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Showing posts from May, 2021

Blog tour: Think Like A Vegan

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Welcome to the blog tour for Think Like A Vegan by by Emilia A Leese and Eva J Charalambides . More about the book… According to the latest figures, the number of vegans in the UK has more than quadrupled since 2014, now representing over 1 per cent of the total population. With the rise in plant-based foods and cruelty-free products showing no sign of stopping,  Think Like a Vegan   explores how vegan ethics can be applied to every area of our daily lives. We all want to live more healthily and ethically, and this book is certainly not just for vegans. It's for anyone interested in veganism, its ideals and what even non-vegans can learn from its practice. Through a personal and often irreverent lens, the authors explore a variety of contemporary topics related to animal use: from the basics of vegan logic to politics, economics, love and other aspects of being human, each chapter draws you into a thought-provoking conversation about your daily ethical decisions. Why should we ad

In conversation with... Charlie Laidlaw

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Hi Charlie ! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of Everyday Magic . Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Like all my books, it came from an idea that had been swirling around in my head for some years.   It took lockdown to give me a focus: that all of us, to some extent, were having to reassess our lives and the people and things that were important to us.   The book takes some inspiration from Charles Dickens’s  A Christmas Carol , as my central character is also taken on a journey to her past and present, and to better see how she could make a new future for herself.   It’s poignant, uplifting, humorous and optimistic. Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing the book or did it take an unexpected turn as the characters grew on the page? A: No, no book is ever entirely figured out, although I do as much planning as possible.   I know from experience that you can waste huge amounts of time and effort by not havin

Blog tour: Nearest Thing To Crazy

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Welcome to the blog tour for Nearest Thing To Crazy by Elizabeth Forbes. More about the book… Cassandra and a group of her friends enjoy Sunday lunch together on a perfect summer’s day. They’re pleased to welcome their glamorous new neighbour and novelist, Ellie, who has rented a house in the village to work on her book. She likes to place herself in the centre of her plots, she says, although it’s hard to see what she’ll find to write about in this quiet country backwater. As Ellie slots effortlessly into the village social scene, Cass begins to feel increasingly alienated from her friends and isolated from her family but, for the life of her, she can’t fathom out why... More about the author… Elizabeth Forbes was born and raised on the Isle of Wight and now lives in Herefordshire with her husband, two dogs and two hens. She published three romantic thrillers under the name Elizabeth Harrington: The Corporate Wife, Making Up and Daddy Darling . She then took a break from writing and

Book review: A Cinderella Story

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By E.K. Woodcock Synopsis: You don't know me yet, but you're about to. I’m your resident cynic Skylar O’Connor. Last year for my birthday I was gifted a psychic reading by my mother. I know, my eyes did a 180 roll to the back of my head too. But hear me out…  From troubles with my day job to the tall, single and mysterious, this woman hit the nail on the head.  I never thought I would find my Prince Charming in someone else's Cinderella moment but alas here I'm staring at the man who could possibly change my life. How did this book end up in my hands?  I was gifted a digital copy of the book by the author so that I could share my thoughts on it. Did the book meet my expectations?  I don’t often read romance but , when I do, I choose well. A Cinderella Story has all the elements of a good romance – likeable characters, enough twists to keep things interesting and a happy ending – and I thoroughly enjoyed. Not to be confused with a retelling of the fairytale we all know,

Book review: The Long Journey Home

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By Cecily Blench Synopsis: It's 1941 and Kate is living in Rangoon, Burma, a world away from her traditional English upbringing. When she meets Edwin, a young teacher from London, she senses that he too is looking for a place to call home, and soon a friendship develops between them. As their bond grows, Kate begins to learn of the secrets in Edwin's past and the tragic events that brought them both to Burma. But war is coming and, when the Japanese forces invade, Kate and Edwin are forced to flee, along with thousands of others. They begin a perilous journey to India but soon become separated. As Kate continues on alone, she can't get this troubled young man out of her head. With the fallout of war all around them, in a place far from home, will Kate and Edwin survive their journey and find the new beginning they both seek? How did this book end up in my hands?  I requested access to this book on Netgalley and the publisher granted my wish. Yay! Was it a page-turner?  It

Blog tour: Things To Do Before The End of The World

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Welcome to the blog tour for Things To Do Before The End of The World by Emily Barr . More about the book… What would you do when you hear the news that humans have done such damage to the earth that there might only be a limited amount of safe air left - a year's worth at most? You'd work through your bucket list, heal rifts, do everything you've never been brave enough to do before? Olivia is struggling to do any of this. What it is she truly wants to do? Who do she wants to be Then out of the blue comes contact from a long-lost cousin Olivia didn't even know existed. Natasha is everything Olivia wants to be and more. And as the girls meet up for a long, hot last summer, Olivia finds Natasha's ease and self-confidence having an effect on her. But Natasha definitely isn't everything she first appears to be... More about the author… Emily Barr started out working as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She was com

Blog tour: A Thousand Goodbyes

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Welcome to the blog tour for A Thousand Goodbyes by Ruth Graham . More about the book… When Ruth Graham left the world of stand-up comedy to become a funeral celebrant, she’d imagined a less combative career.  Over a thousand services later … she knows better. Probably her most demanding role to date, Ruth has needed every ounce of diplomacy, courage, humour and her wits about her to juggle the daily challenges. From grief-stricken families to amorous widowers through to plate-smashing, warring siblings and even a flock of stoned doves at a Rasta funeral.  As the story unfolds we witness her new career developing into a 24/7 commitment. Will it break her? Or will it be the spur she needs to get her own life in order? Jaw-dropping, informative, moving and hilarious in turn, ‘ A Thousand Goodbyes ’ is a reminder that nobody is guaranteed a tomorrow; whilst encouraging everyone to seize their day.  More about the author… Ruth Graham has written for many publications over the years on a v

Blog tour: Jaipur Journals

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Welcome to the blog tour for Jaipur Journals by Namita Gokhale . More about the book… Told from multiple perspectives, from the authors enjoying moments of adulation after years of creative isolation, to the star-struck public mingling with their cultural icons, to those in-between, who are both author and fan, these diverse stories of lost love and regret, self-doubt, and new beginnings come together in a narrative that is as varied as India itself. From a septuagenarian who has completed her semi-biographical novel but does not want to part with it, to an author who receives a threat in the form of a poison pen letter; from a historian who reunites with a past lover, to a burglar who is passionate about poetry; from a young woman who has no idea what this world has in store for her, to an American woman looking for the India of her hippie youth, this metafictional, wryly funny novel is an ode to literature. Partly a love letter to the greatest literary show on earth, partly a satire

Blog tour: Ariadne

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Welcome to the blog tour for Ariadne by Jennifer Saint . More about the book… As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur - Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother - demands blood every year. When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods - drawing their attention can cost you everything. In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition? Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in