Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 August 2025

Fancy The Perfect Poolside Read...

So we're in August already, how the hell has that happened? And we're on that slippery slope aren't we? 

We're going to have people getting excited about the C word... (Christmas) but I'm getting excited about another C word - Cyprus! 

Yes, my friend and I have booked a holiday away. No kids. Just us and cocktails in Cyprus. I AM SO EXCITED! 

Of course I'll take a notebook, as you never know where inspiration may strike. 

Today I even bought a floppy sun hat! 

If you're going on your holidays soon, my books are the perfect poolside read. I write warm, uplifting and fun romances. And currently, One Fine Day is only 99p! 

(All of my books are available in Kindle Unlimited too.) 

One Fine Day is a romantic tale of love, loss and Clark Kent disguises as Steve Mason sheds the trappings of his success and enlists his beloved sister Ruby to find him The One.




Holiday tip: Always pack the Kindle for holiday, then you literally can not run out of books! 

Tell me what you're reading! 





Monday, 11 January 2021

Latest Newsletter is out...


If you haven't subscribed already, here's my latest newsletter.

And in other news, I've just seen that One Fine Day is available in Kindle Unlimited! Download here!

Below is the blurb! While we're in lockdown 3, I recommend that you stay home and curl up with a good book on the sofa. 



Just a boy standing in front of a girl…

Actor Steve Mason has it all … gorgeous looks, the perfect starlet girlfriend hanging on his arm and his name on every Hollywood producer’s lips. That is, until it turns out the ‘perfect girl’ is actually a perfect PR stunt! Dumped and with his name plastered across every tabloid headline, Steve decides to head home to England, questioning if he’ll ever find a woman who genuinely loves him for who he is, and not just his place on the Sexiest Man Alive list.

It’s been fifteen long years since Ruby last saw her big brother – but the new LA version of Steve complete with designer wardrobe, California tan and an American accent is too much to bear – Ruby hardly recognises him and decides it’s time to get her brother back!

With Ruby’s help, Steve goes undercover as he plays the part of a regular guy who leads a regular life. And then one perfectly fine, ordinary day he meets lovely, funny, down-to-earth Lydia. But when Hollywood comes calling, will Steve be able to leave both Lydia and his little sister behind?

Thursday, 5 November 2020

Lockdown2

Lockdown 2 isn't going to make a lot of difference to me really, except some cancellations of social events in my diary. (Boo!)

As a keyworker, I still have to go to work work. The boys are going to school (phew!) - except my nearly-16 year old who got sent home yesterday as his whole year have to self-isolate for 2 weeks. 

I'm going to take this opportunity to try to save money, and not keep looking online to shop! Although the odd takeaway would help the restaurant industry... wouldn't it?

I'm going to try not to get stressed (again) but the Covidiots that don't understand the term "Essential only" and selfishly do what's essential to them do get to me. 

Christmas is coming, and working in a Post Office is pretty full on from November, once the Christmas stamps are released, under normal circumstances. So if Easter was anything to go by, me not getting stressed is going to be a toughy. But I will try my best. 

I do exercise every morning, and I think I need to get out and walk more by scheduling those in my diary. It's amazing that if I stay home all day writing and working, the lack of steps I do! 

It is only four weeks, and it's really not as tight as before, when you think the kids can still remain in schools etc. So just be sensible, use your common sense, and stick to the rules. 

By all means take a socially distanced walk. But don't end up in a retail shop every day. Limit those to once a week! The keyworkers that have to stay working get put under enormous amounts of stress, just due to the stupidity of some of the general public. 

Think: Is it essential that I pop in that shop? Or is it just essential to me?

***

If you're looking for some reading material, One Fine Day is only £2.49 on Amazon Kindle in the UK.

http://amzn.to/1p1xhdC

Just a boy standing in front of a girl…


Actor Steve Mason has it all … gorgeous looks, the perfect starlet girlfriend hanging on his arm and his name on every Hollywood producer’s lips. That is, until it turns out the ‘perfect girl’ is actually a perfect PR stunt! Dumped and with his name plastered across every tabloid headline, Steve decides to head home to England, questioning if he’ll ever find a woman who genuinely loves him for who he is, and not just his place on the Sexiest Man Alive list.

It’s been fifteen long years since Ruby last saw her big brother – but the new LA version of Steve complete with designer wardrobe, California tan and an American accent is too much to bear – Ruby hardly recognises him and decides it’s time to get her brother back!

With Ruby’s help, Steve goes undercover as he plays the part of a regular guy who leads a regular life. And then one perfectly fine, ordinary day he meets lovely, funny, down-to-earth Lydia. But when Hollywood comes calling, will Steve be able to leave both Lydia and his little sister behind?



Wednesday, 13 May 2020

One Fine Day Too


As you may know, I'm in the middle of reading my own book One Fine Day. You may think this is a bit bonkers. Maybe it is. However, it's been such a long time since I wrote the book, let alone then got it published in 2015, that I wanted to rediscover the characters again.

I've been begged into writing Ruby's story so many times, and I've actually now come up with an idea.

If you haven't read it, Steve Mason is a Hollywood actor trying to find true love. But how will he know if the woman loves him for him, or for his Hollywood hunk status - and money!?

When he returns to Bristol with his love life in tatters, his little sister Ruby, who's not so little anymore, and much bossier than he remembered, helps him don a disguise in the hope to find his Mrs. Right.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book as I got to throw in lots of superhero references in, especially when it came to my favourite: Superman. No one guessed Clark Kent was Superman, right? So can Steve Mason hide behind the disguise of Stuart Fisher?

Anyway, Ruby didn't start out in my mind to be a huge character, but she did. And now she's going to get her story. Well, when I get around to writing it. At the moment I'm just gently chipping away at it as I do need to concentrate on my Kittiwake Cove series.

Have you read One Fine Day? Would you like to see Ruby's story? Callum and Alice are definitely going to feature, but I don't want Steve stealing the limelight so he may have brief mentions... besides, he's busy off filming his latest blockbuster!

Wednesday, 8 April 2020

How To Travel Without Leaving Home

In my latest newsletter (I hope that link works!) I said I was going to blog about some book recommendations. So here is the blog post!

As we're all stuck indoors for the foreseeable future, with holidays cancelled, I thought I'd recommend some of my favourite books and authors so that you could travel without leaving home.

We've been incredibly lucky for this lockdown so far, with the weather being very fair to us. It's almost as if Mother Nature knew, chucked as much rain at us as possible, and now is giving us a breather because she knows how much we need our gardens (if we're lucky enough to have one).

So grab your kindle or ereader, because downloading ebooks currently is the quickest way to get a book delivered, and there's no fear of any contamination and catching the virus.

Firstly, you could escape to Italy with Sue Moorcroft's One Summer In Italy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It made me want to drink cold, crisp glasses of white wine while I read it too.

Or you could travel to Greece with Mandy Baggot's My Greek Island Summer.  This is Mandy's latest novel, so I haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it will be just as wonderful as her other books. And I just know Greece is her favourite place to be!

If you don't fancy going so far afield, and Cornwall is your thing, Meet Me At Wisteria Cottage turned three recently! It'll give you sun, sea and surf, and a dashing hero in the name of Harry Tudor.

Then, there's Fay Keenan's latest novel, The Weekender, which is set in rural Somerset. This book will allow you soak up the Mendips whilst sipping your favourite cider!

These should do you for now. And the best thing about all of these books - they are ALL are available in Kindle Unlimited!

I'll think of some more favourites and will post them in another blog post.

Romance offers great, uplifting escapism, which we all need right now on our need to social distance.

Stay home, stay safe, everyone. And keep reading!

Teresa x x x


p.s. I have given links to Amazon UK. However, please *search* the relevant author if you wish to purchase via other means. And if you love their book, please remember to leave them a review. They would love to hear from you.

Thursday, 5 March 2020

World Book Day 2020



Happy World Book Day!

What are you reading? And where do you love reading? Bath, beach, by the pool or on the train to work? Or last thing at night, tucked up in bed? 

Or, what are you writing? 

Without authors there would not be books! We provide escapism, other worlds to explore, other lives to live. We enable adventures, reveal secrets, create suspense, and characters to fall in love with. We can even help shed a tear - of laughter or sadness. We evoke emotions.

Do you remember the first book that made you cry? 

Do you remember the first book that made you laugh out loud - in public? 

If you're fed up with this rain - will it ever stop? Should we build a boat? - and looking for a summery read, both Plus One is a Lucky Number and Meet Me At Wisteria Cottage are available in Kindle Unlimited. Just saying. 

Happy reading and/or writing! 


Monday, 3 June 2019

Kindle Monthly Deal!

Meet Me At Wisteria Cottage has made it into Amazon's Kindle Monthly Deal



And yes I'm using a lot of exclamation marks! I'm excited! I have something to shout about!

Go on, give me a read! What have you got to lose? Only 99p....



'A striking example of two pasts threatening a joint future…A great read' Sue Moorcroft, bestselling author of Just for the Holidays

‘Warm, funny…a wonderful read’ International bestselling author Nicola Cornick

A Cornish Escape

After her house is set on fire and her love life is left in tatters, Maddy Hart can’t believe her luck when a friend offers her the temporary haven of Wisteria Cottage. Overlooking the turquoise blue waters of the Cornish coast, the fresh air feels like a fresh start for her and her broken heart.

Peeking out of the cosy cottage windows, Maddy’s surprised to see her gorgeous but insufferable neighbour Harry Tudor has been employed to landscape the garden. But as the wisteria winding its way around the cottage begins to bloom, an unlikely friendship starts to blossom…

Thursday, 24 January 2019

Looking For Book-Bubers

(From Bristol that would be Book-babbers ha ha!)

There is always something that needs doing as mum, house owner, writer... 

Now I'm in need of BookBub followers. This is the new thing and publishers are looking for their authors to gather followers. BookBub is another platform to buy books through. You can find the book and then decide where you wish to buy it, whether it be Amazon, iTunes, Google, Kobo etc.

At some point, I will sit down and work out how to get a button on my website and blog, to lead my readers to BookBub. But the problem is, this will probably take up valuable writing time. And as I feel as if I've sat at my desk long enough today, it will have to land on the ever growing To-Do list.

So, anyway, for now, if you would all kindly follow me on BookBub I would be eternally grateful.

Clear HERE to follow me on BookBub.

Sunday, 29 October 2017

News For US Readers! All 3 books are $0.99

US readers! All three of my books are currently $0.99 on Amazon Kindle! (or do you write it 99 cents?) 



Such exciting news! I'm not sure how long this offer will last so grab your bargain now, and escape into the English countryside, with feel good stories and adorable, handsome heroes! 

My debut novel, set mainly in Cornwall and my introduction to Tinners Bay:

Plus One is a Lucky Number


Sophie needs a favour, a wedding favour...

Sophie’s going to a wedding where the invite is strictly plus one… but with her single girl status not exactly fitting in with the bridesmaid dress code, and the best man being none other than the ex she would rather forget, Sophie needs a favour and she needs it fast!

Luckily for Sophie, her dreamy but distant co-worker Adam Reid owes their mutual friend James big time…and his gorgeousness more than fills the role of the ‘Perfect Boyfriend’!

As they take off to the sunny shores of Cornwall for the wedding weekend, it’s not long before pretence leads to passion and Sophie and Adam must decide; is their relationship real or is it all for show?

Plus One is a A Lucky Number Amazon.com link: http://amzn.to/1dPRM72


My second novel is set in Bristol, the city near where a live...

One Fine Day 


Just a boy standing in front of a girl…

Actor Steve Mason has it all … gorgeous looks, the perfect starlet girlfriend hanging on his arm and his name on every Hollywood producer’s lips. That is, until it turns out the ‘perfect girl’ is actually a perfect PR stunt! Dumped and with his name plastered across every tabloid headline, Steve decides to head home to England, questioning if he’ll ever find a woman who genuinely loves him for who he is, and not just his place on the Sexiest Man Alive list.

It’s been fifteen long years since Ruby last saw her big brother – but the new LA version of Steve complete with designer wardrobe, California tan and an American accent is too much to bear – Ruby hardly recognises him and decides it’s time to get her brother back!

