Author Interview: Charlotte Butterfield

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Charlotte Butterfield to the blog to talk about her latest book By This Time Tomorrow which is published in paperback tomorrow.

Can you tell us a little about your writing journey? 
As a child I always loved writing stories; my Dad would photocopy them and I’d sell them at school for 5p! I went on to study English Lit at university and then became a journalist. I didn’t tell anyone at all but when I was living in Dubai working as a magazine editor I wrote a novel and entered it in a competition for unpublished writers at Emirates Literature Festival in 2016 and came second. I couldn’t believe it. The lovely literary agent Luigi Bonomi was one of the judges and signed me. He got me a three-book deal with One More Chapter at Harper Collins and I’ve now got a two-book deal with Hodder & Stoughton. 

Can you give an elevator pitch about your latest book? 
Jessica Bay has it all and it’s all too much. An overworked GP in a busy London practice, mum of two wayward teenagers, wife to Fergus who can remember that it’s been 632 days since they last slept together but can’t remember to put the bins out, Jess leaps at the chance to move to a tiny island in the English Channel to get her family back on track. This island harbours a secret, it can take you back to any day in your past so you get a second chance to do it right. The trouble is, the more Jess meddles in the past, the more she risks losing everything in her present. 

Author Interview: Jo Jakeman

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Jo Jakeman back to the blog to talk about her latest book What His Wife Knew.

Welcome back to the blog Jo, can you give us a quick recap on your writing journey?
It’s lovely to be back. Thanks for having me. I suppose I started writing ‘seriously’ when my children began school, but I struggled to get an agent. In 2016 I did a writing course with Curtis Brown Creative. It was the first time I’d attempted to write a thriller and it just clicked. I got an agent that year and a book deal a few months later. Sticks and Stones was released back in 2018 and it seems like such a long time ago now. Safe House followed in 2019 and, most recently, What His Wife Knew was released. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book What His Wife Knew, what would it be?
What His Wife Knew is about Beth, whose husband apparently died by suicide. Despite the suicide note, she refuses to believe he would leave her this way. While trying to discover who wanted her husband dead, Beth unearths many secrets and, in doing so, risks destroying the life she’s built. 

SORRY

The only word scribbled on a note from Beth's husband before he disappeared.

The police believe that Oscar took his own life and this last apology was his way of saying goodbye to his wife. But Beth knows there is more to the story. As disturbing secrets about his life emerge, and the lies of those closest to her begin to unravel, she realises she never really knew her husband at all.

She wants to know what he was sorry for, and she's going to find out... but someone doesn't want her to discover the truth.

And they'll do anything to stop her.

All of your books have featured revenge in one form or another, what is it about exploring this topic that inspires you?
I like to write (and read) about normal people in extreme situations. I often ask myself what makes seemingly law-abiding citizens take matters into their own hands. What makes people snap? The truth is that no one likes to see people get away with hurting others or deceiving them. We love to see the bad guys get their comeuppance, but there are two sides to every story. The bad guy rarely believes they are in the wrong and I find that complexity fascinating. 

Both Beth and Oscar have secrets, was that planned from the outset or did it creep up on you whilst writing?
I knew Oscar’s secrets from the beginning but, with Beth, I only knew that she had something she was keeping hidden, and that she needed to keep buried at all costs. I didn’t work out what her secret was until I was halfway through writing the novel. 

Author Interview: Rebecca Bradley

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Rebecca Bradley to the blog for a chat about her latest book Love Lies Bleeding. 

Welcome back to the blog Rebecca, can you give us a quick recap on your writing journey?
Thanks for having me, Sharon. It’s great to be here again. I published my first novel, Shallow Waters, the first book in the DI Hannah Robbins series, in December 2014. In May 2015 I officially retired from the police service on medical grounds and I’ve been a full-time writer since. I’ve released eight books in the Hannah Robbins series, two standalone novels and two books in the DI Claudia Nunn series. A new series set in Sheffield. 

I’m also working on a secret side project which I hope will come to something positive next year. Keep your fingers crossed for me. It’s the most difficult project I’ve attempted.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Loves Lies Bleeding, what would it be? 
When a women is found stabbed in her home Hannah enters the world of women who love lifers. 

A murdered woman brings Detective Hannah Robbins into the world of women who love lifers.

Audrey King, a teacher of young children, did nothing but fall for Wendell Hayes. A man serving life for slaughtering his family. She’s found dead in her home with the murderous signature of the very man she visited, but there’s no way he could have killed Audrey from inside prison.

Hayes, the son who took a hammer to his parents, his pregnant sister and her husband, horrifies detective Hannah Robbins. The threats he made against her when she arrested him for those murders still haunt her. Yet she must confront him if she is to get to the bottom of this brutal crime.

But Hayes isn’t the only one haunting Hannah’s slowly fracturing mind. A previous case where she was the victim is destroying her. Can she find justice for Audrey before her world spirals out of control, or will she take the investigation down with her?

Author Interview: Tessa Harris

Although December is mainly going to be about Christmas on the blog, it's my pleasure to welcome author Tessa Harris to talk about her latest book The Light We Left Behind which is published today. 

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
I wrote my first story on a piece of wallpaper when I was just four years old and, after reading History at Oxford, I became a journalist and editor. All the while, however, I wanted to write novels, which I did in my spare time. Finally, after penning five novels and receiving dozens of rejections over the course of thirty years, my debut, The Anatomist’s Apprentice, was published in 2012. It won the Romantic Times Best First Mystery 2012 award. Now I have eleven historical novels - set between the late 18th century and World War 2 - to my name. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book, The Light We Left Behind, what would it be? 
It’s a love story between a young psychologist, Maddie, and a German Jewish émigré, Max, who work in Trent Park, a luxury POW camp for German generals there their every word is secretly taped. The problem is when the walls have ears, who can you trust? There’s a traitor in the mansion and both Maddie and Max risk everything to flush them out. 

England: 1944

When psychologist Maddie Gresham is sent a mysterious message telling her to report to Trent Park mansion, she wonders how she will be helping the war effort from a stately home. 

Having signed the official secrets act, she soon finds captured Nazi generals are being detained at the house. Bugged with listening devices in every room, it’s up to Maddie to gain the Nazis’ trust and coax them into giving up information. 

When Max Weitzler, a Jewish refugee, also arrives at Trent Park with the same mission, Maddie finds herself trapped in a dangerous game of chess.

The two met in Germany before the war, and Maddie’s heart was his from the moment they locked eyes. The hope that Max had escaped the Nazi threat was her guiding light in the darkness of war.

But Maddie has finally gained the trust of the Nazi officers at the house, and her love for Max must remain a secret.

As Hitler’s bombs destroy more and more English towns, it is up to Maddie to make one of the captured officers talk – at any cost.

But when there’s a shocking death at the mansion, Maddie realises that not everyone at Trent Park is on the same side. 

When the walls have ears, who can you trust?

Author Interview: Annette Hannah

Today it's my pleasure to welcome blogger and author Annette Hannah to the blog to celebrate the publication of her latest book Poppy's Christmas Wishes which is published this Thursday.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?
Hi, I’m originally from Liverpool but moved to Hertfordshire in the eighties with my husband. We now have three grown up children and a cocker spaniel. I’d always wanted to write but didn’t really know where to start and I’ve always been an avid reader. One day I saw a message on Facebook asking for fans of Milly Johnson to be part of a promotional team called #TeamMilly. I put my name forward and was one of the lucky ones to be chosen. I can honestly say it changed my life. I’d not long lost my Mum and was feeling quite lost at the time but then I was being invited to afternoon tea at the Grosvenor House hotel in London with Milly and all the team. Then I was invited to a Spring Blogger evening as Simon and Schuster Head Office. I didn’t know what to expect but I saw five wonderful authors launching their books, including Milly Johnson and Heidi Swain who was promoting her debut at the time. I went home and told my daughter about the event and she said I can set a blog up for you and that’s when Sincerely Book Angels was born and I became a blogger. It wasn’t long before my quotes were appearing on my favourite authors’ books and I just couldn’t believe it. I loved blogging because it was so exciting reading books well in advance of them being published and being invited to launch parties and meeting some absolutely wonderful people. The other thing with blogging was that it helped me to find my voice and to be brave enough to share what I wrote with others.

Having been involved with #TeamBATC over at Simon and Schuster with the lovely Sara-Jade Virtue I became aware of their #ONEDAY #DigitalOriginals where un-agented authors can submit to them. I plucked up the courage to write three chapters to send in but then I panicked and thought what if they want more, so I panic wrote the rest of the book in three weeks. It got rejected but that didn’t matter because I’d fulfilled my lifelong ambition and written a book. It was an amazing feeling and that book was actually Poppy’s Christmas Wishes which has since been through several rounds of editing.

I wrote a book a year after that and when Simon and Schuster asked for a full of my third attempt, I knew I must be getting close. That one was rejected too but last year I submitted it to Dash Digital who are now Orion Dash and I was offered my first two book deal. That book was Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Café and this year I’ve been offered another two book deal with Poppy’s Christmas Wishes being the first of those. It’s been an exciting journey and is a real dream come true.

Author Interview: Claire Handscombe

Today I'm joining in the publication day celebrations for Girl, Unstrung and it's my pleasure to welcome author Claire Handscombe to the blog. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?
I wrote a lot as a pre-teen and teenager, but for lots of reasons I sort of stopped for a long time after that. Then in 2008, I started watching The West Wing, and something about the way language is used in that show re-awakened that creative part of my brain. I started reading a lot of novels and a lot of books about writing and dived into my first novel!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Girl, Unstrung, what would it be?
Girl, Unstrung is a YA contemporary about a teen violist with a big life plan and a distracting crush on a Scrabble geek.

Nothing's going to distract Clara from her burgeoning career as a viola player. 
Not her semi-famous dad. 

Not her new stepmom. 
Not her annoying sisters. 
And definitely not Tim, the swoopy-haired Scrabble geek...

You might think it's fun to grow up around Hollywood with semi-famous parents. You'd be wrong, and Clara Cassidy would be the first to tell you so.

She's fourteen, figuring out life with three siblings and a new stepmom, and navigating her freshman year at a stupid high school where she doesn't even want to be. She was supposed to be at arts school by now.

It's fine, though, totally fine: she's going to practice her viola extra hard and get into LACHSA next year. She's definitely 100 percent focused and not even slightly going to get distracted by Tim, the sophomore Scrabble champion with the swoopy hair and the chin dimple. Nope. Not her.

Where did the inspiration come from to include an aspiring classical musician as your central character? And how much research did you need to do into learning about playing the viola?
It was kind of by accident! Girl, Unstrung is set in the same world as my debut novel, Unscripted. In that novel, one of the main characters has four kids and I made the eldest a viola player because I wanted something a bit more offbeat than the violin. I wanted her to say in her pre-teen way, “Duhhh, it’s the viola, not the violin” at one point and then I ended up giving her her own story!

Author Interview: Lauren Emily Whalen

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author, journalist and performer Lauren Emily Whalen to the blog to talk about her latest book Two Winters. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?
Sure! I am a writer, performer and Shakespeare enthusiast who lives in Chicago, Illinois, USA with my black cat Rosaline (named after a character I played in the Bard’s Love’s Labour’s Lost!). I didn’t start writing fiction until my late twenties, as I have degrees in theater and law and a professional background in nonprofit fundraising and corporate administration. However, I’ve always loved to read, and once I started writing, I found I couldn’t stop!

My short stories have appeared in three different anthologies, and I have written four books for young adults: one nonfiction and three novels. My latest novel, Two Winters, is now available in print and digital everywhere you buy books.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Two Winters, what would it be?
Two Winters is a queer young adult reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, about birth, death, Catholic school, improv comedy and the healing nature of time.  

The winter of 1997 is a tragedy waiting to happen. Small-town life isn't easy for seventeen-year-old bisexual and closeted Paulina, especially when her best friend Mia becomes pregnant and doesn’t want to tell the baby's father, Paulina's other best friend, Tesla. Meanwhile, Paulina's secret relationship with volleyball star Ani is about to go public. One fateful night, everything changes forever.

In the winter of 2014, Perdita, bi and proud in Chicago, is weeks away from turning seventeen. She loves her two moms, but why won’t they talk about her adoption? When Perdita meets improv performer Fenton, she discovers both a kindred soul and a willing accomplice in her search for the truth. Will Perdita find what she's looking for?

Author Interview: Trevor Atkins

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Trevor Atkins to the blog to talk about his latest Childrens Adventure book The Day the Pirates Went Mad. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
Of course! I live on the west coast of Canada with my family and I’ve been working with words for much of my life, but have only recently pursued historical fiction. Even writing with the aim to publish has only come about recently. I was first motivated to show my daughter that nowadays there are easily available platforms through which you can share your creative ideas with the world. That’s how we ended up writing our three-act play, “The King and Queen’s Banquet”. 

This latest story, “The Day the Pirates Went Mad”, was intended to be just a short story with nuggets of real life from the Golden Age of Pirates woven in – to help make learning fun. But as the scenes were outlined and the historical research progressed, it grew into a proper-sized novel!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for The Day the Pirates Went Mad, what would it be? 
“The Day the Pirates Went Mad” is an entertaining ‘cozy’ historical fiction set at the turn of the 18th century during the Age of Sail. Although intended for ages 10-12, older readers can also enjoy this story and it’s suitable for sharing with younger readers when supported by an adult. (You know your kids’ reading-level best!)

Seeking adventure and fortune, Emma Sharpe runs away from the orphanage she was sent to after her parents landed in debtors’ prison. She stows away aboard the New Adventure and finds a home and a new family in the comradery of the crew, but she wonders what her special skill is; why did the captain allow her to stay?

Now she is on her way to the West Indies, the setting of so many of the stories she has heard, about exploration and pirates. After being blown off course to a deserted island, the crew recovers a cursed pirate treasure. As the situation aboard ship worsens, Emma and her friend, Jack Randall, must dare to confront the growing danger before it’s too late.

While exploring a theme of greed/wealth vs. family/friends, “The Day the Pirates Went Mad” also conveys a ‘boatload’ of learning about the life and times of those sailing the seas 300 years ago – but without dwelling on the grittier realities (that’s the ‘cozy’ part). Entertainingly educational!

In that vein, we also have a Teacher’s Guide on the website, and are adding behind-the-scenes and research-related posts in an on-going basis. In the New Year, we’ll be putting more of a STEAM focus on these resources.

That’s the gist of it without giving away the details!

Debut Spotlight: Christopher Parker

Today it's my pleasure to be shining the spotlight on author Christopher Parker and his debut novel The Lighthouse which was published last month. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
Sure! I’m a self-employed father of one from Auckland, New Zealand. My writing journey started a very long time ago when I was just a kid. I loved writing short stories and poems and would spend hours with my head buried in a notebook writing all sorts of nonsense. From an early age I was always remember being drawn to the written word and being attracted to the power of what it could unlock. Unfortunately, as I grew older, my writing fell away and it wasn’t until I was in my 30s and had the idea for The Lighthouse that I decided to revisit my childhood hobby.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your debut novel The Lighthouse, what would it be?   
A chance encounter leads to an enchanting weekend for Amy and Ryan, whose lives are forever changed when they uncover the secrets of Seabrook's mysterious lighthouse.

Something strange is happening in Seabrook. The town's lighthouse–dormant for over thirty years and famously haunted–has inexplicably started shining, and its mysterious glow is sparking feverish gossip throughout the spooked community.

Amy Tucker is only visiting for the night and has no plans to get caught up in the hysteria, but that changes when she meets Ryan, the loyal, hard-working son of a ranch owner who lives on the outskirts of town.

Their chance encounter turns into an unforgettable weekend, and against the backdrop of the lighthouse-obsessed town, the two of them forge a deep connection, opening their hearts, baring their souls, and revealing secrets long kept hidden.

But as they grow closer, and as the lighthouse glows ever brighter, a startling discovery about Ryan leaves Amy questioning everything she thought she knew. To uncover the truth about her new friend, Amy will need to enter Seabrook’s ominous tower, where waiting inside she will not only find the reason why fate has brought them together… but a shocking secret that will change the course of their lives forever.

Author Interview: Karen Telling

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Karen Telling to the blog to talk about publishing her memoir Another Day in Paradise.   

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and why you decided to write and publish this memoir? 
I started writing this book in around 2012.  I’ve always enjoyed writing and came second in a short story competition around the same time.  I didn’t know I would publish it, as self publishing wasn’t really an option then, but I wanted to record my experience of surgery in a foreign country, even just for myself.  I then forgot about it until lockdown, when I found it again whilst sorting through papers in an old filing cabinet.   I had retired from my holiday property rental business a couple of years earlier, mainly due to my disability, so I had the time to carry on and finish it.  

My main reason for publishing was to tell our story, which wasn’t one of retiring abroad, or buying and renovating a ruin, but of moving to Portugal in our late 30s/early 40s, finding work and living in rentals until we found somewhere to buy.  These are different challenges from those in similar memoirs that I have read.  I also wanted to show how much kindness we have experienced.  Strangers went out of their way to help us when I was extremely vulnerable in hospital, and I will always appreciate that.  There are humorous moments too and I have been told the book provokes both laughter and tears.  Finally, it’s the story of our beloved pets, the ones we took with us from the U.K. and those that adopted us in that first year.  I am hoping to publish a sequel in the next few months with the stories of more of our animal rescue journey, but am currently bottle feeding two abandoned puppies so I don’t have as much free time as usual!

Author Interview: Maggie Christensen

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Maggie Christensen back to the blog to talk about her latest book A Mother's Story which was published last week. 

Hi Maggie and welcome back to the blog, can you give us a little intro about yourself?
I’ve always been an avid reader and, as an only child, loved making up stories and playing with my imaginary friends. But it wasn’t till I was close to retirement that I started writing fiction.

