It’s always an honour to start off a blog tour, especially when it’s for a book sitting on my TBR pile awaiting reading. Today I’m delighted to welcome Ruth Kirby-Smith to stay in with me to tell me all about her debut novel. My enormous thanks to Grace Pilkington for inviting me to participate.

Staying in with Ruth Kirby-Smith

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Ruth and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I have brought The Settlement which is my first novel published in February 2021.  The book crosses several genres as it has romance, history, murder and mystery but it is mainly classified as a historical novel.  1921 is the 100^th anniversary of the division of Ireland and The Settlement is set in a village on the border between N Ireland and Eire in the 1910s.  The central character is a woman who is free thinking and independent and it follows the dramatic events of her life in those turbulent times.

What can we expect from an evening in with The Settlement? 

I have been a total bookworm all my life and what I want from a book is interesting characters, a gripping story and to learn about a time or place which I knew nothing about.

I think all readers would agree Ruth.

That is what I have tried to do in The Settlement. I started writing it when my father died and somehow I managed to run a business, a home and write the book.  I am not quite sure how I managed it, but I was enthralled by his family background and the historical events in the Ireland of his parents. I lost the book when my computer broke but then found the manuscript in 2017 when clearing my office.  I knew then that I had to finish the book and publish it.  Readers can expect a real page turner from the start, and they will learn some interesting social and political history.  The main character is very flawed but in the end her loyalty to her husband and stepson redeems her.

What a fabulous way to commemorate your father Ruth. I’m sure he would have been really proud that you’ve got The Settlement to publication in spite of all the obstacles.

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

I would bring a bottle of Ribera del Duero, a photograph of my dad and his brother Tom as boys and I would listen to some music by Dire Straits.

Hmm. I’m more of a Roxy Music person myself but as it’s your evening I’ll put up with Dire Straights as it seems an apt group given the troubles you endured writing The Settlement!

What I would really love is to have my grandfather there to tell me what happened between him and my grandmother and why they lived within 3 miles of each other for more than two decades but never met or spoke.

Now that is intriguing. Families eh? Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about The Settlement Ruth. I’m so pleased I have a copy waiting to be read as I think it sounds just my kind of book.

You pour a glass of wine and turn up the music and I’ll give blog readers a few more details about The Settlement:

The Settlement

Olivia returns home for her grandmother Sarah’s funeral in 1984. Sarah was a loving matriarch in the village of Lindara. So why would someone spit at her coffin?

In 1910 Sarah marries Theo, a widower deeply involved in the anti-home rule movement. She promises to keep her personal views private.

One night in 1914 Sarah and her stepson Samuel are unintentionally drawn into gunrunning, which compromises her principles.

Published by 2QT, The Settlement is available for purchase here.

About Ruth Kirby-Smith

Ruth Kirby-Smith grew up in Northern Ireland and studied politics at Queen’s University, Belfast during the civil rights era. Ruth is a successful businesswoman who has worked in City planning in London and planning research at Cambridge University, and founded a renowned baby products company. In retirement, she decided to look into her family history. The Settlement is her first book.

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I’m delighted to be part of the Jennifer Saint Ariadne blog tour today and would like to thank Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate. My enormous thanks too, to Caitlin Raynor for sending me a surprise copy of Ariadne in return for an honest review. Having read the prologue that I’m excited to be sharing with you today I cannot wait to get to Ariadne.

Published by Headline imprint Wildfire on 29th April 2021, Ariadne is available for purchase through the links here.

Ariadne

‘My story would not be one of death and suffering and sacrifice, I would take my place in the songs that would be sung about Theseus; the princess who saved him and ended the monstrosity that blighted Crete’

As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything.

In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition?

Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.

A truly spellbinding, epic story taking readers on an unforgettable journey. Perfect for fans of Circe, A Thousand Ships and The Silence of the Girls.

An Extract from Ariadne

PROLOGUE

Let me tell you the story of a righteous man.

The righteous man of the story is King Minos of Crete, who set out to wage a great war on Athens. His war was one of retribution upon them for the death of his son, Androgeos. This mighty athlete had reigned victorious in the city’s Panathenaic Games, only to be torn to pieces by a rampaging bull on a lonely Athenian hillside. Minos held Athens responsible for the loss of his triumphing son and thirsted for bloodsoaked punishment for their failure to protect the boy from the savage beast.

On his way to inflict his wrath upon the Athenians, Minos stopped to destroy the kingdom of Megara in a show of strength. The King of Megara, Nisus, was widely famed for his invincibility but his legend was no match for the mighty Minos, who cut away the crimson lock of hair upon which Nisus’ power depended. Divested of that blood-red curl, the hapless man was slain by the conquering Minos.

How had he known to shear away Nisus’ hair? Minos would cheerfully recount to me how the King’s daughter, the beautiful princess Scylla, had fallen wildly and helplessly in love with him. As she murmured her sweet promises into his receptive ear, telling of how she would gladly give up her home and family in exchange for his love, she let slip the key to her father’s ruin.

