Lisa Worrall's Blog, page 4

UNDENIABLE IS FREE FOR 5 DAYS AT AMAZON!

Blurb: 

Little Mowbury is a sleepy English village deep in the Cotswolds. The kind of village where you’re only a local if your lineage can be traced back to the dinosaurs. Where you can find everything in the single village shop from morning newspapers to dry-cleaning, and getting your shoes mended. And, of course, where everybody knows everybody else’s business. It’s easy to find… you can’t miss it… just ask anyone and they’ll tell you… “It’s left at the crossroads.”


Oliver Bradford has had enough of the hustle and bustle of the A&E department in a big city hospital. Not to mention the tension caused by the break-up of his three year relationship with one of the hospital’s top surgeons. When his sister urges him to apply for the position of GP in the quiet village of Little Mowbury, he wonders if this might be just the fresh start he needs. Unfortunately, hitting the post-mistresses’ dog with his car isn’t the best introduction to his patients.

A solitary soul, Deano Wells grew up in Little Mowbury and has been having lunch at the Thatcher’s Arms on a Thursday for the last thirty-five years. First with his father, who brought him to the pub at the tender age of ten after a hard morning in the fields, and then by himself after his father passed on. He runs the farm with a practised hand and minds his business mostly, but that doesn’t stop Oliver from being drawn to the big, quiet man and he knows the feeling is mutual, so why does Deano keep pushing him away?

BUY LINK: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

REVIEW: COINS NOT ACCEPTED BY CHRIS QUINTON

Blurb:
"Bring me the contents of the security box from the bank, and make sure you're not followed." Miles Carter carries out his grandfather's instructions, and finds himself caught up in a dangerous tangle of family mysteries - and the unexpected return of Allan Warwick, his childhood friend. Add to that a parallel world and a plot to overthrow its government, both of which seem to involve his grandfather and Allan. Miles' life will be changed irrevocably, but only if he and Allan can stay together and survive the coup.

Excerpt:
He opened the message, and straightened in his chair. I have sent you a letter and two keys. Take all precautions to make sure you are not being watched, and do not trust strangers. Follow the instructions and email me when you have them. Bring the items to me, but secretly. Leave your car at the Blue Bowl Inn in West Harptree and walk to the house via the footpaths and bridleways. Make sure no one sees you, and keep out of sight of the road. Come in by the back door. I will explain all later. Miles hadn't seen his namesake in the flesh for twelve years, not since the monumental dispute between his parents and Miles Westerman. They'd left Westerley Court and East Harptree for the Norfolk coast the same day, and rented an apartment until they bought a house in the village of Hemsby. His mother had been adamant that the rift remain, and nothing he or his father said over the years persuaded her to soften her resolve. "Like father, like daughter," his father had muttered, "stubborn as Army mules," but the family remained estranged. She had been equally resolute in refusing to say what the issues were, and the echo of Cecelia Carter's normally soft-spoken voice cut into his memory: "There is nothing he can do or say that will change my mind. He is paranoid and delusional and I will not have my children involved in his madness. I don't care how rich he is, Miles Westerman is certifiably insane." An old guilt twinged Miles' conscience. Ever since they'd left Somerset, he had maintained a clandestine contact with the old man, who'd advised him to keep it that way even after Miles moved into his own place in Great Yarmouth. His grandfather also turned down every suggestion that they meet. They kept in touch by email and phonecalls, talking about nothing much in particular - the Harptree gossip and news, keeping Miles up to date with the village goings-on. Miles Senior studiously avoided all mention of what had caused the rift with Cecelia, and had shown no sign of paranoia or delusions that Miles could recall. Until now.

Review:
Wow - what just happened to me? The world building Chris Quinton does in this book is spellbinding. I was completely engrossed in the parallel world she'd created and wondered how the hell she came up with this stuff! Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Tense. Cerebral. Romantic. It was all in there and left you feeling completely satisfied at the end, but if there is a sequel, I'm right on it!

And I tell you something, I won't be able to look at a telephone box the same way again! Quick, go get your copy!

Buy link: Amazon

STEP BACK IN TIME SUNDAY!

It's still Sunday here... for another five minutes... so I have time to squeeze in this week's group.
I must confess that this has always been a favourite of mine - even more so since I walked down the aisle to it at my wedding eight weeks ago!

I hope you enjoy - I know it did quite well over the pond, too!

UN-EXPECTED IS FREE FOR 5 DAYS AT AMAZON!

Blurb:

Little Mowbury is a sleepy English village deep in the Cotswolds. The kind of village where you’re only a local if your lineage can be traced back to the dinosaurs. Where you can find everything in the single shop from morning newspapers to dry-cleaning, and getting your shoes mended. And, of course, where everybody knows everybody else’s business. It’s easy to find… you can’t miss it… just ask anyone and they’ll tell you… “It’s left at the crossroads.”
After being dumped on graduation day by the love of his life, Harry Boyd, Micah Lewis returned to the sleepy village he grew up in. Living next door to his mother wasn’t his best idea, granted, but when your heart was broken, there really was no place like home.

Six years later, secure and content in his job as midwife for a local birthing centre, the last person he expected to move into Lilac Cottage across the street from him was Harry Boyd. Seeing Harry again sends Micah into a tailspin and opens wounds he thought had long since healed. Although, Harry himself isn’t the only issue Micah has to face. That would be Harry’s very beautiful and verypregnant partner, Selena. But is everything as it seems?
Excerpt:
"When did the newbies get here?" Micah asked as Jenny took the cake out of its Tupperware container and slid it onto his grandmother's silver serving plate. He'd been working flat out this week. Angie, one of the other midwives was sunning herself on the beaches of Costa Rica and he'd been sharing her shifts with Tom and Lara. Ergo, he wouldn't have noticed if the removal company had driven over his foot and asked him to help them unload. "Moving van showed up yesterday afternoon," Jenny replied, turning on the tap to wash her hands. She grabbed the tea towel and dried them. "She said they were arriving tomorrow," she continued, "but I saw the agent airing the cottage out yesterday. He let slip they were coming a day early. You should have seen her chins wobbling when the old trout thought she'd got one up on me."Micah covered his yawn with his hand. The one-upmanship between his mother and Doris Abernathay had been going on for so long he couldn't even remember why it started. He wasn't entirely sure whether the two women knew either, but they steadfastly held onto it like two dogs fighting over a bone. "Perish the thought," he muttered under his breath as she shrugged into her cardigan and picked up the cake. "What was that?""Nothing, Mummy dearest," Micah replied quickly. "Come on, or we're going to miss the all important etiquette spot of ten-thirty. We don't want the neighbours to think we're uneducated 'cundry' folk do we?""You're not too big to put over my knee, Micah Lewis," Jenny threatened and slapped a hand to Micah's rear to prove her point. He laughed loudly at the thought of his five foot mother laying six foot of him over her tiny lap.After locking the front door, Micah tucked his keys into his pocket and fell into step beside Jenny on the short walk to Lilac Cottage. "Do we know their names yet?" he asked as he lifted the cast iron door knocker and let it go. The thud of iron on wood gave a satisfying thwack he heard echoing throughout the cottage."No," Jenny said, running an absent hand through her short blonde hair. "But the wife is pregnant."Micah opened his mouth to question how the hell his mother found out these things when the door opened to reveal a beautiful willowy brunette with cornflower blue eyes. The first thing Micah noticed was the hesitant, almost fearful light in the woman's gaze, pretty much the same as the pheasant's he'd encountered in the early hours of this morning. Definite dear in the headlights. But why? Who had she been expecting? By the time he'd finished his inner observations, his mother was already across the threshold and the two women were staring at him expectantly. "You'll have to excuse Micah." Jenny chuckled. "He was on a late shift last night and I confess I may have woken him earlier than he'd have liked."The woman smiled and her blue eyes came to life. "Poor you," she said. "I know what it's like to be sleep-deprived at the moment, so I feel for you. Please, come in, I'll put the kettle on. I'm Selena."Micah stepped inside and closed the door behind him, wiping his feet on the welcome mat in the hall. "How far along are you?" he asked, taking the tiny hand she held out to him in both of his and shaking it warmly. His trained eye said about eight months, give or take, and a slight frown creased his brow as he noticed the slight puffiness of her fingers and ankles. Selena raised an eyebrow at his question. "I'm a midwife at the birthing centre in Winbourne," he explained quickly."Oh, I see," Selena laughed, a light tinkling sound. "For a minute I thought you had a fetish for fat and puffy.""Technically, I do," Micah returned easily, immediately liking this woman. "But in a professional capacity, not a creepy one.""Please, have a seat," Selena said, guiding them into the lounge. "Excellent timing," she called out as they heard the front door open and close. "You can put the kettle on." She smiled at someone standing behind Micah. "This is Jenny and her son—""Micah?"The fine hair on the back of Micah's neck stood up and goose bumps immediately broke out on the smooth skin of his arms. He knew that voice. God, how he knew that voice. But why here of all places? What the hell is he doing here—didn't I run far enough? Swallowing against the sudden dryness of his mouth, Micah slowly turned and pain bloomed in his chest. It had been six years since the man standing before him had calmly walked out of Micah's life. Six years and now here he was. Acutely aware of the interested gazes of the two women, Micah squared his shoulders, and kept his tone as even as he could when confronted with the only man he'd ever loved—and his pregnant wife. "Hello, Harry."
BUY LINK: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

CAN THERE BE TOO MUCH SEX IN A STORY?

A friend and I were talking tonight and I know there are going to be very differing opinions, but I'm going to ask the question anyway....

Can there be too much sex in a story?

For me? I have to say yes.

When I first started reading MM fan fiction, the sex was different and titillating, I am more than willing to admit that. However, when I began to tiptoe around the genre and seek out different authors, I found that these writers were so talented and wove such stories with great plot lines, I wasn't that bothered by the sex scenes. Sometimes I even skimmed through them to get back to the story. That's not to say they aren't written well, or that I found them boring in any way; I was just so engrossed in the story I wanted to know what happened next!

