Isabella May's Blog, page 8
October 24, 2017
Meet The Author: Eve Devon
Welcome to the blog, Eve! Thanks for stopping by today. Please tell us a little about your latest release, “Christmas at the Little Clock House on the Green”… What inspired you to write it?
I’ve always wanted to write a book set at Christmas. There’s something about being curled up on the sofa reading about snow gently falling outside while the chaos of the festive season unfurls… And with the first book in the series (The Little Clock House on the Green) set during one glorious English summer, I had the perfect opportunity to write about winter with this second book.
Also, while writing the first book in the series, something in particular kept trying to steal scenes… Honestly, the more I tried to contain it within the plot, the more it kept wanting to burst out and have a story all of its own, and then, suddenly, I realised I had the perfect inspiration and subplot for my second book in the series. All I’m saying is: watch out for the clock house chandelier in both the books!
Your novels are based on sexy heroes, sassy heroines and happy ever afters. With so many possible variations for your future stories, how do you decide upon your next title?
I’ve been fortunate I’ve only had to change a couple of my book titles and each time I’ve loved the new one my editor came up with much more. With the Little Clock House series I try to pick out the main theme or event so that the title helps set the scene. As long as the title intrigues as well as giving an idea of what the book’s about, I’m happy.
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Favourite cake?
Ooh, good question! I was recently on holiday and had a slice of “Lime and Zucchini” cake and it was absolutely delicious…definite competition for my usual favourites: ‘Coffee and Walnut’ and ‘Carrot Cake’. Plus with all the courgette I could pretend it was super-good for me!
What’s the loveliest thing a reader has said about your writing?
That they were enjoying one of my books so much they didn’t want it to end!
And the not-so-loveliest?
That I was sick! But then they were leaving a review about the villain in my first suspense The Waiting Game and so I kind of thought I’d done my job, because the villain in that book is supposed to be really, really disturbed.
Favourite place to holiday?
I’ve been very lucky to have visited lots of countries growing up. Tobago will always hold a very special place in my heart for holidays, but my go-to bolthole for a guaranteed chilled out holiday is South Devon.
If you could choose three authors to invite over for a dinner party (and these have to be authors you haven’t yet met!), who would that trio comprise of?
Jane Austen, Stephen King, JK Rowling.
In a very competitive book world, what single piece of advice would you give to those starting out in your genre?
Be professional – which I take to mean: Learn your craft, hone your skills, respect the industry, work hard, and have fun.
What can we expect to see from you next?
Christmas at the Little Clock House on the Green comes out 3rd November and I’m currently writing the next two books in the Little Clock House series which is great fun. I’m not sure how I’ll ever manage to leave the village of Whispers Wood with its clock house behind. Getting to put all my favourite things into books is such a privilege.
Then, because I’m fortunate to be able to write in two genres, in the New Year I have a romantic suspense boxed set releasing with two other authors, titled: Steel Hawk Security. I’m really excited about this set because it follows a company who has secured some of the world’s most valued treasures over the last 150 years! If you love heart-pounding suspense about alpha-honourable heroes and strong, spirited heroines set in a world of high-tech security, feuding royals and missing diamonds, Steel Hawk Security is your next read!
Buy Link: http://smarturl.it/xmasClockHouse
Book Blurb: Christmas at the Little Clock House on the Green
A cosy heartwarming festive romance that will make you laugh out loud!
Welcome back to the village of Whispers Wood where Christmas magic is in the air…
After giving his heart last year only to have it given away the very next day, Jake Knightley is opting out of Christmas—permanently! But then a beautiful new village arrival sets mayhem in motion, upsetting all his carefully laid plans.
Emma Danes has said goodbye to Hollywood and will do anything to help make the clock house a success, even working closely with the tempting Mr Knightley.
Now, as snow starts to fall and romance starts to bloom, Emma and Jake may just find themselves repeating Whispers Wood history beneath the mistletoe…
What readers are saying about The Little Clock House on the Green :
‘Charming, lively, moving and endearing’ With Love for Books
‘Brimming with well-developed characters, a stunning village setting, and has plenty of laughs along the way to make this a truly enchanting read’ Books of All Kinds
Bio: Eve Devon
I write sexy heroes, sassy heroines & happy ever afters…Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave me quite the taste for adventure and my love for romances began when my mother shoved one into my hands in a desperate attempt to keep me quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals!
When I wasn’t consuming books by the bucketload, I could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down my adventures. As a teenager, I wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, I worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucket load, until realising I was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense myself.
I live in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with my very own sexy hero husband!
October 19, 2017
Meet The Author: Tamar Sloan
Thanks for joining us today, Tamar! Your brand new book looks and sounds intriguing and I am thrilled you have kindly given us a sneaky peek of your delicious writing courtesy of the following excerpt:
A few steps down the path I slip the brownie from my sleeve. There’s no way I can wait to get out of the front yard before I taste this square of temptation. I should be sainted right alongside Ari’s grandson for not wolfing down the whole platter.
There’s a mega-sized tree in the front yard, so I head around it, lean back against its bark watching the brownie’s slow approach to my mouth, savouring the moment. I smell the chocolate, the sugar, the awesomeness. I bite down and my eyes flutter closed. Oh. My. Heaven-loving-tastebuds. Galaxies of spun sugar dissolve in my mouth, symphonies drowned out by the roaring in my ears. My body mirrors what’s happening in my mouth; I’m slowly, deliciously melting into a gooey, thick puddle.
The roaring stops.
“If you like my cooking, you’d love how I make breakfast.”
Everything stops. Every cell goes from puddly and quivery to upright and alert. I know that chocolately voice. I’ll never forget that warm, rich timbre.
I open one eye, then two.
PJ is sitting on his motorbike, helmet on his lap, that grin glinting in the sun. He hangs the helmet on a handlebar, swings a long denim leg over and swaggers towards me. And I mean a hip swaying, shoulder swinging swagger that evokes images of yellow-striped, denim-clad butts.
The moment he’s close enough for me to focus on his eyes the brownie turns to bread in my mouth. It could never compete with the symphonies and stars in those molten maple pools.
“They’re a family recipe.”
My brain clicks out of brownie-PJ heaven and into gear. Hang on a sec. I look over my shoulder at the door, the door that was just closed by a woman the colour of brown sugar. I look back to the very white, hot guy in front of me.
“Family?”
The moment PJ stops I take a step back, out of arm’s length, and out of smell’s reach. His eyes narrow ever so slightly as he notes my movement. He crosses his arm. “Yeah, family.”
I wait, but it seems someone else in this town took the course on stubborn silence. Instead he grins again. Man, I wish he’d stop doing that. Here, in the sun, it’s blinding. “I’m flattered.”
I raise a brow.
PJ shrugs, and somehow the movement seems to bring him a millimetre closer. Moving again would be rude and weirdo-whacky so I stay put, choosing to breathe through my mouth.
“It takes some effort to find out where a guy lives.”
My jaw slackens. Ego much?
“Hmmm.” I step to the side and head to his motorbike. “I’m glad you brought a second helmet.”
PJ turns and follows me, I step around the bike, using it as a barrier.
He places a hand on the leather seat. “You wanted to come for a ride?”
Eyes wide with mock shock connect with molten maple. “Don’t you need it for your ego?”
Instead of looking insulted, PJ grins. A wide, teeth-glinting, eye-wrinkling grin. “I think I might; it just got one heck of a hit.”
I cross my arms, glad I can do it safely this time thanks to my Personal Protective Equipment.
PJ brings one hand up to stroke his chin. “So you’re not here to see me.”
“Difficult to imagine, isn’t it?”
“What else would bring you here?”
Those delicious lips twitch. He knows exactly why I’m here. I’m not much of a blusher, but being here, for a therapy group for a phobia I don’t have, wearing the freaky lengths I have to go to avoid touch seems like a pretty good time to blush.
But I didn’t wear a balaclava, so instead, I own it. “I have ablutophobia.”
PJ’s eyes stray to my lips. “Well, it’s not a fear of brownies.”
I resist the urge to lick their suddenly dry surface. “Or the repeated use of pick-up lines.”
PJ chuckles, and it’s a sound that reminds me of crème brûlée, smooth and moreish. “Maybe it’s a phobia of stepping up to a challenge.”
That has me straightening. Everything in my impulsive but necessarily inhibited personality loves a challenge. PJ quirks a brow, and leans forward, placing both hands on the seat. The position pushes his shoulders forward, focuses my attention on those biceps. Mr. Sexy-Comes-Naturally is waiting for me to pick up the gauntlet.
Sensations and sights sharpen. Those molten maple pools watching me. The heat pressing against my body. Those Adonis lips parting on an inhale. The bead of sweat raking down my spine.
I lean forward, and my eyes widen the moment my next sense registers something. A scent, the kind of scent that has your head tilting reflexively, your mouth opening just a touch to see if it will land on your tongue.
I don’t know what amber smells like, but I think this could be it. Woodsy, spicy…tempting…moreish. It’s the kind of smell that makes you wish you could spend more time breathing in than out. One hand reaches out to the red plastic fender rising from the back of the bike. The moment woven cotton presses into my fingertips, rather than smooth plastic warmed by the sun, I stop. It’s all I need to return me to reality.
I take a step back, having to mentally force my nose to follow. PJ was never meant get close enough to smell, because exactly what I thought would happen just happened.
He smells as good as he looks, and I don’t need any more temptation to fight.
I take another step back. “You’ve got the wrong girl, PJ.”
PJ exhales, possibly because of the pent-up tension, but probably out of frustration. “It seems we have one thing in common, Casey.”
With another step back I decide it’s safe to ask. “What’s that?”
PJ straightens, his eyes twinkling. “We both love a challenge.”
I start to walk backwards, shaking my head. “The difference is I can pick a lost cause.”
I turn and start creating even more distance between us. I walk away from hot, sexy, available maple, knowing this is what I need to do. Telling PJ, with everything I can, he’s wasting his time.
“See you at mini motos.”
I keep walking. The tenacity is admirable and flattering, but wasted. “I’m not going.” I call over my shoulder.
“Don’t forget to bring your little brother.”
I shake my head, glad PJ can see that and not my smile. Sure, I love to look, I like the flirting, and I’d love to be someone that could go there.
But PJ is the last person I plan on touching.
Book blurb:
He’s irresistible…but she’s the one person who knows his days are numbered.
Casey’s touch can reveal the one thing a person would never want to know — the number of days they have left to live.
By the time Casey turns seventeen she’s learnt to withdraw. But the phobia she fakes in order to avoid human contact is sorely tested by hot, persistent, motorcycle riding PJ. For a girl who craves contact, maple eyed PJ is impossible to resist. When the inevitable happens, when hands, bodies and lips collide, Casey sees PJ’s number, one that can only be seen as a cruel twist of fate.
Now she must decide. Will she continue counting the days of her life, or start living a life that counts?
With the memorable writing and humor of writers such as Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun blended with the attitude, chemistry and unexpected plot twists of Katie McGarry’s best sellers, Make it Count is a romance that will leave you swooning and smiling.
Make it Count (ISBN: 978-1-62135-708-7, Clean Reads Publishing) is now available at www.tamarsloan.com and on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks.Website Link
Purchase Link
https://books2read.com/MakeitCount
Goodreads Link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36284190-make-it-count
About the Author:
A school psychologist by day, Tamar channels her passion for books into creating young adult stories about discovering life and love beyond our comfort zones. She is the award-winning author of the Prime Prophecy and Touched by Love Series. Tamar is also the author of PsychWriter: where psychology meets writing, a blog that supports and extends writers.
When not reading, writing or working with teens, Tamar can be found with her ever-patient husband and two beautiful sons enjoying country life on their small acreage in the Australian bush.
Tamar finds it deeply rewarding to share her stories and she loves to hear from her readers and fellow lovers of all things book related. You can find her at www.tamarsloan.com or on Facebook www.facebook.com.au/tamarsloanwriter or Twitter www.twitter.com/sloantamar.
October 16, 2017
Cover Reveal: Clipped Wings
I am beyond honoured to be a part of the blog tour and cover reveal for author Jennifer Gilmour’s latest release, Clipped Wings.
This is a hugely important book when it comes to raising not only awareness for those trapped in physically and emotionally abusive relationships, it is also a ray of much-needed light at the end of what can be a very dark and isolated tunnel.
Here is the book blurb:
The silent chorus.
Just imagine you thought that you had met the man or woman of your dreams. This person was charming and you thought they were the one or perhaps that this was fate; it was just meant to be.
But as the months go by things start to change. Their behaviour towards you isn’t the same, they are more critical, more particular about your appearance, what you do, how you do it, who you see. Time goes by and you feel isolated from your friends and family because that behaviour has now changed to threats, maybe violence and you feel that your identity is all but gone. But still you stay. Where would you go? Who would help you? You are not worthy.
But you are.
A group of survivors have spoken about their own experiences. In their own words they show that survivors do have a voice and that it needs to be heard. They show that abuse isn’t unique or strange but that it is, unfortunately, a surprisingly common problem in today’s society.
The message of this book is one of courage, as with courage comes awareness and an ability to understand what has happened to you and take the steps needed to become a survivor yourself.
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About the author:
Born in the North East, Jennifer is a young, married mum with three children. In addition to being an author, she is an entrepreneur, running a family business from her home-base. Her blog posts have a large readership of other young mums in business.
From an early age, Jennifer has had a passion for writing and started gathering ideas and plot lines from her teenage years. A passionate advocate for women in abusive relationships, she has drawn on her personal experiences to write this first novel ‘Isolation Junction’. It details the journey of a young woman from the despair of an emotionally abusive and unhappy marriage to develop the confidence to challenge and change her life and to love again.
Since the publication of her debut novel Jennifer has continued to be an advocate for those in abusive relationships through her blog posts, radio interviews and Twitter feed. Jennifer also gained a qualification in facilitating a recover programme for those who have been in abusive relationships.
Jennifer continues to publicly support those who are isolated and struggle to have a voice. Jennifer hopes that ’Clipped Wings’ gives a voice to survivors’ experiences and raises awareness further of the types of unacceptable behaviour which fall into the category of domestic abuse.
October 13, 2017
Meet The Author: Rose McClelland
Author: Rose McClelland
Novel: “The Year of No Rules”
Release date: 17 October 2017
Hi Rose! Please tell us all about your latest release “The Year of No Rules”
Sasha has fallen head over heels in love with Kirk. But there’s one problem – he’s given her a list of rules to sign. Because she’s so smitten, she actually agrees to sign it and abide by them until everything goes horribly wrong.
What inspired you to write it?
I had actually heard of a real-life example where a guy gave his girlfriend a list of rules to sign. I was fascinated by the idea and wondered what the outcome would be and how it would affect their relationship. I also wanted to look at what would happen if she didn’t adhere to the rules and how he’d react!
Speaking of rules, can you think of any funny incidents where you broke the rules?As a child, there were many funny incidents that occurred with my six siblings. One rule we ignored landed us in a lot of trouble. Staying at our granny’s, she told us to ‘only walk around the block and be back in ten minutes’. We took a wrong turning and walked for hours! The Police had to come looking for us. Seven young children traipsing along country roads. We must have looked like the Von Trapp family!
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Can you give us any clues as to what you’re working on next?
I’m really enjoying writing book 4 at the moment. It’s set in rehab and there are four central characters who are chaotic, dramatic and very entertaining! I’m looking at the love interest that develops between them and the scrapes that they get themselves into.
You’re a real “crazy cat lady” (your words!). I wonder why so many writers own a cat?
I know! It’s seems to be one of the tools of the trade! It’s so relaxing to have a cat curled up in the corner when I’m writing away. He’s also very therapeutic if I need some time out and I can just listen to him purring!
Chocolate or crisps?
Chocolate, definitely! I love those chocolate Freddos and I eat at least two a day! They’re only 4 syns on Slimming World though, so it’s allowed!
If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would it be?Remember that the journey is more important than the destination. Try to set aside overwhelming fears of how long it might take to get published. Instead, try to think about what you could do today. Could you enjoy sitting down for an hour and writing some ideas? Then do that. Don’t look too far ahead. Just enjoy the journey today.
About Rose McClelland:
Rose writes women’s fiction with a splash of romance and comedy. She writes about dating and relationships in a humorous fashion, placing plenty of twists and turns along the way. Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes or Sophie Kinsella.
Rose lives in Belfast but divides her time between the sofa and bubble bath. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. It’s a bit of an addiction actually. That, and the chocolate Freddos. She can often be found on Facebook posting photos and stories about her cat, her cooking or book reviews.
She has written a few short plays and finds it a buzz to see actors performing her words on stage.
Please follow her on Facebook or Twitter – she’d love to hear from you!
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RoseMcClellandauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseMcClelland1
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0743BFMPV/ref=sr_1_1?tag=geolinker-21&ie=UTF8
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805471.Rose_McClelland
September 29, 2017
Meet The Author: Anne-Marie Ormsby
Welcome, Anne-Marie. Grab a slice of cake and pull up a pew…
What inspired you to write your book, ‘Purgatory Hotel’?
There’s a Nick Cave song called God’s Hotel and one day when I was in my old job making dancewear (yes I said dancewear) my mind was wandering and it got me thinking about what if the afterlife was a hotel. Then I was thinking about that in a negative sense, as in how awful would it be to be trapped in an old hotel with a bunch of murderers and rapists and the rest of the story just grew from that. I listened to Nick Cave’s music a lot while writing as it’s quite dark and has the same tone as where I was going with the storyline and then ended up featuring one of his other songs in the novel.
Who was your favourite character in the novel and why?
I really enjoyed writing about Jackson Shade as he was quite hard to categorize, sometimes he was likable other times he wasn’t, I went from loving to hating him and back again in a few pages! He’s a loner, a bit dark and gloomy but quite happy with not being liked by most people. He’s probably more like me than I’d care to admit as far as his personality goes, but there are times when he is definitely nothing like me so he was interesting to develop.
You have recently had a screenplay made into a short horror movie, congratulations. Talk us through the process!
That came about because a good friend of mine was planning on making a movie or two and wanted to start out with a few shorts. He knew I had written a few screenplays in the past just for my own interest and asked if I’d work on one with him. So we collaborated on ideas and I wrote the screenplay for him. He then went on to produce and direct it as a short movie
I’m also really interested to hear more about the vintage articles that you pen for In Retrospect Magazine…
Well a few years back, In Retrospect Magazine were looking for people to contribute to their website, so I began writing articles about old Hollywood stars like Katherine Hepburn and Jane Russell and how to copy their outfits. I’m currently doing a series of interviews with small businesses that produce reproduction vintage clothing and accessories. Vintage fashion is a passion of mine so writing about it is a pleasure.
Favourite cake (when you have time to eat in between all of this multi-tasking)?
Oh lord…if I’m in a hurry, Krispy Kreme donuts. If I’m not – Cheesecake…or brownies…or carrot cake….oh god anything really apart from coffee cake!
What’s the loveliest thing a reader has said about your writing?
One of my friends read early chapters of Purgatory Hotel and said it was like Harry Potter meets The Shining. Literally the best thing he could have said!
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And the not-so-loveliest?
Another friend who read early chapters said it was a bit silly and that no one had names like that in real life. I had to explain… it’s fiction…
Favourite place to holiday?
America. When I was little and fell in love with old Hollywood movies, I dreamed about going to Hollywood and to New York. I traveled there a fair bit around California and Las Vegas when I was younger and I just love it there despite its complicated political goings on and my issues with the treatment of the Native Americans! But it’s always my first choice if I get asked where I want to go on holiday – there’s so many places I haven’t seen there yet.
If you could choose three authors to invite over for a dinner party (and these have to be authors you haven’t yet met!), who would that trio comprise of?
Do they have to be alive? If not – Jack Kerouac, Ray Bradbury and Douglas Coupland. There would be a lot of wine.
We’d love to know what you are working on next… can you spill a few beans?
It is another paranormal crime thriller, this time set more in the real world and in a landscape I know very well – London.
To follow the author via social media, and for book buying details, click below!
https://en-gb.facebook.com/annemarieormsby78/
Book
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Purgatory-Hotel-Anne-Marie-Ormsby/dp/1977649521/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506589863&sr=8-3&keywords=purgatory+hotel
Website
www.annemarieormsby.com
September 25, 2017
I Can’t Stop Pacing…
I’m in limbo. That no woman’s land between not quite officially being a published author just yet… and knowing that is exactly what is about to happen in one weeks’ time. Seven days, one hundred and sixty eight hours, ten thousand and eighty minutes!
How to fill them?
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In the run up to October 3rd, ‘Oh! What a Pavlova”s launch date, I’m turning into my husband, who habitually paces about the house before a holiday or a business trip or a visit from his parents. I just can’t stick or settle to do anything!
I attempted to bake Millionaire Shortbread… but my caramel stubbornly refused to set and now the ants are having a field day in the bin (we live in Spain… it’s still hot). I turned my attention back to the planning of my three hour online launch party… but ended up staring vacantly at the laptop screen. I swept the floor like a good Stepford Wife (let me tell you, if you ever see me with a cleaning implement in my hand, know this is simply not normal… unless we are about to host a dinner party), yet still I was marching backwards and forwards, all over the house, restless with an indescribable hybrid-esque feeling of wanderlust meets wanting to sleep for a week. Okay then: let’s get ahead of the game and make some fun memes on Canva for novel number two… February 13th will be here before we know it. But I couldn’t quite find the right images. Alright: novel number three, let’s GO. But the characters refused to be stirred from their hangover-induced sleep.
Which is when it dawned on me. I have a self-marketing hangover. That’s what this is all about.
I have spent an entire summer creating memes on Canva, giving interviews (radio and written), contacting newspapers and magazines, penning articles, navigating Twitter, uploading inspirational foodie pics to Instagram, making new author friends, giving Facebook Lives (nervously clutching at my G&T), finding my ‘tribe’ all over social media, admiring selfies of the paperback version of my book flying in from early readers from all corners of the world, playing Book Fairy, hosting author interviews, joining Facebook writing groups, getting to grips with Goodreads, attending photo shoots and hovering on that very fine and treacherous line between dropping a subtle hint to those very same early readers… and begging, for their Amazon reviews.
And what I have come to realise is this: in a 21st century publishing world that is ever-reliant on the author putting on their Shameless Plug Hat and getting themselves out there, it IS okay to take a break, meditate, play some music, head to the beach, and relax with a queue of cocktails.
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Which is exactly what I plan to do this week.
The work has been done, the scene has been set, the ‘extra, extra, read all about its’ have been shouted from the rooftops and the momentum will hopefully carry ‘Pavlova’ forward in the right direction. In short, it’s time to chill the hell out, to trust that the universe will deliver this book into the hands of all those who will enjoy her the most, to those who will take the positives out of her message, and ultimately, want to read more from this very humble debut author.
One thing is for sure though, when I look back over all I have squeezed into the past few months in terms of PR, I am SO glad I listened to the very sound advice of my publishers and prepped well in advance.
I mean, can you imagine what kind of a zombie-like state I’d be in if I’d started all of this the week before pub date?!
September 22, 2017
Meet The Author: Tessa Robertson
What inspired you to write your book, ‘Assassin By Day’?
I started writing Assassin By Day as a way to let out frustration from life. Initially, it was just a short story that was fun to write. As time went on, I couldn’t stop thinking about Mishka and the many possibilities her story could bring. It took no time at all to finish, but editing was another story. I think my biggest inspiration was that I wanted to write a book that wasn’t like the others I’d read. I wanted to push the limits of a ‘typical’ female character and I hope I succeeded.
You have a stunning cover image for your novel. Talk us through the process of getting your cover just right…
Finding a perfect book cover is almost as difficult as editing. I went through several websites from my publisher until we finally found an image we could work with. After a bit of tweaking and lots of emails, we arrived at the one that I absolutely love. It’s sexy, daring, and mysterious, just like Mishka.
‘Life is too short to hold back and not pursue every facet of your dreams’ is the motto you share on your website. How would you expand on these words for any dithering authors out there who aren’t sure if their manuscript is good enough?
I cannot begin to explain how depressing it is for a writer who second-guesses their manuscript. I do it on a consistent basis, so they’re not alone. I have an email folder specifically for ‘Rejections’ and it’s got quite a few in there. My best advice to fellow authors struggling with their manuscript is to believe in your work. One of my good friends told me to do that when I first started writing ‘Assassin By Day’ and it stuck with me. You will find a publisher who HAS to have your manuscript. It may take a year or two of rejection emails, but have confidence in your work and patience will win in the end.
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Favourite cake?
Does cheesecake count? Because cherry cheesecake is my absolute favorite.
What’s the loveliest thing a reader has said about your writing?
“I stayed up all night reading. I couldn’t put it down.”
And the not-so-loveliest?
“Why does she (Mishka) have to be like that?”
Favourite place for a vacation?
I haven’t actually been yet, but I’m fairly certain Scotland will be my favourite place once I get there 
September 19, 2017
Meet The Author: Kiltie Jackson
Welcome Kiltie! It’s lovely to have you here on my blog today. Take a seat and a slice of cake and we’ll get started with the questions.
What inspired you to write your book, ‘A Rock n Roll Love Style’?
I first began writing A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle over ten years ago. I got to the end
of chapter seventeen and decided that it wasn’t coming out of my fingers as I
was seeing it in my head. When I read it back, it felt stilted and forced. So it was
shelved until January 2017 when I blew the cobwebs off and tried again. This makes
it very difficult for me to remember how it was conceived. It may have been a
dream – I have a few future book plots which have been born this way – it may
have been a song or a book or a celebrity story that just so happened to be on the
news at the time. Possibly, it was a combination of all these things.
What made you decide to self-publish?
The decision to self-publish was not taken lightly. My priority was always to
get the story written but the thought was stuck in the back of my mind on what
to do next. When I read Christie Barlow’s story of how she realised her ambition
to become an author, and that she had self-published her first novel, it gave me
hope that there was an alternative to relying on another person making a decision
on my life. I could control the path my future would take. In our lives, other
people make the big decisions on our behalf – do we meet their requirements
to be given a driving license, a job, or a mortgage? Sometimes the ‘yes’ or ‘no’
answer can depend on the mood that ‘other person’ is in that day.
So I decided that the only person involved in this choice would be me!Also, I’m not getting any younger; I don’t have the time to wait for the right person to
be in the right mood to finally decide they like what I write. When one considers how
many rejections J K Rowling had before she got her publishing deal, one can’t help but wonder how many people are kicking themselves over the
opportunity they missed because the wrong person read her manuscript.
Living in the age of digital technology, authors now have more options and
choice in how their careers unfurl.
Your novel is set in Salzburg. Is this a city you know well?
I chose Salzburg as the primary setting because I love this city and I can’t recall
ever reading a book which is set there. I have visited this stunning location several
times and I believe this knowledge helped me to describe it with both love and realism.
I once read that when an author chooses their location for a book, they need to
ensure it is a place they can live with, in their head, for at least six months.
Salzburg was in mine for ten years and I was still very sad to say goodbye to it
when A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle was completed.
The book also features Christmas markets. What’s your favourite thing about them?
I love the unusual trinkets they sell. In recent years, German Christmas Markets are springing up in most towns as the festive season approaches but, when A Rock ‘n Roll Lovestyle was first conceived, they were still more of a rarity. My two most prized purchases are my Nutcracker men, both of which travelled all the from Salzburg. The Nutty Boys stand guard above my writing desk and watch over me as I work.
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Are you a Rock Chick in real life?
Oh yes! Very much so although I like to think I have an extensive musical collection covering many genres. My musical play lists will often see Alice Cooper rubbing up against Abba, Madness getting down with Meat Loaf or Robbie Williams rocking along with Royal Blood.
Favourite cake?
Well… I’ve yet to meet a cake I didn’t like but, if I’m having to choose just one, then it would be Apple Strudel. If that falls into the ‘Pudding’ category, second choice would be a Custard Tart.
What’s the loveliest thing a reader has said about your writing?
One of my ARC’s informed me that she couldn’t put her manuscript down, to the point where she “had the hair straighteners in one hand and the other hand was turning the pages of the ‘script” as she was getting dressed to go to work. I took this to be a compliment.
And the not-so-loveliest?
At the time of writing, not many people have read my novel and, thus far, all feedback has been extremely good. I have friends who would not be slow in telling me if it was rubbish. (Please feel free Sam, to come back to me for an update on this nearer to the time you plan to publish.)
Favourite place to holiday (apart from Salzburg!)
Haha! Now you’ve got me! My husband and I both love Venice very much and I would be very happy to visit the city again although there is a lot more of Italy that I wish to see so I’ll expand and say ‘Italy’.
If you could choose three authors to invite over for a dinner party (and these have to be authors you haven’t yet met!), who would that trio comprise of?
First up, and with no hesitation what-so-ever, would be Stephen Fry. I think this man is utterly wonderful – charming, intelligent and very articulate. He would be the life and soul of the evening.
Next would be Deric Longden, an incredibly warm and humorous man who is sadly no longer with us. I first read his book ‘The Cat Who Came in From the Cold’ many years ago and swept through it in one sitting. His writing is mostly the observations of his life and they are so funny. I have recommended his work to many people and no one has ever come back with negative feedback. I always ensure that I read one of his books every year just to get a good dose of laughter.
Lastly, it would have to be the wonderful Jill Mansell. In my opinion, one of the best contemporary romance authors I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I have thoroughly enjoyed every book she has written and I cannot say that about any other author in this genre – there is usually one written offering that doesn’t quite hit the spot. Jill, however, comes up with the goods every time and she would be a fabulous addition to my dinner table.
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We’d love to know what you are working on next… can you spill a few beans?
Yes, I do. I have already started book number two and it will be called ‘Of All the Unlikely Places’.
The main characters are Danny Delaney, a thirty-nine year old IT Manager who works in London and the leading lady is Elsa Clairmont, who had a supporting role in ‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle’. In ‘Places’ she gets to tell her own story.
Without giving too much of the plot away, I can say that both Danny and Elsa die,
in unrelated incidents, within the first four chapters!
Book Blurb
A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle is a modern day love story which travels from Austria to
London to Italy, as the main characters, Sukie McClaren and Pete Wallace, develop
an unexpected, and unlikely, friendship. He is a world-renowned rock-star who is
the darling of the paparazzi – regardless of how much he detests the publicity – and
she is an office supervisor who can’t even bear to have her photograph taken for
the office newsletter. Having been used badly in the past, by ladder-climbing, celebrity-seeking wannabes,
Pete no longer trusts anyone and is finding life lonely at the top. Through Sukie, he
begins to learn that not everyone wants something from him and that there are people
who will go out of their way to make life better for others. Sukie’s lesson is to learn
that true love means making sacrifices and that love can only be perfect when
people are prepared to compromise.
As Sukie and Pete prepare to spend a family Christmas together in Austria, they are
unaware that, in Verona, Italy, Eduardo Di Santo is carefully planning his revenge
against Pete as payback for the life-changing accident his kid sister had at a
Pete Wallace concert three years prior.
When Pete announces his new world-tour, which includes a gig in Verona,
Eduardo knows this is what he has been waiting for.
He begins to make his plans –
plans in which Pete’s death is the only acceptable outcome. A secondary sub-plot involves Pete’s manager and long-standing family
friend, Jordie Ray, and Sukie’s mum, Beth McClaren.
They are two older people who have come to accept that the days of
love and affection are behind them. Despite a very rocky beginning, they find they are developing romantic feelings for each other – something neither of them
had ever anticipated experiencing again. Their own love story develops in-between the
drama unfolding with Sukie and Pete.
A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle by Kiltie Jackson can be purchased online
from Amazon.
Author Bio
Kiltie grew up in Scotland, Glasgow to be precise.
A very unique city with a very unique way of looking at life.
When she was old enough to do so, she moved to London and then,
after several years of obtaining interesting experiences -which are
finding their way into her writing – she moved up to the Midlands.She currently lives in Staffordshire with five cats and one husband.
The cats kindly allow her and her husband to share their house on the
condition they keeps paying the mortgage!
Her little home is known as Moggy Towers, even though despite having
plenty of moggies, there are no towers!
She loves reading, watching movies, and visiting old castles.
She really dislikes going to the gym!
Her biggest desire is that one day she can give up the day job
and write her stories for a living.
Kiltie first began writing ‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle’ over ten
years ago. The project was shelved on Chapter Seventeen as she felt the story
wasn’t flowing as she would like it to.
In her own words “The images in my head would not come out of my fingers!”Fast forward to November 2016 when, having finished reading
Lizzie’s Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow,
she read more about the author and was inspired with how Christie herself
came to be a best-selling author.
In that thunderbolt moment, Kiltie knew – with a deep certainty – that she needed to reacquaint herself with ‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle’ and begin writing again.
She did this in January 2017 and found the words flowed faster than she
could type them. Finally, the time was right for her to write her novel.
Her determination to finish what she had started all those years ago was
absolute and the first draft was completed on Sunday 16th April 2017.
Since beginning to write again, the ideas have not stopped flowing.
She has begun typing up her second book, ‘Of All the Unlikely Places’,
and book three (not yet titled) has been worked out and is waiting
in the wings for its turn in the spotlight.
She currently has a further ten plots and ideas stored in her file (it’s costing a
fortune in USB drives as each story has its own memory stick!) and
the ideas still keep on coming.
She now lives her life around the following three quotes:
“I love having weird dreams, they’re great fodder for book plots!”
“Why wait for your ship to come in when you can swim out to meet it?”
“Old enough to know better, young enough not to care!”
You can read more about Kiltie Jackson on her website www.kiltiejackson.com,
follow her Facebook page www.facebook.com/kiltiejackson or email on
kiltiejackson@gmail.com
September 14, 2017
Meet The Author: Linda Strader
Welcome to the blog, Linda! This has to be the most inspiring and empowering interview I have published with an author to date, so I am really pleased to be able to share your story with other readers today. Thanks for stopping by to tell us about your book and how it came to be.
What inspired you to write your book, ‘Summers of Fire: A Memoir’?
Multiple losses…within 5 years time, I ended my 23 year marriage, lost my job, and lost my mom. Because my years as a firefighter were some of the best times of my life, I returned to them—not necessarily to write a book, but to write down some of the events. However, after doing so, friends encouraged me to write more. And I did. Four hundred pages!
You must have encountered many challenges as one of the first females on a Forest Service Fire Crew in the U.S. Can you tell us about that?
When I accepted this summer job, I didn’t realize the hardest part would not be fighting fires. My first summer, I thought I handled the snide and rude sexist comments quite well. I heard things like: “women belong barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen.” I laughed them off, and continued to focus on my job and do the very best I could—which meant working twice as hard as the guys just to prove I could handle the work. But later in the summer I discovered that most of the guys whom I thought were my friends and comrades, didn’t think I belonged there. One said, “You should quit. You’re just here to fill the agency’s woman quota.”
That hurt, but it didn’t stop me from reapplying for the next summer.
My third summer a man denied me a job for which I was fully qualified. I filed a formal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint, but nothing happened because the man claimed he’d never done such a thing.
Even that didn’t stop me from pursuing the job I loved for four more years.
How have those challenges gone on to help you in other areas of your life?
It’s been interesting to discover that I don’t give myself much credit for taking on such hard and challenging work, or for rebuilding my life more than once. It’s my friends who remind me that I’m still that tough, strong-willed twenty-year-old inside. When I think about it, I guess they are right!
Favourite cake?
Chocolate…but it has to be vegan.
What’s the loveliest thing a reader has said about your writing?
Hands down, this comment: “I hate to admit it, but you made me get teary at the end, both because of the challenges you faced and overcame, but I also had that feeling you get when you become familiar with a book character and then you reach the end of the book and you realize you won’t be following that “friend” anymore.”
And the not-so-loveliest?
On one of my early drafts, “You need to make this more than a travelogue.” (I’d already done so, but that comment still stung.)
If you could choose three authors to invite over for a dinner party (and these have to be authors you haven’t yet met!), who would that trio comprise of?
Definitely Cheryl Strayed, who wrote, “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.” She was my inspiration.
I’d also like to meet Laura Munson, author of “This Is Not the Story You Think It Is.” I admire how she bared her soul. She taught me to be strong and to do the same in my memoir.
And Philip Connors, author of Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout. I think we’d have much to talk about…from nature to wildfire.
We’d love to know what you are working on next… can you spill a few beans?
The prequel to Summers of Fire is with beta readers. It’s a coming-of-age story about love and finding my calling.
Bio: Linda M. Strader
Originally from Syracuse, New York, Ms. Strader moved to Prescott, Arizona with her family in 1972. In 1976, she became one of the first women on a Forest Service fire crew in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson.
Her publishing history includes many web articles on her expertise of landscaping with desert plants. A local newspaper, the Green Valley News, printed an article about her firefighting adventures, which led the magazine, Wildfire Today, to publish an excerpt. The article generated interest in her speaking on this topic to several clubs, including the American Association of University Women. Summers of Fire is her first book, scheduled for publication on May 1st, 2018. She is currently working on a prequel.
In addition to writing, Ms. Strader is a landscape architect, certified arborist, and watercolor artist. She currently lives in the same area where her Forest Service career began.
Lstrader2008@aol.com
Blog address: https://summersoffirebook.blogspot.com/
Book Blurb
Linda Strader is one of the first women hired on a fire crew with the U.S. Forest Service. A naïve twenty-year-old in the mid 1970s, she discovers fighting wildfires is challenging—but in a man’s world, they became only one of the challenges she would face. Battling fire is exhilarating, yet exhausting; the discrimination real and sometimes in her face. Told with snappy dialog, Summers of Fire is an adventure story that honestly recounts the seven years she ventures into the heart of fires that scorch the land, vibrant friendships that fire the soul, and deep love that ends in devastating heartbreak.
Linda’s book will not be out until May 1, 2018, but here is the link to her publisher’s website. Linda hopes pre-ordering will be available soon. Below is the link to her blog, where most certainly she will have updates as they become available.
http://binkbooks.bedazzledink.com/
https://summersoffirebook.blogspot.com/
September 1, 2017
Meet The Author: Daisy James
Welcome Daisy James! Please tell us a little about your most recent Book…
Thanks ever so much for having me as a guest on your blog, Isabella. It’s great to be here.
My most recent book is Sunshine After the Rain. The story is set in glorious Corfu and I hope I’ve managed to capture not only the beautiful scenery and the friendliness of the people, but also that wonderful aroma of crushed pine needles mingled with the saltiness of the warm sea. The weather hasn’t been brilliant in my part of the UK this summer so I think we all deserve a little bit of Sunshine After the Rain, don’t you?
We are introduced to Evie who is a frazzled workaholic in desperate need of a break from the daily struggle to six o’clock. There is a disaster at the art gallery where she works and she has to take a sabbatical. Spending time on the sandy beaches of Corfu helps her to understand what her priorities are – with a little help of hunky Sam Bradbury. I really hope readers find it a heart-warming summer read, perfect for the beach.
What inspired you to write it?
Corfu is one of my favourite holiday destinations. I love all things Greek; the people, the food, the music, the scenery, the warm water to swim in, the golden sunshine, the ouzo! I wanted to write something that would chase the rainclouds away, hence the title.
Your novels appear to be themed around travel (one of my very favourite things). With so many fabulous destinations to write about, how do you choose the backdrop for your next title?
You are right! I love travel. My first novel – The Runaway Bridesmaid – was set partly in New York and I loved doing the research! I was lucky enough to take a trip there for a milestone birthday so I was able to bring in details of my experience to the story. However, I think the setting of There’s Something About Cornwall becomes almost another character in the story. It features a grouchy celebrity chef – The Devil Wears an Apron – as she tours round the county sampling all the gorgeous artisan food and drink the county produces.
As far as my next book is concerned, it’s true there are so many wonderful destinations to choose from! However, I’ve decided that the stories (it’s a trilogy) will be set in the Caribbean. Mmm, rum punch, jerk chicken, pineapple and coconut ice cream….
Favourite cake?
As anyone who has read my books will know, I love baking. It’s so difficult to choose just one favourite cake, but if I had to, then it would be lemon drizzle cake. I’ve actually just taken twenty-four orange marmalade cupcakes out of the oven and the smell is delicious! I intend to decorate them with orange buttercream, but often the cakes disappear before I have chance!
What’s the loveliest thing a reader has said about your writing?
I’m immensely lucky to have such wonderful readers who tell me how much they enjoy my stories and that they’ll be looking out for the next one. I’ve been especially delighted with comments from people who live in Cornwall who have said how much they enjoyed the virtual trip around their home county via the pages of my novel.
And the not-so-loveliest?
Of course, no matter how hard they try, or how talented an author is, they can’t please every reader, every time. Some books or stories just don’t resonate. It is difficult to read unfavourable reviews, but if you put your writing out there you have to accept that there’s a risk that some people won’t like it.
Favourite place to holiday (apart from Cornwall or Corfu)?
I love Yorkshire – although I’m bound to say that, aren’t I, being a Yorkshire lass? But it is a really diverse county. I’ve just been for a long weekend to Whitby which was fun, but I also hope to sneak in a trip to Halifax in the next month or so to see the newly-renovated Cloth Hall. If I was going to take a flight to the sun, then my first choice would be a Greek island, but maybe one that I haven’t visited – I really fancy trying Evia as I’ve just read a book that was set there.
If you could choose three authors to invite over for a dinner party (and these have to be authors you haven’t yet met!), who would that trio comprise of?
One of my favourite genres is travel autobiographies so I would choose Chris Stewart who wrote Driving Over Lemons – what a fabulous title! Then I would invite Anne Mustoe who cycled, alone, around the world- 12,000 miles! What an amazing thing to do? I bet she has some amazing tales to tell. I’d love to ask her what she had in her rucksack. The last guest would be Michael Palin – another intrepid traveller. I can just hear the conversation now. I don’t think there will be much eating going on!
In a very competitive book world, what single piece of advice would you give to those starting out in your genre?
The best piece of advice I was given when I started out was just one word – persevere. There is inevitably rejection along the path to publication and you just have to accept that and move on.
What can we expect to see from you next?
I’m so excited about my next book. It’s my very first Christmas book and I loved writing it. It’s called Christmas at the Dancing Duck – which is a local village pub. Here’s a peek at the cover.
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And of course there’s my Caribbean trilogy coming next year.
BLURB
A summer that changes everything…
Frazzled workaholic Evie Johnson has finally had enough! When she’s blamed for a publicity disaster at the art gallery she loves, she decides to flee the bright lights of London for the sun-drenched shores of Corfu and turn her life upside-down.
Under the shade of the olive trees, she picks up her dusty paintbrushes and begins to chase the dreams she had put aside for so long. But she never expected to bump into drop-dead-gorgeous Sam Bradbury – and certainly not whilst wrapped only in a towel!
A summer fling is the last thing Evie wanted but a few stolen kisses under the stars might just begin to change her mind…
Bio
Daisy James is a Yorkshire girl transplanted to the north east of England. She loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something pink and fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea – china plates and teacups are a must.
Daisy would love to hear from readers via her Facebook page or you can follow her on Twitter @daisyjamesbooks or on Instagram @booksdaisyjames.
