Cover Reveal: The Memory Box by Kathryn Hughes

A couple of years ago I was invited to do the cover reveal for Her Last Promise by Kathryn Hughes and today it's my pleasure to reveal the cover for her latest book The Memory Box which is published later this year, eBook in August and paperback in November.

Some love stories can't be forgotten...

Jenny Tanner opens the box she has cherished for decades. Contained within are her most precious mementoes, amongst them a pebble, a carving and a newspaper cutting she can hardly bear to read. But Jenny knows the time is finally here. After the war, in a mountainside village in Italy, she left behind a piece of her heart. However painful, she must return to Cinque Alberi. And lay the past to rest.

Cover Reveal: Her Last Promise by Kathryn Hughes

This morning it's my absolute pleasure to have been asked to do the cover reveal for Kathryn Hughes' latest book Her Last Promise which is published this Summer, eBook 31 May and paperback 22 August.  Isn't it a beauty? 😍

Publisher Link: http://smarturl.it/HerLastPromreveal

Tara Richards was just a girl when she lost her mother. Years later when Tara receives a letter from a London solicitor its contents shake her to the core. Someone has left her a key to a safe deposit box. In the box lies an object that will change everything Tara thought she knew and lead her on a journey to deepest Spain in search of the answers that have haunted her for forty years.

Cover Reveal: I Will Find You by Daniela Sacerdoti

This lunchtime I'm delighted to be taking part in the cover reveal for Daniela Sacerdoti's latest book I Will Find You which is due to be published on 17th May so without further ado here it is... What do you think?

When her mother dies, heartbroken Cora seeks solace on a remote Scottish island. Alone in a crumbling cottage inaccessible at high tide, she discovers the stones have their secrets. 

Cover Reveal: Christmas with You by Sheila O'Flanagan

This lunchtime I'm delighted to be taking part in the cover reveal for Christmas with You by Sheila O'Flanagan which is due to be published on 19th October.  As many of you know I have read most of Sheila's books over the years including this one when it was previously published as A Season to Remember but this has now been updated and new stories added so I know new readers are in for a treat.

So without further ado here is the gorgeous cover for this festive short story collection.

Cover Reveal: What Happened That Night by Sheila O'Flanagan

This afternoon I'm thrilled to have been asked to share with you all the cover for Sheila O'Flanagan's new novel What Happened That Night which is published in eBook and Hardcover formats on 15th June.  I am a huge fan of Sheila's books, and have read them all over the years, although I usually wait until the paperback is published so still have The Missing Wife to read which is out next month.

So without further ado here is the cover for What Happened That Night which certainly teases at the mystery of the story that's told within the pages of this book with its tagline 'In one moment, your life can change for ever...'  

Then: Lola is a young single woman with big dreams. When she catches the eye of wealthy jeweller Philip Warren, she can't resist his charm and confidence. Could life get any better? Then everything changes. And Lola makes some decisions that will have long-term consequences she can't begin to imagine.

Food & Drink Month: Cover Reveal & Q&A with Heidi Swain

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Heidi Swain back to the blog as the latest author to take part in the foodie chat for this Food and Drink feature month.  But Heidi is also spoiling us by sharing the gorgeous cover for her new Christmas book Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market which is being published on 17th November.

eBook http://amzn.to/2bwhlM8 

  Paperback http://amzn.to/2biz3Ei

Ruby has been away at university but now she's back in Wynbridge. With Christmas around the corner, she takes on a stall at the local market, and sets about making it the best Christmas market stall ever. There'll be bunting and mistletoe and maybe even a bit of mulled wine.

But with the new out-of-town superstore just opened, the market is under threat. So together with the other stallholders, Ruby devises a plan to make sure that locals make the Christmas market their first port of call for all their Christmas present needs.

But it's hard to concentrate when she keeps bumping into her ex, Steve - and especially when she realises that her feelings for him are still there.

I don't know about you but I love the sound of Heidi's third novel which is combining a few of my favourite things, Christmas, Mince Pies and Christmas Markets.  Roll on November as I cannot wait to curl up in front of a fire, with a mince pie of course, to read what sounds like a delicious Christmassy read. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
Certainly. I write novels featuring feisty female characters and heroes with heart which are aimed at the commercial women's fiction market. A fellow author recently described by books as 'feel-good fiction', a badge which I am more than proud to wear!

My writing journey really began in earnest after The Cherry Tree Cafe was selected by Books and The City, (Simon and Schuster), following their #OneDay open submission day a couple of years ago. It was published in e-book format last July and in June this year Summer at Skylark Farm was published, also as an e-book. 

