Hi and welcome to my stop on G J Morgan’s Her American Classic blog tour. You may remember my stop on the His American Classic blog tour a little while back. If not, you can find an interview with the author himself here – His American Classic by G J Morgan @GJMorgan6 @matadorbooks #BlogTour #AuthorInterview #Lovebooksgrouptours 

Blurb 

Told from dual perspectives that span two books, this moving and emotionally-driven love story will leave readers breathless and reeling in equal measure.

It continues. Tom watches from afar, day in, day out, seeing Lily laugh, seeing her cry – an unravelling actress, ripe for the taking. All he needs is one photo, the money it could make, the life it could give him and his family. So why can’t he do it? Lily’s also at a cross-roads. It’s clear now that no matter how far she runs, she can’t ever escape fame, the paparazzi, even her boyfriend. Surely it’s just a matter of time before she does something stupid, something she’ll forever regret. Give them their big headline. Their front page news. Unless someone can convince the actress there’s more to life than sacrifice. 

Purchase link…..

https://amzn.to/2zhdiTw

About the author…..

G J Morgan has been a Chef, a fashion graduate and now works in finance. His unpublished novella “Miss B Tee” has recently been adapted into a short film. His and Her American Classic are his debut novels.

Guest post…..

Things I Learned While Researching for My Cornish Book Series

Thank you so much to Kerry for letting me share about my series A WEDDING IN CORNWALL!

You’re very welcome, Laura 🙂 

Cornwall is an awfully popular setting for romance and women’s fiction novels these days isn’t it? I have to admit I couldn’t resist its potential as a setting—the breathtaking scenery of shows like Poldark and Doc Martin convinced me easily that anyone might go there looking for a new lease on life, as my heroine does in the first installment in the series.

That was back in 2016 when I first wrote American event planner Julianne’s move ‘across the Pond’ to a beautiful estate in a Cornish village. A Poldark-esque gardener named Matt befriended her there, along with her co-workers and employers at the manor known as Cliffs House. One adventure led to another, until the series had reached its heartwarming conclusion with a total of twelve novellas. Now, as it celebrates its second anniversary, I’m excited to release a book bundle so readers can enjoy the original books 7-12 in one volume of either paperback or digital format.

Unsurprisingly, I have had to learn about both the UK and more specifically Cornish culture in order to write these novellas—after all, I’m an American who is writing about a county located in another country (and making mistakes many times, of course!). But thanks to the internet and other resources, I have learned many things which proved helpful in making Julianne’s world seem more colorful and authentic, fictional though it be. And I thought it might be fun to share with you a few of the facts that my American readers might find enlightening from the six novellas in this book bundle:

1) Cornish pixies might be more devilish than other kinds of pixies (just ask Harry Potter!). Seriously, though, it was fun to learn about Cornish folklore for aspects of A Romance in Cornwall—including that they have many tales and legends about giants and that the tale of “Jack the Giant Killer” has a strong Cornish connection.

2) Caravans in the UK can refer to ‘houses on wheels’ — campers, R.V.’s or travel trailers — or other vehicles that are used as housing or meant to be used at a campsite (whereas in the US, they are more likely associated with a car, or a train of vehicles or conveyances in motion).

3) English village fetes are pretty similar to American county and state fairs. This was something I had kind of assumed but had only the most basic knowledge of before penning A Sewing Circle in Cornwall. So before I imagined Julianne preparing her patchwork quilt for this event’s charity raffle all I really knew about village fetes is that they were community events that provide a colorful backdrop for various plots of intrigue and crime ( at least they do in Hot Fuzz and Midsomer Murders!).

4) Kewer Vas means ‘fine weather’ in Cornish. It’s just a tiny fact to learn, of course, and is only mentioned once in the book A Talent Show in Cornwall, but still quite a fun thing to tuck away in one’s memory bank!

5) Hen nights can be the same thing as a bachelorette party in America. I had a vague notion of this before, but it wasn’t something I really knew too much about until Teagen’s character—a wild and carefree hen night planner— appeared in my novella An American in Cornwall. Her scene is one of my favorites in the story and one that provides much humor at poor Julianne’s expense! And it seems that although the term ‘hen night’ was used in America in the past, it is fairly rare to hear it these days.

6) Real estate works much differently in the UK than it does in the US. Not the most fascinating bit of research, true—but it was quite a pivotal part of the story, since Julianne was faced with the possibility of moving from her beloved Rosemoor Cottage in the final book in the series.

