Rhoda Baxter's Blog, page 36
April 4, 2017
Goodreads Book Review: Generation Decks by Titus Chalk
Generation Decks: The Unofficial History of Gaming Phenomenon Magic the Gathering by Titus Chalk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I saw this on Netgalley and picked it up because I used to play Magic back when I was at uni (in the mid 1990s) – not at any professional level, just sitting on the floor of my friends’ rooms. So when I saw a history of the game, I was intrigued.
The book is part chronicle of the journey of Wizards of The Coast from start up to global behemoth, part memoir/love letter to th...
March 28, 2017
Book Review: The Little Teashop of Horrors by Jane Lovering
Little Teashop of Horrors by Jane Lovering
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’m a fan of Jane’s books – I like the mixture of comedy and darkness. I wasn’t expecting a teashop book from her, to be honest. Anyway, we have a book about a tea shop. In Yorkshire. So there are scones and fairy cakes and raspberry crunch. There are also birds of prey. Owls! Hooray!
The heroine, Amy, had grown up being told that she’s nothing much to look at and not terribly good for anything. She has a pretty best friend, w...
March 27, 2017
An Evening Out at the RoNA Awards 2017
This post is a bit late, but hey, better late than never. As I may have mentioned before, my book Girl Having A Ball was shortlisted for Romantic Comedy of the Year in the 2017 RoNA awards. I was delighted with this. The RoNAs are run by the UK Romantic Novelists Association and are a pretty big deal. They’re the UK equivalent of the RITAs. Also on the shortlist were some well known authors – Cathy Bramley, Penny Parkes, Ali McNamara and Joanna Bolouri. Here we are (minus Joanna, who was poor...
March 21, 2017
Inheritance Books: Sam Russell
Today on the Inheritance Books sofa, we have Sam Russell. Hi Sam, make yourself at home. Why don’t you start off by telling us a bit about yourself?
[image error]I was born in London but grew up in a rural Essex village, with the freedom to run free. Idyllic childhood is a cliché, but it was absolutely that – an Enid Blyton adventure with a gaggle of village children beside me, and I have no doubt that it was our outdoor life which fostered my love of the countryside.
As an adult I trained and worked as a...
March 20, 2017
Book review: One Dark Lie by Clare Chase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After a spate of reading fantasy novels I was in the mood for something darker. This is a murder mystery with a hint of gang violence thrown in to up the level of menace.
Ruby writes books about real people. When she is offered the chance to write the life story of murdered academic Diana Patrick-John and she can’t help but drawn into the mystery of who killed Diana.
Nate is trying to trap his sister’s killer. He’s playing a dangerous game...
March 8, 2017
Inheritance Books: Carolyn Hughes
This week’s guest on the Inheritance Books sofa is history buff Carolyn Hughes. Welcome to Inheritance Books Carolyn, make yourself comfortable. While I put the kettle on, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself.
[image error]I’ve come to writing, or rather publishing, quite late in life. I’ve written creatively on and off all my adult life but, for many years, work and family were somehow always the main focus of my life, and it wasn’t until our children flew the nest that I realised writing could now...
March 4, 2017
Inheritance Books: Annmarie McQueen
This week’s Inheritance Books come from blogger and YA author Annmarie McQueen. Take a seat, Annmarie. While I put the kettle on, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself.
H[image error]i, I’m Annmarie. I’m a 22 year old writer, blogger and photographer living in London. I enjoy instagramming food, taking selfies with dogs I meet and being that annoying friend who always has a camera to hand. I currently work in event marketing. I’m a graduate of Warwick University with a BA in English/Creative writing...
March 1, 2017
How to find new authors to read
If you enjoy reading my books, you’ll probably like the work of some of the other UK romance novelists… but how do you find them? Easy, you check out the samples that we’re giving away for free – just click the book cover and download a sample in the format of your choice. All of the books in this giveaway have been shortlisted for the RoNA (Romantic Novel of the Year) awards.
www.rhodabaxter.com/instafreebie
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The giveaway runs 1st – 14th of March. RoNA winners will be announced on the 13th...
February 27, 2017
Goodreads Book Review: Light On Snow by Anita Shreve
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a lovely, atmospheric book. Told from the point of view of a grown woman looking back at her 12 year old self, it’s a story about a father and daughter who find a baby in the snow. Ostensibly the story is about what happens to the baby and her mother, but it’s really about the bond of grief and love that links Nikcy to her father.
It’s a quiet study of emotion. Highly recommended.
Filed under: Book reviews
February 22, 2017
Goodreads Book Review: The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a novella. I’m reading my way through this series and this one is probably my favourite so far. Serena is sitting outside the Duke of Clermont’s residence, not speaking, but not leaving either. Hugo is the Duke’s man and it’s his job to get rid of her. Hugo can be ruthless if he needs to be.
I loved the characters in this book and the respect that grows between them. I’m a sucker for good dialogue and character driven humo...
