Sam Carrington's Blog, page 2

I DARE YOU - blurb!

I'm delighted to share the blurb of my fifth psychological thriller with you!

I DARE YOU publishes in ebook and paperback on 12th December 2019 and I couldn't be more excited! 
This is my second book out this year so it seems like yesterday I was telling you about The Missing Wife ! 
I hope you will enjoy this next twisty, chilling offering...

I DARE YOU ...
In this game, no one wins…Mapledon, 1989
Two little girls were out playing. One dared the other to knock on a neighbour’s front door and run away. But this was a game that had deadly consequences – only one girl returned home that evening.The ten-year-old told police what she saw: a man, village loner Bill ‘Creepy’ Cawley, dragged her friend into an old red pick-up truck and disappeared.No body was found, but her testimony sent him to prison for murder.An open and shut case, the right man behind bars.A village that could sleep safe once again.

Now…
Anna thought she had left Mapledon and her nightmares behind, but a distraught phone call brings her back to face her past.Thirty years ago, someone lied.Thirty years ago, the man convicted wasn’t the only guilty party…And now he’s out, he is looking for revenge. The question is, who will he start with?


What do you think?
Watch this space for the cover reveal!
You can also pre-order I DARE YOU right now:
Amazon: HEREKobo: HEREWaterstones: HERE

THE MISSING WIFE on tour!

I am utterly THRILLED to share the fabulous line-up for THE MISSING WIFE blog tour!

It kicks off this Thursday - 27th June (publication day!) with Charlene Jess and the finale is with Claire Hill! I'm really looking forward to it. 

Huge thank you to the amazing bloggers and reviewers who are taking part. 

Here's the list:               Part 1

Part 2

I hope you will check out the daily reviews and extracts! 
I will share the links on my blog :)

Here's to a great tour!

You can get hold of your copy of THE MISSING WIFE on Amazon, Kobo, iTunes, Googleplay and independent book shops!

The Missing Wife - 3 weeks to go! And a chance to win an early copy!

It's getting closer to publication day for THE MISSING WIFE and I'm getting the usual mix of excitement and nerves!
Hard to believe that this time three years ago I was preparing myself for the unknown - the publication of my debut,  Saving Sophie . Those three years have been such a roller-coaster ride!

I'm delighted with the early author quotes for The Missing Wife:

‘A pacy read, packed with surprises. Will keep you on your toes.’ Jane Corry, Sunday Times bestselling author of My Husband’s Wife


‘The Missing Wife is superb: one of those books that keeps you guessing and keeps you turning the pages. I was riveted.’ Alex Lake, bestselling author of After Anna


‘A gourmet read from start to finish – I couldn't put it down. Captivating. Exquisitely written. Exquisitely televisual.’ Amanda Robson, Sunday Times bestselling author of Envy
'Wow! Just finished this fab page-turning read. Twists and turns galore!' Caroline England, bestselling author of Betray Her.
And some fabulous Netgalley reviews here:
- "...Sam Carrington weaves a story of betrayal, deceit and escalating danger ...Highly readable with a twisting turning plot, a fragile exhausted heroine and proof that sometimes the road to Hell really is paved with good intentions.5* Maddie P, reviewer

- "Twists, turns and betrayal are the name of the game in this stonker of a novel! Sam Carrington has a way of writing that draws you in completely and I was sat in a coffee shop reading this, oblivious to all around me! Excellent all round!"5* Kathryn D, Reviewer   - "The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington is a rollercoaster of deception, betrayal, long-buried secrets and lies, and I could not devour it quickly enough.  I was immediately engaged in this dark and twisty tale, and was tearing through the pages in an effort to slot the puzzle pieces into place... This is a riveting read that I consumed in a single afternoon... I am immediately adding every novel by this author to my 'TBR' list."5* Andrea P, Reviewer 
Huge thanks to all for taking the time to read the ARC!The Missing Wife is out in ebook, paperback and audiobook on Thursday 27th June!
You can pre-order from:Amazon: HEREKobo: HEREiTunes: HEREGoogleplay: HERE
The paperback can also be pre-ordered from Amazon, Waterstones and WHSmith.
To WIN an early copy, check out @AvonBooksUK on Twitter and RT this TWEET!

Novel updates!

One Little Lie ebook is currently on offer for 99p!

My third psychological thriller, the second featuring Psychologist Connie Summers, is at the bargain price of 99p in the UK - less than a coffee! 
You can grab it here:
Amazon

My new novel is coming soon!

In just *two months* my fourth novel will be publishing!
THE MISSING WIFE, a standalone psychological suspense, will be available in ebook AND paperback on 27th June. Here is the AMAZING cover:


How stunning is that?It can be pre-ordered here: AMAZONAnd, here's the blurb:Imagine turning up to your own party, and recognising no one. Your best friend has just created your worst nightmare.Louisa is an exhausted, sleep-deprived new mother and, approaching her fortieth birthday, the very last thing she wants to do is celebrate.But when her best friend Tiff organises a surprise party, inviting the entire list of Lou’s Facebook friends, she’s faced with a new source of anxiety altogether: a room full of old college classmates who she hasn’t spoken to in twenty years. And one person in particular she never expected to see again is there – her ex-boyfriend from college, the handsome and charismatic Oliver Dunmore.When Oliver’s wife Melissa goes missing after the party, everyone remembers what happened that night differently. It could be the alcohol, but it seems more than one person has something to hide.Louisa is determined to find the truth about what happened to Melissa. But just how far does she need to look…?One simple Facebook invitation unfolds into something both tragic and monstrous; a story of obsessive love, breath-taking deception and masterful manipulation.** PRAISE FOR THE MISSING WIFE **‘The Missing Wife is superb: one of those books that keeps you guessing and keeps you turning the pages. I was riveted.’ Alex Lake, bestselling author of After Anna


It's getting some fabulous early reviews on Netgalley - I can't wait for you to read it :)

Debut Author Spotlight – 20 QuestionsRonnie Turner I...

Debut Author Spotlight – 20 Questions Ronnie Turner


 I'm delighted to welcome debut author Ronnie Turner to my blog! LIES BETWEEN US publishes today! 

Ronnie Turner grew up in Cornwall, the youngest in a large family. At an early age, she discovered a love of literature and dreamed of being a published author. Ronnie now lives in Dorset with her family and three dogs. In her spare time, she reviews books on her blog and enjoys long walks on the coast. She is currently working on her second novel.

So, huge HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY wishes, Ronnie!

Enjoy reading Ronnie's answers to my 20 questions:


1)   Congratulations, Ronnie - IT’S PUBLICATION DAY! Tell us in three words how you’re feeling right now: Thank you so much Sam!! My three words have got to be excited, terrified and nervous!
2)         Describe your novel in ONE sentence:  Lies Between Us is a tale of corrupted    love, obsession and the fragility of the truth.
3)   How are you celebrating publication day?  I’m celebrating with my family, which is really exciting! We’re having a big get together (dogs included) and celebrating in style with some champers! (;
4)   Why/When did you decide to write your first novel? I’ve always been an avid reader. I grew up in a house brimming with toppling TBRs so I decided to (try) write a novel at a very young age. I eventually wrote Lies Between Us, which is quite a dark book but I had so much fun writing it!
5)   How long was it from the first submission of your completed manuscript to agents, to this day? I started submitting Lies Between Us to agents/publishers in September 2017 so it’s just over a year now. I signed with my lovely publisher, HQ Digital, in December 2017 and then with my fabulous agent, David Headley, in May! It’s been a whirlwind of a year! I feel very, very lucky!
6)   So far, what has been the biggest surprise/shock about becoming a published author?The wonderful reviews have been both a surprise and a shock. I just can’t believe readers are enjoying my little book! I’m overwhelmed every time I read them! It’s an amazing feeling!
7)   What are you most looking forward to as a published author?I’m cracking on with Book Two at the moment so I’m looking forward to the months ahead. It has a very twisted character at its core -  I can’t wait to get stuck in and write him. I say this a lot but I really love bad guys - can’t beat ‘em! (fictional ones, that is!)
Ok, let’s get down to the writing process8)   Which authors inspired your writing?Stephen King, Kate Atkinson, Sarah Waters, Agatha Christie, Daphne Du Maurier and lots more!
9)   How long did it take you to write ‘Lies Between Us’?It took me around five weeks to write Lies Between Us but I did a huge amount of plotting beforehand!
10) What was your first draft like? My first draft was a mess!! LOL! It took months to re-write, edit, re-write, edit, then polish it ready for submission! My poor friends/family were kind enough to read it a gazillion times - I bought them lots of chocolate as a thank you! Haha!
11) How did you find the editing process a - before you had an editor? The editing process is extremely tough but very rewarding. My friends/family gave amazing feedback and I wouldn’t have been able to get it in shape for submission without their fresh eyes!                                                                   b - and now you do? Oooh the editorial process with my editor was just incredible! Very lucky! It made the book so much better. Slowly watching your book grow and improve is, for me, a feeling you just can’t beat!

12) When you write do you need music, or silence? Music! I love writing to music. I listen to some of my albums on a loop so I have the songs stuck in my head for days and days.
13) What is your guilty pleasure when writing?Tea/Coffee with some nice biscuits!! *eats biscuit*
14) What is your favourite part of the writing process? Least favourite?My favourite part is the writing itself! Least favourite is editing although I do enjoy that too! It’s a love/hate thing! (;
15) Did you need to conduct any research for your novel? How did you approach it?Absolutely! I did a lot of research for my main characters, one of which is an ICU nurse caring for a man in a vegetative state. The research for her line of work was heartbreaking, I’d be in tears some days reading real-life accounts of patients’ families. The second character is a father desperately searching for his young daughter who has been kidnapped. The police procedure played quite a big part in it - I was very lucky to have some advice from an ex-Metropolitan Police Detective.  16) Now you have a book deal – with deadlines (!) – how has that affected your writing process? Ooof those deadlines are intense. It’s work non-stop in my house when I have a deadline. It is very exciting though (and terrifying!)
17) What do you do in your ‘spare’ time? In my spare time I review books on my blog, spend time with my family/friends and take my three dogs on long walks!
18) What’s coming next? I haven’t written Book Two yet but I nearly have everything ready to go. I write quite quickly so I just need to get a few more ideas sorted before I begin! I can’t wait!!!
19) Where can readers find you? 
You can find me via these links:
Blog . Twitter . Facebook . Goodreads page Amazon Page

20) All importantly, where can readers buy your fabulous debut novel? 
You can find the e-book (out TODAY!!!) and paperback (out 13thDecember) via the links below. If you’d like to learn more about Lies Between Us and find out what book bloggers think, you can follow the blog tour this month!! SOOO excited!!


Amazon UK Kobo Waterstones Google Play HarperCollins Book Depository

One Little Lie Book Launch

One Little Lie is my third novel to be published, but it's the first time I've had a proper book launch. There were numerous reasons I hadn't opted for a launch, the main one being ... well, NERVES!

It seemed overwhelming just thinking about arranging one, let alone knowing I'd have to be the centre of attention and would have to speak!

My lovely publicist, Sabah Khan, was the one to get the ball rolling this time - and she did a fantastic job organising the launch together with Jon, from my local Waterstones in Newton Abbot.

All I had to do was invite 30 - 40 people. And yes, that was stressful enough! 

As Friday came around, I was a bag of nerves: would people turn up? What if TOO many people turned up? (It's only a small Waterstones), what if it doesn't run smoothly? What if NO ONE wants a signed book?

Well, thanks to my fantastic family and friends, these worries melted away as they walked through the doors on Friday evening at 6.30pm. 



























I had a really good evening, and actually enjoyed it (apart from the speaking part - must work on my public speaking skills!) So I want to give a HUGE thank you to all who attended, to Jon for being a one-man-band and giving out drinks as well as selling books, to my editor Katie Loughnane and publicist Sabah Khan for braving Newton Abbot all the way from London - it meant so much to have you both there, and you were both big hits with my family and friends!  

I feel very lucky to be published by Avon, and even luckier to have such amazing support from my family and friends. Thank you to all who've bought One Little Lie - I'm extremely proud of this book and hope readers enjoy it.

I'll leave you with some photos from the evening (many friends took photos and I think these are a mix from everyone!)

Jon, from Waterstones Listening in awe to Katie's fabulous speech!

 
 
 


 


The best shoes award goes to Katie and my sister, Celia!


After-launch drinkies!

Lovely evening with Katie, Sabah and my family!


There are many more photos I could add - and I will at a later date! A really enjoyable event - and now I've done one, I think I will be more relaxed about the next launch...!
ONE LITTLE LIE is available in the supermarkets and some Waterstones, independent book shops and Amazon.
Amazon link: ONE LITTLE LIE
And the ebook is a mere 99p for September!

*3 DAYS TO GO*

I can't believe it's only three days until my third novel is published!














I'm beyond thrilled that the paperback will be available in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and WHSmith Travel, as well as some Waterstones and independent bookstores from Thursday 6th September.

On Friday evening I'm having a launch (my first!) at my local Waterstones - which is very exciting, if not nerve-wracking! I will post some pictures from that over the weekend.

For my actual publication day I'm going to be celebrating mostly on Twitter and Facebook! But in the evening we're going to Theatre Royal, Plymouth to see War Horse which I'm really looking forward to - it looks amazing.


I've had some great feedback for ONE LITTLE LIE and it's a book I'm very proud of - thank you to all who've played a part in bringing it to publication, and to those who have read and reviewed (either ARCs or the ebook) I'm blessed to have such fabulous support.

You can also pre-order the paperback on Amazon - HERE

And for a limited time the ebook is on offer at the bargain price of 99p! You can download - HERE.

3 weeks until paperback publication of ONE LITTLE LIE

It's countdown time for the paperback release of ONE LITTLE LIE and I couldn't be more excited!














The ebook has been available since the 23rd July and I've been thrilled with the feedback and reviews so far. Here are some of the things being said about One Little Lie:

‘A story filled of manipulation, lies, secrets, and obsession with seeking forgiveness. This intricately plotted thriller … The shocking twist will leave you speechless.’ 5* NetGalley reviewer

‘This is such a masterfully plotted novel. Everything is planned out, down to the last intricate detail. It was a real pleasure to read and almost impossible to put down!’ 5* NetGalley reviewer

‘Sam Carrington has really shown the depths of her talent with this. It's beautifully written with great characters.’ 5* NetGalley reviewer

'I’ve been a big fan of Sam’s writing in the past and I’m pleased to say that One Little Lie maintains the high level of stylish and cleverly crafted plots that I have come to enjoy. But I do think that she has excelled herself this time with a great twist that I didn’t see coming, one that immediately had me flicking back through the pages of my kindle to work out how and why I had missed the clues!'5* Jo Robertson/MyChestnutReadingReadingTree
There are lots more but I'll move on for now!
This is my third book to be published by Avon, HarperCollins since 2016 and I am very proud of it. I hope that it will find many readers and that they enjoy it, take something from it, and talk about it!
I've had masses of support from friends, family, authors and bloggers, and of course from my agent, Anne Williams, my editor Katie Loughnane and the team at Avon - I'm thankful for it all! I'm lucky enough to be able to have a small celebration at my local Waterstones in September where hopefully I will be joined by some of those supporters. It's a shame the venue isn't bigger as it would've been fabulous to invite everyone I know - but maybe that will be possible one day... :) 
I hope those who pick up ONE LITTLE LIE enjoy it - and please, if you do, leave a review! They are extremely helpful and can aid visibility on Amazon. Every little helps. 
If you spot One Little Lie out and about from 6th September - I would love to see some shelfies, so please do post a pic. The book will be available in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and WHSmith Travel!
You can pre-order the paperback at Amazon here: ONE LITTLE LIE 
Thank you!

WIN a signed paperback proof of ONE LITTLE LIE

If you head over to my Twitter page - HERE - you can be in with a chance of winning a proof paperback of ONE LITTLE LIE  just by retweeting the *pinned* tweet! Simples!

*This one*:
https://twitter.com/sam_carrington1/status/1021429812202811394


The ebook is OUT NOW - and can be downloaded from
Amazon
Kobo
Google Play
iTunes

It's ebook publication day for ONE LITTLE LIE!

I'm so pleased and excited to say that the ebook of One Little Lie has gone out into the world today!

Publication day is always a nerve-wracking/exciting day. I'm lucky enough to have had some fabulous support - from pre-publication to now - and I'd like to thank all of the amazing people who have shared, tweeted, messaged, commented and generally made me feel happy and proud today!

Huge thanks to: my fabulous agent, Anne Williams at KHLA; Team Avon - especially my editor, Katie Loughnane; all my family and friends, and, of course - the biggest thanks to those who have downloaded One Little Lie! I hope you enjoy it.

The blog tour kicked off today with a wonderful review from Jacob - Hooked From Page One - and you can read what he thought HERE. I am THRILLED he enjoyed it! Not only did he like it, he said it was my best book yet! Now, you can't ask for more than that, can you? Thank you, Jacob.

Please do follow the blog tour - here are the fabulous bloggers taking part:





































No doubt I will be partaking in some celebratory bubbles later - even though I haven't fully recovered from Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Festival yet!

If you'd like to read ONE LITTLE LIE, it's available to download from: 
Amazon 
Kobo 
iTunes and 
Google Play! 


I will be announcing the *winner* of the pre-order competition tomorrow - and there will be a chance to WIN a (now rare!) signed paperback proof copy of ONE LITTLE LIE  - check out Facebook and Twitter later!