Janice Horton's Spellbindingly Fun Blog Party today!

Today I am joining in the fun with the lovely Janice Horton's Spellbindingly Fun Blog Party to celebrate the launch of her novella How Do you Voodoo?   Janice has asked people to join in the fun by casting your own spell and posting a link to her site www.janicehortonwriter.blogspot.co.uk.   

 

I hope that you are already following Janice on Twitter.  If not you can do that by going to www.twitter.com/JaniceHorton.   Janice is a fab writer whose work I have read over the last year or so and it's just brilliant, colourful and un-put-down-able. 

 

Anyway, here's my spell for today's blog party, I do hope you enjoy it.

 

Kim xxx

 

 

Today my sweet angel is 5 years old
He has eyes of blue and his hair is of gold
I love him so dearly, he's bright and he's bold
And he stole my heart from the very first hold

But today our own Janice has asked us to tell
What would go in a pot to mix up a spell
With the bang of a drum and the chime of a bell
Here's my good luck poem for all that is well

With a shake to the left and a shimmy to the right
Look up to the skies where the stars shine bright
With a sprinkle of stardust all sparkly &white
And a moon made of crystal to add to the plight

Watch out for the lightning strike and a flash

And the sound of loud thunder & a big scary crash

With a big splishy splosh and a great big splash

With a spell from the blogger the bookworm Kim Nash

I wish all my friends to have lots of good luck

And for all of those friends who are writing a book

I hope you sell many to people who look

And thank this short spell that I did cook up!

For all those reviewers who are stuck in a book

Be it paper or hardback, or Kindle or Nook

Leave a comment, or tweet it or even Facebook

So that all other readers can just take a look

May your world fill with happiness, smiles and wealth

May your family and life be blessed with good health

May your dreams all come true, just be true to yourself

You've just shared a spell with a magical elf

I hope that this ditty has just made you smile

For a spell that is good is truly worthwhile

Now I'll go back to choose from my pile

Of my books to be read now the height of a mile!

And now I must leave you to go see my son

Who's had presents galore, he will have so much fun

This young chap from the first day,my heart he had won

He's my friend, he's my buddy, I'm so glad I'm his mum!

Have an awesome day Janice, this was such fun to do.

 

Thank you so much for inviting me to read your Novella How Do You Voodoo? My review will be posted here on 30th October.  Lots of love Kim xxx

New Website Proves that Some Literary Gems are Slipping through the Hands of Publishing Houses

booksthepublishersmissed.com Launches an Innovative Publishing Platform Giving Writers New Hope

Today, even the sharpest of publishing houses can sometimes miss a great book. Now talented yet previously overlooked author Maximillian J. Emmenegge has come up with a solution to promote great writing talent. The author has launched his own unique website www.booksthepublishersmissed.com to promote and support overlooked literary works that rightly deserve their place alongside the other well known titles on our bookshelves.

Emmenegge’s literary platform began to take shape after his 7 novels were rejected by traditional publishing houses. Today, www.booksthepublishersmissed.com serves as a launch pad for writers seeking to market their work online.

Emmenegge’s writing career began in 1992. After a disastrous business venture in the Bahamas, his wife turned to him and said, “NOW, you have something to write about.” A year later, with a copy of his novel Another Boring Day in Paradise in hand, he began his journey into the world of traditional publishing. Over the years, he received rejection after rejection, but he continued to write. It was when a friend suggested he publish his work online that the concept of www.booksthepublishersmissed.com was born.

He has established a unique way of not only launching literary works into the online realm, but also marketing them to the end-consumer. As well as representing his own works, he is now looking to assist other authors who have been turned down by the traditional publishing industry.

Max Emmenegge is a natural and talented writer and his books have received critical acclaim from readers. His novels, Another Boring Day in Paradise; The Kiplock Affair, Harry, and Will You Tell Her, Or Shall I? (a true story) can be purchased on www.booksthepublishersmissed.com or through popular online retailers including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBookstore, Kobo, Copia and Gardners.

For further details on this author, his novels and his new author's platform, visit www.booksthepublishersmissed.com Visitors to the site have the opportunity to read free sample pages of this author's compelling work.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Englishman Maximillian Emmenegge spent 25 years of his life in international marketing. This took him to 68 countries. He lived a total of 7 years in the USA, over 2 separate periods, and a year in the Bahamas. He ran his own international business for 10 years before selling it and retiring to Florida. Because of the international nature of his life, his books cross international borders. Other titles by this author include Another Day, Another Dollar; Tycoon, and Just a Moment in Time.

The Star Child by Stephanie Keyes

 

Earlier this year, I was delighted to be invited to the www.loveahappyending.com event in Tetbury, Gloucestershire to meet my fellow LAHE members who were made up of authors and reviewers.  Imagine my excitement when I found out that Stephanie Keyes had travelled all the way over from the States to visit us.  This was a lady who I'd been a virtual friend of for quite a while and we'd chatted about books and talked about our young families and Stephanie invited me to read her other baby "The Star Child".  To finally meet her actually in person was just fantastic.  She was exactly how I imagined her to be and more! Her energy and enthusiasm for life is amazing and infectious.  She is adorable!

 

Today, here I am hosting Stephanie on her blog tour.   She'd been getting around a bit over the last few weeks so I'm really pleased that she had time to stop by at my site for me to do a review of this awesome book.

 

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.

 

Follow Stephanie on Twitter

 

Like Stephanie on Facebook 

The Star Child is published by Inkspell Publishing and is available in both Kindle and paperback at;

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

 

Review - 21 ways to manage the stuff that sucks up your time by Grace Marshall

Got home from work at 4:30pm today, I came in and spent around half an hour with Ollie doing his homework, and then thought to myself "what shall I do next?"  I decided to open the two parcels that the postman delivered for me today which were quite obviously books. I opened each one, took a photo of each and tweeted the photo with a message.  I then spent a bit of time sending a few random tweets and answering some others.  After making a cup of coffee, I decided to check Facebook on my phone and I put a chicken in the oven for this evening's dinner. I did what I call "fannying about" on Facebook and Twitter for a while for no particular reason apart from being nosy to see what my friends had been up to.

I put Ollie's dinner in the oven and responded to a few more tweets as my phone had dinged a few times. Looking at the two books that I'd had delivered that day, and thinking about the pile of books I have next to my bedside table, my next tweet said I wish I could find more time to read!

At this point it was now 6.30pm and I realised that I had just spent nearly two hours "fannying about".

I remembered Grace Marshall's book "21 ways to manage the stuff that sucks up your time" and decided it really was the right time for me to read it and take note!

Chapter 1 was called Batch Your Bits. One of the things it suggested was to set up an automatic reply in your work email setting expectations for your clients and contacts. Something like: "Thank you for your email. I read and respond to all emails every afternoon between three and four. You'll hear back from me then." What a great idea!
 
It also states that  every time your attention is taken from another task, to do something else, it then takes time to refocus on the original task because you probably need to get back into the mind space that you were at previously and all of that takes time and effort.  Grace suggested grouping similar tasks together attacking them in one go, which should allow you to work more efficiently. I tried it out the next day and it really does work! 

Chapter 2 talks about using a timer for many tasks during the day. Social media can be a great tool for marketing and growing your business but only if you use it to help you run your business rather than allowing it to become something that runs your life! Mmmmm!

Grace continues to talk about tons of different ways and rules to adhere to such as handle it once and breaking bad habits.  Say no while being nice, focus with a closed list, do things that beat procrastination.  I could talk forever about the things that I've learned from this informative book to help me to focus on my work and and give me more time.

In a simple to understand way and not filled full of jargon, this book is incredibly easy to read and there are lots of practical methods that you can apply to both your home life and your work life to make life easier, more organised and to create more time for yourself.

I'm off now to read the rest of Grace's book. I do hope The Marketing Room are ready for me at work tomorrow.  And I think it may become a little book that stays in my handbag at all times and I'm already quoting it to people.  I've also in conversation while talking about work, had two people telling me that they've bought Grace's book and are finding it really motivational.  It should actually come with a warning.  WARNING: For the price of £3.97 this book can seriously change your life for the better. 

Grace Marshall is a life and business coach, NLP practitioner, DISC trainer and mother to two children.  She is passionate about helping busy business owners make the most of their time and their talents in both life and business on their own terms.

Grace is the first person to admit that she's not a naturally organised person. She doesn't believe that there is such a thing as perfect work life balance, instead she's learned how to get stuff done in a way that works with her personality, lifestyle and commitments and she now specialises in helping others to do the same.

Grace's website www.Grace-Marshall.com will give you lots more information about her.
You can buy this book via Amazon UK
You can like Grace on Facebook
You can follow Grace on Twitter

 

Ladies & Gentlemen - Nicky Wells

I'm delighted to be joined by the amazing, lively, very talented and gorgeous Nicky Wells on my blog today.  I was delighted to meet Nicky earlier this year at a www.loveahappyending.com event in Tetbury.  It was SO fab to meet all the people I've been corresponding with via email and social media for so long and when Nicky and I met I think we just squealed very loud and high pitched, pointed at each other, squealed some more and hugged!  We were VERY excited!

Here's my interview with her, and at the end of that, you'll find my review of the fantastic Sophie's Turn and some background info about Nicky and how to keep up with her work and how to buy her book. 

Hope you enjoy our chat - we did!


Welcome back to my blog Nicky, thanks so much for joining me today.

Hey, Kim! It’s so wonderful to be back on your amazing blog today. Haven’t we both come a long way since the first time you invited me here? Thanks so much for all your support along the way and for being part of the journey in every respect. Ooooh, I’m coming over all lyrical here, best crack on with your questions.

Tell us about you and your life?

Wow, that’s a big question! I’ll have a go at ‘my life in 300 words or less.’

I was born in Germany (am still German, as it happens) and moved to the UK in 1993 to study for a degree in European Studies at Royal Holloway College.  I loved it here from the very first day and have never looked back.  When I finished studying, I found myself a job as a professional researcher in London.  I spent six years living in Tooting and had a blast—mostly.  When I met my husband, I instantly knew that he was the one; he must have felt the same way because we got engaged within the year, and married within another year.  That was eight years ago!  We moved to Bristol, I quit my job, wrote a book, and popped out two children.  (Did I really just say, ‘popped out’?). I wrote book two, signed my work with Sapphire Star Publishing and then my husband took a new job, so most recently we’ve moved the family up to Lincoln. To say that we’ve had a bit of an exciting year so far would be an understatement!

I love, love, love chick lit but I read almost anything.  I love, love, love rock music (as you may have guessed) and even now can be seen flouncing off to the odd gig here or there.  Thankfully my husband likes coming along!  I adore seafood (prawns, scallops, lobster: I’m a cheap date, huh?).  When I write, I alternate between chocolate binges and crisp binges.

There: my life in 243 words!

What makes you want to write?

I love making up stories.  When I was little, I used to make up stories in my head to get myself to sleep.  When I was at primary school, I used to have a little notebook by my bed, and after lights out, I would sit on the window sill and write my stories (in green ink: I can see my scrawly handwriting now…).  I don’t know exactly what makes me want to write, except for an urge to express ideas and play with words, and then not to forget it all.  That’s the basic answer.  The more complex, adult answer is that I also want to make people smile, laugh and feel happy.  And one way I can do that is through writing and sharing my stories.

 

Like me, you have a young family, how do you fit writing around being a Mom?

Oh God, how do I?  Not very well, at the moment. Sophie’s Turn was written before my first child was born.  In the intervening years, I just about managed to go through some editing and re-writing rounds here or there.  I guess I didn’t pick up writing the sequel to Sophie’s Turn in earnest until after my younger son had started primary school last year. Now, I work fast and furiously during the school hours, and sometimes before the family gets up or after everyone goes to bed. That’s a lot of working hours but I am just totally driven by the ‘writing thing’ and when I have a book wanting ‘out’… well, I just got to get it on paper. Or on screen, more precisely.

What advice would you give to a budding writer who would like to publish their own book?

My advice would be build a social networking platform early on, preferably in advance of pursuing publishing options, whether independent publishing or submitting to agents or publishers directly.  I definitely did everything backwards and found it very hard work to catch up.  So, aspiring authors out there: if you haven’t already done so, set yourself up on Twitter and Facebook (as an author, not an individual), create that blog, and get networking.  Have a strategy for publicising your book.  Identify some book bloggers and ask them to review your work.  Plan a book tour, virtual or otherwise.  Know your own work!  That sounds incredibly obvious, but actually coming up with the one-sentence blow-your-mind-and-get-you-hooked description of your work is fantastically difficult.  And lastly, don’t be shy.  If you don’t ask, you don’t get, if you don’t shout, you don’t get heard!

 

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

I am writing more—just try and stop me!  Book two, 'Sophie’s Run', is completely written and coming your way from Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013!! Sophie will return… and she’ll bring Dan and Rachel with her again.  Rachel will have a much bigger role to play, and one that is not always easy or pleasant.  There will be two weddings (I think) and at least one disastrous break up.  Sophie will continue her travels: there will be a number of trips to a variety of places in quite different moods.  And there will be some stunningly funny moments, I promise!

So that’s the sequel to Sophie’s Turn. Book three, the concluding part of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy, is titled 'Sophie's Encore' and is due for release by Sapphire star Publishing in September 2013.  It's all planned and yes, I know how it ends but I won’t tell!  Get ready for a stunning finale though!

 

Can't wait for both of them! Where do you find your most inspiring place to write?

I’m both a creature of habit and a nomadic writer. I like writing in my new office (I’m in love with having a dedicated writing space again!) but I also do roam around the house when the walls are threatening to close in on me. I quite often write in the lounge, or sometimes in the sunroom, which has a lovely airy feel to it and great views of the garden.

 

What book are you reading right now?

At the moment, I’m reading something quite different from my own genre, David Baldacci’s Zero Day! It’s gritty and gripping and just a touch on the gory side in places, but I do like a good thriller.

 

What types of book do you like to read and who are your favourite authors?
 
I read almost anything, although chick lit is a firm favourite.  I like a bit of a lift, a bit of laughter, a bit of escapism!  The first chick lit novel I ever read was Catherine Alliott’s The Old-Girl Network.  That still sits on my shelf today although the copy is almost falling apart now, having been read so many times.  I also read literary fiction and David Mitchell, Margaret Atwood and Stephen Fry have written some of my favourite books there.  My husband introduced me to Terry Pratchett of late and The Unseen Academicals is one of my top reads of all times!

 

Thank you, again, Kim, for these fantastic and interesting questions and for the opportunity of featuring in an interview on your blog, again.  I really do appreciate all your support and we must have that glass of wine sometime soon…. X

It's been a pleasure Nicky, please do come back as often as you like xxx  

 

My review of Sophies Turn

A laugh out loud, extremely easy to read, fabulous book that whisks you off and transports you a whole other exciting world! Sophie, a budding journalist on a London paper used to be a massive fan of rock band TUSCQ back in the 80s and travelled the country in her youth to follow TUSCQ and blagged her way into their dressing room and onto their tour coach with the lead singer Dan who was the man of her dreams!

She is now with Tim, an Accountant and he is a nice, average man, but there's not much excitement and romance in her life, much to the disappointment of her best mate Rachel . When at the airport, waiting to check-in for a flight, she spots a familiar face in the queue who turns out to be Darren, one of the old members of TUSCQ. He amazingly recognises her too and they meet up and have a chat before she flies off to New York. He tells her that the band have reformed and are doing a few intimate gigs and she decides to go and watch one of them. 

This puts her back in touch with the band and particularly back in touch with the man of her old dreams Dan, who sweeps her off her feet and after inviting them to cover their new tour proposes to her!

Find out whether the grass really is greener on the other side and who Sophie decides to be with in this fabulously well written, romance which is guaranteed to make you smile and has a quite unexpected ending. Sophie is an outstanding and believable character who'd you love to be friends with.

Can't believe that this is Nicky's first book. She writes in such a fabulously colourful and descriptive way which makes you believe you are the main character of the book, and feel the deep emotions of the characters. I was on that tour bus! I was singing and dancing at the concerts! I love TUSCQ! I for one, and I'm sure anyone else who reads this excellent debut novel from Nicky, will be awaiting the next one with baited breath. I love her style of writing, and this book was an absolute pleasure to read.

Sophie’s Turn is available in Kindle edition from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and many other Amazon sites. The paperback edition is also available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. In addition, you can obtain Sophie’s Turn from Barnes & Noble.
About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!

Rock On! Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance featuring a rock star and the girl next door.  She recently signed her work with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing.  Nicky loves rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters.  When she’s not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant.

Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys.  In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.

Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on her work in progress, the second and third parts of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy.  You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook. 

 

Nicky is a featured author on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing and, of course, Goodreads.

Review - The Legacy by Jill Rowan

A time-travelling page-turning wonder.

Fallady is an orphan raised in a children's home with her brothers and sisters. She is approached by the solicitor, on behalf of the lady who used to run and own the children's home, who has left her house to Fallady in her will.

All that is required of her is that she must live in the house for two years before it is totally hers. What could possibly go wrong?

