Review - The Saturday Supper Club by Amy Bratley

Started it Sunday night, couldn't put it down and finished it Monday night. Think that says it all really!

Eve's world was completely shattered three years ago when boyfriend Ethan disappeared out of her life with no reason or explanation. After a long time of hurt, her heart was finally repaired and she got together with childhood friend Joe who she is very comfortable with, very happy with and who loves her with all his heart.

Joe is a freelance journalist and when an article was due to be written about a Saturday Supper Club experience and one of the contestants dropped out Joe asks Eve whether she would stand in. She reluctantly agrees and is the first to host the guests. When her doorbell rings she is totally and utterly gobsmacked when the person standing on her doorstep is her long lost love Ethan!

After taking in the knowledge that he has reappeared in her life, Eve wants an explanation from Ethan. But is the Supper Club the right place to get it?

This book was absolutely tremendous and I really could not put it down. Eve and her sister Daisy lost their mom when both children were young girls and the way that writer Amy Batley writes about their emotions is outstanding. Having lost my own darling mom, not at an early age but later in life, I sat and sobbed when Amy described how Eve had been sat at her moms bedside as she was taken from them. They also cared so much about their dad who was trying to keep himself together and tried then to bring them up the best way a single dad possibly can. That all hit home I can tell you!

The confusion that Eve felt between her new love Joe and her old love Ethan was an amazing rollercoaster of feelings; the hurt that she originally felt when Ethan left her and yet the pleasure she felt again at having this man who was the love of her life in her eyes back in her life again after all this time combined with the guilt of should she tell Joe and if so, just exactly what should she tell him?

This book was excellently written and is a mixture of love, hurt, family, parenthood, sisterhood and friendship. I shed tears a number of times throughout! You had no idea at any point in the book what was going to happen next which kept it fresh, interesting, intriguing and needing to just keep on reading!  I loved every minute of it! Even the bits that made me cry!

Difficult to believe that this is only the authors second novel as it really was in my humble opinion up to the standards of some of the best world class chick-lit writers around and her writing is totally outstanding hooking you right from the very first page.  I will SO be checking out her first Novel and will be extremely excited to find out more about Amy Bratleys plans for the future.

Amy Bratley is the author of The Girls’ Guide To Homemaking (2011) and The Saturday Supper Club (May 2012) published by Macmillan. Her third book, The Antenatal Group is due out in May 2013. Amy was born in 1974, grew up in Northamptonshire, went to college in Nottingham, then moved to London and worked for magazines and newspapers as a writer. After meeting her husband and having two children, she recently moved to Bournemouth. In between nappy changes and the school run, she writes, mostly in bed when the rest of the house sleeps. Her first book, Girls’ Guide To Homemaking was a bestseller in Italy and she has been chosen for the Baccante Prize 2012.

You can find out more about the author at her website .
You can follow her on Twitter
You can buy this book via Amazon by clicking here. 

LAHE - A Summer Audience

A Summer Audience

16 June 2012 10am-4pm

Sir William Romney’s School, Tetbury, Glos

I thought I'd let you know about an event that's coming up that I'm really excited about going along to.  


If you are interested in books in anyway whatsoever, whether it be that you are a bookworm like myself with your nose permanently stuck in a book, whether you've always had a desire to write but don't know where to start, or if you have actually started but are not sure what to do next, then A Summer Audience is for you. 

This fun day out is hosted by loveahappyending.com, an interactive Reader/Author website and it’s a day for sharing and interaction.

Throughout the day there will be:-

* Talks on everything from the journey of an author from ‘zero to hero’; branding and that all important image; a crime writer tells all; a publisher’s insight … and lots more!

