Archive for August, 2009

Do Not Disturb is set in the world of hotels. Honor Palmer is a hotel heiress who is forced to take over the running of Palmers Hotel in East Hampton when her father dies. The local residents do not take kindly to this so Honor has to build up her reputation again. She has to do this in spite of her publicity-seeking sister Tina who is bleeding the sisters inheritance dry, and a new modern, sleed hotel ran by world-famous hotel Anton Tisch opening up down the road. Not to mention competing with the Spanish womaniser Lucas Ruiz who is running the new Tisch hotel, the Herrick.

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Zoe Foster’s debut novel Air Kisses was released earlier this month, August 6th, and sounds like a fab read. I adore the cover. Not only that but you have to check out Zoe’s website, it’s hilarious. The synopsis for Air Kisses reads:

Is love really more important than lip gloss? Hannah Atkins - the girl most likely to be sporting streaky fake tan and a wobbly trail of liquid eyeliner - has bluffed her way into the position of beauty editor at “Gloss” magazine.

Just as she’s carving a path into the gorgeous world of guerrilla air kisses, she reads about her boyfriend and another girl in the gossip pages of the local newspaper. Then she gets dumped. By text.

Vowing to claw back some dignity and make her ex regret what he’s done, Hannah adopts some hardcore rules - look fabulous, act fabulous, steer clear of unsuitable men. But as her resolution starts to slip away, she finds herself having to decide on more important things than the perfect mascara.

** Read our exclusive interview with Ellie Campbell here **

When Good Friends Go Bad is writing duo Ellie Campbell’s (Lorraine Campbell & Pam Burks) second book. Meg, Jen, Georgina and Rowan were inseparable friends until a childhood prank tore them apart.

Ten years later Rowan calls for her friends to meet her for dinner but she doesn’t show up. Not only that but Meg behaves embarrassingly, Georgina’s secret comes out and Jen decides she’s finally had enough.

Twelve more years go by and Meg manages to convince both Jen & Georgina to help find Rowan…

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This week’s Author of the Week is the lovely Veronica Henry. Veronica has been writing novels since 2002 with the release of her debut Honeycote, which would go on to the the first of a series named after the fictional town of Honeycote. The following books in the series, Making Hay and Just A Family Affair have also been big sellers - Veronica has hinted at a 4th in her interview with us which you can read here. She has also written 4 stand along novels, the latest of which was released in July called Marriage and Other Games. Here’s a bit about Veronica:

“Veronica secured a job on The Archers, where her duties ranged from organising Shula Archer’s wedding photographs with Patrick Lichfield to playing Peaches the barmaid in the Cat and Fiddle.

From there she went to Central Television to script-edit such broadcasting legends as Crossroads and Boon. She then left to have her first child and became a scriptwriter, writing hundreds of hours of broadcast television for Heartbeat, Doctors and Family Affairs amongst others. In 2000, she turned her hand to novels, using her story-lining skills to write compelling, multi-protagonist fiction. She is now a regular member of the Holby City writing team.”

I have read 2 of Veronica’s novels, Love On The Rocks, my first of Veronica’s books and I loved it! I’ve also read her latest book Marriage and Other Games, and you can read my review of it here. Veronica’s next book Starstruck is due out in 2010 and takes a look in the life of a celebrity family, and I can’t wait to read it!

You can find out more about Veronica at her website: http://veronicahenry.co.uk and you can also read our exclusive interview with her here: Veronica Henry Interview.

Isabel Wolff is one of my favourite authors - I’ve just recently reviewed A Vintage Affair and I reviewed Forget Me Not a while back - and I love how her books are so real. I’ve read most of Isabel’s books and have loved them. I was thrilled when Isabel agreed to do an author interview!

1. Describe your novel, A Vintage Affair, in a sentence.

It’s a story of friendship, regret and redemption, set in a vintage dress shop in contemporary south London, and in wartime Provence.

2. Please tell us there will be a next book?! I’ve just finished - and loved - A Vintage Affair so I eagerly await your next novel!

I’m working on it now - it’s a about a portrait painter. I always give my heroines interesting jobs - for example agony aunt, animal behaviourist, radio journalist, vintage dress shop owner etc. - because I think it’s interesting for the reader to learn something about a different world while at the same time having what is, hopefully, an engaging and compelling read.

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Orion has signed a debut author in a two-book deal completed under auction.Senior commissioning editor Sara O’Keeffe acquired the two titles by Rainbow Rowell via Nicola Barr at The Susijn Agency, on behalf of Ralph Vicinanza Associates.

The first of the pair, entitled Flagged, is due out in February 2011. Described as “a gorgeous, sweet, smart and funny romantic comedy”, the novel is set in a newspaper office on the eve of the millennium, at a time “when email was still a novelty”.

During work hours, two young women spend their time emailing each other, discussing “in hilarious detail”, every aspect of their lives. By night, a “shy IT worker”, who is monitoring emails, finds himself enjoying their correspondence a little too much, and ends up falling in love with one of them.

I have to say, it sounds like a fab read and it’s such a shame we have to wait until 2011!

From The Bookseller.

Annie Curtis has decided enough is enough with philanderer husband Mark, and on Christmas Day tells him their marriage is over.

They decide to carry on living together with their dog Fluffy in order to maintain an amicable divorce, but that is thrown into chaos when Mark decides to go for full custody of Fluffy.

Annie is outraged because to her, the dog is her baby. Annie is determined to win the battle between the pair as several shocking truths come out, and Annie’s life is turned upside down…

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Jo Carnegie’s second book in the Churchminster series Naked Truths, is due out on 8th October and carries on from her first novel, Country Pursuits. The synopsis reads:

Newly-weds Caro and Benedict have swapped country life in Churchminster for an exclusive London mews. It’s blissful …until Benedict’s sister arrives, bringing with her a dangerous secret.

Fashionable socialite Saffron lives next door. She always thought the countryside was boring, but when she’s invited to Churchminster she’s shocked to learn just how dirty rural life can get.

Saffron’s boss, workaholic editor Catherine, is fighting to save her ailing magazine. But her scandalous past threatens to destroy everything, especially when rugged builder John Milton strides into her life.