Book Review: Recipe for Mr Banksy

 

Daisy’s love life needs a makeover . . .

Beauty therapist Daisy is having one of those days.

She’s just ended things with her boyfriend. Coming home to a huge ‘Sold’ sign planted in their front lawn and hearing him planning to move them into a caravan is the last straw.

To top it off, her greedy landlord, who also happens to be her ex’s best friend, is threatening to ruin her business.

So it’s no surprise a spelling mistake in the butcher’s window is enough to push her over the edge. And fixing it with a can of spray paint from a passing graffiti artist only makes things worse.

The graffiti artist is actually trainee doctor Jackson. Street art helps him to relax when he’s not at his stressful job.

Jackson doesn’t know what to make of the impulsive Daisy, but he can’t get her out of his head.

As Daisy fights to save her business, fate seems to delight in throwing her and Jackson together.

And boy do they make a good team . . . But can a passionate beauty therapist and a sensible doctor really have a future?

 

My Review

 

When a chance meeting for Daisy when she steals a spray can of paint from a stranger to correct a spelling (NB: I know how Anni feels when she reads my work.) becomes a story of two people falling in love.

Daisy a beauty therapist who is already under pressure from her landlord to move out of the building so he can turn it into flats. Nevermind the sold sign that’s just appeared outside the home she shares with her soon to be ex Mark.

Daisy’s salon is always busy and along with her two colleagues Molly and Sasha who provides many laugh out loud moments in this novel. They go out of their way when it comes to the customer experience even if Daisy is sometimes unaware of what they and her nephew Robbie are planning.

I like how Anni used the character Robbie to show that even though kids are sometimes screen obsessed. Robbie goes out of his way to help Daisy and not just play Roblox plus there’s that skate board he’s after. At times Daisy also comes across as a second mum to Robbie which I liked as it gave something else to the character dynamic.

Jackson is a trainee doctor and is top of his class, destined for great things, but there is something missing in his life. Until that is he meets Daisy. I liked how Anni made sure that Jackson came across as a real doctor and finds himself doing the things real trainee doctors do and it’s not just glossed over for the sake of the story.

Jackson has his vices of course, he’s a graffiti artist, but he doesn’t just tag places he really draws pictures which make people stop and look one such piece even goes to funding the local fire brigade.

Daisy and Jackson both have busy lives and though there several near misses, Robbie medalling in the proceedings and a dog called Elvis. I really enjoyed reading this book as it took me away from the genre that I’m used to. It was a NICE read and I can’t wait to read more of Anni’s work.

You can buy Anni’s books below!

Amazon            Kobo

 

You can keep up with all things Anni related

@AnniRoseAuthor               Anni Rose Author

 

  Anni Rose Author

 

   www.AnniRoseAuthor.co.uk

All Anni’s books can be found HERE

Other posts with Annie can be found HERE

Book Review: I’ll Miss You This Christmas

She’s on a journey towards the perfect Christmas…

Emily feels like her life’s been shattered into tiny pieces and glued back together the wrong way. With her heart still aching after her sister’s sudden death, Emily has stepped in to care for her nine-year-old nephew, Felix. Wanting to focus on Felix, and trying to do the right thing, she ended her two-year relationship with Rory who wasn’t ready to settle down.

But when she takes Felix into London to see the Christmas lights, the two of them end up on a train heading towards the city where Rory lives. The long ride will give her time to reflect on whether she made a mistake letting him go. But as Rory embarks on his own journey at the same time, will their paths cross in time to come together for Christmas?

My Review

Lucy Mitchell’s book is a large creamy hot chocolate drink with cream and all the toppings. It deals with loss, grief and gender roles we believe people should follow.

I loved this book on so many levels. I loved Felix and though he acts like a very confident 9 and a half year old. Lucy’s made sure that he is as vulnerability as any 9 and a half year old would be when he puts his plans into action. I also loved the side characters of his friends as the character tells us what each of his friends thought of the ideas.

I loved how openly Lucy writes Rory’s character he is openly is missing Emily, he’s having one night stands with people who look like Emily and failing. He also becomes blind sided by what he is being told by others in an attempt to hold onto the past.

There are also a range of characters in the book who tell our two main characters along the way what love and loving someone means to them.

Along with misunderstandings, near misses and alot of magic this book is an amazing read leaving me wanting more. I  loved Lucy’s self published debut but I love this one even more.

I would like to thank Bloodhound and Lucy for the chance to read this book in advance. (I’d of read it anyway as Lucy is amazing)

You can order your Copy of Lucy’s books from:

You can also contact Lucy through her various social media channels

You can also check out the review for Lucy’s debut “Instructions for Falling in Love” HERE

Winner Takes All – Claris Lam

Aubri Harlow thinks she’s found her dream vacation after winning a contest to an exclusive island resort for a whole week.

However, her dream quickly turns into a nightmare when her ex-boyfriend Colin, ex-girlfriend Renee, and former university classmate Bastian end upon the same island as fellow contest winners.

Even worse? Colin is found dead barely a day into the vacation. Terrible weather prevents the police from arriving on the island to investigate. To keep herself safe, as well as her other companions, Aubri must find out who the killer is…or risk becoming the next target.

 

My Review

I’d like to start off by saying I admire anyone who can write a crime thriller as a novella, when here sits and author that writes over 50k before she has a meltdown.

This book follows Aubri Harrlow as she jets off to a holiday that’s she’s recently won as part of a competition only to be greeted by all three of her ex’s Chris (the psycho boyfriend) Renee (the one who got away) and Bastian. (the friend she pretended to date) But how come these three all won the same competition as she did? And why were two of her ex’s arguing over dinner? And don’t forget the dead body the next morning.

I really enjoyed this book, as I sat on my train to Birmingham it was a short read, having just finished a novel. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments, along with some death defying actions in order to search for the truth. Plus, the climatic ending as our heroine comes face to face with a cold bloody killer whose just gone on a mass killing spree.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series and I’m once safe back in the knowledge that a shorter book can pack the same punch as my 80k plus ones.

 

Claris Lam (she/her) writes poetry and fiction.

Her short fiction and poetry has been published in collections and projects including the Young Canadians Roundtable of Health’s project In Their Own Words: Reflections By Youth On The Pandemic (Dec. 2022).

She is currently writing several novels.
Engagement To Die For is her second novels, which follows on from Winner Takes All.

You can buy Claris’ books by clicking the links bellow:

 

 

And can be contacted through various socail media channels

Lucy Keeling – Just Friends For Now

Like myself Lucy has been writing a series of books that have been loved and enjoyed by many but now the series is coming to an end and I wanted to catch up with Lucy about writing a series and her newest book “Just Friends for Now.”

Did you plan to write a series when you started out?

I absolutely did and I remember when my publisher offered me a three book contract, I mentioned then that in an ideal world there would be a fourth and here we are.

I have no idea when or where my series will end, how did you know that it was time for the series to come to an end?

It was always going to be a book for each person within the friendship group. I knew that Sophie would start us off, then we had Polly, Mya and finally it’s Paige’s turn for a happily ever after. I also wanted to make sure that the series was neatly tied up and finished. Early readers have enjoyed the final book and how it completes everyone’s stories looking at what comes next for them all.

Though there is a same sex couple of “Burning Lie” their sexuality isn’t central to the story. What challenges have you faced writing a same sex couple?

Hmm interestingly the most difficult part was pronouns. Ordinarily I might add in a ‘he said’, ‘she said’ for clarity. But in a same sex couple that doesn’t help. It was important to me that my books show the same diversity as the life around us, and so Paige’s story was always going to be written and she was always going to have her own Happily Ever After, I think I did her justice, she certainly met her match with Melanie that’s for sure.

Your books have been set in vegas where else in the world would you like to set one.

One of my friends writes books set all over the world and if you fancy reading her work just look out for Leonie Mack, she’s incredible. But I am not that well travelled myself and would worry that I wouldn’t do it justice. However, if you were to tell me that I could travel there for research purposes before writing then I would say either Norway or Mykonos maybe.

We all have our favourite character’s to write for but whose been your favourite character in the series

I love Sophie, Polly, Mya and Paige obviously. But I will say that we get introduced to Connie in the new book and she might just be my most favourite. Without giving too much away she’s Paige’s gran, searching for husband number 5 and she’s a little bit wise and a little bit of a loose cannon.

Whose been your favourite love interest to write?

Polly and Bailey, no wait, Mya and Smithy. Oh maybe Paige and Melanie I love the contrast between them they are very much opposites attract.

If your characters were to all end up in a tv reality show which one would it be

Oh my days. Ok well if we could make a Manchester version of Made in Chelsea then I would go for a slightly funnier version of that.

How would you say you’ve developed as a writer over the series

Well I would say that if you want to write a series make sure you write a cast list. This is essential. I learned this the hard way. I hope that I have developed as a writer but I’m not sure how. Each time I sit down to write a new book I have to Google ‘how to write a book’. And so far each time I have written it’s needed a different approach as to how much I’ve planned out in advance.

What items would you pick off the Barbarellla menu

I want a Mimosa and probably Bacon and French Toast please.

What would your idea brunch memu be, bottomless proseco or bottomless cake

I do like Prosecco but if I could switch that out for bottomless cocktails AND bottomeless cake then I would be incredibly happy!

I need to find somewhere that serves bottomless cake! or afternoon tea but just cake…. Cs

What next for Lucy, will we get to see the characters we’ve fallen in love with again

For now I’m afraid not. But… There are a couple of characters in there that I think would be deserving of their own stories. But for now I have a few ideas that I’d like to have a look into and see if maybe there’s another series waiting to be written.

Just friends for now . . . but what about later?

Bar owner Paige’s mojo is broken. She’s eternally single and there’s a new Instagrammable bottomless brunch spot in town that’s threatening to steal her regulars.
But she can’t deny that there’s just something about competitor Melanie and her prim and proper librarian look.

There’s no denying the chemistry. But Melanie should be her rival, not her friend. And definitely not anything else.

But when they’re thrown together to work on a local art project, Paige might find that being just friends is going to be trickier than she imagined . . .

Available Exclusively from also available on Kindle Unlimited

The rest of the series can also be purchased from Amazon or direct from the publisher.

Want to keep up to date with what Lucy is doing next?

@Lucy_K_Author     Lucy K Author

Lucy Keeling Books

My other posts with Lucy Keeling can be found HERE

Meet The Family – Sally Jenkins

Sally’s debut “The Little Museum of Hope” is out in the wide world and with her being new to Ruby Fiction I just had to find out more.

Welcome to my blog “A Story About A Girl” Sally

What inspired you to write “The Little Museum of Hope “

Ten years ago, I read a newspaper article about the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb. It’s a place where visitors can leave objects associated with their failed relationships.

Little Museum of Hope is a fictionalised version of this Zagreb museum but moved to the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham in the UK.

Donating an object to the Little Museum of Hope helps people to escape past turmoil and to move on positively with their lives. 

Wow, I kinda want to go there now after clicking the link!

If you could go back to when you first started writing what one piece advice would you give yourself?

Grow a thick skin to weather the rejections (everyone gets a lot!) but if an editor/publisher/agent takes the time to give feedback (negative or positive), take it on board and seriously consider acting on it.

What would you say to someone who wants to write?

Write only because you enjoy the process – it’s unlikely you’ll ever make any significant money. Non-fiction, especially magazine articles, presents the easiest way to get published. Fiction is a much harder market. Having said that, seeing your words and your name in print will give you a massive high, better than any drug or illicit substance!

If you weren’t writing what would you be doing?

If I didn’t write at all I’d still need a creative outlet so I’d want to learn how to paint or craft or cook. I’m not brilliant at any of those things but I do like to have an end product from my endeavours. I can’t imagine a life where I didn’t create anything.
 

How did you deal with rejections when you started out?

My writing career started with articles and short stories for magazines and I got a lot of rejections or no reply at all. Each negative response hurt but because these pieces, unlike a novel, hadn’t taken months or years to write, it was easier to pick myself up and try again.

It was many years before I felt confident enough in my writing ability to risk attempting a novel and the onslaught of rejections that would follow.

Over the years I have become more thick-skinned and more savvy about the publishing industry – you can have the best novel ever but if it doesn’t land on the right person’s desk at the right time it won’t be published.

There is a certain amount of luck, as well as skill, needed to be a successful author.

What made you decide to submit with Ruby Fiction?

I loved the idea of the tasting panel where real readers get the chance to choose which books should be published. Generally, it’s the publishing professionals who dictate which books will be a success but, in my opinion, it makes absolute sense to let readers give their opinions. Needless to say, I was delighted when Little Museum of Hope got the thumbs up!

Which authors inspired you to write?

Several authors inspired me to read and, therefore, indirectly to write. Enid Blyton got me into reading as a child – I loved Malory Towers and The Famous Five.

As a teenager my friends and I devoured the early Jilly Cooper novels: Imogen, Emily, Prudence, Octavia, Harriet and Bella.

Nowadays I read a lot of crime, thrillers and general fiction and I’m particularly enjoying Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters’ time-slip series. All my favourite books are easy to read stories featuring characters who matter to the reader. And that is the type of book I try to write – a tale that will have the reader hooked from page one and transport her into someone else’s life for a few hours. Hopefully the reviews for Little Museum of Hope will bear that out!

Who would you want to play the main characters in your book if your novel was optioned for tv / film?

55-year-old Vanessa is the main character in Little Museum of Hope and she starts the museum to counteract the depression around losing her job and her husband leaving her for another woman. Within the museum is the Mended Heart Café where Vanessa listens empathetically to donors telling the stories behind their donated objects. When I was writing Vanessa, I had in mind a younger version of the actress Brenda Blethyn, who plays the TV detective with a heart of gold, Vera.

 

Do you have any writing routines or rituals, if so what are they?

I fit writing around two part-time jobs and running two reading groups so mostly it gets squeezed into the cracks in short bursts. Morning is the best time for me to write, before the rest of the day’s activities press in on me. The London Writers’ Hour gives me a discipline that I might otherwise lack. This is a virtual, hour-long writing sprint held each weekday on Zoom and it’s free to take part. There are four sessions across four time zones.

The UK hour is 8am to 9am but you can join in with any of the other sessions too. 

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I signed to Ruby Fiction with a three-book contract.

The next two novels are, like Little Museum of Hope, uplifting commercial women’s fiction and are currently with the tasting panel. Fingers crossed they get a positive reaction from the readers too! Until then I don’t want to say too much, in case I jinx them.

.

More About Juliet Archer

Sally Jenkins lives in the West Midlands with her husband. When not writing and not working in IT, she feeds her addiction to words by working part-time in her local library, running two reading groups and giving talks about her writing. Sally can also be found walking, church bell ringing and enjoying shavasana in her yoga class.

 

  @sallyjenkinsuk                   Sally Jenkins Author

 

 

https://sally-jenkins.com/

 

@sallyjenkinsuk

 

A jar of festival mud, a photo album of family memories, a child’s teddy bear, a book of bell ringing methods, an old cassette tape, a pair of slippers …

These are the items that fill the exhibit shelves in Vanessa Jones’ museum. At first glance, they appear to have nothing in common, but that’s before you find out the stories behind them. Vanessa’s Little Museum of Hope is no ordinary museum – its aim is to help people heal by donating items associated with shattered lives and failed relationships, and in doing so, find a way to move on, perhaps even start again.

The museum becomes a sanctuary for the broken hearts in Vanessa’s city, and she’s always on hand to offer a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a listening ear. But could the bringer of Hope need a little help moving on herself?

 

Amazon

 

 

Book Review: Run to the Blue

 

It was supposed to be the best day of her career, the day when she was the hero, the reporter whose story put a deadly gangster behind bars.

But as crime boss Ken Lean is sentenced, ace reporter Tess Anderson instead finds herself in the headlines: her husband is exposed as having an affair with a top government minister, and Tess herself faces death threats from the Lean crime family.

With her life collapsing around her, Tess runs to her friend’s villa on the Greek island of Paxos, but soon finds she’s been tracked down by killers and spies. Her only hope of escape is a mysterious, glamorous, and somehow familiar American yachtsman.

Can Tess stay alive long enough to see her pursuers behind bars?

Who can she trust as her enemies close in?

And what is the secret that her husband and his lover are so keen to ensure remains buried?

My Thoughts

At the centre of Run to the Blue is a love story and what make me the Crime and Thriller writer love Phil’s books is the harder outer layer which is the Crime and Thriller story. Think Cadburies Caramel or Cadburies marvellous creations.

Our main character Tess Anderson is on the run and alone, having brought Ken Lean Crime boss to justice after exposing The Care Home scandal. To make matters worse on what should’ve been one of the best days of her career it turns out her husband has been cheating on her with the MP for family values Suzanne Heffle and the news conveniently breaks at the exact same time as the guilty verdict.

Heart broken and devastated Tess runs to hide out in Greece and the island of Paxos where her best friend Jane owns a holiday home that’s empty for the next couple of weeks. Thus begins a cat and mouse game because in Tess’s possession is an Ipad with some very interesting emails on that her soon to be ex husband hasn’t delete and they could be dynamite but what should she do with them. Send them to her boss, forget she has ever looked at them or forward them on to her DI contact back home. Let the game begins.

Frightened and chased through the streets of Paxo, Tess is rescued by an anonymous American Yachtsman who offers her a safe haven on his Yacht but is this just another trap because he won’t tell Tess his name but she recognises him from somewhere…

Phil describes the scenery so vividly that it’ll make you want to jump on the next plane to Greece and find yourself a Yacht / Yachtsman and go sailing. A pure piece of escapism from the grey British weather. What I especially loved about this book was the linkage back to Killer in the Crowd and the concert by Restless Lovers where Tess met her husband originally.

A great thrilling read with a squishy romantic centre wrapped in a thick layer of crime. What’s not to like?

 

 

As a TV Newsreader, Reporter and Producer for both BBC East and ITV Anglia, P N Johnson covered everything from tracking down criminals in Spain and going on high-octane police chases, to interviewing pop stars, politicians and celebrities. P N Johnson was also the face and voice of
Crimestoppers in the eastern region for many years and created the successful TV series: “999 Frontline”. Now living near Norwich, P N Johnson loves music, travelling, walking, and sailing, and bringing exciting new characters with amazing stories to the page.

You can purchase Run to the Blue below:

 

Amazon   

 

 

 

 

Direct for the Publisher

 

You can contact Phil through the following social media channels

PN Johnson   

 

 

@PhilJohnson01

 

Quick Fire Questions with Joanne Boden

Excited to catch up with Joanne again, and fire some quick fire questions at her….

Vodka and Coke or Malibu and Coke

Malibu and coke because I don’t drink vodka. To be honest if I was drinking coke it would be a diet coke with Tia Maria. 

Novella or novel

I mainly read novels and they are usually over 300 pages. I can’t remember the last novella I read. It might have been a Christmas novella that I listened to via Audible. 

Series or stand alone

If I had to choose then it would be a series. I like it when you are introduced to characters you’ve previously met and when you are sucked back into the same town or wherever the story is set. It brings me such comfort. 

Nestle or Cadburys

Cadbury’s without a shadow of a doubt because I love Dairy Milk. Other chocolates are available 🙂

Rock music or pop music

Rock music. I love rock music, but Claire you should have thrown country into the mix because then I would have opted for that instead. 

Lidl or Aldi

Lidl. I love shopping at Lidl. With the cost of living being the way it is I shop around and Lidl always has some great bargains. 

Reality Tv or Documentary

Documentary because I don’t really watch reality tv anymore. 

Christmas or Easter

Oh this is a tricky one but I love the magic of Christmas and decorating the tree. 

Snow or Rain

If I had to choose then it would have to be rain. I like looking at snow but I don’t like being out in it and when the snow turns to ice our village becomes an ice rink. 

Summer or autumn

I love summer. I love the sun and sitting out in the garden and the heat. I miss the heat during these cold winter months. I do enjoy autumn, but summer is magical. 

Santa or the Easter bunny

Santa. I’m still a big kid at heart and honestly, I think there’s something a bit creepy about the Easter Bunny. 🙂

Six weeks holiday or end of term holidays

Six week holiday without a shadow of a doubt. My husband is a teacher so we always look forward to spending time together with the boys during the summer holidays. 

Staycation or abroad 

Staycation as it is difficult for us to go abroad as a family. There are also many beautiful places to visit in this country. We are also very lucky in that we live in a beautiful part of the world with the Lake District only a short drive away. 

Sunset or sunrise 

I love watching the sunrise, there’s something magical about it, about that promise of a brand new day when anything is possible. 

Fly or drive (on holiday)

Drive because that way you can take your time. 

Brown paper or shiny wrapping paper

There is just something about brown paper that I find so lovely. I ordered a blind date with a book from Etsy the other week and it arrived beautifully wrapped in brown paper with a simple red ribbon. 

Early morning or late at night

Early morning, although I don’t really have a choice as my youngest wakes me up at six every morning. I’m used to it now though and make the most of those precious early hours by getting in some reading time. 

Freeview or cable channels

Freeview as we don’t have cable. To be honest though, I don’t really watch that much television. 

Home and Away or Neighbours

Neighbours because I will always have a soft spot for Harold Bishop. 

 

 

Can two lost souls find themselves in Little Bluewater Bay?

 

In the space of a single day, Harry Taylor achieves the impressive feat of losing a girlfriend, his London flat and his bookshop job. So, when his cousin Lucas invites him to his home in the seaside village of Little Bluewater Bay to recuperate, Harry jumps at the chance.

 

Beth Smith works at a diner and is quickly overstaying her welcome sleeping on her friend’s sofa. Overhearing a conversation about Little Bluewater Bay reminds her of better times, and she decides to throw caution to the wind and try her luck for happier memories in the coastal village.

 

Could a bookish business proposal and oldest new bookshop in Little Bluewater Bay lead to the new beginnings Beth and Harry so desperately need?

 

Amazon   Kobo 

 

You can keep up with all things Joanne related

@JoBodenAuthor                      Jo Boden Author

 

 

Joanne’s other books can be found here.

 

Check out my other blog posts with Jo Bowen

Quick Fire Questions with Anni Rose

My favoutie Ikea DYI NIGHTMARE Cooker buyer has a new book coming out and as she’s one of my favoutie Choc-lit authors (cooker incident) I wanted to make sure I got on this blog tour 🙂

Vodka and Coke or Malibu and Coke

Terribly boring I know, but I don’t drink alcohol, so I’d prefer a cup of builders’ tea every time.

Nothing wrong with a good cuppa tea

 

Novella or novel

Novel, I like something to get my teeth into. 

Ruby Lit or Choc-lit

Difficult one, I write romantic comedies with lovely heroes, so Choc lit is perfect for my novels, although I’ve read some great Ruby Lit books including yours Claire. I think both imprints have some really super authors and I always look forward to seeing the new releases..

Series or stand alone

Recipe for Mr Ideal is book 4 in my Recipes for Life series. They are all stand alone novels, but are set in the same town and sometimes characters turn up in more than one book. Redford is a fictional town, but feels very real to me. I’m enjoying writing the series, because there are various things that I know stay the same in each book, like the local paper, the pub and the bistro in the High Street. So I don’t need to invent everything every time, although in my WIP at the moment, I’ve just had to send two characters off on a world-cruise, because they’ve similar sounding names to two characters in one of my previous books. 

Nestle or Cadburys

Cadburys – Wispa, Twirl and Chocolate Fingers. None of them would last long in my house. Having said that, I do hate Cadbury Creme Eggs. I find them far too sweet.

Rock music or pop music

Rock of course!

Lidl or Aldi

Both for different things. I seem to have turned shopping into a part-time job these days, because I shop around for bargains far more than I ever used to and we have both within easy reach. 

Reality Tv or Documentary

I would have said documentary – I love the real life crime stories, especially the unsolved murder ones. Except I am a Strictly and Great British Bake Off superfan. And in Recipe for Mr Ideal my main character, Maddie, in Recipe for Mr Ideal, is a registrar who watches endless episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress”. You can probably imagine that required a fair amount of research! And my sister’s hospital is being featured in Emergency First Time Medics at the moment, so we have to watch that too. Talking of Great British Bake Off, I went on a dough making course recently – what do you think of my cinnamon buns?

Christmas or Easter

Easter is my favourite day of the year. It comes at the right time, I love spring, the days are getting longer and hopefully it is a bit warmer, and somehow  it always feels so new and full of promise.

Snow or Rain

I was a summer baby, so assume this is why Winter is my very least favourite time of the year. And I don’t drive in the snow, so rain – I guess, but in moderation and provided I’m dressed appropriately. We took the dogs out for a walk on Christmas Day and got caught in the rain, by the time we reached the car, my wellies were full of water and my trousers completely soaked, and my coat was leaking too. But at least the beach was empty and it was an amazing walk!

Summer or autumn

Tricky question. I love them both – Summer for the light evenings  and Autumn for the amazing colours of trees on the turn.

Santa or the Easter bunny

Easter bunny, providing he brings hot cross buns rather than chocolate eggs! They’re my absolute favourite, warm with butter and served with a large mug of tea.

Six weeks holiday or end of term holidays

I’m not sure where I’d go if someone said to me take six weeks’ holiday. Although, providing money was no object I have always wanted to go to Rarotonga, Easter Island, New Zealand and Japan, so would probably head in that direction.

Staycation or abroad 

For anything other than my dream holiday it would have to be a staycation. We live in a beautiful area and there is always so much to see or do.

Sunset or sunrise 

Sunrise especially this time of year, when it’s not silly o’clock.

Fly or drive (on holiday)

Drive. I hate spending endless hours at an airport or on a plane. Driving means if I find something of interest along the way, I can stop. I prefer not to use motorways, I’d rather go cross country providing it doesn’t take me too far out of my way. And I like to have an audio book to listen to en route.

Brown paper or shiny wrapping paper

Brown paper.  Shiny wrapping paper promises so much and can often be disappointing. Brown paper, is more anonymous, less ostentatious and far more useful if the contents aren’t unto scratch.

Early morning or late at night

I am of an age where nine o’clock is the new midnight, so early morning for me.

Freeview or cable channels

I’d say Freeview, but having recently had three months AppleTV to try out, I loved Slow Horses with Gary Oldman and binge watched the whole of the first two series. 

Home and Away or Neighbours

Absolutely neither! I’m not a soap fan, well not, since they took El Dorado off the television!

 

Would you settle for Mr Less-Than-Ideal for a chance at happily-ever-after?
Registrar Maddie Winter has overseen enough weddings to know that marriage is not just for Christmas (or Valentine’s Day) – it’s for life, and regardless of whether the ceremony involves specially trained owls, dinosaurs or the police, it should be only the beginning of a story that will end in happily-ever-after.

Saying that, Maddie’s own married life is far from perfect – her husband, David, is more interested in his phone than in her, and when he suddenly walks out, Maddie’s long-held beliefs are put to the test.

Except Maddie knows David was never really her ‘Mr Ideal’; that was sweet, funny, motorbike-riding Josh Diamond – although obviously not that ideal, as he did dump her to move to the States. Even so, when Josh unexpectedly rides back into town, Maddie begins to wonder whether her happily-ever-after could still be to come …

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Quick Fire Questions with Helen Bridgett

With her third book in the Professor Maxie Reddick Files recently released I thought it would be the ideal for us to catch up. Helen was new to Ruby Fiction around the time I joined and has gone from strength to strength since. 

Vodka and Coke or Malibu and Coke

Yuk Malibu!!  Although I’m sure we tried it as teenagers! Neither thanks – though I will take a G&T

Novella or novel

Novel please

Ruby Lit or Choc-lit

Ruby have brought my heroine Maxie Reddick to life and I will be forever grateful!

Series or stand alone

Really don’t mind – I’ve certainly enjoyed writing the series as Maxie is my best friend now!

Nestle or Cadbury’s

Cadbury please – specifically the Dark Milk

Aldi or Lidl

Either and Both!

Rock music or pop music

Always rock ! My dog Angus is named after Angus Young!

Reality TV or Documentary

Generally documentary although I’ve been addicted to Traitors recently

Christmas or Easter

Easter – more likelihood that I can get out hiking

Snow or Rain

Snow – deep and crisp and even please!

 

 

 

 

 

Summer or autumn

Autumn – I’m not good in sunshine

Santa or the Easter Bunny

Hmmm – who brings more chocolate?

Six weeks holiday or end of term holidays

Six weeks – the longer the better!

Staycation or abroad

I live in Northumberland which really is very beautiful and hard to beat. However after the past few years, I am venturing abroad soon and looking forward to it.

Sunset or sunrise

Has to be sunset – I’m never up early enough for sunrise.

Fly or drive (on holiday)

I hate flying and love driving so no contest!

Brown paper or shiny wrapping paper

Brown paper packages tied up with string….

Early morning or late at night

Night owl every time

Freeview or cable channels

Can I say BBC iplayer?

Neighbours or Home and Away

Alas – never watched either 

 

Somebody knows what happened to Maxie’s sister – why are they staying silent?

If Professor Maxie Reddick is honest with herself, there’s a very personal reason she pursued a career in criminology: the unsolved murder of her sister, Susan, nearly thirty years before, and her belief that the local police force let her family down.

Now Maxie has been drafted in to help investigate a murder – nothing particularly unusual about that, except when a fingerprint at the scene provides a shocking and unexpected link to her sister’s suspicious death.

The link means that Maxie can’t be involved in the official police investigation – but Susan’s cold case is heating up, and there’s no way Maxie is going to let go now, even if she has to stand up to the people who want to make sure the past stays frozen.

 

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Quick Fire Questions with Marie Laval

Decided to catch up with my fellow author on the other side of the Atlantic, for some quick fire questions….

Vodka and Coke or Malibu and Coke?

Neither! I am a red wine or Prosecco girl!

Novella or novel?

Novel. I love to take the time to get to know the characters and be involved in the plot. Having said that, I really enjoy writing short stories.

Series or stand alone?

I don’t mind either, as long as the series actually ends and doesn’t leave me all confused and wondering if there’s going to be another book…

Nestle or Cadburys?

Hotel Chocolat.

Rock music or pop music?

 both, depending on the mood. I actually enjoy all kinds of music, from Pink to Dire Straits, from Ella Fitzgerald to Elvis Presley, from The Rolling Stones to Bach or Madonna… And then of course there are all the French songs I sing to when I’m driving!

 

Lidl or Aldi

Lidl is great for delicious bread, Portuguese tarts and continental cheeses.

Christmas or Easter?

I love both. Christmas is lovely and cosy and a great time to hibernate with the people I love, but Easter is the beginning of spring when the days are getting longer and the daffodils and bluebells are everywhere.

Snow or Rain?

I am a very nervous driver so driving in snow petrifies me completely. Having said that the hills where I live look beautiful in the snow.

Summer or autumn?

Summer, definitely…I do enjoy spending time in my small garden and looking at all the colourful flowers.

Brown paper or shiny wrapping paper?

Brown paper because it reminds me of receiving parcels from my family in France, with all kinds of goodies inside!

Early morning or late at night?

I always get up early, even at weekends, as it’s when I get the most done. I love the feeling that I have the whole day ahead of me…

 

Can a Desert Rose survive a Scottish winter?

The wild Scottish landscape is a far cry from Rose Saintclair’s Saharan oasis, although she’ll endure it for Lord Cameron McRae, the man she married after a whirlwind romance in Algiers. But when stormy weather leads to Rose’s Scotland-bound ship docking on Cape Wrath – the land of Cameron’s enemy, Bruce McGunn – could her new life already be in jeopardy?

Lord McGunn was a fearless soldier, but his experiences have made him as unforgiving as the land he presides over. He knows McRae won’t rest until he owns Wrath, and the man is willing to use brutal tactics. Bruce decides that he’ll play McRae at his own game, take the ship and its precious occupant, and hold them hostage.

Rose is determined to escape, but whilst captured she learns that there’s another side to her new husband – and could her supposedly cold and ruthless kidnapper also be concealing hidden depths?

 

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@MarieLaval1                       Marie Laval

 

 

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