A Chat With Evie Hunter... Plus a Giveaway!

Today I'm pleased to be taking part in Evie Hunter's 'Pleasure Party', with an interview and a giveaway.

 

Can you tell us about your new book?
Caroline: Our new book is called The Pleasures of Autumn and we had so much fun writing this one. Autumn is about Sinead O’Sullivan, an uptight museum curator who is trying to put her (naughty) past behind her. Things go horribly wrong when the Fire of Autumn - a dazzling ruby with a history of violence and treachery – is stolen from her jewel collection at the museum.

Poor Sinead is top of the suspect list.
Just when she thinks her life can’t possibly get any worse, investigator Niall Moore is hired to stop her fleeing and to find the jewel.

After that, it’s mayhem, danger and lots of sizzling encounters between two people who are drawn together, despite the fact that they don’t trust each other.

Eileen: The Pleasures of Autumn is the story of Sinead, stuffy museum curator
by day, sexy burlesque dancer by night, and what happens when she is accused of stealing the most valuable jewel in the world. The sparks fly when hot investigator Niall Moore is on her case and determined to find her secrets. But Sinead has weapons of her own, just as well considering the bad guy who is on her tail.

What was your inspiration for The Pleasures of Autumn?
Caroline: There was a story in a local newspaper here in Dublin, about students doing all sorts of things to put themselves through college. We wondered what happened afterwards. What if someone discovered your secret past? How far would you go to stop them?

Eileen: Caroline had a vision of a stuffy heroine who did something sexy at night, and so Sinead was born. But this story was different from previous ones, in that the plot had to be a lot more intricate and precise. It was more like writing a thriller than a straight romance.

What has been your greatest experience of being a published writer?
Caroline: That’s a difficult one. When The Pleasures of Winter was first published, Eileen and I used to send each other photographs of our book on the shelves of bookshops and libraries. Sad very sad. lol

Doing our first book signing was another highlight.

But seeing your books translated into different language – Winter has been translated into Italian and the Japanese edition is due out in November – now that was really special.

Eileen: Seeing a woman on the train reading my book. She had no idea why I kept grinning every time she turned the page.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Caroline: Go to classes to learn your craft

Find a good writers group where you can receive constructive criticism

Learn to live with bad reviews

Write every day – you can’t edit nothing.

Writing is re-writing.

Don’t give up on your dream

Eileen: Write every day. Write even when you don' t feel like it, and keep writing when you think you are writing rubbish. And read. Read outside your genre as well as in it.

What was the first book you ever bought yourself?
Caroline: My home is full of books and it’s difficult to remember what the first one was. I joined the local library when I was seven years old and pretty much read my way through it. Also, my uncle ran a bookstore so he was another source of reading goodies. Mmmm this is beginning to sound like an addiction.

The first book I received as a gift – and which I still have today – is Art Treasures of the World by Eleanor C. Munro. It’s a massive, glossy, coffee table book.

It was utterly unsuitable for a child, but I loved it to bits and still do. 

Eileen: I think it was one of Enid Blyton's Secret Seven books. Followed by all of the Famous Five, Malory Towers and St Claires.

What was the last book you read?
Caroline: I usually have a number of books on the go at the same time. I dip in and out of them, savouring them like a big box of chocolates.

Currently on my bedside table or on my kindle is Dracula by Bram Stoker. Translatlantic by Colum McCann and Monsoon Traders, the Maritime World of the East India Company by Bowen, McAleer and Blyth.

Eileen: I'm reading Transatlantic by Colum McCann at the moment. Love the structure of it.

Finally, what are you working on at the moment?
Caroline: Well, this was supposed to be a secret, but there is a season in the Pleasures series which hasn’t been covered yet….

Watch the bookshelves next Spring. Hint hint


Penguin are kindly providing a copy of The Pleasures of Autumn and the best bit is, the giveaway is open internationally. To enter, fill in the rafflecopter below and leave a 'pick me' comment. The winner will be announced on the blog on Friday 22nd November. Good luck!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: E. Bell

Ever explore the evils of social media? It can trigger bad memories…….like being bullied.
Listina Bello has been on a perpetual search for happiness ever since she graduated from high school ten years ago.
Being lost and suppressing these memories has been her mission, but is resulting instead in a spiral downward.
Legal assistant by day and partier by night, Listina thinks she is functioning perfectly fine. She drinks a bottle of Pinot every night, but still manages to keep her dead-end job, her Manhattan apartment, and her social life. Unfortunately, she could not be more wrong.

With a bottle of wine as her companion, Listina trolls Facebook one night, finally landing on a photo she thought she blocked. As she stares at the old yearbook picture of the smiling girls who relentlessly bullied her back in high school, she suddenly realizes she has been suppressing her emotions for years and hiding behind a myriad of distractions, hoping to numb, or even kill, her feelings altogether. With no other way out but up, Listina relies on old diary entries to dig deep inside herself, return mentally to her seemingly perfect hometown, and finally face her harsh label, relive the taunts, and experience the heartache all over again.

In this poignant novel, a young woman torn between her past and her future must finally shake the identity she was unfairly given in order to begin to find her own.

 

It can be purchased in PDF, Mobi, and Epub format at the following sites:

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Dog-Years-Reflection-ebook/dp/B00BCEYP8Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1381759148&sr=1-1&keywords=living+in+dog+years
 http://bookstore.bookcountry.com/AdvancedSearch/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=living+in+dog+years

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/E_Bell_Living_in_Dog_Years?id=vtDIFNBmEgUC

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/living-in-dog-years

http://www.scribd.com/doc/124301021/Living-in-Dog-Years

Reindeer Parade 2013

Every year, I look forward to the reindeer parade in town (probably more so than the kids). This year, the weather wasn't on our side, with it chucking it down and even thunder and lightning. Still, the (soggy) parade went ahead and, looking on the bright side, those who turned up to watch didn't struggle to find a position at the front of the barriers!

 

Blog Tour: The Husband's Secret

Today I'm pleased to be taking part in the blog tour of The Husband's Secret. First of all I have my review of The Husband's Secret and then the author Liane Moriarty will be sharing a character study of Cecelia, one of the main characters from the book.

 

Mum of three Cecelia is intrigued when she finds a letter from her husband in the attic. The letter says it should only be opened upon her husband’s death. Cecelia knows she shouldn’t open the letter but she can’t resist. Inside is a shocking secret that could destroy her family.

I couldn’t wait to read The Husband’s Secret as the blurb is so captivating. What could be in that letter and how will it affect Cecelia and her family? I did find the beginning of the book a little slow but after a few chapters, I was hooked. As well as Cecelia, we get to know Rachel, a grandmother who is still grieving and struggling to come to terms with the death of her daughter, who died as a teenager over twenty years ago. Finally, there is Tess, who is devastated when her husband admits to having an affair. The three women don’t seem to be connected to begin with but we learn how their lives are woven together.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers about the secret within the letter as it is such a driving force of the book, which gripped me and kept me turning the pages. I thought the book was a well written and enjoyable read.



Celia – Character Study

Cecilia is the quintessential “superwoman.” She’s a mother of three young daughters, president of the P&F (your PTA) and she also runs a successful Tupperware business. She has never faced a problem that couldn’t be solved by rolling up her sleeves and working her way through a checklist. I loved the idea of putting a very black-and-white character like this in a situation where there simply was no obvious solution. Poor Cecilia faces a moral quandary with no easy answers. She has always considered herself a “good person,” but for the first time in her life her moral compass spins out of control when she finds her “goodness” has limits.

Wanted: Festive Guest Posts

Are you an author of a festive book - either traditionally published or self-published? Or are you a book blogger who loves to read festive books? Maybe you're just a massive fan of Christmas! If so, would you like to guest post on my little blog?

I have guest posts every Wednesday from authors and book bloggers and thought I'd throw a bit of tinsel at them in the run up to Christmas. Possible topics could be:

• Your festive book
• Top Ten Christmas books/films/songs
• Your favourite Christmas book/film/song
• Family Christmas traditions
• Your town at Christmas
• Your Christmas crafts or baking

Or make up your own Christmassy topic! Don't forget to add any links and images to you, your social media and book (if applicable) that you'd like to include.

If you're interested in a festive guest post spot, please email me at jenniferjoycewrites@gmail.com

If I'm going to use your post, I will email you with a date of when it will go up on the blog. Please make a note of it so you can let your friends and followers know when the time comes and you can also answer any comments that may be left for you.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or email me at the above address.

 

***Please note, non-book promotional posts and editorials and those looking to advertise on behalf of other companies will not be accepted. I am not looking to make a profit, I'm only interested in spreading some festive joy***

The Flavours of Love by Dorothy Koomson

 

 

Eighteen months ago, Saffron Mackleroy's life was shattered when her husband Joel was murdered. Saffron has tried her hardest to cope with losing the man she loved but juggling her full-time job with a demanding boss with taking care of her children has been difficult and Saffron has seemingly been going through the motions of life without really feeling anything.

 

But Saffron is going to have to fight through the fog of grief when her fourteen-year-old daughter Phoebe makes a shocking confession. Saffron finds herself drifting further and further apart from her teenage daughter and she has yet more problems to deal with when Joel's killer - who was never found - starts to write to Saffron.

 

I've become a big fan of Dorothy Koomson's writing and The Flavours of Love is another reminder of why I love her books so much. The writing is beautiful, weaving poignancy and tension throughout to keep me turning the pages to find out both what happened in the past and how Joel was killed and what will happen next as the family's secrets begin to seep out.

 

I really liked the character of Saffron and connected with her immediately. She's an ordinary woman whose life has taken an unexpected and horrific turn and she has to somehow keep everything together for the sake of her children, Phoebe and Zane. It is such a lonely and confusing time for Saffron and I felt for her as she struggled with her loss and the new challenges life throws at her. The letters from Joel's killer also creates suspense and an increasing sense of urgency that drew me even further into the story.

 

Saffron doesn't always have the support she needs, with both her own mother and Joel's parents being distant and negative towards her but she does have Joel's best friend Fynn to lean on. He has been invaluable over the past eighteen months but there are times when Saffron doesn't know who she can trust, not even those closest to her. She also has Joel's Aunty Betty, who I loved. I thought Aunt Betty was a wonderful character who could be wild and out of control and teenage-like in some ways but also loving and wise.

 

The Flavours of Love had me hooked from beginning to end and I was sad to leave such wonderful characters behind when I finished it.

Guest Post: Jac Wright

How I Get Over The Writer's Block

 

I write in spells. At times I might write a dozen hours a day for over a week, and then I might not write anything again for several weeks. Sometimes I might write for a few hours a day for weeks. I find I cannot force myself to write when I feel the block. If I do, the writing comes out contrived and not feeling right. Inspiration to come to me again naturally. I just have to leave the manuscript and do something else until words and idea start to flow again.

I hit the dreaded block several times during the course of writing

The Reckless Engineer.

I do a couple of things when I hit the Writer's Block. The first thing I try is setting the manuscript aside and reading a good book. I hit a very difficult spot just before the scene in Chapter 15 of The Reckless Engineer. I felt that the part of chapter 15 I had written was dull and was slowing down the pace of the plot. Try as I might I could not think of a way to maneuver the plot to pick up the pace again. At this point I decided to put the writing aside and read a book. I read two Agatha Christie books, At Bertram’s Hotel and Cards on the Table, at this point. Then, when I returned to my writing about a week later, I decided it was time to bring the character Jack Connor home. I had kept him in custody until that point. I then deleted the part of that chapter I had previously written and started writing in this new direction. Everything came easily to me after that insight into how I should progress the plot which had to occur to me in a moment of inspiration in its own time.

I reached a second nasty block when I needed to write the scenes with Jeremy at a Portsmouth seaside hotel, The Royal Atlantic. This time I knew the plot, but the prose was not coming out right. I had moved out of Portsmouth by then, but I decided to take three days off and check into The Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea, Portsmouth to see if I could get the words flowing again. I did the same again, volunteering at a back-stage to help a friend at the Gielgud theatre, to write the scene set in the London West End.

I do not write while I am at the scene. I just immerse myself in the environment and absorb the people, the sense of the surroundings, the sounds, and the views. I would interact with the people and I might take some photographs. I come out of the scene and do something entirely different for about a week, letting the ideas and images work their magic at the back of my mind. Then when I sit down to write again the words just flow naturally.

These two techniques – reading good book or two and immersing myself in the scenery I want to write about – have always helped me out of brief spells of the Writer's Block. They have never failed to get me writing again.