Lucy Mitchell's Blog, page 21

5 Self-Care Secrets That Make Me a Better Writer @AbigailYardimci #amwriting

Have you been stuck at the literary coalface for sometime? Are you in need of writer self-care?

This fabulous guest post from author Abi Yardimci is for you.

If you’ve not checked out Abi’s books than I strongly suggest you do. Her books are funny, enchanting and carry several inspirational life lessons.

Over to you, Abi.

Five Self-Care Secrets That Make me a Better Writer . . .

Anyone who knows me will tell you that they have heard me bang on about the importance of self-care on many occasions.

It only took me forty-two years to reach the conclusion that without self-care we simply cannot be what we need to be in the world. Whether that’s a friend, a lover, a parent, a sibling, a dreamer, a go-getter, a tea-drinker, a Doritos-devourer or all of the above, without caring for ourselves even a teensy bit, none of those things will have much longevity.

(And let’s face it, who doesn’t want longevity when it comes to Doritos?)

I won’t bore you with the many, many self-care strategies I have developed over the years. There are too many of them to count now. And it’s different strokes for different folks, isn’t it? One person’s scented candle collection is another person’s hell on earth.

I’m not here to tell you how to spend your precious time but I would definitely promote the avid noticing of where one gets one’s thrills. If it makes you feel good then it could improve EVERYTHING if you make it a priority. No guilt. No excuses. Just do it.

And I’m living proof. It wasn’t until I started taking notice of what made my soul sing that I started doing what I’ve always secretly wanted to do: write.

So here are my top five self-care secrets that I know, from years of experimenting, make me a better writer (and a better person too):

1.) Reading
I’ve always loved a good yarn but after my English Literature A level five squillion years ago, I kind of forgot to make reading a regular thing. However, once I had kids and started reading with them (the absolute pinnacle of my social calendar was reading ‘Room On The Broom’ to two maniacal children), I was pleasantly pummelled by the memory of the value of reading.

These days I always have a book on the go. I am practically a walking book club and am constantly asking people I meet what they’re reading, why they’re reading it, how it made them feel and what they’re going to read next.

I guess it makes sense that reading of its own accord would make me a better writer. As I turn each page I’m unconsciously learning about style and syntax and story structure and characterisation. But more than that . . . with my self-care goggles on I am also a.) resting my body, b.) feeding my mind, c.) unfurling my imagination, d.) retreating away from the pressures of the outside world, e.) learning new stuff, f.) taking a break from social media, g.) ignoring the kids . . . well, I think you get the idea, yes?

2.) Yoga
I know, predictable, right? I’m not apologising though, as I honestly couldn’t list my self-care routines without mentioning yoga. And before you all imagine me manipulating my toned, peachy body into a headstand, please take a chill pill.

I am most definitely NOT in the yoga for the crazy postures and the washboard tummy (neither have yet occurred). I am in the yoga for the slow-down, the daily re-introduction to my breath, the switching-off of the mental barrage and the switching-on of the connection to my body (oh look! I actually have one).

I have a favourite You-Tuber who I follow avidly and she helps me find the humour and the humility of yoga. I take her cue to make it my own. I ignore all glossy-magazine-type images of how yoga should look, and instead celebrate the messy heap of limbs that I am. Finally away from the intense headspace of being a writer, through yoga I experience space and joy and peace and flow and length and strength and sometimes, just sometimes, I get the most kick-ass ideas for my books. Now if that’s not worth twenty minutes out of my day then I don’t know what is.

3.) Colour
As I write this, we are in Lockdown #3 here in the UK. Life has rarely seemed bleaker for so many people. We are told, no, lectured, from all angles about what we should and shouldn’t be doing for our mental and physical health (as well as everybody else’s). It is exhausting. The first time round, we were in the throes of spring and the balmier weather made everything seem more possible. Now we’re caught in the clutches of winter. Our mornings and evenings are drenched in inky blackness and our daytimes rarely struggle free from the grasp of ever-present grey. We’ve never needed colour more than we do right now.

And that, my dear friends, is why I like to experiment with ‘mental’ hair colours (my sons’ description, not mine), with vibrant nail varnishes, with clashing tones of loungewear. If my hair is flamingo pink when I glimpse myself in the bronzed reflection of the oven door as I cook fish fingers for the bazillionth time, then all feels better with the world. If my fingers nimbly flash blue and silver as I type this blog post, there’s more of a smile in my soul. If my friend gapes at the orange and purple slouchy spectacle she sees before her as she drops off some banana bread at my doorstep, then aren’t we all the better for it?

I had a writing lecturer at university who once berated me for using the word ‘colourful’ in a story I’d written. “What do you even mean by that?” He asked, clearly vexed. “You have to give us the colours, describe the colours, feel the colours.” Skip forwards a few years and one of my kids’ five-year-old friends gawped at my ocean-coloured hair and asked me why I made my hair that way. “For fun!” I happily replied.

And I meant it. Colour is fun. And colour evokes so many things, feelings and memories. I’m all for the colour.

4.) Connecting
Sometimes, for me, self-care is about being on my own and withdrawing into my own little sphere of comfort (cue all the books, yoga and hair-dyeing). But quite often, it is also about having a walk with a friend, sharing a pizza or giggling about mutual parenting incompetencies.

This one is currently hard on account of the Lockdown #3 I mentioned above. We’re all connecting in completely new and not entirely welcome ways at the moment. And we’re missing the silent, wild relief of a hug, the comforting rush from a tight hand-hold, the hearty and reassuring thud of a pat on the shoulder.

If there’s one thing I have noticed about my writing getting steadily better, it’s that the more connections I make, the more potential it has. There’s no way I could experiment with the rhythms of language, or multiple story perspectives or quite simply the dreams and motivations of my characters were I not able to spend time with actual people. Because it’s actual people that make a story happen, isn’t it? – people that write it, people that become it, people that enhance it, people that devour it and people that share it. Next time I feel like ignoring all the people in all the world I would do well to remember that.

5.) Not Writing
There’s something that often goes straight to the top of the self-care list. When I’m stuck or bored or frustrated or just plain knackered I have to admit one thing to myself . . . it’s time to stop writing. Just like you’d take breaks from any kind of work so that burn-out doesn’t occur, stopping writing is important.

I once took myself off on a self-made writing retreat. My kids were young and I was really pissed off that I had no time for writing so I announced to my husband that I had pilfered a cottage in Scotland for the weekend and I was taking the chocolate Hobnobs so that writing could take over my being. I had to write a tricky few chapters of my Life Is Yours trilogy and it certainly wasn’t going to get done in a house that favoured potty-training over clever metaphors.

Anyway, it didn’t go as planned. Because it turns out that isolating oneself in the remote wilderness of the Scottish borders, miles from any shop that might be able to replenish the chocolate Hobnobs, does not the best writer make. It was all just a bit too much.

So for my sanity, my social skills, my confidence and yes, for my writing, I know now that it is a good idea to step away from the laptop. It is very rare anyway, that I get genius story ideas whilst sitting in front of a screen. That’s the position I need to be in to tease them out and craft them, but not to witness them come forth. For that I might need to lose myself in a good book, a crappy attempt at warrior pose, a particularly intense application of flamingo hair dye or a heart-felt guffaw with a friend. Or maybe none of those. Therein lies the fun.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my top five self-care secrets. What are yours? Will you tell?

Thank you Lucy for inviting me to write for your blog. I’ve really enjoyed it and was delighted that you asked me. Let’s do it again soon!

Abigail’s first two novels, Life Is Yours and Destiny Is Yours, which are part of the #LifeIsYoursTrilogy are available NOW on Amazon.

You can also sign up to be on her Readers List AND bag yourself a FREE hidden prologue to the Life Is Yours Trilogy at http://www.abigailyardimci.com

Life Is Yours Links:

UK Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WHKCN1Q

#BookLaunch The Heart Stone @judithbarrow77

Today I am handing over my blog to the wonderful author of family sagas, Judith Barrow, so she can celebrate the launch of her new novel, The Heart Stone.

I am halfway through this fabulous book which is uplifting and packed full of emotion.

If you fancy a really good read – check this out.

Here’s the blurb:

When war takes Jessie’s love away, she must fight for her own survival

1914 – and everything changes for Jessie on a day trip to Blackpool. She realises her true feelings for her childhood friend, Arthur, then just as they are travelling home from this rare treat, war is declared.

Arthur lies about his age to join his Pals’ Regiment. Jessie’s widowed mother is so frightened of the future, she agrees to marry the vicious Amos Morgan, making Jessie’s home an unsafe place for her. Before he leaves, Arthur and Jessie admit their feelings and promise to wait for each other. Arthur gives Jessie a heart-shaped stone to remember him. But with Arthur far away, their love leaves Jessie with a secret that will see her thrown from her home and terribly abused when she can hide the truth no longer.

Faced with a desperate choice between love and safety, Jessie must fight for survival, whatever the cost.

Links:

My books link: http://bit.ly/2jXy28Z

The Heart Stone Link:https://bit.ly/3kOpZYO
Amazon.co.uk:

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2ZkHnvD

Paperback:https://amzn.to/3bSRq2C

#BookReview Only When It’s Love @ospringauthor #RomCom #Bookish

Oh, Olivia Spring, you made me laugh with your heroine Alex. She is hilarious and reminds me of myself when I was younger and on the dating scene. No self control and changes her mind after every inner pep talk.

I loved the idea of Alex following this dating self help book which banned all things intimate. After the first few chapters I was secretly thinking the wrong fictional character had been picked for this challenge. I had little confidence in Alex steering away from all things physical on dates even though I thought she was great.

Here’s the blurb:

Alex is tired of being single. After years of disastrous hook-ups and relationships that lead to the bedroom but nowhere else, Alex is convinced she’ll never find her Mr Right. Then her newly married friend Stacey recommends what worked for her: a self-help book that guarantees Alex will find true love in just seven steps. Sounds simple, right?

Except Alex soon discovers that each step is more difficult than the last, and one of the rules involves dating, but not sleeping with a guy for six months. Absolutely no intimate contact whatsoever. Zero. Nada. Rien. A big challenge for Alex, who has never been one to hold back from jumping straight into the sack, hoping it will help a man fall for her.

Will any guys be willing to wait? Will Alex find her Mr Right? And if she does, will she be strong enough to resist temptation and hold out for true love?

Join Alex on her roller coaster romantic journey as she tries to cope with the emotional and physical ups and downs of dating whilst following a lengthy list of rigid rules.

Only When It’s Love is a fun, feel-good, romantic comedy by British author Olivia Spring, about self-acceptance, determination, love and the challenge of finding the one.

The sequel, When’s The Wedding? will be published on 25th March 2021.

Here’s my review:

Very funny! I chuckled away to myself and devoured this book. If you need a laugh – read this.

Alex is a great character, relatable and lacks self control. She was so likeable and combined with Olivia Spring’s humour she’s hilarious.

You will have to read it to find out what happens about Alex’s challenge.

This book is very entertaining and contains generous spoonfuls of both romance and comedy.

A guaranteed laugh out loud read.

Purchase Link
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2AOLJ2A

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2VYs1u6
Author Bio –
Olivia Spring is a British, London-based writer of contemporary women’s fiction, sexy chick lit and romantic comedy. Her uplifting debut novel The Middle-Aged Virgin, which was released in July 2018, deals with being newly single in your thirties and beyond, dating, relationships, love, sex and living life to the full.
In addition to The Middle-Aged Virgin, Olivia has published four novels: The Middle-Aged Virgin in Italy, Love Offline, Losing My Inhibitions and Only When It’s Love. When’s The Wedding?, the hotly anticipated sequel to Only When It’s Love and Olivia’s sixth novel, will be published in March 2021.

When she’s not writing, Olivia can be found travelling to Italy to indulge in pasta, pizza and gelato and of course, seeking inspiration for her next book!

Social Media Links –
Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @ospringauthor

OnlyWhenItsLove

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/olivia-spring

How To Fall Back In Love With Your Writing #AmWriting ❤️

When you commit to writing seriously it can be likened to starting a new relationship. Like all relationships this one, with your writing, will go through many emotional highs and lows. There will be times when your writing will light you inside, fill your body with tingles and make you have a strong urge to throw open your windows and burst into song for the whole neighbourhood to hear.

Sadly there will be other times when you will have to physically turn away from your writing, or be led away from it by a loved one. They will think you need to go lie down in a darkened room as they will sense your purple face means you are close to doing something you will later regret (like hovering over the delete button with a wicked grin on your face).