Of course, Minos was rightly disgusted by her lack of proper daughterly devotion and, once the kingdom had fallen with the bloody descent of his axe, he tied the lovestruck girl to the back of his boat and piously dragged her to her watery grave as she screamed and bewailed her tender trust in love.

She had betrayed her father and her kingdom, he told me, still glowing with the flush of victory on his return from the defeat of Athens. And what possible use could my father, King Minos of Crete, ever have for a treacherous daughter?

***

And of course, we really need to know the answer to that question don’t we?

About Jennifer Saint

Due to a lifelong fascination with Ancient Greek mythology, Jennifer Saint read Classical Studies at King’s College, London. She
spent the next thirteen years as an English teacher, sharing a love of literature and creative writing with her students. Ariadne is
her first novel and she is working on another retelling of ancient myth for her second.

For further information, follow Jennifer on Twitter @jennysaint or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

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I’ve featured quite a lot of poetry here on Linda’s Book Bag and was delighted when Isabelle Kenyon asked me if I’d like to participate in the blog tour for Victoria Bennett’s To Start the Year From Its Quiet Centre. I’m very pleased to share my review today.

To Start the Year From Its Quiet Centre is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from publisher Indigo Dreams here.

To Start the Year From Its Quiet Centre

These poems are an intimate meditation on love and loss, told by a daughter as she cares for her mother through terminal mesothelioma. The poet invites the reader to be witness to the private moments of dying, from the physical reality of caregiving through to the alchemy of death, telling the story of a relationship between women that is transformed through grief.

Honest, unsentimental, and quietly uplifting.

My Review of To Start the Year From Its Quiet Centre

A pamphlet of poems concerning loss.

Beautifully written, To Start The Year From Its Quiet Centre celebrates Maureen Marie Bennett through her daughter’s evocative, sensitive and ultimately positive, records of the end of her life in a way I found deeply affecting.

The imagery of nature threads through the writing giving hope even when Victoria Bennett feels the pointlessness of planting bulbs her mother will never see flower. I loved the explanation of the tides in St Bees, November for example, as it gave me affirmation that life does continue after those we love have died.

I thought the fractured lines of Words For Dying To conveyed perfectly the confusion and fragmented mind of the dying; not only Victoria Bennett’s mother, but all those who find the end of their lives intangible and hard to control. This element gives a universal quality to To Start The Year From Its Quiet Centre, making the poetry relatable for any reader.

I confess I was quite undone by The Last Vigil, having spent the last hours of my father’s life sitting with him with a similar experience to the 0.30am entry. Indeed, reading To Start The Year From Its Quiet Centre was a very resonant and personal experience for me so that How To Watch Someone Die felt as if it had been written for me alone. It is this level of intimacy that makes Victoria Bennett’s collection so affecting.

The references to two other poets in To Start The Year From Its Quiet Centre also add an extra dimension. I was aware of Thich Nhat Hahn after having visited Hue in Vietnam, but was ignorant of  Neruda’s work so Victoria Bennett had me scurrying off to research and find out more. It’s a real joy to be educated through reading, so that To Start The Year From Its Quiet Centre offers so much to Victoria Bennett’s audience as a catalyst in their own lives.

To Start The Year From Its Quiet Centre may be a slim pamphlet of some 20 relatively short poems, but through them Victoria Bennett moves and mesmerises her reader, causing them to nod in agreement and recognition and to feel as if they have been healed by her writing because she shows their grief and experience is not unusual and that they are not alone. I adored this collection and feel privileged to have read it.

About Victoria Bennett

Victoria Bennett founded Wild Women Press in 1999 and has spent the last 21 years facilitating creative experiences and curating platforms for women to share ideas, stories, inspirations and actions for positive change, including the global #WildWomanWeb movement and #WildWomanGamer.  She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University (2002). Previous awards include the Northern Debut Award for non-fiction (2020), the Mother’s Milk Writing Prize (2017), The Writing Platform Digital Literature Bursary (2015), Northern Promise Award for Poetry  (2002), and the Waterhouse Award for Poetry (2002).

Her work-in-progress memoir, All My Wild Mothers, was long-listed for the Nan Shepherd Nature Writing Prize 2019 and the Penguin #WriteNow2020 programme.

Victoria is currently undertaking her MRes in Creative Practice at the University of Highlands and Islands (Shetland), exploring narratives of absence within landscapes of personal and ecological loss. She is a director of The Wizard and The Wyld Ltd, creating immersive playable poetry within video-game platforms. A frequent digital collaborator, she interested in how poetry and new technologies can be used to create meaningful and authentic narratives.

For further information about Victoria, visit her website or follow her on Twitter @VikBeeWyld. You’ll also find Victoria on Instagram.

