Sunsets and Happy Ever Afters

Exciting news alert! I can now confirm that Sunsets and Happy Ever Afters, the third book in my Kittiwake Cove series, is available to pre-order and will be out Friday 8th July! 

I am also have a publication day party! The invitation is here over on Facebook! All friends welcome! 

We will be having drinks and nibbles from 7pm until the sun sets! (So fingers crossed for sunshine.) 

Here's the blurb to Sunsets and Happy Ever Afters: 

Will Maya ever find the right man for her…?

Having recently gone through a painful divorce, Maya Rosevear has been concentrating on running her mobile beauty business and raising her two young children. Now ready to meet someone new, she decides to give online dating a try.

As she juggles her responsibilities with her love-life, Maya keeps crossing paths with Sam Trescott, the father of her daughter’s best friend. Despite initially getting off on the wrong foot, the two bond over their children and form a tentative friendship.

As a widower, Sam understands what it is like to be lonely. Watching Maya launch herself back into the dating world, he questions whether he is also ready to pursue a new relationship.

Seemingly unable to meet the right man, Maya takes solace in Sam’s companionship more and more. And as they grow closer, both begin to wonder whether they have finally found what they’re looking for…

Can Maya and Sam help each other heal? Will they have a second chance at love?

Or will their painful pasts come back to haunt them…?

PRE-ORDER NOW!

Happy Birthday, Kieran!

January 2022

And so Kieran turns 15. And today marks 2 years of going into full lockdown. 

Today has been spent not in school because 2 years on, Covid still affects our lives. He's had to stay home for two days of home-schooling due to a shortage of teachers. At least he did manage to go into school last year, even though we were still in a lockdown. 

He hasn't minded it today. He has done some school work but the sun has been shining so he's been out with his friends playing football. 

A couple of years ago with Rio!

Although a bit grumpy at times - that's the teenager in him - Kieran is my most organised child, and much much tidier than his brother. He's also quite thoughtful, buying gifts for either me or his dad when he goes away on holiday and things like that. 

He also forgets himself sometimes, and has a cuddle, to soon realise he's (now) 15 and shouldn't be cuddling his mum - ha ha! But I do love our sofa time. (Currently watching Superstore which we're finding hilarious.) 

Love my boys. So much. 

We have pizza for tea planned, plus his favourite cake; cinnamon Nutella cake. 

The birthday cake! 

My Book and Wine Club - update!

 

I held my first book club with See No Bounds last Thursday and it was such great fun. 

I wanted to keep it quite flexible and just be a discussion on what books we were reading, whether they be self-development, business development, general non-fiction or fiction.

As a writer, I've always struggled to read the set book for a book club, so I wanted this to be a relaxed discussion about books generally. And it worked! An hour wasn't long enough. 

Also an interesting thing came out of the discussion. And it relates to the passage that is in The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. (Great book by the way!)

Phin is basically saying there's no such thing as bad books; that if you didn't like a book, it's not that it's bad, but that book weren't for you. 

I wholeheartedly agree with him! (And wonder if this be the point of view of Lisa Jewell too!)

And this topic was highlighted perfectly in my book club. Where I love Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings, a couple of the book club members don't. And it's not that they are bad books, it just proves that they are not to everyone's taste. 

I will be hosting another book club. I just haven't set a date yet, but it's likely to be mid-April some time. (It's going to be tricky with Easter in the way.) You'll be able to register via the See No Bounds website. The event is free and online so it doesn't matter where you are. We'll probably stick to a Thursday (although I'm toying with the idea of it being a Friday) but with the amended time of 7.30pm. 

So watch this space! 

No More Working Saturdays!

Friday evening, it felt strangely weird locking up the Post Office for the last time, and walking out of the store... if not a little scary.

I've worked for Tesco for over 16 years, the last 8 of which were in the Post Office.

I started back in 2005 when Ben was only 6 months old (he's now 17!) as it fitted around my new 'mum' life.

16 years is a long time. You get set in your ways, your routine.

I'm not sure I will miss the job (or the company) per se, I've had real ups and downs, but I will miss working with some colleagues who have now become my friends. (So it's not really goodbye to them!)

Time to move on to pastures new, the next chapter...

I'm still writing, and still helping people save money on their bills and/or realise their own dreams, but after a couple of weeks off, I will be joining North Somerset Council part-time. Eek!

No more working Saturdays! Yay!

I wrote a goal to find a new job by 31st March 2022 and I only went and done it!

Hello 2022

It's a good job I haven't put blog more as one of my goals for 2022 because I think I would epically fail. 

However, I have some FAB news and I want to share on my blog (although I know I do have a newsletter that needs writing too!)

I'm not very good at setting New Year Resolutions. I am sure I've told you this before. However, with my new network marketing side show, I am encouraged to set goals, and to write them down and visualize them, as well as say affirmations. I've even recently done a positive coaching session with Liz Doyle who calls them intentions rather than goals. 

So among some business goals/intentions for 2022, I wrote on a post-it note as well as on my little white board to find a new job by 31st March 2022. (I wanted to change my job back in 2020 and then became a key-worker, remember?)

Well, peeps, I've only gone and done just that! 

2022 has started off superbly with Mistletoe At The Manor selling well and remaining a Best Seller for over 2 months (more on that in my newsletter.) But now I also have a fresh start! 

I have only four more shifts at the Post Office and then I'm having a couple of weeks off before I start my new job! It's more hours, and I will be working in Corporate Services for my local council. It'll include some home working too once I am fully trained. 

I will still have time to write (more on that another day) and time to work my home-based business. 

The great thing is no more working Saturdays and no more Christmases in the Post Office! 

So I am now fully onboard with this visualising your goals business because the Universe WILL provide. 

Write them down, make them visible and say those affirmations every morning! You can do this!