Friday 3 November 2017

Cover Reveal - A Prosecco Christmas by Sylvia Ashby



Blurb

"Family is where life begins.
And what better time to spend with your family than Christmas week?

Ashley and Giacomo go to Upper Swainswick, a postcard village ten minutes’ drive from Bath, to stay with Ashley’s mum and step-dad. It’s their last visit before the arrival of their first child.
But babies have a habit of being unpredictable.
So when Ashley goes into labour on Christmas Eve, three weeks ahead of schedule, it takes everyone by surprise.
She’s not ready! Her perfect Birth Plan is packed away in her hospital bag two hundred miles away, she has no going home outfit, and she has a live event planned on New Year’s Eve for her YouTube channel, The Sinking Chef. People have been signing up for it for weeks. She can’t possibly disappoint them on the last day of the year. What is she to do?

The tinsel gets even more tangled when Giacomo’s parents decide to fly from Italy to meet their first grandchild. Hotels are fully booked, so everyone has to stay under the same roof.
Would eleven people in the house, not counting the baby, turn out to be simply too much for Ashley?"



Thursday 2 November 2017

Guest Post - Christmas at Woolworths by Elaine Everest


Christmas at Woolworths
by Elaine Everest



Summary:
Even though there was a war on, the Woolworths girls brought Christmas cheer to their customers

Best friends Sarah, Maisie and Freda are brought together by their jobs at Woolworths. With their loved ones away on the front line, their bonds of friendship strengthen each day. Betty Billington is the manager at Woolworths, and a rock for the girls, having given up on love . . . Until a mysterious stranger turns up one day – could he reignite a spark in Betty?

As the year draws to a close, and Christmas approaches, the girls must rely on each other to navigate the dark days that lie ahead . . . 

With so much change, can their friendship survive the war?

Information about the Book

Title: Christmas at Woolworths
Author: Elaine Everest
Genre: Historical Saga
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback
Release Date: 2nd November 2017


Guest Post
For Comet Book Babes on Thursday 2nd November 

Ten Favourite Things about Christmas

  1. I was born on Christmas Eve and for me Christmas starts on the 24th of December and what a magical day to be born!
  2. Old films! I love White Christmas and Scrooge (the 1951 version with Alastair Sim) and the festive season is not complete without sitting down on a cold winter’s day and indulging myself in both of these memorable films.
  3. Books! I love to receive gifts of books and when better than at Christmas? It is also the one time of the year when I don’t feel guilty if I read during the daytime. Usually, I get to read before I go to bed unless it is a non-fiction book I’m reading for research for a book I’m writing.
  4. Cooking! I love to cook and there’s no better time than at Christmas. Each year my husband suggests we don’t bother with a turkey and asks me to serve a rib of beef with my special Stilton, port and redcurrant sauce. Each year tucked away in the freezer is… a turkey. Well, it’s tradition isn’t it?
  5. Presents for the dog. We have always owned dogs and currently have just the one although I’m working on having a second. Henry, our chocolate coloured Polish Lowland Sheepdog is spoilt rotten and has his own Christmas stocking packed with gifts. It is a joy to watch him tearing open the bright coloured paper and checking out his toys and sweets. We do have to confiscate the doggy sweets or he’d scoff them all at once.
  6. A good brisk walk. Late afternoon on Christmas Day we head to our local park to stretch our legs and exercise Henry. It’s a joy to see youngsters out with their new bikes and toys and to be able to greet fellow dog walkers.
  7. Having been a freelance writer for the past twenty years I’m relieved not to have to experience the ‘office party’ as I always found it something to endure rather than enjoy. These days I enjoy meeting students from my creative writing classes for our annual meal and also to meet writing colleagues and have a jolly good time.
  8. Memories. Christmas is a time for thinking back to times when we were able to share the festive season with loved one who are no longer with us. Yes, it can be sad but I like to recall the happy times and often wonder what Mum and Dad would think of the achievements of their children.
  9. Greetings and conversations. There’s nothing better than to hear from readers who have been given one of my books as a Christmas present or perhaps treated themselves. I’m happy to chat on Facebook and Twitter with readers who share their memories of Woolworth. So many of us still think fondly of the iconic high street store.
  10. Work! Come Boxing Day I’m itching to open my laptop and get back to work on my latest novel. It may be for just a few hours but it’s never long before the girls are calling me back to Woolies.

Author Information

Elaine Everest, author of Bestselling novel The Woolworths Girls and The Butlins Girls was born and brought up in North West Kent, where many of her books are set. She has been a freelance writer for twenty years and has written widely for women's magazines and national newspapers, with both short stories and features. Her non-fiction books for dog owners have been very popular and led to broadcasting on radio about our four legged friends. Elaine has been heard discussing many topics on radio from canine subjects to living with a husband under her feet when redundancy looms.

When she isn't writing, Elaine runs The Write Place creative writing school at The Howard Venue in Hextable, Kent and has a long list of published students.

Elaine lives with her husband, Michael, and their Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Henry, in Swanley, Kent and is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Crime Writers Association, The Society of Women Writers & Journalists and The Society of Authors as well as Slimming World where she can been sitting in the naughty corner.








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Monday 30 October 2017

Release Day Blitz - The Hunt by Monica James


MONICA JAMES Release Day Blitz
THE HUNT
Monica James
Order Now:
Kindle: bit.ly/TheHuntKindle 
Amazon Paperback: bit.ly/TheHuntAmazon 
iBooks: bit.ly/TheHuntiBooks 
Nook: bit.ly/TheHuntNook 
Kobo: bit.ly/TheHuntKobo 
Series: A Hard Love Romance  
Book 1: Dirty Dix http://amzn.to/1Fz2WX0
Book 2: Wicked Dix http://amzn.to/1RiiIu7
Genre: Rom-Com, Erotica
Release Date: October 30th 2017

WHAT THEY SAY:

My name is Hunter O’Shea and I have a confession to make…I’ve met a girl who consumes me. I know that makes me sound completely whipped, but Mary “Lamb” Mitts has the power to bring me to my knees…it’s just too bad she hates my guts. But that’s okay, because I hate hers, too. The fiery redhead stirs something in me that I can’t explain.
This temporary insanity could be due to the fact my best friend, who used to be a bigger player than me, is getting married. That must be it. I’m caught up in an Oprah moment.
The only solution is to get back in the game and forget she exists. That theory is great—too bad I don’t want anyone else.
I…just…want…her.
I’m so screwed.


What I Say:
I would like to thank author Monica James for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Two years ago I was lucky to be one of the first to read Addicted to Sin (now retitled Dirty Dix) and fell in love with bad boys Dixon Matthews and Hunter O'Shea. Don't get me wrong you do not need to have read the previous two books to fall in love with Hunter as he only appears briefly in those books but he appears enough for me to want to read his story from as soon as I met the character.

Hunter is the ultimate love em and leave um bad boy but as soon as he met Mary he could never get her out of his head no matter how many beautiful women he slept with. Mary is no pushover and is more of a match for Hunter, she ultimately the one he wants.

Mary is Dixon's soon to be wife Maddy's best friend and as she has been hurt in the past has trust issues and won't let anyone in.

The chemistry between Hunter and Mary fizzes on every page and the sex scenes will have you reaching for something to cool you down as you read.

What I love about Monica's book is just as you think everything is going to work out she brings everything crashing down!

Another fabulous addition to the Addicted to Sin (Dirty Dix) series and would recommend it even if you haven't read the other books



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.
When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.
She is a bestselling author in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.
Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.
AUTHOR LINKS:
Instagram: @MonicaJames
Website: monicajamesbooks.blogspot.com.au
Pinterest: pinterest.com/monicajames81

EXCERPT:
Something is happening and I have no idea what. Mary’s eyes drop to my lips before she uneasily licks hers. Her flushed cheeks, dilated pupils, and heavy breathing all point to one thing—but that’s not possible. This woman hates me, all delicious, lithe five-foot-four of her wants me dead.
So why is she not slapping my cheeks and calling me a dirty manwhore when I inch closer to her lips? And why am I not slamming on the brakes because I don’t kiss—ever, but that rule seems to be obsolete when the supplest pair of lips are a hairs breadth away?
I’m rolling in her perfume. Slathering it all over my body and inhaling it like a new drug. She is all goddess, and if I don’t touch her, I’m going to explode.
Placing my palm to her cheek, we both moan at the contact, and when she parts those lips, I’m as good as gone. “Hunter, wh-what are you doing?”
My name has never sounded sweeter. “Shortcake, I don’t know…you tell me.” The ball is in her court. I’m liquefying and my brain turned to mush about fifteen minutes ago, so I’m in no state to be the one calling the shots.
“I…I…” she fumbles, never breaking eye contact.
“You what?” I ask, tugging at the lobe of her ear, before tracing my pointer down her throat. Her pulse is hammering, a sure sign she’s about to either surrender, or flee.
“I…oh god,” she whimpers, biting her lip when I work my finger back up and paint over her jawline in a slow sweep.
“You have three seconds…three seconds to stop me before I part those lips with my tongue, and I won’t be gentle about it.”


