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Your Place Or Mine?

3/27/2014

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by Sophie King

I had two reactions when I first heard about the break up with Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband. The first was sorrow: as a divorced (but now re-married) parent myself, I know how tough it will be for the whole family. But my second was this. What will happen when  this golden couple go out to dinner - separately? And – more importantly – will the hostess try to match-make?

As readers of mine already know, I’m not a regular dinner party giver since my cooking skills are so limited. But I do like to use my soirees to get people together. Especially  if someone has recently become single.

This can lead to all kinds of complications. Some years earlier, I invited a newly-separated school mum chum to dinner along with seven other guests. The others  were couples apart from a male family friend who was in between girlfriends. Perfect, I thought. X could get together with Y. 

I spent the whole evening, trying to jolly up conversation between them. ‘What do you think?’ I whispered to the school mum chum when she insisted on helping me clear the plates after the second course. ‘He’s very nice,’ she said apologetically. ‘But actually I met someone else yesterday. I didn’t like to tell you in case it spoilt the numbers.’

Spoilt the numbers? Actually it spoilt the pavlova which I couldn’t help dropping in disappointment. So much for my ‘personal introduction’ skills…

Still, that’s nothing compared with the sticky situation I found myself in when an old friend asked if he could bring his new girlfriend to dinner. That would have been fine – if his former wife didn’t happen to be a good friend too. Talk about division of loyalties! To make it worse, my friend rang on the day of the dinner party. ‘What are you doing tonight?’ she asked in a distinctly lonely voice.

Now I don’t like to lie. So I gently explained the truth. Understandably she was hurt even though she said she understood. When the friend arrived with the new girl, I was more than ready to dislike her. But – guess what – she was really nice. In the end, I decided not to sprinkle salt on her slice of lemon tart. (I’m much better at puddings by the way than main courses.) 

Fast forward a few years and it’s all change at our dinner table. The friend married the new girlfriend and they actually went out to dinner with his ex (also still my friend despite everything) and her new man. Complicated? Wait till you hear the next bit. During those intervening years, I got divorced and then married the family friend whom I’d tried to team up with the school run chum. The best thing is that he likes cooking……. 

‘It could make a novel,’ remarked my agent when I told her the story. It did. Your Place or Mine?





Visit Sophie's website and order Your Place Or Mine here! 

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The Chocolate Book Tag 

3/16/2014

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I was tagged by the lovely Catriona from Fabulous Book Fiend; you can read her post here!

The idea of this tag is to match books with a certain type of chocolate! I’m going to try my hardest to focus on the books and not on the huge craving I now have for chocolate…


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1.Dark chocolate: a book that covers a dark topic.


Ooo tricky…I think I’ll choose The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson. 

This really is a rich story with beautiful layers; a little bitter and dark but one that you’ll always want to go back to again and again. 

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2.White chocolate: your favourite light hearted/humorous read.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simson.

Fluffy, light, sweet: this book has all the ingredients for the perfect light hearted book with lashings of smooth humour. 

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3.Milk chocolate: a book that has a lot of hype that you're dying to read.

Divergent. Without a doubt! Totally hyped, a feature in all the best bloggers lives and completely intriguing. Just like eating a chunk of milk chocolate, my mouth waters greatly with anticipation. 

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4. Chocolate with a caramel centre: a book that made you feel all gooey in the middle while you were reading it.

Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. 

This was a luxurious read that made my insides melt with happiness! Full of sweet characters, laced with anticipation: a total guilty pleasure. 

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5. Wafer free kit kat: name a book that has surprised you lately. 

The Accident by C L Taylor. 

Surprised in only the best way…not what I was expecting in the slightest but was incredibly happy with the outcome. Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected!

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6. Snickers: a book that you are going nuts about.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. 

Brittle, pungent and tough, this read is one that will have you waiting impatiently for the next one. Full of surprises and one you can’t devour quick enough. 

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7. Hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows: a book that you would turn to for a comfort read.

Pictures Of Lily by Paige Toon 

Super sweet yet not sickly, this book will envelope you in warmth, love and luxury. Full of perfect characters this book oozes joy. 

