Good morning everyone I’m excited to be kicking off the blog tour for Some Kind Of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher today and to have a great extract to share with you.

Some Kind Of Wonderful is available to buy now, in all formats, here.

Before I share my extract with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

When the love of your life says you’re not The One, what next?

After celebrating a decade together, everyone thinks Lizzy and Ian are about to get engaged.

Instead, a romantic escape to Dubai leaves Lizzy with no ring, no fiancé and no future.

Lizzy is heartbroken – but through the tears, she sees an opportunity. This is her moment to discover what she’s been missing while playing Ian’s ‘better half’.

But how much has Ian changed her, and who is she without him?

Lizzy sets out to rediscover the girl she was before – and, in the meantime, have a little fun . . .

Extract:

My phone bleeps at me via my headphones, interrupting the sound of Ryan Adams as he tries to calm me down with his soulful voice and the skilful bell-like picking of his guitar. I’m sitting on a sun lounger, on the beach of a swanky hotel in Dubai. I should be relaxed and care- free already. I should be dreamily looking over at my wonderful fiancé and cracking into a foolish grin as I think about the way in which he popped ‘the question’, while excitedly thinking through all the things we need to arrange for our wedding day. I should be wondering whether it’s OK to sit Mum and Dad together on the top table or if I should include Mum’s other half too, before deciding to buck the trend completely and sit with our mates. I should be debating with myself whether I have to ask all three of my future sisters-in-law to be bridesmaids, even though, back in 1995 when we were just munchkins, I promised my best mate Connie that she’d be my one and only. I should be thinking about whether I’ll wax or simply shave before the Big Day to prevent me getting a rash, whether heels would make me look too tall next to the groom in our wedding photos and if I have to get myself something ‘old, borrowed, new or blue’ or wait for someone else to think of it. I have absolutely no idea why it’s a tradition, but I’m not one to take chances on superstitions so I obviously wouldn’t wait in hope that someone else has the fore- sight to save my marriage from doom. No, no! I’d get those goodies myself, to be sure. Get myself a nice blue silk garter that’s for Ian’s eyes only.

I should be thinking these things with a lightness in my heart as I gaze lovingly at him across our sun loun- gers, because these are the worries and concerns I’ve been longing to ponder over for as long as I can remember.
That’s what I should be doing, but I can’t look at my fiancé in that way. I literally can’t look at him. Because the man sitting beside me, the man who has been sitting beside me for over ten years, is not my fiancé. He’s just my boyfriend. Just. I can’t bear to look at him any more because every time I do a feeling of disappointment swells through me and I have to fight back big fat tears. Tears that confirm I am not good enough to be Mrs Lizzy Hall, even after all the legwork I’ve put in. Tears that confirm he doesn’t want to commit, even though we’ve bought a flat together and that he seemed delighted when we wrongly thought I was pregnant last year. We were gutted to realize I wasn’t. I thought our reactions let us know we were ready for more, for things to progress.
I don’t understand.

About The Author:

Giovanna grew up in Essex with her Italian dad Mario, mum Kim, big sister Giorgina and little brother Mario, and spent most of her childhood talking to herself (it seems no one wanted to listen) or reading books.

At thirteen she left Essex behind to attend the full-time Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she met her husband Tom Fletcher. Following SYTS she completed an acting BA (hons) at Rose Bruford – since then she’s been acting, chaperoning mini actors and dabbling in a spot of freelance journalism for heat, Bliss and Recognise magazines. She currently writes a weekly blog for Hello! Online and posts weekly vlogs on her YouTube channel.

Giovanna is a firm believer in the power of magpies and positive energy. To see what makes Giovanna smile, view her blog at http://www.giovannasworld.com, or her Twitter page @mrsgifletcher

Good morning everyone I’m so excited to be on the blog tour for The Hangman’s Hold by Michael Wood today.  Michael Wood is an author I’ve heard a lot about so you can imagine how thrilled I was to be contacted by the author himself onto this blog tour.

The Hangman’s Hold is available in ebook now for the bargain price of £1.99 and in paperback on the 20th September 2018.  You can purchase or pre-order your copy here.

Before I share my review with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Your life is in his hands.

