Emma's Review: Christmas Promises at the Little Wedding Shop by Jane Linfoot

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

There’s nothing more magical than a winter wonderland wedding but when photographer Holly North returns to the cosy village of St Aidan she’s determined to avoid romance and the festive season full stop. She’s doing one small favour for a friend’s wedding and then her plans involve diving under her duvet and avoiding any sign of Christmas cheer – and gorgeous but insufferable Rory Sanderson – for the rest of December!

That is until Christmas arrives at Brides by the Sea, Cornwall’s enchanting and most adorable little wedding shop. The champagne is on ice while mistletoe hangs from every nook and Holly’s friends at the shop are determined she’ll live up to her festive name.

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The Write Stuff with... Cara Hunter

Today it's my pleasure to hand the reins of the blog over to Cara Hunter as part of the Close to Home blog tour to introduce us to her leading man.

It all starts with Adam…

Close to Home started with one single big idea, and once you’ve read it you’ll know exactly what that was. But I knew straightaway that there would something else that would be just as important, and that was the character of the ‘central copper’. There was a huge amount riding on that, not just for Close to Home itself, but for the other books that were going to follow it. I was building a whole series on Adam Fawley, so he was going to need strength in depth. Not just broad shoulders to carry the weight of the narrative, but a complex and compelling back story, and a personality readers would warm to.

Debut Spotlight: Jenny Quintana

Today it's my pleasure to be shining the spotlight on Jenny Quintana as part of the blog tour for her debut novel The Missing Girl which has just been published.

Jenny Quintana grew up in Essex and Berkshire, before studying English Literature in London. She has taught in London, Seville and Athens and has also written books for teaching English as a foreign language. She is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Creative writing course. She now lives with her family in Berkshire.

The Missing Girl is her first novel.

Follow Jenny on Twitter @jennyquintana95 for news about her books.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
As a child, inspired by Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie, I dreamed of being a writer. I’ve written on and off throughout my life, but have always been hampered by self-doubt and then by the usual pressures of life - in my case working as a teacher and being a mother.  When I gave up teaching and became a freelance ELT writer, I found some time and wrote short stories some of which won prizes and were published in literary magazines. With more confidence, I wrote a novel which to my amazement was picked up by an agent. This was it, I told myself - I was going to be a published writer, but despite near misses and positive comments, the novel was rejected. I was pretty devastated. I wrote another novel which went nowhere and then finally, after doing the Curtis Brown Creative writing course, Sophie Lambert from C + W signed me for The Missing Girl. This time my novel went to auction and we went with the wonderful Sam Humphries at Mantle books. It was an amazing moment in my life.  

If you had to give an elevator pitch for The Missing Girl, what would it be? 
When her mother dies, Anna returns home thirty years after her beloved sister disappeared. As Anna confronts her memories, she is compelled once again to ask the question: What really happened to Gabriella?  

The Missing Girl is the story of a sister's search for answers many years after her sister disappeared - where did the inspiration come from? 
I wanted to write an emotional story about sisters with very different personalities, but with a close and loving bond. My inspiration often comes from stories in the news and this time, I considered tragic cases about children and teenagers who vanish inexplicably from their family’s lives. I wondered what it must be like for the remaining siblings. How terrible must it be to lose a sister or brother especially if no one is able to say what really happened? How must it affect them throughout their lives?      

Describe Anna in three words.
Anna is brave, heartbroken and flawed. 

Emma's Review: The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

It is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again. Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her. More than 100 years after his grandmother's sewing machine was made, Fred discovers a treasure trove of documents. His family history is laid out before him in a patchwork of unfamiliar handwriting and colourful seams. He starts to unpick the secrets of four generations, one stitch at a time.

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Emma's Review: The Christmas Secret by Karen Swan

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Alex Hyde is the leaders’ leader. An executive coach par excellence, she’s the person the Great and the Good turn to when the pressure gets too much; she can change the way they think, how they operate, she can turn around the very fortunes of their companies.

