Book News -Milly Johnson to release an e-book exclusive.
New e-book being released in May.
Sunday Times best-selling author, Milly Johnson, is due to release her new book, The Teashop on the Corner, in June but first, she’s releasing an e-book exclusive. It’s called Here Come the Boys. It’s available to pre-order now and is released on 22nd May 2014 by Simon & Schuster.
Here’s the blurb:
Angie Silverton and her husband are taking a much-needed holiday on the cruise ship Mermaidia, so the last person she hopes to bump into on the first night is her one-time best friend Selina and the man Selina stole from her and married twenty years ago.
And what she needs even less is to be marooned in Malaga with Selina when both of them manage to miss boarding the ship in port.
It will take three days for them to travel across Europe to catch up with the ship again in Croatia. And in the company of each other twenty-four/seven, a lot of old baggage is going to be unloaded.
by 
Book News – Get Started in Creative Writing
Teach Yourself: March 2014.
New Edition from Teach Yourself Series.
I have always been a fan of the Teach Yourself series and this new edition for getting started in Creative Writing has recently been released. It’s available in paperback and e-book. I find these books great in terms of dipping in and out of the sections where I need specific help. It’s also great as a whole for first time writers. I am looking forward to checking out this new edition.
Here’s the blurb:
Get Started in Creative Writing will help writers at the very beginning of their creative journey to gain confidence and find inspiration, and then support you in the completion of your first pieces of creative writing – a short story, a poem, a draft of a novel or screenplay. Each chapter includes a central writing exercise and four shorter ones, while key quotes, key ideas and focus points will be clearly signposted and will summarise important concepts and advice. At the heart of each chapter is a ‘Workshop’. The Workshop is a key exercise, in which you will gain a deeper insight into the craft of writing.
by Freya North
New book due for release in June.
Freya North’s previous novels include Rumours, Chances and Pillow Talk. Her new book, The Way Back Home is due for release by HarperCollins on 19th June 2014. It will be available in Hardback and e-book.
We absolutely adore this cover and I’m looking forward to reading. What do you think of the cover?
If you can’t wait until June, a free sampler will be released for kindle on 8th May 2014 and is available for pre-order via Amazon.
About the book:
One summer, something happened that changed everything forever…
by News -Harper Lee
Mockingbird to be made available for e-readers.
In a rare public statement, Harper Lee has announced that her iconic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, will be available to buy as an e-book for the first time. Due for release on 8th July, it will also be available in downloadable audiobook.
Harper Lee announced the news on Monday, her 88th birthday in a statement released through her publisher, HarperCollins. She said, “I’m still old-fashioned. I love dusty old books and libraries. I am amazed and humbled that Mockingbird has survived this long. This is Mockingbird for a new generation.”
The Pulitzer prize winning novel was first released in 1960 and was later adpated into a movie. The novel has sold more than thirty million copies.
by Book News – Julie Cohen
Cohen’s new book due for release in July.
We love Julie Cohen and can’t wait for her new novel. It’s called Where Love Lies and it’s due for release by Bantam Press on 31st July 2014 in hardback and e-book.
About the book:
Lately, Felicity just can’t shake the shadow of uncertainty that has pervaded her life. Her husband Quinn is the kindest person she knows and loves her peculiarities more than Felicity feels she deserves. But suddenly it’s as if she doesn’t quite belong.
Then Felicity experiences something extraordinary: a scent of perfume in the air that evokes memories and feelings that have been settled deep within her for a long time, untouched and undisturbed. As it happens again and then again, the memories of a man Felicity hasn’t seen for ten years also flutter to the surface. And so do the feelings of being deeply, exquisitely in love…
Which would you trust: your head or your heart?
by Mark Billingham
New Tom Thorne novel is available to pre-order.
Tom Thorne is back in Mark Billingham’s latest novel, The Bones Beneath which is due for release by Little, Brown on 22nd May 2014.
About the book:
The Deal
Tom Thorne is back in charge – but there’s a terrifying price to pay. Stuart Nicklin, the most dangerous psychopath he has ever put behind bars, promises to reveal the whereabouts of a body he buried twenty-five years before. But only if Thorne agrees to escort him.
The Danger
Unable to refuse, Continue reading
by The Creative Writing Student’s Handbook
Creative Writing Matters, 2014
A new creative writing handbook from the founders of the Exeter Novel Prize.
Being a new writer can be scary and there is a minefield of information available. I have my fair share of ‘how to’ writing books. However, this one looks particularly helpful. Margaret James was my tutor for a writing course I did with the London School of Journalism a couple of years ago and her advice was very valuable. Now, along with Cathie Hartigan, Margaret has placed her writing wisdom into one e-book. I will definitely be getting my hands on this one.
The blurb:
This new handbook takes students through the entire creative writing process. You will find plenty of practical advice, helpful exercises, lots of tips and links to useful websites in this indispensable handbook for new and seasoned writers alike. Continue reading
by Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy’s final book to be released on 24th April.
Chestnut Street is a collection of linked stories (which have been complied by her husband from a store of unpublished stories,) and is due for release in hardback by Orion on 24th April (it is available for pre-order.) It’s the final book from the wonderful Maeve Binchy who passed away in 2012.
About the book:
Just round the corner from St Jarlath’s Crescent is Chestnut Street. Here, the lives of the residents are revealed in Maeve Binchy’s wonderfully compelling tales:
Bucket Maguire, the window cleaner, who must do more than he bargained for to protect his son. Continue reading
by Lisa Jewell
The new novel from Lisa Jewell due for release in July.
Lisa is the author of Ralph’s Party, Before I Met You and The House We Grew Up In. Her new book will be called The Third Wife and is due for release from Century on 3rd July. It’s available to pre-order now. We massively adore Lisa’s books. We’re looking forward to reading the new novel.
About the book:
London 2011: In the early hours of a summer morning, a young woman is killed by a bus. A tragic accident? Or suicide? A year later, her devastated husband, Adrian Wolfe, is determined to find out. Adrian and Maya had only recently married, and he’d always believed they were happy together. His children from his two previous marriages loved her. Continue reading
by Emily Giffin
The One and Only is the new release from Emily Giffin.
Emily is the author of Something Borrowed, Something Blue and Where We Belong. Her new novel is due for release by Ballantine Books on 20th May. You can get a sneak peek of chapter one on Emily’s website.
About the book:
Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.
by Clemency Burton-Hill
The new release from the author of The Other Side of The Stars.
The new novel from author and actress, Clemency Burton-Hill is being released by Headline on 10th April 2014. It’s called All The Things You Are. We think it has a lovely cover and we’re looking forward to reading.
A little about the book:
When New York journalist Natasha Bernstein loses her job and discovers her fiancé has been keeping a dark secret, her world collapses. Turning to her family, she takes inspiration from her formidable grandmother Esther, who runs a community centre in downtown Manhattan. As she starts to rebuild her life, Natasha’s friendship with Rafi – the enigmatic architect working on Esther’s centre – restores her sense of wonder at the world and her faith in who she is. But when Rafi and Natasha take a trip to Jerusalem, they are plunged into a story far deeper than their own. Continue reading
by Ellie Campbell
To Catch A Creeper by Ellie Campbell.
Across The Pong Press. March 2014.
Today is publication day for To Catch a Creeper, the follow-up novel to Looking for La La.
The blurb for To Catch a Creeper:
Cathy is riding high in her brand-new job at a (surprisingly bitchy) top London advertising agency working with best friend Rosa. But when Rosa’s pregnancy goes amiss and enemies sabotage her new career, she finds herself leading a chaotic double life of lies and deception, hiding a shameful secret from all, especially husband Declan who appears in the throes of a nervous breakdown. Meanwhile she’s agreed to unmask the notorious Crouch End Creeper, a burglar terrorizing their neighbourhood. Little does she know that her meddling, assisted by fellow mothers (the Wednesday Once Weeklies) and the Neighbourhood Watch, will lead their dangerous opponent to murder. And that it’s not only the tall elegant transvestite who is placing herself at risk…
To celebrate publication day, Continue reading
by Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
The conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy.
The last book in the series by Laini Taylor is called Dreams of Gods and Monsters and is due for release by Hodder and Stoughton on 17th April 2014. Helen reviewed The Daughter of Smoke and Bone and absolutely loved it. You can read her review here.
Here’s a little about the book:
Common enemy, common cause.
When Jael’s brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.
And, perhaps, for themselves.
by Deeper by Robin York.
Piatkus, Jan 2014.
Deeper is the first book in the Caroline & West Series.
Book Review by Laura.
Caroline has a promising future as a lawyer. That’s until her ex boyfriend posts some sex pictures of her on the Internet in an act called ‘revenge porn.’ Now her future isn’t looking so bright and she doesn’t know what to do to make things right. Then, when a boy she barely knows punches her ex, Caroline finds herself getting closer to a boy that she knows isn’t good for her.
West is not someone she should be with. She knows this and even though they both tell each other that they are just friends, their feelings intensify until they can no longer pretend.
In this time, Caroline doesn’t know what she wants to do but has to find courage to fight back.
I didn’t know whether I was going to like this book because I have to admit, I assumed it was going to be a little ‘shades of grey’ genre but I was very pleasantly surprised and once I began to read, I couldn’t put it down and I feel so bad for having mentally put it in that category. Caroline and West were interesting characters to get to know. Apparent complete opposites but both of them are searching for something. It was good to see their relationship develop and it got to the point where I was willing them to kiss.
by Paige Toon Reveals The Cover For New Book.
Simon & Schuster, 2014.
Thirteen Weddings by Paige Toon.
Paige Toon revealed the cover for her new book earlier this week and we think it’s very pretty. The novel is called Thirteen Weddings and will be released on 22nd May 2014. It sounds great.
About The Book:
Last year, Bronte left Sydney for a wedding in England, where she met newly single Alex. After a night of passion they parted ways, and Bronte returned to Australia. Now working on a picture desk for a magazine in London, Bronte is about to meet her new colleague, who turns out to be all too familiar. Although awkward at first, as Alex is now engaged to the girl he was on a break from when they met, they soon become friends. In her free time, Bronte is a wedding photographer, so Alex enlists her to do his wedding. Unable to refuse, Bronte is stuck with the job. But as the two get closer, and the wedding day looms, it is clear that Alex and Bronte have unfinished business… Will Alex leave his bride at the altar, or will Bronte be forced to photograph the wedding of the man she herself should be marrying? A charming bittersweet novel from the author of The Longest Holiday.
by New Arrivals.
New and Upcoming Arrivals.
We’ve received some great new books here at Novel Kicks and they are giving us a very good reason to snuggle up under a blanket with a book and a warm cup of tea. It’s all about romance this week….
The Sweetness of Liberty James by Janey Lewis.
First up is the new release from Janey Lewis. There seems to be lots of romance which is good enough for me.
Sweet-natured Liberty believes the recipe for her own happiness is making others happy, and she sets about gathering the ingredients for the perfect life. She does well at school, makes glamorous friends and marries her university sweetheart Percy, the heir to the Radley Bank fortune. Now all that’s missing is the icing on the cake: a baby. When a traumatic event changes everything, she finds herself on a journey to rediscover her love of food that takes her from Florence to the French Riviera and finally back home to the Sussex village of Littlehurst, with a crazy plan to open her own patisserie. With flirtatious Fred the blacksmith and the dark, brooding Edmund on her doorstep, will she finally find that elusive ingredient: love?
(Published by The Book Guild – 27th March 2014)
by Jane Costello
The new novel from the author of The Wish List and Girl on The Run.
We love romance here at Novel Kicks (if you’ve not guessed already,) and we are looking forward to the new novel from Jane Costello, The Time of Our Lives.
Three best friends. One five-star hotel. Will it be the holiday of a lifetime …? Imogen and her friends Meredith and Nicola have had their fill of budget holidays, cattle-class flights and 6 a.m. offensives for a space by the pool. So when Meredith wins a VIP holiday at Barcelona’s hippest new hotel, they plan to sip champagne with the jet set, party with the glitterati and switch off in unapologetic luxury. But when the worst crisis of her working life erupts back home, Continue reading
by JoJo Moyes
The One Plus One is the new novel by the internationally bestselling author Jojo Moyes.
We’re huge fans of JoJo Moyes and we’re not embarrassed to admit that the ending of Me before You made us cry…just a little. We’re looking forward to reading the latest book which is called, The One Plus One. It’s being released by Penguin on 27th February. No long to wait.
About the book:
One single mum
With two jobs and two children, Jess Thomas does her best day after day. But it’s hard on your own. And sometimes you take risks you shouldn’t. Because you have to . . .
One chaotic family
Jess’s gifted, quirky daughter Tanzie is brilliant with numbers, but without a helping hand she’ll never get the chance to shine. And Nicky, Jess’s teenage stepson, can’t fight the bullies alone.
by Giovanna Fletcher’s Second Book Announced
Giovanna Fletcher reveals the title and cover for her latest book.
We loved her debut novel and have been waiting with excitement for the follow-up to Billy and Me. The book is called You’re The One That I Want and it’s due for release by Penguin on 22nd May 2014. A beautiful cover, don’t you agree?
by Robert Galbraith’s Second Novel Due in June
The Silkworm
A second outing for Cormoran Strike.
The second novel by Robert Galbraith (the pseudonym of J.K Rowling,) will be published by Little Brown. It will be the second novel to feature private detective, Cormoran Strike and his assistant, Robin Ellacott, the first book being, The cuckoo’s Calling.
This one, called The Silkworm, will feature a novelist who is brutally murdered after writing poison pen portraits of people he knows. Little Brown have described it as ‘a compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn.’
When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, she just thinks he has gone off by himself for a few days – as he has done before Continue reading
by Mystery Postbag
New and upcoming books that have arrived with us this week.
We are feeling the mystery this week with the recent arrivals at Novel Kicks and we like a good puzzle. Here are a selection of new and upcoming releases that are on our to read pile.
The Accident by C.L Taylor.
About a week ago, I started receiving black envelopes with 10th April 2014 stamp on the back. Inside, was a diary page saying, ‘this secret is killing me.’ I got two of these in total before a black box arrived, containing a copy of this book. It really helped build the mystery and I now can’t wait to read. It’s due for release in April.
Fast-paced and suspenseful The Accident is perfect for fans of Before I Go to Sleep, Gone Girl and Sophie Hannah. A gripping debut about the deadly secrets your children can keep … Sue Jackson has the perfect family but when her teenage daughter Charlotte deliberately steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma she is forced to face a very dark reality. Retracing her daughter’s steps she finds a horrifying entry in Charlotte’s diary and is forced to head deep into Charlotte’s private world. In her hunt for evidence, Sue begins to mistrust everyone close to her daughter and she’s forced to look further, into the depths of her own past. Sue will do anything to protect her daughter. But what if she is the reason that Charlotte is in danger?
by The Postcard by Leah Fleming
The Postcard
How far will she journey to uncover a long lost family secret?
It’s 2002 in Australia. When Melissa discovers a postcard addressed to ‘Desmond’ among her recently deceased father’s effects, she is determined to discover this person’s identity and his relationship to her father. She soon embarks on a journey that will take her across oceans and to 1930’s, London.
Caroline grew on a secluded Scottish estate with her ‘Aunt’ Phoebe. Now, the shocking realisation that Phoebe is actually her mother fuels a rebellious streak in Caroline, who elopes to Cairo to get married. But her marriage quickly turns Continue reading
by The Illusionists by Rosie Thomas
Rosie Thomas is the Sunday Times bestselling author of over twenty novels, including The Kashmir Shawl which has sold 300,000 copies.
The Illusionists (HarperCollins) is due for release on 27th February 2014.
There is no such thing as magic. There is only truth.’
London, 1870. A terrifying place for a young, beautiful woman of limited means. Life on the streets is relentlessly tough, where fortunes can be bought or sold and danger lurks around every corner. But Eliza Continue reading
by Skeletons by Jane Fallon
It’s all about secrets and lies….
We are stupidly excited about this upcoming release from Jane Fallon. Skeletons is due for release in March. It’s published by Penguin.
Here’s the blurb…
Jen has discovered a secret. It’s not hers to share, but is it hers to keep?
If she tells her husband Jason, he might get over the shock but will he forgive her for telling the truth? She might drive a wedge through their marriage.
by Lucinda Riley
The Midnight Rose
The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley.
(Published by Pan, and due for release on 16th January 2014.)
The Midnight Rose spans four generations and sweeps from the glittering palaces of the great maharajas of India to the majestic stately homes of England. It follows the extraordinary life of a girl, Anahita Chavan, from 1911 to the present day. In the heyday of the British Raj, eleven-year-old Anahita, from a noble but impoverished family, forms a lifelong friendship with the headstrong Princess Indira, the privileged daughter of rich Indian royalty. Becoming the princess’s official companion, Anahita accompanies her friend to England just before the outbreak of the Great War. Continue reading
by Upcoming Releases with the Theme of Love
It’s 2014 and we can’t wait for all the new and upcoming releases coming this year.
We’ve picked the five we’re looking forward to reading that have a romantic theme. We can never get enough of the love stories and the heroes, the happy endings and the heroines, Also these beautiful covers…
The Perfect Match by Katie Fforde
The Perfect Match by Katie Fforde.
Published by Century and released on 13th March 2014.
Three years ago Bella Castle left her home town nursing a broken heart over Dominic Thane, the man she fell in love with but couldn’t have. Now she’s made a new life for herself in the country, working as an estate agent. Bella loves her job and she loves her boyfriend. But recently he’s been preoccupied, and she’s starting to question if his future hopes and dreams are a perfect match for hers. Continue reading
by Jill Mansell
The Unpredictable Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell. Published by Headline Review, January 2014.
When Josh Strachan, newly returned to his home in north Cornwall from sunny California, first meets Sophie Wells, he’s immediately smitten. Sophie’s pretty, she’s funny, she has lots of friends and she clearly loves her job as a photographer, despite the sometimes tricky clients. There’s just one problem: Sophie has very firmly turned her back on love. It’s nothing personal, she tells Josh, but she just doesn’t do dates. And no one – even Sophie’s scatty best friend Tula – will tell him why. Josh is sure Sophie likes him, though, and he’s just got to find out what’s put her off romance. And then put things right…
by Jack Sheffield
Silent Night by Jack Sheffield.
Published by Bantam Press. 5th December 2013.
1984 – and it’s an important time for the children of Ragley-on-the Forest school. Their school choir is to sing a carol in a church in York, and is actually going to be on television! Helping to keep his excited children, not to mention their parents, under control during these momentous events taxes Jack and his staff to the limit. At the same time, Jack has his own problems to deal with…
by Mitch Albom
The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom
Published by Sphere, 12th November 2013.
The gift of heaven on earth. It will become the biggest story in the world …When the residents of a small town on Lake Michigan start receiving phone calls from the afterlife, they all become the subject of widespread attention. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out. This is a story about the power of belief — and a page-turner that will touch your soul.
by Ali McNamara
Step Back in Time is published by Sphere and is available in paperback and on e-book format on 7th November 2013.
We’re very excited to be taking part in Ali’s blog tour to coincide with the release of her new novel, Step Back in Time. Ali is stopping by Novel Kicks on Friday.
How many lifetimes would you travel to find a love that lasts for ever?
When single career girl Jo-Jo steps onto a zebra crossing and gets hit by a car she awakes to find herself in 1963. The fashion the music her job even her romantic life: everything is different. And then it happens three more times and Jo-Jo finds herself living a completely new life in the 1970s 80s and 90s. The only people she can rely on are Harry and Ellie two companions from 2013 and George the owner of a second-hand record store.
If she’s ever to return from her travels Jo-Jo must work out why she’s jumping through time like this. And if she does make it back will her old life ever be the same again?
by Jenny Colgan
It’s getting close to Christmas and I know I shouldn’t admit it but I am very excited. Also, it means there are lovely Christmas themed books being released…
Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan (published by Sphere, 7th November 2013.)
Rosie Hopkins is looking forward to Christmas in the little Derbyshire village of Lipton, buried under a thick blanket of snow. Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, large tempting piles of Turkish Delight, crinkling selection boxes and happy, sticky children. She’s going to be spending it with her boyfriend, Stephen, and her family, flying in from Australia. She can’t wait.
But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their little community, all of Rosie’s plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she build a life in Lipton? And is what’s best for the sweetshop also what’s best for Rosie?
by Revenge by Martina Cole
From the author of Hard Girls and The Take, comes Revenge (published by Headline, 24th October 2013.)
Michael Flynn is untouchable in a world of power, money and violence. He fights for what he wants and he takes it, whatever the cost. He learns the rules of the Life from the best and when his mentor, legendary Face Patrick Costello, is taken out, no one questions that Michael Flynn is his natural successor. For Michael, loyalty – and crime – pay.
Michael rises to heights beyond anything the criminal underworld has seen. He owns everyone and he rules his empire with an even but fierce hand. No one would dare challenge him.
Then the unthinkable happens.
Perhaps Michael Flynn is not so untouchable after all.
by Happy Endings by Jon Rance
Hodder Paperbacks, Oct 2013
From the author of This Thirty Something Life comes a novel about people just like us. Four people. Two couples. Six months that will change their lives forever.
Kate wants to go travelling before she reaches the big Three-O, while her long-term boyfriend Ed just wants to settle down.
Jack is desperate to be a published writer for many reasons, but mainly to save his relationship with fiancée Emma. Emma wants to be an actress more than anything in the world, or at least that’s what she thought until she finds out she’s pregnant.
Told uniquely from all of their perspectives, this is a story about love, growing up and, of course, the search for a happy ending.
Published by Hodder Paperbacks, 10th October 2013.
by Lindsey Kelk
I Heart Christmas by Lindsey Kelk. Released by Harper on 21st November 2013.
It’s that time of year where all the Christmas themed books come out which also means beautiful Christmas themed book covers, including this one….
Angela’s planning her very own fairytale of New York…
• Enormous Christmas tree
• Eggnog
• Eccentric British traditions
• Gorgeous man
But Santa’s throwing her a few curveballs – new job (as if it’s not mental enough already), new baby-craze from her best friend Jenny, and Alex determined they should grow up and settle down. Once friends start turning up uninvited on her doorstep (and leading her astray), can Angela really have a merry little Christmas? So much for happy holidays – something’s got to give
by Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley
Published by Avon, 7th November 2013.
Single mum Cally’s life is all about her little girl Stella. She’s resigned to the fact that the only romance she’s going to get is from the rom-coms she watches, and with her busy job and her daughter, she doesn’t have time to even think about love.
But life gets very tough when Stella gets sick. Balancing her job as a recipe writer and looking after Stella is all consuming, so when Cally meets handsome baker Jago the last thing she wants to do is fall in love, especially when she’s been badly burned by a Prince Charming from her past.
Can laid-back, charming Jago unlock Cally’s frozen heart and help her find true love and magic under the mistletoe?
by How To Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern
Published by HarperCollins, 7th November 2013.
She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.
Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump.
Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him that before then she can show him life is worth living .
Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life. But is that all that’s happening… ?
by An Epic Tale from Nicholas Sparks
The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks. Published by Sphere, 17th September 2013.
From the man who has a gift for making me cry (in a good way) comes a tale of two couples, two love stories.
About the book:
Ninety-one-year-old Ira Levinson is in trouble. Struggling to stay conscious after a car crash, with his mind fading, an image of his adored – and long-dead – wife Ruth appears. Urging him to hang on, she lovingly recounts the joys and sorrows of their life together – how they met, the dark days of WWII and its unrelenting effect on their families.
A few miles away, college student Sophia Danko’s life is about to change. Recovering from a break-up, she meets the young, rugged Luke and is thrown into a world far removed from her privileged school life. Sophia sees a new and tantalising future for herself, but Luke is keeping a secret that could destroy it all.
Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples, separated by years and experience, whose lives are about to converge in the most unexpected – and shocking – of ways.
by Bernard Cornwell
The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell – HarperCollins, 26th September 2013.
The new novel in Bernard Cornwell’s number one bestselling series The Warrior Chronicles, on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
Alfred the Great is dead and Edward his son reigns as king. Wessex survives but peace cannot hold. The Danes in the north, led by Viking Cnut Longsword, stand ready to invade and will never rest until the emerald crown is theirs.
Uhtred, once Alfred’s great warrior but now out of favour with the new king, must lead a band of outcasts north to recapture his old family home, that great Northumbrian fortress, Bebbanburg.
Loyalties will be divided and men will fall, as every Saxon kingdom is drawn into the bloodiest battle yet with the Danes; a war which will decide the fate of every king, and the entire English nation.
by Become a Character in a Crime Novel.
Author Will Jordan (Ryan Drake series,) in conjunction with Dead Good Books are giving you the chance to have your name in a crime novel.
Will Jordan’s next book, Betrayal will be published in September 2014 and he is giving you the chance to become a character in his next book. The winner will be contacted by Will where you will both develop the character.
The closing date is 31st October 2013. For more information, a video message from Will and details on how to enter, click on the link below.
Enter via the Dead Good Books website.
Read Will’s interview with Novel Kicks.
by Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin.
Orion, November 2013
Inspector Rebus is back this November.
Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a demotion and a chip on his shoulder.
A 30-year-old case is being reopened, and Rebus’s team from back then is suspected of foul play.
With Malcolm Fox as the investigating officer are the past and present about to collide in a shocking and murderous fashion? And does Rebus have anything to hide? His colleagues back then called themselves ‘the Saints’, and swore a bond on something called ‘the Shadow Bible’.
But times have changed and the crimes of the past may not stay hidden much longer, especially with a referendum on Scottish independence just around the corner.
Who are the saints and who the sinners? And can the one ever become the other?
by Tempting Fate by Jane Green
Penguin, 12th September 2013.
When Gabby first met Elliott she knew he was the man for her. In twenty years of marriage she has never doubted her love for him – even when he refused to give her the one thing she still wants most of all. But now their two daughters are growing up Gabby feels that time and her youth are slipping away. For the first time in her life she is restless. And then she meets Matt . . .
Intoxicated by the way this young, handsome and successful man makes her feel, Gabby is momentarily blind to what she stands to lose on this dangerous path. And in one reckless moment she destroys all that she holds dear.
Consumed by regret, Gabby does everything she can to repair the home she has broken. But are some betrayals too great to forgive?
by The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
Penguin, August 2013.
At the heart of The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty is a letter that’s not meant to be read . . .
Mother of three and wife of John-Paul, Cecilia discovers an old envelope in the attic. Written in her husband’s hand, it says: to be opened only in the event of my death.
Curious, she opens it – and time stops.
John-Paul’s letter confesses to a terrible mistake which, if revealed, would wreck their family as well as the lives of others.
Cecilia – betrayed, angry and distraught – wants to do the right thing, but right for who? If she protects her family by staying silent, the truth will worm through her heart. But if she reveals her husband’s secret, she will hurt those she loves most . . .
by Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
The 40th Discworld Novel – Raising Steam. (Doubleday, 24th October 2013.)
Change is afoot in Ankh-Morpork – Discworld’s first steam engine has arrived, and once again Moist von Lipwig finds himself with a new and challenging job.
by Me & You by Claudia Carroll
Avon, 1st August 2013.
Angie knows a lot about her best friend Kitty. She knows Kitty is mad and wild and loves to wear clashing colours. She knows she’s incredibly funny and generous but also very unreliable. And she knows that there is a perfect explanation for Kitty standing her up on her birthday. She thinks she knows everything about Kitty, except she doesn’t.
Kitty knows that she is the happiest she has ever been. She knows she’s so lucky to have a lovely boyfriend, Simon and a best friend like Angie. But what she doesn’t know is that on this night, her past is finally going to catch up with her.
(Claudia is going to be stopping by Novel Kicks on Saturday as part of her blog tour and chatting about her new book.)
by The Second Life of Amy Archer by RS Pateman.
Orion, July 2013.
On 31st December 1999, ten-year-old Amy Archer went missing from her local playground. Her body was never found and the lives of her parents, Beth and Brian, were torn apart.
On the tenth anniversary of the disappearance, Beth is alone, still struggling with the enormity of her grief and the horror of not knowing the fate of her only child. But the fear and confusion have only just begun, and Beth’s world is turned upside down when a stranger knocks on her door, claiming to know what happened to Amy.
Beth is introduced to a little girl who is the uncanny double of her missing daughter, who knows things that only Amy would remember; the name of her favourite toy, the place where she scratched her initials, what Beth likes for breakfast. But this can’t be Amy, she hasn’t aged a day…
Now Beth is forced to question everything she has ever believed in, and push her faith and her sanity to the limits, if she is to find out the truth about what happened to Amy.
by Little Sacrifices by Jamie Scott
Kindle Edition. Amazon Media.
How much would you risk to stand up for your beliefs?
When the Powell family moves to Savannah Georgia in 1947, they hope against hope that they’ll be welcomed. But they’re Northerners and worse, they’re white civil rights advocates almost a decade too early. The American South is deeply segregated.
At first May can pretend they’re the same as everyone else. It means keeping quiet when she knows she should speak up, but it’s worth the sacrifice to win friends. Unfortunately her parents are soon putting their beliefs into action. And when they wake to find that they’re the only family on the block with a Ku Klux Klan cross blazing on their front lawn, the time comes for them to finally decide between what’s easy and what’s right. Jamie Scott is the pen name of Michele Gorman, the best-selling chick lit author of the Single in the City series and Bella Summer Takes a Chance.
by Through It All by Kristyn Lewis.
Sphere, July 2013.
Released: 4th July 2013.
The first step is the hardest . . .
Waverly Brown is the anchor that keeps her tight circle of friends together. Loyal and generous with her time, she would do anything for Kate and Amy but she can’t bring herself to tell even her best friends the truth about her bakery and her increasing debt. She’s so consumed with her own worries that she almost misses what is right in front of her; something is wrong with Amy, terribly wrong.
Try as they might to reach out, Waverly and Kate can’t make Amy open up to them. She refuses to admit there’s anything wrong but Waverly is convinced Amy is in trouble and she’s terrified. Can Waverly convince her friend to save herself before it’s too late?
by A Night On The Orient Express by Veronica Henry.
Orion, 4 July 2013
A new life is just a ticket away…
The Orient Express. Luxury. Mystery. Romance.
For one group of passengers settling in to their seats and taking their first sips of champagne, the journey from London to Venice is more than the trip of a lifetime.
A mysterious errand; a promise made to a dying friend; an unexpected proposal; a secret reaching back a lifetime…As the train sweeps on, revelations, confessions and assignations unfold against the most romantic and infamous setting in the world.
Buy via Amazon.
by Avon Releases Two Short Story Collections.
Avon Books (Harper Collins Publishers,) are releasing two free e-book short story collections. Each will also contain exclusive extracts from the authors’ upcoming titles.
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THE PERFECT MURDER is available now. It’s a spine chilling collection of short stories from some of Avon’s talented crime authors including Paul Finch and Jacqui Rose.
THE PERFECT ESCAPE is a collection of short stories from some of the top names in women’s fiction. Featuring irresistible tales of love, friendship, betrayal and passion, authors include Sunday Times bestsellers Claudia Carroll, Miranda Dickinson and Julia Williams. THE PERFECT ESCAPE publishes on 27th June.
by Book News: About A Girl by Lindsey Kelk.
Harper, 2013
Released, July 2013.
Here’s the blurb…
Tess Brookes has always been a Girl with a Plan. But when the Plan goes belly up, she’s forced to reconsider.
After accidently answering her flatmate Vanessa’s phone, she decides that since being Tess isn’t going so well, she might try being Vanessa. With nothing left to lose, she accepts Vanessa’s photography assignment to Hawaii – she used to be an amateur snapper, how hard can it be? Right?
But Tess is soon in big trouble. And the gorgeous journalist on the shoot with her, who is making it very clear he’d like to get into her pants, is an egotistical monster. Far from home and in someone else’s shoes, Tess must decide whether to fight on through, or ‘fess up and run…
by Book News: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
Jonathan Cape, Oct, 2013.
Coming October 2013.
I’m stupidly excited about the third installment and the follow up to Bridget Jones Diary and The Edge of Reason.
Here’s the blurb for Mad About The Boy:
Fielding introduces us to a whole new enticing phase of Bridget’s life set in contemporary London, including the challenges of maintaining sex appeal as the years roll by and the nightmare of drunken texting, the skinny jean, the disastrous email cc, total lack of twitter followers, and TVs that need 90 buttons and three remotes to simply turn on.
by Book News: Miranda is back…
Harper, 20th June 2013.
Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger.
Everything’s in place for the season’s hottest launch:
Tall latte (with two raw sugars)? Check.
Gucci trench (draped over desk)? Check.
Outrageous, unreasonable demands? Check.
Andy has just turned thirty and is an incredibly successful magazine editor, working closely with her best friend Emily, another Runway survivor. She’s about to get married – life’s on track and she’s been careful to stay clear of Miranda Priestly, her dreadful first boss. But Andy’s luck is running out. Miranda Priestly isn’t the kind of woman who hides in the background.
She’s back… and more devilish than ever.
by Summer Releases
The summer may be taking a while to catch up but here are some upcoming book releases…
Midsummer Magic by Julia Williams
Avon, 6th June 2013.
Recently engaged Josie is visiting her parents in Cornwall with best friend Diane, fiancée Harry and his pal Ant. Josie can’t wait to start wedding planning, if only Harry was more interested, and Diane and Ant weren’t at war with each other. As the four make amends over a drink in the local pub, they meet Freddie Puck, a well known TV hypnotist and find themselves agreeing to a dare – to stay out all night on the hills by the standing stones. Local mythology says a young married couple will find true happiness if they can last a whole night there on Midsummer’s Eve. But as night time falls, not everyone seems to have remembered the boundaries of love…
by Book News: Little White Lies by Lesley Lokko.
Little White Lies by Lesley Lokko.
Orion Books.
Published – May 2013.
In a gorgeous beachfront mansion in Martha’s Vineyard, Annick and Rebecca have left their young children in the care of their life-long friend Tash. Tash has made millions from her fashion business and treating her friends to a luxury holiday makes all the hard work worthwhile. But by the end of the afternoon, one of the children will have vanished. Continue reading
by Upcoming Titles
New books that have arrived at Novel Kicks this week.
Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella.
Bantam Press, April 2013.
Lottie is tired of long-term boyfriends who don’t want to commit to marriage. When her old boyfriend Ben reappears and reminds her of their pact to get married if they were both still single at thirty, she jumps at the chance. There will be no dates and no engagement-just a straight wedding march to the altar! Next comes the honeymoon on the Greek island where they first met. But not everyone is thrilled with Lottie and Ben’s rushed marriage, and family and friends are determined to intervene. Will Lottie and Ben have a wedding night to remember or one to forget?
by Upcoming releases.
Some of the upcoming releases that have arrived at Novel Kicks this week…
Lacey’s House by Joanne Graham.
Legend Press, May 2013.
Lacey Carmichael leads a solitary life. To her neighbours she is the mad old woman who lives at the end of the lane, crazy but harmless. Until she is arrested on suspicion of murder. When Rachel Moore arrives in the village, escaping her own demons, the two women form an unlikely bond. Unravelling in each other tales of loss and heartache, they become friends. Rachel sees beyond the rumours, believing in her innocence, but as details of Lacey’s life are revealed, Rachel is left questioning where the truth really lies. Winner of the Luke Bitmead Bursary.
by Upcoming Titles…
Here are some of the upcoming releases that have arrived at Novel Kicks this week.
Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher. 
Penguin, 23rd May 2013.
Sophie May has a secret.
One that she’s successfully kept for years. It’s meant that she’s had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop.
But then she meets the gorgeous Billy – an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy’s glamorous – but ruthless – world.
Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation?
by Upcoming Titles.
Some of the upcoming releases that have arrived at Novel Kicks…
Leftovers by Stella Newman (Avon, April 2013.)
A novel about friendship, hope and the power of pasta from the bestselling author of Pear Shaped.
According to a magazine, Susie is a ‘Leftover’ – a post Bridget-Jones 30 something who has neither her dream man, job, nor home. She doesn’t even own six matching dinner plates.
According to her friend Rebecca, Susie needs to get over her ex, Jake, start online dating – or at least stop being so rude to every guy who tries to chat her up.
But Susie’s got a plan. If she can just make it the 307 days till her promotion and bonus, she can finally quit and pursue her dream career in food, then surely everything else will fall into place. If only her love life wasn’t so complicated…
by Book Club
