Tag Archives: Choc Lit

Author Carol Thomas is #SharingTheLove

Guest Post, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , ,
As February is the month of love, I have had a host of wonderful romance authors stopping by my blog to share flirty extracts from their novels and today it is my turn! 

The Purrfect Pet Sitter

“Nathan turned off the lamp, to improve the view out into the darkness, and joined Lisa by the window. Her body responded to his, her nerves enlivening. She could smell his aftershave – tones of amber and sandalwood – mixed with the scent of the bonfire and evening air that hung upon them both. She felt him trace a line down her side with the lightest touch, sending shivers down her spine. She didn’t move; she didn’t attempt to stop him.

His hands moved to her sides, only the cotton of her T-shirt separating their skin, and his arms, more muscular than Ben’s, slipped round her. She could see their reflections in the window looking back at her, with the two of them framed in a perfect moment – an image of what might have been. She looked beyond to the fireworks as she felt Nathan shift position. His right thigh rested against hers as he mirrored her stance.

Lisa attempted to maintain steady breathing while they watched the last of the fireworks burst into the sky – their sound made more dramatic by the ricochet from the glass. Heat spread through her body, while her mind whirred with anticipation.”

I hope you enjoyed this flirty extract. It is one of my favourites from The Purrfect Pet Sitter. Having recently finished Maybe Baby, the sequel due out on April 2nd, my mind is still a little too preoccupied with the lovely Nathan Baker. 

Discover more about The Purrfect Pet Sitter:

Introducing Lisa Blake, the purrfect pet sitter!

When Lisa Blake’s life in London falls apart, she returns to her hometown rebranding herself as ‘the purrfect pet sitter’ – which may or may not be false advertising as she has a rather unfortunate habit of (temporarily) losing dogs!

But being back where she grew up, Lisa can’t escape her past. There’s her estranged best friend Flick who she bumps into in an embarrassing encounter in a local supermarket. And her first love, Nathan Baker, who, considering their history, is sure to be even more surprised by her drunken Facebook friend request than Lisa is.

As she becomes involved in the lives of her old friends Lisa must confront the hurt she has caused, discover the truth about her mysterious leather-clad admirer, and learn how to move forward when the things she wants most are affected by the decisions of her past.

Publisher: Ruby Fiction
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Buy the book here.

Exciting news! If you like the sound of spending a little quality time with Nathan Baker, don’t miss Maybe Baby, the sequel to The Purrfect Pet Sitter, now available for pre-order!

#Book 2 in the Lisa Blake series coming April 2nd!

About the me (Carol Thomas):

In the summer of 2017, I was delighted to gain a publishing contract with Ruby Fiction, a new imprint of the award-winning publishers Choc Lit, for my latest novel The Purrfect Pet Sitter.

I live on the south coast of England with my husband, four children and lively Labrador. I have been a playgroup supervisor and taught in primary schools for over fifteen years, before dedicating more of my time to writing. I am a regular volunteer at my local Cancer Research UK shop and have a passion for reading, writing and people watching. I can often be found loitering in local cafes working on my next book, when I should be in my office.

Discover more about me and my books here: Twitter | Ruby Fiction | Facebook

Thank you so much to all of the wonderful authors who have taken part #SharingTheLove so far. It has been so much fun to read all of your extracts. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone and don’t miss, an extract from Jane Cable’s The Cheesemaker’s House tomorrow. xx


Carol Thomas writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. Discover more here.

Author Kathryn Freeman is #SharingTheLove

Book Review, Guest Post, , , , , , , , ,
As February is the month of love, I have a host of wonderful romance authors stopping by my blog to share flirty extracts from their novels! Well you know, any excuse 😉 

Today, I am delighted to welcome Kathryn Freeman who is #SharingTheLove with an extract from her novel, Oh Crumbs … over to you Kathryn!

Oh Crumbs

“As silence descended, Abby stared at the flourishing tulips in her beloved pots, for once at a loss how to put into words the emotion churning inside her.

‘You were incredible,’ she told Doug finally. ‘Thank you.’

He shrugged and she thought he was going to say nothing, but then he gave her a small, slightly bemused smile. ‘First time I’ve been called incredible.’

A hot blush stung her cheeks, the heat spreading rapidly through her body as his eyes flickered down to her lips before coming back up to hold hers. He’s going to kiss me. Her heart hammered wildly and she prayed she wouldn’t say anything stupid to muck up this moment. ‘I’m glad I was the first to tell you. Are you some sort of ninja?’

He let out a soft laugh. ‘I’m a brown belt in BJJ. Brazilian jiu-jitsu,’ he added at her puzzled look.

‘I’ve heard of a Brazilian, but I’m pretty sure the one I’m thinking of wouldn’t take out two men.’ Bugger, bugger, talk about a mood crusher … then again, maybe she was okay because a full-blown smile slid across his face, bathing her in its warmth.

‘You’d be surprised how easily us men can be floored.’ All the smoothness had vanished from his voice; it sounded hoarser, deeper.

Her heart accelerated into overdrive, thumping so hard she felt her chest vibrate. Was he talking generally, or was this about him? Being floored by her?

He took the one step he needed to be right beside her and suddenly she could no longer think. As his head dipped the air left her lungs and when she inhaled again there was only him. Filling her senses, making her body tingle, drugging her mind with his strong, quiet presence.

The touch of his lips against hers was tentative, as if asking a question, seeking permission. She answered fully, parting her mouth and leaning in so it wasn’t just their lips touching but their bodies, too. Instantly his hands flew to cradle her face and the kiss grew hungrier. He nibbled at her lips, driving her crazy before sweeping his tongue into her mouth. She was lost.”

Thank you for sharing your wonderful extract Kathryn, I’ve had the pleasure of reading Oh Crumbs and I am happy to share my review:

This was the second book by Kathryn Freeman I have read, and it didn’t disappoint. The characters were likeable, and I enjoyed the warmth and chaos of the Spencer household. I liked the development of the relationship between the two lead characters particularly as they faced the issues brought about by being together. Oh Crumbs was an enjoyable read, and with a title like that, what better excuse to snuggle up for a few hours reading with a hot drink and a biscuit or six!

Discover more about Oh Crumbs:

Sometimes life just takes the biscuit …
Abby Spencer knows she can come across as an airhead – she talks too much and is a bit of a klutz – but there’s more to her than that. Though she sacrificed her career to help raise her sisters, a job interview at biscuit company Crumbs could finally be her chance to shine. That’s until she hurries in late wearing a shirt covered in rusk crumbs, courtesy of her baby nephew, and trips over her handbag.

Managing director Douglas Faulkner isn’t sure what to make of Abby Spencer with her Bambi eyes, tousled hair and ability to say more in the half-hour interview than he manages in a day. All he knows is she’s a breath of fresh air and could bring a new lease of life to the stale corporate world of Crumbs. To his life too, if he’d let her.

But Doug’s harbouring a secret. He’s not the man she thinks he is.

Published by: Choc Lit
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Buy the book Amazon UK | Amazon.com

About the author:

Kathryn started her working life as a retail pharmacist but soon realised trying to decipher doctors’ handwriting wasn’t for her. Next she joined the pharmaceutical industry where she spent twenty happy years working in medical communications, doing a lot of writing – about medicines. What she really wanted to write about though, was romance.

In 2011, backed by her family, she left the world of pharmaceutical science to begin life as a self employed writer, juggling the two disciplines of medical writing and romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero…

She lives with two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to bother buying a card again this year (yes, he does) so the romance in her life is all in her head. Then again, her husband’s unstinting support of her career change goes to prove that love isn’t always about hearts and flowers – and heroes can come in many disguises.

You can follow Kathryn, and find out more about her work here: Facebook | Twitter | website |

Don’t miss author Angela Petch #SharingTheLove between good friends Mavis and Dot, on my blog tomorrow. xx


Carol Thomas writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. Discover more here.

Author Angela Barton is #SharingTheLove

Book Review, Guest Post, , , , , , , ,
As February is the month of love, I have a host of wonderful romance authors stopping by my blog to share flirty extracts from their novels! Well you know, any excuse 😉 

Today, I am excited to welcome fellow Apricot Plots author Angela Barton back to my blog #SharingTheLove with an extract from her new novel, Magnolia House … over to you Angela!

Magnolia House

“Before she had chance to start working, Rowan heard someone knocking on her apartment door. Ace would be at work at this time so she wondered if Nora needed something. Jet barked and scampered from the bottom of her bed and out of the bedroom. Subconsciously smoothing her hair with her hands, she pushed the chair away from the workbench with the back of her knees and went to answer the door.

She felt the heat rise on her cheeks when she pulled the front door open and saw James standing there. He wore loose jeans, an oatmeal T-shirt and a sheepish smile. He pushed his hair out of his eyes.

‘Morning,’ he said, bending to stroke Jet.

‘Is everything okay?’

‘Fine, thanks. I’m just after the newspaper that Ace left outside your door this morning. It had a jobs page in it and I’ve been threatened with eviction if I don’t find work.’

‘Come in and I’ll see what I’ve done with it.’

James stepped inside the lounge. ‘How’s your new workbench?’

Rowan smiled. ‘The bench is wonderful but it doesn’t help if the creativity isn’t kicking in.’ She crouched to look on the shelf under the coffee table. ‘Here it is.’ She pulled out the newspaper, dropping it before handing it to James. Why was she so flustered?

‘I know the feeling. Just because I have a circular saw at my disposal, doesn’t mean a table will make itself.’

Rowan stood in front of him, arms folded through shyness. It unnerved her to have such an sexily dishevelled man who she didn’t know very well, standing so close.

‘I was wondering if having the workbench in front of the window was such a good idea,’ she said, making small talk to break the silence. ‘I seem to be doing more daydreaming and curtain twitching than anything else at the bench.’

‘Well, the time to worry will be when you start facial twitching,’ he said, tapping the folded newspaper against his cheek. ‘Can I give you a hand moving it somewhere else?’

‘Oh no, thank you. You’ve already been such a great help getting it upstairs. I think it’s me that’s the problem. I can’t seem to get motivated despite feeling lucky to have found someone who wants to buy my jewellery. It doesn’t help that the weather can’t make its mind up what it’s doing.’

Rowan cringed inwardly. Was she really standing here discussing the weather and her lack of motivation? She’d have him backing out of the doorway in desperation to escape from her and her maudlin conversation. ‘I’m sure I’ll feel a lot better when I’ve had some fresh air. I was just about to take Jet for a walk.’

‘Want some company?’

Rowan was taken aback. She’d been expecting him to use the dog walk as an excuse to leave. How could she say no without appearing rude and ungrateful?

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course. Hasn’t Ace told you that I’m a gerbil whisperer? Dogs aren’t so different: four legs, whiskers and a cold nose. Besides, it’s called delaying tactics.’ He grinned, holding up the newspaper and shaking it. ‘Putting off the inevitable. I’ll just drop the paper downstairs and meet you at the front door.’

With that, he ran downstairs leaving Rowan to put Jet’s harness on. How had that happened?”

Thank you for sharing your wonderful extract Angela, I’ve had the pleasure of reading Magnolia House and fell in love with the warm characters and wonderfully detailed settings.

Find my review and a recent interview with Angela here.

Discover more about Magnolia House:

When you open up your home and your heart …

Rowan Forrester has it all – the happy marriage, the adorable dog, the good friends, the promising business and even the dream home after she and her husband Tom win a stunning but slightly dilapidated Georgian townhouse in London at auction.

But in the blink of an eye, Rowan’s picture-perfect life comes crashing down around her and she is faced with the prospect of having to start again.

To make ends meet she begins a search for housemates, and in doing so opens the door to new friends and new beginnings. But could she be opening the door to new heartbreak too?

Publisher: Choc Lit
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Links to buy the book Amazon UK | Amazon.Com | Kobo |

About the author:

Angela Barton was born in London and grew up in Nottingham. She is married with three grown up children. Passionate about writing both contemporary and historical fiction, Angela loves researching for her books and is an avid reader. Having signed publishing contracts for three of her completed novels with Ruby Fiction, Angela is excited to be working alongside such a friendly and supportive publishing team. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and Nottingham Writers’ Studio.

Having recently moved to France, Angela (alongside her husband, Paul) is now a lavender farmer, creating products from the oil that’s distilled. Angela says she’s looking forward to spending more time writing in the company of her two spaniels while sitting on her veranda overlooking the breath-taking countryside of Charente.

 

Discover more about Angela Barton here: Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Ruby Fiction | Angela is also a member of Apricot Plots.

Don’t miss author Kathryn Freeman #SharingTheLove with an extract from her romantic comedy novel, Oh Crumbs, on my blog tomorrow. xx


Carol Thomas writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. Discover more here.

Author Morton S Gray is #SharingTheLove

Book Review, Guest Post, , , , , , , , ,
As February is the month of love, I have a host of wonderful romance authors stopping by my blog to share flirty extracts from their novels! Well you know, any excuse 😉 

Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow Apricot Plots author Morton S Gray, who is #SharingTheLove with an extract from her novel, The Girl on the Beach … over to you Morton!

The Girl on the Beach

“How did a situation between two people change so quickly? One minute she was standing next to Harry feeling rather disappointed that he preferred male company to female, the next they were slow dancing on the sand and her senses were on fire.

A glance at Tom confirmed he was far too busy talking to Louise to notice what his mother was doing. Mandy, however, was another matter. She’d seen what was going on and, after standing staring at the couple for a moment, she flounced off in the direction of the bar.

Harry’s breath was warm on her neck, his hands held her waist gently but firmly. It felt normal, natural and so lovely that her bare toes curled in bliss. She tightened her arms around his neck and he inched closer. Her legs brushed up against the warmth of his and now their bodies were resting against each other. They seemed to fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw. His hand moved to cup the back of her head, drawing her closer. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been handled so tenderly, had been so close to a man with her animal instincts kicking in.

Would he kiss her? Her lips burned in anticipation and her heart skipped a beat. How had this happened? There had been no words, simply a mutual closing of the gap between them and a united humming of a well-known song. Right now, she wanted the track to go on forever.

She fervently hoped Harry hadn’t danced with her just to quell Mandy’s inevitable rumour-mongering, but surely, the dance only replaced one rumour with another. She nuzzled her chin a little closer into the warmth of his shoulder. Did she imagine his sigh? The heat from his body was chasing away the slight chill that had enveloped her since the sun had gone down.

The only lights were from the disco equipment and the street lamps above the sea wall. The tide was edging in slowly. It would eventually bring a natural end to the party and right now that thought sparked panic as she didn’t want Harry to let go of her. She could hear the swish of the waves on the sand. This clinch had to stop sooner or later, but then what?

Stop it, Ellie. Enjoy the moment.”

Thank you for sharing your wonderful extract Morton, I’ve had the pleasure of reading The Girl on the Beach and fell a little in love with Harry Dixon myself. You can find my review here.

More about The Girl on the Beach:

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.

Published by: Choc Lit
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Buy the book Amazon UK | Amazon.com

About the author:

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 published after she won Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Starcompetition. The story follows a woman with a troubled past as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding her son’s headteacher, Harry Dixon. This book is available as a paperback and e-book.

Morton’s second book for Choc Lit The Truth Lies Buried is another romantic suspense novel, the book tells the story of Jenny Simpson and Carver Rodgers as they uncover secrets from their past. This book is available as an e-book and will be issued as a paperback in 2019.

Christmas at Borteen Bay is published on 13 November 2018 and is Morton’s first Christmas novella. It is set in her fictional seaside town of Borteen and follows the story of Pippa Freeman who runs the Rose Court Guesthouse with her mother and local policeman Ethan Gibson as they unravel a family secret as Christmas approaches.

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.

Don’t miss author Angela Barton #SharingTheLove with an extract from her new novel, Magnolia House, on my blog tomorrow. xx


Carol Thomas writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. Discover more here.

Author Kirsty Ferry is #SharingTheLove

Guest Post, , , , , , ,
As February is the month of love, I have a host of wonderful romance authors stopping by my blog to share flirty extracts from their novels! Well you know, any excuse 😉 

Today I am delighted to welcome Kirsty Ferry who is #SharingTheLove with an extract from her novel,  Spring at Taigh Fallon … over to you Kirsty!

Spring at Taigh Fallon

“They slid into two or three other dances at which they seemed to become less and less proficient, until, during the Lomond Waltz, they suddenly found their rhythm, Angel held firmly in Kyle’s arms.

It felt quite nice. She closed her eyes, and found herself moving easily, choreographed perfectly in a dance that seemed to be made for them. All thoughts of him spoiling Taigh Fallon drifted out of her mind, and she was in another place, another time…

‘Connor is watching,’ she said, giggling. ‘See him! Oh Alasdair, see your poor brother.’ She peeped over his shoulder and smiled at the man standing at the edge of the ballroom. Connor raised his glass at her as she was whisked away, turning circle after circle …

She snapped her eyes open, back in the church hall – or rather she wasn’t. She was being waltzed out of the door, into the cooler evening air. There was a little knot garden – some sort of apothecary’s garden, she assumed, filled with healing plants in little beds, and the scent of mint and rosemary tickled her nose.

‘At last. Fresh air. That was some workout,’ Kyle said. He released her and it was a moment before her head stopped spinning to match her body. ‘We seem to be the perfect dance partners, if nothing else.’

‘Yes. We were well-matched in there.’ She broke off a mint leaf and crumbled it between her fingers, inhaling its scent. ‘Neither of us were very good.’

‘Until the end.’ Amusement coloured his voice. ‘Anyway, the reason I brought you out here, was because I don’t beat about the bush. We didn’t get off to a good start. We don’t like each other and we barely tolerate one another. However—’ And before Angel could protest, he grabbed her to him and kissed her. Just as swiftly, he let her go and she stumbled a little, wondering whether she had dreamed it. But no – her lips felt hot and she was breathing in the tang of his aftershave, the scent overlaying the herbs that surrounded her.”

Kirsty Ferry says, “Spring at Taigh Fallon is the second book in my new Tempest Sisters series for Choc Lit. These stories are a bit of a departure from my normal novels, as they are, on the whole, contemporary – but this one, Angel’s story, has a touch of the Gothic and a wee bit of a timeslip involved. I couldn’t resist it, and when you meet Angel, and if you know how much I love Wuthering Heights, you’ll hopefully understand why the story has that sort of thread running through it! The extract above is when Angel forms a tentative truce with Kyle, her best friend’s cousin, and a man she has previously done nothing but argue with. But you know what they say; where passion is concerned, hate can be pretty close to love…”

OO the fine line between love and hate is always intriguing! Thank you for sharing your wonderful extract Kirsty!

Discover more about Spring at Taigh Fallon

From old secrets come new beginnings …

When Angel Tempest finds out that her best friend Zac has inherited a Scottish mansion, Taigh Fallon, from his great aunt, she immediately offers to go and visit it with him. It will mean closing up her jet jewellery shop in Whitby for a few days but the prospect of a spring trip to the Scottish Highlands is too tempting.

Then Kyle, Zac’s estranged and slightly grumpy Canadian cousin, unexpectedly turns up at Taigh Fallon, and events take a strange turn as the long-kept secrets of the old house begin to reveal themselves …

Part of the Tempest Sisters series, which can be read in any order.

Published by: Choc Lit.
Buy the book Amazon UK | Amazon.com

About the author:

Kirsty Ferry is from the North East of England and won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 with the ghostly tale ‘Enchantment’.

Her timeslip novel, ‘Some Veil Did Fall’, a paranormal romance set in Whitby, was published by Choc Lit in Autumn 2014. This was followed by another Choc Lit timeslip, ‘The Girl in the Painting’ in February 2016. ‘The Girl in the Photograph’, published in March 2017, completes the Rossetti Mysteries series. The experience of signing ‘Some Veil Did Fall’ in a quirky bookshop in the midst of Goth Weekend in Whitby, dressed as a recently undead person was one of the highlights of her writing career so far!

Kirsty’s first timeslip novel ‘The Memory of Snow’, commended in the Northern Writers’ Awards, is set on Hadrian’s Wall, with the vampire tale ‘Refuge’ set on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. She has also put together a collection of short stories, a non-fiction collection of articles and writes Gothic Fiction under the pen name Cathryn Ramsay.

Kirsty has had articles and short stories published in Your Cat, Peoples Friend, Ghost Voices, The Weekly News and It’s Fate, and her short stories appear in several anthologies. She was a judge in the Paws ‘n’ Claws ‘Wild and Free’ Children’s Story competition in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and graduated from Northumbria University in December 2016, having achieved a Masters with Distinction in Creative Writing.

You can follow Kirsty, and find out more about her work here: Facebook | Twitter | website | blog

Don’t miss author Morton S Gray #SharingTheLove with an extract from The Girl on the Beach on my blog tomorrow. xx


Carol Thomas writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. Discover more here.