The Seventh Miss Hatfield by Anna Caltabiano

Out Today!
Published by Gollancz and the ebook will be specially priced at £1.99 until the 7th August.

The Seventh Miss Hatfield by Anna Caltabiano

“Rebecca, a 15-year-old American, isn’t entirely happy with her life, comfortable though it is. Still, even she knows that she shouldn’t talk to strangers. So when her mysterious neighbour Miss Hatfield asked her in for a chat and a drink, Rebecca wasn’t entirely sure why she said yes. It was a decision that was to change everything.

For Miss Hatfield is immortal. And now, thanks to a drop of water from the Fountain of Youth, Rebecca is as well. But this gift might be more of a curse, and it comes with a price. Rebecca is beginning to lose her personality, to take on the aspects of her neighbour. She is becoming the next Miss Hatfield.

But before the process goes too far, Rebecca must travel back in time to turn-of-the-century New York and steal a painting, a picture which might provide a clue to the whereabouts of the source of immortality. A clue which must remain hidden from the world. In order to retrieve the painting, Rebecca must infiltrate a wealthy household, learn more about the head of the family, and find an opportunity to escape. Before her journey is through, she will also have – rather reluctantly – fallen in love. But how can she stay with the boy she cares for, when she must return to her own time before her time-travelling has a fatal effect on her body? And would she rather stay and die in love, or leave and live alone?

And who is the mysterious stranger who shadows her from place to place? A hunter for the secret of immortality – or someone who has already found it?”

“The Seventh Miss Hatfield” has a unique voice and distinctive style that you don’t come across everyday. I found the book to be very bitter-sweet. It reminded me of the point in a young persons life when they are required to take that step into adulthood and decide what they want to do with their life. It is an impossible situation when they don’t even know who they are or what they are capable of yet. To me the book was an allegory of losing ones childhood and Anna Caltabiano does it beautifully.

“The Seventh Miss Hatfield” is as enchanting as Harry Potter and has a rich adventure laden plot. It will make you laugh and cry, often at the same time. The book is written through the eyes of a 15 year old girl and it does a young adult tone to it but make no mistake, the emotional depth is one of maturity.

I can’t remember the last time I have read a book so innovative and remarkable. Once I started to read I could not put it down. I am a huge time-travelling fan and I completely enjoyed this book cover to cover. I can highly recommend it. If you are looking for something a bit different, then this is the book for you.

Now an exclusive interview with the author:

Elder Park Books:
In my review I stated that for me the book symbolized the loss of youth and the turning point from childhood to adulthood. Was that the message you had intended for this book?

Anna Caltabiano: When I write, I don’t start with a theme and build a story around my intended theme. With The 7^th Miss Hatfield, I started with a few characters—Henley and Rebecca—and then built a story around them. The theme really grew out of the interaction of the story with the development and growth of the characters. The transition to adulthood is often difficult and traumatic, but we all survive it.

EPBR: What is next?
AC: I’m currently working on the sequel to The Seventh Miss Hatfield. It’s a different experience to revisit characters you’ve worked with for over a year already. I plan to continue writing and exploring topics I find important to discuss.

EPBR: How much of you is in Rebecca?
AC: None of the characters are autobiographical. I try to create characters who are realistic and have their own stories and character. I certainly never consciously intend for any character to represent me, but I am sure that my own dreams, fears, and experiences cannot help but be somewhere in my characters. Even now, when I reread certain passages, I sometimes ask myself where did that come from?

Review: Harlequin E Shivers Box set Volume 3

Harlequin E Shivers Box set Volume 3 by Dawn Brown, Barbara J. Hancock, Jane Godman and Delores Fossen

“Savor four chilling tales of lust and longing

Mood, mystery…romance that makes you shiver.”

 

Three more delicious tales from the reigning Queens of Gothic Romance. Gorgeously packaged with each novel complimenting each other, in a way that only Harlequin can do. This set includes individual cover art work in front of each novel, which is a beautiful touch and vast improvement.

-”Valley of Nightmares” is a beautifully written spell-binder, with dashes of the occult and a climatic ending. Set a between wars, this exceptional book also has a supernatural touch. It is captivating and very steamy.

-”His to posses” is a steamy romance with a spicier note. It is a tale about reincarnation, past lives and possession. Definitely a guilty pleasure.

-”The girl in blue” is an eerie tale about a cursed town and supernatural occurrences.  Trinity returns home after a tragedy that may or may not have been the work of the girl in blue, and has to deal with the ghosts of the past and present. A wonderful Gothic tale that only Barbara J. Hancock could deliver.

