Blog Tour: An Extract from The Lotus House by Ann Bennett
Today as a part of the blog tour, I am sharing an extract from The Lotus House by Ann Bennett. This is a recent release and it is described as a gripping, emotional drama of love and courage set in the Philippines during WW2.
Book Description:
1960: Nancy Drayton, an American nurse living on Lake Sebu, is visited by a stranger who hands her some faded letters, given to her by a dying man. Reading them transports Nancy back to the terror of the war years.
1941: When Nancy’s world is blown apart by the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, she volunteers to travel to the Philippines to serve at the front. She soon finds herself working in a field hospital on the Bataan Peninsula in the thick of the fighting, experiencing the horrors of war first hand.
When tending to some wounded men, she meets Captain Robert Lambert, and they become close. But the Japanese are closing in on Bataan, and when the US surrenders, they are driven apart.
As Robert struggles to survive the horrors of the Bataan Death March and the brutality of captivity in a prison camp, Nancy too finds herself a captive, fighting for her life. Will they survive to find one another again or will the forces of war keep them apart?
If you enjoy compelling historical fiction, you’ll love this sweeping story of love and war. Perfect for fans of Kristen Hannah, Dinah Jeffries and Victoria Hislop.
Buy Your Copy of The Lotus House here.
Note from the author:
These are the opening words from Chapter 20 of The Lotus House. Nancy Drayton, an American nurse has been serving in a field hospital on the Bataan peninsula when the Japanese break through American lines. The nurses are evacuated to Corregidor Island on the tip of the Peninsula.
~~
It took many hot, dusty, uncomfortable hours for the battered old bus with its cargo of nurses to reach the city of Mariveles at the tip of the Bataan Peninsula. The route south that ran along the coast was clogged with Filipino refugees. Queues of them swarming the road made it hard for any vehicle to make progress. Everyone was heading to Mariveles under the relentless sun; on foot, on bicycle, on horseback, on bullock cart, carrying or pushing their babies and children and all their worldly possessions along with them. Amongst them marched ragged US soldiers on their retreat south. They trudged along the dusty road, heads bowed. To Nancy they looked like a beaten army; sick, emaciated and defeated.
Everyone was fleeing the fighting, terrified of the Japanese, trying to get away to some sort of safety while there was still time. But time was running out for them, Nancy thought, staring out of the open bus window at the desperate crowds trudging along. The end would surely come soon, and then what would happen to them?
It reminded her of the journey to Bataan from Manila only a few months before, and the thousands of refugees they’d passed on the way. So much had happened since that day, she reflected. In those short months she’d experienced and seen so much; the horrific wounds inflicted on men during the fighting, the trauma of holding dying men in her arms, seeing so often the ravages that hunger and tropical disease could wreak on healthy men. But she had nursed many more men back to health again, she reminded herself, despite the desperate conditions they’d worked in. She knew she should try to hold onto that thought rather than dwell on the horrors.
The interior of the bus was as hot as an oven, and sweat was trickling down the inside of Nancy’s uniform. Looking around at her fellow nurses, sweating away like her as they bumped and rattled along, fanning themselves furiously with whatever they had to hand, they all looked as exhausted and skinny as she knew she did l. They’d all been through so much together, they felt like family now.
She counted herself luckier than most. In those few short, terrible months, she’d been fortunate enough not to fall prey to any tropical illnesses. And she’d been blessed to get to know and to love Robert. Thinking about him provoked a mixture of emotions in her heart, both pain and delight. Delight at the memory of what they’d shared together, but pain at the knowledge that Robert was probably at that moment fighting for his life, and that if the US surrendered, he would either be shot or taken prisoner. All the time, in the back of Nancy’s mind, was the niggling worry that she might never see him again. She closed her eyes and tried to push it away. The thought was unbearable. But they’d managed to say goodbye, she reminded herself. She was thankful for that at least.
