Morton S. Gray's Blog, page 13
April 17, 2023
My Favourite Things by Joanne Boden
This week, Joanne Boden author of The Old Bookshop of New Beginnings for Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books is here to share some of her favourite things with my blog readers. Over to Joanne …
Hello Morton and thank you so much for inviting me on your blog to celebrate the publication of my novel, The Old Bookshop of New Beginnings, book two in the Little Bluewater Bay series. I had such a great time writing Harry and Beth’s story.
I thought it would be a fun idea to share some of my favourite things with you, so here goes.
The first cup of tea and morning pages
This year I started to write morning pages. This is when you write three pages of longhand, just writing what’s on your mind, with no filter and not caring if there are spelling mistakes or even if what you are writing makes any sense. I make myself a cup of tea, sort out breakfast for my youngest son who wakes early and then I sit and write in the background of breakfast tv. It sets me up for the day as I like the feeling of getting all my thoughts, feelings and whatever is on my mind down on paper and out of my head. I’m probably not explaining it in the right way, but if you want to find out more look up Julia Cameron, the author of The Artist’s Way who came up with the idea.
Reading
I read every day and get through two to three books a week, one usually being an audiobook, one a physical book and one an ebook. At the moment I am listening to Daisy Jones & the Six and I really think this is the best way to read this book, (I have read a physical copy), it’s amazing as it has a full cast of narrators. I’ve also listened to Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson recently, and I found it much easier to digest by listening to it as the book is very, very, long.
A walk along the canal/village/river
We are very lucky in that we live in a beautiful part of the country where we have lots of opportunities to walk in green spaces and by open water. We have several circular walks we can do in the village that include walking by the canal and a river walk along the Lune. Just getting out in the fresh air and walking always makes me feel better. My youngest son also enjoys his canal walk with me on a Sunday afternoon
Coffee shops
Going for a coffee is my way of treating myself. I always opt for a filter or an Americano, nothing fancy, although sometimes I will have a chai tea. There’s something so nice about sitting in a coffee shop surrounded by people while I listen to/or read a book. It’s pure escapism. And to be honest I love people watching.
Country Music
I love country music. I mostly listen to contemporary country, my favourites being Luke Combs (I love his new album and have had it on repeat), Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen and Randall King to name a few. But I also like to listen to older stuff from George Strait, James Taylor and Tim McGraw (I love his album, Set This Circus Down)
Browsing in bookshops and the library
One of my favourite things is wandering around a bookshop or browsing the newly added books in the library. I love that unique book smell. I like finding books that I haven’t heard about and picking one up on a whim. I like being surrounded by books and as daft as it sounds as soon as I step foot in a bookshop I feel instantly calmer and relaxed.
Reading romance (fantasy, historical, western….basically any)
Romance is my go to genre to read, although I do read other genres. I’ve recently got into fantasy romance and have binged my way through A Court of Thorns and Roses and the other books in the series, as well as the two Crescent City books by Sarah J Maas. I know these books have their critics but I just find them hugely enjoyable and pure escapism. I also love reading what I call cowboy romance, my favourite authors being Diana Palmer and Carolyn Brown. I’ve also read the new Elise Silver books. But my all time favourite romance author has to be Nora Roberts and I am slowly making my way through her backlist. I’m reading Black Hills at the moment.
Making bread while listening to an audiobook
I think there is something so therapeutic about working with your hands. For some people it is gardening and feeling the soil, for me it is kneading bread. I don’t even care how well the bread turns out because for me it’s more about the process of making it. That initial knead and then waiting a few hours for it to rise before kneading it again. The last few times I’ve made bead rolls using the Hairy Bikers recipe they’ve turned out really well.
Watching Gilmore Girls
We all have a comfort show and mine is Gilmore Girls. I have specific episodes that I will watch to make me feel happy. My all time favourite being the one where Luke and Lorelai dance at the wedding (if you know, you know). It’s the main reason I pay for my Netflix subscription, that and Stranger Things.
Thank you once again for inviting me on your blog, Morton. x
What a fascinating list of favourite things, some of which I share. I love morning pages too and coffee shops and romance books and reading and walks. Lol we can be sisters! Mx
About Joanne Boden
Joanne lives in Lancashire with her husband and their two sons. When she is not busy writing, she likes to take her boys to the local museums, cafes and for walks in the countryside. Joanne has published 4 non-fiction works aimed at parenting children on the Autistic spectrum, based upon her experiences as a mother of an autistic son. She has also self published a contemporary romance novel, Picking up the Pieces.
Joanne writes contemporary romances with gorgeous heroes.
Follow Joanne on Facebook @JoBodenAuthor and Twitter @JoBodenAuthor
About The Old Bookshop of New Beginnings
Can two lost souls find themselves in Little Bluewater Bay?
In the space of a single day, Harry Taylor achieves the impressive feat of losing a girlfriend, his London flat and his bookshop job. So, when his cousin Lucas invites him to his home in the seaside village of Little Bluewater Bay to recuperate, Harry jumps at the chance.
Beth Smith works at a diner and is quickly overstaying her welcome sleeping on her friend’s sofa. Overhearing a conversation about Little Bluewater Bay reminds her of better times, and she decides to throw caution to the wind and try her luck for happier memories in the coastal village.
Could a bookish business proposal and oldest new bookshop in Little Bluewater Bay lead to the new beginnings Beth and Harry so desperately need?
Buying links:
Amazon https://mybook.to/OldBookshop
Choc lit website link https://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/the-old-bookshop-of-new-beginnings/
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
Published by Choc Lit an imprint of Joffe Books
April 10, 2023
An Extract From Hopeful Hearts At The Cornish Cove By Kim Nash
Today, I’m delighted to share an intriguing extract from Kim Nash’s new novel, Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove published by Boldwood Books. Kim is the author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and this is her sixth book, after securing a 3-book contract with Boldwood. Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove is the first book in a 3-book series set in the fictional seaside town of Driftwood Bay.
Extract from Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove
Chapter One
Gabby laughed loudly down the phone.
‘There must be something wrong with my hearing. For a minute there, I thought you’d said you’d just bought a lighthouse.’ She continued to laugh.
Silence from my end of the call stalled her laughter for a second or two and when she spoke again her voice started to wobble.
‘Meredith Robinson! Please tell me you’re joking.’
‘Erm. I’m actually not joking. I really did buy a lighthouse.’ I couldn’t believe it myself, so I wasn’t quite sure how my best friend would take my news and had been avoiding her calls for most of the day.
‘What the f—’
‘I know you’ll think I’m mad but—’
We had a habit of blurting out what we were thinking at the same time. We’d done it since we met in primary school.
‘I’m finishing work in an hour. I’ll be straight home. I think you need to tell me what the hell is going on.’
I glanced at my wrist. If Gabby finished work in around an hour, and it took her about twenty minutes to get home, I had just a short amount of time to comprehend myself what had actually just happened, let alone with her. Just over an hour to understand why I’d just done the maddest thing I’ve ever done in my life and then to put that into words to explain to my bestie. That’ll teach me to do evening drinking alone.
As I glanced at my phone, my hands were trembling but at the same time, there were excitable butterflies in my stomach. It was a good job Gabby had stayed over at Luke’s last night, so I didn’t have to face her that morning.
I took a deep breath as I walked down the hallway of her home, which had now been my home for the last twelve months, and glanced in the hall mirror which hung above a chest of drawers that I had painted in a duck-egg-blue colour last summer. As I looked at myself, I wondered who the hell was the person reflecting back at me. I gulped and the realisation of what I’d actually done began to sink in.
Oh! My! God! I really had just gone and bought a fricking lighthouse!
About Kim Nash
Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, romantic, feel-good fiction and has wanted to write books since she was a little girl. She has recently signed a 3-book deal with Boldwood Books and Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove, published in March 2023, is the first book in a series of books set in Driftwood Bay in Cornwall.
She lives in Staffordshire with her son Ollie and English Setter rescue dog Roni, is Digital Publicity Director for publisher Bookouture (a division of Hachette UK) and is a book blogger at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk.
When she’s not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog at Cannock Chase, reading, writing and binge-watching box sets on the TV. She’s also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Staffordshire and organises local and national reader/author events.
Social Media and website links
To keep up with all Kim’s new releases and bookish gossip, you can join her monthly newsletter here: www.kimthebookworm.co.uk
Connect with Kim on Social Media here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimTheBookWorm/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kim_the_bookworm
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kimthebookworm
About Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove
Meredith’s life is at a standstill. She’s stuck in a dead-end job, approaching fifty, and her dating life is a string of disasters. But one evening, while browsing the internet, she sees an ad for a lighthouse, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she makes a ridiculous bid for it.
With the help of local handyman Clem, she sets about renovating. And as they work together, a bond begins to form. But when Meredith finds out that Clem is keeping a secret from her, it changes everything. Will they find a way to build something more meaningful together?
A delightful story about community, friendship and having the courage to start over, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Milly Johnson and Lucy Dillon
Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove buying links:
Other Books by Kim Nash
Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove: https://amzn.to/3Yr7Q7u
Snowflakes Over Muddleford Cove: http://amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BP2V45VG/
Moonlight Over Muddleford Cove: http://amzn.to/2NXKaJ7
Sunshine and Second Chances: http://amzn.to/3n70CDQ
Escape to Giddywell Grange: http://amzn.to/3cKUWdM
Amazing Grace: http://amzn.to/30hjIjQ
Morton’s news – My publisher, Choc Lit became part of Joffe Books last week. I have little idea of what this will mean for me and my books as yet but will update you when I do. You can read the press release about the acquisition here.
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
April 3, 2023
Orkney – A Virtual Tour of the WW2 Sites by Vicki Beeby
My blog visitor this week is Vicki Beeby, who has recently won the 2023 Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Saga Award. (Yay! Congratulations, Vicki! Mx)
I have loved Vicki’s series set on Orkney in World War Two for Canelo. The main characters, Sally, Mary and Iris are posted to a look out station in Orkney and the latest book in the series to be published is Hopeful Hearts for the Wrens. Vicki is talking today about the wartime sites on the island that she visited when she was conducting her research. Over to Vicki …
Thanks to Morton for hosting me again. It feels like yesterday when I was here with a post about the first book in my Wrens series, and now here I am with the final book just published!
When I planned my first visit to Orkney back in 2019, it was to see the Neolithic sites such as Scara Brae, Maeshowe and the Ring of Brodgar. It wasn’t until I got there that I realised Orkney was also teeming with remains from the two world wars, and by the end of my visit I was inspired to write a whole series of novels set in World War Two Orkney (although it was a couple of years before I could start it). I thought for this post, I’d share some of the sites that inspired the series.
Churchill Barriers
These are the only structures from World War Two that I knew about before my arrival, and I was keen to see them. On my very first day in Orkney, I visited the Tomb of the Eagles on South Ronaldsay, right at the southernmost end of the archipelago. I went partly because I wanted to see the tomb but also because I couldn’t wait to drive across the road built upon the Churchill Barriers – a series of causeways linking the Orkney mainland with the string of islands to the south and east.
The barriers were built to prevent German U-boats from getting into Scapa Flow, which was used as the anchorage for the British Home Fleet during both world wars. It required a huge amount of labour, and so Italian prisoners of war were brought to Orkney to work in the quarries and on the barriers themselves. Learning about these prisoners inspired the character of Aldo, whose story features in Hopeful Hearts for the Wrens.
Italian Chapel
The Italian POWs were kept in two camps – on Lamb Holm and Burray – while they worked on the barriers. The Italians on Lamb Holm were granted permission to make a chapel from one of the Nissen huts in the camp and the result was the beautiful Italian Chapel. I was amazed by the artistry and craftsmanship that went into the interior, and it inspired me to make Aldo good at carving.
Ness Battery
These concrete structures just outside Stromness are the remains of the gunnery placements that protected Hoy Sound – one of the main channels that shipping used to enter Scapa Flow. On my second visit to Orkney, I did a guided tour of the Ness Batteries and learned about the lives of the men who lived and worked here. I was particularly struck by the amazing view they had – the same view my Wrens have in their fictional signal station of Kyeness.
Lyness
This is the site of the main naval base operating in Scapa Flow and is on the island of Hoy. Back in 2019 when I visited, the museum had been closed down for refurbishment and it still hadn’t reopened on my next visit. All there was to see was a flat, concreted area by the ferry port with pillboxes up on the hills around. It was this bleakness (and coldness) that made me wonder what life must have been like for the Wrens who were posted to Orkney, and the idea for the Wrens series formed from there.
A new museum has now opened on the site so now I can’t wait to go back and visit!
About Vicki Beeby
Vicki Beeby is a saga author who writes about the friendships and loves of service women brought together by the Second World War.
Her first job was as a civil engineer on a sewage treatment project, so things could only improve from there. Since then, she has worked as a maths teacher, an education consultant before she turned freelance to give herself more time to write.
She is published by Canelo and represented by Lina Langlee of The North Literary Agency. She was a finalist for the RNA Romantic Saga award in 2021 and won it in 2023.
Website: vickibeeby.co.uk
Twitter: @VickiBeeby
Facebook page: facebook.com/VickiBeebyAuthor
About Hopeful Hearts for the Wrens
During war, nothing is ever at it seems…
Sally Hartley is a hopeless romantic. Her father died when she was a baby but she has lived off stories from her mother of what a wonderful man he was. Now, all she wants is a love like theirs. And she thinks she’s found it in Adam, the brother of a friend from home. When Adam is posted to Orkney, it’s like Sally’s dreams have all come true.
After Italy changes sides in the war, the Italian POWs are granted more freedom on the islands, meaning Sally can spend more time with her friend, Aldo, and the two grow ever closer. But when a family secret is revealed, Sally’s trust might be forever broken.
Sally, Iris and Mary must continue their duties even as life changes drastically around them, including an attack on one of their fellow Wrens from an unknown assailant. Now the friends face danger not just from the enemy, but also someone much closer to home.
An uplifting and dramatic WWII saga for fans of Kate Thompson, Margaret Dickinson and Daisy Styles.
Purchase link: mybook.to/HopeWrens
Morton’s review of Hopeful Hearts for the Wrens
5 Stars – It was lovely being back in Orkney with the Wrens, Sally, Mary and Iris. Vicki Beeby carried me along yet again with her skillful story weaving. The book has it all with romance and friendship, plus danger and intrigue. Even the baddies have their own story. I didn’t want this series to end and I finished this book with a tear in my eye and a great big, satisfied feeling.
Morton’s news – My publisher, Choc Lit became part of Joffe Books last week. I have little idea of what this will mean for me and my books as yet but will update you when I do. You can read the press release about the acquisition here.
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
March 27, 2023
Extract from The Collaborator’s Daughter by Eva Glyn
Delighted to feature an extract from The Collaborator’s Daughter by Eva Glyn which will be published by One More Chapter on 1st April 2023. I am half way through an advanced copy of this book and totally captivated. Highly recommended!
About The Collaborator’s Daughter
In 1944 in war-torn Dubrovnik Branko Milisic holds his newborn daughter Safranka and wishes her a better future. But while the Nazis are finally retreating, the arrival of the partisans brings new dangers for Branko, his wife Dragica and their baby…
As older sister to two half-siblings, Fran has always known she has to fit in. But now, at sixty-five years old and finally free of caring responsibilities, for the first time in her life Fran is facing questions about who she is and where she comes from.
All Fran knows about her real father is that he was a hero, and her mother had to flee Dubrovnik after the war. But when she travels to the city of her birth to uncover the truth, she is devastated to discover her father was executed by the partisans in 1944, accused of being a collaborator. But the past isn’t always what it seems… And neither is the future.
Extract:
We join Fran the first time she steps outside the apartment she’s rented in Dubrovnik’s old town to explore:
By half past four it had stopped raining and although a day of getting on with solid tasks had made Fran feel better, she was absolutely desperate to get out of the apartment and at least clap eyes on another human being. The slit of sky she could see between the buildings looked ominously grey, so she put on her waterproof and set off down the deserted street, the paving beneath her feet glistening and a little slippery in places.
The apartment was tucked into what was little more than a narrow alley that climbed towards the most inland tower in the walls surrounding the old town. Mostly it was made up of flights of steps cut from dark grey stone, contrasting with the creamy walls of the houses crammed together on either side. On almost every ledge and doorstep were pots filled with a variety of leafy green plants, some with delicate pink flowers, their heads too small to have been bowed by the rain.
Further down the hill, just before the main street, Stradun, the path levelled out and there was a small café. A waiter was working under its awning, wiping down the tables and chairs that all but filled the narrow street, bending his long skinny frame to clean the water from their metal legs.
He turned and looked at Fran, shaking a mop of brown hair out of his eyes. “Dobar dan.”
“Dobar dan.”
He switched into English, but she wasn’t surprised her foreign accent was so obvious. “You would like a coffee maybe? Or some wine?” He consulted his watch. “It isn’t too early for wine. Not when it is so wet it is almost dark outside.”
It hadn’t been part of her plan, but Fran was delighted at the prospect of someone to talk to, even if only to order a drink and pass the time of day. She started to pull out a chair but he shook his head.
“No. Inside. I am sure it will rain again so I have not put the cushions.”
The interior of the café was dark but cosy, the unplastered stone walls and timbered ceiling the same as in her apartment. In one corner was the bar, its wood blackened with age and covered in heavy carvings that at home would have screamed Victorian. A red velveteen upholstered bench ran along the wall beside it, and it was at a small table here that the waiter gestured Fran to sit.
“I can clean the glasses while we talk. Now, would you like red wine or white? Or maybe even the local rakija?”
After the day she’d had, Fran didn’t need too much tempting, although she decided it was best to keep off the strong stuff. “A glass of red, please.”
The Collaborator’s Daughter is published by One More Chapter on 1st April 2023 and can be pre-ordered at the retailer of your choice through their website:
https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-collaborators-daughter-eva-glyn
About Eva Glyn:
Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.
Her last holiday before lockdown was a trip to Croatia, and the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground, driven by her friendship with a tour guide she met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. Her second novel set in the country, An Island of Secrets is a dual timeline looking back to World War 2, and although a contemporary romance featuring mature main characters her third, The Collaborator’s Daughter, has its roots in that conflict too.
Eva lives in Cornwall, although she considers herself Welsh, and has been lucky enough to have been married to the love of her life for more than twenty-five years. She also writes as Jane Cable.
Social Media Links –
Instagram @evaglynauthor
Twitter @JaneCable
BookBub @EvaGlyn
Facebook Eva Glyn, Author
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
March 20, 2023
Why I Write by Anni Rose
My blog guest this week is Anni Rose, author of Recipe for Mr Ideal published by Choc Lit Publishing. Anni is going to tell us a little about why she writes …
Hello Morton, thank you for inviting me on to your blog today.
Why do I write? Good question. I should perhaps say that I write for me, no one else, which is why at times it can feel a bit self-indulgent and I can feel guilty when the housework starts to pile up around me. But it’s a great way to escape and very cathartic. I find, I can get rid of so much angst, just by writing about things that have bothered me. Writing them down and seeing how a character deals with them, often clears my head.
Years ago, I heard Ian Rankin talk and he said he thought if he wasn’t a writer he’d probably be in prison, because anybody who upset him in real life he would kill off in a book. I haven’t killed anyone in a book yet, but there are a few unpleasant characters along the way, who get their comeuppance.
Many years ago, I read, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron and for quite a few months wrote three morning pages every morning. That was a lovely and freeing experience and often an idea or way forward would emerge from those pages that would inspire my writing later in the day. Nowadays, if I get stuck on how to advance the story, I often turn off all my electronic devices and go back to my A4 lined pads and write three pages in long hand.
These days I’m not disciplined as to when I start writing. I try to think of it as a job and be at my desk by 9:00 a.m. with a large mug of tea. I like to think I’m going to sit and write for a whole morning during which time I will produce a thoroughly polished chapter that will be wildly engaging but, of course, that rarely happens. I should probably admit I am the master of procrastination. An email can arrive that suddenly becomes the most important thing in my world, so much so that I have to deal with it immediately. Or there’s a meal to cook or desk to polish! But when I do get going, I can lose myself in my story and that is an amazing feeling.
Quite often, when I start a book, I don’t know exactly where it’s going, I normally have the characters’ names and maybe an idea that I have jotted down in a notebook because I think it might be fun to explore. Then comes the brainstorming and research. For my current work in progress my character is trying her hand at different things – so lately, I’ve needle-felted a March hare, taken a ride on the Velocity 2 zip wire in Wales and done a laminated dough course, all in the name of research and now I’m searching for a glassblowing workshop locally. I couldn’t quite manage pole dancing classes – I’ve got a dodgy hip! For Recipe for Mr Ideal – there was quite a lot of Say Yes to the Dress episodes that needed watching! And having been a registrar, I had lots of inspirational weddings to revisit.
I love it when characters develop. It can almost be like spending a day in the company of old friends. Writers talk about their characters coming to life and I guess, as writers, we all hope that will happen. You spend so long with these people that you need to care about them. I’ve had characters who have had complete personality changes, as I get to know them better, in some cases, they’ve changed names. You get close to them for the duration of the book and it is sometimes difficult to let them go. One of the things I love about writing a series is that characters who often start off as secondary characters in one book, can develop to such an extent, they need their own stories told.
It’s been great to talk to you today, Morton, thank you again for the invitation to visit your blog.
About Anni Rose
Born and raised in Berkshire, Anni emigrated to Wiltshire six years ago, where she lives with her husband, sister and two dogs.
As a child, she could usually be found either reading or writing fiction, producing reams of stories over the years.
On leaving school, the need to earn a living sort of got in the way and her writing was limited to financial reports or employees’ handbooks, but a local writing course and an encouraging group of writing friends re-ignited the fiction flame many years later and Anni went on to have several short stories published in various magazines.
Anni would describe her writing these days as mainly modern romantic stories with a healthy dollop of humour thrown in. Away from writing Anni can usually be found behind a camera, walking the dogs, enjoying one of her husband’s curries or one of her sister’s bakery treats.
You can catch up with Anni on her website www.anniroseauthor.co.uk, on Twitter – @AnniRoseAuthor, or on her Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/anniroseauthor
About Recipe for Mr Ideal
Would you settle for Mr Less-Than-Ideal for a chance at happily-ever-after?
Registrar Maddie Winter has overseen enough weddings to know that marriage is not just for Christmas (or Valentine’s Day) – it’s for life, and regardless of whether the ceremony involves specially trained owls, dinosaurs or the police, it should be only the beginning of a story that will end in happily-ever-after.
Saying that, Maddie’s own married life is far from perfect – her husband, David, is more interested in his phone than in her, and when he suddenly walks out, Maddie’s long-held beliefs are put to the test.
Except Maddie knows David was never really her ‘Mr Ideal’; that was sweet, funny, motorbike-riding Josh Diamond – although obviously not that ideal, as he did dump her to move to the States. Even so, when Josh unexpectedly rides back into town, Maddie begins to wonder whether her happily-ever-after could still be to come …
Book 4 in the Recipes for Life series but can be read as a standalone novel.
Book buying links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/40GjhKh
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3I9KON4
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/recipe-for-mr-ideal-anni-rose/1142938464
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/recipe-for-mr-ideal/id6445286285
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/recipe-for-mr-ideal
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anni_Rose_Recipe_for_Mr_Ideal?id=Ve2nEAAAQBAJ&gl=GB
Choc Lit Website: https://www.choc-lit.com/?post_type=dd-product&s=Recipe+for+Mr+Ideal
You know the more I learn about Anni Rose, the more I think we could be sisters, as we share so many common interests. Anni was very kind to me last year when I lost my mom – she took me on a lovely outing to the confetti fields in Pershore, Worcestershire. It’s a pity we don’t live closer to each other or I think we would be sharing regular outings. Good luck with the book, Anni. Mx
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
March 13, 2023
Why I Write by Lizzie Lamb
I am delighted this week to welcome Lizzie Lamb, author of Dark Highland Skies to my blog. Today, Lizzie is going to talk about why she writes Scottish contemporary romance. Over to Lizzie …
I write to escape from the here and now. This was especially true during Covid when I hid away in my study and travelled every day to the mythical, magical west coast of Scotland in my imagination. The result was Dark Highland Skies which was published on Valentine’s Day 2023 and been well-received by readers and followers. (See blurb and extract below)
Why the west coast of Scotland and contemporary romance?
Let me explain . . .
I was born in the Central Belt of Scotland and all I knew of the highlands was what I had seen on video: The Ghost Goes West, I Know Where I’m Going and Local Hero; or read in tattered library books: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped, John Buchan’s Thirty-Nine Steps and D.K Broster’s trilogy The Flight of the Heron. To me, the highlands was a distant place redolent with history, mystery, and romance but out of reach.
Then, in 2014, we bought our first caravan off eBay for £300 and our highland adventures began as we visited all the places I dreamed about. Now, every time we cross the border at Gretna Green something magical happens. I get a shiver down my spine and my heart beats a little faster and I know I’ve come home. In subsequent years we have bought bigger and more self-contained caravans, undertaken the North Coast 500 challenge and found more to fall in love with: Plockton, Wester Ross, Gairloch and Scourie in the northwest of Scotland. Caravanning suits us down to the ground because we can go where we like, when we like and, thanks to my trusty MacBook, I can write to my heart’s content.
Dave the Roadie
Lizzie’s office in the vanInspired, we have returned to further research my novels. In 2017 we toured Castle Stalker on Loch Linnhe, the inspiration for Girl in the Castle. I used what I’d seen in Castle Stalker to add colour to my novel although I re-named the castle Tearmannaire which means guardian or protector.. Another year we undertook a tour of whisky distilleries on Speyside and went ‘doon the watter’ to Dunoon to check out Holy Loch. Both were the inspiration behind Scotch on the Rocks.
Images of Castle StalkerHarper’s Highland Fling was inspired by my experiences as a teacher and the beautiful village of Plockton in Wester Ross. There I found the ideal house for my hero on Harbour Street where the front gardens are separated from each property by the road through the village. The gardens are beautiful and palm trees (Cordyline Australis) flourish there, thanks to the Gulf Stream. When we give up caravanning, I would like to rent a cottage there for the summer and spend time writing and enjoying everything that part of Scotland has to offer.
Plockton ImagesHowever, to go back to the beginning of my writing career, my debut novel – Tall, Dark and Kilted, was set in Notting Hill (influenced by the film and a private tour of the gardens in 2010) and Wester Ross which we had just visited for the first time. Although I am a real history buff, I write contemporary romance as opposed to HistFic because I was influenced in my early writing career by Jilly Cooper and aim for her lightness of touch, humour and hot heroes. We have already planned this summer’s highland fling when we’ll tour the highlands and celebrate fifty years of marriage. Now you understand why I love Scotland and write contemporary romance.
Open garden squares Notting HillFinally, last year we stayed in Arisaig (from where Bonnie Prince Charlie took his boat over the sea to Skye), explored Mallaig and the Silver Sands of Morar. I used this location in Dark Highland Skies which I adored writing, and I am still in love with the hero ‘Tor Strachan. Crazy writer, right?
The Bothy, River Morar All About Lizzie Lamb
Hi, I’m Lizzie and I like writing about the ‘moment’ when the hero and the heroine fall in love. That, and trying to track down the all-elusive hero-in-a-kilt, is what gets me in front of the computer each morning. Since 2012 I’ve published seven novels: Tall, Dark and Kilted, Boot Camp Bride, Scotch on the Rocks, Girl in the Castle, Take Me, I’m Yours, Harper’s Highland Fling, and my latest Dark Highland Skies. I organise the Leicester Chapter of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and present workshops on indie publishing to new writers. My feel good/uplit novels would be happy to sit alongside Jilly Cooper, Jenny Colgan, Jill Mansell and Carole Matthews on your bookshelf.
I love writing because it has given me the chance to celebrate everything I love about Scotland, and to share those feelings with my readers. When I’m not writing, I spend summer with my husband touring Scotland in our caravan researching my next novel and avoiding the midges.
Slainte Mhath.
To keep in touch with Lizzie, you can use the following links:-
WEBSITE – http://www.lizzielamb.co.uk
TWITTER – https://twitter.com/lizzie_lamb
INSTAGRAM – https://www.instagram.com/lizzielambwriter
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/lizzielamb-writer
NEWSLETTER – https://tinyurl.com/ELNL-2016
About Dark Highland Skies
Astrophysicist Halley Dunbar has spent her career peering into the space hoping to find the one-in-a-billion exoplanet outside our solar system capable of sustaining life. Such a find would be the climax of her scientific career and establish her as a force majeure in a male-dominated world.
When her great-uncle dies, she travels to Lochaber in Scotland to arrange his funeral, reluctant to leave her research and her million-pound telescope behind in Hawaii. In Scotland, she encounters an assortment of characters who make her realise there’s more to life than searching for something that might not exist.
The years are ticking by and Halley (35), starts to question the life she’s chosen. When the laird’s son, Tor Strachan, rocks up, he turns her world upside down and Halley discovers, not the new exoplanet she’s spent her academic life searching for, but the one-in-a-billion man who can make her happy.
Forced to question her life choices, Halley wonders if she’ll be able to return to stargazing and leave behind a place and a man she’s come to love. However, Afghan veteran Tor has demons of his own to confront before he can be the man Halley deserves. And, as for Halley, she has secrets of her own; ones she can’t share with anyone, including Tor.
Readers can read an extract here
Click and download the novel here.
Astrophysicist Halley Dunbar travels to Scotland to arrange her uncle’s funeral. There she meets the Laird’s son, Tor Strachan, who forces her question her life choices. Will she be able to return to stargazing and leave behind a place and a man she’s come to love? Will Tor, be able to confront his own demons and become the man Halley deserves?
Thank you, Lizzie. I have detailed Lizzie’s other novels below. What an exciting selection to read if you haven’t already! Mx
Take Me I’m Yours – https://mybook.to/TakeMeImYrs
Boot Camp Bride – https://mybook.to/BootCampBride
Harper’s Highland Fling – https://mybook.to/HarpersHighlandFling
Scotch on the Rocks – https://mybook.to/ScotchontheRocks
Tall, Dark and Kilted – https://mybook.to/TallDarkandKilted1
Girl in the Castle – https://mybook.to/GirlintheCastle
Dark Highland Skies – https://mybook.to/DarkHighlandSkies
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
March 6, 2023
Delights Yet to Come by Morton S. Gray
I thought readers might like to know a little about the delights to come on my blog in the next few weeks. We shall be treated to posts from the following excellent authors – Lizzie Lamb, Anni Rose, Eva Glyn, Vicky Beeby, Kim Nash, Joanne Boden, Angela Petch, Helena Dixon and Sally Jenkins.
Behind the scenes of the blog preparation, I enjoy talking to these authors and finding out all about their books, looking forward to the glimpses into their own worlds that they share on my blog. I do wish I had time to read all of their novels, but I’ve managed a few and will, of course include my reviews on the posts.
Meanwhile in my own world, I am at last writing again. Well actually, I’m editing two novels and writing another! I keep telling myself that it will all come good in the end even if my attention is still a little fragmented – I’ll probably end up with three finished novels at the same time, which would be fine if they were all in the same series!
I attended a writing course on Saturday with the Romantic Novelist’s Association Birmingham Chapter and it was like a breath of fresh air. I don’t know about anyone else but since the Covid era, I don’t seem to go out as much as I used to and maybe Saturday was a lesson that I need to. It was so lovely being in a room with the creative energy of other writers.
I’ve also been trying to post more Facebook and Instagram stories and have even begun to upload some videos to my YouTube Channel. You can find it here if you would like to listen to me reading from the first chapter of The Girl on the Beach. Oh and don’t forget to subscribe for future content. Let me know what you think and what else you would like to see on my channel – maybe interviews, more of me reading my work or even my take on the process of writing and publishing novels?
I hope that all is well in your world and look forward to the next few months of blogging for you …
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
February 27, 2023
The Blue Men of the Minch by Marie Laval
A slightly different post this week, as Marie Laval talks about some of the research she undertook for her new novel CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD published by Choc Lit. Over to Marie …
I really enjoyed reading tales and legends from Scotland whilst researching my historical romance CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD, which was recently published by Choc Lit UK. The story is mostly set in the far north of the Highlands and my heroine Rose Saintclair’s first experience of Scotland is a terrible storm as her ship sails through the Minch – the body of water stretching between the north-west Highlands, the northern Inner Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides. Rose is terrified of being captured by one of the mythical creatures the captain of the ship called the Blue Men of the Minch.
According to Scottish folklore, they were supernatural sea creatures who inhabited these waters. Partly human and partly mermen, they had blue skin and used to swim alongside ships and try to lure sailors into the water. They also had the ability to conjure storms and wreck ships, but interestingly they spared sailors who had a talent for poetry!
Indeed, when a ship sailed through the Minch the Blue Men’s chief would rise high in the water and shout to the skipper two lines of poetry. If the skipper was unable to respond immediately by adding two lines to complete the verse, the Blue Men would drag the ship down to the bottom of the sea. However, if the skipper could complete the verse, his ship would be allowed to carry on safely.
But where does the legend of the Blue Men of the Minch come from?
The obvious explanation is of course that the Blue Men are in fact not magical creatures at all, but porpoises which are often seen in the seas around Scotland.
Historians also suggest two other possibilities. Firstly, the tales of Blue Men may refer to the ancient Picts who used to paint their body and may have used kayak-like boats to cross the waters of the Minch, therefore giving the impression that they were only half human.
Another explanation links the Blue Men to the time of the Vikings who around the 9th century took Moors captured in North Africa to Ireland to be slaves. The Vikings spent winter months near the Shiant Isles in the Minch, and some historians believe the blue men are in fact “marooned foreign slaves” (Mackenzie (2013), loc. 1391). More specifically, these Moors may be Tuaregs, who were always called the ‘Blue Men of the Desert’ owing to their indigo clothing and headscarves.
Then again, they might just be magical merfolk… What do you think?
About Marie Laval
Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire and writes historical and contemporary romance. Best-selling LITTLE PINKTAXI was her debut romantic comedy novel with Choc Lit. A PARIS FAIRY TALE was published in July 2019, followed by BLUEBELL’S CHRISTMAS MAGIC in November 2019 and bestselling romantic suspense ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU which was shortlisted for the 2021 RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Suspense Award. Marie’s historical romances, ANGEL OF THE LOST TREASURE, QUEEN OF THE DESERT and CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD, all feature members of the Saintclair family and her short stories are published in the bestselling Miss Moonshine anthologies. Marie is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors, and her novels are available as paperbacks, ebooks and audiobooks on Amazon and various other platforms.
You can get in touch with Marie on Facebook or Twitter
About CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD
Can a Desert Rose survive a Scottish winter?
The wild Scottish landscape is a far cry from Rose Saintclair’s Saharan oasis, although she’ll endure it for Lord Cameron McRae, the man she married after a whirlwind romance in Algiers. But when stormy weather leads to Rose’s Scotland-bound ship docking on Cape Wrath – the land of Cameron’s enemy, Bruce McGunn – could her new life already be in jeopardy?
Lord McGunn was a fearless soldier, but his experiences have made him as unforgiving as the land he presides over. He knows McRae won’t rest until he owns Wrath, and the man is willing to use brutal tactics. Bruce decides that he’ll play McRae at his own game, take the ship and its precious occupant, and hold them hostage.
Rose is determined to escape, but whilst captured she learns that there’s another side to her new husband – and could her supposedly cold and ruthless kidnapper also be concealing hidden depths?
CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD is available on Amazon and Kobo and other platforms.
Thank you, Marie. That research sounds fascinating. Mx
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
February 19, 2023
An Excerpt From The Unwanted Bride by Rose Amberly
A new author to my blog, Rose Amberly is sharing an excerpt from her novel The Unwanted Bride. Over to Rose …
Dear Readers,
Here’s an excerpt from one of my books, THE UNWANTED BRIDE. I loved the idea of a talented bridal designer who loves beautiful weddings but is convinced she’ll never walk down the aisle herself.
—–
Laura folded the exquisite crushed-velvet gown. It was one of her most beautiful creations: a tailored column dress in pearl grey that shimmered silver where the light caught it, perfect for a winter wedding. Perfect with her figure and colouring.
As soon as she’d packed the dress and all the accessories in the box, she picked up a thick felt-tip marker. On the lid, she wrote, in big black letters: OXFAM CHARITY SHOP, 146 YORK ST, BRIGHTON.
A sigh escaped her, quickly suppressed. Wasn’t it her own fault, anyway, for being slow to learn the lesson? She was never meant to wear a beautiful wedding dress or walk down the aisle. Obviously.
“Stop dreaming,” her grandmother had always scolded. “Who’s going to marry you? You’re born to be a spinster. No one wants you.”
After three failed engagements, three discarded wedding dresses, each break-up took a slice out of her hope and confidence. Was her granny right?
—–
THE UNWANTED BRIDE is a story about a woman who doesn’t understand why she can’t find love. The answer, though, is obvious to everyone who really knows her.
—–
“Now don’t be upset,” Joanie said, using the cinnamon stick to stir her hot chocolate. “Jacob was, er…” Joanie cast around for the English word then gave up. “Sans saveur. You know? Like cottage cheese.”
Laura suppressed a smile as she took a sip from her own cup drink. She and Joanie had bonded over their love of spicy hot chocolate. “Jacob is a good man.!
“Yes, but a small town boilerman—”
“Heating engineer,” Laura corrected.
“With no money,” Joanie continued.
“Money doesn’t matter when you love someone.”
“Did you love him or were you settling?” Joanie laid a gentle hand over Laura’s. “You need a man with more vavavoom.”
“Thank you, but vavavoom is out of my league. I can’t even hold on to a man who has just one va.”
“Okay so you know he wasn’t prince charming why did you want to marry him? You’re not pregnant, are you?”
It surprised a laugh out of her. “No, of course I’m not. It’s…” She hesitated. “If I tell you, please don’t judge me?”
“What?”
“It’s just a stupid thing. …erm…well…”
“If you don’t tell me immediately, I’m going to take away your hot chocolate.” Joanie reached for the mug.
Laura moved her cup. “Alright, alright,” she laughed in mock surrender. “I wanted to prove my grandmother wrong. There was this tarot card thing. She said, she didn’t see marriage in my future.” Laura could still taste the bitter shock in that stiflingly hot over perfumed room. “I don’t really believe in tarot cards, but with every break-up the prediction is hard to forget.”
“The woman was a vache?” Joanie mimed a cow. “You should have grabbed her cards and told her you see a prison sentence in her future.”
Laura wanted to hug her friend. Joanie was fiercely loyal and generous with her support.
“The thing is, I’ve tried really hard to make it work, but no man seems to want me. Who else has three cancelled weddings by the age of 30?”
“If you want psychic vision, I give it to you without taro cards. I think you are so scared of not finding love, you lower your expectations too much. If you shop in the discount aisle in the supermarket, you only find the bad vegetables.” She smiled kindly taking the sting out of her words. “I don’t know why you make yourself small. You” — Joanie pointed a finger at Laura — “are talented, feisty, spirited, full of personality, like a shiny green beautiful jalapeño.” Joanie kissed the tips of her fingers. “Yummy. That’s what Jacob fell in love with, but as soon as he put the ring on your finger, you were afraid of losing him and started behaving like an out-of-date salad bag, grateful he picked you up at all.”
“Joanie, why are all your metaphors food related?”
“I’m a chef, what do you expect?”
—–
I wanted a story about the women who underestimate themselves so much they attract failure and rejection. They’re afraid prince charming is out of their league so they settle in the wrong relationship, the wrong job, the wrong life. Always a square peg in a round hole.
As Laura’s old boss explains it, Laura has been working as assistant designer when she’s far too talented and experienced. The result is she’s always trying hard to not to step on colleagues’ toes or ruffle feathers. “A lion cannot play with the kittens. You’re a lion, allow yourself to aim high!”
But aiming higher doesn’t come easy, especially when the universe sends her a gorgeous man she thinks is 500 miles out of her league and who is allergic to marriage. The universe must have more faith in her than she has in herself.
About Rose Amberly
Rose Amberly started writing as a hobby while working as a therapist. But her love of a good story took over and she’s now a full time writer. She lives in London and enjoy cultivating geraniums with unusual colours.
You can find her on her website www.roseamberly.com or on Facebook at La Canette Stories
About The Unwanted Bride
Some women were born to wear beautiful wedding dresses, others were born only to make them.
Talented bridal designer Laura knows she is doomed to never walk down the aisle herself. Her last failed engagement has left her heart and her career in pieces. She desperately needs one high profile design commission to rescue her reputation, it’s the only reason she came to La Canette island.
Six weeks to make the perfect wedding gown, no time for love, no time for another heartbreak.
Adam, the handsome but allergic-to-marriage doctor is not only miles out of her league but has no interest in love. He is passing through and will be gone too soon for any entanglements with women or with this crazy interfering island community.
But as Laura herself has already discovered, the universe can have an evil sense of humour and La Canette is a beautiful place where lives can take unexpected turns.
To buy the book click here or to buy the rest of the series you can use the following links:
The Unwanted Bride is part of The English Channel Series. Five heart warming novels set in an exquisitely beautiful island full of wild flowers, stary nights and a generous but sometimes crazy small community.
The Secret House of Honey and Hope
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe published as an eBook, audio, paperback and large print – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and Choc Lit for other options.
Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook, audio and paperback – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit for other options.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available as both an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Audio, Apple iBooks, Kobo and Choc Lit for other buying options.
The Truth Lies Buried is available from all eBook platforms – Choc Lit, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Apple iBooks and also a s a paperback and audiobook.
The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available as a paperback and from all eBook platforms – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play.
February 12, 2023
An Extract From The Rose of Florence by Angela M Sims
A new visitor to my blog this week, as I welcome Angela Sims to share an extract of her novel The Rose of Florence published by Romaunce Books. Over to Angela …
Hello Morton and thank you so much for hosting me on your blog. I love reading blogs from other authors, so it’s a great privilege for me to share some of my work with you and your readers. It’s an exciting time, as my debut novel was released at the end of January, and I’m still getting to grips with the idea of being a published author.
I decided to share an extract from my book, as it will give a flavour of my writing. To give you an idea, I’d like to share a quote from a review I’ve recently received. “Smell, hear and see medieval Florence, as young love meets power politics in this delicious Renaissance period piece. There’s a Medici murder in the cathedral, the everyday ‘upstairs downstairs’ life of a noble household and even Botticelli, da Vinci and a child Machiavelli get a look in.”
This section is towards the beginning of the story, when our main characters are beginning to realise that political power struggles can reach all corners of life. Eleonora, the cook, is remembering a recent event that started to raise her suspicions that there could be treachery in the household.
It had been a cold evening. It rarely snows in Florence, but there was a whisper of it in the air that night. All the fires in the Palazzo had been lit; the rooms decorated with winter greenery, brought in from the marketplace. The cosy atmosphere was one of cheery anticipation ahead of one of the Church’s biggest celebrations, the Birth of the Christ-child. As usual, the kitchen had been a hive of activity for some days, and Eleonora had surpassed herself with the sumptuous spread. It was an intimate affair, with only Signori Lorenzo and Giuliano as guests of the family, but the evening had been a great success. Such was the closeness of the two families that by the end of the evening, Rosini and Medici were singing a mixture of devout Christmas hymns and bawdy tavern songs, which made Donna Cristina blush and Nonna Isabetta chuckle to herself. As the evening came to a close, the guests rose to leave. Lorenzo, however, clutched the back of one the dining chairs, complaining that his heart was pounding and holding a hand to his chest. While gasping for breath, he lurched towards the corner of the room and promptly vomited into a large decorative pitcher. He became so unwell that he had to be helped home by Antonio and Matteo. He remained unwell for some days but eventually recovered completely, and the incident was all but forgotten.
It was still fresh in Eleonora’s mind, though, and not because of the injury to her pride [as a cook]. No, what bothered Eleonora was a memory of her father’s apothecary shop. One night, a woman in great distress had pounded on the door of their home in Pistoia, waking the family. Eleonora’s father had been preparing a potion for the woman’s husband for some weeks. It was designed to treat his frequent headaches and palpitations and had been working well. However, on this occasion, it transpired that the woman’s husband had mistakenly taken the whole concoction and was now in a dreadful state. His palpitations were worse than ever, and he was delirious and vomiting. As a young girl, Eleonora remembered watching in distress as her father broke the news to the poor woman that there was no antidote to this poisoning, and all they could do was to pray to the Virgin Mary to take care of him. Sadly, later that day, the woman’s husband died.
As Eleonora recounted this story, Gianetta was captivated. “The same ailments as Signor Lorenzo,” she whispered. Eleonora nodded. “What was in the concoction?” asked Gianetta.
“The main ingredient was a flower,” she replied quietly. “Some call them fairy fingers or throatwort. I believe the English call them foxgloves. They are rare here in winter, but I remember that Donna Cristina had ordered some from the hothouses for the display that night. After Signor Lorenzo became so ill, I kept thinking of that poor woman and her husband, and I wondered. I just wondered…” she tailed off.
I hope you enjoyed this short section and are now keen to find out what happens in Florence and the Rosini household. There is murder and mayhem but also love and romance. Something for everyone!
About Angela M Sims
The Rose of Florence was borne of a love for the history, art and city of Florence, which grew over many years and frequent visits to this beautiful city. It’s what inspired me to start writing.
My background is in healthcare, having worked in the field of cardiology for many years. I have been a University lecturer since 2010, and I still have a clinical role. On a personal level, I live in Cardiff, South Wales, with my husband and two slightly stupid cats. I have two grown-up daughters and a gorgeous granddaughter. At every opportunity, I travel to Italy to eat, drink and absorb the wonderful atmosphere. I like to call that research!
Writing historical fiction is a world away from the day job, but it seems to be the perfect balance. In the time that it has taken to develop The Rose of Florence, I have learned many new skills and found a whole new group of friends and supporters in the writing community, specifically the Cariad Chapter of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. It’s a whole new world and a very exciting one. I’d love to hear what you think, so please get in touch.
Facebook: Angela M Sims – Author (@angelamsimsauthor)
Twitter: @AngelaMSims1
Instagram: angelamsims1
Website: https://angelamsims.co.uk
About The Rose of Florence
1478: Gianetta and Matteo have a happy life, working in service to the wealthy Rosini family. They are used to entertaining rich and powerful members of Florentine society in Palazzo Rosini, where Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici and Botticelli are regular visitors. Even when the Medici brothers narrowly escape the Palazzo with their lives (an accident, surely?), Gianetta and Matteo can’t imagine that the growing unrest in the streets of Florence would ever spoil their happiness.
When a bloody conspiracy erupts in the heart of Florence, in the city’s beloved Duomo, nobody is left unaffected by the aftermath. When the family hear that Matteo is among the conspirators, Gianetta knows that her life will never be the same…
Book Buying Links
https://www.romaunce.com/product-page/the-rose-of-florence-by-angela-m-sims
Google Play: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about?id=CcGdEAAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y&hl=en
Apple iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6444842168
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940165972638
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9780463819470
Thank you for sharing your extract, Angela. I wish you every success with The Rose of Florence. Mx
Tha nk you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Summer at Lucerne Lodge published as an eBook, paperback and audio download too – Amazon Check on my Choc Lit author page for other purchasing options here
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