Book & A Brew With Ritu | But I Smile Anyway...

Book & A Brew with Ritu and @jeevanicharika @RhodaBaxter Knowing Me, Knowing You#BookReview #BookAndABrew #BlogTour

16 Jan 2024 8 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book & A Brew With Ritu, Book Review, Emma Jackson, Witch You weren't Here

How exciting to have another Desi author to chew the fat with! Today, the lovely Jeevani Charika joins me for a Book and a Brew.

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Jeevani! Let’s get you set with a drink first. Tea,
coffee, hot chocolate, or maybe a masala chai?

Tea, please! Milk, no sugar.

I have a few freshly baked chocolate-coated shortbread cookies, or if you want something a
little more savoury, I have chevda!

Chocolate-coated shortbread is the best shortbread! I’ll have some of that, please.

So, could you tell me a bit about your journey to becoming a published author, Jeevani?

I wrote my first book back in the mid-2000s. I’d finished my PhD and suddenly I had
time in the evenings. We didn’t have a TV, so I started writing that book I’d always
been promising myself I’d write. It took three years for me to write it, fitting it into
the slivers of the evening after a long commute to London. That first book was about
two British Sri-Lankans. It was regular women’s fiction about their friendship and not
about their ‘otherness’ because they were Asian.
I started sending it out and got rejections (just like everyone else does!), but I got a
few handwritten notes on the standard rejection slip – you still had to send
submissions by post in those days. These notes were along the lines of ‘You can
write, but I don’t know where I’d sell this book’. (Rolling my eyes… I do know what you are talking about!) Those scraps of good feedback gave me hope.
I joined the Romantic Novelists Association’s New Writers Scheme and sent the book
in for a critique. The report I got back was super useful. Right at the end, the
reviewer said ‘You have a romcom voice crying to get out, have you thought about
writing something for fun?’. I took that advice to heart and wrote a romcom about a
white couple – Girl On The Run – and started submitting that. I got an offer from a
small US ebook publisher within about a year.

You wrote under a pen name of Rhoda Baxter, initially, before using Jeevani Charika.
What prompted the change?

When I got my contract for Girl On The Run, my publisher asked me if I was going to use a
pen name. I did my PhD on a bacterium called Rhodobacter, so I called myself Rhoda Baxter.
I wrote about ten books as Rhoda Baxter. I will probably write more.
I still wanted to write books where the main characters happen to be Sri Lankan, so I wrote
another book like that and queried agents again. (By this time I had four books traditionally
published, but still had no agent). When Girl Having a Ball was shortlisted for an RNA award I wrote out something like 20 agent submissions and sent them all out on the day the award
shortlists were announced. One agent got back to me. I met her for the first time at the
awards ceremony and she signed me the following week.
I’m getting to the point, I promise.

This is all important stuff. I think you need some more sugar. Here!

Yes please. I’d love another biscuit. Thanks.
Where was I? Oh yes. The agent. She started sending my book out and got lots of rejections
(she was incensed because someone actually said to her ‘We have a diverse author already’
as part of a discussion!). Around this time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their
engagement. My agent was chatting to an editor who said they would love to work with an
author of colour to write about a woman of colour who married a prince. The problem was,
the book had to be written in just under 3 months. When my agent said this, I thought ‘Sure.
I’m up for a challenge,’ and said yes. It was a stressful few months, but Christmas At The
Palace was written at top speed and was published just before the royal wedding. They
wanted to use my real name for that book. So I was finally published as Jeevani Charika.
That very first book I wrote – the one that took 3 years to write. It was finally published in
2019 by Hera Books as A Convenient Marriage. It was shortlisted for an RNA award. I didn’t
win, but the lady who did win that category was Sue Moorcroft … who was the person who
wrote the NWS report that steered me towards romcoms! What an achievement!

How have you found the publishing industry as a Desi author? One thing I love about
your writing is that you use Desi characters, but make sure the story is not about
their ‘desi-ness’ rather use that element of them as an added masala or flavour to
the story in general.

Yes, yes! It’s something I feel strongly about. For the longest time, you didn’t see
South Asian (or any other ethnic minority) characters just being people and going
about their lives. They were always in books weighed down by the immigrant
struggle. I think society influences art, but art influences society, too. If the only
brown people you see in books and films are the stereotypical struggling immigrants,
then you are left with the impression that that’s all they can be.
In real life, brown people do things like fall in love, have family drama and solve
crimes. So why can’t you see them in the books, too?
The example I like to quote is the kids show Marrying Mum and Dad. My kids
watched that and didn’t bat an eyelid when it was ‘Marrying Mum and Mum’ or
Marrying Dad and Dad’ as it sometimes was. Partly because of this representation,
they are growing up feeling that it’s completely normal to have different
combinations of parents. This is as it should be. Art influences how we see the world
around us.
I remember, when I watched Monsoon Wedding, it blew my mind, because I finally
saw Asian people I recognised. I know people like that. I could relate to them in a
way that I couldn’t relate to the people in East is East.
I’m so glad that we are seeing more books about Asian people just being people
now. We get to fall in love, or solve crime, or have space adventures as main
characters! YES!

I’ve read most of your books, written under Jeevani Charika, and loved each and
every one! Do you have a favourite out of the books you have published so far?

Let me just shut the door so that the books can’t hear… Yes. Yes I do.
I love all the books I’ve written, but A Convenient Marriage is my favourite Jeevani
Charika book. That was the first book I read by you, too! I have a gorgeous paperback of it! It was the first book I wrote, so that makes it special, but it’s also set partly in Oxford in the 90s and the settings are drawn from my memories of my time
as a student. (Random aside – A friend from college read it and asked me if I’d
experienced some of the micro-agressions that the character faced in Oxford. I said
yes, and he said, ‘but I was there. I didn’t see that. I had to gently point out that he,
as a privately educated white boy, might have had a slightly different experience
than I, a state educated Asian kid from Yorkshire had done. Bless.)

