Book Review | But I Smile Anyway...

Book and a Brew with Ritu – The Nosey Parker Series by Fiona Leitch #AuthorChat #BookReview

10 Oct 2023 5 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, new beginnings, New Release, Sandy Barker, The Christmas Trip

A new guest! How exciting!

Today, I am hosting the lovely Fiona Leitch, whose books I have wanted to read for a while,
but as you all know, my TBR is a teetering pile! Still, I went off and prioritised a certain series
in September…

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Fiona! Now, the first thing we do is get the
drinks sorted. I have all the hot drinks available. Let me know what you fancy! Tea, coffee, masala chai, hot chocolate…?

Ooh…now I’d normally go for a cup of tea, but I had my first masala chai a few weeks back and it was delicious, so I’ll have one of those, please!

I know Jodie is a bit of a chef, in the series, and I don’t proclaim to have all the skills,
however I do make a mean carrot cake! Care for a slice?

I never turn down cake, especially when they have vegetables in them and can be therefore counted as one of your five a day. Carrot cake is basically health food.

I have to agree! 😀

I always love to find out more about where a fellow author’s journey started. When
did you realise you wanted to write, and how was your journey to becoming a
published author?

Probably like most writers, I loved English at school and I was always writing stories as a child. However, I’m also a dreadful show off, so writing took a back seat when I decided I wanted to be an actor instead. I did half(!) of a drama degree at Goldsmiths in London, but I soon realised that I would never be cast
as a leading lady – comedy sidekick, maybe. So I decided to write my own roles. That led to me writing comedy sketches, and even doing one solitary stand up comedy gig (which was absolutely terrifying), after which I decided I’d stick to writing funny stuff, rather than performing it. I started as a screenwriter, because I didn’t realise how hard it was to get stuff made. I resisted the urge to write a novel for a long, long time, because it’s so many words! But after a couple of years of ALMOST getting a TV sitcom made, and ALMOST getting a film made, I was persuaded by fellow writer and all-round good egg Carmen Radtke to adapt one of my favourite scripts into a novel. And that’s how my debut, ‘Dead in Venice’, came about. It was published by Audible after I entered it in their Crime Grant contest, and the rest, as they say, is history…

And do you have a favourite out of all your published books, so far?

I will always have a massive soft spot for ‘Dead in Venice’, as it was my first born and I didn’t
know any of the so-called rules, and just wrote exactly what I wanted. But in terms of
which one I think is the best, I’m most proud of the one that’s just come out, the sixth
book in the Jodie Parker series, A Cornish Seaside Murder. It feels a bit more serious
in terms of storyline than some of the others, whilst also (I think) still being funny.

I always ask this one, but could you tell me where you like to write? Do you have a writing room/desk, or are you a writer who likes to take their laptop/notepad out and about?

I wish I had a writing room! But I’ve never had one. I wrote my first four books sitting on the sofa with the TV on (watching ‘Homes Under the Hammer’ and ‘Bargain Hunt’, lol) and my laptop on my knees. I’ve now got two sofas to choose from, one of which is still in front of the telly, and the other in our front room which doesn’t have a TV set, so that’s where I sit when I want to do some ‘serious’ writing.
To be honest I would probably end up writing here even if I did have a study, as it’s comfortable, I’m surrounded by my books and art and plants, and it’s near the kettle!

Have you ever written a book that you feel will never see the light of day? I know I have a few half-written ideas, but nothing I finished, completely, then set to one side!

I do have several finished but currently unpublished books, which I HOPE others will get to see, but who knows. My first three books were based on screenplays I’d written, and one of these, ‘Lost in Berlin’, is a kind of spy/crime/romance novel based around the techno clubs of Berlin. I absolutely love it, but I think if I ever want it published I’ll have to do it myself. I’ve got a police/romance novel set in Outback Australia, plus another Melbourne-set novel I co-wrote with the marvellous Sandy
Barker, which we’ll pitch in Australia when we get time away from our contracted series. So who knows? Hopefully they will see the light of day at some point!

I love the romantic current that runs through your series. I know you like to write the cosy crime kind of novel but have you ever wanted to write one that is of a totally different genre?

I actually didn’t even know what cosy crime was until I started writing the Jodie Parker series. ‘Dead in Venice’ was a crime/romcom mash up, so a bit different. One of my other self published books, ‘Falling in Louvre’, is more romcom than anything else, although there is a crime element in it. I do have a half
written romcom (which will get finished once my contracted books are done!), which does still have a bit of a mystery in the story. I think I’d be hard-pressed to write a straight romcom or romance, and I don’t really have any desire to write stuff like sci-fi or fantasy, even though I occasionally read it.

Now, I invited you over to have a little chat about the Nosy Parker Series! I consumed it in September. What fun! Made me want to visit Cornwall! Can you tell me about your inspiration for this series?