I grew up in Scotland and became a primary teacher, but always wanted to travel. When I was twenty-five I came to Australia to teach for two years, lured by the call to “Come and teach in the sun” and a picture of a bare-chested man wearing swim shorts and a gown and mortar board. I loved Australia so much I decided to stay.

Now retired, I live with my husband of over thirty-five years on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast and, when not writing, spend my time reading, walking on the beach or having coffee in one of our favourite cafes by the river.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book A Mother's Story, what would it be?
In Scotland in 1941, Rhona Begg defies her parents to join the ATS. At the same time in Australia, Nell worries for her husband fighting in the Far East. Years later the two women’s lives collide in an unexpected manner. A sweeping family saga filled with emotion taking the reader from wartime Scotland to present day Australia.

A lost child. A mother’s grief. A daughter’s journey.

In Scotland, in1941, as WW2 increases in ferocity, Rhona Begg goes against her parents’ wishes and enlists in the ATS—a decision that brings with it heart-breaking consequences. After the war, weighed down with regret and grief, Rhona receives news that has the power to change her life.

Across the ocean in Australia, Nell Duncan worries about her husband who is fighting in the Far East. When she receives the dreaded news that he is missing in action, her world collapses. The end of the war brings changes to Nell’s life, but her dream of bearing a child is no longer possible and she grieves for what might have been.

In 1971, when Joy Baker gives birth to her daughter, she begins the journey to discover her ancestry. What she finds shocks her to the core and propels her on a journey to the land of her birth.

Three women. Three mothers. Three astonishing stories.

Author Interview: Rebecca Raisin

It feels like forever since Rebecca Raisin was last featured on the blog so it's my pleasure to welcome her to the blog today to talk about her latest book Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop which was published last month. 

Hi Rebecca and welcome back to the blog. It's been a while since you last visited us so can you give readers a quick intro to yourself and recap of your writing journey. 
Thanks for having me back! I’m a romance writer from Australia who writes for HQ Stories. About eight years ago I entered a competition with Carina (now HQ Stories) and won a two-book publishing contract. I’ve been with them ever since! I write heart-warming rom coms, usually set in exotic locations. My books always have a strong friendship element and my heroines are on the quirky side! 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Flora's Travelling Christmas Shop, what would it be?
Festive Flora’s life implodes so she jumps out of her comfort zone and into a Van Life and and sets off to Lapland, where she meets a Scrooge-like hero who is in need of a Christmas intervention! 

’Tis the season for mulled wine, mince pies, and magic under the mistletoe…

Flora loves Christmas more than anything else in the world, so she’s gutted when her Scrooge-alike boss fires her from Deck the Halls Christmas emporium. But now she finally has a chance to follow her dreams – and what better place to start than the home of Christmas?

Before she can say ‘sleigh bells’, Flora’s on her way to Lapland in a campervan-cum-Christmas-shop. She can’t wait to spend her days drinking hot chocolate and taking reindeer-drawn carriage rides, but something Flora didn’t expect was meeting Connor, a Norse god of a man who makes her heart flutter and snowflakes swirl in her stomach. There’s just one problem: Connor hates Christmas.

Can Flora convince Connor of the joys of Christmas – and will she find a festive romance along the way?

I love the idea of a road trip in a camper van to Lapland, where did the inspiration come from?
I’m fascinated by the Van Life phenomenon that’s gained in popularity over the last few years. The whole idea being you live a minimalist life, work on your own terms, either out of your van with a pop-up shop (like Flora does) or as a digital nomad, or whatever takes your fancy. These Van Lifers are leaving the 9-5 behind, the eye watering mortgages, and living simply while exploring the globe in their vans. It appealed to my sense of adventure and love of travel. If I could fit my family and pooch in a little van, I would! 

Author Interview: Elizabeth Coffey

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Elizabeth Coffey to the blog to talk about publishing her memoir And the Little One Said.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
As a child I would listen to my dad’s bedtime stories, it fuelled my imagination so much I would interrupt him and end up taking over. One day he came home from work with an unused office diary for me to write in. I remember the excitement, it looked like an empty book waiting to be written, so that’s exactly what I did. Luckily it was red so I was able to write the title on the hard front cover in black marker pen so it looked like a real book. I called it ‘Murder on the 4.30’. I didn’t bother to mention if it was a bus or a train or where it was going or anything (minor detail).