There are, however, books I've read where the MCs seem to spend all their time in bed, doing naughty things to each other. And while the scenes are designed to titillate, I find myself wondering why no one has needed to pee, eat, or go to work. Then, of course, there is the sticky situation of not showering in between rounds of rampant sex (they must crackle when they get out of bed with all the dried bodily fluids floating around - not to mention the fact that they must have to chase the sheets round the room with a chair and a whip by the time they've finished). Then... there's the chaffing! By the time they're on their fifth or sixth sex scene in 48 hours, all I'm doing is wincing and wondering if there's enough lube in the world to soothe the bottom's poor little... well... bottom - and whether the top can walk!

So, what do you think?

THINGS PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT LOOKING FOR JESSE!

Martha Esposito: "I am not much on writing reviews but I will say I really enjoyed this book. Great job Lisa" 


LeeAnnP: "It seems as though I have been waiting forever for this book to come out. When the author first let us see a snippet I was hooked. The concept was both frightening in what happens and intriguing, since I couldn't wait to see how it all worked itself out. When I started reading this 5 hours ago, I kind of knew what to expect. But as the story unfolded and more and more was revealed I found my self speed reading. Hoping what I thought would happen could be right. One thing I did not see coming, but when it did, I thought it was perfect. So much going on in this story. So many secondary characters that I enjoyed getting to meet. I enjoyed every page, every sentence, every word! Cannot say enough good things about the main characters, what they went through and how they were at the end. Wonderfully written. Captured my attention straight off and by the time I was done, I had huge crushes on Nick and Ford as well as Jesse and Danny."


DiverseReader: "I first fell in love with Lisa Worrall with her Laurel Heights books. She brought such a depth to her mysteries that left you with that lingering haunted feeling. When I saw the synopsis for Looking for Jesse I knew she was taking us back to that feeling and I wasn’t wrong.

As a mother, reading books that involve children in a dark way affects me hard. I knew going in what I was dealing with but still you’re never really prepared, are you?

Jesse, as you can guess, is kidnapped when he goes to a Christmas village with his father. Pretty much every parent’s nightmare. And a year later he’s still missing. Yeah, I know… A whole year. The horrors he endures are beyond words. And my heart broke throughout this entire story.

It’s told through multiple POV’s. Nick, (the dad) Jesse, even the kidnapper! That was very interesting. And it was rough to read, each passing word but I was invested. I had to see Jesse get home. As I read on I realized it wasn’t just Jesse who needed to get home and then the race was on. Time was a huge factor in this story and I didn’t put the book down once. I couldn’t leave these characters in limbo.

Lisa Worrall writes suspense in a way that you feel it in your bones and it lingers like an unforgettable frostbite. You will not be able to stop until the end and even after that it will stay with you."


New England Girl: "I read this story in one sitting. I had to. I had to find out if Jesse would be found! If Danny would be found! What happened? How? Why? I had to know now!" 


BUY LINK: Amazon.com

REVIEW: AN UNEXPECTED TRUTH BY S.A. MEADE

Blurb:
A trust destroyed is a trust that is hard to recover…Brendan Matthews is happy training racehorses for a living. He thinks he’s hit the jackpot when a wealthy orthopedic surgeon, Adam Ahmadi, sends six yearlings his way. Not only are the horses a cut above the rest, their owner isn’t too shabby either.But not everything is as it seems. Adam has many secrets, most of them dark and deadly. When Adam’s past returns with a vengeance, he disappears, leaving Brendan confused and hurt.If Adam survives, will his past destroy their future?



Review:
This was a wonderfully written story that propelled me into the world of horse racing and the work that goes into getting a horse ready for the track.
The romance was smooth and sweet and the suspense had you asking questions about Adam's past, and giving you a satisfying pay off at the end.
Recommended whether you're a racing fan or not.

BUY LINK:  Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Pride Publishing

AUTHOR LINK: Facebook

THE COLLECTOR - WIP - UNEDITED SNIPPET

I am working on a new story called The Collector, hopefully available around Halloween.There is no cover yet, so I'm borrowing Mr Somerhalder, 'cause he's really pretty and, yes, there are vampires in the story. Here is a little snippet to tease the literary tastebuds. I hope you like it

CAN YOU REALLY JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER?

What attracts you to a book first? What is it that makes you stop and think, "Ooh, that looks good." I'm always fascinated by this question, because the answers can be so diverse.

Is it the author themselves?

Is it the title?

How about the cover?

What about the blurb?

Or do you ignore all of those and wait for the reviews?

For me, its a mixture of all of the above. There are authors who I would read their shopping lists if they released them. Sometimes a title leaps out at me. One that always sticks in my head is "Dude, Did You Just Bite Me?" And of course the cover is often what draws you in first. But, even though the cover draws me in, it doesn't always make me get my purse out. The blurb has to be one of, if not, the most important part for me. If my spidey senses aren't tingling when I read those few lines, it doesn't matter to me how great the cover is.

How about you? What tickles your fancy?

SUNDAY'S STEP BACK IN TIME!

On our five hour car journey home from Yorkshire today, the hubby put on Abba's greatest hits, so it was only appropriate that today's Step Back in Time should be an Abba song. This is one of my favourites!