Thursday 11 September 2014

Guest Post - Laura James (author of Follow Me, Follow You)

 
Lovely to be joined today by Laura James author of Follow Me, Follow You.   I'm so looking forward to reading this.  Thanks for popping along to the blog today.  Over to you Laura!  
 
Hi Kim, Thank you so much for inviting me here today. It’s wonderful to get out and about and meet new people and chat about my second novel for Choc Lit, Follow Me, Follow You.

In some ways, I’m a little like Victoria Noble, the heroine in the book. I have times when I like to retreat into a different world. In my younger days that was my bedroom, where I sat for hours creating new inventions like the door alarm nose-tickler. This was quite an intricate set-up which alerted me to my bedroom door being opened. By connecting together string, card and a green feather, possibly from my mum’s dusting stick, and then tying theend of the string to the door handle, I knew when my door was being tampered with. If I was lying on my bed with my eyes closed and the feather brushed my nose, I had visitors. The fact I could hear them was neither here nor there …

If I wasn’t indulging my stationery needs, making posters on the giant A1 pads, or lining my felt-tip pens up in colour sequence, I listened to music, and poured over the lyric sheets that came with the albums. I analysed the words and meanings behind songs and picked out my favourite lines. I’m a big fan of the rhyming couplet.

On other occasions, I sat in my cosy red chair and read. I was taking A Level English and A Level Theatre Studies, so I had plenty of available books. I recall my English teacher’s enthusiasm for The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale, part of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Without her obvious love for the book, I think I would have struggled, but enthusiasm translates into every language and this book has stayed with me.

In my late teens, I bought an Atari PC. It came with a floppy disc drive and a dot matrix printer. I was in heaven. Not only could I mess about playing text-based adventure games, I could type and print out the poems I’d started writing ‒ poems inspired by books and lyrics I’d spent days analysing.
Unlike Victoria Noble, I’m not a computer whizz. I managed to write one very basic adventure game which used ‘Go to’ instructions, but that was the peak of my programming career. In 1996, I married an IT engineer. I’ve got IT covered.

Today, my equivalent of sitting at my Atari in my bedroom is working at my desk in the kitchen, writing novels and short stories. I no longer make large contraptions out of wool and sticky tape, but the creating bug is still with me. For the book launch of Follow Me, Follow You, my family and I made loom bands with book charms. The four of us sat at the kitchen table, cutting, gluing and weaving, putting together fifty bracelets as fun giveaways.

And my retreat still takes the form of a good book. Stories take me all over the world,send me time-travellingput me in the middle of a grand adventure with my children, make me fall in love hundreds of times, and allow me to experience a gamut of highly-chargedemotions, all from the comfort and safety of my sofa.

I think I’ve just realised why the word treat is part of retreat.

What’s your ‘Go to place or activity you see as your retreat?


Blurb:

You save me and I'll save you...
Victoria Noble has pulled the plug on romance. As director of the number one social networking site, EweSpeak, and single mother to four-year-old Seth, she wrestles with the work-life balance.
Enter Chris Frampton, Hollywood action hero and Victoria's first love. His return from LA has sparked a powder keg of media attention, and with secrets threatening to fuel the fire, he's desperate to escape.
But finding a way forward is never simple. Although his connection with Victoria is as strong as when he was nineteen, has he been adrift too long to know how to move on?
With the risk of them breaking, will either #follow their heart?
 
