Author Interview: Annette Hannah

Today it's my pleasure to welcome blogger and author Annette Hannah to the blog to celebrate the publication of her latest book Poppy's Christmas Wishes which is published this Thursday.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?
Hi, I’m originally from Liverpool but moved to Hertfordshire in the eighties with my husband. We now have three grown up children and a cocker spaniel. I’d always wanted to write but didn’t really know where to start and I’ve always been an avid reader. One day I saw a message on Facebook asking for fans of Milly Johnson to be part of a promotional team called #TeamMilly. I put my name forward and was one of the lucky ones to be chosen. I can honestly say it changed my life. I’d not long lost my Mum and was feeling quite lost at the time but then I was being invited to afternoon tea at the Grosvenor House hotel in London with Milly and all the team. Then I was invited to a Spring Blogger evening as Simon and Schuster Head Office. I didn’t know what to expect but I saw five wonderful authors launching their books, including Milly Johnson and Heidi Swain who was promoting her debut at the time. I went home and told my daughter about the event and she said I can set a blog up for you and that’s when Sincerely Book Angels was born and I became a blogger. It wasn’t long before my quotes were appearing on my favourite authors’ books and I just couldn’t believe it. I loved blogging because it was so exciting reading books well in advance of them being published and being invited to launch parties and meeting some absolutely wonderful people. The other thing with blogging was that it helped me to find my voice and to be brave enough to share what I wrote with others.

Having been involved with #TeamBATC over at Simon and Schuster with the lovely Sara-Jade Virtue I became aware of their #ONEDAY #DigitalOriginals where un-agented authors can submit to them. I plucked up the courage to write three chapters to send in but then I panicked and thought what if they want more, so I panic wrote the rest of the book in three weeks. It got rejected but that didn’t matter because I’d fulfilled my lifelong ambition and written a book. It was an amazing feeling and that book was actually Poppy’s Christmas Wishes which has since been through several rounds of editing.

I wrote a book a year after that and when Simon and Schuster asked for a full of my third attempt, I knew I must be getting close. That one was rejected too but last year I submitted it to Dash Digital who are now Orion Dash and I was offered my first two book deal. That book was Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Café and this year I’ve been offered another two book deal with Poppy’s Christmas Wishes being the first of those. It’s been an exciting journey and is a real dream come true.

Author Interview: Claire Handscombe

Today I'm joining in the publication day celebrations for Girl, Unstrung and it's my pleasure to welcome author Claire Handscombe to the blog. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?
I wrote a lot as a pre-teen and teenager, but for lots of reasons I sort of stopped for a long time after that. Then in 2008, I started watching The West Wing, and something about the way language is used in that show re-awakened that creative part of my brain. I started reading a lot of novels and a lot of books about writing and dived into my first novel!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Girl, Unstrung, what would it be?
Girl, Unstrung is a YA contemporary about a teen violist with a big life plan and a distracting crush on a Scrabble geek.

Nothing's going to distract Clara from her burgeoning career as a viola player. 
Not her semi-famous dad. 

Not her new stepmom. 
Not her annoying sisters. 
And definitely not Tim, the swoopy-haired Scrabble geek...

You might think it's fun to grow up around Hollywood with semi-famous parents. You'd be wrong, and Clara Cassidy would be the first to tell you so.

She's fourteen, figuring out life with three siblings and a new stepmom, and navigating her freshman year at a stupid high school where she doesn't even want to be. She was supposed to be at arts school by now.

It's fine, though, totally fine: she's going to practice her viola extra hard and get into LACHSA next year. She's definitely 100 percent focused and not even slightly going to get distracted by Tim, the sophomore Scrabble champion with the swoopy hair and the chin dimple. Nope. Not her.

Where did the inspiration come from to include an aspiring classical musician as your central character? And how much research did you need to do into learning about playing the viola?
It was kind of by accident! Girl, Unstrung is set in the same world as my debut novel, Unscripted. In that novel, one of the main characters has four kids and I made the eldest a viola player because I wanted something a bit more offbeat than the violin. I wanted her to say in her pre-teen way, “Duhhh, it’s the viola, not the violin” at one point and then I ended up giving her her own story!

Author Interview: Lauren Emily Whalen

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author, journalist and performer Lauren Emily Whalen to the blog to talk about her latest book Two Winters. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?
Sure! I am a writer, performer and Shakespeare enthusiast who lives in Chicago, Illinois, USA with my black cat Rosaline (named after a character I played in the Bard’s Love’s Labour’s Lost!). I didn’t start writing fiction until my late twenties, as I have degrees in theater and law and a professional background in nonprofit fundraising and corporate administration. However, I’ve always loved to read, and once I started writing, I found I couldn’t stop!

My short stories have appeared in three different anthologies, and I have written four books for young adults: one nonfiction and three novels. My latest novel, Two Winters, is now available in print and digital everywhere you buy books.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Two Winters, what would it be?
Two Winters is a queer young adult reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, about birth, death, Catholic school, improv comedy and the healing nature of time.  

The winter of 1997 is a tragedy waiting to happen. Small-town life isn't easy for seventeen-year-old bisexual and closeted Paulina, especially when her best friend Mia becomes pregnant and doesn’t want to tell the baby's father, Paulina's other best friend, Tesla. Meanwhile, Paulina's secret relationship with volleyball star Ani is about to go public. One fateful night, everything changes forever.

In the winter of 2014, Perdita, bi and proud in Chicago, is weeks away from turning seventeen. She loves her two moms, but why won’t they talk about her adoption? When Perdita meets improv performer Fenton, she discovers both a kindred soul and a willing accomplice in her search for the truth. Will Perdita find what she's looking for?

Emma's Review: A Cosy Christmas at Bridget's Bicycle Bakery by Alex Brown

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Finding yourself without a home in the weeks before Christmas would break most people, but for Bridget Carrington it’s a chance to start again. Mulberry-On-Sea has always been her happy place and she’s hoping it can work its magic this festive season and heal her family after a difficult year.

Now, as the community wraps Bridget and her children in its warm embrace, she starts to feel like herself again. With a new business, kids who are starting to smile, and the promise of a second chance at love, Bridget’s holiday season might just be a happy ever after…

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Emma's Review: From the Dark We Rise by Marion Kummerow

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

1942, Germany: When a young woman calling herself Annegret Huber unexpectedly inherits a huge fortune, including a house and factory just outside Berlin, her first thought is to try to see out the war quietly, avoiding the Gestapo and SS as best she can.

No one needs to know her dark secret. She must focus on staying hidden. Because she can’t risk being exposed for who she truly is. Not really Annegret. But a girl living a secret life. A girl who was once called Margarete.

But then an encounter with an escaped prisoner changes everything, as Margarete discovers what is happening at the factory and its attached labor camp. Witnessing first-hand the suffering of prisoners—shivering, with faces gaunt from hunger, as they work in brutal and cruel conditions—she realises she must act.

If she can save just one life, she knows she has to. Because the truth is that Margarete resembles the prisoners in the camp in ways she daren’t admit. And on the other side of the fence, she has seen a face that is achingly familiar…

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Author Interview: Trevor Atkins

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Trevor Atkins to the blog to talk about his latest Childrens Adventure book The Day the Pirates Went Mad. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
Of course! I live on the west coast of Canada with my family and I’ve been working with words for much of my life, but have only recently pursued historical fiction. Even writing with the aim to publish has only come about recently. I was first motivated to show my daughter that nowadays there are easily available platforms through which you can share your creative ideas with the world. That’s how we ended up writing our three-act play, “The King and Queen’s Banquet”. 

This latest story, “The Day the Pirates Went Mad”, was intended to be just a short story with nuggets of real life from the Golden Age of Pirates woven in – to help make learning fun. But as the scenes were outlined and the historical research progressed, it grew into a proper-sized novel!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for The Day the Pirates Went Mad, what would it be? 
“The Day the Pirates Went Mad” is an entertaining ‘cozy’ historical fiction set at the turn of the 18th century during the Age of Sail. Although intended for ages 10-12, older readers can also enjoy this story and it’s suitable for sharing with younger readers when supported by an adult. (You know your kids’ reading-level best!)

Seeking adventure and fortune, Emma Sharpe runs away from the orphanage she was sent to after her parents landed in debtors’ prison. She stows away aboard the New Adventure and finds a home and a new family in the comradery of the crew, but she wonders what her special skill is; why did the captain allow her to stay?

Now she is on her way to the West Indies, the setting of so many of the stories she has heard, about exploration and pirates. After being blown off course to a deserted island, the crew recovers a cursed pirate treasure. As the situation aboard ship worsens, Emma and her friend, Jack Randall, must dare to confront the growing danger before it’s too late.

While exploring a theme of greed/wealth vs. family/friends, “The Day the Pirates Went Mad” also conveys a ‘boatload’ of learning about the life and times of those sailing the seas 300 years ago – but without dwelling on the grittier realities (that’s the ‘cozy’ part). Entertainingly educational!

In that vein, we also have a Teacher’s Guide on the website, and are adding behind-the-scenes and research-related posts in an on-going basis. In the New Year, we’ll be putting more of a STEAM focus on these resources.

That’s the gist of it without giving away the details!

Debut Spotlight: Christopher Parker

Today it's my pleasure to be shining the spotlight on author Christopher Parker and his debut novel The Lighthouse which was published last month. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
Sure! I’m a self-employed father of one from Auckland, New Zealand. My writing journey started a very long time ago when I was just a kid. I loved writing short stories and poems and would spend hours with my head buried in a notebook writing all sorts of nonsense. From an early age I was always remember being drawn to the written word and being attracted to the power of what it could unlock. Unfortunately, as I grew older, my writing fell away and it wasn’t until I was in my 30s and had the idea for The Lighthouse that I decided to revisit my childhood hobby.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your debut novel The Lighthouse, what would it be?   
A chance encounter leads to an enchanting weekend for Amy and Ryan, whose lives are forever changed when they uncover the secrets of Seabrook's mysterious lighthouse.

Something strange is happening in Seabrook. The town's lighthouse–dormant for over thirty years and famously haunted–has inexplicably started shining, and its mysterious glow is sparking feverish gossip throughout the spooked community.

Amy Tucker is only visiting for the night and has no plans to get caught up in the hysteria, but that changes when she meets Ryan, the loyal, hard-working son of a ranch owner who lives on the outskirts of town.

Their chance encounter turns into an unforgettable weekend, and against the backdrop of the lighthouse-obsessed town, the two of them forge a deep connection, opening their hearts, baring their souls, and revealing secrets long kept hidden.

But as they grow closer, and as the lighthouse glows ever brighter, a startling discovery about Ryan leaves Amy questioning everything she thought she knew. To uncover the truth about her new friend, Amy will need to enter Seabrook’s ominous tower, where waiting inside she will not only find the reason why fate has brought them together… but a shocking secret that will change the course of their lives forever.

Emma's Review: Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall by Kate Forster

Received by Emma Crowley

Christa Playfoot is looking for a fresh start after her divorce. Having lost her Michelin-starred restaurant, she hadn't expected to be job hunting and single just before Christmas.

When her best friend says she's recommended Christa for a gig as a private chef over the Christmas period, Christa can't think of a reason to say no.

Christa has no idea what to expect but it's certainly not grumpy billionaire divorcee Marc Ferrier and his rambunctious twin sons, or the beautiful but cheerless country estate, Pudding Hall, that they inhabit.

With her knack for pouring love into her cooking, Christa is determined to make this Christmas sparkle for the Ferrier family and maybe get her life back on track in the process...

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Author Interview: Karen Telling

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Karen Telling to the blog to talk about publishing her memoir Another Day in Paradise.   

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you decided to write and publish this memoir? 
I started writing this book in around 2012.  I’ve always enjoyed writing and came second in a short story competition around the same time.  I didn’t know I would publish it, as self publishing wasn’t really an option then, but I wanted to record my experience of surgery in a foreign country, even just for myself.  I then forgot about it until lockdown, when I found it again whilst sorting through papers in an old filing cabinet.   I had retired from my holiday property rental business a couple of years earlier, mainly due to my disability, so I had the time to carry on and finish it.  

My main reason for publishing was to tell our story, which wasn’t one of retiring abroad, or buying and renovating a ruin, but of moving to Portugal in our late 30s/early 40s, finding work and living in rentals until we found somewhere to buy.  These are different challenges from those in similar memoirs that I have read.  I also wanted to show how much kindness we have experienced.  Strangers went out of their way to help us when I was extremely vulnerable in hospital, and I will always appreciate that.  There are humorous moments too and I have been told the book provokes both laughter and tears.  Finally, it’s the story of our beloved pets, the ones we took with us from the U.K. and those that adopted us in that first year.  I am hoping to publish a sequel in the next few months with the stories of more of our animal rescue journey, but am currently bottle feeding two abandoned puppies so I don’t have as much free time as usual!

Emma's Review: Christmas in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Thirty-year-old Belle Albany is feeling lonely this Christmas. Another whole year has passed and her life is… exactly the same as it was last December. She longs for true love and a little bit of winter magic – but she’s almost given up on finding it in the sleepy Scottish community where she lives…

When Belle crashes into elderly Edina on her cherry red bicycle, it’s not the meet-cute she’d been hoping for. But she immediately recognises the lost look in Edina’s watery-blue eyes and resolves to organise a Christmas to remember for them both – brimming with mince pies, mulled wine and lots of sparkle. Although Belle hadn’t counted on Edina’s home being a crumbling Scottish castle and she certainly hadn’t been expecting Edina’s handsome long-lost grandson Jack Hamilton-Kirk to turn up on the doorstep in the middle of a snow storm…

Jack is arrogant, rude and bossy and Belle is convinced he’s about to ruin the seasonal cheer she has worked hard to create. He’s basically the Grinch in human form, so why does her heart race every time they’re in the same room? They disagree on almost everything, from menu choices to music, and yet she starts to glimpse a softer side hidden behind Jack’s clipped words and brooding countenance.

As they hunt down costumes for the annual nativity show and save a donkey from a snowy disaster, Belle can’t ignore their growing attraction. But will a secret from Jack’s past come between them? Or will this finally be the year Belle falls in love?

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Author Interview: Maggie Christensen

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Maggie Christensen back to the blog to talk about her latest book A Mother's Story which was published last week. 

Hi Maggie and welcome back to the blog, can you give us a little intro about yourself?
I’ve always been an avid reader and, as an only child, loved making up stories and playing with my imaginary friends. But it wasn’t till I was close to retirement that I started writing fiction.

I grew up in Scotland and became a primary teacher, but always wanted to travel. When I was twenty-five I came to Australia to teach for two years, lured by the call to “Come and teach in the sun” and a picture of a bare-chested man wearing swim shorts and a gown and mortar board. I loved Australia so much I decided to stay.

Now retired, I live with my husband of over thirty-five years on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast and, when not writing, spend my time reading, walking on the beach or having coffee in one of our favourite cafes by the river.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book A Mother's Story, what would it be?
In Scotland in 1941, Rhona Begg defies her parents to join the ATS. At the same time in Australia, Nell worries for her husband fighting in the Far East. Years later the two women’s lives collide in an unexpected manner. A sweeping family saga filled with emotion taking the reader from wartime Scotland to present day Australia.

A lost child. A mother’s grief. A daughter’s journey.

In Scotland, in1941, as WW2 increases in ferocity, Rhona Begg goes against her parents’ wishes and enlists in the ATS—a decision that brings with it heart-breaking consequences. After the war, weighed down with regret and grief, Rhona receives news that has the power to change her life.

Across the ocean in Australia, Nell Duncan worries about her husband who is fighting in the Far East. When she receives the dreaded news that he is missing in action, her world collapses. The end of the war brings changes to Nell’s life, but her dream of bearing a child is no longer possible and she grieves for what might have been.

In 1971, when Joy Baker gives birth to her daughter, she begins the journey to discover her ancestry. What she finds shocks her to the core and propels her on a journey to the land of her birth.

Three women. Three mothers. Three astonishing stories.

Emma's Review: The 12 Days of Christmas by Poppy Alexander

Reviewed by Emma Crowley  

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?

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Author Interview: Rebecca Raisin

It feels like forever since Rebecca Raisin was last featured on the blog so it's my pleasure to welcome her to the blog today to talk about her latest book Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop which was published last month. 

Hi Rebecca and welcome back to the blog. It's been a while since you last visited us so can you give readers a quick intro to yourself and recap of your writing journey. 
Thanks for having me back! I’m a romance writer from Australia who writes for HQ Stories. About eight years ago I entered a competition with Carina (now HQ Stories) and won a two-book publishing contract. I’ve been with them ever since! I write heart-warming rom coms, usually set in exotic locations. My books always have a strong friendship element and my heroines are on the quirky side! 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop, what would it be?
Festive Flora’s life implodes so she jumps out of her comfort zone and into a Van Life and and sets off to Lapland, where she meets a Scrooge-like hero who is in need of a Christmas intervention! 

’Tis the season for mulled wine, mince pies, and magic under the mistletoe…

Flora loves Christmas more than anything else in the world, so she’s gutted when her Scrooge-alike boss fires her from Deck the Halls Christmas emporium. But now she finally has a chance to follow her dreams – and what better place to start than the home of Christmas?

Before she can say ‘sleigh bells’, Flora’s on her way to Lapland in a campervan-cum-Christmas-shop. She can’t wait to spend her days drinking hot chocolate and taking reindeer-drawn carriage rides, but something Flora didn’t expect was meeting Connor, a Norse god of a man who makes her heart flutter and snowflakes swirl in her stomach. There’s just one problem: Connor hates Christmas.

Can Flora convince Connor of the joys of Christmas – and will she find a festive romance along the way?

I love the idea of a road trip in a camper van to Lapland, where did the inspiration come from?
I’m fascinated by the Van Life phenomenon that’s gained in popularity over the last few years. The whole idea being you live a minimalist life, work on your own terms, either out of your van with a pop-up shop (like Flora does) or as a digital nomad, or whatever takes your fancy. These Van Lifers are leaving the 9-5 behind, the eye watering mortgages, and living simply while exploring the globe in their vans. It appealed to my sense of adventure and love of travel. If I could fit my family and pooch in a little van, I would! 

Emma's Review: Christmas at the Village Sewing Shop by Helen Rolfe

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Can three sisters stitch their family back together?

Loretta loves running the little village sewing shop in Butterbury. Some of her most precious memories are sitting with her three daughters Daisy, Ginny and Fern, stitching together pieces of material - and their hopes and dreams.

But this Christmas the family is coming apart at the seams: Fern feels like she's failing at motherhood and marriage, Ginny's passion for her job as a midwife is fading, Daisy is desperate to prove she ' s changed since her wild younger years - and most of all, Loretta seems to be hiding something...

As they come together to create a new festive quilt, the bond between the sisters begins to heal. But when Loretta reveals the real reason she's brought them all home, can the sisters mend the quilt, and their family, in time for Christmas?

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Author Interview: Elizabeth Coffey

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Elizabeth Coffey to the blog to talk about publishing her memoir And the Little One Said.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
As a child I would listen to my dad’s bedtime stories, it fuelled my imagination so much I would interrupt him and end up taking over. One day he came home from work with an unused office diary for me to write in. I remember the excitement, it looked like an empty book waiting to be written, so that’s exactly what I did. Luckily it was red so I was able to write the title on the hard front cover in black marker pen so it looked like a real book. I called it ‘Murder on the 4.30’. I didn’t bother to mention if it was a bus or a train or where it was going or anything (minor detail).

Do you have a typical writing day or routine?
I sit at my desk and stare at the trees for a bit, get distracted by social media, then have to hide my phone so I can focus. I take the dogs out after lunch, get a bit of fresh air and mental space then it’s back to it. I stop about 4pm for a couple of hours to sort out dinner (and lie to myself that that’s enough for one day) then end up writing until about 8pm. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your memoir And the Little One Said, what would it be? 
My memoir; And the Little One Said is about our close-knit family of ten becoming two. It struck me, at an early age, being the ‘little one’ of the family, there was a high probability my dearly loved much older brothers and sisters were all going to die before me. I didn’t expect it would be quite so soon and each one in spectacularly tragic different circumstances.

Emma's Review: A Letter from Pearl Harbor by Anna Stuart

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

1941, Pearl Harbor: On the morning of December 7th, Ginny is flying her little yellow plane above the sparkling seas when she spots an unknown aircraft closing in on her. She recognises the red symbol of the Japanese fighter planes almost too late. Somehow, she manages to land unscathed but the choices she is forced to make in the terrible hours that follow have tragic consequences…

2019, Pearl Harbor: Heartbroken Robyn Harris is reeling from the death of the strong, determined grandmother who raised her. Her only comfort is a letter written in Ginny’s distinctive hand which details a treasure hunt, just like the ones she used to set for her as a little girl. Except this time, the clues are scattered across the beautiful island of Hawaii. Despite her grief, Robyn finds herself intrigued as she follows the trail of letters, revealing the truth about Ginny’s service during the Second World War.

But Robyn’s whole world is turned upside down when she’s faced with a shocking secret which has the power to change the course of her own life…

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Extract from Her Perfect Family by Teresa Driscoll

Today it's my stop on the blog tour for Teresa Driscoll's latest book Her Perfect Family which was published this week. Sadly I knew that I wasn't in a position to read for review so I offered to host an extract instead but first a little about the book.   

It’s their daughter’s graduation and Rachel and Ed Hartley are expecting it to be one of their family’s happiest days. But when she stumbles and falls on stage during the ceremony, a beautiful moment turns to chaos: Gemma has been shot, and just like that, she’s fighting for her life.

PI Matthew Hill is one of the first on the scene. A cryptic message Gemma received earlier in the day suggests someone close to her was about to be exposed. But who? As Matthew starts to investigate, he finds more and more layers obscuring the truth. He even begins to suspect the Hartleys are hiding something big—from him and from each other.

While Gemma lies in hospital in a coma, her would-be killer is still out there. Can Matthew unravel the family’s secrets before the attacker strikes again?

I find that I am holding my breath. I trace the names with my finger. Walk, applause. Walk, applause. And then at last.

Gemma Hartley...

I see her appear at the back of the choir stall in her gown and her mortar board with her long dark hair loose over her shoulders. I take in the neutral shoes and the slightly tanned legs. And then there is this little punch of shock as she walks forward. 

Emma's Review: Shipyard Girls under the Mistletoe by Nancy Revell

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Sunderland, 1944

As the promise of victory draws closer, this Christmas will surely be one to remember.

It should be a magical time for Dorothy, who has just been proposed to by her sweetheart Toby. But with each day that passes, Dorothy's feelings for someone else are growing stronger. Now she has an impossible choice to make.

Gloria is thrilled that her sweetheart Jack is finally home after more than two years away. But his past is continuing to catch up with them both - creating untold heartache for Gloria and everyone she holds dear.

Meanwhile Helen must contend with the fall-out of a shocking family secret that has repercussions for all the Shipyard Girls, while holding out hope for her own happy ending...

Can a little festive magic help them win the day?

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback