My enormous thanks to Sarah Harwood at Penguin Random House for a review copy of Falling by Julie Cohen in return for an honest review. Falling was published by Black Swan, an imprint of Transworld, on 28th July 2016 and is available for purchase in e-book and paperback from Amazon, WH Smith and Waterstones.

Falling

Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years.

Jo’s secret could smash apart the ‘normal’ family life she’s fought so hard to build.

Lydia’s could bring her love – or the loss of everything that matters to her.

Grandmother, mother and daughter – three women whose lives are falling apart. But one summer’s day, a single dramatic moment will force their secrets into the open.

Can they save each other from falling?

My Review of Falling

When Jo takes in her mother-in-law Honor to recuperate after a fall, their lives, along with that of Jo’s daughter, Lydia, will find new pathways.

Falling was not what I was expecting at all. I originally received a signed proof of Falling when it had a different title and hadn’t got round to reading it. I’d forgotten all about it so when it reached the top of the book pile I imagined a lightweight easy read in the chick-lit genre. Falling is an effortless read because of the lovely quality of the writing, bit it is not lightweight in its intensity and distinction.

Firstly, the title, Falling, is inspired as it encompasses the literal and metaphorical action about which the plot pivots. Characters fall in love, fall down stairs, fall from their pedestals, fall out with friends and fall more importantly and literally in ways that affect their whole lives and the lives of those around them.

Following three generations, Julie Cohen shows complete understanding of what it means to be female at any age. All three main characters, Honor, Jo and Lydia are complex and human so that the reader cannot fail to care about them, even when they behave in ways that are detrimental to their own happiness. I thought hard about which of the three characters appealed to me most but each is so distinct, so real and with such a complexity of personality I found it impossible to choose.

Alongside the character driven plot, Julie Cohen explores with sensitivity a range of themes that can touch any of us at any moment, from grief to love, sexuality to parenthood, age related disease to youthful anxiety. The themes are universal but at the same time are personal and intimate with regard to Honor, Jo and Lydia making it feel as if we’re reading about real people we know.

Falling is a wise and beautifully written exploration of love, loss and who we really are. I found it intimate, touching and moving. Falling is an emotional read that I won’t forget and I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

About Julie Cohen

Julie Cohen grew up in Maine and studied English at Brown University and Cambridge University. She then moved to England permanently, where she taught before becoming a writer. Her books have won or been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, the HOLT Medallion, and more. Her book Dear Thing was a 2014 Richard and Judy Book Club pick and her book Where Love Lies won Best Romantic Read 2016. She writes full time and teaches creative writing. She lives with her husband, son and dog in Berkshire, where she is teased daily about her American accent. When she’s not writing, she’s on Twitter as @julie_cohen (and sometimes when she’s meant to be writing, too).

Follow Julie on Twitter, visit her website and find her on Facebook.

I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the launch celebrations for The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight by Helen Docherty with illustrations by Thomas Docherty. The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight was published by Scholastic on 4th August 2016 in paperback and is available for purchase on Amazon UK, Amazon US, and Waterstones.

The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight

Leo the mouse isn’t like the other knights. While they like fighting, he’d rather read a book. Leo’s parents are keen to turn him into a proper knight, so they pack him off on a mission to tame a dragon. But Leo knows that books are mightier than swords, and he tames not just the dragon, but a troll and a griffin, too – by reading them stories. With its witty rhyming text and glorious, detailed illustrations, The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight is a joyful, magical picture book about the power of stories.

My Review of The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight

What better way to fight a dragon, a troll and a griffin – than by reading them stories!

It never ceases to amaze me just what a wonderful selection of books there is out there for children and The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight by Helen Docherty with illustrations by Thomas Docherty is one of the best I’ve encountered. It is absolutely stunning. I adored everything about it.

