All posts by carol

Best Friends – even the furry kind!

Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , ,

Today, I am joining the #ChocLitFestival with a focus on ‘Best Friends – even the furry kind!’ and I have news of TWO competitions.

If you’ve read any of my books, you’ll know that friendship plays an important role in my stories, both of the two and four-legged kind.

Like many people at the moment, I am missing catching up in person with friends. Aren’t we lucky to be able to text and video chat! But catching up virtually is not the same as a good old gossip and catch up over a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

Here’s a picture of me with two of my very besties, taken nine years ago. Having all met while working at the same school, twenty-years ago (yikes, that sounds a long time ago), we have gone through a lot together, including relationship ups and downs and bringing up seven children between us.

Like all good friends, we don’t have to speak or see each other all the time to know we are there for each other. My book, Maybe Baby, due out in paperback on August 4th, and now available for preorder, is dedicated to these lovely ladies.

In the Lisa Blake series, best friends Lisa and Felicity have lost touch. They have a lot of catching up to do. As they renegotiate their friendship, it becomes apparent they share a history, a close bond and a sense of humour. I love the fact that readers have enjoyed the friendship element of the story as much as the romance:

  • Beauty Addict: “A truly heart-warming story of love, romance and most importantly, friendship. An absolute must-read.” 
  • Stardust Book Reviews: “This was a delightful story of love and friendships that left me with a lovely warm feeling and a smile on my face!”
  • Against the Flow Press: “An enjoyable, happy-ending story of friendship and love.”

COMPETITION TIME:

In honour of the #CHOCLITFESTIVAL and the theme of friendship, over on my Facebook page, I am offering you the chance to nominate a friend to win a paperback copy of The Purrfect Pet Sitter. Enter here.

Due to the current situation, the book will be sent directly from Amazon.

But we all know that friends come in all shapes and sizes, some are even furry!


My life has been made so much richer for having my three adorable Labradors in it. Dogs always play an important part in my books (they’ve had stories dedicated to them too), and my current work in progress is no exception.

COMPETITION TIME!

Head over to my Facebook page to enter to win the opportunity to name a springador puppy in my next novel. The puppy is a girl and was the smallest in her litter. Find the post, and leave your name suggestion here.

Good luck everyone, and enjoy the rest of the #ChocLitFestival with different authors participating every day for the next two weeks, there’s bound to be more competitions, giveaways and fun to be had!

Follow the festival on Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtag #ChocLitFfestival.

Review of Freya Kennedy’s The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn.

Blog Tour Review, Review, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , ,


The Blurb:

Libby Quinn is sick and tired of being sensible.

After years of slogging her guts out for nothing at a PR company, she finds herself redundant and about to plough every last penny of her savings into refurbishing a ramshackle shop and making her dream of owning her own bookshop become a reality.

She hopes opening ‘Once Upon A Book’ on Ivy Lane will be the perfect tribute to her beloved grandfather who instilled a love of reading and books in her from an early age.

When her love life and friendships become even more complicated – will Libby have the courage to follow her dreams? Or has she bitten off more than she can chew?

My review:

There’s lots to like about this lovely story. It was an uplifting, enjoyable read. The depth of Libby’s feelings for her grandad Ernie is evident in the affection with which she recalls her memories of him and her desire to realise his dreams. The characters were all likeable, and the community setting made it a cuddle of a book. The male lead, Noah, is well portrayed and I could feel the growing affection between him and Libby. I frequently smiled as I read, and even shed a tear. Overall, it’s a fab read.

Buy the book here.

About the author:

Freya Kennedy is the pen name of Derry based author Claire Allan – who is perhaps best known for her psychological thrillers!

However, before turning a life of crime, Claire wrote women’s fiction for Irish publisher Poolbeg Press, her reinvention as Freya Kennedy will see her bring some love, laughter and heart-warming happiness to readers.

A true Derry girl, Freya Kennedy has lived all her life in the north of Ireland. She worked for 18 years as a journalist and has been writing full time since 2016.
She is a huge fan of all kinds of books, from Marian Keyes (she cried the first time she met Marian), to Rowan Coleman, to Jane Fallon, to Jojo Moyes.
She also enjoys a good murder!

She continues to live in Derry with her husband, her two children, two cats and the best dog in the world.

Discover more about Freya Kennedy via: Facebook | Twitter | website

This review was added to NetGalley, Amazon UK and Goodreads. Thank you, to Freya Kennedy for the fab read, and also to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources, and Boldwood Books for the advance copy of The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn.

Stories that will make you smile: Kirsten Hesketh

Author Interview, Guest Post, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , , ,

A big welcome to Kirsten Hesketh, as she shares an uplifting extract from her exciting debut novel, Another Us. 

Hello Kirsten, how are you keeping in this strange new world? Do you have a top tip to promote wellbeing?

Hello Carol. We’re all OK thank you and I hope you are too. I’ve found myself in the slightly strange position of having a fuller house than normal as daughter’s A levels have been cancelled and my son is home from university. Also having my debut come out next week in this very strange new world takes some getting used to. Part of me wants to celebrate this lifelong dream coming true and part of me feels that that is so totally inappropriate with everything else that is going on – so I flip between the two.

I don’t have any real tips to promote wellbeing save to say that as emotions and moods can change so quickly, it’s best to take it one day at a time. I have also found my daily walks in the beautiful Chilterns to be a life-saver.

Can you tell us a little about the story?

My latest novel is also my debut novel and it is being published by Canelo on May 14th. Another Us is the – hopefully – ‘funny, compassionate and poignant’ story of a marriage under pressure. Emma and Daniel’s son, Jack, has just been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and Emma is horrified to discover that 80% of such marriages are doomed to fail. Can she save her own marriage against the odds?

It sounds a great read, could you share an uplifting extract?

Sure. This is the beginning of the book – which I hope fits the bill:

‘Mum?’ Jack stopped stirring his Coco Pops and stared at the plumber. Chocolate milk dripped from his spoon and Jack blotted it with the forearm of his sweatshirt. ‘Mum, why is that man so ugly?’

The moment hung, poised, like the one droplet of brown milk about to plop off the edge of the table. 

Of course, it had to happen now; on a Monday morning when I hadn’t engaged my brain and there was breakfast to finish, teeth and hands to clean and bags to gather before school. And it would be thisparticular Monday morning, September 14th. The date that had been eyeballing me from the calendar for weeks. At least Freddie, our teenager, had already taken himself off to school. He would have cackled with loud, delighted laughter and made the whole thing twice as bad.

If that was possible. 

What were the options?

Think, Emma.

Think!

Plan One: ignore the question and move on. But eight-year-old Lily was rigid with appalled fascination and the plumber was staring at me in mute humiliation, so this was unlikely to do the trick.

Plan Two: the whispered apology. ‘So sorry. Jack tends to blurt stuff out. Tells you how it is.’ No. No.Definitely not an option. Jack was right; the plumber was – how could I put this nicely? – aesthetically challenged. Bald pate. Receding chin. Protruding teeth. How on earth could I say anything without making it twice as bad?

Plan Three: ‘Jack, sweetie,’ I said. ‘You must stop calling everyone ugly. It’s getting very boring.’

That was quite clever.

But Jack just screwed up his face. ‘Don’t lie, Mum,’ he said. ‘I’ve never said it before.’

The plumber gave us all a ‘look’ and went upstairs without a backward glance. 

There was no Plan Four.

With a teenager with Aspergers I think it sounds a great read. We’ve had this situation when my daughter told a close family member they were fat 🙂 I’ve preordered my copy and can’t wait to read it. Find out more and preorder Another Us here.

What can we expect from you next?

Something quite different. I’m thrilled to have signed a two book deal with Hodder for a story set in London during the First World War. The first will be published in 2021.

Oh Wow! Congratulations, how exciting.

Thanks so much, Kirsten, for stopping by and best of luck with Another Us and your WWI story.

About the author:

Kirsten Hesketh has a background in advertising and now runs her own consultancy specialising in psychological interviewing and focus groups. Over the past 25 years, she has interviewed the Great British public on everything from Rolos to razors.

Married with a teenage son, daughter and two exceptionally fluffy moggies, Kirsten is also a keen amateur archaeologist and loves to spend her weekends hacking through the mud on a local Roman dig. She is also a staunch supporter of Wycombe Wanderers – especially when they are winning!

Another Us is her debut novel.

Discover more about Kirsten and her work, here: Facebook | Twitter | website | Sister Scribes.

Don’t miss author Lucy Keeling, sharing an extract from her latest novel, on Friday 15th May! xx

Stories that will make you smile: Jane Cable

Author Interview, Guest Post, , , , , , , , , ,

This week, I am delighted to welcome, my good friend Jane Cable to my blog, to share an uplifting extract from her forthcoming novel, Endless Skies.


How are you keeping in this strange new world? Do you have a top tip to promote wellbeing?

Because I normally work at home and I don’t have any family I visit regularly, lockdown is easier for me than it is for many people. Plus I can walk in beautiful countryside from my own front door, and that certainly helps to maintain a positive frame of mind – as does chatting with friends on audio and video calls. My top tip is to be as kind to yourself as you are to others – don’t sweat the small stuff and cut yourself some slack.

I love your tip, and I love the cover for your latest novel (revealed just last week), can you tell us a little about the story?

Endless Skies is a contemporary romance looking back to World War Two, set in the Lincolnshire heartland of Bomber Command. Archaeology lecturer Rachel has a habit of bad relationships (I think we all have friends like that!) and even with her most recent affair costing her her job she is reluctant to change her attitude towards men. But as the history of a former airfield begins to haunt her and she meets octogenarian Esther, she begins to wonder if the lessons of the past could teach her something too.

It sounds a great read, could you share an uplifting extract?

After a week in Lincoln, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for term to start, boredom has become my enemy and I’m in danger of the wine bottle becoming my only friend. As ever, running is my saviour, my sanity check. Pounding the pavements and towpaths in the autumn sunlight lifts my spirits and makes me feel rather less alone.

Tonight I decide to try the other side of the canal. My route crosses the road bridge that cuts the university campus in two, separating the student union and lecture blocks from the serried ranks of identical halls of residence. By Monday the place will be teeming with students and at least some of my days will be governed by timetables, thank the lord.

The road loops around the back of the buildings to the towpath. I pound alongside the water, my steps in time with the lap of the swell against the holiday barges. Then my route swerves behind a boatyard I hadn’t noticed from the other bank and I’m briefly shaded by trees. Out in the open again a car creeps along behind me so I divert onto the grass to let it pass.

The big black houseboat is impossible to miss, its Cornish flag fluttering in the breeze. The guitar player is flicking ash from his cigarette into the water. I look away, towards the makeshift allotments squeezed between the towpath and the railway, so I don’t see the terrier trotting alongside me until I have almost fallen over it.

I stop and gaze at the bright little eyes staring up at me and the wagging tail.

“Don’t mind him,” the guitarist calls. “He likes a run. He’ll go with you if I don’t call him back.”

“Doesn’t bother me.”

The man laughs. “Me neither. Don’t worry if you lose him — he knows his way home.”

The terrier is undemanding company as he scampers along, claws clicking on the concrete. Sometimes he races into the undergrowth and once he stops to bark at a train. The towpath on this side of the canal is quiet; most of the boats deserted, already shut up for winter perhaps, canvas stretched tightly over their decks. Eventually the road becomes a grassy track before petering out at a low industrial building with an elongated pond behind it. I watch a family of swans feed in front of the sluice gates before retracing my steps, the terrier once again at my heels.

Now there are two men sitting on the deck at the back of the barge. The otherbloke is much younger than the guitarist.

“Brought Toast back then?” the older man calls.

I stop to draw breath before answering. “You were right — he’s no trouble — quite good company, in fact.”

“You can take him any time you’re passing — just give him a shout.”

The younger man is leaning against the rail and I am acutely conscious of my none too clean leggings and the sweat-marks on my lycra top.

“Well, Jem,” he says, “perhaps we should offer our new friend a beer for her trouble.”

“Another time — right now I need a shower. I… I live opposite… not far…” I feel myself crumble beneath those black, black eyes.

“I know,” he says. “I’ve seen you.”

I try to recover myself. “Yes… well… you’ll see me again.” And I take off down the path at what I hope looks like an untroubled pace.

Oh goodness, that has got me hooked. I’ve preordered my copy and can’t wait to read it. To find out more about Endless Skies, and to preorder (release date 27/7/20) click here.

What can we expect from you next?

I have just completed my first dual timeline novel, which will be published by Sapere towards the end of the year. It’s set in 1815 and 2015 when two very different women arrive in Cornwall… but when you’re a stranger in a new place, how do you know who to trust? If I tell you the working title of the book is The Man Who Talks to Ghosts it will give you quite a big hint about one of the main protagonists!

I will look forward to it. Thanks so much, Jane, for stopping by and best of luck with Endless Skies; as our friend Caroline James says, ‘it’s got best seller written all over it!’.

About the author:

Jane Cable writes romance with a twist of mystery under the overall banner of ‘the past is never dead.’ Jane published her first two novels independently and has since been signed by Sapere Books. She is an active member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and moved to Cornwall almost three years ago, where she lives with her husband. When not locked down they enjoy exploring the county’s history, visiting pubs and restaurants, and travelling abroad.

Discover more about Jane and her work, here: Facebook | Twitter | website | Apricot Plots | Sister Scribes .

Don’t miss author Kirsten Hesketh, sharing an extract from her debut novel, Another Us, on Friday 8th May! xx

Review of Emily Harvale’s Chasing Moonbeams in Merriment Bay.

Blog Tour, Blog Tour Review, Book Review, , , , , , ,

Joining the blog tour for Emily Harvale’s Chasing Moonbeams in Merriment Bay, I am delighted to share my review.


The blurb:

Cat has found true happiness in Merriment Bay. Will a discovery in Devon Villa change that?

Cat Devon is finally with the love of her life – and she couldn’t be happier about that. But discovering the identity of her real dad and the fact she has two half-brothers was a shock. Getting to know her new family is now a priority.

Kyra Devon is only eighteen, but she’s more mature than her mum in many ways and is coping far better with everything that’s happened. Kyra knows what she wants and unlike Cat, she’s not going to let opportunities slip away.

Mary Devon has regained her daughter and her granddaughter, but she’s grieving for her mother, and also for the loss of the love she thought she’d found. Putting on a brave face may not be the best way for Mary to get over it.

When a long-lost painting called Moonbeams Kiss is discovered in a hidden cellar beneath the floorboards in Devon Villa, a story of love, loss and treachery unfolds, bringing with it repercussions for each of the Devon women.

This is Book Two in Emily Harvale’s Merriment Bay series which is interconnected to her Wyntersleap series. Each series can be read alone, but several characters appear in both series.

My review:

This is the first in this series I have read, and it took me a while to get to know all of the characters and their connections. I felt a little as if I had entered in the middle of the action, and needed to catch up. However, that didn’t last; I soon got to know and like the Devon family, their loves and associates. There is a good mix of characters across the age spectrum, and all have their own story (though not all are explored in this book).

The secret in the cellar grabbed my attention, and I liked this development, and the ramifications of it. I also liked the possible love interest it brought about for one of the younger Devons. But I’ll have to read on in the series to find out how that turns out.

Overall, this books felt like a favourite soap, where the characters welcomed me into their lives for a while and provided a lovely bit of escapism, at these uncertain times.

Click to buy here.

Follow the blog tour, as Chasing Moonbeams in Merriment Bay moves on to its next stop:

About the author:

Emily Harvale writes novels, novellas and short stories about friendship, family and falling in love. She loves a happy ending but knows that life doesn’t always go to plan. Her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.

Emily loves to connect with her readers and has a readers’ group in which many have become good friends. To catch up with Emily, find out about the group, or connect with her on social media, go to her website.

Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her home town of Hastings where she now writes full-time. She’s a member of the SoA and the RWA, an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star. When not writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies – and will do anything to avoid both. Emily has two mischievous rescue cats that like to sprawl across her keyboard, regardless of whether Emily is typing on it, or not.

Thank you for the great read, Emily, and thanks also to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources, for the advance copy of the book. My reviews are added to Goodreads and Amazon UK. xx