Beach Reads Blog Tour 2015 Day 7 #Beachbooks @LindleyE

So we are just ending our first week of our holiday beach reads, everyone should be enjoying some sun and kicking back for a good rest.

Today my guest is E.L. Lindley

Beach Reads Blog Tour

 

I’m not much of a beach person so my ideal holiday destination is always a city break. I’m not overly keen on flying these days either so I can’t think of anything better than taking the train to Paris and spending my holiday embracing the lovely cafe culture there. I would spend my days watching the world go by with a glass of wine and a good book. Wherever I go, I always have a paperback and my kindle in my bag so I’d have lots to choose from. My iPod is another permanent companion but curiously I have never listened to an audio book so this would be the perfect opportunity for me to give one a try.

 

A Fun Read – I think it would be a lot of fun to charge up my kindle and re-read one of my own books. The Georgie Connelly stories are light-hearted crime thrillers which would hopefully get me into a holiday frame of mind. I’d choose Business As Usual because it’s the first one in the series and introduces us to Georgie Connelly. It’s also the first book I ever wrote so it would be nice to re-visit it. I’d then like to spend the rest of the holiday channelling my inner Georgie as she’s such a lively, mad-cap character who’s up for anything.

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

 To be released soon

An Easy Read For Me – A book I’m really looking forward to reading is Thicker than Water by Georgia Rose, which I’ll be downloading onto my kindle the second it’s released. It’s the third book in The Grayson Trilogy and I know this will be an easy read for me purely because I enjoyed the first two books so much. The stories are exquisitely written and introduce us to Emma Grayson and Trent who, despite neither of them having had easy lives, manage to connect and nurture their feelings for each other. As Thicker than Water is the final part of the trilogy, I’m really hoping that things will work out for Emma and Trent. For me the strength of the stories lie in the fact that they’re not just love at first sight, happy ending style romance but deal with real issues such as bereavement and loneliness.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Georgia-Rose/e/B00I4YW2ZA/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

 

A Book I’ve Been Meaning To Read For Ages – I’ve had a paperback copy of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn on my bedside table for months. I loved Dark Places and Gone Girl and, everyone I know who has read them, keeps telling me that Sharp Objects is Flynn’s best novel. It’s the story of a journalist who returns to her home town after many years in order to cover the story of a missing girl. Flynn does seem to divide opinion, possibly because Gone Girl was such a phenomenal success, but readers seem to love or hate her. I’m definitely in the ‘love her’ camp and really enjoy her dark, spiky style.

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

 A Book From My Favourite Genre – My favourite genre is crime and so I’d get my kindle out to read Hollywood Shakedown by Mark Barry, which I really love. It’s a gritty, old school crime novel and has a wonderful cast of dysfunctionally loveable characters. Frustrated writer, Buddy Chinn is at the centre of the story and he’s the kind of character that readers will adore and want to kill in equal measure. He’s very much a laid back Los Angeleno and so would provide the perfect antidote to all that stylish Parisian glamour. The plot has lots of twists and turns and takes the reader from LA to Chicago and London with lots of hilarious cross cultural shenanigans. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a nice glass of chardonnay.

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

A Book I Could Truly Escape With – I recently saw Far From The Madding Crowd at the cinema and it really made me want to read the book. It’s the story of Bathsheba Everdene, who’s trying to be an independent woman when it wasn’t really the done thing. She makes some terrible choices though and ends up in a bit of a pickle. I’m not a massive Thomas Hardy fan but I love The Mayor of Casterbridge because, when I was at school the teacher read it aloud to us and it was such a memorable experience. I think I would try and recreate that pleasure by listening to Far From The Madding Crowd on audio book. It’s really long so it would be perfect for the train journey from Sheffield to London and then onto Paris.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letter F The April A to Z Challenge #AtoZChallenge

Day 6 of the April A to Z Challenge and my these is characters from books I’ve read, plus an audience participation piece.

Letter F is for James Finn from Business As Usual by E.L. Lindley

Business As Usual is the first book in the Georgie Connelly crime series. Georgie is a documentary film maker, and we meet Georgie as she plans her next job to expose Gentleman’s Clubs.

Worried for her safety from a previous job, Georgie’s boss Eric, employs ex-marine James Finn to look after her, but trouble finds Georgie in several ways. Firstly she’s been found drunk and disorderly and forced to do several hours of community service at a local school. When one of her students, 16 year old Terri, goes missing, fingers point to En Vogue a high end of the market club run by Russian businessman Maxim Petrov.

Never one to listen to advice Georgie storms right in to Petrov’s world in an attempt to find Terri. Petrov definitely needs exposing but he is a dangerous man with plenty of influence in high places. Georgie’s documentary research leads her in to serious danger when her Maverick spirit takes her one step too far.

This was a great read with a storyline which kept me enthralled and wanting to know what trouble Georgie will get herself into in the next book.

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

For my audience participation I’m asking readers to make up book titles using the letter F for the picture below.

A book title and cover picture can often make or break a book sale. Is a book cover eye-catching? Does the book title appeal to the reader?

Have fun creating book titles from my own pictures, you might even think about a genre they could fit.

Leave your answers in the comments below and I’ll be choosing my favourites.

Here are today’s randomly chosen fellow blog challengers for you to visit.

http://www.gardenofedenblog.com/

http://www.thecapillary.blogspot.co.uk/

https://wangiwriter.wordpress.com/

http://sheilascribbles.blogspot.co.uk/

http://memesandfiction.blogspot.co.uk/

During the challenge we encourage readers to leave comments on blogs, Thank you.

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Cathy reviews Business As Usual by E.L. Lindley

Today’s book review comes from Cathy she blogs at http://betweenthelinesbookblog.wordpress.com

Cathy chose to read and review Business As Usual by E.L.Lindley

Business As Usual – E.L. Lindley

 As we meet former teacher, now a Los Angeles based documentary film maker, Georgie Connolly, she is about to start a stint of community service. Due to an embarrassing mix up she was convicted of driving under the influence. Her penance is to teach media studies to decidedly uncooperative students one day a week. Georgie is a volatile character, with an explosive temper, and sometimes (a lot of the time actually) acts before thinking things through properly, landing her, and sometimes the people around her, in precarious situations. But underlying her irritability and tendency to jump in with both feet, she has a good and caring heart and is quite sensitive.

James Finn, an ex Marine, is hired, albeit reluctantly on James’ part, by his friend, Eric, who is also Georgie’s boss and her best friend’s husband, to protect Georgie from a white supremacist, out for revenge and sending death threats. Georgie exposed the group in a previous documentary and as Georgie bounces from disaster to disaster James is in turn infuriated with her and trying to deny the spark of attraction growing between them.

When one of Georgie’s students goes missing, Georgie’s attention is drawn to Maxim Petrov, a questionable Russian and suspected abductor, with ties to ‘gentlemen’s clubs’ and the seedier side of life. Not one to let an opportunity pass her by, Georgie decides to investigate Petrov by making him her next documentary subject, not realising just how dangerous and corrupt he is until it’s too late.

I like the twist of Georgie making documentaries instead of being connected to law enforcement. The cast of characters surrounding Georgie are all interesting, real and easy to identify with. The relationship between Georgie and James had me wanting to knock some sense into them both at times though.

This is a fun and entertaining read, even though there are darker aspects and menacing connotations involving corruption, prostitution and trafficking, both in drugs and girls. This adds to the drama, and the action and suspense is kept on the boil throughout. The story flows, and is paced well. I look forward to following more of Georgie’s adventures.

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

September Edition of Fleet Life and Elvetham Heath Directory

Here are the books that I have had featured in this month’s Fleet Life magazine. For the online version go to http://www.fleetlife.org.uk, click on the online directory and once it is loaded find my page of book reviews on page 6.

This month you’ll see;

Gypsy by Cynthia Harrison

Archer of the Lake by Kelly R Michaels

The Silence of Juliet Mann by Joanne Phillips

Ignoring Gravity by Sandra Danby

and The Last Observer by Dr Gary Vasey.

