Susan Buchanan's Blog, page 9
March 10, 2014
2nd birthday for Sign of the Times
Morning everyone
Hope you are all having a wonderful start to the week. Just to let you know that as Sign of the Times turns two this week, I've put it on a Kindle Countdown deal at 99p/$.99
So if you fancy what you see below from the blurb, you can snap it up via the buy links at the end of the post. Enjoy!
Twelve people. Twelve star signs.
Sagittarius - Holly, a travel writer, visits Tuscany to research her next book. Seeking help when her car breaks down, she gets more than assistance when Dario, a vineyard owner, puts temptation in her path. Disappearing without explanation, he proves elusive. Bruised, Holly tries to put it behind her until a chance encounter brings her feelings to the surface again.
Capricorn – Holly’s fiancé, Tom misses her while she is in Italy and turns to an internet chat room for solace. His construction business is under threat, but could foul play be at work?
Gemini - Holly’s sister, Lucy, a serial man-eater finally meets her match, which puts her long-term relationship and career in jeopardy. Cheating she discovers, can have devastating consequences.
Libra - Holly’s uncle Jack, an eminent prosecutor, juggles a difficult teenage son with his high profile career and finds himself lacking. When his son’s school work starts slipping, he decides he needs to take control, but it’s not long before the balls all come tumbling down and Jack finds his family on the wrong side of the law.
One event binds them all…
Available via Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/GKqZGd and Amazon US - http://amzn.to/IYN0Fc
Hope you are all having a wonderful start to the week. Just to let you know that as Sign of the Times turns two this week, I've put it on a Kindle Countdown deal at 99p/$.99
So if you fancy what you see below from the blurb, you can snap it up via the buy links at the end of the post. Enjoy!
Twelve people. Twelve star signs.
Sagittarius - Holly, a travel writer, visits Tuscany to research her next book. Seeking help when her car breaks down, she gets more than assistance when Dario, a vineyard owner, puts temptation in her path. Disappearing without explanation, he proves elusive. Bruised, Holly tries to put it behind her until a chance encounter brings her feelings to the surface again.
Capricorn – Holly’s fiancé, Tom misses her while she is in Italy and turns to an internet chat room for solace. His construction business is under threat, but could foul play be at work?
Gemini - Holly’s sister, Lucy, a serial man-eater finally meets her match, which puts her long-term relationship and career in jeopardy. Cheating she discovers, can have devastating consequences.
Libra - Holly’s uncle Jack, an eminent prosecutor, juggles a difficult teenage son with his high profile career and finds himself lacking. When his son’s school work starts slipping, he decides he needs to take control, but it’s not long before the balls all come tumbling down and Jack finds his family on the wrong side of the law.
One event binds them all…
Available via Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/GKqZGd and Amazon US - http://amzn.to/IYN0Fc
March 7, 2014
Interview with author Laura Barnard
Yep it's Friday - and what a quick week it has been, so I though we'd finish the working week (although it doesn't end for me) with a chat with a woman whose books I'm told are 'laugh out loud' funny.
And her new book, The Baby & The Bride, launched just the other day and is already taking the charts by storm.
But first I posed a few questions to the woman herself:-
This is your second book I believe and it’s a follow-up to the first. Can it be read as a stand-alone or do you need to have read the first book to make sense of it all?It can definitely be read as a stand-alone. A few reviewers hadn’t read the first and commented that it's still so easy to follow and relate to the characters.
The Baby & The Bride title seems pretty self-explanatory, but what can you tell us about the title of the first book, to which this is a sequel, The Debt & the Doormat? It’s very unusual! And also FREE on Amazon for those who want to pick it up...It's basically the reason the two main characters Poppy and Jazz decide to swap lives. Jazz is in debt and Poppy has become a boring doormat, letting people walk all over her. The plan is for Poppy to have Jazz’s debt paid off and Jazz plans to force Poppy back out into the world and out of her shell.
Are there ideas flitting about in your head for future novels and if so, will they be in the same vein as the first two?Yes, I’m already working on my next stand-alone novel. I think I’ll always stick with romantic comedy as it's close to my heart.
Where are you from, do you work apart from writing and what do you like best about both (if applicable!)I was born in Greenford, but we quickly moved to Watford, Hertfordshire when I was two. I now live in a village on the outskirts of St Albans. I don’t work during the day as I look after my one year old daughter, but I was working full time as a PA when I wrote most of The Debt & the Doormat. Ironically I find it more exhausting looking after a child! She goes to bed at around 7pm and then I’ll stay up writing to the early hours.
Favourite character in your books?I think it's pretty obvious that I’m actually in love with Ryan! He’s just so dreamy. Although I’d say I can relate to all of the characters in some way. I like to think of each and every characters motivations and sometimes even the bitch of the book doesn’t mean it. I explore Poppy’s Mum Meryl a bit more in the book and love how it's turned out.
Who should we look out for in your books, whether sexy, uber-bitch or boy/girl next door?Ryan and Ollie are the book boyfriends to look out for. There are two new uber-bitches in this book but I can't tell you their names or who they are as it ruins the surprise in the story!
