Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape. There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone. I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha. I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then. When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time. I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.

Book Review: The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

Published March 1, 2022 | By Laura

Greta James is adrift. Literally.

Just after the sudden death of her mother – her most devoted fan – and weeks before the launch of her high-stakes second album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing. Greta’s career is suddenly in jeopardy – the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always warned her about.

Months later, Greta – still heartbroken and very much adrift – reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life.

In this unlikeliest of places – at sea and far from the packed venues where she usually plays – Greta must finally confront the heartbreak she’s suffered, the family hurts that run deep, and how to find her voice again.

I adored this novel.

Both Greta and Conrad are complicated, complex characters but beneath it all, they grieve for the person they have lost and find it hard to communicate. Greta is just trying to hang on to the one thing in her life to which she truly feels she belongs – being a musician.

Both Father and Daughter are very relatable. At least to me. I’ve known the grief Greta feels. The themes of grief and loss were handled with care and grace. I wanted Greta and Conrad to be ok.

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Book Extract: Brown Eyes by Frances Ive

Published February 22, 2022 | By Laura

I am pleased to be welcoming Frances Ive to Novel Kicks today with the blog tour for her book, Brown Eyes. 

A watchful eye as a marriage falls apart. The phone call, the rows, and the split are all observed by the family Labrador. He knows the habits and senses the moods of his beloved family members. Seeing them unhappy and hurting each other is unbearable. Where did his perfect life go?

Her marriage to Phil in crisis, two children at the challenging teenage stage, and a close friend in peril, Meriel’s world is falling apart. She finds solace in the arms of another man, but is this the answer for her? It is her stubbornness that threatens the family’s future together, until a major loss has a life-changing effect on her. A sliver of hope returns.

Like a fly on the wall, Benji the dog sees it all.

Narrated by both the dog and Meriel, Brown Eyes is a novella (a short read) written by the author of Finding Jo and Give and Take with a Capital G & T.

 

Frances has shared an extract from Brown Eyes today. We hope you enjoy! 

 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

Can a marriage be saved?

In many countries including the UK the divorce rate is very high – between one in two or three marriages ends in a split.  Sometimes relationships break down because of extreme behaviour, but others are often just lacking communication and appreciation. The route from problems like infidelity to splitting up is sometimes very fast.

For those couples who seek couples counselling it can sometimes be avoided if both partners want it to work. Meriel and Phil were jogging along in their relationship when one of them strayed off the path. Almost immediately they were splitting up and the children and the family Labrador were distraught. Could therapy save their marriage?

 

Extract from the point of view of Jane, the counsellor. Starting with Phil speaking.

‘I didn’t think it happened quickly. I had liked Meriel for a long time, but she always seemed to be with a boyfriend. I used to wonder how we could get together, and so I just took a risk and rang her. And thank goodness, it worked.’

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Book Review: Unravelling by Helen Forbes

Published February 13, 2022 | By Laura

I am very happy to be welcoming Helen Forbes to Novel Kicks with the blog tour for her novel, Unravelling. 

A forest of secrets 

Two bodies are found buried in a Highland forest, a place that haunts the dreams of Kate Sharp. Her mother, Ellen, died when Kate was a child. Does the forest hold the secret to her death? 

A secret journal 

Kate discovers her mother’s journal, and the tale of a tragic unravelling begins to unfold. Ellen’s story is one of fear and hope, love and loss, set against the imposing background of Craig Dunain, a psychiatric hospital where she should have been safe.  

Unravelling the truth 

Someone else from Ellen’s past is searching for answers, and he will stop at nothing to find them. Unaware of the danger stalking her, Kate continues her search. Will she find the answers? And can she save her own life?  

***** 

Two bodies are found in a forest near to where Kate Sharp’s mother, Ellen, died years earlier, when Kate was a child.

Following the death of her Grandmother, Kate is searching for answers about her mother.

As Ellen’s story unfolds, Kate discovers it’s one of love, loss, fear, despair and hope.

Someone from Ellen’s past is also trying to find out what happened. Can they figure out the truth? Can Kate save her own life before it’s too late?

This is the first book I’ve read by Helen Forbes. I found the blurb very intriguing. I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for Unravelling.

Told from the point of view of Kate, Ellen, Daniel and Jamie, this book, from page one, immediately drew me into the novel and into the lives of these characters.

Nothing is what it seems on the surface and, aside from Kate, I wasn’t sure who to trust.

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Novel Kicks Book Club: The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

Published February 2, 2022 | By Laura

Hello February. 

I am very excited about the book club pick this month. It’s The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell. 

I don’t know about you but, even by the blurb, this book sounds brilliant and I can’t wait to get started.

Anyone can take part in our book club, at any point in the month, whether you’ve already read the novel or will be reading along with me. As usual, I’ve posted a question below in the comments to start the discussion. See you there.

 

About The Night She Disappeared…

‘Mum, there’s some people here from college, they asked me back to theirs. Just for an hour or so. Is that OK?’

Midsummer 2017: teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date, leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim.

At 11 p.m. she sends her mum a text message. At 4.30 a.m. Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home.

Friends tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the woods nearby called Dark Place.

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Book Review: The Cocktail Bar by Isabella May

Published February 2, 2022 | By Laura

A big hello to Isabella May. She joins me today with the blog tour for her book, The Cocktail Bar. 

Rock star, River Jackson, is back in his hometown of Glastonbury to open a cocktail bar… and the locals aren’t impressed.

Seductive Georgina is proving too hot to handle; band mate, Angelic Alice, is messing with his heart and his head; his mum is a hippie-dippy liability; his school friends have resorted to violence – oh, and his band manager, Lennie, AND the media are on his trail.

But River is armed with a magical Mexican elixir which will change the lives of three lucky people. Once the Mexican wave of joy takes a hold of the town, he’s glad he didn’t lose his proverbial bottle.

Pity he hasn’t taken better care of the real one…

*****

Fed up with life on the road as a musician, River returns home to Glastonbury. His plan… to open up The Cocktail Bar and, thanks to an encounter with a mysterious woman named Mercedes, potentially change the lives of three people.

To begin with, the locals are not happy. Old school friends are trashing his bar, his ex manager is on his trail and the local aristocracy is up in arms.

There is also the matter of Georgina, a girl from his past. He is soon in a casual relationship with her. However, she has her own agenda and believes Karma is a dish served cold.

Things become even more complicated when Alice, his former bandmate, returns home. She also happens to be the girl that River is actually in love with.

Having previously read, Oh! What a Pavlova, I was looking forward to taking part in the blog tour for Isabella May’s latest novel, The Cocktail Bar.

Told from the point of view of River, Alice and Georgina, it did take me a couple of chapters to settle into the novel and connect with the characters. Once I did though, I couldn’t put it down.

River is an interesting man. Deep down, he is fiercely loyal to the people he loves, if not a little naive to the behaviour of some of the people around him. He, like many people, including Alice, is trying to find his place in the world and that is something many readers will be able to relate to.

I found Georgina an unlikeable character, even before you find out what she’s up to. However, she does add tension and conflict to the story. The same can be said for Lennie.

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Book Extract: The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland

Published February 2, 2022 | By Laura

Ella Gyland joins me today with the blog tour for her novel, The Helsingør Sewing Club.

Inspired by the incredible true story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WW2

Helsingør, Denmark, 1943

In the midst of the German occupation during World War Two, Inger Bredahl joins the underground resistance and risks her life to save members of Denmark’s Jewish community and help them escape to Sweden.

Copenhagen, 2018

Inger’s granddaughter, Cecilie Lund, is mourning her death when a mysterious discovery while cleaning out Inger’s flat leads past and present to intersect. As long-held secrets finally see the light of day, Cecilie learns the story of her grandmother’s courage and bravery, and of the power of friendship, love, and standing for what’s right…even when you have everything to lose.

An inspiring tale of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community.

 

Ella has shared an extract from The Helsingør Sewing Club with us today. Enjoy! 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

The main character’s cousin Gudrun has just returned home from having dinner with her fiancé, Niels the fisherman, and his family, where the topic of conversation was whether to smuggle black market goods back from Sweden or not, with Niels strongly against it and his father in favour of it. This scene is from Gudrun’s point of view.

*****

When she returned home, her parents, Inger, and Jens were listening to Radio London in the parlour. She poured herself a cup of coffee from the blue enamel pot on the stove in the kitchen, and joined her family, squeezing onto the settee next to her brother.

Huddled around the radio, they listened to the news that the Russian army had recaptured a port city on the Black Sea from the Germans, and that the recently overthrown Italian dictator, Mussolini, had been restored to power.

Gudrun’s mind wasn’t really on the news. Instead she focused on the coffee substitute she was drinking. She’d almost, but not quite, got used to the taste of it – not like Inger who hated it – but knew Niels’s father had been right when he’d insisted people would pay for anything if they wanted it enough, and had the money.

At my wedding lunch we’re going to have proper coffee, she thought. Another reason for her and Niels to wait.

The calm, quiet mood in her parents’ parlour was interrupted by a sudden rap on the window at the front of the house. Jens quickly switched off the radio, and her mother draped an embroidered tablecloth over it. Listening to the radio wasn’t forbidden, but the Germans took a dim view of broadcasts from the BBC, and it was better to be safe than sorry in case they confiscated it.

Her father turned off the lights and opened the door, with Gudrun and his wife almost right behind him.

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Book Review: Queen Bee by Nina Manning

Published January 31, 2022 | By Laura

I am pleased to be welcoming Nina Manning back to Novel Kicks with the blog tour for her novel, Queen Bee. 

In the quiet village of Helesbury, Miranda Wallace prides herself on being the most popular member of her small social circle; the perfect friend, the best mum – the queen bee.

Until one day, Verity arrives. Cool and indifferent, Verity is everything Miranda isn’t, but she threatens to shatter Miranda’s picture-perfect life.

Suddenly plagued with insecurities, Miranda is certain Verity is hiding something. And Miranda knows all about secrets and the damage they can cause, because she’s hiding some of her own.

So when Verity threatens to reveal the truth about Miranda and destroy the perfect life she’s built, Miranda knows she has to act to protect the people she loves – even if the results are deadly.

*****

Miranda is enjoying her new life, away from all the mistakes in her past. What’s more, she feels as though she has a true friend in Evie. Life for Miranda is bordering on perfect. 

However, the arrival of Verity starts to pull Evie away from her. Who is this woman? Why is Evie interested in being her friend? Soon, Miranda finds life getting out of control, like it was before.

I had previously read The Bridesmaid by Nina Manning and loved it. I was excited to read her latest novel, Queen Bee. 

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Book Extract: Storytellers by Bjørn Larssen

Published January 30, 2022 | By Laura

I am very pleased to be welcoming Bjørn Larssen and the blog tour for his novel, Storytellers.

Would you murder your brothers to keep them from telling the truth about themselves?

On a long, cold Icelandic night in March 1920, Gunnar, a hermit blacksmith, finds himself with an unwanted lodger – Sigurd, an injured stranger who offers a story from the past. But some stories, even those of an old man who can barely walk, are too dangerous to hear. They alter the listeners’ lives forever… by ending them.

Others are keen on changing Gunnar’s life as well. Depending on who gets to tell his story, it might lead towards an unwanted marriage, an intervention, rejoining the Church, letting the elf drive him insane, or succumbing to the demons in his mind. Will he manage to write his own last chapter?

Bjørn Larssen’s award-winning, Amazon #1 best selling novel is an otherworldly, emotive Icelandic saga – a story of love and loneliness, relief and suffering, hatred… and hope.

 

Bjørn has shared an extract today. Grab that hot drink, a comfortable chair and enjoy. 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

Like most writers, I have certain subjects that are dear to my heart. Three of them are neurodivergence, mental illness (not the same thing), and addiction.

My protagonist, Gunnar, is on the autism spectrum and has a generalised anxiety disorder accompanied by depression, self-medicated with alcohol. He is also living in the year 1920, before the word “depression” came into use at all. He’s an uneducated blacksmith in a society where showing feelings – revealing that you had them – outside your diaries or poems you wrote was impossible. It wasn’t seen as cynical to say there was no time for grief or melancholy. It was simply the truth. There was too much work to be done.

It’s not just the external world that doesn’t understand Gunnar’s different mind. He has no words to express how he feels. All he knows is that he “shouldn’t” be like this, that “normal people” aren’t. During Icelandic prohibition, the only way to acquire alcohol was to visit a doctor and get it “prescribed” – Gunnar’s whisky is, ostentatiously, medication for his non-existent lung problems. A bottle of whisky a week isn’t enough anymore, though, so he makes moonshine… which is, of course, illegal, which makes his anxiety worse. There’s only one way he knows to feel better – he carries a flask wherever he goes.

There was a time in my life when I went through a long period of depression. Everything was grey. I didn’t even remember how to laugh. I was ashamed of admitting it. I “knew” that depression was a made-up thing that the educated members of the middle-class came up with to justify their laziness. Gunnar doesn’t have the words to express that, but if he could, he’d be thinking the same. There was one medication that calmed me down, even sent me into euphoria. It came in bottles.

*****

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Book Review: Before We Grow Old by Clare Swatman

Published January 28, 2022 | By Laura

I’d like to welcome Clare Swatman to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her latest novel, Before We Grow Old. 

When seven-year-old Fran first met Will they knew instantly that they were made for each other. For eleven years they were inseparable, but then, at the age of eighteen, Will just upped and disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Will is back.

Is fate trying to give them a second chance?

Still nursing the heart break from all those years ago, Fran is reluctant to give Will the time of day. The price Will must pay is to tell the truth – the truth about why he left, the truth about why he’s back…

And Fran has her own secrets to hide. The time has come to decide what Fran and Will really want from life – before it’s too late.

*****

Will was the love of Fran’s life. Having been friends since childhood, she thought they would always be together.

When Will then leaves, leaving Fran a letter, she’s heartbroken, thinking she will never see him again.

So, bumping into him twenty five years later is a shock.

Can they pick up where they left off? Is Will hiding something? Worse still, will he find out Fran’s secret?

From the moment I started reading, I knew this book was going to make me cry. I can’t give you a solid reason how I knew, but I did.

Fran is a relatable character in many ways. She’s a single parent, trying to do the best she can for her son and when Will returns, she gives herself hope that she can be happy. Of course, life sometimes has other plans. I really felt a lot of love and empathy for her and Will at multiple points in the novel.

The other characters in the novel are wonderful; Kieran and Elodie especially. Clare Swatman does a really good job of pulling the reader into the story and making them feel like they are a part of this family, going through all these adventures and emotions.

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Book Review: My Heart Went Walking by Sally Hanan

Published January 27, 2022 | By Laura

I am pleased to welcome Sally Hanan to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her upcoming novel, My Heart Went Walking. 

Kept apart by their love for one man, two sisters embark on their own paths towards survival, love, and understanding, until all three finally meet again in the worst of circumstances. And the reality might break them all.

My Heart Went Walking is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that sweeps from the small Irish town of Donegal to the “big smoke” of Dublin City; a book that celebrates the pull of family and the chance of redemption. It is a novel for everyone who feels connected to the Irish approach to life-that of grit and laughter-and also for everyone who loves an overriding message of hope and restoration in all things.

***

Una doesn’t want to leave her family, especially her sister, Ellie. It also means saying goodbye to the boy she loves. However, she holds a secret and so must make a choice..stay and reveal her secret or leave everything she’s ever known.

So, she goes to Dublin to seek a new life, with no plan and little money.

Back in her hometown, Ellie has no idea why her sister left. Even Una’s best friend, Cullen doesn’t seem to know where she is.

These three people will be reunited through the most tragic of circumstances. Secrets will be revealed that have the capacity to change their lives forever.

Set in Donegal and Dubin in 1983, My Heart Went Walking is told from the point of view of three people; Una, Cullen and Ellie.

All three are well written and develop in interesting ways. They all have to deal with pretty intense situations and it was easy to forget as I progressed through the book that they were all still teenagers, having to navigate their way through some heartbreaking and difficult circumstances.

Una has to especially grow up incredibly quickly when she finds herself in Dublin, away from home and alone. She seems very strong but when you begin to get to know her, you see that she is just a young girl who has so much fear and doesn’t want to face it. I think a lot of people can relate to that. Whether, as a reader, you agree with certain decisions she makes will be up to you to decide but I felt that she, like Cullen, was trying to do the best she could and do right by the people she loved.

Cullen is a confused guy who doesn’t understand why the girl he loves suddenly disappears. He’s very much a good guy. I really felt for him through this story as he is, in a way, stuck in the middle between his past with Una and his potential future with Ellie.

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Book Extract: A Stranger’s Revenge by K.J. McGillick

Published January 23, 2022 | By Laura

A big welcome to K.J. McGillick and the blog tour for her novel, A Stranger’s Revenge.

When art law attorney Abigail Clarke is mistaken for the murdered twin sister she never knew existed, will she be able to outwit a man determined to kill every member of her treacherous family.

Thirty years ago, during a thunderstorm, on an isolated street in South Boston, an unidentified two-year-old girl was discovered, abandoned, shot, barely clinging to life. After a thorough investigation, the case was eventually designated to the cold case files until Abigail Clarke, now an astraphobic art law attorney, is mistaken for the murdered twin sister she never knew existed.

What the FBI Art Crime Division cannot determine is if Abigail is an innocent bystander or a co-conspirator in her sister’s art fraud crimes.

Compelled to uncover all her family’s secrets, nothing prepares Abigail for the disastrous meeting with her murderous brother and crime boss father. Her life is irreversibly changed the more she becomes mired in her family’s treachery. She soon finds herself drawn into a game of cat and mouse by the vengeful killer who methodically plans to execute every member of her family, holding each one of them ultimately responsible for the murder of his own family thirty years ago.

 

K.J. McGillick has shared an extract with us today. Enjoy. 

Warning: Language.

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

March 2021

An explosive streak of white lightning splayed its arthritic fingers across the gray sky, threatening to snatch me through my windows. However, it was the explosive thunder bomb which shook my windows that almost sent me under my desk. Shot and then left for dead when I was two years old, thunderstorms still scared the hell out of me and left me paralyzed with fear. Maura called it astraphobia. I called it self-preservation.

“Abigail Clarke, you are not listening to a word I’m saying,” Maura said, slapping her chair to get my attention. “I could use a little legal help here.”

“Of course, I am listening. I just want to scream at the top of my lungs that Clarisse Taylor is batshit crazy. Can we at least agree that she is a master manipulator well versed in the art of gaslighting? You’ve asked my legal opinion. I can’t help it if it’s not what you want to hear.”

Was it wrong of me to hope right now a bus was plowing into Clarisse, leaving her splattered on some street like roadkill?

“I have to admit that in the last two months, her stories have become more laced with violence.” She sighed.

“There you go. What if this is just an attention-seeking device? I know as a psychiatrist, head games and personality puzzles fill your day. Please don’t think I am minimizing your concern. But maybe this is one of those moments that you can’t see the forest for the trees.”

“No, this time it was different. You had to see her wickedly satisfied expression as she boasted she stabbed him fifteen times.”

As if channeling Clarisse, Maura gritted her teeth and slowly lifted her arm, then plunged an imaginary knife up and down. As her arm arched back, I could not help but visualize the drops of blood, as they must have sprayed across the walls with each fresh assault. The room must have looked like a Jackson Pollock canvas, splattered in various hues of reds and browns as the blood dried. That visual did the trick of interrupting my obsession with the storm.

She suddenly sprang to her feet, almost dazed, glanced at the floor, and then at me.

“And, Abby, she said that the puddle of blood looked like an oil slick. It was so widespread that when she tried to stand, she slipped in it and bashed her head against a table. Slipped… In… His… Blood…”

“Oh, for the love of God, enough.” I raised my hand for her to stop. I had reached my limit.

She dropped back into the chair and took a deep breath.

“Okay, take a minute, and let’s walk through this. Did you see any signs of an injury to her head to corroborate the story?” I asked, determined to debunk this lunatic’s musings.

“Yes. Well… she had a bandage across the corner of her forehead. Whether there was an injury there or it was for show, I don’t know. However, she never came to the office before with even a Band-Aid.”

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Book Extract: That Certain Spark by Isobel Hart

Published January 21, 2022 | By Laura

I am very happy to be welcoming Isobel Hart to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her book, That Certain Spark. 

A one-bedroom apartment with creeping damp.

Depressed cat, complete with litter tray.

Neither was part of Claire’s five-year plan.

Nor, for that matter, was divorce.

Left with a comfort eating habit that’s costing her a small fortune in ice-cream, and panic attacks flooring her in front of the supermarket meals-for-one, Claire turns to her mum and Mindfulness in the hope that one of them can help her find real happiness.

She thinks she’s cracked it… but then her past comes creeping back.

Now she has to work out what really makes her happy or risk a life where Ben & Jerry are the only men who matter.

 

Isobel has shared an extract with us today. So, grab that blanket and drink of choice and enjoy. 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

Claire has chosen to go on a Power Walk during a stay at a rejuvenating health spa with her mum. It turns out to be a little more arduous than she anticipates.

By the time I get to the top I have tunnel vision, a red mist reducing my ability to see more than my own feet. I want to curl up and sleep in a bush. And maybe die. Death feels preferable to this, right now. “That’s it, you’re doing brilliantly,” Carl says. He’s circling me like a sheepdog, nipping at my ankles every time it looks like I might stop. “You’ve done better than most people. Most the guests turn back when they realise how fast we walk.”

I’d forgotten that was even an option. Why the hell didn’t I turn back?

The other ladies are still chatting. “Do. They. Ever. Stop. Talking?” I gasp in slow stilted words to Carl between attempts to suck air back into my lungs.

He laughs. “No, I’m afraid not.”

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Book Extract: A Nose For Mischief by K.T. Lee

Published January 15, 2022 | By Laura

I’m saying a big hello to K.T. Lee. She is here with the blog tour for her latest novel, A Nose for Mischief, book one in the Riverbend K-9s series. 

When materials engineer Zoey Butler lands her dream job at Future State Energy, she believes her research in renewable energy will make headlines. Unfortunately for her, she’s right. Zoey is working on her latest experiment when FBI Special Agent Alexis Thompson and her K-9 partner, Waffle, raid Future State and arrest the head of the development for fraud. Zoey helps the FBI find answers in the aftermath, but she soon finds herself jobless and unemployable. Desperate and out of options, she reaches out to Alexis, the one person who knows Zoey was duped like everyone else.

Liam Graham is an FBI special agent and instructor at Riverbend K-9 Academy. When Alexis brings in a new recruit with an unusual background, Liam pairs her up with Tasha, a dog in need of a handler to stay in their competitive program. Zoey is thrilled to put her past behind her and give the mischievous rescue dog her own second chance. However, shortly after she arrives, the FBI realizes the Future State case is far from closed. And Zoey may be the key to solving it.

Zoey offers to go back to Future State to help the FBI end things once and for all. Only this time, she’ll have Liam and Tasha for backup. But, the problems at Future State are more explosive than any of them suspect.

 

K.T. Lee has shared an extract with us today. Enjoy.

 

***** beginning of extract *****

 

When materials engineer Zoey Butler lands her dream job at Future State Energy, she believes her research in renewable energy will make headlines. Unfortunately for her, she’s right. Zoey is working on her latest experiment when FBI Special Agent Alexis Thompson and her K-9 partner, Waffle, raid Future State and arrest the head of the development for fraud. Zoey helps the FBI find answers in the aftermath, but she soon finds herself jobless and unemployable. Desperate and out of options, she reaches out to Alexis, the one person who knows Zoey was duped like everyone else.

Liam Graham is an FBI special agent and instructor at Riverbend K-9 Academy. When Alexis brings in a new recruit with an unusual background, Liam pairs her up with Tasha, a dog in need of a handler to stay in their competitive program. Zoey is thrilled to put her past behind her and give the mischievous rescue dog her own second chance. However, shortly after she arrives, the FBI realizes the Future State case is far from closed. And Zoey may be the key to solving it.

Zoey offers to go back to Future State to help the FBI end things once and for all. Only this time, she’ll have Liam and Tasha for backup. But, the problems at Future State are more explosive than any of them suspect.

 

This excerpt takes place as Zoey is struggling with her job search.

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Book Extract: Daughter of the Sea by Elisabeth J. Hobbes

Published January 7, 2022 | By Laura

I am very happy to be welcoming Elisabeth J. Hobbes to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her new novel, Daughter of the Sea. 

On a windswept British coastline the tide deposits an unexpected gift…

It was the cry that she first noticed, the plaintive wail that called to her over the crash of winter waves. Wrapped only in a sealskin, the baby girl looks up at Effie and instantly captures her heart. She meant only to temporarily foster the young orphan but when news reaches Effie that her husband has been lost at sea, and months pass without anyone claiming the infant, she embraces her new family – her son Jack and her adopted daughter Morna.
 
Effie has always been an outcast in her village, the only granddaughter of a woman people whisper is a witch, so she’s used to a solitary existence. But when Midsummer arrives so too does a man claiming to be Morna’s father. There’s no denying Lachlan is the girl’s kin and so Effie is surprised when he asks her to continue looking after his daughter, mysteriously refusing to explain why. She agrees, but when he returns six months hence she pushes him for answers. And Lachlan tells a story she never anticipated … one of selkies, legend, and the power of the sea…

 

Elisabeth has shared an extract with us today. Enjoy. 

 

****beginning of extract*****

 

Effie Cropton has been gathering seaweed on the beach at Allendale Head. While there she rescues a basket floating out to sea and discovers a baby girl. She returns to the village and, after a brief conversation with her friend Walter, goes to visit her grandmother and collect her son.

 

“Effie, is that you?” Alice called from inside the pantry. “Wrap the seaweeds in the damp dishcloth will you?”

Effie did as she was asked, keeping some back for herself. Alice used it for her poultices and ointments. Effie liked to paint it.

“Why are you wearing Walter Danby’s coat?” Alice asked, as she bustled into the kitchen. Her sharp eyes narrowed suspiciously as she looked at Effie. “Your husband is away and I didn’t think you the type to carry on with another man.”

“I’m not carrying on with Walter and you know it,” Effie said indignantly. “I’ve been faithful to John for our whole marriage.”

John Cropton was ten years older than his wife and had been a bachelor longer than many thought he should, given his looks. He was shy and particular in his ways, and it had surprised everyone in the village when he asked Effie to marry him. People were perhaps less surprised at why when Effie’s belly began to swell after too few months of wedded bliss for the numbers to add up.

Whether Effie had trapped John or John had trapped Effie into marriage was the subject of some debate among those who enjoyed speculating. Perhaps neither of them had intended to trap or be trapped, but the end result was the same. The man whom the village had believed would end his days a bachelor found a wife, and Effie had fallen from the middle to the working class.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: I Believe in Father Christmas?

Published December 24, 2021 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation. 

 

Today’s prompt: I believe in Father Christmas? 

It’s Christmas Eve. You are woken up by a noise coming from your lounge.

You walk slowly into the room and find Father Christmas putting presents under your tree. But… this is impossible. Right?

Without saying anything, he smiles, clicks his fingers and you’re suddenly with him on the sleigh, travelling very fast.

He then says hello.

Continue the story.

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Book Review: Mr.Sunnyside: Imagination by CK Gregory

Published December 24, 2021 | By Laura

When Tommy, a young boy, is stuck at home on a rainy day with nothing to do, even his mommy can’t help him, especially with breakfast.

An eggstrordinary egg called Mr. Sunnyside comes to his rescue — only Tommy can see him. Mr. Sunnyside saves him from boredom by giving Tommy a lesson in imagination.

Mr. Sunnyside, a delicate egg, shows Tommy a new meaning in life by teaching him how to use his imagination. Buckle up and get ready for an eggciting ride — an adventure of a lifetime when Mr. Sunnyside enters Tommy’s life as a play friend! Tommy’s life will never be the same — he goes from feeling sad to eggcellent!

Tommy is a young boy stuck inside on a rainy day with nothing to do and is bored. Even his mother can’t help him.

Mr Sunnyside appears. Only Tommy can see him.

Soon, Tommy and his new friend delve into imagination and go on an adventure of a lifetime.

This book is so incredibly sweet. Being in my 40’s, I am not its target audience of 1-11 years but I couldn’t help smiling all the way through.

Tommy is a character I believe a lot of children will love and relate to. Many I am sure have or have had imaginary friends at some point, I know I did. Also,  being in the UK, we have our share of rainy, boring days.

Mr Sunnyside is an egg and is a unique imaginary friend. He is very positive and fun.

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Book News: Get 20% off Used Books with Novel Kicks and Awesome Books.

Published December 24, 2021 | By Laura

Happy Christmas Eve!

Can you believe that Christmas is upon us? I can’t either.

Soon, we will have opened all of our presents, had our Christmas dinners before relaxing into the evening.

If you’re a book lover, like me, and are wondering how to spend your Christmas money, I wanted to tell you about Awesome Books. They sell both new and used books across a variety of genres.

They are a sustainable bookseller that aims to make a positive impact with every book sold and is one of the UK’s biggest online and second hand book retailers. In fact, since they launched in 2004, they’ve saved 132 million books globally from landfill. How amazing is that!

Along with this, they want to promote literacy. To help with this, they currently have a ‘buy one, give one‘ initiative, supporting the National Literacy Trust.

I was personally very excited and thankful to receive Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella from Awesome Books.

I love that it is secondhand. I like to imagine who it previously belonged to. It’s also in VERY good condition.

As a Christmas present to you all, Awesome Books want to give Novel Kicks readers and supporters 20% off used books from their site.

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Book Review: The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett

Published December 17, 2021 | By Laura

When her 29-year-old daughter Paulina goes missing on a sleepy pacific island, Judy Novak suspects the worst. Her fears are soon realised as Paulina’s body is discovered, murdered.

Every man on the island is a suspect, yet none are as maligned as Paulina herself, the captivating newcomer known for her hard drinking, disastrous relationships, and a habit for walking alone. But even death won’t stop Judy Novak from fighting for her daughter’s life.

*****

Judy Novak fears the worst when her 29-year-old daughter, Paulina, goes missing on a pacific island where strangers stand out.

When her daughter’s body is found, every man on the island becomes a suspect.

As the investigation begins, Paulina’s behaviour prior to her death comes under scrutiny; her heavy drinking, her disastrous relationships and a habit for walking alone.

Judy won’t stop fighting for her daughter though.

The premise for this novel intrigued me and so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett.

Wow is what I want to say about this book. I am not sure what I can say without giving too much away but I will give it a go.

From page one, this story draws you in and immediately I was hooked. It’s a crime novel, yes but there are so many more layers to it.

Let’s begin with Paulina. She’s such a complicated character. I felt sympathy, frustration, love and anger toward her. Sometimes, it was all of these feelings at once. She moves to this island in search of something. To begin with, I don’t think even she knows what this is. She’s dealing with so many internal demons and as a result, she acts out in the only way she knows how. Paulina is a perfect example of ‘don’t judge a book by a cover.’ She is hiding a lot under an extroverted/alcohol induced personality. Most of all though, she just wants love. Laura Elizabeth Woollett does such a great job of conveying how lost and broken Paulina is.

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Novel Kicks Writing Room: Twelve Days of Christmas

Published December 15, 2021 | By Laura

Happy Wednesday everyone. 

For today’s writing room, I thought it would be good to just write.

As its December, the theme is going to be centred around Christmas.

Twelve days before Christmas, you arrive home to find an envelope on your doormat.

Your name is on the front, written in cursive writing that you don’t recognise. There is no stamp so it has been hand delivered.

When you open it, there is simply a clue, ‘on the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… to find out, go to the car park on Morgan Ave at 6pm today.’ 

Carry on the story, using the song as inspiration.

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Book Christmas Gift Guide 2021

Published December 15, 2021 | By Laura

As a book lover, you can never go wrong with a book for me under the tree.

In fact, a friend of mine and I have exchanged a book every Christmas Eve for the last few years and it’s a tradition I love. There are not many things I love more than to curl up with a new book around Christmas.

So, as the big day is approaching, I wanted to share a book gift guide – some recommendations for the bookworm in your life.

The first book on the list is a new edition of a bestseller.

Marian Keyes is due to release Again, Rachel next year. This is the follow up to her best-selling novel, Rachel’s Holiday.

The 25th anniversary edition was released by Penguin Michael Joesph and would be a perfect gift for Marian Keyes fans or someone who is yet to discover this wonderful author.

This edition features celebrations from authors including David Nicholls and Graham Norton, as well as an extract from Again, Rachel.

Rachel Walsh has been living it up in New York City. She spends her evenings talking her way into parties and then returns home in the early hours to her boyfriend, Luke.

Her sister showing up and taking her to rehab was not part of her plan.

She agrees. It’s all spas, jacuzzis and celebrities right? Sounds like a nice holiday.

Losing freedom and fun will be hard. Losing the love of her life will be harder.

I have not read this but that will have to change, especially with a sequel coming.

I am a big fan of Celia Imrie. She was in one of my favourite films, Bridget Jones’ Diary.

I was excited to hear that she’d written a novel. It sounds so intriguing.

 

Orphans of the Storm, released in August by Bloomsbury focuses on Marcella, Michael and Margaret as their paths cross on the RMS Titanic.

After three years of marriage, Marcella is determined to divorce her cruel and controlling husband, Michael.

Whilst awaiting a decision over the custody of their two young boys, Michael receives news that changes everything.

Meanwhile, Margaret, who has been touring Europe with friends is growing restless. She resolves to head home aboard the Titanic.

As the ship sets sail, they all soon realise that nothing will be the same.

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Book Extract: A Not So Quiet Christmas by Suzie Tullett

Published December 13, 2021 | By Laura

Please help me welcome Suzie Tullett to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her festive novel, A Not So Quiet Christmas. 

A solo getaway at an English country cottage is a pleasant way to spend the holiday—but it takes two to really make things merry . . .

Antonia prefers a quiet Christmas. She’s happy to spend it on her own, watching Hallmark holiday movies in her pyjamas, eating what she wants, when she wants.

Antonia’s friend Jules, on the other hand, loves a big Christmas celebration and plans on travelling to the Yorkshire Dales for a festive break. But when Jules breaks her leg, she persuades Antonia to make the trip on her behalf. Arriving at the little cottage, Antonia meets the handsome property agent Oliver. But she can’t escape the weird locals—or avoid embarrassing situations like mistaking a cow for a burglar.

As Christmas approaches, the attraction between Oliver and Antonia grows. She could choose to return to the bustling city and spend it alone. Or she could choose love and have a not so quiet Christmas . . .

 

Suzie has shared an extract with us today. Enjoy! 

 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

Letting agent, Oliver Chase, offers to show confirmed city girl, Antonia, the local sights. He fails to mention that she’ll be seeing everything in one hit. From the top of a mountain…

 

Chapter Nine

With my cheek squashed against the icy rockface, I clung to the mountainside like a limpet as if my life depended on it. I didn’t know who or what howled the loudest – me or the swirling winds that whipped around my already contorted face. As the gusts threatened to rip me from what little security I had, flying without wings was not how I’d imagined my final moments. “Tell Jules I’m sorry for ruining her Christmas,” I said while I still had the chance, voice raised and mid-wail.

“I’m the one who’s sorry, Antonia,” Oliver said, calling up from the ledge below. “If I’d have known your legs weren’t long enough…”

“I know, I know. Hindsight’s a wonderful thing!”

“Are you sure you can’t go any higher? There can’t be much more than a metre left.”

