Holiday Reading List – Mandy Baggot

My guest today is UK author Mandy Baggot. Let’s hear what Mandy suggests for our Christmas reading list.

Here she is:

Looking for great gifts for Christmas? These are three of the best books I’ve read recently:-

Lost Girls – Angela Marsons

A brilliant crime thriller and #3 in the DI Kim Stone series. This is a gripping page turner with protagonist detective, Kim Stone in a race against time to find two kidnapped girls. I love this series, it was another five-star read for me and I can’t wait for more.

A Cottage in the Country – Linn B Halton

This really was a festive treat and will make you want to cosy up with a hot chocolate and be glad you’re not living Maddie Brooks’ life! Stuck in raging floods at Christmas time in a cold, partially renovated house with a grumpy (yet attractive!) man-who-can, I loved this feel-good story of reinvention.

Life or Something Like It – Annie Lyons 

I adore Annie’s books and this was another triumph. Cat is an opportunity-hungry career woman until she loses her job and has to look after her brother’s children. Will anyone survive? And what will Cat do without Twitter for a week? A perfect, fun, feel-good read with a dash of romance.

Check out Mandy Baggot’s latest release, One Wish in Manhattan or visit her website!

http://smarturl.it/onewishinmanhattan

http://mandybaggot.com/

Hooked? – 2

Here are three more books and their opening lines.

Assuming the book is in a genre that might interest you, do you want to continue reading after the first lines? The authors hope so. What do you think? Are you interested enough to turn the page?

1. Grumpy Old Menopause by Carol E. Wyer

Have you started to write post-it notes with your kids’ names on them? Do you need to change your underwear after every time you sneeze? Guess it’s time to read this book then.

….  It’ll help you get through “that” time of your life with a spring in your step and a smile on your face. (Yeah right!)

 

http://www.safkhetpublishing.com/books/select/Grumpy_Old_Menopause.html

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2. Made in Nashville by Mandy Baggot

The lights were so bright, brighter than the strongest spotlight Honor had ever stood under. They were coming from all directions. Right. Left. Overhead. The crowd was roaring, clapping, stamping their feet, dancing. They moved like a sea, swaying, bobbing, rising up and falling back in time to the music. This was what she’d dreamed of since she was a little girl.

 http://smarturl.it/buymadeinnashville

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3. Kurinji Flowers by Clare Flynn

The beginning of July, and the sky was the colour of a dirty pigeon. 1936 had been a terrible year; dull, grey days, abnormally cool and unremittingly miserable. At least, that’s how I remember it.   

 

amazon.com

 

Strings Attached

Mr Blake will see you now!

From 16^th September 2014, Mandy Baggot’s Strings Attached is going on tour!

 

Strings Attached is a contemporary romance novel that was shortlisted for Best Author Published Read at the Festival of Romance in 2012. It’s done a Waterstones store tour, its leading man has interacted via his own Twitter account and it’s been a bestseller on Amazon.

Here’s the blurb…

Caterer George Fraser has a mission. She’s going to prove everyone wrong. Ambitious owner of catering firm Finger Food and black sheep of her family, she’s determined to succeed in business where she’s so far failed in her personal life. Asked to cater for gorgeous rock star Quinn Blake’s after-show party her life suddenly takes a turn for the dramatic.

Magnetically drawn together, George and Quinn embark on a relationship that no one must know about. But is Quinn everything he seems or is there more to his star life than he’s telling her?

Things hot up when George is invited to the wedding of the millennium and her integrity very soon becomes compromised. With celebrity obsessed colleague Marisa in the mix and her beloved Adam spending more time in her life can George keep her secrets and hold on to her ambition, or will love finally get in the way?

 

What do people say about the book?

‘Mandy Baggot has created an impeccable love story’

‘The chemistry between George and Quinn from the very first meeting is intense and the intensity continues right to the last page’

‘I enjoyed George and Quinn’s relationship – the tenderness and the passion, the uncertainty and the secrets. This is a chick lit story that has stayed with me since I’ve read it’

‘An exciting and romantic story with an emotional edge’

‘A plot twist straight out of Dallas’

Strings Attached – One pull could change your life!

