Having met lovely A.J. Waines I’m delighted to have an extract from her latest book, Lost in the Lake, to share on Linda’s Book Bag today. Lost in the Lake is the second in her Dr Samantha Willerby series. I have reviewed the first, Inside the Whispers, here and another of A.J. Waines’ brilliant books, No Longer Safe here.

Published on 7th September 2017, Lost in the Lake is available for purchase in the UK here and the US here.

Lost in the Lake

She came at first for answers…now she’s back for you

Amateur viola player Rosie Chandler is the sole survivor of a crash which sends members of a string quartet plunging into a lake. Convinced the ‘accident’ was deliberate, but unable to recall what happened, she is determined to recover her lost memories and seeks out clinical psychologist, Dr Samantha Willerby.

But Rosie is hiding something…

Sam is immediately drawn to the tragic Rosie and as she helps her piece the fragments together, the police find disturbing new evidence which raises further questions. Why is Rosie so desperate to recover her worthless viola? And what happened to the violin lost in the crash, worth over £2m?

When Rosie insists they return to the lake to relive the fatal incident, the truth about Rosie finally creeps up on Sam – but by now, she’s seriously out of her depth…

 The second book in the Dr Samantha Willerby series, Lost in the Lake is a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat Psychological Thriller that will leave you glancing over your shoulder.

An Extract from Lost in the Lake

Prologue

Did I make you jump? Turning up like that in your own kitchen? You have to admit, it must have been a nasty shock.

I bet you thought you’d been ever so smart at covering your tracks. But, be honest, you made a complete hash of things. You made out you were one step ahead of the game all along, but once you scooped the ultimate prize you couldn’t work out what to do next! Face facts, you were too ambitious for your own good and hadn’t thought things through properly.

You took great delight in explaining your cunning scheme to me, even though it was bound to leave you with egg on your face. I could see you thought you’d have the last laugh. I could tell your little brain was ticking over, thinking that once you’d told me the whole story, there was no way I’d be walking out of there. But that’s where you went wrong. You underestimated me. Most people do.

I could feel rage burning up my insides as you brandished that bottle of whisky like we were mates – in it together.

‘Let’s toast our windfall’, you suggested, trying to make me smile. By then, however, my fury with what you’d done had ignited from a niggling spark into a white-hot ball of fire. Every moment I was forced to endure with you, a growing, uncontainable frenzy was building inside me.

You reached over to the draining board to find two glasses and that’s when you made your fatal mistake.

You should never have turned your back.

(I don’t know about blog readers, but this makes me desperate to read on!)

About A.J. Waines

AJ Waines has sold over 400,000 books worldwide and topped the UK and Australian Kindle Charts in 2015 & 2016 with her number one bestseller, Girl on a Train. Following fifteen years as a psychotherapist, she is now a full-time novelist with publishing deals in France, Germany, Norway, Hungary and USA (audiobooks).

Her fourth psychological thriller, No Longer Safe, sold over 30,000 copies in the first month, in thirteen countries. AJ Waines has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Times and was ranked a Top 10 UK author on Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) in 2016. She lives in Hampshire, UK, with her husband. Visit her website and blog, or join her on Twitter, Facebook or on her Newsletter.

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Ever since I read Watermelon years and years ago, I have loved Marian Keyes’s writing. I was thrilled to go and see Marian in Nottingham some months ago and hear her speak about her life and writing too. So, when The Break was made available on Netgalley I broke my self-imposed ban (because I have more books than I can ever read) and requested it. I was delighted to be approved.

The Break was published by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on 7th September 2017 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

The Break

Amy’s husband Hugh has run away to ‘find himself’. But will he ever come back?

‘Myself and Hugh . . . We’re taking a break.’
‘A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?’

If only.

Amy’s husband Hugh says he isn’t leaving her.

He still loves her, he’s just taking a break – from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in South East Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it.

Yes, it’s a mid-life crisis, but let’s be clear: a break isn’t a break up – yet . . .

However, for Amy it’s enough to send her – along with her extended family of gossips, misfits and troublemakers – teetering over the edge.

For a lot can happen in six-months. When Hugh returns, if he returns, will he be the same man she married? Will Amy be the same woman?

Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then so is she . . .

The Break is a story about the choices we make and how those choices help to make us. It is Marian Keyes at her funniest, wisest and brilliant best.

My Review of The Break

After two bereavements Hugh needs time to find himself again, but Amy might actually be the one needing to do so too.

I’m going to be totally honest and say that when I began The Break I was disappointed. For the first few pages it felt as if I was reading more about Marian Keyes’ own family than about Amy and Hugh and I kept thinking ‘Oh. I know why that is in there…’ and it felt as if too many characters were introduced in one go with too much description of clothing!

However, it was no time at all that I was completely swept up in the story and all my reservations had been abandoned as I became absorbed in exactly the kind of book I was expecting and wanting. From that shaky early point onwards I loved, loved, loved The Break. And those who know me will know that I must have enjoyed it as I spent quite a bit of the latter part of the story in tears – I adore an emotional read. I was relieved the chapters are so short as I found I needed a little ‘break’ of my own at times. They serve to make The Break fast paced so that it’s easy to get drawn in to reading just one more chapter! There’s also a deft touch of lightness with some very witty one liners and laugh aloud moments alongside the more emotional passages so that The Break feels perfectly balanced.

Along with her trademark ‘Irishness’, Marian Keyes always produces human, flawed characters that evoke a strong response in me as a reader and every person in The Break was as vivid as anyone I’ve met in real life. I hated Hugh to start with because of his effect on Amy, yet by the end of the book my attitude towards him had changed completely. As Amy’s personality is gradually revealed so Marian Keyes examines what love really is, what makes a marriage and how we are consumed by guilt, fear, hope and devotion to become rounded and fulfilled people. This is such skilled writing.

