All posts by Melanie

THE GIRL IN THE GALLERY by Alice Castle #coverreveal #cozycrime

gallery

The Girl in the Gallery

by

Alice Castle

 

gallerySeries: London Murder Mystery series book #2

Genre: Cozy Crime

Release Date: 19th December 2017

Publisher: Crooked Cat Books

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Dulwich…

It’s a perfect summer’s morning in the plush south London suburb, and thirty-something Beth Haldane has sneaked off to visit one of her favourite places, the world-famous Picture Gallery.

She’s enjoying a few moments’ respite from juggling her job at prestigious private school Wyatt’s and her role as single mum to little boy Ben, when she stumbles across a shocking new exhibit on display. Before she knows it, she’s in the thick of a fresh, and deeply chilling, investigation.

Who is The Girl in the Gallery? Join Beth in adventure #2 of the London Murder Mystery series as she tries to discover the truth about a secret eating away at the very heart of Dulwich.

BUY LINK

https://MyBook.to/GirlintheGallery

ABOUT ALICE CASTLE

GALLERYAlice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph before becoming a novelist. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, was a European best-seller which sold out in two weeks.

Alice is currently working on the sequel to Death in Dulwich and The Girl in the Gallery. The third instalment in the London Murder Mystery series, it will be published by Crooked Cat next year and is entitled The Calamity in Catford. Once again, it features Beth Haldane and DI Harry York.

Alice is also a top mummy blogger, writing DD’s Diary at www.dulwichdivorcee.com.

She lives in south London and is married with two children, two step-children and two cats.

Alice Castle’s Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/alicecastleauthor/

Alice Castle is on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DDsDiary?lang=en

Links to buy Alice Castle’s books: myBook.to/GirlintheGallery  myBook.to/1DeathinDulwich, myBook.to/HotChocolate

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dds_diary/?hl=en

Blog: http://www.dulwichdivorcee.com

STOP PRESS!!!

Are you interested in reviewing this book? There is a review tour running 15th – 19th January 2018. Want to take part? Then email brookbooks@hotmail.co.uk for more details!

 

PENHALIGON’S PRIDE by Terri Nixon #extract #giveaway

Terri Nixon

Penaligon’s Pride

by

Terri Nixon

 

Terri NixonSeries: The Penhaligon Saga

Genre: Historical Saga

Release Date: 07 Dec 2017

Publisher: Piatkus

1910. Anna Garvey and her daughter are still running the Tin Streamer’s Arms in Caernoweth, Cornwall, and it finally seems like she has left her tumultuous history behind in Ireland. Meanwhile Freya Penhaligon has blossomed and is now the object of increasing affection of Hugh, the elder son of the wealthy Batten family.

After the dramatic events of the previous months, it feels like everything is finally getting back to normal. But when Anna inadvertently reveals something she shouldn’t, she finds herself at the centre of a blackmail plot and it seems like the past she longed to escape is coming back to haunt her. To make matters worse, the tiny fishing hamlet is battered by a terrible storm and shifting relationships find themselves under more scrutiny than ever before.

With the Penhaligon family at breaking point it will take enormous strength and courage to bring them back together – but is it already too late?

Extract from Penhaligon’s Pride

 

(Matthew Penhaligon is working in the tin mine, and his old adversary David Donithorn, his shift captain, has been uncharacteristically distant all morning. The men are on their lunch break.)

 

Alan had broken off from talking to cough; a deep, hacking sound, appalling enough in an old man, never mind in a nineteen-year-old. Matthew swallowed hard, wondering if he was imagining the tickle in his own throat, and determined not to cough himself… it sounded as if Alan would never stop. He’d surely returned to work too soon, but during his time working with Tommy, Matthew had learned the Trevellicks had no living parents, just aging grandparents Esther and Joe. There had been little choice in the matter, Alan’s wage was needed.

At thirty-eight, Matthew was probably one of the oldest men working the underground levels, particularly down this far; most had succumbed to injury or illness long before they reached such an advanced age, but then most of the others had been doing it all their lives. He wondered, with a returning bleakness, how long it would be before he too sounded as if he were tearing himself apart inside. The tickle in his throat grew, and he cleared it, tasting rock dust. A swig of water helped, but as he pictured the dust swirling down his throat he wished he’d spat instead.

Donithorn came back, and picked up the coil of fuse and the tamping bar. ‘Time.’ He started back down the tunnel, but Alan spoke up.

‘Powder, Cap’n? Or be we not botherin’ with that today?’ The sarcasm made Tommy visibly flinch, and Donithorn stopped. Matthew couldn’t see his face properly, but he gave a little shake of his head, as if coming back from some other place his mind had been inhabiting. ‘Yes. And, um… bring the bar.’

‘You’ve got that,’ Alan pointed out.

Donithorn looked down at his hand. ‘Right. Swab stick then.’ Irritation crept in. ‘Just make haste.’ Then he was gone into the dark again, and Matthew and the others put their water bottles and lunch tins back in their bags.

‘Well he’s changed,’ Alan observed. ‘Time was you couldn’t speak to ’un like that without getting a right ear-bashin’ back.’ He nudged his brother. ‘Why din’t you tell me he’d turned into a purring kitten? I’d have come back sooner.’

‘He’s only been like it today,’ Tommy said. ‘And you wouldn’t anyway, you’ve been too sick.’

‘I was joking,’ Alan pointed out patiently. ‘Come on, boy, grab what’s needed, and let’s get this bloody stuff out.’ As they started down the tunnel he caught at Matthew’s shirt. ‘You take this. Nature’s callin’ an’ she’ve got a bleddy loud voice.’

He pushed the swab stick into Matthew’s hand, and went back out to one of the worked-out tunnels to relieve himself, while Matthew and Tommy rejoined their captain.

When they reached him he had already cut the three fuses, and was neatly re-coiling what was left. He looked up, and dropped the depleted coil of fuse on the floor, then nodded at the cart. ‘Tommy, finish getting that loaded, and get it out.’

‘Yes, Cap’n.’

‘On you go, Pen’aligon, since you’ve got the stick.’

Matthew cleaned the loose grit and dust out of the three holes, and Alan arrived and began pouring the gunpowder into the scraper. When he and Donithorn started to pack and tamp the shot-holes, Matthew turned to help Tommy push the almost-full cart back out to the main shaft.

‘Get in,’ he said, when he was sure they were out of Donithorn’s hearing.

Tommy looked at him, puzzled. ‘What?’

‘Get in!’ Matthew knocked the side of the cart, and grinned.

Tommy gave a snort of surprised laughter, and climbed into the cart, where he huddled down on the lumps of ore, making himself as small as possible. Matthew pushed, enjoying the sound of Tommy’s chuckling as they went, and only just remembering in time to duck his own head to avoid an ear-ringing collision with the low, rocky roof. The boy worked so hard it was easy to forget he was still a child, and it was good to be able to give him a rest, even a brief one, though the ground was almost impossible to navigate without stopping every minute or so to kick rubble out of the way.

Together Matthew and the cart rattled and slid around the last bend, where the tunnel opened up and the ore could be unloaded onto a kibble for its journey to the surface. Tommy climbed out, and Matthew manoeuvred the cart into position. He glanced around as the boy started back up the tunnel.

‘Where are you going now? Alan’s here, there’s no need for either of us to go back.’

‘My coat,’ Tommy said. ‘I tied it around one of the props. It’s the only one I got,’ he added, almost apologetically. He needn’t have; Matthew was only too well aware of the consequences of losing clothing, when you earned so little money.

‘I’ll fetch it. Stay put.’

Donithorn was removing the candle from his helmet as Matthew returned to the end of the tunnel. ‘What’re you back for?’

‘Tommy’s coat.’ Matthew stepped past him and saw the coat, tied by the arms around one of the roughly sawn props.

‘Get it then, and be quick.’ Donithorn touched the candle to the end of the first fuse. ‘Fire in the hole!’ Alan quickly lit the other two, and flashed a grin at Matthew, who swore and ripped the coat sleeves free. Turning to follow, Matthew’s foot slid on loose rubble, and, as he reached out to steady himself on the wall he glanced at the nearest burning fuse and blinked. Something was… then he froze. Almost burned through…

‘Run!’ It came out weak and dismayed, so he snatched a short breath and bellowed, ‘RUN!’

Donithorn half-turned to question the sudden panic, but there was no time to explain. Matthew’s heart hammered against his ribs, the sweat of terror mingled with that of the natural heat, and made his free hand slip and slide on the rock wall. The hand holding Tommy’s coat gave him better purchase, and he leaned hard to his left, pushing against the wall to drive himself forward.

Donithorn, still blankly unmoving, looked past Matthew and, coming to life, gave a low cry of horror. Alan had heeded Matthew’s urgency and disappeared around the first bend, but Donithorn seemed locked in place and his face, in the thin light of the candle, was whiter than ever. ‘How…’

‘Go!’ Matthew shoved at him. He ducked low beneath the uneven roof, pushing Donithorn ahead of him. Even as he slipped and slid, and the skin was torn from his hands by sharp rock, he tried to calculate how long they had left. In his mind’s eye was only the sparking burn of the safety fuse, working its lazy, but unstoppable way towards the densely-packed gunpowder.

Terri NixonTerri Nixon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUY LINKS

 

Amazon UK:  www.amazon.co.uk/Penhaligons-Pride-Penhaligon-Terri-Nixon/dp/0349418780

Amazon US:  www.amazon.com/Penhaligons-Pride-Penhaligon-Terri-Nixon/dp/0349418780

Waterstones Online: www.waterstones.com/book/penhaligons-pride/terri-nixon/9780349418780

ABOUT TERRI NIXON

 

Terri Nixon

Terri was born in Plymouth, UK. At the age of 9 she moved with her family to Cornwall, to the village featured in Jamaica Inn — North Hill — where she discovered a love of writing that has stayed with her ever since. She also discovered apple-scrumping, and how to jump out of a hayloft without breaking any bones, but no-one’s ever offered to pay her for doing those.

Since publishing in paperback for the first time in 2002, Terri has appeared in both print and online fiction collections, and is proud to have contributed to the Shirley Jackson award-nominated hardback collection: Bound for Evil, by Dead Letter Press.
Penhaligon’s Pride is her eighth novel to be published.

Terri also writes under the name T Nixon, and has contributed to anthologies under the names Terri Pine and Teresa Nixon. She is represented by the Kate Nash Literary Agency. She now lives in Plymouth with her youngest son, and works in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Plymouth University, where she is constantly baffled by the number of students who don’t possess pens.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/terri.nixon.page

Twitter: twitter.com/TerriNixon

Goodreads Author Page: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7161840.Terri_Nixon

Instagram: www.instagram.com/telnixon

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/telnix/

Blog: www.terrinixon.wordpress.com

Website: www.terrinixon.com

GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will receive signed paperbacks of Books 1 & 2!

(UK & Ireland only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

HOUSE OF CHRISTMAS SECRETS ~ by Lynda Stacey #romantic #suspense

Lynda Stacey

House of Christmas Secrets

by

Lynda Stacey

 

Lynda StaceyGenre: ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Release Date: 5TH DECEMBER 2017

Publisher: CHOC LIT

This year we’re just going to have a nice, normal Christmas…

Last year’s Christmas at Wrea Head Hall didn’t quite go to plan which is why Jess Croft is determined this festive season will be the one to remember, for the right reasons. And she has plenty of reasons to be hopeful, she’s going to marry the man of her dreams, Jack Stone, seven days after New Year’s Eve.

However, as family secrets are revealed in hidden letters and two unexpected guests turn up on the doorstep, Jess is left wondering whether her life will ever be the same again.

Can Jess and Jack still experience a peaceful festive season that they had imagined or are there some problems that even Christmas can’t fix?

BUY LINKS

House of Christmas Secrets  – GetBook.at/ChristmasSecrets

 House of Secrets  – GetBook.at/HouseofSecrets

Tell me no Secrets – GetBook.at/Tmnsecrets

ABOUT LYNDA STACEY

Lynda Stacey

Lynda grew up in the mining village of Bentley, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire,

Her own chaotic life story, along with varied career choices helps Lynda to create stories of romantic suspense, with challenging and unpredictable plots, along with (as in all romances) very happy endings.

Lynda joined the Romantic Novelist Association in 2014 under the umbrella of the New Writers Scheme and in 2015, her debut novel House of Secrets won the Choc Lit & Whole Story Audiobooks Search for a Star competition.

She lives in a small rural hamlet near Doncaster, with her husband, Haydn, whom she’s been happily married to for over 20 years.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lyndastaceyauthor/

Twitter: @Lyndastacey

Blog: www.Lyndastacey.co.uk

GIVEAWAY

2 x signed copies of House of Secrets (UK & Ireland)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Mezzanotte Medical Romance ~MAKING THE DIFFERENCE by Kathryn Haydon

Mezzanotte

Making the Difference

by

Kathryn Haydon

 

MezzanotteGenre: Medical romance

Release Date: January 2017 (e-book format) & March 2017 (print format); both available via Amazon.com

Publisher: Mezzanotte

Single mum, Phoebe Jackson is stunned to find her new neighbour is hot, new doc Oliver Grey – locum consultant for Greenways Hospice where she is a specialist palliative care nurse. At their first encounter sparks fly, but soon there are sparks of a different sort. However, Oliver makes it clear from the outset that he’s not a settling down kind of guy. Having a family is not for him. Phoebe must decide if a summer romance is enough – or can true love change his mind?

Mezzanotte

EXTRACT

 

       “I like you, Phoebe Jackson – very much.” Placing a finger on her lips, Oliver silenced her. “If we take things any further it’s your call. Only before you make that decision you need to know something. I don’t do families, or long-term commitment. I’m a man who can’t offer roses round the door and a happy ever after ending. So, if that’s what you’re looking for, never say I didn’t warn you.”

Feeling her cheeks flame, Phoebe gasped. Stepping back smartly, she broke Oliver’s hold, head held high.

“I think you’d better go,” she hissed, keeping her voice low because of her son sleeping upstairs. “Though, for the record, aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself, Oliver? I’m content with my life the way it is. Noah and I are fine on our own. It would take a really special kind of guy to make me even consider changing the status quo. And, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve already got roses round my door!”

 

“Hell, Phoebe, I didn’t mean – – -” Cursing under his breath, he reached for her.

Fending him off, Phoebe’s eyes blazed.

“What exactly did you mean, Oliver? I’m not sure.” Her voice was saccharine sweet. “Are you suggesting, since we live in such close proximity, that you pop round for a spot of sex whenever the mood takes, no strings attached? We are both single, how very convenient. I’m afraid you’ll have to let me get back to you on that one. I haven’t had much experience of playing the hussy.”

“Phoebe, be a gown up. I’m moving on after the summer.” Oliver gave her a hard look. “We both know that. I’m not into making promises I can’t keep.”

MezzanotteMezzanotte

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BUY LINKS

Mezzanotte – http://bit.ly/2ADd7ir

Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/2BJbKhL

Amazon US – http://amzn.to/2joV5t6

STOP PRESS!!!

THE BOOK IS FREE TO DOWNLOAD FOR THE DURATION OF THE TOUR!

 

KATHRYN HAYDON’S WRITER’S JOURNEY

I don’t remember the start. From as far back as I recall, from the moment I first held a pen, I’ve loved to write. There’s always been a story running through my head. At school, English was my favourite subject; I excelled at essay writing, if not much else. My secret dream was to be published ‘one day.’ That day took a long time coming, but what a wonderful feeling when it happened!

When my children were small, like many young mums who are nurses, I chose night duty. This fitted around family commitments, especially working on a part-time basis. As my children grew, I felt the urge to write again and joined a creative writing group run by the Exeter branch of the W.E.A. It was a very supportive little group; members ranged in age from nineteen to ninety. Thursday afternoons soon became the highlight of my week. And I learned many important lessons: primarily, if you want to be published, remember writing is a business. So, act professionally.

Glibly, I shared the fact I once wrote a romance, painstakingly slowly on my word processor. And sent off a partial – the usual three chapters and a synopsis – to a well-known publisher. Unfortunately, what followed was a rejection, in the form of a lengthy letter with detailed comments and an invitation to resubmit (with a different story-line). Much water had gone under the bridge since then and I hadn’t resubmitted, believing what I received to be a publisher’s standard reply. I recall our writing tutor’s ‘shock, horror.’ Why hadn’t I penned another story and sent if off immediately? Writing is a business, she said. Time is valuable. Nothing is written or said, ‘just to be polite.’ No one would bother to read three whole chapters and make constructive comments, if they didn’t see promise and seriously intend the author to resubmit.  Oh dear.

Fast forward several more years; children all grown up now. Timidly, I entered one of the Writing Magazine’s short story competitions. Oh, the joy of seeing my name in print, short listed at first attempt! However, my confidence – shaky at best – took a dive when several more entries never got a mention. Maybe I didn’t have what it takes, after all. Then, a Eureka moment when another short story entry was placed second.

Around this period, I tried novel writing again to test the waters. The mistake I made was not completing my story before approaching a publisher. In fact, those three chapters and a synopsis was all I had this time. Who would have thought the response would be so quick, especially un-agented, from the ‘slush pile!’ Not me, that’s for sure. It was a hard lesson; always best to complete one’s story before sending anything off.

Leafing through my Writing Magazine about two years ago, I spotted an article on the Subscriber Spotlight page mentioning the publisher, Mezzanotte. With trepidation, I made contact and was invited to send a sample of my writing – the usual three chapters and a synopsis. They say, ‘write what you know’ and I was trying the medical romance genre and enjoying it. Anyway, back came the reply, please send the rest. So glad I had the rest!

‘Making the Difference’ was published in January 2017. It is available from www.mezzanotte-publishing.co.uk or direct from Amazon.com, in both e-book and print format. Thank you, Bettina for your steady support and guidance along the way. One of my best memories is working with Bettina to help choose the book’s dust jacket – which I love!

I write under the pen name Kathryn Haydon. Why use a pen name? For me, it gives a certain professional freedom. How did I choose it? Well, Haydon is a nod to my mother – Haydon was her maiden name – and Kathryn just seemed to flow with it.

What am I doing right now? Retirement has gifted me more time to do what I enjoy most – writing. Under contract with Mezzanotte, I am working on a book sequel. My writing journey hasn’t stopped; indeed, I don’t think it ever will.

A WORD FROM KATHRYN HAYDON

 

Mezzanotte

       Hello readers, pleased to meet you and have this chance to introduce myself. I am a West Country author; indeed, the red earth of Devon is steeped in my bones. I write under the pen name of Kathryn Haydon – Haydon as a nod to my mother (it was her maiden name) and Kathryn for no other reason than it flows well!

        From as far back as I remember, I’ve loved to write and always hoped to be published ‘one day’ – but, as all writers know, the road to publication is a tough one and it’s taken me a while. Although short story competition wins, not least the Crediton Courier prize in June 2016, felt good, publishing a novel remained elusive. However, in January 2017, my dream was realised. What a thrill to see ‘Making the Difference’ launched via Amazon.com, first as an e-book and later, March 2017, in print format. A big thank you to Bettina at Mezzanotte for all her support and guidance along the way.

What were the highlights as I worked steadily though my six- month contract with Mezzanotte, bringing my book to completion? There were several, starting (of course) with Bettina’s email stating that she liked my synopsis and first three chapters – and could I please send her the rest. You bet I could; in fact, I couldn’t send the remaining chapters off fast enough! The thing that stands out most, though, is the excitement I felt on being involved in choice of my book’s dust jacket. A real ‘wow’ moment, especially as I love it!

Why choose the medical romance genre? Well, they say write what you know and I am a retired nurse. So, it made sense to use a medical setting as the backdrop for my story. Also, I remain passionate about good palliative care; it really does make the difference. So, if you’re looking for something new – a ‘feel good’ book to curl up with on a winter evening by a cosy log fire, perhaps – then look no further. ‘Making the Difference’ is waiting for you, with an ending that won’t disappoint.

I’ve enjoyed writing Oliver and Phoebe’s story very much. I hope you have equal pleasure reading it.

Very best wishes,

Kathryn Haydon.

https://www.facebook.com/flickypenpot/

GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will receive a paperback copy of the book! (open Internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A CHRISTMAS WISH by Erin Green #contemporary #romance #giveaway

Erin Green

A Christmas Wish

by

Erin Green

 

Erin GreenGenre: Romance Contemporary

Release Date: 1st August 2017

Publisher: Aria Fiction/Head of Zeus

Flora Phillips has an excuse for every disaster in her life; she was abandoned as a new-born on a doorstep one cold autumn night, wrapped in nothing but a towel. Her philosophy is simple: if your mother doesn’t want you – who will?

Now a thirty-year-old, without a boyfriend, a career or home she figures she might as well tackle the biggest question of them all – who is she? So, whilst everyone else enjoys their Christmas Eve traditions, Flora escapes the masses and drives to the village of Pooley to seek a specific doorstep. Her doorstep.

But in Pooley she finds more than her life story. She finds friends, laughter, and perhaps even a love to last a lifetime. Because once you know where you come from, it’s so much easier to know where you’re going.

A story of redemption and love, romance and Christmas dreams-come-true, the perfect novel to snuggle up with this festive season.

BUY LINKS

https://www.amazon.ca/Christmas-Wish-Erin-Green-ebook/dp/B071YNFZGQ

https://www.amazon.com.au/Christmas-Wish-Erin-Green-ebook/dp/B071YNFZGQ

https://www.amazon.com/CHRISTMAS-WISH-Erin-Green/dp/1786697955

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Wish-Erin-Green-ebook/dp/B071YNFZGQ

ABOUT ERIN GREEN

 

Erin Green
Actor headshot photography

Erin was born and raised in Warwickshire, where she resides with her husband. An avid reader since childhood, her imagination was instinctively drawn to creative writing as she grew older. Erin has two Hons degrees: BA English literature and another BSc Psychology – her previous careers have ranged from part-time waitress, the retail industry, fitness industry and education. She has an obsession about time, owns several tortoises and an infectious laugh!

Erin’s writes contemporary novels focusing on love, life and laughter. Erin is an active member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and was delighted to be awarded The Katie Fforde Bursary in 2017. An ideal day for Erin involves writing, people watching and drinking copious amounts of tea.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ErinGreenAuthor/about/?tab=page_info

Twitter: @ErinGreenAuthor

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16881009.Erin_Green

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erin_green_author/

Website: www.ErinGreenAuthor.co.uk

GIVEAWAY

A signed copy of the book for 5 lucky winners! (UK only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE SATURDAY LETTERS by Jill Treseder #saga #review

Saturday

The Saturday Letters

by

Jill Treseder

 

SaturdayGenre: Family saga

Release Date: November 2017

Publisher: S Books

18+: Scenes of a sexual nature

When Henrietta finds herself excluded from seeing her grandchildren, she decides to write to them to explain their Afro-Caribbean origins in slavery.

She tells the story of her childhood in Bermuda, of marrying a British soldier, bringing up six children in Gibraltar and moving to England on her husband’s retirement from the army. Writing the letters reveals unexpected and challenging truths about herself and her family, which give her food for reflection.

Do her grandchildren ever receive the letters? And if so, how true a picture of their grandmother and family do they paint?

EXTRACT

First things first. I introduce myself. I am your great-grandmother. Your grandmother, Ada, is my daughter. As you know, of course, you visit her every Saturday afternoon with your parents. I live in the house just up the hill from hers. Not the one joined on to your grandmother’s house, but the next one.

I should say, I did live there. Because, if my plan works out, you will be opening these letters as a young man, aged twenty-one years, and I will no longer be on this earth.

BUY LINKS

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2Brvy93

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2ixYCrG

REVIEW

Imagine living within sight of your family but being cut off from them at the same time. In this poignant novella, Henrietta is faces this dilemma every day.
I loved the letters she wrote to her descendants with the hope of reuniting with them. I loved the expressions she used from her childhood in Bermuda in her correspondence. “cheese…” was a particular favourite (confirm from the glossary at the beginning of the story).
I almost got sea-sick myself as I travelled across the ocean to Gibraltar. I’ve never been but could picture it well from the author’s description. I looked up a photograph after reading the book and it was exactly like I’d envisioned.
Do the intended recipients ever see the Saturday letters? To find out, you’ll have to read the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Saturday

Jill Treseder was born in Hampshire and lived all her childhood in sight of the sea on the Solent and in Devon, Cornwall and West Wales. She now lives with her husband in Devon overlooking the River Dart.

After graduating from Bristol with a degree in German, Jill followed careers in social work, management development and social research, obtaining a PhD from the School of Management at the University of Bath along the way.

Since 2006 she has focused on writing fiction.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jill.treseder

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jill_Treseder

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7919007.Jill_Treseder

Blog: http://www.jilltresederwriter.com

Author: http://www.jilltresederwriter.com

Publisher: http://sbooks.co.uk

 

WHAT HAPPENS AT CHRISTMAS by Evonne Wareham #romantic #suspense

Evonne WarehamWhat Happens at Christmas

by

Evonne Wareham

Evonne WarehamGenre: romantic suspense

Release Date: 5 December 2017

Publisher: Choc-lit

Best-selling author Andrew Vitruvius knows that any publicity is good publicity. His agent tells him that often, so it must be true. In the run-up to Christmas, she excels herself – talking him into the craziest scheme yet: getting himself kidnapped, live on TV.

But when the plan goes ahead and Drew is unceremoniously thrown in the back of a van before being dragged to a hut in middle of the Brecon Beacons, it all starts to feel a little bit too real.

Meanwhile, not far away, Lori France and her four-year-old niece Misty are settling in to spend the holidays away after unexpected events leave them without a place to stay. Little do they know they’re about to make a shocking discovery and experience a Christmas they’re not likely to forget

BUY LINKS

Amazon UK   http://amzn.to/2AlOozk

Amazon US http://amzn.to/2BxFQoS

Apple  http://apple.co/2AjZYxl

Kobo http://bit.ly/2j1drjJ

Google http://bit.ly/2hZxCgR

Evonne Wareham

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Evonne Wareham

Evonne Wareham was born in Barry on the South Wales coast, but spent most of her working life in London. Now home again in Wales she is studying for a PhD in History and writing romance. She was a finalist in two reality writing contests in the United States and had a great time, even if she didn’t win. When not studying or writing, she loves to travel, go to the theatre, walk on the beach and sleep. She has won and been nominated for awards for her romantic suspense novels on both sides of the Atlantic, and is now also writing romantic comedy with a light dusting of crime – which is a change of pace from writing the dark scary stuff. She is a member of both the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, which means she gets to go to twice as many literary parties.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evonnewarehamauthor/?ref=bookmarks

Twitter: @evonnewareham

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5055952.Evonne_Wareham

Blog: http://evonneonwednesday.blogspot.co.uk/

Website: http://www.evonnewareham.com/

 

THE LAST OF THE SHACKDWELLERS by Lena Kennedy #cover #reveal

shackdwellers

The Last of the Shackdwellers

by

Lena Kennedy

 

shackdwellers

Genre:  AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Release Date:  18th January 2018

Publisher:  HODDER AND STOUGHTON

The evocative autobiography of the author Lena Kennedy who was sixty-four before her first novel, `Maggie` was accepted for publication.  This book examines the inspiration for her novels, such as the bestsellers Eve`s Apples and Lily My Lovely  and describes the long search for a publisher, as well as  her joy at finding success.

In this, story of her life as a writer, Lena Kennedy looks back on the formative influences that shaped her career, such as the idyllic summers spent at her family`s holiday home in Kent, where among the `shackdwellers` of the woods and the simple beauty of the countryside she began to realise her growing need to express her feeling through writing.  But the realisation of the need to write is only the beginning, as Lena soon acknowledged when her career took its first faltering steps, and the setback late in life that nearly robbed her of many year“s work. The Last of the Shackdwellers is told in her inimitable style, sheds much light on the life of this much-loved writer.  Lena Kennedy died in August l986.

PRE-ORDER LINKS

Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/2Bnvbxc

Amazon US – http://amzn.to/2iQe4fX

 

ABOUT LENA KENNEDY

 

shackdwellers

Lena Kennedy (June 15, 1914 – August 1 1986), was an English author. Her books were mostly historical romantic fiction set in and around the East End of London where she lived for all her life. Some of her books, including her autobiography, were published posthumously.

She appeared, as a subject, on the television programme This Is Your Life shortly before her death in 1986.

GOODREADS – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/218464.Lena_Kennedy

Amazon Author page – http://amzn.to/2Bl0V61

WHEN THE MERMAID SINGS by Helen Hollick #historical #YA

mermaid

When the Mermaid Sings

by

Helen Hollick

 

mermaid

Genre: Historical adventure, YA

Series: The Sea Witch (can be read as a standalone)

Release Date: 29 September 2017

Publisher: S Books

An early coming-of-age tale of the young Jesamiah Acorne set in the years before he becomes a pirate and Captain of the Sea Witch.

Throughout childhood, Jesamiah Mereno suffered the bullying of his elder half-brother. Then, not quite fifteen years old and on the day they bury their father, Jesamiah hits back. He flees his home, changes his name to Jesamiah Acorne and joins the crew of his father’s seafaring friend Captain Malachias Taylor aboard the privateer Mermaid.

Jesamiah makes enemies, sees the ghost of his father and hears the mysterious voice of a Cornish girl in his mind. But can he avoid the beguiling lure of a sensuous mermaid…?

EXTRACT

As followers of Jesamiah Acorne’s various nautical adventures know, the series of Sea Witch Voyages starts in January 1716 with Jesamiah, not yet a Captain of his own ship, about to take part in a pirate ‘Chase’ and a fight at sea with a prospective Prize.

He is aboard the Mermaid, with Captain Malachias Taylor in charge, and the opening scene, set off the coast of Africa, leads the way to what will be a turning point in Jesamiah’s life.

But what of his life before the events of Sea Witch? We know from the backstory that he fled his home in Virginia to escape the vicious bullying of his half-brother, Phillipe, and then crewed with Taylor, but how did that happen?

How did he learn to be the experienced seaman – and pirate – that he is?

How did he learn to fight?

What adventures, and risks, did he face in those days of his youth?

How did he develop from the frightened boy of not quite fifteen years old, to the cocksure, confident Captain that he became?

EXCERPT

“You alright, son?”

A man was bending over him, taking his arm, half-shaking it, half-assisting him to rise. Jesamiah looked up into a face with weatherworn, tanned skin, several teeth missing and a beard that was more grey-grizzled than the brown it had once been. Bright eyes sparkled beneath a three-corner hat that sprouted a feathered plume.

“You alright?” the man asked again.

“Yes, I think so,” Jesamiah answered, scrambling to his feet. He was at the harbour – how had he got here? Three ships, in addition to Anna, rested at anchor, the nearest sporting a splendid figurehead with carved seaweed hair draped over her bare breasts; her fishtail curled as if clinging to the bow itself. Mermaid.

“You sure?” the sailor asked again, his hand still clasped to Jesamiah’s arm.

“Just a bit dizzy, that’s all.”

“Not surprising,” the man said with a nod and grim smile. “That’s some cut to your head. You came down quite a wallop.”
Touching his fingers to his temple, Jesamiah looked at the sticky smear of blood left on them.

“I saw you take the tumble as I were coming ashore. Noticed you earlier, too, with Tom Markham?”

Jesamiah nodded, then wished he hadn’t. “Aye, from Anna over there.” He pointed her out.

“Stannis still her bosun?”

Not risking another nod, Jesamiah confirmed that he was.

“Nasty piece of work. I’d as soon shoot him as serve with him.”

Not making a comment that could land him in trouble, Jesamiah answered, tactfully, “You know him, then?”

The man indicated a scar on his face. “We had a serious falling-out a few years back.”

The dizziness clearing, Jesamiah took a deep breath and was grateful that the man made a grab for him as he again tottered precariously. He attempted a jest: “I’m not sure if it’s the wound or not finding my land-legs yet. The ground’s pitching as much as the deck did.”

“Ah, you’ll soon adjust, son. Your pa always takes a few hours to do so.”

That cleared Jesamiah’s head as efficiently as a dousing with a bucket of cold seawater. “My pa?”

The man studied the boats at anchor in the harbour. “Aye. I take it Charles is not here? No sign of his vessel out there. Has he sent you off to sea?” The man chuckled. “’Bout time, if you ask me.”

Unexpected tears swam in Jesamiah’s eyes. He rapidly blinked them aside. “My father passed away a few months ago.”

The man removed his hat, wiped his hand across his mouth and nose, sniffed loudly and blinked as rapidly as Jesamiah had done. “I’m sorry to hear that, lad. Right sorry. He was a good man.”

Taking a step backwards, the man held out his hand. “You are, of course, Jesamiah? You are the image of Charles. Got your ma’s dark Spanish eyes and hair, though.”

Initially tentative, Jesamiah hesitated, but took the proffered hand and gripped it in a firm handshake. “My apologies, but you are…?”

“Taylor. Captain Malachias Taylor of the Mermaid, yonder.”

 

BUY LINKS

Amazon US – http://amzn.to/2zqcFCI

Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/2A5TC4n

ABOUT HELEN HOLLICK

MERMAID

Helen Hollick moved from London in 2013 and now lives with her family in North Devon, in an eighteenth century farmhouse surrounded by fields and woodland. She owns variety of pets including horses, Exmoor ponies, dogs, cats, chickens, ducks and geese.

First published in 1994 her passion now is her pirate character Captain Jesamiah Acorne of the nautical adventure series The Sea Witch Voyages.

Helen became a USA Today bestseller with her historical novel The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK). This is the story of Saxon Queen Emma of Normandy. Her novel Harold the King (titled I Am The Chosen King in the US) explores the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy, set in the fifth century, is widely acclaimed as a more historical version of the Arthurian legend.

She has written non-fiction books including Pirate – Truth and Tales, a book about smuggling (due to be published 2018) and Discovering the Diamond, a short advice guide for new writers interested in self-publishing which she co-wrote with her editor Jo Field.

Helen is published in various languages including Turkish and Italian.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helen.hollick

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenHollick

Blog: https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.co.uk

Website: www.helenhollick.net

Newsletter: http://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick

Publisher: http://sbooks.co.uk

PARADISE GIRL by Phill Featherstone #YA/NA #extract #giveaway

paradise girl

PARADISE GIRL

by

Phill Featherstone

 

paradise girl

Genre: Nominally YA/NA, general fiction

Release Date: 27 January 2017

Publisher: Matador

Kerryl Shaw has always kept a diary, but this one is different because she knows she is going to die.

A highly infectious and incurable virus spreads worldwide. Seventeen-year-old Kerryl lives with her family on a remote farm. They think they will be safe, but the danger advances. One day a stranger arrives, and it soon becomes apparent that he has brought the plague to their door.

Kerryl is sure it’s only a matter of time before she catches the infection and dies, and decides to record what she thinks will be her final days. She realises that her diary will never be read, so she imagines a reader and calls him Adam. Loneliness and isolation affect the balance of her mind. Little by little Adam comes alive to her, and she sets off across the moor to meet him.

 

EXTRACT

 

       Introductions are boring, but unless I take time to explain things it will be confusing for you. Me first. Not very polite, I know, but it’s probably the best place to start.

My name is Kerryl – or that’s what my family and friends call me. My proper name is Cheryl. Cheryl Alison Shaw. They call me the Paradise Girl. Don’t get excited – it sounds sexy but it’s not. I’m seventeen years old and still a virgin. I’m not a nun, I’ve been out with loads of boys – Tim, Mark (two of them), Nathan, Jake, Tristram, Steve – but I wasn’t that keen on any of them and they didn’t last. The exception was Mark II. He was older than me, fearsomely good looking and he had a nice car. I thought he was really hot. When I wasn’t with him I was thinking about him. But it seems he wasn’t as keen as me, and one day my best friend, Josie, told me that he was going out with Monica Woodbridge and saying I was a frigid cow. It seems everybody knew I’d been dumped and I was the last to find out.

The worst thing was the shock. I thought Monica Woodbridge was my friend. As well as that, all the girls in our group had been going out with the same boys for a long time, but I seemed to keep a boyfriend for only a few weeks. Was there something wrong with me? To be honest, I’m not a great beauty. I don’t mean I’m a train wreck or anything. I’m not bad looking, but I’m not like Charlene Brooker or Suzy Simmonds. They’re electric, both of them. Charlene could be a model, and Suzy’s always surrounded by a gang of drooling boys.

They’re gone now: Charlene, Suzy, Josie, Monica, all of them.

Sorry for the break there. I had to stop to have a little weep. I’ll try not to do too much of that. I suppose I can console myself with one thing: with everyone else dead, I must be the most beautiful girl in the world!

 

BUY LINKS

 

AMAZON UK – http://amzn.to/2zMAq9a

AMAZON US – http://amzn.to/2zMdQQb

TROUBADOR – http://bit.ly/2ATT0wq

WATERSTONES – http://bit.ly/2jw1uFR

WH SMITH – http://bit.ly/2A48wbL

 

BUY DIRECT FROM THE AUTHOR AND GET IT SIGNED! http://bit.ly/2hE3lHY

The inspiration for writing Paradise Girl

Writers are often asked where the idea for a book came from. We’re all different and we all work in different ways, but I think most of us would agree that it’s rare for a plot to appear suddenly, fully formed. Usually it’s an object, a person, an event, something read, a random thought, perhaps even a dream that provides the grit in the oyster shell around which the book forms. According to the critic Christopher Booker there are only seven basic plots. All have been told a million times before. The writer’s task is to use the grit of the idea to shape one (or several) of those plots and create what she or he tries their very best to make into a pearl.

The grit for the novel I’m currently working on – The Poisoner’s Garden – was reading about an innocuous-looking yellow flower; the grit for the novel I’ve just finished – The God Jar – was an object I found years ago on a Cornish beach; the grit for Paradise Girl was an event.

I live high on the Pennine hills. My house is secluded, but there’s always something to see and hear. A neighbouring farmer might be working his fields, or a dog might be barking in the distance. From my windows I can see traffic weaving along the valley bottom, and if I’m outside I can hear a train trundling along the trans-Pennine link, or the siren of an emergency vehicle, or the bleep of a delivery vehicle reversing. Being close to the flight paths for Leeds/Bradford and Manchester airports and the polar corridor for flights from Heathrow to North America the sky is usually latticed with vapour trails. So although you might think my home is remote, there are always plenty of signs of life.

In 2010 the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull (try saying that with a mouthful of biscuit!) erupted. Although relatively small as volcanic eruptions go, the ash cloud caused enormous disruption to air travel across most of western and northern Europe. This meant that for several days in April the skies above me were clear. One afternoon during this lull I was alone in the house. I went into the garden and I was struck by how still it was: there were no vapour trails – I wasn’t expecting there to be any – but there was no sound or movement from around or from the small town in the valley below either. The whole place was still.

A thought struck me: suppose everyone else had vanished, disappeared. Suppose there was no one left alive but me. What would that be like? What would I do? How would I survive? Could I survive? It was not so much fending for myself – I knew I could do that – but if there was nobody to talk to, no one to listen to, could I endure the terrible loneliness? If everyone else had gone there’d be no shops, no schools or offices, no transport, no internet, no TV, nothing; just an empty world with only me to fill it. Wouldn’t it make a great plot for a novel?

Of course, it’s not a new idea. Robinson Crusoe is the classic example of a tale of loneliness and isolation. More recently the story was picked up in the brilliant novel and film The Martian. The central characters of both those are men. That was one reason why I didn’t want to write about myself, an older male, as if it was me that was the sole survivor. Wouldn’t it be more interesting to have somebody younger describing what happened? Everything would be fresh to them, and because of their age the prospect of death would be more poignant. And how would somebody in their teens manage without all the paraphernalia that they now take for granted – Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, smartphones, streaming and so on? Gradually the character of Kerryl Shaw emerged: a farm girl, bright but from a non-academic home; imaginative but unsophisticated; a young woman on the cusp of adulthood, who has all the promise of her life slowly and painfully whittled away.

The question that remained was how to tell the story. It seemed obvious that it should be narrated in the first-person, Kerryl describing the things that happen to her and her reaction to them in her own words. However, that would take away what ought to be a key question for the reader: does she survive? If it was her talking it would be obvious she had, but I wanted it to be unclear. Then I had an idea. Kerryl could write a diary. It’s a well tried format, from Adrian Mole through Bridget Jones to Alice, I Think – not to mention the very many 18th and 19th century examples. The advantage for me is that Kerryl could write about what was happening to her and set down her thoughts, the diary would be there whether Kerryl remained alive or not. It would be necessary to read to the end to find out.

But then, why would she write a diary if she was sure there was nobody around to read it? Enter Adam.

Of course, the plot details had to be worked out and there was a lot of drafting and redrafting, but that’s how the idea for Paradise Girl came to me, and how Kerryl, the paradise girl herself, came to life. I hope I’ve managed to turn the bit of grit from that day in 2010 into a pearl; it’s up to my readers to judge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

paradise girl

Phill Featherstone was born and brought up in the north of England. He trained as a teacher and taught English in comprehensive schools. In the late 1990s he and his wife, Sally, founded a publishing company specialising in education books for the early years. In 2008 the business was acquired by Bloomsbury, after which they moved to Yorkshire. He now spends his time writing, travelling, on the arts and on conservation work. Phill has degrees from Cambridge and Leicester Universities, and is a member of the Society of Authors. Paradise Girl is his third novel, although the first to be published.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhillFeathers/

Twitter: @PhillFeathers

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16347499.Phill_Featherstone

Blog: http://phillfeatherstone.net/news/

Website: http://phillfeatherstone.net

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