A Promise Between Friends

by

Carol Rivers

Review

Ruby is a headstrong, naive girl who wants more out of life than living in a two up two down house with a husband and family and so when she meets Anna who offers her a job as a model, you just know that things are going to go pear shaped!

Ruby meets Nick, who is a friend of Anna’s and they begin a relationship, much to the annoyance of Anna. Ruby loves feeling wanted and needed and just doesn’t see the signs that what Anna expects of her in her job, isn’t the same as what Ruby thinks it is and she realises to her cost that she may be in too deep.

Not only is Ruby trying to make a better life for herself, she is trying to find out the root cause of why her beloved brother committed suicide just two years previously. An act that has sent her mother off the rails and her father trying to keep the family together.

This is a fabulous story of a London girl who sets out to find a better future for herself, but with sometimes disastrous consequences. The characters were very well written and descriptive (even if I didn’t like some of them!).

Another cracker from Carol Rivers and I hope it’s not too long before there is another one to get my teeth into!

Amazon Link click here

Q&A with Jo Lambert

I'm delighted today to bring you Q&A on Boon's Bookcase. Jo Lambert has agreed to answer my questions (I hope I didn't grill her too much!!)

Hi Jo and welcome to Boon's Bookcase. Thank you so much for agreeing to answer some questions on my blog about your writing.

Firstly, please could you tell readers a little about yourself?

I spent an idyllic childhood in rural Wiltshire. Although I moved to Bath in the early 1980s I didn’t stay a city dweller for long. Two years after arriving I moved to a beautiful village on the edge of this wonderful city where I can now have the best of city life and a rural escape. I’m married, share my husband with a green MGB-GT (it’s a bit of a tussle for his affections sometimes) and own a small grey feline called Mollie. I said goodbye to my 9 – 5 in the summer of 2013 to become a full time writer.

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

I was always good at essays at school, had an overactive imagination and loved books (I could read before I started school). I think those three things sealed my fate. I must have been around eleven when I made my very first attempt at writing a book about a girl and her pony and the adventures they had. I didn’t do a lot of writing in my teens – for me it was all about the music and fashion then - although at college I was a regular contributor to their magazine. I think the need to write was always there, it was simply a matter of waiting for the right time to begin.

What did you do as a job before becoming a writer?

After secretarial training I took a business qualification and moved from PA support into management. I’d always worked full time, then in 2010 decided to reduce my hours. I went from a full on job as Admin Manager in a very busy hospital Pharmacy Department to a job share which gave me two clear days a week to concentrate on writing. I’d cut my hours back deliberately because I had a date in mind when I planned to leave work altogether. If I’ve any regrets it’s that I didn’t do it much earlier.

How do you carry out the research for your novels?

They say write what you know about and for my first series of books I did just that. The location was a fictitious West Somerset village called Meridan Cross. Growing up in a small village on the edge of Salisbury Plain, creating this place and its inhabitants was very easy for me. By the time I had written the fifth and final book, I had also set scenes in Spain, and Italy - one of my favourite holiday destinations. The last two books – my South Devon Duo – were set in South Hams, again a regular holiday location. If the backdrop is going to be a big part of the book, for me it has to feel authentic - and that means I have to have been there. The internet is also extremely useful for research and I have on occasions used Google Earth for a virtual walk around places. I did this when I needed to remind myself about Verona for a scene in one of my books. I had visited a long time ago but couldn’t remember anything apart from the Arena.

My latest WIP is set in the Italian Lakes and North Cornwall. I need to know a little about surfing so that will be a new and exciting challenge!

Which aspects of your writing do you find easiest and most difficult?

Easiest – the writing, although like most other authors I do suffer on occasions from writer’s block. However the actual creation of the story is for me the best part. Like slipping into a parallel world where you’re in charge – there’s element of being the eldest child in the family there somewhere – we’re always supposed to be the bossy ones aren’t we? And the worst part? Well it has to be the dreaded synopsis.

What are your writing routines and where do you do most of your writing?

Our house is built into the side of a hill and I have an upstairs office with views across the valley. It’s peaceful and a great place for inspiration. As for routine, I try to set aside a specific block of time each day, usually in the morning.

When you're not writing, what do you like to read?

I’ve a very broad taste in books. Fantasy ( I loved Game of Thrones), Contemporary (authors like Sheryl Browne, Kelly Rimmer and Jenny Harper) Crime (Robert Bryndza is a favourite) and, of course historical (Philippa Gregory). I’m also a reviewer for Brook Cottage Books and a NetGalley Professional reader

How important do you think social media is to authors in today's society?

I think it’s a must in order to keep up with what is going on in the writing world; to promote your work and link with other authors. As well as writing I also actively blog, promote and review. If there is a downside, however, it has to be social media sites like Twitter and Facebook which can prove a bit of a distraction while writing!

Could you tell the readers a bit about your latest book?

Watercolours in the Rain is the second book of my South Devon Duo series. It’s set in 2012/13 and brings the main three characters from the first book, Summer Moved On, back together. My ‘love to hate’ character Lily is about to cause even more trouble.

Which of your characters would you most like to be and why?

It has to be Ella Kendrick from my Little Court Series. She was the first main female character I ever created and was central to the trilogy and one of the sequels. I based her on an old work friend of mine but I also took elements of several other people I

knew. She became the template for all my other strong female characters and holds a very special place in my writing life.

Thank you so much for your time in answering my questions.

website: http://jolambertbooks.com blog: 

http://jolambertwriter.wordpress.com

Brook Cottage Books: www.jolambert@brookcottagebooks.wordpress.com e-mail: 

taurusgirl185@gmail.com Googleplus: google.com/+JoLambert

Twitter: @jolambertwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jolambert185 Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jolambertwriter/ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jo-lambert-6 4644530

BUY LINKS FOR THE DEVON DUO 

Summer Moved On https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0139IXHZE 

Watercolours in the Rain https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LX4GRE5

It's Publication Day for

Small Great Things

by

Jodi Picoult

Guest Review

by

Julie Williams

Review

I love Jodi Picoult’s books and this is another terrific read that did not disappoint. Small Great Things is so well researched that it brings this powerful and emotional book to life with harrowing honesty.

Ruth Jefferson a labour and delivery nurse for over 20 years at a Connecticut hospital is in the minority in the maternity department there. Although she has never seen it as a problem, being the only person of colour nurse there, that is until she arrives for her shift one day and asked to take over the care of newly delivered mum Brittany Bauer and her baby son Davis.

She sets about doing what she has always done but when Turk Bauer, a white supremacist says she is not to touch his son or wife a supervisor is called and Ruth is ordered not to touch Davis. A few days later after Davis has a routine circumcision the nurse assigned to monitor him is called away on an emergency leaving Ruth as the sole person to monitor the baby. When he suddenly deteriorates Ruth is in a no win situation should she try to save the baby’s life or obey her superiors written instruction not to treat him?

I really enjoyed that this book is told through three characters perspectives, Ruth, Kennedy her lawyer and Turk. We also learn about Ruth’s family and how this affects them, especially her bright and well educated son Edison. 

This thought- provoking and at times uncomfortable read certainly made me think about the effects racism can have on all sides and at times this sent shivers down my spine. Will justice prevail? I am certainly not going to give that away but be prepared for some twists.

Adventurous Proposal

by

Laura Barnard

Guest Review

by

Julie Williams

Review

This is my first read by this author and I must say I will definitely be reading more books by her. If you are looking for a quick Christmas romance read then this novella is just perfect. Not only does it have romance but also comedy that will have you laughing out loud.

Florence and Hugh are in a bar waiting for their perspective dates, when after a while it becomes apparent that they have both been stood up. This mutual situation starts a conversation between them and before you know it a wedding proposal has taken place! Planning for a wedding in less than a month is not plain sailing as this novella offers plenty of obstacles along the way.

Adventurous Proposal is an easy read that can be devoured in one sitting. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering if the wedding would go ahead but I am not going to give away that. 

Sparkly and light hearted this is a fabulous festive read.

Mistletoe on 34th Street

by

Lisa Dickenson

Guest Review

by

Julie Williams

Review

This gorgeous book is set in New York and Lisa describes this holiday season so wonderfully that I wish I could go off to the travel agents and buy my ticket right now! 

There are mixtures of characters in this story, some I warmed to straight away, while others took time to grow on me but in the end they all felt perfect for this tale.

Olivia, the central character, has never experienced a traditional Christmas and prefers to spend her festive holidays home alone. This year she is really looking forward to some peace and solitude as she is put in charge of taking five colleagues across the pond to a conference in order to gain support and interest for the company they work.

There are comical moments as well as romantic ones and friendships are brought together and made in the Big Apple. 

After reading this book I think that being stranded in New York would not be a problem for me as I would love to visit all the tourist attractions that Olivia goes to. It’s certainly a city on my bucket list now.

Blog Tour

for

A Year and A Day

By

Isabelle Broom

I'm delighted to be a part of this blog tour. I can't wait to read this book and it is right up there on my Christmas TBR pile! Isabelle has written a piece for Boon's Bookcase about why she loves Prague. I must admit, I have wanted to visit Prague for a couple of years now. I'm sure by the time I have read this book, I will want to go even more!

Why I love Prague – Isabelle Broom

I was 19 the first time I set foot in Prague. It was 1999, and I arrived on a coach that I’d hopped on in Amsterdam. After seven or eight relentless hours on the road, all I was craving was a soft pillow, but when my fellow backpackers and I arrived at our hostel on the outskirts of the city, we discovered that half a Canadian Ice Hockey team was staying there, too. Try saying no to those lads when they invite you out for beer and goulash – I didn’t have a hope in hell of getting an early night!

We all bundled down to the Prague Metro together and caught one of the super-fast (seriously – you have to hold on or you fall over) trains into the centre of the Old Town. I will never forget how it felt to emerge from the station and see the vast Gothic Powder Gate looming above me in the fading light. I imagine I looked not unlike a cartoon character dragging its jaw along the cobbles, and I remember all of us pointing things out to each other and immediately picking up that unique Prague buzz. It’s such a friendly city, and the warm chatter, strains of music and general feeling of frivolity seeped into me in a matter of minutes.

Prague is packed with such incredible architecture, ranging from so many centuries, that it takes several hours just to take everything in around the main square, let alone explore the rest of the city. It’s also easy to navigate, so after a few days you feel like a proper local, and everything becomes familiar – a huge plus and comfort when you’ve been on the road for weeks. The key thing for me, though, is that magical quality that I talk about in the novel. There is a sense in Prague that there are whispers circulating on the air, that history is being made, that moments of love are being shared, and there’s no better place to experience all of it than on the historic Charles Bridge. It’s honestly one of my most favourite places on the planet, that bridge. I just hope I’ve done it – and the wonderful, vibrant city of Prague – justice in my book.

Promo

 for

His Kidnapper's Shoes

by

Maggie James

Genre: Psychological suspense

Release Date: 15 November 2016 (republication)

Publisher: Lake Union

Daniel is my son. He has always been mine. And he always will be.

On some level deep inside, Laura Bateman knows something is wrong. That her relationship with her son is not what it should be. That it is based on lies.

But bad things have happened to Laura. Things that change a person. Forever.

For 26-year-old Daniel, the discovery that his mother is not whom he thought comes close to destroying him. As his world turns upside-down, he searches for sanity in the madness that has become his life. But he is left with nothing but questions. Why did Laura do something so terrible? Can he move past the demons of his childhood?

And the biggest question of all: can he ever forgive Laura?

BUY LINK

http://smarturl.it/hiskidnappersshoes

ABOUT MAGGIE JAMES

Maggie James is a British author who lives in Bristol. She writes psychological suspense novels.

Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MJamesFiction/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjamesfiction

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/828751.Maggie_James

Google+ https://plus.google.com/101511690389687930651

LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/maggie-james/64/381/727

Blog: http://www.maggiejamesfiction.com/blog

Website: http://www.maggiejamesfiction.com