Meet My July Advertisers

Hello all! Hope life is treating you kindly. I cannot believe that we're into July. Secretly I'm getting rather excited as it means Christmas is drawing ever nearer. Those that follow me already may remember that it's my favourite time of year. Yes I can hear your groans lol! 

With it being a brand new month I'm also featuring new advertisers in my sidebar. I'd like to introduce you all to Katie, Rebecca Jane, Aimee and Andrew. Please do show them your support as you have done me over the last twelve months. Go check out their websites and give them a follow if you fancy! Happy weekend, happy reading... Justine xxx

Hi! My name's Katie and I blog over at Kaleidoscope peonies - a relatively new blog which I'm having so much fun with, verging on obsessed. 

I graduated from Liverpool Uni last year after studying English and recently returned from traveling South East Asia, Indonesia and Australia - hence my two favourites; travel and literature. 

My blog features a little bit of everything, beauty, literature, travel and lifestyle. 

Have a look if you'd like a giggle!

Blog- http://kaleidoscopepeonies.blogspot.co.uk

Bloglovin'- https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/kaleidoscope-peonies-14252241

Twitter- https://twitter.com/TKatie_3

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/kaleidoscopepeonies/

I'm Rebecca Jane and I'm a lifestyle blogger living in the gorgeous Scottish countryside. 

I love my beautiful dog, Bandit and we spend a lot of time wandering around our picturesque town. 

I post life advice, beauty reviews, book recommendations and the odd topical post. 

I'm usually always on Twitter if you want to chat and am a very 'granny-like' person.

All the hugs.

All the love.

                                                        

Blog- https://pocahontasjane.wordpress.com/

Facebook - http://facebook.com/pocahontasjane

Instagram - http://instagram.com/pocahontasjane

Twitter  - http://twitter.com/pocahontasjane_

Hi! I'm Aimee and I've only been blogging a year. To be honest, I've never really stuck at anything this long but blogging has felt like the perfect fit from the moment I wrote my first ever blog post. (Which was, - if I remember correctly - about cat toys ha ha!)
I really do enjoy blogging and I love that people take the time out of their day to read my words!
So what else do I do besides blogging?
I'm a cat mama - and my little cat takes up a lot of my time and attention! (He's very spoilt!)
I also love reading and you'll find some book related posts on my blog.
And shopping! (There's always haul posts on my blog too!)
I hope you'll visit my little old blog. I don't really have a niche so I think (*hope) that there's something for everyone there!

My blog link is www.aimeeraindropwrites.co.uk

My Facebook page for the blog is https://www.facebook.com/aimeeraindropwrites

My Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/aimeeraindrop/

My Twitter is https://twitter.com/aimeeraindrop

And my Bloglovin’ is http://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/aimeeraindropwrites-14119997

Hi, I'm Andy - I write comedy novels and I run, although not at the same time. I had my debut novel '26 Miles to the Moon' published last year which features a unique mix of rockets, tattoos, catnapping, running, cross-dressing, skulduggery, New York, and nudity on the London Eye. Judging from reviews, people are loving it, so check it out if you want an easy read and a bit of fun.

This year I've been helping fellow authors with advice and editing, and attempting to sound like I know what I'm talking about.

I love football and most sports, reading, travelling, cats, photography and I have an irregular blog that covers most of these. I'm currently undertaking my biggest challenge - father of a toddler. A PhD in tantrums awaits...

Check out my website 

http://andrewmales.com/26-miles-to-the-moon/

Head on over to Amazon to get your FREE kindle edition or the paperback for £9.99!

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/26-Miles-Moon-Great-Space/dp/1910565245

*All photos except header taken from relevant websites/blogs. Copyright not my own.
*And to any of you clever clogs, before you say it... :) Yes I l know the dates on the calendar are wrong. It's an older one which was a gift but kept as I loved the cute pictures. But well done if you paid that much attention.