“If I could, don’t you think I’d be up by now?” Peeling my cheek off the rock, I carefully glanced about me. Double checking all the nearby indents and protruding rocks, it was no good. They were all out of my reach. I tilted my chin and looked down to see Oliver’s concerned expression and Frank’s head poking out of the man’s rucksack. As tears rolled down my face, I couldn’t believe Oliver had suggested I go first. The other way around and he could have shimmied up with Frank, then reached down and yanked me the rest of the way.

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NK Chats To… Eliza J. Scott

Published December 9, 2021 | By Laura

Hi Eliza, thank you for joining me today and for inviting me onto your blog tour for A Cozy Countryside Christmas. Can you tell me about your book and what inspired it? 

Well, without giving too much away, A Cosy Countryside Christmas centres around Ella Welford and Joss Campion. The couple were childhood best friends, until Joss left the village rather abruptly. When he returns, sparks fly but neither of them are keen to do anything about it. When they find themselves thrown together in an unexpected drama high on the snowy moor top… I’m afraid to say anything further would give too much away!

 

How long does it typically take you to write a book and what’s your process like? 

It can take between three to four months per book. As for my writing process, I tend to start by drafting character profiles, jotting down as many details as possible. Then I set out a rough draft of the outline of the story so when I start to actually write it, I have an idea of the journey I’d like my protagonists to take. Having said that, I tend to let them take the lead and see what challenges they face on the way to their happy ending. I’m a mix of plotter and pantser – plotty pantser or pants plotter; I’m not sure which is applicable!

 

Which fictional world would you like to visit and why? 

I loved The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe books when I was younger (actually, I still do), so I’d love to slip through the back of the wardrobe and visit Narnia. Can I be cheeky and name two? I’d love to have a wander around Enid Blyton’s Enchanted Wood too – and maybe have a quick scramble up the Faraway Tree.

 

Which songs would make up a playlist for your book? 

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Book Extract: A Winter Wedding at Mistletoe Gate Farm by Helen J Rolfe

Published December 9, 2021 | By Laura

I am delighted to be welcoming Helen J Rolfe to Novel Kicks today. She’s here with her latest novel, A Winter Wedding at Mistletoe Gate Farm which has been published today. 

It’s almost Christmas in Heritage Cove – the village tree is all lit-up, the bakery is full of festive treats, the tea rooms and waffle shack are welcoming locals inside out of the cold, and for some of the residents of the Cove, snow might not be the only thing they’re wishing for this year…

Tilly is overjoyed when an estranged relative comes to Heritage Cove wanting to make amends. But as she lets him in to her life and Tilly’s Bits ‘n’ Pieces – the shop she owns and loves – her friends aren’t so sure whether everything is quite as it seems.

Benjamin’s parents run Mistletoe Gate Farm, selling Christmas trees, wreaths and mistletoe. Benjamin has always thought his family was as firmly rooted in the ground as the rows of Norway Spruce and Fraser Firs. But when he finds a letter that rocks his world he realises he may not be able to do anything to prevent the changes coming their way.

Benjamin and Tilly have been falling for one another since the summer but will family complications put an abrupt stop to what is looking like a burgeoning romance?

With festive cheer weaving its way through the Cove as two local favourites plan their wedding, there’s more than one relationship that could receive a little Christmas magic…

 

Helen has shared an extract with us today. Enjoy as we head to Heritage Cove. 

This extract is taken from a scene at Mistletoe Gate Farm as Benjamin thinks about Tilly and begins to worry about what is going on at home with his own family…

 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

He wandered over to the trees closest to where he was. These were the Nordmann firs in heights ranging from three to eleven feet. They were fatter at the bottom than some of the other varieties, with excellent needle retention. He reached out to touch the rounded needles of one and then another, and the one after that. Any of them could have a place in Tilly’s cottage – she’d be spoilt for choice. They’d all look spectacular with their dense foliage and deep, rich colour, and nothing beat that farm-fresh smell of citrusy pine that came with every tree. He wondered how she was getting on. She’d been flustered last night, unable to think straight when she’d got the call about the break-in at her parents’ house. She didn’t have the sturdiest of relationships with her mum and dad, by the sounds of it, and some people might have used that as a reason not to leap to attention in their hour of need, but not Tilly. She thought of others and put them first whenever she could. It was one of the things he loved and admired about her the most.

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Book Review: My Lucky Night by Olivia Spring

Published December 8, 2021 | By Laura

Romance Can Happen When You Least Expect It…

She hates Christmas. He’s about to change her mind…

Cassie isn’t a fan of Christmas. After a string of unlucky incidents during the festive season—including getting dumped—this year she decides to spend the day at home. Alone. No men. No complications.

But then her nightmare boss demands she track down this year’s most coveted Christmas gift—and the only person who can help is an annoyingly sexy Frenchman she’s just met.

Nicolas might look hot, but Cassie can tell he’s also arrogant, irritating and in love with himself. Exactly the kind of guy she hates. Plus, he’ll only help her find the gift if she helps him with something in return…

Could Cassie’s festive fortunes finally be about to change? Can she learn to love Christmas again? And will Cassie get lucky in more ways than one?

*****

Cassie isn’t a fan of Christmas. After a string of bad luck in previous years, she has decided that she’s spending the day at home, alone. No dinner, no tree. She’s simply ignoring Christmas.

When she literally bumps into a handsome French stranger, she dismisses him as rude. However, fate keeps pushing them together. She wonders if Christmas can be magic after all.

This is the second book in the ten-year crush series but can be read as a standalone. I didn’t feel like I was playing catch up at all.

Cassie is a wonderful character. She’s funny, flawed and real. She’s also had a lot happen to her so immediately, I wanted things to work out for her.

Nicolas is a lovely male lead. He’s a bit mysterious to start with and it was great to gradually learn more about him.

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A Moment With… Barry Kirwan

Published December 4, 2021 | By Laura

I am very pleased to be welcoming Barry Kirwan back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his latest novel, When The Children Return. This is the second book in the Children of the Eye series. 

Ten years have passed since the Axleth invaded Earth and a few hundred humans escaped aboard the ship Athena, piloted by the Artificial Intelligence who calls himself Ares. Now, the refugees approach Earth, determined to take back their home. But something has followed them from deep in space, and as war breaks out on Earth, humanity must decide who is the real enemy. 

 

I have reviewed the book below but first, Barry is here to share his writing process with us. Over to you, Barry.

 

My friends, family and colleagues all know I have a full-on day job, so the question they all ask, is when (the hell) I have time to write? I usually joke that I have a clone and a time machine, although I can’t quite recall which came first…

More seriously, I don’t sleep that much. You could call it insomnia, but I have no trouble falling asleep. It’s just that several times a week I wake up really early, like 3 or 4 in the morning. It’s actually a really great time to write, because nobody is emailing you, it’s dead quiet, and my mind is lucid, full of possibilities, whereas later in the day, frankly it’s knackered, and needs to veg out in front of Netflix or something. That early in the morning I’m writing in the kitchen, a cup of tea once an hour. If I have a good idea, I can’t type fast enough, and my tea goes cold…

Often I work in brasseries in the morning (e.g. from 7-9am), as I live just outside Paris, and the coffee is good, and the noise and bustle somehow stimulates my mind in a different way, maybe because I have to focus. I need to have the idea of the chapter, at least how it begins, and what’s at stake, before I can start. I never just start writing, hoping that somehow it will be good. It won’t be, not for me, it’ll be rubbish. So, I have to have the idea, a direction, and then I see where my fingers take me. I also need to have a sense of urgency, because I aim to write very pacey novels, and that is not just down to tricks; I have to feel that way when I’m writing.

I’m mean to my characters. A lot of crap happens to them. If they could meet me I person in the real, I don’t think I’d last long. But I do suffer with them, and can get quite emotional when I’m writing, which can be awkward when sitting in a busy brasserie, shedding a tear into my espresso macchiato. It’s rare I put tears on the page though, rather I leave it understated, and usually the reader gets it, and they feel it too when a character is having a really rough time, or gets killed off.

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Book Review: Honeybee Cottage by K.T. Dady

Published December 1, 2021 | By Laura

The last time Joey Walker watched Josh Reynolds leave Pepper Bay was three years ago.

She decided there and then that the next time he visited she would never in a million years, even if her life depended on it, sleep with him ever again. She was done with secretly being in love with him. She couldn’t keep falling into his arms every time he was around. Josh was never going to see her as anything more than a holiday fling, or a sure thing. She had made her decision and had happily stuck to it, but only because he wasn’t around. She soon realises just how hard keeping him at arm’s length actually is when he unexpectedly turns up just before Christmas.

Josh had always loved Joey, but he knew she never took him seriously. She had no reason to. Growing up, he only went to his grandmother’s family home in Pepper Bay for the summer. As an adult, he knew that the world viewed him as a playboy heir to his grandfather’s millions. This year, he was determined to prove just how reliable he could be. He was back, and on a secret mission to get Joey to fall in love with him, because she was all he had ever wanted.

*****

Joey hasn’t seen Josh since the last time he left Pepper Bay three years ago.

That’s when she decides that she’s no longer going to sleep with him ever again.

She’s also done being in love with him. She’s done with simply being his holiday fling whenever he decides to float into town.

Out of sight, out of mind makes this easier but her resolve is tested when Josh returns just before Christmas.

Josh loves Joey but she sees him as nothing more than a friend. She doesn’t take him seriously.

He’s determined to show how serious he is about her because she’s all he ever wanted.

Oh it’s December. I love Christmas settings in novels, especially at this time of year.

This is book two in the Pepper Bay series. When I pick up a series without reading the previous novels, in this case, Starlight Cottage, I always worry that I’m not going to know what’s going on. Not the case with this. It can be read as a standalone.

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Book Review: The Cold Killer by Ross Greenwood

Published December 1, 2021 | By Laura

It’s hard to live when you think you deserve to die…

When a tired old inmate is found dead in his cell, the prison is obligated to investigate and so DI Barton attends. The men he interviews have been convicted of some of the worst things a human being can do, but it appears likely that the death was due to natural causes.

When the house of the dead man is burgled and that crime is followed by a suspicious fire, Barton desperately needs to speak to his widow, but she’s nowhere to be found.

In the space of twenty-four hours, everyone he wants to talk to has vanished. Then he receives some post which makes him believe he could be the next to disappear.

Barton’s investigation goes full circle, through a series of brutal murders, back to the prison, and all signs are pointing to the fact that he’s made a terrible mistake.

There’s a violent killer on the loose, who wants everyone to learn that some people deserve to die.

*****

 

DI Barton has been called to the prison. An elderly inmate has been found dead in his cell. It looks like natural causes…or was it?

Soon, DI Barton and his team are in a race against the clock. DI Barton could be facing more danger than he realises especially as the person they are seeking believes that some people deserve to die.

This was my introduction to DI Barton and his team. The premise for this book intrigued me. It very much had a Line of Duty, gritty feel to it, so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for this novel.

The narrative is split between DI Barton and a man known throughout as ‘The Cold Killer.’ I liked how this was done, especially as I didn’t know the identity of the man but knew it must have been someone I had met. This added to the suspense and tension that built well as the story progressed. I had fun trying to piece it together.

It didn’t feel as though there were any slow parts in this book. The pace moves along really well.

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Novel Kick’s Book Club: The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

Published December 1, 2021 | By Laura
HarperCollins, Nov 2017

HarperCollins, Nov 2017

It’s December! It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the last month of 2021.

I know it’s been a bit of a strange year. I am really determined to find my Christmas spirit though.

December is my favourite month. Beautiful lights adorn buildings.

I get to have an advent calendar (which you’re never too old for.)

I can play Christmas music as much as I like and I finally get to put up the Christmas Tree, watch Christmas movies and most importantly sit down with my favourite Christmas themed novel.

Cecelia Ahern creates such magic in her novels that I get completely drawn into them. I’ve always loved this novel but over the last few years, it’s gained new meaning to me which is why it was chosen for this month’s book club.
The Gift by Cecelia Ahern follows Lou Suffern who wishes he could be in two places at once. His constant battle with the clock is a sensitive issue with his wife and family.

Gabe is the homeless man who sits outside Lou’s office. When Lou invites Gabe into the building and into his life, Lou’s world is changed beyond all measure.

A Christmas story that speaks to all of us about the value of time and what is truly important in life.

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NK Chats To… Julie Stock

Published November 27, 2021 | By Laura

Hi Julie. It’s a pleasure to welcome you to Novel Kicks today. Thank you for inviting me on your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace and what inspired it?

A Leap of Faith at the Vineyard in Alsace is the third and final book in my Domaine des Montagnes trilogy set on a vineyard in France. Each book has told the story of two characters and their search for their happy ending. This final book tells the story of Ellie and Henri. She’s afraid of commitment to one person and Henri longs to settle down.

Originally, the series was inspired by my love of all things French, and the fact that I had spent some time working for a mail-order wine merchant earlier in my career. So this seemed like a perfect setting for a romance series. I also wanted to choose a part of France that isn’t so well-known, but whose wines I knew quite a lot about. I then decided to devote each book to one pair of characters and tell a new story each time, while still allowing myself to update readers with what the other characters had been doing.

 

What’s your typical writing day like?

As I’m a full-time author now, I try to be quite disciplined when I’m writing, making sure that I always do my words every day. I write about 10,000 words a week and try to keep my writing work to weekdays only. As an indie author, everything is down to me, of course, so I also make time for reading and some marketing work every day.

 

What are the challenges you found when writing your novel? Was it always going to be part of a series?

The biggest challenge with this latest novel was the timeline because it takes place in the lead up to and beyond Christmas. At first I hardly mentioned Christmas because I didn’t want it to be a Christmas book as such, just for Christmas to feature in it. But after some feedback, I added more in about Christmas and had to get to grips with a calendar to make sure that each month had the right number of days!

It was always going to be a trilogy at least, although I have wondered about extending it to become a series, but I think it might be better to leave my characters as they are and just imagine them on the vineyard from time to time.

 

From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take?

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Book Review: Sisters Behaving Badly by Maddie Please

Published November 26, 2021 | By Laura

Sisters Kitty and Jenny haven’t spoken since a very disappointing Carvery lunch. Kitty, sixty-two, thinks Jenny is turning grey. Jenny, sixty-six, thinks Kitty needs to grow up!

So when both sisters inherit a farmhouse in rural France, it gives them the perfect chance to heal the rift between them. Except the farmhouse is a wreck, the garden is terrorized by a flock of chickens, not to mention a donkey with a serious flatulence problem!

Kitty is determined to enjoy herself, especially when she meets gorgeous French builder, Leo. Ooh la – la! And Jenny finds the fully stocked wine cellar helps enormously with missing horrible husband Paul – hic!

And as the two sisters begin to repair their fragile friendship, they discover that being bad is actually very good for the soul.

*****

Kitty has not spoken to nor seen her older sister, Jenny in a while.

So, when they both inherit a farmhouse in rural France, they are given time to hopefully heal their relationship.

They may well just discover that being bad… isn’t bad.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Maddie Please. Having read the premise for this book, I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour.

I loved the setting for this story. I could see the house and surrounding area from the way it’s described. It sounds stunning. I imagined it like Colin Firth’s Garden in Love Actually.

I liked that these ladies were in their sixties and were still having fun. I think it makes them very relatable. As sisters, even as adults, both of them know exactly what buttons to press.

Kitty is very easy to love. She’s a fun character who wears her heart on her sleeve and takes things as they come, even if it means jumping into situations without thinking.

Jenny was a little harder to get to know and therefore, it took me longer to warm to her. She’s a little shy and reserved and therefore, it’s easy to think that she’s not going to be a likeable person when you first meet her.

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NK Chats To… Helen Buckley

Published November 26, 2021 | By Laura

I am delighted to be welcoming you to Novel Kicks today, Helen. Thank you for inviting me onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your book, Strictly Christmas Spirit and what inspired it? 

Strictly Christmas Spirit is a heart-warming, festive romance about a bad boy Hollywood superstar sent to do community service at a homeless shelter. Blake immediately clashes with community centre manager Emily, who is a former dancer from TV show Strictly Dancing with Celebs. Blake doesn’t care about the centre, or Christmas for that matter, he just wants to get his community service over and done with. Will the people he meets at the centre, and Emily herself, change his heart? Strictly Christmas Spirit is book three in the Spotlight Series but can be read as a standalone story.

The book was actually inspired a lot by my real life work. I used to run a community centre in London, providing services for the homeless and marginalised in the community. I based a lot of the story on the experiences I had there (although I never had a Hollywood star come to do community service there!)

 

What’s your typical writing day like? 

Almost impossible at the moment as I have two very young children! If I can, I write between 5-6am and 7-8pm. I literally squeeze in time while my kids are asleep and it’s very hard.

 

What are the challenges you found when writing your novel, especially when it’s part of a series? Did you know that it was always going to be a series? 

Strictly Christmas Spirit is the third book in my Spotlight Series. When I wrote the first book, Strictly on Ice, I had no idea it was going to be part of a series. It was only when I met a literary agent that he gave me the tip to write a series, and that’s where it all came!

The main challenge I have when writing is having to research information. I just want to write and let my imagination run wild but sometimes a little research is necessary!

 

What songs would make up a playlist for your book? 

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Book Extract: Christmas at Snowflake Lodge by CP Ward

Published November 25, 2021 | By Laura

I am very happy to be welcoming CP Ward back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his novel, Christmas at Snowflake Lodge. 

Plumber Jessica Lemond is determined not to follow in her parents footsteps by living off her famous grandfather’s fortune.

However, when the old timer himself elopes to Scotland with suspicions over the recent death of his much younger third wife hanging over his head and a private detective on his tail, it is left to Jessica to follow and clear up the mess. Happy to escape from her nightmarish lodger Doreen, she heads to the remote Snowflake Lodge with her young trainee Kirsten in tow.

However, Snowflake Lodge – with its oddball staff and very dodgy plumbing – is not how it appears in the brochure. Among the beautiful Scottish scenery, and with more hot chocolate and mince pies than she can possibly handle, can Jessica find something she didn’t even know she was looking for?

 

CP Ward has shared an extract from his novel with us today. Enjoy! 

 

***** beginning of extract*****

With suspicions over the death of his ex-wife growing, Grandpa Lemond has fled to Scotland. However, his son is too busy with an upcoming cruise, so it is left to poor Jessica to track the old man down.

 

‘Jess, is that you?’ came Benjamin’s voice. ‘What happened? Are you in hospital or something? A car accident?’

‘My phone battery died. What’s up? Your message said to call you urgently. Have they found Grandpa yet?’

She could almost hear Dad umming on the other end of the line, wondering what to say. With Grandpa having gone on the run from police and been missing for two weeks now, both Jessica and her mum were convinced Mavis’s death had been murder. Doreen was certain old Ernest Lemond, a famous TV comedian from the nineteen-fifties, was set to kill again. Dad, however, wouldn’t hear of it. While Mavis had been a tyrant, a fitness freak with a penchant for spending her elderly husband’s money, Grandpa, in his advanced years, had held her in something like affection, even if the rest of the family despised her. And in any case, Mavis had outweighed him by twenty kilograms. There was no way he could have pushed her off that ladder.

‘No … the police haven’t found him.’

‘Okay. Is that good or bad?’

‘It depends on how you look at it. However, a postcard arrived yesterday.’

‘A postcard?’

‘Yes. From Scotland.’

Jessica lifted an eyebrow, her genetically inherited sense of humour unable to miss the opportunity for a bad joke. ‘Really?’ she said. ‘I didn’t know you and Scotland were such good friends.’

‘Jess … you’d put the old man into his grave with something as poor as that,’ Benjamin said, squeezing out a reluctant laugh. ‘From your grandfather in Scotland.’

‘What’s he doing there?’

‘Evading the police. And he told me he’s got a job over the Christmas season as the in-house comedian at a ski lodge.’

‘Do they have ski lodges in Scotland? I didn’t realise they had that much snow.’

‘Obviously his postcard didn’t contain much detail, but it seems they must do. Especially if they’re in a position to hire a professional comedian, even if he is ninety-two.’

‘Well, good luck to him.’

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Book Review: Horsing Around by Lexi Rees

Published November 24, 2021 | By Laura

Calling all pony fans!

This journal and activity book is bursting with pony-fuelled fun. Whether you’re preparing for your first lesson or out collecting rosettes every weekend, this book has everything you need.

✓ set your riding goals and track your progress

✓ record your best riding moments

✓ tackle the horsey games and puzzles

✓ test your equestrian knowledge

✓ giggle at the funniest horse jokes

✓ try the fun pony-themed arts and crafts

✓ save your precious pony memories

Can you complete all the challenges and become a riding superstar?

*****

I have become a big fan of Lexi Rees’s workbooks, journals, and fiction so I was delighted to be invited onto the one-day blog blitz for Horsing Around, a journal and activity book.

Horsing Around is packed with activities, trackers, to-do lists and planners relating to horses and ponies whether the child in your life is caring for one or just loves them.

With beautiful illustrations, it’s something I would have loved to have had as a child (even though I have never had access to a horse.)

It really gives the young horse lover in your life the chance to be creative especially as there are also colouring pages and ‘how-to’ for crafting projects.

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Upcoming Book Releases – November

Published November 23, 2021 | By Laura

I always like looking at upcoming book releases.

It could be that a premise of a book speaks to you and therefore, you discover a new author, or you could find out that your favourite writer is due to release a new novel.

Below are five novels that are due for release before the end of November. Which one gets your attention? I’d love to know in the comments.

The first one on my list is The Island We Left Behind by Kate Hewitt.

This is the fourth book in the Amherst Island series and is due to be released on 30th November by Bookouture.

I’m not familiar with this book series but this does sound like something I would love.

It’s New York, 1928. Ellen and Lucus have made the hard decision to leave Amherst Island behind for a new life – the island that’s so much a part of their history.

New York opens new opportunities including Lucus making money on the stock market. Ellen finds fulfilment as a mother.

When their son becomes ill, Ellen knows what she must do, even if it means being away from the man she loves and the new life they have begun to build.

 

Never Tell a Lie by Gail Schimmel is the next book on this list. It’s due to be published by Lake Union Publishing on 30th November 2021.

Again, this is another novel that sounds good and will be added to my TBR list.

After her marriage ends, Mary is happy. Her focus is on her twelve-year-old son.

However, when she finds an old postcard, it throws everything upside down.

She’s relieved when she has her high school reunion as a distraction and is even delighted when she reconnects with her old classmate, April.

As she forges a new bond with April, Mary finds herself drawn further into her friends’ life.

Is everything as perfect as it seems? Is her own past clouding her judgement or has she a reason to be distrustful?

 

Book three on this list is a new release by one of my favourite authors and I am looking forward to reading it.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult is due to be released this Thursday (25th November,) by Hodder & Stoughton.

Diana’s life is perfectly to plan. She’s 29, up for a promotion to her dream job at Sotheby’s and she’s convinced that her surgeon boyfriend, Finn is about to propose on an upcoming holiday.

Then the virus hits New York and Finn not only has to work, but the hospital also needs him to stay.

He convinces her to go on vacation without him. She reluctantly agrees.

Once she is there, the world then shuts down and Diana is stranded.

Isolated and getting only intermittent news, Diana starts to examine everything that has got her here.

But not everything is as it seems.

 

Mercy by David Baldacci is book four in the Atlee Pine series. It’s due to be released on 25th November by Macmillan. It sounds right up my street.

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Book Extract: The Custard Corpses by M J Porter

Published November 23, 2021 | By Laura

The Custard Corpses, a delicious 1940s mystery.

Birmingham, England, 1943.

While the whine of the air raid sirens might no longer be rousing him from bed every night, a two-decade-old unsolved murder case will ensure that Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is about to suffer more sleepless nights.

Young Robert McFarlane’s body was found outside the local church hall on 30th September 1923. But, his cause of death was drowning, and he’d been missing for three days before his body was found. No one was ever arrested for the crime. No answers could ever be given to the grieving family. The unsolved case has haunted Mason ever since.

But, the chance discovery of another victim, with worrying parallels, sets Mason, and his constable, O’Rourke, on a journey that will take them back over twenty-five years, the chance to finally solve the case, while all around them the uncertainty of war continues, impossible to ignore.

 

M J Porter has kindly shared an extract from The Custard Corpses with us today so grab that tea and biscuit and enjoy! 

 

***** beginning of extract*****

 

Chief Inspector Mason is about to meet the mother and father of the murdered boy whose case he thinks might be so similar to that of Robert McFarlane

Sam paused, watching the slow progress of the woman. She was so bent; it was almost as though her nose scraped the ground. He swallowed heavily, but perhaps this was too good an opportunity to miss. Especially as an upright man followed behind, his steps slow, but his eyes focused on Sam and Higham. It was evident he’d noticed their interest in the monument.

“Good day,” Sam took the initiative, startling the woman, if not the man.

“Who are you?” the man’s accent was rough, the sound like a stone being pulled over cobbles.

“My name’s Chief Inspector Mason, from Erdington Police Station.”

Two sets of tired eyes settled on him, and he knew whatever he said next might spark hope in them. Could he be so cruel when so much was as yet unknown?

Mrs McGovern puffed through her cheeks, and he noticed the fine hairs above her lip in an unwelcome flash of late sunlight. Her lip quivered, and in her hand,  she clutched yet more bright red flowers for the graveside.

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Book Extract: Partner Pursuit by Kathy Strobos

Published November 21, 2021 | By Laura

When a workaholic lawyer meets a fun-loving music marketing executive for opposites attract, friends-to-lovers adventures, which partnership will she choose?

Workaholic lawyer Audrey Willems is not going to take any chances with her bid to become a partner at her New York law firm—especially with only six months until the decision.

Until she bumps into Jake—her new neighbor. Jake is a fun-loving music marketing executive who might just be The One.

He’s funny, caring, supportive—and able to kill water bugs in the bathroom.

But Jake will never date a woman married to her job. His father was a workaholic lawyer who never had time for family.

And she’s just got the case of a lifetime—the one she needs to win to make partner.  Working 24/7 at the office may not even be enough hours to pull off a victory.

If only she had not met him now.

Audrey is determined to prove that she can juggle work and romance—even if managing court cases, candlelit dinners, and bike rides around Manhattan is a lot harder than it looks.  She keeps canceling dates for yet another case crisis.

But when making partner is like a game of musical chairs and the last seat is a business-class alone, which partnership will she choose?

 

Kathy has shared an extract with us today. Enjoy. 

 

*****beginning of extract*****

 

Excerpt: Pride & Prejudice

As they reached the green subway entrance in the traffic island in the middle of 72nd Street, Jake asked, “This is your subway, right? The daycare is over on West End Avenue a few blocks down, so we’ll make it in time.”

She nodded reluctantly.

“Say goodbye to Audrey,” he said to Luna.

Luna hugged her. Audrey loved those little arms holding onto her.

Then Luna said, “You should marry this one. Mommy says that if you marry, I might get cousins I can play with.”

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Book Review: Sleep Tight by C S Green

Published November 19, 2021 | By Laura

Even in your dreams you’re not safe…

The nightmare is only just beginning…

When DC Rose Gifford is called to investigate the death of a young woman suffocated in her bed, she can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to the crime than meets the eye.

It looks like a straightforward crime scene – but the police can’t find the killer. Enter DS Moony – an eccentric older detective who runs UCIT, a secret department of the Met set up to solve supernatural crimes. Moony wants Rose to help her out – but Rose doesn’t believe in any of that.

Does she?

As the killer prepares to strike again, Rose must pick a side – before a second woman dies.

*****

DC Rose Gifford is called in to investigate the death of a young woman who has been suffocated in her bed.

As she works the case, she can’t help but feel that there’s more to this death than it appears.

Rose then meets DS Moony, an eccentric older detective who runs a secret department of the MET set up to solve supernatural crimes.

Moony wants Rose’s help but Rose doesn’t believe in ghosts… does she?

The killer is preparing to strike again. Rose must decide what she believes in before someone else dies.

Having read the premise for this novel, I was excited to be a part of the blog tour for Sleep Tight, book one in the Rose Gifford series.

Right from the beginning, this novel had me completely hooked.

The plot unfolds at a great pace as does the tension and suspense. It had me completely on edge, especially with the supernatural elements.

I was gripped all the way through as I tried to figure out what was going on and what Rose’s role in it would be.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Random Page Story Starter

Published November 19, 2021 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation. 

Today’s prompt: random page story starter. 

Pick a random book from your book shelf or Kindle.

Open it to page fifty-two. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.

That is now the first line of your short story.

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Novel Kicks Writing Room – NaNoWriMo Writing Sprint

Published November 17, 2021 | By Laura

Through November, I take part in National Novel Writing Month.

The idea, if you’ve never heard of it, is to write 50,000 words in thirty days.

That works out to about 1,667 words per day. This is what I usually aim for as a minimum, but I also don’t go over by much. Why? I like the community of the event. I like reaching that last 1,667 on or around 30thNovember. I’ve rushed through it before, and it wasn’t as exciting. One year, I had finished by 18th November and there was such an anti-climactic feeling of “oh, OK. What now?”

No, I much prefer to take it slow. 1,667 words a day is manageable to me. That’s not to say that it always comes easy. Some days, it takes me all afternoon to reach that target.

Finishing early is a bad thing. It just doesn’t work for me. What is good for you is the most important thing.

One of the things I have found helpful is writing sprints. These are made up of small writing challenges. They are usually based on a theme and do require a little imagination. If you want to see more examples, click here. I find them so helpful and fun. They have helped me improve my word output on more than one occasion.

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My October Favourites

Published November 16, 2021 | By Laura

Wow, how are we already halfway through November? For anyone, me included, doing National Novel Writing Month, that 30th November deadline is speeding toward us at an alarming rate.

Due to NaNoWriMo, I am a little behind on other things. I know it’s a little late, but I wanted to share some favourites from October. Just a disclaimer, I bought all these with my own money and all that.

Speaking of this crazy challenge we call NaNoWriMo, my first favourite is this creativity notebook. My ritual every year is to buy a new notebook in an aim to be more organised and prepared. Um… this year, not so much.

However, it was still an excuse to buy a cute notebook, and, in my defence, I have written some notes. Just not as much as I’d like.

Grant Snider’s illustrations are so cute and as they feature a cat, I had to buy it.

The only problem with having a notebook addiction, is that they are all so pretty, I don’t want to write in any of them and so the cycle of buying notebooks continues. Haha.

 

It was hard to pick a favourite book for October as, in all honesty, there wasn’t one I didn’t like. Even picking two was hard.

The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas and The Girl in the Maze by Cathy Haywood are the two that have particularly stuck with me.

The subject matters were intriguing for both novels. The Room in the Attic focuses on an old Asylum and to realise how people were treated at the turn of the 1900s – it’s shocking.

I also loved how The Girl in the Maze focused on the complex relationship between a mother and a daughter and how you don’t always fully know a person.

 

With it being October, my film favourites for last month had to be Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

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Novel Kicks Book Club: 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

Published November 9, 2021 | By Laura

Hello November. 

I know it’s a little late but I have an excuse! I have been busy with National Novel Writing Month. However, as it’s now November, it’s time for a new book to read for our club.

This month, I have chosen a novel I’ve wanted to read for a while and that’s 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons. 

This book sounds so intriguing and I can’t wait to get reading. The cover is so pretty so that’s a plus already.

As usual, I have posted a question below to kick off the discussion.

Anyone can join our book club at any time even if it’s halfway through the month. So, if you’re reading along with me or have already read it, I look forward to discussing it in the comments section below.

 

About 100 Days of Sunlight: 

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Book Review: I’ll Be Home For Christmas by M W Arnold

Published November 9, 2021 | By Laura

I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Book Three in the Broken Wings series. 

A mysterious key left by her murdered sister, leads Air Transport Auxiliary pilot Betty Palmer on a journey of discovery and danger. Given up to an orphanage upon birth, the parents she’s long thought had no part in her life force themselves back in, purely out of greed and self-preservation.

Penny’s life is unexpectedly turned upside down by a potentially life-changing situation, which causes her wounded husband to question their marriage. No-one seems safe in this year of turmoil in the middle years of the war, as some relationships face breaking point whilst others become stronger.

Kidnap, crashes and dogfights, the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery have never faced such dangers. To survive may not be enough as they must find the strength to rise above the most trying times yet of their lives.

*****

The ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) Mystery Club is back in I’ll Be Home For Christmas, the third instalment of the Broken Wings series.

Betty finds a key belonging to her late sister and soon finds her estranged parents back in her life, much to her dismay.

Penny receives news that will change her life and before long, marriages, relationships and loyalties are tested.

The girls find themselves facing more danger than they’ve ever faced before.

Yay! The ladies of the ATA are back.

I’ve grown so fond of this group of characters. It really does feel like I am catching up with old friends. I want to be part of their gang.

That, and the fact that this book is set at Christmas meant I pretty much devoured this story as quickly as I could.

This can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend reading the previous two books in the series (A Wing and a Prayer and Wild Blue Yonder,) as it gives a better overall picture of what has happened prior to this book plus, well, they are brilliant. They have given me a real interest in learning about the ATA.

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Book Review: The Girl She Was Before by Jess Kitching

Published November 2, 2021 | By Laura

Nat lives a picture-perfect life, but it wasn’t always this way. A victim of horrific bullying when she was a teenager, Nat will do anything to keep distance between the girl she was before and the woman she is now.

But when her best friend is murdered and people begin to point their finger at her, Nat’s new life quickly begins to unravel.

To Nat, it’s no surprise that the crime happened at the same time as the return of her biggest tormentor, Chrissy Summers. A woman with a violent streak who destroyed lives when she was younger and isn’t afraid to do it again.

Face to face with the past she so firmly keeps behind her, Nat’s sanity wavers as her determination to reveal Chrissy as the monster she knows her as rises to dangerous heights.

The question is, can Nat prove Chrissy is a killer, or will Chrissy get to Nat and her family before she has the chance?

You can’t outrun the past…

*****

Nat has a perfect life. As an online influencer, the perception of perfect is important.

However, her life wasn’t always like that, having been subjected to horrible bullying as a teenager.

She will do anything to keep her perfect life.

Then her best friend is murdered, and her nemesis returns to town.

When Nat is then accused of murder, her life begins to crumble in a big way.

Wow! That’s the first word that comes to mind. Wow!

From page one, this book doesn’t so much pull you into the action, it pushes you in with both hands.

Told from Nat’s point of view in the present, there are also ‘then’ flashback chapters involving an unnamed schoolgirl and the horrible bullying she’s subjected to by Chrissy Summers and her gang. When I say horrific, I mean totally horrific. When you read it, you’ll know what I mean.

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Book Review: Brooklyn Monroe Wants It All by Karen Booth

Published November 2, 2021 | By Laura

Brooklyn Monroe Wants It All

She can’t hit the snooze on her biological clock forever…

Love, career, kids—Brooklyn Monroe wants it all. Her beauty company? A triumph. Her love life? Total fail. At 42, that makes motherhood her top priority.

With no man in her life, she’s prepared to fly solo, but her plan is derailed when a mailing list mishap turns Brooklyn into a someone-get-me-pregnant internet meme. Making her PR nightmare go away entails a soul-baring interview on national TV. And the guy asking the questions? Her all-too sexy ex.

Talk show host Alec Trakas is the king of bad timing. Case in point, his heartbreaking romance with Brooklyn. Alec was all about commitment but Brooklyn was launching her start-up, and forever wasn’t in the cards.

Now a shot at his ultimate dream job depends on convincing Brooklyn to spill the secrets leading to her viral celebrity. It sets Alec’s star rising, but puts Brooklyn in a sea of flirty men.

Fate has thrown them back together. Sparks are flying. But is the timing finally right? Because having it all might not be worth the risk of losing each other again.

 

*****

 

Successful business… check.

Love Life… disaster.

At 42, Brooklyn Monroe knows that, if she wants to be a mother, that time is running out.

As she considers her options, an office joke gone wrong quickly makes her into a viral internet meme, where suddenly everyone knows her plans for motherhood.

Her ex, Alec knows that his career depends on whether he can get Brooklyn to agree to a TV interview about her new found fame. Is fate throwing them together again? Can Brooklyn really have it all?

Brooklyn Monroe Wants It All is the second book in the Never Too Late book series. However, you don’t have to have read Gray Hair Don’t Care to be able to read this one. It stands alone. Lela and Donovan do make an appearance in this though.

Brooklyn is a wonderful, strong, successful character. In fact, the book overall has empowering women and I loved that. These characters have worked hard and achieved success. You don’t feel that they need to be rescued by men.

It shines a spotlight on motherhood, especially for women in their forties and this was something I could immediately relate to.

Alec is a great male lead. He is written as a strong man but I feel that there was also a vulnerability to him. A conversation he has with another male character showcases this perfectly.

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Book Review: The Wedding Cake Wish, Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green

Published October 29, 2021 | By Laura

Wedding excitement is in the air!

With their big day approaching, Fen has her heart set on a gorgeous, intimate celebration with not much fuss at all. But strong-minded mother-of-the-bride Marjery seems to have considerably grander plans.

There’s also the small problem of a missing best man, and when Fen tasks Hudson Holmes and Ruby Watkiss with the job of tracking him down, their investigations unearth far more secrets than they bargained for.

Will the Big Day go ahead in the light of such dramatic revelations? Can a wedding cake wish save the day? One thing’s for sure – this will definitely be a wedding to remember!

*****

Fen and Rob are getting married. They would like an intimate wedding. However, Margery, the Mother of the Bride, has grander plans for her daughter’s wedding and soon takes over.

Also, Rob’s Best Man, Rory has gone missing.

Fen asks Ruby and Hudson to look for him with unexpected results.

It was lovely to be back at The Little Duck Pond Café. It’s like going back to somewhere that you know so well.
Although this is book seventeen, you can read this as a standalone. It didn’t even matter that I’d not read the previous novel to feature Ruby. Enough is explained so that you don’t feel you’re playing catch up but the story still flows well.

Told from the point of view of both Ruby and Fen, it gives an all round look into the overall picture as the girls prepare for the wedding between Fen and Rob.

I loved Ruby. She’s wonderful – a lovely, relatable character. Hudson’s story is tragic and I felt so much sympathy for him. Immediately, I could see these two characters as a couple and really wished they were. Their friendship and feelings for each other really jump from the page.

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Book Review: The Perfect Daughter by Alex Stone

Published October 27, 2021 | By Laura

The perfect daughter…

Jess Harper has spent her whole life trying to make her mum, Abigail happy and proud. And everything Jess does, from the clothes she wears, the job she has, the men she dates, are all approved by Abigail first.

The perfect boyfriend…

So when Jess announces that she has a new man in her life – plumber Adam – Abigail is less than impressed. ‘A plumber? Really, Jessica….’ Adam encourages Jess to break free from her mum’s manipulation, can’t she see what’s happening?

The perfect mother….

But Abigail is only doing these things to keep Jess safe, to protect her from getting hurt again…isn’t she?

Or the perfect liar?

Jess, caught in the middle, doesn’t know who to believe or trust. And then Adam vanishes without trace.

Now Jess is the police’s prime suspect and they want to know if Jess really is as perfect as she seems….

*****

Jess is always trying to be the dutiful daughter. She runs everything by her mother, Abigail first. That’s normal right?

Her mother knows best after all and Jess isn’t always trusting of her own judgement. Not if past experiences are anything to go by.

Plus, all Abigail wants to do is to protect her daughter.

So, when Jess meets Adam, Abigail is less than impressed.

Determined to prove her mother wrong about Adam, he practically moves in to her flat. They have a future.

However, when Adam disappears without a trace, Jess is the prime suspect.

From page one, this novel had me hooked. Told from Jess’s point of view, we enter the mind of someone who really doesn’t know who she is nor does she trust herself.

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Book Review: The Girl in the Maze by Cathy Haywood

Published October 23, 2021 | By Laura

‘I would caution you against delving into the past. The past is often best left exactly where it is.’

Emma Bowen has never had a close relationship with her mother, barely speaking with her in the last years of her life. But after her mother’s death, Emma finds something that might just explain the distance between them.

Discovering letters between her mother and grandmother, it seems to Emma that her mother has always been difficult.

As she searches for answers about her own childhood, Emma is drawn into the mystery of her mother’s enigmatic life. The more she finds, the more lost she feels, but Emma is determined to uncover her mother’s past, and the secrets held within it, whatever the cost.

An enthralling story of three women, generations apart, linked by one terrible tragedy.

*****

Emma had never been close to her mother.

After her mother’s death however, she finds something that may not only explain why her mother was always a little distant but also a secret that will change Emma’s life forever.

I found the premise of this novel immediately intriguing. I have always been fascinated by the relationship between mothers and daughters.

Told from the point of view of Betty, her Daughter, Margaret and Granddaughter, Emma, it gives the reader a real insight into three generations of women – their differences and parallels. The story also occasionally focuses on Emma’s stepfather, Jack and his input and influence over the women.

I also liked how the painting that featured in the novel was interpreted in many different ways. This really added an extra dimension to the story.

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Book Review: The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas

Published October 20, 2021 | By Laura

A child who does not know her name…

In 1903 fishermen find a wrecked boat containing a woman, who has been badly beaten, and a young girl. An ambulance is sent for, and the two survivors are taken to All Hallows, the imposing asylum, hidden deep on Dartmoor. The woman remains in a coma, but the little girl, Harriet, awakens and is taken to an attic room, far away from the noise of the asylum, and is put in the care of Nurse Emma Everdeen.

Two motherless boys banished to boarding school…

In 1993, All Hallows is now a boarding school. Following his mother’s death and his father’s hasty remarriage, Lewis Tyler is banished to Dartmoor, stripped of his fashionable clothes, shorn of his long hair, and left feeling more alone than ever. There he meets Isak, another lost soul, and whilst refurbishment of the dormitories is taking place, the boys are marooned up in the attic, in an old wing of the school.

Cries and calls from the past that can no longer be ignored…

All Hallows is a building full of memories, whispers, cries from the past. As Lewis and Isak learn more about the fate of Harriet, and Nurse Emma’s desperate fight to keep the little girl safe, it soon becomes clear there are ghosts who are still restless.

Are they ghosts the boys hear at night in the room above, are they the unquiet souls from the asylum still caught between the walls? And can Lewis and Isak bring peace to All Hallows before the past breaks them first…

*****

It’s 1903. Fishermen find a boat containing an unconscious, badly beaten woman and a young girl. They are both taken to All Hallows, an asylum on Dartmoor.

As the woman remains in a coma, the young girl, Harriet is taken to an attic room and put into the care of Nurse Emma Everdeen.

In 1993, All Hallows is now a boarding school for boys. Lewis is sent there after the death of his mother. He feels alone and isolated.

He then meets his new roommate, Isak. Their room is in the attic, located in the old part of the building.

The boys begin to learn more about each other and about the school’s past as an asylum.

It soon becomes clear that the past is restless and that many ghosts still linger.

From the moment I read the premise for this book, I knew it was going to be a book I would find intriguing.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Surprise Party

Published October 15, 2021 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation. 

Today’s prompt: Surprise Party.

Your character has been told to be at a restaurant at a certain time. As it’s their birthday, they assume it’s a surprise party. Full of excitement, they make their way to the venue.

When they arrive, there is a surprise but not the one they were expecting.

Sitting around the table are five people. They are your character’s five major relationships. None of these ended well.

Start the conversation with ‘Sit down. We need to talk.’ 

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NK Chats To… Evie Alexander

Published October 15, 2021 | By Laura

Hi Evie, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, Highland Games and what inspired it? Was it always going to be part of a two book series?

Highland Games is a steamy romantic comedy set in the Highlands of Scotland. It’s about a fiery heroine who moves up from London to live in her great-uncle’s derelict cabin, and the Scottie hottie who wants her out.

I have a real life friend called Zoe who lives in a one room cabin she built herself and this was part of the inspiration for Highland Games. But I wanted to write what might happen if someone moved their life but were totally unprepared for what they found. It was never going to be part of a series. I wrote it as a standalone, however I accidentally wrote two hundred thousand words so it had to be turned into two books; Highland Games and Hollywood Games.

Then I realised I had two more stories to tell that happened in the same location and timeline as Hollywood Games, so I wrote two more books; Kissing Games and Musical Games to complete the Kinloch series.

 

What’s your typical writing day like?

I get up between half five and half six, go downstairs and immediately start writing. I have a break when the rest of the family get up and then I go back to write for a couple more hours before I have breakfast around mid morning. There are always other tasks to do, so I might not get back to my desk to write until later in the day or the evening. If it’s a good day then I probably spend four to six hours writing and try to aim for two thousand words minimum a day.

 

What are the challenges you found when writing your novel?

Not having a clear plan. I pantsed the first draft of Highland Games and so it took two years to sort out into two books. I planned my third book, Kissing Games, and it only took a few weeks to write, and only needed a copy edit and proof when it was done.

 

What songs would make up a playlist for your book?

I’m rubbish at thinking of playlists because I have to have complete silence when I write!!! If anyone has an idea for a playlist for Highland Games then please let me know!

 

Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?

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October’s Recent and Upcoming Releases

Published October 14, 2021 | By Laura

There are some great books that have been released or due to be released this month.

Here are five books I am particularly looking forward to reading or like the look of. Let me know in the comments what new releases you may read or have been enjoying.

 

Better off Dead is the latest Jack Reacher novel. Written by Lee Child and Andrew Child, it’s due to be released on 26th October by Bantam Press.

In this latest instalment, Reacher isn’t a man to back down from a problem.

On an Arizona road, a jeep has crashed.

Minutes after the crash, Reacher and Army veteran turned FBI agent, Michaela are heading to a nearby town in search of someone. To do this, Reacher is going to have to achieve the impossible.

 

Another release from Bantam Press is The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella.

I am so pleased that Sophie has a new book release. I have been so excited to read this one. Released on 14th October, this focuses on Effie.

Her parents are divorced and are selling the family home.

Her Dad and his new girlfriend are holding a house-cooling party prior to the sale and Effie is quite ceremoniously not invited.

Fine, she’s OK with that… until she remembers that there are things from that house she’ll have to go back for.

It’s a simple plan. Creep in during the party, get what she came for and leave. What could go wrong?

Well, an ex-boyfriend and finding out out family secrets for starters.

 

The Girl She Was Before is the upcoming release by Jess Kitching and is due to be released by Kingsley Publishing on 31st October.

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Book Review: A Christmas Wish on a Carousel by Lottie Cardew

Published October 11, 2021 | By Laura

Snuggle up under your favourite blanket and escape to the beautiful village of Pebblestow this winter, for one of the most heartwarming stories of the season…

When Cara Mia Shaw makes a desperate wish one night, while riding on a carousel at a Christmas market, little does she know her small, but safe world is about to spin off its axis.

Befriending a fascinating returnee to the village, an elderly woman called Perdita with a jaunty pink beret and the wisdom of a life well lived, might set Cara on a different, albeit harder, course, if she’s brave enough to listen. Art was always her passion, after all, even if fate seemed to have other ideas.

And then there’s the new man in her life, who her friends think is perfect for her because they set her up with decent, reliable Greg in the first place. Cara’s been hurt enough times to know the difference between a good man and a feckless one. Until Wilfred comes along – moody, sarcastic, and scattered – just to complicate matters and meddle with Cara’s resolve, to the horror of almost everyone around her. But is either man ultimately meant for her, anyway? And will she self-sabotage as usual, or gamble everything this time, including her heart?

It might take the highs and lows of friendship, the risk of a forbidden romance, and a Pomeranian called Loki – not to mention some much-needed Christmas magic – before Cara finally realises the wish she made that night on the carousel might just be about to come true.

 

*****

Cara makes a wish on a carousel at a local Christmas market. Soon after, her quiet life turns upside down.

Her friends set her up with Greg, who is a decent, reliable man. She also meets Wilf, the not so dependable brother of her ex-employer. Is one of them the one?

She also meets Perdita, an elderly resident who has come back to the village. Could she send Cara on a different course?

As I have said many times on this blog, one of the things I love most about this time of year is the arrival of novels with Christmas/festive settings. This one was wonderful, drew me in and was magical.

Cara is a bit of a lost soul, at least, that’s my impression. She’s also stuck and scared. I also got the same impression about Wilf and of course, the two connect. There is a mystery surrounding Wilf and I found it interesting to see how they both developed through the novel. I really wanted them to find happiness, even if it wasn’t with each other.

Perdita was also intriguing. I couldn’t quite work out how she fitted into the story but I wanted to know more about her. She’s fabulous.

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Book Review: The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

Published October 9, 2021 | By Laura

Natsuki Books was a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town.

Inside, towering shelves reached the ceiling, every one crammed full of wonderful books. Rintaro Natsuki loved this space that his grandfather had created. He spent many happy hours there, reading whatever he liked. It was the perfect refuge for a boy who tended to be something of a recluse.

After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last rescue that Rintaro must attempt alone . . .

*****

Cats and Books. This novel had me before I even got to the first page.

There is something whimsical about the front cover that immediately pulled me in.

This book is only about 224 pages so it isn’t a long read but it’s an interesting, sweet, compelling story.

Rintaro is a guarded character at the beginning as he is grieving the loss of his beloved Grandfather and is facing a complete life change as a result. He is due to move and has to put his Grandfather’s bookshop up for sale. I think he’s someone a lot of people will find relatable and easy to empathise with.

Instead of going to school, Rintaro decides to work in the bookshop. One of his classmates, Sayo refuses to give up on him and goes to the shop every day to try and persuade him to come to school.

Sayo is a complete contrast to the restrained Rintaro and I found their dynamic interesting – what they bought out in each other.

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Events: The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival 2021

Published October 8, 2021 | By Laura

The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival for 2021 has begun.

The festival, held at various venues around the city started today (8th October) and continues until 17th October 2021.

Participants and attendees are there to celebrate everything about books and writing. Those taking part include Writers, Poets, Actors, Politicians, Comedians and Musicians.

There are many things going on including workshops, interviews, panels and family events; some are free, others cost a fee but there is something for everyone.

People taking part include Elif Shafak, Maggie O’ Farrell, Ann Morgan, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sebastian Faulks, Ben Miller, Caroline O’ Donoghue, Clare Balding, Hayley Mills, Jonathan Franzen, Cressida Cowell, Mark Billingham, Josh Widdicombe, Richard Osman, Lisa Jewell, Jed Mercurio, Suzie Dent, Paula Hawkins, Lionel Shriver, Marian Keyes, Dawn French, Bernardine Evaristo, Robert Webb and Will Young.

Workshops over the festival include ‘Writing Scary Stories’ with Jennifer Killick, Young Journalists with the Week Junior, How To Make Awesome Comics with Neill Cameron and Surviving and Thriving as a Young Writer.

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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Superhero Confession

Published October 8, 2021 | By Laura

It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.

Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.

The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.

Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation. 

Today’s prompt: Superhero confession

Write from the point of view of someone who has to tell a loved one that they have not only superpowers but a nemesis.

The person/people your character loves are in danger.

First line: ‘what are you doing here? It’s late.’

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Book Review: The Village Inn of Secret Dreams by Alison Sherlock

Published October 6, 2021 | By Laura

After escaping her parents’ unhappy marriage to sleepy Cranbridge a long time ago, Belle Clarke dreams of staying at The Black Swan Inn forever.

But with the rundown Inn threatened with closure, Belle may be forced to leave, unless a buyer can be found … quickly.

So, when her oldest friend Pete Kennedy returns from working abroad with a plan to save the Inn, Belle should be overjoyed. The trouble is, Pete has some rather radical ideas for the renovation which Belle disagrees with.

But when a snow storm hits, Belle and Pete are forced to put aside their differences and work together to help the village.

Can Belle realise her dreams to stay in Cranbridge and can Pete ever stop running from his past?

As they try to save The Black Swan Inn, secrets are revealed and just maybe they’ll finally find out how they really feel about each other.

*****

The Village Inn of Secret Dreams is the third book in the Riverside Lane series.

Belle Clarke sees the village of Cranbridge as her home. She wants to stay there forever, working at her Uncle’s inn, The Black Swan.

When the inn is threatened by closure, Belle may have to leave. Cue Pete Kennedy, her oldest friend.

He buys the inn and has plans but these are the opposite of Belle’s vision.

Can Pete and Belle put aside their differences and save not only the inn but help the village too.

It was so lovely to be back in Cranbridge. It was really like being back with old friends. The descriptions and setting of this village sounds so stunning, especially as it’s set during Autumn and Christmas (I am feeling so festive now.)

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September 2021 Favourites

Published October 5, 2021 | By Laura

Summer is lovely (not that we got much of it,) but there is something I love about the autumn, about how the colour of the leaves change, having a reason to get the warm jumpers out and sitting listening to the rain whilst snuggled up inside.

September was, for me, a little bit of a blur. Having not had a great month in terms of my mental health, finding things that occupied my mind became very important.

So, I have some favourites to share with you.

My first favourite is No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo. OK, this isn’t technically a ‘new’ favourite but it’s a book I’ve heavily been consulting during the past month as I begin to prepare for National Novel Writing Month 2021 which is in 26 days. Eeek!

This book, in my opinion, should be in everyone’s list when getting organised for NaNoWriMo. From developing characters to giving me a week by week guide through the weeks of November, this book won’t leave my side. Anyone else taking part this year? My user name is Laura Parish if anyone wants to be buddies.

It was really hard to pick a favourite book from the month of September. The ones I have read were all so good.

Jane’s Away by Clare Hawken made it to the top spot. It was such an interesting, compelling and unique take on the spouse leaving and Roger goes through quite a transformation. It’s a great novel.
Here’s the blurb and you can read my full review here.

Roger Kurmudge is rather smug about his affluent life and happy marriage.

It’s just as well his wife, Jane, is totally in the dark about what he got up to in the past. But on his retirement day, Jane disappears. Roger’s about to panic. Will he have to sell some shares or – heaven forbid! – the house in Bordeaux to pay a ransom demand? Worse – has Jane discovered his guilty secret?

Then Jane’s emails start arriving. Take the dog to the vet. Look after grandson Alfie for the day. Do the washing, shopping and cooking. Host Christmas for the family. Roger doesn’t know why Jane’s gone but he’s sure he can manage her ‘women’s work’ without any trouble. Although it’s harder than it looks.

As the weeks go by and Jane stays away, Roger is forced to re-examine everything he thought he knew about his family, his life and himself. But even if Roger can change for the better, will Jane ever come back? Or has she, too, been keeping secrets of her own?

My TV favourite for last month is a show called Miracle Workers, based on a book by Simon Rich.

I came across a clip of this show when I’d fallen down one of my many You Tube rabbit holes and immediately wanted to watch more. For anyone who has watched it, it was the clip from series three, in the bar, with one of the characters singing.

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Novel Kicks Book Club: The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling

Published October 1, 2021 | By Laura

Hello October. 

October is not only my birthday month, it is also the build up to Halloween and, in my opinion, the real beginning of Autumn.

This month, I wanted to pick a set of books that have been so important to me. So, our book club is reading… Harry Potter.

I think these books are so perfect for the spooky month with it being about witches and wizards and magic and all.

I am going to be focusing on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as this is my favourite. You can read that with me or you can pick whatever Harry Potter book is your favourite. I’m so excited to find out which book is the most popular.

As usual, I have put a question in the comments below to kick off the conversation. Anyone can join our book club, whether you’ve read the books or are yet to read them.

I look forward to discussing this book series with you.

 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: 

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

 

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets: 

Harry Potter’s summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car! Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors – and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone… Dobby’s sinister predictions seem to be coming true.

 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: 

When the Knight Bus crashes through the darkness and screeches to a halt in front of him, it’s the start of another far from ordinary year at Hogwarts for Harry Potter. Sirius Black, escaped mass-murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, is on the run – and they say he is coming after Harry. In his first ever Divination class, Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry’s tea leaves… But perhaps most terrifying of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds, with their soul-sucking kiss…

 

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire: 

The Triwizard Tournament is to be held at Hogwarts. Only wizards who are over seventeen are allowed to enter – but that doesn’t stop Harry dreaming that he will win the competition. Then at Hallowe’en, when the Goblet of Fire makes its selection, Harry is amazed to find his name is one of those that the magical cup picks out. He will face death-defying tasks, dragons and Dark wizards, but with the help of his best friends, Ron and Hermione, he might just make it through – alive!

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Book Review: The Readers’ Room by Antoine Laurain

Published September 30, 2021 | By Laura

When the manuscript of a debut crime novel arrives at a Parisian publishing house, everyone in the readers’ room is convinced it’s something special. And the committee for France’s highest literary honour, the Prix Goncourt, agrees.

But when the shortlist is announced, there’s a problem for editor Violaine Lepage: she has no idea of the author’s identity. As the police begin to investigate a series of murders strangely reminiscent of those recounted in the book, Violaine is not the only one looking for answers. And, suffering memory blanks following an aeroplane accident, she’s beginning to wonder what role she might play in the story …

*****

A manuscript for a debut crime novel arrives on Violaine Lepage’s desk and everyone agrees that it’s going to be huge. The only problem is, no-one knows who the author is.

This becomes a bigger issue when it’s shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt, France’s highest literary honour.

Also, people start to die in similar circumstances to the novel, the Police come calling and Violaine wonders what part she has to play in everything.

I have become such a fan of Antoine Laurain’s novels and so I was excited to read this one and I was immediately intrigued by the premise.

This book is a mystery. Who is this writer and who is the person murdering people? I got drawn in straightaway, wanting to know who, where and why.

Set at a Publishers in France,  I wanted to be a part of the Readers’ Room team. I could also see myself in the setting. How Antoine Laurain describes the city and Violaine’s workplace and home – it’s all so vivid and beautifully written. I could picture this world through the eyes of these interesting, complicated and relatable characters.

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Book Review: The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Published September 29, 2021 | By Laura

Ambition will fuel him.

Competition will drive him.

But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined – ; every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

*****

Snow Lands on Top!

Coriolanus Snow is 18 and a student in the Capitol, ten years after the end of the war. With the effects of the war still fresh in the mind of those both Capitol and Districts, the 10th Hunger Games is about to begin. Snow is one of 24 students chosen to be in the first batch of mentors for the incoming tributes.

When he is assigned the girl tribute from District 12, he sees this as the biggest humiliation. Once the games begin however, it becomes a battle for survival both in and out of the arena.

From the time I first read The Hunger Games books and saw the films, I found myself wondering about President Snow and how his story began so when I found out that The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes was going to be from Snow’s perspective, I was excited. Surely he was not born with that much hatred and contempt for the districts?

When we meet Coriolanus, the Snow family are one tax bill away from losing their home. They are as far away from the President’s mansion and riches as they could possibly be. His Grandmother is frail, his Parents dead and his Cousin, Tigris does all she can. Their biggest fear is that someone finds out about their situation and the Snows become a laughing stock. No, they need to keep their secrets.

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