I recently reviewed (here) the lovely book The Story Collector by Evie Gaughan so I am thrilled that Evie is joining me as part of the book’s launch celebrations to tell me more about it.

Staying in with Evie Gaughan

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

Thanks for having me Linda! I love a good night in, especially with a book.

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

So this evening I have chosen my new book, The Story Collector. Steeped in magical realism, this is a story that is very close to my heart, as it is full of Irish folklore and myth – a bit of a love letter to the past. Hope you enjoy!

(I did indeed and my review is right here!)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Story Collector?

‘The Story Collector treads the intriguing line between the everyday and the otherworldly’. All of my stories are woven with threads of the supernatural, pulling the reader into a world of pure escapism. This story is set in the village of Thornwood in the early 1900s; a quiet, rural community where nothing much happens until a young American scholar arrives to study the Celtic belief in fairies. There, he meets Anna, a young woman who has her own reasons for wanting to find The Good People and so she agrees to help him translate the stories they gather from the locals. One hundred years later, Sarah Harper discovers Anna’s diary and the secrets that lie therein. Naturally, trouble ensues, but I won’t give anymore away!

What else have you brought along and why? 

Music, there has to be music! I know some writers don’t like any sound at all while they write, but I’ve always used music to help me connect with my characters, time and place. I created a playlist of traditional Irish folk music by contemporary artists. There’s a beautiful Irish lullaby that I use in the book, all about keeping a child safe from the fairies. Sung by Róisín Elsafty, it’s utterly spellbinding and blog readers can listen to it here.

Butler’s Cottage is almost like another character in the book. I actually based it on my grandparents’ home, where I used to spend summer holidays with my family. They had a farm and I always remember having such a sense of freedom when we went there – jumping on hay bales and playing with the animals. When I’m not writing, I love to paint and while this might not be the exact cottage, this painting certainly represents the whimsical nature of the place.

(That’s just beautiful Evie and I think it captures the spirit of Butler’s Cottage so well. I take it that’s Cnoc na Sí in the background!)

When it comes to drinks, I’m a hot chocolate fanatic! I think there’s nothing nicer than to curl up with a book and a rich, intense, chocolatey drink. Cream, marshmallows, the works! Although I wouldn’t turn my nose up at a cup of tea and a Tunnocks Tea Cake (just sayin’).

(I’ll put the kettle on – it’s always tea time in this house. Help yourself to a Tunnocks whilst you wait for it to brew.)

Thanks so much for being here Evie. I so enjoyed reading The Story Collector and I’ve loved finding out more about it.

I’ve loved chatting with you Linda, it’s been such a treat to share some of the ‘behind-the-scenes’ inspirations for my writing. Keep serving up the teacakes and I’ll be back!

You’re welcome any time!

The Story Collector

A beautiful and mysterious tale from the author of The Heirloom and The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris.

Thornwood Village, 1910. Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor, Harold Griffin-Krauss, translate ‘fairy stories’ from Irish to English.
But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens the future of her community and her very way of life…

Captivated by the land of myth, folklore and superstition, Sarah Harper finds herself walking in the footsteps of Harold and Anna one hundred years later, unearthing dark secrets that both enchant and unnerve.

The Story Collector treads the intriguing line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen. With a taste for the magical in everyday life, Evie Gaughan’s latest novel is full of ordinary characters with extraordinary tales to tell.

The Story Collector is available for purchase here.

About Evie Gaughan

Evie Gaughan is the bestselling author of The Heirloom and The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris.

Living on the West Coast of Ireland, which is not renowned for its sunny climate, Evie escapes from the inclement weather into a converted attic to write stories and dream about underfloor heating. Growing up in a walled medieval city, she developed her love of storytelling and all things historical. Her books tread the intriguing line between the everyday and the otherworldly – but always with an Irish woman’s wit. With a taste for the magical in everyday life, her stories are full of ordinary characters with extraordinary tales to tell.

When not writing, she also works as an artist, creating stories on canvas.

You can follow Evie on Twitter @evgaughan, find her on Facebook and visit her website. There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Earlier this year I reviewed the children’s book The Fed-Up Cow by Peta Lemon and absolutely loved it. You can see my review here. When Peta got in touch to ask if I would like another of her books, Timmy on the Toilet, in return for an honest review, I simply couldn’t resist.

Timmy on the Toilet is available for purchase here.

Timmy on the Toilet

Timmy is walking to school one day and saves a fairy in distress. He is granted a wish but accidentally wishes that he could fly whilst sitting on the toilet at school.

Join Timmy on his adventures flying on the toilet and find out what happens when the fairy grants him another wish for looking so daft!

My Review of Timmy on the Toilet

If you’re granted a wish by a fairy, you’d better be careful where and when you use it!

Timmy on the Toilet is such a brilliant children’s book. There’s fabulous humour as Timmy flies around the town (complete with bare bottom) and children will find both the story and illustrations very funny and very entertaining. Timmy on the Toilet could be read independently by children or as a smashing story to share. I can envisage families bonding brilliantly as they giggle over Timmy’s adventures.

Just like Peta Lemon’s The Fed-Up Cow, Timmy on the Toilet has the perfect balance of text to fabulous illustration so that there’s real value in exploring all the wonderful details in the pictures. I particularly loved the facial expressions on the faces of the people Timmy flies past.