So, how does one fall back in love with their writing and return to those heady days of whispering sweet nothings at a laptop screen and letting their neighbours hear their own special dawn chorus?

Here’s my top tips for falling in love again with your writing:

Change your inner script. This is a biggie for me. Change the way you speak about your writing in your head. If you constantly tell yourself you don’t like what you are writing I guarantee you will write more of the same. If you start telling yourself you have faith in your writing and you will soon see something you can start to work with I guarantee things will change. This is magic for me. It also works well with Writer’s Block. If you tell yourself you are blocked then you will carry on feeling blocked. Change your inner script and let the magic begin. Remind yourself of when times were great. Go back and read something you were really proud of writing. Dig out any positive feedback you got and read that too. Read as much as you can; comments, reviews and good feedback. Listen to your writing heart. When I mean listen I mean spend some serious time listening to what your writing heart is telling you. It’s easy to get carried away with ideas and emotions when writing and ignore our writing heart. When I fall out with my writing there is always a reason and it’s always because my writing heart is trying to tell me something. Either I have gone down the wrong track with a story or I am missing something. Clean out your head. You and your writing spend an unhealthy amount of time together in your head. Sometimes you need to have a clear out up there and shake things up a bit. Unplug from all forms of social media, change your music playlist, indulge in self-care and throw yourself into the arms of a good book. You want one of those books which inspire you to pick up the pen and write. Even though I am a romance writer I have a passion for fantasy books and they always give me that burning desire to write. Fill your head up with good stuff. Write down dreams and daydreams (if you can remember them). This is another biggie for me. The answers to a lot of my writing problems are buried within my dreams and daydreams. Even I can only remember fragments I still write them down. Follow what your mind is leading you to. Visualise yourself LOVING your writing. Think about what you look like when you are enjoying your writing. So, I will have a goofy smile across my face, I will be murmuring and humming, my eyes will be wide and there will be a pink flush taking over my face. Take that image of yourself and stick it at the front of your mind. Keep focusing on it. I have learnt that what I focus on turns up inside my life. If you go around visualising yourself slumped over your desk cursing every word than guess what? That’s going to happen to you.

If all the above fails go to my plan B:

Stick on some Luther Vandross, turn the lighting down low, slip on some thing fabulous – outfit wise, stick a rose between your teeth and invite your laptop for a slow and romantic dance. Twirl around the living room gazing longingly at your laptop and then take to the sofa where you work your way through a box of delicious chocolates whilst whispering how hot your latest draft looks on screen (ignore the typos or rubbish bits – no one is perfect in a relationship). Another guaranteed winner which will have you throwing open your window and bursting into song the morning after – *sigh*

#BookReview Take a Chance on me #Romcom

I am a big fan of all reality tv programmes where dates and in some cases, weddings, are arranged before the couple have even laid eyes on each other. My favourites are First Dates and Married At First Sight. So I was eager to read this book by Beth Moran.

Here’s the blurb:

Meet Patrick Cooper – desperately down on his luck, and head-over-heels in unrequited love with his best friend Bridget.

Meet Bridget’s sister, Emma Donovan – eternally single maker-of-cakes for many a happy couple, whilst never making it down the aisle herself.

Emma has four younger sisters, all of whom are married or getting married, and an Italian mother who can’t understand what is ‘wrong’ with her eldest daughter, who seems to be stranded on the shelf. Despairing of her own ability to find a suitable husband, Emma agrees to be part of a compatibility project to get married at first sight.

Meanwhile Cooper is struggling to get over his crush on Bridget and seems destined to stay firmly on the shelf too. Perhaps it’s time his fate was taken out of his hands…

Is happily-ever-after just about daring to take a chance, or do you need some extra magic to make love last?

Join Beth Moran, Cooper and the Donovan sisters on this life-affirming and uplifting tale of love, family, friendship, and risking it all for happiness.

Here’s my review:

I liked Beth Moran’s humour in this book. This was the first time I have read one of her books and I think I will read more of her.

As Emma’s four sisters are all either married or approaching marriage she is keen to find herself a husband. So she signs up for the Compatibility Project and agrees to get married at first sight.

The story is narrated by both Emma and Patrick Cooper – the man she marries.

Things don’t run smoothly for Cooper as even though he has signed up for this project he is wrestling with a secret crush on his best friend, Emma’s sister, Bridget.