The Good Life



Murphy

 

 

  The Good Life

It's been a little while since we had a blog post from the fabulous 'Murphy's Mother' so I am delighted to share her brand spanking new book review with you all this evening. 
And off we go...


Dear Fellow Readers 

I think you all know by now my all time favourite author is Tess Gerritsen and I can't wait to review her up coming novel 'Playing with Fire.' 
Due for release in November, it's a step away from the Rizzoli and Isles series but I just know it will be amazing. 

Today I'm reviewing another firm favourite... Author Martina Cole and her latest book The Good Life.

If you're not aware of Martina she is a No 1 bestselling author of crime fiction. Several of her novels have been adapted for television including The Take and The Runaway. Martina has also had Two Women and The Graft adapted for the stage.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE NEVER FREE 

Photo taken from www.martinacole.co.uk

Cain Moran wanted Jenny Riley more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything before in his life. But loving Jenny Riley was the easy part... It was telling his wife he wanted a divorce that was going to be the killer...

Jenny is not just any girl. She cares nothing for Cain’s hard-man reputation – she just wants to be with him but Cain is not a free man. And he’s about to find out that when his wife Caroline said '’til death us do part', she meant it. 

When Cain is sentenced to life in prison it seems that Caroline might have got her wish. All Cain and Jenny know is that if their love can survive such separation, then one day they will have a chance at the Good Life together again. But there are greater trials ahead than either can foresee. They’re about to learn the hardest lesson of all...

The Good Life is a compelling read from start to finish and I couldn't put it down.

Cain Moran was The Face people feared but his love for Jenny couldn't be denied...
This novel had all the trademarks of another great Eastend crime story and although you know the outcome quite early on in the book it's still a gripping read. Martina seems to know intimately about the world in which she writes and this is no exception. This is a powerful piece of family drama taken to extremes.

Martina's next novel 'Get Even' is released in October.

Until next time... 

Murphy's Mother

Xxx

Click here to check out more books from Martina Cole.

New post from GGD tomorrow... xxx

New Book Review From Murphy's Mother

 

 

Book Review...

'Die Again' by Tess Gerritsen

Happy Friday people! Hope you've all had a pleasant week? Today's post is another from my resident book reviewer, Murphy's Mother. As you all may remember from her previous posts, she loves crime fiction and is a HUGE Tess Gerritsen fan... And on that note here is her review of Tess' latest novel.

Dear fellow readers...

Today's review is of Die Again by Tess Gerritsen. This is an amazingly gripping novel from start to finish. 

In Boston, Dectective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles are investigating a bizarre murder. A man has been found gutted and hanging in his home. When the remains of another victim are found, it's clear that this murderer has been at work for years and not just in Boston.

Maura connects the case to a number of seemingly unrelated deaths where the victims have all been found hanging upside down, the hallmark of a leopard's kill.

Rizzoli follows the puzzling trail all the way to Botswana where she uncovers the unsolved mystery of a deadly camping safari six years before. When she realises the two cases are connected, Rizzoli must track down the sole survivor of the tragic trip to discover who or what is behind these gruesome deaths. 
 

This is another outstanding thriller in Tess Gerritsen's series featuring Detective Jane Rizzoli and her friend and colleague, medical examiner Dr Maura Isles. 

I love the characters of Jane and Maura, Tess portraits the warmth of the two women really well and this novel carries on adding depth to their relationship.

I can't wait to read Tess Gerristen's next novel.

Until next time... MM  xxx

Thanks as always to the lovely Murphy's Mother! Hope you all check out her latest recommendation. Should any of you want to know more about the author, I did a little bit of research...

Who is Tess Gerritsen? 

Tess worked for many years as a physician. It was while on maternity leave that Tess first began to write fiction. 'Call After Midnight' her debut novel was published in 1987. Now living in Maine, Tess has retired from medicine and writes full time.

Click here to read more about Tess' novel 'Die Again.'
 

'Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are back—and they're going into the wild to find a killer. Die Again is the latest heart-pounding thriller in Tess Gerritsen's New York Times bestselling series, the inspiration behind TNT's hit show Rizzoli & Isles.' (Excerpt taken from tess.gerritsen.com)

Contact Tess via Twitter: @tessgerritsen or via email: tess@tessgerritsen.com

 
That's all for now... Thankyou once again for all your lovely tweets, emails and messages. I never tire of hearing from you all! I also just want to share a glimpse of this beautiful card which I received this week from one of my readers... Huge thankyou for this! It really did make my day! 

I'll be back on Sunday with part two of my post on author Andrew Males! Until then, have a fabulous Friday night and weekend! GGD xxx

Britain's Next Bestseller...

 

 

Spotlight on Andrew Males. 

Author of '26 Miles To The Moon'

Hello my lovelies... So it's been a little while. (Apologies.) I've had quite a testing two weeks but I'm back now with a brand spanking new post. If you're a writer, aspiring or otherwise then this post may be of interest to you. If you're not, I hope you enjoy it all the same.

As I did previously with my 'All The Bright Places' post, I'm again going to split this one into two.

Part One 

 

So you may all be wondering... Who is Andrew Males?
First and foremost a husband, father and business analyst, Andy as he prefers to be called, is also the author of fictional novel, '26 Miles to the Moon.' (A romantic comedy about Jon Dunn - a nobody who is going nowhere in life until he answers a random email and finally takes a chance...)
Quite frankly I hadn't heard of Andy myself until I came across a feature in the 'Members' News' section of Writing Magazine.
He spoke of how his novel, 26 Miles to the Moon had been rejected by several agents. Now let's face it. We writers know that this is nothing unusual. For those of you who are sitting there lost... The book industry is a tough nut to crack. Winning the lottery is probably easier! However, knowing these facts does not stop the gut wrenching disheartened feeling that hits when your masterpiece, (often months of blood, sweat and tears) has been kicked to the curb. Not one to give up, (we writers are a tenacious breed) Andy decided to look into other avenues which could possibly fulfil his dream of publication... Cue route BNBS... The new book crowdfunding site Britain's Next Bestseller! 

Now if you're an unpublished, aspiring writer and haven't heard of this site then I definitely recommend you take a look. In a nutshell, you submit your manuscript to BNBS. If they approve your book then you'll be given a minimum pre-order sale target to achieve within a set time limit. The readers then decide who they want to see published. As BNBS says, it's a great opportunity to get a publishing deal based purely on the merit of your manuscript. Not to mention the fact you are guaranteed a publishing deal if your book achieves the minimum target. And as a reader, you get to check out the fresh new writing talent that's on offer. It's a lovely feeling to know you've supported new authors that might not otherwise have achieved publication.
Which leads me back to the main man in question. Andrew Males. His personal target was 250 which he smashed through in no time. I for one pre-ordered it and then set about trying to encourage others to do the same! Initially I got chatting to Andrew via Twitter (no surprise there... Twitter obsessive that I am) and so followed the idea to do a Q&A with him. I thought it would be a great insight for you all. Not just for the writers out there but for anyone with a dream. Because as Andrew himself has proven, with a lot of hard work and determination, you CAN make your dreams come true. Here is part one of my interview...

So Andrew, when did you know that you wanted to be a writer? At school, my teachers liked my stories, but it was only about eight years ago that I started writing again and realised that it was a perfect way to release my pent-up creative side.

       

What (apart from running marathons) gave you the idea or inspiration for this novel?

I wanted an adventure and a competition, something like Brewster's Millions. I love sci-fi and have a mild obsession with the Moon. I threw those ideas into the mixing bowl that is my brain and after cooking them for three weeks I'd got my plot.

Describe your average writing day.

When I was off work and writing daily it was:

Wake up. Think about the book and the 1500 words I have to write today.