I loved the adventures Timmy has whilst welded to the loo and there’s a great plot which is exciting and extremely well resolved too. The underlying theme that the way we behave has consequences is woven into the narrative so cleverly. Timmy helps the fairy and so is rewarded with his wish, whereas the teacher Mrs Grobble is so nasty she gets what she deserves.

However, for me, the best aspect of Timmy on the Toilet is the brilliant way Peta Lemon uses language. Pitch perfect for children to be able to access, there’s a natural rhyme scheme that extends spelling and vocabulary effortlessly as children encounter homophones and smashing onomatopoeia.

I think Timmy on the Toilet is an absolutely brilliant children’s book. if you haven’t yet encountered Peta Lemon as a children’s author I recommend you do so immediately.

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.

It’s a little bit different here on Linda’s Book Bag today as I’m welcoming Rufus Purdy along to be interviewed all about his brand new venture of services for authors, Write Here…. Given that I may just finish my own novel one day, I thought it would be fun to see what Rufus has to say!

An Interview with Rufus Purdy

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Rufus.

Thank you! It’s a pleasure to be here.

I understand you’ve recently established Write Here… Could you tell us a bit about that please?

Well, I set up Write Here… because I wanted to offer high-quality, affordable creative writing courses to aspiring authors across the UK.

(Now that sounds like something I might need!)

Each of our courses is taught by a published novelist and, over 12, two-hour sessions, they’ll take students through the most important aspects of novel-writing – giving them everything they need to properly focus on and complete their manuscript – as well as leading workshops in which students’ own novels-in-progress will be looked at in detail. The tutor will also give each student a dedicated, one-to-one tutorial.

I see the Write Here… courses as the antithesis of expensive MA creative writing programmes. I don’t think people need to spend thousands of pounds to be subjected to an academic approach to writing – and no one needs a qualification to be able to write a novel others want to read.

(Oh. I think that might be quite a controversial approach given how many writers do take MA courses!)

Why have you chosen to offer creative writing courses across the UK?

One reason is that, in most UK cities, writers in need of support only have the option of an expensive MA course or a writing group down the local library – taught by someone who’s never written anything publishable in their lives, and open to absolutely anybody. I want to offer serious writers a space in which they can work with other authors of a similar ability, and be guided by a writing professional.

The other reason is that I worked for years running high-quality courses in London – and, though what we were giving writers was a wonderful package, it often felt to me as though we were only attracting applications from well-off people in London and the Home Counties. As a Northerner, this always irked me. So I decided I wanted to find exciting new voices in fiction who, until now, been excluded from courses such as these for geographical and financial reasons. That’s why our courses only cost a third of their equivalents in London.

(As someone living in darkest Lincolnshire with around £60 a go to travel to London, with petrol, parking – £13.50 before I even get on a train –  and rail and Tube fares, I can appreciate that!)

What can prospective or aspiring writers like me expect from one of your courses?

You can expect to be part of a small group of dedicated, like-minded writers – all supporting you in your quest to write a novel that will appeal to literary agents and publishers. Our courses are selective, so only the 15 strongest applicants will be awarded places. This sounds harsh – but I firmly believe writers are far more likely to improve and hone their skills when working at a high level in a group of equally talented authors. You can also expect to have a two-hour session with a literary agent or publisher, and be able to ask all the questions you’ve ever wanted about the publishing industry, from how big is an author’s advance (how long is a piece of string?) to what are agents and publishers looking for (original voices, great stories).

(This sounds great.)

What about established authors – do you have anything for them too?

Established authors are welcome to apply for the Write Here… courses – though, by the very nature of their jobs, they usually already have access to readers they can trust to make comments on their work and improve it. Away from the writing courses, we also offer a range of editorial services for novelists – from full editorial reports to help with preparing a synopsis, covering letter and first few chapters to submit to literary agents.

(I often think the hard work can begin after the initial first draft is written actually Rufus.)

Regular Linda’s Book Bag readers know that I keep saying I WILL finish my novel and almost everyone who doesn’t write tells me anyone can do it so I must be able to. We all have a book in us. What would your response be to that idea?

I agree that everyone’s got a book in them – in that we all have at least one great story to tell. What everyone hasn’t got in them, though, is the self-discipline and work ethic required to write something as huge as a novel.

(Ah! I think you might just have uncovered my own problem!)

And, even after years of working in the publishing industry, I’m still in awe of anyone who’s able to take that challenge on and complete it. Most aspiring authors are writing on their own, with perhaps only their partner or best friend to share their work with and bounce ideas off. And that’s why finding a group of like-minded writers to encourage you and get you through those times when you think everything you’ve written is terrible and you’re just going to give up is absolutely essential.

(Good point!)

What top three tips would you give to new or aspiring writers?

My first tip would be to keep on reading. Don’t stop devouring the work of other writers just because you’re trying to concentrate on your own book, for nothing will inspire you more than appreciating others’ craft.

My second would be to write every day – and find a time and space in which you can do that.

My third tip? Don’t get disheartened. You’re in it for the long-haul, so there are going to be times when you lose belief in yourself and the story you’re telling. Just step away from it for a while, let yourself get a bit of perspective and work out new ways to approach the problem you’ve encountered.

(That sounds excellent, and achievable, advice Rufus.)

