This Week’s New Releases
There have been some great novels been released this week so some potentially great books to add to your collection. These include…
Last Night on Earth by Kevin Maher (Abacus, 3rd March 2016.)
The paperback edition for Last Night on Earth has been released today. The premise for this novel looks very interesting.
Jay adores his small daughter, Bonnie, and nothing matters more to him than being a good father. But Bonnie’s traumatic birth puts an unbearable strain on his marriage with Shauna and the couple eventually separate.
Despite this, London is the place to be: New Labour is in power and the city is buzzing with optimism. Jay is slowly putting his life back together, snagging a job on a TV documentary about the Millennium Dome and, crucially, spending time with his beloved three-year-old daughter, Bonnie.
Indeed, things might have even begun to look up. Until, that is, the arrival of The Clappers. Six foot tall, all muscle and plenty of heart, she insists on making the world right for Jay. But, inevitably, she makes it wrong…
You Sent Me A Letter by Lucy Dawson (Corvis, 3rd March 2016.)
Both the paperback and electronic versions of this book have been released today. Again this is another great sounding novel and I actually can’t wait to read this one.
At 2 a.m. on the morning of her fortieth birthday, Sophie wakes to find an intruder in her bedroom. The stranger hands Sophie a letter and issues a threat: open the letter at her party that evening, in front of family and friends, at exactly 8 p.m., or those she loves will be in grave danger.
What can the letter possibly contain?
This will be no ordinary party; Sophie is not the only person keeping a secret about the evening ahead. When the clock strikes eight, the course of several people’s lives will be altered for ever.
by 
Book Review: The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins
Doubleday, January 2015
Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy. And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar. Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…
Have you ever looked out of the window of a train at the houses passing by and wondered what sort of people live in them and maybe even created fictional lives for them? Rachel does this everyday as she catches the same commuter train. However, simple curiosity turns into something much more and she must decide just how far she will go to get involved in these people’s lives, of which, in reality she knows very little about.
Rachel, a divorced alcoholic still thinks about her ex-husband who still lives in their old home with his new wife and child. This is probably not helped by the fact she passes the house every day whilst on the train. Her ex husband, Tom also happens to live a few doors down from the couple that she becomes enthralled with and soon starts making up stories about in her head. With plenty of time on her hands whilst commuting back and forth she becomes a bit too emotionally involved in the woman she names Jess. Then when she witnesses something out of the ordinary her curiosity overwhelms her and she forces her way into the couple’s life.
by Courses and Competitions: Mslexia Woman’s Short Story Competition 2016
Mslexia are still excepting entries for their Woman’s short story competition for 2016.
They are welcoming writers of all levels and experiences and you can write on any subject and style as long as it’s within the 2,200 word limit.
First prize not only includes its publication in the June issue of Mslexia, it also includes £2,000 and optional extras of a week’s writing retreat and a day with an editor at Virago Press.
The person who comes second will receive £500 and third place will receive £250. An additional three finalists will receive £100 and all six will be featured in the June edition of Mslexia.
The judge for this year is author, Michele Roberts.
Entry is £10 per story and the closing date is 14th March 2016.
For more information on the competition, how to enter and the terms and conditions, head to https://mslexia.co.uk
by My Writing Ramblings: To-Do Lists Are My Friends
This week has been a mixture of being productive and retreating into a book with an occasional need to hide over the covers. The weather is less than inspiring. I am one of those annoying people who love snow as long as I don’t have to drive in it. I think snow is what we should be getting if it’s going to be this cold.
It’s certainly one day at a time for me right now but I am still constantly thinking about my novel and have been setting myself the challenge this week of doing thirty minutes a day of novel planning. It’s amazing how much you can get done in that time provided you don’t get distracted.
My seven hundred and fifty words streak is still going strong. I am currently on my four hundredth and twenty-seventh day. It is such a good tool as I can use it to bash out ideas, write fiction or just empty my head. My latest habit has been to include a hundred words inspired by a prompt so it’s at least making sure I am writing a piece of fiction every day as well as giving me some great ideas for future work.
This week, I’ve also been making the most of to-do lists. I have always been a list maker. I love them and have always been a fan. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t start my homework without making a list of what I had to do (I will forget the fact that I still left some of it until the last-minute.)
by Competitions: Blind Date With A Book – March
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.
It is very easy to judge a book by its cover. I know I do it. Here’s your chance to win a blind date with a book.
I’m not going to reveal what the title of this month’s book is nor will I reveal the cover. All I will reveal is that the themes include ‘friendship, love, relationships and missed opportunities.’
How to enter:
All you have to do is comment below with your name and county. The closing date for entries is Wednesday 30th March 2016. I will then pick out a winner at random and will announce it on the Novel Kicks blog on Thursday 31st March 2o16. It’s not needed to enter but if you wanted to have a go at guessing what the book is too. UK and Ireland only this time around. Good Luck.
by Book Club
