Earlier this year I was delighted to review Into The Tangled Bank by Lev Parikian in a post you can read here. Given how entertaining a read that was, I simply had to invite Lev onto Linda’s Book Bag to tell me all about his latest book and I’m thrilled that he agreed to stay in with me today.

Staying in with Lev Parikian

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Lev. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. I’m very excited that you’re here. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought Music To Eat Cake By, a collection of forty essays on subjects given to me by readers. Without wishing to blow my own trumpet, I think it’s a completely original idea, taking my publisher Unbound’s crowdfunding model to its logical conclusion – as well as going to the people for support to get the book published, I went to them for ideas for the book. And I’ve chosen it because… well, it’s published on 12^th November for one thing, but also I reckon it’s a light-hearted bit of relief from, you know, All The Everything.

Oo. Happy publication day for tomorrow Lev. Given what I know of your writing, and with a copy of Music To Eat Cake By on my TBR, I have a feeling we’re in for considerable entertainment, so tell me, what can we expect from an evening in with Music To Eat Cake By?

I hesitate to use the word pot-pourri, but it’s out there now, so it’s too late. To give you an idea, here are the titles of some of the essays: The Language of Swallows, Melancholy, The Art of the Sandwich, Growing Old, Pedants and Pedantry, Elephants, Second Chances, The Bassoons in my Life, and of course the book’s title, Music to Eat Cake By.

Er – not the usual range of subjects there Lev!

The variety of subjects given to me means it’s suited to dipping in and out as well as to a more concerted approach. And I like to think there’s something in it for everyone.

You’re absolutely right. There is. And, having been doing a bit of that dipping in to Music To Eat Cake By already, to mis-quote one of your sections I would say I do know why I love your writing – it’s so filled to the brim with warmth humanity and humour. I know I’m going to love reading it all. How on Earth did you come up with response to the subjects you were given?

Part of the fun of the challenge was seeing the subjects people chose for me. Some asked me to write about things they knew I liked (music, birds, cricket); others were more sadistic (‘1+1=Bullfinch’ caused me a few headaches); and one (‘The Intrinsic Link Between Chocolate, The Wombles and Musical Theatre in Post-millennial Britain’) was just plain weird.

Ha! I was glad that topic caused you to elucubrate (even if I wouldn’t have known what that was if you hadn’t given the footnote)!

The result was described by the lovely Lissa Evans (Old Baggage, Crooked Heart, ‘V’ for Victory), as ‘delightfully eccentric’.

Lissa has described it perfectly. Given the underpinning humour and not a little mischievousness with which you write Lev, I’m slightly anxious about asking this question, but what else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I have brought a bowl of borscht (as featured in the essay Soup), a cold roast lamb and redcurrant jelly sandwich (from The Art of the Sandwich), and a moist slice of chocolate cake (from the book’s title essay Music To Eat Cake By).

I love all those foods Lev. You can come back again if you’re going to bring food I like!

We’ll be eating it to the strains of Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony (Sibelius’ and ‘The Bassoons in my Life) while trying not to spill our glass of wine (Red-wine Stains) or succumb to hiccups (How Not To Cure Hiccups at Midnight on Ryde Esplanade).

I think you get the idea…

I think we do! I love what I’ve read so far of Music to Eat Cake By and I’d like to thank you so much for being here today to give us a glimpse into what we can expect!

Music to Eat Cake By

Today’s reader has choices: books about love, about life, about death – and everything in between. The variety is overwhelming, bewildering.

But what if the reader could play a part in producing something different, something about everything, about nothing, about everything and nothing at the same time? What if the reader could tell the writer what to write about?

Lev Parikian asked his readers those very questions, gathered their responses and then set out to write that book. Music to Eat Cake By is the result, a collection of essays exploring everything from the art of the sandwich and space travel to how not to cure hiccups and, of course, his beloved birdsong. Lev considers each subject with his signature wit and warmth, inviting the reader to wonder: what might we ask him to write about next?

Published by Unbound, tomorrow 12th November 2020, Music to Eat Cake By is available for purchase through the links here.

About Lev Parikian

Lev Parikian is a writer, birdwatcher and conductor. His book Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? was published by Unbound in 2018. He lives in West London with his family, who are getting used to his increasing enthusiasm for nature. As a birdwatcher, his most prized sightings are a golden oriole in the Alpujarras and a black redstart at Dungeness Power Station.

For more information, follow Lev on Twitter @LevParikian or visit his website. You’ll also find him on Facebook and Instagram.

