The Author in my spotlight is ...Silvia Forrester

I am delighted to introduce debut author

Silvia Forrester

Hi Silvia, a warm welcome to Jaffareadstoo. Tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

I’ve always loved writing. English language – and art – were my favourite subjects at school. After I left, I never stopped writing – angst-ridden diaries, bad poetry, love letters (yes, back in the dark ages, before the internet was invented).

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for your novel, Your Move?

September
2017

 I’d always tended to read literary fiction, but started reading some ‘chick lit’ novels, and was hooked. Because I’d enjoyed reading them so much, I felt inspired to try writing one. Love and laughter are two of the best things in life, so what’s not to like about a romantic comedy?

What can you tell us about the story without revealing too much?

The central characters – Gemma and Pandora – are very different, almost polar opposites. As they both embark on their own amorous adventures – Gemma’s put her love life on the back burner in favour of her career and Pandora is determined to snag a millionaire – the two women’s lives begin to criss-cross. Your Move follows their burgeoning friendship, as well as their romantic entanglements.

Whilst you are writing you must live with your characters. How do you feel about them when the book is finished? Are they what you expected them to be?

When the book was finished, both the central characters had really grown and changed as people – that’s what made them interesting to write, and – hopefully – makes them interesting to read. Gemma begins the book thinking of herself as Little Miss Sensible, while Pandora ruthlessly uses her feminine charms to get what she wants. Needless to say, love has a few lessons to teach both of them.

How do you plan your writing, are you a plotter, or a see where it goes kind of writer?

I’m definitely not a plotter. I used to write in a big disorganised jumble and would then have to spend an age beating everything into a coherent shape. Your Move was written in chronological order, with chapters alternating between the two characters. This was much easier structurally, but I still didn’t do any major plotting. I enjoy seeing how characters develop and where they take me – it would be dull if it was predictable.

Do you have a writing routine and where do you do your best thinking?

I don’t really have a set routine – it really depends what else is happening in life – work, teaching, marking, family. Concretely thinking about stories never really helps me to write them. In fact, I actively try not to think beyond the point I’m actually writing in a novel because it dissipates inspiration and motivation – what’s the point of writing it all down if it’s already clear in my mind? Part of the joy and fun of writing – for me – is seeing where it goes, and letting characters and events veer off in unexpected and entertaining places.

How can readers find out more about you and your work?

www.silviaforrester.com

Amazon

Facebook

Twitter @SilviaForrester

Huge thanks to Silvia for being my author in the spotlight today.

Jaffa and I wish you continued success with your writing.

~****~

Review ~ City of Friends by Joanna Trollope

Mantle
An imprint of Pan Macmillan
2017
327 pages

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

What's it all about..

The day Stacey Grant loses her job feels like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a City high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London? As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new - one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home - she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby. The girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and for all the happiness and heartbreaks in between. But these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits...

What did I think about it..

I've been a fan of this author's writing for years and I always enjoy the way that Joanna Trollope presents her stories. Whilst City of Friends is something of a slow burner of a book it nevertheless explores, in detail, the minutiae of the lives of her female characters. The story explores the reasons why four talented women act in the way that they do, covering the anxieties and difficulties of what it is like to be a forty something career woman with all the pressures of home, family and work. Stacey, Beth, Melissa and Gaby have been friends for a long time, and as so often happens life and family can get in the way of friendship. Occasionally the trust between close friends can break down and the reasons for this are nicely explored in City of Friends.

Whilst I don't think this is the strongest book by this author, I did engage with the story and felt some sympathy for the situations that the women find themselves in, however, they're not always a very likeable bunch of women and there were times when I wanted them to act in a different way. 

Overall, I enjoyed seeing how their individual stories unfolded in the wider context, and by the end of City of Friends,  I cared enough about them all to hope that it would work out for them.

More about the author can be found on her website 

Find the book on Amazon UK

~****~

Blog Tour ~ The Ludlow Ladies' Society by Ann O'Louglin

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on


The Ludlow Ladies' Society Blog Tour

The Ludlow Ladies’ Society by Ann O’Loughlin is published 20th July by Black & White Publishing, price £12.99 

Connie Carter has lost everyone and everything dear to her. Leaving her home in Manhattan, she moves to Wicklow, Ireland hoping to heal her broken heart, and in search of answers: why did her husband plough all their money into the dilapidated Ludlow Hall before he died?

Although Connie initially avoids the villagers, she meets local women Eve and Hetty, who introduce her to the Ludlow Ladies’ Society, a crafts group in need of a permanent home.

Eve Brannigan is also struggling with pain from her past. After her husband’s suicide, it became clear that he had bankrupted them, and her beloved home Ludlow Hall was repossessed. Now, seeing the American Connie living there, the hurt of losing her house is renewed. But as she and Hetty begin stitching memory quilts in order to remember those they’ve lost, can she let go of her past and allow herself some happiness? And can Connie ever recover from the death of her much-loved daughter Molly?

I am delighted to be able to welcome the author, Ann O'Loughlin to the blog today.

Hi Ann, welcome to Jaffareadstoo and thank you for spending time with us today

Without revealing too much, what can you tell us about The Ludlow Ladies’ Society?

This is the story of the enduring friendship among women. It celebrates the resilience of women and how they support and hold each other up through the worst of times. 

Connie Carter has lost everyone and everything dear to her. She comes from America to Ludlow Hall in Wicklow, Ireland desperate to find answers as to why this old mansion existed and yet she knew nothing about it until her husband’s death. Ludlow Hall features large in the life of Rathsorney. Eve lived there until it was repossessed by the bank and later sold on to Connie’s husband. 

When Connie meets up with Eve and Hetty from the village and the members of The Ludlow Ladies’ Society, she finds friendship, understanding and compassion. As they make memory quilts together to remember their loved ones, the secrets of the past tumble out and the women begin to confront a painful past.

Connie Carter finds she did not just inherit a house but a whole group of friends who support and hold each other even through the worst of times. This is a story about the power of female friendship and the strength of the bonds that develop over time. As they stitch the patchwork memory quilts, Connie takes the first tentative steps to stitch her life back together.

I was very taken with the description of Ludlow Hall, did you base the story on a particular place or did you draw purely from your imagination?

When I was young in the west of Ireland we used to play in the fields around our home and often in the ruins of big old house there. I think it was from that time, I have loved big old houses. Ludlow Hall is the house in my imagination, but for me it is very real. I have a picture in my head of the house, every nook and cranny. Someday I hope to come across the house in reality. I like to think if I did, I could knock on the front door, confident the occupants will welcome me and I will be invited in to walk through to the kitchen for a cuppa.

The Ludlow Ladies’ Society is set in Co.Wicklow. How important is location to your writing, and did you visit any the places you describe so vividly in your novel?

I think location is very important and I never like to write about a place if I don’t know it well. I think when you know a place well, you know instinctively which way the bus is coming, which way the car should turn when it goes out the gate and little things like that which are so important. While Ludlow Hall is in a fictional village, it is in Co Wicklow in Ireland. I live in Co Wicklow, I know the way the roads are, the type of shops and cafés there and the type of houses. I think that is so important. A proper sense of place for me is very important.

Your writing is very atmospheric – how do you ‘set the scene’ in your novels and how much research did you need to do in order to bring the story to life?

Thank you! In my mind I am there by her side when Connie is first walking through the village of Rathsorney, I am walking every step with her. The voice pounding in her head is pounding in mine. When she stands to take in Ludlow Hall for the first time, I am there doing the same thing. I think that is how you bring any story to life. When the ladies of The Ludlow Ladies’ Society sit to have a chat and a gossip, I am the ghost in the room if you like, I am writing what I hear and what I see, it is a great privilege.

Whilst you are writing you must live with your characters. Do they ever dictate how the story progresses or do you stick with a writing plan from the beginning and never deviate?

What writing plan? I wish I was one of those writers who had a story board or lots of notes and walls or even the fridge covered with notes, but it is all in my head. The characters shout at me they want the story told in a certain way and I have to oblige.

On a good day, they will keep shouting, getting word count up by nearly 2000 words. On other days, they give up after 1000 words. The characters in my head dictate the pace. One of the saddest things about writing The End is that the voices fade and disappear.

What do you hope readers will take away from your stories?

I hope when readers close any of my books they feel uplifted, also maybe wanting to hear more of the characters, that they enjoyed the time with the characters; and I want them to sigh thinking back on the story and realise while it made them cry in places, there were also a lot of laughs along the way. I trust my readers to know while there is a serious issue running through The Ludlow Ladies' Society like in my other two novels, there is also fun, humour, gossip and a host of characters who I hope the readers love. I want readers to feel they have been touched by the story.

