Happy Mother’s Day!

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As well as running a competition in which you can win a box of Lily O’Brien Chocolates, my fellow Apricot Plots authors have been celebrating the mums in their novels, in honour of Mother’s Day. 

And so, I am sharing an extract from The Purrfect Pet Sitter. Mum of four Felicity, knows how lucky she is. She loves her children to the moon and back, they have quirky personalities and wonderfully inquisitive minds — readily sharing their thoughts no matter who is around to hear them! However, being a busy mum means that Felicity sometimes craves the simple pleasures in life.

In this extract, Felicity is stealing a moment for a bath and planning some much needed quality time with her husband, Pete!

“Felicity ran a steaming, hot bath, adding plenty of her Tropical Transfusion Radox Smoothie to the flow under the running tap. The smell made her think of sun-kissed holidays. Not that she had actually been on any, but coconut, with its association with Malibu and suntan lotion, had a way of teasing her mind; she could almost feel warm sand between her toes! She longed to be one of those people for whom the sun meant luxurious holidays spent lazing by the sea, as opposed to putting out three loads of washing on a rotary line made wonky by the children swinging off it. She stripped bare and wondered about venturing onto the scales, but decided after leaning her big toe on the edge not to bother.

Scooping her hair into a messy bun Felicity stepped into the water, standing for a while until her legs grew used to the heat. As she lay down she slid into the bubbles, pushing them away from her neck and hair as she rested her head back against the edge of the bath. She didn’t often get time to indulge in a bath, but she was determined to have some time to herself this evening. She wanted to get ‘in the mood’ ready for Pete’s return.

Felicity knew she had been slipping into bed in her scruffy, old, comfy knickers and baggy T-shirts a little too often lately. Well not tonight!Tonight she was going to go for it. She had rummaged in her wardrobe and found something positively silky hiding in the back. She vaguely remembered buying it in the La Senza closing-down sale en route to Tesco Express one day, after it had called to her from the window. As she had rediscovered it in the back of her wardrobe she had touched the silk to her cheek. It felt cool, smooth and sexy. Perfect!

Jumping suddenly, Felicity realised she had succumbed to the hot-water-and-bubbles comfort blanket. Sitting up, wide eyed, she listened, unsure if one of the children had actually called her or if she had dreamt it. Her heart was racing, but, thankfully, all was silent. Splashing water onto her face she reminded herself she had to stay awake and she had to stay focused.She had a sex-kitten mission to fulfil. Grabbing what she thought was her sponge, but actually turned out to be a glittery, Disney-princess sponge that chafed from the sparkles, she washed herself over and stood up. Bugger!The heat from the water meant she looked like a rhubarb and custard, bright red where the water had touched and pasty white where it had not. She hoped the lines would disappear by the time Pete got back. It really wasn’t the look she was going for!”

Does her evening go to plan? You’ll have to read the book to find out, but the good news is the lovely people at Choc Lit and Ruby Fiction have lots of fabulous books, including The Purrfect Pet Sitter for 99p in a Mother’s Day Sale – woohoo that’s cheaper than a cup of tea! 

Click to download your copy here.

However you are spending Mother’s Day, I hope you have a lovely day! xx

And of course, I couldn’t do a post about Mother’s Day without mentioning my own lovely mum … 

Happy Mother’s Day, love you lots! xxx

 

 

*ONE WEEK TO GO* Maybe Baby, coming soon!

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I am super excited to say there is just one week to go until the release of my latest romantic comedy novel, Maybe Baby, in audio and as an ebook!

For delivery on April 2nd preorder your copy here.

In case you’ve missed me shouting about it, here’s the blurb:

Just when you thought you had it all worked out …

Lisa Blake is back with her first love, she’s reunited with her best friend Felicity, and even her pet sitting skills are improving – everybody knows you can’t believe all you read in the local Gazette, don’t they?

Felicity is on the cusp of achieving her perfect wife-mum-life balance; Her husband, Pete, is being wonderfully attentive, and her four children are getting older and wiser (sometimes too much wiser) by the day.

