It gives me very great pleasure to be part of the launch celebrations for The Zero and the One by Ryan Ruby. I have a brilliant extract to share with you that has made me even more excited to read the book.

Published by Legend Press, The Zero and the One is available for purchase here.

The Zero and the One

A bookish scholarship student, Owen Whiting has high hopes of Oxford, only to find himself immediately out of place. Then he meets Zachary Foedern from New York. Rich and charismatic, Zach takes Owen under his wing, introducing him to a world Owen has only ever read about.

An Extract from The Zero and the One

REPETITION.— If something happens once, it may as well have never happened at all. Unfortunately, nothing ever happens only once. Everything is repeated, even nothing.

A British Airways jet, high above the coast of New England. The captain has turned off the fasten seatbelt sign, but mine remains strapped tightly across my waist. My fingers clutch the armrests, knuckles white. The air hostess evens her trolley with our row and bestows a sympathetic elevation of her eyebrows on me as she clears minibottles, plastic cups, crumpled napkins off my tray table. The other passengers regard me with caution. When I stumbled back from the toilet, I found that the young mother in my row had exchanged places with her tow-headed, round-faced toddler, who now stares obliviously at the white fields outside the window, in order to provide him with a buffer zone in case I were to do something erratic. Perhaps I’d been mumbling to myself again: a dangerous perhaps.

I tried to apologise to her, to explain that I rarely drink so much, it’s only on planes that… but no luck. She doesn’t speak English.

It’s true, flying terrifies me. I can count the number of times I’ve done it on one hand. Twice with my parents. Once with school. Most recently, to Berlin with Zach during the Easter holiday. None of which has remotely prepared me to endure this seven-hour trans-Atlantic torture. Nothing — not a book or an inflight movie or even three minibottles of whisky — helps me to relax. The least bit of turbulence, every unexpected dip in altitude, signals The Beginning of a Crash.

On the flight to Berlin, Zach noticed my anxiety and argued that this was precisely what was so interesting about air travel. It was to be regarded, he said, as an exercise in amor fati. As soon as you stepped through the doors, you were forced to resign yourself to the possibility that your conveyance will turn into your coffin. Your fate was no longer in your hands, no longer under your control. In fact life was always like this, but only in special circumstances were we made aware of it. If to philosophize was to prepare for death he could think of no better place to practice philosophy than on an airplane.

His words were no comfort to me then. They’re even less of one now. The last thing I want to think about are preparations for death. And coffins. How does one transport a body across the ocean? On a ship? Down in the hold with the rest of the luggage? Maybe on every flight there’s a coffin going somewhere. At this very moment my t shirts and toiletries could be nestling up with the dead.

When it is time, the air hostess helps me firmly lock my tray table and return my seat to its upright position.

We’re beginning our final descent into New York, she explains.

No Miss, I am tempted to reply. Not our final descent.

The customs officer is a candle stub of a man with a damp, fleshy face that seems to have melted from the dark hairline of his crew cut into the wide, unbuttoned collar of his uniform. He flips through every page of my mostly blank passport, looks from me to my photo and back again. The photo, I remember, was taken at a booth in the Galleries, three or four years ago, in the thick of my rather dubious battle with puberty, right after one of those visits to the hairdresser, which, because I no longer live with my parents, I am no longer obliged to make. I neutralise my expression and re- move my glasses, as I had been instructed to do then, but it is only when my left eye, which has astigmatism, wanders toward my nose that the resemblance finally becomes clear to him. He asks me to confirm the information I had written on my declaration form.

Student. One week. 232 West 113th Street. Business or pleasure?

Funeral.

The stamp falls with a dull, bureaucratic thump: Welcome to the United States.

I know what New York looks like from the establishing shots of countless films and television shows. But there the city is only as large as the screen you watch it on. A safe size. Contained. Manageable. Odourless. Two-dimensional. With clearly marked exit signs, if you’re watching at the cinema. With a volume dial and an off button, if you’re watching from the comfort of your living room.

These taxi windows offer no such protection. On the motorway, my driver slices through traffic, steering with one hand on the indicator and the other on the horn. When a removal van tries to pass us, he closes the distance at the last moment. The driver leans out the window of the van, his face red, spit flying from his mouth as he tries to shout over the siren of the ambulance behind us. Not one to allow an insult to go unanswered, my driver rolls down the passenger-side window, letting in the foul breath of late afternoon. I probably shouldn’t have pushed my luck by getting off the plane.

About Ryan Ruby

Ryan Ruby was born in Los Angeles in 1983. He has written for The Baffler, Conjunctions, Lapham’s Quarterly, n+1, and the Paris Review Daily among other publications, and has translated two novellas from the French for Readux Books. He lives in Berlin.

You can visit Ryan’s website for more information.

There’s also more with these other bloggers:

It gives me great pleasure to belong to Legend 100 team of bloggers for Legend Press. Today I’m delighted to be part of their celebrations of The Teacher’s Secret by Suzanne Leal. Suzanne has kindly agrees to stay in with me and tell me about The Teacher’s Secret.

The Teacher’s Secret is available for purchase here.

The Teacher’s Secret

A small town can be a refuge, but while its secrets are held, it’s hard to know who to trust and what to believe.

The Teacher’s Secret is a tender and compelling story of scandal, rumour and dislocation, and the search for grace and dignity in the midst of dishonour and humiliation.

Only one person knows the truth…

Staying in with Suzanne Leal

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Suzanne. Which of your books have you brought along to share with me and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought along my novel, The Teacher’s Secret, which explores the web of relationships in and around a small school, its dramas, crises and victories.  Readers will, I hope, find themselves immersed in the world of the small coastal community of Brindle and the people who live there.

Having been a teacher in a previous life, The Teacher’s Secret sounds just my kind of read. Tell me, what can we expect from an evening in with The Teacher’s Secret?

