Earlier this year I reviewed Poppy Alexander’s The Littlest Library here. Today I’m thrilled to host a guest post from Poppy on The 12 Days of Christmas publication day.

Poppy Alexander also writes as Rosie Howard and you’ll find my review of The Homecoming here, of A Vintage Year here and you can find out what happened when we stayed in together here.

The 12 Days of Christmas is published by Orion today, 11th November 2021, and is available for purchase through these links.

The 12 Days of Christmas

‘All the joy of Christmas in one delicious, utterly mouth-watering package’ JULIE CAPLIN

The most magical time of the year…

For the first time in ten years, Freya is back in the little village of Middlemass for Christmas. The streets might be twinkling with fairy lights, but after the recent loss of her mother, she’s never felt less festive.

Forced to sleep under the same roof as her handsome neighbour Finn, Freya realises she’s going to need a distraction – fast! So she sets herself a challenge: to cook the ’12 Days of Christmas’. Her delicious food soon brings the villagers together, and as each day passes, old friendships are renewed, memories stirred and there’s even the flickering of romance…

She was only meant to stay for the holidays, but could Middlemass – and Finn – steal her heart forever?

Food, Glorious Food!

A Guest Post by Poppy Alexander

Hopefully it’s not just because I’m a glutton – although I am – but some of my fondest memories of Christmases past revolve around food, and my planning for Christmas future always starts with a list of the lovely things I would like to feed friends and family when we all come together (as hopefully we will this year!).

I was delighted when Linda invited me to share some of my favourite foodie Christmas thoughts and memories. Where do I begin?

I remember, when I was a teenager, there was a crowd of us sprawled uselessly and untidily around the kitchen table, the big brown tea pot steaming gently in the middle, and my poor mother, slaving away, rolling pastry and batch baking mince pies for the freezer. The rain was pouring down outside, but we were there, cosy and warm, hoovering up mince pies as fast as my mother could get them out of the oven. I am sure she was absolutely thrilled with us…My children insist they are too old for it now, but I still insist they are home on Stir it up Sunday – five weeks before Christmas when the puddings are traditionally made – so each member of the family can stir the batter and make a secret wish. Nigella Lawson’s recipe from her book ‘Christmas’ is my starting point for Christmas pudding, although I vary the flavourings a little. Last year’s effort– we only needed a small one, sadly -had a good glug of Cointreau and some extra orange zest in the mix, and it was delicious (if I say so myself) served with soft, billowing clouds of cream, whipped with icing sugar and even more Cointreau.

I deliberately allow my TBR pile to become bigger than ever at Christmas, as only reading beats eating as my secret Christmas pleasure. Some of my favourite books evoke fabulous Christmas food images too: who can forget Bob Cratchett’s family stuffing spoons into their mouths while they waited for their roasted goose – the Victorians knew how to write about Christmas – or the Christmas feast in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when the White Witch was vanquished? This year, I will be reading some proper, gory crime, perhaps the latest from Kate Rhodes’ fabulous Scilly Islands series, along with some glorious romances to lift the spirits: Anything by Jules Wake or Veronica Henry does it for me, or you might find me re-reading an all-time favourite such as Jilly Cooper’s Riders, Austen’s Emma for the comedy or Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier for the heart-aching love story and the haunting atmosphere. Also, who doesn’t love a pirate?

Nigel Slater always writes superbly about food of course; my favourite Christmas cake recipe is from his Christmas Chronicles, which is a beautifully evocative read; a copy of this, with a glass of sloe gin and a comfortably glowing fire, and is the perfect way to slide, deliciously into the Christmas season. The cake has none of the usual Christmas spices in it – no, honestly, bear with me! –but is stuffed with fat, juicy dried fruits, peel and butter and all good things… I have had several people who profess to loathe Christmas cake accept a slice and then come back for more.

I have been wanting to write The Twelve Days of Christmas for a while and I adored contriving a recipe for each day of the famous carol – I detail all the recipes at the back of the book. It seemed to me that Freya’s sadness could be healed by her talent for and love of food, and that the Christmas holidays – along with the idea of a community coming together through food –creates such a wonderful catalyst for a romantic relationship to grow, although I didn’t want to make things too easy for Freya and Finn, so they find plenty of obstacles along their way…

****

Sold! Books, romance and food. That’s a totally winning combination for me Poppy. I can’t wait to read The 12 Days of Christmas. Thanks so much for such a smashing guest post.

About Poppy Alexander

Poppy Alexander wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends and life in her West Sussex village (think, The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks) where she lives with her husband, children and various other pets.

For more information about Poppy, visit her website, follow her on Twitter @SarahWaights and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to the lovely El at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of Lethal Game by Charlie Gallagher in return for an honest review. I cannot wait to dive in to Lethal Game and am delighted to bring you all you need to know about Charlie Gallagher’s new book on publication day.

