Tag Archives: Reading

Book Boyfriend Blind Date 2

With Valentine’s Day nearly upon us, and so many lovely heroes still to choose from, Book Boyfriend Blind Date continues!

Once again the lovely authors from Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction have been answering these two, all important questions to help you find the perfect Valentine’s date:

If I went on a blind date with the hero from your book, how would I recognise him and where would he take me?

And so it is with very great pleasure, that I invite you to get a drink, sit back and enjoy, as you join me, in considering which of these heroes you would choose from book boyfriend blind date round two:

Josh Owens from The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight by Christina Courtenay

Josh Owens – you’d mostly recognise him by his delicious New Zealand accent, but you can’t really miss him as he’s tall and has the kind of looks that could sell millions of bottles of aftershave if he stared moodily out of an advert – clear green eyes, black tousled hair and dark stubble.

Where would he take you? To a little country pub somewhere near the Welsh border, where you could sit in near the open fire and feel as though you’d known him forever, time had stood still for centuries and the past was only a breath away …

Marc Peterson from Little Pink Taxi by Marie Laval

Marc Petersen, the hero of Little Pink Taxi, is half French but he has fallen in love with Scotland. Therefore he would definitely take you there for a blind date. It would be in a hotel in a beautiful old castle, with roaring fires in the massive stone fireplaces, a cosy lounge where you would enjoy a dram of whisky or a locally brewed pine needle beer (rumoured to put you in the mood for romance), and a restaurant serving delicious and heart-warming dishes. There would also be four-poster beds, atmospheric views of a loch and perhaps even a ghost or two…

You would recognise him straight away by his sexy French accent, of course!

William James Austen from Dance Until Dawn by Berni Stevens

Will is a vampire, so he’d probably be the very pale man lurking in the shadows. Tall, dark and devastating with a wit as sharp as his teeth, and very hypnotic green eyes.

He would almost certainly take you to his club, Dusk, which has live bands playing several nights a week, a very trendy DJ and a werewolf as manager. I hope you like to dance because he’s very fond of dancing – and dancers.

Bill Blythe from Follow A Star by Christine Stovell

Bill Blythe would be fairly easy to spot as he’s tall, strapping and red-haired. His idea of showing a woman a good time would probably be to take her to see the Foo Fighters, but his heart’s very much in the right place. As one happy reader said, ‘Oh my goodness … wouldn’t we all like a Bill in our lives!’

The hero from The Best Boomerville Hotel by Caroline James in her Ruby Fiction debut

The hero in my story (I can’t giveaway a spoiler by telling you who he is!) would wine and dine you in the gorgeous, private, candlelit restaurant in the 17th century panel room at Boomerville. You will recognise him as soon as you walk into the room for he stands, to smile warmly; his handsome face glowing in the light from flames dancing from a fire which burns in a cast-iron grate. The discreet corner table will have an arrangement of red roses and a bottle of chilled champagne. He holds out his hand and as you walk forward he pulls out a chair and you slip your legs under the white linen cloth. He pops the cork with ease and fills your glass and as the deliciously cold bubbles explode in our mouth you gaze at your hero and wonder, ‘Where have you been all my life?’

Nathan Baker from The Purrfect Petsitter by Carol Thomas in her Ruby Fiction debut (well I had to let Nathan join in the fun!)

Nathan has fine stubble and blond, ruffled hair. At around six foot two he is tall and has a muscular physique. If he isn’t in uniform (he’s a fireman) then he’ll be smart casual in his favourite, Timberland does lumberjack, jeans, t-shirt and open checked shirt, style. Being an extreme sports enthusiast Nathan would happily take you on a date that thrills. But if what you fancy is cuddling up in front of an open fire, sharing a bottle of wine and getting to know each other better, he’s pretty good at that too.

I am so going to miss my inbox filling up with these fabulous answers. I hope you’ve found someone to spend a bit of quality time with this February. I think I am just going to read all of the answers one more time before I make my final choice 😉 Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Thank you so much to all those who took part. You can find all of these lovely authors on Twitter: Christina Courtenay | Marie LavalBerni Stevens | Christine StovellCarol Thomas | Caroline JamesChoc Lit | Ruby Fiction |

Haven’t discovered Book Boyfriend Blind Date 1? Don’t miss out, check it out here!

Book Boyfriend Blind Date 1

Looking for a blind date that won’t disappoint, this Valentine’s Day? Then look no further, as I have been doing a little research for you (honestly, it was entirely selfless) and I have discovered some wonderful book boyfriend, blind date prospects. In fact I have discovered so many, I am sharing them over two posts!

I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed watching my inbox fill up since I asked the lovely authors from Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction to answer these two, all important questions:

If I went on a blind date with the hero from your book, how would I recognise him and where would he take me?

Reading their answers, I felt like I had joined the most wonderful, and diverse, online dating agency! So get a drink, sit back and enjoy, as you join me, in considering which of these heroes you would choose from book boyfriend blind date round one:

Jack Penhale from The Thief’s Daughter by Victoria Cornwall

On your date, you would recognise Jack because he would be wearing a tricorn hat (like Ross Poldark) and leading a horse. For the date, he would take you for a horse ride along the North Cornish Coast, finally ending up in a secluded cove. There you will stroll, barefoot, along the water’s edge together and have a kiss or two … or three.

