Thursday 30 April 2015

HarperImpulse Author Spotlight - Angel Nicholas

Today's HarperImpulse author spotlight for #HIFortnight is with Angel Nicholas and her novel, Sweet Deception.

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBD-MOaUkmg


Book Blurb

Ally Thompson's life is perfect. Calm, quiet, some might even say boring. The sole survivor of a tragic accident, she's not the adventurous type--something she's decided to change.

​One roller coaster ride...
​A murder and a detective in disguise shatter Ally's first attempt at "fun." Detective Greg Marsing is everything Ally knows better than to want. The gun-totting scumbags trying to kill her are almost a welcome distraction from her pointless attraction.

Blows her world wide open.
​A contract on Ally has every lowlife for miles gunning for her. Sparks fly while she and her unlikely hero scramble to unravel clues. As the deadly game escalates, Greg has to decide if self-preservation rates higher than a love worth dying for.

Purchase Links!

Amazon US ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Amazon UK ~ Kobo ~ iTunes ~ Google play

Read Chapter One of Sweet Deception here!


Bio

The only girl in the midst of four brothers, Angel Nicholas spent her childhood hiding behind romance novels. No wonder she adores difficult, irresistible heroes. Toss in dry witticisms, a mix of characters you hope never darken your door--alongside a few you'd happily make your BFF. Add a pinch of naughty bits, shake while dancing about in your unmentionables, serve with a wicked grin, and you have an Angel Nicholas romantic suspense.

Now the mother of four energetic children, three sassy kitties and one slobber-flinging Great Dane, writing is her refuge. Excessive caffeine fuels her typing and stiletto heels maintain her sass. When she isn't torturing her characters, Angel can be found in the nearest Starbucks, shoe store, or playing with her darling munchkins and assorted pets.

Find Angel online!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAngelNicholas/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AngelNicholas/
Google+: google.com/+AngelNicholas/
Angel's Website: http://www.angelnicholas.com/

Wednesday 29 April 2015

HarperImpulse Author Spotlight - Sun Chara


Today, as part of the #HIFortnight, I am spotlighting HarperImpulse author, Sun Chara and her book Manhattan Millionaire’s Cinderella – a sexy, hip ’n fun contemporary romance.

Take a look at her fabulous book trailer - http://youtu.be/A0OmfoWNCdo

Purchase: Amazon US http://amzn.to/1ud1LL5

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1sUGsZd

Amazon worldwide & all other e-retailers

*Now available in paperback http://amzn.to/XLsjoy

*Buy direct from publisher harpercollins.co.uk http://bit.ly/Z8QJK6


Book Blurb:

Will their wedding night be a one-night stand or a merger for keeps?

Global real estate mogul, Cade Sloan should've listened to his own advice: trust no one, and never a woman…especially not his 24 hour bride gone AWOL with his millions. Nina, mousy secretary turned sexy vixen, will repay every penny with interest…

When Cade gears up for a takeover, there's sweet hell to pay. Nina owes him a wedding night and he’s hell bent on collecting… his way, his time, his pleasure.

Author Bio:

Sun Chara, a multi-published, JABBIC winner Manhattan Millionaire's Cinderella, keys sexy, hip 'n fun contemporary romance, high adventure historical romance, and any genre that knocks at her imagination. Globetrotting for lore while keeping tabs on Hollywood leads...she loves the challenge of creating stories for book and screen. Designer frappuccinos with whipping cream and sprinkles on top make everyday a celebration! - See more at:
http://www.harperimpulseromance.com/authors?title=s#sthash.JoJ6VbfL.dpuf
https://www.facebook.com/suncharaauthorpage

Twitter: @sunchara3














Tuesday 28 April 2015

HarperImpulse Fortnight Has Begun!

I'm a bit late to the party, but HarperImpulse fortnight started yesterday, and as the clue is in the title, it is running for a fortnight - that's two whole weeks! Lots of bloggers and HarperImpulse authors are getting involved.

You'll find me over on IHeartChickLit this week where I'm giving away a paperback copy of One Fine Day. 