So, whichever side of the Pond you live on, if you enjoy feel-good, romantic stories set in Cornwall, maybe you will enjoy these novellas. Each one can be read as a standalone, but I do hope you’ll check out the whole series. You can learn more about it, as well as the all-new Cornish romance series I’m working on for 2019 by signing up for my special book news right here:

https://returntocornwall.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_4.html

A Wedding in Cornwall (Books 7—12)

The last six novellas in the UK bestselling series A WEDDING IN CORNWALL are now available in one collection! Join American event planner Julianne in her final set of adventures ‘across the pond’ in beautiful Cornwall. From celebrity sightings to a local talent show, from a charming village fete to a secret Cornish garden, there’s never a dull moment for Julianne and her Poldark-esque true love Matthew in the quaint village of Ceffylgwyn.

This collection contains A Romance in Cornwall, A Star in Cornwall, A Sewing Circle in Cornwall, A Talent Show in Cornwall, An American in Cornwall, and A Garden in Cornwall. Exclusive bonus materials include a sneak peek of the author’s all-new 2019 Cornish romance series!

Purchase Link –

http://smarturl.it/cornwallbooks7-12

Author Bio –

Laura Briggs is the author of several lighthearted romance novels and novellas, including the bestselling Amazon UK series A Wedding in Cornwall. She has a fondness for vintage-style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family, caring for her pets, going to movies and plays, and trying new restaurants.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaperDollWrites

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

Website: https://paperdollwrites.blogspot.com/

Giveaway –

Win A Wedding in Cornwall – 3 different prizes (Open Internationally)

1^st Name Drawn will win – A paperback copy of the anthology to be shipped to the winner by the author via Amazon

2^nd Name Drawn will win – A digital/eBook copy of the anthology to be sent via email

3^rd Name Drawn will win – A Smashwords coupon code good for a free download of 1 ‘Surprise eBook’ from the Cornwall series of novellas

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

The Craft Room

Sylvia Blackwell is tired. Her grandchildren are being kept away from her, and the expected inheritance that might finally get her middle-aged son to move out has failed to materialise – thanks to her mother’s cat. It is becoming increasingly difficult to remain composed. On a romantic clifftop walk for her 47th Wedding Anniversary, an unexpected opportunity leads to a momentous decision that will irretrievably change the course of her life. The Craft Room is a darkly comic tale of sex, crepe paper, murder and knitting in a sleepy Devon town, with a ‘truly original’ premise and genuinely jaw-dropping moments. What would you do if unexpectedly freed from bondage you never knew you were in? How would your children cope? How far would you go to protect them from an uncomfortable truth? You can only push a grandmother so far…

Purchase Link –

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Craft-Room-Dave-Holwill/dp/1973974673

Author Bio

Dave Holwill was born in Guildford in 1977 and quickly decided that he preferred the Westcountry – moving to Devon in 1983 (with some input from his parents).
After an expensive (and possibly wasted) education there, he has worked variously as a postman, a framer, and a print department manager (though if you are the only person in the department then can you really be called a manager?) all whilst continuing to play in every kind of band imaginable on most instruments you can think of.

His debut novel, Weekend Rockstars, was published in August 2016 to favourable reviews and his second The Craft Room (a very dark comedy concerning death through misadventure) came out in August 2017. He is currently in editing hell with the third.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/daveholwill100

https://twitter.com/daveholwill

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584279.Dave_Holwill

https://www.instagram.com/dave_holwill/

http://davedoesntwriteanythingever.blogspot.com/

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews, and more, with these awesome book bloggers…..

Happy Reading 🙂

Happy Publication Day, Abbey MacMunn 🙂

Violet Souls,

book 1 The Evoxian Legacies

While searching for clues to her past, shy single mum, Bree Mills discovers a subculture of aliens with supernatural abilities living on Earth.

And she’s one of them.

Finding herself hurled into a world of possibilities, it’s made more alluring by Quinn Taylor, the violet-eyed Evoxian from her childhood dreams.

324-year-old Quinn knows his destiny is entwined with Bree’s, but before he can confess his love, he must wait for her to sense the Akui, a mysterious force tied with ancient Evoxian law.

At a Cotswolds country manor, passions awaken and ignite a love more magical than the once-Utopian planet, Evox. Then Fate delivers a cruel and heart-breaking blow when Bree is kidnapped by a malicious alien who wants her and her power.

Will Quinn still love her when she’s faced with protecting her half-human daughter… whatever the cost?

Purchase Links

Amazon US 

Amazon UK

Smashwords

Apple 

Kobo

Nook

Author Bio –

Abbey MacMunn writes paranormal and fantasy romance. She lives in Hampshire, UK, with her husband and their four children.

When she’s not writing, she likes to watch films and TV shows – anything from rom-coms to superheroes to science fiction movies. She is a proud member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Social Media Links –

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

Goodreads

Instagram

Tirgearr Publishing

Wow! What a jaw dropping conclusion to what is a tense and suspenseful story.

Amanda Bonham is an expat, married to Edward, living in Singapore. She is step-mother to his teenage daughter, Josie, but desperate for their own baby. To others they probably seem like they have the perfect life, but Amanda doesn’t cope well with Edward spending so much time away. When their maid (apparently) commits suicide in their house she isn’t convinced and her suspicious mind starts to consume her. She also struggles to connect with Josie, although I don’t think there’s anything particularly unusual about that.

I can’t say I particularly warmed to Amanda, but I could empathise with her lonely lifestyle. Their luxury apartment should have seemed enviable, but somehow I almost felt claustrophobic whenever it was described. Not somewhere I would like to live, at all. I have lived in different counties with my husband, when he was a serving soldier, but I don’t think I would have coped with a posting abroad if he was to be away for most of it, however much he got paid!

I didn’t warm to Edward at all, but he is a fascinating character. He comes across as arrogant and self-absorbed and almost seems like he thinks Amanda should be thankful she has him, until he meets Camille and we see a slightly different side to him. He makes you question if you can ever really know someone though.

Josie comes across as a typical teenager, acting out after the death of their maid. Amanda is torn between trying to take care of her and trying not to be over protective.

Camille is another interesting character with a different tie to Edward Bonham. He seems so familiar to her and she needs to know why. Could he know what happened to her missing parents?

This book is so full of secrets and lies, I didn’t know what to believe one minute to the next. It has kept me on the edge of my seat as I was desperate to find out what was going on.

Intelligently written with intriguing characters and a fascinating plot, it certainly kept me guessing.

I highly recommend.

Via AmazonUK…..

Do you really want to know the truth?

Amanda Bonham moved halfway around the world to be with the man she loves. Although expat life in Singapore can be difficult, Edward Bonham is a dream husband and a doting father to his teenage daughter, Josie.

But when their maid dies in an apparent suicide—and Amanda discovers the woman was pregnant and hiding a stash of drugs prescribed to Edward—she can’t help but wonder if her perfect husband has a fatal flaw. And if he can’t resist temptation under their own roof, what does he get up to when he travels?

Camille Kemble also has questions for Edward. Recently returned to Singapore, Camille is determined to resolve a family mystery. Amid a jumble of faded childhood memories, she keeps seeing Edward’s handsome face. And she wants to know why.

For one woman, the search for answers threatens everything she has. For another, it’s the key to all she lost. Both will follow his trail of secrets into the darkness to find the truth.

About the author…..

After spending a decade as a broadcast journalist for the BBC, Jo Furniss gave up the glamour of night shifts to become a freelance writer and serial expatriate. Originally from the United Kingdom, she spent seven years in Singapore and also lived in Switzerland and Cameroon.

As a journalist, Jo worked for numerous online outlets and magazines, including Monocle and the Economist. She has edited books for a Nobel laureate and the palace of the Sultan of Brunei. She has a Distinction in MA Professional Writing from Falmouth University.

Jo’s debut novel, All the Little Children, was an Amazon Charts bestseller.

Connect with her via Facebook (/JoFurnissAuthor) and Twitter (@Jo_Furniss) or through her website, http://www.jofurniss.com.

My apologies to Dan O’Brien for failing to post this at the time requested. I don’t know where August went!

Anyway, here is his latest book blast, better late than never…..

Synopsis:

The world had ended abruptly and without warning. How will a family navigate a world that seems bent on destroying them? Follow them in this exciting new serial adventure.

An excerpt from Hobbes Family:

As Michael looked out the broken window of the convenience store, he grimaced. The tall blue oaks that surrounded the building on two sides were dusted with frost; the ground was an amalgam of crystal sheets broken only by brave stalks of undergrowth that dared the frigid touch of the gales. The building wouldn’t serve as a long-term solution. However, it would be useful until the weather broke.

The trek out of the suburban areas began in the family Subaru. Highway 99 was so overrun with smoldering and abandoned vehicles that the Hobbes family was forced to make the remainder of the trek on foot. The winter months proved disastrous. Often, the snow levels came down into the valley for a day, sprinkling unsuspecting areas with brief, beautiful moments of frozen precipitation.

This was different.

A storm settled in the valley, trapped and angry.

When the sun managed to peek through the clouds above, it almost felt bearable. But the great star was soon obfuscated behind a gray wall once more, bloated and teeming with fury as a fresh zephyr of snow and blinding particulates dragged the valley.

Michael looked over at his wife. Susanna’s high cheekbones were prominent and the sallowness of her cheeks from periodic starvation saddened Michael as much as he was capable.

He hadn’t fared much better.

His beard grew in with dark clumps and gray patches; his bedraggled hair was curly in places despite its length. Were it on purpose, he imagined Susanna running her long fingers through it and calling it cute.

The store weathered the apocalypse.

Shelves remained intact for the most part, though they were barren fields. Coolers were popped open. Overturned cans, smashed and left for dead, littered the floor.

This was someone else’s last stand.

Get it today on Kindle!

Dan O’Brien has over 50 publications to his name––including the bestselling Bitten, which was featured on Conversations Book Club’s Top 100 novels of 2012. Before starting Amalgam Consulting, he was the senior editor and marketing director for an international magazine. You can learn more about his literary and publishing consulting business by visiting his website at: www.amalgamconsulting.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AuthorDanOBrien.

I am absolutely thrilled to be joining in with SarahJane Ford’s I Give You My Heart blog tour!

I’m amazed that this is a debut!

Happy Publication Day, SarahJane Ford 🙂

My review…..

Written 18/08/18

I Give You My Heart is a sad but uplifting and unique story, about Alice. The story is told by Alice as she guides us through the last few months of her life. Alice is 26 years old and is blissfully happily married to Alex. However, their happiness is devastatingly shattered as Alice is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. I can only imagine having to face such a devastating prognosis, or having to face losing the love of my life so young. As a parent I don’t even want to imagine and being lucky enough to have a best friend, I’d be beside myself if anything happened to mine, so my heart went out to all of the main characters in this book.

Alice is a special person and is determined the loss of her life will help to save the lives of others so, with the help of her best friend, Ryan, she makes the necessary arrangements to become an organ donor. She doesn’t want just anyone to have her heart though. This recipient must be chosen carefully and she knows Ryan will know the right person when he meets her. Alice believes with her whole being that her heart will still be full of her love for Alex, even when it’s inside someone else. For this person she writes a manual for her heart, to help her to show Alex how much she still lives on and how her love for him will never die, so long as her heart lives inside another. A somewhat daunting task for the recipient was my only thought, but I could totally understand Alice’s desperate need to stay connected to Alex.

I absolutely loved that Alice loved her job as a florist. The flowers/messages she received from her regular customers were just beautiful and brought a tear to my eye.

This is such a heart-breaking and heart-warming story all at the same time. Despite the subject matter I smiled a lot and even giggled at times so please don’t think it’s all doom and gloom because it really isn’t. It’s quite inspirational. I’d like to think I could be so strong in Alice’s situation, but in reality I’d probably be a mess. I would want to help others if I could, obviously, but I’m sure I’d feel sorry for myself far more often. I guess we never know unless we are faced with such things. We can only hope we end our days with dignity, as Alice does.

I have loved getting to know Alice, her family and Ryan. I feel blessed to have shared such a personal chapter of their lives. I truly hope they are doing okay. I know they’re fictional, but this story is so full of emotion that they felt very real to me.

Many thanks to the author and to Rachel @ Rachel’s Random Resources for my advance copy. I highly recommend!

I Give You My Heart

𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀. 𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲–𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗔 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁.

Alice Richards looked forward to watching the seeds of love she and her husband planted bloom and grow well into their old age. But her plans for the future shrivel up and die when she learns she has an inoperable brain tumour.

Determined that she won’t die in vain, she decides to become an organ donor. With a few precious months left, Alice begins documenting her fairytale romance—from their first meeting to the children they dreamed of having. She’ll pass on every detail to her heart’s next owner… along with careful instructions to send her husband reminders of her undying love. Before her time runs out, Alice must find the perfect candidate to guide her husband through unimaginable grief and hold the memory of their love in her heart.

I Give You My Heart is an emotional romantic fiction novel with an uplifting message. If you like strong-willed women, undying love stories, and honest portrayals of coping with a terminal illness, then you’ll love SarahJane Ford’s heart-warming epic.

An unmissable love story full of warmth, beauty and with a huge, beating heart. Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern’s ‘P.S. I Love You’ and Jojo Moyes’ ‘Me Before You’.

Purchase from Amazon UK –

https://www.amazon.co.uk/I-Give-You-My-Heart-ebook/dp/B07G3LHX7P/

Author Bio –

SarahJane is the debut author of ‘I Give You My Heart’ which is due to be published on September 1st 2018.

SarahJane was born in Scotland but grew up in the Cheshire countryside, which is home to her. After a few years living in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where she went to secondary school, she has now settled back in Cheshire in a quirky flat surrounded by trees, birds and rolling fields.

A marketing professional since finishing her formal education SarahJane is delighted to be following her writing dream. She still works part-time as a Marketing Manager, whilst furiously penning her second novel.

Harbouring an adventurous spirit, SarahJane loves to travel, be surrounded by the wilderness or be riding Cornish waves.

SarahJane loves to read (ideally by the sea!). She was raised on the greatest love stories, which is where her romantic soul comes from. She is in love with love…Mr Darcy’s brooding looks in Pride and Prejudice; Julia Roberts and Richard Gere’s arresting chemistry in Runaway Bride; the intensely emotional Titanic; going weak at the knees for Danny Zuko in Grease; Cecilia Ahern’s heartbreaking P.S. I Love You and Patrick Swayze’s mega moves in Dirty Dancing. 

Social Media Links –

www.facebook.com/sarahjanefordauthor/

Website: www.sarahjaneford.com

Giveaway

Win a signed hardback of I Give You My Heart with a personalised message (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Check out the rest of the blog tour for other reviews, and more, with these awesome book bloggers…..

Interview with Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer…..

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

I’m a freelance writer and educator based in Philadelphia. I am so pleased to share the release of The Little Gate Crasher,  a memoir of my truly extraordinary Great Uncle, Mace Bugen. My other recent books include The Creative Jewish Wedding Book and The Kitchen Classroom. I’m a featured blogger for WHYY Philly Parenting and I write for and edit The New Normal: Blogging Disability. I’m now blogging on Medium, too.

I’m a mom of two great kids who are now 15 and 12 and have been married to my husband Fred for 17 years. Our family is complete with our beautiful 6-year-old yellow lab, Hank.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

My latest book The Little Gate Crasher,  a memoir of my truly extraordinary Great Uncle, Mace Bugen.

My Grandmother Minerva, my Great-Uncle Mace’s older sister, was a wonderful storyteller and told me many stories about her childhood as I was growing up—she had grown up in a completely different circumstance, as a daughter of immigrants who had recently come to America and who worked hard in their grocery store to make a living. It was the Great depression and every penny counted. My Grandma shared many stories about her brother Mace and how impressed she was by his ability to not pity himself for being a dwarf and to not think less of himself—even though others teased or jeered at him.

When my Grandmother died, Mace’s photo album with his amazing celebrity photos was passed down to my Mom. My family and I would look at it and marvel as the unique history Mace created of pop culture from the mid-40s to the mid-70s—he had “celebrity selfies” with Ella Fitzgerald, Joe DiMaggio, Nixon, Ali—all of the famous athletes, politicians and entertainers of the era.

As I looked at the photos, I thought of Mace’s story and wondered not only how did he manage to get these photos considering his limited mobility—but why? What did these photos mean to him and what we can learn from there?

A great story emerged—of a confidant man given a significant challenge who viewed himself as no less than anyone else, despite the message that society continually gave him.

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

See above—my book is a memoir 

How do you pick your characters names?

N/a

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

For “The Little Gate-Crasher,” I began with a research process.

During my Great-Uncle’s life, he was interviewed by a number of journalists and featured in different newspapers and magazines—because he was such a unique and interesting person. My grandmother kept a file with all of those articles and we saved that file when she died—so a great amount of research was quite literally handed to me. I loved that I got to hear about Mace’s life from his perspective through those interviews.

Once I had read through everything, I started to outline Mace’s life story in a linear fashion, highlighting the major events that happened. I was blessed to have an amazing editor Mike Sager who read my first couple of chapters and gave me feedback and direction. We decided to start with an exciting opening story—the moment when Mace was a teenager left home and took a bus across the country by himself to see a professional fight. The rest of the book really flowed once I found the opening story!

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

It’s a hard question—but right now I am really drawn to contemporary writers who share their lives with strength, humor, passion and vulnerability, including:

• Roxane Gay

• Anne Lamott

• Louise Erdrich

• David Sedaris

• Elizabeth Stroudt

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

It would have to be Anne Lamott and I would ask her to talk about courage and the writing process. She inspires me with the depth of vulnerability, faith, pain and humor in her writing.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I was a voracious reader. I grew up in a small town and in the 1980s and there weren’t a whole lot of different options for entertainment. It was a big sports town and I wasn’t (and am not) into sports. Reading was an escape—and also stimulated my imagination. I was always making up stories in my head and with the encouragement of a great third grade teacher, I started putting them down on paper.

When did you start to write?

My third grade teacher gave us a writing assignment and she recognized that I had some ability! She gave me time in class to continue to write stories. That belief in me at a young age gave me the confidence to keep writing. I’ve studied and written poetry and playwrighting and later came to nonfiction and memoir. This is my groove!

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

I think I have too much respect for a writer’s craft to want to change a book ending!

Is there a book you wish you had written?

I don’t have a book that I wish I’d written—but I am dreaming of what books I’ll write in the years ahead.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

Everyday Holiness

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

I would invite Laura from The Little House books and take her to beautiful hotel restaurant.

What are you working on right now?

I’m leading lots of fun discussions about “The Little Gate-Crasher”—it’s free for your book group and I can Skype or Facetime anywhere in the world! I love hearing what readers have to say. I’ve recently started blogging on Medium—come check it out! I’m working on several children’s books that I’m excited about.

Do you have a new release due?

N/a

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Blast out my news on social media!

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I love to hear from readers! I’m on twitter at @gabkaplanmayer and you can also reach me via my web site: http://www.gabriellekaplanmayer.com

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Thanks!

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Gabrielle 🙂

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Little Gate-Crasher

Mace Bugen might have been an achondroplastic dwarf, 43 inches tall with an average size head and torso set on small, twisted legs—but that didn’t mean he was an idiot or a pushover. In truth, he was smarter than most; over the years, he learned to effectively turn what society in those days called a handicap into a powerful tool he could use to his advantage.

“When I was a kid,” he once said, “I’d ask myself, Why is that guy on the football team? Why can’t I be on the team? Why didn’t God give me the height so I could be the hero?”

“Then at some point I figured it out: I gotta do something special to let ’em know I’m me.”

In The Little Gate Crasher: The Life And Photos Of Mace Bugen, I remember my amazing great-Uncle Mace Bugen through his journey as a first-generation Jewish-American kid in working class Philipsburg, NJ to becoming the first celebrity selfie-artist—way ahead of his time.

Featuring vintage photos of Mace with his exploits, The Little Gate Crasher captures three decades of American pop culture, seen through the unique lens of Mace and his gate-crashing exploits.

Underneath his antics, we meet a complex man who continually defies others expectations and meets life on his own terms. Mace becomes a successful businessman and devoted son to his aging parents. But in his gate-crashing antics, we best get to see Mace’s unique combination of guile, cunning and sense of entitlement, which he used to engineer photos of himself with some of the biggest celebrities of his day. If people were going to stare at him all of his life, he would give them something to see.

The Little Gate Crasher features over 50 vintage photos of Mace with celebrities, athletes and politicians, including Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Muhammed Ali, Richard Nixon, Jane Russel, Joe DiMaggio and more.

Amazon US –

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Gate-Crasher-Life-Photos-Bugen-ebook/dp/B01EH101EC/

Amazon UK –

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Gate-Crasher-Life-Photos-Bugen-ebook/dp/B01EH101EC/

Author Bio –

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer is an experienced educator, author and speaker. At Jewish Learning Venture, she works as Director of Whole Community Inclusion and leads disability awareness programs for the Philadelphia Jewish community. Her most recent book The Little Gate Crasher, a memoir of her Great-Uncle, who overcame society’s prejudices about dwarfism to lead a remarkable life, was one of the national book selections for 2017 Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month. Gabby writes for and edits The New York Jewish Week’s The New Normal: Blogging Disability and is also a featured Philly parenting blogger for WHYY’s newsworks. Gabby holds a B.F.A. in theatre and creative writing from Emerson College and an M.A. in Jewish Studies from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. 

Social Media Links –

www.gabriellekaplanmayer.com

@gabkaplanmayer

https://www.facebook.com/littlegatecrasher/

Giveaway

Win a paperback copy of The Little Gate-Crasher (Open to US & Canada only)

*Terms and Conditions –USA / Canada entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Check out the rest of the blog blitz for reviews, and more, with these awesome book bloggers…..

Enjoy!

Hi!

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Mandz Singh to Chat About Books 🙂

With thanks to Sophie Morgan at Troubador Publishing.

Interview with Mandz Singh…..

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

I have resided in three continents, lived in a gold rush town, travelled across Australia and stood in the elephant visiting caves of Mt Elgon. The book is about an Englishwoman, Catherine who travels with her mother from England to India in 1898. While her father who is stationed at the Punjab university is their direction, destiny intervenes and crosses her path with Kharak, a recently qualified engineer from Lahore and so begins a journey of starcrossed romance. In disapproval, her father incited by Ivan, a colonial engineer conceive a plan to avert her from falling in love with Kharak by sending him to work in British East Africa Protectorate. With everything to lose, she follows him there hoping to express her love.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

From Historical events that I used my imagination to weave a story.

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

Unfortunately, none.

How do you pick your characters names?

Searched from names during that era and then picked the ones I liked.

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

I used to write daily on weekdays for an hour to make my travel on the train to work productive.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Fredrick Forsyth, Dan Brown, Enid Blyton, Tom Clancey, James Patterson

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

Fredrick Forsyth and ask him his secret to being a master story teller.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I loved reading as a child

When did you start to write?

2006

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

I would change the ending of The Tree Planters Wife. In the end, the lead character’s child whom she had given away died for no reason at all.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

The day of the Jackal.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

Looking back at the dots.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

Fredrick Forsyth and take him for a coffee at a small café near where I live.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

I was a squad member of the under 21 Kenyan hockey team.

What are you working on right now?

Having published my book, I’m taking a break.

Tell us about your last release?

The Folded Notes

Do you have a new release due?

Not in the immediate future

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Had a get together with family and friends

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Through Facebook

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I believe that every reader of my book will have something that will resonate with them that is weaved in the story

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Mandz!

Inspired by history comes this breathtaking story of star-crossed lovers against the backdrop of colourful nineteenth century India…

“The book’s cross-cultural relationship is refreshing, and its peek into sites around Lahore is delightful.”

– Kirkus Reviews

A different world awaits Catherine Rose, an Englishwoman who travels with her mother from England to India. While her father, stationed at the Punjab University, is their direction, destiny intervenes and crosses her path with the educated and kind Kharak. A recently qualified engineer from Lahore who works for the Indian railways, he is as taken with the feminine, unreserved Englishwoman as she is with him. Aghast at the blossoming friendship, her father, incited by Ivan, a colonial engineer, arranges to keep Catherine and Kharak from falling in love. Arranging matters, he gets Kharak sent to work in another British colony, never to see or speak to his daughter again. In the last few moments he has, Kharak manages to leave two notes for Catherine.

Flouting her father’s orders, Catherine flees in secret and follows her heart, away from Lahore to Mombasa. But little does she know that Ivan, as Kharak’s supervisor, will be there – nor that he is now her pursuer. With everything to lose, hope is all that Catherine can cling to, hope that love will win the day and she and Kharak will finally be together.

Inspired by history and written with first-hand knowledge of the locations, this achingly moving historical romance crosses continents from England to India and East Africa during a fascinating part of history. The plot is woven between lush descriptions to create a compelling story of forbidden love and an uncertain ending that will linger long after the last page.

Purchase link…..

https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/historical/the-folded-notes/

Author Bio:

Mandz Singh has been a world cup soccer analyst for a radio station, resided on three continents, lived in a gold rush town, travelled across Australia, and stood in the elephant visiting caves of Mount Elgon. This debut novel was written during commuting hours on trains to London from Berkshire, where he now lives.

Hi and welcome to my stop on Mhairead MacLeod’s The False Men blog tour!

Interview with Mhairead MacLeod…..

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

I was born in Scotland and now live in Australia with my husband. I have two children. I write historical novels and have university degrees—in Law and in Creative Writing—which formed the groundwork for my writing.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

For The False Men, the idea started when I heard about the real story of a brave young woman who lived in the remote islands west of Scotland. It’s her story of struggling for independence and love, really. When you write historical fiction I believe you really have to pay attention to historical truth. Of course, the joy of this genre is that a writer’s imagination is allowed to fill the gaps between what is known, what isn’t, and what can be plausibly assumed.

They say you should write what you know, but I also like to write what I don’t know. Writing historical fiction allows you to step into the past and explore it on a human level, through the individual experience of the characters. In The False Men, the landscape was a character in its own right and this was inspired by times I’ve spent in the Hebrides.

I got the idea for my current manuscript from a rundown building I saw in North Queensland, Australia, and the nurse who lived there a hundred years ago.

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

My three main protagonists in The False Men are based on real people who lived in the mid-nineteenth century. My research covered both written records and oral history from people now living in the Outer Hebrides. Fictional characters evolve out of your imagination but I got a surprise when, a while after I’d created the character of Jess’s close friend and maid, I discovered that the historical Jess actually did have a very similar, close friendship with her maid, despite the class differences of the time.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Names have to be relevant to the characters’ time and geography. For instance, if I’d called my 1850s protagonist Madison instead of Jess it would jar. I mostly used the real names of my main protagonists, but for fictional minor characters I drew on historical names to fit.

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

My novel The False Men took quite a few years to write as it involved a lot of detailed research. My schedule is fluid but the number one rule is to try to write most days of the week. I have whole days when I spent hours writing, and often they start with a goal of writing just 100 words. Writing a novel is a marathon, but for me it’s a compulsion!

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I’ll try to whittle them down to five. They do change and I often have favourites of the moment. My current favourites are quite different from each other:

• Kazuo Ishiguro

• Michael Ondaatje

• Margaret Atwood

• Colum McCann

• A.L. (Alison) Kennedy

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

I would love to meet Thomas Hardy. I was a big fan of Tess of the d’Urbevilles and Far from the Madding Crowd. These novels really inspired me. For a Victorian, he had a great empathy with societal issues and understanding of romantic relationships. I’d describe him as a romantic realist. If I met him I’d ask him about his real Bathsheba, his real Tess, and what made him write from their perspective.

Were you a big reader as a child?

My first memories are reading The Arabian Nights and the Enid Blyton series, especially the adventures of the Famous Five. When I was a little older, I became obsessed with novels about Australian brumbies. I was about 13 when I discovered Georgette Heyer’s novels and I decided I wanted to write historical fiction.

When did you start to write?

There were a lot of false starts. As a kid I wrote bad poetry and song lyrics. I won a national essay competition when I was 11. I wrote my first novel (a children’s novel) in my early twenties and sent it off to a publisher’s competition. When it was rejected I didn’t look for publication elsewhere. I started writing seriously when I commenced my MA in Creative Writing degree in 2006.

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

Wuthering Heights. I’d have kept Heathcliff and Cathy alive a bit longer. Heathcliff is such an intriguing and complex character. But then, that might have ruined a great novel.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

Regret Nothing.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

The butler Stevens, in Remains of the Day by Kazugo Ishiguro. He is so beautifully described I feel I know him intimately. I’d have invited him to coffee (probably tea for him) early in his career and given him a good talking to about it being fine to follow your heart, that snobbery can be dangerous. Because he’s such a fusspot I’d take him somewhere with silverware and starched napkins, like The Ritz. Mind you, if he took my advice that would ruin the plot.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a time-slip novel which I’m very excited about. It involves both medieval Scotland and modern-day Australia.

Tell us about your last release?

The False Men is based on a true story. It involves a romantic love triangle, and also platonic love between friends. But it’s not just about love, especially because it’s set in a time of social brutality and upheaval. The story revolves around Jess Mackay, the daughter of a wealthy landowner in the Outer Hebrides who falls in love with someone she discovers is not the person she first thought, and is then pressured by her father to marry a man she detests. Her world falls apart when her friend’s village is annihilated on the orders of the three men she now knows well. The story follows the brave choice Jess makes and its consequences.

Do you have a new release due?

I have a completed manuscript set in the 1920s, which is currently with an editor. I’ll put up any publication news on my website.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I signed the publication contract for The False Men two years before it was published so I had lots of time to anticipate. Because I was flying to the UK to launch it a few days after publication, I ended up having a quiet celebration with my husband on the actual day. Celebration with friends came later with a glass of champagne.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I have a website where readers are very welcome to contact me:

https://www.mhaireadmacleod.com

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Readers make the world go round!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Mhairead 🙂

Synopsis 

North Uist, Outer Hebrides, 1848

Jess MacKay has led a privileged life as the daughter of a local landowner, sheltered from the harsher aspects of life. Courted by the eligible Patrick Cooper, the Laird’s new commissioner, Jess’s future is mapped out, until Lachlan Macdonald arrives on North Uist, amid rumours of forced evictions on islands just to the south.

As the uncompromising brutality of the Clearances reaches the islands, and Jess sees her friends ripped from their homes, she must decide where her heart, and her loyalties, truly lie.

Set against the evocative backdrop of the Hebrides and inspired by a true story, The False Men is a compelling tale of love in a turbulent past that resonates with the upheavals of the modern world.

Buy Link: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/False-Men-Mhairead-MacLeod-ebook/dp/B073TL3PFS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1529500148&sr=1-1&keywords=The+False+Men

About Mhairead MacLeod:

Mhairead MacLeod was born in Inverness, Scotland and spent her early childhood on the Isle of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.

She now lives in Brisbane, Australia where she worked as an ethics lawyer, investigator and university lecturer. She holds Masters degrees in both Law and in Creative Writing.

An earlier draft of The False Men was short-listed for a HarperCollins Varuna Award for Manuscript Development and also won a Hachette Manuscript Development Award.