The Child's Secret 
by
 Amanda Brooke 
Blog Tour
Guest Post & Review

Guest Post

I would like to welcome the author of The Child's Secret, Amanda Brooke talking about the location of her book and there is a clue in there that the location might be used again........

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

When I begin to plan a new book, I concentrate first and foremost on the people and the situation that are central to the plot, and while I have an idea of the surroundings, I don’t often consider the location until I’m literally at the point of starting that first chapter. This isn’t possibly the greatest strategy and it has been known to catch me out. I was geared up to start writing Where I Found You when I realised I hadn’t settled on a particular location, even though I already had a very clear picture in my head of the imaginary park where much of the story would take place. I quickly realised that of all the parks I knew in and around Liverpool, they didn’t quite fit with what I needed so I resorted to using Google Earth to extend my search. The problem was I needed to find that all important park bench where my main characters would meet and although Google is usually an author’s best friend, it didn’t come up with the goods. I didn’t want to compromise and dismantle this imaginary world that had become so familiar to me so I had no choice but to create my very own Victoria Park in the fictional town of Sedgefield. It’s a town ‘somewhere,’ in the Cheshire countryside and I even made a return visit in my novella If I Should Go.

There’s a chance the town will reappear in a future book too and writing about a place that doesn’t really exist has its advantages, but I do like writing about real places too, especially Liverpool where I’ve lived all my life. When I do write about my home town, I try to choose places that aren’t so well-known, and in Another Way to Fall in particular, I had fun taking my characters to parts of Liverpool that readers might not be so familiar with, such as St Luke’s Church (locally known as The Bombed Out Church), The Palm House in Sefton Park and Otterspool Promenade. And even though I thought I knew these places really well, when it came to describing the detail, I quickly realised I wasn’t as observant as I thought I was. There were quite a few emergency dashes to local spots so I could pick out the subtle detail such as the colour of the railings or the view from a particular entrance.

Sometimes however, I like to take a little poetic licence and alter locations, occasionally because the story needs it, but mostly because I simply don’t like moving my characters into some poor unsuspecting person’s home. In The Missing Husband, you won’t find Beaumont Avenue and you’d be hard pressed to find the short cut to the station either.

It was only when I came to write The Child’s Secret, that the location was never in doubt, and that was because the initial inspiration for the story had come from a real place. I had the germ of an idea for a story where my main character would be able to find out a little girl’s secret wishes, but I hadn’t come up with the device I needed to pull the story together. It was only when I was taking a stroll around Calderstones Park in Liverpool that I remembered the Allerton Oak which is supposed to be a thousand years old. By the time I left, the Wishing Tree had come to life in my mind and I knew I had a book to write.

Blurb

A little girl is missing. Her parents are hiding something. Who will pay the price?

When eight-year-old Jasmine Peterson goes missing, the police want to know everything.

What is local park ranger, Sam McIntyre, running away from and why did he go out of his way to befriend a young girl?

Why can’t Jasmine’s mother and father stand to be in the same room as each other?

With every passing minute, an unstoppable chain of events hurtles towards a tragic conclusion.

Everyone has secrets. The question is: who will pay the price?

Review

This is the first novel I have read by Amanda Brooke and I was drawn in from the very first page! 

Jasmine is a little girl who lives with her Mum Laura and her Dad Finn. She goes on a school trip to a park where there is a very old tree that the Park Ranger Sam says has magic powers and if you write a note and put it near the tree, it can grant wishes!

Poor Jasmine is desperate for her Dad to get a job as being out of work is making him very unhappy and abusive, therefore her Mum is also sad and home life is far from idyllic. So when she finds out that the "Wishing Tree" can grant wishes, what harm can it do?

Sam is a Park Ranger and loves teaching the local school children about nature and especially telling stories about the Wishing Tree. 

When Jasmine goes missing the police question Sam as they seem to think he was involved. I loved how the chapters went from the present (when Sam was questioned) and then back to before and up to Jasmine's disappearance.

Everyone is a suspect, including Sam's girlfriend Anna and his landlady Selina, who has more to her past than even Sam knows about!

There was a good mix of characters in the book. Jasmine was a sweet, good natured little girl who just wanted her Dad to love her. Her Mum Laura seemed quite weak at first, but I loved it when she came in to her own when Jasmine disappeared. Anna wasn't all she seemed and it was great to see these characters changing throughout the story. I think my favourite character was landlady Selina. She was always loyal and looking out for Sam and only wanted the best for him. 