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I’m always so impressed by the quality of books published by Orenda and it’s far too long since I have featured one here on Linda’s Book Bag. Consequently, I am delighted to share my review of the thriller The Source by Sarah Sultoon today to help close the Random Things Tours blog tour. My thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to participate.

Released by Orenda Books on 15th April 2021, The Source is available in all the usual places including directly from the publisher.

The Source

One last chance to reveal the truth…

1996. Essex. Thirteen-year-old schoolgirl Carly lives in a disenfranchised town dominated by a military base, struggling to care for her baby sister while her mum sleeps off another binge. When her squaddie brother brings food and treats, and offers an exclusive invitation to army parties, things start to look a little less bleak…

2006. London. Junior TV newsroom journalist Marie has spent six months exposing a gang of sex traffickers, but everything is derailed when New Scotland Yard announces the re-opening of Operation Andromeda, the notorious investigation into allegations of sex abuse at an army base a decade earlier…

As the lives of these two characters intertwine around a single, defining event, a series of utterly chilling experiences is revealed, sparking a nail-biting race to find the truth … and justice.

A riveting, searing and devastatingly dark thriller, The Source is also a story about survival, about hopes and dreams, about power, abuse and resilience … an immense, tense and thought-provoking debut that you will never, ever forget.

My Review of The Source

Marie is chasing a newsworthy story.

My word I enjoyed The Source. It’s cleverly crafted and plotted so that the reader is ensnared from the very beginning. The different timelines and the characters of Carly and Marie are brought together in a manner that urges the reader on, so that it is impossible not to devour this narrative as quickly as possible. Sarah Sultoon has a deft ability to give just enough detail in her descriptions to make her story vivid without slowing the pace for a second. I thought her writing style was excellent.

The Source deals with unpalatable themes of abuse and sex trafficking, but the quality of Sarah Sultoon’s writing means that readers are not repulsed, but rather feel compelled to know more, making them fascinated by how the narrative unfolds and, even more importantly, giving them an understanding of institutionalised corruption and crime they may not otherwise have considered. Not only is The Source a powerful read, it’s an important one too, giving food for thought long after the story is over. Add in other concepts such as identity, family, responsibility and trust, and Sarah Sultoon’s debut is a multi-layered, engaging and educative read.

There’s a gritty realism underpinning the narrative that is so authentic that I found myself Googling details to see if indeed they were factual. I found The Source scarily believable, frequently uncomfortable and always compelling. The perspective of a news corporation with investigative journalism, rather than a police procedural narrative, felt fresh and realistic.

I loved the title. Not only does it refer to insider information and reporting, about which I can’t say too much without spoiling the plot, but it has resonance with why characters behave as they do. Underpinning an exciting thriller here is an exploration of human behaviour that I found intelligently insightful. Marie in particular gained my empathy and understanding and as the novel reached its denouement I found my pulse racing with Marie’s actions.

In The Source, Sarah Sultoon writes with such power and authority that I found the themes only too vivid and it is a shocking and uncomfortable read at times. However, I am so glad I read this book. It’s well written, utterly compelling and a fabulous insight into the possibilities and realities that may be just under our noses if only we knew where to look. I thought The Source was a crackingly good read and I really recommend it.

About Sarah Sultoon

Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer, whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. As passionate about fiction as nonfiction, she recently completed a Masters of Studies in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, adding to an undergraduate language degree in French and Spanish, and Masters of Philosophy in History, Film and Television. When not reading or writing she can usually be found somewhere outside, either running, swimming or throwing a ball for her three children and dog while she imagines what might happen if…..

You can follow Sarah on Twitter @SultoonSarah.

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My grateful thanks to Milly Reid for inviting me to participate in the publication day blog blast for Love in Five Acts by Daniela Krien, translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch and for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Love in Five Acts is published by Quercus imprint MacLehose today, 29th April 2021, and is available for purchase through the links here.

Love in Five Acts

Bookseller Paula has lost a child, and a husband. Where will she find her happiness? Fiercely independent Judith thinks more of horses than men, but that doesn’t stop her looking for love online. Brida is a writer with no time to write, until she faces a choice between her work and her family. Abandoned by the “perfect” man, Malika struggles for recognition from her parents. Her sister Jorinde, an actor, is pregnant for a third time, but how can she provide for her family alone?

Love in Five Acts explores what is left to five women when they have fulfilled their roles as wives, mothers, friends, lovers, sisters and daughters. As teenagers they experienced the fall of the Berlin Wall, but freedom brings with it another form of pressure: the pressure of choice.

Punchy and entirely of the moment, Love in Five Acts engages head-on with what it is to be a woman in the twenty-first century.

My Review of Love in Five Acts

Five linked but separate short stories.

