Tag Archives: Choc Lit

Umbria here I come!

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It’s incredible to think that when I started my blog in January, I was talking about trying new things and my trip to Umbria for Sue Moorcroft’s writing retreat. Well, now that retreat is just days away, eeek!

On our recent family holiday to France, I tested out my summer clothes; I wore shorts on two occasions and a skirt on another. Like my body, my general wardrobe is best suited to autumn and winter. With the exception of the Chindi bookstall at the Arundel Festival, which sees me standing outside for ten days in August to raise funds for Cancer Research, I avoid the sun and usually hide in the shade. So Umbria at the end of June will be interesting!

Testing out my summer wardrobe in Samoëns, France. The legs are hidden but I have shorts on, honestly!

Last week, I attended the Romantic Novelists’ Association lunch for the southern chapter. It was lovely to get together with other authors and to chat about books. I drove and gave Sue Fortin a lift. Sue is a USA Today and Amazon best selling author who writes mystery, suspense and romance; she has also been on the Umbria writing retreat before. With this in mind, I seized the opportunity to ask her a few all-important questions, such as: Will I have all day access to tea making facilities? How hot was it? And will I need any posh clothes?

Her answers – yes to tea, it’s very hot but there is shade, and no to the posh clothes – were helpful. However, she also mentioned that she had a scorpion in her room one night! Despite the fact I worked in primary schools for many years, where mini-beasts always seem to loom large on the curriculum, bugs are not my friend. Wish me luck, and I’ll let you know upon my return how I fared.

The lovely ladies of the RNA Southern Chapter: Back row – Rosie Travers, Sue Fortin, Me, Lyn Liles, Rosemary Ann Smith, Charlie Place (book blogger). Front row – Charile Cochrane and Liv Thomas.

In other news, in case you haven’t seen me shouting about it, I have an office. It is located in Arundel and from my window I can see a lovely expanse of higgledy-piggledy rooftops as well as the castle above the tree line. It is peaceful and a great working base. The only issue is that Arundel has many cafés and I start every morning opening my window to the smell of bacon sandwiches. I like bacon sandwiches, so I don’t mind, but it does make my tummy rumble.

My office view, on a day I was sure I was being watched!

My current work in progress is at 12242 words. This is a sequel to The Purrfect Pet Sitter, which my publisher suggests should be a novella (30000-70000 words). I hope to get a good chunk of it written while on the retreat. It will be a challenge, as I haven’t written one before – sequel or novella – but I am quite excited by it.

I have another work in progress, at around 11000 words, which I am ignoring while I work on the sequel. This will be a contemporary romance with new characters, that will be a full-length novel (around 85000 words).

With three festivals coming up with the Chindi Authors I must focus my time to get all of this done. To find out more about the events we are hosting during the Littlehampton Arts Festival and the Festival of Chichester take a look at the events page of our website, where you will also see that for the third year running, we will be supporting Cancer Research UK throughout the Arundel Festival.

Finally, I am off to the cinema tonight to see Book Club it looks a good laugh. But I am also interested because I read a very good book, years ago by Sophie Hart, called The Naughty Girls Book Club, her characters were great and the story well constructed. This book, on a similar theme, will be hard to beat, but it will be interesting to see how this new film compares.

Anyway, next time I write a post I will have been to Umbria, my children and puppy will have hopefully forgiven me for deserting them for a week, my husband may have recovered, and my work in progress should have dramatically increased. I’ll let you know how all of that goes.

In the meantime, I have a couple of book reviews to share over the coming week and an interview with Choc Lit author Christine Stovell, who talks about her new novella, Moonbeams in a Jar. xx

 

An interview with Caroline James.

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Today, I am delighted to welcome fellow Ruby Fiction author Caroline James.

Thank you for agreeing to join me on my blog Caroline and for answering my questions, aimed at discovering more about you and your novel, The Best Boomerville Hotel.

An absolute pleasure and many congratulations on the publication of your fabulous book, The Purrfect Pet Sitter, I loved it!

That’s very kind of you, and I am so pleased you enjoyed it. Congratulations to you too on recently getting your ‘Best Seller’ badge for the Best Boomerville Hotel. For those who haven’t yet encountered your fabulous novel, give us your elevator pitch:

Thank you for the lovely compliment. I’m not good at elevator pitches – my elevator always heads the wrong way. But here it is:

Let the shenanigans begin at the Boomerville hotel …

Jo Docherty and Hattie Contaldo have a vision – a holiday retreat in the heart of the Lake District exclusively for guests of ‘a certain age’ wishing to stimulate both mind and body with new creative experiences. One hotel refurbishment later and the Best Boomerville Hotel is open for business!With an array of colourful guests there’s bound to be laughs aplenty, but could there be tears and heartbreak too and will the residents get more than they bargained for at Boomerville?

Your characters are all a touch eccentric, can I cheekily ask which you most identify with, and why?

People who know me say I am a ‘Jo’ – the owner of the hotel who likes to people please and make everyone happy. But I think there is a touch of ‘Hattie’ in me too. She is the hotel manager, larger than life and extremely naughty.

The Boomerville Hotel encourages its residents to be open-minded and try new things. What three things have you tried in life that you would recommend to others?

Trekking the Inca Trail for days then climbing, exhausted, on my knees up a steep incline to the Dawn Gate to watch the sun rise over the hidden city of Machu Pichu. Magical, spiritual and quite simply amazing.

Zip-wiring across a damn in China. Seriously dangerous, as the harness appeared to consist of a leather belt belonging to the elderly Chinese gentleman who hooked me onto the wire. A once-in-a-lifetime thrill – the thrill being that I was still alive and breathing as I hurtled head first into the water at the other end.

Sushi. I always hated it until I was taken to a lovely restaurant in Barbados, to a table by the water’s edge and as the Caribbean Sea rolled over soft white sands the chef made the most delicious platter of fresh seafood sushi and I was completely and totally hooked. Like a love story in my mouth.

I adored Bunty, and know she was based on your own dog. Tell us a little about her:

Many years ago, a partner gave me a chocolate brown Labrador puppy called Meg. He disappeared not long after, proving the point that a partner is not for life nor just for Christmas. But Meg became my new love and we were inseparable. I decided to breed her and eight gorgeous puppies arrived. Meg was a terrible mother and I had a real job on my hands. As the puppies were rehomed there was one who stayed glued to my side. Bunty was the naughtiest of the bunch and always causing mischief. I fell head over heels for Bunty and she stayed with me and Meg. Thirteen years on, two years after we lost Meg, we said our final goodbyes and I vowed I’d never have a dog again. It was just too painful.

Adorable Bunty!

Cumbria makes a beautiful setting, was there a reason for choosing it as the home for the Boomerville Hotel and as a foodie, have you visited L’Enclume?

I used to own a country house hotel in Cumbria and this was the setting for my fictional hotel, Boomerville. I loved that hotel and spent some of the happiest years of my life there. Writing about it is easy, stories soon come. A hotel is a revolving door and there are always multiple scenarios that trigger the imagination. L’Enclume is a lovely restaurant and I have been fortunate to dine there. Such a talented chef and imaginative food.

I saw on your recent blog post that you are working on a sequel – how exciting! Was Boomerville always going to be part of a series and what can we expect from the next instalment?

I am very fortunate to have received some cracking reviews for The Best Boomerville Hotel and readers who contact me say they want more of the same. I am currently writing another ‘Boomerville’ and this time we travel to Southern Ireland where Jo has bought a new property to create an Irish Boomerville. Expect lots of Irish craic and shenanigans as the guests get on board. I never intended this to be a series but if something works, why change it?

Five for fun:

1) Tea or coffee? Coffee, strong and black.
2) Cinema or theatre? Theatre, I love a live show.
3) Paperback or Ereader? Ereader – I like reading in bed with all the lights out.
4) High heels or pumps? High heels, Carol, we girls must strut our stuff!
5) Starter or desert? Tricky, I’ve changed my eating habits drastically in the last six months and after a lifetime of sugar addiction now astonish myself by saying, ‘Starter please’.

I recently had the pleasure of reading The Best Boomerville Hotel; here is my review:

Light, easy reading with likeable characters, and laughs along the way!

Set in the beautiful countryside of Cumbria, the newly refurbished Best Boomerville Hotel is the ideal location for this eccentric cast of fifty-somethings looking to revitalise their lives. And with courses ranging from life drawing to sessions with the Shaman, there is never a dull moment.

It took me a few chapters to get to know the characters, but as their individual (and often quirky) personalities became established I had no problem distinguishing who was who. I loved Hattie, who was a formidable woman with a big heart and a close eye on the action at the hotel. She certainly added to the fun and provided many laugh out loud moments. Bunty was an absolute bonus, I have a soft spot for chocolate Labradors, and she sounded Labradorable (pardon the pun)!

By the end of the novel, the characters felt like old friends, and I was willing them towards their happy-ever-after. The Best Boomerville Hotel is a story of friendship, drama, love and laughter, it was my first Caroline James read, but it won’t be my last.

Links to buy The Best Boomerville Hotel: Kobo | Ibooks/Google | Itunes | Amazon

About the author:

Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, consultant and food writer, Caroline is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association and writes articles and short stories and contributes to many publications. In her spare time, Caroline can be found trekking up a mountain or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.

Find out more about Caroline James and her novels here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog

Thank you so much for joining me, Caroline. I loved reading your answers and hearing about the amazing adventures you’ve had. Your words about Bunty were very moving, and reminded me of my gorgeous boy, Benson. Your sequel sounds like lots of fun, I look forward to reading it.

My reviews are posted on Amazon and Goodreads x

 

Publication Celebrations for The Purrfect Pet Sitter

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As I am sure you are aware (I’ve done a lot of shouting about it) The Purrfect Pet Sitter was released on April 24th and a wonderful week of celebrations ensued.

I am so grateful to everyone who helped to make the week special. Online, fellow writers were super supportive. My Ruby Fiction and Choc Lit family were great, and book bloggers were as fabulous as ever, as they shared early reviews and started giving my book mentions (there’s more to come on this when my book starts its official blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources on May 15th).

Early reviews

Early reviews are in and I am overwhelmed by the lovely things people are saying about The Purrfect Pet Sitter:

“Packed with fun, humour, twists and depth. What a read!” MiniMaxi

“All I can say is that this ticked every single box. Choc Lit’s Ruby is for stories which tap into the reader’s emotions and The Purrfect Pet Sitter certainly did that for me.” Jo Osborne

“The Purrfect Pet Sitter is a good story that I was really entertained by on a wet and windy bank holiday weekend. It took me on a lovely journey of personal growth and even features a couple of gorgeous men too.” Rachel Gilbey

And if you haven’t downloaded it yet, the good news is it is still only 99p across all ebook retailers! Click to buy.

Thoroughly spoilt

In the week since publication I have been thoroughly spoilt by my family and friends with lovely cards, flowers, meals out, cake and more cake!

And just as in The Purrfect Pet Sitter, here are a couple of pictures to prove children and animals bring their own special element of chaos to the proceedings!

Author of the Week
To celebrate publication week, my fabulous fellow Chindi Authors also made me their Author of the Week. I went on a tour of their blogs, chatting about all things related to The Purrfect Pet Sitter in a variety of guest posts and interviews. If you missed the posts you can catch up on my Chindi blog tour here:

A big thank you to all of the Chindi Authors who took part and allowed me to gatecrash their blogs! I really appreciate your support.

Thank you so much to everyone for making the publication of The Purrfect Pet Sitter so special, and if you have read it please leave a review on the site you purchased it from. Reviews, no matter what their length, make a huge difference to authors, and help them and their work get noticed.

Now to stop eating cake (sigh!) and to crack on with the next book! xx

Review of Marie Laval’s Little Pink Taxi

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Little Pink Taxi by Marie Laval

The Blurb

Take a ride with Love Taxis, the cab company with a Heart … 
Rosalie Heart is a well-known face in Irlwick – well, if you drive a bright pink taxi and your signature style is a pink anorak, you’re going to draw a bit of attention! But Rosalie’s company Love Taxis is more than just a gimmick – for many people in the remote Scottish village, it’s a lifeline.

Which is something that Marc Petersen will never understand. Marc’s ruthless approach to business doesn’t extend to pink taxi companies running at a loss. When he arrives in Irlwick to see to a new acquisition – Raventhorn, a rundown castle – it’s apparent he poses a threat to Rosalie’s entire existence; not just her business, but her childhood home too.

On the face of it Marc and Rosalie should loathe each other, but what they didn’t count on was somebody playing cupid …

Genre: RomCom / Contemporary
Publisher: Choc Lit

My review:
I thoroughly enjoyed Little Pink Taxi, with its great combination of interesting characters, drama, comedy, mystery and intrigue. Having bought the book because I liked the cover, I hadn’t expected the ghostly happenings but loved them and their pivotal role in the story. Rosalie and Marc are both very likeable characters with an intriguing backstory. I liked the way Marc’s character developed with a little help from Rosalie, the situations he found himself in and a few unexpected influences along the way. The Cairngorms of Scotland and the rundown Raventhorn castle made the perfect backdrop for the ghostly and romantic goings-on. Overall it was a fabulous read with a few twists and surprises along the way.

Click to buy the book.
Find Little Pink Taxi on the Choc Lit website.

About the author:

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire with her family. She works full-time as a modern languages teacher, and in her spare times loves writing romance and dreaming about romantic heroes. She writes both historical and contemporary romance, and her historical romance The Lion’s Embrace won the Gold Medal at the Global eBook Awards 2015 (category Historical Romance). She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her native France, as well as her passion for history and research, very much influences her writing, and all her novels have what she likes to call ‘a French twist’!

Find Marie Laval on Twitter or follow her on her blog.

Thank you for the great read Marie.

My reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads x

Guest Review of Berni Stevens’ Immortals of London series

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I am delighted to say that my teenage daughter enjoyed Berni Stevens’ Immortals of London series so much she has written a guest review.

Dance until Dawn by Berni Stevens
#Immortals of London book 1

The Blurb
Do you Believe in Love After Life?
At 25, West-End dancer, Ellie Wakefield should be having the time of her life. The only problem is, ever since waking up in a leaky cellar belonging to three hundred year old vampire, Will Austen, she’s been very much dead. And to make matters worse, she’s since found that an aversion to blood and a fear of the dark aren’t very helpful – especially when you’re a fledgling vampire.

William James Austen has fallen hard. He’s spent the last year loving Ellie from afar and now he’s finally able to be truthful about who and what he is. As the most powerful and revered vampire in London, he’s used to getting what he wants. But this time, Will might just have bitten off more than he can chew.

Genre: Fantasy / Vampires
Publisher: Choc Lit

Review:
I like vampire books and I am just starting to get more into romance reads and so this appealed to me (also I saw it on my mum’s blog and asked her to get it for me!). I found this book really good. I liked Ellie because she was a strong character and not easily lead. The setting was good and the storyline was interesting. I’d recommend it and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Click to buy the book.

Revenge is Sweet by Berni Stevens
#Immortals of London book 2

The Blurb:
Hell hath no fury like a vampire seeking revenge …

Life hasn’t been exactly normal for Ellie since she became a vampire. Although joining the legion of the undead was always going to take some getting used to, even if you are the partner of Will Austen, the Elder of London.

But when Daniel, a fifteen-year-old fledgling vampire, unexpectedly turns up at Ellie’s and Will’s Highgate home, things start getting very strange – and more than a little scary.

Events take a devastating turn as a mystery troublemaker leaves behind a trail of carnage – and it soon becomes clear they will stop at nothing to get the Elder’s attention, even if it involves hurting the person he cherishes the most …

But when it comes to Ellie, Will Austen is the wrong vampire to mess with.

Genre: Fantasy / Vampires
Publisher: Choc Lit

Review:
I really enjoyed the second in this series. The characters and their relationships continued to develop well. There were new characters too, who added to the creative ways death was introduced. I especially liked the unexpected ending. I’d love this series to be made into a film!

Click to buy the book.

About the author:

Berni Stevens lives in a 400-year-old cottage with her husband, black cat, four goldfish who think they’re piranha, and occasionally her son when he comes back for some TLC. She trained in graphic design, and has worked as a book cover designer for over twenty years.

Her love of paranormal fiction began at school when she first read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and she’s been a fan of the fanged ever since. She is on the committee and the book panel of The Dracula Society – a literary society for fans of gothic literature and film.

Dance Until Dawn, a paranormal romance, was Berni’s UK debut with Choc Lit, published 7th April 2014. Revenge is Sweet, the sequel, was published in eBook format on 12th July 2016. Now the third novel in the trilogy is well under way, with a story that centres on a lovelorn werewolf!

Berni has several short stories published in various anthologies; romantic, gothic and sometimes just plain fantasy!

Find Berni Stevens on Twitter and Facebook.

Thank you for your great reviews Amelia x

Reviews are added to Amazon UK and Goodreads.