Firstly the moral of the story is perfect. It tells the tale of a mouse knight who prefers books to fighting and exemplifies generosity of spirit and deed in a natural and delightful way. The narrative gives wonderful status to reading and peaceful friendliness. There are smaller morals too – such as a reward for good behaviour when clearing up a mess.

The language used is also to be admired. The rhyme scheme works so well that there is no need to force the rhythm when reading it aloud to a child. There are some more challenging words like ‘trespass’ that, along with the rhyme, will enable children to increase their vocabulary in an effortless way. But more importantly still, I think, is the brilliant tale to be told of the mouse knight meeting griffins, trolls and dragons. Children will love the thought of dragon poo for example – and my 5 year old great nephew thought it was hilarious. He also enjoyed sounding out the book titles in the illustrations.

Finally, the quality of the illustrations is fantastic. There is so much to look at and discuss that there are hours of entertainment to be had. If there is any justice in the world, The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight will become a children’s classic outselling the likes of The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Gruffalo. I cannot praise it enough. It is, in my opinion, perfection.

About Helen and Thomas Docherty

Helen Docherty is the author of The Snatchabbook and Abracazebra. Helen lives in Swansea with her husband, Thomas, and their two daughters. You can visit Helen’s website and follow here on Twitter.

Thomas Docherty is the acclaimed illustrator of The Snatchabbook, Abracazebra and The Snorgh and the Sailor. He was shortlisted for the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal.

You can visit Thomas’s website and follow him on Twitter.

There is more with these other bloggers too:

I’m delighted to be taking part in the launch celebrations of What Happens at the Beach by TA Williams with KEPR Tours. What Happens at the Beach is the latest stand alone What Happens in… book from Trevor and you can enter to win an e-copy of the book at the bottom of this blog post. Released on July 11th 2016 by Carina UK, an imprint of Harper Collins, What Happens at the Beach is available for purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

I’m delighted to have a guest post from Trevor all about why he writes books for women (seeing as he’s a man!)

What Happens at the Beach

For the perfect summer romance…

It’s finally time for Natalie Dryden to decide what she really wants! After ditching her sparkling engagement ring, and her ghastly fiancé, she jets off for the sun-kissed shores of Southern France – the only place that has ever truly felt like home. For the first time ever, Natalie is determined to forget all about men and follow her dreams!

…head to the French coast!

Only, avoiding the male population isn’t quite so easy, especially when she meets smooth-talking Philippe and gorgeous fisherman, Remy! But then Natalie, quite literally, bumps into brooding millionaire Mark whilst swimming in the glittering azure-blue bay – and her life is turned upside-down.

Love might be off the cards for Natalie, yet suddenly she finds herself in her dream job and working with her dream man! But is it all too good to be true…?

How come I write books for women?

(seeing as I’m a man)

A Guest Post from TA Williams

There are a number of reasons why my books, particularly the What Happens… series, are aimed at a female audience. The first is because I was told to do so. One of the things about working for a big publisher like Harper Collins is that you get an editor. My editors, Clio and Charlotte, have been wonderful. They read my books and then make all kinds of suggestions as to how to improve them. Time and time again they have proved to be bang on the money and I know my books have got better as a result. It was Clio who “suggested” I should try writing from a female point of view and aim at the female reader. A “suggestion” like that is one you ignore at your peril. If Harper Collins says jump, you jump. At least I do.

The second reason why I write books aimed at women is that you lot read more than men. Although we all know that 84% (or is that 73%?) of all statistics are made up on the spot, it appears incontestable that something like two thirds of all books bought in the UK are bought by women. This may be a terrible indictment of the male of the species (too much football and beer, perhaps?), or it may simply be because the female of the species, justly renowned for her multitasking skills, manages to fit books into her crowded day better than her opposite number. I don’t know the answer, but it seems sensible to appeal to the bigger market. Business is business, after all.

The third reason is that I enjoy writing the sort of books I write. Call them chicklit, call them romantic comedy (my preferred designation), they are a lot of fun to write. One thing I know without a shadow of a doubt is that any author should write what he or she enjoys writing. I can’t imagine anything worse than trying to get the creative juices going when attempting to write something that doesn’t appeal. My very first book, Dirty Minds, was about a man trying to write an erotic novel and failing. That was me. It took me less than 24 hours to realise that I didn’t have the experience, the talent or the desire to write smut, so I turned it on its head and made the book about somebody trying to write a dirty book. It charts the ensuing complications as he engages the services of a bunch of female authors to help him. The result was a romantic comedy that I thoroughly enjoyed writing.

My new book, What Happens at the Beach… was also a lot of fun to write. I wrote it last winter while it was cold and damp outside, dusk falling some days at four o’clock in the afternoon and a general air of gloom around the place. Writing about a sunny beach in the beautiful south of France did a great job of cheering me up. There’s the lovely scenery, the smell of the pine trees in the air, the gentle lapping of the waves against the sand and, of course, the world-renowned food and drink. Needless to say, there’s a big black Labrador in there as well just so my readers and I can get our regular canine fix. It saw me through the grim grey days of winter and I hope it will do the same for the readers, female or male.

I’m a lucky man. I enjoy my job.

About TA Williams

Firstly, my name isn’t T A. It’s Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, Dirty Minds one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn’t possibly comment. Ask my wife…

I’ve written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I’m enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.

I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.

I’ve been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she’s right.

See Trevor’s website, find him on Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon. You can also follow him on Twitter.

An extract from What Happens at the Beach

Just then, their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a visitor.

‘Ah, here he is, Natalie. This is my special friend. I forgot to tell you about him. He comes to visit me every day.’ She sounded very animated. Natalie looked up and saw that the object of her attention was a handsome black Labrador with a red collar who had appeared round the side of the house and was heading straight for the table. He was wagging his tail enthusiastically and he came across and nuzzled Colette with his nose. He sat down beside her and put a paw on her thigh.

‘What a beaut.’ Natalie had always loved dogs and her grandmother had always had a dog in the house until the last few years. ‘Where does he come from?’

Hearing her voice, the dog relinquished Colette and trotted round to Natalie’s side. He looked up at her with big brown eyes and Natalie fell instantly in love with him. The feeling was obviously mutual as the dog reared up on his hind legs and did his best to climb onto her lap. Kindly, she pushed him back onto the ground and took the big black head in both hands. ‘Who needs a stupid fiancé when there’s a handsome chap like you around? And where’ve you come from?’

‘I think he’s from the chateau. You know it was sold last autumn?’ Natalie vaguely recalled her grandmother telling her something to that effect, but she had been here so rarely over the past few years. ‘It’s been bought by some rich people, most probably for a holiday home. At least, that’s what I hear from Marie who got the news from Maître Delatour. They’re foreign, maybe even English.’ A note of regret entered Colette’s voice. ‘No surprise there. All the most beautiful places are being bought up by foreigners and turned into holiday homes. The local people can’t afford to buy houses down here any longer. It’s a real problem.’

By this time the dog had collapsed onto his back on the flagstones and was grunting happily to himself as Natalie scratched his tummy. ‘So does he have a name?’ She spotted a medallion hanging from the dog’s bright red collar. Squinting down at it, she saw that it only bore a telephone number, no name.

‘I call him Charlie and he doesn’t seem to mind.’ No surprise there. All the dogs her grandparents had ever had had been called Charlie. Up till now they had all been cocker spaniels, but the name seemed to suit the big black dog just as well. Natalie looked down at him again.

‘So, Charlie, would you like a biscuit?’ The dog clearly understood what was on offer. He rolled to one side and leapt to his feet, tail wagging. Natalie glanced across at her grandmother. ‘Have you been giving him bad habits?’

Enter to win an e-copy of What Happens at the Beach here.

I’m very pleased to be starting the celebrations of S5 Uncovered by James Durose-Rayner. S5 Uncovered was published by Clink Street on 19th July 2016 and is available for purchase on Amazon UK, but to whet your appetite I have a brief extract from this fascinating book based on real events.

S5 Uncovered

Based around a series of true events. The BBC’s current affairs programme ‘Panorama’ undertook a sixty minute documentary / exposé surrounding an elite government task force that went undercover in Sheffield over a period of twelve months. Their remit was to use the Proceeds of Crime Act to fill up the police federations coffers using illegally gained intelligence, on one hand overlooking – and in some cases encouraging – major criminal activity such as murder, kidnap and torture; whilst on the other, surreptitiously acquiring pre-bargained guilty pleas from defendants then reneging on deals, which culminated in some of the heaviest sentences ever handed out in the UK.

But the programme was never aired.

An Extract from S5 Uncovered

From Episode 1:

But before I go on with the story, I know I’ve mentioned the ’Cross a few times, and that needs explaining. The ’Cross, or Parson Cross rather, is an area of north Sheffield which is largely made up of a huge sprawling council estate that takes in literally fifty different streets, roads, crescents and avenues. On a sunny day, it can look like anywhere else in the country, but on a miserable rainy night it’s not somewhere that you would like to be stranded. The first rule of the ’Cross is that when it’s dark – you stay in.

About James Durose-Rayner

James Durose-Rayner has over twenty years’ experience in journalism. He is a member of the Writer’s Guild and the editor of NATM, the UK’s leading specialist civil engineering journal. His writing has been featured in over 210 magazines and his debut indie-novel, S63: Made in Thurnscoe, published in 2001, received positive reviews. In 2015, I Am Sam (Clink Street Publishing) and itv Seven (New Generation Publishing) followed to more affirmative acclaim. Durose-Rayner currently divides his time between the UK and Cyprus.

For more information please visit James’ website and follow him on Twitter. There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s once again thanks to Book Connectors on Facebook that I have encountered another talented author and am delighted to be part of the launch celebrations for Liz Mistry’s novel Unquiet Souls. Unquiet Souls is the first in a new crime series featuring D I Gus McGuire and was published by Bloodhound Books on 30th July 2016. Unquiet Souls is available for purchase here.

In celebration, Liz has kindly written a guest post for Linda’s Book Bag all about creating a villain.

Unquiet Souls

What is the link between the abduction of a little girl and a dead prostitute?

When the body of a prostitute is discovered DI Gus McGuire is handed the case. But what first appears to be a simple murder soon turns into an international manhunt for the members of a twisted child trafficking ring.

McGuire who is suffering with problems of his own, he must pick his way through the web of deceit and uncover the truth in time before the body count rises.

Can McGuire identify The Matchmaker before it’s too late? And can he trust those he is working with?

Unquiet Souls is the first book in a dark and compelling new police series.

Creating a Villain

A Guest Post from Liz Mistry

The main villain in my novel Unquiet Souls is a quite despicable character called The Matchmaker. The Matchmaker is the leader of a child trafficking ring who is out for revenge from the woman responsible for nearly putting him out of business ten years previously.

It is easy for us to imagine the unkempt, smelly, erratically behaving person on the street as a killer, but in fact the world’s most notorious villains, have been charming, plausible and, worryingly, often only caught by a simple mistake.  Often evil exists in plain sight; apparently normal, sane and law abiding- think Jimmy Saville!  In my mind those characters are more chillingly scary.  So, it was with this in mind that I worked on characterising The Matchmaker as a despicable sociopath gradually unravelling as the story unfolds.

Writing many scenes through The Matchmaker’s eyes, I deliberately developed his emotionless manipulation.  His speech patterns are cold and his interactions with his ‘minions’ abrupt.  Showing him interacting with his wife whilst planning his nefarious deeds showed the complexity of his character and when his true identity is eventually revealed the reader will, I think, be surprised at how normal he is.

In order to emphasise The Matchmaker’s persona, I contrasted him with the other villains in Unquiet Souls.  The Provider, is cocky and arrogant, trying to flaunt The Matchmakers authority.  He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, whilst The Facilitator is a professional, firmly in The Matchmaker’s thrall.

Whilst I enjoyed putting myself in the minds of these characters I could only ever do it for short bursts of time and I was always glad when I could leave them and inhabit the world of a less sinister character like Compo, the geeky computer whizz kid or DS Alice Cooper, light-hearted efficient detective.

It’s all about getting a balance between the darkness and the light… after all without darkness there would be no light and vice versa.

About Liz Mistry

Liz Mistry was born in West Calder, Scotland and educated at Stirling University before moving to Bradford for her PGCE, where she settled with her husband, Nilesh, her three children, Ravi, Kasi and Jimi and her two cats.  Liz taught in Inner city Bradford schools for many years.   Suffering from depression for many years, Liz used her writing to help her through the darkest times.   She is currently part-way through an MA in Creative Writing from Leeds Trinity University, which she acknowledges as being instrumental in developing her confidence as a writer.  Liz is co-founder and main contributor to The Crime Warp Blog.

Liz is available to write articles on many subjects including; ‘Writing with depression’, ‘Why choose an MA in Creative Writing’, ‘Why crime fiction does it for me?’, ‘Creating a villain’, ‘The cross- genre nature of crime fiction’ … and more.

You can follow Liz on Twitter, find her on Facebook or visit her website. There’s also more from and about Liz with these other bloggers:

My grateful thanks to Helena Sheffield for a copy of Polly James’s Would Like To Meet in return for an honest review. Released by Avon Books in e-book and paperback on 30th June 2016, Would Like To Meet is available on Amazon, from Waterstones, W H Smith and Harper Collins.

Would Like To Meet

An hilarious, heart-warming read perfect for fans of Shirley Valentine and You’ve Got Mail.

Could the worst thing that’s ever happened to Hannah Pinkman also turn out to be one of the best?

She and her husband Dan have reached the end of the line. Bored with the same gripes, the same old arguments – in fact, bored with everything – they split up after a trivial row turns into something much more serious.

Now Hannah has to make a new life for herself, but that’s not easy. She’s been so busy being a wife and mum that she’s let all her other interests slip away, along with her friends. And when Hannah is persuaded to join a dating site, her ‘best match’ is the very last person she expects it to be . . .

A clever, funny and poignant novel about life after a long relationship, the importance of friendship, and rediscovering your identity.

My Review of Would Like to Meet

When a brief petty argument leads to a permanent separation for Hannah and Dan Pinkman, they find being single again isn’t as easy as they’d hoped.

My goodness I’m grateful for this book. Life has been extremely difficult over the last week or so and Would Like to Meet has been the perfect antidote. It is funny, entertaining and wonderfully warm so that I have found myself laughing when I thought the chances of that happening again in the near future were very remote. Polly James has incredible skill in turning a phrase to encapsulate exactly how a middle aged woman like me might think, feel and speak, even when we don’t have the same experiences as Hannah. Reading Would Like to Meet has been like having a break from the challenges of life at the most expensive health spa and I feel refreshed as a result.

Polly James has such an effortless, flowing style, making Would Like to Meet a pleasure to read. I also really enjoyed the fact that the narrative is chronological, spanning a year without the challenge of time slip or dual narratives so that I could be entertained without having to think too hard. This is perfect escapism.

The main character, Hannah, frequently addresses the reader directly so that they feel part of the story too. I thought all the characters were well defined – even when they themselves weren’t sure exactly who they were or wanted to be.

Even though this is a lighthearted read, there’s a strong message about grasping experiences in both hands, not taking things for granted and making the most of life.

I thoroughly enjoyed Would Like to Meet by Polly James and if, like me, life has been hard recently, I’d recommend you allow yourself a little relief and read it as soon as you can.

About Polly James

You can follow Polly James on Twitter and find out more by visiting Polly’s website and blog.