Author Interview: Linda Mitchelmore

Linda Mitchelmore has been a fab supporter of Shaz's Book Blog having taken part in the festive features for the last 3 years, Christmas Shorts in 2012, Festive Fun Q&A in 2013 and the Fictional Characters in Panto feature last year, so it's my absolute pleasure to welcome her back to the blog today to find out a little more about her latest novel Emma and Her Daughter.

Can you give a brief recap of the first 2 books in the series for anyone who hasn't read them?
TO TURN FULL CIRCLE is the first in my trilogy and begins in 1909. Emma Le Goff is not quite sixteen-years-old, and now and orphan. She is also homeless since being thrown out of her home by a ruthless landlord. The tricky thing is, Emma is sweet on the landlord’s youngest son, Seth Jago. But a charismatic and mysterious man, Matthew Caunter, comes into Emma’s life and through him she finds live-in work at an hotel. There she meets Ruby and they become the best of friends. And she still sees Seth, growing to love him more each time. Seth’s father and brother are truly evil – and meet their comeuppance for the most part, but Seth stands up them and Emma and Seth fall in love. The book ends with Seth asking Emma to marry him.

EMMA: THERE’S NO TURNING BACK picks up where Emma and Seth left off in 1911. They want to marry but come up against all sorts of hurdles, not least being that an ex lover of Seth’s dumps a baby on Emma’s bakery table. Emma knows all about homelessness and not being wanted so, seeing as she loves Seth with all her heart, she vows to be the best mother she can to baby Fleur. At the end of this book Emma and Seth, with Fleur, prepare to flee to Canada to escape Seth’s evil brother, Miles. But just before they go, Matthew Caunter makes a re-appearance in Emma’s life.  Emma can no longer deny her feelings for Matthew, who lives rather dangerously as an undercover agent, but she has promised to go to Canada with Seth and for her there is no turning back.

Can you describe Emma and Her Daughter in one sentence? 
Is Devon the place for them both to find happiness again, and love, or will they find out the hard way that some people are destined for heartache?

Can ‘second love’ be true love?

It’s 1927 and Emma has returned to England from Canada with her teenage daughter, Fleur. After the tragedies of the past, Emma is ready to start again in Devon, the place she used to call home – despite the bittersweet memories it brings back.

But memories are not the only thing that she has to contend with. There’s also the secret she’s been keeping from her daughter; the secret that’s revealed when an unwelcome visitor comes back and threatens to turn their lives upside down.

Throughout it all Matthew Caunter is rarely far from Emma’s thoughts and, as it happens, much closer than she thinks. Could he be the key to her finally finding happiness, or will Emma discover the hard way that some people are just destined for heartache?

Fictional Characters in Panto: Linda Mitchelmore casts Cinderella from To Turn Full Circle

The latest author to accept the Fictional Characters in Panto feature challenge is Linda Mitchelmore. 

The bottom line is that TO TURN FULL CIRCLE is a pure, Cinderella, rags to riches story.

CAST

CINDERELLA – Emma Le Goff. This pantomime could have been written for Emma Le Goff. The story opens with her in borrowed clothing which is too big for her, and none too clean. She is mentally strong and feisty – well, she has to be with all that’s happened to her. She can’t dance at the beginning of the story but she finds someone who can. Will a turn around the dance floor turn her head away from Seth and towards Matthew Caunter. Hmm … we shall see.

PRINCE CHARMING – It’s rare for a man not to know how handsome he is but this can be said of Seth Jago. He would walk over hot coals for Emma Le Goff, never mind search high and low for her to return a glass slipper. He goes travelling and has one teensy fall from grace but then, he’s a man. And he redeems himself in the end.

Countdown to Christmas Day 8: Festive Fun Q&A with Linda Mitchelmore

Today Linda Mitchelmore is the latest author to take part in the Countdown to Christmas feature by answering a few questions in the festive fun Q&A.

What’s your earliest or favourite Christmas memory?
Sitting at the kitchen table, aged five or so, with the parcel my mother’s sister sent from Canada. Auntie always wrapped her parcels in cloth which she stitched up with waxed thread, and it was my job to unpick the thread and wind it onto an old cotton reel for future use. The smell of everything – the comics that were within, the wrapping paper, the knitted things – were different to English things.

What are you looking forward to most this Christmas?
Sunshine, so I can get outside for a walk in the fresh air.

Christmas Shorts with... Linda Mitchelmore

Today's Christmas Shorts feature post is a whimsical short story provided by Linda Mitchelmore.  

Over the years Linda has written hundreds of short stories, many of which have been published in most of the popular magazines, before the publication of her debut novel To Turn Full Circle.  I hope you enjoy reading this.
 
A New Dress for Christmas 
 
Cassiopeia - Cassie for short to the rest of the family - sighed.  Another Christmas morning
and she was in the same old, same old - a childish froth of white lace with a thin silver belt.  Likes a flippin' Christmas tree fairy.

Why couldn't she have something more grown-up?  Something new, a new dress for Christmas Day like she knew Melissa and Kirstie would be wearing, because they'd been going on about it for weeks - how wonderful their dresses were and how much they had cost.  

Oh no - talk of the devil.  The twins were coming.  She could hear them giggling as they ran down the stairs. Any minute now that moment of peace she always enjoyed on Christmas morning before the rest of the family came down, noisily ripping paper off presents, and shrieking with delight at even the smallest, simplest thing, would be shattered. And Melissa and Kirstie would crow about their new clothes, like they always did.