Two further books (both e-book and paperback) are on the horizon. Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market will be published in October and as you can imagine I am very excited to get my hands on a copy of the paperback!

Where did the inspiration for The Cherry Tree Cafe and Summer at Skylark Farm come from?
I had a rural upbringing and my hometown was a small market town packed full of independent traders. Cakes and crafts, both of which I enjoy baking and making, are the driving force at The Cherry Tree Cafe while orchards and livestock, which I grew up loving, are paramount at Skylark Farm. 

I think it is safe to say that my early experiences have provided much of the inspiration behind all of my novels and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share my passions with so many lovely readers.

If you had to describe your books in one sentence, what would it be?
Feel-good fiction with heart which combines rural living, cosy settings and happy endings.

Judging Covers - Match Me If You Can by Michele Gorman

You may have recently read Kelly's review of Match Me If You Can here on the blog and this afternoon I'm pleased to be able to share with you a guest post from Notting Hill Press about the design of the new cover for the US version of Match Me If You Can.

It’s interesting to see how the same book is marketed differently depending on where its fans are based. Michele Gorman’s Match Me If You Can is published by Avon (Harper Collins) in the UK and by Notting Hill Press in the US. Avon took the lead in designing the marketing package for Michele’s UK chick lit fans, with a pretty teal cover, fun font and firm focus on the online dating/romance storylines in the book. 

Meet best friends Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. Yet to find Mr Right, they’ve been settling for Mr Right Now. 

But when Catherine, London’s finest matchmaker, gets the girls to join her dating site where they can rate and recommend their ex-boyfriends, they soon realise that anything could happen… 

There’s someone for everyone, right? These best friends are about to find out!

To complement the UK cover, we at Notting Hill Press designed the US cover using the same fonts and heart motif. But something started to bother us. Match Me If You Can is also about strong women. It’s funny, cheeky, poignant and realistic. The women join the dating website and recycle their exes but their lives – their friendship, families and careers – are at the heart of the book. And while both British and American fans are definitely romantics, American readers are also really partial to a feisty story about friends. 

We had to admit it: our hot pink cover didn’t seem quite right for Michele’s US fans. So we had a rethink about it, and here’s the result!

Cover Reveal: Meet Me in Manhattan by Claudia Carroll

One of the books I've been looking forward to reading all year is Meet Me in Manhattan by Claudia Carroll after chatting to Claudia about the book back in March as part of my Irish Fiction week, you can read the post here.  And finally the wait is almost over as it's being published here in the UK soon, eBook on 5th November and paperback on 3rd December.

But today I'm happy to be part of the cover reveal blitz, so without further ado here it is in all its glory ;)

In a New York minute, everything can change …

Cover Reveal: The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin

Today it's my pleasure to be taking part in the cover reveal blitz for Rebecca Raisin's latest book The Little Bookshop on the Seine, the first in her new series The Little Paris Collection. Here it is in all its gorgeousness...

What do you think?  Isn't it a beauty?  I have to confess that this is my favourite cover of Rebecca's books so far so the cover designer has a lot to live up to for the remaining books in the series ;)

Le Vie En Rose

Bookshop owner Sarah Smith has been offered the opportunity to exchange bookshops with her new Parisian friend for 6 months! And saying yes is a no-brainer – after all, what kind of a romantic would turn down a trip to Paris…for Christmas?

Even if it does mean leaving the irresistible Ridge Warner behind, Sarah’s sure she’s in for the holiday of a lifetime – complete with all the books she can read!

Cover Reveal: The Second Love of my Life by Victoria Walters

Today it's my pleasure to share with you the cover for Victoria Walter's debut novel The Second Love of My Life which is being published by Headline next April.  So without further ado... here is the gorgeous cover.

In the small Cornish town of Talting, everyone is known for something.

Up to the age of twenty-four, artist Rose Walker was known for lots of things: her infectious positivity; her unique artistic talent; her second-to-none cookery skills; and, of course, her devotion to childhood sweetheart and husband Lucas.

Cover Reveal: Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War

Top voices in historical fiction deliver an intensely moving collection of short stories about loss, longing, and hope in the aftermath of World War I—featuring bestselling authors such as Hazel Gaynor, Jennifer Robson, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig and edited by Heather Webb.

A squadron commander searches for meaning in the tattered photo of a girl he’s never met…

A Belgian rebel hides from the world, only to find herself nursing the enemy…

A young airman marries a stranger to save her honor—and prays to survive long enough to love her…The peace treaty signed on November 11, 1918, may herald the end of the Great War but for its survivors, the smoke is only beginning to clear. Picking up the pieces of shattered lives will take courage, resilience, and trust.

Within crumbled city walls and scarred souls, war’s echoes linger. But when the fighting ceases, renewal begins…and hope takes root in a fall of poppies.


Excerpt from “Hour of the Bells”  A short story included in Fall of Poppies
Beatrix whisked around the showroom, feather duster in hand. Not a speck of dirt could remain or Joseph would be disappointed. The hour struck noon. A chorus of clocks whirred, their birds popping out from hiding to announce midday. Maidens twirled in their frocks with braids down their backs, woodcutters clacked their axes against pine, and the odd sawmill wheel spun in tune to the melody of a nursery rhyme. Two dozen cuckoos warbled and dinged, each crafted with loving detail by the same pair of hands—those with thick fingers and a steady grip. 
Beatrix paused in her cleaning. One clock chimed to its own rhythm, apart from the others. 
She could turn them off—the tinkling melodies, the incessant clatter of pendulums, wheels, and cogs, with the levers located near the weights—just as their creator had done before bed each evening, but she could not bring herself to do the same. To silence their music was to silence him, her husband, Joseph. The Great War had already done that; ravaged his gentle nature, stolen his final breath, and silenced him forever. 

Cover Reveal: The Day of Second Chances by Julie Cohen

Today I have been asked to be part of the cover reveal team for Julie Cohen's new book The Day of Second Chances which is being published on 16th January 2016 (hint to family & friends... just in time for my birthday).    

Can you imagine keeping a secret so devastating, you couldn’t even tell the people you love?

Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years.

Jo’s secret could smash apart the ‘normal’ family life she’s fought so hard to build.

Lydia’s secret could bring her love - or the loss of everything that matters to her.

One summer’s day, grandmother, mother and daughter’s secrets will collide in a single dramatic moment.

Is it too late for second chances?

Cover Reveal: Wickham Hall: Hidden Treasures by Cathy Bramley.

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Cathy Bramley to the blog to reveal the first cover of her new eBook series, Wickham Hall, so I'll hand you over to Cathy to tell us a little bit about the series. 

I’m so excited about the launch of my new series Wickham Hall this month; it introduces a brand new set of characters and a beautiful new setting in a stately home just outside Stratford-upon–Avon. It’s a story of love and friendship, family secrets and heartache and ultimately learning to love life and live for the moment! I’ve packed the story full of my favourite things such as the English countryside, exquisite gardens (including topiary – I adore topiary!), weddings, summer festivals, lots of tea and cake, bonfires and Christmas parties!

The series will be published digitally in four parts this year and then in a complete novel both digitally and in paperback in 2016:

Holly Swift has just landed the job of her dreams: events co-ordinator at Wickham Hall, the beautiful manor home that sits proudly at the heart of the village where she grew up. Not only does she get to organise for a living and work in stunning surroundings, but it will also put a bit of distance between Holly and her problems at home.

Cover Reveal: The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry

This morning it's my privilege to be able to share with you the gorgeous cover for Tasmina Perry's new book The Last Kiss Goodbye which is being published in September. 

The cover designers have come up trumps again, it's stunning and so romantic.  So between the cover which promises romance and the blurb below which promises mystery, I cannot wait to read The Last Kiss Goodbye to find out what the secrets are...  

From Paris to St Petersburg, this spellbinding tale of love, loss and long-buried secrets is guaranteed to break your heart...

Everyone remembers their first kiss. You never forget the last...

1961. Bright-eyed young journalist Rosamund Bailey is determined to change the world. When she meets dashing explorer and man about town Dominic Blake, she realises she has found the love of her life. Just as happiness is in their grasp, the worst happens, and their future is snatched from them.

Cover Reveal: Appleby Farm by Cathy Bramley

Today I'm pleased to be able to support Cathy Bramley with a promo cover reveal for the combined edition of Appleby Farm which is being published on 13th August in eBook and paperback formats.

Appleby Farm is currently being published in 4 monthly installments with the final part, Love is in the Air, being published next month but I've been holding off reading until the combined version is available as I'm an impatient reader and always want to know what's going to happen next!  So I've a little over 3 months to wait but in the meantime let's take a look at the gorgeous new cover.

Freya Moorcroft has wild red hair, mischievous green eyes, a warm smile and a heart of gold. She’s been happy working at the café round the corner from Ivy Lane allotments and her romance with her new boyfriend is going well, she thinks, but a part of her still misses the beautiful rolling hills of her Cumbrian childhood home: Appleby Farm.

Cover Reveal: Game of Scones by Samantha Tonge

This afternoon I'm delighted to help author Samantha Tonge with a promo reveal for the cover of her new book Game of Scones that is being published later this month.  I love the cover as it's so Summery, pity the weather outside today is not as nice...