Sunday 29 October 2017

Excerpt - Broken Bones by Angela Marsons



BROKEN BONES by Angela Marsons
(Book 7 Detective Kim Stone crime thriller series)
Published by Bookouture on 3rd November 2017.
UK πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ http://amzn.to/2wwkvci
US πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ http://amzn.to/2vDLPsP

What They Say:


They thought they were safe. They were wrong.


The murder of a young prostitute and a baby found abandoned on the same winter night signals the start of a disturbing investigation for Detective Kim Stone – one which brings her face to face with someone from her own horrific childhood.

As more sex workers are murdered in quick succession, each death more violent than the last, Kim and her team realise that the initial killing was no one-off frenzied attack, but a twisted serial killer preying on the vulnerable.

At the same time, the search begins for the desperate woman who left her newborn baby at the station – but what looks like a tragic abandonment turns even more sinister when a case of modern slavery is uncovered.

The two investigations bring the team into a terrifying world of human exploitation and cruelty – and a showdown that puts Kim’s life at risk as shocking secrets from her own past come to light.

A gripping new crime thriller from the Number One bestseller – you will be hooked until the final jaw-dropping twist.

Excerpt

PROLOGUE
Black Country: Christmas Day

Lauren Goddard sat on the roof of the thirteen-storey block of flats. The winter sun shone a grid onto her bare feet dangling over the edge. The cold breeze nipped at her wiggling toes.

The protective grate had been erected some years ago after a father of seven had thrown himself over. By the time she was eleven she had stolen a pair of wire cutters from the pound shop and fashioned herself an access point to the narrow ledge that was her place of reflection. From this vantage point she could look to the beauty of the Clent Hills in the distance, block out the dank, grubby reality of below.
Hollytree was the place you were sent if Hell was having a spring clean. Problem families from the entire West Midlands were evicted from other estates and housed in Hollytree. It was displacement capital. Communities around the borough breathed sighs of relief as families were evicted. No one cared where they went. It was enough that they were gone and one more ingredient was added to the melting pot.

There was a clear perimeter around the estate over which the police rarely crossed. It was a place where the rapists, child molesters, thieves and ASBO families were put together in one major arena. And then guarded by police from the outside.

But today a peace settled around the estate, giving the illusion that the normal activities of robbing, raping and molesting were on pause because it was Christmas Day. That was bollocks. It was all still going on but to the backdrop of the Queen’s Speech.

Her mother was still slurring her way around the cheerless flat with a glass of gin in her hand. Her one concession to the event was the line of tinsel wrapped haphazardly around her neck as she stumbled from the living room to the kitchen for a refill.

Lauren didn’t expect a present or a card any more. She had once mentioned the excitement of her friends. How they had enjoyed presents, laughter, a roast dinner, a chocolate-filled stocking.

Her mother had laughed and asked if that was the kind of Christmas she wanted.

Lauren had innocently nodded yes.

The woman had clicked the television to the Hallmark Channel and told her to ‘fill her boots’.

Christmas meant nothing to Lauren. But at least she had this. Her one piece of Heaven. Always her safe place. Her escape.

She had disappeared unnoticed up here when she was seven years old and her mother had been falling all over the flat pissed as a fart.

How lucky was she to have been the only one of the four kids her mother had been allowed to keep?

She had escaped up here when her mother’s drinking partner, Roddy, had started pawing at her groin and slobbering into her hair. Her mother had pulled him off, angrily, shouting something about ruining her retirement plan.
She hadn’t understood it when she was nine years old but she had come to understand it now.

She had cried up here on her sixteenth birthday when her mother had introduced her to the family business and to their pimp, Kai Lord.

She’d been up here two months earlier when he had finally found her.

And she’d been up here when she’d told him to fuck right off.

She didn’t want to be saved. It was too late.

Sixteen years of age and already it was too damn late.

Many times she had fantasised about how it would feel to lurch forward onto the wind. She had envisioned herself floating to and fro, gently making the journey like a stray pigeon feather all the way to the ground. Had imagined the feeling of weightlessness of both her body and her mind.

Lauren took a deep breath and exhaled. In just a few minutes it would be time to go to work. Heavy rain, sleet, snow, Christmas – nothing kept the punters away. Trade might be slow but it would still be there. It always was.

She didn’t hear the roof door open or the footsteps that slowly strode towards her.

She didn’t see the hand that pushed her forward.

She only saw the ground as it hurtled towards her.

Broken Bones by Angela Marsons, out on 3rd November 2017
UK πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ http://amzn.to/2wwkvci
US πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ  http://amzn.to/2vDLPsP