* Readings by authors you may have already read, and some exciting newcomers

Keynote Speaker – celebrated author Jeannie Johnson 

* A selection of mini-workshops are on offer to those interested in writing; also on offer is the opportunity to experience a “taster” Reiki healing session with an author of spiritual/self-help books

* Cast your vote for the loveahappyending.com Author ‘Page Turner’ competition – one lucky voter will win a stack of books

* Look at the displays and examples of some exciting new Authors’ work and some hitting those Amazon charts! Buy signed copies; find out how to become an Associate Reader

* Mingle, chat to authors new and ‘not so new’ – whether you are an avid reader, or interested in everything leading up to publication, it’s going to be a fun day out!

Saturday 16 June 2012 10am—4pm

Light lunch & refreshments included, coffee at 9.30am

Tickets £25 per ticket (£5 discount per ticket for 2+)

For information about our keynote speaker Jeannie Johnson click here

Book your tickets online via the ’Buy Tickets Now’ page, if you prefer to send a cheque Email loveahappyending.com@gmail.com or call:

(UK) 07906377571; (Int) +44 7906377571

A Summer Audience Programme

09.30 Registration and coffee

10.00 Introduction and welcome by author Linn B Halton

10.10 Author Janice Horton presents ‘From zero to my latest hero’

10.30 Author Chris Longmuir presents ‘Crime, thrillers and the journey’

10.50 Author Stephanie Keyes presents ‘Creating your brand’

11.10 Coffee & mini workshops:-

      Kit Domino Writing, where to begin

      Richard Holmes Meditation workshop/healing taster session

      Sheryl Browne Writing a RomCom

11.40 Publisher & author Helen Hart presents ‘Preparing for publisher submission’

12.10 Author Miriam Wakerly, an ex SWR pupil, presents ‘Coming full circle’

12.40 Lunch – cast your two votes in the competition; mingle and look at the displays and listen to live 

music, courtesy of Mandy Baggot

13.25 Keynote speaker, celebrated author Jeannie Johnson presents ‘Mainstream to Indie’

14.10 Associate Reader Coordinator, Louise Graham, presents ‘Readers’ corner – the all important review’

14.25 Coffee & mini workshops:-

      Richard Holmes Healing taster session

      Kit Domino Getting through writers’ block

      Chris Longmuir Characterisation

14.55 Author readings by:-

Mandy Baggot, Nicky Wells, Janice Horton, Sue Fortin, Sheryl Browne, Sue Uden, Kit Domino, Harriet Grace, Harvey Black, Owen Carey Jones

15.45 Author, medium and spiritual healer, Richard Holmes, presents ‘From darkness to light’

16.00 Presentation to the winner, drawn from the voters in the competition – a stack of books! Closing address from Linn B Halton

Review - Before She Was Mine - Kate Long

What an emotional read!

I was first introduced to Kate Long when I reviewed Mothers & Daughters which was one of the very first books I ever reviewed.  My review of that can be found here.  I was also delighted that Kate agreed to do an interview with me last year, talking about her writing, and that interview can be found here. 

Freya was adopted by Liv, who has always been there for her all her life.  Liv had always kept her birth mother Melody informed of her progress along the way and when they eventually met, Freya could not believe how like chalk and cheese the two women were, both completely opposite ends of the spectrum. 

Two separate and deeply upsetting tragedies hits both mothers in very different ways and the bond and the link between these three amazing women is tested to the limit.  Should they pull together, or fend for themselves?

The book talks from three different angles.  One from now, one from the case notes of when Melody was a young girl and was going through the adoption process and the final one from Liv's diaries when Freya was growing up. 

All very emotional and beautifully written, the subjects of adoption, families and love were delved into deeply and tactfully and there was also a lot of wit and wisdom thrown in as well.  The characters were perfectly formed and likeable. 

The plot line was very cleverly written with a strong contrast between Liv and Melody and the relationship between them was really rather special and the way that Freya tried to keep both of them happy without offending them, being very believableThe tragedies which occurred were deeply moving and you felt every single emotion as if you were going through it yourself. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this great book.  I lost myself in it while the pages turned themselves SO quickly, and even up till the very end, I had no idea how it would end.  I wasn't disappointed with the ending, it was fabulous!