Do you have a typical writing day or routine?
I sit at my desk and stare at the trees for a bit, get distracted by social media, then have to hide my phone so I can focus. I take the dogs out after lunch, get a bit of fresh air and mental space then it’s back to it. I stop about 4pm for a couple of hours to sort out dinner (and lie to myself that that’s enough for one day) then end up writing until about 8pm. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your memoir And the Little One Said, what would it be? 
My memoir; And the Little One Said is about our close-knit family of ten becoming two. It struck me, at an early age, being the ‘little one’ of the family, there was a high probability my dearly loved much older brothers and sisters were all going to die before me. I didn’t expect it would be quite so soon and each one in spectacularly tragic different circumstances.

Debut Spotlight: Heidi Stephens

Today it's my pleasure to be shining the spotlight on Heidi Stephens on the paperback publication day of her debut novel Two Metres from You. 

© Nick Cole

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?

OK, let’s start with the introductions... I’m Heidi Stephens, I’m 47 and I live with my boyfriend, Pip, in Chippenham in Wiltshire. I have two children, both grown-up and flown the nest, and an 18-month old Labrador called Mabel.

My writing journey began at work, as is often the case for people like me who came to writing novels a little later in life. I’ve made my living in the marketing and advertising industry for over 20 years, including working as a copywriter for lots of brands and advertising agencies, covering everything from vacuum cleaners to face creams, whisky and sex toys.

Since 2008, I’ve also freelanced as a journalist, primarily liveblogging TV shows for The Guardian. Bake Off, Strictly, Eurovision ... all the good stuff.

So, I guess writing, in one form or another, has always been a profession, but also a passion for as long as I can remember. Reading and writing stories were all I ever wanted to do as a child.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your debut novel Two Metres from You, what would it be?  
It’s a 2020-set romantic comedy about a 32-year-old woman called Gemma who flees her cheating boyfriend and ends up spending lockdown in a west country village with her dog, Mabel. It’s the story of a life-changing six weeks for Gemma and the people she meets in the village – romantic, uplifting and fun.

Love might be closer than you think . . .

Gemma isn't sure what upsets her more. The fact she just caught her boyfriend cheating, or that he did it on her brand-new Heal's cushions.

All she knows is she needs to put as many miles between her and Fraser as humanly possible. So, when her best friend suggests a restorative few days in the West Country, it seems like the perfect solution.

That is, until the country enters a national lockdown that leaves her stranded. All she has for company is her dog, Mabel. And the mysterious (and handsome!) stranger living at the bottom of her garden . . .

Two Metres from You is set during the early days of lockdown, were you worried about how readers would react to a novel set during a pandemic?  
Honestly, in the beginning I never gave it a thought, because it genuinely never occurred to me that this book would ever be published. I’d been furloughed from my job at a marketing agency in London, so it started out as an experiment in ‘can I write a book?’, mostly as a way to fill the time. I chose a lockdown romance because it really helped me navigate a challenging time – somehow documenting what was happening through a fictional lens gave me some kind of control over it.

Author Interview: Rachel Brimble

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Rachel Brimble back to the blog to talk about her latest book in her Ladies of Carson Street series, Trouble for the Leading Lady.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
Of course! I live in a small market town near the wonderful city of Bath. My husband and I will be celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary on 5th June and we have two beautiful daughters who are 22 and almost 20. Oh, and my third child is a chocolate Labrador called Tyler!

My dream to be a published author started when I was around eight or nine and devoured Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven series. I did not seriously pursue my dream until 2005 when my youngest daughter started school full-time. I spent just over a year writing and polishing my first novel which was accepted by the Wild Rose Press in 2007. Since then, I have had over 25 contemporary and historical romance novels published and haven’t looked back!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest novel Trouble for the Leading Lady, what would it be? 
When good time girl Nancy Bloom meets theatre manager Francis Carlyle sparks fly, but as they work side by side towards a shared goal, what they thought impossible becomes entirely possible… I like to think of this trilogy as being a little like the Harlots TV series but with a bigger dose of humour and romance.

Bath, 1852.

As a girl, Nancy Bloom would go to Bath's Theatre Royal, sit on the hard wooden benches and stare in awe at the actresses playing men as much as the women dressed in finery. She longed to be a part of it all and when a man promised her parents he could find a role for Nancy in the theatre, they believed him.

His lie and betrayal led to her ruin.

Francis Carlyle is a theatre manager, an ambitious man always looking for the next big thing to take the country by storm. A self-made man, Francis has finally shed the skin of his painful past and is now rich, successful and in need of a new female star. Never in a million years did he think he'd find her standing on a table in one of Bath's bawdiest pubs.