A story of icing and flour…and how love doesn’t always go to plan!

Growing up, Pippa Pattinson’s summers were spent in the idyllic Greek island fishing village of Taxos. There she spent many long hazy days determinedly ignoring thoughts of the life her parents had mapped out for her (a dreary-but-secure accounting job and obligatory sensible husband!) Instead she daydreamed of running her own tea shop – serving the perfect scones –with mocha-eyed childhood friend Niko by her side…

Cover Reveal: The Girl Who Wouldn't Die by Marnie Riches

Today I'm delighted to be part of the cover reveal promo for The Girl Who Wouldn't Die by Marnie Riches which is being published by Avon in April. So here it is...

HE’S WATCHING HER. SHE DOESN’T KNOW IT…YET 

When a bomb explodes at the University of Amsterdam, aspiring criminologist Georgina McKenzie is asked by the police to help flush out the killer. But the bomb is part of a much bigger, more sinister plot that will have the entire city quaking in fear. 

And the killer has a very special part for George to play… 

Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in Manchester, aptly within sight of the dreaming spires of Strangeways prison. Able to speak five different languages, she gained a Master’s degree in Modern & Medieval Dutch and German from Cambridge University. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist, a property developer and professional fundraiser. In her spare time, she likes to run, mainly to offset the wine and fine food she consumes with great enthusiasm.

Having authored the first six books of HarperCollins Children’s Time-Hunters series, she now writes crime thrillers for adults.

Cover Reveal: The Secrets We Share by Emma Hannigan

This afternoon I am honoured to have been asked to do the cover reveal for Emma Hannigan's new novel The Secrets We Share which is being published on 9th April. 

I'm so in love with this cover, the designers have done a fabulous job as it's definitely my favourite to date of Emma's covers so without further ado let me present to you this stunning beauty...

Clara Conway is a woman with secrets. 

But consequently Clara's family is in the process of falling apart. Her son Max emigrated to the US with his young family years ago and she has yet to meet her teenage granddaughter, Nathalie ... because Max and his mother no longer speak. 

Cover Reveal: Gorgeous new covers for Belinda Jones backlist

I have been a huge fan of Belinda Jones ever since I picked up a copy of her debut novel Diva Las Vegas many years ago and I always look forward to picking up a copy of her latest novel each year. So as you can imagine I was in fangirl element (can a 40 something woman be a fangirl!) to be invited by Belinda to meet her and her fellow Sunlounger 2 authors in person at an event in London last year and I can confirm that she's just as friendly and welcoming in person as she is online.

As January is typically a gloomy month, post Christmas and weatherwise, certainly here in the UK anyway, Belinda has decided to give her eBook backlist a bit of a makeover with some bright new gorgeous covers designed by Jarmila Takač.

Cover Reveal: Conditional Love by Cathy Bramley

Cathy Bramley is a fantastic supporter to bloggers like myself so it's my absolute pleasure to be able to support her today with a cover reveal for her latest book.

I am thrilled to announce that a new ebook* edition of CONDITIONAL LOVE is being published by Transworld today.  

I first published CONDITIONAL LOVE myself on Amazon in October 2013 but now it has had the full Transworld treatment.  It is essentially the same story, with the same characters and the same happy ending. So what is different about it?

Well, I feel like my writing has developed since I first wrote it almost two years ago and so when Transworld very kindly gave me the opportunity to re-write it, working closely as usual with my editor, Harriet Bourton, I jumped at the chance. I took on board her editorial comments, sharpened up the narrative, tweaked some of the characters and generally I’ve given the book a more punchy, fast-moving feel.

I asked Harriet to share her thoughts about this new edition of the book in her own words:

I first read CONDITIONAL LOVE before I’d met Cathy. I’d seen her on Twitter talking to bloggers I follow and I was impressed by her cover for the book and the reviews she had, so I bought it and started reading. That one casual purchase led to Cathy’s deal with Transworld and a creative, fun and rewarding new author relationship. Some happy months later, Cathy and I set about looking at CONDITIONAL LOVE with a fresh eye. I thought the novel was wonderful, full of Cathy’s trademark warmth, comfort and good humour, but being an editor we can never leave well enough alone, and I had some ideas for how Cathy could squeeze even more out of the story. The heart of the novel is still the same, and the over-arching plot and characters too, but I think of this new refreshed edition of CONDITIONAL LOVE as being the high-definition version: brimming with colour and romance, sharp witted and lively from beginning to end, and impossible to resist once you’ve taken a glance!

I am delighted with what Harriet and I have achieved together this year and I hope readers will approve too. And of course the most exciting bit— is the sparkly new cover!