I’m delighted to welcome Linda Bennett to the blog today to tell us all about a brand new publishing company. QuoScript is a new publishing venture set up by a group of colleagues who together have many years’ experience of working in different roles within the publishing industry. One of the founders of QuoScript is Linda Bennett, a former pupil of Spalding High School, which is just up the road from me. Linda also writes crime fiction under the pseudonym Christina James. As Christina James, Linda was due to be one of our Deepings Literary Festival Read Dating authors this year. Sadly that event was scuppered by the dreaded virus, although you can find out about the proposed authors and their books here.

With NaNoWriMo well under way and many aspiring authors writing, what better time for Linda to tell us more about QuoScript today:

QuoScript – “Whither Writing” – is launched

Welcome to the blog Linda and thanks for agreeing to tell us all about this exciting new venture. What was your main inspiration when founding QuoScript?

We are primarily driven by the desire to give new authors a chance.  So many publishing companies have reduced or halted their publishing programmes because of Covid; and some agents are not taking on new authors.

What a wonderful idea. What kinds of author are you interested in?

Like all new presses, we have to be quite focused; otherwise we run the risk of spreading ourselves too thinly. We have decided to accept fiction submissions only during our first year, primarily from crime writers, to be published under the Poisoned Chalice imprint and Young Adult authors, whom we’ll publish under the Tusk imprint. We’ve discovered that some authors write books that combine both these genres! Later we want to branch out much more – we’re interested in various kinds of non-fiction, for example, including academic monographs; and we’d like to be able to cover the whole fiction spectrum.

I think that sounds a realistic and sensible approach. Setting up a new publishing venture is quite ambitious! What are main challenges?

The greatest challenge for any new publisher just starting out is to create a robust and efficient supply chain.  We’re fortunate to have the support of the Ingram group and Print Force – together they fulfil most of the main supply chain functions. The next greatest challenge is to design a sustainable business model.  We’ve succeeded in doing this both through the excellent relationship we’ve set up with our two main supply-chain partners and by working with two other small presses, so that together we can achieve critical mass. QuoScript is also keen to harness new design talent to work on book jackets and typesetting.

So, tell us about the other presses.

One is Hope and Plum Publishing, part of SHHH media, which was set up by Stacey Haber, a talented author, playwright and TV script writer. Stacey also presents her own her own programme on Sky Feel Good Factor TV.  It is called “Girls Talk” and first aired on 7^th November. She publishes a range of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books.  Hope and Plum titles have already been uploaded to the QuoScript website.  The other is DoubleA Publishing, a Ukraine-based independent publisher set up by AndrewAfonin, who is passionate about disseminating the work of Ukrainian authors.

Are you happy to continue to take on other publishers under the QuoScript umbrella too?

Yes, but not any other publishers; we aren’t a wholesaler.  We’ll choose other independent publishers that fit in well with our ethos.

How would you describe your ethos?

First and foremost, we’re all about good writing.  I don’t mean in a snobbish way: we’re interested in fiction that covers all sorts of topics and situations, by authors from all kinds of backgrounds; but they must be united in their ability to write powerfully and compellingly.  And any publishers who partner with us must be passionately committed to all the books on their list.

I think this all sounds very exciting. What formats will you publish in?

Initially, because our focus is on trade fiction, paperbacks and e-books.  Later we may commission books that really need to be made available in hardback – but that’s quite a long way off.

I’ve just beta read the manuscript of an as yet unpublished author who would. If some of Linda’s Book Bag readers would like to submit an MS to QuoScript, do you want to hear from them?

Yes, absolutely we do.  We’ve put details on how to submit on the website – see www.quoscript.co.uk. And this month we’ve also launched a writing competition: see https://quoscript.co.uk/national-novel-writing-month-the-quoscript-challenge/. We’ll be delighted to receive submissions for the competition from some of your readers.

Good luck with QuoScript.  It sounds like a very exciting venture!  I hope we’ll hear much more about it in the future.

Thank you!

QuoScript

For more information about the work of QuoScript, follow them on Twitter @QuoScript and visit their website. You’ll also find QuoScript on Instagram and Facebook and if you decide to submit your manuscript – good luck!

