May Issues of Fleet Life and EHD

The May issues of both the local magazines that I wrote for are now out online, these are great opportunities for authors with approximately 7000 paper issues of the magazine being printed and online versions with endless numbers of potential readers.

Fleet Life is showcasing the following books – go to http://www.fleetkife.org.uk, click on the online directory and turn to page 14.

Greening of A heart by Stepheny Houghtlin, Overlanding, How, What, Where and With Who by Andy N. Robinson and Kirsty McGregor, The Nosferatu Scroll by James Becker, The Royal Descendant by Fleet Author John P Ford and Red Clay and Roses by S.K.Nicholls.

The Elvetham Heath Directory has its set of books too. http://www.ehd.org.uk, click on the online directory and find my review on page 6.

Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster, Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando, Dawning by Olivia Stocum, The Orphan & The Thief by M.L.LeGette and Murder at the Maples by Joanne Phillips.

Year 2 Good Deeds, Week 1

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. Last week I celebrated my completion of the year and announced I would be continuing on. Catch my Celebration post here http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-4XA

New Good Deeds

So what have I been up to this week?

April 20th – Discussing with Author/Editor Alison Williams, the possibility of telling everyone about her editing  her services on my blog. The April A-Z challenge has a day off on a Sunday, but I still post a round up of posts for anyone who is too busy in the week to catch up.

April 21st – Have just finished reading Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb and will be writing my review next. I have a lovely long list of books awaiting review, so I’m on to my next book, The 20’s Girl, the ghost and all that Jazz by June Kearns.

April 22nd – The paper copy of May’s Fleet Life fell through the door this morning, really early. The online version won’t go up until the beginning of May, but I can tell you which books and authors got a shout out this month; Greening of A heart by Stepheny Houghtlin, Overlanding, How, What, Where and With Who by Andy N. Robinson and Kirsty McGregor, The Nosferatu Scroll by James Becker, The Royal Descendant by John P Ford and Red Clay and Roses by S.K.Nicholls.

April 23rd – Organised a night out for a group of friends tonight, it was good to go out and catch up. Finished reading June Kearns’s book The 20’s Girl, the ghost and all that Jazz by June Kearns. , wrote and posted my review.

April 24th – Stayed up way too late last night finishing “An Englishwoman’s Guide to the Cowboy” by June Kearns, couldn’t put it down, wonderful book. Gave money to the British Diabetes charity. Suddenly the April A-Z is rushing to an end, I’ve only 5 more letters left to go, but don’t worry, the blog is booked up into June with book reviews and guest author interviews to keep all your TBR shelves overflowing. Re-directed some lost delivery drivers.

April 25th – So with over 20mm (just under an inch) of rain today, it must mean it’s cricket season! 2 out of 3 games for this weekend have been cancelled for my son, so best laid plans need changing. Generously tipped my hairdresser this morning. Then received a lovely review copy of Terry Tyler’s latest book Kings and Queens which has been released today. Am reading Secrets of the Unaltered by Leti Del Mar, ready for review.

April 26th – Started  and finished Irish Inheritance by Paula Martin today after finishing Leti’s book last night. The third cricket match has now been cancelled, need to re-think some potential good deeds. Agreed to visit the parents this coming week to sort out a few computer issues.

Good Deeds Week March 30th – April 5th

Welcome to my weekly roundup of my year long challenge to do one Good deed a day for a year. This challenge began back in April 2013 and is still going strong, I’m now entering my final few weeks. My inspiration came from reading “A Year of Doing Good” by Judith O’Reilly. Here is what I’ve been up to this week.

Good deeds

March 30th – Last night we changed our clocks in line with British Summertime, so I’m a bit late this morning. It’s also Mother’s Day, so I’ve been giving and receiving gifts as all Mothers should.

March 31st – A really busy day today. I’ve just done my morning at school. Now the April Issue of Fleet Life has just dropped through my door, so I’ve written a draft ready to coincide with the online version. http://www.fleetlife.org.uk click on the online directory and fins me on page 18. This months books are;

Please Call Me Derek by Mac Black

The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Calculated by R.S. Novelle

Spirit Warriors by D.E.L Connor

It’s also my first month writing book reviews for Fleet Life’s sister magazine The Elvetham Heath Directory. http://www.ehd.org.uk, again click on the online directory and find me on page. This months featured books are different to Fleet Life although I will mix and match on occasions.

The Dating Game by Susan Buchanan

Greening of a Heart by Stepheny Houghtlin

Red Clay and Roses by S.K. Nicholls

The Griffin’s Boy by Julia Hughes

The Black Hours by Alison Williams.

With my A to Z Challenge starting tomorrow too, I’m sending out reminders to authors whose books are featuring in the first week. I want it to be a good give and take, I promote their books and they promote me.

April 1st – It’s here the first Day of the April A to Z blogging challenge with well over 1900 bloggers signed up this year it’s going to be huge. I’ve been all over the place visiting blogs and writing comments. My own challenge started with A World Apart by Camelia Miron Skiba. Catch up with posts in my Challenge round-up post, or from the A to Z page at the top of this blog.  The sun has finally burnt off the morning fog so now I’m off out in to the garden for a bit of one on one with nature after all my computing.

April 2nd – Online versions of both local magazines made it up on the internet today, so posted my pieces about them and let all the authors know. Having an absolute blast with the A to Z challenge, I can’t believe how many people are coming to my blog it is fantastic. Today’s book was Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb, Lizzie helped promote the post with her Facebook group of friends which I really appreciated. My slideshow on the sidebar is getting plenty of attention and good comments which is great to hear, have been helping a couple of people out with setting up their own gallery.

April 3rd – Met a friend for coffee in town and caught up with all her news. Went out this evening with more friends and took a birthday present with me for one of them whose birthday is in the next few days. Today’s book on the A to Z Challenge was Coronado’s Treasure by Randy Mixter. I’m thrilled to see lots of re-tweeting going on from other authors who will be taking part in my challenge and from followers of my blog, thanks everyone it means a lot.

April 4th – It’s a Derek Day today on the A to Z with Derek’s Revenge by Mac Black and a plug for the whole series. Went to the local market this morning, met a friend who has offered to pick us up in a few weeks time to attend a party. My Good deeds are mainly internet bound this week, visiting lots of blogs and leaving comments, tweeting and sharing posts. Finished reading Chill Factor by Rachel Caine and left a review on Goodreads.

April 5th – Everlasting by Candace Knoebel is the book for letter E in the A to Z today. Went for a quick walk this afternoon and picked up some litter. Am reading the second book in the Wardstone Chronicles, The Spook’s Curse, by Joseph Delaney, finished it late last evening and posted my review on Goodreads.

April Issue of Elvetham Heath Directory

This is my first month writing book reviews for Fleet Life’s sister magazine The Elvetham Heath Directory. For an online edition go to http://www.ehd.org.uk, click on the online directory and find me on page 6. This months featured books are different to Fleet Life although I will mix and match on occasions.

April EHD

 

The Dating Game by Susan Buchanan

Greening of a Heart by Stepheny Houghtlin

Red Clay and Roses by S.K. Nicholls

The Griffin’s Boy by Julia Hughes

The Black Hours by Alison Williams.

Rosie Recommends – Spring Reading

Here are a selection of my Rosie Recommends books for some Spring reading.

20828405 Ever feel like you aren’t getting everything you want out of life? A man on a bus smiles or a stranger exudes happiness and you wonder, why isn’t that me? A child runs giggling across your path and reminds you what pure joy looks like, causing you to stop and ask… where is your joy? Ever sit in your office or home and feel life is passing you by, or that there is more out there, but you just can’t reach it? Saving Our Pennys, by Roy Dimond and Jeff Leitch tell the story of a teacher, who facing a crisis, searches for answers to some of life’s most difficult questions. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

14571718 Derek travels from child to confused adult, from reporter for the local paper to any job available, doing everything he thinks he should, but doing it his way. Pursuing life and employment leads Derek to fling himself into the sort of sticky situations he won’t want to have to explain to his friends or his family. With determination, gritting his teeth, doing everything for the best, how could anything go wrong? Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

17281240 An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

18685624 1885. Anne Stanbury – Committed to a lunatic asylum, having been deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for the crime of which she is indicted. But is all as it seems? A chilling mystery fast becoming one of this years MUST READS. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

12382545When the Bishop insists that Martin Winchester take a sabbatical from his parish to restore his depleted energy and regain his spiritual focus, his wife Hannah is left on her own for the first time in years. Her new found freedom gives her an opportunity to reflect on her life. Retreating into the newly-renovated vicarage garden in the Cotswold’s village of Burford, Hannah not only wants to escape the demands of her role as the vicar’s wife, but to reinvent herself.  A heart-warming English Village tale.Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

 

19206778Toad thought it’d be easy to steal from Mr. Edward P. Owl. Unfortunately for Toad, he isn’t the best of thieves. Caught in the act, he’s in more trouble than ever before. Now to save his hide, Toad must track down five rare potion ingredients for Mr. Owl. Or else. A delightful YA book easily readable for adults too. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

12765769I was immediately drawn to this book by it’s title. After checking out the book description, it still appealed to me. The idea of a Hitman getting stranded in Iceland, a land that has no army, no guns and a homicide rate of 1 maybe 2 a year struck me as very funny. Our Hitman goes by many names and occupations during the tale, I won’t spoil it for the reader by revealing these. Iceland a land of fresh bleak beauty, freezing temperatures, days of light or dark and very few people. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Let me know if you go ahead and read any of these, and tell me what you thought of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Author Stepheny Houghtlin

Today my guest is Stepheny Houghtlin, author of Greening of a Heart, our book review from yesterday, here is the link if you missed it. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-4I8

Stepheny Houghtlin

Let’s find out more about Stepheny.

Where is your home town?

I was born in Chicago, IL. and raised in Evanston, a suburb north of the city on Lake Michigan.

2) How long have you been writing?

I have thought of myself as a writer since I was a young girl. In those early days my father asked me how I was to become a writer if I couldn’t spell. I smile and think of him whenever I use ‘spell check.’

3) I believe you met a vicar in Jerusalem who inspired your story, tell us more.

The genesis of Greening of a Heart came from a George Herbert poem….

 “Who would have thought my shrivel’d heart could recover’d greennesse?”

This single line over powered me having watched a vicar find healing on his sabbatical at St. George’s College in Jerusalem. I wanted to try and write a story like his. It was the wife of such a man that elbowed her way into my consciousness, however. She demanded I tell her story as well. Thus we have Hannah and Martin Winchester.

4) There are many inspiring gardeners mentioned in your book, who is your favourite and why?

In 2000 I visited some of the most famous gardens in England, staying several nights in Burford at The Bay Tree Inn, and spending time at Rosemary Verey’s Barnsley House. As a nod to this famous plants woman, designer, and favourite garden of the trip, I included such experiences in the book. Vita Sackville West, who endlessly fascinates me, prompted a power point lecture I have given to garden club members.

5) Your book had me itching to get out into my own garden, do you have a favourite type of plant?

I love a cottage garden whose careless appearance is so carefully planned. I must have Hollyhocks. (I love Hollyhocks too)

6) Tell us more about your research?

Henry Bernard took most of a day getting from Kew to Oxford until I found out that such a trip is only 73 miles. Maybe most interesting of all was asking an English friend to read and check for my Americanisms. Closet became cupboard. Driveway became drive. Hannah fixed corn on the cob until I found out there is no corn like that in England. I said pants instead of trousers. A tarp became a tarpaulin. It was great fun making changes like this.

7) I loved the interweaving of characters, which authors have inspired your writing?

I love Rosamunde Pilcher’s work and believe it set the stage for one day writing Greening of a Heart. I wish I could take a writing course from Ian McEwen. Jane Gardam has taught me a great deal. Donna Tartt’s latest book, The Goldfinch, is like taking a MFA program. I’m addicted to English mysteries. Never without a book in hand, I believe you can’t write if you don’t read.

8) I know from your blog that you own a beautiful dolls house, I’m glad I read about one in your book, tell us about its history.

My father gave me the dollhouse for my 40th birthday having finished the interior himself. The miniature world is one of my passions. Making and collecting miniatures is an adult hobby I commend to anyone who remains young at heart.

The dollhouse now resides with my oldest granddaughter after a recent move that involved sizing down.

9) You live in the States, what did you learn about writing a book based in a different country?

I put the manuscript down once because I began to doubt that I could do justice to the setting. But internet search engines evolved; I could google the train schedule from Oxford to London, and similar information, that helped authenticate the writing. Anglophile that I am, years of reading, travel to England, and above all garden experience, came together to write about a place I love and characters who’s company I miss.

10) Have you thought about a sequel?

Perhaps when I finish a second novel set in Chicago that I am working on.

Greening of a Heart

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

Thank you Stepheny for a wonderful insight into gardens and your writing. Good luck with the next book.

Greening of A Heart by Stepheny Houghtlin

Greening of a HeartGreening of a Heart by Stepheny Houghtlin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Greening of a Heart is a delightful tale of journeys of discovery for many of the characters. The story is set in Burford which sits in the Cotswolds in England. I know the place myself, there is a lovely street lined with buildings made of the delightful pale yellow Cotswold stone, an absolute tourist delight.

Hannah Winchester is the wife of the Vicar of Burford, they live next to the Norman church and have a wonderful garden designed by Robert Myers, a nineteenth century Vicar who once lived there. Hannah wants to return the gardens to their former glory and in so doing finds herself on her own road to discovery. Its going to be a bumpy road, Hannah and Martin are going through a bad patch in their marriage and Martin is struggling with his role as husband and vicar. The Bishop insists that Martin travels to Jerusalem to St George’s College on his own pilgrimage to save himself and those around him.

We meet the delightful Henry Bernard, a gardener from Kew who is researching clerical gardens as well as his own past. He has applied for a job to help Hannah with her garden. There is Christine, Hannah’s neighbour, who has her own reasons for disapproving of Hannah’s garden plans, plus a whole basket of freshly prepared characters waiting in the wings to give you a mouth-watering taste of English plants, gardens and rural village life.

The book is about finding yourself, believing in what you do and living your dream, a gentle easy read and one to put a smile on your face.

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

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Stepheny returns to the blog tomorrow for a guest author interview.

Rosie’s Christmas Wish List

Here is a list of books that I’ll be hoping make their way to my bookshelf over the festive period.

105343672200 BCE: Marauders invade ancient Eire seeking copper and gold. The astronomer Boann and the enigmatic Cian must use all their wits and courage to save their people, the peaceful starwatchers, from the invaders’ long bronze knives and scavenging ways. Tensions between new and old cultures and between Boann, Elcmar, and her son Aengus, ultimately explode. What emerges from the rubble of battle is a fresh take on Ireland’s oldest legends. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

14571718Derek travels from child to confused adult, from reporter for the local paper to any job available, doing everything he thinks he should, but doing it his way. Pursuing life and employment leads Derek to fling himself into the sort of sticky situations he won’t want to have to explain to his friends or his family. With determination, gritting his teeth, doing everything for the best, how could anything go wrong.   Plus any more in the series. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

15981437Dave Bentley was born to be a rock star. He’s a reincarnated Viking warrior, too…
When Dave forms his new band, Thor, there are plenty of sleepless nights for Janice, his on-off girlfriend and mother of his son. Not only must she deal with the thrills and spills of life as a hardworking single mum, but also the imminent return of singer-songwriter Ariel Swan, Dave’s one true love. Poor Janice. Dave is still the love of her life. Ariel Swan returns to small town life – and Dave’s heart. She and her friend Melodie (whose ambition is to be “a celebrity”) enter a TV talent competition, so Dave and the rest of Thor decide to make the most of the opportunity for possible fame and fortune, too. This adventure brings about big changes in the lives of all of them – none of which Dave could have anticipated. One member of Thor even ends up on The Jeremy Kyle Show..    In fact any book by the talented Terry Tyler would do! Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

18478920Rhea Marchant heads north to the wild and beautiful landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales where she is plunged into an adventure that will span the worlds. The earth beneath her feet reveals its hidden life as she and her companions are guided by the ancient Keeper of Light in search of artefacts of arcane power. With the aid of the Old Ones and the merry immortal Heilyn, the company seek the elemental weapons that will help restore hope to an unbalanced world at the dawn of a new era. Set in the ancient beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, Sword of Destiny weaves the tale of a small band of friends brought together as a new age of Man unfolds. Through their personal quests, through friendship, love and laughter, they learn to see the world with a clearer vision as they battle creatures of ancient myth and legend, under the aegis of the Keeper. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

309239Women have struggled for a long time to have more dominion over their own lives. Louise L. Hay shows you how to become a strong and powerful being. She emphasizes that no matter what your past was like, you can learn to empower yourself and rise to the top. Some of the points Louise makes are: Developing self-worth and self-esteem are the most powerful tools women can have, a modern woman has the whole world in front of her-she can rise as high as her belief in herself; joy and happiness are always within you; you do not have to feel incomplete without a man by your side; and your most important relationship is with yourself. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com    Or any book by Louise.

15901332A glorious, exciting and heart-wrenching tale, The Celestial Sea is the first book in a new series. This is the story of an English housewife and mother and an artistic Kiwi man; musician, woodsman and teacher, who find themselves embracing life in the Southern Hemisphere in the most unexpected and extraordinary way. Plucked from the bosom of all she has ever known; she finds herself exploring the beautiful land of Aotearoa, New Zealand, in the company of a thrilling companion whose own settled, community life is challenged by her arrival. Walking a fine line between blessing and disaster their creative liaison becomes a clandestine love affair of epic proportion, surprising them both with its spiritual truth. Dare they merge their growing affection into an everyday reality? Through the often hilarious adventures that make up their ‘ordinary’ routines they find themselves escaping to the tranquillity of their imaginary boat, The Celestial Sea; sailing for many months in uncharted waters and alighting upon shores of such passion and sensuality that they risk capsizing, causing an almighty scandal in the harbour. The Celestial Sea culminates as the profundity of their connection leads to a tragic ending of thwarted love – but is it really the end…? Find out in the subsequent books planned for the series entitled Dry-Dock, Setting Sail, Calm Waters, No Horizon, Kookaburra on the Deck, Time is the Brake. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

18584476Captain Carina Mitela of the Praetorian Guard Special Forces is in trouble – one colleague has tried to kill her and another has set a trap to falsely incriminate her in a conspiracy to topple the government of Roma Nova. Founded sixteen hundred years ago by Roman dissidents and ruled by women, Roma Nova barely survived a devastating coup d’etat thirty years ago. Carina swears to prevent a repeat and not merely for love of country. If she turns to an old friend with interests on both sides of the law, it could wreck her marriage to the enigmatic Conrad. Carina is determined to hunt down the conspirators, but proscribed and operating illegally, she risks being terminated by both regular security services and the conspirators. As she struggles to overcome the desperate odds and save her beloved Roma Nova and her own life, she faces the ultimate betrayal. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

11753475Malini Gupta thought Jacob Lau was her destiny. But after months of failing to decipher how she fits into the Soulkeepers, frustration threatens to tear their relationship apart. And it doesn’t help that a new Soulkeeper named Mara is ready to stop time itself to earn Jacob’s love. When Malini faces her worst fears, and even death, she learns a funny thing about destiny. Fate is a tapestry of choices, and she has the power to weave hers. Goodreads,  Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com I was very impressed by the first book in this YA series called The Soulkeepers (Which was free at the time of going to press) so I’ve love to read the rest of the series starting with book 2, book 5 was released on 18th November 2013.

6536011Sabine LeVeche, orphaned at an early age, is in the middle of a medical crisis and needs to find a blood relative STAT. Luckily, she’s got a sexy PI and one sassy but determined ghost on her side. Not so luckily, there’s a murderer gunning for her just in case her illness doesn’t kill her first. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com Having read “Trouble in Mudbug” I can’t wait to read this one, in fact there are several more in the series too, yippee!

Product DetailsWhen the Bishop insists that Martin Winchester take a sabbatical from his parish to restore his depleted energy and regain his spiritual focus, his wife Hannah is left on her own for the first time in years. Her new found freedom gives her an opportunity to reflect on her life. Retreating into the newly-renovated vicarage garden in the Cotswold’s village of Burford, Hannah not only wants to escape the demands of her role as the vicar’s wife, but to reinvent herself. Lives begin to change after Henry Bernard arrives in Burford to solve a family mystery. Not only Henry, but a young artist, an electrician and his entrepreneur wife, the new owners of the Bay Tree Inn, and a dying spinster, all embark with
Hannah on an unforgettable summer as their lives intertwine in unforeseen ways. If you like the novels of Rosamunde Pilcher (The Shell Seekers, September) you will enjoy Greening of a Heart. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com

Looking back at the A to Z Challenge 2013

After 26 posts during this years A to Z Challenge I’m still buzzing from it all. This was my first year doing the challenge and I only read about it in March, but I was so glad that I took the plunge and committed to the idea.

How I approached the challenge – I didn’t want to divert from the common theme of my blog where I support writers and authors, I’ve got quite a list of books that I’ve read but I wanted to put out new posts, so I sent out messages on the social networks looking for authors who wanted to promote their work through my challenge. This was great it filled most of my letters with books that I may not have otherwise even considered, and added to my TBR pile. For each individual post I thought it appropriate to display the A to Z Challenge badge to help keep promotion going throughout the month. I also chose to display up to 5 randomly chosen links each day to other A to Z Challenger’s blogs to encourage more visitors to the challenge.

What I liked about the challenge – I liked the support from the A to Z Team, their enthusiasm and encouragement. I couldn’t believe how many people had signed up at the start of the challenge (over 1500). I liked the way it brought people together from across the world.

What I loved about the challenge I loved the fact that it changed the way I approached my own visits to other people’s blogs, I realised that just hitting “Like” (at the end of the post) is only part of your relationship with fellow bloggers, what really counts is taking the time to leave a comment.

What frustrated me – A few sites made leaving comments really hard, sometimes I had to search around the site to find the challenge post and it was a shame when people were unable to par-take in the challenge this year or were unable to finish the month for various reasons.

My own advice to others – Planning, planning, planning. Each day your post doesn’t have to be long and detailed, but draft it out ahead of the challenge, that way the hard work is done and you can enjoy the journey. Also committing to visiting at least 5 sites a day was easy when I had previously set up links to them in my draft posts. I usually went to more than 5 because I enjoyed it so much.

Bloggers worth a mention

http://blackfrogpublishing.wordpress.com/

http://pullupatoadstool.blogspot.co.uk/

http://stephenyhoughtlin.wordpress.com/

http://sarahcradit.wordpress.com

http://damyantiwrites.wordpress.com/ (Co-host of the challenge)

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