After I wrote ‘Dead in Venice’, One More Chapter/HarperCollins asked me if I could write them a cosy mystery series. They had gone through the bestselling books in the genre at the time, and they gave me a list of tropes that they thought would be good to include. But I hated most of them! They
suggested having an amateur detective, a craft of some type (they actually suggested a knitting circle!), a cute pet, and a rural location. So I came back with an ex-cop (so unofficial but most definitely NOT an amateur), a caterer (so she had an excuse to travel around and meet different people), a farty dog, and the Cornish seaside. And they said yes! I lived in Cornwall for a while, so setting it there was a no-brainer; it’s a beautiful place, and I know it well as I still have family there. I like TV cop shows and I like to think I’d have been an alright detective – I think a lot of it is common sense and logic – so I didn’t want to write about a complete amateur, making stupid mistakes and constantly almost getting themselves killed. And I love cooking!

Are you a closet chef, like Jodie?

I am! Baking is kind of my happy place. If I’m having a bad time or feeling a bit rubbish, I put some music on and bake something. Following a recipe and actually making something is really good for clearing the mind. It’s almost Zen, but it’s better than meditation as there is cake at the end!

A little bird tells me that another Cornish Mystery will be landing soon enough… care to share any titbits about it, and any other projects you have on the horizon?

I’m currently working away on book 7, ‘The Cornish Campsite Murder’, which is set around a music festival on the north coast of Cornwall. It features ageing rockstars and a food truck selling pies called Pie Hard. After that it’s on to book 8, which revolves around a big day in the lives of Jodie and Nathan… I do have an idea for another Christmas book in the series, but I should probably run it by my publisher before I start telling people about it!

Well I think we hare honoured that you even hinted at it! And I can’t wait for the next one, now I have the Nosey Parker bug!

Thanks, Ritu! Fun questions. I enjoyed that!

You are most welcome, Fiona. You will have to come back when it hits release date for the next one!

And here’s a little about Fiona and her other books.

Fiona Leitch is an author, screenwriter, and enthusiastic tea drinker. She’s written for
football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves, and was a stalwart of the low
budget TV commercial until her debut novel, the darkly funny ‘Dead in Venice’, was
published by Audible as part of their inaugural Crime Writing Grant. She now writes the
Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker cosy crime series for HarperCollins imprint One More Chapter, because
she loves thinking about Cornwall, food, and murdering people (not necessarily in that
order). Since launching in 2021 the series has been translated into French, Italian, German
and Czech. She is a sucker for a happy ending (though not for the victim, obviously), a
romantic subplot, and the odd cheesy pun.
After living in London, Cornwall and New Zealand she’s finally settled in sunny Norfolk,
where she enjoys freaking out her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days
walking on the sand dunes of Great Yarmouth with her family, and working out ever more
twisty ways of killing people.

Follow Fiona:

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Book and a Brew with Ritu – Match Me If You Can by @sandybarker @BoldwoodBooks #NewRelease #BookReview

28 Sep 2023 4 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, new beginnings, New Release, Sandy Barker, The Christmas Trip

Another return guest! How exciting!

Today I have been honoured with another repeat visitor, and this time, we have the gorgeous Sandy Barker joining us to discuss her newest release, the first in a new series, Match Me If You Can, and signing with a new publisher, Boldwood Books!

Hello, and welcome back to But I Smile Anyway, Sandy! Let me get you set with a drink. What would you prefer?

As you know, I have all the usual offerings; tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or even a glass of bubbles if you prefer, since a couple of my recent guests have felt it appropriate to enjoy a glass of prosecco while visiting.

Oooh, I’d love a glass of bubbly – thank you!

And, in honour of their mention in the book, I tried to bake those Greek cookies… I hope they turned out okay!

There has been a lot going on since you last visited, including your signing with Boldwood Books. Congratulations for that, to start! Can you talk us through the process of how you ended up with a different publisher?

Well, thank you – that is so sweet. I had just submitted my last book for One More Chapter, The Christmas Trip, and I was chatting with my agent about ‘what next?’ I’d had these ideas for a handful of contemporary romcoms based in a city but wasn’t sure what would connect them.

Then I came up with the idea for a series set around a matchmaking agency and thought about which publisher might like it. I’d been a huge fan of Boldwood Books since they started 4 years ago, so we pitched to them, I met the lovely Emily Yau, my editor, and they offered me a deal. A dream come true.

I even saw on your social media that you have been doing a little dog-sitting! Have you ever had a dog, or pet, of your own?

I had mostly cats growing up and one dog when I was in my teens. My partner and I have had three cats together, and both love dogs, but we’re thinking of a move at the start of next year, so we have been offering to pet sit to get our fill ‘furbaby’ time.

What about you? Any furbabies at home?

We have the infamous Sonu Singh, our Punjabi cat! He’s been with us for a good 8 years and is my noisy furry muse!

Right, let’s get back to that book in question. Firstly, I love the title, Match Me If You Can. Does the title come first for you, or is that something you think about after writing the story? Or is it something suggested by the publisher, your agent or someone else? For me, so far, all my titles have been my choice, though I did start with my first book being called something totally different until I finished it, and along with some of my beta readers, thought it didn’t quite fit. The second and third, I knew before even starting the books!