It’s almost two years to the day that Elizabeth Jade stayed in with me when her first Akea book, Akea: The Power of Destiny, was published, and you can read that post here. Now, with an adult niece who, at the age of almost 40, has just been diagnosed as dealing with autism, I was fascinated to see how Elizabeth Jade’s own Asperger’s has affected her as a writer and a person so I invited her to write a guest post for Linda’s Book Bag explaining a bit about it. Luckily she agreed and I’m delighted to share that post with you today. Since last she was here, Elizabeth Jade’s has published a second Akea book, Akea: His Mother’s Son.

Akea: The Power of Destiny is available for purchase here in the UK and here in the US.

Akea: The Power of Destiny

Akea is born into a family of sled dogs and a life that follows a predictable path, but from the day she first sees the lone wolf, Kazakh, Akea knows her future lies beyond the safety of her home. Kazakh is well aware of Akea’s destiny and the pack laws he will break to help her reach it. Regardless of the challenges ahead, he must make sure this young husky will be ready, even if it means his life.

Akea: His Mother’s Son

The heart-wrenching sequel to Akea – The Power of Destiny. Akea is no ordinary husky and taking her place as Wolf Queen was just the first step in the journey set out for her by the Great Wolf. Akea’s world turns upside down when humans raid their home, scattering the pack and capturing her hybrid son. Salvador struggles to adjust to a life in captivity quickly realising not everyone approves of his mother’s rise to Wolf Queen. When the Great Wolf sends him warning dreams, Salvador discovers his true purpose for being there.

Akea: His Mother’s Son is available for purchase here in the UK and here in the US.

Awareness, Acceptance, and Celebration

A Guest Post by Elizabeth Jade

Awareness

I started school in 2002, and by the time I was 7, the kids were bullying me; the teachers said I needed to pay more attention; and I would go home and relate what everyone had been doing in detail, but hadn’t a clue what the lessons were about. I waited a term and a half for the teaching assistant I was told I needed, but never received it. By this stage, the stress from being at school was making me physically unwell and my parents decided to keep me at home.

I struggled with depression and anxiety in my teens and was referred to the children’s mental health team. While I found this an unpleasant experience, it was here the possibility of Aspergers was suggested, leading to my diagnosis when I was 18. As anxiety and depression are often found alongside Aspergers, it’s difficult to say if they are related to my autism or the result of my struggles in school; perhaps it’s a little of both.

Initially, I think I was relieved to know there was a reason for the struggles I had experienced in my life. I had spent a long time trying to fit in and measure up to what behaviour was expected by society. I had spent years wondering what was the matter with me, why everything I did always seemed to be wrong, and if I would ever achieve anything with my life. While I was relieved that I wasn’t alone in experiencing these struggles, I resented the fact that the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator hadn’t spotted my Aspergers. My school life could have been much easier, and I may not have struggled so much with my mental health if I had received an earlier diagnosis and the support that goes with it. But I guess people weren’t really aware of the signs of this type of autism in girls when I was at school, compared to the level of awareness around the time I was diagnosed.

People have been campaigning about autism awareness for some time now, and ‘autism awareness’ as a phrase is now falling out of use in favour of ‘autism acceptance’, which is important because it doesn’t really matter how aware people are if it doesn’t change the way they behave. The number of autism charities and support groups show there is still progress to be made, but many schools are now working to foster acceptance of all kinds of differences in their pupils.

Acceptance

When I published the first book in my Akea series, I decided to take a gamble and include my autism and mental health diagnosis in both the author’s bio section and any newspaper articles about me. The reaction was better than I could have hoped for. Some people were encouraged because I had spoken about the struggle with my mental health, and one man actually stopped to thank me for mentioning it in a recent article in the local paper. Others were keen to accept that I had Aspergers and wanted to actively support me. I ended up supplying A5 display stands entitled ‘The Aspie Author’, to be placed next to my books in local bookshops. This turned out to be a really good way to be noticed as people often go into a book shop with a specific purchase in mind, and as a new author it’s easy to be overlooked. But people were drawn to the displays, read the information on them, and then picked up the book to read the blurb. People do seem to be a lot more understanding and supportive than they were while I was growing up.

An example of a new level of acceptance in schools can be seen in Oldfield Park Junior School in Bath. This year they have named their classes after literary figures. Some famous names like AA Milne and Dr Seuss were chosen. While other authors, such as Benjamin Zephaniah, were chosen because they had overcome challenges like dyslexia and would be positive examples for the children. As it happens, they also named a class after me. This came as a bit of a shock, and I still don’t know how they even heard about me.

According to the teacher of ‘Elizabeth Jade’ class, she would have two autistic children in her class, two who were currently in the diagnosis phase, and one child with severe hearing loss. And I was chosen to be an inspiration to those in the class with additional challenges. They will also be reading my books and using them as a basis for classroom discussion on acceptance. I never imagined my books could be used as a basis for classroom discussions like that, but then I hadn’t realised my stories contained such important lessons until some of my readers pointed this out to me.

In Akea – The Power of Destiny, Akea always felt different, even though she didn’t know why, and when she sees a lone wolf by the name of Kazakh, she understands that her true destiny lies beyond the relative safety of her sled dog family. Kazakh’s role is to help her discover her place in the world, but doing so goes against the rules and norms of wolf society. Each obstacle that Akea overcomes makes her stronger and brings her closer to her goal, until she finally ends up fitting in where she physically stands out the most, and is accepted by both the wolves and the family she left behind.

The themes of belonging, acceptance and overcoming obstacles were not something I had consciously included, it seems my own desire to be accepted and understood had indeed been woven into the story. Discovering this made me look more closely at the second Akea story I had written, and I discovered I had woven similar themes into this one too.

In Akea – His Mother’s Son, Akea’s wolf-dog son, Salvador, is captured by humans and taken to a wildlife park where he is shunned as a ‘mongrel’ by the first wolf he meets there. On learning of a threat to his family (I won’t tell you how – that would spoil it) he must convince her and the other wolves to accept his leadership, escape with him, and return in time to save his pack. So essentially, you have the same issues of acceptance and overcoming obstacles. But, of course, it’s not just Salvador that has to adjust to being separated from his family. Akea and the rest of the wolf pack have to come to terms with the loss of Salvador. So this second book has the addition of a dual narrative which allows the reader to see both sides of this experience of loss and change too.

While I liked the idea that learning about me and my books could be a source of encouragement to the children in EJ Class, I wanted to go a little further than that. So, I wrote to the class to personally encourage them to look for what makes each of them different, to celebrate that as a good thing, and to look for ways in which they could encourage and support one another. I was delighted to receive almost thirty letters and pictures in reply, and I plan to keep in touch with them, so I can encourage them further.

Celebration

We would live in a very dull world if everyone were the same, yet we spend a lot of our childhood trying to fit in. From personal experience, I know how mentally and physically exhausting it can be to do that. What we need is not just for everyone to be aware of the unique individuals that make up this world, and not just to accept the things that make each of us different. We need to move beyond that and celebrate those differences. And this applies to all forms of autism, disability, special needs, and so on. Everybody matters!

Those of you who watched Britain’s Got Talent this year, will have seen the Sign Along With Us Choir. That is the sort of acceptance and celebration that we need in the world, and maybe as we move beyond the crazy year that 2020 has been, we may actually get to see it.

*

What a truly inspirational post. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it and all the very best with your Akea series of books. I think they are exactly what the world needs right now. Congratulations on all you’ve achieved and good luck with your writing.

About Elizabeth Jade

Elizabeth Jade was born in 1998 and lives with her family in Wellington, in the county of Somerset in the UK. She was home-schooled from the age of 7, but only recently discovered that her struggles in school were due to Aspergers.

She stumbled into writing at the age of 14 when she began to struggle with depression and anxiety, and quickly found her story ideas pouring out faster than she could get them onto paper. She has always had a passion for animals, being known as ‘The Cat Whisperer’ by the staff at the animal rescue where she volunteers, so it seemed only natural that her stories would revolve around them.

With further adventures for Akea already written in her head, a wonderful journey is set to unfold for both reader and author alike. “I don’t write stories,” she says, “I just put a bunch of words onto paper and the characters do the rest. Plot twists are never planned, they just happen. If you let your imagination run riot, trust me, you’ll be surprised at the result, I always am.”

You can follow Elizabeth Jade on Twitter @AkeaWolfStories and visit her website for further information. You’ll find more about Akea on Facebook too.

Many of you know that I am involved with my local literary festival and we are in the middle of trying to plan what might (or might not!) take place in 2021. Until then, with lockdown back and the nights turning dark and cold, there doesn’t seem to be much opportunity to have a winter party.

Until now! Either in person or online, author William Shaw will be part of the Deepings Literary Festival in 2021 and he has created a brand new concept in online events. Add in Deepings Literary Festival patron Elly Griffiths, one of my favourite writers, C.L Taylor, Will Dean whose new book I will be helping to launch as part of its blog tour in January, and new to me authors Bella Ellis and Simon Kernick, and I was so excited I simply had to tell you all about it!

