Archive for August 11th, 2009

We finally have the cover for Julia Williams’ next novel Last Christmas - how lovely is that?! It’s due out on October 5th and since I loved her first two novels I can’t wait to read this one!:

Catherine Tinsall is gearing up for Christmas – in the middle of summer. As the Writer in Chief on Happy Homes magazine, she is putting together a ‘perfect Christmas’ competition, to remind readers of the festive season’s true meaning.

In the sleepy Shropshire village of Hope Christmas, Marianne Mistletan enters with the suggestion that her village’s nativity play be held in the ancient chapel of Fitzcross Manor, home to the St Nicholas family. Catherine is completely entranced by the idea, and Marianne to her delight finds that she has won.

Waiting in the wings to help Marianne organise the set design is the cool and charismatic Joe Carpenter, who may or may not be just what she wants for Christmas. Meanwhile, for Catherine, the Happy Homemaker image is wearing thin, as her fifteen-year old marriage appears to be in trouble.

Then tragedy strikes and Catherine is forced to reassess her priorities, and work out what the perfect Christmas really means. And overseeing it all, is the figure of John St Nicholas, lord of the manor and perhaps, for some, a Christmas angel! For anyone who’s wondered whether Christmas is over-priced hype, think again

We have no title and no cover but we do have the synopsis for Milly Johnson’s next novel! It’s due for release on 4th March 2010 and sounds fab!:

When dynamic, power-dressing Christie blows in like a warm wind to take over their department, five very different women find themselves thrown together at work. But none of them could have predicted the fierce bond of friendship that her leadership would inspire …

Anna, 39, is reeling from the loss of her fiance, who ran off with a much younger woman. Her pride in tatters, these days Anna finds it difficult to leave the house. So when a handsome, mysterious stranger takes an interest in her, she’s not sure whether she can learn to trust again?

Then there’s Grace, in her fifties, trapped in a loveless marriage with a man she married because, unable to have children of her own, she fell in love with his motherless brood. Grace worries that Dawn is about to make the same mistake: orphaned as a child, engaged to love-rat Calum, is Dawn more interested in the security that comes with his tight-knit, boisterous family? When a sexy, footloose rock singer catches her eye, will Dawn have the courage to follow her heart?

At 28, Raychel is the youngest member of their little gang. And with a loving husband, Ben, and a cosy little nest for two, she would seem to be the happiest. But what dark secrets are lurking behind this perfect facade, that make sweet, pretty Raychel so guarded and unwilling to open up?

Under Christie’s warm hand, the girls soon realise they have some difficult choices to make. Indeed, none of them quite realised how much they needed the sense of fun, laughter, and loyalty that abounds when five women become friends. It’s one for all, and all for one!

Most people would think Annie Baker had it all: an idyllic life in the country and a fabulous job as a film producer. And so would she, if it weren’t for the men in her life.

Her six-year-old son Charlie gets traumatised if she buys the wrong kind of sausages. Her tempestuous boss Barney is a Great Director, but keeps getting stuck with dog food commercials, and as for Lawrence, well, he just wants to get her fired.

And then she meets Mack…

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Melanie Rose’s second novel, Coming Home, is due for release on 7th January 2010 and sounds like a fabulous read. I also love the cover! The synopsis reads:

Ever experienced deja vu? An enchanting and magical novel from the author of Could It Be Magic? A freak snowstorm leaves a young woman unconscious and stranded. Coming to, she has no recollection of who she is or how she happened to be stuck in the middle of unfamiliar countryside. All she recalls is the warm arms of a passing stranger coming to her rescue and carrying her to safety!

She awakes in an idyllic country cottage, a cottage belonging to Vincent, a recently widowed city banker who uses it as his rural getaway. Dashing and polite, the woman can’t think of a better knight in shining armour. While the housekeeper isn’t best pleased abut her arrival, Vincent’s six-year-old daughter Jadie, can hardly contain her excitement, chattering away excitedly.

Trouble is, she’s been mute for the past two years! As she struggles with flashbacks to her past, memories come back to the woman which aren’t her own, bringing with them a stream of questions. What secrets does Vincent hide? Why has Jadie being silent for so long? Will she ever discover her true identity? Or is she, as Jadie believes, an angel come to save them all? An enchanting and magical novel about forgotten lives and second chances for fans of Cecelia Ahern and Sophie Kinsella.

Check out our review of Melanie’s fabulous debut novel, Could It Be Magic?.