I am the last stop of the Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady blog tour.

Sadly, my copy of Amanda in Malta hasn’t yet arrived, however, I have been following along with the other 11 bloggers on this blog tour so I got a sense of both Amanda, the main character, and the questions I wanted to ask its creator – Canadian author Darlene Foster.

Foster said growing up on a ranch in Alberta inspired her love of reading and seeing the world. Now retired, she has house in Spain where she spends time with her husband and rescue dogs, Dot and Lia, while writing full time. She also travels, meeting interesting people and getting inspirations for her series about Amanda, a 12-year-old girl who travels the world, learning about the people and culture while solving a mystery. Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady is the eighth book in her series.

I asked Foster three questions:

Q. This is your eighth book in your series. Of all the places Amanda has traveled, which one is your favourite? Why? 
A. The books are based on my travels, and I have enjoyed all the places I (and Amanda) have been. Malta was certainly a unique experience. It is such a great mixture of cultures, African, Arabic, British, Italian, French and others. Because of its strategic position, it has been occupied by many civilizations over the centuries. And so much of its history has been preserved. There is a story around every corner.

Q. Amanda is the name of your grandchild who was 12 when you first started your series. Is your character Amanda based on anyone?
A. Amanda is the 12 year old I would have liked to have been. I lived on a farm on the Canadian prairies and travelled vicariously through books. I so wanted to be able to travel, see the world and have adventures. I didn’t board an airplane until I was in my late 20s.So Amanda is somewhat based on me, but braver and more adventurous. Her curiosity, dedication to her friends, and love of animals, history and books is like me.

Q. Where do you hope Amanda will go next? What do you hope she will learn?
A. Amanda will go to France next and stay in a bookstore in Paris. She will visit iconic sites like Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre as well as the Palace of Versailles and Monet’s house and garden in Giverny. She will learn that not all is as it seems and not to judge a book by its cover, so to speak.

Check out the synopsis of Amanda in Malta:

Amanda receives a postcard from her best friend, Leah, and is surprised to learn that she is in Malta with her aunt. Reading between the lines, she senses Leah is in trouble. Desperate to help her, Amanda travels to Malta with her classmate Caleb and his parents.

Amanda is intrigued by this exotic island in the middle of the Mediterranean, full of colourful history, sun-drenched limestone fortresses, stunning beaches and fascinating birds. But…who is killing the protected birds? Who stole a priceless artifact from the museum? And why is Leah acting so strange? She couldn’t possibly be involved in these illegal activities, or could she?
Join Amanda and her friends as they visit ancient temples, an exciting falconry and the enchanting Popeye Village, as they try to get to the bottom of the mystery of the Sleeping Lady.

Read my review here.



Here are a list of all the Amanda books:

1. Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask
2. Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting
3. Amanda in England: The Missing Novel
4. Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone
5. Amanda on the Danube: The Sounds of Music
6. Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind
7. Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action
8. Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady

You can buy the Amanda book from Amazon and Chapters/Indigo.

Follow Foster on social media:

Facebook 

Twitter 

Blog 

Instagram 

I look forward to reading Amanda in Malta when it finally arrives.

Do you also want to catch up on the blog tour? Below is a list of participating bloggers.

May 11 – Jacquie Murray

May 13 – John Rieber 

May 15 – Robbie Cheadle 

May 18 – Miriam Hurdle 

May 21 – Anne Mehrling 

May 24 – Kim Barker 

May 27 – Nancy Blodgett Klein 

May 30 – Shirley Healy 

June 2 – Debra Purdy Kong 

June 5 – Michele Somerville 

June 7 – Meg King-Sloan