Her waiting list is months’ long, but even she can’t turn down the unorthodox but highly lucrative crisis call that comes her way a few weeks before Christmas, regarding the troublesome – and troubled – head of an esteemed whisky company in Scotland: Lochlan Farquhar, CEO of Kentallen Distilleries, is a maverick, an enigma and a renegade, and Alex needs to get inside his head before he brings the company to its knees.

It should be business as usual. She can do this in her sleep. Only, when she gets to the remote island of Islay, with the winter snows falling, Alex finds herself out of her comfort zone. For once, she’s not in control - Lochlan, though darkly charismatic, is unpredictable and destructive, her usual methods gaining no traction with him - and with Christmas and her deadline fast approaching, she must win his trust and find a way to close on this deal.

But as she pulls ever closer to him, boundaries become blurred, loyalties loosen and Alex finds herself faced with an impossible choice as she realizes nothing and no-one is as they first seemed.

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Emma's Review: Winter at West Sands Guest House by Maggie Conway

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Can Eva find love this Christmas?

Eva Harris has her hands full juggling a young son, a disobedient dog and running her thriving seaside guesthouse, so really the last thing she needs is to be distracted by her new neighbour, ridiculously handsome but arrogant Ben Matthews.

For one thing, she’s got nothing in common with the man, Ben’s a high flying lecturer at the town’s university while she barely scraped through high school, for another he’s fresh out of a relationship while Eva hasn’t been on one single date since the death of her husband, seven years ago!

She’s determined to keep her distance, but in a small town like St Andrews that’s easier said than done, and it doesn’t help that everyone, including her son Jamie, think Ben is wonderful! Breaking out of her sad but safe little bubble might be the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, but Ben might just be worth the risk…

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Author Interview: Bella Osborne

Today it's my pleasure to welcome Bella Osborne back to the blog to find out a little about her new serial, Ottercombe Bay, part one Where There's a Will is published today.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
Hi Sharon, Thanks for having me on your blog today.

I live in Warwickshire with my husband, daughter, and a cat who thinks she’s a dog. I’ve been jotting down stories as far back as I can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that I finished a full length novel. I was lucky enough to meet my editor at the Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference that summer and I signed with HarperImpulse (part of HarperCollins) in 2014.

In 2016, my debut novel, 'It Started At Sunset Cottage', was shortlisted for the Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year and RNA Joan Hessayon New Writers Award. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your new serial Ottercombe Bay, what would it be? 
Daisy is forced to return to Ottercombe Bay when a relative leaves her something unusual in their will. As the place where her mother died the town holds sad memories as well as a number of questions for Daisy so she must come to terms with her past before she can make something of her future. With a cast of quirky locals, a few gin cocktails and a black pug with lots of attitude, there’s more to the sleepy town than Daisy remembers.

Both your serials, Escape to Willow Cottage and Ottercombe Bay, have featured properties being restored, is this something that you enjoy doing, or would like to do, yourself? 
It’s something I had to do with my last property and whilst it felt like a big achievement to turn the house from almost uninhabitable to somewhere modern and homely, it’s not something I would be keen to do again. It did, however, give me lots of material for stories!

Describe Daisy in three words
Restless. Independent. Determined.

Emma's Review: Ottercombe Bay Part One - Where There's a Will... by Bella Osborne

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Daisy Wickens has returned to Ottercombe Bay, the picturesque Devon town where her mother died when she was a girl. She plans to leave as soon as her great uncle’s funeral is over, but Great Uncle Reg had other ideas. He’s left Daisy a significant inheritance – an old building in a state of disrepair, which could offer exciting possibilities, but to get it she must stay in Ottercombe Bay for twelve whole months.

With the help of a cast of quirky locals, a few gin cocktails and a black pug with plenty of attitude, Daisy might just turn this into something special. But can she ever hope to be happy among the ghosts of her past?

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Giveaway: Win a copy of The Other Side of Wonderful by Caroline Grace-Cassidy

I wasn't planning on doing a blog post today but after a short break for a few days I'm slowly starting to get my reading and blogging mojo back... better late than never as my TBR pile is already starting to build with some fab books being published in 2018.  