In the gripping new serial killer thriller from Michael Wood, Matilda Darke faces a vicious killer pursuing his own brand of lethal justice. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Helen Fields.

There’s a killer in your house.
The Hangman waits in the darkness.

He knows your darkest secrets.
He’ll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget.

And he is closer than you think.
DCI Matilda Darke is running out of time. Fear is spreading throughout the city. As the body count rises, Matilda is targeted and her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late?

My Review:

The Hangman’s Hold is an absolutely fantastic crime thriller that I thoughly enjoyed.  It’s very fast paced with new developments happening all the time and almost impossible to put down.  Housework was ignored and children bribed with films so I could read a few more pages.

The book bring his up some very thought provoking subjects that I hadn’t considered before, including how affected police officers are about cases they have dealt with.  The media would love us to think about the police as emotional robots that aren’t affected by such things but I don’t believe that to be the case.  In this book the police officers have feelings and emotions, they cry over past victims and from frustration at not being able to find the perpetrators which was unusual but good to see.

I really liked the main character Matilda.  As with all the characters in the book the reader is let into the characters personal life which made for very interesting reading and meant that you got to know them better.  The thing I liked most about Matilda was how real she seemed.  She had normal problems, she was approachable and able to admit when she was wrong which made me warm to her.  Her relationship with her team was lovely to read about and showed the kind of person she was as she was willing to listen to their point of view, not just trying to pull rank all the time.  I felt very sorry for her at times in the book, especially when the crimes start getting more personal, as I didn’t think she deserved it and it was hard to see the affect they had on her.

As mentioned above this book is very fast paced and really gripping.  The constantly changing point of views and multiple suspects kept me on my toes and ensured I kept reading.  The book has some very unexpected moments which made me jump at times and a few darker moments which changed the feel of the book.  I had no idea where the best was going and although I had a few suspects I was taken by surprise how everything turns out.

Huge thanks Michael Wood for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper Collins for my copy of this book.  If you like thrilling, fast paced books that you can’t put down you’ll love this book!

About The Author:

Michael Wood is a freelance journalist and proofreader living in Sheffield. As a journalist he has covered many crime stories throughout Sheffield, gaining first-hand knowledge of police procedure. He also reviews books for CrimeSquad, a website dedicated to crime fiction. He is the author of the DCI Matilda Darke series set in Sheffield. The third, A ROOM FULL OF KILLERS, will be released in February 2017. A short story prequel, THE FALLEN, is published as an ebook in December 2016 by Killer Reads at HarperCollins.

Book Synopsis:

1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath’s leading department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series Mr Selfridge and The Paradise.

Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath’s premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work. Her father, Edward Pennington believes his daughter lacks the business acumen to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him.

Determined to break from her father’s iron-clad hold and prove she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely alliance with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter. United they forge forward to bring Pennington’s into a new decade, embracing woman’s equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and pleasure.

Can this dream team thwart Edward Pennington’s plans for the store? Or will Edward prove himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately ruin both Elizabeth and Joseph?

The Mistress Of Pennington’s is available in paper and ebook now, you can purchase your copy by clicking on the link below.

What readers are saying:

‘It was so interesting to read … I hope Rachel Brimble writes another book about these characters. Highly recommend!‘ Sharon Brewer, NetGalley.

‘The story was a pleasure to read as the writing was so very good and easy to get lost in … It’s a captivating read that touched my heart deeply and is currently one of my top 5 favorite books to have read so far this year’ Clare Roden, NetGalley.

‘This story […] brought out the fact that hard work and determination pays and that you can succeed despite the odds‘ Mystica Varathapalan, NetGalley.

About The Author:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Her first novel was published in 2007. Since then, she’s had several books published with small presses and since 2012 has written mainstream romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and Victorian romance for eKensington/Lyrical Press.
In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a brand new Edwardian series set in beautiful Bath.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England. And in the evening? Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused…

Book Synopsis:

Clara and Nancy both have choices to make. Two sisters, working in a women’s prison in 1913; many of the inmates they are faced with have been arrested for their actions as part of the suffragette movement. For Nancy, there’s one inmate in particular – the enigmatic Duchess – who she finds herself drawn to, following the Duchess’ lead into the fight for the right to vote.

