With few roots in England and having just lost her job, Amy Carter decides to give up on home and start a new life in France, spending her redundancy package turning an overgrown Provençal farmhouse, Bellefontaine, into a successful hotel.
Though she has big plans for her new home, none of them involves falling in love – least of all with Fabien Coste, the handsome but arrogant owner of a nearby château. As romance blossoms, eerie and strange happenings in Bellefontaine hint at a dark mystery of the Provençal countryside which dates back many centuries and holds an entanglement between the ladies of Bellefontaine and the ducs de Coste at its centre. As Amy works to unravel the mystery, she begins to wonder if it may not just be her heart at risk, but her life too.
********************
My Review
I loved this book! I’m a sucker for anything set in France so this one fit the bill right away. Couple that with the strange happenings at Amy’s farmhouse, Bellefontaine, and I HAD to read it.
Marie’s descriptive narrative drew me in right away and kept me turning the pages. I could visualize the places easily and her characters were strong and believable.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves books set in France with mystery and romance combined.
5-stars!
********************
Marie Laval Bio
Originally from Lyon in France, Marie studied History and Law at university there before moving to Lancashire in England where she worked in a variety of jobs, from PA in a busy university department to teacher of French in schools and colleges. Writing, however, was always her passion, and she spends what little free time she has dreaming and making up stories. Her historical romances ANGEL HEART and THE LION’S EMBRACE are published by MuseItUp Publishing. A SPELL IN PROVENCE is her first contemporary romance. It is published by Áccent Press.
Robbie Burns Night Celebrations with Janice Horton
I’m so glad you were able to work me into your busy schedule, Janice. You’ve been snap-gapping all over the place of late so I’m thrilled to have you here at Celtic Connexions. You’re looking very “Scottish” today, all decked out in your tartan.
I take it you’re ready for a good old-fashioned ceilidh – Canadian style.
Here, come sit by the fire take the chill off (escorts my esteemed guest to one of the tartan wing-back chairs facing the crackling fire ).
photo from Flickr
I’ll summon my manservant, Donald (the Red) , to bring us some refreshments. Would you care for a wee dram? Perhaps Glengoyne – Scotland’s only un-peated single malt?(rings bell and gives manservant instructions)
I think you’ll like what I have in store for you at the ceilidh tonight. I tried to get the Old Blind Dogs but they weren’t available. That’s okay as I do have a vast collection of Scottish music on CDs – Old Blind Dogs, The Corries, Runrig and the list goes on.
(swish of swinging door as the manservant returns with a tray carrying a decanter of whisky – 18 year old Glenlivet no less, two glasses and water). “Your whisky, my lady,” he says as he places it on the table.
“Thank you.”
As the manservant straightens to leave, I cry out… “Donald, where’s your trousers?” because so unlike him, he’s wearing a kilt!
Overcome by the shock of seeing him dressed in that fashion, it takes me a moment to regain my composure. (fans self with copy of Leopard Magazine).
Well, while we wait for our meal to be ready, Janice, let’s chat about your novel. I’m really interested to find out more about it and your creative process. You spent three months on the Island of Utila researching and writing Castaway in the Caribbean. Can you tell me more?
Yes, I had the most amazing time in 2014 visiting, researching and writing in the Caribbean. While there I spent a lot of time in boats (as one features in my new novel) and even got to sail off Tortola in the British Virgin Islands in a schooner used in the making of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie! After visiting lots of islands, my husband and I settled down to island life for a stay of three months on Utila, a tiny Caribbean island off mainland Honduras. This is where I wrote the first draft of ‘Castaway in the Caribbean’.
When do you expect to release it?
April 2015. I have promotional online book tours organised for April and May.
What made you choose that title?
I feel the title suits the story line perfectly. The premise of the book is that the two main characters, a surly boat captain who hates tourists and a girl holidaying in the Caribbean who desperately needs to get to a neighbouring island, end up castaway together on a remote island. It’s a fun, fast paced romantic adventure novel that I hope will be the perfect beach read for 2015!
