Jenny Kane: Coffee, cupcakes, chocolate and contemporary fiction / Jennifer Ash: Medieval crime with hints of Ellis Peters and Robin Hood

Category: Contemporary Romantic Fiction Page 42 of 56

Guest Post from Jan Ruth: Sweet Nothings

Today I’m delighted to welcome Jan Ruth back to my site with a wonderfully equine blog.

Over to you Jan…

SWEET NOTHINGS

My passion for horses, whispering, and the inspiration behind the Midnight Sky Series

Just when you think you know everything about a subject, along comes someone to blow apart a lifetime of assumptions. Monty Roberts’ father was virtually destroyed by his son’s belief in ‘horse-whispering’, as a far more humane and less exhausting method of breaking and training horses. It’s no secret that Monty took a severe beating for it.

A remarkable man, Roberts went on to foster disadvantaged children, using much the same wisdom and insight he’d learnt through studying horses and their social groups in the wild. It’s too easy – and often misguided – to bestow animals with human emotion, but maybe trust is rooted in the same place in humans as in horses, and observation and interpretation is all that’s required to make a valuable connection, regardless of language. And isn’t whispering usually far more effective than shouting? Much the same as writing good fiction; and if we’re talking analogies there’s nothing worse than clunky dialogue. Is Natural Horsemanship simply natural dialogue?

Jan Ruth Banner Midnight Sky

Guido Louis Leidelmeyer: “In the words of the horse: ‘Listen’ by observing me, and communication between us will come naturally and silently. In my words: Can I help you do that?”

As with most things that work well, it’s based on a simple concept of alignment with nature. Horses like to hang in a crowd (herd), follow the leaders – usually the older mares – and be out in the open simply because if there’s a predator, they’re more likely to bolt, than stand and fight. That’s about it. If a horse is singled out he is more likely to turn to us without fear or aggression once he comes to realise that we are not predatory, and as a surrogate leader can offer the ultimate protection. And that’s where the ‘following’  or ‘joining-up’ comes in.

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This principle works with wild/un-handled horses as well as re-training by reiterating the relationship of horse and leader for equines who have formed bad habits, or those with anxiety issues.

Actually, most bad habits stem from anxiety and a lack of leadership. It’s a little like your pet dog – and dare I say children, too? – needing to know they’re safe and secure place in the family pack, although the body language between dogs and horses is rather different. Flattened ears in a dog is more likely to mean subservient greetings whereas a horse … well, watch out!

Not everyone agrees that these principles are quite so cut and dried, and as is often the case with a lot of unquantified skills, there is perhaps some sixth-sense at work gleaned from years of experience. There are many equine behavourists who claim the ‘following’ principle is flawed. But the proof is in the pudding. I’ve watched Guido use these techniques on a couple of riding-school horses – both of whom he’d never ‘met’ – with amazingly fast results: 20 minutes to resolve a problem with electric clippers on a mare which had for some 12 years, aggressively avoided the issue. The owner was quite rightly, open-mouthed. But the problem isn’t solved in its entirety, as Guido explained: Tilly’s owner needed to learn and understand the process for herself, and as is the case with most success stories, a certain measure of self-belief is required. It’s this psychological leadership which is perhaps where the sixth-sense bridges that gap between human and equine.

Midnight Sky Cover EBOOK

Horses have been a lifetime’s passion for me. No surprise that they feature in most of my novels, more so in MIDNIGHT SKY and the sequel: PALOMINO SKY.  Both books draw on the principles of horse-whispering and the power of self-belief – but I take on this theme in a fictional sense rather than a technical sense. It’s so easy to swamp the narrative with too much unwanted detail. And yet, it’s the minutiae of life which underpins the storyline in PALOMINO SKY. As with horse-whispering, it’s the observation of perhaps something seemingly inconsequential which can change an entire situation. If you’re not horse savvy or enjoy only a passing interest, I’ve tried to portray the equine aspect as secondary to the storyline in these books. On the other hand, horse enthusiasts will hopefully embrace the setting!

MIDNIGHT SKY is currently 99p/99c myBook.to/MidnightSky

PALOMINO SKY is released this week myBook.to/PalominoSky

Palomino Sky Cover LARGE EBOOK

PALOMINO SKY

A golden promise for the future in a lonely palomino mare, but life deals a cruel hand for James and Laura.

