Category: Book Blitz

#Spotlight What have we got Toulouse? A family moving to France by Nikki McArthur @aMotherInFrance

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to move abroad and start a new life in a different country? If so, I have just the book for you. What have we got Toulouse? by Nikki McArthur (aka A Mother in France) is the true story of an ordinary British family who swapped their run-of-the-mill life in South East England for a far from ordinary life in a mill in South West France.

Here’s what some readers have said about What have we got Toulouse?

  • “What a fascinating and informative book this is, whether or not you are planning to move to France”
  • “A wonderful, wonderful book – I loved it!”
  • “An excellent read”
  • “Inspirational and an enjoyable read”
  • “Beautifully written, full of humour”

nm-mill-watercolour-front-cover-3About the Book

Uncovering the thought processes behind why the family decided to move to France and how they went about it, the book reveals how to prepare for a move abroad, house hunting tips and the buying process.

Discover what it was like when they arrived, the main difficulties they faced with settling in as a family, renovation challenges and their experiences of developing a business and making a living. Follow the ups and downs of family life in France from pregnancy and childbirth through to adulthood with fascinating details on education, health, cultural differences and raising bilingual children.

An intriguing mixture of facts backed by true life experiences and comparisons, What have we got Toulouse? is a compelling read for anyone interested in or considering moving abroad.

Format: Ebook, paperback (199 pages) Publisher:
Publication date: 4th April 2020            Genre: Memoir, Travel

Find What have we got Toulouse: A family moving to France on Goodreads

Purchase links*
Amazon UK
*links provided for convenience not as part of an affiliate programme

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Nikki McArthur authorAbout the Author

In 2004 Nikki McArthur, along with her husband and three children, traded her life as an IT trainer and hotelier in the UK for the good life in rural South West France.

She now has five children, is a freelance proof reader, runs a retreat and holiday let business, a garden centre and landscaping business, and has also found the time to pursue her love for writing. Nikki is currently writing a series of books, the first of which What have we got Toulouse? was released in April 2020.

A dedicated mother, natural helper and organiser, Nikki enjoys sharing the knowledge and experience she’s gained over the years which has been her drive for writing. Her practical and down to earth approach to life shines through in her work and is popular with her regular followers. She uses her organisational skills to arrange fund-raising events at her garden centre and home for various charities.

Connect with Nikki
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

#BlogBlitz #Giveaway #BookReview Christmas at Ladywell by Nicola Slade @nicolasladeUK @rararesources

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Christmas at Ladywell

I’m delighted to be joining a host of other book bloggers in celebrating the publication today of Christmas at Ladywell by Nicola Slade. Thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to take part and to Crooked Cat Books for my review copy.

Giveaway Prize - corpsecover3plusshoutTo complete the celebrations there’s a giveaway (open internationally) with a chance for one lucky person to win a .mobi or .PDF copy of Nicola’s book, The Convalescent Corpse. Enter via Rafflecopter here.

Giveaway Terms and Conditions:

  • Worldwide 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 Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner.
  • Open to 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.

Christmas at LadywellAbout the Book

A time for spilling secrets…

Having refurbished her inherited house and upcycled her whole life in the process, Freya – now happily married to Patrick, and with a small child –  has to transform her tiny stone barn into a romantic hideaway for a mystery guest who is also looking for change. With Christmas only a week away, things don’t go according to plan…

In the past old uncertainties are resolved when an elderly woman seeks the truth of a legend on Christmas Eve and confesses to a deception; a Tudor wife listens to a story that must never be repeated and is given a precious relic that must never be displayed; and in the early nineteenth century an old woman tells a younger one the story of the hares at Ladywell.

Past and present are only a whisper apart when Freya learns of an astonishing discovery that will make Ladywell famous, but meanwhile her house is full of unexpected visitors, she has a turkey to cook – and a very special secret of her own that must be told.

Format: ebook (97 pages)                         Publisher: Crooked Cat Books
Publication date: 4th November 2019  Genre: Historical Fiction

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Christmas at Ladywell on Goodreads

My Review

Christmas at Ladywell features some of the characters from the author’s book, The House at Ladywell, but has been perfectly crafted as a standalone novella so if, like me, you haven’t read the earlier book you won’t be at a disadvantage. However, like me, it may well make you decide to add The House at Ladywell to your wishlist.

Christmas at Ladywell sees Freya in the midst of preparations for the festive season, including catering for some unexpected and rather special guests. Interlaced with Freya’s present day activities are scenes from Ladywell’s past, starting in the 14th century with stops along the way in the 16th and 19th centuries. As the reader will learn, some of Ladywell’s past inhabitants have been witnesses to historic events.

There’s a real sense of history with stories, folklore and even objects handed down through the generations, especially by women. And of course, at Ladywell history is evident in the very building itself.

Christmas at Ladywell is the ideal read for a dark winter evening. It’s like a delightful Christmas potpourri with its mixture of present day festive preparations, surprise discoveries and fragrant echoes of the past.

In three words: Atmospheric, festive, engaging

Try something similar: Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

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Christmas at Ladywell - AuthorAbout the Author

Nicola Slade is an award-winning, bestselling author of historical and contemporary mysteries and romantic fiction, all set in and around Winchester and Romsey in Hampshire – which is where she lives. The House at Ladywell – a contemporary romantic novel with historical echoes – won the Chatelaine Grand Prize for Romantic Fiction at the CIBA awards in April 2019.

She is the author of the mid-Victorian ‘Charlotte Richmond’ mysteries and the contemporary ‘Harriet Quigley’ mysteries. The Convalescent Corpse, published in November 2018, is the first in a new series, ‘The Fyttleton Mysteries’, set in 1918.

Connect with Nicola
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads