Blog Tour: Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Cafe by Annette Hannah

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, Orion Dash, and the author herself for the advanced reading copy of this wonderful novel, published on July 6th. Buy your copy here NOW!

The Blurb

Here comes the bride... 

Lucy Woods has always dreamed of running her very own wedding venue. After moving her eight-year-old son to the countryside she's surprised to find the perfect location and her best friend, Abbie, eager to help make that dream a reality! Too bad Abbie's older brother Dominic isn't keen on Lucy or their big idea! 

As a divorce lawyer Dominic doesn't believe in love at first sight or wedding vows, he's seen them broken more times than he can count. But when Lucy arrives back in town, his hardened heart begins to crack. 

Making her dream come true is a huge undertaking, but Lucy knows that The Signal Box Café is her chance to finally make something of her life. If only the irritating (and oh-so-gorgeous) Dom didn't make her imagine wearing a white dress and walking down the aisle... 

Can Lucy and Dominic find a way to each other this summer or will the wedding bells chime for another couple?

My Review

A few weeks ago I had a message through Facebook from a lovely friend I met some years back at a book event. We have become good friends since, and when I read the message, I squealed and phoned her straight away - she had a publishing deal!

That friend, obviously, was Annette, and I am so very pleased for her and privileged to be on the blog tour for her first novel, Wedding Bells at the Signal Box Cafe.

Oh and it is such a wonderful book! It is the perfect uplifting antidote to these strange times, a great escape from the weird new normal we are having to face. Take my advice and go visit the Signal Box Cafe!

Full of warmth and lovable characters, this is a well-written story with excellent and unique ideas and some hilarious mishaps. Lucy moves to her grandparents' village of Bramblewood with her son, to escape their past. They move into her Grandad's cottage as he is recuperating in the local nursing home. Lucy is setting up business as a wedding planner, and she spots the perfect venue.

Lucy, Jackson and canine companion Baxter meet some great characters in the village, making quite the impression on certain people - including a not so great impression on Lucy's best friend's brother, Dominic. Impatient, extremely cynical, this divorce lawyer is the opposite to Lucy in every way. Oh and he is rather hot, too! These two are always rubbing each other up the wrong way - will they find the right way?

Lucy and Dominic have a wonderful supporting cast; Jackson is a delightful little boy, anxiously trying to do the right thing and ending up in various muddles; Grandad, who along with his partner-in-crime, Violet, causes mischievous havoc in the nursing home - these two are a right feisty pair, utterly adorable! Bramblewood is the perfect community - I wish I could live there!

Annette, I am so proud of you!

About the Author

Annette Hannah is a Liver Bird who relocated to leafy Hertfordshire in the 80's and now lives near a river with her husband, two of their three grown up children and a crazy black cocker spaniel. She writes Romantic comedies in settings inspired by the beautiful countryside around her and always with a nod to her hometown.

She worked in Marketing for many years as a qualified Marketeer which she loved as it tapped into her creative side.

As an avid reader, she began to review the books she read, became a book blogger and eventually plucked up the courage to fulfil her life long dream of writing a book.

For four years she was a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association's new writers' scheme, during which time she wrote a book a year.

After signing a two book deal with Orion Dash in 2020 she graduated to full member of the organisation and is also their Press Officer.

She loves long walks along the river, travelling to far flung places, the odd glass of Pinot Blush and spending time with her friends and family.

You can follow her on

twitter @annettehannah

www.sincerelybookangels.blogspot.com

www.annettehannah.com

Read more reviews in case you think I'm biased!

Book Review: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers, Hodder & Stoughton and Sceptre, for the advanced reading copy. It was published on 5 March 2020 and you can get your copy here.

The Blurb

Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education.
As the only daughter of a broke father, she is a valuable commodity. Removed from school and sold as a third wife to an old man, Adunni's life amounts to this: four goats, two bags of rice, some chickens and a new TV. When unspeakable tragedy swiftly strikes in her new home, she is secretly sold as a domestic servant to a household in the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where no one will talk about the strange disappearance of her predecessor, Rebecca. No one but Adunni...

