Tag: Book_Launch

PUBLICATION DAY FOR THE DEAD WIFE

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I’m delighted that today is the day my new book THE DEAD WIFE hits the digital market! (Paperback 5th September.)

I loved writing this book and was genuinely sorry to say goodbye to the characters. I keep trying to come up with an excuse to write another book featuring them, but so far no luck there. You’ll find the official blurb on Amazon, etc but here is my slightly longer version.

The Dead Wife is set in the Lake District at a high-end holiday resort, in the grounds of Conmere House and surrounded by woodland and beautiful scenery. The resort is owned by Pru Sinclair, the formidable businesswoman and mother to three sons, Dominic, Harry and Owen and although on the surface they appear to have it all, simmering away are tensions, sibling rivalry and secrets.

Within the grounds is Conmere Lake, the place of a tragic drowning two years earlier of Harry Sinclair’s wife, Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth’s mother cannot accept it was an accident and when she discovers travel reporter, Steph Durham, is covering the reopening of the resort, she persuades her to find out what really happened when her daughter went into the water.

As Steph begins to investigate, herself drawn towards Harry Sinclair but is he as innocent as it seems, are any of the Sinclair family telling the truth? And ultimately finds she is more closely involved in the death of Elizabeth Sinclair than she ever imagined.

TDW US Cover

 

 

 

 

If you’re in America, you get a different look to the cover – here’s the  Amazon link for you.

 

 

I really hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it and if you do, perhaps you’d consider leaving a very short review on Amazon.

Thank you for all your support, it’s greatly appreciated.

Sue

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What Doesn’t Kill You – Paperback Giveaway #whatdoesn’tkillyou

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Last week was special for my good friend, Laura E James, her fantastic novel WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU was released in paperback. Regardless of the fact that Laura and I are friends, I have to say what a great book this is – I’ve long been an admirer of Laura’s skill with words and how she fearlessly tackles difficult and thought provoking issues. Laura is also running a giveaway with the chance to win a signed paperback copy of this fab book. See the end of the post for details how to enter.

There’s also another reason why this is special, it’s a first for me. I’m very honoured to be quoted on the cover of WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU. There was so much to say about this book, it was actually quite hard to condense it into a couple of sentences to fit on the cover. The description and my full review is below.

As I say, it’s a great read and I am looking forward to getting my copy signed by Laura when I next see her.

wdky-cover-with-sf-quoteThe Blurb

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – but how strong can one person be?

Griff Hendry knows what it is to be strong. After a turbulent past, he’s dedicated himself to saving lives, working as a coastguard along the breath- taking shores of Dorset. It’s Griff’s belief that everyone is worth saving – which is why he can’t forgive his father, Logan, for what he did.

Griff’s future is plunged into uncertainty when his wife, Evie, tells him she wants a separation. The revelation is a shock and leads Griff to question what Evie could possibly be hiding – and she isn’t the only one holding back. Griff’s troubled stepdaughter, Tess, also harbours a dark secret.

As the truth is uncovered, Griff is forced to accept that perhaps he’s never understood what real strength is.

My Review

What Doesn’t Kill You has been written in such a way that it is uplifting whilst dealing with difficult and dark issues. It certainly isn’t an easy read at times but as a mother, a wife and a daughter, it made me wonder how I would react in Evie’s shoes. Laura deals with the issues in an empathetic and realistic manner, reinforcing the importance of communication and understanding within the family unit.

Tess, the teenage daughter, was a story within a story and her troubled past which impacted on her present was handled with sensitivity. I felt a lot of compassion for this troubled, yet caring teen.

Although there are tough issues in this novel, Laura keeps a tight rein on it all. It is a very powerful story which brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion. Darker than her previous novels but nevertheless positive and life affirming. What doesn’t kill you, in this case, certainly does make you stronger.

Giveaway

Laura : Thank you so much, Sue, for wrapping up the blog tour for the paperback launch of What Doesn’t Kill You and for the wonderful review, support and friendship. I am delighted, privileged and extremely honoured to have your quote on the cover.

As this is the final stop, I’d like to offer readers a chance to win a signed copy of What Doesn’t Kill You.

To be in the draw, please leave a comment here or tweet @Laura_E_James with the words ‘What Doesn’t Kill You paperback giveaway’ and the hashtag #whatwouldyoudo. Giveaway ends midnight, UK time Monday 23rd January 2017. The winning name will be picked by random from a teen’s snapback cap.

Good luck!

I’m off to jet wash the tour bus. See you soon.

Laura x

Research, Google Earth and Guinness Cakes

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TGWL final coverTHE GIRL WHO LIED is published today and I couldn’t write a book set in Ireland without  acknowledging the country or a nod to my mother-in-law, Monica, who hailed from County Cork, but sadly passed away 18 months ago.

When I was writing The Girl Who Lied, I regularly referred back to how Monica would say things so that the dialogue sounded as authentic as possible. My husband has a large family in and around the Cork area, so conjuring up their accents and dialect was also an important part of the writing process. I also picked the brains of a few Irish authors I know to check details, such as, the education system and colloquial terms for the Irish Gardai as I would hate any little slips to take the reader out of the story. Of course, it’s here where I say any mistakes are entirely mine.

My other vital piece of research came in the form of Google Earth, where I could happily roam the Irish coast and surrounding areas to give my fictional village of Rossway a realistic feel. My mother-in-law’s father was from Kinsale and I’ve seen a photograph of the cottage where they lived. It was this that gave me the inspiration for the old croft which appears in The Girl Who Lied.

Keeping on the Irish theme, coincidently it was my youngest daughter’s First Holy Communion last weekend. I know Monica would have loved to have been there and in her honour, I made chocolate Guinness cakes for the adults, together with some little non-alcoholic cupcakes for the children.  I used Nigella Lawson’s recipe for the Guinness cakes which you can find here. I don’t profess to being a contender for the Great British Bake Off, but I was pleased with the results and everyone said how nice they were. I’m pretty sure no-one had their fingers crossed!

guinness cakes

The Art of Seduction – a guest post from Lorraine Wilson plus amazing #giveaway

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Today I have a guest post from the lovely Lorraine Wilson who is talking about her new book THE ART OF SEDUCTION.  I do love the cover and the story sounds exciting too. Here’s Lorraine to tell you all about it …
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Recently I was lucky enough to meet Marian Keyes at the Cheltenham Literary Festival after attending her talk. She’s always been one of my favourite authors so I was thrilled to discover how lovely she is in person. She was charming, funny and inspiring. She made everyone feel she’d love nothing more than to sit down and have a cup of tea and a chat with them. One of the things she said that struck me was how lucky she’d been to have so many disasters and suffer depression because it gave her lots to bring to her stories!
That made me think about what I’ve brought to The Art of Seduction, my latest novel.
Despite the title (a play on words because the hero is an artist) it’s not so much a story about sex as about connection. Both Laura and Jack had an expat childhood but reacted to it in different ways. Jack refuses to become too attached to anything or anyone because he knows how transient life can be. Laura on the other hand longs to settle down, to have a proper home and to belong somewhere.
What they both really need is to be brave enough to forge a connection and let go of beliefs that are holding them back. For them, sex is a doorway to experiencing a connection worth changing for. For Laura, sex with Jack is especially empowering.
I had an expat childhood myself so writing about home, identity and belonging was especially poignant. Also, somewhat ironically, I was once approached in the National Gallery by an artist who wanted to paint me. I declined as I was in a relationship and suspected he wanted to do more than just paint me but I was very flattered.
Some of the story comes entirely from imagination though. I’ll leave you to decide which bits those are 😉
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The Art of Seduction (publication date 15th October, 2015) available here: hyperurl.co/artofseduction
 
Laura Baker has a plan. She’s going to make Jack McClaren, bad boy of the art world, face up to his responsibilities. Jack has a plan, to track down his elusive creative spark. When Laura ambushes him he’s found it. Now to light the fuse, sit back and enjoy the fireworks…
“If you love a sexy, sizzling book that packs an emotional punch, you’ve just found your perfect next read. Five sparkly stars from me.” Kitty French, USA Today Bestselling Author.
 
LAURA:
‘I live in London and work in a florists, though I do a bit of waitressing in the evenings as well, to make some extra money. With the mess my sister Sophie has got into we’re going to need every penny and it’s not like I can rely on Mum or Dad to help out.
It was through the waitressing temp job I finally found a way to turn things around, to make things right for my little sister. Going through the proper channels got me nowhere so I had to get…creative. The laws of right and wrong apply to everyone, or at least they should do. I admit Jack McClaren is super hot, after all I’m not blind, but he stands for all the things I despise – he’s feckless and irresponsible and it’s time someone made him pay. That someone is going to be me.’
 
JACK:
‘I should be in a great place right now, commissions have made me rich and critics have named me as one of the greatest portrait painters of the twenty first century. Apparently I’m the ‘bad boy of the art-world’, or so my publicist would have you believe. But I’ve got a problem, my creative spark is ominously absent, it’s been AWOL for a while. I’m busy procrastinating when Laura rockets into my life, bringing the elusive spark of inspiration with her. Sounds good, yes? Right up to the point when she opens her mouth and what she says…well, let’s just say her accusation leaves me reeling. It’s not long though before I realise I can turn the situation to my advantage. Seduction is an art and I’ve been told I’m a skilled artist in more ways than one. I’m all for taking opportunities to perfect my art. With Laura my plan is simple – light the fuse and then sit back and enjoy the fireworks.’
 
‘The Art of Seduction’ is a new novel to set your pulse racing from Lorraine Wilson, author of the bestselling Chalet Girl stories. It’s the perfect next read if you love Christina Lauren’s ‘Beautiful’ series or Alice Clayton’s ‘Cocktail’ series.
To celebrate publication of The Art of Seduction Lorraine is doing a mega-giveaway:
First prize: a Lorraine Wilson Design La Boutique shoulder bag worth £34.99, a set of Chalet Girl paperbacks, a tote bag, two brand new Clinique lipsticks, Clinique Take off the day make-up remover, Clinique samples, a Lorraine Wilson Design felt heart hanging decoration and an ebook copy of The Art of Seduction.
Two runner up prizes of: a paperback copy of Confessions of a Chalet Girl, a book bag, a Lorraine Wilson Design felt heart hanging decoration and an ebook copy of The Art of Seduction.
You can enter here: 
lorraine wilson giveaway

Every Marriage Has Its Secrets – THE HALF TRUTH out today

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My third Harper Impulse novel, The Half Truth, is released today in digital format, with the paperback on 4 June.  It’s a mystery with romance and, like my previous two novels, is set mainly on the south coast of the UK, although the story does venture to London a few times.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The Half truth

Every marriage has its secrets…

Tina Bolotnikov, widowed after her husband, Sasha, is killed in a car accident, relocates back to her hometown on the south coast of the UK, to bring up her young son. Her life back in London with her adored husband is now nothing but a memory; a history to pass onto her son.

DS John Nightingale saw his partner killed in the line of duty and has made it his personal and professional quest to bring to justice the Russian gang responsible. Five years on and the killer is still free but as reports come in of Sasha Bolotnikov’s brother returning to the UK, John is tasked with tracking him down and following him to the seaside town of Littlehampton.

Tina finds herself an unwitting connection to a world she knew nothing about. She thought she knew her husband. She thought their past was the truth. But now as the investigation draws her closer to DS Nightingale, professional lines are blurred and crossed, and only he holds the key to her future.

Amazon UK

Amazon.com

Kobo

Nook

Sainsbury

iTunes

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Book Review : Follow Me Follow You

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My very good friend and fellow Romaniac, Laura E. James, sees her second novel published today – Follow Me, Follow You.

It’s a great read and as I’m not with her today to give her a bunch of flowers, chocolates or wine, I thought I would publish my review instead.

Congratulations Laura! Happy E-Pub Day!

 

FM_hirespackshot_copy

My Review

Follow me, follow you – fantastic title for this, I totally loved the whole idea of the Ewespeak social media platform and the ‘bleats’, it’s all very clever. However, the story of Victoria and Chris is about connecting in a different way and this is what Laura does so well.

Follow me, follow you really digs deep into the heads and hearts of  all the characters and, in this case, taking each of them on a journey of recovery. The book has sub-plots expertly woven in, dealing with deeper issues of the human nature; the relationship between two unrelated sons, I found particularly touching and moving. 

I would very much recommend Follow Me, Follow You to anyone who enjoys reading about love, relationships, families and their complexities.

Blurb

You save me and I’ll save you…

Victoria Noble has pulled the plug on romance. As director of the number one social networking site, EweSpeak, and single mother to four-year-old Seth, she wrestles with the work-life balance.

Enter Chris Frampton, Hollywood action hero and Victoria’s first love. His return from LA has sparked a powder keg of media attention, and with secrets threatening to fuel the fire, he’s desperate to escape.

But finding a way forward is never simple. Although his connection with Victoria is as strong as when he was nineteen, has he been adrift too long to know how to move on?

With the risk of them breaking, will either #follow their heart?

 

 

Follow Me, Follow You is available in digital format today and in paperback from 5 September.

Amazon sales link here

So many things you can do with chocolate

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In honour of Lynda Renham’s book launch

CONFESSIONS OF A CHOCOHOLIC

today’s post is all about chocolate!

confessions

I was thinking of all the lovely things you could do with chocolate and when I did some reasearch into this, I found that my imagination was pretty tame compared to that of others. How about styling your hair with chocolate? Or building a house from chocolate. My personal favourite was nail art with chocolate – really handy if you’re a nail biter!

Here’s the YouTube link for the top 10 things to do with chocolate.

Lynda is having a Facebook party today to celebrate her book launch  where she would love you to drop by. Click HERE to go direct to the party. There are prizes and fun all day long. 🙂

I am offering a free e-copy of my book United States of Love published by Harper Impulse. All you have to do is ‘Like’ my writer’s page by clicking the link on the right of this post, or clicking HERE, and send your ‘What I’d do with chocolate’ answer to Chocolate@renham.co.uk where Lynda will pick a winner at random.

Good luck and enjoy a fun day with Lynda!

Sue

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