Thursday, May 31, 2018

Freda Lightfoot ~ an interview and her novel ~ Girls of the Great War


I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME AUTHOR
Freda Lightfoot







BIO
I was born in a small mill town in Lancashire. My mother comes from generations of weavers, and my father was a shoe-repairer. I still remember the first pair of clogs he made for me. After several years of teaching, I opened a bookshop in Kendal, Cumbria. And while living in the rural Lakeland Fells, rearing sheep and hens, I turned to writing. I wrote over fifty articles and short stories for magazines such as My Weekly and Woman’s Realm, before finding my vocation as a novelist and became a Sunday Times Bestselling author. I’ve now written over forty-eight novels, mostly sagas and historical fiction, my three latest books, including Girls of the Great War, out in May are published by Amazon Lake Union. I spend warm winters living in Spain, and the rainy summers in Britain.





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BANTER – STUFF ABOUT YOU
Q: Tell me one thing about each of the four seasons you like. It can be anything.
A: Winter =I spend winter in Spain, as it is warm and attractive.
     Spring =Wonderful to see the new plants and flowers come out, which is when I do some gardening.
     Summer =We live each summer in the UK, much cooler but delightful and gives me the opportunity to meet family and writer friends.
     Fall =Autumn is filled with beautifully colored trees, which I love.

Q: Tell me something you would like your readers (fans) to know about you.
A: That I love writing sagas, historical fiction and romance and rarely stop writing. I always find a host of ideas to absorb me.

Q: Tell me one thing that your spouse does that really endears him/her to you. One thing that annoys you. These can be tiny little things, actually the smaller the better.
A: My darling husband keeps track of sales and the bank, having retired from being a lawyer, which I find most helpful. He also often does the cooking and washing, bless him, since I spend so much time writing. But I admit that he’s not terribly tidy, such is the reality of a lovely busy man.

BOOKS – ABOUT THE CRAFT
Q: When did you start writing and why?
A: I spent many hours as a youngster writing stories in little red exercise books, always having wanted to be a writer but it was not until I sold my bookshop and we moved out to the remote Lakeland fells, that I became thoroughly involved in writing. The object was to send out novels faster than they came back. Not easy, but eventually I succeeded and wrote for Mills & Boon, then sagas for Hodder and other publishers. My three latest books, including Girls of the Great War, out in May, are published by Amazon Lake Union.

Q: Where do you get your ideas?

A: I was originally inspired by memories of my family, my own life in Lancashire, the Lakes and later Cornwall. All the places I have lived have given me ideas. And of course I also do lots of research for sagas and historical fiction, as I always find that fascinating.

Q: Do you always know how a story will end when you begin writing it?

A: Generally I have no notion of how the story might end until I am almost there. I concentrate upon the characters and main theme of the story until the conclusion finally comes to me. This often happens at night in bed, or after I’ve done quite a lot of editing. Once I know what will happen to my main characters, I stop fretting and write the end with fast eagerness.

BOOKS - NOW LETS PROMOTE – STRUT YOUR STUFF

Q: What are you working on now? Would you like to share anything about it?
A: I’m currently researching details of my next historical book, but only plan a short part of it at first, until I get to know my characters well.

Q: Do you have a new book coming out soon? Tell us about it.
A: My latest book is Girls of the Great War, published by Amazon Lake Union.

BLURB:
Cecily Hanson longs to live life on her own terms—to leave the shadow of her overbearing mother and marry her childhood sweetheart once he returns from the Great War. But when her fiancĂ© is lost at sea, this future is shattered. Looking for meaning again, she decides to perform for the troops in France.

Life on the front line is both rewarding and terrifying, and Cecily soon finds herself more involved—and more in danger—than she ever thought possible. And her family has followed her to France. Her sister, Merryn, has fallen for a young drummer whose charm hides a dark side, while their mother, Queenie—a faded star of the stage tormented by her own secret heartache—seems set on a path of self-destruction.

As the war draws to a close and their hopes turn once again to the future, Cecily and Merryn are more determined than ever to unravel the truth about their mother’s past: what has she been hiding from them—and why?

EXCERPT:
Girls of the Great War - A section of - Chapter One

Christmas 1916

Lights dimmed as a man dressed as Pierrot in a bright blue costume and pantaloons, peaked hat and a huge yellow bow beneath his chin, skipped merrily on to the stage singing ‘All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor’. He was quickly joined by a troop of dancing girls. They too were dressed like Pierrots, all of them looking ravishing in a pink costume with a wide frilled collar, long swirling skirt decorated with fluffy bobbles, and a tight-fitting black hat. They were complete visions of beauty who brought forth roars of excited approval from the audience. Pierrot waved his gloved hands at them, the theatre being packed with British and Belgian soldiers who responded with cheers and whistles.