A tale of scandal, rumour and dislocation, The Teacher’s Secret is a gripping read about schoolyard machinations in a small town by the sea.

Terry Pritchard is a much-loved teacher at Brindle Public School – but when the new principal starts to question his motives, it becomes clear that Terry is also a man with something to hide.

The Teacher’s Secret is Terry’s story.  It is also the story of Nina, newly single and struggling to teach a hostile class; of Rebecca, who won’t return home but can’t say why; and of Sid, the school caretaker, who, in his gentle way, takes care after everyone.

Above all, it is a story of community and how, in the midst of dishonour and humiliation, grace and dignity might still be found.

(I love the sound of those characters.) 

What else have you brought along and why? 

I have brought my copy of A Boy in Winter by the UK writer, Rachel Seiffert, who is also my friend.  The story Rachel tells in A Boy in Winter is one of bravery in a time of fear and her writing, as always, is precise, spare and beautiful.  Rachel introduced me to her literary agent, Toby Eady, who represented me for my first novel, Border Street, and who died at the end of last year.  I will always be grateful to Toby for finding me a place in the world of writing and publishing and to his wife, Xinran, for her kindness and generosity.

 What a wonderful tribute to Toby. Thanks so much Suzanne.

It’s always wonderful to discover a new author and a new series to enjoy so I am delighted to welcome K.T.Lee to Linda’s Book Bag today to stay in with me.

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me to tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with K.T.Lee

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, K.T. 

Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thanks so much for having me – it’s great to be here.

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

I’ve brought along Calculated Deception. I chose Calculated Deception because it is the first full-length novel in The Calculated Series, my new series featuring women in STEM teaming up with government agents to fight crime.

Calculated Deception features Dr. Ree Ryland, an engineering professor who loves her job and plays by the rules. However, when Agent Parker Landon and his FBI team discover that someone at the university has been procuring military-grade hardware by disguising it as test equipment, all evidence points to Ree. After the FBI intercepts a shipment that puts Ree in the clear, Parker is forced to tell her that she’s being used as a pawn by an unseen enemy. And now she’s in that enemy’s crosshairs. Ree turns down the protective detail offered by the FBI and insists on using her inside knowledge to help with the investigation. Parker is leery of bringing a civilian on to the team, but he’s surprised at how much fun he has working with Ree, even as he tries to keep her out of harm’s way. Parker, Ree and the FBI team find increasingly worrying evidence that someone is quietly acquiring everything they need to cause destruction on a massive scale. They must uncover the motive and identity of the killer hiding among Ree’s friends and colleagues before it’s too late.

(This sounds really exciting.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Calculated Deception?

Calculated Deception is a fun, page-turning suspense. You’ll see elements from spy thrillers with the focus on characters and small community feel of a cozy mystery. There is a little sweet romance as well.

My goal as a writer is to create a unputdownable book with a bit of fun and banter between the characters along the way. If I’ve made you laugh or kept you up too late reading, I’ve done my job!

(That sounds like the perfect combination!)

I thought I’d share a few quotes from book reviews on Goodreads and Amazon:

• “The book is well written, keeping the reader interested till the end. A thriller, with a smart scientist protagonist, and a romance makes this an excellent read.” – Goodreads reviewer
• “I loved this book from the beginning just for the title and cover alone. There is something empowering about a female main character that is intelligent, a College Professor, and an Engineer…This story was captivating and kept you interested throughout the book. It was a good mix of thriller, suspense, possible international terrorism, and a little romance. I loved it and will be reading the next one in the series soon!” – Shannon Waugh, Book Reviewer

(You must be thrilled with those responses K.T.)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I’ve brought along coffee and a few pieces of dark chocolate. Ree’s love of chocolate and coffee was particularly easy for me to imagine and put on the page. I share Ree’s habit of keeping “break in case of emergency” chocolate in my kitchen!

(That made me laugh so much as my husband and I always keep a bar of emergency chilli chocolate in the kitchen cupboard too!)

Like many writers (and engineers), I also love coffee. I have a collection of my favorite mugs displayed on a rack on the wall, from those with family photos to souvenir mugs from some of my favorite places. I’m currently drinking coffee out of my Rosie the Riveter mug – this one is also my go-to when I am editing my books. There is something about the iconic image with “We Can Do It!” written across the top that always gives me that extra boost.

(Great tip there for other writers K.T – have an inspirational mug to help those words flow!)

Thanks so much for staying in with me to tell me all about Calculated Deception K.T. I think it must be time to reach for a mug, settle down with the book and crack open the emergency chocolate!

Calculated Deception

Dr. Ree Ryland is an engineering professor who loves her job and plays by the rules. Her life is reassuringly predictable – until an enemy hiding in plain sight decides her squeaky-clean reputation is the perfect cover to commit a crime.

When Agent Parker Landon and his FBI team discover that someone at the university has been procuring military-grade hardware by disguising it as test equipment, all evidence points to Ree. After the FBI intercepts a shipment that puts Ree in the clear, Parker is forced to tell her that she’s being used as a pawn by an unseen enemy. And now she’s in that enemy’s crosshairs. Ree turns down the protective detail offered by the FBI and insists on using her inside knowledge to help with the investigation. Parker is leery of bringing a civilian on to the team, but he’s surprised at how much fun he has working with Ree, even as he tries to keep her out of harm’s way.

Parker, Ree and the FBI team find increasingly worrying evidence that someone is quietly acquiring everything they need to cause destruction on a massive scale. Now, they must uncover the motive and identity of the killer hiding among Ree’s friends and colleagues before it’s too late.

Calculated Deception is Book 1 in The Calculated Series. All books in The Calculated Series may be enjoyed as standalone novels or as a series.

Published by Vertical Line, Calculated Deception is available for purchase here.