So Emma and Cooper decide to go for it and take a chance on their happiness even though emotionally things don’t feel right.

If you like books with large casts and mini subplots than this is for you. I think this book has created its own new genre – a romantic comedy saga. The story is focused on Emma’s tight knit Irish Italian family – The Donovan’s (includes 5 sisters, their partners and the Italian parents). You will never get a dull moment with the Donovans.

This is a funny book with lots of warmth and humour. For me the best parts were when Emma and Patrick were adjusting to being a married couple while coming to terms with what they had agreed to. I loved Beth Moran’s characterisation as they all seemed to step off the page. I also liked the friendship Emma and Cooper forged.

I won’t give away what happens but finding love is never straightforward. I will also say I loved the unpredictability of this story. It was more realistic and true to life.

Purchase Link – amzn.to/35peamI

Author Bio – Beth Moran is the author of four novels, including the bestselling Christmas Every Day. She regularly features on BBC Radio Nottingham and is a trustee of the national women’s network Free Range Chicks. She lives on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest.

Social Media Links –
Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/BethMoranNewsletter
Twitter @ https://twitter.com/bethcmoran
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bethmoranauthor/
Website https://bethmoranauthor.com/

#BookReview This Changes Everything #TuesdayBookBlog @knackeredmutha

This book has not left me alone all weekend. It’s one of those books which shouts out to you the second you walk away from it and makes you question yourself – should you put another load in the washing machine or should you read another chapter?

I would also like to say that this book gave me a knowing smile. Let me explain. I have family members and a few friends in the 70+ age bracket. I don’t know what it is about the people I know in their 70s but they are living their best life taking up new exciting hobbies, following life dreams, rewriting parts of their lives, reclaiming lost bits of their life and I say this in the nicest way because they are all fab, but they are also shocking the hell out of the rest of us with their wild decisions. Especially those of us in the forties bracket who are staring in bewilderment at them. So when I started reading this book and Julia (Annie and Jess’s mum) flies to Rome to meet up with her first love (who she hasn’t seen for fifty years) on the spur of a moment I had to check out her age. When I read Julia was in her seventies I sighed and whispered to myself, ‘Yep – she’s in that wild age bracket!’

Seriously this is a good book. Check out my review below.

Here’s the blurb

Should first love be left in the past, or is first love, forever love…

Sisters Annie and Jess are used to their mother Julia being spontaneous. But when Julia announces she’s flying off to Rome to meet her first love Patrick, whom she hasn’t seen for fifty years, it’s an adventure too far. So, her daughters decide the only way to keep Julia safe, is to go too – without actually telling their mother she has chaperones!

Julia and Patrick’s love story was everything – epic, once-in-a-lifetime, with a tragic ending and life-long consequences. First love is hard to forget, but sometimes, just sometimes, life delivers a chance to rewrite your story.

As the eternal city of Rome works its magic, old secrets, old friends and old loves become new possibilities and new dreams. And when the four travellers return home, nothing will ever be the same again.

Join Helen McGinn for a timeless, joyous, unforgettable journey through love, family, and long-forgotten dreams. A novel to hold to your heart and treasure, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Noble, Cathy Kelly and JoJo Moyes.

Here’s my review:

Great premise and engaging story line. The idea of the two daughters going to spy on their mother initially and chaperone her was fun. It felt like a good role reversal because all I want to do now is spy on my teenage daughters but in later years (when I am in my hell raising seventies) they will be spying on me.

Julia and Patrick were my favourite characters. Oh my goodness they tugged at my heartstrings. They’d spent such a long time apart but their connection was still so strong. The author did a great job at bringing their connection to life and giving me all the tingles. I totally got why they had been separated for so long but also why they hadn’t stopped loving each other. One of my favourite quotes was this:

‘People who are important to you, and you to them, remain so no matter where you end up or who you end up with.’

I also thought the author did a great job in giving the book that lovely family feel. This author writes parenting life with children very well.

As I said at the start of my post, this book captures the liberating life decisions you can start making once you are in your seventies.

There’s an emotional twist which I am not going to tell you about as I don’t want to live up to my nickname – Lucy Loose Lips.