 

Read an exclusive extract now…

George smiled and was about to text a reply when the swing doors banged open and Quinn marched into the room, a thunderous expression on his face.

‘How dare you!’ he greeted, striding up to her.

‘How dare I what?’ George replied, standing her ground and looking at him.

‘How dare you refuse to come to Manchester in front of Michael!’ Quinn yelled.

‘How dare I?! How dare you put me in that position,’ George exclaimed angrily.

‘It was just a catering job,’ Quinn said, standing opposite her, so close it was a little unnerving.

‘No it wasn’t,’ George snapped back.

Quinn just kept his gaze focused on her, staring as if he was daring her to look away. George swallowed, knowing what was going to happen next.

His lips crashed against hers a second later and he was holding her so tightly she thought the breath was going to leave her body entirely. She melted into him, like she did every time they were together and only let go when she just had to stop to take in air.

‘Quinn,’ she began as he moved his lips down her neck and began lightly kissing her shoulder blade.

He didn’t reply. She could feel the tip of his tongue brushing against her collarbone.

‘Quinn,’ she repeated, trying not to shiver as his hot breath warmed her entire insides.

His fingers were at the buttons of her shirt now and she was perilously close to letting him carry on.

‘Quinn,’ she said firmly.

Finally he stopped and brought his head back up to look at her.

‘We can’t keep doing this. I won’t be that girl.’

Follow the Strings Attached tour on the dates below and purchase the book for just 99p from 16 September until the end of the tour!

 

Tour dates and links

Tuesday 16 September

K T Book Reviews

BestChickLit

 

Wednesday 17 September

Sky’s Book Corner

 

Friday 19 September

Elder Park Books

Lost in Chick Lit

 

Monday 22 September

Chicks That Read

 

Tuesday 23 September

On My Bookshelf

Jera’s Jamboree

 

**JUST 99p!** Buy Strings Attached http://smarturl.it/stringsattached

 

Quiz Show Fun – Mandy Baggot

Humour in writing doesn’t have to be a series of one-liners. It can be a subtle view of the lighter side of an otherwise serious scene. Authors who weave this kind of “humour” into their writing usually capture the reader’s interest more than if they had stuck to the dry sequence of events they had planned in their storyline. The use of this kind of light humour also makes the scenes more real. How many times have you been in a serious situation and said, “Someday we’ll look back on this and laugh.” THAT is one of the kinds of humour I’m talking about in this series.

 

My guest today is Mandy Baggot of the UK. She writes romantic novels that often have a funny side to them. Her sense of humour makes these “love stories” fun to read. Find out about all Mandy’s novels at her amazon.co.uk link here.

Here is an excerpt from Mandy Baggot’s novel, “Knowing Me, Knowing You.“

‘I don’t think you should have any more of those,’ Joel said, putting the glass back down on the bar.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise I was paying you to do impersonations of my mother,’ Kate snapped.

‘I just think it might be better if you didn’t have too much more, that’s all.’ He took hold of the glass as Kate reached for it.

‘Give me my drink back!’

‘No.’

‘Give it to me!’ She made a lunge for the glass.

Joel dodged out of the way and Kate fell, bashing her elbow hard on the bar.

She hurriedly stood upright, straightening her dress.

Joel spoke. ‘All we have to do is answer a few questions. It’s no big deal. It’ll keep your client sweet and it will backfire on Miranda, who obviously nominated you to make you feel uncomfortable.’

‘She spends her life finding new ways to make me feel uncomfortable,’ Kate mumbled in reply.

‘So show her you don’t mind stepping into the breach and entering the contest. Rise above her.’

‘There are bloody TV cameras out there!’ Kate exclaimed, still looking longingly at the drink Joel was shielding.

‘I don’t see the problem. It’s one little quiz. You must have done quizzes before.’

‘Yes. In pubs. With friends. About music and films not about someone I’ve only just met! We know nothing about each other! How is that going to look?!’ Kate shrieked.

‘You’re overreacting. Come on, we’re going back in.’ Joel took hold of Kate’s arm and led her towards the door of the function room.

‘This is madness! And what sort of escort agency do you work for? You’re bullying me and you’re hurting my arm,’ Kate hissed as he propelled her through the doors and back towards the table.

‘It will be over in an hour or so. We’ll probably only be on stage for ten minutes. Think how many brownie points this will earn you with Frank,’ Joel whispered as Miranda approached.

‘They said the questions were intimate. What side of the bed do you sleep on? What underwear do you prefer?’ Kate asked.

‘Kate, we don’t have to win.’

‘No, but they have to at least believe we’re a couple.’

A Tale of Two Heroes

 

 

Hi, Anneli.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. It’s a real pleasure!

Well, what’s been going on with me lately? I have been ULTRA busy, that’s what! It’s my own silly fault because this year I decided it was time to up the stakes a bit. It was time to look after the most important people in my life…no, not my husband Mr Big…MY READERS!

I am going to attempt to bring you all a brand new novel every six months! ‘Can it be done?’ I hear you cry. Well, who knows? I certainly hope so! But it does mean I’m spending most days with two men! And what’s wrong about that? Add in some chocolate and wine and you’ve got the perfect life, right? The trouble is, between them, they can get pretty exhausting! Let me introduce them to you!

Nathan

This is Nathan Regan. He’s the star male in my first romantic suspense novel, Security. It’s being brought to you by my wonderful publishers, Sapphire Star Publishing, on 4 April 2013. Mark the calendar!

Nathan’s just been appointed as bodyguard to pop diva, Autumn Raine and he isn’t very happy about it. Autumn is hard work. She titivates constantly and has been ruined by the life of luxury she’s been living.

Nathan’s as down-to-earth as they come; rough, ready, the quintessential action hero. But although he has many scars on the outside, it’s the ones on the inside that hurt the most. Beneath this brash exterior is a very complicated man. I do love a man with inner vulnerability! What do you think? Is he hot?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How about this one? Do you like him? Well, this is Guy Duval (Guy pronounced ‘Gey’ because he’s French) and he’s the male lead in the novel I’m halfway through writing at the moment. It’s called Do You Remember? and I’m working towards an October 2013 release for it.

Guy’s a professional footballer, just signed to a UK team and when he opens a brand new leisure centre he’s reacquainted with his first love, schoolteacher Emma Barron.

There are actually two stories going on in this book as I’ve used flashback chapters to tell the story of Guy and Emma first meeting back in 2005. Hopefully this will take the reader on two journeys. One tracks teenagers falling in love and the other details how things have changed and how circumstances have altered these people.

Unlike Nathan, Guy is a bit more clean-cut. He’s been living the celebrity lifestyle, he’s rich and successful, and he has a model girlfriend. Life couldn’t get any better you’re thinking. Well, he’s desperately unhappy and because of events of the past he is full of self-loathing and a shame he can’t get rid of.

I hope I’ve intrigued you enough to find out more!

Mandy Baggot

Bio

Mandy Baggot brings you award-winning fiction. In 2012 she won the coveted Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance. Her novel Strings Attached was also short listed for Best Author Published Read.

Mandy writes strong contemporary romance and characters you’ll fall in love with. Previously self-published, she was signed by US publishing house Sapphire Star Publishing in January 2012. Shortly afterwards she became a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Mandy is also a featured author at innovative writer/reader website Loveahappyending.com.

A self-confessed Twitter addict, Mandy also likes to show off her singing talents on You Tube – check out Lady Gaga! She has auditioned for X Factor, appeared on ITV1s Who Dares Sings and longs to duet with Bryan Adams. She also has a fondness for white wine, mashed potato, country music and World’s Strongest Man.

Mandy lives near Salisbury in Wiltshire, UK with her husband, two daughters and two cats called Kravitz and Springsteen.

www.mandybaggot.com

https://twitter.com/mandybaggot

http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/mandybaggot