Tea and Talk  at Sally Lunn’s is usually all about chat over cakes and tea (or coffee).  Today, however, I’m doing something completely different.  It’s a shout out for Lynda Renham.  Lynda is not  only one of my author friends she is a great RomCom writer with a new book out TODAY.  Fudge Berries and Frogs Knickers is out today on e-book and will be available in paperback from 14th February.

 Want to know more?

Poppy Wellesley is rich. In fact Poppy Wellesley is very rich, so when her fortunes change from riches to rags Poppy has to start a whole new life. Put yourself in her Guccis as she swaps her penthouse apartment for a run-down houseboat on Regent’s Canal. Meet her dippy friend Chelsea, the infamous Jack Diamond (see The Dog’s Bollocks) and her hunky boat neighbour, Taylor. Will Poppy hold on to her millionaire fiancé or will Pug-face Pandora steal him from her? Can she avoid the advances from Balls (Lord Balthazar Wyndham-Price) or does she find true love on the canal? Fudge Berries and Frogs’ Knickers is a romantic comedy roller coaster ride that will put a smile on your face and a cheer in your heart.

Amazon UK Link for Fudge Berries and Frog’s Knickers:http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SERPICQ

 

Lynda Renham is famous for her romantic comedy novels. She has been called A Comedian in a Book, Chicklit Royalty and A Comic Genius. Her writing style has been likened to Sophie Kinsella but is refreshingly down to earth with characters that become your friends. Lynda is a prolific writer, blogger and when not writing can usually be found wasting her time on Facebook.

She lives in Oxfordshire with her second husband and cat.

Also by Lynda:

 

Links: www.renham.co.uk and on Twitter: @lyndarenham’

 

 

SYNOPSIS

Drew Nelson did not plan to talk with anyone that morning. He did not plan to make a new friend. He certainly did not plan to fall in love. He resisted all of Amy’s attempts to draw him out− at the hotel, at the airport, on the airplane− giving hurried responses and burying his face in a pile of papers. It was only when the flight attendant offered coffee, and a muscle in Amy’s back twitched as she reached for it, and the cup tipped, and the hot liquid puddled in Drew’s lap that they began to talk.  Earlier in the year, each had lost a spouse of over thirty years. Drew’s wife had died of a brain tumor, Amy’s husband when his small airplane nose-dived to earth, the engine at full throttle − an accident, it was ruled. They live in the same city. Both have grandchildren. They are about the same age. Consciously, or not, they both are looking to love again.  But relationships do not exist in vacuums. Drew is wealthy, and Amy is middle class. Amy is “new” in town – she and her husband moved to Charleston twenty-five years ago – while Drew’s family has lived there for three centuries. Drew lives below Broad, a code word for high society, old families, power, and money. Amy’s home is across the river. Class warfare may be less violent than it was in the past, but when Drew invites Amy to the St Cecelia Ball, battle lines are drawn. In a city in which ancestry is important, the ball’s membership is passed from father to son, and only those from the oldest families attend. Family, friends, co-workers all weigh in on their relationship and choose sides. Allies are found in unexpected places. Opposition comes from among those who were thought to be friends. Though they are gone, even their spouses − through things they have done and things they have said − wield influence in the conflict that follows. Amy begins to suspect that Drew is one of them, the rich snobs who despise her, while Drew concludes that Amy neither trusts him nor cares for him. As each questions the other’s motives, their feelings for each other are tested, and Drew and Amy are challenged to consider if they truly want to fall in love again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – DAVID BURNETT

I live in Columbia South Carolina, with my wife and our blue-eyed cat, Bonnie. I enjoy traveling, photography, baking bread, and the Carolina beaches.

We have traveled widely in the United States and the United Kingdom. During one trip to Scotland, we visited Crathes Castle, the ancestral home of the Burnett family near Aberdeen.

My photographic subjects have been as varied as prehistoric ruins on the islands of Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, and a Native American powwow.

I went to school for longer than I want to admit, and I have graduate degrees in psychology and education. I was formerly director of research for our state education department.

We have two daughters and three grandchildren. To Fall in Love Again is my third novel.

MY REVIEW

It’s great to be reminded that you don’t have to be young to fall in love.  I warmed to Drew and Amy’s characters immediately.  Coming from different backgrounds and both having grown up families, it was obvious the course of true love was never going to run smoothly.

I was caught up with this story from the moment I started reading.   Beautifully written as it progressed you were able view events from both Drew and Amy’s perspectives – and experience all their highs and lows.   A great supporting cast too – I particularly disliked Barb, immature and vindictive with absolutely no redeeming features.

Drew is a kind, honest and caring man.  He isn’t worried  about their differences.  His family have accepted Amy and she makes him happy, that is all that matters to him.

I was amazed at Amy’s strength as she coped with some of the situations she found herself in.  There were so many negatives in her life: a dead husband whose will showed exactly the kind of rat she had been married to; so-called friends who had kept the truth hidden from her for years; a disapproving older daughter who was almost bullying at times and, of course, Barb the office bitch.  And as if this wasn’t enough, there were those acquaintances of Drew’s she met at the St Cecelia Ball who were keen to remind her she was an interloper who had no place in their world.

Things start to go wrong when a series of unfortunate incidents involving Drew add to Amy’s troubles. She begins to question his sincerity.  From the way she has started behaving Drew is also beginning to have his suspicions about her motives. Is her interest in him or his money? The situation comes to a head and the relationship ends.  They go back to their old lives, Amy angry, Drew hurt.  But is it really over or is there a possibility they can by some miracle fall in love again?

This was a complete departure from my normal choice of book but I would definitely like to read more from David Burnett.  Thank you! A brilliant five star experience…

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

Links for David Burnett

BUY LINKS

 

AMAZON UK

 

AMAZON US

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS FOR DAVID

http://davidburnett.yolasite.com

http://davidburnettsbooks.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Burnett-Author/447290468681693?ref=hl

 

If you would like the chance to win a copy of To Fall in Love Again click on the Rafflecopter link to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4be0301728/

 

 

Yes, I’m back at Sally Lunn’s again.  I’ve not been here for some time but have re-opened this feature to talk to author Sheryl Browne.

First huge congratulations at being signed up by Choc Lit, you must be really excited.  Can you tell us how that came about?

Hi Jo and thank you so much! Thanks also for inviting me to partake of tea and essential brain food: cupcakes! After a trying year, which saw my partner diagnosed with prostate cancer (I mention this, because I ended up having to apologise all over the place for my constant state of befuddlement. I should also mention that his prognosis is extremely good after early diagnosis – and that he is now very positive, agreeing to share his progress with Prostate Cancer UK in hopes of encouraging other men to seek help early), I am over the moon about being signed by Choc Lit for my upcoming novel, currently titled The Rest of My Life. This development is all the more special because Choc Lit read the book on recommendation of someone, someone who restored my faith at a time when it was seriously wavering. Excitingly, the news was announced first in … The Bookseller! Wow! Little me rubbing shoulders with Burt Reynolds and Julian Clary (form an orderly queue, guys). The link to the Bookseller feature, where you can find out who that lovely someone is, is below. I owe this man a huge debt of gratitude for picking up my book, loving it, and being prepared to say so in the right ears. Having written seriously for fifteen years – yes, FIFTEEN whole years!, mystified agents, and achieved several near misses, this really couldn’t have happened at a better time for me.

http://thebookseller.com/news/choc-lit-signs-browne

When did you first decide you wanted to become a writer?

I think that was about the time I took leave of my senses. Haw, haw! I joke, sort of. Writing has always been my passion, since way back when a kindly English teacher gave me 22/20 for an essay, bless him. However, I started writing novels (as I grandly termed them) as a catharsis, in truth. Struggling with a major life event in my twenties, I just picked up the pencil – an actual pencil then – and started pouring out my feelings. It turned out to be a real antidote, because I found humour in the recollections around that life event.

Can you tell us something about the very first novel you wrote?

You mean my bestselling debut? Um, it didn’t … sell. I think the agent who’d hailed it as such went off in search of Prozac. I’d love to tell you about it but, unfortunately, I eventually tossed it in the bin. I can tell you the title though! It was called Loose Screws! Hmm? Not so sure about that now. However, silver linings, and all that: my book, Warrant for Love – published and currently touring with Hit Lit Pro, was based on that first book. Or rather what I could remember of it, mostly a hunky policeman in a bite-the-buttons-off blue uniform. Ahem. Advice to new writers, never throw away your first manuscript. It might need work but, as your writing grows, you can fix it!

What made you decide to take a Degree in Creative Writing?

I think because I could. I was a young mum (very young and, shortly after my second son’s birth, very single, sadly). Motherhood at a young age is not something I regret but, like many women’s, my other aspirations in life tended to get put on the back burner. As I wrote though, I realised I wanted to be the best I could possibly be. That’s not to say great (I wish), just better. I wanted to stretch myself, if you like, take a look at other aspects of creative writing, including screenwriting and stageplay. Also, I was lacking in confidence, so it really was a huge step enrolling on the MA Course. I had to force myself, but I am so glad that I did.

Has it changed your approach to writing?  If so in what way?

Well, it’s done my self-esteem the world of good, not just passing the MA, but mixing with other students, who simply filled me with awe and were massively supportive of each other. As part of my final project, I wrote one of my books, A Little Bit of Madness, to script for stage. The first scenes were performed at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, my leading man played by Dan Hagley from BBC Radio 4’s, The Archers. He was fabulous. I can’t thank him enough for his inspirational performance. I’m super-pleased to say the first scene has since been published in BCU’s 2014 Anthology, I am therefore I write. That exercise really made me think about superfluous narrative. Overall, the course, sharing my work, getting feedback and seeing how other hugely talented writers might tackle a subject, has opened me up to all sorts of possibilities. It’s definitely helped me to tap my inspiration.

Describe your typical day

Utter madness!

5.45am: try to get up. 6.00am: succeed, possibly.

6.00am: social media, promo, scheduling tweets.

7.30am: make tea for the men (partner and son), because I’m very kind. Rouse dogs, feed, dogs, shower, walk dogs. I’m not always completely successful there (I foster disabled dogs. Here, we have one three-legged dog, one OAP, and one extremely short-sighted dog. Guess which one has the sight problem?).

 

 

9.00am. EAT!! Thereafter, whilst juggling the various household chores, growling at the persistently ringing telephone or callers who dare knock the door, I try to dedicate most of the day to writing and go back to social media in the evening. I must admit I get a bit tired sometimes. If I go quiet, it’s because I’ve fallen off my chair. Blogs and posts I leave until the weekend, unless they are urgent.

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

For charity. Need I say more?

If you were able to invite four guests for dinner who would they be and why would you invite them?

George, Ben and John. I’m taking it you don’t further explanations here either? Then I think I would maybe have Kathy Lette, Australian born uber-talented author, famous for such hilarious books as Foetal Attraction and Mad Cows, or possibly Ruby Wax or Dawn French to shake the guys up a bit.

Sheryl thank you so much for sparing the time to come and chat today  It’s been lovely having you here at Sally Lunn’s and good luck with the new novel The Rest of My Life due to be published soon..

Thank you to all those lovely readers, bloggers and author friends who have supported me. I would have been lost without you. Thanks, too, to my little muse, Snoops!

Heartache, humour, love, loss & betrayal – and a little Ohhhh la la! Sheryl Browne brings you edgy, sexy, poignant fiction. A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and shortlisted for Innovation in Romantic Fiction, Sheryl has six books published with Safkhet Publishing and has now been signed with Award winning Choc Lit Publishing.

Where heroes are like chocolate – irresistible!

 

Recipes for Disaster – Sexilicious Romantic Comedy combined with Fab, Fun Recipes.

Somebody to Love – Sigh with contentment, scream with frustration. At times you will weep.

Warrant for Love – Three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly.

A Little Bit of Madness – White Knight in Blue rescues The Harbour Rest Home.

Learning to Love – Exploring the Fragility of Love, Life and Relationships.

The Edge of Sanity – How far would YOU go to protect your family?

COMING SOON from Choc Lit

The Rest of My Life – Two damaged hearts, a sizzling sexual connection. Can love find a way to bring Adam and Sienna together?

 

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Buy | Buy US | Pinterest | Loveahappyending Lifestyle

Safkhet Publishing | Romantic Novelists’ Association

 

 

 

 

I recently joined the Facebook Group British Books whose members talk about their writng and post photos of places in the UK they have used as settings for their novels.  It’s a lovely opportunity for a glimpse into the world of other writers to see what inspires them.  Every novel needs a setting, whether it’s coast, countryside, town or cityscape and what better way to do this than to use places you are familiar with?  Today my post is going to be about one such place, but not only is it a where there’s a who  involved as well..

My first full length commercial novel was set to be just that; one book.  However once the writing got underway the whole thing simply took off.  When Tomorrow Comes finally expanded into Love Lies and Promises and The Ghost of You and Me – a trilogy based in the West Country in the late sixties/early seventies.  The story followed the on-off relationship between star crossed lovers Ella Kendrick and Matt Benedict.  At the start of the story twenty year old Matt, a gifted song writer, was part of a rock band who eventually found fame, taking him away from the provincial town he and Ella had grown up in.

Part of Matt’s gift was in the genes – his father Tad Benedict had been a well-known singer in the 1950s, a pragmatic businessman who had used the money from his success to give him an alternative career once his singing days were over.  As well as owning a string of small hotels he purchased local run down riverside tea gardens and converted them into a club – The Mill,.  This became a social hub where the emerging 1960s youth culture came to drink and dance. So was this something which I conjured up entirely from my imagination?  No, far from it. A venue similar to The Mill did actually exist and the inspiration for Tad was based on the man who ran it.

Keith Johnson, a Bath entrepreneur bought the Weir Tea Rooms in Bathampton on the eastern edge of the city in 1962.  He converted the old riverside building and The Keel Club was born.  At that time the only way the emerging youth culture could listen publicly to music was through live bands.  Playing recorded music was almost unheard of but Keith changed all that. Starting out with the 12 records he had in his possession he extended the collection, playing the latest chart sounds and adding a weekly promotional slot for live bands.

He was said to be the pioneer for shadow dancing, where two girls danced on stage silhouetted behind a  lighted screen.  His dancers also introduced him to a group of Bristol students who were developing some quite innovative lighting techniques which could be used in the club.  Spotted by a man from the ‘Beeb’  they eventually went on to work on  lighting for the BBC’s prime time chart show Top of the Pops.

In 1967 Thin Lizzy played their very first gig at the club, an event which nearly ended in disaster.  Keith’s advertisement for the band’s appearance was picked up by Bath Council’s Watch Committee.  He was contacted and told if Thin Lizzy appeared he risked having his licence revoked.  Why all the fuss?  Because the Committee had it in their heads it was the name of a striptease artist!

Annual membership was £5 a year and at its height of popularity the club had 16,000 members..  This was a totally unique venue, there was nothing like for miles and it pulled in people from all over the West Country.  By the early seventies the generation who had flocked there a decade before had moved on. They were married with mortgages and babies on the way, no longer having either the inclination or disposable income to visit the club. The new up and coming late teenage/twenty somethings had different tastes and demands on their pockets too.  Membership waned and Keith finally closed the club in 1974.  He reopened it shortly afterward as The Skanda  a restaurant offering genuine Scandinavian smorgasbord to its diners.  I followed a similar pathway to this in The Ghost of You and Me where Tad closes The Mill and reopens it as a dinner/dance club called Zefferelli’s.

In 1984 Keith sold out to one of the big breweries who did a complete refurbishment adding it to their Beefeater steak chain.  Today it’s still an eatery only now it goes under the name of The Bathampton Mill.

In 1994 Keith moved into up market bed and breakfast, converting part of his own home to start this new venture. That was when I actually got to meet him.  I was working for an international training college at the time and we were always looking for new local places out of the city to accommodate visitors.  He showed me around we had coffee and he talked about those amazing times when he ran The Keel Club.  Sadly he’s no longer with us but local people who remember him do so with great respect; he lives on in local musical folklore.  He was definitely a visionary; a man ahead of his time and of course I’m indebted to him too because without Keith Johnson there would have been no Tad Benedict.

British Books’ current group topic is Christmas and I guess although I’m not contributing directly to this having a shot of Bathampton Mill in the snow does go someway to embracing the theme! 

DEADLY LIES BY CHRIS PATCHELL

Synopsis:

Husband and wife stand on opposite sides of a divide created by lies and rooted in a dark and deadly past… As a teenager, Jill Shannon fell victim to her stepfather’s cruel abuse. Now as an adult, Jill’s made it – she has a successful career and a solid, if not static, marriage to Detective Alex Shannon. Together they live out what seems to be a perfect life in Seattle.  The vow she made as a teenager to never again be a victim lies dormant – until one day a reporter lures her to his hotel room under the pretense of an interview – and suddenly all of it comes rushing back. Jill seeks revenge on the reporter, triggering a series of events that leads Jill down a wormhole of retribution, forcing her to spin an ever-widening web of lies.  Meanwhile, Alex is pulled into a case of a series of murders that began as cyber relationships. There seems to be a familiar fingerprint on these crimes, but Alex refuses to believe the murderer could be someone close to him… “Chris Patchell”s debut novel, Deadly Lies, is a taut, fast-paced thriller that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. Patchell is a master storyteller with a real talent for creating pulse-pounding suspense.”—Kevin O’Brien, New York  Times Bestselling Author of Unspeakable.

 My Review

I didn’t plan to sign up for this book tour.  I had just been on two other book tours for Brook Cottage Books and was right in the middle of my own edits so planned to step back from reviewing for a while.  However when the dates for Deadly Lies were advertised I checked the book out on Amazon and thought ‘Why not?’  – and I am so glad I did.

This is a brilliant debut novel written from the viewpoint of both main characters Alex and Jill Shannon.  Married for five years their respective police careers don’t make for a normal or even stable married life.  A gulf is opening up in their relationship; one which has already seen Jill drifting into an affair with her boss Jamie King.

When their liaison ends with tragic consequences she finds herself promoted into a more senior role.  Invited to speak at a conference she meets journalist Peter Young who asks to interview her and invites her back to his hotel room.  What takes place there dredges up memories of teenage years with her abusive father and sets her on a course of action to take revenge on Peter and those closely associated with his activities .

Meanwhile Alex, who has made connections with a neighbouring police force in relation to an abduction case he is working on, finds himself helping on one of their murder cases.  As he gradually slots the pieces of the puzzle together he makes an alarming discovery.

I really enjoyed this book; the writing was excellent, the characters believable and well developed.  I loved the way the the plot teased you, taking you forward but not giving too much away at a time. I have to say the ending was a surprise… and quite a sad surprise but when I thought about it, inevitable I guess. A wonderful five star read – I look forward to reading more from Chris Patchell in the future.

I would like to thank the author for donating an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author When Chris Patchell isn’t hiking in the Cascade Mountains or hanging out with family and friends, she is working at her hi-tech job or writing gritty suspense novels. Writing has been a lifelong passion for Chris. She fell in love with storytelling in the third grade when her half-page creative writing assignment turned into a five-page story on vampires. Even back then Chris had a gift for writing intricate plots that were so good her father refused to believe she didn’t steal them from comic books. Years later, Chris spent long afternoons managing her own independent record store and writing romance novels. After closing the record store and going to college, Chris launched a successful career in hi-tech. She married, had kids but amid all the madness, the itch to write never really went away. So she started writing again. Not romance this time – suspense filled with drama, and angst, speckled with a little bit of blood. Why suspense? Chris blames her obsession with the dark on two things: watching Stephen King movies as a kid and spending ridiculous amounts of time commuting in Seattle traffic. “My stories are based on scenarios I live every day, distorted through the fictional lens. And my stories come with the added bonus of not having to be restrained by socially acceptable behavior.”

To learn more about Chris and her debut novel, DEADLY LIES, visit www.chrispatchell.com/ Join her on Facebook for book giveaways and more gritty fun at www.facebook.com/authorchrispatchell

BUY LINKS: AMAZON AMAZON.COM

For a chance to win an e-copy of Deadly Lies simply click on the link and register: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4be030179/

My Review

What I love about being a reviewer for Brook Cottage Book tours are the variety of reads and wonderful discoveries I make along the way. Pippa Croft  is a writer I have not come across before and as with several of the other books I have reviewed I am delighted to say I have found yet another author I want to read more of.

Although Third Time Lucky is the third book in the Oxford Blue Series I found it easy to read as an independent, stand alone novel. The problem I now have, however, is that I find myself needing to download the other two – The First Time We Met and The Second Time I Saw You. One book in the series is simply not enough; I need to know the whole story!

Now I’m not usually a fan of novels written from the first person as I do love to see things from various viewpoints. However, I can say hand on heart as soon as I began reading this any pre-conceived ideas flew straight out of the window. This story, told from 21 year old post graduate student Lauren Cusack’s viewpoint, has everything. There is humour and steamy sex scenes which are well written and in a totally different league to those in ‘50’. Then we have hot hero Captain Alex Hunt (come on girls admit it, you’d love to wake up beside someone like him) and a couple of pretty awful villains all wrapped up in a great read which keeps you hooked until the last page.  It left me wondering whether we had seen the last of Lauren and Alex or if there might possibly be a sequel coming along at a later stage.  Secretly I’m hoping the answer will be yes.

As I love Oxford the setting there with the backdrop of student life plus the goings on at Alex’s stately home, Falconbury was a big plus even before I had fired up the Kindle.  Coupled with this, the whole book was written in such a beautifully smooth, seamless way.  A deliciously funny, sexy and entertaining novel worthy of the five stars I’m awarding it.

My complimentary copy of Third Time Lucky came from Penguin Books UK  via NetGally in exchange for an honest  review.

 Blurb

For fans of Sylvia Day and E. L. James, the third and final part of this exciting romance series.

‘It’s Sister Dixon from the Royal Infirmary here. I’m sorry to tell you that Captain Hunt has been involved a serious incident.’

Lauren Cusack should be on her way home for an holiday in Washington before her final term at Wyckham College, Oxford. But this call changes everything. Her relationship with impossibly handsome aristocrat Alexander Hunt has been turbulent and Lauren knows she needs to walk away. Yet now as she rushes to his side she knows she will be inevitably sucked back into his world.

And sure enough, Alexander – even a seriously injured Alexander – is an intoxicating cocktail Lauren cannot resist and despite everything that is sent to thwart them – and with Alexander there is drama at every turn – she finds herself happier than she’s ever been.

But as her final term races by, and she is offered the perfect job back in Washington, the impossibility of their romance hits home.

Can there be a future for Alexander and Lauren?

The love trials of Lauren and Alexander continue in the third book in Pippa Croft’s brilliant new Oxford Blue romance series.

Fans of E L James, Tammara Webber and Samantha Young won’t be able to get enough of Pippa Croft’s Oxford Blue romance series. Lauren and Alexander’s journey begins in The First Time We Met, and follows on in the brilliant sequel, The Second Time I Saw You, which are both available as Penguin e-books.

About the Author

Pippa Croft is the pen name of an award-winning romantic novelist. After studying English at Oxford, she worked as a copywriter and journalist before writing her debut novel, which won the RNA’s New Writers’ award and was later made into a TV movie. She lives in a village in the heart of England with her husband and daughter.

Amazon buy links

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Third-Time-Lucky-Oxford-Series-ebook/dp/B00IY2D20G/ref=pd_cp_kinc_1

USA: http://www.amazon.com/Third-Time-Lucky-Oxford-Series-ebook/dp/B00IY2D20G/ref=pd_bxgy_kstore_text_z

For a chance to win one of two Copies of The First Time We Met (the first book in the series)  simply click on the link  below

 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4be0301717/

Jo Lambert – Reviewer for Brook Cottage Books

ROMANCING MY LOVE is the newest addition to the BRADEN series by New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster. This contemporary romance series features alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and very relatable to readers who enjoy new adult romance, contemporary romance, and women’s fiction.

SYNOPSIS

After months of caring for her terminally ill mother, Rebecca Rivera is left all alone in a world she doesn’t trust—but she’s determined not to let her mother’s death define her. Losing her job, having to pummel some jerk for being too handy, and living in her car are just temporary setbacks to an otherwise solid plan in finding her footing. Full of pride and used to being in control of her life, she’s certain she can make it on her own. The last thing Rebecca needs is a man to fix her troubles—even if that man is strikingly handsome, wealthy, and charismatic Pierce Braden.

Pierce is a powerful real estate investor on the verge of a major acquisition. As the eldest of six siblings raised by a single mother, he’s spent his life protecting those he loves. He’s used to being in charge and making things right, and although he’d give his life for his family, he treats the women he dates as expendable—until he meets sexy and stubborn Rebecca Rivera, a woman who is as strong as she is vulnerable.

Passion ignites between them, and the two share their most intimate thoughts and desires. It doesn’t take long for Pierce to realize that Rebecca is as determined not to be saved as he is to find a way into her heart. As their love grows, Rebecca must face fears she didn’t even realize she had—and Pierce must learn the hard truth that sometimes less really is more. Is the power of true love enough for Rebecca and Pierce to learn to give up control and allow their hearts to take over?

First can I say many thanks to the author for sending me  a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest  review as part of the Romancing My Love Book Tour

MY REVIEW

Pierce Braden is a thirty six year old, drop dead gorgeous real estate millionaire still happily playing the field.  One night he wanders into a bar where he meets Rebecca Revira.  She has just been sacked from her job there and as she leaves has to deal with the unwanted attentions of one of the drinkers.  Impressed by the way she seems able to take care of herself, nonetheless something protective stirs in Pierce and he follows her, offering to take her home or call a cab. Refusing she walks off into the night.

Twenty seven year old Rebecca has recently lost her mother to cancer, is homeless and now jobless. She lives in her car and uses a local gym facility where she not only keeps up her fitness levels but can use the shower facilities.  Through instructor Andy’s girlfriend she manages to get a waitressing job at The Astral resort which unknown to her is owned by Pierce. He runs into her there by chance and takes her for a drink where she begins to open up and talk about her life.  Pierce finds he wants to get to know her better and offers to cook dinner for her.  A romantic relationship develops, each of them gradually sharing more details of their lives, including the fact Pierce owns the Astral and a whole lot more. Rebecca’s life begins to get back on track.  She rents a room from a work colleague and begins dating Pierce.  Un fazed by his wealth Pierce begins to realise Rebecca is special, like no one he has ever met before.  He also knows he is controlling and deliberately steps back, allowing this feisty independent young woman the space she needs to allow their relationship to grow.

Rebecca has not divulged everything about herself however, and when something is revealed by accident her old insecurities surface, threatening their relationship. As Pierce flies to LA to sort out a business deal Rebecca must come to terms with what she really wants and whether she is going to let the past continue to influence her life.

Before I started to read Romancing My Love I checked it out on Amazon and noticed there were already 14 five star reviews for this book. Most of these readers, it seems, like some of the reviewers on this tour are very much committed Melissa Foster fans and love her books. As for me, this is my first outing into this author’s territory so I’m very much a newbie to the Braden stories. I loved the two central characters and the great bonus was that it appeared Pierce was one of a string of equally handsome, hot brothers who have their own stories in the other Braden books. I love feisty women characters and Rebecca certainly was that, a survivor wanting to fall in love with a great guy but knowing she had a lot of bridges to cross before she could really let Pierce into her heart. A first class four star read, one which now has me very curious about what stories those other Braden boys have to tell…

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.

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GIVEAWAY

The Giveaway on this tour is an ecopy of FATED FOR LOVE by Melissa Foster. For a chance to win this copy click on the link below and enter your details:

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Jo Lambert – Reviewer for Brook Cottage Books

For someone who surrounds herself with music for most of her waking hours the above song seems most relevant as I look out of the window.  ‘All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey...’ is the opening line and that’s exactly how it is here today.  There is still some green in the trees down the river valley but mostly brown and gold flutters confetti-like onto the streets and gardens where I live.  Driving into the city from my home in the eastern suburbs there is a park which is bordered by chestnut trees.  These are the first to bud in the spring and now are the first to give us an amazing display of rich golds and bronzes. I always feel sad when Autumn arrives. The year is drawing to a close and colder days are on their way but I guess in life as in all things there has to be a balance.  It would be great to have perpetual spring or summer. However no doubt if that happened we would long for the beautiful clear blue skies of frosty winter mornings or cold wet evenings when we drew the curtains and curled up in front of the fire to read a good book or watch a movie.

And now to writing. Having just returned from a friend’s birthday celebrations in the Channel Islands I’ve got three months to knock the first draft of my new novel into shape.  It’s amazing when you finish that draft how well you think you’ve done.  It’s only when you come to sit down and retrace your steps you realise how many imperfections there are.  How dialogue can be changed to give a bigger impact or how working the scene from another character’s perspective might make the read more interesting.  All these things and more come into play once you start the editing process.  I have to confess to never being able to write small books.  To date they have all been big reads probably because of the subject material – a family saga spread across several years.  Although I told myself the new book would be smaller the draft currently sits at 120,000 words.  This means it will need some extensive pruning before it’s ready to go if I am to keep my promise to myself. Amazing that when I started writing I thought the whole story could be wrapped up in one book. That has not happened, so Summer Moved On will now have a sequel.

This time around I’ve decided to work with a slightly smaller cast.  Some things, of course, don’t change. The book is about provincial life with romance at its core and yes, still with a lot of drama.  This novel has presented new challenges which have been great as I feel it is important to stretch yourself as a writer.  There is a certain comfort in writing a series.  As it develops most of the settings and characters are already well known  and it’s all about incorporating other locations and individuals into the mix to create the new story.  Throwing yourself into the deep end with a completely unknown cast and backdrop can be a bit a giant leap into the dark. You may have made profile notes about each of your characters and locations but they are still very much unknown quantities and you are never sure how the dynamics between the characters will play out until you begin writing .  However that first draft gives you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with both your newbie cast and their surroundings and see whether they work well with your storyline.  I’m glad to say that with a few nips and tucks here and there they have and currently I’m in a good place and on schedule so am one very happy bunny!

And now I’m off to get some lunch…back  next week.

First can I say many thanks to the author for sending me  a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest  review as part of the Drumbeats Book Tour

My Review 

Reading the synopsis for Drumbeats my first thought was that this is not my usual choice of book. However although I have definite preferences when I’m buying, I’m generally pretty eclectic in my taste and can very often be persuaded to step outside my comfort zone and try something completely different. If anything drew me to this novel it had to be the beautiful cover and I do think if I was not doing a professional review it probably would have played a big part in influencing me to buy.

The synopsis for Drumbeats gave all the indications of an interesting read. What I had not anticipated, however, was the wonderful quality of the writing.  It’s a brilliantly crafted book where sights, sounds and even smells of the Ghanaian way of life are conjured up quite vividly.  In some novels details can slow up the story and bog the reader down.  In this book it feels right, woven so well into the fabric of the story it becomes an essential part of the read.

It is 1965. Jess is an 18 year old about to embark on a university career. However she decides first she will take a gap year and work abroad.  Her parents are strict Quakers who cannot understand and don’t really approve of what she wants to do.  Nevertheless she embarks on this year out of the UK to teach in a Ghanaian school.  As well as a chance to experience life in foreign country it’s also an escape from a strict and somewhat oppressive home life. Through the writer we get a wonderful feel for this very different way of life in Africa and how Jess copes with living in a hot country whose culture is so unlike her own.  Back in England is boyfriend Simon, already at university and they correspond regularly. She misses him and has bouts of homesickness but soon gets distracted by her new life as a teacher. When two Americans, Jim and Hank arrive as part of the Peace Corps based in Accra Jess finds herself befriending Jim. Dark and good looking the young intern is here to volunteer his skills after which he plans to return to his medical studies in the US.  Jess and Jim grow closer through their mutual love of music and his assistance at the two villages she regularly visits.  Although she is aware of an attraction developing between them she is determined to stay faithful to Simon.

The story moves steadily through the year; school life, Jess’s friendship with the other young women teachers and her pupils and an eventful Christmas road trip they take to Timbuctoo. As the relationship between Jess and Jim progresses his actions and absences make her suspicious that he might be involved in something far deeper than volunteering.  When they are both caught up a coup which overthrows the President she finds herself in a situation which eventually leads to her betrayal of the faithful Simon. Afterwards Jim asks her to return to the States with him and Jess has to make a difficult decision about the direction she wants her life to take. Should she go with Jim or return to Simon?

 I won’t take the story any further, only to say there are some interesting twists and turns before we finish plus an ending which leaves the door open for the next book. If I have one criticism it’s that book two is not yet available. Personally I can’t wait to continue Jess’s journey.  A brilliant read and a well deserved five stars.

Published July 2014

Drumbeats: can you ever escape your past?

Drumbeats is the first novel in a trilogy and follows 18 year old English student Jess through her gap year in West Africa. It’s a rite of passage novel set in the mid-1960s when Jess flees her stifling home background for freedom to become a volunteer teacher and nurse in the Ghanaian bush. Apprehensively, she leaves her first real romantic love behind in the UK, but will she be able to sustain the bond while she is away? With the idealism of youth, she hopes to find out who she really is and do some good in the world, but little does she realize what, in reality, she will find that year: joys, horrors, and tragedy. She must find her way on her own and learn what fate has in store for her, as she becomes embroiled in the poverty and turmoil of a small war-torn African nation under a controversial dictatorship. Jess must face the dangers of both civil war and unexpected romance. Can she escape her past? And why do the drumbeats haunt her dreams?

Drumbeats Trilogy:

Drumbeats

Can you ever escape your past?

Walking in the Rain

How do you cope when your worst nightmare comes true?

Before I Die

Can Jess’s bucket list bring resolution to her life?

Excerpt

August 1965, Ghana

It was hotter than Jess had ever imagined in her eighteen years. Flying in from the UK bound for Accra, she had left the late August skies of the dull wet dreariness of an English summer. But as she stepped off the Ghana Airways VC10, she felt the heavy all-encompassing heat which shocked her system. Although it was only six o’clock in the evening, it was already dark and close.

The flight from London Heathrow had been a long and tiresome six hours and she had felt drained as she pulled down her cabin bag from the overhead and shuffled along the aisle behind the other travellers, nodding and swaying to the strains of the Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” on the VC10’s tannoy system. Her mother would have a fit: her Rulebook said no pop music; it’s the work of the devil, and no dancing: Jessamy, anyone would think you were a slut. So in the holidays, when she was home from boarding school, she’d listened to Pick of the Pops furtively in her bedroom, ear pressed to the radio.

Now, as she climbed down the steps in the heat-stifling darkness to take her first stride on African soil, she was recharged with excitement.

She was aware of the male flight attendant standing at the foot of the aircraft’s steps, watching her with undisguised admiration as she climbed down. She navigated the steps as gracefully as she could in her tan wedge-heeled sandals. In the heat, she was glad that she had thought to scoop up her auburn-gold hair loosely into a ponytail.  She let go of the rail with her left hand for a moment to smooth her pale pink cotton mini dress over her slim figure. At least she wasn’t irritable and demanding like the other passengers who pushed behind her as if they were in a great hurry.

The flight attendant watched her all the way down the steps and then wiped his palm on his trousers, and held it out courteously to steady her from the last step. She took it in her own cool soft hand for a brief moment.

“Thank you so much, John. Bye now,” she smiled as she passed him and headed for the small wooden shack that served as an airport building.

“No problem, miss. Welcome to Ghana.”

“How did you know his name?” hissed Sandra, from behind her. Jess turned. She noticed that John did not take Sandra’s hand. His eyes and grin were still focussed on her.

“It’s on his name label,” whispered Jess. They walked together across to the arrivals building. “OK?”

“OK. Long flight. Tired,” answered Sandra curtly. She had been unusually quiet during the flight and, it seemed, almost close to tears on occasion. Jess put her free hand on Sandra’s arm.

“It’ll be fine. Honestly. I know you’re missing Colin.” In the short time Jess had with Sandra after they were teamed up to travel to the same school in Ghana for their gap years, she had learned all about the chap Sandra was leaving behind for a year. Sandra showed her a photograph. Oh dear, he looked a lot like Maurie. Not fanciable. AT. ALL! She herself had said little about her own personal life, and the guy she had left behind. She wanted to keep him to herself. Her first real grown-up relationship. Simon. His name still tasted so new on her lips and in her head. Had she done the right thing in dutifully fulfilling the contract to come out here, even though they had only just got together? Would he wait for her? They were an item, weren’t they? She frowned and bit her lip.

To win an e-copy (International) of Drumbeats click and register on the rafflecopter tag below

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About the Author

Julia Ibbotson lives in a renovated Victorian rectory in the English countryside with her husband (four children, now grown up, having fled the nest), along with lots of apple trees, a kitchen garden and far too many moles. She is an author and academic, and loves choral singing, walking, swimming, gardening and cooking (not necessarily at the same time). She started writing as soon as she could hold a pencil in her tiny fist and has not stopped since, much to the bemusement of her long-suffering husband who brings her endless cups of coffee and sometimes even makes the dinner when she is distracted and frowning at her laptop.

She wrote her first novel when she was 10 years old, sadly never published and long since consigned to the manuscript graveyard. She loves writing novels with a strong sense of time and place and that is the basis of her latest, Drumbeats, the first of a trilogy which follows Jess through the trials and tribulations of her life. It starts with Jess on her gap year in Ghana in the 1960s.

She has also written the story of the restoration of her rectory in The Old Rectory: Escape to a Country Kitchen, which also interweaves recipes from her farmhouse kitchen and which has won a number of international awards.

Recently she found an old manuscript gathering dust in her drawer, one she had originally scribbled when she was still at school, many years ago. It was a children’s story about a boy who slips through a tear in the fabric of the universe to find himself in a fantasy medieval world. She is currently blowing off the dust and redrafting it for her publishers to let it loose on the world in the autumn. It’s called S.C.A.R.S.

She loves to hear from readers (it’s a pleasant distraction from her steaming keyboard), so do get in touch via the links.

Author Links

Author page on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Julia-Ibbotson/e/B0095XG11U/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1377188346&sr=1-2-ent

Author email:

juliaibbotson@btinternet.com

Author facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Julia-Ibbotson-author/163085897119236

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JuliaIbbotson

Author website:

http://www.juliaibbotsonauthor.com

Pinterest page:

http://pinterest.com/juliai1/

Goodreads author page:

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

Book Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OYlEXhHvsc&list=UUP3hKZjeUBuTMoyvZmBXbow