And after being totally spoilt by friends yesterday I found myself in the position of two of my friends buying me the same book The Other Side of Wonderful by Caroline Grace-Cassidy, which is the only one of Caroline's books I didn't already have, so I have decided to do a bonus festive giveaway to share the book love with one of you.

Cara has moved on. It's not that she's been hiding her deep dark past - it's just that no one asks. She is now placed in her dream job as hospitality manager in a wonderful old-world hotel, The Moritz and all she wants is a quiet life. Once bitten twice shy, she's promised herself that romance is out. But promises are made to be broken. 

Sandra is the head receptionist at the hotel, once a fun part time job, now a full time highly pressured necessity. As the recession bites hard, her marriage to local man Neil crumbles before her eyes and her second round of IVF fails, it looks like Sandra may be left with nothing at all. But life has a way of turning corners and maybe what she's always wanted has been in front of her very eyes all the time - but is it all too late now?

Emma's Review: The Pets at Primrose Cottage: Part Two New Beginnings

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

All Emma wants is a quiet life in sleepy Crickleford, away from the prying eyes of the press who are obsessed with the life she used to lead.

She is enjoying her new vocation: the town's most in-demand pet-sitter. But her journalist friend and fellow animal lover Matt is desperate for a big story to make his career – such as Emma’s true identity…

Emma doesn’t want the spotlight, but it keeps finding her anyway. Can she keep her past a secret and live the life she’s dreamed of? 

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The Write Stuff with... Rachel Sargeant

Today it's my absolute pleasure to be handing the reins over to author Rachel Sargeant to talk about writing courses.

Thank you, Sharon, for letting me stop at your excellent Write Stuff column on my blog tour for my psychological thriller, The Perfect Neighbours.

When I first thought about taking up writing as a hobby, there was an awful lot of dithering before I got round to putting pen to paper. The event that finally kick-started my scribbling was a two-hour workshop at the inaugural Shrewsbury Literature Festival. We had to write a paragraph on a theme set by crime writer David Armstrong, the course leader. When I read out my piece, everyone was surprisingly positive. On the way home, I bought a copy of Writing Magazine and saw an advert for the annual crime short story competition. Buoyed up by the experience of David’s workshop, I expanded my one paragraph into a fifteen-hundred-word story. Somehow the story – my first ever attempt at a competition – won and I went to the magazine’s award ceremony in Harrogate. Without that two-hour workshop, the story wouldn’t have happened.

Firmly bitten by the writing bug, I signed on to various writing courses and workshops at my local adult education centre. As well as being great fun and in the company of like-minded hobby writers, courses taught me a lot about technique and I built up a bank of short writing pieces that developed my creativity. Eventually I decided to turn my winning crime story into a novel. At this point I stopped doing courses because I needed to focus my thoughts on my longer project rather than on writing exercises. 

Debut Spotlight: Elle Spellman

Today it's my pleasure to welcome blogger turned author Elle Spellman to the blog for our chance to get to know a little more about Elle and her debut novel She's Bad News.

Elle Spellman is a writer and comic book geek living in Bristol, UK. She's been writing since a very young age, spending her childhood afternoons penning stories about fictional adventures, and illustrating them too.

Now, Elle tends to write contemporary fiction with kick-ass heroines and a little bit of magic. She's Bad News is her debut novel, and she's just finished working on her second. Her other interests include running, wine, red lipstick, the paranormal, and all things Batman.

Elle's Blog: http://ellespellman.blogspot.co.uk
Super Heroines blog: http://superheroines-wf.blogspot.co.uk
Twitter: @capesandcorsets 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your writing journey?
I've been a bookworm ever since I was a child, and have wanted to be a writer pretty much all my life. Even during the years I was intent on joining the Ghostbusters. (Admittedly though, that is STILL  a huge dream of mine...) When I was nine and had a vast collection of Ladybird books, I wrote many of my own and even illustrated them too, and sent them to Ladybird. Of course, they were rejected, but I was always super excited at receiving the letters!

Now, I write novels, and had the idea for She's Bad News quite some time ago. As well as reading a lot of women's fiction, I'm a huge comic-book nerd and really wanted to write something comic-inspired. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for She's Bad News, what would it be?
Failing small-town journalist wakes up with super powers and uses them for the wrong reasons!