A good read and difficult to put down

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3eR441O

Author Bio – Helen McGinn is a much-loved wine expert on TV and in print and an international wine judge. She spent ten years as a supermarket buyer sourcing wines around the world before setting up her award-winning blog (and best-selling wine book) The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club. She is the drinks writer for the Daily Mail and regularly appears on TV’s Saturday Kitchen and This Morning. Helen lives in the New Forest and Boldwood are publishing her debut women’s fiction title in Spring 2021.

5 Tips For Writing Comedy @AnnaBell_Writes #AmWriting #Romcom

I am super excited because the author of heart-warming and funny romantic comedies Anna Bell has come to take over my blog today. She’s going to share with us her tips on writing comedy and I am hoping she will also tell us about her book which I can’t wait to read as it sounds fab.

Please give a warm welcome to Anna Bell:

Hello everyone,

Here are my top 5 tips for writing comedy:

1 – Belief
One of the hardest things about writing comedy is believing in yourself. Jokes are subjective, and they’re also personal. Sometimes writing comedy and exposing what you think is funny can make you feel vulnerable. But chances are if you find it funny then someone else will too. I don’t think there is anything nicer, both in real life or in your writing, than making someone laugh.

2– First Drafts don’t have to be funny
It’s very easy to get hung-up on making everything you write sound witty, but you have to remember that your readers are there just as much for the story as they are for the laughs. It’s almost easier to add humour on the next draft when you can spot if you’ve got clusters or deserts of funny scenes. On the second draft, when you know your characters better, you’re more likely to understand what pushes their buttons and how they’d react in any situation, making it easier for you to imagine the humorous situations they could find themselves in.

3– There is a fine line between funny and cringey
This is one of the hardest things to get right when writing comedy. It’s also a line that changes from reader to reader too. One person’s threshold for rolling on the floor in hysterics is another’s basis for a one-star review. One of the ways to avoid it being too cringey is to try and build reader empathy with the character, so that if the reader cringes, they cringe with the character, not at him or her.

4 – Make scenarios relatable
Watching stand-up comedians with live audiences is a great way to see what people find funny. Quite often it’s the most mundane things that people find the funniest, the jokes about extended family or ordinary situations that everyone finds themselves in. It’s often easier to relate to humour if you can imagine it could happen to you. It’s worth remembering this when writing. Scenes that are too over the top or unbelievable can seem like they’re trying too hard to get laughs.

5 – Outside the Room
Watching sit-coms can also help you learn how to write comedy. Shows like Frasier give excellent lessons in comic timing and build-up. There is nearly always a final big comedic scene that the whole episode builds up to, but to get the laughs you need to understand what has driven each character to react in the particular way they do. When you are writing a big scene with an ensemble cast, it’s worth bearing that in mind. What has happened to each of your characters prior to this scene? What is their mood? What has led them to the point they’re at? If the audience are in on the joke and understand why the character is reacting in the way they are, it makes it funnier. But you don’t always have to signpost the events that happen outside the room either. If you’ve got a big ensemble scene having someone other than the main characters arrive in the aftermath of an argument, or guarding a secret, can add to the humour and tension too. Usually that storyline would play alongside the big main event that’s happening to the protagonist, and the poor protagonist is left trying to put out fires from all sides, ramping up the humour.

Follow Anna on Twitter: AnnaBell_writes Instagram: anna_bell_writes
Anna’s latest novel is The Man I Didn’t Marry and it’s out now.

Ellie has the perfect life: a happy marriage, a gorgeous daughter and a baby on the way. But when her husband Max develops amnesia, he forgets everything about the last five years . . . including their relationship.
Now the man she said ‘I do’ to has become a stranger, and she has no idea why. Yet Ellie is determined to reconnect and find her Max again – he has to be in there somewhere, right?

As they get to know one another afresh, Ellie finds herself seeing Max clearly for the first time. But then she discovers that before his memory loss, Max was keeping a huge secret from her. Will their new beginning prove to be a false start, just as it seemed they might fall in love all over again?

Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Didnt-Marry-heart-warming-hilarious-ebook/dp/B086VWRWZY

#BookReview What Now @sharilow @BoldwoodBooks

Warning. This book will have you giggling from the first page. It will also have you typing ‘new playlist’ into your music app on your phone as each chapter has a reference to a great song.

If you fancy giggling a lot and making a ‘Shari Low book’ playlist after reading it please put this on your TBR.

Here’s the blurb:

The follow-up sequel to the bestselling ‘What If?’ from Shari Low

Twenty years ago, Carly Cooper went on an epic quest to track down all the men she’d ever loved and lost in the hope that one of them was her Mr Right.

Now, two decades and two teenage sons later, she thinks she might have got it all wrong.

As the years have passed, lots of things have changed, leaving Carly asking ‘What Now?’

With a divorce and an empty nest on the horizon, Carly sets off once more to Los Angeles with her band of trusty girlfriends, to find the carefree, wild and adventurous Carly Cooper that she used to be.

On this latest quest, Carly discovers a few home truths and has to decide If her marriage is worth saving or is there a new happy-ever-after out there, just waiting for her…

Here’s my review

I write romantic comedy and I take my hat off to those in the trade who do it really well. Shari Low is one of these. She takes aspects of life and cleverly turns them into giggle fests. She is my new author heroine.

What can I say about this fabulous book – funny, uplifting and memorable. It also comes with my favourite piece of new life advice:

‘Sometimes in life, you’ve just got to close your eyes and jump in. And it’s time for me to make a fuck-off big splash.’

This book is a sequel but I read it as a stand-alone and I loved it. Shari Low does a wonderful job of bringing her reader up to speed.

I loved the premise – what if your happily ever after doesn’t last forever?

Carly is a great character, relatable, a good laugh and someone you would want dancing in your circle of friends on a night out. There was a Sex in the City vibe to this book with Carly and her friends which was great. As a mother of teenagers (daughters not sons) I welcomed the teenage mother side to Carly.

Carly’s journey of self discovery and the soul searching she did about Mark was heartfelt and full of emotional highs and lows.

The ending was good but I can’t tell you what happens.

I loved this book and I am hot footing it over to my online book store to get the first book in this series which is all about the Carly in 1999 on her quest to find love

Purchase Link – https://buff.ly/2JG8U69
Author Bio –

Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 25 novels, including One Day In Summer and My One Month Marriage and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.

Social Media Links –
Newsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/ShariLowNewsletter
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sharilowbooks/
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The Signs Your Draft Novel is Trying To Communicate With You #AmWriting #MondayBlogs

To the writer their draft novel is a living thing. It communicates with them regularly, even when they are trying to avoid it. A draft novel senses when the writer is ready to write and it knows when the writer is actively trying to avoid it.

Once you start delving into this strange phenomenon of unspoken communication you will see why a writer’s life is so exhausting.

With so much unspoken communication going on between the writer and their draft novel it’s a wonder the writer has the energy to communicate with fellow humans, let alone write a bestseller.

Here are the signs your draft novel is trying to communicate with you:

The Nudge. The writer receives what can only be described as a mental nudge from their draft novel. It normally occurs when the writer is being lazy and the draft novel is getting fed up of waiting around or being second best to a Netflix series. I would like to point out that the nudge can be administered when the writer and their draft novel are physically apart. I have been nudged in business meetings, in the supermarket confectionary aisle and in church.

The Alarm Bell. The write receives a warning signal, in their head, from their draft novel to alert them about a potential problem. It could be plot related, connected to a character or quality of writing in the first chapter. Again the writer and their draft novel can be physically apart for this to occur. Plus the writer doesn’t even have to be conscious as some draft novels will send their writer an alarm bell message whilst they are sleeping.

The Itch. This is where the writer receives what can only be described as an itch to write. The draft novel is responsible for giving the writer the itch. Some writers get an itch on a regular basis and some of us can go weeks, even months, without an itch. When it finally happens we are somewhat relieved.

The Brain Takeover. This is when the draft novel takes over the writer’s brain which means the writer cannot think about anything else. It normally occurs on first drafts and on subsequent drafts when you are close to finishing.

The Sacrificial Lamb. This mental signal lets the writer know their draft novel is ready to be sacrified for something better. It normally occurs at the start of a second or third draft but for some poor writers it can happen in the middle of drafts. The writer will give a solemn nod and whisper, “I’m sorry,” before gritting their teeth and deleting, rewriting and cutting up their beloved draft novel.

The Phoenix. This mental signal occurs when the writer’s draft novel has been shelved, binned or forgotten about for some time. The draft novel will contact the writer (could be any time, day or night) and rise like a phoenix from the flames inside their mind. Shortly after this the writer will be seen making a mad dash through the house to their writing desk, to read the old story they ditched a few months ago, which now feels like the next big literary thing.

The Flirt. This is where the writer’s draft novel flirts with the writer. It will send out flirty signals and will do its best to lure the writer away from a dull family gathering or large pile of ironing. Damn it – draft novels can be so attractive at times!

The Changeling. This is where the draft novel signals to the writer that they are turning or have turned into something else. The writer might have started out with plans for their draft novel to be a sugary romance but half way through realised they have the makings of a good crime story (because one of their characters took a relationship break up badly). I have recently experienced this situation. My draft romance novel signalled to me it wasn’t the same story I had started out with.

The Mischievous Tease. A draft novel can tease a writer. It can send them flirty ‘write me’ signals and when the poor writer turns up the urge to write disappears. All the draft novel needs is a few naughty fictional characters and it can make the writer’s life a misery. I have also experienced this. How the hell the successful authors deal with one of these situations I don’t know!

The Bestseller Wink. This can be likened to a cheeky wink. The draft novel and writer will exchange something unspoken and special. It will result in the writer beaming and the draft novel shuffling with pride.

Your draft novel is waiting for you. Go write.

#BookReview Love and Ohana Drama @mpbaldwinauthor #romance

Fancy a funny and delightful read which will whisk you off to Hawaii? I have just the book for you!

Reading this book brought the smile back on my face after a week of lockdown chaos. At the moment I am craving feel good and entertaining books like this one.

Here’s the blurb:

Love and Ohana Drama is a romantic comedy that explores the challenges of family dynamics and reminds readers that there is always hope for a second chance. Sometimes the most challenging situations bring the most happiness . . .

Twenty-something Cora Fletcher is a book-loving public relations executive who lives with her overly Zen best friend and attention-loving cat. Newly single and focusing on her exciting career, she feels like she’s in a good place. She’s even been invited on an all-expenses-paid Hawaiian vacation! The only catch—it’s a family reunion . . . and her family can be a lot to handle.

Cora vows to not let that get in the way, but even before the family has boarded the plane, the ohana drama begins. As usual, there’s the sister-in-law who is bent on causing friction, the self-centered cousins, and the aunt who loves to party a bit too much. Her mother has filled the itinerary with endless activities, and she’s even invited Cora’s ex-boyfriend in an attempt to get them back together.

Although she feels overwhelmed, Cora gets a blast from her past that could impact her life forever. This is one welcome reunion she did not expect . . .

Will Cora make it through a week of family togetherness? And will she be able to say aloha to someone she thought was out of her life forever?

Here’s my review:

I love romantic comedies which feature families and different generations. There’s so much laughter to be had with dysfunctional families and relatives who think they know best. One of the standouts of this funny book was the way it explored family life. Cora’s family was great and they gave all the ingredients for a funny set up; the drunk relatives, the interfering relatives and the loveable cousins.

Did you know ohana’ is the Hawaiian term for family? I thought this was a great addition to the title.

I loved the character of Cora. She was well written and I totally related to her family stress. To add to her troubles she also has to deal with her ex who she split up with and her all time childhood crush who is single & ready to mingle!

I have never been to Hawaii and after reading this book I really want to now. The location descriptions were great.

This book is the perfect escapist read for a gloomy January UK lockdown!

Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07YQDMSRC
US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YQDMSRC

Author Bio –
Melissa Baldwin is a planner-obsessed Disney fan who still watches Beverly Hills 90210 reruns and General Hospital.

She’s a wife, mother, and journal keeper, who finally decided to write the book she talked about for years. She took her dream to the next level, and is now an award-winning, bestselling author of nineteen Romantic Comedy and Cozy Mystery novels and novellas. Melissa writes about charming, ambitious, and real women, and she considers these leading ladies to be part of her tribe.

When she isn’t deep in the writing zone, this multitasking master organizer keeps busy by spending time with her family, chauffeuring her daughter, traveling, attempting yoga poses, and going on rides at Disney World.

Social Media Links –
Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Baldwin/e/B012M1S100?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1579551179&sr=8-1
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/authormelissabaldwin/
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/mbaldwinauthor/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/mpbaldwinauthor