Morton S. Gray's Blog, page 38
December 11, 2017
Spotlight on Guest Author M. W. Arnold
I have a very special guest this week – M. W. Arnold. I’m interviewing him as part of his blog tour as he launches his debut novel The Season for Love.
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Mick and I have known each other for quite a few years now and always seem to sit together at RNA (Romantic Novelists’ Association) events. (see below!)
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Mick is a hopeless romantic who was born in England, and spent fifteen years roaming around the world in the pay of HM Queen Elizabeth II in the Royal Air Force, before putting down roots, and realising how much he missed the travel. This, he’s replaced somewhat with his writing, including reviewing books and writing a regular post at the www.NovelKicks.co.uk blog site.
He’s the proud keeper of a cat bent on world domination, is mad on the music of the Beach Boys and enjoys the theatre and humouring his Manchester United supporting wife. Finally, and most importantly, Mick’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with the forthcoming publication of his debut novel The Season for Love.
The Season for Love is published on 16 December 2017 by PIP Press.
I asked Mick some questions:-
Your book has lots of emotional undercurrents running through it. How do you get yourself in the right mood for writing the character’s inner turmoil?
Probably because I tend to run on my emotions, I can write at any time, though it also means that if I’m in the wrong mood, I know there’s no chance of opening the laptop and tapping away.
Do any of your characters share the same characteristics as you or those close to you?
Difficult to answer. I think every author would say that they put a part of themselves into a lot of their characters and I’m no different. It may surprise some people, but I guess the one I’m most like would be Chrissie’s best friend Annie, in that I like to think my best characteristic is that I’m intensely loyal.
Is your village in the book fictional or based on an actual place?
Entirely fictional, though I’m a huge fan of the Midsummer Murders television series and love the look of the villages they set the shows in.
If you were casting a film of your book – who would play the main characters?
I’d have to hold my hands up and say that I’ve a bit of a crush on Sandra Bullock, so she could play anyone she’d like and I’d love her to play Chrissie. Bill Pullman would make a great Josh, and as he’s a favourite of my Lady Wife, that’d get me brownie points!
What aspects of Christmas do you enjoy?
Until I met the lady who’s now my wife, I actually went I don’t know how many years if not exactly hating Christmas, but certainly doing my best to avoid anything to do with the holidays. It was only when I met her and started to see how much she loved Christmas that I started to at first, like the holidays, and now have grown to enjoy them again. Not for the commercialisation that’s too prevalent these days, but for the way she’s allowed me to see that there is ‘good’ in the world and its people.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
Well, I’ve been told that I tend to put my heroines through the mill a little and my current work in progress is no different. I like to give them something unusual to overcome and as it’s going to be the book that I hope will gain me that all important second contract, it’s got to have some strong emotion behind it; and I believe it will. Of course, it’s got that all important catchy title as well. With luck, keep an eye out for ‘Knicker Shopper Glory’. (I don’t think we’d miss that one, Mick!)
Thank you for answering my questions. I wish you every success with your debut novel.
You can contact Mick on the following links:
Twitter – https://twitter.com/mick859
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MWArnoldAuthor/
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About The Season for Love
Believing she was responsible for the death of her husband, Chrissie Stewart retreats from all those who love her. A chance meeting with mysterious stranger, single-parent Josh Morgan and his bewitching young daughter Lizzy, breathe new life into her and gradually, she feels able to start to let go of the memory of her lost love.
Unexpected links are revealed between the two families that strengthen the growing bonds she feels to this man and with the encouragement of her best friend Annie, herself hiding a hidden conflict from Chrissie, she battles with her demons to believe in her ability to trust and love again.
Everything comes to a head on Christmas Day; which all goes to show that this is truly The Season for Love.
To buy The Season for Love choose from the links below:-
Amazon US – tinyurl.com/ya88xjn3
Amazon UK –tinyurl.com/y9a3jzft
Barnes & Noble – tinyurl.com/yaqhy3lp
Bookstrand – tinyurl.com/yaddlwfv
Smashwords – tinyurl.com/yarnr484
Kobo US – tinyurl.com/ycvage9b
Kobo UK – tinyurl.com/ydb9em2x
Thank you for featuring on my blog, Mick. I couldn’t resist putting in a few photos of you from my photo albums!
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. The Girl on the Beach will be available as a paperback from 10 April 2018 – pre-order now at Amazon. [image error]
December 4, 2017
Spotlight on Guest Author Wendy Clarke
My guest this week, Wendy Clarke is a writer of women’s fiction. Her work regularly appears in national women’s magazines such as The People’s Friend, Take a Break Fiction Feast and Woman’s Weekly. She has also written serials and a number of non-fiction magazine articles.
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Wendy has published three collections of short stories, Room in Your Heart, The Last Rose and Silent Night and has just finished writing her second novel.
She lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!
I asked Wendy some questions:-
I’m impressed by anyone who can get even one story published in a national women’s magazine, let alone how many you have had published. What do you think is the secret of your success?
The secret? That’s a difficult one to answer. At a push, I’d say perseverance has been the key element. When I first started writing, I decided that I wouldn’t give up until I’d had at least one story published… and I didn’t. When a story came back with a rejection slip, out it went again to another magazine. Then I’d forget about it and write another. I was lucky to have my first acceptance after three months of trying. I’m unusual in that, rather than targeting a particular magazine and writing in their style, I started out just writing stories I loved. It’s not necessarily the best way, but it worked for me. After I’d had stories accepted by three different mags, it gave me a clue as to what they were looking for.
How do you make sure that your characters are all different in your various stories?
It’s not so much the characters that I have trouble with making unique – it’s their names! When I start to write a story, it’s as though only three male and female names have ever been invented. Keith, Adam and Ben for a guy. Beth, Megan and Emma for a girl. I’m forced to get out the baby name book! I also have a nasty little habit of name changing halfway through a story to the exasperation of my editor. I don’t think too much about what my characters will be like before I start writing – their personalities just emerge as the story unfolds and sometimes they surprise me. Surprisingly, for women’s magazines, I write a lot of stories from the male point of view. I actually find them easier and they seem to sell well.
What aspects of Christmas do you enjoy?
Oh, just about everything! In no particular order: decorating the Christmas tree, singing carols with my choir in the church, eating mince pies, drinking port, Christmas balls (dances not decorations – I’m a keen ballroom and Latin dancer), finding that perfect Christmas present.
Can you give us your three favourite stories from this collection and tell us why they rank in the top three?
Another difficult question but I think my first favourite is the first story in the collection, Project Christmas. It’s written from the point of view of a young dad who’s recently lost his wife. He wants to make Christmas Day the best he can for his children but is finding it hard. Although the theme is loss, it’s a story of love and hope too.
My next favourite is also written from the male point of view and is called A Christmas Present called Abbie. Estranged from his wife, John has reverted to bachelorhood and his Christmases usually involve a pint or two with his mates. Not this year. This year, he’s going to have to look after his young daughter, Abbie, while her mother is in hospital. Poor hapless, John and his struggle to get to know his daughter – what’s not to love about him.
Finally, I’m choosing the title story, Silent Night. It sums up everything we should strive for at Christmas: acceptance, understanding and the knowledge that family love can cross any divide.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
Two years ago, having spent three years writing only short stories and serials, I decided it was time to try something longer. Writing a novel has been very different but I’ve loved the challenge. Recently, I completed my second novel (a suspense) and am at present seeking agent representation for it. It would be wonderful to eventually see the novels in print too.
Thank you, Wendy. I admire your short story success and hope that you get those novels published. Can’t wait to read the short stories mentioned above.
To contact Wendy you can use the following links:-
Blog: https://wendyswritingnow.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/WendyClarkeAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WendyClarke99
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About Silent Night
Silent Night is a collection of short stories with a Christmas theme. All thirteen stories have previously been published in national women’s magazines. If you like moving tales with a satisfying ending, then this collection is for you.
Andrew and his children are grieving. Can he make this a Christmas his late wife would have been proud of?
Bella needs to get away from it all but her Christmas cottage by the sea holds more than a few surprises.
It’s Christmas Eve, the night is starry and two young men realise they have more in common than they realise.
The stories in this collection are a window into the lives of ordinary people at this special time of year. They offer hope, comfort and the knowledge that the spirit of Christmas is often found within ourselves.
Silent Night is available as an e-book or paperback on the following link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075PSXFWW
Lovely to have you over on my blog Wendy. I hope that you and your readers have a very happy Christmas.
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. The Girl on the Beach will be available as a paperback from 10 April 2018 – pre-order now at Amazon. [image error]
November 27, 2017
Character Post by Jess Croft, heroine of Lynda Stacey’s House of Christmas Secrets
Jess Croft, heroine of Lynda Stacey‘s new novel, House of Christmas Secrets has her say on my blog today. House of Christmas Secrets, available for pre-order now and published by Choc Lit on 5 December 2017, is the sequel to House of Secrets where we followed Madeleine and Bandit’s story, but now one year later we turn to Jess, Madeleine’s sister and to her story.
Welcome Jess …
“It’s almost a year since last Christmas, a Christmas where our whole lives fell apart. The hall burnt to the ground, both Madeleine and I were kidnapped and her ex-fiancé almost killed us both, the memories are still so very raw. It’s only now that I feel that I have the opportunity to rebuild my life, and it’s a time when I can put the nightmare behind me.
Every time I close my eyes, I see Liam. I see his burned, disfigured face glaring back at me and I feel the cramp tear though my body as though it were still enclosed in the cage that he’d locked me in. It’s on these nights that I wake up terrified. My breathing is erratic, my body hot and my mind spins with the memories. I have no choice but to leave my bed, leave Jack to sleep and I walk through the hotel, and make my way down the stairs and into the Grand Hall, where more often than not I find Emily where she sits on the upholstered fender within the inglenook, where she stares into the flames.
Each night she sees me wandering without purpose, she gives me the same concerned look and says the same comforting words, ‘Come on my beautiful child. Sit down, tell me all about it…’ She always pats the seat beside her, and together we stare into the flames until I feel the need to talk, and even though it’s a story I’ve told her a hundred times before, she still listens with compassion in her eyes. But on other nights we don’t talk at all, some nights we just make tea, or pour the brandy and we just sit while the fire dances in the grate.
At ninety-two-years old, Emily is a lady whose life has been inspiring beyond belief and I’ve taken great comfort by just being with her, by listening to her and by learning all the wisdom she has to offer and now I take that wisdom forward in the hope that I can pass it on to my own baby, growing within me.
But, I have to be honest, I’m afraid. I see how frail she’s become, and I selfishly wonder what my life might be like without her there to guide me and I just hope that she lives long enough to see Christmas and to be there at my wedding, shortly after the new year.
Because this year, we’re just going to have a nice, normal Christmas.”
Thank you, Jess. I truly hope things work out for you in this new book – I guess I’ll have to read it to find out. The book has a beautiful cover.
About House of Christmas Secrets by Lynda Stacey:-
This year we’re just going to have a nice, normal Christmas…
Last year’s Christmas at Wrea Head Hall didn’t quite go to plan which is why Jess Croft is determined this festive season will be the one to remember, for the right reasons. And she has plenty of reasons to be hopeful, she’s going to marry the man of her dreams, Jack Stone, seven days after New Year’s Eve.
However, as family secrets are revealed in hidden letters and two unexpected guests turn up on the doorstep, Jess is left wondering whether her life will ever be the same again.
Can Jess and Jack still experience a peaceful festive season that they had imagined or are there some problems that even Christmas can’t fix?
Buying links for House of Christmas Secrets :-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Christmas-Secrets-Choc-Lit-ebook/dp/B07771T7S5/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Ebook at: GetBook.at/ChristmasSecrets
About the Author – Lynda Stacey
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Lynda grew up in the mining village of Bentley, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire,
Her own chaotic life story, along with varied career choices helps Lynda to create stories of romantic suspense, with challenging and unpredictable plots, along with (as in all romances) very happy endings.
Lynda joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association in 2014 under the umbrella of the New Writers Scheme and in 2015, her debut novel House of Secrets won the Choc Lit & Whole Story Audiobooks Search for a Star competition.
She lives in a small rural hamlet near Doncaster, with her husband, Haydn, whom she’s been happily married to for over 20 years.
Link to Lynda‘s author page at Choc Lit here
Buying links for Lynda‘s other books :-
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HOUSE OF CHRISTMAS SECRETS
https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Christmas-Secrets-Choc-Lit-ebook/dp/B07771T7S5/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Links to contact Lynda Stacey:-
Facebook www.facebook.com/lyndastaceyauthor
Twitter @Lyndastacey
Website www.Lyndastacey.co.uk
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. The Girl on the Beach will be available as a paperback from 10 April 2018 – pre-order now at Amazon. [image error]
November 20, 2017
Character Post by Elodie Bright, heroine of Kirsty Ferry’s Watch for me by Moonlight
Elodie Bright, heroine of Kirsty Ferry‘s Watch for me by Moonlight, has her say on my blog today. Welcome Elodie…
“Well it’s another nice and normal day at Hartsford Hall. I’m currently in the gift shop, and I can see a whole crowd of tourists wandering en masse in the grounds. It’s quite comical, as the tour guide is a tiny little man and he’s got a giant golf umbrella held aloft so they can see him. The umbrella is emblazoned with a German brand of beer so I’m presuming the tourists are German too.
I suppose I’d better introduce myself before they stampede their way in here to buy souvenirs. I’m Elodie Bright and I was born and brought up in the village of Hartsford, in Suffolk. I moved away to London for a few years, and I was lucky enough to have a career I loved in costume design, and I worked with all the top theatres and museums. However, I was unlucky enough to end up marrying an unfaithful idiot, and when my health took a hit along with my whole self-esteem thing, I decided to get out while there was enough of me left to save. So I came back home.
Things had changed around here, though. The old Earl of Hartsford had died, and now that title is held by Alex. I’ve always been really close to Alex. He and I grew up alongside one another and we were always together. Alex inherited the estate when it was on the verge of bankruptcy, and I’ve heard things were pretty bad for him too. But he’s turned the place around, opened the Hall to the public and he’s done really well. I can maybe admit to you that I have certain feelings about Alex that probably deserve to be buried, but I can’t quite do it completely, although I’ve tried. Never mind. It’s all quite silly, as I doubt he’s ever really thought of me like that.
Anyway, it’s getting a bit grim out there, and the tourists are heading my way, so I’d better go and smile at them. The clouds are really building up, actually, and the sun’s been blotted out. I guess we’re in for a bit of a thunderstorm. It’ll probably clear the air, as it’s quite sort of heavy atmosphere-wise. Oh well – nothing I can do about it. So long as I can stay in here all warm and dry, and nothing gets damaged on the estate, my nice, normal day can continue…”
Thank you, Elodie, that has made me want to read more of your story. What an interesting cover – I had to show it full sized, so that readers can see the detail.
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About Watch for me by Moonlight Book 1 in the Hartsford Mysteries Series by Kirsty Ferry:-
“It was the first full moon since that night. She waited and watched by moonlight, as she had promised …”
When her life in London falls apart, Elodie Bright returns to Suffolk and to Hartsford Hall, the home of her childhood friend Alexander Aldrich, now the Earl of Hartsford. There, she throws herself into helping Alex bring a new lease of life to the old house and its grounds.
After a freak storm damages the Hall chapel and destroys the tomb of Georgiana Kerridge, one of Alex’s eighteenth-century relatives, Elodie and Alex find a reconnection in the shocking discovery brought to light by the damaged tomb.
Through a series of strange flashbacks and uncanny incidents, they begin to piece together Georgiana’s secret past involving a highwayman, a sister’s betrayal and a forbidden love so strong that it echoes through the ages …
Buying Links for Watch for me by Moonlight :–
Details from Kirsty’s Choc Lit author pages http://www.choc-lit.com/productcat/kirsty-ferry/
About the Author
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Kirsty is from the North East of England and won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 with the ghostly tale ‘Enchantment‘.
Her timeslip novel, ‘Some Veil Did Fall‘, a paranormal romance set in Whitby, was published by Choc Lit in Autumn 2014. This was followed by another Choc Lit timeslip, ‘The Girl in the Painting‘ in February 2016 and ‘The Girl in the Photograph’ in March 2017. October 2017 saw the release of ‘Watch for me by Moonlight’, ‘A Little Bit of Christmas Magic’ and ‘Every Witch Way’, again, all published by Choc Lit. The experience of signing ‘Some Veil Did Fall‘ in a quirky bookshop in the midst of Goth Weekend in Whitby, dressed as a recently undead person was one of the highlights of her writing career so far!
Kirsty’s day-job involves sharing a Georgian building with an eclectic collection of ghosts – which can sometimes prove rather interesting.
You can find out more about Kirsty and her work at www.rosethornpress.co.uk, catch her on her Facebook Author Page or follow her on Twitter @kirsty_ferry.
If you have any questions or comments for Kirsty or Elodie please post them in the comments box.
Note: There is a historical mystery sale on Kobo UK until 30 November 2017 – you can pick up a copy of Kirsty‘s The Girl in the Painting for just 99p – link here
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. [image error]
November 14, 2017
Round up of News
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It’s been a busy few months! There have been some great interviews on my blog and the start of a new series of posts from a character’s point of view. I’ll put a few links below, just in case you missed them.
Interview with Heidi Swain – 6 November 2017
Character Point of View by Rhoda Baxter – 30 October 2017
Character Point of View by Victoria Cornwall – 16 October 2017
Interview with Lynn Forth – 9 October 2017
I spent the summer recovering from my operation and completing structural edits on my next book. Hope to have news on the release of this one soon. Ever a glutton for punishment, I’m now doing the annual November novel challenge NaNoWriMo, attempting to write 50,000 new words in November. I’m not as far ahead as I normally am at this stage, but I am determined to complete my eighth year of achieving the challenge.
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I’ve illustrated this post with a couple of gorgeous photos taken by my sister using a crystal ball. StephieJ is very talented with her camera.
Coming up on the blog in the next few weeks we have Kirsty Ferry, Lynda Stacey, Wendy Clarke and Mick Arnold. Saying that means that it’s only a hop, skip and jump until Christmas – Yikes.
What plans have you got for the run up to Christmas?
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. [image error]
November 6, 2017
Spotlight on Guest Author Heidi Swain
Stop press news: Since Heidi Swain answered her questions for this blog post, her book Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair has made it into the Sunday Times Bestsellers List – Wow! Congratulations, Heidi.
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My guest this week is Heidi Swain. Although passionate about writing from an early age, Heidi gained a degree in Literature, flirted briefly with a newspaper career, married and had two children before she plucked up the courage to join a creative writing class and take her literary ambitions seriously.
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A lover of Galaxy bars, vintage paraphernalia and the odd bottle of fizz, she now writes feel good fiction with heart for Simon and Schuster. Heidi lives in Norfolk with her wonderful family and a mischievous cat called Storm.
Her debut novel, The Chery Tree Café (I loved this book, Heidi) was published in July 2015 (paperback June 2017) and Summer at Skylark Farm hit the shelves the following June. Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market was a hugely successful Christmas 2016 release and her fourth book, Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage was published in July 2017. She is currently celebrating her October 2017 Christmas release, Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at The Christmas Fair.
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I asked Heidi some questions:-
How do you cope with writing when other things in your life demand attention?
I’m pretty fierce when it comes to protecting my writing time, but I’m also a realist and happy to accept that there are always going to be those times when family life, trips to the vet and professional commitments have to come first.
Mostly I can manage to work around disruptions. I’ve become better at filtering things out, knuckling down and powering through, but there are those occasions when I simply have to admit that I’m not going to get the words down for one reason or another.
Just like everyone else reading this post I have multiple roles – mum, wife, daughter, chief cook, bottle washer and cat wrangler and sometimes I just have to concede that a day, or even a week, for whatever reason, isn’t going to be conducive to creativity and on those occasions I plan, make notes and then plan some more. That achieved, when life settles back down I can pick up my work and I’m good to go.
Basically, my coping strategy comprises of being very organised and making lists. A whole host of them!
How is the heroine, Anna, of your book Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at The Christmas Fair, like you?
Anna is something of a perfectionist and a bit of a workaholic and I guess you could stick me in those categories if you really wanted to. If I’m doing something then I’m sticking at it and I’m doing it to the best of my ability, otherwise, what’s the point?
I’m absolutely rubbish at delegating. My rather squiffy attitude to most things is that if I’m not doing it all myself then I must be failing somewhere along the line. I’m rubbish when it comes to accepting help and even more rubbish at twiddling my thumbs. I always have to have something on the go. It will be interesting to see if folk think Anna is cut from the same ‘busy cloth’ as I am!
Is Wynthorpe Hall based on an actual place?
Yes, the Hall, grounds and one of the rooms are based on somewhere I love in Norfolk. It’s a house I know very well and it has a special place in my heart. I’ve wanted to write about it for a long time and it was just a case of waiting for the right story to come along. The setting lends itself perfectly to creating the ultimate country-house celebration and I consider myself very lucky to have been given the opportunity to write another lovely Christmas book.
If you were casting actors for a film of your Christmas book, who would play Anna and Jamie?
I always find these sorts of questions really tricky to answer. I think it’s because I rarely base a character’s looks on anyone I’ve seen in real life or on the big screen.
Rachel Weisz or Anna Popplewell could fill the role of Anna, although I’ve just read that Rachel Weisz is older than I am which is really rather depressing. For me, not her, obvs.
And if Eddie Redmayne turned up to audition for Jamie’s role, then I would be rather happy to see him.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
I’m currently working on the ingeniously titled Novel Number 6 which will be published next summer. I can’t give much away about it just yet, but there will be a few familiar faces popping up amongst the pages along with some fun new characters and a gorgeous new setting. Not that I’m biased of course…
Thank you for a fascinating insight into your writing life, Heidi.
To contact Heidi, please use the following links:-
Website: http://www.heidiswain.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Heidi_Swain
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterHeidiJoSwain?ref=hl
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heidi-Swain/e/B00YNN3LDI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1483439180&sr=8-2-ent
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About Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair
When Anna takes on the role of companion to the owner of Wynthorpe Hall, on the outskirts of Wynbridge, she has no idea that her life is set to change beyond all recognition.
A confirmed ‘bah humbug’ when it comes to Christmas, Anna is amazed to find herself quickly immersed in the eccentric household, and when youngest son Jamie unexpectedly arrives home it soon becomes obvious that her personal feelings are going all out to compromise her professional persona.
Jamie, struggling to come to terms with life back in the Fens, makes a pact with Anna – she has to teach him to fall back in love with Wynthorpe Hall, while he helps her fall back in love with Christmas. But will it all prove too much for Anna, or can the family of Wynthorpe Hall warm her heart once and for all…?
Join Anna for a festive journey that is festooned with sleigh rides and silver bells and help her discover her happy ever after.
Purchasing link for Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair:
Readers – maybe you’d let me know in the comments which is your favourite Christmas book this year?
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. [image error]
October 30, 2017
Character Post by Walter Hanborough, hero of Rhoda Baxter’s Girl In Trouble
Continuing my blog series which allows a character from a book to have their say. This time we have a post from Walter Hanborough, hero of Rhoda Baxter‘s novel Girl In Trouble.
Over to Walter …
Hi. My name’s Walter… Dr Walter Hanborough, really, but you can call me Walter. Everyone else does. I’m here to talk about the significant women in my life. There’s three of them. I love them very much, but in very different ways.
First up, there’s my mother. My Dad went off to sea and never returned, so Mum brought me up by herself. She’s … formidable, is the word people use. It must have been difficult being a single woman bringing up a young boy who was shy and preferred to have his nose in a book, but she did it. She’s amazing, my mum. Not afraid of anything. Well… apart from spiders.
The next person isn’t really a woman, not yet. My daughter Emily, she’s six. She’s gorgeous. I have a photo here if … um… right. Yes. Anyway, she’s my world. She looks like her mother, Charlotte, my ex-wife, but she’s got my eyes. Emily’s moving to the US with her mum and stepdad and I’m terrified she’d forget all about me and her life here. But Olivia says it’ll be okay. I can Skype her and things. Right? So, it’ll be fine. Totally. Fine.
The last, and most significant woman in my life is Olivia. You’d like Olivia. She’s gorgeous too, obviously. She’s got amazing legs and … this attitude – like she’s daring you disagree with her. My best mate thinks she’s prickly and scary. I thought that too, at the start, but once you get to know her, you realise it’s just an act. She’s been hurt in the past and she’s got this wall around her to stop her getting hurt again. She’s actually one of the gentlest, kindest people you’ll ever meet. Emily likes her.
When I first met Olivia, I was in a bad place. Charlotte (Emily’s mum) had just told me that she was moving Emily to America … and I felt like I was going to lose my baby girl forever. Olivia was the one who stopped me freaking out about that. I did something stupid and nearly lost Olivia a few months ago and it made me realise that I need her. You can read all about what happened in Girl In Trouble. I love her, even if she does scare my friends.
So there they are. The women in my life. They’re all formidable, really, each in their own way. Good job I’m fine with that.
Thank you, Walter, I can’t wait to read more of your story.
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About Girl in Trouble by Rhoda Baxter
Grown up tomboy Olivia doesn’t need a man to complete her. Judging by her absent father, men aren’t that reliable anyway. She’s got a successful career, good friends and can evict spiders from the bath herself, so she doesn’t need to settle down, thanks.
Walter’s ex is moving his daughter to America and Walter feels like he’s losing his family. When his friend-with-benefits, Olivia, discovers she’s pregnant by her douchebag ex, Walter sees the perfect chance to be part of a family with a woman he loves. But how can Walter persuade the most independent woman he’s ever met to accept his help, let alone his heart?
Girl In Trouble is the third book in the award nominated Smart Girls series by Rhoda Baxter. If you like charming heroes, alpha heroines and sparkling dialogue, you’ll love this series. Ideal for fans of Sarah Morgan, Lindsey Kelk’s I heart novels or Meg Cabot’s Boy books.
Universal buying link for Girl in Trouble: books2read.com/u/4Doy6r
About the Author
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Rhoda writes contemporary romances about smart women and the men who love them – no alpha males here, thanks. She especially likes it when they make her laugh. She is fond of cake, British comedy and Lego Stormtroopers.
Rhoda is a member of the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Authors. Her books have been shortlisted for the RoNA awards (2017), the Love Stories awards (2015) and the Joan Hessayon award (2013).
You can get a free novella (and advance notice of new releases) by joining her reader group newsletter –http://www.subscribepage.com/q3x1y8_copy
You can find Rhoda talking about science, cake and comedy on her website – www.rhodabaxter.com. You can also contact her via Twitter (@rhodabaxter) or Facebook
Rhoda is the author of several novels including :-
Girl Having A Ball
Please Release Me
Doctor January
Girl on The Run
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. [image error]
October 23, 2017
The Value of a Change of Scenery
I’m currently enjoying a change of scenery. My husband works in Dublin and normally commutes from our home in Worcestershire every week. As my son is on a school science trip this week, I’m over in Dublin as well. Hubbie is at work, so I have no excuse not to get on with my edits.
Unfortunately, I’ve been suffering with an eye problem, which means I can’t stare at the computer screen for too long and this has slowed me down tremendously. Since I’ve been in Ireland, I’ve been interspersing editing with visits to the local coffee shop and trips into Dublin.
There are already beautiful Christmas windows in Dublin, so I’ve used these to illustrate this post.
It’s amazing what a change of perspective can do for your manuscript. I now fully understand why writers go to retreats. I’m out of routine, so not bogged down by my normal tasks and thoughts.
I’ve been finding it helpful to stop at a problem point and go out, then the question I need to resolve percolates in the back of my mind and my characters start to communicate with me again. This also means, I’m eager to get back to the screen and write the next bit, with the result that I’m at last making much better progress.
Giving myself space to write/edit without the normal distractions, has allowed me to incorporate new thoughts and the essence of different places into my book too. So, in conclusion, I thoroughly recommend a change of scenery. Wish me luck for the rest of the week, as I want to finish this round of edits before I go home.
October 16, 2017
Character Post by Janey Carhart heroine of Victoria Cornwall’s The Captain’s Daughter
Continuing my new blog series which allows a character from a book to have their say. This time we have a post from Janey Carhart, the heroine of Victoria Cornwall‘s new novel The Captain’s Daughter.
Wish me luck!
“They think I am mad. They wished me well for the interview but I could see the sympathy in their eyes. She’s deluded, they were thinking. She won’t get the position for Lady’s Maid to the grandest family in Cornwall. Not a servant of her rank. Not at her young age.
But I have to, you see. And I will prove to them that I am worthy of the position. Unlike the other servants, I am educated and I have the skills. And I want to make my family proud of me. You see, my parents did not plan a servant’s life for me. My father was a captain of a ship so they had high hopes for my future … but I let them down in the worst possible way.
I am going to tell you something that I have not told the other servants who waved me goodbye this morning. My parents died when I was a child … and it was my fault. I carry the guilt of their deaths all the time and miss them every day. I have spent my life trying to make them proud of me, trying to prove that I am worthy … worthy of their forgiveness … worthy of being alive. Today is no different.
Oh look! I can see Bodmin Moor. It is beautiful. I think the cart is slowing down so we must be almost there. I must not show how nervous I am and remember to thank the driver for giving me a lift. Deep breath. I have an interview ahead of me and must remain calm. Wish me luck. I think I am going to need it this time.”
Janey Carhart
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Beware the strength of a quiet woman
After a family tragedy, Janey Carhart was forced from her comfortable middle-class life as a captain’s daughter into domestic servitude. Determined to make something of herself, Janey eventually finds work as a lady’s maid at the imposing Bosvenna Manor on the edge of Bodmin Moor, but is soon caught between the two worlds of upstairs and downstairs, and accepted by neither, as she cares for her blind mistress.
Desperately lonely, Janey catches the attention of two men – James Brockenshaw and Daniel Kellow. James is heir to the Bosvenna estate, a man whose eloquent letters to his mother warm Janey’s heart and whose attentions to her when he returns home set her pulse racing. Daniel Kellow is a neighbouring farmer with a dark past and a brooding nature, yet with a magnetism that disturbs Janey. Two men. Who should she choose? Or will fate decide.
Universal Buying links for The Captain’s Daughter books2read.com/u/3RoKyj
About the Author
Victoria Cornwall grew up in Cornwall and can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century. It is this background and heritage which is the inspiration for her Cornish based novels.
Following a fulfilling twenty-five year career as a nurse, a change in profession finally allowed her the time to write. She has been shortlisted for the New Talent Award at the Festival of Romantic Fiction and a finalist for the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Award.
Victoria is married and has two grown up children. She likes to read and write historical fiction with a strong background story, but at its heart is the unmistakable emotion, even pain, of loving someone.
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Website: www.victoriacornwall.com
Twitter: @VickieCornwall
Facebook: www.facebook.com/victoriacornwall.author
Instagram: www.instagram.com/victoria_cornwallx
Pinterest: uk.pinterest.com/vickiecornwall
Victoria is also the author of The Thief’s Daughter published by Choc Lit
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Hide from the thief-taker, for if he finds you, he will take you away …
Eighteenth-century Cornwall is crippled by debt and poverty, while the gibbet casts a shadow of fear over the land. Yet, when night falls, free traders swarm onto the beaches and smuggling prospers.
Terrified by a thief-taker’s warning as a child, Jenna has resolved to be good. When her brother, Silas, asks for her help to pay his creditors, Jenna feels unable to refuse and finds herself entering the dangerous world of the smuggling trade.
Jack Penhale hunts down the smuggling gangs in revenge for his father’s death. Drawn to Jenna at a hiring fayre, they discover their lives are entangled. But as Jenna struggles to decide where her allegiances lie, the worlds of justice and crime collide, leading to danger and heartache for all concerned.
Universal Buying links for The Thief’s Daughter books2read.com/u/mVZK1l
I hope you enjoyed this insight into Victoria Cornwall‘s character Janey Carhart. If you are an author and would like to give your character a say, please get in touch with me.
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. [image error]
October 9, 2017
Spotlight on Guest Author Lynn Forth
I first met Lynn Forth at a book launch event at my local cafe in September 2014. We immediately got on, as if we’d known each other for ages. This is the first picture of us together at that book event, which included the launch of books for Janice Preston and Alison May.
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Lynn went on to join the Romantic Novelists’ Association and this blog is to celebrate the publication of her debut novel Love in La La Land by Crooked Cat Books on 10 October 2017.
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Lynn Forth went to live in Accrington when she was 11 and still has the accent to prove it. She now lives in Worcestershire (where it doesn’t rain as much) with her family and a room with a view to write in.
With a lifelong fascination with words and people, she studied English and Psychology at University and, as a lecturer at the local College, she tried to impart this love of words and teaching to students of all ages.
An avid reader, she runs two book clubs and, as a bit of a movie buff, she loves the discussions at a local Film Club. Although not a big exercise fan, she enthusiastically enjoys the fun and music at her Zumba sessions and loves encouraging a riotous array of flowers in her garden.
She now writes romantic comedies full of sparky dialogue set in exotic 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 and sunny places.
I asked Lynn some questions:-
I know you were in the RNA New Writers’ Scheme. What part do you feel this played in your journey to publication?
It was crucial. No one had ever read my book before and I didn’t know if I could write or not. Your NWS reader is anonymous which guarantees their objectivity. I was lucky to have a wonderful reader, Jules Wake, who later outed herself to me at the RNA conference. She was honest about what my book lacked; it needed more show not tell. She praised my writing style and was enthusiastic about my characters and dialogue. She made me believe in myself as a writer. Later, she read my revised version before it went out to Crooked Cat and suggested a couple more tweaks. I’m convinced I would never have got published without her help and the whole NWS scheme. I think, like all other members, I’m very grateful to the whole RNA for everything it does for us.
How is the heroine of your book like you?
What an interesting question. She’s much younger, better looking and more successful than me. But she is a novelist, and her book was about the south of France, as is my next one, and she has red/gold hair, which mine used to be, so I suppose those are aspects I can identify with. Perhaps we also share the same love of language and the same sense of humour, and I would have loved to go to Hollywood like she did.
If you had to choose the cast for a film of Love in La La Land, who would be in the leading roles?
Oooh I have cast this in my mind as I was writing it and what a luscious cast it is. I imagined the young Brad Pitt as he seduces Thelma in Thelma and Louise, all toned and tanned and wicked, as I was writing Scott Flynn…. although, of course, the final character is not like him at all. Now picture Hugh Jackman as the young Wolverine, all dark and glowering and moody, that’s Jack Clancy. Originally I fancied Emma Stone as my heroine, Jane, which was spooky as she played the lead in the film La La Land. However, I recently saw Holliday Grainger as Robin Ellacott in the Cormoron Strike series on TV and her hair and personality are just right, but she does need very blue eyes.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
I have three more completed books that need a bit of polishing. Two of them feature Nice in France, a city I love to visit. I can’t wait to get stuck into them and add in some extra zest and fun. Then, of course, I have a whole plot ideas book just waiting in the wings.
Thank you Lynn and good luck with your debut. To contact Lynn you can use the following links:-
Website: lynnforthauthor.wordpress.com.
Twitter: @lynnforth
Author Page: Lynn Forth Author
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In the city of stars, will English author, Jane Jones, come to earth with a bump? Or can she write her own happy ending?
Excited to be in glitzy, glamorous Hollywood, Jane is thrilled by the prospect of seeing a scene from her novel being filmed and starring screen heart throb, Scott Flynn. Too bad, she is accompanied by the cynical Jack Clancy, the screenwriter who has ruined her story but seems totally unrepentant about all the changes.
Both men seem intent on pursuing her. But do they have ulterior motives? Is Jane a mere pawn in a game between two fierce rivals?
In the bubble of La La Land’s glittering parties, hovering paparazzi, and powerful movie tycoons, Jane begins to feel adrift.
She must quickly learn who can be trusted…and who can’t.
Love in La La Land is available as both eBook and paperback from Amazon using the following link myBook.to/LoveinLaLaLand1
There is an online launch party for Love in La La Land on Tuesday 10 October 2017 14.00 to 20.00 hours BST on Facebook. Please join Lynn and guest authors (including yours truly Morton S. Gray – guest slot 15.00 to 15.30 hours BST) if you can.
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. My novel The Girl on the Beach published by Choc Lit is available from all ebook platforms – Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and Google Play. [image error]
