I’ve read some amazing books with autism as a major theme of late and as this is a subject that I know needs greater exposure, I’m delighted to welcome Kate Hughes, author of Home, onto Linda’s Book Bag. Although fiction, Home is based on Kate’s own family. It gives me great pleasure to help Kate spread the word about the effects of autism on all the family.

Home is available for purchase in e-book here.

Home

“You need to come and get my daughter. She’s not safe anymore.”

For Sophie, life with her daughter has never been easy. Rosie’s extreme autism has made her unpredictable and often difficult. Like most mothers though, her first instinct has always been to protect her child and keep her close. However, when Rosie’s escalating violence culminates in a terrifying incident at home, Sophie is faced with a choice that no parent ever wants to make. A choice that will inevitably plunge her into a set of unimaginable new circumstances which will test her to the limit.

A true test of a mother’s love.

Could you send your child away?

Autism

A Guest Post by Kate Hughes

Autism.

It’s a word which seems to be on everyone’s lips in recent years. It’s in the news, on the television and in books. People you meet may know someone, or have taught someone, or are related to someone, or know someone who knows someone else…who is autistic. The upshot being, that many of us have a little bit of knowledge of the condition and think we understand it, but the autistic spectrum is in fact huge and no two autistic children are exactly alike.

Autism has played a huge part in my family’s life for many years. Like everyone else, we were only vaguely aware of this condition until my beautiful niece Eva was diagnosed 13 years ago. I’d certainly had some experience in my job as a primary school teacher, however the reality of seeing my sister living day to day with an autistic child is very different to the snapshot you see in an educational setting. It has been a steep learning curve for us all.

I finally decided to write my novel Home after seeing my sister go through the painful process of putting 12 year old Eva into residential care when her extreme behaviour escalated. I felt it was a story that needed to be told since many people are unaware of the meltdowns and violence which can make older autistic children very difficult to manage.

You often hear of children being taken into care but you don’t often hear about parents who have made that decision themselves. Looking in from the outside, all people might see is someone who just couldn’t cope. The reality is very different. I know that my sister’s decision came at the end of a very long road of coping with things that other parents will never have to experience. Most people can’t begin to imagine their own child being violent towards them.

I wanted to give an insight into the terrible set of events which leads a parent to make this decision and the enormous guilt which comes with it. It has a huge effect on the entire family. Suddenly one of their loved ones is no longer part of everyday family life. I hoped it might also comfort readers who may have gone, or be going through, a similar ordeal. Just to realise that you’re not the only one and that others have felt your pain can be extremely reassuring.

It had to be a work of fiction because after all, essentially, I am a storyteller. So although my protagonist, Sophie, experiences many of the same events and feelings as my sister, there are also lots of differences in her character and life story.

Once I’d made the decision, writing Home was a difficult and fairly long process. Apart from the fact that I’m a teacher and mother of three children which means I have a million things to do each day, I needed to make sure the events were accurate and so there was much interrogation of my sister and other family members! I also wanted to make it more than just a miserable memoir, I wanted to create an uplifting story which shows the true power of a mother’s love for a special needs child.

I hope you feel the final book has achieved what I set out to do.

Kate Hughes

About Kate Hughes

Kate Hughes is a primary school teacher of more than twenty years. Her passion for reading from an early age has finally led her to making her own contribution to the world of books. Her debut novel Mr Brown’s Suitcase was published in 2014. Home is her second novel.

Kate lives in Derbyshire with a husband, three feisty daughters and a lively lilac tortoiseshell cat.

You will find Kate on Facebook and can follow her on Twitter.

I’m so pleased to be celebrating Taste of the French Caribbean by Chef Denis today. Taste of the French Caribbean was published by Clink Street on 31st January 2017 and is available for purchase here.

Today I’m sharing a simple recipe from the Taste of the French Caribbean fish setion.

Taste of the French Caribbean

Stir up an authentic taste of the Caribbean at home with Chef Denis Rosembert’s first ever cookbook. The St Lucia born restauranteur lovingly curates his favourite dishes — from delicious jerk chicken to spicy mutton curry and sweet golden apple cake — for you to recreate, bringing the unique flavours and exotic aromas of the island — renowned for its seafood and exquisite chocolates — vividly to life in your own kitchen.

At his much-loved restaurant Chez Denis in Norwich, England, Denis Rosembert blends the eclectic cuisines of Africa, Europe and Eastern India that combine to make St Lucian food so rich and so special. His colourful, infectious, easy-to-follow recipes are the ultimate celebration of island life, food and drink and entertaining and will soon have you inviting friends and family round to experience your own taste of the Caribbean.

Mussels with Calvados

 

Ingredients

500g mussels washed and cleaned

4 shallots chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

4 sprigs dill chopped

3 sprigs parsley chopped

50ml dry white wine

25ml calvados

50ml double cream

1tsp cornflour

1 tbsp water salt and pepper

SERVES 4

1.Put mussels into a pan with finely chopped shallots , garlic, dill, parsley, and dry white wine.

2. Place the pan on a moderate heat, cover the pan. When the mussels have opened pour in the cream, bring to the boil cook for 3 minutes.
3. Mix the corn flour with a tablespoon of cold water.
4. Stir in the cornflour mixture then the calvados. Cook for 3 minutes salt and pepper to taste.
5. Ready to serve.

About Chef Denis

Denis Rosembert was born on the island of St.Lucia where he started training to be a chef in 1973. After a couple of years he was invited to England to continue his training. Since then Denis has worked in various hotels and restaurants across Britain and America in the role of Commis, Sous and finally Head Chef. In 1989 he moved to Norwich, where after a brief stint working for the Sports Village, he finally realised his dream and opened his own restaurant Chez Denis.

You can visit Chef Denis’s website and follow him on Twitter.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

One of the joys of blogging is being invited to events where I can meet the authors I love to read. Yesterday was the Spring Blogger Event run by Books and the City @TeamBATC for Simon and Schuster. Whilst it was lovely to catch up with some of the many blogging friends I’ve made over the past couple of years, it was even more exciting to meet authors for the first time.

With Sara-Jade (our very own book minx @BookMinxSJV ) making sure all went to plan (including sorting out the prosecco later as you’ll see) we were all set for an evening of laughter, book readings and chat.

On the panel, introduced by editor Jo, were Kate Furnivall, Milly Johnson, Dani Atkins and Alice Peterson who were later joined by Sarah Vaughan and Juliet Ashton.

(Look who’s carrying the booze in the background!)

To begin the evening authors were asked to give three facts about themselves with one being a fabrication. They were then asked about their writing processes and treated us to readings from or introductions to their latest books. I’m not going to tell you which facts are the false one – you can guess for yourselves!

First was Kate Furnivall (follow Kate on Twitter here).

Facts:

Before her current persona in writing, Kate wrote erotica with a protagonist called Sophie Hard.

Kate was once swept out to sea with her 4 year old child on an inflatable boat and had to be rescued by the RNLI.

Kate has a twin sister who was once abused by a yob so Kate swung her handbag and hit him squarely on the head.

Kate told us how her writing always starts with place before she finds characters turning up who demand to be picked to be in her novels. She doesn’t plot fully but has skeleton points. On the way to the book’s conclusion anything could happen. Kate began writing inspired by her mother’s death so that she could fill in the gaps to her family history for her brother, thereby honouring her mother’s name. As Kate’s husband is also a novelist she had a good insight into publishing and believes that writing is a muscle you have to exercise on a regular basis.

Kate’s next novel will be The Betrayal but her latest, The Liberation is available here.

Next came Milly Johnson (follow Milly on Twitter here).

Facts:

Milly has kissed Alan Rickman (actually, I’m not sure we heard the others properly after that one as we all went off into a dream world).

Milly once had to pretend to be a ghost fora wealthy American who wanted to give his wife an authentic experience in a traditional hotel.

Milly has slept through two earthquakes whilst others were being evacuated.

Milly told us how she has tried many ways of plotting including record cards and post its but nothing really works. She says it makes it difficult to send a synopsis when she doesn’t actually know what will happen in her book! She described writing as like being in fog with pinprick of light 5 yards ahead. Milly began writing without really knowing what she wanted to write about and ended up aping others’ books until a thunderbolt of inspiration came and she was off! She says it’s best to write little and often. Milly loves to engage with readers and other authors through social media.

Milly’s The Queen of Wishful Thinking will be published on 9th March and is available for pre-order here.

We then heard from Dani Atkins. (Follow Dani on Twitter here)

Facts:

Dani once went missing as a child in Copenhagen and the police had to search for her.

Dani hates roller coasters even though she once spent 5 months at Disney World.

When she moved into an old cottage she saw a ghost cat.

Dani told us that she doesn’t plot her novels fully but likened writing to driving in the dark with no headlights. She has a beginning and an end but has no idea to start with how to get from one to the other. She sees the ends of her books visually like a film playing out and then works towards it. Dani has always written and learnt early on that prospective books need to be sent to agents rather than directly to publishers. She told us to read lots if you want to write. She says we should just do it and that writing 1000 words a day will have a full length novel in three months!

Dani’s This Love will be released on 23rd of March and is available for pre-order here.

Our final official panel member was Alice Peterson (Follow Alice on Twitter here).

Facts:

Alice named her dog Mr Darcy after meeting Colin Firth in a lift. (Again, most of the room went off into a dream world)

She once met Bryan Adams who told her all about raw juice and vegetable smoothies.

The tennis player Tim Henman was her first schoolgirl crush.

Alice explained how, when she writes, her characters evolve and begin to speak so that they take over. She can’t plot when she writes, but has a beginning and an end. To get from one to the other is an almost trance like state for Alice. Alice had never really thought of being a writer and was, in fact, going to be a tennis player at national level but got rheumatoid arthritis which changed her life plans. An older friend told her to write things down to overcome her difficulties as she adjusted and she has never looked back. Alice’s advice to aspiring writers is not to worry about writing badly. She says to aim for 1000 words a day and worry about the quality later. Writers need to feel passion for their story.

Alice’s A Song for Tomorrow is out on 9th February 2017 and is available for pre-order here.

 

Following the panel discussions we had readings from all but Kate (as her book is still a work in progress) before an extra treat of two unexpected authors Sarah Vaughan and Juliet Ashton. They both also gave us three facts about themselves with one being untrue.

Sarah Vaughan (Follow Sarah on Twitter here).

Facts:

She met Colin Firth (see, I said we were obsessed) who offered for Sarah’s little girl to play with his small son. Unfortunately Sara’s daughter went shy and the opportunity passed.

Sarah has trekked to base camp on Everest.

When she needed someone to sign her mortgage deeds at short notice she got former Prime Minister David Cameron to do it.

Sarah’s latest book, Anatomy of a Scandal, is so new we don’t have a proper publication date or even a cover yet, but her last book The Farm at the Edge of the World, is available for purchase here. You can read my review of that book here.

Our last, and by no means least, author of the evening was Juliet Ashton (follow Juliet on Twitter here).

Facts:

Having taken her driving test five times Juliet passed and immediately drove onto a  floral clock and destroyed it.

A well known celebrity (whom I won’t name) stole Juliet’s fiance.

Juliet has danced with George Michael.

Juliet’s next book, The Woman at Number 24 will be published in April and is available for pre-order here.

Once the formal part of the evening was over it was time to grab a glass of prosecco, a cup cake and a fabulous goody bag and meet our wonderful authors.

I didn’t get chance to look in my goody bag until this morning but what a goody bag it is!

There were books (some of which are not even out yet), a notebook, pencil, cards, lip balms, tissues and of course – the bag!

Click here to buy How Not to Fall in Love Actually.

Click here to pre-order The Last Piece of my Heart.

Click here to buy American Housewife.

Click here to pre-order Orange Blossom Days.

After such an entertaining evening meeting wonderful authors and receiving lovely books and gifts I’d just like to thanks Sara-Jade for the invitation and the whole of TeamBATC for all their hard work. Thanks guys!

I’m delighted to welcome Megan Miranda, author of All The Missing Girls to Linda’s Book Bag today. All The Missing Girls was published yesterday, 2nd February 2017 by Corvus, an imprint of Atlantic Books, and is available for purchase in e-book and paperback here.

As All The Missing Girls has a structure working backwards, I’m both stop 2 and day 14 in the celebrations!

To celebrate publication of All The Missing Girls, Megan has kindly agreed to be interviewed.

All the Missing Girls

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared without trace. Then a letter from her father arrives – ‘I need to talk to you. That girl. I saw that girl.’ Has her father’s dementia worsened, or has he really seen Corinne?

Returning home, Nicolette must finally face what happened on that terrible night all those years ago. Then, another young woman goes missing, almost to the day of the anniversary of when Corinne vanished. And like ten years ago, the whole town is a suspect.

Told backwards – Day 15 to Day 1 – Nicolette works to unravel the truth, revealing shocking secrets about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne. Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls is a brilliantly plotted debut thriller that will leave you breathless.

An Interview with Megan Miranda

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

Thank you so much for having me! A little about me: I’ve had a few different careers on my way to becoming a writer. First, I worked in biotech; then, as a high school science teacher. I now live in North Carolina with my family, and I love suspense and thrillers—both reading and writing.

Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about All The Missing Girls?

Sure! Two young women have gone missing ten years apart, and their cases are linked by the same group of friends in a small North Carolina town. And it’s told backward, from Day 15 to Day 1.

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

I had always loved reading and writing, but I didn’t take the steps to try and make writing my career until after I’d worked at a few different careers and had young children at home. My youngest had just turned one when I set myself the goal of finishing my first book.

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

I love beginnings. The process of discovering the characters and the setting is the most fun for me, and because of that, it’s the easiest part. Plotting out the story, though, is the most difficult for me. I have to write my way pretty far into a draft before I figure out what’s going to happen.

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

I work fairly structured hours, writing when my kids are at school. I do most of my writing in my home office, though if I’m stuck, I will try a change of scenery.

All The Missing Girls is unusual as it is plotted backwards. How did you manage the plotting of the narrative?

Honestly, it was a lot of trial and error. I don’t outline much before I start writing. I find I need to write my way into stories as I discover the characters. But I used a program called Scrivener, which allowed me to write in separate scenes and keep notes and lists for myself as I went. It was a constantly evolving draft, changing every time I’d discover a new element. So it mostly came down to a lot of revising.

There are fascinating quotations at the start of each part. How did those quotations arise?

Time was a theme I was interested in exploring in the story—the way we view the past, how the past defines us, if we can look back in time and see things with a different understanding. Since Nic’s father taught philosophy and would pull on this material in her childhood memories, I wanted to choose quotes from philosophers about time to help define each section.

All The Missing Girls marks a departure from your other Young Adult fiction. Why did you decide to write for a more mature audience this time?

In my young adult books, I had been writing about these big events that significantly affected the main characters in their teen years. Later, I got to thinking about how these events might ultimately shape the people they become. Whether they moved past these events; whether they tried to forget them; whether these events were inescapable. Thinking about this gave rise to the idea for All the Missing Girls. It felt like a natural transition since I was still writing about a big event that happened when the characters were teenagers. But this time I was exploring what happened ten years later, who they all became because of it, and whether the past would ever let them go.

Do you have other interests that give you ideas for writing?

When I started writing, I pulled on my science background to inspire my young adult ideas. Now, I find story ideas everywhere. Sometimes the setting gives rise to a story. Sometimes, it’s a character or a theme.

I know you have a background in Biology. How did this help in writing a psychological thriller?

I think my science background helped me during the revision process. I approached the structure a little like an experiment, stepping back and analysing what was working and what wasn’t with each draft.

There are some interesting themes in All The Missing Girls from dementia to family to truth and love. How aware were you of these themes as you wrote?

There are some themes I set out to explore at the start of a book (for example, I knew I wanted to explore the idea of the different ways people can disappear: literally, figuratively, and whether the other, older versions of ourselves still exist inside). But other themes arise more naturally from the plot as I write. I see themes as ideas to explore, and there are some I circle around on purpose, and some that the story brings to the surface on its own.

Trees and woods play an important role in All The Missing Girls. How far do you think those settings ‘speak’ to our primeval instincts?     

For me, I’m drawn to the woods because it feels like a place where there’s this fine line between legend and reality. Where the memory of someone’s disappearance can take on a life of its own, become a story that can live on rumour just as much as fact. It feels like a place where things are just hidden from view, and where people can hide things in turn.

How did you create the setting of Cooley Ridge?

Cooley Ridge is a fictional town inspired by elements of several different places from my memory. I wrote the first words when I was staying at the edge of the forest in western North Carolina, letting the setting of mountains and woods speak to me. The caverns came from a memory I had from when I was younger, in a different state. We were on a tour of some caverns, and the lights were turned off to show us total darkness. It’s a memory that has stayed with me ever since.

To what extent do you think all small communities have secrets and lies as in Cooley Ridge?

I think there are two sides to a small community like Cooley Ridge: That it can feel inescapable to someone who’s grown up there, with everyone knowing everything about you, seeing you a certain way. But that it can also be the type of place to rally around you in a crisis, and to keep your secrets. I’m not sure if all small communities are like that, but I chose to set the book in a town like this for that reason; that I felt it was the type of place that would keep its own secrets.

The cover of All The Missing Girls has a Ferris wheel that suggests the cyclical nature of events to me and history repeating itself. How did that image come about and what were you hoping to convey (without spoiling the plot please!)?

I originally incorporated a Ferris wheel into the story because, while I love amusement park rides, I’m terrified of Ferris wheels. I remember being on one when I was younger, and the people I was with were rocking the cart back and forth while we were stuck at the top. So it felt like something I could really pull on when I was writing that scene, from their past. Then it became the central moment of the story, that set everything in motion, and the story kept circling back to that image—so I love that the Ferris wheel made it onto the cover.

Your next adult novel The Perfect Stranger will be out soon too. What can we expect in this new book?

It’s another psychological thriller, this time about two women who reconnect years after they were roommates, both in desperate need of a fresh start. They relocate together, but when one goes missing, there’s no evidence she was ever there to begin with.

And finally, when you’re not writing, what do you like to read?

I read pretty widely, but my favourite genre is suspense/thrillers.

Thank you so much, Megan, for your time in answering my questions.

Thanks so much for having me!

About Megan Miranda

Megan Miranda is the author of the national bestseller All the Missing Girls. She has also written several books for young adults, including Fracture, Hysteria, Vengeance, Soulprint, and The Safest Lies. She grew up in New Jersey, attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children. Her next novel for adults, The Perfect Stranger, will be published by Simon & Schuster in April, 2017

You can follow Megan on Twitter, visit her website and find her on Facebook.

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I love historical fiction so it gives me great pleasure to welcome Jane Cable, author of Another You, to Linda’s Book Bag today to tell us more about how the past affects  and influences the present.

Another You was published by Endeavor on 13th December 2016 and is available for purchase in e-book and paperback here.

Another You

Sometimes the hardest person to save is yourself…

Marie Johnson is trapped by her job as a chef in a Dorset pub and by her increasingly poisonous marriage to its landlord. Worn down by his string of affairs she has no self-confidence, no self-respect and the only thing that keeps her going is watching her son, Jude, turn into a talented artist.

But the 60th anniversary of a D-Day exercise triggers chance meetings which prove unlikely catalysts for change.

First there’s Corbin, the American soldier who she runs into as she’s walking on the cliffs. He is charming and has a quaintness about him, calling her an ‘English rose’.

Then there’s George the war veteran, who comes to dine at the pub, and his son Mark. George fascinates Marie with his first-hand accounts of the war, whilst Mark proves helpful in making sense of the pub’s financial situation.

And there’s Paxton. Another American soldier with an uncanny resemblance to Corbin. Young, fit and very attractive, Marie finds him hard to resist. But little does she know Paxton is also battling some inner demons.

As the heat of the summer intensifies, so do the issues in Marie’s life.

Why is Corbin so elusive? Why is the pub struggling to make ends meet? Why has Jude suddenly become so withdrawn and unhappy?

Can she help Paxton open up and begin to deal with his pain?

Or will she be shackled to the pub and her increasingly spiteful husband forever?

But as events unfold, Marie finally realises that she is not trapped, but stuck, and that it is down to her to get her life moving again.

Perfectly blending the complexities of twenty-first century life with the dramatic history of World War Two, Another You is a charming tale that will warm your heart.

The Past is Never Dead

A Guest Post by Jane cable

How my past influences my writing

As a writer I have a fascination with how the past can reach out and touch the present and it is the one common theme which ties my books together. In The Faerie Tree it is Izzie’s and Robin’s own pasts; in The Cheesemaker’s House the influences come from the early eighteenth century and in Another You from the Second World War.

But being asked to write about how my past influences my writing made me really stop and think. It has to – but how?

I always say that I have writing in my blood. My father was a poet; our cousin Roger Hubank a novelist and his uncle, John Hampson, an author and member of the Bloomsbury Group. It’s even rumoured that John Keats is somewhere back in the family tree. So yes, of course I write.

Jane and her father at his book launch

But where my own past comes into it is far more subliminal. My novels are in set places I love but not (so far) places I’ve lived. I used to think this was a little strange but I went to a talk given by Kate Mosse just after The Taxidermist’s Daughter was launched and she said it had taken her years to be able to write a book based in the place she called home. Her theory was that you identify so closely with it that it’s not an easy thing to do.

She could be right. The places I hold most dear – in South Wales where I grew up – are yet to feature in my writing and I have no plans to do so. I’ve been living under the South Downs for the last twenty years and there is a story here – the local folklore is just too rich to ignore. But by the time I actually write it we will have moved away.

An interest in certain subject matter does come from my past. My father was always very keen on folklore and his enthusiasm was passed onto me. His love of history too – as a child I was taken to castles and historic houses and of course that seeps into my writing as well.

But the direct inspiration for my books comes from my present. I do tend to start with a place, but all three novels are places that were part of my life when I started to write them. Another You is set in Studland in Dorset but the first time I ever visited the beautiful bay was in 2010. I didn’t know then that it would inspire a story, but I went there fairly often with a friend to walk and swim and it became – and remains – a really special place for me.

GIs at Studland

So where does my interest in the spirit world come from? That, I think, goes back far deeper. While I have never knowingly seen a ghost – and neither did my parents – they had both had supernatural experiences and my father and I certainly shared the ability to sense a malign presence in a place. We visited Berkeley Castle independently (I was on a school trip as a teenager) but recognised the same palpable sadness in a tiny sewing room with apparently no history to suggest such a thing.

I see myself primarily as a story teller and naturally the things I see, hear and experience in the present and the past influence what ends up on the page. It’s hard to pick out specifics, only the broadest themes. For me, what matters is taking the reader into a world that is both new and strangely familiar to them, one they can easily become lost in and are reluctant to leave. If I can do that, then I’m happy.

About Jane Cable

Jane has been writing for as long as she can remember but it wasn’t until around 2005 that she actually finished a book. Since then, she’s encountered Alan Titchmarsh in his search for a People’s Novelist and, although she didn’t win, being a finalist led to a whole new writing career.

When she’s not writing Jane runs an accountancy business with her husband, but it’s writing that she loves best of all.

You can follow Jane on Twitter, visit her website and find her on Facebook.

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I’m delighted to welcome back Caimh McDonnell to Linda’s Book Bag to celebrate his latest book The Day That Never Comes. Caimh was previously kind enough to write a guest post on improbable tropes that you can read here. Today I’m lucky to be hosting an interview with Caimh.

The Day That Never Comes is the second in Caimh’s Dublin trilogy after A Man With One Of Those Faces. The Day That Never Comes was published by Mc Fori Ink on 23rd January 2017and is available in e-book and paperback from your local Amazon site.

The Day That Never Comes

Remember those people that destroyed the economy and then cruised off on their yachts? Well guess what – someone is killing them.

Dublin is in the middle of a heat wave and tempers are running high. The Celtic Tiger is well and truly dead, activists have taken over the headquarters of a failed bank, the trial of three unscrupulous property developers teeters on the brink of collapse, and in the midst of all this, along comes a mysterious organisation hell-bent on exacting bloody vengeance in the name of the little guy.

Paul Mulchrone doesn’t care about any of this; he has problems of his own. His newly established detective agency is about to be DOA. One of his partners won’t talk to him for very good reasons and the other has seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth for no reason at all. Can he hold it together long enough to figure out what Bunny McGarry’s colourful past has to do with his present absence?

When the law and justice no longer mean the same thing, on which side will you stand?

The Day That Never Comes is the second book in Caimh McDonnell’s Dublin trilogy, which melds fast-paced action with a distinctly Irish acerbic wit.

An Interview with Caimh McDonnell

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag Caimh. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing. Firstly, please could you tell me a little about yourself?

That’s trickier than it sounds! I’m about to have to go through my annual ordeal of explaining what I do for a living to the taxman so here is the overview. I’m a comedian/novelist/TV writer/Professional rugby fan. I know that last bit definitely doesn’t sound like a job, but I’m lucky enough that the team I support, London Irish, give me a microphone and a stadium PA to work with. I’m also technically a producer on a potential TV panel show. I don’t have a job so much as career ADHD.

Without spoiling the plot, please could you tell us a bit about The Day That Never Comes?

The germ of the idea came about from a conversation with mates in Dublin over a few pints. I just hit on the idea that when you think about, with all the wholesale damage that the Irish economy has taken through some very irresponsible actions by a few individuals, isn’t it surprising that nobody has ever tried to directly get their own back. I guess if my first book, A Man With One of Those Faces was about identity, this one is very much about anger. There’s a lot more going on than that of course, including some fun with an unhinged German Shepherd, but that is the overall theme.

How important is it to you to be seen as an Irish writer?

I’m in an unusual position because I’m writing about my home town of Dublin while living in Manchester. In a way, it has been really great for me. I feel like I’ve reconnected with my roots in an odd way. Certainly, I think I miss living in Ireland more now than I’ve ever done, which I guess is because it now features so prominently in my thoughts. It is also lovely though as I’ve re-engaged with the place in a way I think is quite unique. When you’re actively seeking things out, you fully appreciate how wonderful a place it is. At the same time, being removed from being there day-to-day, allows you to see it with fresh eyes than you wouldn’t have if you were constantly surrounded by it.

(I think we seldom really appreciate what’s closest to us.)

How do you go about researching detail and ensuring your books are realistic?

It took an awful lot of effort but I eventually found an Irish Guard (police officer) via a friend of a friend of a friend who was willing to answer some questions. He has been wonderfully patient, as I’ve hurled some ludicrous queries at him. I also went to a gun range in Miami on my honeymoon as if was going to write a gun in a scene, I  reckoned I should have probably fired one. My wife is a very understanding woman.

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

I think the easiest part in a way is the funny bit. I’m increasingly learning to just worry about where the story is going and the ‘funny’ just sort of happens as I’ve been doing it for so long and in so many different forms, that it’ll just sneak in when appropriate.

Most difficult? Describing architecture and interior design stuff. My wife gets a lot of calls like “What do you call them nobbly bits that hold up the thingies in old buildings?”

(I imagine your wife to be a very patient woman!)

You’re known for comedy through your work as a stand up comedian and a writer for various television programmes. How do you balance reader expectations for humour with fast paced action in The Day That Never Comes?

I think, if you balance right the two things can work really well together. As anyone who has read my work will know, I’m a massive fan of crime fiction, but I do find some of it can be a little unrelentingly grim. I think the humour if done right, can make the reader more invested in the characters and that heightens the tension when the dark stuff does happen. I will say, I’ve had very little of crime fans saying there was too much comedy but occasionally, there has been the odd comedy fan shocked by a couple of the violent scenes. Spoiler alert: if anything, there’s more of that in this one. I’m afraid I do rather put my central characters through the mill.

Since you wrote The Day That Never Comes there have been some strange coincidences to your plot where homeless people occupied a government  building in Dublin. How does that make you feel?

It is really weird. Having almost word for word something that you made up happen in real life is a little bit creepy. I stood outside Apollo House, the real building where it had happened and it was a very odd moment. My biggest concern was I was horrified that someone might think that in some way, I was aping reality – which is why I put an explanatory note into the back of the book.

Your three protagonists, Paul, Brigit and Bunny were first introduced to readers in A Man With One Of Those Faces. How have you developed their characters and what can we expect from them in the future?

Without giving much away, Paul and Brigit hit not so much a stumbling block in their relationship, as a ten tonne truck heading the opposite way at high speed. They are both in a bad place, whereas Bunny is no place – he has seemingly disappeared off the face of the planet.

I think the biggest single development from writing books one and two is that DS Bunny McGarry’s backstory has just bloomed and bloomed in my mind. It is very real to me now. There’s so much I’d love to explore. This book just gives the tiniest hint of some of the things that are lying back there. He started life as a primarily comedic character but now, while I’m keen to retain that, there is a wealth of material there that I think will gradually come out over several books.

When you were last on Linda’s Book Bag you wrote about improbable tropes in crime fiction (here). What other bugbears do you have when reading crime fiction and how easy is it to avoid them in your own writing?

I suppose this really harps back to what I said earlier, but sometimes it does feel like a race to find most awful scenario imaginable. Put it this way – I loved the TV show The Shield. Well written, superbly acted. Still, I can remember winding up my ex-flatmate who was a big fan at the time with my map of an episode. Step 1: Awful thing happens. Step 2: Even worse thing happens. Step 3: Further fact revealed that shows that thing the awful thing that happened in Step 1 is actually way worse than initially feared.  Step 4: Third thing happens, that looks like it might be nice. Step 5: The nice thing gets smashed to bits by the even worse thing from Step 2. Step 6: Both things get resolved but in a way that nobody is happy and that will undoubtedly leave to a yet worse thing happening in future. And repeat.

If you hadn’t become an author, what would you have done instead as a creative outlet?

I got surprisingly far in the world of IT by being fairly good at lying. I think my creative outlet was making up excuses for why stuff wasn’t working.

If you could choose to be a character from The Day That Never Comes , who would you be and why?

Brigit – of all the people in it, she is the one who actually has some cop-on!

If The Day That Never Comes became a film, who would you like to play the central characters and why would you choose them? 

Brigit – Amy Huberman is a brilliant comedic actress and I’m surprised she isn’t a bigger star. She would be perfect.

Paul – I’m not really sure. Cillian Murphy would be perfect but he’s probably a bit too old for the character now.

Bunny McGarry – the character honestly wasn’t written with him specifically in mind, but I’ve had some keen readers try to start a petition to get Brendan Gleeson to do it. Several reviews mention it, so much so, it is getting a bit embarrassing!

If you had 15 words to persuade a reader that The Day That Never Comes should be their next read, what would you say?

It is better than sex. At least, it is better than sex with me!

(See my earlier comment about your wife!)

Thank you so much, Caimh, for your time in answering my questions.

About Caimh McDonnell

Caimh McDonnell is an award-winning stand-up comedian, author and writer of televisual treats.

His writing credits include The Sarah Millican Television Programme, A League of Their Own, Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You. He also works as a children’s TV writer and was BAFTA nominated for the animated series ‘Pet Squad’ which he created. He was also a winner in the BBC’s Northern Laffs sitcom writing competition.

During his time on the British stand-up circuit, Caimh has firmly established himself as the white-haired Irishman whose name nobody can pronounce. He has brought the funny worldwide, doing stand-up tours of the Far East, the Middle East and Near East (Norwich).

You can find out more by following Caimh on Twitter and by visiting his website.

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I’m so pleased to be helping to reveal Daisy James’s latest book, There’s Something About Cornwall as I have met Daisy and she’s lovely, as are her books. There’s Something About Cornwall will be published by HQ Digital, an imprint of Harper Collins, on 8th March 2017 and is available for pre-order here.

There’s Something About Cornwall

A knight in a shining camper van!

Life is far from picture perfect for food photographer Emilie Roberts. Not only has her ex-boyfriend cheated on her, he’s also stolen her dream assignment to beautiful Venice! Instead, Emilie is heading to the Cornish coast…

Emilie doesn’t think it can get any worse – until disaster strikes on the very first day! And there’s only one man to rescue this damsel in distress: extremely hunky surfing instructor Matt Ashby.

Racing from shoot to shoot in a bright orange vintage camper van, Matt isn’t the conventional knight in shining armour – but can he make all of Emilie’s fairy-tale dreams come true?

About Daisy James

Daisy James is a Yorkshire girl transplanted to the north east of England. She loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. Her husband and young son were willing samplers of her baking creations which were triple-tested for her debut novel, The Runaway Bridesmaid. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something pink and fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea – china plates and teacups are a must.

You can find all Daisy’s books here and you can find Daisy on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

I’m thrilled to be part of the paperback launch celebrations for The Things I Should Have Told You by Carmel Harrington. The Things I Should Have Told You was published by Harper in paperback on 26th January 2017 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Not only do I have my review of The Things I Should Have Told You, but I have a smashing guest post from Carmel Harrington all about the things she wants to tell her 14 year old self.

The Things I Should Have Told You

Every family has a story…

But for the Guinness family a happy ending looks out of reach. Olly and Mae’s marriage is crumbling, their teenage daughter Evie is on a mission to self-destruct and their beloved Pops is dying of cancer. Their once strong family unit is slowly falling apart.

But Pops has one final gift to offer his beloved family – a ray of hope to cling to. As his life’s journey draws to a close, he sends his family on an adventure across Europe in a camper van, guided by his letters, his wisdom and his love.

Because Pops knows that all his family need is time to be together, to find their love for each other and to find their way back home…

Advice To My 14 Year Old Self

A Guest Post by Carmel Harrington

What would I say to my younger self, if Doc and his DeLorean car pulled up outside my house and said, hop in, time for an adventure!

Dear fourteen year old Carmel

Here are three truths that you need to remember …

1.

You are not too tall, nor too skinny. In fact, when you turn thirty, you’ll start your first diet. They never stop after that – sorry! And you know what? You will remember with fondness and longing the speedy metabolism of your childhood and twenties.

As for that eejit who mistook you for a boy recently, ignore them. You don’t look like a boy, I promise you. You are a beautiful young girl, on the brink of becoming a woman and life is going to get so exciting for you.

2.

I know that you often feel like you don’t fit in. Your harshest critic is yourself and you are often crippled with self-doubt.

You need to start trusting YOU. When a teacher asks a question, that you know the answer to, be brave and put your hand up. I know you hate it when people look at you, but once you’ve done it a few times, it will get easier. And soon, you’ll find your voice and confidence. School will be a lot easier for you if you have a little faith in yourself.

You love to sing, you love to act, you often stand in your bedroom and pretend you are on stage. Don’t let your shyness stop you participating in extra curricular activities that would give you so much pleasure. Join a drama group and a choir. You’ll love it, I promise you.

And Carmel, all those hours you spend reading and daydreaming won’t go to waste. One day, you’ll be an author too. I know! You, an author! It takes you a while to find your confidence to share your writing with anyone. Go find a writing group in your local library. Spend time with people who share the same dreams as you. Because once you fully unleash the creative part of you, life begins to change.

3.

Boys, boys, boys! I’ve pondered whether I should tell you who your husband is. Your soul mate. Your best friend. Your love.

And after careful consideration, (don’t hate me!) I’m not going to tell you! It would ruin all the fun of finding him. But I will tell you this, you will love him with all your heart and even more wonderfully, he will love you right back.

Before you find each other, you both spend a lot of time with the wrong people. I know, that’s pants. But don’t panic about this, because he will be worth the wait. I promise you. And wait until you see the children you have together. Spectacular.

Will you remember this undeniable truth? When someone shows you their true self, (and they always do, sooner rather than later), believe them. Don’t make excuses for their behaviour. When a red flag pops up, walk away.

You see, being in love is easy, when it’s with the right person. Remember that.

Love,

Carmel x

My Review of The Things I Should Have Told You

All is not well in the Guinness family, but even though he’s dying, Pops has an idea that will make or break them.

Here’s a question – why on earth is this my first Carmel Harrington read? I loved The Things I Should Have Told You.

Carmel Harrington has taken a simple plot premise – a family travelling for a few weeks around Europe – and turned it into an emotional read that tugs at the heart strings and restores the reader’s faith in human nature. I may have been so affected by this book because my own father’s death is still only a few weeks away so I could relate to how the family feel as they deal with Pops’ demise, but I think it is the natural ease of style that Carmel Harrington has that made the story such a convincing one. Often I was surprised to find I was crying as I read because I was so touched.

The plotting is realistic and authentic with just the right level of detail that I felt I was aboard Nomad the camper van too. I knew some of the stops en route and want to visit the others as a result of reading The Things I Should Have Told You because the settings were so clearly depicted without overburdening the reader with extraneous detail. I can’t say any more as the destinations are crucial to the plot, but one two week stay has certainly provided food for thought.

But brilliant plotting and setting aside, it is the wonderful characterisation that makes The Things I Should Have Told You so beautiful a book. I felt the greatest affinity to Mae, probably because she’s closest in age and gender to me, but all the characters were three dimensional, convincing and realistic. Whilst The Things I Should Have Told You can be clearly defined as women’s fiction, I could see that reading it would provide men with an invaluable insight into the female psyche and young adult readers may well identify with Evie and her problems. Even little Jamie has a special role to play, often acting in an almost Shakespearean manner as comic relief after intensity of emotion. I often find children in fiction stereotypical and uninspiring, but I felt both Evie and Jamie were as real as any child I’ve met.

The themes and messages behind The Things I Should Have Told You are universal and I’d defy any reader not to identify with at least one of them. There’s sensitive exploration of relationships in all their forms, the impact of social media, the need to belong, the way everyday life can make us lose sight of who we really are who who we want to be and, better still, the sensitive writing helps provide a few of the answers.

The Things I Should Have Told You is a warm, sensitive story that made me feel all the better for reading it. What more could you ask for from a novel?

About Carmel Harrington

Carmel Harrington is the bestselling author of The Life You Left and Beyond Grace’s Rainbow, voted Romantic eBook of the Year 2013.

Carmel lives with her husband Roger and children Amelia and Nate in a small coastal village in Wexford. She credits the idyllic setting as a constant source of inspiration to her. Carmel has the nickname, ‘Queen of Emotional Writing’.

Carmel writes emotional family dramas that share one common theme – strong characters who find themselves in extraordinary situations. She loves to dig deep and see how they cope, as they grapple with life-changing moments.

She is a regular on Irish TV and radio. Carmel is also a popular motivational keynote speaker, at events in Ireland, UK and US.

You can follow Carmel on Twitter, Facebook and her website.

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My grateful thanks to Matthew Smith at Urbane Publications for a copy of Miss Christie Regrets by Guy Fraser-Sampson in return for an honest review.

Miss Christie Regrets was published by Urbane on 12th January 2017 and is available for purchase in e-book and paperback from the publisher.

I have previously had the pleasure of interviewing Guy Fraser-Sampson on Linda’s Book Bag and you can read that interview here.

Miss Christie Regrets

The second in the Hampstead Murders series opens with a sudden death at an iconic local venue, which some of the team believe may be connected with an unsolved murder featuring Cold War betrayals worthy of George Smiley. It soon emerges that none other than Agatha Christie herself may be the key witness who is able to provide the missing link.

As with its bestselling predecessor, Death in Profile, the book develops the lives and loves of the team at ‘Hampstead Nick’. While the next phase of a complicated love triangle plays itself out, the protagonists, struggling to crack not one but two apparently insoluble murders, face issues of national security in working alongside Special Branch.

On one level a classic whodunit, this quirky and intelligent read harks back not only to the world of Agatha Christie, but also to the Cold War thrillers of John Le Carre, making it a worthy successor to Death in Profile which was dubbed ‘a love letter to the detective novel’.

My Review of Miss Christie Regrets

When Peter Howse is found murdered, his death will lead to some surprising revelations echoing back many years.

If you are a lover of visceral, hard hitting crime and strong language, Miss Christie Regrets is not the book for you. This is a narrative that, whilst set in modern society, harks back to an age when there were polite manners and genteel individuals. Indeed, it could almost be described as old-fashioned and slightly tame in a world that has become inured to violence, but I think this is what will make it appeal to readers who love, for example, Agatha Christie mysteries. It certainly made a pleasant change not to have liberally sprinkled expletives in a crime novel.

I haven’t read the first book in this series, Death in Profile, but it didn’t matter at all as Guy Fraser-Sampson skilfully weaves in references to Miss Christie Regrets that enlighten and engage the reader without the need to have a full understanding of the first book in the series, although I think it would make some of the references even more enjoyable to have read it.

The plot is well constructed and I liked the literary references throughout so that there was an extra layer of intrigue for the reader in spotting them and wondering about their role. I thought the conceit of including the title of the novel, as a possible title of a novel, was amusing and intelligent as was having Agatha Christie as an integral element of this Agatha Christie style read.

I did feel that the language was a little self-consciously erudite at times and wasn’t entirely convincing in some of the situations described. It was the direct speech that caused me the most concern and I felt there were too many adverbial modifiers attached to the way in which characters spoke that occasionally interrupted the flow of the read for me.

However, Miss Christie Regrets is a charming, traditional whodunnit that will appeal to those who want a good plot with traditional values. It is also a novel that, whilst not a psychological thriller or hard hitting crime drama, is a story that makes the reader exercise their little grey cells as they try to solve the murder cases.

About Guy Fraser-Sampson

Guy Fraser-Sampson has been a corporate lawyer, an investment banker and a business school academic, in which capacities he has written various books on finance, investment and economics. However, he is best known as a writer of fiction, and his three Mapp & Lucia novels have all been optioned by BBC television. His writing in The Hampstead Murders series harks back, sometimes explicitly, to the Golden Age. He appears regularly on radio, television and at literary festivals. He is married with two grown-up sons and divides his time between London (NW3 naturally) and East Sussex.

You can follow Guy on Twitter and visit his web site. You’ll also find him on Facebook.

I’m so pleased to be part of the celebrations for Before You Go by Clare Swatman. Before You Go is published by Pan MacMillan on 9th February 2017 and is available for purchase through all good book sellers and the publisher links here.

To celebrate the publication of Before You Go I have a smashing extract to share.

Before You Go

When Zoe’s husband Ed dies, her world caves in. But what if Zoe can get Ed back?

You find your soulmate . . .

Some people stare love in the face for years before they find it. Zoe and Ed fumbled their way into adulthood, both on different paths – but always in the same direction. Years later, having navigated dead-end jobs and chaotic house shares, romance finally blossoms. Their future together looks set . . .

Then the unthinkable happens.

One morning, on his way to work, Ed is knocked off his bike and dies. Now Zoe must find a way to survive. But she’s not ready to let go of the memories. How can she forget all of the happy times, their first kiss, everything they’d built together? Zoe decides she has to tell Ed all the things she never said.

Now it’s too late. Or is it?

An Extract from Before You Go

I grab the windowsill to steady myself as a memory floats into my mind. It must have been about eighteen months before this day: our last day of university, and the last time I’d seen him. We’d got through to the end of the four years at university sharing a house, and I’d learned just to bury any feelings I had for him. He never had a girlfriend for more than a month and, although it broke my heart seeing him with other girls, I learned to close my heart to it, smother my feelings and stay friends with him. Friends, I decided, was better than nothing.

When we left university we all agreed – and meant it – that we’d see each other all the time. The trouble was, life got in the way. I’d had to move back home to Doncaster for a few months to earn some money. Living with Mum and Dad and Becky again had been fine, but I longed to make the move I’d always planned down to London.

Finally, a year ago, in March 1998, Jane and I had scraped together enough cash to make the move, and although we were skint, we loved every minute of it.

There was just one thing that had bothered me. I hadn’t heard from any of the boys since we’d left the house. In my heart I’d expected it from Rob and Simon – I knew what boys were like about keeping in touch, at the best of times – but the radio silence from Ed had been harder to deal with. Not having him in my life should have been easier, should have given my heart the chance to get over him and move on. And to some extent it had. But the truth was, I missed him. I missed his laugh, I missed his face and most of all I missed the way he teased me mercilessly.

‘Just ring his mum, find out where he is,’ Jane said when I told her how I was feeling. But there was no way I was doing that. I’d just have to hope that fate would bring us together again.

‘Fate?’ Jane rolled her eyes. ‘You make your own fate. Just ring him and stop being so lame.’

But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, and so it’s now eighteen months since I last spoke to him, and I still have no idea where he is.

Except, I realize with a jolt, I do know exactly where he is. And I know exactly when I’m going to speak to him next. I glance at the clock. In just a few hours, if all goes the same as it did last time.

My heart leaps with excitement. But at the same time I feel a crushing sense of disappointment deep in my chest. Because if I’m right it means that, despite my best efforts to make a difference this time, nothing has changed at all; things are still exactly as they always were. Ed and I are still not together; at least, not yet.

I turn to open the fridge and pull some milk out. I sniff it. It seems OK and I splash some into my tea, squeeze the teabag out and go back to my desk. A girl I used to sit next to has arrived. As I walk across the office I try desperately to think of her name.

‘Morning,’ I mumble, sitting down at my computer, hoping she won’t drag me into conversation.

‘Hi, Zoe,’ she says. ‘You OK?’

‘Yeah, good, thanks.’ Then I remember to be polite. ‘You?’

‘Yeah, great. Bit of a late one, though, I need coffee.’ She grins. ‘Want one?’

‘No, I’m fine, thanks.’ I hold up my cup sheepishly. ‘Sorry.’ She grins, leaps up then mercifully disappears into the kitchen, giving me the chance to work out what I’m meant to be doing today.

The morning passes surprisingly quickly. I find what I’ve been working on, Madeline announces my new position, and everyone congratulates me. I make polite small talk without engaging in anything too deep and meaningful. And then it’s lunchtime. I need a sandwich but I’m also waiting hopefully for the phone to ring. I sit drumming my fingers impatiently on the desk.

And then it peals out and I almost fall off my chair.

I pick it up, my hand shaking.

‘Hello?’

‘Hello, could you tell me who I need to speak to about water coolers, please?’ The voice is deep and familiar and it sends a warm buzz down my spine. I try to stay polite, make the conversation seem normal.

‘I’m afraid you need to speak to Lizzie, the secretary, but she’s not here at the moment.’ My voice is wobbly but he doesn’t seem to notice.

‘Do you know when she’ll be back?’

‘Ed, is that you?’

He pauses, clearly suspicious.

‘Ye-eees?’

‘Ed, it’s Zoe. Morgan,’ I add, just in case.

‘Oh my God, it’s you!’ he says. He sounds happy, at least. ‘I can’t believe it!’

‘Me neither. How are you?’

‘I’m good, really good,’ he says, and I can picture him, nodding his head as he speaks. ‘How about you? How have you been?’

‘Great. I just got a new job today.’

‘That’s brilliant!’

‘Thanks, I’m really chuffed.’ I stop, not sure what to say next. The silence stretches, waiting to be filled, and I’m sure he can hear my heart hammering from the other end of the phone line.

‘Where are you?’

‘London. Brixton,’ he adds. ‘What about you?’

‘Camden right now. I live in Tufnell Park, though. With Jane.’

‘Do you now? Gosh, last time I saw her she was snogging the face off anything that moved.’

‘Jane never did that!’

‘She did do that. Oh, except not with me.’ He pauses, embarrassed. ‘Surprised she didn’t snog you, to be honest.’

‘Cheeky sod. No, Jane’s great, we love our flat. It’s fun living together and we love living in London too, even though it took us a while to get down here; but now it’s great and . . .’ I stop, aware I’m rambling, but trying to fill the silence.

‘Sounds terrific.’ Ed pauses and when he speaks again his voice sounds unsteady, unsure of himself for the first time. ‘I was thinking, maybe we could meet up? Go for a drink?’

Static crackles down the line and I can hear him breathing. The silence stretches out and I feel a throbbing at my temple.

‘When?’

‘Um, maybe, I’m sure you’re not free, but, well, how about tonight?’

I smile. He sounds terrified, so I answer quickly. ‘That would be nice.’

‘Nice?’

‘Yes, nice. What’s wrong with nice?’

‘Well, it’s just a bit – ’ he pauses – ‘tame.’

‘Well, OK then, that would be lovely. Smashing. Brilliant. Better?’

‘Yes, much.’

‘Good. So, er, where do you want to go?’

‘Soho any good?’

‘Perfect. How about seven?’

‘Seven it is. Meet you at the Shakespeare’s Head, at the top of Carnaby Street.’

‘OK, great. See you later.’ And before he can change his mind I put the phone down, my pulse racing. It was so good to talk to him that I feel like a teenager again, giddy with excitement and possibility. I still have no idea what’s going on but it seems clear I’m reliving days that involve Ed, or more specifically me and Ed: the day we met, seeing him with someone else after our first kiss – I never have any idea whether this will be the last day I get to see him, and so I have to make the most of it. There’s got to be something I can change.

About Clare Swatman

Clare Swatman is a journalist for a number of weekly women’s magazines. Clare was Features Editor for Bella and has written for Best, Woman’s Own and Real People. She writes for her local magazine as well as the travel pages for Take a Break. Clare lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two boys.

Before You Go is her first novel, and she’s busy working on her second.

You can follow Clare on Twitter and visit her website.

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