Susan Buchanan's Blog, page 6

Day 3 of The Christmas Spirit blog tour - Miss Book Eater

Well, the week's passing quickly. I have to say with all these lovely reviews, I quite feel like reading The Christmas Spirit again, even though I wrote it!
Favourite quotes from today's review are:
'from the beginning it reminded me a little bit of Mary Poppins… and I love Mary Poppins!' AND

'The cakes deserve a special mention! I almost felt the need to start baking for days on end!! I was drooling everytime Natalie was baking a new Christmas cake! I desperately need some recipes'

To see all of Charlie (Miss Book Eater) 's review, click  here http://missbookeater.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/blog-tour-giveaway-review-the-christmas-spirit-susan-buchanan/
You also have another chance to enter the giveaway for The Dating Game on her blog.
Enjoy!
Sooz

Crooks on Books reviews The Christmas Spirit - Day 2 on The Christmas Spirit blog tour

Well, day 1 started off nicely and day 2 has continued very well. I seem to have made Dawn from Crooks on Books really think as she read. So glad I overturned her objections to some of the characters. They are a very mixed bag! Glad to see she enjoyed it - phew!

Favourite lines from me from her review are:

'This is a lovely Christmas read, that is positive and upbeat, that demonstrates how a friendly ear, welcoming home, good food, friendship and time can mellow and change peoples outlooks to life'
'A contemplative, perfect read for a Sunday afternoon that will raise your 'spirits' and leave you with a warm contented glow'

 Actually she wrote such a lovely, detailed review that there were so many comments I loved, but to see the rest you'll have to read it!
http://crooksonbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/the-christmas-spirit-susan-buchanan.html

Oh, and for those of you who haven't read it already, there's also the chance to win 2 e-copies of The Dating Game over on Dawn's blog.

Ciao for now
Sooz

AllThingsBookie book review blog reviews The Christmas Spirit

Yep, it's day 1 of The Christmas Spirit book tour and I'm delighted to say that Julie from AllThingsBookie loved it and gave it 5 stars - see her review here:
http://www.allthingsbookie.com/412298119

My favourite line from her review - 'Will stay with you long after you finish reading it'

Have a good week everyone!

Early festive chat on author E J Greenway's blog

Well, I know it's a bit early, but hey, I'm already driving my other half nuts, as I've already watched 3-4 Christmas films (it's good having a baby,  you can blame them!). So, I figured we'd have a wee chat about work, motherhood and Christmas with Emma, even though it's only mid November.
Enjoy the interview - she has added some lovely pictures to get us in the Christmas spirit!
http://emmajgray.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/blog-natter-slightly-early-festive.html

The Christmas Spirit on Kindle Countdown Deal 25 Oct-1st Nov, ONLY 99p/99 cents

Hi everyone
It's getting towards that time of year where I am trying to work out which of the many Christmas books I am going to manage to read this year. I've already downloaded quite a few. So, with that in mind, I thought I would offer my own Christmas book, The Christmas Spirit for 99p/99 cents for one week.


To remind you here's the blurb:

Christmas is coming, but not everyone is looking forward to it.
Rebecca has just been dumped and the prospect of spending the holiday period with her parents is less than appealing.
Eighty-two year old Stanley lost his beloved wife, Edie, to cancer. How will he cope with his first Christmas without her?
Jacob’s university degree hasn’t helped him get a job, and it looks like he’ll still be signing on come New Year.
Workaholic Meredith would rather spend December 25th at home alone with a ready meal and a DVD box set. Can anything make her embrace the spirit of the season?
The enigmatic Natalie Hope takes over the reins at the Sugar and Spice bakery and café in an attempt to spread some festive cheer and restore Christmas spirit, but will she succeed?

So, if that has whetted your appetite, you can buy the book here:
amzn.to/1pCkzwO   (UK) & http://amzn.to/1zlNv65  (US)

Happy reading!
Sooz

Power Play - E J Greenway's new novel - just out! But who would play the characters in the movie?

I have very little work to do here, as Emma has done it all, quite apart from writing a sensational book. She and I started talking because I met her on Twitter in 2012 when I noticed her book, Party Games, which I then read, loved and reviewed. Anyway, nuff chat - read on!

A huge thanks to Sooz for allowing me to invade her blog with my new novel, Power Play, and for letting me talk about one aspect of any novelist's private fantasy (no, not that, you naughty reader!) - who would play your main characters if your pride and joy manuscript somehow amazingly found itself in the hands of a Hollywood director.

 
'This is fascinating, incredible, just what my career has been screaming out for!' they would cry, immediately Skypeing (is that now a noun? I should ask my proofreader...) Channing Tatum and Anne Hathaway or That Famous Actor From Game of Thrones over lunch at The Ivy....
Ok, perhaps I've got a bit carried away here. My fantasy is a bit more BBC4, to be honest, as Power Play would only suit a US audience if it received a House of Cards-type make-over, so I'll leave that particular fantasy 'who's who' for another time.
 
The book: 
Power Play continues the theme of corrupting power and infighting at the heart of Party Games. As leader Rodney Richmond lies in a coma, his malevolent and ambitious deputy Colin Scott vows to force unquestioning loyalty to himself on a party which is at breaking point. Dubbed 'the Fuhrer' by Labour MPs, his core supporters - including a morally conflicted colleague and an obsessed, ruthless advisor - will do anything to get their man - and themselves - to the top. But there is a threat from within, one so determined they will resort to murder before they see Scott fail, and soon civil war erupts among Scott’s most senior lieutenants. While the true leader of the so-called 'resistance' remains unconscious, their female rising star emerges to challenge Scott's seemingly unbreakable and brutal authority. 
The politics is incidental - my novels are about people; slightly eccentric people, granted, but people existing in a high-pressure environment and their jealousies, grudges, love, friendships and ambitions. I always say that you don't watch Mad Men because you want to learn about advertising, it's for the human interaction, but in this case there is probably a bit more megalomania and perhaps even the odd murder... 
 The people: 
Anyway, now I've obviously got you hooked, I've got a fair number of characters in Power Play, some of whom aren't in Party Games, but below I've whittled them down to my top five, a mix of personalities which honestly don't reflect any real-life politicians (no, not at all), and who could play them in a TV series. 
 
Rodney Richmond
 
 
 
Aww, poor guy, I've been such a bitch to my hero. Stuck in a coma at the beginning following the fall-out (dramatic fall out, I may add) from Party Games, my party leader's languishing horizontally for quite some time. Pretty good-looking when not stuck in a coma, Rodders has always been Matthew Macfadyen. Sooz may not agree! But really Sooz if it gets him on TV for you again...!
 Colin Scott
 
 
 Rodney's mortal enemy, a man with an agenda, despotic tendencies and an explosive temper, I'd need a bloody good actor to do my acting leader the justice he deserves. Although he's clearly morphing into Hitler as the book progresses, destroying everyone and everything he touches, it's not any sort of caricature I'm after but the image I've had in my head all along. OK, I'm bringing in a Game of Thrones actor, but not because of GoT but because I've seen him act brilliantly in other things besides. Stephen Dillane is perfect, and although older than Colin, he has 'the look'.
  
Anthea Culverhouse
 

Rodney's unrequited love and one of his closest colleagues, it would be only natural for her to be played by Keeley Hawes, Macfadyen's real-life wife. Anthea's 38 (as is Hawes) and in the prime of her career, but Rodney's incapacitation tests her loyalty to its limit until she finds herself at the sharp end of Colin Scott's wrath. Her time will come, and soon. She is a brainy, shrewd superwoman, fantastic heels and with impeccable dress sense. I adore her.
 
Matthew Gaines
 

 
My favourite character. A complex yet decent man drawn into Colin Scott's world and warped. He just feels real to me in so many ways and for all his faults (there are many!) I have rather a crush on him. Can you have a crush on your own characters?! There's probably something deeply psychological there! Anyhoo...Matthew's the oldest of the bunch here (just pipping his wife) at 57, but he's a 'young' 57 physically (yes, with all his hair!) and I couldn't resist James Purefoy (who is 50) in the role. I think the photo above does Matthew no end of justice! Some minor ageing, the odd fleck of grey here and there to go with that brooding expression, and he would be perfect.
 
Sasha Gaines
 
  

Far more than just the politician's wife, Sasha Gaines is sophisticated and longing for the life she never had. As disillusionment with her marriage grows, Sasha's head is turned by Matthew's daring and attractive new colleague Marcus, while her suppressed ambition comes to the fore. There has always been one actor in my mind ever since I saw her playing Moira Queen in Arrow, another character forced to put her family before herself. The only actor from across the pond in my list, the wonderfully elegant Susanna Thompson is just the ticket.
 Marcus Cheeser

 

 
Ahh, Marcus. A rebel, a ladies' man (whore), gorgeous, vain, clever, cunning and daringly ambitious. He's Colin but with shed-loads of style and serious sex appeal. No wonder Sasha struggles to control herself. Marcus is the 'new boy', both as a character and in Parliament, so I need someone who will turn heads (just as much as Macfadyen will, yes Sooz, but he's laid up remember!). Who better than the dark, wavy-haired Ben Aldridge? Admittedly he needs to age 10 years, but what are makeup artists for? And there are some scenes in the book I'd pay more than the licence fee to see him in...
 