Cecily smilingly watched from the wings as she loved to do most evenings. A part of her ached to join the singers, something her mother would never agree to. Viewing herself as the star performer she expected her daughters to wait upon her hand, foot and fingers. Not that Cecily believed herself to be a good assistant, being too involved with working as a conductor on the electric trams now that most men were caught up in the war. Her mother disapproved of that. Cecily, however, firmly believed in making her own choices in life.

Feeling a gentle tap on her shoulder, she found her sister at her side. ‘Her royal highness Queenie requires your assistance,’ Merryn whispered, her pretty freckled face wrapped in a jokey grin. ‘I’ve been dismissed, as she’s engaged in her usual bossy mood.’

‘Oh, not again!’ Stifling a sigh, Cecily accompanied Merryn back to the dressing room. Gazing in the mirror she recognised the familiar lack of focus in her mother’s blue eyes, proving she’d again been drinking. Despite seeing herself as a star, Queenie too often felt the need to overcome a sense of stage fright before she performed.

‘Merryn has made a total mess of my hair,’ she stuttered in a slurry voice.

‘I’m sure she didn’t mean to, Mama,’ Cecily calmly remarked, and reaching for a brush began to divide her mother’s curly blonde hair across the back of her head.

‘Never call me by that name. You know how I hate it.’

She’d chosen to name herself Queenie years ago as she considered it more appropriate for her career than Martha, the name she was born with. And that was what she required her daughters to call her, having no wish to be reminded of her age. Merryn seemed to accept this. Cecily always felt the need to remind her of their true relationship, which irritatingly was not an easy one. She carefully twisted up a small strand of her mother’s hair and clipped it, then tucked the other portions neatly around before pinning them together with a glittering silver hair slide on the top of her head.

Grabbing a curl, Queenie pulled it down to loop it over her left ear. ‘I’ve no wish for my hair to be all pinned up. Flick some over my ears.’

‘I thought you liked to look as neat and tidy as possible, Mama,’ Cecily said.

‘No, fluff it out, silly girl. How useless you are.’

Cecily felt quite inadequate at this job and checked her success or lack of it by viewing her mother in the mirror. She was a slender, attractive woman with a pale complexion, pointed chin and ruby lips frequently curled into a pout, as they were doing now. But she was also vain, conceited, overly dramatic, emotionally unstable, selfish, overbearing and utterly neglectful. Queenie was never an easy woman to please, even when she was stone-cold sober. She was an exhibitionist and a star who demanded a great deal of nurturing and support, a task Merryn was extremely skilled and happy to do, save for when Queenie was completely blotto, as she was now. And having been scolded and dismissed countless times when her mother was drunk, her sister would sit in the corner reading Woman’s Weekly, taking not the slightest interest. Once Queenie sobered up she would happily treat her younger daughter as her favourite child in order to make Cecily feel unwanted, even though she’d done her best to help. Not that she ever felt jealous about this, always eager to act as a surrogate mother towards her beloved sister as Queenie could be equally neglectful of them both, wrapped up in herself and her tours.

Q: How can we find you? Do you have a web page, FaceBook page or any buy links?
A: Yes, I do. Here they are.
     Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freda-Lightfoot-Books/149641371839646
     Twitter: @fredalightfoot
     Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/448774.Freda_Lightfoot
     My Blogspot: http://www.fredalightfoot.blogspot.com/

If you wish to be kept up to date on new titles and contests, sign up on my website http://www.fredalightfoot.co.uk to subscribe to my Newsletter: I only send out 4 or 5 a year so your inbox won’t be flooded.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2wKaX2y
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2rGc528

Q: Are you currently participating in a blog tour? If you are let’s tell everyone where you’re going to be so they can catch up with you again.
A: I am. You can catch up with me here:

GIVEAWAY!




Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/freda-lightfoot-3/


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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Bea Stevens ~ presents ~ Best Foot Forward


Title: Best Foot Forward
Author: Bea Stevens
Genre: Contemporary Romance





BLURB:
Liberty ‘Libby’ Lawrence adores designer labels – even though she can’t afford many. And she especially loves shoes. Her favourites are Christian Louboutins – though not those fake ones Bianca Morrison-Wright gets from the market (the red paint rubs off the soles and everything!)

She’s working as a manager (albeit junior manager) at a London hotel, when the boss announces that there has been a theft from his office. Libby couldn’t help noticing some strange marks on his carpet when she was called in for a reprimand recently (not that it was her fault, or anything) which lead her to surmise who the thief is.

Detective Sergeant James Harper, the hunky policeman who is assigned the case, seems interested in her theory – until she names her number one suspect. Libby is devastated, not only because he doesn’t believe her but – more importantly – that this guy knows NOTHING about shoes!

As Libby struggles to convince the sergeant that her hunch is right, her boss that she’s ready for promotion and herself that she’s not really falling for the gorgeous copper, she realises that maybe she’s wrong about the theft, she’s not suited to the hotel industry and that the handsome hunk is married!










AUTHOR BIO:
Author of Chick Lit, lover of chocolate (and doesn’t think it’s pure coincidence that the two sound similar!) Has a penchant for shoes, bags, clothes (the usual necessities), and socialising with friends, family and anyone else who gets dragged along.

Hopes you enjoy her books, get her humour, don’t object to her use of British spellings (as Facebook clearly does!) and keep in touch!

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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Lara Ward Cosio ~ presents ~ Looking for Trouble


Title: Looking For Trouble
Author: Lara Ward Cosio
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Rogue Series Extra




This book can be read as a stand-alone.

BLURB:
I'm Danny Boy. No surname needed. Even though Shay Donnelly, the drummer for Rogue, is my baby brother, everyone in the whole of Dublin--hell, maybe even all of Ireland--knows me as Danny Boy. It's all I've ever been called.

But Ms. Amelia Patterson, my therapist extraordinaire, thinks it's time I go back to formalities. She says it's only right now that I'm closing in on forty years of age and am trying to improve myself. I have no illusions over the ways in which I've manipulated and hurt others just to get by, but something has changed.

What makes the difference this time? How do I know I won't slip back into my old ways again? That's what Ms. Patterson wants to know.

So, I'll keep on with the sessions, both to please my brother, and because I'll need them more than I know. Especially once *she* enters my life and not only tests everything I've fought for, but threatens Rogue by stirring up the past.

It won't be easy--my life never is--but now I've got a dog named Roscoe, a therapist named Ms. Patterson, and an unexpected, but welcome, new band of brothers backing me. All I need to do is stop looking for trouble.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
Looking For Trouble takes place in parallel with the timeline of Finding Rhythm (Rogue Series #4), so, while it can be read as a stand-alone, incidents from Finding Rhythm will be referenced. Fans of the Rogue Series will be happy to see that all the guys - Gavin, Conor, Shay, and Martin- make appearances in this book.


BUY LINKS:








Author Bio:
Lara Ward Cosio is the author of the Rogue Series - books that feature complex, flawed, and ultimately redeemable rockers and bad boys, and the women they love. When not writing, Lara can be found chasing her daughters around the house or at the beach, always with music on in the background.

Find Lara here:
Website
Signup for news on the Rogue Series
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
BookBub

Book+Main Bites: @LaraWardCosio



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Monday, May 28, 2018

SC Daiko ~ presents ~ Brute

Title: Brute
Author: SC Daiko
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 25th





He’s bad. He’s broken. And he likes it rough.

Daniel Collins… hunky single dad… and my neighbor.

Arrogant, bad-mannered, and reclusive.

They call him the Brute.

I should stay away from him… except I can’t.

Not when he reveals his brokenness,

and I glimpse the pain in his eyes.

Not when his touch unravels me,

and the heat between us could set the oceans alight.

But play with fire, and you will get burned.

A fragile heart can easily be broken again.

**

From international bestselling author SC Daiko comes a super-hot, angsty standalone contemporary romance.



My cottage backs onto woodland, and there’s a path leading through it. Birdsong and the scent of blackberries fills the air. I let Toby off his leash and he immediately starts foraging for anything edible… wild fruit being his favourite snack.

I leave him to it and stride on ahead, knowing he’ll catch up in good time. Soon I come to a glade where the trees have been thinned out. Oh shit, standing in the middle of the clearing is Daniel. He’s bare-chested and dressed in running shorts, doing stretching exercises braced against a fallen tree trunk.

I slow my footsteps, treading quietly on mouldy old leaves, and rake my gaze over him. His thick almost-black hair is dripping sweat; it falls down his face and the back of his solid neck. His beard is unkept and wild-looking. But it’s his powerful body that mesmerises me and I study the tats on his muscular arms, tempted to get closer for a better look. God, he’s beautiful, I suddenly realise. Beautiful but freaking scary at the same time.

I release a slow breath. Stop it, Cat. You shouldn’t be looking at him that way. The man in front of you is a brute. You need to keep your distance from him.

Slowly, my heart pounding against my ribcage, I turn around and prepare to make my way back down the path. Except, Toby comes bounding up and starts to bark.

Dammit!

Daniel freezes on the spot. His eyes crash into mine, and if I was scared before now I’m practically peeing myself. He straightens himself to his full height, still glaring at me, not saying a word.

Toby keeps barking, but he’s also wagging his tail. I grab hold of his collar and fasten the lead. “Sorry to disturb you.” I bite at my lips. “We’ll get out of your way.”

He arches an eyebrow. “So, you weren’t following me?”

“Oh, God, no. We were just going for a walk.”

I’m still staring at his tats, trying to decipher the intricate patterns. He catches my gaze, and I feel my face burning up.

“Get on with your walk, then,” he says through gritted teeth. “Leave me alone.”

My fingernails dig into the palms of my hands. “No need to be bad-mannered.”

He crosses his arms in front of his broad chest and lets out an edgy laugh.

“You are an asshole,” I spin around, “the rudest man I’ve ever met.”

He laughs again and keeps laughing mockingly as I stride off down the pathway, Toby at my heel.











SC Daiko, aka Siobhan (pronounced Shivawn), is an award-winning, international bestselling contemporary romance author. Originally from the UK, she now lives in Italy with her husband and two cats. Nothing makes her happier than connecting with readers and fellow authors.



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Friday, May 25, 2018

Quentin Smith ~ guest post and his novel ~ Sweet Bergamasque


TITLE: Sweet Bergamasque
RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2017
AUTHOR: Quentin Smith
CATEGORIES: Historical/Military/Adventure
PAGE COUNT: 384
ISBN: 978-1544887418
IMPRINT: White Stag



KEYWORDS: War, Wine, Adventure, Romance, Tragedy, France, Historical

ONE LINER:
How the French kept their best wines from the Germans in WW2: wine maker Jean-Marc joins the resistance to steal back their national treasure.

SYNOPSIS:
Jean-Marc is nurturing his first decent Bordeaux vintage in a decade when the German army invades France in June 1940. His decision not to flee with his wife and children will haunt him throughout the war, but when he loses his wine farm to the occupiers and is forced to hide in his neighbour’s cave cellars, the opportunity to join the maquis and retaliate is irresistible. Amongst his new comrades is the enigmatic Monique and their journey is one of bravery, unexpected romance and eventual tragedy, leaving Jean-Marc out for revenge.



GUEST POST:
My interest in European history, WW2 and my love for French wine and summer vacations in south-west France form the backbone to the birth of this book. While enjoying an August vacation several years ago in Villefranche, which is not far from Bordeaux, I found a very old book about the history of German occupation of France’s premier wine regions: Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux. Many high ranking Nazis loved their French wines and gave orders for plundering the very best of France’s national treasure back to Berlin. They sent special weinfĂĽhrers to each region to oversee the steady supply of wine and to keep the local producers in line. There was a great deal of collaboration, illicit dealing as well as covert and dangerous support for the French resistance amongst the wine producers. I devoured the book with intense interest, came home and managed to find a copy of the book because I knew immediately that the theme of German occupation of Bordeaux told from the wine makers perspective would make for a superb novel. There is always a great deal of planning, research and thought that precedes any writing for me, so it probably took another couple of years before I was ready and finished with other projects. The result is Sweet Bergamasque, told from the perspective of a relatively humble wine grower outside St Emilion, Jean-Marc, who happens to be Jewish (as many of the French wine growers were) and therefore has to hide from the occupying Germans. I wanted conflict so I created diverse and strong-willed characters amongst the resistance group who would clash instantly with the humble wine grower. Typically amongst the French, there is a lot of jealousy - between Jean-Marc and his more successful neighbor, between members of the resistance and Jean-Marc for his romance with Monique. There had of course to be romance and Monique is not quite what she seems, which ultimately is her downfall, but she and Jean-Marc are like-minded in their goals against the Germans and inevitably fall in love. Tragedy is never far away with war and romance as intertwined themes.


AUTHOR BIO:
In addition to being an anaesthetist, Quentin Smith has a long-standing passion for writing. He has published articles and papers in The British Journal of Anaesthesia, Anaesthesia News, Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Hospital Medicine, Today’s Anaesthetist, Spark, and Insight.

Following a five year term as editor of Today’s Anaesthetist, he undertook creative writing study through The Writing School, New College Durham, The London School of Journalism including a coveted place on the Curtis Brown Creative fiction course in 2014.

He is the author of three previously published novels: The Secret Anatomy of Candles (Matador 2012); Huber’s Tattoo (Matador 2014); 16mm of Innocence (Matador 2015). Huber’s Tattoo was runner-up in The People’s Book Prize 2015 and 16mm of Innocence was a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2016. His recent novels reveal his interest in European history and the Second World War in particular.



AUTHOR LINKS:
http://www.quentinsmithbooks.com
http://www.twitter.com@Quentin Smith
http://www.facebook.com/quentinsmithbooks


PURCHASE HERE:
AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073GD6L78
AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073GD6L78
AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B073GD6L78
BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-bergamasque-quentin-smith/1126712535?ean=9781544887418
CREATESPACE: https://www.createspace.com/7033443
PAPERBACK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544887418/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499997479&sr=1-1&keywords=sweet+bergamasque


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