Blogiversary Giveaway: Win a metal Skeleton Bookmark

Today is the final day of this year's blogiversary celebrations and as it's also Halloween I could resist doing a giveaway for this cute metal Skeleton bookmark I bought from eBay.

Emma's Review: The Photographer of the Lost by Caroline Scott

Reviewed by Emma Crowley 

1921. Families are desperately trying to piece together the fragments of their broken lives. While many survivors of the Great War have been reunited with their loved ones, Edie’s husband Francis has not come home. He is considered ‘missing in action’, but when Edie receives a mysterious photograph taken by Francis in the post, hope flares. And so she begins to search.

Harry, Francis’s brother, fought alongside him. He too longs for Francis to be alive, so they can forgive each other for the last things they ever said. Both brothers shared a love of photography and it is that which brings Harry back to the Western Front. Hired by grieving families to photograph gravesites, as he travels through battle-scarred France gathering news for British wives and mothers, Harry also searches for evidence of his brother.

And as Harry and Edie’s paths converge, they get closer to a startling truth.

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Blogiversary Giveaway: Take your pick from a selection of Women's Fiction Books

Today it's time for the other TBR giveaway, the chance for the winner to select one of the books currently languishing in my review piles that realistically I'm unlikely to read anytime soon. If you missed Monday's giveaway post explaining what the TBR giveaways are about, you can read it here.

The broad genre I'm using today is Women's Fiction as I have a mixture of books that cover Contemporary fiction, Romantic Comedy, Romance or Saga and I think in the selection of books below these are widely covered. As mentioned previously these are either duplicate copies where I already have a proof copy or eBook to review or have been received out of the blue and I'm unlikely to be reading for review in the near future.

Blogiversary Giveaway: Win a 'Designated Reader' slogan tote bag

The tote bag giveaways always prove popular so I couldn't do these blogiversary celebrations without doing a giveaway for another one.

I recently ran a poll on Twitter with a choice of 4 options as have been buying tote bags whenever I see them in the sale and the resounding winner with 54% of the vote was this Designated Reader tote from Gibbs Smith.   

Blogiversary Giveaway: Take your pick from a selection of Crime/Thriller Books

You've heard the saying 'So Many Books, So Little Time' but sadly for me at the moment that is so true as looking at my current TBR piles it's made me realistically think about what I can actually read versus what I would like to read... I would like to read every single book but realistically it's just not possible!

So I've decided to run a couple of giveaways this week, as part of the blogiversary celebrations, offering someone the chance to win one of a selection of books that is either a duplicate (I already have proof copy or eBook) or has been received unsolicited from a publisher.  I've decided to split this into genres so today's books of choice are Crime or Thrillers.

Emma's Blogiversary Giveaway: Win a £10 Amazon Gift Voucher from Emma

Another day, another giveaway generously donated by Emma. Today it's your chance to win a £10 Amazon UK voucher so that you can treat yourself to a book or two. So what books are at the top of your wishlist? 📚😉

Blogiversary Giveaway: Win a Shakespeare Bookworm Black Leather Morton Card Holder from Yoshi

Ever since Milly Johnson tweeted about Yoshi last year I have become addicted to their site and might have treated myself to a few items from their Coral Bookworm range which appears to have now been discontinued but not before I bought myself a bag, purse, travel card holder, credit card holder & keyring 🤣

They have recently introduced a few new collections into the Bookworm range so I might just have to treat myself to something else for Christmas and my birthday in January 😉 One of the new collections is a Shakespeare range so because I had a discount code available I decided to buy this leather card holder as a giveaway prize.

Blogiversary Giveaway: Win a Halloween 🎃 bundle

I haven't done a Halloween giveaway the last few years but when I was browsing for bookish items for my blogiversary giveaways I saw this Jack Smiley tote bag that was perfect for Halloween 🎃 so decided to buy it as well as a few other items as well to make up a giveaway bundle as who doesn't love a bag, book, bookmark and sweet combo 😍

I've decided to run it early to finish on Sunday night so that I can post the bundle to the winner to arrive in time for Halloween night (well if the winner is in the UK, might arrive after Halloween if winner lives internationally). 

Emma's Blogiversary Giveaway: Win a Happy Mail parcel from Emma

Today I'm hosting the first of two giveaways which have been generously donated by Emma, a happy mail parcel.

For those of you who have never heard of a happy mail parcel before, it's basically someone sending a little something in the post to someone else to bring a smile to their face. For most of us the only thing we ever receive in the post are bills, so the idea of receiving something, whether it's simply a card to say you're thinking of them or a bundle of goodies, is a lovely treat. So if you'd like to receive a happy mail parcel from Emma, then enter via the Rafflectopter below.

Books Read: Traces of Her by Amanda Brittany

‘Rose. Rose. Pick up, please. I know who killed her. I know who killed my real mum. I’ve worked it out.’

When Rose’s flighty stepsister Willow disappears to Cornwall, she can’t help but roll her eyes. Willow is always taking off and there is always some kind of emergency.

But after Willow discovers that she was adopted and her birth mother died in tragic circumstances, her trip to the coast sparks a search into her past.

Two days later, when a package arrives at Rose’s house containing a series of four polaroids of four different men, Rose knows that Willow is in trouble. Each photograph a possible murder suspect, their family life begins to unravel, leaving one crucial question unanswered…

Who killed Willow’s mother?

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Emma's Review: The Lost Child by Emily Gunnis

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

1960. Thirteen-year-old Rebecca lives in fear of her father's temper. As a storm batters Seaview Cottage one night, she hears a visitor at the door and a violent argument ensues. By the time the police arrive, Rebecca's parents are dead and the visitor has fled. No one believes Rebecca heard a stranger downstairs...

2014. Iris, a journalist, is sent to cover the story of a new mother on the run with her desperately ill baby. But fatefully the trail leads to the childhood home of Iris's own mother, Rebecca...Seaview Cottage.

As Iris races to unravel what happened the night Rebecca's parents were killed, it's time for Seaview Cottage to give up its secrets.

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Blogiversary Giveaway: Win a Green Beads & Silver Book Charm BookBandz

For today's blogiversary giveaway I have decided to give away this gorgeous green beads & silver Book Charm BookBandz 😍

Regulars of the blog will know that I have been a regular customer of Karen's and have no idea how many orders I have placed for these gorgeous handmade elasticated bookmarks over the years but they've also proved pretty popular when given as presents or offered as giveaway prizes in the past. Sadly Karen is currently taking a break from making them at the moment but I am hopeful that she will start making them again in the future as after this giveaway I only have 1 left as a potential giveaway prize/present.

Blogiversary Giveaway: Win a signed copy of The Things We Left Unsaid by Emma Kennedy

This weekend was a very busy bookish one for me as it was the weekend of Salisbury Literary Festival which I've been blogging about for the last month, so along with Karen from Hair Past A Freckle we went to 4 author events on Saturday and a charity event on Sunday night in aid of The Trussell Trust Food Bank. 

One of the events I was looking forward to was Emma Kennedy in conversation with Caroline Smailes and it certainly didn't disappoint. Emma had the audience in hysterics with her recollection of her earliest memory... let's just say it was a song you wouldn't expect a 3-year-old to sing 🤣

My original intention had been to review The Things We Left Unsaid, as I had previously bought the ebook, alongside this giveaway but sadly time caught up with me and I didn't get a chance to read it beforehand so a review will follow at a later date. So today you could win this duplicate copy of The Things We Left Unsaid that Emma kindly signed on Saturday.

Rachel’s relationship with her mother Eleanor has always been far from perfect. Eleanor is a renowned artist forged in the swinging sixties, and Rachel has forever lived in the shadow of her success.

Celebrating 8 years of Book Blogging with a giveaway or two 😉

I'm not sure if it's just because I'm getting older but it only seems like yesterday that I was celebrating 7 years of being a book blogger but yet that time of year has come around again. This year has been a bit hit and miss reading and blogging wise for me, for a number of reasons, but the one thing that's never changed is my love of being part of the blogging and book community. There's always someone on hand to support you through the rough patches and help you celebrate the good times - not just book related but in your personal life too. I can honestly say I have made some friends for life in this online community and have been fortunate to have met many in real life now too.

As with previous years there will be a few giveaways throughout the rest of October as a way of saying thank you for your support of the blog. Normally I would buy a few things in advance, and I do have a few goodies which I'll be giving away in the next week or so, but for today's giveaway I'm going to do things a little differently.