I loved this book as it keeps you guessing right up until the very last page (and I mean the very last page!!) about what happens to Sam.

I definitely want to read more from this author as I was thoroughly engrossed in this book.

Thank you to Jaime Frost at Harper Collins for sending me a copy to review.

Cover Reveal

Today I am delighted to show you the cover of a new psychological thriller, The Teacher by Katerina Diamond.

I must say, I think the cover is really good and eye catching, but once you read the blurb, you may think twice about reading it! It sounds heart stoppingly scary and even I am thinking whether my old ticker could stand it! but on the other hand, can I resist? I think not!

Do you think you are brave enough to read it?..........

Blurb

A LESSON YOU WILL NEVER FORGET

The body of the head teacher of an exclusive Devon school is found hanging from the rafters in the assembly hall.

Hours earlier he’d received a package, and only he could understand the silent message it conveyed. It meant the end.

As Exeter suffers a rising count of gruesome deaths, troubled DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles must solve the case and make their city safe again.

But as they’re drawn into a network of corruption, lies and exploitation, every step brings them closer to grim secrets hidden at the heart of their community.

And once they learn what’s motivating this killer, will they truly want to stop him?

SMART. GRIPPING. GRUESOME.

This is a psychological crime thriller in a class of its own.

Warning: Most definitely *not* for the faint-hearted!

Cover reveal for FOLLOW ME by Angela Clarke

LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE

The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.

But this is no virtual threat.

As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.

Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?

Time's running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?

ONLINE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM …

Ebook: 3^rd December, Paperback 31^st December.

The Years of Loving you by Ella Harper Blog Tour

I am delighted to be a part of this blog tour and although I haven't had a chance to read the book yet, it is way up on my TBR pile! As a taster to keep you going I have an extract for you.

Ed headed straight for the window as the girl called Molly slipped outside. He followed her, knowing he had the perfect excuse in his hand should he need it; a sneaky fag was useful in so many ways. As a result, he was taken aback when Molly turned and eyed him suspiciously.

‘Are you following me?’

Ed lit his cigarette suavely but spoilt it by almost burning his fingers when he snapped his Zippo shut. ‘Shit. Er, might be. Molly, isn’t it?’

‘You know my name.’ She raised her eyebrows in a ladylike fashion. He was handsome. And he knew it. She wasn’t sure if she liked that. Obviously Molly under­stood that everyone had a mirror – it was more that she preferred confidence that came from achievement, not looks. ‘You’re following me and you know my name. There are laws against that, you know.’

‘I’m having an innocent cigarette and a friend told me your name just now. Hardly grounds for arrest, surely? I’m Ed, by the way.’

‘Hi. I’d tell you my name but clearly you already know me.’

Close up, Ed found himself drawn to Molly’s eyes. They were cat-like, shrewd. Brown. No, dark blue – an unusual shade that no doubt earned her compliments aplenty. From lesser mortals. Ed would need to come up with something more original. This was a smart, eloquent girl who looked as though she might, with impeccable manners, coolly dismiss boys who bored her.

Ed sucked on his cigarette, feeling something spark inside him. He was tired of easy girls; Molly was already challenging him.

Out of the blue, Molly smiled. Was she mocking him? Ed felt unnerved, wrong-footed. He really needed to get a grip.

‘I’m not planning to get you arrested, no.’ God, but he was sexy. Molly checked out his mouth. Kissable, definitely. Hmm. How annoying. She hadn’t felt this attracted to someone at first glance before. Was this what everyone called ‘chemistry’?

Molly pulled herself together and gestured to his singed fingers. ‘But I do think you need to learn how to use a lighter properly. Otherwise everyone will think you’re a right nobber.’

Ed let out a shout of laughter. He’d never met anyone else who used his favourite insult before. He stared at Molly. She was on the short side but perfectly propor­tioned. She had that irresistible blend of slender, with tantalising curves in all the right places. Ed was willing to bet Molly worried about the size of her bum constantly. Molly might be a challenge, but he was confident he knew how her mind worked. To a degree. Because Ed could modestly acknowledge that he knew a fair amount about girls. He caught sight of her bum as she began to walk away from him and almost dropped his cigarette. Delectable. Rounded. Ripe. Bloody hell. Better than he’d imagined. Hang on; where was she going?

‘I’m off to do some stargazing,’ Molly said, as though she had heard his thoughts. She sincerely hoped he wasn’t looking at her bum. She always worried about it, stressed that it was a little on the large side. ‘I think if you carry on walking in that direction, you get to the beach, right?’ She began strolling but threw a glance over her shoulder. ‘Aren’t you coming, shadow?’

The Years of Loving You is published on 19th November.

Today I have a gorgeous cover reveal for 

MEET ME IN MANHATTAN

BY

CLAUDIA CARROLL

In a New York minute, everything can change …

You don’t mess with aspiring journalist Holly Johnson! The man she fell for is not all that he seems – because sometimes dating online doesn’t quite go to plan. She’s decided to fly to the Big Apple to surprise him and to get some answers. And if her plan works she’ll also get the scoop of her career …

But as she steps out of her yellow taxi and the first snowflakes start to fall, it’s Holly who has the surprise of her life.

What should be a dream come true is looking a little like a nightmare. But Holly is determined to get her New York happy ending!

Today I have a super Christmassy cover reveal for..........

MISTLETOE AND MAYHEM

BY

CATHERINE FERGUSON

The new novel from ebook bestseller, Catherine Ferguson. A warm and cosy festive tale you won’t be able to put down.

Lola Plumpton can’t believe her luck.

Christmas is coming and her gorgeous boyfriend, Nathan, has offered up his swanky apartment to host the Plumpton family’s festive celebrations. It looks set to be a Christmas to remember. And it is – but for all the wrong reasons.

As the 25th December draws closer, Lola unexpectedly finds herself missing some key components:

1. A job (but who needs one of those anyway, when you’ve got the ultimate family Christmas to prepare for?)

2. Money (no job equals no money, it turns out.)

3. A boyfriend (yup, Nathan the hunk has said adios to Lola – and in the *most* embarrassing way possible…)

4. Somewhere to host her fabulous family Christmas (because of course, no Nathan means no des res apartment.)

Lola’s at a loss about what to do. But one way or another, she’s going to make this the best Christmas her family’s ever had…

Today I'm delighted to reveal the cover of.........

 THE YEARS OF LOVING YOU 

by Ella Harper

From the award-winning author of PIECES OF YOU comes this enthralling love story, guaranteed to make you laugh, cry and dream upon a star…

What if your first love was your only love?

When Molly is diagnosed with a life changing illness, it feels like her whole world has come crashing down. She hopes the news will make her marriage to Sam stronger. But why does Molly always call best friend Ed in a crisis?

Ed. The very same Ed that Molly fell in love with at a party when they were teenagers, underneath a star-filled sky. Then life took them in very different directions. They could only ever be friends.

Suddenly Molly starts to question every decision she’s ever made. What if they could turn back the clock? Back to the very beginning. When the only certainty they shared was each other …

Ella Harper

As a shy teenager, Ella Harper found a way to escape by learning foreign languages, and imagined she might eventually get a glamorous job speaking French. After completing a BA in French and Russian Studies, she found herself following in her father’s footsteps into banking instead, seduced by the excitement and glamour of that world. But after climbing her way to Assistant Vice President, Ella started idly mapping out the beginnings of a novel on an old laptop. When she realised her characters were more real to her than dividends and corporate actions ever could be, she left her job to become a writer. Eight years later, and Ella has published four hugely popular novels under the name Sasha Wagstaff. 

I love this cover and really hope I get the chance to read it! 

I'm SO excited to reveal the cover for Julia Williams new book Make A Christmas Wish

Last Christmas, when Livvy was knocked down in the supermarket car park, she certainly wasn’t ready to actually be dead! For months now she’s floated on the edge of the afterlife, generally making a nuisance of herself.

And she’s not ready to go just yet! She’s furious about the new woman in her husband’s life and she’s worried about her beloved son who doesn’t seem to be adjusting to life without her at all.

This Christmas, Livvy is given one last magical chance to make everything right. Will she take it and give her family the perfect Christmas?

Perfect for fans of CAROLE MATTHEWS, TRISHA ASHLEY and JENNY COLGAN.

Author bio:

Julia has always made up stories in her head, and until recently she thought everyone else did too. She grew up in London, one of eight children, including a twin sister. She married Dave, a dentist, in 1989, and they have four daughters. After the birth of the second Julia decided to try her hand at writing. Since then she has written 8 hugely popular novels, selling over a quarter of a million copies in the UK alone, and hitting the Sunday Times bestseller list.

A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor

In 1912, twenty-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London, to become assistant housemother at Mr. Shaw’s Home for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the home has cared for London’s flower girls—orphaned and crippled children living on the grimy streets and selling posies of violets and watercress to survive.

Soon after she arrives, Tilly discovers a diary written by an orphan named Florrie—a young Irish flower girl who died of a broken heart after she and her sister, Rosie, were separated. Moved by Florrie’s pain and all she endured in her brief life, Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie. But the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart.

Review

People say "Don't judge a book by it's cover" - well I disagree! I loved the cover of this book when I very first saw it and Hazel Gaynor very kindly sent me a copy for a review. 

Not only is the cover gorgeous, but the whole book is just beautiful. The text is like no other book I have read, it is set out spaciously with the title of the book on each page and pictures of flowers at the beginning of each chapter. It is definitely a keeper for my bookshelf!

The book is about a young woman called Tilly Harper who heads to London to become an Assistant Housekeeper in a home for girls who have been orphaned or disabled. They make paper flowers as a way of making money to earn their keep, but the homes are sponsored by a Mr Shaw and his family, who take pity on the girls who have had hard lives in poverty stricken London.

Tilly stumbles across a diary written by a girl called Florrie. She becomes so engrossed in the heartbreaking things Florrie writes in the diary about losing her sister Rosie, that she sets out on a quest to find out what happened to the girls.

The author does an amazing job of bringing the story of Tilly, Florie and Rosie together. The book is written in such an exquisite way as the author tells of how the girls are connected, but things don't always turn out the way you want!

I loved this book and cannot wait to read another by this author, in fact I have already bought the next one! If you read one book this year, make it this one!

* * * * *

About the Author

Hazel Gaynor's 2014 debut novel THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME (William Morrow/Harper Collins) was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and winner of the 2015 RNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year award. Her second novel A MEMORY OF VIOLETS was selected by WHSmith Travel as a 'Fresh Talent' title and was also a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Hazel is one of nine contributing authors to the anthology FALL OF POPPIES - Stories of Love and the Great War, which will be published on 1st March, 2016.

The Piano Man Project by Kat French 

Blog Tour

About The Author

Romantic comedy author for Avon UK. Kat lives in England with her husband, two little boys and two crazy cats. She loves all things romance - reading it, watching it, and most of all, writing it. Mildly addicted to wine and fairy lights.

She also writes steamy erotic romance as her USA Today bestselling naughtier alter-ego Kitty French. 

Review

I read Kat French's first book Undertaking Love this time last year and it was one of my favourite books of 2014 - great characters, funny and a little bit saucy! So when I heard about this book I was over the moon to be asked to review and be a part of the blog tour!

Firstly I would just like to say what a great cover this is! Really eye catching and love the colours!

Honeysuckle Jones (Honey) is looking for someone to really "do it" for her! She has two best friends, Nell and Tash, who mean well, but interfere in her love life a bit too far and set out to find her a man - one who can play the piano (as apparently they are good with their hands!!). 

Obviously things don't always turn out as planned and when Honey gets a new neighbour called Hal, things aren't going to run smoothly with a man who is drunk most of the time and has the manners of an alley cat.......

Honey has enough problems without having to go on blind dates organised by Nell and Tash. She is at risk of losing her job in a charity shop which is attached to a Care Home and even that is up for closure. 

The characters in this book are brilliant. Hal reminds me of Russell Brand (but in a good way!) and however much he tries to be a badly behaved rock star type, I couldn't help but love him! Everyone loves a bad boy don't they?.........

This is a great summer read and I really didn't want to finish it. Well done Kat, you have done it again with a brilliant easy, funny, fruity read! I loved it!

Thank you to Avon Books for letting me review this great read.

* * * * *

Also available by Kat French

Today, I have great pleasure in revealing the cover for book number 2 in the George McKenzie series...........

I can't wait for the next instalment!

Romance Festival 2015

I was very lucky to win an invitation to the Romance Festival which was held yesterday at the gorgeous Harper Collins building in London Bridge. It was a great opportunity to meet lots of authors and chat to them about their books in an informal setting and to also catch up with lots of other blogger friends (and some new ones!!). We had some cake, strawberries and a few glasses of pink fizz whilst getting our books signed and generally mingling with everybody.

Some of the lovely authors that were at the event(Zara Stoneley, Erin Lawless, with Charlotte from Harper Collins, Carmel Harrington and Bella Osborne)

Some of my lovely blogging friends - Sharon, Laura, me, Amanda and Rea (trust her to be holding onto her glass of fizz!!)

 Me with Haley Hill after she signed a copy of her debut novel It's Got to be Perfect.

The lovely Jenny Oliver, who very kindly made me a winner and sent me a ticket! she signed a copy of The Vintage Summer Wedding.

Erin Lawless (after having knocked her pink fizz over me in excitement!) with her new book Somewhere Only We Know - it's not out for another 5 weeks so Erin was very excited to see the finished book for the first time!

Alexandra Brown signed a copy of The Great Christmas Knit Off for me.

And the delightful Carmel Harrington who made a flying visit from Wexford in Ireland for the day signed a copy of The Life You Left for me. I could listen to her gorgeous accent all day!!

I would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Harper Collins, Harper Impulse, Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Carina for hosting such a brilliant event and letting us have handfuls of beautiful books along with a goody bag filled with a t-shirt, note book, fridge magnet and yet more books!! I had an amazing day and felt very privileged to be able to attend.

A "Fabulous" Night in..............

Earlier this week I went to a book evening hosted by Fabulous magazine and met the lovely authors Lindsay Kelk, Lucy Robinson and Lucy Holliday. All lovely authors answered questions regarding the process of writing their new books.

I went with my lovely friend and fellow book buddy Julie and met up with other book bloggers (and even meeting  Karen for the first time!!)

As you can see from the background we got to see the famous book wall - it's amazing!!

And I even managed to find another of my favourite authors, Miranda Dickinson's book amongst the wall............

The new Harper Collins building in London Bridge is amazing and the views are gorgeous (I just can't stand too near the edge as I come over all dizzy and that's before a glass of wine!!).

I love going to these book events and meeting new people. Roll on the next one!!

One week to go...............

The Lie by C L Taylor Book Launch Party

Last night I went to the wonderful new Harper Collins buildings in London Bridge for my very first "Official" book launch as a Book Blogger! It was to launch C L Taylor's 2nd thriller The Lie and I will be reviewing it on my blog on Friday 24th April 2015.

I was really excited (but also nervous) as I was going to meet several fellow bloggers for the first time even though I have had numerous conversations with them on Twitter! I needn't have worried though, as they were all really lovely and a couple in particular have been very helpful in giving me advice whilst getting my blog up and running and for that I am truly grateful.

The author, Cally Taylor, is absolutely delightful and I was captivated when she read an excerpt from The Lie. I absolutely loved her first thriller The Accident, so this one had a lot to live up to and it certainly didn't disappoint (I won't say any more, you will just have to read my review!!).

The new Harper Collins building is fab, with gorgeous views over London, but as someone who suffers from Vertigo, I couldn't go near the edge of the windows, but the views were magnificent all the same!!

Thank you to Avon Books and Cally Taylor for inviting me to the book launch. All I can say is you must read this book.......................and roll on thriller number 3!!!

Exclusive first look at "The Girl who Wouldn't Die"

I'm very excited to be chosen to show you the first look at the cover of "The Girl who Wouldn't Die" by Marnie Riches. Hopefully a blog tour to follow! but here is a synopsis of the book and more about the author:

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die

HE’S WATCHING HER. SHE DOESN’T KNOW IT…YET

When a bomb explodes at the University of Amsterdam, aspiring criminologist Georgina McKenzie is asked by the police to help flush out the killer. But the bomb is part of a much bigger, more sinister plot that will have the entire city quaking in fear.

And the killer has a very special part for George to play…

A thrilling race against time with a heroine you’ll be rooting for, this book will keep you up all night!

Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in Manchester, aptly within sight of the dreaming spires of Strangeways prison. Able to speak five different languages, she gained a Master’s degree in Modern & Medieval Dutch and German from Cambridge University. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist, a property developer and professional fundraiser. In her spare time, she likes to run, mainly to offset the wine and fine food she consumes with great enthusiasm.