Carol E Wyer - Cover Reveal - How Not To Murder Your Grumpy

COVER REVEAL

 

I am over the moon to be taking part in the Fiction Addiction Book Tours Cover Revel for How Not To Murder Your Grumpy by Carol E Wyer today. Carol is a lovely lady and a brilliant author and her books are always guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Thanks so much for joining me today Carol. It's an absolute pleasure to have you as my guest. 

 

www.carolewyer.co.uk

This is what Carol said about her Grumpy

 

Grumpy old men are fractious and irritating at times, but they are also hilarious. Mine comes out with some wonderful lines that crack me up.

 

Last week we were sitting outside a cafe when a group of rather fit looking male cyclists pulled up and sat at the table in front of us. Mr G continued to enjoy the warmth of the sun that was beating down on his face and kept one beady eye on me. I was gawping at the men, of course.

 

One of the men, dressed in appropriate lycra had some sponsorship writing on his cycling kit - Derby Mercury.

 

Mr G cast a look in my direction:

 

“More Freddie than Derby,” he commented wryly. “He should also have ‘I Want to Break Free’ written on the front of his tight leggings.”

 

What can you say? Mr G turned away smiling quietly at his own wit and let the sun play on his face. I sniggered like a silly schoolgirl. The men, oblivious to our comments ate flapjacks and talked about the thrill of racing.

 

What lines has your Grumpy come out with recently that has earned him a guffaw from you? He can’t be all misery.

 

To celebrate the cover reveal for How Not to Murder Your Grumpy and win him a Grumpy Badge along with a copy of the book for you, share your own Grumpy’s best lines in the comments at the foot of this page. 

Giveaway

Carol is giving away lots of nice little “Grumpy” goodies. To be in with a chance to win please click on the following link and follow the instructions. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the book

Is your Grumpy Old Man getting under your feet? Is he wrestling with retirement? Are you wondering if you should bundle him up and entrust him to basket-weaving classes? Then this book could be the answer to your prayers. This light hearted guide is packed full of lively ideas, anecdotes and quips. Not only does it set out to provide laughs, but offers over 700 ideas and ways to keep a Grumpy Old Man occupied.

From collecting airline sick bags to zorbing, you will be sure to find an absorbing pastime for your beloved curmudgeon. There are examples of those who have faced extraordinary challenges in older age, fascinating facts to interest a reluctant partner and innovative ideas drizzled, of course, with a large dollop of humour.

Written tongue-in-cheek, this book succeeds in proving that getting older doesn’t mean the end of life or having fun. It provides amusing answers to the question, “How on Earth will my husband fill in his time in his retirement?” It offers suggestions on what might, or most certainly might not, amuse him. Ideal for trivia buffs, those approaching retirement, (or just at a loose end) and frustrated women who have an irritable male on their hands, this book will lighten any mood and may even prevent the odd murder.

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 she is currently writing 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 written several short stories over the years, including humorous books for children which served to teach them French. She was not able to fulfil her desire to be a full-time author until two years ago when her son flew from the nest, leaving his bedroom which Carol turned into her office.

Since then, she has written two novels, Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines and Surfing in Stilettos, both of which have enjoyed media attention and success, becoming best sellers and winning awards.

Carol writes regularly for author websites and she has recently become a contributing author on a help guide entitled Tutorials and Tools for Prospering in a Digital Age.

Author links

Amazon UK Author Page       

Amazon US Author Page           

FeedARead (Paperback version)  Surfing in Stilettos

FeedARead (Paperback version) Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines            

Website           

loveahappyending.com

Thornberry Publishing           

Safkhet Publishing              

Blog             

Facebook            

Twitter               

Goodreads

Website             

Member of Romantic Novelists Association

Don't forget the giveaway! 

Carol is giving away lots of nice little “Grumpy” goodies. To be in with a chance to win please click on the following link and follow the instructions. Good luck!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review: Wish You Were Here by Victoria Connelly

Just got back from a fabulous week on the stunning island of Kethos. That’s what it feels like anyway and I feel like right away.

Alice Archer is a plain Jane in a dreary dead-end job with a dull and boring life.  Nobody in her life listens to her or notices her except for her father who is in a care home.  When her demanding sister Stella offers her a place on a week’s holiday to the Greek island of Kethos, it sounds like just what she needs just as long as she can put up with Stella and her difficult ways. 