If you could invite six people to dinner (they can be living or dead - for the sake of the dinner party, if dead, we’ve resurrected them for the night!) who would they be?Jennifer Laurence– I love her and she’d have some hilarious dinner conversations. I imagine wetting myself laughing and going streaking with her after a lot of wine. I’d get her to tell me all about kissing Bradley Cooper (and try to get his number). I’d also get her to show me how to shoot a bow and arrow like Katniss from The Hunger Games. Patrick Swayze – I love him! Dirty Dancing is my all-time favourite film. I’d get him to teach me all of the dances and tell me what it was really like to film.Lindsay Kelk – My favourite chick-lit author. I’d ask her advice, pick her brain and snort out my wine giggling.My great-grandmother Bridget – I never met her and I’d be so interested to speak to her. She raised twelve children, including my Grandma, in Ireland. We recently went to a family reunion in Athlone, Ireland where we met all of her children’s families. My Mum has 67 first cousins and each of them have their own so it was manic busy! I’d love to tell her about it and also find out what they were all like as children. I’d ask her advice on raising kids – I only have one and I struggle! Duchess of Cambridge– We’d chat babies, fashion and how she keeps her hair so glossy. Beyoncé – She’d obviously join in on the baby talk (we’d probably organise a play date). She’d crank the music up and sing and dance for us. We’d all be dancing on the dining room table by the end of it.
Readers of which novelists, do you think would most enjoy your books?Readers of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsay Kelk. They do
Do you think you fit right into a genre, or do you span several? If so, which ones?I think I fit comfortably in the chick-lit genre. Even though my books contain romance I still wouldn’t put them in the romance section. They lean more towards comedy.
What can you tell us about The Baby & the Bride, apart from what’s in the blurb, without giving away any spoilers?
Two women from the past come back into Ryan’s life, causing massive friction between him and Poppy.
So now a bit about the new book - here's the blurb!
Sequel to the #1 Amazon Best-Seller, The Debt & the Doormat (available for FREE)
Poppy and Jazz’s lives sound perfect on paper. Jazz has a new baby and Poppy’s getting married. But their realities are very different.
Poppy must strive to keep her cool new job with crazy hours, while trying to keep Ryan happy. Before she knows it her wedding has got out of control, thanks to her mother, the runners at work are bullying her, her parents are in financial difficulty and she’s doubting everything and everyone she ever knew.
Meanwhile Jazz is struggling with motherhood, something a credit card won’t fix. Why won’t this baby give her a break? Will Jazz be able to cope before she loses it?
And will Poppy make it down the aisle? Will Ryan even be waiting?
You can buy The Baby & The Bride via AmazonUK or US
You can keep in touch with Laura by the following methods:-
www.laurabarnardbooks.co.ukwww.facebook.com/laurabarnardbooks@BarnardLaurahttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3490836.Laura_Barnard
Have a great weekend. More next week!
And her new book, The Baby & The Bride, launched just the other day and is already taking the charts by storm.
But first I posed a few questions to the woman herself:-
This is your second book I believe and it’s a follow-up to the first. Can it be read as a stand-alone or do you need to have read the first book to make sense of it all?It can definitely be read as a stand-alone. A few reviewers hadn’t read the first and commented that it's still so easy to follow and relate to the characters.
The Baby & The Bride title seems pretty self-explanatory, but what can you tell us about the title of the first book, to which this is a sequel, The Debt & the Doormat? It’s very unusual! And also FREE on Amazon for those who want to pick it up...It's basically the reason the two main characters Poppy and Jazz decide to swap lives. Jazz is in debt and Poppy has become a boring doormat, letting people walk all over her. The plan is for Poppy to have Jazz’s debt paid off and Jazz plans to force Poppy back out into the world and out of her shell.
Are there ideas flitting about in your head for future novels and if so, will they be in the same vein as the first two?Yes, I’m already working on my next stand-alone novel. I think I’ll always stick with romantic comedy as it's close to my heart.
Where are you from, do you work apart from writing and what do you like best about both (if applicable!)I was born in Greenford, but we quickly moved to Watford, Hertfordshire when I was two. I now live in a village on the outskirts of St Albans. I don’t work during the day as I look after my one year old daughter, but I was working full time as a PA when I wrote most of The Debt & the Doormat. Ironically I find it more exhausting looking after a child! She goes to bed at around 7pm and then I’ll stay up writing to the early hours.
Favourite character in your books?I think it's pretty obvious that I’m actually in love with Ryan! He’s just so dreamy. Although I’d say I can relate to all of the characters in some way. I like to think of each and every characters motivations and sometimes even the bitch of the book doesn’t mean it. I explore Poppy’s Mum Meryl a bit more in the book and love how it's turned out.
Who should we look out for in your books, whether sexy, uber-bitch or boy/girl next door?Ryan and Ollie are the book boyfriends to look out for. There are two new uber-bitches in this book but I can't tell you their names or who they are as it ruins the surprise in the story!