Book titles are sometimes so hard! I envy you knowing your titles even before you start. And your titles are so clever too.

This book went through several working titles, none of which were a fit, and then Emily sent over a shortlist. Every title the team at Boldwood suggested was far better than anything I came up with. Match Me If You Can was a firm fave right away.

Even though you still managed to sneak a little travel in there, this series is a bit different, isn’t it? What was the inspiration behind setting your book, and the subsequent ones, in a matchmaking agency?

It is! Most of my books have heavily featured travel but I wanted to make this series a lot more centred around people’s daily lives and relationships. Though, as you said, I snuck some travel in there because I am still passionate about it and will always include it in my stories somehow.

And the matchmaking agency idea came when we were in the throws of the longest and strictest lockdown in the world (in Melbourne) and I watched back-to-back seasons of Call My Agent. I loved the idea of having a cast of regulars that readers could come to know and love as well as the love interests in each book. And I’ve always been obsessed with matchmaking. Have you seen ‘Indian Matchmaker’? I heart Sima so much!

Yes, I watched that series, both the first and the second series, in binge fits! Obviously, being Indian, the whole premise intrigued me, not least because I hadn’t had an arranged marriage! But Sima Aunty is definitely a character and a half!

I have to say, your fictitious agency reminded me of the typical Indian arranged marriage way of pairing couples up, and for the most part, they aren’t a bad thing, I guess. There was a much lower divorce rate among those couple who chose to fall in love after a much-researched arranged marriage. Would you have ever contemplated an agency if you hadn’t found your Ben?

By the time I met Ben, when I was 37, I’d sworn off men and was resolved never to find anyone to have that special relationship with. I probably wouldn’t have discounted matchmaking – though my friends certainly gave it a good (amateur) try for a few years!

How about you? How did you two meet?

We met at University! I was in my final year and Hubby Dearest still had a couple of years to go. Within a few months, we knew we wanted to be together, so it was a case of how we approached our parents to let them know! I guess the biggest plus point was that we were both Sikh, so that would always be acceptable, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Poor Poppy has quite a conundrum on her hands through this story; the old ‘forbidden love’ thing going on. If she were your friend, what advice would you give her? Follow your heart, or stick with the rules of your job?

I’m a ‘follow your heart’ kind of gal. I have often ‘broken the rules’, leaving good jobs to travel around the world or moving to another country to live with my long-distance boyfriend, even though we’d only spent 3 months (actually) together over that 2 years. I think rules can sometimes hem us in.

What about you? Would you have told Poppy to follow her heart or the rules?

I would definitely have told her to follow her heart! I was telepathically trying to send messages to a fictional character as I read the story!

I was lucky enough to be a very early reader of Match Me If You Can, and I loved it! (And thank you for the mention in the acknowledgements. I was touched!) The taster chapter at the end of book two whetted my appetite 100%! Will that be your next release?

First, you are so welcome for the thank you. Your advice really helped lend authenticity to two of my fave characters, Ravi and Jacinda, our hero’s closest friends.

Have you ever used a cultural sensitivity reader for any of your books? I’ve done that a few times as I want to be respectful and ‘get it right’.

I used a couple of sensitivity readers for Straight As A Jalebi, because I am not a homosexual Punjabi male, and I wanted to ensure I was not writing stereotypes or insensitively. Thankfully the feedback I got was positive, and it made for a better story, knowing I was hitting the right emotions.

And yes, the taster at the back of Match Me If You Can is, indeed, Book 2 in the series! It hasn’t got a title yet but I LOVE writing this book. It is set in the world of fashion, which has been so much fun to write. And Poppy is back as the matchmaker. It will be out in Feb next year.

Good luck with this latest release, Sandy and I cannot wait for the second one to drop!

As always such a thoughtful set of questions – and thank you again for reading it and having me on your gorgeous blog.

You are most welcome, Sandy. It is aways a pleasure having you visit!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Christmas Trip so please find my review below, as well as the buy links and some more information about my fabulous guest, Sandy!

The Blurb

Welcome to the Ever After Agency – a clandestine organisation offering bespoke solutions to romantic problems. Whether you’re looking for the love of your life, a fresh romantic start, or just want to keep up appearances, the agency can tailor a solution to meet your needs. When Tristan Fellows walks into the agency, Poppy Dean knows she’s in for a challenge. A typical bachelor, Tristan has no intention of falling in love, but in order to receive his 30-million-pound inheritance, he must find himself a wife before his 35th birthday. This may be Poppy’s hardest case yet, but even the most arrogant of men can sometimes warm a woman’s heart…

‘With smart banter and swoony moments against a backdrop of Greece, Edinburgh and London, Sandy Barker gives us another brilliant romcom and joyful read.’ Pernille Hughes

‘A wonderfully warm and witty will they/won’t they romance. Match Me If You Can is a perfect romantic read.’ Kathleen Whyman

My Review

Match Me If You Can: An utterly hilarious, will-they-won’t-they? romantic comedy from Sandy Barker for 2023 by Sandy Barker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Match Me If You Can is a fantastic start to a new series by one of my must-read authors, Sandy Barker.
I was not disappointed at all with the story’s premise or how everything unfolded.
Poppy works at an extremely exclusive match-making agency, catering to the elite and people who need a helping hand with finding suitable life partners.
Her latest client, Tristan, is a difficult one.
He’s not keen on marrying but has found himself in a predicament where he forfeits a huge inheritance if he doesn’t marry by a certain age.
She takes him on a journey of introductions, some of which are horrifying but extremely entertaining, before finally finding the one in the most unexpected place.
I was immersed in the story from the off and cannot wait for more in the series to come out!

These are the buy links for #MatchMeIfYouCan

Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Amazon CA

Audio: The Reading House | iBooks | Glassboxx

eBook: Kobo | iBooks | Nook

Angus & Robertson

Waterstone | Foyles

And here’s a little about Sandy and her other books.

Sandy is a writer, traveller and hopeful romantic with a lengthy bucket list, and many of her travel adventures have found homes in her novels. She’s also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover and a coffee snob.

Sandy lives in Melbourne Australia with her partner, Ben, who she met while travelling in Greece. Their real-life love story inspired Sandy’s debut novel One Summer in Santorini, the first in the five-book Holiday Romance series with One More Chapter, an imprint of HarperCollins.

The series continues in Paris, Sydney, and Bali with Tuscany the final destination in the series. Sandy’s novels The Christmas Swap and The Christmas Trip celebrate her favourite time of the year, and her romcom, The Dating Game, is set in the (fascinating) world of Reality TV.

Follow Sandy:

Tweets by sandybarker

https://www.facebook.com/sandybarkerauthor

https://sandybarker.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sandybarkerauthor/

Book and a Brew with Ritu – I’ll Miss You this Christmas by @LucyMitchAuth @BloodHoundBooks #NewRelease #BookReview

15 Sep 2023 14 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, I'll Miss You This Christmas, Lucy Mitchell, New Release

One of my oldest blogging friends!

I am absolutely thrilled to have a wonderful blogging friend, and writerly sister, Lucy Mitchell, visit today to discuss books, writing, podcasts and her newest release, I’ll Miss You This Christmas!

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

A green tea with honey would be perfect.

I’ve got all sorts of nibbles here, from Indian savouries, to freshly baked cookies and even a carrot cake. What do you fancy?

I tasted your cooking back in 2016 at the Annual Blogging Bash Awards and your cakes were beautiful.

Aw, thank you, Lucy! I am glad you remembered my Bake Off attempts!

Please, can I have a generous slice of your carrot cake?

Of course.

You and I have known each other for a long while now, pretty much since we started blogging. I know you’ve wanted to be a published writer since forever… can you share your journey, from Wattpad to self-publishing, to being with Bloodhound Books?

You and I go back years. You’re right, we met in the WordPress blogging community many writing moons ago. We then met in the flesh at the Blogging Awards in London, and I knew we would always be friends. You have always been a true supporter of my writing and likewise me with your wonderful writing. Do you remember when I interviewed you on my blog and you had what you referred to as your teenage WIP (lol), was it 19 years old?

Absolutely! I remember that blog post well! I think it has hit at least 18 years when I had finally finished it!

I woke up on my 40^th birthday and decided it was time to sort out my life dream of becoming an author. Everyone stared at me in bewilderment when I announced to the family over breakfast, that I was going to be an author. I had not written anything proper for years. When I was 12 weeks pregnant in 2003 with my first daughter, high on pregnancy hormones, I did write a Space romcom which defied the laws of science. I had read it back once since giving birth and cringed so much at my characters having saucy moments as they passed the Rings of Saturn that I had to forget about writing for 10 years.

😂 I feel like I need to read this…

So, my husband paid for me to go on a 12-week writing course. This was a game-changer. I realised a lot of things over those 12 weeks. Firstly, I couldn’t call myself a writer and not write anything (lol), I couldn’t write books and not read books regularly, and everyone on that course was far better than me at writing. The tutor recommended we develop our craft and start a blog. In 2014 my blog was born.

I blogged every day for about 2 years. Short, snappy and diary-like entries about my life.

I loved those entries!

I won the Funniest Blog award for 2 years running, made a ton of writing friends, realised I had found my tribe and LOVED every single minute. Blogging taught me so many valuable things, most importantly discipline. I turned up every day to write. Then someone told me I should write a book….

I wrote a dreadful thriller which will never see the light of day again and I also went on Wattpad and wrote – The Diary of Roxy Collins. https://www.wattpad.com/story/54120403-the-diary-of-roxy-collins?utm_source=web&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share_myworks

Roxy Collins is my fictional heroine. Her funny diary entries got me 70k followers on Wattpad and over 270k views. She will always be my favourite character. She gave me validation that I could become an author.

Roxy has a special place in my heart, too. I keep telling you your publisher needs to do something with her stories. She is fab!