Although Love in Five Acts is a slim volume of just five stories it took me a long time to read. This is not a criticism, but rather a tribute to the intensity and depth presented that required my full attention and engagement. Love in Five Acts is a beautifully written, occasionally stark, and always sensitively translated, collection exploring what it means to be a woman in the modern world. Indeed, Jamie Bulloch’s nuanced translation is a real strength of the book. I loved the fact that there are no direct speech marks because this technique gave the sensation of being inside a character’s head and made the reading experience more visceral.

I found each woman fascinating almost in spite of myself as I didn’t much like any of them. Even Paula’s terrible grief didn’t make me feel pity, but rather felt like I was observing one step removed so that I was actually quite unnerved by my responses. I thought this was incredibly clever writing. As each woman searches for her version of idealised love – be it with her siblings, partners, parents, children or lovers – and some doing so more successfully than others – there is a razor sharp and often unforgiving illustration of modern femininity. I found Love in Five Acts made me question whether any woman can be truly fulfilled and happy, which was an uncomfortable sensation.

I must mention the fabulous cover to Love in Five Acts too, because it conveys many of the themes of the stories so wonderfully. Each of the women is on the precipice and for many a leap of faith is essential to their future. That precipice may be one of relationship, grief, identity, life and death, but each one is equally as important and carefully balanced through the stories.

If I’m honest, I’m not sure quite what I thought of Love in Five Acts. Beautifully written it felt more brutal than I was anticipating, more raw and unforgiving, and yet it was completely real and dynamic too. I think you should read it for yourself and see if you can articulate the book’s impact better than I have done. There’s one thing about Love in Five Acts – it’ll make you think!

About Daniela Krien

Daniela Krien was born in 1975 in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, then in the G.D.R. Her first novel, Someday We’ll Tell Each Other Everything, was published in English in 2013 (MacLehose Press) and in fourteen other languages. For a subsequent volume of short stories, Muldental, she was awarded the Nicolaus Born Prize. Love in Five Acts has been sold for translation into twenty languages. She lives in Leipzig with her two daughters.

About Jamie Bulloch

Jamie Bulloch is a German-English translator of authors such as Robert Menasse, Timur Vermes or Birgit Vanderbeke, and a winner of the Schlegel-Tieck Prize for German Translation. He lives in London with his wife and three daughters.

You can follow Jamie on Twitter @jamiebulloch.

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I review quite a lot of children’s books here on Linda’s Book Bag, partly because I used to teach English, partly because I used to write teacher resources for one of the big publishing houses for their KS3 books and partly because I was a late reader as a child as no-one had worked out I couldn’t actually see properly so it’s lovely to experience children’s books now!

Those reasons are why it gives me enormous pleasure to feature EK Books. They have excellent books for children and loads of great teacher’s notes and ideas on their website to go with them, as well as vidoes and other resources. Today I am reviewing three books recently published; Courageous Lucy, Tomorrow Girl and Turning Cartwheels. My thanks to Kirsten Knight for sending them to me for honest review.

Each of the books is brilliantly designed and produced in large size so that they can be used for shared or guided reading. Covers are strong and vibrant with a glossy finish that adds a luxurious feeling too.

Courageous Lucy

Lucy worries about everything and she worries a lot. She’s so skilled at worrying that she worries about new and interesting things no one else even thinks about!

When a school musical is announced, Lucy wants to be part of it but is scared try out. Then, her teacher finds a part especially for her. Lucy stands proud and tall to be the best tree she can, even as her knees knock and her tummy ties in knots. Lucy’s bravery will show children everywhere that it’s okay to be worried, and they can still embrace opportunities!

Courageous Lucy is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from EK Books.

My Review of Courageous Lucy

Lucy worries about everything.

What an absolutely brilliant story. Lucy is a real worrier and has a very vivid imagination so that similar children will be able to identify with her completely, realising that the thoughts they hold in their heads are not so unusual. Familiar activities like the journey to school, going swimming and school performances that can generate real issues for children are explored with sensitivity.

What works so well is that Lucy is given the opportunity by her teacher Mrs Hunt to achieve through the smaller goal of a non-speaking part in the school performance so that I think there are messages adults can learn here too! Additional learning can also come through the brilliant things Lucy knows as children can research them and feel validation for their own knowledge.

The overall message that it is natural to worry but that sometimes being a little bit courageous can bring huge rewards is perfect for KS1 and 2 children.

As well as the excellent quality cover, the illustrations are brilliant too with a wonderful balance of text to image so that Courageous Lucy would be accessible and entertaining for more independent readers too.

Courageous Lucy is excellent.

Tomorrow Girl

Catch up with a girl called Tomorrow —you better be quick because she’s always in a hurry! ‘You’ll catch up with the next day if you keep rushing,’ says Tomorrow’s mother. But when Tomorrow meets worrywart Yesterday and trips over thoughtful Today, her whole world begins to slow down.