About K.T.Lee

K.T. Lee is a writer, mom and engineer who grew up on a steady diet of books from a wide variety of genres. When K.T. began to write the kind of books she wanted to read, she mixed clever women and the sciences with elements from thrillers (and a dash of romance) to create The Calculated Series.

You can find out more about K.T.’s books at her website or find her talking about writing, science, and cute animals on Instagram and Facebook. You can follow K.T.Lee on Twitter @KTLeeWrites.

I’m absolutely thrilled to be starting off the launch celebrations for Last Letter Home by Rachel Hore as it is a book I’m just itching to read. I have a wonderful guest post from Rachel Hore today, explaining why Italy is such an important setting for Last Letter Home.

Last Letter Home is available for purchase through the links here.

Last Letter Home

On holiday with friends, young historian Briony Andrews becomes fascinated with a wartime story of a ruined villa in the hills behind Naples. There is a family connection: her grandfather had been a British soldier during the Italian campaign of 1943 in that very area. Handed a bundle of letters that were found after the war, Briony sets off to trace the fate of their sender, Sarah Bailey.

In 1939, Sarah returns with her mother and sister from India, in mourning, to take up residence in the Norfolk village of Westbury. There she forms a firm friendship with Paul Hartmann, a young German who has found sanctuary in the local manor house, Westbury Hall. With the outbreak of war, conflicts of loyalty in Westbury deepen.

When, 70 years later, Briony begins to uncover Sarah and Paul’s story, she encounters resentments and secrets still tightly guarded. What happened long ago in the villa in the shadow of Vesuvius, she suspects, still has the power to give terrible pain …

Why Italy?

A Guest Post by Rachel Hore

Last Letter Home begins in a hillside holiday villa some miles inland of Naples, where Briony Wood is staying with a group of friends one hot summer and where a chance meeting leads to the discovery of a cache of old letters.  Briony is a historian, her speciality Second World War Italy, but she also learns of a personal link to the area – her grandfather Harry was stationed here with the British Army in 1943.  Whilst trying to find what happened to the correspondents of the letters, back in Norfolk, she becomes enmeshed in secrets from the wartime past.

For many of us Italy is a romantic place, glorious for holidays, for food and wine, stunning countryside and its rich culture, but many are alive still who remember a darker side. In 1943 it became the theatre of one of the most gruelling military operations of World War II, when the Allied armies pushed the Nazis northwards inch by painful inch, wading through mud in the winter rains and crossing unforgiving mountainous terrain.  No other military operation in the West in that war led to so many dead or wounded infantry as the Italian Campaign, and many of the wounds inflicted were invisible ones, for the conditions were so extreme they drove men beyond mental endurance.  This was the setting into which I sent Briony’s grandfather Harry and his fellow soldiers Paul and Ivor, where they took part in events whose consequences echoed down generations of all their families.

Italy’s part in the war was initially an opportunistic one.  Her fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, had only weighed in on the side of Germany in June 1940 as France fell; he saw the chance to pursue old imperial ambitions in the Mediterranean and North Africa.  At first he was successful, but after years of fighting and the Allies’ victory at the third battle of El Alamein, Italian troops were forced to withdraw from the African continent.  The Allies followed them.  In July 1943 a huge fleet gathered off the coast of Malta, waiting for a calm moonlit night.  In the early hours of the 10^th they invaded Sicily.  Weeks of fierce battle ensued. Many Italian soldiers were killed or gave themselves up. The stronger German forces finally fled to the mainland.  On 8^th September, Italy surrendered, but the Nazis persisted, digging themselves into the north of the country, determined to defend the route to their homeland.

It’s hard now to imagine the devastation the war brought to Italy.  Perhaps these photographs will help.  What it’s even more difficult to discover is the stories of individuals who suffered and, in the case of Paul, what it was like for a German exile fighting for the British against his fellow countrymen.  In Last Letter Home this is the gap where the fiction comes in.

(Thank you so much Rachel. I’m even more desperate for Last Letter Home to reach the top of my TBR now!)

About Rachel Hore

Rachel Hore worked in London publishing for many years before moving with her family to Norwich, where she teaches publishing and creative writing at the University of East Anglia. She is married to the writer D. J. Taylor and they have three sons.

Her previous novels are The Dream House, The Memory Garden, The Glass Painter’s Daughter, which was shortlisted for the 2010 Romantic Novel of the Year award, A Place of Secrets, which was picked by Richard and Judy for their book club, A Gathering Storm, which was shortlisted for the RONA Historical Novel of the Year 2012 and the latest bestseller, The Silent Tide.

You can find out more about Rachel on her website, or by following her Twitter @Rachelhore. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’m so excited to welcome Adrienne Vaughan to Linda’s Book Bag today. Adrienne has been an author whose books have been on my radar for some time so I’m thrilled she has agreed to stay in and tell me about one of them.

I’m also really excited that Adrienne has offered blog readers a very special giveaway and you’ll find details at the bottom of this blog post.

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me to tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with Adrienne Vaughan

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Adrienne. I’m delighted you’re here. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Delighted to be staying in with you Linda, especially as the weather in early March had me housebound and rifling through my bookshelves searching for something to warm me up and dream of sunnier climes.

(I’m with you there Adrienne. What a start to the month. Still I’m off to India soon and it’ll be a bit warmer!)

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

With those blue skies in mind I’ve chosen my latest romantic suspense, That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel.

(I want to pack my bags straight away and you’ve only mentioned the title.)

What can we expect from an evening in with That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel?

Well, if any of your readers would like to visit Ireland, this is certainly an opportunity to ‘spend’ summer on the sunny east coast. Here’s the blurb, Linda … see what you think …

Mia Flanagan has never been told who her father is and aged ten, stopped asking. Haunted by this, she remains a dutiful daughter who would never do anything to bring scandal or shame on her beautiful and famously single mother.

