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Book and a Brew with Ritu – The One That He Wants by @Lizzie_Chantree by #NewRelease #BookReview

11 Apr 2023 9 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book and a brew with Ritu, Book Review, Lizzie Chantree, New Release, The One That He WAnts

I’m back with a second edition!

Today, I am thrilled to welcome a dear friend and fantastic author, Lizzie Chantree to chat about her latest release, The One That He Wants.

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway, Lizzie! Let’s get you set with a drink, first. I know you like to meet with fellow writers over a cuppa!

I can offer you an English brew, or, if you fancy a little something different, I can always brew up some masala tea… or a coffee if you please? Or maybe a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows? Let me know. Snacks a plenty, too, from biscuits to something spicier!

Hi Ritu. Firstly, congratulations on your own brand new book! I can’t wait to read it. I do love English breakfast tea, but my weakness is a frothy latte. I would never say no to a snack, and although I try to eat healthily, I have a bubblegum drawer in my writing studio! Just don’t tell my children. Lol 😁

Aah, thank you so much, Lizzie. Yes, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind my end! But you know what that’s like! Let me grab you a latte, then and a few nibbles!

Right. So, let’s get started! I’d love to know where your writing journey started, Lizzie. Tell me what made you start to write novels.

I began writing as a kind of therapy. My youngest child was unwell for many years (she’s fine now), and I needed a way to keep myself awake at night to listen to her breathing. I decided to write a book, of all things! I filled it with the sunshine and laughter that was missing from my life at that time. I then hid it in a cupboard for five years until my daughter’s health began to improve. We now know she has contact allergies.

I am glad she is okay…. Children being unwell is one of the hardest things to comprehend. Now from that time you have a huge amount of stories under your belt!

Do you have a favourite of all your books?

I love them all, but my first, Babe Driven, is close to my heart. Writing that book helped me to get through a tough time in my life and my daughter proudly tells anyone who will listen that she was the catalyst for my new career, which is true!

I think your first book will always be something special, even if it never sees the light of day, especially as we know how tough it is to write any sort of book!

And, talking of writing, where do you like to write?

I adore writing by the sea or anywhere with cake, coffee and a great view. The landscape inspires me, and my pen seems to flow across the page. I often write the first 20 thousand words of my manuscripts by hand and enjoy the feel of pen and paper connecting to create something new.

I have often seen your posts of you out and about. Nature is just so inspiring! I have to admit to not being able to handwrite, as, despite bing a teacher, any writing of length makes my handwriting begin to look like a doctor’s and I can’t read it back!

I know you have a colourful past with business, too, with your lifesaving (or face-saving for many woman!) product Runaway Spray! Did that come before or after your writing started?

Before I began writing, I ran a retail and wholesale business for over fifteen years and designed my own product ranges. I invented Runaway Spray when I attended a very unusual university. We did a ‘four year in one’ course. 8am until 8pm every weekday. It was based in London and called, The School Of Communication Arts. I loved it there! They took around 35-40 students a year, and I was one of the youngest. It opened my eyes to design and marketing and showed me how to utilise my creative ideas. I was completely in awe of everyone there, as most had already been in creative industries for at least a few years. I joined straight from arts college.

That is an amazing achievement!

And to top it off, you do so much for the writing community with your fantastic Facebook group, Lizzie’s Book Group, which I love, as well as running the #CreativeBizHour conversation on Twitter on Mondays. How do you do all of this, on top of writing?

I do get tired! I also really love what I do, which helps. My mind is always looking for new avenues for creativity, so chatting to fellow creatives is an absolute pleasure and if I can share knowledge, then that makes me happy too. When I came into this industry, I didn’t know anyone or anything about publishing. Other authors and creatives took me under their wing and showed me where to find resources. I taught myself a lot under their guidance. If I can do it, anyone can! Networking was key to this success.

The creative community can be amazing, when you find your tribe, I agree, 100%. It was definitely because of my first community, formed on my blog that I got the confidence to decide to publish my poetry book, then Marriage Unarranged, with so much support and advice from this wonderful blogily I had found.

Before I go off on a totally different tangent, let’s chat about your latest book, The One That He Wants, book two in the Cherry Tree Series. I loved the first, and this one too! (Review is below!) Where did the idea come for this business park-related series?

Thank you for taking the time to read and review this book. I really appreciate you! Loved it!

The setting of Cherry Blossom Lane came naturally because Cherry Blossoms represent rebirth, renewal and new beginnings. The stories focus on a group of old school friends and the notorious Taylor ‘Heartbreak Brothers’ who live in their old town. There are invisible threads linking them all together throughout the series, but they all find ways to support, lift up and encourage each other, even if they sometimes fall in and out of love.

I love Sasha, the main character in this book, too. She is outwardly filled with so much confidence and advice, yet finds it hard to apply the same to herself! And she is a hot chocolate aficionado, too. Are you a hot chocolate fan, too?

I’m actually allergic to chocolate! I love that Sasha is unapologetic about who she is. She lacks confidence at times, but refuses to change for anyone – especially Oliver Taylor. A lot of it is bravado, but she learns about herself throughout the book, and I think the bit of self-reflection doesn’t do her any harm.

And, I already know there will be a third book, which I cannot wait for! But what else do you have in the pipeline? Any tidbits you want to share?

Thank you! I am excited to finish writing book three of my Cherry Blossom Lane series. I have also written a prequel to my Little Shop by the Sea series, which will be offered to my newsletter subscribers. The prequel is about the main character, Genie, before American heartthrob, Cal, crashed into her world. It was a lot of fun to write. Next up after that, is a book that I cannot wait to jump into. It’s set in London along a bustling riverside and based around assumptions, misunderstandings and sizzling romance!

How exiting! You know I’ll be there, ready to read!

I’m currently working on a series of seminars that I will be running this year in Essex, to help writers with their book marketing, launches and planning. They will be based on my book, Networking for Writers, but will include extra content. Book marketing can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be scary or expensive. It just needs a little imagination and a network of support. I run writing buddy sessions each month with fellow romance author, Chris Penhall, in Fete Graysyard Café in Chelmsford, Essex, where we encourage new and experienced writers to get words onto paper. If anyone is nearby, join in!

You truly are an awesome, encouraging person, Lizzie with so much creativity within you! I look forward to hearing more about the seminars, too!

Thank you so much for visiting, Lizzie. It’s been a pleasure.

Thank you for inviting me, Ritu.

My pleasure 😊

Peeps, there is more to come from lovely Lizzie so make sure you sign up for her newsletter!!

Romantic reads by Lizzie Chantree

Now, as I mentioned before, I read The One That He Wnnts not long after it came out! Here’s the Blurb and my Review.

The Blurb

An exciting new romance read, from the author of, My Perfect Ex. After years of longing for a life that is just out of her reach, Sasha decides to take fate into her own hands and jump feet first into an exciting new job with her best friend Poppy. Now things are finally back on track, it’s time for Sasha to help plan a wedding and to start dating again… anyone but the best man, that is. When charismatic Oliver Taylor, best man and one of the town’s renowned ‘heartbreak brothers’ asks Sasha to be his plus-one for the wedding to escape the unwanted attentions of a mutual friend, circumstances beyond her control mean she has to accept. But then social media superstar, Devon comes onto the scene and starts shaking the foundations that Ollie is trying to rebuild. Will the past hold her back from an exciting new future, or will Sasha be brave enough to follow her heart? A irresistible, romantic story of enemies to lovers. Scroll up and one-click to lose yourself in the Cherry Blossom Lane series, today.

The One The He Wants, is the second book in a series of exciting romance novels set in Cherry Blossom Lane, by Lizzie Chantree.

My Review

The One That He Wants: A gorgeous and exciting, enemies to lovers romance to escape with. by Lizzie Chantree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was absolutely into Cherry Blossom Lane with book 1, so I couldn’t wait to be reunited with the characters and learn more about what was happening with Sasha this time!
And Lizzie Chantree did not disappoint.
It was wonderful to see Poppy again, follow the lead-up to her wedding, and watch with intrigue the development of Sasha’s self-confidence and her romantic life.
Ollie is the Taylor brother in the picture this time round, and he is certainly a complex character.
There were plenty of ‘Will they? Won’t they?’ moments as different characters introduced themselves as prospective spanners in the works!
I love how the intrigue has been built for the next book… And cannot wait for it to be out!

Buy it HERE!

The One That He Wants: https://mybook.to/TheOneThatHeWants

Lizzie has written many books, most of which I have read!

