Category Archives: Writing & Reading

Littlehampton Bonfire Night in The Purrfect Pet Sitter

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My novel, The Purrfect Pet Sitter, is set in my hometown of Littlehampton. One of the major celebrations in the town each year is the bonfire parade, which culminates in fireworks on the beach. In my novel, Lisa and Nathan, who are newly reunited after eleven years, go along to the parade. Old memories are sparked and the evening becomes significant in their developing relationship.

Research at the Littlehampton Bonfire Parade.

I had so much fun researching it. I hadn’t been to the parade for many years and going along brought back very happy memories, which are threaded into the book.

To get into the bonfire night mood, I am going to share an extract from The Purrfect Pet Sitter, which I hope you’ll enjoy. Nathan is a firefighter and this scene takes place after some shenanigans during the parade involving a float of fellow firefighters, and the bonfire is getting underway.

“Together they watched as the flames from the torches, that had been thrown on to start the bonfire, grew in strength, devouring the offerings left over the passing weeks with an intense greed. The heat spread into the crowd, causing them to edge further back. Lisa looked up at Nathan’s flushed cheeks and knew they mirrored her own. Her toes felt the cold ground biting at them while the rest of her felt warm, her senses enlivened from the heat and Nathan’s proximity. The crowd spread across the green and the seafront just beyond, lost to darkness. Some children in pushchairs had succumbed to sleep despite the spectacle and noise, while others, still fuelled by enthusiasm, sat on their parent’s shoulders keenly waving glow sticks. Families further back, taking better positions to see the fireworks, huddled together against the cold, not feeling the benefit of the bonfire.

“Everyone seemed to move in shadows, silhouetted by the flames. Lisa saw young lovers, holding hands and kissing, reminding her of herself and Nathan in the past. What decisions lay ahead for them? What would shape their futures? The figures moved before them like the ghosts of their past.

“Returning her attention to the fire, Lisa watched mesmerised as the bright orange flames leapt and danced triumphantly from the top of the pyre, roaring in the wake of their victory. She remembered again the words on the back of the float, ‘Supporting those who run in when others are running to safety’, and drew Nathan’s arms a little closer around her; a move that made him lean down and ask if she was OK. Lisa felt the brush of his stubble against her cheek and felt goosebumps ripple down her side, despite the increasing heat.”

The fireworks don’t stop there! Discover where the evening takes Lisa and Nathan in The Purrfect Pet Sitter. 

“A fun, feel good read that you will not want to put down. Highly recommended!”

The Purrfect Pet Sitter

When Lisa Blake’s life in London falls apart, she returns to her hometown rebranding herself as ‘the purrfect pet sitter’ – which may or may not be false advertising as she has a rather unfortunate habit of (temporarily) losing dogs!

But being back where she grew up, Lisa can’t escape her past. There’s her estranged best friend Flick who she bumps into in an embarrassing encounter in a local supermarket. And her first love, Nathan Baker, who, considering their history, is sure to be even more surprised by her drunken Facebook friend request than Lisa is.

As she becomes involved in the lives of her old friends Lisa must confront the hurt she has caused, discover the truth about her mysterious leather-clad admirer, and learn how to move forward when the things she wants most are affected by the decisions of her past.

Praise for The Purrfect Pet Sitter:

‘A purrfectly fabulous read.’ ~Bookkaz Blogspot.

‘All I can say is that this ticked every single box.’ ~Jo Lambert, Author.

‘As an avid reader and a professional Petsitter, this book ticked all the boxes! It’s a purrfect combination of village life, chaotic animals and will she/won’t she romance!’ ~Annie’s Book Corner.

Buy the book here.

Coming soon to my blog … don’t miss the fabulous firework memories of fellow authors between now and November 5th, and as always, do get in touch. I’d love to hear your firework memories too. x

Strictly Come Dancing with Carol Thomas

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All this week on our Apricot Plots Facebook page we have been giving our readers a Strictly fix with a bookish twist by sharing dance extracts from our novels. Today it is my turn and I am delighted to share this extract from my contemporary romance, Crazy Over You.

In this scene Abby, who has split up from her husband after discovering he has had an affair, is at a friend’s wedding and finds herself in the arms of her rather lovely work colleague, Bradley Hunter. Their dance is the culmination of several flirtatious months, but with Abby still in a quandary about being in love with Simon and whether to take him back, how far will she let her intimate moment with Brad go?

As Rule The World began and Brad’s arms slipped around her like a safe, comfort blanket Abby relaxed too easily into them. If he had asked if she wanted to slow-dance she probably would have declined, but he hadn’t and once she felt herself so close to him it was too late. She succumbed too easily to feeling herself entwined with him.

Oh God, it felt so good to be held in his arms. She knew she should set her hands somewhere appropriate and safe but she couldn’t help herself. She slipped them inside his jacket and traced along the top of his belt line. She felt his taut muscles flex at her touch and inhaled when her fingertips came to rest on the dimples at the small of his back. Those dimples, the ones she had seen just above the line of his shorts, the ones she had imagined touching and trailing small kisses over just before she had dropped the hot chocolate. Blinking away how flustered she had been on that day, she allowed herself a moment to enjoy the feel of them. Beneath the thin cotton of his shirt she traced small circles around them with her manicured nails and heard his intake of breath.

She looked up; his eyes were dark and focused intently on her. She was affecting him. She could feel heat rising to his skin. She smiled a not-so-terribly-innocent smile and he bit his bottom lip. Heat rising to her cheeks, Abby wondered how it would feel to bite that lip. Unable to trust herself she looked away; focusing on his lips was not a good idea. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel the smooth, warm skin of his neck and the rhythmic hint of his pulse that had quickened there. He smelt delicious, of something familiar she had smelt before. She felt warmth spreading inside, awakening her nerves and causing her heart to beat faster. What are you doing? A small, sensible part of her mind was calling to her; attempting to get her to think this through. But she didn’t want to. She needed this moment. She needed him.

With her eyes closed Abby’s senses seemed to heighten. She felt Brad’s hand touch her neck and trace slowly down her back. She swallowed as his fingers hitched over her bra strap before continuing to slide down her spine and coming to rest with his other hand at the small of her back. He sighed into her, a deep, soft groan that turned her insides to liquid. They were swaying together. Abby felt the need for him building inside her and she knew he felt the same. She could feel him warm and firm up against her. Everyone and everything else in the room melted away as all Abby could think about was how much she wanted Bradley Hunter.

As they danced she could feel his muscles rippling and couldn’t help but imagine how they looked beneath his shirt. Without thinking she slowly traced her fingers along the top of his belt, allowing just her fingertips to slip slightly into the warmth at his waistband. He sucked in a deep breath and the air caught her neck as he exhaled slowly; goosebumps tingled down her side. She shuddered and moved closer into his warmth.

“Abby, you’ll have to stop, or I won’t be responsible,” he whispered. She could hear the effect she was having on him in the quiver that rippled through his deep voice. It didn’t make her want to stop. It made her want more.

Her conscience whispered “Simon” into her mind, while the word “Brad” slipped breathlessly from her mouth.

Hearing her speak his name in that tone was more than he could take.

Abby felt Brad’s muscles ripple as she spoke and swallowed as she imagined what more she could do to him. Kissing her gently on the forehead, Brad stepped back. Abby looked at him, panic in her eyes, not wanting it to end.

Sigh! Oh I am a little bit in love with Bradley Hunter myself. I hope you enjoyed the extract. If you would like to read more about Abby and discover what happens next, why not treat yourself to a copy of Crazy Over You.

And if you’ve missed the other great extracts from Apricot Plots’ authors this week, you can catch up here with extracts from: Tora Williams, Angela Barton, Morton S Gray and Caroline James.

Best wishes and happy dancing! x

Book news, Apricot Plots and more!

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Wow, I can’t believe it is September and the summer holidays are over already. I love having my children home from school and for our days to be free to indulge in whatever we fancy. It does, however, mean that less writing gets done. So, now the new term is upon us, it is time to get down to it!

To encourage me on, I have some exciting things to focus on.

Firstly, I am working on a sequel to The Purrfect Pet Sitter, which I have said will be ready by the end of October, not published then, but off to the publisher by then. I am really enjoying writing it, and as I am now towards the end, I am excitedly typing towards that end scene I’ve had in my head all along. While it is a sequel, I have written it so it could also be read as a stand-alone novella (shorter than my other books), which I hope even those who haven’t read The Purrfect Pet Sitter will enjoy.

