Thank you , Karen, for inviting me over to your blog to chat about Gymslip Bride.
I was delighted when Karen Pierce Gonzalez invited me to an invite to offer me the chance to chat about my new release Gymslip Bride. If you’d like to read the interview then go HERE.
What a pleasure it was to be invited over to Val Penny’s blog to chat about inspiration in my writing. Why not pop over there and have a read?
READ HERE
Congratulations to my lovely author friend, Lisette Brodey, on the launch of A Dubious Recall. Don’t you just love that cover?
When you’re not sure where you’ve been, how do you know where you’re going?
With only one more year of high school to go, New York City teen Bree Farrell disappears, leaving only a note behind, assuring her family that she’s left of her own free will. Despite their best efforts to find her, she remains elusive. Four years later, she returns to the family apartment.
Her muddled sense of where she’s been, her secondhand clothing, and her claim she was abducted by aliens one night in the Mojave Desert cause her family to be uncertain and concerned. Bree’s close relationship with her grandmother resumes immediately, but a lot has changed. For one, she doesn’t believe her brother Silas is really her brother. But she has no rationale for her feelings.
So, when Silas invites Bree to visit him at his bartending job at a well-known Irish restaurant, she accepts. While there, a chance meeting with soap actress Cheyenne Carson, who Bree and her grandmother watched for years, upends Bree’s life in unimaginable ways. Conversely, Cheyenne’s alleged date, Zak, becomes a port in the storm.
With her ex constantly calling her family home and stalking her, and having unanswered questions about her past, it’s only a matter of time before Bree’s life takes another detour… one she’ll have zero control in stopping this time.
I’m delighted to advise that Gymslip Bride is now available in paperback as well as kindle. You can purchase the paperback version from Amazon or order from any good bookstore. You can even request your local library to stock it.
Liverpool September 1948
Turmoil threatens when a Jewish girl falls in love with an Irish Catholic.
When seventeen-year-old Talia Cohen discovers the guy she fancies is not only her best friend’s brother, but a twenty-two-year-old Irish Catholic, the magnetism is too strong to deter her, despite the havoc it will cause both families.
Pledged to a boy of her own faith, she stands up to her parents and fights for the right to choose her own husband, of any age and any religion. But can she also go up against a widowed mother who insists her only son weds a nice Irish girl?
With love on one side and family loyalty on the other, how much is Talia willing to risk for the man of her dreams?
Perfect for fans of heartfelt, rebellious post-war romance.
Today I thought I’d share a couple of things with you for Halloween. The first is a flash fiction – Soul Stealers. I hope you enjoy it.
He forces his eyes to stay open. Why did he even agree to this? But if he hadn’t and if it was true, what then? He trys to concentrate on the muffled thunder and thrashing waves.
‘It’s just an old wives’ tale,’ the villagers told him, but the white witch in the woods told him the truth.
He hauls himself up from the armchair, opens the French doors and glances at the illuminated sky as he breathes in the ocean air. A full moon. Suddenly, a strange presence takes hold of him. He shivers.
The phone rings. He makes his way over to the cabinet, perches on the bed, and picks up. ‘Hi, darling, yes, I’ll be home in the morning. Love you too.’ He returns the handpiece to its cradle. Exhausted and shivery, he lies down and pulls the quilt over himself. Just for a few minutes. But when his eyelids droop, he shoots up to a sitting position. No, I mustn’t sleep. Only a few more hours and he’ll be free from danger. He just needs to make it through until morning.
‘Your family is cursed,’ the witch had told him. ‘On All Hallows Eve, your thirtieth birthday, there will be a full moon. If you sleep your soul will be taken. However, if you spend this night at Blackwood Castle and do not sleep until first light then the curse will be broken.’
He lies back down. Once again his eyelids creep shut. The presence becomes stronger so he pinches his arm to help him stay awake. His eyes now wide open, he stares up at the ceiling. ‘You’re not stealing my soul.’ He laps up the humming waves from outside.
Will he get through this? Will he manage to survive? His family need him. He must survive.
He rolls off the bed, circles the room, and glimpses at the hands on his watch. Just a couple more hours. He can do this. His eyes burn for sleep. His body’s limp with fatigue. Dreams beg him to succumb.
The devil’s army waits. He must break this curse.
One more hour until dawn. He’s nearly there. He yawns. Weariness forces him to lie down on the bed, but he won’t sleep. He won’t…
I’m really happy today to welcome back my very good friend, Joy Wood, to Patricia’s Pen, as she celebrates the publication of The Couple’s Secret (Simon Stream). Previously published as Whatever it Takes.
Every couple has their secrets. How far would you go to keep them?
Lorna Lloyd has the picture-perfect life: a beautiful home, a successful career, and a handsome and loyal husband, Dan. Everyone thinks she’s won the jackpot…
Then a new couple moves in next door. Charming, wealthy, and fun, Perry and Ingrid Hunter are the ultimate power couple. There’s something about Perry’s sparkling smile and Ingrid’s tinkling laugh that make them irresistible.
Soon, the four of them are inseparable and Lorna’s safe, predictable life is flipped upside down. Champagne-fuelled dinners turn into luxurious weekends away, and weekends away into holiday vacations – until a tragic accident changes everything.
Because not everyone comes home alive. And when the shocking truth emerges, one thing becomes clear…
Each couple has been keeping a terrible secret. But whose was worth killing for?
Tempted? Click below to buy your copy.
BUY
An absolutely addictive page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end. Fans of Adele Parks, Lisa Jewell and Liane Moriarty will be gripped by the dark secrets uncovered in this suspenseful thriller filled with jaw-dropping twists.
The Couple’s Secret was previously published as Whatever It Takes. This edition includes editorial revisions.
Delighted to welcome back my friend Anita D. Hunt to Patricia’s Pen as she relaunches a revised version of Behind the Curtain.
Penny-May cannot quite believe her luck when the handsome and charming Sam takes an interest in her, especially so soon after the death of his first wife, Lucy.
But as their relationship develops, Sam’s true nature begins to emerge. Penny-May starts to believe that everything is her fault: she’s not perfect enough, not obedient enough, not enough like Lucy.
After all, according to everyone else, Sam is the perfect gentleman. Isn’t he?
As desperation sets in, Penny-May is stunned to discover the diaries of Sam’s first wife. Hidden within their pages are secrets that could change everything.
Will Lucy’s diaries finally give Penny-May the strength — and the upper hand — she needs to escape Sam?
Or has she already become trapped in something far more dangerous than she ever imagined?
Tempted by the blurb? Click below.
Good morning, everyone. It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind since Monday when Gymslip Bride went live on Kindle.
Right now, I’d like to make a few thank yous.
Firstly, to my wonderful writing buddy and editor, Maureen Cullen, who I simply couldn’t be without, to talented designer Andy Keylock (Marketing Pace) for creating such a wonderful cover. Don’t you think it’s simply the best? Thank you to my lovely ARC readers for taking the time to read the book and providing such brilliant feedback, to all my family and friends for sharing my posts on social media, and to those who’ve already downloaded Gymslip Bride onto their kindles, thank you. I hope you enjoy it.
And a final thank you to all my friends and family who support me through it all. As an independent writer I’m indebted to each and every one of you.
I can’t wait to hear what readers think of Gymslip Bride. If you love saga, love romance, and fancy the idea of stepping back in time to 1948 postwar Liverpool then the chances are you’ll find yourself enjoying Gymslip Bride.
Like all my other books, Gymslip Bride contains themes of friendship, family, and romance, along with breaking the class barrier. What’s different about this book is that it breaks culture barriers too as Talia Cohen (the gymslip bride) falls in love with Finn Marsh, an Irish Catholic. Lots of conflict as you may imagine. The question is, whether the couple are prepared to choose each other over their families.
How do you all feel about playing a little Question and Answer game where you can ask questions about Talia and I’ll answer them providing it’s not giving away any spoilers?
I’ll start. Who is the gymslip bride?
Answer: Talia Cohen. She’s seventeen and works at Lila’s, a travel agents. My late mum’s name was Lila and as she and my late father inspired me to write this story, I decided to name the shop after her and that way, every time I typed it, it was like my mum was alive in the story. Corny, I know, but it helped me.
Anyway, I’m digressing. Talia left school at fourteen as they did in those times. She’s rebellious. A bit of a pattern there with my previous protagonists as Grace Granville from House of Grace trilogy, Rachel Webster from the Woodhaerst, and Zara Wiseman from the Zara timeslip series, have all stood up to their parents.
And now it’s over to you. You might want to ask why she was given this name? Or maybe you’d like to ask something else.
If anyone fancies finding out more about Gymslip Bride, or considering downloading and not quite sure, here’s the link. It’s only on kindle at the moment but the paperback will follow sometime next month. And remember if you have Kindle Unlimited then you can download to read without any further outlay.
I’m looking forward to your questions.
I’m pleased to let you all know that Gymslip Bride is now available on Amazon Kindle. It’s enrolled in Kindle Select which means if you have Kindle Unlimited you can download without further cost. The paperback version will follow next month.
Liverpool September 1948
Turmoil threatens when a Jewish girl falls in love with an Irish Catholic
When seventeen-year-old Talia Cohen discovers the guy she fancies is not only her best friend’s brother, but a twenty-two-year-old Irish Catholic, the magnetism is too strong to deter her, despite the havoc it will cause both families.
Pledged to a boy of her own faith, she stands up to her parents and fights for the right to choose her own husband, of any age and any religion. But can she also go up against a widowed mother who insists her only son weds a nice Irish girl?
With love on one side and family loyalty on the other, how much is Talia willing to risk for the man of her dreams?
Perfect for fans of heartfelt, rebellious post-war romance.
I can’t wait to hear what my readers think of this new book. This one’s special to me as I was inspired to write it by my late parents’ story, although Gymslip Bride is a work of fiction.
