Bena Roberts's Blog, page 8
June 30, 2018
Review - Sisterly Love by Michelle Vernal
Sisterly Love
Nobody���s Perfect Are They?
Rebecca Loughton���s bumbled her way through her thirty-something years making a few cock-ups along the way. Of course, these wouldn���t be so obvious if it wasn���t for her golden haired, older sister Jennifer.
In a bid to escape Jennifer���s lengthy shadow and to find her happy ever after Rebecca, high-tails it out of her hometown of Christchurch to the other side of the world landing a legal secretary job in the buzzing city of Dublin. A few drinks later, all she has to show for her new life is an embarrassing one-night stand and a dollop of flirtatious banter with her boss Ciaran, who just happens to have a predatory receptionist in hot pursuit of him.
Amidst plans of preventing such a merger, Rebecca receives news that Jennifer���s picture perfect life has a big, fat crack down the middle of it in the form of a philandering husband. Summoned home to look after her sister���s children and cooking school while she works on her marriage, Rebecca finds the reality of looking after two young children along with the bizarre array of guests booked into the cooking school grim. The only bright spot on her horizon are Ciaran���s e-mails but then she meets David Seagar whom she thinks might just be the ending to her happy ever after but will he prove to be far from perfect too?
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1494802112
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1494802112
Author Bio ���
Hello, my name is Michelle Vernal, and by way of introduction, I���m Mum to Josh and Daniel and am married to the super supportive Paul. We live in the garden city of Christchurch, New Zealand with our three-legged, black cat called Blue. BC (before children) Paul and I lived and worked in Ireland, the experiences we had there have flavoured my books.
I���ve always written, but it was only after my first son was born that I decided to attend a creative writing course at Canterbury University. Oh the guilt dropping him at pre-school so I could learn the basics of story writing, but oh the joy of having conversation to contribute other than the price of nappies that week! The first piece I ever penned post course was published by a New Zealand parenting magazine. I went on to write humorous; opinion styled pieces of my take on parenting, but when the necessity for being politically correct got too much, I set myself the challenge of writing a novel. Six books later and a publishing deal with Harper Impulse here I am. These days I write for a North Canterbury lifestyle magazine and my latest book Sweet Home Summer has just been released by Harper Impulse.
Social Media Links ���
https://www.facebook.com/michellevernalnovelist/inbox/
https://twitter.com/michellevernal
https://www.instagram.com/vernalmichelle/
My Review - Sisterly Love by Michelle Vernal
This book had me in hysterics. If you are the youngest child and have an older sister -- you will laugh too!
The Good
This book was real. The way the sister was perfect and had a letter prepared with times to feed the kids etc. So, so realistic! I didn't like Ciaran, and his emails were amusing but...
The Bad
After an explosive start that got me hooked, I got greedy for more! Even though I enjoyed the book, the pace went up and down. I think this was more a book on family and sisters. The love interest - be it interesting - was not at the forefront of the story.
The Ugly
Unmarried younger sister and perfect older sister on the rocks with her hubby... a lovely chicklit fun full of fun. When the child swore, I really did laugh out loud!!
4.4 Stars - will definitely read more from this author! I read this as part of a blog tour.
Blog Blitz and #giveaway - One Week to Wed by Laurie Benson
One Week to Wed
One Stolen Night���leads to unexpected wedding vows!
Widowed Lady Charlotte Gregory believes she���ll never love again after losing her husband, until meeting dashing Lord Andrew Pearce brings her respectable, lonely world back to vibrant life! Left alone one night, they give in to their desires only to find their secret passion leads to shock, scandal���and a sudden marriage of convenience.
Purchase Links
Amazon: myBook.to/OneWeekToWed
B&N: http://bit.ly/2na4khQ
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2E4ql9I
iBooks: https://apple.co/2E76BSO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2n78JlJ
Author Bio ���
Laurie Benson is an award-winning author who writes flirty and frisky Regency romance novels. She began her writing career as an advertising copywriter, where she learned more than you could ever want to know about hot dogs and credit score reports. Her novel An Unexpected Countess was voted Harlequin���s 2017 Hero of the Year by readers.
When she isn't at her laptop avoiding laundry, Laurie can be found browsing antique shops, going on ridiculously long hikes, or sitting in her car on the school pickup line. She lives with her husband and two sons in a house filled with testosterone���even her bunny is a boy.
To learn about her upcoming books, visit her historical blog, and to sign up for her newsletter go to www.lauriebenson.net.
Social Media Links ���
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurieBwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurieBensonAuthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/benson2762/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15139231.Laurie_Benson
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Laurie-Benson/e/B01DMAOAA0
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laurie-benson
Website: http://lauriebenson.net
Giveaway ��� Win a signed copy of One Week To Wed (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions ���Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners��� information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
June 28, 2018
Review - The Letter by Eliza J Scott
The Letter ��� Kitty���s Story
Thirty-four-year-old Kitty Bennett is trapped in a loveless marriage to criminal barrister, Dan, who���s gradually isolated her from her family and friends. Until the day she (literally) bumps into her first love, the handsome and easy-going Ollie Cartwright ��� someone she���s done her best to avoid for as long as she can remember. Looking into Ollie���s eyes awakens feelings for him she thought she���d buried deep years ago, and he clearly feels the spark, too. As she walks away, Kitty can���t help but wonder what might have been���
Dan senses that his marriage is on shaky ground and knows he needs to win his wife round. He turns on the charm, skilfully using their two children, Lucas and Lily, as bargaining tools. But Kitty���s older brother, Jimby, and her childhood best-friends, Molly and Violet, have decided enough is enough. For years they���ve had to watch from afar as Kitty���s been browbeaten into an unrecognisable version of herself. They vow to make her see Dan for what he really is, but their attempts are no match for his finely-honed courtroom skills and, against her better judgement, Kitty agrees to give her husband one last chance. But, all-too-soon, a series of heart-breaking events and a shocking secret throw her life into turmoil���
Will she stand by Dan, or will Kitty be brave enough to take the leap and follow her heart to Ollie?
Life is anything but peaceful in the chocolate-box pretty village of Lytell Stangdale, where life unravels, and hearts are broken. Full of heart-warming moments, this book with have you crying
tears of joy, laughter and sadness.
Purchase Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Letter-Kittys-Story-Life-Moors-ebook/dp/B07DMKKM89/
Author Bio ��� I live in a village in the North Yorkshire Moors with my husband, two daughters and two black Labradors. When I���m not writing, I can usually be found with my nose in a book/glued to my Kindle, or in my garden. I also enjoy bracing walks in the countryside, rounded off with a visit to a teashop where I can indulge in another two of my favourite things: tea and cake.
Social Media Links ���
Blog: Eliza J Scott - elizajscott.com
Twitter: Eliza J Scott ��� @ElizaJScott1
Instagram: Eliza J Scott - @elizajscott
Facebook: Eliza J Scott - @elizajscottauthor
Giveaway ��� Win a PB copy of The Lettter ��� Kitty���s Story, Chocolate and Neom Hand Cream (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions ���Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners��� information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
My Review The Letter - Kitty's Story
by Eliza J Scott
A realistic novel with a lot of different storylines.
The Good
From chapter two, I started to enjoy this book and read it up to 80% in one sitting. The marriage, manipulation and couple story was written well.
The Bad
There were a lot of different storylines and I am not sure they were all needed. The son was one of those additions that I felt didn't add to the story.
The Ugly
I enjoyed this book, we knew the hubby was a jerk. The "woofy" bit of the story had me laughing, but when he got caught and the pic - I thought that the author was on a mission to destroy this character. I don't know why because I am a woman's woman - but I thought it was too far? Go figure!
I enjoyed this book, even though I thought it was unnecessarily lengthy in places.
4 Stars and I look forward to reading more. I read this as part of a blog tour.
Blog Tour - Absolute Darkness by Tina O'Hailey
OOOOhhhh this is exciting. A blog tour with a mystery and chance to win. To follow this tour and win a signed copy of the book look for the GIF at the bottom of the page and visit everyone on the tour!
Six Tinder Weeks
June 28th
Excerpt from Absolute Darkness:
Introduction:
This is an introduction to Yindi, our antagonist. He is an energy being who inhabits linears (mortals). His soul need is to destroy the timeline. He���s a junky for destruction. He goes by feel through out his existence and locks onto people and moments in time that he can manipulate. Alexander, the protagonist, sees all of time and can move freely throughout time to fix most of what Yindi has broken. Yindi can only move through time linearly like the host he inhabits. If he misses the moment, it is gone. After 10,000 years of this ���dance��� with Alexander and moving from fix to fix, he is a being with barely a cohesive thought. He can only focus on the here and now.
2 The Manipulator.
Thursday afternoon.
Yindi had to hurry. He didn���t want to get caught. Then he would miss the moment and now, now was the moment. Grass stuck to his feet as he ran. He whistled to himself, tunelessly. Birds, startled, fled his path. Fidgety and hopping on one foot he paused to look around. Where would she go? There, there! She was going to cross this field and go into that cave. He searched through the future to see where his best chance would be. He had to hurry before she got there. He couldn���t get caught.
There, right inside, he could feel the moment. It was simple. She would be here soon. Yindi paused again. Oh, she had a friend. Good, good. He searched again. Unable to see the particulars of what happened in time, he could only feel what would best sate his need. The feeling drew him to the opening of the cave. He cast about, nearly frantic, touching and feeling the air and walls around him. Where was it? What was it? When was it? The moment. The thing.
He ventured further into the darkness, groping. Pebbles. Grit. Cave crickets skittered from his fingers. A lustful warmth engulfed him when his fingers grazed the rock. Willing himself to see into the darkness, he tensed: muscles bunched, heart pounding. A moan escaped when he grasped the rock and the full impact of the thing spread through his veins.
Quick, quick, he had to see the best way to adjust time before she got here. He lay on his belly in the dirt, both hands outstretched around the rock. A pit gaped in front of him. He didn���t look into it. It didn���t matter, he could not see into the darkness. His eyes looked into nothing and everything. It wasn���t a decision that moved his hands; instinct and raw need showed him what to do. He loosened the rock and felt the rush of elation. That was it. Yes. He could see the time shift, turn yellow. No longer green. Altered. It caught his breath. It felt good.
He scrabbled back and sat on his haunches, rocking slightly and chewing the nail of his right hand. That was fine. Just a small shift. He could go do more elsewhere. This was good here. He felt time unraveling and slipping in this future. Intoxicating. He couldn���t stay to watch. He had to keep moving, find the next thing. The things were everywhere. Had to keep looking and pushing. He itched to go, already anticipating the next rush when he found the next moment. Yindi chewed his lip and let out a snort through his nose. This was good. This was���
He paused. Looked into the darkness ahead of him. Was this���
Book Blurb
A thrill ride through time that will make you hold your breath.
Sitting by the campfire, Brandy admitted a secret to her friends. She swore she saw a ghost when exiting a cave earlier that day. Was she seeing things? Did they believe her? The next day, breaking a cardinal rule, she snuck back to the cave alone. No one knew where she was. What if she fell or was trapped? There would be no rescue.
For ten thousand years Alexander had kept the time streams of this universe safe from an eternal destructive force that continually threatened to tamper and destroy all. Locked in an unremitting battle, the two foes become sidetracked by an unexpected visitor. An entangled journey begins with chilling twists and turns until becoming locked into an inescapable death deep within a submerged cave.
Who will come out of the watery depths alive?
Author Bio:
Tina O'Hailey (author of animation text books ���Rig it Right��� and ���Hybrid Animation���, professor in animation, visual effects and game programming, caver and occasional mapper of grim, wet, twisty caves���if she owes a friend a favor or loses a bet���whose passion is to be secluded on a mountain and to write whilst surrounded by small, furry dogs and hot coffee) was struck by lightning as a baby.
Links:
Absolute Darkness: Virtual Blog Tour: June 28 ��� July 4
https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/absolute-darkness
On Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Darkness-Tina-OHailey/dp/1684330300
Preorder from the publisher. Use code: PREORDER2018 to receive a 10% discount!
http://www.blackrosewriting.com/sci-fifantasy/absolutedarkness
Author Blog:
https://coffeediem.wordpress.com/
Absolute Darkness Facebook page:
June 27, 2018
My Review - Poppy's Place in the Sun by Lorraine Wilson
Poppy���s Place in the Sun
���She had me at Bonjour! Warm, funny, deliciously French���this lovely story filled my heart with sunshine��� Jane Linfoot
Sometimes you need to lose yourself to find your way home ���
With only her trusty dogs Peanut, Treacle and Pickwick by her side, Poppy Kirkbride could be forgiven for having doubts about her move to a quiet village in rural France. But as the sun shines down on her ramshackle new home, Poppy knows she���s made the right decision. A lick of paint, and some TLC and her rustic farmhouse will be the perfect holiday retreat ��� Poppy���s dream come true.
Poppy is welcomed by her fellow villagers, except for brooding local vet Leo Dubois, who makes it clear Poppy isn���t welcome in his village ��� or his life! Leo might be gorgeous, but Poppy won���t be told what to do by an arrogant Frenchman ��� no matter how kind and gentle he is to her dogs!
Determined to stay, Poppy tries to understand the enigmatic Frenchman better. But as the two get closer, Poppy sees another side to Leo ��� a man with heartbreak of his own. Falling in love with Leo is easy, but can he ever return Poppy's love? And what would this mean for her dream life and place in the sun?
Purchase Link - hyperurl.co/poppyinthesun
Author Bio
Lorraine Wilson writes flirty, feel-good fiction for Harper Impulse - a Harper Collins imprint - and is unashamedly fond of happy endings. She loves hearing from readers and feels incredibly grateful to be doing the job she always dreamt of.
She splits her time between the South of France and Cambridgeshire and is usually either writing or reading while being sat on, walked over or barked at by one of her growing band of rescue dogs.
You can find her online either via her website: http://www.lorraine-wilson.com or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LorraineWilsonWriter and Twitter @Romanceminx
Giveaway ��� Win a PB of Poppy���s Place in the Sun and a crossbody hand bag (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions ���Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners��� information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
My Review Poppy's Place in the Sun by Lorraine Wilson
As an expat who lives in Germany and had very similar experience I bloody well loved this book!
This had me laughing out loud.
The Good
Thank-God for dogs.
The Bad
Men who dump via SMS and in a foreign country!
The Ugly
Where should I start?
I adored this book and read it over two sun-tanning sessions in the garden. It is a beach read and for anyone that loves A Place in the Sun. I love that books the British wit made me giggle.
I felt for the Poppy and I found her endearing. A great summer read - perfect for the beach. I really enjoyed this!
5 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour
Review - No Reception by Maisie Porter
No Reception
For hyper-successful wedding photographer and blogger, Zody Lee Swabler, anonymous death threats come with the territory. When warned by email not to continue booking jobs, she responds by accepting the next request that comes in.
When a strangely eager woman approaches her about the emails, she accepts the woman���s invitation to visit her home. So begins Helena Hoath���s elaborate plan to take over the life and profession of the photographer she wishes she could be.
And when Zody unleashes her own revenge scheme, she discovers that the unhinged woman may still have the wit to turn a successful photographer���s own talents against her.
Zody and Helena's lives begin to intertwine in ways that neither could have foreseen���
Purchase Link - http://mybook.to/noreception
Author Bio ��� Maisie Porter works as a professional photographer in Australia, with wide experience covering weddings, though she has neither abducted nor been abducted by any competitors. No Reception is Maisie's first novel.
Social Media Links ���
https://twitter.com/eyeointment
My Review - No Reception by Maisie Porter
The cover does not do this brilliant book justice.
The Good
A gripping read about jealousy. This had it all! I loved it and devoured it.
The Bad
This was so real it was horrible. It could happen, maybe has happened. I kept on thinking about the poor baby.
The Ugly
This book is Misery on Acid. Read it!
5 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour and I bloody well loved it!
June 25, 2018
Blog tour and extract - Mary Rosie's War by Catherine Byrne
We are delighted to host Mary Rosie's War and we have an extract of the book at the bottom of this page. I love this cover with the rainbow and the warplane.
Mary Rosie���s War
WW2 has been declared. A strange find on the beach gives Mary Rosie the chance to fulfil her dreams and contribute to her country, but all is not what she imagined.
After witnessing the first bomb to be dropped on mainland Britain, Mary watches her friends leave to join the forces and longs to be with them, but is held back by loyalty to her widowed mother.
France has capitulated. Johnny Allan���s regiment has been annihilated by German troops north of Paris. Johnny has to find a way to get home and to the girl who no longer waits for him.
Leisel is a German Jew who lost her family to the Nazis and has to make her way in Britain, a strange new country, while harbouring a desire for revenge.
Their lives become entangled in a way that no one could have envisaged.
A story about war, family ties, love, loyalty and loss.
Purchase from Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mary-Rosies-War-Catherine-Byrne-ebook/dp/B07D9W7QTC
Author Bio
Catherine Byrne always wanted to be a writer. She began at the age of eight by drawing comic strips with added dialogue and later, as a teenager, graduated to poetry. Her professional life however, took a very different path. She first studied glass engraving with Caithness Glass where she worked for fourteen years. During that time she also worked as a foster parent. After the birth of her youngest child she changed direction, studying and becoming a chiropodist with her own private practice. At the same time she did all the administration work for her husband's two businesses, and this continued until the death of her husband in 2005. However she still maintained her love of writing, and has had several short stories published in women's magazines. Her main ambition was to write novels and she has now retired in order to write full time.
Born and brought up until the age of nine on the Island of Stroma, she heard many stories from her grandparents about the island life of a different generation. Her family moved to the mainland at a time when the island was being depopulated, although it took another ten years before the last family left.
An interest in geology, history and her strong ties to island life have influenced her choice of genre for her novels.
Since first attending the AGM of the Scottish Association of Writers in 1999, Catherine has won several prizes, commendations and has been short-listed both for short stories and chapters of her novels. In 2009, she won second prize in the general novel category for ���Follow The Dove���
In 2016 The Road to Nowhere won second prize in the Barbara Hammond competition for Best Self Published novel. The follow up, Isa���s Daughter won 1st prize in the same competition the following year.
Although the books follow the fortunes of the same family, they are all stand-alone.
The fifth book in the Raumsey series is Mary Rosie���s War.
Catherine Byrne lives in Wick, Caithness.
Social Media Links ���
https://www.facebook.com/FollowTheDove/
http://isabellacatherinebyrne.blogspot.co.uk/
Giveaway ��� 1st Prize ��� all 4 of Catherine Byrne���s previous books in paperback .
6 x Runners Up Prizes ��� PB copy of Broken Horizon (UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions ���UK entries only. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners��� information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
An extract of the book.
Meet the MacArthys. Chapter one.
Coral McArthy leaned over the balcony of the room in the Spanish hotel to which her parents had dragged her. She had wanted to go on holiday with Buck Beemer, the coolest boy in school, and he had the hots for her. HER. She would have been the envy of every girl in her class, if it wasn't for the olds. She'd been so made up when he asked her to shack up with him for a week. Then her father had to stamp his foot. God, he'd been like a baby throwing his toys out of the pram. Who the hell would chose to spend their sixteenth birthday with the olds? She could legally get married, for fuck's sake.
She drew deeply on her cigarette then threw the still glowing stub onto the paving below. The young Spaniard who was sweeping the pool area looked up and shouted something in his own language. She gave him the finger, then, noticing how cute he was, immediately retracted it. ���Sorry,��� she simpered, leaning over the railing showing her uncovered breasts to their best advantage. Her red hair swung downwards. She stuck one long, tanned leg through the bars in what she thought was a suggestive gesture and twirled a foot adorned with shocking-pink toenails.
The young Spaniard stared and leaned on the handle of his brush. Man, he was tidy; stripped to the waist and tanned a deep brown. His hair was black and curly, his eyes glittering and crinkling as his face broke into a wide smile.
���I will be here later, Senorita,��� he said. ���I am Carlos. We can go dancing?���
���Ab-sol-utely,��� Coral began. ���Where...���
���Coral, who are you talking to? Get off that balcony dressed like that.��� The sharp voice of her father cut through the air.
June 24, 2018
Bound to Her Blood Enemy by Tora Williams
Woo! Norman heiress Matilda is on the blog today in this gripping new read - See links below!!
Bound to Her Blood Enemy
Norman heiress, Matilda Comyn is desperate to escape her grasping guardian and reclaim her inheritance. After a lifetime of being let down by men, she wants to rule her lands on her own terms. She can���t escape without help and battles her mistrust when compelled to join forces with a Welsh spy.
Huw Ap Goronwy has a rival claim to Matilda���s castle and has sworn a blood oath against the Comyns. When his king rules they must marry, he struggles to reconcile his attraction with his need for revenge. But they must form a truce if they are to seize their castle.
Risking capture and death, they will only succeed if Matilda learns to trust, and Huw allows his love for Matilda to overcome his need for revenge.
Purchase Links
Amazon (UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D6FT4HH
Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6FT4HH
The Wild Rose Press Catalogue: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/5938-bound-to-her-blood-enemy-paperback.html
Author Bio ���
Tora lives in Shropshire in the United Kingdom. On childhood holidays her interest in history was fired by exploring castles in Wales and the Welsh borders, and she would make up stories about characters living there. When she started writing, it seemed only natural to turn to the settings that inspired her as a child. In her free time, when she can drag herself away from reading, she enjoys walking and cycling.
Social Media Links ��� Blog: http://www.torawilliams.uk/blog
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ToraWilliamsAuthor/
Twitter:
@ToraWilliams1
June 23, 2018
Guest Post Author of Just By Jenny Morton Potts
Today is a super day for Six Tinder Weeks as it is my first hosted guest post! The lucky author is Jenny Morton Potts and this blog tour was hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.
Please scroll down and read the post. Jenny has written a from the heart piece about how she might not write about people she knows - but she does write about real experiences.
What do we think?
Thriller - Just - looks super and WHAT A COVER!!
Just
How far would you go to save a life?
On golden Mediterranean sands, maverick doctor Scott Langbrook falls recklessly in love with his team leader, Fiyori Maziq. If only that was the extent of his falling, but Scott descends into the hellish clutches of someone much more sinister.
���Just��� is a story of love and loss, of terror and triumph. Set in idyllic Cambridge and on the shores of the Med and Cornwall, our characters fight for their very lives on land and at sea.
An unforgettable novel which goes to the heart of our catastrophic times, and seeks salvation.
Jenny Morton Potts on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jenny-Morton-Potts/e/B00OIYYVPY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1527096532&sr=1-1
Author Bio ��� Jenny is a novelist, screenplay writer, and playwright. After a series of ���proper jobs���, she realized she was living someone else���s life and escaped to Gascony to make g��tes. Knee deep in cement and pregnant, Jenny was happy. Then autism and a distracted spine surgeon wiped out the order. Returned to wonderful England, to write her socks off.
Jenny would like to see the Northern Lights but worries that���s the best bit and should be saved till last. Very happily, and gratefully, settled with the family. She tries not to take herself too seriously.
Social Media Links ��� http://www.jennymortonpotts.com/
https://twitter.com/jmortonpotts?lang=en
https://facebook.com/jennymortonpotts
https://www.goodreads.com/jennymortonpotts
Giveaway ��� Win 5 x e-copies of Just by Jenny Morton Potts (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions ���Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners��� information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Excuse me, but would you mind being in my novel?
I guess real people populate our novels pretty thoroughly. We might not think they do. We might think we are utter creative geniuses and that our genius comes purely from our wonderfully original brain, but I bet all our characters are Frankensteins; bits and pieces of many beings. Generally, I don���t worry about that at all. If that is happening as I write, it is well enough hidden from me, that I don���t recognise the person. I have only once written, with full knowledge and pleasure, of a real person and that was an ex boss of mine. The story was called The Wonderful World of Wankler (with a silent ���l���). And in my own defence, this was a fantasy short piece about women in sack cloth grinding in a mill, day and night; a story that had to be told. Except that I never attempted to publish it (and I have published a lot of short fiction). So I probably felt guilty.
In summary, I never knowingly write about a someone. In saying that, this very morning, I asked a top blogger who suffers from insomnia if she would be in my book��� But that���s in the future. So far, I���ve been a very good girl.
However, I very knowingly write about real events and places.
My childhood played a big part in my last book, Hiding. There is a scene where Rebecca, a young teenager, is with her grandfather when he dies. Much of what is written about their relationship is true of mine with my Gramps (to whom the book is dedicated): their love of the Jacobites and classical music, the manner in which she combs and plaits his hair when the rest of the family watch complex thrillers on tv on a Sunday evening.
The scene of Ralph Brown���s death in the book was very moving to write. My real Gramps was alone when he died and I wonder if I was trying to find a way to be with him, or closer. I don���t know. The writing came and felt strong. Mostly of course, and very particularly with a thriller, the plot is carefully calculated. But (in my books) sometimes a scene can come unplanned and I go with it. Then I let it percolate for a while before coming back with my cold detached eye and red pen. But with this death scene, I found it moved me each time and I left it; RIP.
There were many incidents in Hiding which relate to my mother. They were tremendous fun to write and she had a good laugh reading about them. She is a committed bridge player, like Julia in Hiding. I did indeed get syrup on my mother���s best playing cards when I was very small and tried to wash them up and then grill them dry. My mum did cut the eyes out of my panda toy and give them to a fox over the fireplace. Of course I have never forgiven her. It���s a wonder social services didn���t darken our door���
In my new thriller, Just, I recount a terrible scene which took place on the high seas in a yacht, the Morag Mhor. This is an event which actually happened to my family, though the parents are not my own (promise, Dad!). The English characters are from Grantchester, where I spend most of my Saturdays. My son has art then drama in Cambridge, so me and the dog hang out at Lord Byron���s Pool and walk on Trumpington Meadow. Each time I walk past the loveseat now, I think of my book and its characters, the young doctors Scott Langbrook and Fiyori Maziq. My goodness, I have put them through SO much! My characters are all real to me, living their lives, yet never ageing.
June 21, 2018
Review - One Summer Weekend by Juliet Archer
One summer weekend can change everything ���
Alicia Marlowe���s life as an executive coach is well under control ��� until she meets her new client, Jack Smith. Jack���s reputation precedes him and Alicia knows immediately that he spells trouble. Not least because he reminds her of someone else ��� a man who broke her heart and made her resolve never to lower her guard again.
Taking Jack on as a client is a risk, but one that Alicia decides to take for the good of her career. As long as she keeps him in his place, she might just make it through unscathed. But Jack has other ideas ��� including a ���business��� trip to the Lake District. One summer weekend with him is all it takes to put Alicia���s carefully organised world in a spin ���
Purchase from Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Summer-Weekend-Juliet-Archer-ebook/dp/B07CN62S1H/
Author Bio ���
Juliet Archer writes award-winning romantic comedy for Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction. She has been known to spend many happy hours matching irresistible heroes with their equally irresistible chocolate counterparts ��� watch out for the dark nutty ones!
Her debut novel, The Importance of Being Emma, won the Big Red Read Book of the Year 2011 Fiction Award and was shortlisted for the 2009 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance. Her second novel, Persuade Me, was shortlisted for the 2011 Festival of Romance Best Romantic Read Award.
Juliet���s third book, One Summer Weekend, is out in June 2018. You can also read her short stories: Incense & Insensibility in the Choc Lit Love Match anthology, and Love Rules in Choc Lit���s Kisses & Cupcakes anthology.
Juliet was born and bred in North-East England and now lives in Hertfordshire. She gives talks all over the UK and in the USA about the classic authors who inspire her work. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists��� Association, the Society of Authors and the Jane Austen Society. Her non-writing career has spanned IT, acquisitions analysis, copy editing, marketing and project management, providing plenty of first-hand research for her novels.
Twitter -
https://twitter.com/julietarcher
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/juliet.archer.77/
Giveaway ��� Win PB Copies of The Importance of Being Emma and Persuade Me (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions ���Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners��� information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
My Review - One Summer Weekend
by Juliet Archer
This is a sweet romance with a couple of hot bits. I liked Alicia, she grew as you read.
The Good
I like it when protagonists grow. At the start, I felt Alicia was strong but flawed. But how she turned up at the end - I enjoyed.
The Bad
I think Jack gave in too quickly at the end and would have liked more of a drama before the passion. The Troy bits were written well.
The Ugly.
Nope - this is a sweet novella. I love the length this is a great length for women who work and busy moms. It is snack fiction and a fix of romance on the beach, in bed or commuting.
4 Stars - I read this as part of a review