The manservant returns and tells us that dinner is served… so we pick up our drinks and at the first skirl of the pipes, wait for him to enter the room and we get piped in to the formal dining room (I wish I had one of them, too) to the strains of The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie for a traditional Robbie Burns feast.
Once everyone is around the table, we begin with The Selkirk Grace.
Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit.
Our first course is Cock-a-leekie soup.
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
Not strictly traditional as I don’t put prunes in it.
You mentioned (or did I pick up on it) something about the names of your characters. Was there a particular reason why you used those names? If so, can you share it?
I wrote the first draft with my husband’s name, Travis, as the romantic hero’s name and the heroine of the story is called Janey (which is kind of like my name, Janice). I fully intended on changing the names in the second draft but for some reason ended up not doing so. The characters of Castaway in the Caribbean are Travis and Janey in their own right – they are not meant to be me and my husband – and the story is definitely a work of fiction!
The soup course is cleared away and the skirl of the pipes begins again. The door opens and the haggis is brought into the room with great pomp and circumstance.
Address to the Haggis
a wee dram for the haggisHaggis, champit tatties and bashed neeps
We’ll have a bit of a musical interlude courtesy of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers before we carry on with the rest of the evening’s festivities.
What’s your next project? Do you have another novel started?
I have a few ideas in mind for new projects. I’m travelling again this year and I’d like to continue the theme of writing romantic adventure novels set in places that inspire me.
Now that we’ve talked about your WIP (work in progress for those not accustomed to author-speak and abbreviations), tell us more about you and how the readers of Celtic Connexions can follow you?
Thank you, Melanie. I really enjoy connecting with people. I’m a keen blogger. I’m always on Facebook and I love to Twitter too. So here’s my links:
Janice Horton writes contemporary romantic fiction with a dash of humour and a sense of adventure. Look out for Janice’s new release for 2015 ‘Castaway in the Caribbean’
and her Amazon Kindle bestselling books ‘Bagpipes and Bullshot‘
and ‘Reaching for the Stars‘
and her fun ‘Voodoo Romance’ series of novellas.
Her nonfiction guide to online promotion ‘How To Party Online‘
is recommended reading for all authors and writers by publishers. Janice is a regular blogger from her website at janicehorton.co.uk and you’ll also find her on Facebook and Twitter. She is also associate editor at the award winning online magazine Loveahappyending Lifestyle Magazine where she produces her monthly ‘The Bookshelf’ feature and her seasonal ‘Snap Gap Travel’ features.
Thank you so much for coming to my “un”conventional Robbie Burns Night. I hope you won’t have a sair heid tomorrow. I see the chairs have been rearranged in the front room so shall we move the party in there and let the ceilidh begin?
At Winter Solstice something came for the Penningtons and tore their family apart. On the same day, thirteen years later, daughters Iysobel and Ziema are terrified by what appears in the mirror before them.
Terrified a curse hangs over thePennington family eldest daughter Iysobel struggles to uncover the truth and find out ifthe curse really does exist.
Fighting forces she never imagined existed outside of the fairy tales she read as a child; Iysobel is not only in danger of losing her life but also her heart. As she discovers hidden secrets about her mother and even herself, Iysobel is caught up in an icy web of magic and mystery.
This winter one thing Iysobel isn’t wishing for is a white Christmas…
Anthony had just reached the step to the back door when the sound of footsteps from inside drew near. The cloaked intruder stomped over the threshold, easily negotiating the snow despite wearing high-heeled boots. With a maniacal laugh, the person booted Anthony in the chest. Fueled by love, Anthony moved faster than either he or the other person had anticipated and grabbed hold of the booted foot.
“Fool!” The boot wriggled in his grasp. “You cannot stop me!”
The pearlescent leather of the boot squeaked against Anthony’s hold. Using his weight as an anchor, he pulled harder. Unable to lift his head properly he could only see as far as the intruder’s knees but he could tell they were definitely feminine, encased as they were in slim fitting silvery trousers in a silky material.