Having said that, if you haven’t read The Purrfect Pet Sitter (shock horror, what have you been waiting for) the good news is you can currently get it for 99p in the Choc Lit / Ruby Fiction autumn sale:

Amazon | Kobo

As it is set between September and New Year’s Eve, now is the purrfect time to read it, too!

Secondly, I am preparing, with fellow authors Angela Barton, Jane Cable, Caroline James, Morton S Gray, Mariam Kobras, and Tora Williams, for the official launch of @ApricotPlots. Inspired by a talk at the Romantic Novelist’s Association conference, this is a romance cross promotion group, which we hope will be a lot of fun for readers and writers alike. We intend to offer competitions and giveaways, there will also be exciting book launches and more, so why not give us a follow on Twitter or Facebook.

Finally, I am intending to launch an audio version of my first novel, Crazy Over You, and to give it a boost with a new cover. I love my original cover for the book and it won Cover Wars with a fantastic 611 votes when it was first released. But as I write and release more books, I need to ensure it represents my current brand (oo get me!). So watch this space.

Thank you as ever for reading my ramblings. Right, back to that writing business.

Oh and before I really do go, if you haven’t seen the new Christopher Robin movie, you should. It is such a sweet, lovely film that made me laugh and cry. It was another of those fab films we could go and see as a whole family. I have always had a soft spot for Winnie the Pooh (my husband thinks I get my attitude to life from the bear, but that’s another story) and I loved it!

Best wishes and remember as Christopher Robin said to Winnie the Pooh: “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think!” xx

Umbria, hypnosis and me!

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When I started my blog in January, I said this was going to be my year of trying new things. Now we are halfway through the year, I thought it was time for an update.

Umbria

At the end of June, I went to Sue Moorcroft’s writing retreat in Umbria. This was a big deal for me and not just because I got to meet Sue – a number 1, best selling romance writer – and got to have some fabulously peaceful, quality writing time. But also because before flying to Umbria the furthest I had travelled without my hubby (we’ve been together 27 years) was Somerset. I had also never left my children for so long.

And I did it! I managed to drop my luggage in the right place, to get my flight on time and to go on an aeroplane all by myself – there was a pilot and other passengers of course, but you get the idea. I am not a huge fan of flying, but the take-off and landing actually made me smile – even if we did land with a bump in Perugia. I enjoyed the whole experience, and something about doing it for myself made it more enjoyable. I felt younger and freer as soon as my feet hit the airport floor – isn’t that funny!

Of course, I missed my children, but I didn’t worry about them. I knew their daddy was looking after them well. He even ironed their school uniforms! If left to him he probably wouldn’t have to be honest, but he knew they’d tell on him if he didn’t.

When I reached Arte Umbria, I learnt I was the only one booked for the writing retreat for that week. I’ll be honest, that threw me for a moment. I am a bit shy, and the thought that there would be nobody else to hide behind made me wonder if I would enjoy it, or if the week would seem really long, making me miss home.

I needn’t have worried. Sue Moorcroft was lovely, very easy to get on with and inspirational. I wrote almost 14000 words on the sequel to The Purrfect Pet Sitter while away. In the same time, Sue reached double that! She may also have encouraged me to drink slightly more wine than I usually would, but hey, I encouraged her to drink too much tea, so we are equal.

David, the owner, was extremely welcoming and did a brilliant job of cooking for us and looking after us all week. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the time whizzed by too quickly. In case you missed it, here’s a video I made sharing my experience:

Hypnosis and me!

During the Chichester Festival, I also pushed myself out of my comfort zone by doing public speaking with the Chindi Authors. It might seem strange for somebody who used to be a teacher not to feel comfortable speaking in public but with adults, not children, looking at me, no whiteboard, lesson plan, desk or stall as my props I get super nervous.

For this, I turned to my Chindi friend, Dan Jones. Dan is a hypnotherapist who has previously helped me with a phobia I had. I was a complete sceptic at the start, but my reaction to something that used to cause me to go into a state of physical panic has changed dramatically. So in preparation for the public speaking events, I listened to Dan’s hypnosis track on comfortable public speaking. You can check out his very popular YouTube channel here.