Is there anything else we should know about Write Here…?

Our first round of courses are beginning this September – and they’ll be taking place in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and my hometown Sheffield. So if you live anywhere near those wonderful cities, please do check us out. I should say, too, that the authors who are teaching the courses are absolutely brilliant. I wish I could be at all of the sessions, just to soak up their writing wisdom.

(Nottingham is closest to me…)

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Rufus. I think Write Here… sounds a really interesting approach.

No problem. It’s been fun. Thanks for having me.

About Rufus Purdy

Rufus began his career dressed as a giant banana (complete with yellow tights), handing flyers to tourists outside Covent Garden tube station. Desperate for a job that would give him some dignity, he went into publishing and – after a spell working on financial directories – he landed the position of Junior Sub-editor at Harper’s Bazaar. A spell at Condé Nast Traveller reawakened a love of seeing the world and, after an enjoyable spell as a sub-editor-for-hire, he became Associate Editor at Psychologies, where he combined the Chief Sub’s role with that of Travel Editor. As editor of Family Traveller magazine, he was shortlisted for Launch of the Year at the 2014 BSME Awards.

You can follow Rufus on Twitter @RufusPurdy.

About Write Here…

Write Here… offers high-quality, affordable creative writing courses in cities throughout the UK and also offers a range of editorial services for novelists – both published and yet-to-be-published.

You’ll find Write Here… on Facebook and Twitter @WriteHereUK. Visit the Write Here… website for more details.

I’m thrilled to count Jane Isaac as a friend as well as a regular visitor to Linda’s Book Bag and it gives me enormous pleasure to be part of the launch celebrations for After He’s Gone, the first in a brand new series from Jane. I have an absolutely brilliant extract from the start of the book to share with you today.

I’ve previously reviewed Jane’s Beneath the Ashes here and The Lies Within here.

After He’s Gone is available for purchase here.

After He’s Gone

‘The safety catch on the Glock snapped as it was released. Her stomach curdled as she watched the face of death stretch and curve. Listened to the words drip from his mouth, ‘Right. Let’s begin, shall we?’

When Cameron Swift is gunned down outside his family home, DC Beth Chamberlain is appointed Family Liaison Officer: a dual role that requires her to support the family, and also investigate them.

As the case unfolds and the body count climbs, Beth discovers that nothing is quite as it appears and everyone, it seems, has secrets.

Even the dead…

An Extract from After He’s Gone

Prologue

The moments before death were not at all how she imagined them to be. No images, carved from the recesses of her memory, flashed before her. No celebrated successes or missed opportunities. Instead, an overwhelming fear beat a tune beneath her skin, faster and faster, picking up momentum, immobilising her organs, one by one.

Were they out there? She risked a fleeting glance at the window. She couldn’t see them, hadn’t heard the soft thrum of their engines in the distance, felt their clandestine footfalls as they crept around the perimeter of the house. But there were children inside, they would be discreet.

She willed them to be out there. Trussed up in bullet-proof vests. Semi-automatics clutched to their chests. Hell, they should have evacuated the neighbouring houses by now. Cordoned off the whole estate.

‘Eeny, meeny, miny, mo.’

She turned back to the room, just in time to stare down the barrel of the Glock. And froze.

A tremor ran through the sofa as a knee juddered a staccato beat beside her.

Their captor repeated the rhyme, moving the gun down the line, from child to adult, child to adult. A cat playing with his prey. A pernicious smile tickling his lips.

Please be out there. Eventually they’d make some contact, attempt to negotiate a deal. Wouldn’t they?

The knocking knee squirmed beside her, sending a trail of urine down its calf. She swallowed, the heat of the bodies squeezed beside her on the sofa failing to suppress the chill of raw ice in her chest. Two adults, two children. To kill an adult was gruesome enough. But a child? That was pure unadulterated evil.

The urine crept forwards, a languid line on the polished flooring.

Wasn’t this where self-preservation was supposed to kick in? That animal instinct, sewn into living genes from the dawn of time. They’d tried screaming, reasoning, pleading, even begging. To no avail. The face opposite was calm and still. And now the fight was fading from her bones, numbing the fear biting at every sensory receptor.

The breeze picked up, a sudden gust whistling through the trees out front. The sound cut her breaths. Even if the surrounding pavements weren’t deserted, the house was set so far back from the road that nobody would have heard their screams, their pleading. This wasn’t the movies. No one was out there. There would be no heroic rescue.

The safety catch on the Glock snapped as it was released. Her stomach curdled as she watched the face of death stretch and curve. Listened to the words drip from his mouth, ‘Right. Let’s begin, shall we?’

(My goodness Jane. What an opening! I can’t wait to read the rest.)

About Jane Isaac

Jane Isaac lives with her detective husband (very helpful for research!) and her daughter in rural Northamptonshire, UK where she can often be found trudging over the fields with her Labrador, Bollo. Her debut, An Unfamiliar Murder, was nominated as best mystery in the ‘eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook awards 2013.’ The follow up, The Truth Will Out, was nominated as ‘Thriller of the Month – April 2014’ by E-Thriller.com.

After He’s Gone is Jane’s sixth novel and the first in a new series featuring Family Liaison Officer, DC Beth Chamberlain. The second DC Beth Chamberlain novel will be released later in 2018.

