Guest post ~ Sophie King ~ Do You Take This Man?

I am delighted to showcase 

the new contemporary romance

by

Sophie King

Do You Take This Man

Corazon Books
8 December 2014

Katie just got married ....or did she?

Katie is getting married to Alec ... or is she? Have you ever wondered "what if..." you had made a different decision in life, and would things have gone down a totally different path? Would life have been better or worse? In "Do You Take This Man?" we follow Katie's two lives - what happens to her if she says "I do" and what happens if she stands up her groom. Katie's two separate realities are very different, but we also see how there are some things you can't avoid, whatever choices you make in life. In the tradition of the classic film "Sliding Doors", "Do You Take This Man?" will keep you gripped and guessing to the end!

DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN?

by 

Sophie King

So you’ve met the man of your dreams. Or at least, you think you have.

You like him and he likes you. Then, after a suitable period (or not), he goes down on one knee and pops the question,

Yes! You’re a traditional girl and you’ve always wanted to be a Mrs. Now someone has finally asked you to marry them! But help, how do you know he’s really Mr. Right?

Suddenly, you’re filled with doubt. Supposing you say ‘yes’ and then meet someone else who turns out to be the love of your life? What if you just lived together instead like nearly everyone else you know. Ooooh, it’s so difficult isn’t it?

Do not panic! Together with some psychologist friends (who would rather not be named because they’ve made a few mistakes in the marital department themselves), I’ve devised a foolproof quiz* to see if you should say yes to your latest proposal.

So here goes:

Answer the following questions: you do not need to stick to the original order but it might help.

Do you like going to bed at the same time? (If you haven’t gone to bed together yet, see next question.)

Does he make you tingle every time?

Do you have children that aren’t his? 

If so, do they like your intended?

Does he have children that aren’t yours?

Is so, do they hate you yet?

Do you have your own houses at the moment?

If yes,  whose house will you move into?

If not, will you be living with his parents or yours? (Note: recent surveys show that newly weds under 50 can only afford to live with their parents.)

Do you want a pre-nup? (Note for alcoholic readers: a pre-nup is not a cocktail.)

Are you having a honeymoon or a new kitchen?

Does he make you laugh?

Do you have a B Plan? (an escape in case the marriage doesn’t work out. If so, go back to the beginning and re-think your answers).

Right. That’s it. Simple. No need for ‘Correct Answers On the Next Page’  because there aren’t any rights or wrongs. Everyone is different which is probably just as well. But you’ll know, inside yourself, if you’re marrying the right man after reading through my quiz. I just hope you get together with the chap who makes you laugh and also puts honeymoons over new kitchens. If not, you might need to start all over again. and I'm not just talking quizzes ...

*No legal guarantee provided....

My thanks to Sophie for her guest post.

Do You Take This Man? 

is available for Kindle download from today ,

8th December.

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Thanks also to Ian Skillicorn at Corazon Books for his help with this guest post.



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Any one who comments on this post will be entered into Jaffa's mystery prize giveaway.

Please leave contact details, so I know where to find you should you win !

Share your ideal romantic location for a wedding proposal.

Winners will be selected early in the New Year.

Good Luck.

Sunday War Poet...

Christmas must have been a sad time both for those fighting on the Western Front and for those at home who waited and who ultimately mourned their loss.



Over the next four weeks of December I will feature some of the Christmas poems of WW1.









The Fallen 

by 

Diana Gurney

Shall we not lay our holly wreath

Here at the foot of this high cross?

We do not know, perhaps a breath

Of our remembering may come

To them at last where they are sleeping,

They are quiet, they are dumb,

No more of mirth, no more of weeping,

Silent Christmas they are keeping;

Ours the sorrow, ours the loss. - 

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I can't find any detailed reference to the life of Diana Gurney other than she wrote a series of poems which were published in The Poppied Dream (1921).

She is recognised as a female war poet of WW1.



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Review ~ The Winter Gathering by Deirdre Purcell

Headline Review

2014

A group of five fifty somethings meet every year at Maggie Quinn’s house to spend their Christmas together. The bonds of friendship have been forged over time, especially since the first time they all gathered, ten years ago which was just after Maggie’s husband left her, but time moves on, and all traditions take a bit of a knock sometimes. This Christmas Day, and for the first time, there’s an addition to the party, in the form of a handsome young man, but only one of the women knows why he is there.

What then follows is a rather heart-rending look at the changing fortunes of friendship and of the unexpectedness of life in general, and the way that the ties of friendship can be stretched to breaking point sometimes. Overall, I found the story to be rather downbeat for a seasonal read as there are some sad moments, however, it does showcase the lives of the women really well and the minutiae of the challenges of their lives is nicely explained.  It’s not all gloomy, there are some funny moments to lighten the narrative and which go a long way to make the characters seems more connected.

