Book Review: Five Things I Love About You by Clare Swatman
It’s so lovely to be welcoming Clare Swatman back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Five Things I Love About You.
Forty-nine-year-old Miranda is at a crossroads.
Her children have left home, her perfectly civilised divorce is more than a decade behind her and her romances since have been lacklustre, and her career has stalled. The bright spots in her life are best friends Sophie and Kirstie, but it’s clear something has to change.
So, when she’s knocked off her bike and wakes up in hospital bruised but not broken, Miranda wonders if the universe is trying to tell her something. And when she starts to be plagued by recurring dreams featuring the same featureless man, Sophie insists it’s a sign.
Her repeating dreams offer five clues to the man’s identity so, with nothing to lose, Miranda sets off on a journey to the future she’s always longed for. Somewhere there’s a life and a love waiting for Miranda, but will she grasp it with both hands or will she let her destiny slip through her fingers even when it’s right in front of her…
An uplifting, magical story about fresh starts, best friends and soulmates. Perfect for all fans of Lucy Diamond, Beth Moran and Jill Mansell.
*****
Miranda has found herself at a bit of a crossroads. Having lost her job, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do next. So, when she gets knocked off her bike and gets helped by a man she knows only as ‘J’, she decides to try and find him. Will fate help her along the way or is it a lost cause?
I am so pleased to be invited onto the blog tour for the latest novel from Clare Swatman. Having enjoyed previous books by this author, I couldn’t wait to get started on Five Things I Love About You.
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Book Extract: Shadows In The Spring by Christina Courtenay
I’m so happy to be welcoming Christina Courtenay back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, Shadows In The Spring.
Two souls bound together but lost in time. Until now.
AD 80
Duro of the Iceni tribe escaped life as an enslaved gladiator and is now finally home in Britannia with one thing on his mind: vengeance. For 20 years he has sought the Roman legionary who destroyed his family. What he didn’t expect was Gisel: a fierce Germanic woman with long white-blonde hair, forced into slavery by the Romans. Hypnotised by her spirit and her beauty, Duro frees Gisel and slowly tries to win her trust as they work together to complete his quest.
Present Day
Mackenna Jackson returns to Bath with a broken heart, thanks to rockstar Blue Daniels. Luckily she can still count on Blue’s former bandmate Jonah Miller as a listening ear. But Jonah has secretly been fighting stronger feelings, drawn to Mac’s quiet confidence and gorgeous white-blonde hair. As they explore the area, memories they can’t quite explain flood them both.
Is the spark between Mac and Jonah in fact a sign of something much deeper – a love enduring through millennia – or can it all be an illusion?
Christina has shared an extract from Shadows In The Spring with us today. We hope you enjoy it.
*****beginning of extract*****
Prologue
Germania Barbaricum (north-east France), mid-May AD 80
The jolting of the cart over a particularly large bump in the track woke Gisel. Her head felt as if someone had speared her skull with a knife and her gaze was unfocused. Only a sliver of light filtered in under the material that covered the wagon where she lay trussed like a fowl ready for the roasting spit. Everything was dim, and she wasn’t sure whether it was reality or merely a bad dream.
Then she remembered.
by Book Extract: Fantaisie by Michael Kenneth Smith
It’s a pleasure to be welcoming Michael Kenneth Smith to Novel Kicks as we shine a light on his novel, Fantaisie.
Fantaisie is set in the aftermath of war, where the front lines have shifted to secrets and survival.
Jan Orlinski, a pilot with few options, accepts work that puts him in the crosshairs of international intrigue. Sophie Gordon, caught up in a dangerous intelligence operation, vanishes behind enemy lines—setting Jan on a rescue mission that will test his limits.
Author Michael Kenneth Smith is known for The Postwoman, a novel rooted in real WWII resistance history. Fantaisie continues his legacy of character-driven, historically rich fiction.
Michael Kenneth Smith has kindly shared an extract from Fantaisie with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract****
The black sedan was still following them as they neared the airport, albeit at a distance. Jan decided whoever it was wanted to keep an eye on them but wasn’t looking for a confrontation. He glanced back again as Brian made a quick turn and then another. After four years in Matadi, he knew the city’s streets well. Soon, they were headed back across the bridge into the heart of town, the sedan no longer visible behind them. The sun beat down as Brian guided the truck through Matadi’s bustling streets, which smelled of exhaust and overripe fruit from market stalls and street vendors. He turned down narrow alleys twice, the truck’s tires screeching in protest.
Five minutes later, they pulled up to a small, tidy house in an affluent neighborhood.
“Come on,” Brian said. “We need to talk.”
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Talking Whilst Doing
Hello Wednesday and I’d like to welcome everyone back to another Novel Kicks Writing Room.
For today’s task, I thought it would be fun to concentrate on writing dialogue.
Many of us will hold conversations whilst doing something else and your character will be no different.
Spend a few minutes listing some activities. Then pick an activity from that list and write a piece using mostly dialogue. Make sure to incorporate the activity into the piece.
Here are some examples of activities should you need them –
Driving a car.
Washing up.
Walking around a supermarket.
Painting a wall.
Moving house.
by Book Review: Broken Hearted by Leia Stone and Julie Hall
The Winter Court princess Isolde must find the next piece of the puzzle to end the curse ravaging her lands.
My world is dying, and only I can save it.
When the princesses of Summer and Fall disappeared in Ethereum, the burden of stopping the curse that’s tearing Faerie apart fell to me. My mission is clear: kill an Ethereum lord and return with his magical black heart to save our land.
But I know a secret no one else does―Dawn and Aribella are alive, and everything I’ve been told about the Ethereum lords is a lie. Not only that, but there may be another way to break the curse once and for all.
At least, that’s what they claim.
I want to believe them, because when I gaze into the captivating teal eyes of the Southern Ethereum lord, the thought of driving a dagger through his heart becomes impossible to imagine. But trusting them could cost me everything.
Now, I’m torn between loyalty and truth, with no idea who to trust. The clock is ticking, and the fate of Faerie rests in my hands.
*****
The curse that is destroying the kingdom of Faerie is getting worse and Queen Lilianna now hopes that Isolde, the princess of the Winter Kingdom, can do what the Summer (Dawn) and Fall (Aribella) princesses could not – go through the portal into Ethereum, cut out the heart of a lord and bring it back.
Isolde hopes to help without having to resort to murder. She also finds herself fighting her feelings for Adrien, an Ethereum Lord who, when she arrives, is engaged to someone else.
by Book Club
