Friday 29 June 2018

A Quick Sunshiny Catch Up!

I hope you're all enjoying this rare bout of sunshine we're having in the UK! I'm not made for heat, but I've been making the most of the nice weather by working on my little garden (I'm not green-fingered AT ALL but I'm giving it another go) and I was getting lots of washing done... until the washing machine decided it'd had enough and packed in. We have another ordered, so if the sunshine could keep going for a bit longer...

Anyway, enough about my laundry woes, let's get on with the catch up!


 
June has been a busy month, with the release of The Single Mums' Picnic Club and the start of my tenth book (as yet untitled). I'm at the very early stages at the moment, but I'm enjoying plotting and getting to know a new set of characters. I'm going to start blogging about the writing process of the book soon (I'll shout out about it on Twitter and my Facebook page when it's posted).

https://amzn.to/2tLrEWu
 
 
 
 
 
It's taken a while, but I finally got round to starting Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.
 
I wasn't sure whether the book would live up to the hype, but I'm LOVING it. Eleanor is such a quirky character and so far the book has been both amusing and heartbreaking.
 
This month, I've also read Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister and The Ballroom by Anna Hope. It isn't as much as I'd usually read in a month, but I've really enjoyed the books and I'm looking forward to reading more about Eleanor as we move into July!
 
 
 
 
 
 
This month I've been watching The World Cup (but only the England matches), Richard Osman's House of Games and I decided to give Peep Show a go on Netflix - AND I LOVED IT. I binged through all 54 episodes and now I'm sad that it's finished.
 
I also discovered Undercover on Netflix - and then wished I hadn't bothered. The series was fine (I'm not sure how I missed it on BBC1 in 2016) but it ended on a cliff-hanger… before the series was axed. Damn it!
 
 
 
 
 
You can find me on Instagram here
 
 
So, that's what I've been up to in June! Let us know what you've been up to and if you have any recommendations in the comments below! :)

Friday 22 June 2018

Behind The Scenes of The Single Mums' Picnic Club

Last October, while I was in the early plotting stages of The Single Mums’ Picnic Club, I thought it would be fun to ask for ideas for naming one of my characters. I already had the names of my three main characters, but I had yet to name one of the love interests. I decided to put a call out over on my Facebook page and I was offered some brilliant suggestions!





I couldn't decide which name to choose, so I put all the names into a bowl (hats weren’t in abundance at the time) and picked one out. It was Alexander, which is a name I love (my oldest daughter would have been named Alexander had she been a boy). Job done! I had my name thanks to the help of my Facebook pals. Although...

I realised a few of the names could also be used as surnames, so I popped those back into the bowl and chose another... and Alexander Greyson was born!

As I started writing the book, Alexander's character started to form and I realised he

a) wasn't all that into keeping fit after all
b) preferred to shorten his name to Alex

These characters really do have a mind of their own!

I loved getting my readers involved in the naming of the character, so I'm doing it again with Book 10, except this time I offered my newsletter subscribers the chance to have a character named after THEM. This is definitely something I'm going to continue doing in the future!





Katie thought she had the perfect family life by the sea – until her husband left her for another woman, abandoning her and their two children! She knows it’s finally time to move on but she’s unsure where to begin…

Frankie is shocked when gorgeous dog-walker Alex asks her on a date! As a single mum with her own business she struggles to put herself first, but maybe she’s ready to follow her heart?

George is used to raising her son on her own – but now he’s at nursery, her life feels empty. So when she meets Katie and Frankie at the beach, she realises that her talent for rustling up delicious picnics could be the perfect distraction!

But of course, life isn’t always a beach and as secrets begin to surface the three women’s lives are about to be turned upside-down…





Friday 15 June 2018

The Single Mums' Picnic Club: Meet The Characters



The Single Mums' Picnic is now out in the world, so I thought I'd give you a quick introduction to the characters...





Katie thought she had the perfect life; loving husband, two children she adored, a job she enjoyed, and a picturesque house on the seafront.

But eighteen months ago, the loving husband turned her world upside when he left her for another woman. And now he wants a divorce so he can marry the woman who helped to wreck Katie's idyllic life.

Katie is a smart woman, but she's struggling to get to grips with the new life she's been catapulted into against her will. She knows she should sign the divorce papers and move on, but the hurt and anger she feels towards her ex is holding her back. Why should they get to live happily ever when she can't?





Single dad Jack lives next door to Katie. When he isn't busy running around after his three kids or working as a plumber, he enjoys a pint or two in the local pub. When he invites Katie out for a drink with him one Friday night, she's a bit worried; is it a quick drink with a friend or a date? And if it is a date, is she ready to move on from her soon-to-be ex-husband?





George has put all her energy into raising her son over the past few years and she's enjoyed their little double act, so letting go as he starts school is difficult for her. She used to have big aspirations of running her own catering business, but since becoming a mum to Thomas and concentrating on his needs, her dreams have been put to one side and her confidence has dwindled.
But George's friends can see she has a flair for creating delicious, mouth-watering treats. Can they convince her to be brave and finally reach for her dreams?





Frankie is facing the mammoth task of raising two-year-old twins on her own while building her branding business. She barely has time to shower, let alone date, but when a handsome dog-walker asks her out, she finds herself accepting.

Frankie is usually so busy taking care of everybody else - the twins, her clients, her mum whose health is ailing even if she won't admit it - but perhaps it's time to put herself first for a change...





Alex is taking care of his sister's troublesome hound when he meets Frankie. They arrange a date, but all doesn't go to plan. Can Frankie really put herself first for a change or are they simply not meant to be?








Katie thought she had the perfect family life by the sea – until her husband left her for another woman, abandoning her and their two children! She knows it’s finally time to move on but she’s unsure where to begin…

Frankie is shocked when gorgeous dog-walker Alex asks her on a date! As a single mum with her own business she struggles to put herself first, but maybe she’s ready to follow her heart?

George is used to raising her son on her own – but now he’s at nursery, her life feels empty. So when she meets Katie and Frankie at the beach, she realises that her talent for rustling up delicious picnics could be the perfect distraction!

But of course, life isn’t always a beach and as secrets begin to surface the three women’s lives are about to be turned upside-down…



Friday 8 June 2018

Publication Day: The Single Mums' Picnic Club

https://amzn.to/2M65hDs
 
 
Today it's the publication of my ninth book, The Single Mums' Picnic Club and I'm so pleased I can share Katie, Frankie and George's story with you. I loved getting to know the trio of friends and I hope you will too!
 
To celebrate the publication of the book, I'm running a giveaway over on my Facebook page and, if you're a subscriber to my newsletter, there's another chance to win a publication prize bundle too!
 
 
www.facebook.com/jenniferjoycewrites
 
The prize bundles include:
 
The Single Mums' Picnic Club mug
Signed copy of The Little Bed & Breakfast by the Sea
The Beginner's Guide To Saying I Do notebook
Signed postcard
Two bookish magnets and
Picnic Bites
 
 
Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some Book Extras here on the blog, including the playlist I created while writing the book, my dream cast and some fun facts about the book!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Katie thought she had the perfect family life by the sea – until her husband left her for another woman, abandoning her and their two children! She knows it’s finally time to move on but she’s unsure where to begin…

Frankie is shocked when gorgeous dog-walker Alex asks her on a date! As a single mum with her own business she struggles to put herself first, but maybe she’s ready to follow her heart?

George is used to raising her son on her own – but now he’s at nursery, her life feels empty. So when she meets Katie and Frankie at the beach, she realises that her talent for rustling up delicious picnics could be the perfect distraction!

But of course, life isn’t always a beach and as secrets begin to surface the three women’s lives are about to be turned upside-down…