Author Interview & Giveaway: Gabrielle Yetter

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Gabrielle Yetter to the blog to talk about her debut fiction novel Whisper of the Lotus. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 

As far back as I can remember I have always loved to write. At school, English was my favourite subject and when my career guidance teacher suggested I study journalism, I didn’t hesitate. Once I’d completed my studies, I started working as a reporter on The Star, South Africa’s largest daily newspaper, and soon had my own column as well as writing for the entertainment section where I wrote film and theatre reviews, restaurant critiques and personality profiles. I interviewed a number of celebrities, including Cliff Richard, the Osmonds, David Carradine, and Spike Milligan, and enjoyed being able to peek below the surface, learn what makes people tick, and hear their life stories. 

After leaving South Africa, I went to the U.S. and was always writing something: freelance articles, children’s stories, press releases, marketing pieces and dozens of journals where I chronicled the events of my life. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your debut novel, Whisper of the Lotus, what would it be? 

Whisper of the Lotus is about the journey of a young woman who meets a mysterious old man on her way to Cambodia who changes the direction of her life. She’d originally planned on visiting her best friend and enjoying a foreign holiday but instead finds herself exploring dusty back streets and mystical pagodas in search of a missing person and, ultimately, discovering the real reason for her journey. Part mystery, part self-discovery and part magic, it’s story wrapped up in the sights, sounds, and smells of this exotic Asian country.

Charlotte's mundane, dead-end life lacked excitement. She never imagined that sitting on a plane to Cambodia, struggling with her fear of flying, would lead to her being befriended by a Rashid, an old man whose tragic secret would take her on a mystery tour of discovery.

In a land of golden temples, orange-clad monks, and smiling people, Charlotte discovers nothing is as she'd expected. She also never imagined the journey would take her back to the night when her father walked out on the family.

And who was Rashid? Was he just a kindly old man, or was there something deeper sewn into the exquisite fabric of his life?

How did the title Whisper of the Lotus come about? 

The story of the lotus is about a beautiful flower that begins life underwater covered in mud. As it grows, it pushes toward the surface, and the water washes the mud from its petals so that it emerges into the sunlight.  This tale is a metaphor for my protagonist, Charlotte. When the book begins, she is a timid, naïve young woman trying to free herself from the shackles of a challenged background. But as the story progresses, she discovers truths about her past and emerges as a stronger, more confident and independent young woman.

Author Interview: Deborah Masson

Today's it's my stop on the Out for Blood blog tour and it's my pleasure to be chatting to author Deborah Masson about the latest book in the DI Eve Hunter series.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
I’m a full-time mum to two mini-monsters and my writing journey began when my eldest was around two years old. I needed something ‘just for me’ and to keep the old grey matter ticking over whilst at home bringing up the kids, so I started scribbling in the afternoons whilst she napped. 

Those scribblings led on to entering short story and flash fiction competitions and then eventually to a Professional Writing Academy online course, followed by two Faber Academy online courses. My debut, Hold Your Tongue, was the result of those courses.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book Out for Blood, what would it be? 
DI Eve Hunter and the team are back uncovering a hidden Aberdeen and the gaping divide between the elite and those on the fringes of society.

A young man, the son of an influential businessman, is discovered dead in his central Aberdeen apartment.

Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide.

As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society.

Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long - and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down...

Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?

Out for Blood is the second book in your DI Eve Hunter series, what characteristics would you say best describe Eve? 
Determined, bloody-minded, conscientious and loyal.

Author Interview: J.E. Rowney

Today I welcome author J.E. Rowney to the blog to join in the publication day celebrations of her latest book I Can't Sleep, welcome Jayne. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 

I grew up in the North of England, reading everything I could get my hands on and writing short stories from as early as I can remember. I had a vague idea that I would like to be a journalist, but somehow I ended up being a midwife and then a project manager. I carried on writing in my spare time. When I started working in London, commuting from Yorkshire, I spent a lot of time travelling on trains and writing on my little laptop to pass the time. 

My writing journey actually really got into motion on those actual journeys! I self-published and my debut, “Charcoal” went viral and made it to the bestseller list. I’d like to say that ‘the rest is history’ but writing really took a back seat until last year when I released my second book. Now the time is right for me to commit to writing, and I’m not looking back!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your latest book I Can't Sleep, what would it be?

You know that time, when you’re not quite asleep and you’re not quite awake? You’re not quite sure where you are, or whether what you just heard was part of your dream, or if it is real. Now imagine living your life in that in-between haze…that’s the life that Becky lives. Written from Becky’s point of view, I Can’t Sleep keep you awake at night searching for the truth. 

“I can’t sleep. Not since June 16th, 2018. Not since what happened…”

Traumatised by the events of her past, exhausted by insomnia, Becky Braithwaite believes that a new start will help her to recover. She leaves home to fulfil her brother’s dreams, and honour the life he never had but she soon finds that escaping from the past is not as easy as she imagined.

