Kim The Book Worm

Review - The Reiki Man by Dominic C James

2012-03-15T19:02:00.000Z

WOW! A fantastic paranormal thriller that left me stuck for words (and there’s not much that can do that, I can tell you!).

Successful businessman Henry Mulholland is found murdered and the police cannot understand how someone can get into a secure building without triggering any alarm systems, dogs or security whatsoever. The only evidence that was left at the scene of the crime is a mysterious symbol on a piece of paper which is left on his desk. Stella Jones, Mullholland's Head of Security and ex-special branch, recognises it but can’t quite remember why.

She works on the case alongside a police officer called Jennings from special branch and she know that their only real hope is her ex-boyfriend Stratton, she is sure that he will know more about the symbols. They find him and discover that it is an ancient Reiki symbol and that there is a wooden box with symbols carved on it hidden away somewhere and this appears to be what the murderer is looking for and he is happy to kill anyone who gets in his way. Not only the murderer is after the box though and as Stella delves into a world of ancient knowledge and possible paranormal powers, their grip on reality and their lives are completely put at risk and to the test.

What an amazing writer Dominic James is! The characters and places were described so perfectly that I was transported from my world straight into the plot. This was a fascinating book and I cannot believe that the Reiki man is Dominic's debut novel. It was full of mystery and intrigue throughout, thoroughly un-put-down-able and most enjoyable. You really did not know what or even who was around the next corner.

It was totally mesmerising, full of excitement and adventure. It was gripping, breath-taking and just downright flipping awesome! The ending was so unexpected! I was completely stunned by it! The last four words in the book made such an impact on me that I'm still thinking about it days later.

As a Reiki practitioner myself, this story made me wonder even more about the power of the universe and how it can be used for both good and bad purposes.

If you like a book that’s full of thrills, mystery and excitement with a plot that is forever twisting and turning, then go and buy this book – NOW!

The Reiki Man is the first masterpiece of an already-completed trilogy. The second book, Fear of the Fathers, will be published in May 2012. I for one am, as is, I'm sure everyone that has already read this book, awaiting this book with baited breath; it cannot come out quickly enough for me. I simply cannot wait!

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 is his first full-length novel, and combines 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 - The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs by Christina Hopkinson

2012-03-10T16:51:00.000Z

OMG! A most hilarious account of family life that makes you think and think and think!

Mary and Josh are married and have two lovely young boys who Mary adores but feels that she doesn't get enough quality time with them. At work she’s given all the crappy jobs because she’s part time and not as respected and isn’t given the same opportunities as those who are full time yet she is just as capable. Mary also feels that she has to constantly compete with her friend Mitzi who has the perfect house, the perfect children, the perfect husband etc and who has just bought the perfect second house on the Norfolk Coast.

Home and their house is really getting on top of Mary. Josh is a nightmare around the house, leaving stuff all over the place and creating even more work for Mary to do every time he offers to help with the kids which she feels is quite rare in itself. He’s untidy, he’s lazy, he leaves a trail of destruction behind him and he’s generally getting right on her nerves! He doesn’t even take equal responsibility for the kids, she’s always the one picking them up, dropping them off, having to remember everything for both herself and the kids, while he just sorts himself out. Her life is really quite exhausting, but Josh just doesn't understand why!

As the kids have improved their behaviour by utilising star charts, she makes a drastic decision and compiles "The List". She has set up a secret spreadsheet on her computer and gives and takes points depending on Josh’s behaviour and things that really annoy her. She has decided to put him on a six month trial and if he exceeds his allowed points, she is going to ask him for a divorce. So the list begins …….

What a hilarious and entertaining story! I’m sure there are a lot of Moms who feel that they are put upon all the time, and a lot of Dads out in the world that think it’s ok for that to happen!

There are a lot of men who feel that their careers are more important than that of their wives. A lot of women have to get straight home to pick up the kids, feed them then bath them, read them stories and get them to bed before getting prepared for school the next day, while the men work late, pop into the pub on the way home then wander home when all the hard work is done, expecting their dinner while Mom has just sat down with a glass of wine to relax after a hectic evening. Obviously – I’m not talking from personal experience here! I know it used to happen to my Mom when we were kids.

I laughed out loud so much at many parts of this book and I shed a few tears towards the end of the story too. It taught me to be careful what you wish for, and that the grass might not always be greener on the other side. It also made me think that people are not always what they seem. There is one particular part in which I was so shocked that I sat open-mouthed for a long time (Christina knows which bit!) and it left me quite discombobulated! It certainly made you realise that you never really know people as well as you think you do. It also made me realise that no-one deserves to be taken for granted and that parenting should be a shared effort and not the prime responsibility for just one of the parents.

Christina is a fantastic author, a really strong story with wonderfully descriptive words, and fabulous characters, made this a book which will stick in my mind for a long time to come. This was one of the most enjoyable and funny books I’ve ever read. I loved it. I would definitely recommend this to all the Moms and partners in the world. For some it will make you see that you don't deserve to be taken for granted and for others it will make you realise just how lucky you are!

Christina Hopkinson was born in London and brought up in Cambridgeshire. She attended Hertford College, Oxford reading Modern History and after graduating worked at Usborne Publishing and is a strong advocate for their books now she has kids herself. She then worked as an au pair in Spain before writing for a number of magazines, websites and newspapers. She now lives in North London with her three children and hubby who she strongly denies is not the inspiration behind this book.

Learn more about Christina at www.christinahopkinson.com

Follow Christina on Twitter at www.twitter.com/xtinahopkinson

You can buy this book via Amazon by clicking here

Interview - Harriet Grace

2012-03-07T01:39:00.001Z

Earlier this week, I posted my review of a great book which I recently read called Cells by Harriet Grace and you can read my review by clicking here.

Harriet very kindly agreed to be interrogated oops I mean interviewed by me and it was really interesting to learn more about her and what makes her tick.

Thanks so much Harriet for sharing a bit about yourself with me and my readers.

Please can you tell us a bit about yourself, what is your background?

I was born in London and brought up in a small village called Inkpen, which features in ‘Cells’. I went to boarding school in Bristol when I was ten and left school at sixteen to learn a language and do a secretarial course, which my parents felt was the best way to fill in the time before I found the right man to marry! This involved a term in a French protestant school in the Massif Central where Jewish children had been hidden during the war, although I only discovered this over thirty years later and I still haven’t written the novel about it; a secretarial course in Oxford; and eventually some ‘A’ Levels and a couple of credits with Open University in my twenties. I worked as a secretary in publishing, spent six months in America doing temporary secretarial work, and then back in London worked for Macmillan’s Publishing before getting married. I worked in PR, ran a nanny agency, had my first child, spent two years in South Africa at the height of apartheid, had my second child there, and wrote some articles which got published. Back in the UK as I was recovering from measles – very nasty as an adult - I lay in bed and tried to write my first short story.

Many years later my children and stepchildren are grown up and I have grandchildren. I live in Kew, about five minutes walk from the Gardens, and can still type at 50 wpm! For the last twenty years my working life has been divided in two both connected with people: writing fiction about relationships and working professionally as a career counsellor helping people through change or any kind of career problem.

I have an MA Writing Distinction (Sheffield Hallam) and have had poems selected and published. ‘Cells’ is my first novel and I’m currently working on a new one.

How long has 'Cells' been in the making?

It has had a long gestation. I had written two novels that had done the rounds of the mainstream publishers and nearly made it, and when they didn’t I decided to do an MA in Creative Writing. ‘Cells’ was the novel I wrote for that and it took me about three years to get my degree, and then I still felt it needed more work, which took another year! I sent it to my agent but she didn’t like it! So, I sent it to about 15 agents and found one who did like it. It did the rounds of the mainstream publishers and was nearly taken by one of them. When it wasn’t, I decided to self publish.

Part of the book is based in the US. Is this a place that you have been to or would like to go to and if so, why?

When I was twenty I worked in Washington DC for 6 months and then did a greyhound bus tour round the States, and the place we stayed in the longest was San Francisco. We spent a whole week there and I wish I could have stayed a year. It was magical with its hills and soaring skyscrapers, its flowering trees and water glimpsed between buildings. I’d never seen a city like it. It was era of the film ‘Bullitt’ and Steve McQueen and that car chase. Many years later, while my daughter was at Berkeley for a year, I returned. It had its social problems but it was still magical and it was during that visit that I was inspired to include it in the novel. My daughter now has a film business in Los Angeles so I know LA well.

What made you choose the topic of a childless couple to base the book around?

My novels tend to start with people rather than an idea or topic. With ‘Cells’ I started out with an image of a woman looking across an open-plan office and seeing a younger man and some kind of spark happening between them. She’s a successful career woman who has the job, the house, the husband. He’s a loser from a dysfunctional family. Then it came to me: she has no baby, she has tried IVF, it hasn’t worked and she’s trying to move on. As I started to write about this subject I realised I had hit on a peculiarly modern dilemma.

I wanted to explore something I hadn’t experienced myself. Imagine, I thought, a woman who was brought up to have a career first and then, almost as an afterthought in her mid-to-late thirties, thinks about having a baby. What happens if she doesn’t succeed, in spite of IVF treatment? Is it the same for her? Does she mind so much? Won’t it interfere with her career? I was interested in the ambivalence that many women have about childbirth and rearing children – their longing to have a baby, create a new life, versus what it does to their identity and their career. I tried to get in touch with the sometimes unbearable ‘extension of hope’ that IVF provides, and the despair when it fails. Both these factors affect men too.

Where do you write and what is it about that place that gives you the inspiration to write?

I wrote ‘Cells’ mostly in a small room upstairs at home. But recently we built a ‘little house’, as my grandson calls it, at the bottom of our 60 ft garden in Kew – in brick and beautifully insulated! The first time I sat in the room with my new table, a book shelf, a pad of paper, pencils and my laptop I was scared. Just getting the table in the right position had been stressful. I worried that I wouldn’t like it, that I might not be able to work there. But it has grown into a lovely room where I want to go, and I feel very lucky. It is mine and I know I won’t be interrupted. I can shout and scream if I want to, leave stuff all over my table and not clear it up, sit there and think if the mood takes me, and not feel silly if some days the words are slow to emerge.

Your characters are wonderfully created. How do you go about developing your characters?

Thank you! My characters can start from an image – see above – or an incident. I see them in some kind of context that I feel excited about. Gradually I identify who they are and how many characters I want to focus on. From then on I need to do a lot of thinking. I write lots of notes, little scenes with them in. ‘Dramatise, dramatise’ I believe Henry James said... and I try to think about them doing something, a scene where something happens, and I scribble it down. I write their bios in the first person - what happened when they were children, what their parents were like, their siblings. Did anything horrible happen – will that be in the story, or just ‘lean’ on it, having its effect? I research where they live – the geography, what they do, what they wear, what they like, etc. But I don’t delay too long in starting. I learn a lot about the character in the writing when they are in a relationship with other characters and when they are in conflict. Most importantly, I try to get inside each character and see the world entirely from their point of view.

How do you fit writing into your everyday life?

Do what I say, not what I do... ‘The best laid schemes of mice and men’.... etc. etc. I dream of getting up, not looking to the right or left, ignoring emails, internet, visitors, lodgers, cats, husband, grown-up children, grandchildren, paid work, phone calls... and going straight to my room in the garden, every morning and writing for several hours. In reality, over the years writing has had to fit in with bringing up children, and working part-time developing a micro career in career coaching, and many other things. At every stage I’ve moaned that I don’t have enough time. At the end of every year, I’m certain I’ve become less disciplined!For me having a ring-fenced time and a place to write, definitely helps. Doing it regularly and not letting the writing get ‘cold’ is important. I should be writing now, but I’m doing this!! I always plan to have a written timetable that I stick to, but it rarely happens. So, what I do is try and get out to my room every day if/when I can and in the morning if possible.

Are you a reader? If so, what type of books do you like to read?

I love reading and I mostly read novels, but also some biographies or books on psychology or psychoanalysis. If I’m travelling I read guide books, history books and novels about the history of the place I’m visiting and the people who live there. ‘History’ and ‘people’ are probably key words. I’m fascinated by how people have become who they are, what happened in their childhood – their history. Similarly, with a new country I want to find out the history of the people there and how they have made it the way it is now.

I’m interested in how people interact with each other, their relationships, what is going on underneath the surface, what is not being said, which is why I love novels and often find them ‘truer’ and more satisfying than factual books. A book I’ve read again and again is ‘Moon Tiger’ by Penelope Lively, a classic, must-read novel. More recently and quite different is Jennifer Egan’s ‘A Visit From The Good Squad.’ Another amazing novel is Rose Tremain’s ‘The Way I Found Her.’ I could go on...

How do you find the whole 'social media world' that surrounds books and authors these days?

I’m a still a novice, getting slowly better at it, hopefully! At first I didn’t want to know about it; it felt like a distraction. I just wanted to try and write novels not blogs! But now I can see what an amazing potential social media has for finding an audience for my novel, getting reviews, learning from them, being in contact with other writers etc. Trying to market my book locally not using social media was very hard work and it was almost impossible to reach a wider audience.

Already I’m experiencing the effect of being an Author on the online group LoveAHappyEnding.com and having my book go on a blog tour.

What are your plans to write more? When will we be seeing more from you?

The last year or so I have been writing a film script, which is still in development. I have several short stories I should be sending out, and am currently starting a new novel.

Review - The Child Inside by Suzanne Bugler

2012-03-05T18:20:00.001Z

A deeply intense novel that I couldn’t put down.

Understandably, Rachel has never got over the trauma of having to give birth to her unborn baby girl and she and husband Andrew throw all their efforts into bringing up their young son Jono who is the only thing that appears to be holding their marriage together. When she finds out that she can’t get pregnant again, she resents both Andrew and Jono, and feels devastatingly lonely in her life as a housewife and mother.

By pure coincidence, one day when Rachel is in a café, she hears someone address an older lady as a name that she recognises, and thinks that she may be the mother of a childhood friend Vanessa, who died when they were teenagers. Rachel always looked up to Vanessa and she was quite an influence on her life at the time. She follows the lady, but when she finally plucks up the courage to approach her, she is told that she is not the person she thought she was.

Convinced that the lady is not telling the truth, yet not understanding why, she eventually contacts Vanessa’s brother Simon and meets up with him. This leads to an illicit affair, which despite the effect that this could have on their respective families if they are discovered, they seem unable to stop, when they have both shared a past with Vanessa.

This is an extremely emotional story, describing the devastation that Rachel felt for many years after going through what she had experienced and how it has completely affected her future. These emotions are described so deeply by this author, that it would be impossible not to feel sadness compassion for this lady who just wanted to have a family. She is so wrapped up in how she feels, that she thinks she is the only one suffering and that because no-one else ever refers to it they have forgotten all about it, and it is completely destroying her on the inside.

Her son Jono was so rude to her, that I found myself wanting to “have a word” with him, because he showed no love or respect towards her whatsoever! You felt for her husband too, as he didn't seem to know how to cope with the situation and it didn't matter whatever he did, it was always going to be the wrong thing. She and Andrew seemed so far apart, yet stayed together in a marriage in which they were both very unhappy.

This book was written so well that you felt every emotion Rachel was experiencing, felt her pain and upset and also felt her excitement when she met Simon, while he was part of her past with Vanessa, she wasn’t reminded of her dead child, so she didn’t feel any resentment or anger towards him just relief that he didn't know about her situation. With her husband, it was always a matter never mentioned but that was always lurking about just under the surface.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was very deep and extremely powerful. It was so moving that I felt like I wanted to reach out to Rachel and help her through these deep-rooted and issues that she was so clearly struggling with and that were making her so tragically sad. Only a very talented author can make you feel like this and Suzanne Bugler is very clearly such an author. It also made me once again, feel very grateful and blessed for what I have in my life.

