With Europe in its current state, there couldn’t be a more poignant time to invite lovely Wendy Holden back to Linda’s Book Bag to chat with me about her latest book, I Give You My Heart and share an extract from it. Wendy’s writing has a focus on war, the dispossessed and those whose personal stories illustrate the profound resilience of the human spirit. It feels a privilege to have I Give You My Heart on my TBR.

Wendy has been a previous visitor to the blog and you’ll find Born Survivors here.

Let’s see what Wendy told me about I Give You My Heart:

Staying in with Wendy Holden

Welcome Back to Linda’s Book Bag Wendy. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me once again.

Thanks for inviting me and for being so brilliantly supportive of authors in your incredible blog.

That’s very kind of you to say so. I know I have the answer, but which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I have brought my latest book I Give You My Heart which tells the extraordinary story of a Jewish girl hidden in Warsaw during WWII by Catholic friends of her parents. This unlikely friendship led to one of the most remarkable acts of selfless sacrifice after the Nazis invade their country. The teenager, guilty only of being Jewish, is saved from the fate that awaits her family by courageous Poles who paid the ultimate price for their bravery. So much was risked and so much lost but the legacy of their courage, love, and trust lives on. Now, at last, their story can be told and I am delighted to be the one chosen to tell it.

That sounds like a real privilege Wendy. It seems to me we probably haven’t learnt much from history…

What can we expect from an evening in with I Give You My Heart?

Readers can expect to be humbled and amazed by the lengths some people will go to help others in times of war. That thought is especially timely now, as we all reel from the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. As a former war correspondent and an author who specialises in writing about the humanity to be found wherever there is inhumanity, I am humbled by the accidental timing of this publication.

It must feel bizarre to have written about a true story given what’s currently happening. How did this tale come to your attention?

The story first came to my attention five years ago after a woman approached me at the end of another presentation of my bestseller Born Survivors at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. Shyly, she asked me if I’d write her mother’s story. To begin with, I wasn’t sure as I was busy with other projects but once I looked further into it I was so moved by the courage involved that I felt compelled to do as she asked.

She and I travelled to Poland to speak to the one person still alive who remembered what happened and I began the slow process of assembling and corroborating what she was able to tell me. What struck me most was how these two families ignored convention and prejudice to help one another and how that friendship endures today in their descendants.

Let’s hope that friendship and concern for others can prevail in current times too.

The staff at the museum told me that, just like Born Survivors, they thought this story unique and worthy of a movie one day. It has been a privilege to chronicle it for history and I only wish I could have met the two women involved. The book comes out on April 28 but has already received rave reviews and will be the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of the Month in July.

Despite the subject matter, this must give you immense satisfaction in knowing you’re not letting the ordinary people affected by war be forgotten. You should be incredibly proud.

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

I am bringing the words to the first verse of the Ukrainian national anthem which apply also to the beleaguered people of Poland during WWII. We must never forget the mistakes of the past and it is our moral duty to those who died not to repeat them.

Glorious spirit of Ukraine shines and lives forever.
Blessed by Fortune brotherhood will stand up together.
Like the dew before the sun enemies will fade,
We will further rule and prosper in our promised land.

Crikey Wendy. You’ve brought a tear to my eye with that. Thank you so much for chatting about I Give You My Heart. I’ll share a few more details before letting readers have access to an extract from the book:

I Give You My Heart

An unlikely friendship between two couples leads to one of the most remarkable acts of selfless sacrifice when the Nazis invade their country. A teenage girl, guilty only of being Jewish, is saved from the fate that awaits her family and hidden by her parents’ Catholic friends – who pay the ultimate price for their bravery. So much was risked and so much lost but the legacy of their courage and trust lives on through the surviving generations. Now, at last, their story can be told…

I Give You My heart will be published by Amsterdam Publishers on 28th April and is available for pre-order here.

An Extract from I Give You My Heart by Wendy Holden

In the courtyard the Germans separated into several groups and efficiently blocked every entrance to the building. After a while the family heard the clatter of their jackboots on their stairwell followed by loud banging on the doors of their apartment from the front and from the kitchen. It was them they had come for.

Ella recalled, “I was back living with Zula and preparing for my final exams when the Gestapo came. They were looking for Zula and her husband.” As the noise grew louder, the petrified Jowita and Kalina huddled against Pamaja’s legs in their nightclothes, all of them too afraid to move or even speak.

When Artur opened the front door, she said the intruders burst in and began rifling through the whole apartment. “They started with me and seeing that I had a lot of books around me, they asked, ‘What kind of books are they?’ throwing them around, deciding that this or that was illegal.” Jowita recalled that the five men, including two Gestapo officers in uniform, seemed very well informed about the layout of their home. They quickly scattered into the various rooms, shining flashlights into the faces of the occupants, who stood shivering in their nightclothes. They showed no interest in Pamaja, Ms. Nitecka, Miss Linka, or the two little girls, closing the double doors to the parlour after they had checked who they were. Instead, they continued to turn the place upside down and to focus only on Zula, Artur, and Ella.

Jowita still shivers at the memory. “We were so very afraid because, although we lived with the fear that we could be killed at any moment, German soldiers had never come to our apartment before. And of course we didn’t even know then how dangerous it was – with a Jewish girl, the Jewish owner of the flat, and two members of the resistance in our midst. In the dining room the Gestapo gathered only my parents and Ella. We couldn’t see anything because they had closed our door, but I heard shouting and my father falling down. I had no idea what they did to him but learned later that Mama had said something to calm Ella and had taken her hand and a German had shoved her away at which point my father had jumped in to defend her and was beaten to the floor.”

Straining to listen and frozen in terror, Jowita said she and Kalina and Pamaja stood by their beds as if they were statues. “I didn’t understand anything the soldiers said in their fast-barking screams, but I could hear only calm responses from my mother. Unfortunately, she had hidden almost everything from them but forgot to check her nightstand where, the previous evening, she’d carelessly thrown one of her false IDs – the German one with her photograph but the name of Zofia Pauser, a Wehrmacht officer’s widow. If they hadn’t found that then everything might have been different.”

The Gestapo informed Zula, Artur, and Ella that all three would accompany them to their headquarters and ordered them to get dressed. At Zula’s insistence, they allowed Ella to change quickly in the bathroom, while she and Artur were allowed into their bedroom one at a time, with the door half open so that the Gestapo could make ensure that they wouldn’t try to escape. The previous evening Zula and Artur had been to the Name Day party of a friend so she pulled on the evening dress she’d been wearing the night before and Artur put on his suit. Before being taken away, Zula demanded a few moments to say goodbye to her children. She wore a fixed smile as she drew her young daughters into her arms – a moment Jowita will never forget.

“They didn’t want Daddy or Ella to kiss us goodbye. When the door opened, I couldn’t see them in the room beyond, just the two officers. Under the supervision of a soldier standing in the doorway Mama came in very elegantly dressed and kissed us goodbye. I was weeping and told her, “What will I do? I will never see you again!” She was a very strong person but she almost collapsed then. She said something and smiled and then she whispered to Pamaja to take care of us. Pamaja told her, “Of course I will. I promise,” and she then marked the sign of the cross on Mama’s forehead. Then they took the three of them away.”

When the door slammed shut behind the departing Gestapo and soldiers, Jowita said: “Throughout the whole apartment building there was a truly deathly silence then. They didn’t take anyone else from any other apartment, just from ours. In the courtyard we could hear the steady tramp of boots and, in contrast to their military rhythm, the sound of Mother’s little steps in her high heels. It was a sound that haunted me for years. Then it was silent again.”

****

I’m sure you’ll have been as affected by Wendy’s writing as I have. Just a reminder, that I Give You My Heart is available for purchase here.

About Wendy Holden

Wendy Holden was a journalist for eighteen years, including a decade at the Daily Telegraph where she worked as a foreign and war correspondent. She is author and the co-author of more than thirty books, including several bestselling wartime biographies, including Tomorrow to be Brave, Till the Sun Grows Cold, and Behind Enemy Lines. She lives in Suffolk, England with her husband and two dogs and divides her time between the U.K. and the U.S.

You can find out more by visiting Wendy’s website, finding her on Facebook and Instagram, or following Wendy on Twitter @wendholden.

It’s so frustrating that I simply can’t read all the fantastic books there are in the world. However, occasionally I can find out more about them even if I don’t have time to read them and today I’m chatting with Deborah Stone all about her recent release. I’m only sorry it has taken me so long to feature Deborah as I have a feeling the book she’s discussing with me will really appeal to Linda’s Book Bag readers.

Staying in with Deborah Stone

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Deborah and thank you for staying in with me.

It’s an absolute pleasure. It’s so kind of you to invite me in.

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

 

Well, Linda, I’ve brought along my new book, Me and My Shadow, which is my second novel. I wrote it during lockdown. It has been a difficult time for my family, as it has for many others, as I lost my mother to Covid and we went through the trauma not only of losing her, but also not being able to visit or be with her at the end, plus very few of us could attend the funeral.

Oh my condolences Deborah. That must have been devastating for you all. 

Shortly afterwards, I woke up in the middle of the night with the kernel of an idea of this new book. It was very odd, but I thought that I must try to write it and I did.  Me and My Shadow is a psychological suspense with an unreliable narrator – something I’ve always been drawn towards.  It covers some difficult issues relating to family dynamics, sibling rivalry and mental health, but also the themes of the importance of live and support, with some lighter moments too.

It sounds as if Me and My Shadow could be a distillation of everything you went through. Fascinating. How have readers found it?

So far, it’s been well received, which is lovely, as it’s nerve-wracking putting a book out there not knowing what others might think! Some of the latest reviews include:

‘I absolutely loved this book. It kept me engrossed from start to finish. It is my first book of the year and what a book to start the year with. It was definitely a 5-star book for me.’

‘Through her central character, author Deborah Stone creates a compelling account of how life experiences and mental health influence the paths we take and where they can lead. I read this book in a couple of days, not wanting to put it down, as the suspense built, and unexpected and shocking twists emerged. This is a story that will stay with me.’

‘In a year when we have all become more aware of our mental health, and a time when so many of us have become curious about the multiple voices in our heads, this book highlights the games our brains play. Page turning, I was drawn in and intrigued by both character and plot. A great Christmas present and a treat for curling up in front of the fire. Highly recommended.’

Those are such wonderful comments Deborah. You must be thrilled.

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

 

Well, Linda, I’ve brought along a picture of my beloved dog George, who passed away after thirteen and a half years just a few days after I published Me and My Shadow. He was, in effect, my co-author, as he sat with me throughout my writing of this book and my previous novel and non-fiction book. I am lost without him. I must admit that I have started to think about getting a puppy, which I think George would approve of, as he always wanted to make people happy.

Oh my goodness. What an awful time you’ve had. I so hope that Me and My Shadow does as well for you as it sounds it deserves by way of small compensation for your losses. Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about the book and for sharing some of these momentous events with Linda’s Book Bag readers. 

Me and My Shadow

When the line between truth and lies blurs…

Imagine being flooded with shame, unworthiness, and paranoia. Each day you wake up to a life that feels just beyond the reach of your control. No matter how many attempts you make to move forward, you are met repeatedly with betrayal and rejection from your family – the very people who are supposed to love you the most. This is the reality for Rachel. Since childhood, all she has ever desired is to be loved, to be seen, to be accepted, yet she faces one disappointment after another.

So, what happens when someone is pushed too far and they begin to lose their grip on reality? How would you cope if you felt that no one loved you? And how far would you go to be happy? Accompany Rachel as she tries to shake off the shadows of her past and attempts to repair decades worth of pain.

This is the second novel from Deborah Stone, the award-winning author of What’s Left Unsaid.

Published on 10th December 2021, Me and My Shadow is available for purchase here.

About Deborah Stone

Deborah Stone read English Literature at Durham University and lives in North London with her husband, two sons.

Her new novel, Me and My Shadow, is a thrilling psychological suspense novel. https://deborahstonebooks.com/

Her first novel, What’s Left Unsaid, won The Chill With A Book Runner Up Prize for Best Book of 2018 and has been highly acclaimed.

Her non-fiction book, The Essential Family Guide to Caring for Older People, is an important manual for any family looking after older relatives. It is published by Bloomsbury.

Deborah Stone is a leading expert in the field of elder care. Through her website, Mature Thinking she provides information and advice for families caring for older people, as well as advising companies on the effective development of products and services for older people. Deborah regularly appears on BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 5 as a care expert, as well as contributing to lifestyle magazines and national newspapers with advice for those making decisions about care for relatives.

For further information visit Deborah’s website where you’ll find all her books, follow her on Twitter @DeborahStone_ and find her on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

My enormous thanks to Cora Siedlecka at DK for sending me a copy of children’s book It’s A Wonderful World by Jess French with illustrations by Aleesha Nandhra in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

Published by DK Books on 10th March 2021, It’s A Wonderful World is available for purchase through the links here.

It’s A Wonderful World

DK brings you a beautifully illustrated and engaging book to teach young readers how to protect our planet and change the world!

Introducing It’s a Wonderful World – a captivating storybook set out to encourage children to look after the world around them, one step at a time.

Celebrate your child’s curiosity as they navigate through this perfect conservation book to discover all the wonderful ways to protect and preserve the biodiversity of the natural world, whilst learning about the main challenges our planet faces today.

An empowering and practical guide o looking after our planet, your child can discover:

-An excellent introduction to nature conservation for young readers
-A unique guide to studying different ecosystems and the biodiversity within the environment
-Graphic illustrations to complement stunning photography featured throughout
-An enthralling insight into lesser-known animals that inhabit the natural world

Did you know that more than 50% of child psychologists in England are currently seeing patients distressed about the state of the environment? It’s time to change that!

Invest in this all-encompassing environment book and shape your child’s learning for the better.

Proving to be an excellent education tool for children aged 7-9, this is a must-have volume for any young reader with a passion for protecting the planet, whether it’s researching plastic pollution or studying snow leopards, this nature book for kids really does have it all.

At DK, we believe in the power of discovery. So let us quench your thirst for knowledge and teach you a trick or two about balance and biodiversity along the way!

One book at a time, we believe you can change the world!

My Review of It’s A Wonderful World

An insight into the world’s environment.

I had high expectations for It’s A Wonderful World and each one was not only met, but surpassed. With everything from where the Earth sits in the universe, to dung beetles and humpback whales and through to a glossary of terms, this is a book to ignite a child’s imagination and hook them into an understanding of their place in the world and what they might do to help it.

I thought the direct appeal to the reader from Jess French’s Introduction gave important status to children and made them feel as if they had a role to play. I think it sits best with children aged 6-9, although I can imagine older children with extra educational needs being thoroughly engaged too. There are activities included such as cloud gazing, or creating a wild area even in a small space, that are readily accessible to young readers, but It’s A Wonderful World has so much more to offer in a wider context. That glossary can aid literacy, as can the new vocabulary or using the index to show children how to access information in written form rather than simply googling mindlessly. Science through the water cycle or geography through the section on rain forests or wetlands might lead to further classroom exploration and I can imagine speaking and listening activities, letter writing, project work and forest schools drawing on It’s A Wonderful World time and again.

Alongside small, accessible chunks of text are magnificent illustrations and photographs so that It’s A Wonderful World is vivid, engaging and a real feast for the eyes. As always with this publisher’s books, the cover is solid and robust so that it will withstand much handling in the home or classroom. I also have to admire the fact the book is printed with responsibly sourced materials and soy ink in keeping with its environmental theme.

It’s A Wonderful World is filled with fascinating facts, simple tips for all, not just children, to adopt to help the planet and is beautifully presented to draw in visual learners too. I thought it was excellent.

About Jess French

Jess French is a nature lover, TV presenter, author, and qualified vet. She is known for her show on CBeebies, called ‘Minibeast Adventure with Jess’, which encourages children to explore the outdoors and get to know the bugs around them. She has written two other books for DK, What a Waste, which tackles the subject of sustainability for children, and The Book of Brilliant Bugs, which explores the world of minibeasts. Jess is a keen conservationist and has a passion for oceans and the animal world.

For further information, follow Jess on Twitter @Zoologist_Jess or find her on Instagram.

About Aleesha Nandhra

Aleesha Nandhra is an Illustrator based in London. Aleesha also collaborates in running an artist led café which aims to serve chai and create spaces that nurture friendship and enterprise across class, caste and religion.

For further information, follow Aleesha on Twitter @AleeshaNandhra, find her on Instagram or visit her website.

I’ve been meaning to read Space Hopper by Helen Fisher since it was released in hardback, so I’m delighted that it’s my latest review for for My Weekly.

Published in paperback by Simon and Schuster on 17th March 2021, Space Hopper is available for purchase in all formats through the links here.

Spacehopper

If you could go back in time to find answers to the past, would you?

For Faye, the answer is yes. There is nothing she wouldn’t do to find out what really happened when she lost her mother as a child. She is happy with her life – she has a loving husband, two young daughters and supportive friends, even a job that she enjoys. But questions about the past keep haunting her, until one day she finally gets the chance she’s been waiting for.

But how far is she willing to go to find answers?

Space Hopper is an original and poignant story about mothers, memories and moments that shape life.

My Review of Space Hopper

My full review of Space Hopper can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Space Hopper completely took me by surprise. I’d anticipated a romcom style read and instead found a though-provoking, intriguing exploration of what makes us who we are and that contemplates the relationships we make. I found it fascinating.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Helen Fisher

Helen Fisher spent her early life in America, but grew up mainly in Suffolk where she now lives with her two children. She studied Psychology at Westminster University and Ergonomics at UCL and worked as a senior evaluator in research at the RNIB. She is now a full-time author. Space Hopper is her first novel. She is currently working on her second novel.

You can follow Helen on Twitter @HFisherAuthor and find her on Instagram.

It gives me very great pleasure to welcome Jen Smith to Linda’s Book Bag today. My thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to participate in this blog tour and for arranging for Jen to stay in with me to chat about her debut book.

Staying in with Jen Smith

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag, Jen. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I have brought Falling for the Competition, a contemporary YA geeky swoonfest, my debut release (and it’s super pink).

It certainly is! Congratulations on your debut. So, what can we expect from an evening in with Falling for the Competition? 

I hope you fall in love Quinn and Patrick! She’s a highly strung, ambitious girl and he’s a beautiful, confident, sunshiny boy. It’s a YA contemporary romance with a healthy dose of castles, medieval history, King John and, yes, competition. It’s long looks, academic rivals, shared proximity, enemies to lovers, and a beautiful swoony picnic or two. There’s a toxic relationship, difficult friendships, and a discovery that life isn’t just about achieving.

Crikey. It sounds pretty packed with romance!

I hope you adore it as much as me!

How have other readers reacted to Falling for the Competition?

They’ve said things like:

‘realistic and relatable characters’

‘rich, detail-filled world’

‘A thoroughly enjoyable read’

‘Their banter is delicious and their romance is so sweet you can’t help being drawn in. Jen Smith’s humor is front and center, but you will also find yourself swept away by her historical content, immersive descriptions and wonderfully human characters’

‘if you love YA romance and snarky sweet characters, you’ll breeze through this one’

What smashing responses. What else have you brought along and why?

As we’re staying in, I’ve brought my trusty blanket and an endless supply of the only true major food group: crisps (because who doesn’t love crisps).

Quite right. I hope there are some cheese and onion ones there!

I’ve brought Marc Morris’ book on King John because I spent a lot of time in it, checking that I had my facts straight and, quite frankly, I love King John. Poor guy, has such a bad reputation which I don’t think is entirely deserved. Okay, enough about John. I’m a medieval history geek, and I’m not afraid to admit it. My parents took me to Warwick Castle when I was 11 and that was that, I’ve never looked back. The castle in the book isn’t based on Warwick (it’s too big!), but it’s a smorgasbord of all the castles I’ve dragged my family to (which is a lot).

There’s nothing wrong with a bit of castle visiting Jen. I’m very partial to Conwy myself!

I’ve brought my trusty bullet journal, because I’m super organised and how else will I know what my day consists of (mainly scrolling Twitter and adding to my TBR).

I think we all know that Twitter scrolling. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Falling for the Competition. I think you should open some more crisps whilst I give readers a few more details:

Falling for the Competition

It’s going to be the best summer ever for ambitious, overachieving Quinn. A huge history buff, not only has she landed her dream job interning in the archives department of the local castle, but her best friend will be working there too.

However, Quinn isn’t the only one to be working in Archives this summer; Quinn’s academic rival, Patrick, is sharing her office in Muniments. They’re competing for the Letter of Recommendation (singular) from the research historian that Quinn needs to get her dream future placement.

Their emotionally-loaded and competitive rivalry turns into a reluctant friendship, as they spend every day working together in silence (and sharing the occasional Twix). Until the Re-Enactors arrive. Between Patrick and Harry – the Golden Knight of the jousting team – Quinn’s carefully planned summer is thrown into complete disarray. Meanwhile, her best friend’s relationship may look perfect on the outside, but Quinn is starting to realise that there’s more going on than there seems.

Although Quinn is determined and single minded about planning every detail of her sparkling future, she comes to discover that the best things in life are the spontaneous ones – and that some people are more important than any Letter of Recommendation (singular) could ever be.

Falling For The Competition is available for purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

About Jen Smith

Jen lives in the Midlands with her husband and two children. With a Masters Degree in Medieval History, Jen loves castles and King John a little too much. Strangely un-British, she does not like tea, oranges or marzipan, but adores French cheese, guava juice and Chinese food (not together).

When not writing, Jen can often be found pointing out historical inaccuracies in period dramas, being a Lady that Lunches with close friends and playing board games with her family. Note: her handbags are always heavy due to multiple books (just in case she needs them).

For further information, follow Jen on Twitter @jensmith950.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It gives me enormous pleasure to participate in the blog tour for Sarah Vaughan’s latest book, Reputation. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

Published by Simon and Schuster on 3rd March 2022, Reputation is available for purchase through the links here.

Reputation

Emma Webster is a respectable MP.

Emma Webster is a devoted mother.

Emma Webster is innocent of the murder of a tabloid journalist.

Emma Webster is a liar.

#Reputation: The story you tell about yourself. And the lies others choose to believe…

My Review of Reputation

Emma Webster’s political career is on the rise.

My goodness me. Reputation is a stunner of a book. Sarah Vaughan’s scalpel sharp, taut prose, doesn’t miss a beat throughout so that reading Reputation is an affecting, almost contaminating read. That is by no means a criticism, but rather the author plunges the reader into a world of intrigue, social media and duplicity that is so authentic it’s hard not to believe every word of this narrative is true and not simply a story.

Sarah Vaughan presents such a plausible scenario, as Emma Webster fights for her daughter and her reputation, that the narrative compels the reader to confront the reality of rarefied life in public office, alongside the more knowable experience of toxic female relationship in schools, in a perfectly balanced, utterly convincing and frankly, morally terrifying manner. I was unsettled and horrified, shocked and entertained in equal measure. There’s a diamond glitter of menace that runs throughout Reputation that I found breath-taking. It’s impossible to say too much about the plot for fear of spoiling the story for others, but Reputation is a book that is both modern and timeless in its exploration of relationships, power and, of course, reputation. I confess to feeling somewhat shell-shocked by the end.

Emma’s voice is so realistic that she became utterly real to me. She’s both flawed and admirable, illustrating to perfection how we justify our actions and showing how easy it is to slip from the paths we want to tread. The parliamentary setting serves to heighten the sense of authenticity of Emma’s situation and decisions. Reputation is a book that plays with the reader’s mind and moral compass as Emma deserves both our admiration and possibly our contempt at different points of the story.

Reputation is an intelligent, razor sharp exploration of the lies we tell ourselves and others, of the menace of social media, and of the terrifying consequences of the smallest wrong decisions. I thought it was absolutely superb.

About Sarah Vaughan

Brought up in Devon, Sarah Vaughan read English at Oxford and went on to become a journalist. After training at the Press Association, she spent eleven years at the Guardian as a news reporter, political correspondent and health correspondent, before leaving to freelance and write fiction. Anatomy of a Scandal, her third novel was an instant international bestseller and translated into 22 languages, long-listed for the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2018 and short-listed for the Audible Sounds of Crime Award, GoodReads Jury’s Out award, French Elle’s Prix des Lectrices and Richard & Judy’s ‘Best of the Decade.’ Anatomy of a Scandal has been adapted for screen and will air on Netflix as a six-part series in Spring 2022. Little Disasters, her fourth novel, was selected as a Waterstones Thriller of the Month in 2021, has been sold to the US, France, Portugal, Sweden and Spain, and optioned for TV. Reputation is her fifth novel.

You can find Sarah Vaughan on Facebook, visit her website and follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’ve a confession. I’ve been meaning to read T.M. Logan’s books for ages and although I’m trying not to take on new blog tours I simply couldn’t resist taking part in this one for The Curfew because I’d heard such good things about his writing. My grateful thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me to participate. I’m delighted to share my review of The Curfew today.

The Curfew is published by Bonnier imprint Zaffre on 17th March 2022 and is available in all good bookshops and online including here.

The Curfew

I should have known something was wrong. I should have sensed it. Felt it in the air, like the build-up of pressure before a thunderstorm, that heavy, loaded calm.

The curfew
Andy and Laura are good parents. They tell their son Connor that he can go out with friends to celebrate completing his exams, but he must be home by midnight.

The lie
When Connor misses his curfew, it sets off a series of events that will change the lives of five families forever.

The truth?
Because five teenagers went into the woods that night, but only four came out. And telling the truth might mean losing everything…

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

My Review of The Curfew

A teenager is missing.

New to T.M. Logan’s writing I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Curfew. What I got was a fast paced, twisty and compelling thriller that had me hooked and that I thoroughly enjoyed. I found it difficult to tear myself away because the narrative is exciting, meticulously plotted and totally entertaining. I loved the timed elements relating to the night of the action and the days subsequently as the reader is drip fed information that draws them in completely as they try to unravel what exactly has happened and to whom.

Much of the enjoyment in The Curfew comes from the fact that it’s not just a question of who has committed the crime, but that we don’t know precisely what crime has actually been committed, so that the compulsion to read on, to find out more becomes almost an obsession. I think I must have thought every character, almost including the dog, Toffee, was guilty of something at some point! The oppressive weather adds to the atmosphere too because it’s easy to imagine how rational behaviour can become altered by the heat giving a feeling that there’s a literal and metaphorical storm brewing for the characters.

I found the characterisation realistic and convincing. The exploration of family dynamics and what parents will do to protect their children shines through the presentation of all the adults, but is especially clear in Andy’s first person narrative so that whilst I didn’t always approve of his actions I could understand perfectly why he behaved as he did. I loved Harry unconditionally, but you’ll need to read The Curfew to find out why!

As well as an exciting, fast-paced story that races along, The Curfew considers themes that are incredibly pertinent to today’s society. The nature of guilt, moral responsibility and challenge, the influence of media, including social media in everyday lives, friendships and relationships, family, obsession and difference all spin through the story adding extra interest and depth.

The Curfew may be my first read by T.M. Logan but it wont be my last. I thought it was assured, convincing and thoroughly entertaining. I really recommend it.

About T.M. Logan

TM Logan’s thrillers have sold more than a million copies in the UK and been translated into 22 other languages for publication around the world.

His thriller, Trust Me, begins when a woman is asked to look after a stranger’s baby on a train – only for the mother to vanish. When she looks in the baby’s things, she finds a note that says: ‘Please protect Mia. Don’t trust the police. Don’t trust anyone.’

The Curfew, coming March 2022, follows the events of a hot midsummer’s night, when five teenagers go up to the woods to celebrate the end of exams, and only four come out…

Tim’s thriller The Holiday was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten. It has since won a Nielsen Bestseller Award and been made into a four-part TV drama with Jill Halfpenny for Channel 5.

A former national newspaper journalist, Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his family and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

For further information, exclusive writing, new releases and a FREE deleted scene from Tim, sign up to the Readers’ Club on his website. You can also follow him on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor, or find him on Facebook and on Instagram.

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It was back in 2020 when I reviewed Caroline England’s novel Betray Her in a post you’ll find here.  I also welcomed Caroline England to Linda’s Book Bag when she wrote a guest post here all about secrets. Under her other writing persona of Caro Land Caroline has stayed in with me to chat about Convictions and you can see what happened then in this blog post.

Today it gives me enormous pleasure to help launch Caroline’s new book, The Sinner, into the world today with this cover reveal.

Published by Little Brown imprint, Piatkus, on 16th June 2022, The Sinner is available for pre-order through the links here. Let’s find out more:

The Sinner

‘Powerful . . . psychological menace and dramatic plot twists’ Daily Mail

EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST

To the unsuspecting eye Dee Stephens has a perfect life as the vicar’s wife: a devoted marriage to her charismatic husband Reverend Vincent, an adoring congregation and a beautiful daughter.

EVERY SINNER HAS A FUTURE

But beneath the surface, Dee is suffocating. Vincent is in control, and he knows her every sin. Desperate, Dee escapes into a heady affair with Cal, an old schoolmate.

EVERY CONFESSION HAS A PRICE

But is Cal the saviour she thinks he is? What dark secrets does he harbour? And to what lengths will Vincent go to when he uncovers the truth?

****

Doesn’t that sound a corker? I’ll be reviewing The Sinner in June and I can’t wait to dive in!

About Caroline England

Caroline England was born and brought up in Yorkshire and studied Law at the University of Manchester. She was a divorce and professional indemnity lawyer before leaving the law to bring up her three daughters and turning her hand to writing. Caroline is the author of The Wife’s Secret, previously called Beneath the Skin, and the top-ten ebook bestseller My Husband’s Lies. Betray Her was her third novel. She lives in Manchester with her family.

To find out more you can follow Caroline on Twitter @CazEngland and find her on Instagram and  Facebook or visit her website.

I’m horrified. It’s over four years since I last read the fabulous Carmel Harrington when I reviewed The Woman at 72 Derry Lane in a post you’ll find here. It was my privilege to host a guest post from Carmel and to review The Things I Should Have Told you here.

Today, I’m rectifying the fact that I’ve been missing out on Carmel’s books by reviewing The Moon Over Kilmore Quay. My grateful thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate in this blog tour.

The Moon Over Kilmore Quay was published in paperback by Harper Collins on 17th February 2022 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Moon Over Kilmore Quay

When your heart belongs in two places, can you ever truly find home?

Brooklyn, New York,
Bea has grown up in the heart of the Irish community, always hearing stories of home. When she discovers a letter from her younger self, written years before, it sends her deep into her own family history.

Kilmore Quay, Ireland.
Years earlier, Lucy Mernagh leaves her much-loved home and family in search of the New York dream. The Big Apple is a world away from the quiet village she grew up in, and the longing for home aches within her.

When Bea uncovers a shocking secret, it takes her back across the water to Kilmore Quay, where – finally – long-buried truths will come to light. But fate has one last twist in store…

My Review of The Moon Over Kilmore Quay

A childhood letter to herself has repercussions for Bea.

Initially, it took me a while to settle in to the structure of The Moon Over Kilmore Quay, and I wondered if I would enjoy it as much as I have previous books by this author, but Carmel Harrington writes with such engagement for the reader that I was soon totally immersed in the story.

The plot is deceptive. It seems relatively straight-forward to begin with, with a focus on character, but there’s so much more to uncover than I expected. It’s quite difficult to say more without spoiling the story, but I loved the gradual uncovering of truths – both for the characters and for the reader. I thoroughly appreciated the way Bea’s own personal history was layered over her role as an investigator looking for lost family members. Indeed, The Moon Over Kilmore Quay, contains so many carefully wrought strata, from the role of immigrants retaining a cultural identity, through the way place affects our identity, to the impact of family folklore and narratives that make us who we are or who we want to be. Echoes from the past such as the Three Amigos of Maeve, Michelle and Lucy being reflected in the more up-to-date relationships between Bea, Stephanie and Katrina help the reader understand we are both more, and less, than we might believe. I thought Carmel Harrington’s understanding of human nature was pitch perfect. I was completely invested in Bea in particular because she felt so lost to begin with and so complete by the end. Lucy too has an authenticity that I found completely captivating.

The New York and Irish settings are so well balanced. I found myself transported back to my own experience of living in New York and equally desperate to discover Ireland. I want to sit and eat fish and chips looking out over the water, licking the salt and vinegar from my fingers!

The Moon Over Kilmore Quay is the kind of book that creeps up on you. It made me forget I was reading a work of fiction. Instead I felt I was being told two very personal stories through Bea and Lucy’s strands as if they were both confiding in me. The themes of friendship, family, secrets, truth and belonging are magnificently presented, making for a truly emotional and captivating read.

Having begun The Moon over Kilmore Quay feeling slightly detached, I ended it completely immersed in the story and a total snivelling wreck. It has all the hallmarks of Carmel Harrington’s trademark emotional writing with a touch of mystery I hadn’t anticipated. I thoroughly enjoyed it – even if I did need rather a lot of tissues!

About Carmel Harrington

Carmel Harrington is from Co. Wexford, where she lives with her husband, her children and their rescue dog. An Irish Times bestseller and regular panellist on radio and TV, her warm and emotional storytelling has captured the hearts of readers worldwide.

Carmel’s novels have been shortlisted for an Irish Book Award in 2016 & 2017 and her debut won Kindle Book of the Year and Romantic eBook of the Year in 2013.

You can follow Carmel on Twitter @HappyMrsH, Facebook or Instagram and visit her website for further information.

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It was a real delight to find a copy of 100 Voices edited by Miranda Roszkowski in my parcel box recently and with the book published today by Unbound I simply had to invite Miranda onto Linda’s Book Bag to tell me a bit about it.

Staying in with Miranda Roszkowski

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

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

I’ve brought 100 Voices because it’s out today!

Happy publication day. What can we expect from an evening in with 100 Voices?

A noisy, vibrant night with people who have lots to say! The book is over 100 women’s stories of achievement – in what ever guise that is. The variety is the thing that makes it unique, these are real women from across the country and every one is different. But you’ll find a few common factors too.

Common factors?

Like – finding it hard to talk about success! When I set up the project -which was originally a podcast that I ran over 100 days in 2018 to mark the centenary of women’s votes in the UK,  I didn’t realise how hard it would be to get people to talk about achievement. But I’m happy that over 100 women answered my call. The stories genuinely surprised me and I am looking forward to hearing what you think!

I haven’t read it all yet Miranda, but I have been dipping in and finding a wide range of really interesting voices, including some names I recognise…

What impact has 100 Voices had on you as editor?

The best thing about the project for me – as well as this beautiful book – is the connection I have with the writers, and they have with each other. Crowdfunding the book took a long time but any time I started to doubt my motivation, I would get an email from a writer buoying me up. The power of the collective is incredibly potent – I think maybe women seek this out more. But having your community is vital in order to be able to feel empowered to use your voice – and I have sought to build that with this project.

That sounds brilliant. Where have the authors come from?

We are based all across the UK and I have been lucky to meet some of the writers travelling around the country on my narrowboat. During 2018 and 19 I and my now husband went from London up to Manchester via north wales and every where we went there was an interesting story about women making change happen. I dropped in on my writers when I could. We launched the crowdfunding campaign when I was in Manchester with the boat, at the Pankhurst centre. The writers were reading their work in the Parlour where Emiline Pankhurst sat with her daughters plotting! And the pandemic was actually really good for getting writers together at events – we presented at several literary festivals and ran lots of fun events to raise the funds on Unbound.

Amazing. 100 Voices sounds like the perfect embodiment of strength through unity.

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

I’ve brought a copy of the Stylist magazine with a Suffragette on it to commemorate 6 Feb 2018 – the day the podcast launched. It felt like being part of a really big movement then, shifting the dial on how women were talked about, presented, considered. I think it did really change how we as women are in society. But then the pandemic exposed that a lot of that progress was easy to lose – it was largely women juggling the home schooling, care and chores during COVID.

I’m not sure recent global events will help sadly.

That’s why I’m really glad we’re publishing now – because we need to keep telling women’s stories, especially positive ones about success. And never stop.

I agree! Thanks so much for staying in with me Miranda to chat about 100 Voices.

It’s been a pleasure stopping in with you Linda, thanks so much for the invite. Oh hold on – sorry here come the 100 writers. They never miss a party! Hope you’ve got some more tea cups?

Crikey! I’m not sure they’re all going to fit. You look through those cupboards for some more mugs and put the kettle on and I’ll tell readers a bit more about 100 Voices:

100 Voices

100 Voices is an anthology of writing by women across the country on what achievement means for them, and how they have come to find their own voice. Featuring poetry, fiction and memoir, the pieces range from notes on making lemon curd, to tales of marathon running and riding motorbikes, to accounts of a refugee eating English food for the first time, a newlywed learning her mother tongue and a woman rebuilding her life after an abusive relationship.

The poignant, funny and inspiring stories collected here are as varied and diverse as their authors, who include established names such as Louise Jensen, Sabrina Mahfouz, Yvonne Battle-Felton and Miranda Keeling alongside a host of exciting new writers. Taken together, they build a picture of what it’s really like to be a woman in the UK today.

Published by Unbound today, 3rd March 2022, 100 Voices is available for purchase here.

You can also follow 100 Voices on Twitter @100voices100ye1.

About Miranda Roszkowski

Miranda Roszkowski is a writer and civil servant currently living on a boat on Britain’s waterways. She has worked with the National Theatre Wales and Royal Court playwrighting programmes and has had fiction in print and online, including Birkbeck’s Mechanic’s Institute Review which she has previously edited. She is the host and curator of the spoken word night There Goes The Neighbourhood in Hackney, London and is currently working on her first novel.

For further information, visit the 100 Voices website or follow Miranda on Twitter @Miranda_Roszko, and find her on Instagram.