On Thursday last week I had a fantastic time at @TeamBATC #SpringBloggerEvening2018  event run by Books and the City @TeamBATC for Simon and Schuster. There were so many lovely blogger friends whom it was wonderful to catch up with and to see many of the lovely publishing team behind the books. Even better though was meeting all ten – yes ten – of the fabulous authors, some who I now know well and some whom I hadn’t met before.

With Sara-Jade (our very own book minx @BookMinxSJV ) starting off proceedings, Jo Dickinson took over to grill our wonderful authors.

Each author responded to Jo’s often tricky questions with some surprising information. Who knew Holly Hepburn finds icing biscuits so difficult or that Penny Parkes tends to forget the characters in her books are not actually real people. I think the best advice of the evening came from Heidi Swain who said, ‘If you want to be a writer, write!’

The Authors and Their Books

(In the order of the evening!)

Random Acts Of Kindness Part 3: Crossroads by Victoria Walters

Welcome to Littlewood, a small town community with a big heart. 
Abbie and her boyfriend Jack are about to start their own PR company in London, but there are so many unanswered questions about their past and Abbie begins to question her decision to leave Littlewood… Will Thomas manage to hold onto Huntley Manor without her, or has her departure ruined his chances…?

After a shaky start, Eszter is determined to show her daughter Zoe that it doesn’t matter where you are from, that we are all the same. With a little help from Brew cafe, they decide to run a cake baking class for the local children to help her make some friends. But as the summer goes on, their return to Hungary looms over them… Will they go back and leave Zoe’s granny, Anne, all on her own? Or is life in Littlewood the perfect fit for their newly formed family…?

Having pushed Alex away, Louise finds herself battling with jealousy when she sees him with her colleague. But when tragedy strikes, Louise is confronted with how precious and short life can be… Is she ready to tell Alex how she really feels or will she lose him for good?

Random Acts Of Kindness Part 3: Crossroads by Victoria Walters is available here.

Our House by Louise Candlish

FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE.
When Fi Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She and her husband Bram have owned their home on Trinity Avenue for years and have no intention of selling. How can this other family possibly think the house is theirs? And why has Bram disappeared when she needs him most?

FOR RICHER, FOR POORER.
Bram has made a catastrophic mistake and now he is paying. Unable to see his wife, his children or his home, he has nothing left but to settle scores. As the nightmare takes grip, both Bram and Fi try to make sense of the events that led to a devastating crime. What has he hidden from her – and what has she hidden from him? And will either survive the chilling truth – that there are far worse things you can lose than your house?

TILL DEATH US DO PART.

Our House by Louise Candlish is available here.

The Sunday Lunch Club by Juliet Ashton

The first rule of Sunday Lunch Club is … don’t make any afternoon plans.

Every few Sundays, Anna and her extended family and friends get together for lunch. They talk, they laugh, they bicker, they eat too much. Sometimes the important stuff is left unsaid, other times it’s said in the wrong way.

Sitting between her ex-husband and her new lover, Anna is coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy at the age of forty. Also at the table are her ageing grandmother, her promiscuous sister, her flamboyantly gay brother and a memory too terrible to contemplate.

Until, that is, a letter arrives from the person Anna scarred all those years ago. Can Anna reconcile her painful past with her uncertain future?

The Sunday Lunch Club by Juliet Ashton is available here.

You Me Everything by Catherine Isaac

You and me, we have history.
We have a child together.
We have kept secrets from each other for far too long.
This summer, in the beautiful hills of the Dordogne, it is time for everything to change.

You Me Everything by Catherine Isaac is available here.

And if you want to know why so far You Me Everything is my book of the year, click here!

Starry Skies at Castle Court by Holly Hepburn

Sadie is a single mum, nursing a broken heart. Cat is burned out from working long hours as a chef. They decide to invest in their dream – running their own handmade biscuit shop in gorgeous Castle Court, a three-storey food court tucked away behind Chester’s bustling streets.