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8. Box of chocolates: what series have you read that you feel has a wide variety and something for everyone?

This is a tough one. I haven’t actually finished this series but I would have to say the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard. 

Huge slabs of mystery, interspersed with chunks of love, friendship and adolescent innocence. A little bit of something for everyone. 

I tag the following people (not sure if they’ve been tagged before!):

Laura’s Little Book Blog

The Love Of A Good Book

A Spoonful Of Happy Endings

Compelling Reads

Jenny In Neverland 
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Why Libraries Are Heaven On Earth

2/28/2014

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I am a big fan of libraries and I count myself EXTREMELY lucky that my local library is still up and running and is only a three minute walk from my front door. However, some people, sadly, aren’t as lucky and their local libraries have ended up packing up shop. I don’t know what I’d do if my library closed (probably do a big fat cry and chain myself to the building in protest).

What upsets me the most about libraries though is how many people don’t realise what amazing places there are and, I’m going to tell you why they’re just so amazing.

YOU CAN READ BOOKS FOR FREE. What more could you want in the world? A place to go, full of books that is FREE to join, FREE to spend time in and FREE to borrow books from. You don’t have to be rich to go to a library: everything is FREE.

What happens if you want to buy a book but you’re just not too sure you want to spend £7.99 because it *whispers* might be a bit rubbish. Well, why not borrow it from the library first?! I have lost count of the number of times I have done this. I have been so desperate to read a book but haven’t been sure I’ll love it so, instead, borrow it from the library, read it and then decide whether I want to buy my own copy. I have saved myself a lot of money this way!

How many times have you wanted to read a book but not wanted to buy it for yourself? Ask the library, they are often very accommodating and will buy a book if you suggest it to them. I have managed to recommend lots of books to my local library which they have bought and displayed on their shelves.

Libraries can also be the hub of the community and often run lots of exciting events. In my local library there are often a lot of groups for children and their reading, we have lots of reading groups and the occasional local author event. Libraries are a great way to make friends and meet like minded people. I admit, I don’t really engage in conversation at the library because I am so distracted and interested in books but everyone who I do see is incredibly friendly and LOVES BOOKS.

Also, libraries are one of the calmest places you can spend your time. They’re quiet (most of the time!), have ample seating, allow you to take your time browsing books, they have computer stations which you can use to browse the internet, do some writing and write a few book reviews!

Basically, libraries are awesome and we need to save them. So, use your local library, show them how much you need them and enjoy every second of them because sadly, one day, they might not be around anymore. 



Check out my local library! 

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I Heart You (Books)

2/27/2014

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I think my most often muttered/shouted phrase is I LOVE BOOKS. If you were to visit me in my natural habitat (my bedroom) then you would be forgiven for thinking you had walked into a second hand bookshop/ library. Most available surfaces are stacked high with bountiful tomes and anything not covered in books is probably holding something book related: a bookmark, a mug declaring my love for books or a half scribbled page of notes about a book I’m reading.  

One assumes all other book lovers will understand how necessary it is to have books in close proximity at all times but it seems those evil non-book loving people out there don’t understand this need!

I find myself having to try and vocalise why books are quite so important to me and just how they make me feel but it is so incredibly difficult. However, I’ve decided that this difficulty will end today so in the future, when my dad questions if I really need ‘another book’ or my mum states ‘I’m sure you can live without that book’ or someone wonders why ‘reading is my life’ I can point them in the direction of this blog post.

So, here are five (hopefully) concise reasons why I LOVE BOOKS

1.       ‘Books are a uniquely portable magic.’ Stephen King

Books have the amazing ability to transport you anywhere: to foreign countries, periods in time, other worlds; the list is endless. You can explore places you’ve never been, places you can never go and places you’ve dreamed about all from the comfort of your reading spot. Characters become your best friends; they take you with them on their journeys, allowing you to become a part of their lives. You have the chance to take the writers words, let them seep into your imagination and paint the most beautiful picture. The real world becomes unimportant; all the problems floating around in your mind can temporarily be forgotten as a fictional world takes their place.

2.       ‘All that I know about my life, it seems, I have learned in books.’ Jean-Paul Sartre

Books give you endless knowledge. Fiction can teach you an incredible amount about the world but no more than non-fiction. Non-fiction books make you a better person: you become more knowledgeable, have a greater understanding and can impress everyone with the facts you glean from spending time learning about a subject in depth.

3.       ‘There is no friend as loyal as a book.’ Ernest Hemingway

Books are the perfect companions. If you are feeling lonely, happy, sad, reflective, excited or calm you can always find a book to suit your mood and keep you company. Books never leave you, they never give up on you; they don’t care if you leave them and then come back to them weeks later: they are always there for you, ready to welcome you back into their world.

4.       ‘Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.’ Mark Twain

Some of the strongest friendships in my life have been formed through a love of books. Sharing a mutual interest in books cements a friendship for life. Never again will you be searching for conversation: which books have you read recently, which one are you reading now, what did you find in the bookshop? Books are the perfect gift, the best apology present and the best way to say ‘I Love You’ to another book lover.

5.       ‘So many books, so little time.’  Frank Zappa

You will never run out of books to read. There will be a TBR pile that you will never quite get to the end of, a wish-list that you never quite manage to fulfil. And do you know what, that’s the most exciting part of all. Reading is for life: you can read as a child, as a teenager, as an adult and as an aged person. You don’t ever have to stop, there’s no age limit, there’s no gender restrictions: anyone can read a book whenever they want to.



And that is why I love books. They’re magic, accessible, comforting, conversation starters, the best gifts, teachers and the most patient of friends.

So when someone asks me if I really need another book or if I need to keep my books in pristine condition then from now on I’ll just say ‘yes’ instead of trying to explain myself.

Yes, I need a new book: it’s a whole new world for me to discover, new people to meet, new places to explore and a new author to fall in love with.

Yes, I need to keep my books in pristine condition: they’re my friends, my most treasured posessions and then deserve respect and love

So, when someone asks you why you love books, what will you say?


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Exploring New Genres – ‘Fantasy That!’

2/26/2014

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If I had to describe my reading life a year ago, I would have said it was conservative. I only really read chick-lit or crime novels and would never entertain the idea of reading anything remotely historical, fantastical, science-fictional: basically anything that wasn’t women’s fiction or books about people killing each other. But then I started to take blogging seriously.

For years I had a ridiculously embarrassing book blog that was pretty much only viewed by myself: the view statistics were hilarious (I might get one or two hits a day) but at the time that didn’t matter to me. Really, the blog was a place for me to get all my feelings down about the books I had read so I could always look back in years to come and see my reading life as one big, beautiful list. However, I then discovered that people had these AMAZING book blogs that attracted a huge audience, had authors guest writing for their site and were in contact with publishing houses: book blogging was a real thing and was full of awesome people!  So I set up Laura’s Book Reviews nearly a year ago and my eyes opened massively.

I now run this blog, She Loves To Read, and I am pretty fearless when it comes to reading these days: give me a book and I’ll give it a go. Recently I discovered the fantasy genre. For years I had tried to enjoy books from this genre but never succeeded; my brain didn’t understand how to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story for what it was. This all changed a while ago. I read a fantasy book, I fell in love and now I am addicted to the genre.

It got me thinking, why has it taken me so long to discover the beauty of this genre? And I think there is only one answer: I found the right book to open the door for me. I found a book I understood, a book I enjoyed and a book that meant something to me. Every other book I’d tried to read in this genre before hadn’t been any of those things so I’d always given up on the genre but, by finding one book and falling in love with it, I was able to understand the genre, understand the magic of adventures and imagination and fall in love with a new way of storytelling.

Instead of giving up on a genre, you should stick with it, keep reading books, try and find one you fall in love with. I did the same with historical fiction; I read one book and fell in love with the genre and now always have an eye out for my next historical read.

The message of this blog post is don’t give up on a genre just because you haven’t –yet- fallen in love with it. It could take years, it could take months but all it might take is one book; one book that opens your eyes to a whole new world of fiction.

I am so excited to have discovered the fantasy/dystopian/sci –fi (whatever you want to call it) genre. I have a HUGE wish list of books that I can’t wait to read and I can finally catch up with the rest of the world and read the books I always struggled with when I was growing up: Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Narnia. They’re all waiting for me to discover them, and I am SO looking forward to the next stage in my reading adventure.

So, next time you disregard a book because of the genre, stop and think…that could be the one book that opens your eyes to a whole new world of books. Give it a chance…what have you got to lose?!


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That Difficult Second Novel

2/24/2014

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As today has been unofficially dubbed 'Jack day' for the celebration of his second book Unwoven being published, everything is Jack based so what better way to spend your afternoon than reading this guest post from the lovely man himself! 
That Difficult Second Album Novel
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I was very lucky with my first novel, Tethers. It gained thousands of downloads, received hundreds of lovely reviews and it even topped an Amazon best-seller chart – ‘Steampunk’. But I have a confession. When I first published Tethers, I had no idea what steampunk actually was.

I’d never heard the word until readers started using it in their reviews, and, in the end, I had to Google the term just to find out what it meant. However, after a bit of research, I had lots of fun delving into some exciting steampunk books and watching some crazy steampunk films too. For anyone still a bit lost, here is a rough overview of the genre:

Steampunk is a sub-genre of sci-fi and fantasy typically featuring steam-powered machinery, often in a setting inspired by or relating to the industrialised 19th century.

Obviously, my steampunk confusion meant that it wasn’t me who put Tethers into the steampunk category on Amazon. But, somehow, it ended up there (tagged by a helpful reader or by some Amazon boffin perhaps?) and before I knew it, the book was at #1! Great right?

Well, that little triumph didn’t come without its problems; I was already well into writing the second book in the series, Unwoven, and there is no sinister, steam-powered machine in that book like there is in Tethers. In fact, Unwoven is probably a lot closer in style to a typical historical fiction novel. Is that a problem? Well, if I’ve built up a significant steampunk readership, then I wouldn’t feel too great about myself if I let them down, so possibly!

Next, it was panic stations as I frantically debated whether I should go back to the drawing board and transform the entire plot into a more steampunk-y one. In the end, I decided not to. I realised that, in discovering steampunk for myself, I’d found an awesome new genre to get excited about and enjoy. I thought, most readers are like that, right? They want to read lots of different, exciting stuff just like I do. And so Unwoven is pretty much as I initially imagined it, missing sinister machinery and all.

We’re still cool, right?


Thank you lovely, lovely Jack for stopping by. I, for one, adored Unwoven and am more than positive everyone else will too! You can buy it now from Amazon! 
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Born in High Wycombe, Jack Croxall now lives in rural Nottinghamshire with his chocolate Labrador, Archie. He has a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Nottingham and currently toils away as a science writer in between working on his books.




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How To Stop Getting Distracted Whilst Writing

2/24/2014

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I am quite possibly the Queen of Procrastination and the most easily distracted person in the world and it doesn’t go unnoticed. I’ve often been likened to Dory from Finding Nemo or the dog from Up….SQUIRREL.




There is nothing I hate more than getting distracted and procrastinating whilst I’m trying to write. I reckon if I didn’t end up daydreaming I would have finished my novel already. So, how do you stop yourself from getting distracted and remove the urge to procrastinate? Well, here are five things I have found helpful.

1.       GET OFF OF THE INTERNET.

Yes, I know, you are allowed to cry at this suggestion. ‘But, what about checking Twitter?’ I hear you cry. I know, I feel your pain. However, I think the internet is the biggest culprit. I spend far too much of my life on twitter, Facebook, BuzzFeed, YouTube,  Amazon etc and not enough time focussing my energy on something a little more rewarding and important. I would be mortified to find out how much of my life I have wasted, refreshing twitter and stalking people on Facebook: I imagine it’s a good ol’ chunk of it. So, get off the internet and remove the urge to keep checking Twitter or sharing with the world the latest funny thing you found on BuzzFeed or a cute cat you found on YouTube.

