice there already are! Deservedly so as Whippoorwill sounds such a good read Robert. Congratulations.)

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

I’ve brought the photo of myself that’s associated with the book promotion. My sister took it with her new camera. It’s merely to remind me never to have a picture taken in a hurry.

(I think you look quite distinguished actually!)

Moving rapidly along, I’ve also brought a nice bottle of Shiraz and a big box of vanilla fudge. I also have a song. “I’m a good old rebel” by Hoyt Axton. Every time I listen to this it always reminds me of my heroine, Cecile Prejean. It really encapsulates her character. She’s a rebel in every way.

Now, with fudge on the agenda you’re welcome back ANY time to Linda’s Book Bag Robert! Thanks so much for staying in with me and telling me about Whippoorwill. 

It’s been good chatting to you. I hope you like the book. I’ll leave what’s left of the wine and fudge with you. Enjoy.

I will!

Whippoorwill

Barely fourteen, Ceci Prejean is a tomboy running wild in the hot Louisiana summer. After breaking the nose of a local boy, her father decides to enlist the aid of Hecubah, a beautiful Creole woman, with a secret past, who takes Ceci in hand and turns her into a lady.

Now, eighteen-year-old Ceci meets and falls passionately in love with a handsome young northerner, Trent Sinclaire. Trent is a cadet at the West Point military academy. He acts as if he knows Ceci. They begin a torrid affair, even as the southern states begin to secede from the Union.

Only weeks before their wedding, the Confederate army attacks Fort Sumter and the civil war begins. Trent is called to active service in the north, leaving Ceci heartbroken in the south.

Swearing vengeance on the union, after the untimely death of her family at the fall of New Orleans, Ceci meets with infamous spy master, Henry Doucet. He initiates her into the shadowy world of espionage.

After her failure to avert the catastrophe at Gettysburg, Ceci infiltrates the White House. There, she comes face to face with Abraham Lincoln, a man she’s sworn to kill. Forming a reckless alliance with the actor, John Wilkes Booth, she is drawn deeper into the plot to assassinate the President of the United States. A Confederate spy in love with a Union officer, her next decision will determine whether she lives or dies…

Whippoorwill is published by Matador and available for purchase through the publisher links here.

About Robert Bartram

With Historical Romance as his preferred genre, Robert has continued to write for several years. Many of his short stories have appeared in various national periodicals and magazines.

His debut novel Dance the Moon Down, a story of love against adversity during the First World War, gained him considerable critical praise, being voted book of the month by Wall to Wall Books.

His second novel Whippoorwill tells of a passionate affair between a young southern woman and a northern man at the beginning of the American Civil War.

He is single and lives and works in Hertfordshire.

You can find Robert on Facebook and Goodreads.

It’s a very welcome return to Linda’s Book Bag for Phillipa Ashley whose Summer at the Cornish Cafe I featured here. Today I’m thrilled to be part of the launch celebrations for Phillipa’s latest novel, Spring on the Little Cornish Isles. I have a super extract for you to read.

Spring on the Little Cornish Isles was published yesterday 19th February 2018 by Avon books, an imprint of Harper Collins, and is available for purchase here.

Spring on the Little Cornish Isles

Jess has lived at the idyllic flower farm on the Isles of Scilly her whole life, but when her boyfriend Adam leaves without explanation, Jess discovers that even her little slice of Cornish heaven can be lonely.

For the first time in Will’s life, he’s met someone he can’t stop thinking about. But nothing is simple when the woman of your dreams is working for you.

Gaby is running away from painful memories, and where could be more perfect than a remote island off the Cornish coast? But to put the past behind her, she must keep moving … however much she might want to stay.

Nothing is simple, even on paradise. Will love bloom for the residents of the little Cornish Isles?

An Extract from Spring on the Little Cornish Isles

Jess Godrevy’s heart sank as she spotted the girl standing guard over a wheelie suitcase in the arrivals hall at St Mary’s airport terminal. She was all of five feet tall and looked as if she’d blow away in the first Atlantic gust. Was this really Dr Gabriella Carter? Her head-and-shoulders photo had given no indication of how tiny she was – more like a sixth-former than a twenty-seven-year-old with a PhD. Just wait until Will saw her …

Jess smiled to herself as Gabriella pulled her case even closer, though no one was likely to run off with it on Scilly and they certainly wouldn’t get away with the crime if they did. Jess had already nodded or exchanged hellos with most of the staff and locals in the terminal, all of whom she knew by sight. None of them was a criminal mastermind, although some people would say Hugo Scorrier came closest. His unruly black Labrador, Basil, was sniffing around people’s luggage while Hugo was deep in conversation with a good-looking, dark-haired man who Jess didn’t recognise. Judging by the stranger’s sharp suit and laptop bag, he and Hugo were probably discussing some big business deal relating to Hugo’s luxury resort on Petroc.