And then I'm on Comet Babe's Books blog the 6th May.

If you're on Twitter, follow the hashtag #HIFortnight

Kate Beeden has been the general organiser of this fortnight, and you can follow her blog Books With Bunny daily.

So if you want to win some awesome books, and read about us fabulous HarperImpulse authors follow #HIFortnight!

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Cinderella - Every Girl's Dream

Today I watched Cinderella with one of my best friends. We like to go to the cinema when the kids have gone back to school and we get the whole theatre to ourselves. (Actually, we had to share it with a couple of others today - pfft!) The film left us with that feel good factor afterwards.

Since learning the release of this film I've wanted to see it. Cinderella is my favourite fairytale. What girl doesn't dream of meeting her Prince Charming? Or having a Fairy Godmother?

The film is enchanting, funny, emotional, and beautiful. Cate Blanchett plays the evil stepmother so well. And Helena Bona Carter is our quirky, magical Fairy Godmother, who we all wish we did have. I mean one wave of her wand and you get a fantastic dress and comfy to-die-for shoes. And our tears swept away.

What I loved most about this film, apart from Lily James playing Cinderella, is that they stuck to the storyline, they didn't mess with the fairytale. The animation had been produced to film, if that makes sense. We know the ending, we know all the details to Cinderella, and it was all in there. And it didn't matter there were no twists, because it was magical to watch.

There's a lovely moral to this story too. Cinderella doesn't know Kit is the prince, and the prince falls in love with Cinderella knowing she is not really a princess. He accepts her for he knows her heart is good. He sees her beauty from within. The materialistic things are unimportant. Isn't this what every girl wants? A man to love her for her?

If you haven't watched it yet... go! And take your daughters!



"Have courage and be kind." 

A little something I'm taking away with me from Cinderella. 

Wednesday 8 April 2015

New Chapter, New Mantra...

Always look for positives in situations.
My friend posted the link below on my Facebook profile. (I then shared it to my page.)

15 things you should stop putting yourself through

I tend to put myself through the mill when bad things happen to me i.e. relationship break ups. I really give myself a hard time.

I have to reassure myself I am not a bad person, I am reasonable and understanding, that my flaws (actually another friend has told me not to call them that) - quirks are quite normal. Everyone has them. No one is perfect.

Some human beings are better than others. Some are diabolical. I am not one of those human beings.

Me, I need to stop doubting myself. I need to listen to my inner voice. And I do need to stop dwelling on the past... but that's quite hard because I think that's in me, my make-up. But I do let go eventually... time will help me.

Oh, and the most important one of all in the above link. Point 11 - STOP WORRYING!

I am a born worrier! (It's one of my quirks!)

Anyway, with April here, and the heart break lessening... although far from gone. (Still wake up every day thinking of him. The other day I was missing him so bad, wondering what we'd be doing together in the sunshine... Today, I missed that I couldn't text him and tell him what the boys and I were up to. I still cry when I tell myself I should no longer. I really am grieving the loss of a relationship.)

So if you need to start the day on a positive note, and need to rebuild your self-esteem and self-worth... read the above blog - all 15 points. And bookmark it.

I'm putting dates in my diary, making time for friends, making time for me. I need to get my third book written; the past 5 weeks have been disastrous with my lack of focus.

I'm trying to focus. I'm trying to be more positive... Because the more positive I look at life, the more someone is going find me attractive and want to be apart of my life - for good. This is my hope, and aim.

I have learnt that the next relationship I enter I will make them make promises to me. I know nothing is forever, I've certainly learnt this recently. However, they can promise to work at the relationship and not give up on it.

In the meantime, I'm going to get used to being single and buy myself flowers.

Sunday 5 April 2015

A Date With Dad

Today, Easter Sunday, I had a date with my dad.

I think secretly he likes that I am single again, because he has his daughter back all to himself. (Not that he would actually admit it.)

If I win the lottery, I have to buy this for Dad.
There was a classic car meet up over this weekend, and today Dad took his truck along. He'd gone along yesterday and seen a similar truck, and the owner had convinced him to bring his along today. I drove down too, and left my car parked up the other end of town so that we didn't have to stay in town all day - I had stuff to do! Fence panels to paint! And writing... which I'll do some more in a minute.

My dad has always had cars. Cars that he's cleaned up to sell, and cars to drive for pleasure. I've even had to give him a lift to collect these cars from time to time - that's the reason he was keen for me to pass my test at 17!

And with these cars, we've often gone along to similar things like today, classic American car shows etc. It's been more me, than my brother, actually. We used to go to the Guildford cruise, Chelsea cruise... even drove the London to Brighton Mini Run a couple of years on the trot - in (original) Minis of course.

We went for a long walk and had a coffee. Then, we came home, had lunch and he helped me paint my fence panels in the garden before I dropped him back off in town to collect his truck. What a dad! We got all of them done, except one, which I'll try to do tomorrow afternoon.

I've come to realise the reason I may be hard work for some men is that my dad has probably spoilt me. Not in buying me everything I've wanted type spoilt. If I've asked him to help me, he usually has, and he usually does it pretty quickly too. I don't have to wait years for something to get fixed. In fact, now I'm in my own house, he'll usually come over while I'm at work and attend my garden, or put up the shelf I wanted etc. It is done.
And that's my dad, he just didn't realise he was in this one!

My dad is reliable. He's a hard act to follow. And my partners - unknowingly - have a hard time keeping up with his pace, especially when they let me down.

I really don't know where I'd be without my dad sometimes. x x x



As you can see I've attached some photos of the cars we saw today. Some of Dad's favourites.

Dad's truck, in the sunshine. 



Wednesday 1 April 2015

Hello April


Goodbye, March, and HELLO, April!

Thank goodness, because it's been a difficult month. I've done hardly any writing... I haven't been able to focus. Maybe I'll look back this time next year and think what the hell was all the fuss about? I've actually torn off the month from my calendar and put it in the memory jar for this purpose. Usually I bin them.

This doesn't mean anything is easier. Even now, one month on, I keep remembering and reliving all the happy moments, which make my heart skip and gives me butterflies, and then I'm consumed with sadness because I'll never have those moments with him again...

I think about the last night we slept together and cuddled, the last time we made love... and not realising it was the last time. Would I have done things differently?

I have moments where my heart aches. I stop mid-track in whatever I'm doing and think about him. I still miss him. I'm not sure when that feeling is going to go away. Even the boys miss him...

I think what confuses me the most is how one day everything appeared perfectly fine, and the next day it all went terribly wrong. I feel deceived, duped... I look back and wonder when our relationship became a lie. When did I stop being right for him?

The last time this happened to me was twenty years ago, with my second boyfriend. We had five intense months together and then he turned his love off like a tap - he was cheating on me.

I know with time these feelings will ease, and when eventually (I realise this may take some time!) I find another man (I just hope I don't have to go through too many broken hearts to find him) this will all be a long distant memory... and I'll be able to smile at the good times again, or I won't care about them, because I'll be creating even happier moments.

Found this on my pc and thought I'd share ha ha!
For the last few weeks I've believed his depression was the reason he'd pushed me away... because he would tell me he still loved me... Therefore, I thought when he's well again he'll want me back in his life. And so I have wanted to do the right thing by standing by him. That was my hope, even if it was a glimmer. However, really those little faults of mine are the reason he's ended the relationship and that he no longer sees me in his future.

I was not right for him - and that's all he had to tell me one month ago. Not hide behind his illness.

At least I can say I tried. I proved how much I can love, how much I'm prepared to make a relationship work. Now I need to remember the good times and not blame myself. I mustn't listen to my demons, the ones that whisper maybe I'd pushed him away, or I wasn't doing something I should have been doing for him - all those fears and insecurities that creep in and worry me...

I can't keep going round in circles (but I do), trying to work out where it went wrong. I need to draw a line under it and move on. At the end of the day, what I did or didn't do doesn't matter... he just didn't love me enough.


Women love far deeper than men realise.