Monday 30 July 2018

Five Unforgivable Things by Vivien Brown



Almost thirty years ago, Kate’s dream came true. After years of struggling, she was finally pregnant following pioneering IVF. But the dream came at a cost. Neither Kate nor her husband Dan could have known the price they would have to pay to fulfil their cherished wish of having their own family. Now, years later, their daughter Natalie is getting married and is fulfilling her own dream of marrying her childhood sweetheart. Natalie knows she won’t be like most brides as she travels down the aisle in her wheelchair, but it’s the fact her father won’t be there to walk beside her that breaks her heart. Her siblings, Ollie, Beth and Jenny, gather around Natalie, but it isn’t just their father who is missing from their lives… as the secrets that have fractured the family rise to the surface, can they learn to forgive each other before it’s too late?



Title: Five Unforgivable Things
Author:  Vivien Brown
Published by: Harper Impulse 
Publication Date:  26 July 2018
Links: UK:    Amazon      US:   Amazon




Guest Post and Novel Extract by Vivien Brown


Life and love in a wheelchair: Introducing a disabled character


This is a book about a marriage and the quest for a child, and some of the bad decisions and unforgivable mistakes a couple make along the way. In Kate and Dan I wanted to create realistic characters, and hopefully likeable characters, who love each other but can’t always cope with what life throws at them, especially when it’s their own actions that are so often to blame. But two people, no matter how many problems they might have, can never fill a 100,000 word novel. I needed a cast of supporting characters too, and so, running alongside the story of the marriage, set over a forty year period, I have written alternate chapters in the present day, based around the lives of their now adult children.

I am not sure how the idea first came to me to put one of them in a wheelchair, but I have certainly noticed how few disabilities feature in mainstream romantic and women’s fiction. Why shouldn’t a leading character be disabled? She doesn’t have to be able to walk to be strong, or happy, or to achieve her dreams. And yet, I didn’t want to make my story about disability. Natalie is not there to be pitied or as some kind of champion for the disabled. She is just there! She is a character in her own right, with just the same feelings, friendships and family ties as everyone else.

In fact, of all the siblings, it is Natalie who is in many ways the happiest and the most settled. She is the one about to get married, to the childhood sweetheart who used to push her home from school. Whatever practical difficulties she encounters can be overcome, and always have been, with those who love her by her side. But she still has all the same worries and doubts any soon-to-be-bride has when planning her wedding – about the guest list, the bridesmaids, the honeymoon, sex, and of course the dress...

In this extract, Natalie is entering a posh bridal shop. She wants to look fabulous on her big day, but can she really get away with wearing a long flowing traditional wedding dress? Won’t it drag along the floor, get caught in her wheels, make her the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons? The reaction from the shop owner says it all - Natalie is different from her usual clientele. But Natalie is a determined young woman and, whatever dress she chooses, her wedding is going to be done her way, and it will be perfect… if only her father would agree to be there.

But why is Natalie in a wheelchair, and why has Dan told her he can’t give her away? Why not read the book and find out!



Novel Extract


Natalie wasn’t used to doing things alone. In fact, these last few days had probably – no, definitely – been the first she had ever spent entirely by herself. Phil was away at a work conference so boring she didn’t even want to hear about it when he called, let alone be there with him, and Mum was off on one of her regular retreats, her mobile deliberately switched off. Jenny and Beth were visiting some seaside spa place together on a cheap mid-week deal for two. Natalie hadn’t been able to get the time off work to join them, even if squeezing an extra bed into their room had been a possibility, but the truth was she hadn’t been asked. Despite their distance, the bridesmaid question still hung in the air between them, unspoken but so obviously there, and she knew that by the time they came back, it needed to be answered.

Natalie shook her thoughts away, tentatively leaned into the glass door of the shop and eased it open. Although the best of the summer was over and the days were already starting to get noticeably shorter again, the sun was bright today and she could feel her spirits lift along with it. The path through the park was bordered by bouncing rows of tiny-headed purple pansies, newly planted in neat rows, and, after a week of relentless drizzle, her raincoat and boots were at last stuffed back in the hall cupboard in favour of a lighter jacket and her favourite sandals. There was something about the change in the weather that seemed to promise better things to come, making her feel suddenly bold. It was her wedding, after all. Not theirs. And she would do things the way she wanted to, whatever any of them said.

The shop’s interior was an oasis of beauty and calm. There was a deep cream carpet and floor to ceiling mirrors without so much as a smudge on their shiny gilt-edged glass. The sweet scent of jasmine drifted in the air but, in the absence of any real flowers, it seemed to be coming from a huge fat candle that floated in the centre of a bowl of water on a shelf, well out of harm’s way, behind a small desk in the corner. Little red velvet-covered chairs were dotted about around the edges of the room, between tall slim glass cases with the most wonderful satin shoes, beaded bags and glittering tiaras displayed on their shelves. One wall, the longest one, off to her right, was swamped by an unbroken row of big billowing floor-length dresses that brought the phrase ‘as far as the eye can see’ instantly to her mind. There was nobody else about and, for a moment, she just came to a standstill right in the centre of it all, feeling completely overwhelmed.

“Can I help you?” A small bird-like woman, with a slight foreign accent Natalie couldn’t quite place, and a tape measure looped loosely around her neck, emerged from behind a curtain at the back of the shop, revealing a brief glimpse of a hidden workroom beyond, with a sewing machine and scraps of satin and lace strewn across a cluttered table in the centre, and yet more dresses, draped on hangers from an over-full coat stand and all encased in see-through plastic bags.

Natalie saw the look of surprise that flickered across the woman’s heavily made-up face before it was swallowed up in what was clearly a well-practised customer-friendly smile. It was a look she was used to, one that told her she was not quite who, or what, had been expected to come rolling in.

“Sorry… about the carpet.” Natalie turned her head to indicate the small trail of dirt and soggy leaves her wheels had brought in with them.

“That’s all right. Can’t be helped.” The woman’s face flushed as she came forward, fiddling nervously with the tape around her neck.

“I’d like to look at a dress please,” Natalie said. “The ivory one in the window. And, I’m sorry, but I might need a bit of help to try it on.”

Thank you so much for joining us today Viv, the book sounds really interesting and I can't wait to read it.

Sincerely
Book Angel x




About The Author



Vivien Brown lives in west London with her husband and two cats. She worked for many years in banking and accountancy, and then, after the birth of twin daughters, made a career switch and started working with young children, originally as a childminder but later in libraries and children’s centres, promoting the joys of reading and sharing books through story-times and book-based activities and training sessions. As Vivien Hampshire, she has written many short stories for the women’s magazine market and a range of professional articles and book reviews for the nursery and childcare press, in addition to a ‘how to’ book based on her love of solving cryptic crosswords. Now a full time writer, working from home, Vivien is combining novel-writing and her continuing career in magazine short stories with her latest and most rewarding role as doting grandmother.

Sunday 22 July 2018

Confetti and Confusion by Daisy James





The Paradise Cookery School is officially open!
Stepping in for a celebrity chef, Millie Harper is feeling the pressure to make the first ever Paradise Cookery School classes a dazzling success and ensure that bride-to-be Imogen and friends have an unforgettable experience.

Meanwhile, Millie is trying to play it cool around handsome estate manager Zach Barker. But whenever he is near Millie cannot fail to notice the chemistry between them – until someone from Zach’s past arrives and any potential romance seems out of the question.

When disaster strikes and the wedding is in jeopardy, Millie realises she may have to go above and beyond to make sure the school is a success. Can Millie manage to create a day that dreams are made of, and will she find a way to tell Zach how she feels?

Allow yourself to be transported to the balmy St Lucian sunshine by this uplifting summer read – perfect for fans of Jenny Oliver and Sarah Morgan
The Paradise Cookery School
Sunshine & Secrets
Confetti & Confusion
Mistletoe & Mystery (out Sep 2018!)



Title:  Confetti and Confusion
Author:  Daisy James
Published By: Canelo Escape
Publication Date: 9th July 2018
Links:  UK:  Amazon     US: Amazon


Guest Post by Daisy James

We are delighted to welcome Daisy James to our blog today to talk about her latest book Confetti and Confusion.


Adventures in St Lucia
Confetti & Confusion is the second book in the Paradise Cookery School series, set on the spectacular Caribbean island of St Lucia. In the story we re-join Millie and Ella as they showcase a myriad of chocolate-themed recipes for bride-to-be Imogen and her friends in the run up to their glamorous wedding at a luxury resort on the hilltop overlooking the stunning Pitons. It’s a dream come true for Imogen to be getting married in such exotic surroundings and, as a confirmed chocoholic, being able to attend the cookery school is the icing on the three-tiered wedding cake.
By the time the Chocolate & Confetti course starts, Millie has been in St Lucia for two weeks and she’s been so busy that she hasn’t had time to see very much of the island. Zach comes to the rescue and offers to take her on a magical mystery tour of the sights, culminating in an exhilarating treat. Millie isn’t sure about that, but if there’s one thing she’s learnt since meeting Zach it’s that life is for the taking and unless she’s prepared to grab it by the scruff of its neck, she’ll be missing out on all the wonderful things on offer in that part of the world. Little did she know what Zach had up his sleeve – zip-lining!
I had a great time watching the videos of people who had enjoyed the zip wire flights on the slopes above the St Lucian capital of Castries. It looked like fun, but also very scary! The trees were as tall as telegraph poles, and the dense tropical foliage hid a plethora of creatures, insects and bugs. The worst bit for Millie was when she stood on the platform, her toes gripping onto the edge, her stomach churning like an out-of-control washing machine. Fortunately, Zach was there to encourage her to take that first flying leap into the unknown and once she’d landed on the next wooden ledge in the treetops, she was hooked! Exhilarating!
In the interests of research, I decided that I should try out a zip wire ride myself. However, flying through the September air in the UK is a totally different experience to what it would have been in the sun-drenched Caribbean, and I have to admit it was the scariest research I’ve ever done. My heart lodged firmly in my mouth, my knees trembled, and it took a great deal of persuasion for me to jump from the safety of the first platform. Nevertheless, I did it – but I can definitely say that I will not be repeating that particular adventure. I prefer the food-based research any day!
Have you done a zip wire flight? Let me know in the comments.

Sincerely
Book Angel x



About the Author


Daisy James is a Yorkshire girl transplanted to the north east of England. She loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something pink and fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea – china plates and teacups are a must.

Daisy would love to hear from readers via her Facebook page or you can follow her on Twitter @daisyjamesbooks or on Instagram @booksdaisyjames.