Kate is the author of the Number One bestseller The Bad Mother's Handbook, Swallowing Grandma, Queen Mum and the Daughter's Game. Kate was born and raised in Lancashire and lives with her husband and two sons in Whitchurch in Shropshire. You can visit Kate's website to find out more about her at www.katelong.co.uk

You can follow Kate on Twitter

You can buy this book via Amazon  

Review - Chocolate Shoes & Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley

Absolutely delightful!

Tansy lives in London with a boyfriend who critisises everything she is and does, and they don’t have the best relationship in the world.  She moved into his flat and has never felt that it was her home.  Home to her was with her Aunt Nancy in the village of Sticklepond where she used to spend each weekend while Richard played golf and visited his over-powering mother.

When Aunt Nan dies, devastated by the loss that she has left in her life, she inherits the shop and the house and after a refurbishment "Cinderella’s Slippers" is born. They sell wedding shoes and shoe related items, even chocolate shoe shaped wedding favours.  Aunt Nan has also recorded some tapes telling Tansy about her life and a few of her secrets along the way and tells her exactly what she wishes for. 

While her ex-boyfriend is trying to win her back, she’s busy building up her business and is absolutely loving that and being back in heart of village life.  He’s also reading something from his past, which he is finding most disturbing.  In the house next door, Tansy finds out that widowed actor Ivo has moved in. He’s moody, he’s miserable and he’s ignorant. He is also tall, dark and handsome.  

This book was a pure pleasure to read.  A true fairytale village, with wonderfully created characters, transported me to another place that I never wanted to come back from.  I really wanted to live there.  Trisha Ashley is a brilliant writer; she has such a clever way of making everyone and everything in her books feel familiar and like you’ve known them all your life. 

Tansy baked a lot to help her through the upsets in her life and the way that the food was described made you literally drool with hunger and smell the delicious aromas of home baking. 

The characters from this book, link beautifully to past books that Trisha has written,  This really was a fabulously feel-good read which was definitely a real page-turner with a perfect ending!   I absolutely loved it and could have carried on reading it forever!

Trisha Ashley, an award winning author, was born in St Helens, Lancashire and studied architectural glass at Swansea Art College. Since then she has supported her writing habit by taking on a diverse series of part-time jobs, including working for a lead light maker and plumber and painting portraits. She has now given up her fascinating but time consuming hobbies of divorce and house moving and settled in North Wales.

Trisha writes occasional articles and stories, has many years' experience of manuscript assessment (she is part of the www.storytracks.net team) and has judged short story and novel competitions.

She loves exploring food, gardens and old houses and these preoccupations are a recurring theme in her novels. When she has a little spare time, Trisha loves to walk on the nearby beach or stroll around the world-famous Bodnant Gardens, and also paints, mainly in oils.

Trisha Ashley is a member of the Society of Authors and the Welsh Academi.

You can follow Trisha on Twitter

You can like Trisha on Facebook

You can learn more about Trisha at her website www.trishaashley.com

You can buy this book via Amazon by clicking here

Review & Competition: Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot

I'm delighted to have been invited by the lovely Mandy Baggot to join her on her blog tour and hope that she's having a great time and is not too worn out.  The tour commenced on 2nd May and ends on 6th June.  I'm pretty sure she'll deserve a great big glass of wine when she's reached the end.  I do hope that she and everyone involved have had lots of fun.  You can find out more about the tour by clicking here.

Mandy has also offered one of my blog readers who comments on this post the opportunity to win a Kindle copy of Taking Charge.  To be in with a chance of winning, just leave me a comment telling me what you'd like to take charge of. 

Mandy's book Taking Charge is about a girl call Robyn Matthers who has been living in England for nine years, but is an all American born girl at heart.   When she finds out that her dad is in hospital awaiting bypass surgery, his roadhouse is struggling to survive and with the ice hockey team not performing at all well, she decides to go back and face her demons - she needs to take charge.  

