Chirpy as an Easter Chick

Happy Easter one and all, I hope you are all enjoying the holiday, and that the sun has shone on you. My desk is in the conservatory at the moment, and it’s glorious in here.

I’m delighted to say the first review is in on One Secret Too Many, and it’s been given five stars by the very kind Susan Haughton in the US. Here’s what she had to say:

‘Just when you wonder how this series can get any better, it does. This is the most riveting Meredith and Hodges book yet and I could not put it down. With its many twists and turns, I was so caught up in what I believed to be the most obvious “secret” of the book, I simply did not see the explosive ending coming. Buckle up, this is a great ride and read.’

It’s impossible to explain how nervous an author is when a new release is out, particularly if that release is one of a series, and readers following that series have expectations – there is a lot of nail biting, and perhaps an extra glass of wine! So, it was a huge relief when I read Susan’s review as she has followed Meredith & Hodge since Misplaced Loyalty, the first in the series. Huge thanks for your kind review Susan, it does mean a lot to me.

Reviews mean a lot to all authors, so please take the time to review the books you read, even if it’s a brief statement like: “I loved this book”, or “Not really my cup of tea, but I liked the plot.” Not only does it provide feedback to the author, it also points other readers in the right direction.

The review is obviously one of the reasons I’m chirpy, the other is I have stuck to my promise to read more. I am currently at the closing chapters of Lost Boys by Mackenzie Brown, and I’ve been hooked since the first page where I found the story was told by an eleven year old girl – but more of that next time.

Before starting this I re-read A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow. It wasn’t as much of a shock as when I was thirteen, and despite knowing what was coming, I still urged Vic Brown, the main character to take a different course. I felt the same disappointment as I did all those years ago when he settled for a kind of loving, rather than find the love of his life, the special person, his soul mate who he knew was out there somewhere.

Set in Yorkshire in the late fifties it’s difficult to imagine, that despite the mess Vic finds himself in, life was so simple and clear cut. There were rules and you followed them, if you didn’t there was a code of conduct and you stuck to it – even if that means a hurried wedding with no fanfare. It’s difficult to explain why this tale is so compelling but it is, and if you haven’t read it give it a go, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. I have already downloaded the second two in the Vic Brown trilogy, and whilst I’m itching to read them I have Lost Boys to finish and two others on my list first. You will note I am being very disciplined, and it’s paying dividends, as I’m also itching to get back to writing – but first I read!

I’m off to write a review, then feet up with a cup of tea and a hot cross bun, and back to Lost Boys.

Enjoy the rest of the holiday, I’ll leave you with a not so chirpy chick – made me smile!