Book Review: The 6pm Frazzled Mums’ Club by Nina Manning
I’m so happy to be welcoming Nina Manning back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her novel, The 6pm Frazzled Mums’ Club.
Whatever the question, the answer is wine!
They’ve swapped the dark and lonely baby days for school gate chaos, but Aisha, Sophy and Mel are discovering that there are new parenting pitfalls just waiting for them…
Influencer Sophy, is trying to keep on top of home and work life but is finding it all a bit tough! Everyone thinks she’s living her best life, but the pressure to maintain perfection at the school gates when all she wants to do is cry, is taking its toll on Sophy.
Aisha doesn’t know what to do with all her spare time now her twins are at school. Maybe it’s time to focus on herself and the dreams she’s put on hold? But when her mum suddenly begins to feel unwell, Aisha has to rethink everything.
And when Mel is offered a chance to live her dream, she grabs it with both hands. But there’s a catch – notably, her ex-boyfriend who makes it clear that he wants another chance to prove he the one she should be with.
Can the three mums navigate this new stage of motherhood together and keep their friendship and their sanity? Or could life be about to change for them all over again?
*****
The members of the 3am Shattered Mums’ Club have swopped the sleepless nights with their children for the school gates but that doesn’t mean they still don’t need each other.
Can Sophy, Aisha and Mel navigate all of this and come out the other side?
I was pleased to be invited onto the blog tour for The 6pm Frazzled Mums’ Club as the story sounded interesting and I am a big fan of Nina Manning’s novels.
I was a little worried as I had not read the previous novel in this series, The 3am Shattered Mums’ Club. However, I found that I could quite easily keep up with everything that was going on. Enough back story is given without the current plot being impeded. So, if you, like me, haven’t read book one, don’t worry.
It didn’t take me long to warm to the three main characters. There is someone for everyone if that makes sense.
by 
NK Chats To… Helen Golden
Hi Helen. Thank you so much for joining me and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, I Spy With My Little Die and what inspired it?
I Spy With My Little Die is the sixth book in the A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series and in it, not only do we have a couple of juicy murders for my main characters to get to the bottom of, but this book will tie up all the loose ends surrounding Lady Beatrice’s husband’s death in a car accident fifteen years ago. So it’s a mystery within a mystery. I’ve always liked reading books where there’s a meaty subplot that runs throughout the series. In this book the main plot and the series subplot meet head on.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals and from idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like (planning, research etc) and how long does it typically take you?
I don’t have a ‘typical day’ as such, I’m not a big fan of routine, but I do have a ‘to-do’ list that I work my way through each day. That list might include doing some research, finishing the next chapter in the work-in-progress I’m currently working on, arranging book promotions, creating and reviewing my adverts, plotting my next murder (fictional, of course!), and doing interviews. You may be surprised to know that only about half of what I do is actually writing. Research and planning are vital to enable me to keep me on track and to help me avoid hitting a road block when I’m actually writing, so I spend a lot of my time outlining my plot, especially the murder, before I put pen to paper. It normally takes about a month to research, plan, and outline my book but that could be spread out over a couple of months or even longer.
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel especially as it’s part of a series?
I find it easier now that I’m on the sixth book in my series as I know and understand my characters so much better – they have their own voice. On the other hand, coming up with a murder method is getting more difficult – there are only so many ways you can kill someone!
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
by Book Extract: A Scottish Island Surprise by Holly Wyld
I’m pleased to be welcoming Holly Wyld to Novel Kicks and the blog tour to her book, A Scottish Island Surprise – a Primrose Island Novella.
“Far as I’m aware–” Joe said, dropping his head briefly, the better to compose his features, “–far as I’m aware, Miss, we’ve no rabies in the Hebrides at the moment.”
Rose Mackie has inherited a house on a far-flung Scottish island from her curmudgeon of a father who wanted nothing whatsoever to do with her.
So she lands on Primrose Island with the intention of packing up the old beach house, selling it to the first person who’ll make an offer, and moving firmly on. But Joe Fraser, her late father’s neighbour, has some inconvenient news for her on that front.
Rose prepares for battle – only to find that the longer she spends on Primrose Island, and the more time she spends around Joe in particular, the more she begins to question everything she thought she knew…
Holly has shared an extract with us today. You know what to do – grab that drink, the comfortable chair and enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
The Island Castle – Book 5, Primrose Island Novellas
The spectacular Dornie Castle across the tidal causeway from Primrose Island has a trio of new owners: the Hansen brothers from Norway.
The brothers won the castle in a dubious bet – but unfortunately for the old castle, none of them are remotely serious about becoming its custodians.
Hackles are raising and feathers are ruffling all over the island. But none of that is going to stop Elspeth McGillicuddy from embarking on a match-making frenzy. Because if Elspeth McGillicuddy can find each of these bachelor brothers a romantic match on Primrose Island?
Well, they might very well decide to stick around… mightn’t they?
Extract: Chapter One
The room was sombre and dimly lit and redolent with the masculine scent of leather and cigars.
And tonight, this sombre masculine room – it had been their grandfather’s study – was rendered all the more solemn because their grandfather, Lars Hansen, one of Norway’s wealthiest shipping titans, the founding father of HansenLine International – was dead.
Four men in black suits, their expressions heavy with grief, were seated around a table in the dead man’s study.
The man’s son.
by Book Review: Loki’s Deceit by Donovan Cook
We are pleased to be welcoming back Donovan Cook to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his latest novel, Loki’s Deceit.
A king, old and frail.
A challenger filled with vengeance. A kingdom’s fate at stake.
Sven the Boar is Jarl of Ribe once more. He and Charles try to settle into their new lives, but trouble and treachery are never too far away.
Tormented by recent events, Charles struggles to adapt to life amongst the heathens that mock his Christian God and the arrival of a priest from the south only makes things worse.
Meanwhile, Sven is burdened with the responsibilities of being Jarl again and protecting his grandson from those hunting him.
When forced into an alliance with King Horik’s nephew who is raising an army to challenge his uncle for the throne of Denmark, Sven makes an important decision.
As the threat of war becomes real, Sven rides to fight a battle that will change the destiny of Denmark.
But whilst he fights, will Charles remain safe or are other games in play that threaten him?
*****
Having read Odin’s Betrayal, the first book in this series, I was keen to see what was next so was pleased to be asked to review this book for Donovan Cook’s blog tour.
In book two, it pretty much picks up from where Odin’s Betrayal ended – with Charles struggling to be a practising Christian amongst followers of the Norse religions. Meanwhile, his grandfather, Sven must cope with a town who won’t accept his leadership and the continuing threat of attack with enemies at every turn. He feels the gods are mocking him. The only thing that matters to him is defending his grandson which brings its own challenges.
by Book Review: Christmas at the Cat Cafe by Jessica Redland
I’m very pleased to be welcoming Jessica Redland back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour to her latest novel, Christmas at the Cat Café.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year on Castle Street, and there’s a paw-some new business opening….
It had always been Tabby’s dream to work with cats and an inheritance from her beloved nanna has finally made that a reality. Idyllic Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay couldn’t be a better place for pastry chef Tabby to open a cat café with her boyfriend, Leon.
But when Leon leaves her in the lurch, the pressure mounts for Tabby. With Christmas fast approaching, she has to open the café on her own – a daunting prospect, especially when she’s been hiding her health issues from the ones she loves.
Faced with local resistance to the café – and somebody seemingly determined that she won’t succeed – Tabby will need her friends, family and cats more than ever to recover her broken Christmas spirit and pull together for a Christmas miracle.
Will the cat café bring the festive joy to Castle Street as Tabby had hoped or will it be a cat-astrophe? And can the magic of Christmas on Castle Street mend Tabby’s broken heart as well as her business?
*****
Tabby’s dream has always been to work with cats and, with the opening of her very own cat café looming, the only thing that would make it perfect would be for boyfriend, Leon to return so they can run it together liked they planned. However, not everything runs smoothly.
My third Christmas themed novel in so many days and I’m totally ok with it. I am a big fan of Jessica Redland and her Starfish Café series so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for her new standalone novel, Christmas at the Cat Café. Christmas and cats! No brainer.
It isn’t hard to like Tabby. She’s a cat lover, she’s going after her dream and even when life throws relationship issues at her, she keeps going but also learns to accept her limits.
Continue reading
by Book Review: Christmas Nights at the Star and Lantern by Helen Rolfe
I’m so pleased to be welcoming Helen Rolfe back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her latest novel, Christmas Nights at the Star and Lantern, which is book six in the Heritage Cove series.
A wonderful story of love, friendship and opening your mind and your heart to new possibilities that will enchant fans of Holly Martin and Heidi Swain.
The Copper Plough is at the heart of village life for the residents of Heritage Cove, and never more so than at Christmas, when the tree glows in the alcove and the smell of mulled wine carries out onto the street. So when new owners for the beloved pub arrive and decide to shake things up, not everyone welcomes the changes with open arms.
Local bakery owner Celeste is ready to keep an open mind. But she’s shocked to discover that one of the new landlords is Quinn, a former Navy sailor with whom she had a short but powerful romance years earlier.
Fate may have brought Quinn and Celeste back together, but life seems determined to keep them apart. Can the villagers learn to embrace the newcomers this Christmas? And will Quinn and Celeste find a way back to each other before snow falls over Heritage Cove?
*****
Celeste, along with her sister Jade, own and run the bakery in Heritage Cove. There is nothing they like more than the Cove at Christmas, especially when it means a drink in the local pub. It’s where the village can embrace the festive atmosphere by celebrating by the real Christmas tree and the roaring fire. So, when the pub changes hands and name, the whole village is worried about how much their local will change. For Celeste, the new owners bring another problem.
I was so excited to be invited onto the tour for Christmas Nights at the Star and Lantern. Not only because it’s a festive themed novel but also the cover is beautiful. The Star and Lantern Pub also has a lovely ring to it.
by Book Extract: Under a Gilded Sky by Imogen Martin
I am pleased to be welcoming Imogen Martin to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her novel, Under a Gilded Sky.
In this epic and unforgettable love story, set in the wilds of Missouri and the glamour of high society Boston at the dawn of the Gilded Age, one woman’s life changes forever the day that a stranger turns up on her doorstep.
Missouri, February 1874: The last thing struggling homesteader Ginny needs is a scandal on her hands. But when a badly injured drifter arrives at Snow Farm in desperate need of medical attention, Ginny’s kind nature and good upbringing means she has no choice but to treat his wounds and care for him until he’s back on his feet, no matter the danger he might pose.
Ginny’s been running the farm and looking after her fourteen-year-old sister Mary-Lou since their papa died two years ago, each morning pulling on his old leather coat and pushing her feet into stout boots that come up to her knees, before heading out to tend to the cattle. She’s determined to hold onto the one thing that connects them to memories of their parents – whatever the cost. And when their uninvited guest – Lex – is well enough he offers his help, and she surprises herself by accepting it.
But not long after Lex moves on, Ginny realises that her heart has gone with him. And when the farm’s fortunes take a turn for the worse, she faces her hardest test yet. Can she save the only home she’s ever known, and everything she holds dear? And what if doing so means risking a chance at love and happiness she never expected to come her way?
Imogen has shared an extract with us today so you know the drill – coffee/tea, comfortable chair and enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Intro:
This is part way through the second chapter. Mary Lou has brought an injured man to their isolated rural homestead. Ginny is concerned that her 14-year-old sister doesn’t understand the danger this man might bring them, given it is just the two of them who live there.
Snow Farm, Missouri—February 1874
Ginny lifted out a screw-top jar and some bandages. “This is comfrey and elder salve. It will take down the swelling.”
The man nodded his approval and Ginny massaged the milky-colored gel into his ankle. The astringent smell filled the room.
“Sir, when d’you last eat?” Mary Lou asked.
He looked up at her, as if remembering there was a second young woman in the room. “Not for a few days.”
“I’ll get you something.” Mary Lou glanced at Ginny for approval to return to the kitchen and Ginny nodded.
by Book Review: The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens by Jaimie Admans
I’m so excited to be welcoming Jaimie Admans to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Gingerbread House in Mistletoe Gardens.
In Mistletoe Gardens a legend exists: anyone who kisses underneath the mistletoe will be guaranteed another year of love…
When local baker Essie Browne discovers that Mistletoe Gardens is to be demolished in January, she’s determined to save the place she loves so much. So Essie proposes building a life size gingerbread house to bring in the crowds…just how hard can it be?
Well, quite hard actually. Essie can bake gingerbread blindfolded, but she hasn’t got a clue how to build an actual house with it! She needs help – and fast!
Enter local builder, Joss Hallissey. Essie is convinced that with Joss’s help they can pull this off. There’s just one tiny problem: Joss hates Christmas, gingerbread, and… well, just about everything else too.
Joss the Grinch makes it clear that her idea is ludicrous and pointless, but he reluctantly agrees to help with her plan.
Will the gingerbread house be enough to save Mistletoe Gardens? Or will Essie’s chance for a magical kiss under the mistletoe be lost forever?
*****
When Essie discovers that her town’s beloved Mistletoe Gardens is going to be demolished at the end of the Christmas period, she is devastated; especially as there is so much history attached to the Gardens.
She then has an idea to build a life-size gingerbread house that will then house Father Christmas in the build up to the festive season. To begin with, no one believes in her idea which is a problem as that includes the builder she needs to help bring her vision to life.
Can Essie bring the residents of Folkhornton on side to help her save Mistletoe Gardens before it gets demolished and turned into flats?
by Book Review: Not in a Billion Years by Camilla Isley
Please join me in welcoming Camilla Isley back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her novel, Not in a Billion Years.
She’s a self-made fitness sensation. He’s a billionaire mogul. They’re sworn enemies and rivals… aren’t they?
Blake Avery knows all about hard work. She’s gone from making videos in her teenage bedroom to founding a booming fitness business and opening a state-of-the-art Manhattan gym. Now she’s on the cusp of realizing her wildest dreams, and she’s not going to let anyone stand in her way.
Certainly not man-of-the-hour Gabriel Mercer. He might be one of the biggest names in the fitness world and set women’s pulses soaring more than a grueling HIIT workout, but he grew up in a billionaire dynasty and had everything handed to him – or so Blake thinks.
But when Blake publicly criticizes Gabriel, she sparks a feud that neither entrepreneur is willing to back down from. And in an industry that seems determined to keep pushing them together, can Blake hold on to her grudge? Or will she finally warm up to Gabriel’s charm?
*****
In ten years, Blake Avery has managed to turn making fitness videos in her bedroom for You Tube, into a very successful company. She is on the verge of taking it public and so has no time for distractions or spats.
That doesn’t stop her from calling out billionaire, Gabriel Mercer and his claims that he is self made despite coming from an already rich family. As you can imagine, he doesn’t take it well.
I loved Love Quest by Camilla Isley so I was so happy to be invited onto the tour for Not in a Billion Years.
by Book Review: Two to Tango by Laura Carter
I’m pleased to be welcoming Laura Carter to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Two to Tango.
A high-intensity personal trainer
The secret to Brooks’s success as a Manhattan gym owner? Being motivated to disprove everyone who ever doubted him. So he’s not about to let a perky newcomer like Izzy tarnish his reputation. Even if watching her lead a salsa class on his premises gets his own heartbeat raised…
His beautiful British rival
Every time influencer Izzy slams Brooks in her fitness blog, her book sales soar. But when their escalating media feud forces them to be up-close-and-personal for two weeks, she realizes there’s much more to Brooks than that lean and muscled body.
And a competition that’s got their hearts racing…
Soon Izzy and Brooks are finding all kinds of creative ways to work up a sweat. A passionate workout is easy, but can their rivalry give way to a lasting partnership?
*****
Brooks is the owner of the most successful gym in Manhattan. He’s worked hard and he intends to keep it that way. What he doesn’t count on is a visit from the successful Izzy, who wants to use his gym to record one of her famous salsa classes.
It’s not long before the pair clash but can they work through their differences to get through a challenge to swap workout routines for two weeks?
by Cover Reveal: The Last Train From Paris by Juliet Greenwood
I’m excited to be helping to reveal the cover for The Last Train from Paris, the upcoming novel from Juliet Greenwood.
For Iris, each visit to her mother in St Mabon’s Cove, Cornwall has been the same – a serene escape from the city. But today, as she breathes in the salt air on the doorstep of her beloved childhood home, a heavy weight of anticipation settles over her. Iris knows she’s adopted, but any questions about where she came from have always been shut down by her parents, who can’t bear to revisit the past.
Now, Iris can’t stop thinking about what she’s read on the official paperwork: BABY GIRL, FRANCE, 1939 – the year war was declared with Nazi Germany.
When Iris confronts her mother, she hits the same wall of pain and resistance as whenever she mentions the war. That is, until her mother tearfully hands her an old tin of letters, tucked neatly beside a delicate piece of ivory wool.
Retreating to the loft, Iris steels herself to at last learn the truth, however painful it might be. But, as she peels back each layer of history before her, a sensation of dread grows inside her. The past is calling, and its secrets are more intricate and tangled than Iris could ever have imagined.
The year is 1939, and in Paris, France a young woman is about to commit a terrible betrayal…
*****
This book sounds incredible. OK, now it’s time to reveal the cover. Drumroll…….
by Book Review: Murder on the Farm by Kate Wells
I’m happy to be welcoming Kate Wells to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Murder on the Farm.
Lambing season always brings the unexpected… But no one expected murder
Jude Gray never thought she’d find herself widowed and running a working farm full-time, but here she is, living in the small Malvern village her husband Adam spent most of his life in.
After a particularly gruelling lambing season, she is looking forward to some time off, but there’s no rest for the wicked, especially when she finds the body of one of Adam’s oldest friends on her farm.
Jude refuses to believe the official line, that Sarah’s death was a suicide, and starts an investigation of her own. But as the body count rises, danger creeps ever closer to Malvern Farm.
A killer is on the prowl. And all that stands in their way is one woman – and her dog.
*****
After the death of her husband, Jude finds herself running a farm in Malvern. As a gruelling lambing season is about to end, Jude finds herself facing another challenge – solving the mysterious death of her friend. The trouble is, how do you solve a death that everyone else thinks is suicide?
Murder on the Farm is the first book in the Malvern Mysteries book series and I’m already a fan.
by Book Review: Sunny Days at the Second Chances Sweet Shop by Hannah Lynn
I am pleased to be welcoming Hannah Lynn to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Sunny Days at the Second Chances Sweet Shop.
A getaway to remember…
It’s Holly’s best friend’s hen do and the plan is a week away in the South of France.
With little Hope still so very young, it’s going to be difficult for Holly to tear herself away, but Ben is the perfect co-parent and her own parents are just down the road, so – Holly decides – there’s really nothing holding her back, is there?
Will the sunshine and sea air help her get back to who she really is? Or will this be the perfect distraction, a chance to have a holiday fling?
Bask in the sunny skies of France with everyone’s favourite sweet shop owner – because everyone deserves a break, don’t they?
*****
Holly is on her way to the south of France to celebrate her friend’s hen do. With Hope being so little, Holly is finding it hard to leave her daughter but with ex-boyfriend, Ben being such a great co-parent and it only being for four days, she is eventually convinced to go.
Looking forward to celebrating with friends and having a brief rest, she doesn’t count on meeting the gorgeous Evan.
by Book Spotlight: The Pumpkin Pact by Charlie Dean
Today, we are shining a light on The Pumpkin Pact by Charlie Dean as we celebrate its publication.
Welcome to The Pumpkin Patch at Pickle Grove.
Andi is worried that her relationship with Drew has become dull and boring. They never do anything exciting these days, in or out of the bedroom. So when a swoon-worthy stranger appears she is instantly swept off her feet.
When they unexpectedly meet again, they realise they have more in common than they thought possible so draw up a pact to spice up their lives! The plan they conjure up while working together at The Pumpkin Patch, to make their partners jealous, brings them closer than ever.
Andi plucks up the courage to finish with Drew but there are no signs of Andrew doing the same and she thinks she’s lost him forever.
With meddling exes, misunderstandings and miscommunication getting in the way, can The Pumpkin Pact bring them back together?
*****
This cover is making me want to grab this novel, head down to Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice Latte and find a comfortable seat for a reading session. How about you?
Click here to buy The Pumpkin Pact on Amazon UK.
About Charlie Dean:
Charlie is a 70s baby, 80s child and a 90s teenager. She loves writing stories with real, likeable characters who are perfectly imperfect just like her.
Charlie loves exploring love in all its forms, be it romantic, friendship or family and all that these relationships entail.
Her stories are romances with a sprinkling of spice.
Say hello on Twitter.
by Novel Kicks Book Club: The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas
Hello September.
We have said goodbye to August (not quite sure how. It went so fast,) and we say hello to September.
When I was a child, I used to love this month because it meant I had an excuse to buy new stationary. This has no relation to the new book club pick, I just wanted to share. Haha.
This month, I have picked The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas.
I can’t wait to read this novel. It sounds so intriguing and I’ve heard great things about this author and her books.
I hope you join me by taking part in discussion below.
Anyone can take part in our book club, at any point in the month. Plus, you can do so from the comfort of your armchair, sofa. You get the picture.
I’ve posted a question below to kick off the discussion.
I hope to see you in the comments.
*****
About The Woman Who Lied.
by Cover Reveal: The Bookshop By The Loch by Julie Shackman
I’m so pleased to be helping to reveal the cover of The Bookshop By The Loch, the upcoming book by Julie Shackman.
Lexie Dunbar is a book lover. And her favourite place in the world is her local bookstore, Book Ends. So when she hears that it’s going to be sold, Lexie decides she needs to do something to help.
Lexie’s plan to save the ailing shop is fully underway until gorgeous-but-grouchy artist Tobias Black arrives on the scene determined to turn the bookstore into an art gallery. Lexie is horrified; the last thing the quaint town of Bracken Way needs is a pretentious artist, even if he does seem to charm everyone but her.
Tensions continue to rise until Tobias discovers a shocking secret that shows they might have more in common than they realise. As sparks fly, can Lexie and Tobias work together, or will opposing ideas get in the way of them finding their very own happy ever after…
OK, are you ready to see the cover for this fantastic sounding novel?
by Book Extract: Dating Little Miss Perfect by Cassandra O’Leary
Please join me in welcoming Cassandra O’Leary to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Dating Little Miss Perfect.
On an anonymous online dating app, LittleMissPerfect meets HotAussie007 and it’s love at first click. In real life, a smart but spiky woman in STEM, research scientist, Dr Eden, meets a laid-back Aussie marketing manager, Finn, at the big pharma company where they both work in California. They’re forced to compete for special projects funding, and both their jobs are on the line.
Eden just wants to win at science and in life. It’s not happening! She can’t stand Finn’s too-cool-for-school, nice guy act, or his delectable forearms that keep invading her space. While Finn is stupidly attracted to Eden, when she’s not telling him off, he isn’t free to pursue her. He’s stuck in the worst position in his professional life, and doesn’t see a clear way out. He can’t tell her the whole truth about what’s going on at work or in his personal life. . . or it could all blow up in his face.
When they realise the truth about their online alter egos, dating is off the table. Can they ignore their inconvenient attraction, and work together to take down their unethical boss? Or will intense rivalry cause their IRL work lives and online love lives to collide and explode like a science experiment gone wrong?
Cassandra has shared an extract with us today so grab that drink, those biscuits, a comfy chair and enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
The following excerpt is from Chapter Two of Dating Little Miss Perfect, © Copyright Cassandra O’Leary, 2023. Reproduced and shared with permission of the author.
This chapter starts in the hero, Finn’s, point of view. He’s just received the latest in a series of flirty online messages from LittleMissPerfect, an anonymous prospect on the dating app he’s using. They are yet to meet in real life. But it’s his cranky work rival, Dr Eden, who is on his mind. And later, we find out Finn is on Eden’s mind too! They work in a big pharma company in California, and they’re being forced to compete for special projects funding and to collaborate, to a certain extent.
LittleMissPerfect: Where are you taking me on our date, big shot? Downtown?
Finn stared at his phone in the palm of one hand while rubbing the back of his neck with the other. LittleMissPerfect’s opening gambit was a tease. Normally, he’d fire back, saying he’d love to take her downtown. Get down and dirty. But today? Another woman occupied his thoughts like an invading army.
Cupcakes? Doctor Eden bakes cupcakes?
by Book Review: Love Blossoms at Puddleduck Farm by Della Galton
I’m so pleased to be welcoming Della Galton back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her latest novel, Love Blossoms at Puddleduck Farm.
How can life be too busy for love?
Phoebe Dashwood is living the dream. She’s running her own successful vet practice, Puddleduck Vets, alongside her grandmother’s animal sanctuary.
She’s also dating the gorgeous, yet slightly broken Rufus Holt, the most eligible bachelor in the New Forest.
So why isn’t she blissfully happy?
Both Phoebe and Rufus are consumed 24/7 by their own commitments. Their relationship is always last on the list.
Phoebe juggles quirky, yet demanding clients and their pets whilst widowed Rufus is consumed by his anxieties, responsibilities of fatherhood and the unenviable tasks of being a Lord in waiting with a huge estate to manage.
Phoebe knows that when you’re a vet, there isn’t always a happy ending. But will there be a happy ending for Phoebe, Rufus and everyone else at Puddleduck Farm?
Is it ever really possible to have it all?
*****
Things seem to be going well for Phoebe Dashwood. Her Veterinary Practice is doing well and she is now in a relationship with Rufus Holt, the handsome lord of the manor.
However, as both of them try to balance their work and relationship, can it survive?
It was so lovely to be able to catch up with Phoebe, Maggie and all the people at and around Puddleduck Farm.
by Cover Reveal: Clues To You by Claire Huston
I’m very excited to be helping to reveal the cover for Clues to You, the upcoming novel by Claire Huston.
One murder mystery weekend. Two rival sleuths.
They’re looking for answers. But will they find love?
Kate Brannon is delighted to be attending her first murder mystery weekend in a movie-worthy Victorian manor house. Still getting over being dumped, cracking the case would be a welcome boost to her flagging confidence. And the prize money wouldn’t hurt either.
But Kate’s dreams of victory become a nightmare with the arrival of Max Ravenscroft. Smart, enigmatic and annoyingly handsome, Max is Kate’s sleuthing nemesis.
When she and Max are forced to work together, Kate despairs. But, as the investigation brings them closer, she finds being his partner in solving crime isn’t all bad.
With growing suspicions that the game is rigged against them, can Kate and Max beat the odds to find the killer? And, as their partnership deepens, can they find romance too?
A sweet romantic comedy with a cosy mystery at its heart. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Freeman, Laura Jane Williams and Katie Fforde.
OK so that’s a little about the novel. Time for the cover. Drumroll……. Continue reading
by NK Chats To… Margaret Amatt
Hi Margaret, thank you so much for inviting Novel Kicks onto the blog tour for your novel, Two’s Company at the Forest Light Show. What’s your typical writing day like and how long does the writing process take you overall?
I’m a binge writer so when I get in the zone I keep going as long as possible! This usually happens when my son is at school and the house is quiet. I can write from nine a.m. to three p.m. with only short breaks. I find it the best way to keep the flow of the story going. On good days, I’ll write in the evenings as well.
Overall, I’m quite a fast writer, but to do that I spend a lot of time planning the books before I write a word. Once I know exactly where I want the story to go then I start. sometimes they detour here and there from the plan but generally speaking it keeps me on track and means I always know what I need to write.
Which songs would make up a playlist for your book?
That’s a really tricky question. I’m not sure what would fit this particular book. I’m thinking some power ballads for Cha and maybe something classical for Nick! Something that shows their opposite personalities.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve discovered since you’ve started writing?
by Book Extract: The Accidental Housemate by Sal Thomas
I am pleased to welcome Sal Thomas to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Accidental Housemate.
Cath Beckinsale is in a jam. She’s a single mum of three, with her 40th birthday in sight and a precarious hold on employment. And she can’t quite let go of her late husband Gaz, whose ashes are still in an urn on the kitchen table.
To make ends meet a student lodger seems like the perfect solution – after all, what’s one more child in the house? But when Dan flies in from the US, complete with guitar and chest hair on display, it’s immediately clear that he’s no teenager, but someone who quickly sends life in an unexpected direction.
Sal has shared an extract today. We hope you enjoy it.
(Warning: Language.)
*****beginning of extract*****
Widower and mum of three Cath has agreed to take in a student lodger to help make ends meet. Recommended him by a colleague, she spends a tipsy evening with best friend Sindy looking up the American teenager she thinks she’s getting, as well as ogling over a same-name-but-different-state guy. However, a misunderstanding about Kansas vs Arkansas means she’s in for a surprise….
Of course, it’s only the following weekend as I’m on the way to the airport that the full force of what I’ve let myself in for comes rushing at me like a tidal wave of WTAF? I’ve left Jack and Eric at home with Sindy, who assured me that inviting someone I know barely anything about to come and live in my house, without so much as having had a conversation with him, is a great idea. I guess it happens all the time on Airbnb, right? Still, my stomach is doing all manner of odd things as I pull into the car park.
Minutes after I get to the gate a stream of people starts to emerge from the exit, their weary faces lighting up as they spot waiting relatives. I check the photo of Dan I saved to my phone. No sign yet, but he’s probably slowly lolloping his way from the plane, peering through his hair curtains and taking in a brand-new country. As I’m watching it all unfold, a man, I’d say in his mid-thirties, emerges from the exit carrying a large rucksack and a guitar. He’s over six-feet tall and archetypically handsome, a mop of loose brown curls framing an elfin face rescued from femininity by a defined jaw and strong straight brows. His cheeks dimple as he smiles at the striking young air stewardess walking alongside him. I can’t make out what he’s saying, but she is lapping it up as she overtly throws her head back in amusement and lightly touches him on the arm.
by Book Review: High Tides and Summer Skies by Jennifer Bohnet
I am so pleased to be welcoming Jennifer Bohnet back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, High Tides and Summer Skies.
New beginnings don’t always mean painful endings . . .
A fabulous, timeless story of friendship set in Devon from bestselling author Jennifer Bohnet.
As time ebbs and flows over the summer both Katie Teague and her godmother Mattie Cranford discover their lives are at a crossroads
Mattie shackled to the family wool shop for over 50 years, feels life has passed her by. She dreams of seeing the world and shaking off a lifetime of regrets.
When Katie is made redundant, Mattie seizes the moment and asks Katie to move back to her home town of Dartmouth and breathe new life into the rundown wool shop and to her surprise Katie agrees.
As Katie settles back into the rhythm of Devon life and renovating the shop, Mattie sets off on a luxury cruise.
But the arrival of Katie’s ex-boyfriend with an unexpected dream job offer threatens to unsettle the calm waters.
Will she sacrifice the shop and Mattie’s happiness – or her own career?
*****
Haunted by the past and determined to keep the grief to herself, Mattie has never allowed herself to venture beyond the seaside town she grew up in. Taking over the family business when she was young, she resigned herself to that life.
However, when a need to spread her wings in later life begins to take hold and on hearing that her Goddaughter, Katie is in need of a job, Mattie begins to formulate a plan; one that may change more than just her life.
Having previously read Christmas on the Riviera by Jennifer Bohnet, I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for High Tides and Summer Skies.
by Book Extract and Review: Mysteries at Sea: Peril on the Atlantic by A.M. Howell
I am pleased to be welcoming A.M. Howell to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel, Peril on the Atlantic, part of the Mysteries at Sea series.
July, 1936. As the Queen Mary sets sail across the Atlantic, Alice can’t wait for the summer of adventure that lies ahead. She’s excited to explore the huge ship, with its shops, animals and even celebrities on board.
As Alice’s sailor father focuses on winning a prestigious race, she witnesses a shocking attack. Alice and her new friend Sonny start to uncover a dark plot to sabotage the race, and as they investigate gold bars, anonymous notes and lost silk gloves, secrets in their own lives come to the surface.
While fog threatens the boat’s journey, and dangerous enemies show themselves, Alice and Sonny are in their own race to solve all the mysteries unfolding. But what they discover might change both their lives forever…
I have reviewed the book bel0w but first, here is an extract from the book. Enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
A buzz of anticipation and excitement made Alice’s fingers tingle, as she stepped away from the station platform and onto the dock. Grey smoke puffed lazily from the red and black-tipped funnels of the Queen Mary into the hot July air, like three simmering pots preparing to boil. She sucked in a breath of awe. It was the largest vessel she had ever seen, its riveted hull so tall it blotted out the sun. Her father had said that, if the ship was placed vertically from bow to stern, it would even be taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris!
Looking around, Alice saw that the other passengers from the train she had travelled on to Southampton docks had already hurried off to the baggage hall, leaving her alone. She glanced at her watch. Her father had promised to meet her from the train and he was late. As she looked for him, the clamour of noise was like a discordant band as motor cars expelled expectant passengers, and giant cranes with claw-like feet sent packages cocooned in rope nets into the ship’s cavernous hold.
by Book Review: Brothers of the Sword by Peter Gibbons
We are pleased to be welcoming Peter Gibbons to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his novel, Brothers of the Sword.
An epic battle where heroes fight and die to protect a Kingdom from Viking invasion…
991AD
King Aethelred the Unready’s Kingdom of the English is threatened. Olaf Tryggvason and his fleet of Viking warships snap at the coastal edges like ravenous wolves, and Sweyn Forkbeard, King of the Danes, has landed in East Anglia with an army of battle-hardened warriors.
Ealdorman Byrhtnoth of Essex must stand against them faced with overwhelming odds, forging his legend in the blood of his deadly enemies.
By his side, his Thegn, Beornoth, a brutal warrior and savage Saxon fighter is torn between his need to protect his loved ones, and his duty to fight for his Lord.
As the Vikings raid and slaughter, Beornoth is forced to fight for the survival of his oath sworn brothers, his Lord, and the Kingdom itself when all roads lead to the fateful Battle of Maldon.
Can Beornoth protect his people and survive one of the most famous battles of the Viking Age?
A thrilling story, packed with war, vengeance and visceral combat.
*****
Olaf Tryggvason and his vikings have set up along the coast, threatening the way of the life for the Saxons as they go from town to town taking and killing all that they can. Ealdorman Byrhtnoth of Essex, along with his Thegn, Beornoth stands against them but can they withstand the threat or will Olaf triumph?
by NK Chats To… Jessie Wells
Hi Jessie, thank you so much for joining me today with the blog tour for your novel, Saving The Good News Gazette. What’s your typical writing day like? From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you?
As I have a full-time job and two children, it typically takes me about a year from start to finish and involves me initially researching and jotting down plot points and characters, and ends with a triumphant email to my editor with a manuscript attached! In between, there’s plenty of hours at the computer, a few head in hands moments, and a lot of support from my lovely husband and children.
In terms of a typical day, it usually starts with a 5am alarm and a huge cup of coffee, and then I sit down and write for an hour or so until the children come downstairs and start asking for breakfast. I then spend a day at work and in the evening, after the kids have gone to bed, I’ll often sit back down at my computer again. As I say, I have a very supportive husband!
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel especially
when it’s a part of a series?
Keeping the whole thing feeling familiar yet fresh for readers. I want people to feel like they’re reading something new, while enjoying the comfort that comes from hanging out with old friends.
What songs would make up a playlist for your book?
Most of The Shires’ playlist! Ours is a busy household, so if I need to write at the weekend when everyone is around, I’ll often stick my ear pods in to drown out all the noise. The Shires has probably been the most played soundtrack to The Good News Gazette series so far.
Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?
Eleanor Oliphant. Her character was painted so beautifully, with so many quirks and imperfections, that I’d love to meet her in person.
Which authors do you admire?
by Novel Kicks Book Club: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
I’m very excited to be posting a new Book Club title.
It’s summer and fingers crossed, we get some lovely days to sit and relax with a book in the garden but even if we don’t, I am hoping you’ll join me in reading this month’s choice.
The book I have chosen this month is one I have been looking forward to reading since I saw the Netflix show.
It’s Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah.
Usually, I try to read the book before seeing any kind of TV/film adaptation but having heard so many good things about the TV series, I couldn’t resist. What about you? Do you prefer to read the book before adaptation?
Our book club is open to anyone, whether you’ve already read the novel or will be reading along with me and taking part can be from the comfort of the sofa, armchair – wherever you read.
I’ll put a question in the comments below to kickstart the discussion. Looking forward to seeing you there.
About Firefly Lane –
It is 1974 and the summer of love is finally drawing to a close. The flower children are starting to realise that you cannot survive on peace and love alone.
by Cover Reveal: The Bridesmaid’s Brother by Olivia Lockhart
You know I love a cover reveal. Today, I’m so excited to be welcoming Olivia Lockhart to Novel Kicks. I’m helping to reveal the cover for her upcoming novel, The Bridesmaid’s Brother, due to be released on 19th September.
For Penny Archer, dating after forty has proved to be less ‘silver foxes and romantic dinners’, and more ‘last chance bargain bin’. She’s met every liar and cheater in the dating pool, and after one heartbreak too many, she is officially sworn off men.
A strong, single mum, she doesn’t need a partner, and besides, the family planner is crammed with work commitments, school meetings, puppy classes, chores for her ageing parents and, of course, her beloved book club. Although a cuddle now and then wouldn’t go amiss…
Penny jumps at the chance to let her hair down at a friend’s wedding, blissfully unaware that she’s about to crash into a stranger’s life in the most mortifying manner.
Can something that begins in disaster ever end in happiness, or is it all too good to be true? Will Penny ever turn the pages of her own book towards that happy ever after?
OK, now you’ve read a bit about the novel, are you ready to see the cover. Drumroll………..
by Book Review: The Silent Friend by Alison Stockham
I am pleased to be welcoming Alison Stockham to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Silent Friend.
When it comes to saving yourself, who will you betray?
Louise has a shadowy past that she wants to break free from and when she develops an unlikely friendship with Isabelle, her neighbour, she finally finds the family she’s always yearned for.
But Louise knows more about Isabelle than her new friend realises, more specifically about her imprisoned husband – and the circumstances behind his arrest.
Louise is faced with a choice: to continue lying to her only friend or tell the truth and ruin any chance she has of starting over…
*****
When Louise befriends her new neighbour, Isabelle, she sees a chance to break away from her past.
However, Louise is keeping a big secret. One that, if it comes out, could ruin the new life she has found for herself.
This was the first book by Alison Stockham I had read. The premise for the book intrigued me so I couldn’t wait to get started.
This book has unexpected twists and turns that had me reading well into the night. There is a big sense of tension that bubbles under the surface all the way through.
by Book Review: A Killing at Smugglers Cove by Michelle Salter
Please join me in welcoming Michelle Salter back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, A Killing at Smugglers Cove.
Wartime secrets, smugglers’ caves, skeletal remains. And the holiday’s only just begun…
July 1923 – Iris Woodmore travels to Devon with her friends Percy Baverstock and Millicent Nightingale for her father’s wedding to Katherine Keats.
But when Millicent uncovers skeletal remains hidden on the private beach of Katherine’s former home, Iris begins to suspect her future stepmother is not what she seems.
The police reveal the dead man is a smuggler who went missing in 1918, and when a new murder occurs, they realise a killer is in their midst. The link between both murders is Katherine. Could Iris’s own father be in danger?
*****
Iris Woodmore is traveling to Devon to see her father marry Katherine Keats. Iris can’t help but be suspicious of her future Stepmother.
When she and her friends find a skeleton in the caves below the home Katherine used to share with her first husband, this does nothing to soften Iris’s fear that Katherine is keeping secrets.
Can Iris solve the mystery before her father marries Katherine and potentially marries a murderer?
I fast became a fan of Iris and her friends having read the previous novel in the series, The Body at Carnival Bridge. Therefore, I was looking forward to the next in the series, A Killing at Smugglers Cove. If this is the first book in the series for you, don’t worry. I haven’t read all of them yet (I plan to,) and I could keep up well.
by Book Review: Love Quest by Camilla Isley
I am pleased to be welcoming Camilla Isley to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Love Quest.
She didn’t go to the jungle to meet the man of her dreams. Luckily, Dr Logan Spencer is NOT the man of her dreams!
As epic meet-cutes go, travel photographer, Winter Knowles thinks finding a gorgeous naked man outside her Thailand villa is pretty perfect. But then she discovers the naked heartthrob is none other than Dr Logan Spencer, her gruff standoffish (but sexy as hell) jungle expedition leader.
Dr Logan is on the mission of a lifetime. There’s a lost city of gold to discover and he doesn’t need any distractions – especially not the stubborn, sassy beautiful photographer type! His reputation is on the line.
These arch rivals get off on the wrong foot. But when the heat rises in the jungle, Winter and Logan are forced together in the face of danger. Is trusting someone with your life the best meet-cute of all?
(This title was originally published as From Thailand With Love.)
*****
Photographer Winter Knowles is about to embark on a jungle expedition. Problem is, her new boss, Logan, is as unfriendly as you can get. Will Winter and Logan get through the expedition in one piece?
This is the first book I’ve read from Camilla Isley and therefore, i’d not read the previous book in the series, The Love Theorem.
This didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this book or my ability to keep up with what’s going on. I will be adding the first book to my TBR pile though.
I really did fall in love and became invested in these characters.
by NK Chats To… Felicity George
I am so pleased to be welcoming Felicity George to Novel Kicks today. Felicity, can you tell me about your novel, A Courtesans Worth and what inspired it?
A Courtesan’s Worth is a steamy Regency Romance described as ‘Bridgerton meets Moulin Rouge’ (but don’t worry, there’s a happily-ever-after!). It’s the against-all-odds love story of a famous courtesan and a curate-turned-novelist, inspired by the salacious memoirs of Regency courtesan Harriette Wilson, and also by my years-long interest in the sex workers of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain.
What’s your typical writing day like?
It primarily involves carving several pockets of writing between other responsibilities. I find setting timers on my computer helps me stay focused.
What are the challenges you found when writing your novel?
On some days, it seems that everything about writing a novel is a challenge. But I’d say the hardest thing is not letting myself give in to imposter’s syndrome or self-doubt. Creatives must fight a near-constant battle with the little hater in our heads that tells us we aren’t good enough, but it’s a worthy fight to fight! I try and remember there are people who genuinely love my novels, and knowing that they will receive joy reading them is very motivating.
Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?
Perhaps Elizabeth Bennet, from Pride and Prejudice. I think she’d be a great bestie and loads of fun.
What elements make up a good story?
Well-developed character arcs and a structured plot are the critical building blocks of a good story, but of course there must also be an emotional element. Readers need to care about the characters, and in order for that to occur, an author must develop character agency. This is why I have no worries about AI taking over fiction – an author must be a student of human nature!!
From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like and how long does it typically take you?
I’m a plotter, so typically I spend about two to four weeks working first on character arcs and then developing the plot. Before I start writing, I have every scene in the book mapped out. The first draft takes about two to three months, depending on how much revision I do along the way. I then start my revision process, which takes another couple of months. So all in all, from beginning to having a draft to send to my editor, it takes me about five to six months to write a novel.
by Book Review: Not So Perfect Strangers by L.S. Stratton
I am so pleased to be welcoming L.S. Stratton to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Not So Perfect Strangers.
Tasha Jenkins has finally found the courage to leave her abusive husband. Taking her teenage son with her, Tasha checks into a hotel the night before their flight out of D.C. and out of Kordell Jenkins’s life forever. But escaping isn’t so easy, and Tasha soon finds herself driving back to her own personal hell. As she is leaving, a white woman pounds on her car window, begging to be let in. Behind the woman, an angry man is in pursuit. Tasha makes a split-second decision that will alter the course of her life: she lets her in and takes off.
Tasha and Madison Gingell may have very different everyday realities, but what they have in common is marriages they need out of. The two women want to help each other, but they have very different ideas of what that means . . .
They are on a collision course that will end in the case files of the D.C. MPD homicide unit. Unraveling the truth of what really happened may be impossible‒and futile. Because what has the truth ever done for women like Tasha and Madison?
*****
Madison and Tasha meet by chance. Tasha wants to leave her abusive husband and Madison has found out her husband might be having an affair.
A plan is hatched. Both husbands must die but will both women follow through with it?
Warning- a few spoilers ahead!
To use the word enjoy to describe how I feel about this book would feel strange considering the themes it explores – domestic violence, child abuse, revenge, affairs, murder.
Compelling would be a better way to put it I think.
Madison is a VERY complicated character and my sympathy for her and the empathy I felt was a bit of a rollercoaster. She has a very intricate history which involves abuse from a parent. This is enough to give anyone a skewed view of the world. It doesn’t excuse her actions but it at least gave me an understanding of them.
by NK Chats To…Sheila McClure
I am so pleased to be welcoming Sheila McClure to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, ScotLander. Hi Sheila, can you tell me about your novel, Scotlander and what inspired it?
Hello and yes, of course! I used to be an entertainment reporter in Los Angeles and then I moved back to the UK and met and married a Scotsman (whose eyes are remarkably similar to someone’s in the book) and now we live on a farm where the learning curve was STEEP.
I was getting regular queries as to when I was going to write about us and, rather than writing about our actual lives, I thought it’d be fun to write a variation on a theme. When I was thinking about it Outlander was (and still is) huuuuuge. I had never really watched it and had a friend who was a superfan. I think superfans are amazing.
So I decided to combine a few ideas into this one madcap adventure about a fully immersive Jacobean experience and, of course…falling in love when you’re out of your depth.
What’s your typical writing day like?
I’m an early to bed early to rise kind of gal (clearly destined to be a farmer, LOL). I usually get up around five or six and go straight to the keyboard. I write until about lunchtime and then it’s over to the farm. The only variation is if the dogs or cows need seeing to and then I do whatever needs to be done with them first and then head to the keyboard.
From idea to final draft, how long does it take you to write a book?
Oh, gosh. That’s tough to quantify. I have a billion ideas all the time, but I would say three to four months is my usual stint on a book. Saying that, I’m writing a couple of crime books right now and they are taking longer!
What songs would make up a playlist for your book?
by NK Chats To… Francesca Scanacapra
I am so pleased to be welcoming Francesca Scanacapra to Novel Kicks with the blog tour for The Daughter of Paradiso. Hi Francesca. Can you tell me about your novel, The Daughter of Paradiso and what inspired it?
This is the third book in the series and follows Paradiso and Return to Paradiso. We are now in the early sixties and the protagonist, Graziella, has left her abusive husband and is making a new life for herself and her young daughter in her old childhood home, Paradiso.
The main theme which drives the story is women’s fight for equality in a time and place where men are still very much in charge. However, the story is not all about struggle and injustice. There is also a strong theme of friendship and community.
Much of the inspiration for this has come from having moved recently to rural Lombardy, where the books are set. Social and family bonds are still very strong here. In this very moment, as I sit at my desk with the windows wide open, I can hear the loud conversations of group of elderly gentlemen who congregate outside a neighbour’s house every day to gossip and put the world to rights.
What’s your typical writing day like? From idea to final draft, how long does it take you to write a book?
My most productive time for writing is the morning and I am usually at my desk by 9am. How long I write for depends on how the inspiration is flowing on the day. Sometimes I won’t come up for air until the evening. However, if the muse isn’t with me, I’ll take myself off and do something else. For me, that works better than trying to fight against a poor writing day.
Previously, when I still had a day job, completing a novel took years. Now that I write full-time, I’m averaging around six months; although I seem to write around 80% of the book in a few weeks and the remaining 20% takes far, far longer.
What are the challenges of writing an historical novel?
It can be tempting to include too much history, and I was guilty of this when I first began writing. I had to learn the art of peppering the narrative with just enough historical information so as not to interrupt the flow of the story.
Giving a sense of time works best when little details are integrated into characters’ opinions, actions and beliefs, as well as the homes they live in, the clothes they wear and the food they eat. This makes for a far more engaging read than simply writing long paragraphs of exhaustively-researched facts.
Which fictional character would you like to meet and why?
It would be extraordinary to meet Jean-Baptiste Grenouille from Patrick Suskind’s astonishing book, Perfume, the Story of a Murderer. This character is both a victim and a villain. Although his actions are diabolical, he is able to justify them both to himself and to the reader, and even to gain the reader’s sympathy. So yes, I would be intrigued to meet him, but it would probably be prudent not to do so alone.
Which authors do you admire?
by Book Review: An Italian Island Summer by Sue Moorcroft
Please join me in welcoming Sue Moorcroft back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for An Italian Island Summer.
Will one summer in Sicily change her life for ever?
After her marriage falls apart, Ursula Quinn is offered the chance to spend the summer working at a hotel on a beautiful island off the coast of Sicily, Italy. Excited by a new adventure, she sets off at once.
At Residenza dei Tringali, Ursula receives a warm welcome from everyone except Alfio, son of the Tringali family. He gave up his life in Barcelona to help his mother Agata with the ailing business, and is frustrated with Ursula’s interference – and she in turn is less than impressed with his attitude. As they spend more time together, though, they begin to see each other in a different light.
But what with Ursula’s ex-husband on her tail, family secrets surfacing and an unexpected offer that makes Alfio question his whole life, there’s plenty to distract them from one another. Can she face her past and he his future, and together make the most of their Sicilian summer?
*****
I’ve been a fan of Sue Moorcroft’s for years now and was so pleased when this new book, ‘An Italian Island Summer’ landed in my lap.
As always, Sue doesn’t shy away from telling a romance with added grit. Ursula is coming out of a bad marriage and her family believes she’s a lot more ‘vulnerable’ than she believes she is, for reasons I’ll let you find out. In need of a change of scenery as well as of job, she plans on going off to Italy to learn about ceramic decoration.
by Book Review: The House in the Olive Grove by Emma Cowell
Will one week in Greece change their lives for ever?
Chef Maria is running a successful cookery school in her home village of Petalidi, Greece – but she is also running from the secrets of her past.
Food journalist Kayla thought this was going to be just another work trip. But right before she leaves for Greece, she discovers that her whole life is built on a lie.
Jewellery-maker Alessandra has always lived according to her own rules – despite what it has cost her to do so. But she has just had some devastating news.
As these three very different women come together at the house in the olive grove, unlikely friendships blossom and a season of self-discovery begins. Will the sumptuous flavours, sapphire waters and golden sands of Greece give each of them the answers they so desperately seek?
*****
Three women, all facing their own demons.
Maria has been running her cooking school in Greece for ten years, having come back from New York with both physical and emotional scars. However, the village she grew up in is not very keen to have her back.
Kayla is a celebrity chef who has come to Greece to interview Maria. However, secrets and past trauma threatens to bring her perfect life down around her.
Alessandra is bold and doesn’t hold back but behind the bravado lies heartbreak.
Can these three women hold each other up when outside forces want to see them fall?
by Book Review: The Last Dance by Mark Billingham
Meet Detective Miller: unique, unconventional, and criminally underestimated…
He’s a detective, a dancer, he has no respect for authority - and he’s the best hope Blackpool has for keeping criminals off the streets. Meet Detective Declan Miller.
A double murder in a seaside hotel sees a grieving Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Just why were two completely unconnected men taken out?
Despite a somewhat dubious relationship with both reality and his new partner, can the eccentric, offbeat Miller find answers where his colleagues have found only an impossible puzzle?
*****
DS Declan Miller is back to work following the murder of his wife.
His first case is a double murder. Can Declan cope with a new partner, a complicated case and his continuing need to go against authority?
The first detective series in 20 years from author, Mark Billingham – you bet I’m excited.
I am a big fan of the Tom Thorne novels so I was intrigued to see if Declan Miller could immediately step out of Thorne’s shadow. Short answer… YES.
by Book Review: Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks by Sally Fetouh
I am so pleased to be welcoming Sally Fetouh to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks.
Cheerful text and whimsical illustrations bring alive this heart-warming story of kindness and inclusion featuring a character with Down syndrome.
When young Jana receives heaps of beautiful socks from her parents after learning how to put on socks all by herself, she can’t wait to show her friends at school. They are always kind and patient with Jana when they play together. Jana decides to share a pair of her new socks with each and every friend. This calls for a school sock parade! All of the children had so much fun showing off their colourful socks together that they gave a very special and huge gift for their kind and generous friend, Jana, a box of more socks!
Author Sally Fetouh was inspired to write this touching story by her own daughter who has Down syndrome, feeling it was important for her and other children like her to be able to see themselves in literature. Two years ago, after reading a different story about a girl with Down syndrome to her daughter’s preschool class, Sally says, “The children were so engaged in the story and asked questions. They were very accepting and loving of their friend—my daughter. I left with a heart overflowing with emotion and that inspired me to write my story.”
*****
Jana loves her colourful socks and has just learnt to put them on by herself.
She wants to share this love with her school friends.
This book is so wonderful. I am honoured to be part of the Book Birthday Blitz.
Jana is such a sweet, loveable character and you can’t help but warm to her. Also, I want her sock collection.
by Book Review: A Mother’s War by Helen Parusel
I am so pleased to be welcoming Helen Parusel to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, A Mother’s War.
A forbidden romance in occupied Norway…
Narvik, 1940. After Laila awakens to the sight of warships in the fjord, it isn’t long before she turns resistor to the brutal Nazi regime. She is horrified when local girls begin affairs with enemy soldiers, yet against her own principles, she finds herself falling in love with German soldier, Josef.
Josef is not like the others. He becomes involved in helping her and the locals with resistance activities, risking his life on more than one occasion.
But then Laila finds out she is pregnant. With Josef sent to the Russian front, and Laila cast out by her family, she turns to a home for women which promises to care for her and her unborn child. But instead, she finds herself caught in a system of evil far beyond what she thought possible…
*****
Laila has watched her hometown of Narvik in Norway fall under German occupation. As the locals adjust to the new rules, Laila meets Josef, a German solider. He seems different to the others, but she’s determined not to get close to him. Instead, she wants to do what she can for the resistance.
However, she is pulled to Josef and soon they are in love but with what consequences?
This novel. Wow.
by Book Review: The Body at Carnival Bridge by Michelle Salter
I am pleased to be welcoming Michelle Salter to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Body at Carnival Bridge – book three in the Iris Woodmore Mysteries series.
How deadly is the fight for equality?
It’s 1922, and after spending a year travelling through Europe, Iris Woodmore returns home to find a changed Walden. Wealthy businesswoman Constance Timpson has introduced equal pay in her factories and allows women to retain their jobs after they marry.
But these radical new working practices have made her deadly enemies.
A mysterious sniper fires a single shot at Constance – is it a warning, or did they shoot to kill? When one of her female employees is murdered, it’s clear the threat is all too real – and it’s not just Constance in danger.
As amateur sleuth Iris investigates, she realises the sniper isn’t the only hidden enemy preying on women.
*****
Iris has just returned from Europe and in 1920’s Britain, she knows her trip will have raised some eyebrows. She is soon kept busy when someone attempts to shoot local business owner, Constance Timpson.
When one of Constance’s employees is found murdered, Iris finds herself unravelling another mystery. Can she find the answers before someone else gets hurt?
This was the first book I have read in the Iris Woodmore Mysteries series. I could keep up with what was going on but reading the first two books would enrich the knowledge around these very established characters if you wanted to read those prior to reading The Body at Carnival Bridge.
by Book Extract: The Mystery of the Homeless Man by Gina Cheyne
Please join me in welcoming Gina Cheyne to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Mystery of the Homeless Man, book three in the SeeMS Detective Agency series.
Why would an airline pilot exchange a world of comfort for life on the streets?
In 2006, Miranda meets an itinerant in the wood, she takes him home. He refuses to stay, desperate to return to the streets. Miranda gives him some money and forgets the incident.
Fifteen years later, the SeeMs Detective Agency is investigating an abandoned house and discovers a homeless man was found there: murdered.
No one knows who the dead man is or how he died, and, with one hundred and fifty unidentified street deaths per year, no one has time to find out.
But, the SeeMs Detectives have both time and a client.
Their investigation takes them into a surprising world of aviation, night-clubs and the homeless.
What they discover threatens one of their team. Can they save their colleague before the homeless man’s killer strikes again?
*****
Gina has shared an extract from The Mystery of the Homeless Man with us today. Enjoy!
*****beginning of extract*****
Stevie is interviewing Amy as a possible suspect for the Neil (homeless man) ’s death. This extract is Amy, who is an airline pilot, describing her engagement to Neil and why she broke it off.
‘Poor Neil.’ Amy blew out heavily. ‘OK. He had a lot of charm,’ she added, almost as though she was talking to herself. ‘He did have something, but, you know, once a drunk always a drunk. He was dangerous. He would drive drunk. I’d never do that.’
Her hand automatically moved to the little scar on her hairline. Stevie wondered if she got that from Neil, but Amy was still talking.
by Book Review: Love in the Wings by Ellie White
I am pleased to be welcoming Ellie White to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Love in the Wings.
Harriet Adams was a West End rising star until a lapse in judgement cost her: her dream job, her boyfriend and so-called friends.
She packs up her life and moves back to Sunderland where she gets a rare second chance at a career she thrives in. As she’s about open a shiny new musical in front of a home audience, she vows that this time, nothing is going to get in her way. With everything riding on this, she’ll play it safe, work hard and most importantly, stay away from theatre guys.
Cue Liam Wright, Assistant Stage Manager.
Liam is everything Harriet didn’t know she needed in her life, but he also has a secret. One that could advance his own career if he cashes it in. The only catch? It will ruin any chance of happiness with Harriet if she finds out.
Harriet and Liam share a love like no other, but will that be enough to save their budding relationship when the time comes?
*****
Harriet has returned to her home town of Sunderland, after leaving her job in the West End. She now has a chance to return to the stage at a theatre she has loved since she was a child. All she wants to do is work hard and do the best she can as she tries to put her past mistakes behind her.
Enter from the wings – Assistant Stage Manager, Liam. Sparks immediately fly. Can they find their way to the happy ending or will forces conspire against them?
I love stories like these – ones that just pull you in from the beginning and just give you happy vibes as you hope the main characters get their happily ever after. I wanted that a lot for Harriet and Liam.
Harriet has a lot on her shoulders and I wanted to give her a big hug. I wanted things to work out for her.
by Book Review: The Ex Wife by Sally Rigby and Amanda Ashby
It is my pleasure to welcome Sally Rigby and Amanda Ashby to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for their novel, The Ex Wife.
My life was perfect until she came along. Norah.
Younger, prettier and about to marry my own ex-husband, they are a walking cliché.
I hate her. I hate them both.
She’s taken everything from me – my husband, my life, my home – but I refuse to allow her to take Cassie, my beautiful daughter. That’s a step too far.
Now I’ve discovered that Norah plans to have a baby of her own and that causes me no end of problems. She could destroy everything and reveal my deepest, darkest secrets.
That can never be allowed to happen.
No matter what it costs…
*****
Norah is about to marry Alice’s ex husband, Mark. Now Norah is dead. Did Alice kill her?
It’s going to be so hard to talk about this book without giving things away but I am going to give it a go.
I love stories like these – the kind that draw you in from page one and keep you hooked right up until the last.
These are all believable characters. All have secrets and flaws and at one point, I suspected everyone! The discord is threaded through this story so well and the tension and suspense builds nicely.
by Book Review: The Visitors by Owen Knight
The Great Reset has begun.
Fourteen years ago, Peter saved the world. Now, his sister Emily and two strangers receive coded invitations to return to the hidden village of Templewood, where Peter faces a new, terrifying threat.
Templewood is home to the Sect, a secretive organisation intent on global power. They have infiltrated many Governments and are collaborating with the Visitors: alien invaders who have brought gifts of advanced scientific and genetic discoveries. These gifts will potentially provide enormous benefits for humanity and facilitate the Sect’s bid for power.
But at what cost and what is the Visitors’ motive? Why are they taking, then retuning, increasing numbers of the local population? Peter, Emily, and their friends must uncover the truth before their worst fears are confirmed.
*****
The Sect secretly run the world.
This organisation has covert bases located around the globe – the town of Templewood being one of them.
When the ‘Visitors’ arrive, they take an interest in two bases in particular, including Templewood.
The only communication from them have been in the form of gifts.
Then people start going missing.
This book is aimed at a YA audience so I am definitely not the target demographic.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: The Art of Letter Writing
The art of writing letters is so wonderful.
I am such a fan of writing letters and fascinated in what can be said and the emotion that can be conveyed – how handwriting your thoughts and feelings to someone and the symbolism that represents.
So, what is the task today I hear you ask?
Writing a letter of course.
The letter is from the point of view of either the main character of a current work in progress or a favourite fictional character. The recipient is you.
What would your character say to you? What would they want to convey? Is there something about them that they want to tell you?
by Book Review: One Last Summer at Seabreeze Farm by Jo Bartlett
I am really pleased to welcome Jo Bartlett to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, One Last Summer at Seabreeze Farm, formally published as One Last Summer at Channel View Farm.
A summer to remember…
Georgia Banks knows she’s living on borrowed time. So, when doctors tell her she’s got one last summer to make all her dreams come true, she’s determined to make every day count.
The one thing that’s never in doubt, is that she wants her best friend, Gabe, to be with her every step of the way. And so, Georgia draws up her not-a-bucket list with all the things she’s determined to tick off before she goes – number one of which is to spend one last summer by the sea.
Seabreeze Farm perched high on the cliffs above the English Channel is the perfect spot, and surrounded by the antics of its menagerie of rescued animals and the warmth of the friendship she’s offered there, Georgia starts to believe she can live out all her dreams before it’s too late.
And just when she thinks there’s nothing left to wish for, Georgia gets another chance at life. But taking it might mean losing the one person she cares about the most.
As she faces her biggest challenge yet, Georgia wonders if her last summer at Seabreeze Farm will mean the end of her biggest dream of all.
This book was previously published as One Last Summer at Channel View Farm
*****
Georgia knows she doesn’t really have that much time left. She’s been told that this could be her last summer. She wants to make every moment count and make sure the people she loves will be ok.
She’s made a not-a-bucket list and she wants her best friend Gabe by her side as she makes her way through it, starting with living by the sea.
Enter Seabreeze Farm.
Can Georgia get out of her own way and admit what’s really in her heart?
I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for One Last Summer at Seabreeze Farm as it sounded great.
Although this is book three in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I didn’t think I was missing any key information. However, book one and two are being added to my TBR list as I have fallen in love with these characters.
This book’s focus is Georgia as she battles with kidney failure. I really felt a lot of warmth and empathy with Georgia. Yes, she is a stubborn character but with so little in her control in terms of her illness, I can understand why she craves normality. Jo Bartlett shines light on organ donation in a great way.
Gabe, oh lovely Gabe. I did want to bang his and Georgia’s heads together at times but I rooted for them both so much. I love it when a novel can really make you feel invested in the characters like it did with this one. This book also sees the return of Ellie, Ben and Freya.
by Book Review: Summer Nights at the Starfish Café by Jessica Redland
I am so pleased to be welcoming Jessica Redland back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her new novel, Summer Nights at the Starfish Café.
Welcome back to The Starfish Café for a glorious summer, but with a few dark clouds on the horizon…
A new beginning…
As her summer wedding to Jake approaches, Hollie is excited for their new beginning as a family. But when some unexpected news threatens the future she and Jake had hoped for, Hollie will need to find the strength to overcome heartache once more.
A fragile heart….
Single mum, Kerry, loves her job at The Starfish Café, but behind the brave smiles and laughter with customers there is a sadness deep within. So when someone from her past re-appears in her life, Kerry can either hide away or face her demons and try to finally move on from her heartbreak.
A summer to remember…
For Hollie and Kerry it promises to be an emotional rollercoaster of a summer, but the community at The Starfish Café will always be there to help them through – after all, with courage nothing is impossible…
*****
Hollie’s wedding to Jake is approaching and she can’t wait. However, the reappearance of an unwanted visitor and some devastating news threatens to derail their happily ever after.
Kerry is single and raising four children. She loves her job at the Starfish Café. There’s even the chance of love. Then her ex reappears.
Can Hollie and Kerry get through the summer or will things get in their way?
Oh it’s so good to be back with the residents of Whitsborough Bay and the Starfish Café. It’s like catching up with old friends.
This is book three of The Starfish Café series and although I throughly recommend reading the first two books in the series as they are amazing and give you a richer backstory, I feel that you can read this book as a standalone.
by Book Review: Odin’s Betrayal by Donovan Cook
Please join me in welcoming Donovan Cook to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for his novel, Odin’s Betrayal.
Two kingdoms destined for war, one boy caught in the eye of the storm…
Francia AD853
After a failed Viking raid on the Frankish coast over 20-years-ago, Jarl Sven the Boar is forced to leave his only son, Torkel, as a hostage and warned never to raid Francia again or his son will die.
In Hügelburg, a small town in East Francia, Torkel and his 9-year-old son Charles are ambushed at home.
Before dying, Torkel thrusts a package into young Charles’s hands and tells him to flee Francia for Denmark in search of his grandfather Sven the Boar’s protection.
But the man Charles eventually finds is not who he expects, and Charles must put his fate in the hands of a man betrayed by Odin.
Together they must uncover the significance of the package and why the Kings of Francia want Charles dead.
*****
When Charles loses his father, the nine-year-old must find his way to Denmark and locate his grandfather whilst avoiding trackers and traitors.
Before I started reading, I had an expectation that this was going to be a little heavy on the history. However, once I passed the prologue, I discovered it’s led very much by the story and the characters.
You can’t help but feel for young Charles, a boy of danish decent raised in Francia as a Christian, having to turn to those he’s been taught are heathens for his own safety.
He is faced with trials that very much go against his world view and he is forced to learn some hard lessons.
by Book Extract: End Game by Liz Mistry
I am so pleased to be welcoming Liz Mistry to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, End Game.
Four dead bodies. One missing person. Let the game begin.
When an anonymous tip-off leads Detective Nikki Parekh and DS Sajid Malik to the sprawling Salinger estate, Nikki’s senses are on high alert. The brutal murder of all four members of the Salinger family has shocked the sleepy Bradford village to the core.
A mother, father, daughter, and son. . . all killed in exactly the same way – whilst sat around the coffee table, playing a game of monopoly.
But Nikki notices that there are five pieces on the board. One of the players is missing… Did they manage to escape the killer, or was the killer part of the game?
Liz has shared an extract today so grab that drink, find that comfy chair and enjoy!
(warning: language.)
*****beginning of extract*****
Prologue
Then: Marnie
It is the hottest day of the summer yet. That shimmering heat idling just above the grass. Even in my shorts and strappy T-shirt, just looking at it makes me feel sticky and tired. I want to laze under the massive spreading oak tree with my colouring books. Just sit quietly, with my own thoughts. Starting high school after the summer holidays preys on my mind. Such a big step. Such a massive change. I’ll be leaving my friends behind because, despite my arguments, they’ve decided the local comprehensive school isn’t good enough for me. I don’t get it. If it’s good enough for my friends then why isn’t it good enough for me? Do Mum and Dad think I deserve more than Alice or Fiona? That feels wrong to me.
Anyway, this was day five of my war against the parents. I’d tried arguing, I’d tried pleading and nothing had worked. Today I was trying silence. The only problem is my annoying little sister Jilly. Why can’t she just find something to do that doesn’t involve annoying me? God she is soooo lame. Sooooo annoying. There she is trundling out the back door, a plastic bag filled with picnic stuff hanging off her wrist and a smile as wide as one of those arches on the viaduct we’d visited the other week. I edge my way round the foot of the tree till I am out of view of the kitchen window and tuck my legs out of sight.
‘Marnie. Marnie. I know you’re there. I saw you crawl behind the tree. I’ve brought snacks.’
Aw shut up, Jilly. The heat is making me mardy and Jilly always brings out the worst in me. She’s always there. If she isn’t harping on at me about something, she’s following me and my pals around like a stupid collie dog desperate for a pat. I hate her sometimes. Sometimes I really, really hate her.
‘I know today’s your “not speaking to anyone day”, but you still got to eat, Marn. I’ve got ice lollies.’
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Switching
Today, I wanted to focus on a writing prompt with a bit of a twist.
Your word target is a minimum of 1000 words.
The prompt – The story begins when your character discovers an object that convinces them that they can have the superpower they desire the most.
Begin your story using the prompt and one of the genres below. It doesn’t matter which one you start with.
Here’s the twist – every 200 words, change the genre, choosing another from the list.
Romance
Horror
Sci-fi
by Book Review: Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash
I am so excited to be welcoming Kim Nash to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her new book, Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove.
A perfect new start in Cornwall…
Meredith’s life is at a standstill. She’s stuck in a dead-end job, approaching fifty, and her dating life is a string of disasters. But one evening, while browsing the internet, she sees an ad for a lighthouse, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she makes a ridiculous bid for it.
With the help of local handyman Clem, she sets about renovating. And as they work together, a bond begins to form. But when Meredith finds out that Clem is keeping a secret from her, it changes everything. Will they find a way to build something more meaningful together?
*****
After a drunken evening post divorce, Meredith wakes up to find that she’s bought a lighthouse in the Cornish village of Driftwood Bay. Throwing caution to the wind, she decides to move down to Cornwall. The worst that happens is that she sells the lighthouse.
What she doesn’t count on is a dilapidated lighthouse and a chance encounter with a handsome local.
Can Driftwood Bay be the new start Meredith is looking for?
To say that I immediately fell into this book would be an understatement. It drew me in from page one and Meredith is very easy to root for. She’s so much stronger and braver than she realises. I loved seeing how she developed over the course of the novel.
Clem is also an endearing character with a mysterious air to him. I loved the scenes that he and Meredith shared. Like Vi, I wanted to bang their heads together. Speaking of Vi, she, as well as Gabby, Lucy, James and Gemma are wonderful supporting characters.
by Book Extract: The Starlight Stables Gang by Esme Higgs and Jo Cotterill
I am so happy be welcoming Esme Higgs and Jo Cotterill to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for The Starlight Stables Gang – book one in a brand new series.
Summer has always loved horses but she never thought she’d be able to learn how to ride them – not with money being so tight at home. Then she discovers the Starlight Stables where she meets a new gang of friends and learns how to ride in return for helping-out with the horses. It’s a dream come true!
Summer falls in love with life at the stables and especially with Luna, a beautiful dapple-grey pony. But one day, Summer arrives at the stables to find that Luna has been stolen in the night. It’s up to the Starlight Stables Gang to follow the clues and rescue Luna before it’s too late!
Full of fun, friendship and and mystery, this is the first book in the brand-new Starlight Stables Gang series. Beautifully illustrated by Hannah George.
*****
I’ve reviewed the novel below but first, Esme and Jo have shared an extract from The Starlight Stables Gang with us today. Enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
I start to wash my hands, scanning the row of basins. I can’t see two girls talking to each other about horses. Have they already gone? My heart is beating fast. I wonder if I should dash out into the corridor to search for them. And then I get a grip of myself. For goodness’ sake, Summer! What would you do, anyway? Throw yourself on them and sob, ‘I love horses too, can I come rind ride yours?’
And then, while I’m standing there, soap on my hands, paralysed with indecision and embarrassment — a couple of girls are looking at me weirdly — I hear the second voice again. ‘Jessie? You still in here?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Me too.’
They giggle. And then two cubicle doors open at the same time and the girls come out, and I know instantly which one is Jessie because I’ve seen her in assembly. She has long black hair and she sometimes wears lip gloss, which is totally illegal in school but I think she gets away with it.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but my heart sinks a little because Jessie looks exactly like the kind of girl who would have her own pony.
The other girl is short and stocky and has a cloud of orange hair. I don’t know her name. My school is so big. ‘Are you going there again after school today?’ she asks Jessie as they come over to the basins and plonk down their bags.
by Novel Kicks Book Club: Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Hello April.
It’s a time for chocolate eggs, Hot Cross buns, April showers and a bank holiday weekend. What better excuse do we need to curl up with a good book?
The novel this month is one I have been wanting to read for so long. They’ve recently adapted it into a TV show and I want to watch that. However, I am one of those people that likes to have read the book first (it’s why I’ve not watched the adaptation of Alias Grace yet.)
So, in case you’ve not already guessed, the novel we’re reading this month is Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
It looks so good and I can’t wait to read. As usual, our book club is open to all, whether you, like me, will be reading it for the first time over the next thirty days or have already read it and want to chat about your thoughts.
As usual, I have put a question in the comments to kick off the discussion. I look forward to talking about Daisy Jones and the Six with you.
*****
A bit about Daisy Jones and the Six –
by NK Chats To… Charlie Dean
Hi Charlie, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, I Love You, Always Forever and what inspired it?
I Love You. Always. Forever was written during a difficult period in my life. My mum had been diagnosed with kidney cancer as has Charlie’s and it was my coping mechanism, like my first book was with my dad’s dementia. I wanted to show that even when life is tough, you can still smile and find happy times. I decided to make it a dual timeline to show that family and friendships can last a lifetime.
What songs would make up a playlist for your book?
I Love You, Always, Forever by Donna Lewis
Boom Shake the Room by Will Smith
Let’s Talk About Sex by Salt n Pepa
Face to Face by Siouxsie and The Banshees
From idea to finished book, what’s your writing process like, do you conduct much research, how long does it typically take you, do you have a typical writing day and any writing rituals?
I am a complete pantser and just sit down and write. I’ve written novels in 3 months and also in three years. I usually start with an idea, something random that came to me in the night and go from there. My characters tell me how the story goes. I work and have family to care for so writing is a luxury in my spare time, I’m such a procrastinator though which doesn’t help either.
Which authors do you admire?
I am the biggest fan of Philippa Gregory. Her writing makes you feel as if she lived in the time and knew the characters herself. She inspires me to write an historical romance but I just don’t have the time for the research at the moment.
What’s your favourite word and why?
by Book Review: Let Your Lips Twitch by R.A. Clarke
I am pleased to be welcoming R.A. Clarke to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her collection of short stories, Let Your Lips Twitch.
Comedy is everywhere if you allow yourself to see it—to feel it. It can be subtle or overt, dark or joyous, adorable or cheeky. Such ageless versatility is beyond compare. Curated with that in mind, author R.A. Clarke proudly presents sixteen humorous stories to the world.
Between these covers, you’ll find short fiction in several genres. Each tale is infused with unique characters and comical situations, some rooted in reality, others certainly not. Flip the page and join a jewel heist executed by bumbling thieves at a gastronomy party, meet a lowly soul gifted the fantastical chance to redo an all-consuming moment of regret, or sweat alongside a father as he realizes his daughter is growing up too fast. Turn another page and you’ll enjoy clowning around while meeting Mr. Right, then zoom in on a perfectly focused meet cute, or feel Mother Nature’s wrath as a rebellious fishing excursion goes all kinds of wrong. There is something in this collection for everyone to enjoy, including eight never-before-seen stories.
Allow yourself to be entertained and whisked away. Let humour in all its glorious forms tempt your lips to move. Don’t fight the urge. Embrace it. Go ahead and let your lips twitch.
*****
Let Your Lips Twitch is sixteen short stories and as I had not read anything by R.A. Clarke before, I didn’t know what to expect.
What happened is that I raced through these stories. Some I liked more than others but each one was different and interesting and for me, there were many moments where I laughed out loud.
There is something to suit a variety of readers and what I like is that you can read them in order, it’s not a long read at two hundred pages long, but you can also dip in and out if you just wanted to fill a couple of minutes.
by Book Review: The Kill by Evie Hunter
I am pleased to be welcoming Evie Hunter to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her novel, The Kill.
Secrets can’t stay hidden forever…
After six years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Sebastian Carter is out and determined to get answers about who set him up. He knows it’s someone close to him and Sebastian will make sure they pay.
Ava Harper is living a lie. Although she loves her job caring for young Lily Carter, her real reason for being in the Carter household is to get answers of her own – from none other than convicted murderer Sebastian.
Sebastian hates liars, but he’s intrigued by Ava. As he gets to know more about her, he wonders if the answers she’s looking for could solve his mystery too.
Or will getting too close to Ava risk them both getting killed…?
*****
Sebastian Carter has just been released from prison for a murder he did not commit.
He is looking for answers, as is Ava. Could they work together to find the truth or will it put them in more danger?
Oh I love a good book with intrigue and that is what you get with The Kill.
From the beginning, questions hang in the air, suspense and tension is built and I had a desperate need to find out what was going on and how this novel was going to end. It’s a rollercoaster.
by Book Review: Storm of War by Peter Gibbons
We are pleased to be welcoming Peter Gibbons to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for Storm of War, book two in the Saxon Warrior Series.
The fight for a torn Kingdom rests in the hands of a few brave men…
990AD.
King Aethelred II, who men will one day call The Unready, rules over a land divided by the shadowy spin of his mother Queen Ælfthryth and the sprawling power of the Church.
The Viking Warlord, Olaf Tryggvason smelling the Kingdoms weakness brings the vicious Jomsvikings to the Saxon coastline ravenous for war and plunder.
Together Lord Byrthnoth, Ealdorman of the East Saxons and Beornoth his Saxon Thegn lead a force of oath sworn Viking killers, every bit as brutal and war-skilled as the Norse invaders to protect the Kingdom against enemies both from within, and from the cruel seas. They are pushed to the very limits of their bravery and endurance in a desperate fight for the very existence of the Saxon Kingdom.
In a riveting story of trachery, betrayal, vengeance and war, can Beornoth defeat his enemies and protect the Kingdom from destruction?
*****
The story follows Beornoth as he tries to avenge the death of his children, fighting Vikings who are attacking Saxon England, whilst also needing to contend with politics and treachery.
This is book two in the series and although I was aware there was a book prior to this one I hadn’t read, I didn’t feel there were too many holes in my knowledge. Any relevant information is given concisely.
by Book Review: No More Lies by Rachel Abbott
Recently life has been good for Mallory Hansen: a great job, a lovely home, and a wonderful man, Nathan, to share it with.
But now she must ask herself: is it all built on lies?
A shocking accusation has been made against Nathan, and Mallory doesn’t know who to believe. He denies everything, but all the signs point to his guilt. She has learned to trust Nathan, but she also remembers the boy he used to be.
As teenagers, Mallory and Nathan were part of a close-knit group of six friends until a vicious argument drove them apart. Now, fifteen years later, they are back in touch – only to find themselves drawn into a web of mutual distrust, one by one…
The attacks on their lives are skilfully targeted, designed to hit them where they hurt the most, and when a young woman disappears and a baby is abducted, DCI Tom Douglas must try to unravel the past and discover who is the architect of their misery.
*****
Mallory feels as though her life is pretty much together. She and Nathan have known each other since University and things are perfect. However, a conversation with a woman at a book club sends her life upside down. Nathan has accused of sexual harassment.
Things are made worse when Nathan’s accuser goes missing.
Oh Tom and Becky. I’ve missed you. I am always so excited when Rachel Abbott releases a new DCI Tom Douglas thriller as I know I’m going to be in for a brilliant rollercoaster of a time.
I was so pleased to catch up once again with Tom and Becky. The case is an intricate one and had me guessing from page one right up until the last page. The pace is fast and there are so many twists and turns.
Of course, with a series of this nature, I always have a worry that the new book isn’t going to be as gripping as previous novels but, in my opinion, there’s no issue with that here.
by Book Review: Never Too Late by T.A. Williams
Happy publication day to T.A. Williams. His novel, Never Too Late was released today.
A second chance to realise her dreams…
A classically trained pianist, Steph works as a recording engineer for a small studio when she’s offered the job of a lifetime – travel to the Italian Riviera to help world-famous band, Royalty, record their reunion album after a decades-long hiatus.
Steph could definitely do with the distraction. Her boyfriend – who also happens to be her boss – is increasingly unreliable and erratic, and she’s awaiting news from her doctor after a recent biopsy. So an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy is the perfect escape.
What she doesn’t expect is an instant connection with Rob, the son of Royalty’s lead singer. With her career – and her heart – at a crossroads, what path will Steph follow?
*****
Steph is a classically trained pianist but currently finds herself working for her boyfriend, Ethan as a recording engineer.
When she is given a chance to work on a comeback album for a successful rock band, she can’t believe her luck as she and Ethan jet off to Italy.
This job also puts her in the path of Rob. Where will her heart lead her?
There was so much to immediately fall in love with when reading this novel.
First, the setting! When do we leave?! Haha.
by Book Review: Gone by Ruby Speechley
Please join me in saying hello to Ruby Speechley who is here with the blog tour for her novel, Gone.
My son is missing, and everyone is lying to me.
Last night my son, Shay, sneaked out of the house and didn’t come home. He promised not to go to the illegal party in the woods. But someone’s been attacked and Shay has gone missing. The police want to know if he saw what happened. I’m worried he could be involved.
After all the trouble he’s been in lately, mixing with the wrong crowd, coming home beaten up and scared, I thought we’d put it all behind us. Trouble is, Shay resents me moving my new boyfriend into the family home. I found all sorts on his laptop, including a half-written email warning me not to trust David. What does he know that I don’t?
I’m beginning to fear for his safety. What is David hiding from me? Who have I let into our lives?
I don’t know who I can trust. Will I ever see my son alive again?
*****
Rachel’s son is missing and she’s increasingly questioning who she can trust.
As the days go by, she starts to question the man she loves and what he had to do with her son’s disappearance.
OK, so I seriously could not put this book down, even when I was meant to be sleeping. From page one, it had me hooked as I tried to figure out what was going on.
Hmm, what can I say about this novel without giving too much away?
by Book Club