The Little Ice Cream Shop: viewbook.at/IceCreamShopByTheSea
The Little Cupcake Shop: viewbook.at/LittleCupcakeShopBySea
My Perfect Ex: viewbook.at/MyPerfectEx
If You Love Me, I’m Yours: mybook.to/IfYouLoveMe
Ninja School Mum: viewbook.at/NinjaSchoolMumRomance
Babe Driven: viewbook.at/BabeDriven
Love’s Child: viewBook.at/Amazon-LovesChild
Finding Gina: viewbook.at/FindingGina
Shh… It’s Our Secret: https://www.bhcpress.com/Books_Chantree_Shh_Its_Our_Secret.html
The Woman Who Felt Invisible: viewbook.at/InvisibleWoman

Networking for Writers: viewbook.at/NetworkingForWriters

Author Bio

International bestselling author and award-winning inventor, Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children were little and now works as a business mentor and runs a popular networking hour on social media, where creatives can support to each other. She writes books full of friendship and laughter, that are about women with unusual and adventurous businesses, who are far stronger
than they realise. She lives with her family on the coast in Essex.

Her motto is to always do what you love, stay true to your heart’s desires, and inspire others to do so too.

Lizzie is extremely active on Social Media, so if you want to follow her somewhere, I am sure there is something to your taste in this list!

Social media links:
Website: www.lizziechantree.com
Author page: https://www.viewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizzie.chantree.3/
Fb Page: https://www.facebook.com/LizzieChantree/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7391757.Lizzie_Chantree
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/
FB Groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/647115202160536/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lizzie-chantree
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lizziechantreeauthor
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnCop-RlAcGqggZG3JfE-Mw
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lizzie_chantree

Tell Me Lies by @TeresaDriscoll #BlogTour #BookReview @FMcMAssociates

11 Apr 2023 3 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Tell Me Lies

Allow me to introduce to you the next release from best-selling author Teresa Driscoll, Tell Me Lies. Oh, what a good read!

The Blurb

From bestselling author Teresa Driscoll comes a chilling thriller of past secrets and present terror. Deep in a rural hideaway, it’s only the owls watching them…right?

After a betrayal that sent their marriage into freefall, Hannah and Sam are desperate for a fresh start with their eight-year-old daughter Lily—and where better than picture-perfect Owl Cottage in beautiful Cornwall. But something about the holiday home stirs dark memories for Hannah…

When she finds dead creatures on the doorstep and hears mysterious knocks at the door, Hannah can’t help wondering whether someone is messing with her—or whether the past she’s been running from has finally claimed her sanity.

As the disturbing events at Owl Cottage seep out into the local community and the police become involved, Hannah turns to Sam for help, but when he dismisses her worries, she wonders if she was wrong to ever trust him. Are the memories making her paranoid, or is this something more sinister than she dares imagine?

My Review

Tell Me Lies by Teresa Driscoll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve not read Teresa Driscoll’s books before, but this one had me hooked and on the lookout for her other books!
Hannah is in a bit of a mess.
She suffered huge trauma as a child and teenager, and just when her life was settled with her husband, Sam, and daughter, Lily, something pulls the rug from under her feet.
To start afresh, the small family take a holiday and settles in what seems like an idyllic cottage named Owl Cottage. Perfect for Hannah, who loves owls.
The thing is, idyllic rarely stays as such. Strange things begin to happen, causing Hannah and her family to begin to regret coming.
Told mainly from the POV of Hannah, with some switches to Sam, Maud, Hannah’s mother, and the DI in charge of the eventual case. We also meet Hannah’s neurotic friend Amy and her handsome, but a bit smarmy, husband Adam.
Her mother is worried. She can see her daughter in free fall, and knowing what has happened in the past, she’s concerned about what Hannah might do.
Sam is tense, not knowing what impact his actions will have on his wife.
The DI in charge of what should be a simple sudden death case ends up unearthing a lot more than that.
I read this fairly quickly and was invested from the beginning. I could feel the anxiety and confusion in Hannah throughout. She did become a bit self-absorbed at times, but considering all she had been through, it’s not a surprise.

About the Author

Teresa Driscoll is a former BBC TV news presenter whose psychological thrillers have
sold nearly two million copies across the world. Her first thriller I Am Watching You hit
Kindle Number 1 in the UK, USA and Australia and has sold more than a million copies
in English alone.
Teresa writes women’s fiction as well as thrillers and her work has been optioned for
film and sold for translation in more than 20 territories. For decades Teresa was a
journalist working across newspapers, magazines and television. Covering crime for so
long, she was deeply moved by the haunting impact on the relatives, the friends and
the witnesses and it is those ripples she explores now in her darker fiction. Teresa lives
in glorious Devon with her family and blogs regularly about her ‘writing life’ on her
website, http://www.teresadriscoll.com.