And it was the themes that I found so absorbing. The Break makes the reader consider what constitutes fidelity and betrayal, what makes a family and friendship so that as well as being an interesting story, there’s much to think about. There are some serious political topics covered too, although I don’t want to spoil the story by saying too much.

After a slow start when I wasn’t sure, I really, really enjoyed The Break. Reading it was a bit like running a bath with too hot water. Once I’d got the temperature right I sank in and wallowed in every glorious moment.

About Marian Keyes

Marian Keyes’ international bestselling novels include Rachel’s Holiday, Last Chance Saloon, Sushi for Beginners, Angels, The Other Side of the Story, Anybody Out There, This Charming Man and The Woman Who Stole My Life. Three collections of her journalism, Under the Duvet, Further Under the Duvet and Making It Up as I Go Along, are also available from Penguin. Marian lives in Dublin with her husband.

You can find Marian on Facebook and Instagram and follow her on Twitter @MarianKeyes. Marian Keyes also has a wonderful website.

I am thrilled that I have a copy of Magdalena McGuire’s Home Is Nearby on my (900+) TBR and will be sharing my review later. However, today, Magdalena has agreed to be interviewed on Linda’s Book Bag so I’m delighted to welcome her to the blog.

Published by Impress Books on 1st November 2017, Home is Nearby is available for preorder in e-book and paperback through the publisher links here.

Home is Nearby

1980: the beginning of the Polish Crisis. Brought up in a small village, country-girl Ania arrives in the university city of Wroclaw to pursue her career as a sculptor. Here she falls in love with Dominik, an enigmatic writer at the centre of a group of bohemians and avant-garde artists who throw wild parties. When martial law is declared, their lives change overnight: military tanks appear on the street, curfews are introduced and the artists are driven underground. Together, Ania and Dominik fight back, pushing against the boundaries imposed by the authoritarian communist government. But at what cost? ‘Home Is Nearby’ is a vivid and intimate exploration of the struggle to find your place in the world no matter where you are.

An Interview with Magdalena McGuire

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

Thank you so much, Linda! It’s lovely to have a chance to chat about books and writing. I really enjoy your blog and am in awe of how many books you read!

A bit about me: I was born in Poland – or, the Polish People’s Republic, as it was known at the time. My mother is Polish and my father was Australian. They met in the university city of Wrocław, where my book is set. My mother was studying literature and my father was teaching English and learning Polish. Despite the language differences between them, it didn’t take long for them to fall in love, get married and have a baby – me!

University of Wrocław

At the time, food was scarce in the shops in Poland, and my parents believed Australia would be a better, or at least easier, place to raise a child. We moved to Australia when I was two years old. I grew up in tropical Darwin, with cyclones and palm trees and multiculturalism. So a very different place to Poland! Growing up, I often wondered what my life would have been like if we’d stayed put in Poland. I guess that’s why I have the desire to write about Poland; it’s my ‘sliding doors’ moment, my chance to live a life that could have been mine, but wasn’t.

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

I sometimes joke that I had a misspent youth. While other people were out getting life experience, I was buried in a library, reading. I’ve always been a voracious reader and when I was young I particularly loved reading books about girls who love reading books. Anne of Green Gables was my hero (I haven’t been game enough to watch the new TV adaptation in case they ruin it for me). Other heroes included Anastasia Krupnik and Cassandra Mortmain from I Capture the Castle. Through them, I could see that it was possible for an ordinary girl to become a writer. I wrote lots of stories when I was a girl and then when I was a teenager I just stopped. I became paralysed by the notion that I had to write something ‘good’ instead of just writing for the pleasure of it. I didn’t return to writing until fairly late in life. Since becoming an adult, I’ve been writing fiction for about four years and it’s my absolute passion. I’m so lucky to have writing and books in my life.

(I think that writing for pleasure rather than to produce the next Austen or Tolstoy is something that many aspiring writers need to allow themselves to do!)

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

I find it all hard, but first drafts are a killer. I find it particularly scary sitting down at the computer and having no idea where the story is going and having that little voice in my head saying: this is crap, what a waste of time, why do you think you can do this? Finishing a first draft feels like an immense achievement, even if the quality of the writing is no good. Once that first draft is done, I can get to the fun part: editing. I love tinkering with structure and polishing sentences and adding in unexpected details that enrich the story. Sometimes I feel like I could spend a lifetime writing and rewriting and editing the same book.

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

Most of Home Is Nearby was written soon after my baby was born, so my routine, such as it was, consisted of dashing to the computer to work as hard as I could while the baby was sleeping and finding myself getting really into it just as he woke up… However, all writers have time pressures to deal with and in some ways it’s a good thing because it lends a sense of urgency to your writing.

Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Home is Nearby?

Home is Nearby is about a young Polish woman, Ania, who wants to be a sculptor. She moves from her small village to Wrocław to study art and very quickly falls in with a group of bohemians who, despite the difficult political and economic circumstances that surround them, live life to the fullest. Everything changes when martial law is declared in Poland and Ania is forced to make a decision that will shape the rest of her life.

Communist style apartments in the village where my grandmother lives

Home is Nearby explores our need for emotional roots in our lives and yet you have moved from Poland to Australia. What impact has this had on your writing?

That’s a really interesting question! In the past, I moved around a fair bit. First there was the big move from Poland to Australia, and after that I relocated from Darwin to Brisbane (Darwin was so unlike the rest of Australia that moving ‘Down South’ was a really big deal for me!). After I finished university in Brisbane I had a brief stint teaching at a cattle station in the Northern Territory, then I moved to Perth, then London, and then Melbourne where I’m now based. I feel conflicted because I’m a homebody by nature and yet if I stay in one place for too long I get restless. Now that I have a child I can’t just pick up and leave when I feel like it, but I do fantasise about shifting our family somewhere else, like Europe, or South America, or… the list goes on.