Here are the details:

A new kind of online book event

In 2020 writers, bookshops and libraries saw their book events disappear. It became clear that while Facebook Live and Zoom were great tools, they were no substitute for face-to-face book events at bookshops, libraries and festivals. Plus online events don’t produce much in the way of books sales. What is needed is a different kind of event.

Reading Party is a new way for readers to encounter books online

Reading Party creates unique online meetings between readers and writers. Writers and guests read aloud – together. In the company of the author, participants will collectively read a short extract from a new book, giving them a privileged insight into the writer’s work. Working with Bert’s Books, Reading Party is a way of bringing new titles to new readers.

Reading Party was thought up by author William Shaw who says, ‘Writers were all devastated when live events came to an abrupt halt. What was missing from online meetings was that sense of intimacy you get when you’re in front of readers. I wanted to find something that could create a genuine exchange between readers and writers. Reading out loud in front of others might be a bit scary at first, but it’s a lot of fun, too – and once you’ve done it, I think you can feel a much stronger connection to the book.’

William’s latest book is Grave’s End:

Grave’s End

A BIZARRE DISCOVERY

An unidentified corpse is found in a freezer in the garage of an unoccupied house. DS Alexandra Cupidi is handed a case that is made even colder by no-one seeming to know or care whose body it is.

A HISTORIC CRIME

It becomes clear there is a connection between the crime and a skeleton uncovered underneath a housing development of Trevor Grey, a boy who went missing twenty five years earlier.

A BURIED LIFE

Digging deep into secrets that have long been concealed brings Cupidi to face a deadly conspiracy to hide these crimes. Her investigation is complicated by a secret liaison, a political cover-up and the underground life of Trevor Grey’s only friend.

Online sales and signings

Reading Party is partnered with the innovative online bookseller Bert’s Books. Books are sold alongside tickets. At events authors will sign and dedicate bookplates which will be included in Bert’s Books mail-outs. In coming weeks we will be launching a programme of events focused around launch dates for new titles. Sales are limited to 20 people per event ensuring readers know that they are taking part in something very special.

Several events are already confirmed:

The Diabolical Bones

It’s Christmas 1845 and Haworth is in the grip of a freezing winter.

Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë are rather losing interest in detecting until they hear of a shocking discovery: the bones of a child have been found interred within the walls of a local house, Top Withens Hall, home to the scandalous and brutish Bradshaw family.

When the sisters set off to find out more, they are confronted with an increasingly complex and sinister case, which leads them into the dark world of orphanages, and onto the trail of other lost, and likely murdered children. After another local boy goes missing, Charlotte, Emily and Anne vow to find him before it’s too late.

But in order to do so, they must face their most despicable and wicked adversary yet – one that would not hesitate to cause them the gravest of harm. . .

Bella Ellis, The Diabolical Bones, Nov 12 7.00pm

Bella says, ‘I’m so pleased to be part of William Shaw’s reading party, it’s a concept that can really recreate the intimacy and uniqueness of an in person book event, and unite readers from all over the globe at the same time.’

The Postscript Murders

PS: thanks for the murders.

The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should absolutely not be suspicious. DS Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing to concern her in carer Natalka’s account of Peggy Smith’s death.

But when Natalka reveals that Peggy lied about her heart condition and that she had been sure someone was following her…

And that Peggy Smith had been a ‘murder consultant’ who plotted deaths for authors, and knew more about murder than anyone has any right to…

And when clearing out Peggy’s flat ends in Natalka being held at gunpoint by a masked figure…

Well then DS Harbinder Kaur thinks that maybe there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.

From the sleepy seaside town of Shoreham to the granite streets of Aberdeen, The Postscript Murders is a literary mystery for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Agatha Christie and anyone who’s ever wondered just how authors think up such realistic crimes…

PS: Trust no one.

Elly Griffiths, The Postscript Murders, Nov 19 7.00pm

Elly comments, ‘The Reading Party is the only party in my diary at the moment! It’s great – especially at the moment – to be able to get together to read and enjoy books and forget the rest of the world. Can’t wait for my event.’

Kill A Stranger

They took your fiancée.
They framed you for murder.

You’re given one chance to save her. To clear your name.
You must kill someone for them.

They give you the time and place.
The weapon. The target.

You have less than 24 hours.
You only know that no-one can be trusted…and nothing is what it seems.

Simon Kernick, Kill A Stranger, Nov 23 7.00pm

Strangers

Ursula, Gareth and Alice have never met before.