I am not saying it worked on me the way the phobia track did, but I did it with more confidence than before, I didn’t dread going to the events, and I got on and spoke out! Sometimes my voice was wobbly, sometimes I couldn’t quite make my point, but I was actually doing it, and hopefully, those people who attended the events went away satisfied. If nothing else, managing it has boosted my confidence.

Next up on my list of challenges is attending the RNA conference in Leeds on the weekend of the 13th-15th of July, wish me luck!

In Littlehampton on Wednesday 18th July? Pop along to the Chindi Authors’ self-publishing panel, the Baptist Church, Fitzalan Road, 7pm, where I’ll be sharing my experience of self-publishing and gaining my Ruby Fiction contract for The Purrfect Pet Sitter, a book set in and around Littlehampton.

Hope to see you there! x

Umbria here I come!

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It’s incredible to think that when I started my blog in January, I was talking about trying new things and my trip to Umbria for Sue Moorcroft’s writing retreat. Well, now that retreat is just days away, eeek!

On our recent family holiday to France, I tested out my summer clothes; I wore shorts on two occasions and a skirt on another. Like my body, my general wardrobe is best suited to autumn and winter. With the exception of the Chindi bookstall at the Arundel Festival, which sees me standing outside for ten days in August to raise funds for Cancer Research, I avoid the sun and usually hide in the shade. So Umbria at the end of June will be interesting!

Testing out my summer wardrobe in Samoëns, France. The legs are hidden but I have shorts on, honestly!

Last week, I attended the Romantic Novelists’ Association lunch for the southern chapter. It was lovely to get together with other authors and to chat about books. I drove and gave Sue Fortin a lift. Sue is a USA Today and Amazon best selling author who writes mystery, suspense and romance; she has also been on the Umbria writing retreat before. With this in mind, I seized the opportunity to ask her a few all-important questions, such as: Will I have all day access to tea making facilities? How hot was it? And will I need any posh clothes?

Her answers – yes to tea, it’s very hot but there is shade, and no to the posh clothes – were helpful. However, she also mentioned that she had a scorpion in her room one night! Despite the fact I worked in primary schools for many years, where mini-beasts always seem to loom large on the curriculum, bugs are not my friend. Wish me luck, and I’ll let you know upon my return how I fared.

The lovely ladies of the RNA Southern Chapter: Back row – Rosie Travers, Sue Fortin, Me, Lyn Liles, Rosemary Ann Smith, Charlie Place (book blogger). Front row – Charile Cochrane and Liv Thomas.

In other news, in case you haven’t seen me shouting about it, I have an office. It is located in Arundel and from my window I can see a lovely expanse of higgledy-piggledy rooftops as well as the castle above the tree line. It is peaceful and a great working base. The only issue is that Arundel has many cafés and I start every morning opening my window to the smell of bacon sandwiches. I like bacon sandwiches, so I don’t mind, but it does make my tummy rumble.

My office view, on a day I was sure I was being watched!

My current work in progress is at 12242 words. This is a sequel to The Purrfect Pet Sitter, which my publisher suggests should be a novella (30000-70000 words). I hope to get a good chunk of it written while on the retreat. It will be a challenge, as I haven’t written one before – sequel or novella – but I am quite excited by it.

I have another work in progress, at around 11000 words, which I am ignoring while I work on the sequel. This will be a contemporary romance with new characters, that will be a full-length novel (around 85000 words).

With three festivals coming up with the Chindi Authors I must focus my time to get all of this done. To find out more about the events we are hosting during the Littlehampton Arts Festival and the Festival of Chichester take a look at the events page of our website, where you will also see that for the third year running, we will be supporting Cancer Research UK throughout the Arundel Festival.

Finally, I am off to the cinema tonight to see Book Club it looks a good laugh. But I am also interested because I read a very good book, years ago by Sophie Hart, called The Naughty Girls Book Club, her characters were great and the story well constructed. This book, on a similar theme, will be hard to beat, but it will be interesting to see how this new film compares.

Anyway, next time I write a post I will have been to Umbria, my children and puppy will have hopefully forgiven me for deserting them for a week, my husband may have recovered, and my work in progress should have dramatically increased. I’ll let you know how all of that goes.

In the meantime, I have a couple of book reviews to share over the coming week and an interview with Choc Lit author Christine Stovell, who talks about her new novella, Moonbeams in a Jar. xx