My Favourite Things by Chris Phillipou, Author & Blogger

Food  Savoury and sweet:
Ice cream or Nutella or maybe both? Is that wrong? And savoury? What’s that???

Drink:
Hot chocolate without the trimmings – yum yum.

Film:
The Usual Suspects – complex, well-acted, and so so so good. Plus, there’s always something that comes to light with every re-watch.

Book:
Hard question. There’s a few… The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn definitely feature in my top 5.

Author:
Agatha Christie – love my classics.

Character:
Sherlock Holmes or Bosch (Michael Connelly) – I love my dysfunctional detectives.

Song:
Runaway Train by Soul Asylum

Holiday destination:
Greece, of course! Although Cuba and Brazil are pretty amazing too…

Animal:
Siberian tiger – rare and beautiful.

Place to write:
Anywhere with relative quiet (emphasis on the relative)!

Season:
Summer – I like my sunshine.

Inspirational quote:
Just do it

Thing in the whole world:
Life J 

Author Bio 

Christina Philippou’s writing career has been a varied one, from populating the short-story notebook that lived under her desk at school to penning reports on corruption and terrorist finance. When not reading or writing, she can be found engaging in sport or undertaking some form of nature appreciation. Christina has three passports to go with her three children, but is not a spy. Lost in Static is her first novel. 

Christina is also the founder of the contemporary fiction author initiative, Britfic. 

You can connect with Christina on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+.

Lost in Static 

Sometimes growing up is seeing someone else's side of the story.

Four stories. One truth. Whom do you believe? 

Callum has a family secret. Yasmine wants to know it. Juliette thinks nobody knows hers. All Ruby wants is to reinvent herself. 

They are brought together by circumstance, torn apart by misunderstanding. As new relationships are forged and confidences are broken, each person's version of events is coloured by their background, beliefs and prejudices. And so the ingredients are in place for a year shaped by lust, betrayal, and violence... 

Lost in Static is the gripping debut from author Christina Philippou. Whom will you trust?

Links

Lost in Static is available from, amongst others, Amazon UK, Amazon US, and direct from the publisher, Urbane Publications.

Author Q & A Christie Barlow

It’s Evie’s birthday and the start of a year she’ll never forget. An emotional story of love, friendship and grabbing life by the horns.

Evie’s job has always been her safe haven. As a librarian in the little town of Becton she loses herself in books - after all it’s far easier to read about other people’s problems than set about solving her own.

Then, one birthday, everything is turned upside down. A mysterious parcel containing a beautiful book with a poignant inscription arrives for Evie. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for Evie and she’s inspired to try and find her real mother.

Evie’s search leads her to meet handsome author Noah Jones. Charming and intelligent, Noah seems the perfect catch but what Evie doesn’t realise is that he is hiding something – a key to Evie’s past.

As Evie gets closer to Noah and discovering her mother, she must take a giant leap of faith. Can she embrace the new and make this her year of taking chances? And if she does, will she get her heart broken?

A romantic, funny and poignant story of living life to the full and finding love in the most unlikely of places. Fans of Debbie Johnson and Cathy Bramley will adore this book!

Title:    Evie's Year of Taking Chances
Author:   Christie Barlow
Published By: Bookouture
Publication Date: 10th March 2017
Links:   UK: Amazon    US: Amazon

Author Q & A 

Today we would like to welcome Christie Barlow to Sincerely Book Angels blog.

What was the inspiration behind this novel?
Evie’s Year of Taking Chances would never have been written if it wasn’t for a lady called Marie ‘Mim’ Deakin whose vintage café and book club in Cannock, Staffordshire provided the inspiration behind this novel. I was sitting in her café eating the most delicious Victoria sponge cake when the idea came to me. I wanted to write a warm funny comedy about a character who loved books that took the reader on a whole roller-coaster of emotions. The character Evie Cooper was born; her job as a librarian had always been her safe haven until one birthday her life is turned upside down when a mysterious parcel containing a book with a poignant inscription arrives for her. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for Evie as she’s inspired to finally search for her real mother.

Did you always want to be a writer?
My writing career came as somewhat of a surprise! Once hitting my mid-life crisis (but dodging the tattoo and the fast car) after wholly dedicating my life to the care of my children, they asked me what I wanted to do in life while we were discussing their career options. ‘I’ve always wanted to write a book,’ I found myself answering, and so the notion was born. I self-published my first novel and will always remember the proud moment I showed my children the finished product. I stood in front of them, with a book that had my name on the cover and the message was loud and clear. If I could achieve something by setting my mind to it, then so could they. I would have been happy enough if my demonstration of what hard work and determination could achieve had ended there, but it didn’t. I knew that a strong social media presence would be necessary to promote it – and sure enough, it circulated quickly and became the talk of the town! Within a few months, the first novel I wrote became an Amazon #1 bestseller in the UK and the USA, then I secured a five-book publication deal and an agent. I now write women’s commercial fiction, specifically romantic comedy and am a full-time writer.


What other jobs have you had?
I have been a piano teacher for all of my life and still teach students today. I love every minute of watching my students flourish and achieving their dreams. A number of my pupils have gone on to have successful careers in musical theatre and pop bands! I’m so proud of each and every one of them.


How did you feel when your first novel was published?
I think the only word I can use is ecstatic! I stayed up until midnight and I watched the book change over on Amazon from pre-orders to available and I knew my book was now published for the whole world to read! I let out a huge whoop and drank a glass of champagne to celebrate.


Can you please tell us a little about your publishing story?
The only way to describe my publishing story is like a dream! After achieving the number one spot with my self-published book, this was when my life really took a parallel course with reality. One morning after the school run, I came home to find an email from literary agent - I had just finished writing the sequel Misadventures of a Playground Mother, intending to self-publish again, when Ping! I not only had an agent but within a few weeks, I had a publishing deal with Bookouture for five books. I have recently signed a further contract with Harper Collins affiliate Harper Impulse and now have my own book column in a magazine too! I have written five books so far! A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother and The Misadventures of a Playground Mother (these are feel-good comedies about life at the school gates). Kitty’s Countryside Dream (a feel-good romantic comedy about life, love and family), Lizzie’s Christmas Escape (a sparkling Christmas romance) and Evie’s Year of Taking Chances (A heart-warming romantic comedy you won't be able to put down). Currently, I am working on my next release for September 2017.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it?
I haven’t as yet, and fingers crossed it stays that way!


What motivates you to keep writing?
Apart from my gorgeous family whose support has never gone unnoticed, every day I receive numerous emails, tweets and messages to my author pages from readers and bloggers who have thoroughly enjoyed my books. The joy my books bring to these individuals keeps me motivated to keep writing. I absolutely appreciate people have chosen my books to read and all of their kind words and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be doing the job I love so much. The last three years in the land of books has been truly amazing.


Where is your favourite place to write?
For the past eighteen months, we have been building a house. The last two books (no word of a lie) were written sat on a pile of bricks on a building site but now I have my very own writing room with not only heating, a desk and all my knick-knacks but I have my very own life-size cardboard cut-out of Gary Barlow who keeps me company every day!


Do your characters’ moods ever affect your mood?
There’s a simple answer to this … absolutely! The characters in the books I write become my new best friends for approximately five months. I live and breathe every emotion I write. When I write, I can be laughing or crying. What I write I write from the heart, and this helps to connect with the readers. They really do become a huge part of my life and once I finish writing the book I often feel bereft.


What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring author?
1. Always believe in yourself.

2. Always read and read widely.

3. Set time aside to write every day, that way there will always be continuity.


Which authors inspire you? 
There are so many but my number one favourite author has to be Katie Fforde. Her books are so heart-warming and I love them all, but as a child the biggest influence on my life was Enid Blyton. Her book, Five on a Treasure Island has stayed with me from the age of seven when I can remember sitting on an old trunk in my bedroom and not moving all day until I’d finished it. The marvelous characters and the adventures of the Famous Five I will never forget and I have introduced all my children to this series. All of her books in her back catalogue are absolute classics and every child should have the opportunity to read them; they are truly fantastic.


What are you reading at the moment?
I am currently reading Sister Sister by Sue Fortin.


If your book was made into a film what song would you choose for the opening credits?
For Evie’s Year of Taking Chances I would choose Beautiful by Christina Aguilera.


Who would you choose to play your favourite character in the film of the book?
Keira Knightley would be perfect for Evie Cooper and the delicious Steven R. McQueen to play Noah Jones.


What is your next book about?
I’m currently writing book 6 which is due for release September 2017 by Harper Impulse. I don’t want to give too much away except that it features narrowboats and an old picture house. I’m loving writing every second of it and I hope you’ll love it too!


Quick-fire round,

Which book made you:

Laugh out loud?

Jon Rance – A Notting Hill Christmas.


Cry your heart out?

My own book! Evie’s Year of Taking Chances. I actually broke my heart crying while writing a couple of the chapters.


Want to read again?

Enid Blyton – Five on a Treasure Island.


Think more?

Again, my own book, Lizzie's Christmas Escape which I think gave out a poignant message which most readers related to.


Made into a film?

Misadventures of a Playground Mother, again by me! This would be comedy gold on the big screen.


Shocked?

Gillian Flynn – Gone Girl.


Scared?

Angela Marsons – Evil Games.

Thanks so much for joining us Christie and good luck with the book.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty's Countryside Dream, Lizzie's Christmas Escape and Evie's Year of Taking Chances. She lives in Staffordshire with her husband, four kids, horses, chickens and a mad cocker spaniel. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK and USA. Christie also writes her own book column in Mama Life Magazine too! www.mamalifemagazine.co.uk

Christie loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via her website www.christiebarlow.com Twitter @ChristieJBarlow and Facebook page Christie Barlow author

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My Favourite Things by Holly Seddon, Author

Food savoury and sweet 

I love a good British roast, even though I very rarely eat meat. They don’t do roasts where I live now in Amsterdam, and many of the houses have very small ovens or in some cases just microwaves. For nine months after moving to this country we only had a microwave. The first thing I did when we moved into our new house was to cook a roast. Surrounded by unpacked boxes…

Sweet-wise, anything with cherries is a plus but my favourite pudding of all time is lemon meringue pie. I’m not very sophisticated!

Drink 

Nothing beats a Corona and a wedge of lime on a hot day but really, given how much I drink, I should say tea. I’m such a bloody Brit!

Film 

Back to the Future II.

Book 

Nearly impossible to choose, but for years I’ve said Illywhacker by Peter Carey. I don’t even know if it’s true anymore - I’ve read so many amazing books now - but I’m incapable of making a decision.

Author

So tricky… If I think about the author whose book had the most life-changing effect on me, it would be Douglas Coupland. Not for Generation X (although I did love it) but for Shampoo Planet. I read it at the exact time I needed to read it.

Character 

Omar Little from the Wire.

Song 

That is nearly impossible to answer as well! Gah! It changes every day, many times a day, depending on mood. But the one song guaranteed to make me cry and smile is You And Me Song by The Wannadies. It reminds me of my husband and our early years.

Holiday destination 

St Lucia. We took our youngest children in summer and it was the most incredible, beautiful, relaxing place. We stayed in the middle of the rainforest and the noise of the insects at night was deafening but was also, somehow, a total anesthetic. I’ve never slept so well.  Funnily enough my parents went there when I was in my mum’s womb so maybe it’s my calling to visit again and again.

Animal 

My dog Arnie. He’s a cross between a Miniature Schnauzer and a Yorkshire Terrier, so he’s tiny and has a little beard. He sleeps under the covers by my feet every night.

Person 

I have four kids so I need to answer diplomatically! As I can’t in all fairness choose them, I’ll have to choose mu husband. It’s cheesy but it’s true, I love him to bits.

Place to write 

Hotel rooms but that’s very rare! I’m lucky to have a little office that I share with the washing machine.

Season 

Autumn.

Tradition

I am one of those maligned non-believers who rejects almost everything from religion except the food and the presents. I’m a huge fan of Christmas.   

Inspirational quote 

I realise that it sounds like I’m joking, but I’m deadly serious. The quote is from Arnold Schwarzenegger in his autobiography Total Recall:

“There are no shortcuts—everything is reps, reps, reps.”

It’s just so true, across the board. Reps, reps, reps. You want to improve something, you need to work at it. You want to create something, you need to keep approaching it from different angles and refining it until it earns its place. And it’s true for weightlifting, of course, which is also one of my favourite things.

Thing in the whole world 

The ability to travel. Wow, what a privilege that is.  I never take it for granted and I’d be heartbroken to lose it.

Bio

Holly’s debut novel, Try Not to Breathe was published in early 2016 and has gone on to become a bestseller in several countries. Her next novel, Don’t Close Your Eyes, will be published in July 2017.

Pre-order now. Click here for link

Thanks so much for joining us on My Favourite Things Holly

Sincerely

Book Angel x

The Queen of Wishful Thinking by Milly Johnson

When Lewis Harley has a health scare in his early forties, he takes it as a wake-up call. So he and his  wife Charlotte leave behind life in the fast lane and Lewis opens the antique shop he has dreamed of. Bonnie Brookland was brought up in the antiques trade and now works for the man who bought out her father’s business, but she isn’t happy there. So when she walks into Lew’s shop, she knows this is the place for her.

As Bonnie and Lew start to work together, they soon realise that there is more to their relationship than either thought. But Bonnie is trapped in an unhappy marriage, and Lew and Charlotte have more problems than they care to admit. Each has secrets in their past which are about to be uncovered. Can they find the happiness they both deserve?

Title: The Queen of Wishful Thinking
Author: Milly Johnson
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: Ebook and Hardback  9th March, Paperback 4th May
Links: UK:  Amazon        US:  Amazon

My Review

This was an absolute joy to read with lots of funny laugh out loud moments.

After a few pages you find yourself immersed back into the magical world of Milly Johnson
It was lovely to meet up with familiar characters and places such as the teashop on the corner.

Bonnie Brookland works in a cosy antique shop that used to be part owned by her father and his friend but it has now passed to the friend's son who is now her boss. Unlike their fathers' this man is unscrupulous and thinks nothing of ripping off the customers.
One day Bonnie decided to do something about it which leads to her losing her job and landing a job at another antique shop called A Pot of Gold which is situated next door to the lovely teashop on the corner.

The owner Lew sees Bonnie as a lovely ray of sunshine in his shop and she quickly becomes worth her weight in gold there.
After suffering a heart attack a couple of years before he had wanted to pack in his city job and fulfill his dream of opening an antique shop much to the disappointment of his wife who was enjoying her luxurious lifestyle.

Bonnie's connections from the wonderful world of antiques brought a lovely camaraderie to the book, most of them had known her all her life and had really respected her dad. It was interesting to see how an antique shop works with dealers renting units from them.

Some of the dealers such as Vintage Valerie had stories of their own to share which was interesting. 
Bonnie's mum has always told her she could achieve anything she wanted she was the queen of wishful thinking. Bonnie knew that she had spent too much time wishfully thinking she should leave her husband and not ever doing it.

Stephen her controlling ex has a hold over her though so she needed to decide whether she should stay with him out of fear of being found out or take a risk and fulfill her wish of a new life.
The characters are very well developed and likeable apart from Regina and Stephen who are horrible. Lew is handsome and has provided his wife with everything that she's ever wished for and he is a totally loving and kind husband.

Both Bonnie and Lew are separately dragged through tumultuous times by manipulative people.
Along with the dark times there is lots of humour in the book especially as threaded throughout are little apologies that the Daily Trumpet has to make due to errors in their reporting.
There is a lovely tenderness that grows between Lew and Bonnie and I loved the things he said to her. The ending felt like a cuddle from a loved one for me and gave me goosebumps.
This book was even more special as Milly dedicated it to her beloved dog Teddy.

Milly Johnson delivers yet again, this book is a melting pot of love, loss, laughs, heartbreak and friendship. Make sure you keep a weekend free as once you start it you won't want to put it down.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

Milly Johnson is an experienced public speaker and broadcaster and contributes regularly to her local Barnsley press, as well as appearing at literary festivals, plus radio and TV appearances. She is very active on social media.

The Queen of Wishful Thinking is Milly's 13th book.

To find out more about Milly please visit her website http://millyjohnson.co.uk

Bad Little Girl by Frances Vick

Little Lorna Bell is from a notorious family on a rundown estate. Everyone thinks she’s a nasty piece of work. The schoolchildren call her a thief. But Lorna’s hair is matted, her shoes pinch her feet and school teacher Claire Penny can’t help herself; some kids just need a bit more support, a bit more love, than the rest.

As the bond between teacher and pupil grows stronger, Claire sees Lorna’s bruises, and digs to uncover the disturbing tale behind them. Heartbroken, Claire knows she has to act. She must make Lorna safe.

Just when Claire thinks she has protected Lorna, a chance encounter brings enigmatic stranger Marianne Cairns into their lives. Marianne seems generous and kind but there is something about her story that doesn’t quite add up. Why does she feel so at home, and why is Lorna suddenly so unsettled?

Claire has risked everything to save Lorna. But what can save Claire from the shocking truth?

Title: Bad Little Girl

Author: Frances Vick

Published By: Bookouture

Publication Date: 22nd February 2017

UK: Amazon   US: Amazon

Author Q & A with Frances Vick

Welcome to Sincerely Book Angels.

What was the inspiration behind this novel?
I read a lot about the Philpott case in Derby, where the parents deliberately caused the fire that killed their children, and the Shannon Matthews case. I’m interested in family relationships, social class, and the mistakes people make when they’re trying to do the right thing. All these things and lots of others stewed about for a bit and ‘Bad Little Girl’ was the result.


Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes, always! But I never thought I could be. At school I was told I’d be lucky to stay off the dole.


What other jobs have you had?
Loads. I was a youth worker in London for a long time, I was an English teacher in Japan and Italy, I worked in a theatre in New York for a while; I was a cook/life model in Italy; and for two hellish weeks I was a street based charity fundraiser.


How did it feel when your first novel was published?
Amazing/terrifying


Can you please tell us a little about your publishing story.
My first novel, ‘Chinaski’ came out in 2014, through a very small publisher. Then, in 2016 I signed with the wonderful Bookouture, for three psychological thrillers. They’ve been amazing, very proactive and pushy (in a good way!)


Have you ever had writer's block? If so how did you overcome it?
When I find myself indulging in displacement activities like watching a lot of daytime TV and calling it ‘research’ I know I’m in trouble. I try to be brutally honest with myself.. Do I really need to watch the end of this episode of Judge Judy before I can turn on the computer? Probably not. I’m powered by guilt.


What motivates you to keep writing?
I love it, and the more I write the more I love it. Plus, having the Bookouture team behind me helps a lot, because I know they have my back.


Where is your favourite place to write?
I live in a very small house with my husband, two sons and two cats, so there’s not a lot of space. I sit at the a desk in the dining room during the day and work on the lap top. After school I work as a childminder, so I can only work 9-3

 

Do your characters moods ever affect your mood and vice versa?
They do. A lot of my characters aren’t very likeable, they do things that I can’t argue them out of. As a result I often look as if I’ve come away from a bad phone call.


What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Read. Read some more. Write.


Which authors inspire you?
Joan Didion and Jenny Diski for their unswerving- and unnerving- commitment to the truth of a situation, even if it casts them in a bad light. Nabokov for sheer nerve. Salinger for beauty.


What are you reading at the moment?
A Crime in the Neighbourhood by Suzanne Berne; The Collected Letters of Samuel Beckett; The American Way of Death by Jessica MItford and the Unauthorised Biography of Nancy Reagan by Kitty Kelley.


If your book was made into a film what song would you choose for the opening credits?
Probably the prelude to Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens. I can imagine my main character, Claire Penny, listening to it on the way to work.


Who would you choose to play your favourite character in the film of your book?
Millie Bobby Brown- Eleven from ‘Stranger Things- would be great as Lorna Bell.


What is your next book about?
It involves a suspicious death, a broken friendship, an old obsession and a buried knife.


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?
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘73 Hunter S Thompson

Cry your heart out?
Life and Fate Vasily Grossman

Want to read it again?
The Idiot by Dostoyevsky. I’ve read that dozens of times, it’s my comfort book.

Think more?
Freakonomics Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Wish it would be made into a film?
Bad Little Girl by Frances Vick (!)

Shocked?
American Psycho By Bret Easton Ellis

Scared?
IT By Stephen King


Thanks so much for joining us Frances and good luck with the book.

Sincerely
Book Angel x

About the Author

To find out more about Frances Vick please visit her website

My Favourite Things by Freya Barrington

 

Food Savoury and sweet
Home made king prawn madras curry and home made apple pie and double cream 

Drink

Coffee in the morning, Sauvignan Blanc in the evening

Film

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café

TV Series

Game of Thrones

Book

The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy

Author

Ohh that's a difficult one, is it too obvious to say Phillipa Gregory and Sharon Penman. I know that's 2!

Character 

Catherine of Aragon

Song

Come up and see me, make me smile by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - Never moved on really from the 70's

Holiday destination

Gozo, Malta

Animal

Dog

Person

Can't choose just one - my children and my husband have to share that one

Place to write

After midnight in our snug

Biggest timestealer

Facebook!

Season

Autumn

Biggest mystery

Why is there always a spoon in the washing up bowl after you've finished

Tradition

I love simple family traditions like the picnics with friends or the cake and milkshake in the special cafe when it's your birthday

Inspirational quote

Stop complaining about things you have the power to change (my mother)

Thing in the whole world - being alive, healthy and loved

Bio

Freya Barrington is the pen name of a senior child protection social worker in England, who worked for local authorities that required experienced social workers to offer support when there were staff shortages. She holds a Diploma in Social Work from the University of Derby with an award for excellence in practice, and is a registered member in good standing with the Health & Care Professions Council (UK).

Freya's debut work "Known to Social Services" was based on her own experiences as a front line social worker. The book has been the number one bestselling social work book on Amazon UK several times. "Known To Social Services" went on to WIN the autobiography/memoir section of the 2015 London Book Festival. It also received an Honorable Mention in the General Non-Fiction section of the 2016 Paris Book Festival.

Freya's second book, "Gozo Is the Grass Greener?" is an autobiographical account of her and her husband's move from the UK to the Mediterranean Maltese island of Gozo. With laugh out loud and tear jerking anecdotes in equal measure, "Gozo Is The Grass Greener?" received an honorable mention at the 2015 London Book Festival and went on to WIN the autobiography/biography section at the 2016 Paris Book Festival.

Freya currently lives in France, but travels often to undertake book signings and to give talks in regard to her books. In March 2015 Freya visited the UK and spoke to social work students at several Universities in regard to her experiences as a social worker and gave an account of her motivation in writing "Known to Social Services". In October 2015, Freya returned to Malta and Gozo after being invited to give talks to the students at the University there and to other interested organisations. While in Malta, Freya was interviewed by the Maltese Newspaper The Times of Malta.

Freya continues to write three blogs; one in relation to her life in Gozo, one with a more serious content relating to social work and one relating to her life in France where she currently lived.

Freya has been a contributor to the UK's Guardian Newspaper Social Care blog, and has appeared in features in several media including social work's Community Care Magazine.

Freya has also guested on radio stations in the UK and Malta.

Freya is currently working on the sequel to Known to Social Services which is a fictional work set in the world of child trafficking. Titled Caught In Traffick, the book is due for release in 2016.

Click here to buy the latest book

Freya has been with her musician husband Steve for ten years; in her spare time, (when she has any) Freya enjoys horse riding, walking, bird watching, reading, cooking, drinking good coffee and spending time with friends and family.

Freya is indebted to Faraxa Publishing who have offered so much support in her career as a writer.

Please visit Freya's website and blogs at www.freyabarrington.com for more details on this exciting new author.

Thanks for joining us today Freya

Sincerely

Book Angel x

My Favourite Things by Vicki Bowles, Author & Blogger

Food Savoury and sweet

Yes definitely a favourite of mine, is food! It depends what mood I'm in though. But when eating out, I've found myself opting for fish. As long as has it hasn't got loads of bones in it.

Mashed potato. Cheese. Eggs. Though not necessarily all together. Ooh and soft, freshly baked bread.

Sweet stuff: raspberries. So much more flavour than strawberries. And of course, chocolate. But not white chocolate. That's not proper chocolate.

And I have been known to have a bit of a thing for cake.


Drink
Who me? Well if you're asking... I don't like disappointing someone trying to refill my glass, especially if it's champagne.

I am rather fond of a gin & tonic. With lots of ice. Then I have to have a refill so I don't let the ice go to waste.

Tequila - it makes me happy. And also very silly. If it's in a margarita, even better.

For my non alcoholic favourite, I'd have to say orange juice. Pure sunshine in a glass. Oh and a nice strong coffee, with quite a bit of milk. Although if I'm not feeling well, I go off coffee and on to tea. Which has to be strong, sweet and just the tiniest dash of skimmed milk. Not that I'm fussy or anything...

Film
I love films – I go to the cinema quite a lot with my friend, and we usually go for really silly, gross-out humour. I do like some sci-fi, however, which I usually see with my husband. It's really hard to pick a favourite film. Star Wars would probably be my favourite film of all time. I was three when it came out, and I had the biggest ever crush on Luke Skywalker. Then Aliens and Terminator... I love those!

I loved La La Land! It wasn't quite what I expected, but I thought it was a fabulous love story with a difference, and has ignited an interest in Jazz, although I don't still don't quite get it...


Book
I read a lot of books, my favourite genres being women's fiction and psychological thrillers. For escapism I love reading Jilly Cooper's books about that rascally Rupert Campbell-Black. You can find a lot of the books I love on my blog (sneaky plug here!) vikbat.blogspot.co.uk. But when I was younger I read a lot of horror; Stephen King, James Herbert etc.

Then I read Watchers by Dean Koontz.



Two animals escape from a government laboratory. One is a hyper intelligent golden retriever, the other a highly efficient killing machine.

I adored Einstein, the dog. He was so perfect. But I also felt so sorry for The Other, even though he was a ruthless killer. That book made me cry more than once.

Author
Probably Jilly Cooper. I live in terror of the time when she no longer writes.

Character
Rupert Campbell-Black. The naughty, loveable rogue. Such a bastard, but so sexy with it.


Song
I don't have a favourite single song. Anyone who knows me knows that anything by Muse is my favourite, so it is one of theirs. It really depends on my mood, but Exogenesis Symphony Part 1 from The Resistance Album is amazing, with the most perfect sound ever happening around 3 mins 45 seconds.


Holiday destination
We went to the Maldives for our honeymoon, and I read 5 books in 10 days. On honeymoon! I know! But really, it is idyllic and the 'no news, no shoes' edict they have is perfect for relaxation.

My other favourite holiday destination is Crete. My first foreign holiday involving an aeroplane was to Crete ,when I was 15. I fell in love with the island there and then. I've been to other Greek Islands, but none have quite matched Crete. It has its own particular smell, of thyme and other herbs, and warm sun, and it is just perfect. I went back a few years ago and it still had that scent in the air.


Animal
A dog. I had a golden retriever called Elliot when I was 21. He was my first 'child'. I would have another fur baby immediately if only my husband would say yes. That is main bone of contention in our marriage. I am dogged in my determination to convince him. He always says I'm barking.



Person
Matt Bellamy. Frontman of Muse. Inspiration for Matt Tennant, the hero in my first novel (sorry, another shameless plug) My Unintended (it's a story of wishful thinking on my part and I like to think my writing has improved since then!)



My husband would be my favourite person if he'd let me get a dog.

My favourite person who I actually know IRL (my husband is excluded, because, see above, as are my kids cos that's a given) is the amazing force of nature that is Sara-Jade Virtue. Without this fabulous woman, I would never have met so many lovely people, read so many lovely books. Met so many fabulous authors or made so many great friends. But it's not just that; SJ herself is one of the funniest, kind-hearted women I have ever met. I would include a photo but she'd kill me if she found out!

Place to write
My sofa.

I'd like to say my parent's place in North Devon, because it is so beautiful and peaceful. But I just find myself staring out of the window at this view:



Season
Hmm this one is tricky. I'd always have said summer - if it is one of those warm lazy days with a cloudless sky. Not if it's pissing down with rain and 13 degrees Celsius.

But then as I get older I find myself appreciating colours. So autumn, with its rich reds, bronzes and gold's, is particularly beautiful.

And Spring, when new life begins to peep through the dormant branches, every vibrant shade of green imaginable filling the trees with energy.

I'm not too fond of winter, although a bright blue sky against a snowy backdrop, when the air is so cold but the sun shines on diamond-like frost is beautiful.

But mostly I'd rather stay under the duvet in winter.


Thing in the whole world
To be with the people I love.


BIO
I'm a mother of four fabulous children, I work full-time as a Technical Associate, and in my spare time(!) I read and review books for my blog vikbat.blogspot.co.uk. I am also writing a novel and I'm a member of the Romantic Novelists Association on their New Writer's Scheme. I self-published my first novel My Unintended on Amazon three years ago but my new book will be much, much better!

Thanks for joining us today Vicki.


Sincerely
Book Angel x