Ursula thinks she killed the love of her life.
Gareth’s been receiving strange postcards.
And Alice is being stalked.

None of them are used to relying on others – but when the three strangers’ lives unexpectedly collide, there’s only one thing for it: they have to stick together. Otherwise, one of them will die.

Three strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

C.L. Taylor, Strangers, Nov 26 7.00pm

He is her husband. She is his captive.

Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name.

She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.

Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn’t like what he sees, she is punished.

For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting . . .

Her husband calls her Jane. That is not her name.

She lives in a small farm cottage, surrounded by vast, open fields. Everywhere she looks, there is space. But she is trapped. No one knows how she got to the UK: no one knows she is there. Visitors rarely come to the farm; if they do, she is never seen.

Her husband records her every movement during the day. If he doesn’t like what he sees, she is punished.

For a long time, escape seemed impossible. But now, something has changed. She has a reason to live and a reason to fight. Now, she is watching him, and waiting . . .

Will Dean, The Last Thing To Burn, Jan 6 7.00pm

Now, don’t those sound brilliant books to discuss? For more information, visit the Reading Party website, find them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @PartyReading.

There will be lots more to come!

My enormous thanks to Kelly at Love Books Group for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for The Boy Between by Amanda Prowse and Josiah Hartley. I am privileged to share my review today.

Amanda Prowse has been a regular part of Linda’s Book Bag and normally I would share all the posts separately. This doesn’t feel appropriate to me today because The Boy Between is very much a book that belongs to Amanda AND Josh so here is a single link where you can find interviews about, and reviews of, Amanda’s writing.

The Boy Between is published by Little A and is available for purchase here.

The Boy Between

Bestselling novelist Amanda Prowse knew how to resolve a fictional family crisis. But then her son came to her with a real one…

Josiah was nineteen with the world at his feet when things changed. Without warning, the new university student’s mental health deteriorated to the point that he planned his own death. His mother, bestselling author Amanda Prowse, found herself grappling for ways to help him, with no clear sense of where that could be found. This is the book they wish had been there for them during those dark times.

Josiah’s situation is not unusual: the statistics on student mental health are terrifying. And he was not the only one suffering; his family was also hijacked by his illness, watching him struggle and fearing the day he might succeed in taking his life.

In this book, Josiah and Amanda hope to give a voice to those who suffer, and to show them that help can be found. It is Josiah’s raw, at times bleak, sometimes humorous, but always honest account of what it is like to live with depression. It is Amanda’s heart-rending account of her pain at watching him suffer, speaking from the heart about a mother’s love for her child.

For anyone with depression and anyone who loves someone with depression, Amanda and Josiah have a clear message—you are not alone, and there is hope.

My Review of The Boy Between

A personal account of depression.

About Josiah Hartley

A keen environmentalist and animal lover, Josiah (Josh) Hartley lives in a remote farmhouse in the West Country with his two idle and arrogant French Bulldogs, Dottie and Beau. Happiest following the music scene in Bristol, at a festival or watching rugby with his mates, Josh enjoys the outdoor life and often heads to the sea to surf and sit on the beach watching the sun go down.

After a stint at the University of Southampton, another at the University of Bristol and one planned suicide, Josh decided to write about his descent into mental illness and the depression that held him in its grip for the past few years. The Boy Between carries the overriding message that things can and often do get better. It is a book of reflection, raw, honest and full of hope – the proof being that Josh is still here and excited about what comes next. He’s ready to catch any opportunity that life throws his way; quite a thing for someone who only a few years ago was living in a world gone grey, ready to disappear from the face of the earth…

About Amanda Prowse

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty five novels and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles What Have I Done?, Perfect Daughter, My Husband’s Wife, The Girl in the Corner and The Things I Know have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on Channel 5’s ‘The Jeremy Vine Show’ and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national independent Radio stations including LBC and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, A Mother’s Story won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the year Award while Perfect Daughter was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016.

Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades…

You can follow Amanda Prowse on Twitter @MrsAmandaProwse and visit her website here. You will also find her on Facebook.

All of Amanda Prowse’s wonderful writing is available here.

It’s well over two years since I stayed in with Gwen, a character from Nicola Pryce’s novel The Cornish Dressmaker in a post you can read here and I thought it was about time I invited Nicola herself to stay in with me on Linda’s Book Bag. With a new book on its way tomorrow, let’s find out what Nicola has to tell me this evening.