When she arrives, she leaves Stella by the pool working on her tan and visits the gardens at Villa Argenti, where she meets handsome gardener Milo who tells her that people wish upon the statue of Aphrodite.  Though she doesn’t believe in this myth, she takes the opportunity to make a wish that men notice her.  When Milo offers to take her out for a day, she decides it’s about time she started to enjoy herself and accepts his offer.  Men suddenly start to notice her and wondering whether it is co-incidence or whether her wish has come true.  Is this just a holiday romance or is it true love? Is Milo what he seems to be or is he hiding a secret from Alice?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it on a particularly rainy afternoon which made the island of Kethos even more appealing for me.  I easily imagined the villa that Stella and Alice stayed in and wanted to stay there myself.  I could picture myself on the back of Milo’s bike, with the wind in my hair seeing the spectacular views and could definitely see myself wandering around and smelling the amazing aromas coming from the flowers in the gardens of Villa Argenti.

Victoria’s style of writing is so descriptive, expressive and colourful and it is these qualities which make her books so easy to read.  This story flows really well and you become very quickly deeply immersed in the world that she writes about.  This is a book that shuts you away from everything that is going on in your life and you are transported to the island of Kethos enjoying all the delights that Alice experiences. 

This morning, I'm still thinking about Kethos.  I feel like booking a holiday to this gorgeous island and exploring it myself.  I will definitely be looking out for Milo and Alice around every corner.  I think most of the ladies who read this book might just fall a little bit in love with Milo!

 

I always look forward to reading a Victoria Connelly novel, she is a wonderful author who totally and utterly brings her books to life! This is such a feel-good romance novel that I would definitely recommend to brighten up your life. 

Victoria Connelly grew up in Norfolk.  After graduating, she worked her way through a number of jobs before becoming a teacher in North Yorkshire.  In 2000, she got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and moved to London.  After writing articles and short stories, a bidding war between five publishers in Germany resulted in a book deal and the first of three novels published there was made into a film.

Her first novel to be published in the UK was Molly’s Millions (2009) and was a top ten ebook bestseller.  Victoria has also written a trilogy about Jane Austin addicts.  Victoria and her husband recently left London for a cottage in rural Suffolk, where she lives with a springer spaniel and a brood of rescued battery hens. 

 

To buy Wish You Were Here via Amazon UK, click here.

 

To find out more about Victoria, check out her website here

 

You can follow Victoria on Twitter or you can like her on Facebook. 

 

 

 

Review - The Bow Wow Club by Nicola May

Nicola May wrote a terrific book called Working It Out which I read in 2011 (my review can be found here), where we first met Ruby Matthews and her fabulously flamboyant friends and neighbours. In this book, the sequel, Ruby experiences tragedy and loss like she could never imagine.
 
While she is trying so hard to get on with her life she meets gorgeous author Michael Bell who turns her life upside down.  In an attempt to sort her head out, she volunteers to help out at the BOW WOW Club (Boyfriends of Widows, Wives of Widowers).  She hopes that this club will give her the courage to move forward in an extremely difficult time of her life. It is at this club that she meets the most wonderful people, all with a hilarious background and only Nicola could put someone with Tourette's syndrome into a book and make it hilariously funny without offending anyone.

About quarter of the way through reading this hilarious book, I realised that I had read the majority of it with a bit great big grin on my face. The characters that we met in the last book, continue their lives which are completely bonkers and tons of fun.  The book is told from two sides, from Ruby's and also from Michael's and there are some quite rude thoughts from Michael, but they just make the story what it is and aren't in the least bit offensive. 

In true Nicola May style I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book and just loved every single second of it which I devoured in just two sessions. The first night I was only going to read a couple of chapters but found myself forcing it out of my hands when I got to Chapter 18 and realised that I was going to be exhausted the next day.  It was one of those books that you keep thinking about even when you are away from it and I couldn't wait to get home to read it.
 
I honestly could read about Ruby, her life, her friends and the antics they get up to until the day that she dies. No pressure there Nicola May but one book a year about Ruby till she's in a care home would be pretty fab! Actually I bet Nicola could write some cracking stories about Ruby and Fi in an old folks home! They would be having such a whale of a time! She is so good at developing characters that you feel you have known all your life.  I'd quite like to go to the pub with Ruby, Fi and Nicola - they would be such good fun on a night out although I'm not sure I'd keep up with them!

This completely delicious book was such great fun to read from start to finish but there were also points that I found extremely emotional too.  The ending was exactly what I wished for and had me with tears streaming down my face yet laughing at the same time - not a pretty sight I have to admit!  It warmed the cockles of my heart with the fairytale ending.   A fabulous feel-good read.  

Nicola's biography says that she is a huge fan of and is inspired by her favourite authors Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews.  Nicola May should be high up on the bookshop shelves with these two amazing authors and lovely ladies as she is most definitely a best selling author with a wonderfully emotional and hilarious writing style that I could read forever.   I think her writing gets better with each novel she writes.

If you like the sound of this book which I highly recommend, you can pre-order it right here.  It is due for publication on 14th May.  I'm so honoured that Nicola has asked me to read it before it's out.  It really is a complete honour to be invited and you probably have gathered by now that I completely loved it.    
 

Nicola May lives in Berkshire. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks and enjoying a flutter on the horses.    She has written three other novels Better Together, Star Fish and The School Gates  
 
You can find out more about Nicola and more about the other books she has written at www.nicolamay.com.
 
You can like Nicola's Facebook Page by clicking here

You can follow Nicola on Twitter by clicking here

Author Linda MacDonald joins me on her whirlwind blog tour

I'm absolutely over the moon to be joined today by the lovely Linda MacDonald.  Linda is the author of brilliant book which I read recently called Meeting Lydia and I've got lots of questions for her so let's get cracking shall we Linda? Thanks so much for popping over for a chat today. Hope the coffee and croissants were ok for you.

Thanks Kim, they were perfect. Thanks for having me over today. I'm a bit worn out with all these blog stops but it really is great fun.  I'd also like to tell your readers about my international giveaway.
 
The giveaway for the whole tour is for two signed paperback copies of Meeting Lydia with further prizes of signed postcards and bookmarks. To enter leave a comment on this post! Two weeks after the tour ends, I will select the winners from the comments on all blogs taking part in the tour.
 
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: Please leave a blog comment on my page using the comments section below, and then click through to the rafflecopter giveaway link. Please make sure you do both to ensure that you are entered!
Good luck

Rafflecopter Giveaway

When did you realise that you had a talent for writing? 

When I was 15, I wrote in an essay, 'Grey dry-stone walls crawled across the countryside like caterpillars.' The simile and alliteration seemed to impress my teacher, Mrs Southgate. She wrote very complimentary things in red ink and subsequently suggested I be entered for the optional exam in Creative Writing when I did my English Literature A'level.

How did your writing journey start? 

Every Monday morning at school, as soon as we were old enough to construct sentences, we had to write about our weekend in our News Books. I expect this gave our teacher some very interesting insights into our home lives! I often mentioned my mum's friend, our neighbour Mrs Mott. Apparently my teacher thought she was a fictional character and was surprised one day when she came to pick me up from school and said she was Mrs Mottershead. After that I wrote diaries, odes, poems; the usual kids' stuff. And during the first twenty years of my teaching life, I completed two full-length novels on an old typewriter. This was before I had the idea for Meeting Lydia.

What gave you the idea for the book Meeting Lydia? 

My early experiences of bullying as one of very few girls in a boys' prep school, and the effect this had on me in later life, had a unique quality that I always felt could be portrayed usefully in a novel. I wanted to share in the hope of helping others who had gone through something similar. But it was only when I became reacquainted with one of my classmates through Friends Reunited that an idea for a plot emerged. A long-lost crush and internet relationships sounded a more interesting prospect than bullying on its own. Of course there are dozens of books with cyber-relationship or bullying themes, but because this novel was inspired by actual events, I am confident it has totally original qualities. Indeed, the event that gives Meeting Lydia its title was something that actually happened and should be an 'ah-ha' moment for the reader.

You tackle a number of controversial subjects in the book such as bullying.  How do you feel that your psychology background has helped you to do this? 

Although I research all the themes in my novels, having a background in psychology gives me some knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings of human behaviour which may make it easier to create believable characters and situations, and to anticipate action and reaction in complex relationship dilemmas. One of the reasons I write is because I want to have an impact and make people think about their own lives. I believe that by reading through the traumas of fictional characters, we can be helped to unravel some of our own issues.

You must come across some very interesting people in your life.  Do you base your characters on people that you have come across? 

Many of my characters are created rather as one might create a dish from a recipe, taking ingredients from various people, mixing them in a bowl, adding a dash of inspiration and hoping someone unique and memorable emerges from the fictional oven. Once on a train from Carlisle to London, I was sitting across the aisle from a fascinating family with a loud and vociferous mother. By the end of the journey, my ticket envelope was covered in quotations, several of which have inspired pieces of dialogue in my books. I would love to think one day the mother would read them; she would definitely recognise herself!

Do you have a favourite author(s) or a favourite book and if so why? 

I adore Winnie-the-Pooh for its wonderful characterisation and humour. My aunt used to read me the stories when I went to visit. She did all the voices and brought the book to life. When I was a teenager I revisited the book from a different perspective, seeing the jokes meant for adults and discovering a new magic. Since then, in each of my workplaces, I have found a Tigger, an Eeyore, a Kanga, a Rabbit - and I suspect this is true everywhere.

Where do you write? 

In my living-room at the computer - but I also construct plots and characters on a notepad when I'm sitting on the sofa. Frequently at night in bed, an idea strikes when I'm not consciously thinking about it. If I don't write it down, the night-fairies steal it and it is lost by morning. I now have a small voice recorder and a notepad on the bedside table.

Who inspires you? 

Mr Keating in 'Dead Poets' Society' quotes Walt Whitman to his class, '"The powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse." What will your verse be?'''

I find these words extremely inspirational.

But daily I am inspired by real-life stories of strength in adversity, and by the natural world.

I see that your next book A Meeting of a Different Kind is due out very soon.  Can you tell me a little more about it? 

This stand-alone sequel to Meeting Lydia came out in November 2012. It is written from the perspectives of two different characters: Marianne's friend Taryn who is a borderline manic depressive with a penchant for other people's husbands, and Edward, the long-lost crush whose wife has inherited almost a million and is turning their home into an eco-farm without consulting him. Marianne's communications with Edward have led her to believe he is not the philandering type, but Taryn doesn't believe this of any man, 'given the right material to philander with'. I thought it would be interesting to examine what might happen when Edward and Taryn meet. But overall the story is a very tangled web of midlife relationships where loyalty and friendship are severely tested. In the background is Taryn's mental fragility and also a smattering of environment issues. As with Meeting Lydia, it will appeal to anyone interested in the psychology of relationships but because it is also from the male perspective, men are enjoying it as much as women

So what's next for Linda MacDonald? 

Three local library talks in April and May to try to spread awareness of my writing; a virtual tour via Fiction Addiction with A Meeting of a Different Kind in July; and I am currently about two thirds of the way through the first draft of the third part of the Lydia trilogy. I hope to have it published in 2014.

Thanks so much for sharing all that personal information with me and my readers.  I would love to read the other two books in the trilogy at some point, so please pop by again on any other tours you have planned.  Thanks for joining me here today.

About the Author:

Linda MacDonald was born and brought up in Cockermouth, on the edge of the Lake District in Cumbria, England. She was educated at the local grammar school and later at Goldsmiths’, University of London where she studied for a BA in psychology and then a PGCE in biology and science. She taught secondary science and biology in Croydon for eleven years before taking some time out to write, paint and make jewellery. In 1990 she was lured back into teaching at a sixth form college in south-east London where she taught health and social care and psychology. For over twenty-five years she was also a visiting tutor in the psychology department at Goldsmiths’.

At the end of 2009, Linda broke her wrist very badly through tripping over a classroom chair. Reminded of the fragility of life and how time was passing with her writing dreams still unfulfilled, she decided to publish her first novel independently. Meeting Lydia was inspired by finding an ex classmate on Friends Reunited. The novel explores the effects of school bullying on later life, and the pros and cons of internet relationships from the perspective of a woman going through a midlife crisis. It was published in September 2011. The stand-alone sequel, A Meeting of a Different Kind, had already been drafted before Linda broke her wrist and was published in November last year. It continues the story from the perspectives of two different characters, looking at issues of friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Both books may be read independently and are being very well-received by a wide ranging readership of men as well as women. It is expected that there will be a third part to the series and this is a work in progress.

Health issues in 2011 prompted Linda to retire from teaching in order to concentrate on her writing career. She hopes that with this new focus she can bring her books to the notice of a larger audience.

Linda’s links

Amazon UK Author Page:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Linda-MacDonald/e/B00884ATWE/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Amazon US Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/Linda-MacDonald/e/B00884ATWE/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Troubador Author page Meeting Lydia

http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=1462

Troubador Author page A Meeting of a Different Kind

http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=1902

Twitter @LindaMac1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/4870870.Linda_MacDonald

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/linda.macdonald.9250?fref=ts

 

Review - Security by Mandy Baggot

I'm delighted today to be part of Mandy Baggot's blog tour. 

As part of of the Security launch, Mandy is having a giveaway. Anyone who posts a review on Amazon up until the end of May can enter into the Rafflecopter draw to win a £25/$40 Amazon gift certificate. You will be able to enter via this link.

 

Autumn Raine is a diva of the highest order.  She is a popstar who lives in a world where she barks orders and everybody jumps. Her boyfriend enjoys spending her money and she has a PA who organises her life for her. With a dad she misses dearly as he died years ago, and her mum a politician and not at all a motherly type of mum, she has learnt that emotions should always kept in check and she never allows herself to get really close to someone.

However her life changes dramatically when Nathan Regan, her new security guy who is ex-military takes a firm hand with her, says he's in charge now and completely turns her life upside down and inside out in more ways than one. Should she trust those close to her?  Just who is telling the truth?

I really do love a Mandy Baggot book. They are full of emotion, passion and laughter.  She always writes great stories which are extremely entertaining to read.

I met Mandy last year at a Love A Happy Ending event, and she's a real character. That must be why she is so good at creating the characters that she does in her books.  They are quirkey, intense and have the odd flaw or two but you grow to love them really quickly. 

You know when you pick up a Mandy Baggot book that you will get your money's worth.  Each one I've read so far has been highly readable, is easy to turn the pages, and has a storyline which leaves you desperate to find out which way the plot will turn, and she never fails to achieve a happy ending. And you will all know by now how much I love a happy ending!

I'm glad that I have discovered this author and look forward to continuing to read lots more of her brilliant work.

About the Author:

Mandy Baggot brings you award-winning fiction! In 2012 she won the coveted Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK's Festival of Romance. Her novel Strings Attached was also short listed for Best Author Published Read!

Mandy writes strong contemporary romance and characters you'll fall in love with. Previously self-published, she was signed by US publishing house Sapphire Star Publishing in January 2012. Shortly afterwards she became a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association.

Mandy is a self-confessed Twitter addict who also likes to show off her singing talents on You Tube - check out Lady Gaga! She has auditioned for X Factor, appeared on ITV1s Who Dares Sings and longs to duet with Bryan Adams. She also has a fondness for white wine, mashed potato, country music and World's Strongest Man.

Mandy lives near Salisbury in Wiltshire, UK with her husband, two daughters and two cats called Kravitz and Springsteen.

You can find out more on Mandy's website http://mandybaggot.com

or check out her author page at Sapphire Star Publishing 

Review - The Magpies by Mark Edwards

Flipping heck! Talk about being a nervous wreck!

Jamie and Kirsty are madly in love and looking forward to moving in together into their dream home where their future looks so promising, and their hopes and dreams to marry and start a family can come to fruition.   

When they meet the other residents of the flats, they all seem really nice and they strike up a friendship with Lucy and Chris, the couple in the basement who they get on particularly well with.

But things are not always as they seem, and when they start to find bizarre and horrific things happening to them and their friends, they seem to be the target of a horrific campaign which frightens the living daylights out of them(and me too!) . 

Should they give in and move out to get away or stay and try to survive this nasty, viscious attack and not let their neighbours get the better of them? 

The book started off really nicely following the life of Jamie and Kirsty as they move into their new flat and start their exciting new life together.  The first few things that happened made me wonder who it actually was that was doing them and whether they were just coincidences even.  My blood pressure and heart rate started to increase as the incidents got worse.