But for Clara, the choice is not so clear-cut. She’s started stepping out with a chap called Ted. But if she were to marry him, she would have to give up the job she loves, and lose her independence forever.

Nevertheless She Persisted is published on the 6th September in hardback and ebook.  You can pre-order your copy here.

My Review:

Nevertheless She Persisted is a fascinating look at the suffragette movement from two very different women with opposing views.  It’s also a very timely book as this year marks the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote.

The story follows two sisters Nancy and Clara who meet suffragettes whilst working at Holloway prison.  Out of the two I much preferred Nancy who quickly becomes involved in the suffragette movement.  It was lovely to see her come out of her shell away from her family and to read about her drive for a very worthwhile cause.  She is truly a warm, caring women that I quickly warmed to and wanted to keep reading to find out more about her. Clara on the other hand came across as being quite cold and confused.  She seemed to want all the benefits of having independence, like being able to continue working whilst married, but do none of the campaigning which grated on me.  She seems to be a bit of a goody two shoes always thinking she knows best, especially when it comes to her sister, which I just wanted to scream at her for.

I always enjoy reading books about the suffragette movement as it’s a very important part of our history.  The historical details the author includes really added to the story and helped me to picture the setting in my mind.  I had read about the force feeding, but not about the suffragettes being released to recover and then being rearrested.  I found the parts describing this and the woman’s treatment in prison very interesting as i love learning new things!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.  If you like fascinating historical fiction about an important part of our history you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Jon Walter is inspired by the power of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. A former photojournalist, he took pictures of the people we rarely get to see, and as a writer he listens out for the quieter voices of those that don’t get heard. Here, inspired by the suffragette movement, he explores how it was the everyday decisions of women over their own lives that made its success inevitable. Jon’s previous books, Close to the Wind and My Name’s Not Friday, were also published by DFB, and have been shortlisted for numerous awards.

Book Synopsis:

A terminal diagnosis. A life-saving sacrifice. A love letter written on the walls of her heart. Alice Richards looked forward to watching the seeds of love she and her husband planted bloom and grow well into their old age. But her plans for the future shrivel up and die when she learns she has an inoperable brain tumour. Determined that she won’t die in vain, she decides to become an organ donor. With a few precious months left, Alice begins documenting her fairytale romance—from their first meeting to the children they dreamed of having. She’ll pass on every detail to her heart’s next owner… along with careful instructions to send her husband reminders of her undying love. Before her time runs out, Alice must find the perfect candidate to guide her husband through unimaginable grief and hold the memory of their love in her heart. I Give You My Heart is an emotional romantic fiction novel with an uplifting message. If you like strong-willed women, undying love stories, and honest portrayals of coping with a terminal illness, then you’ll love SarahJane Ford’s heart-warming epic. An unmissable love story full of warmth, beauty and with a huge, beating heart. Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern’s ‘P.S. I Love You’ and Jojo Moyes’ ‘Me Before You’. Buy I Give You My Heart to experience a courageous story of undying love today!

I Give You My Heart is available now and you can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

When I started to read this book I was expecting it to be a complete sob fest, which it is at times but there is lots more to this beautiful book then that.

Alice is a fantastic main character.  Her strength and determination in this difficult time is something I really admired in her.  She is very brave and faces her diagnosis head on deciding to try and help her family and others after her death.  Alice’s present day struggles are intercepted with flashes from her past which include some of the best moments with her husband, parents and her best friend.  These are really heartwarming and help to break up the story.

When she gets her diagnosis Alice decides she wants to become an organ donor and help others after her death.  The questions she asks and the worries voiced by her friends and family were very interesting to read about.  It has definitely opened my eyes to becoming a possible donor too.

Although the story is based on a very poignant subject the overall feel of this book is heartwarming and uplifting.  It’s an amazing story of one woman’s strength and courage that will perhaps help others feel more at ease with their own or others deaths.  I will be recommending this to everyone as I feel it is an important book everyone needs to read.