This time the voice was easily identifiable as female to Anthony’s ears. “Do you really wish to fight me?”
Anthony’s grip on the boot lessened, not for the want of trying but because his energy was fast ebbing away. “I will fight you even if it kills me…what did you do to Ana?”
The woman yanked her leg back, wrenching it free from Anthony’s weakening hands. “I made her remember the promise she had made.”
Anthony’s vision blurred with pain but he forced the words out, “What promise?”
“You ask too many questions. Maybe I should remove your tongue.” The woman cackled. “No, I will settle for something far more satisfying.”
This time Anthony was not fast enough to capture her foot as the woman kicked him in the chest. With a cry, he crashed back against the wall of the house, cracking his head above his left ear. Blood dribbled from the wound, running in and over his ear.
The cloaked woman lifted a hand and blew on her gloved palm. A cloud of ice crystals fluttered down to Anthony and danced before his eyes. Suddenly, the crystals exploded alight and shot into his surprised eyes. He screamed as the glowing crystals burrowed inside his head. Powerless to move from the awkward position he had fallen in; his agonized cries were the only sound to be heard. Darkness washed over him and the last thing Anthony saw was a soft, pink blanket flutter down and land in a crumpled heap on the blood-stained snow.
~~~~~~~~~~
About the author
Gina Dickerson lives by the Thanet coast on the north-eastern tip of Kent, in the UK, with her family and playful Siberian husky. She is a full-time author and writes romantic suspense with a twist, horror, and fantasy because her characters refuse to play nice and wind up with more than a few bone-rattling skeletons in their closets.
As well as being the author of The Pennington Christmas Curse, signed with Limitless Publishing, Gina is the author of the murderous romantic suspense novel Unveiling Christmas, the twisted short story collection, Underleaf, as well as the fantasy, adventurous romance series Mortiswood Tales, and has also written fashion and shopping columns for a local newspaper.
When she’s not writing, Gina loves rummaging in vintage clothes shops, taking way too many photographs, and leafing through fashion glossies.
‘A thrilling and delicious story of love and self-discovery woven around a broken romance that will make you turn page after page and cheer to the end.’
Love, life, loyalties. Nothing stays the same when Emily gets drawn into the world of rock.
Glossy and sophisticated professional high-flyer Emily has no time for nonsense such as the rock music her ex-boyfriend Nate adored so much. Yet when she unexpectedly comes into possession of VIP tickets—access all areas—for new rock band phenomenon, MonX, she can’t resist the temptation.
The fateful gig turns into more than one night, and Emily finds herself strangely drawn to this new and unfamiliar glittery world. However, only weeks later, MonX and her own universe fall apart with devastating consequences for all. When MonX lead singer Mike appeals for her help, she reluctantly embraces a new opportunity. But she soon discovers that while she may be a rock chick after all, a groupie she is not… Or is she?
Just exactly where do her loyalties lie? And what direction will her life take now that she’s left behind everything she treasured?
Warning!Fallen For Rock contains some explicit content and strong language that may not be suitable for readers under eighteen years of age.
About Nicky Wells: Romance that Rocks Your World!
Nicky Wells is your ultimate rock chick author. Signed to US Publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, she writes Romance That Rocks Your World, featuring the rock star and the girl next door… because there’s no better romantic hero than a golden-voiced bad boy with a secret soft heart and a magical stage presence!
Nicky’s books offer glitzy, glamorous romance with rock stars—imagine Bridget Jones ROCKS Notting Hill! If you’ve ever had a crush on any kind of celebrity, you’ll connect with Nicky’s heroes and their leading ladies.
Nicky loves listening to rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she’s not writing, she’s a wife, mother, occasional knitter, and regular contributor at Lincoln’s Siren 107.3 FM. Rock on!
Did you know? There’s a single out now by Nicky’s fictional rock band Tuscq come to life! “Love Me Better” is available for download from Amazon, iTunes and many other places.
a debut novel by Melanie Robertson-King – aka moi.
Cover created by Aidana WillowRaven
Blurb:
When a contemporary teen is transported back through time to the Victorian era, she becomes A Shadow in the Past…
Nineteen-year-old Sarah Shand finds herself thrust back into the past. There she struggles to keep her real identity from a society that finds her comments and ideas strange and her speech and actions forward, unlike Victorian women. When Sarah verbally confronts confining social practices, including arranged marriages; powerful enemies commit her to a lunatic asylum. After falling in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, Robert Robertson, she must decide whether to find her way back to her own time or to remain in the past with him.
A Shadow in the Pastis available as a paperback from Amazon, Chapters, and local bricks ‘n mortar bookstores.
If you’d prefer to buy it as an ebook, all you have to do is click on the logo of your choice to download it. The link for all the amazon domains is the same, you just have to change the .co.uk to your own.
So what are you waiting for? It’s your opportunity to get a great read in print or ebook format!
SHANNON’S LAW
Another ‘Passion Patrol’ novel by Emma Calin
Today’s the day – the worldwide release of Emma Calin’s steamy action-romance novel SHANNON’S LAW.
Emma’s ‘Passion Patrol’ books are stand-alone stories that feature hot cops, hot crimes and hot romance. SHANNON’S LAW introduces another sassy female cop, Shannon Aguerri, who catches crooks, delivers justice and always gets her man.
In celebration of the launch, Emma is offering SHANNON’S LAW at just $1.50/£0.99 for all digital versions, until the 10th March. There are special offers in place for the paperback version too – it’s at a rock-bottom introductory price of $10.99/£5.99/€6.99 until the 10th March.
You can win free copies of the paperback and digital versions, as well as other cool book-related ‘swag’ in Emma’s launch day giveaway on Rafflecopter which includes a FREE GIFT for every entrant (see below.)
Launch Day Party…
Emma is having an online launch party “Afternoon Tea At Bloxington Manor” on Friday the 28th February and you are invited too:
Come along to share a cuppa and a slice of cake, win prizes and find out about the book and the author.
What the early reviewers of Shannon’s Law say…
5 Stars – Jenny Marston, Essex, UK.
“Move over Mr Grey – there’s a new Earl in town! Shannon’s Law is dramatic, mesmerizing and incredibly sexy. The ultimate fairy-tale.”
5 Stars – Anneli Purchase, Canada.
“Shannon’s Law will draw you in from page one and hold you fast, immersed in the love and suspense until the end.”
5 Stars – Petra Rovere, Slovenia.
“A fast-paced and intense story where two different social worlds collide in a vortex full of love, hatred, intrigues and passion. Emma Calin has done it again. A book hard to put down before its end.”
Wild child inner city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, after yet another maverick mission, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. When she encounters signs of people and drug trafficking she homes in on serious millionaire criminals. As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. She meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington and there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need. Already in the mix however, is an upper class female rival – who has long plotted her way into the Earl’s bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet. Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her. All the same, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission, their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.
Find out more and watch the book promo video here:
Emma has been posting snippets from the story, photos of places and people that inspired the venues and characters on Pinterest during her pre-launch book tour…
You’ve read the story and felt the passion – now taste the love…
There’s a companion cookbook that Emma is also launching today – COP’S KITCHEN. This includes recipes for all the meals from the Shannon’s Law. The good news is that all entries to the Rafflecopter draw below get a free copy of this illustrated e-book.
Prizes include $30/£20/€25 Amazon gift card, paperback and digital copies of Shannon’s Law, various afternoon-tea related swag items AND…. a FREE COPY of Emma’s digital cookery book Cop’s Kitchen for EVERY entrant!
Special offer on the first ‘Passion Patrol’ book KNOCKOUT!
Watch out as well for a special discount on Emma’s first ‘Passion Patrol’ book Knockout! It’s on an Amazon Kindle Countdown Deal for 5 days at 99c/76p from 3rd-7th March. http://www.bookshow.me/Knockout
Authors are often asked what inspired them to write. For my novel “Orion’s Gift,” the answer is easy.
One winter, I was on vacation in Baja California, a state of Mexico, living in a travel trailer for three months. The sun and sea were glorious, and on days I didn’t feel like fishing, swimming, or snorkeling, I could go hiking in the desert. Life was easy and fun at this small beach where only about six other campers stayed.
One day an elderly woman arrived in a camper van with San Diego plates. She parked by the beach and never got out of her vehicle for the whole three days that she stayed there, preferring to sit in her van, smoking cigarettes and listening to audio tapes.
I wondered at her strange behaviour. Why would she drive all the way from San Diego and not get out of her van at this beautiful beach? Why was she inhaling that thick cigarette smoke when she had the cleanest air in the world right outside her door? What was she listening to? Maybe it was one of my novels on the audio tape and she just had to hear what happened next. I wish!
I had no answers and it bothered me that I couldn’t figure it out. I decided then, that hers would make a good story, if only I knew what it was. I imagined all kinds of scenarios and Orion’s Gift began to take shape.
Instead of this poor old strange woman, I created Sylvia, a young and beautiful California girl in her thirties. I gave her a reason for suddenly leaving her seemingly perfect life in Chula Vista, near San Diego. I couldn’t have her be without a romantic interest, so I created a man for her. While Sylvia and Kevin spent time star-gazing, watching the constellation of Orion, each kept a secret from the other. When the spouses they had deserted come looking for them, the young couple’s new love is tested and their lives are turned upside down
I still wonder about the woman from San Diego though. What was the real story? Probably, I’ll never know.
Orion’s Gift is available at all amazon outlets and at Smashwords.com.
Anneli Purchase has written two other books, “The Wind Weeps” and “Julia’s Violinist,” which are also available on amazon and smashwords. You can find out more about them by visiting Anneli’s webpage at http://www.anneli-purchase.com
I’m thrilled to be a part of fellow 4RV Publishing author, Beverly Stowe McClure’s cover reveal for her newest YA novel (January 2014 release date) – Star of the Team.
Blurb
A girl.
A dream.
An accident.
A dream shattered.
Ten-year-old Kate Taylor dreams of being the star of her basketball team, Angels. When Kate’s tooth is knocked out at one of the games, and her mother, who is also her coach, says she can’t play until the tooth the dentist replants heals, Kate’s dreams are in jeopardy. Add Emily, the new girl at school who claims she’s the best, and Kate faces a challenge to prove that she is the star.
Will Kate succeed? Or will Emily ruin Kate’s plans?
Short summary of Book:
Ten-year-old Kate Taylor wants to be the star of her basketball team, Angels, but when her tooth is knocked out at one of the games, her goal is in jeopardy. Even though the dentist replants the tooth, her mother, who is also her coach, refuses to let Kate play unless she can come up with a way to protect the tooth.
With the encouragement of her friends and teammates, Kate tries everything. She asks her sister, Zoe, how her boyfriend, Ray, protects his teeth when playing football. Zoe is clueless. Kate wears her friend Simon’s catcher’s mask to practice, but it’s too big and blocks her view of the goal. Kate stuffs cotton balls in her mouth and thinks she’s swallowed one. Nothing works.
To add to Kate’s problems, Emily, the new girl at River Bend Elementary, is great at basketball. Kate worries Emily will be the star of the team. On top of that, Simon, the school brain, as well as klutz, says he plans to join the Angels, even though boys are not allowed.
In the final game of the season, Kate faces a decision that will not only decide who wins the game, but whether she’s star of the team or not.
Author’s Bio: Beverly Stowe McClure is the author of picture books, early readers, middle grade and teen novels. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, both national and North Texas. A fourth generation Texan, she lives in the country with two cats, and a variety of wild critters.
Thanks so much for hosting the Cover Reveal for my forthcoming contemporary romance SHANNON’S LAW. This is the second in my ‘Passion Patrol Series’ – steamy action-romances that feature sassy female cops who solve crimes, catch crooks and always get their man.
Blurb
Wild child inner city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, after yet another maverick mission, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. When she encounters signs of people and drug trafficking she homes in on serious millionaire criminals. As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. When she meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington, there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need. Already in the mix is an upper class female rival – who has long plotted her way into the Earl’s bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet. Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her. All the same, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission, their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.
I will be revealing snippets from the story, photos of places and people that inspired the venues and characters on Pinterest during my pre-launch book tour. There are already some scrap-book cuttings posted:
I’m having two launch parties “Afternoon Tea At Bloxington Manor”. The first is online on the 28th February on Facebook and the second is LIVE at the English stately home that inspired the home of my hero on Sunday 2nd March. A local favourite venue for me, Avington Park in Hampshire is steeped in history and tradition. (Think genuine Palladian style rather than Downton Abbey neo-Jacobean). The private owners have kindly agreed to open up for us with a tour of the house and then tea and cake – oh and launch the book of course!
Shannon’s Law Cover Reveal Draw
$30/£20 Amazon voucher
A pair of tickets to my Avington Park Launch Party 2nd March (UK only)
3 Advanced Review Copies of Shannon’s Law
EVERY entrant will receive a FREE gift of an audiobook of my short story Escape to Love.
About Emma Calin Emma Calin was born in London in 1962. She currently lives in France and the UK.
She has been writing since childhood and has won numerous local, national and international prizes for poetry and short stories.
“Knockout!” is the first of the “Passion Patrol Series” a stand-alone love story set against a backdrop of international gambling corruption and deception. Interpol cop Anna Leyton finds herself torn between love and duty when her professional and private life intersects. This book is now available in both paperback and Kindle formats.
“The Love in a Hopeless Place Collection” is a bargain anthology of 5 short stories and novelettes, available in paperback and digital formats.
“Sub-Prime” is a prize-winning hard hitting short story about courage, exploitation and love. It is a raw and brutal exposé of life at the bottom in the aftermath of recession.
“The Chosen” is also a short story, set in modern times where working people struggle to keep their dreams alive. A world where the promise of love motivates desperate measures.
“Escape To Love” is a ‘novelette’ (longer than a short story but shorter than a novella), a gritty urban romance with suspense and mystery but a love story at it’s core.
“Angela” a short story about a late-night taxi journey.
“Love in a Hopeless Place” a novelette about a middle-aged woman striving to find her true identity.
Preditors & Editors Readers’ Poll for 2013 is now open
Once again my publisher – 4RV Publishing – is nominated in the Preditors & Editors Readers’ Poll in a number of categories. Voting is easy. Click on the link beside each category listed below, select the 4RV title/author/artist etc., then scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your name and email address. And to confirm you’re not a spammer, enter the author’s name in the box beside the thumbnail of the book cover that’s there. You’ll receive a confirmation email with a link in it. Simply click on it to confirm your vote. (My debut novel, A Shadow in the Past, finished 3rd in its category in the 2012 P&E Readers’ Poll.)
4RV Publishing is nomininated in the following Preditors & Editors Readers’ Poll categories:
It would be great to see 4RV finish first in each category but in order for that to happen, they need your votes. Only one vote per category, too. The Preditors & Editors Readers’ Poll closes January 14, so don’t delay.
My Scottish roots and writing by Melanie Robertson-King
Originally from Lyon in France, Marie studied History and Law at university there before moving to Lancashire in England where she worked in a variety of jobs, from PA in a busy university department to teacher of French in schools and colleges. Writing, however, was always her passion, and she spends what little free time she has dreaming and making up stories. Her historical romances ANGEL HEART and THE LION’S EMBRACE are published by MuseItUp Publishing. A SPELL IN PROVENCE is her first contemporary romance. It is published by Áccent Press.
Would you care for a wee dram? Perhaps Glengoyne – Scotland’s only un-peated single malt? (rings bell and gives manservant instructions)