James is still running from the past after the loss of his wife, and a devastating accident forces him to face his final demons, but at what cost? Laura is forced deeper into his rural world – a life she once despised – but discovers empathy and hope in the palomino mare she calls Song.

Repercussions abound for Maggie too, when the full extent of her daughter’s dangerous liaison comes to light, leaving the entire family in turmoil. Will James and Laura ever find a golden future, or has life dealt too vicious a blow?

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Grey Horse

Many thanks for such a lovely blog Jan,

Happy reading,

Jenny x

 

Release Blitz: Before We Say Goodbye by Julie MacLennan

Book Blitz: Before We Say Goodbye by Julie MacLennan #contemporary #fiction #romance #ebook

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Blurb:

Four strangers are brought together who share one thing in common: they’ve reached a pivotal moment in their lives and after this journey nothing will ever be the same again. From the sorrow which follows joy, the love which turns to betrayal, rejection which finally finds the door to acceptance, each will discover that the only journey which really matters is the one which leads to survival.

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Buy links:

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00S05BR4A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00S05BR4A&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelthouse-21

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S05BR4A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00S05BR4A&linkCode=as2&tag=lucyfelt-20&linkId=ADQV7MS7SVHMAJAF

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/508864?ref=cw1985

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/before-we-say-goodbye-julie-maclennan/1121019949

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=9781310948978

iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781310948978

Tirgearr Publishing: http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/MacLennan_Julie/before-we-say-goodbye.htm

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 Excerpt:

‘I’m leaving you!’

The young woman at the end of the phone screamed in fury as Damien Hunt calmly rose from his desk and walked towards the window.

The late afternoon sun was slipping silently below the horizon in a last brilliant blaze of crimson defiance. The irony was not lost on him as he witnessed the magnificent rays disappearing from sight at exactly the same moment as Stella Milner was doing her best to elicit a response – any response – from him.

‘Do you hear me? Are you even listening? What’s the matter with you?’

She was almost hysterical now, and he could tell that his continued refusal to answer her was only inflaming an already volatile situation. But not for the first time, he recognised it as his escape route and said nothing.

‘Damien? Damien! Will you answer me?’

The silence on the line was deafening and Damien could hear her start to cry.

He closed his eyes. There was a part of him which felt guilty, responsible for the situation in which they now found themselves. But only a part of him.

Mostly what he felt was a dreadful and overwhelming weariness.

It was a feeling which was unfamiliar and yet it had crept up on him lately, invading his thoughts during random moments and making him doubt everything. Including himself.

And now it was telling him that there was no point in prolonging this conversation.

He let the phone fall to his side as Stella continued to rage against him.

They both knew that she was right. She wanted only what she deserved. There was only one problem.

He couldn’t give it to her.

Couldn’t give her the commitment and the stability that she hadn’t cared about in the beginning but now seemed to crave. He couldn’t give it, and more importantly he didn’t want to give it. Not to her. Not to anyone. Not ever.

Her voice became louder and he reluctantly raised the phone to his ear again.

‘Can’t you even speak to me now, Damien? What do you think I am? Some little tramp? A one night stand? You really think that you’re better than me, don’t you, Damien?’

Still he remained silent.

When she spoke again, her voice was lower and she sounded more in control.

‘Okay, if you won’t speak to me on the phone, you leave me no choice. We’ll just have to have this conversation in front of everyone in your office. I’m coming round.’

***

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Author Bio:

Julie MacLennan lives and works in Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland.

This is her first published novel although she has been writing for as long as she can remember.

Some of her earliest memories are of sitting by her grandfather’s chair and being fascinated by the books he read. Later, encouraged by her grandmother’s gift for writing and her mother’s imagination, she began to transfer her own short stories and poetry to paper.

Her shared love of football with her father inspired her to write the poem “Farewell, Our Friend” which was read out and televised around the world at George Best’s funeral in late 2005.

More recently, she was honoured to be asked by the Royal British Legion if they could use another of her poems, “The Promise”, as part of their commemoration of the First World War.

She is now working on her second novel.

 

 

 

 

20 Questions

I was having a long overdue clean up of my laptop this morning and came across this interview I did as a guest blogger some time ago. I had such fun with it, that I thought I’d update it and share it afresh.

The questions come from a friend I asked to pretend she didn’t know me! Yes- I know that’s a little bit mad- but I’m a writer- insanity is only ever inches away!!

Do you just write as Jenny, or do you have multiple personas?