You can follow Jane Isaac on Twitter @JaneIsaacAuthor and visit her web site. Jane is also on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s publication day for By The Next Pause by G. Barton Sinkia and I’m delighted that she has agreed to stay in with me today to tell me all about her book.

Staying in with G. Barton Sinkia

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 brought along my book, By The Next Pause, which comes out today.

(How exciting. Congratulations and Happy Publication Day!)

It’s my debut novel, and I can’t wait for everyone to read this epic story. It follows two Canadian families who live next door to each other from the early 1980s til the late 2000s.

(I love to travel but I haven’t been to Canada so maybe I could travel through By The Next Pause until I get chance to go there in person.)

What can we expect from an evening in with By The Next Pause?

By The Next Pause begins in 1984. We meet Simone Allen who is seven-years-old and lives in Jamaica with her grandaunt. When her grandaunt dies, Simone is sent to Toronto to live with her estranged mother, Pam Allen. Simone’s never spent any time with her mother and only has a few awkward phone calls to remember her by. Pam is young, single and terrified about raising the daughter she never wanted. With hardly any money, they move into a run-down apartment complex in North York and live next to Mike O’Shea, an Irish-Canadian single father who is caring for his eight-year-old son, Nolan.

In the beginning, both parents despise each other. Pam is opinionated and stubborn, while Mike is a hotheaded racist who hates living amongst newly minted immigrants who are taking away all of his opportunities. The only problem is that their kids become fast friends. The two young children attend the same school and are in the same grade.

The other thing that Pam and Mike have in common is parenting.  They are both complete disasters. Raising children on their own has left them drowning. They both recognize how difficult it is for a single parent to work full time and manage children without any help from the outside world. As a result, they slowly let down their invisible shields and come together. Even that might not be enough, however, when a dramatic turn of events threatens to destroy everything they hold dear.

(I like the sound of By The Next Pause very much indeed and I completely understand how the cover works now too!)

So far my reviews have been promising. The novel is 874-pages long (Gasp!), but the book reads swiftly. I’m the proudest of that fact. Many of my reviewers are shocked at how quickly it moves and that my novel packs that much story into that amount of pages.  Initially, I thought about breaking the story into two books, but I wanted my readers to have the experience of falling in love with these characters all at once. Kind of the same way Netflix provides their viewers with the entire season of a television series. My ultimate goal was to write for book lovers who enjoy binge-reading compelling stories. When you turn the last page of By The Next Pause, I promise you’ll feel incredibly connected to Pam, Simone, Mike and Nolan. They will stay with you long after the book ends.

(By The Next Pause sounds perfect for a holiday read or a long haul flight.)

What else have you brought along and why?

I brought along my chapter playlist for By The Next Pause. You can find it here on Spotify.  The motif of the book is that of a playlist. One of my central themes is the idea that our lives resemble a musical playlist or mixed tape. The songs we pick represent our taste, our emotions and essentially who we are as individuals. At times we listen to songs that pump us up and songs that evoke strong memories that reduce us to tears. We fast-forward and rewind songs the same way we fast-forward and rewind our memories and experiences.

(I couldn’t agree more. Music is so evocative.)

Each song on the playlist either inspired a chapter or a scene in that chapter while I wrote By The Next Pause. Like me, the playlist is eclectic and covers many different genres of music. It starts off with Laura Mvula’s ‘Is There Anybody Out There’ and delves into music from the Beatles, Canadian artists like Blue Rodeo and some of my favorite old school R&B classics from Luther Vandross, Troop and Patti LaBelle. It also includes recent work from UK artist Arlissa. Every time I listen to this playlist, it transports me to key scenes and moments in my novel.

That’s a fantastic selection of music. I think we’ll play some now! Thanks so much for staying in with me to tell me all about By the Next Pause. I hope you have a wonderful publication day.

By the Next Pause

In By The Next Pause, Canadian author G. Barton-Sinkia brings us to a time when Toronto was on the cusp of turning into the diverse mosaic it is today.

At seventeen, Pam Allen escapes Jamaica, leaving her infant daughter Simone behind. Years later, after the death of her aunt, Pam is forced to take in the daughter she never wanted. They live in a run-down apartment complex in North York next to Mike O’Shea – a racist, loudmouth high school dropout who has recently separated from his wife and finds himself raising his eight-year-old son, Nolan, alone. The two parents try to coexist in a world where they are drowning as single parents until they reluctantly join forces to raise their young children together. When a life-altering mistake forces their children on diverging, tumultuous paths, the make-shift family struggles to find their way back to each other before their whole world crumbles for good.

By The Next Pause is available for purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

About G. Barton-Sinkia

A first-generation Canadian of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, G. Barton-Sinkia was born to Laverne and George Barton. At four months old, tragedy struck her family when George passed in a car accident. Later adopted by her mother’s new husband Robert Sinkia, G. Barton-Sinkia decided to take on both last names.

During her younger years, G. Barton-Sinkia attended the Toronto Catholic District School Board in North York, before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at Carleton University’s School of Journalism. After school, she married her high-school sweetheart Anthony Farrell, now a writer and producer (The Office, The Thundermans, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Secret Life of Boys).