Suzanne Bugler lives in South-West London with her husband and two sons. Her novel This Perfect World was one of eight titles chosen for Richard & Judy’s Spring Book Club 2011 with WH Smith. She has also written two novels for young adults called Staring up at the Sun and Meet Me at the Boathouse.

You can like Suzanne's facebook page by clicking here

You can buy this book via Amazon by clicking here

Review - Cells by Harriet Grace

2012-03-04T16:16:00.004Z

A book which made me think about how lucky I am!

Cells by Harriet Grace explores the thoughts and feelings of couples who are unable to conceive naturally. Editor Martha is married to Grant who is a therapist. They have a wonderful home, plenty of money, are able to do all the things they want to in life except to have a baby and even their attempts at IVF are unsuccessful.

One day at work, Martha meets Jon, a character who intrigues her. The reader finds out that Jon was brought up in a bizarre relationship where his abusive father puts him down at every opportunity and abuses his mother, who Jon loves dearly.

Martha finds that she wants to help Jon to improve his life and skills and invites him to their home, and into their lives where both Martha and Grant create their own dilemmas and cross boundaries in the relationship for all three of them.

Cells explores the heart-wrenching emotions that a woman has to experience when each month after hoping and praying that she is pregnant she discovers that she is not. It also explores how a man in such a relationship goes through equally harrowing yet different emotions. It shows how they worry about each other as well as the issue at hand.

This is Harriet Grace's first novel, yet it certainly doesn't show in her writing. A controversial and powerful story line, with excellent character and scene building abilities, and the way that she delves into emotional traumas makes this author one that I'm sure will be a huge success and I shall be very much looking forward to more of Harriet's writing.

I was very surprised at the ending of the book, won't say any more than that about it as I don't want to spoil it in any way but it was completely unexpected for me to end the way it did!

A thoroughly enjoyable read, that made me realise that I'm truly blessed to be a Mom and how not being able to have children can affect couples in many many ways.

Harriet was born in London, brought up in a village called Inkpen and now lives near Kew Gardens in London. For the last twenty years her life has been divided into two: her writing life and working as a career counsellor. She has an MA in Writing - Distinction from Sheffield Hallam and has had poems both selected and published. Cells is Harriet's first novel.

Harriet's website is http://www.harrietgrace.co.uk/

You can like Harriet on Facebook by clicking here

You can follow Harriet on Twitter by clicking here

You can buy Cells via Amazon by clicking this link

Book Aid International - World Book Day UK - 1st March 2012

2012-02-24T00:00:00.001Z

Book Aid International increases access to books and supports literacy, education and development in sub-Saharan Africa. They send over 500,000 brand new books annually to 2,000 libraries, benefiting 2.4 million people every single year.

Overall, they’ve sent more than 20 million books to partner libraries since 1954. Take a look at their website for further information: www.bookaid.org.

World Book Day is Thursday March 1st 2012. There is loads of information and resources available so that you can get involved on the website: http://www.bookaid.org/worldbookday.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, librarian or book lover and you want to host a “bake for books” sale, encourage your child to dress up or dress down for World Book Day, or host a bookish quiz evening, there is a huge amount of resources and fundraising ideas available to you. Just follow the link above to find them and most importantly have fun!

World Book Day is offering competition prize to WIN £100 of National Book Tokens for your school and there are two fantastic competitions for you to enter. The closing date for applications is 2 April 2012 and the winners will be announced on our website. For further information about this competition, take a look at our website: http://www.bookaid.org/get-involved/world-book-day-2/competition/. The first is a Dress up competition for pre-school and primary schools and the second is a Poetry competition for secondary schools.

There’s also tons of useful information on their website about partner projects, and they will be following the progress of several key projects throughout the year. For further information take a look at the Our Stories page on the website http://www.bookaid.org/our-work/our-stories-2/

Get involved via Social Media:

Twitter:

We’re using the following hashtags for World Book Day action: #worldbookday2012 and #WBD12

Book Aid International on Twitter www.twitter.com/ Book_Aid

World Book Day on Twitter www.twitter.com/WorldBookDayUK

Facebook:

Our Facebook page, should you want to link to it is: http://www.facebook.com/bookaid

Review - Highland Storms by Christina Courtenay

2012-02-23T18:11:00.000Z

When I was invited to review Highland Storms, I did say that it wasn’t my first choice of story. I’ve never really been able to get into historical novels (so sorry to all the historical novel writers out there!) but I was assured that this would book would change my opinion. It most certainly did. I loved it and couldn’t keep away from it.

Hurt and bruised by the lady he loved, Brice Kinross is struggling to get over the fact that his woman has married his brother. He has lost both of them and needs a fresh start. When his father tells him that he is actually Laird of a struggling Scottish estate that he remembers well as a child, he sets off on his journey to stake his claim. He first visits under the disguise of someone needing a room for the night, and is treated appallingly. When the locals find out who he actually is, there are mixed feelings towards him and he has some building of bridges to do before people warm to him.

When housekeeper Marsaili, becomes an ally to him, he discovers that she is being pestered by the man who manages the estate, and whilst trying to protect her, he cannot believe that his feelings for her are deepening. Marsaili is stunned by the strong emotions that she has developing towards him, yet neither tells the other how they feel.

The attraction between Brice and Marsaili in this book is quite electrifying. The descriptions of this run down but picturesque estate, along with the hidden passageways and secret doors, conjures up delightfully eye-catching and dramatic scenes in the beautiful landscape of the Scottish Highlands. I could almost feel, smell and touch the heather! My imagination ran away with me, and I could see the whole book unfold in glorious technicolour!

Christina is a writer who uses emotions and humour, romance and adventure to blend together in a story which has a strong plot and is an absolute pleasure to read. And you know I’m a sucker for a happy ending!

As a child, through to adulthood, Christina has always adored fairy tales and all “happy ever after” stories. Born in England, she grew up in Sweden and at the age of 16, she and her family moved to Japan, a country she loved so much that she set her first book in the Far East and her homeland. Christina loves reading and writing particularly historical novels, along with history, archaeology and genealogy. She likes rock music, particularly when played really loud! She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and the Historical Novel Society. She currently lives in London with her husband, two children and three dogs, but will soon be moving to the country. Highland Storms is her third novel.

You can find out more about Christina by checking out the following links.

www.christinacourtenay.com

www.twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

You can buy Highland Storms via Amazon by clicking here

Free for three days - Talli Roland's Build A Man

2012-02-23T10:31:00.000Z

Late last year, I was lucky enough to be invited to review the lovely Talli Roland's fabulous BUILD A MAN and my review can be found if you click here.

I also reviewed another of Talli's books last year and that was called WATCHING WILLOW WATTS, the review of which can be found by clicking here.

BecauseTalli wants to reach as many readers as possible, she (and me too!) is delighted to announce that BUILD A MAN will be free on Amazon for the next three days (Thursday to Saturday, inclusive). The links are:

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/yNM5xx

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/ydmGVf

Build A Man synopsis:

Slave to the rich and the rude, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. When she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- Serenity knows she's got a story no editor could resist.

With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and she's ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, Serenity must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.

Talli is also happy to announce that the cover of CONSTRUCT A COUPLE, the sequel to BUILD A MAN, is ready and this is what it looks like. Fabulous isn't it?

Construct A Couple Synopsis

With a job at the city’s most respected magazine and a man who’s the perfect match, Serenity Holland thinks she’s laid the foundation for an ideal London life. When a routine assignment uncovers a shocking secret threatening her boyfriend’s livelihood, Serenity decides to leave nothing to chance, taking matters into her own hands. Soon, though, she realises keeping secrets isn't as easy as she thought . . . and the consequences are far worse than she ever imagined.

As soon as Construct A Couple is available to purchase, you can rest assured that I'll be posting a review here to tell you about it.

Talli is an extremely talented writer, her books are emotional, easy to read and above all hilarious! If you've never read one of her books before, now's the time to discover this wonderful author.

Woohoo! I'm a World Book Night Giver!

2012-02-23T09:49:00.002Z

I'm delighted that I've been chosen as a World Book Night giver and the book I will be giving away is The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella - a fabulous book by a fantastic author. So pleased to be able to give away copies of this book to my family and friends.

Firstly let me tell you a little more about World Book Night and then I'll tell you how you can win a copy of this wonderful book.

World Book Night is a celebration of reading and books which sees tens of thousands of people gift books within their communities to spread the joy and love of reading on April 23. In 2012 World Book Night will be celebrated in the UK, Ireland, Germany and USA.

The site exists in order to celebrate books and to connect readers with one another. You can learn more about World Book Night itself, the 25 books and connect with other passionate readers.

Click here to see the 25 World Book Night titles

Click here to learn more about World Book Night

To win a copy of The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella , leave a comment telling me if you had a secret dreamworld and were a shopaholic, what would you buy. Can't wait to hear your experiences!

And finally... 25 books or 26 miles?
World Book Night's founder, Jamie Byng, will be running his first ever London marathon on April 22 (the day before World Book Night) to raise money for World Book Night and the Book Trade Charity (BTBS). Reading comes as naturally as breathing to Jamie, but running is a very different matter and, as World Book Night seeks to encourage those who don't regularly read to try it, what could be better than Jamie attempting something that takes him a long way beyond his comfort zone and raises vital money. Every penny World Book Night raises from Jamie's marathon will go towards the direct distribution of books after April 23 to those places, including prisons and sheltered housing, where it is hardest to reach prospective readers.

If you'd like to sponsor Jamie you can do so here or by texting WBNI12 followed by the amount you'd like to give to 70070.

Ladies & Gentlemen, Mr John Hibbs!

2012-02-21T18:31:00.004Z

I’d really like to share something important with you and tell you about a friend of mine.

John Hibbs is one of my neighbours and is one of the most inspiring, amazing people I know. If you can help John in any way however small (or large!), it would be awesome!

Aged 13, John joined Crewe FC in 1991. Unfortunately, his dreams were not to be realised and he was forced to retire due to the onset of arthritis, which has seen him endure the associated aches and pains of the disease. He has undergone numerous operations, and now attempts to combat arthritis with medicine, a controlled diet and exercise but continues to battle against the limiting effects of ‘dodgy knees’ as he calls them.

In May 2008 John’s sister, Viki, was diagnosed with lupus aged just 25. As a family, they had never heard about lupus which affects predominantly women but can also strike men and children too. Lupus causes the immune system to become over-active and as a result can affect any part of the body with the swelling of joints, hair loss, extreme fatigue, rashes on the face and body and in some cases, where infection attacks vital organs, lupus can lead to death.

After watching the 2009 London Marathon, John decided to take up the challenge in order to show his support for Viki and raise much needed awareness of lupus.

So far ‘Team Hibbsy’ has raised over £16,000 and have no intention of stopping there. As well as raising funds they are committed to raising awareness to increase the chance of early diagnosis in new patients. Fundraising for ‘Team Hibbsy’ has included charity curry nights, the sale of signed portraits of famous footballers, car boot sales, and many other local events.

The highlight of this mission came in October 2009 when John tweeted Sarah Brown with the hope that she would re-tweet a message to her many followers. He could not have dreamt of the response that followed – she tweeted back with the offer of hosting an evening reception to talk about lupus. Within two weeks they were enjoying the most magical night inside No.10, putting lupus into the thoughts of thousands!

John continues to tweet about lupus (@hibbsy) as well as pointing people in the direction of this website to learn more. The website continues to receive hits from all over the world and with the support of JustGiving he has received sponsors from as far afield as Canada!

John may have dodgy knees but that hasn’t stopped him, and in September 2010 he ran the Great North Run. He has also completed the 2010 and 2011 London Marathon alongside his lovely wife Kate & will be attempting a hat-trick after securing a 2012 place.

Throughout John’s journey when the training has been tough he has been spurred on by Viki’s courage and determination to overcome lupus.

In August 2011 John received the wonderful news that he had been nominated by members of the local community for the London Olympic Torchbearer ‘Moment to shine’ campaign for his tireless work to raise awareness & funds to support lupus patients and their families.

Planning is underway for what will be John’s toughest challenge yet, cycling 200 miles in a single day from Lupus Way Ellesmere Port to Lupus Street London. Find out more & get involved!

In October 2011 John founded The Hibbs Lupus Trust to raise the profile of lupus and to support patients in his local community. Working with the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust Foundation the charity is already actively involved in the community and has received fantastic support from local businesses as well as celebrity endorsement from Sarah Brown, Beverley Knight and Stephen Fry.

His motto is "Be All You Can Be!". He most certainly lives up to it! Amazing isn't he? Again, if all you can do is tweet this post, that would be fabulous. If you can follow him on twitter to get updates, or like him on Facebook that would be great. If you are able to sponsor him in any way or donate anything to him to auction off for a charity event, that would be awesome.

Thanks so much for reading this post,
Kim
x

Review - One Pink Line by Dina Silver

2012-02-17T06:00:00.001Z

This book took me back to the memories of enjoying my youth, and then brought me to my grown up life too!

A fabulously emotional story of love and life and how one pink line can change the course of a lifetime.

Sydney is a sweet and lovely young lady, who falls madly and deeply in love with Ethan. When she goes to college, away from home, she gets drunk and has a one night stand with a good friend. She then finds herself in a situation where the decision that she makes will change her life, along with the lives of a number of people around her. She is pregnant!

Never contemplating a family at such a young age, she chooses to keep the child, at the risk of losing the love of her love because of her decision. When she tells the friend, he tells her he wants nothing to do with the child, so she sets off on her new life as a young mother with her baby girl Grace, alone.

Two decades later, Grace is another lovely young girl, and finds out that her wonderful father isn’t her biological father and is devastated. When she wants to get in touch with her real father, she finds out from her mom that he never wanted anything to do with her. It beautifully tells Grace’s story about how she copes with this unexpected revelation.

This is an emotional, moving, deep and meaningful book but also with lots of humour thrown in, with two strong stories being told simultaneously. The link between the two stories blends really well. I really personally felt the emotions and the love that Sydney felt for her child Grace, described exactly like the love I have for my son, the way that Dina described motherhood came straight from the heart.

If felt like I had gone back to my youth, with Sydney having a crush on Ethan. Her sister was also her best friend and her family really came through for her in this book, and supported her showing that being a single parent doesn’t have to be too lonely. Ethan did seem a little too good to be true, but this is a love story after all so I was delighted that he was as lovely as he was, a true fairytale romance.

I found myself asking how I would have dealt with the many situations that were thrown up from the different angles. The story really drew you in and made you keep on turning those pages and warmed your heart through to the very core. A beautifully written story line, fabulous characters and lots of family love made this a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Dina Silver graduated from Purdue University, and spent the past fifteen years working as a copywriter in the advertising industry. After seeing the bulk of her professional prose on brochures and direct mail pieces, she is delighted to have made the transition to novelist. She currently lives with her husband and son in Chicago, Illinois where she is working on her next book. Inspired by a true story, One Pink Line is Dina's debut novel.

In her spare time she is an online Scrabble junkie, a red wine drinker, a Bon Jovi lover, watcher of the Daily Show and a cheese fry fanatic.

Links

www.dinasilver.com/

www.twitter.com/dinasilver

www.facebook.com/One-Pink-Line

To buy One Pink Line on Amazon, click here

Review - Never Can Say Goodbye by Christina Jones

2012-02-10T07:18:00.001Z

What a delightful, funny, heartwarming story of life and life after death.