They soon discover that Castle Court has its own community – a little haven of delight against the stresses of the outside world. But not everyone welcomes the new business; the patisserie owner is less than pleased by what she sees as direct competition and Greg, who runs the fancy bistro that dominates one end of the courtyard, doesn’t think Sadie and Cat have the talent or business acumen to succeed. Luckily, there’s support in the form of the delectable Jaren, who owns the Dutch waffle house opposite Smart Cookies, and Swiss chocolate-shop owner, Elin. And if all else fails, the friends can drown their sorrows in the cocktail bar that overlooks the court.

Starry Skies at Castle Court by Holly Hepburn is available here.

Five Years from Now by Paige Toon

For the next two decades, fate brings Nell and Van together every five years, as life and circumstance continue to divide them. Will they ever find true happiness? And will it be together?

‘One day, maybe five years from now, you’ll look back and understand why this happened…’

Five Years from Now by Paige Toon is available here.

Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square by Heidi Swain

Kate is on the run from her almost-divorced husband who is determined to have her back, and she has found the perfect place to hide… a little cottage on Nightingale Square in Norwich, far away from her old life in London. But the residents of Nightingale Square don’t take no for an answer, and Kate soon finds herself pulled into a friendship with Lisa, her bossy but lovely new neighbour.

Within a matter of days Kate is landed with the job of campaigning the council to turn the green into a community garden, meanwhile all the residents of Nightingale Square are horrified to discover that the Victorian mansion house on the other side of the square has been bought by developers. But when all hope is lost, the arrival of a handsome stranger is sure to turn things around!

Sunshine and Sweet Peas in Nightingale Square by Heidi Swain is available here.

Best Practice by Penny Parkes

Love and laughter with the residents of Larkford is exactly what the doctor ordered!

Dr Alice Walker has become accomplished at presenting a façade to the world – to anyone watching, she is the epitome of style, composure and professionalism. But perhaps it was to be expected that the cracks might begin to show at some point. Thankfully Grace is on hand to offer both friendship and support when it’s needed most.

Meanwhile, Dr Holly Graham has her hands full both professionally and personally. Planning a wedding with Taffy Jones is challenging enough, even before some surprising news changes everything. At least beloved Larkford resident, Elsie, still has a few tricks left up her sleeve!

Best Practice by Penny Parkes is available here.

The Temptations of Gracie by Santa Montefiore

Never give up on your dreams, no matter how long you hold on to them . . .

When Gracie Burton stumbles upon an advertisement for a weeklong cookery course in the heart of the Tuscan countryside, she cannot resist, and ploughs her life savings into the trip.

Her only family – daughter Carina and granddaughter Anastasia – are hesitant about what has prompted this seemingly random venture.
But they have no sense of Gracie’s past; of what could possibly be calling her to Italy. They have no idea that Gracie is harbouring the secret of an extraordinary life that preceded them . . .

The Temptations of Gracie by Santa Montefiore is available here.

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton by Anstey Harris

Between the simple melody of running her violin shop and the full-blown orchestra of her romantic interludes in Paris with David, her devoted partner of eight years, Grace Atherton has always set her life to music.

Her world revolves entirely around David, for Grace’s own secrets have kept everyone else at bay. Until, suddenly and shockingly, one act tips Grace’s life upside down, and the music seems to stop.

It takes a vivacious old man and a straight-talking teenager to kickstart a new chapter for Grace. In the process, she learns that she is not as alone in the world as she had once thought, that no mistake is insurmountable, and that the quiet moments in life can be something to shout about …

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton by Anstey Harris is available here.

After a break for cakes, nibbles and plenty of Prosecco, we were all delighted to chat with each author and get our exclusive spring blogger booklet signed.

At the end of the evening we all took home a fantastic goody bag (@TeamBATC always do the best ones!). The @TeamBATC #SpringBloggerEvening2018 was an absolute joy and I loved every moment of it. Thanks to all who made it such a brilliant evening.

And here’s another exciting thing. SJV is giving away some goody bags just like the ones we were given.

If you want to win one of the fabulous goody bags we lucky bloggers received, head over to Twitter here before 13th April where SJV is giving away 7 of them.

Can’t wait until next year’s event. Until then, I’m off to read the books!