I currently have one other ‘me’ as well as Jenny, and that’s Kay Jaybee- an erotica writer of the ‘full on’ persuasion. (There may be another ‘me’ coming soon- I’ll say no more for now…)

who am i

  • Are you more like Kay or Jenny in real life?

Jenny- no question!

  • Do you love coffee as much as the characters in your first Jenny Kane novel, Another Cup of Coffee?

Even more than they do! I can’t write without a coffee close at hand, and I have to have one first thing in the morning or my day doesn’t go well!

  • How do you take it?

Black- nothing added- Americano for preference

  • How many cups do you drink a day?

Too many

Brazz Taunton

  • Do you really write in cafes and coffee shops like JK Rowling?

I really do. I even have my own corner in my local cafe- there’s a plaque on the wall to prove it! Not only that, but I am now employed by a brilliant group called Phoenix Somerset to visit Independent coffee shops and blog about my experiences there. Dream job!

  • What is your favourite hot drink – apart from coffee?

Coffee is the only hot drink I like- I HATE tea, and I’m allergic to milk, so can’t have hot chocolate, latte etc

  • Favourite colour?

Purple

  • Boots, trainers or heels?

Boots – I am not sporty, and I’d break my neck in heels. I am very clumsy!

Another Cup of Coffee - New cover 2015

  • Are the characters in Another Cup of Coffee based on real people?

Almost all of them are.

  • Which ones?

My lips are sealed.

  • Spoil sport- give us a clue?

 

I knew three of them at University- although I obviously wrote exaggerated versions of them- and they are all still my friends and totally lovely.

  • What did you study at University?

I did an Archaeology degree and then a Medieval History for a PhD.

  • Ohhh- like Amy in Another Cup of Coffee did…?

Yes- just like Amy did- well, the archaeology bit- I think I can guess the next question!

  • So are you Amy?

I am a little tiny bit, but only a little bit. I more like the character of Kit, who writes for a living (or tries to!)

  • You feature Kew Gardens in the book, have you been there, or did you just research in on Google?

I’ve been there many times. I love just wandering around the various greenhouses- and sitting in the cafes of course!

Kew

  • What would you say always surprises people when they meet you?

That I wear hearing aids. I am 80% deaf.

  • Do you prefer being Kay Jaybee- Queen of BDSM Kink- or Jenny Kane- Writer of book chocolate?

I love being both of them – it is wonderful to be able to create such different styles of work, and thus- hopefully- make more people happy when they read! (Well- that’s the plan!)

  • What is Jenny going to do next?

The final book in the 5 part Another Cup of Coffee series is due out this summer. Another Glass of Champagne is a full length novel which concludes the adventures of Amy, Kit, Jack, Megan and friends. I am about to start the publishers edits for this. I am also busily drafting the sequel to Abi’s House– which will be called Abi’s Neighbour.

Apart from the writing, I am helping to organise the second Tiverton Literary Festival, which will run from 8th-12th June.

  • What is Kay doing next?

Kay’s erotica is largely on hold for a while, as it is Jenny’s turn to tap away at my computer keyboard- except for on Wednesdays. On ‘Wicked Wednesday’ I write as Kay all day- I am currently writing a new novella- but my lips are sealed as it what it will be about!

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You can buy all the ‘Another Cup of…’ stories from all good retailers, including Amazon.

For example,you can buy the first in the series, Another Cup of Coffee here…

Amazon UK- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605533&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee

Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605667&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee+jenny+kane

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Happy reading,

Jenny x

 

Interview with Caroline Dunford

It’s interview time! Today I have the lovely Caroline Dunford dropping by for coffee and cake. So why don’t you take five minutes out of your day and join us for a cuppa?

coffee and cake

Do you model any of your characters after people you know? If so, do these people see themselves in your characters?

One of the risks of admitting you’re a writer at parties is you are often immediately asked where do you get your ideas? If you answer truthfully, that you get your ideas from your life experience, and your questioner isn’t yet too full of party cheer, then more often than not your questioner will sidle off looking nervous and muttering about having left the cat in the fridge, or something equally unlikely. They are, of course, terrified you will ‘put them in a book.’ There are those who offer themselves up as excellent characters for books or who have the best ideas for a book, and these are the ones writers tend to sidle away from.

I would like to put on record that I cannot write other people’s ideas. If it doesn’t come from the murky depths of my own subconscious then it simply doesn’t work for me. Like any writer I use my experiences and they are exactly that; they are how I experience my world. There is no way I could ever possibly write about anyone else accurately. Even if I chose to base a character on someone I knew, it would be based on how I saw that person and almost certainly not how they saw themselves.