When Frankie inherits a dress rental shop in the little village of Kingston Dapple, and relaunches it as Francesca’s Fabulous Frocks, she was utterly delighted that this vintage frock shop became an overnight success. When handsome womaniser Dexter takes over the village florist her feelings are questioned as after all the rumours she’d heard about him, she knew she shouldn’t like really him, but she actually does and they become firm friends. But is there room for something more?

When Maisie the hilarious village medium has a fainting attack in her shop, declaring that it is full of spirits, Frankie brushes it off but then finds out after she keeps meeting a elderly man in the shop that perhaps it is actually haunted after all. Keeping this knowledge to herself becomes increasingly difficult, but if she shares what she knows with her friends, will they think that she’s completely bonkers? Or, will they help her to try to sort out the “issues” that are lurking in her shop and get them to the place they are desperately trying to find.

I absolutely adored this book. Right from the start, I got so involved in the story. I loved Frankie as a character and Christina is one of those writers who has the amazing skill of transporting you into the book feeling that you are watching from the sidelines. I loved all the other characters too, particularly Dexter who was a real charmer, him and each of the others with their own individual personalities which blended so well into the story and all played a key part in their own way. I felt like I had gone to this fabulous village, visited this fantastic shop and met these wonderful characters for myself.

This book left me with the warm, happy feeling that when we leave this earth, we will meet up with our loved ones and just go on to live in a different world. I like to think that one day I’ll be meeting up with my Mom once again and that’s a really comforting thought for me and this book just confirmed it for me. I’ve visited mediums myself and can quite honestly say that I’ve never met one quite like Maisie!

Beautifully packaged with a gorgeous cover, this delightful book was everything that I wanted it to be, with a charming and romantic storyline and an ending that was just completely perfect. With tons of amusing moments throughout, I really did feel blessed that I had read this amazing novel that truly brightened up my world.

Christina Jones is renowned for her engaging romantic comedies and lively, well-drawn character depiction. A lifelong writer, she has accumulated a clutch of awards and nominations along the way. She has written short stories and features for a wide range of magazines and newspapers and she lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, daughter and a houseful of rescue cats.

Christina’s website can be found here

You can follow Christina on Twitter

You can like Christina on Facebook

You can buy Never Can Say Goodbye on Amazon here

Review - More Like Her by Liza Palmer

2012-02-09T20:23:00.000Z

Really enjoyable read by an author that certainly knows how to surprise her readers!

Frannie is a speech and language therapist in a school. She sees herself as the girl that is always left on the shelf. Parting from boyfriend and fellow teacher Ryan, who had been seeing someone else, had left her feeling useless, sad and wondering what on earth life holds for her. She feels that her whole life is spent being the person that people want her to be rather than who she wants to be for herself.

When she meets her new Head Teacher Emma, she wishes she was more like her. On the surface, Emma seems to have the perfect life, she is confident and assertive, with a great job, fab lifestyle, happy marriage, wonderful house and to top it all even a gorgeous dog.

But appearances can be deceptive as this book shows in a mindblowing event. Frannie and her fellow teachers find out the hard way that Emma’s life isn’t what it seems!

Difficult to say any more about the plot as it would be a real spoiler but OMG – what a surprise I had! I even went to work the next day telling everyone about the shock I had in this book.

It was highly emotional, disturbing and sad in certain moments, yet romantic at the same time. I really enjoyed reading it very much and seeing how Frannie reacted to the events in her life and the new people that she meets. It shows how when she thinks she’s a weak and defenceless person, she’s actually a very strong, courageous and lovely girl and how it just goes to show that people's perceptions can be very different to reality.

I loved the relationship between Frannie and her close friends, they talk to each other the way that real friends do with love, sarcasm and humour. I liked the colourful way that Liza painted the scenes in the book making them come alive easily. I looked forward to how the confusing relationship between Frannie and Sam developed, they both pussyfooted around each other, not quite knowing whether the other wanted more from the friendship.

Really enjoyed reading this book, it was extremely entertaining, enlightening and interesting.

Liza Palmer lives in Pasadena, with her dog, Poet. She has written two plays that were performed in Los Angeles and is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts – West. She is the author of Conversations with the Fat Girl which became an international bestseller in its first week of publication. Her second novel was Seeing Me Naked and her third A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents was released in January 2010 and all three of these novels sound like fantastic reads. Liza is hard at work currently working on her next novel as well as writing for VH1 Classic Show Pop Up Video.

Liza’s website can be found here.

You can follow Liza on Twitter

You can like Liza on Facebook

You can buy More Like Her via Amazon here

Review - Mini Skirts & Laughter Lines by Carol E Wyer

2012-02-09T18:34:00.000Z

A hilarious and enjoyable book that I think every woman will read and find at least one part of their life in it.

Amanda is swiftly approaching 50 and her life with husband Phil is not the most exciting. She thought that retirement for them both would mean that they would have lots of time on their hands to have plenty of fun when in reality the highlight of their week is the supermarket shop and how many bargains they are able to grab. She makes many attempts to enrol them in classes or go to clubs and make new friends but to no avail. It comes to something when her mother is having much more of a wild time than she is!

The return of their son from university and the way that he is treating both them and their house, is upsetting both Mandy and Phil, and they're not quite sure how to deal with him without it upsetting the family dynamics.

Mandy finds comfort in blogging about her life and meets and makes some wonderful friends along the way. She loves keeping in touch with old friends via social media and connects with her first boyfriend online. He was "the one" who let her down years ago, who now lives in Australia and has a fabulous life by all accounts. After playing online scrabble with him, and remembering the fabulous times that they spent together, he announces that he wants them to meet up again when he comes over to England. Should she go? Is it such a big deal if she does? Is the the excitement that she wished for finally coming her way?
I wish many times in my life that my Mom was still with us, during this book in particular because I know that she would have loved it as much as I did! I think Carol was actually describing aspects of my Mom's life! I can say that safely knowing that my Dad will a) never read this book and b) never read this blog! Or will he?

This is a hilarious account, that I think most women would relate to regardless of how old they are, of the aging process and how it makes you feel. I had a number of laugh out load moments, which got me some very funny looks!
Carol writes in a wonderfully bright and funny way. The pages seem to turn themselves with no effort whatsoever. The characters of Mandy and Phil are very real, and you can SO relate to the situations in the book that they find themselves in. Her mother is hysterical and you can't wait to see what she's going to say or do next.

I found this book to be a hugely enjoyable and entertaining read, with loads of laughs along the way and I would most definitely recommend it as a must read. I shall look forward very much to Carol's next book Surfing In Stilletos. Can't wait to see what Mandy's Mom gets up to in that one!

Carol Wyer lives in Staffordshire alone with her husband now that her son has flown the nest. She admits to being a social networking addict and is a regular blogger. She is writing a series of novels which take a humerous look at getting older.

To learn more about Carol, her website can be found by clicking here.

Carol blogs at http://www.facing50withhumour.blogspot.com/

You can buy this book via Amazon by clicking here You can also follow Carol on Twitter

You can like Carol on Facebook

Interview with Jessica Thompson

2012-02-02T01:01:00.006Z

I'm so lucky that I've been introduced to a fabulous new author called Jessica Thompson who is launching her debut novel This is a Love Story this month. The book is just amazing and you can read my review by clicking here.

I'm delighted that Jess agreed to do an interview with me and our conversation is below. Hope you enjoy learning more about her, as much as I did, and I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more about this special lady in the future.

Hi Jess, Firstly just want to say thanks for letting me interview you and to congratulate you on your fantastic debut novel. I hope it's a massive success for you. It was a wonderful read, even if I did read the last few chapters through that many tears that I could hardly see!

How did you feel when you knew that your book was going to be published? It was totally surreal! I still can't quite believe it is all happening. Ever since it was confirmed I have woken up in the morning, and found myself forgetting about it for the first couple of minutes and then I remember. It's like waking up and going into a dream. It's lovely and I am thrilled to bits. I have always liked Hodder as a publisher too, so I was delighted when they said they would like to publish This is a Love Story.

How long was your journey from your ideas about writing the book, through to publication? It was about a year and a half. I came up with the idea quite quickly because it was a theme that sprung to my mind almost immediately. I wrote the book in about six or seven months and then it was presented to Hodder. After that it went through a few weeks of editing and then it was a matter of waiting patiently for it to come out.

As a busy journalist, how on earth did you find time to write a book? It is tough to find the time and energy, but it's something I love doing so I make time for it. I spend evenings and weekends writing and editing, but I still find time to see friends and do other things too. It is a challenge, there's no doubt about it, but I love being busy. I feel really inspired when I am writing, so I lose track of time and I look forward to being able to get lost in the world of writing for a few hours at a time.

Where, what and who inspires you to write? Funnily enough, music is a big inspiration to me. For a lot of the scenes I write, there is a connection in my mind with a particular song. Lyrics bring about a lot of visual imagery, so I find just listening to music really helps. When I go to the gym or go out running, it's a really good time to mull over ideas, or work out ways to overcome problems in writing. In terms of plot line inspiration I think all my life experiences have inspired me, even stretching back to when I was a child. This is a Love Story is a culmination of things I have seen and experienced brought together into a fictional world and storyline.

Can you describe the place where you write? I write at home at the kitchen table, and often in bed with my laptop! It's all a bit chaotic sometimes. The table I am writing on, or any surface nearby usually ends up covered in cups of tea and various notes. I normally write in my pyjamas or some random get-up I found on the floor! I am just being honest here! I live with two kittens and they often try to climb onto the keypad. When they aren't doing that they sometimes just sit and listen to the furious typing coming from my general direction with confused looks on their faces.

Your characters in This Is A Love Story are fabulous. How did you go about creating them? It's strange because I didn't really sit down and write a plan of how I wanted each character to be. They were very clear in my mind from the very first line, so it was a matter of making sure I was communicating them effectively to readers. I felt like I got to know the characters inside and out, I knew everything about them down to the clothes in their fictional wardrobes and how many sugars they take in their tea! It was a lovely basis for writing a book, and they ended up doing their own thing as I wrote too. A lot of the character's looks and quirks have been inspired by people I know too, because it's so nice to call these characteristics into my mind.

The way you describe feelings and emotions is utterly amazing. How do you do that? Thank you, that's really nice feedback! I'm not sure how actually. It just comes out on the page as I write. As I mentioned before, I think I really listen to song lyrics and they are often poetic and metaphorical. I think I have subconsciously adopted this style with my writing, and that makes it possible to describe things with emotion and colour.

Who or what gave you the idea to write about a character who had narcolepsy? I know a man who has narcolepsy, and I was struck by how positive and upbeat he is despite the challenges he faces. I had been exposed to narcolepsy before I met him through film and TV, and found it always took quite a mocking view of the condition. But when I met this guy, I was just bowled over by the reality of living with narcolepsy and I was keen to incorporate such a moving thread in my story.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about writing a book? Keep coming up with ideas until you find the one that sets you on fire. If it doesn't, then it's going to be really tough to write when you are 90,000 words in and there's no coffee in the cupboard! Be determined, and never give up, and don't be afraid of feedback and learning new things all the time.

Are you a reader? What types of book do you like to read and who are your favourite authors? I am a reader, although I am studying with the Open University at the moment so it can be tricky to find time to read as much as I would like to. I like a range of different books, from Lionel Shriver's We need to talk about Kevin, to Caitlin Moran's How to be a woman. I love darkness, I love humour, and I love books that make me cry. Jojo Moyes' latest novel Me Before You made me cry!

What's next for you? Are you writing more (I do hope so!) and if the answer is yes, can you tell us a little more? I have finished my second novel and I am now deep into the editing process. I am really enjoying it, although the book is challenging as it has a lot of threads. It is really fast paced, and covers a lot of ground in a short time. I look forward to developing it further and getting more feedback on it.

Thank you so much for your support, it means a lot. I'm thrilled you like Tials so much and I look forward to reading your review.

Jess

x

Jessica Thompson lives in North London and is a multimedia journalist working for a series of London newspapers. In her spare time she loves to run and sing as well as write! She felt very moved by the work of the charity www.narcolepsy.org.uk and would like to continue to help to raise awareness of this hard working charity.

www.twitter.com/jthompsonauthor

www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Thompson

You can buy this book here : http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Love-Story-Jessica-Thompson/dp/1444734210

Review - This Is A Love Story by Jessica Thompson

2012-02-01T00:01:00.001Z

WOW! What an adorable and emotional story and an incredible debut novel from Jessica Thompson who is surely an author to look out for!

Sienna and Nick’s eyes met on a crowded train. A shared moment that they thought was over as soon as it began. Yet it wasn’t! When Sienna arrived at the job that she’d started a couple of weeks ago, she found herself looking straight into those beautiful eyes once more. She discovered that the man that all her colleagues had all been talking about at work, who had been away, was Nick. They immediately fell head over heels in love with each other, but neither thought that the other could possibly feel the same, and they missed many opportunities in time, to tell each other how they really felt.

Instead, they became the best of friends and much to the distress of their various partners over the years, were forever joined at the hip. If they couldn’t be what they really want to be to each other, then they’d be the next best thing.

When this book arrived, I immediately loved the cover, turquoise, white and shiny and after reading the description thought it sounded like it was going to be a good read. It was actually not a good read but an absolutely incredible one that I enjoyed SO very much. The story of Sienna and Nick was just as adorable as the cover. They missed so many opportunities to tell each other that they were in love with each other that I was so frustrated I just wanted to shout at them and make them sort it out.

Jessica writes from the heart, and the characters were perfectly formed. Sienna is an absolute sweetheart, beautiful, caring and clever, she just wants to be the best person she can be and help anyone who is in her life whether they want help or not. Nick is just perfect, handsome, strong, funny – all the qualities most women look for in a partner. Jess’s father a wonderful, accepting, amazing character that is a complete inspiration.   Jess raises awareness of the conditions narcolepsy and cataplexy, both of which I was aware of but never really thought about how devastating it was to live with it every day of your life for not only the person who has the condition, but also those caring for them.

I read the last few chapters through so many tears streaming down my cheeks, that I could hardly see the words. I felt every raw emotion as if they were my own.

Once again, I spent a Sunday stuck with my nose in a book. I'm afraid the housework had to wait!

So hard to believe that this delightfully compelling book that had me spellbound from the very start, wasn’t penned by an author who’d been writing for years. I’m sure that given the reading enjoyment that this book gave to me, Jessica Thompson will be a well established author that we’ll be seeing for many years to come.

I am delighted that Jess has agreed to be interviewed by little old me, and I will be posting that interview tomorrow so that we can learn the inspiration behind this amazing debut novel and find out more about this wonderful author.

Jessica Thompson lives in North London and is a multimedia journalist working for a series of London newspapers. In her spare time she loves to run and sing as well as write! She felt very moved by the work of the charity www.narcolepsy.org.uk and would like to continue to help to raise awareness of this hard working charity.

www.twitter.com/jthompsonauthor

www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Thompson

http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Love-Story-Jessica-Thompson/dp/1444734210

Review - The Summer Season by Julia Williams

2012-01-15T14:30:00.000Z

Absolutely loved this wonderfully enchanting, delightful book.

Heartsease House belongs to widower Joel, who is trying hard to come to terms with the loss of his wife Claire and struggling to bring up their son singlehandedly. Lauren, also a single parent, to twin girls and Claire’s best friend, helps him with child care but he takes her very much for granted, and is often late. Both miss Claire terribly in their own special ways.