Her Deadly Game by @robertdugoni #BlogTour #BookReview @FMcMAssociates #PoliceProcedural

02 Apr 2023 12 Comments

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, Her Deadly Game

Something a bit different from me, today. I am on the blog tour for a Police Procedural/Crime Fiction novel by Robert Dugoni, Her Deadly Game

The Blurb

Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. Now, returning to her family’s failing criminal defence law firm to work for her father is her only option. But with the right moves, maybe she can restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career.

Keera’s chance to establish herself comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, is eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defence. But as a competitive former chess prodigy, Keera is confident she can outmanoeuvre him.

As Keera and her team start digging, they uncover more than they bargained for. Keera is sure that LaRussa didn’t kill his wife, but she’s starting to suspect that he’s not an innocent man. With a duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future to consider, she’s caught in a deadly game…

My Review

Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always say I’m not a crime fiction kind of gal, but then I pick up a book, like this one, part courtroom drama, part police procedural, with a whole load of family drama thrown in, and I find myself sucked in.
Her Deadly Game focuses on a lawyer, Keera, who, through no fault of her own, has to leave one job and go, tail between legs, to work with her father and sisters in their family law practice.
She becomes embroiled in one case that she ends up heading after being the after-hours lawyer on duty, which could make or break her.
A murder.
Someone with a motive, but many, many other aspects that don’t tie up, as well as an alcoholic father threatening to put the case in jeopardy and an ex who ends up causing her hell in the courtroom.
Keera’s old interest in playing chess also plays a part in the story. I’m not a chess player, so the different moves and names of pieces meant little to me, but I liked the parallel that was created between the tension in her working life and the online game she is playing.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this. A definite page turner.

About the Author

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series, which has sold more than eight million books worldwide. He is also the author of the bestselling Charles Jenkins series; the bestselling David Sloane series; the stand-alone novels The 7th Canon, Damage Control, The World Played Chess, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni won an AudioFile Earphones Award for narration; and the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post best book of the year. He is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction and a three-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He is a two-time finalist for the Thriller Awards and the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, as well as a finalist for the Silver Falchion Award for mystery and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards. His books are sold in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages.

Visit his website at www.robertdugonibooks.com

The Woman Beyond The Sea by Sarit Yishai-Levy #BlogTour #BookReview @FMcMAssociates #TranslatedFiction

24 Mar 2023 Leave a comment

by Ritu in Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blog Tour, Blogger, Blogging, Book Review, The Woman Beyond The Sea, Translated Fiction

Today I am bringing you a beautiful story written by Sarit Yishay-Levy, and translated by Gilah Kahn-Hoffman.

The Blurb

A mesmerizing novel about three generations of women who have lost each
other—and the quest to weave them back into a family.
An immersive historical tale spanning the life stories of three women,
The Woman Beyond the Sea traces the paths of a daughter, mother, and
grandmother who lead entirely separate lives, until finally their stories and their
hearts are joined together.
Eliya thinks that she’s finally found true love and passion with her charismatic
and demanding husband, an aspiring novelist—until he ends their relationship
in a Paris café, spurring her suicide attempt. Seeking to heal herself, Eliya is
compelled to piece together the jagged shards of her life and history.
Eliya’s heart-wrenching journey leads her to a profound and unexpected
love, renewed family ties, and a reconciliation with her orphaned mother,
Lily. Together, the two women embark on a quest to discover the truth about
themselves and Lily’s own origins…and the unknown woman who set their
stories in motion one Christmas Eve.

My Review

The Woman Beyond the Sea by Sarit Yishai-Levi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Firstly, I want to say that translated fiction can be quite hard to read. Sometimes things literally get ‘lost in translation’. Phrases used commonly in the original language can sound strange when written to suit a different tongue.
However, despite taking a little time to get into it, The Woman Beyond The Sea was a beautiful story about a daughter, her mother, and their relationships.
Eliya finds herself in emotional turmoil after her marriage breaks, especially since she was warned against the union by her family.
She goes through several unstable phases, including suicidal thoughts, which are not helped by her mother, Lily, who can’t seem to find love or compassion for her only daughter,
Lily, herself, is a damaged creature with no stable foundations and far too much heartache, despite having the love of a good man forever behind her and beside her.
Ultimately this is a story of discovering one’s self, and in The Woman Beyond The Sea, Lily and Eliya go on a bumpy ride to find out why they feel the way they do about one another and those around them.
Sometimes there was repetition and more than one POV in a named POV chapter, but I was immersed in the story and spent an entire day in bed wanting to read more!

About the Author

Sarit Yishai-Levi is a renowned Israeli journalist and author. In 2016 she published her first book, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem. It immediately became a bestseller and garnered critical acclaim. The book sold more than three hundred thousand copies in Israel, was translated into ten languages, and was adapted into a TV series that won the Israeli TV award for best drama series. It also won the Publishers Association’s Gold, Platinum, and Diamond prizes; the Steimatzky Prize for bestselling book of the year in Israel; and the WIZO France Prize for best book translated into French.
Yishai-Levi’s second book, The Woman Beyond the Sea, was published in 2019. It won the Publishers Association’s Gold and Platinum prizes and was adapted for television by Netflix. Yishai-Levi was born in Jerusalem to a Sephardic family that has lived in the city for eight generations. She’s been living with her family in Tel Aviv since 1970.

About the Translator

Gilah Kahn-Hoffmann moved from Montreal to Jerusalem after studying theatre, literature, and communications at McGill University. Starting out as a freelance journalist, translator, writer, and editor, she became a feature writer at The Jerusalem Post and, subsequently, editor of the paper’s youth magazines. Later, during a stint as a writer at Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma, she discovered how fulfilling it is to work for the benefit of others and moved to NGO work in East Jerusalem and the developing world. In recent years, she’s come full circle to her first loves and spends her best hours immersed in literary translation.

Book and a Brew with Ritu – Do What You Love by @Marjorie_Mallon by #NewRelease #BookReview

25 Nov 2022 20 Comments

by Ritu in Book & A Brew With Ritu, Reviews Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Book and a brew with Ritu, Book Review, Do What You Love, Marjorie Mallon, New Release

I’m back with a second edition!

Today, I am thrilled to welcome an old blogging and writing friend who I have met in person. None other than the lovely Marjorie Mallon, one of my blogging sisters! She’s got an awesome poetry collection out TODAY, entitled Do What You Love.

Hello, and welcome to But I Smile Anyway again, Marje! First things first. What would you like to drink?

We have all the usuals, tea, coffee, masala chai, fancy coffee from the Nespresso machine, or green tea if you’d prefer. Lil Princess has been busy baking cookies for us, too!

Ah, I’ve put a bit of weight on recently, Ritu, so I better say green tea, but I’d love a cookie! Thanks, Lil Princess. 🙂

So, firstly, let’s set the scene. You recently left British shores and have moved abroad to Portugal. What a brave move! Tell us about it. How has it changed life for you since you are also a mother? And are you able to be more creative out there now?

Thank you so much, Ritu, for inviting me over to chat about my new book and for taking the time to read and review it. I appreciate it so much. We’re still swamped in the bureaucratic post covid process, Ritu.

Even though things are starting to move! At the moment, I’m spending over half of the year in the UK, mostly in Edinburgh and the rest in Portugal. As I have elderly parents and my daughters are both based in the UK, I see this time as a precious gift to be with them. I miss my daughters, family and friends in the UK.

But… we have had a lot of visitors! In truth, I find it more difficult to focus on writing here as there are so many distractions! I have to be disciplined and find the time! Yesterday (after a late night and a rock concert,) I began writing this interview on the train travelling from Faro back to Tavira.

You haven’t pigeonholed yourself as a writer, have you? YA fantasy fiction, and all sorts of poetry and cross-over poetic fiction books. What is your favourite type of creative writing?

No, I haven’t. I would try anything… I might even attempt to write a crime and/or romance novel one day. My favourite kind of writing is… perhaps poetry and short fiction as I find it the easiest to write. I love writing full-length novels too, but they are much more challenging, frustrating and time-consuming.

I’ve been wondering, how is your 2nd book progressing Ritu… Can’t wait to read it.

Currently, it is sitting with my editors at my publisher! So, not long. June 2023 is the pencilled-in publication date! Oh, they do take forever to write, don’t they, especially when you are working full time, too!

You know I’m a nosy soul. Where do you like to write? Is it a very different setup for you now you have moved?

Yes! We have downsized from a 5-bed family home with a large garden to a one-bed rented flat with a tiny balcony and no garden. I must be mad! I mainly write in said flat in Tavira – in the kitchen! My hubby bought me a nice table and chairs with a pretty view of the fields and trees nearby I used to have an office in our old house, but we are only renting at the moment, so I am making do! I am flexible that way… as long as I have a laptop, power and wifi, I am ready to go.

What about you Ritu where do you write?

I have my little reading and writing room. I loathed to call it an office because it then seems like work rather than the pleasure I find creating stories!

We’ve been friends for a LONG time now. And we’ve had the pleasure of meeting each other in person at the ABBA’s. (Remember them? I miss those opportunities to catch up with my blogily!) How do you feel your blogging career has evolved over the years?

Yes, we have been friends for a LONG time, and I value your dear friendship so much, Ritu. I miss those events and your lovely in-person company! I must admit to having downsized my blogging activity. I miss it, but something had to give! I focus mainly on writing reviews now, doing blog tours etc., which I love doing. I’ve started a bookstagram account mainly for this purpose: https://www.instagram.com/mjm_reviews/

Who knows where my future writing/blogging may take me.

I would love to write more about my travels…as I am a keen photographer. I’ve started drafting a story set in Tavira, so we shall see…it started off as a romantic idea but seems to be veering in another direction. So me!

You must find it so hard to find time Ritu with your work commitments… How do you manage? Oddly I find it even harder now I am retired from my day job. The opposite to what I expected!

I’m not actually sure how I manage, Marje! But, I feel that if you really want to do something, you will find the time for it, so that is how I manage. I don’t watch an awful lot of TV, so my spare time is all reading and writing and adding my regular posts to my blog!

I have been honoured to read most of your work as working copies, or arcs, over the years. What has been your favourite project so far?

You are a star and such a huge supporter of all my work! It’s a pleasure to read and an honour to be trusted with someone’s creativity!

I love your writing too and can’t wait to read more of The Rishtay series! (Blushing…) Thank you.

My favourite project… a difficult one to answer as I love them all.

Overall, it has to be my debut novel Bloodstone, in The Curse of Time series, as it was my first writing project, the 1st novel I’d ever written and published. It kickstarted it all, and I am very proud of all the positive and diverse reviews it has received. It now has 84 reviews on Goodreads… and counting, with an overall rating of 4.14.

Also, I met the inventor of the Corpus Christi Clock (one of the inspirations for the series,) Dr John C Taylor, and went out for lunch and a stroll with him, which was a huge highlight of my life. And Bloodstone is now available in audiobook which I love. We are currently working on the audiobook of book 2, Golden Healer. So excited about this!

I’ve just literally finished reading Do What You Love, your latest poetry collection with an eclectic mix of writing, where you revisit key moments in life and talk them through via the mediums of fictional conversations with the Three Sisters of Fate. Tell us how this idea came about.

I had a conversation with the sisters of fate, and they said to write this! Only joking. Like all of my writing projects, it evolved rather than was planned. It showcases poetry, prose and photographic images about my favourite places to live, emotional memories, happy times, amusing moments, and imagined discussions with the 3 three sisters of fate over a wide period of time. I suppose it is me having a soul-searching chat with myself about how my life is about to change and how perhaps I have to come to terms with that. Moving abroad is much more difficult than I first anticipated. I tend to jump and think later…

Since we’re sitting here with our drinks and cookies, and your book is about reminiscences, can you tell us a bit about a favourite food or snack and the memories it evokes?

My favourite food or snack has to be my mum’s beef rendang (Malaysian curry) or her Chinese duck, or sweet and sour pork – truly scrumptious, and her snacks…meat sate sticks, dim sum, homemade spring rolls.

My mum’s cooking evokes memories of family gatherings, and my hubby’s mouth-watering… he kept on coming to see me and ended up being spellbound by her fabulous cooking. Lol. Not joking. My mum is still a wonderful cook at age 80! She still gets up early every morning to cook. Bless her.

That all sounds delicious!

Now, to finish, can you tell us what to expect next? Will there be more from your YA series or other fiction? Or will you be concentrating on your poetry?

Next up is the final book in my YA fantasy series which will be set in The Land of Shadows. I also have several unfinished projects, some of which are short stories and as I mentioned earlier, the beginning of a story set in Tavira. Perhaps if I do write another poetry collection it will be set in Portugal… time will tell!

Oh, now exciting!

Thank you so much for visiting, Marje. It’s been a pleasure.

Thank you for inviting me, Ritu.

My pleasure 😊

Peeps, you heard that right, the last in Marje’s YA series is on its way, too!

Now, as I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to read an ARC of Do What You Love, so let me share the blurb and my review.

The Blurb

Do What You Love is a personal poetry collection celebrating how the fates may have a part in all that we do.

With special poems and short reflective moments inspired by family, flowers and nature, love, scrumptious morsels, places I’ve visited, lived and intend to live in, the friendships and hopes I have for the future.

The overarching theme is to live a life well lived… And to do what you love.

float along with me
create clouds of sweetest joy
to do what you love
hold fate’s hand as we venture
near and far on life’s journey

My Review

Do What You Love: Fragility of Your Flame Poems Photography & Flash Fiction by M.J. Mallon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh what a lovely book, filled with poetic gems and beautiful prose!
I enjoy reading MJ Mallon’s poetic fiction, where she ties poetry with prose, and have read several of her previous books written similarly.
Do What You Love is almost autobiographical in the sense that she has taken her memories and written them in poetic form. The fictional, almost fantastical element is where she meets the three sisters of fate through her journey of reminiscences, and they talk about her different memories.
It’s not linear, but no conversation ever is, is it? Memories jump from the more recent to the older ones as they come tumbling into your mind.
I felt a keen connection to the poems about her daughters and the autumn trees. Autumn is one of my favourite seasons.
A lovely book with a personal touch.

AMAZON – DO WHAT YOU LOVE

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BKLC9DYY/

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/What-You-love-Fragility-Photography-ebook/dp/B0BKLC9DYY/

Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/What-You-love-Fragility-Photography-ebook/dp/B0BKLC9DYY/

And here are some links about Marje and her other books.

I am thrilled to say that two of my poetry collections (Mr Sagittarius and Lockdown Innit) have been requested by prestigious libraries in the UK: The British Library, The Bodleian Library Oxford University, the Cambridge University Library, the National Library of Scotland, National Library of Wales and Trinity College Dublin for Legal Deposit.

Add the book to your TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63114445-do-what-you-love

The cover of the paperback and kindle have been designed by Colleen Chesebro who has a new service for authors which I can highly recommend. Colleen also designed the interior and cover of The Hedge Witch And The Musical Poet.

https://unicorncatspubservices.wordpress.com/my-services

Blog: https://mjmallon.com

All links via: https://linktr.ee/mjmallonauthor

Portfolio:
https://unicorncatspubservices.wordpress.com/portfolio

https://wordcraftpoetry.com/unicorn-cats-publishing-services/

Other poetry/flash fiction collections:

Kyrosmagica Publishing

The Hedge Witch And The Musical Poet

https://books2read.com/u/mv1OeV

Mr. Sagittarius Poetry and Prose

http://mybook.to/MrSagittarius

Anthology – This Is Lockdown (poetry, diaries and flash fiction – kindle)

http://mybook.to/Thisislockdown

Poetry during Lockdown – Lockdown Innit

http://mybook.to/Lockdowninnit

Poetry also features in my highly acclaimed YA Fantasy series. Each chapter begins with a short poem. The Curse of Time Book 1 Bloodstone and Book 2 Golden Healer are published by Next Chapter Publishing.

https://www.nextchapter.pub/books/bloodstone

https://www.nextchapter.pub/books/golden-healer

https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/mj-mallon

About the Author

M J Mallon was born in Lion city Singapore, a passionate Scorpio with the Chinese Zodiac sign of a lucky rabbit. She spent her early childhood in Hong Kong. During her teen years, she returned to her father’s childhood home, Edinburgh where she spent many happy years, entertained and enthralled by her parents’ vivid stories of living and working abroad. Perhaps it was during these formative years that her love of storytelling began to be bolstered by these vivid raconteurs. She counts herself lucky to have travelled to many far-flung destinations, and this early wanderlust has fuelled her present desire to emigrate abroad. Until that wondrous moment, it’s rumoured that she lives sometimes in the UK and often times in Portugal. Her two enchanting daughters have flown the nest but often return with a cheery smile to greet her.

Her motto is to always do what you love, stay true to your heart’s desires, and inspire others to do so too.