An Apology...

I have an apology to make. I probably owe a lot of apologies to a lot of people, but this one is to all the authors and publishers whose books I've read but not yet reviewed. I've been quiet on the Blogging front for the last couple of months, what with the Chaos of Christmas, and a tumultuous (there's a big word for a Monday in January!) family life taking priority, I've been guilty of taking advantage of relative peace and quiet and reading book after book after book... Also binge-watching two seasons of Stranger Things became a Family Thing, so obviously that had to take priority too... 

So I have some catching up to do!

I haven't done a blog on my favourite books of 2017, because there were too many! Isabelle Broom, Joanna Cannon, Mandy Baggot, Catherine Miller, Angela Clarke, Juliet Ashton to name but a few authors who delighted me with their wonderful words last year. 

But if pressed to find an ultimate favourite for last year, it would have to be Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, though Me, Myself and Them by Dan Mooney is a close second as it gave me an insight into Mental Health I never thought I would need. 

As for my own writing - I finished my first draft of my novel just by the skin of my teeth for the deadline for submitting to the Romantic Novelists' Association's excellent New Writer's Scheme. It had taken me two years to get to this point, as Life had thrown us a few disconcerting curve-balls. To my delight, the feedback I got from my reader was overwhelmingly positive, with lots of constructive suggestions for edits.

I've not joined the NWS scheme again for 2018 - it's the first time in three years I'm not a member, but I will still enjoy the Chapter meetings, and I am fully intending to attend the annual Conference this year (finance permitted - maybe I should set up a GoFundMe page - I'm joking.).This year I want to concentrate on the edits of my book, and then will begin the agonising search for an agent and publisher. I feel - and hope - I've learned a lot since I first self-published 5 years ago.

January is traditionally a very dark month for many people, and in the past for me, especially so. But this year, I feel full of hope and positivity, with a healthy dose of realistic expectations. No, it's not that I'm doing Dry January - thanks to Catherine Miller and the wonderful Olive, I've discovered a brave new world of Gin! Warner Edwards' Victoria Rhubarb Gin is a particular favourite; after all, it has my name on it! 

I'm beginning to realise, thanks to Ed Anthony and his Inside Out Understanding, that we can be in control of our stress levels and that it is possible to be only one thought away from calm. I've learned to be more patient (though that may not seem obvious to many), and that slow steps are key. I've also learned to accept that which I cannot change. And that I can change? Well, instead of moaning about it, I'm going to do my best. After all, that's all any of us can do.

So Happy New Year, people (yeah I know it's late), and may 2018 bring us more fantastic new books, good health and happiness. 

And a puppy wouldn't go amiss... 

Blog Tour: Christmas at the Gin Shack by Catherine Miller

Today I am delighted to be on tour with Catherine Miller with her new novel Christmas at the Gin Shack. This follows on from The Gin Shack on the Beach, published in June this year.

The Blurb

Welcome in the festive season with love, laughter and the perfect G&T in Christmas at the Gin Shack – the most uplifting holiday read of 2017!

Gingle bells, gingle bells, gingle all the way…

Olive Turner might have lived through eighty-four Christmases, but she’ll never get bored of her favourite time of year. And this one’s set to be extra-special. It’s the Gin Shack’s first Christmas – and there’s a gin-themed weekend and a cocktail competition on the cards!

But, beneath the dazzle of fairy lights and the delicious scent of mince-pies, Olive smells a rat. From trespassers in her beloved beach hut to a very unfunny joke played on her friends, it seems that someone is missing a dose of good cheer.

Olive knows she’s getting on a bit – but is she really imagining that someone in the little seaside town is out to steal Christmas? More importantly, can she create the perfect gin cocktail before Christmas Eve – in time to save the day?

Where to buy: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Kobo

My Review

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the chance to review the book, and to Rachel's Random Resources for signing me up to the tour.

Oh Olive, Olive, Olive. Please don't ever get old. I love the way you laugh in the face of adversity - and mobility scooters!

Yes, our intrepid octogenarian is back with a vengeance - and more fabulous gin recipes! This time she's getting ready for Christmas at the Gin Shack, including gin-themed weekends and a gin competition. But again there are obstacles; from the phantom bottom craft-itist (yes, you read that right), adversaries old and new, and old age itself.

It's heartwarming to see how the community of Westbrook Bay rallies around when there are problems. Also it is great to see how some characters from the first book have grown, proving that sometimes leopards can change their spots... or can they?

There are some wonderful laugh-out-loud moments, and Olive's unexpectedly colourful language makes me chuckle, but there are also some more serious moments, too. And nothing is more serious than gin! 

This works well as a standalone novel if you haven't read the first one, but why wouldn't you want to read it? It's shaping up to be a great series, and I sincerely hope we haven't seen the last of Olive.

About the Author

When Catherine Miller became a mum to twins, she decided her hands weren't full enough so wrote a novel with every spare moment she managed to find. By the time the twins were two, Catherine had a two-book deal with HQDigital UK. There is a possibility she has aged remarkably in that time. Her debut novel, Waiting For You, came out in March 2016. She is now the author of four books and hopes there will be many more now her twins have started school. Either that, or she’ll conduct more gin research on Olive’s behalf. 

Social Media Links – 

https://www.facebook.com/katylittlelady.author/

https://twitter.com/katylittlelady

https://www.instagram.com/katylittlelady/

Blog Tour: The Gin Shack on the Beach by Catherine Miller

Being a fan of Catherine Miller's previous books, Waiting for You and All That is Left of Me, I was thrilled to be invited by Catherine herself to take part in the Blog Tour for her newest novel, The Gin Shack on the Beach. Her third novel was published by HQ Digital on 5th June 2017.

The Blurb

When octogenarian Olive Turner is persuaded by her son to move into a retirement home, she congratulates herself on finding the secret to an easy life: no washing up, cooking or cleaning. But Olive isn’t one for mindless bingo with her fellow residents, and before the first day is over she's already hatching a plan to escape back to her beloved beach hut and indulge in her secret passion for a very good gin & tonic.

Before long Olive’s secret is out and turning into something wonderful and new. Only a select few are invited, but word spreads quickly about the weekly meetings of The Gin Shack Club. Soon everybody on the beach wants to become a gin connoisseur and join Olive on her journey to never being forced to grow older than you feel.

A journey of friendship, defiance and a quest for the perfect G&T.

My Review

Ah, Gin & Tonic. That most refreshing of alcoholic drinks, with hidden depths and mysterious ingredients, each different make of gin having its own character. Just like this book!

I want to be like Olive when I grow up (if that ever happens!). This feisty eighty year old lets no one boss her around. She is fiercely independent, and likes her own space. After a fall, she agrees to go into a retirement home - not a care home - but is devastated when her son says he is selling her beloved beach hut. 

She soon finds new allies in her quest for the perfect gin in fellow residents Veronica and Randy, and the Three Amigos get up to some hilarious antics quite unexpected for people of a certain age. They certainly bemuse the local police. The theme of friendship and community is strong in the book, with Olive's beach hut neighbours rallying around her. 

There's mystery involving the despicable Matron, a woman full of her own self-importance. Can the Three Amigos bring an end to her regime?

There are poignant moments, such as between Olive and her son Richard, who appears not to care what his mother actually wants. The relationship is obviously strained, the reasons for which become evident later on.

It's a wonderful, heart-warming story showing that age should have no boundaries. 

I hope Catherine had as much fun researching her novel as I did reading it - I know I would have!

Cheers!

You can buy The Gin Shack on the Beach here. Alcoholic beverage optional.

About the Author

When Catherine Miller became a mum to twins, she decided her hands weren't full enough so wrote a novel with every spare moment she managed to find. By the time the twins were two, Catherine had a two-book deal with Carina UK. There is a possibility she has aged remarkably in that time. Her debut novel, Waiting For You, came out in March 2016, and her latest, All That is Left of Us, is out now.

Catherine was a NHS physiotherapist, but for health reasons (Uveitis and Sarcoidosis) she retired early from this career. As she loved her physiotherapy job, she decided if she couldn't do that she would pursue her writing dream. It took a few years and a couple of babies, but in 2015 she won the Katie Fforde bursary, was a finalist in the London Book Fair Write Stuff Competition and highly commended in Woman magazine's writing competition. Soon afterwards she signed with Carina. Soon after that, she collapsed in a heap and was eventually revived by chocolate.