Author: After the final chapters

Better Together

Better together

The latest offering from Sheila O’Flanagan is Better Together. The story of the girl who seems to have it all but then in what seems like the blink if an eye it’s all gone. Sheridan Grey has a job she loves as a sports journalist for a high-profile newspaper, shares a gorgeous flat with her best friend and has a steady boyfriend. However, the paper is in trouble and there are cuts to be made. Yeah you guessed it, her was right there on the chopping block. To make it worse, her best friend and flat mate – fashion editor at the same paper, well she wasn’t let go and still got the offer of a better job. As if that’s not bad enough the job is in Belfast, so Sheridan has now lost her flat mate. Then they have an idea – ask Sheridan’s boyfriend to come live with her. That makes sense – right? Wrong. She gets the I like you speech, I like you but I thought you knew this wasn’t going anywhere. Job – Gone. Flat mate – Gone. Boyfriend – Gone.

Sheridan strives every day to be a winner, she comes from a family of winners. Right now she feels like a loser. Despite sending her CV to everyone she can think of she is still jobless. Then a temporary job at a paper in the back water of Ardbawn becomes available. Sure it’s not what she is looking for, but the more she researches the job the more intrigued she becomes. This job might just present the opportunity to break the story that’s going to jump-start her career again.

Back in Ardbawn Nina Fallon owns a guest house. Unfortunately for Nina a recent turn of events has left her shattered and at a cross roads in her life. Does she continue to make a life without her philandering husband or does she listen as he begs and give him yet another chance? Avoiding her friends, the local gossips and most certainly the press Nina tries to keep it all together while being the perfect host. When Sheridan arrives on her doorstep looking for lodgings for a few months little did she know she was inviting the press into her life.

As Sheridan gets to work on the local paper – owned by the man she deems responsible for cutting her job she starts digging further. This story of opportunity as she see’s it is going to bring down the man she despises most. She didn’t realise though that as she settles in to life in Ardbawn and makes friends, and begins to fall in love that the story she is trying to uncover will hurt the people she comes to care about.

Will love conquer all? Is Sheridan’s ambition going to triumph? Will she leave Ardbawn even more unhappy than when she arrived?

Are the friends we make on the course of this journey Better Together or is it time for a change?

The legendary Sheila O’Flanagan is back and at her best. Though to be quite honest I am not sure if there was ever a time when she was at anything other that her best. Nineteen books is no mean feat! Nineteen books and no sign of slowing down!

I am proud to say I have read all 19 of these books too. I think 19 must be the magic number, this is the age I was when I started to read Sheila’s books. At the grand old age of 30 I feel like she has accompanied me through those first adult years as I was learning about myself, fell in love and went on to get married and have children of my own.

Many women are in the same boat as myself. Not only is Sheila O’Flanagan one of the top Irish authors but she is an international Best Seller. You will be hard pressed to find a woman who enjoys female fiction that does not have several of her books in their collection.

This most recent book was extremely enjoyable. I have read in a few reviews that people found it long. That is only a problem if the story isn’t any good. Suffice to say the length of the book is not a problem. What I really loved were the little crumbs thrown to us from the very beginning of the book. The way I was trying to work out the pieces of the puzzle but I only had bits for around the edges, when I got those missing all important middle pieces I was wrong. The story didn’t take me to where I thought it was going to go. I love this about a book. You know when you are talking to friends about a book and you say, “ah sure it was so predictable you knew how it was going to end by the second chapter”. That’s not going to happen here.

If you are a lover or female fiction this book really is a must. Please go buy it and come tell me what you thought of it!
Better Together is available from Kobo, Amazon, iTunes

SOF

When I tweeted Sheila O’Flanagan and asked her for an interview i honestly didn’t even expect a reply. Never mind for her to follow me on twitter (a dance around the floor moment for me) and then send me back the interview within an hour of receiving it. I was always a fan, but now im one of her biggest fans. The lady is a legend, though when you read her interview you will she doesn’t believe this of herself. She see’s herself just the same as you and me! There is no big head which is all to often the case, and she has time for her fans. Amazing!

Who is Sheila O’Flanagan?
Author, sports fan, a bit asthmatic, slightly paranoid, sister, daughter, auntie and other half of my other half.
When you wrote your first book did you ever imagine where it would take you?
All I hoped was that it would one day get published and that I’d see it on a bookshelf in my local bookshop! I might have thought that if it was successful I’d write another 2 or 3 books. I never ever thought I’d write 19!!!!
Do any of your books hold an extra special place in your heart?
That’s like asking me to pick a favourite child! For different reasons they’re all special. I remember them all by the names of the main character, so to me they’re part of the family. Whenever someone says the name of any of the characters I’m totally with them again.
What is your all time favourite book?
Impossible to answer. I have lots of favourites depending on my mood. But when I’m feeling really low I always turn to PG Wodehouse for a lift. His books are so funny and his English so perfect that I can’t help but end up smiling.
Do you have a preferred Genre to read?
Not really. When I’m writing myself, I like to read crime and thrillers because they’re so different to my own work. I’m also a fan of historical fiction, especially Phillipa Gregory’s novels. I like popular science and physics stuff too.

