I’m delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for Kitty Stuck by Emma Pullar, illustrated by Beth Pullar as I adore cats so what could be better than a picture book for review. I’d like to thank the author for a copy of Kitty Stuck in return for an honest review.

Kitty Stuck is published by A Spark in the Sand, a publisher dedicated to encouraging young people to pursue their dreams, both by publishing works created by young people and through books which engage their imagination and inspire them to ‘Dream Big and Work Hard’. Kitty Stuck, being illustrated by 12 year old Beth, was a perfect fit for the publishing company’s ethos. They hope to encourage more young people to pursue their passion in this way.

Published on 2nd August 2018, Kitty Stuck is available for purchase here.

Kitty Stuck

Here kitty kitty…
Kitty is a calamitous cat who keeps finding himself in sticky situations.

Luckily, his loving family help him get unstuck.

My Review of Kitty Stuck

Kitty keeps getting stuck – in all kinds of places.

Oh, I loved this picture book for children and in fact I only have one complaint about it – the marketing says it is for children aged 0-7. Huh! I don’t see why they should have it! Kitty Stuck would make a fantastic present for cat lovers of all ages. I thought it was just wonderful. I especially liked the image of Kitty stuck in a bowl!

However, given that this IS a book for children, I’d better make some comments about it with that in mind.

Firstly, I think the pictures are stunning. They are funny and engaging, bright and vibrant. The expressions on Kitty’s face are so evocative of Kitty’s feelings that they really entertain. I found them joyous and uplifting and they often made me laugh. I loved the added extra of trying to find an image where Mouse is missing so that reading Kitty Stuck is an interactive experience too. There’s just enough extra detail in the pictures (such as the question mark by Mouse when Kitty is hiding) to allow discussion between adult and child too. I appreciated the fact that this seems to be a multi-ethnic family too as encouraging diversity is so important in a child’s formative years.

The balance of text to image is perfect and the cursive style is naive enough to appeal to children whilst still being totally legible so that independent readers can access it. I liked the variety of vocabulary and the rhyme scheme that works so well. Again, words like ‘box’ and ‘socks’ afford an educational opportunity for older children to find out about homophones, homonyms and rhyme.

Kitty Stuck is a really lovely book for children (and adults) that is accessible, educational and totally, totally enjoyable. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

About Emma and Beth Pullar

Kitty Stuck is Emma Pullar’s second children’s book. Her first, Curly from Shirley, was a national bestseller and named best opening lines by New Zealand Post. Upon her return to the UK Emma shifted her writing focus to writing dark novels for adults until recently, when inspired by her 12 year old daughter Beth’s drawings of the family cat Rupert, she took up her pen and wrote Kitty Stuck.

Beth, a talented and dedicated young illustrator, hopes to use her royalties to develop her work by investing in art supplies, software and education.

You can follow Emma on Twitter @EmmaStoryteller and Instagram or visit her website for more details. You’ll also find Emma on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I really like the collaborative and supportive philosophy of publishing that Unbound has and I’m delighted to welcome another of their authors, Catherine McNamara to Linda’s Book Bag to stay in with me today.

Staying in with Catherine McNamara

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

Thank you so much for having me and my book!

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

I’ve brought along my new short story collection The Cartography of Others, recently published by Unbound. It’s a collection of twenty stories set from Mali to Sydney, from Paris to Hong Kong, from London to Ghana, and it’s been praised by Hilary Mantel. I’m hoping to share with readers a little of what inspired me to produce this collection.

(Gosh, Hilary Mantel is quite an endorsement. I love travel so I think The Cartography of Others will be just my kind of read.)

What can we expect from an evening in with The Cartography of Others?

The stories in The Cartography of Others explore the boundaries between people and the alluring otherness of place, the migration of the body and the heart. There is a lot of atmospheric story-telling about desire, place, disappointment, redemption, and the characters include musicians, travellers, infertile women, migrants, victims of illness or accidents, old lovers reuniting or new lovers forging tenuous alliances. I lived for many years in West Africa, and the rest of my adult life in Italy, France and Belgium, so the stories reflect my desire to find a place, understand the people around me, absorb unfamiliar environments and make a space there for my dreams.

(This sounds just wonderful to me. I may have well over 900 physical and more e-books than I dare count on my TBR but I can feel another one might be added now!)