For the Elvetham Heath Directory, find a copy of the online version at http://www.ehd.org.uk. Click on the online directory and once it’s loaded turn to page 6

This month you’ll find;

Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler

Business As Usual by E.L. Lindley

Some People Prefer Hotels by Nigel Hicks

The Birr Elixir by Jo Sparkes

A Woman’s Choice by Annie Thomas

 

Rosie’s Book Review Challenge – Georgia reviews Business As Usual by E.L. Lindley

Today’s Book Challenge review is from Georgia. She blogs at http://www.georgiarosebooks.com

Georgia chose to read and review “Business As Usual” by E.L. Lindley.

Business As Usual – E.L. Lindley

Here is her review.

I would like to thank E.L.Lindley for gifting me a copy of Business As Usual which I have greatly enjoyed reading. Very well written and fast paced we meet Georgie Connelly who is rather embarrassingly, and reluctantly, undertaking community service after a misunderstanding. She is a documentary film maker which I thought was an original and interesting angle lending itself easily to the possibility of further stories. Georgie is short tempered and difficult but I immediately liked her. Beneath the prickly exterior is a warm hearted soul willing to go the extra mile to help the people she meets. She finds many, particularly social, situations awkward which made me feel empathy for her and Lindley portrays this rather flawed character, as well as all the others, skilfully and consistently throughout the book.

Georgie is already in trouble due to a previous documentary she has made about a white supremacist and despite her friends, Eric and Callie, arranging for an old friend, James Finn, to help protect her, this threat comes swiftly to a violent conclusion.

Georgie is meanwhile setting up her next project with a Russian gangster who is the head of a seedy underworld of drugs, prostitution and people trafficking, Maxim Petrov. Wanting to be portrayed as a successful and legitimate businessman Petrov is charming and personable but as Georgie works to expose him she realises too late the dangerous position she has put herself and those around her in.

Throughout the story James Finn struggles to look after Georgie and she gives him a hard time but there is an attraction growing between them which I couldn’t help hoping would develop but I’ll stop there not wanting to give anything away. The ending was perfect. This story was satisfactorily concluded, but plenty of scope was left for further stories to follow.

I will definitely be reading more by this talented and entertaining author and I highly recommend Business As Usual to all readers who like strong characters and fast paced action thrillers.

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

Book Review Challenge – Review from Angie

Our Book Reviewer today is Angie.  Angie blogs at http://angieslifeblog.wordpress.com/

She chose to read and review “Business As Usual” By E.L. Lindley.

Business As Usual – E.L. Lindley

Let’s read her review.

Business As Usual by E.L. Lindley

 

Format: Kindle
Released: 9th Oct 2011
Genre: Crime/Thriller

Georgie Connelly is a documentary film maker who is ordered to do community service, after she is found guilty of driving under the influence (a silly misunderstanding). She thinks that things couldn’t possibly get any worse until she meets Josh and Terri, two students in her class where she is completing her community service as a media teacher.
Through Josh and Terri, Georgie is introduced to Maxim Petrov, a Russian gangster involved in drug trafficking and prostitution. She decides to make Maxim her next documentary project leading her into a world of corruption and danger. She wants to make Maxim pay for all the things he has done, but in doing so she puts not only herself at risk but also James Finn, Eric and Sean at risk.
Eric is not only Georgie’s boss but also one of her closest friends, especially since he is married to her best friend Callie. He hires James Finn to keep an eye on Georgie due to a vengeful white supremacist being on the loose, who is seeking revenge after Georgie exposed him and his family in a previous documentary.

Sean is the officer who Georgie helped to put Dwayne Carmichael (the white supremacist) away, and comes to the rescue with the aid of Julie Sellars, an FBI agent who has been working undercover to bring down Maxim Petrov.

This is the first in the Georgie Connelly series and I really liked it. From the moment I started it, I liked pretty much all the characters in it, I even felt for Maxim in some parts, especially when he talks about his relationship. Although, those feelings are short lived by the end of the book and I couldn’t wait to see if karma was going to get the better of him at the end.

My favourite characters has to be James and Melvyn, the cab driver who Georgie becomes fond of and builds a friendship with after she asks him to follow James to a restaurant one day, convincing Melvyn that James is her husband who she suspects is cheating on her.

James comes across as a closed book who is quite moody, but at the same time you can see that he is an honest, loyal ex-marine who wants to protect those closest to him. The relationship between Georgie and James is a love/hate relationship, but it’s clear to see that there are some feelings between them that need resolving.

I also loved how E.L. Lindley showed the characters from the strip clubs such as Steve and Melanie. I don’t know if the author intended it but I liked that their characters showed them as being human with sad stories to tell, and regardless of their professional world, they are just like the rest of us.

All in all, I definitely enjoyed this book and would give it 5/5 stars, due to the fact that the story kept me hooked with the twists and turns but I found it really easy going to get into.

I look forward to reading the next instalment of the Georgie Connelly series.

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

Book Review Challenge – Book Review by Susan Nicholls

Next we have a book review from Review Challenger Susan Nicholls.

She chose to review “Business As Usual” by E.L. Lindley

Business As Usual – E.L. Lindley

Here is Susan’s Review.

Business As Usual by E.L. Lindley

Book Review for Rosie’s Challenge: S.K. Nicholls

This was a refreshingly clever change from typical police procedural, detective, private investigator type crime fiction. Georgie Connelly’s business is making documentary films with some seriously dangerous subjects. A British woman in Los Angeles, she is a bit of a loose cannon and tough as nails, but has a soft and vulnerable side wherein she displays her insecurities. Her heart is pure, even though she can come off as brassy, sarcastic and insensitive, she means well. The cast of characters that surrounds her is well rounded and interesting. James Finn, a former military man assigned to protect her, tries desperately to predict and understand her behaviors. Her friends are like family, loyal and supportive. The antagonists are ruthless and cruel, despicable.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It started off slow for a crime thriller and I thought it was going to be more of a cozy mystery, but around 10% the action kicked in and it DID NOT lull at all throughout the entire book. There is a camp that says all crime novels should start off immediately with a bang in the midst of an action scene. It is a tradeoff, really. The character development in this novel was superb. The plot is an intelligent weave of colorful threads with both knots and bows. There are a few typos and repetitive adjectives, but the story was very well written and well organized. I highly recommend if you are looking for a fast paced, interesting, and absorbing read.

Five out of Five Stars.

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

Good Deeds Challenge Year 2, Week 11

Welcome to my second Year of Good Deeds, a challenge I set myself during April 2013. I decided to do at least one Good Deed a day for a whole year.

During my week I’ll also being updating you on My Kindness Challenge which I’m also doing. I read about a new challenge to make the world a better place to live in. “Speak Kind Words, Receive Kind Echoes” see the inspiration on  The Kindness blog . During my learning process I’m donating money to charity for my slip-ups to make me work harder to achieve results. I earn no money from any of my book reviews, so having little to spare should focus my mind.

This week I’ve been doing the following;

June 29th – Just sorting out the book and readers for the challenge as we head to the last day of posts. Trying to get at least one reader for every book.

June 30th – My morning helping at school, and a final push for the book review challenge. Posting out lists of readers to authors.

July 1st – So just when you thought you could pause for breath, I thought I’d launch a Book Review Team to help authors reach a wider audience. A relaxed team, free of charge to join with the importance being writing and posting those reviews. For more details click on the rose widget on my sidebar. Just sorting out finer details now but we already have lots of interest from both authors and readers.

Online issues of Fleet Life and Elvetham Heath Directory went out today.

Here are the featured books;

Business As Usual by E. L. Lindley

Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler

Derek’s In Trouble by Mac Black

Secrets of The Unaltered by Leti Del Mar

and  The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan 

The Singing Bowl by Roy Dimond

Johnny Nothing by Ian Probert

Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb

The Manila Strangler by Steven Donahue

and An Englishwoman’s Guide to the Cowboy by June Kearns

July 2nd – Book reviews are coming in from readers who took up my book review challenge already, there are some speedy readers out there. I’m posting them on my blog as they come in. Went over to my Mum’s and fed her 3 week old chicks at lunchtime as they were out. Was chief navigator and tour guide to friends as we went out to a countryside pub for a meal. Put an extra tip in the restaurant bill to cover any trip ups in my Kindness challenge.

July 3rd – Dashed to the supermarket to do the weekly shop, picked up litter in the car park and bought some cereal to go in their Charity Food Bank collection. Just about to launch the first Rosie’s Book Review Team booklist.

A long evening walk and more litter picking.

July 4th – The first book review from my new Book Review Team has come in already, I will be posting Dani’s Review today as you are reading this (Sunday). Back to Friday, went out for a walk to check out a closed footpath and picked up litter along the way.

July 5th – Added another book to the Book Review Teams’ list. Any one who would like to join can check out the link http://wp.me/P2Eu3u-5qu. I’m in a whirl wind of admin collating books, book reviews, guest author pieces, adding books to the Book Review Team list and reviewers to another. I’m sending book review requests to authors and drafting up lots of book review posts. It all seems really popular to thank you everyone for all your support.

Sent out details of children’s books I’ve read to a student who is looking to do a project on children’s books over the summer.

 

July Issues Of Fleet Life And Elvetham Heath Directory – Book Reviews

It’s that time of month again when my book reviews are published in the two magazines that I write for. This month’s Fleet Life has my reviews on Page 6. For an on-line version go to http://www.fleetlife.org.uk click on the online directory and once its loaded turn to page 6.

Here are the featured books;

Business As Usual by E. L. Lindley

Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler

Derek’s In Trouble by Mac Black

Secrets of The Unaltered by Leti Del Mar

and  The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan 

For The Elvetham Heath Directory go to http://www.ehd.org.uk click on the online directory and once it has loaded turn to page 6.

Here are the featured books;

The Singing Bowl by Roy Dimond

Johnny Nothing by Ian Probert

Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb

The Manila Strangler by Steven Donahue

and An Englishwoman’s Guide to the Cowboy by June Kearns

 

Good Deeds Challenge, Year 2, Week 10

Welcome to my second Year of Good Deeds, a challenge I set myself during April 2013. I decided to do at least one Good Deed a day for a whole year.

During my week I’ll also being updating you on My Kindness Challenge which I’m also doing. I read about a new challenge to make the world a better place to live in. “Speak Kind Words, Receive Kind Echoes” see the inspiration on  The Kindness blog . During my learning process I’m donating money to charity for my slip-ups to make me work harder to achieve results. I earn no money from any of my book reviews, so having little to spare should focus my mind.

This week I’ve been doing the following;

June 22nd – Last night we went to the 25th Wedding Anniversary of dear friends. It stirred up so many past memories, they’ve been churning in my mind all night, bringing more and more names from the past that I haven’t thought about for several years. So first thing, I wrote a long Thank you e-mail to my friends and added all those names we couldn’t remember last evening and added our love and wishes for another 25 happy years of marriage.

People are signing up for the Book review Challenge, it’s marvellous the support I’m getting.

Good Deeds received, had a e-mail this morning from a computer wiz who inputs all data that moves at the cricket matches our son plays in. Our son’s a bowler and bats very low down in the order, often not batting at all, but yesterday he got to bat and scored a very handsome 21 runs. The e-mail contains all the data of both his batting and bowling, every ball bowled or faced and a fancy wagon wheel diagram of just where he hit those balls to. I just know he’s going to be over the moon when he gets up and will spend hours over the information. He’s a stats boy and it’s all stored away in his brain ready for the next game.

Another Good Deed received, this morning I’m a guest over with Seumas Gallacher

June 23rd – My morning helping out at school, listening to the young ones reading. Good Deeds received; I’m a guest on Lizzie Lamb’s blog this morning. A Woman’s Wisdom has done a lovely post to help promote the Book review Challenge and people all over the world are working their butt’s off to help spread the news and prepare post pieces and get books ready to send out to readers. BIG THANKS to everyone.

June 24th –  A day of challenges today. I’m thrilled with all the support I’ve got for the Book review Challenge. I had to work this morning so when I got home at lunchtime I was eager to get back on the computer to keep on top of all the mail. Blah! The internet was down! So I looked at the opportunities this gave me, a quick lunch and out to the supermarket for bread and milk hoping the internet would be back up and running when I got home. No luck, phoned the supplier to get a message that it could be another 7 hours. 7 hours without the internet this gal can’t have that. Rang my Mum, “I’m coming over I need your computer”. Dashed over taking a few things with me that needed dropping off and managed to get on-line and get through all the mail and social media that needed attention. Phew!

Back home and we have internet for another 2 hours before it breaks down again in the middle of the England World Cup match (we have cable TV) So my son’s mad and I’m chucked off the internet again. I’m adding money to my Kindness pot like a slot machine as very unkind words escape my mouth. Wait patiently! ha ha. Phone the provider again, they do love a joke! Internet may be off for another 6 hours! Do they realise the significance of (Rosie Amber being off of the internet? Oops!) The England match? Back on after a couple of hours, missed most of an uneventful game of football, but made it just in time to see England beaten at the cricket. There’s quite a lot of gloom looming over this house.

Can’t wait for the Book review Challenge to start tomorrow, there are so many people helping out all doing Good deeds to help promote and support it, that the love is spreading.

June 25th – Day 1 of the book review challenge. I’m also trying to sort out a night out for a group of friends, so it’s a round of e-mails to check everyone’s availability.Phew! What a busy day on the blog. Still need more people to read and review the books, but lots of kind comments about the post.

June 26th – The July issue of Fleet Life has just dropped through the door. This month’s books and authors are Business As Usual by E. L. Lindley Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler Derek’s In Trouble by Mac Black Secrets of The Unaltered by Leti Del Mar and  The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan The online version will go out around July 1st.

Day 2 of the book review challenge and we are joined by Bodicia from A Woman’s Wisdom and later in the post we discuss, Non-fiction reviews.

Just got back from the weekly Tesco supermarket shop to re-fill the cupboards for the hungry hoards. Got chatting to the lady on the checkout about a fellow worker who had suddenly died a few weeks ago. A much loved co-worker he also played a big role in the running club that my oldest child belongs to.  She’s involved in an athletics project at the club and the group of the athletes are getting together to organise a competition event and they intend to make call it The John Hewitt memorable. Apparently John was always whistling “Always look on the bright side of life” by Eric Idle which was originally featured in the Monty Python film “The Life of Brian.” The song has been in my head playing since I left the supermarket and it brings a smile to my face. I’ll suggest to the group that the local Tesco might be happy to provide some sponsorship for the event.

Enjoy this clip from the 2012 Olympics (Eric begins after a couple of minutes, it brought back lots of fun and should make you all smile)

Life really is for living isn’t it? Got completely lost in youtube videos of the Olympics after I’d researched the Eric Idle video for you all. I’d forgotten the way that Britain pulled together and got behind the whole Olympic dream. I watched a couple of more clips; the Mr Bean one to The Chariots of Fire theme tune and the Queen’s arrival at the Olympic Stadium with oo7 James Bond, such showmanship. Thne I just had to watch the clip from The Life of Brian and the original “Always  look on the bright side of life” song, just so funny!

June 27th – Posted a book review for Susan Scott’s book on Goodreads and Amazon In Praise Of Lilith, Eve And The Serpent In The Garden Of Eden And Other Stories . Day 3 of the Book review challenge and we heard from author Terry Tyler on the importance of book reviews, we looked at Goodreads and I talked about writing bad book reviews.

Went for a walk and picked up litter, my walk took me along the canal, there was so much litter, a dead pigeon, a dead fish, a rat crossing my path. Smells of dog excrement (Bags of it left for others to pick up – I do draw the line there)  and rotting rubbish spoiled my enjoyment of the nature.

Sent a long over-due e-mail to a friend in Australia.

June 28th – Day 4 of my book review challenge and today we heard from fellow book reviewer Diane Coto, I gave an overview of Shelfari and I wrote piece about going deeply into a book review.

E-mailed a friend to check on her daughter’s twisted ankle.

Think I need a rest, anyone else exhausted just reading this? Go and watch that video for a few minutes then.