If you could invite six people to dinner (they can be living or dead - for the sake of the dinner party, if dead, we’ve resurrected them for the night!) who would they be?Jennifer Laurence– I love her and she’d have some hilarious dinner conversations. I imagine wetting myself laughing and going streaking with her after a lot of wine. I’d get her to tell me all about kissing Bradley Cooper (and try to get his number). I’d also get her to show me how to shoot a bow and arrow like Katniss from The Hunger Games. Patrick Swayze – I love him! Dirty Dancing is my all-time favourite film. I’d get him to teach me all of the dances and tell me what it was really like to film.Lindsay Kelk – My favourite chick-lit author. I’d ask her advice, pick her brain and snort out my wine giggling.My great-grandmother Bridget – I never met her and I’d be so interested to speak to her. She raised twelve children, including my Grandma, in Ireland. We recently went to a family reunion in Athlone, Ireland where we met all of her children’s families. My Mum has 67 first cousins and each of them have their own so it was manic busy! I’d love to tell her about it and also find out what they were all like as children. I’d ask her advice on raising kids – I only have one and I struggle! Duchess of Cambridge– We’d chat babies, fashion and how she keeps her hair so glossy. Beyoncé – She’d obviously join in on the baby talk (we’d probably organise a play date). She’d crank the music up and sing and dance for us. We’d all be dancing on the dining room table by the end of it.
Readers of which novelists, do you think would most enjoy your books?Readers of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsay Kelk. They do
Do you think you fit right into a genre, or do you span several? If so, which ones?I think I fit comfortably in the chick-lit genre. Even though my books contain romance I still wouldn’t put them in the romance section. They lean more towards comedy.
What can you tell us about The Baby & the Bride, apart from what’s in the blurb, without giving away any spoilers?
Two women from the past come back into Ryan’s life, causing massive friction between him and Poppy.
So now a bit about the new book - here's the blurb!
Sequel to the #1 Amazon Best-Seller, The Debt & the Doormat (available for FREE)
Poppy and Jazz’s lives sound perfect on paper. Jazz has a new baby and Poppy’s getting married. But their realities are very different.
Poppy must strive to keep her cool new job with crazy hours, while trying to keep Ryan happy. Before she knows it her wedding has got out of control, thanks to her mother, the runners at work are bullying her, her parents are in financial difficulty and she’s doubting everything and everyone she ever knew.
Meanwhile Jazz is struggling with motherhood, something a credit card won’t fix. Why won’t this baby give her a break? Will Jazz be able to cope before she loses it?
And will Poppy make it down the aisle? Will Ryan even be waiting?
You can buy The Baby & The Bride via AmazonUK or US
You can keep in touch with Laura by the following methods:-
www.laurabarnardbooks.co.ukwww.facebook.com/laurabarnardbooks@BarnardLaurahttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3490836.Laura_Barnard
Have a great weekend. More next week!
March 3, 2014
Launching Perfect Prose Services
Nope it's not the title of my latest book, but it is the name of my new company! Yep, as of today my new baby, Perfect Prose Services, is born. If you're an author and interested in having your book proofread or edited, hop on over to my new site - www.perfectproseservices.com
You can also follow me on Twitter @perfect_prose
and I even have a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/perfectproseservices
There will be twice monthly blog posts with tips for getting your novel as shipshape as possible before it reaches your proofreader and/or editor and ways to improve your writing as a result.
But you don't need to be an author or aspiring author to contract my services. You could be a business, a student, or a publisher. I'll even proofread your blog posts if need be!
Visit the website, have a browse and feel free to drop me an e-mail at perfectprose2@gmail.com
Right, on with my first day at work!
Sooz
You can also follow me on Twitter @perfect_prose
and I even have a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/perfectproseservices
There will be twice monthly blog posts with tips for getting your novel as shipshape as possible before it reaches your proofreader and/or editor and ways to improve your writing as a result.
But you don't need to be an author or aspiring author to contract my services. You could be a business, a student, or a publisher. I'll even proofread your blog posts if need be!
Visit the website, have a browse and feel free to drop me an e-mail at perfectprose2@gmail.com
Right, on with my first day at work!
Sooz
February 28, 2014
Book Review of Love and Liability - Katie Oliver
Happy Friday everyone - hope you are all looking forward to the weekend. I have a major announcement to make on Monday - so tune in then.
In the meantime, and before I sneak off to read my advance review copy of the third in the series, Mansfield Lark, feast your eyes on the 2nd in the Dating Mr Darcy series, Love and Liability - I gave it a 4.5 star rating.
Here's the blurb:-
Sometimes your sensibilities make absolutely no sense!
Holly James is looking for her big break. A young journalist for BritTEEN magazine, she is dying to write about something more meaningful than pop stars and nail varnish. So when she spots a homeless teenager outside the office, she feels compelled to tell her story. But her evil boss Sasha has other ideas…
Holly is sent to interview a city solicitor she has never heard of. But Alex Barrington turns out to be the very opposite of fusty and boring and Holly’s interest struggles to stay strictly professional!