She's Bad News features a reporter Bella Brown who discovers that she's inherited some superpowers, where did the inspiration come from?
The idea just came to me one day - I wanted to write about a superheroine. As soon as it did, I knew it had to be done, and the ideas for the novel just flowed. I think my love for comics had something to do with it! It's a question a lot of us ask ourselves at some point, isn't it? If you had super powers, what would you do? I wanted to explore the possibilities, especially with a character who feels somewhat trapped in her life. After all, if there was an easy way to get what you wanted...would you use it?

Describe Bella in three words.
Determined, impulsive, resourceful.

Extract from Christmas at Carol's by Julia Roberts

Today it's my pleasure to be spotlighting the new Christmas novella from author Julia Roberts, Christmas at Carol's, which is published tomorrow.  Sadly when Julia contacted me I wasn't in a position to read for review so instead I'm sharing with you an extract below.

Carol fell in love with Wisteria Cottage the moment she laid eyes on it and moved in two weeks before Christmas hoping it would be start of a new more positive period in her life. 

On her first night in her new home she discovers an old Christmas card to someone called Annie with a heart-breaking message inside from Jake. 

Although she doesn’t know them, and despite being on a self-imposed dating break herself, Carol begins planning how she can bring them together, while her new neighbour, Sally, is attempting a bit of matchmaking of her own. 

Amazon Affiliate Link: http://amzn.to/2BQnGOG

Emma's Review: Ha'Penny Schemes by Gemma Jackson

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

In 1920’s inner-city Dublin tenements, Ivy Rose Murphy struggles to survive and thrive in the harsh poverty-stricken environment she was born into. She is trying to adapt to her new role as a married woman. There are those jealous of the improvements she has managed to make in her life. To Ivy it seems everyone wants a piece of her. She is stretched to breaking point.

Ivy’s old enemy Father Leary keeps a close watch on her comings and goings. She has attracted the attention of people willing to profit from the efforts of others. She needs help. Ivy’s friends gather around to offer support – but somehow Ivy is the one who gives hope to them.

Ivy’s husband, Jem Ryan, is a forward-thinking man. He is busy making a better life for the family he longs for – but can he protect Ivy when her enemies begin to close in? 

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Books Read: She's Not There by Joy Fielding

'I think my real name is Samantha. I think I'm your daughter.'

When Caroline Shipley's two-year-old daughter disappeared, her whole world came crashing down.

Now, fifteen years later, Caroline receives a phone-call that could change everything.

But could this stranger really be her daughter? And what happened all those years ago to make her vanish without a trace? As Caroline pieces together the events of that ill-fated holiday, she begins to question whether the answers could lie dangerously close to home...

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Books Read: The Child by Fiona Barton

When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore.

For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her.

For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered.

And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth.

The Child’s story will be told.

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Extract from Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at The Christmas Fair by Heidi Swain

Today it's my pleasure to be kicking off Heidi Swain's festive Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at The Christmas Fair blog tour.   Sadly as I'm still recovering from illness I have not managed to read the book yet but instead I'm able to share with you the first chapter as a teaser as to what we can expect to read inside.

When Anna takes on the role of companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, she has no idea that her life is set to change beyond all recognition.

A confirmed ‘bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona.

Jamie, struggling to come to terms with life back in the Fens, makes a pact with Anna – she has to teach him to fall back in love with Wynthorpe Hall, while he helps her fall back in love with Christmas. But will it all prove too much for Anna, or can the family of Wynthorpe Hall warm her heart once and for all...?

Join Anna for a festive journey festooned with sleigh rides and silver bells and help her discover her happy-ever-after.

Chapter 1 

Most people, at some point during their adult lives, struggle to come up with what to put on their Christmas list, but not me. Asking for the same present every year since I turned eighteen has ensured that I’ve never encountered that particular problem and now, almost twenty years later, it’s still my first choice.
     My longed-​for gift of working every day of December, including right through the Christmas holidays, might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for the last two decades it’s proved an absolute sanity saver for me. However, this is one present that I have to sort for myself and it simply has to be wrapped up well in advance of the Big Day. So, to give myself the best possible chance of securing the right post, I begin the search when the first leaves fall in autumn, and this year was no exception. By the middle of November I had the choice of two situations, but it was the isolated location of one of them which left me powerless to resist.
     'And just how remotely situated would you say Wynthorpe Hall actually is?’ I asked, during the brief telephone interview with Angus Connelly, the hall owner, who was keen for me to take the temporary job he had to offer.
     'Very,’ he cautiously replied. ‘And is that going to be a problem do you think, Anna? Because this really isn’t the sort of place where you can just pop round the corner for a bag of sugar, I’m afraid. It’s more like a forty-​minute round trip into town and there are no other houses nearby.’
     Little did he know it of course, but his words were music to my ears. The other job I had been offered was back in central London and although the pay and perks were vastly different, so was the atmosphere at this time of year. The city would already be awash with lights, cheesy tunes and festive cheer and as far as I was concerned that was far too hefty a price to pay for an extra zero on the salary. Hunkering down in the barren and frosty Fenland landscape, without so much as a carol singer in sight, would be a much appreciated soothing balm to my troubled soul and I mulled it over with relish.

Author Interview: Anna Bell

Today it's my stop on the It Started With a Tweet blog tour and I'm delighted to welcome author Anna Bell to the blog for a chat.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
I’m an author of heart-warming, romantic comedies. I started to write for novels when I was a military museum curator. After trying and failing to get an agent and a publisher, I self-published a book. When that started to sell, so I self-published two novels closely after. My third self-published novel caught the attention of a publisher and I got an agent soon after. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for It Started with a Tweet, what would it be? 
Forced offline for sending a sexually explicit tweet from her work account, Daisy finds herself on a digital detox where she has to learn how to live and love offline. 

It's suggested to Daisy to get away from it all and do a digital detox, where did the inspiration come from?  And is this something you have done yourself?
The starting point for the book was wanting to write a love story that centered around two characters writing to each other. I love handwritten letters and I feel that they can be so much more romantic than text messages or emails. I wanted to find a reason for my characters to correspond using a pen and paper rather than text so I had to come up with a way to keep them away from their phones - and that was how the digital detox was born. Recently my two kids (aged two and four) and I underwent a three day digital detox. I was expecting tears and tantrums (mostly on my part), but they never came. I personally found it liberating and it was such an eye opener to realise how much time I waste on the internet. It’s definitely something that’s going to stay with me and I’ll be planning many more mini-detoxes or digital free Sundays. 

Describe Daisy in three words
Obsessive, determined and resourceful. 

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 12

It's the final day of these 12 Days of Christmas giveaways so there are only 2 prizes remaining to be won (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 11

It's the penultimate day and only a handful of prizes left for today's winners to pick from (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 10

It's hard to believe it's day 10 already of these giveaways, and only 6 of the prizes below left, but two more followers will have the chance to win one of the prizes below (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 9

We're on the homeward stretch with only 4 days of giveaways left so here's today's chance for two followers to win one of the prizes below (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

Emma's Review: Her Frozen Heart by Lulu Taylor

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Caitlyn, there’s something I have to tell you. About Sara.

Caitlyn thinks her marriage to Patrick is a success. For one thing, he is one of the few people not to fall head over heels for her beautiful friend, Sara. Life is lived on his terms, but they are happy.

Aren’t they?

When a devastating accident turns her existence upside down, Caitlyn is forced to reassess everything she thought about her marriage, what she truly knows about Patrick, and his real feelings for her best friend. In the refuge of an old manor house, she begins to discover the truth.

In 1947, the worst winter in decades hits England, cutting off entirely the inhabitants of Kings Harcourt Manor. For Tommy Carter, widowed at the start of war, it is particularly hard: the burden of the family falls on her. She has the solace of her children, and the interesting presence of her brother’s friend, Fred. But there is also Barbara, a mysterious figure from her past who appears to want a piece of Tommy’s future as well.

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 8

It's day 8 so quite a few of the prizes have now been claimed but there's still a few to be won (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

Emma's Review: Christmas at Butterfly Cove by Sarah Bennett

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

All she wants for Christmas…

When talented artist Nee Sutherland returns to Butterfly Cove for her sister’s wedding, it’s only a matter of time before she has to face her own bridegroom – Luke Spenser – the man she impulsively married, then left in the middle of the night.

Nee hasn’t picked up her paintbrushes in months, a part of her is broken. She knows Luke might never forgive her, leaving him was the biggest mistake of her life – but could coming home for Christmas be the best decision she’s ever made?

Maybe all she needs is a little Christmas miracle…

Amazon Affiliate Link: Kindle 

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 7

You know the drill by new, it's time for the next 12 Days of Christmas giveaway for two followers to win one of the prizes below (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

Extract from The Perfect Victim by Corrie Jackson

Today it's the final stop on Corrie Jackson's The Perfect Victim blog tour, I really liked the sound this one but realistically knew I wasn't in a position to review so I'm sharing an extract with you instead. 

Charlie and Emily Swift are the Instagram-perfect couple: gorgeous, successful and in love. But then Charlie is named as the prime suspect in a gruesome murder and Emily's world falls apart.

Desperate for answers, she turns to Charlie's troubled best friend, London Herald journalist, Sophie Kent. Sophie knows police have the wrong man - she trusts Charlie with her life.

Then Charlie flees.

Sophie puts her reputation on the line to clear his name. But as she's drawn deeper into Charlie and Emily's unravelling marriage, she realises that there is nothing perfect about the Swifts.

As she begins to question Charlie's innocence, something happens that blows the investigation - and their friendship - apart.

Now Sophie isn't just fighting for justice, she's fighting for her life.

          A thud thud thud. Rustling.
          I froze. Those sounds weren’t in my head.
         Someone else was in the tunnel.
         I breathed in a rancid smell, heard a grunting noise, something scraping against the floor. Then the sound was coming towards me.
         What the fuck am I doing?
         I squeezed back round and started to scrabble forwards. I’d crawled in so far, I couldn’t see the tunnel opening anymore. My hands scraped along the sharp floor, kicking up dust. The noise grew louder. He was gaining on me. I clawed faster, the
sharp stone floor cutting into my hands. My blood was on fire. I knew I was making a noise but I was desperate to get out before he caught up with me.
         I threw a glance over my shoulder, not knowing how much space there was between us.
         ‘Sophie?’ Kate’s urgent whisper echoed down the tunnel.

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 6

It's the halfway point but there's still plenty of fantastic prizes to be won as part of this 12 Days of Christmas giveaway (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

Books Read: Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber

It’s Christmas, the season to be snowed under.

Merry Smith is overworked. Between family responsibilities, preparing for Christmas, and staying out of the crosshairs of her boss there’s room for little else. Her social life is the last thing on her mind, much less finding love.

Jayson Bright is feeling the pressure. Christmas is his most stressful time of year. Deadlines are looming, the holidays are coming, and employees are winding down. He’s the one left in the office pulling late and lonely nights.

Luckily for these two, their friends and family take matters into their own hands, and Merry and Bright are about to discover that love can be found where you least expect it...

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 5

A new day, another chance for two more followers to win one of the prizes below (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

The Write Stuff with... Virginia Moffatt

Today it's my pleasure to hand the reins of the blog over to author Virginia Moffatt to talk about writing time slip travel in her latest novel Echo Hall which was published last week.

When I first had the idea for Echo Hall,I never envisaged that I would end up with a historical novel covering three different time periods. I started out with the idea of a woman in a strange house hearing ghostly voices, setting up a mystery which she had to uncover.

It was only when I worked out what caused the ghostly voices to speak that I realised I had an intergenerational story.  At that time, 2004, I could have easily set it between the then present and forty years before. However, it occurred to me that some aspects of the mystery could easily be  resolved by a quick Google search, so I decided I needed to set it in pre-internet days. When I took it back to 1990, the previous era immediately became World War 2, and I quickly saw that I could draw some historical parallels about war and conflict.

Initially, I planned to write the book switching between Ruth in 1990 and Elsie in 1942. However, as I was working out the plot, I discovered the only way I could understand what Elsie was going through was to go back a further generation. Rachel arrived in 1911 and I saw that her story needed to be told in its entirety for the rest of it to make sense. At the time I was watching ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ on television. I liked the format of going back down someone’s family tree and then coming back in the present.  I also had just read ‘Cloud Atlas’ by David Mitchell and enjoyed the way he’d embedded stories within stories. So I chose this format for ‘Echo Hall’. Beginning with Ruth in 1990, we go back to Elsie in 1942, then join Rachel between 1911 and 1924, before finishing Elsie’s story in 1942 and returning to Ruth in 1991 where the last secrets are exposed. Very late in the day, I added a prologue and epilogue in 2014, with Ruth’s daughter Phoebe visiting ‘Echo Hall’ 100 years after world war 1, as a way of setting the scene and themes of the novel.

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 4

Good morning and yesterday's winners have now been picked so it's time for the next giveaway to go live 😉 (I'll update the giveaways page later with details of yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

Emma's Review: Snowflakes, Iced Cakes and Second Chances by Sue Watson

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

A year after she separated from her husband, Gianni, on Christmas day, Chloe’s heart is finally on the mend as she unpacks the decorations for her first ever festive holiday alone. That is, until the phone rings…

It’s the manager of Gianni’s new seaside restaurant in Appledore, begging for Chloe’s help. Equally famous for his gold-leaf Christmas puddings and his explosive temper, Gianni has been really stirring up a sensation with the locals – and not in a good way! It’s the last thing she wants to do, but Chloe knows she is the only one that can help.

As pans fly and the temperature in the kitchen rises, Chloe’s calming influence and magic touch might just get critics back on side in time to save the restaurant from sinking like a sad soufflé. But as Chloe’s eyes meet Gianni’s as they tussle over a plate of turkey tartlets, could there also be a chance for new romance on the menu? 

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 3

It's a new day and that must mean it's time for the next 12 Days of Christmas giveaway to go live for two more of the prizes below to be claimed (I'll update the giveaways page later with yesterday's winners and the prize numbers they've selected).

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

Author Interview: Beatrice Fishback

Today it's my pleasure to welcome author Beatrice Fishback to the blog for a chat about her latest book Winter Writerland which was published last month.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey?
It’s been a roller-coaster ride of learning, loads of rejections and a few wonderful letters of acceptance. I began to write inspirational pieces about thirty years ago and branched into novels about five years ago. The first book I wrote is called “Dying to Eat at The Pub” which is another cozy mystery set in the U.K.

If you had to give an elevator pitch for Winter Writerland, what would it be? 
Winter Writerland is a fun and frightening Christmas tale rolled into one. Frightening because of an unexpected murder. Fun, because the crimer writers gathered for a writing event all are suspects.

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 2

It's day 2 and the second giveaway is now live for two more of the prizes below to be won by a follower of the blog.

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉

Books Read: Can You Keep A Secret? by Karen Perry

It's time for a reunion

Lindsey hasn't spoken to Rachael in twenty years, not since her brother's 18th birthday party at their parents' remote country house.

A night that shattered so many friendships - and left Rachel's father dead.

Now Thornbury Hall is up for sale, and the old gang are back there, together again.
A weekend to say goodbye to the old place, to talk about the past.

But twenty years of secrets aren't given up lightly. Some won't speak about what happened that night.

While others want to ensure that no one does.

Surviving the weekend is going to depend on whether you can keep a secret...

Amazon Affiliate Links: Kindle or Paperback

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways: Day 1

Eeek I can't believe that it's December already!  The last few months have literally flown by in the blink of an eye and sadly I've not reviewed as many books as I'd hoped to due to illness and other factors.  But over the next 12 days I'm going to be sharing the book love with daily giveaways of  📚 or other book-themed prizes.

Each giveaway will last two days, and there will be two winners selected who will pick a number at random on a first-come basis.  The numbers correspond to the prizes below but it would be too easy if the order below matched with the numbers so who knows which prize you will win 😉