Jess worked her way through the holidaymakers towards Gabriella, hoping the friendly smile on her face would reassure her new recruit.

‘Hi there. It’s Gabriella, isn’t it? I’m Jess Godrevy from the flower farm. Welcome to Scilly.’

‘Oh, thank goodness. I’m so happy to see you.’ Gabriella’s voice was beautiful but so quiet Jess had to strain to hear it over the plane engines and boarding announcements. She was very pretty in an English rose sort of way, with creamy cheeks sprinkled with freckles and a mane of strawberry blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She’d have to be super careful with the sunscreen while she was working outside, thought Jess, ever practical but also aware of her own scruffy jeans, Flower Farm sweatshirt and wild hair. There was never any point in styling it: the wind and the sea spray would dismember any blow-dry in minutes.

‘Someone’s waiting in the car park to give us a lift down to the quay so we can get the island boat across to St Saviour’s,’ said Jess cheerfully. ‘My brother, Will, is busy at the farm. If he’s remembered that you’re coming, that is, and hasn’t decided to go rowing instead. Brothers, what are they like?

About Phillipa Ashley

Phillipa Ashley studied English at Oxford before working as a copywriter and journalist. Her first novel, Decent Exposure won the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Award and in 2009, it was filmed as a US TV movie called 12 Men of Christmas starring Kristin Chenoweth and Josh Hopkins. Miranda’s Mount won Best Ebook at the Festival of Romance Reader Awards 2012 and It Happened One Night was shortlisted in 2013.

As Pippa Croft, Phillipa also writes as the Oxford Blue series which is published by Penguin Books.

She lives in a Staffordshire village with her husband and has a grown-up daughter. When she’s not writing, she loves falling off surf boards and following Poldark around in a camper van.

You’ll find more about Phillipa on her website and on Facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter.

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I’ve just returned from a trip to Uganda where I saw incredible poverty as refugees from surrounding countries arrive and so I am thrilled to welcome Denis Dragovic to Linda’s Book Bag today to stay in with me and tell me a little about a book that touches on a very similar subject.

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 Denis Dragovic

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

The pleasure is mine. It’s great to chat with a fellow bibliophile.  

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

I have with me No Dancing, No Dancing: Inside the Global Humanitarian Crisis. When we turn on our televisions, surf the web or travel we are confronted by wars and natural disasters. To help, we send money, we like a Facebook post or we Tweet in support of a cause. But our minds quickly turn back to what preoccupied us before we saw an image of a sick child or a battered city, comforted in knowing that there are people who are doing their best to respond to the needs of others.

With a growing global humanitarian crisis it’s important that we don’t get distracted so easily.

I brought No Dancing with me as it brings the reader into my former life as an aid worker by following a journey I took back to some of the places where I had worked to see what happened to the people and projects spanning across a decade of humanitarian assistance.

(This is fascinating Denis and I understand No Dancing is out today. I look forward to hearing more.)

So what can we expect from an evening in with No Dancing, No Dancing: Inside the Global Humanitarian Crisis?

You will be regaled with stories of slave traders plying their trade and angry Ayatollahs arguing against American imperialism. The voices of resistance fighters and refugees are heard along with an account of negotiating the release of a kidnapped colleague.

When woven together these stories introduce the challenges of providing humanitarian assistance in war torn countries along with touching on other debates such as Western intervention in the Middle East and the impact of cultural imperialism.

The book tells the story but leaves the discussion of how each and every one of us should respond to the global humanitarian crisis to evenings such as this one where a bottle of wine and good friends can agree on how to contribute in their own way.

I’ll read a piece from the book:

One October evening together with Firas and his long-time friend and IRC colleague Haider, I got into a car and headed downtown to meet with the Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Bashir. The Ayatollah’s offices can be found in the old quarter of Najaf, a stone’s throw (or a rifle shot) away from other competing clerics vying to remain within hearing distance of the muezzin’s call to the faithful, exhorting them to prayer from a minaret high above the Shrine of Imam Ali. That evening the drive to the old town took us through narrow thoroughfares faintly lit by street lamps striking the sand still in the air from a late summer sandstorm. Dilapidated two- and three-storey houses shakily crowded over the streets in a show of either godly humility or human neglect. Men sauntered home from mosques in their dishdasha, while the women in their head to toe black abayas scurried out of sight.

