Posted on January 20th, 2010 by Leah
Picking up Giselle Green’s 2009 release Little Miracles, I had no idea what to really expect. Giselle was billed as the ‘British Jodi Picoult’ so I started it eagerly. I absolutely adored it and it won a Chick Lit Award 2009 in Women’s Fiction Book of the Year. Just after I finished reading the book, I emailed Giselle to tell her just how much I’d loved her book. She was thrilled and as well as sending me her other two books (can’t wait to get stuck into them), Giselle also agreed to do an author interview. Now, with her latest book A Sister’s Gift about to hit the shelves, here is that author interview:
1. Tell us about your next novel A Sister’s Gift?
It’s a story of sibling love, rivalry and the extreme lengths people will go to, to achieve their heart’s desire. Hollie, desperate for a baby, asks her blonde bombshell younger sister Scarlett to act as her surrogate. Unwisely perhaps, as Scarlett is the least maternal woman in the world, but when she finally agrees to help she has her own ulterior motive for doing so. Both sisters are blind themselves to the consequences of their actions till the day comes for payback… It’s also, ultimately, about forgiveness.
2. Are you working on a fourth book? (I really hope so!)
I’ll definitely be working on a fourth book sometime soon, but I’ve only just sent this one off. Having come to the end of a three-book contract I’m delighted to have a little bit of space to allow the next book to come in gently. Having said that, I’ve got some interesting thoughts and ideas for what’s coming next…
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Posted on January 20th, 2010 by Leah
Ellen McCarthy’s third novel Silent Crossing was released in December and seems to be one we’ve missed thus far. It was published by Poolbeg Press and sounds like a fantastic and mysterious read. I love the simplicity of the cover. Here’s the synopsis:
A young man emerges from a car crash on a remote road in Boston. Although he walks away unscathed the crash has claimed an innocent life. Sixteen years later Melanie Yeats walks into a Garda station with her hands stained in blood. As she gradually reveals her story the detectives are left with more questions than answers.
What is the connection between Melanie, her missing husband, the car crash in Boston and the death of a young woman? Is Melanie a murderer or a victim? Whose blood is on her hands? Where will her story lead them?
Posted in 2009 Releases, Book News | 1 Comment »
Posted on January 19th, 2010 by Leah
Daisy Keen is a British fashion lover, who dreams of going to Paris. Isabelle Papillon is a young French student desperate to go to England to research Meredith Quince, an author Isabelle believes wrote a secret novel that wasn’t made available to the public domain. After Isabelle places an ad in a newspaper, the girls’ dreams come true and Daisy finds herself in Paris and Isabelle finds herself in London.
As both girls come to terms with living in a strange country and learning a new culture, will they manage to suceed in their dreams? Will Isabelle find Meredith Quince’s secret book and will Daisy manage to find love?
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Posted in 2010 releases, Book Reviews, Rating: 3/5 | 5 Comments »
Posted on January 19th, 2010 by Chloe
We got a copy of Trisha Ashley’s newsletter into our inbox this morning, and Trisha has kindly let all her readers have an exclusive glimpse at the prologue and first chapter of her next book Chocolate Wishes which is due out on 4th March.
If you fancy a read, head over to Trisha’s website and download the PDF file! I’ve had a read and it’s excellent, I can’t wait for the book now!
Read the prologue and first chapter of ‘Chocolate Wishes’
Posted in 2010 releases, Book Extract | No Comments »
Posted on January 19th, 2010 by Chloe
I do love it when the paperback and hardback book covers are totally different! It always strikes me as odd that a publisher would significantly change a cover, and it makes me wonder what was wrong with the first one that they felt they had to alter it for the book’s paperback release?! I was shocked to see the difference in cover between Sam Baker’s fabulous The Step Mothers Support Group cover, because the two versions couldn’t be more different! I did love the pink hardback cover (right), but perhaps it looked a little too pink and girly for the story and themes inside. The paperback cover (left) is far more mature, and the image is actually more signifcant that you might realise, but you’d only understand it once you’ve read the book (cleverly done though I think!). After a bit of thinking, I’ve come to the conclusion I do prefer the paperback version but I’m still so surprised the two covers are so different, after all they’re the same story but now look like they tell 2 separate stories! It seems a cover image is getting more important than ever and I think the effort publishers make with their authors covers shows the shift in this, so perhaps the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is becoming less and less true?!
Which one do you prefer?
Posted in Cover Wars | No Comments »
Posted on January 18th, 2010 by Chloe
A young woman wakes up buried in the snow and has no idea what she is doing there. She’s rescued by a local family, and they take her in, promising to look after her until her memory returns. But after several days, she still has no idea where she is, who she is or what she is doing. The family are looking after her well - daughter Jadie is a delight and has spoken for the first time in years, housekeeper Tara is pleasant but she can sense something is awry, and house owner Vincent is distant but she can feel a spark there.
When Tara’s brother Colin visits and hypnotises her trying to find out something about her past, something is uncovered that none of them expect. Will she ever be able to uncover her identity, or will she be forever stuck with Vincent as his family pretending to be someone she’s not?
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Posted in 2010 releases, Book Reviews, Rating: 5/5 | 3 Comments »
Posted on January 18th, 2010 by Chloe
This book is just made for me! I am a huge rom-com and Hugh Grant fan so when I found out that a new chick lit author has written a book based on a fan of these films and actors, I was so excited! Ali McNamara’s debut novel From Notting Hill with Love… Actually isn’t due out until 25th November so we’ve got a long wait, but it’s one I am really excited for! I also adore the book’s tagline: “She Was Just a Girl, Standing in Front of a Boy… Wishing He Looked More Like Hugh Grant“! Here’s the great sounding synopsis:
“Scarlett O’Brien is in love …with the movies. Utterly hooked on Hugh Grant, crazy about Richard Curtis, dying with lust for Johnny Depp, Scarlett spends her days with her head in the clouds and her nights with her hand in a huge tub of popcorn. Which is not exactly what her sensible, DIY-obsessed fiance David has in mind for their future. So when Scarlett has the chance to house-sit an impossibly grand mansion in Notting Hill, the setting of one of her all-time favourite movies, she jumps at the chance to live out her film fantasies one last time. It’s just a shame that her new neighbour Sean is so irritating, and so irritatingly handsome, too. As a chaotic comedy of her very own erupts around Scarlett, she begins to realise there’s more to life than seating plans and putting up shelves. What sort of happy ending does she really want? Will it be a case of Runaway Bride or Happily Ever After? The big white wedding looms, and Scarlett is running out of time to decide …”
Posted in 2010 releases, Book News | 3 Comments »
Posted on January 17th, 2010 by Leah
In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren and let’s us show off the books we’ve acquired this week (in the post, from the library, bought). We’ll post the titles of our books and, in brackets, where they’re from and we’ll post the picture below!
Leah’s Books This Week: Katy Carter Wants A Hero by Ruth Saberton (my thanks to Ruth for sending me this - I adored it), The More You Ignore Me by Jo Brand (Headline Review), Coming Home by Melanie Rose (AVON)
Chloe’s Books This Week: How To Be Married by Polly Williams (Headline Review), Daughters of Fortune by Tara Hyland (Simon & Schuster), The Celebrity Mother by Deborah Wright (Headline Review), A Mother’s Guide to Cheating by Kate Long (Simon and Schuster), Three Nights in New York by Michelle Jackson (Michelle herself) and The Family Man by Elinor Lipman (Headline Review).
Posted in In Our Mailbox | 4 Comments »