In terms of my writing, I think that moving around has given me an insight into what it’s like to feel like an outsider, a foreigner. These experiences have inspired what, I now realise, are the central themes in my work; questions around place and belonging and identity. Sometimes I feel envious of people who have a strong and long-standing connection to ‘home’. For me, home isn’t one place, its multiple places from my past and present.

(I think Melbourne is one of my favourite cities so I envy you that as a home location.)

As Home is Nearby is based in Poland and you live in Australia, how did you go about researching settings and detail to give authenticity to your writing?

Cold War exhibit in Warsaw

I went on a research trip to Poland and immersed myself in the culture and history of the place. When I came back, I read lots of fiction and non-fiction books by Polish authors, as well as books about Polish history, literature and art. In addition, looking at photos was a key part of my research into 1980s Poland. What did people wear? What did their kitchens look like? Getting these details right was vital for the authenticity of the book. I love researching and felt like I couldn’t start writing until I had the world of the novel clear in my head. However, at some point I had to draw a line and say, okay, now it’s time to write.

To some extent Home is Nearby explores ‘what if’ as a central theme. Why was this important to you?

I think my whole desire to write fiction comes out of ‘what if’ questions! Fiction allows us, both as readers and writers, to imagine ourselves inhabiting different lives and different worlds. I love this. I love the opening up of possibilities that fiction affords. In Home Is Nearby, I wanted to know what it would be like being a young woman who lived in Poland during that momentous time, in the 1980s, when civil liberties were being curtailed and when ordinary people were compelled to stand up for what they believed in. I wanted to know what might happen if love and politics came into conflict, what would happen if the question of ‘doing the right thing’ was more difficult than you could ever have anticipated.

If you could choose to be a character from Home is Nearby, who would you be and why?

I’d probably choose to be Małgorzata, because I’ve always wanted to be one of those arty wild girls, and because in reality I’m nothing like them. I’m too restrained to get up to the type of antics that Małgorzata gets up to in the book.

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

I mainly read literary fiction novels and short stories. I’ve just finished reading The Power by Naomi Alderman and it absolutely blew me away! I can’t remember the last time I read such an exciting and thought-provoking book. I found myself choosing to read this book rather than go to sleep – as the parent of a one-year old baby, that’s saying something!

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

Experience the wildness of art scene in 1980s communist Poland without having to leave home.

Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions Magdalena and for the wonderful photographs from your research trip.

Thank you so much for having me, it’s been an absolute pleasure!

About Magdalena McGuire

Magdalena McGuire was born in Poland, grew up in Darwin, and now lives in Melbourne. Her short stories have been published in the UK and Australia by The Big Issue and The Bristol Prize, and by Margaret River Press respectively. She has published widely on human rights topics, including women’s rights and the rights of people with disabilities. She is an avid reader and particularly enjoys reading books about girls who like reading books. Her first novel, Home Is Nearby, is set in Poland, Australia and the United Kingdom, in the eventful period of the 1980s. She is also working on a collection of short stories that focus on questions of place, identity and unbelonging, particularly in cross-cultural contexts, as well as another historical fiction novel.

You can follow Magalena on Twitter @Magdalena_McG and visit her website.

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I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but Mystical Circles by SC Skillman really appeals to me and so I’m delighted to be featuring it on Linda’s Book Bag today as part of the launch celebrations. I have an interview with SC Skillman that sheds light on Mystical Circles in a very enlightening way!

Published by Luminarie, Mystical Circles is available for purchase here.

Mystical Circles

“Hi, you in crowded, stressed old London from me in the peaceful, perfect Cotswolds. Massive change of plan. I’m in love. Craig’s gorgeous, sexy, intelligent. Paradise here. Staying forever.”

Juliet, concerned that her younger sister has fallen in love with the charismatic Craig, leader of the Wheel of Love, sets off for the Cotswolds to investigate, fearful that Zoe has become entangled with a religious cult.

She arrives at Craig’s community hoping to rescue Zoe. But  intrigues, liaisons and relationships flare and flourish or fizzle out quickly within this close circle, and despite her reservations, Juliet is drawn into the Wheel of Love… with completely unforeseen consequences.

An Interview with SC Skillman

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag. Firstly, could you tell me a little about yourself?

I was born and brought up in Orpington, near south London. As a child I was inspired by Enid Blyton. I started writing adventure stories at the age of seven; the love of writing that her stories first instilled into me has strengthened over the years. I studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and my first permanent job was as a production secretary with the BBC.

Later I lived for nearly five years in Australia before returning to live in the UK.

I now live in Warwickshire with my husband David, son Jamie and daughter Abigail. Nearby are three of England’s most famous destinations: the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon Avon and the two great castles at Kenilworth and Warwick.

Without giving away the plot, please could you tell us a bit about Mystical Circles?

Mystical Circles is set in the beautiful Cotswolds hills, not far from my present home. It’s a psychological suspense with a hint of paranormal. When freelance journalist Juliet learns that her sister Zoe has fallen for the charismatic leader of a mystical cult in the Cotswolds, she sets off to investigate, and to rescue Zoe. But she is unprepared for what her investigations will uncover. Intrigues, liaisons and relationships flare and flourish or fizzle out quickly within this close circle, and despite her reservations, Juliet is drawn into the Wheel of Love… with completely unforeseen consequences.

(This sounds really intriguing!)

Your writing considers the themes of spirituality and human psychology. Why do you choose to write about these themes?

I’ve always been fascinated by the interaction of different complex personalities, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for a writer. The general inspiration for Mystical Circles arises largely from the advice I give an aspiring writer: read a lot, listen to people’s conversations, be observant about the details of your world, and especially about human behaviour and interaction.

