Holiday Reading – Caroline James

Author Caroline James Image visits us today to share three of her favourite books for your holiday reading list.

Here’s Caroline:

The Tea Planters Wife by  Dinah Jefferies

A delightful read set in an exotic location that easily transports the reader to life in Ceylon in the 1920s. I loved this book, not only for its rich history but the gripping tale too. 

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

A 1950s period piece – think Mad Men and settle down. A brilliant portrait of American surburbia set in Connecticut with layers and layers. I devoured this book enjoying the story of conformity and society’s expectations.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carolos Ruiz Zafron

A page-turning mystery that I couldn’t put down. I wanted to savour each page. It’s got everything from an intricate plot to star-crossed lovers, mayhem, and mystery.

Universal link to: So You Think You’re  A Celebrity…Chef?  viewBook.at/carolinejameschefs

 “There’s something very British about this book and you engage with the characters and root for them from the opening chapter, think – ‘AbFab meets MasterChef in a Soap!'”

To find out more about Caroline James:

Web:      www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk
Twitter:  @CarolineJames12

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Holiday Reading – Jenny Harper

Today’s guest is author Jenny Harper. She will share her favourites to add to your holiday reading list.

Here’s Jenny:

My three books:

Sarah Mallery, Sewing Can Be Dangerous, and other Small Threads.  A great collection of short stories woven around key historical events – and all with a link to sewing.

Mary Smith, Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni. A non-fiction account of life as a health worker in Afghanistan – vivid, insightful, hilarious, moving.

C L Taylor, The Missing. Fast-moving psychological thriller that really grips you.

My latest novel:

People We Love.

“An engaging and delightful read. Jenny Harper is a most gifted storyteller.” Alexander McCall Smith

‘Thoroughly entertaining’ Katie Fforde

Her life is on hold – until an unlikely visitor climbs in through the kitchen window.

A year after her brother’s fatal accident, Lexie’s life seems to have reached a dead end. She is back home in small-town Hailesbank with her shell-shocked parents, treading softly around their fragile emotions.

As the family business drifts into decline, Lexie’s passion for painting and for her one-time mentor Patrick have been buried as deep as her unexpressed grief, until the day her lunch is interrupted by a strange visitor in a bobble hat, dressing gown and bedroom slippers, who climbs through the window.

Elderly Edith’s batty appearance conceals a secret and starts Lexie on a journey that gives her an inspirational artistic idea and rekindles her appetite for life. With friends in support and ex-lover Cameron seemingly ready to settle down, do love and laughter beckon after all?

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com

Jenny’s author page

Holiday Reading – Melanie Robertson-King

Author Melanie Robertson-King joins us today to share her favourite books to add to our holiday reading list. Here she is:

 

The Missing and the Dead by Stuart MacBride:  Another page turner by this Scottish crime writer. I picked this book up on a recent trip to Scotland and read it on the plane coming home. One of the things I love about Stuart’s books and especially this one, is they’re set in places I’ve visited. Dark, heinous crimes, and in this latest book, Acting Detective Inspector Logan McRae is removed from his comfort zone (Aberdeen) to rural Aberdeenshire. This novel is different from the earlier books starring this detective, but well worth reading.

The Highland Lass by Rosemary Gemmell:  Set in present-day Scotland, this novel ties in the love story between Robbie Burns and his beloved Highland Mary when Eilidh Campbell returns to Scotland to discover the identity of her biological father.

The Farran Mackenzie Mystery Series by Maggie Wheeler: There are four books in this series and I’ve read and re-read them. All  have been recently re-released in e-book format. Maggie spins a series of cozy mysteries (A Violent End, Brother of Sleep, All Mortal Things and On a Darkling Plain) set in Eastern Ontario and tying in to the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project of the late 1950s with Farran Mackenzie (a modern day Miss Marple) in the middle of it all, trying to solve the crimes without getting herself killed.

Melanie’s latest release: Tim’s Magic Christmas

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Melanie’s website http://www.melanierobertson-king.com/

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/

Sharing Writing Ideas – Description

Again, I’m inviting everyone (both writers and readers) to share some of their beliefs, writing habits, expertise, and opinions on a variety of subjects connected to writing or reading novels.

Today’s topic is description. I’d like to hear what you think. How much description should you provide for your characters? Is it better to let the reader fill in the blanks after a very sketchy description, or should you paint a complete picture of what they look like?

I’ve read some books where I have no idea what the character looks like, and I’ve read others where I am nearly falling asleep from the detailed description.

As a reader, what do you prefer? As a writer, what is your style and your advice on the use of description?

Please don’t be shy. Tell us what you think and share your ideas.

 

What About Prologues?

Again, I’m inviting everyone (both writers and readers) to share some of their beliefs, writing habits, expertise, and opinions on a variety of subjects connected to writing or reading novels. For today’s topic, I’d like to hear what you think about prologues.

There was a time when  many novels started with a prologue. Lately, I’ve heard it said that using a prologue is a cop out that writers use when their novel doesn’t have a strong beginning.

Sometimes a prologue is meant to be a taste of some of the action to come later in the novel. Is it fair to do this? Would writers do better to rethink the beginning of their novels to hook the reader? Is it cheating to jump ahead to the climax of the story and use it as a teaser before starting the novel?

Please tell us your thoughts. If you are a writer, have you ever used a prologue? Tell us why you think it is a good idea (or not). As a reader, how do you feel about reading a prologue and then reading to find out what it is all about?