I’m thrilled to be able to share an extract from The Bookworm by Mitch Silver today as I think it looks like a thriller I’m definitely going to enjoy.

The Bookworm will be published by Pegasus on 6th February 2018 and is available for pre-order here.

The Bookworm

Europe, 1940: It’s late summer and Belgium has been overrun by the German army. Posing as a friar, a British operative talks his way into the monastery at Villers-devant-Orval just before Nazi art thieves plan to sweep through the area and whisk everything of value back to Berlin. But the ersatz man of the cloth is no thief. Instead, that night he adds an old leather Bible to the monastery’s library and then escapes.

London, 2017: A construction worker operating a backhoe makes a grisly discovery―a skeletal arm-bone with a rusty handcuff attached to the wrist. Was this the site, as a BBC newsreader speculates, of “a long-forgotten prison, uncharted on any map?” One viewer knows better: it’s all that remains of a courier who died in a V-2 rocket attack. The woman who will put these two disparate events together―and understand the looming tragedy she must hurry to prevent―is Russian historian and former Soviet chess champion Larissa Mendelova Klimt, “Lara the Bookworm,” to her friends. She’s also experiencing some woeful marital troubles.

In the course of this riveting thriller, Lara will learn the significance of six musty Dictaphone cylinders recorded after D-Day by Noel Coward―actor, playwright and, secretly, a British agent reporting directly to Winston Churchill. She will understand precisely why that leather Bible, scooped up by the Nazis and deposited on the desk of Adolf Hitler days before he planned to attack Britain, played such a pivotal role in turning his guns to the East. And she will discover the new secret pact negotiated by the nefarious Russian president and his newly elected American counterpart―maverick and dealmaker―and the evil it portends.

Oh, and she’ll reconcile with her husband.

An Extract from The Bookworm

(Excerpted from The Bookworm by Mitch Silver, published by Pegasus Books. © Mitch Silver.  Reprinted with permission from the publisher. All other rights reserved. )

Chapter 1

Moscow, Russia

Monday

In a vast Stalin-era granite box several kilometers north of the capital’s outer ring road, Larissa Mendelova Klimt checked her cell phone one last time—nothing—before packing up the box for the return leg of her “daily commute.” Her routine never varied: pick up the yashchik in the morning, walk it along two rows of the Osobyi Arkhiv and then three rows over. Unlock the door to her carrel and set the box of old papers down on the desk. Turn on the light. Be seated. At night, pick up the box, lock up, and walk her burden back to its parking place with the other wartime files on the archive’s shelf.

She was feeling pretty good about herself. Other people went away for the summer, enjoyed the weather, swam at the seaside or in a lake, maybe. But Lara the Good Girl worked right here while Russia’s brief summer came and went. Unencumbered by her teaching load, she had waded through the captured Nazi documents in the box like an explorer. No, a cosmonaut—she was the Yuri Gagarin of academics, soaring through the unknown.

Take that day when she found two of the daily logs stuck together. Two not terribly significant days in May 1942, recorded down to the last, absurd detail by one of Hitler’s secretaries at the time, probably Johanna Wolf. Even as she carefully unstuck May 15 from May 16, she realized no Russian eyes had ever seen the page underneath; no Russian fingers had ever touched it. Of 150 million people, only Lara knew that Hitler had visited Wewelsburg to promote a cadre of SS officers at Himmler’s castle there before returning the same evening to Berlin by special train for a briefing on the Crimean offensive driving toward Baku. Okay, it was nothing special. Trivial, even. But it was all hers.

She knew what her friends called her: knižnyj červ. The “book- worm.” All they could see was the huge iron door of the Russian State Military Archive that closed behind her in the morning, never the enlightenment to be found within the heavily guarded Special, or Osobyi, section inside.

For the past eleven weeks, she had been doing exactly what she wanted to do. She spent nearly every waking minute plowing through the yellowed pages in this single box in the vast climate- controlled archive. Or else hunched over one of the preserved ’40s-era Dictaphone machines in the Listening Room twenty meters down the hall, as the voices of Hitler, Himmler, and Bormann dictated letters and summarized staff meetings on the hundreds of recordings liberated from the Führerbunker.

Even so, Lara had her reasons for being euphoric. She could tick off at least five of them on her fingers, starting with her thumb: with this last page, she had the whole dusty job of reading and translating behind her for another year. Index finger: she had her big definitive book, her Origins of the Great Patriotic War, all but written on the desk in front of her. Middle finger: Viktor was finally served with the divorce papers and she could move on with her life. Ring finger: Over the summer she had been named to fill the vacant chair in her department and would teach her initial class tomorrow as the country’s first full professor of geopolitical history. And pinkie: She had planned this summer’s work with her usual care, and had been rewarded by arriving at the last page of the Chronologies on September 8, the final allotted day. She had calculated it per- fectly, which just went to prove how weird the newly minted Lukoil Professor of Geohistory Larissa Mendelova Klimt—Lara to her friends—really was.

Still, as she gazed out the big, grimy window at the handful of people hurrying along the pedestrian walk of the Leningradskoye shosse on their way home and then down at the notes she’d tapped out on her iPad, she could feel the same old niggling doubt creeping back in. Is it worth it? Is this any way to spend a life, shutting yourself away in a musty archive?

Viktor certainly didn’t think so. One time she’d read him something she’d written and he’d given that little deprecating snort of his. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. What difference does it make?”

Was she divorcing Viktor because he was a no-good unfaithful bastard, or because she couldn’t bear to have him putting down her work? Did she surround herself with dead men talking because the actual live ones out there in the world were unknowable? From the time she’d been the tallest preteen in her srednyaya shkola in the closed city of Perm, Larissa had attracted the male gaze. But what, really, had they seen in her? Her nose was clearly too long, her teeth—though perfectly white and even—had a space in the middle, and her inky-black hair would never stay where she brushed it. Worse, out of her mouth would come what- ever she was thinking.