But when Lisa walks in on a half-naked woman in her boyfriend’s flat and Felicity is left reeling from a shocking discovery, it seems life is nothing but full of surprises. Can love, laughter, and learning to compromise, help them achieve their dreams?

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Published by: Ruby Fiction

Maybe Baby is available in audio and as a paperback, buying links: Amazon | Kobo | Ruby Fiction 

Maybe Baby is the second book in the Lisa Blake series. While the story follows on from The Purrfect Pet Sitter (Lisa Blake book #1), it can also be read as a standalone novel.

Early reviews for Maybe Baby

As book bloggers begin to return their verdict from advance copies, I am delighted to say I am doing my happy dance. Here are just some of the lovely things that have been said on Goodreads:

“Heartwarming and uplifting … a delightful and fun story anyone can enjoy!”

“The pages just flew by … and I really enjoyed all the characters both human and furry!” 

“Cute story of friendships and new beginnings.”

“The story is zany, with a little screwball comedy, and a quirky cast of characters.”

“An enjoyable, happy-ending story of friendship and love.” 

Thank you to all who have taken the time to leave a review so far. For further reviews, don’t miss my blog tour, via Rachel’s Random Resources, from 3rd to 12th April! I am excited and nervous as it draws near, wish me luck.

Thank you so much to everyone who has preordered Maybe Baby, your support is hugely appreciated and with not long to go, I hope you enjoy it! xx

An Author Interview with Morton S Gray

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Today I am delighted to welcome Morton S Gray to my blog as she celebrates the paperback and audio publication of The Truth Lies Buried.

For those who haven’t read The Truth Lies Buried, what can readers expect from the story?

My tag line is “romance with a mystery to solve” and I guess that sums up The Truth Lies Buried. The book is about the developing relationship between Carver Rodgers and Jenny Simpson, who discover they were both involved in an unsolved mystery from the past. They begin to work together to try to uncover the truth and get closer to each other in the process. Of course, it isn’t all plain sailing for them as a couple, there are a few minefields along the way.

Your novels are set in the fictional seaside town of Borteen Bay. If you wrote me a postcard from Borteen how would you describe the setting?

Dear Carol (and readers),

I’m having a fantastic time in Borteen. I love walking along the promenade to Owl Corner Crafts and having a mooch inside at all the art, woodcarvings and cards. The beach is amazing, wide and sandy. I wish you were here too, we would spend hours exploring the alleyways off the high street with their galleries, gift and food shops. I am drinking coffee in each café in turn to decide which is my favourite and for the evenings there are several lively pubs and even a wine bar. It is a perfect holiday destination and I’ve met some really interesting local people.

Love Mx

As a romantic suspense novel, The Truth Lies Buried has a great hook early on and twists and turns along the way; what comes to you first and how much of the story do you have in mind before you write?

It might surprise you to know how little I have in my mind about a book before I begin to write. All I need is a spark of an idea, in the case of The Truth Lies Buried this was a postcard of a wooden castle amongst trees that became Carver Rodgers’ home, Tree Tops in the book. As I work in this exploratory way, the story unfolds slowly and is as much of a mystery to me as to my readers and that’s just how I like it. I love the feeling as I get to know my characters and the story takes shape – it’s like magic!

Carver Rodgers is a great male lead, if I was meeting him on a date how would I recognise him and where would he take me?

 He is tall, with slate grey eyes, long curly hair and an intriguing scar on one side of his face, which runs over his jawline and down his neck.

Carver would more than likely take you to the Old Ship Inn on the promenade, because he is familiar with the pub and knows that the food is good. He also knows that there will probably be live music later in the evening played by a band he has drummed with in the past. He might even ask you for a dance.

OO You he had me at slate grey eyes! 😉

The Truth Lies Buried is released in paperback and audio today, how will you be celebrating?

Hopefully, I will be meeting up with some writing friends for coffee and cake.

What can we expect from you next?

Mandy Vanes is a character who has appeared in all three of my novels to date. She is a fun character who runs Owl Corner Crafts at the end of the promenade near to the church. I have hinted several times that there is far more to her than meets the eye and I’m currently finishing writing her story, which I hope Choc Lit will want to publish.

Five for fun:

1) CD or record? CD
2) Sweet or savoury? Sweet – I’m a chocoholic.
3) Letter or email? These days email.
4) Early morning or late night? I am definitely at my best in the early morning.
5) Bubble bath or power shower? There is nothing better than a soak in a hot bubble bath ;-).

 Thank you for having me on your blog!

You’re most welcome, I really enjoyed The Truth Lies Buried and wish you every success with the audio and paperback versions. xx

About The Truth Lies Buried

The Truth Lies Buried is already published as an eBook, but is out in paperback and audiobook on 12 March 2019 – today, YIPPEE!

Two children in a police waiting room, two distressed mothers, a memory only half remembered …

When Jenny Simpson returns to the seaside town of Borteen, her childhood home, it’s for a less than happy reason. But it’s also a chance for her to start again.

A new job leads to her working for Carver Rodgers, a man who lives alone in a house that looks like it comes from the pages of a fairy tale – until you see the disaster zone inside …

As Jenny gets to know Carver she begins to unravel the sadness that has led to his chaotic existence. Gradually they realise they have something in common that is impossible to ignore – and it all links back to a meeting at a police station many years before.

Could the truth lie just beneath their feet?

Published by Choc Lit
Buy the book here.

You can read my reviews of Morton’s The Girl on the Beach and The Truth Lies Buried here.

About Morton S Gray

Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K. She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and The Society of Authors.

Her debut novel The Girl on the Beach was published after she won Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Starcompetition. The story follows a woman with a troubled past as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding her son’s headteacher, Harry Dixon. This book is available as a paperback and e-book.

Morton’s second book for Choc Lit The Truth Lies Buried is another romantic suspense novel, the book tells the story of Jenny Simpson and Carver Rodgers as they uncover secrets from their past. This book is available as an e-book and will be issued as a paperback in 2019.

Christmas at Borteen Bay is published on 13 November 2018 and is Morton’s first Christmas novella. It is set in her fictional seaside town of Borteen and follows the story of Pippa Freeman who runs the Rose Court Guesthouse with her mother and local policeman Ethan Gibson as they unravel a family secret as Christmas approaches.

Morton previously worked in the electricity industry in committee services, staff development and training. She has a Business Studies degree and is a fully qualified clinical hypnotherapist and Reiki Master. She also has diplomas in Tuina acupressure massage and energy field therapy. She enjoys crafts, history and loves tracing family trees. Having a hunger for learning new things is a bonus for the research behind her books.

You can catch up with Morton on her website, on Twitter, Facebook and on Instagram. Morton is also a member of Apricot Plots.

Thank you for stopping by Morton, enjoy your special day and have a slice of cake for me. xx

One Day Blog Blitz for Victoria Cooke’s It Started with a Note!

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Today, I am excited to welcome Victoria Cooke to my blog, as part of her one day blog blitz, via Rachel’s Random Resources.

Victoria is celebrating the publication of her romantic comedy, It Started with a Note, and talking about her research and the inspiration behind the book. Over to you, Victoria …

Firstly, I’d like to say a huge thank you to you, for welcoming me onto your blog.

I’d never really thought about researching my family history. I knew a little bit about the two or three generations before me but that was about it. It wasn’t until we were approaching the centenary year of WWI that my mum told me her grandad was killed in The Battle of the Somme. I was on my second round of being eighteen at the time and was quite flabbergasted that I never knew this before, especially since there had been so much in the news about the battles 100 years earlier. It was my cousin who discovered that my great-grandfather was commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial to The Missing, in France and actually visited the memorial. This in turn, prompted me to plan a trip with my family. In 2017, we travelled to Arras (which features heavily in ‘It Started With A Note’ and is well worth a visit if you fancy touring the battlefields).

We visited many memorials, and what was staggering was the not just the number of names on a memorial or the headstones in the cemetery, but the number of memorials and cemeteries. It’s eye-opening and really puts into perspective how many young men were killed in the Great War. The Calais region of France is beautiful, but everywhere you look you’ll see the scars of war. The local people really do work hard to keep the memory of the soldiers alive and take great care of the memorials, cemeteries and museums and this was the same when we crossed the border into Belgium to visit Ypres and Passchendaele. Every town we visited had its own WWI story, many were destroyed then, and again in WWII which is truly unthinkable.

Being there was an incredibly moving experience and WWI was such an important part of our history that I knew I had to do something to mark the centenary in my own way. My genre is romantic comedy, and whilst it wasn’t immediately obvious how to weave factual WWI history into a rom-com, I gave it my best shot. The protagonist, Cath, embarks upon a similar journey to the one I took, but in her case, the trip is out of her comfort zone. Like her great-grandfather one hundred years before her, she isn’t used to travel and is embarking upon a journey of uncertainty (albeit a much safer one). The story is set in the present day and is a romantic comedy with historical reflection which I hope brings a unique flavour to the genre.

if you ever get the chance to go to Northern France to tour the museums and see the historical sights, I’d highly recommend it.

 Thanks for the great post. I have a passion for history and enjoy reading romantic comedies so you’ve got me hooked! (Heads off to download book.)

Discover more about It Started With A Note

One lost letter. A chance to change her life!

Superhero single mum Cath always puts other people first. But now that she’s seen her son safely off to university (phew!), life seems a little, well…empty.

So when Cath unexpectedly discovers some letters written by her great-grandfather during the First World War, she decides to take herself on an adventure to France to retrace his footsteps.

Cath expects to spend her holiday visiting famous battlefields and testing out her French phrase book. What she doesn’t anticipate is that her tour guide, the handsome Olivier, will be quite so charming! Soon Cath isn’t simply unearthing the stories of the past – she’s writing a brand new one of her own, which might end up taking her in a very unexpected direction…

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Published by: HQ Digital
Buy the book: Amazon UK | Amazon.com | Kobo

About the author

Victoria Cooke grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the Pennines in pursuit of her career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield with her husband and two young daughters and when she’s not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in her hand, she loves working out in the gym and travelling. Victoria was first published at the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she’s always had a passion for reading and writing, undertaking several writers’ courses before completing her first romantic comedy novel, ‘The Secret to Falling in Love,’ in 2016.

Cooke’s third novel, Who Needs Men Anyway? became a digital bestseller in 2018.

Find out more about Victoria Cooke and her work via: Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |

 Giveaway to Win a Signed copy of It Started With A Note (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

ENTER HERE

A big thank you, to Rachel Gilbey whose super power is efficiency in the art of organising fabulous book promo, and to Victoria Cooke for the great post. x


Carol Thomas writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. Discover more here.

Author Jane Cable is #SharingTheLove

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As February is the month of love, I have had a host of wonderful romance authors stopping by to share flirty extracts from their novels! 

Today, I am pleased to welcome Jane Cable to my blog, who is #SharingTheLove with an extract from her novel, The Cheesemaker’s House … over to you Jane!

The Cheesemaker’s House

“When newly divorced Alice moves to Yorkshire, she meets her neighbours from the present and the past…

My mental image of a Yorkshire builder was a rotund man in a cloth cap who would exhibit a great deal of sucking of teeth when confronted with my barn. I certainly didn’t expect Richard Wainwright to be tall, dark and handsome with a couple of days of designer stubble and a gold hoop in his left ear. But then I didn’t expect a naked swimmer to be reading the lesson in church either. It’s clear I’m going to have to abandon my southern prejudices sooner rather than later if I’m going to fit in here. But I still can’t help feeling we should all be running around downing mugs of tea you can stand a spoon up in, not drinking skinny lattes.

In this aspect of his behaviour Richard doesn’t disappoint. I am already making the second pot when he reappears from his prodding and poking in the barn, drapes his long body against my kitchen doorframe and says “I can do it, but it’s going to cost you.”

“I expect it to cost me,” I grin at him. “It’s a wreck I want to turn into a luxury holiday pad – I know that won’t come cheap.”

He wanders into the kitchen and sits down at the table. “I’ll need to do a proper quote, but I reckon in the region of twenty grand. It’s a lot of money – take you a while to get it back.”

“I’ll get it back when I sell though.”

“Oh, so that’s your game is it; buy – do up – sell – quick buck.” He looks disapproving.

“No. It’s not my game. It’s my insurance policy in case I don’t like it here.”

He stretches back in his chair and picks up his tea. “So why did you come? I’m curious.”

“Well, you mustn’t tell anybody, but I’m on the run from an international drug smuggling cartel and I thought they’d never find me in Great Fencote.”

“Hmm… I wouldn’t be so sure. You don’t know what evil walks the streets of Northallerton. Only last week someone was prosecuted for putting the wrong sort of yogurt pot in their recycling bin – it was all over the papers.” We both burst out laughing.

“Seriously, love,” he carries on, “if you don’t want to say then that’s your business. No-one around here’s going to mind.”

“I was just trying to make it sound more exciting than it is. My husband ran off with his secretary, that’s all.”

“It happens. My wife left me for a pen pusher at the council. Said she’d had enough of muddy boots all through the house. Each to their own, I suppose.” He shrugs.

“The funny thing is,” I continue hesitantly, “that when it happens to you, you feel like it’s never happened to anyone else. When someone else says it, you realise just how common it is.”

“Human nature, love. We’re not cut out to be monogamous. We get bored and we move on, that’s all there is to it. Still, if you get lonely and fancy a shag…”

“Let’s see what sort of builder you are first,” I snap. Maybe a little too tartly, so I put on a smiley face and continue “I want to know if the muddy boots are worth it.”

Richard roars with laughter.

Thank you for sharing your extract Jane, The Cheesemaker’s House is on my to be read list! And as my mother-in-law is a BIG fan I am happy to have gained daughter-in-law points just by knowing you 🙂 

Discover more about The Cheesemaker’s House:

When Alice Hart’s husband runs off with his secretary, she runs off with his dog to lick her wounds in a North Yorkshire village. Battling with loneliness but trying to make the best of her new start, she soon meets her neighbours, including the drop-dead gorgeous builder Richard Wainwright and the kindly yet reticent café owner, Owen Maltby.

As Alice employs Richard to start renovating the barn next to her house, all is not what it seems. Why does she start seeing Owen when he clearly isn’t there? Where – or when – does the strange crying come from? And if Owen is the village charmer, what exactly does that mean?

“I desperately want to find out about Owen; a fascinating character… the gift here is to make you want to read on.” 
Jeffrey Archer

Publisher: Matador
Genre: Romantic Suspense 
Buy the book Amazon UK | Amazon.com

About the author:

Jane Cable has writing in her blood. Her father, Mercer Simpson, was a poet; her cousin, Roger Hubank, a novelist; Roger’s uncle, John Hampson was also a novelist and fringe member of the Bloomsbury Group. And it’s even rumoured that John Keats is somewhere back in her family tree.

She has always scribbled. But it took until she was in her forties to complete a full length manuscript. And then another, and another… Writing stories became a compulsive hobby. She could lose herself in her characters, and longed for readers other than her mother and close friends to be able to do the same.

It was reaching the final of The Alan Titchmarsh Show’s People’s Novelist competition, with The Cheesemaker’s House, in 2011 which made her take her writing seriously. The novel went on to win Words for the Wounded’s independent book of the year award in 2015.

Jane’s second book, The Faerie Tree, also published by Matador, is a second chance novel revolving around a couple who meet twenty years after a brief affair only to discover that their memories of it are completely different.

Jane is over the moon to have recently signed a contract with Sapere Books for two novels to be published in 2019. The first will be a re-issue of her novel Another You, which disappeared when Endeavour Press went into liquidation. The second is a new romance slipping back to World War Two,  set in the Lincolnshire heartland of Bomber Command.

Discover more about Jane Cable here: Twitter |  Facebook | website

I am hugely grateful to all of the wonderful romance authors who have stopped by my blog #SharingTheLove.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the extracts as much as I have and that in amongst them you’ve been able to discover some new romance reads. xx


Carol Thomas writes contemporary romance novels, with relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads. Discover more here.