So when Archie Fitzgerald, one of Hollywood’s favourite actors, decides to leave Mia his Irish estate, she asks herself – is he her father after all?

That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel is a tale of passion, jealousy and betrayal – and the ghost of a secret love that binds this colourful cast of characters yet still threatens, after all these years, to tear each one of them apart.

(Woo – I REALLY need to read this as soon as possible. I think it sounds fabulous and I’ve never been to Ireland.)

I particularly like the way one of my reviewers has linked the cover to the story. Sharon Booth says:

The cover sets the tone for this book. A young woman, her back to us, drifts along a beautiful beach, evoking the image of a dream, or perhaps a memory … memories play a huge part in this story. Something happened at The Seahorse Hotel. Something that no one involved in the event will talk about, even to each other, and certainly not to Mia.

And so the story unravels as Mia begins to discover who she really is and why those who love her have kept her father’s identity a secret.

(This is such an enticing introduction. You must be thrilled with Sharon’s appraisal of the cover.)

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

I have brought the makings of a classic Buck’s Fizz to drink. A good bottle of champagne – Veuve Clicquot is my favourite – and freshly squeezed orange juice, preferably Sicilian oranges as the flavour is rich but not sharp so only a little is needed. I mean, we don’t want to dilute this delicious champagne too much do we? I’ve chosen this because at a low point in Mia’s life, she’s told a girl needs three things for heartache … champagne, vitamin C and good friends!

(Actually, I’ll take my champagne without the oranges if you don’t mind…)

To eat, I’ve brought fish and chips of course – don’t they smell delicious? I hope the oven’s on just to keep them warm while I make drinks, because even though they’re freshly cooked and double-wrapped I do think chips have to be eaten piping hot and straight out of the paper don’t you? Which is precisely how they’re eaten at Galty House, the Georgian mansion codenamed The Seahorse Hotel during the Second World War.

(Yep. The oven is on and my stomach is rumbling so hurry up with those drinks, Adrienne. I haven’t had fish and chips for ages…)

And finally, here in a velvet pouch are my Tarot Cards. Leela, the housekeeper at Galty House, always turns to the cards when she needs a bit of guidance, she’s been with the Fitzgerald family for many years and has seen them through much turbulence and many dramas. And the cards have certainly helped.

I was fascinated to learn a little about the Tarot when I was writing the book, and although I’m a complete novice and it’s just for fun, let’s deal out a hand and see what it throws up? Who knows we might be in for a lottery win or a mystery inheritance? Even better, it might predict a decent summer … now that’s something we could all look forward to!

(My goodness yes. A lottery win would be lovely but I’ll take a decent summer instead any time.)

Thanks so much for staying in with me and telling me all about That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel. I’ve really enjoyed this evening Adrienne. Now, get dealing those Tarot cards.

Thanks for inviting me over Linda, it’s been a lovely evening and an absolute pleasure to share it with you – I’ll definitely need the SatNav to take me home though, not that good at the Tarot just yet!

That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel

Mia Flanagan has never been told who her father is and aged ten, stopped asking.

Haunted by this, she remains a dutiful daughter who would never do anything to bring scandal or shame on her beautiful and famously single mother.

So when Archie Fitzgerald, one of Hollywood’s favourite actors, decides to leave Mia his Irish estate, she asks herself – is he her father after all?

That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel is a tale of passion, jealousy and betrayal – and the ghost of a secret love that binds this colourful cast yet still threatens, after all these years, to tear each of them apart.

That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel is available for purchase here.

About Adrienne Vaughan

Adrienne Vaughan has been making up stories since she could speak; primarily to entertain her sister Reta, who from a very early age never allowed a plot or character to be repeated – tough gig!

As soon as she could pick up a pen, she started writing them down. No surprise she wanted to be a journalist; ideally the editor of a glossy music and fashion magazine, so she could meet and marry a rock star – some of that came true! And in common with so many, she still holds the burning ambition to be a ‘Bond Girl’.

You can follow Adrienne on Twitter @adrienneauthor and find her on Facebook. Adrienne also has a fabulous website.

Lovely Adrienne has generously offered a very special giveaway too so check the details below.

Giveaway

I’m devastated that is isn’t ethical to enter a giveaway on your own blog because Adrienne is offering the chance for three lucky readers to win a signed paperback copy of That Summer at the Seahorse Hotel. For your chance to win, click here.

Giveaway open internationally and closes at UK midnight on Thursday 22nd March 2018.

I’d like to thank fellow blogger and friend Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part in celebrating the launch of the latest novel from Caroline James; The Best Boomerville Hotel. I’m delighted that Caroline is sharing her Fantasy Hotel ideas today.

Caroline is a regular visitor to Linda’s Book Bag.  She kindly provided her top ten writing tips here, when Coffee, Tea, the Caribbean and Me was published and allowed me to interview her here.  Caroline also told me about writer’s block and I reviewed her novel Jungle Rock here.

The Best Boomerville Hotel was published by Ruby Fiction, the brand new imprint from Choc Lit, on 13th March 2018 and is available for pre-order from Amazon, Kobo, Ibooks/Google and Itunes.

The Best Boomerville Hotel

Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business!

Perhaps not surprisingly Boomerville attracts more than it’s fair share of eccentric clientele: there’s fun loving Sir Henry Mulberry and his brother Hugo; Lucinda Brown, an impoverished artist with more ego than talent; Andy Mack, a charming Porsche-driving James Bond lookalike, as well as Kate Simmons, a woman who made her fortune from an internet dating agency but still hasn’t found ‘the One’ herself.

With such an array of colourful individuals there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?

My Fantasy Hotel

A Guest Post by Caroline James

Linda, I am delighted to be on your lovely blog today and it is no surprise to me that you came up with a brilliant topic to discuss. You ask the following questions:

What is Caroline’s fantasy hotel?

Where would you like to stay?

What facilities would your hotel have?

Why do you want to stay there?

(Ha! Thanks Caroline. I think I’m somewhat nosy…)

In this fantasy, I am going to jump in my car and head north and take a leisurely drive to beautiful Cumbria. I’ll turn off the M6 motorway and meander along the A66 following the River Bevan until I come to the fictitious village of Kirkton Sowerby. The location of my fantasy Hotel.

My fantasy hotel is of course, Boomerville. A hotel that I dreamt up a few years ago and after refurbishment, is now the place where mid-lifers wanting a fresh start, leap into action as they learn new skills, take a whole host of courses both whacky and conventional and mingle and meet others who want to embrace life in their later years.

Boomerville is luxurious. A comfortable Georgian pile that has gracious reception rooms to relax in, a comfortable cocktail bar and fabulous food on a menu designed by a Michelin starred chef. As I wander into the lovely walled garden and stroll past guests enjoying a game of croquet on a neatly manicured lawn, I’ll walk past a fountain and climb a set of stone steps that lead to a meadow where wild flowers bow their pretty heads and sway in the Cumbrian breeze.

A brightly coloured tepee stands tall and invites me in. Several hours later I drift out, smiling sublimely after a Session with the Shaman and wave at a group of guests who are returning from Clairvoyance in Midlife, a course run in an old gypsy caravan hosted by Queenie, the resident medium.

In the evening, whilst enjoying a glass of wine in the conservatory, I sit with fellow residents and discuss Clay Creations with Potter Paul and we dream of appearing on TV’s The Great British Pottery Throw Down. Many are confident that they can pen a novel following tuition in Creative Writing, while the resident artist, encourages us to join Lucinda’s Life Drawing later that week. Aphrodisiac Cooking was popular this afternoon and several guests have already called it a day and are heading off to bed, hand-in-hand.

I’ve heard that Boomerville is building a pool, with swimming both in and out of doors. A hot tub has been installed in the garden, complete with cocktail bar. Hattie, the vivacious and barking mad manager, is planning a season of themed dinner events to include Tripping Out on Thai and Go Global in Ghoa. She assures me that they will be a sell-out.

So, Linda, that’s my fantasy hotel that becomes reality in my writing and I truly wish such a place existed for I would book in immediately and recharge my life-batteries and run happily out of my comfort zone. Are you coming with me?

(You bet Caroline. I’m in dire need of my batteries being recharged! I wonder if we’ll encounter a particular chef there too…?)

As always, huge thanks for hosting me on your brilliant blog.

(My pleasure.)

Love and happy reading to all,

Caroline xx

About Caroline James

Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, consultant and food writer, Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association and writes articles and short stories and contributes to many publications. In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.

You can find all of Caroline’s books on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

You can find out more about Caroline on her website and by following her on Twitter. You’ll also find her on Facebook.

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Among the Branded by Linda Smolkin is a book I’ve been wanting to read for ages, especially after I was able to conduct an interview with Linda about Among the Branded here. Consequently, I’m delighted to have an extract to share today thanks to fellow blogger and Random Things organiser Anne Cater as I still haven’t had chance to read the whole book.

Among the Branded is available for purchase here.

Among the Branded

What if a 70-year-old letter from World War II changed the course of your life?

While attending Valor of the ’40s, art director Stephanie Britain stumbles upon a flea market selling letters from the war. She buys a handful, hoping they’ll inspire the redesign for a client’s website at her branding and design firm. She’s at first drawn by the lost art of penmanship, but soon discovers a hidden treasure nestled inside declarations of love from homesick soldiers. Stephanie enlists a coworker to translate one and realizes it’s not a love letter after all. When a shocking discovery about a client causes Stephanie to question her principles and dedication to her firm’s business, she’s forced to make a difficult decision—one that could give her peace of mind, yet ruin her career in the process.

Contemporary fiction with a historical touch, Among the Branded explores family life, an unexpected friendship, and moral conflicts that make us wonder what’s more important: our livelihood or our beliefs.

An Extract from Among The Branded

Chapter 1

As I put Ripsie back in the closet, it dawned on me that our little Evan could not be fooled.

A few months earlier, he figured out his dad was the tooth fairy by comparing the fairy’s letter to a grocery list on the fridge.

When Evan was three, he knew Sveta was Santa after recognizing her ring accidentally left next to the glass of milk for hardworking Claus.

And because he couldn’t be fooled, it crossed my mind to borrow Evan, to bring him home with me to see if Greg, the love of my life, was being honest or diplomatic.

First, I’d ask Greg the not-too-serious questions, while Evan stood on the sidelines to give me a sign, a nod for yes, a cough for no.

Does my butt look big in these jeans?

Is my cooking really better than your mother’s?

If that went well, we could move to some more serious questions.

Will you love me the same way in twenty years?

Or, more pressing, Will I be able to hold it together when Jeremy leaves for college?

“Mom, I can’t believe you dressed up,” Jack said as I closed the closet door.

“Did I embarrass you?”

He gave me that what-do-you-think look.

“Who knows, maybe I found my calling,” I said.

He picked up the half-started spaceship and looked through pieces on the floor to add to it, pushing aside rejected colors.

“All the kids keep following me around.”

“That’s because they like hanging out with older kids.

You did, too, when you were that age.”

“Yeah, when I was young.”

I laughed hard.

That was one of Jack’s favorite phrases, as if he were a seventy-year-old man remembering the days of his youth.

The laughter stopped, but my smile remained.

How and when did my twelve-year-old grow up so fast?

Was it the time I blinked to let him win our staring contest over winter break?

My phone pinged, and I grabbed it from my pocket.

These days, I had to put all my reminders in the phone or I’d forget to take care of them. Everything was in there.

Change the sheets.

Take Jack to taekwondo.

Pay the bills.

Water the plants.

This time it was a more interesting reminder about our getaway.

We decided to take a short trip after dropping Jeremy off at college, and Jack would choose the place, within reason.

For the past few months, we’d been so busy finalizing college plans, shopping for supplies, stockpiling food for Jeremy, and now it was Jack’s turn for attention.

I cleared the reminder from my phone and asked if he’d made a decision.

“Let’s go to the Bahamas, to that resort in the commercials.”

“Sweetie, it’s hurricane season, and I can’t take that much time off work.

What if we hit a few theme parks?”

“That’s boring.”

Sveta walked in, overhearing our conversation.

“Since you like costumes so much, why don’t you go to Valor of the ’40s?”

“What do costumes have to do with it?” I asked.

“You were so good as Ripsie.

Maybe you’ll want to reenact a war.”

I rolled my eyes.

“You’re joking, right?”

“Only about dressing up.

Jack would love it.

They have World War II planes, tanks, all that cool stuff.

And it’s near Jeremy’s college.”

“Mom, can we go?”

“Sounds interesting. But maybe something more relaxing?”

“You just said theme parks. How’s that relaxing?”

Jack had a point.

He always had a point.

He was twelve after all, and he was onto me like my expression lines.

“Okay, I’ll talk it over with Dad.

But learn more about it so you can teach me something new.”

I wasn’t much of a history buff but could be convinced.

Besides, the trip had to be Jack’s choice, as we’d promised.

We followed Sveta back into the kitchen.

Evan blew out his candles, and we passed cake around the table.

Some asked for seconds, and I thought, Why the heck not? You’re only four once.

I handed out more slices, scooped out more ice cream, and began to imagine Valor of the ’40s.

Did I really want to go to some World War II event to see a bunch of guys pretend-shoot at each other or planes take off and hope they wouldn’t crash down because of their age?

Hell, I was hoping I wouldn’t crash down because of my age, and I was only forty-three.

Jack sat in front of Sveta’s computer and scanned the event’s website while reading the schedule of activities out loud.

Maybe it would be interesting and at the same time take my mind off Jeremy’s departure.

I took a piece of cake and loaded ice cream on top.

“How come she gets three scoops? I only got two,” whined one of the little girls who loved me for my soft and fluffy exterior a few minutes ago.

I ignored her, giving my ice cream the excessive attention it deserved.

I’m allowed to have three scoops, my cute little friend with blonde pigtails.

I’m sending my first kid off to college in just a few weeks.

About Linda Smolkin

Linda Smolkin always wanted to be a writer—ever since she saw her first TV commercial and wondered how to pen those clever ads. She got her degree in journalism and became a copywriter. Linda landed a job at an ad agency, where she worked for several years before joining the nonprofit world. She’s currently working on her second novel, which will be released in Spring 2018. When not in front of the computer, she’s behind the drums (slightly) annoying her husband, son, and their 70-pound dog.

You can follow Linda on Twitter @lindasmolkin, and visit her website for more information. You’ll also find Linda on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s a welcome return to Linda’s Book Bag by Leslie Tate, author of Violet as Leslie has previously written for the blog alongside my review of his writing here. Today Leslie explores how his writing emerges in a fascinating insight into the writing process as he celebrates publication day for Violet.

Violet is available for purchase here. The e-book of Violet is available here. You’ll also find Leslie’s writing on Amazon.

Violet

The passionate, late-life love of Beth and James begins in 2003 on a blind date in a London restaurant. Attracted by James’s openness, Beth feels an immediate, deep connection between his honesty and her own romantic faith. From then on they bond, exchanging love-texts, exploring sea walks and gardens and sharing their past lives with flashbacks to Beth’s rural childhood and her marriage to a dark, charismatic minister.

Telling stories runs in Beth’s family, so she keeps up with her friends, following their efforts to find love in a soulless, materialistic world. But Beth’s own passion for giving and commitment is pushed to the limit as she and James struggle with her divorce problems, each other’s children, and life-threatening illness. In the end, tested by pain, they discover something larger than themselves that goes beyond suffering and loss…

Shades of Violet

A Guest Post by Leslie Tate

When I interview authors on my blog https://leslietate.com/ I want to find out what lies behind their latest book So I avoid exchanges about sales or promotion, asking them instead about the process of writing. One of the questions I ask is, ‘Can you tell me about the beginning, growth and development your book?’ Applying the same question to Violet, my latest novel, I came up with the following three-part answer.

1. Beginnings

I don’t plan my novels. I’ve never felt able to find an anecdote that translates neatly into a finished story. So I set off writing Violet knowing only that it was about a late-life love affair. I’d a picture in my head of meeting my wife, Sue Hampton, in a West End restaurant, and I used that as my guide. I wanted to capture the fragile immediacy of our first encounter, how important it was, and how quickly it all happened. Beth and James are not like us, so their words and acts were largely imagined, but the feelings they experience were based on ours.

My first few pages are usually the most autobiographical. After that the characters take over and the ‘me’ in the story narrows down to a few borrowed details.

So here are a few examples of real-life borrowings, taken from Violet:

Before our meeting, Sue and I exchanged numerous letters and talked for hours on the phone.

On the day I had difficulty finding the restaurant.

Like Beth in the book, Sue turned up very early.

But the 3½ hours of intense table talk that followed between us wasn’t going to work in a novel. It was too static and far too long-winded. Even cut, it wouldn’t hold the reader. So I said goodbye to Sue and Leslie and allowed Beth and James to take over.

But I did want to capture the power of the experience. This was the story of two experienced adults diving in and going through a sea change. Translated into fiction, that meant taking risks. So James oversteps the mark, drinking from a glass smeared with Beth’s lipstick, plays mime games, and invites Beth, in the middle of the restaurant, to dance.

You can read this section of the book, together with a commentary describing how it was written, here.

I was aware that I was pushing it in the restaurant scene. Of course Beth and James have already had contact, making them more open, but for weeks after writing it I kept revising and re-reading to check for plausibility. In the end it seemed to work, mainly, I believe, because the mind in the act of reading takes things for granted and often jumps ahead.

As an author, I use the selective nature of the novel to foreshorten time and work the changes. The remote is in my hands and I can press ‘hold’, ‘rewind’ or ‘fast forward’. I can also change channels. So the restaurant scene moves quickly from the nervous reality of a conventional first meeting to a lover’s dream. And the dialogue is twofold, mixing short and meaningful quips with going in deep. Everything is imagined: so Beth and James come out with things we’d all like to say but usually keep shtum, while the reported conversations blend author-talk with voices in the head. The aim is to surprise and take a view on life, but not to break the spell.

2. Growth

Once I have a start, the discoveries begin. Mostly I find my direction by writing it, but I also have a long-term feel for what I’d like to happen. If the two are at odds, then the short-term wins. So starting Violet with Beth and James meeting at 50 meant I had to find a way to tell their full stories. I’d thought I might be able to flashback during the restaurant scene but found, in the end, I needed to give them separate treatment. And that meant, in James’s case, telling his backstory through his letters to Beth. In her case I began from birth in close third person, using her own juvenile stories to show how she’d changed.

So the book became layered, moving back and forth between present-day romance and Beth’s failed marriage to a born-again minister. At the same time I had an underlying feeling that the story was developing in a direction I had to follow…

3. Development

Two things happened when I’d finished the book:

1. a) Despite my resistance, the old, old tale that unconditional love has no place in an uncaring world took over.
2. b) My wife and author, Sue Hampton, had already noticed that three of the main characters in the trilogy had traits in common. So during the writing of Blue (the novel before Violet) we drew up a family tree. This required me to write in passages connecting Matthew Lavender in Purple to Richard Lavender in Blue and to James in Violet.

These changes were structural. They showed me that a book is never finished. And of course there’s a ripple effect, every minor change has its repercussions, and it’s always possible to add in links and connections to improve the flow.

In the end, a novel is complex. It has to be so since people and the world can’t be easily summed up. In Violet I tried to reflect that complexity by writing in both third and first person and by including letters, stories and Beth’s diary. But the central idea is simple: boy meets girl in later life, they fall for each other, but have to cope with misfortune. In the words of the blurb: ‘The passionate, late-life love of Beth and James begins in 2003 on a blind date in a London restaurant. Attracted by James’s openness, Beth feels an immediate, deep connection between his honesty and her own romantic faith. From then on they bond, exchanging love-texts, exploring sea walks and gardens and sharing their past lives with flashbacks to Beth’s rural childhood and her marriage to a dark, charismatic minister.

Telling stories runs in Beth’s family, so she keeps up with her friends, following their efforts to find love in a soulless, materialistic world. But Beth’s own passion for giving and commitment is pushed to the limit as she and James struggle with her divorce problems, each other’s children, and life-threatening illness. In the end, tested by pain, they discover something larger than themselves that goes beyond suffering and loss…’

Thanks so much for this Leslie. It’s a fascinating insight into how your writing takes shape. All the very best with Violet.

About Leslie Tate

Leslie Tate studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia and has been shortlisted for the Bridport, Geoff Stevens and Wivenhoe Prizes. He’s the author of the trilogy of novels Purple, Blue and Violet, as well as his trans memoir Heaven’s Rage, which has been turned into a film. Leslie runs a mixed arts show in Berkhamsted, UK, where he lives with his wife, multi-talented author Sue Hampton. On his website he posts up weekly creative interviews and guest blogs showing how people use their imagination in life, in many different ways.

To find out more about Leslie Tate, visit his website, find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.  On Leslie’s website you will also find weekly interviews and guest blogs by writers, artists and musicians, as well as Leslie’s own writings.

Although I love my physical books, one of the joys of electronic ones is that books not yet out in the UK are still available to me as a reader. One such book is the brand new The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon. Although I haven’t had chance to read The Neighbors yet, I do have an extract to share today.

The Neighbors is available for purchase here.

The Neighbors

Abby looks forward to meeting the family who just moved in across the street – until she realizes they’re the one couple who could expose her deepest secrets.

After a night of fun back in 1992, Abby is responsible for a car crash that kills her beloved brother. It’s a mistake she can never forgive, so she pushes away Liam, the man she loves most, knowing that he would eventually hate her for what she’s done, the same way she hates herself.

Twenty years later, Abby’s husband, Nate, is also living with a deep sense of guilt. He was the driver who first came upon the scene of Abby’s accident, the man who pulled her to safety before the car erupted in flames – the man who could not save her brother in time. It’s this guilt, this regret, that binds them together. They understand each other. Or so Nate believes.

In a strange twist of fate, Liam moves into the neighborhood with his own family, releasing a flood of memories that Abby has been trying to keep buried all these years. Abby and Liam, in a complicit agreement, pretend never to have met, yet cannot resist the pull of the past – nor the repercussions of the terrible secrets they’ve both been carrying….

An Extract from The Neighbors

“HELP.”

The faint voice floated toward me. Gliding smooth as a paper airplane from somewhere in the midst of the fog swirling through my brain. Orange lights flashed in a steady rhythm and—

“Please.”

I wondered if I’d uttered the words, but I hadn’t moved my lips. Hadn’t moved at all. Couldn’t. It hurt too much. Ev­erything hurt too much.

Moments passed, and I tried to string together the few wispy fragments my mind allowed me to cling to. My arms, chest and legs were pressed against something hard and uncomfortable—the ground, not my soft bed—but the rea­son why I found myself in that position escaped me entirely. And I was too exhausted to care.

A breeze softly brushed across my cheek. The pavement beneath me felt warm, and despite the distinct taste of rust invading my mouth, I could smell freshly cut grass. Hadn’t I been—

“Help me, Abby.”

The voice was too low to be mine. A man’s then—it had to be. Why wouldn’t he let me sleep? My eyes felt heavy and impossible to open, so I let my thoughts start pulling me away, ever so slowly, to the deliciously inviting state of un­consciousness.

“Abby.”

Rest would have to wait. Against my better judgment I raised my head, each millimeter expending energy I didn’t think I had and causing pain to shoot through every part of my body like a thousand burning hot pins. I tried, but my legs and lower back stubbornly refused to budge even the ti­niest amount, as if I’d been nailed to the ground.

I forced my eyes open.

And I saw him.

“Tom.” My own voice this time, barely a whisper. “Tom.” A little stronger, louder.

My brother lay a few meters away in what had been my blue Ford Capri, but which was now an upturned carcass of broken glass and mangled steel. The flashing of the hazard lights illuminated Tom’s bloody face and body every few sec­onds, a perverse freak show. He hung upside down. Unlike me, he was still in the car, somewhere between the front and back seats, his arms and legs bent at impossible angles. Eyes wide and glazed. Staring at me. Desperate. Begging.

“Abby,” he said once more, and I watched as he attempted to lift his arms, tried to reach for me. “I can’t get out.” Tears rolled up his forehead, mixing with a steady stream of blood from the deep gash above his eye that looked like a second mouth. “I can’t get out.”

(Now I really do need to read the rest of The Neighbors!)

About Hannah Mary McKinnon

Hannah Mary McKinnon  was born in the UK and grew up in Switzerland. Unsurprisingly she loves chocolate, mountains and cheese, and books, of course.

After an (early) mid-life crisis, Hannah found herself in her forties and one morning decided to follow her oldest passion; she started writing and never wanted to look back.

Hannah’s first novel, Time After Time, a lighthearted, romantic read, was published by HarperCollins AVON in June 2016. Her second novel, The Neighbors is a domestic suspense story, and will be published by MIRA in North America in March 2018.

You can find out more by visiting Hannah’s website or following her on Twitter @HannahMMcKinnon or Instagram @HannahMaryMcKinnon. You’ll also find Hannah on Facebook.

I love tea and when I hear that an author loves tea too I just have to ask them onto Linda’s Book Bag. It gives me great pleasure, therefore, to be staying in today with fellow tea drinker Rook Winters!

If you’re an author who’d also like to stay in with me to tell me about one of your books, please click here for more details.

Staying in with Rook Winters

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

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

I’ve brought The Branch Office, my first novel. I figured the technical books I wrote for programmers might be a bit boring for a night in.

(Oh, I don’t know. Er…, yes, you’re right. The Branch Office sounds much better!)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Branch Office?

I usually tell people it’s a blend of humour, despair, satire, and 80s nostalgia. At the centre of the story is a band of co-workers at a tech company. Anyone who’s worked in an office has experienced loads of bizarre habits and absurd behaviour, but the tech industry takes it to a new level, which makes it a fun backdrop for a novel.

(Having worked in a local authority open plan office I can heartily agree – though I hope the bizarre behaviour wasn’t my own…)

Don’t worry, though, the book’s not twenty-five chapters of people sitting around talking in an office. That would be a bit tiresome.

It’s a modern-day setting but one of the characters is obsessed with the 1980s. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, so it was a bit of personal indulgence to weave in some of my favourite things from that time into the story. In the book, it’s tacitly tied to the psychological baggage of the character, but for readers it’s been a fun way to reminisce a little. Well, those who remember the 80s at least.

(I remember them well Rook – I’m not quite as old as I look!)

What else have you brought along and why?

A few things. I have a box of doughnuts, which is a must-have treat when talking about The Branch Office. The first doughnut shows up on page 2. This will save a doughnut run later in the evening when the inevitable cravings set in.

(Oo. Haven’t had a doughnut in years. You can stay in with me again!)

I also have a few bottles of craft beer for Beer 30, an end of the week tradition for the characters in the book. They normally tap a keg but that seemed a bit excessive for an evening in.

(I think we could give it a go though…)

The company softball team is a fun element in the book, so I brought a softball. Might be a good idea to hide it once the beer’s out, though, so we don’t risk breaking a lamp or something.

(I quite agree. Especially with my sight problems and non-existent hand/eye coordination. I’d like some of my home left intact after you’ve left.)

Thanks so much for staying in with me to introduce The Branch Office Rook. I’ve really enjoyed our chat – and the doughnuts!

The Branch Office

A novel that is part tribute and part lampoon of office life. You’ll nosedive into absurd behavior, quirky personalities, Silicon Valley excess, 80s nostalgia, personal loss, frustration, unrequited infatuation, company softball, and, of course, doughnuts.

Luke is young and stuck at the bottom of the career ladder but he doesn’t intend to stay there. The grizzled programmer in the next cubicle has been working on the same software for decades and just wants to stay off the radar of the executives.

Unfortunately, the corporate agenda is at odds with their hopes and dreams, and you know what they say about sticking your neck out too far…

The Branch Office is available for purchase here.

About Rook Winters

Rook Winters has worked as a software developer, corporate trainer, and technical writer so he is well-acquainted with the ups and downs of spending day after day in an office. His first novel, The Branch Office, isn’t autobiographical but it taps into the humor and despair of office life in a way that’s only possible after spending thousands of days in the land of cubicles.

Rook is also the author of several short stories based on the same characters in The Branch Office.

You can follow Rook on Twitter @RookWinters. You’ll also find him on Facebook and Goodreads and can visit his website.