Excerpt:
Victoria was attempting to create the impression she was engrossed in her work. From the moment Dan collected Seth, she’d buried her head in buff-coloured files, raising it once to study her monitor. At that moment, she realised Juliette was watching her.
‘I’m all right, Joo, honestly.’ That was a lie. She was preoccupied with thoughts of Chris Frampton returning home, considering ways to stop EweSpeak’s Board of Directors from travelling a destructive path, and despairing over her non-existent relationship with her son. She grimaced. ‘Apart from the blinding headache.’
She thrust herself away from the desk and rubbed the back of her neck. Her life was too cluttered for her to make informed decisions, and too many demands were being made of her, emotionally and physically. Something had to give. ‘I could do without this stupid business with the board.’
‘Do you think they’ll go ahead?’
Victoria huffed. ‘Of course they will. They’re motivated by money. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep their bank accounts full and their fat backsides comfortable.’
‘But they have a duty of loyalty, and their report states the move will secure the future of EweSpeak—’
‘It only secures their position, Juliette. Let’s face facts. We made bad choices, electing certain members to the board. We were blinded by their past successes. They’re cut-throat businessmen with reputations to uphold.’ Victoria swung her chair round and gaped at her sister. ‘I’ll bet a year’s salary there’ll be redundancies.’
‘But if charging clients to join will increase profits—’
Victoria cut her off again. ‘Did you miss the bit where they proposed paying celebrities for exclusive bleats? It’s ridiculous. It won’t work. People will opt out. Our followers enjoy the personal contact, the chance to hold a discussion with like-minded souls, maybe even exchange a bleat with their idol. If it’s sensationalism they want, they’ll buy a glossy magazine, or worse, they’ll flock to our competitors. They won’t subscribe to our network.’ She shook her head. ‘It has disaster written all over it.’
‘I don’t see it. The board’s acting in the company’s best interest. We have to make money. And it’s not just their pockets they’re lining, is it?’ Juliette waved a hand in the direction of the window. ‘I don’t hear you complaining about the flashy, two-seater sports car you’ve parked in our private garage.’
Victoria reached for the remote on her desk, and switched on the TV. ‘I need a break.’ She stood, gave her arms a stretch, and walked across to the sofa, collapsing into it, irascible and frustrated. Surely Juliette wasn’t voting with the board? Victoria cast her eyes to the large screen, scoured through the programme guide, and settled on a news channel.
It was a mistake.
Wherever her eyes fell – the TV, online, mobile applications – Chris’s then thirty-five-year-old haunted face appeared, vacant, pale and broken. There was no escape from the dated footage of him being jostled out of the way of bloodthirsty, aggressive photographers or being hustled into his ranch house by burly security men. Victoria had seen the images thirty, maybe forty times in the last couple of years. Every piece of technology in her office was broadcasting his grief all over again, and each time his name was typed, bleated, or beamed across the Internet, and for every second his tormented features were on public display, Victoria was on trial. Her technology, the company, the brand she had developed and grown was helping prolong his terror. To see this beautiful man reduced to a floorshow for the cheap seats made her sick to the stomach.
She jumped at a touch to her arm.
‘Are you okay?’ Juliette took the remote from Victoria, switched off the TV, and sat down. ‘I’m sorry I called him your obsession. This must be hard for you.’
Victoria shrugged. Although she understood Juliette’s concern, she didn’t appreciate intrusion, and sharing, as her sister called it, was not Victoria’s way. There’d been far too much of that already. A small shudder ran through her. ‘It’s complicated,’ she said, hoping a few words, regardless of content, would appease Juliette.
 
Here's the book trailer.



Author Bio:
 
Laura is married and has two children. She lives in Dorset, but spent her formative years in Watford, a brief train ride away from the bright lights of London. Here she indulged her love of live music, and, following a spectacular Stevie Nicks gig, decided to take up singing, a passion that scored her second place in a national competition.
 
Laura is a graduate of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, a member of her local writing group, Off The Cuff, and an editor of the popular Romaniacsblog.
 
Laura was runner-up twice in the Choc Lit Short Story competitions. Her story Bitter Sweetappears in the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Anthology. Truth or Dare?, Laura’s debut novel, was shortlisted for the Festival of Romantic Fiction Best Romantic eBook 2013 and the 2014 Joan Hessayon New Writers’ Award. Follow me, follow you is Laura’s first Choc Lit novel published in paperback.
 
 
 
  

 
 

Monday 8 September 2014

Interview with Sue Moorcroft


I'm super-delighted to welcome Sue Moorcroft onto my blog today on the day that her  latest book The Wedding Proposal is available as a paperback (8 September).  This book is also available now as an ebook.    Sue is an incredible author and I've loved every book of hers that I've ever read.  She is wonderfully entertaining, she makes you laugh and makes you cry and certainly makes you think. 
Without further ado, here's our question and answer session:
 
Thanks so much for joining me today Sue, I wish you every success with this book. 
If you could be anyone famous, who would you like to be and why?
Lewis Hamilton, so I could drive a Formula 1 car and win a grand prix. And also hang out with other Formula 1 drivers.

If you could do any job, apart from be a writer, what would it be and why?

I’d quite like to be in some kind of PR role (again, maybe in F1?). I don’t want the stress that the job seems to bring but fancy the creativity and the feeling of no two days being alike. 

Do you watch TV? If so, what sort of programmes do you like to watch?

