There’s always something exciting about starting off a blog tour and I’m thrilled to be doing so for Stephen Deutsch today. My thanks to the team at Bookollective for inviting me to participate. Stephen is staying in with me to chat about his latest book.

Staying in with Stephen Deutsch

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Stephen 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’ve chosen my latest novel, Champion, not only because it has a strong story (not my own, but based on real events) but because it reflects on our own times as well. It deals with persecution, racism, heroism…

That sounds incredibly pertinent to today’s world. What can we expect from an evening in with Champion?

It’s a bit or a roller-coaster, starting quite gradually, then picking up speed. It recounts two assassinations, tea with Hitler, the love of a movie star, and two famous boxing matches. As a work of historical fiction, it portrays real events and real people, Herschel Grynszpan and Max Schmeling, with different backgrounds and motivations, both living in the febrile atmosphere of Nazi dominated Europe.  The novel climaxes during the night of ‘Kristalnacht’, the pogrom which was said to be the opening act of the Holocaust.

It sounds brilliant!

Here’s a fragment:

Nagorka led the boy to the small office of the Third Secretary, Ernst Eduard Adolf Max vom Rath, a thirty-one-year-old, fair-skinned, thin lipped young man. He closed the door quietly. Vom Rath was sitting at his desk, his back to his visitor, facing the window which overlooked the rear courtyard. He was initialing a document. He spoke softly.

‘Do please be seated. I’ll be with you in a moment.’

The boy seated himself in a leather armchair a few feet from the desk. He gaze was drawn to a framed photograph of Hitler on the wall to his right. There’s the architect of all our misfortunes. I’d give my life to have him in this room!

Vom Rath turned his chair so that he was facing his visitor. He smiled in an official way and said. ‘Thank you for coming. May I see the documents?’ Have I seen this boy before somewhere?

The boy’s anxiety was now overwhelmed by the rage which had been percolating within him for so many months. His face reddened, and the veins in his neck protruded.

‘You’re a filthy Kraut,’ he shouted, ‘and in the name of all persecuted Jews, here are the documents!’

Vom Rath began to rise as Herschel pulled the revolver from his jacket pocket. Without really aiming, he fired five times, emptying the weapon. Two of the shots pierced vom Rath’s body. One entered his torso and lodged in his shoulder. The other perforated his stomach, rupturing his spleen and penetrating his pancreas. Vom Rath staggered to the door, throwing a weak punch at his assailant’s face as he passed, shouting for help, holding his stomach as he entered the hallway.

The boy’s rage evaporated and he slumped back into the chair, suddenly overcome with weariness. I hope I’ve killed him, he thought. He dropped the revolver onto the floor and waited. In the corridor, the sounds of the typewriters had stopped.

When he had heard the shots, Nagorka pushed his chair away from his desk, rushed along the hallway, and found vom Rath in the doorway.

‘I am wounded,’ vom Rath gasped, his pain masked by his surprise. Nagorka could see a spreading red stain on vom Rath’s shirt. Another embassy colleague, Herr Krüger, quickly approached the pair and together the two men gently lowered vom Rath into a sitting position on the floor, keeping his back resting against the corridor wall. A third embassy attaché arrived to attend to vom Rath, allowing Nagorka and Krüger to turn their attentions to the perpetrator. They grabbed the seated boy, and with a roughness which caused him to cry out, raised him from his chair, pinning his arms forcibly behind his back.

‘You needn’t be so rough, meine Herren,’ he shouted, as he was bundled out of the office, ‘I have no intention to escape. But all I ask is that you turn me over to the French police.’ He managed a quick glance at vom Rath as he passed. ‘Too bad he isn’t dead,’ he added, receiving a punch in the kidneys in response. He was manhandled down the stairs, the two German officials supporting him under his armpits as he stumbled. They rushed him roughly to the main gate, his feet scraping on the ground, then pushed him into the arms of the gendarme who had been his first contact with the embassy only a few moments before.

‘This man has just shot an official. Arrest him!’ Nagorka shouted.

Herschel was handcuffed.

‘Don’t worry, monsieur, I will come with you,’ he said calmly, relieved to be in the custody of a Frenchman.

Wow. That’s powerful writing Stephen. 

The story of Max Schmeling is told from the other side of the divide.  A former heavyweight boxing champion, he rises into great prominence in the Nazi regime with his defeat of Joe Louis in 1936.  Hailed as an icon of Aryan superiority. he is feted everywhere, has tea with Hitler, a trip on the airship Hindenburg – and he and his movie star wife, Anny Ondra, become top celebrities. But when he is comprehensively beaten by Joe Louis in their rematch a year later, his fall from grace is precipitous. During Kristalnacht he commits an act of quiet heroism, saving the lives of two adolescent Jews.

Can we read a bit more then please?

Here’s another extract, after his victory:

The commotion in Max’s dressing room continued for some time, longer than it took for Yankee Stadium to empty, longer than it took for the thousands of fight fans to flow up to the elevated subway trains and begin their sweaty judder downtown. Max’s small dressing-room was overflowing with a noisy cluster of newsmen and hangers-on, pushing forward, shuffling for position, shouting questions. Max sat in the centre of the room, on the rub-down table, smilingly dazed, his face swollen, his purpling left eye almost closed, his body collapsing gratefully under the multi-patterned dressing gown which had been thrown over his sweaty shoulders. Standing beside him, Yussel was discharging chimneys of energetic cigar smoke, shouting answers to the laughing, back-slapping crush, while gently placing Max’s right hand into a tin bucket of iced-water.

‘Didn’t I tell you?’ His voice could easily be heard over the din. ‘Didn’t I always say so? I told you we could lick Louis. See, that schwartzer’s not so great. No one is invincible, no matter what you morons in the papers say. I told everyone that, but nobody believed me. So now all you newspaper bums know it, and now you know it real good.’

Max smiled broadly at his bustling, beaming manager. Max said, ‘I even told them on the boat when I arrived, when they asked me in front of all the newsreel cameras. I told them, “I see something.” And I did. I saw something.’

