Don’t Mean a Thing blog tour

 

Welcome to the blog tour for Renee Conoulty with her brand new book: DON’T MEAN A THING.

Today I’m sharing an excerpt!

I walked into the room, stood fast in front of the desk, and saluted. “Good morning, Ma’am.”

“Good morning, Macie. Please take a seat.”

My stomach fluttered. It was like being in the principal’s office at school, and I’d done that more than once. I sat.

“Welcome to Darwin. How are you settling in so far?”

“Well, I only got in yesterday, but my room is okay, and the food at the mess is better than at recruits.” I fidgeted with the lowest button on my shirt.

“That’s great. This week you’ll be on admin shift. We’ll run you through orientation, plenty of paperwork, and sign you off on the basic competencies. Next week you’ll join Team B. You’ve just met Jeremy, who will be on your team. I believe you already know one of your other teammates, Rachael. I’ll get Jeremy to introduce you to the rest of the team today.”

I silently groaned. Not on Rachael’s team. My fingers tensed as I twisted the button again, and it came off in my fingers. Shit. I hoped Ma’am didn’t notice.

Ma’am picked up the phone. “Send Jeremy back up.”

I tucked the white button into my fist and waited until I was dismissed.

“Jeremy, you can show Macie around today, and introduce her to the rest of your team.”

I stood. “Thanks, Ma’am. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Macie. And Macie.” Ma’am pointed towards my stomach. “Get that button fixed.”

The button slipped from my clammy grasp, and I watched it roll across the floor and disappear under her desk. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Ma’am has a thing about uniform,” Jeremy whispered as he led me back downstairs. “I didn’t notice your button was missing, or I would have told you to fix it before I took you inside.”

“It wasn’t missing then. It broke off while I was in there.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a sewing kit in my locker.”

“But I dropped the button up there.”

Jeremy chuckled. “We’ll find you a button somewhere.” We reached the main hangar. “I’ll introduce you to the team. I haven’t seen Rachael yet today, but the rest are here.”

 Find the book here: Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon Aust

iBooks

Goodreads

New Release! Sweet Secrets and Gorgeous Romance

My Wonder Emporium

Welcome to Ashford!

Synopsis:

Maple sugar kisses…

Lucy would do anything for her mom…but she never expected to end up promising to leave her. After her mom got sick, Lucy dropped everything to take care of her, working all hours in a greasy diner just to make ends meet and spending every spare moments she had by her mom’s hospital bedside.

Now, Lucy is faced with a whole year of living by her own rules, starting by taking the first bus out of town to anywhere…

Except she didn’t expect to find her next big adventure just around the corner! Especially when on her first day in town she bumps into grumpy, but oh-so-delicious Clay amidst the maple trees. Surrounded by the magic of Ashford, Lucy has the chance to change her life forever and finally discover a life she wants to live!

Fall in love with Ashford, Connecticut in…

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French Toast and Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm

Noisette has read Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm and shared a delicious French Toast recipe! I follow Noisette’s blog purely because it’s the best! Now, I’m off to the kitchen to follow her recipe, because you can’t look at a picture of French toast like that and not cook it! Check out her other recipes they’re so good! xx

Noisette

This recipe is inspired by (and features in) the latest book (due out on July 17th) Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm by Rebecca Raisin. Rebecca has written some of my absolute favourite books, all (so far) set in the deliciously quaint town of Ashford, Connecticut with her gang of incredible characters. The relationships between the characters literally warms my heart and I want so badly to move to Ashford and be their friend. Whilst Lil (who I’ve blogged about here, here & here, and reviewed several Rebecca Raisin books in this post) is my kindred spirit in these books, this book focused around Lucy who is an artist and a totally new character who has been made to promise her mum (whom she cares for) that she’d take a year for herself and get on the first bus out of town. I couldn’t help but love…

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The Lost Child Blog Tour!

5 star Thriller!  My review!

I absolutely loved this book and sped through it, desperate to know what happened to Mandy Miller, a three year old child who meant missing thirty years prior. Even though decades had passed the small village still wondered where the toddler went, and who had a hand in her disappearance. Brodie, Mandy’s much younger sister, has never forgotten the little girl she never met, and is haunted by the mystery. When Brodie finds a stuffed puppy, she recognises it as Mandy’s and begins to dig a little deeper. Elaine, returns to the Village to scatter the ashes of her mum, and forms an unlikely friendship with the fiery Brodie. The girls relationship was a highlight for me, I adored Brodie with her quick wit, and fast talking mouth. And the way Elaine tries to reign her in, but half agrees with the things Brodie spouts. Dan the builder, arrives in town, with some shocking news, and the story begins to takes some huge twists and turns, keeping me on my toes. Just when I thought I had it figured out, and spanner would be thrown in. The finale of this book is like watching a movie play out, desperate, tense, gritty and full of action, so much so that I was holding my breath, hoping against hope they’d be OK. A must read for thriller lovers.

BLURB

Mandy Miller disappeared from Hallow’s End when she was just 3 years old. She was never found.

Thirty years on, Elaine Ellis is carrying her mother’s ashes back to Hallow’s End to scatter them in the place that she once called home. Elaine has never been there, but it’s the only place Jean talked about while she was growing up – so it seems as good a place as any.

As Elaine settles into her holiday cottage in the peaceful Devonshire village, she gets to know the locals; family she never knew she had, eccentric and old-fashioned gentry, and new friends where she would least expect them. But she is intrigued by the tale of the missing girl that the village still carries at its heart, and which somehow continues to overshadow them all. Little does she know how much more involved in the mystery she will become…

Ann 

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Child-Ann-Troup-ebook/dp/B00VKH2MG2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1432848759&sr=8-2&keywords=the+lost+child

Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Child-Ann-Troup-ebook/dp/B00VKH2MG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432848800&sr=8-1&keywords=ann+troup

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

Love this post so much! Noisette had me with “this cake is mature, classy and fiery!”

Noisette

Continuing with my new found love of tray bakes, the next cake I tried from Cake Keeper Cakes was Chocolate Gingerbread. Push any milk chocolate, sickly, children’s party tray bake out of your head immediately, this cake is mature, classy and fiery. As I said in my post ‘Maple Gingerbread Cake’, this reminds me of one of my favourite series of books ‘The Gingerbread Cafe trilogy – Rebecca Raisin‘ (oh the life envy I have of Lily, one of the central characters, in fact I’m pretty sure this cake would have been one of Lily’s favourites, she too was classy and fiery).

I’m pretty excited to tweak this cake and swap the treacle for golden syrup, perhaps a little less black pepper in that one as golden syrup isn’t as intense as treacle (yes, you heard right, black pepper!), maybe some fresh ginger too or more…

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Meet Rebecca Raisin #Romance2015 @jaxandwillsmum

And the Bride Wore Prada by Katie Oliver publication day!

 

 

 

Please welcome the lovely Katie Oliver to the blog today with a guest post about her latest fabulous book And the Bride wore Prada!

ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING

Blimey – people in love get married in all sorts of odd places, don’t they?
Some tie the knot on the beach, or in an airplane; one couple I know got hitched while parachuting out of an airplane. Some marry in an amusement park, or in the middle of a field. But that’s not what I want when I marry Dominic.
My name is Gemma Astley, and I want a traditional church wedding, with all of the trimmings. Every. Sodding. One.
I had it all planned: we’d share our special day with 500 of our closest friends, and twelve bridesmaids, six ushers in kilts, a shedload of white roses, and a ginormous wedding cake; then I’d take my vows wearing my Prada wedding gown, with a horse-drawn sleigh and six matched white horses to carry us away afterwards on our honeymoon…and all of it to take place at Dom’s lavish Scottish estate in Northton Grange.
But nothing’s gone according to bloody plan.
First off, we were stranded at the Inverness airport with no hire car. Thankfully, Natalie and Rhys Gordon offered to take us along to Loch Draemar, where they were headed for the holidays.
We agreed. We could spend the night at Tarquin Campbell’s castle in Draemar, then Dom and I would get a hire car in the village in the morning, and be on our way to Northton Grange. Easy peasy, right?
Wrong. There wasn’t a single hire car to be had, or a hotel room. And then it snowed. And snowed. And bloody snowed, leaving us stuck at the castle for days on end.
Of course, getting married in a castle instead isn’t so bad. The Campbell family’s castle is gorgeous, all massive fireplaces and flagstones and minstrel’s galleries and what have you. But it isn’t the same as getting married at Dom’s place, is it? And with all this snow, I’m worried mum and dad won’t be able to make it to our wedding.
The thought of it makes me want to cry. Sorry. *sniffles and grabs a tissue* I don’t mean to whinge, really; but…
…SHOULDN’T A BRIDE GET WHAT SHE BLOODY WELL WANTS?

Gemma Astley and Dominic Heath are about to tie the marital knot at Draemar Castle in the tiny Highland village of Loch Draemar. But in the wake of snow and more snow, a missing Prada wedding gown, and a bride who’s morphed into an Essex Brideasaurus, Dominic is having some serious doubts.
It’s beginning to feel a lot like…confinement. Especially when someone locks Dom away in the castle dungeon mere hours before the wedding.
Who locked him in? Who would do such a thing? And where is the missing key? Will Gemma and her reluctant bridegroom ever find their way to happiness?
Read And the Bride Wore Prada to find out.

What could be more romantic than Christmas in the Scottish highlands?

The first book in the Marrying Mr Darcy series, “And the Bride Wore Prada,” finds Natalie and Rhys Gordon headed to Scotland to spend the holidays with Tarquin Campell and his wife Wren. A mix-up at the Inverness airport leads Natalie to offer a ride to stranded rock star Dominic Heath and his fiancé, Gemma. A blizzard soon makes the roads impassable, and the foursome barely make it to Draemar Castle.

When tabloid reporter Helen Thomas’s car slides off the road, she seeks shelter at the castle as well. She’s after an exclusive story on Dominic and Gemma’s not-so-secret upcoming wedding. But Helen finds a bigger story when she discovers Tarquin’s brother, Andrew, drowned years before. His body was never found. Is it possible he’s still alive? Her investigation yields more questions than answers.

Could Colm MacKenzie, the gruff groundskeeper with more than a passing resemblance to the Campbell family, be the missing piece to the puzzle?

Natalie and Rhys are recently married and blissfully happy…until Nat receives unexpected news that changes everything. Hurt by Rhys’s less-than-enthusiastic reaction, she wonders if their sparkling new marriage is over before it’s even begun…

Website: http://www.katieoliver.com
Blog: http://katieoliver.com/ko/?page_id=27
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/KatieOliverWriter
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/katieoliver01/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/katieoliver
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7565829.Katie_Oliver
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@katieoliver01

BIO:
Katie Oliver loves romantic comedies, characters who “meet cute,” Richard Curtis films, and Prosecco (not necessarily in that order). She currently resides in northern Virginia with her husband and three parakeets, in a rambling old house with uneven floors and a dining room that leaks when it rains.
Katie has been writing since she was eight, and has a box crammed with (mostly unfinished) novels to prove it. With her sons grown and gone, she decided to get serious and write more (and hopefully, better) stories. She even finishes most of them.
So if you like a bit of comedy with your romance, please visit Katie’s website, http://www.katieoliver.com, and have a look.
Here’s to love and all its complications…

And the Bride Wore Prada Blurb:
She’s dated Mr Darcy…now, it’s time for Gemma to prepare to say ‘I do’! And the Bride Wore Prada is the sensational first book in Katie Oliver’s long-awaited Marrying Mr Darcy series, the follow-up to her best-selling Dating Mr Darcy trilogy.
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY CODE:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BUY LINKS:

Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/Bride-Wore-Prada-Katie-Oliver-ebook/dp/B00PM3Q9PA

Amazon UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bride-Wore-Prada-Katie-Oliver-ebook/dp/B00PM3Q9PA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417442378&sr=1-1&keywords=And+the+Bride+Wore+Prada

Apple UK – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/and-the-bride-wore-prada/id941749048?mt=11

Prada & Prejudice Amazon UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prada-Prejudice-Dating-Mr-Darcy-ebook/dp/B00GZQ5C6K

Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/Prada-Prejudice-Katie-Oliver-ebook/dp/B00GZQ5C6K?tag=luzme-20

Google US https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Katie_Oliver_Prada_and_Prejudice_Dating_Mr_Darcy_B?id=GHtBAgAAQBAJ&PAffiliateID=11lwvp

Apple US – https://itun.es/us/Fos1T.l

Apple UK – https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/prada-prejudice-dating-mr/id768943007?mt=11

Release Week Blitz: Tracie Banister’s TWIN PIQUES

Congrats to Tracie Banister who released her third Chick Lit novel this week! Take a look at the blurb and gorgeous cover below!

Forensic accountant Sloane Tobin and kooky pet psychic Willa may have the same face, but that’s the only thing these identical twins have in common.

How she can read the hearts and minds of animals has always been a mystery to Willa, and her rotten luck with men is equally baffling. Although she’s been looking for “The One” for what feels like forever (A teenage marriage to a French mime and dating a guy named Spider seemed like good ideas at the time!), optimistic Willa refuses to give up on love. When she meets Brody, the handsome rose expert hired to save her grandmother’s garden, she’s instantly smitten, but why does he keep sending her mixed signals? Does he return her feelings, or is their attraction all in her fanciful head?

Unlike her twin, Sloane has zero interest in romance. Her passion is her job, where she uses her gift for numbers to take down slimy embezzlers and asset-hiding spouses. When she’s assigned two high profile cases, Sloane feels confident the promotion she’s been angling for is within her grasp. But will her plan to climb the corporate ladder be thwarted by difficult clients, her co-worker-with-benefits, or – most surprisingly of all – her own sister? And how’s she supposed to stay focused on the drama at work when her childhood friend, Gav, moves in next door and the spark between them becomes impossible to ignore?

To get what they both want, can Willa and Sloane band together and rely on each other’s strengths? Or will their differences drive them apart once and for all?

Where to find TWIN PIQUES:

Amazon US  /  Amazon Global  /  Twin Piques on Goodreads

About Tracie:

An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O’Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play that she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)

Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a “real” job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. Twin Piques is her third Chick Lit release. The pet psychic character in this novel was inspired by Tracie’s rascally rescue dogs. She’d love to know what goes on in their heads!

Where to find her:

Website  /  Goodreads  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Pinterest  /  Amazon Author

News about Sarah from The Bookshop on the Corner

Out of all the characters I’ve written I get the most messages about Sarah from The Bookshop on the Corner. She’s a favourite of mine, and I think a lot of people relate to her bookworm-ish nature! As you may know I find secrets almost impossible to keep – so when someone emails me and asks what’s next for Sarah I have a really hard time keeping my mouth shut!

My editor and I have planned the forthcoming books, so I knew a long time ago exactly what was in store for our resident book lover!

So without any more fanfare…Next for Sarah is a little adventure! She’s headed out of Ashford, and away from her friends for a holiday she’ll never forget. This is huge for Sarah, as she’s an introvert, and loves her bookshop as if it’s a living, breathing, thing. But never fear, it’s in good hands!

I wanted to share with you today, the holding cover for the next instalment for Sarah! What do you think?

Pre-Order UK viewAuthor.at/RebeccaRaisin

Coming soon US and Australia.