Writing – Page 42 – JO LAMBERT

BROOK COTTAGE BOOK TOUR – CAPE COD KISSES BY MELISSA FOSTER AND BELLA ANDREA 11 – 22 MAY 2015

Posted on May 13, 2015May 13, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

CAPE COD KISSES Love on Rockwell Island, Book One

When Quinn Rockwell left Rockwell Island a decade ago to build a shipping empire, he never thought he’d return to live on Cape Cod Bay—that is, until his grandfather summons Quinn and his four siblings to take over the prestigious Rockwell Resort. Quinn is already working fifteen-hour days, and the last thing he has time for is his grandfather’s demands. But on his first night back, when Quinn finds a gorgeous and carefree woman skinny-dipping in his favorite cove, he’s tempted to ignore his work for a while…and focus on her instead.

As a free spirit who follows her heart and her dreams, Shelley Walters is not the kind of girl to wait around for Mr. Right, so she heads to Rockwell Island for the honeymoon of her dreams—a solo honeymoon. Ready for a week of sun and fun, she never expected to meet a man like Quinn Rockwell.

Wealthy and intensely driven, Quinn is everything Shelley swore she didn’t want. Refreshingly spontaneous and a true romantic, Shelley is everything Quinn never knew he needed. Drawn together despite their differences, during a week of sizzling-hot passion and deep conversations, they fall head over heels for each other. But when their perfect week on the island is over, will their love survive in the real world?

BUY LINKS

MY REVIEW

I have never read anything by Bella Andre but am a big fan of Melissa Foster. I think their collaboration on Cape Cod Kisses has produced a great read for the 20 – 30 something market. It’s well written, entertaining, funny and romantic. It’s the first in a series and I’m sure will attract many fans, old and new.

ABOUT MELISSA FOSTER

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women’s fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café and Fostering Success. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Authors Links:

http://www.melissafoster.com/newsletter/

ABOUT BELLA ANDRE

Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of “The Sullivans” and “The Morrisons” series.

Having sold more than 4 million books, Bella Andre’s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 23 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Steven King), and Publishers Weekly named Oak Press (the publishing company she created to publish her own books) the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a ground-breaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s “The Sullivans” series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her “One of the top writers in America” and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.

Bella also writes the New York Times bestselling Four Weddings and a Fiasco series as Lucy Kevin. Her “sweet” contemporary romances also include the new Walker Island series written as Lucy Kevin.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100 year old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

Author Links

GIVEAWAY

$10 Amazon voucher

For a chance of winning a $10 Amazon voucher, click on the link below and register

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4be0301766/?

Writing

BROOK COTTAGE BOOKS: CATCHING CASSIDY BY MELISSA FOSTER 27 APRIL – 8 MAY 2015

Posted on May 6, 2015May 6, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

CATCHING CASSIDY

HARBORSIDE NIGHTS, Book One

Release date April 28, 2015

“Catching Cassidy was laugh out loud funny, heartwarming, sexy, and hands down one of my favorite reads so far this year!” — #1 NYT Bestselling Author of The Bet – Rachel Van Dyken

Wyatt Armstrong never imagined that instead of celebrating his college graduation, he and his twin sister would be dealing with the death of their parents. Then again, Wyatt had never been one to think past tomorrow. He heads to their summer home in Harborside, Massachusetts, with his best friend Cassidy Lowell in tow, to deal with his parents’ death and to try to figure out his next step.

Six foot two, infuriatingly handsome, and flirtatious, Wyatt Armstrong has always been there for Cassidy, helping her pass her classes and fend off unwanted advances, while driving her insane with his one-night stands—but that’s what best friends are for, isn’t it? Having each other’s backs. There was never any doubt that she would accompany him to his family’s summer home—but she never expected to begin seeing Wyatt as more than a friend. Or has she been ignoring her feelings all along?

It’s impossible to ignore the sizzling heat between them as Wyatt and Cassidy get even closer, but Cassidy knows Wyatt’s past, and she has a real job to begin in the fall. Wyatt may be a sure thing for the summer, but Cassidy needs more. For the first time in his life, Wyatt is forced to look toward the future if he doesn’t want to lose the one woman who’s shared his past and owns his heart.

HARBORSIDE NIGHTS is a sexy, hot, and evocatively real New Adult Romance series that follows a group of friends who have known one another for years as “summer” friends, and now come together after college to build their lives. They’re tough, edgy, and accepting—most of the time. This series is written in the loving, raw, and emotional voice readers have come to love by New York Times & USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Melissa Foster.

***

MY REVIEW

I can never resist it when a book tour for one of Melissa Foster novels comes along. I’ve really loved everything I’ve read from her so far and Catching Cassidy is no exception. At 22 the characters may be slightly younger, but all the ingredients are still there in spade fulls!

The book is told in the first person from Cassidy and Wyatt’s viewpoint so enables you to see the story from both perspectives. I have to admit there were times when I wanted to become a character in the book, slip between the pages, talk to these two star crossed lovers and help them through their problems!

Cassidy Lowell is a neglected daughter whose parents are not only totally wrapped up in each other but always seem to be travelling abroad. They have even missed her college graduation because they are overseas. Kept out of their exclusive relationship since she was young, she still feels a need to please them. Keen to have their daughter work in New York where they feel her career prospects will be best served, Cassidy plans to apply for jobs there. But before that there is a summer vacation to be spent with the Armstrongs at their summer house in Harborside, Massachusetts. Neighbours of the Lowell’s,over the years they have acted as a surrogate family in her parents’ absences. Because of this she has formed a close bond with them – their twins Wyatt and Delilah regarding her as a sister.

However, the summer vacation is overshadowed when Wyatt and Delilah’s parents are tragically killed in a car crash. Overnight Wyatt’s life changes as he finds himself having to leave his hedonistic, women chasing pursuits behind. Returning to the Armstrong’s summer home with his sister and Cassidy he takes over the running of the family business. But not only is Wyatt having to deal with the day-to-day problems of running a bar, he’s also trying to cope with the realisation he’s becoming more and more attracted to Cassidy. What he is totally unaware of is that she’s beginning to feel the same way about him.

The Armstrong’s beach fronted home soon sees the return of their old friends who drop in or stay over; each of them having an impact on Wyatt and Cassidy’s lives. As the summer moves along we see a simmering attraction begin to develop between the two of them. What is interesting about this story is it’s not a simply ‘will they -won’t they’- yes they have. Yes at first they are both in denial and try to resist their feelings for each other, but when they do eventually get together there seem to be even more issues threatening their happiness. The biggest of these is Cassidy’s job offer in New York. As the relationship develops she finds herself caught between two options: staying in Harborside with the man she loves and setting up a joint business venture with a friend or pleasing her parents and heading for New York. With summer ending and Fall approaching it’s time for Cassidy to make a decision. The question is what will it be? And will it turn out to be the right one?

I would like to thank the author for giving me a complimentary copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

Check out the awesome video trailer for CATCHING CASSIDY (Harborside Nights, Book 1). Releasing April 28! https://youtu.be/07-gFwyd4D4

PRE-ORDER links: KINDLE: http://amzn.to/1xplPq5 NOOK: http://bit.ly/CatchingCassidy_Nook KOBO: http://bit.ly/CatchingCassidy_Kobo GPLAY: http://bit.ly/CatchingCassidy_GooglePlay iBOOKS: https://itunes.apple.com/…/catching-cassidy-ha…/id907998032… Paperback: http://amzn.to/1Ew4xv2

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Authors Links:

http://www.melissafoster.com/newsletter/

Giveaway

For the chance to win one of three e-copies of SLOPE TO LOVE, click on the link below and register.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Writing

THE LAST CAMPAIGN OF MARIANNE TAMBOUR BY DAVID EBSWORTH BOOK TOUR 13 – 24 APRIL 2015

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

ABOUT THE BOOK:

1815 – On the bloody fields of Waterloo, a battle-weary canteen mistress of Bonaparte’s Imperial Guard battalions must fight to free her daughter from all the perils that war will hurl against them – before this last campaign can kill them both.

“Superb! David Ebsworth has really brought these dramatic events to life. His description of the fighting is particularly vivid and compelling.” (Andrew W. Field, author of Waterloo: The French Perspective and its companion volume, Prelude to Waterloo: Quatre Bras)

A novel of action and intrigue based on the real-life exploits of two women who fought, in their own right, within Napoleon’s army.

Includes a Battlefield Tour Guide for those wanting to follow the route taken by the story’s main characters or to visit the sites of the 1815 Waterloo Campaign.

MY REVIEW

This is a complete departure from my normal reads and proved an interesting journey. We are drawn into the world of a fictional French battalion with canteen mistress Marianne, her partner Fronsac and daughter Florisette (Poppy). Marianne’s main need is to protect Poppy, the only surviving child of three, and somehow accumulate enough money to provide her with a new life away from the war. Then she meets Liberte or Hawk Face as she is known and saves her life whilst at the same time getting rid of a rival for her job who has been trying to kill her! The two women are in the war on the French side – Liberte is a Gentleman Trooper who has been decorated by Napoleon. Both have in their own ways experienced hardship in the army. This story is exceptionally well told with great care and description – a departure from other fictional novels about Waterloo as it is told from both a French and a female viewpoint. There is a depth that draws you in and makes you feel you are actually there, living alongside both women, in the midst of a brutal war. I think David Ebsworth has done a fantastic job; his meticulous research has produced a story that is both deep and detailed.

I would like to thank the author for sending me a complimentary copy of this book in return for an unbiased review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

David Ebsworth is the pen name of writer, Dave McCall, a former negotiator and Regional Secretary for Britain’s Transport & General Workers’ Union. He was born in Liverpool (UK) but has lived for the past thirty years in Wrexham, North Wales, with his wife, Ann. Following his retirement, Dave began to write seriously in 2009.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

https://twitter.com/EbsworthDavid

https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Ebsworth/372113212814491

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5780879.David_Ebsworth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aSgSB3dlT0

BUY LINKS

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Last-Campaign-Marianne-Tambour/dp/1781323216

http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Campaign-Marianne-Tambour/dp/1781323216

http://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/product/9781781323212/the-last-campaign-of-marianne-tambour

https://store.kobobooks.com/ebook/the-last-campaign-of-marianne-tambour

GIVEAWAY

2 COPIES OF THE BOOK

(UK WINNER PAPERBACK / INTERNATIONAL WINNER EBOOK)

For a chance to win a copy of The Last Campaign of Marianne Tambour click on the link below and register.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4be0301754/?

Writing

THE CAR’S THE STAR

Posted on April 21, 2015April 21, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

Sorting through old photographs recently I came upon some of the cars we had owned over the years. My OH is particularly fond of his four wheeled friends. Not only does he love driving them, they are looked after like babies. When trading in on one occasion, the dealer told him the car was in better condition than when he had sold it to him. A tongue in cheek comment, of course, but it does indicate the TLC which each of these vehicles receives while in his possession.

When I first met him in 1981 he was driving a soft top Triumph Spitfire. Great for those Thelma and Louise moments, letting the wind whip through your hair as with accelerator to the floor you bomb along the open road. I’ll rewind that comment – great if you have long hair, not so good if like me, your hair is short, fine and difficult to manage. The sort of hair that involves a lot of work getting just right before you go out. The sort of hair that had me looking as if I had spent half an hour in a wind tunnel after even a short journey in this car.

When the next car change was due we both agreed it might be better to have something with a fixed roof. Bring on the Ford Fiesta XR2. Actually it was a Fiesta Sport, slightly different from the XR2 -please don’t ask me how as I have no idea! It was red and fast, the only downside being the sunroof was fixed. No manual wind back or electrics to open it completely – it had to be removed. No problems unless that unexpected shower of rain arrived. It was then a case of pulling over and slotting it back into place – very quickly.

Car changes in our house are every two years and the next purchase was a Ford Escort XR3i. This was a great car and XR3i’s were extremely popular in the 1980s when Ford could do no wrong and Audi and BMW did not have the broad market share in the UK they do today. He liked the car so much that two years on he replaced it with another, newer version. Sadly, however, this did not live up to its predecessor and left him rather disappointed.

By the late 1980s he left Ford and entered his Citreon phase. The Citreon AX was a small hot hatch and in the passenger door there was a slot for a wine bottle. This meant en route to friends for dinner the accompanying plonk could be stored safely – those French think of everything! The love affair with Citroen continued into the early 1990s with the purchase of the slightly larger ZX which became a favourite of both of ours – a lovely car to drive.

The Citroen dealership closed in 1993 and reopened selling Fiat. The ZX was traded in for a Fiat Punto. Even though we purchased the GT version I always felt this a bit of a lacklustre car, we both hated driving it and it only stayed with us for 12 months. It was replaced by its larger sister, a Fiat Brava – which made us revise our opinion of Fiats. A great car to drive. However the arrival of the Focus in 1998 found us back with Ford again.

After the Focus came a Saab 9000i and a BMW series 1. The latter, being rear wheel drive, made it almost impossible to get out of our hillside road when we had snow causing OH to spit feathers and declare he would never buy this model again. And then came something very special – the Alpha Romeo 147 -his ‘Italian Job’ and one he still talks about today and says he misses. It was a fabulous car both in looks and performance. A brown and silver Mini Clubman followed two years later – a great car apart from the strange little half door on the driver’s side to enable rear seat passengers to shoehorn themselves in and out of the car. Unfortunately even with the driver’s seat tilted and pushed forward, the gap was incredibly small.

And finally we come to the current love of his life – yes despite his declaration he would never buy another one, we have a BMW Series 1 which has been with us just over 18 months now. It’s is his first car with an automatic gearbox too, something he says he wishes he’d gone over to years ago as it makes driving a much more enjoyable experience.

For years OH had thought about building a car and I trekked around the UK to a lot of kit car shows with him as he tried to make his mind up exactly what his project would be. By the time we reached the mid-nineties, the thought of having to dispose of unwanted bits of donor car plus having the garage piled up with parts and a chassis pushed him into what he saw as a better alternative: buying an older car to restore. His first purchase was Ruby, a red Mini 30 bought from an octogenarian whose daughter felt he was no longer safe behind the wheel. I remember it having a resident spider complete with web in the back window and a new offside wing (badly sprayed) where he’d collided with something he couldn’t quite remember. Over the next few years an extraordinary amount of time and money was lavished on this car. Not only was it brought back to its ‘as new’ state but additions like cloth fold back sunroof and walnut dashboard were added. And then as with a lot of love affairs, the interest waned and he decided he wanted a new project. Ruby was sold on Christmas Eve 2012 to a young guy back in the UK on festive season holiday break from his job in Germany. I was sorry to see her go. Although I find the original Mini ride is a bit like driving with your backside on the road, this was such an iconic little car. Now, we’re back to another soft top – an MG Midget – which I’ve yet to belt myself into despite a pop up mesh wind shield being fitted. So will I take the plunge? Well after all the trouble and expense my OH has gone to for me it would be mean not to wouldn’t it? Watch this space!

Writing

AMANDA WARD’S PAN HAGGERTY IS BACK!

Posted on April 7, 2015April 7, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

BLURB

The fun and games continue as Pann Haggerty travels around America with her ‘average’ Joe on their way to Las Vegas. This time, Joe thinks he’s the one in charge, and able to handle his beloved quirky English rose.

Apparently not. Surprises, secrets and wedding bells are in store. Has Pann given Joe the answer to his big question? Read on in the second MisAdventure of Pann Haggerty.

Laugh at Pann’s antics, thrill to the romance, indulge in copious mugs of tea and try out the delicious recipes! Above all…enjoy.

EXCERPT ONE

“You know, Pann, this hand would look so much nicer with…”

“Don’t go down that route, Joe,” Pann scolded him. “I said I would give you an answer when I knew what it was. Why, are you feeling insecure, Joe?”

The waitress came back, pouring Joe his thick, syrup-like coffee and placing a tall frosted glass of pink milkshake, topped with whipped cream and a fresh strawberry, on the table.

Pann chuckled. What was this, a drink or dessert?

“Yes, I am,” Joe replied eventually, after taking a sip from his mug. “You are the only woman I’ve asked to marry me, and you won’t give me a definite yes or no. It feels like I’m being led around by the short and curlies.”

“Joe,” Pann admonished through gritted teeth. He sounded rather like her, and one certainly did not mention pubic hair in a dining establishment.

“Well what do you expect, Pann? I love you, and you say you love me. I can’t understand why you are dragging this on.”

“Dragging this on?” Her lips thinned with annoyance. “Joel. We are at a diner surrounded by others eating. This isn’t really the place to have this conversation.” She was trying to no avail to keep her voice calm.

“Shall we go back to the van and talk there?” Joe suggested. “I’ll make tea?”

“Sounds better than shivering in the sunshine, I guess.”

As they walked toward the van, Joe placed his arm around her shoulders. Instinctively she snuggled into his warmth, breathing in his fragrant masculine scent. Pann placed her arm around his waist, and on impulse, her hand covered his jean clad bottom. As she squeezed it, Pann smiled an impish grin.

“Wrong pocket, Pann.”

“I beg your pardon?” She tilted her head back to look at Joe.

“If you are after my wallet, it’s in the other pocket,” Joe quipped.

EXCERPT TWO

Pandora Haggerty, sorry…Harper sat in the back of the ambulance in a wheelchair all forlorn and feeling decidedly sorry for herself. Her plastered right leg was elevated, and despite Joe’s hand resting on hers comforting her, Pann’s spirits were low. She was jostled several times, wincing as the vehicle rode over several mountains in the road. Perhaps the pain medication was wearing off. Avoiding looking out the window, Pann kept her gaze on Joe’s steadfast one and the gleaming rings of gold that adorned her left hand. Beside her on the floor lay several packages, and from what she could make out, there was a Zimmer frame ready to be constructed.

“A zimmer frame, my arse,” Pann grumbled.

“What was that, darlin’?”

“Just talking out loud,” she murmured.

“Are you in any pain, honey?”

Pann shook her head. “Actually I’m starting to feel like a total prat,” she told him bluntly. “I cannot believe I managed to break my sodding ankle, and now I’m totally reliant on someone else to help me do everything. And I am not using a sodding Zimmer frame. What do they think I am, an elderly geriatric?” Then, turning her head…she noticed a chair behind her.

“That’s not a commode is it?” She asked incredulously in a high squeak. Joe nodded.

“You have to be taking the royal piss,” she exclaimed.

“No, that’s what the commode is for. So that you can—” Joe’s voice broke off.

“No chuffing way am I using a commode.”

“The doctor said you had to stay off that leg. This way you can use the toilet by simply lifting yourself from one chair to another,” he said soothingly.

Pann’s temper finally got the better of her. Humiliation, frustration and that nagging ache from her leg took over her usually sane-ish temperament. She squeezed Joe’s hand digging her nails in, almost breaking the skin. At this point, she really didn’t care if she hurt him or not. She was hurting. Why couldn’t he sympathize? It really wasn’t fair.

Pann sat complacently as Joe wheeled her into the now widened doorway of their motorhome. A strange smell assailed her nostrils. What on earth…could she smell?

“There’s a cat in here,” Pann announced, her eyes darting around the kitchen area. It had been widened for accessibility. As Joe closed the door, she caught a glimpse of a tray.

“What makes you think that?” Joe murmured, putting the brake on. He busied himself by putting the kettle on and preparing a drink for them.

“The litter tray behind me, and the two bowls on a mat just over there,” Pann pointed out. “You do know I still have a cat back in England, even if it is living with Mum now.” She sniffed again, wafting her hand in front of her nose. Several pots of fragrant violets lined the middle of the dining table. She hoped Joe had secured them with Velcro strips.

“Interesting and beautiful flowers, but no matter how many pots of violets you use, there is no cure for the niff of a farting feline,” she told him with a grin, using as many English terms as she could fit in. It was ridiculous, but in a way Joe had diffused her temper by diverting her attention onto something else. “So where is it?”

Joe put two steaming mugs on the table, fetched a plate of digestive biscuits and sat down next to her on the seat.

“Look up,” he suggested.

Pann’s head tilted back. On what had been her bed, two white fluffy paws and a nose with two black splotches were all she could see. All those awful feel sorry for herself feelings disappeared. Joe handed her the tea mug.

“So how did we end up with whats-his-face up there?”

“I have no idea. I picked up the van yesterday after the refit, and well, there he was,” Joe explained.

“He?”

Joe nodded. “I took him to the vet with every intention of handing him to a rescue center, but, I don’t know. There was something about him. It turns out he is a pedigree Ragdoll.”

Pann melted. “The ones that go limp in your arms. They are so soft and fluffy…Oh, Joe. Look at the splotches on his cute little nosey. Bloody hell. Is that the cat?” Her nose wrinkled. “Oh God, that’s foul,” she breathed.

“There is nothing wrong with that cat’s stomach. Apparently, some cats are prone to gas and this is one of them I’m afraid.” Joe chuckled. “So are we gonna keep him? I had him vaccinated, micro chipped and everything.”

“What have you called him?”

“I thought I’d let you name him,” Joe replied with a smile. “It’s taken you out of your bad mood hasn’t it?”

“Yes, you rat, it has.” Pann couldn’t take her eyes off the two fluffy paws and now emerging face over the edge of what had been her bed. “I’m still not using that commode, you know.”

BUY LINKS:

SECRET CRAVINGS PUBLISHING

http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=266&zenid=1jvq589pqg3v84sb9qe4ojnes6

AMAZON

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Viva-Pann-Vegas-Misadventures-Haggerty-ebook/dp/B00VDODDHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428300850&sr=8-1&keywords=viva+pann+vegas

http://www.amazon.com/Viva-Pann-Vegas-Misadventures-Haggerty-ebook/dp/B00VDODDHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428300909&sr=8-1&keywords=viva+Pann+Vegas

BARNES & NOBLE

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/viva-pann-vegas-amanda-ward/1121645620?ean=2940151638548

ALL ROMANCE

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-vivapannvegas-1769243-177.html

SMASHWORDS

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/531723

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Ward lives in Bedfordshire, England with her husband, three children and two insane cats. The expression ‘What you see is what you get’, sums her up perfectly. She is the author of the novel Without Saying A Word with Books To Go Now and The MisAdventures of Pann Haggerty with Secret Cravings Publishing. She is a member of the Romance Novelists Association (RNA). There is always some moment waiting around the corner to be written into a novel. Her interests include a passion for history and the royal families of Europe, romance novels, cooking, and science fiction including Doctor Who. Of course not forgetting the great and wonderful Doris Day musicals and English costume dramas. A perfect afternoon for Amanda would be a pot of tea, plenty of biscuits with a Doris Day film on the telly. Shared with great friends and her amazingly tolerant mother in law.

Find out more about Amanda and her manic life at www.amandajward.weebly.com

Contact Links:

AMANDA WARDREFRESHINGLY ROMANTIC; QUINTESSENTIALLY QUIRKY!! – WELCOME

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/manda.j.ward

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Augustmum

Blog:

http://kooks-kooksnook.blogspot.co.uk/

Google+

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MandaWard71/posts

mrsajward@hotmail.com

Writing

TEA AND TALK AT SALLY LUNN’S WITH LAURA HUNTLEY

Posted on April 4, 2015April 4, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

Today I’m really pleased to be able to introduce Laura Huntley who joins me for Tea and Talk at Sally Lunn’s to talk about her new YA novel Black Eyed Boy.

Laura welcome and now we’re settled comfortably can I first ask you to tell us a bit about yourself, where you live, family stuff, hobbies

I am a biased mother of three superstar children and I live in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. As well as writing, I run a writing group at the local library, volunteer my time to help put together a community festival and I make things to sell at craft fairs, mostly cushions, hair accessories and jewellery. I enjoy reading, Tudor history, horror films and I have a thing for high heel shoes.

What made you want to write and what was your route to publication?

I have always been interested in writing, for as long as I can remember. I was an avid reader as a child and I knew that was something I wanted for myself – a book with my name on the cover. At the age of nine, I wrote a fantasy novella, ‘The Odyssey’. I remember feeling tremendously proud of myself. I started taking writing seriously a few years ago and I was extremely fortunate to have several pieces of work accepted for publication almost immediately. Seeing my flash-fiction, short stories and poems within the pages of many anthologies spurred me on to finally achieve my lifelong dream: my first novel.

Black Eyed Boy was written with a young adult audience in mind as it revolves around a teenage character, Emily. It is a story about love, coming of age and deep, dark secrets.

Here is the blurb:

Emily is fifteen. She feels like a ghost in her own home as her parents seem increasingly lost in their own worlds, and only has her best friend, Billy, for company. Then Emily meets Dylan, the mysterious and gorgeous new stranger in town. With his unusual eyes and irresistible charm, she is soon smitten. But with Billy’s growing jealousy and a series of devastating family tragedies, can they last? Should they? Dylan is hiding a powerful secret; a secret that could change Emily’s life forever.

Which authors do you enjoy reading?

I do appreciate a good vampire. Dracula by Bram Stoker is my most favourite book of all. With that in mind, I am a huge fan of Anne Rice and her vampire chronicles, the research and thought that seems to go into each sentence is astounding.

If given the opportunity, is there any other genre you would like to write?

This is a very interesting question as I started out as a horror writer. Despite the fact that Black Eyed Boy is a romance, that is still how I view myself. Normally, the characters in my stories are vampires, zombies and witches. Yet, I seem to have stumbled, rather accidentally, into romance writing. I would like to, perhaps, combine genres more. For example, horror and historical. That would be just my cup of tea, actually.

If you could invite four famous people to dinner who would they be and why?

What a fun thought! I would have to invite Johnny Depp. It would be rude not to, I have had a crush on him for the longest time. Smokey Robinson (in the hope that he would sing to me), his voice gives me goose-bumps. Anne Rice, certainly, though I wonder if we would eventually bore our other guests as I am certain that we could discuss vampires all night long. To inject some fun, I would invite Amy Poehler, a very funny woman / actress / comedian.

What advice do you have for budding authors?

Go for it! Write down all your ideas, it is astounding how quickly you can forget things if you don’t. I would also say that you should try not to take rejections too personally. Just because your work wasn’t quite right for that person, it doesn’t mean that the next person won’t see your potential. Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Keep trying, you never know what might be around the corner.

Laura, thank you for joining me and good luck with the book.

Thank you so much for having me over, Jo. I really have enjoyed myself.

For links to Black Eyed Boy and Laura’s other social media, please see below:

Links:

Buy Black Eyed Boy: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Eyed-Boy-Laura-Huntley-ebook/dp/B00V213GHK/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurahuntley

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

Online Launch Party: https://www.facebook.com/LauraHuntleyWriter

Publisher: http://crookedcatpublishing.com/item/laura-huntley/

Author Bio:

Laura has written since childhood, her head has always been constantly filled with story ideas.

Living in Sheffield with her partner and three children, she is a huge fan of the charming and picturesque coastal town of Whitby, a jewel of North Yorkshire.

She runs a writing group at her local library, encouraging like-minded scribblers to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.

Laura’s short stories, flash-fiction and poetry have been widely published in many anthologies. Black Eyed Boy is her first novel. Currently she is writing the sequel, Green Eyed Girl. Emily and Dylan will return.

Writing

CRASHING INTO LOVE BY MELISSA FOSTER, BOOK TOUR 16 – 27 MARCH 2015

Posted on March 25, 2015March 25, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

CRASHING INTO LOVE

MELISSA FOSTER

Only one woman could hurt ultra-alpha bad boy Jake Braden.

Only one woman can heal him.

Fiona Steele has arrived…

SYNOPSIS

Fiona Steele has a great career, strong friendships, and a loving family. To an outsider, her life appears happy and fulfilling. But the one thing that’s missing is true love, and the only man Fiona wants is the one she can’t have, sinfully handsome and seductively intense Jake Braden—the man whose heart she broke, which she has regretted ever since.

As an LA stuntman, Jake Braden’s at the top of his game. He’s hired for all the best movies, hooks up with the hottest women, and lives an unencumbered lifestyle where his needs come first—and where he doesn’t have to examine his life too closely. Except when he visits his family in his close-knit hometown of Trusty, Colorado, where he spends his time avoiding Fiona—the only woman who knows who he really is.

When Fiona’s best friend is hired to act in Jake’s movie, Fiona jumps at the chance to try to win him back. There’s no denying the white-hot attraction burning between them. With every encounter, Fiona hopes Jake can’t resist falling back into the love they once shared. But her well-orchestrated rendezvous doesn’t go over well with the brooding heartthrob. Living in the fast lane is perfect for a guy who’s buried his emotions so damn deep he’s not sure he can remember how to feel—and he’s not sure he ever wants to.

MY REVIEW

Fiona Steele and Jake Braden were high school lovers. Fiona left him and moved on and Jake, now a movie stuntman who lives in LA, has never really recovered or trusted any woman since. He has a playboy lifestyle; his mansion is a 24/7 open house and he is never short of a woman in his bed.

A successful geologist, Fiona has returned to her home town where she knows Jake will be attending a family wedding. She has always regretted the break up, influenced by family issues and her mother. She realises he is the only man she really ever loved and she wants him back. Aided and abetted by friends she sets out to deliberately cross his path.

Although when they meet Jake finds he is still seriously attracted to Fiona, he remembers how painfully it ended all those years ago and he’s very cool towards her. Fiona, however, is determined to make him realise she is sorry and wants him back in her life. When they do eventually get together, however, the tables are turned as Fiona finds herself having to deal with the glitz and glamour of his movie lifestyle and the women who surround him. Women who appear to think although he is with her, he is still fair game.

Melissa Foster has written a hugely enjoyable romantic and passionate love story which shows no matter how far people drift apart, if they are meant to be together, it will happen. Dialogue, description, chemistry between the two lovers is all spot on. A great five star read which will keep you hooked all the way to the last page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

Visit Melissa on social media. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Authors Links:

http://www.melissafoster.com/newsletter/

BUY LINKS

Amazon

For a chance to win one of three e-book copies of the previous book in the series DREAMING OF LOVE click on the link below:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4be0301741/?

Writing

JUST TWO WEEKS BY AMANDA SINGLETON-WILLIAMS BROOK COTTAGE BOOK TOUR 2ND – 20TH FEBRUARY 2015

Posted on February 18, 2015February 18, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

After being made redundant from a seemingly secure job Jolene Carr takes a two week break in the sun. On the first day she meets Raquel, another hotel guest. Little does she realise how this apparently innocent acquaintance will lead to terrible and lasting consequences. After a frightening incident she hits a conspiracy of silence from the locals and over the rest of the holiday she feels herself slipping into a vortex of fear. Back home, the nightmare continues and she realises that Raquel is stalking her. Her hippie mother and her partner Mark tell her she is imagining it all. All certainties, even about relationships, become fluid and treacherous as her past begins to unravel. If it wasn’t for Rob, her ex-lover who Jolene thinks has his own agenda, she would be left to cope on her own. How much fear and betrayal can one person take?

MY REVIEW

Jolene has agreed with her partner Mark, who is a nurse, that she will take their scheduled holiday to Sri Lanka on her own as pressure of work means he cannot make the trip. On arrival she meets the exotic Zara who persuades her to visit a beach away from the hotel, only to abandon her and steal her purse and passport before disappearing. Although befriended and helped by Seneka, who works at the hotel, there are aspects of him which cause Jolene to wonder whether he is really a friend or somehow connected to Zara. For the two weeks she remains on the island she is convinced Zara is still there shadowing her every movement.

When she returns home to Mark, strange things start to happen and she is convinced Zara is stalking her and intent on harm. Despite several unpleasant confrontations friends seem to find logical excuses for what is happening to her so Jolene enlists the help of ex-lover Rob to discover who Zara really is and what is motivating her behaviour.

This book pulled me in right from the start not only because of the story but also because of the author’s ability to create great atmosphere – not only those tense and sometimes scary moments Jolene was going through but also in the detailed description of the world around her. I tend to live with a red hot Kindle – I’m always reading and if I hit descriptive overload I very often skim pages. Here it was beautifully used to enhance the story and the characters to give a thoroughly enjoyable and gripping five star read.

I would like to thank the author for a free e-copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

AUTHOR BIO

Amanda Sington Williams’ first novel, The Eloquence of Desire was published by Sparkling Books in 2010 and has been translated into Turkish. She won an award for this novel in 2007 from the Royal Literary Fund. Since 2006 when she first started writing she has had many short stories published, including: Growing Pains by Bridgehouse Publishing, A Mother’s Love by Indigo Mosaic, Two Orchids by Sentinel Literary Quarterly. Unseasonable Weather by Dead Ink Press, The Woman at Number Six by Writing Raw, and many more.

Her second novel, Just Two Weeks is a psychological suspense and won the IPR Agents Pick in 2013.

website: www.amandasingtonwilliams.co.uk

blog: http://singtonwilliams.wordpress.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/SingtonWilliams

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amandainbrighton?fref=ts

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Sington-Williams-writer/298320619836

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3526510.Amanda_Sington_Williams

GIVEAWAY:

For a chance to win one of two e-book copies of Just Two Weeks please click on the link below

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4be0301732/?

BUY LINKS

Writing

S.C.A.R.S. BY JULIA IBBOTSON – BOOK TOUR 26 JANUARY TO 6 FEBRUARY

Posted on February 4, 2015February 4, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

Dragons, knights and a boy who slips through a tear in the fabric of the universe into a fantasy medieval world …

Gavin is an ordinary boy with problems like everyone else, when he finds himself in an extraordinary situation and facing the fight of his life. People are calling him Gawain and sending him on a medieval quest. How has he found himself on a horse when he has never ridden one before? How come he has a sword in his hand and terrifying creatures bearing down upon him? He seems to have slipped through into another universe. But can he win the battle of Good against Evil, and can he save the land of Unor ̶ and more importantly, can he save himself?

MY REVIEW

Gavin lives alone with his mother, his father having left the family home. He is daily at the mercy of school bullies and has only one true friend: Roly. One night as he lies awake in bed the clock strikes midnight something draws him to the bedroom window. Climbing out he finds himself in a time slip, taken to a land of adventure with knights and dragons where he wears armour, wields a sword and everyone calls him Gawain. This pattern follows on subsequent nights and he becomes involved in a quest to save the land of Unor from the evil that stalks the land. A quest only he can achieve.

This book has everything; adventure, magic, heart stopping moments – a lovely story beautifully woven. Although a children’s novel I found it a very enjoyable and entertaining read.

For a chance to win a copy click on the rafflecopter link at the bottom of this review,

I would like to thank the author for providing a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julia Ibbotson is an author and academic, and lives in the middle of the English countryside in a renovated Victorian rectory with her husband, an orchard, a kitchen garden and far too many moles. Her four children are now grown up and she has four grandchildren. She was a school teacher for many years, teaching English and Drama, and trying to get kids to read lots and to write stories. She especially enjoyed reading out to her classes books that she loved herself. Then she became a senior university lecturer, researcher and writer. She loves travelling, choral singing, walking, sailing and swimming.

Author links

Webpage www.juliaibbotsonauthor.com

Facebook JuliaIbbotson author

Twitter @JuliaIbbotson

Pinterest page:

http://pinterest.com/juliai1/

Goodreads author page:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6017965.Julia_Ibbotson

BUY LINKS

Available from Amazon (paperback and ebook editions) at http://www.amazon.co.uk/S-C-R-S-Julia-Ibbotson-ebook/dp/B00PFUCGKW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416342823&sr=1-1&keywords=julia+Ibbotson

GIVEAWAY INFO

The giveaway on this tour is 2 copies of the book. International winners will receive an ecopy and UK winners a paperback copy. Please use either the rafflecopter code below

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4be0301730/

Writing

BACK WHERE IT ALL STARTED…

Posted on January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 by Jo Lambert - Author

As I’m psyching myself up to write the blurb for the back cover on my latest book – something which is the shortest but for me probably one of the worst parts of the writing process – I thought I would take a trip back down memory lane to where it all began.

When Tomorrow Comes was my very first novel. Published in 2010 it was the start of what became known as The Behind Blue Eyes trilogy set in West Somerset in the fictional village of Meridan Cross. My childhood had been spent growing up in rural England therefore it seemed to be a good focal point to build a story around and also to follow the advice ‘write about what you know’. I was amazed at how the memories came back so clearly and enabled me to weave the characters into this beautiful rural backdrop. I based the location on where I currently live, where the village sits on the slope of a hill under a large sprawling wood. Road, rail and river run through the valley towards Bath, although in the fictional version they run out towards the Somerset Levels.

The book follows the lives of four very different girls – Ella, Jenny, Issy and Rachel, all friends growing up in the late 1960s. It’s all about falling in and out of love, fashion and, of course, the music.

Most of my writing has a musical influence and that particular decade was awash with great songs to use for inspiration while writing. There are some good compilations available on DVD which accompanied me on my writing journey. Central to the story was a club, The Mill and I got the feel for creating that whole environment and its atmosphere through the music. However one of the most important tracks during my writing journey was from The Who’s 1971 Who’s Next album. Behind Blue Eyes although written from a male perspective seemed to be the definitive song for Melissa Carpenter, a woman pivotal to the story and it became the inspiration for the name of the trilogy. Mel is the mother of the book’s central character Ella. An attractive, fashionable woman with striking blue eyes her arrival brings a touch of glamour to the provincial West Country town of Abbotsbridge.

As a young widow Mel mysteriously disappeared leaving Ella and her brother Nick, to be raised by both sets of grandparents. Now eleven years later she is back with a new husband in tow. Her unexpected arrival has nothing to do reconciliation it is more about safeguarding her inheritance now her father, wealthy farmer Richard Evas, is about to remarry. No shrinking violet, Mel immediately sets about interfering in everyone’s lives. She takes over Ella’s life with disastrous consequences, disapproves of Nick’s choice of fiancée and stirs up the other women members of the Rotary Inner Wheel. And as if this isn’t bad enough, it automatically sets Faye Benedict on a mission to make sure her son Matt stays as far apart as possible from Ella.

She is the woman everyone loves to hate. A totally self-absorbed individual, even the man she plans to leave her husband for is a means to an end in her bid for social advancement within the town. While others see her as a vain spiteful woman – someone most people cross the street to avoid – she considers herself much smarter than all the other females around her. In her eyes she is one of life’s winners; someone who is bold enough to take what she wants. Fortunately she doesn’t always get her own way and as we reach the end of book 3 The Ghost of You and Me there are a few unpleasant surprises in store for her.

I followed the trilogy with two sequels: Between Today and Yesterday and The Other Side of Morning. Both these novels had Cruella Devilles wreaking havoc with their own brand of unpleasantness. I guess this controversial character has become a ‘must have’ for all my novels and specifically she has to be female. In The Other Side of Morning I attempted to write a male equivalent but it simply did not work. For me the female of the species is definitely deadlier than the male!

My current WIP although a completely new story has yet another scheming female there to cause chaos and stir up trouble. However since my trilogy days my bad girls do things in a much more subtle way than Mel Carpenter ever did.

SYNOPSIS FOR WHEN TOMORROW COMES

1967: When eighteen-year-old Ella Kendrick moves to the Somerset town of Abbotsbridge to live with her mother Melissa and stepfather Liam she is looking forward to getting to know someone who has been absent from her life for eleven years. Ella is intrigued by this glamorous, fashionable woman and hopes she holds the key to many unanswered questions about her childhood. However, living in the Carpenter household does not turn out to be the idyllic experience Mel has promised her daughter. Scheming and manipulative she has specific plans for Ella. Plans which do not include boyfriend Niall O’Farrell left behind in the village where she grew up with her grandparents, or the university place she hopes for.

After Ella loses Niall to her best friend and her career aspirations have been trimmed to a college course, ambitious Mel puts her main plan into action – finding her daughter a wealthy boyfriend. In doing this, she is looking for a marriage which will give her the right connections and help her own social advancement in the town.

But Mel’s plan stalls when on a cold January evening, local nightclub owner’s son Matt Benedict unexpectedly walks into Ella’s life.

Ella knows she will have to fight to stay with Matt, branded as most unsuitable by her mother; but it is not just Mel she is up against. Matt’s mother Faye has her own reasons for parting them, as does Andy Macayne, the rich, self-indulgent young man Mel hopes her daughter will eventually marry.

WHEN TOMORROW COMES is the first book in the Behind Blue Eyes Trilogy. Ella and Matt’s journey is about to begin………

Click on the Amazon button below for more detail.