More specifically, for the story, themes and characters of this novel, I drew upon my own past experience of “hunting in ‘Guru Land’”. My journey has led me from the insights of the late Laurens Van Der Post and the inspirational writings of the late Dr Raynor Johnson via a mystical mountain in the Himalayas (Mount Neelkanth near Badrinath) to a dream yoga course in Brisbane Forest Park.

I lived in Bayswater in London for eight years and during my time there I attended courses and lectures at the Theosophical Society in Gloucester Place, and investigated spiritualism at the Spiritualist Association in Belgrave Square and at the White Eagle Lodge, Kensington. I also became a member of the Centre for Spiritual & Psychological Studies which met at the Royal Overseas League, St James’s Street and spent a weekend with the group at Hawkwood College near Stroud in Gloucestershire. I additionally studied the teachings of Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh at his Body Centre in Belsize Park and at his Hertfordshire branch Medina Rajneesh. In both places I experienced Dynamic Meditation and his own brand of group therapy.

My most quirky New Age experience was in Australia, walking backwards through the rainforest as part of a residential Dream Yoga weekend held at Cosmos Lodge, Mount Nebo, Brisbane Forest Park.  It was on this occasion that the course leader, a dream interpretation guru called Greg, spoke the memorable words: ‘If you master the art of lucid dreaming, death will be a breeze.’  Something from all these experiences has played into Mystical Circles.

Many reviewers refer to the wonderful quality of your characterisation. Which is more important to you as a writer, character or plot and why?

I believe that character and their motivations and relationships drives plot, and plot often arises as you get to know your characters really well and watch them responding to and reacting against each other. An essential task when one plans a novel is to create a ‘bible’ for each character. I love observing people and listening to conversations and also I love writing dialogue. It’s one of my favourite things about writing fiction. From the point of view of a reader, I believe the greatest joy in reading novels is to be inside the heads of fictional characters. When we feel we are living inside the mind and heart of someone else, when we feel we share their joys and sorrows, and understand how they think, this is the greatest transformation of which a novelist is capable.

(Oh yes. You’ve summed that up beautifully. That’s exactly the experience I want as a reader.)

You’ve lived in Australia which has a strong aboriginal tradition of Dreamtime and now live in an area of the UK steeped in history. How far do you think living location impacts on a writer?

It has a strong impact. I have known of several novelists for whom “the spirit of place” is of paramount importance. Everywhere I have lived I have sought out these things: water (in rivers and lakes), trees and forests, beautiful gardens, castles and historical sites, high viewpoints with panoramic vistas.  All these things have a powerful emotional effect upon me.  Nevertheless I am aware, that wherever you go in the world ‘you’ are still there. You can never escape from yourself.

I set out to develop this idea in Mystical Circles, as I brought together several troubled individuals, many with problematic family relationships, in an idyllic location. All the members of the Wheel of Love (the cult group) have escaped from their normal lives, to come apart and find something special, a spiritual haven. Yet the one thing they cannot escape is themselves: their own hearts and minds and, most importantly, the emotional position they take about their past. I believe our greatest challenge in life is to understand ourselves, and understand the human heart. Being in a beautiful geographical location can impact us strongly, but not in the way we might hope, if we are trying to escape ourselves. In aboriginal spirituality, human lives and every aspect of the land have been so intimately linked over many centuries, that it was only the incursion of an alien culture which introduced negative influences. I have been deeply moved by aboriginal spirituality, through some of the places I’ve visited in Australia, and hope to incorporate this in a future novel.

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

I read a wide variety of books both fiction and non-fiction, of different genres, and I always review them on Amazon and Goodreads. I have just finished reading How To Think Like Churchill by Daniel Smith and am halfway through a novel called The Life of Elves by Muriel Barber, and have several physical books and kindle books on my TBR piles. I will read Young Adult, thrillers, fantasy, comedy, historical, suspense, psychological, crime, paranormal, romance…  I love the novels of Phil Rickman, Susan Howatch, Dan Brown, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling and many others. In my teens I read through Thomas Hardy, Emile Zola, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Dickens. And I also love Jane Austen and the Brontes.

If you could choose to be a character from Mystical Circles, who would you be and why?

I’d choose to be Theo. He is something fresh coming in from the outside into the hothouse environment of the group, and he is all about people on spiritual journeys and he believes in coming alongside them, without judging. He listens to people and helps them to see themselves differently and how they might move forward in their journeys of self-knowledge. But also he is someone whose background hides a mystery and that creates an extra sense of intrigue about him.

If Mystical Circles became a film, who would you like to play Zoe and why would you choose them?

This is easy because, as a keen film buff and TV drama fan, I have plenty of ideas for my dream cast! Currently, to play the part of Zoe, I feel I would like Sophie Turner (who plays Sansa in Game of Thrones). Firstly she looks right – she has long auburn hair and is physically my idea of Zoe.  She is a diverse actress, who used to be in Playbox Warwick near where I live – a wonderful youth theatre which my children attended – and can play a young naive, excitable character, which is how Zoe is when she precipitates the action of this novel.

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

Like troubled family relationships infused with spiritual and psychological tension? This book is for you.

Thanks so much for telling us a bit more about Mystical Circles and your interesting life!

About SC Skillman

SC Skillman studied English Literature at Lancaster University. She has previously worked within a BBC radio production office and later spent four years in Australia. She now lives in Warwickshire with her husband David, their son Jamie and daughter Abigail.

You can find SC Skillman on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. You can also visit her blog.

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Having previously featured Georgia Rose and her Grayson Trilogy on Linda’s Book Bag here, I am delighted to be featuring the latest book from Georgia, Parallel Lies. Those who know me know I’m a cat fiend and so I couldn’t wait to see what Georgia had to say about her character Cat in her guest post today.