As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless servant, fourteen-year-old Adunni is repeatedly told that she is nothing. But Adunni won't be silenced. She is determined to find her voice - in a whisper, in song, in broken English - until she can speak for herself, for the girls like Rebecca who came before, and for all the girls who will follow.

My Review

We may be only just into January (at the time of writing my review!), but The Girl with the Louding Voice could well be my favourite book of 2020 - if not ever!

From the very start, the voice of Adunni sings in her wonderful broken English, making me smile with her way of phrasing her observations and thoughts. Despite the sometimes heartbreaking and brutal way of life, Adunni's joyous spirit is never broken - it just builds her determination. She has a sharp humour, and her intelligence, empathy and compassion shine through the pages.

The other characters are as equally brought to life by the writer, from the old man she is forced to marry, to Big Madam, who, despite her treatment of Adunni, still elicits some semblance of sympathy.

I absolutely loved this book, and will be telling everyone I meet to read it! It is simply wonderful.

About the Author

Abi Daré grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and has lived in the UK for 18 years. She studied law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an M.Sc. in International Project Management from Glasgow Caledonian University. Keen to improve her writing, Abi completed an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck University of London, achieving a Distinction. 

Her first novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice, won The Bath Novel Award in 2018 and was selected as a finalist in The Literary Consultancy Pen Factor competition in 2018. Abi lives in Essex with her husband and two children.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abidare_author

Book Review: Annie's Lovely Choir by the Sea by Liz Eeles

The Blurb

When twenty-nine-year-old Annie Trebarwith receives an unexpected letter from a great-aunt she’s never known, she leaves her shoebox-sized flat in London and catches a train to the rugged Cornish coast.

Salt Bay is beautiful and Annie begins to kindle a bond with her great-aunt Alice. Even though there is zero phone signal and the locals – including the gorgeous but brooding Josh Pasco – can be decidedly grumpy at times, Annie starts to feel at home in Salt Bay.

Soon Annie’s love of music leads her to relaunch the Salt Bay Choral Society, and she’s surprised to see how just much the choir means to the community – and she even starts to break through Josh’s surly exterior…

But London is calling Annie back, and she has to make a decision. Give up her old life completely, or leave Salt Bay, her new-found family – and the choir – behind?

Annie’s Lovely Choir by the Sea is a heart-warming story about family, belonging and the healing power of music, perfect for fans of Jo Thomas, Holly Martin and Carole Matthews.

My Review

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher, Bookouture for the ARC. Apologies to them and the author for being late with my review - unfortunately real life sometimes gets in the way!

Oh what a lovely heartwarming story this is! I really, really enjoyed this book - oh God, here she goes again, loving all the books she's reading - well, I'm sorry, but it's true. It's not my fault I keep picking the most excellent books to review!

I have to confess I wasn't sure this book would be anything special. There are after all, many books set 'by the Sea', and choirs aren't particularly my thing. But I'm so happy I was wrong.

Annie's Lovely Choir by the Sea is a wonderful stories of family, secrets and community. Oh, and romance, of course. Not that Annie is looking for it - she's only come to meet Alice, the great aunt she had never met. Alice reminded me so much of my own great aunt Rene; now sadly in a better place. Reading about Alice was like getting a hug from Rene! Instead Annie finds a real sense of belonging, and makes some great friends.

The plot is expertly drawn and there are many elements to Annie's story. The characters are well written and believable, the narrative fresh and humorous and the descriptions of Salt Bay so good I want to go and live there myself. I'd even sign up for the choir!

It's a great summer (or whenever) read and I genuinely enjoyed it immensely. I cannot wait to visit Salt Bay again!

You can buy Annie's Lovely Choir by the Sea here.

About the Author

Liz began her writing career as a journalist and press officer before deciding that she’d rather have the freedom of making things up as a novelist. 