Lethal Game is published today, 11th November 2021, by Avon and is available for purchase through the links here.

Lethal Game

He knows your name. Where you live. The car you drive.

If you don’t play, your family will die. If you lose, you will.

When DI Joel Norris and DS Lucy Rose begin investigating the death of a young woman, murdered on a quiet country lane, they can’t imagine what lies ahead.

This killer uses his victims like chess pieces in a life-sized contest, with the highest stakes imaginable.

Now Norris and Rose are pawns at the mercy of a twisted rulebook.

Can they beat him at his own game before the next round begins and more innocent lives are taken?

A totally addictive, edge-of-your-seat, crime-thriller that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, Ian Rankin and Stuart MacBride.

Doesn’t that sound amazing?  Although I haven’t had chance to read Lethal Game in full yet, I have had a sneaky read of the Prologue and my heart is still pounding…

About Charlie Gallagher

Charlie Gallagher has been writing for twenty years, most of that time as a hobby but with the dream of one day ‘doing it properly.’ Alongside this hobby it was necessary to have a day job which, for thirteen years, was as a serving U.K. police officer. This career in policing opened up a whole new world of experiences and opportunities and he is now fortunate enough to be able to channel those experiences into stories on a full time basis.

Whilst a police officer, Charlie worked as a response officer, a member of a specialist tactical team, a detective and in a regional counter terrorism unit.

His books are thrillers and, rather unsurprisingly, policing and crime are central to the stories.

Charlie lives on the south coast of the U.K with his wife and two daughters, a springer spaniel, a tortoise and a cat with a far higher number of twitter followers. Charlie is published by Joffe Books and Avon, Harper Collins.

For more information, follow Charlie on Twitter @Gloriouscharlie, visit his website or find him on Facebook and Instagram.

Sometimes the sound of a book is so intriguing that I can’t resist featuring it here on Linda’s Book Bag even when I don’t have time to read it. That’s the case with today’s guest Maryam Diener who, thanks to Grace Pilkington, is staying in with me to chat all about her latest book for the blog tour.

Staying in with Maryam Diener

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

Thank you for inviting me to staying in this evening.

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

 I have brought my latest book Exquisite Corpse which will be available from November 9th.

That’s an incredibly intriguing title. How did you choose it?

Usually the title of the book appears somehow in the process of writing but this time it was the contrary; the title occurred to me first before I even thought about the development of the story. It sets the shape , the rhythm , the connection. All was engulfed in those two words and decisive for shaping the book and interweaving the stories of women artists part of the Surrealist movement in both Paris and Mexico City.

That’s fascinating. Tell me more.

Exquisite Corpse which translated from ‘Cadavre Exquis’ the word game invented by the Surrealists inciting the participants to write freely without any connection to a word before or after. Hence creating a sentence from the juxtaposition of random words evoked spontaneously between the participants . Deliberately the book’s rhythm takes part in the game and brings together parts of the lives of these 5 female artists somehow not dissimilar when it comes to courage in pursuing their artistic careers.

It strikes me that Exquisite Corpse is somewhat a metaphor for life. What can we expect from an evening in with Exquisite Corpse?

From Exquisite Corpse you can expect a dreamlike journey, dipping into the minds and stories of five extraordinary and awe-inspiring women…

‘Waiting had its own sound and scent’

I think it sounds most unusual Maryam. What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I have brought a piece of paper and pencils so that we can have a round of Cadavre Exquis (Exquisite Corpse) while staying in. Let’s see if we can create something as surreal and beautiful as the artists from my book did.

I’m not especially artistic but I’ll definitely give it a go!

I have also brought a recipe from Remedios Varo who is one of the 5 artists. She is is originally from Girona, Spain. This is from Remedios Varo  Letters, dreams and other writings translated by Margaret Carson in 2018 Wakefield Press.

TO INDUCE EROTIC DREAMS

1 kilo horseradish                                        1 brick

3 white hens                                                 2 clothespins

1 head garlic                                                1 whalebone corset

4 kilos honey                                                2 false mustaches

1 mirror                                                        Hats to taste

2 calf’s livers

Pluck hens, carefully reserving the feathers. Set hens to boil in two liters unsalted distilled water or rainwater, along with the head of garlic, peeled and mashed. Let it boil on low hear. While the fowl are boiling, place the eastern bed northwest to southeast and let rest with the window open. After on half hour, close window and place red brick under the left0hand leg at the head of the bed, which must face northwest. Let rest. While the bed is resting, grate horseradish directly over broth, taking care that your hands are constantly steeped in the steam. Stir and let boil. Take the four kilos of honey and with a spatuala spread in the bedsheets. Take the hens’ feathers and scatter them over the honey-smeared sheets. Make bed with care.

My word Maryam. That’s quite a recipe. You’ve totally intrigued me about Exquisite Corpse. Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about it.