About the Author

A leading journalist in Ireland for nearly thirty years, Ann O’Loughlin has covered all major news events of the last three decades. Ann spent most of her career with independent newspapers where she was Security Correspondent at the height of the Troubles, and was a senior journalist on the Irish Independent and the Evening Herald. She is currently a senior journalist with the Irish Examiner newspaper covering legal issues. Ann has also lived and worked in India. Originally from the west of Ireland she now lives on the east coast in Co. Wicklow with her husband and two children. Her debut novel The Ballroom Café was a bestseller, with over 250,000 copies sold in eBook alone. Her second novel The Judge’s Wife was an Irish bestseller for 5 weeks, and was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel Award in February 2017.

..Here are my thoughts about the story..

I'm always in awe of those beautiful patchwork memory quilts which stitch together so many hopes and dreams, and as the Ludlow ladies come together to stitch memory quilts of their own, so their individual hopes, dreams and frailties are laid bare.

For Connie Carter leaving her home in America and coming to live in rural Ireland is never going to be easy, especially as she is grieving a loss so great she is doubtful she will ever feel whole again. A town resident and former owner of Ludlow Hall, Eve Brannigan is also coping with loss in her own inimitable style and when a tentative friendship develops between these two very different women, the result is a story which is beautifully tender and yet so unbelievably sad in places that it made me want to reach inside the pages and hug both these women close.

At first the ladies of Ludlow are sceptical of Connie's presence in their small town and it's only when Connie opens up the doors of Ludlow Hall as a place where the ladies' group can come together to stitch memory quilts that she begins, very slowly, to be accepted.

This is one of those gentle stories that really gets into the very heart of female friendship. Friendship which is bonded together by shared experiences, not just of happy moments, but also of those jagged pieces of lives which have, sometimes, been fractured beyond repair.

The glorious setting of Ludlow Hall is the place that holds all of the memories together and for Eve and the Ludlow ladies the memories of their shared past threatens to outshine their future, whilst for Connie, her overwhelming sadness, at last, finds a place of refuge and renewal.

Ludlow Hall is that glorious piece of fabric which forms the centrepiece of an amazing story quilt stitched together lovingly by a very talented writer.

My thanks to the author for answering my questions so thoughtfully and also to Sophie at FMcM.co.uk for my review copy of the Ludlow Ladies' Society.

Follow the blog tour on Twitter @annolwriter #LudlowLadiesSociety

Blog Tour ~ The Little Kiosk by the Sea by Jennifer Bohnet

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be part of the  Blog Tour


on Publication day of Little Kiosk by the Sea

I am thrilled that the author, Jennifer Bohnet is spending time with us today

Hi Jennifer. Tell us a little about yourself and how you got started as an author.

I’m English but I’ve lived in France for over 16 years. Six years ago we moved from the Riviera to a quirky little cottage in rural Brittany. I’m allergic to housework and gardening. I love reading, cooking and having friends round for lunch - lunches that follow the French tradition of lasting for several hours.

I started writing lifestyle features in various magazines and papers, including my own column in the Dartmouth Chronicle. When we came to France I started writing short stories for the women’s magazine market and I’ve now had hundreds published both nationally and internationally. It seemed a natural step to write serials and then novels - I’m currently writing my eleventh.

Without giving too much away what can you tell us about us about The Little Kiosk by the Sea?

It’s a story of secrets and the effect the past has on the present.

Where did you get the inspiration for the story from? Were you inspired by people, places, or did you draw purely from your imagination?

We lived in Dartmouth for many years, my children were born there, and I love the place. The places and the historical events in the book are factually correct but I confess I was inspired by certain people to create the characters in the book.

Whilst you are writing you must live with your characters. How do you feel about them when the book is finished? Are they what you expected them to be? And do you have a favourite character?

I miss them. It’s like saying goodbye to friends. I think my favourite character in Kiosk is Sabine - I might well go back and see how her life has turned out.

Do your characters ever dictate how the story progresses or do you stick with a writing plan from the beginning and never deviate?

I just dive in and yes I do find the characters start to tell me their story. The Little Kiosk By The Sea has four women and two men all of whom could be regarded as main characters, and several of the story-lines are linked. Halfway through I did find I had to make notes and plans to keep myself sane.

What would you like readers to take away from The Little Kiosk by the Sea?

Firstly to have enjoyed reading the story. After that, I’d hope they’d been captivated and moved by the character’s stories. I’d also hope they’ve learnt something about Devon in World War II, through ‘BB’ the American researching his family history.

HQ
6th July 2017

Harriet and Sabine were inseparable as girls growing up in seaside town of Dartmouth. But growing up, Sabine stayed to support her family and save her little kiosk from closure, while Harriet was driven away by scandal

Thirty years later, Harriet and Sabine are together again. Their friendship has stood the test of time, and though everything else has changed, Dartmouth hasn’t.

Sabine must confront her future, and finally say yes to her secret dream of adventure.

Harriet must confront her past, and, let go of a secret that has kept her trapped for years. The only worry is how her journalist daughter will handle the news.

One thing’s for sure, as the autumn tides turn, there’ll be more than one secret laid bare…

The Little Kiosk by the Sea by Jennifer Bohnet is out 6th July (HQ, £7.99).


About the Author

Originally from the West Country, Jennifer Bohnet now lives in the wilds of rural Brittany, France. Always a writer, Jennifer has contributed short to many of the UK women's magazines including, The People's Friend, Candis, My Weekly, Best and Yours, and has been published in The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Home and Country and Devon Life. For over three years she wrote a newspaper column in The South Hams Group of Newspapers where she took a wry look at family life. She is now also published in Australia, Sweden, South Africa and Ireland.

Find out more about Jennifer’s writing at www.jenniferbohnet.com 
Twitter @jenniewriter

My thanks to the author for taking the time to answer my questions so thoughtfully and also to the team at Midas pr for the invitation to be part of this blog tour.

~***~

Blog Tour ~ The Importance of Being Me by Caroline Grace Cassidy

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on 

The Importance of Being Me Blog Tour

What's it all about...

When Courtney’s husband David leaves her for Mar-nee – a local beautician years younger – she’s upset but nowhere near as devastated as she thought she’d be. Their marriage hasn’t been great for a long time. Now that he’s gone, Courtney and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Susan, are left on their own. But Susan is a complete daddy’s girl and likes to spend all her weekends with David and Mar-nee. Susan still thinks David is the greatest father on earth and Courtney has no intention of ruining that illusion for her daughter. To add insult to injury, Susan and Mar-nee have a fantastic relationship, happily snap chatting away their every waking moments.

When Susan decides to spend the whole summer with her dad and Mar-nee, Courtney is devastated. She needs a change, and some time for herself. A run-down cottage in Cornwall looks like the perfect solution. At least for the summer it’s a new location, new people and a project to keep her busy. When she bumps into a client she’s worked with but never actually met, it’s like being hit by a bolt of lightning. . . But can she ever have what she wants most in the world, a whole new relationship.

Black&White
29 June 2017

What did I think about it...

Thirty-something, Courtney is at a crossroads in her life, her daughter prefers to spend time with her father and his new, much younger, wife, leaving Courtney holding desperately onto a life that seems to be shattering into pieces. Making the momentous decision to change her life, Courtney moves to Cornwall in the hope that a new place, with new people ,will encourage her to take back control of her life.

In a way this is an adult coming of age story, which goes to show that we are never too old to start again, to make new friends, or to see new places and reinvent ourselves for a whole new chapter in our lives. The author has captured this time very well, the air of indecision , the upset of finding your husband with a younger wife, and the perceived desertion by a much loved child into a lifestyle over which you have no control. 

The author writes well and imbues a real sense of character so that the people who flit into and out of the story feel genuinely authentic, with real feelings and emotions. True, it must be said, that I liked some characters more than others but that's what so important about good storytelling, that the characters come alive, with all their faults and failings right before your eyes. 

I really enjoyed this story about the value of friendship, it's about finding new challenges but more importantly its about being kind to yourself and recognising that we all need to, at times, realise The Importance of Being Me.

It's definitely one of those stories to lose yourself in over an afternoon in the garden, or tucked away in the window seat of a country house, preferably with cake and tea...

Best Read with...cups of tea and slices of double chocolate biscuit cake..

About the Author...

Caroline Grace-Cassidy is an Irish writer and actress. She trained as an actress at the Gaiety School of Acting before landing her first role as Mary Mull on BAFTA award-winning children’s programme Custer’s Last Stand-Up. Since then she has appeared in various productions for BBC, RTE, TG4 and TV3, alongside a variety of feature films. Turning to full-time writing in 2011, Caroline has published four novels. Caroline is also a founding member of an all-female Film & TV Production Company, for which she has written, produced and directed five short films. Her first feature film script is completed and in development. Caroline is a contributor for Woman’s Way, U Magazine, Irish Country Magazine and has been a regular panellist for the Midday show on TV3 since 2012

Follow on Twitter @CGraceCassidy

My thanks to Lina at Black & White Publishing for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour.

~***~

Blog Tour ~ The A-Z of Everything by Debbie Johnson

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on The A-Z of Everything Blog Tour 

Harper Collins
2017

What's it all about..

P is for Paris where it all began. J is for Jealousy where it all came undone. But the most important letter is F. F is for Forgiveness, the hardest of all.

Sisters Poppy and Rose used to be as close as two sisters could be, but it’s been over a decade since they last spoke. Until they both receive a call that tells them their mother has gone – without ever having the chance to see her daughters reunited.

Andrea, though, wasn’t the kind of woman to let a little thing like death stand in the way of her plans. Knowing her daughters better than they know themselves, she has left behind one very special last gift – the A-Z of Everything

My thoughts about it...

When their mother dies, Poppy and Rose need to come together, not just to grieve the loss of the mother they both adored, but also to set aside differences which have seen the sisters estranged for the last ten or so years. Andrea has loved her daughters to the exclusion of everything else and this love is not lessened by her death, so in order to bring the sisters closer, Andrea, cleverly and rather poignantly, in the days before her death and with the help of her friend, Lewis, devised an A- Z of thought provoking tasks, which must be completed by Poppy and Rose in the days after the funeral,with, one hopes, enlightening consequences.

Losing a parent is never easy and the author's sensitive portrayal of all the different emotions expressed during such a sad time is done in a really thought provoking way. Each sister copes in their own inimitable style but it is when the two women finally come together where the story really starts to come alive.

I really enjoyed travelling through the alphabet with Poppy and Rose. The trials and tribulations they meet along the way really help to make this story such  a joy to read. I enjoyed The A-Z  of Everything written as it is with this author's remarkable skill for always getting right into the very heart of what makes people tick. There's a genuine warmth to the story but also a realistic warning that we must never take life for granted and in the overall scheme of things it's always better to settle differences rather than let them fester and niggle away for too many years.

The A-Z of Everything is Debbie Johnson writing at her absolute best and it's definitely one of my favourite stories this year.

About the Author

Debbie Johnson is a best-selling author who lives and works in Liverpool, where she divides her time between writing, caring for a small tribe of children and animals, and not doing the housework.

She worked as a journalist for many years, until she decided it would be more fun to make up her own stories than to tell other people’s. After trying her hand at pretty much every genre of writing other than Westerns and spy dramas, she has settled on women’s fiction that seems to make people laugh and make people cry, often at the same time.

Her books include The Birthday That Changed Everything, Pippa’s Cornish Dream, and Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe, all published by HarperCollins. She also ghost-wrote model and presenter Abbey Clancy’s debut novel, Remember My Name.

Follow her on twitter @debbiemjohnson, or at www.facebook.com/debbiejohnsonauthor – but be warned, she mainly talks about dogs.

Blog Tour runs until the 7th July so do visit the other stops for more content

My thanks to the author and also to Felicity at Harper Collins for the invitation to be part of this blog tour and for my review copy of The A-Z of Everything.

~***~

Author Spotlight ~ Isabella Davidson

I am delighted to have with me on the blog today, Isabella Davidson

 Author of The Beta Mum  Adventures in Alpha Land

Silverwood Books
June 2017

What's it all about ...

When Sophie Bennett moves from a quiet, sleepy suburb of Toronto to glitzy west London, she doesn't know where she has landed: Venus or Mars. Her three-year-old daughter Kaya attends Cherry Blossoms, the most exclusive nursery in London, where Sophie finds herself adrift in a sea of Alpha mums.. These mothers are glamorous, gorgeous, competitive and super rich, especially Kelly, the blonde, beautiful and bitchy class rep. 

Struggling to fit in and feeling increasingly isolated, Sophie starts The Beta Mum, an anonymous blog describing her struggles with the Alpha mums. But when her blog goes viral, she risks ruining everything for herself and her daughter. How long will it be until they discover her true identity? Is her marriage strong enough to survive one of her follower's advances? And will she ever fit in with the Alpha mums?

Hi Isabella, welcome to Jaffareadstoo...☺

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started as an author.

Writing is something I have done my whole life, without even realising it. I wrote a short story when I was 9 years old and my teacher at the time told me that perhaps, one day, I would become a writer. I put this dream on hold when I went to university to study medicine, but it was always there at the back of my mind. When I had my first daughter, I thought I would write during my maternity leave, but then I had my daughter and realised how much work and effort it takes to look after a baby! Six months after I returned back to work, I realised I couldn’t be the doctor I wanted to be and the mother I wanted to be, so I quit working as a doctor. After my second child was born, I started a blog, www.nottinghillyummymummy.com chronicling the entertaining lives of west London residents and my love of writing returned. When people complimented my writing, I thought that perhaps I could write that book. Last year, I took the Faber Academy’s ‘Writing a Novel’ class and one and a half years later, my book, The Beta Mum, Adventures in Alpha Land, has just been published. 

Where did you get inspiration for The Beta Mum Adventures in Alpha Land? 

They say to write about what you know, so I wrote about being a mum and the struggles and challenges of motherhood today. It is set in glitzy west London, which makes for a colourful and entertaining setting, but my main character’s experiences are common experiences that many mothers face today: loneliness, feeling like an outsider, trying to find a balance between being a mother and an individual, having a career and feeling guilty or not having a career and struggling with your identity. I think that many women will relate to my main character’s challenges. 

Tell us three interesting things about your novel which will tempt the reader's interest.

• All my characters are fictional, but some of the events in the book are based on events that have happened to me or to people I know, like the time I went on a play date and someone thought I was there for a housekeeping interview.

• I am not Sophie the main character but I have experienced feelings of loneliness and feeling like an outsider when I was a child and moved around the world every few years, so I used those emotions in Sophie when she moves to London and feels completely like a fish out of water. 

• I had a lot of fun writing the character of Kelly, Sophie’s main ‘frenemy’ who is so bitchy and awful, but also so fun to write. She is a character that you love to hate. 

Whilst you are writing you must live with your characters. During the writing process did they ever dictate how the story progressed, or did you stick with a writing plan from the beginning and never deviate?

My characters didn’t really dictate how the story progressed, but I didn’t have a writing plan either! I tried really hard to have a writing plan, but it constantly changed, so I had to constantly change my characters to adapt to it. My characters evolved over time and became more complex as the book was edited and re-written. When you first start, you know your characters as acquaintances, but as you go through the writing process, you get to know them intimately and they become close friends that you know everything about. It’s a beautiful relationship in a way, between an author and his or her characters. 

  

The book world is very competitive – how do you get your book noticed?

Yes, the book world is very competitive – almost as competitive as some of the characters in my book! Writing a book takes a lot of work, but I never realised how much work it takes to promote a book; it takes hours and days of determination, perseverance and a very thick skin. I have been really lucky in that I have been featured in major newspapers – The Saturday Times and The Daily Mail – but even with this exposure, it is still hard to get noticed when there is so much information we are bombarded with on a daily basis. I have also approached bloggers and book reviewers and organised giveaways. It has been non-stop and it still continues even after the book is published. 

Without giving too much away, what do you hope readers will take away from reading The Beta Mum Adventures in Alpha Land?

I hope that readers will empathise with my character and perhaps feel less lonely in their situation. I know that many mums struggle with motherhood, whether out of loneliness or a loss of identity after having children and I hope that the readers feel that they are not alone. I have already had some wonderful reviews and comments from bloggers and book reviewers, and many have said that they related to Sophie, which is what I intended. Of course, I also want my readers to enjoy the book. It is a light, fun, summer read that isn’t meant to be taken very seriously, so I hope I make someone a little happier after reading it. That’s the beauty of books isn’t it? A bit of escapism and the chance to live another life for a few hours.

About the Author

Isabella Davidson is the author of the popular blog Notting Hill Yummy Mummy, which chronicles the entertaining lives of west London residents. She started The Beta Mum during the six-month Faber Academy novel writing course. Prior to startingher writing career, she worked for a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian organisation and as a doctor for the National Health Service.

You can find more about Isabella on her website Notting Hill Yummy Mummy by clicking here

Discover her on Goodreads

Follow on Twitter @NHyummymummy #thebetamum

Huge thanks to Isabella for spending time with us today and for answering our questions so thoughtfully.  

The Beta Mum Adventures in Alpha Land is out now and published by Silverwood Books.

~***~

Blog Tour ~ The Woman in the Wood by Lesley Pearse

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop on this very special blog tour to celebrate 

the author, Lesley Pearse's 25th novel.

The Woman in the Wood

On this blog tour each of the blog tour hosts will share a factoid about one of Lesley's books..

Lesley's Seventh Novel ~ Charlie was published in 1999

Penguin
2027


The Woman in the Wood is a powerful, passionate and sinister tale of a young woman's courage, friendship and determination from one of the world's favourite storytellers.

Fifteen-year-old twins Maisy and Duncan Mitcham have always had each other. Until the fateful day in the wood . . .

One night in 1960, the twins awake to find their father pulling their screaming mother from the house. She is to be committed to an asylum. It is, so their father insists, for her own good.

It's not long before they, too, are removed from their London home and sent to Nightingales - a large house deep in the New Forest countryside - to be watched over by their cold-hearted grandmother, Mrs Mitcham. Though they feel abandoned and unloved, at least here they have something they never had before - freedom.

The twins are left to their own devices, to explore, find new friends and first romances. That is until the day that Duncan doesn't come back for dinner. Nor does he return the next day. Or the one after that.

When the bodies of other young boys are discovered in the surrounding area the police appear to give up hope of finding Duncan alive. With Mrs Mitcham showing little interest in her grandson's disappearance, it is up to Maisy to discover the truth. And she knows just where to start. The woman who lives alone in the wood about whom so many rumours abound. A woman named Grace Deville.

Visit the author's website

Visit on Facebook 

Follow on Twitter @Lesley Pearse 

#LoveLesley #TheWomanInTheWood

Follow the Blog tour until 25th June

My thanks to the author for continuing to enthral us with her unique brand of story telling and also to Darran at edpr for the invitation to be part of this very special blog tour.

~***~

Blog Tour ~ The Butlins Girls by Elaine Everest

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be host today's penultimate stop on 

The Butlins Girls Blog Tour

Pan Macmillan
4 May 2017

What's it all about..

Times have been hard for Molly Missons. Following the loss of her parents, mysterious, long-lost family have darkened her door, laying claim to her home and livelihood.

Molly applies for a job as a Butlins auntie, in the hope of escaping bitterness and arguments.When she receives news that she has got the job, she immediately leaves her small home town, enthralled by the promise of a carefree new life in Skegness.

As soon as she arrives , Molly finds true friendship in Bunty and Plum. But the biggest shock is discovering that star of the silver screen, Johnny Johnson, is working at Butlins as entertainments adviser, Johnny takes an instant liking to Molly and she begins to shed the shackles of her recent heartache.

What did I think about it..

From the start of the story you can't help but warm to Molly Missons, she's such a lovely person, kind, generous and warm hearted. At the start of the story, we meet her when she is a at a really low ebb, her beloved parents have recently died, leaving Molly to face life alone. However, her good friend, Freda keeps her spirits up, that is until two unfamiliar relatives turn up to claim what they feel is their inheritance. Molly, with her life and security under threat, decides takes a position as a red coat at the newly reopened Butlins holiday camp in Skegness where she finds that friendship and a delicious romantic attachment can chase away her demons.

There's a real feeling of authenticity in this nicely written post-war saga. The story initially opens in Kent in 1946 and then takes the reader to the east coast, to Skegness, and to the wonderful era of fun loving holiday camps and the joy of seeing people once again enjoying a carefree holiday. Molly and her new found friends form a perfect back drop to showcase just what life was like in those heady post war days when excitement seemed to have returned, at last, to British life.

What I liked about the story was how the writer gets right into the personality of all her characters, especially Molly, Plum and Bunty who are firm friends from the outset. Molly, especially, comes across with an air of innocence which belies her strength of spirit and both Plum and Bunty add their own unique personality into the mixture. The mystery at the heart of the novel lends intrigue, and the delicious frisson of romance between Molly and the handsome, Johnny Johnson is fun to read.


With joy and sadness combined, The Butlins Girls would make a lovely holiday read...especially if you are heading to Butlins Skegness for a well earned break 😊

Best Read With...a brown Betty pot of tea and a plate of sticky buns...

About the Author

Elaine has written widely for women's magazines, with both short stories and features. When she isn't writing, Elaine runs The Write Place creative writing school in Dartford, Kent, and the blog for the Romantic Novelists' Association. The Butlins Girls is her second novel with Pan Macmillan, following her successful novel The Woolworths Girls

Elaine lives with her husband, Michael, and their Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Henry, in Swanley, Kent.

Twitter @ElaineEverest #TheButlinsGirls

Facebook 

@panmacmillan

My thanks to Bethan at edpr for the invitation to be part of this blog tour and for giving me the opportunity to read The Butlins Girls.

~***~

Blog Tour ~ The Other Us by Fiona Harper

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be on the The Other Us Blog Tour

Published by HQ
4 May 2017

What's it all about..

If you could turn back time, would you choose a different life?

Forty-something Maggie is facing some hard truths. Her only child has flown the nest for university and, without her daughter in the house, she’s realising her life, and her marriage to Dan, is more than a little stale.

When she spots an announcement on Facebook about a uni reunion, she can’t help wondering what happened to Jude Hanson. The same night Dan proposed, Jude asked Maggie to run away with him, and she starts to wonder how different her life might have been if she’d broken Dan’s heart and taken Jude up on his offer.

Wondering turns into fantasising, and then one morning fantasising turns into reality. Maggie wakes up and discovers she’s back in 1992 and twenty-one again. Is she brave enough to choose the future she really wants, and if she is, will the grass be any greener on the other side of the fence?

Two men. Two very different possible futures. But is there only once chance at happiness?

I am delighted to share the author's own What ifs moments...

When reading the book you can’t help thinking of the ‘Sliding Doors’ moments I’ve had in my life. Is there one that sticks out for you? What was the decision? And did you pick the right path?!

There are definitely some things I’d wondered ‘what if?’ – particularly when it comes to career choices. I was keen on art and English and performing arts when I was at school, and it was a bit of a toss-up between whether I went to do a degree in dance or graphic design. I ended up choosing dance, which I loved, but there weren’t many jobs around when I left university, just as the recession of the early 90s hit. I’m not sure if I’d have been happier going the other path, but I definitely would have made more money! But then, if I’d chosen design, would I have ended up as a writer? Maybe not. And that would have been awful, because I love my job so much.

Even knowing this is the right career choice for me, there are other ‘what if’s’: I didn’t start writing novels until I was 35. Should I have tried when I was younger? If I had, maybe I’d have a very different career by now but, then again, I have a feeling I wasn’t ready to write a book in my twenties, so maybe I’d have crashed and burned, got disheartened and never given it another go.

We all have hundreds of these moments every day, probably without being aware of it. However, second-guessing every decision and pining for the path not travelled will probably not only send you quietly insane but is ultimately useless. No one can go back and undo the past; all we can do is use what we’ve learned along the journey we’ve already taken and step boldly into the future.

What did I think about The Other Us..

I am sure that we all have those 'what if'' moments where we wonder just what would have happened if we had turned the other corner or made a very different life choice. And that's just what happens to Maggie who wakes to find herself in a very different place. Instead of a being a forty something mum, married to Dan, on the eve of her University reunion, Maggie wakes to find that she is back at University, but as a twenty-one year old, with her best friend Becca, and with all her life ahead of her.

What then follows is a cleverly put together time travel/alternative life story which looks at all the opportunities of going in a different direction, and unlikely as the sliding door theory of life is, there is nothing more fascinating than wondering just what would happen if, in a parallel past life, things could change in a heartbeat.

The story flows well and the author does a really good job of threading together all the different strands. I had to concentrate at times, because sometimes Maggie’s life changes quickly, but I found each individual story interesting and I hoped that Maggie would make the right choices. What those choices are, I’m not going to reveal as I’m sure you would like to find out for yourself.

Warm and witty, wise and serious, The Other Us would make an ideal holiday read.

Best Read With...A glass of lukewarm Lambrusco and some cheesey nibbles..



More about Fiona...

Coming from two generations of journalists, writing was in Fiona Harper’s genes. As a child she was constantly teased for having her nose in a book and living in a dream world. Things haven't changed much since then, but at least in writing she's found a use for her runaway imagination! She loves dancing, cooking, reading and watching a good romance. Fiona lives in London with her family.

Visit her website

Twitter @FiHarper_Author

 Follow the Book #TheOtherUs

My thanks to the author for her guest post today and also to Rebekah at Midas for the invitation to be part of this Blog Tour.

Do visit the other stops on the tour for more fun content.

 Follow the Book #TheOtherUs

~***~