Hilary Mantel read the collection and said, “McNamara’s work has a fierce, vital beat, her stories robust yet finely worked,her voice striking in its confidence and originality. She writes with sensuous precision and a craft that is equally precise. This is fiction that can stand up in any company.”

(You must be utterly thrilled by that comment Catherine. Wow!)

What else have you brought along and why?

I used to have an art gallery in Ghana so I’ve brought along a sculpture from Ivory Coast that is a favourite piece. A Baule woman who for me firstly represents bold and timeless African art forms in the face of colonialism, and secondly, the beauty of all womanhood. It’s a tribute to the places and people that inspired me, and a symbol of the sensuality at the heart of my stories.

(I love it – so evocative of both womanhood and Africa.)

I’ve also brought a photo of myself and my youngest child, born in Ghana.

Throughout the time I was there I lived hard and travelled a lot, observed everything that happened around me and thus gained material for many of the stories that make up this book. At the time this photo was taken I was doing everything but writing, so it’s also a sign to all of us that there are times when you let your life itself guide and enrich you, and other times when you must get your act together and work. It’s been a long ride from that shot to the publication of this book and I am grateful for it!

(I love that image. It looks to me as if you’re both moving on from your past at the same time as heading for a new adventure.)

Thank you so much for staying in with me Catherine to chat about The Cartography of Others. I think the stories sound fantastic and I’ve so enjoyed hearing your philosophy of life too.

Thank you for having me Linda. It’s been lovely to share some thoughts about The Cartography of Others.

The Cartography of Others

A Japanese soprano sets sail for arid, haunted Corsica where she seeks her lost voice. A nude woman at the window of a Hong Kong hotel watches her lover dine in an adjacent building, but is her desire faltering? With a young son and her photographer partner, a journalist traverses Mali to interview an irascible musician. A son relives his mother’s last hours before a hiking accident in the Italian Dolomites, while in London a grieving family takes in an ex-soldier from the Balkan wars, unaware of the man’s demons.

The Cartography of Others takes us from fumy Accra to suburban Sydney, from scruffy Paris to pre-fundamentalist Mali. Each bewitchingly recounted story conveys a location as vital as the fitful, contemplative characters themselves. Lives are mapped, unpicked and crafted, across vivid lingering terrains.

The Cartography of Others is available for purchase here.

About Catherine McNamara

Catherine McNamara grew up in Sydney, ran away to Paris, and ended up in West Africa running a bar. She was an embassy secretary in pre-war Mogadishu, and has worked as an au pair, graphic designer, translator and shoe model. Her collection The Cartography of Others came out in May 2018 with Unbound. Her book Pelt and Other Stories was long-listed for the Frank O’Connor Award and semi-finalist in the Hudson Prize. Her work has been Pushcart-nominated and published in the U.K., Europe, U.S.A. and Australia. Catherine lives in Italy.

You can find Catherine on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @catinitaly and Instagram.

It’s a real delight to review children’s books as they are a far cry from the Enid Blyton ones I loved as a child. I have featured Maverick Books on Linda’s Book Bag before when I reviewed the brilliant Buttercup Sunshine and the Zombies of Dooooom by Colin Mulhern here.

This time I’m reviewing a couple of books for younger readers; The Pop Puffin by Jill Atkins, illustrated by Kelly Breemer and King Carl and the Wish by Clare Helen Welsh and illustrated by Marina Pessarrodona. Both books are part of Maverick’s Early Reader range.

The Pop Puffin

Puffin wants to be a pop singer, but he needs to find a band.

Other birds join in with Puffin’s singing.

Will it be a good show?

The Pop Puffin is available for pre-order here and will be released on 28th August 2018.

King Carl and the Wish

King Carl is at the fair. He hurls a hoop and wins one wish from a wizard!

What will King Carl wish for?

King Carl and the Wish is available for pre-order here and will be released on 28th August 2018.

My Review of The Pop Puffin and King Carl and the Wish

These two books form part of Maverick Books‘ Early Reader Series within the Institute of Education book banding system and you’ll find the full selection of books here.

Both books are beautifully produced. They are just the right size for young children to handle and have the perfect length to keep focus and attention without overwhelming. The use of repetition helps reinforce the sounds and spellings in the vocabulary and there is sufficient challenge so that new words can be learnt too. The stories are fun and interesting.