The best way to deal with this is either sit in a place where you have no internet access: go to a library, a coffee shop, a park and just sit down with your laptop/notepad and write or turn off the internet on your computer whilst you write. I have a magic little button on mine which switches it to aeroplane mode meaning there is no internet connection.

Then, you have the chance to focus on what you’re doing and stop worrying about what you’re missing on Twitter (because I can guarantee, it won’t be much).

2.       Take regular breaks.

This might be an obvious one but always take breaks to break up the monotony of staring at a computer screen and mechanically pulling a cup of coffee to your lips. I take short breaks regularly instead of taking longs breaks rarely. Sometimes I might write for fifteen minutes, get up and walk around the house for five minutes, get myself a glass of water and carry on. I might take a break and have a big stretch, look out of the window, read a few pages of a book: anything to let me take my mind of writing for a few minutes. Now, this doesn’t work for everyone; some people love to just sit and write and write and write. They don’t like taking breaks because it interrupts their flow. However, I guess I’m lucky in the fact I can walk away for a few minutes, come back and pick up where I left off. So, if you struggle with sitting still for a long period, try taking regular breaks.

3.       Reward yourself.

Now, if you have the mental age of a five year old, like I do, then you might find you will be motivated by the promise of a reward. Write five hundred words and you get a square of chocolate, write one thousand words and you get a ten minute break to look at Twitter, write for an hour without distraction and take the afternoon off. It’s things like this that motivate me on days where I really just need a good kick up the bum! Us humans love the promise of rewards and we love working towards goals to claim the reward. So, set yourself a few goals, have a reward at the end and start writing!

4.       Ignore the world around you.

I am the worst at this. I have the ‘loft’ or ‘attic’ room in the house and therefore have two very large windows; one which I sit by at my desk. I cannot tell you how often I find myself looking at the birds sitting in the trees and wonder how long I’ve actually been sitting like that for. Also, have you ever noticed how funny clouds are?

See my point? I get so distracted by the most mundane things.

To combat this problem, you need to get ‘in the zone’ and try and ignore everything else going on around you (ok, not everything, don’t ignore if your house is on fire or there’s someone at the door) but ignore enough so that you don’t find your attention grabbed by silly things. I often find I write best in the evenings when the curtains are closed, the room is relatively dark and there are no distracting sounds but I am slowly managing to find my little zone during the day. Plus, if you are really clever and can listen to music as you write (I can unless I know the words to the song otherwise it’s too much of a distraction because I just start singing) then you can help use the music to get you into a little world of writing.

5.       Be comfortable.

I am often really restless (probably not helped by my morning caffeine intake) and I find I like to change position whilst I write. A lot. I start sitting normally, then might sit cross legged on my chair then tuck one leg under the other, sit with my back against the seat, sit right on the edge of the chair…I do it all! The reason I do it is because I get uncomfortable just sitting in one position the whole time and have to keep moving to stop my legs going to sleep. So, find a place where you can write comfortably so you don’t have to stop typing every five minutes to rescue your leg from underneath the other one because it’s full of pins and needles and won’t move itself.  I’m still working on this one...

(I am noticing a pattern here…maybe I am just a very restless and attention deficient person…!)

Right, so there are my five tips on how to stop being so distracted when you write. They certainly help me (apart from number five, I’m yet to crack that one) and I can see a huge improvement in my productivity when I follow them.

Also, get enough sleep, keep drinking water throughout the day and don’t be too hard on yourself if you have a few blips!

Happy writing friends! 

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THE ELEMENTS OF SNARK: I GOT YOUR SARCASM RIGHT HERE

2/20/2014

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by Nic Tatano

Snarky [snahr-kee]: adjective
1. rude
2. sarcastic


So, you wanna know about writing snarky dialogue and assumed this was going to be some sort of instructional piece written in a normal tone.

DID YOU NOT READ THE GIANT HEADLINE FOR THIS POST?

Okay, now that we've gotten the first volley of sarcasm out of the way and the sensitive people have run for cover, we are free to discuss what has become a literary trend of late. 

I'm not one hundred percent sure why everyone suddenly stole what was a traditional mode of conversation for New Yorkers, but I have a pretty good idea. The Internet. Open up comments to every article, toss in the obsession with social media, add everyone's desire to be funny, and you end up with a snarky society. No longer can one make a simple comment like, "I didn't care for the woman who sang the National Anthem at the game." Noooo. Now said comment must be snarky. "Was Fran Drescher unavailable?"

Look, I love writing snarky characters because that's the way I talk. I grew up snarky before the term even existed. Then I made it worse going into television news, a veritable clearinghouse for sarcastic people. I heard this exchange dozens of times:

Woman being interviewed: "Is this going to be in the newspaper?"

TV Photographer: "Yeah, I just carry this video camera and drive a satellite truck for the hell of it."

Let's face it, snarky characters are funny, they have an edge to them. They're larger than life, memorable; marble rye instead of white bread. And since my books are set in New York City, snarky dialogue is a requirement, even from the characters who moved there from other places. You want genteel conversation, read a book set in the deep South. You want in-your-face sarcasm, I'm your guy.

Okay, I know some of you came here to learn how to add snark to your dialogue, so let's start with the basics. You remember those smartass kids in the back of the classroom who always had the snide comments? Channel those people, but don't overdo it. Pick your spots. Snark is best served in small portions. Find a passage in which you need some snark, then take a simple passage and be as sarcastic as you can with it.

Example: Your character is on a date at a steakhouse and her entree is tough as shoe leather.

Man: "How's your steak."

Woman: "Not terribly tender."

Man: "Would you like to send it back?"

Woman: "Okay."

That little bit of dialogue may actually occur in real life, but if you want your heroine to be a spunky, take no prisoners gal, sit her down in the back of the classroom and give her some attitude:

Man: "How's your steak."

Woman: "I think I bet on it at the Kentucky Derby."

Man: "Would you like to send it back?"

Woman: "It can gallop to the kitchen on its own."

Of course if you grew up in a part of the world where sarcasm is considered rude, it might take you awhile to master the art of snark. I've given you a start, but you gotta work at it on your own.

What, you think I'm gonna write a weekly post so you can be fluent in sarcasm? Do I look like Rosetta Stone to you?

                                                               *

Huge thanks to Nic for dropping by to write such a fabulous and funny guest post. 
His latest novel Boss Girl is published TODAY! So make sure you go and grab yourself a copy. I'm halfway through and I am LOVING it so far! 
Visit
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Weekly Wrap Up! | 9th February 

2/9/2014

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Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you've all had a lovely week. This week I have been really lucky with book post that I have received and some e-books I've been allowed to view. I also bought a few books this week which really captured my heart. 

For Review

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Diary Of A Hapless Father, Diary Of An Expectant Father, Bride and Gloom - Pete Sortwell
A Single Breath - Lucy Clarke
Perfect Wives - Emma Hannigan
Unravelling Oliver - Liz Nugent
Betrayed - Jacqui Rose 
Peach Blossom Pavilion - Mingmei Yip 
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Between A Rockstar And A Hard Place - Portia Macintosh
Boss Girl - Nic Tatano
The Killer Next Door - Alex Marwood
A Pleasure And A Calling - Phil Hogan 

Bought

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Tethers, X - Jack Croxall 
The Sentinel - Holly Martin 
What exciting books have you bought this week? Are you looking forward to any of these books? 
I am most excited about A Pleasure And a Calling, Unravelling Oliver and The Killer Next Door!

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday. 

Laura x
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Hands In The Air For Holly

2/7/2014

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Wave your hands in the air if you are excited for The Guestbook by the gorgeous and incredibly lovely Holly Martin? *waves arms in air* 
Well, here is a very teasing little video all about the lovely Willow Cottage where this gorgeous book is set. 
You totally want to read it now, don't you?! Well, you can head over to Amazon and PRE-ORDER IT NOW! Only 7 days until pub day! 
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