I really don’t watch that much. I watch every Formula 1 programme that I can; I love really clever comedies such as The Big Bang Theory; and I like quite a few documentaries. 

Where is your most favourite place in the world and why?

The Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, Malta. I used to live in Malta as a child, I adore it, and the view from the Upper Barrakka over Grand Harbour is amazing.  

What made you choose Malta as a setting for The Wedding Proposal?

See above! I like sending characters to Malta for when I can’t be there myself. The fact that Elle and Lucas are stuck together on a small boat is vital to the plot and mooring that boat in a country other than the UK made it hard for them to get away from one another. 

Is there anywhere else in the world that you would like to write a book about?

Wow, there must be hundreds. I’ll say Singapore because my parents met and married there and I haven’t yet been.

What is your favourite book that you wrote?

It’s really hard to choose but I’ll say Dream a Little Dream because it was so satisfying. The story itself took off like a dragon and the research was challenging because of the medical condition of the hero, Dominic, who suffers from narcolepsy.

Do you like to listen to music when you write and if so, what do you like to listen to?

It depends what stage of the process I’m at. If I’m deep in the writing zone I like silence or ‘wallpaper’ type classical music, usually piano or guitar. At other times I like to listen to a wide variety, often that of singer-songwriters such as Newton Faulkner, Frank Turner or Regina Spektor. But when ‘in the zone’ I find their words get in the way of my own – hence the instrumental stuff.

Who is your favourite band/music artist?

It depends what mood I’m in. If I had to take the work of only one artist to a desert island the artist would be David Bowie. But not all of it. He went through so many changes that some of them don’t call to me in the way that others do. I love the early albums unreservedly, though.

Who you do lust after?

I’ve found it impossible to single out a person so I’m going to say tall, fit, hot men who do not wear beards (ever) (but a small amount of stubble is OK) and who have wicked smiles and naughty glints. 

Who is your favourite book character - your own or anyone else's?

I’m going to say Ratty out of Starting Over if I’m allowed to choose one of my own. I never quite fell out of love with Ratty and he’s the hero of mine who has received the most attention. He’s done interviews and he’s received his own fan mail.

I know you help aspiring writers in many different ways.  What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to start writing?

Educate yourself, persist, learn about publishing as well as how to write, network. Enjoy!

How can someone get involved in the many ways you help potential authors?

There’s information on my website about having manuscripts appraised or the writer being mentored. I’m currently a tutor for the London School of Journalism. On my blog is a list of any events/workshops I’m involved with, including a residential course in Italy with Arte Umbria and I hope also to do one for Chez Castillon in France but the dates haven’t been decided. And groups can book me to run workshops for them. They can read my ‘how to’ book, Love Writing, or follow my columns in Writers’ Forum.

What’s next for Sue Moorcroft?

I’m writing a new novel, The Twelve Dates of Christmas, and also a serial for My Weekly entitled Ms Easily Overlooked, which is due to run over Christmas and New Year. I’m not sure how I ended up writing two things about Christmas as I prefer summer. Next year maybe I’ll write about a holiday. Someone gave me a great idea for the premise …

Sue Moorcroft writes romantic novels of dauntless heroines and irresistible heroes. Is this Love? was nominated for the Readers’ Best Romantic Read Award. Love & Freedom won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA in 2013. Sue received three nominations at the Festival of Romance 2012, and is a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner. She’s a past vice chair of the RNA and editor of its two anthologies.
 

Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles, writing ‘how to’ and is a competition judge and creative writing tutor.

 
Sue’s latest book The Wedding Proposal is available as an ebook from 4 August 2014 and as a paperback from 8 September.

 
Website www.suemoorcroft.com



Twitter @suemoorcroft

 
The Wedding Proposal

Can a runaway bride stop running?

Elle Jamieson is an unusually private person, in relationships as well as at work – and for good reason. But when she’s made redundant, with no ties to hold her, Elle heads off to a new life in sunny Malta.

Lucas Rose hates secrets – he prides himself on his ability to lay his cards on the table and he expects nothing less from others. He’s furious when his summer working as a divemaster is interrupted by the arrival of Elle, his ex, all thanks to his Uncle Simon’s misguided attempts at matchmaking.

Forced to live in close proximity, it’s hard to ignore what they had shared before Lucas’s wedding proposal ended everything they had. But then an unexpected phone call from England allows Lucas a rare glimpse of the true Elle. Can he deal with Elle’s hidden past when it finally comes to light?