The balance of text to image is just right. The images are really lovely as colours are vibrant and eye-catching with a style children can relate to and will love. As well as promoting literacy, both book have excellent value in other areas of the curriculum. Oracy and memory are helped by the small quiz sections at the end of the books and in King Carl and the Wish in particular, numeracy and counting to five are woven throughout the story. I can envisage The Pop Puffin as a brilliant way in to project work or Forest School activities for example, as children learn about different birds.

I thought The Pop Puffin and King Carl and the Wish were just delightful. They’re fun, vibrant, educational and entertaining. This series is perfect for school or home and children will love the books.

About the Authors and Illustrators

Jill Atkins

Jill lives with her husband in West Sussex, where she loves being near the sea. She has two grown-up children and five grandchildren. She used to be a teacher and now regularly helps in her local school.

Jill has loved books ever since she can remember and often read by torchlight under the bedclothes long after her mum told her to go to sleep. She has always enjoyed writing stories, and began storytelling when her two younger brothers were small. Her first book was published over 20 years ago and she’s had more than 70 books published so far, and counting!

Kelly Breemer

Kelly is a freelance illustrator based in the Netherlands. You can find out about her work by following her on Twitter @kellybreemer, finding her on Facebook or visiting her website.

Clare Helen Welsh

Clare lives in Devon with her husband and two children. She has over ten years experience teaching in primary schools – her colleagues say she never thinks small and when Clare says ‘I’ve got a good idea!’…they usually run and hide!

It was in 2013 that Clare began putting her wild imagination to good use writing picture books. In 2013 she won The Margaret Carey Scholarship for Picture Book Writers and in 2014 she was awarded Silver Medal in the Greenhouse Funny Prize for her picture book, Aerodynamics of Biscuits.

You can follow Helen on Twitter @ClareHelenWelsh and visit her website for more information. You’ll also find Clare on Facebook.

Marina Pessarrodona

Originally from Barcelona, Marina lives in Lyon. You’ll find Marina on Facebook and Instagram and can visit her website here.

I’ve had Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey on my TBR since it was first released but never got round to reading it so I was delighted when it was chosen as our August book in the U3A reading group to which I belong.

Elizabeth is Missing is published by Penguin and is available for purchase through the links here.

Elizabeth is Missing

Meet Maud.

Maud is forgetful. She makes a cup of tea and doesn’t remember to drink it. She goes to the shops and forgets why she went. Sometimes her home is unrecognizable – or her daughter Helen seems a total stranger.

But there’s one thing Maud is sure of: her friend Elizabeth is missing. The note in her pocket tells her so. And no matter who tells her to stop going on about it, to leave it alone, to shut up, Maud will get to the bottom of it.

Because somewhere in Maud’s damaged mind lies the answer to an unsolved seventy-year-old mystery. One everyone has forgotten about.

Everyone, except Maud . . .

My Review of Elizabeth is Missing

Maud has one thing on her mind – to find Elizabeth.

A confession. Initially I wasn’t keen on Elizabeth is Missing and I don’t really know why, although I’ll say more about that later. Perhaps it was a book I wasn’t in the mood to read. However, as this was a book for my reading group and the members I spoke to were all raving about it I carried on. Before I knew what had happened I was completely absorbed in the narrative and loving every carefully crafted, poignant and perfectly placed word. I ended up thinking Elizabeth is Missing was just wonderful!

Although there’s plenty in the plot to enjoy and uncover, I genuinely felt that the plot didn’t really matter. For me, the sheer delight in reading Elizabeth is Missing was in meeting Maud, in understanding who she is and why she is!

Maud is such a magnificent creation. Her failing memory, her dementia and her determination make her someone the reader cannot help but care about. Anyone who has encountered a loved one with similar issues will find the resonances so touching and realistic. My heart went out to Helen, Maud’s daughter. I had total empathy with her as her life is affected by her mother’s illness and obsessions. I think Elizabeth is Missing could provide solace for some readers and genuine insight for others. This is such beautifully modulated writing. The fact that this is Maud’s first person account makes it all the more affecting.

The structure of Elizabeth is Missing is brilliant. The sections segue between past memories and present events seamlessly so that Maud’s reasoning is perfectly understandable, even when she is most confused. The kaleidoscopic refractions of her memories are echoed by the items she collects and manipulates, giving the reader a true comprehension of who she is, making her warm, human and genuine. I thought the way the strands of the narrative are drawn together was so skilfully crafted that I ended the book with huge admiration for Emma Healey’s writing.

Having begun reading not entirely sure I was going to appreciate Elizabeth is Missing I ended the process completely convinced that I had read a book of true quality. I even wonder if my hesitancy at the beginning was deliberately created by the author – I had my doubts about Maud in the same way those around her in the story have doubts about her memories and recollections. And she is a somewhat unreliable narrator after all. However, through accomplished and consummate writing I was drawn in to the story until I felt I was almost a part of it too.

Elizabeth is Missing is a moving, emotional book that leaves an almost physical sensation in the heart of the reader. I loved it.

About Emma Healey

Emma Healey, a former bookseller, grew up in London where she went to art college and completed her first degree in bookbinding. She then worked for two libraries, two bookshops, two art galleries and two universities, and was busily pursuing a career in the art world before writing overtook everything. She moved to Norwich in 2010 to study for the MA in Creative Writing at UEA and never moved back again. Elizabeth is Missing, her first novel, was a Sunday Times Bestseller, won the Costa First Novel Award 2014 and was shortlisted for the National Book Awards Popular Fiction Book of the Year.

You can follow Emma on Twitter @ECHealey and visit her website. You’ll also find her on Facebook, Goodreads and Instagram.

With books dropping through my letterbox and into my inbox daily, it takes one that is a little bit different to catch my attention. When Rosa Fedele contacted me about her latest book, and having featured her here on Linda’s Book Bag before when The Red Door was published, I was intrigued and had to invite her to stay in with me and tell me more!

Staying in with Rosa Fedele

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

Hi Linda. So excited to join you and your fellow book- and (I hope!) art-lovers!

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

I’ve brought along my new illustrated suspense, The Legacy of Beauregarde, that came out into the world on 10^th July!

Oh. That sounds a bit different. Congratulations and belated Happy Publication Day. What can we expect from an evening in with The Legacy of Beauregarde?

This novel is a decadent and eccentric tableau of theatre and treachery, old secrets and betrayals; exploring friendship, guilt and obsession, and slipping between characters to gradually reveal a century-old mystery.

(It sounds fascinating. Tell me a bit more.)

It’s the second in my series of illustrated novels, after The Red Door, again taking place in Australia of the past: this time the year is 1990 and we are in a leafy and delicious part of Sydney named Hunters Hill.

As I wrote the story, the characters emerged in my mind and I’d make a sketch or paint a picture to illustrate exactly what my main protagonista looked like or how I imagined the front door of The Peach Pit to be. I always invite my social media followers along on the journey, to watch the illustrations evolve from inception through to the final image.Some of these paintings were discarded, some filed away … and only sixteen made the final cut.

(What a fascinating process.)

Here’s one that nearly got scrapped but was saved and became one of my secondary characters:

(Actually, I’m thinking of asking you to leave right now Rosa. No-one should be that talented! You’re making me feel very inadequate.)

Each of my books is built around an iconic Sydney building. The Seminary was inspired by an old Abbey; as in the book it is a majestic estate previously owned by the Catholic Church. Here’s how it looked circa 1880:

And here’s my main lady, Marcela: a beautiful, empowered, tenacious, yet troubled, soul.

(That’s such a beautiful image Rosa.)

Marcela and her family have lived beside The Seminary for four generations.After twenty years of abandonment, the Gothic Revival manor, steeped in both fanciful legend and rumours of haunting, is in dire need of heavy renovations.

The building is purchased by a wealthy couple with deep personal issues, and the wife is filled with grand ideas of how to remodel it. Not only that, she has arranged to have the renovation followed by a television crew (much like an Australian version of UK’s Grand Designs or America’s HGTV).

And that’s when Marcela’s problems begin.

(I love the sound of The Legacy of Beauregarde.)

Here’s a passage from the book, wherein Marcela tells a story of The Seminary and the great storm of 1899:

“‘1899 was a terrible year for the residents of Hunters Hill: beginning with a two-month drought which hit farmers and fruit-growers hard. Hot winds blew in from the desert, and bushfires struck. For weeks after, the town was shrouded in a layer of ash and red dust; gritty powder on every surface, clouding every window and crusting the sills, the fine cinereal dust coating every jug of fresh morning milk and gritting the corner of every eye.

‘Then, a boatload of patients from the Lunatic Asylum at Tarban Creek escaped, swam to Hunters Hill and terrorised the village. Mayor Joubert advised the frightened townsfolk to barricade their doors and protect their wives and children but, despite the heightened security, the Postmaster’s daughter was found one morning, dead and disfigured, on the steps of the Post Office, right next to the Wharf. The girl’s death sent shockwaves throughout the village, and many of the wealthier residents, including Justice Manning and the Camberwells, fled the peninsula to their country retreats in Bowral and Wentworth Falls. Even the family Jeanneau closed up their home and sailed on the next ship back to Europe. The Postmaster’s daughter had scarcely been buried when fierce storms hit the eastern seaboard and flooded the entire township, torrential rains collecting the ochre dust and forming churning rivers of red, down the cobbled streets and towards the harbour. Massive landslides occurred along the coastline, the ships slipped at Mort’s Dock sustaining great damage and many homes were washed away. The only positive outcome of the inundation was that the escaped lunatics were eventually found, concealed in a coastal cave, rounded up and shot. And it was during these storms the new priest appeared – a Frenchman who they said hailed from the Abbey at Vitreux – and moved into the Tower.

‘Nobody saw him enter; one day the Tower sat empty, the next day he had taken up residence in the topmost room. “He can’t speak English,” one of the brothers hinted. Another one laughed and told him he doesn’t speak at all. “He’s a Trappist, a member of the order who believes speech disturbs a disciple’s quietude and receptivity, strict observers of contemplative silence.” Cloaked in pale grey broadcloth and silent as death, they sometimes saw him staring out at them from the west window. “Why is he here?” asked one. “He seems awfully young,” remarked another. But the Rector refused to divulge any more information about the new tenant, his meals were passed through the door twice a day and, after the initial excitement, the denizens of The Seminary stopped thinking about him altogether … until some months later, when the Grey Friar’s body was found smashed and broken in the courtyard below.’

Claudia sat motionless, her mouth open. ‘Does anyone know why?’ she asked. The apple, unfinished and starting to brown, was cupped in her hand.

‘Beatriz suggested that he got expelled from his people in France and sent out here as punishment, that his shame was so great he flung himself from the window. That was what she told me and what everyone was led to believe …’

A cloud passed over, darkening the room. Marcela frowned. It felt as though the Tower itself was objecting to her tale and had thrown a disapproving shadow across the lane.

‘… but my mother had a different story.’

She stopped talking then and gazed out at the old Red Bloodwood, swishing and swaying with the wind.”

(Brilliant Rosa. You’ve really made me want to read The Legacy of Beauregarde now.)

I’ve loved what you’ve brought so far Rosa. What else have you brought along and why?

I’ve brought a little bit of trivia:

One of my characters, Stu, is a tradie working on the site of The Seminary. He’s also a finalist in a national music competition, similar to Idol or X Factor. The song he sings Gave Up On Me was composed by Aussie musician and actor, Domenica.

And, as they read the book, readers can listen to the tune here! Cool, hey?

(Very!)

It has been wonderful staying in with you to discuss The Legacy of Beauregarde Rosa. I’m so glad you came back to the blog. Thanks for staying in with me.

Thanks so much, Linda, for having me along and allowing me to wantonly inundate your blog with art, architecture and music. I hope you all enjoy reading The Legacy of Beauregarde as much as I loved writing it and, of course, creating the illustrations. Happy reading!

Thanks Rosa!

The Legacy of Beauregarde

‘You could lose someone down there, couldn’t you?

Anyone could get buried under the concrete slab, and no one would even know!’

The Beauregarde women have lived in the shadow of The Seminary for four generations. And there is nothing conventional about Marcela, or her family.

When the decadent and obsessive Gordana acquires the iconic Sydney property and invites a television crew to film the building’s transformation into a magnificent showpiece, strangers suddenly penetrate Marcela’s world, each with a dark secret of their own.

But Marcela conceals a sinister bond which inextricably ties her to the derelict estate, holding the power to not only unravel Gordana’s grand designs, but expose bloodstained treachery, long-buried betrayals and lies.

The Legacy of Beauregarde available for purchase here.

About Rosa Fedele

Graduate of the prestigious Julian Ashton Art School and finalist in many prizes including the 2017 Portia Geach Memorial Art Award, Rosa has exhibited at NSW Parliament House and Parliament House Canberra, as well as numerous galleries and exhibitions in Australia and worldwide. Rosa has studied at the NSW Writers Centre and is a regular contributor to arts magazines where she prepares articles and comprehensive tutorials.

“I love the dramatic use of light and colour, and often veer off into the world of whimsy, painting whatever takes my fancy – whether urban scenes or vintage cars. My style is constantly changing and evolving, and I’m always looking for fresh stimulation.  I am thankful that I am able to fulfil my passion for painting and writing, and the opportunities to capture a little moment of beauty to be enjoyed by future generations.”