I started the book on Monday night around 10pm when I went to bed and at 1am I was still saying to myself "just one more chapter".  At around 1.15am when I dropped my IPad onto my lap as I was starting to doze, I realised it was probably time that I stopped reading!  I realised I'd done the right thing when I had to get up at 6.30am!   The following night I read only a couple of chapters because I was so shattered, but last night I just couldn't keep away!

OMG! My heart was pounding! I was totally and utterly transfixed by the terrible things that were happening to this lovely couple that I felt I knew so well and I found myself wanting to shout out at them to warn them of danger!  I could not, at any stage of the book, predict what would happen next.  Even to the last few pages I still had no clue whatsoever how this book was going to end.  When I read the last few lines, I heard a huge sigh of relief and then realised that it was mine!

I never thought you could ever get the same effect in a book that you would get in a film, but this book made me feel as scared as I did when I originally watched the amazing films Fatal Attraction and Jagged Edge and found the writing at least in the same class as the writing of these films if not better.  If I could have hidden behind a cushion and read at the same time, I would!  The heart-stopping moments that Mark wrote were purely brilliant.  It has also made me never, ever, to want to live in a flat!  Not in this lifetime! No way! I think this book has affected me for life.

I think that if any TV producers get the chance to read this book, they'll be ringing Mark up to buy the TV rights at least if not film! It would transfer SO well, although I'm not sure if my heart is strong enough!   If it only gets to stay as a book, then readers will get the chance to read a spectacularly gripping novel, full of intrigue, mystery, fear and suspense.

Mark Edwards is the No.1 bestselling author of CATCH YOUR DEATH and KILLING CUPID, co-written with Louise Voss. He lives in Wolverhampton, UK, with his young family and works as a freelance copywriter and marketer.

Find out more about Mark at www.vossandedwards.com  

Follow Mark on Twitter

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You can buy this book on Amazon UK

Review - The Dream by Jill Rowan

Another incredibly pleasurable reading experience from Jill Rowan.

Ollie Kimpton had decided to take some time out from her job in a call centre in England and tour New Zealand, a place that for some reason she can't figure out, is close to her heart.  When she arrives, she finally realises that her boyfriend is not right for her so they part company and she goes off to explore the island alone.  Quite quickly she meets Mark, a man who she is not attracted to in a romantic way, but feels very familiar with and they both feel that they have known each other all their lives. 

That is until Mark seems to keep cropping up at times when she needs him most, and helping her, yet she has no way of getting in touch with him.  He's also really good at disappearing and saying that he'll see her soon.  That, along with her recurrent dream that she has had since she was a young girl, is concerning her greatly as she finds out more and more about why New Zealand is special to her and to her roots.  She eventually solves the problem and makes a number of friends along the way.

I was first introduced to Jill Rowan when I read and reviewed her brilliant book The Legacy which was absolutely fantastic. 

So, when Jill sent me a copy of The Dream, I couldn't wait to get started.  I really took to Ollie as a character, and had my suspicions about Mark right from the start as there was definitely something not quite right about him but I just couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.

In both of Jill's books, there is a love story as well as a connection to another life.  I can't say too much as I don't want to spoil the plot for you. 

This book taught me a lot about New Zealand and actually made me yearn to visit there.  The way that Jill described the landscapes and the beaches definitely turned my head and has left me curious about the country that the book is based in.  

Jill writes really interesting books that just entice you in and you can't put down.  She's a great writer and her books are so easy and an absolute pleasure to read. 

The way that Ollie unravels the mystery in the book is brilliant and it really was an incredible book which I loved.  I started it one night and finished it the next afternoon.  For me, that's how I can tell whether its a good book or not.  It definitely captured my imagination and I became deeply engrossed in this lovely story of great family and lovely friends.

Jill Rowan was born in Hertfordshire, England, but now lives in the Shropshire countryside. She gave up a career in accounts to pursue her passion for writing. She has both a BA and a BSc. from the Open University, is a keen photographer and also enjoys natural history, walking, cycling, travel, and endless amounts of reading.You can find out more about Jill at her website here

You can buy The Dream via Amazon UK or Amazon.com

 

You can like Jill on Facebook by clicking here

You can follow Jill on Twitter by clicking here