Tag Archives: Choc Lit

Feel Good Friday with A Summer of Second Chances.

Feel Good Friday, Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , , ,

What a week! A Summer of Second Chances is out in the world, as an ebook, and early reviews are making me smile.


Publication day was a lot of fun, with support from my family and writing friends as well as my work colleagues. I was thoroughly spoilt and LOVED my book cover cake, gorgeous flowers and other (mostly edible) goodies!

It is always nerve-wracking waiting for reviews to begin to appear, but I can confirm, A Summer of Second Chances has ten lovely reviews, at the time of writing, on Amazon UK. Reading them has left me with a big smile. Here’s a little taster; you can check out more here: Amazon reviews.

I am so pleased that readers are enjoying my characters and the beautiful setting of Dapplebury – based on Arundel, for those who know or have visited the historic town in the South of England.

I have a blog tour coming up soon so no doubt I’ll be nervous again then too, as my book will be reviewed by thirty wonderful book bloggers via Rachel’s Random Resources. I’ll be sure to share what they have to say.

And if you have some how missed me shouting about A Summer of Second Chances this week, here’s the blurb:

Does first love deserve a second chance?
Ava Flynn sometimes feels like the clothes donated to her charity shop have seen more life than her, but ‘maximum dedication for a minimal wage’ is what it takes to keep her mother’s beloved wildlife charity, All Critters Great and Small, running – especially in the village of Dapplebury, where business is certainly not booming.

But when Ava’s first love, Henry Bramlington, returns to the village, suddenly life becomes a little too eventful. Henry escaped Dapplebury many years before, but now he has the power to make or break the village he left behind – All Critters Great and Small included. Can Ava trust the boy who ran away to give both her and her charity a second chance?

Publisher: Choc Lit
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Available as an ebook: Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay | Nook |
Coming soon in paperback and audio (sorry I don’t have exact dates for this yet, but await news from my publisher).

If you read A Summer of Second Chances, I would love to know what you think. Reviews, on the site from which you purchase the book, mean an awful lot to authors and help them and their work get noticed.

In other book news, the paperback of Maybe Baby is currently in The Works. It has been spotted and purchased from various stores, including Rustington, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis, Bournemouth and in Wales (sorry, I am not quite sure which town that was in). It is so lovely to hear from readers who have seen it on the high street. It is not currently on their website, but if it is not in your local store, they should be able to order it in for you.

Finally, don’t forget to join my newsletter for more book news, competitions, giveaways and more. Sign up before May 1st for a chance to win a copy of The Purrfect Pet Sitter. The first newsletter will be landing in inboxes this week!

#WritingWednesday with Carol Thomas: Character Juxtaposition.

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Character Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition is a great way to highlight differences between characters. Used appropriately, it can also invite comparisons – these comparisons allow the author to explore their characters more fully. Similarly, the reader is lead to consider the opposing characters more deeply as they observe not only their actions within the novel but also their interactions.

While authors often like to bring juxtaposing leads together (opposites attract and all that), I like to explore female friendships within my novels and often have them as the opposing characters to see what they bring out in each other.

Crazy Over You

In my novel Crazy Over You, Abby Turner has been married for fifteen years when she discovers her husband has had an affair. In contrast to Abby, her best friend, Melissa, is engaged and soon to be married. The pair are at different stages of life and facing different points of change in their relationships. Writing the scene where Abby attends Melissa’s wedding enabled me to explore Abby’s feelings about love and marriage in light of all she has been through. It makes for an honest, thought-provoking and engaging read that challenges the reader to consider their own feelings on Abby’s situation.

The Lisa Blake Series

In the Lisa Blake series, The Purrfect Pet Sitter and Maybe Baby, Lisa has been in a difficult relationship. After suffering a loss, she returns to her hometown, reuniting with her once best friend, Felicity, who is married with four children. Her life is busy and hectic. Felicity and her husband have their own problems to solve while Lisa is embarking upon a new relationship while dealing with issues from the past. I loved exploring Lisa and Flicks’ developing relationship. The juxtaposition works, especially as their differences mean they complete each other in ways only true friends can.

A Summer of Second Chances

In my latest novel, A Summer of Second Chances, the heroine, Ava Flynn, is running a charity shop to support her mum’s beloved charity, All Critters Great and Small. In contrast, her best friend Mary is a wildlife officer who appears to have life sorted. In juxtaposing these characters, I explored their strengths and vulnerabilities. In the village of Dapplebury, despite popular belief, things aren’t always what they seem. I enjoyed exploring the motivations and emotions of these characters through their support for each other.

(A Summer of Second Chances is out on April 27th 2021 and is now available for preorder.)