I’ve just read and immensely enjoyed Better Together. I was sure things with a particular character were going to work out a particular way and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong. Did you know at the beginning how the book would end?

I love it when I surprise a reader! Maybe that’s because I can get surprised by the characters myself. I have some ideas but once the characters take on a life of their own those ideas can change. The only book I’ve ever written where I was 100% sure of the ending was Isobel’s Wedding. And then lots of people wanted a sequel to it, because of the ending. I’m not keen on sequels but I understood why readers wanted more, so I wrote a long short story about what happened next for her (it’s in my Connections collection).

As a Best Selling author do you find there is a good support network within the industry, both for the well known authors and those starting out?

Generally I think that publishing is one of the nicer industries to be involved in because most of the people working in it are very passionate about books. The majority of authors that I know are supportive of each other and always willing to offer advice to new writers.

Do you have any advice for those starting out?

I know this sounds very unhelpful, but just write your book! Don’t spend too long worry about what it should or shouldn’t be. I sometimes see blogs about ‘the 10 things you need for a successful novel’ or ‘7 ways to make your characters more exciting’ but the truth is that if you tell a good story you are already 99% of the way there. So don’t waste time, just sit down and start and have faith in yourself.

Who or what inspires you?

Every other author who’s ever written a book inspires me. Especially when I hear them say that sometimes it’s hard work writing a novel. Because it is. But it’s hard work I love doing. I’m also inspired by great sportspeople who train hard and win events. Basically, most things that are worth doing involve hard work so I guess I’m saying that all hard workers – no matter what their job is – inspire me.

Is there someone you look to as a mentor – either now or when you were starting out?
To be honest, no. I’m very self-contained!

What would you describe as your career highlight?

Getting to Number 1 in the UK charts with Someone Special was fantastic. And so was winning the Eason Popular Fiction Award for All For You. (I’d been nominated 3 times before and hadn’t won so it was lovely to finally hear my name announced.)

Can you remember the moment you were able to say – ‘Yes I’ve made it’

Oh, look, I don’t think you ever really feel that! I’ll try to remember it when I do, though 🙂

What can we expect in the future?

I’ve just signed a contract with my publisher, Headline, for 2 more novels. I’ve also been working on a screenplay of one of my books, and I have thoughts about a series of YA books. So there’s enough there to keep me busy.

Quickfire

Sausage or Bacon?
They go together!!!!!!
Red or White wine?
Chilled white
Sweet or Savoury?
Savoury
Eat to live or Live to eat?
Eat to live
Tea or Coffee?
Green Tea
Champagne or Cocktail?
Champagne Cocktails!!

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You know what i did tonight?

Carmel Harrington set a challenge with one of her latest blog posts. Write a piece of ‘Flash Fiction’, 500-100 words. She asked me to think of giving it a shot. So I thought, sure why the hell not. So I did. I wrote all about The Camels Back. The what? I hear you say, but no you read it right, The Camels Back. So to know what on earth I am on about you will just have to read it all for yourself. Be easy on me it was my first (and possibly last) attempt at fiction. Mind you judging by the night I just had I’m not so sure at all it was fiction. But that my friends is another story entirely.

And here is it: http://carmelharrington.com/2013/05/13/flash-fiction-feature-the-camels-back-by-tanya-farrell/

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How lucky we are!

After hearing so much sad news this weekend, and again this morning i was just thinking about how lucky we are. Really we are. Yes we all have our problems – be it financial, work, domestic or otherwise, but for the most part we will get over it. We always find a way to make those ends meet, the work day will eventually be over and whatever it is that’s bothering us at home will usually sort itself out. Sometimes we just need to take a step back and smell the roses, because they are there you know. You may have to do a little searching to find them but if you spend long enough and look hard enough it’s a sure thing that they are there. Take pleasure in the small things, because they are what it is all about! Make time to do whatever it is you are into. For me it’s read a book (or two), for my husband – well he likes to enjoy a game of pitch and putt. So whether you want to read a book, play a sport, water you flowers or tinker with a car, remember to do it. As that great quote goes “I don’t regret the things I have done, I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.”

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This summer is going to sizzle!

I am of course not talking in the literal sense, more the ‘literary’ sense. Being in the ‘Sunny South East’ here in Ireland doesn’t mean a thing, today is May 9th, the 9th day of Summer – I am sure in school we had flash cards with a huge yellow sun in the sky, little kids sitting on the beach in shorts and t-shirts, with ice cream dripping of their cones. While in reality here I am sitting on my couch wrapped up in a blanket, debating lighting the fire, with the rain hammering off the windows and wind howling down my chimney. So as you can imagine any sizzling that’s going to be done here, will be because I am living vicariously (and happy to do so) through the characters in the many books I am going to read.

That is right folks, the temporary lull due to the dreaded exams is soon to be over. It was so hard not to pick up a book in the last few weeks, while I was struggling to come to terms with having to study for those inevitable end of year exams. Who thought going back to college when you have three small kids (and a mountain of books to read) was a good idea? The good news is that the last exam has come and gone, and with only one more presentation left to do I am almost free for the summer. I have even started reading, thank you Lord! I started Colleen Hoover’s This Girl, which is the much-anticipated third book in the Slammed series, and if you haven’t read the first two they really are a must – they are butterflyingly awesome. This third book is told from Will’s point of view, it’s always nice to know what is going on in a mans head!

The last few books I did manage to sneak in I enjoyed immensely and I do plan to review and do an interview with the authors very soon. I will compile questions over this coming weekend. They were Amanda Heath’s Norma Jean and Lauren Blakely’s Caught up in Us Series – Caught up in Us and Caught Up in Him, and I absolutely cannot wait on the next installment from Lauren when she releases Trophy Husband later this month, I intend to be one of the first to make that purchase.

That is only one of the many books that are going to make my summer sizzle, I am also waiting on Sylvia Day’ third book in the Bared to you series (me and every other woman) Entwined with you, due out next month, Colleen Hoover’s Losing Hope, the sequel to the amazing Hopeless. Ella Frank is teasing us with the wait for Edible, the third book in the sexy Exquisite series. I am chomping a the bit for Abbi Glines next books, the second in the Twisted Perfection series and Forever Too Far, the third in the Too Far series. I am sure I am leaving some out here! I am definitely hoping Abel, the fourth book in Elizabeth Reyes’ 5th Street series will be keeping me company over the summer, though I am not sure when it is due out. I would also love to read the new book from Carmel Harrington who had fantastic success with her Debut Novel Beyond Grace’s Rainbow, I hear the second book is tipped to be even better. I know – I didn’t think it was possible either!

Lets just hope for some literal sizzling days too so the kids can go out to play and leave mammy to her reading 😉

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If ever there was a book written for the big screen…

Have you ever read a book and thought this HAS to be made into a movie? Sure there are a few books that I have read and have been delighted to hear that they are being made into a movie. However, at the weekend, I read a book by Ella Frank. The book was Blind Obsession and it was quite simply amazing. Around half way through the book the thought struck me – I need to see this as a movie. The story was intense, sexy and it sure as hell wasn’t your run of the mill romance.

The only problem is – they do tend to screw up when they convert a book to a movie. Think P.S I love you, Marley and Me, The Lovely Bones, Flowers in the Attic – I could go on. All movies I was looking forward to seeing, I loved the books. All movies that left me sorely disappointed. It of course doesn’t stop me from looking forward to future adaptations, including that of course of the much-anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L James and I am particularly excited to see the story of Abby and Travis in the movie of Beautiful Disaster by Best Selling Author Jamie McGuire. Of course they do not always do it wrong, they have on occasion got it just right. I really enjoyed the movie version of The Blind Side by Michael Lewis – I think the essence of the book was captured wonderfully. The Help by Kathryn Stockett has also been described as a wonderful adaptation.

However as I said, while I was reading Blind Obsession I couldn’t help but want to see it on-screen. Of course the true character of the book would have to be portrayed. The intensity that was enveloped in the book was just that – a character in itself, without it the book just wouldn’t quite be the same. When i Tweeted this the author herself, Ella Frank, also said that “The intensity and emotion would need to be kept”. Sure, in my opinion, without these and the sexy nature of the book – it would be a whole different story.

Blind Obsession

“Obsession, defined as the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image or desire….

Chantel Rosenberg’s passion for music and life had never shone brighter than the time she spent in Bordeaux France. It’s a time when feelings arose and desires ran deep, a time that fundamentally changed her life.

A man living in seclusion, Phillipe Tibideau is haunted and plagued by memories he cannot disregard. Choosing to live a quiet life in his Chateau surrounded by the vineyards of France, he’s left his passion for art behind.

However, the time has arrived to tell his side of a tale. A tale that has depicted him as a ‘beautiful monster’ and he’s finally allowing someone close.

Close enough to ask questions. Questions he’s not sure he wants to answer. Questions about her.

For up and coming journalist Gemma Harris, the pursuit of truth is what drives her and when a job of a lifetime presents itself there is nothing in the world that will stop her from taking it. Even if it does mean leaving her home for several months to stay at Chateau Tibideau, with him.

This is a story of what happens when three passionate lovers collide and the desire for truth, art and music merge.

Chateau Tibideau is a place full of unanswered questions, dark sinful desire and a beauty so hauntingly sad it will have you wondering how you will ever leave the same….”

You may completly ‘get’ this book or it may mess with your mind, it messed with my mind and i loved it. My favourite words in the book were “mindfuck” cos it described the book to a T. It’s a book that gets right inside your head and has you asking questions…it evokes a reaction. Isn’t that the best type of book?

Have you read a book that you thought should be made into a movie? What do you think are the best and worst adaptations?

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Exquisite & Entice

Exquisite

Exquisite

Here Ella Frank introduces us to Dr. Lena O’Donnell and Mason Langley, Smokin’ hot doctor and Chicago’s most eligible bachelor and renowned playboy.

Mason gets under Lena’s skin even before they come face to face. Lena is tough on the exterior, but really she is just guarded. She is hiding years of heartache, grief and harbouring a great deal of guilt. Lena was driving when she was involved in a car accident that tragically claimed the life of her sister. Now she can’t let anyone break down her walls. Mason is the owner of Chicago’s hottest restaurant – Exquisite.

Lena’s work is her life. She goes to work, goes home then goes to work again. She lives a lonely life but as far as she is concerned that’s all she deserves – after all her sister has no life at all. On the other hand Mason Langley has the life that he wants, at least he thought he did. While delivering a bunch of Flowers as a favour to his mother Mason barges into the life of Lena. The pair doesn’t exactly hit it off, in fact quite the opposite and if anything Lena may have been happy to hit HIM. However after a chance meeting later that night at Exquisite the pair come to a truce of sorts.

The pair are drawn together and they discover an explosive sexual relationship, and Mason is determined to know Lena – all of her. The good, bad and the utterly heartbreaking. Everything is going along nicely and the pair have an amazing relationship. Then the unthinkable happens and tragedy strikes again. Lena’s world, for the second time, is turned upside down , due to her love and loyalty to another person. She finds herself all alone again and comes to the conclusion that her heart is safer is things stay that way. Not so sure her heart feels the same way though…

I have been following Ella Frank on Twitter for quite some time, I have seen Exquisite come up in my feed countless times. So I decided the time had come, I was going to read it and see what all the hype was about. Well I must say, all the hype – was well justified. Exquisite was … well Exquisite. It is a fantastic story, but much more than that it was a story well told. It is possible to read a good book and appreciate it as such, but a fantastic book is the one you can’t put down. it sucks you in and the lines of reality start to blur. What do I mean by this? I mean when I turn around to my husband and start to tell him a story about a friend and then think ‘shit, no that’s that book I’m reading’. That was Exquisite for me.

I was quite emotional reading this book, some of the story hit close to home for me, and other parts really too close to home. I admired the way Ella Frank walked us through the story and especially with Lena’s grief and he vulnerability over her sister’s death. I loved the way she developed the relationship between Lena and Mason to be about more than just sex and how he helped Lena face her problems and understand that her sister’s death was not her fault and bring her to the point that she felt she could visit her sisters grave. As I said emotional reading and it certainly struck a chord with me.

No need to take only my word for it, I was browsing through some of the comments on Goodreads and I am most certainly not alone.

Karla said: “4 1/2 Shiny Debut Stars!! Ella Frank is in the house…watch out…she is a force to be reckoned with!! There are seasoned authors that don’t write this well…Impressive!”

Alyssa wrote: “Ella Frank’s debut novel Exquisite was masterfully written. This contemporary romance was anything but the usual run-of-the-mill, it was angsty, deeply moving, and incredibly sexy that had me pulling at so many different emotions, from literally bawling at one moment to laughing in the next.” Oh me too Alyssa, me too.

I highly recommend this book as your next read. You can get it from Kobo, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Entice

Entice

Entice picks up where Exquisite left off, though this time we are following the story of Lena’s best friend and fellow doctor, Dr Shelly Monroe and Mason’s Best friend Joshua Daniels. Shelly and Lena have been best friends since starting work in the same hospital years before. Shelly featured in Exquisite so she isn’t new to us. Joshua is Mason’s best friend who has recently moved home to Chicago following the break up of a relationship.

Shelly is used to getting what she wants. She is a beautiful woman who is highly successful in her career. That doesn’t come without a fair amount of confidence to back it up. She doesn’t however want Joshua Daniels. He is absolutely the farthest thing from what she wants. Now if she could get the organs below the neck to get on the same page as her, then she would be getting places. So far the only place her body wants to get is into Josh Daniels’ pants.

Shelly knows what she needs, a man with a good steady job, financially independent – she’s had enough losers sponging off her to last a life time. When she see’s Mason she see’s everything she is trying to avoid. He’s a contractor, he could be sent to work anywhere – she is looking for stability. She has made up her mind about him and she doesn’t know the half of it. She doesn’t know he is every bit as financially stable as she is, she also doesn’t know that he isn’t just working for the company – he owns it. Either way they can’t get out of each others heads and after yet another date that’s as dull as dishwater the two embark on a journey that see’s them become friends with benefits – no strings attached sex. Oh ya – in complete secrecy. After all they don’t want their respective best friends to find out.

Yeah as you can imagine, that doesn’t quite go as planned and we are brought through the highs and the lows of two people trying to find out if they can work as a couple. When Shelly uses him to try to make a point with her controlling over bearing father, who as far as she is concerned has treated her mother like dirt, things take an unfortunate turn.

Can the two get on the same page, work things out and each be what the other needs? Will they work through their problems, can Shelly finally find out whats been going on in the family home and lay some old ghosts to rest?

Will love conquer all?

I honestly cannot decide which book I enjoyed more! I read the two books in three days so I suppose one rolled into the other for me. While Exquisite dealt with some deep and emotional story lines, Entice had its own heart-rending stories. The girl who seems to have it all, but really that heartbroken girl is still in there, trying to deal with ‘the sins of the father’. She thinks she knows things about her mother and fathers relationship while she doesn’t really know what is going on and it’s not until she has a bust up with her father and then a heart to heart with her mother that she finds out whats really been going on for all of these years.

It’s really interesting to read the story of a woman who keeps going after a particular type of man because that is the type of man she should be with, instead of looking for the man who makes her feel the way she should. It’s also refreshing to read about a man who knows what he wants and prepared to get it, without all the whips and flogger 😉 (not that we haven’t enjoyed all of that too).

What I really can’t wait for is Rachel’s story. I think she is a little firecracker. I’m sure there will be a few surprises in her story too, and I can’t help but think a certain lawyer is going to feature in there somewhere!

Again let’s see a few quotes from others:

Becky *Must have HEA* writes: “This book has…

The best!

Sexual tension!

And chemistry!

EVER!!!!!!!!!”

Renee says: Who is ready to read some smexy and minxy stuff about realistic people with relatable issues?

Order Entice on Kobo, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Again I have been very privileged to have an interview with the author of the books I am reviewing. Ella Frank fabulously well thought out, detailed and honest answers and I would like to take the opportunity to thank her for this, so Thank you so very much xx
While I hope you enjoy the interview I am off to open page one of Ella’s new book, Blind Obsession which is out now!

Ella Frank

Who is Ella Frank?

Hmm let’s see. Ella Frank is a happily married Australian who currently lives in the USA with her loving husband. She is the youngest daughter to two wonderful parents and little sister to her big sis KT.

When did you know you were a writer?

I’ve loved writing ever since I could start reading. I really started when I was around sixteen though. I would write love stories and make my friends read them.

I have just read and loved Exquisite and Entice, when can your readers expect Edible?

Thank you so much for that, I’m glad you enjoyed them. Edible should be ready to release this Summer.

Mason was desirable but then in Entice you introduced Josh. Which of the men would you have a softer spot for?

That’s a really hard question, only because I love both of the men in their own way. These guys both play a large role in book three and although we know a lot about Mason, we get to find out more about the relationships between Josh, Mason and Rachel – being that they grew up together – and I love that.

This is the second time I have been made hungry by books. The first being Elizabeth Reyes’ Moreno Brothers series. Do you have a love of food or was it just a story line?

I love food! I really love to eat, actually I have been told I get mean when I am hungry (shh don’t tell anyone). In all honesty, I took two years in a culinary course and was thinking about working in a restaurant for a while. Obviously that changed but my love of food stuck around.

Entice had me in tears by page 55. Though it did strike close to home, so am I just a sap or have you heard of it making other people emotional?

It’s funny you say that about Entice because most people tell me that Exquisite is the book that made them cry. I always want to try and make my characters complex and usually that means they have flaws, and for Shelly her flaws developed due to her family situation. While it wasn’t death it was painful and difficult just the same. I don’t think you’re a sap, I think you related and that’s what you hope to achieve with at least one reader and I am glad I accomplished that with you.
I of course got my question wrong and it was indeed Exquisite that had me a blubbering mess!

I thought you approached and dealt with the issue of Lena not visiting her sister’s grave extremely well, do you think you may have helped others cope who face a similar dilemma?

Honestly I am not sure. I did receive a beautiful letter from a reader who expressed to me how moved she was by the way Lena was portrayed in dealing with her guilt and the scenes in the cemetery. She went on to explain that she had experienced the same kind of guilt after the loss of a person very near and dear to her. Everyone reacts differently to grief, for Lena it was guilt, for Mason it was anger.

Rachel seems like a little firecracker, are you having fun writing her story?

Yes! Oh my gosh. I love writing this story. I think a lot of people think they know Rachel but I feel like she will surprise them. She ended up a little lost in Entice, trying new things. She just needs someone to set her straight and I think I have the perfect man that will do just that.

I giggled like a school girl reading both books but I found with Entice that I was sitting in a cafe with a Latte with people looking at me sideways. Do people tell you how refreshing it is to have a bit of humor laced through the story?

Yes I have heard that they love the relationships between the characters especially the sarcasm and snark. It’s funny because I don’t particularly see myself as funny, but I am sarcastic. It may be the lowest form of humor but hey, it’s still humor right?

What was your favorite book of last year?

Hands down it was Slammed and the irony of that is I don’t usually read YA/NA and had that book for months and when I finally read it, I like everyone devoured it and then cried like a blubbering idiot.

I have a list of books that I am waiting on to be released this year, with Edible been added to the list, are there any books that you are holding out for?

The only one I was really holding out for was definitely Lover at Last – but I have since got my BDB fix and I am now waiting patiently for the next installment next year.

What three luxuries can you not live without?

My ipad, I never thought I would say this (my phone), the internet!

Do you have a life motto?

Never settle for what you think is the only way. If there is something you want to do, something that makes you happy you should try and do it. We only get one go around in this life.

What would you describe as your best and worst qualities?

Best quality? I am a very happy, positive person. Worst quality? I can be too impulsive.

Who is your favorite book boy?

I really love the men from the Black Dagger Brotherhood – JR Ward

Finally, what book would you recommend that people HAVE to read?

It’s a toss up between the Outlander Series by Diana Gabalden and The Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward

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Is time running out for the Fifty Shades of Grey Movie?

Fifty Shades of Grey. What can I say that hasn’t been said already?

These three books set about my own personal reading revolution. I have said before that after having my children I just didn’t have the time to read. Three children under the age of three – hell I didn’t have time to wash my face and couldn’t even have a toilet break on my own! (That’s still debatable today!)

Then came summer 2012, all my friends were reading Fifty Shades of Grey, I didn’t have time to. I had no interest in reading it, sure its just pure filth and I certainly couldn’t be reading it while looking after my children. Then we had all the subtle and not so subtle jokes that if you weren’t ‘in the know’ well, you just weren’t in the know. Anyone who knows me knows that when I get past my initial shyness (ahem!) I am a small bit of a (huge) chatterbox, my daddy says why use ten words when a hundred will do lol. So my friend says ‘Get the e-Book’. So off Tanya goes and gets the Kobo app for Smartphone. And I got the first book Fifty Shades of Grey. Well I was hooked, right from the very first chapter. What was that about not being able to read it around the children? Scratch it. It was June 2012, and I read it while sitting in the garden while the children played or while sitting looking out the window at them playing. I then read Fifty Shades of Darker and Fifty Shades of Freed, and I read them twice in 8 days. What did i think of them? Well, I hate to repeat myself but in this instance I don’t mind – I read them twice in 8 days!

Then there was all the talk about the FSoG movie and everywhere you looked there were gossip columns and online tabloids reporting that this celebrity or that was taking the role of Christian Grey, when in reality a director hadn’t even been secured. We all joined in with these posts, Shared the Status updates of the ‘breaking news’ and cringed or jumped for joy about the latest suggestion. Always the excitement is over Christian, some about Elliot and Ethan. Never much on Ana, Kate or Mia – I mean who cares? I know I wont be looking at them. That was 2012 though. The movie isn’t out until 2014. So many times I have heard people say its going to be too late, this leads me to wonder – Is time running out for the Fifty Shades of Grey Movie?

Will people still be interested in Christian and Ana next year? Will the shock factor and the excitement factor that hit us all last year still be around? Will there be a different sensation this year that will knock Christian and Ana off their pedestal. Will we have moved on?

I know that since I read the trilogy a whole new world of books opened up to me. I was addicted. Not just to the theme and the amount of sex in it – cos let’s be honest, that was exhausting. There is only so much sex two people can have. I was hooked on this new Genre of books. Certainly new to me at the very least. I went on to read the Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day, The Sinners on Tour Series by Olivia Cunning and many more besides. It also led me to the New Adult Genre, which I must say I am really enjoying and have spent a lot of my free time – and time that’s not meant to be free reading. With so many of these books out there, and many of which were there before FSoG, though I am sure they have benefited from the hype, is there enough interest still out there for the movie or has all the hype faded?

I think the best way to answer this is to swing by and take a look at the New York Times Best Sellers. Fifty Shades of Grey is at No. 15 in the Combined Print and EBook Fiction Charts. That is across ALL genre! This is after 55 weeks in the charts. That is is nothing short of phenomenal. Fifty Shades of Freed is No. 22 and Fifty Shades of Darker is No. 23. It tells me that while there may not be article after article about the sensation that is FSoG and it may not be all over Facebook or Twitter every time you log in, the interest is still there. I can imagine it being like Sex and The City, the Cinema’s will sell out. I think that it will be the most hotly (emphasis on the HOT) anticipated movie of next year! I just hope they can do it justice!

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That Day

Today is World Poetry Day, as such I have decided to bite the bullet, take the plunge, grab the monkey by the tail…. I could go on but I can hear you begging me to stop 😉

The Following is a Poem I wrote a few months ago. It truly is amazing how getting something down on paper can help you! If there is something rattling around that head of yours, I recommend grabbing a pen and a bit of paper and letting it all out. So here goes…

That Day

That day
The most significant day
It was the day my world shook
Violently

Was it raining? Cold? Windy?
I don’t know
I do know I will never remember the day I will never forget

Well… I remember screaming, the shocked faces just sitting, staring
I remember the sound of my phone ringing, and my body unable to move to answer it
I remember the sweet tea and even now I remember it was disgusting

I don’t remember making calls, maybe I didn’t?
I don’t remember packing, maybe I didn’t?
I do remember six long hours sitting in a car, shell-shocked
Sleep finding me five minutes from home, I think?

I remember their faces
Faces I wish I could forget
I wish I could forget that day
Ten years seem like such a long time
Yet that day could have been yesterday
So, if I can remember nothing how come I will never forget that day

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Hot Ticket

Hot Ticket

The fourth book released, though third in reading order from the Sinners on Tour series by Olivia Cunning.

We met Jace Seymore way back in the first book – Backstage Pass. We knew he was quiet and wasn’t with sinners for fame, he wasn’t very comfortable in the limelight. We knew he was a latecomer to Sinners as a replacement to John Mallory and he knew Eric had a chip on his shoulder cos Jace or ‘littleman’ as he calls him replaced his best friend in the band. We also knew that he never really felt that he was ‘one of them’. Well girls did your mammy never tell you its the quiet ones you have to watch out for?

Who knew Jace had quite the story to tell?

We pick up Hot Ticket in Las Vegas, the night of Brian’s bachelor party. Walking through the strip club he makes a beeline to a particular dancer. ‘Mistress V’, up there on her podium cracking a whip, dressed in black leather – she is just what he needs.

Mistress V, aka Aggie has an Asshole radar. Every guy she sees can be put on one of two lists. But this guy walking towards her now, with the Platinum hair and the dark stubble, he has her stumped. This never happens and she needs to make a third list just for him!

When she cracks her whip a hairbreadth from his face and he doesn’t even flinch Aggie knows she could have some fun trying to break this one. Little does she know that this guy, unlike her regulars, isn’t looking to be broken. All he is after is the pain. As much as she can dish out he can handle. He wants it, and much more than that – he needs it.

When Jace notices commotion involving his band members ( which we now know is when Sed spots Jessica dancing in the club) he has to leave Mistress V and come to the aid of this friends. WIth the fight that ensues, he must leave and go back to his bus but he just can’t get the sexy Dominatrix out of his mind.

Following words with Eric Jace storms off, and he knows exactly where he needs to go. He waits out the side door of the strip joint for Mistress V, he needs to be alone with her so she can give him the release he has needed for a while. However, as she explains to him it’s just not as easy at that and gives him her card and tells him where to be the next night. She also tells him if he is late she wont open the door, so he makes sure he is early – even though he has a gig that night.

Mistress V tries her best to break him, but he isn’t even flinching. He gets the better of her and she breaks her own cardinal rule and draws blood. Shocked to the core she has to stop. When tending to his wounds she sees a world of pain in his eyes and makes a vow to help him, but not as Mistress V. She brings him to her own private quarters and drops the Dominatrix act.

Will he open up to her, let her into his world of hurt? Will he tell her why he deserves to be in pain? Will she understand? What will happen when it is time to leave Las Vegas? If he decides he wants to make something of this how is he going to feel about her doing this with other men?

Seriously, I thought this would be the tamest book of the bunch. OK so I knew he had all this kinky stuff going on but I thought that Jace’s story would be all about the sex. Never would I have that there was so much going on in the quiet boys head. I love the dynamic of Jace and Aggie, especially since they are both used to being the dominant partner, eventually something will give and someone has got to cave.

I don’t want to give away too much about the story but my oh my, he has some serious issues, and some seriously kinky ways of dealing with it. He also has to come to terms with John Mallory being back on the scene while he is out of action after being shot. Why was he shot? Well that’s something you will have to find out all by yourself, sure if I tell you then you wont need to read the book.

Will Jace stay forever tortured by his demons or will he eventually let Aggie bring him to his knees?

Olivia Cunning has brought Jace to life in a way that I would never have thought possible. The lady is gifted!

I went from thinking this would be the tamest book to it being up there as possibly one of my favourites! I can’t wait til the next one!

If you would like a visual of all the boys check them out here

Buy Hot Ticket on Kobo, Amazon and Barnes and Noble

To read the interview with Olivia Cunning please click here

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Noah (5th Street #1)

Noah

Meet Veronica Cruz, or Ronni as you will come to know her. At only 28 she has been virtually severed from the rest of the civilisation. After taking a career break to care for her dying mother, Veronica is now in Limbo. Her mother passed away now she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. She wants to go back to work but has put on 40lbs and there is no way she is going back looking like that. She has turne into a frump, her clothes don’t fit her and she feels she has aged 10 years.

Enter Nellie, Veronica’s best friend. Nellie has brought Ronni a present, a pass to 5th Street. A Gym in East LA that isn’t like all those other gyms, full of love me do’s and exhibition artists. Nellie got two free 1 week passes. If her weight is the thing that is holding Ronni back from living her life then they would just have to do something about it.

Noah Quintanilla works at 5th Street, the well-known boxing Gym. He is just holding out for Jack, the Gym’s owner to let him start training, he is ready and anxious to start. Things start looking up for Noah when Jack tell him today is his luck day. He points to the two ladies and tells Noah to get to work.

Underneath the baggy clothes and extra few pounds Noah see’s not only a determination and motivation he never expected to see from Veronica but also into the heart of someone who is fast becoming one of the closest friends he has ever had. When circumstances find Noah renting a room for Veronica, he just can’t help the feelings that continue to grow. It’s not all one-sided either, but Veronica is adamant that with an 8 year age gap – there is just no question, it’s a non issue they cannot have a relationship. With Nellie’s own life hitting the skids Veronica has even more time on her hands, and now spending time with Noah not only at the gym but at home as well, she has to continually fight the feelings that just keep building in her.

After losing all her excess weight and deciding it was now time to get her life back on track, Veronica starts to make plans about going back to work and reviving her social life. With a big fight on the Horizon after months out of action due to an injury, Noah gets stuck in to his training, though is distracted every time someone tries to make a move on Veronica in the Gym.

Can Noah keep his head in the game? Will his attraction to Veronica spell disaster for his boxing career? Can Veronica stop thinking about Noah’s age for long enough to listen to her heart or is she so hell-bent on believing a 20-year-old couldn’t be on the same page as her that she may just throw away the best thing to ever happen to her?

Welcome back Elizabeth Reyes, we have missed you! Hot off the heels of the delectable Moreno Brothers we are now in East LA with the boxers of 5th Street Gym. Wow, what my imagination can do with the tasty descriptions of these boys. I’m fanning myself here as I write. If you were a fan of the Moreno Brothers then you will just love 5th Street. We meet Noah, Gio, Hector and Abel. Four boys sure to get the heart beating faster.

All the intensity we have come to expect from Reyes is there in spades. You can almost feel all the emotions bouncing off the page (or in my case screen ;)). Noah has it bad for Ronni, but what the hell can he do to get her to see that he is ready. He might only be twenty, but when you were brought up the way he was age doesn’t mean shit. She has to realise that life experience doesn’t come with age, hell there are men out there ten years older that aren’t half the man he is at 20. But how is he going to make her see that. Veronica can’t help the building attraction or how she feels when she is with him but there are other things she has to concentrate on first, like getting back to work, reviving her social life and get her confidence back.

As the lines start to blur with, good night kisses and lingering hugs – how will Noah react to Veronica’s social life plans. Will he manage to get her to give in to her heart, prove to her that age is just an illusion or is her stubbornness and her dinners with her ex going to break Noah’s heart and ruin the best relationship he’s ever had?

I absolutely love this book, and the best thing is that when you read this there are two more waiting for you. I have read them and I can’t recommend them highly enough. I started Noah on Friday and finished Hector today, and already I am pining for Abel. It is due later this year and Elizabeth Reyes assures me its her longest book. I for one can’t wait!

You can buy Noah on Kobo Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes

To read about the Moreno Brothers or the interview the wonderful Elizabeth Reyes did with me when i reviewed the series click here

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