Tomorrow Girl is a quirky tale delivering a timely reminder about the importance of mindfulness and what can happen when we allow ourselves time to be in the moment amidst a modern-day rush. It’s brimming with wonderful teachable moments for children to reflect on how they can be more mindful in their everyday lives and discover new friendships just by being in the moment.

My Review of Tomorrow Girl

Tomorrow is always in a hurry and never stops to look properly.

Once again, I am impressed by EK Books. Tomorrow Girl is so beautifully produced with excellent balance of white space, gorgeous images and text that affords the opportunity for home, classroom or independent reading. There’s lovely humour that Tomorrow is always rushing headlong to tomorrow too.

However, the important message in Tomorrow Girl is that we need to have balance in our lives. We don’t want to be constrained like Yesterday, a character in the story, but we do need to take time to observe, to enjoy and to be mindful about our lives and surroundings. I can see Tomorrow Girl being helpful for children with ADHD particularly and for all children in general.

Tomorrow Girl is an important message, sensitively told.

Tomorrow Girl is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from EK Books.

Turning Cartwheels

Emma is desperate to join queen bee Carly’s Cartwheel Club. Week after week Emma lines up for a try-out, only to be told that she hasn’t made the cut. When Emma is finally accepted, she finds that Carly’s rules and requirements take all the joy out of cartwheeling, and being part of the gang isn’t as awesome as she expected.

Turning Cartwheels cleverly explores the subtle, underhanded social bullying conducted by so-called ‘frenemies’ that is so often experienced by primary school-aged girls.

Turning Cartwheels is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from EK Books.

My Review of Turning Cartwheels

Whilst Turning Cartwheels has all the high quality elements of the cover I have come to expect from EK Books, I must mention the gloriously colourful end papers in this book. They look like a child has coloured them in and are extremely eye catching and vibrant.

Turning Cartwheels is an excellent story for exploring the desire to belong and the subtle bulling and exclusion children can feel. I can envisage it being used to discuss how children treat one another in the playground. I think every school has a Carly who likes to be the centre of attention, changing the rules of her gang to exclude and belittle others so that using Turning Cartwheels would allow teachers, parents and children to discuss the impact this type of bullying has without threat to an individual child.

The message that Emma learns, that she doesn’t need to fit in with a particular gang, or have a particular skill to have friends and happiness is vital. Again with EK Books, it is the attention to detail I find so good. Although all the girls are wearing uniform, in Emma’s playground are children who are of different ethnicities, wearing glasses and in a wheelchair so that there is a sense of inclusion at all levels.

*

I really recommend EK Books for children. Stories are varied, the balance of text to white space and image means that they are accessible to young readers and themes lend themselves well to teacher and class or parent and child discussion. Why not take a look at the EK Books website?

I’m so looking forward to a bit more freedom this year and heading off in our new motorhome. With that in mind, I simply had to invite Sarah Mallory here onto Linda’s Book Bag. You see, I quite fancy a trip to Scotland and I have a feeling that Sarah’s new book Rescued by Her Highland Soldier would be the perfect accompaniment to any trip. I have been hearing magnificent things about it.

I’m thrilled to host a guest post from Sarah and an extract from Rescued by Her Highland Soldier today. Last time Sarah was here, we stayed in together to chat all about the first book in her Lairds of ArdVarrick series, Forbidden to the Highland Laird, in a post you can see here.

Rescued by Her Highland Soldier is published by Harper Collins imprint Mills and Boon and is available for purchase through the links here.

Rescued by Her Highland Soldier

Her rugged Highlander

Is the gallant son of a laird!

Travelling alone through the treacherous Scottish Highlands, Madeleine d’Evremont is saved by rough-looking soldier, Grant Rathmore. Attraction flares between them as he escorts Madeline on her perilous escape to France, until she discovers he’s the heir of a respected Laird! Madeline knows she must let him go – surely the daughter of a humble adventurer could never be a suitable match for him now?

Scottish Highland Inspiration

A Guest Post by Sarah Mallory

The Scottish Highlands. What springs to mind for you: castles, men in kilts, grand scenery?

It has it all, and I am lucky enough to live in the Highlands now. There are disadvantages, of course: if you like shopping, the nearest large town is more than 50 miles away, but on the plus side, this is the view on my journey home from the supermarket:

The Highland landscape has always fascinated me. It looks wild. It feels wild. Whenever I am driving through it I think of outlaws charging down from the hills (the reality is somewhat different, you have to look out for deer charging across the road! You can drive for miles without seeing another car, let alone anyone on foot).

It inspires me with so many stories, tales full of romance and adventure and Rescued by Her Highland Soldier is the second of my Lairds of Ardvarrick series. It is set in the aftermath of Culloden, with the Duke of Cumberland’s victorious troops sweeping through the glens, looking for Jacobite rebels. Grant and Maddie have to make their way from the heart of the Highlands to the coast. That is quite a road trip! The Scottish Highlands is a vast wilderness and any journey would be fraught with danger. In the following extract the fleeting couple have reached a safe house, but before they travel on, Madeleine needs to assume a disguise….

