Novel Kicks Book Club: Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins
Hello September.
The first of the ‘ber’ months. It’s the back to school month. I confess, I’ve always loved this month especially when I was younger. It gave me an excuse to get new stationery although my husband will tell you I have enough notebooks.
The nights are getting a little shorter. It’s the perfect month to settle in with a good book and I hope you’ll find this month’s pick a good companion.
This month’s pick is Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins.
I am a fan of Paula’s novels and this novella sounded interesting. At only approx 128 pages, it’s a quick read.
Anyone can take part in our book club whether you’re reading along with me or have already read it. People who have seen the TV series are also welcome. The best part, you don’t have to leave your house to take part. I’ve posted a question below to kick off discussion and I look forward to chatting with you there.
About Blind Spot:
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Blog Tour: After The Husbands by Gina Cheyne : NK Chats To… Gina Cheyne
Hello Gina. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me about your novel, After the Husbands and what inspired it?
After the Husbands is set on a river cruise in Vietnam. I have always been fascinated by Vietnam, ever since I was in the USA shortly after the Vietnam USA War had finished. There I kept meeting men who had served in Vietnam and hearing their stories of this incredibly beautiful place torn apart by war. It gave me a real interest in the county but I always wondered what the Vietnamese thought about the USA. Then a couple of years ago we were lucky enough to win a Mekong Cruise; the basis for After the Husbands was set.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have a favourite place to write and any daily rituals?
I have three places in the house where I like to write, and one away from home. The first is my office, which is good in the summer or if there are too many people in the house, however it has a big drawback; it has three outside walls and is perishingly cold in the winter. My second favourite place, and where I do most of my writing is on the kitchen table. There I am definitely in the thick of things and I enjoy the general buzz around me. However, sometimes that gets too much and I retire to the only smart room in the house. It is very seldom used but is within the body of the house so it is warm. I like to sit behind the sofa on a little table and write. In that place I have a fabulous view of the garden and the world outside my writing.
Away from home I will write on my Ipad. My computer is very old and I don’t like to carry it outside the house, so I write on the Ipad and transfer my writing back there when I get home.
Most days I will write in the morning, but sometimes life gets in the way of writing and then I just take whatever moments I can get to write. Once I’m started I find it easy to concentrate, even when surrounded by people.
What were the challenges you found when writing your novel especially when it’s part of a wider series?
The biggest challenge for me in the series is remembering the exact timeline and not making children into adults too early or adults suddenly regress ten years. I do spend a lot of time working out what ages people should be.
What songs would make up a playlist for your book?
by Cover Reveal: Bella’s Countryside Christmas by Claire Huston
I’m so excited to be helping to reveal the cover for Bella’s Countryside Christmas, the upcoming novel from Claire Huston.
Before I reveal the cover, here’s a little about the book which is part of the Haileybrook Village series.
An uplifting festive romance perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and authors such as Phillipa Ashley, Trisha Ashley, Sue Moorcroft, Rebecca Raisin and Donna Ashcroft.
Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack.
Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory.
A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away.
But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas …
OK, here we go. Are you ready? 3…2…1…
by Book Extract: Mistletoe Moments by Stephanie Wood
I am pleased to be welcoming Stephanie Wood to Novel Kicks. Today, we are saying happy book birthday to Mistletoe Moments, book five in her Christmas on The Close book series.
You are invited to spend CHRISTMAS ON THE CLOSE where each of the neighbours are celebrating in their own special way.
Veronica and Owen are looking forward to a happy Christmas on The Close with their friends and neighbours.
Their son, Travis, is due to take some important exams, but will he be able to concentrate when a serious crush derails his schedule?
As their fortieth birthdays approach, some significant celebration will be required, but how can Veronica agree to Owen’s life-changing request?
The fifth standalone episode of ‘Christmas on The Close’ shows how sharing a treasured life with someone does not necessarily result in sharing the same treasured dreams.
In celebration of its book birthday, Stephanie has shared an extract from Mistletoe Moments. We hope you enjoy it.
*****beginning of extract*****
Teenager Travis has a crush on his neighbour’s daughter and knows she is out of his league, but with an opportunity to get close to her, he dares to dream about what might happen…
*****
Travis wasn’t sure how he’d got away with it, but he had convinced his parents he would rather revise for his English Literature exam than go to the fireworks display and they had left him to it.
He couldn’t imagine anything he would rather do less than translate a passage of Shakespeare into readable English, but somehow they had believed it and agreed to give him the space to study in peace and quiet.
by Cover Reveal: A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol by Alana Oxford
I am so excited as I help to reveal the cover for A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol, the upcoming novel by Alana Oxford.
Before I reveal the cover, here’s a little about A Modern Midlife Christmas Carol –
Christmas cheer was dead, to begin with.
The world rests on Eliza’s shoulders. The kids, her husband, work, her elderly mother and don’t forget her newest friend, perimenopause. It’s too much to carry, but she’s been doing it for years. It’s just what a good wife and mother does, isn’t it?
When another Christmas rolls around, Eliza is drained by all the expectations and logistics of the holiday season. She’s fast approaching her breaking point, only no one around her notices she’s on the edge.
After an incident at her in-law’s on Christmas Eve brings things to a boiling point, she finds herself with three unexpected visitors. The spirits of the past, present, and future take her on a journey through her life to shake her out of the rut she’s gotten into. Their messages leave her with new possibilities: reconnect with her past, reclaim her present, or forge a new future, and you, the reader, decide which option is best!
OK, are you ready. Drumroll. 3…2…1…
by Book Club
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