As a writer I make up inner thoughts and motivation for my characters, but I have no ability to scan the mind of anyone else and collect this information. It would be a lot easier (though possibly libellous!) if I did. This means even if I did base a character on someone I know I can pretty much guarantee they would never recognise themselves. But I don’t. All my characters come from my thoughts, feelings and imagination. When I am writing they become like voices in my head. Even sometimes adding events and speeches to the story that I certainly had not planned on writing. They become alive to me. I know them so well because they have come from me.

All this is a little embarrassing to admit. I do have some pretty awful characters in my books and they must reflect a dark part of my psyche. I can only console myself with the thought that I also have likable and estimable characters in my stories too. These, hopefully, form the most influential part of my psyche in everyday life. Though I suspect Euphemia, my murder mystery heroine, is far braver than me. We are definitely equally stubborn. I only hope I am not as naïve as she can sometimes be – a naivety that invariably leads her into danger.

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What type of research did you have to do for your book?

When I am writing a historical novel I research the period – the events, the clothing, the ideas of the era and everything else I can get my hands on. However, I am not an historian. My desire is to create a compelling story and I am more interested in building my characters – their loves, foibles, ideas, fears and ambitions – than anything else. For me the historical era is important because it not only frames these, but also informs them. I also need to know their world, in particular who the important people in their lives are and what they are like. It is often out of the interconnecting personalities that the stories take form.

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Which Point of View do you prefer to write in and why?

In the Euphema Martins Mysteries I use the first person. Euphemia has a unique voice that uses slightly more archaic speech and is invariably full of slips (and even innuendos) that she is unaware of. It is enormous fun as a writer to create these. While Euphemia is saying one thing, the reader is understanding another – and this is often where the humour lies.

Writing in the third person, that is setting yourself up as a narrator outside the story, has the advantage that you can move more easily between events. In the Euphemia books the reader only ever experiences what she experiences. The biggest problem in writing as a narrator is that it is harder to get your audience to emote – they are just that one step removed from the action.

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Do you prefer to plot your story or just go with the flow?

In a murder mystery I need to know who the murderer is and I also generally know the main turning points in the story. However, Euphemia and her friends are pretty well formed now after nine books, and they do have a tendency to hijack the plot. Of course, I only let them do this if I think they have come up with something more exciting than I have!

What is your writing regime?

There is only one thing you need to do to be a writer and that is write. It would be lovely to wait from the muse to spring into your mind, but in reality writing novels is a lot about plotting and planning, and agreeing with your editor what you are going to supply. Remember publicity for a book can be created before the book is finished! However, if the story is right then I find it will come alive at your fingertips. But this still means every morning sitting down at the laptop even when you would much rather be reading in bed. Sadly, I find my muse responds to coffee and perseverance rather than wishful thinking.

What excites you the most about your book?

Honestly? Finishing it! I love it when I have a complete story, fully edited and ready to go. I can feel proud of my hard work. No matter how much I love writing when I am creating a novel I am always terrified I won’t be able to complete it, so reaching the end is a huge relief. It’s sort of like sitting a very hard physics exam very time you write one. And I was never very good at physics. I have to work hard to get it right!

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Bio

Caroline has been creating stories since primary school when she first learnt that creating fictional games could gain her friends! She has held a variety of jobs, but most notably journalist, where she learnt the art of making deadlines, and psychotherapist, where she gained a valuable insight into the human condition. She lives by the sea with her supportive (and long suffering) partner and two sons, both of whom think writing a book is no big deal.

Links

Caroline is @verdandiweaves on twitter

Her facebook fan page is Caroline Dunford fanpage

All her books are available from Amazon uk at http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=caroline+dunford&sprefix=Caroline+dunf%2Cstripbooks%2C170

And amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=caroline+dunford&sprefix=caroline+dunf%2Caps%2C255

A Death for a Cause

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Cause-Euphemia-Martins-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B015ZM4A2Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452035955&sr=1-1

Coming May 2016 A Death by Arson

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Arson-Euphemia-Martins-Mysteries/dp/1783757159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452036026&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Death+by+arson+Caroline+dunford

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Highland Inheritance

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Highland-Inheritance-Caroline-Dunford-ebook/dp/B00M0FZMAG/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452036100&sr=1-15

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Playing for Love

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playing-Love-Caroline-Dunford-ebook/dp/B011OG0L3O/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452036100&sr=1-16

ALL OF THE ABOVE ALSO AVAILABLE DIRECT FROM

https://www.accentpress.co.uk/caroline-dunford

Young Adult Fantasy

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The Mapmaker’s Daughter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mapmakers-Daughter-Caroline-Dunford-ebook/dp/B00J5JE346/ref=sr_1_12?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1452036321&sr=1-12

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Many thanks for such a great interview Caroline,

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

 

 

 

My Writing Space

I love my writing space. Tucked away in the corner of one of the many coffee shops in the Devonshire town where I live, I sit at the same little wooden table every day, writing words of romance and friendship.

I’ve never been able to write well at home. There are just too many distractions, too much housework to do, too many boxes of work (I have a part time job as an educational blogger and data imputer which I do from home), and consequently too much guilt connected with what I ‘ought to be doing’ ready to interrupt my imagination.

Coffee good or evil

My writing has always flowed at its best in an atmosphere of bustle. I like to be surrounded by happily chattering people, enjoying a break from their ‘real’ lives, while I let my invented characters take control of my pen-wielding fingers. Sometimes, I admit, the café can get a bit too noisy. However, that is no problem at all. I simply lower the volume around me by taking out my hearing aids- being deaf sure does have its benefits sometimes!

I even have, thanks to the lovely staff within my ‘writing’ café, a brass plaque on the wall above my writing space, engraved with the words, Jenny Kane’s Corner.

Jenny's Corner Costa

How amazing is that?! So now I am officially the cafe’s writer in residence; and as I sit and write in my little space I feel rather like one of my all time favourite literary characters; Winnie-the-Pooh! For just like him, I have my own corner!

Every week day I am at my desk so early that I have no fear of anyone else being sat there. At the weekend however it is a different matter, and I have to take my chances. I don’t mind other people sitting at my table- after all, I don’t own it – and I am perfectly OK working at other tables- providing I have coffee to hand. Today- right now in fact- as I sit at a table next to my usual writing spot- my heart goes out to my poor little desk!

A group of rather unpleasant teenage girls are sat there, happily flicking hot chocolate everywhere, while putting on make up they don’t need to wear, listening to music that would make my ‘Kay’ persona blush, while making unsubtle gestures at a group of teenage boys at the opposite end of the café. (My heart goes out to them as well, because they look like a nice set of lads who just want a quiet catch up after a week at college)

Of course, the girls will get fed up and leave soon; I’ll get out the cafe’s disinfectant (I more or less live in here, so I know where all the cleaning stuff is), and my lovely writing space will be a happy sanctuary of words once more.

And there are three plus sides to their unpleasant use of my lovely space-

1. I have something to blog about today.

2. Next time I need to write about the more thoughtless members of our teenage population I’ll have a memory to use as story fodder!

3. It never hurts me t be reminded how lucky I am to have such a space in the first place (not to mention, how lucky I am to have such well behaved children!)

Always a silver lining!!

Happy reading,

Jenny x

 

Guest Post from Celia J Anderson: Moondancing Blog Tour

Today Celia J Anderson returns to my blog as part of her latest blog tour. Why not grab a cuppa, put your feet up for five minutes, and read all about Celia’s new book, Moondancing.

Over to you Celia…

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You’re probably reading this on the day after Moondancing jumped out of Amazon’s shelves and became part of the real world. If yesterday felt like Christmas for it, today is its Boxing Day. This fourth book – and my first, initially disastrous attempt to be a writer – is the one that took the longest to write, and took in a whole load of worry, pain and also fun in the process. Life’s been something of a roller coaster for me over the last few years. The loss of both parents and my husband have been character-building, I guess (although with hindsight I might have chosen a smaller character and a bit less angst) but my new marriage gave me the nudge to get on with life and to get this book finished at last.

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So, after many, many edits and rewrites, here it is. Initially called ‘Something for Molly’, then renamed ‘Start Again’, it’s now got its final title. Moondancing is a prequel to my earlier book, Little Boxes, and in it we see Molly in the earlier days of her marriage. Her much-loved children are a handful and she often finds herself wanting to shake her husband, Jake. I hope you enjoy the final product and if you haven’t already, have the chance to read Little Boxes to see what happens next!