 

Friday 15 August 2014

Review - Three Little Birds by Carol E Wyer

About the book

Two friends. Two Carpe Diem lists. One proviso. 

When Charlie Blunkett and Mercedes Thomson swap bucket lists, neither can possibly know how much their lives will change.  There will be challenges that neither expected to ever face, and for one of them, an insurmountable fear to conquer.

Charlie is about to discover the importance of seizing the day.  It is a journey that will take her to dark places, teach her to love again and to come to recognise who she really is.  However, it will be a rocky road and there is danger afoot that could threaten her happiness and her life.

What did I think?

This is a fabulous story about friendship, and love and about never giving up despite what has happened in your past.  It's about grabbing every opportunity which is offered to you and about living life to the full. 

It's massively inspirational, hugely motivational and makes you want to get up off your lazy ass and do something worthwhile and memorable.   Life is for making memories, you can't change the past, however traumatic it was and how it has affected your future, but you do have the chance to be happy again and deserve to take that chance.

There was laughter, tears and tons of fun written into this book and I felt like I'd gone on a rollercoaster of emotions but came out better for it at the end.  I'm sure lots of people will take lots of things from this book and feel completely compelled to do something inspiring!

I absolutely loved this book!

About the Author
After completing a degree in French and English, Carol E Wyer became a language teacher. She actually began her working life abroad, in Casablanca, Morocco, where she taught English as a Foreign Language in an American Language school. It was soon discovered that she could speak French rather well, and she became a translator and teacher to large organisations and companies such as ‘Regie de Tabac’, Morocco’s largest cigarette company, and the Mediterranean Shipping Company.
After a few years she was ‘head-hunted ‘to run the English as a Foreign Language department of a private school in the UK. (Imagine Hogwarts without the wizardry.)
Carol taught English up to, and including ‘A’ Level, along with English as a Foreign Language. She also qualified to teach pupils with Dyslexia and became Head of English for Special Needs.
In 1988, Carol set up her own language company called Language 2000 Ltd and worked in schools and for companies. She taught a variety of languages, including basic Japanese, to all ages and translated documents.
A recurrence of spinal difficulties that began when she was a teenager, forced her to give up teaching and choose a new direction. In order to deal with her health problems, Carol attended a fitness course (Premier), took the qualifications to become a fitness instructor and became a personal trainer. That led her to become a trainer for others, particularly for older people who, like herself, had undergone major surgery.
Thanks to older age, Carol now no longer trains people, but has written a series of novels, articles and books which takes a humorous look at getting older. It is her hope that they will educate through laughter and help others appreciate life.
Carol has also written several short stories over the years, including humorous books for children which served to teach them French.
 
Author links
Like Carol on Facebook            
Follow Carol on Twitter               
 

Thursday 14 August 2014

Review - Last Kiss by Louise Phillips

Her husband is having an affair with a woman who wants her life. How far will she go to take back control?            
 
In a quiet suburb, a woman desperately clings to her sanity as a shadowy presence moves objects around her home.
In a hotel room across the city, an art dealer with a dubious sexual past is found butchered, his body arranged to mimic the Hangman card from the Tarot deck.
But what connects them?

When criminal psychologist Dr Kate Pearson is brought in to help investigate the murder, she finds herself plunged into a web of sexual power and evil which spreads from Dublin to Paris, and then to Rome.

Will Kate discover the identity of the killer before it's too late to protect the innocent? But what separates the innocent from the guilty when the sins of the past can never be forgotten?
 
    
       
 
What did I think?
Wow! What a fabulously gripping thriller this was. 
 
The third in the series and in my opinion the best yet, meant that we get to know Dr Kate Pearson a little more in each book.  I love that!  She's a terrific character and I love that she's so flipping clever!  I could sit in a pub with her and listen to her talking for hours!  I wish she'd find as much happiness in her personal life.  She seems to struggle with juggling her work and being a parent as she did being a wife.  Let's hope that in the next book she overcomes those issues and gives love a chance with someone who understands her work a little more.  I hope Louise that there is another book, I'll be quite devastated if not!!!
 
I read the last 50 pages or so while I was in a kid's play area and I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat and holding my breath.  The suspense was incredible.  I actually tweeted Louise as at one particularly gruesome part when I felt myself pull such a "ew" face!
 
It reminded me of when I used to devour every James Patterson book.  I couldn't put Last Kiss down, was desperate to unravel more of this psychological tale! 
 
It was dark, it was deep, it was scary, it chilled me to the bone.  It was brilliant!
 
 
About the Author
Born in Dublin, Louise Phillips returned to writing in 2006, after raising her family. That year, she was selected by Dermot Bolger as an emerging talent in the county. Louise's work has been published as part of many anthologies, including County Lines from New Island, and various literary journals. In 2009, she won the Jonathan Swift Award for her short story Last Kiss, and in 2011 she was a winner in the Irish Writers' Centre Lonely Voice platform. She has also been short-listed for the Molly Keane Memorial Award, Bridport UK, and long-listed twice for the RTE Guide/Penguin Short Story Competition.
 
In 2012, she was awarded an Arts Bursary for Literature from South Dublin County Council. Her debut novel, Red Ribbons, was shortlisted for Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year (2012) in the Irish Book Awards.

The Doll's House, her second novel, won the Crime Fiction Book of the Year Award at the BGE Irish Book Awards 2013.

Find out more about Louise at her website http://www.louise-phillips.com/

Buy this book via Amazon UK

Follow Louise on Twitter

Like Louise on Facebook.

 

Friday 1 August 2014

Review - Addicted by Nigel May


Another cracker from Nigel May!
Getting clean is a dirty business 

The wine heiress, the faded entertainer, the operatic diva, the politician's wife - four women who can’t say no…. 

Four women who should be happy with what life has given them. Success, beauty, money and fame. But never judge a book by its cover, because on the outside they may all seem to be completely in control of their lives, but under their fashionable facades, deep within their souls, they are all battling with a common demon…they are all addicted. Addicted to things that could ruin their very existence. In fact for one, it will snuff it out for good. 

Four women…one death, one killer…


Nigel May sure does know how to write a glam fiction novel!  I loved Trinity, and Addicted didn’t disappoint in any way.  I can imagine both of Nigel’s books on TV and can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.   It starts with a cleverly written and mysterious prologue which keeps you guessing all the way through the book. 

The four characters are all glamorous, successful and gorgeous yet they all have issues that they are battling with and are a particularly catty lot.  I loved that! Their lives are all linked and that becomes apparent as the plot unfolds. 

This is a really entertaining book, full of intrigue, glamour and everything I come to expect from a Nigel May book. 

Four women, four addictions, one death….who survives..?
Find out for yourself.  You can buy ADDICTED now for all eReaders at http://myBook.to/ADDICTED_NigelMay - it's just 99p too! Unbelievable value!

Nigel’s first glam fiction novel TRINITY is available for 99p too at http://myBook.to/TRINITY_NigelMay
Nigel May is a TV presenter and journalist and regularly presents on UK shopping channels.

He has written for many of the UK's most successful magazines and newspapers, specialising in showbiz and celebrity, as well as writing on subjects ranging from relationships through to travel. He is also one of the UK's most popular craft personalities, having launched his own successful range, A-May-Zing.

Nigel is the only male writer amongst 44 authors featured in the chart-topping, perfect beach-read anthology of short-stories SUNLOUNGER & SUNLOUNGER 2. 

You can follow Nigel on Twitter - www.twitter.com/Nigel_May 
You can find out more about Nigel via his website www.nigelmay.net 
 
 

Sunday 27 July 2014

Join Paige Toon on her blog tour


Delighted today to kick-off Paige Toon's blog tour.  There's 13 stops on the blog tour and you can follow them all here.  
 
 
Paige joins me today specifically to tell us about the pictures that inspired Thirteen Weddings.  Reading this really does make the book come alive!  Over to you Paige:
 
 
Pics That Inspired 13W

Just before I started working on Thirteen Weddings, about a wedding photographer who falls in love with a groom, I was asked to take part in a local charity auction. The organisers wanted me to offer the chance to win a named character in my next book, so I agreed, but never in a million years did I think that the winning bid would be from a wedding photographer (who had no idea what my next book was about).

The name of the photographer is LinaOrsino, and she ended up helping me massively with my research. In my book, Bronte gets some part-time work with wedding photographer Rachel, who learnt everything she knows from a wedding photographer called LinaOrsino. She’s not wrong… I don’t know what I would have done without all of Lina’s help.

In reality, Lina is one half of Lina& Tom, and many of their stunning weddingshoots inspired scenes in Thirteen Weddings. Here are just a handful, but if you’d like to see more of their work or talk to them about photographing your wedding, here is their website: www.linaandtom.com – but be quick, they book up early!