Emma's Review: Rewrite the Stars by Emma Heatherington

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

From the moment they meet one December day there’s something between Charlotte Taylor and her brother’s best friend, Tom Farley. But Tom’s already taken and Charlie has to let him go…

It’s another five years before their paths cross again only a secret from the past forces Charlie to make a choice. She promises herself she’ll never look back…

The years pass and Charlie moves on with her life but she can never forget Tom. He’s always there whispering ‘What if?’.

Can Charlie leave the life she has built for one last chance with Tom?  Or is the one that got away not really the one at all…?

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Emma's Review: The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

1925. The war is over and a new generation is coming of age, keen to put the trauma of the previous one behind them. 

Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing whose life is dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure; to parties and drinking and staying just the right side of scandal. Lawrence Weston is a struggling artist, desperate to escape the poverty of his upbringing and make something of himself.  When their worlds collide one summer night, neither can resist the thrill of the forbidden, the lure of a love affair that they know cannot possibly last.

But there is a dark side to pleasure and a price to be paid for breaking the rules.  By the end of that summer everything has changed.

A decade later, nine year old Alice is staying at Blackwood Hall with her distant grandparents, piecing together clues from her mother’s letters to discover the secrets of the past, the truth about the present, and hope for the future. 

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Salisbury Literary Festival: Q&A with Richard Roper

Today I have a bonus Q&A today with Richard Roper ahead of his appearance at Salisbury Literary Festival this weekend.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
Absolutely. Something to Live For is technically my debut but I wrote a couple of books before this which didn’t make it. I had decided that my third attempt was probably going to be my last, so thankfully it was the one that made came off! I was lucky enough to get a brilliant agent – Laura Williams at Greene & Heaton – and within a week of the book going out on submission I was in the mad position of having a UK and US book deal, with some European ones on the way. It made all the rejection and early morning starts worthwhile!

I'm looking forward to your panel at this year's Salisbury Literary Festival, how did you feel to be invited to be part of the festival? And what are you most looking forward to about your event? 
Thank you! I’m really looking forward to it, and I’m really flattered to have been asked. I’ve done a few festivals in the last month or so and it’s just the nicest thing to be given the opportunity to talk about your book, hear from other authors, and get to meet lots of lovely readers.

If  you had to give an elevator pitch for Something to Live For, what would it be?
A darkly comic, ultimately uplifting tale of a man who is faced with a dilemma: to carry on living a lie, or risk losing everything to have another shot at living life to the full.    

Sometimes you have to risk everything to find your something...

All Andrew wants is to be normal. He has the perfect wife and 2.4 children waiting at home for him after a long day. At least, that's what he's told people.

The truth is, his life isn't exactly as people think and his little white lie is about to catch up with him.

Because in all Andrew's efforts to fit in, he's forgotten one important thing: how to really live. And maybe, it's about time for him to start.

Loneliness and living  alone is at the heart of Something to Live For, both for Andrew with his fictional family and the people who have died with no next of kin, where did the inspiration come from for these storylines?    
What sparked the story was an article I read about the council workers who have to deal with the situation when someone dies alone. I knew I wanted to follow a character who did that job. And then I started to think about periods of loneliness I had been through myself, which had led to experiences both comic and sad, and decided to explore that further with my protagonist, Andrew.

Salisbury Literary Festival: Introducing the Salisbury Greats by Tom Bromley

It's almost time for this year's Salisbury Literary Festival to begin so for the final post for this year it's my pleasure to hand the blog over to festival director Tom Bromley to introduce this year's Salisbury Greats.

One of the reasons for setting up the Salisbury Literary Festival was in order to celebrate its rich and varied literary heritage. Each year, the festival includes a Salisbury Greats strand, where we look in detail at the work of some of these authors, and the 2019 festival is no exception.

Over the centuries Salisbury and the surrounding area has provided both a setting for a number of wonderful novels, and also a home to many great writers themselves. Most recently, the playwright Barney Norris, who grew up in Salisbury, published his debut novel, Five Rivers Met On A Wooded Plain. At the heart of his book is the place he describes as ‘this quiet city, where the spire soars into the blue, where rivers and stories weave into one another, where lives intertwine.’

But Barney Norris is by no means the first writer to write about Salisbury. Norris attended Bishop Wordsworth’s School, which from 1945 to 1961 was famously graced with the presence of William Golding – one of the rare handful of novelists to have won both the Booker Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature. It was while Golding was a teacher at the school that he wrote his most famous book, Lord of the Flies. However much his observations of pupil behaviour fed into that novel, the setting of Bishop Wordsworth’s certainly influenced his 1964 novel, The Spire. As well as working in such close proximity to the cathedral, Golding’s time at Bishop Wordsworth’s coincided with the rebuilding of the top of the spire between 1945 and 1951 – an echo of his own novel about the building of the medieval cathedral.

Giveaway: Win a pair of tickets to see Keith Stuart & Richard Roper at Salisbury Literary Festival

This time next week it will be the main and busy day of events at Salisbury Literary Festival and kicking off the events at Salisbury Playhouse will be Keith Stuart and Richard Roper in conversation.

Keith Stuart is a journalist who has been covering video games and digital culture for over 20 years, he has written for numerous publications and is the video games correspondent for The Guardian. His bestselling debut novel, A Boy Made of Blocks, which was inspired by Keith’s relationship with his autistic son, was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. His second novel, Days of Wonder, was published in February.

Tom, devoted single father to Hannah, is the manager of a tiny local theatre. On each of her birthdays, its colourful cast of part-time actors have staged a fantastical production just for her - a day of wonder. However hard life gets, all Tom wants to do is make every moment magical for her.

Now, as Hannah begins to spread her wings, the theatre comes under threat of closure and the two could lose one another. But maybe, just maybe, one final day of magic might just save them both.

Richard Roper is a non-fiction editor at Headline. His debut novel, Something To Live For, was inspired by an article he read about the council workers who deal with situations when someone dies alone. A warm-hearted and humorous novel in the vein of David Nicholls and Nick Hornby, it was published by Orion in June.

Salisbury Literary Festival: Q&A with Ayisha Malik

Today I'm delighted to welcome Ayisha Malik to the blog to chat about her latest book This Green and Pleasant Land as well as her appearance at Salisbury Literary Festival later this month.

Welcome back to the blog Ayisha, I can't believe it's been 4 years since I hosted a Q&A with you on publication day for your debut novel.  Can you give us a brief recap/intro to yourself and your writing journey.  Thanks for having me back! My debut novel was Sofia Khan is not Obliged and it was followed by its sequel, The Other Half of Happiness. SKINO was a CityRead London book this year so it was nice to relive talking about my first book. More recently, my third novel, This Green and Pleasant Land, was published. 

I’d always wanted to be a writer and I’d been told that the best way to get published is to work in a publishing house… I guess it worked since I spent several years working in publishing. First as a publicist at Penguin Random House and then as an editor at Cornerstones Literary Consultancy. 

How did you feel to be invited to be a part of this year's Salisbury Literary Festival?  And what are you most looking forward to about your event? (Sadly I cannot attend your event due to a scheduling clash so hope to hear all about it from a friend instead).

It's lovely to be invited to a festival so close to Dorset, which is where I went to research This Green and Pleasant Land – though it’s not explicitly set there, it is very much based on West Dorset. I’m looking forward to chatting to readers and the audience about the book and the writing process.  

If  you had to give an elevator pitch for This Green and Pleasant Land, what would it be?
When I first told my agent about the story I had in mind she called it a cross between The Vicar of Dibley and The Casual Vacancy. This was pleasing. 

Everyone has a place they call home. But who gets to decide where you belong?

Books Read: Ask Me No Questions by Louisa de Lange

TWINS HAVE A SPECIAL BOND SOMEONE WILL KILL TO BREAK . . .

As children, Gabi and Thea were like most identical twin sisters: inseparable.

Now adults, Gabi is in a coma following a vicious attack and Thea claims that, until last week, the twins hadn't spoken in fifteen years. But what caused such a significant separation? And what brought them back together so suddenly?

Digging into the case, DS Kate Munro is convinced the crime was personal. Now she must separate the truth from the lies and find the dangerous assailant - before any more blood is spilled . . .

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Books Read: The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen

We’ve all done things we’re ashamed of . . .

When Ava arrives at Brodie’s Watch, she thinks she has found the perfect place to hide from her past. Something terrible happened, something she is deeply ashamed of, and all she wants is to forget.

But the old house on the hill both welcomes and repels her and Ava quickly begins to suspect she is not alone. Either that or she is losing her mind.

The house is full of secrets, but is the creeping sense of danger coming from within its walls, or from somewhere else entirely?

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