It’s been my pleasure to meet lovely Cathy Bramley on several occasions, but I’m ashamed to say she hasn’t featured on Linda’s Book Bag for far too long. Consequently I’m thrilled that my latest online My Weekly review is of Cathy’s latest book Merrily Ever After.

Published by Orion on 13th October 2022, Merrily Ever After is available for purchase through the links here.

Merrily Ever After

In a picturesque town in Derbyshire, Merry has always wanted a family to spend Christmas with, and this year her dream comes true as she says ‘I do’ to father-of-two Cole. But as she juggles worries about her business, last-minute wedding planning and the two new children in her life, Merry is stretched to breaking point.

Meanwhile, only a few miles away, Emily is desperately waiting for the New Year to begin. Her father Ray’s dementia is worsening, and she’s struggling to care for him alone while holding down a job. When Ray moves into a residential home, she discovers a photograph in his belongings that has the potential to change everything .

As shocking secrets from Ray’s past finally come to light, will this Christmas make or break Emily and Merry?

My Review of Merrily Ever After

My full review of Merrily Ever After can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, what I can say here is that Merrily Ever After is a wonderful, heart-felt exploration of love and belonging that I thought was just lovely.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Cathy Bramley

Cathy Bramley is the Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author of The Lemon Tree Cafe. Her other romantic comedies include Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm, Wickham Hall, Conditional Love, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food and White Lies and Wishes. She lives in a Nottinghamshire village with her family and a dog. Cathy turned to writing after spending eighteen years running her own marketing agency. She has been always an avid reader, never without a book on the go and now thinks she may have found her dream job! Cathy loves to hear from her readers.

You can find out more about Cathy Bramley on her website and you can follow her on Twitter @CathyBramley, Facebook and Instagram.

It was a real pleasure when a surprise copy of A Ukrainian Christmas by Nadiyka Gerbish and Yaroslav Hrytsak turned up in my post box. My huge thanks to Becky Hunter for sending it my way. I’m delighted to share my review today.

A Ukrainian Christmas was published by Sphere on 3rd November 2022 and is available in all good bookshops and online including here.

The publisher is making a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal on publication of A Ukrainian Christmas.

A Ukrainian Christmas

The perfect gift this Christmas

‘History, stories, recipes and beautiful illustrations’ – OLINA HERCULES

‘Christmas brings the indestructibility of hope in times of the greatest hopelessness. As long as we celebrate this holiday, we can neither be defeated nor destroyed. This is the message that Ukraine is trying to convey to the world. And this is what our book is about.’

From Christmas music to gifts and food, as well as a look back through the country’s rich and troubled history through the perspective of the festive season, this beautifully illustrated and powerful book introduces readers to Ukraine’s unique Christmas traditions. In a country where East and West meet, this is a fascinating and unmissable guide to capturing the spirit of one of the most important times of year and a powerful reminder of the strength of holding on to your culture and beliefs, even as others try to take everything from you.

My Review of A Ukrainian Christmas

A celebration of Ukrainian and Christmas traditions in the face of adversity.

From the very first page it’s obvious that A Ukrainian Christmas is a very special book. I’m going to be honest and say that by the time I’d read the dedication and Foreword, before I’d even turned another page, I was in pieces. However, A Ukrainian Christmas is not a maudlin or depressing book. Far, far from it. I think it can be summed up by Nadiyka Gerbish’s comment ‘…our current suffering is not in vain, and there is still hope even in the midst of the greatest crisis.’

A Ukrainian Christmas is glorious. It doesn’t shy away from reality, but rather celebrates life, the world and Christmas in all its facets. Between the pages of this book lies history, geography, folklore, food, challenge, humanity, hope and love. There’s everything from Cromwell’s banning of carol singing, through traditional Ukrainian recipes, to Marxism so that it is a cornucopia of treasure for all readers. A Ukrainian Christmas educates, explores and entertains.

Aside from the eclectic and fascinating topics, what makes A Ukrainian Christmas so fabulous is the range of beautiful illustrations. Some are more simple, some totally sumptuous but all add quality and value to the writing. I loved the fact that there are proper biographies of the illustrators as well as the authors in the back of the book too. The physical attributes of the book; its size, the robust cover with gold lettering and so on, lend it an excellence that enhances the contents still further.

I think reading A Ukrainian Christmas ensures the reader remembers the true value of home and family. It celebrates hope and joy even in the darkest of times. Hugely affecting, interesting and compelling with a visual and literary beauty, A Ukrainian Christmas would make a wonderful gift. I thought it was excellent.

About Yaroslav Hrytsak

Yaroslav Hrytsak is a Ukrainian historian and public intellectual. Professor of the Ukrainian Catholic University and Honorary Professor of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Professor Hrytsak has taught at Columbia and Harvard Universities and was a guest lecturer at the Central European University in Budapest. He is the author of many historical books, including several bestsellers and the recipient of numerous national and international awards and has written opinion pieces for many publications including The Times, the New York Times and Time Magazine.

About Nadiyka Gerbish

Nadiyka Gerbish is a Ukrainian writer, podcaster, and Riggins Rights Management European rights director. She has written nineteen books, many of which have become bestsellers and have won numerous awards. A number of Nadiyka’s children’s books are studied in schools in Ukraine and have been published in braille and audiobook.

Had it not been the choice at my U3A book group this month, I probably would never have read The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor and my word I’d have missed out. I’m delighted to share my review today.

The Ashes of London was published in paperback on 26th January 2017 by Harper Collins and is available for purchase in all formats through the links here.

The Ashes of London

A CITY IN FLAMES
London, 1666. As the Great Fire consumes everything in its path, the body of a man is found in the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral – stabbed in the neck, thumbs tied behind his back.

A WOMAN ON THE RUN
The son of a traitor, James Marwood is forced to hunt the killer through the city’s devastated streets. There he encounters a determined young woman, who will stop at nothing to secure her freedom.

A KILLER SEEKING REVENGE
When a second murder victim is discovered in the Fleet Ditch, Marwood is drawn into the political and religious intrigue of Westminster – and across the path of a killer with nothing to lose…

My Review of The Ashes of London

It’s 1666 and London is burning.

My goodness I enjoyed The Ashes of London. It opens dramatically and continues with a fast, sometimes brutal, pace that makes the plot fly past right up to the exciting end. I was entirely entranced by Andrew Taylor’s writing. His style is accessible and yet authentic for the era with direct speech especially well attuned to convey class, social standing and gender. 

The story is steeped in politics, intrigue, betrayal, control and mystery so that I became absolutely spellbound in its telling. There’s a delicious blend of real and imagined characters lending an authenticity that enhances the narrative still further and reading The Ashes of London is a bit like peeling back the layers of history and society so that the reader feels as if they were actually present. 

I found the descriptions of London vivid, convincing and authentic with every sense catered for so that I could not have been more impressed by the quality of research and realism in this brilliantly conveyed narrative. The Ashes of London has a filmic quality I thought was simply fabulous.

Whilst I found Cat’s narrative so tantalising, there’s more here from James Marwood’s perspective in a technique that I found perfectly mirrored the status of men and women in the society of the time. I thought the way Cat’s actions make the reader contemplate morality was so thought-provoking, because she often does the wrong thing but for absolutely the right reason. I loved, too, the middle ground, the ordinariness of James Marwood, that illustrates how a twist of fate can completely alter a person’s life. He was completely convincing and believable.

I found The Ashes of London exceptionally well plotted, atmospherically written and hugely entertaining. I absolutely loved it and totally resented it when life interrupted my reading of the book. And what a pleasure to know The Ashes of London is the start of a series I haven’t previously discovered and I’ve so much to look forward to.

About Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor is a bestselling British crime and historical novelist, winner of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger (for lifelong excellence in the genre), the HWA Gold Crown for best historical novel of the year, and the triple winner of the CWA Historical Dagger. He has published over 45 books.

They include the international bestseller, The American Boy (a Richard and Judy selection); the Roth Trilogy (filmed for TV as Fallen Angel); the Lydmouth detective series set in the 1950s; and The Anatomy of Ghosts, shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

His most recent books are the Marwood and Lovett Restoration series. The Ashes of London was a Times/Waterstones number one bestseller. The sequels have both all been bestsellers too. The fifth in the series, The Royal Secret, is out now.

For more information visit Andrew’s website, or follow him on Twitter @andrewjrtaylor.

It’s a privilege to close the blog tour for This Train by James Grady. My thanks to Sarah at Oldcastle Books and No Exit Press for inviting me to participate. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published by No Exit Press on 16th June 2022, This Train is available for purchase through the links here.

This Train

The new novel from the acclaimed author of Six Days of the Condor, set on a heart-pounding cross-country train ride.

This Train races us through America’s heartland, carrying secrets. There is treasure in the cargo car, along with an invisible puppeteer. There is a coder named Nora, Mugzy, the yippy dog, and Ross, the too-curious poet. On board, it’s a countdown to murder…

On this train there is a silver madman, a targeted banker, and crises of conscience. This train harbors the “perfect” couple’s conspiracies, the chaos of being a teenager, and parenthood alongside the wows of being nine. There is a widow and a wannabe, and the sleaziest billionaire.

On this train, there is the suicide ticket, the bomb, sex, love, and loneliness. The heist. Revenge. Redemption.

This Train is a ticking clock, roaring through forty-seven fictional hours of non-stop suspense and action, through the challenges of now: Racism. Sexism. Global warming. What it means to be alive.

This train carries all of us. All aboard!

My Review of This Train

The train is about to depart.

I confess that when I first started reading This Train I felt slightly shell shocked. James Grady opens with a sparse style reminiscent of watching a flickering film noir, with a hint of menace that took me a few pages to attune myself to. It’s almost as if, alongside the characters, he places the reader inside a slightly manic mind where they hear another person’s whirling thoughts. I thought this was a hugely effective and unsettling atmosphere. The sense of menace is also created by the variety of sentence structure and unusual compound adjectives that paint dramatic images in the reader’s head. The writing frequently mirrors the sound and rhythm of a train on rail tracks so that it becomes more intense as a result.

The characters are numerous and seem to represent every facet of American society in microcosm. Whilst they are vivid and clear, my personal taste would have preferred fewer, although I think James Grady had to include so many to create the frenetic, almost febrile sensation and atmosphere that permeates This Train. Indeed, the plot races along and the brevity of the chapters adds to the fast pace. There’s a frantic pace that is so exciting, balanced by more prosaic aspects that works really well.

Although This Train is relatively brief, it embodies layer upon layer of themes from identity to conspiracy, family to state, memory to fear and so much more in a whirling maelstrom. It reminded me a bit of a kind of modern Boccaccio’s The Decameron. I feel that I would need to reread This Train many times truly to get below the surface of everything that is going on. I think it would make a brilliant film or television series.

This Train won’t suit all readers. I found its style, its innovative approach and its pace breath-taking. I can’t decide if I enjoyed it, but I certainly admired it! I really recommend you read it for yourself to decide what you think.

About James Grady

James Grady has published more than a dozen novels, a handful of short stories, and worked in both feature films and television. His first novel, Six Days of the Condor, became the classic Robert Redford movie Three Days Of The Condor and the current Max Irons TV series Condor. Grady has been both US Senate aide and a national investigative reporter. He has received Italy’s Raymond Chandler Medal, France’s Grand Prix Du Roman Noir and Japan’s Baka-Misu literature award, two Regardie Magazine short story awards, and been a Mystery Writers of America Edgar finalist. In 2008, Grady was named as one of the Telegraph’s 50 crime writers to read before you die, and in 2015 the Washington Post compared his prose to George Orwell and Bob Dylan. He has two children and lives with his wife inside Washington, DC’s beltway.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s some while since I stayed in with John Fullerton to chat about his book Spy Game in a post you’ll find here. Today John is back with a guest post considering the premise that a writer should write what they know to celebrate the release of his latest book, Emperor.

Emperor is published today, 9th December 2022 and is available for purchase here.

Emperor

Can ex-NSA agent Ava stop the Emperor’s war plans before he kills millions – and her?

There’s a new Cold War…and it’s about to erupt into World War Three.

Emperor Qin – absolute ruler, dictator for life – has one task before he succumbs to brain cancer, and it means war. Can ex-spy Ava stop him in time to save millions – and survive?

Qin will ‘unify’ China by ordering the conquest of Taiwan, a democratic nation of 23 million people just 100 miles off the mainland, a pledge the Chinese Communist Party has made every year since the 1949 Revolution.

But there’s a leak, a flood of state secrets.

They land in the lap of the former NSA analyst in Washington DC. Ava Shute hasn’t sought the material. On the contrary, she’s a most reluctant recipient.

One thing keeps Ava going: the prospect of a nuclear Armageddon. The clock is ticking as Chinese agents hunt Ava down with orders to kill.

Write What You Know?

A Guest Post by John Fullerton

Some say one should write about what one knows.

I have — until now.

My first novel was written in a spasm of angst. It was set in Bosnia, where I undertook a number of six-week-long reporting assignments for Reuters. I couldn’t wait to get out of the war zone, and as soon as I was out, had enjoyed a hot bath, a bottle or two and a decent sleep, I wanted back in.

I found it hard to adapt to ‘normal’ life: to family, to working shifts as a chief sub editor at Reuters’ World Desk, to the banalities of a London routine. I had difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, difficulty relating to other people. I couldn’t share the experience with anyone. So I drank, went to the gym, cycled, read books, drank some more, upset a lot of people, swore at several, punched a few, and waited for the next job abroad to relieve the tedium.

So I bashed out my first novel in a blind fury. The Monkey House, set in Sarajevo, was grim. It created a bit of a stir, went into several editions, was translated widely, was twice optioned for a possible film, and helped me pay off my mortgage.

The second was set in Afghanistan, the third in Lebanon during what is referred to as a civil war; that was only half-true, for it was primarily a war-by-proxy waged by Israel, the United States, Iran and the Soviet Union.

The first novel of my Cold War spy trilogy, Spy Game, drew on my time as a ‘contract labourer’ for the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), sometimes referred to inaccurately as MI6 in the media, and working as a head agent on the Afghan-Pakistan border. The other two in the series were based on experiences in Lebanon and Thailand.

Emperor is different.

That’s because I’m stuck at home in Scotland, looking after my youngest child after my wife’s death from cancer six years ago. I promised my wife I would take our six-year-old to Scotland, make a home for her, find her a decent school and look after her to the best of my ability until she reaches adulthood.

That’s what I’m trying to do. So no solo trips, no excursions to Ukraine, more’s the pity.

Emperor is set in two places: Beijing and Washington DC.

I confess I don’t know either, though I spent some months in Hong Kong while it was still under British rule, and I have visited Washington DC, but a long, long time ago.

All I have is my online browser and a few guidebooks along with a massive pile of non-fiction books on China.

Friends have been a big help, especially one who can’t be named because he lives in the shadow of what the Chinese call the ‘relevant department’, a euphemism for the secret police of the Ministry of Public Security.

Will Emperor work as a novel? I don’t know. Will I be caught out by my errors in description, in directions?

It’s quite possible.

Does it work?

Only you can decide.

****

What an impassioned and affecting guest post John. Thank you so much. I have a feeling Emperor will be a huge, much deserved success. Your wife and daughter would be so proud of what you’re achieving in difficult circumstances.

About John Fullerton

I’m always fascinated by writing partnerships and when I heard Nina Whyle had a new book out I simply had to invite them onto Linda’s Book Bag. Bearing in mind we’re heading well into the festive season of the three kings, I thought I’d ask the ladies to tell me three things about From Dusty With Love and themselves.

Published on 6th December 2022, From Dusty With Love is available for purchase here.

From Dusty With Love

There’s a new spy on the block and what she lacks in skills she makes up for with perky enthusiasm.

Out of work actress Dusty Hall, is recruited into His Majesty’s Secret Service and this might be her best role yet! In training she meets Yazmin Khan, the epitome of a walking lethal weapon and a total badass. The two women couldn’t be more different but together they make the perfect duo.

Ready or not, the duo are sent on their first undercover mission: to infiltrate a Moroccan hotelier and suspected arms smuggler, Ahmed Al Sahid. Except there’s a snag, it falls on her sister Coco’s hen weekend. As maid-of-honour it is Dusty’s duty to ensure the bride-to-be has the best hen weekend ever! Coco is not someone you want to disappoint and is far scarier than any deadly, undercover operation. So, Dusty comes up with a cunning plan, to kill two birds with one stone, why not invite all the hens to Marrakech, job done. All she has to do is keep the two worlds apart – what could possibly go wrong?

Three Things

A Guest post by Nina Whyle

As in our friendship, when we are writing we just pick up where we left off. We don’t really have a big discussion about who’s writing what and because we have very limited writing time anyway, we just sort of get on with it. We do have a laugh in the process and perhaps a glass on occasion.

Writing in a Duo

 1) Firmly leave your ego at the door

 2)  Know and like each other’s writing style. Seems obvious but you need to love what the other does otherwise there’ll be conflict 

 3) Be each other’s sounding block, the good, the bad, and hopefully not the ugly. Draw strength and inspiration from one another, you’re not in competition- you are a partnership. Have lots of fun with it

Three Things about Clare

1) I’m a vegetarian Sci-fi Fan.  No, it’s not some weird new genre, it’s two facts. Mildly interesting?

2) Spent most of my adult life in Copenhagen until 2013

3) I have the most stubborn and wilful Maltese called Lolly (aka – Cato disguised in a fluffy white coat)

Three Things about Nina

1) Before children I worked as an Assistant Editor in TV & Films

2) I have written, directed and produced a short film called, Sucking is a fine quality in women and vacuum cleaners. 

You can watch it on Youtube here. 

3) I have two cats Bean and Smudge and a Bassett Hound called Potter. He’s the slowest dog in the village.

****

With those facts I think readers are going to be intrigued about your new book From Dusty With Love! Thanks ladies.

There’s a free novella, Best on Board, if readers sign up to Nina Whyle’s newsletter here too.

About Nina Whyle

Nina Whyle is a writing duo made up of two best friends. They write easy-reading, comical adventures of young woman coming into their own, no matter how haphazardly. With a dash of romance, always guaranteed. Their newest book is a comedy espionage adventure with female friendships and family at its heart. Bursting with action, intrigue and bucket loads of glamour.

For more information about the writing duo, follow them on Twitter @NINAWHYLE, Facebook and Instagram or visit their website.

It gives me great pleasure today to share another of my My Weekly online reviews and on this occasion it is of Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict.

Published by Simon and Schuster on 10th November 2022, Murder on the Christmas Express is available for purchase through the links here.

Murder on the Christmas Express

Eighteen passengers. Seven stops. One killer.

In the early hours of Christmas Eve, the sleeper train to the Highlands is derailed, along with the festive plans of its travellers. With the train stuck in snow in the middle of nowhere, a killer stalks its carriages, picking off passengers one by one. Those who sleep on the sleeper train may never wake again.

Can former Met detective Roz Parker find the killer before they kill again?

All aboard for . . . Murder on the Christmas Express

My Review of Murder on the Christmas Express

My full review of Murder on the Christmas Express can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, what I can say here is that Murder on the Christmas Express is far more disturbing and gritty than I had anticipated and all the more affecting for it.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Alexandra Benedict

Alexandra Benedict has been a composer, singer-songwriter, actor, and lecturer in crime fiction, and is now an award-winning writer of novels, short stories and scripts. As AK Benedict, she writes high-concept novels, speculative short stories and scripts. Her first novel, the critically-acclaimed The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for the eDunnit Award; her short stories have featured in many anthologies; and her audio drama has been shortlisted for multiple awards including the BBC Audio Drama Award 2020, and, twice, for the Scribe Award, winning it in 2019. As Alexandra Benedict, she writes contemporary tributes and takes on Golden Age crime fiction. The Christmas Murder Game was an Amazon Fiction Bestseller and was long-listed for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Her latest novel, Murder on the Christmas Express, arrived on November 10th. She lives on the south coast of England with her fiancé, writer Guy Adams, their daughter, and their dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

For further information, follow Alexandra on Twitter @ak_benedict, visit her website, and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

I’m a huge fan of Carol Wyer both as an author and a very lovely human being and it’s far too long since I featured her here on Linda’s Book Bag. You’ll find other posts here. My grateful thanks go to Zoe of Zooloo’s Book Tours for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Carol’s latest book, Behind Closed Doors. I’m delighted to share my review today.

Published by Thomas & Mercer today, 6th December 2022, Behind Closed Doors is available for purchase here.

Behind Closed Doors

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago was never solved, and while a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…

Stacey knows her father never paid the ransom—she has the missing pinkie finger to prove it. She knows she was only saved because of an anonymous tip-off to the police. And she knows her captor was never apprehended.

Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not get involved. But Stacey can’t shake the eerie similarities between the two cases, and she’ll use whatever she can, from her journalistic powers to her shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare. Desperate to find any link between Lyra’s abduction and her own, Stacey forces herself to revisit her forgotten, traumatic past for clues.

But can she make sense of the terrible secrets she unearths in time to save Lyra? And if she does, is she ready to face her own tormentor?

My Review of Behind Closed Doors

Jack needs Stacey’s help.

Behind Closed Doors opens dramatically and the pace is maintained throughout with a high octane finale that elevated my pulse considerably. I loved the timed and dated chapters because they lent a sense of urgency, heightening the tension in the story. I thought it was inspired to present the italicised events from the past through the present tense, because it gave them an immediacy and made it feel as if they were still occurring, drawing in the reader completely. It sounds somewhat ridiculous, but when I returned to Behind Closed Doors I often wondered what had been happening whilst I was away because I was so convinced by the writing!

What strikes me incredibly forcefully every time I read Carol Wyer is her profound understanding of humanity. She knows exactly what frailties we all have, and what the flaws are in our natures, so that reading her writing feels intimate, sensitive and affecting even when the plot is something we have never experienced. Behind Closed Doors swirls with human greed, deception, revenge, desire for love, intimacy and belonging and so many other forms of human interaction that it would reward many re-readings even after the plot is known. This is a layered and fascinating story.

It’s this level of human understanding that makes Stacey such a brilliant character. She’s complex and convincing, making her an ideal protagonist. Alongside her strength and intelligence is a vulnerability and occasional short-sightedness that doesn’t always serve her well. As Stacey’s responses are affected by her past, Behind Closed Doors has a sharply observed psychological edge. Stacey did infuriate me, because I wanted her to walk away from the investigation into Lyra’s disappearance as it felt too demanding for her, and yet at the same time I admired her fortitude and tenacity. This had the effect of making me feel as conflicted as Stacey is and hooked me in further. 

Compelling plot and character aside, however, what’s so interesting here is the manner with which Carol Wyer makes the reader question their own view of morality. In Behind Closed Doors there’s a fine line dividing the innocent and the guilty so that different types of crime, of immorality, permeate the story making it so fascinating to contemplate long after the final page is read. Sometimes doing the wrong thing is completely understandable! This dilemma mean that the writing is intelligent and affecting as well as highly entertaining in Behind Closed Doors.

I so enjoyed this book. Certainly Behind Closed Doors is a fast paced thriller that can be read as sheer entertainment, but I felt it had depths and qualities that deserved reflection and contemplation too. It felt like grown up writing of the best kind.

About Carol Wyer

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer’s crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

February 2021 saw the release of the first in the much-anticipated new series, featuring DI Kate Young. An Eye For An Eye was chosen as a Kindle First Reads and became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia.

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy. When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

To learn more, can follow Carol on Twitter @carolewyer, visit her website and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

When I heard my lovely friend Kim Nash had just published her latest book, I simply had to ask her if I could feature it here on Linda’s Book Bag and luckily Kim agreed. I’m thrilled to bring you the opening chapter of Snowflakes over Muddleford Cove.

You’ll find other posts involving Kim on the blog as follows:

My review of Moonlight Over Muddleford Cove here (and now with a gorgeous new cover)

My chat with Kim about Sunshine and Second Chances here.

My review of Kim’s debut novel Amazing Grace here.

My review of Kim’s Escape to Giddywell Grange here.

Snowflakes Over Muddleford Cove was published yesterday, 5th December 2022, and is available for purchase here.

  Snowflakes Over Muddleford Cove

 

Love is in the air and the festive season is just around the corner at the seaside town of Muddleford.

Nellie is happily settled in her gorgeous clifftop home. Her favourite evenings are those spent at her beach hut, cozying up under a blanket with her fiancé. There’s nothing quite like spending time together under the twinkly stars – complete with a delicious hot chocolate and her dog Norman sprawled on their feet.

But she can’t help feeling that there’s still something missing.

When Nellie meets Esme, a mysterious visitor to Muddleford, the pair of them come up with a plan to raise money for the local animal shelter, leading to the grand finale – a Christmas Ball.

But Esme’s keeping a secret about Nellie’s past that promises to throw her whole world upside down.

Will this be Nellie’s perfect Christmas for the first time in forever? Or will it turn into her worst nightmare – one that she’ll never forget?

Sometimes you have to go back to go forward.

An Extract from Snowflakes Over Muddleford Cove

CHAPTER ONE

‘Phwoar! Quick Nell. Sexy silver fox approaching from the right!’

I lifted my glasses to see what on earth my friend was talking about.  Relaxing in the late autumn sunshine, sat outside beach hut number 136, she’d disturbed me daydreaming that Jack was massaging suntan lotion onto my shoulders, while I was lying on a beach in the Caribbean.  We could well have been based on how blooming hot it was in Muddleford today.  It was a scorcher for this time of year.

The silver fox that Shivani was referring to stopped just in front of us.  I held my hand up to keep the midday sun out of my eyes.

‘Hi Nellie, how are you?’

‘Hello, Kenny, nice to see you.  You’re brave jogging along the beach in this heat.’

I thought Shivani’s head was going to pop out of the top of her neck, the way she was straining.

‘Kenny, this is my friend Shivani.’

‘Charmed to meet you.’

Shivani positively preened as he reached across and offered his hand but then quickly withdrew it.

‘Sorry, actually I’m a bit sweaty.’

‘Ooh don’t mind me. I like a sweaty man,’ she giggled and flicked her hair. He turned to me.

‘I’ve had to come out at this time. You know early Sunday morning is a busy time for me Nellie.  This is the first chance I’ll get before I’m back at work again later.’

‘You work so hard Kenny.  You never stop.  You should come and have dinner with Jack and me one of the nights.  We’d love to spend some time with you.’

‘That would be so nice.  It’s no fun eating on your own all the time.  Thank you.’

‘I’ll get Jack to give you a call to sort out a date.’

‘Perfect! Thanks again. Anyway, I’d best get on.’ He started jogging on the spot.  ‘See you soon ladies.  Be good!’

‘Oh, where’s the fun in that?’  I was sure thatShivani winked at him as he left us and continued his jog down the promenade.  Her eyes never left his backside until he was just a speck in the distance at the end of our row of beach huts.

‘God, he’s fit! Why have you never told me about him before? Kenny is smoking hot.’

‘Shivani you perve! Kenny is our parish vicar.’

‘The Vicar! Well that’s just my bloody luck, isn’t it?  The first man I’ve laid eyes on in months andfancied the pants off and he’s a vicar.  The most action I’ve had in the lady garden department for years is when I went to the nurse for a smear last week.  I need me a man.’

I giggled.  My friend was incorrigible.

‘Anyway, he might be a vicar, but tell me more about him.  I might just pretend he isn’t and fantasise about him anyway.  He is very hot. What a waste.  You’d better crack on at inviting him around while I’m down here.  I could lust at him across the dinner table and wear a low-cut top and flash my tits at him and flutter my eyelashes and make him forget all about his vows to the Lord.’

‘Oh my God, shut up!’  We couldn’t stop laughing, so to calm us both down a bit, I told her what I knew about our parish vicar Reverend Kenny Thomas, who had replaced Reverend James Weaver when he retired from his role at Muddleford Parish Church around three months ago.  The congregation was so upset to see him retire after over twenty years in that role but soon perked up when they met Kenny.

The new vicar had certainly got the ladies of the local WI group a little flustered when he turned up to introduce himself at our monthly meeting.  He was, as Shivani had declared, extremely handsome.  Around 6 foot tall, with a body that looked like that of an Olympic athlete, twinkly blue eyes, short grey hair which he wore swept back off his face, and a short, neat grey beard, he’d definitely set the cat amongst the pigeons.  The ladies of the group nearly fell over each other offering him cups of tea and biscuits when they found out that he was single, and I’d heard from Jack’s mum Val, that after they’d met him, he had a continuous stream of visitors over at the vicarage with cakes and home-made meals.

‘Oh Shivani, there’s a very long queue to get in, if you want to make advances on the local vicar.  Get in line!’

‘A girl can dream can’t she?’ she sighed loudly.  ‘Anyhow, talking of bedroom action tell me all about you and Jack and what’s going on in the baby-making department.’

I sighed. ‘Not a fat lot to be honest.  Not for the want of trying though. We’re literally at it all the time, but there’s just nothing happening.  We’re going to the doctor for a chat next week.  Make sure we’re doing all the right things and that everything is ok.  Jack keeps telling me to chill out about it, he says I’m becoming a little obsessive, but I am a little worried I have to admit. I want a baby so much Shivani.  What if we’re not compatible? What if there’s something wrong with one of us? I just don’t think I could take it. It doesn’t help that within minutes of being married to Reg, Natalie is up the duff.  Bitchbag!’

I grinned to show that I didn’t mean my little dig at Natalie who was Jack’s practice manager. She and I had become friends after a dodgy start to our relationship when she had designs on Jack and was trying to warn me off him.  Then she met Reg and he literally changed her whole life. I tried so hard to be happy for them and I hope that they couldn’t see any difference, but on the inside, I was so jealous of what they had.

Shivani reached across and took my hand and gave it a little squeeze. ‘I can’t imagine how you must feel about Natalie mate, I really can’t.  A chat with the doctor can do no harm surely. At least then, you’ll know all the facts and what you can do next. Maybe Jack is right and you do need to relax a bit more.  Sometimes the stress of it all can make things worse.  I’m sure one of the girls who works in our sales department said that once she stopped stressing about becoming pregnant, she caught naturally. Just try. It can’t hurt can it.’

‘I know I should, but I’ve never wanted something so much in my life.  When I was a teenager, after Dad left and Mum had her drinking problems, I vowed that I would never have children and put them through what I went through.  But then after she died, I changed my mind because I would know all the things to do to be a good parent because of everything I’d lacked.  Even though my parents were no real example, I know that I would be a good mom and now Jack and I are together, and I know what an amazing father he’d be, I want it more than ever.  I want to have that perfect family that I never had.’

‘But you can’t let it take over your life Nell.  You need to put you and Jack first.’

‘You’re both right. It’s constantly on my mind right now and it has to stop.  Poor old Jack is exhausted.  He’s come home early from work twice this week after I’ve texted him and told him that I’d calculated that the time is right.  It’s not very romantic or spontaneous and it does feel that we’re doing it for the sake of making a baby, rather than because the mood takes us.’

‘Well don’t be doing that while I’m stopping with you. I don’t want you humping on the kitchen counter while I’m trying to make a sandwich, you big sex pest.’

I grinned at her. She always did have the ability to see the light in any situation.

‘Anyway, I’m just going to close my eyes and enjoy fantasising over the sexy vicar while you make me a coffee.’

‘I’m not your slave you know and stop perving over the vicar. There’s something very wrong about it.’  I smiled at my friend of many years. We’d met at college and had become best friends ever since.  I was so glad she had decided to take a week off work and come and spend it with Jack and me here in Muddleford.  Knowing how much I would miss her had been one of the reasons why I wasn’t sure about moving, but she assured me that she’d be visiting all the time and so far was definitely keeping up her side of the bargain.

‘Oh I know you’re not, but since you inherited your Aunty Lil’s house and this beach hut, you’ve been a bit of a lady of leisure you know.  You need a purpose in life.  So go on.  Be a love and put the kettle on. I’m gagging for it here and I’m not talking about the vicar.’

‘You say I’ve been a lady of leisure, but I’ve been helping out at the animal rescue centre and doing stuff for the WI too you know. It’s all go really and I don’t really have time to go to work these days even if I had a job. Actually, I have another idea too that I want to talk to you about while you’re here and get your thoughts on.’

‘Oh, that sounds interesting.  You’re a proper community girl now, aren’t you?  Girlfriend to the local vet, a friend of the church, on the committee of the local WI, and an all-round-carer at the rescue centre.  I still can’t believe you are in the WI.  I didn’t even know you baked cakes.’

‘I’ve told you before, the WI isn’t all about jam and Jerusalem.  There’s so much more to it than that.  We have craft events, raise money for the local church, and yes that has become a priority for the group now that they’ve taken Kenny under their wing, raise money for the rescue centre and so much more.  It’s about supporting women and making a difference in the community.  We had someone from a local domestic violence shelter at the last meeting, telling us how we can help women who are fleeing their homes.  You wouldn’t believe the number of women and children fleeing domestic violence situations on a daily basis.

‘It’s all so worthwhile Shivani and I feel for the first time in my life as if I really am part of a community and have a real purpose and have the time and the means to help people. For the first time in my life, I feel like am finally making a difference. ’

‘You don’t have to sell it to me you know babe.  I can see how much you are enjoying it.  Look at you.  You’re positively glowing inside and out.  Muddleford life certainly does suit you.  I did have my doubts about you moving down here to Dorset full-time, I have to admit, but you’ve settled in fabulously. And the house is looking beautiful too.  You’ve worked so hard on it to make it your own.’

Along with the beach hut, number 37 Larkspur Lane had been part of my inheritance from my Aunty Lil, who sadly I hadn’t seen for years due to an argument that she and my Mum had years ago.  It was the house that I’d spent many holidays in as a child, but I decided that if Jack and I were going to make it our family home, and move forward, leaving the past behind us, changes had to be made.  I wanted it to be perfect for us both before Jack moved in. While it was a beautiful big old house, it needed some modernising and redecorating.  We’d worked really hard and had got it looking fabulous and Jack had moved in properly instead of stopping over and doing what he always said felt like the walk of shame to his bedsit next door to get changed etc.

We were very lucky to have this gorgeous house by the sea to start our life together.  Some couples spent years saving and would never be able to afford what we had, but that’s what Aunty Lil had said that she wanted to do for me.  To give me a head start in life and I would always be grateful to her.  My friend Dom, the solicitor who dealt with all the finances for Aunty Lil, had suggested that Jack and I should write a prenup. I didn’t want to, but he and Jack discussed it at length apparently, and decided that it was the right thing to do.  Hopefully, Jack and I would be together forever, but you can never predict the future, and they both wanted to make sure that I was protected.  Jack wasn’t short of a bob or two, as a partner in the vet’s practice in the village and I knew he would never rip me off but I finally gave in and agreed.

‘Hasn’t that kettle boiled yet?’ Shivani yelling at me across from the front of the beach hut brought me back to the present.

‘You are a slave driver!’ I laughed as I took two mugs out and plonked them on the low table between the two chairs.

I’d just got myself comfy in my chair again.

‘What no biscuits?’ she winked at me.

At this point, a sleepy little bark made us both laugh.

‘Oh Norman, did naughty Aunty Shiv say the ‘b-word?’ I got up again, popped a big bone-shaped dog biscuit in my pocket, fetched a packet of chocolate digestives, and chucked the packet on Shivani’s lap.

Norman, my gorgeous little furry friend, who I’d also inherited from Aunty Lil, came and sat beautifully at my feet, and held up his paw for a treat.

‘Who’s a bootiful boy then?  My Normie.  Aren’t you?’  Yes, I had turned into one of those people who talked that way to a dog.

‘You’re nicer to that dog than you are to me you know.’ Shivani commented.

‘That’s because he’s a million times better behaved than you are.’

‘Excellent point made Nell.’  We clinked mugs.

I smiled at my friend and we laughed as Norman spun around three times and settled down with his biscuit.

‘This really is the life.’  Shivani sighed.  ‘I feel like I’ve already chilled out and left all my worries behind and I only arrived yesterday. I can honestly see why you love it here Nell.  I think Muddleford is the most perfect place in the world.’

****

And I think I need to return to Muddleford as soon as I can!

About Kim Nash

Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and has wanted to write books since she was a little girl.

She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and is a book blogger at Kim The Bookworm.

When she’s not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog at Cannock Chase, reading, writing and binge-watching box sets on the TV. She’s also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Staffordshire and organises local and national reader/author events.

Amazing Grace was her debut novel which came out in April 2019.

Escape to Giddywell Grange is Kim’s second novel and was published in September 2019.

Sunshine and Second Chances is Kim’s third novel and was published in June 2020.

Moonlight Over Muddleford Cove is her fourth book and was published in March 2021.

Snowflakes Over Muddleford Cove is her fifth book and is published in December 2022.

For more information, find Kim on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook or follow her on Twitter @KimTheBookworm.

It’s a real pleasure to be part of the cover reveal for lovely Anita Chapman’s The Venice Secret today today and I’d like to thank Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part. It’s always so exciting being in at the start of a book’s journey.

The Venice Secret

One hidden painting. Two women born centuries apart. A secret uncovered.

In 2019, Rachel is stuck in a rut when she discovers what appears to be a Canaletto painting in her grandmother’s loft along with a note addressed to Philippa in 1782. With help from Jake at the local art gallery, Rachel endeavours to find out if the painting is an original and uncovers a secret from the past.

In 1780, governess at Chipford Hall, Philippa is offered the role of mistress by Earl Rupert. She escapes to Venice as companion to bluestocking, Lady Cordelia who reveals a secret that changes both their lives. They do their best to keep the secret from Lady Cordelia’s social circle, but their nemesis is determined to reveal all and ruin them.

****

Doesn’t that sound intriguing?

The Venice Secret will be published on 7th March 2023 and is available for pre-order here.

About Anita Chapman

Anita Chapman enjoyed writing stories from a young age, and won a local writing competition when she was nine years old. Encouraged by this, she typed up a series of stories about a mouse on her mum’s typewriter and sent them to Ladybird. She received a polite rejection letter, her first.

Many of Anita’s summers growing up were spent with her family driving to Italy, and she went on to study French and Italian at university. As part of her degree, Anita lived in Siena for several months where she studied and au paired, and she spent a lot of time travelling around Italy in her twenties.

Anita likes to read journals and diaries from the past, and one of her favourite pastimes is visiting art galleries and country houses. Her first published novel, The Venice Secret is inspired by her mother taking her to see the Canalettos at The National Gallery in London as a child.

Since 2015, Anita has worked as a social media manager, training authors on social media, and helping to promote their books. She’s run several courses in London and York, and has worked as a tutor at Richmond and Hillcroft Adult Community College.

For further information, visit Anita’s website, follow her on Twitter @neetschapman, or find Anita on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok.