My FavouriteThings by Kitty French, Author

Food Savoury and sweet
I’m a red meat girl! A good rare steak is the way to my heart. I’ve got a massive sweet tooth too though, so anything that includes the word chocolate instantly gets my vote.

Drink
In my ideal world I’d drink champagne every evening! In my real world though, I look forward to a good G&T at the end of the day.

Film
That’s tricky! I’ve recently seen the new Bridget Jones movie, and it reminded me how much I love all of the films in the series.

Book
Going back to Bridget Jones, I can honesty say that those books made me laugh out loud and still do now when I re-read them. I love all of Caitlin Moran’s books too, and am a die hard Jilly Cooper fan. My beloved go-to book if I’m stressed is My Family & Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, totally absorbing and gently humour that soothes me.

Author
I kind of covered that, but I’ll add american authors Janet Evanovich, Charlaine Harris Jenny Crusie to the list too.

Character
Well, who doesn’t love Rupert Campbell-Black? ;) But I’ll also say Eric Northman from Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series. The sexiest vampire ever, hands down!

Holiday destination
We honeymooned in Paris, and it was perfect in every possible way. :)

Animal
We have cats and I love them, but I hanker after a dog. Preferably a little brown lab boy called Chester, not that I’ve thought about it too much or anything!

Person
I’m a homebody, and am at my happiest surrounded by my family. My husband, our kids. They make my world turn.

Place to write
I only ever write at home. I’ve tried to write in the library or a coffee shop, but am too nosy and easily distracted!

Season
I love the snow, so winter.

Tradition
I love Christmas, and the day itself is super busy and full of noise and fun. I love Boxing Day best of all though - we have a tradition to visit no one and have no visitors at all. We build a fire, stay in out PJ’s and graze all day on nice food and play with the kids toys all day. Movies, chocolate, candles, wine. I can’t wait!

Thing in the whole world
Honestly? Feeling unworried. It’s so rare, but you know those moments when you don’t feel stressed about everything and everyone and feel content and just happy? Those moments.


BIO:
Kitty French lives in the midlands with her husband, their two young sons and two crazy cats. She is a romance junkie; she loves to watch it, read it, and most of all to write it. She’s happiest with her laptop on her knees and a G&T on the table.


LATEST BOOK:

Melody Bittersweet & The Girls’ Ghostbusting Agency - A paranormal romantic comedy about life, love and…ghosts!

Link to buy

Thanks so much for joining us today Kitty, this is the perfect choice for Halloween.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

My Favourite Things by Jackie Kabler, Author

Food savoury and sweet

My favourite savoury food has to be curry. I’m slightly obsessed – if I don’t have one good curry a week I get a little sad. And it has to be HOT – no korma here! As for sweet, it’s Cadbury Golden Crisp. It’s widely available in Ireland but virtually impossible to get in the UK so I stock up every time I visit my family in Ireland.

Drink

Champagne, closely followed by Earl Grey tea. I drink gallons of the latter, and as much as I can of the former!

Film

Tricky, but probably Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Book

Aaargh! So hard to choose. The book that stays with me though is The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch. It came out (and won the Booker Prize) in 1978 when I was 12 but I didn’t read it until a few years later. I love being near water and I think it was initially the stunning descriptions of the sea which drew me in. I still have my copy, more than thirty years later.

Author

Again – aaargh! But I have read every single book Ian Rankin, John Grisham and Tess Gerritsen have ever written. They can battle it out together!

Holiday destination

New York. I’ve been lucky enough to travel widely for work over the years, and have been to some wonderful and exotic places around the world, but I always want to go back to New York. It just has such a fabulous energy (and, err, excellent shopping). The last time I went was for my birthday in April. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it.

Animal

Dinosaurs. OK, maybe you meant non-extinct animals? I love animals generally (even snakes and spiders). But for a pet I’d love a Russian Blue cat. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to have one though, because I’m away so much for work. Maybe one day…

Person

I have lots of fabulous people in my life – my wonderful husband, great family and amazing friends. But if I had to pick one person to see right now, it would be my younger sister Deborah. She died very suddenly six years ago and I still miss her every single day.

Place to write

I write mainly in my dressing room/office at home. But I can write anywhere really – I’ve written parts of my new book on a plane to Tokyo, on a balcony in Italy and in a hotel room in London. As long as it’s quiet, I’m fine. I can’t write with too much music or noise around me.

Piece of clothing

Can I have two favourites? First, these shoes by United Nude. I do wear them, but often I just sit and look at them, like pieces of art. It’s a Dutch brand started by an architect, and you can see that background in the shoe designs.

The other is the pair of earrings my publisher Accent Press gave me to celebrate the release of my debut novel The Dead Dog Day last year. They are perfect miniatures of my book covers.

Inspirational quote

I’m a big motivational quote fan, so it changes all the time, but at the moment it’s “She believed she could, so she did”. I really do think that we can do remarkable things if we truly believe we can. I did a 100km charity race in August – that’s 62 miles or 2.4 marathons non-stop. I’d never done longer than a marathon before and lots of people told me I was crazy to attempt such a long distance. There were times during the event when people were collapsing on the road, and I was utterly exhausted and in pain from head to toe, and I thought yes, those people who told me I was mad were right! But I truly believed I could cross that finish line, and I did. Our minds are so much more powerful than we understand.

Thing in the whole world

OK, we’re back to dinosaurs again. For my 20^th wedding anniversary my husband told me to choose any gift I wanted. I thought about an eternity ring or other nice piece of jewellery, but then realised what I really wanted, had wanted for ages, was a dinosaur fossil. So I got a dinosaur tooth. It’s 98 million years old and is from a Carcharodontosaurus. They were bigger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex and had teeth up to eight inches long. Mine is framed on my writing desk. I adore it.

ABOUT ME

I’m a journalist by trade and spent 20 years working in TV news, mainly for GMTV, ITV and BBC. I’m now a presenter on shopping channel QVC and an author.
My new novel, the second in the Cora Baxter Mysteries series, is called The Deadline Amazon link

My debut novel The Dead Dog Day is available here Amazon link

You can chat to me on Twitter (@jackiekabler),
Facebook (www.facebook.com/jackiekablerauthor) or on my website www.jackiekabler.com.

Thank you so much Jackie for joining us on My Favourite Things
Sincerely
Book Angelx

The Deadline by Jackie Kabler

Cora Baxter is back - and this time, she's facing the most important deadline of her career... When TV reporter Cora Baxter attends the scene of a murder in a London park, she's horrified to discover the victim is someone she knows and devastated when one of her best friends is charged with the crime. Suddenly the fun-filled life of Cora and her eccentric camera crew takes a darker turn. Cora is convinced that her friend is innocent, but with seemingly solid evidence, the police investigation team reluctantly led by Cora's boyfriend DCI Adam Bradberry believe the case is closed. With a trail of clues that leads all the way to New York, can Cora find out the truth before the trial begins or is it already too late? The Deadline is the second in the hugely popular Cora Baxter Mysteries series by acclaimed broadcaster Jackie Kabler.

Title:               The Deadline
Author:           Jackie Kabler
Published By: Accent Press
Date:               Oct 20th 2016
Link:               UK: Amazon  US: Amazon

My Review

I read a post on social media the other day which said "You have been kidnapped and the main character of the book you're reading is your only hope. Do you survive?" I thought about the main character from this book 'Cora Baxter' and the answer was a huge YES, I knew for sure that I would. Cora Baxter is the sort of person who would always have your back.

The Deadline is the second in the Cora Baxter series and is a year on from the last book, The Dead Dog Day although both books work as standalone too.

The story follows the ups and downs of roving reporter Cora Baxter and is once again in the form of a light hearted murder mystery. The very first line was just one of the hilarious one liners that made me laugh out loud, the others are interspersed through the book and many are to do with real things that have happened whilst Jackie was herself working as a reporter. In fact even though Cora has dark hair, in my mind as I'm reading I just see Jackie in the role.

The book is slightly darker than the first one, the murder victim is known to Cora and her friend is in the frame as the main suspect. Cora can't believe her friend could do something like that and so along with her other friends and colleagues she sets herself a deadline to find out who the murderer really is, and everyone knows that Cora never misses a deadline. However with all the evidence pointing to her friend things don't look good.

The pace was really fast and kept me guessing to the end and suspecting almost every character on the way. We are given to wondering whether Cora is not such a good judge of character and that maybe her friend did do it but her unwavering loyalty was sweet to see and I really wanted her to be right.

I think Cora is such a lovable character and I love the relationships she has with her boyfriend, work friends and her home friends and the guys on her team. It's really nice to see all the different aspects of her life and brings lots of dimensions to her as a person.

I really enjoyed the story and raced through it. As the plot unfolded it unearthed some unusual and quite bizarre circumstances which caused much heartbreak for Cora's friend.

To sum it up, imagine Bridget Jones moving to 'Midsomer', an exciting, funny, sad and thoroughly entertaining, murder mystery.
Thanks to Jackie for the advance copy of the book.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

I’m a journalist by trade and spent 20 years working in TV news, mainly for GMTV, ITV and BBC. I’m now a presenter on shopping channel QVC and an author. My new novel, the second in the Cora Baxter Mysteries series, is called The Deadline (Amazon link https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadline-Cora-Baxter-Mysteries/dp/1783758112/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1474902785&sr=1-3&keywords=jackie+kabler). You can chat to me on Twitter (@jackiekabler), Facebook (www.facebook.com/jackiekablerauthor) or on my website www.jackiekabler.com.

The Christmas Cake Cafe by Sue Watson, Author

Our Review

This is a lovely tender story with lots of heartfelt moments and an equal measure of funny moments. 

Jen has been left heartbroken at the age of forty when instead of proposing to her, her boyfriend dumps her. 

Her half sister Jody suggests that she doesn't hang around moping but instead joins her and her friends in Switzerland to work over Christmas. 

Jen doesn't fancy it but convinces herself to go as the alternative looks bleak. 

Once there she meets hunky ski instructor Jon who always seems to turn up at her most embarrassing moments. 

There were many laugh out loud moments throughout the book which I thoroughly enjoyed but the story went much deeper too as it explored the relationships that Jen had with various characters. The main one being with her half sister Jody who had come along when Jen was only twelve. Jen had resented her for her whole life and had felt rejected by her father because he had a new family now as her mother often told her. So it was lovely watching their relationship blossom into a strong friendship as well as sisterly love. 

I also loved the relationship that jen managed to build with Ella, Jon's 12 year old daughter as she could empathise completely with her situation. 

I also loved the setting in Switzerland which was really Christmassy. 

A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas read. 

Thanks to Bookouture for the ARC which I have reviewed voluntarily. 

Please see below for Sue's Favourite Things. 

My Favourite Things by Sue Watson

Food Savoury and sweet

Savoury has to be fish and chips, I LOVE it and tell myself the fish is good for me and the chips are one of my five a day! As for sweet things it has to be cake – probably lemon cake, I love the tartness of lemon with the rich sweetness of sponge.


Drink

Cocktails, my best friend Lesley makes the most AMAZING daiquiris with fresh lime juice and Cuban rum. I make one with gin and raspberry liqueur and there is nothing quite like sitting in the garden on a summer’s evening putting the world to rights with a glass or two or three… okay four or five.

Film

I love all the Bridget Jones films. I think the writing is brilliant, relevant and funny and Renee is fabulous – the book sparked a generation of authors like me and Helen Fielding is still my queen!

Author

I have many author friends who write brilliant books and some of my favourites are Renita D’Silva, Caroline Mitchell and Angela Marsden - I also love Louise Candlish and Tamar Cohen. These writers are working in a completely different genre to me and with the exception of Renita are all thriller writers. I don’t read books in my own genre for several reasons, mainly because I don’t want to be influenced and write something too similar and also because they will be better than me and may put me off writing ever again!

Character

Apologies, I’m going to be really cheeky here and choose one of my own characters. I love Laura from Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams because I can relate to her so much and so many readers have contacted me saying the same. She is middle-aged, overweight, working full time with little money, but big dreams – and when I wrote Laura I went through every painful and wonderful moment with her.

Song

Happy by Pharrell Williams. As soon as I hear those opening chords I just wanna dance – and for a couch potato that is GOOD!


Holiday destination

I love the west coast of America and have an ongoing love affair with Santorini (where much of Love, Lies and Lemon Cake is set). But this summer we went to Sorrento and I am now in love with the place – the food, the wine and the people were just wonderful, and the sights unforgettable. Our hotel balcony looked out onto the city and we ate breakfast there every morning - it felt like heaven. There will definitely be an Italian influence in at least one of my future books.

Animal

My cat Harry. My husband says Harry is the animal version of me, he likes to lie in the sunshine, be waited on, has a deep passion for food and will do anything for a snack! I’m not sure I quite agree with that rather unflattering comparison, but I do think we’re soul mates – and he loves my books.

Person

I have so many favourite people it’s hard to choose, but I will have to squeeze two in here – my husband Nick and my daughter Eve. They are the funniest people I know and even when we fall out we end up laughing – usually at each other!

Place to write

My kitchen. I have a desk in the corner of the room, I am near the kettle, the fridge and don’t miss anything that’s going on. I couldn’t bear to be locked away in an office and miss all the gossip – mind you I am easily distracted and if I could be locked in a room I would probably write at least one more book a year because I would be concentrating on work rather than poking my nose in the fridge and everyone else’s business.


Season


It’s got to be Christmas. If you’ve read any of my books you will probably guess that the thing I love most about Christmas - well life - is food, especially cake. As a woman who doesn’t just struggle, but mud-wrestles her weight throughout the year, I welcome the festive season with gusto because I believe that throughout December it’s ok to eat anything. At this time of year all calories are erased by those two magic words ‘it’s Christmas,’ and this can start anytime from about September onwards and gives me permission to consume anything and everything that’s vaguely festive.
Tradition


Inspirational quote


Always bite off more than you can chew. Then chew hard.


Thing in the whole world

After my family and friends my favourite thing in the whole world is my books. I was forty when I decided to give up a career in TV to write ‘that novel,’ and I don’t think anyone really believed I’d ever be published, least of all me. I’m about to write my ninth book and have plenty more queuing up in my head mostly about women like me who make a decision to take a risk and change their lives.

Click here to buy the book

Sue Watson was a TV Producer with the BBC who combined motherhood and family life with a busy career. However, one day it dawned on Sue that Cosmo magazine may have been telling porkies about 'having it all,' and her life had become a slightly crazed juggling act.

So after much soul searching (and comfort eating) Sue abandoned her TV career, bought a pink laptop and wrote 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.' It was then Sue realised she couldn't stop writing and produced more books. To date she has written 8 books; 'Younger, Thinner, Blonder' 'Love, Lies and Lemon Cake,' 'Snow Angels, Secrets and Christmas Cake,' 'Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams,' 'Bella's Christmas Bake Off,' 'We'll Always have Paris,' and 'The Christmas Cake Cafe,' due for release in October 2016.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where she bakes (and eats) lots of cake. She spends much of her time making big decisions about whether to have Caramel Chew Chew or Peanut Butter ice cream (or both?) while watching 'The Biggest Loser USA,' and procrastinating over her latest novel.

For more info visit Sue's website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

Sue would love to meet you on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks

Follow Sue on Twitter @suewatsonwriter

Thanks so much for joining us Sue x

Sincerely

Book Angel x

Blog Tour - Losing It by Emma Rathbone

Twenty-six year old Julia Greenfield has long suspected that everyone is having fun without her.
It’s not that she’s unhappy, per se. It’s just that she’s not exactly happy either.
She hasn’t done anything spontaneous since about 2003. Shouldn’t she be running a start up? Going backpacking? Exploring uncharted erogenous zones with inappropriate men?
Trapped between news of her mother’s latent sexual awakening and her spinster aunt’s odd behaviour, Julia has finally snapped. It’s time to take some risks, and get a life.

After all – what has she got to lose?

Title:                Losing It
Author:           Emma Rathbone
Published By: Mira
Date:               Oct 6th 2016
Link:               Amazon

A Few Words from Emma

When I was in graduate school for creative writing and would turn in short stories for review, there was usually a consensus from my classmates – something like: the writing is good but the plot needs to be worked out. Or, it lags in certain places. Or, stop having characters that are obsessed with Native American crafts because it doesn’t add anything or make any sense. Most of the time I knew what they were talking about, and it’s sort of a relief to have your readers confirm what you already suspect. It means you can assess your work. You know what people are going to say, for better or for worse.

With this book, Losing It, my second, I’m proud and delighted to say that the critical response has been pretty positive, with accolades from women’s magazines and newspapers. Though, interestingly, the reaction from readers on Goodreads and Amazon hasn’t lined up with that.

Turns out that not everyone thinks a neurotic, ruminative reflection on loneliness constitutes a fun summer romp!

What’s most interesting is the wide range of responses. Some people do seem to think it’s a light read. Some think it’s a lot darker than that. Some people say it’s boring. Some people say they couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting. Some say it’s good at the beginning and then trails off at the end. Some say it’s slow to start and then picks up as it goes. There just doesn’t seem to be a general agreement about what the book actually is.

I wonder, perhaps, whether the answer lies in the title. For a while, the working title was “Landlocked Bodies” from a Jorie Graham poem I really like. But then I realised that sounded like a graduate thesis on gender semiotics, or like homework; not something I would necessarily pick up myself. So I went with Losing It, which is catchier, but it does convey a lighthearted feel that isn’t necessarily present in a lot of the book, and I think there is something to be said for meeting expectations.

I think I’ll continue reading these reactions and trying to see if any shape emerges. Maybe one day, looking back, I’ll be able to see everything from the outside, and the array of responses will correlate in a way that seems to make sense.

When I set out to write Losing It, I remember that I wanted to write a book that takes place over the course of a lurching summer, and that was dark and funny and strange. In that much, I can be sure I succeeded!

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

Emma Rathbone is the author of the novel The Patterns of Paper Monsters. She is the recipient of a Christopher Isherwood Grant in Fiction, and her work can also be seen in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Virginia Quarterly Review. She is also a writer for the upcoming Netflix comedy, G.L.O.W. She lives in Los Angeles.

Social links:@HQStories   @EmmaRathbone   #LosingIt

My Favourite Things by Cathy Bramley, Author

Savoury food

Curry – I could eat it every day!

Sweet food
My mum’s lemon drizzle cake

Drink
Champagne or coffee (depending on the time of day)

Film
The Holiday

Book
My favourite book changes all the time. I've just read The Secrets of Happiness by Lucy Diamond and loved it. I also really enjoyed The Little Shop of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan earlier this year.

Author
Marian Keyes

Character
Mammy Walsh by Marian Keyes

Song
Don’t You Want Me Baby by Human League. Even after all these years I can sing every word!

Holiday destination
In the UK, The Lake District, abroad, New York.

Animal
I have a top three but my favourite is a caribou

Person
My husband

Place to write
My office at home or my children’s treehouse which they’ve outgrown.

Season
This one has taken me the longest to answer but probably spring, specifically the second half when the sun is beginning to warm up and the evenings stay light.

Tradition
Making mulled wine on Christmas Day

Inspirational quote
Where thou art, that is home (Emily Dickinson)

Thing in the whole world
My engagement ring. My husband proposed with a ring he’d chosen for me. He said I could swap it if I didn’t like it, but the one he picked was perfect.

My bio:

Cathy Bramley is the author of the best-selling romantic comedies Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm, Wickham Hall, Conditional Love and The Plumberry School of Comfort Food. She lives in a Nottinghamshire village with her family and a dog.

Her recent career as a full-time writer of light-hearted, romantic fiction has come as somewhat of a lovely surprise after spending eighteen years running her own marketing agency. However, she has been always an avid reader, never without a book on the go and now thinks she may have found her dream job!

Cathy loves to hear from her readers. You can get in touch via her website http://www.cathybramley.co.uk/ Facebook page Facebook.com/CathyBramleyAuthor or on Twitter twitter.com/CathyBramley

My Christmas novella COMFORT AND JOY is out on 13^th October 2016, Click here to buy.

Thank you so much Cathy for joining us on our brand new My Favourite Things feature.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

Dark Water by Robert Bryndza

Beneath the water the body sank rapidly. Above her on dry land, the nightmare was just beginning.When Detective Erika Foster receives a tip-off that key evidence for a major narcotics case was stashed in a disused quarry on the outskirts of London, she orders for it to be searched. From the thick sludge the drugs are recovered, but so is the skeleton of a young child.

The remains are quickly identified as seven-year-old Jessica Collins. The missing girl who made headline news twenty-six years ago.

As Erika tries to piece together new evidence with the old, she must dig deeper and find out more about the fractured Collins family and the original detective, Amanda Baker. A woman plagued by her failure to find Jessica. Erika soon realises this is going to be one of the most complex and demanding cases she has ever taken on.

Is the suspect someone close to home? Someone is keeping secrets. Someone who doesn’t want this case solved. And they’ll do anything to stop Erika from finding the truth.

From the million-copy bestselling author of The Girl in the Ice and The Night Stalker, comes the third heart-stopping book in the Detective Erika Foster series.

Watch out for more from DCI Erika Foster.

She’s fearless. Respected. Unstoppable. Detective Erika Foster will catch a killer, whatever it takes.

1. THE GIRL IN THE ICE
2. THE NIGHT STALKER
3. DARK WATER

Title:                Dark Water
Author:           Robert Bryndza
Published By: Bookouture
Date:               Oct 20th 2016
Link: UK: Amazon    US: Amazon

My Review

An amazing third book in the DCI Erika Foster series. Whenever Robert Bryndza brings out a book I must admit I have to read it immediately despite my mountainous 'to be read' pile and this one is his best yet.

I really feel as though I've got to know Erika now and completely understand what makes her tick. This understanding makes her into a more likeable person but actually she doesn't care whether people like her or not she just wants to solve crimes.

Once again this book does not disappoint. From the first page I was carried along by the fast paced narrative of the story and once again I almost felt like I was part of the investigation.
Some scenes are very upsetting as they involve the death of a seven year old girl called Jessica Collins.
I love how Erika Foster seems like a hard person but she really takes the victims to heart and will genuinely do all she can to find their killers. She has also built up a good team around her in Moss and Peterson and they have a trusting relationship. I also really like her friendship with Isaac Strong and think that works well.

I read this in a day and my husband had to practically drag me away from it so we could go out.
Another breathtaking thriller from Robert Bryndza who has quickly become one of my favourite crime authors. Many thanks to Bookouture for the ARC.

To read our review of The Night Stalker click here
To read our review of The Girl in the Ice click here
If you would like to read our author Q & A with Robert then please click here

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

Robert Bryndza is the author of the international #1 bestseller The Girl in the Ice. The Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller is the first in the new Detective Erika Foster series.

The second book in the series, The Night Stalker, is a Wall Street Journal no.1 bestseller, and the third book, Dark Water, is available to pre-order and will be released October 20th 2016.

My Favourite Things by Isabelle Broom, Author

Food (savoury and sweet)

I love cheese, of pretty much any kind. I even like Primula with prawns, which I squeeze straight into my mouth from the tube like a big gross goon. I’m not the biggest fan of sweet stuff, to be honest, but my flatmate does make a mean Chocolate Guinness Cake.

Drink

Oh, red wine all day every day. That sounds terrible! I do drink lots of water, too – I promise.

Film

Oh, there are so many. I do love a good classic, such as Dirty Dancing. I went to watch it on a rooftop cinema over the summer with my friends and that was just amazing. We had blankets, deckchairs, glasses of Aperol Spritz and Patrick Swayze's gorgeous body to drool over – it was perfection.

Book

I read SO many books, but my favourite so far this year has been Miss You by Kate Eberlen. I absolutely LOVED it!

Author

JK Rowling is a genius, and can seemingly write any genre, which is just incredible. She could just sit at home in a big bath full of money, but instead she continues to raise the bar with one excellent story after the other. She’s a goddess!

Character 

Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter books is a big favourite of mine. Tall: tick. Ginger: tick. Wand skills: tick. GSOH: tick. I have a huge crush on Rupert Grint, too, who played Ron in the films. Rupert, if you’re reading this, consider it a proposal. (I’m that mad bird who once had peroxide hair.)

Song

Anything by the mighty McFly – I’m beyond excited to see what those boys come up with next.

Holiday destination

It’s still Zakynthos in Greece, and I think it always will be – but I still intend to explore the rest of the world, too. Zakynthos is my second home, and the place where my heart really belongs. I feel at my very best when I’m there, and that’s a very addictive sensation.

Animal

Max! He’s my eight-year-old Bolognese dog. There is no greater creature in all of the universe and I love him so much – even when he wets my bed on purpose and hides from moths.

Person

I’ve already mentioned Rupert Grint, haven’t I? Ha! But seriously, it has to be my mum. She’s my biggest champion, best friend and first-draft reader. Plus, she continually makes me howl with laughter.

Place to write

I sat writing my third novel on a balcony in Zakynthos this summer with a view of the mountains and the sun on my face – that was pretty special.

Season

Autumn – it’s the prettiest and the best for dog walks. It’s also the only season that I’d rather be here in the UK than anywhere else. Britain really can't do summer, but it wins at autumn.

Inspirational quote

“The ones that love us, never really leave us” – JK Rowling. Told you she was a goddess.

Thing in the whole world

That’s easy – laughter!

Bio: Isabelle Broom is an author of escapist romantic fiction, which is very kindly published by Penguin Michael Joseph. When she's not writing novels, she looks after the book reviews at heat magazine and tries to get her dog to play chase in the parks of north London.

To pre-order her brand spanking new book A Year and a Day please click here
To buy her debut novel My Map of You please click here

Thank you so much Isabelle for being our first guest on our brand new feature,
My Favourite Things

Sincerely
Book Angel x