The Silent Children by Carol Wyer

The boy studied the bruise turning yellow at the base of his neck. With quick fingers his mother tightened his tie, and pulled his collar high above it. Her eyes alone said, We will not speak of this...

Years later, a man is found shot dead in a local park. On his phone is a draft text: I can’t keep this secret any longer. The recipient is unnamed.

Detective Robyn Carter knows this secret is the key to the case, but his friends and family don’t offer any clues, and all her team have to go on is a size-ten footprint.

Then a nurse is found in a pool of blood at the bottom of her staircase, and a seemingly insignificant detail in her friend’s statement makes Robyn wonder: are the two bodies connected, and has the killer only just begun?

When another body confirms Robyn’s worst fears, she realises she’s in a race against time to stop the killer before they strike again. But just as she thinks she’s closing in, one of her own team goes missing.

Title:  The Silent Children

Author:  Carol Wyer

Published By:  Bookouture

Publication Date: 7th December 2017

Links:
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Children-serial-thriller-Detective-ebook/dp/B075Q2TFS9/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1513163217&sr=1-1&keywords=the+silent+children+carol+wyer
   
US: https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Children-serial-thriller-Detective-ebook/dp/B075Q2TFS9/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1513163182&sr=1-1&keywords=the+silent+children+by+carol+wyer

Our Review

Carol Wyer is absolutely amazing and quickly becoming one of my favourite crime authors.
I've just finished the Silent Children and I now want more more more. I don't know how she does it but she makes me feel for the baddie too. I'm gutted I read this too fast as I wanted to savour every word.

In the fourth book of the series we are quickly thrown back into the world of D I Robyn Carter as she investigates the death of a man found near the Gruffalo trail. Straight away the tension builds as a young boy finds the body and Robyn has to lead her team to find and put together the pieces of the puzzle.

I love the mix of Robyn's work life and private life as the investigations are always so interesting and her private life is filled with loneliness, she finds joy in the relationship she has with her step daughter and in this book she manages to find someone to love of the furry variety.

Life has become a lot more complicated for her now as she has this potentially life changing mystery to solve regarding her late husband along with the help of her cousin Ross, the private investigator who loves a bit of cake. Is she being led on a cruel wild goose chase or is there something deeper going on surrounding the death of her beloved husband? I for one cannot wait to find out what has happened and I know what answer I'm hoping for. I'm so looking forward to the next instalment from Carol.

The characters are all well rounded and interesting and I simply can't wait to read the next instalment of this brilliant series. Well done Carol you clever lady, thanks to Bookouture for the ARC.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

Carol E. Wyer is an award-winning author whose humorous books take a light-hearted look at getting older and encourage others to age disgracefully. More recently she has chosen to write for the "dark side" and embarked on a series of thrillers, starting with the gripping best-seller, Little Girl Lost.
Her book Grumpy Old Menopause won The People's Book Prize Award for non-fiction 2015.
Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing 'Irritable Male Syndrome' and 'Ageing Disgracefully' and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines 'Woman's Weekly' featured in 'Take A Break', 'Choice', 'Yours' and 'Woman's Own' magazines and writes regularly for The Huffington Post.
Carol is a signed author with Bookouture and Delancey Press.

To learn more about Carol, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk or follow Carol on Twitter: @carolewyer. Carol blogs at www.facing50withhumour.com and www.grumpyoldmenopause.com

House of Secrets by Lynda Stacey

A woman on the run, a broken man and a house with a shocking secret …Madeleine Frost has to get away. Her partner Liam has become increasingly controlling to the point that Maddie fears for her safety, and that of her young daughter Poppy. .

Desperation leads Maddie to the hotel owned by her estranged father – the extraordinarily beautiful Wrea Head Hall in Yorkshire. There, she meets Christopher ‘Bandit’ Lawless, an ex-marine and the gamekeeper of the hall, whose brusque manner conceals a painful past.


Title: House of Secrets
Author: Lynda Stacey
Published by: Choc Lit
Publication Date: 19th July 2016
Links: UK: Amazon   US: Amazon

Our Review of House of Secrets

Reading this book made me expect the unexpected.
It started off as a relationship going very wrong and a woman called Madeleine had come to the realisation that she needed to leave her partner Liam. Since they had moved in together he had become possessive and controlling and was nasty to her little girl Poppy.
She eventually finds herself at Wrea Head Hall which is a very grand hotel. Horrible things begin to happen to her and Liam won't leave her alone as he can't accept that their relationship is over.
Whilst at the hotel she meets the gorgeous Bandit who is protective of her and Poppy.
Then the layers of the story begin to unfold as through an old diary belonging to the previous owner of the hotel we find out more about the building itself and the hotel almost becomes a character in its own right. Secrets are unearthed which have been hidden away for too long and Madeleine and Bandit bond even more.
The pace was incredibly fast and I read this almost in one sitting. The suspense built up very well and the story was interesting as I always wanted to know what happened next.
This was part love story and part cat and mouse thriller I know I can relate to having an ex who didn't want to let go but luckily he didn't go as far as Liam. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Madeleine and Bandit and watching their story unfold. I have to admit to falling a little in love with Bandit myself but don't tell my husband!

I am really looking forward to reading the sequel, House of Christmas Secrets which is out today. See below for details.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

 This year we’re just going to have a nice, normal Christmas… Last year’s Christmas at Wrea Head Hall didn’t quite go to plan which is why Jess Croft is determined this festive season will be the one to remember, for the right reasons. And she has plenty of reasons to be hopeful, she’s going to marry the man of her dreams, Jack Stone, seven days after New Year’s Eve.

However, as family secrets are revealed in hidden letters and two unexpected guests turn up on the doorstep, Jess is left wondering whether her life will ever be the same again.

Can Jess and Jack still experience a peaceful festive season that they had imagined or are there some problems that even Christmas can’t fix?


Title: House of Christmas Secrets
Author: Lynda Stacey
Published by: Choc Lit
Publication Date: 5th December 2017
Links: UK: Amazon   US: Amazon

About the Author

Lynda grew up in the mining village of Bentley, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire and went to both Bentley New Village School, and Don Valley High School.

She is currently the Sales Director of a stationery, office supplies and office furniture company in Doncaster, where she has worked for the past 25 years. Prior to this she’d also been a nurse, a model, an emergency first response instructor and a PADI Scuba Diving Instructor … and yes, she was crazy enough to dive in the sea with sharks, without a cage.

Following a car accident in 2008, Lynda was left with limited mobility in her right arm. Unable to dive or teach anymore, she turned to her love of writing, a hobby she’d followed avidly since being a teenager.

Her own life story, along with varied career choices helps Lynda to create stories of romantic suspense, with challenging and unpredictable plots, along with (as in all romances) very happy endings.

Lynda joined the Romantic Novelist Association in 2014 under the umbrella of the New Writers Scheme and in 2015, her debut novel House of Secrets won the Choc Lit & Whole Story Audiobooks Search for a Star competition.

She lives in a small rural hamlet near Doncaster, with her ‘hero at home husband’, Haydn, whom she’s been happily married to for over 20 years.

Come and find me at www.lyndastacey.co.uk to hear my latest news. You could follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lyndastaceyauthor or watch out for my tweets @Lyndastacey
Come say hello. I'd love to hear from you. Oh and if you love the book, I'd be really grateful if you'd take the time to leave me a review.

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The Birthday Girl by Sue Fortin

Dear Carys, Zoe and Andrea
Come and join me for my fortieth birthday adventure weekend, full of mysteries and surprises
the like of which you can’t imagine.
When Joanne’s friends reluctantly accept an invitation to her birthday party, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to this weekend than they are expecting.
One of them is hiding a secret.
And Joanne is planning to reveal it…
A weekend away in a cottage in the woods sounds like fun – until no one can hear your cries for help.
Four friends.
A party to die for.
Who will survive?

Title: The Birthday Girl
Author: Sue Fortin
Published by: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 30th November 2017
Links: UK: Amazon   US: Amazon

Our Review

I now realise that when I pick up a book by Sue Fortin that I should prepare myself for a very bumpy ride.
No sooner had I started reading it I became engrossed in a highly suspenseful plot and I have not moved from my spot with the sun shining on me through the window apart from to make a cuppa.
The main narrator of the story is a lady called Carys and she is intrigued as her and two other friends called Andrea and Zoe are invited away on a mystery weekend by another friend Joanne.
The weekend starts weirdly when they are picked up in a car and end up in the middle of nowhere They quickly begin to suspect that Joanne has an ulterior motive and soon start to feel uncomfortable.
It seems there are a lot of Secrets being kept and it quickly transpires that none of them know who they can trust.
I would say none of the characters were particularly likeable but I did find myself rooting for Carys and felt every bit of fear that she did.
It reminded me of horror stories where a group of people find themselves in a remote place and they begin to feel hunted.

I was swapping and changing my opinions of who the baddy was constantly.
This will certainly get the blood pumping around your body and a word of warning don't pick it up if you should be doing something else because once you start it you won't be able to stop.

Thanks to Sue Fortin and Harper Collins.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

Published by Harper Collins’ imprint Harper Impulse, Sue Fortin writes mystery, suspense and romance. Sue is a member of both the Crime Writers’ Association and The Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Sue is a USA Today and an Amazon UK #1 best selling author, with The Girl Who Lied and Sister Sister both reaching #1 in the Amazon UK Kindle chart in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Translation rights for both novels have been sold worldwide.

Lover of cake, Dragonflies and France. Hater of calories, maths and snakes. Sue was born in Hertfordshire but had a nomadic childhood, moving often with her family, before eventually settling in West Sussex.

Sue is married with four children, all of whom patiently give her time to write but, when not behind the keyboard, she likes to spend her time with them, enjoying both the coast and the South Downs, between which they are nestled.

( sourced from Sue's website https://suefortin.com/about/ )

My Favourite Christmas Things by Carrie Elks

  

Favourite savoury food

Pigs in blankets are a huge favourite in our house – and definitely outshine the turkey for Christmas lunch. We don’t eat them at any other time of year, so they’re a real treat, and we all fight over the last one. They’re good cold, too, for a Boxing Day buffet, but sadly there are never any left by the 26^th!

Favourite sweet food

Chocolate, of course! I always buy a huge tub of Quality Streets for Christmas, and hide it in the garage until we’re close to the big day. There’s something lovely about unwrapping them and indulging in the evening (as long as it’s not an orange crème, that is!)

Favourite Christmas drink

I love a glass of Baileys over the Christmas period. It has to be served on ice, and preferably in my favourite Baileys glass. I’m the only one who drinks it in our house, so one bottle lasts me well into the new year. Lucky me!

Favourite Christmas film

It’s A Wonderful Life. I love old movies, and I’m a huge James Stewart fan, so it’s pretty much heaven for me. But really, I love all Christmas film – from the 1^st of December they’ll be on a loop on my TV!

Favourite Christmas book

I loved reading Christmas stories to my children when they were smaller. On Christmas Eve, after they put their stockings up, we’d always read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. As they got older, we would read Jostein Gaarder’s The Christmas Mystery every year. Those books hold very happy memories for me.

Favourite Christmas Song

I’m a child of the 80s, so it has to be Last Christmas by Wham. It’s amazing how good it still sounds. It will be even more poignant this year, after we lost George Michael last Christmas.

Favourite Christmas Holiday destination

I would love to go to Kakslauttanen in Finland, where they have glass igloos and the Northern Lights. If Santa wants to fly over while I lay in bed looking up to the sky, then that would make it perfect.

Favourite Christmas animal

My pug, Plato, when he’s dressed up in his Christmas sweater. He’s the perfect festive companion.

Favourite Christmas Person

Can I say my husband? I’ve spent around 23 Christmases with him so far, so he’s my most consistent Christmas companion!

Place to write

In bed, with a mug of hot chocolate, and Christmas music blasting from the stereo, with the dog curled up next to me.

Favourite Christmas Tradition

Though it’s always sad putting away the tree and the decorations, we have a little tradition that makes it feel a bit better. My family and I write down our hopes and wishes for the year ahead, then pack them away with the rest of the boxes. Then, the following year, we open them and see if they came true!

Favourite Christmas thing in the whole world

My family. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them.

About Carrie

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out.

Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

Website: http://carrieelks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarrieElks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarrieElksAuthor/

 

A WINTER’S TALE releases on 30^th November 2017

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073RN2XQV

Thanks so much for joining us today Carrie and sharing your favourite Christmas things, I love your Christmas tradition.

Sincerely
Book Angelx

The Place We Met by Isabelle Broom

Lucy may have suffered her fair share of bad men, but now she has Pete. Finally, a man worth sharing her favourite place with, Lake Como. That's if she can put mysterious phone calls and glamorous ex-girlfriends out of her mind.

Taggie is rushed off her feet, but distraction is exactly what she needs to forget why she fled England and the sadness she left behind. She certainly doesn't have time for infuriating stranger Marco. A man is the last thing she needs right now.

Lucy and Taggie might not know it, but their lives are about to collide. The New Year might begin with fireworks - but how will it end?

Title:  The Place We Met

Author: Isabelle Broom

Published By: Michael Joseph

Publication Date: 30th November 2017

Links: UK;  Amazon     US: Amazon

Our Review

This is the most beautiful creation by Isabelle Broom to date.
I loved every single carefully chosen word of it.
Once again as in all of Isabelle's books, the destination is almost a character in itself. The setting is the most gorgeous Lake Como where I have visited before but I wish I could go again now I've read the book as you could almost use it as an itinerary for a wonderful holiday. The authentic descriptions bring these amazing places to life and I felt I was there living this story along with the characters.

The story is told from two points of view first from Taggie who is living and working in a posh hotel in Lake Como following a nasty break up and also Lucy who is a nurse and has decided to treat her boyfriend Pete to a holiday in Lake Como. Their beautifully told stories are skilfully woven together and will take you through every emotion possible. By the end I felt emotionally drained but in a good way and I actually felt lovely after having read it. This could actually be my favourite book of all time. The characters were all lovable especially Elsie the old lady who had made Italy her home many years before and had known Taggie since she was very small.

Once again as with all Isabelle's books when I get to read the title in the book it gives me sentimental shivers down my spine. This will make you laugh out loud and cry your heart out in equal measures. I want to sleep with this book under my pillow.
Well done again to Isabelle and thanks to Michael Joseph Penguin for the arc which I've reviewed voluntarily. X

I'm so delighted that Michael Joseph have made my quote look so pretty.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts in London before joining the ranks at Heat magazine, where she remains the Book Reviews Editor. Always happiest when she off on an adventure, Isabelle now travels all over the world seeking out settings for her novels, as well as making the annual pilgrimage to her true home - the Greek island of Zakynthos. Currently based in Suffolk, where she shares a cottage with her dog Max and approximately 467 spiders, Isabelle fits her writing around a busy freelance career and tries her best not to be crushed to oblivion under her ever-growing pile of to-be-read books.

If you like pictures of dogs, chatter about books and very bad jokes, you can follow her on Twitter or Instagram @Isabelle_Broom or find her on Facebook under Isabelle Broom Author. To find out more about her books, visit her website www.isabellebroom.com

Answers from Heaven Blog Tour

 

Answers from Heaven: Incredible True Stories of Heavenly Encounters and the Afterlife 

Answers from Heaven will be an authoritative, modern up to date classic book about afterlife communication.

Through true life stories of ordinary people who have had paranormal experiences, bestselling author Theresa Cheung and medium Claire Broad will show the various different ways that heaven is trying to answer our prayers, offer us comfort and provide proof of survival.

Chapters include:
1. Messages from the other side
2. Dreams from heaven
3. Living and loving creatures in spirit
4. Love from above
5. Heaven is calling
6. Conversations from Spirit
7. Answers from higher realms
8. Is anybody there?
9. Your own answers from heaven.


By the end it is hoped that readers will have lost some of their fear of death, be more aware of when the spirit world is trying to contact them, have greater awareness of the scientific research available, understand that mediumship is an expression of eternal love and nothing to be feared and that it's possible for us all to ask questions and receive answers from the world of spirit.

We are delighted to be part of the Answers from Heaven Blog Tour today and to welcome Theresa Cheung and Claire Broad and wish them every success with this beautiful book.

Purchase from Amazon UK

Sincerely
Book Angel x



About the Authors


Theresa Cheung was born into a family of spiritualists and has a Masters in Theology and English from King’s College, Cambridge. She has sold almost half a million books and encyclopaedias about the psychic world, the afterlife and personal transformation over twenty years. Her spiritual books Heaven Called My Name (Piatkus 2016) and An Angel Healed Me (Simon & Schuster 2010) became Sunday Times Top 10 bestsellers and have been translated into thirty languages.

For more information please visit http://www.theresacheung.com or follow her on Facebook @TheresaCheungAuthor





Claire Broad is an Institute of Spiritualist Mediums Registered and Approved Medium with over twenty years professional experience providing private sittings, public speaking and workshops. She is an experienced guest speaker who has contributed to many spiritual awareness events and has read for an eclectic mix of clients, including those from the scientific and medical communities. Before Mediumship, Claire worked in advertising and entertainment at several major firms including The Walt Disney Company Ltd. She lives in Hampshire with her family.

http://www.clairevoyant.co.uk or follow her on Facebook @mediumclairebroad

Follow the rest of the Blog Tour here:-

Christmas at Woolworths by Elaine Everest

Even though there was a war on, the Woolworths girls brought Christmas cheer to their customers

Best friends Sarah, Maisie and Freda are brought together by their jobs at Woolworths. With their loved ones away on the front line, their bonds of friendship strengthen each day. Betty Billington is the manager at Woolworths, and a rock for the girls, having given up on love . . . Until a mysterious stranger turns up one day – could he reignite a spark in Betty?

As the year draws to a close, and Christmas approaches, the girls must rely on each other to navigate the dark days that lie ahead . . .

With so much change, can their friendship survive the war?

Title: Christmas at Woolworths

Author: Elaine Everest

Published By: Pan

Publication Date: 2nd November 2017

Links: UK: Amazon   US: Amazon

Our Review

An absolute delight to read.

Christmas at Woolworths follows on from the Woolworths girls and we get to find out what happens to Saran, Maisie and Freda who originally met at an interview for jobs in the popular store.
Along with the three friends we also get to revisit their lovely boss Betty and my favourite character Ruby Caselton who is Sarah's nan and the hugely matriarchal figure to the other characters.

Ruby loves a houseful of guests and treats Sarah's friends as though they were her own flesh and blood. If you were ever in a crisis then you would want Ruby to be around. I love how she makes food go round so many people too, she would give everything she had to make sure her loved ones were ok.

I think that using the iconic Woolworths store as the base for all of the goings on really touches the hearts of people who remember the stores being on practically every high street.
That nostalgia mixed with the innocence of the people in those bygone days provides a glimpse to a more wholesome time where people were respectful to each other and it's captured beautifully.

I loved the references to the war because although they were scary times the camaraderie of the neighbours really shone through and the people really cared about each other. It must have been awful never knowing whether your loved ones would return from the war or whether their house would be bombed.

A particularly favourite scene was of the ladies singing in the shelter, showing that great British stiff upper lip.

There were some new characters introduced in the book and they're secrets introduced a bit of intrigue to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about love and friendship in bygone days. Thanks to Elaine Everest and Pan Macmillan for the Arc which I have reviewed voluntarily.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

Elaine Everest, author of Bestselling novel The Woolworths Girls and The Butlins Girls was born and brought up in North West Kent, where many of her books are set. She has been a freelance writer for twenty years and has written widely for women's magazines and national newspapers, with both short stories and features. Her non-fiction books for dog owners have been very popular and led to broadcasting on radio about our four legged friends. Elaine has been heard discussing many topics on radio from canine subjects to living with a husband under her feet when redundancy loomed.

When she isn't writing, Elaine runs The Write Place creative writing school at The Howard Venue in Hextable, Kent and has a long list of published students.

Elaine lives with her husband, Michael, and their Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Henry, in Swanley, Kent and is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Crime Writers Association, The Society of Women Writers & Journalists and The Society of Authors as well as Slimming World where she can be seen sitting in the naughty corner.

Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister

Gone Girl meets Sliding Doors in this edge-of-your-seat thriller

Joanna is an avoider. So far she has spent her adult life hiding bank statements and changing career aspirations weekly.

But then one night Joanna hears footsteps on the way home. Is she being followed? She is sure it's him; the man from the bar who wouldn't leave her alone. Hearing the steps speed up Joanna turns and pushes with all of her might, sending her pursuer tumbling down the steps and lying motionless on the floor.

Now Joanna has to do the thing she hates most - make a decision. Fight or flight? Truth or lie? Right or wrong?

Title: Anything You Do Say

Author: Gillian McAllister

Published By:  Penguin Random House

Publication Date:  19th October 2017

Links: UK:  Amazon   

Our Review

Wow what a page turner of a book with a huge moral dilemma.
Joanna is a happily married woman who leads a very simple life. During a night out with her friend Laura she is sexually harassed and when she is walking home feeling threatened she does something which changes her life for ever..
That's where the dilemma comes into it. Should she call the police or run and keep quiet. This book cleverly divides at this point and we get to find out the consequences of both actions as the book switches from reveal and conceal.
Both avenues are heart and gut wrenching as we see the affect that both sides have on her relationship with her husband, friends and colleagues but most of all on her.
I really felt sorry for Joanna for making the mistake in the first place as she was terrified and she was a victim too but she never really got any sympathy for that.
It's a brilliant and very interesting book which shows the power of love and will also have you questioning your own moral compass. What would you do?

Seriously unputdownable.

Thanks to Penguin for the arc which I have reviewed voluntarily.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author 

Gillian McAllister has been writing for as long as she can remember. She graduated with an English degree and lives in Birmingham where she now works as a lawyer. Her debut novel Everything But The Truth was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller.. You can find her on Twitter @gillianmauthor.

The Surrogate by Louise Jensen

She can give you everything you want... But can you trust her?
Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents. All they want is a child to love but they are beginning to lose hope. Then a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa gives them one last chance.

Kat and Lisa were once as close as sisters. The secrets they share mean their trust is for life... Or is it?

Just when the couple’s dream seems within reach, Kat begins to suspect she’s being watched and Nick is telling her lies.

Are the cracks appearing in Kat’s perfect picture of the future all in her head, or should she be scared for the lives of herself and her family?

How far would you go, to protect everything you love?

From the no. 1 bestselling author of The Sister and The Gift, this is an unputdownable psychological thriller which asks how far we will go to create our perfect family. Fans of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl will be utterly hooked.

Title: The Surrogate

Author: Louise Jensen

Published By: Bookouture

Publication Date: 27th Sept 2017

Links: UK: Amazon  US: Amazon

Our Review

Forget Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train as this Psychological thriller by Louise Jensen will keep you awake at night.

The tension builds dramatically as the pace of the novel increases and some of the twists literally took my breath away.

Kat and Lisa had been friends since they were small until something awful happens. When Lisa turns up in Kat's life again their reminiscing is not all pleasant.
The history of their relationship unfolds gradually through the book as does that of Kat's husband Nick and eventually all the pieces of the puzzle click together.
Kat and Nick's relationship becomes very complicated as paranoia sets in.
There are so many twists and turns in this book which I had tried to guess and actually got them all wrong so it was a great challenge of a read.

This is the first of Louise's books that I've read but I'll be sure to catch up with The Sister and The Gift as soon as I can. I hope to one day see this book made into a film as there is plenty of suspense and action in it.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Louise is a USA Today Bestselling Author, and lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat.

Louise's first two novels, The Sister and The Gift, were both International No.1 Bestsellers, and have been sold for translation to sixteen countries. The Sister was nominated for The Goodreads Awards Debut of 2016. Louise's third psychological thriller, The Surrogate, is out now.

Louise loves to hear from readers and writers and can be found at www.louisejensen.co.uk, where she regularly blogs flash fiction.

My Favourite Things by Sue Moorcroft

Food
Savoury would be a juicy fillet steak, with chips (the kind with no calories). Sweet is easy. CHOCOLATE, the darker the better. Nutty chocolate is an especial weakness.

Drink
I love champagne. I keep it as a treat and enjoy it so cold and dry it makes my ears hurt. Champagne’s association with celebrations is a lovely secondary benefit, reminding me of publication days, new contracts and getting to #1 on Amazon last Christmas.

Film
Brassed Off. I don’t know if anybody else remembers this cult classic about a brass band but the humour and poignancy always got to me. Ewan McGregor and Pete Postlethwaite had fantastic roles.

Book
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. The first book I read that was intended for adults. I watched the film with Dad and he said he had the book in his bookcase. I was hooked on the work of Nevil Shute for life.

Author
I’ve chosen Linda Howard from a thousand possibilities more-or-less because she came to my mind first.

Character
Sam from Suzanne Brockmann’s Gone Too Far. He’s a fantastic hero, a bad-boy in many ways but a force for good. OK, and, you got me, he’s a navy SEAL.

Song
It was so hard to choose but I’ve gone for Girls & Boys by Good Charlotte because I think the lyrics are funny, clever and oh-too-true, all about girls liking cars and money and boys laughing at girls when they’re not funny.


Holiday destination
Malta. I was brought up there for several years and think of it as my second home.

Animal
Dog. I don’t have one of my own now but I sometimes ‘borrow’ Puppy-in-law, who belongs to my son and his girlfriend.

Place to write.
My study, although I can manage it travelling, too. And often do, because I love to travel.

Season
Summer. I’m a heat freak and don’t think I’ve ever complained about sunshine.


Tradition
A big family meal between Christmas and New Year, which I frequently host. I’m extremely lucky with my extended family as we like each other and like to spend time together.


Inspirational quote
‘The harder I work, the luckier I get.’ Variations have been attributed to various people but it’s one of my guiding principles.


Thing in the whole world
Watching a great Formula 1 race, in silence, with cold white wine and a bar of chocolate.


Thank you so much for joining us today Sue and for sharing your favourite things, Wishing you lots of luck for the new book.


Sincerely
Book Angel x


Author Bio

Bestselling author Sue Moorcroft writes contemporary fiction with occasionally unexpected themes. The Christmas Promise rose to #1 in the Amazon Kindle chart and Just for the Holidays was an Amazon bestseller, too. The Wedding Proposal, Dream a Little Dream and Is this Love? were all nominated for Readers’ Best Romantic Read Awards and Darcie’s Dilemma for Readers’ Best Short Romance. Love & Freedom won a Best Romantic Read Award and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA. Sue’s a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner, a past vice chair of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and editor of its two anthologies.

Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles and writing ‘how to’.

Sue’s new book: The Little Village Christmas

(published as an ebook on 6 October, paperback/audio 2 November)

Available now from Amazon

Website: www.suemoorcroft.com. 

Blog: https://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com/

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Author Q & A Viv Brown

Would you leave a very young child at home on their own – knowing that terrible things can happen in the blink of an eye? Lily, who is not yet three years old, wakes up alone with only her cuddly toy for company. She is hungry, afraid of the dark, can’t use the phone, and has been told never to open the door to strangers…
In the flat downstairs, a lonely and elderly woman keeps herself to herself but wonders at the cries coming from upstairs. Lily’s grandmother frets that she can no longer see her granddaughter since the child’s parents separated. Lily’s father hasn’t seen her for a while. He’s been abroad, absorbed in his new job and his new girlfriend…
A young woman lies in a coma in hospital – no one knows her name or who she is, but in her silent
dreams, a little girl is crying for her mummy…
And for Lily, time is running out.


Title:  LILY ALONE
Author: Vivien Brown
Published by: Harper Impulse
Publication Date: Ebook already available
                             Paperback 5th October 2017
Link:  UK:  Amazon

Author Q & A

Welcome to Sincerely Book Angels Viv, can you tell us..

What was the inspiration behind this novel? 
I used to work in banking and accountancy – boring! But ever since my own twins were born almost 30 years ago, I have worked with young children – as a childminder, a language support assistant helping young Asian kids who speak no English prepare for school, and then as an outreach worker in libraries and children’s centres, bringing the magic of books and stories into children’s lives. It is fascinating to watch how babies and pre-school children develop in such a short time, with increasing skills, confidence and independence. But what if a toddler was suddenly left all alone? How would they cope? What would they think and feel? What would they be scared of? How aware would they be of basic household dangers? The germ of my idea came from those thoughts.


Did you always want to be a writer? 
I never considered writing as a potential career, but it was always something I loved to do, starting with poems, then venturing into short stories before tackling longer fiction – all in my spare time. Learning to become a competent and successful writer, able to earn enough to live, can take a long time and many never achieve it, and it is only now that I am at home full-time and with a small income from elsewhere that I have felt able to do what I love most.


How did it feel when your first novel was published? 
My first (self-published) novel, ‘Losing Lucy’, and my second, ‘How To Win Back Your Husband’ (both written as Vivien Hampshire) were only in ebook format. It was lovely knowing they were out there in the world and people were reading my work, but I am so looking forward to ‘Lily Alone’ coming out in paperback. At last, a real paper book to hold in my hand! I don’t drink so champagne is out, but I will probably celebrate with chocolate.


Can you please tell us a little about your publishing story. 
I sold my first short story to Woman’s Weekly in 1993, under my then name of Vivien Hampshire, and have since had around 140 stories published in a variety of women’s mags. I also wrote articles for professional childcare and nursery magazines for a long time, and turned my hobby of cryptic crosswords into a ‘How to’ book which has sold really well. My first go at novel writing won me the annual ‘Best Opening to a Novel competition’ in The Mail on Sunday, although the finished novel never found a home. I self-published a short ebook novel, and then joined the Romantic Novelists Association (RNA) New Writers Scheme four years ago. Both of the novels I wrote under their guidance have now been published.



Have you ever had writer's block? If so how did you overcome it? 
There are certainly days when I don’t feel like writing or find other things to do, but that is pure procrastination, not writer’s block! If I have a deadline or a story nagging at me to be written, I just get on with it.


What motivates you to keep writing? 
I just love writing and can’t imagine a time when I will ever stop. It’s not for the money, or the fame, both of which are thin on the ground! It’s for me.


What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer? 
1. It doesn’t come easy. You have to keep on trying no matter how much rejection you meet along the way. If you believe in what you are doing, never give up.

2. Meet other writers, join local groups, attend courses and conferences, join any relevant writers associations like the RNA. You will learn the craft, find opportunities and make valuable contacts. And when times are bad, other writers understand!

3. Try not to give your work away. Payment isn’t everything, and it may not equate to much per hour, but it acknowledges your time and sweat! No other profession would be expected to work for nothing.


What are you reading at the moment? 
I have been bingeing on Milly Johnson for the last few weeks, I especially loved ‘The Queen of Wishful Thinking’. Milly manages to create fictional places with casts of very likeable characters, and some horrible baddies too! You just know everything will work out in the end. I like Veronica Henry for similar reasons.


If your book was made into a film what song would you choose for the opening credits? 
All by myself, by Celine Dion


Who would you choose to play your favourite character in the film of your book? 
My favourite character is a short and dumpy elderly widow called Agnes. She lives alone with just a cat for company and has terrible arthritis in her knees. She reminds me of my own granny. I think Judi Dench might do a good job!


What is your next book about? 
It is another domestic drama, set in two time periods, charting the long history of a failing marriage from the 1970s to the present day, alongside the current lives of the grown-up children. We are still very much at the editing stage so no news yet of when it might be published.


And now think about the books you've read and just give the first one that comes into your head for our quickfire 'Which book round.'

Which book has made you:
Laugh out loud? ‘Barmy’, by Victoria Wood, including some of her hilarious early ‘Acorn Antiques’ TV scripts.

Cry your heart out?
A children’s picture book called ‘Tadpole’s Promise’, by Jeanne Willis. A tadpole and a caterpillar fall in love, but when they grow up and change into a frog and a butterfly they don’t recognise each other… and frogs eat butterflies!

Want to read it again?
‘Sense and Sensibility’, by Jane Austen. All human emotion is here!

Think more?
A really good dictionary. I love discovering new words and what they mean.

Wish it would be made into a film?
‘The Queen of Wishful Thinking’, by Milly Johnson. Romance, domestic violence, and the world of antiques. It would make a great TV drama or series.

Shocked?
‘I Let You Go’, by Clare Mackintosh, The absolute best book I read last year and with an amazing twist and some truly shocking scenes. 

Scared? I never read horror or anything that would keep me awake at night!


Thank you so much for joining us on our blog today and good luck with the book.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

Vivien Brown lives in Uxbridge, on the outskirts of London, with her husband and two cats. After a career in banking and accountancy and the birth of her twin daughters, she gave up working with numbers and moved into working with words and has never looked back.

Reach for the Stars by Colleen Coleman

When Evelyn Dooley married her high-school sweetheart, James, she thought she was set for life. Now she’s 28, single, and fleeing to Dublin from her small hometown to avoid the gossip surrounding their break-up.

This was not in her five-year plan.

Then a chance encounter with gorgeous musician Danny leads to an unlikely friendship, and soon the pair are running music nights together. Surrounded by new friends and a welcoming community, Evelyn is building a life that she really loves – and sparks are beginning to fly between her and Danny…

But when her savings run out and home beckons, Evelyn has to choose. The safe, comfortable life she left behind, or a new adventure with Danny? Will Evelyn flee back to the familiarity of her ex, or reach for the stars and take a leap into the unknown?

Title: Reach for the Stars

Author: Colleen Coleman

Published By: Bookouture

Publication Date: 21st October 2017

Links:  UK: Amazon   US: Amazon

Our Review

What a beautiful uplifting novel about a young woman who eventually finds herself and where she's meant to be.
Evelyn is from a tiny town in Ireland where everybody knows each other. When she feels that her marriage is in a rut she tries counselling but to no avail so she makes some huge changes to her life.
The best bit about this book apart from the beautiful way that it's written is that it is so self enlightening and it caused me to look at things in life differently.
The warmth of the characters overflows from this book and the lovely Irish accent and humour shines through.
I loved the story so much and would love to spend some time in Rosie's which sounded like a fab place to be. Evelyn would make a wonderful friend, her innocent approach to situations unearths some really deep solutions.
I'm not sure if any of what I've said here makes sense but in a nutshell I think everybody should read this book because it's just wonderful and I loved every minute of it.
Thanks to Bookouture for the Arc which I've received voluntarily.


Sincerely
Book Angel x                  

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About the Author

'Colleen Coleman is definitely one to watch..' Chick Lit Uncovered

Colleen was born in Canada and raised in Ireland. She is the winner of the much-coveted Novelicious Undiscovered People’s Choice Award launched to find the next ‘chick-lit star’.

She spent years teaching English and Philosophy before finally taking a deep breath, scrunching both eyes shut, putting her pen to paper and vowing not to lift it again until she wrote the words 'the end'. As a result, her first novel, Don't Stop Me Now was born.

Colleen lives between London, Ireland and Cyprus with her very patient husband and very,very chatty twin daughters.