We came to a road block, one more reminder of the pre-eminence of the affairs of man in this avowedly holy city. A few men, scattered amongst the shadows, pointed their Kalashnikovs at us while another stood in the headlights with arm raised, challenging our arrival. After introducing ourselves as staff members of the IRC we were led by a guard to a metal door, which he entered to check our appointment. Verified as scheduled guests we were welcomed inside, searched for weapons, shown where we could leave our shoes and then led into a small windowless room with a worn brown carpet. The interior of the Ayatollah’s residence was surprising and impressively modest for a leader of such status. Furniture was sparse, limited to a small wooden cabinet serving as a bookcase that would be lucky to have raised a few dollars at a junk yard sale. We waited, accompanied by the office manager and, a little while later Ayatollah Bashir’s son.

For several minutes we engaged in standard small talk—they asked my first impressions of Iraq, I asked them their thoughts on the war, we each answered with what we assumed the other wanted to hear. Then the Ayatollah entered. He was, in appearance, carved from the same stone as leaders of a bygone era, from a time when great men exuded an intoxicating aura of authority and wisdom. But in today’s world of slick haircuts and Hollywood smiles the close-up matters—and in this case it wasn’t pretty. With a long unkempt salt and pepper beard, rolls of fat, and skin the texture of a worn prayer rug, the Ayatollah was a study in the rejection of modernism. He wore a white turban suggesting that his ancestors were not from the Prophet’s blood line. A black robe covered his white dishdasha with a pair of thick, black rimmed glasses firmly planted on his nose.

We sat on the cushions and carpet. With some Ayatollahs I would kneel and kiss their hands, inches above the ground, as a sign of respect. For some reason it didn’t seem appropriate that I would make the gesture, nor did he reach out expecting it. Was this a reflection of his disposition? I wasn’t sure, so I prepared for the standard introduction.

Instead, the Ayatollah began by telling Firas, who subsequently translated for me, that he could not speak English. I understood this and cut in to Firas’ translation, ‘But as I am visiting Iraq it is I who should apologise that I cannot speak Arabic.’

His expression remained impassive, impenetrable, and continuing to talk in Arabic with Firas he countered ‘But English is an important language, the most important for all people in the world. I would like to have learned it, but in my role as the leader of all Shia people I must study many other things.’

I continued with flattery, ‘Those things that you study, to help you as a leader, are more important than English.’ I hoped that this exchange would win him over. This was unlike other meetings with religious leaders, during which we discussed Western academic accounts of the schism between Shia and Sunni Islam in the seventh century or the finer points of Imam Ali’s betrayal. The Ayatollah asked if he could speak frankly to me, to which I replied that I would welcome such a conversation.

‘What are your ties to the CIA?’ he demanded, explaining that all Western organisations have links to the CIA.

(Wow – what an evocative piece. I’m sure most of us as readers are totally oblivious to this kind of experience.)

What else have you brought along and why?

The evening wouldn’t be complete without some photos to share.

This is me during my return visit with Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Bashir who in our first meeting accused me of being a CIA spy assessing the layout of his compound for an assassination attempt.

US Marines landing alongside my car in a reconnaissance visit in advance of their effort to lend a helping hand by transporting shelter materials to this inaccessible mountain village in East Timor.

Here I’m with Iraqi friends waiting to meet the Governor of Najaf. Standing in the background is Nawal, a female politician struggling against cultural norms to represent her constituency.

Thank you so much for such a fascinating time Denis. I’ve learnt so much from staying in with you. Good luck with today’s publication of No Dancing, No Dancing: Inside the Global Humanitarian Crisis.

No Dancing, No Dancing: Inside the Global Humanitarian Crisis

What happens to aid projects after the money is spent? Or the people and communities once the media spotlight has left?

No Dancing, No Dancing follows the return journey of a former aid worker back to the site of three major humanitarian crises—South Sudan, Iraq and East Timor—in search of what happened to the people and projects. Along the way, he looks for answers to how we can better respond to the emerging global humanitarian crisis.

Meeting young entrepreneurs striving to build their businesses, listening to tribal leaders give unvarnished views of foreign aid or negotiating the release of a kidnapped colleague, this riveting work brings the reader into the global humanitarian crisis while engaging with questions of cultural imperialism, Western aid models and foreign interventions.

No Dancing, No Dancing: Inside the Global Humanitarian Crisis is available for purchase here.

About Denis Dragovic

Dr Denis Dragovic is an author of literary and scholarly works on humanitarian aid and rebuilding countries after war.