****

Less than an hour later Madeleine returned to the morning room, transformed. An overlarge shirt was concealed beneath a plain linen cravat and a blue serge waistcoat, with a matching blue frock coat over all. She wore her silk breeches beneath the rough leather ones that had belonged to some long-gone stable boy and her black leather riding boots were considered masculine enough when worn with the pair of leather spatterdashes Tomson had looked out for her. The ensemble was completed by a cocked hat which she set upon her head at a jaunty angle, having brushed her hair back into a queue and secured it with a length of ribbon.

Not having a greatcoat in her size, Maddie had to make do with a cloak to protect her from the elements and she had wrapped it around herself when she left her bedchamber, lest her appearance give rise to comment among the servants. However, Lady Lochall had thought ahead and sent everyone out of the way and it was not until she entered the morning room that she had any reaction to her altered appearance.

Taking a deep breath, she put up her head and swaggered in, saying as she did so, ‘Well, will I do?’

There was a moment’s silence, then Grant slapped his thigh and gave a shout of laughter.

‘Bless me, but you make a fine lad!’

A mischievous smile bubbled up. She swept off her hat and make him a low bow.

‘Why, thank you sir.’

‘You need names,’ declared Lady Lochall, entering into the spirit. ‘Let me see, what shall it be: Douglas, Iain, Robert?’

‘What about James?’ suggested Maddie. ‘That has a good ring to it.’

‘No!’ Grant’s sharp rejection drew all eyes and he felt obliged to explain. ‘I lost a friend of that name at Culloden.’

He still felt the guilt of it, having survived while so many of his comrades perished on Drumossie Moor.

‘Oh. I beg your pardon.’ Maddie was immediately contrite. ‘What say you, then, what name would you suggest for me?’

He looked at her, considering the matter.

‘Duncan,’ he said at last. ‘And I shall be Ross. Duncan and Ross…Malcolm. What think you?’

‘I think it will do very well.’

‘We are agreed, then. Now, we should be on our way.’

‘You will need money,’ said His Lordship. ‘Allow me to fund you.’

Madeleine shook her head. ‘Thank you, my lord, but that is unnecessary. I still have the funds I brought with me from Inverness. Sufficient for the both of us.’ She sent a challenging look towards Grant. ‘You will, of course, be reimbursed for escorting me.’

‘Let us get to France first, then we will argue about payment.’

He turned away abruptly, not wishing her to see how concerned he was about this journey. They had more than a hundred and fifty miles to cover just to reach the rendezvous. Their chances of making it safely to France were low.

****

That all sounds wonderful Sarah. And whilst Madeleine attempts to reach France, I’ll be packing up the motorhome and heading to Scotland because your post has inspired me to go as soon as I can. You never know, I might even get round to reading your Lairds of Ardvarrick series whilst I’m there!

About Sarah Mallory

Sarah Mallory is an award-winning author who has published more than 25 historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon. She loves history, especially the Georgian and Regency period. She has recently moved to the romantic Scottish Highlands, where she walks long walks to plot out her latest adventure!

Sarah is also the award-winning author Melinda Hammond.

You can follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMRomance. You can also visit her excellent website and find her on Facebook.

My goodness, the world is a different place since I reviewed Carol Drinkwater’s The House on the Edge of the Cliff here on Linda’s Book Bag. Then I was about to interview Carol at The Deepings Literary Festival and was beside myself with excitement.

Previously I have reviewed Carol’s The Forgotten Summer here. I also loved her story The Lost Girl which I not only reviewed here, but about which I was delighted to interview Carol on Linda’s Book Bag here.

Today I’m thrilled to share my review of Carol’s latest book, An Act of Love and would like to thank Carol for ensuring I received a copy and Olivia Thomas at Penguin for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Published by Penguin on 29th April 2021, An Act of Love is available for pre-order or purchase through the links here.

An Act of Love

It was an idyllic summer. Until they had to escape.

France, 1943.

Forced to flee war ravaged Poland, Sara and her parents are offered refuge in a beautiful but dilapidated house in the French Alps. It seems the perfect hideaway, despite haunting traces of the previous occupants who left in haste.

But shadows soon fall over Sara’s blissful summer, and her blossoming romance with local villager Alain. As the Nazis close in, the family is forced to make a harrowing choice that could drive them apart forever, while Sara’s own bid for freedom risks several lives.

Will Sara be reunited with those she loves?

And can she ever find her way back to Alain?

By turns poignant and atmospheric, this is the compelling new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Carol Drinkwater about the power of first love and courage in our darkest hours.

My Review of An Act of Love

Sara’s Polish Jewish family is on the run.

I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by Carol Drinkwater, but An Act of Love surpasses them all. It’s a beautiful read, perfectly crafted, romantic and exciting so that it holds the reader entranced.

In An Act of Love Carol Drinkwater creates such vivid imagery that I was totally transported to her settings. Rich and varied language caused me to inhabit Sara’s mind rather than merely read about her so that I travelled with her and experienced every nuance of the senses with her. There’s an almost filmic quality to the prose that is sumptuous. I thought this was just fantastic.

A glorious plot blends fact and fiction to perfection with an authenticity I found spell binding. Frequent hooks at the end of chapters draw the reader into the narrative so that it is impossible not to want to read on. An Act of Love is an exciting read too with considerable peril and pulse elevating action, particularly in the second half of the novel. The burgeoning and frustrated love Sara feels for Alain is so sensitively wrought that its intensity gives a feeling of yearning, a kind of tristesse that is highly emotional, so the atmosphere that really penetrates the reader’s mind. I thought the balance of action, emotion and characterisation was simply wonderful.

I loved meeting Sara. From the very first page to the last, I was on her side, desperate for her to be happy; not just to survive, but to thrive. Her bravery, her stoicism, her foolishness, her gaucheness and her determination make her a truly identifiable heroine. As Carol Drinkwater blends her protagonist’s character with themes of identity and belonging, with complete understanding of what it means to be displaced, to be an outsider, An Act of Love becomes so much more than a sweeping, carefully researched, saga of the Second World War, but rather is a rich tapestry of life relevant to all eras and to any person. I found this an emotional and compelling facet of the book.

Immersive, engaging and achingly beautifully written, An Act of Love is a book for the reader to lose themselves in, to travel through time and location until the current world seems to have melted away and they are living another life. I absolutely loved it and think it is Carol Drinkwater’s best book to date.

About Carol Drinkwater

Carol Drinkwater is a multi-award-winning actress who is best known for her portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small. She is also the author of over twenty books, both fiction and non-fiction. Her quartet of memoirs set on her olive farm in the south of France have sold over a million copies worldwide and her solo journey round the Mediterranean in search of the Olive tree’s mythical secrets inspired a five-part documentary film series, The Olive Route.

You can follow Carol on Twitter @Carol4OliveFarm and visit her website.

This is my 2,465th blog post and do you know, I’ve never featured a play before! Consequently I’m really thrilled to be staying in with Emma Zadow today to chat all about her latest playscript, Fridge. My grateful thanks to Will Dady at Renard Press for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. I’m thrilled to be starting it off.

Staying in with Emma Zadow

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Emma and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Tell me, as if I didn’t know, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought Fridge. It’s a drama about two sisters that return to their family home after the youngest attempts suicide.

That’s quite an introduction to Fridge! What can we expect from an evening in with this drama?

The eldest, Alice, lives and works in London, whilst her younger sister, Lo, now a teenager, has been left alone again when their Mum goes to Ibiza with the latest boyfriend. A local farmer, Charlie, is roped in to help Lo, and he bumps into Alice when she comes home, dredging up old feelings between the three of them, spinning their worlds out of control.

That sounds like a really fresh take on the eternal triangle. But why is is called Fridge?

I wove into the narrative the idea of having a fridge in their kitchen as a form of escape for Lo, rather than her dealing with her issues. The story is set on the North Norfolk Coast and I wanted to include local folklore into the book; the sisters share stories of the sea – mermaids, especially, and how this imagery can take on the characters’ difficulties. I love magic realism in literature and stage work, so this was important to me – it captures how important imagination can be in order to face our fragilities. I haven’t read or seen many pieces of work that explore mental health in a more creative way than an asylum or institution, and I wanted to do that for young people in isolated communities in rural areas.

That sounds brilliant. And I think you’re right, We think of mental health as a city based, often institutionalised concept but people in remote rural areas have their problems too.

It’s a reckoning, really, of the relationships between the three – between who they used to be to each other and who they are as adults now. That journey is complex, and sometimes we have to leave behind friends, family and others to become who we think we should be.

The rest is memory… or, that is, until you go back home for Christmas or Corona.

I’m utterly intrigued by the concept of Fridge. How is it being received?

Here’s a review from Silent Faces Theatre:

‘What a beautiful, eerie, nostalgic piece… was captivated by the authenticity of the setting and the sense of nostalgia. The way in which you deal with the subject of mental health is also incredibly intriguing. It makes sense to me that that experience is expressed in an almost otherworldly way, so the audience is left guessing what is real and what isn’t.’

Fridge sounds fabulous Emma.

As well as your writing, what else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

Music is a big deal to me. I’m one of those picky writers that needs a bit of music in the background all the time. The album Another Life by Hadda Be has been the perfect mix of part Pixies, part Primitives, part Banshees… and I’m in love. Some other new music I’m slightly obsessed with (and spent the summer listening to it while I was editing my book) is Amy Studt’s latest album, Happiest Girl in the Universe – vulnerable, fragile, nostalgic and a mood. It really sets the scene for me.

I confess I didn’t know these artists but I’m so pleased you’ve introduced me to them.

I listen a lot to podcasts, too – a lot! I’ve devoured Literary Friction with Carrie Plitt and Octavia Bright – and I picked out my fave books this year based on their recommendations! Daisy Johnson’s mysterious and soulful Sisters and P.L. Blackmore’s The Manningtree Witches, based around Mathew Hopkins and the witch trials in East Anglia. Haunting!

Any guest who brings books is always welcome Emma – you can come back again!

And I’m bringing my sister too, of course. I haven’t seen her in over a year.

She’s most welcome. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Fridge Emma. It really does sound superb. Whilst the two of you have a catch up chat I’ll just give blog readers a few more details about Fridge:

Fridge

Alice hasn’t been home for a while – for seven years, in fact. But when her little sister Lo tries to take her own life, she has to return to the life she left behind. The change of scenery from London to Norfolk proves quite the culture shock, however, and Alice has to confront what she left behind all those years ago.

The sisters’ relationship hasn’t evolved in Alice’s absence, and when she steps through the door she’s plunged back into the same world she escaped from. Set against Norfolk’s bleak landscapes, but masquerading as childhood nostalgia, Fridge is an all-too-familiar exploration of the broken promises of youth, and a bitter exposition of a generation left behind.

Fridge is published by Renard Press and is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from the publisher here.

You can read a short extract from Fridge here.

About Emma Zadow

Emma Zadow is an actor, playwright and screenwriter from Norfolk. She trained at Rose Bruford College as an actor, and her plays have been performed at the Arcola, the Old Red Lion Theatre, Camden Fringe Festival, Norwich Arts Centre and Pleasance Theatre. Emma is an alumni playwright from the Soho Theatre Writers Lab, and she was shortlisted for the ETPEP Award and Tony Craze Award. A BBC New Creative, her screenplays include the hit short film The Cromer Special and Jigging. Fridge is her first book.

For more information about Emma, follow her on Twitter @emmazadow and Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s Prisoner publication day for local to me author, Ross Greenwood, and I’m delighted to bring you details of Ross’s latest book and news of how UK readers can get their hands on a signed copy in a smashing giveaway from the author.

Ross is here on Linda’s Book Bag almost as often as I am as you’ll see:

You’ll find an extract from Ross’s The Snow Killer here.

A guest post all about seizing the day when his book Shadows of Regret was published in a post you can see here.

An introduction to Ross’s protagonist for Abel’s Revenge here.

My Lazy Blood interview with Ross here.

A guest post and my review of The Boy Inside here.

My review of Ross’s Fifty Years of Fear here.

But before I share today’s giveaway details, let me tell you about Prisoner.

Published today, 22nd April 2021, by Bloodhound Books, Prisoner is available for purchase here.

Prisoner

A shocking thriller inspired by the true stories of a male prison officer in a women’s prison.

Behind bars, the rules are different…

Prison Officer Jim Dalton is used to walking the landings on the male side of HMP Peterborough. It’s a dangerous place, fuelled by testosterone-driven violence, but he’s done the job for a long time. He understands the unwritten rules, and he has the prisoners’ respect.

When a relative is sent to the jail, Dalton is transferred to the female side of the prison. His next shift is so easy, he can’t believe that the officers over there get paid the same wages. He sleeps well for the first time in years.

But when he is assigned to the young offenders’ wing, dealing with female prisoners no longer seems so simple. As every day passes, and he gets to know the women better, he is slowly drawn in to new temptations, new traps and a new nightmare. One which could destroy everything.

Taking a break from his bestselling DI Barton series, Ross Greenwood returns with this shocking, page-turning and utterly compelling glimpse behind the bars of a women’s prison. From a man who walked the landings himself…

*

Now doesn’t that sound exciting?

Giveaway – A Signed Paperback Copy of Prisoner

If you live in the UK and would like the chance to win a fabulous signed paperback copy of Prisoner click here. Please note that your details will not be retained but the winner will need a UK address to receive this prize directly from Ross. Giveaway ends at UK midnight on Sunday 25th April.

About Ross Greenwood

Ross Greenwood was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until he was 20, attending The King’s School in the city. He then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

Ross found himself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually, so he says “when things had gone wrong.” It was on one of these occasions that he met his partner about 100 metres from his back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. And, according to Ross, he is “still a little stunned by the pace of it now.”

Lazy Blood book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then four years as a prison officer got in the way. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave the author the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep he completed it in the early morning hours.

Ross Greenwood’s second book, The Boy Inside, was picked up by Bloodhound Books, and in September 2017, Fifty Years of Fear was published. The year 2018 saw the publication of his next psychological thriller, Abel’s Revenge. All his books are thought provoking, and told with a sense of humour.

Ross Greenwood hopes you enjoy reading them.

You can also follow Ross on Twitter @greenwoodross and find him on Facebook.