Author Interview : Mandy Baggot

Today, I'd love to welcome Mandy Baggot to Eve's Chick Lit Reviews!

Photo courtesy of author

About Mandy Baggot

Mandy Baggot brings to 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 a self-confessed Twitter addict who also likes to show off her singing talents on You Tube - check out Lady Gaga! She's auditioned for X Factor, appeared on ITV1's Who Dares Sing and longs to duet with Bryan Adams. She also has a fondness for white wine, mashed potatoes, 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.

You can find out more on Mandy's website - http://mandybaggot.com or check out her author page at Sapphire Star Publishing http://sapphirestarpublishing.com/mandybaggot

 Published by Sapphire Star Publishing

Autumn Raine is a pop vocalist at the very top of her game. She's a style icon, the paparazzi's darling and everyone wants to be her friend. But when her safety is threatened, her whole life starts to unravel.

Enter Nathan Regan, an ex-elite soldier who is assigned to protect her. He's a good man doing bad things but what drives him? Passion? Madness? Or grief? Demons from the past are threarening to consume him. Can he win the fight alone or will he have to admit he needs help?

As threat deepens, Autumn starts to find out who she really needs in her life. Is there still room for personal assistant Janey or rapper boyfriend Rockweiler? When everyone around her is feeding her lies, how does she work out the truth? Does her record producer know more than he's letting on? What is her mother , the British Foreign Secretary's involvement in the situation? And can Autumn put her faith in a forty-something Jamaican woman who handles an automatic weapon as expertly as she cooks?

Eluding kidnap and trying to stay alive, can Autumn find the strength to the person she longs to be? And can two people, poles apart, forge something strong enough to survive anything?

Hi, Mandy! Thanks for spending time with me today!

Security seems to be different from your previous books. What was the inspiration behind it?

Although I always write romance novels they are all very different. The story for Security came from my love of watching action / suspense on TV. I love shows like 24 and Spooks. Once I had my characters there was always going to be more to the plot than just their relationship. I also went to an Andy McNab book signing at my local Waterstones. I'm completely intrigued by the work these soldiers do and just what situations they must have been in. We had a short chat and he is a really lovely guy but I couldn't help focusing on those hands...the guns he'd had in them, whose throat they might have been around at some point etc.

You have written 7 novels so far. Do you have a favourite character and why?

A favourite character?! Eek! How can I choose one?! I loved Robyn from Taking Charge. She is the girl who never grew up - one of the boys - who gets away with saying exactly what's on her mind.

Normally, books come from inspirations. Do you have a favourite place to go to for inspirations?

I do get inspired from places I visit. I obviously wrote my first novel, Excess All Areas, after I'd fallen in love with the Greek island of Corfu. Visiting my dad's home town in America inspired, Taking Charge. I would say I pick up ideas whenever I step out of the door!

Is there a reason or reasons why you chose to be self published?

In the beginning, I didn't choose to be self-published. I wrote to almost every agent in the UK and some in America with absolutely no luck with my first three novels. I got close on a couple of occasions but ultimately it was always a no. Once I'd received all those no letters I self-published through Feed A Read in paperback format and then Amazon invented Kindle Direct Publishing.

After bringing out Strings Attached and having so much success with it I really wasn't up for sending loads of query letters out so I just sent five emails to five small press publishers. Three came back wanting to sign Taking Charge and I was in a really special position. I chose the wonderful Sapphire Star Publishing and it was the right decision. That isn't to say I've forgotten my indie roots. There are some fantastic indie authors out there who are doing brilliantly without the backing of a traditional publisher and in this day and age it really is a case of finding what works best for you!

Do you have a favourite book or maybe, a favourite author?

I really don't have a favourite book or a favourite author. There are far too many fantastic books and writers out there I couldn't choose one. I'm really enjoying the variety.

A piece of advice for my lovely readers who are thinking of becoming writers?

Enjoy your writing. Decide what you want - indie or traditional - and get your work out there. Write from your heart not based on trend.

Lastly, what are you working on now? Tell us more about it?

I'm really, really close to finishing my next novel, Do You Remember? which I am scheduling for an October 2013 release. Here's the draft blurb to give you a taste : -

Do you remember your first love? Emma Barron does.

2005 was the most tragic year of Emma's life. It was the year her mother died and it was the year she met Guy Duval. Eight years on, school teacher Emma has a doting boyfriend and a young son, Dominic. Life's been hard but now it's comfortable. She's settled and content, so why would she risk it all for another chance with the man that broke her heart?

Guy's an international renowned footballer newly signed to a top UK team. Together with his long-term girlfriend Madeleine, he's determined to drown the horrors from his childhood with fame, success and money. hiding his pain beneath a public facade he's still struggling to get over events from his teenage years. No one knows the truth and it must stay that way.

Unable to confide in her best friend, Ally, Emma tries to hold her life together as her heart is pulled into pieces. Dominic is her priority and always has been, but did she turn her back on love too soon?

Nobody knows what really happened on 5 September 2005 and as events are slowly revealed can anyone cope with the truth?

Thanks for your visit Mandy!

Sophie's Run Book Tour

Title : Sophie's Run

Author : Nicky Wells

Publication Date : 7 February 2013

Publlisher : Sapphire Star Publishing

Source : Sent by Nicky (Thank you!)

Overall : Beyond 5/5

Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour...

Who says that the road toward true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

So she's finally found the man of her dreams. Well...she knows who he is, even though she hasn't actually quite met him yet. When she misses her opportunity, her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance — even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Just as she's getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal. And to top it all, her new boyfriend leaves her lying in the mud.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey that eventually gets her life back on track.

CHECK OUT MY REVIEW HERE.

I NEED MY FIX OF SILVER AND BLUE

*Nicky sings* Oh I do love to be beside the seaside... Oh I do love to be beside the sea-ea-ea... I'm as happy as can be... *and then she runs out of words*

But there you have it. I love the seaside. I think I was meant to be a coastal dweller, and the fact that I'm not is still one of life's little mishaps that I will have to correct, with time. It is no accident that my leading lady, Sophie, is a Cornish pisky. At least one of the men in her life is also a seaside baby. And over the course of the Rock Star romance Trilogy, significant time will be spent in coastal climes by one or several characters.

Why?

Because I attribute the same love, need, craving of the seaside to my characters as I experience myself.

Craving, you say. Of course you'd pick up on the most unusual word here. Yes, craving. I absolutely must have my fix of silver and blue in regular intervals. Having spent a mostly rainy week in Wales during last year's 'summer' holiday, and then having been treated to one of nature's most spectacular mood-swings, brought it all out in sharp relief again. Nicky needs the sea.

Imagine the scene. After several grey, damp, dull and dreary days spent wishing...well, wishing frankly that I were at home rather than there, in this miserable little holiday dump, on a Thursday morning I rose to brilliant sunshine. My mood lifted immediately, and I packed the family in the car to undertake a little drive to the nearest fantastic beach.

And it was a classic Nicky-mood-lift-restore-mental-equilibrium moment. No sooner had we turned into the coastal road to find a parking space, there it was, the brilliant blue of the Atlantic twinkling between the green and yellow hills. The walk down to the vast expanse of sandy white beach was of movie-style calibre. Wooden boardwalk, green palm trees thoughtfully provided by the local tourist board to set the right kind of mood (tropical? In Wales? Never mind, it worked). Majestic headlands rising either side of the bay. The obligatory promontory half-island sticking for out to sea, providing a dramatic backdrop to the ebb and flow of the tide (and ample opportunity for rock pooling).

On this particular day, I splurged and rented a lounger and a parasol because yes, we were there to stay for the day. So with the kids happily dispatched splashing in the sea under the not-so-close supervision of my husband, I sat back and drank.

Drank it all in. The blue and silver sparkles rising from the eternal sea. The deep breathing of the surf. The desolate, eternal calls of the seagulls whirling ahead. How do seagulls manage to sound desolate even on a sunny, busy day?

There must have been hundreds of people on the beach that day, and it wasn't therefore an ideal environment for sea-appreciation. Yet the palliative powers of the coast were not to be deterred. I could feel my whole body relax, and my mind slip into 'easy going' mode as the sheer timelessness of it all worked its magic on me. And that's what I need, every now in then, to be me, to be whole, to be same. That little reminder of the never-ending battle between water and rock, the feeling of eternity and continual change. This fascinating juxtaposition of ever-same-ness and ever-change of the appearance and the sound and feel of the coast. Somehow, it puts things into perspective and it restarts my mind. I have never, ever walked away from a day, or even just an hour, by the seaside feeling sad, or unsure, or unhappy.

And that's why I need my fix of silver-and-blue. One day, I'll buy a disused lighthouse and establish a residence in there. I'll write in the old lighting chamber with a 360-degree panorama of the sea. Then, life will be perfect. And Sophie? Well, she's one hundred percent behind me. 

Take a look at the opening chapter of Sophie's Run :

The ferry bumped gently against the pier, and I took a deep breath to steady my jangling nerves. I was here.

I arrived on this tiny, car-free island in the remote German North Sea, and I was all alone. It was strangely thrilling to think that no one knew where I was. No one was expecting me. I had made no arrangements for my stay. In fact, I didn't even know where I would sleep, but that was fine. It suited my mood. I wanted a clean break, a fresh start. No links to the past, no connections to the mess that I have left behind.

Just briefly, I wondered whether Steve would notice that I was gone. Steve, who I thought was definitely the one. would he even care, after everything that had happened? And what about my best-friend-in-the-whole-world, Rachel? Or Dan, for that matter, my other best friend, singer and rock star extraordinaire, who also doubled as my ex-fiancé – well, one of my ex-fiancés, actually. Would he notice I had run away?

While I waited for the ferry to finish docking, I drank in every detail of my chosen exile. The calm sea with little white-crested waves lapping gently against the quay. The green and white of the sandy dunes standing stark and fresh against the wide-open, deep-blue sky. The tiny harbor with only a handful of buildings and a few fishing boats bobbing on the incoming tide. Seagulls wheeling overhead, their mournful cries carrying on the gentle breeze, augmenting my sense of emptiness, newness. Fresh, clean, salty air. I took another deep breath, feeling calmer already.

Yes, I had done the right thing. I had come to the right place. Here, I would find the space and the peace to think things through. I would figure it all out, everything that had happened, and a few things that hadn't. And I would put my life back together.

See? Me and Sophie, need our fix of silver and blue! If you're intrigued, you can get your copy of Sophie's Run right here :

Sophie's Run is now available in Kindle edition from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, and in Paperback edition from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk You can also get the paperback at Barnes & Noble, or download Sophie's Run onto your Nook (coming soon).

Now, to celebrate the launch of Sophie's Run, don't miss out on this fabulous give-away :

STANDARD GIVEAWAY : 

Nicky Wells is giving away one delicious chocolate gift to a lucky winner in the UK or North America!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


BONUS GIVEAWAY :

Nicky Wells offers a giveaway of one Amazon gift voucher worth $20/£15 for one lucky winner. To enter, simply share your thoughts on Sophie's Run with Nicky. Email your comment to nickywells@sapphirestarpublishing.com and your name will be entered into the draw. Competition closes 1 May 2013.

GOOD LUCK AND ROCK ON! And a huge Thank You to the fabulous Eve for hosting me here today. You're a star!!

About the fantabulous Nicky Wells : Romance that Rocks Your World 

Rock On! Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance fiction featuring a rock star and the girl next door. A signed author with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky is in the throes of publishing her Rock Star Romance Trilogy. Nicky loves music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she's not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant.

Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.

Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update of her work progress. You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook. Nicky is a featured on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists' Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing, Amazon and, of course, Goodreads.

Book Review : Sophie's Run by Nicky Wells

Title : Sophie's Run

Author : Nicky Wells

Publication Date : 7 February 2013

Publlisher : Sapphire Star Publishing

Source : Sent by Nicky (Thank you!)

Overall : Beyond 5/5

Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour...

Who says that the road toward true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

So she's finally found the man of her dreams. Well...she knows who he is, even though she hasn't actually quite met him yet. When she misses her opportunity, her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance — even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Just as she's getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal. And to top it all, her new boyfriend leaves her lying in the mud.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey that eventually gets her life back on track.

Recently, as all of you can see, I've posted quite a number of posts about Sophie's Turn and Sophie's Run. Yes, I'm really excited about Nicky's second book, Sophie's Run, a delightful sequel to Sophie's Turn. Sophie's Turn ended with such a surprise ending. When it ended, I wanted to read the second one really badly and now that I have, I'm sharing my experience with all of you. I loved Sophie's Turn but I loved Sophie's Run even more, every word of it. When I was reading the book, I was totally sucked into Sophie's world, a dream I hoped to last. But all good things must come to an end, right? Nicky reminded me that it's a fairytale in three parts and this is just the second part.

Sophie, the heroine of the story is like a sister to me now. It's as though I've known her for a long, long time and I can absolutely feel for her. She's one of the best characters I've came across. She's simple, very human, does stupid things like us and has strong feelings for rock star, Dan. I'm pretty sure all of us can relate to that! I was there with her when she was proposed by two different men, when she left them and now, when she's found her thunderbolt-and-lightning man, Steve. Her journey to find The One was such an amazing journey, filled with drama and love. I was so terribly touched that I cried at some tiny things in the book. Those tiny little things and details matter. Read and you will know why!

This book is divided into a few parts and every part gave me a different feeling, totally felt the emotions through Nicky's words. It's like sitting on a rollercoaster, not knowing what's next. Each character has their own story to tell, it's just so fab! In this book, Sophie's in Germany for some reasons. Greetje, a lovely lady she met there was such a great character. I liked her immediately. Greetje's with Sophie when she's having a hard time, a great listener, just like a mother! Reading about Sophie's experiences there was like Nicky telling her story as she's from Germany. I couldn't get enough of the beauty of the island. It's so beautifully described, carless and a small, warm community. A very romantic island filled with lovely people and places. I would love to be there one day, enjoy some tea while the sun sets! Another must-visit!

Dan (think John Mayer!), the rock star, the ex-fiancé is back again for Sophie's Run. I loved him, no matter how bad he could be. In this book, his beloved Sophie's going after her thunderbolt-and-lightning man and there's nothing he can do about it except letting her go. 'If you love someone, set them free.' It's such a painful thing but it has to be done. I didn't really expect for them to end up as a happy couple in this book, but my heart sank a little when he let her go. Dan's such a hero in this book and I sincerely hope that Sophie will be his wife in the next one.Please make this happen, Nicky! Rachel, the BFF, I adored her in the first book but in this, my feelings faded a little. As the blurb suggests, there would be some conflicts between Sophie and Rach but I didn't expect it to be bad. Fights do strengthen friendships, anyway. Do read to find out! Won't give too much away!

All in all, I can say that Nicky has done a fantabulous job! A modern Cinderella story, well written and fantastic characters to love! I loved EVERYTHING about this entertaining book. From the cover to the tiniest supporting character! I do not want the story to end, it's just heartbreaking to bid goodbye to my fictional sister, the amazing rock chick! Can't wait for her to be back in the third book, Sophie's Encore. Let's hope she will be Mrs Hunter in September! Not too long from now, seven months! Love you, sister! Till we meet again. As for now, let's enjoy the virtual launch party on Facebook! The party is on now!

This book is a page turner and I highly recommend it to all!

HAPPY LAUNCH DAY, NICKY! Thanks for a copy of this book! Rock on! xxx

Book Review : A Passionate Love Affair With a Total Stranger by Lucy Robinson

Title : A Passionate Love Affair With a Total Stranger

Author : Lucy Robinson

Publication Date : 31 January 2013

Publisher : Michael Joseph

Source : Sent by the publisher (Thank you so much!)

Overall : 5/5 

Charley Lambert has put considerable effort into achieving a perfect life. She has The Job, The Wardrobe. And The Flat. Her womanising, junk foodloving housemate Sam lowers the tone a bit but that aside, things are peachy.

Then she breaks her leg in three places, watches her unrequited love propose to someone else and - worst of all - is forced to hand over her job to her nasty deputy while she recovers. Workaholic Charley fears that she will soon go mad.

Desperate for something to do, she discovers her talent for helping lovelorn online. And then William arrives in her inbox. Within hours of his first email, her world starts to change. Helpless, she watches herself fall in love with this man and begins to realise that she's not who she thought she was.

But will Charley be brave enough to turn her back on her old life - all for a total stranger.

A Passionate Love Affair With a Total Stranger may be my first book by the ever funny Lucy Robinson but I felt as though I've known her for a long time. I love her and her brilliant way of writing very much! A Passionate Love Affair With a Total Stranger's cover was not very different from her debut novel, The Greatest Love Story of All Time but still, it's very, very pretty. Lovely pink font for Lucy's name that matches Charley's skirt and shoes! Gorgeous! Due to it's attractive cover, captivating title and interesting blurb, I started on it immediately. I was glued to the book from page one and I felt the erupting craziness beneath the cover! It's really easy to get into this story and I have to say, Charley's beyond a lovable character. I really want to have a crazy twin like her. At first, I thought Charley would end up with THE STRANGER, erm well, the title. But man, I was wrong, totally wrong. Some parts of this book were totally unexpected. I learnt that she's a busy, busy woman. A lady with a no-nonsense attitude, she's restless and can never keep calm. But, when she's admitted into the hospital, she's forced to rest. Unable to work and the launch of her company's mega, ultra important new drug is coming up soon, what's she going to do?

To stop herself from becoming a lunatic, she sets up First Date Aid, with her housemate's help. There, I realised that she's not a scary, strict looking lady but a crazy, fun one. Maybe she has to put on a cold looking face for business, as a comms director but under those serious suits, she's just another young lady like me and you. She calls herself Scottish Amazon but never trust her. She meets THE STRANGER, William and falls deeply and madly in love with him. Not that she's actually seen him. Online dating. Reading their exchange of emails was like reading emails in Fifty Shades! Similar feeling and I loved that feeling, can't deny. I can't never tell you how much I loved reading the emails, Lucy is terribly brilliant! Totally had me laughing out loud. There should be more Charleys on Earth. Less lonely people then!

And oops, I almost forgot about the other characters! I almost, sorry! This story wouldn't be perfect without the fantastic supporting characters. I want a best friend like Hailey. She's another mad woman. You won't hate her! Ooooh, and Sam, the womanising housemate and Nutella lover! I liked him almost immediately. It's impossible to not love him because he loves Nutella! All right, he's an actor, well, sort of an expired one but who the hell cares? He's still an actor and my fave male character in this book. I'm obsessed with Chace and I imagined Chacey as Sam while I was reading the book. Not only this actually, but almost every book. Sort of too common now, eh? So, as I'm writing this review, watching Revenge, I see Daniel (Joshua Bowman) as Sam! Horribly distracted now. Please slap me! Granny Helen! I can only think of my lovely grandmother when I read about her. I think I'm certain that I can never, ever finish telling everyone how much I loved the book.

Well, not giving too much away! Go get yourself a copy or download it into your Kindle, iPad, tablets, whatever and read. Such a light and entertaining read. A perfect cure for a horrible day at work! You cannot not love it! Here, I'd love to thank the sweetheart from Michael Joseph for sending me an ARC of this fantabulous, hilarious book! Can't wait for Lucy to write her next one! As for now, I'm going to get my copy of The Greatest Love Story of All Time! Do feel free to tweet the awesome author, Lucy (@Lucy_Robinson) on Twitter!

HAPPY PUB DAY TO LUCY! 

Till then, sweethearts! xx

Guest Post : Linn B Halton

Today I would love to welcome Linn to Eve's Chick Lit Reviews! It's absolutely lovely to have her here.

Photo courtesy of author

Linn writes contemporary women's love stories that reflect life, but you are always guaranteed an ending that won't disappoint!

Love, life and beyond… but it’s ALWAYS about the romance!

Linn signed with US publishing house Sapphire Star Publishing in 2012; The Quintessential Gemini, a heart-warming romance was released in June 2012 and The Restaurant @ The Mill, a collection of life/love stories based around an old mill, was released in August 2012. Linn is a member of the RNA.

Linn also has two self-published books – Touched By The Light (a psychic romance that will make you think) and Being A Sceptic Is Oh So Easy (a diary of events/true story).

Linn is a featured new Author loveahappyending.com and also one of the Editors on the website's magazine-style blog.

How I came to write Never Alone...

Thank you Evelyn for taking part in my Fiction Addiction Virtual Book Tour to celebrate the release of Never Alone. It's a real pleasure to be here on Eve's Chick Lit Reviews!

Every author has a very different story to tell about how they came to write their novel. So I'd like to share my personal writing journey for Never Alone, which was completed back in June 2010. I began writing full-time in the spring of 2009. Like many other authors I had to wait a long time to be able to find the time to begin writing. A busy family life, then a full-time career kept me fully occupied and yet I never gave up on the hope that one day I would find that 'me' time. Unfortunately my mother became seriously ill and I gave up work to look after her in December 2008, she died unexpectedly just three months later. The decision to walk away from my career had been made easy for me, my mother came first. So it seemed like an omen - fate had opened up a pathway for me. My wonderful husband said 'go for it!' And that's what I did.

I have to say it saved me in many ways; I started to write whilst sorting out my late mother's affairs and it kept my mind from constantly dwelling on my grief. There were good days and bad days, but as the weeks passed I found myself writing late into the night. Sometimes I cried as I wrote, I missed her so much but I knew she was there willing me on and I had a job to do! I wrote solidly - five stories, one after the other and Never Alone was the final one. I had only submitted the first manuscript to a publisher, who took fourteen months to get it into print. It seemed easier to keep on writing until they needed some input from me. At that point I had no author website, I wasn't on Twitter or Facebook. I was clueless about the processes and didn't know anyone who wrote, let alone had any experience of being published.

It wasn't until I finished that last manuscript that I learnt about an 'author platform' and finding ways of interacting with all of those avid readers out there! I learnt quickly and launched my website on 13 December 2010. I joined Twitter and Facebook, thrusting myself into a new and exciting world! I feel very lucky to have had some lovely reviews and it's still a thrill each time a reader or reviewer is kind enough to post a new one.

Jump forward eighteen months and here I am! With the launch of Never Alone all five of my manuscripts are now on sale as ebooks and paperbacks. My fabulous publishers, Sapphire Star Publishing, brought out The Quintessential Gemini in June 2012 and The Restaurant @ The Mill in August 2012.

I decided to self-publish the other three manuscripts - Touched By The Light, Being A Sceptic Is Oh So Easy and Never Alone as it allows me to run free promotions from time to time. As a new author you have to build your fan base and I hope that the promotions mean I can reach people who might not have seen me before and can 'try out' a read for free!

I would describe my writing as contemporary women's romance. It's all about relationships and the pursuit of love, finding one's soul-mate! Three of my books have a fun and light psychic theme to add to the complexities of love and life. One of my books is the true story of why I now believe our loved ones are with us always, it's a diary really of the things I've experienced in my life so far. Life-changing moment and my thoughts on luck, instinctive feelings, deja vu and fate. But above all, when I write I want it to be positive, uplifting and have a happy ending that rings true.

And that leads me onto Never Alone ...

 

Holly Atherton has a seemingly perfect life, until suddenly it all beings to unravel. She has spent her life living up to other people's expectations of her, trying to please them.

She has it all - the affluent family who dote on her, a job she loves in her father's business, and the perfect boyfriend. Will is a successful entrepreneur and they are about to start enjoying a lifestyle many can only dream about. His latest business deal will see them with homes in the UK and Los Angeles.

But what if you wake up one morning and find yourself wondering whether the path you are on is the one you are supposed to be taking? Is she too caught up in pleasing her parents and Will to take her future into her own hands?

When Holly's psychic sensitivity begins to surface she doesn't know how to handle it. Vivid dreams seem too real to ignore and she finds herself 'talking' to Nick, the recently deceased brother of her best friend, Celia.

Just having someone to whom she can offload what she's feeling helps and she feels happier moving forward with Will into their exciting new future and all seems well... but, of course, life is never that simple...

I've enjoyed sharing my writing journey with you, thanks so much to my lovely host, Eve, and to you for dropping by!

To find out more about author Linn B Halton:

Website
A loveahappyending.com author
Signed by:http://www.sapphirestarpublishing.com/linnbhalton
Twitter: @LinnBHalton
Facebook: Linn B Halton
Romantic Novelists' Association page

Amazon.co.uk (buy)
Amazon.com (buy)

Linn's giving away three copies of her new book, Never Alone. To enter, simply follow me on Twitter (@ChickLitterEve) and tweet me! Three lucky winners will be chosen. Competition ends on 31st January 2013.

Good luck, loves!

Announcement : Winners of Sophie's Turn Giveaway

Hello, all! The two lucky winners of the Sophie's Turn Giveaway has been selected and I'd like to congratulate Allyson Brann and Kelly Rufus! Do enjoy Sophie's Turn! Feel free to tweet Nicky (@WellsNicky) and have a little chat! Have a sunshiny day! xx

Book News & Giveaway : Sophie's Run

About Nicky Wells : Romance that Rocks Your World

Rock On! Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance fiction featuring a rock star and the girl next door. A signed author with U.S. publisher, Sapphire Star Publishing, Nicky is in the throes of publishing her Rock Star Romance Trilogy. Nicky loves music, dancing, and eating lobsters. When she's not writing, Nicky is a wife, mother, and occasional teaching assistant.

Originally born in Germany, Nicky moved to the United Kingdom in 1993, and currently lives in Lincoln with her husband and their two boys. In a previous professional life, Nicky worked as a researcher and project manager for an international Human Resources research firm based in London and Washington, D.C.

Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update of her work progress. You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook. Nicky is a featured on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists' Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing, Amazon and, of course, Goodreads.

Here is the second book of her Rock Star Romance Trilogy, Sophie's Run!

Her famous star remains her rock while life takes her on a little detour...

Who says that the road toward true love is straight and even? Sophie is certainly discovering that it is anything but.

So she's finally found the man of her dreams. Well...she knows who he is, even though she hasn't actually quite met him yet. When she misses her opportunity, her life goes crazy. Rock star and ex-fiancé, Dan, keeps getting in the way of her new romance — even if he is just trying to be helpful. A fire, an impromptu mini-trip with Dan, and a dreaded wedding later, Sophie is still struggling to meet the love of her life. Just as she's getting it together with her perfect man, best friend Rachel commits an act of unspeakable betrayal. And to top it all, her new boyfriend leaves her lying in the mud.

Sophie has had enough. Confused and distraught, she decides that it is time for radical change. Surprising herself and shocking her friends, she embarks on a secret journey that eventually gets her life back on track.

I absolutely can't wait for this one! The first book was really good and I'm looking forward to more of Sophie's adventures! And I like this cover! Well, no Eiffel Tower this time but the colours are great! Definitely on my to-read list! Out on 7th February 2013! Less than a month from now! Stay tuned!

The lovely Nicky has decided to give out two e-copies (KINDLE Edition) of the first book of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy, Sophie's Turn! Such fab news! I loved this book! Such an amazing debut! Check out my review here!

To enter, simply drop me an email at evelynchonglinling@gmail.com with 'Giveaway for Sophie's Turn' as the subject. Do include your name and contact details (email or Twitter) in the email and you're in for this! Simple, isn't it?

This giveaway ends on 19th January 2013!

Good luck, all! xx

To interact with the lovely Nicky, follow (@WellsNicky) and tweet her! She's a very nice lady, I tell you!