For over a decade he was at the forefront of international aid efforts responding to major humanitarian crises in Darfur, South Sudan, East Timor, Indonesia and Iraq where he led one of the world’s largest aid programs. Seeing slave traders ply their trade, leading efforts to negotiate a kidnapped aid worker or helping to support the establishment of local community groups gives him a unique insight into the humanitarian challenges of the twenty-first century. Denis’ on the ground experiences are backed by specialist knowledge as an expert on religion and rebuilding countries after wars.

He is currently a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne and a Senior Member on Australia’s Administrative Appeals Tribunal hearing appeals from asylum seekers denied protection.

You can visit Denis’s website for more information.

Having been privileged to interview Wendy Holden when her previous novel, Laura Lake and the Hipster Weddings was published, in a post you can read here, I’m thrilled to be part of the launch celebrations for her latest novel, Last of the Summer Moët.

Last of the Summer Moët is published by Head of Zeus and is available for purchase here.

Last of the Summer Moet

Top reporter Laura Lake has struck journalistic gold.

She’s discovered a super-exclusive English village where the rich and famous own weekend retreats. Where film stars, Turner-prize winners and Cabinet ministers park their helicopters outside the gastropub and buy £100 sourdough loaves from the deli.

Outsiders are strictly forbidden. But luckily Laura’s best friend Lulu, a logo-obsessed socialite with a heart as huge as her sunglasses, suddenly fancies a quiet life in the country. The door to this enchanted rural idyll opens for Laura. Revealing a great professional opportunity.

Can Laura write an exposé before the snobbish villagers suss her true identity? And before the world’s poshest pub quiz triggers a political scandal not seen since Profumo?

Staying in with Wendy Holden

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

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

I’ve brought along my latest novel Last of the Summer Moët, it’s the second in a series of comedies about glossy magazine editor Laura Lake.

What can we expect from an evening in with Last of the Summer Moët?

Lots of laughs, and an insight into how glossy magazines work, as well as upscale country life because Laura’s challenge is to find Britain’s Poshest Village. It’s a comedy about one of those villages where vast numbers of celebrities live.  I’ve called it Great Hording and it has a gastropub complete with helipad and a deli where sourdough costs £100 a loaf. Locals include a Hollywood director, a Cabinet minister, a Russian oligarch, a Turner prizewinning artist and so on. I have them taking part in the ultimate posh pub quiz (it’s a scandal when somebody cheats!)s and acting in Britain’s ultimate power pantomime.

I grew up in a village but it was nothing like this one! We only had a telephone box and a seedy pub!

What else have you brought along and why?

A picture of the Queen. There’s a great scene at the beginning when Laura has to interview a very famous film star. To make it more interesting, the star wants the interview to take place while she’s doing something else. So Laura ends up trying to talk to her as she tours Buckingham Palace. It ends with the appearance of an even greater female celebrity, bet you can’t guess who?! It’s an incredibly silly scene, but like all my craziest scenarios, it’s just about possible.

Sounds brilliant. I can’t wait to read Last of the Summer Moët. Good luck with it Wendy and thank you for staying in to tell me about it.

About Wendy Holden

Number-one bestselling author Wendy Holden was a journalist on Tatler, The Sunday Times, and the Mail on Sunday before becoming an author. She has since written ten consecutive Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers. She is married, has two children and lives in Derbyshire.

You can follow Wendy on Twitter, visit her website and find her on Facebook.

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I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for Comfort Food by Julia Bettelheim as I’m rather fond of my food!

Comfort Food is published by Clink Street and available for purchase here.

Comfort Food

There’s nothing quite like Comfort Food to put a smile on your face and a feeling of contentment in your stomach.

Chef Julia Bettelheim is passionate about feeding people; from the students in her university kitchen to guests and family at home.

From recipes that are as simple as a sandwich to as technical as a fruit cake, she knows the importance of creating delicious meals that are full of flavour and which always have budget in mind. Her recipes include easy to make classics and mouth-watering family favourites, using easy to find products that are fresh and economical.

Fun, fast, indulgent and nurturing, there’s a time and a place for Comfort Food in every kitchen.

My Review of Comfort Food

Comfort Food is an indulgent book of easy to make culinary treats.

I really liked this book. Anyone can make any of the recipes as they are easy to follow and require little skill. I suppose ardent and seasoned (forgive the pun) chefs would find them too easy, but I think comfort food should be accessible, quick and tasty and these recipes certainly are. I’m not sure all of the recipes in Comfort Food like Deep Fried Mars Bars are the healthiest, but this is a book of treats, not a regime for life.

I thought the illustrations, especially the drawings, added real interest and I thoroughly enjoyed the little historical, geographical or personal anecdotes from the author at the start of the recipes as they gave a feel for the importance of such comfort food in ordinary lives.