In 2000, G. Barton-Sinkia and her husband moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she worked for a few years before moving to California. After nearly eight years in California working as a Manager of West Region’s Operations at Northern Trust Bank, G. Barton-Sinkia still longed to be a writer, and began writing By the Next Pause while on maternity leave. The great Canadian story sucked her in, and she soon decided to leave her job and work full time on writing her novel to share with the world one day.

In 2017, G. Barton-Sinkia and her husband decided to move back to Toronto, the city they always loved. Both are working to give back to the city that created and inspired them, bringing their United States experience to Canada’s vibrant arts and entertainment scene.

Outside of writing, G. Barton-Sinkia enjoys learning to play the guitar, making wicked awesome playlists and dabbles in cooking Caribbean cuisine. She and her husband share a home in Toronto with their two rambunctious children and their dog Moose.

To find out more about G. Barton-Sinkia you can visit her website, find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @gbartonsinkia.

My grateful thanks to Sam Bunch for a copy of Collecting Conversations in return for an honest review.

Collecting Conversations is available for purchase here.

Collecting Conversations

Starting to become unhinged after her parents died, Sam found 30 years worth of diaries her mum had written. In their everyday and often trite delivery Sam was inspired to find out how other women ‘do life’. What she heard was too good not to share. She squeezed out of her comfort zone and decided to write a book about her experience, the interviews and the process in an attempt to show that we can do many things in life if we take away the self imposed limitations. The result is a very beautiful book that is full of honesty, reality and integrity. The book took 7 years to make and it’s arrival is timely. There has never been so much interest in women’s issues. With the #metoo and 100 years of suffrage hitting the headlines along with mental health being a major issue her project is very current.

Collecting Conversations is about change, challenges, conversations and connections – it’s a book that talks about everyday stuff as well as the bigger questions. Sam asked 18 questions to 100 women, she travelled the length of the country asking women from all backgrounds and ages (30 – 95) to come to the kitchen table and chat. Some were life long friends others – fleeting guests. After Sam interviewed each woman she asked what they had taken from their experience? Their answers reinforced what Sam was trying to do – to encourage people to share but also to listen – to themselves! “It’s been a privilege to be asked to reflect on my life”. Having heard how important it is to listen and share our stories she has made the book interactive by asking the reader the questions too.

My Review of Collecting Conversations

With her mother dying, Sam has to reach her quickly, but out of adversity and sadness comes Collecting Conversations.

Collecting Conversations is a delightful book, although I have to admit I found the first section quite emotional as Sam writes about being with her mother when she died and it brought back memories for me of being at Dad’s bedside at the end of his life. However, Sam Bunch writes the first section of the book, which is an account of how the second section came into being, with such warmth, honesty, humour and humanity that I forgive her the few tears I spilled en route! She has the ability to explain her life in a way that made me understand perfectly and wish I had the same quality of expression to articulate my own thoughts and feelings. Although I haven’t yet responded to her 18 questions by writing in the book itself, because I didn’t want to spoil what is a beautifully presented volume with some lovely illustrations, I have thought long and hard about my answers. The writing of Collecting Conversations might have been quite cathartic for the author, but it is equally uplifting and soothing for the reader too.

I so enjoyed the second section of the book too. It rewards several revisits. Initially I read Sam Bunch’s explanations of, and the responses to, the 18 questions in the order that they are presented. Then I went back and reread those relating to women in their 50s like me. Next I read continuously all the extracts from Sam’s Mum’s diary that run along the bottom of the pages so that it was like encountering a moving poem of someone’s life. I know I’ll return to these pages many times more too.

Interviewing just over 100 women about life has given Sam Bunch an extraordinarily rich source of material for a wonderful book. I loved Collecting Conversations, not least because it made me realise what a fulfilled and lucky life I have in spite of its problems. I felt connected to many of the women interviewed even though I haven’t met them so that I feel I have been enhanced by the experience of reading Collecting Conversations. I know others have the same hopes and fears as I do and I have learnt I need to give more time to listening actively to those around me.  Also, next time I get out the fly-spray to kill a fly I’ll think twice – but you’ll have to read the book to find out why!

I heartily recommend Collecting Conversations. It’s a book that celebrates and reveals women. It’s a book that enables the reader to feel a connection, a belonging and to find guidance and peace. Don’t miss it.

About Sam Bunch

Sam Bunch grew up under the watchful eye of Pendle Hill in Lancashire. She moved to London in 1987 and has been there ever since. She lives with her husband and 3 children – two of which are at University. She is as a Complimentary therapist and more recently author of her first book Collecting Conversations.

You can find Sam on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @collectingconvs. Even better, you can visit her lovely website where you’ll find more about the book, Collecting Conversations.

My grateful thanks to Melanie Price for inviting me to participate in the celebrations for The Accusation by Zosia Wand. I’m thrilled that Zosia has agreed to stay in with me and tell me all about her latest book.

Published by Head of Zeus on 1st June 2018, The Accusation is available for purchase from Amazon,  Kobo, iBooks and Google Play.

The Accusation

Who would you choose if you had to – your daughter or your husband?

Eve lives in the beautiful Cumbrian town of Tarnside with her husband Neil. After years of trying, and failing, to become parents, they are in the final stages of adopting four-year-old Milly. Though she already feels like their daughter, they just have to get through the ‘settling in’ period: three months of living as a family before they can make it official.

