Morton S. Gray's Blog, page 25
November 8, 2020
Marie Laval – Ornaments I Love.
This week I’m joined by fellow Choc Lit author, Marie Laval for yet another post that made me cry when I was preparing it! Marie has recently released Escape to the Little Chateau. Over to Marie …
Thank you very much Morton for inviting me on your blog today. I loved the idea of writing about an object special to me, but I was wondering if I could be cheeky and write about two instead of one…
My mother died when she was about the age I am now, and not a day goes by when I don’t think about her. She was a vibrant, funny and selfless woman who had experienced the trauma of having to leave her family home in North Africa when Algeria’s war of Independence started, and arrived in France with not even a toothbrush to her name. She found work, got used to the cold and coped with French people’s hostility towards her and ‘the Africans’ who were arriving in their thousands with whatever possessions they had been able to bundle before boarding a ship in Algiers.
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She came from a large family – a family with lots of characters, lots of drama and secrets, and fantastic stories. Like the one about the abandoned castle near Turin which belonged to her mother’s family and which they fled in the dead of night back in 1870; the feud over a stolen jewellery casket (I know, it sounds like a novel, doesn’t it?); the silver ladle which was the only family heirloom left and which they used to unblock the outside toilet (yuk!); and so many more…
My mum was often nostalgic about her childhood, even though it wasn’t always an easy one. They may have had plenty of sunshine but there wasn’t much money around, and as the youngest and the cutest, she was often sent to the corner shop to get food and ask for it to be put on the tab… Sometimes all she would eat for several days would be oranges and slices of bread rubbed with olive oil and garlic.
She was so very brave when she was diagnosed with cancer, and when she died the sunshine really did go out of our lives… She inspired me to work hard and never give up on my dream to become an author.
When I told her I was pregnant with my eldest son, she gave me this statue of a mother and child and said then that there was no greater joy than holding your child in your arms…As you can see, it is quite battered now but I have treasured it to this day.
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Sadly my mother died not long after my first son was born, and she never knew my two other children – another boy and a girl, but I think she would be very proud of them. For my birthday in August, my very trendy twenty-one year old son and his fifteen year old sister gave me a piece of embroidery that they made themselves, and my heart melted when they told me how they ordered the kit from the internet and spent hours doing the needlework whilst pretending they were playing video games…
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What a lovely post, Marie and I did shed a tear as I prepared the blog. Mx
About Marie Laval
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Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire and writes historical and contemporary romance. Best-selling LITTLE PINK TAXI 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. ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU is her latest contemporary romantic suspense and was released by Choc Lit in October 2020. She also writes short stories for the bestselling Miss Moonshine anthologies, and is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors.
Her novels are available as ebooks and audiobooks on Amazon and various other platforms.
About ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU
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Will Amy’s dreams of a Provençal escape come true?
There are many reasons Amy Carter is determined to make Bellefontaine, her farmhouse hotel in the French countryside, a success. Of course, there’s the time and money she’s put in to making it beautiful, but she also has something to prove – particularly to people like Fabien Coste.
Fabien is the owner of the nearby château, and he might just be the most arrogant, patronising man Amy has ever met … unfortunately, he’s also the most handsome.
But as rumours circulate in the local community and secrets about the old farmhouse begin to reveal themselves, Amy quickly sees the less idyllic side of life at Bellefontaine.
Could Fabien be the man to help prevent her Provençal dream from turning into a nightmare?
This was previously published as A Spell in Provence by Accent Press in 2015. This is a revised, edited and updated version. Published October 2020 by Choc Lit.
Escape to the Little Chateau is available from Amazon uk, kobo, and various other platforms.
Thank 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.
New Book for Christmas 2020 – Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe available for pre-order as an eBook now and published on 17 November 2020 – Amazon Kindle
Bestseller 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.
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.
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November 2, 2020
Jan Baynham – When I Decided I Wanted To Write And Why
This week I’m joined by Ruby Fiction author Jan Baynham as she tells us about when she decided to write and why. Over to Jan …
I was a late starter when it came to writing fiction. Having spent years as a teacher teaching, and I hope inspiring, children to write and then at the end of my career advising and supporting teachers about the craft of writing, it wasn’t until I retired and had more time that I wrote my first piece of fiction. I joined a small writing group in a local library and I was hooked! Each week we were given a title or writing prompt for a short story to write and encouraged to read it out the following week to the group. I knew then that was what I wanted to do and set about learning as much as I could to become a better writer. I had a lot of time to make up!
I enrolled on a short story class taken by a published author at the local university and began to submit short stories for publication to a wider audience. Many of those early pieces were worked on and improved to become competition entries and, learning from critiques and feedback, soon began appearing in online and print short story anthologies. I started taking a notebook on holiday and soon new locations became the settings for my stories. Plots and characters were created from people watching and scenarios arose from me asking ‘what if?’ a lot. My stories started getting longer and longer so that, following a novel writing course, I began to write my first full-length novel. I loved being able to explore my characters in further depth and delve into their stories. Learning never stops and I try to take every opportunity to hone my craft. At present, as well as a fortnightly writing workshop, I am also enjoying ‘Further Adventures in Crime Fiction’ at Cardiff university run by a successful crime writer. I’m not thinking of switching from writing about families and their secrets, but all my stories include some crime and much of what we are learning can apply to other genres of writing too.
[image error]The underground cave in Kefalonia that inspired the Choc Lit Treat ‘The Phantom Boatman
So why do I write? Around the same time as I joined the writing group, I wrote a book for my little grandson entitled ‘Tom’s Secret Friend’ and had copies printed for family and friends. The story was about him and an invisible, imaginary dragon friend called Dewi and the mischief they got up to together. One chapter is about a visit to Castell Coch, a castle not far from us, and tells of the tricks Dewi played there. When we took Tom there, he asked us all to leave him in the dungeon as he needed to talk to Dewi! Seeing his enjoyment of all the incidents in the book and having to read it to him over and over is one of the reasons I love to write.
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That was the start of it. Now, receiving messages from readers who have enjoyed my writing, either in the collection of short stories, published in 2019, or my two novels in 2020 is one of the best feelings. Reading has always been one of my passions and to know that your own words have created worlds for your readers to enjoy is wonderful. This has been particularly satisfying this year when readers have described how my novels have allowed them to escape from the awful events of COVID 19 for a few hours.
About Her Sister’s Secret
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How far would you travel to find the truth?
It’s 1965 and Jennifer Howells is a young woman with the world at her feet, just on the cusp of leaving her Welsh village for an exciting life in the city.
Then the contents of an inconspicuous brown envelope turn Jennifer’s world upside down. The discovery leaves her spiralling, unsure who she is. Overnight, Miss Goody Two Shoes is replaced by a mini-skirted wild child who lives for parties and rock’n’roll.
But Jennifer’s experience with the excesses of sixties’ culture leaves her no closer to her true identity. She soon realises she’ll have to travel further – first to Cardiff, then across the ocean to Sicily – if she wants to find out who she really is …
About Jan Baynham
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Originally from mid-Wales, Jan lives in Cardiff with her husband. They have three grown up children and five grandchildren, ranging in age from fifteen to three months. Having joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association in 2016, she values the friendship and support from other members and regularly attends conferences, workshops, talks and get togethers. She is co-organiser of her local RNA Chapter, Cariad. When she is not writing, she enjoys Pilates, family history and long walks. She is a member of the Eddie Stobart Club, having her own spotters’ handbook for long car journeys, and has her own truck named after her, Janet Eleanor. An avid reader, she doesn’t have enough hours in the day to read all the books in her TBR pile and immersing herself in worlds other authors have created.
PURCHASE LINKS
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/search?query=her+sisters+secret+jan+baynham
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-sisters-secret-jan-baynham/1137428123?ean=2940162698852
AUTHOR LINKS
Twitter – @JanBaynham https://twitter.com/JanBaynham
Facebook – Jan Baynham Writer https://www.facebook.com/JanBayLit
Blog – Jan’s Journey into Writing https://janbaynham.blogspot.com/
Thank you for telling us your story Jan and I wish you every success with your novels. Mx
Thank 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.
New Book for Christmas 2020 – Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe available for pre-order as an eBook now and published on 17 August – Amazon Kindle
Bestseller 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.
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.
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October 26, 2020
Thank you for the … Zoom
I think it’s fair to say we have all been through the mill this year with all of the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic! There have been several groups that have kept me sane during this time and I thought it might be nice to focus on one of those groups this week in order to say thank you.
The group of friends and writers I’m having a shout out for this week are my local coffee writers. Up until lockdown we used to meet in a coffee shop once a month to support each other with chat, book news and writing advice.
So, what happened when lockdown started? Well, one of these writers, Lynn Forth, valiantly rallied us for a weekly Zoom. We can’t always all make it, but if anything we have become a closer knit group and have supported each other through this difficult period. A bonus has been that Georgia Hill, who a little while ago moved away from the area and hasn’t often been able to make our physical coffee meeting, has been able to take part once again.
I won’t divulge the subjects we have been discussing in our Zoom meetings, but needless to say there has been a lot of laughter, great advice and sharing of knowledge. I don’t think I will ever forget Lynn Forth‘s signalling system for when we are running out of time either, lol.
As a thank you, I thought it might be nice to talk about these authors and their writing, so here goes …
Lyn Forth
You can find Lyn’s Amazon author page here. She can be contacted at lynnforthauthor.wordpress.com. Twitter: @lynnforth or her Facebook page.
Lynn Forth went to live in Accrington when she was 11 and still has the accent to prove it. She now lives with her family in Worcestershire. A lifelong fascination with words and people, led to her studying English and Psychology at University and, as a lecturer at the local College, she tried to pass on her enthusiasm to students of all ages.
An avid reader, she runs two book clubs and, as a bit of a movie buff, she enjoys the discussions at a local Film Club. Although not a big exercise fan, she enthusiastically participates in the fun and music at her Zumba sessions and at home encourages a riotous array of flowers in her garden.
She now writes romantic comedies full of sparky dialogue set in sunny foreign climes, which, of course, she has to visit for the sake of research.
Her debut novel, Love in La La Land, combines this love of films, humour as her heroine Jane encounters the glamour and glitz of Hollywood. Her second novel, Love, Lies and Café au Lait, was inspired by a visit to Nice and evokes Accrington Annie’s delight in living in such a sophisticated city, although, perhaps, all is not quite as perfect as it seems. Her third novel, The Girl Who used To Be Me, features her much-loved character Reen on her home ground in Marbella where Kate meets not only Reen’s family but also her fabulous pink plastic flamingos.
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Georgia Hill
You can find Georgia‘s Amazon author page here
Find her at www.georgiahill.co.uk, Twitter @georgiawrites and at her Facebook page.
Georgia Hill writes warm-hearted and up-lifting contemporary and timeslip romances about love, the power and joy in being an eccentric oldie and finding yourself and your community. There’s always a dog. It’s usually a naughty spaniel of which, unfortunately, she has had much experience. Her books are firmly rooted in seaside towns similar to the one she lives in and she loves history especially when it insists on rearing up and battering at the present.
As a child she had an invisible friend called Gonky who inhabited the third stair from the bottom. As an adult her invisible friends live in her head and refuse to leave until she commits them to paper. Readers of her books can escape into a warm bath of words and, no matter what challenges her characters face they will, ultimately, have a happy ending.
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Alison May
You can find Alison‘s Amazon author page here. She also co-writes as Juliet Bell here. Find out more about Alison at www.alison-may.co.uk, on Twitter @MsAlisonMay and her Facebook page.
Alison May was born and raised in North Yorkshire, but now lives in Worcester with one husband, no kids and no pets. There were goldfish once. That ended badly.
Alison has studied History and Creative Writing, and has worked as a waitress, a shop assistant, a learning adviser, an advice centre manager, and a freelance trainer, before settling on ‘making up stories’ as an entirely acceptable grown-up career plan.
Alison is a member of the Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and won the Elizabeth Goudge Trophy in 2012. She was shortlisted in the Love Stories Awards, 2015, and for the RoNA Rose, 2016. Alison’s latest novel, All That Was Lost, is a gripping story about lies, love and loss.
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Janice Preston
You can find Jan‘s Amazon author page here. For more info go to: www.janicepreston.co.uk, Twitter @JaniceGPreston or Facebook
Janice Preston writes emotional and sensual historical romance. Although all her novels are standalone reads, she loves to write stories set in the same Regency world, and many of her books include book-hopping characters.
When Janice isn’t writing she enjoys reading, swimming, pottering about the garden when the sun is shining, and travelling whenever she can. She fuels her imagination with endless cups of coffee, is far too keen on unhealthy food, and is an expert procrastinator.
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Liz Hanbury
You can find Liz‘s Amazon author page here. Visit her website at www.elizabethhanbury.com to find out more, or link up on Twitter @Liz_Hanbury or Facebook.
Elizabeth Hanbury is a best selling author of warm and witty Regency romance for UK and US publishers.
A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and Society of Authors, Elizabeth drinks too much tea and is addicted to cake, long walks and anything that makes her laugh. She lives in a village in the heart of England and writes whenever she can sneak away to her desk.
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Nell Dixon
You can find Nell‘s Amazon author page here. Nell enjoys hearing from readers and you can read her news and contact her via her website at http://www.nelldixon.com visit her blog at http://www.nelldixonrw.blogspot.com, find her on Twitter @NellDixon and friend her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nell-Dixon/228642037151856
Helena Dixon splits her time between the Black Country and Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon. She now writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime.
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Morton Gray
You can find Morton‘s Amazon author page here. You can catch up with Morton on her website www.mortonsgray.com, on Twitter @MortonSGray, her Facebook page.
Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.
Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition. Her Christmas 2020, Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe is her fifth title for Choc Lit.
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You can see from our book photographs that we all write very different things and really I love this as it means we are never short of things to discuss. We laugh, we help each other with brainstorming and support. I’m proud to belong to this group and I hope that we continue to meet virtually and physically for many years to come. Looking forward to our next Zoom already …
Thank 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.
New Book for Christmas 2020 – Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe available for pre-order as an eBook now – Amazon Kindle
Bestseller Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit.
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.
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October 19, 2020
Kirsty Ferry – The Day That Changed My Life
This week I’m joined by fellow Choc Lit author, Kirsty Ferry, as she tells us about the day that changed her life. Kirsty has a new book out for Christmas – Holly’s Christmas Secret and you can find details of that below. Over to Kirsty …
I suppose it’s one of the things that any author could claim as the day that changed their life, when they refer to the day they signed their first contract or had their first success in writing.
I could say that this moment came when I signed my first contract for Choc Lit (well remembered – it was during my lunch hour at day job, clutching my pink and white spotty laptop case, signing my contract in a local Costa over a latte and a black forest chocolate cake), or a bit further back, when I had my first successful magazine short story, or my first article printed, or my first story in an anthology, or plucked up the courage to set my first self-published novel free into the world. Or the fact I seemed to be one of the main contributors to the newsletter at work when I worked at a bank and I literally had to make the best of it!
But, if I’m going to talk about my first success at writing, I think I have to go back to primary school, of all places. I’ve always loved writing. It’s never felt like work or a big deal to me. It was the homework I always did first, and the subject of my MA. I’ve always found if I enjoyed a subject, I did better in it. I got two A’s in my GCSEs, and English language was one of them. French was the other, and I swear that was only because I told the examiner I loved Tom Cruise which was the main reason j’adored le cinema. Ironically, I also loved art, but I failed that one as I was too lazy and too complacent in it, so maybe I enjoyed kicking back in that lesson a little too much!
However, even in primary school, writing was my ‘thing’. Even at the age of five, I wrote a poem called “The Circus Elephant”. The beginning of it went like this: “The circus elephant is big and fat, he wears a funny little hat… ”. As I moved up the years and changed school, I was fortunate that I gained an absolutely fantastic teacher in Mrs McGee, and she encouraged me to do more with my stories. She asked me to write a story for the ‘little ones’ and considering I was only about ten myself, I knew she meant the really little ones! So I wrote and illustrated a story about a naughty kitten who hid underneath a pile of laundry, and punched holes in it and tied it together with some ribbon. Mrs McGee laminated the pages, and that book went into the reading box for the little ones and apparently it was very popular.
Anyway, I left school and started working in the aforementioned bank. One day, I was sitting behind the counter, bored out of my tiny mind, and Mrs McGee came in. We had a lovely catch up and I was so pleased to see her. She started talking about my kitten book and asked had I continued with my writing. The next week, she came back in, and she actually brought the book in for me. She’d retired, and kept the book and that meant so much to me. Before she handed it over to me, she made me promise that I would pick up my writing again more seriously; and now I feel I’ve justified that promise to her. She’s been in and out of my life for years, as her granddaughter went to the same primary as my son – which happened to be my old school as well, and the place she had taught for so long.
I think this just goes to show that teachers can have an incredible influence on people – Mrs McGee, Mrs Cain, Mrs Arthur, Mrs Wallace, Mr Parkinson, Mr Falcus, Mr Sanderson, Mr Thompson, Ms McCusker, Mrs Cassidy, Mr Forbes, Mr Leigh, Mr Lee, Mrs Bell and my very first teacher Mrs Sawyer – whose surname I borrowed for the historical heroine in Holly’s Christmas Secret – I salute you all, and thank you all for your inspiration and for many, many days that would help to ultimately change my life and help me become the person I am today. A writer. And a person who ditched the bank and got a better day job at a University instead, because you all gave me a lifelong interest in education and I’d absolutely hate to think I was letting any of you down!
About Kirsty Ferry
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Kirsty Ferry is from the North East of England and lives there with her husband and son. She won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 and has had articles and short stories published in various magazines. Her work also appears in several anthologies, incorporating such diverse themes as vampires, crime, angels and more.
Kirsty loves writing ghostly mysteries and interweaving fact and fiction. The research is almost as much fun as writing the book itself, and if she can add a wonderful setting and a dollop of history, that’s even better.
Her day job involves sharing a building with an eclectic collection of ghosts, which can often prove rather interesting.
To keep in touch with Kirsty you can use the following links
Twitter – www.twitter.com/kirsty_ferry
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/kirsty.ferry.author/
About Holly’s Christmas Secret
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Once upon a Cornish Christmas …
It’s almost Christmas at the Pencradoc estate in Cornwall which means that, as usual, tea room owner Sorcha Davies is baking up a festive storm. And this year Sorcha is hoping her mince pies will be going down a treat at ‘The Spirit of Christmas Past’ exhibition being organised at the house by new local antiques dealer, Locryn Dyer.
But as Locryn and Sorcha spend more time together, they begin to uncover a very special story of Christmas past that played out at Pencradoc more than a century before, involving a certain ‘Lady’ Holly Sawyer, a festive dinner party and a magical secret encounter with a handsome author …
To buy the book use the following link – https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08GSM8519?pf_rd_r=XBCX2EV8BNK826WBSNND&pf_rd_p=e632fea2-678f-4848-9a97-bcecda59cb4e
To see Kirsty’s other books check out her Choc Lit author page here.
Thank you for joining me this week, Kirsty. Lovely shout out for our teachers and a reminder of the importance of their influence in children’s lives.
Thank 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.
New Book for Christmas 2020 – Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe available for pre-order as an eBook now – Amazon Kindle
Bestseller Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit.
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.
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October 13, 2020
New Release – My Christmas 2020 Book
Excited to be blogging about my fifth book for Choc Lit, a Christmas title called – Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe. The cover is revealed today and the book is up for pre-order, before publication day on 17 November 2020.
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When I won Choc Lit‘s Search for a Star competition with The Girl on the Beach published in 2017, I was thrilled to be publishing one novel and now I’m launching my fifth title for them!
So, let me tell you a little about the new book. This is what the description of Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe says:-
Run away to the little beach café this Christmas …
Five years ago at Christmas, solicitor Justin Sadler made the decision to leave his comfortable existence behind and move to the coast. Since then, he’s tried his best to ignore the festive season and, as he sits in the little beach café and reflects on that fateful night when his life was turned upside down, he expects his fifth Christmas alone to be no different to any of the others since he made his escape.
But when he encounters a mystery woman on the beach, he soon realises he may have found a fellow runaway and kindred spirit. Could Justin finally be ready to move on and let Christmas into his life again?
The book can be pre-ordered here
I do hope you enjoy this new book set in my fictional seaside town of Borteen.
Thank 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.
New Book for Christmas 2020 – Christmas at the Little Beach Cafe available for pre-order as an eBook now – Amazon Kindle
Bestseller Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit.
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.
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October 5, 2020
Evonne Wareham – An Ornament I Love
These blog posts where I ask an author to talk about their favourite ornaments are very popular, but once again I found myself in tears preparing this one!
This week we have Evonne Wareham talking about her mother’s dressmaking shears …
Thank you Morton for inviting me on to the blog today to talk about a favourite ornament.
When I was looking around the house to pick something out, it struck me how many of the things in my home have come to me from family members. There are vases that I use regularly which were inherited from my grandmothers, old tools from my Dad, a wooden keepsake box belonging to my great grandmother, who died in the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, two aspidistra plants, one from my grandmother and one from my great aunt, which have to be getting on for hundred years old. I’m still managing to keep them alive, although they do scare me sometimes when the leaves mysteriously turn brown. I have all these things and more, which I treasure, but I don’t have a story for any of them.
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So I’ve cheated a bit, as what I have chosen is not exactly an ornament, but it is something that I have known all my life – my mother’s dressmaking shears. It is the single thing, above anything, that represents her to me, as it was never far away from her. A very personal tool of her trade. I think she had it when she was apprenticed at the age of fourteen, which means it is probably about eighty five years old. She absolutely loved sewing; it was in her bones, the way writing seems to be in mine. She earned her living at it and she made and altered clothes for three generations of the family with that scissors. It’s made party dresses, wedding dresses, school uniform, pyjamas, coats, suits, bathrobes, fancy dress costumes, curtains, cushions…
Once I was grown up and away from home, whenever I told her I had any kind of event or celebration on the horizon her first question was always, ‘What am I going to make you to wear?’ If I saw a style I liked and couldn’t get a pattern, mum would cut her own. She used to get grumpy sometimes if there were fiddly details on styles that I chose. ‘You won’t want the pocket and the epaulettes.’ Deflated daughter nods and slinks off.
She had a huge stash of all sorts of fabric, which I have also inherited. That’s an occupational addiction, like writers have books and stationery. She already had enough fabric in store during the Second World War, at age nineteen, to be able to clothe herself, my grandmother and my aunt for the whole duration.
In her later years the shears lived on the table beside the sofa, but she still managed to misplace them on occasions. That would be the first thing, as soon as I got through the door.
‘I can’t find my scissors.’
‘Where were you when you last had them?’
A hunt would then ensue. Down the back of the settee was a favourite. If I didn’t manage to locate the goods at the first try there would be disgruntled promotion of a less favoured pair, until the rightful ones turned up. And obviously, they always did.
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Almost the last thing she made me was an evening dress, to take to America for the gala ball at a big romance convention. She adapted a pattern, and the dress was very simple, but covered in sequins. I was vacuuming up the little blighters from her place and mine for months afterwards. When she’d finished she was very pleased with it. She’d learned something, as she had never worked with all-over sequins before. She was ninety three. I understood something then – you should never stop adding to your skills, if you can. And doing what you love is one of the most important things in life.
After she died, five years ago, I put the shears away, because every time I saw at them I cried. I went looking for them to do this piece and found that now things are okay. I’ve put them on the shelf with the ornaments and the vases, so thank you, Morton, for letting me realise that now I could do that.
What a lovely post and a lovely dress – I shed a tear preparing this Mx
About Evonne Wareham
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Evonne is an award winning Welsh author of romantic suspense – more crime and dead bodies than your average romance. She likes to set her book in her native Wales, or for a touch of glamorous escapism, in favourite holiday destinations in Europe. She is a Doctor of Philosophy and an historian, and a member of both the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Crime Writers’ Association.
Evonne‘s latest novel release is A Wedding on the Riviera published by Choc Lit
Twitter https://twitter.com/evonnewareham
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/evonnewarehamauthor/
Website www.evonnewareham.com
Blog www.evonneonwednesday.blogspot.com
About A Wedding on the Riviera
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A return to the Riviera on the trail of a runaway groom …
When out-of-work actor Ryan Calder attends a wedding as the plus-one of successful businesswoman, Nadine Wells, he doesn’t expect to get in a scuffle with the groom.
But Ryan has a good reason. He recognises the groom from another wedding where the same man made a quick getaway, taking the wedding money and leaving a heartbroken bride in his wake. It seems he’s struck again, and Nadine’s poor friend is the target.
Ryan and Nadine decide they can’t let it happen to another woman, so with a group of friends they hatch a plan that will take them to the French Riviera, hot on the heels of the crooked groom. But could their scheme to bring him to justice also succeed in bringing them closer together?
Buy links for A Wedding on the Riviera
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/a-wedding-on-the-riviera
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-wedding-on-the-riviera-evonne-wareham/1137460211?ean=2940162842545
Thank 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.
Bestseller Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit.
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.
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September 28, 2020
Being a Friend at Christmas by Carol Thomas
Something a little different this week as regular blog visitor and Apricot Plotter, Carol Thomas joins me to talk about her new Christmas Book for children, Being a Friend at Christmas, which sounds absolutely delightful.
Thank you for having me back on your blog Morton to talk about the release of my latest children’s book, Being a Friend at Christmas, and how it connects to another charity close to my heart.
Recently, I stopped by to talk about volunteering with Cancer Research UK, but I am also a keen supporter of animal charities. And it will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me to learn I have a particular soft spot for dog-related charities.
I am a regular supporter of The Dogs Trust, and I am very proud of the fact that my first children’s book, Finding a Friend, was picked up and used to raise awareness of dogs in shelters by PAWS dog shelter in Paphos, Cyprus. As the story is about a little pup hoping to find his forever home, the charity put copies in schools and libraries, as well as selling them in their shop. They hoped that in raising awareness and educating children, they might make a positive change for the future.
And so when it came to writing my second book in the Little Pup series, I was mindful of continuing that theme of awareness. In this newly released book, Little Pup is looking forward to his first Christmas in his new home. But he also remembers the dogs he left behind in the shelter and wants them to have a happy Christmas too. Little Pup has an idea, but he needs Father Christmas’ help to make his wish come true.
It was a lot of fun to write and illustrate – a job not always made easy by my Labrador, Hubble, who thinks he’s a lap dog. Aimed at under 7s, the text is written in rhyme and has bright, colourful pictures to engage its young audience. Having a love of dogs, I enjoyed capturing the Little Pup’s thoughts and feelings in his posture and expressions as I brought the story to life on the page.
While Being a Friend at Christmas is shared and enjoyed this festive season, I hope it will also inspire a conversation and continue to spread awareness, too. As Little Pup says, “All dogs deserve a happy Christmas” and, like Santa in the story, I just have to agree!
Carol’s heartwarming Little Pup books will make ideal gifts for all young dog lovers.
About Being a Friend at Christmas (Little Pup book #2):
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Little Pup’s looking forward to Christmas
and he knows just how lucky he’s been
because some dogs are still in shelters,
a warm home and best friend yet a dream.
Hoping a small gift of kindness,
will help them feel loved, not alone,
Little Pup has a wish that might come true,
when Father Christmas visits his home!
“A lovingly illustrated, and beautifully written, Christmas story you’ll want to share again and again!”
View the book trailer: https://youtu.be/q8Yhj7AfwPE
Purchase link: http://getbook.at/BAFAmazon
Also, by Carol Thomas:
Finding a Friend (Little Pup book #1).
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When Little Pup finds himself at the shelter,
he doesn’t know quite what to do.
Big dogs all around, feeling lost and alone,
Little Pup needs a friend… but who?
“A delightfully written and wonderfully illustrated picture book, with a heart warming’ tail’ of friendship.”
View the book trailer: https://youtu.be/66ypEpoNTd8
Purchase link: http://getbook.at/FAFAmazon
About the author:
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Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband, four children, guinea pig, two hamsters and lively Labrador. She has been a playgroup supervisor and has taught in primary schools for just over twenty years – but we don’t mention that as it makes her feel old!
Carol writes for both adults and children. Her children’s books have irresistibly cute, generally furry characters young children can relate to.
To find out more about books by Carol Thomas:
Website : https://carol-thomas.co.uk
Facebook : https://facebook.com/carolthomasauthor
Twitter : https://twitter.com/carol_thomas2
Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.co.uk/carol_thomas2/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/carol_thomas2/
Thank 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.
Bestseller Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook and audio download – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit.
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.
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September 21, 2020
Angela Petch – Ornaments I Love
This week I’m joined by fellow Apricot Plotter Angela Petch. Angela writes for Bookouture and she’s talking to us about some rather romantic ornaments …
My Sicilian bells are very special to me. I’ve had them for more than forty-four years and every time I look at them on my Tuscan window ledge, I smile. They are one of the first presents from my husband. Some men give their girlfriends flowers and chocolate, but these unusual gifts are typical of the adventurous life that we’ve enjoyed together. The cowbells were wrapped up and hidden in a Sicilian basket once used to carry goods on a donkey. Around the rim, he had pinned a dozen red roses and there were other gifts inside, including a guitar. He is not a romantic man, so this gesture will forever remain in my heart. (The gift of a steam iron a few years after we married definitely did not match up…) But, just like in a good read, relationships can be beset with ups and downs, twists and turns, surprises and shocks. And, we’re still together.
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We met on the island of Sicily in our twenties, working for a Dutch construction company. After marrying, we moved from Amsterdam to Tanzania, where we worked and explored for three years. Now, we live half our year in Tuscany and spend the winter months in West Sussex near our five grandchildren.
I love to travel and to find out about local traditions. A Tuscan Memory, a revised version of my indie-published Now and Then in Tuscany, released again by Bookouture on September 7th, has as its background the transhumance. This is a journey made by shepherds and herdsmen and animals, from high up in the Tuscan Apennines (where we live), down to the coast. For years, since Etruscan times and until the late 1950s, this practice continued from September until May of each year. The leading ewe would wear a bell very similar to mine, maybe slightly smaller. When I discovered from my Italian friends, that the menfolk were away for five long winter months, my ears pricked up, I scribbled down notes and dived into research.
A Tuscan Memory has been described as a love letter to Italy. I have included romance, traditions, lost family histories as well as old country recipes in this novel. I was delighted with a comment on Goodreads: “It is written with a love of the land and culture oozing from every page.” I hope it will appeal to more readers; it is a little different from my World War Two stories. Fingers crossed.
What an adventurous life you’ve led, Angela. Thank you for sharing Mx
About Angela Petch
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Angela Petch shares her year between the Tuscan Apennines and West Sussex.
Her love affair with Italy was born at the age of seven when she moved with her family to Rome. Her father worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and he made sure his children learned Italian and soaked up the culture. She studied Italian at the University of Kent at Canterbury and afterwards worked in Sicily where she met her husband. His Italian mother and British father met in Urbino in 1944 and married after a wartime romance.
Her first book, Tuscan Roots was written in 2012, for her Italian mother-in-law, Giuseppina, and also to make readers aware of the courage shown by families of her Italian neighbours during WW2. Acquired by Bookouture in 2018, this book was republished as The Tuscan Secret in June 2019. The Tuscan Girl followed in February 2020.
Now and Then in Tuscany, was self-published in April 2017 and features the same family. The background is the transhumance, a practice that started in Etruscan times and continued until the 1950s. Bookouture has since bought the rights, and under a new title, A Tuscan Memory will be released on September 7th 2020. Research for her Tuscan novels is greatly helped by her knowledge of Italian and ability to talk with locals.
Although Italy is a passion, her stories are not always set in this country. Mavis and Dot, published at the end of 2018 and sold in aid of research into a cure for cancer, tells the story of two fun-loving ladies who retire to the Sussex seaside. They forge an unlikely friendship and fall into a variety of adventures. Ingenu/e Magazine describes it as: “Absolutely Fabulous meets Last of the Summer Wine… a gently hilarious feel-good book that will enchant and delight…”.
A prize-winning author and member of the RNA, she also loves to travel and recently returned to Tanzania, where she lived at the start of her marriage. A keen tennis player and walker, she enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren and inventing stories for their entertainment.
Her short stories are published by PRIMA and the People’s Friend.
To keep in touch with Angela you can use the following links:-
Website – www.angelapetchsblogsite.wordpress.com
Fakebook – https://www.facebook.com/AngelaJaneClarePetch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Angela_Petch
About A Tuscan Memory
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In a tiny hamlet nestled in the Tuscan mountains, farmers gather after a hard day in the meadows, and children’s laughter rings across the square: but one little boy does not join in their play. Behind his deep brown eyes, hides a heartbreaking secret…
Ninety years later. When elderly Giselda Chiozzi discovers a lost little boy, curled up asleep in the beech forest outside her grand but empty home, she can’t help but take pity on him. It’s been a long time since she had a visitor. Waking up to her kind smile and the warming smell of Italian hot chocolate, Davide soon blurts out what drove him into the cold Tuscan night: he’s different from everyone else, he’s never belonged anywhere, and now his beloved mother is ill.
With her heart full of sadness for this lost child, Giselda promises to help Davide trace his family history – she knows better than anyone that connecting with your roots can ground you in the present, and hopes it will make Davide realise that home is where he truly belongs.
Together the unlikely pair discover the story of Davide’s great-grandfather, Giuseppe Starnucci, a young boy who spent his days milking cows, helping with the harvest, and hammering horseshoes in the forge. But after a terrible incident that changed his life forever, Giuseppe also ran away. Forced to become a man before his time, Giuseppe joined the treacherous pilgrimage all Tuscan farmers must make from the mountains to the plains, sacrificing everything to ensure the survival of their families.
Engrossed in the story, Davide is slowly starting to heal when he and Giselda discover a shocking secret which Giuseppe took to his grave – and which now threatens to tear apart Davide’s family for good. Will Davide let the pain of the past determine his future, or can he find the courage, love and loyalty within him to return home… and even if Davide himself finds peace, will it be too late for Giselda?
Inspired by true stories of rural Italian life, this absolutely stunning historical read is perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries, Rhys Bowen, and anyone who’s ever longed to stroll beneath the cypress trees and taste the fresh mountain air of Tuscany.
Previously published as Now and Then in Tuscany.
Link to buy A Tuscan Memory: https://amzn.to/2ZVOQ5B
Angela‘s other books include:-
Thank 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.
New Book Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit.
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.
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September 14, 2020
One Ornament From My Home and Why I Love It by Author Chris Penhall
This week I’m joined by Chris Penhall who writes for Ruby Fiction, as she tells us about an ornament she loves.
Hi Morton, thanks for inviting me onto your blog to talk about the things I’m surrounded with every day – I don’t normally think about them, but this has reminded me of their stories. Below is the meaning behind just one.
I really don’t think of myself as someone who collects ornaments, but when I look around my house, it appears that I am!
There’s no common theme and I don’t have a collection of anything in particular, except for the tile place mats I painted when I was going through my tile painting phase. I was very prolific but there are only so many you can use, and only so many friends you can give them to. That was a short but productive part of my life. So, I wouldn’t call that a collection, more of an accidental overspill.
There are bits and bobs that were given to me as gifts, that I bought as impulse buys when out and about, and trinkets bought back from holidays like the tiny carved elephant from Thailand, the painted bowl from Hong Kong and the scented candle from Wales.
But there is one rather random item, or should I say a small group of items, that I am very fond of – and they have inspired me when I’ve written my two novels set in Portugal – The House That Alice Built, and New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun.
It appears that I love ceramic Portuguese windows and doors. I have a blue and white one on my mantlepiece, one in my bathroom, one in my bedroom and the biggest one of all in my dining room. And it all started with a decorated cobble stone that a friend painted for me and gave me as a gift not long before I left Cascais and moved back to the UK. Anyone who has visited Portugal will have enjoyed walking along the decorated pavements – the calacada Portuguesa – usually made up of white limestone and dark basalt and arranged in patterns and images, such as geometrical shapes, waves, and seahorses, for example. There’s even a pavement of the face of fado singer Amalia Rodrigues in Lisbon. I must put that on my list of things to see.
We’d lived in Cascais for three years and I loved the place. I still do. But our time there had come to an end because of work reasons and we were reluctantly moving on. So, my friend painted a cobblestone to look like a little Portuguese house. It’s white and blue, and has red flowers hanging from window boxes and in pots next to the door. On the bottom It has the date it was painted, which was just before we left.
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It’s simple, beautiful, personal and very, very thoughtful and I see it every day.
I had no idea at the time that it would help me conjur up pictures of Cascais and Lisbon in my mind when I wrote my novels. That’s a lesson learned – no experience is ever wasted, no matter how long ago it was.
Now I’m writing my third novel, which is set in the UK, also by the sea, and the painting of one of my favourite beaches is on the wall opposite the mantlepiece, and when I look at that, it takes me there too.
New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun was published in August 2020 and is a sequel to The House That Alice Built, published in August 2019. Both are available on all platforms in e-book and audio.
About New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun
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Follow your yellow brick road ….
Alice Dorothy Matthews is on the road to paradise! She’s sold her house in London, got rid of her nasty ex and arranged her move to Portugal where friendship and romance awaits. All that’s left to do is find a place to call home.
But Alice’s dreams are called into question when complications with friends, work and new relationships make her Portuguese paradise feel far too much like reality.
Will Alice’s dream of a new home in the sun come true?
Book 2 – Portuguese Paradise. Follows The House That Alice Built
For information on where to buy the book click here http://www.chrispenhall.co.uk/new-beginnings-at-the-little-house-in-the-sun/
About The House That Alice Built
Home is where the heart is …
Alice Dorothy Matthews is sensible. Whilst her best friend Kathy is living it up in Portugal and her insufferable ex Adam is travelling the world, Alice is working hard to pay for the beloved London house she has put her heart and soul into renovating.
But then a postcard from Buenos Aires turns Alice’s life upside down. One very unsensible decision later and she is in Cascais, Portugal, and so begins her lesson in ‘going with the flow’; a lesson that sees her cat-sitting, paddle boarding, dancing on top of bars and rediscovering her artistic talents.
But perhaps the most important part of the lesson for Alice is that you don’t always need a house to be at home.
Book 1 – Portuguese Paradise. Followed by New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun
For more information on where to buy the book, click here http://www.chrispenhall.co.uk/the-house-that-alice-built/
About Chris Penhall
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Chris Penhall is the winner of the 2019 Choc-Lit Search for a Star competition, sponsored by Your Cat Magazine, with her debut novel, The House That Alice Built. The sequel, New Beginnings at the Little House in the Sun was published in August 2020. Both books are available in e-book and audio, and The House That Alice Built will be released as a paperback in May 2021.
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A freelance radio producer for BBC Essex, podcast producer and writer, Chris was born in South Wales and has also lived in London and in Portugal, which is where both books are set. It was whilst living in Cascais near Lisbon that she began to dabble in writing fiction, but it was many years later that she was confident enough to start writing her first novel, and many years after that she finally finished it! She has now completed her second and is busy writing her third. A lover of books, music and cats, she is also an enthusiastic salsa dancer, a keen cook, and loves to travel. She is never happier than when she is gazing at the sea.
You can find more information about her on www.chrispenhall.co.uk
or follow her on twitter: @ChrisPenhall
Instagram: christinepenhall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPenhallWriter
Thank you for joining me this week Chris. I wish you every success with your books.
Thank 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.
New Book Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available now 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 now 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.
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September 7, 2020
Caroline James – When I Decided I Wanted to Write and Why
I love nothing more than featuring friends on my blog. Today I have Caroline James talking about when and why she decided she wanted to be a writer. Over to Caroline …
Huge thanks to Morton for inviting me onto her lovely blog.
I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a writer. From the moment I first started to read I clearly remember wanting to write stories myself and hold a book in my hands that I had written. When I was a little girl, my dad used to read to me. Generally, poetry or something that he too had read as a boy, such as J Milton Hayes, Mark Twain, or Rudyard Kipling. I was both fascinated and hooked.
Dad and me
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But my school days were unhappy and the writing bug went on a back burner. I went to an all girl’s grammar school in Cheshire and absolutely hated it. I was bullied at school and couldn’t wait to leave and instead of going to university, my life went in a very different direction.
I went to college in Bournemouth and studied Hotel & Catering and the hospitality industry became my life. I worked on the front desk of a five-star hotel in London in the 80s and it was an exciting time. Famous guests stayed at the hotel because it offered rooms on a high security floor and I met politicians, film and music stars on a daily basis.
Later on, I owned a pub in Cumbria and a beautiful country house hotel and for many years I was an agent representing celebrity and TV chefs, a fabulous job that took me to many exotic places.
My hotel in Cumbria
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A hotel or restaurant is a revolving door and you never knew who was going to step through. I often felt like I was on a stage and each day a new play would be acted with the variety of people that I met and looked after. Perfect research for an author.
So, the years passed.
But my writing dream had never left me and one day I had an epiphany. I ran a business and had a hectic life but I knew that if I didn’t glue my rear to a chair and write a book, I would go to my grave wondering, and so my debut, Coffee Tea the Gypsy and Me, was born and I’ve never looked back. I am both self-published and traditionally published and enjoy the journey with both, I try to inspire and enable authors at the start of their writing journey too.
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Seven novels later and my latest book is called Boomerville at Ballymegille which will be published on 6th October 2020. Boomerville is a retreat exclusively for guests of a certain age, wishing to stimulate both mind and body and is described as, “Britain’s answer to the Marigold Hotel”. The book takes readers to a new ‘Boomerville’ – this time in Southern Ireland with a different cast of whacky and eccentric characters. It is available for pre-order now.
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Happy reading everyone and thanks again to Morton xx
About the author:
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Best-selling author of women’s fiction, Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the hospitality industry, a subject that often features in her novels. She is based in the UK but has a great fondness for travel and escapes whenever she can. A public speaker, which includes talks and lectures on cruise ships world-wide, Caroline is also a consultant and food writer. She is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association, the Society of Women’s Writer’s & Journalists and the Society of Authors and writes articles and short stories, contributing to many publications. In her spare time, Caroline can be found walking up a mountain with Fred, her Westie, sipping raspberry gin or relaxing with her head in a book and hand in a box of chocolates.
To contact Caroline James you can use the following links:
Website : www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk
Twitter : @CarolineJames12
Facebook : Caroline James Author
Amazon Author Page : Amazon Author Page
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To order Boomerville at Ballymegille you can use the following Universal Link:
Books by Caroline James:
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Thank you, Caroline. How lovely to learn more about you! I’ve recently read The Best Boomerville Hotel and have added my review below. Mx
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved This, Love Hattie!
What a delight! It took me a couple of chapters to get to grips with the cast of characters, but when I did, I loved every minute! Love irreverent, unpredictable Hattie – I wish I was more like her. This book has a touch of everything – love, mysticism, pathos, humour, dark elements, real life scenarios. When I retire I want to live somewhere like Boomerville and be more like Hattie…
Thank 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.
New Book Sunny Days at the Beach is now available as an eBook – Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook Books, Google Play and at Choc Lit.
Christmas at Borteen Bay is available now 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 now 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.
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