Joel had always planned to restore the house, but no longer had the energy or enthusiasm to do so, until one night he discovers guerrilla gardener Kezzie in his garden. Kezzie had run away from ex boyfriend and her life in London, to stay at her aunt’s house in the village. She thought that the house and garden were both unlived in as they needed so much work and she eventually inspires Joel to look into the history of the house and the garden while the restoration takes place and the fascinating story of his ancestors unravels.

While plans to hold a village fayre progress, so do the interesting lives of Joel, Kezzie, Lauren and her ex Troy.

This is a delightful, gentle, romantic, funny story which tugged at my heartstrings many times. It was really two stories; that of today with the characters I mention above, but also the story of Edward and Lily and their family history spinning the tale of the house and gardens. It was fabulous, unravelling throughout the book.

I spent the last few chapters reading through my tears, always a sign to me of a great writer, when they can move you to tears through their words. I felt as if I’d been transported to the village of Heartsease and could picture all of it. I loved the village spirit and enthusiasm of all the community pulling together with one purpose and aim.

I wanted to shout at Joel a few times as he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. I could see the story heading one way, when I wanted it to head another. Yet the end was perfect, such a pleasure for me, exactly what I wanted to happen. Don’t you just love a happy ending?

Julia’s writing is beautiful, descriptive, colourful and so enjoyable. Another unputdownable book, and I enjoyed every single page. A truly wonderful and charming novel.

Julia Williams lives in Surrey with her dentist husband David and her four children. After studying English at Liverpool University, she entered the world of publishing, firstly working with academic books, then switching to children’s books which she adored. After the birth of her second child, she decided to start a freelance career and decided that it was a good time to start her writing. She has written 5 Novels and also children's books.

Julia is also a member of the Romantic Novelists Association.

Links

www.juliawilliamsauthor.com/

www.twitter.com/JCCWilliams

www.facebook.com/Julia-Williams

You can buy The Summer Season via Amazon by clicking here

Review - A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis by Irene Woodbury

2012-01-15T13:31:00.002Z

WOW! I’ve never physically been to Las Vegas, always been on my “Places To Go” List, but I really do feel like I’ve lived the high life there, after reading this great fun book by Irene Woodbury.

Newly wed Wendy, was already feeling a little stale in her relationship after moving from her home town to Houston to where husband Roger had a thriving career and worked all hours to build a name for himself. She had recently been made redundant and after trying to work her way through that bombshell, the fact that she hardly saw her husband, and the fact that they slept in separate bedrooms due to a “pest” problem in the house, when man mad friend Paula invited her to a girls long weekend in Vegas, Paula thought “hell – why not!”

Much to Roger’s disgust, after what was an interesting weekend, in a five star hotel in Vegas, when Wendy rediscovered the fact that Paula had no rules and no morals, she realised that she hadn’t really got anything to go back for, so at the last minute, before boarding the plane, she turned right round and decided to stay for a little longer. She had no idea how long for, but took a temporary let on a downtown apartment in a complex full of colourful characters to say the least. She had a number of “phone fights” with Roger, which was understandable as she couldn’t’ tell him just how long she was planning to remain. Should she stay, at this place where she found fun and friendship? Or should she return to her boring life back in Houston? What does she do? Come on – you know I’m not going to tell you!

This novel was fun filled, action packed and funny from start to finish. You find yourself relating to the characters easily and Irene wrote about Vegas in a way that painted it so colourfully and it certainly came to life for me. I found myself understanding Wendy’s point of view and Roger’s too, and actually thought she was torn between two completely different lives.

Just after I finished reading this book, I watched the hilarious movie The Hangover which was also filmed in Vegas and I felt like I’d already been there!

Irene writes in a way that flows really well and keeps your interest at all times. I did wonder if she was working for the Last Vegas Tourist Board at one stage, the way she describes Vegas certainly made me want to hop on a plane immediately and go there!

A highly enjoyable, entertaining read, which made me forget about everything but the book.

Irene Woodbury lives in Denver with her husband Richard. This book was inspired by Irene’s love of travel writing. Between 2000 and 2006, she had many stories published in many newspapers, including the Washington Post, London Daily Telegraph, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Toronto Star, and Nevada and The Affluent Traveler magazines.

As one of her favorite destinations was Las Vegas; she always believed Sin City would be the perfect setting for a novel. In 2006, she came up with the idea for Slot, and, four-and-a-half years, and many visits later, it was finished.

Links

http://www.irenewoodbury.com

www.facebook.com/irene.woodbury

www.twitter.com/irenewoodbury

Buy this book on Amazon by clicking here

Review - While I'm Still Myself by Jeremy Mark Lane

2012-01-11T21:44:00.000Z

While I’m Still Myself is a delightful collection of short stories where Jeremy Lane writes about how life can turn on a sixpence, when you are least expecting it.

It shows how a totally unexpected brief encounter can turn your life around and have a huge impact on it which can never be changed.

It shows that love and life doesn't have to span a lifetime. That a sudden meeting can spark a deep and meaningful, life changing, all consuming, memorable love that can disappear as quickly as it came into your life, yet will never be forgotten.

Some of the stores are about :

A passionate December love affair.
The meeting of an unexpected traveler.
The consequences of protecting a young new acquaintance.
A journey into an unknown past.

The collection is well written, interesting and descriptive, immediately drawing you into each individual story. The stories are deep, moving and emotional. The characters are well developed and the places described so you can easily imagine how they look.

Probably my only critisism, was that just as I was getting into the story, it suddenly ended and left me wanting each one to develop into more, wondering what would happen to the characters and how the story would pan out.

I also love Jeremy's dedication at the start of the book to his wife and children. Simple but beautiful.

Jeremy Lane lives in North Texas with his wife and three children. His first collection of short stories, entitled “Here and Gone”, was published in 2010 by Ether Books, a digital publisher located in the UK.
“While I’m Still Myself” is published in paperback by Tate Publishing early in 2012.

His work has also been featured in many literary sites and journals, including MUSCADINE LINES: A SOUTHERN JOURNAL.

You can like Jeremy on Facebook by clicking here

You can follow Jeremy on Twitter by clicking here

You can check out Jeremy's website here

You can buy While I'm Still Myself via Amazon here

Review - The Bridge Club by Patricia Sands

2012-01-05T21:04:00.000Z

A delightful tale of friendship and love between an amazing group of women.

The Bridge Club is the story of eight women all with completely different outlooks, lifestyles and personalities, who meet to initially play Bridge on a monthly basis, despite what is going on in their lives. Each of the women has their own difficulties to admit to both themselves and to the group, and together they go through lifes ups and downs with strong friendship binding them together.

The story covers 4 decades and starts where the group get together at a time where they are all roughly 60, and they are all asked about when the club has helped them to get through a particular time in their life. Each chapter is about one of the characters in the book.

The final chapter, was one which covers a subject that I think most people dread - dementia - and it is covered with empathy and understanding.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking about how much my Mom would have loved it. It reminded me of the friendship that my Mom and her best friend (my Godmother) had shared for over 57 years, before my Mom lost her battle with cancer.

It made me realise that whatever happens in your life, good and true friends are so important to help you get through the rollercoaster issues that life can throw at you. Through the good times and the bad, true friends will be there for you through thick and thin, without judging you, whether they think you are right or wrong, they are just there for you, loyal to the end.

I hope that I am lucky enough that the good and true friends I've made in my lifetime, will turn out to be as good as the friendships that I read about in this delightful book by Patricia. I'm know I have a few that I can say definitely will.

This was a book which was emotional, at which I laughed and I cried. It's a book that women of all ages I would think, would relate to. The characters were well formed, and likeable. The subjects that are covered are understandable and some controversial which make you question your own thoughts and beliefs but you can relate to each and every one of them entirely.

I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable read, although I did feel a little exhausted as I'd lived through all the issues by the end!

Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, Canada and has degrees from both the University of Waterloo and York University. With a happily blended family of seven adult children and, at last count, six grandchildren, life is full and time is short. Patricia has told stories all of her life through photography. She began to write a few years ago and she is currently working on her second novel.

Patricia is an author with www.loveahappyending.com
You can following Patricia on twitter www.twitter.com/@patricia_sands
Her website is www.patriciasandsauthor.com
You can buy The Bridge Club via Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bridge-Club-Patricia-Sands/dp/1450241352/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325795696&sr=1-1

Review - Breakfast At Darcy's

2012-01-05T19:58:00.000Z

What a delightfully charming and romantic story!

London beauty and fashion journalist Darcy McCall is flabbergasted to find out that she is the sole beneficiary of her Aunt Molly’s will as she regretfully hadn’t seen her Aunty for a number of years. What she actually inherits is Tara Island, on the west coast of Ireland, which hasn’t been inhabited for years, but there are conditions! She must stay there for at least twelve months, and she must build a community to live and to earn a living there.

Darcy makes the choice to leave her life in London and all that being a beauty and fashion journalist entails, and hang up her Jimmy Choos to rough it on Tara Island and take on her Aunt’s challenge. Will she rise to the challenge, or will she give up at the first sign of trouble? Will the people that she has chosen to go with her, help her to build this new life and will it be a success or will she fail?

Breakfast At Darcy’s was a delightfully, gentle and romantic story, with some fabulous characters to meet along the way, and I really didn’t want it to end. I started reading this on New Year’s Day and read, and read and read! At page 354, I had to give up because I couldn’t see anymore and I’d probably been a bit antisocial (for a change), but I loved every second of it. I then picked it up again yesterday to finish it as I was out all day on Monday, but was SO looking forward to finding out what was going to happen on this idyllic island.

It was such an enjoyable book to read with colours so bright and so vivid, making the island very easy to imagine and the characters came to life easily through Ali’s descriptions and I loved each and every one of them in their own way (well, maybe except for one!). I could have hopped on a boat and headed off to Tara Island myself, it was painted in such an appealing way that I just wanted to be there and experience the peace and tranquility that they were lucky enough to enjoy! I wanted to walk on the glorious sandy beaches, have barbeques under a sky full of bright stars, and build new and genuine friendships with the fabulous people who lived there.

It was a book which was full of fun, and romance with plenty of laughs along the way, and it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy when I’d finished it! A charming and deliciously delightful book that I think everyone should experience!

Ali McNamara lives in Cambridgeshire with her husband and two children and Jake her golden lab. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reality TV, eating chocolate and loves the beach and the sea. She loves to have get glammed up and go out partying, which is a real change from sitting at a desk writing. Her writing started, when she wrote for fun on Ronan Keating’s website and the stories were eventually sold for his fundraising charity. She realised that not only did she enjoy writing, but that people thoroughly enjoyed reading her work and decided to write a novel. Her first novel From Notting Hill with Love…actually was published in late 2010.

http://www.alimcnamara.co.uk

www.twitter.com/AliMcNamara

http://www.facebook.com/ali.mcnamara.author

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Breakfast-At-Darcys-Ali-McNamara/dp/0751547409/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321963324&sr=8-1

Review - The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan

2011-12-29T17:47:00.000Z

A month or so ago, I was delighted to be invited to read Diary of A Mummy Misfit and my review can be found here. When Amanda Egan asked me if I'd like to review the sequel - The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit - I was over the moon to be joining the cast of this cracking book again. The sequel did not disappoint me at all. In fact, I absolutely loved it. As a reader, you can't help but have expectations of a sequel. I can honestly say that this was everything that I wanted it to be and more!

In the first book, Libby and husband Ned, put their son into private school and made some wonderful friends, but met some truly awful, snobby people along the way too. At the end of the novel, they came into some money and were able to finally afford to do the things that the other families at the school did. Libby had always wanted a second child and to her delight became pregnant.

In The Darker Side, Libby and hilarious friend Fenella start their pregnancies together, while still helping to fundraise at the school. They meet and befriend Patience, a single mom who is automatically disapproved of by most of the parents at the school. When they find out her background, they keep it up their sleeves for using at a time in the future when it is needed most.

While Libby and her family can now afford to do things that she craved in the past, she almost feels that her life being broke but happy, was preferable. In this novel, her friendships, marriage and family are put to the test with lots of bumps along the way.

I laughed so hard at times I thought I was going to wet myself (sorry to share that with you but I felt that I must!) I also cried a lot at this book. It contained a real rollercoaster of emotions and anyone who has been through the things that Libby went through in this book would empathise sincerely with her and want to personally help her through her ups and downs.

I felt that I was inside Libby and Fenella’s friendship. They were both hilarious but really good strong friends who understood each other so well. Amanda Egan’s writing is outstanding, her characters so utterly likeable and believable that you want to join them in their lives. The places she describes are so vivid and colourful they are so easy to imagine and conjure up in your mind.

It was a real page turner, and I couldn't put it down. It's such a throroughly enjoyable read, and flows so well that you just keep on reading.

I would dearly love to hear more about the adventures of Libby, her family and her friends. I sincerely hope that this is not the end of them. I miss them already!

Amanda Egan was born and bred in London, and she trained professionally as an actress. After many years of procrastination, she has turned her hand to writing Chick/Mummy-lit. She focused more on her writing after her son developed school phobia when he was 11 and she had to hang around his school in the background while he regained his confidence. In her spare time, she loves to read anything from Maeve Binchy, Jill Mansell, and Penny Vincenzi to Noel Coward, Dostoevsky and Zola. She also love crafts and entertaining, particularly hosting themed dinner parties.

You can buy Diary of A Mummy Misfit via Amazon

You can buy The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit via Amazon

You can follow Amanda on Twitter
You can like her on Facebook

A little request!

2011-12-29T09:38:00.002Z

Hi all, I have a little favour to ask to see if you are able to help me at all.

My son is in the Nursery class of Westhill Primary School in Staffordshire and I wondered if you could help me at all to create more bookworms!

As a book blogger, and a massive bookworm since I was old enough to read, I would love to be able to help them in this year's project, which is to get the kids reading more. The school library, and the individual classes too, need their stocks of books replenishing and they are busy trying to raise funds to be able to do this. They also run a Jackanory Story Club after school, so are always trying to get the kids reading more.

I've been so lucky that some children's authors, and a publisher have been absolutely fabulous and have very generously donated books so that they can help the school in this project. I would love it if anyone else would be able to help in any way at all. If you can, please do let me know.

Both myself and the school really would appreciate any support that any children's authors or publishers are able to give the school.

Thank you so much.
Kim
xxx

Review - Taunting The Dead by Mel Sherratt

2011-12-28T22:23:00.000Z

What an awesome novel this was! Exciting and thrilling. Could not put it down!

Steph Ryder is a rich bitch, and trophy wife to husband Terry, a dubious character and property developer that the police have their eye on. Difficult daughter Kirstie is mixing with Lee, son of Phil Kennedy - Terry’s right hand man, and Steph tells her not to see him anymore and that if her dad finds out he’ll be furious. Steph drinks a lot to drown out the fact that on the outside, her life should be perfect, but inside, it’s not all it may seem and she is desperately unhappy.

Steph’s best friend Carole, has a soft spot for Terry and wishes that she had Steph’s life instead of working all hours yet still struggling to make ends meet in the restaurant she owns with husband Shaun. They borrowed money from Phil and owe it back with considerable interest, but Phil tells Shaun that he’ll wipe his debt off in exchange for him “taking out” someone. Shaun knows it’s tempting, but as a good person, really doesn’t think he can do it, although he’s actually given no choice in the matter.

When Steph is found dead with her caved in, a number of people have a motive for murdering her, and there is a long list of suspects including her husband for the police to work through.

Detective Sergeant Allie Shenton, obsessive about her job and about finding the man who ruined her sister’s and family’s lives, is married to Mark who finds the energies she puts into her job instead of her marriage sometimes just too much, even though he tries hard to support her. Allie’s instincts tell her that Terry is hiding something, yet she appears to be taken under his spell and charmed by him all the same.

The book was riveting, gripping right from the first page, and I really couldn’t get enough of it. I could feel my heart thumping at times, anticipating what was going to happen next. You were left guessing until the very last chapter, who actually killed Steph and whether they were going to get away with it.

The last paragraph, was totally unexpected and I wanted to immediately pick up the next book in the series. The only problem is that it hasn’t been finished yet but I can honestly say that I’ll be counting down to the day when it’s published. Come on Mel, please hurry up!

There was lots of blood and gore in the book, but not so much that it made a vulgar read, it was kind of necessary to the plot. The characters were created well and believable although I’m very glad that I don’t come into contact with any of them. And to think that I thought Stoke On Trent was a quiet little town in the Potteries where Robbie Williams came from!

Mel Sherratt is married and is from Stoke on Trent and has always been interested in reading and writing, winning a writing competition when she was just 11. She has been dabbling with writing for over ten years and it was when she changed her genre from women’s fiction to crime thriller that her writing flourished.

Mel's website can be found by clicking here. Mel also hosts a blog called High Heels and Book Deals which can be found by clicking here where she reviews books, interviews authors and talks about books.

You can follow Mel on Twitter and more importantly, you can buy this awesome crime thriller at Amazon by clicking here.

Review - The Star Child by Stephanie Keyes

2011-12-22T00:01:00.089Z

Gosh, it's been a busy old week over here. Yesterday, I had the wonderful Janice Horton join me for a chat, today I'm delighted to welcome Stephanie Keyes, author of The Star Child.

Hi Steph, welcome to my little old blog. Thanks so much for joining me here today.

In light of the Christmas holiday being just two days aways, I thought I'd ask just a few holiday related questions, if that's alright?

Sure Kim, fire away!

Where are you with your Christmas shopping? Have you finished?
I'm all done! I was finished in November. I hate having to deal with all of the crowds. So I started in September.

How will you spend the holiday?
We host my in-laws on Christmas Eve and my husband does all of the cooking. Then we get up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning and spend the entire day with my mother and brother. We have a big dinner on both days and I end up working out on the morning of the 26th out of guilt!

What was the most challenging gift that you bought this year?
I don't know if it was challenging to buy so much as challenging to have delivered! I ordered a bike for my son from Santa and they were delivering it to our front door when we were pulling into the drive. I kept telling him to look down the street at the Christmas lights and it was the middle of the day!

Win a Starbucks Gift Card!

Use the Comments section to tell us about the most challenging gift that you bought this year and you could win a Starbucks gift card! The use it to buy your coffee to accompany your read of The Star Child! Only comments posted on December 22nd are eligible.

About the book

Kellen St. James is a bright young man who has never recovered from the loss of his Mother when he was a young child, and has a father, who he feels does not care for him at all. If fact, his father even forgot to go to his graduation from Yale. While on the podium receiving his accolade, the world as he knew it, stopped and he was taken back in time to a period of his childhood where he was staying at his Grandmother's house. While there, he met a beautiful young girl called Calienta. She walked away from him with her father and all he wanted to do is to go with her.

Calienta has haunted his dreams ever since, and when he discovers that his Grandmother has passed away, he returns to her house on the Irish Coast and finds out far more about him mother. Calienta turns up, this time not in his dreams but for real and tells him a tale about an ancient prophecy and informs him that he is the only one who can save the world from darkness.

Bearing in mind, that he loves this girl more than he thought would ever be possible and had nothing really to lose, they set off on an wild adventure, through mystical worlds of faeries and angels, with the odd evil demon and wild dog thrown in along the way. Sound bizarre? It is, but also hugely enjoyable.

This book was a real treat for me to read. Quite different to my normal reading material, this magical fairytale held me captivated until the adventure ended. The main characters were wonderfully created, enchanting and loveable. I became submerged in a whole other world, a world of make believe and fantasy, a place where the outside world didn't exist. I found myself thinking about the story and the characters when I was away from the book, which I always think is the sign of a cracking book.

While reading this book, I did think to myself that as Stephanie is mom to two young children and the family dog, she must tell the most amazing bedtime stories! She is full of imagination and fun. The vivid and colourful descriptions make the scenes in her story come alive and I'd love her to visit and read a story to Oliver at bedtime! I'm sure he'd be the same as I was; completely mesmerised.

A fabulous debut novel from this author and I hope to seeing a lot more from her in the future.

About the author:

When Stephanie isn’t writing, she works full time as a Corporate Educator and Curriculum Designer. She holds a M.Ed. from Duquesne University and an undergraduate degree in Management information Systems from Robert Morris University. Stephanie is a clarinetist, saxophonist, and vocalist, and is always making music somewhere at sometime. She credits her loving husband of ten years and her two sons for the completion and publication of the Star Child.

Find out more about Stephanie at http://www.stephaniekeyes.com.

The Star Child is available on;

Amazon Kindle US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006GADZ1Y

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Star-Child-ebook/dp/B006GADZ1Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322888380&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble

Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/stephanie-keyes

Paperback http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-star-child-stephanie-keyes/1037031019?ean=9780615566290&itm=2&usri=stephanie+keyes

Friend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Keyes/150860604966160

Follow Her On Twitter: http://bit.ly/jjneXg

Review & Interview - Reaching For The Stars by Janice Horton

2011-12-20T21:59:00.002Z

Janice's "pink palace"
AKA Drumlanrig Castle
http://www.drumlanrig.com/

I'm delighted today to be joined by the wonderful novelist Janice Horton who has recently launched her new book Reaching For The Stars (review below) but as a queen of descriptions, I wanted to ask Janice exactly how she manages to conjure up the most fantastic of venues in her novels.

Hi Janice, before I throw my questions at you, please let me congratulate you on your latest book Reaching For The Stars. I hope it's a huge success. In it celebrity chef Finn McDuff takes off to a castle in the hidden depths of Scotland. Did you have a particular place in mind that you based the castle upon and why?

Thanks so much Kim and thanks so much for having me with you today.

In Scotland, where I live, we have quite a few castles around us. Most are romantic ruins but there is one magnificent castle built of pink sandstone, known locally as ‘the pink palace’ which was in my mind while I was writing ‘Reaching for the Stars’. It is exactly the sort of castle to be my fictional Craigmuir Castle - and a splendid focal point of a traditional Scottish Estate.

In Bagpipes and Bullshot, the main characters lived in an old country estate. Again, did you base this on anywhere in particular and if so why?

Yes, I did base my ideas for the setting in Bagpipes & Bullshot on the Scottish country estate where I live. The fictional Buchanan Estate is much smaller than the mighty estate surrounding my cottage, but it did inspire my descriptions in the story. The fictional village of Thornfield is actually my local village of Thornhill. I must emphasis though, although I love to describe the beautiful places that surround me every day, I have never used real people in my books and all my characters are entirely made up.

What is it is about these big old traditional places that you love the most and brings out the descriptions in your writing?

When I start to write, it is always the human characters that come first but once I know who they are and what the story will be about, I need conflicts for them to overcome. The most important conflict is the emotional one - what does this character need and how will they get it? Then comes the objects in their path. These objects, or conflicts, can be emotional and they can also be physical. In Bagpipes & Bullshot for example, the cold old rundown house provides many problems. In Reaching for the Stars, the castle that has become our media shy chef’s garret suddenly becomes the setting for a huge social event and then becomes his challenge. So, you see, big old traditional places are important in my books not just as settings but as both characters and conflicts anchoring the story.

What sort of home do you live in? Is there a particular place in your home that makes you feel creative enough to write, or can you write anywhere?
For over twenty years I have lived in an isolated old shepherd’s cottage. We bought it derelict from the local Estate and have improved and extended it over the years to accommodate our family. I’m originally a city girl who dreamed of living a country lifestyle and so living here has been like living a dream. I’m a bit of a romantic at heart and that romance filters through my dreams, my ideals, my life, and ultimately my books. I can’t help it - living here makes me want to set my novels here - as I find the mists, the scenery and the land based lifestyle, totally intoxicating and romantic.

Thanks so much for sharing that with your readers Janice. Lovely to know a little more about where your ideas come from. Just be careful, now we know where you live, we may descend upon you for a weekend in what sounds like an idyllic haven of peace and tranquility! Well - till we get there anyway!

Here's a little more about Reaching The Stars and what I thought of it.

Well, she only went and flipping did it again! Janice has not disappointed me at all with another delightfully charming novel.

A fabulous tale of gorgeous celebrity chef Finn McDuff who wouldn’t let anything get in the way of him achieving his 3 stars – the highest accolade in his world, and Raine a journalist who always promised herself that she would write with integrity and respect for her subjects. It’s a bumpy ride for both of them, as Finn uses Raine’s empathic reporting style to try to woo back his third wife who has finally had enough and left him, and Raine uses this story to win a position with a top paper and has many fights with her rival to get there.

When Finn realises that his life has changed and that he would have to give up things to get his wife back, he escapes the limelight and hides himself away from the world much to the interest of Raine's rival who starts a countrywide campaign to find him. But who will find him first? Where is he and what is the real reason that they want to find him?

I love the way that Janice writes. Her words flow so easily from page to page and her descriptions make the whole story come to life. You are whisked away to a part of Scotland where you feel you’ve always known and get so involved with the story that you feel that you are playing a star role in the book.

You are left desperate to find out where the plot is going, and certainly in this case, left hanging on right to the very end with twists and turns along the way but also with a great deal of humour which again makes the read so enjoyable. And there's always a great deal of romance thrown in as well as a gorgous leading man and a beautiful leading lady, both of with which you fall in love with and would love to know in real life. She is a charming novelist and can’t write quickly enough for me.

About the author: Janice lives in Scotland and writes romantic novels with humour which are, for the most part, inspired by the beauty of the heather-filled glens around her country cottage. When Janice is not writing novels, she write lifestyle articles and has had work published in national and international magazines and regional newspapers. She edits The Review Chair for the innovative reader/writer website loveahappyending.com and is also the bestselling author of the humorous romance ‘Bagpipes & Bullshot’.

Reaching for the Stars is available for your Kindle now at the special launch price of just 95p /£1.40

Buy from Amazon UK

Buy from Amazon US

Janice Blogs at: www.janicehortonwriter.blogspot.com

Janice is a www.loveahappyending.com author

Follow her on Twitter @JaniceHorton

Facebook Author Page: http://on.fb.me/nbaWed

Review - Dark Mind by Jennifer Chase

2011-12-18T12:18:00.000Z

Always interesting when you’ve read a book, and the sequel is launched. Will it be as good as the first? How will the writer be able to keep your interest in the characters? Well Jennifer Chase is the person who should be able to answer these questions because this book is another awesome novel from this superb crime writer. I hope she’ll answer these questions for me when she has a minute. I was lucky enough to interview Jennifer earlier this year. You can read the interview here but what an interesting lady?

Emily and Rick have headed out on a holiday to a beautiful Hawaiin island called Kauai (always wanted to go to Hawaii!) but they just can’t leave the super sleuthing behind. They are soon on the trail of a child kidnapper and then find themselves getting caught up in various other crimes on the island much to the distress and intrigue of local cop Sergeant Lani who each time he attends a crime scene bumps into Emily. Will he find out who Emily really is and why she keeps turning up at places a tourist shouldn’t be?

It was intense, it was thrilling, it was exciting and it was gripping. In my last review of Jennifer Chase’s book Dead Game which can be found here I compared her to the amazing James Patterson and Emily Stone to Alex Cross. I stand by my comparisons. Patterson is a writing master and I’m sure that Jennifer Chase will have a million more ideas for Emily Stone up her sleeve to follow this third in the series. I certainly hope so!

I love Emily Stone. She is one kiss-ass, tough cookie that you SO wouldn’t mess with! The novel is action packed right from the start and continues throughout. She stumbles across trouble without even looking for it and always manages to get herself out of it too! Or does she?

Despite being beautiful, Hawaii does seem to be one of the most dangerous places in the world (next to Pontypandy and Emmerdale!) as also demonstrated by my favourite TV Series Hawaii Five 0. Maybe one day I’ll get there but I’ll be sure to travel with my new best friend Emily Stone!

Jennifer Chase lives in California and holds a bachelor's degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology. She also holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling and is a member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists so she definitely knows what she's talking about. Compulsion is the first novel that stars Emily Stone and Dead Game the second. I love that Jennifer has a section of her website that is dedicated to Emily.

Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.com/
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch Blog: www.emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/

Follow Jennifer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jchasenovelist

Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase/
Books: Compulsion = Dead Game = Silent Partner = Screenwriting

Review - The Other Place by Carol Arnall

2011-12-15T21:16:00.001Z

When Carol Arnall asked me to review The Other Place telling me it was a little bit different to the majority of the books I write about, I wondered what on earth I was going to end up reading as she described it as a paranormal mystery. Mmmmm sounded interesting I thought!

However, this book was a complete and utter joy to read. From the moment I read the opening line, I knew I was going to love it. Who couldn't love a book that says knickers in the first line?

The story is about Chrissie who lives with her sister Babs, her Mom Lilly and her stepfather Alf who has always seen his stepkids as an inconvenience in his lifem in a eperiod in time when people didn't have TVs and washing machines and life was really tough. Chrissie is a little "different" to other young girls, she's a real loner but lovely with it.

Both Chrissie and Babs can't wait until they are in a position where they can leave home, Babs being the first and Chrissie not too far behind. She has phobias, a memory of something that shouldn't happen to any human being, thinks she has a stalker, definitely has an imaginary friend and is generally unhappy with her life, until she meets Barbara who through hypnotherapy discovers that Chrissie has had a past life.

The story takes you through Chrissie's trials and tribulations of life along with her family and dips in and out of the past and the present in a way which is clearly identified and very easy to follow. An interesting tale, with some perfectly formed characters and marvellous descriptions of places, and a beautiful friendship between two sisters which lasted the test of time made this such an enjoyable book to read. A real page turner, with twists and turns along the way; one of those that you can't wait to pick up and find out how the story will unfold. As the story developed I fell just a little bit more in love with this book. It was one that had me getting up very early and the first thing on my mind was to carry on reading! I could not put it down and had to force myself to get ready for work! Needless to say it didn't take me very long to read.

A beautifully written novel, and an absolute pleasure to read, I shall definitely be reading more of Carol's other work. A very interesting author and I shall have to quiz her as to which bits of the book are based on true life if any at all!

Carol lives near Cannock Chase in Staffordshire (yay - a local girl to me!) When she is not writing, she loves taking photographs of the deer on Cannock Chase and also loves embroidery.

Following a serious road accident in the late 1980s, Carol decided that as she could not return to work, she would write a book. Always having an interest in the Supernatural she has written a number of ghostly booklets, later combining them into Mysterious Happenings. Carol has also written other books, Memories of Rugeley, Dreams Explained, Birmingham Girls and Choosing Your Psychic Pathway.

She decided to turn her hand to writing fiction in 2007, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of writing Dancing with Spirits and Spirits of the Lights the sequel. Both are full of mystical happenings. The Other Place is Carol's third novel.

You can buy The Other Place here via Amazon
You can learn more about Carol at http://www.carolarnall.com/
You can follow Carol on Twitter here
You can like Carol on Facebook here

Janice Horton - Reaching For The Stars

2011-12-14T10:34:00.000Z

The lovely Janice Horton launches her new book today called Reaching For The Stars. You can see my review of it here on my blog on 21st December when Janice stops by on her blog tour but I will let you into a little secret - it's a fab book! I loved it!

Links to this book can be found here.

Amazon UK

Amazon.Com

To celebrate the launch, Janice has asked us to post a piccie of where we'd like to be!

This is my piccie. Earlier this year we returned to Portugal for a week in October and this piccie is my view from the seat of a cafe that I have sat at many times, overlooking the beach at Albufeira and watching the world go by. It's one place that I love to return to time after time.

Don't forget to visit me again on 21st to see my review of the book. Look forward to catching up with you then.

Kim
x

Review - Diary of A Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan

2011-12-04T19:03:00.000Z

This was hilarious! What a funny lady Amanda Egan is!

Libby is Mom of four year old Max, and wife of Ned, and they have decided that they will sacrifice whatever they must, to be able to give Max the best education possible so move him from mainstream education to private school. They certainly didn't realise just awful the majority of the parents of the children who go there would be.

Libby & Ned meet Fenella & Josh, also parents of a child who is about to start at the school, just like Max, yet despite this and the fact that they are absolutely minted, they become bosom buddies and share some fabulous evenings and certainly plenty of booze. Fenella & Libby are cajoled into organising the school Christmas Fayre and are constantly put upon and unreasonable demands made of them by the school committee, yet don't feel that they can say no to the pressure which they are put under.

Libby feels that she is always being looked down upon by the other parents, because they don't live in a huge house, can't afford to go on expensive holidays, buy designer handbags and have flash cars. Libby desperately wants another baby yet they are totally unsuccessful in that department and husband Ned is under constant pressure from his employers and threatened with redundancy which is obviously giving them worries over whether Max will have to be removed from school, when he's just settling in and doing really well.

Oh and I forgot to tell you about the next door neighbour, a lovely yet slightly bonkers Asian lady constantly trying to match-make Libby with her very handsome son, despite the fact that Libby is extremely happy in her marriage and also Libby's two gay best friends who are also hilarious and come to the rescue on many occasions.

Amanda Egan is now up there with my favourite other funny writer Milly Johnson. The characters she created in this book, are SO funny, Fenella in particular is a person I would love to have a night out with. What a card she is! This book gave me so many laugh out loud moments in a way that I think people must have thought I was slightly cuckoo!

The trials and tribulations of motherhood are written about in a way that are funny but real and I have found myself in situations such as Libby a number of times and how she handles them are so true! Amanda has a true gift for humour and I found myself laughing about situations when I thought about them the following day and one particular part, still makes me laugh even now when I think back to it!

This is a fast paced, easy to read, page turner which certainly keeps you wondering how it will end. It also had the message in there, that money certainly isn't everything, and that you might have everything materially in the world, but it can be taken away from you in a heartbeat and doesn't make you happy. Family and friends are what are important in life and if you have them, you can get through most tough things that are thrown at you.

I'm really looking forward to the sequel The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit to come out which Amanda is working on at the moment - hurry up please Amanda - I can't wait!

Amanda Egan was born and bred in London, and trained professionally as an actress. After many years of procrastination, she has turned her hand to writing Chick/Mummy-lit. She focused more on her writing after her son developed school phobia when he was 11 and she had to hang around his school in the background while he regained his confidence. In her spare time, she loves to read anything from Maeve Binchy, Jill Mansell, and Penny Vincenzi to Noel Coward, Dostoevsky and Zola. She also love crafts and entertaining, particularly hosting themed dinner parties.

You can buy Diary of A Mummy Misfit via Amazon
You can follow Amanda on Twitter
You can like her on Facebook

Review of Build A Man by Talli Roland

2011-11-27T08:57:00.000Z

This is another thoroughly enjoyable, funny, easy to read book by the lovely Talli Roland.

Serenity Holland has moved to England to pursue her career as a tabloid journalist. She has however, got a little stuck along the way, by taking a job as a receptionist at a cosmetic enhancement clinic and moves in with Peter who is the owner and surgeon. Their life is very regimented, and a little dull and Serenity certainly doesn't feel like she's fulfilling her life dreams by having to be nice to the extremely rich and very rude clients that attend the clinic.    That is until the day that Jeremy walks through the door. He's a lovely man, quite good looking too in fact, although wants to change his appearance drastically by having a number of surgeries.

When she pitches to The Daily Planet, about a makeover for a man, and gets a response to call the editor, she's overjoyed, but they require her to befriend Jeremy and dish the dirt on his life to make this a great feature.

Will Serenity sell her soul to The Daily Planet, or will she cough up to her undercover status to genuinely be friends with Jeremy? Will Peter find out that she's undermining the confidentiality of one of the clinic's clients or is she able to hide it from him? Will Jeremy's surgery be a success? Can this story possibly have a happy ever after ending?

All of Talli's books are funny, romantic and easy to read, and you find yourself constantly turning the pages, becoming involved in the story and wanting to find out more. Build A Man is just the same. The characters are genuine, but she makes them funny at the same time, with humerous little quirks of their own. You find yourself loving Serenity even though what she's doing isn't the wisest choice one of your friends would make, but you can't help feeling sorry for her. Jeremy is a wonderful character, a man who wants to change his appearance because he thinks that he'll be able to find love if he looks different and Peter who is very stuck in his ways, and doesn't really light any fires, apart from for the rich and famous who desperately need his cosmetic services.

This is a hugely entertaining book, light-hearted yet with hidden messages of self belief, hope and about following dreams.

Talli writes funny and romantic fiction. She lives in London and admits openly on her website to having a crush on Sir Alan Sugar!

Her debut novel, The Hating Game was in the top 100 on Amazon Kindle UK for over 75 days. I was lucky enough to review Watching Willow Watts earlier this year which was a great read, and you can read my review of this book here.

She also writes the 24 Hours travel guides under the name of Marsha Moore. You can find out more about Talli at her website www.talliroland.com or read her entertaining posts at her blogsite http://talliroland.blogspot.com.

You can follow Talli on Twitter by clicking here.

You can buy Build A Man via Amazon by clicking here.

Review - The Secret of Happy Ever After by Lucy Dillon.

2011-11-23T19:27:00.000Z

An absolute cracker! I adored this book and want to move to this village!

Michelle had run away from her past, her bully of a husband Harvey and her family who think he's the best thing since sliced bread and has moved to a village called Longhampton, where she knows no-one but more importantly no-one knows her. She has bought a shop and called it Home Sweet Home which stocks lots of fabulous goodies to make your home beautiful.

Just when Michelle thinks she has no friends in the village, Anna's dog bursts into the cafe and snaffles Michelle's cake and Michelle and Anna become firm friends. Anna is married to Phil. Their plans to have a baby are on hold until they have been married for four years although their plans have been scuppered slightly as their lives have been invaded by Phil's three daughters who have come to live with them while their Mom spends two years in the States.

When the bookshop next door to Home Sweet Home becomes available, Michelle wants to expand her business so she speaks to the solicitor involved who tells her that it has to be run as a bookshop for the next year. She immediately believes that between her and Anna, they can turn this into a thriving business. Rory, the solicitor, becomes a person who she finds at first quite irritating but seems to be popping up in her life whether she likes it or not.

The village bookshop becomes a magical place where people can meet friends, drink coffee, and browse new and second hand books. Anna's life is not what she thought it would be as stepmum to three children and she begins to wonder whether her love for Phil is enough to get her through coping with this life that she signed up for. She is tested to the limit by these children that do not belong to her and by a husband who just expects her to take care of everything.

What happens when Michelle's past comes back to haunt her, and will she share her secrets with her new friends? Will Anna get her happy ever after? You know the rules - buy the book and find out! I know that you're going to love this book just as much as I did.

This book had me so mesmerised, I wanted to go into the bookshop myself and enjoy a cup of coffee and browse through the books. I wanted to meander through the knick knacks in Home Sweet Home feeling the luxurious fabrics and choosing gorgeous gifts for Christmas. I wanted to meet these wonderful characters that Lucy had created who lived in Longhampton. The way that the places and people are described made the whole book come alive for me in a totally enchanting way. What an amazing gift an author has to be able to create all of this with their words.

I became worried about the characters and what was going to happen to them and I was kept guessing practically to the end. I wanted to tell these children what a wonderful lady Anna was, putting everyone else before herself and not to treat her the way they were, that she deserved to be treated with courtesy and respect. I wanted to tell Phil to appreciate her more and not treat her like a doormat. This was another book that had me wanting to rush home from wherever I was to tuck up on the sofa and totally lose myself in this fabulous story which had numerous twists and turns along the way to keep my interest. I was actually really sad when it came to an end and still think about these characters days after I finished reading. I'd love to be friends with both Anna and Michelle, both fabulous ladies in their very different ways.

The book explored relationships, families, marriage, love and friendship. A tremendous read, and it's shameful to say that I've only just discovered this fabulous and understanding writer, but I am SO glad I've discovered her and am SO checking out Lucy other's books as soon as possible.

Lucy Dillon was born in Cumbria and now divides her time between London and the Wye Valley, where she enjoys walking in the Malvern Hills with her Basset hounds, Violet and Bonham.

You can buy this book on Amazon by clicking here.
You can follow Lucy on Twitter by clicking here.
You can like Lucy on Facebook by clicking here.

Review - Paying The Piper by Rachel Brimble

2011-11-22T21:26:00.000Z

Well, what a thoroughly enjoyable book! It was also hot, hot, hot!

Grace is the daughter of an infamous hard man on the club scene and she is well known for being a tough cookie who doesn't take any crap. After the death of her Mom, she struggles to understand why her Dad is selling her Mom's pub, a really important place to her being the home in which she and her family were brought up and where her Mom's ashes are scattered. Relations are quite strained with her Dad when good guy social worker Jimmy turns up at his club, looking for work as he needs to raise cash to give a home to the kids that he has taken under his wing and whose care home is about to close down.

Because Grace thinks that Jimmy is too nice to be working for her Dad, she decides to get him working for her instead, but underestimates his good looks and infectious personality as sparks begin to fly between them and she tries to hide the fact that she actually fancies the pants off him, and likewise, he can't keep his eyes off her either. Neither of them have a strong history of being able to trust people. Do they become friends, lovers or enemies?

Steamy encounters mixed with a strong storyline that flowed well made this book a great read. I found the characters well developed and interesting, and there were parts which were really funny - you'll know what I mean when you meet Gerald! Places and people were described well, which helps to picture the scenes in your head.

There's certainly a lot of emotion written into the story, which you can feel from all the characters and there are strong messages of love, grief, family, trust and friendship.

A very enjoyable read from Rachel Brimble. I will certainly enjoy reading more of her work.

Rachel Brimble lives with her husband, two young daughters and black lab in a small market town near Bath. When pregnant with her second daughter, she seriously sat down and wrote towards publication, and realised that if she didn't do it now, she'd have to get a proper job! She wrote a number of short stories and learned to write. Short stores weren't the way forward for her, so in 2006 she decided to make a start on her first novel Searching for Sophie. She has since had a number of publications and you can find out more about her books by visiting her website www.rachelbrimble.com. She also works in her husbands financial firm but uses every possible opportunity to write, and when not writing, she's either reading or walking in the countryside with her family.

You can buy Paying The Piper via Amazon by clicking here.

You can follow Rachel on Twitter by clicking here.

Watch Over Me by Daniela Sacerdoti

2011-11-17T17:21:00.000Z

Look at this fabulous book trailer for Watch Over Me by Daniela Sacerdoti.

It's a gorgeous trailer and a fabulous book too!

You can read my review by clicking here.

Review - Watch Over Me by Daniela Sacerdoti

2011-11-12T11:12:00.000Z

OMG - simply amazing! What an emotional book this was! This is the second book I've read this week where I've cried and cried, and cried! It's been a tough old week!

Eilidh has been trying for a baby with husband Tom for a number of years and whilst failed fertility treatments were a way of life for them, their marriage was slowing disintegrating around them. Her family were constantly degrading her, not intentionally, but were totally insensitive to her situation. She was so desperate to have a baby, that even the fact that Tom was seeing someone else didn't deter her from their last attempt. When this last attempt was succcessful, she was overjoyed but she lost the baby at an early stage and this clearly broke her heart.

She decides that enough is enough, and leaves Tom taking herself off to the Highlands, the place that holds some wonderful childhood memories for her turning up on the doorstep of her old aunt Peggy. She meets up again with old friends in particular, her old friend Jamie.

Jamie's life hasn't always been a bundle of roses. After a brief fling with Janet, she turns up on his doorstep one day announcing that she was pregnant and not at all happy about it. When Maisie came along, they tried to make their relationship work, as a family, but Janet, an artist, who just wanted to paint, left Jamie and Maisie behind to pursue her dreams. They were already sad as they were mourning the loss of Elizabeth, Jamie's mother who played a massive part in both of their lives.

With Jamie, hurt and rejected from his relationship and Eilidh battered and bruised from the trauma that she's been through, Elizabeth may be on the other side, but still tries to have a hand in what happens in her son's life and tries to draw them together once again.  Can they let go and move on or are they stuck in the past?

This heart wrenching, emotional, wonderful story is probably one of the best books I've read this year. Beautifully written, you can tell that Daniela Sacerdoti must have the biggest heart in the world. Having lost my own Mom a few years ago now, I could relate so much to the story being told from both Elizabeth's point of view and the point of view from the person who has lost a parent. I hope and pray (and Daniela has probably confirmed it for me) that my Mom is watching over me and guiding me in the right way that Elizabeth did with Jamie in this book. I can admit to openly sobbing with the emotions that this book had me feeling. You probably already know by now, that I'm a big softie anyway but all of this was very close to home for me.

The emotions that she describes from the point of view of being a parent, for both Jamie and his sister were so well written, the way that Shona felt when she had each of her babies and the way that Elizabeth felt for Jamie was described so perfectly and beautifully. It re-confirmed for me just how lucky and blessed I am to have been given the gift of my little boy and that even though my Mom never met my son, she hasn't missed a thing. I'm sorry to mix up my emotions with those of the characters in the book but that's how it got me!

I was SO into this book, that I couldn't put it down and it was another one that had me rushing home from work, wanting to get back to it, although I'd read it in just a couple of nights because I loved it so much.   This is a book that deserves to be read by everybody, such an enjoyable read - I'm sure you can tell by now that I absolutely loved it. There was one particular part (which Daniela knows) where I found myself unable to breathe with the emotions that it stirred up for me. What an glorious writer she is to be able to do that to someone, through the power of her words!

An amazing debut novel from this magnificient writer who I am sure is going to be a massive success with, I hope, many more novels on the way in the future.

Daniela Sacerdoti was born and raised in Italy but moved to Scotland ten years ago, now living in Glasgow with her husband and sons. and her love for this country comes through in her writing. She holds a degree in Classics from the University of Turin and has taught Italian, Latin & Greek. Writing has always been a big part of her life as her great-uncle was the renowned Italian writer Carlo Levi. She admits to stealing time to write when everyone has gone to bed, or before they wake up. She is a Primary teacher, but she chose to be at home with her children. She loves being with her boys, reading anything she can get her hands on and chatting with her girlfriends. But she also adores being on her own, free to daydream and make up stories.

Review of Dollars to Donuts by Kathleen Kole

2011-11-07T18:49:00.000Z

Great fun, lots of laughs and extremely entertaining.

Newspaper columnist April has left the city to move to a small, sleepy town with boyfriend Kevin and they have the most bizarre neighbours you could ever wish for! A mystery unfolds in the “odd” cul-de-sac in which they all live, and she seems to spend her life trying to avoid these very strange people and their wacky ways and in doing so, walks head first into the one thing that she didn’t want to get involved with!

Disillusioned with and drifting through her life, writing as close to her deadlines as possible about a subject she’s really not very interested in, when Kevin’s good looking friend Gerritt moves in with them, things start to get interesting. April’s sister and friend Jessica points out a few home truths to her and she re-evaluates all that she thought was ok in her life.