Lara returned her gaze to the single-spaced German record in front of her; she would read the last of the pages and deal with her life some other time. By now she knew Traudl Junge’s machine, the typewriter with the chipped apostrophe. Guess they couldn’t get new typewriters in the bunker by 1945.

And what was “A.H.” doing on April 21, the day after his birthday party and the last day of the Chronologies? Was he in the map room, planning to move up his nonexistent Southern Army to block the Russians at the gates to Berlin? No, he did that yesterday. Was he in the radio room, directing waves of nonexis- tent V-2s to wipe out the Red Army’s advance units (and most of the Berlin population)? He’d already tried that too.

Today he was playing with the Goebbels children. On other days, he’d show them Speer’s plans for the complete redesign of Linz, the Führer’s birthplace, into the new seat of Germanic culture. Today, though, he was back to playing with Tibet.

Fraulein Junge recorded it on the same onionskin paper she once used for councils of war: “1100 hrs. to 1215: A.H. again had us roll out the scale model of Lhasa to instruct the children on the beginnings of their race. How the gods had lived on the continent of Atlantis and how, when it succumbed to the Great Flood, they had moved to the lands of Thule and Ultima Thule far to the north. Then, when some of them had had carnal knowledge of mortal women, an elite priesthood of Nordics had taken refuge in another icy stronghold, in the Himalayas, and established their kingdom far beneath the surface of the earth.

“With that he delighted the children by lifting up the model’s mountains to reveal the magical city of the Aryans, the master race, as it had been recreated below. The little one, Heide, clapped her hands in joy as always.”

Lara shivered and let the flimsy paper drop from her hands. She knew that ten days later, her mother would crush cyanide capsules into the mouths of little Heide and her five brothers and sisters so they might all perish with the Führer.

Did Germany’s desire for lebensraum make the war inevitable? Or was it simply about one twisted, murderous man with unlimited power? One thing she did know: it was time to put the box back on the shelf and leave pure, unadulterated evil behind her for another year.

About Mitch Silver

Mitch Silver is the author of the critically acclaimed In Secret Service (S&S). He an advertising agency creative director who lives in Rye, New York.

You can visit Mitch’s website for more details.

I must begin this blog post with an abject apology to L. J. Kane, author of Snatch Girl. I completely forgot that we had conducted this interview and have been sitting on it for over two months. I think I was suffering from bamboozled blogger brain. However, I’m delighted to be rectifying the error and welcoming L. J. Kane to Linda’s Book Bag today.

Snatch Girl was published on 21st April 2017 and is available for purchase here.

Snatch Girl

Girl missing: What if you’re with her all the way through to the end…if it ends…? Will Ellie survive? Would you?

Snatched from her sadistic captor’s lair by his own getaway driver, eighteen-year-old student Ellie realises that she’s still kidnapped. As the enigmatic Darren Broderick drives off into the night with the terrified girl beside him, the sadistic Jon Braddon is not far behind.

Thrown together, on opposing sides, Darren and Ellie must stay one step ahead of Braddon’s twisted mind, and Ellie must resist Darren’s Aussie charms to the end. Darren Broderick needs the ransom, Braddon needs a victim. And he will fight to the death to get her back.

Warning: This book contains violent content, profanity, and sexually explicit scenarios.

An Interview with L. J. Kane

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, L.J. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing and Snatch Girl in particular. Firstly, please could you tell me a little about yourself?

Hi. I’m L.J. Kane, the English author of Snatch Girl, the shocking, fast-paced, psychological suspense thriller novel released on 21st April 2017. I’m told that it’s not for the faint-hearted!

I live in the UK with my husband who’s a great soundboard, full of encouragement, and great ideas. Between us, we have met many unusual characters over the years, people with extraordinary lives from whom I can derive lots of inspiration.

I love people-watching, overhearing conversations on the bus, dreaming up exciting plots while waiting in traffic, and while walking the dogs. I am having so much fun with my novels, and it’s because I’ve always believed in myself, that I have finally become an author, after 20 years procrastinating!

Why do you write?

I can’t imagine a life without writing. Stories fly around my head and I’m always thinking up characters and scenarios for thrillers. I enjoy the creative process so much, and I enjoy creating scary, nerve-wracking scenes.

(Oh. I think that sounds exhausting!)

When did you realise you were going to be a writer?

I was about 7 years old when my teacher said that my stories were advanced for my years, and that I was a “proper little author.” In my teenage years, my English teacher encouraged me to take my stories to the next level as I often turned the mundane “Turn this paragraph into a short story” brief into a mini thriller, complete with air crashes, and spies gunning each other down on rain-soaked hillsides!

(Hurrah for English teachers I say – well I did used to be one!)

Which aspects of your writing do you find easiest and most difficult?

The easiest aspect for me is character building. In Snatch Girl, Darren’s character was the easiest, closely followed by Ellie who just seemed to write herself onto the page. Braddon, the brutal, sadistic villain, was a little more difficult as he’s a savage character with evil on his mind, and that took a lot of effort because it’s painful to write about someone like that.

What are your writing routines and where do you do most of your writing?

I’m a night owl so I write from about 9pm into the early hours, when my ‘muse’ wakes up! I edit in the daytime when I’m focused. I actually write lying on the sofa with my feet up, a wireless keyboard on my lap, and a huge all-in-one PC facing me on the coffee table! Lazy, I know, but so comfortable.

Snatch Girl is a psychological suspense thriller, how did you feel whilst you were writing it?

I wrote Snatch Girl in Deep Point of View, staying within poor Ellie’s head the whole way through the book. I felt Ellie’s every stab of fear, every emotion, and every footstep, right through to the end, so it was both thrilling and exhilarating. I felt so guilty dragging Ellie through those nightmare scenarios!

(That must have been quite an experience.)