Being short-listed in the Corvus ‘Love at First Write’ competition and the Novelicious search for a new women's fiction star gave Liz the push she needed to keep putting pen to paper …. and ‘Annie’s Lovely Choir by the Sea’ (her first published novel) is the result. 

Liz lives on the South Coast with her family and, when she’s not writing, likes to spend time walking by the sea, and trying to meditate. Her ambition is to be serene one day …. she’s still got a long way to go.

You can contact Liz on Twitter: @lizeelesauthor, Facebook: www.facebook.com/lizeelesauthor or Instagram: lizeelesauthor

Book Review: Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land

The Blurb

'NEW NAME. NEW FAMILY. SHINY. NEW. ME.' 

Annie's mother is a serial killer. The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police. But out of sight is not out of mind. As her mother's trial looms, the secrets of her past won't let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name - Milly. A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be. But Milly's mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water. Good me, bad me. She is, after all, her mother's daughter... 

Translated into over 20 languages, Good Me Bad Me is a tour de force. In its narrator, Milly Barnes, we have a voice to be reckoned with, and in its author, Ali Land, an extraordinary new talent.

My Review

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Michael Joseph, for the advanced reading copy.

Oh. My. God. What a book!

I was initially intrigued by the premise of a girl having to deal with having a serial killer for a mother. But as I started reading Good Me Bad Me I started to get scared. I was worried the story was going to dissolve into a voyeuristic, sadistic car crash.

But I needn't have worried - I am so glad I carried on reading. Once I did, I found it hard to leave - hence a couple of late nights where I couldn't stop thinking about the book once I put it down.

The narrator, Milly, is talking to her mother. Telling her how she has made her feel, telling her how she is coping (or not) without her. The descriptions of the crimes committed thankfully don't go into gory detail, leaving your mind to fill in the blanks - which works to great effect here.

Milly is staying with a foster family, the Newmonts. The father, Mike, is a psychologist, helping Milly prepare to testify against her own mother. The mother, Saskia, a mere shadow of a woman, scorned by her own daughter, Phoebe, who rails against having to compete with a broken foster child.

Milly has to battle to survive, against her mother's voice, constantly with her; against her background, desperate to keep her past hidden, against herself, for fear of becoming like her mother. She finds a friend in Morgan, but can she keep her safe?

Phoebe is a poisonous character, hellbent on making Milly's life even more of a living hell than it already is. Ali Land depicts the turmoils of adolescence perfectly, showing how cruel girls can be to each other, vying to be leader of the gang, and how easily led some can become, to afraid to say no. 

This is an absolute smasher of a debut novel. I think Good Me Bad Me is going to be one of the most talked about books for 2017. Absolutely bloody amazing.

Good Me Bad Me is published on 12th January by Michael Joseph. You can buy the book at Amazon, Waterstones and other retailers.

About the Author

After graduating from university with a degree in Mental Health, Ali Land spent a decade working as a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Nurse in hospitals and schools in the UK and Australia. Ali is now a full-time writer and lives in a creative warehouse community in North London. Good Me Bad Me has been translated into over twenty languages.

Follow Ali on Twitter @byAliLand

Blog Tour - The Wacky Man by Lyn G Farrell

Today I am so excited and honoured to be part of the Blog Tour for Lyn G Farrell's eviscerating debut novel, The Wacky Man. Award winning author Lyn has very kindly agreed to take part in an Author Q&A.

You can read my review here

What made you write this book?

Lyn: I couldn't write anything else until this novel was finished. There is a lot of research about violence to children looking at sociological, psychological, or economical aspects but I wanted, above all, to put the battered child at centre stage, something I've not seen much of before in fiction. I drew on my own experiences to show what the child thinks and feels, and how they carry consequences of abuse. 

Despite her lack of schooling, Amanda is a very intelligent, articulate young woman. Your author bio suggests that you too did not attend school as much as you should - how did you develop your wonderful use of language?

Lyn: I was a chronic truant, due to trauma, by the age of 12. My mother taught us me and my siblings to read before we started school so by the time I was isolated from school I was a voracious reader. I worked my way through my brother’s set of encyclopaedia and my mother’s entire book collection as well as newspapers and magazines. I also used to borrow books off my oldest sister who was at university by then and read anything she left behind after a visit home. I even tried Bukharin and the Bolshevik revolution once though I gave up after the first two chapters went right over my head. My English teacher also allowed me to attend his classes twice a week despite my truanting. He encouraged me to write stories and I also got my hands on more reading material by doing this. When I went back into education and then started university I had the opportunity to keep growing my language use. 

There are some harrowing scenes in the story. Was it difficult writing these or did you find the words flowed easily? 

Lyn: The words flowed easily but at times I wanted to run away from the story. There is one part that I still can't read without breaking down but it had to be in the book, so I just worked through all the sadness until it was complete. At other times I took a break from it, to deal with the way I was feeling. I'd go watch TV or sit on my allotment until I felt at peace again. It's important to have a coping strategy so that you can switch off when you really need to. 

In the book, you acknowledge that the authorities are trying to help Amanda (Mr Kramm, Mr Broeder etc.), but she considers herself beyond help. Do you think they could have done anything more to help her?

Lyn: I think they help as much as they could. Resources are limited, they both work with many children, not just Amanda and they make home visits, something that goes beyond the call of duty. If they hadn't helped Amanda I doubt she would have made it as far as she did. I think the book highlights how damaged children close off because they have learned not to trust, and how that creates barriers to accepting help from good people. 

Which writers have influenced you? Is there one you'd consider to be a mentor?

Lyn: Clio Gray was, literally, my mentor. I didn't realise when I approached her just how good she was (she was nominated for the 2016 Man Booker and the Bailey's Prize with 'The Anatomist's Dream'). I asked her to mentor me and she taught so much about how to improve my writing. I learned from one of the masters. 

Alice Walker's 'The Colour Purple' had a huge influence on me. I remember reading the book and thinking that I could write the story I had inside me because she had also tackled a tough (and taboo) subject. I was also blown away by the uniqueness of her writing style. And Marge Piercy's 'Woman on the Edge of Time', that I read when I was about 14, gave me hope that I could, one day, forge my own path in life.

Are you a disciplined writer? Do you set yourself word goals or a time you have to write?

Lyn: I do set goals, yes, though not for word counts (I've never tried that so perhaps I should). I write daily lists of things that I want to accomplish. I always put far more tasks on than I could realistically achieve so really it's a 'rolling task list' but every time I put a line through a finished task, I feel wonderful. Using lists mean that I always achieve some of my goals.

I have to write around my job so I'm used to my time for writing being very irregular. Sometimes I'm very driven. I won’t do anything but write in any spare time that I have. If I'm too shattered after the day job the energy for writing evaporates and I can't return to it for anywhere from a day to a week and I'll turn to other things instead. I'll read other novels too when my own writing has dipped and then I'll return to it refreshed and start the whole cycle again. 

What are you writing next?

Lyn: My next novel is about the healing power of unusual friendship. I've written quite a lot of first draft pieces about my main two characters and researched at length for one of them. I've planned the outline and timeline for this novel – a complete departure from my first book where I just jumped in head first. I'm keen to see how the two writing methods compare. 

Do you have any advice for writers?

Lyn: Everything you write will make you a better writer. If you having difficulty writing something the way you see it in your head, don’t be put off. You need to think about it to make it better. When I was writing The Wacky Man, I used to get really despondent when I couldn't solve a technical problem in the plot or when the words didn't convey what I had in my head. Now I know it’s just part and parcel of writing better stories. Never give up, just give your mind time to work it through. And make sure you have something to write on at all times, for when that breakthrough comes.

So there you go, my first Author Q&A. I hope you enjoyed it, and thank you to Lyn for answering questions on an riveting and amazing book that just simply HAS to be read.