But then Eve’s mother, Joan, comes to stay. Joan has never liked her son-in-law. He isn’t right for Eve; too controlling, too opinionated. She knows Eve has always wanted a family, but is Neil the best man to build one with?

Then Joan uncovers something that could smash Eve’s family to pieces…

Staying in with Zosia Wand

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

Hello.  Lovely to meet you all!

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

I’ve brought along my new novel, The Accusation.

It’s the story of Eve and Neil, who are in the process of adopting four year old Milly.. Milly has been living with them for a couple of months and they feel like a family, but until they get through the final review in a month’s time, she is still under the legal guardianship of social services.  Eve has been estranged from her own mother, the possessive and demanding Joan, for two years, but hopes that a grandchild could move things forward. Joan, however, has other plans.

(Sounds as if that’s a recipe for disaster to me and now, of course, I need to read The Accusation to find out what happens!)

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

Here’s a taster:

The Accusation

Prologue

I know something about fear. I know it can be red and urgent, the roar of a dragon, flames in your face. We all recognise that. You will know it as something brief and fierce, leaving smoke and ashes, sometimes scalded flesh. This fear is different. My fear is not hot and fiery, but grey and quiet, lingering in the shadows. It’s a chill breath on my neck, a whispered warning in my ear. I have no idea why it follows me. I have never experienced real danger, never suffered an act of extreme violence, but I live with a sense of something lurking.  If I do the right thing, if I follow the rules and keep everyone happy, all will be well, but if I get it wrong, something terrible will pounce. I’ve learned to be one step ahead, becoming stealthy, slipping out of sight, dodging the icy drips and sidestepping the puddles. Always alert.

I sense it before the phone rings. Feel its cold grip on my hand as I try to accept the call. Neil’s name on the screen. My fingers won’t move. I have no reason to think this is anything other than the call I was expecting, to tell me that lunch is ready, that he and Milly are waiting for me. But I know before I tap the screen, before I hear the breathless panic in his voice, I know.

‘Eve?’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘It’s Milly.’

A bitter cold pressing into my back, seeping through my flesh and between the bones beneath. Please, not this.

‘She’s gone.’

(Woo. Now that is a very frustrating place for you to stop. I’m desperate to know more.)

What else have you brought and why?

The book is set in the fictional town of Tarnside in South Cumbria.  It’s based on the market town of Ulverston, where I live.  Like Ulverston, Tarnside is a festival town and Eve’s job is to manage the various festivals that take place.  She works in the community park, which is based on Ford Park, Ulverston.  The Lantern Festival features prominently in the novel.  Here’s a photo of a lantern finale in Ford Park.

(That looks really atmospheric.)

Eve is originally from Hitchin in Hertfordshire and her mother still lives in Eve’s childhood home, so some of the novel is set there.  My favourite scene, where Eve meets up with her childhood friend, Naz, takes place at Hitchin’s magnificent outdoor pool.  It was still closed when I visited in April to stay with a friend and complete the final edit.  Here’s a photo of the pool being prepared for the summer season.

(This takes me back Zosia. I spent many a happy hour at the outdoor pool in my local town…)

And here’s my editing station in the garden of my lovely friend and host, Wendy Bowker.

I was very lucky with the weather!  Who wouldn’t be happy to read through a final draft of a novel in this setting!  It certainly made up for the days hunched over the computer while the rain pounded on the roof!

(I bet – and I’m wondering what’s in that glass!)

I have no food to contribute to the evening, though it does feature heavily in the novel.  Joan is a terrible cook, stuffing poor Eve full of stodgy Shepherd’s pies and over rich lasagne.  Her mother-in-law, Betty, who lives in Stevenage, is a far warmer hostess who creates delicious vegetarian dishes and entertains her extended family in a sunny yellow kitchen that leads out to the garden.  I lived in Hitchin myself, many years ago, when I was working as Community Arts Officer for Stevenage. I created the character of Betty in this novel in memory of Betty Pickersgill, who was on the board of the Stevenage Community Arts Trust when I worked there, and a great friend and mentor.  I wish she was still here.  She would have been delighted to discover the character she inspired.

(I’m sure she would. What a wonderful tribute to her.)

About Zosia Wand

Zosia Wand is an author and playwright. She was born in London and lives in Cumbria with her family. She is passionate about good coffee, cake and her adopted landscape on the edge of the Lake District. Her first novel, Trust Me, was published by Head of Zeus in 2017.

You can follow Zosia on Twitter @zosiawand and find her on Facebook and visit her website. There’s more with these other bloggers too:

 

Earlier this year I was so fortunate to meet Rebecca Tinnelly, author of Never Go There, at a wonderful event organised by the Hodder team. After that, Rebecca generously came onto Linda’s Book Bag to stay in with me and tell me about Never Go There when the e-book was released and you can read all about that here.

Although it’s several months later than I intended, I’m delighted to have my review of Never Go There today.

Never Go There is published by Hodder and Stoughton and is available for purchase through the links here.

Never Go There

He told her that she must never, EVER go there…

Nuala knows nothing of her husband James’s past. He made her swear that she would never contact his family or visit the place he was from. But now James is dead, and Nuala is alone. Grieving and desperate, she decides to ignore his warning.

But was he protecting her… or himself?