Her debut novel, The Red Door, an illustrated suspense set in Sydney of the past, was a fulfilment of a lifelong dream, to interweave a story with pictures and draw the reader into her own bewitching, and slightly dark-edged, world. Her next illustrated novel The Legacy of Beauregarde is out 10^th July 2018.

You can follow Rosa on Twitter @rosafedeleart and if you’d like to order your very own limited edition print or giclée, see Rosa’s web site for more details. Rosa is also on Facebook.

It’s so exciting being part of the start of a book’s life and I’m thrilled to be helping to reveal My Name is Anna by Lizzie Barber.

This enthralling debut thriller about a young woman’s quest to uncover her identity will be published by Century, Penguin Random House in e-book on 6^th November 2018, and in hardback on 10^th January 2019.

My Name is Anna

Two sisters desperate to unlock the truth. But how much will they sacrifice to lay the past to rest?

Anna is eighteen today. She has been taught by her Mamma that cleanliness and purity are the path to God. But Anna is rebelling. She’s waited her whole life to visit Florida’s biggest theme park and now she’s going against her Mamma’s wishes. So why, when Anna arrives, is she so certain she’s been there before?

Rosie has grown up in the shadow of a missing sister she barely remembers. Her parents’ relationship has been fractured by fifteen years of searching for their daughter. Now Rosie is determined to uncover the truth, however painful, before it tears her family apart…

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to read My Name is Anna!)

About Lizzie Barber

Lizzy Barber studied English at Cambridge University and works as the head of brand and marketing for a restaurant group. Her debut novel, My Name is Anna, was the winner of the Daily Mail crime writing competition and she is currently hard at work on her next thriller. Lizzy lives in London with her husband.

You can follow Lizzy on Twitter @ByLizzyBarber #MyNameIs. You can also visit Lizzie’s website.

Having read and enjoyed Life’s A Drag by Janie Millman, my review of which you can read here, I was delighted to be asked by Emily Glenister to be part of the launch celebrations for Sky’s the Limit, Janie’s new book. I’m sharing my review of Sky’s the Limit today but even better from my point of view, I get the chance to ask Janie all about the book too.

Published yesterday, 2nd August 2018 by The Dome Press, Sky’s the Limit is available for purchase here.

Sky’s the Limit

Sky is devastated when she finds that her husband is in love with someone else, even more that it is her oldest friend Nick. She has lost the two most important men in her life and can’t ever trust either of them again. To escape, she goes alone on a dream trip to Marrakesh and meets Gail, on a mission to meet the father of her child, a man she loved but thought did not want her.

In Marrakesh, Sky and Gail both find unexpected joys – and surprises. For Sky these lead to France, to a beautiful chateau and a family whose relationships seem as complicated as her own.

An Interview With Janie Millman

Thanks so much for agreeing to answer my questions about Sky’s the Limit Janie. Firstly, Sky’s the Limit feels slightly different in style to Life’s A Drag. What would you say to that assessment?

To be honest I hadn’t give much thought to the difference in style before!

I guess the main difference is that Sky’s The Limit is written in the first person whereas Life’s A Drag is in the third. In Sky’s the Limit, it is clear who the main protagonist is whereas there are several in Life’s A Drag.

Most of the action in Life’s A Drag happens simultaneously between Suffolk and San Francisco whereas in Sky’s The Limit the action flows from Marrakech to South West France with Sky leading the way so to speak. Perhaps Life’s a Drag is a bit zanier given the subject matter whilst Sky’s The Limit has more magic and romance.

I think that’s a really good assessment of both books! So, why did you choose to focus on Sky through the first person perspective rather than one of the other characters?

Well the short answer is because my agent told me to!

Oh!

That is true but obviously there is a bit more to it than that. I actually first wrote Sky’s the Limit in the third person. My agent – David Headley – felt that there was something not quite right with it. He suggested that I write it from Sky’s point of view. I have to admit I was skeptical at first – not least because it meant a huge amount of extra work but I decided to give it a go and  – damn him – he was absolutely right.

That’s the thing about agents Janie – they usually know what they are talking about!

The book suddenly came alive in a way that it hadn’t been before. I used to be an actress and I loved “becoming” Sky. I loved getting into her head, getting to know her in a way that I hadn’t the first time of writing.