At the airport, she meets Cole Ryan who helps her out with a broken bag and she finds out that he is a hockey player on a mission of his own. Robyn can't help but notice that he’s tall, dark, hot! (Well you would wouldn't you!)  They both know that there's a massive attraction between them, but surely after just a few days it is too soon!  And what will Cole think when he finds out the real truth about her and why she left? 

With so much going on when she returns, her best friend having emotional troubles, ex-high school boyfriend Brad wanting to be in a relationship with her now, having to refurb the roadhouse, give a good kick-start to the ice hockey team and worry about her dad, does she really have time for a relationship?  So - will they, and should they let their relationship develop?

I really enjoyed this book.  It was entertaining, page-turningly good, and a real pleasure to read.  The story was unusual, with twists and turns to keep your interest and it really drew you into plot, leaving you wanting to find out more.  Great descriptions and well created characters made you feel like you had joined them in the small American town.

It was a quick read at 271 pages and I loved the intensity of the relationship between Cole and Robyn, you almost wanted to kiss him yourself!   At which point, it might be the right time to share Mandy's inspiration of the character of Cole!

Mandy is an extremely talented author and Taking Charge has been snapped up by new US fiction publisher Sapphire Star Publishing and is due for release May 3rd 2012.

Mandy has been writing romantic stories since her school days. Her first book Excess All Areas was published in 2008. Breaking the Ice followed and shortly after that, the romantic comedy Knowing Me Knowing You. Her fourth novel Strings Attached was released in November 2011.

Mandy lives in Wiltshire, UK with her husband Mr Big, her two daughters and two cats. She is also a featured author with www.loveahappyending.com and will be appearing at the Summer Audience in Tetbury on 16th June.

When she isn't writing she loves to read contemporary romance, sing with vocal group Raise the Roof and newly formed duo Hard Drive, watch action/police dramas on television and travel as often as she can afford! She longs to duet with Bryan Adams, has soft spots for The Hoff and Dick Van Dyke and is an avid fan of World's Strongest Man. She's also partial to white wine, Frankie Dettori and ice dancing.

You can read more about Mandy at her website.

You can follow Mandy on Twitter

You can like Mandy on Facebook.

You can follow Cole on Twitter too!

Review - The Runaway Actress by Victoria Connelly.

Connie Gordon is an actress who lives in Los Angeles. She is a real superstar and everybody wants a piece of her. But Connie is not happy in her life. She longs for something more, yet she does not know what that something is. One day on a whim, she picks up a letter from the Connie Gordon Fan Club which is based in Scotland, and she decides to swap the Hollywood hills and take off to the Scottish Highlands which is where she knows is where her mother came from. 

Meanwhile a lovely lady Maggie runs the Connie Gordon Fan Club where people write in and get photographs of the star for a small fee. This fee goes towards the local amateur dramatic society. Nothing much happens in the tiny village they live in, so when they find out that Connie has moved into the local bed-and-breakfast they are all a little bit overwhelmed with her presence.  They make her feel very welcome, so much so she that is not sure whether she will ever want to go home.

This was a delightful book to read. The fabulous character descriptions and the way that the Scottish Highlands are painted in this book make the scenes and people come to life dramatically and I could have quite happily packed a bag, jumped in my car and driven straight there. 

This was a real feel-good book where the pages turned themselves with no effort whatsoever. A lovely read with a fairy tale ending made this a perfect book which whisked me off far away for a few hours to a magical place where I didn't really want to leave!

This is not the first Victoria Connelly book that I have read. She is a wonderful author who is very talented in bringing her books to life and writing fabulously romantic stories.  This was a most enjoyable book and I am becoming a firm fan. You can read my review of A Perfect Hero here.   

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 mediaeval castle in the Yorkshire dales and move 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 Mollies Millions and it was a top-10 e-book best seller. 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 her springer spaniel and her brood of rescued battery hens.

You can read more about Victoria at her website www.victoriaconnelly.co.uk
You can follow Victoria on Twitter by clicking here
You can like her on Facebook by clicking here
You can buy this book on Amazon by clicking here

Review - Fear of the fathers by Dominic C James

This is actually the first time I've struggled to do a review. Not because I didn't enjoy the book because I loved it.  The Reiki Man was the first book in the trilogy and my review of this book can be found here. I simply don't know how to tell you about the second book without giving away the ending of the first but here goes - I'm going to give it a try.

Thomas Jennings is a bodyguard for the Prime Minister and an attempt to kill the PM occurs while they are at an afternoon at the races.  While the world thinks that this attempt has been made by Al-Qaeda, Jennings does not believe this is so and finds himself drawn into a conundrum of deceit and wondering whether his colleagues are really what they appear to be.

Meanwhile Stella who is still desperately upset about the death of her ex-boyfriend Stratton, meets Father Pat Cronin who tries very hard to assist with her grieving process. While Stella feels that Father Pat is great help to her, other people in her life have their suspicions. The Vatican also seem to have an interest in Strattons missing body but nobody seems to know why.

This book, like the first, is amazingly gripping, enabling you to gain a fascinating insight into Reiki and the Universe. The plot constantly thickens and there is no way of telling where the story will go.  The characters that we met in the first book continue to develop and you become firm friends with them. More fantastic characters join them in this book and help to weave the story.

It's a thrilling and thoroughly exciting read, which leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout, wondering what on earth is going to happen next and how the characters will get through the things that life throws at them. 

Once again Mr James has left me desperate to read the next book in the series and I cannot wait for a conclusion to this fabulous trilogy of which I have absolutely no idea of where it will go. I have so many unanswered questions that I sincerely hope will be covered by the final book. 

The final part of the trilogy, called A Sacred Storm, will be available in November 2012.

Dominic C James is a writer and Reiki master. He has been a singer/songwriter in various indie bands, and has scratched a living as a freelance writer, barman, draughtsman and factory worker. On being made redundant two years ago he committed himself to full-time writing.

The Reiki Man was his first full-length novel, and combined his passion for all things spiritual with his passion for all things temporal. He keeps a foot firmly placed in both worlds. He wants to bring practices such as Reiki to a wider audience by conveying Eastern ideals in an entertaining context.

Dominic's website is www.dominiccjames.com

You can follow Dominic on Twitter

You can like Dominic on Facebook

You can buy this amazing book via Amazon by clicking here

Review - Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews

Lots of love, laughs and emotional moments as ever in a Carole Matthews book!

Nell and Olly are struggling to make ends meet and seem to be always tag-team parenting with their four year old daughter Petal.  Nell works in a fish and chip shop and Olly works in a pizza factory at night and also takes on a DJ job too.  When the owner of the fish and chip shop says that takings are suffering, and they need to make some changes, they decide to let Nell loose on the place to do a complete makeover on a very limited budget.  She does a fantastic job, there is a massive turnaround and the place becomes a huge local success. 

This brings out the creativity that Nell has always known has been hidden away inside her and when her boss offers to lend her the money to go to college to take on a course in creative studies, she jumps at the chance much to Olly's disappointment as she didn't discuss it with him first.  When she then goes on to start her own business making her own handbag designs, it gets off to a fantastic start, and business booms, but Olly feels that she's putting him and Petal on the backburner as it takes over her whole life and they are getting left behind. 

A beautiful, colourful and sparkly cover entices you to read this book.  The story details the trials and tribulations of marriage, parenthood and business.  It weaves all three beautifully and there are many emotional and hold your breath moments as you come to expect in a Carole Matthews book!

I adore Carole's work, and have been a massive fan since I read her very first book - Let's Meet on Platform 8.  She has an amazing gift; from her very first words, you form fabulously vibrant pictures of the places and the characters that she creates which makes her books so effortless and a pure delight to read.   She really is an incredible writer and even though she writes around a couple of books a year, she still manages to make each and every one of them completely different and an absolute pleasure to read.

This was another truly feel-good read, which I got completely lost in.  Whenever I finish one of Carole's books, I feel a little sad as I have learned to love the characters and don't really want to leave them behind and am left wondering how they are getting on! Oh and I do love a good romance and a fairytale ending!

Carole Matthews is the Sunday Times best selling author of 18 previous novels which have been translated into many languages and sold to Hollywood. When she entered a short story competition in Writing Magazine, she couldn't believe that she had won a thousand pounds! She spent this money on a writing course (much to everyone's surprise!). The tutor on the course liked what she was writing and recommended an agent who took her on straight away. She sold her first book, which became Let’s Meet on Platform 8 (a fabulous read by the way!) a week later.

To find out more about Carole you can visit her website

You can follow her on twitter

You can like her page on facebook

You can buy this book via Amazon here

Ladies & Gentleman - the lovely Gilli Allan

Last year I was invited to review a fabulous book called Torn by Gilli Allan, and my review can be found here. On May 1^st Gilli launched Life Class and I know that myself, along with many others, will be eagerly awaiting my copy of this book.  Gilli very kindly agreed to answer some questions for me and let me be a little bit nosy about her life and her writing. 

Thanks so much for joining me today Gilli.  Congratulations on the launch of Life Class.

Thank you for asking me, Kim

Can you tell us a little about when you started writing?

Influenced by my older sister, I began to write in childhood. It was a hobby pursued throughout my teenage. Writing was only abandoned when I left home and real life took over from the fiction.

What is your education and work background?

I did not go to Oxford or Cambridge. Instead, after leaving school at sixteen, with only 5 indifferent GCE passes, I went to Croydon Art College.  (Maybe not one of the more prestigious schools of art, but Croydon fostered the disparate talents of some notable alumni,including Ray Davies, Malcolm McClaren and Mervyn Peake.)

I did not work on any of the broadsheets, in television or publishing, but did a variety of jobs - shop assistant, beauty-consultant and barmaid. I also had a job which consisted of picking up American tourists and sending them on a free guided-tour of London which culminated in lunch at the Hilton. The unsuspecting tourists were then subjected to an intense sales-pitch, selling Florida real estate. I was no good at this ‘commission only’ job and, unsurprisingly, didn’t enjoy it.  I was very relieved when I eventually landed the job of my dreams, working as an illustrator with an advertising design studio. I eventually went free-lance.

So when did you startwriting again and what sort of journey have you had?

I married Geoffrey Williams, and resumed writing while my son, Tom, was a toddler. My first ever completed novel, Just Before Dawn, was published less than 2 years after I finished the first draft. My second, Desires & Dreams, followed it less than a year later. But my publisher was new and it was small. It failed to achieve the required marketing push and wide distribution which would have given its authors - and itself - any real prospect of success.Though they were available in libraries, I never saw my novels in any bookshop, other than in my home town. The publisher ceased to trade within a few years. This was the period when the world of publishing was changing from a gentlemanly vocation to big business.

Since those days I’ve continued to write what I have always written - unconventional, subversive and surprising stories, which never follow the current band-wagon. My books - women’s contemporary relationship fiction - do always have a love story at their core but they do not have predictable, join-the-dots-plots. I have failed to find a new publisher. Either it’s because my reputation has been tainted by the demise of my first publisher, or it’s because I cannot fit my stories into an easily promotable pigeon-hole. I couldn’t even find and keep a literary agent.  I’ve been through 3 or4.

In the interim there was a brief flirtation with a POD publisher, who made my first two books available in paperback. This was not vanity publishing.  No money changed hands, but I was misled about the amount of marketing and promotion they would do on my behalf. This publisher failed after a few years even though my two books are still, theoretically, available in this format.  

Inspiredby receiving a Kindle for Christmas 2010 - and despite being technologically challenged - I grasped the ‘e-publishing’ baton last spring, and self-published my fifth novel, TORN.  In 2011 I was taken on by a new e-publisher, Lysandra Press. They were due to bring Life Class out in the New Year, 2012. I grew worried when I’d not heard from them for several weeks over the Christmas period. In January I received the news that they had folded. Lysandra was a one woman band, and the woman who had set it up suffered a series of domestic and family problems which came to a head at that time. It wasn’t until March that I received back from them their partially edited version of Life Class.  Since then I have been re-editing and checking and formatting and designing the cover. Life Class was published on May 1, 2012.

WhenI came to write the book, no research was needed for the ‘life class’ aspect of the story. I’ve attended one for many years. I also still draw and paint, and design Christmas cards. As for the rest of my life - I finally stopped working as an illustrator in advertising when I thought my career as a writer had taken off. Sadly it returned to the ground! Since those days I’ve been a school governor, a contributor to local newspapers and was one of the initiators of the successful community shop in my village.

What’s next from GilliAllan?

Fly or Fall will be my next book to be published, the date is so far unspecified.

So tell us more about LifeClass which has just launched.

The class meets once a week to draw the humanf igure. For four of its members, life hasn’t lived up to expectations. All have failed to achieve what they thought they wanted. They gradually come to realise that it’s not just the naked model they need to study and understand. Theirstories are very different, but they all have secrets they hide from the world and from themselves. By uncovering and coming to terms with the past, maybe they can move on to a different and unimagined future.

Dory says she works in the sex trade, the clean-up end. She deals with the damage sex can cause. Her job has given her a jaundiced view of men, an attitudec onfirmed by the disintegration of her own relationships. The time seems right to pursue what she really wants in life, if she can work out what that is. Love doesn’t figure in her view of the future – she’s always been a clear eyed realist – yet she finds herself chasing a dream.

Stefan is a single-minded loner. His only and overriding ambition is to make a living from his sculpture. So how the hell did he find himself facing a class of adults who want their old teacher back? Although love is an emotion he long ago closed off - it only leads to regret and shame - it creeps up on him from more than one direction. Is it time to admit that letting others into his life is not defeat?

Fran - Dory’s older sister - is a wife and a stay-at-home mother without enough to keep her occupied. On a collision course with her mid-life crisis, Fran craves the romance and excitement of her youth. An on-line flirtation with an old boyfriend becomes scarily obsessive, putting everything she really loves at risk. 

Dominic- has lived his life knowing all about sex but nothing about love. If he can only find his mother perhaps he can make sense of his past. But perhaps it is a doomed quest and it’s time to look to the future? By accepting the help and love that’s on offer here and now, he has a chance to transform his life.

That sounds fab Gilli.  As you know, I loved reading Torn last year, can you tell us a little about that story too?

I try to write honestly about modern relationships. In Torn I do not shy away from the messiness of life, or underplay the difficulties to be faced by single parents who seek to rebuild their lives. Life is not a fairy tale; it can be confusing and difficult. Sex is not always awesome; it can be awkward and embarrassing, and it has consequences. You don't always fall for Mr Right, even if he falls for you. And realising you're in love is not always good news. It can make the future look daunting......

By quitting Londonand leaving behind the turmoil of her old life, Jessica is putting her youngson first. This time she wants to get it right. In the tranquillity of the country she can concentrate on being a mother.  But life is never that simple.The country does not offer romanticised ‘good life’ idyll she pictured. There are stresses and strains here too. There’s conflict over a proposed bypass, conflict between friends with very different agendas, conflict between her own nature and her good intentions. And in the face of temptation old habits die hard.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TORN-ebook/dp/B004UVR81Y

FromMay 1, the price will be slashed.

Well thanks a million for joining me Gilli, and sharing your story and more information about you and these great reads with us.  I’m certainly raring to read Life Class now. 

You canread more about Gilli at her websites Http://gilliallan.blogspot.com/and Http://gilli-artist.blogspot.com/

You canfollow Gilli on Twitter

You can likeGilli on Facebook