Get up, get dressed, eat breakfast. Think of as many things as I can to delay starting writing.

Sit at my desk and read the previous day's work. Try not to cringe or go back and change anything.

Think of any last minute things I really, really need to do before I start typing. When did I last cut my toenails?

Write.

Resist the Dark Force that is the Internet. It's only a click away. Must. See. Sports. Headlines...

Find any excuse to stop and have lunch. Two and a Half Men, or Friends repeats. Maybe Bear Grylls, as I'm sure I might need survival tips in the wilderness of Stevenage.

Think of more things I need to do before resuming writing.

Write.

Reach 1500 words.

Do a little dance.

Make a little love.

Get down tonight.

(Or maybe just the first one).

Wait for girlfriend (now wife) to come home from work to tell her all about it the very second she steps through the door.

How long did it take you to write 26 Miles?

First draft: 3.5 months of 1500 words a day.

After that, a lot of editing, on and off, over the next 3.5 years. 

And what do you want the reader to take away from this particular story?

I'd like them to be inspired - to take a risk in life and see where it may lead. Failing that, just some LOLs.  

Tell us an inspirational quote that you love or that means something to you. 
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - F. Bueller, 1986.

 

To be continued...

The man himself. Andrew Males

In part two I'll be sharing my personal opinion of 26 Miles to the Moon. This is where Andrew runs and hides... ;)

If you fancy grabbing yourself a copy then just click here! If you've already read it then please do leave your own feedback in the comments box below.

Until next time... I hope you have a fantastic week. Don't work too hard! Love GGD xxx

Links 

Website: Andrew Males 

Email: andy@andrewmales.com

Twitter: @andrewdmales 

'26 Miles to the Moon'... Available on Amazon

10 Hopefuls. 26 Miles. 1 Target: The Moon. 

Jon Dunn is a nobody, going nowhere in life. But that all changes when he answers a random email that puts him on a journey that'll take him so far out of his comfort zone, he'll need a telescope just to look back at it...Read more of the book blurb on Amazon.

New post from Murphy's Mother...

(Murphy)

Book Review...

'The Beach Cafe!' by Lucy Diamond

Dear fellow readers,

Whilst I'm waiting for my favourite author Tess Gerritsen to release her next novel, I decided to read a few books by different authors.

Today's review is of the 'The Beach Cafe' by Lucy Diamond. I must admit the "chick lit" genre isn't one I'm normally keen on as I much prefer crime fiction, however Lucy Diamond has a way of making her characters likeable and realistic. I love the way she brings her characters to life. Evie Flynn is just like someone we all know and love who makes plenty of mistakes but is funny, caring and a little daft at times.

This is the perfect summer read and with the way Lucy describes the Cornich village it really makes you feel you want to be there on those warm summer days listening to the waves crashing in on the beach as the sun sets.

Oh how I wish I could inherit the beautiful Beach Cafe.

Until next time, MM xxx

Link to Lucy's website: www.lucydiamond.co.uk

Thankyou as always to Murphy's Mother! I'm looking forward to reading another review in a fortnight as I hope all of you are too?!
Just to finish off, here's a little bit of information about the author of 'The Beach Cafe'...
Lucy Diamond is actually a pseudonym/pen name. The author's real name is Sue Mongredien. She chose the alternative name as she felt it was easier to pronounce! Sue writes both children's books and 'chick lit.' She attended Leeds University where she read English. After a move to London and working for various publishers, Sue then went travelling around the world for a year and a half. (Would love to see some pics Sue!) Now living in Bath with her husband, she juggles writing with looking after her three young children. Her newest book is titled 'One Night in Italy.'

Pic taken from LucyDiamond.co.uk

Click here for excerpt or to buy!

If you're on Twitter then you can contact Sue here... @LDiamondAuthor

Alternatively you can email her... Lucy@lucydiamond.co.uk

Hope you all have a fabulous week! Love GGD xxx