With Sasha sabotaging her every move, and her story about teens on the street leading her into London’s dark underworld, Holly is chasing both love and success at the same time. But happy endings like that only happen in books don’t they…?
and here's my review:-
I had already bought the first in the Dating Mr Darcy series, Prada and Prejudice and rated it 5 stars, so I immediately started reading Love and Liability as soon as I had finished the first. My rating is 4.5 stars for Love and Liability. This isn't just chicklit - it's so much more. Half way through I was really enjoying it, although not quite as much as Prada and Prejudice, and then, wham! The novel took a much darker turn, which I absolutely loved. It honestly had me on the edge of my seat and I found myself trying to find time to be able to read it, even though I was really busy. I loved to hate the Erik character and so sorely hoped he would get his comeuppance. I had a soft spot for Will - in fact there were quite a few fanciable males in the story! There was the same brilliant humour in the book that there had been in the first, not to mention a similar hot love interest, in the shape of Henry (Alex) Barrington. Mmmm. Backstabbing flatmates, making poor decisions and hilarious Bridget Jones-esque moments for the heroine, Holly, whom we met briefly in the first book were only some of the great reasons to enjoy this novel. I particularly liked the serious theme of homelessness throughout the novel. Once again the novel was action-packed in a way that most chicklit novels aren't, full of great sub-plots for many of the characters. Much darker than the first novel and all the better for it. My one criticism would be I felt one of the sub-plots, to do with HIV, was dealt with too fleetingly. I could imagine all the places the author had depicted and have a clear picture in my head of Chef Russo and chef Louis! And Jamie Gordon wasn't to be sneezed at either, in the love stakes! A very likeable heroine, in the shape of Holly, Love and Liability paves the way for a new breed of chicklit novel, with a bit more oomph. Katie Oliver is shaping up to be an author worthy of everyone's notice. I can't wait to start the third Dating Mr Darcy series novel today.
You can buy Love and Liability from the following outlets:-
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fLh1mh
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cdUNsnNook US: http://bit.ly/1k0q72yNook UK: http://bit.ly/Mm3IAQ Tune in on Monday for my exciting news! Have a great weekendSooz
In the meantime, and before I sneak off to read my advance review copy of the third in the series, Mansfield Lark, feast your eyes on the 2nd in the Dating Mr Darcy series, Love and Liability - I gave it a 4.5 star rating.
Here's the blurb:-
Sometimes your sensibilities make absolutely no sense!
Holly James is looking for her big break. A young journalist for BritTEEN magazine, she is dying to write about something more meaningful than pop stars and nail varnish. So when she spots a homeless teenager outside the office, she feels compelled to tell her story. But her evil boss Sasha has other ideas…
Holly is sent to interview a city solicitor she has never heard of. But Alex Barrington turns out to be the very opposite of fusty and boring and Holly’s interest struggles to stay strictly professional!
With Sasha sabotaging her every move, and her story about teens on the street leading her into London’s dark underworld, Holly is chasing both love and success at the same time. But happy endings like that only happen in books don’t they…?
and here's my review:-I had already bought the first in the Dating Mr Darcy series, Prada and Prejudice and rated it 5 stars, so I immediately started reading Love and Liability as soon as I had finished the first. My rating is 4.5 stars for Love and Liability. This isn't just chicklit - it's so much more. Half way through I was really enjoying it, although not quite as much as Prada and Prejudice, and then, wham! The novel took a much darker turn, which I absolutely loved. It honestly had me on the edge of my seat and I found myself trying to find time to be able to read it, even though I was really busy. I loved to hate the Erik character and so sorely hoped he would get his comeuppance. I had a soft spot for Will - in fact there were quite a few fanciable males in the story! There was the same brilliant humour in the book that there had been in the first, not to mention a similar hot love interest, in the shape of Henry (Alex) Barrington. Mmmm. Backstabbing flatmates, making poor decisions and hilarious Bridget Jones-esque moments for the heroine, Holly, whom we met briefly in the first book were only some of the great reasons to enjoy this novel. I particularly liked the serious theme of homelessness throughout the novel. Once again the novel was action-packed in a way that most chicklit novels aren't, full of great sub-plots for many of the characters. Much darker than the first novel and all the better for it. My one criticism would be I felt one of the sub-plots, to do with HIV, was dealt with too fleetingly. I could imagine all the places the author had depicted and have a clear picture in my head of Chef Russo and chef Louis! And Jamie Gordon wasn't to be sneezed at either, in the love stakes! A very likeable heroine, in the shape of Holly, Love and Liability paves the way for a new breed of chicklit novel, with a bit more oomph. Katie Oliver is shaping up to be an author worthy of everyone's notice. I can't wait to start the third Dating Mr Darcy series novel today.
You can buy Love and Liability from the following outlets:-
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fLh1mh
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cdUNsnNook US: http://bit.ly/1k0q72yNook UK: http://bit.ly/Mm3IAQ Tune in on Monday for my exciting news! Have a great weekendSooz
February 25, 2014
Book Review - Prada and Prejudice by Katie Oliver
Yep, I did promise it to you and here it is! I can tell you, I've just finished the second book in the Dating Mr Darcy series, Love and Liability and now I'm delighted to have an advance review copy of the third, Mansfield Lark, which I hope to start later today - hurrah!
For now, feast your eyes on Prada and Prejudice - what a fabulous debut novel!
Here's the blurb:-
He’s a man in possession of a large fortune….but is he in want of a wife?!It is a truth universally acknowledged that Natalie Dashwood loves to shop. After all, as the heiress to the renowned London department store Dashwood & James she’s been wearing designer shoes since she could walk! But a socialite’s life isn’t as perfect as you might imagine… Natalie’s spending is spiraling slightly out of control, her rock star boyfriend is engaged to someone else, and it seems the family business is in financial crisis. New high-flying business exec Rhys Gordon has been brought in to save the company from ruin, but what are his motives? And infuriatingly even a shoe-shopping spree can’t take her mind off his distracting and oh-so-charming smile…
Couture and confetti mix with scandal and intrigue in this wonderful tale of retail, romance and redemption.
And here's my review:-
Bridget Jones meets Shopaholic...and then some!
I have to say I was drawn in by the cover and not by the name. Initially I thought it might be an updated version of Pride and Prejudice and was glad to find it wasn't, as I am not a massive Austen fan. The book is light, frothy, sexy, funny as hell, and was just the escapist read I needed with a young baby interrupting me. I read it over the course of a few days at every possible opportunity. By comparison it took me 3 weeks to read the new Bridget Jones, whom I love. I was drawn to the love interest, Rhys Gordon immediately and wouldn't have minded dating him myself! Natalie was ditzy and irresponsible, born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her grandfather finally made her work for a living on the sales floor and she progresses through the department store, under the tutelage of Mr Gordon who has been brought in to save the failing dept store. Meanwhile, her rocker, ex-boyfriend, Dominic is trying to win her back, whilst simultaneously sleeping with anything that moves. Dominic really annoyed me at the beginning and I wanted to slap him, but later there are some unexpected developments which made me warm to him more, although he didn't entirely win me over. The love/hate relationship between Rhys and Natalie makes for entertaining reading and the sinister nature of her situation with a friend's husband is utterly compelling. I had to keep reading to find out if the git would get his comeuppance.
I particularly loved that there was so much action in the novel and that all the sub-plots were seamlessly intertwined. Even the peripheral characters had lengthy sections dedicated to them and I felt the novel was all the richer for it.
Refreshing debut novel. I've already read the next in the Dating Mr Darcy Series and loved it too. I can't wait to start the third one today.
It gets a resounding 5 STARS from me.
You can buy Prada and Prejudice via the following means:-
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/OqQqFg
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1hIcXu5Nook UK: http://bit.ly/1fedIDgNook US: http://bit.ly/1dkiYFA You can keep track of Katie by the following methods:-Twitter - @katieoliver01Facebook - www.facebook.com/katieoliverwriterWebsite - www.katieoliver.com
Tune in on Friday when I will be reviewing the next in the Dating Mr Darcy series, Love and Liability
For now, feast your eyes on Prada and Prejudice - what a fabulous debut novel!
Here's the blurb:-He’s a man in possession of a large fortune….but is he in want of a wife?!It is a truth universally acknowledged that Natalie Dashwood loves to shop. After all, as the heiress to the renowned London department store Dashwood & James she’s been wearing designer shoes since she could walk! But a socialite’s life isn’t as perfect as you might imagine… Natalie’s spending is spiraling slightly out of control, her rock star boyfriend is engaged to someone else, and it seems the family business is in financial crisis. New high-flying business exec Rhys Gordon has been brought in to save the company from ruin, but what are his motives? And infuriatingly even a shoe-shopping spree can’t take her mind off his distracting and oh-so-charming smile…
Couture and confetti mix with scandal and intrigue in this wonderful tale of retail, romance and redemption.
And here's my review:-
Bridget Jones meets Shopaholic...and then some!
I have to say I was drawn in by the cover and not by the name. Initially I thought it might be an updated version of Pride and Prejudice and was glad to find it wasn't, as I am not a massive Austen fan. The book is light, frothy, sexy, funny as hell, and was just the escapist read I needed with a young baby interrupting me. I read it over the course of a few days at every possible opportunity. By comparison it took me 3 weeks to read the new Bridget Jones, whom I love. I was drawn to the love interest, Rhys Gordon immediately and wouldn't have minded dating him myself! Natalie was ditzy and irresponsible, born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her grandfather finally made her work for a living on the sales floor and she progresses through the department store, under the tutelage of Mr Gordon who has been brought in to save the failing dept store. Meanwhile, her rocker, ex-boyfriend, Dominic is trying to win her back, whilst simultaneously sleeping with anything that moves. Dominic really annoyed me at the beginning and I wanted to slap him, but later there are some unexpected developments which made me warm to him more, although he didn't entirely win me over. The love/hate relationship between Rhys and Natalie makes for entertaining reading and the sinister nature of her situation with a friend's husband is utterly compelling. I had to keep reading to find out if the git would get his comeuppance.
I particularly loved that there was so much action in the novel and that all the sub-plots were seamlessly intertwined. Even the peripheral characters had lengthy sections dedicated to them and I felt the novel was all the richer for it.
Refreshing debut novel. I've already read the next in the Dating Mr Darcy Series and loved it too. I can't wait to start the third one today.
It gets a resounding 5 STARS from me.
You can buy Prada and Prejudice via the following means:-
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/OqQqFg
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1hIcXu5Nook UK: http://bit.ly/1fedIDgNook US: http://bit.ly/1dkiYFA You can keep track of Katie by the following methods:-Twitter - @katieoliver01Facebook - www.facebook.com/katieoliverwriterWebsite - www.katieoliver.com
Tune in on Friday when I will be reviewing the next in the Dating Mr Darcy series, Love and Liability
February 24, 2014
Meet Katie Oliver - author of Prada and Prejudice, Love and Liability & Mansfield Lark
Morning!
Well, when I say meet, I don't really mean meet, as I haven't interviewed Katie. That said, since I devoured Prada and Prejudice in 3 days, whilst working and caring for baby Antonia, and as I am duplicating that exercise with Love and Liability, the second in Katie's Dating Mr Darcy series, I couldn't just publish her excerpt from her second book, released this month, without any introduction.
And since we're here and before we share the fab excerpt with you, here's a wee bit about Katie from the lady herself:-
I entered the world in the usual way at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. I grew up, got married, and I’ve lived in Northern Virginia ever since.In high school I read Henry James and Edgar Allen Poe, and fell in love with wordy prose and morbid subject matter. I listened to The Cure a lot, too. I eventually abandoned Henry and Edgar for stacks of Harlequin and Regency romances. In those days, romance heroines were either (1) nurses or (2) governesses. They were slender and beautiful and fell in love with the mysterious master of a crumbling estate, or a French race car driver with a tragic past. I mean, seriously – who knows a French race car driver or the mysterious master of a crumbling estate? Not me.Still, it’s always fun to imagine. And in the end, isn’t that what writing – and reading good books - is all about?
Now, I will be publishing my review of Prada and Prejudice on the blog later this week, but can I just say, if you're not an Austen fan (and I'm not particularly) don't let that put you off. I have termed it Bridget Jones meets Shopaholic, but with a soupçon of something a bit special. For now feast your eyes on Katie's excerpt. Buy links are at the end of the excerpt. Right now, it's time for me to get back to Love and Liability, as baby Antonia is actually sleeping this evening - hurrah!
“Holly, you’re late.” Honestly, if I had a fiver for every time my boss Sasha said that to me…I could quit this crap job at BritTEEN magazine and do something useful – like write about important things, instead of coming up with 150 words about the latest shade of sparkly nail polish, or figuring out how to stretch a 10-minute Q&A session with the hot new boy band into an interview when they only properly answered two bloody questions. I know I should be glad to be a junior (very junior) features writer at a top UK teen magazine. And I am. Mostly. But what no one told me is how low the pay is, or how long the hours are. Or how much of a Mussolini in Manolos my boss, Sasha Davis, would be… Today, for instance, Sasha’s assigned me to interview a solicitor. A solicitor! I ask you – what teenage girl wants to read about torts and habeas corpus? And while it’s true that Henry Barrington might stand for a Member of Parliament very soon, with a name like ‘Henry Barrington,’ he’s bound to be (1) boring and (2) ancient. He probably wears a regimental tie and has halitosis and wonky teeth. How am I to write an interview of interest to the average teenage girl with a subject like that? So off I go to grab lunch before I head out to interview Mr. Regimental Tie. And I notice the homeless girl again. I saw her this morning, sleeping on a bench on Shaftesbury Avenue. I study her more closely. She’s got dark, sticky-up hair that looks like she cut it herself, and her only possession is the rucksack her head rests on. She looks about seventeen. I find myself wondering what it’s like to be homeless. Who is she? Does she have enough to eat? Who are her family? Does she have a family? But I haven’t time to ponder the question; I’ve an interview to conduct. I flag down a taxi and head to Canary Wharf to pose the “One Outrageous Question” to Mr. Barrington. Each month I ask a teen celeb (or in this case, a boring solicitor) a cheeky question - and hope that I don’t get thrown out on my arse once I ask it. I arrive (good thing I can expense the taxi ride, it cost me my last ten quid) and wait in the lobby of Mr. Barrington’s law office. It’s posh, with lots of potted plants and mahogany wainscoting and plush Oriental rugs – but its very posh-ness makes me nervous, and I can’t wait until this interview is over. I gather my things and follow the secretary’s directions to Mr. Barrington’s office. At the end of a carpeted hallway I stop before a closed door…his closed door. How tedious he’ll be, I think crossly as I lift my hand and knock. How utterly, mind-numbingly… Gorgeous? As the door swings open, I gape at Henry Barrington. He isn’t remotely old, and his teeth are perfect. He really is…breathtaking. There’s no other word for it. He’s sobreathtaking, in fact, with his dark hair and polite half-smile, that I can scarcely form a coherent sentence. As he clasps my hand in a brief, firm handshake, I suddenly remember the One Outrageous Question Sasha gave me. I glance down at the question and groan. Oh, God - how will I ever ask him that? “Please, come in.” He indicates a pair of chairs angled in front of his desk. It’s a massive and vaguely intimidating desk, covered in papers and pens and half-empty cups of tea. I choose one of the chairs and sit down, resisting the urge to turn round and flee out the door. “My secretary said you wished to interview me.” He sits down behind the desk and leans back in his chair. “For a teen magazine.” It’s plain from his quizzical expression and the slight lift to his brow that he equates teen magazines with tabloids. Or porn. Or both. I nod. “I’d like to profile you for a short article in BritTEEN.” “Only a short one? So I’m not exciting enough to merit a full-length article?” “No,” I say. I meet his semi-amused gaze. “I mean, yes.” Flustered, I clear my throat. “May we begin?” He leans forward. “Please do, Ms-?” “James,” I somehow manage to say. “Holly James.” I launch into my questions. They’re good ones, too, even if I only came up with them in the back seat of the taxi on the way over. Everything is fine until I get to the One Outrageous Question, when it all goes a bit pear-shaped. Henry is affronted and roundly scolds me – scoldsme! – for writing dreck. Then he suggests I find a better job. Then he chucks me out of his office. Now that Henry Barrington has gone all Mr-Darcy-in-high-boots-and-hauteur on me, I understand completely why Elizabeth Bennet initially wanted to push Darcy into the path of the nearest fast-moving phaeton. “Thank you so much for your advice, Mr. Barrington,” I return with as much hauteur as I can muster on my way out, “but I have to get back to writing dreck now. Goodbye.” But my dramatic exit – spoiled when I drop my handbag and spill its contents all over his floor – is rendered an exercise in mortification instead when pens, Tampons, semi-squashed packets of HobNobs, and a raspberry-flavored condom (don’t ask) land at his well-shod feet. Is it possible to die of embarrassment? I’m about to find out…
You can buy Prada and Prejudice via the following methods:-Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/OqQqFgAmazon US: http://amzn.to/1hIcXu5Nook UK: http://bit.ly/1fedIDgNook US: http://bit.ly/1dkiYFA And here are the links for Love and Liability:-Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fLh1mhAmazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cdUNsnNook US: http://bit.ly/1k0q72yNook UK: http://bit.ly/Mm3IAQ
See you during the week for my review - it's a 5 star by the way, so don't miss it!
Well, when I say meet, I don't really mean meet, as I haven't interviewed Katie. That said, since I devoured Prada and Prejudice in 3 days, whilst working and caring for baby Antonia, and as I am duplicating that exercise with Love and Liability, the second in Katie's Dating Mr Darcy series, I couldn't just publish her excerpt from her second book, released this month, without any introduction.
And since we're here and before we share the fab excerpt with you, here's a wee bit about Katie from the lady herself:-
I entered the world in the usual way at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. I grew up, got married, and I’ve lived in Northern Virginia ever since.In high school I read Henry James and Edgar Allen Poe, and fell in love with wordy prose and morbid subject matter. I listened to The Cure a lot, too. I eventually abandoned Henry and Edgar for stacks of Harlequin and Regency romances. In those days, romance heroines were either (1) nurses or (2) governesses. They were slender and beautiful and fell in love with the mysterious master of a crumbling estate, or a French race car driver with a tragic past. I mean, seriously – who knows a French race car driver or the mysterious master of a crumbling estate? Not me.Still, it’s always fun to imagine. And in the end, isn’t that what writing – and reading good books - is all about?
Now, I will be publishing my review of Prada and Prejudice on the blog later this week, but can I just say, if you're not an Austen fan (and I'm not particularly) don't let that put you off. I have termed it Bridget Jones meets Shopaholic, but with a soupçon of something a bit special. For now feast your eyes on Katie's excerpt. Buy links are at the end of the excerpt. Right now, it's time for me to get back to Love and Liability, as baby Antonia is actually sleeping this evening - hurrah!
“Holly, you’re late.” Honestly, if I had a fiver for every time my boss Sasha said that to me…I could quit this crap job at BritTEEN magazine and do something useful – like write about important things, instead of coming up with 150 words about the latest shade of sparkly nail polish, or figuring out how to stretch a 10-minute Q&A session with the hot new boy band into an interview when they only properly answered two bloody questions. I know I should be glad to be a junior (very junior) features writer at a top UK teen magazine. And I am. Mostly. But what no one told me is how low the pay is, or how long the hours are. Or how much of a Mussolini in Manolos my boss, Sasha Davis, would be… Today, for instance, Sasha’s assigned me to interview a solicitor. A solicitor! I ask you – what teenage girl wants to read about torts and habeas corpus? And while it’s true that Henry Barrington might stand for a Member of Parliament very soon, with a name like ‘Henry Barrington,’ he’s bound to be (1) boring and (2) ancient. He probably wears a regimental tie and has halitosis and wonky teeth. How am I to write an interview of interest to the average teenage girl with a subject like that? So off I go to grab lunch before I head out to interview Mr. Regimental Tie. And I notice the homeless girl again. I saw her this morning, sleeping on a bench on Shaftesbury Avenue. I study her more closely. She’s got dark, sticky-up hair that looks like she cut it herself, and her only possession is the rucksack her head rests on. She looks about seventeen. I find myself wondering what it’s like to be homeless. Who is she? Does she have enough to eat? Who are her family? Does she have a family? But I haven’t time to ponder the question; I’ve an interview to conduct. I flag down a taxi and head to Canary Wharf to pose the “One Outrageous Question” to Mr. Barrington. Each month I ask a teen celeb (or in this case, a boring solicitor) a cheeky question - and hope that I don’t get thrown out on my arse once I ask it. I arrive (good thing I can expense the taxi ride, it cost me my last ten quid) and wait in the lobby of Mr. Barrington’s law office. It’s posh, with lots of potted plants and mahogany wainscoting and plush Oriental rugs – but its very posh-ness makes me nervous, and I can’t wait until this interview is over. I gather my things and follow the secretary’s directions to Mr. Barrington’s office. At the end of a carpeted hallway I stop before a closed door…his closed door. How tedious he’ll be, I think crossly as I lift my hand and knock. How utterly, mind-numbingly… Gorgeous? As the door swings open, I gape at Henry Barrington. He isn’t remotely old, and his teeth are perfect. He really is…breathtaking. There’s no other word for it. He’s sobreathtaking, in fact, with his dark hair and polite half-smile, that I can scarcely form a coherent sentence. As he clasps my hand in a brief, firm handshake, I suddenly remember the One Outrageous Question Sasha gave me. I glance down at the question and groan. Oh, God - how will I ever ask him that? “Please, come in.” He indicates a pair of chairs angled in front of his desk. It’s a massive and vaguely intimidating desk, covered in papers and pens and half-empty cups of tea. I choose one of the chairs and sit down, resisting the urge to turn round and flee out the door. “My secretary said you wished to interview me.” He sits down behind the desk and leans back in his chair. “For a teen magazine.” It’s plain from his quizzical expression and the slight lift to his brow that he equates teen magazines with tabloids. Or porn. Or both. I nod. “I’d like to profile you for a short article in BritTEEN.” “Only a short one? So I’m not exciting enough to merit a full-length article?” “No,” I say. I meet his semi-amused gaze. “I mean, yes.” Flustered, I clear my throat. “May we begin?” He leans forward. “Please do, Ms-?” “James,” I somehow manage to say. “Holly James.” I launch into my questions. They’re good ones, too, even if I only came up with them in the back seat of the taxi on the way over. Everything is fine until I get to the One Outrageous Question, when it all goes a bit pear-shaped. Henry is affronted and roundly scolds me – scoldsme! – for writing dreck. Then he suggests I find a better job. Then he chucks me out of his office. Now that Henry Barrington has gone all Mr-Darcy-in-high-boots-and-hauteur on me, I understand completely why Elizabeth Bennet initially wanted to push Darcy into the path of the nearest fast-moving phaeton. “Thank you so much for your advice, Mr. Barrington,” I return with as much hauteur as I can muster on my way out, “but I have to get back to writing dreck now. Goodbye.” But my dramatic exit – spoiled when I drop my handbag and spill its contents all over his floor – is rendered an exercise in mortification instead when pens, Tampons, semi-squashed packets of HobNobs, and a raspberry-flavored condom (don’t ask) land at his well-shod feet. Is it possible to die of embarrassment? I’m about to find out…You can buy Prada and Prejudice via the following methods:-Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/OqQqFgAmazon US: http://amzn.to/1hIcXu5Nook UK: http://bit.ly/1fedIDgNook US: http://bit.ly/1dkiYFA And here are the links for Love and Liability:-Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fLh1mhAmazon UK: http://amzn.to/1cdUNsnNook US: http://bit.ly/1k0q72yNook UK: http://bit.ly/Mm3IAQ
See you during the week for my review - it's a 5 star by the way, so don't miss it!
February 23, 2014
Interview on author Vanessa Wester's blog
Happy Sunday! I'm on fellow author Vanessa Wester's blog today talking about gruffalos, escapism and my favourite books, amongst lots of other stuff! http://www.vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.co.uk/
Tune in tomorrow for a special excerpt of Love and Liability from Katie Oliver's new February release.
Tune in tomorrow for a special excerpt of Love and Liability from Katie Oliver's new February release.
This Chick Reads blog reviews The Dating Game
Over the moon to receive this wonderful review from Ananda at This Chick Reads blog for THE DATING GAME - http://thischickreads.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/book-review-the-dating-game-by-susan-buchanan/
February 20, 2014
A lovely comment on The Christmas Spirit which made me all warm and fuzzy!
I just had to share this FB follower's comment on The Christmas Spirit, as it gave me such a lift -
'I know it's February but, I have just finished The Christmas Spirit ( it's seven minutes past two AM!!!!) O my goodness, what a fantastic novel. Magical, nostalgic, joyful, sad. I absolutely loved it. What a fantastic film it would be. I don't want to leave my 'friends' and so want a snow globe just like Jacob's. This book will be purchased and read annually just as a reminder to remember the importance of the 'Christmas Spirit'. Thanks Susan.'
'I know it's February but, I have just finished The Christmas Spirit ( it's seven minutes past two AM!!!!) O my goodness, what a fantastic novel. Magical, nostalgic, joyful, sad. I absolutely loved it. What a fantastic film it would be. I don't want to leave my 'friends' and so want a snow globe just like Jacob's. This book will be purchased and read annually just as a reminder to remember the importance of the 'Christmas Spirit'. Thanks Susan.'
February 19, 2014
Up For Grabs or Hands Off? - my article on the differences of dating in the US v UK
Morning everyone! The subject of the US term 'dating exclusively 'and all the dating rules has always fascinated me, so I've written an article for Julie Valerie's blog about the differences in the UK and the US. Hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your own stories and thoughts. http://wp.me/p318Hj-Ji