Moondancing_by_CeliaJ_Anderson-FB_banner

Extract:

Driving along the narrow country lanes into town, Jake’s anger develops into a huge black cloud of self-pity. Why did Molly have to go off the rails on a school night when they’ve both got a hard day at work to get through?

He sighs heavily, feeling the snatched bowl of Weetabix beginning to churn in his stomach. Being a foreman at the brewery is a steady job, even if it’s not that exciting, but he needs to be alert to do it properly. It’s not his dream job – not even close – but it pays the mortgage. Last night’s broken sleep was as bad as the early days with teething babies. Jake doesn’t need this. He loves Molly and his four kids, his home, his allotment and his prize-winning leeks; in that order, usually. He likes to cook, if somebody else has done the shopping and if he can use his home-grown vegetables.

He looks after his pride and joy carefully – an ageing Range Rover, temperamental but solid. At weekends, he gives a hand with the cleaning, if he’s not at work or on the allotment. In all his thirty-nine years he’s never really wanted more than a quiet life. Is he demanding? Jake thinks not.

The September morning sunshine is breaking through the mist, but Jake’s mood darkens even more as he drives along the winding lanes to Hopton. The early rays warm the freshly-cut grass along the verge, the evocative smell bringing unwelcome memories of a time, years ago, when he lay in the wild meadow at the edge of the sports field, trying to persuade Molly to let him see her new bra.

‘Honestly, Moll, you can’t get pregnant just by taking off your PE shirt,’ he’d said hopefully. Molly’s aertex PE shirt was all that lay between Jake and the wonderful lace and wire construction that kept her chest in order, but there was no way she was letting him do more than stroke the bare skin of her back.

‘Look, it’s all right for you, no one calls you a slag if you let them feel your… you-know-whats…’

‘But I haven’t got any you-know-whats.’

‘Don’t be pedantic.’

‘How can I be pedantic, I don’t know what it means? Anyway, I only want to give them a bit of a rub – over your bra, not even under it.’ He’d shuddered at the wonderful thought of actually being allowed underneath a girl’s bra.

Jake sighs as a sharp pang of nostalgia for such simple times brings a lump to his throat. The radio plays Eva Cassidy – a heartbreaking song about leaving in autumn, leaves turning, and all manner of other sad stuff. Can the day get any worse?

Blurb:

Together since their teens, Molly and Jake have four children, a house in a sleepy village and jobs that bore them to distraction. Their marriage is an accident waiting to happen. When Nick arrives in Mayfield, young, disturbed and in desperate need of mother-love, Molly doesn’t realise that he will be the catalyst that blows everything apart. Add a headmaster whose wife doesn’t understand him and Molly’s unpredictable, frustrated best friend to the mix, and the blue touch paper has been well and truly lit.

Buy Links: http://celiajanderson.co.uk/books/moondancing/

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Author Bio:

Celia J Anderson teaches English in a small South Derbyshire town and dreams of living by the sea. Having her previous books published (Sweet Proposal, with Piatkus Entice and Little Boxes and Living the Dream with Tirgearr) has whetted her appetite for the author’s life, but at the moment she is juggling her love of junior drama and writing classes, reading thrillers and drinking too much wine/eating too much cake while she keeps on top of the marking pile. One day…

Website: http://celiajanderson.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CeliaJAndersonAuthor/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/celiaanderson1

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GIVEAWAY!

Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/celia-j-anderson-4/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Many thanks for stopping by on your tour Celia. Good luck with your new book.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

 

 

Another Cup of… The Dawn of a Series

As I approach the publishers editing stage of the draft of Another Cup of Champagne– the fifth in the Another Cup of… series, I can’t help but look back on how it all began. I’ve had so much fun writing the adventures of Amy, Kit, Jack and their friends- but I honestly never thought I’d still be telling their stories five books later!

Another Cup of Coffee - New cover 2015

Although Another Cup of Coffee was the first book I wrote under the name Jenny Kane, it is actually my seventh novel. Without exception, all of my other works, be they long or short, have been formed from a single moment of inspiration- a flash point of certainty sparked from a conversation, location, or random thought, that has expanded and developed as I’ve penned the words.

Another Cup of Coffee however was a very different cup of tea! (If you’ll pardon the pun!). It’s dawn was thirteen years ago, shortly after the birth of my first child, and it started by accident. My youngest child never slept at night as a baby, nor did she feel inclined to eat much, so she was constantly awake, starving and grumpy (although she is totally lovely now!!), and as a sanity buster in the middle of the night I would lay on the sofa with her, and think back to all the wonderful times I’d had as a student when I worked as an archaeologist, all the fun I’d had with my university friends, I’d reminisce about how I met my husband, all the places we used to go, the music we used to listen to, the mistakes we made…and then, as the long nights wore on, I found I’d begun to think about the ‘what if’s’ in life.

It was these ‘what if’s’ that made me reach for a piece of paper- What if I hadn’t met my husband when I did? What if I’d met him years later in a totally different place? What if my first boyfriend had hurt me badly, rather than finishing things amicably? And what if he’d been my best friend ever since- as, in fact, he is- but with the past still an open wound between us, rather than just something we look back on fondly as a lovely adventure on the way to growing up? (I use the term ‘growing up’ very loosely!!) What if my heart had been so broken that I’d run away from all my friends and started a new life many miles away? What if…..?

ACOChristmas- New 2015

I wrote all those thoughts down- and then did nothing with them. Then, when my second child was born, and the lack of sleep began again, I picked up that piece of paper, and gave the characters associated with this ‘what if-ness’ names- although not the names in the book now- the main character was called Jenny back then, rather than Amy as she is now…

Thirteen years ago Amy Crane ran away from everyone and everything she knew, ending up in an unfamiliar city with no obvious past and no idea of her future. Now, though, that past has just arrived on her doorstep, in the shape of an old music cassette that Amy hasn’t seen since she was at university.

Digging out her long-neglected Walkman, Amy listens to the lyrics that soundtracked her student days. As long-buried memories are wrenched from the places in her mind where she’s kept them safely locked away for over a decade, Amy is suddenly tired of hiding.

It’s time to confront everything about her life. Time to find all the friends she left behind in England, when her heart got broken and the life she was building for herself was shattered. Time to make sense of all the feelings she’s been bottling up for all this time. And most of all, it’s time to discover why Jack has sent her tape back to her now, after all these years…

With her mantra, ‘New life, New job, New home’, playing on a continuous loop in her head, Amy gears herself up with yet another bucket-sized cup of coffee, as she goes forth to lay the ghost of first love to rest…

As you can see from the blurb, I took all those midnight mixed up memories, those sips of coffee from my life- a life which has involved one hell of a lot of caffeine- and weaved them into the story I first played with thirteen years ago!

CITC- New cover 2015

Christmas at the Castle

It was been an amazing amount of fun to write a series of stories which run so close to my own life and yet, at the same time- are nothing like it…with maybe one exception. There is a character called Kit in Another Cup of Coffee– she is an erotica writer, she has two children, she is happily married, she never wears make up, can’t be bothered to worry about clothes, and she sits in a cafe all morning to write her stories, and she is the co-host of a literary festival!! Beyond that she isn’t like me at all…honest…

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You can buy Another Cup of Coffee as either a paperback from all good bookshops or an eBook from-

Amazon UK- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605533&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee

Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605667&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee+jenny+kane

It is also available on Kobo and Nook.

Another Glass of Champagne will be out this coming summer.

Another Glass of Champagne_edited-1

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Happy reading,

Jenny x

Special Announcement: Abi’s House is to have a sequel!

It is with great pleasure- and several celebratory cups of coffee- that I can announce that Accent Press have commissioned me to write a sequel to my bestselling novel, Abi’s House!

Set in the beautiful Cornish village of Sennen in the Penwith Peninsula, Abi’s House tells the story of Abi Carter and her emotional and geographical journey from an unhappy life as a young widow in London, to a new life in search of her dream home in Cornwall.

Abi's House new cover

Thanks to all you wonderful readers, Abi’s House has proved so popular that a couple of months ago, a sequel was requested by my publisher. Since then I have been working out what sort of storyline I could weave next against the backdrop of Cornish sunshine, cream teas and fish and chips.

After much thought, and a chat with a local Abi’s House fan (thanks Jo), I developed a new plotline and the words were soon flowing.

It is with great excitement therefore, that I find myself already 50,000 words into the first draft of Abi’s Neighbour.

Obviously I don’t want to give too much away, but I can tell you that Abi Carter is about to get a brand new next door neighbour…and there is a very real worry she has bought the Stepford Wife style London City attitude that Abi had fought so hard to escape, along with her…

House for Abi- Sennen

And when will Abi’s Neighbour be ready and waiting for you to read? Well, I’m afraid it won’t be until Summer 2017!! However, I do have another coffee based novel almost ready to be released in June 2016…so watch this space for more news…

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

Sunshine Dreaming: Abi’s House is ONLY 99p

With the weather wet, windy and cold, what could be better than escaping into a book of Cornish sunshine?

I’m delighted to say that my Cornish friendship and romance novel, Abi’s House is on special offer, at only 99p or 99c on Kindle!!

Sennen

Blurb

Newly widowed at barely thirty, Abi Carter is desperate to escape the Stepford Wives-style life that Luke, her late husband, had been so keen for her to live.

Abi decides to fulfil a lifelong dream. As a child on holiday in a Cornwall as a child she fell in love with a cottage – the prophetically named Abbey’s House. Now she is going to see if she can find the place again, relive the happy memories … maybe even buy a place of her own nearby?

On impulse Abi sets off to Cornwall, where a chance meeting in a village pub brings new friends Beth and Max into her life. Beth, like Abi, has a life-changing decision to make. Max, Beth’s best mate, is new to the village. He soon helps Abi track down the house of her dreams … but things aren’t quite that simple. There’s the complicated life Abi left behind, including her late husband’s brother, Simon – a man with more than friendship on his mind … Will Abi’s house remain a dream, or will the bricks and mortar become a reality?

Abi's House_edited-1

Here are some of the lovely review’s Abi’s House has received…

A summer read as scrumptious as its Cornish backdrop. Brilliant!”

“This novel is a box of delights…the perfect escapist read…”

“Better than a Cornish Cream Tea…”

“Reading a Jenny Kane book is like opening a journal by a much loved friend…”

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To pick up your copy Abi’s House at only 99p or 99c, visit these links

 
Happy reading,
Jenny xx

Happy New Year: A Quiet 2016? Ummm….

Happy New Year 2016

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and that 2016 has kicked off for you in fine style.

Last night, as a sipped a delicious glass of Baileys- complete with Maltesers (it has to be tried!); I was seized with the sudden sensation that I hadn’t achieved very much in 2015. Somehow it seemed to arrive and disappear at such speed, that I hardly had time to catch breath, let alone write all the words I intended to.

No sooner had I shared this view with my husband, when I found myself on the receiving end of a look of total disbelief, followed by a brief lecture on the subject on the subject of ‘remember you are only human, there are only 24 hours a day, and you do occasionally have to eat and sleep!’

He has a point. I do have a habit of thinking that whatever I’ve done, however hard I’ve worked, it’s never enough. So, as Big Ben chimed, and the time for New Year Resolutions came, I said (recklessly perhaps) that I would try and be a little kinder to myself work wise this year. We will see…

2015 was, now I think about it, rather busy. The main event was certainly the release of my Cornish romance, Abi’s House. My bestselling novel to date, I have been touched by the number of kind reviews, personal messages of thanks, and encouragement from so many of my readers after it was published last summer.

Abi's House new cover

Of course Abi’s House was actually written in 2014, it was my forthcoming novel, Another Glass of Champagne which took up my writing time in the early part of 2015. The fifth and final instalment in my Another Cup of Coffee range, this full length novel will be out in the summer (probably June), and continues the story of the Pickwicks Coffee House crew, Amy, Jack, Kit, Phil, Megan, Peggy and Scott.

I’ve loved every minute of writing my ACOC series, and even though I still have the pre-publish edits to do, I’m already bracing myself for how much I’m going to miss writing about Peggy and the gang. Since Another Cup of Coffee came out, I’ve written a Pickwicks story every year since, including Christmas at the Castle, which came out last November.

Christmas at the Castle

So, now I think about it- in 2015 I wrote one novel (Another Glass of Champagne), edited another (Abi’s House), and wrote a novella (Christmas at the Castle). Then, of course, there was the publication of my children’s picture book, Ben’s Biscuit Tin Adventure, my adult books under the pen name of Kay Jaybee, and all the coffee blogs, guest blogs, reviews, articles and- not forgetting- my ‘real’ job.

Title Page

So perhaps I haven’t been quite as slack as I thought over the last 12 months!

So what of the next 12 months? What can I promise you in 2016 as well as Another Glass of Champagne?

You’ll have to wait and see…but I have been plotting the chapter plans for two new novels, a novella, and I have very exciting news to share on top of all that…

OK- it’s looking like I’m going to be breaking that New Year resolution fairly quickly!

Happy New Year!!

Jenny x

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