Parallel Lies will be published by Three Shires on 12th September and is available for purchase here. In celebration, Georgia is running a giveaway and you’ll find more details further down this post.

Parallel Lies

‘My name is Madeleine, Madeleine Ross. It is a name chosen with thought and because it is classy, and that is what is needed here…’

Madeleine Ross has life exactly as she planned it.
Cosy cottage, friendly village, satisfying job.
Company… when she wants it.

It’s an enviable existence for an independent young woman, and one she’s keen to protect.

Enter Daniel – strong, dependable and a danger to everything she’s built. He’s not something she was looking for, but hearts can’t be controlled and maybe, just maybe he might be worth letting into hers.

But, all is not what it seems. Because Madeleine is hiding a lifetime of secrets. Deep secrets.

And they never stay buried for ever.

Her darkest secret returns, like the proverbial bad penny. He is her first love, shadowy, dangerous, the baddest of bad boys. No matter how far she runs, or how well she hides, she can never escape him.

Or her past.

Here he is, on her doorstep, with a proposition she is powerless to resist but which could devastate the future she hoped to have.

Can Madeleine satisfy the old love while keeping the new?

You can’t always get what you want but, desperate to preserve the life she has worked so hard for, Madeleine is willing to risk everything to prove that she can.

Cat

A Guest Post by Georgia Rose

Who doesn’t love a kitten meme? Or not get completely distracted by those funny cat videos on YouTube or Facebook? I know I do, and this is where I have to get my cat fix as although I’d love to have one, I live too close to a busy-enough road and I just couldn’t bear the worry, and potential loss.

As anyone who has read any of my work knows I incorporate animals into my mix of characters. In the Grayson Trilogy there were horses and, of course, one superb little dog, Susie. In Parallel Lies, there’s Cat. (There are also a couple of horses, who are playing small parts, but this post is not about them.)

I don’t just put animals in there for window dressing either. Just as pets are an essential part of many people’s lives they are an important part of the storyline and, in this case, my main character’s development.

As well as providing entertainment and companionship we all know of the therapeutic power of having animals around us, of how good they are at healing both mind and body. They lower blood pressure, they ease stress and depression, they engage interest and evoke emotion. This is why they are taken into hospitals to cheer the spirits of patients and why they are welcome visitors in retirement homes brought in to brighten the days of the elderly who so often suffer from loneliness.

There is nothing as soft as the deep thick fur of a cat and getting that throaty purr response of contentment when they are stroked or kneaded is both relaxing and good for the soul.

Nothing says relax more than a chilled out cat…

So in Parallel Lies Cat gets more than just a passing mention. He has a role to fulfil just like all those faithful creatures that are around us have and he has an impact on Madeleine Ross that changes her attitude to him entirely.

He doesn’t have much of a name though, does he? This is in homage to the cat-of-the-same-name in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, one of several films that contributes in some way or other to the story line of Parallel Lies. But the reasons why will probably fill another blog post somewhere else on some other day 😉

(I agree with every word Georgia. We’ve never had more than four cats at the same time but without any at the moment I’ll get my fix through my reading and the Internet!)

About Georgia Rose

Georgia’s background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines; the others are a product of her overactive imagination!

Following a long stint working in the law Georgia set up her own business providing administration services for other companies which she does to this day managing to entwine that work along with her writing.

Her busy life is set in a tranquil part of rural Cambridgeshire where she lives with her much neglected family of a husband, two grown up children and two dogs.

You can find out more about Georgia Rose on her web site and on Facebook. You can also follow her on Twitter. You’ll also find all about Georgia on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

Goergia’s Giveaway

Win paperback copies of A Single Step, Before the Dawn, Thicker than Water and Parallel Lies!

Plus! Large and small heart covered notebooks, 5 heart decorated Thank You cards, Butlers Milk Chocolate Hearts, Divine Dark Chocolate Hearts, a tin of Lovehearts and a bag of Percy and Penny sweets (with special lovers strawberry hearts!)

The Kindle is NOT included!

All you have to do is click here and follow the instructions!

(Please note – this giveaway is run by Georgia and not Linda’s Book Bag!)

Every blogger knows that it isn’t possible to read every book you’d like to and just occasionally one gets away that you really regret not having read. This is the case for me today with Parent Teacher Association by Jennifer Soosar. I so liked the sound of Parent Teacher Association that I asked Jennifer if she’d tell me a bit more about the mental health theme in the book.

Published by Black Opal Books, Parent Teacher Association is available for purchase here.

Parent Teacher Association

Fresh out of a mental hospital, Lizanne Demeter is thrilled to get a second chance at her career when she’s hired to teach third grade in the backwater town of Splinter Wood, Pennsylvania. But hopes for a peaceful new life are ruined when Naomi Seabrook, a demanding “helicopter parent,” pushes Lizanne to the brink.

While struggling to maintain control of her classroom, Lizanne begins to unravel the secret behind Naomi’s hell-bent agenda. As deadly clues emerge, Lizanne suspects Naomi is guilty of more than just overindulging her child. With her life teetering on chaos, Lizanne risks everything to expose the shocking truth.

But first, she must race against her own spiraling sanity to prove herself a more dedicated teacher than anyone dared imagine–the kind of teacher who makes ALL the difference.

Mental Health

A Guest Post by Jennifer Soosar

Lizanne Demeter is the main character in my novel, Parent Teacher Association. She’s the most enthusiastic, dedicated teacher you’ll ever meet. She adores children and places a high value on education. She’s single, lonely, and looking. She also just got out of a mental hospital.

I didn’t plan on burdening my protagonist with mental illness when I started writing Parent Teacher Association. All I knew was that I wanted to write a psychological suspense set in an elementary school with the main conflict being between a parent and a teacher. Psychological suspense stories emphasize the psychology and unstable emotional states of its characters so I knew I’d be writing about people with inner problems.