Is her fatigued mind playing tricks on her, or is danger really lurking in the shadows?

I Can’t Sleep is a switch of genre for you, what attracted you to writing a psychological thriller especially one with Insomnia as the central theme?   

I love reading psychological thrillers but I have noticed a lot of the same themes and plots being recycled. I wanted to do something different. There’s a famous quote that says something along the lines of ‘if the book you want to read hasn’t been written yet then you should write it’. That’s how “I Cant’t Sleep” began. 

I actually suffered with insomnia myself in the past and although I didn’t suffer quite as much as Becky does I did have some experiences that made me question my own mind. 

Debut Spotlight: Emma Christie

Today it's my pleasure to be shining the spotlight on author Emma Christie and her debut novel The Silent Daughter which is published tomorrow.

Emma Christie was born and raised in Ayrshire, Scotland. After studying literature and medieval history at Aberdeen University she spent five years as a news journalist with one of the UK’s top-selling regional daily newspapers, The Press and Journal, covering crime and politics. Emma now lives in Barcelona and works as a tour guide and lecturer in history, culture and politics, leading educational journeys across Spain, France, Portugal and Greece. She loves hiking and coffee and volunteered as a translator on a coffee farm in Nicaragua.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
I worked as a news journalist for five years and loved it – but realised what I really wanted to do was write fiction. I quit my newspaper job in 2010 to go travelling in Latin American and to start writing more seriously. A few years later I was signed to my fantastic agent, Caroline Hardman – and a few years after that I got a book deal for The Silent Daughter!

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your debut novel The Silent Daughter, what would it be? 
The Silent Daughter follows the struggle of Edinburgh news reporter Chris Morrison as he searches for his daughter, Ruth. She’s registered as missing days after wife has an accident and ends up in a coma. Chris is desperately looking for answers, but instead finds a trail of lies and secrets that leads back to his family.

Deceit runs in the family . . .

Chris Morrison is facing his worst nightmare.

His wife is in a coma.

His daughter is missing.

And the only thing more unsettling than these two events . . . is what might connect them.

Some secrets can change a family for ever.

Which came first for you, the characters or the plot? 
Definitely the characters. In fact I had the main character lingering in my head for years before I finally realised I need to listen to that voice and write the story. Sounds a bit odd, but that’s how it happened.

Debut Spotlight: Chrissey Harrison

Today it's my pleasure to be shining the spotlight on author Chrissey Harrison and her debut novel Mime which was published this week.

Chrissey is an author of supernatural thrillers and other spec genre fiction featuring monsters, magic, action and adventure, and fragile human characters trying to muddle through as best they can. They make mistakes and bad choices sometimes, and they have to learn to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses and turn to their friends and loved ones for help and support.

Her debut novel, Mime, was published in July 2020. Working on this book has been an epic 10 year journey learning how to be a writer. In that time she has published multiple short stories including novelette The Star Coin Prophesy and most recently Henchman in the anthology Forgotten Sidekicks from Kristell Ink.

She is a science geek, gamer, fan of sci-fi and fantasy, and wearer of many hats. Metaphorical hats, that is, not so much real hats. At the moment she mostly wears her writer hat, her graphic designer hat and her crafter hat.

She lives in Clevedon, North Somerset, in a creaky old Victorian terrace with her partner and her 18 year-old goldfish, Ambition. You can follow her fish on Twitter if you like (@AquariumDays). One day she will own a cat... one day.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your writing journey started? 
Hi Sharon, thanks for having me on your blog. I’m Chrissey and I’ve been writing seriously for about 10 years now. I used to dabble in fiction as a kid and as a teen, but I drifted away from it in my early 20s. When I was 26, I was making a short film with a group of friends and in that creative atmosphere the idea for Mime was born. Thinking back on my younger years and my passion for fiction, I decided to have a go at writing the idea as a novel. I mean how hard could it be? 

Answer? Hard! I quickly realised I had a lot to learn. Mime has routinely been on the back burner while I built up the toolkit of skills to do it justice. The good thing was that the challenge never put me off. I’ve loved every minute of the journey.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your debut novel Mime, what would it?
“Paranormal journalist takes on demon mime artist.”

Or if it’s a tall building with a lot of floors:

What starts out as an investigation into several unnatural deaths turns into a cross country quest which takes journalists Elliot and Sam to dusty libraries, secret crypts and forgotten tunnels. For Elliot the journey is about discovering his true purpose in life and forgiving himself for past mistakes. For Sam it’s about accepting her past trauma and facing her fears.