I know you procrastinated for twenty years before writing Snatch Girl. What advice would you give to other aspiring writers, like me, who are currently procrastinating?

Believe you can write your book and focus on the end product in your mind: the paperback in your hands, the e-book on your device. Create music playlists for your characters and scenes, and then go for it. As my mom says, “While you’re thinking [about it], you could be doing [it]”.

Why did you choose to make Darren Australian?

It just totally fits his character, his sense of humour, and his macho side. Darren’s a complex character, the anti-hero/bad boy of the story, and he was so much fun to write!

Snatch Girl is very fast paced. How did you manage the plotting of your book? 

I initially wrote Snatch Girl as a ‘write and see’ type of novel but I had to reign it in quickly! I created several drafts, made copious typed and hand-written notes, used sticky notes, scribbled on serviettes – you name it, I made notes on it! I knew the storyline backwards, so it came together easily. In fact, I had so many ideas that I had to miss a few scenes out of the final book.

(Perhaps we’ll see some of them in the next book.)

If you could choose to be a character from Snatch Girl, who would you be and why? 

I think I’d be too terrified to be any of them! It was scary being inside Ellie’s head the whole time and experiencing the trauma of being the kidnap victim in a relentless living nightmare. I wouldn’t dare to be in Braddon’s head for a second…

If Snatch Girl became a film, who would you like to direct it?

I think the late Wes Craven would have been the perfect choice to bring Snatch Girl to the big screen, with his style showcasing the shocks and nail-biting suspense from beginning to end.

When you’re not writing, what do you like to read?

I love psychological thrillers and horror, anything that captures my vivid imagination. Stephen King is my favourite author but I’ll read any book where the cover and blurb intrigue me. I love movies too, the grittier the better.

If you had 15 words to persuade a reader that Snatch Girl should be their next read, what would you say? 

What if you’re with Ellie right through to the end? Will Ellie survive? Would you?

Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions L. J. and for being so patient whilst I got round to sharing them with blog readers. 

You’re very welcome. Thank you for having me!

About L. K. Kane

L.J. Kane loves people-watching, overhearing conversations on the bus, dreaming up exciting plots while waiting in traffic, and while walking the dogs. She is having so much fun with her novels, and it’s because she always believed in herself, that she has finally become an author after procrastinating for 20 years!

She lives with her husband who’s a great soundboard, full of encouragement, and great ideas. Between them, they have met many unusual characters over the years, people with extraordinary lives from whom she can derive lots of inspiration.

You can find out more by following L. J. on Twitter @L_J_KaneAuthor, visiting her blog or her website or visiting her Goodreads page.

Having previously had the privilege of interviewing Liz Trenow, author of In Love and War on Linda’s Book Bag (here) when The Silk Weaver was published, I’m thrilled to be part of the launch celebrations for Liz’s latest novel In Love and War. As well as sharing my review, I asked Liz about things that she has loved and lost as that’s one of the themes of In Love and War and she’s written a super guest post in reply.

Published by Pan Macmillan on 25th January 2018, In Love and War is available for pre-order through these links.

In Love and War

Three women, once enemies. Their secrets will unite them.

The First World War is over. The war-torn area of Flanders near Ypres is no longer home to troops, but groups of tourists. Controversial battlefield tourism now brings hundreds of people to the area, all desperate to witness first-hand where their loved ones fell.

At the Hotel de la Paix in the small village of Hoppestadt, three women arrive, searching for traces of the men they have loved and lost.

Ruby is just twenty-one, a shy Englishwoman looking for the grave of her husband. Alice is only a little older but brimming with confidence; she has travelled all the way from America, convinced her brother is in fact still alive. Then there’s Martha, and her son Otto, who are not all they seem to be . . .

The three women in Liz Trenow’s In Love and War may have very different backgrounds, but they are united in their search for reconciliation: to resolve themselves to what the war took from them, but also to what life might still promise for the future …

What I have loved and lost

A  Guest Post by Liz Trenow

It is tempting to write about the people whom I have loved and lost – my father, for example, who was a remarkable man. He died aged 96 having lived through most of the 20^th century and two world wars, having saved the silk weaving company from bankruptcy several times, and having lived an incredibly full and active life in spite of losing a leg in his teens after a road accident.

And then there was my mother, the most caring, loving, intuitive, home-making mum you could ever hope for. A light went out of my life when she died.

But you have asked for something, not someone. So what I have chosen is a house, the house that my parents built for themselves, a modest bungalow in a beautiful position on the edge of a wartime gravel pit that had filled up with water. It was, literally, the house on the lake. They managed to buy the land from an uncle at a very reasonable price, and my father did much of the work himself. We moved there when I was nine, and I thought I’d arrived in heaven: a large garden, much of it completely wild, and apple orchard and a lake on which we paddled rafts and small boats, playing pirates. In springtime the water was thronged with ducklings, goslings and cygnets.

My father and mother remained very much in love throughout their lives and in my mind this place seemed to symbolise their marriage. They built it together and right to the end both of them relished every aspect of living there. Sadly, once they died, it had to be sold.

Recently, the new owners demolished the bungalow and built a much larger, grander house in its place. Now I avoid driving down that road: it is too painful to return.  But one day I will recreate that place in my imagination, for a novel.

Oh my goodness Liz. I know exactly what you mean. My grandfather gave my parents some land next to a little brook and Dad built their bungalow where we moved when I was 7. It had the most wonderful gardens. It too has recently been demolished and turned into a huge guest house and where there were once flowers and trees there is now tarmac and parking. I avoid that road too!

My Review of In Love and War

Three women from very different countries and backgrounds find they are not so very different after all.

In Love and War is a lovely, lovely book. Having read it, I find myself very moved by the dedication at the front which didn’t have a great deal of meaning to begin with. I feel Liz Trenow’s story is a fitting tribute to Lt. Geoffrey Foveaux Trenow and all men of all nationalities who lost their lives.

There’s no rampaging, heart-thumping plot here, but In Love and War is still a hugely compelling reading with a wonderful insight into the lives of those who lost loved ones during World War 1. I found that the gentle plot crept up on me and provided an emotional read that took me by surprise so that I felt very moved and not a little tearful afterwards.

Liz Trenow has a real eye for detail so that the settings are described in a way that makes them come to life. Having visited the WW1 battlefields and cemeteries around Ypres I found myself transported back there so vividly, but with a more substantial realism. I loved the way real places and historical events were so skilfully woven into a gorgeous narrative and the smatterings of German and French in the direct speech added to the authenticity.

The characters of Ruby, Alice and Martha are distinct and convincing, but even better is the way Liz Trenow helps the reader understand that there are no winners or losers in conflict, that none of us is perfect and that a little kindness goes a very long way in helping understanding and reconciliation. Freddie’s description in particular of the bond between fighting men is outstanding.

I think In Love and War is a book to take your time over. It has depth that rewards reflection and thought on the part of the reader. What impressed me most is that Liz Trenow teaches us that it is not physical memorials, or the places where our loved ones are buried that honour them, but rather the memories we cherish that make them live on. I really recommend In Love and War as a moving, evocative, historical read.

About Liz Trenow

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

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

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

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Every author I come across has a different story to tell about their road to publication and (whether it’s because I am inherently nosy) I love hearing their stories. I’m inspired by my guest today, Kirstie Malone, author of Daisy Chain, as she shows good things come to those who wait –  and persevere!

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 Kirstie Malone

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Kirstie. 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?

Thank you for inviting me to stay in with you, Linda. I’ve brought Daisy Chain with me this evening. It’s my debut novel, released on the 5^th December 2017 and it’s something I am very proud of; having taken me eight years, from first putting pen to paper to finally seeing it listed in both eBook and Paperback on Amazon.

That sounds like a real labour of love. You must be very proud of your efforts.

What can we expect from an evening in with Daisy Chain?

You can expect a dark relationship thriller, centred around the five protagonists; Karen, Jason, Jessica, Veronica and Bradley. You first meet the group at a University reunion party and it becomes clear very quickly that they are now all very different people to ones that left the University twenty years ago. Transitioning, back and forth, between different years in their lives, you’ll will find out why their once unbreakable bond has been shattered and as secrets are revealed, you will discover what has happened to each character since the separated from the group.

A recent review I’m particularly proud of says ‘So many twists and turns, I changed my mind about the characters about 10 times, such a thrilling read!’ This review made me realise I had done exactly what I wanted to do; create strong characters that readers will invest in.

The way I look at it is, you should only worry about a character if no one cares about them. Whether a reader feels anger towards a character, cries with them, laughs with them or is 100% on their side, a reaction to a character is always a positive thing. You’ll have to let me know your feelings on each character once you have read the book, Linda!

I will indeed! And I I’m rather partial to relationship thrillers!

What else have you brought along and why?

I’ve brought along a photograph and a song with me this evening.

The photograph is of myself and my best friend, Emma, as kids. Although Daisy Chain was a story I created myself and none of the characters are representations of anyone I know in real life, I did bring one small detail from my personal life into the book and that is the fact that the five characters met on their very first day of school. This is exactly the same as the way I met my best friend and as we are now 20 years into our friendship, I wanted to pay tribute to that in my first novel. Hopefully our friendship never gets as dramatic and complicated as my characters though!

How lovely. I hope you both find your friendship remains less traumatic than those in Daisy Chain!

The song I’ve brought with me is Beneath Your Beautiful by Emeli Sande & Labrinth. I really feel this song represents the bond that the group once had and also the fact that things aren’t always as they appear on the outside. For example, Karen looks like she has the perfect life; a business, designer clothes, nice cars, a penthouse apartment…but life has actually been a lot tougher for her than she lets on. You’ll have to read on to find out if any of her friends are actually brave enough to look beneath her ‘beautiful’ mask.

That sounds fascinating. I think many of us are quite different underneath to the persona we present to the world. I’ve really enjoyed hearing about Daisy Chain Kirstie. Thanks so much for staying in with me to talk about it.

Thank you so much for inviting me round. It’s been great fun chatting with you!

Daisy Chain

Road trips, house parties, Tequila Tuesdays, dreams for their futures; a fun, loveable force to be reckoned with. No-one but each other.

Sirens, blood, tears, police tape, a crime scene. Broken hearts and a broken bond. Sad goodbyes and words they thought they’d never say. One by one, until there was nothing left…

When Karen, Jason, Jessica, Bradley and Veronica find themselves back together after twenty years apart, some are more keen than others to fix their broken bond but as secrets and lies are revealed about their University days and life since they split, the group are left in pieces. Can they fix their damaged friendship or was the reunion party the beginning of the end?

Daisy Chain is available for purchase in e-book and paperback on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

About Kirstie Malone

Writing has always been Kirstie’s biggest passion. Deciding to try writing an episode of EastEnders for fun one day when she was thirteen made her realise that she wanted to become a scriptwriter for television. Kirstie has never looked back since that day, working hard to improve her craft and constantly coming up with new ideas, both for established dramas and also her own original work. At the moment, she has a slate of eight drama series which she hopes will one day be on screen.

At sixteen, Kirstie started working on Daisy Chain, a five part drama series focusing on the lives, loves and lies of estranged friends Karen, Jason, Jessica, Veronica and Bradley. Sending the first episode off to any competition she could find and any production company she could think of, she found it was turned down every time but when she began a Diploma course in Creative Writing, Daisy Chain became a novel and was given a new lease of life.

As well as being a writer, Kirstie works for BBC Worldwide as a Production Coordinator; a role she loves and that gives her plenty of opportunities to learn about the industry.

You can find out more about Kirstie on her website and on Facebook. Kirstie has just joined Twitter too so give her a follow @KirstieMalone24.