In the story, Lizanne clashes with Naomi Seabrook, a pathological “helicopter mom.” In order for the conflict to work, Lizanne had to have a similar, yet different, level of intensity to match Naomi’s. While I used Lizanne’s mental illness as a foil to the “fanatical mom” character, it also opened up new places I could go in the plot. Places I hadn’t planned on.

It was interesting to write a character with mental health issues, especially a character who’s a school teacher. The stereotypical image of an elementary school teacher is of a woman who is ‘good-ship-lollipop’ perky and perfect. But teachers are not perfect human beings. We see examples of that everyday in the news. We also remember our own elementary teachers from our school days, both the good and bad ones.

I didn’t judge Lizanne for having these challenges. In fact, I gave her more freedom and allowed her to make major choices in the story.

Since I was writing something psychological, I felt at liberty to fully explore the complexities and pathology of her mental state. I think the extent of her situation is what makes her a compelling, multi-dimensional character. Lizanne is unpredictable which keeps things interesting, and adds suspense. I think readers who enjoy this genre will enjoy Lizanne. She’s challenging and puzzling, yet is a character you can root for and empathize with.

Mental illness is a prevalent topic in our society today and I think it was important to explore that in fiction. I didn’t want to shy away from having a main character with these issues. At the core, Lizanne’s main struggle is to maintain her health as she battles loneliness and the stress of her job. It’s something anybody can relate to. As the story unfolds, we start to see how Lizanne’s faults are taken advantage of and aggravated by others, and how Lizanne chooses to rectify the matter. Fiction has enough room for a medley of characters with all manner of problems.

About Jennifer Soosar

Jennifer Soosar was born and raised in Toronto and has a degree in anthropology. Her short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Flash Bang Mysteries, and Out of the Gutter Online. Her debut psychological suspense novel, Parent Teacher Association, was published by Black Opal Books this summer. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime.

You can find out more on Jennifer’s website, and follow her on Twitter @jensoosar.  There’s a Facebook page you might like to visit too.

Now when I was asked by James Scanlan at Saqi Books if I would like a copy of Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic edited by Lynn Gaspard in return for an honest review, the title so caught my imagination I had to say yes!

Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic was published by Saqi on 17th July 2017 and is available for purchase in e-book and paperback here.

Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic

‘Bursting with creativity, wit and intelligence’ Brian Eno

How can you tell if your neighbour is speaking Muslim?

Is a mosque a kind of hedgehog?

Can I get fries with that burka?

You can’t trust the media any longer, but there’s no need to fret: Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic provides you with the answers.

Read this book to learn how you too can spot an elusive Islamist. Discover how Arabs (even 21-year-old, largely innocuous and totally adorable ones) plant bombs and get tips about how to interact with Homeland Security, which may or may not involve funny discussions about your sexuality.

Commissioned in response to the US travel ban, Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic includes cartoons, graffiti, photography, colouring in pages, memoir, short stories and more by 34 contributors from around the world. Provocative and at times laugh-out-loud funny, these subversive pieces are an explosion of expression, creativity and colour.

Contributors: Hassan Abdulrazzak, Leila Aboulela, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Shadi Alzaqzouq, Chant Avedissian, Tammam Azzam, Bidisha, Chaza Charafeddine, Molly Crabapple, Carol Ann Duffy, Moris Farhi, Negin Farsad, Joumana Haddad, Saleem Haddad, Hassan Hajjaj, Omar Hamdi, Jennifer Jajeh, Sayed Kashua, Mazen Kerbaj, Arwa Mahdawi, Sabrina Mahfouz, Alberto Manguel, Esther Manito, Aisha Mirza, James Nunn, Chris Riddell, Hazem Saghieh, Rana Salam, Karl Sharro, Laila Shawa, Bahia Shehab, Sjón, Eli Valley, Alex Wheatle.

My Review of Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic

With an eclectic mix of entries from colouring in through photos to essays, poetry and fiction, a book endorsed by Brian Eno immediately gets my attention!

I had no real idea what I was getting when my copy of Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic arrived and to be totally honest, I’m not sure what I’ve just read. I think I’m too ignorant of the Islamic culture to understand fully all the implications of some of the entries, but I still found this an intriguing and entertaining read. Saying that, I think the book achieves what it sets out to do and raises awareness and questions in those, like me, who don’t really think deeply about Islam and what it means in today’s society. I also think that my response of ‘so what?’ to many of the pieces, because I felt they could be true of any human being, not just someone Islamic, was also the whole point. Islam has been so demonised in recent years that many see anyone from an Islamic background as a potential threat rather than another human being! Joumana Haddad’s piece on keeping her son quiet on the Paris metro really brought that home, as did Karl Sarro’s entry on getting a green card to work in America as I’ve been through that process myself and as a white British woman, found it equally as ridiculous.

I didn’t enjoy the more overtly political writings as much as the more personal ones. The essay I enjoyed the most was Amrou Al-Kadhi’s about being a drag queen. He certainly undermines the stereotyped suicide bomb wearing terrorist view of his ethnicity!

I found Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic interesting, engaging and occasionally too self-consciouly politically correct or politically angry but I feel my responses arise more out of my own ignorance than the intrinsic worth of the book. I urge others to read it and form their own views. It certainly makes you think!

About Lynn Gaspard

Lynn Gaspard is the publisher of Middle-East specialist press Saqi Books. Shortlisted for the Independent Publishers Guild Young Publisher of the Year Award in 2013, Lynn Gaspard is a trustee of the Shubbak Festival and sits on the English PEN Writers in Translation Committee.

You can follow Lynn on Twitter.

I love historical fiction so I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for The Blood of Kings by Angela King.

The Blood of Kings was published on 1st September by Bombshell Books, an imprint of Bloodhound, and is available for purchase here.

The Blood of Kings

1559. A girl arrives in London to search for her brother.

Aalia, an awkward, arrogant teenager plans to bring William to his senses, until she discovers that both their lives are based on a lie. Aalia must unravel a web of secrets but has the weight of her past to contend with. Courageous and undisciplined, Aalia gradually comes to terms with the truth that William, her brother, has royal blood.

Deciding to undermine the men who want to use him as a pawn, Aalia must negotiate a world where secrecy arms the powerful. But unwilling to ask for anyone’s help she is forced into making a fateful decision. Who can she trust when everyone around her is plotting? Is the truth really something worth dying for?

This epic story of secrets and betrayal paints a vivid picture of Elizabethan England and asks questions that span beyond the test of time.

My Review of The Blood of Kings

With Queen Elizabeth on the throne, there are those who feel they have a greater claim.

The Blood of Kings surprised me. It took me quite a while to get into as there are several characters introduced in quick succession who are more fictionalised than I was expecting and I needed to get them clear in my mind.

I thought The Blood of Kings was well constructed. The plot hinges on events and conjecture from the times so that there is a real plausibility to it. As I read I kept thinking, ‘Oh. What if…’ so that the read was very entertaining. There’s so much action that this book would make a smashing film or television series as the narrative twists and turns in dramatic style. The themes of loyalty and betrayal, love and family are universal ones that are so well explored in The Blood of Kings too.

What I think Angel King is most skilled in is the attention to detail. She creates authentic setting to the extent that it is as if you’re there seeing and hearing exactly what the characters see and hear. I could picture so much of her settings extremely clearly and with the realistic dialogue that so well reflects what might have been spoken at the time I feel The Blood of Kings has considerable depth.

The characters are an eclectic mix of real people in history and fictional creations. Aalia’s life is fascinating and I found her feminist attitude very engaging. Reading The Blood of Kings made me glad I wasn’t alive in the Elizabethan era!

Interesting and fast paced, I think lovers of historical fiction will enjoy the new perspectives presented in The Blood of Kings.

About Angela King

Angela King has always loved words and writing. She was born in Wimbledon and always dreamed of becoming a writer, but I came from a long line of practical dreamers who need first to earn a living so went to Medway College of Art in Rochester, to study design, later working as assistant designer to Bruno Stern.

After a series of personal disasters including a terrible car crash for her husband Michael and a fire that burned down their home, Angela and Michael moved to Cumbria where they began working from home. In 2008, two of Angela’s very close friends died, kicking her into action – if she didn’t write her novel soon it might never be written. She joined a couple of local creative writing groups and finally allowed her imagination to run free.

In 2016 Angela had short stories published in three different anthologies: Dark Minds (Bloodhound Books), Happily Never After (C & P Writers) and Dot, Dot, Dot, (Wiza Words).

You can follow Angela on Twitter @angelaS969, or visit her blog.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’ve never been a dog owner, although I have been owned by many cats, so it is very exciting to welcome F J Curlew to Linda’s Book Bag today to tell me all about the Ukranian street dog Dan, the star of her latest book Dan Knew.

Dan Knew is available for purchase here.

Dan Knew

A Ukrainian street dog is rescued from certain death by an expat family. As he travels to new countries with them a darkness grows and he finds himself narrating more than just his story. More than a dog story. Ultimately it’s a story of escape and survival but maybe not his.
The world through Wee Dan’s eyes in a voice that will stay with you long after you turn that last page.

How Dan Knew Came To Be

I had cried uncontrollably in the shop where I was casually buying a pair flowery wellies when I received the phone call. “It’s the vet here about Wee Dan. I’m sorry, it’s bad news.” I crumpled onto the floor in a heap of utter despair. The sobbing continued as I was walking along the street: sitting on the bus, going home, opening the door. I couldn’t stop and I didn’t want to. Drowning in sorrow was all I could do. People had avoided looking at me, probably thinking I was that crazy woman who talked to herself, had fits of hysteria, to be kept at a distance. Ignored.

I didn’t know if I could do this. I really didn’t. It felt like something was tearing at my heart, my chest hurt, my breathing was erratic: I felt sick, my head was swimming. Thoughts made no sense. Nothing made sense. My little dog had gone. No warning. No time to prepare myself. Just gone.

I’ve had dogs all of my life, lost several, been very sad, mourned and grieved over them, but nothing like this. I spent the day staring at mindless television…just getting through. Just.

I knew I had to write. It was the thing that kept me going these days. The thing I could count on to lift me out of whatever reality I was stuck in. It had got me through hard times before: given me hope, a reason. When I couldn’t teach any more, or work at all, due to the devastating side effects of a nasty little cancer, it had given me a purpose and more than that. A purpose that I loved! The ability to lift myself out of this world and into one of my imagination had been an absolute life-saver. I tried to work on my latest project. I was 60 000 words in. I could do it.

Well, actually, no I couldn’t.

It had to be his story. Our life together. That was all I could think about and it kept him with me somehow: kept him alive. I was writing it in his words, from his point of view and it was wonderful. Being inside his head. Every day.

As I wrote about him, relived it all, he was here with me for that little bit longer, by my side, tapping at my keyboard, nudging at my hand with his little wet nose. I was obsessed. I had to write, and write, and write. Now I had a positive reason for foraging through countless photographs, walking down streets in Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, Portugal, on Google Maps, remembering. Reliving. Writing.

We had been through such a lot together. Lived in all those countries, faced abuse, fear and sickness…together. The story poured out of me and I had the first draft of 70 000 words done in a month. That was unusual for me. I take my time, write slowly and carefully, perfecting and perfecting as I go. Not this time.

Of course, as I wrote, memories of some unpleasant times that I had long since buried also crept back in, and some of the writing was very difficult. I skirted a lot, avoided saying too much about me and my story, not really wanting to go back there, nor to crowd Dan’s story out with mine. Getting the balance right was a challenge. Sifting through a life, deciding which stories to tell, events to cover, feelings to express. There were many, many rewrites.

But I love that, the editing, making something that you have created the very best it can be gives me a thrill. And this was Wee Dan’s story so I had to do it justice. I can remember watching a documentary about Donna Tarrt and being amazed at how each of her novels had taken ten years to write. Now I understand. I could go on writing Dan Knew: perfecting it, living it for years. But that would be remarkably unhealthy. I know I have to move on, to live in the present.

Even now the synapses connect and more memories surface. I remember something and think maybe I should have added that?  But the deed is done and the book has been published. As long as I have shown enough, so that the reader can understand what was going on, whilst keeping it all in the voice of Dan, I am happy.

It is also amazing to be able to hold his book in my hands, to see it for sale, to know that his little voice is being heard by somebody else. His journey continues. That gives me a thing of concrete, of permanence. And I like that. I like that a lot.

About F J Curlew

Fiona dropped out of school aged 15, because being the consummate rebel, she hated it! After becoming a single parent she decided to return to education, graduating in 1996 with an honours degree in primary education. Ah, the irony!

As soon as she graduated she packed everything she owned into her Renault 11, including her daughter, two dogs and a cat, and headed off to Estonia to become an international school teacher. After fifteen years of teaching, predominantly in Eastern Europe, she returned to the UK .

She now lives on the east coast of Scotland with two Scottish rescue dogs and a disgruntled Portuguese cat.

Fiona is also the author of To Retribution – A love story/political thriller set in times of turmoil, available here.

There’s more about Fiona on Facebook, on her website, Twitter and with these other bloggers:

Recently, Audrey Davis asked me if I’d like to review her debut novel A Clean Sweep. The answer was a resounding yes (not least as I discovered I had already bought it when I came to investigate it), but as usual, my TBR is so huge I simply haven’t got to it yet.

As the main character in both A Clean Sweep and its prequel A Clean Break is fifty-something Emily and I happen to be a fifty-something woman, I asked Audrey if she’d like to tell me a bit more about how that feels as she is a woman past her half-century too. Today, Audrey reflects on what it means to be ‘a woman of a certain age’ in the 21^st century.

A Clean Sweep and the short prequel A Clean Break are both available for purchase here.

A Clean Sweep

A laugh-out-loud tale of love, lies and second chances.
Love comes around when you least expect it. Fifty-something widow Emily isn’t expecting romance. Nor is she expecting a hunky twenty-something chimney sweep on her doorstep.
Daughter Tabitha knows something isn’t quite right with her relationship, while her boss – Abba-loving Meryl – thinks she’s found the real deal. Are they both right, or pursuing Mr Wrong?
Emily’s sister, Celeste, has the perfect marriage … or does she? Can a fitness tracker lead her down the path to happiness or heartbreak?
Susan is single, overweight and resigned to a life of loneliness. There was the one who got away but you don’t get another try, do you?
Prepare for a rollercoaster ride of emotions in a book that will grab your heart, make you smile and wish you had a chimney to sweep.

A Woman of A Certain Age

A Guest Post by Audrey Davis

I drew on my own thoughts and experiences when fleshing out the character of Emily, as well as some of the other women in the book. I wanted to show that age should not be a barrier to how we behave, dress or who we fall in love with.

Was I happy to hit forty? Not really, but with two boys aged nine and ten at the time I was still mingling with younger mums in the school playground and feeling reasonably content with my reflection in the mirror. Ten years later, the boys had flown the nest and reading glasses had taken up residence in every room of the house. Like Emily, magnifying mirrors were avoided when possible – ‘Some things didn’t need to be brought into sharp focus. A gentle blurring of the edges was just fine.’

Now, at fifty-three, I can say I’m comfortable with my age even if my knees creak a bit and the pounds take longer to shift. My life is full, particularly now that I’m writing and can call myself a genuine published author. I have a great circle of friends – some older, some younger – and I will happily shop at Zara or Mango, even if their sizing is targeted at girls with no internal organs. I wear cut-off shorts in the summer, skinny jeans in the winter and work out at the gym three times a week.

There are times I think of my mother, who sadly died of breast cancer at the age of fifty-nine. The disease withered her slowly and painfully for many years, but I realise how different her life was. Thirty years ago, many women of her age dressed and behaved much older. Her outfits were always sensible and – dare I say it – old-fashioned. Her life was perhaps simpler but I am so glad to be in my fifties today, even if the world we live in seems full of hate, fear and hypocrisy.

Looking ahead, I will continue to write and participate in the wonderful community of fellow authors I’ve discovered through social media. Travel is always a particular joy, with trips to Africa and weekends away with friends to Spain and Belgium recent highlights. I don’t see my gorgeous boys as often as I’d like, but I can always hop on a plane (we live in Switzerland) and visit them in Edinburgh and Liverpool.

A couple of good friends are now in their sixties, but their energy and joie de vivre would put some younger folk to shame. Age is just a number. As long as we have good health and a positive attitude, we can do anything we want. Am I looking forward to sixty? No, but I’ll be ready to embrace and challenge whatever comes my way when the day arrives.

(Good for you Audrey – I’m with you all the way!)

About Audrey Davis

Audrey Davis is a former journalist who can recall the days of typewriters and overflowing ashtrays. Born in Scotland, she has called Switzerland home for the past 15 years. Audrey still struggles with speaking French although she is well versed in dealing with plumbers and other workers. Her first novel began with a writing fiction course and took over a year to complete. She hopes the second one will be a little quicker.

You can follow Audrey on Twitter, visit her blog and find her on Facebook.