This is the author’s debut novel and I will definetly be looking out for other books from her.  I think this book would make a great book club book as i think it would create lots of discussions.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like uplifting books that make you laugh and cry then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

SarahJane is the debut writer of ‘I Give You My Heart’. SarahJane was born in Scotland but grew up in the Cheshire countryside, which is home to her. After a few years living in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where she went to secondary school, she has now settled back in Cheshire in a quirky flat surrounded by trees, birds and rolling fields. A marketing professional since finishing her formal education SarahJane is delighted to be following her writing dream. She still works part-time as a Marketing Manager, whilst furiously penning her next novel. SarahJane loves to read (ideally by the sea!). Her favourite writers include author Mitch Albom and poet Beau Taplin. Harbouring an adventurous spirit, she loves to travel and be surrounded by the wilderness, or riding Cornish waves, when she’s not cosied up at home spending time with her family, friends and books.

Book Synopsis:

Summer 1867: four-year-old Daisy Belle is about to make her debut at the Lambeth Baths in London. Her father, swimming professor Jeffery Belle, is introducing his Family of Frogs – and Daisy is the star attraction. By the end of that day, she has only one ambition in life: she will be the greatest female swimmer in the world.

She will race down the Thames, float in a whale tank, and challenge a man to a 70-foot high dive. And then she will set sail for America to swim across New York Harbour.

But Victorian women weren’t supposed to swim, and Daisy Belle will have to fight every stroke of the way if she wants her dreams to come true.

Inspired by the careers of Victorian champions Agnes Beckwith and Annie Luker, Daisy Belle is a story of courage and survival and a tribute to the swimmers of yesteryear.

Daisy Belle is published on the 1st September 2018 in ebook and paperback.  You can pre-order a copy of both here.

My Review:

This is a fantastic book, based on real people which I always love.  The author has a great way of transporting the reader to the Victorian era including lots of little details into the story about life then which helped bring the era to life.  The attitude towards woman and the blatant sexism made my blood boil at times and I felt very indignant for Daisy and everything she had to fight for.  It’s hard to believe that life was like that one day but good to realise how far we have come.

Daisy is a brilliant character and I so admired her drive and determination to get what she wants.  She shows such amazing courage at times in the book not just during the show but with standing up for herself against quite fierce opposition which took guts.  I found myself cheers for her every step of the way, willing her to succeed and being delighted when she did which is always a sign of a great character!

The writting in the book has a lovely flow to it which makes it quite an easy read.  It’s not obviously fast flowing but there is lots of stuff happening that ensures the reader wants to keep reading.  The pace of the book is such that the reader gets the opportunity to really get to know Daisy and fully immersed themselves in the swimming world.  I’d never read of some of the events or practices in this book so I found the historical detail very interesting and have since looked up the real swimmers the book is based on to find out more.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I look forward to reading more from her in the future as she definitely knows how to write great historical fiction which is my favourite genre.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Unbound publishers for my copy of this book.  If you like well written, fascinating historical fiction based on real characters then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Caitlin Davies was born in London in 1964. She spent 12 years in Botswana as a teacher and journalist and many of her books are set in the Okavango Delta, including a memoir Place of Reeds, described by Hilary Mantel as ‘candid and unsentimental’.
Her novels include The Ghost of Lily Painter, a fictional account of the arrest and execution of two Edwardian baby farmers, and Family Likeness about the fate of ‘war babies’ born to African American GI fathers in England during World War Two.
Her non-fiction books include Taking the Waters: A Swim Around Hampstead Heath, a celebration of 200 years of outdoor bathing, an illustrated history of the world famous Camden Lock Market, and Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames.
Her latest non-fiction is Bad Girls, and her latest novel is Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World, based on the lives of several Victorian aquatic stars, to be published by Unbound on September 1, 2018.
She is also a teacher and journalist, and was a regular feature writer for The Independent’s education and careers supplement. From 2014-17 she was a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Westminster, Harrow, in the faculty of Media, Arts & Design.

Her website is http://www.caitlindavies.co.uk/
Twitter: @CaitlinDavies2
Daisy Belle Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DaisyBelleSwimmingChampionoftheWorld/

Book Synopsis:

She can’t see the killer
But the killer can see her…

Naomi Hannah has been blind since birth. Struggling with living in a small, claustrophobic town, Naomi contemplates ending her life. But then she stumbles across the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered. She senses someone else there at the scene – watching her. Naomi may not be able to see the killer’s face, but she is still the only person who can identify him.

As the police begin hunting the person responsible and more victims are discovered, Naomi is forced to answer the question on which her fate hangs: why did the killer let her live?

In a town this small, the murderer must be close, perhaps even before her very eyes…

Before Her Eyes is available in ebook and paperback now, you can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

I’d heard a lot of great things about this author so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for his latest book, Before Her Eyes.  This is a fast paced, gripping and very gory thriller which I absolutely raced through.  I have a young baby so sleep is precious, but after stupidly deciding to read just one more chapter I eventually looked up from the book to check the time and realised I’d been ready for three hours! It’s a very addictive book.

The story is told from the point of view of Naomi and Marcus a Detective in the local police force who is trying to discover the truth about what is happening.  This makes for a very intriguing read as it soon becomes obvious that there are a lot of secrets that people are desperate to hide.

As mentioned above this is quite a gory book with the author describing the injuries of the victims quite vividly which did turn my stomach at times.  There is also quite a creepy element to the story at times, especially when describing Naomi’s interactions with the killer which actually made me jump at times.  This is definitely not a book to read when you are on your own in the house as every noise makes you start after reading.

This is quite a fast paced book with lots of action and intrigue which ensures that the reader keeps reading faster and faster as the story unfolds.  I didn’t have any idea who the killer was or how this story was going to end which was great for me and really added to the fun of reading the book.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I am so excited to go back and read his previous books.  If you like creepy, gripping and slightly gory thrillers then you’ll love this book!

Huge thanks to Kirsty from Corvus Books for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for Angelica Stone by Susi Osborne today and have an exciting giveawsg to share with you where you can win all four books written by Susi.

The buying links for each book and details of how to win this giveaway are below but first here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Following years of sexual abuse, Angelica is brought up in care. As a teenager she absconds, living on the streets, before eventually being forced into prostitution to survive. She learns to rely solely on herself and is reluctant to allow anyone to get close to her, until she forms an unlikely bond with Lola. In contrast, Lola is from what appears to be a happy middle-class background – but all is not what it seems…
Slowly, as their friendship grows, cracks start to appear in Lola’s life, and a series of events leave her on the verge of ruin. Can these women break the cycle of their lives? Or will they succumb to the path laid out before them? Angelica Stone is an emotional rollercoaster of laughter and tears as the women embark on a journey of self-discovery, with the support of one another.

Purchase Links :

Angelica Stone – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Angelica-Stone-Susi-Osborne/dp/1911320947/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Secrets, Lies & Butterflies – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Lies-Butterflies-Susi-Osborne/dp/1846248914/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Grace & Disgrace – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grace-Disgrace-Susi-Osborne/dp/1846244633/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
The Ripples of Life – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ripples-Life-Susi-Osborne/dp/1846241804/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

UK Giveaway!

One Winner will win all 4 of Susi Osborne’s Books (Open to UK Only) as pictured above.

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494123/?

About The Author:

Susi Osborne is the author of The Ripples of Life, Grace & Disgrace, Secrets, Lies & Butterflies and Angelica Stone. She lives in Cheshire with her Scottish husband, her actress daughter and their two mischievous little dogs. Susi also has an adult son and a grandson who live nearby. Amongst friends their house is known affectionately (she hopes!) as the Osborne madhouse, for obvious reasons.

Before she became a writer, Susi worked in libraries for many years. She also worked as a classroom assistant in a junior school. In addition to her writing Susi organises Northwich LitFest, which she has been running for the past seven years. Alongside the writing of her latest book, Angelica Stone, Susi has been raising money for Centrepoint, the charity for youth homelessness, and has set up a Just Giving Page for the charity in her name.
Susi is a firm believer in the fact that it’s never too late to do anything. ‘You only have one life – go out and grab it with both hands!’
Social Media Links –
Facebook Susi Osborne – Author https://www.facebook.com/susiwritesbooks
Twitter https://twitter.com/susiosborne
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/susi.osborne/

Good evening everyone I was on the blog blitz for Odyssey In A Teacup yesterday and have a great guest post to share with you.

Odyssey In A Teacup is available now in ebook and paperback, you can purchase a copy of both here.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog blitz and to the author for providing me with this guest post.

Before I share my guest post with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

A tut-tutting, big-breasted, modern-day gorgon; a humourless schoolmarm with an unfortunate name and freakishly long, yellow incisors (yeesh)—these are the kinds of people Ruth Roth regularly encounters. Add in daily dealings with an acerbic mother who squawks like a harpy, a father with a dodgy moral compass and a God complex, a bitchy mirror, and Ruth’s existence feels like a Greek tragicomedy.
The idiocy of daily life makes sense to Ruth when she develops a fascination with ancient mythology. She learns that the deviant gods and spectacular monsters of bygone myths are alive and well in the backwoods of our psyche; that there’s always one who escapes suppression and can have the whip hand in our lives. Ruth’s is one of the most unwelcome societal presences—the goddess of obscenity. And talk about ugly!
Ruth can relate to this immortal. Not in looks; Ruth is quite comely. But she feels unwelcome in her own family (she gatecrashed her mother’s womb only two months after her brother vacated it). Despite being labelled the ‘black sheep’, or maybe because of it, Ruth takes on her nemeses, bravely and brazenly (her dirty goddess doesn’t give a rat’s about social niceties). But our heroine is war-weary. And the yearning to fit in somewhere—anywhere—eventually undoes her. We must look on helplessly as Ruth loses her soul.
She wants it back, though!
Just as well the mad characters in her mind and experiences won’t quit. Just as well Ruth never loses her wry wit. And where her nearest and dearest attempt to keep her shrunken into a wholesome package of conformity, Ruth’s two closest girlfriends simply won’t allow it. And then there’s Ralph Brill.
Ruth’s hot-looking, eccentric cousin and best friend, Ralph is her staunchest ally. Also a misfit in his family, he has his share of problems including a st-t-t-tuttering brutish father, and an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder—Ralph needs to do everything twice, twice.
Ruth relies on his repeated encouragement and the support of her girlfriends as she embarks on an odyssey. A good homoeopathic dose of ancient mythology helps her find her way back through the sludgy shame and irrational fears choking her spirit. Then just when all seems well, Ruth faces an apocalypse …

Guest Post:

I love Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of South Park. I love their warped humour, their characters—foul-mouthed, politically incorrect bunch of yobs!—I admire their ability to satirise. Apparently, I do a bang-up job of this myself, according to a reviewer. She said it had been a really long time since she’d read good satire, and she ‘simply adored’ my first book.
I was chuffed, but I hadn’t thought of myself as a satirist. I thought I was just writing humour, Aussie style: taking the piss out of everything is one of our favourite pastimes. Then again, when you think that so much about life is stupid, it’s hard to resist sending it up.
Anyway, because most of my characters are parodies, I decided to commission a caricature of myself and add it to the cover images of all my social media accounts. Ha, ha, ha.
But now, it seems, the joke’s on me.
As we get older, our nose supposedly gets wider, our chin gets longer, our ears get bigger. I’m starting to look like that caricature and my Maker is laughing. Oh yeah, ha, ha, ha!
Occasionally, I’ll stand in front of my sometimes-bitchy mirror and push my droopy basset-hound jowls upwards. It reminds me of the way I used to look; makes me ask myself what can I do about this?
Well, there are lots of options. Many involve going under the knife. There’s also a heap of non-surgical approaches like dermal fillers, botox, etcetera. But I dare say none of these procedures is as painful as the process of self-acceptance.
Still, if I do decide to ‘alter’, why not go the whole hog? As above, so below. Top ’n’ tail. Yep. A face lift and a … vaginaplasty?
No way, José!
So, maybe a collagen boost for the lips and lips. An injection for the upper; vontouring for the lower. Vontouring is the treatment du jour for a saggy twat. Non-surgical, laser vaginal tightening?
Nope, again. Should I consider opting for a vajaycial, then—a kind of facial for the vagina?
Nope to that too. No one’s going anywhere near my vajayjay with a vacuum glass, pore cleaner or a micro-exfoliator—I can barely weather a speculum.
Self-improvement is different for everyone. And far be it from me to judge others for wanting to do what makes them feel good. The shift in appearance that comes with getting older is made so much harder for us women with the endless subliminal body-shaming that fills the airwaves. And although I’ve been hostage to social mores at times, there’s no rhyme or reason to much of it.
There was, however, a reason for my rhyming when, as a member of an online writers’ community, I used to submit poetry. Mostly, it was because I was too bloody lazy to come up with short stories. But maybe it was because the power of poetry cuts deeper than a scalpel can.
So, when the body-shaming tries to have its way with me in a weak moment, I can look back on this particular poem I wrote:

Just slide your numbing stent inside my vein,
And knock me out to make me young anew,
As botoxed brow and hoisted chops regain
a mirror casting back a luscious view

Two silicon balloons … augment my chest!
Please liposuck my dimpled thighs and hips.
With tummy tuck, my blubber you’ll divest,
Then give me JLo’s arse and Jolie’s lips

A cougar I’ll still be, but who would know —
my spandexed bod will surely hide the facts?
… Oh wait … inflation tends to reach a low,
And skintight stretching ends up looking lax

On second thoughts, it seems that I’ve been blind:
You have to wear a mask but mine’s not writ.
I’m outta here, I think I’ve changed my mind,
’Cause when it’s lost I’ll hardly give a shit.

At the end of the day, even if I haven’t lost my mind, I’d rather look at a caricaturised version of my younger self in the mirror than a version I don’t recognise.

About The Author:

Paula Houseman thought her life was, well … meh. Until she started fiction writing. What gushed forth onto the page made her realise her existence had not been mundane after all; it had been ridiculous! Sure, she has a serious side. The concept of ‘identity’ had fascinated her for some time, and she exercised it as a graphic designer creating them for others through imagery. Then, at university (majoring in linguistics and sociology), she explored how word usage constructs our identities and realities. Paula applied her findings to an essay on women’s subjectivity, even won the 2007 UNSW United Association of Women Prize. And her honours thesis examined the archetypal significances in the words that shape our collectively authored cancer story. But while she was digging around in ancient mythology where the archetypes live, Paula developed a kinship with a butt-ugly, potty-mouthed goddess, one who embodied a holy kind of dirty, showed her the absurdity of the human condition, taught her about the value of laughter, and is responsible for the bawdiness in her book, Odyssey in a Teacup.

Book Synopsis:

‘Welcome to Ocean View. You don’t know it yet, but you’ll be happy here…’

Julia’s not running away. Not exactly. She just needs a break from Paris and Marc and all the sad stuff that’s been going on lately. A little time to pull herself together.

The job offer felt like a lifeline. But now she’s back in Biarritz, suitcase in hand, she hasn’t the faintest idea what she was thinking.

What Julia doesn’t yet know is there’s more to the odds and ends of Ocean View than meet the eye. Behind the double doors lie broken hearts, lifelong secrets, a touch of romance and an unwavering passion for life. And sometimes it’s the most unlikely of places and people who help you find your way.

How To Find Love In The Little Things is available in ebook and paperback now, you can buy your copy here.

My Review:

This is a book to just fall in love with.  I loved everything about it the setting, the characters and the uplifting story.

The setting of a retirement home is an unusual one but this home is so full of vitality and fun that I found myself wanting to live there.  There always seemed to be something going on, some activity for the residents to do and when there wasn’t there were little social groups forming getting up to all sorts.

The reader gets the chance to know a lot of the residents very well which makes for fascinating but also slightly poignant reading.  I’ve never given much thought into getting old but this book addresses a few harsh realities and some of the residents stories were very emotional.  It definitely makes you want to embrace life and make the most of it while you can.

My favourite character was Julia and I enjoyed following her on the journey she goes through in the book.  It was great to see the effect that working at the home has on her and I did enjoy seeing her blossom throughout her stay there.  She’s a very real, natural character that is prone to making mistakes but is able to laugh at herself and doesn’t take these mistakes too much to heart.  Her brilliant descriptions of the things she gets up to is wonderfully done and often had me in stitches.

This isn’t a fast paced book but it doesn’t need to be as the fantastic setting and characters help to draw the reader in so they feel involved in the story.  I was soon fully immersed in the book reading the book in record time as I wanted to find out what on earth would happen next.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I can’t wait to read more from her.  If you like funny, emotional and uplifting books, filled with fabulous characters you’ll love this book.  It’s one I’ll be recommending to everyone!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline publishers for my copy of this book.  This one is going on my keep forever shelf!

About The Author: