Guest Post: Linn B Halton talks about inspiration

Today's guest post has been written by author Linn B Halton who talks about inspirations for her writing.

I was talking to someone recently about their dream to sit down and write one day, hopefully sooner rather than later!  To be honest (reading between the lines – more about what she didn’t say, than what she said) she’s been putting it off, simply because she doesn’t know where to begin.  In conversation she mentioned that she often had moments of inspiration but never when she was in a position to write anything down.

It struck a chord with me and made me realise that whilst I didn’t begin writing novels until 2009, my planning started very early in life.  When I did eventually sit down to write I already had a journal of very random jottings. Sometimes it was just a few words, a part-sentence.  Sometimes it was a ‘feeling’ or something I’d witnessed that I had described in great detail.  Occasionally, it was a description of a character, usually their traits rather than physical appearance.  Ironically when I sat down to write my first novel I didn’t even open the cover to look at my precious notes.  I sat in front of the screen, thought hard until a title popped into my head and I was off and running.  I had no idea where I was going, but I found the opening lines made me excited to be at the start of the journey.  “Dying was, quite frankly, incredibly easy.  One minute I was there and the next minute I was ‘here’, wherever ‘here’ is.”

Author Interview: Emma Burstall

Today I'm delighted to be able to welcome author Emma Burstall to talk about her third book, The Darling Girls, which she has just published as an ebook on Kindle. 

Can you tell us a little bit about The Darling Girls? 
It's a gripping story about three very different women, all in love with the same man, who meet for the first time at his funeral.  Little by little they start to uncover secrets about this extraordinary man that force them totally to rethink their lives and relationships.  Can they separate the truth from the lies and learn to trust - and even love - again?    

Where did the inspiration come from to create three characters in love with the same man?
Years ago I met a woman who revealed in a roundabout way that she was in this situation.  I remember being intrigued and thinking - how on earth could she put up with it and what was it about this man that had all three women in his thrall?  The conversation stuck in my mind and I always thought I'd like to write a novel about it.  The Darling Girls is purely fictional , but the seeds were sown during that casual exchange.

Books Read: Kate Lace - Cox

Source - Received from publisher to review

Meet the members of St George's Boat Club: 
 
Dan - dark and brooding, he has to work day and night to achieve his dream of rowing in the London Olympics. 

Rollo - rich and arrogant, when he's not rowing he spends his time seducing women and spending money. 

Amy - a brilliant cox who catches the eye of both Dan and Rollo.

In a boat Dan and Rollo row perfectly together, but on land they despise each other. So with the addition of Amy to the mix, sporting behaviour is the last thing on their mind.
 
May the best man win? Not a chance.

From Henley Regatta to the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, and finally to the biggest race of their lives, their determination to settle old scores threatens to capsize everyone's plans.

Books Read: Sheila O'Flanagan - Better Together

Source - Received from publisher to review

Sometimes it isn't easy to win your heart's desire.

Journalist Sheridan Grey believes she's going places.  But when she loses her job, her boyfriend and her flat, the only place she's going to is a small-town newspaper - writing horoscopes and reporting on dog shows.

Home-loving Nina Fallon's life is shattered when the exploits of her actor husband become national news.  Now she's avoiding friends as she runs Ardbawn's guest-house on her own.

When Sheridan moves into the guest-house, she realises that Nina holds the key to the story that will make her name as a reporter again.  But Sheridan's desire to  uncover the past puts her on a collision course with the present, and with the man she's come to love.  Suddenly she has more to lose than she ever dreamed possible.

Is she better off going it alone?  Or is love the greatest prize of all?  

Sneak Peeks & Author Interview: Darcie Chan - The Mill River Recluse

One of the things I have loved since I set up my blog is hearing about new books coming out as well as being introduced to new authors who I'd probably never have heard of otherwise.  One such author is Darcie Chan who self-published her debut novel, The Mill River Recluse, which has become one of the US best-selling eBooks, which in turn has led to her getting a publishing deal with Hachette Digital here in the UK.   
 

Disfigured by the blow of an abusive husband, the widow Mary McAllister has spent almost sixty years secluded in a white marble mansion overlooking the town of Mill River, Vermont. Her links to the outside world are few: the mail, an elderly priest, and a bedroom window with a view of the town below.

Most longtime residents of Mill River consider the marble house and its occupant peculiar, and few of them have ever seen Mary. But three newcomers - a police officer and his daughter and a new schoolteacher - are curious about the reclusive old woman. Only the town priest truly knows the Mill River recluse, and the secret she keeps . . . a secret that, once revealed, will change the town, and the lives of its residents, forever.

I'm pleased to be able to welcome Darcie to the blog to talk about her book and her publishing journey...

Can you tell us a little bit about The Mill River Recluse?

The Mill River Recluse is the story of Mary McAllister, a shy woman who suffers several tragic events in her youth and, over the course of her lifetime, develops severe social anxiety disorder and agoraphobia.  As an elderly woman, Mary's condition is so severe that she finds it impossible to interact with most people.  However, she longs to be part of her community, and with the help of Michael O'Brien, the town's priest and her only confidante, she manages to find a way to do just that.  

Books Read: Carrie Duffy - Diva

STUNNING AND SULTRY, DIONNE SUMMERS IS A GIRL WHO SPEAKS HER MINDS.

Brought up on the mean streets of Detroit, she is determined that nothing will stop her from becoming the world's next supermodel.

Beautiful and innocent, Alyson McIntyre is desperate her upbringing.  She decides it's time to take a hold on her life and follow her dreams.

Heading to the chic streets of Paris, the girls move in with a maverick young designer CeCe Bouvier.  Born to a life of luxury, CeCe is determined to stand on her own two feet and take the fashion world by storm.

The girls vow to make it to the top, but their friendship is about to be tested to the limits when deception, betrayal and tragedy are played out in the glare of the paparazzi flashbulbs.

Can the three girls overcome the ghosts of the past - or will the catwalk consume them?  

Author Interview & Giveaway: Anne Allen

Today's guest is author Anne Allen whose debut novel Dangerous Waters was released earlier this year.

Can you tell us a little bit about Dangerous Waters?

My novel, Dangerous Waters, is a romantic mystery.  The story focuses on a young woman Jeanne La Page as she returns to her homeland of Guernsey after an absence of 15 years.   She had left in a hurry after surviving a tragedy which killed her family.  She has now come back to sort out her late grandmother's affairs and take possession of the cottage she left to her.  Jeanne wants to sell and leave but events change her mind and she's drawn into uncovering family secrets buried in the cottage and, ultimately, she finds out the truth behind that long ago accident.  She had suffered traumatic amnesia but had experienced nightmares for years.  Her search for truth not only helps her to live and love again but puts her life in danger as someone on the  island doesn't want her to remember...

Dangerous Waters is your first book, how long did it take to get it published?

Six years!  But in that time I was re-writing and editing as well as submitting to agents. I also obtained a couple of professional critiques to set me on the right path...

Books Read: Jill Mansell - A Walk in the Park

Source - Received from publisher to review

It's been a while, but Lara Carson's back in Bath and lives are set to change as a result. Because Lara left her family and boyfriend Flynn eighteen years ago without a word to anyone. Why has no one heard from her since?

Her childhood best friend Evie is thrilled Lara's back and able to share her happiness.  Evie's about to walk down the aisle with her dream man, Joel. Or so she thinks... 

Then there's Flynn Erskine, even more attractive now and stunned to see Lara again. The spark between them is as strong as ever, but how's Flynn going to react when he discovers the secret she's been keeping from him? Oh yes, there's a lot of catching up to be done...

Guest Post & Giveaway: Laurie Graham asks What's In a Book Cover?

Today author Laurie Graham talks about the importance of choosing the right name for characters in her books.  

Names can be deal breakers between me and my characters.  If their name doesn't feel right I can't do anything with them until I've fixed it.  Believe me, I can spend an entire morning playing around with Nan, Nancy, Anne, Annie.  And then end up with Mary.  Does it matter, you may wonder?  Well, yes, it does.  I think it's one of those instinctive things, like being able to hear a duff note on a piano.  

Sometimes the name field is wide open.  Anyone can be John, I suppose.  Actually I don't believe I've actually written a John.  When I wrote Life According to Lubka Buzz had to have a name that crackled with cocaine-fuelled nuttiness.  When I wrote At Sea, Enid had to have a shy, unassuming kind of name.  Enid could no more have been Buzz than Buzz could have been Enid.

Guest Post: Susanna Quinn asks When is a Crime Writer not a Crime Writer?

Today I'm pleased to be able to hand over the reins to Glass Geishas author, Susanna Quinn, to talk about the crime writer label.

There's a wealth of suspenseful, thriller-ish fiction out there that doesn't quite fit the crime bracket, but is sold as crime.  The reason?  We haven't changed the way we categorise books for years, and yet books have evolved hugely in the last few decades.  There are so many suspenseful, yet poetic and literary, books that are described as crime, but really are a different sort of fiction.

Take Rosamund Lipton's Sister.  It's often categorised as crime, but is really the emotional journey of a girl who's looking for her missing sister.  Very different from your standard crime novel, where the lead character is a police detective (and usually a very colourful one) solving a crime.  

Books Read: Shirley Benton - Can We Start Again?

Source - Received from publisher to review

Is it ever too late for a second chance? 

Tammy and Alvin had mapped out their entire lives together, including a pre-parental plan - a list of everything they wanted to do as a couple before they had children. But no amount of planning could have anticipated the heartbreaking problems that lay ahead problems that shattered their once-perfect relationship and led to a traumatic break-up. 

Then, after years of trying to move on, Tammy's world is turned upside down when Alvin comes back into her life asking for a second chance - with a difference. He proposes that they spend time together, doing the things they had once so eagerly planned, in a bid to remember why they felt they'd have children together some day, and ultimately recapture what they had. 

Still in love with Alvin, Tammy finds herself powerless to say no, even though their problems are still simmering in the background and threatening to boil over at any moment. Still, what they once had is surely worth trying to save. 

But can something that's broken ever truly be whole again?

Books Read: Nicholas Sparks - The Best of Me

Source - Received from publisher to review

They were teenage sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks – with a passion that would change their lives for ever. But life would force them apart. 

Years later, the lines they had drawn between past and present are about to slip . . . Called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter when they needed it most, they are faced with each other once again, and forced to confront the paths they chose. Can true love ever rewrite the past?

Guest Post: Sophie King talks about 3 of her favourite childhood books

The first guest post has been written by bestselling author Sophie King who has published 5 books including The School Run.   Sophie has recently published Tales from the Heart, an e-book collection of some of her short stories that have been published in magazines such as Woman's Weekly and My Weekly. 

I'll hand you over now to Sophie who tells us why she has chosen the books below as her 3 favourite childhood books.

I couldn't have got through my childhood without reading! Books were my refuge - especially when my little sister came along! I would read anywhere. Up the apple tree (the only tree in our Harrow garden).  At the kitchen table. In bed. I was a bit of a sickly child so I spent quite a lot of time in bed but I loved it because it gave me more time to read! It's very hard to pin down just three books but these are the ones which come instantly to mind.

Congratulations....winner announced in Shadow of Night giveaway

Thank you to everyone who entered into my latest giveaway for the chance to  win a copy of Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.  The deadline has now passed so each entry was allocated a number and I then used Random.org to select a winner.

Congratulations to Amy C, the book will be on it's way to you shortly.

Author Interview: Siobhan McKenna

Siobhan McKenna's journey as an author has certainly been meteoric.  Last year she was the winner in the 'Write a Bestseller' competition run by TV company TV3 which saw her land a three book deal with Poolbeg Press.  

Her first book, The Lingerie Designer, was published later that summer.  The second book, The Other Woman, has just been published in Trade paperback and is available online or in shops across Ireland.  Siobhan kindly took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions...

Can you tell us a little bit about your new book? 
The Other Woman has just been published.  It is based around the worlds of chocolates and wine.  As usual there is a strong exotic location theme as the main characters spend time in Italy and Kenya.  

How long did it take you to get your first book published?

I won a TV competition so it was fast tracked.  I won the competition in February and The Lingerie Designer was published by June that year.

Books Read: Kathryn Flett - Separate Lives

Source - Received from Real Readers to review

Your partner of ten years, and the father of your children, receives a text. You happen to see it.

It says:

'Start living a different kind of life ... P :-) xxx'. You don't know a P.  But you know this spells trouble.

Books Read: Hannah Fielding - Burning Embers

Source - Received from PR company to review

Whoops just noticed that this post that was scheduled to go live last week didn't upload... apologies Hannah and Midas PR.

Coral Sinclair is a beautiful but naïve twenty-five-year-old photographer who has just lost her father. She's leaving the life she's known and traveling to Kenya to take ownership of her inheritance--the plantation that was her childhood home--Mpingo. On the voyage from England, Coral meets an enigmatic stranger to whom she has a mystifying attraction. She sees him again days later on the beach near Mpingo, but Coral’s childhood nanny tells her the man is not to be trusted. It is rumored that Rafe de Monfort, owner of a neighboring plantation and a nightclub, is a notorious womanizer having an affair with her stepmother, which may have contributed to her father’s death.

Circumstance confirms Coral’s worst suspicions, but when Rafe’s life is in danger she is driven to make peace. A tentative romance blossoms amidst a meddling ex-fiancé, a jealous stepmother, a car accident, and the dangerous wilderness of Africa. Is Rafe just toying with a young woman’s affections? Is the notorious womanizer only after Coral’s inheritance? Or does Rafe’s troubled past color his every move, making him more vulnerable than Coral could ever imagine?

Cox giveaway - winner announced

The deadline has just passed for my latest giveaway to win a copy of Cox by Kate Lace.  This proved to be another popular giveaway but the lucky winner as selected by Random.org was Kayla S.  I've just sent the lucky winner an email for her postal details.

If you were unlucky this time then why not enter my other current giveaway to win a copy of Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness here.  I've also got another giveaway lined up later this month for an e-book so giveaway will be open Internationally.

Author Interview: Shirley Benton

If you'd read my earlier sneak peeks post you'll have seen that I've known Shirley for several years and have watched her journey progress as a published author.  This week sees the publication of her second novel, Can We Start Again?, which I'm sure will be flying off the shelves in stores across Ireland and online. 

Shirley kindly agreed to complete the questionnaire I emailed to her so here's what she has to say... 

Can you tell us a little bit about Can We Start Again? 
It tells the story of the relationship between colour-inside-the-lines Tammy and carefree Alvin. When they meet, it’s definitely a case of opposites attract. It’s not long before they’re mapping out the rest of their lives together, including a Pre-Parental Plan – a list of everything they want to do as a couple before they have children. But no amount of planning could have factored an unthinkable break-up into the process....

Broken-hearted from the split – and Tammy’s refusal to maintain contact - Alvin moves to Australia, while Tammy moves on by blocking out Alvin’s existence and forcing herself to date other men. But as nobody she meets measures up to her one true love, Tammy realises that breaking up was a terrible mistake – something Alvin has known all along. When Alvin returns to Ireland a year and a half later, he has a proposition for Tammy. In a bid to resurrect their relationship, he suggests carrying out the activities in their neglected Pre-Parental Plan to remind them of why they once wanted spend their lives together. 

After all the time she’s spent trying to get over Alvin, Tammy is terrified of the prospect of failing yet again – and yet she finds herself powerless to say no. But can they make things work out this time around, even though all of their old issues are bubbling under the surface?

How long did it take you to get your first book published?

It took the best part of a year to write, and I was offered a publishing deal six months after I submitted it. However, I had been writing for years before that. I wrote a women’s fiction novel and a book for children and neither got anywhere – so you could argue that it took me around six years to get a book published. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing because it was a learning process that made me improve my writing skills.

Sneak Peeks: Maria Duffy - The Terrace

Whilst on Twitter earlier today, Maria Duffy tweeted the cover picture of her new book, The Terrace, which is due out next month.  What do you think of it?  I love the look of the different coloured terrace houses in the street and the storyline sounds fab too. 

Nestled in the tangled streets of Dublin city lies a small row of terraced houses called St Enda's Terrace. The residents of St Enda's look out for each other but when the little terrace comes to the attention of a New York production company making a fly-on-the-wall documentary about Ireland to be aired on St Patrick's Day, friendships and loyalties are about to be put to the test ...

Two days before the camera crews arrive, five of the residents of St Enda's win one million euro in the lotto.

Trouble is that nobody can find the ticket ...

Books Read: Lucy Diamond - Summer with my Sister

Source - Received from publisher to review

Polly has always been the high-flyer of the family, with the glamorous city lifestyle to match...

Clare is a single mum with two children, struggling to make ends meet in a ramshackle cottage.  The two sisters are poles apart and barely on speaking  terms.

But then Polly's fortunes change unexpectedly and her world comes crashing down.  Left penniless and with nowhere else to go, she's forced back to the village where she and Clare grew up, and the sisters find themselves living together for the first time in years.  With an old flame reappearing for Polly, a blossoming new career for Clare and a long-buried family secret in the mix, sparks are sure to fly.  Unless the two women have more in common than they first thought?

Author Interview: Rosanna Ley

Today's interview guest is author Rosanna Ley whose new book, The Villa, was released last month. She kindly agreed to answer my random questions as well as tell us a little bit about her book...
 
Can you tell us a little bit about The Villa 
The Villa is a romantic mystery narrated by three generations of women, all looking for answers.  The novel begins when Tess Angel receives a solictor's letter inviting her to claim her inheritance - the Villa Sirena, perched on a clifftop in Sicily.  She is stunned as her only link to the island is through her mother, Flavia, who left Sicily during World War II and cut all contact with her family.

Initially resistant to Tess going back to her roots, Flavia realises the secrets from her past are about to be revealed and decides to try to explain her actions in a journal which includes the traditional recipes of Sicily; her legacy to her daughter.

Meanwhile, Tess’ teenage daughter Ginny is stressed by college, by her blooming sexuality and filled with questions that she longs to ask her father, if only she knew where he was. 

 

In Sicily, Tess encounters the enigmatic Tonino and his childhood enemy Giovanni, sons of two feuding Sicilian families still living the bitter rivalry of the past and still seeking 'il tesoro' - an ancient treasure.  Tess joins in the search.  But she has no idea who to trust in this golden landscape where shadows lurk around every corner.