The Wedding Date: Text Messages

Each chapter of The Wedding Date begins with a text message between Delilah and a friend or family member. The texts relate to the chapter in some way and seem to be popular with the reviews so far.

The idea of using text messages came from Delilah's blog (which I set up for fun before writing the book to get to know her). I ended each blog post with an email exchange and I loved writing them so I decided to include them in the book.

As the various drafts and revisions changed chapters and storylines, some of the text messages needed to be altered or were removed and replaced so I've rescued them from the cutting room floor and I'm going to share them here!

If, like me, you like reading funny text messages, I've set up a Pinterest board where I've started to pin my favourites. You can have a look here

Delilah James, singleton and smoothie-addict, has six months to find a date for her oldest friend’s wedding. Oh, and to prove to her ex, best man Ben, that she has totally moved on since he dumped her out-of-the-blue nine months, eight days and seventeen hours ago…

So, with her two BFFs playing Cupid, Delilah launches herself into the high-tech, fast-paced and frankly terrifying world of dating. Luckily there’s the hot new guy at work, Adam Sinclair, to practice her flirting on – even if, as a colleague, he’s strictly off-limits!

Yet time’s running out and date after disastrous date forces Delilah to tell a little white lie – and invent a fake boyfriend! But will her secret crush on Adam ruin everything? Does she even care about Ben anymore? And is it too late to untangle her web of lies and take a real date to the wedding…?


Amazon UK | Amazon US | Kobo | iTunes

Rom Com Vs Real Life

I love settling down with a romantic comedy on the telly and they inspire the kind of books I want to write. Rom coms are fun, warm and cosy and usually have a happy ending that makes us feel fuzzy inside.

Real life isn't always like this. Real life can be a bit shit. Which is why I like rom coms so much. Give me a happy little bubble to live in and I'll hop right in, no questions asked. I've put together a list of the differences between on-screen romantic comedies and the not-so-sparkly reality...

Rom Com

Your ex-stepbrother is sweet, kind and funny - oh, yes and HOT. You realise you fancy the pants off him and it turns out he's in love with you. Awwww. So you kiss (and do other, off-screen stuff) and live happily ever after.

Real Life

Technically, you're not related. He was only ever your stepbrother and now your parents are divorced. But still, it's a bit icky. Get together with this dude and you've booked yourself a place on The Jeremy Kyle Show.

Rom Com

You're a teenager. Your life sucks. So you make a wish... and it comes true! You end up being an adult with your dream job/switch bodies with your mum/male nemesis. You learn a few lessons, realise your life wasn't so crap and probably fall in love somewhere along the way.

Real Life

You're a teenager. Your life sucks.

Rom Com

Two blokes like you. One is nice and trustworthy, the other is a scumbag with an overinflated ego. You pick the nice one and live happily ever after.

Real Life

You pick the scumbag, who breaks your heart before moving on without a backwards glance. You spend many, MANY nights sobbing and asking why you never chose Mr Nice Guy and lived happily every after.

Rom Com

You go online and start chatting with a really nice bloke. When it turns out this same bloke has forced you to close your beloved business down (the one you inherited from your mum and holds many dear memories), you fall in love with him anyway and live happily ever after.

Real Life

You go online and start chatting with a prince from a far off land who will marry you and make you a princess who is rich beyond your wildest dreams. If you'll just sent a bit of cash over first, that'd be grand...

Rom Com

You're at work, minding your own business (literally) when a beautiful Hollywood actress steps into your shop. You chat for a bit, later spill a drink down her front and end up getting together after a few romance hiccups.

Real Life

You're at work. You're bored. You go home and return the next day.

Rom Com

You're sitting in a restaurant with your best pal and fake an orgasm to prove a point. You finish and carry on as normal.

Real Life

You're sitting in a restaurant with your best pal and fake an orgasm to prove a point. Your best pal walks out and you haven't seen them since. They won't answer your calls/texts/emails and you've been unfollowed/un-friended on every social media platform. Sad times.

Rom Com

You're a mermaid who has fallen in love with a man who lives on dry land. So you ditch your fishy tail in favour of legs for a bit and have a whirlwind romance with said land-goer.

Real Life

There are no mermaids! *wails*

See what I mean? Rom coms are clearly the way to go! Why not add your own Rom Com Vs Real Life in the comments below!

The Wedding Date: A Book In Pictures

The journey of a book is a long one, starting from the initial spark of an idea and ending with the publication of an actual, readable book. I took photos and screenshots of the various stages of The Wedding Date and I thought I'd share them here on the blog!

The Wedding Date started off as 'Delilah Explains It All'. I set up a blog to get to know my characters in short posts (which you can see here)

Out came my trusty baby names book to help choose the names of my characters. As you can see, the book has been well-used over the years (I bought it for 50p nearly 20 years ago so I've definitely had my money's worth!)

Brainstorming: Who is Delilah James?

And what is her story?

Lots and lots of planning!

With the plans in place, it was time to start writing...

And my neatly typed out plans got scribbled all over.

One of many 'TheEnd's for The Wedding Date. Until...

The book was complete, published and waiting on my Kindle!

Delilah James, singleton and smoothie-addict, has six months to find a date for her oldest friend’s wedding. Oh, and to prove to her ex, best man Ben, that she has totally moved on since he dumped her out-of-the-blue nine months, eight days and seventeen hours ago…

So, with her two BFFs playing Cupid, Delilah launches herself into the high-tech, fast-paced and frankly terrifying world of dating. Luckily there’s the hot new guy at work, Adam Sinclair, to practice her flirting on – even if, as a colleague, he’s strictly off-limits!

Yet time’s running out and date after disastrous date forces Delilah to tell a little white lie – and invent a fake boyfriend! But will her secret crush on Adam ruin everything? Does she even care about Ben anymore? And is it too late to untangle her web of lies and take a real date to the wedding…?


Amazon UK | Amazon US | Kobo | iTunes

Cover Reveal: Breakfast at Poldark's by Samantha Tonge

How gorgeous is the cover for Samantha Tonge's soon-to-be-released novel, Breakfast at Poldark's? I love it and wish I could jump into the scene and run (okay, okay, walk) down to the beach!

What do you think?

About The Book

Dreaming of the perfect man?
Kate Golightly needs to move forward and what better way to do that then with a trip to the Cornish coast with best friend and boss, Izzy.

The sea wind is just what Kate needs to finally relax and begin to let go of her past. Except she’s suddenly got one big reason to panic! She RSVP’d ‘yes’ to the Queen Bee of her high school’s wedding saying she’s bringing her boyfriend (she doesn’t have one) who looks just like Ross Poldark!

With only two weeks to find the Poldark look-alike of her dreams Kate is under a lot of pressure for the Cornish coast to deliver…

A hilarious and moving romantic novel from bestselling author, Samantha Tonge. A must-read this summer!

Breakfast at Poldark's is out 28th July but is available to pre-order right now!

My Favourite Dating Rom Coms

I love settling down to watch a good rom com and, as my latest novel, The Wedding Date, centres around Delilah as she dips her toe back into the dating world, I thought I'd share some of my favourite dating rom coms with you.

You've Got Mail

Not only one of my favourite dating rom coms, one of my favourite films ever. I could watch it over and over and never get bored. It has Tom Hanks, New York and a bookshop - what's not to love?

Joe and Kathleen have been chatting online via email for a while, slowly falling in love. But what they don't know is, they're actually enemies in real life.

My favourite part: all the scenes in Kathleen's bookshop, The Shop Around The Corner. Although it breaks my heart when it closes down.

Bridget Jones's Diary

Ah, Bridget. I've watched the films so many times it's like catching up with an old friend. Films that are based on books don't always live up to your expectations but Bridget Jones's Diary definitely does.

It's funny, touching (we've all been the dumped one crying in the bath, right?) and delivers one almighty happily ever after.

My favourite part: I have two and I'm neither able or willing to choose between them. The first is the fight scene between Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver because it's hilarious and the second is Mark Darcy's 'I like you' scene.

10 Things I Hate About You

Inspired by Shakespeare's The Taming of The Shrew, 10 Things I Hate About You is a modern day reimagining set in an American high school. Kat isn't interested in boys while her younger sister Bianca is desperate to break away from their strict father's rules so she can date the school's heartthrob. When their father makes a new rule that says Bianca can date when Kat does, it backfires when Patrick Verona enters and sweeps Kat off her boy-hating feet.

Favourite part: When Patrick serenades Kat over the loudspeaker and gets chased by campus security.

Notting Hill

William Thacker has been single since his divorce but he's mesmerised when he (literally) bumps into Hollywood star, Anna Scott. They come from completely different worlds (plus Anna has a famous boyfriend) but can their love stand the test of time - and the paparazzi?

My favourite part: Any scene with William's housemate, Spike.

So those are my favourite dating rom coms - I'd love to hear about yours. Let us know in the comments below!

Delilah James, singleton and smoothie-addict, has six months to find a date for her oldest friend’s wedding. Oh, and to prove to her ex, best man Ben, that she has totally moved on since he dumped her out-of-the-blue nine months, eight days and seventeen hours ago…

So, with her two BFFs playing Cupid, Delilah launches herself into the high-tech, fast-paced and frankly terrifying world of dating. Luckily there’s the hot new guy at work, Adam Sinclair, to practice her flirting on – even if, as a colleague, he’s strictly off-limits!

Yet time’s running out and date after disastrous date forces Delilah to tell a little white lie – and invent a fake boyfriend! But will her secret crush on Adam ruin everything? Does she even care about Ben anymore? And is it too late to untangle her web of lies and take a real date to the wedding…?


Amazon UK | Amazon US | Kobo | iTunes

Suz Korb's Newest Cover Reveal and Live Novel Writing

Hello, I'm Suz Korb and my new book project is titled: Flutterby Girl. Welcome to this cover reveal blog post, with a twist. And here's the cover...

The twist is that this book hasn't been written yet. I'm going to write it live on Patreon. I've written a novel live before, chapter by chapter, on my blog. And now I'm doing it again with Flutterby Girl!

I got the idea for Flutterby Girl, then I thought up a title, then I got the cover, and now I'm writing the story. It will go up on Patreon chapter by chapter, daily. You can read each chapter if you become my patron. I'm new at Patreon, so if problems arise I hope I can deal with them quick! It should be easy enough though.

I've decided to write my two most recent books live because it pushes me, and it makes my imagination flow more deeply.

Chapter 1 of Flutterby Girl is up on Patreon now and I hope you will join me in this young adult journey.

Cover Reveal: The Little Antique Shop Under The Eiffel Tower

Book Information

Title: The Little Antique Shop Under the Eiffel Tower

Author: Rebecca Raisin

Series: The Little Paris Collection, Book 2

Standalone?: Yes

Release Date: July 1, 2016

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Don’t miss the exciting new title The Little Antique Shop Under the Eiffel Tower by Rebecca Raisin available on July 1, 2016 - pre-order your copy today!

Watch for more in The Little Paris Collection

1. The Little Bookshop on the Seine (available now)
2. The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower
3. The Little Perfume Shop off the Champs-Élysées

What reviewers are saying about The Little Bookshop on the Seine

‘ This novel is a love letter to Paris, and even more so a love letter to books; it is absolutely a must-read book for book lovers.’ – Rather Too Fond of Books

‘easy to read and devoured quickly, I literally could not get enough and I was so sad to finish it. It was a truly captivating, spellbinding tale of taking chances and living life to the full that I am sure will ring true with many readers.’ – Compelling Reads

‘I love love love this author, and this book cements the fact that this series is a winner!’ – Fiona (Goodreads)

‘I loved every second of The Little Bookshop on the Seine, easy to read, with words oozing charm and good feeling, that just made me feel warm and cosy.’ – Rachel’s Random Reads

‘a beautifully written novel’ – Hilda (Goodreads)

‘A delightful story that's perfect for reading in your favorite cozy chair. … Such a good book to lose yourself in.’ – Janet Robel (Goodreads)

‘It really brought Paris to life … extremely romantic, love is most definitely on the menu’ – Elaine (Goodreads)

‘a great escape to Paris and I’m looking forward to the other books in the Little Paris Collection.’ – French Village Diaries

Book Links

Amazon US: https://amzn.com/B00W7Y9VQG

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00W7Y9VQG

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/little-antique-shop-under/id1022781469?mt=11

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-little-antique-shop-under-the-eiffel-tower-rebecca-raisin/1121995906?ean=9781474035514

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25371094-the-little-antique-shop-under-the-eiffel-tower

About Rebecca Raisin

Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been published in various short story anthologies and in in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on writing romance.

Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships, and most importantly believe in true love.

Come and say hello to Rebecca on her Facebook page or Twitter.

Follow Rebecca

Website: http://www.rebeccaraisin.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6915386.Rebecca_Raisin

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rebeccaraisin/