Nuala is about to find out that some secrets are better left buried – and that uncovering the truth about the man she married will have terrible consequences…

My Review of Never Go There

When Nuala goes to her deceased husband’s home village she finds out more than she wants about his past.

Crumbs! Never Go There is a complex and thought-provoking twisty thriller. I’m not sure what I made of much of it as it deals with themes that are shocking and unpalatable that made me very uncomfortable and yet I wanted to read on. I wanted to know more in spite of my own sensibilities and this has left me feeling very uncomfortable.

I think this is the cleverness of Never Go There. Rebecca Tinnelly has woven elements of society that we don’t often face or discuss into her narrative so that she shocks and entertains at the same time. Having taught youngsters so like her characters of Lois and Emma I could readily accept how their lives had evolved. This makes the title of the book a real triumph. James may not have wanted Nuala to visit his home village but we in society frequently choose to ‘never go there’ in terms of the themes represented or in terms of questioning what happens under our noses too. I can’t reveal them all because I don’t want to spoil the read, but family, relationships, identity, sexuality, obsession, mental health and crime are all part of the fabric of this unsettling story. Rebecca Tinnelly makes the reader confront their own blindness to the harsh truths of life around them in the same way the characters do. This does not always make for comfortable reading.

As for the characters, I found them so well depicted. I didn’t actually like any of them, except perhaps Maggie, and yet I understood them and accepted completely why they behaved the way they did. I think it takes skill to write a novel where the reader doesn’t like the characters but can’t stop reading either! I’m hoping there will be a follow up novel with some of them as I am desperate to know what happens after the end of Never Go There.

I thought the second half of Never Go There was understandably more dynamic than the first half as the foundations for the characters and plot needed establishing, and found myself brought up sharp as revelations and actions happened. There were so many elements that I simply wasn’t expecting so that I finished the book feeling quite shell-shocked.

Never Go There is shocking in many ways. It’s definitely dark and disturbing. I can’t decide if I enjoyed the read or was completely unsettled by it – or both. Either way, it got my pulse racing and my brain whirring and I’ll be thinking about it for some time. I do know, however, that Never Go There will establish Rebecca Tinnelly as a go-to thriller writer of the future.

About Rebecca Tinnelly

Rebecca Tinnelly lives amongst the twisted sessile oaks of the Somerset coast with her two children and two cats. No doubt fuelled by the stories she was told by her stepmother, a consultant pathologist, Rebecca is most interested in writing about the darker side of society and family life.

After a successful career in sales, most recently selling wicker coffins, she waved goodbye to the office to pursue a career in writing. And, when not writing, enjoys baking the odd cake or two. Never Go There is her debut novel.

You can find out more by following Rebecca on Twitter @RebeccaTinnelly, or visiting her blog.

My enormous thanks to Melanie Price for inviting me to be part of the launch celebrations for Summer of Love by Caro Fraser. I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Caro to Linda’s Book Bag today to stay in with me and tell tell me about her latest book.

Staying in with Caro Fraser

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Caro. 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 along my latest novel, Summer Of Love, which comes out in hardback in a couple of months, and is a sequel to The Summer House Party, which was published last spring – when I finished the first book I realised that the characters and story still had so much life in them, and I had such good feedback from readers that I just had to carry on the story.

The Summer House Party opens in August 1936, with a group of guests gathering at the country home of a famous artist and his wife; certain events occur during that fortnight which have repercussions for the guests through the war years and beyond, and Summer Of Love tells how the events of that summer continue to haunt the lives of people who were children then, and carries the story through the 1950s and ‘60s.

(I love it when characters take on a life of their own and insist that authors write their story further Caro!)

What can we expect from an evening in with  Summer Of Love?

I’m a storyteller first and foremost, and I like to think Summer Of Love is the kind of immersive, compelling read you’d want to settle down with on a beach with a nice pina colada, or on a dark winter’s evening with a large glass of red! As it’s set in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, with all the huge social and cultural changes that were happening in post-war Britain in those times, I’ve tried to evoke the feel of that period, and to reflect those changes in the stories of the two central characters, Laura Fenton and Avril Haddon, whose lives are connected in a way that neither of them realises.

(The early 60s is my era so I can’t wait to read Summer of Love.)

One review of The Summer House Party called it ‘a solid summer read, ideal to take on holiday’, and if anyone says the same about Summer Of Love, I’ll know I’ve done my job!

(Both books sound exactly my kind of read.)

I write to entertain my readers, and keep them turning the pages. Another reviewer said, ‘There are unanswered questions at the end of [The Summer House Party] … and I’m looking forward to jumping a few years and enjoying these characters as they grow and age.’ So she should enjoy Summer Of Love. I’ve ended the book at a point where I hope it has a satisfactory conclusion, but it still has great potential for the story to carry on through the next generation into the ‘70s and 80s. So a third book may be in the offing…!

(Woo – I know your readers will be delighted to hear that Caro!)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I’ve brought along a few pieces of music that I think perfectly capture the spirit of Summer Of Love.  The first half of the book is set in the 1950s, and one of the main characters in is Ellis Candy, a jazz saxophonist, so the haunting sax solo by Stan Getz from the song Corcodavo makes the perfect musical backdrop.

(That’s a gorgeous piece of music. I love it. Blog readers can listen too by clicking on the song titles.)