Groom in Ely Cathedral

Lina handles the front-of-church shots like this magnificent one of a groom with the vast expanse of Ely Cathedral behind him. This shot inspired the setting for Bronte’s eighth wedding. Lina’s partner Tom is at the back of the cathedral, capturing the bride’s arrival. Once the bride is past him, Tom’s primary focus is to capture the groom’s expression when he sees his bride for the first time. Lina, meanwhile, captures the corresponding shot of the bride. When Lina told me this, I decided to put Bronte at the back of the church – and this impacts on her heavily when she has to shoot the love of her life, Alex, on his wedding day.It’s just one example of how much Lina helped me.

The ‘Crazy Hat’ Wedding

Lina told me about this wedding, and even though I only mention it in passing in the book, I thought you might like to see it. The bride and groom and all of the congregation wore traditional wedding outfits from the neck down, but on their heads, they wore crazy headgear. Here the groom is wearing a Roman Centurion helmet, and the bride has a magpie’s nest on her head which is full of sparkling jewels. Lina and Tom think it’s great when people choose to do something a little bit different – I think they look amazing.

 
 
 
 
Kiss In The Rain

I talk about this shot in hindsight in the book, but originally I wrote about this scene in full. My editor thought it slowed the pace down (she was right) so it’s now one of my deleted scenes on this blog tour. (Visit fabulousbookfiend.blogspot.co.uk on 1 August to read it!) Most brides and grooms would be disappointed if it was raining on their wedding day, but Linaand Tom prove that shots in the rain like this one can be beautifully romantic.

 
 
 
 
 
 
‘YES!’

Lina and Tom excel at capturing candid snapshots of a couple’s big day, and when she told me about this moment, I just had to include it in Bronte’s first wedding. In the book, Bronte rushes outside the church, just in time for the bride and groom to burst out of the door, the groom shouting, ‘YES!’ How cute do they look? I love this shot.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
A note from Paige: Sign up to my book club, ‘The Hidden Paige’, at www.paigetoon.com for free short stories, competitions and the chance to find out more about me and my characters and what we’re all up to.

Follow me on Twitter @PaigeToonAuthor or visit me at www.Facebook.com/PaigeToonAuthor.
 

Buy links
 
Apple
 
Kindle
 
Kobo
 
Google
 
Blinkbox

Friday 18 July 2014

Day 4 - Hot Chocolate and Tea Cakes by Amanda Prowse

Today I am super excited to share with you part four in the exclusive short story from Amanda Prowse.  The other stops are listed below.
 
 
 
Hot Chocolate and Teacakes by Amanda Prowse
 
DAY 4
 
‘Nah.’ Poppy looked at her scuffed toes, happy that he seemed concerned and yet slightly embarrassed that he was familiar with the taunts fired in her direction from Jackie Sinclair ‘you’re a stinky flea bag Poppy Day!’
 
‘I can’t write that essay on what we like most about our dad’s,’ she looked up, letting the obvious implication sink in. ‘I don’t know what to put.’ It was easy to admit things to Martin Cricket; as her Nan said, they were birds of a feather.
 
You don’t know what to put?’ he sighed, ‘I wrote a whole page but ripped it up and started again.’
 
‘What did you do that for?’ she was puzzled.
 
‘Cos when I read it back, it said, the best thing about my dad is when he is asleep or up the pub and not near me.’
 
Poppy laughed loudly. ‘We’re a right pair in’t we?’  It was all she could think of to mask the sadness that her friend’s comments revealed, life for him in a cramped flat with a bully was no fun.
 
Yesterday's instalment can be found at http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk

Stop by http://shelovestoread.wordpress.com/ for tomorrows instalment.


Will You Rememember Me? is out now! Get your copy from Amazon UK
After reading this incredible book this week, I was inspired to write a blog post about it.  You can read this post here.  
 
About Amanda:
Amanda has always obsessively crafted short stories and scribbled notes for potential books. Five years ago, she quit her job as a management consultant and began writing full time. The result was Poppy Day, the story of an army wife, whose incredible love for her husband gives her the courage to rescue him from hostages in Afghanistan. Originally self-published in October 2011 with 100% of royalties going to the Royal British Legion, Poppy Day quickly became a bestseller and Amanda was signed up by Head of Zeus publishers.
Follow Amanda on Twitter @MrsAmandaProwse