I wrote my first romance novel – Instructions for Falling in Love Again, and after a ton of rejections, I self-published it in 2019. This was one of the best things I have ever done and was a brilliant experience. It changed my life, and from that point on, I knew I wanted to be published before the age of 50. I had several years of working with agents, going on submission, a lot of rejections and then, at the start of this year, I got signed by Bloodhound Books. The book I wrote in the weeks after my dad died – I’ll Miss You This Christmas is coming out on 15 September.

https://geni.us/MissYouChristmas

Even better is that my first novel, Instructions for Falling in Love Again, will be re-published by Bloodhound Books in November. Yes, I have signed a 4-book contract with Bloodhound Books. I am becoming the author I used to dream about when I was a kid – squeal!

That is awesome! I am so proud of you and happy for you! (Doing my happy dance! 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽)

And, I know you have written several novels already, but this is only the second one that has been published, so far. Will the other ones be coming out any time soon for a tweak and a publish?

Yes, I have signed a 4-book contract with Bloodhound Books. I am becoming the author I used to dream about when I was a kid – squeal! 🎉🎉

Where is your favourite place to write and create? I know you have a heap of notebooks (who doesn’t?) that you love to post about. Do you handwrite any of your draft, or just the plans?

This is what I have created for myself in terms of a writing space. I love it and even my cat – Harry loves it too.

He looks so much like Sonu Singh!

I am a true pantser. I write a few notes and then dump everything onto a Word document. I also think I have a weird writing process as I write things out of order and then piece them back together years later. Very odd. My ideas don’t come fully formed. They come in bits with no instruction manual.

Oh, if only there was a manual…

I am a huge lover of romantic novels of all sorts. What pulled you towards that genre?

I love reading romance. I love crying my eyes out over a good romance. I love thinking about the fictional couple for weeks after and wishing the author would send me an update on how their Happily Ever After is going.

Talking of romance writers, tell the readers about your newest non-writing project, Love At First Write – a podcast with the fabulous Lucy Keeling and Bettina Hunt! (who have both popped over for a Book & A Brew in the past, too!) What gave you three the idea to start this new venture?

I recorded a podcast back in 2016 when podcasts were very new. I recorded The Diary of Roxy Collins. Back then I don’t think audio-books were big. Anyway, I recorded her diary entries whilst huddled in my daughter’s shoe cupboard with a gin and tonic. I had such a giggle. One of the most enjoyable things I have done creatively.

And I loved listening to you reading them!

So, the podcast idea never left me. I wanted to reach out to a different audience of readers and romance writers. Then, I met 2 like-minded souls, Lucy Keeling and Bettina Hunt. At the start of this year, I pestered them both about creating a podcast and voila – Love at First Write was born.

We have had so much fun putting this together and it’s also been a steep learning curve.

It’s a podcast aimed at newbie romance writers, romance authors and romance readers who want to know what it’s like writing romance. It’s funny and full of useful tips. We are on all the main podcasting platforms and we go live on Friday 1^st September with our weekly episodes. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/love-at-first-write/id1697505295

I’ve already heard the intro episode which is such fun! I was one of your first listeners on the 1st… well, after I finished my first day back at school! 🙄

Now, let’s come back to your new release, I’ll Miss You This Christmas. There are layers of grief among the rest of the romance and light-heartedness in this lovely story. I know you suffered your own loss around the time you were writing this. Was it cathartic?

Yes, very much so. I wrote it on the trains back and forth from Leeds after Dad died suddenly in May 2021. I live in Wales, and he lived in Leeds. The train journeys were so painful, and I think on the first one I cried the whole way there. I’d spoken to him a few days before and he was his usual happy self. Then I got a call to say he had suffered a huge stroke and was on end-of-life care. We spent 5 days by his bedside in a Leeds hospital. He never woke up and it broke my heart. On the way home, I knew he’d want me to write. He was my biggest supporter of books and writing. So, I did. My novel, I’ll Miss You This Christmas, was born.

Huge hugs, Lucy. 🤗🤗

I love how the title reflects the different meanings of ‘miss’ within the story. Missing people emotionally and missing them physically. What made you think of setting the majority of this story on the trains?

It was all the time I spent on trains going back and forth from Wales to Leeds. Not only after he’d died but also in the weeks after to support Mum.

I have already told you this, but I loved the fact that you had a third main character, Felix, who is a young boy, and his point of view about the whole story. He is pivotal to the plot. Did you base him on anyone you know?

He was a boy on the train who I saw when I was crying over dad. A young boy with freckles and red hair was down the carriage and he was doing what Felix does in the book. I won’t give the game away as that’s an important part of my story.

Oooh, now that is even more intriguing!

And I’m sure my readers would love to know… what do you have in the pipeline? Is there anything up your sleeves, already?

Instructions for Falling in Love Again – November 2023

The Car Share – April 2024

My Café story – but not confirmed title yet.

Thank you for having me over, Ritu.

You are most welcome, Lucy. It was a pleasure having you visit! And, I can’t wait for the other books, now, too! 😊

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Christmas Trip so please find my review below, as well as the buy links and some more information about my fabulous guest, Sandy!

The Blurb

As the holidays draw near, she’s missing him—again and again. . . . “[Mitchell’s] writing is deliciously funny and has so much heart.” —Sandy Barker, author of One Summer in Santorini

Emily feels like her life’s been shattered into tiny pieces and glued back together the wrong way. With her heart still aching after her sister’s sudden death, Emily has stepped up to care for her nine-year-old nephew, Felix. Trying to do the right thing, she also ended her two-year relationship with Rory, who wasn’t ready to settle down, so she could focus on Felix.

But when she takes Felix into London to see the Christmas displays, he wanders off and the two of them wind up on a train to Leeds . . . where Rory just happens to live. The long ride will give her time to reflect on whether she made a mistake letting Rory go. But as Rory embarks on his own journey at the same time, will the three of them manage to cross paths in time for Christmas?

My Review

I’ll Miss You This Christmas: A life-affirming and uplifting Christmas romance by Lucy Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been looking forward to reading this for a long time now. Lucy Mitchell’s second book was eagerly anticipated!
Emily is not looking forward to Christmas. It is far too different to Christmases past, with loved ones no longer around her and a new responsibility on her head. That of a carer to her nine-year-old nephew Felix, and a rather overexcited dog, Baxter, who has a penchant for running off with her underwear!
Things used to be so good between them, but nowadays, they spend forever fighting, bickering, and generally having no fun whatsoever.
She misses Vivi, her sister, who was tragically taken from her. And she desperately misses her ex, Rory, though she doesn’t really know that.
But Felix does. And he tries his hardest to help in his own nine-year-old way.
The story is set over the space of a couple of days, and trains feature heavily as the characters end up on eventful journeys to try and find their own happy endings, with so many near misses!
This story is written in multiple POVs; Emily, Rory and Felix.
Can I start by saying I loved having Felix’s side of the story? Felix is a beautifully complex character with his secrets and wishes, and the ideas he has to help his little family be happy are just epic, cute and kinda crazy!
I just wanted to hug Emily and tell her things would be okay. It’s a lot to take on responsibility for a child, even if that child is your nephew.
And Rory. Bless him. He’s suffering his own grief and trying to overcome everything without the woman he loves by his side.
My heartstrings were tugged from the book’s first pages as we were thrown into the midst of chaos, with arguments, tantrums (and Baxter running off with Emily’s lingerie!)
Grief shows in many different ways and the way Lucy has explored this through various angles is sensitive and heart-rending, but there are brilliant dashes of humour to keep the reader upbeat.
I wanted that happy ending and kept turning pages, on the edge of my seat, as they very nearly got there… then something else happened to stop the inevitable, but each and every twist kept me hooked through to the end.
An incredibly wonderful story. Funny, poignant and hopeful.
I can’t wait for the next Lucy Mitchell story!

These are the buy links for #MissYouChristmas

https://geni.us/MissYouChristmas

And here’s a little about Lucy.

I live in a house with two teenagers, an over-excited Labrador, a gang of unruly cats and a rugby-mad Welsh husband. On the morning of my 40th birthday, I decided to follow my dream of writing books. I’ve always enjoyed writing funny stuff and my mum still has the letters I used to write to her when I was at university and turned aspects of my student life into a comedy. When I am not writing, I am eating scampi & chips at my local pub, reading romance books or co-hosting the podcast – Love At First Write.

Follow Lucy:
linktr.ee/LucyMitchAuth

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.

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 – The Gingerbread Christmas Village by @KileyDunbar @HeraBooks #NewRelease #BookReview

31 Aug 2023 11 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book and a brew with Ritu, Book Review, Kiley Dunbar, The Gingerbread Christmas Village

Aren’t you loving these posts? I am!

Oh, how exciting to have another of my wonderful guests come back for a repeat visit! Today the wonderful Kiley Dunbar is here with me to chat about her latest release, The Gingerbread Christmas Village!

Welcome back to But I Smile Anyway, Kiley! How lovely to have you back here with me! We’d better get a drink sorted first, so let me know what you are craving, be it a hot drink or cold… or since we will be chatting Christmas, maybe mulled wine might be more appropriate.

And, I have even baked some gingerbread men as a nod to a certain book. 😊

It’s so nice to be back. Thanks for inviting me. I’m happy with a brew to dunk my gingerbread man in, thanks lovely. Cheers!

Since I saw you last you’ve released the gorgeous Straight As A Jalebi. Congratulations!

Thank you so much, Kiley! I have been so nervous about it, but the release went extremely well.

I think we need an update on all things Kiley, before we start! What have you been up to, since your visit last year?

I’ve been writing non-stop and lecturing at the Manchester Writing School, as well as running my ‘Write Your Romance Novel in 2023 with Kiley Dunbar’ online webinars. It’s been a LOT! Phew! But you know all about it, teaching, writing, blogging and somehow still finding time to read and review!

You need to tell me all about your new garden and writing space! It looks amazing!

Thanks, Ritu! Since we’re not off on holidays this year, I decided to make my garden a relaxing spot where I can take a break. We knocked down two little sheds and revealed a lovely big border where I dug a pond, and we planted trees and shrubs and even some veggies. It’s so nice to sit there on my ridiculously big lounger and watch the fish swimming. There’s a little arbour seating area with a table where I can write on warm days too. It’s added so much to our quality of life. I’m very lucky!

Your writing room always looks so calming! How do you keep your workspace so tidy? Mine ends up cluttered with mugs and paperwork! Haha!

I think it is because I don’t get to use it as much during term time, because of work stress and exhaustion! However, I am a typical Virgo, and I need organisation and calm around me to work well!

Totally not book related, but I love all the pics of your vintage finds that you post. What inspired your love of vintage pieces, be it clothing or accessories?

Oh, I LOVE a rummage in a charity shop or on eBay or Etsy looking for vintage clothes and houseware. I especially love 1980s clothes and accessories, and I share pics of how I style them on my Instagram account @kileydunbarauthor

Are you a magpie for vintage stuff?

I don’t tend to go out looking, however I do like to recycle wonderful things that my mum has squirrelled away! She has some gorgeous Indian outfits that were barely worn, and I used to wear them loads, when I was slightly smaller. (They came from an era when she was slightly smaller too! Probably would fit my daughter, now!)

Now, back to the writing side… You’ve written a few books with Christmas at the core of them. Is Christmas a favourite time of year for you? Can you share a special memory from a Christmas past?

I was brought up in Scotland and my favourite memories of Christmases past are of the heavy snows in the 80s and of spending Christmas day at Gran and Grandads with their Scottish country music records playing and me twirling in my Christmas dresses! And then there was New Year’s Day at my great aunt’s (she was a wonderful home cook), I loved going there. And my birthday is on the 29^th, and wedding anniversary on the 16^th of December, so all our celebrations are at Christmas. It’s a big deal for me. Plus, I just love the darkness! I think it’s my Scandinavian roots! Hehe!

I was lucky enough to read an early copy of The Gingerbread Christmas Village, and I absolutely loved it! But books with food at the heart don’t half make me hungry! Are you a good Gingerbread baker?

I’m not bad but not a gifted baker. I’m better at cakes than biscuits. Luckily there’s a very famous bakery where I live (Chatwins) who make the best gingerbread men! My kids were raised on them!

Mind you, your gingerbread men are giving them a serious run for their money, Ritu. These are delicious! Thank you!

Something I loved about The Gingerbread Christmas Village was that your main character, Margi, was an older woman. The majority of romance novels tend to have younger heroines, and even when there is a second chance romance, they might be in their 30s or 40s, but you chose a woman in her 60s, and portrayed her so well. Sixty is not old at all, and that really echoed positively in me. Why did you choose for her to be a much older woman?

I’m so glad you loved Margi! Yay! Lately, I’ve been thinking so much about ageing, since I stopped dying my hair, letting my greys shine, and since I started HRT. There’s so much we don’t talk about when it comes to ageing, and one of those things is how older people fare romantically. I don’t see why characters in their 20s and 30s should have the monopoly of happy ever afters.

I love this, being a full embracer of the greys, too, and on that HRT journey! yay for more relatable heroines, for us!

Your cast of side characters were, as ever, an entertaining bunch! Do you ever base your characters on people you know?

Never ever! Haha! That wouldn’t be very fair. But I do notice and remember traits, quirks and little habits of speech and behaviour and they all go into my brain’s big writing scrapbook to draw upon when I need them.

As I mentioned above, I have read and reviewed this fantastic book, already, and I will share my review, below, but as always, I must ask you, what can we expect next from Kiley Dunbar?

I was so touched by your review, thank you so much, Ritu!

What’s next? Well, I’m just finishing the fourth ‘Borrow a Bookshop’ novel. So far, it doesn’t even have a title or cover art, but I’ll be able to share that soon enough. Then, after that, there’s a fifth book in the series. I ADORE writing about my Devonshire bookshop Airbnb and could write these stories literally forever!

I am SOOOOO excited, and I cannot wait!

Shall we have another brew and gingerbread man and you can tell me your writing plans for the rest of the year, Ritu? I need a good catch-up on all the gossip!

I’ll never say no to another cuppa, Kiley!

So, my plans are that I need to get WORDS written over this summer break, for book three which is due out in June next year! It is going to be my tightest turnaround, so I have tried to factor in writing time over the Summer break, and I have signed up for Anita Faulkner’s Autumn Writer’s retreat, in September, which is a virtual weekend filled with encouragement! So, the hope is to get the manuscript finished before the end of year in order for the pre-reading and editing to get done!

Thank you so much for coming over again, Kiley. It has been a pleasure! 🥰

Thank you Ritu. 😊

Now, as I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to read an ARC of The Gingerbread Christmas Village, so let me share the blurb and my review.

The Blurb

Everyone deserves a Christmas treat…

The annual Wheaton gingerbread exhibit (a model village made of gingerbread) and grotto has been an important part of the sleepy Cotswold hamlet’s Christmas celebrations for decades. For years the gingerbread exhibition drew visitors from across the region and each year the model town grew more elaborate and ambitious but recently, interest has been dwindling.

The gingerbread grotto needs to be rehomed or close forever.

Sixty-four-year-old Margi, the event’s founder, has had enough of village life (and its total lack of eligible men) and is planning to sell up and head to Birmingham to live closer to her niece. She has lost her spark and her Christmas spirit and decides this will be her last gingerbread village, but despairs when she finds her only support is her old friend, Izzy, her niece Lucy from Birmingham, and Fern, the shy young farmer’s daughter.

Oh, and Patrick, the gorgeous, reliable school caretaker.

As if this wasn’t enough, Lucy is determined to get her out dating again and persuades her to try some online dating apps but Margi’s had her heart broken too many times and wonders if she has just missed her chance.

Can they save the Gingerbread Grotto and can Margi get her old spark and her Christmas spirit back?

A cosy, totally feelgood seasonal read that will have you smiling. The perfect read to snuggle up and have you feeling festive! Fans of Jenny Colgan and Trisha Ashley will love this book.

Buy it here! https://geni.us/3APDxAR

My Review

The Gingerbread Christmas Village: A totally uplifting and romantic seasonal read by Kiley Dunbar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love diving into Kiley Dunbar’s books, and I was looking forward to this latest one, and it didn’t disappoint.
Margi, our main character, is a 64-year-old woman who is in a bit of a dilemma in life. She feels like the laughingstock of Wheaton Village after a messed up shortest-ever marriage the previous year and wants to start afresh. Only she has a huge responsibility on her shoulders, in the form of a gingerbread village that she creates annually with the help of some friends. It is a tradition started by her mother and one she can’t bear to stop. However, circumstances seem to be pushing her in the direction of ending it.
I am not going to regurgitate the story as my review, as that won’t be fair on any prospective readers.
What I will say is that if you want a feel-good romance with heart, and a HEA, then Kiley Dunbar is definitely the author to turn to.
Kiley has also written a slightly different character as her main one, this time, in the form of an older woman, not quite in her twilight years but feeling past it.
Women in their 60s are not perceived as how they were a couple of decades ago. They aren’t all automatically a part of the blue rinse brigade and only fit for knitting, tea and low walks with zimmer frames. Margi, I feel, thinks she is not worthy of another shot at happiness, especially with someone younger than her, and I loved the morphing of her thinking towards the end of the book. (Even though doubt is never far away.)
And all the reading about gingerbread made me crave some, in the middle of the summer, too! I’d love to see a gingerbread village like the one Margi’s mum and then Margi created.
A wonderful festive read!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an ARC.

And here’s a little about Kiley and her other books.

Kiley Dunbar writes heart-warming, escapist, romantic fiction set in beautiful places.

One Winter’s Night is shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Comedy Novel Award 2021.

CHRISTMAS AT THE BORROW A BOOKSHOP COMING SOON

Take your pick from Kiley’s six novels (for author’s accompanying content/trigger warnings go to kileydunbar.co.uk):

Matchmaking at Port Willow (NEW FOR SEPT 2021) Beatrice is back in this sequel to Summer at the Highland Coral Beach, and she’s loved up and wanting other inn guests to experience the same magic she did last summer. Low-tech dating profiles, empty-nesters on a second honeymoon, and a lonely New Yorker in exile. With added puppies and Heiland Coos.

The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday (May 2021) Jude rents a tumbledown bookshop by the sea in Clove Lore, Devon, for a fortnight. When fellow bookseller-holidaymaker Elliot turns up unannounced, she discovers she’s not the only one running away from real life. Only one bed, bookselling and blossoming romance.

One Winter’s Night (September 2020) Return to Stratford-upon-Avon for a winter full of adventure, romance and family drama. Mystery, new neighbours, and a show-stopping theatrical procession. The sequel to One Summer’s Night.

Summer at the Highland Coral Beach (2020), the first in the Port Willow Bay Series, takes you on an impromptu crafting holiday in the Scottish Highlands and reminds us that after the storm comes the rainbow. Crafts, ceilidhs, coral bays and gentle recovery.

Christmas at Frozen Falls (2019) will fly you to snowy, remote Finnish Lapland over Christmas where Sylvie Magnussen is getting a second chance at love with an old flame – sexy Stellan Virtanen – the one who got away – well, he ran away actually, and Sylvie never understood why. Hot kisses in a cold climate, Northern lights and a stunning resort setting.

One Summer’s Night (2019) whisks you away on a working staycation in beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon during a sultry heatwave summer. A starting-over story, handsome actors, backstage passes, and a whole lot of drama in the Heart of England.

Twitter: @KileyDunbar

‘Kiley Dunbar Author Book Page’ on Facebook

Website and newsletter: www.kileydunbar.co.uk

Instagram: @kileydunbarauthor