‘We both saw something, Max. But Louis didn’t see it, that’s the main thing.’

A man in a brown suit and tatty fedora had been pushing his way through the noise and cameras. His large shoes crushed the discarded flashbulbs as he walked. He elbowed his way toward the boxer and his mentor.

‘Herr Schmeling?’ the man asked, as if the boxer’s identity was in doubt. ‘May I offer you my most sincere congratulations.’ He said this in German. ‘But I also come at the behest of the German-American Bund.’ He nodded seriously, reflecting on the weight and significance of his mission. ‘They have asked me to congratulate you for re-establishing the racial order!’

Max looked up at the flush-faced man, while moving his hand lazily in the ice-water. ‘Better to speak in English. I can’t really understand your German very well.’

Disappointment travelled along the man’s face, coming to rest on his freckled forehead. ‘It’s true. My German isn’t really so good. I’m still learning. My father was of course fluent. You know, he came here from South-West Africa, but I didn’t really bother to learn our language when I was young, and then after the war, since we lost that whole African paradise to the British… But now I think there’s a real reason to speak German, is that not so, Herr Schmeling?’

‘What, just to talk to me?’

‘Of course, yes, but also I mean because of all those wonderful things that are happening in Germany today. But of course, you know all about this. Anyway, the Bund asked me to see if you’d speak at our next meeting in Yonkers. Everyone will be so excited if you could. In six weeks.’

Joe gave Max a small elbow in the ribs. ‘Impossible,’ he said quickly, clamping his cigar more aggressively between his teeth. ‘Max is going back home on the Hindenburg before that.’

‘What an honour, Herr Schmeling! To fly in this wonderful German airship. How I would love to fly in it. What a privilege! Still, you certainly deserve it after tonight. But perhaps you’ll speak to us next time you come.’

Joe ushered the man through the crowd. ‘Yeah, you never know, kid, you never know. And by the way, if you really want to fly in the Hindenburg, I can set up a fight for you with Joe Louis, that’s all it takes, just beat Louis.’ Joe pushed the Bundist through the door and closed it resolutely behind him.

‘That’s all we need,’ he said, ‘a Nazi fan club in America.’

Thanks for sharing these extracts Stephen. They have made me feel very lucky to have Champion on my TBR.

What else have you brought along and why?

I’ve brought recordings of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, antidotes to the tedium of lockdown. While listening to them it’s hard not to smile.

Both have such wonderful voices.

I’ve also brought a summer pudding. My wife made it from fruits harvested in my step-son’s garden, and I’d love to share it with you.

Now, you can come back again if you’re going to bring summer pudding. It’s years since I had any and I love it!

I’d also bring a selection of books by three of my favourite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, Harry Mulisch and Zora Neale Hurston. Their writing is both accessible and challenging, with wit and intelligence apparent on every page.

Oh! I have to confess I haven’t previously heard of Zora Neale Hurston. Thanks so much for staying in with me to share your new book, Champion, Stephen and for introducing me to a new to me writer. You serve up the summer pudding and I’ll tell readers all the Champion details:

Champion

Dark haired, slight, with deep-set haunted eyes, Herschel Grynszpan is an undocumented Jewish alien living in Paris. He receives a postcard from his parents – recently bundled from their Hanover flat, put on a train and dumped, with 12,000 others on the Polish border. Enraged, Herschel buys a gun and kills a minor German official in the German Embassy. The repercussions trigger Kristalnacht, the nationwide pogrom against the Jews in Germany and Austria, a calamity which some have called the opening act of the Holocaust.

Intertwined is the parallel life of the German boxer, Max Schmeling, who as a result of his victory over the then ‘invincible’ Joe Louis in 1936 became the poster boy of the Nazis. He and his movie-star wife, Anny Ondra, were feted by the regime – tea with Hitler, a passage on the airship Hindenburg – until his brutal two-minute beating in the rematch with Louis less than two years later. His story reaches a climax during Kristalnacht, where the champion performs an act of quiet heroism.

Published by Unicorn on 1st July 2020, Champion is available for purchase here.

About Stephen Deutsch

Stephen Deutsch was born in New York and moved to the UK in 1970, becoming a naturalised citizen in 1978. He was trained as a pianist and composer, spending the first part of his career composing music for concert hall, theatre, television and film.

He has been a lecturer in film sound and music, and has edited a journal on that subject, The Soundtrack, and later The New Soundtrack. He is the co-author of a coming book Listening to the Film: A Practical Philosophy of Film Sound. He has written plays for television, broadcast on the BBC. For 25 years he composed the music for all stage, film and TV works of the playwright Peter Barnes.

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At the moment I am inundated with blog tours and blog appearance requests so I didn’t think I’d be able to read Under A Wartime Sky by Liz Trenow in time for my slot today. Instead I was thrilled to stay in with Liz to chat about the book and would like to thank Ellis Keene at Pan Macmillan for inviting me to do so. However, I know how much I enjoy Liz’s writing so I managed to squeeze in a read and review too!

I’ve previously interviewed Liz about her book The Silk Weaver in a post you can read here. Liz generously provided a wonderful guest post to go alongside my review of In Love and War and you can read that post here.

Staying in with Liz Trenow

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

Thank you for inviting me! The chance to talk to readers feels even more important during these isolated days.

I know the feeling! Tell me, although I think I have a pretty good idea, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

Under a Wartime Sky, my latest, published just before lockdown. But that’s not the only reason I’ve chosen it. Exactly eighty years ago (on 10th July 1940) Britain found itself facing an unprecedented and existential threat. Not a virus, but a terrifying and sustained attack on our cities, factories and airfields by legions of German bombers, day after day, night after night. They were determined to break us, so that they could invade. It was the start of the Battle of Britain.

Fortunately for us, a group of brilliant scientists had created a remarkable invention which was installed at dozens of sites along our south and east coasts and staffed by hundreds of specially trained women operators. It was our top secret weapon, radar, which enabled us to ‘see’ German planes coming and alert our fighters so that they were in the air, ready to see them off.