Kathleen Kole is an energetic and fun writer. She writes in a way that makes her books easy to read, with a load of laughs thrown in along the way. Her characters are hilarious, all with their own hilarious traits (especially the Scottish neighbour!). Underlying in all this humour is the serious fact that similar to her previous novel Breaking Even, the lead character is going through a dilemma working out whether she is happy with her lot in life, or whether she wants more.

You can completely relate to the main character in the book April, who is a likeable and genuine person if somewhat a little scatty at times, dealing with issues and emotions that we all deal with at some point in our lives.

I have to say that I’m SO glad that my neighbours aren’t completely bonkers like the lot in this book! Well actually . . . . . .

Kathleen is an extremely talented writer. Born in Edmonton, she began storytelling in grade school and has many fond memories of entertaining her friends by story telling in her back yard. She pursued a career in story telling and graduation from college with a Diploma in Radio & Television Arts and became a freelance writer for local newspapers. She lives with her beloved husband, adored son and daft dog!

Click the links below to :

Find out more about Kathleen's on her website
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Buy Dollars to Donuts via Amazon

Review - Soul Protector by Amanda Leigh Cowley

2011-11-06T19:03:00.001Z

What a cracking book! Absolutely loved it! An exciting, interesting, fabulous, paranormal romance.

Gracie, feeling sad and miserable, because she has just found out that her little sister has been seeing her boyfriend behind her back, goes along begrudgingly, to her friend

Lydia

’s birthday meal. She realises when

Lydia

’s boyfriend proposes to her, that she’s really envious and wishes she could swap places with her. She hugs Lydia to congratulate her, then suddenly to her surprise and horror, discovers that she’s swapped bodies and is now in

Lydia

’s body.

When she has realised what has happened, she works out how to swap back and at a later point, she decides that she's brave enough to try it out again. This time, its carefully planned out and when she swaps again, after noticing a strange coloured glow around certain people, she discovers after being “kidnapped” by Dan, that she is what is called a “Soul Protector”. Encouraged by the fact that Dan is her dream man, she gets him to help her to find out more about what being a “Soul Protector” means and how she can use this new found ability to help others. Will Dan and Gracie get it together, or is she destined to be on her own looking after others?

This was a book that definitely left me feeling all warm and fuzzy when I’d finished it. The first of a series, really easy to follow and a pleasure to read, I’ll definitely be looking out for the other books in the series and following Gracie’s adventures.I loved the way that the writing made you feel the emotions that Gracie has. She is such a lovely and likeable character that you immediately warm to her. Amanda is fabulous at portraying characters and places, so that you can really create them in your mind and build the story. Dan, I pictured as my hero – Steve McGarrett from the new Hawaii Five 0 series (AKA Alex O’Loughlin - thought I'd include a piccie of this gorgeous man to brighten up all our days!) and this image certainly helped his character to develop in my mind!

Amanda Leigh Cowley lives in Northampton with her husband, her two sons and her dog. Between working in her husband's business, and being a busy Mom, she somehow manages to find time to write online articles and has also squeezed in this debut novel, and achieved her lifelong ambition to write a book. She is currently working on the second book in the Soul Protector series, so watch this space . . . . . .

You can follow Amanda's blog here
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You can buy Soul Protector via Amazon here.

Review - Princess Diana The Day She Didn't Die by Heath Samples & Claire Hooper

2011-11-06T08:41:00.000Z

This “un-put-downable” book had me hooked right from the very start.

The compelling storyline is extremely powerful and starts at the point that Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed are caught up in the memorable car crash in Paris. They survive the crash and it then goes on to explore their suspicions as to whether it was a deliberate attempt on their lives or an unfortunate accident. They play it down to the press and to their families, yet their lives are dramatically affected by the effect this accident has upon both of them.

It then goes on to portray the developing relationship between Diana and Dodi. It shows how their lives are still intertwined with both the national press, who are watching their every move, and the Royal establishment, despite the fact that she and Prince Charles are now divorced. The book explores her interest in learning about the Muslim faith and shows how much she deeply adores her two sons. It's so interesting to learn more about how their loves would have progressed had this lovely lady survived that awful day.

The story also includes Ella, a student and massive Diana fan to the point of obsession, and how because of Diana she is keen to learn more about the Muslim faith, her life very much mirroring that of this very famous and beautiful lady.

Really don’t want to go too much further into the plot at this stage, because it would be a real spoiler for the book, but there are a number of moments throughout the book, where you feel like you really need to ask some questions and I certainly hope that a sequel at some point will satisfy my curiosity! The ending was a real stunner and definitely left me wanting more!

I think that the fact that you already know the characters helps you to get deeply involved in the story right from the very beginning as you don’t have to create characters in your mind like other fiction books which makes it quite unusual. It was one of those books that left you thinking about it even when you weren’t reading it, and I couldn’t wait to get back to it, to find out what was going to happen. A definite page turner.

This book would transfer fantastically into film and I would absolutely love to be seeing it on a large screen as I think it would have the whole world transfixed. I really hope that Hollywood film makers are picking up on the vibe which is being generated from this deeply moving, amazing and powerful novel.

Heath Samples LL.B Hons grew up and now lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire and after serving in the Royal Air Force, studied Law & Economics at University. He holds a JAR-PPL Private Pilots Licence, RYA Yachtmaster, MCA Boatmasters Commercial License and BSAC SCUBA Dive Leader. He has just established and set a brand new Guiness World Record by crossing the English Channel in relay on Sea Scooters! I feel exhausted just reading this lot!

You can buy this book here on Amazon

You can follow Heath on Twitter

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You can check out his blog for this fab book

Review - Wrapped Up In You by Carole Matthews

2011-11-06T08:36:00.000Z

As a massive Carole Matthews fan, and having read all of her other novels, when Carol invited me to review her latest book, I have to admit to being just a tiny bit star struck. This is an author who I’ve looked up to for years and her book Let’s Meet on Platform 8 is one of my most favourite books in the world!

I’m thrilled Carole didn’t fail to disappoint me with her new novel Wrapped Up In You - a delightful, heart warming, hilarious and truly wonderful read.

Janie, a single hairdresser, is constantly harassed by her clients about her love life and when she meets her ex, who tells her that the girl he left her for, is now pregnant and that they are getting hitched, she finds herself telling him that she too, is happy in her life and is going off to Africa on safari, an idea which was given to her by one of her clients. Realising that she needs some excitement in her life, she wonders, why the hell not, and books a trip to do exactly that! Much to the disappointment of the only man in her life, Mike from next door, who is her best friend and realises that he wants more from her than just friendship.

Janie goes on her exotic safari to a stunning Africa and falls madly in love with Dominic – her tour guide, hero, dream man, protector, oh and I forgot to mention fully fledged Massai Warrior! He shows her his amazing home country and the incredible animals that stroll along as an everyday occurrence in his life, just a little bit different from hers.

When her safari is over, how on earth is she going to go back to her previous life and how will she cope without this wonderful man in it, who is the only man who has ever made her feel the way he has?

Carole has such a fabulous way of writing, making you feel like you are actually in the plot of her books. I could so easily picture myself in Janie’s front room of her cottage in the Buckinghamshire village with Mike popping round for coffee whenever he had the chance. I felt like I went to work with her every day to the hairdressers and then I had such a great experience when I went with her to Africa and shared the amazing sights that she did. I felt every single one of her emotions when she missed Dominic with the whole of her heart when she returned from Africa and tried to fit back into her previous life which suddenly felt so wrong.

Carole continues to make you unable to put one of her books down. She makes them so easy to read and so enjoyable that you definitely lose yourself and become lost in her world. I sincerely hope that Carole never gives up writing. She must give so many people so much pleasure from her novels, and I hope that she continues to think of new ideas and interesting plots to keep on writing!

Thanks Carole – you are an absolute star and an inspiration to us all.

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

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You can buy this book via Amazon here

Review - Torn by Gilli Allan

2011-11-03T17:30:00.000Z

Wow – what a great title for a book in which I felt - absolutely torn!

Jess is a thirty something, single, hard working, hard playing ex city trader, who discovered that she was pregnant without knowing who the father was, and she met a policeman Sean who took on her and her son Rory. When bully Sean’s mental and physical abuse became too much for her to handle, she left him and upped sticks to the country where she thought she could escape him once and for all.

One night while out having a drink with a friend, Sean turns up and starts to drag her around, and she is “rescued” by Danny and his friends, who are a group of hippy individuals. While out with her friends on New Year’s Eve, she is strongly attracted to one of the guests and realises that it is Danny, who’s new appearance is a delight to her and he ends up spending the night at her house. She discovers that he is only 19, yet her feelings for him develop throughout the book. She is also drawn to the man that Danny works for James - a widower with a young daughter who is Rory’s best friend so they are thrown together on a number of occasions and their friendship also grows. Who does she choose and why? Don’t ask me – you know I won’t tell you. You’ll have to read it for yourself and find out!

A charming book, in which you befried the main character Jess and just want her to be happy whatever it takes. She has a wonderful relationship with her young son Rory which having a young son the same age myself, I could totally relate to. Well written and perfectly developed characters make this an effortless and most enjoyable read, and you want to just keep on turning the pages to find out who she chooses, or if indeed she chooses either of them! The homes and places that Gilli portrays are so expertly created that you can completely picture them and envisage the scenes as they unfold.

I loved this book, it was emotional, sad, happy, funny and just generally fab!

Gilli Allan started to write novels in childhood. She went to Croydon Art College when she left school and went on to do a variety of jobs including shop assistant, beauty consultant, barmaid and property. She was happiest in her favourite job which was as a commercial artist. She started to write again when she stopped work to have her son and Torn is her third novel.

You can follow Gilli on Twitter
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Review - Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe by Anee McAneny

2011-10-19T07:15:00.000+01:00

A thoroughly enjoyable read from yet another author who is new to me.

Journalist Millie Morris's Mom runs a very special cake shop - The Secret Lives of Cupcakes which one day gets a very special wedding order - Millie's ex boyfriend. The rogue that one morning when cooking her eggs, announced that he was leaving her for someone else which came as a total surprise to her.

When he comes around to her new home to talk to her about whether he's doing the right thing or not she tries to be nice, as that's her nature, even though she thinks she's really not the right person he should be discussing this with, her feelings for him are questioned. When she finds herself covering an important court case, she discovers that the bride and the lady she was dumped for is the leading lawyer on this particular case, which puts her in a very bizarre position.

Anne writes in a lovely way, her writing is extremely humerous and she has created the most delightful characters especially Millie, and her friend Pauline, that you 'get' right from the start. Her style of writing is easy to read, and just generally enjoyable.

Lots of laugh out loud moments from the moment you start reading along with a good storyline and the great characters hook you from the start of the book. With twists and turns and hilarious events along the way to keep you interested, it certainly was a book that I'd recommend to others. It was good fun, and really enjoyable. I've read some great reviews from her other books too, details of which I've added below and I shall really look forward to looking them up and reading them soon.

Anne McAneny, has also written two other books: CHUNNELING THROUGH FORTY (humor/chick-lit) and FORETELLER (fast-paced mystery thriller). She has written several screenplays which have been successful in contests and are now circulating through Hollywood in the hope of making it to the big screen. Anne lives in Virginia with her family, two ferrets and a cat whose name changes weekly. He currently answers to "Mythical Flarb" and "Food."

You can get more information about Anne and her books here.

You can follow Anne on Twitter here.

Interview With Jennifer Chase

2011-10-17T21:32:00.001+01:00

Earlier this summer, I was lucky enough to review a fabulous book called Dead Game by Jennifer Chase. It was a cracker of a thriller and I loved every minute of it. Jennifer is an award winning author and criminologist and all round extremely interesting and very clever lady and I was lucky enough to poke my nose into her life when she agreed to answer some questions for my blog. Thanks so much Jennifer, really looking forward to reading more of your work - you know I'm now a fan for life!

You have quite a CV Jennifer. Can you tell us a little about you and your life?

Thank you for having me here today!

I’ve always loved to write whether it was scribbling out funny lines for my stuffed animals when I was a child or writing short mystery stories in high school. I think I secretly wanted to be Nancy Drew!

Things don’t always turn out the way you want – sometimes it just takes longer to get to where you want to go. I ventured into the business and corporate world in the exciting occupation of accounting. Yes, I know, I still get funny looks about transforming from accountant to thriller writer. It’s a process! I’ve written professionally in areas of copyrighting and articles in magazines and newspapers, but I still wanted to write a novel. There’s that process thing again!

As well as writing, you have lots of experience to offer people in many ways. Can you tell us a little about what else you do?

Lately, I’ve been working on my latest novel project Dark Mind and keeping focused on the steadily approaching deadline before the holidays. I offer assistance to other writers with blog articles, ghost writing, and research with crime scene and police procedures as well as publishing services. In addition, I study crime trends and keep my skills and experience honed in criminal profiling as a consultant. My plate is full, but I love every minute of it!

What inspired you to create Emily Stone and how long was she a work in progress?

Emily Stone was created out of a personal experience I had with a violent ex-neighbor who threatened my life for more than two years. It was a hair-raising experience that seems more like a movie now looking back. It was during that time that I became interested in forensics and criminal psychology before all of the CSI shows on television. I was hooked and went back to school to earn a forensic bachelors degree and a masters in criminology. I developed friendships with local law enforcement individuals. But, writing kept surfacing in my mind. My experience with the neighbor inspired Emily Stone who hunts down serial killers and pedophiles anonymously and then emails her findings to the local police. I thought about this idea for about eight years before I wrote the first chapters of Compulsion.

I would love to see Dead Game as a film. If you could cast a famous actress for the role of Emily Stone, and an actor as Rick, who would you cast and why?
I’ve thought about this because I love movies as well. There are some wonderful actors out there. I have to say I could see Angelina Jolie as Emily Stone because she’s proven that she can be tough as nails but feminine. As for Rick Lopez, I could see Leonardo Dicaprio because he’s an amazing actor and I think he could bring this character to life. Also, the serial killer Samuel in Dead Game, I could definitely see Christopher Walken playing the role. What an incredible trio that would be!

Being nosey, where do you find your most inspiring place to write?

Inspiration can strike me at any time especially when I’m out walking with my dogs on the beach or in a large park. Nature and solitude seem to strike an inspirational chord with me and my mind freely contemplates all sorts of ideas. However, I find that I do my best writing when I’m in my home office. I feel comfortable, relaxed, and everything is right where I need it.

As you know, I'm a huge James Patterson fan and Dead Game reminded me very much of his style of writing. What types of book do you like to read and who are your favourite authors?

First, wow, thank you for that wonderful compliment. I love Patterson novels too. I think his earlier novels have influenced me with the short, quick chapters that keep you reading. I love to read suspense thrillers as you can imagine and there are many, many authors out there I love to read. I’m finding new independent authors everyday! I enjoy reading Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Jeffrey Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, David Baldacci, Lee Child, Vince Flynn, and oh my, I could on and on. I do try and read other genres such as science fiction and horror.

What role does social media now play in the promotion of a book for an author? How do you relate to the whole social media revolution?

Social media has made so many opportunities possible for authors, whether they are independent or mainstream. It’s amazing. However, there are so many opportunities and ways to promote your books that it can be overwhelming. How do you choose? What really works for your specific genre? There are not enough hours in the day to do everything. I’m the type of person that asks a lot of questions. I’ve spoken to other authors, promotional specialists, and publishing companies to try to gain some insight.

I’ve approached social media with the basics, such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs with people who love to read and write crime fiction. I’ve found great connections, increased book sales, and found real friends, which are priceless to me. Also, I have an active blog that I write about 2-3 articles weekly. I try to keep things simple and not jump into the newest social media craze until I see what it has to offer and the time it takes.

What's next for you, are you writing more and if so, can you tell us a little more?

I’m just completing my third Emily Stone novel Dark Mind, which will be available in time for the holidays. Emily’s next adventure takes her to the island of Kauai hunting a child abductor, but she runs into the island’s first serial killer. It’s her toughest investigation yet because of the difficult island climate, unprepared police department, and uncooperative local community. I’ve created this thriller to have several suspects to keep readers guessing too!

Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.com/
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch Blog: www.emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase/
Books: Compulsion = Dead Game = Silent Partner = Screenwriting

You can read my review of Dead Game here.

Review - The Secrets Between Us by Louise Douglas

2011-10-09T08:52:00.000+01:00

WOW! This book had me completely mesmerised and once again not getting much housework done on a Saturday afternoon! This third novel from Louise Douglas was quite simply amazing!

Sarah, has just left her husband, finding out that he was having an affair with her best friend following the traumatic experience of having a stillborn baby. To temporarily escape the hurt and devastation that has rocked her life, she takes a holiday with her sister and husband, and meets handsome Alex, father of 6 year old Jamie who has recently found out that his wife and Jamie's Mom Genevieve has left them. Alex and Sarah have a brief encounter one afternoon, and when Alex offers her the job of housekeeper and looking after Jamie while he works, out in the countryside far away from Manchester where she lives, she jumps at the chance, much to the disappointment of her family who think that she's avoiding her issues. Sarah sees this as a way of getting away from the people who have hurt her, and not having constant reminders of her terribly sad ordeal. What Alex hadn't told her was that his wife was a well known and well loved local celebrity and the villagers and her family who were all upset by her disappearance, think that there is a strong possibility that she has been murdered. Even more so, now that he has moved in what they think is his mistress, he is under suspicion and she does not get a warm welcome.

Sarah feels that Alex is holding such a lot back from her, and as she starts to clean the house and get it back to being a lovely home for them, she comes across many discoveries that have even her doubting the integrity of this man who she is becoming growingly involved with. She also feels a deep and eerie presence of Genevieve in the house, seeing and feeling things that don't feel right. Does she continue to defend Alex, or are the discoveries she keeps coming across just confirmation of what he has done?

What a cracking read this was! It was full of drama, suspense and many breath-holding moments. It was exhilarating and exciting. The descriptions of the locations were so well written that you felt that you were there, and were able to touch, smell and feel the places in the book. The mystery behind the story as it unfolded was incredible, with so many twists and turns along the way. The characters were fabulous, they developed well and were easy to relate to. The book was dark and it was deep and it was SO enjoyable and un-put-downable! I am definitely a massive Louise Douglas fan and can't wait to read her other books.

Louise was born in Sheffield but has lived in North Somerset for the past 20 years. She has three beautiful sons, and lives with her partner, who works in construction. She has earned her living through writing for years, firstly as a journalist and, more recently, copywriting for a variety of clients, but had always dreamt of becoming a published author. In 2006, when she decided that her sons didn't need constant attention any more, she decided to bite the bullet and took various courses in fiction-writing and began to write The Love of my Life which was published by Pan Macmillan in January 2009 which was long-listed for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award and the Waverton Good Read award. Her second novel Missing You won the People’s Choice Award in the 2010 Romantic Novelists’ Association Pure Passion Award.

Louise still has her day job, which she thoroughly enjoys, and she has continued to save her fiction-writing for the evenings when the words seem to come more easily. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, drawing, evening classes, drinking wine, cooking, listening to music and especially walking. You can read about her at her website and you can also follow her on twitter.

You can purchase The Secrets Between Us here via Amazon.

Win some chocolate goodies by entering Crystal Jigsaw's Caption Competition

2011-09-27T07:03:00.000+01:00

I'm delighted to be invited by my good friend Kathryn Brown to help her choose a winner for the caption competition that she is running on her blog this week.

Pop over to Kathryn's blog, have a look at the gorgeous and hilariously funny picture of one of her dog's Sparky and get your suggestion in before 30th to be in with a chance to win some chocolate goodies.

Review - The Very Picture of You by Isabel Wollf

2011-09-25T21:50:00.000+01:00

I’ve read every book that Isabel Wolff has written so it was with trepidation that I approached Isabel to ask her whether she’d allow me to review her latest book. As a massive fan of her work, I was delighted when she said that she’d love me to.

I was even more delighted when I discovered that The Very Picture of You was every bit as good as every other book of Isabel’s.

This was the story of Ella, a portrait artist whose reputation is growing through painting some very high profile people as well as some sitters that she thought would be normal but that told some extremely interesting, emotional and heart warming stories. When her mother cajoles her into giving away a portrait for a charity auction prize, she is devastated when her sister Chloe pays for her to her paint her fiancé Nate who she really dislikes due to a conversation she has overheard him having whilst on the way to her sister’s party. Being the professional that she is, and out of duty to her sister she agrees, and after a deep and meaningful conversation with Nate, they declare a truce so that the sittings can go ahead. As the portrait develops, she sees a side to Nate that comes as a complete surprise. All this at a time when her sister and Nate’s wedding looms nearer and nearer!

Ella has always wondered about her real father, even though she loves her step-father more than anything, and when he contacts her after seeing an article in the newspaper, she is thrown into complete turmoil as to whether she should contact him or whether he should stay firmly in the past where she believed he chose to be!

As I may have mentioned earlier, I love her work, and when Isabel described Ella as a child looking out of the window waiting for her absent father to come home, it just tugged massively at my heart strings. The contrast of emotions that Ella felt about her sister’s fiancée were so well detailed, that you felt every single one of them. The pages seemed to turn themselves in this wonderfully gentle story of love, family and regret. When an author such as Isabel (have I mentioned that I love her work lately?) continually turns out such a fantastic quality of writing, time after time, it shows what a very clever lady she is.

This is a lovely, gentle, heart warming, delightful story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading every page of it. Keep on writing please Isabel, I can’t wait to read your next one!

Born in Warwickshire, Isabel read English at Cambridge and after working in both the theatre and in advertising, she began to work at the BBC where she spent twelve very happy years at BBC World Service radio both producing and reporting in the Features department and in Current Affairs, and she also wrote freelance articles for newspapers and mags. She was commissioned to write a column - Tiffany Trott - which along with Harper Collins developed into her first novel The Trials of Tiffany Trott, a hilariously funny book which introduced me to the world of Isabel Wolff. I have since gone on to read all her other novels – and enjoyed every single one - have I mentioned I’m a fan?

Click here to buy The Very Picture of You from Amazon.

For more information about Isabel and her work, please take a look at her website.

You can also "follow Isabel on Twitter" or "like her Facebook page" with these links.

Review - The One That Got Away by Jessica Strassner

2011-09-25T15:25:00.001+01:00

A delightful, romantic, sentimental read!

Lucy, Kate and Jackson were all high school best friends, yet Lucy and Jackson’s relationship was “special” and even thought they were they were true childhood sweethearts, it didn’t work out and they both went on to live other lives. They both considered the other as “the one that got away”. Jackson is now a successful businessman who is married to Sloane, a very intense and overpowering wife and they are trying to get pregnant. Lucy lives with Matt, and is in an OK relationship, even though she doesn’t spend a lot of time with Matt as he is always working in his busy restaurant and she does most things alone.

Ten years later, at Kate’s birthday party, she announces that she’s invited Jackson, much to Lucy’s surprise and eventually when the news has sunk in, delight. He and Lucy meet up again at another time and it’s as if the years between haven’t happened. They fall in love all over again. But their lives are different now, are they meant to be together or are they just meant to continue their lives apart? Are they going to cause upset to everyone around them, or do they just get on with their lives the way they are?

You can see the book trailer here :

This is a fairytale romance, and even with the moral dilemmas thrown in, it had a really big feel good factor. It was a pleasure to read and you can so feel the love between Jackson and Lucy and are quite concerned about what the future holds for them both. I felt as if I was following them, when they went on their moonlit walks on the Florida beaches and felt the deep love that they shared.

The characters develop quickly and strongly so that right from the beginning you feel like you’ve known them forever. I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen in the end, but if you think I’m going to tell you that – think again!

Jessica Strassner was born in Pittsburgh and moved to Florida in 1992. It was when she was at high school that she decided that she would like to become a writer. She met her husband in 1999 and she has been teaching since 2002, which is the same year that they were married.

You can find out more about Jessica at her website.

You can "like" her page on Facebook

and you can follow her on Twitter.

Review - Stolen by Susan Lewis

2011-09-20T18:39:00.000+01:00

O.M.FlippinG!

That was my reaction when I finished this book. Another amazing and incredibly emotional story from the fabulous Susan Lewis who comes up with the most unexpected plot lines that you can imagine.

Stolen is a story about Lucy Winters, whose parents have always been nothing but wonderful to her, who decides that she’d like to leave a life in London where she has always felt that something is missing, to take over the family auction business in a small village in the country. Her daughter Hanna is going with her, much to Hanna's disgust, while son Ben is taking a year out to travel the world. Lucy sees this as a trial separation from husband Joe who she is leaving behind in London. He is an out of work actor and is in her eyes a drain on her and her resources. When she arrives in Cromstone, she couldn’t be made more welcome and makes some wonderful new friends, not realising just how much of an important part they will be playing in her future. She finally feels that she is starting to get her life together when astonishing events that she discovers, uncover a lifetime of lies and deceit and she is not sure if she will ever be able to forgive the people who are involved.

I simply could not tear myself away from this book. With the riveting story spanning 584 pages, I found that I had to make myself go to sleep at night and was very nearly late to take my little boy to school one day as I’d been reading it far longer than I should have! I thought about it while I was at work, trying to put the pieces of the jigsaw together. I even forgot about the dinner in the oven last night, as I was so into the story trying to find out how on earth it would end. I sat and sobbed my heart out at one point last night, quite devastated by the actions of some of the characters. This book really got under my skin – can you tell?

Susan is an incredible author. The characters are so real and the places so authentic that you become involved in the plot very quickly becoming mesmerised and extremely concerned about people and events and I even heard myself sighing and gasping in certain places! Yes ok – a bit freaky even I admit! She weaved a web of intriguing coincidences, which finally came together in a stunning climax and I honestly felt that I’d really gone through the mill with the characters in this book and felt completely exhausted when it was over. I love it when you have finished a book, but are still worried about the people in it. Ok - I think I’m going to quit now before you all realise that I really do need to get out more!

Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of an impressive twenty-six novels. Born and raised in Bristol, she started her career in the world of TV and after launching her writing career she moved to France, then California, back to England and once again in France. After meeting her partner James, she has now settled in Gloucestershire. You can find out more about Susan and her books at her website.

Susan is a supporter of the childhood bereavement charity; Winston’s Wish and of breast cancer charity; BUST. She became involved in both of these charities as she tragically lost her young Mom to breast cancer when she was a mere nine years old and wanted to do what she could to help others in the same situation.

Review - Travelling With Children by Catherine Cooper.

2011-09-20T11:13:00.001+01:00

This book makes you feel like you can take on the world!

I was asked to review this book for Have A Lovely Time, our family travel website. The author Catherine gets you thinking about holidays in a whole different way, with planning a must, along with lots of forethought about what you want out of a holiday before you even book it.

If you are anything like me, when I’d just had Oliver, the thought of going on holiday with a young child and all the paraphernalia that you need to take along with you, scared the life out of me. I wish I’d known then about a fabulous book by Catherine Cooper called Travelling with Children, which is a really easy to read and understand parents’ guide.

The introduction and first chapter advises you to look at your expectations, and work out what you want before you book and go, but also informs you that research shows that more than anything the best part of a holiday for kids is that they get to spend time with their families. The book covers a range of topics, from which form of travel to take, along with tips to ease the stress. She looks at the different types of holidays that are available, and how to work out which one might be best for you, and if you do choose a particular type of holiday, how to get the most out of it for everyone. The final chapter is called When Things Go Wrong, where there is some great advice to be found. At the back of the book, there are a number of reference sites to look at to make the booking and enjoying of a holiday an easy and relaxed process.

This book is an education in itself and I can imagine that any new family would find it to be a Godsend. Informative, helpful, useful and covered topics I hadn’t even thought of. I really do wish that I’d read this before we took Oliver on his first holiday. We chose a family friendly destination in Cornwall as it just seemed too much trouble when he was 5 months old to go on a plane. While we had a great holiday, at February half term that year, it would have been nice to head for the sun and I’m sure if I’d have read this, I’d have been the first one at the airport check-in queue.

Catherine Cooper is a freelance journalist and author based in SW France and London and she specialises in writing about children, travel, health and lifestyle. To find out more about Catherine and her work, her website can be found here.

Catherine is also one of the judges in the Have A Lovely Time Beautiful Britain family travel writing competition where the top prize is £200 with other prizes up for grabs too. Hurry to get your entry in, as the competition closes on 1^st October.

Review - Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

2011-09-16T18:26:00.000+01:00

When you’ve read all the books that a writer has written so far, and they bring out a new one, you always wonder whether it will live up to the others. Well, she’s only gone and done it again! Milly Johnson has created another cracker of a book in the form of Autumn Crush.

When thirty-something divorcee Juliet interviews for a flatmate with best gay friend Coco, they have almost given up hope when into their life walks the lovely Floz who is the perfect candidate and they all get on like a house on fire. When Juliet’s twin brother Guy meets Floz, in his effort not to show her that he fancies the pants off her, he somehow becomes the clumsiest and grumpiest person in the world making her think he doesn’t like her at all.

Juliet has always thought that Guy’s best mate Steve is in her words “a bit of a knob!” and is madly in love with her boss, who hasn’t noticed that she even exists! Floz appears to be keeping secrets from everyone else and they become worried about her but don’t know how to help her as she is very private about her past and won’t tell them what’s wrong. And Coco just wants to be loved!

This is a tale of friendship and love and how things that seem to be one thing, could turn out to be another.

I can’t possibly tell you anymore without giving much more of the plot away and you don’t want me to do that now do you? You can find out for yourself when you read it. With lots of twists and turns along the way, this is such an enjoyable book to read and had me SO looking forward to being able to go to bed early and catch up with the gang and their shenanigans.

I absolutely love Milly’s writing. From the very first book of hers that I discovered, I knew that I had to go out and buy every other one she had written and I loved them all just as much as the first . You don’t want to put her books down from the moment you pick them up. She writes in a simple but hilarious way with loads of one liners which will have you laughing for days. Reading one of Milly's books transports you into another world, making you become part of the story. Her descriptions are so vivid and colourful, and the characters so real and likeable.

Thank you Milly for writing another brilliantly entertaining book which I’m sure will bring tons of pleasure to everyone who reads it.

I was really lucky that Milly allowed me to interview her just after I read her last book Here Come The Girls and you can find that interview here. She is a 5ft born and bred, half-Glaswegian Barnsley bird who has been writing for the greetings cards industry for a number of years. She lives with her two sons in Barnsley and is a life long fan of wrestling.

Milly is also the reason I became a book blogger. To find out why click here. Thanks again Milly for your motivation and the encouragement you gave to me. I've never looked back and have enjoyed my reviewing more than anything else I've ever done (except of course for having my darling son)! You are a shining star x

To buy Autumn Crush from Amazon, click here.

To find out more about Milly, her writing and all of her other books, you can find her website at www.millyjohnson.co.uk and her blog site at http://daftoldbag.blogspot.com