Exquisite Corpse

In Exquisite Corpse, Maryam Diener transports us to the wildly creative world of the female Surrealists, gifted and powerful figures often marginalised by their male contemporaries. Known for seeing women as muses and objects of desire rather than artists in their own right, André Breton, co-founder of Surrealism, wrote: ‘The problem of woman is the most marvellous and disturbing problem in all the world.’ For him and his clique women were dangerous and alluring, but always ‘other’.

In a series of dreamlike fragments from the minds of five brilliant artists, Maryam Diener weave together the destinies of these half-forgotten pioneers as their lives intersect geographically and emotionally. This is the story of women who fought to prove their existence.

Published on 9th November 2021, Exquisite Corpse is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

About Maryam Diener

Maryam Diener was born in Iran and attended the Sorbonne in Paris before receiving her Masters from Columbia University. She is the author of The Moon (1998), Sans Te Dire Adieu (2007) and Beyond Black There is No Colour: The Story of Forough Farrokhzad (Quartet Books, 2020). In 2012 she co-founded Éditions Moon Rainbow, a publishing company specialising in limited edition books on poetry and the visual arts including There Must Be Someone to Rewrite Love, which features contributions from Bei Dao and Francesco Clemente.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Regular Linda’s Book Bag visitors will know how much I love Gill Paul’s writing. Add in the fact that The Collector’s Daughter is another review I’m doing for My Weekly’s online magazine and I couldn’t be happier than to be sharing my review of Gill’s The Collector’s Daughter today.

Previously Gill featured on Linda’s Book Bag when I reviewed The Lost Daughter here, and Gill wrote a superb guest post here. More recently I reviewed The Second Marriage here too.

Published by Harper Collins imprint Avon on 30th September, The Collector’s Daughter is available for purchase through these links.

The Collector’s Daughter

An unforgettable discovery
In 1922, Lady Evelyn Herbert’s dreams are realised when she is the first to set foot inside the lost tomb of Tutankhamun for over 3,000 years.
A cursed life
But the months after the discovery are marred by tragedy, when Eve’s father dies suddenly and her family is torn in two. Desperate to put the past behind her, Eve retreats into a private life with her new husband.
A deadly choice
But she is harbouring a dark secret about what really happened in Egypt. And when a young woman comes asking questions years later, the happiness Eve has finally found is threatened once more…

My Review of The Collector’s Daughter

My full review of The Collector’s Daughter can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, I think The Collector’s Daughter is utterly wonderful. It’s Gill Paul at her very best and undoubtedly one of my books of the year.

Please visit My Weekly to read my full review.

About Gill Paul

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in relatively recent history.

Gill’s novels include The Second Marriage, Another Woman’s Husband, The Secret Wife, about the romance between cavalry officer Dmitri Malama and Grand Duchess Tatiana, the second daughter of Russia’s last tsar, who first met in 1914,  Women and Children First about a young steward who works on the Titanic and The Affair set in Rome in 1961–62 as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton fell in love while making Cleopatra. No Place for a Lady is about two Victorian sisters who travel out to the Crimean War of 1854–56 and face challenges beyond anything they could have imagined.

All of Gill’s lovely books can be found here.

You can follow Gill on Twitter @GillPaulAUTHOR, visit her website and find her on Facebook for more information.

I almost never reblog a review because I am inundated by requests for blog space so it’s a very special book that appears on Linda’s Book Bag more than once. I think that tells you something about Milly Johnson’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day! I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day is about to be released in paperback and if you’re quick and pre-order you might just win a very special Christmas hamper from Betty’s. Details here.

My thanks to Courtney Jefferies at ED PR for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. I’m delighted to share my review once more.

Published in paperback by Simon and Schuster on 11th November 2021, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day is available for paperback pre-order through the links here.

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day

‘An absolute joy. Like all of Milly’s books it’s packed with heart and humour and characters you fall in love with. I didn’t want it to end’ Jane Fallon, bestselling author of Queen Bee

It’s nearly Christmas and it’s snowing, hard. Deep in the Yorkshire Moors nestles a tiny hamlet, with a pub at its heart. As the snow falls, the inn will become an unexpected haven for six people forced to seek shelter there…

Mary has been trying to get her boss Jack to notice her for four years, but he can only see the efficient PA she is at work. Will being holed up with him finally give her the chance she has been waiting for?

Bridge and Luke were meeting for five minutes to set their divorce in motion. But will getting trapped with each other reignite too many fond memories – and love?

Charlie and Robin were on their way to a luxury hotel in Scotland for a very special Christmas. But will the inn give them everything they were hoping to find – and much more besides?

A story of knowing when to hold on and when to let go, of pushing limits and acceptance, of friendship, love, laughter, mince pies and the magic of Christmas.

Gorgeous, warm and full of heartfelt emotion, I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day is the perfect read this winter!

My Review of I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day

Heavy snow means a change of plan for six travellers.