Well, that's about it. I could keep going (Jeremy, now he would HAVE to be played by Julian Rhind-Tutt...) but it is here I will stop and hand Sooz back her blog.


 
Thank you for allowing me here as your guest (and for the tea and Scottish shortbread), it's been a pleasure!
 
xxx Well, you can check out both books and keep in touch with Emma's progress via the following means:Power Play - http://amzn.to/1qfUFiKand if you somehow haven't read Party Games yet... http://amzn.to/1D5fLYYEmma is to be found at @emsie1979 on Twitter and on her blog http://emmajgray.blogspot.co.uk/

Cover Reveal of The Prophecies by Holly Martin

I don't often do cover reveals, but since I enjoyed Holly's previous books, I figured we'd have a go!
The Prophecies, Book 2 of The Sentinel Series by Holly Martin will be published on October 1st, a week today and here is the stunning cover.

 
And here's the blurb:
  The world is a big place, will Eve really be the one to save it? Eve grows stronger and more powerful every day as she strives to ensure she is ready to face her destiny. But some of her gifts are unwelcome.  Eve's visions of the future become darker and those she loves are in terrible danger. But when her actions result in tragedy, Eve is called before The Oraculum, the council that created her When she is summoned to their castle she becomes aware of a rift between the council members that not only could endanger her life, but could put the whole planet at risk. Would The Oraculum really turn against her and risk everything? But in the darkness, a light burns bright. Her love for Seth is stronger than any of her powers. But as she battles against a new threat, can she really forsake those closest to her in order to save the world?  Will everyone Eve loves survive? The Sentinel, Book 1 of the series is only 77p/99c so if you haven't read it yet you can download it here http://myBook.to/TheSentinel  
Sounds good, covers look great. Something else to add to my shopping list!
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The Dating Game on Romancing September Around The World blog tour

Happy Saturday! It's day 20 on the blog tour and today it's me! Here is the first of the two interviews - http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5CO
Enjoy!

Introducing Marcia Carrington's Mark's Passionate Heart

Good morning everyone
Today I'm hosting Marcia Carrington and her new novel, Mark's Passionate Heart. She has also treated us to a little extract, so read on!

Handsome Mark Allan is new in town, seeking change in his life as incidents from his past have made life in his former town unbearable. His seemingly charming, and relaxed manner hides a passionate heart, which seeks to experience love, and happiness, at any cost. Mark enters the lives of two beautiful women, each exposing a different side to him, but their lives will be changed forever, and things for them will never again be the same...

MARK'S PASSIONATE HEART is the first instalment in a two part series of romance novelettes.

 Mark Allan was walking along the esplanade, admiring the scenic sights, and those on the beach. It was a humid summer’s day, and he was wearing his shirt open, as he was really feeling the heat today. His attire was noticed by the many women walking by, both young and old. Some of the older women watched him in a guarded manner, while the younger ones gave him many a luscious glance. He laughed this off inside, but knew this was just people, and life itself. Mark continued on his way up the esplanade, and looked around at the array of food stands which were in existence, waiting for customers to spend their money on them.

There was a hot dog stand, with the attendant there quickly placing the sausage in the bread roll, and adding mustard, or ketchup. The silver metallic ice cream stand was by far the most popular, with people lined up, waiting to indulge their desires for rum and raisin, strawberry, orange, or the many other flavors on offer. There were several sets of tables and chairs where people sat and ate their ice creams, fanning their faces with the one hand, trying to escape the summer warmth. Mark observed these sights, and felt comfortable. He knew that moving here was the best thing he had done, and that life should be much better than it was until now.

Carissa Cain was in a desperate panic, running as fast as she could. She had the impression that a man was following her along the esplanade, and did not know what to do. Carissa looked around to see if there was a police officer in the vicinity, but could not see one. She believed that the man was closing in on her, even in such a public place, and knew she should not act rashly against her own interest. Carissa saw Mark standing on the esplanade, and to her at that time, he seemed to be a handsome, friendly man, who would be no threat to her.  That's all for now, folks.  You can buy Marcia's books and keep a track of her other fabulous novels via the following means:Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NKEFOEK

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NKEFOEK?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/476429

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5265460.Marcia_Carrington

Marcia's Book Talk: http://marciasbooktalk.wordpress.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/MarCarring

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marcarring/ I'll be back tomorrow with my Romancing September Across The World interviews. Hopefully you've discovered quite a few new authors via this fantastic blog tour run by Rosie and Stephanie.Sooz

Day 2 - Sonya Loveday

Day 2 of the Romancing September Across The World event with dual posts in the UK and US - today it's Sonya Loveday with The Summer I Fell
http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5C8

Enjoy! And don't forget to tune in to Stephanie's post with Sonya across the pond this afternoon