Four gruelling and deadly months later, thanks to radar and the extraordinary bravery of our fighter pilots, we managed to defeat a German air force twice the size of ours. It changed the course of the war. My book celebrates the unlikely love story of two of those heroes and heroines of radar, whose remarkable genius and courage remains largely unsung, even today.

Oh that’s a perfect description of Under A Wartime Sky Liz.  so enjoyed getting to know your characters and finding out the history behind the narrative too. 

For those who haven’t yet read Under A Wartime Sky, what can they expect from an evening in with the book?

Love, life, excitement, tragedy and triumph (although maybe not in that order)! I wrote this book because I love the place where it is set – Bawdsey Manor on the coast of Suffolk – and its extraordinary history. I was intrigued by the idea of this small band of brilliant boffins working on their top secret project in a sprawling gothic mansion on the edge of the North Sea, and wondered what their neighbours, the ordinary folk of Felixstowe, would have made of it all. What would happen when they coincided? I wrote the book to find out, so please come with me on the journey!

I already have and I hope may more readers will too. 

This is what other people have said:

‘Liz Trenow skilfully interlaces a love story between her two characters, Vic and Kath, each coming from different worlds but who share a dedication to this top secret project and ultimately to each other.’

‘Liz Trenow writes likes a painter, with broad strokes to set a scene, and then takes a small brush for the details, capturing the essence of the time, quite effortlessly.’

I couldn’t agree more Liz. So, what else have you brought along and why?

First is a photo of Bawdsey Manor, complete with radar mast, so you can see why I was so intrigued by the place – and also so fortunate to have been able to get the know it well when, in a crazy moment, some friends of ours decided to buy it from the Ministry of Defence and set up a school there!

Wow. No wonder your descriptions are so evocative!

Second is carrot cake (what meeting is ever worth it without cake!)

I’m not going to argue with that sentiment!

It was invented during wartime because carrots provided the sweetness people craved when sugar was rationed. My characters bond over this cake, but carrots also have a deeper symbolism in this book. So effective – and so top secret – was radar technology that the government decided to circulate ‘false news’ that the RAF’s success was due to feeding their pilots plenty of raw carrots, which promoted superior eyesight, especially at night. The myth was widely accepted among Britons and Germans alike, and perpetuated long after the war.

Although Under A Wartime Sky is historical Liz, a terrible threat and fake news seem all too relevant to today’s world don’t they? Thanks so much for staying in with me and chatting about your latest book. 

Thanks so much for having me!

My pleasure. Before I share my review I’ll just give blog readers the information they need about Under A Wartime Sky:

Under A Wartime Sky

Bawdsey Manor holds a secret.

1936: the threat of war hangs over Europe. Churchill gathers the brightest minds in Britain at a grand house in Suffolk. Bound to complete secrecy, they work together on an invention that could mean victory for the Allies. Among them is Vic, a gifted but shy physicist who, for the first time, feels like he belongs.

Local girl Kathleen wants to do more than serving tea and biscuits to ‘do her bit’. So when the Bawdsey team begin to recruit women to operate their top secret system, she dedicates herself to this life-or-death work. Kath and Vic form an unlikely friendship as the skies over Britain fill with German bombers. Little does Kath know just whose life she will change forever, one fateful night . . .

Based on the real history of Bawdsey Manor, Under a Wartime Sky is a novel about courage, belonging and hope.

Published by Pan Macmillan on 20th February 2020, Under A Wartime Sky is available for purchase through the links here.

My Review of Under A Wartime Sky

There are secrets at Bawdsey Manor.

Under A Wartime Sky was a fabulous read. I found it completely compelling as it transported me back in time. Readers who want visceral horror or violent crime should look elsewhere, but those looking for an assiduously researched, beautifully written and totally engaging historical narrative, will be completely ensnared by Liz Trenow.

I found the settings and historical elements thrummed with detail so that Under A Wartime Sky transported me back in time completely, but to a slightly different milieu to so many WW2 books. The Bawdsey Manor developments are completely fascinating as they illustrate another reality of the era to the usual rationing and women in factories that so many books rely on.

I loved the way the plot is bound by two short, more modern, sections that give such a satisfying structure. The socio-economic picture painted by Liz Trenow’s writing is perfect. She really understands how people functioned and brings them to life so vividly.

Vic in particular is simply wonderful. No broad shouldered, flashing eyed smouldering cliché here, but a warm, genuine man whom I fell for completely. His sensitivity, his diffidence and his intelligence make him a character I believed in without question. I loved the balance between his story and Kath’s too. Although there is romantic attraction between them, realistic life intervenes so that I found their narrative all the more touching. There’s is a kind of universal tale that the era must have imposed on so many.

The plot of Under A Wartime Sky is satisfying too. As well as an entertaining story, it encompasses so many themes that resonate today, with sexuality, ambition, rivalry, family and love explored sensitively and maturely making for a depth and enjoyment I so appreciated.

If you’re looking for a book that is compassionate, compelling and totally authentic, look no further. Liz Trenow has woven all these components into a smashing narrative in Under A Wartime Sky and I really enjoyed it.

About Liz Trenow

Liz Trenow is the author of three previous historical novels: The Last Telegram, The Forgotten Seamstress and The Poppy Factory. Liz’s family have been silk weavers for nearly three hundred years, and she grew up in the house next to the mill in Suffolk, England, which still operates today, weaving for top-end fashion houses and royal commissions. This unique history inspired her first two novels, and this, her fourth novel.

Liz is a former journalist who spent fifteen years on regional and national newspapers, and on BBC radio and television news, before turning her hand to fiction. She lives in East Anglia, UK, with her artist husband, and they have two grown-up daughter.

You can visit Liz’s website, find her on Facebook and follow Liz on Twitter @LizTrenow.