Although this isn’t a book aimed at youngsters, I think it would be a brilliant way to get children cooking and it certainly would help inept cooks achieve some tasty dishes such as Irish Stew or Mushroom Stroganoff whilst building their confidence.

I heartily recommend Comfort Food as a brilliant starter cook book and am off to bake some chocolate chip cookies!

About Julia Bettelheim

Growing up in Wellington, New Zealand, British born Julia Bettelheim enjoyed an early start in the catering industry and as a teenager took lessons from a private chef. Her family then moved to Melbourne, Australia where she lived for the next twenty-two years and worked as a tupperware sales representative travelling the city providing cookery demonstrations and sharing recipes that were suitable for storing. After her divorce in 2008, Julia moved back to England where she now lives in Chatham, Kent and works as a chef in the kitchen of the cafe at UCL in London.

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When a couple of copies of You, Me, Everything by Catherine Isaac arrived as surprise book post I was thrilled. One was for me and one to pass on so I have given that copy away to fellow blogger Sarah at Sarah’s Vignettes and I hope she enjoys it too. Now I’ve read You, Me, Everything, I’m even more thrilled to have received such a surprise through my letterbox.

You, Me, Everything will be published by Simon and Schuster on 19th April 2018 and is available for pre-order through these links.

You, Me, Everything

You and me, we have history.
We have a child together.
We have kept secrets from each other for far too long.
This summer, in the beautiful hills of the Dordogne, it is time for everything to change.

My Review of You, Me, Everything

A summer in France will bring more than a suntan for Jess, William and Adam.

Pass me the thesaurus. I simply do not have adequate vocabulary to express how much I love You, Me, Everything. Let me be honest, it isn’t the most literary work of fiction I’ve ever read, it doesn’t have a heart thumping plot with visceral murder and psychologically challenged protagonists, but I absolutely adored every moment of being submersed in the lives of those in France. I truly believe it will be hard to beat You, Me, Everything for my book of the year in 2018.

What appeals to me so much is the natural style Catherine Isaac writes with. The direct speech is perfect so that it’s like listening in on real conversations. The descriptions of the area are so evocative that they appeal to all the senses and enable the reader to place themselves alongside the characters and experience exactly what they are experiencing. The general flow of the novel is seamless with the perfect blend of present and past events that gradually reveal all kinds of information. The plot too is wonderful. There are twists and revelations arising so genuinely that I found myself enraged, uplifted, devastated and touched in a rollercoaster of emotion. Underpinning it all is considerable humour too so that I found myself laughing aloud at times and smiling through tears at others.

The themes too are utterly sublime. I can’t say anything about the major one as it will spoil the story for others, but let’s just say that Catherine Isaac has done her research meticulously and woven this strand into the plot with consummate skill. The exploration of love, relationships, parenthood, grief, friendship and identity make reading You, Me, Everything feel like sharing an experience in humanity and life. Not a single word is extraneous; every syllable contributes to the joy – and it is joy – of reading You, Me, Everything.

The way the characters are presented is genius. I absolutely loathed Adam at the start and could quite happily have got in the car, driven to France and punched him. He evoked such strong feelings of hatred and indignation. However, Catherine Isaac ensures the reader has to adapt and adjust their feelings and I won’t say more than that! I really don’t like children and usually find their representation in books twee or unnatural but William was a triumph. Not only did I feel I could tolerate him – I actually wanted to meet him! But it is Jess who holds my heart. She is so vividly human that it is hard to accept she’s a character in a book and not a real person. Having finished the book, thinking about her can still reduce me to tears – and indeed I sobbed on the train reading You, Me, Everything.

I didn’t read You, Me, Everything. I lived it. I loved it. I will never, ever forget it. I want to shout it from the rooftops that EVERYONE should read You, Me, Everything. It is, for me, quite perfect.

About Catherine Isaac

Catherine Isaac was born in Liverpool, England. She studied History at the University of Liverpool, then Journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University, before beginning her career as trainee reporter at the Liverpool Echo.

She rose to the position of Editor of the Liverpool Daily Post and wrote her first book, Bridesmaids, while on maternity leave, under the pseudonym Jane Costello. Her nine subsequent novels were all Sunday Times best-sellers in the UK.

You Me Everything is her first book writing as Catherine Isaac.

She lives in Liverpool with her husband Mark and three sons. In her spare time she likes to run, walk up mountains in the Lake District and win at pub quizzes, though the latter rarely happens.

You can visit Catherine’s website for more information and follow her on Twitter @CatherineIsaac_. You’ll also find Catherine on Facebook.