At last, the bus reached the city of Mariveles and rumbled through the outskirts of the town. Here, the road was lined with shabby houses on stilts, built of patched wood or rusting corrugated iron. Soon the houses gave way to warehouses, and finally they were driving through the city centre between rows of shops and office blocks. Even here there were refugees at every turn, sitting on the sidewalk or the steps of buildings, sheltering from the sun under trees or tarpaulins stretched from fences. They had nowhere left to go. They had reached the end of the road. Nancy’s heart went out to those poor, stranded, homeless people as the bus rattled past them. They were innocent civilians, caught up in events completely beyond their control.
When the bus finally reached the port, the whole area was gridlocked with vehicles and yet more crowds of refugees, all trying to get into the docks. From where they sat on the stationary bus, the nurses could see through the crowds to the boats and launches lined up at the wharf. The driver turned around.
‘You want to walk to the boat?’ he asked them, and everyone chorused, ‘Yes!’
He jumped down, went to the back of the bus where the nurses had already begun to crowd around, and handed out their luggage from the trunk. Nancy picked up her suitcase and headed with Dorothy towards the wharf, shouldering their way through the surging crowds. Suddenly, came the boom of an explosion. The sound rocketed through the city and around the surrounding hills. People began to scream and push.
‘What was that?’ Nancy said. ‘The Japanese aren’t this far south already, are they?’
Dorothy shrugged, her eyes wide with fear as she struggled to stay upright, jostled by the panicking crowd. They carried on pushing their way through to the boats. It was hard to maintain a steady course, but eventually they reached the wharf where launches, fishing boats and small ships were docked.
An old Filipino stepped forward, his skin leathery from the sun. ‘You nurses from Hospital Number 1?’ he asked. ‘I am here to take you to Corregidor Island. Get into the boat. Luggage in the bottom. Hand it to me.’
About the Author:
Ann Bennett is a British author of historical fiction. Her first book, Bamboo Heart: A Daughter’s Quest, was inspired by researching her father’s experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and by her own travels in South-East Asia. Since then, that initial inspiration has led her to write more books about the second world war in SE Asia. Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife, A Daughter’s Promise, Bamboo Road: The Homecoming, The Tea Planter’s Club, The Amulet and her latest release The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu are also about WWII in South East Asia. All seven make up the Echoes of Empire Collection.
Ann is also the author of The Lake Pavilion, The Lake Palace, both set in British India during the 1930s and WWII, and The Lake Pagoda and The Lake Villa, both set in French Indochina. The Runaway Sisters, bestselling The Orphan House, The Child Without a Home and The Forgotten Children are set in Europe during the same era and are published by Bookouture.
Ann is married with three grown up sons and a granddaughter and lives in Surrey, UK. For more details please visit www.annbennettauthor.com
Contact Ann:
Website
X @annbennett71
Instagram @annbennettauthor
Here are all the stops on the blog tour:
Blog Tour: Casa Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra
Today as the start of the blog tour, I am sharing an extract from Casa Paradiso: 300 Years in the Life of a House.Casa Paradiso is a recent release and the fourth book in the Paradiso Novels.
Book Description:
Lombardy, Northern Italy, 1637
Cristó Lovetta, a skilled stonemason, arrives in the rural village of Pieve Santa Clara to work on a nobleman’s house.
Haunted by a tragic past, Cristó wonders if he will ever find happiness again. However, as he immerses himself in his work, the warmth of the community and the beauty of the landscape convince him to begin a new life there.
Cristó designs and builds his own house, which he names Casa Paradiso. Over the centuries, Casa Paradiso becomes home to many generations, standing testament to lives beginning and ending, and witnessing the everyday challenges and triumphs of its inhabitants – from love lost and found, to the tragedies of war, the far-reaching consequences of political decisions made by powerful men and the evolving role of women in Italian society.
Casa Paradiso – the fourth installment of the Paradiso Novels – is a shining, evocative saga spanning three hundred years in the life of a very special house, and a book that explores the enduring strength of the human spirit, contrasted with the transient nature of life itself.
Buy your copy of Casa Paradiso here.
Note from the author: This extract begins in 1739, a century after Paradiso was built. One of the subsequent generations has produced twin boys, Ugo and Moreno, whose differences are striking and causes violent problems between them.
