WINNER and Runner-Up of the 2015 Romance Book Award

The 2015 Golden Rose Book Award for Romance went to

Lynne Shelby with French Kissing

Meet Lynne

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing, and my ambition was always to be a published author. I write contemporary romance, because that’s what I like reading the most. In January 2015 I was thrilled to win the Accent Press & Woman Magazine Writing Competition with my debut novel ‘French Kissing.’ I love travelling and I’m inspired to write by the many wonderful foreign cities that I’ve visited and explored , with a camera and writer’s notebook in hand – Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Venice, New York, Copenhagen, Berlin and of course Paris, the city which inspired me to write ‘French Kissing’

Discover Lynne on Twitter @LynneB1

Book Description – French Kissing published by Accent Press

Anna Mitchel has been writing letters to her French penfriend, Alexandre Tourville, for fifteen years, but hasn’t seen him since an exchange trip when they were at school. But when Alex, now a successful photographer, has the opportunity to work in London, Anna offers him a place to stay but is astounded that the small, geeky boy she remembers is now tall, broad-shouldered and gorgeous, and has just broken up with his long-term girlfriend.

Anna’s female friends are soon swooning over Alex’s Gallic charm, and Anna’s boyfriend Nick is becoming extremely jealous of their friendship. Then Alex has to return to Paris to oversee the hanging of his photographs in an exhibition, and invites Anna to accompany him so that he can show her the city he adores…

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Silver Award went to

Patricia Sands and her book The Promise of Provence

Meet Patricia

Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, Canada, when she isn’t somewhere else. An admitted travel fanatic, she can pack a bag in a flash and be ready to go anywhere … particularly if it’s the south of France. Most winters are now spent in south Florida.

Patricia’s published novels include: The Bridge Club (2010) and the Love In Provence Book Series ~ The Promise of Provence (Book #1 – 2013) and Promises To Keep (Book #2 – 2014). She has been signed to a contract with the Lake Union Publishing (women’s fiction) arm of Amazon Publishing.

Her award-winning debut novel The Bridge Club was a finalist in the Foreword Reviews 2010 Book of The Year (general fiction), 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (First Novel) and 2012 Indie Excellence Book Awards.

Her second novel, The Promise of Provence, released in April 2013, received a 2013 USA Best Book Award ~ Women’s Lit Finalist and a 2014 National Indie Excellence Book Award ~ Literary Fiction Finalist, #4 in the Amazon Kindle store and #1 in three Love & Romance categories.

With a happily blended family of seven adult children and, at last count, six grandchildren, life is full and time is short. Beginning with a Kodak Brownie camera at the age of six, she has told stories all her life through photography and is seldom without a camera. When time permits, sports are also a big part of her life.

Patricia is also a sought-after speaker with women’s groups. Her messages inspire women of all ages to believe in themselves and to develop the confidence to pursue their dreams. She feels that life offers opportunities no matter what our age. A strong advocate for the importance of friendship, her writing and talks stress the value of the connections women make in their lives and how we are able to empower each other.

With a focus on women’s issues and aging, her stories celebrate the feminine spirit and the power of friendship. Her passion is bringing her message of motivation and inspiration to encourage women to value their stories and to find the strength within to approach every challenge as an opportunity.

Also a Flash Fiction Finalist (Winter 2010) with Women on Writing, her work was recently included in the anthology “Canadian Imprints” published by the Writers and Editors Network. Her travel writing can be found on the The Good Life France website and in her popular Friday blog, “If it’s Friday, it must be France…” which can be found on her website.

Find Patricia on Twitter @patricia_sands

Book Description The Promise Of Provence published by Lake Union Publishing

On the evening of her twenty-second wedding anniversary, Katherine Price can’t wait to celebrate. But instead of receiving an anniversary card from her husband, she finds a note asking for a divorce.

Fifty-five and suddenly alone, Katherine begins the daunting task of starting over. She has her friends, her aging mother, and her career to occupy her, but the future seems to hold little promise—until, after a winter of heartbreak, Katherine is persuaded to try a home exchange holiday in the South of France.

In Provence, bright fields of flowers bloom below medieval hilltop villages with winding cobblestone streets. Charmed by the picturesque countryside, the breathtaking Côte d’Azur, and the enchantment-filled boulevards of Paris, Katherine feels life opening up once again. Lavender perfumes the air, and chance encounters hint at romance and passion. But memories of heartbreak and betrayal linger—and her former life waits for her back home. Can she find the courage to begin again?

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Final congratulations to all the Romance nominees.

Helen Pollard with HOLDING BACK

Heather Hill with THE NEW MRS D

Donna Brown with PLAYING HOUSE

Emily Arden with LOVERS BY MOONLIGHT

 

A CLEAR SOLUTION by Eric McFarlane @Eric_McF @AccentPress #Bookreview #comedy

A Clear Solution by Eric McFarlane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Clear Solution is a piece of British comedy full of slap-stick moments and misunderstandings. Daniel Dreghorn is a chemistry lab technician at Coatdyke University, Scotland. Meant only as a temporary job he’s already been there five years.

Daniel is ear marked by student Susan Bradshaw as someone who could help her “pass” her exams after he is easily persuaded to give her the correct answer to her practical experiment. Susan’s father is a manager at Barnaby’s Bank and provides Daniel with large sums of money to get copies of the exam papers.

Whilst trying to get the papers, Daniel is discovered by Dr Bernini, who assumes Daniel has discovered information on his dodgy donuts. Bernini’s then keen to keep Daniel on side. Meanwhile Professor Smart wants a chat with Daniel.

In this comedy of errors everyone has a hidden agenda and they all think Daniel can help them as he totters from one disastrous scene to another. I must mention Sadie who works in the canteen, she had a wonderful Scottish accent.

Comedy is a very hard genre to get across to the reader, I could see this working well as a TV show, it ticks many boxes of a classic British sit-com.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

The #MysteryNovember Book Tour Day 22 – Nell Peters @paegon @AccentPress #SundayBlogShare

Here we are on day 22 of the #MysteryNovember book tour.

Our guest today is Nell Peters and her book By Any Other Name

Emily Kelly cannot believe her luck when she is employed as companion to wealthy Sir Gerald Ffinche. (OK, luck had nothing to do with it – but all’s fair in love and job-seeking, right?)

She soon settles in chez Ffinche and builds an excellent rapport with Sir Gerald – but it’s his son Richard who really interests her, and they quickly become inseparable.

However, it seems their happiness has enraged someone closely associated with the family, and a series of tragic events is set in motion. Subtle clues are left to incriminate Emily and when she determines to expose the real culprit, she is spoiled for choice. As the body count mounts, Emily and Richard – as well as the police – are perplexed. They’re clearly looking for someone who projects a mask of sanity to the world whilst being dangerously disturbed: but who?

With a whole shoal of red herrings and a plot that veers from the almost-cosy to a taut psychological thriller, By Any Other Name is an enthralling, chilling whodunit.

Where is your home town?

I spent the majority of my childhood in Twickenham – which everyone and their dog has heard of now courtesy the recent Rugby World Cup, and I’ve lived in a few places, including overseas. However, we bought this falling-down house in Norfolk a fraction over twenty years ago, and so I guess Kings Lynn has become my home town.

What do you like about writing in the mystery genre?

It’s a challenge to come up with a plot that has enough red herrings to lull the reader into a false sense of security, before you knock their socks off, and mentally juggle multiple threads toward a (hopefully totally unexpected) conclusion. Trick is, not to strangle oneself. It’s great when plot twists suggest themselves out of nowhere – but that also means I’m constantly battling with some very weird stuff in my head. However, I tell myself even the most evil thoughts are OK – it’s in the line of duty, after all. I long ago accepted that I have a warped mind.

What sub-genre of mystery does your book fit?

By Any Other Name is essentially a crime novel which hops around other genres. There are healthy doses of romance (though not so healthy for everyone concerned), humour and of course the police investigation into whodunit. There’s also some non-fiction psychological insight – I knew that stupid degree would come in handy sometime.

Where is your book set?

I invite readers to imagine the idyllic English countryside location (as I did) where the main action takes place – though I do mention a Manchester connection early on, to give subtle geographical guidance. Quite honestly, a specific location isn’t vital to the plot in this instance.

Can you introduce us to the main characters?

Emily Kelly is a mature psychology student, who needs a summer holiday job to earn money. She is interviewed by Jemima Ffinche, seeking a temporary companion for her elderly father, Sir Gerald, while she works away. When Emily gets the job and moves to Chaffinche House, she meets Richard Ffinche, Jemima’s brother and they quickly become an item – which rather upsets an old flame of Richard’s. Could bitter and twisted Liz Thorne be the one responsible for the ‘accidents’ which start to happen, with clues left to incriminate Emily? Or there’s odious Kevin Peterson, teenage son of the resident housekeeper and gardener. Enter detective Alan Jenkins and his sidekick Thomas Sutton, tasked with solving who is responsible for a mounting body count.

Where can readers find out more about you and your writing?

I have a Nell Peters author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NellPetersAuthor

WordPress is where I rest my blog: http://nellpeters.wordpress.com/

I’m on Twitter @paegon

Where can readers find your book?

The international link to my book on Amazon is: http://viewbook.at/By_Any_Other_Name_by_Nell_Peters

It’s published by Accent Press and is also available from their web site:

http://www.accentpress.co.uk/Book/12487/By-Any-Other-Name