New Publication Spotlight & Extract: The Knight's Convenient Alliance by Melissa Oliver

The Knight's Convenient Alliance

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The only man who’s tempted her…Now poses as her husband!

When an injured knight arrives on Brida O’Conaill’s doorstep, the village assumes he’s her long-lost husband. But her only previous connection to Sir Thomas Lovent was an intense shared moment at a tournament years ago. Brida maintains the pretence while she nurses him, yet once he’s back to full, virile health, she cannot reveal Thomas is not her husband—or that she’s unmarried!—when everyone is expecting them to act like husband and wife…

EXTRACT

In this scene Thomas Lovent and Brida O’Conaill are forced to leave Kinnerton village suddenly, trying to avoid the Bishop of London’s men who are searching for Thomas...

It was quiet and thankfully no one had ventured to this part of the woods.

She pulled down a branch and pushed through as the path narrowed with the lush coppices and thickets on either side and Thomas following behind her.

This opened out to a running stream and there, on the other side, were two young horses tethered to a tree, with Cerwen’s grandson waiting beside them.

Her old friend had surpassed herself in the aid she had given them so that they could gain safe passage out of Kinnerton.

Once more Brida questioned the decision she had made in leaving with Thomas Lovent and felt a ripple of nervous tension run down her body. She hoped it was purely down to nerves, otherwise she might find herself in more trouble than she had bargained for.

‘Here, give me your hand, Brida.’ Thomas held out his hand, in an attempt to give her aid across the slippery stepping stones.

‘I can manage, thank you,’ she said as she tentatively stepped out on to the stones.

‘Are you angry with me, mistress?’ The corner of his mouth twitched a little as it curved, making her want to push him into the stream.

‘Can you honestly blame me?’

His half-smile faded as he shook his head. ‘No. You have every right to be. And if it makes you feel better, I am furious with myself for being so careless. Please believe me when I say that I do not usually behave in such a capricious, reckless manner.’

‘Rest easy, sir. We all make mistakes.’

‘True, and I have been making far too many recently.’ He followed her from behind as they crossed the stream. ‘I must also thank you for not exposing me back there. I hope that you might have faith that I am innocent of the charges I am accused of?’

‘I do.’ She sighed as she jumped off the other end. ‘You may be reprehensible in so, so many ways, Sir Thomas, but a murderer? Plotting against the Crown? No, that I cannot believe.’

‘I’m glad to have your support, at least.’ He nodded in gratitude. ‘And do you not think that we should drop formalities now? We are man and wife after all.’

‘How could I forget?’ A faint smile played on her lips.

He helped her mount the smaller palfrey, sending a rush of heat where his large hands had flexed around her waist. She looked away, hoping he hadn’t noticed as he saw to his own mount. ‘Indeed. So please call me Thomas or, better still, Tom.’

‘Very well, Tom, on one condition.’ She turned her head back around to meet his perceptive gaze. ‘Tell me, why are you a wanted man?’

PURCHASE LINKS

@MillsandBoon - https://bit.ly/3txlhol

@HarlequinBooks -https://bit.ly/3jNRAvO 

Amazon UK- https://amzn.to/3haohBT 

Amazon US- https://amzn.to/3kWAMlL

AUTHOR BIO

Melissa Oliver is from south-west London where she writes historical romance novels. She lives with her lovely husband and daughters, who share her passion for decrepit, old castles, palaces and all things historical.

Melissa is the WINNER of The Romantic Novelist Association's Joan Hessayon Award for new writers 2020 for her debut, The Rebel Heiress and the Knight.

When she's not writing she loves to travel for inspiration, paint, and visit museums & art galleries.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter @melissaoauthor

Facebook @melissaoliverauthor

https://www.instagram.com/melissaoliverauthor/?hl=en

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway to Win 3 x PB copies of The Knight's Convenient Alliance (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Publication Spotlight & Extract: The Viking's Stolen Princess by Sarah Rodi

The Viking's Stolen Princess by Sarah Rodi

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A kidnapped royal…

Could be the Viking's undoing!

After Brand Ivarsson of Kald abducts Anne of Termarth on the eve of her wedding, the Viking’s consumed with only one thing: revenge against her loathsome betrothed. But confronted with the stunning princess, so foreign to his world, Brand’s captivated not only by her beauty, but by her spirit and her kindness. Is Anne his prisoner…or is she the one who’s captured his scarred heart?

EXTRACT

Brand the Barbarian, a Viking who has settled in England, has kidnapped the Princess Anne of Termarth. Her betrothed killed his father and Brand is after for revenge. On their journey back to Brand’s fortress, they are surrounded by Saxon soldiers in the forest…

He tugged the Princess further into the undergrowth and gently released his hand from her mouth. ‘Don’t say a word.’

His hard hips pinned her against a tree, securing her to him, chest to chest, thigh to thigh, with his palms on the bark either side of her head. Her beautiful green eyes blazed up at him. Skit, up close she was even more stunning. Her skin was so pale and perfect, without even the smallest blemish, and her delicately arched eyebrows and long eyelashes looked as if they’d been spun with silk.

His eyes dipped to her full, lush mouth, which he realised he’d never seen curve into a smile. He really wanted to see that—to see her use those cherry-blossom-pink lips move in a display of warmth towards him. She had shown him kindness once, and he believed it was that which had stopped him from being entirely poisoned by his need for revenge.

‘Your Royal Highness, it’s Giraldus. Are you there?’ the man called out into the forest.

Brand stilled.

He heard Rebel snort, and with a shift of annoyance realised his faithful steed was now in enemy hands. He vowed to himself he would get his animal back when the time was right. But that had been close—it could have been them. Now they would have to cover the rest of the ground to Kald on foot.

‘Hand the Princess over, Dane, and you will not be harmed. There’s nowhere to go.’

Brand needed to focus. To weigh up the situation. But he was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything but the nearness of Anne. Her breath was coming in bursts against his throat… He noticed her usually pale skin was flushed and her gorgeous big green eyes were dilated… The air surrounding them felt charged as he continued to stare down at her.

His chest was almost pressing against hers… Was she as aware of him as he was of her?

‘You should give me up,’ she whispered. ‘I will go to them and you can run. I won’t tell them who you are or where you are going. I promise I won’t let them hurt you…’

Brand’s brow furrowed. Even now, at her most vulnerable as his prisoner, how could her thoughts be for him and not on escaping her situation? She was offering him freedom—despite the fact he’d kidnapped her. Well, she was a much better person than him—because there was no way he could let her go…not yet… He needed to see this through.

Brand felt her hand on his chest and stared down at her delicate fingers. It was the first time she’d touched him of her own accord, and his skin burned under her grip. He felt like a bull in silk chains. But his intuition, honed from years of fighting, told him she was about to push him away, as he’d done to his horse. She was about to make her location known to those men.

‘Brand—’

No!

Instinctively, he lowered his head and covered her lips with his to stop her from making another sound. The moment his firm lips captured hers, his traitorous body gave up the battle it had been fighting since the moment he’d seen her again and all thoughts of the soldiers drifted away.

It was the little gasp that came from the back of her throat that did it—that allowed him to glide his tongue inside her mouth in a hot, silky, sensual tour. He waited for her to pull back, to struggle, but the hands that had been about to push him away instead splayed out against his chest, and the smouldering rage he’d felt when he’d realised she was about to run to those men was transmuted into desire.

He drove his mouth down onto hers as his fingers twisted into the tangled mess of her hair. Her head tipped back into his hands and he angled her for better access, deepening the intensity of the kiss. He felt her whole body tremble as she surrendered with a backward sway, desperately clinging to his chainmail vest, and a spark of triumph shot through his body, right down to his groin.

The sound of galloping hooves leaving the forest and the feel of vibrations on the ground beneath their feet broke through the moment, helping him to recover his sanity. He stared down at her, his breathing ragged.