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It was my pleasure to be involved in the cover reveal for Amelia Henley’s The Life We Almost Had back in March just as lockdown was starting and there seemed an irony in the title somehow. You can read why that cover reveal was so important to me here.  Now, as life cautiously returns to normal, I’m thrilled to bring my review of The Life We Almost Had.

The Life We Almost Had will be published on 23rd July by Harper Collins imprint HQ and is available for pre-order through the links here.

The Life We Almost Had

This is not a typical love story, but it’s our love story.

Anna wasn’t looking for love when Adam swept her off her feet but there was no denying their connection, and she believed they would be together forever.

Years later, cracks have appeared in their relationship. Anna is questioning whether their love can really be eternal when a cruel twist of fate delivers a crushing blow, and Anna and Adam are completely lost to one another. Now, Anna needs Adam more than ever, but the way back to him has life-changing consequences.

Is a second chance at first love really worth the sacrifice? Anna needs to decide and time is running out…

A beautiful and emotional love story that asks, how far would you go for a second chance at first love? Perfect for fans of The Man Who Didn’t Call and Miss You.

My Review of The Life We Almost Had

Anna and Adam find love when they least expect it.

Before I begin my review proper I have to confess that I was terrified of reading The Life We Almost Had. You see, I love Amelia Henley’s writing as Louise Jensen and I had been sitting on the secret of her romantic fiction since her participation in the Deepings Literary Festival in May 2019 when she told me about it. Given that I knew I’d be featured in the acknowledgements too and Louise/Amelia is such a lovely person I was so worried that I might not enjoy The Life We Almost Had. I didn’t enjoy it. I absolutely adored it and it has gone straight on my list of books of the year.

It’s not going to be possible to say much about the plot of The Life We Almost Had because it would spoil the read for others, but it is meticulously planned so that every tiny detail has a crucial place that is only apparent once the entire book is read. As the story progresses, it is evident that Amelia Henley has painstakingly researched aspects that contribute to both plot and theme, but again I can’t be more specific as it would give too much away. However, I will say that The Life We Almost Had teaches the reader to appreciate what they have and to listen – properly listen – to those they love.

The quality of Amelia Henley’s writing is gorgeous. The longer descriptive passages are perfectly balanced by shorter sentences and questions that convey such deep emotion that I had to stop reading several times just to recover because it felt as if my heart would break. These same questions make the reader feel as if they are part of the narrative too as they draw them in. The Life We Almost Had should come with a health warning. It isn’t possible to read this story without being completely altered by it and without shedding copious tears. I felt shattered afterwards and it took me some while to regain my composure.

Anna and Adam are incredibly warm, human, flawed, beautiful and real. I fell for them both without reservation. The depth of their love reverberates through every syllable of the narrative and yet Amelia Henley still manages to make them totally realistic in their ability to bicker and to hurt one another, so that they make The Life We Almost Had feel like it could be about any of us. Amelia Henley paints an intimate portrait of their relationship that is truly exceptional. Secondary characters are equally well developed so that I finished The Life We Almost Had feeling as if I knew them all personally. I seem to be unable to stop thinking about them all.

I’m aware that this review is both vague and inadequate, but The Life We Almost Had is such an emotional and affecting book that I don’t want to spoil it for others by revealing too much and I’m not sure I have access to sufficient superlatives to describe it. The Life We Almost Had ranks as one of the most emotional and affecting books I’ve ever read and has caused me to look at my loved ones with fresh eyes. I thought it was simply superb and defy even the most hard hearted and unemotional reader to read it and not be irrevocably changed in the process. Don’t miss it because it is superb.

About Amelia Henley

Amelia Henley is a hopeless romantic who has a penchant for exploring the intricacies of relationships through writing heart-breaking, high-concept love stories.

Amelia also writes psychological thrillers under her real name, Louise Jensen. As Louise Jensen she has sold over a million copies of her global number one bestsellers. Her stories have been translated into twenty-five languages and optioned for TV as well as featuring on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestsellers list. Louise’s books have been nominated for multiple awards.

The Life We Almost Had is the first story she’s written as Amelia Henley and she can’t wait to share it with readers.

You can follow Amelia on Twitter @MsAmeliaHenley and find her on Facebook.

You can find out more about Louise by visiting her website, finding her on Facebook and following her on Twitter @Fab_fiction.

I can’t believe it’s heading for four years since Gilli Allan last featured on Linda’s Book Bag. Then I was interviewing Gilli about her writing in general and you can read what she told me here. Today, I’m enormously pleased that Gilli has agreed to stay in with me to chat about one of her books in more detail.

Staying in with Gilli Allan

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

It’s a complete pleasure, Linda.  Although now I’m here, are we going to have to isolate together for the foreseeable?

That’s a good question! I think I’m Covid free and I hope you are too. As long as we stay 2m apart in the garden we should be OK.

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

I’ve brought BURIED TREASURE because it has just had a face lift – in other words a new, professionally designed cover – and it has gone into paperback. So, I am very excited.

It’s certainly very striking Gilli. You must be delighted with the results. I wonder if they could do as much for me as they have with BURIED TREASURE… Tell me, what can we expect from an evening in with BURIED TREASURE?

Who isn’t fascinated by the concept? When I was a child the chance of discovering treasure was the most desirable thing I could imagine. And where to find it should be easy.  All you needed was to locate the point a rainbow touched earth, or maybe find a magic lamp or a fairy godmother. The fairy-tale notion of treasure was later superseded by the real possibility of coming upon a pirates’ map, or a cave in Cornwall where a smugglers chest might still be hidden, undiscovered.

Archaeology – the nearest ‘ology’ to treasure-hunting – has been a fascination since childhood.  In fact, my family has a connection to the Mildenhall treasure. The famous hoard of Roman silver tableware was discovered – in his account – by my great uncle, Sydney Ford. You can find out more here.

Wow. That’s fantastic. I’m obsessed with the buried treasure concept and would love to have that kind of connection. 

Archaeology remains a fascination.  I have gone on digs and I have provided archaeological illustrations for several books, either written by, or contributed to by my son Thomas Williams. So, it was an obvious theme when I came to consider the plot of my seventh novel, BURIED TREASURE.

I have Roman coins and have been on a dig too Gilli so understand exactly what you mean.

While accurately reflecting a material element my book, I hope readers will not be too disappointed to discover the title is a bit of a tease. Buried Treasure can also be understood as a metaphor about burying the past, and the damage that suppression can have on the present. It can seem easier to internalize hurt and humiliation, and erect barriers against the world, but it is only by trusting again, and exposing your mistakes to the light, that you can rediscover the best of yourself.

Oh I think we all do that to a certain degree. I’m sure readers will identify with that theme. So, tell me more.

Jane Smith is hyper-sensitive about her lack of education, and damaged by a disastrous relationship which started when she was still a teenager.  She is constantly driven to shore up her fragile self-esteem and to prove herself by getting everything she does “right”. In the early stages of carving out a career as an Events Organizer, Jane arrives at Lancaster College (part of an ancient university) to scope it out as a possible venue for a conference she is organizing.

Theo Tyler is a ‘desk’ archaeologist working as a part-time teacher at Lancaster College. His family background makes him a curiosity to some – had his mother not been a rebel his own passage through life would have been gilded. The reality was chaotic and further marred by a destructive relationship.  He hates people’s fascination in his parentage rather than in his present achievements.

There is no necessity for Jane and Theo ever to meet. He is part of the faculty, but she is there to meet and be shown around by the hospitality manager, so their first encounter is unplanned and unpromising, but….

Jane has a family connection to a significant historic archaeological discovery and Theo wants to organize a conference.

The story follows the gradual interweaving of their interests and the breaking-down of their preconceptions.  The unlikely friendship that grows up between them leads to a place neither expected, proving that treasure is not always what it seems.

I love the sound of BURIED TREASURE Gilli. I’m intrigued. 

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

I’ve brought my drawing board. Art is the other significant pillar of my life.  I was an illustrator in advertising, and gave it up when I became a mother and resumed my teenage hobby of writing.  I have kept my hand-in over the years by going to a life drawing class and producing an annual Christmas card, plus other intermittent commissions.

I’m so jealous. I don’t have an artistic bone in my body. I wish I could draw.

More recently my son, Thomas Williams, inveigled me into providing illustrations for his debut as an author of the children’s book The Tale of King Harald (the Viking king whom our own king Harold defeated at Stamford Bridge before his own defeat at Hastings.)

And after that, providing a few illustrations for his adult book VIKING BRITAIN, and for REPRESENTING BEASTS in EARLY MEDIEVAL ENGLAND and SCANDINAVIA, which he contributed to and edited.

Needless to say, his expertise helped inform the plot of BURIED TREASURE, and he was the source of the great majority of my research on its archaeological strand.

It must be brilliant to have such talent in the family and to work together on projects Gilli. It’s been fascinating staying in with you. Thanks so much for being here. I love the new look of BURIED TREASURE and I’ll just give blog readers a few more details:

BURIED TREASURE

“I found Buried Treasure a compelling read. It was so many things: a love story, a hunt for clues to lost secrets, and a fascinating look at how our past experiences shape us, and how we can heal even after damage. The characters were wonderfully well drawn. ”

Jane thinks he sees her as shallow and ill-educated. Theo thinks she sees him as a snob, stuffy and out of touch.

Within the ancient precincts of the university the first encounter between the conference planner and the academic is accidental and unpromising. Just as well there’s no reason for them ever to meet again. But behind the armour they’ve each constructed from old scars, they’ve more in common than divides them. Both have an archaeological puzzle they are driven to solve.

As their stories intertwine, their quest to uncover the past unearths more than expected.

BURIED TREASURE is available for purchase here.

About Gilli Allan

Gilli Allan began to write in childhood – a hobby pursued throughout her teenage years. Writing was only abandoned when she left home, and real life supplanted the imaginary kind.

After a few false starts she worked longest and most happily as an illustrator in advertising and only began writing again when she became a mother.

Living in Gloucestershire with her husband Geoff, Gilli is still a keen artist. She draws and paints and has now moved into book illustration.

All of her recent books TORN, LIFE CLASS, FLY or FALL and BURIED TREASURE have gained ‘Chill with a Book’ awards.

Following in the family tradition, her son, historian Thomas Williams, is now also a writer.

You can find out more about Gilli by following her on Twitter @gilliallan, finding her on Facebook or reading her blog.

Now I wasn’t taking on anything new because I’m inundated and have another blog post today, but when Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources asked me if I’d like to participate in the cover reveal for lovely Elaine Spires’ new book The Banjo: Book Two I had to say yes.

It’s a while since I featured Elaine’s Single All the Way here and she wrote me a fabulous guest post about writing what you know when I very first began blogging that I was delighted to feature here. I’ve never forgotten that kindness in putting her trust in a new blogger.

So, let’s see what Elaine’s The Banjo: Book Two is all about:

The Banjo: Book Two

The 1970s. Zany fashions brought the Decade That Taste Forgot. Change is in the air. Decimal currency; the Common Market; widespread strikes; the Winter of Discontent; IRA bombings; the sale of Council houses and quickie divorces make their mark on the whole country including the community of the Banjo.

The eight households who live in Cromwell Close experience births, deaths, marriages, shocks and surprises but as the 70s become the 80s and beyond Dagenham undergoes great transformation. The once close-knit Community is changing.

*

Oh. I think I’d love heading back to the 1970s. If you think you would too, The Banjo Book Two is published on 21st August and is available for pre-order on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

In the meantime, you might also like to read the first book in the series:

The Banjo

It’s 1952 and Britain is slowly climbing out of the austerity of the immediate post-war years when Dolly White gets the letter she and her husband Jack have been yearning for: they are going to live in a brand new, five-roomed house on the Heath Park Estate, Dagenham. A home in Cromwell Close is beyond the wildest dreams of the Whites and the other seven families whose fortunes, dramas, losses, dreams and lives we share while they all rub along together in neighbourly harmony in The Banjo.

