Happy Publication Day to Lily Graham and Bookouture!

Publisher: Bookouture (30th September 2016)

How gorgeous is that cover!

I’m over the moon to be able to treat you to Chapter 1 of this lovely book, which is released today.

Enjoy…..

A CORNISH CHRISTMAS

by Lily Graham

CHAPTER ONE

The Writing Desk

Even now it seemed to wait.

Part of me, a small irrational part, needed it to stay exactly where it was, atop the faded Persian rug, bowing beneath the visceral pulse of her letters and the remembered whisper from the scratch of her pen. The rosewood chair, with its slim turned-out legs, suspended forevermore in hopeful expectation of her return. Like me, I wondered if it couldn’t help but wish that somehow she still could.

I hadn’t had the strength to clear it, nor the will. Neither had Dad and so it remained standing sentry, as it had throughout the years with Mum at the wheel, the heart, the hub of the living room.

If I closed my eyes, I could still hear her hum along to Tchaikovsky – her pre-Christmas music – as she wrapped up presents with strings, ribbons and clear cellophane, into which she’d scatter stardust and moonbeams, or at least so it seemed to my young eyes. Each gift, a gift within a gift.

One of my earliest memories is of me sitting before the fire, rolling a length of thick red yarn for Fat Arnold, our squashed-face Persian, who languished by the warmth, his fur pearly white in the glow. His one eye open while his paw twitched, as if to say he’d play, if only he could find the will. In the soft light Mum sat and laughed, the firelight casting lowlights in her long blonde hair. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, away from the memory of her smile.

Dad wanted me to have it: her old writing desk. I couldn’t bear to think of the living room without it, but he insisted. He’d looked at me, above his round horn-rimmed glasses, perpetual tufts of coarse grey hair poking out mad-hatter style on either side of his head, and said with his faraway philosopher’s smile, ‘Ivy, it would have made her happy, knowing that you had it. . .’ And I knew I’d lost.

Still it had taken me two weeks to get up the nerve. Two weeks and Stuart’s gentle yet insistent prodding. He’d offered to help, to at least clear it for me, and bring it through to our new home so that I wouldn’t have to face it. Wouldn’t have to reopen a scar that was trying its best to heal. He’d meant well. I knew that he would’ve treated her things reverently; he would’ve stacked all her letters, tied them up with string, his long fingers slowly rolling up the lengths of old ribbon and carefully putting them away into a someday box that I could open when I was ready. It was his way, his sweet, considerate Stuart way. But I knew I had to be the one who did it. Like a bittersweet rite of passage, some sad things only you can do yourself. So I gathered up my will, along with the box at my feet and began.

It was both harder and easier than I expected. Seeing her things as she left them should have made the lump in my throat unbearable, it should have been intolerable, but it wasn’t somehow.

I began with the drawer, emptying it of its collection of creamy, loose-leafed paper; fine ribbons; and assorted string, working my way to the heart of the Victorian desk, with its warren of pigeon holes, packed with old letters, patterned envelopes, stamps, watercolour brushes, and tubes of half-finished paint.

But it was the half-finished tasks that made the breath catch in my throat. A hand-painted Christmas card, with Santa’s sleigh and reindeer flying over the chimney tops, poor Rudolph eternally in wait for his little watercolour nose. Mum had always made her own, more magical and whimsical than any you could buy. My fingers shook as I held the card in my hand, my throat tight. Seeing this, it’s little wonder I became a children’s book illustrator. I put it on top of the pile, so that later I could paint in Santa’s missing guiding light.

It was only when I made to close the desk that I saw it: a paper triangle peeking out from the metal hinge. It was tightly wedged but, after some wiggling, I pried it loose, only – in a way – to wish I hadn’t.

It was a beautiful, vintage French postcard, like the ones we’d bought when we holidayed there, when I was fifteen and fell in love with everything en français. It had a faded sepia print of the Jardin des Tuileries on the cover, and in elegant Century print it read ‘[Century font writing] Carte Postale’ on the back.

It was blank. Except for two words, two wretchedly perfect little words that caused the tears that had threatened all morning to finally erupt.

Darling Ivy

It was addressed to me. I didn’t know which was worse: the unexpected blow of being called ‘Darling Ivy’ one last time, finding out she’d had this last unexpected gift waiting for me all along, or that she’d never finish it. I suppose it was a combination of all three.

Three velvet-tipped daggers that impaled my heart.

I placed it in the box together with the unfinished Christmas card and sobbed, as I hadn’t allowed myself to for years.

Five years ago, when she passed, I believed that I’d never stop. A friend had told me that ‘time heals all wounds’ and it had taken every ounce of strength not to give her a wound that time would never heal, even though I knew she’d meant well. Time, I knew, couldn’t heal this type of wound. Death is not something you get over. It’s the rip that exposes life in a before and after chasm and all you can do is try to exist as best you can in the after. Time could only really offer a moment when the urge to scream would become a little less.

Another friend of mine, who’d lost his leg and his father in the same day, explained it better. He’d said that it was a loss that every day you manage and some days are better than others. That seemed fair. He’d said that death for him was like the loss of the limb, as even on those good days you were living in the shadow of what you had lost. It wasn’t something you recovered from completely, no matter how many people, yourself included, pretended otherwise. Somehow that helped, and I’d gotten used to living with it, which I suppose was what he meant.

The desk wasn’t heavy. Such a substantial part of my childhood, it felt like it should weigh more than it did, but it didn’t and I managed it easily alone. I picked it up and crossed the living room, through the blue-carpeted passage, pausing only to shift it slightly as I exited the back door towards my car, a mint green Mini Cooper.

Setting the desk down on the cobbled path, I opened up my boot, releasing the back seats so they folded over before setting the desk on top, with a little bit of careful manoeuvring. It felt strange to see it there, smaller than I remembered. I shut the boot and went back inside for the chair and the box where I’d placed all her things; there was never any question of leaving it behind. On my way back, I locked up Dad’s house, a small smile unfurling as I noticed the little wreath he’d placed on the door, like a green shoot through the snow after the longest winter. It hadn’t been Christmas here for many years.

Back to my car, I squeezed the chair in next to the desk and placed the box on the passenger seat before I climbed in and started the engine. As the car warmed, I looked at my reflection in the side mirror and laughed, a sad groaning laugh.

My eyeliner had made tracks all down my face, leaving a thick trail into my ears, and black blobs on either side of my lobes so that I looked like I’d participated in some African ritual, or had survived the mosh pit at some death metal goth fest. With my long dark blonde curls, coral knitted cap and blue eyes, it made me look a little zombiefied.

I wiped my face and ears and grinned despite myself. ‘God, Mum, thanks for that!’ I put the car in gear and backed out of the winding drive, towards the coastal road.

Cornwall.

It was hard to believe I was back, after all these years.

London had been exciting, tiring, and trying. And grey, so very grey. Down here, it seemed, was where they keep the light; my senses felt as if they’d been turned up.

For a while, London had been good though, especially after Mum. For what it lacked in hued lustre, it made up for by being alive with people, ideas, and the hustling bustle. It was a different kind of pace. A constant rush. Yet, lately I’d craved the stillness and the quiet. So when The Fudge Files, a children’s fiction series that I co-wrote and illustrated with my best friend Catherine Talty, about a talking English bulldog from Cornwall who solves crimes, became a bestseller, we were finally able to escape to the country.

In his own way, Stuart had wanted the move more than I did; he was one of those strange creatures who’d actually grown up in London, and said that this meant it was high time that he tried something else.

In typical Stuart fashion, he had these rather grand ideas about becoming a self-sustaining farmer – something akin to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall – and setting up a smallholding similar to Hugh’s River Cottage. The simple fact of it being Cornwall, not Dorset, was considered inconsequential. Which perhaps it was. I had to smile. Our River Cottage was called Sea Cottage (very original that), yet was every bit as exquisite as its namesake, with a rambling half acre of countryside, alongside rugged cliffs that overlooked the aquamarine waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the gorgeous village of Cloudsea with its mile-long meandering ribbon of whitewashed cottages with window frames and doors in every shade of blue imaginable, perched amid the wild, untamed landscape, seemingly amongst the clouds, tumbling down to the sea. It was the place I always dreamt about when someone asked me where I would choose to live if I could magically supplant myself with a snap of my fingers or be granted a single genie’s wish. Cloudsea. And now. . . now we lived here. It was still hard to believe.

So far our ‘livestock’ consisted of four laying hens, two grey cats named Pepper and Pots, and an English bulldog named Muppet – the living, slobbering and singular inspiration behind Detective Sergeant Fudge (Terrier Division) of The Fudge Files, as created by Catherine, Muppet’s official godmother.

Despite Stuart’s noble intentions, he was finding it difficult to come to terms with the idea of keeping animals as anything besides pets. Personally, I was a little grateful for that. We assuaged our consciences though by ensuring that we supported local organic farms, where we were sure that all the animals were humanely treated.

But what we lacked in livestock, Stuart made up for in vegetation. His potager was his pride and joy and even now, in the heart of winter, he kept a polytunnel greenhouse that kept us in fresh vegetables throughout the year. Or at least that was the plan; we’d only been here since late summer. I couldn’t imagine his excitement come spring.

For me Cornwall was both a fresh start and a homecoming. For the first time ever I had my own art studio up in the attic, with dove grey walls, white wooden floors, and a wall full of shelves brimming with all my art supplies; from fine watercolour paper to piles of brushes and paint in every texture and medium that my art-shop-loving heart could afford. The studio, dominated by the mammoth table, with its slim Queen Anne legs, alongside the twin windows, made it a haven, with its view of the rugged countryside and sea. One where I planned to finish writing and illustrating my first solo children’s book.

Now, with our new home and the news that we’d been waiting seven years to hear, it would all be a new start for us.

I was finally, finally pregnant.

Seven rounds of in vitro fertilisation, which had included 2,553 days, 152 pointless fights, five serious, two mortgages, countless stolen tears in the dead of the night in the downstairs bathroom in our old London flat, my fist wedged in my mouth to stem the sound, and infinite days spent wavering between hope and despair, wondering if we should just give up and stop trying. That day, thankfully, hadn’t come.

And now I was twelve weeks pregnant. I still couldn’t believe it. We hadn’t told Dad yet; I didn’t want to get his hopes up, or tempt fate; we’d played that black card before.

Our hopes. . . well, they’d already soared above the stars.

It was why I so desperately wished Mum were here now. It would have made all of this more bearable. She had a way of making sense of the insensible, of offering hope at the darkest times, when all I wanted to do was run away. I missed how we used to sit up late at night by the fire in the living room, a pot of tea on the floor, while Fat Arnold dozed at our feet and she soothed my troubled fears and worries – the most patient of listeners, the staunchest of friends. Now, with so many failed pregnancies, including two miscarriages, the memory of which was like shrapnel embedded in our hearts, so that our lives had been laced with an expectant tinge of despair, primed for the nightmare to unfold, never daring to hope for the alternative; we were encouraged to hope. It was different, everyone said so, and I needed to trust that this time it would finally happen, that we’d finally have a baby, like the doctors seemed to think we would. Stuart had been wonderful, as had Catherine, but I needed Mum really, and her unshakeable, unbreakable faith.

There are a few times in a woman’s life when she needs her mother. For me, my wedding was one and I was lucky to have her there, if luck was what it was, because it seemed to be sheer and utter determination on her part. It had been so important to her to be there, even though all her doctors had told us to say our goodbyes. I will never know what it cost her to hold on the way she did, but she did and she stayed a further two years after that. In the end, it was perhaps the cruellest part, because when she did go, I’d convinced myself that somehow she’d be able to stay.

But this, this was different. I needed her now, more than ever. As I drove, the unstoppable flow of tears pooling in the hollow of my throat, I wished that we could have banked those two years, those two precious years that she had fought so hard and hung on for, so that she could be here with me now when I needed her the most.

Well, this book now has to go on my reading list!

Many thanks to Kim at Bookouture for letting my join in with today’s Publication celebrations 🙂

A CORNISH CHRISTMAS by Lily Graham is out today – 30^th September 2016

UK: http://amzn.to/2atWI7G

US: http://amzn.to/2azduwO

Nestled in the Cornish village of Cloudsea, sits Sea Cottage – the perfect place for some Christmas magic …

At last Ivy is looking forward to Christmas. She and her husband Stuart have moved to their perfect little cottage by the sea – a haven alongside the rugged cliffs that look out to the Atlantic Ocean. She’s pregnant with their much-longed for first baby and for the first time, since the death of her beloved mother, Ivy feels like things are going to be alright.

But there is trouble ahead. It soon emerges that Stuart has been keeping secrets from Ivy, and suddenly she misses her mum more than ever.
When Ivy stumbles across a letter from her mother hidden in an old writing desk, secrets from the past come hurtling into the present. But could her mother’s words help Ivy in her time of need? Ivy is about to discover that the future is full of unexpected surprises and Christmas at Sea Cottage promises to be one to remember.

This Christmas warm your heart and escape to the Cornish coast for an uplifting story of love, secrets and new beginnings that you will remember for many Christmases to come.

www.facebook.com/LilyRoseGrahamAuthor

www.twitter.com/Lilywritesbooks

https://lilygraham.net/

About Lily Graham

Lily has been telling stories since she was a child, starting with her imaginary rabbit, Stephanus, and their adventures in the enchanted peach tree in her garden, which she envisioned as a magical portal to Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree. She’s never really got out of the habit of making things up, and still thinks of Stephanus rather fondly.

She lives with her husband and her English bulldog, Fudge, and brings her love for the sea and country-living to her fiction.

(Kindle) Publisher: Sphere (7th April 2016)

(Paperback) Publisher: Sphere (1st September 2016)

This is going to be a difficult one to review because I haven’t loved it, but I haven’t disliked it, as such, either. Something was missing for me, but I can’t quite put my finger on what.

It starts where Nathan has moved his wife and two children back to his childhood home. They have bought a house in the middle of nowhere which is quite a culture shock compared to living in a busy city. One night, Fran wakes to find Nathan murdered, practically right outside their back door. It’s a brutal killing and naturally Fran is in shock. Who would want to kill her Nathan and why do the police seem to think it might be her? Why aren’t they really telling her anything?

As the story unfolds it becomes obvious that Fran might not have known her husband as well as she thought and how could he have been in bed with her that night at the same time as lying dead outside? Nothing adds up.

I did like the idea of this story, but it didn’t flow particularly well for me. I think it dragged a little bit to be honest. I also found the ending a bit of an anti-climax. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, which I don’t think helped.

The Loving Husband isn’t poorly written at all, but I can’t say that it had me gripped. It did interest me enough to read it to the end as I did want to know what happened, but it didn’t have the wow factor for me, unfortunately. Having said that, it’s only my opinion and I’m sure lots of other readers will love it! I’ll be interested to read other reviews.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for approving my request on Netgalley.

If you’d like to read it yourself and let me know your opinion you can buy a copy HERE

Description (via AmazonUK):

Fran Hall and her husband Nathan have moved with their two children to a farmhouse on the edge of the Fens – a chance to get away from London and have a fresh start.

But when Fran wakes one night to find Nathan gone, she makes a devastating discovery. As questions about her husband and her relationships start to mount, Fran’s life begins to spiral out of control.

What is she hiding from the police about her marriage, and does she really know the man she shared her bed with?

Maybe you have already read it. If so, what did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Hi all, today I have the pleasure of welcoming Christina Banach, author of Minty, to my blog.

I am very grateful to Christina for agreeing to answer my questions and also for sending me a beautiful signed paperback copy of Minty which I am looking forward to reading and reviewing 🙂

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

I’m a writer and former Headteacher living in the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland, with my husband and our two rescue dogs. I write young adult/crossover fiction. Some of the things I love are: writing (obviously!); spending time with my husband and dogs; being curled up with a good book; luxuriating in cake, scones and great food; being on or near the sea; chilling in front of the TV; going for long walks; having fun with friends and family; and enjoying nights at the theatre. Oh – did I mention chocolate? I love chocolate!

My book, Minty, is set in Fife and is a contemporary ghost story, told from the point of view of the ghost. It has described it as a cross between The Lovely Bones (without the grim murder!) and Ghost. I’m told that it’s a real weepy, but nevertheless has heart and warmth at its core. It tells the story of fourteen-year-old twins Minty and Jess who, although they sometimes bicker, are completely inseparable. Then a day trip to the coast puts their bond in jeopardy. As Minty tries to rescue her dog from drowning she ends up fighting for her life, a fight that results in drastic consequences for both sisters.

Minty was a Scottish Book Trust Teen’s Book of the Month, shortlisted for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and nominated for a Cybils Award.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

From everywhere: television and film, theatre and the news, and reading (fiction and non fiction). Or from observing the world, and mulling over a long-held opinion or belief. More than anything, though, it’s asking that all important question, what if?

Nevertheless, sometimes an idea can appear in a flash, as it did with my debut novel, Minty. During the night I thought I sensed my late father’s presence, after which, unable to get back to sleep, I sat in the sunroom contemplating what had actually happened. Whilst doing this I heard my dog panting and put out my hand to stroke her. Until it struck me – how could it be my pet? She’d died the month before.

That’s when Minty’s story came to me: the tale of a teenaged girl to whom the unimaginable happens. One that deals with universal themes such as love, family, grief, hope and redemption, but that also attempts to answer one of the big questions in life, namely, what happens to us after we die?

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

None of my characters are based on any one person. However, I’m sure that the characteristics and mannerisms etc of family, friends and aquaintances worm their way into my fiction. Plus, I’ve been known to observe strangers, eg in restaurants or on the train, and note down anything that piques my interest, to use later when crafting a story. I think, like most writers, I’m a bit of a magpie!

How do you pick your characters names?

Sometimes they simply pop into my mind, as was the case with Minty and her twin sister Jess. Other times I refer to my trusty book of baby names, or trawl though websites for suitable Christian names. For surnames, if one doesn’t suggest itself to me, I tend to use telephone directories or turn to websites.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

Once I have an idea that won’t let go I start reading around it, making lots of notes. When I have enough information I brainstorm all the plot ideas that emerge and consider how I’ll mould these in the context of a three-act structure. I used to be a bit of a Pantser but the more I’ve learned about plot and structure the more I plot the bones of my story before I embark on the first draft. Nontheless, it’s a very basic structure and I’m not wedded to it. When it comes to the actual writing of the story, I maintain a detailed handwritten journal during each writing session but type the story straight on to the computer. However, if I get stuck I will revert to longhand to get me out of the mire. I tend to write several drafts before a book is finished – Minty took eight drafts to get to publication. Oh dear, that’s hardly my writing process in a nutshell, is it? Sorry but I could talk about this subject all day long!

Do you have a favourite author?

Gosh, that’s such a difficult question! I love so many authors, some of whom write for children and young adults and others who write adult fiction. While saying that, if I have to whittle it down to one then I’d say David Almond. If I hadn’t read his children’s novel, Skellig, I wouldn’t have written Minty. I had worked on adult fiction until I came across David’s book but was so capitivated by the style and content of the book that it made me wonder whether I could write for young people, too. I decided to give it a try and it was then that I found my voice. Actually, I owe him a debt of gratitude.

If you could meet any author, who would it be? And what would you ask them?

There are so many authors, past and present, that I would love to meet. However, in light of what I said above, my answer this question has to be David Almond. I’m going to the SCBWI BI conference in Winchester University this November where the man himself is giving a keynote speech. I honestly can’t wait for that! I hope to pluck up the courage to say ‘hello’ to him if I see him around the campus. As for what I would ask him, my first question should probably be ‘would you like a coffee?’, because by buying him a drink I’ll be able (in a very small way) to repay my debt to him and pick his writerly brain!

Were you a big reader as a child?

I read a fair bit when I was a child but, in all honesty, my voracious appetite for books only kicked in when I was in my twenties.

When did you start to write?

From early childhood I wrote stories and created my own comics. I also wrote short plays for my friends to perform. In my teens I turned to writing angst-ridden (and pretty awful!) poetry but once I went to university I stopped writing creatively. It wasn’t until many years later, when I was on sick leave from my headteacher’s post, that I picked up pen and paper and started writing again. Then the writing bug truly got hold of me. However, it was increasingly difficult to find the time to work on my novels so, eventually, I took a leap of faith and resigned from my job. I’ve been writing full-time ever since.

What are you working on right now?

At the moment I’m working on the fourth draft of COIRA, a young adult mystery set in the legendary village of Glencoe. It’s a complex and ambitious story which has involved a lot of research but I’ve fallen completely in love with writing it.

When can we look forward to a new release?

There’s no publication date, as yet, for my next book. Dare I say, ‘watch this space?’.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I love connecting with readers and have several online accounts to enable this. I can be contacted through my website, or on Twitter and Facebook. I can also be found on Pinterest and Instagram.

Here are the links to my social media accounts:

Website: www.christinabanach.com

Twitter: @ChristinaBanach

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christina.banach.9

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/cbanachauthor/

Instagram: Christina Banach (can’t seem to transfer the link from my phone for this one. Sorry!)

Thank you for inviting me to feature on your blog, Kerry. It has been fun!

Many thanks for joining me, Christina. It has been a pleasure 🙂

Publisher: Three Hares Publishing (8th April 2014)

Buy your copy HERE

Fourteen-year-old twins Minty and Jess are inseparable. Maybe they bicker now and then, even crave a bit of space once in a while. But they have a connection. Unbreakable. Steadfast. Nothing can tear them apart. Until a family trip to the coast puts their bond in jeopardy. As Minty tries to rescue her dog from drowning she ends up fighting for her life. Will Minty survive? If she doesn’t, how will Jess cope without her? Only the stormy sea has the answer. Minty is a story of love, loss and coming to terms with consequences. It’s a spiritual tale that will linger in your mind long after you’ve read the final word.

I am over the moon to be taking part in Tilly’s Blog Blitz! Happy Publication Day Tilly and Bookouture 🙂

I have a fabulous Q&A with the lady herself for you all to enjoy 🙂

1. For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

I’m Tilly, somewhere in my forties (that’s all you’re getting), two teenage daughters, a husband and lots of grey hairs as a result! I was born in Dorset but now live in Staffordshire. I write romantic comedies and I like to think that on the way to your happy ever after, there’s a little fun, a little suspense, and a little drama.

2. Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Honestly, from all over the place! I take inspiration from things that have happened to me, and even stories that other people tell me about things that have happened to them. If you’ve recently told me a story, beware, you could end up in one of mine! I see things on the news that often creep in or spark other ideas too.

3. Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

I tend to cherry-pick bits of characteristics from people I know, people I’ve met briefly or even people in the public eye. So I suppose you could say they are loosely based on lots of people but rarely on just one individual.

4. How do you pick your characters names?

The baby name books come out quite a lot! Sometimes I just like a name or sometimes a character is actually named in a little tribute to someone. If I hear an unusual name I like I write it down in a notebook and go back to the list when I need one.

5. Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

Most of my writing is done at the kitchen table. I desperately want an office but so far that’s proving tricky! I used to write in the evenings when the kids had gone to bed, so I would always be up late. This summer, however, I’m taking a career break so I’m happily sitting at the table when everyone else is at work and school. It’s much better for my social life and it means I now get to watch the odd bit of TV at night, which is a luxury compared to before when I would spend nights working. I try to set myself a word count target for that day, depending on what else I know needs doing, and I’m quite annoyed at myself if I don’t stick to it because that’s the only way I can discipline myself enough to make sure deadlines get met. I write first drafts quickly and quite messily while the ideas are all fresh, and then editing takes a little longer as I fine tune everything.

6. Do you have a favourite author? 

I can never choose one favourite; there are just too many brilliant ones.

7. If you could meet any author, who would it be? And what would you ask them?

Jane Austen. I’d ask her if she was shocked about her lasting success, and how she felt about the fact someone had turned one of her books into a zombie film!

8. Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, I got into trouble a lot for sneaking a torch to bed and reading under the duvet so I wouldn’t be able to get up for school the next day.

9. When did you start to write?

I’d always dabbled, but never written anything seriously – mainly because I couldn’t imagine why anyone would care what I had to say. Then, ten years ago, I decided I’d had enough of feeling unfulfilled in jobs that I didn’t particularly enjoy, and I enrolled on a university course to study English. While I was there I filled a gap in the timetable with a creative writing module, wrote my first novel in the summer holidays, and instantly became addicted.

10. What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a new two book series set in Rome, which is quite a departure for me because I’m used to writing about people living in small towns and villages. I’m quite excited about it, though.

11. When can we look forward to a new release?

Christmas at the Little Village Bakery is out now. The first book of the Rome series will be released early spring of 2017.

12. How can readers keep in touch with you?

https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant/?fref=ts

Most definitely on my TBR list!

Publisher: Bookouture (16th September 2016)

CHRISTMAS AT THE LITTLE VILLAGE BAKERY by Tilly Tennant

UK: http://amzn.to/29glVkf

US: http://amzn.to/295yTw0

It’s time to get toasty by the fire with a glass of mulled wine and a slice of chocolate yule log sprinkled with a little romance. Welcome to Christmas at the Little Village Bakery.

Snow is falling in Honeybourne and Spencer is bringing home his American fiancée Tori for a traditional English Christmas with all the trimmings. But when his hippie mum and dad meet her high-maintenance parents, sparks of the wrong sort start to fly. Then Spencer bumps into his first love Jasmine and unexpected feelings come flooding back.

Millie is run off her feet with Christmas orders at the Little Village Bakery and new baby Oscar. Thank goodness her cousin Darcie is here to help her. Although she does seem to be rather flirty with Millie’s boyfriend Dylan.

Will Darcie ever find true love of her own? And is marrying Tori a terrible mistake for Spencer if his heart is with someone else?

A heartwarming Christmassy romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews and Milly Johnson.

THE LITTLE VILLAGE BAKERY by Tilly Tennant was published in June 2016.

UK: http://amzn.to/24lNnTt

US: http://amzn.to/1VI2O3x

If you haven’t already and would like to, you can read my review of this lovely book here – The Little Village Bakery (Honeybourne Book 1) by Tilly TennantThe Little Village Bakery (Honeybourne Book 1) by Tilly Tennant 

About Tilly Tennant:

From a young age, Tilly Tennant was convinced that she was destined for the stage.  Once she realised she wasn’t actually very good at anything that would put her on the stage, she started to write stories instead. There were lots of terrible ones, likeThe Pet Rescue Gang (aged eight), which definitely should not see the light of day ever again. Thankfully, her debut novel,Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was not one of those, and since it hit the Amazon best seller lists she hasn’t looked back. Born in Dorset, she currently lives in Staffordshire with her husband, two daughters, three guitars, four ukuleles, two violins and a kazoo.

www.tillytennant.com

Many thanks to Tilly for answering my questions and to Kim at Bookouture for letting me join in with this fab Blog Blitz! 🙂

Today I have the pleasure of being the next stop on Simon Maltman’s A Chaser On The Rocks Blog Tour.

Simon very kindly agreed to answer my questions. Enjoy!

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

I’m a crime fiction writer from Northern Ireland and up until now I have written short stories that have been published in some magazines and anthologies. My debut novel A Chaser on the Rocks was released by Solstice Publishing on 13^th September. They accepted my initial draft and have been very supportive in editing, designing and getting it ready to be released. It is about a PI called Brian Caskey, who works in Belfast. He has mental health problems and writes crime fiction as a form of therapy. The novel is a ‘story within a story’ and follows his character, Billy Chapman, who is also a PI, solving mysteries during WW2 and The Belfast Blitz. It is perhaps best described as a psychological mystery. It has elements of noir and thriller and hopefully people will find it funny too.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I think from all over the place really! I think some small idea usually forms and then I plan some particular themes or plotlines that I think will work for it. That’s one of my favourite stages, before you actually start writing anything at all. Often visiting somewhere will kick-start the idea, like a museum or in the case of this novel, The Giant’s Causeway. The dramatic scenery was a real catalyst and the mythology attached to it too. The two main characters in the novel, I had used before in short stories and I think when you get to know a character a little, it’s part of the fun- trying to insert them into new scenarios.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

I have to be careful what I say, haha! There’s a whole scene in the novel that is based on an incident in a pub with a friend of mine. He doesn’t know it’s in yet, I’d like to test out if he reads my novel first! Yes, I certainly use real life things that happen and people’s personal traits end up in characters sometimes. I suppose protagonists will often have elements of the author in them, but I’ve tried to avoid that as much as possible. That was also one of the interesting parts for me, of following the character that had been written by my other character.

How do you pick your characters names?

I usually do base them on people. It’s usually just a couple of names of people I know or the amalgamation of a few musicians I like or something like that. Sometimes there may be an element of using a name of someone to give me a bit of revenge satisfaction haha!

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

Once I have the initial ideas I was saying about, I would usually make a lot of notes. I’ve just started my next novel and I’ve passed that stage and onto doing some research. I like checking up facts online and visiting museums and going to the real places I’m going to set the story in. Then it will be lots and lots of writing and re-writing!

Do you have a favourite author?

I have a lot but my all time top three would be Raymond Chandler, Richard Stark and Iain Banks.

If you could meet any author, who would it be? And what would you ask them?

That’s a really difficult one. I think maybe Roald Dahl would be great to sit and have a chat with. It would be something to hear how he came up with his ideas, never mind the spying and being a Fighter pilot ace!

Were you a big reader as a child?

I wasn’t great at reading for pleasure actually, I kind of had stops and starts. In my teens I got into poetry quite a bit with people like Philip Larkin. It wasn’t until I started university and my early twenties when I really got into a lot of authors and then very much into crime fiction.

When did you start to write?

I used to write a lot of poetry and I’ve been always involved in various bands recording and gigging. It wasn’t until about four years ago that I started to write crime fiction stories.

What are you working on right now?

Along with the second novel, I’m editing a collection of my short stories. Hopefully that will be published also in the near future. I’m also finishing off a short story for a charity crime anthology with the excellent Bloodhound Books.

When can we look forward to a new release?

My novel will be released as an ebook on Amazon on 13^th September and as a paperback shortly afterwards.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

You can request me on Facebook and I have a writer page /simonmaltmancrimefiction. I’m also on Twitter, @simonmaltman

Thanks for having me Kerry, I really enjoyed those questions!

Many thanks for answering my questions Simon 🙂

Publisher: Solstice Publishing (11th September 2016)

Hardened by the mean streets of Belfast, ex-cop Brian Caskey works as a struggling PI. He is isolated and erratic, often losing the battle to maintain his fragile mental health. Caskey escapes the real world by writing crime fiction stories about a 1940’s PI investigating mysteries during the Belfast Blitz.
‘A Chaser on the Rocks’ follows both of these characters in parallel as a ‘novel within a novel’. The two stories collide in adramatic conclusion set against the backdrop of The Giant’s Causeway.
Simon Maltman has created a modern noir with a new twist, a dash of black humour and a fresh approach and comment on storytelling.

Buy your copy HERE

Watch this space for my review!

Happy Publication Day to Mark Edwards and Thomas & Mercer!

This brilliant book is out today for you all to enjoy! You’ll find the link to buy below.

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (13th September 2016)

Wow, another awesome read by Mark Edwards!

I thoroughly enjoyed Follow You Home so I was very excited to receive a review copy of The Devil’s Work. I was sure I would love it and I haven’t been disappointed! If you love a good psychological thriller you won’t go far wrong with this one.

Sophie is going back to work after having her daughter. She’s had a lovely 4 years off, ensuring she didn’t miss those precious first years, but Daisy is now going to school and Sophie is over the moon to be starting a new chapter in her life, a fabulous new career with Jackdaw Books. I couldn’t help but share Sophie’s excitement. Who wouldn’t want to work for a successful publishing company? I would be over the moon too, as well as incredibly nervous. She had never left Daisy before, but she was in safe hands with her father, Guy.

Sophie soon starts to have issues with Cassie, a very clever and determined young lady on her team. Cassie is obviously very ambitious and seems to Sophie like she would stop at nothing to further her career. Would she lie and manipulate herself to the top or is Sophie just being paranoid? What really happened to her predecessor, Miranda? No-one seems to have a clue where she is. As things start to fall apart around her, Sophie becomes more and more convinced that Cassie is behind it all.

Quite early on we are introduced to Jasmine, but we don’t immediately know what happened to her. When we first flashback to Sophie’s University days we learn that Jasmine was Sophie’s best friend at the time. They were chalk and cheese, but very close. That is until Liam came along to complicate things.

The Devil’s Work is dark and disturbing in parts. Full of suspense. I really love Mark Edwards’ writing. The story flits effortlessly between 2015 and Sophie’s University days, gradually revealing the shocking truth. Brilliantly written, it kept me turning those pages as I had to know what Cassie was playing at and what happened to Jasmine.

Although it was clear early on that Sophie’s new job wasn’t going to be as glamorous as she’d imagined, I had no idea where the story was going until almost at the end when I started to have my suspicions. I still didn’t get it entirely right though! An excellent, excellent read! I highly recommend.

Many thanks to Mark Edwards and Thomas & Mercer for my paperback review copy. This is sure to be a bestseller!

Buy your copy HERE

Description:

A gripping psychological thriller from the bestselling author of Follow You Home and The Magpies.

It was the job she had dreamed of since childhood. But on her very first day, when an unnerving encounter drags up memories Sophie Greenwood would rather forget, she wonders if she has made a mistake. A fatal mistake.

What is her ambitious young assistant really up to? And what exactly happened to Sophie’s predecessor? When her husband and daughter are pulled into the nightmare, Sophie is forced to confront the darkest secrets she has carried for years.

As her life begins to fall apart at work and at home, Sophie must race to uncover the truth about her new job…before it kills her.

If you haven’t already and would like to, you can read my review of Follow You Home here – Follow You Home by Mark Edwards

About the Author

Hi all! I’m delighted to bring you my first ever #AskMeAnything!

First in the hot seat is Christina Huber.

Christina agreed to answer 20 random questions sent to me from readers, by email. Thank you so much for joining in Christina 🙂

“My name is Christina, and the Tomes and Tequila blog is my little empty-nester hobby after reviewing books elsewhere for quite a few years. I don’t enjoy talking about myself, I would much rather talk about books, Michael Fassbender or my dog…so this will be a short and awkward bio! I am a married mother of two whose day job is cataloging books at a military installation library. This means I get to touch everything that comes into my library…first! I have lived all over the world, so I enjoy reading about different backgrounds and cultures. I love birds, margaritas and hard cider, makeup (VIB Rouge card holder!) the Bee Gee’s, snapchat and anything French!”

Thank you to all you lovely people who sent me questions for Christina. Here’s her Q&A for you to enjoy…..

1 – What makes a book jump from 4*s to 5*s for you and keeps you reading well past bedtime?

I am a huge fan of smart…clever…witty books. I will read virtually any genre; I am not really picky. And I give a lot of 4 star reviews because chances are, if I’m reviewing it I finished it, and I normally don’t finish books I’m not enjoying. I think life is too short to read bad books, and my To Read pile is way too large. But the difference between a 4 and a 5 is akin to the difference between American and British television. A lot of American television spoon feeds it’s viewers…and British television expects you to have a little bit of a noodle between your ears.

2 – Hi Christina,

Let me introduce myself before I ask you my question. I’m Penny Fernandes and I have a Bachelors degree in Nursing and a Masters degree in Cardiovascular Thoracic nursing. Suffice to say that I have worked in hospitals a lot before I decided that I wanted to follow my long time passion ‘writing’. I would dream of writing ever since I was a little girl.

For the past two years I renounced nursing, got married and started writing. I started with my first book and I’m currently in the process of editing it. Now coming to my question. I’ve heard that getting a book out into the market is difficult but marketing of the book is even more difficult. Can you help me understand how that works? I’m really scared. To me writing seems like the easy part.

Hi Penny!! I am so sorry, but I really don’t have a good answer for you. Here is my take on book marketing right now: I think it is easier than it used to be, purely from a social media stand point. Now, in the palm of your hands, you have the capability of putting together a marketing kit, finding the info to send it out, and all the social media publicity you can wrangle. Is it that easy to get your book into the big guy’s hands? Clearly it’s not…but I think that right now is a great time to write a book. Plus, you obviously have the gumption or you wouldn’t have made it as far into the process as you have. Whatever you do, don’t lose hope. If you feel passionately about what you’re doing, it will clearly show in your work and your enthusiasm will jump off the screen at people and make them want to see what you’re up to.

3 – “Does cataloguing military books put you off ever looking at one in your free time, or does it do the opposite and make you want to rush out to read Tom Clancy & Co.? I know people who work with computers all day; I had always assumed they were computer nerds in their spare time, but it turned out that many couldn’t face a PC out of work, they were totally sick of them!”

I LOVE this question! The main difference between a military library and a regular public library, I would say, is the size and budget…although most libraries have budget issues right now. We have a little bit of everything in a small space, so try very hard to keep our collection uber current. I read all of the old Tom Clancy stuff when I was pregnant with my youngest…and we definitely have a lot of military-related fiction and nonfiction. The military section I find most interesting is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force selections, which are new each year. The Chief of Staff comes up with 10 or so new books every year that he recommends active duty read that are mainly leadership centric, but an interesting take on what is important in the military currently.

4 – I’d like to ask Christina, if she could sit down at a dinner party with 3 authors past or present, who would they be and why?

William Shakespeare, because I have always loved his plays, and I think his humour was ahead of its time. J.K. Rowling, because I think she’s a fascinating writer and an interesting character. And A.J. Jacobs…because he knows a little bit about everything, and would ensure we never ran out of conversation!

5 – What are your 5 favourite characters from books you have read, across any genre??

Isabel Spellman, Lord John Grey, Nina Popkin (The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness!!), Lily the Unicorn, and Scorpius Malfoy (I am laughing hysterically as I type this!!)

6 – If you were told you could never read another word again, what would you do instead?

I would fill the void with music, my second favourite hobby.

7 – If you were on Desert Island Discs, what book would you take with you?

I’m going to have to go with Bear Grylls Man vs. Wild book…or the Bible. Save my body or save my soul!

8 – Who’s your favourite fictional rogue or antihero?

Severus Snape. If I answer any differently, my son will kill me.

9 – What is your proudest achievement?

Right now, my proudest achievements come frequently…every time an author retweets me, or lets me know that they enjoyed a review. My book blog is the culmination of a passion of mine. And I’m just dorky enough to jump up and down every time I get that little bit of validation!

10 – Who is your favourite author, who you have met?

For Favourite author I am going to have to go with Diana Gabaldon because I am a HUGE Outlander fan…and her sassiness online just kills me. I appreciate clever and sarcastic people, mainly because I try so hard at it and normally fail. The only author I have met is Kaylie Newell. She writes romantic fiction (I enjoyed her Wolfe Creek series) and I went to school with her as a kid. That counts right?!?

11 – What’s your favourite bread?

They sell a pretzel bread at my local grocery store that I just can’t get enough of! But really…you can’t beat hot homemade bread fresh out of the oven/bread maker, regardless of the type.

12 – If you could re-write the ending to any book which would it be and what would you change?

It’s not necessarily an ending, but I was very unhappy when in Room by Emma Donoghue the Ma character attempts suicide. For some reason, it just didn’t feel right to me. She had struggled so much, and worked so hard to escape with her boy. And then to try and kill herself once they are finally safe? And leave her little boy with family she hadn’t seen in ages? I just didn’t buy it.

13 – What has been the most challenging moment of your adult life?

I would have to say that raising two children overseas with a husband deployed has to be the most challenging moment of my adult life. My husband was gone for almost 20 month total, and I went through a couple sets of friends who were my support system and life line. I think it is very hard to explain to people who haven’t done it. It really made me more empathetic to single parents. Really, I had it good because I was able to stay home with my children during this time, but it was a very trying period in my life.

14 – Which author would you really like to meet?

Right now I’d love to meet Jennifer Weiner because her Twitter is pretty damn funny, so she’d probably be a hoot to shake hands with.

15 – Would you like to write a book?

Honestly, for some reason I never felt I would be good enough to write a book…but the more I write on the blog, the more I entertain the notion of at least trying my hand at a short story.

16 – A book you’d love to see made into a film? (Maybe with casting?)

I would love to see the Cuckoo’s Calling made into a film (and I believe they’re doing it). As for Dream casting, I am going to fail at this miserably! My son does this to me all the time, and I’m never a good at it as he is! LOL I see a young scruffy Clive Owen as Cormoran Strike. A blonde Karen Gillan as Robin. Hmmm, I am failing at this because I don’t normally see actors when I’m reading books.

17 – What’s your favourite time of the year?

I would’ve said Winter, until I moved to North Dakota! I will have to go with Fall. I love when there is a chill in the air, and a brisk wind is blowing…

18 – What’s the best surprise you’ve ever had?

Best surprise ever (or at least that I can think of right now) happened when my husband had deployed “over there”. He left the beginning of December, and right before Christmas I received a very large and surprising package in the mail containing 2 beautiful paintings of Paris. I am a HUGE Francophile, and this came out of nowhere! The hubby had apparently purchased them before leaving as a Christmas present…and it was perfection.

19 – Do you have a holiday destination you return to time and again or do you like to discover new places?

Since the longest I’ve lived in a location since I was a teenager is 5 ½ years, I haven’t been able to vacation at the same place year after year…and I think I enjoy seeing new places much more. BUT, if I could go back to a favourite location RIGHT NOW it would be Desenzano del Garda in Northern Italy. My family lived there for a few years, and have gone back on holiday since…and it is a beautiful peaceful place. Everyone talks about Lake Como because of the celebrities who live there, but I would choose Lake Garda any day!

20 – Favourite read so far this year?

Ooh, this is a tough one for me! I would have to say that Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) is still my favourite 5 star book for this year, even though I was a little late to read it. I just find her adult writing to be impeccable. As for nonfiction books, Find Your Brave by Holly Wagner is hands down my favourite. My copy is filled with highlighter, and I rarely do that to books.

Thanks again to Christina for joining in with #AskMeAnything 🙂

Christina blogs at http://www.tomesandtequila.com/ Make sure you check it out!

If you’re a book blogger or author who would like to take part in #AskMeAnything, please email me – bellaboobos11@outlook.com