I know that this author is a prolific writer of this type of family saga and as such has a wide readership. I am sure that her legions of fans will find take a chance on this story, however, it just left me feeling quite subdued at the end of it and, if I'm honest, a little uninspired.

My thanks to Headline and bookbridgr for my copy of this book.

About the Author

Deirdre Purcell was born and brought up in Dublin, and educated there and in a County Mayo convent. Before turning to the writing of fiction, she lived through an eclectic set of careers, including acting, as a member of the permanent company of Ireland's National Theatre (The Abbey), and journalism for all media - for which she won Ireland's top award.

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Review ~ The Son-in-Law by Charity Norman

Allen & Unwin
2013

Can you ever forgive the unforgivable?

The anguish of a family ripped apart by a devastating tragedy is the theme which runs throughout this well written family saga. When Joseph Scott is released on licence from prison after serving his sentence for the manslaughter of his wife, he attempts to make some sort of life for himself, but his burden of culpability is never far from the surface and the increasing animosity of his family, particularly his in-laws does nothing to dispel either his guilt or his grief.

I was captivated by this book from the beginning and although I wanted to dislike Joseph, after all he was the perpetrator of a heinous crime; I found great sympathy for him and credit to the author for making him a sympathetic figure rather than a caricature of a murderous villain. She completely captured the anguish of a family in turmoil and with great insight delved deep into the minds of Joseph's children, who whilst struggling to come to terms with the loss of their mother, felt incredibly torn between love and duty to a father they barely understood.

There is no doubt that the author has a great skill for storytelling and has managed to convey the heartbreak of tragedy whilst at the same time keeping control of a narrative which is a powerful testament to the bonds of parenthood. The need we all have to protect those we love, even when there is the danger that by loving too much we are in danger of destroying those we seek to love, is perhaps the most  the constant thought throughout the whole of the book.

Recommended.

 My thanks to Lindsay at the Little Reader Library for her generous gift of this book.

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Jan Ruth's Itty Bitty Christmas....

Wishing you a Merry Christmas

from

Jan Ruth

What’s your earliest Christmas Memory?

Dad, creeping about on the landing with a pillowcase. Merry the pony wearing a Christmas hat and bells in his mane (under sufferance, but even so). My brother hiding vegetables.

Do you have any special Christmas Traditions?

Buck’s Fizz for breakfast, made with freshly squeezed juice and a good quality Cava. A long walk in the hills in the afternoon. These two seem to have survived through the years!

What’s your favourite festive carol or song?

The Pogues: Fairytale of New York (You WILL sing, you will…)

You Tube

Do you have a favourite festive film?

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

You Tube

What’s your favourite festive read ?

A Child’s Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas. Honest.

Are you organised or do you leave everything until the last minute ?

I’m quite organised. Preparations have reduced considerably since the family have grown. I can pare it down to Scrooge-like proportions if needs be. When we were busy working and the family was young, we always used to want to ‘go away’ somewhere for Christmas but now that we can, we invariably don’t want to. 

Christmas Tree – real or artificial?

Real. Can’t beat the smell or the mess, can you? It’s not really Christmas until you’ve pulled stray needles out of your new top. 

Tinsel or Glitter?

I’m not fond of tinsel… but I don’t know why. Maybe I was strangled by it in a past life. It always looks sparkly and innocent until you drape it on the tree and then it usually looks naff, so I’m going for glitter. I like the idea of sprinkling it on cut logs.

Gingerbread Latte or Orange spiced Hot Chocolate?

I don’t think I could cope with either. I don’t have a very sweet tooth so it would have to be straight hot chocolate for me, with maybe a dash of Christmas brandy?

Mince Pie or Yule Log?

I’m always disappointed with Yule Log, so mince pie it is. Warm, with a dollop of cream.

Christmas Dinner – Traditional Turkey or something Different?

Slightly different. We prefer the taste of chicken but I go overboard on the preparation as per Jamie Oliver’s buttery lemon chicken covered in prosciutto and stuffed with fresh herbs. It’s a firm favourite.

Christmas Tipple – Bucks Fizz/Mulled Wine or something stronger?

Bucks Fizz is lovely for breakfast, can’t bear mulled wine so I’m afraid it has to be something stronger! I’m a cold crisp wine drinker but I do like Jack Daniels or a tall gin and tonic too.

A fun game of after dinner charades or more chocolates and the television?

I’m not a lover of games, are you surprised by that? So, I guess that leaves me chocolates and TV. Actually, the more simple the evening, the better.

I’m reading these questions back and I sound very much like the eccentric hermit woman who lives in the hills with a well-stocked cellar. Oh, hold on…

Jan's Books are available on Amazon

     

 

Huge thanks to Jan  for sharing her Christmas with us.

Jaffa and I wish you a very Merry Christmas.






If you comment at the end of this post and tell us what your favourite Christmas film is, I'll enter you into Jaffa's mystery draw to win an a few bookish treats.

*

Only Jaffa knows what they are......

****Don't forget to leave me a contact email so I can get in touch should you win!****



UK only


Winners will be selected and notified by email in early January
Good Luck


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Review ~ Miss Carter's War by Sheila Hancock

Bloomsbury
October 2014

When Marguerite Carter returns to England after her time as a SOE in France during WW2, she needs to make a place for herself and as a gifted teacher she soon finds her niche is in  teaching and inspiring a new generation of children who have been largely neglected during the war years. The story, which is beautifully written, spans over 60 years of Marguerite's life and details her challenges, her hopes for a better future and her constant quest for love.

I loved  the author's easy style of writing and the way the behaviour of her main character was handled with sensitive detail and genuine empathy. The span of years moves effortlessly, and never becomes so bogged down by events that you forget where you are meant to be and both time and place is handled with great charm. My favourite parts of the novel were the small snippets which alluded to Marguerite's war, and I hoped that we would get a fuller picture of what had happened to her as the book progressed.

I was sorry when the story ended, but feel that the author wrapped up the story really well. Overall Miss Carter's War was a joy to read, and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. 

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Jo Barton's Itty Bitty Christmas ....

Welcome to my Itty Bitty Christmas 

In the run up to Christmas, I have lovely author interviews and giveaways to help get you into the festive spirit.

Do come and visit us and have some festive fun.

What’s your earliest Christmas Memory?

I remember Christmas 1963, when I received my longed for Sindy Doll. She was the one wearing blue jeans and a stripey top. My dad made a doll’s wardrobe and my mum had put a couple of Sindy outfits in it. I think one of the outfits came with a little dog !

I also remember the same Christmas; my brothers got a Beatles LP –With the Beatles and the songs  All my Lovin' and Please Mister Postman remind me of that Christmas.

Do you have any special Christmas Traditions?

I always have a nativity crib with figures that have been in the family for well over 60 years.

Baby Jesus never goes into the crib until he is born on Christmas Day

I have the three kings traversing around the house for the whole of December until Epiphany when they reach the nativity. You never know where the kings will show up.....

What’s your favourite festive carol or song?

Silent Night - preferably sung in the original German. I remember listening to someone sing Stille Nacht, heilige nacht one Christmas morning in the Hospice where I was on duty and it was magical.

Adeste Fidelis sung in Latin– which reminds me of midnight mass spent with my parents.

And John Lennon’s Happy Xmas ( War is Over ) which reminds me of a school Christmas in 1971.

Do you have a favourite festive film?

The Snowman and It’s a Wonderful Life are my absolute favourites.

What’s your favourite festive read ?

T’was the Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol

Are you organised or do you leave everything until the last minute ?

Mainly organised, although I can keep shopping until the very last minute !
 I do try to get Christmas cards written early and tend to buy Christmas presents as I see them from about October time.

Christmas Tree – real or artificial?

A good artificial tree works for us. Having always had cats who like to swing off glittery baubles and having had more than one tree pulled over by a curious cat, it’s easier to have something that’s not going to shed needles everywhere should it topple over !

Tinsel or Glitter?

 Tinsel rather than glitter but I really prefer stranded beads  or ribbons on the tree which I think look pretty.

Gingerbread Latte or Orange spiced Hot Chocolate?

I love gingerbread so I think this would be my indulgent treat !

Mince Pie or Yule Log?

A little bit of both works for us. Warm mince pie and a dollop of cream for me but it’s always Yule log for the family and we have to test several recipes before we get to the one  that’s chosen for the ‘big’ day.

Christmas Dinner – Traditional Turkey or something Different?

Always traditional turkey, sourced locally and cooked to perfection by my husband.

Christmas Tipple – Bucks Fizz/Mulled Wine or something stronger?

In the morning it's always got to be Buck’s Fizz during present opening.
 I'm not a great fan of mulled wine - it always tastes too medicinal.

A fun game of after dinner charades or more chocolates and the television?

It's got to be chocolates , a good book or Downton Abbey on the television.

Enter my Christmas giveaway to win a paperback copy

 of



UK only
Winners will be selected and notified by email in early January
Good Luck.

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Please use the comment box below to tell us your earliest Christmas memory.

Jaffa and I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

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