Harry Dixon from The Girl on the Beach by Morton S. Gray

You would recognise Harry by his huge brown eyes, short dark hair, just enough stubble and a cleft in his chin. He runs a lot, usually on the beach, so he has a well-toned body. For a blind date, he would take you to the wine bar near to the beach and the promenade in Borteen, the setting for the novel. He’d wear soft faded denim jeans and a dark blue shirt. He doesn’t drink alcohol due to events in his past, so he’d have orange juice but would order a good bottle of Chardonnay for you. He’d aim to get the seats near to the window of the wine bar so that you could both watch the light change over the bay as the sun went down.

Alex Aldrich from Watch for me by Moonlight by Kirsty Ferry

You’d recognise Alex by the haunted look in his eyes, a result of the fact he was actually yearning for his childhood sweetheart, Elodie Bright. He’s very handsome; tall, dark and has amazing cheekbones. But he’s got a few demons knocking around so don’t be surprised if he’s a bit quiet and doesn’t really give you his full attention. He’s got a lot on his mind – mainly how he can get Elodie back, as she’s just returned to the village after a messy divorce and a long absence. You’re his rebound. It’ll never work – sorry, but I think it’s best that you know in advance!

He’s pretty committed to pulling his old family estate around after his dad drove it to the brink of bankruptcy. He might not want to go too far afield as he’s got a million and one things to sort out at Hartsford Hall, but, if you catch him on a good day, he might take you to the West End. But again, that’s probably because he’s hoping he’ll bump into Elodie as she works as a costume designer in the London theatres…

Aiden Foster from Before You by Kathryn Freeman

With his dark hair, striking grey eyes and ridiculously handsome face it would be hard not to notice Aiden Foster. Then again, you wouldn’t need to, because this ladies’ man would notice you. Depending on where in the world he was working – he’s a Formula 1 driver – he might take you to his yacht in Monte Carlo, or perhaps the Ritz-Carlton in Singapore. Then again, he might just take you for a meal in his luxury trailer. That’s if he’s got ten-year-old Tom staying with him…

Daniel from Angela Barton’s Ruby Fiction debut

Daniel is an artist. He’ll be the man waiting a little self consciously while scratching a couple of paint splashes from his watch face. You’re meeting by the crackling log fire in the village restaurant; a table for two booked an hour later. Daniel’s tall and slim, his hair and eyes are conker-brown, but it’ll only be when you’re close enough to speak with him that you’ll notice the amber flecks in brown eyes and the fine laughter lines fanning from them. You’ll discover that you’re breathing a little faster – he’s gorgeous after all! He’ll smell of spice and citrus, and you’ll be thanking your lucky stars that you agreed to meet him.

Jake from Hannah Pearl’s Ruby Fiction debut

Jake, would probably invite you over for dinner because he would be looking after his sister and his niece. You would recognise him because he would be the one trying not to set the kitchen on fire!

So many lovely, interesting and intriguing prospects, but the good thing about picking a book boyfriend is, you don’t have to choose just one … Happy choosing, and don’t miss Book Boyfriend Blind Date 2, coming soon!

Thank you so much to everyone who took part. You can find all of these lovely authors on Twitter: Victoria Cornwall | Morton S. Gray | Kirsty Ferry | Kathryn Freeman  | Angela Barton | Hannah PearlCarol Thomas | Choc Lit | Ruby Fiction

Happy New Year and we’re off!

Happy New Year everyone and thank you for checking out my blog; it has been a long time coming, but, with an exciting year ahead, I have finally decided to get organised and get posting.

I intend to focus on writing and reading, but as I have a bit of a cinema-going habit that will be added in from time to time too. As no doubt, will things about life in general; for those who don’t know, I have a husband, four children, two grandchildren, a guinea pig and a crazy Labrador puppy, so life is fun, with a bit of hectic thrown in. At a later date (when I know what I’m doing) I also hope to have guest posts and interviews with some of the lovely authors and bloggers I have met through my writing.

Writing:

January is off to a good start. I have completed the edits to my manuscript. While my previous book, Crazy Over You – self-published through Matador – had several edits, a copy edit and a proofread, editing for a publisher (who has their audience to consider) is new to me.

When I first received Jane Eastgate’s editorial report, along with the Choc Lit tasting panel feedback, being told I had to change aspects of certain characters was overwhelming. I’d spent two and a half years in the company of these characters; they had become my family and friends. It took at least a day to get my head around what was being asked and then, with Christmas approaching and my children breaking up from school, a little longer to stop panicking about when I would fit it in. Once I shut myself away in a hotel room (perks of the job) and got started, it all felt more manageable, and I found the process exciting.

Each step taken now is a step towards publication and my debut with Ruby Fiction, the new imprint of Choc Lit. I can’t wait for my book to be out, and it will be interesting to see how the title, currently Regret Me Not, is changed and what the cover will look like. As I had already commissioned a cover from Drew Bristow (who did the cover for Crazy Over You), before my new book was signed to Choc Lit, it will be interesting for me to compare our interpretation with that of the in-house cover designer. It is all a wonderful learning curve!

I have also booked onto Sue Moorcroft’s writing retreat in June. It is a week in Umbria in the company of other writers; though mostly we’ll be ignoring each other with our heads down writing. I am very much looking forward to it. At the moment, I can’t actually think about leaving my children for that long, or taking the flight by myself, without looking like the image from the scream painting. But, nevertheless, with my forty-fifth birthday approaching – next week arghhh – I am determined to embrace the adventure.

Reading:

My current read is Jane Lovering’s The Boys of Christmas, which happens to be Choc Lit title. Reviews help authors and their work get noticed, even if you only have time to leave a sentence or two, and so I always review the books I read. I’m really enjoying it at the moment, and look forward to sharing more about it next time.

Thank you for getting this far and I hope you’ll stop by again. x