When she comes downstairs the morning after she moved in, she finds that she has a cook and a gardener. These are actually two inherited household ghosts. Her search for answers to where these trapped souls have come from unearth the most amazing encounter she could possibly experience when she finds herself literally thrown into the 18th century.  There she meets Walter who saw her fall from the sky before his very eyes. Stuck in the past with no known way to get back to the present, she makes the most of being there and falls in love with Walter and knows he is her soul mate.  She has to make an excrutiating decision which is to choose between love and sacrifice.

This was an absolutely outstanding book about the love of a lifetime, true romance and time travel. If someone had asked me whether I would have wanted to read a book with this subject, I would have said "sorry, but it's really not my thing". However, I was totally surprised and I really cannot put into words just how much I loved this book.

The character of Fallady was purely wonderful. I felt every single one of her emotions as she walked into this house for the first time that was to become her home. I felt every single one of her emotions when she was transported back in time to the 18th century and met and fell in love with Walter and how she was beside herself with grief at the thought of not being with him. Walter again was a superb character and I really felt like I knew them both very well.

At one point when Fallady read a letter that Walter had sent her I found myself a total emotional wreck.

This book was absolutely delightful. I could not stop thinking about the characters during the day when I was away from the book. I could totally see the mill that she had inherited and could picture both scenes from the past and the present in incredibly colourful detail from the way that Jill Rowan described them so brilliantly. I found myself wishing that I was the character of Fallady and imagining how it would feel to be her!

This book is an extremely delightful insight into the 18th century and their ways and made me realise how very privileged we are today. I learned a lot from this book as well as enjoyed it. 

I'm really not one for reading historical novels. Or should I say I wasn't! I could not put this book down.  I think I've been converted!

Perhaps time travel is a new genre which I will be reading in the future. Or maybe in the past!

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

 

You can like Jill on Facebook by clicking here

 

You can follow Jill on Twitter by clicking here

 

You can find out more about Jill at her website by clicking here

 

To buy this book via Amazon click here

 

Review - Do Me No Harm by Julie Corbin

A gripping and fast-paced psychological thriller!

When single mom and Doctor Olivia is called to hospital she is told that her son has taken an overdose, but she finds it pretty unbelievable that he could do such a thing and thinks his drink was spiked.  As a doctor she took an oath - to do no harm to others.   One night, her and her family return home, to find a distressing word placed strategically in their house and she now wonders whether it is herself who is being targetted rather than her son.

She spends her time investigating the evidence and revisiting her past, and to a mistake she made when she was a student Doctor and disaster struck.   Someone who knows about her past is terrorising her and her children and she is determined to find out who and why!

This book certainly had me holding my breath in places and wanting to read it hidden behind a cushion.  It was gripping, fast-paced and heart-poundingly tense.  

It shows what lengths a Mother will go to, to protect her children and also shows how some people cannot let the past go without it affecting the rest of their lives.  It shows a family who are so strongly bonded that they will stick together through thick and thin even though the edges are sometimes a little blurred. 

The book showed that secrets that were kept from Olivia many years ago, by people who didn't think she could handle the truth, and thought that she would never find out about, came back to bite her and affect her life now. 

Brilliantly written, with just the right amount of suspense to make you nervous but not over distressed, this book was one that I couldn't put down.  I was determined to help Olivia to solve the mystery and couldn't rest until I knew what was happening. 

Olivia put herself into many situations where I really was concerned for her safety and wanted to shout at her not to do certain things. 

With a mysterious and wonderfully designed cover, this book called to me from the minute it arrived in the post.  The cover made it so appealling and I could feel a wonderful energy from this book.  It was an extremely engrossing read. 

This was the first book that I have read from Julie Corbin but I can assure you it most certainly won't be the last. 

Julie was born and lived in Scotland, until her husband's job took the family to Sussex where they now live.  They have three sons; two are still at home, the eldest is working in Hong Kong.
 
Her writing started at primary school and after completing a creative writing certificate in June 2007, she found an agent and went from strength to strength.  In 2009 Julie gave up her job to write full time. Her favourite time of day is when walking her dog on the Ashdown Forest and that’s usually when characters take shape in her head. 

For any aspiring writers out there, her advice would be to stick at it, sign up for some courses, make writer friends, start your own writing group, listen to criticism, digest it, act on it – don’t give up!
 
You can like Julie on Facebook
 
You can follow Julie on Twitter

Her website is www.juliecorbin.com

You can buy this book via Amazon by clicking here.