Jessica is escaping to the Greek Retreat to discover if running away from a broken engagement really can lead to a happy ever after. She doesn’t believe life works that way, but her future could depend on it.
The Greek island of Kynos is an idyllic hideaway, offering its visitors the space and time needed to truly appreciate the traditional hospitality. The locals are always friendly and ready to entertain their guests, while the daily activities offer many different ways to explore the island and its heritage.
Jessica is hoping The Retreat will provide everything she needs in order to plan for a successful future, but has she left it too late?
The Greek Retreat is a trilogy of standalone tales full of sunshine, surprises and love.
Chrissie is escaping to the Greek Retreat to avoid some of the issues her parents have left her to deal with at home. She hopes that visiting a new location will give her a different perspective and help her to find a way forward.
The Greek Retreat is a trilogy of standalone tales full of sunshine, surprises and love.
Pre-order Links
Publication Date: 22nd May 2025
Katie is escaping to the Greek Retreat to give herself some space to recover from an unexpected predicament. She blames herself for the situation she finds herself in and knows that something has to change, although she has no idea what she is looking for.
The Greek Retreat is a trilogy of standalone tales full of sunshine, surprises and love.
Pre-order Links
Publication Date: 21st August 2025
Stephanie writes contemporary fiction in the form of novels, novellas and short stories and her books explore a wide range of life’s challenges, dreams and responsibilities. The stories are all character based, so she has fun expressing each unique personality and the reasons behind their actions in a setting which always has a strong sense of community.
She published the AEGEAN SUN series of books as a fly-on-the-wall vision of life in a Greek resort during the summer season, the CHRISTMAS ON THE CLOSE series is set in a British suburban cul-de-sac over the festive period and the GREEK RETREAT trilogy is planned for publication in 2025.
Stephanie lives in Lancashire where, apart from reading and writing, she loves gardening and cycling and is a huge fan of the soaps Emmerdale and Neighbours.
As dawn breaks, four people are planning journeys that could change their lives forever…
Kara McIntyre is supposed to be jetting off to her destination wedding in Hawaii. However, a last-minute hitch appears to have left her without a job, home and, more importantly, a fiancé.
TV sensation Ollie Chiles and Kara always have each other’s backs. But when his wife goes viral in a compromising clinch with another man, Ollie must choose between supporting his best friend in her hour of need or going home to save his marriage.
Alice Brookes is flying away to a new life after surviving a horrendous marriage and a very public scandal… until a stranger brings a letter from the past that could change everything.
After saying goodbye to someone he loves, Zac Conlan should be heading back to Dublin. Now a shocking discovery is threatening to change his plans and his future.
When weather delays their flights, Kara, Ollie, Alice and Zac discover that storms are brewing… and the turbulence is about to shake their worlds.
Shari Low is the #1 bestselling author of over 30 novels, including My One Month Marriage and One Summer Sunrise and a collection of parenthood memories called Because Mummy Said So. She lives near Glasgow.
My thoughts: I love these interconnected stories of Shari’, set in Glasgow, with a cast of delightful characters, Val (who I adore) and Alice (from One Long Weekend) are back, it’s been a year since those events.
Alice is planning to move to Reading to be near her son Rory and his girlfriend Sophie, Val’s planning to drop her at the airport. But then Alice learns that an old friend has died, she has just enough time to attend the funeral before she needs to leave. There she meets Zac, her childhood friend Morag’s son, and he has some questions.
Meanwhile Kara has just quit her job and ditched her unsupportive fiancé, and still has to get to the airport to fly to Hawaii and see her sister Drea down the aisle, even while wallowing in her self-pity. Her best friend, Ollie, is also heading there, while his spoilt wife becomes an online sensation and he has to make some big decisions.
As all these different people hope the heavy January weather doesn’t delay their flights, stories collide and the past, present and future hang in the balance.
I enjoyed this so much, I loved seeing Alice’s story finally get its happy ending, and Val still roaring around in her yellow jeep. Kara, Ollie and Zac also get to make some huge decisions and change their lives, hopefully for the best.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
From the acclaimed author of The Atmospherians, a gender-bending, body-switching novel that explores marriage, identity, and sex, and raises profound questions about the nature of true partnership.