In summary …

Exploring the interplay and interactions between juxtaposing characters helps the author and, importantly, the reader understand those characters on a deeper level. It allows the character to experience and comment on situations they might otherwise not encounter. Drafting out juxtaposing characters or situations is also a good writing exercise!

Join my newsletter before the 1st May 2021 to enter to win a signed paperback of The Purrfect Pet Sitter.

 

Feel Good Friday with Morton S. Gray.

Feel Good Friday, Guest Post, , , , , , , ,

For this week’s Feel Good Friday post, I am delighted to welcome Morton S. Gray back to my blog to chat about her novel, Summer  at Lucerne Lodge.

I’m hoping that readers of my new release Summer at Lucerne Lodge will enjoy going on a journey of discovery with my hero, Tanner and heroine, Rosie. I enjoyed writing the book because it allowed me to relive some lovely times in my life.

At one point in the book my heroine runs away to North Wales and I was immediately transported back to holidays spent in the Harlech area when I used to stay with my friend, Sue in the static caravan she owned at the coast.

We used to have such lovely times on the beaches, exploring Harlech and Cricceth castle and shopping in Barmouth. My husband worked abroad a lot when my son was small, so he was often with us on these holidays and got to do things like lighting a fire on the beach and making sand angels.

My book also has my heroine exploring some alternative therapies and these have played a big role in my own life as I worked as a therapist for a number of years. I have fond memories of taking part in alternative health fairs and giving mini sample treatments to people interested. I could also write a book about training in therapies and some of those experiences have found their way into this book.

Carol asked me to share my favourite place to read books. If I could choose any place to read, it would be on the sofa at an apartment my husband used to have for work purposes in Dublin. Carol once joined me for a long weekend writing at this flat. If I need to relax, I imagine myself there and can almost feel the material of that sofa beneath my hand.

These days I mainly read at the end of the day in bed, or else in the bath. It’s almost a gauge of a good book, because if I find myself sneaking off in the middle of the day to read, a book has well and truly hooked me.

Five Quick Questions for Fun:

Sweet or savoury? Sweet all the way!
Favourite biscuit? Ginger nut – love dunking them in my tea.
Laptop or notepad? In the early stages of writing a story, I prefer a notepad. Writing longhand helps my creativity flow more easily than typing.
Late night or early morning? I’m an early morning girl.
Mountains or the beach? I don’t enjoy sitting on a beach in the sun, but I love walking on beaches and could beachcomb all day collecting seaglass.

About Summer at Lucerne Lodge

The blurb:

Could a beautiful old house and a handsome stranger hold the key to a life-changing secret?

Rosie Phillips could be forgiven for not being immediately won over by Tanner Bryant. After all, their first meeting involves him knocking a tray of prawn cocktail over her very expensive dress at a charity event in the grounds of Lucerne Lodge.

But little does Rosie know how pivotal that awkward first meeting will be, or how the Lodge will become the unexpected backdrop for a summer spent finding out who she really is, and who she could be …

Purchase links: Amazon | Choc Lit link for other retailers
Published by Choc Lit
Publication date: 20th April 2021

About Morton S. Gray:

Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the little white dog, in Worcestershire, UK. 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.

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 loves learning new things and these often end up in her books. Crocheting blankets, making her own perfumed soap and weaving have kept her sane during lockdown. She has been tracing her family tree for many years and is fascinated by the new avenues of research opened up by genealogical DNA testing.

When she writes fiction, she enjoys the process of solving a mystery that links her characters. Her sixth novel for Choc Lit Publishing, Summer at Lucerne Lodge is published on 20 April 2021. Her books are stand-alone titles that can be read in any order but are linked by her fictional seaside town of Borteen.

You can find out more about Morton and her work via: website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Apricot Plots

Thank you so much for the lovely post, Morton. I loved our time in Dublin and look forward to when we can go on a writing retreat again. The very best of luck with Summer at Lucerne Lodge. I can’t wait to read it. xx

#WritingWednesday with Angela Barton: Processing Emotions through Fiction.

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Processing Emotions through Fiction.

Writing, like reading, is a means of escape. I strongly believe that creative writing is a curative pathway, an instrument of healing. It’s a safe outlet for negative emotions such as grief, anger, jealousy or anxiety. It safely helps us to explore our emotions, the reasons behind them and hopefully, find a solution through role-play using the written word. By sharing negative emotions with my fictional characters, I’m distancing myself from my own heightened feelings. I was able to express anger through writing towards the end of You’ve Got My Number. I have a calm personality and very rarely get angry so I would have found it difficult in reality. I’d been deeply hurt by a loved one and my trust had been broken. I simply gave my problem to Tess, my protagonist in YGMN, and while I sought a solution and helped her to regulate her emotions, by default, I was doing the same for myself.

For me, writing helps to organize my thoughts and gives meaning to difficult experiences. In Magnolia House and Arlette’s Story, I expressed grief following the death of my father. Having a mild obsessive compulsion, writing helped me to process why I focus on the number three and why it makes me feel safe. So once again, I gave the same obsession to my hero, Daniel, in You’ve Got My Number. He and Tess spoke about the problem and in talking about it and facing it head on, Daniel began to manage his fears. I no longer have that mild obsession, although number three is my favourite number!

Creative writing helps to release anger in a healthy, productive way that utilises our mental capabilities, rather than draining us physically. Novel writing is a typically longer way of negotiating your emotions. I’ve found that filtering my emotions on to a page has been a positive experience for me. The efficacy of using the written word as a mode of coping with suffering is wholly dependent on how you prefer to process grief. Many subconsciously bottle up their emotions and release them in one explosion of anger and sadness when they reach the climax of a story, while others slowly uncover their emotions through using their characters to discuss them between themselves.

If you prefer to eradicate negative emotions as quickly as possible and don’t like to linger on the bad feelings associated with them, then choosing to write out your feelings over weeks or months may make you uncomfortable, in which case, a diary entry or journal may be a better option for you. On the other hand, if taking your emotions and implementing them in a long piece of work is more your style, then perhaps applying them to a narrative will be more cathartic for you.

Whatever way you choose as a coping strategy when things go wrong, please don’t choose to bottle up your emotions and pretend they don’t exist. Like the genie in the bottle, they have a way of sneaking up on you later. Talk, write, compose, paint… but let it out. X

Books by Angela Barton:

Click below to find out more:

You’ve Got My Number | Arlette’s Story | Magnolia House 

Author bio:

Angela Barton was born in London and grew up in Nottingham. She has three grown up children and adorable six-year-old twin granddaughters. Angela is passionate about writing both contemporary and historical fiction and loves time spent researching for her novels. In 2018 Angela signed publishing contracts for three of her completed novels with Choc Lit’s new imprint, Ruby Fiction.

In addition to writing, Angela also relaxes by making landscapes using free motion sewing on a machine. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and a reader for their New Writers’ Scheme. Angela is also a member of Nottingham Writers’ Studio, the Society of Authors and Ellipses and Ampersands’ fiction critique group.

Discover more about Angela Barton and her novels here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Pinterest | Amazon | Angela is also a member of Apricot Plots.

Exciting book news!

Writing & Reading, , , , , , ,

I am very excited to share the news that my new book, A Summer of Second Chances, is now available for preorder.

It is due for release on April 27th 2021 in ebook format, though I believe the paperback will be released at the same time, or soon after. I will update on Facebook and Twitter when I know more.

Here’s the gorgeous cover by Choc Lit’s cover designer, Berni Stevens. I am so pleased with it. I am a little bit in love with the chocolate Labrador, who is called Granger in the story, and I so want to move in to Dapplebury House.

 Here’s the blurb:

Does first love deserve a second chance?

Ava Flynn sometimes feels like the clothes donated to her charity shop have seen more life than her, but ‘maximum dedication for a minimal wage’ is what it takes to keep her mother’s beloved wildlife charity, All Critters Great and Small, running – especially in the village of Dapplebury, where business is certainly not booming.

But when Ava’s first love, Henry Bramlington, returns to the village, suddenly life becomes a little too eventful. Henry escaped Dapplebury many years before, but now he has the power to make or break the village he left behind – All Critters Great and Small included. Can Ava trust the boy who ran away to give both her and her charity a second chance?

Preorder available here: Amazon (other retailers following soon)

In case you are wondering why it is being released by Choc Lit and not their imprint Ruby Fiction (as the Lisa Blake series was) the answer is simply that this book fits the Choc Lit criteria of being written from both the female and male perspective. It was a lot of fun to write.

To find out more about the inspiration behind A Summer of Second Chances, take a look at my Pinterest board. When I start to write, I like to collect pictures for inspiration. Gathering them together helps me focus on the mood and connections within the story. Here are just a few of the pictures you will find. 

I hope you like the look of A Summer of Second Chances. This is always a nerve-wracking time waiting for early reviews to come in. Thank you to all those who have preordered already; your support is hugely appreciated.

In other book news, Maybe Baby is now available in ebook, audio and paperback. The eagle-eyed among you may spot the paperback in some stores on the high street as shops begin to open their doors on April 12th. 

And finally, please sign up for my newsletter, it would be great to have you on board:

Thank you for reading. xx