Now, you know I love a bit of history with my reading but I don’t often venture into the fantasy genre. When Steve Hutton told me about his book I had to ask him onto Linda’s Book Bag to explain a bit more. He may just have come up with the perfect solution!

Staying in with Steve Hutton

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

The pleasure’s all mine – a book without a reader is only half a book (-:

(And to my mind every book is a different one for every reader!)

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

Tonight’s offering Linda is my first novel, Raven’s Wand. It will always be special to me because after nine months of solid work, when I typed the last line I felt something I’d never felt before. That last line was like completing a circuit and watching the story become a free-living entity of its own.

(That must have felt amazing, Steve.)

Raven’s Wand is both a book for readers and for myself the writer. I’d long grown tired of fantasy novels that felt made up, and so I set my book against a backdrop of Victorian Britain, where the old ways of the Wildwood clash with ever-increasing industrialisation. I populated the pages with characters as real as I could craft, and imbued them with feelings we all have. I strove to avoid pantomime villains and saintly heroes, and instead make fantasy believable; in Raven’s Wand the villains are redeemable and scared, and the heroes are reluctant and flawed, and characters comes first and make-believe is the supporting act.

(Now you’re talking! This sounds so much more my kind of fantasy genre. I’m intrigued.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Raven’s Wand?

Readers can expect surprises and the unconventional – Raven’s Wand is a fantasy without the usual ‘hero quest’. I pushed my imagination to the limits to create creatures, characters and situations that broke as many moulds as possible, then glued them back together and broke them again. My ethos was to make the reader really care about the characters, and then when they’re in peril it feels real too. Hopefully the reader won’t just want to ‘stay in’ with Raven’s Wand, but to stay in the story for good. Many readers say they feel sad at the end because they have to say ‘farewell’ to characters that have become like close friends, while others say they’d gladly swap their hectic modern lives for the witches’ simpler (but precarious!) coven lifestyle. As an extra to the book, the publishers have created an Augmented Reality experience, which brings a third dimension to the story making it the first UK fantasy novel to do so.

(Wow. That sounds brilliant. I see readers can find out more about the Augmented Reality experience here.)

What else have you brought along and why?

I also have the Loch Ness monster with me. Well, I did – she seems to have slipped her lead. . . but her home is still an indelible part of my writing. When I began plotting Raven’s Wand some years ago, I was living in Fort Augustus, near Loch Ness. The house was a wooden lodge, named ‘Wildwood’, and I took the name and used it as the name for the witches’ coven central to the story. I also took the surrounding forest as inspiration, and I’d walk or cycle it daily and as I did I’d daydream and see my characters living out their lives (and thus my story) amongst those towering trunks and sunlit glades. As an illustrator also I put as much time into drawing my characters as I did in writing them. It was very important to me to get the hero on the cover just right – I drew her many times before she clicked with the written character in the book.

I had no idea you’d created the cover image too Steve. You’re obviously a man of many talents! You really have persuaded me that fantasy can be a genre I’ll enjoy and I have decided to add Raven’s Wand to my TBR. Thanks so much for staying in with me to tell me all about it.

Raven’s Wand

Raven’s Wand is about two opposing secret societies waging a war of belief behind the skin of Victorian Britain. One uses magic to heal the world, while the other twists it into abominations and war machines. Young Kolfinnia has a great task set before her and, with the aid of the Raven wand, she dares more than she ever dreamed possible.

You can find out more by visiting The Dark Raven’s Chronicle website or Facebook page.

Published by Boddington and Royall, Raven’s Wand is available for purchase here and on Amazon.

About Steve Hutton

Steve Hutton attained first a BA then later an MA in illustration and has illustrated for educational publishing, as well as running illustration workshops in schools across the country. As a freelance illustrator he has worked for the National Trust and created character concepts for film and TV, most notably The Golden Compass.

After years of illustrating for established writers, Steve decided it was time to tell his own stories. Taking his love of rugged northern lands, their legends and folklore, and combining them with interests as diverse as cosmology, magic and Earth sciences, the resulting narrative is The Dark Raven Chronicles. This ever-expanding fantasy series blends historical facts with wild fiction to create a unique world, enhanced and enriched by Steve’s own illustrations.

Steve owes as much to modern classics like Watership Down, and Mary Stewart’s Hollow Hills trilogy for their inspiration, as he does to the Icelandic Sagas and Beowulf. Over the years, his illustrative eye has been inspired by a host of talented artists, from Rodney Matthews to the team of illustrators who crafted the Dr Who novels he cherished as a boy. All of this feeds into his writing.

You can find out more by finding Steve on Facebook, and visiting his Wildwood website. There’s a brand new Twitter account for you to follow too @ChroniclesRaven.

I love a twisty psychological thriller so I’d like to extend my enormous thanks to Sabah Khan at Avon Books for inviting me to be part of the launch celebrations for Cuckoo by Sophie Draper and for sending me a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Published by Harper Collins imprint Avon on 29th November 2018, Cuckoo is available for purchase through the links here.

Cuckoo

There’s a stranger in your house…

When her stepmother dies unexpectedly, Caro returns to her childhood home in Derbyshire. She hadn’t seen Elizabeth in years, but the remote farmhouse offers refuge from a bad relationship, and a chance to start again.

But going through Elizabeth’s belongings unearths memories Caro would rather stay buried. In particular, the story her stepmother would tell her, about two little girls and the terrible thing they do.

As heavy snow traps Caro in the village, where her neighbours stare and whisper, Caro is forced to question why Elizabeth hated her so much, and what she was hiding. But does she really want to uncover the truth?

A haunting and twisty story about the lies we tell those closest to us, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Cass Green.

My Review of Cuckoo

After her step-mother’s funeral artist Caro returns to live in the family home in Derbyshire.

Oh yes indeedy! I really enjoyed reading Cuckoo. I did have willingly to suspend my disbelief a couple of times but I think that says more about me as a reader than it does about the narrative. I’m such a coward that had some of the events happened to me that happen to Caro I’d have run screaming for the Derbyshire hills and never returned. I really was quite unnerved on occasion.

I loved the claustrophobia of the setting. Derbyshire became as much a part of the story as the other characters and I could picture the scenes so vividly because Sophie Draper describes them brilliantly accurately. There’s such a clever build up in the writing from the literal restriction of the snow, through Caro’s reluctance to explore the house, to the more psychological elements of trapped memories and behaviours. Obviously I don’t want to spoil the story so I can’t say too much but I will say that this is very intelligently constructed.

In Cuckoo, Sophie Draper also makes wonderful subtle references that build up the tension throughout because they have the ability to trigger associations in the reader. I thought of Macbeth, The Snow Queen and the film Don’t Look Now for example, all of which created the atmosphere for me. All the fairy tale references, the traditions of cautionary fables and morality lurk in a menacing way beneath the surface of Cuckoo, so that reality and imagination become blurred not just for Caro. It was as if Sophie Draper’s writing and Caro’s paintings ensnared my own reader emotions and fears without my permission, making for a very affecting read. I think Cuckoo would make a truly fabulous film as many of the element are extremely visual and cinematic.

The reduced number of characters also adds to the creepy claustrophobic atmosphere. I had no idea who to trust and even after reading the ending I still have my doubts. Caro is complex; vulnerable and strong in equal measure. I don’t think I’d want her as a friend and at times I didn’t much like her but I was spellbound by her.

I thought the plot was so good. Of course I had it all worked out and knew exactly what the denouement would be. Of course I was mostly wrong! I did guess a couple of elements that gave an added satisfaction to the reading because it made me feel part of the story, but at times I was also incredibly wrong-footed so that I experienced shocks and surprises too.

The themes in Cuckoo are fascinating. Family, guilt, memory, manipulation, community, superstition, relationships – I could go on – are all there. I really want to reread Cuckoo straightaway to look more carefully at the clues and the way Sophie Draper manipulated the reader. Cuckoo is a book that rewards a close and careful read.

Cuckoo is everything I want in this genre. It’s twisty, gripping and entertaining so that I didn’t want it to end. Cracking reading that I thoroughly recommend.

About Sophie Draper

Sophie Draper was born in the Midlands but raised in Scotland. After gaining an MA in Mediaeval History, she followed a career in finance, travelling the world as a management consultant and International Finance Director. She took a career break to have a family, returning to work as a non-executive director for a building society.

After her youngest child was born, Sophie rediscovered her love of stories, taking up life as a writer and traditional oral storyteller. In 2013, she was nominated for the British Awards for Storytelling Excellence in the category of Outstanding Female Storyteller. She now performs across the UK, telling stories to both adults and children, at festivals, schools, museums, historic houses and community groups.

Her debut novel, Cuckoo, was published by Avon (HarperCollins) on 29th November 2018. In 2017, Cuckoo (then titled The Pear Drum) won the Bath Novel Award, as well as the prestigious Friday Night Live competition at the York Festival of Writing. A second book is to be published by Avon later in 2019.

Sophie lives with her family in rural Derbyshire, in a house filled with music, several cats, too many books and three growing boys.

You can follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiedraper9 and visit her website.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

If you’re a regular visitor to Linda’s Book Bag it won’t have escaped your notice that I am a little bit obsessed with Roman history, having been on a dig, collecting Roman coins and visiting places like Jerash in Jordan, Carthage in Tunisia and Pompeii in Italy. Consequently, I simply had to invite L.J Trafford to the blog to stay in with me and tell me all about her latest book.

Staying in with L.J. Trafford

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

Hello Linda. Firstly thank you so much for inviting me over. I am delighted to be here.

(I’m delighted you’re here too as I think I’m going to like what you’re about to tell me!)

I have brought my latest book Vitellius’ Feast. It’s book four in my historical fiction series examining the very bloody year 69AD. A year when Rome had four emperors. Three who went in fairly bloody circumstances leaving one ultimate victor.

(I love the Romans so I’ve a feeling I’m going to have to read ALL your books!)

What can we expect from an evening in with Vitellius’ Feast?

A bit of a Roman romp! Contrary to lots of depictions Romans weren’t serious grey headed men in togas making noble speeches at each other. Graffiti and poetry from the time reveals them to be earthy, filthy and funny.

(Having seen some of the murals in Pompeii, I can vouch for the fact they weren’t straight laced L.J.!) 

Having said that Vitellius’ Feast is set in a particularly brutal period of Roman history which means the stakes are high for all of my characters:

Can they successfully negotiate the fast changing political landscape?

Can they avoid the incoming legions bent on destruction and victory?

And can the palace catering department cope with the glutton emperor Vitellius’ every demand?

(A man after my own heart it would seem. Quite partial to a bit of gluttony myself…)

What else have you brought along and why?

I thought it fitting to bring a Roman dish of Vitellius’ own devising. It’s entitled Minerva’s Shield and the ingredients include pike-livers, pheasant-brains, peacock-brains, flamingo-tongues and lampreys (which are a sort of eel).

(Hmm. Not sure if I’m going to like that one much actually… Obviously I’m not that much of a glutton!)

I also have amphora of the finest Falerian wine kept cool using snow from the alps.

(That’s a bit more like it L.J.)

No Roman banquet would be complete without entertainment, so Domitian here is going to show off his archery skills firing arrows through the spread fingers of the slaves. Don’t worry he’s very good. Though obviously I will pay damages should any of your merchandise gets damaged.

(If you don’t mind, I’ll just move a couple of things with sentimental value out of the way before he begins!)

It’s been brilliant having a Roman evening in with you L.J. Thank you for staying in with me to tell me all about Vitellius’ Feast.

Vitellius’ Feast

AD 69. As this most dramatic year draws to a close, now is the time to choose a definitive side. Whilst Vitellius enjoys the trappings of power around him, machinations are afoot. In the East, Vespasian has his eye on the throne, but he needs help preparing Rome for his plans and, for his teenage son Domitian, protection from Vitellius’ agents.

With her characteristic flair, and lashings of skulduggery, sex, brutality, and humour, L. J. Trafford brings her Roman quartet, tracing the Year of the Four Emperors, to a spectacular conclusion.

Vitellius’ Feast, was published on 6th December 2018, by Sphinx, an imprint of AEON Books, priced £12.99, available from Amazon.

About L.J.Trafford

LJ. Trafford is the author of the The Four Emperors series. After gaining a degree in Ancient History, Trafford toured across the amphitheatres of Western Europe. A collision with a moped in Rome cut her journey short, as she returned to the UK battered and impressively bruised.

She spent several years working as a tour guide, which ended up being the perfect introduction to writing as her tips relied on the creativity and entertainment of her skill at telling the history of the tour.

L.J. Trafford now works in London doing something whizzy with computers, but still finds time to jump back in time to bring tales of Ancient Rome to her readers!

You can follow L.J. Trafford on Twitter @TraffordLj.

With traditional literature at the heart of my life, it gives me very great pleasure today to welcome Terry Ward to Linda’s Book Bag. Terry has an unusual book that I think will have enormous appeal for blog readers.

Staying in with Terry Ward

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Terry. Thanks so much for agreeing to stay in with me. Tell me, which of your books have you brought to tell us about this evening?

I have brought along Jack Dawkins, this evening, because he wants to set the record straight about what happened to him after he was obliged to take up lodgings in Newgate Prison. Thanks to the genius of Lionel Bart, we all have a lasting image of him skipping away into the sunset, arm in arm with Fagin. Well, the young jackanapes is here to tell you that the truth is very different.

I’m sure it is Terry! What can we expect from an evening in with Jack Dawkins?

You don’t have to know your history or your Dickens. Jack has very kindly provided a Glossary that you can refer to as he relates in his own inimitable fashion, his encounter with an unusually erudite Bow Street Runner, murderous villains, turnkeys, philanthropists, Owlers, passing strangers – and Miss Lysette Godden, the first human being he has ever loved. Strangely enough, Jack also reveals that, as he conducts what proves to be a highly dangerous search for his mother and father, he finds his true self.

(I think this sounds excellent. I’m delighted that I have a copy of Jack Dawkins on my TBR pile and I am very much looking forward to reading it.)

What else have you brought along and why?

I’ve had another visit from the Artful Dodger.  You will probably know from watching my You Tube video The Artful Dodger returns – that he has already helped me to promote his life story..

(I’ve watched that You Tube video. He’s quite passionate about it all isn’t he?)

He didn’t stay long, last night. With a copy of Johnson’s Dictionary tucked under his arm, he simply wanted to know ‘how it was going.’ He made some very astute comments after I told him that it was early days, yet. He said, ‘The trouble is, there’s no fantasy in it; nor no vampires, and such. That’s the sort of thing that gets read these days; that, and the unmentionable stuff.  How many shades of grey were there? Do you know something else, Mr Ward, sir?  People don’t realise how much pleasure they are going to get from reading Jack Dawkins until they start doing it.  At the end, they wonder how I managed to survive it all, but then, so did I at the time.’ ’

(I think Jack will be surprised by how many of us, me included, want to read his story Terry.)

After telling me that he had to go because there was a lot to do ‘up there’ before Christmas, Jack simply vanished.  I have a feeling he’ll be back, though. He did leave some of his opinions to share on:

 Judges: ‘They’ll send an out of work man to the gallows for pinching enough stuff to keep his wife and family alive, then go home to a mansion and a two hour dinner.’

War:     ‘Kill one man and you’ll get hanged.  Kill a hundred thousand and they’ll put up a statue with your name on it.’

 Poverty:  ‘I’ve spent most of my life trying to stay alive on the streets of London town, summer and winter.  You ought to try it sometime.  It’s an education.’

Kissing in general:  ‘Isn’t it the finest thing?’

Kissing Lysette:  ‘A stolen kiss isn’t worth much, but the real thing certainly is! I suppose everybody closes their eyes when they do it, don’t they?’

Napoleon:  ‘He’s another one who got sent down in the end. They’ve stuck him on an island, somewhere; but I bet he’s still got more than sixpence in his pocket.’

I thought you might like to meet Jack Dawkins’ ghost-writer.  You can see more of me on the You Tube video ‘the spirit of the Artful Dodger’.

In which Jack does the decent thing by returning from ‘Mutton Pie and Porter heaven’ to give me a helping hand.

(I think Jack Dawkins sounds quite a character Terry!)

I also brought a picture of myself as Jack Dawkins’s ghost writer.

(You look most distinguished!)

Thanks so much for staying in with me and telling me all about Jack Dawkins, Terry. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the man and the book!

Jack Dawkins

After Oliver Twist intervenes to save Jack Dawkins – the legendary Artful Dodger – from transportation to Botany Bay, Jack embarks on what proves to be a perilous quest to discover his roots. Before he can say ‘Fagin!’ he’s battling to survive a devastating flood and rescue beautiful black-haired, green-eyed Lysette Godden, the girl of his dreams, from the hands of murderous villains. Jack and Lysette, searching for Jack’s parents, head to France and have an adventure there which tests their mettle and mutual love to the utmost and changes their lives for ever.

Brilliantly and evocatively written, Jack Dawkins is a worthy sequel to Charles Dickens’s immortal masterpiece Oliver Twist.

Hampered by her tendency always to want what she hasn’t got and an apparent inability to let go of the past, will Lucy ever find her elusive happy-ever-after? This witty, amusing, highly entertaining and fast-paced novel is sure to make you feel Lucy’s dilemma, and warm your heart.

Published by The Conrad Press, Jack Dawkins is available for purchase here or directly from the publisher.

About Terry Ward

Born into dire, Dickensian poverty, I escaped from it by entering public libraries at a very young age; losing myself in the works of John Buchan, Robert Louis Stevenson-and Charles Dickens.  Oh, boy, how sympatico I was with his heroes!  I moved on to Conrad, Waugh, Wodehouse, Dostoevsky and so many others-but real-life prevailed.

Leaving home at the age of fifteen, I made my own way in the world; falling in love with desert landscapes while experiencing sharp action in the Aden Protectorate and serving with the elite Trucial Oman Scouts; a force that maintained law and order in the ‘Seven Sheikhdoms’, a primitive world that was to be swept away by the discovery of oil; lots and lots of lovely oil!  And so, for a few years, I lived a boy’s own adventure.  Some of it is recorded in my, rather unsatisfactory, autobiography, As Far as I can Remember and in Are You the Man? a unique collection of Trucial Oman Scouts veterans reminiscences and rare photographs; edited by myself.  Married to a beautiful woman, and with two sons, I continued to write while working as the head of a university’s hospitality services.

Jack Dawkins was wrested from the heart of my epic novel, self-published but now withdrawn from circulation, The Artful Dodger and the Hero of the Forlorn Hope.  This happened after I took early retirement in order to concentrate on becoming a published author.  A rather pedantic literary agent agreed to add me to his list of authors if I could find it in myself to write a first-person novel about the Artful Dodger.  I did so, because obtaining any form of agent is a miracle in itself.  By the way; young Oliver Twist has everyone dabbing at their eyes with a hankie as they read Dickens eponymous novel, but I gave sympathetic thought to the Artful Dodger and the inner strength he must have had in order to survive.  I simply had to give the lad a life.

A bibliophile all my life, I can distance myself from Jack Dawkins and firmly state that it would make a great TV drama, even in cartoon form, while the book it was torn from would make a magnificent movie.

I have just finished re-structuring a novel that was inspired by poet, James Shirley’s’ premise that there is no armour against fate. Between Cancer and Capricorn is a post Second World War story, relating the struggles and experiences of two brothers after they are separated by a devastating family tragedy.  In my mind, but not on paper, so to speak, are a children’s story Scare Crow and The Dirty Half-Hundred.  I will have my Peninsular War epic!

For what it’s worth, my advice to good writers, struggling to get published, is, never forget that you are dealing with a profession that has rejected everything from Animal Farm to Zen and the Art of Motor-cycle Maintenance via Lord of the Flies and Harry Potter.  Never stop knocking on the doors at the bottom of their ivory towers.

As you know, I love a psychological thriller and thanks to Caroline at Bits About Books, Adam croft stays in with me on Linda’s Book Bag today to tell me about his latest book, The Perfect Lie.

Staying in with Adam Croft

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Adam. 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 brought The Perfect Lie. I chose it because it’s my newest book. I won’t release a book unless I’m pretty confident it’s better than my previous one, so by that logic this should be my best book yet.

(That sounds a reasonable plan to me.)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Perfect Lie?

If I’ve done my job properly, you can expect to be terrified. In my psychological thrillers, I like to take ordinary people with ordinary lives and turn those lives upside down. I really wanted to get across the terror of what it must be like to be framed for such a horrendous crime — one which you didn’t commit. It’s got to be one of the worst things imaginable, and I think readers can gain a lot by putting themselves in the shoes of someone who’s going through a horrendous experience.

(Far better to experience it vicariously than first hand I’d say Adam.)

What else have you brought along and why?

I thought it only fitting that I should bring along my friend Graham Bartlett, former Chief Superintendent of Sussex Police and former Police Commander of Brighton & Hove. Graham now works as a police procedure advisor to crime writers, and he’s been absolutely invaluable to me. He had a huge amount of input into the procedure and timelines in The Perfect Lie and I’m really looking forward to working with him on more books in the future. He also contributes to Crime Fiction Masterclasses, which operate around the UK and let authors and readers get the inside track on how crimes are solved.

As for music, it’s going to have to be a little song called Her Last Tomorrow by Bishop Blue. They wrote the song after reading my book of the same name, and were inspired to turn it into a song — with my wholehearted support. It’s a totally new concept for me, but a fascinating one!

(That sounds exciting.)

Thank you for staying in with me and telling me all about The Perfect Lie Adam.

The Perfect Lie

What if you were framed for a murder you didn’t commit?

Amy Walker lives the perfect family life with her husband and two young sons. Until a knock at the door turns their lives upside down.

It’s the police. Her father-in-law is dead and they’re arresting her for his murder.

The evidence against her is overwhelming. Forensics and witnesses place her at the scene. But there’s only one problem:

She didn’t do it.

With her family destroyed and a murder sentence looming, Amy must discover who murdered her father-in-law — and why they’re so hell-bent on framing her as the killer.

The Perfect Lie is available for purchase through these links.

About Adam Croft

With over 1.5 million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world, and one of the biggest selling authors of the past few years.

Following his 2015 worldwide bestseller Her Last Tomorrow, his psychological thrillers were bought by Thomas & Mercer, an imprint of Amazon Publishing. Prior to the Amazon deal, Her Last Tomorrow sold more than 150,000 copies across all platforms and became one of the bestselling books of the year, reaching the top 10 in the overall Amazon Kindle chart and peaking at number 12 in the combined paperback fiction and non-fiction chart.

His Knight & Culverhouse crime thriller series has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide, with his Kempston Hardwick mystery books being adapted as audio plays starring some of the biggest names in British TV.

In 2016, the Knight & Culverhouse Box Set reached storewide number 1 in Canada, knocking J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child off the top spot only weeks after Her Last Tomorrow was also number 1 in Canada. The new edition of Her Last Tomorrow also reached storewide number 1 in Australia over Christmas 2016.

During the summer of 2016, two of Adam’s books hit the USA Today bestseller list only weeks apart, making them two of the most-purchased books in the United States over the summer.

In February 2017, Only The Truth became a worldwide bestseller, reaching storewide number 1 at both Amazon US and Amazon UK, making it the bestselling book in the world at that moment in time. The same day, Amazon’s overall Author Rankings placed Adam as the most widely read author in the world, with J.K. Rowling in second place.

Adam has been featured on BBC television, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live, the BBC World Service, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, The Bookseller and a number of other news and media outlets.

In March 2018, Adam was conferred as an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the highest academic qualification in the UK, by the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of his achievements.

Adam presents the regular crime fiction podcast Partners in Crime with fellow bestselling author Robert Daws.

You can find out more by visiting Adam’s website and his Amazon author page, finding him on Facebook and Instagram and following him on Twitter @adamcroft.

I’ve been lucky enough to read and review two previous children’s books by Peta Lemon so I was delighted when she sent me her latest, The Bins of Cotteridge Down, in return for an honest review.

You’ll find my review of Timmy on the Toilet here and The Fed-Up Cow here.

Published by Quirky Picture Press on 23rd November 2018, The Bins of Cotteridge Down is available for purchase here.

The Bins of Cotteridge Down

In a corner of England lies an old town.
A curious place – it’s called Cotteridge Down.
Cotteridge Down was not at all clean.
But the smelliest, filthiest place ever seen.
Festering rubbish is left on the ground.
Cruddy old carpets and boots lay around.
The smell is revolting! Too much too bear.
Even the rats packed and left in despair.
Fed-up and cross with the state of the place.
An empty street bin says, “What a disgrace!
Right, that’s it, enough is enough.
Now it is time for the bins to get tough!”

Join the Bins of Cotteridge Down as they teach the litter bugs a lesson and carry out the greatest cleaning expedition ever known!

Can the bins save Cotteridge Down before it is too late?

And will they get a Royal seal of approval?

The Bins of Cotteridge Down is the third rhyming picture book by Peta Lemon and Maria Dasic Todoric. With hilarious illustrations and an important message about respecting the environment, it will have to be read again and again!

My Review of The Bins of Cotteridge Down

Cotteridge Down is a gleaming place to live. But it wasn’t always like that!

Having previously reviewed two of Peta Lemon’s brilliant books for children, Timmy on the Toilet and The Fed-Up Cow it’s difficult to say something new and original about The Bins of Cotteridge Down as it is just a wonderful as the other two with fabulous illustrations, a cracking story and super language use.

Maria Dasic Todoric’s illustrations exemplify the text with perfection. I can imagine teachers or parents returning to The Bins of Cotteridge Down time after time because there’s so much to look at, enjoy and discuss. Children might spot the different animals or investigate the different countries on the globe as those around the world see what has happened to create Cotteridge Down into the place it has become.

Once again, Peta Lemon’s language use works so well thorough a seemingly effortless rhyme scheme. She provides numerous opportunities to develop literacy through that rhyme scheme and rhythms of the writing, also extending children’s vocabulary with words and phrases such as ‘swerving’ and ‘despair’ or ‘hatched a plan’. There’s such a fabulous plot as the bins take control of the rubbish and the people of Cotteridge Down. I love the humour that underpins the story too.

Most outstanding for me, however, is the powerful environmental message behind The Bins of Cotteridge Down. If we are to save the planet, we need our children to have an understanding of how their actions and those of their communities affect the places we live. When even the rats are so fed up with the mess they have to leave then something has to be done! Peta Lemon covers so many environmental concepts from discarded chewing gum to litter, dog mess to fly-tipping with such vitality and entertainment that the message is conveyed and absorbed naturally and effectively. The Bins of Cotteridge Down would encourage primary aged children to take a real pride in their environment and make them realise how their own small actions contribute to a wider effect. Sheer genius.

I think The Bins of Cotteridge Down is a sensational book for children that would enhance any home or classroom.

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.

I feature all kinds of books here on Linda’s Book Bag for many different reasons. Today I think Špela Kranjec has brought along a very important book as we stay in together this evening.

Staying in with Špela Kranjec

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

Thanks for the invitation! I read quite a few of your “Staying in with…” articles, and I’m honored to take part.

You’re very welcome. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

Of course, I brought my own book, NOTICE ME: My 9-Year Struggle against Anorexia. It tells the story of my 9-year struggle with anorexia, which, of course, I overcame.

(I’m so pleased to hear you managed that Špela. I’ve taught many youngsters who’ve battled hard against anorexia.)

During these nine years, I experienced feelings that were anything but pleasant, and behaved in a way that I would never ever consider if I was healthy. I would never wish anyone to go through what I have. But, as I did go through this and I can’t erase it, I can now do everything I can to help others start their fight with a bit more knowledge and advice, so that they can overcome anorexia more easily and quickly. And I think a book is the right way – it will, hopefully, be available around the world, for anyone to read it.

(I hope so too. It’s such an important subject and I know those with anorexia often feel very isolated and alone.)

What can we expect from an evening in with NOTICE ME:My 9-Year Struggle against Anorexia?

Of course, you can expect a touching story, written by a simple girl who had decided not to give up on her life, and climbed back up from my lowest point in life.

Anyone who is fighting a battle against anorexia can identify with me, find themselves in my story, realizing that they are not alone. This will help give them the boost for this very difficult and long fight, which they might not even want at the moment. Through my story, I let the reader know that it is worth fighting, that there are still good times to be had, even though it might not look like it. I know it’s easier to listen to someone who was in a situation similar to yours. You’re never sure with other people – are they only saying things because they want to change you in some way? So you’re constantly questioning if they’re even right. Also, it is very easy to be a smartass about something you never experienced. Simply put, I can say without a doubt that someone who has not experienced an eating disorder cannot know how such a person feels, as a person with anorexia will experience some new and unusual feelings that are better left unknown.

( I quite agree! Although I’ve never experienced it first hand I have seen the struggles in others.)

That’s why my book is not intended only for those with eating disorders. With this book, I hope to describe the life of someone suffering from anorexia to those fortunate and healthy. I believe this will help them imagine this particular situation, and consequently make it easier for them to offer help. Help and support are so very important for people suffering from anorexia!

(I think I would have found this really helpful when I was teaching Špela.)

So you can expect to find a whole range of feelings, empathy and reliving, thinking and soul-searching, as well as practical advice in solutions that will hopefully help you solve your problems.

(It sounds incredibly helpful to all of us.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

On this occasion, I brought a delicious sandwich, filled with cheese, ham and crispy lettuce! I can’t help myself, but every time I read my book, write an article on anorexia, work on a project related to my book, or just talk about eating disorders, all the memories from the past come rushing back, and my body wants food. As if it’s trying to make sure anorexia never comes back. I’ve already joked about this – I really shouldn’t write too many articles, as I’d be constantly eating. 🙂 That’s why I’m having this sandwich today, and I intend to enjoy it immensely! I won’t think about its calories. I won’t think about the fact that bread might be unhealthy. I won’t be thinking about miles I need to run to burn all the calories in this sandwich. I will only enjoy its taste, and eat it with as much gusto as if I were eating my last sandwich! And I believe you can all join me and enjoy a sandwich! Let this sandwich be a symbol of victory over anorexia and the beginning of a new chapter in life.

P.S.: Don’t forget about a piece of chocolate! 🙂

Let’s tuck in Špela! Thanks so much for sharing your story and your book with us. I hope NOTICE ME:My 9-Year Struggle against Anorexia is a real success and helps as many readers as possible.

NOTICE ME:My 9-Year Struggle against Anorexia

With her brother, Špela started the project NOTICE ME: My 9-Year Struggle against Anorexia, which will be launched on Kickstarter in December. Support them and help Špela make her dream come true by clicking here.

NOTICE ME: My 9-Year Struggle against Anorexia is being funded on Kickstarter and if you would like to back it please click here.

About Špela Kranjec

Employed as an economist in a fashion store, but a nutrition advisor by education. She chose this field of study because of her desire to help others. She is also a passionate mountain climber. Špela is a 26-year-old girl with a difficult life experience, which led her to write a book.

She says that her experience had made her the person she is today. And even though it was difficult, she is now proud to say that she managed to overcome something terrible, ultimately becoming a strong and stable person, trying to do some good in this world.

You can find ŠpelaKranjec on Facebook and Instagram, visit her website and follow her on Twitter @BookSpela.

I adore Jo Thomas’s writing and when a surprise copy of A Winter Beneath the Stars arrived from Bookends I was so excited and immediately bumped it up my 900+ TBR .

You can read my reviews of Jo’s Sunset Over the Cherry Orchard here, The Olive Branch here and Late Summer in the Vineyard here. I also have a smashing post about Jo’s top 5 holiday destinations that you can read here.

Published by Headline Review, A Winter Beneath the Stars is available for purchase here.

A Winter Beneath the Stars

Halley has been running from her problems for years.

On a courier trip to Tallfors, deep in Swedish Lapland, everything is going to plan. Halley has her bag, with two precious wedding rings inside for delivery… until she doesn’t.

The only way to save the wedding is to team up with mysterious reindeer herder Bjorn, the one person who can lead her across the snowy tundra to be reunited with her bag.

On a journey of a lifetime beneath the stars, with only the reindeer and a bad-tempered stranger for company beside the fire, Halley realises that she will need to confront her past heartaches in order to let the warmth of love in once more…

My Review of A Winter Beneath the Stars

Halley has a package to deliver but not all goes according to plan.

Now, I have to admit that I am so used to warm Mediterranean settings from Jo Thomas that I approached A Winter Beneath the Stars with trepidation. I shouldn’t have worried. All the glorious trademark descriptions, especially of food, are present so that I felt as much as if I were returning home to a place I knew well in Jo Thomas’ writing as Halley does in her quest across the snow. I did have to accept that Halley would travel with a complete stranger in difficult conditions when I’m not sure I would have done, but I found Jo Thomas persuaded me completely. I believed in the narrative without question.

A Winter Beneath the Stars is a lovely, lovely read. I was utterly transported to a winter wonderland and all the references to the dogs, reindeer, snow, stars and Northern Lights brought memories of my own experiences of them in Lapland rushing back because the writing was so realistic and evocative.

Not only was I transported by location, but Jo Thomas managed to place me emotionally right inside the hearts of Bjorn and Halley so that I felt every one of their hopes and fears with them. It takes enormous skill to hold a reader’s attention with just two characters for much of the time, with Lars and the wedding party as supporting cast, and I was entranced throughout. I was desperate for a happy ending for them all because I cared about them as real people.

However, I have to say that I was incredibly affected by the themes woven throughout this fabulous story. I felt the gradual uncovering of Halley’s motives for all her travel and Bjorn’s need to rediscover a more simple way of life resonated through to my very soul. This may be a relatively lighthearted read, not intended to profound introspection, but I found A Winter Beneath the Stars touched me and I can’t stop thinking about it.

I loved A Winter Beneath the Stars. It’s romantic and engaging and just perfect for winter reading.

About Jo Thomas

Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, first for BBC Radio 5, before moving on to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and Radio 2’s The Steve Wright Show. In 2013 Jo won the RNA Katie Fforde Bursary. Her debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller in ebook and was awarded the 2014 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the 2014 Festival of Romance Best Ebook Award. Jo lives in the Vale of Glamorgan with her husband and three children.

You can visit Jo’s website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @jo_thomas01.

It has given me enormous pleasure this year to stay in with a range of authors I would never have otherwise ‘met’ and I’m delighted today that another new to me author, Sandra Danby, has agreed to stay in and tell me about one of her books.

Staying in with Sandra Danby

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

It’s a pleasure, Linda.

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

I’ve brought my latest book, Connectedness. Published earlier this year, it’s the second in the Identity Detective series. It will appeal to fans of Maggie O’Farrell, Lucinda Riley, Tracy Rees and Rachel Hore with its mixture of Family, Suspense, Secrets and a touch of Romance.

(With some of my favourite authors there, you’ve piqued my interest immediately Sandra!)

A new reviewer said, “I think the characters came off as so realistic, I couldn’t not like it! I also think the cover is going to draw people in like hotcakes, it’s brilliant! Anyway, great plot and writing, it’s sure to be a hit!” The exclamation marks are hers, not mine!

(How brilliant. I’m sure you must be thrilled with that response. I love the cover too.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Connectedness?

In the first book in the series, Ignoring Gravity, journalist Rose Haldane searched for answers about her own adoption as a one-day old baby. Now she turns detective to help artist Justine Tree. It’s the first time Rose has been employed to solve an adoption mystery and she is nervous about getting it right. But as each day passes, she feels further away from finding Justine’s missing daughter and starts to wonder if Justine really does want her to succeed. The novel explores the concept of whether telling a lie to protect a loved one is a good idea, both Justine and Rose struggle with this. There’s a love story in Spain – Justine’s story is set partly in 1980s Málaga where she went to art college – intertwined with her modern day story as an internationally successful artist [think Tracey Emin without the unmade bed] where a scandal could endanger her career. I loved writing about Justine and the art world, I discovered a love of art previously unexplored; I just wish I was less ham-fisted with a paintbrush. So, there are lots of twists, love and betrayal, sadness and ultimately hope. I’ve just realized I haven’t mentioned the Yorkshire connection, my homeland and so it seemed natural for Justine to be a Yorkshire woman too.

(Oh. I do love the sound of this series Sandra. I’m devoting next year to reading and reviewing so I think my enormous TBR may just need to increase!)

What else have you brought along and why? 

Biscuits play an important role in the story, appearing in Justine’s Yorkshire childhood and her art studio in London. They trigger memories and provide moments of bonding between Rose and Justine at sticky moments. One reader told me she read the book longing for a packet of shortbread biscuits! So I tonight I have an assortment of the key biscuits… assorted shortbread fans and fingers, fig rolls, Garibaldis, custard creams, Ginger Nuts and chocolate Hob-Nobs. Justine’s favourite biscuit is a shortbread fan… and it’s mine too, with a large mug of strong Yorkshire Tea.

Now you really are my kind of guest Sandra. It’s always tea time in the Hill household and I am somewhat addicted to all those biscuits but shortbread is one of especial favourites. I’ll have to ask you back again. Thanks so much for staying in with me and telling me all about Connectedness. It sounds my kind of read.

Connectedness

TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD, ARTIST JUSTINE TREE HAS IT ALL… BUT SHE ALWAYS HAS A SECRET THAT THREATENS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING

Justine’s art sells around the world, but does anyone truly know her? When her mother dies, she returns to her childhood home in Yorkshire where she decides to confront her past. She asks journalist Rose Haldane to find the baby she gave away when she was an art student, but only when Rose starts to ask difficult questions does Justine truly understand what she must face.

Is Justine strong enough to admit the secrets and lies of her past? To speak aloud the deeds she has hidden for 27 years, the real inspiration for her work that sells for millions of pounds. Could the truth trash her artistic reputation? Does Justine care more about her daughter, or her art? And what will she do if her daughter hates her?

This tale of art, adoption, romance and loss moves between now and the Eighties, from London’s art world to the bleak isolated cliffs of East Yorkshire and the hot orange blossom streets of Málaga, Spain.

A family mystery for fans of Maggie O’Farrell, Lucinda Riley, Tracy Rees and Rachel Hore.

 Connectedness is available for purchase here.

 About the ‘Identity Detective’ series

Rose Haldane reunites the people lost through adoption. The stories you don’t see on television shows. The difficult cases.The people who cannot be found, who are thought lost forever. Each book in the ‘Identity Detective’ series considers the viewpoint of one person trapped in this horrible dilemma. In the first book of the series, Ignoring Gravity, it is Rose’s experience we follow as an adult discovering she was adopted as a baby. Connectedness is the story of a birth mother and her longing to see her baby again. Sweet Joy, the third novel, will tell the story of a baby abandoned during The Blitz.

 About Sandra Danby

Sandra Danby is a proud Yorkshire woman, tennis nut and tea drinker. She believes a walk on the beach will cure most ills. Unlike Rose Haldane, the identity detective in her two novels, Ignoring Gravity and Connectedness, Sandra is not adopted.

You can find out more about Sandra by visiting her website, following her on Twitter @SandraDanby and finding her on Goodreads, Pinterest and Facebook.

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour for Nici’s Christmas Tale by Jean Gill. I haven’t been accepting blog tour request for a while but I couldn’t resist this one!

Published by The 13th Sign on 30th November Nici’s Christmas Tale is available for purchase here.

Nici’s Christmas Tale

A stand-alone short story in the multi-award-winning Troubadours Quartet series
1157: Aquitaine. The wolves are coming! 

At midnight on Christmas Eve, while the blizzard blasts snow through every crack in the castle walls, Nici the Shepherd’s Dog stands guard in the sheepfold.

Beside him as usual are his pack and the flock they protect but this night is not usual at all. A small boy braves the snowy night, seeking the protection of his great friend while he is banned from his parents’ quarters in the castle. 

Nici recalls other times and other dangers, his trials and failures, the reasons why he ran away with a young girl, now the little boy’s mother. He would still give his life in a heartbeat for Lady Estela. And yet, on this snowy night, he cannot help her. So, while he waits and comforts Estela’s son, he tells his own puppies the story of a dog’s life.

My Review of Nici’s Christmas Tale

On a cold wintry evening the puppies want a story from Nici.

I’m astounded by Nici’s Christmas Tale because although it is a short story, it packs an enormous punch and contains everything a full sized epic novel might contain. Jean Gill is an incredibly skilled writer and I’m only sorry I haven’t encountered her work before.

Nici’s Christmas Tale is resonant of the great traditions of storytelling and I found myself likening Nici to the troubadours of old. There’s peril, affection, loyalty, love, crime and evil woven into a narrative that I found entrancing. I devoured this narrative in a single sitting, not because it is a short story, but because I was captivated.

Nici is such a clear character. His voice reverberated in my head until I was sitting in the straw listening just as much as the others. I felt so sad for him on several occasions and so proud of him on others and had to remind myself I was reading a story about a sheepdog and not a person I knew! I think the accuracy of the historical detail contributed to me feeling this way too, especially in those moments when Nici describes being in the great hall.

As well as being thoroughly entertained and transported back in time by Nici’s Christmas Tale I also loved the allegorical theme of shepherding. There’s so much to ponder about how we treat others and wish to be treated. 

Nici’s Christmas Tale is a smashing tale to be enchanted by on a cold winter’s afternoon. I thought it was excellent.

About Jean Gill

Jean Gill is a Welsh writer and photographer living in the south of France with two scruffy dogs, a beehive named ‘Endeavour’, a Nikon D750 and a man. For many years, she taught English and was the first woman to be a secondary headteacher in Wales. She is mother or stepmother to five children so life was hectic.

Publications are varied, including prize-winning poetry and novels, military history, translated books on dog training, and a cookery book on goat cheese. With Scottish parents, an English birthplace and French residence, she can usually support the winning team on most sporting occasions.
You can sign up to Jean special readers’ group here for exclusive news, offers and a free book and follow Jean on Twitter @writerjeangill.

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