“A big project knocking around in a small package, portending even bigger projects ahead.”—New York Times
“A little Kafkaesque, a little Hitchcockian, a little Freaky Friday, but McElroy makes this dizzying story their own.”—Electric Literature
When Eli leaves the cramped Bulgarian apartment he shares with Elizabeth, his more organized and successful wife, he discovers that he now inhabits her body. Not only have he and his wife traded bodies, but Elizabeth, living as Eli, has disappeared without a trace. What follows is Eli’s search across Europe and to America for his missing wife—and a roving, no-holds-barred exploration of gender and embodied experience.
As Eli comes closer to finding Elizabeth—while learning to exist in her body—he begins to wonder what effect this metamorphosis will have on their relationship and how long he can maintain the illusion of living as someone he isn’t. Will their new marriage wither completely? Or is this transformation the very thing Eli and Elizabeth need for their marriage to thrive?
A rich, rewarding exploration of ambition and sacrifice, desire and loss, People Collide is a portrait of shared lives that shines a refreshing light on everything we thought we knew about love, sexuality, and the truth of who we are.
Isle McElroy (they/them) is a non-binary author based in New York. Their writing has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, New York Times Magazine, The Cut, GQ, The Guardian, Vogue, Bon Appétit, and other publications. They have received fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Tin House Summer Workshop, the Sewanee Writers Conference, and they were named one of The Strand’s 30 Writers to Watch.
In May 2021, Isle founded Debuts & Redos, a reading series for authors who published books during the pandemic. Their first novel, The Atmospherians, was named an Editor’s Choice by the New York Times and a book of the year by Esquire, Electric Literature, Debutiful, and many other outlets.
My thoughts: Eli wakes up one morning in the apartment he shares in Bulgaria with his wife, Elizabeth. Only she’s not there. He discovers that he is now in Elizabeth’s body, and she has his. In Paris.
An exploration of how we see ourselves and others, how our bodies are part of our identities, or not. Elizabeth revels in her new masculine form, I did wish there was a little more exploration of the way society treats gender, as Eli has a pretty easy time in his wife’s skin, the story is quite gentle in that regard.
He goes to Paris to find Elizabeth at the behest of his mother, who thinks she’s talking to her daughter-in-law. He has to also present himself as Elizabeth to her parents. They may be in each other’s physical selves but with their own thoughts, experiences and knowledge, so he worries there’s things her parents might say that he can’t answer, because he hasn’t been Elizabeth for long.
The book explores their relationship, when they connect at last in Paris. Elizabeth (as Eli) doesn’t want to return to Bulgaria, or America, she wants to remain in Paris, living a different life in Eli’s body.
But their parents, very different people, pursue them, determined to help “Eli” recover from his apparent wobble, and reunite the couple. This causes its own issues, they married in haste and Eli comes to realise he doesn’t really know his wife at all on a profound level.
A fascinating, thought provoking read, I liked Eli, he’s sensitive and gentle, and in Elizabeth’s body, respectful and kind. She’s a lot brasher and more confident, which is interesting as in a man’s body, that slight arrogance reads differently. Very interesting book.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Fruit Woman is narrated by Helen Scutt, a quirky and naïve twenty-seven-year-old.
The image of the Fruit Woman has appeared to Helen at important times in her life, particularly in relation to her own sexual and spiritual awakening. But only now, while on holiday with her extended family, does she get her first warning message from the Fruit Woman.
Set in the l980s, Helen returns with her extended family, after a twelve year break, to spend a fortnight at their favourite holiday destination in Devon: Myrtle Cottages. Due to join them for the second week of the holiday are: Helen’s old friend, Bella, Bella’s brother, Dominic, and Helen’s cousin, Les. But shortly after the family have arrived on holiday, Helen’s mother announces that she has also invited along someone from church for the second week of their holiday: Christine Wigg, a friend of the family, and victim of a rape several years before.
In the context of the family holiday, where games of cards, scatological worries, and deep discussions abound, the story centres on Helen’s anxieties over the second week’s ‘guestlist’. She’s not seen Bella for years, she’s attracted to Dominic in spite of his religious beliefs, and she thinks it a bad idea for her mother to have invited Les, who was originally accused of Christine’s rape by her in-laws.