With fierce urgency she disentangled herself, finally pushing him away as she’d originally intended, dragging her hands over her face in flustered dismay.

‘What was that? What on earth do you think you’re doing?’ she gasped. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of pink, her eyes wide with stunned alarm.

He shoved his tunic sleeves up his arms and ran a hand over his beard. ‘I couldn’t have you crying out to your father’s servant, now, could I?’ he said, backing away from her. ‘It was the only way I could get you to be quiet.’

Her fingers flew up to her mouth as if he’d burned her. ‘Never do that again!’ she fumed, more than a little unsteady on her feet. She momentarily closed her eyes in what appeared to be an effort to keep calm and regain her composure.

Skit, he’d had no right to touch her. None! But he needed her to know he was a man who would do what was necessary, didn’t he?

‘No need to read anything into it, Highness,’ he said, trying to shrug it off as if it was nothing. ‘It was just a little kiss. Put it down as a mistake—one I won’t be making again. And besides,’ he added, ‘we have bigger things to worry about. We’re going to have to make the rest of the journey by foot. Can you walk, or do I need to throw you over my shoulder and carry you?’

‘I’ll walk!’ she bit out, stumbling away from him. ‘Just don’t touch me! Don’t ever touch me again!’

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B096TBKQ7D

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096TBKQ7D

AUTHOR SOCIAL MEDIA LINK

Twitter - https://twitter.com/sarahrodiedits

Publication Day Push: Snow-Kissed Proposals by Jenni Fletcher and Elisabeth Hobbes

Snow-Kissed Proposals by Jenni Fletcher and Elisabeth Hobbes

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A snowy Victorian Christmas - Two festive short stories!

In The Christmas Runaway by Jenni Fletcher: wilful, independent heiress, Fiona MacKay, impulsively runs away to a remote Scottish tower where she’s trapped in the snow with equally headstrong, deliciously dishevelled Angus Drummond.

In Their Snowbound Reunion by Elisabeth Hobbes: fifteen years ago, Amy Munroe and Anthony Matthews were cruelly parted, and each blames the other. When Amy becomes Anthony’s new housekeeper, their passion is reawakened!

PURCHASE LINK

getbook.at/SnowKissedProposals

AUTHOR BIOS

Jenni Fletcher is the award-winning author of 15 historical romances. She has been nominated for 4 RoNA Awards and won the Libertà Books Shorter Romantic Novel Award in 2020. She lives in Yorkshire with her family and can be contacted via Twitter @JenniAuthor.

@JenniAuthor

https://www.facebook.com/JenniFletcherAuthor

Elisabeth’s writing career began when she finished in third place in Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest in 2013. She was offered a two-book contract and consequently had to admit secret writing was why the house was such a tip. She is the author of numerous historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon covering the Medieval period to Victorian England, and a Second World War romantic historical with One More Chapter. She lives in Cheshire because the car broke down there in 1999 and she never left.

@ElisabethHobbes

https://www.facebook.com/ElisabethHobbes

New Publication Spotlight & Extract: Partner Pursuit by Kathy Strobos

Partner Pursuit by Kathy Strobos

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When a workaholic lawyer meets a fun-loving music marketing executive for opposites attract, friends-to-lovers adventures, which partnership will she choose?


Workaholic lawyer Audrey Willems is not going to take any chances with her bid to become a partner at her New York law firm—especially with only six months until the decision.

Until she bumps into Jake—her new neighbor. Jake is a fun-loving music marketing executive who might just be The One.

He’s funny, caring, supportive—and able to kill water bugs in the bathroom.

But Jake will never date a woman married to her job. His father was a workaholic lawyer who never had time for family.

And she’s just got the case of a lifetime—the one she needs to win to make partner. Working 24/7 at the office may not even be enough hours to pull off a victory.

If only she had not met him now.

Audrey is determined to prove that she can juggle work and romance—even if managing court cases, candlelit dinners, and bike rides around Manhattan is a lot harder than it looks. She keeps canceling dates for yet another case crisis.

But when making partner is like a game of musical chairs and the last seat is a business-class alone, which partnership will she choose?

EXTRACT

Jake invites Audrey to check out a concert at Irving Plaza, and they are taking a cab down to Irving Plaza from the Upper West Side.

Jake held open the door to the Uber car as Audrey slid in, trying not to let her dress slide up too much. She didn’t have supermodel thin thighs. She had put on a yellow dress, deciding that she should put some effort into this and that jeans might be too hot. Jake was wearing a white button-up, open at the neck, and jeans. He looked amazing.

The taxi felt intimate in the dark. She could feel the heat of him next to her in the cab seat.

“I’m glad you could come,” Jake said. “I’m sorry, I have to reply to a few texts. I invited a bunch of people. My friend in A&R, Devon, is trying to sign this band, and he wants to get a crowd together to hear them.”

“No problem. What’s A&R?

“Artists and repertoire—he finds talent.”

“Is that what you do too?” she asked. Another career she’d never considered.

“No. I started in A&R, but marketing was more my thing. If he signs them, I’ll be doing the marketing.” His phone beeped. He typed a reply.

“So, is this work for you?”

Jake grinned. “In a sense. But you can’t beat it for work, can you?”

“It definitely beats my late nights of running around like a drill sergeant trying to file a brief.”

“I can’t see you as a drill sergeant.” As the headlights of a turning car illuminated the interior of the cab, Jake’s glance met hers.

“No, that’s true. I’m more of a ‘we’re all in this together—let’s get it done’ team leader.”

“That’s the best kind.”

“Let’s hope the law firm partners agree.”

“Even if they don’t, it still is,” he said. “Look at Central Park lit up. I never get tired of that sight.” They were speeding down Fifth Avenue, past the streetlights illuminating trees against the milky black night sky.

“You grew up here, right?”

“Yeah, Upper East Side. Where did you grow up?”

“Upper West Side,” she said.

“Oh, a west side New Yorker. That explains it.”

“Explains what?”

“Explains why I like you.” His phone rang, and he picked it up.

Her stomach fluttered. Did he mean like you or just like you?

His head was turned, but she could see his profile, the streetlights playing off his angular cheekbones, his tousled brown hair, his kissable lips. She had to get ahold of herself. She didn’t have time for full-blown crushes.

Their glances met, and his mouth tipped up, then he looked back out his window.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon UK                Amazon US 

AUTHOR BIO

Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys and dollhouses. She grew up in New York City and graduated from Stuyvesant High School and Harvard-Radcliffe University magna cum laude. She previously worked as a lawyer. She left law to pursue her dream of writing fiction full-time and getting in shape. She is still working on getting in shape.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter: @kathystrobos

Instagram: kathystroboswriter

www.kathystrobos.com

Facebook: @kathystrobosRewrites

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blog Tour Stop: Behind Her Smile by J.A. Andrews

Behind Her Smile by J.A. Andrews

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There are two sides to every story…

Grace Thomas and her husband Cameron live busy urban lifestyles and decided to take a short break away in the countryside to reconnect as a family with their two children. Suspecting her husband of having an affair, the trip is ruined when Cameron’s personal assistant Chantelle, arrives unannounced with some devastating news. Chantelle appears to be everywhere Grace turns, and her instincts can’t all be wrong.

Not only does Chantelle resemble Grace, It soon becomes clear that she is desperate for Cameron’s attention, but at what lengths would she go to get it?

Determined to save her marriage, Grace begins to unravel all the secrets in her relationship by scrutinising the clues. Chantelle is always in the background, but behind her smile is a dangerous lie that has devastating consequences for everyone.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon UK           Amazon US 

AUTHOR BIO

JA Andrews is from Devon in the UK and the author of gripping twisty psychological thrillers. As well as writing fiction, he enjoys reading a mix of genres, watching reality TV and spending time with family and friends. He is a member of the Crime Writers Association and is often plotting his next novel...

SOCIAL MEDIA LINK

https://www.twitter.com/jasona1980

Publication Day Spotlight: Hiding in the Smoke by Ofelia Martinez

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Sofia
One night.
No cuddling.
No sleepovers.
These are the rules I live my love life by. Running a business as a bar owner leaves no time for relationships—or their drama. But when I meet international rock star Brenner Reindhart, he makes me want to break all the rules . . .

Bren
Keeping Industrial November at the top of the best-selling charts for over eight years has taken a toll on me, and I’m ready to slow down.
I’ve been burned by love before, and I’m finally ready to try again. I think Sofia Ocampo might just be the one. Only, she has no plans to ever be in a relationship.
Aware she has no interest in it, I still give her my heart.
I can only hold my breath and hope she won’t break it.

***This high-steam, contemporary rock star romance contains adult content with some taboo elements not suitable for all readers. Read responsibly. All novels in the Industrial November on Tour series can be read in any order.***

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CP3D29V

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09CP3D29V

AUTHOR BIO

Ofelia Martinez writes romance with Latinas on top. Originally from the Texas border, Ofelia now resides in Missouri with her partner and their dog, Pixel.

She loves good books, tequila, and chocolate. Though she identifies most with Makoto Kino, she proudly shares a birthday with Usagi Tsukino. When not writing, you can find Ofelia making visual art.

Join Ofelia's newsletter for free bonus content:
https://bit.ly/3e4OWid

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Facebook Reader Group ➜

https://bit.ly/39lOido

Facebook Page ➜

https://bit.ly/2P4dzSN

Instagram ➜

https://bit.ly/3cu5eAI

Website ➜

https://bit.ly/39mr9rw

Clubhouse as @OfeliaMartinez

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway to Win 3 x Paperback copies of Hiding in the Smoke by Ofelia Martinez (Open to Continental USA Only)

*Terms and Conditions –Continental USA entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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Book Blog Tour Stop With Author Guest Post: The Custard Corpses by M.J. Porter

AUTHOR GUEST POST

The Inspiration for writing The Custard Corpses

I think most writers will admit to having had a ‘lockdown’ book. The Custard Corpses was mine. But even so, the inspiration behind The Custard Corpses was a bit weird. It was based on a series of advertisements that ran in the Picture Post magazines in the 1940s and 1950s for Birds Custard.

The advertisements are bright, inviting, they are, to put it bluntly, before their time. They have lovely catchphrases, such as ‘every little helps’ which a well-known supermarket chain in the UK uses now. The black and white images on the coloured background ensure the readers eye is drawn to the happy child, and they do make you want to eat custard. I wanted to share them with as many people as possible so that they could catch a glimpse of these old campaigns. But how could I share them?

Well, my mind works in strange ways, and I began to consider a mystery that would somehow be relevant to the advertisements, so it needed to be set during the period the Picture Post magazine was produced from 1938 to the 1950s. And so, The Custard Corpses.

I set The Custard Corpses during the Second World War, but that was really because it fit with the adverts I’d seen, the added bonus that I could then use the well-known events of the war was a secondary consideration.

Where I set the book was entirely based on the fact that I had family members who’d lived in Erdington at the time. I was able to pick the brains of my Dad for the little details that I didn’t know or couldn’t remember, not that he was born in 1943, but not long after.

It was all quite random, in the end, and there was a swell of little details that I uncovered that just, through pure happenstance, fitted together. It helped that I wanted to try my hand at something more modern than the eleventh century, but still historical. But I’m not an expert on any other time period, so I suppose it was an easy choice to decide on a setting that was just within living memory of some. I couldn’t visit anywhere due to Lockdown, so familiar was best, and using maps of the time period really helped me get a feeling for the location.

I asked my cover designer to create something that was similar to the adverts, but also different because I didn’t want to get into copyright issues. I also decided to use yellow for the main cover image so that it was like custard.

Is this the weirdest reason to have written a book? I am curious to know.

The Custard Corpses, a delicious 1940s mystery.

BLURB

Birmingham, England, 1943.

While the whine of the air raid sirens might no longer be rousing him from bed every night, a two-decade-old unsolved murder case will ensure that Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station is about to suffer more sleepless nights.

Young Robert McFarlane’s body was found outside the local church hall on 30th September 1923. But, his cause of death was drowning, and he’d been missing for three days before his body was found. No one was ever arrested for the crime. No answers could ever be given to the grieving family. The unsolved case has haunted Mason ever since.

But, the chance discovery of another victim, with worrying parallels, sets Mason, and his constable, O’Rourke, on a journey that will take them back over twenty-five years, the chance to finally solve the case, while all around them the uncertainty of war continues, impossible to ignore.

PURCHASE LINK

mybook.to/TheCustardCorpses

AUTHOR BIO

I'm an author of historical fiction (Early English, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest) and fantasy (Viking age/dragon-themed). I’ve recently written a relatively modern mystery novel set in 1943. I was born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since 1066. Raised in the shadow of a strange little building, told from a very young age that it housed the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia and that our garden was littered with old pieces of pottery from a long-ago battle, it's little wonder that my curiosity in Early England ran riot. I can only blame my parents!

I write A LOT. You've been warned!

Find me at www.mjporterauthor.com and @coloursofunison on twitter.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

https://twitter.com/coloursofunison

https://www.instagram.com/m_j_porter/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163404.M_J_Porter

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/coloursofunison/_saved/

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway to Win 2 x copies of The Custard Corpses (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Publication Spotlight & Book Review: The Story Of Our Secrets by Shari Low

The Story Of Our Secrets by Shari Low

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Colm O’Flynn was loved by his close circle of family and friends, however his death came too soon for everyone to make peace with their past.
Shauna, his second wife, adored him. But one night she broke their marriage vows, and didn’t get time to ask Colm’s forgiveness.
Jess was the first Mrs O’Flynn. Her heart is set on someone new, but will the last one night stand she shared with Colm come back to haunt her?
Colm’s best friend, Dan, is recently divorced. Can he take a second shot at happiness if it means betraying the one person who always had his back?
What no-one knows is that somewhere out there Colm left messages that could set them free to start over again.
Can divine intervention help them find Colm’s last wishes before it’s too late to love again?

PURCHASE LINK

https://amzn.to/3DCKmTa

REVIEW

A story of how a group of people are still mourning the death of Colm O'Flynn, five years after a brain tumour took his life prematurely. It's a gripping insight into the lives of those Colm left behind and how they've been coping with their lives.

Pragmatic characters, claustrophobic relationships, living in each other's pockets; a group of adults trying to make sense of their lives. Grief affects them all differently, therefore they don't all see eye to eye when confronted with controversial information because they've kept secrets from each other. It's a roller-coaster ride with brakes because somehow, these people could talk through their problems when confronted with them.

The narrative centres around Shaunna's deceased husband Colm and the video messages he left to his wife and those close to him; his ex-wife, Jess, Dan, his business partner and Lulu. Told from Shaunna and Colm's point of view, the timeline flits between the present and 2016, the year Colm died.

Although this is a stand-alone novel, those who have read The Story Of Our Life will be familiar with Colm and Shaunna. It isn't necessary to have read the earlier book as events from the past are part of the story covered within this novel. Therefore I'm curious to know what Colm's appeal was because I didn't really understand how this man, with so many flaws, could be such a loss to so many people. As a reader, there's nothing wrong with not liking a character, as his inclusion was only part of the sequence of events and the fallout and recovery. However, his messages to his friends are insightful, emotional and straight from the heart.

I've read other books by the author and I enjoyed this one too. Sometimes, it felt like the characters were going around in circles and when I was impatient to keep the story moving. Yet, the author still managed to keep my interest right to the end. I'm not a big fan of epilogues and although it was upbeat and happy, it didn't reveal any surprises.

Overall, a well thought out and written novel by an author whose work I admire.

***arc generously received courtesy of Boldwood Books via NetGalley***

AUTHOR BIO

Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 25 novels, including One Day In Summer, My One Month Marriage, and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.

Social Media Links –

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/sharilow

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sharilowbooks/

Newsletter Sign Up Link http://bit.ly/ShariLowNewsletter

Bookbub profile https://www.bookbub.com/authors/shari-low

Publication Day Push: Never Fall For Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath

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Never Fall for Your Fiancée

The trouble with lies is they have a tendency to catch a man out.

The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, wants is a wife.

But since the only way to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay is the promise of

impending nuptials, Hugh takes the most logical action: he invents a fake fiancée.

It’s the perfect plan – until Hugh learns that his mother is on a ship bound for England to meet his ‘beloved’. He needs a solution fast, and when he collides with a mysterious beauty, he might just have found the answer to his prayers.

Minerva Merriwell is desperate for money to support her sisters, and although she knows that posing as the Earl’s fiancée might seem nonsensical, it’s just too good an offer to refuse.

As the Merriwells descend upon Hugh’s estate, the household is thrown into turmoil as everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight. And with Hugh and Minerva’s romantic ruse turning into the real thing, is true love just one complication too many?

‘Filled with fabulously British banter, wit, and heart,

this delightful book is one of my must-read rom-coms of the year’

PURCHASE LINK

https://books2read.com/neverfalluk

AUTHOR BIO

When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Twenty-two books and two Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, and it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

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

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/VirginiaHeath_

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virginiaheathwrites

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of Never Fall for Your Fiancée (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
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New Publication Spotlight and Author Guest Post: A Secret Gift by Amanda James

A Secret Gift by Amanda James

GUEST POST

Where do I find my Ideas and Inspiration?

As a writer I pick up ideas for new stories almost daily, but of course most of them are snippets, and ‘what ifs’. By this I mean I might overhear part of a conversation in a café or supermarket and make up a little scenario about the people having that conversation. For example, I might hear two women talking and one says – ‘But don’t tell him, I want it to be a surprise.’ Then my mind goes into overdrive. What if she’s just organised a special night in a hotel or something to re-kindle her marriage? Or she’s pregnant? Nice yeah? BUT what if the husband is having an affair with the second woman? That would put a whole new slant on proceedings!

Other times I might see something on the news or read something online which sparks a story in my head. When I wrote A Stitch in Time, which is a time travel novel, it all came from the title. I was trying to think of a catchy title and the whole story just unfolded from that. I was really excited by it and got the whole thing down in about six weeks. This was very speedy, even for me. I’ve never written a novel as fast since. I was a history teacher at the time and was thrilled that I could incorporate many favourite historical periods into the book too.

Sometimes I have no idea where my ideas come from. I’m just glad they keep coming! Until 2019, I was writing domestic-noir/suspense based in Cornwall where I live. I loved setting up the ‘who done it and why?’ dialogue with readers and found it a challenge to think of ever more interesting twists and surprises. But since Covid, and wider problems in the world like climate change for example, planning devious ways in which to bump people off lost its appeal for me. I think there is enough misery in real life, and felt I needed to write uplifting, feel-good fiction. There’s always a sprinkling of magic in there too, which means I can let my imagination off the leash! Comfort reads are the way forward for me now, and I doubt very much that I’ll return to writing suspense.

So, what about inspiration? Where I live hugely inspires me. I adore Cornwall and am inspired by the rugged north coast around where I live. We are only about twenty-minutes away from at least six beaches and I feel at my happiest when I’m walking next to the Atlantic. Something about the salt air and sound of the waves soothes my soul and energises my spirit. Often as I’m walking, gathering pebbles, I sometimes pick up the beginnings of a new story idea too.

Where did the idea come from for A Secret Gift? My daughter gave me some crystals in a little velvet bag for Christmas a few years ago and I found them both a comfort and fascinating. I’ve always been a spiritual person, and have an open mind regarding things beyond the normal day-to-day. My Cornish Connection books published last year explore the psychic phenomenon. The books follow Nancy Cornish as she helps solve crimes, while also helping members of her community in Padstow with a variety of problems.

Okay, back to A Secret Gift and the crystals! Reiki has been practiced for thousands of years and involves the channelling of our internal energy in order to heal ourselves or others. Sometimes, crystals are used to gather extra energy from outside ourselves (the universe) as everything has molecules, atoms and energy. Even inanimate objects. I was surprised to find that when I held the bag of crystals, I had a tingling feeling in my fingers and hand – a definite energy boost! I had experienced this in the past when attempting reiki healing too. These experiences and ideas helped me put together Joy’s story. She’s bequeathed a powerful deathbed gift, but is sworn to secrecy. Her quest is to make people happy…though she doesn’t use crystals in her work, she does use pebbles! But that’s all I’ll say about that for now…

I hope you enjoy the journey with Joy as much as I did. I often think about her and hope she’s happy making people happy with her special gift and being happy at last too. I’d like to catch up with her again one day. You never know, I might just do that!

BLURB

Three years ago, Joy Pentire lost her firefighter husband and she still hasn’t returned to the woman she once was. But then she meets Hope, one of the residents at the nursing home where she’s a carer.

Hope has a secret gift that she wants to pass on.
And Joy’s life is forever changed.

Surrounded by the community in her Cornish hometown, Joy’s unexpected inheritance soon leads to new opportunities, new friends, new love, and the part of herself she’d thought forever lost … her joy.

PURCHASE LINK

https://t.co/yIEdKqKKWB

AUTHOR BIO

Amanda James has written since she was a child, and as an eight-year-old, she asked her parents for a typewriter for Christmas. She never imagined her words would ever be published however. Then in 2010, after many twists and turns, the dream of becoming a writer came true when she had her first short story published for a Born Free anthology. She left teaching in 2013 to pursue her dream full-time.

Originally from Sheffield, Amanda now lives in Cornwall and is inspired every day by the wild and beautiful coastline near her home. She has many suspense novels set there, but her last few books have been uplifting in nature with a twist of magic. She loves writing feel-good reads and has decided the world needs more joy in it right now, and her plan is to write many more novels in that genre. Amanda can usually be found playing on the beach with her family, or walking the cliff paths planning her next book.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter - @amandajames61

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

Book Cover Reveal: A Desert Scorched Rose by C.L. Tustin

A Desert Scorched Rose by C.L. Tustin

BLURB

Conaria 1964...
Leaving London far behind academic Victoria Barrington embarks on the trip of a lifetime, relishing her chance to explore the previously closed desert kingdom of Conaria. But things are not the way she expected and a chance purchase triggers a chain of events that will change everything.

Tadejah, the spoilt son of the king, anything he has ever wanted has been his for the taking. Ruthless, arrogant and passionately patriotic, when he spots a stolen piece of Conarian history on Victoria’s wrist his rage engenders an outrageous plan for its return.

Stranded in the desert, far from civilisation, her guide vanishes leaving Victoria to battle her heart and face the machinations of a man who has never been denied… welcome to Conaria…

PRE-ORDER LINKS

amazon.co.uk/A-Desert-Scorched-Rose-C-L-Tustin-ebook/dp/B09K6Q6QMQ/

amazon.com/A-Desert-Scorched-Rose-C-L-Tustin-ebook/dp/B09K6Q6QMQ/

Publication Date -11th November

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C L Tustin was born and raised in the East Midlands but spent her teenage years in Sydney, Australia. Returning to the UK in 1989 via Singapore and the Middle East the travel bug has never left her and she has explored countries and cities across the world.

C L Tustin began writing at the age of 11 when she didn’t see why James Bond had to be a man and created her own female version. Her first published novel “Escaping from the Shadows” was a romance with an undertone of threat set in the social media free world of 1990; she is currently working on both a prequel and a sequel to this book.

C L Tustin has worked for two major banks, a tool company, the MOD and the NHS. She volunteers for Butterfly Conservation and passionately supports rescue dogs. C L Tustin enjoys sci-fi, writing poetry, visiting cathedrals and has a diverse collection of books.

https://www.facebook.com/C-L-Tustin-Author-109346397535473/