The second half of the book is set in the ‘60s, when Love Me Do by the Beatles turned the tide of music forever, so we’ll have a listen to that – as well as Georgie Girl by The Seekers, because it’s a song that summons up the exhilaration of being young and female in those exciting times. My character Laura would definitely identify with it!

(I’m sure she would – and so do I – even if I am showing my age!)

Caro, thank you so much for staying in with me to chat all about Summer of Love. I think it looks a wonderful book and I can’t wait to read it.

Summer of Love

The dark days of the war are over, but the family secrets they held are only just dawning.

In the hot summer of 1949, a group of family and friends gather at Harry Denholm’s country house in Kent. Meg and Dan Ranscombe, emerging from a scandal of their own making; Dan’s godmother, Sonia; and her two young girls, Laura and Avril, only one of whom is Sonia’s biological daughter. Amongst the heat, memories, and infatuations, a secret is revealed to Meg’s son, Max, and soon a terrible tragedy unfolds that will have consequences for them all.

Afterwards, Avril, Laura and Max must come of age in a society still reeling from the war, haunted by the choices of that fateful summer. Cold, entitled Avril will go to any lengths to take what is hers. Beautiful, naive Laura finds refuge and love in the London jazz clubs, but Max, with wealth and unrequited love, has the capacity to undo it all.

Summer of Love is available for purchase here.

About Caro Fraser

Caro Fraser is the author of the bestselling Caper Court novels, based on her own experiences as a lawyer. She is the daughter of Flashman author George MacDonald Fraser and lives in London.

You can follow Caro on Twitter @carofraser and find her on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

With my own husband having had two potentially life threatening illnesses of a mini-stroke and cancer in recent years I am honoured to feature Bed 12 by Alison Murdoch today and to close the blog tour. Alison has written a stunning guest post about her husband and the NHS care he received that I am privileged to share with you today here on Linda’s Book Bag.

Published by Hikari Press, Bed 12 is available for purchase here.

Bed 12

Bed 12 is the book Alison wrote when her husband became critically ill with viral encephalitis and fell into a life-threatening coma.

Described as ‘A love letter to the NHS and the everyday acts of kindness that keep it afloat’ by Dr Phil Hammond, Bed 12 is a survival guide to the world of acute medicine, and a poignant and darkly comic account of what it’s like to fight for someone’s life. It is a true story with cliffhangers that are all too real.

The Real Simon

A Guest Post by Alison Murdoch

A glimpse of the real Simon emerges through the fog of illness

All day long I whisper in his ear “You’re safe, everyone’s safe, there’s nothing to be afraid of, if you’re seeing frightening things it’s only because of the medicines the doctors are giving you, you’re getting better every day, we’ll go home soon, I’m here and I love you so much.” He lies back down, docile and peaceful, until the cycle resumes a minute or so later. I’m proud of the fact that there’s no sign of any anger or aggression in him, just puzzlement and deep confusion.

One of the nurses has such an uncanny ability to get the bed comfortable and in order that I secretly label her ‘the pillow queen’. She has the manner of an old-fashioned nursery nurse and this has a visible effect on Simon’s behaviour. I muse to myself about whether this is an inborn skill or something that can be learned alongside the many other more technology-based tasks that an ICU nurse has to master.

Following on from Nurse Ed’s challenging shift, the ward sister Angela assigns two overnight nurses to Simon’s bedside rather than just one. I’ve never seen that happen before and wonder what impact it has on the budget. But to everyone’s surprise, Nurse Lau and his colleague conjure up such a relaxed and nurturing atmosphere that they even find time to give Simon a massage, raiding my store of scented oils.

With the morning shift, the agitation resumes. Although still unconscious, at one point Simon actually gets his feet onto the floor. Angela is now at the end of her tether. She gets on the phone and negotiates to borrow a bed with cot sides from the paediatric unit. It’s brand new with a brushed-cotton fitted sheet and padded sides, and is also longer than his previous bed. One side is missing its padding but this is quickly improvised using pillows held together by plastic forceps. Crash mats are placed on the floor each side of the bed in case Simon makes another bid for freedom and the bed is lowered to within a few inches of the floor. The entire arrangement is a triumph.

I don’t know why I am so much less anxious than the nurses. Is it because I bear no direct responsibility for Simon’s physical safety? Or is it because I’m unaware of all the risk factors for his long-term health, both from the original illness and from the drugs and other treatments that he’s received over the past weeks? Or perhaps it’s just because I’m closing down emotionally, out of self-preservation. The image that comes to mind is of a mussel that’s only a chink open. However what I do observe, and Philip agrees, is that Simon’s familiar gestures and poses are gradually re-emerging out of the fog. Despite the delirium, it feels as if he’s gradually coming back to us.

(What an inspirational post Alison. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.)

About Alison Murdoch

Alison Murdoch is former Director of the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom, a London-based NGO founded in 2005 with the Dalai Lama as its patron. As Director of several charities and NGOs she turned a Grade II listed London courthouse into the vibrant Jamyang Buddhist Centre, set up the first-ever national network of day centres for homeless people in the UK, created a catering service for refugees, and designed a research project on begging that sparked national debate. She also once smuggled herself into Tibet in the back of a lorry…

You can find out more by following Alison on Twitter @Alison_Murdoch_. You’ll also find Alison on Facebook and there’s more with these other bloggers: