Rachel’s Random Resources / Blog Tour : Christmas at the Chocolate Pot Cafe – Jessica Redland

Synopsis :

A few minutes of courage might change your life…

Emotionally, Tara Porter finds the festive period a challenge. Christmas Day is a reminder of the family she lost, and New Year’s Eve holds bitter memories of the biggest mistake of her life: marrying Garth Tewkesbury. Shunning invitations to celebrate, she seeks refuge in her flat with only her giant house bunny, Hercules, for company.
Professionally, though, it’s the best time of year. Tara’s thriving café, The Chocolate Pot, is always packed. With the café hosting a wedding and engagement party, it’s shaping up to be the café’s best Christmas ever.
When former nemesis, Jed Ferguson, threatens the future of The Chocolate Pot, Tara prepares for a fight. The café is everything to her and she’s not going to let anyone or anything jeopardise that.
Tara badly misjudged ex-husband Garth and, since then, has refused to let anyone in. After all, if you don’t let them in, they can’t hurt you. But has she misjudged Jed too? Is it possible that he’s not the arrogant, deceitful man from whom she bought the café 14 years earlier? Can she find the courage to find out for sure?

About the Author :

Jessica had never considered writing as a career until a former manager kept telling her that her business reports read more like stories and she should write a book. She loved writing but had no plot ideas. Then something happened to her that prompted the premise for her debut novel, Searching for Steven. She put fingers to keyboard and soon realised she had a trilogy and a novella.
She lives on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast — the inspiration for the settings in her

books — with her husband, daughter, cat, Sprocker Spaniel, and an ever-growing collection of collectible teddy bears. Although if the dog has her way, the collection will be reduced to a pile of stuffing and chewed limbs!
Her passion for North Yorkshire is shared by fellow-writer and great friend, Sharon Booth and, together, they are the Yorkshire Rose Writers.
Jessica tries to balance her time — often unsuccessfully — between being an HR tutor, trying to re-learn how to play the piano, studying towards a Masters in Creative Writing, and writing itself. Who needs sleep?

Social Media Links :
Twitter
Facebook
Website and blog

Review :

This is my second book written by this author and I think I’ll be calling myself a fan from now on!
Yet another great read I simply couldn’t put down.
It’s not overly festive, which I like, but it tells a real theme-like story about friends, family, a community and pulling together.
It was funny, romantic, with soms great turns and revelations.
Absolutely a great read, which I recommend wholeheartedly, not only this season.

Advertenties

Love Books Group Tour / Excerpt : Start – Graham Morgan

Today I’m on the ‘Start’ blogtour, organised by Love Books Group Tour.
To promote Graham Morgan his book I have an excerpt, but before I let you read it first some ‘basic’ information.

About the Author :

Graham was born in 1963 in York. He went to university as an angst- ridden student and was quickly admitted to one of the old mental asylums, prompting the work he has done for most of his life: helping people with mental illness speak up about their lives and their rights. He has
mainly worked in Scotland, where he has lived for the last thirty years, twenty of them in the Highlands. In the course of this work he has been awarded an MBE, made Joint Service User Contributor of the Year by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and, lately, has spoken at the UN about his and other peoples’ experiences of detention. He has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and has been compulsorily treated under a CTO for the last ten years. He currently lives in Argyll with his partner and her young twins. Start is his first book.

Synopsis :

Graham Morgan has an MBE for services to mental health, and helped to write the Scottish Mental Health (2003) Care and Treatment Act. This is the Act under which he is now detained.
Graham’s story addresses key issues around mental illness, a topic which is very much in the public sphere at the moment. However, it addresses mental illness from a perspective that is not heard frequently: that of those whose illness is so severe that they are subject to the Mental Health Act.
Graham’s is a positive story rooted in the natural world that Graham values greatly, which shows that, even with considerable barriers, people can work and lead responsible and independent lives; albeit with support from friends and mental health professionals. Graham does not gloss over or glamorise mental illness, instead he tries to show, despite the devastating impact mental illness can have both on those with the illness and those that are close to them, that people can live full and positive lives. A final chapter, bringing the reader up to date some years after Graham has been detained again, shows him living a fulfilling and productive life with his new family, coping with the symptoms that he still struggles to accept are an illness, and preparing to address the United Nations later in the year in his new role working with the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.

Excerpt :

SEPTEMBER: MOONLIGHT

It is some time since I have seen the moonlight. In the summer the sky was dark late and the sun got up early, and luckily for me I tended to sleep through the middle bit.
I have a hankering for something different. I would like to wander along the flat of a moor under the mountains and look around me on the night of a bright full moon. It would be good to see the stars and to look at the ground covered in a pale wash of moonlight. I would like that faint shudder of worry as a bird, maybe an owl, flits past in the dark or the white blur of a sheep suddenly dashes across the heather. Or from the road, a car’s headlights catches the shine of a deer’s gaze, standing stock still in the dark.
And then I would like to find a rock by a small lochan. I would sit beside it, feeling the cold stone through the cloth of my trousers, watching the slight spangle of ripples on the water, the silver tracery and the black lines of the dark water; maybe a moth would flap past my face. In previous years I would have smoked a cigarette, watched the brief flare and sudden darkness. Now I would hope that I could sit patiently, listening to my breath going in and out, hearing the lightest of splashes as the small ripples reached shore, feeling a wisp of breeze on my face and slowly, slowly, calling forth memories and histories.
Letting myself drift, thinking of times of happiness and times of joy and the odd hint of the memory of melancholy. Remembering the feel of fingertips on me and the clutch of small hands in my larger one; remembering laughter, remembering small times like doing the washing up together and all the laughter it involves; remembering present times when we cuddle on the sofa or water the flowers.
And then sitting up, standing up stiffly and walking along the heather-bound path besides a stream, under the crags and back to the house by the sea for coffee and music and musing before the dawn breaks.

The Magic Of Wor(l)ds

Rachel’s Random Resources / Guest Post : The Magical Christmas Do Over – Linda West

Today I’m on the ‘The Magical Christmas Do Over’ blogtour, organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
To promote this book I have a guest post written by its author, Linda West, but before I let you read it first some ‘basic’ information.

About the Author :

Linda West is the best selling author of the adorable and enchanting “Christmas Kisses and Cookies.” It is a delightful series of holiday romances based around the town of Kissing Bridge and the magical Landers sisters who are the reigning blue ribbon cookie queens thanks to their mothers’ ‘special’ recipe book.
Linda was the owner of Mayberry – a celebrity-filled restaurant in Malibu where many of her recipes enchanted the regulars such as Tom Hanks and Anthony Hopkins to name a few. Her recipes are sprinkled throughout her fiction books much to the delight of her fans.
Her newest venture is in the cozy mystery and humor genre. With – Death by Crockpot – the first in her newest series -Linda takes her favorite known characters from Kissing Bridge and throws them into some side-splitting funny adventures.

Social Media Links :
Twitter
Website

Synopsis :

Thrown together by fate, three women get a second chance to go back in time and change their lives forever. They say once in a blue moon you get the chance of a lifetime, and this was that blue moon.

Three friends. Second chances. One miraculous Christmas.

–

–

–

Guest Post :

Second Chances

I have received more mail about this book than any other book I’ve ever written. Readers can’t seem to let the idea of a do-over go even long after the book is done. It is making people think about their life, and the choices they are making. It has been very moving to hear their stories they felt compelled to share after reading the Magical Christmas Do Over. Many wish they could have a second chance and wonder if it is too late. I believe that one of the gifts of life is that it’s never too late. Move forward and fix your life by choosing love over fear. Love is the miracle we all need.

The Magic Of Wor(l)ds

 

Rachel’s Random Resources / Excerpt : I’m Glad I Found You This Christmas – CP Ward

Today I’m on the ‘I’m Glad I Found You This Christmas’ blogtour, organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
To promote CP Ward his book I have an excerpt, but before I let you read it first some ‘basic’ information.

About the Author :

CP Ward is a writer from the UK who currently lives and works in Japan. This is his first Christmas book.

FB Group
Mailing List
Blog
Twitter
Website

–

–

Synopsis :

I’m glad I found you this Christmas – an uplifting sweet romance set against the magical backdrop of Christmas.

Maggie Coates is frustrated. Her longterm boyfriend, Dirk, recently moved to London to take a job she fears puts him out of her league. Despite the assurances of her best friend Renee, Maggie is convinced Dirk is slowly drifting away. All Maggie wants is to get married and settle down, but maybe Dirk has other ideas.
Convinced by Renee to make one last throw of the dice, Maggie books a romantic holiday for two in the quaint Scottish village of Hollydell. But will Dirk show up?
And if he doesn’t, what if there is a perfect man waiting for her among the Christmas magic of Hollydell’s snow-laden streets? What if Henry, the humble reindeer farmer with the kind smile, turns out to be the man of Maggie’s dreams?

I’m glad I found you this Christmas is a glowing sweet romance which will leave you feeling warm inside and buzzing with Christmas spirit.

Excerpt :

In this short excerpt, Renee is seeing a nervous Maggie off at the station as Maggie prepares to head for Hollydell.

‘So, you’re all set. You’ve got your passport, right?’
‘My … I don’t … what?’
Renee giggled and patted Maggie on the arm. ‘I’m having a laugh. No, you don’t need it. Except maybe to check in. But they’re hardly going to turn you away after travelling from Cambridge, are they? You’ve got your driver’s license?’
Maggie took a deep breath. ‘Yeah, I’ve got it.’
‘And you’ve got enough underwear, just in case there’s no washing machine?’
‘What? You never said—’
‘Relax!’
Maggie tried to calm herself, but was aware she was starting to panic. ‘It’s not too late, you know. I can pull the whole trip. I haven’t paid anything upfront. I mean, Dirk might not even show up. We can have a girls’ Christmas. Drink some wine, watch, um, Frozen again….’
Renee gave her a comforting pat on the arm. ‘It’ll all be fine. Just trust Auntie Renee. Tell me again about the journey. It sounds so romantic.’
Maggie had read over the printout from the web page so many times she could recite it with barely a mistake. ‘“Catch the 7.15 a.m. train to Edinburgh Waverley. From there, take the 1.03 to Inverness. At Inverness, find Platform 7A and wait for the 4.31 on the Hollydell Line. There is only one train per day—don’t miss it. The train is a single carriage and stops only once, at Hollydell Firth at exactly 5 p.m. Do not be alarmed when you exit the station. To reach Hollydell, walk up the road through the trees for approximately three hundred metres. The village will appear in front of you. The village hall is on your left. Someone will be waiting to show you to your cottage.”’
Renee hummed, her hands pressed together under her chin. ‘“The village will appear in front of you.” Sounds like it’s magic, doesn’t it?’
Maggie resisted the urge to say something negative. ‘Assuming it’s even there. I tried to find it on Google Maps, but it’s a black spot. That could mean anything. Perhaps I’m walking into a military alien abduction facility.’
‘Well, at least Dirk’s coming to meet you. He can be your knight in shining armour to save you from all those pesky E.T.s.’
‘Yeah, sure.’
Renee was still beaming and staring off into space as a loudspeaker announced the approach of a train.
‘Well, here goes.’
Renee pulled Maggie into a bear hug. She smelled faintly of Yves Saint Laurent and Starbucks Latte. No doubt Maggie smelled of fear, but she forced herself to take a deep breath.
‘It’ll be fine,’ Renee said. ‘Haven’t I told you to trust me?’

The Magic Of Wor(l)ds

Rachel’s Random Resources / Promo Post : Moonlight on the Thames – Lauren Westwood

Today I’m on the ‘Moonlight on the Thames’ blogtour, organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
To promote this book I have a some ‘basic’ information for you.

About the Author :

Lauren Westwood writes romantic women’s fiction, and is also an award-winning children’s writer. Originally from California, she now lives in England in a pernickety old house built in 1602, with her partner and three daughters.

Social Media Links :
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Instagram
Goodreads
Booktrail (this is a third-party site)

Synopsis :

Worlds collide when two strangers meet at Waterloo station. It’s a moment they’ll never forget. Perfect for the fans of Milly Johnson.

Christmas is a joyous time, but not everyone is merry and bright.
Nicola is a rising star at the top of the corporate ladder, but her personal life is a disaster. Her office affair has lost its allure, and the last thing she wants to think about is Christmas. A night of cancelled trains and festive Christmas carols at Waterloo Station is just about the last straw…
Dmitri loves conducting his pop-up choir during the festive season, meeting people, and spreading joy and cheer around London. But he carries deep secrets from his past that robbed him of his dream to become a concert pianist.
Can their hearts and souls be unlocked by music and moonlight and will they discover the healing power of love?

Purchase Links :
Amazon
Kobo
Ibooks
GooglePlay

The Magic Of Wor(l)ds

 

Rachel’s Random Resources / Guest Post : The Christmas Spirit – Susan Buchanan

Today I’m on the ‘The Christmas Spirit’ blogtour, organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
To promote this book I have a guest post written by its author, Susan Buchanan, but before I let you read it first some ‘basic’ information.

About the Author :

Susan Buchanan lives in Scotland with her husband and their two children. She is the author of four novels: Return of the Christmas Spirit, The Christmas Spirit, The Dating Game, and Sign of the Times. She is currently working on books five and six: The Proposal and Just One Day.
Susan is also a proofreader, editor and translator, and when not working, writing, or caring for her two delightful cherubs, loves reading, the theatre, quiz shows and eating out – not necessarily in that order!

Social Media Links :
Facebook
Twitter
Blog – Sooz’s journal

Synopsis :

Christmas is coming, but not everyone is looking forward to it.
Rebecca has just been dumped and the prospect of spending the holiday period with her parents is less than appealing.
Eighty- two year old Stanley lost his beloved wife, Edie, to cancer. How will he cope with his first Christmas without her?
Jacob’s university degree hasn’t helped him get a job, and it looks like he’ll still be signing on come New Year.
Workaholic Meredith would rather spend December 25th at home alone with a ready meal and a DVD box set. Can anything make her embrace the spirit of the season?
The enigmatic Natalie Hope takes over the reins at the Sugar and Spice bakery and café in an attempt to spread some festive cheer and restore Christmas spirit, but will she succeed?

Guest Post :

Turkey and all the trimmings

Thanks for having me on the blog today.

Christmas dinner always consisted of turkey (or chicken) or ham at our house. In recent years, I’ve tried various 3, 4 and 5-bird roasts, and they’ve been OK, but it’s the sides I love – the roast potatoes, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside (goose fat’s the way to go, so I’m told). I confess to never having made a Christmas dinner (thank goodness, I hear my family cry!) My husband is a great cook and takes care of that. I take care of playing with the kids and their toys!
I love Brussel sprouts. I know, I know. It’s like Marmite, you love them or you hate them. And I didn’t know, until my father pointed it out last year, that there is actually a wrong way to cook them.
I love cranberry sauce and bread sauce and pigs in blankets and…actually, I’m getting hungry writing this…stuffing. And I adore red cabbage. And the Christmas food in all the supermarket brochures is always amazing. Noddy Holder said it first, but I really do wish it could be Christmas every day from a culinary perspective. I’m a foodie. And all I have to see is those pages of Norfolk turkeys (which I flick past – wow, they’re expensive and huge!), beef wellington (my favourite, but alas no-one else’s in the family!), to the seafood – the seafood always looks so mouth-watering and I love seafood. Again, I’m alone in that.
One year I intend to throw a party, something akin to Bridget Jones’s parents’, just so I can buy all the platters of seafood I see in these glossy Christmas brochures and sample them all.
Then there are the desserts. I love traditional fruit cake – I have to say doing the tasting for my wedding cake was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life in recent years! So, I love Christmas pudding with lashings of cream. Not so fussed on the brandy butter. But my family don’t eat Christmas pudding. So, cue me, first week in November, buying individual Christmas puddings (yes, I’m the person who buys them) just so I can satisfy my craving. I used to get my fill of it at my work’s Christmas night out, but the bane of being self-employed is no Christmas night out.
So, Christmas pudding eaten, I move on to the array of goodies for all the dessert lovers like me. In fact I’ve just worked out what my other dream job would be – reviewing Christmas desserts for a comparison site. Maybe next year.
Whether it’s chocolate and salted caramel (something I’ve grown to love in the past few years, good to be on trend for once), or the snow bombe. I particularly like the sound of the Sicilian lemon and passion fruit snowflake bombe out this year. And again, one year, I have to throw a party prior to Christmas where we can all have Christmas cake – my family has never embraced the whole Christmas cake thing. I remember vowing (no idea why, I have never been able to bake, although I make a mean muffin these days) to make my own Christmas cake, complete with sixpences (almost expect Mary Poppins to turn up). I wasn’t even born when there were sixpences! I just always liked the idea of finding a coin in the cake. Nowadays clearly it’s frowned upon as a choking hazard… Maybe I could hide something else…
Basically what I’m trying to say is Christmas food rocks! Merry Christmas!

The Magic Of Wor(l)ds

Rachel’s Random Resources / Promo Post : All Wrapped Up in You – Sun Chara

Today I’m on the ‘All Wrapped Up in You’ blogtour, organised by Rachel’s Random Resources.
To promote this book I have a some ‘basic’ information for you.

About the Author :

Sun Chara, an Amazon top 100 bestseller, writes sexy, hip ‘n fun contemporary romance, and romantic comedies w/a divine twist for HarperImpulse. She makes her home in southern California, and has appeared on stage/film to rave reviews in How the Other Half Loves, General Hospital, and McGee and Me. She has a Masters Degree in Education and membership in SAG/AFTRA and Romance Writers of America. Sipping Frappuccinos topped with whipped cream/sprinkles, and dancing on the beach make everyday a celebration!

Social Media Links :
Facebook
Twitter

Synopsis :

Their marriage hangs in the balance, but on this wind battered Christmas Eve, a miracle is born…
When Ellie hooked up with world renowned neurosurgeon, Peter Medeci, aka ‘Prince Charming’, she thought her dreams had come true. But the demands of being the model wife to his career triggers a mutiny within her and she decides to ditch the ‘royal’ life until he sees her as more than his bedroom playmate.

Purchase Link :
Amazon

The Magic Of Wor(l)ds