“A beautiful book which shows a realistic, entertaining view of working-class life in post-war Britain.”

The Banjo is available for purchase here.

About Elaine Spires

Elaine Spires is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter and actress. Extensive travelling and a background in education and tourism perfected Elaine’s keen eye for the quirky characteristics of people, captivating the humorous observations she now affectionately shares with the readers of her novels. Elaine has written two books of short stories, two novellas and seven novels, four of which form the Singles Series – Singles’ Holiday, Singles and Spice, Single All The Way and Singles At Sea.  Her latest book, Singles, Set and Match is the fifth and final book in the series.

Her play Stanley Grimshaw Has Left The Building was staged at the Bridewell Theatre, London in May 2019.  Her short film Only the Lonely, co-written with Veronique Christie and featuring Anna Calder Marshall is currently being in shown in film festivals worldwide and she is currently working on a full length feature film script. Only the Lonely won the Groucho Club Short Film Festival 2019!  Elaine recently returned to UK after living in Antigua W.I. She lives in East London.

You can follow Elaine on Twitter @ElaineSWriter and you’ll also find her on Facebook and Instagram. Elaine’s website has more information too.

I’m thrilled to review Somebody’s Daughter by Carol Wyer today. Carol is such a super person and so talented to be able to write in different genres that it’s a true pleasure to support this 7th Natalie Ward book. My thanks to Carol and to Kim Nash at Bookouture for proving a copy of Somebody’s Daughter in return for an honest review.

I most recently featured Carol when I reviewed her What Happens in France here, and previously we celebrated the publication of Carol’s The Missing Girls in a post you can read here. I have also been lucky enough to interview Carol about her writing here to mark the publication of Carol’s Little Girl Lost.

Somebody’s Daughter was published by Bookouture on 9th July and is available for purchase here.

Somebody’s Daughter

One by one the girls disappeared…

When the frail body of a teenage girl is discovered strangled in a parking lot, shards of ice form in Detective Natalie Ward’s veins. As Natalie looks at the freckles scattered on her cheeks and the pale pink lips tinged with blue, she remembers that this innocent girl is somebody’s daughter…

The girl is identified as missing teenager Amelia Saunders, who has run away from home and her controlling father. Natalie’s heart sinks further when it becomes clear that Amelia has been working on the streets, manipulated by her violent new boyfriend Tommy.

A day later, another vulnerable girl is found strangled on a park bench. Like Amelia, Katie Bray was a runaway with connections to Tommy, and Natalie is determined to find him and track down the monster attacking these scared and lonely girls.

But when a wealthy young woman is found murdered the next morning, the word ‘guilty’ scrawled on her forehead, Natalie realises that the case is more complex than she first thought. Determined to establish a connection between her three victims, Natalie wastes no time in chasing down the evidence, tracing everyone who crossed their paths. Then, a key suspect’s body turns up in the canal, a mole in Natalie’s department leaks vital information and everything seems to be against her. Can Natalie stop this clever and manipulative killer before they strike again?

My Review of Somebody’s Daughter

A string of murders challenges the entire team.

I’m absolutely furious with myself that, even though I have read Carol Wyer’s lighter fiction, I haven’t actually read one of her crime thrillers before. I thought Somebody’s Daughter was an absolute cracker and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Although Somebody’s Daughter is the seventh book in the Natalie Ward series, it didn’t matter at all that I haven’t read the others because Carol Wyer has a fabulous knack of providing just enough detail to ensure full understanding without slowing the pace or detracting from the present story. I loved meeting Natalie and the other characters and am now desperate to read the series from the beginning. I felt as if Natalie was a warm, vibrant person I had just met but who could become a firm friend.

I thought the structure of Somebody’s Daughter was so well done because the dated chapter entries give a fast and exciting pace and the technique of writing past events in the present tense has the effect of making them immediate and relevant as the narrative progresses. It’s a super plot that held my unwavering attention. I loved the fact that my guesses as to the perpetrator of a series of murders were totally plausible and yet turned out to be completely wrong. This made for brilliant entertainment and an enthralling read.

With a fast and exciting pace and credible characters Somebody’s Daughter has interest for any crime fiction lover, but even better for me was the underpinning humanity and the understanding Carol Wyer presents of how people are shaped and affected by their experiences and how easy it is for life to change dramatically. I loved the themes of family, loyalty and relationships at both a personal and societal level. The reader is given insight into every one of the characters in Somebody’s Daughter so that they come away from the book feeling as if they understand how better to interact in their own lives. The depiction of sex workers, the homeless and the impact of drugs seems meticulously researched and is thoroughly convincing. I felt quite affected by my reading.

Somebody’s Daughter is a brilliant book. It entertains, enthralls and yet also educates with a sensitively deft touch so that reading Carol Wyer’s writing is an absolute pleasure. I loved it.

About Carol Wyer

Winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer is a best-selling author and stand up comedian who writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction.

A move to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in LITTLE GIRL LOST, the #2 best-selling book on Amazon, #9 best-selling audiobook on Audible and Top 150 USA Today best-seller.

A second series featuring DI Natalie Ward quickly followed and to date her novels have sold over 750,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets, including Norwegian, Italian, Turkish, Hungarian Slovak, Czech and Polish.

Next year sees the arrival of the much anticipated DI Kate Young series, with AN EYE FOR AN EYE out in February 2021.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’ featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy.

All of Carol’s books are here. You can follow Carol on Twitter @carolewyer, visit her website and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Lovely Poppy Stimpson at Pushkin Press has sent me several of their super new series of children’s books for review and I am extremely grateful to her this time for a surprise copy of Duncan Versus the Googleys by Kate Milner.

Duncan Versus the Googleys is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from the publisher here.

Duncan Versus the Googleys

A quirky and hilarious debut about scheming old ladies, mechanical monsters and fearless children from an award-winning illustrator.

Summer is not looking good for Duncan. His parents have left him with his Great Aunt Harriet at Arthritis Hall, a retirement community of rude old ladies who confiscate his games, stuff him in a windowless room and just want him to keep quiet.

When Duncan meets Ursula, the caretaker’s daughter, he begins to discover the diabolical secrets that lurk in the shadows of Arthritis Hall. Soon, the two children find themselves embroiled in a plot involving bizarre electronic creatures and acts of ingenious thievery, in an attempt to outwit a fiendish group of eldery criminal masterminds.

My Review of Duncan Versus the Googleys

Duncan’s parents are off to Japan so he’s staying with Aunt Harriet.

What a super book for children. There’s everything that appeals in a fast paced, exciting story that is the kind of adventure any child can relate to. I’d love to see Duncan Versus the Googleys taken up as a children’s television series as there’s so much episodic action that it would lend itself perfectly. Those episodes are also perfect for young independent readers because a small chunk of text can be read containing so much going on that readers of any age are hooked immediately. The structure is quite complex at times, until all the elements are brought together, and I think this will really appeal to stronger independent readers, but those requiring more help or having the story read with, or to, them will love it all the same.

The setting is wonderful in Duncan Versus the Googleys. There’s very much an inclusion of traditional haunted houses but with a fresh and modern update through the theme of technology and cyber-pet crazes. Creepy Arthritis Hall has secret tunnels, curious inhabitants and something dangerous lurking, making for an imaginative and engrossing narrative with just the right amount of scariness.

I thought the characters were so good too. There’s a smashing balance between Duncan and Ursula so that the story will appeal to male and female readers. I liked the way their backgrounds and personalities are so very different but that they still manage to forge a friendship and alliance anyway. This is an important lesson for children. Including peripheral characters in other parts of the world broadens young minds at the same time as entertaining them too.

However, setting and character aside, the entire story of Duncan Versus the Googleys is so engaging. Ursula and Duncan face peril and danger and yet there is humour too. Villains and crooks, wildlife television programmes, megalomaniacs, knitting, monsters and children’s toys lead to a most imaginative narrative that I thought was wonderful.

Duncan Versus the Googleys is absolutely crackers, brilliantly written and so entertaining that children of all ages will adore it. I loved it.

About Kate Milner

Kate Milner is a writer and illustrator based in Bedfordshire with her husband and son. In her career she has painted pub signs and made prints, been a teacher and a carer. When working at her local library, she fell in love with children’s books and went on to become an illustrator, winning the Klaus Fugge Award for her picture book My Name is Not Refugee. Duncan Versus the Googleys is her first novel.

You can find out more by visiting Kate’s website or following her on Twitter @ABagForKatie.

If you’re a regular reader of Linda’s Book Bag you’ll know just how much I love Isabelle Broom’s writing (and she’s pretty special as a person too). Now, I have already reviewed here the book Isabelle has brought along today and I have interviewed her more fully here. However, as today is paperback publication day for Isabelle’s latest book I couldn’t resist asking her to stay in with me and luckily she agreed!

I’ve also reviewed Isabelle’s book One Winter Morning here, My Map of You here, A Year and a Day here and The Place We Met here. I still haven’t read my cherished personally signed copy of One Thousand Stars and You.

Staying in with Isabelle Broom

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

We all know really, but tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

Tonight, I have come armed with my brand-new novel Hello, Again, which is just so pretty that I have barely put it down. I’m hoping it has the same effect on readers when they spot it out in the shops, too. I’m proud of this book, and writing about an artist has inspired me to become more creative. As well as writing, I’m now busy making mosaics and upcycling sad old pieces of furniture – maybe we can turn our hand to something while we chat?

Given what you recently did to this bookcase I think that sounds like a perfect idea!

So, what can we expect from an evening in with Hello, Again?

Well, in addition to all the art – of which there is a glorious mix – you will also be whisked off abroad to not one but four overseas locations, including Lisbon, Hamburg, Barcelona and Guernsey. Given that our travel wings have been temporarily clipped by lockdown, it’s even more important to escape through the pages of a book, and this one will hopefully whet your appetite as to where to visit once it’s safe to do so again. I’m trying to look on the positive side of all this and appreciate the fact that the planet is getting a rest from all us travellers. The world will still be there waiting when all this is over, and hopefully we will cherish it even more than before having been forced to miss it.

Oh yes indeed. And Hello, Again certainly transports the reader. It’s one of the elements I commented on in my review.

What else have you brought along and why?

The seed that the story of this book grew from is actually a very handsome German man, but I unfortunately cannot bring him along. **deep sigh**

Now THAT is a shame!

Instead, I’m coming armed with a feast fit for two queens, and just like Pepper and Josephine in Hello, Again, we’re going to gobble up paella, glug down jugs of sangria then finish the evening with pastel del nata (Portuguese custard tarts) and thick, creamy German coffee sprinkled with cinnamon. Art, food and bookish chat = a dreamy evening in!

What a feast. Thanks so much for staying in with me Isabelle. Now, you get sanding that television cabinet whilst I shove in one of those custard tarts and tell everyone all about your wonderful new book Hello, Again:

Hello, Again

Philippa Taylor (Pepper to her friends) has big dreams. When she closes her eyes, she can picture exactly who she ought to be. The problem is, it’s about as far away from her real life in a small coastal town in Suffolk as she can imagine.

So when her elderly friend Josephine persuades Pepper to accompany her on a trip to Europe, she jumps at the chance to change her routine. And when Pepper bumps (literally) into the handsome Finn in Lisbon, it seems as though she might have finally found what she’s been looking for.

But Pepper know all too well things are rarely as they seem. Her own quiet life hides a dark secret from the past. And even though she and Finn may have been destined to find each other, Pepper suspects life may have other plans as to how the story should end.

A romantic and sweeping story about friendship, love and realising that sometimes it’s about the journey, not the destination.

Hello, Again is out today from Hodder and is available for purchase here.

About Isabelle Broom

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts in London before a 12-year stint at Heat magazine. Always happiest when she’s off on an adventure, Isabelle now travels all over the world seeking out settings for her escapist fiction novels, as well as making the annual pilgrimage to her second home – the Greek island of Zakynthos.

Currently based in Suffolk, where she shares a cottage with her two dogs and approximately 467 spiders, Isabelle fits her writing around a busy freelance career and tries her best not to be crushed to oblivion under her ever-growing pile of to-be-read books.

For more information, visit Isabelle’s website. You can also follow her on Twitter @Isabelle_Broom and find her on Facebook.

I’ve been lucky enough to read and review three of Peta Lemon’s children’s books so I was delighted when she sent me her latest, Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret, in return for an honest review.

You’ll find my review of Peta’s Timmy on the Toilet here, The Fed-Up Cow here and The Bins of Cotteridge Down here.

Published by Quirky Picture Press on 14th January 2020, Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret is available for purchase here.

Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret

Farmer Haystack makes a scarecrow to rid his farm of pesky birds and make lots of lovely money.

When all the birds disappear in a day the farmer is delighted and becomes rich beyond his wildest dreams.

But the scarecrow is hiding a BIG BAD secret.  What will happen when the farmer finds out the real reason all the birds have gone?

Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret is a bright and colourful, rhyming picture book that appeals to boys as well as girls.  It is longer than standard picture books (42 pages) and so suitable for slightly older children, suggested age 5-7 years.

My Review of Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret

The farmer wants the birds scared away because they are eating all his crops.

Once again Peta Lemon has created a super children’s book. As always with a Peta Lemon book, the illustrations bring the text of Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret to life perfectly. Maria Dasic Todoric’s pictures are a delight and help less confident independent readers comprehend the text more easily.

There’s so much to enjoy in the story with echoes of Alice in Wonderland as Scarecrow grows huge having eaten all the food, and Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret affords plenty of discussion about greed, sharing and being kind. I thought the underpinning message of learning from our mistakes and not being afraid to admit we are wrong was such a good idea. There’s humour and a lovely exploration of friendship too, with a clear theme around the environment so that Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret would be brilliant for home or classroom discussion. Similarly, I loved the lesson that material items do not necessarily make us happy and that nature needs protecting instead. I could see this story being translated into a fabulous school play if ever circumstances allow it again.

As I have come to expect from Peta Lemon’s children’s books, rhyme and rhythm are deftly used so that spelling patterns are clear, and there is a super balance of familiar and new vocabulary to meet the needs of any ability. Words like ‘abundance’ will add to a child’s lexicon, but other more familiar words will enable less strong readers to access the story independently.

Scarecrow’s Big Bad Secret is a vibrant, entertaining book that children – even those as old as me – will love!

About Peta Lemon

Peta Lemon is the author of beautifully illustrated children’s picture books, published under the imprint Quirky Picture Press.

Her books are always funny, written in rhyme and illustrated by Maria Dasic Todoric.

You can find Peta on Facebook.

Having loved Singapore on the occasions I have been fortunate to go there, I am delighted to welcome Isobel Scharen to the blog today because not only was Isobel born in Singapore, her book is based there. My thanks to Kim at Publishing Push for putting us in touch with one another. We all need to travel vicariously in these strange times so let’s see what Isobel told me when she stayed in with me:

Staying in with Isobel Scharen

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

Hello. Thanks so much for inviting me to share this evening with you.

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

I’ve brought along A Better Life, my debut novel that was published earlier this year.

Congratulations on your debut. What can we expect from an evening in with A Better Life?

What has struck me most is how varied readers’ reaction to the book have been, some of which I did not anticipate.

Many have loved it for the story of Ada and her struggles – dealing with her internment by the Japanese, separation from her daughter, the loss of her husband, her move to New Zealand which turns out not to be the haven of peace she might have imagined.

Some praised the sense of place I tried to create, particularly those who had a connection with wartime Singapore.

Others commented on the challenges of Ada’s mixed race marriage and single-handedly bringing up a mixed race daughter.

All have been engrossed by the love stories that underpin both halves of the book.

I think A Better Life sounds fabulous. You must be really delighted with those reactions. I hope to fit it in to my TBR very soon.

What else have you brought along and why?

This is an interesting question! I’ve brought two things for this evening. First is this beautiful Maori Tiki. My early years in New Zealand shaped my life. I was always interested in Maori culture and love these beautiful carved objects. It’s why I want to incorporate one in my book cover design.

Ah. I wondered about the significance of that image. 

I’ve also brought a picture of a curry feast. When I was young my family constantly told me of the wonderful food they used to eat in Singapore. I have always wanted my food to taste divine and look colourful!

I can vouch for the food in Singapore Isobel!

After I moved to Europe and went on holiday in some of the (then) poorer parts of Europe, it was often hard to find good food to eat. I would often try to stave off hunger pangs by conjuring up vivid images of Singaporean food. I enjoyed writing about food in the book!

Any guest who loves their food is always welcome here Isobel. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about A Better Life. Let me give blog readers more details:

A Better Life

Ada, a young Englishwoman in early-1940s Singapore, is about to be married to Michael, a well-educated Anglo-Indian from a wealthy family. She dreams of a life of security and fulfilment.

Instead, when the Japanese invade, her family struggle to cope under occupation, while she is interned in Changi gaol. Separated from her baby daughter and her beloved Michael, who is torn between loyalty to his family and duty to his country, she needs all her will-power to survive.

After the war, Ada must decide how best to protect her child. She leaves Singapore in search of a better life only to experience prejudice and unkindness. But her journey will also bring compassion and hope.

This moving and engaging story is an insightful depiction of people deeply affected by the horrors of war, a mother’s bond with her child, and the momentous challenge of rebuilding one’s life in peace-time. A challenge which requires, above all, self-belief, the capacity to forgive, and the courage to love again.

A Better Life is available for purchase here.

About Isobel Scharen

Isobel Scharen was born in Singapore, where she was adopted by a mixed-race couple. She was educated in New Zealand before settling in England. She now divides her time between London and Bristol. A Better Life is her first novel.

You’ll find Isobel on Facebook.