Oh yes! Yes indeed. I’d been hearing about how fabulous I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day is and so Milly Johnson had considerable expectations to live up to and my word she met and exceeded them completely. I couldn’t have enjoyed I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day more – even if all the references to food made me ravenous throughout the read!

In essence, there isn’t an in-depth plot here as six metaphorically and physically lost people find themselves stranded in an inn in Figgy Hollow and spend the Christmas period chatting and eating; but with customary Milly Johnson élan, the story is utterly captivating, moving, uplifting and totally wonderful. I’d be quite happy to write a review that simply said, ‘Insert your own superlative here,’ because I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day is just joyous.

I fell in love with each of the six characters. I couldn’t bear to leave them when I wasn’t reading the book and ended the story feeling as if I had lived every moment of their lives with them – not just the few days in Figgy hollow because their past lives are so carefully woven into their present situation so that I felt I knew them completely. Each of them represents a version of love that Milly Johnson seems to understand so brilliantly and convey equally wonderfully on the page. There’s steadfast love, jealous love, unrequited and unacknowledged love, selfish and selfless love, passionate and platonic love so that every one of Bridge and Luke, Charlie and Robin, Mark and Jack, illustrates in vivid technicolour just how the world could be. I was so moved by them that I laughed and cried alongside them. Charlie in particular held personal resonance for me and I genuinely wish I could have met him in real life. Reading about these people gave me a physical sensation in my heart.

With themes of identity, family and friendship, industriousness and loyalty running through the story with a rich seam of humour (just look at Luke’s Terrible Christmas Jokes at the end) too, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day feels the perfect antidote to the awfulness of 2020. Milly Johnson shows, particularly through Charlie, how life is what we make it and living well in the here and now is enough. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day might be one of the wisest books I’ve read as well as one of the most entertaining. I loved the references to Jane Austen, and those alongside the music in Brian’s broadcasts, gave fabulous texture to the narrative that I really appreciated.

I’m aware I haven’t explained the appeal of this book adequately enough because it’s difficult to articulate how it made me feel. Suffused with love, warmth and humanity, Milly Johnson’s I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day isn’t about the spirit of Christmas, but rather embodies it in every glorious moment with just a touch of added magic. I absolutely adored it.

About Milly Johnson

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. As well as being a prolific author, she is also a copywriter for the greetings card industry, a joke-writer, a columnist, after dinner speaker, poet, BBC newspaper reviewer, and a sometimes BBC radio presenter.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016 and the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015. Milly has recently been awarded the RNA Outstanding Achievement Award.

A Sunday Times bestseller, she is one of the Top 10 Female Fiction authors in the UK, and with millions of copies of her books sold across the world, Milly’s star continues to rise. Milly was chosen as one of the authors for The Reading Agency’s Quick Reads 2020 campaign. Milly writes from the heart about what and where she knows and highlights the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience, and celebrate love, friendship and the possibility of second chances. She is an exceptional writer who puts her heart and soul into every book she writes and every character she creates.

She likes owls, cats, meringues, handbags and literary gifts – but hates marzipan. She is also very short.

You can follow Milly on Twitter @millyjohnson and Facebook.

Milly has an excellent website too where you can sign up for her brilliant monthly newsletter with exclusive, news, offers and competitions.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’m very fond of historical fiction and would like to thank Nikki Griffiths for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for Robert J. Lloyd’s The Bloodless Boy and for sending me a copy of the book in return for an honest review. It’s a privilege to share that review today.

Published by Melville House on 4th November 2021, The Bloodless Boy is available for purchase online and in all good bookshops including here.

The City of London, 1678. New Year’s Day. The body of a young boy, drained of his blood and with a sequence of numbers inscribed on his skin, is discovered on the snowy bank of the Fleet River.

With London gripped by hysteria, where rumours of Catholic plots and sinister foreign assassins abound, Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey, the powerful Justice of Peace for Westminster, is certain of Catholic guilt in the crime. He enlists Robert Hooke, the Curator of Experiments of the Royal Society, and his assistant, Harry Hunt, to help his enquiry.

Sir Edmund confides to Hooke that the bloodless boy is not the first to have been discovered. He also presents Hooke with a cipher that was left on the body.

That same morning Henry Oldenburg, the Secretary of the Royal Society, blows his brains out. A disgraced Earl is released from the Tower of London, bent on revenge against the King, Charles II.

Wary of the political hornet’s nest they are walking into – and using evidence rather than paranoia in their pursuit of truth – Hooke and Hunt must discover why the boy was murdered, and why his blood was taken. Moreover, what does the cipher mean?

My Review of The Bloodless Boy

A young boy’s body is found.

What a tour de force The Bloodless Boy is. I read it with a mixture of fascination and complete admiration for Robert J. Lloyd’s superb writing, it being both eloquent and entertaining. The narrative style fits the historical era perfectly but is still completely accessible to the modern reader.

The 1678 setting is magnificent. Descriptions place the reader so firmly at the heart of the action that it really is as if you’re there with Harry and Robert. Every sense is catered for and the level of authenticity this adds to The Bloodless Boy makes it a wonderfully immersive read. Not only is this historical writing of the best kind, but in The Bloodless Boy there is mystery, politics, religion, science and intrigue all rolled into one totally absorbing narrative. The assiduous level of research, added to the cast of real and imagined characters makes The Bloodless Boy an authentic read too. I found it mesmerising.

The plot races along. Short chapters make for a snappy pace as it’s hard not to read just one more because the story is so engaging. I loved the chapter headings that draw in the reader too. The events that are familiar to the reader, engaging them with the story, are overlaid with invented occurrences so that The Bloodless Boy really is the perfect blend of fact and fiction. That said, anyone not especially interested in history, but who loves a brilliant mystery would thoroughly enjoy this narrative. A reader doesn’t need to love historical fiction to be royally (pun not intended) entertained here.

I appreciated the inclusion of a character list at the beginning as there are several people to keep abreast of in the story. I loved the way real people are scattered through the pages because it made The Bloodless Boy feel all the more powerful a read, knowing that some of these people really existed. I’d never before heard of Robert Hooke but had studied John Locke at university so that I accepted without question Robert J. Lloyd’s convincing presentation of character. In amongst the schemers, the villains, the wealthy, the criminals, the insane and the ordinary people who leap from the pages here, it was Harry Hunt who engaged me most. His integrity and vulnerability balanced against his strength and ability to dissemble if needed made him a true hero.

Themes in The Bloodless Boy leave the reader reeling. Certainly aspects steeped in historical fact have the benefit of hindsight, but there’s so much to consider and ponder so that I keep thinking about the book now I’ve finished reading it.

The Bloodless Boy is multi-layered, beautifully written and deeply textured so that it is a magnificently entertaining and rewarding read. I thought it was excellent.

About Robert J. Lloyd

Robert J. Lloyd grew up in South London, Innsbruck, and Kinshasa (his parents worked in the British Foreign Service), and then in Sheffield, where he studied for a Fine Art degree, starting as a landscape painter but moving to film, performance, and installation. His MA thesis on Robert Hooke and the ‘New Philosophy’, inspired the ideas and characters in The Bloodless Boy. He lives in Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons. This is his first book.

You can follow Robert on Twitter @robjlloyd.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My enormous thanks to Rachel Quin at Farshore for sending me a delightful Christmassy package containing the children’s book The Christmas Carrolls by Mel Taylor-Bessent and illustrated by Selom Sunu. I’m delighted to share a review of The Christmas Carrolls today. You’ll also find more Christmassy reads as well as this one featured on Twinkl as part of their Christmas campaign.

Published by Harper Collins imprint Farshore on 14th October 2021, The Christmas Carrolls is available for purchase through these links.

The Christmas Carrolls

‘A Christmas book about kindness and cheer to make even Scrooge’s heart melt’ Dame Jacqueline Wilson

Funny festive middle grade about the world’s most Christmassy family from the founder of Authorfy, perfect for 8+ readers and fans of Matt Haig, Ben Miller, Sibeal Pounder’s Tinsel, and the Nativity! films

Wish it could be Christmas every day? Well, for nine-year-old Holly Carroll and her family, it is! Living her merriest life in a house with year-round fairy lights and Christmas trees, a carol-singing toilet and a diva donkey who thinks he’s a reindeer, home-schooled Holly tries to spread cheer wherever she goes.

But when she goes to a new school with a singing Santa backpack and first day Christmas cards (during a heatwave in September!), she realises not everyone shares her enthusiasm for spreading cheer. In fact, when the neighbours try to remove the Carrolls from the street and Holly discovers a group of children that may not get a Christmas at all, her snowglobe world begins to crack. Is the world’s most Christmassy girl about to lose her Christmas spirit?

The Christmas Carrolls is a heartwarming, hilarious and inclusive tale about the power of spreading cheer, the magic of friendship and what really matters at this most wonderful time of the year.

My Review of The Christmas Carrolls

Holly’s starting a new school.

The Christmas Carrolls is a smashing book for children. It’s pitched perfectly for middle grade readers so that it would make both a charming class reader and a lovely story to share in the home. As well as being a very entertaining, funny and moving story, The Christmas Carrolls is brilliantly illustrated by Selom Sunu so that less competent or more reluctant young readers have an extra dimension to engage them. I loved the way the acknowledgements are written by Holly rather than the author and thought the inclusion of a dictionary of Holly’s malapropisms and invented words was inspired. Children can have so much fun with these, making up their own vocabulary too. Certainly reading The Christmas Carrolls would alleviate any ‘worhusion’ a child might be suffering!

The plot is super as the Carrolls move into a new home and Holly starts a new school only to find not everyone is as enthusiastic about Christmas as they are. Whilst all is comfort and joy in Holly’s home she quickly finds herself something of an oddity and outsider at school and it is the themes of The Christmas Carrolls that make it such a perfect book for this age group. Fitting in at school, wanting to be liked, making friends, being individual, family life, and the real meaning and finding of happiness are all the issues children can explore through reading this book. I just loved the fact that Holly’s family is mixed race, made clear through the illustrations, because it gives status and acceptance to children living in such families. Add in Archer’s foster home experience and this really is an inclusive book.

The characters are so well drawn, but it is Holly who steals the show. She’s feisty, cheerful and a true individual. It’s wonderful how her unique personality becomes celebrated as she and other children learn that difference doesn’t equate to being wrong. That said, Archer has a special place in my heart as a reader. I found him sensitively portrayed and a wonderful example of not taking others for granted.

I thought The Christmas Carrolls was a brilliant children’s book. Sparkling with Christmas joy and fun, but with a strongly positive message of community and belonging, The Christmas Carrolls is destined to be an annual favourite, becoming every bit as much a tradition of Christmas as those employed by the Carroll family.

About Mel Taylor-Bessent

Mel has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. In fact, one of her favourite childhood memories was when she found her Great Grandmother’s typewriter hidden under the stairs and she spent her whole summer holiday working on her latest ‘masterpiece’. It came as no surprise that Mel followed her passion for writing into university, and after graduating with a Creative Writing degree, she set up her own company at the age of 22 and ran creative writing after school clubs for children aged 7+.

‘Little Star Writing’ grew so quickly that Mel developed a training scheme for 150+ tutors, wrote weekly lesson plans and even ran workshops across Europe, organised two literary festivals and arranged more than 200 author events.

And Mel’s love for writing and children’s books didn’t stop there . . . A few years later, she developed an online platform that brought children all over the world closer to their favourite authors. She called it ‘Authorfy’ and it quickly became one of the leading literacy websites with videos and resources from authors such as Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen, Cressida Cowell and Anthony Horowitz. After winning a few awards, partnering with all major children’s publishers and running campaigns with the likes of World Book Day and BookTrust, Mel returned to her own writing in 2020 and The Christmas Carrolls, the first in a three-book series, was published in October 2021.

For further information, visit Mel’s website, follow her on Twitter @MelTBessent and Instagram. You’ll also find Mel on Facebook.

About Selom Sunu

Selom Sunu studied MA Character Animation at Central Saint Martins in 2016 and since then has balanced a day job with freelance Illustration and Character Design.

Selom is rarely without a pencil in hand and characters are at the heart of everything he creates.

He is a devoted Christian and lives in London with his wife and daughter. Selom’s other interests are singing, playing football, creative writing (poetry), acting and board games.

You can follow Selom on Twitter @MrSunu and visit his website for more information. You’ll also find Selom on Instagram.

As you know, I’m trying to cut back on blog tours but I simply couldn’t resist this latest one for Sue Moorcroft’s Under the Mistletoe. You’ll realise how much I enjoy Sue’s writing when I share other Linda’s Book Bag posts with and about her below! I’d like to thank the Romantic Novelist Association’s Media Star of the Year, Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources, for inviting me to participate and Avon Books for sending me a copy of Under the Mistletoe in return for an honest review.

Before I share that review, here are the other times Sue has featured. Just click on the titles to read more:

My review of Under the Italian Sun

My review of Summer on a Sunny Island

My review of Let It Snow

Discussing One Summer in Italy

An interview with Sue Moorcroft

A guest post from Sue on over-sharing and my review of The Christmas Promise

A guest post from Sue on her fantasy holiday companions

My review of Just For The Holidays

A guest post from Sue on loving a village book

My review of The Little Village Christmas

My review of A Christmas Gift

Under the Mistletoe was published by Harper Collins imprint Avon on 28th October 2021 and is available for purchase through the links here.

Under the Mistletoe

Snuggle up with a mince pie, a cup of cocoa and the most heartwarming book this Christmas from the bestselling Sue Moorcroft.

Christmas. A time for family, friends – and rekindling old flames…

When Laurel returns to the village of Middledip, she’s looking for a quiet life. Adjusting to her recent divorce, she’s ready to spend some time getting back on her feet amidst the glorious snow-dusted countryside.

Yet, life in Middledip is far from straightforward. Coming to the aid of her sister, Rea, as she navigates her own troubles, Laurel barely has a moment to think about where her own life is going.

However, time stands still when she sees her old flame, Grady Cassidy – and it’s soon as if they’ve never been apart. But through her happiness, Laurel remembers why she left the village all those years ago, as she recalls a dark night and Grady’s once-wayward brother, Mac…

Can Laurel learn to forgive and forget? Or will her chances of Christmas under the mistletoe with Grady remain a dream?

An enchanting, festive read, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Carole Matthews.

My Review of Under the Mistletoe

Laurel has returned to Middledip.

Quite honestly, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a book from Sue Moorcroft, and in Under the Mistletoe, the spirit of Christmas shines through in so many ways that the book is a true embodiment of the season. There are kisses under the mistletoe, Christmas fairs, repeats on TV, traditional food and gorgeous gifts that mean any reader can relate to the story and feel immersed in the narrative. I thought the artistic aspect of the book was wonderful. The painting and crafting left me inspired to try something new for myself and it was obvious that Sue Moorcroft has researched techniques brilliantly.

It was just lovely to return to the Middledip setting with new and familiar characters, but anyone not having read one of Sue Moorcroft’s previous books set here can simply enjoy the story as a standalone read. I loved the cold descriptions of snow, frost and fog that help build a Christmassy feeling as they are balanced by warmth through hot chocolates and relationships so that Under the Mistletoe feels just perfectly presented.

Laurel’s return to Middledip is precipitated by several events that help build the plot and make Under the Mistletoe a really engrossing read. Whilst this is an uplifting and positive book, many of the themes have a deeper and more emotionally affecting aspect that give Under the Mistletoe layer upon layer of interest. Emotional baggage, trauma and the way the past affects our present are particularly engaging and I felt that Sue Moorcroft had really uncovered the human soul in this book whilst making it an entertaining and joyful read. That’s very skilful writing. The deeper, darker aspects of the story don’t detract from the wonderfully positive experience of reading Under the Mistletoe where there is humour and enthusiasm, particularly through the glorious Daisy, community spirit and love in many forms.

I thought Laurel was perfectly drawn and I was frustrated by her self-destructive inability to move on from her past. That said, she was presented so sensitively, and so realistically that I understood completely why she is as she is. Her relationships with Alex, Grady and Mac feel authentic and, consequently, very moving.

It’s always so tricky to say too much without spoiling the read for others, but alongside a top quality romantic read in Under the Mistletoe there’s warmth, depth and a totally engrossing story that is perfect escapism for a winter’s afternoon. I thought it was just lovely.

About Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author and has reached the coveted #1 spot on Amazon Kindle UK as well as top 100 in the US. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award and the Katie Fforde Bursary. Sue’s emotionally compelling, feel-good novels are currently released by publishing giant HarperCollins in the UK, US and Canada and by other publishers around the world. She’s also well known for short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses. Born in Germany into an army family, Sue spent much of her childhood in Cyprus and Malta but settled in Northamptonshire, England aged ten. She loves reading, Formula 1, travel, time spent with friends, dance exercise and yoga.

You can follow Sue on Twitter @SueMoorcroft, find her on Instagram and Facebook and visit her website.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s an absolute pleasure to start off the Swift Press blog tour for To the Lake by Yana Vagner. My grateful thanks to Rachel Nobilo for inviting me to participate and for sending me a copy of To the Lake in return for an honest review.

To the Lake is published by Swift, today, 4th November 2021 and is available for purchase through these links.

To the Lake

A deadly flu epidemic sweeps through Moscow, killing hundreds of thousands. Anya and her husband Sergey decide they have no choice but to flee to a lake in the far north of Russia.

Joining them on their journey are her son and father-in-law; Sergey’s ex-wife and son; and their garish neighbours. But then some friends of Sergey show up to complete Anya’s list of people she’d least like to be left with at the end of the civilised world.

As the wave of infection expands from the capital, their food and fuel start to run low. Menaced both by the harsh Russian winter and by the desperate people they encounter, they must put their hatreds behind them if they’re to have a chance of reaching safety…

Inspired by a real-life flu epidemic in Moscow, To the Lake was a number one bestseller in Russia, and has now appeared in a dozen languages and been adapted into a Netflix TV series.

My Review of To the Lake

Anya is escaping a deadly virus.

I’ll be honest and say I was completely dubious about reading a book about a deadly virus causing a pandemic, and I’m not keen on dystopian type fiction, but from the very first page of To the Lake I was completely hooked by Yana Vagner’s writing so flawlessly translated by Maria Wiltshire. There’s a familiar sense of disbelief, unreality and panic that felt utterly authentic and compelling.

I thought To the Lake was a brilliant book. I think the sense of connection the reader has through understanding the panic, the need to keep away from infected people and the desire to keep loved ones safe that so many of us have endured makes To the Lake all the more affecting.

The plot is simple on one level. A group of people travel by vehicle as far away as possible from the pandemic. However, that is to belie the dramatic scenes and events littered along the journey, so perfectly balanced against more prosaic moments of the need to eat and sleep so that To the Lake feels completely authentic and possible, at the same time as being exciting and horrifying. Whilst there are hugely dynamic and exciting moments, for me it is the quieter moments, the psychological uncovering of behaviour through Anya’s first person narrative, that make this such a compelling story.

Anya’s voice is absolutely true. Her insecurities about Sergey and Ira, her love for Mishka and her difficult relationships with others like Boris and Marina make To the Lake a fascinating insight into a normal, troubled, flawed and realistic human mind. I’m not entirely sure I’d like Anya in real life, but my goodness Yana Vagner made me care about what happened to her and ensured I understood her completely. This is such clever and interesting writing.

What is so astounding in To the Lake is that whilst it has an atmosphere of dystopia about it, it also rings clear and true for today’s world too. The primal instinct for survival, sometimes at any cost, the basic human requirements for food and shelter, the breakdown of society in challenging times, suspicion balanced by altruism all add up to a narrative that is raw, exciting and engrossing, drawing in the reader almost against their will.

I’m unsurprised that To the Lake has become a television series. Yana Vagner’s writing is so dynamic. Her descriptions of the snow, the cold, the villages all paint a wonderful image in the reader’s mind so that I felt as if I were on the journey with Anya et al.

Dramatic, intense and realistically terrifying, To The Lake is a book I won’t forget in a hurry. I thought it was excellent

About Yana Vagner

Yana Vagner was born in 1973 to a bilingual Soviet family of a Czech mother and a Russian father. After graduating from the Russian State University for the Humanities in 1994 and, up until 2010, she worked as a translator and a manager in a logistics company. Yana had always been keen on post-apocalyptic stories.

A short while ago I attended my old school reunion as a result of which I came into contact with Michael Davis who also attended the same school. Well of course, once I realised Michael had written a book I simply had to invite him on to Linda’s Book Bag to stay in with me and tell me all about it.

Staying in with Michael Davis

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Michael and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

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

I have brought my first novella, Virgin on the Ridiculous, which I am very proud of. Not having written a book before, it was an unexpected achievement to write and self-publish it on Amazon. It provides a slightly exaggerated record of the times I have spent on the water with my partner during our sailing holidays in beautiful destinations around the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

I think we could all do with a trip to the Caribbean at the moment. It’s far too long since I’ve been! What can we expect from an evening in with Virgin on the Ridiculous?

I hope an evening in with Virgin on the Ridiculous, will find you laughing out loud.

Well I love the word play in the title!

We follow the hero, Michael, as he desperately tries to impress his new girlfriend Jet, who he has persuaded to join him sailing in the Caribbean. Despite his valiant attempts, his incompetence as a novice skipper inevitably leads to repeated incidents of near disaster. As the holiday progresses, we also learn how Michael was introduced to the challenging and rewarding sport of sailing with its unique language and abundance of interesting characters. We follow his journey from it’s innocent beginnings learning to sail a dinghy while suffering a cataclysmic hangover to gaining his first experience on a yacht in a near gale on the Solent.

I would love to imagine that the vivid imagery and sense of adventure in my book, would tempt you into a boat and go sailing. As one reviewer put it – “It made me fall in love with sailing whilst making me fear that I may never be seen again if I attempted to pursue it.”

That’s a brilliant response.

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

I have brought a selection of photographs from the British Virgin Islands, where the tale unfolds. These are pictures of sun-kissed beaches, emerald seas and Jet and Michael soaking wet in flimsy waterproofs – Well it was the height of the hurricane season!  Plus a bottle of Caribbean rum to add to the cocktails we can enjoy during the interview.

Hmm. Not sure about that rum. I’m not a big drinker and the last time I was in the Caribbean on a snorkelling trip the boat owner took a shine to me and plied me with rum punch on the trip back. I hadn’t quite realised the potency, thinking it was just a fruity drink. I couldn’t walk in a straight line when I got back to shore!

I started writing the book while lying on a beach in the Canary Islands. At the time I was simply recollecting memories of the sailing holidays my partner and I had narrowly survived. I found myself enjoying the process to such an extent that I persevered and surprised myself by finishing the story. I even succeeded in giving it an ending which would prompt me to write a sequel. Consequently, I have now finished my second book, Down the Hatch, about the strange goings on at the sailing club I belong to. Recently I have challenged myself with the ambitious task of completing a trilogy with a tale about the two of us living on a yacht in the Mediterranean.

Congratulations on both books Michael. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Virgin on the Ridiculous.

Virgin on the Ridiculous

A light hearted tale of the ridiculous mishaps suffered by a novice skipper in his desperate attempts to impress the feisty Jet as they sail around the British Virgin Islands.

Virgin on the Ridiculous is available for purchase here.

About Michael Davis

Michael Davis is a school teacher living in Kent. He loves to travel, trying to fulfil his ambition to visit every continent. He plays the guitar and sings having played at venues around the country including The Rock Garden in London. His love of sport involves him in playing football, basketball and golf in his more sedate moments. He caught the sailing bug late in life, initially in dinghies and now owns a small yacht moored on the River Thames. He tries to charter a yacht in a new destination each year and hopes to spend a prolonged period sailing around the Mediterranean in the future.

You’ll find Michael on Facebook.