1739
UGO LOVETTA
The Lovetta boys, Ugo and Moreno, were fraternal twins, and although not dissimilar in appearance, they were like day and night in temperament. From the moment he had torn his way bawling into the world, it was clear that Ugo was the more forceful character. He did all he could to assert his dominance and to torment his brother with pokes and pinches, shoves and slaps. This caused not only Moreno, but also their parents, significant anguish.
‘What am I to do with that boy?’ Ma Lovetta would despair. She couldn’t leave the twins alone for a minute or set them down to sleep in the same bed. The moment her back was turned, Ugo would start on Moreno, who despite his placid nature would not take his brother’s attacks without defending himself.
Dealing with Ugo’s aggressive tendencies became evermore difficult as the boys grew. Scuffles and tussles escalated to fights involving sticks and stones and all manner of improvised weapons. When he wasn’t physically attacking his brother, Ugo delighted in trying to get Moreno into trouble for things he himself had done. He was never believed, and this led to more problems. Ugo would protest his innocence, say it wasn’t fair and rile that his parents showed blatant favouritism towards his twin brother.
Many said that Pa Lovetta was too soft and what Ugo needed was a good walloping to bring him into line. Pa Lovetta was a big, gentle man who did not believe in raising his mighty hand to anybody, let alone to his own children. He was driven to do so only twice when the circumstances had been life-threatening. The first time, when the boys had been eight years old and he had caught Ugo chasing Moreno with a pitchfork and clearly intending to cause him permanent damage with it. The second time, for throwing a brick through the kitchen window. Pa Lovetta struck his son not for smashing the glass, but more precisely because at the time Ugo lobbed the brick, he had been aiming it at Moreno’s head. Ugo took the spankings whilst laughing at his father and showed no remorse. He resolutely refused to apologise to his brother.
The incidents with the pitchfork and the brick were not the last of the brothers’ altercations. However, when Moreno began to grow bigger than Ugo, and by the age of eleven had overtaken him by over three inches in height and several pounds in weight, Ugo’s enthusiasm for picking fights with his brother decreased. He turned his attentions to other forms of baiting instead, such as mocking his twin with smart-mouth jibes and jeers and name-calling. Moreno could give as good as he got, and often he did, although most of the time it was easier to ignore the insults and get on with his own things. Unlike Ugo, Moreno was always willing to assist his mother around the house and garden and loved nothing more than going out for the day to help his father in the fields.
Bored with goading his goody-goody twin brother, Ugo sought other amusements, and there was entertainment a-plenty to be had with his best friend, Aldo. As far as Ugo was concerned, Aldo was the brother he should have had – a partner in crime who shared his tearaway spirit. What a tight little gang they became! They were both boisterous in nature and keen to throw their weight around. Many of the boys in the village were scared of them. Picking on those who were smaller and weaker provided Ugo and Aldo endless thrills. They also developed a taste for practical jokes, such as letting livestock out of their enclosures, scrumping and setting things alight. Whenever the priest, or the mayor, or some angry villager turned up at Casa Paradiso with a face like thunder, Pa Lovetta would greet them with the same weary words – ‘What’s Ugo done now?’
By the time the twins turned thirteen, it was clear to the Lovetta parents that if something was not done to regulate Ugo’s behaviour, he would end up either in prison, or dead – and sooner rather than later. He was old enough, and certainly big enough, to go to work, but with his unruly reputation, finding someone willing to employ him was easier said than done. None of the farms would have him, and as he had expressed a visceral contempt for working the land, even if one of the local farmers had been desperate enough, or foolish enough, to give him a chance, Ugo wouldn’t have gone anyway. Trying to force him was more trouble than it was worth. The blacksmith and the wheelwright refused to consider Ugo, both stating that they did not trust him around their fires. Similarly, various carpenters, masons and roofers expressed concern about giving Ugo access to sharp or heavy tools. Ugo was a liability, they all said, and most of them added that if Moreno wanted a job, they’d be happy to employ him instead. Eventually, after much asking, begging and prayer, Pa Lovetta managed to secure an apprenticeship for Ugo at the local sawmill as a general labourer. The sawmill boss had the reputation of being a tough, no-nonsense fellow. Pa Lovetta hoped that he would be a positive influence on his errant son, and that he would teach him the things which he had failed to, such as respect, compliance and a good work ethic.
About the Author:
Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. She describes herself as ‘unconventional’ and has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths – from working in translation, the fitness industry, education and even several years as a builder. In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. Francesca now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for her Paradiso Novels: Paradiso, Return to Paradiso, The Daughter of Paradiso and Casa Paradiso. Her novel The Lost Boy of Bologna was also published by Silvertail Books.
Contact Francesca:
Twitter/ X @francescascana2
Instagram @francescascana2
Here is the blog tour:
Blog Tour: Blood Matters by Ian McFadyen
Today as a part of the blog tour, I am sharing a guest post from Ian McFadyen, author of Blood Matters. Blood Matters is a recent release and Ian discusses the reason why we read and love thrillers: The Twist! Do we figure the big twist out or not!?!?! Me, I prefer to NOT figure it out and have my mind blown!
Book Description:
When the body of Doug Pritchard, an aging music journalist with a history of sensational scoops, is found face down in a dark roadside ditch, DCI Carmichael and his team embark on an investigation that takes them in several directions.
What did Pritchard uncover?
Did that secret bring about his violent demise?
And do the tragic deaths of two local pop idols, twenty years before, have any relevance to his murder?
As DCI Carmichael delves deeper into the case it becomes clear that, despite the outwardly close connections of the residents of the small hamlet of High Maudsey, neither long term friendships nor family ties should be taken at face value.
This the tenth in his series of well-honed detective novels by Ian McFadyen featuring DCI Carmichael, leads the detective and his team through as many twists and turns as the quiet country lane where Doug Pritchard’s body was discovered.
As with all McFadyen’s Carmichael novels, this book is packed with a host of intriguing characters and an expertly crafted plot; and once again the author displays his skill as a writer in the great tradition of English crime novels.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
The Twist
Having a clever and enticing plot and introducing a range of vivid, life-like, and interesting characters are paramount for any successful murder story. However, in my view, the kernel of all the best and most memorable whodunits has to be its twist.
I read once that ‘plot twists can be a thrill for the reader, but they’re overwhelming for the writer’. I’d agree with that.
If the novel is constructed in such a way that the reader has absolutely no inkling it’s coming, and when it’s revealed to the audience it is as plausible to them as it is surprising, then the twist will elevate the story to a new level.
And why just have one twist, if the book has sub-plots or a series of red herrings, why not introduce a little twist with those, to add even more intrigue and, dare I say, confusion in the reader’s mind – particularly if your twist reveals that a character high on the reader’s list of suspects is, in fact, innocent of the main crime and there’s a credible reason why they have been behaving in a way you ( the reader) thought was suspicious.
If you don’t agree with me, I’d ask you to just think of your favourite murder mystery books. I’m sure they all will have many, many truly wonderful elements – the setting, the use of language, the plot, the characters for example. However, I’d wager it’s the twist that you remember.
When thinking about a new Carmichael book it’s the twist that almost always comes first. Whether it’s a character who isn’t all they seem to be, a misunderstanding which only comes to light late on in the story, or a lie that’s not unearthed at first, the twist is my starting point.
For my books, it’s only once the twist is fleshed out in my head that I feel I can then create a storyline. A plot that builds up to that twist being revealed to the reader. Then using my team of ever-present detectives and introducing new characters, I attempt to take the reader on a journey that leads to the twist.
One of my favourite twists is in The Death of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. I’ll not share the details here, for obvious reasons, but if you’ve not read that particular book, I’d recommend you give it a whirl.
However, if pushed, I’d say my favourite twist was in the TV programme, Tales of the Unexpected in 1979. In an episode written by Roald DahI, called ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, the twist is delicious! If you haven’t seen it, look it up on YouTube.
I’ll obviously not be sharing the twist in my latest book, ‘Blood Matters’, but I hope you enjoy it when it arrives.
About the Author:
Ian McFadyen was born in Liverpool and enjoyed a successful career in marketing before becoming a writer. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife but spends a great deal of his time writing in his bolthole retreat on the Norfolk / Suffolk border. Blood Matters is the tenth in a series featuring DCI Carmichael.
Contact Ian:
Twitter / X: @ianMcFadyen1
Instagram: @ianwmcfadyen
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