Staying in with Nicola Pryce

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Nicola. It’s so good to meet you after being introduced to Gwen. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

It’s my absolute pleasure, I’m thrilled to be here. But to be honest, I’m not here just to chat. We have an important job to do.

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

I’ve brought my new novel, A Cornish Betrothal. It’s the fifth in my series set on the south coast of Cornwall, 1793-1800. It takes place up on Bodmin Moor.

Crikey. Are there five books in the series already? I must catch up! I understand A Cornish Betrothal is out tomorrow so happy publication day for then.

Thanks Linda.

What can we expect from an evening in with A Cornish Betrothal?

A bit of anxiety, I’m afraid. I don’t like to frighten you but I’m here on behalf of Amelia Carew and Dr Luke Bohenna. There’s a rogue doctor out there, peddling dangerous concoctions. He passes himself off as a physician from London but he’s a quack, no better than a horse doctor! His potions are harmful, if not downright dangerous. He’s been seen in Bodmin and we’re worried he’s coming here – if he hasn’t already!

Goodness me! That sounds disconcerting!

I’ve taken the liberty of bringing a basket of logs for the fire. Lady Carew is convinced this north wind is going to bring snow. It’s very cold, even for January, and especially bitter up here on the Moor. There’s a lot of sickness about. That’s why he’s so successful at peddling his potions.

Hmm. I think there has been quite a bit of peddling potions in recent times Nicola, never mind in A Cornish Betrothal. 

If it’s alright by you, Linda, I’d like to spend the evening going through all your medicines.

You can, but what are you looking for?

We need to see if any have labels with Dr Lovelace on them. If we find any, Dr Bohenna would like me to take them away so he can test them.

That’s fine by me. I’m not sure I want them in the house actually.

But I’m forgetting – I’ve brought you a flagon of Lord Carew’s punch. He served it on Amelia’s birthday – it’s Madame Merrick’s recipe, but I think he makes it stronger. Have you got a punch bowl to hand?

I think this one will do. 

And I mustn’t forget I’ve also brought you a jar of Amelia’s green salve. It’s wonderful for stopping lips and hands from getting chapped. The recipe is in her new herbal. She’s hoping … really hoping … that it’s going to be published under the title The Lady Herbalist. It’s very awkward as I believe it was going to be dedicated to her late fiancé Midshipman Edmund Melville, but that’s all changed now. Anyway, it’s packed full of her herbal recipes and good advice. She thinks it may look a bit like this.

That looks wonderful. We’ve decided to grow botanicals in our allotment next year so Amelia’s book would be really useful.

I’ve also brought you a beautifully crafted bone and wood games set  … goodness, is it the fire as I’m suddenly rather hot? No, it’s true, I do have a soft spot for Captain Pierre de la Croix and I’m just a little jealous. A handsome man if ever there was, on parole in Bodmin, and crafting such a beautiful Ark for Amelia. They say these French trinkets fetch big money in London, and who’s to doubt it? I’ve never seen such beautiful marquetry. His bone animals are exquisite, and this games set he thought might help you pass the cold winter. He carved it especially for you.

That’s beautiful. I’ll have to see if I can think of a way to thank him!

I’ll head back out onto the Moor now, but I’m not cold – not after all that punch. Thank you so much for inviting me to stay in with you tonight. I’m very glad we didn’t find any poisons among your medicines. But do be warned. Don’t let this horse doctor in … don’t buy any of his potions.

I won’t! Thanks so much for staying in with me Nicola and warning me. Any last things to tell me before you go?

And for your ears only – not a word to anyone – we think Luke was about to propose to Amelia. Honestly, the timing was terrible. Poor Amelia! What must she be going through?

I think we need to read A Cornish Betrothal to find out, don’t you? I’m delighted I have it on my TRB pile and can’t wait to begin. Thank you so much for all your advice and information Nicola. Let me give blog readers the information they will need for tomorrow’s publication.

A Cornish Betrothal

Eighteen months have passed since Midshipman Edmund Melville was declared missing, presumed dead, and Amelia Carew has mended her heart and fallen in love with a young physician, Luke Bohenna. But, on her twenty-fifth birthday, Amelia suddenly receives a letter from Edmund announcing his imminent return. In a state of shock, devastated that she now loves Luke so passionately, she is torn between the two.

When Edmund returns, it is clear that his time away has changed him – he wears scars both mental and physical. Amelia, however, is determined to nurse him back to health and honour his heroic actions in the Navy by renouncing Luke.

But soon, Amelia begins to question what really happened to Edmund while he was missing. As the threads of truth slip through her fingers, she doesn’t know who to turn to: Edmund, or Luke?

A Cornish Betrothal is published by Corvus, tomorrow, 5th November 2020 and is available for purchase through the links here.

About Nicola Pryce

Nicola Pryce trained as a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. She has always loved literature and completed an Open University degree in Humanities. She is a qualified adult literacy support volunteer and lives with her husband in the Blackdown Hills in Somerset. She and her husband love sailing and together they sail the south coast of Cornwall in search of adventure.

Nicola is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Historical Writers Association.

You can follow Nicola on Twitter @NPryce_Author and visit her website. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

Staying in with Daniel T. Brown

The Sometimes Why – Short Stories, Monologues, and Words to That Effect

About Daniel T. Brown

Daniel T Brown is a writer and director from Rockaway Beach, NY. He is a graduate of the School of Visual arts in NYC, with a major in filmmaking. His documentary, John Cori Warned You (2013) captures the communities on the Rockaway Peninsula  as they work to rebuild and recover from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012. Daniel is a community advocate who has devoted a good deal of his time to raising money and awareness for local causes.

My grateful thanks to Rupert Burley at Dynamic Agency for sending me a copy of Reframe the Day by Adam M. Lowenstein in return for an honest review.

Published by Silver Wood on 20th April 2020, Reframe the Day is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from the publisher here.

Reframe the Day

Requests and to-dos bombard your phone and inbox, day and night. Information and distractions claw at your time and attention. You’re always busy, always searching for the finish line … or at least the pause button. Life feels like an endless series of “what’s nexts”—what’s the next meeting, task, obligation, goal, achievement?

Adam M. Lowenstein emerged from the nonstop, striving-obsessed world of American politics convinced that everyone, no matter who you are or what you do, has the power to build more fulfilling days. You don’t have to undertake a radical transformation. You don’t have to quit your job or move halfway around the world.

You can simply tweak how you approach each day. Find meaning in your daily burdens and commitments. Resist the allure of busyness. Make more time for what matters to you (and feel less guilty when you do).

In Reframe the Day, Lowenstein offers ten tips, tactics, and techniques for nudging your days in a more fulfilling direction. Combining concrete advice with tools for self-reflection, ‘Reframe the Day’ shows you how to reframe the way you see and spend your days and, over time, reshape your life.

My Review of Reframe the Day

One man’s insight into the manic world in which we live!

There’s an irony to my review of Reframe the Day. The book has been sitting staring at me with incredible accusation, waiting for me to read it and adding to the stress in my life that I can’t get everything done in the time I have. Ironically, had I picked up Adam M. Lowenstein’s book sooner, I might just have found a set of tools to assist me with that very stress! Reframe the Day is a readable, accessible and entertaining read that might just give readers permission to stop the world for a while and focus in the here and now.

Reframe the Day has a very fresh and innovative feel. Adam M. Lowenstein doesn’t profess to be an expert and this isn’t a contrived self-help book of the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ variety. Instead, the author offers a very personal and honest insight into some of the elements that have helped him deal with a frenetic lifestyle in a book that reads partly like a personal diary and partly like a university thesis and is interesting and engaging. As a British reader I do think some of the more North American references might have been better appreciated by other readers, but that didn’t adversely impact my absorption in Adam M. Lowenstein’s writing. Indeed, the text is backed by extremely well referenced end notes so that readers can investigate further.

There’s a super conversational style that I very much enjoyed. It does feel as if the author is speaking directly to the reader as he might a friend or colleague, and I loved the diffidence with which he explains that he hasn’t mastered every technique such as balancing FOMO, replying to emails and some notifications, or meditating effectively. I found myself agreeing or nodding on several occasions such as when Lowenstein comments, for example, that he is ‘more cognizant of my tendency to make plans to do things whilst resisting actually them’.

I finished Reframe the Day feeling as if I’d been reading about a kindred spirit and knowing that I have learnt some techniques to help me reframe my days. In particular, I’ve realised that I will ‘come up short’ against my own and other people’s standards and that is perfectly acceptable. That knowledge is quite a relief!

About Adam M. Lowenstein

Adam M. Lowenstein spent eight years working in American government and politics in the United States, most recently as speechwriter and strategic communications advisor in the United States Senate. Today, Adam lives in London with his partner, Erin, and writes frequently about politics, work, and life. For more information, follow Adam on Twitter @amlowenstein, or visit his website.