On Saturday (21st September) I attended the very first Chase Book Fest with my lovely friend, and fellow book blogger, Steph (https://steflozbookblog.wordpress.com/) and my somewhat less enthusiastic husband, Steve. Lol! Bless him. He is very supportive of my obsession with books, but is not a regular reader himself.  However, he willingly drove us both to the museum, purchased a ticket (as he wouldn’t have been allowed on the premises otherwise) and hovered around for several hours whilst me and Steph had a lovely time. If that isn’t love for you, I don’t know what is!

Anyway, what a fab event! We thoroughly enjoyed it. I take my hat off to Kim Nash, Phillipa Ashley and everyone else involved in organising it. It was a truly wonderful day!

Here’s me and Steph with another lovely fellow book blogger, Shell @ https://bakersnotsosecret.blog/

Thanks for allowing me to steal your photo, Shell. xx

(Shell, Me & Steph)

I also got to meet the lovely Anne Williams (https://beinganne.com/) for the first time. We didn’t have a selfie though, unfortunately 😦

The event started at 10am and there was loads going on right through to 4pm. Here was the line up…..

Without a doubt the highlight of the day for me was meeting the very lovely Iona Grey! I am in absolute awe of this lady and I can’t tell you what a pleasure it was to meet her, and get my books signed. I think you can tell by my face on this photo how happy this made me…..

Iona is the writer of the very beautiful ‘Letters To The Lost’ and ‘The Glittering Hour’, undoubtedly two of my most favourite books, EVER! If you haven’t read them yet you really have no idea what you’re missing out on. They are just stunning! I really can’t recommend them highly enough!

Look how pretty…..

Tea and Conversation with Iona Grey & Kim Nash was a lovely way to spend a hour. With tea and cake included, we learned about Iona’s writing journey, how she met her husband and what she would save if her house was burning down. It was fascinating and inspirational and I thought Iona and Kim were very natural in conversation together. It was so relaxed. I was surprised to hear that Iona doesn’t consider herself to be romantic. However, the way she met and instantly fell in love with her husband is very relatable to me (I fell in love with my husband instantly too and we’ve been together for twenty years). This shows in her writing also. Her books are the most powerful love stories, full of raw emotion. They make my heart ache every time I think of them. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever forget Stella and Dan for as long as I live!

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this chat.

(Iona Grey & Kim Nash)

When I met Iona to get my books signed she informed me that I was her top review for The Glittering Hour, on Amazon! I had not realised this and thought she must have had me mixed up with someone else, but Steph had a cheeky check and found that I am! I am OVER THE MOON! Obviously I had to get photographic proof before someone else knocks me off the top spot…..

 

After a spot of lunch we sauntered over for a couple of author readings by Tilly Tennant….

and Iona Grey…..

both excellent, of course!

From here we hopped across to the Women’s Fiction Panel 2 featuring Cathy Bramley,

Emma Cooper,

Tilly Tennant

and Anouska Knight

This was such good fun! 🙂 All of the ladies had fascinating stories to tell and it really was a good laugh too. A brilliant way to end our day! 🙂

The only sad thing was that some of the events overlapped so I didn’t get to see all that I would have liked to 😦 I never got to say hello to Phillipa Ashley. I would have enjoyed all of the readings, but especially Anouska Knight’s. Unfortunately it was at the same time as Iona Grey’s meet & sign. I would have attended the Thriller Panel had it not been at the same time as Iona Grey’s tea and conversation. Mark Edwards and Rob Sinclair are another two of my favourite authors, but their readings were at the same time as the Women’s Fiction Panel 2 as was Mark Edward’s tea and conversation which I would have attended otherwise. I totally understand that the organisers want something to be going on at all times, suitable for everyone, but I’m a bit greedy and wanted to do it all! 😉

I truly hope this will become an annual event. I look forward to who and what we might see next year!

🙂

 

When we got back home I made a quick stir fry with tuna steaks for dinner and then I rounded off the day with a small glass of wine brought to me by my gorgeous husband! Lol!

A perfect day!

Cheers & happy reading 🙂