Helen’s concerns trigger off all sorts of childhood and adolescent memories, but as her anxieties mount, can she make sense at last of what happened years before?
Kate Rigby has been writing for many decades and is widely published. She’s mainly written novels, many of them hard-hitting and/or edgy. She’s been published by traditional and small presses before going independent and embracing the digital technology. She’s also written & published short stories, flash fiction and poems and is currently writing memoirs. She was diagnosed with autism and ADHD late in life which has been life-changing. She has started a Facebook group for autistic book lovers as well as a second blog called Authistic Words. She is also an M.E. and Fibromyalgia warrior, a hyperhidrosis and migraine sufferer and has suffered lifelong anxiety. Her other interests are reading, music, photography, cats & LFC.
Welcome to Cosy Cove, where love burns brighter than any candle!
Beth Williams thought her dreams had melted away after a devastating breakup, but she finds a flicker of hope at Harbour Lights, her artisan candle shop nestled in the heart of Cosy Cove. But just when Beth thinks she’s content with her quiet life, a ruggedly handsome stranger threatens to reignite her carefully guarded heart.
Enter Jacob Lawson, a charming journalist whose assignment in the quaint seaside town quickly becomes more than just another story. As Beth introduces him to the town’s hidden gems—from the bustling summer fair to sunset walks on the beach—Jacob finds himself captivated by more than the scenery.
But as their attraction simmers, both Beth and Jacob must confront their deepest fears. Can Beth trust her heart to love again? And will Jacob choose the comfort of Cosy Cove over the call of his career?
Join Beth and Jacob on a journey of second chances, sweet moments, and the kind of love that makes every day feel like a summer holiday. Will they find the courage to embrace a future together, or will their fears extinguish the flame before it truly ignites?
Get ready to fall head over heels for Cosy Cove, where every page promises a warm hug for your heart. Perfect for fans of seaside romances, charming small towns, and love stories that sparkle brighter than the sea at sunset!
Abbey Hicks writes sweet, feel-good romance filled with dashing heroes, quirky heroines, and those heart-melting happily ever afters. Whether it’s contemporary romance or paranormal love stories, she brings her signature charm and a sprinkle of magic to every page.
Writing as Abbey MacMunn, her debut paranormal romance was shortlisted for the prestigious Joan Hessayon Award for new writers. Since then, Abbey has written eleven more books, including the bestselling steamy paranormal romcom series, Love Bites: A Dating Agency for Paranormals.
When she’s not dreaming up her next romantic hero, you’ll find her on walks with her mischievous but lovable labradoodle, Brody, or binge-watching anything from romcoms to fantasy/sci-fi. If it has romance, adventure, and a dash of humour, she’s there!
The world rests on Eliza’s shoulders. The kids, her husband, work, her elderly mother and don’t forget her newest friend, perimenopause. It’s too much to carry, but she’s been doing it for years. It’s just what a good wife and mother does, isn’t it?
When another Christmas rolls around, Eliza is drained by all the expectations and logistics of the holiday season. She’s fast approaching her breaking point, only no one around her notices she’s on the edge. After an incident at her in-law’s on Christmas Eve brings things to a boiling point, she finds herself with three unexpected visitors. The spirits of the past, present, and future take her on a journey through her life to shake her out of the rut she’s gotten into. Their messages leave her with new possibilities: reconnect with her past, reclaim her present, or forge a new future, and you, the reader, decide which option is best!
Alana Oxford is a Michigan author of romcoms, sweet romance, and humorous women’s fiction. She wants her stories to bring sunshine and smiles to her readers. She enjoys improv comedy, moody music, everything book related, and has an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom.
Giveaway to Win an ebook of The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar (Open to UK & US Only).
Alana Oxford has kindly said that she would like to do an ebook giveaway for another author who writes charming and cozy Christmas books. A Kindle copy of The Gingerbread Christmas Village by Kiley Dunbar, which is a lovely holiday romance featuring a protagonist in her early 60s.
Click the link above to enter.**
My thoughts: This was a fun addition to the adaptations of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Transported to modern America, where an exhausted and perimenopausal Eliza has just about had enough. Her husband announces that they’ve been invited to his brother’s for Christmas, throwing the plans Eliza’s made up in the air and pushing her to breaking point. Her mother expects them for the day and is upset that plans have changed, her teenage children barely look up from their phones and she’s had enough.
Staying in her in-laws’ fancy guest room on Christmas Eve, wishing she was anywhere else, she’s visited by strange apparitions who offer her visions a bit like those Ebenezer Scrooge had. Except she’s not a grumpy old miser, just a woman in need of a break.
The twist is that there’s three different endings to the story – three lives Eliza can choose, and the reader gets to decide which ending they like the most – does Eliza choose her family or go a different way? Up to you. Like a Choose Your Own Adventure. Fun!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
*Terms and Conditions –UK & US entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s RandomResources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
The Portrait Girl thrusts its bereaved and beleaguered heroine, jewellery designer Freya Wetherby, into an astonishing world of re-enacted Victorian art salons and the devious machinations of modern art theft.
Seeking the identity of a miniature portrait found in her late mother’s belongings, Freya becomes enraptured not only by this mysterious young woman but also by the hypnotic personality of art collector Ralph Merrick and his colourful entourage, including the dangerously attractive ‘Jack.’
Thoroughly researched, the milieu in which The Portrait Girl would have moved is beautifully rendered by Swengley, as are the artworks and jewellery designs imagined in the novel. Freya’s own contemporary world and circumstances form a dramatic backdrop to the seductive ‘time slip’ episodes, a mirage created by Merrick that draws her into his web.
Nicole Swengley is a highly regarded and experienced journalist who has written about art and design for titles such as The Times, Financial Times, the Telegraph, London Evening Standard and many others. A past student of the Faber Academy, Nicole has written non-fiction books for Collins and Adlard Coles, and has had several short stories published in magazines and anthologies. The Portrait Girl is her first full length work of fiction.
My thoughts: This was really fascinating and full of intrigue and secrets. Jewellery designer Freya finds an unusual piece of Victorian jewellery, a necklace hung with a miniature portrait of a young woman among her late mother’s things.
Is the woman in the painting a relative? And why is the art collector Ralph Merrick so very keen to acquire it for his collection?
Freya delves into the complicated relationships and lives of a group of Victorian artists, discovering the sad story behind the precious painting. It puts her in danger, as Merrick recreates the drawing room salons of the past, peopled with actors and other collectors, blurring the lines between reality and his version of the past.
I was absolutely hooked, the story weaves such an unusual and interesting narrative – women artists (and writers) so often lost their work and became lost themselves in the lives and work of the men around them – fathers, brothers, husbands. Emily is one of these lost women, her life a footnote in the Arts & Crafts movement she was part of.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
Memory is Copeland-Stark’s business. Yet after months of reconsolidation treatments at their sleek new flagship facility, Hope Nakano still has no idea what happened to her lost year, or the life she was just beginning to build with her one great love. Each procedure surfaces fragmented clues which erode Hope’s trust in her own memories, especially the ones of Luke. As inconsistencies mount, her search for answers reveals a much larger secret Copeland-Stark is determined to protect.
“Audrey Lee’s mesmerizing THE MECHANICS OF MEMORY is as complex as it is thrilling. All we ever really have are our memories, but what if those memories aren’t real? Lee takes this premise to frightening extremes…Steeped in paranoia and delightfully playful with the concept of reality, THE MECHANICS OF MEMORY is wildly entertaining and, ironically, quite unforgettable.”
– Carter Wilson, USA Today bestselling author of The Father She Went to Find
“One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest meets Inception in Lee’s stunning debut. A must read.”
– James L’Etoile, award winning author of Dead Drop and Face of Greed.
“The Mechanics of Memory is propulsive and muscular. I hung on every word. A technological thriller that keeps us perched on the edge of our seats as well as our disbelief, Lee pulls it together masterfully. In the end I cried in relief…and instantly wanted more. Can’t wait to see what’s coming from her next!”
– Linda L. Richards, award-winning author of Dead West and Endings
“The Mechanics of Memory is a swift, twisty speculative novel that grabs you from page one. With engaging characters and intriguing science, the reader is absorbed throughout. For fans of Blake Crouch and other high-end speculative twist rides.”
-Shannon Kirk, International-Bestselling author of Method 15/33 and the gold medal-winning The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall
“Debut author Audrey Lee has created an intoxicating mix of psychological thriller and domestic drama a la the streaming series Severance. As you take your first steps in The Mechanics of Memory, you will find yourself falling under Lee’s spell, unable to leave her world until the very end.”
—Naomi Hirahara, USA Today bestselling author of Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning Clark and Division
Audrey Lee started writing fiction at the young age of eleven, when she and her best friend co-authored a masterpiece about gallivanting around London with the members of Depeche Mode, Wham!, and Duran Duran. Unfortunately, these spiral notebooks have yet to find a publisher evolved enough to understand the genius buried within. As a result, The Mechanics of Memory is her first work of published fiction.
Before she started writing fiction, Audrey received her master’s degree in education from UC Berkeley (Go Bears!) and spent over two decades in public education. When she isn’t writing books she consults with school districts about creating environments for students that are more equitable, culturally responsive, and socially just.
Audrey lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, son, and Maltipoo, Luna. When not working, Audrey is compulsively organizing something, bullet journaling, cheering for her son at a dance competition, max betting on a slot machine, or watching the Golden State Warriors with a dirty martini in hand.
“Fine.” Hope shifted, pushing stringy hair from her face with her palms. “I haven’t had any this week.”
“None at all?”
Hope shook her head slowly, face impassive.
“That’s important progress.” Dr. Stark looked impressed with his own abilities, as if he’d performed a special magic trick to protect Hope from herself. Perhaps in a way he had.
Dr. Stark jotted notes on his tablet with a pointy gray stylus. “Are you sleeping any better?”
“A little. An hour or two at a time.” It was a lie. She hadn’t slept at all.
Hope focused on the San Jacinto Mountains outside the picture window, framed by the endless blue of the summer sky. Desert sky. It was hard to think about darkness right now, with so much light around her. “Does that mean I’m getting better?”
“As we’ve discussed, it’s important you get concentrated stretches of sleep.” Dr. Stark flipped his tablet to expose the keyboard, typing with a renewed purpose. “It will help you make progress in the Labyrinth.”
The word Labyrinth filled Hope with a viscous dread. She knew she’d visited it dozens of times since arriving at Wilder, though never remembered what had happened there. “I told you I’m never going back.”
“You did,” Dr. Stark said. “But as I said, it’s important to try and push through. It helps you confront what you’re avoiding.”
“I’m not avoiding anything,” Hope said. Another lie.
“I’m increasing your temazepam to thirty milligrams,” Dr. Stark said. “And tomorrow evening I’d like you to spend some time in ViCTR using the Erleben device. Say, forty-five minutes?”
Hope glanced at the ceiling. She wanted a cigarette in the worst way.
“Great,” he said. “Check in with the pharmacy after our session.”
Stark was doing the casual Friday thing that day, though Hope remained uncertain if it was, in fact, Friday. He resembled a prep school student, with his shiny polo shirt and immaculately pressed chinos. The polo looked brand new, still creased in the sleeves and too white, almost blinding. Hope couldn’t picture Dr. Stark performing the tasks of mere mortals: changing the toilet paper, taking out the garbage, shopping for polo shirts. Maybe his wife did all that. Maybe she bought five polo shirts in different colors from Neiman Marcus, hanging them in an orderly row, next to his dry-cleaned Italian suits in clear plastic bags.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me?” Dr. Stark asked, still typing, fingers thin and bare.
“Are you married?”
“Divorced,” he said. “More thoughts about last year, perhaps?”
“Nothing else,” Hope said. She glanced outside again. “Have there been any messages for me?”
“I’m sorry.” Stark shook his head. “But I promise to let you know if there ever are.”
An artificial chime reverberated through the room’s speakers, and Dr. Stark smiled. “We’ll pick up again next week.”
Hope wiped her hands on her pants and rose, heading for the shiny glass door.
“Hope,” Dr. Stark said.
She paused, hand on the doorknob.
“Be well.”
“Be well, Dr. Stark.”
The Wilder Sanctuary
When I first began writing The Mechanics of Memory, I knew I wanted to create a sense of claustrophobia in the form of being trapped against your will. My mind immediately went to the asylums of long ago, such as seen in Shutter Island and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. But then I realized I wanted Wilder to instead be a luxury resort, because the interplay of being trapped in a beautiful oasis seemed far darker to me.
There are many real-life luxury detox places around the world, catering to celebrities and the super-rich. Unfortunately, I will never make enough money to see any of these facilities in person, but I did do quite a bit of online research. At one center, the staff will take and post photos so you can appear to be on a lavish vacation in Fiji and not in the middle of your thirty-day detox. There’s a place in Connecticut which looks better than any vacation I’ve ever taken. And another, in Switzerland, which only admits one client at a time, and provides you with a personal chef, limo, maid and butler, and a fleet of doctors.
And so, I created the Wilder Sanctuary, an uber-posh detox facility that primarily caters to A-Listers and has a price tag to match. “Residents” at Wilder eat Michelin-star food, participate in yoga, meditate, and have a dedicated team of doctors focused on their wellness. A definition of the word wilder is to perplex or bewilder, something I often thought about while writing this world. There is something sinister lurking just below the surface at Wilder, but few people notice. Happy people are compliant people, and at Wilder the residents feel a sense of privilege as the chosen few. That puts the architects behind Wilder in a very powerful position.
On writing:
How did you do research for your book?
My best friend frequently says she hopes nothing untoward ever befalls my husband, because the FBI will look at my search history and I’ll definitely end up in jail. For The Mechanics of Memory I read tons of medical journals, and did a lot of online research from luxury detox facilities to maps of Palm Springs to “What drugs will knock out a 160-pound human the fastest and not leave a trace?” and “How many milligrams of Diazepam will kill someone?” I also spent some time at a VR arena in Reno shooting up zombies.
How did you decide to write about memory?
I read a book by Dr. Julia Shaw called The Memory Illusion. I was simultaneously fascinated and horrified about how unreliable our memories are. Basically, our brains are like Swiss cheese: we have gaps in what we remember, and our minds fill in those gaps. And we are highly susceptible to suggestion, to want to please and conform, and to our own confirmation bias.
Dr. Shaw uses her powers for good, but I thought, you can do some pretty shady stuff with that knowledge.
There are many thriller and sci-fi books out there. What makes yours different?
My readers have repeatedly mentioned that the genre-bending nature of The Mechanics of Memory makes it stand out. It’s a psychological thriller with some speculative/techno/scientific elements, but at the heart it’s also a love story.
What advice would you give budding writers?
Read a lot. Study reading as a writer.
Write every day. The only way you can become a better writer is to write, even when it’s hard. Keep at it until you finish, even when the imposter syndrome is telling you otherwise.
Write honestly. When you get that weird feeling in your stomach saying something doesn’t feel right or you’re being lazy, listen to it. Readers notice when you pull punches.
Your book is set in Palm Springs. Have you ever been there?
I spent a week there many years ago, but it made a lasting impression. A great deal of what’s in the novel is from memory, which we already know is unreliable!)
Do you have another profession besides writing?
I’ve spent over two decades in education, first as an elementary teacher and then as an administrator. Now I work as an educational consultant delivering professional learning to educational institutions around how to build systems for students that are more equitable, compassionate, and socially just.
Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?
It happens, usually when I’ve finished a manuscript and don’t know what to start next. In those instances, it helps to read, binge watch something, or otherwise free my mind from needing to come up with a plot or a character. They always show up when you least expect them to!
What is your next project?
About six months ago, I finished the sequel to The Mechanics of Memory. But something wasn’t quite right about it, and so I shelved it so I could get some distance. I recently just finished a standalone novel, currently titled One for Sorrow. It’s still a dark thriller/mystery, but with less technology and a dash of paranormal.
What genre do you write and why?
I love to read sci-fi and fantasy, but I chose to write thrillers because I like the challenge. I enjoy constructing complex plotlines with lots of twists and turns.
What is the last great book you’ve read?
So many! But my two recent favorites are The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd and The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean.
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
I’ve been told that The Mechanics of Memory sticks with readers long after the book is over. That’s one of the greatest compliments I could receive, because you absolutely do not want to be forgettable!
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
Hope is far braver and a much bigger badass than I am. I have been told that Hope’s snarkiness reminds them of someone they know, though I have no idea who that could be.
If your book were made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles?
I have an ever-changing Pinterest page with my dream cast. But the one role which won’t change is Ali Wong as Hope. I worship Ali Wong.
If your book were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?
Remember that finishing your first draft is just the beginning. Pat yourself on the back, pop that champagne, and then buckle up…there’s a lot more work to be done.
Which authors inspired you to write?
I like writers that are dark and imaginative but also manage to infuse a little humor (Lev Grossman and Aaron Sorkin). I like authors who tell a twisty story in a literary way (Haruki Murakami). I love it when I don’t see the twist coming (Gillian Flynn and Samantha Downing). I always appreciate it when I laugh out loud (David Sedaris and Barry J. Hutchison.)
On rituals:
Where do you write?
Since I also work from home (mostly), I’m lucky to have my own office.
Do you write every day?
Yes.
What is your writing schedule?
I’m an early bird, so I’m usually writing by 5:30. (After I’ve had my coffee and played Wordle and done the NYT Crossword!)
In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
I print out my book on paper when revising. I do the majority of my notetaking and planning on paper. I do use a software called Airtable to create elaborate, color-coded spreadsheets of each novel. I write the actual manuscript on the computer.
If you’re a mom writer, how do you balance your time?
My son is off to college this fall, so I’m going to have a lot of spare time.
Fun stuff:
Favorite travel spot?
Anywhere I can take my dog and hear the ocean when I fall asleep. That, and Las Vegas.
Favorite dessert?
Van Leeuwen Earl Grey + Honeycomb ice cream, always together.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you?
Ryan Reynolds, Dev Patel, and…oops…you said books. In that case, The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman
Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
It’s difficult to explain without sounding like that serial killer from CSI, but sometimes I make miniatures. I’ve made a mini camper, cheese shop, chocolate shop, apartment in Paris, itty bitty sushi, a flower shop, a mid-century modern house, and a yarn store. I also made a mini Wilder Sanctuary. (https://audreyleeauthor.com/extras/)
Nora’s city life isn’t exactly working out how she planned. She’s stuck in her best friend’s tiny boxroom and hasn’t yet found that dream bookish job. But when she’s forced to return to her hometown of Little Harbour, Nora’s life takes an unexpected plot twist. Her estranged sister needs her help and the beloved family bookshop of her first love, Alex, is about to go out of business.
Alex knows a trip home to his dad and The Book Nook is long overdue. If only his own life wasn’t such a complete and utter mess he’d have visited by now. But then he hears Nora Bell is back in town and it’s the push he needs to change everything. When the two meet again it’s clear the spark of attraction still burns bright, but their unresolved past overshadows any possible future. Can they work together to save the bookshop and find their fairytale ever after, or will hidden secrets and surprising truths keep them apart?
Perfect for fans of second chance romances, dreamy bookshops and escapist seaside settings!
ONLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO SIGN UP TO KATIE GINGER’S MAILING LIST
Katie Ginger writes romantic comedies as Annabel French for Avon, HarperCollins and historical fiction as Emma Royal for Century, Penguin Random House. When she’s not writing she spends her time reading, looking after her family and volunteering as Vice Chair or the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Divorce lawyer Gill Dickson thinks she has seen it all, until she finds herself in the midst of her own acrimonious divorce and estranged from her daughter. Her one certainty is that the last thing she wants in her life is another man.
Pelican Crossing mayor Joe Harris has buried himself in his work after his wife’s death, finding solace with the companionship of his faithful dog, Coco. But when Joe needs Gill’s legal expertise for a family matter, he is unexpectedly drawn to her.
Can Joe break through Gill’s emotional barriers and earn her trust? And can these two lonely souls find the happiness they deserve in each other?
Set in the small Queensland coastal town of Pelican Crossing, this heartwarming romance will keep you captivated until the very end.
After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.
From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
ramblingmads 