Tag: guest post

#Giveaway Blog Tour: Marry Me at Willoughby Close by Kate Hewitt

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The spotlight today is on Marry Me at Willoughby Close, the latest in the bestselling Willoughby Close series by Kate Hewitt. I’m thrilled to bring you a fascinating guest post from Kate all about the challenges of writing a series.

Plus there’s a giveaway (INTL) with a chance to win a £10 Amazon giftcard (Kate will convert the amount depending on the location of the winner). To enter the giveaway, click here.

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MarryMeAtWilloughbyCloseAbout the Book

Welcome to Willoughby Close… a charming cluster of cozy cottages, each with a story to tell and a happy ending to deliver…

Alice James has been a drifter her whole life, working her way through several foster homes before ending up in Wychwood-on-Lea, feeling anchorless and invisible. When a chance encounter leads to Alice accepting a position as a caretaker and companion to Lady Stokeley, she starts to feel as if she might finally be able to put down some roots and live the way other people do. Then, Lady Stokeley’s nephew, city banker Henry Trent, storms into Willoughby Manor, seeming to find fault with everything, including Alice. As the next in line to the manor and title, he threatens to upturn everything she’s started to build. But Henry is hiding his own secret fears and weaknesses, ones he’s desperate for no one to discover. A surprising and inconvenient attraction that simmers between them leaves Alice feeling more confused than ever, and Henry torn between duty and desire, fear and love. When circumstances become even more difficult, both Alice and Henry must decide who they really are, and what they are willing to fight for. Could Alice possibly the next Lady of Willoughby Manor?

Format: ebook Publisher: Tule Publishing Pages:
Publication: 18th July 2017 Genre: Women’s Fiction

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Kobo ǀ itunes
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Marry Me at Willoughby Close on Goodreads

Guest Post: ‘Writing a Series’ by Kate Hewitt

I’ve written several different series before, but the books have been loosely linked and completely stand alone, so I haven’t really considered them a series in the truest sense of the word. While each story in Willoughby Close is stand alone, more or less, there is an overarching story to do with the fate of Willoughby Manor and its lone resident, Lady Stokeley, so readers would benefit from reading all four books in order.

Writing a series that is so connected definitely has its challenges. I’ve had to remember to get minor details consistent in each book – for example, Oliver’s father was a baronet in Meet Me at Willoughby Close and then was called a viscount in Find Me at Willoughby Close. Thankfully my copy-editor picked up on the discrepancy!

Another challenge has been writing characters from different points of view. The heroine of Meet Me at Willoughby Close, Ellie Matthews, is seen differently by the other books’ heroines, Harriet, Ava, and Alice. At first Harriet pities her, Ava is annoyed by her, and Alice is overwhelmed. They all become friends in the end, but I wanted to make sure Ellie’s character stayed the same even when it was perceived differently, and the same for the other characters and how they are perceived.

It has also been a challenge to write the overarching story of Lady Stokeley through all four books, and keep her character moving forward without seeming inconsistent. Writing Lady Stokeley’s story has probably been my favourite part of the series – and she received increasing page time as the series progressed, which was somewhat of a surprise to me and not what I originally had planned!

All in all, I was sad to say goodbye to Willoughby Close, and am tempted to revisit Wychwood-on-Lea with a story about Olivia, the woman who runs the café. In the meantime, I am working on a new four-book series, The Holley Sisters of Thornthwaite, so I must like writing series, despite the challenges!

Happy Reading,

Kate

Thank you, Kate! Authors – some great tips here, not least the importance of a good copy-editor! Readers – it’s always good to be reminded, isn’t it, of the work involved for an author in adding to a favourite series.

KateHewittAbout the Author

Kate Hewitt is the author of over 60 novels of romance and women’s fiction. An American ex-pat and former diehard New Yorker, she now lives in a market town in South Wales with her husband, five children, and overly affectionate Golden Retriever.

Connect with Kate

Website ǀ Facebook ǀ Twitter ǀ Instagram ǀ Blog ǀ Goodreads

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Guest Post & Giveaway: Dancing in the Rain by Lucy Appadoo

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DancingintheRainI’m delighted to host today’s stop on the spotlight tour for Dancing in the Rain by Lucy Appadoo, an emotional family drama set in Italy. Dancing in the Rain is the latest title in Lucy’s The Italian Family Series. I’m also pleased to say that Lucy has shared the real-life inspiration for the series in her guest post below.