Regular Linda’s Book Bag readers will know I’m a little bit obsessed with the Roman period of history, having been on a dig and visited Roman sites as well as collecting Roman coins, so I’m thrilled to have Adam Lofthouse with me today to stay in and tell me about his Roman era novel, The Centurion’s Son.

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

Staying in With Adam Lofthouse

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

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

I’ve brought The Centurion’s Son. A novel of Albinus, a lovesick, meek and shy child trying to creep out from the vast and imposing shadow of his father, all the while trying to catch the eye of the girl he loves.

I’ve brought this as it is a story for everyone. Pour yourself a drink, sit back and be transported to the ancient world. Stand on the northern borders of the greatest empire the world has ever known and look out into the abyss; imagine the Gods and men that must inhabit the mist strewn lands of wild Germania.

(Oh, yes. Sounds perfect! Love, conflict, revenge and family relationships are universal themes whatever the era aren’t they?)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Centurion’s Son?

One hell of a ride! Journey with Albinus as he seeks to avenge the death of his father and transform himself from love struck puppy to a hardened legionary of the Roman army. Pitch your shield next to his as waves of barbarians stream from the wilderness to attack your shieldwall.

Or ride with Licina. Albinus’ fiancé finds herself captured and enslaved. All alone in a foreign land, she must find a way to escape her captors and journey back to the man she loves. But the ride will be hard and fraught with danger, and despite what they say, not all roads lead to Rome…

(This sounds as if it would make brilliant TV viewing as well as being an exciting read Adam.)

What else have you brought along and why?

Well, my Gladius of course! Rome forged an empire with the short Spanish sword they have long since made infamous. A sixty-six-cm blade with a solid wooden pommel. I wouldn’t go campaigning against barbarians without it!

(Well, no! That would be foolhardy!)

Thanks so much for staying in with me Adam – and with that Gladius in the mix I won’t argue if you want to return at any time!

The Centurion’s Son

Albinus, the son of a revered Roman veteran Silus, has always longed to be a farmer, not a soldier, and live his days ploughing and reaping the harvests, with his bride-to-be, Licina. But Silus’ has darker ambitions, for Albinus to follow in his footsteps in the army.

But, as the conflicts between father and son come to a head, a growing threat comes down from the vengeful Germanic tribes to the north. Just as Albinus and Licina are about to marry, their settlement is raided by barbarians and Silus and his veteran comrades are brutally killed, while Licina is kidnapped by the raiders and taken to their king as a gift.

Believing her to be alive, Albinus sets out on a quest to find Licina, finally fulfilling his father’s wishes as training as a soldier, even as he is spurred to avenge his father’s death. As the barbarian hordes gather and plan major rebellion against the Romans, Albinus finds a new fighting spirit within him and grows in stature among the legionaries.

Licina meanwhile has a fight of her own, to escape from slavery and find Albinus. Time is running out, as the northern tribes head for Rome, decimating everything in their path…

Published by Endeavour, The Centurion’s Son is available for purchase here.

About Adam Lofthouse

Adam has for many years held a passion for the ancient world. As a teenager he picked up Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden, and has been obsessed with all things Rome ever since. After ten years of immersing himself in stories of the Roman world, he decided to have a go at writing one for himself. The Centurion’s Son is Adam’s first novel. He lives in Kent, with his wife and three sons.

For more information, find Adam on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @AdamPLofthouse.

I’m delighted to be supporting fellow blogger and friend Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources in bringing you the latest novel from Caroline James; The Best Boomerville Hotel.

Caroline has been a stalwart on Linda’s Book Bag, having provided her top ten writing tips here, when Coffee, Tea, the Caribbean and Me was published and allowing 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 will be 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?

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.

Her debut novel, Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me is set in North West England, at the time of a famous gypsy horse fair.  The book went straight to number three on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun.

So, You Think You’re A Celebrity…Chef? was runner up the Winchester Writers festival for best TV Drama and takes a light-hearted look at the world of celebrity chefs as they battle it out for fame and fortune. Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me was runner up at The Write Stuff, LBF, 2015 and is an Amazon best-seller and top recommended read by Thomson Holidays. Jungle Rock, a romcom novella set in Australia, revolves around a TV game show.

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.

Not long after I first began blogging I ‘met’ lovely Jane Lambert through social media and featured her in an interview on Linda’s Book Bag that you can read here. Since then I have met Jane in person and found her to be just as lovely in real life. Consequently, I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Jane back to the blog with a brilliant guest post to celebrate the publication of The Start of Something Wonderful. I really hope it is Jane!

Published by HQ Digital on 5th January 2018, The Start of Something Wonderful is available for purchase here.

The Start of Something Wonderful

Previously published as Learning to Fly

It’s never too late to follow your dreams…

Forty-year-old air stewardess, Emily Forsyth, thought she had everything a woman could wish for: a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, a designer wardrobe and a dishy pilot boyfriend. Until he breaks up with her…

Catapulted into a mid-life crisis she wishes she’d had earlier, she decides to turn her life upside-down, quitting her job and instead beginning to chase her long-held dreams of becoming an actress!

Leaving the skies behind her, Emily heads for the bright lights of London’s West End – but is it too late to reach for the stars?

From Imagination to Publication

A Guest Post by Jane Lambert

Being an actress, I am used to rejection. With 92% of actors unemployed, you have to have a lot of self-belief and staying power to survive in this crazy profession. This determination has helped me enormously on my road to publication.

I first started writing my novel ten years ago whilst going through a painful divorce. Writing gave me something positive to focus on and helped me rediscover my love of life and sense of humour.

I sent my manuscript to several agents, but replies were rare and mostly negative.

I therefore decided to take matters into my own hands and self-published through Amazon KDP and Create Space, who were always on hand when I needed technical support.

The first time I held my book in my hand was a special feeling; it symbolised the new, independent, strong me. Now that I had a physical book to promote, I approached Blackwell’s in Edinburgh, who invited me to talk about my writing and to read a sample at Blackwell’s Writers at the Edinburgh Fringe. To see my book on display in their store and to hear the audience react so positively, was a huge confidence boost.

I organised a blog tour, was a guest on BBC Radio London, and my writing journey was featured in Spirit & Destiny magazine.

However, I hadn’t given up my dream of finding a traditional publisher and continued to submit my manuscript.

When I got the call from HQ Digital at Harper Collins, you could have knocked me down with a feather. They were so enthusiastic and encouraging about my book, that I convinced myself I was dreaming.

Only when I received the signed contract did I dare to tell my family and friends.

The title and cover were changed, and I was asked to make extensive cuts and rewrites: to introduce a character earlier, while removing another completely, which had a huge knock-on effect. I found myself culling scenes I had worked so long and hard on. At one point I lost my confidence and got into such a muddle with the sequence of events. I kept telling myself to trust the experts and not give up.

Then all at once inspiration started to flow, and I felt myself connecting with the characters more than ever before; so much so that when I read the final chapter aloud I burst into tears, as I knew I was saying goodbye to these people whose lives had become so much a part of mine.

I am so grateful to my editor, Charlotte Mursell at HQ for re-opening the door to my book and for showing me that there was so much more story to share.

To all aspiring writers out there – never ever give up, believe in yourself, and if opportunity doesn’t come to you, go to it!

Love & luck,

Jane

(Your post brought a tear to my eye Jane as I know how hard you’ve worked. I’m just thrilled for you that The Start of Something Wonderful is out there at last.) 

About Jane Lambert

Jane studied French and German, taught English in Vienna then travelled the world as air crew before making the life-changing decision to become an actress.

She has appeared in “Calendar Girls”, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” and “Deathtrap” in London’s West End .

You can find Jane Lambert on Facebook and Twitter @JaneLambert22.

There’s more with these other bloggers:

I’m so frustrated that I haven’t been able to review for this Brook Cottage Books tour for The Long Walk Back by Rachel Dove but my towering TBR pile just wouldn’t allow it. However, I do have an extract from The Long Walk Back to share as well as a giveaway of a signed copy so all is not lost!

Published by HQ Digital on 11th January 2018 The Long Walk Back is available for purchase from Amazon UK, Kobo and Barnes & Noble. 

The Long Walk Back

Does everyone deserve a second chance?

As an army trauma surgeon Kate knows how to keep her cool in the most high pressure of situations. Although back at home in England her marriage is falling apart, out in the desert she’s happy knowing that she’s saving lives.

Until she meets Cooper. It’s up to Kate to make a split-second decision to save Cooper’s life. Yet Cooper doesn’t want to be saved. Can Kate convince him to give his life a second chance even though its turning out dramatically different from how he planned?

An Extract from The Long Walk Back

Kate was in a real mood; Trevor could tell from the way she pounded across the tent to him. He was doing his rounds, and they had had a good night. A good night here was when they still had the same number alive as the day before. A great day was when there were no casualties at all, but Trevor was hard pushed to remember many days like that.

‘Who’s upset you? Neil whingeing about doing the dishwasher again, is he?’ Trevor asked, and immediately regretted cracking the joke when the icicles from Kate’s frosty glare jabbed him in the chest.

‘Captain Cooper thinks he is hilarious. I’m just waiting for him to call me ‘toots’ and slap me on the behind,’ Kate said, seething. Trevor checked the vitals on his sleeping patient, and satisfied, made notes on his chart.

‘So he’s awake? That’s amazing! How is he doing?’

‘Oh he’s doing just fine, for a male chauvinist pig.’

Kate,’ Trevor admonished, trying not to laugh at her furious expression. ‘How are his vitals?’

Kate pursed her lips, taking a breath to focus on the job. ‘He’s stable, the chest drain is working well. I’m still concerned about his leg though. He has limited blood flow to the area, and I’ m worried about sepsis.’

Trevor nodded sadly. ‘So he will probably lose the leg, if we try to keep him alive.’ He rubbed at his temples. ‘Not told him any of this, have you?’

Kate shook her head. ‘I told him you would explain on this morning’s ward round. I wanted to go through everything again, monitor him closely for as long as we safely can before we make a decision.’

Trevor looked at her, his face unreadable. ‘It may not be our decision, it’s up to him.’

Kate looked nonplussed. ‘The evac chopper is coming in two days. At present, he’s too unstable to move. We need to get him home then, leg or no leg. A decision between losing a limb and dying is not a great thing to have thrust at you, granted – but he wants to live, surely?’

Trevor placed the chart at the foot of the bed and started to walk towards the next patient, issuing medication instructions to the nurse as he walked.

‘Kate,’ he began in a tone he might have used to tell his child that Father Christmas wasn’t real. ‘I have worked on men like Captain Cooper since this whole nightmare started. These are army men to the core. Sometimes going home means no family, no buddies, no job, and a lifetime of relying on other people. They are proud, and sometimes, to them, the reality is worse than death. Don’t take anything for granted when it comes to patient wishes.’

‘A boy died yesterday, to save these men. Surely that’s reason enough to want to live?’

Kate ran her fingers through her hair, suddenly feeling tired all over again.

‘Cooper knows that. Better than most, probably. It’s still his decision, he has to live with it. Understood?’ Trevor spoke firmly now.

Kate opened her mouth to argue, but she thought better of it. She respected her mentor, always had, and she didn’t want to argue. Not when the fact that life was so short and precious was evident in every face, every feature she saw over here. ‘Understood.’

About Rachel Dove

Rachel Dove is a wife, mother of two boys, perpetual student, avid reader and writer of words. She sometimes sleeps, says she always has eye bags and dreams of retiring to a big white house in Cornwall, with 2 shaggy dogs, drinking wine on her seafront balcony whilst creating works of romantic fiction. All done with immaculate make up and floaty dresses.

In the meantime Rachel nearly always remembers to brush her hair, seldom has time to look in a mirror and writes many, many to-do lists.

Rachel’s first solo novel, Crossing Life Lines is out now in Kindle and paperback format. She also has horror shorts, published through Bayou Brew Publishing: The House of Sugar Blood and Uni Assassin, out now, and a short story, Mallow Girl.

In July 2015, Rachel won the Prima magazine and Mills & Boon Flirty Fiction Competition, with her entry, The Chic Boutique on Baker Street, out now in ebook and paperback, and the follow up novel in the series, The Flower Shop on Foxley Street.

You can follow Rachel on Twitter @WriterDove, find her on Facebook and visit her blog.

The Long Walk Back Giveaway

For your chance to win a signed paperback copy of The Long Walk Back by Rachel Dove please click here.

(Please note: this giveaway is independent of Linda’s Book Bag.)

 

Running this new feature of Staying in with … on Linda’s Book Bag I’m getting to meet all kinds of authors and books I wouldn’t have otherwise come across. Today I have a very enigmatic guest to stay in with – Kirsten Nairn, author of A Sorry Affair. I don’t have an author image to share of Kirsten because no-one she knows is aware that she has written a book!

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

Staying in with Kirsten Nairn

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Kirsten, 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?

A Sorry Affair by Kirsten Nairn, is my first published novel, but not the first story I have written. I have a number of others which are in varying stages of completion and I tend to work on them all simultaneously. However, this was the first story I worked on until it was finished. Possibly like many new authors, I had no intention of going to publication, but once the story was finished I was left with an overriding feeling of what’s it all for if not to share? So here I am with my first publication.

As a new author I am keen to find out what people think of it.

(I think being a new author can be quite a daunting prospect actually Kirsten.)

What can we expect from an evening in with A Sorry Affair ?

Be prepared for romance, heartache and an ending which hopefully leaves the reader hanging, wondering about the next steps in the lives of the main characters and what they’d do in the same situation.

It is set in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, a city close to my own heart, a city which I consider to be more romantic than Paris, but then I am biased.

It’s a romantic novel which examines the complexities of relationships and the heartache which can often accompany love. The story is told from the perspective of the three main characters, Mack and Jen, the archetypical golden couple, together since they were students and Abbi, who Mack finds himself drawn to, and eventually falling in love with. He ends up unintentionally in love with two women. Powerless to do anything about it, watches his life slowly unravel before his eyes.

The idea for the story began as a simple question. What does it feel like to be the adulteress? To be the other woman? The sympathy, understandably, is always directed at the innocent party but what if there are two innocent parties? What if you are the ‘other woman’ and are completely unaware that you’re having an affair?

(Oo. Great premise for a novel, Kirsten.)

This story has been described as A beautiful story of pain and sadness as the ‘perfect’ engagement unravels: a tale of the unwitting downward spiral and destruction of a perfect relationship: emotional and full of suspense.

I would describe this is an ‘easy read’ but that’s not to say there’s no depth to it. My hope is that the reader will connect with all the characters and in doing so, be faced with the dilemma as to where their sympathies lie and ask themselves what they would do in a similar situation. The story is really based on the premise that for most people love is rarely black and white but varying shades of grey.

(Yes indeed it is, even in the most ‘perfect’ of relationships I think.)

The idea for the story came to me on train journey to Edinburgh on overhearing the conversation of a hen party who were enjoying a few glasses of prosecco. Thankfully the prosecco meant they weren’t talking as quietly as they thought they were, so I heard the story from start to finish. They had no sympathy for the adulteress which begged the question for me,  What does it feel like to be the adulteress in an affair? To be the other woman?

As the story unfolded in my mind I began to consider it from all points of view and wondered about the person committing the affair. What if he really didn’t mean to have an affair?

I immediately began tapping out the story on my mobile phone and wished I was on a much longer train journey.

(So not just a train journey, but a journey to publication too. How wonderful.)

What else have you brought along this evening and why?

Mmm, that’s tricky. There are so many things/ people I would like to bring along. Given that my husband and children don’t know I’ve written this or any other book, I think they’d be speechless (a first) if I brought them.

(Wow – you’d certainly surprise them!)

Sadly, my first thought was that I’d have to bring my phone and laptop since most of my writing takes place on these whilst waiting to pick my children up from various after school activities and I cannot underestimate the contribution they have played in enabling me to write anytime and anywhere! However, that would be pretty boring. I love to reminisce, and like the character Mack, I love nothing better than to pour a glass of red wine and rummage through all my old CDs, playing songs which remind me of my own student days in Edinburgh. So, after not too much deliberating, I’d bring wine and CDs (anything from the 80s onwards) and hopefully there would something we’d both like.

(I was a student until 1983 so I’m sure we’d find plenty in common Kirsten – as long as I can have some Roxy Music!)

Thanks so much for staying in and telling me about A Sorry Affair Kirsten. I’m intrigued as to whether you’ll ever tell your family that you’re a published author…

A Sorry Affair

Jen and Mack are the perfect couple; meeting at university, moving in together and engaged to be married.

Then, one day, Abbi turns up on their doorstep and throws a huge spanner in the works of their seemingly well-oiled relationship. On that day, Mack’s life is turned upside down and it seems there’s no way back. Resigned to the fact that the relationship is over and Jen is selling the house, Mack is forced to go back home and live with his parents. He comes to blows with his father, who was close friends with Jen’s father, and emotions run high when past hurts are revisited. Despite several letters from Mack, years pass without any word from Jen.

The reader is left in suspense, always wanting more and wondering if it really is the end for Jen and Mack.

A Sorry Affair is published by Austin Macauley and is available for purchase here.

About Kirsten Nairn

Slightly differently to usual, I’m letting Kirsten introduce herself.