“The ghost of Cragera Bay” is a moody atmospheric tale about an tumble down Welsh mansion house with a body count. Ghost hunting and parapsychology feature heavily in this enigmatic novel. Quite possibly my favourite in this set.

This is the third of the E Shivers box set and the best part is they all can be read in any order. It is a must have series for any Gothic/ Paranormal romance fan.

Review: Book of life by Deborah Harkness

The book of life by Deborah Harkness

“Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew once more in the stunning climax to their epic tale, following A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES and SHADOW OF NIGHT.

A world of witches, daemons and vampires. A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. Diana and Matthew – the forbidden love at the heart of it.

After travelling through time in SHADOW OF NIGHT, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchant­ing series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home in France they reunite with their families – with one heart-breaking exception. But the real threat to their future is yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on a terrifying urgency. Using ancient knowl­edge and modern science, from the palaces of Venice and beyond, Diana and Matthew will finally learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago. ”

It has been a few years since “Shadow of night” but I can definitely say, it was worth the wait. I loved “Shadow of night” and thought it was the best book in the series- that is until “The Book of Life”.

Back from the past, Diana and Matthew are flung back into the frey. Ashmole 782 takes on more of an importance than ever.

I am limited with what I can say because I do not want to spoil one minute of the book for anyone. But what I can say is, that the “The Book of Life” is bigger, better and more explosive than the novels that came before it.

Diana and Matthew are magic together, their love continues to grow despite all the obstacles and threats they face.

As well as being a great romance, “The Book of Life” offers intrigue and a bit of mystery. The best part is that we finally learn what the witches discovered- and it is a doozy.

It is a phenomenal close to an epic series. I hope there are more adventures with Diana and Matthew because I fell in love with them and their world, and it would be very hard to say a final goodbye.

Review: The Divorced but not dead workshop by Cece Osgood

The Divorced but not dead workshop by Cece Osgood

“THE DIVORCED NOT DEAD WORKSHOP, a romantic comedy with a whopping side dish of chick lit, is a hilarious and touching look at re-entering the dating world after divorce.

Meet Dorsey Bing. She’s been divorced for five years and was recently dumped by her mega-hot Brit boyfriend, Theo. Smart, funny and a wee bit angsty, Dorsey brainstorms about a dating workshop for divorced men. Too bad she’s an idea person with zero follow-through.

That all changes when her best friend Pilar, a feisty go-getter, opts to set up the workshop with herself in charge and Dorsey as her “go-fer.” But do things ever really work out as planned. No. No, they don’t.

A startling mishap, rebellious workshop attendees and the arrival of handsome but wily Finn Woodall soon send things topsy-turvy for Dorsey. Even more trouble arises with the unexpected re-appearance of Theo. Will Dorsey want him back or is she smitten with Finn who could possibly be a back-stabbing rat bastard? And with everything that’s happened in the workshop will Dorsey face her biggest challenge to win the love, and life, she’s always desired?”

Divorced and not dead workshop is such a hilarious novel about modern relationships. Dorsey is laid off in a corporate downsizing and starts her own dream workshop.; with some teething problems and a lot of help from Pilar.

I found the book to be uplifting because it didn’t extol “finding another fish” but was about building yourself up and becoming the person you want and can be.

Some times true love does not conqueror all and the knight in shining armour never shows up, and you have to make your own dreams come true.

This book is about reality and picking yourself up and rebuilding your life.

Divorced but not dead workshop, is such a refreshing witty read that I urge every woman who has suffered a heart break or had to start their life over, to read.

Review: I’ve loved these days by Bethany Turner

I’ve loved these days by Bethany Turner

“”The very first time you met me you knew that he would never be the same again, didn’t you? For the record, I was never the same again either. And while times have changed and opportunities have been lost, I still know in my heart of hearts that I never will be. But we can’t go back, and we can’t undo. What’s more, I don’t really want to. While my life is not perfect, it is uniquely, ridiculously mine, and I would not trade it.”

Abigail Phelps has written her memoirs, but the world has never heard of her. So why should anyone care? Perhaps no one would, if the letter in which Abigail reflects on changing times and lost opportunities weren’t addressed to Jacqueline Onassis, and the man who would never be the same weren’t John F. Kennedy Jr.

Put aside all you think you know and jump into the greatest love story the world has never known. ”

I have to be honest, when I first started reading this book, I didn’t know what to make of it.

From the start it is clear Abby is very troubled. Despite the fact she can not separate fantasy from reality – she is  still charming and endearing.

Bethany Turner paints such an innovative story, that at times I even believed Abigail’s stories. She throws so much heart and soul into her fantasy relationships, you kind of wish they were real for her sake.

I thought “I’ve loved all these days” is a witty, thought provoking, brilliant novel. I am definitely going to read the rest of the books in this charming series.

Review: Pieces of it all by Tracy Krimmer

Pieces of it All by Tracy Krimmer

“An alcoholic. A scarred man. A thief.

Harvey, a twenty-two-year-old high school drop-out arrives home, a brief stint in rehab behind him and ready to start his life again. Then he meets Beth and her innocence and her desire to have it all capture him completely.

A girl on the cusp of womanhood. Determined. A bright future.

Beth, a recent high school graduate among the top in her class, can’t wait to get to college and fulfill her dreams. Then she meets Harvey and with his mysterious past, he stirs feelings in her she can’t ignore.

The chemistry between them is unmistakable but Harvey doesn’t trust easily and refuses to divulge his past to Beth though she wants to be a part of his future.

The pieces of their lives lie broken all around them, but can Harvey put his life back together and win Beth over before she begins her new life without him? And can Beth find the strength to become the woman she wants to be without sacrificing her integrity? ”

“Pieces of it All” is such an enthralling read.

At first it appeared to be a ordinary boy meets girl tale, but there is nothing ordinary about this emotionally charged novel.

It starts off with Beth, trying to find her way through life. When she meets Harvey- that is when they are both able to help each other reconcile their pasts and their inner demons.

“Pieces of it All” was such a unique book, with so many plot twists, that you couldn’t possibly see any of it coming. I can not remember the last time I read such a remarkable and enjoyable book with so much emotional depth.

Cover reveal: Darkness Watching by Emma L. Adams

Description:

Eighteen-year-old Ashlyn is one interview away from her future when she first sees the demons. She thinks she’s losing her mind, but the truth is far more frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits – and the darkness is staring back.

Desperate to escape the demons, Ash accepts a place at a university in the small town of Blackstone, in the middle of nowhere – little knowing that it isn’t coincidence that led her there but the pull of the Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own world.

All-night parties, new friendships and a life without rules or limits are all part of the package of student life – but demons still stalk Ash, and their interest in her has attracted the attention of every sorcerer in the area. Ash is soon caught between her new life and a group of other students with a connection to the Darkworld, who could offer the answers she’s looking for. The demons want something from her, and someone is determined to kill her before she can find out what it is.

In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be…

—

About The Author:

Emma Adams spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing fantasy and paranormal for young adults.

She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She also wrote various novels and short stories. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will never see the light of day).

Now a reluctant graduate, she can usually be found in front of her writing desk, creating weird and wonderful alternative worlds. Her debut novel The Puppet Spell, published in January 2013 by Rowanvale Books, is a fantasy tale for young adults and the young at heart, featuring disappearing uncles, invisibility potions and chimeras.

Emma also writes dark and creepy supernatural novels for older teens and adults. Her next book, Darkness Watching, is the first in the upper-YA/New Adult Darkworld series, and was published in October 2013 by Curiosity Quills Press.

Find Emma Adams Online:

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/emma.adams.775?fref=ts) | Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/@ELAdams12) | Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6563991.Emma_L_Adams) | Website (http://emmaladams.weebly.com/)

News: Pippa Croft Oxford Blue Series Special Offer!

To celebrate Pippa Croft’s  truly fantastic novels, Penguin is very excited to be able to offer the first two book in the “Oxford Blue” series at a bargain price for one week only on Amazon.

The First Time We Met is for one week only (28th July – 3rd August) will be 99p

The First Time We Met is the first novel in the sizzling new Oxford Blue romance series from Pippa Croft.

Lauren and Alexander’s journey continues in The Second Time I Saw You and Third Time Lucky, which are both available to pre-order in ebook now.

When US Senator’s daughter Lauren Cusack arrives at the enchanting Wyckham College of Oxford University, she hopes to mend her broken heart by throwing herself into her studies.

But then English aristocrat Alexander Hunt walks into her life and everything changes. Handsome, brooding, and with his own dark past to escape, Alexander is exactly what Lauren doesn’t need – but she finds herself helplessly drawn towards him.

Both Alexander and Lauren know that they should stay away from each other . . . but sometimes desire is so powerful that it conquers all else.”

 

 

  The Second Time I Saw You will be £1.99 for one week only (28th July – 3rd August)!

 

“Lauren and Alexander’s journey continues in the second novel in Pippa Croft’s Oxford Blue romance series.

It’s the beginning of a new term at Wyckham College, Oxford, and a fresh start for Lauren Cusack. Her fingers were badly burnt when a whirlwind romance with gorgeous English aristocrat, Alexander Hunt, became too hot to handle – and now she’s determined to keep her distance.

Her resolve is shaken when Alexander appears on her doorstep – he’s been completely torn apart by some devastating news. Lauren knows that she should stay away, but their chemistry is undeniable and she soon finds herself back in Alexander’s arms.

Can Lauren handle the drama that comes with Alexander Hunt? Or will she have to sacrifice the most exhilarating passion she’s ever known?”

 

An exclusive interview with Pippa Croft:

EPBR: What inspired the Oxford Blue series?

PC: Although it’s taken me a very long time to do it, I think I’ve always had a sub conscious longing to write about Oxford. I spent three years there and those days are still the most intense and heady of my life; I don’t think I’ll ever forget the feelings of excitement and fear at going away from home for the first time, especially to live in such a glamorous but frankly ‘weird’ environment! My daughter also went to Oxford and so her experiences have also been at the front of my mind – though I must stress, that apart from some of the locations, all the characters and events in the books are completely made-up! (You probably couldn’t make up what really goes on. 

EPBR: What actor would you want to play your hero, if it was made into a film?

PC: Now, I’ve thought about this a lot. I can’t find anyone who’s *exactly* perfect for Alexander, but I do love Tom Mison from Sleepy Hollow – and he played a special forces officer in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. OR Max Irons. I saw him as Kind Edward IV in The White Queen and thought he had the right aristocratic nobility and arrogance – and guess what? He’s playing a ‘posh’ Oxford student in the forthcoming film, The Riot Club. They both have amazing, sexy voices too – yum.

What do you think? I’d love to know who readers would cast.

EPBR: What are you working on next?

PC: Zzzz, what? Actually, I’ve only just finished the final copy edits on the final book in the Oxford Blue series, and I’m now waiting for the proofs. After writing all three books over the past year, I’m now taking a break for a few weeks! On saying that, I do have an idea for a single title book and a new series ‘bubbling up’ and I keep tinkering with those from time to time. Also my house and garden are like Sleeping Beauty’s castle and you can’t even see the carpet in the office… I’ll probably get down to full time writing again in September, and then in October, Third Time Lucky and is published in e book and First Time We Met is out in paperback. Exciting times!

Review: Caroline’s secret by Amy Lillard

Caroline’s secret by Amy Lillard

Out August 5th, 2014

“In Amy Lillard’s poignant introduction to Wells Landing, a small Amish community is home to two brave souls hoping to forget their painful pasts and rebuild their faith in the future. . .

Caroline Hostetler arrived in Oklahoma determined to forge a new life for herself and her daughter, Emma. As a single mother, she values the warmth and safety she’s found in close-knit Wells Landing. She’s even caught the eye of a handsome newcomer–a man who just may be the partner she longs for and the father Emma deserves. But the arrival of an Englisher threatens to lay bare the secrets she’s worked so hard to leave behind. . .

After losing his life-long sweetheart, Andrew Fitch moved to Wells Landing to work in his uncle’s furniture business and nurse his broken heart. Finding love again seems all but impossible–until he meets Caroline and Emma. But his plans to join their lives together may be shattered when the truth of Caroline’s past comes to light–unless, together, they can learn the true meaning of sacrifice and forgiveness. . .”

Caroline’s secret is a beautifully written family saga. Set amongst the Amish in Oklahoma, Caroline tries to forge a new life for her and her daughter, in Wells Landing.

Caroline’s secret is a tender and heart-warming romance. It also conveys beautifully the traditions and culture of the Amish people.

What I found more inspirational was how Caroline’s faith propelled her and gave her strength and hope- even when none was to be found.

If you are looking for something a bit different to read this summer, then I suggest this sweet novel. The best part is that this the first book in a new series and I can not wait to return to Wells Landing.

 

Review: Mission to murder by Lynn Cahoon

Mission to murder by Lynn Cahoon

Out July 31th, 2014

“In the California coastal town of South Cove, history is one of its many tourist attractions—until it becomes deadly…

Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More, has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Morgan, the obnoxious owner of South Cove’s most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his business to contest her claim. When Morgan is found murdered at The Castle shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to ask her for an alibi. Jill decides she must find the real murderer to clear her name. But when the killer comes for her, she’ll need to jump from historic preservation to self-preservation…”

Mission to murder is book two in the series that started with Guidebook to murder and can be read as a stand alone novel.

Returning to gorgeous South Cove, Jill’s next adventure involves an ancient mission church. This time Jill finds herself the target and lands herself in hot water, as this charming cozy continues.

As well as a madcap adventure and a body count, the romance between Jill and Greg continues. I adore South Cove. It is one of those places you wish you could visit.

I really enjoyed this series and I am looking forward to seeing what Lynn Cahoon, cooks up for Jill and Greg next.