Do you have a special place where you do all your creating and writing? Somewhere
away from the craziness of family?

I write in bed. I’ve tried writing at a desk – I get backache. Writing at the kitchen table
is just nonsense because people keep asking me for things. The only place that
seems to work is writing tucked up in bed. It’s warmer too.
When I worked full-time, I wrote for 2 hours every night once the kids were in bed.
Now that I’m freelance, I still find my best writing time is those 2 hours at night once
the kids are in bed. I seem to have trained my brain into being creative between 8
and 10pm.

You love a bit of Canva, too, don’t you? Definitely a bit of an expert, there! I’ve
watched many of your videos to see how to use certain features. Do you design your
own covers on there, or does the publisher do them?

The publishers do the covers for my traditionally published books. I make my own covers for
the self published books. I initially started learning how to use Canva because my first
couple of publishers gave me no marketing assets at all, apart from the book cover, so I had
to learn how to make some images. I gradually got hooked. I started making Canva tutorials
because I spent so much time playing with Canva for fun. I really enjoy doing it. I’ve started
making little bundles of ready made promo images for authors to use – you just drag and
drop your own book cover into it and you’re good to go.
I usually play with Canva at night, when the words have run out and I just want to make
something for fun.

Let’s get back to your latest release, Knowing Me, Knowing You. I always love a book
with some characters from previous stories making appearances, so that was great!
Did you plan for this to happen?

Knowing Me, Knowing You started with Gihan, who had a tiny part in both Playing For Love
and Picture Perfect. I had to work out why he was behaving the way he was in Picture
Perfect and then I built the story from there. I like following the stories of minor characters
in later books. In my head, these people are real, and I want to know more about them. I
also like that I get to go and check on the characters from past books as well. I know that feeling. My first novel wasn’t meant to be a series, but the side characters kept shouting to me to write their stories!

Cancer features in several ways within this story, and is something that has touched
each and every one of us, as loved ones succumb, or even us ourselves. What
prompted you to use the big C within this story?

I often write about grief. I don’t know why, but it’s something that pulls at me every single
time. The connection to cancer came partly because of the heroine (Alex)’s job. My day job
is in university IP and I used to see so many cancer detection tests and cancer treatments
come up and then never get anywhere because there was no funding to take the
investigations further. So it fit very well into the rest of the story. Also, I already knew that Gihan’s mother had died from cancer, quite quickly, because it’s mentioned in Playing For
Love (where his sister is the main character).
My books often have a touch of darkness in them, but I think that’s okay, so long as there’s
a happy ending.

Gihan is a sweetheart, honestly, but I do think Penelope may have stolen the show
as a cute little pup! Do you like to write animals into your stories?

I should write more stories with dogs. I don’t often write about animals because I’m too lazy
to do the research to find out what it’s like keeping different pets. We had pet dogs when I
was little, so I guess I could write about dogs fairly easily. We had two pet rats until this
summer, so I could write about rats, I suppose (they’re very cute and full of personality).
Maybe one day.

I love to be nosy and ask this. What is next for Jeevani Charika? Any sequels, or new
projects you can tell us about?

The next book is called The Winner Bakes It All and it’s about Mal, who runs a keto/
low carb cafe and Elodie who runs a cake shop. They disagree about more than just
carbohydrates.
The book originally had a working title of ‘Man Buns’ but I wasn’t allowed to keep
that title, which is a pity.
One fun thing about writing about a guy who cooks keto food is that I was able to
mention the use of the ketogenic diet to control epilepsy. I’m mum to a keto kid, so I
know how lonely it is to be the mum that has to feed her kid specific foods that go
completely against the dietary advice we’ve been given all our lives. If the book helps
someone feel less alone in their daily measuring and calculating fat and carb ratios,
then that can only be a good thing.

That sounds really interesting, Jeev! I can’t wait to read it!

Right, looks like the biscuits are finished. We got through those fast! Thank you so much for coming over, today. It has been a pleasure. 😊

Thank you so much for having me today. 😊

The Blurb

Don’t miss this uplifting second-chance enemies-to-lovers romance from the author of RNA award-shortlisted Playing for Love! ❤️

Five years ago, Alex met the man of her dreams on New Year’s Eve – but he never called. Years later, and after a string of failed relationships, she’s given up on men and accepted that ‘New Year’s Eve Guy’ will always be the one who got away.

Until the day he turns up in her office – a management consultant tasked with ‘streamlining’ the company. New Year’s Eve Guy – Gihan – might shut down Alex’s team!

Gihan is as just as gorgeous as Alex remembers, and she swears there’s still a connection between them. As she gets to know the real Gihan, will sparks continue to fly – or will Alex have to accept that the man she knew as New Year’s Eve Guy was never real to start with?

Tropes:
❤️❤️Second chance love
💼 Office romance
⚔️Enemies to lovers
🏡Small town
🐶Cute dog friend!

Knowing Me Knowing You – https://books2read.com/KMKY

A Convenient Marriage – https://books2read.com/AConvenientMarriage

Christmas At The Palace – www.books2read.com/u/38g8aa

Girl On The Run (Rhoda Baxter) – https://books2read.com/mlKGaZ

My Review

Knowing Me Knowing You by Jeevani Charika
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alex is a little unlucky in relationships. She seems to fall, a little too quickly, in love, and that can scare off a guy. After a particularly harsh break-up, one New Year’s Eve, she meets the perfect stranger, and after sharing some special moments, she never hears from him again.
Until five years later, when he turns up. At her workplace. With a high chance that he might recommend she be made redundant.
Gihan, the man in question, is a good guy, though. So many misunderstandings, both five years ago and during the course of a couple of months in the present, mean that he is not always shown in the best light to her.
It’s not so much enemies to lovers as misunderstood yearnings and missed chances.
There are references to cancer throughout which are dealt with sensitivity.
I love a bit of contemporary fiction that has South Asian representation in it, and Jeevani Charika does this well. She incorporates a little background and culture through the book while not making it about that very same thing. We see Gihan as a regular human, but also an insight into his cultural background. I especially liked the scene when he goes to the temple. I felt the serenity he felt.
This book continues the story of a side character from previous novels of the author, Picture Perfect, and Playing for Love; however, it is a standalone and can be read as such. I enjoy reading stories that have characters from other books intertwined within, as we see the progression of other familiar faces, as well as the story in hand.
A lovely read.

About the Author

Jeevani Charika is an award-nominated writer of multicultural women’s fiction and romcoms. She also writes under the pen name Rhoda Baxter. Her books have been shortlisted for various awards. One of these days, she’ll actually win one.Jeevani is British-Sri Lankan. She loves all things science geeky. She also loves cake, crochet and playing with Lego. You can find out more about her (and get a free book!) on her website. www.jeevanicharika.com

You can find out news about Jeevani by following her on social media.

Website: www.jeevanicharika.com

YouTube Playlist: http://bit.ly/canva4authors

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeevanicharika/

@jeevanicharikaauthor

Book & A Brew with Ritu and Jodie Homer @umbrellacafe A Village Called Christmas #BookReview #BookAndABrew

21 Nov 2023 4 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: A Village Called Christmas, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book & A Brew With Ritu, Book Review, Jodie Homer

Another repeat offender, today! Jodie Homer has popped over to talk a little about her Christmas inspiration, since she has a lovely Christmas story out!

Hello, and welcome back to But I Smile Anyway,Jodie! I think we should skip the choices and have a huge hot chocolate with whipped cream, and a few gingerbread me, what do you think?

Thank you so much for having me Ritu.

Can you tell us why Christmas means something special to you?

So I absolutely love Christmas. I love Christmas music more than any other music and when the shops have all their cards in them with the music playing it’s my favourite time.

Me, too! Recently, my daughter has become quite partial to Christmas-related music, too, however, she draws the line at me singing along in the shops!

It all started when I was younger and every year we would go to my Nan’s for Christmas. We’d leave our house on Christmas Eve and my Nan would have a table full of goodies laid out for us all to have and that would be chocolates, nuts just all sorts of things.

I wonder if she stockpiled them in advance, and had to hide everything from the rest of the household? I know I have to do that!

Christmas morning I would have a huge stocking at the end of my bed full of presents which I brought downstairs and opened with the family and then we would have dinner in the backroom. My Nan’s Christmas dinners were always the best.

Since we aren’t Christian, Christmas isn’t something we celebrate for religious reasons, however, we have always loved to take part in any festive seasons, and for me, the Christmas dinner is one of the best things about this time of year! I am rather naughty, and end up eating one at least three times; at school with the kids, on our Christmas do, and on Christmas day! Sometimes we have two, if we go and see my parents in the following days! Here, my sister-in-law and I cook for the family, then, if we are at my parents, I help my mum, who is a fantastic cook!

Later on in the day the rest of the family would come around and I would see cousins and aunties and we would just celebrate us all being together.

That sounds like a wonderful festive season. I can see why it brings back such lovely feelings, Jodie!

Thank you so much for sharing your Christmas joy, Jodie!

Thank you so much for having me today. 😊

Good luck with your latest release!

The Blurb

Holly loves Christmas but when she comes home and catches her boyfriend in bed with her boss she escapes her life and ends up in a village called Christmas. When she meets the Claus family she begins to realise it definitely does take a community to celebrate Christmas as she gets stuck into the village festivities can the dashing single farmer Joseph Claus fix her heartbreak? Is the answer to Holly’s broken heart hidden in a village called Christmas?

My Review

A Village Called Christmas by Jodie Homer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love a bit of Christmas, and Jodie Homer’s latest story is packed with all the festive feels you could want!
Holly loves Christmas, but her latest one looks set to run a bit flat, what with a broken relationship as well as sudden unemployment under her belt.
She finds herself in this quaint little village and decides to give it a chance. But will it give her a chance?
Who wouldn’t want to stumble upon a village called Christmas, where everything and everyone has a Noel-themed connection? I enjoyed this easy read, filled with all things Christmas, including a wonderfully sweet romance.
A whimsical tale jam-packed with positivity and festive miracles – truly feel good!

About the Author

Jodie lives in a small village in Solihull with her husband and two children. She loves nothing more than dancing around embarrassingly to 90s music and eating mint chocolate. Jodie enjoys reading and writing books full of romance and swoon-worthy fictional men.

Follow Jodie on Social Media!

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/jodietheauthor

Twitter
https://twitter.com/umbrellacafe

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

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21824053.Jodie_Homer?ref=nav_profile_l

Book and a Brew with Ritu – Reunion in Lavender Valley Book 6 in the Sisters Of The Heart Series by @TammyLGrace #NewRelease #BookReview #BookAndABrew

14 Nov 2023 18 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book & A Brew With Ritu, Book Review, Reunion In Lavender Valley, Sisters Of The Heart, Tammy L Grace

Yes, we are back with another Book & A Brew with Ritu post!.

Today, I am thrilled to welcome a dear friend and hugely prolific author, Tammy L Grace, to my blog for a cuppa and a bit of a chat about all things bookish, and especially to talk about her gorgeous Sisters of The Heart series. I binged the whole series last month, and it is a beautiful, feel good series from start to finish!

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Tammy! Let’s start by grabbing a drink I noticed a lot of iced tea in your series, but also chai lattes, too. How about a real Indian Masala Chai? Of course, I have plenty of coffees to choose from if you prefer!

Would love an authentic chai, thank you. It’s my little treat to myself.

I’ve made a huge three-tier carrot cake if you’d like a slice. Of course, there are biscuits (or cookies, as you across the pond like to call them!) and freshly fried pakoras.

Oh my, I love carrot cake and never pass up a cookie. You mentioned pakoras before, and they sound good, but my sweet tooth wins this round. What’s your favourite thing to have with your tea?

Gosh, I am terrible. There is no one favourite. I need savoury and sweet, Tammy. That’s why my waistline appears to have expanded recently!

But, enough about my naughty eating habits! How wonderful to have you here with me today, Tammy! We’ve known each other for a few years through the My Book Friends group, and you are another hugely prolific author within that group. What made you start writing stories?

I devoured books as a child and growing up was always in the library reading. I’ve always wanted to write novels and when I retired, set my sights on a second career as an author. I know you’re a teacher and writing while you’re working, which I would have found impossible. Is that difficult for you?

Well, it’s definitely not the easiest profession to write alongside, I’ll admit. I try and utilise the school holidays as much as I can, as term-time, all my mental bandwidth is taken by school stress and being a mum to teens! Maybe, one day, when we can afford it, I can cut down my days, and write more… but that is a while away, I fear! (Unless anyone fancies paying our mortgage off!)

You have written stories under a different pen name, Casey Wilson, too. Is there a favourite out of the different genres you have explored in your writing career?

I enjoy writing in different genres. I admire authors who can be strict with themselves and stick to one or even one huge series, but I get bored and like to spend time in a few different worlds. You mention dogs, and they are a constant in all my books, whether women’s fiction, mysteries, or my Christmas stories. I wrote under Casey Wilson for Bookouture/Grand Central and those two books are told from the perspective of the dog, which was great fun. They are both emotional and explore the unbreakable bond we have with dogs. I love reading mysteries, so if I’m forced to pick my favourite, it’s probably mystery.

I would love to give you a little space to talk about all the different series you have written in your career as an author. I’d especially like to know how you go about writing for the various series you work with different authors in. It must be tough to ensure all your stories align while keeping your individual author voices! I’ve loved the Wishing Tree series, especially, but you have the Soul Sisters one, and the Sail Away one that you contribute to, too! I’m not sure I could keep it all straight in my head!

Well, Ritu, it can be a challenge. I won’t lie to you. But it’s great fun, and with writing being such a solitary endeavour, it’s rewarding to work with other talented authors to brainstorm and create a world. It’s also nice to be able to share the marketing aspect of writing.

I can imagine. That is one tough part of being an author that not many readers realise is the domain of the author, predominantly!

I enjoyed each of the experiences and am releasing a new one in our Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge series this year, and I plan on a release in our Wishing Tree books next year. (Yay!) I have a hard time letting go of characters I love, and my readers love.

Back to the first part of your question, I have a few women’s fiction series and one mystery series, along with two different Christmas series. My first series is my Hometown Harbor books set in the islands of the Pacific Northwest. These are among my favourite characters, and while I had no plans to go past five books, my readers often ask for more, so I may never quit writing them. I also write a series set on the coast of Washington about a retired police officer who moves with her dog from the D.C. area to run an old family property of beach cottages. It’s called the Glass Beach Cottage Series and includes a hearing puppy in training.

Along with those two, I released a new women’s fiction series this year, Sisters of the Heart. These feature five foster sisters, now grown women, who have never met but are called back to the lavender farm where they were raised by their dying foster mother’s last wish. I know you just read these and I’m so thankful you took the time to do so.

My mystery series is called the Cooper Harrington Detective Novels and they feature a snarky lawyer turned private detective named Coop. Along with a few quirks, his dog, Gus, is always with him and goes to the office and on a few stakeouts. Coop lives with his wealthy aunt in the Nashville area, and she is always trying to get involved in his cases. These are whodunits and lean cozy but not traditional cozies since they feature a male detective. They are not gory and free of sex and focused mostly on the puzzle of a murder case. Readers learn more about Coop and his story as each book unfolds, so I recommend they be read in order.

My Christmas stories are all small-town, heartwarming and sprinkled with all the holiday feels. Readers can find them all on my website or on my Amazon author page and dozens of my books are in Kindle Unlimited so those who subscribe can read them for free.

I always like to ask about your writing space. Is it somewhere peaceful you like to write, somewhere strewn with notebooks and boards filled with ideas, or are you the kind of writer who could write pretty much anywhere?

I only write in my home office and tend to have it quiet when I write. The space isn’t huge, but has a nice desk and comfy chair, plus a keyboard that has lasted more than a year now… it’s a mechanical one so it makes the clickity-clack noise I love. I also only write on my desktop. I tend to start books by hand on paper, with my outline and ideas and then once I flesh it out, I go to my desktop and start the process. I use those large sticky pads for keeping my coloured Post-it notes on when I’m working on a project and my own dog, Izzy is always at my feet or nearby. I would imagine you must be able to write anywhere since you’re working and writing?

Theoretically, I could write almost anywhere, as long as I have my notebook or laptop with me. I tend to sit in my writing room, more often than not, though, as I have my storyboard up, there, and I have decorated it to be my special space!

Now, let’s bring the conversation back to the most recent series you completed; Sisters of the Heart. I’ve just had a reading binge of all six of the books, and I’ve decided that I want to live on Lavender Valley Farm! I loved the idea of these foster sisters brought together, despite never having met, by their late foster mother. Where did the inspiration come from for this series?

I wanted to write a new series and challenge myself to release all six in the same year, about a month apart. So, that was the big picture and then I went about brainstorming a few ideas based on what resonates with readers, and sisters are always a fun springboard, but foster sisters, especially. Like all my books, this one started with a “what if”…as in ‘what if the sisters never met’, but something brings them back to Lavender Valley. Then, I crafted the characters, who came to me quickly and worked on time-line to get them all back home to the beautiful farm in Oregon. Like my other women’s fiction, I would describe these as feel-good stories.

I’m not sure I could pinpoint a favourite of the sisters. Do you have one?

That is a tough question, but I would probably say Harry is among my favourites. She is most like me, so her story came to me quickly and I had it mapped out first, with her being the organizer of the bunch. I also loved the others and had lots of fun writing Georgia’s story in the last book, Reunion in Lavender Valley. They’re each special and so different, which made it great fun to write. I’m an only child, so always have to use my imagination when it comes to crafting sisters or siblings. What about you? Do you come from a large family?

In my immediate family, there is only my younger brother and me, however, I have a HUGE extended family, and in true Indian-style, extended means they are in your life full on! I have 29 first cousins (26 from my Pops side!) and a whole host of uncles and aunts! Growing up was lots of fun, I have to admit, with its fair share of dramas, too. My in-laws family is quite small in comparison. So much so that I began to train Hubby Dearest with a photo album, before we married, so he had some clue as to who’s who in the family!

One thing I absolutely loved was the animal sanctuary. I’ll be honest, after reading the series I did, half seriously, mention to Hubby Dearest that if the situation were different, I would be more than happy to get a dog! The whole family would love it, but we just can’t, right now. How important are animals to you? I know you are a dog lover; they feature in all your books! I must admit to having added a feline to my latest manuscript, as a nod to our Punjabi Cat, Sonu Singh!

The sanctuary was an important thread through this series since I believe when we think we’re rescuing a dog, we’re usually the ones being rescued and that played out in this series, especially. Olivia, one of the sisters, has a special gift when it comes to animals and they truly help heal her very broken heart. I think animals have such a strong connection with us and I love bringing them into my stories. I have never had a cat, so I tend not to write about them, but have a strong connection to my dog and my other dogs, so writing them is second-nature. I’m sure your cat appreciates being the inspiration in your book.

I know you have finished this series – insert sad face! But what else are you working on? I know you have another release very soon, to add to the Soul Sisters series. Tell me more!

Readers have sent me some notes hoping for more of this series, and I never say never, but right now, after this new Soul Sisters release, CHRISTMAS HEARTS, I’m working on some books for 2024. I plan to release a new mystery in my Cooper Harrington Detective Novels, and I’m writing a new Wishing Tree book right now. I also have another connected author project that hasn’t been made public yet, so I’ll be finishing up that book, which promises to be a popular series.

That sounds exciting!

I don’t have a new series in mind at the moment and plan to add to my existing series in 2024. I published 10 books in 2023. (Wow!) I’m ready to slow it down a bit, and my husband is retiring soon so we have some travel plans. We bought a motorhome this year in anticipation and are going to see a few places on our bucket list.

That sounds like a wonderful plan. You need to recharge your own creative batteries, too, and who knows what inspiration you will find from your travels!

Thank you so much for popping over, Tammy. It has been a pleasure to have you here on But I Smile Anyway. 😊

Oh, thank you, Ritu. It’s been my pleasure and thank you for inviting me. I’m always up for a cup of tea. The only way this could be better is in person in England. I have it on my bucket list and plan to visit our mutual friend Mandy, so would be wonderful to visit together.

Now that sounds like a visit I would love to happen! Here’s hoping!

Peeps, I know I do this every time, but these are some wonderful stories and books to add to your neverending TBRs. Honestly!

I have added my review to the last in the Sisters Of The Heart series, Reunion In Lavender Valley, as well as the blurb to the first in the series, which is free, to give you a flavour of the rest if the stories.

The Blurb

Georgia Moore is still grieving from the loss of her dear husband, Lee, when she discovers she can’t remain in their home. With nowhere to turn, she accepts the invitation to return to Lavender Valley in the hopes that she can once again find a purpose.

Lavender Valley Farm needs her, and Georgia soon finds her place managing the household, using her skill with a needle, and assuming a motherly role to her sisters of the heart.

Something still feels missing but as the harvest approaches, an unexpected guest visits the farm and might hold the key to changing Georgia’s life.

Will Georgia be brave enough to embrace the chance of a new future?

REUNION AT LAVENDER VALLEY is the sixth book in the Sisters of the Heart Series from USA Today bestselling author, Tammy L. Grace. Fans of heartwarming, feel-good women’s fiction like those by Debbie Macomber or Sheila Roberts will devour this series.

Don’t miss a book in the Sisters of the Heart Series!
Book 1: Greetings from Lavender Valley
Book 2: Pathway to Lavender Valley
Book 3: Sanctuary at Lavender Valley
Book 4: Blossoms at Lavender Valley
Book 5: Comfort in Lavender Valley
Book 6: Reunion in Lavender Valley

Sisters of the Heart Series:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ5RLBJN (readers can download the first book for FREE!)

Six women. Four decades. One long, unexpected reunion.

Jewel Austin is a foster mother to dozens, but forms a special bond with five foster girls she welcomed under her roof long ago. Through handwritten letters, Jewel keeps in touch with these women she nurtured to adulthood.

Now in her eighties, Jewel’s time is short, and her last letter spells out an unusual request. The five women have never met but Jewel’s last wish is for them to return to Lavender Valley Farm together, back to the refuge where they once found the love and support they craved. Jewel has a keen sense of knowing their needs before they do and she knows they are going to need their sisters of the heart.

Life’s been hard, but facing the inevitable loss of the only parental figure you’ve known can be harder. Will the five women be able to overcome the obstacles that stand in their way of granting the beloved matriarch of their family her last wish?

Get to know each of the women through Jewel’s own letters in GREETINGS FROM LAVENDER VALLEY, the first book and prequel in the Sisters of the Heart Series. Fans of heartwarming, feel-good women’s fiction like those by Debbie Macomber or Sheila Roberts will devour this series by USA Today bestselling author, Tammy L. Grace.

My Review

Reunion in Lavender Valley by Tammy L. Grace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel rather sad now that I’ve read the last of the Sisters of the Heart books…
This last story focused on the oldest of the foster sisters, Georgia. She arrived late on account of an injury sustained just as she was getting ready to leave for Lavender Valley.
Another soul tormented by loss recently, and with life serving another curveball soon after, Georgia arrives hoping that, like before, the farm and Jewel’s memories will help her.
And it does.
The lavender festival brings so much joy to everyone, and she even manages to meet someone she never thought she would see again. Someone with whom she could possibly enjoy the rest of her life.
Each story was rounded off so well within this book, leaving readers happy they all got the happiness they deserved.
And I have to admit to speaking to the Hubby about a dream of getting a dog one day…
Tammy L. Grace, I blame you!

Author Bio

Tammy L. Grace is a USA Today bestselling author of women’s fiction, family sagas, mysteries, and Christmas stories. She’s known for writing perfect escapes, unforgettable characters, and binge-worthy stories. Readers often say her characters feel like old friends and love the dogs she weaves into all her books. She brings readers entertaining stories that take them on an emotional journey, filled with complex relationships of friendship and family in her women’s fiction novels. Mystery readers delight in her fast-paced whodunits and fans of Christmas love her small-town holiday stories filled with family, friendship, and furry characters.

Tammy also writes under the pen name Casey Wilson and has released two emotional and heartwarming stories about the bond we have with our beloved canine companions.

When Tammy isn’t working on ideas for a novel, she’s spending time with family and friends or supporting her addiction to books, tea, and chocolate. She and her husband make their home in Nevada and have one grown son and a spoiled golden retriever.

Subscribe to Tammy’s Newsletter and receive a free copy of the interview she did with some of the dogs from her books : https://www.tammylgrace.com/newsletter/

Website: http://www.tammylgrace.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tammylgrace.books

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AuthorTammyLGraceBookBuddies/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/tammylgrace

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tammy-l-grace

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7799289.Tammy_L_Grace

Book & A Brew with Ritu and Emma Jackson @ESJackson1 Witch You Weren’t Here #BookReview #BookAndABrew #BlogTour

17 Oct 2023 10 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book & A Brew With Ritu, Book Review, Emma Jackson, Witch You weren't Here

Today, I am so happy to have a lovely writer friend, Emma Jackson, who I got to know better through the Facebook group Chicklit & Prosecco, visit my blog to talk about writing and her newest release, Witch You Weren’t Here!

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Emma! Let’s get you set with a drink, first. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or maybe a masala chai? I’m not sure I can cast any spells, but a good Chai can feel like drinking something magical!

It really can! I would love a chai, thank you. It’s my favourite when I am letting myself have caffeine. The spices just give it a warm, comforting feeling. Do you drink it all year around or keep it for the cosy autumn and winter seasons?

I tend to drink it more in the colder weather, but it is my drink of choice if we are out and about at a coffee shop! (Secret… I don’t drink coffee!)

Since we’re going masala tea, I can offer you some homemade samosas, or a fresh batch of cookies baked by my daughter this morning. (I promise, there is nothing ‘extra’ in there!)

Lol! Thank you for clarifying that – I wouldn’t want to make an impulsive mistake (like Kay in Witch You Weren’t Here). And yes, cookies, would be lovely, please. What are you having?

I’ll join you with a chai, too!

So, could you tell me a bit about your journey to becoming a published author, Emma?

It feels a bit like my journey started as soon as I could read and write. I always loved writing stories as a child and it was my dream to become an author. I took a bit of a detour when I left school and entered the workplace, but an Open University Creative Writing course ignited the spark again and I started writing my first novel in about 2008. Neither that one or my second completed novel were picked up by the agents or editors I submitted to, but when my eldest daughter was about a year old, I went to see the Christmas lights switched on at Alfriston, a beautiful little village near where I live, and I was inspired to write a festive romance. It took me six years to complete during children’s naptimes and around having my second daughter, and in 2019, after putting it through the New Writers Scheme of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, I submitted it to the newly launched digital-first imprint Orion Dash, who offered me a publishing contract!

That is brilliant! And reminiscent of my journey, writing in snatched moments and taking forever to finish that magical draft!

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have published so far?

This is such a difficult question because I love each of my books for different reasons…A Mistletoe Miracle was my debut, Sleepless in Sicily was actually a complete revision of my very first novel and I poured a lot of raw feelings into that about social anxiety, which I suffer from myself…Witch You Weren’t Here was simply a joy to write…but there’s something about Summer in the City that I do really have a soft spot for. Maybe because it released at the beginning of the lockdown in 2020 and my publisher was on furlough, so I feel like it never really had the publication day it deserved or found the same readership as my other books. It’s like the runt of the litter, and yet it’s full of so many things I enjoy, with bantering enemies-to-lovers set against a vibrant New York setting, and – a little like Witch You Weren’t Here – it has a plot, which takes the characters into a lot of fun and challenging places. I’d love to relaunch it one day if I suddenly have a breakout hit! Are you able to pick a favourite out of your books?

I know it was a cruel question to ask! I only have two to choose from, as such, but because they. aretied into the same series, It is so hard to differentiate between them! I would say Marriage Unarranged will always be that special one, since it was my first!

Do you have a special place where you do all your creating and writing? Somewhere away from the craziness of family?

Unfortunately not! Working around the craziness of family is definitely a necessity. Now both my kids are at school, I do get a few hours during the day to concentrate on words, and I tend to move around my house with my laptop, depending on what mood I’m in. We’ve just had our kitchen renovated, so I’m looking forward to using the new island as a workspace, which is conveniently close to the kettle! I still might be a little bit jealous of the gorgeous workspace I saw you showing off a little while ago on TikTok. It looks so peaceful and comfortable. Has it been helping with your productivity?

It is wonderful to have a space that you can carve out as your own, so I know I am blessed. It has made things easier, in that everything in share I need it, including my storyboard, and lots of motivational quotes, but I can just as easily unplug and go to the garden or my bedroom, if I need to, too!

Romance is a genre close to my heart. What pulled you towards writing romance?

Mainly, how much I love reading it! It can be such an overlooked and misunderstood genre. The comfort of knowing there will be a “happily ever after” or “happily for now” is just one element, and it means that stories can range from cosy to dramatic, while giving the reader reassurance that things will turn out alright in the end. I also love the way it dives into relationships of all kinds – not just the romantic ones. Love of any description is at the centre of the human experience, so I really struggle to understand why stories which explore relationships are seen as “fluffy” or “unimportant” just because they’re optimistic. I’ll stop there before I start ranting!

Let’s get back to your latest release, Witch You Weren’t Here. A witchy romance, with a road trip thrown in! I loved this! Why witches? Do you have an interest, or an affinity towards magic?

Apart from the fact I was raised on The Worst Witch and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, (Me, too!) I love fantasy romance and the idea of using magic systems to explore real-life issues. I also love the way things in the past, which might be put down to “magic”, have been explained by science now, so who is to say what we’ll find out in the future is actually possible…or what technology we’ll invent which can enable us to do things we once thought were impossible? And I definitely think there is a lot to be said for finding the benefits of natural remedies and valuing nature, as well as observing folklore and how those myths and legends relate to important lessons society wanted us to learn.

Would you have considered a romance with a witchy person?

Having a partner like Harry who could magically wash my clothes for me, or avert a car accident or conjure a magical umbrella during a storm would definitely be appealing! What magic would you love yourself or someone else to be able to do?

Oh, someone who could magic away the housework and magically add extra hours to the day. No, scratch that, maybe magic up a clone who I could send to work, so I can stay at home writing and reading. That would be perfect!

I love to be nosy and ask this. What is next for Emma Jackson? Any sequels, or new projects you can tell us about?

I am currently working on the second book in the Witch You Weren’t Here world – it has different characters, on their own journey towards love, but Harry and Kay will definitely be making an appearance!

That sounds wonderful! I can’t wait to read it when it is done!

Well, thank you so much coming over, Emma, it has been a pleasure!

Thank you so much for having me today. 😊

The Blurb

One hurricane. Two stranded witches.
Sparks are bound to fly…

Kay knows three things to be true: a witch who cannot control their powers is dangerous, she needs to make it home for her brother’s wedding, and Harry Ashworth is the last person she ever wants to see…

But after visiting the witching community’s equivalent of IT support to try to fix her misbehaving magic, a hurricane hits and her flight home is cancelled!

Not only is Kay stranded, but she’s stranded with Harry – her infuriatingly handsome and charming childhood friend, who broke her heart when they were teenagers.

Except Harry is a frustratingly powerful witch so working together might be their only way to get back home. And the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore what is simmering under the surface.

Soon it becomes clear that Kay’s magic isn’t the only thing she doesn’t have control of…

YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS LOVE WITCH YOU WEREN’T HERE!

‘Fun, sweet and sexy’ SARAH HAWLEY – Author of A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

‘If you love witchy romcoms, this one’s for you! Fun and fast-paced, with enemies-to-lovers sharing only one bed, and plenty of magical twists along the way.’ KATE JOHNSON – Author of Hex Appeal

‘It cast a spell on me from the first page with its bewitching brew of angst, charm and romance’ M.A. KUZNIAR – Author of Midnight in the Everwood.

Buy Link: Witch You Weren’t Here by Emma Jackson | Orion – Bringing You News From Our World To Yours (orionbooks.co.uk)

My Review

Witch You Weren’t Here by Emma Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Witches, road trips and romance.
What a fun mix to create a fantastic read!
Kay is a witch, born to a witching family from the heart of an established witching town.
However, she isn’t feeling the witchiness. Unable to control her magic, she takes the opportunity to visit a specialist in these magic malfunctions in Prague while on a work trip there.
She didn’t expect to be held up there in a huge storm threatening all of Europe while trying to get back to England ASAP to attend her brother’s wedding.
Oh, and then there’s the matter of her unexpected companion for the journey back, an old friend and childhood crush, Harry, a fellow witch.
The story is set over a couple of days, as they battle all manner of obstacles to reach the wedding.
What can I say? I truly loved this whole story. I bet we all wish for a little magic in our lives. Oh, to cast a little spell to make the weather more favourable, get certain chores done, or even get that person to like you… But reading about Kay and Harry’s difficulties, despite having these powers, made me think that nothing is ever that simple.
Their momentous journey back to the UK is evidence that no amount of magic can solve every problem!
The evolving relationship of Kay and Harry that is set over a couple of days actually spans years, dating back to their youth, when Kay had a bit of an unrequited crush on her brother’s mate… and certain situations left her feeling rather raw, and a bit of a failure. This unexpected meeting brings all manner of feelings back to the surface, spiced with faulty magic!
And that’s only from Kay’s side! Who knows if Harry is even interested?
A thoroughly enjoyable witchy read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for an ARC.

About the Author

Emma is the author of the Best Selling A MISTLETOE MIRACLE and a contender for the Joan Hessayon Award 2020. She has been a devoted bookworm and secret story scribbler since she was 6. When she’s not running around after her two daughters and trying to complete her current work-in-progress, Emma loves to read, bake, catch up on binge-watching TV programmes with her partner and plan lots of craft projects that will inevitably end up unfinished. Emma is also co-host on the SFFRomCast, a podcast dedicated to celebrating fantasy and sci-fi romance. Season 5, which features deep dives into six popular SFF romance tropes, releases in September https://linktr.ee/SFFRomCast

Her next book, WITCH YOU WEREN’T HERE, is a witchy rom-com full of misbehaving magic, brother’s best friend angst, and only one-bed shenanigans. It’s due for release on 12 October 2023 in eBook, paperback and audiobook and will also be available on Kindle Unlimited.

You can find out news about Emma by following her on social media here: https://linktr.ee/ESJackson and for giveaways or short stories, you can sign up to her newsletter here: https://tinyletter.com/EmmaSJackson

Book & A Brew with Ritu and Jodie Homer @umbrellacafe Married by Thirty #BookReview #BookAndABrew

05 Sep 2023 8 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book & A Brew With Ritu, Book Review, Jodie Homer, Married By Thirty

Today, I have a lovely visitor to my Book & A Brew with Ritu segment, and that is Jodie Homer, talking about all things writing and her newest release, Married By Thirty.

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway,Jodie! Let’s get you set with a drink, first. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or maybe a masala chai?

Hello Ritu

Ooh, I wouldn’t say no to a hot chocolate, especially with cream. Yummy.

Love a bit of whipped cream! I can offer you some homemade pakoras, but I also a Victoria sponge, freshly baked by my daughter! What’s your preference?

I could take some pakoras right now thank you.

So, could you tell me a bit about your journey to becoming a published author, Jodie?

I love this question, I’ve always loved writing and reading, and I wish I had started a bit sooner, but I started writing with a little idea after joining the chick lit group and came up with my first novel Raindrops on the Umbrella Cafe. I have learnt so much since I started with editing and writing I feel like I’m finally getting it now.

It’s amazing what you pick up as you go along, isn’t it? I think, having self-published my first book, before being signed, I have a different way of thinking about the whole process.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have published so far?

Is it bad to have a favourite? Of course not! Is it like having a favourite child? Erm, kinda. But we all have one! I do have a favourite but ssh, don’t tell the others. A Magical Christmas on the Isle of Skye is my favourite. My two main characters Emilia and Harry are my favourite couple.

I know you are busy, like me, juggling childcare and work with trying to write. Do you have a special place where you do all your creating and writing?

I wish I had an office to write but unfortunately, I write where I can so in bed or on the sofa with the remote next to me and a snack on the other side.

That was me, too, before we moved and I was able. to have my own room! Old habits die hard though, and I can still be found with my laptop in bed!

Why romance? And why Scotland?

I’ve always loved romance novels. I am the most hopeless romance there probably ever was and I love happily ever after. The myths of Scotland came before the towns the books are set in. I research the myth and base the book on that town. I’ve never been so I spend a lot of time on Google Maps.

Google Maps is a godsend, isn’t it?

Let’s get back to your latest release, Married by Thirty. Two friends with a pact, that gets thrown off course because of a haunted house. Was this storyline based upon any real myths?

Yes, it is. It’s not the clearest myth. Basically, the manor house is real and the myth is the earl’s (not duke’s) wife dies and the earl locks the door of the manor house, and there are all sorts of rumours as to what happened to the wife so I basically rewrote it but added in Freya and James.

The friends-to-lovers trope is quite a big one. Is that a trope you enjoy to read, too?

Yes! I absolutely adore the friends-to-lovers trope I love the history of characters and their feelings. When i was in year 7 I got together with my best friend and we stayed together through the whole of secondary school.

Have you ever had any experience of ghosts or hauntings?

No, I haven’t, but I absolutely loved writing any scene with Dahlia in there. She is actually my favourite character. I wish I had a more interesting haunting story to tell, but I don’t. Never say never!

I know you have another book lined up for release soon, too. Care to share any details about that?

I do. I have a Christmas book called A Village Called Christmas, out in November. It’s about a character called Holly who loves Christmas, and she runs away from her cheating boyfriend to a village called Christmas where all of the characters have Christmassy names, and it’s like a Hallmark Christmas movie where the male character Joseph’s family may or may not be the real Santa Claus.

Sign me up already! That sounds fantastic! Peeps, already another one to add to your TBR piles!

Thank you so much for visiting me here on my blog, Jodie! We’ll have to do it again, soon!

Thank you so much for having me today. 😊

The Blurb

Almost fourteen years ago, Freya and James made a pact to marry if they were both single at thirty. When Freya inherits Mulberry Manor and its rumoured ghost, she returns home and enlists James’ help in figuring out the truth behind the ‘haunted house’. But it’s not just the house that is being a little weird. Can James and Freya figure out the mystery of Dahlia Mulberry without the spark between them setting both their lives on fire? And now they’re both thirty… when the clock strikes midnight, will they really put a ring on it?

Buy it by clicking below!

My Review

Married By Thirty by Jodie Homer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Freya arrives back in her hometown on the Isle of Skye after a bout of bad luck. She wishes she’d never moved away to chase her dreams.
Instead, she is back, having inherited a supposedly haunted manor house, and back in the midst of her best friends, including Jamie.
Jamie, who she also shared a pact with about getting married to each other if they were still unmarried by thirty.
Jamie, who was her first love.
But, before she can think about her love life, there are some more pressing issues at play in her new house…
Issues that begin to make Freya question the one relationship she thought was solid.
I loved Dahlia Mulberry, an extra special character, who I don’t want to talk about too much, but I almost wish there were another book detailing her story … hint, hint!
A quick, fun read with a haunting mystery to solve.
Married by Thirty is the second book in the series For The Love Of A Scottish Myth.