You create a super sense of place through your use of the senses. When you’re developing setting, how aware are you of appealing to all the readers’ senses?

The location and settings are as important to me as the characters. I adore exploring new places and I am keen that my readers explore with me. I love tasting the local food and drink, wandering around the markets, chatting to the locals – to me this is how you get to know a place. I want to be the eyes, ears and nose of my reader so that they can imagine they are there.

And you do it brilliantly. I was transported along with the characters.

Sky’s the Limit had two very different settings in France and Morocco. Which one would you most like to inhabit and why?

Now this is a really easy question as we do actually live in South West France! In fact Chateau Fontaine from Sky’s The Limit is about ten minutes away although obviously it is not called Chateau Fontaine in real life.

Now you’re just making me jealous…

We moved here nine years ago on a complete whim. We had no more idea of moving to France than moving to the moon.We saw a picture of the back of our house in a discarded newspaper on a train we were not supposed to be on! We phoned up the estate agents, came to view it the following week and three months later we were the owners of a large eighteenth century townhouse which needed a huge amount of renovation. We were actors and our DIY skills consisted of a couple of B&Q commercials – but somehow we got it done and in 2010 Chez Castillon was born.

How romantic and exciting. That’s quite an unconventional way to buy a home. Speaking of which, you always seem to incorporate quite unconventional characters as well as those a reader might expect. Why is this?

I’ve always been drawn to odd, quirky, characters – just look at my husband!

No seriously, those folk that look like they have a real story to tell always appeal to me. I love to hear about people’s lives and the more unconventional the better. I also adore people watching and the Monday morning market here is the ideal place.

Having said that I don’t deliberately set out to include unorthodox characters, they just seem to worm their way in!

I know you run painting as well as writing courses at Chez Castillon, and Sky is a talented painter in the book. How important is art to you as a writer?

I love art and I so wish that I could paint but as I can’t, I do the next best thing, which is to write about someone who can.

Art plays a very important role in my life, our walls are covered with paintings. Some we inherited with the house, some cheap buys from various brocantes, some done by mates, some by our students and some by our tutors. They all mean something to me; they all have a special place, much like the books in our library.

You’ve set two of your books that I have read (and so enjoyed) in Suffolk and San Francisco; Morocco and France. Where are you taking your readers next?

The next book is set in Cambridge and Greece.

Cambridge isn’t a million miles from me…

Greece is one of my all time favourite places. Over the years I have visited over twenty Greek islands and I have loved every single one. We went to Crete last year as research – we stayed in an old film director’s house overlooking the sea. I won’t give anything else away!

I shall look forward to reading all about Greece then Janie!

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about Sky’s the Limit?

I loved writing it, I loved getting to know my characters, I loved weaving all the different stories together.

I hugely enjoyed revisiting Marrakech and I adored writing about this corner of South West France that I now call home. A place I have come to love and I hope through Sky’s The Limit my readers will too.

Oh they will Janie – and speaking of which, here’s my review of Sky’s the Limit:

My Review of Sky’s the Limit

Sky thinks she has everything with a wonderful husband and brilliant best friend. Appearances may not be what they seem.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sky’s the Limit by Janie Millman. It felt such an assured and confident book that I was able to immerse myself into it immediately and I think Janie Millman’s writing has become so accomplished.

I was instantly transported to Marrakesh and France. I thought the descriptions were wonderful and the settings so vivid it was like looking at a film or photographs of the places described. There’s a real appeal to the senses although if you’re on a diet I’d recommend skipping the parts when Nick is cooking otherwise you’ll be tortured! Seriously, there are colours of the souks and markets and aromas of spices, sounds of water and chatter, tastes of wonderful food and the touch of fabric or sunburn for example that weave a true picture of Morocco and France. I think reading Sky’s the Limit could be the next best thing to travel if you’re not able to go away!

I love the way Janie Millman has an eclectic range of characters, nationalities, sexualities and so-called normalities and blends them together into a lovely escapist read with romance, self-discovery and travel entwined. I really do think Sky’s the Limit is the perfect summer read because each character brings a very important element to the narrative so that the reader wants to go on their journey with them.

What works so well is the underlying principle that we all need love and the ability to trust in whatever form that takes. It may be romantic or family love or an ardent passion for an activity like wine making, or for an area but Janie Millman explores each approach so sensitively that it’s impossible not to get caught up in the different aspects.

I finished reading Sky’s the Limit with a satisfied sigh. I had been wonderfully entertained by the story and relationships. I had been taken on a vivid and realistic journey to France and Morocco where I had fallen in love with the places and people in the story. Sky’s the Limit is perfect for transporting yourself away from ordinary life and I really enjoyed it.

About Janie Millman

Janie Millman is an actress, writer and co-owner of Chez Castillon.

She met Mickey, her husband, playing romantic leads in a summer season of comedies at The Little Theatre, Sheringham, on the Norfolk coast. Both actors for more than twenty years, their roles have ranged from Ninja turtles to acting in Olivier Award-winning stage productions and working on screen with Hollywood stars.

Although still acting, Janie is now concentrating on writing. Life’s A Drag was her debut novel.

You can follow Janie on Twitter @ChezCastillon, or visit her website. You’ll also find Janie on Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

When Lucien Young got in touch recently I was so intrigued by what he told me about his writing I simply had to invite him onto Linda’s Book Bag to stay in with me and tell me about one of his books. When you’ve read what he has to say you’ll see why the ex-English teacher in me was so fascinated!

Staying in with Lucien Young

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

My absolute pleasure! Thanks for having me!

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

I’ve had a couple of humour books published by Ebury Press (Alice in Brexitland and Trump’s Christmas Carol), with a third coming out in September.

However, I’d very much like to share an altogether odder and more personal project. Over the last year or so, I’ve written 155 Shakespearean sonnets on subjects like Kim Kardashian, Tinder and Pikachu.

(Oh! That sounds a bit different. I love the idea of using the sonnet form for popular culture – seems apt somehow!)

As the subject is rather niche, I’m trying to crowdfund this book through the online publisher Unbound, under the title #Sonnets. If your readers are interested, they can find the funding page at unbound.com/books/sonnets. It features extracts and an embarrassing video of me giving a reading!

(I really enjoyed your reading actually Lucien!)

What can we expect from an evening in with #Sonnets?

An excellent time! I’m primarily a comedy writer, but I’m also a massive literary nerd. I read English at university and have always been obsessed with Shakespeare, as well as lesser known Elizabethan sonneteers like Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser. As such, my ambition has been to make #Sonnets not only funny, but also technically adept, with first class iambic pentameter, perfect rhyme schemes, and more ‘thee-s’ and ‘thou-s’ than you can shake a stick at.

(This sounds utterly brilliant. I shall look out for a Petrarchan version later too!)

The book also combines my love of Shakespeare with my love of daft pop cultural ephemera. Here’s an example on the theme of Netflix:

(Wonderful – and exactly right for today’s society. Shakespeare would have approved!)

What else have you brought along and why? 

I’ve brought along a copy of Shakespeare’s Sonnets — after all, you can’t have a parody without the original.

(Absolutely!)

By the way, did you know that the word ‘parody’ comes from the Greek para meaning ‘alongside’ and oide, meaning ‘song/ode’? So a parody is a song sung in parallel! Pretty cool, right?

(It is indeed. You’re right – you are a literary nerd.)

Cheekily, I’ve also brought another link to my Unbound page here.

Nothing cheeky about it Lucien – no point in telling readers about a brilliant book and then not where they can find it! I really enjoyed hearing about #Sonnets and hope it’s a huge success for you. Thanks so much for staying in and telling me all about it.

Thanks again for having me, and for running a brilliant blog!

(Flattery will get you anywhere!)

#Sonnets

For hundreds of years, the sonnet has captivated poets, including its most famous practitioner, William Shakespeare. Alas, Shakespeare never used his command of iambic pentameter to explore such vital subjects as Snapchat, porn or Austin Powers. Enter comedian and too-much-time-on-his-hands-haver Lucien Young.

While Shakespeare only wrote 154 sonnets, Lucien has written 155, making him one better. While Shakespeare kept his feelings on Spider-Man secret, Lucien has no such qualms. And while the immortal bard is unlikely to write you a personalised verse in exchange for a pledge, Lucien will very much do that…

You can pledge to support #Sonnets here.

About Lucien Young

Lucien Young is the author of Alice in Brexitland and Trump’s Christmas Carol, both published by Ebury Press, and has written for TV programmes such as BBC Three’s Siblings and Murder in Successville. He was born in Newcastle in 1988 and read English at the University of Cambridge, where he was a member of Footlights.

You can follow Lucien on Twitter @LucienDYoung and on Instagram he is @luciendyoung.