With Ruby’s help, Steve goes undercover as he plays the part of a regular guy who leads a regular life. And then one perfectly fine, ordinary day he meets lovely, funny, down-to-earth Lydia. But when Hollywood comes calling, will Steve be able to leave both Lydia and his little sister behind?

One Fine Day Amazon.com buy link: http://amzn.to/1xQ1JIx


And my latest novel, returning to Tinners Bay...

Meet Me At Wisteria Cottage 


A Cornish Escape

After her house is set on fire and her love life is left in tatters, Maddy Hart can’t believe her luck when a friend offers her the temporary haven of Wisteria Cottage. Overlooking the turquoise blue waters of the Cornish coast, the fresh air feels like a fresh start for her and her broken heart.

Peeking out of the cosy cottage windows, Maddy’s surprised to see her gorgeous but insufferable neighbour Harry Tudor has been employed to landscape the garden. But as the wisteria winding its way around the cottage begins to bloom, an unlikely friendship starts to blossom…

Meet Me At Wisteria Cottage Amazon.com buy link: http://amzn.to/2jZ6CO7

Enjoy! And remember to leave a review if you enjoyed my books! Thank you x x x 

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Introducing Steel Hawk...

Introducing STEEL HAWK – a company of alpha-honorable heroes and spirited and strong heroines…

Heart-pounding romantic suspense set in a world of high-tech security, feuding royals, and missing diamonds. Strap in for sizzling chemistry and fast-paced, thrilling action all the way!

It all starts with an historical romantic suspense set in the birthplace of great engineering and design, The Great Exhibition, London, 1851:



Blurb: To Love a Thief, Steel Hawk, Book 1, by Jane Beckenham BUY LINK: AMAZON

It's one thing to lose your heart. Quite another to have it stolen.

Years ago, notorious jewel thief “The Raven” vanished into the shadows. In 1851, Nathan Hawk emerges into a life of respectability, determined to make up for past sins.

He and his business partner are introducing a lock they’re so sure can’t be broken, they’re displaying a priceless diamond, the Pasha Star, at the Great Exhibition. It’s bad enough catching a light-fingered young man trying to steal the stone. Worse when he realizes it’s the daughter of his old mentor.

Rose Valetta’s father has been kidnapped, and she needs the Star to buy his freedom. She never expected to come nose-to-nose with Nathan. Their reunion is fraught with tension, especially when they discover the diamond in Nathan’s impregnable case is not the Pasha Star.

With Nathan’s reputation in tatters, they race to find the real stone before it’s too late for Rose’s father. Too late to save the empire from a usurper. And too late to keep from losing their hearts.

Product Warnings

Contains a woman who dreams of a world with a level playing field, and an ex-thief who can run from his past but can’t hide from it.

And moves to present-day: Steel Hawk has prospered for 150 years, securing some of the world’s most treasured possessions. But now a secret from the past threatens to destroy the company and a new generation must take up the fight.



Blurb: Heart of Steel, Steel Hawk, Book 2, by Eve Devon BUY LINK: AMAZON

Colleague, friend, lover…beautiful liar?

Adam Steel is in crisis mode. A recent exposé claims a founder of Steel Hawk was actually The Raven, an infamous jewel thief. Amid the ensuing damage control, all eyes are on his ability to develop a prototype to secure and protect the royal Pasha Star diamond.

He’s further blindsided when he learns his assistant, Honeysuckle Hawk, has a sordid past he never knew about. Proving he never really knew her, never should have trusted her, and definitely shouldn’t start falling for her.

With her dirty laundry flapping in the media storm, Honeysuckle’s first instinct is to run. Two things make her stay: Adam’s insistence it’s better to show the world a united front, and her heart’s insistence by his side is where she belongs.

High stakes and long hours ignite passion…until the diamond is stolen and Adam’s own prototype shows Honeysuckle is a thief. Dare he trust her to help him expose the real criminal—before the mastermind wreaks havoc on the royal family?

Product Warnings

Contains an über-hot, alpha-geek who’s good with his hands, a sassy reformed-rebel determined to prove she’s not a flake, romantic castles, gorgeous jewels, sleek and sexy technology, heart-pounding suspense…oh, and nipple tassels!


But with the battle only half-won, STEEL HAWK is about to learn that trust has a price…



Blurb: Dangerous Illusions, Steel Hawk, Book 3, by Sarah Balance – publishing August

Keep your lovers close, your enemies closer. Especially if they’re one and the same.

With Steel Hawk still reeling from explosions at Zarrenburg Castle and at its own headquarters, company lawyer Edward Long’s legendary stoicism has been severely tested. It’s clearly an inside job, and no one is deeper inside than Edward—which leaves him squarely in the center of a frame.

Someone is using him to bring down the company he loves. Worse, the PI that Adam Hawk sends to investigate…there’s something off about her. And something that seriously turns him on.

Operating under an assumed name, Sophie Hawk aims to dig deeper into the company’s systems than any other investigator would dare. Especially with the prime suspect’s hot-chocolate gaze tracking her every move.

As their dueling intellects strike sparks, the rising heat threatens the trip wires Edward has set up around his heart—and the secret that ties him to a man who’ll stop at nothing to claim his right to rule the house of Zarrenburg. Or, if he can’t have it, destroy it—and everyone connected to it.

Product Warnings

Contains agonizingly sweet kisses, dirty thoughts, dirtier talk, mutual trust stretched to the limit, and criminal abuse of a thousand-dollar suit jacket.


About the STEEL HAWK Authors:

Take three authors from three different corners of the world…

Jane Beckenham writes historical and contemporary romance after falling for stories about love and hope. Inspired by happy ever afters she found her own true love and together they adopted and raised two daughters. She lives with her family in New Zealand where writing is her addiction – and sure beats housework!

WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER

Eve Devon writes romantic comedy, contemporary fiction and romantic suspense with sexy heroes, sassy heroines, and happily ever afters… She lives in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with her very own sexy-hero husband!

WEBSITE TWITTER FACEBOOK

Sarah Ballance lives on the US mid-Atlantic coast with her husband and children. She writes in many genres and loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children!

WEBSITE FACEBOOK TWITTER

So if you love historical romance or contemporary romance, steam-punk elements, inventors, royalty, diamonds, bad-boys, alpha-geeks, co-workers-to-lovers, revenge, and psychological suspense with your mystery; then immerse yourself in the world of STEEL HAWK… and let the seduction begin.

STEEL HAWK – strong as Steel, watchful as a Hawk





Wednesday, 6 January 2016

I Should Have Deduced Sherlock At Tyntesfield

Before Christmas, but during the holidays, I took the boys and my dad to Tyntesfield as a trip out, making the most of our National Trust membership. We'd gone in the afternoon, as it's only up the road from us, and sadly the house tickets were all sold out, so we did the Sherlock Holmes trail which was around the grounds of the house.

At the time I thought it a bit odd to be doing a Sherlock Holmes trail at Tyntesfield, but then thinking of the era of Sherlock Holmes and the age of the house, it was probably quite fitting. The National Trust put things on during the holidays especially for kids, so it probably wasn't all that strange really.



New Years Day, like the majority of the population, I sat in front of my TV watching the much awaited new episode of Sherlock.

I realise now, Tyntesfield were giving us a clue that the house would feature in Sherlock!

I sat there, watching, thinking, I recognise that house. Having been there recently, too, and walking the outside of the house, I spied the shutters down. This is to stop the sunlight from fading and deteriorating the rooms.

In one clip, the same shutters were down. I don't want to give too much away about The Abominable Bride, in case you haven't seen it, but this glorious house does feature for part of the story. What really gave it away for me was at one point Sherlock and Watson were sat in the little aviary which is out the back, near the rose garden. I was like, "It IS Tyntesfield."
Sadly the maze featured in Sherlock is not really at Tyntesfield - which is a shame because I love mazes!

Image borrowed from Sherlock Facebook page. 
The episode is worth a watch. I loved it. Clue: It might help you appreciate it more if you've watched the previous episode about the mind palaces.

Watching this episode has made me pick up my Sherlock Holmes books, and I'm reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes now which is made up of about 12 short stories. :)

UPDATE: So, while I was putting this blog post together, conversations were happening on Twitter (I love the powers of Twitter) and Tyntesfield confirmed there are Sherlock tours at the house :) 

Thursday, 31 December 2015

If You Say You're Going To Do Something, Do It! #2016

I wasn't sure whether to write a blog to reflect on my year. To be honest, with the boys home, watching movies with them so that they go to bed later than the norm, I haven't had a chance.

So this is a quickie!

Last year, like all years, has had its ups and downs. I had a big learning curve in the romance department, but it's done me good, because I am entering 2016 no longer with this dire need for a man. I am learning to be happily single.

In this past year, I've seen my second book come out in eBook and paperback, and I've finished writing my third. I don't like really setting resolutions, more like plans.

My plans are:

I want to continue in my efforts to stay fit and healthy, and remain in my size 10 jeans.

I want to write another book (book 4) and aim to get book 3 published by the end of 2016.

I want to support friends and family where I can, have mini adventures with my kids, and even some on my own.

I want to read to as close of my target books to read in a year (30) as possible.

I want to chip away slowly at the home improvements required in my house. I have said I must spend more time in the garden, and this can be achieved without affecting the writing time, because I am no longer chasing the dream of finding my soul mate. I will not chase men.

I want to be happy, positive and supportive. And to have fun. As I get older I see how quick these years whiz by.

Some of these things I may not have huge amounts of control over. The book being published, relies on a publisher liking it. Some adventures will require money I'll have to save.

My motto or mantra for 2016 will be: If you say you're going to do something, do it! 

I'm looking forward to 2016 too. I will have been writing for ten years! But maybe I'll save that for another blog post. :)

Finally, I want to wish all my friends, family, followers, readers and fellow writers a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Want To Hold On To Summer That Bit Longer?

As an author I always fear I'm not doing enough - writing, promoting, advertising... You name it, I worry about it.

At the moment, Plus One is a Lucky Number is 99p on Amazon.co.uk. And therefore, is probably 99p on all other good ebook sites too.

As I have this blog, and I need to put a post out there, and really I'm quite within my rights to advertise my own book, I thought I would.

If you'd like to hold on to summer that bit longer, fancy a wedding, romance, sun, sea and surf.... then this maybe for you.



Blurb: Plus One is a Lucky Number


The wedding favour...

Sophie’s going to a wedding where the invite is strictly plus one… but with her single girl status not exactly fitting in with the bridesmaid dress code, and the best man being none other than the ex she would rather forget, Sophie needs a favour and she needs it fast!

Luckily for Sophie, her dreamy but distant co-worker Adam Reid owes their mutual friend James big time…and his gorgeousness more than fills the role of the ‘Perfect Boyfriend’!

As they take off to the sunny shores of Cornwall for the wedding weekend, it’s not long before pretence leads to passion and Sophie and Adam must decide; is their relationship real or is it all for show?

Buy Links:


‘If you like Jill Mansell and romantic comedies, you will enjoy Plus One is a Lucky Number.’
5 Stars by BookBabe - 'Everyone’s worst nightmare – Sophie is going to a wedding with no suitable ‘plus one’ in sight! Adam is persuaded to fill the position (who wouldn’t want him!) and fun and games ensue as the long weekend unfolds. As two work-focused individuals act out the part of a loving couple, there are enough twists to keep the reader turning those pages, with some great laughs. One to curl up with for a bit of romantic fun!'

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Fake Friday with Rhoda Baxter

It's been a while since I've had a guest visit my blog, and so today I have Rhoda Baxter returning to promote her new book - Please Release Me. 

Hello, Rhoda! So.... 

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be instead?

Chocolate taster. Or maybe a bookshop ‘character’ who doesn’t actually do any work, but hangs out in the armchair in the bookshop, drinking tea, chatting and recommending books to people. I’m doing lots of reading and eating chocolate to keep my eye in, in case the opportunity comes calling…

Oh, that does sound like a fantastic job. Doesn't pay so well though... 

If your latest book was made into a film, who would you want to play
  • Your hero? Ben Wishaw. Oh yes.
(I need to check out this guy... I have no idea who he is).
  • Your heroine? I’ve got two heroines in my book. For Sally, Keira Knightley. For Grace Ayesha Dharker (Grace is mixed race and I pictured her as a kind of taller version Ayesha Dharker).

Have you ever read a book that you’ve wanted to throw against the wall?

Oscar and Lucinda. I simultaneously love and hate that book. It’s wonderfully well written and I cared about the characters SO MUCH. And then… that ending… gnnnnh. I’m going to have to go have a lie down until smoke stops coming out of my ears. Excuse me.

Oh, I haven't read that book... maybe I won't now, if the ending isn't so satisfying... 

What do you like to achieve in your writing?

I want to make people laugh, pause and then think. I think I understood a lot about how other people felt by reading. I want the same thing to happen with my books. I write comedy because I’d rather have fun people talking in my head than grim ones. That said, they have very angst-ridden lives sometimes.

The Wuthering Heights debate – do you love or hate Heathcliff?

Oh, I don’t like him. I think he’s a wrong ‘un. Don’t like Cathy much either – wild wicked slip of a girl.

Phew! I agree. She's probably the reason Heathcliff became so vile. This book isn't a romance, it's a tragedy.

What’s your favourite TV show?

At the moment, it’s The Big Bang Theory. I’m very fickle though. Next week it’ll be Firefly again.

From TV, books or film:

Who is your favourite all time hero?


Easy. Willy Wonka. He’s a genius. He’s a millionaire. He looks like Johnny Depp under all that make up… and… He owns a chocolate factory. (I’m assuming he pays the Umpa Loompa’s decent rates and is a good employer, obviously.)

Who is your favourite all time heroine?

Amelia Peabody Emerson from Elisabeth Peters’ books. She’s an archaeologist, amateur medic and a total kickass lady. She and her husband Radcliffe get up to all sorts of adventures.

Some fab answers there! Thanks so much, Rhoda, for taking the time to answer the questions for my blog. 

Please Release Me


Buy link: myBook.to/PleaseReleaseMe

The very silly Lego book trailer: https://animoto.com/play/DBE2BHWxYkaRBiFK2Yehww

Blurb:

What if you could only watch as your bright future slipped away from you?

Sally Cummings has had it tougher than most but, if nothing else, it’s taught her to grab opportunity with both hands. And, when she stands looking into the eyes of her new husband Peter on her perfect wedding day, it seems her life is finally on the up.
That is until the car crash that puts her in a coma and throws her entire future into question.
In the following months, a small part of Sally’s consciousness begins to return, allowing her to listen in on the world around her – although she has no way to communicate.
But Sally was never going to let a little thing like a coma get in the way of her happily ever after …

I will be donating 50% of my royalty earnings to Martin House Children's Hospice http://www.martinhouse.org.uk/

My website link: www.rhodabaxter.com
Twitter: @rhodabaxter

Bio:  Rhoda Baxter likes to write about people who make her laugh. In real life she studied molecular biology at Oxford, which is why her pen name might sound suspiciously similar to the name of a bacterium.
After trying out life in various places, including the Pacific island of Yap (it’s a real place!), Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Didcot, she now lives in East Yorkshire with one husband, two children and no pets or carnivorous plants. She has a day job working in intellectual property and writes contemporary romantic comedies in whatever spare time she can grab.

She can be found wittering on about science, comedy and cake on her website (www.rhodabaxter.com) or on Twitter (@rhodabaxter) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RhodaBaxterAuthor).

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!

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Written Fireside Christmas Blog Hop... is coming...

Yes I said Christmas! Yes it is only July!

Fifteen Harper Impulse authors have come together to sit around the fire, though this time it's going to be a little different.

A competition was organised by Lori Connelly and Harper Impulse team to find the starting paragraph, and then us authors are going to continue this on, and create a short story.

Throughout August you'll get snippets of the stories, and then Harper Impulse will release the anthology in time for Christmas.


Fifteen authors, fifteen stories.

One shared, starting paragraph.


Read a taste of what's coming for Christmas


This is the winning paragraph which each short story will stem from:

Charlotte sat at the bus stop wondering whether she would make the naughty or nice list this year. Last year she had rescued a stray kitten and therefore considered herself most definitely ‘nice’. This year she had broken Daniels heart into a million tiny pieces, so ‘naughty’ seemed to be the only answer. There’d be no Santa Claus coming down her chimney anytime soon.
By Georgia Beyers

So keep an eye out in August for the stories! And there will be a Rafflecopter giveaway too!

Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Written Fireside - Missing You - Part 5

Yes, it's another Written Fireside, and it's my turn to post my part. If you haven't read the previous parts, then please follow the links below. 





And now you've caught up, here's Part 5 of Missing You:


Kaylie’s gut instinct grew stronger as she and Sam cautiously hiked through the woods towards the old abandoned mansion. They were on the right path. She was getting closer to finding Max.

Her fond childhood memories of her and Max playing in these woods felt different now, as she anxiously glanced over her shoulder. She had to ensure those two men that had entered Max’s house weren’t following them. A sinister feeling between the trees shrouded her, darkness creeping in as the sun fell behind grey clouds, leaving a chill in the air.  

George sniffed ahead, as if he knew where to head, with Kaylie following, and Sam covering their tracks. She heard a twig crack and leaves rustle, making her heart race. A bird flew from a branch and in her fear, not looking where she was going, she tripped over a protruding tree root. Sam caught her arm, stopping her from falling. The sensation his touch provoked surprised her.

Get a grip, Kaylie.

“How’s Cindy?” she said sharply, reminding herself, as much as Sam, why they no longer saw eye to eye. She shrugged her arm out of his grip and kept walking.

“It’s over.”

“Oh.”

“It never really started. You have to believe me, it was an honest mistake.”

Kaylie wanted to shout that witnessing Cindy kiss him hadn’t looked like a mistake from where she’d been standing, catching them at it, when the old mansion came into view. It was breath taking in its grand stature, but miserable with its slow decay and abandonment. Years ago, it must have been so grand.

They peered through dirty windows as they searched the grounds, but George, tail wagging, found them their way in.  George scratched at the old red wooden doors jutting out of the ground. Was this where he’d gained his splinter?

“Good boy, George,” Kaylie said. Together they wrenched open the doors, revealing stairs which went down into the basement. Considering the age, and its neglect, the doors opened easily, without a struggle, as if they’d been used recently. Max had been here.  

As she was about to enter, Sam placed a hand on Kaylie’s shoulder.

“Wait,” he said. “I’ll go first.”

With a bark, George barged past, disappearing into the darkness.

"Too late, George beat you to it.” She giggled; a mixture of nerves and apprehension of what the mansion may hold escaping her. Chuckling, Sam started his descent.  

Kaylie grabbed Sam’s comforting hand as he stepped down before her. The basement was dark, the only light coming from the stairwell. It was full of dusty old furniture, paint pots, jars and old tools covered in cobwebs. Nothing out of the ordinary. George scratched and whimpered at something tucked behind an old bookshelf.

Sam shooed George and strained, reaching for the object. Sam unwrapped the clothed package to reveal an old wooden keepsake box. Kaylie could sense Max’s presence strongly.

Carefully, opening the box, Sam passed Kaylie a flash drive. She took it with trembling hands.

“Kaylie, there’s a note from Max, too.”
To be continued...


Next parts to follow: 

Part 6 by Jill L Knapp - 8th July 

Part 7 by Jane Lark
Part 8 by Zara Stoneley
Part 9 by Aimee Duffy

More about the authors can be found in the links below: 


Her book - One Kiss

Angela Campbell - Website   Facebook   Twitter   Blog

Teresa F. Morgan -  Website  Facebook  Twitter  
Her books - Plus One is a Lucky Number Co-Author - Be My Valentine  

Jill L. Knapp - Website   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads Harper Impulse  
Her book - Chase   

Jane Lark - Website  Facebook  Twitter  Blog History

Zara Stoneley - Website  Facebook   Twitter  Blog  Amazon Author Page


6a00d8341c630a53ef01053699ed5f970c-800wi.jpg
George