I was born and live in Scotland with my husband, two young children and the usual array of pets which seem to accompany small children. The last thing I would describe myself as in ‘an author’, having studied science at Edinburgh University when dungarees were in fashion and Dexy’s Midnight Runners could still cut it with the young ones.

I’ve always had stories going on at the back of my mind though but just have never found the time to actually write anything down. I naively thought I might start writing when I was on maternity leave but now realise I was lucky if I was dressed before noon.

Many many years later I found myself at a ‘loose end’, opened the computer and put ‘pen to paper’ as it were. Once I started writing I just couldn’t stop. I found my first story unfolding in my head way faster than I could type.

Nobody knows that I write or that I have had a book published. Not even my husband or my children.

I don’t know why I haven’t told anyone. I carry it around with me like a guilty secret, well, more like a guilty pleasure actually. I fire up my laptop and pretend I’m working as I tap furiously away into the wee small hours. My husband occasionally remarks that I seem to have a lot of work to do in the evenings, but more often than not he’s completely oblivious, just raising his head enough to remark that my typing is noisy and somewhat distracting.

The biggest problem for me isn’t writer’s block, but physically and mentally finding the time to write. I am a full time working mum of two energetic children who have a hectic, action packed social calendar, which brings me full circle to the importance of all electronic gadgets. I would never have managed any of this with an old fashioned type-writer!

Kirsten has a Facebook page and you’ll find her newly arrived on Twitter @KirstenNairn.

I’m so enjoying these Staying in with… posts and today I’m delighted to welcome Karla Forbes to Linda’s Book Bag to stay in and tell me all about her novel Fallout which is the first in her Nick Sullivan Series of thrillers.

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 Karla Forbes

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Karla 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?

This evening, I’d like to share with you a thriller called Fallout which is the first of eight books featuring Nick Sullivan. It is based on a rumour circulating during the cold war that Soviet scientists had developed a nuclear bomb that could be transported in a suitcase.

Nick is a man who, to begin with, seems to have it all: a fantastic wage as a hedge fund manager, a beautiful wife, a yacht and an Aston Martin. His charmed life comes to an abrupt halt one day when he and his friend are sailing in the English Channel and come across three men who, unbeknown to them, are recovering the plutonium from one of the suitcases that was lost at sea. During the encounter, Nick’s friend is brutally murdered and Nick becomes the Police’s only suspect. Within days, his perfect life unravels and he loses his job, his reputation, his friends and very nearly his liberty. He goes on the run but it isn’t long before the authorities realise that far from being a murderer, he is the only person in the country who can identify the three terrorists and prevent a catastrophic attack somewhere in Britain. They use every means at their disposal to hunt Nick down but, unaware of his importance, he remains in hiding as he doggedly pursues the three criminals in order to prove his innocence.

(Fallout sounds incredibly exciting. It just goes to show how lives can change in an instant.)

What can we expect from an evening in with Fallout?

Fallout is a fast paced thriller full of twists and turns that, as one reviewer observed will leave the reader attempting, but usually failing, to guess the direction the story is about to take. By the end of Fallout, I had grown too fond of Nick to let him go and I decided to make him the main protagonist in a series of thrillers.

Despite his undoubted courage and resourcefulness, Nick is no infallible superhero. He spends most of his time trying to placate his long-suffering girlfriend and his miserable and demanding boss and his love of adventure often spills over into recklessness causing him to make mistakes. As another reviewer observed, Nick’s stubbornness is both his greatest strength and his biggest weakness.  Overall though, he is a likeable hero who is often too clever for his own good but is stubborn enough to get the job done. In other words, if you are a criminal with Nick Sullivan on your case, you might as well give up now and save yourself a whole lot of time and trouble.

I think I’d rather like to meet Nick!

What else have you brought along and why?

Together with Fallout I’ve brought along my tablet armed with my Spotify list. I have varied musical tastes but one thing many of my favourite pieces have in common is that they have all served to inspire me and help the writing flow. All I need now is a box of Thornton’s Continental selection and the evening is perfect.

I’m afraid leaving me with a box of Thornton’s is a very bad idea! They have all gone!

It’s been great having you to stay in with Karla. Thanks so much for being on the blog.

Fallout

The British Government is being blackmailed by criminals who have got their hands on a quantity of plutonium left over from the cold war. Only one man knows their identity and can prevent a catastrophe but he is on the run for a murder he didn’t commit and has no intention of being found.

As the authorities attempt to hunt him down, the clock is ticking and they are running out of time. They pin their hopes on the fact that a bunch of amateurs won’t have nuclear technology and the worst they’ll come up with is a dirty bomb. With luck, the carnage can be limited. A few people might die in the explosion but the majority will run away at the first sign of danger and the radiation will drift harmlessly into the atmosphere.
But what if the terrorists have found a way of keeping the radiation near to the ground, encouraging people to hang around breathing in death and when they invite them to their own slaughter they come willingly?

They would be dangerous then…wouldn’t they?

Fallout is published by Williams and Whiting and is available for purchase here.

About Karla Forbes

Karla Forbes first began writing books when she was twelve years old. Heavily influenced by Ian Fleming, she wrote about guns, fast cars and spies. Naturally, she knew nothing of her chosen subject and was forced to use her imagination to make it up as she went along. These books, half a dozen in total, ended up being thrown out with the rubbish. Several years later, she dabbled in a futuristic sitcom and a full length horror story. Although both of these efforts were also consigned to literary oblivion, at least no one could have accused her of being in a genre rut.

She began writing properly more than fourteen years ago and her first book, The Preacher was published on Amazon in July 2011. Twelve books in total are available to download from the Amazon kindle book store. Other books will follow at regular intervals. She writes about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations and she aims for unusual but scarily believable plots with a surprising twist.

You can follow Karla on Twitter @KarlaForbes, visit her website and find her on Facebook.