All posts by carol

Review of Morton S Gray’s Borteen Bay Series

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As I am sure you know, I am an avid romance reader. I generally read contemporary romance or romantic comedy, but occasionally dip into other sub-genres too. So this week I am sharing my review of Morton S Gray’s romantic suspense novels, set in the fictional seaside town of Borteen Bay.

The Girl on the Beach

The Blurb:

Who is Harry Dixon?
When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon, she can’t help but feel she recognises him from somewhere. But when she finally realises who he is, she can’t believe it – because the man she met on the beach all those years before wasn’t called Harry Dixon. And, what’s more, that man is dead.

For a woman trying to outrun her troubled past and protect her son, Harry’s presence is deeply unsettling – and even more disconcerting than coming face to face with a dead man, is the fact that Harry seems to have no recollection of ever having met Ellie before. At least that’s what he says …

But perhaps Harry isn’t the person Ellie should be worried about. Because there’s a far more dangerous figure from the past lurking just outside of the new life she has built for herself, biding his time, just waiting to strike.

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Choc Lit

My review:

I don’t often read romantic suspense but I am so pleased I picked this book up; it had me hooked right from the start. It is well paced, the characters were likeable – I’m a little in love with Harry Dixon – and the story gripping. I read it over a couple of days. From the early revelations in the book to the action packed ending the story holds you, transporting you to Borteen Bay and into the complex lives of Ellie and Harry. Having said I don’t often read romantic suspense, I now can’t wait to read Morton’s second novel.

Buy the book here.

The Truth Lies Buried

Two children in a police waiting room, two distressed mothers, a memory only half remembered… When Jenny Simpson returns to the seaside town of Borteen, her childhood home, it’s for a less than happy reason. But it’s also a chance for her to start again.

A new job leads to her working for Carver Rodgers, a man who lives alone in a house that looks like it comes from the pages of a fairy tale – until you see the disaster zone inside …
As Jenny gets to know Carver she begins to unravel the sadness that has led to his chaotic existence. Gradually they realise they have something in common that is impossible to ignore – and it all links back to a meeting at a police station many years before.

Could the truth lie just beneath their feet?

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Choc Lit

My review:

I really enjoyed my first visit to Borteen Bay in The Girl on the Beach, and so I was greatly looking forward to reading The Truth Lies Buried. It certainly didn’t disappoint.

The two main characters grow as the story progresses, as does your empathy for them as you read. Carver was a good male lead, strong and yet sensitive, with a backstory that explains his state of mind and the manner to which he has become accustomed to living, before Jenny enters (or re-enters his life). He also has a dog, which in my opinion, is a bonus in any book.

The story and action unfold at a steady pace, with some lovely tender moments along the way. With likeable characters, a wonderful setting (I’d quite like to live in Borteen Bay) and a good amount of intrigue to hold you to the end, it’s an absorbing read.

Buy the book here.

I am loving life in Borteen Bay and can’t wait to return to see what mysteries the Morton S Gray will serve up in her next book Christmas at Borteen Bay.

About the Author, Morton S Gray:

Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors. Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was e-published in January 2017, after she won Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition.

Morton previously worked in the electricity industry in committee services, staff development and training. She has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified clinical hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She also has diplomas in Tuina acupressure massage and energy field therapy. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.

You can catch up with Morton on her website, on Twitter, Facebook and on Instagram. Morton is also a member of Apricot Plots.

Oh and before I go my cinema tip, if you enjoy suspense, is A Simple Favour, based on the novel by Darcey Bell. Described as a stylish, post-modern film noir it is well acted, entertaining and kept me guessing.

Thank you so much for the great reads, Morton. My reviews are posted on Amazon and Goodreads. xx

Strictly Come Dancing with Carol Thomas

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All this week on our Apricot Plots Facebook page we have been giving our readers a Strictly fix with a bookish twist by sharing dance extracts from our novels. Today it is my turn and I am delighted to share this extract from my contemporary romance, Crazy Over You.

In this scene Abby, who has split up from her husband after discovering he has had an affair, is at a friend’s wedding and finds herself in the arms of her rather lovely work colleague, Bradley Hunter. Their dance is the culmination of several flirtatious months, but with Abby still in a quandary about being in love with Simon and whether to take him back, how far will she let her intimate moment with Brad go?

As Rule The World began and Brad’s arms slipped around her like a safe, comfort blanket Abby relaxed too easily into them. If he had asked if she wanted to slow-dance she probably would have declined, but he hadn’t and once she felt herself so close to him it was too late. She succumbed too easily to feeling herself entwined with him.

Oh God, it felt so good to be held in his arms. She knew she should set her hands somewhere appropriate and safe but she couldn’t help herself. She slipped them inside his jacket and traced along the top of his belt line. She felt his taut muscles flex at her touch and inhaled when her fingertips came to rest on the dimples at the small of his back. Those dimples, the ones she had seen just above the line of his shorts, the ones she had imagined touching and trailing small kisses over just before she had dropped the hot chocolate. Blinking away how flustered she had been on that day, she allowed herself a moment to enjoy the feel of them. Beneath the thin cotton of his shirt she traced small circles around them with her manicured nails and heard his intake of breath.

She looked up; his eyes were dark and focused intently on her. She was affecting him. She could feel heat rising to his skin. She smiled a not-so-terribly-innocent smile and he bit his bottom lip. Heat rising to her cheeks, Abby wondered how it would feel to bite that lip. Unable to trust herself she looked away; focusing on his lips was not a good idea. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel the smooth, warm skin of his neck and the rhythmic hint of his pulse that had quickened there. He smelt delicious, of something familiar she had smelt before. She felt warmth spreading inside, awakening her nerves and causing her heart to beat faster. What are you doing? A small, sensible part of her mind was calling to her; attempting to get her to think this through. But she didn’t want to. She needed this moment. She needed him.

With her eyes closed Abby’s senses seemed to heighten. She felt Brad’s hand touch her neck and trace slowly down her back. She swallowed as his fingers hitched over her bra strap before continuing to slide down her spine and coming to rest with his other hand at the small of her back. He sighed into her, a deep, soft groan that turned her insides to liquid. They were swaying together. Abby felt the need for him building inside her and she knew he felt the same. She could feel him warm and firm up against her. Everyone and everything else in the room melted away as all Abby could think about was how much she wanted Bradley Hunter.

As they danced she could feel his muscles rippling and couldn’t help but imagine how they looked beneath his shirt. Without thinking she slowly traced her fingers along the top of his belt, allowing just her fingertips to slip slightly into the warmth at his waistband. He sucked in a deep breath and the air caught her neck as he exhaled slowly; goosebumps tingled down her side. She shuddered and moved closer into his warmth.

“Abby, you’ll have to stop, or I won’t be responsible,” he whispered. She could hear the effect she was having on him in the quiver that rippled through his deep voice. It didn’t make her want to stop. It made her want more.

Her conscience whispered “Simon” into her mind, while the word “Brad” slipped breathlessly from her mouth.

Hearing her speak his name in that tone was more than he could take.

Abby felt Brad’s muscles ripple as she spoke and swallowed as she imagined what more she could do to him. Kissing her gently on the forehead, Brad stepped back. Abby looked at him, panic in her eyes, not wanting it to end.

Sigh! Oh I am a little bit in love with Bradley Hunter myself. I hope you enjoyed the extract. If you would like to read more about Abby and discover what happens next, why not treat yourself to a copy of Crazy Over You.

And if you’ve missed the other great extracts from Apricot Plots’ authors this week, you can catch up here with extracts from: Tora Williams, Angela Barton, Morton S Gray and Caroline James.

Best wishes and happy dancing! x

Book news, Apricot Plots and more!

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Wow, I can’t believe it is September and the summer holidays are over already. I love having my children home from school and for our days to be free to indulge in whatever we fancy. It does, however, mean that less writing gets done. So, now the new term is upon us, it is time to get down to it!

To encourage me on, I have some exciting things to focus on.

Firstly, I am working on a sequel to The Purrfect Pet Sitter, which I have said will be ready by the end of October, not published then, but off to the publisher by then. I am really enjoying writing it, and as I am now towards the end, I am excitedly typing towards that end scene I’ve had in my head all along. While it is a sequel, I have written it so it could also be read as a stand-alone novella (shorter than my other books), which I hope even those who haven’t read The Purrfect Pet Sitter will enjoy.

Having said that, if you haven’t read The Purrfect Pet Sitter (shock horror, what have you been waiting for) the good news is you can currently get it for 99p in the Choc Lit / Ruby Fiction autumn sale:

Amazon | Kobo

As it is set between September and New Year’s Eve, now is the purrfect time to read it, too!

Secondly, I am preparing, with fellow authors Angela Barton, Jane Cable, Caroline James, Morton S Gray, Mariam Kobras, and Tora Williams, for the official launch of @ApricotPlots. Inspired by a talk at the Romantic Novelist’s Association conference, this is a romance cross promotion group, which we hope will be a lot of fun for readers and writers alike. We intend to offer competitions and giveaways, there will also be exciting book launches and more, so why not give us a follow on Twitter or Facebook.

Finally, I am intending to launch an audio version of my first novel, Crazy Over You, and to give it a boost with a new cover. I love my original cover for the book and it won Cover Wars with a fantastic 611 votes when it was first released. But as I write and release more books, I need to ensure it represents my current brand (oo get me!). So watch this space.

Thank you as ever for reading my ramblings. Right, back to that writing business.

Oh and before I really do go, if you haven’t seen the new Christopher Robin movie, you should. It is such a sweet, lovely film that made me laugh and cry. It was another of those fab films we could go and see as a whole family. I have always had a soft spot for Winnie the Pooh (my husband thinks I get my attitude to life from the bear, but that’s another story) and I loved it!

Best wishes and remember as Christopher Robin said to Winnie the Pooh: “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think!” xx

Review of Rachael Stewart’s The Good Sister

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The Blurb:

HE WASN’T HERS TO LOVE … BUT HER HEART DOESN’T CARE…

When Isla Evans agrees to switch lives with her rising star of a twin for three weeks, she has no idea the move will thrust her into the same bed as her teenage celebrity heartthrob, Bradley King. Trapped there at her sister’s request, she gives her desire free reign and finds herself falling hard and fast.

And she’s not alone.

Bradley wants a wife to tick all the boxes, save for one: love. It’s not part of the deal, never was, never will be. But when he returns home early to find his hopeful-fiancée behaving all sorts of different, he likes it. A lot. Suddenly, he wants a real marriage, with all the trimmings, and he will stop at nothing until he gets it.

But this Hollywood HEA faces one big hurdle—she’s not who he thinks she is…

Genre: Erotic Romance
Published by: Deep Desires Press

My review:

It has been a while since I have read an erotic novel, so when I saw The Good Sister was up for a one-day blog blitz I thought, why not!

The Good Sister is one of those books that has plenty of wow factor in the opening chapter. Rachael Stewart doesn’t mess around when it comes to getting straight in there with the heat, the action and setting up the conflict. It was great and had me hooked from the start.

From then on the pace of the read steadied but the heat continued, as did the drive to solve the central conflict – should she / shouldn’t she and how can this possibly all end well? Bradley King is a likeable male lead with swoon appeal, who you have to feel for a bit as he is unwittingly drawn into the deception orchestrated by the two sisters. There were plenty of racy moments, but intimacy was also built into the story, which made the choices being made more credible.

Overall it was an enjoyable read. It was my first Rachael Stewart novel but won’t be my last.

Links to buy the book: Amazon.com | Amazon UK

About the author:

 

Rachael Stewart adores conjuring up stories for the readers of Harlequin Mills & Boon and Deep Desires Press, with tales varying from the heart-warmingly romantic to the wildly erotic.

Despite a degree in Business Studies and spending many years in the corporate world, the desire to become an author never waned and it’s now her full-time pleasure, a dream come true.

A Welsh lass at heart, she now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and three children, and if she’s not glued to her laptop, she’s wrapped up in them or enjoying the great outdoors seeking out inspiration.

Discover more about Rachael Stewart via her website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaaway – Win an e-copy of The Good Sister by Rachael Stewart (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions – Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days the right is reserved to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for that purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time data will be deleted. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Enter the giveaway here via Rafflecopter. Good luck!

Many thanks to Rachael Stewart for the great read, and thanks to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for enabling me to be part of this one day blog blitz. My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads. x

Festivals, Fundraising and Family.

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Supporting Cancer Research UK

Those of you who know me or who have seen my recent social media posts will know that I am currently running a stall for the Chindi Authors, at the Arundel Festival, to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

This is my third year doing this, and I have said it will be my last. I’ve promised my children and husband I won’t be so busy, or absent for ten days of the summer holidays next year. I enjoy running the stall and supporting the charity, but the ten days is a small part of the overall time it takes to prepare and run the event. I will, of course, miss doing it.

The writers who have books on the stall, and who volunteer to man it, donate their profits to the charity. They get to sign books, and to meet readers. When the sun is shining it is a lovely experience, and when it isn’t, it can be slow going but still amazing when people take the time to stop, say hello and support us.

I know most families are or have been touched by cancer in some way. My mum got breast cancer when she was relatively young – it’s now twenty-four years on, and she is as fit as being eighty will allow. I have a niece who had it at a far too young age, who is now living life to the full with her two daughters. And most recently, finishing her radiotherapy just before the festival started, my amazingly strong, eldest sister, Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer.

So this year, Karen is my inspiration for doing the stall. No matter what life has thrown at her, before and during her cancer treatment – and it has really thrown some terrible things her way – Karen somehow stays positive. She is there for the rest of us, she makes us smile and she is an inspiration. Of course, she has her off days, where she feels overwhelmed, but she carries on and, during her own treatment she has encouraged us all to get checked and to go forward for genetic testing due to our family history. In short, she is amazing, and I am lucky to have her as my big sister!

My big sister stopping by to say hello at the Arundel Festival.

So, in conclusion, I’d like to say three things:

If you are in Arundel come along and say hello to the Chindi Authors – we’ll be outside Cancer Research UK every day up to and including 27th August. We’d love to see you.

And always check yourself for lumps, bumps and things out of the ordinary and seek medical advice and treatment if you are concerned. Cancer doesn’t care how old you are, but in many cases, especially now, it can be treated.

Thank you for reading. xx

P.S.: Also, I just realised I am wearing the same t-shirt in all of these pictures, despite the fact the ones at the top are a year old. Well that’s embarrassing! But can I point out I do own two of them – I am an if I like it buy it twice kind of girl! 😉 xx