WinThere’s also a giveaway (INTL) with a chance for one lucky person to win a $50 Amazon gift card. The giveaway closes on 1st July. You can enter via the Dancing in the Rain tour page by clicking here

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About the Book

Publisher’s description: Fifteen-year old Valeria Allegro works diligently on the family farm in Italy, where she is torn between her duty to her family and her desire to find freedom from her strict, domineering father. She finds solace in Dario, a young student who provides a blissful escape—until a neighbour’s son, Gregorio, decides he wants her for himself. This raises an alarm for her father, which leads to family conflict and aggression. When Dario is threatened and her family is plagued by a series of suspicious accidents, Valeria is desperate to keep her loved ones safe. Can she end the turmoil and escape the firmly built trap to find the freedom she craves?

Book Facts

Format: ebook Publisher:   Pages: 274
Publication: 24th May 2017 Genre: Adult Fiction    

Purchase links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Amazon.com ǀ Barnes & Noble
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find Dancing in the Rain on Goodreads

Guest Post: “My true inspiration to write The Italian Family Series” by Lucy Appadoo, author of Dancing in the Rain

“I was inspired to write The Italian Family Series after reading Adriana Trigiani’s The Shoemaker’s Wife, which was a heartfelt and sad story with the beautiful backdrops of Italy with its amazing history and culture. I wanted to write a story about my own Italian background; the history and richness of the culture. The way to do that was to interview my parents about their childhood experiences and explore how they eventually ended up in Melbourne, Australia.

I interviewed my father first, asked him specific questions, and jotted down notes. Then I interviewed my mother and did the same thing. I first had the idea to write about their impending marriage and the challenges around that experience of Italian immigration. From that idea, came my novella, A New Life.

Later I decided to expand on A New Life by going back to my parents’ childhood experiences. The Beauty of Tears was inspired by my father’s childhood experiences whilst Dancing in the Rain was inspired by my mother’s childhood experiences. Hence, the birth of The Italian Family Series.

As I wrote their stories, I was able to admire them even more for all the hardships they had endured. They didn’t mind that I embellished their stories. My parents had lived challenging lives in a poverty-stricken Italian world and never got a chance to be children. They were breadwinners through and through; my father managing a herd of sheep and other farmyard work whilst my mother planted crops, cooked freshly baked bread, and learned to make tomato sauce, sausages, and wine. A great many skills to have.

I am proud of my Italian heritage and feel that both Dancing in the Rain and The Beauty of Tears is a testament to my parents’ rich lives. My parents deserve only the best, given their constant struggles and heartaches. I do hope you enjoy reading Dancing in the Rain, and my other books in the series.”

LucyAppadooAbout the Author

Lucy Appadoo is a registered counsellor and wellness coach with a part-time private practice. She also works as a rehabilitation counsellor for the Australian government. In her spare time, she self-publishes or writes nonfiction and fiction. She previously worked as a rehabilitation consultant, caseworker, English as a second language teacher and proofreader. Lucy has postgraduate diplomas in psychology, education, and English as a Second Language teaching, as well as specialised qualifications in grief counselling and hypnosis. She has also completed wellness coaching courses (levels 1-3) at Wellness Coaching Australia.

Lucy enjoys reading romantic suspense, romance, thrillers, crime novels, family/historical drama, and sagas. She writes in the genres of romantic suspense, historical fiction, and romance. She has enjoyed travelling to exotic places such as Madrid, Mauritius, and Italy, and draws on these experiences in her creative writing. Lucy’s favourite authors include Kendra Elliot, Christiane Heggan, Theresa Ragan, Tara Moss, Nicholas Sparks, Adriana Trigiani, Erica Spindler, and James Patterson (to name a few).

Lucy’s interests include meditation, playing tennis, journal writing, reading fiction and non-fiction texts about writing, coaching, and counselling, ongoing professional development, spending time with her husband and two daughters, and socialising with friends and family.

Connect with Lucy

Website ǀ Facebook ǀ Twitter ǀ Goodreads

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