#Review by Lou of The Lady in the Park by David Reynolds @davidreynoldswriter @muswellpress @RandomTTours #Debut #NewBook #Thriller #CrimeFiction #TheLadyInThePark

The Lady in the Park
By David Reynolds

The Lady in the Park is a strong debut thriller with some topical subjects like people trafficking, drugs and there is a murder. Something quite different makes this debut rather striking. Find out more in the blurb and my full review below on this blog tour. It’s a book that makes you realise that debuts are not to be sniffled at, but instead given a chance on…

Blurb

Introducing a unique and unorthodox crime solving duo –

meet ex Met DI Jim Domino, and his inquisitive six-year-old grandson, Danny…

When a woman is found unconscious on a ping-pong table in Warwick Gardens in Peckham, South East London, it looks like a case of mistaken identity. Why would anyone want to injure this popular local mum of six? But Jim Domino, ex-CID detective turned private eye, keeps asking questions. As the crime escalates to murder, Domino finds himself collaborating with his old colleagues in the Met. And, assisted by sharp observations from his six-year-old grandson, Danny, he finds that important clues can come from unexpected sources.

The first in an exciting new crime fiction series, The Lady in the Park weaves a rich tapestry of characters together with a twisty immersive plot that will leave readers craving for more investigations featuring the inimitable Jim Domino and his young sidekick, Danny.

Review

What is striking is the crime-busting duo. A grandad who has all the experience in crime-solving from his time in the Met and his 6 year old grandson. Admittedly, it is a strange combo, one which could have proven frustrating. It wasn’t at all. It was intriguing and observational in how the experience and connections to the Met that ex-DI Domino has and the sharpness of the eye of his grandson, Danny can compliment each other. Despite the unlikelihood of this actually happening, these characters, like the others are written in a believable manner, making them investable in as a reader. Danny has 6 year old traits and behaviours, which keeps him realistic and a pleasure to read about. There’s warmth and humour in this interesting family relationship. It’s also interesting to see how Jim Domino’s former Met colleagues also connect.

What is embarked on becomes more complex than how it starts with the murder of a lady in the park. There’s much to uncover to keep readers guessing where it will take them next.

The writing of the characterisation and plot of the crimes with their hard-hitting themes are engaging, with the situations of suburban London moving to the Thames creating an immersion and further understanding of the feel of the urgency of the story that’s within the mysterious pages.

It’s a great opener debut to a whole new series to adorn bookshelves and feast the eyes and mind.

About the Author

David Reynolds was one of the founders of Bloomsbury Publishing and is now a director of Old Street Publishing. Based in London, he is the author of Swan River: A Memoir of a Family Mystery, which was published by Picador to great critical acclaim and shortlisted forthe PEN/Acklerley Prize. Greystone Books published Slow Road to Brownsville which was reviewed in The Times, The Telegraph, The Financial Times and The Observer and praised by Robert Elms and the Reverend Richard Coles. His most recent book was Slow Road to San Francisco. This is his debut novel.

He has three adult children, six grandchildren and lives with his wife Penny in South West London. but still spends a lot of time with his grandchildren in Peckham!

#Interview hosted by Lou with Catherine Yardley about her book, Where the Light is Hottest and more… @Balavage @rararesources #ReadingCommunity #WritingCommunity #ActingCommunity #Books #Theatre

Interview by Lou with Author, Catherine Yardley

Welcome to Bookmarks and Stages, Catherine. Thank you very much for the opportunity to interview you about your book, The Light is Hottest, hopes and dreams, the creative industry and more for my slot on the Rachel’s Random Resources blog tour.

“Thank you! I am honoured to be included.”

Catherine Yardley is the author of Ember and Where The Light is Hottest. She’s also the editor-in-chief of Frost Magazine and a freelance writer who’s featured in The Bookseller, Mslexia, Metro, Huffpost, Writing Magazine and Writers’ and Artists’ amongst others.

Where The Light is Hottest

Natasha Jones has everything – a successful acting career, an Oscar, a wonderful husband and beautiful kids. But what does she have to go through to get there? From humble beginnings in a small town, Natasha’s path to stardom is paved with setbacks, heartaches and moments of doubt.

In the glittering world of fame and fortune, where dreams are spun from starlight and ambition fuels the relentless pursuit of success, one woman’s journey stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Beneath the facade of glamour lies a story of unwavering determination and unyielding courage.

Where the Light is the Hottest is a gripping tale of ambition, perseverance and the enduring power of hope. Through Natasha’s journey, we are reminded that the road to success is rarely smooth, but for those who dare to chase their dreams, the rewards are beyond measure.

Without further ado, let’s begin with the first question…

Who or what inspired you to write books?

My main inspiration to write books was all of the amazing books I read growing up. Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter. Then Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I never thought I would be talented enough to write a book. I am glad I decided to be stubborn and go for it! Lots of things inspire me. Real life, my real life experiences and things I read about. I am interested in people and I love telling stories.

Your novel, ‘Where the Light is Hottest’, is set in the acting world. You were/are an actor yourself. Many actors write within all sorts of genres.
What made you choose to use your knowledge and experience to write a novel for readers to gain that insider’s perspective in fictional form?

I previously wrote a non fiction book, How To Become a Successful Actor: Your Essential Guide to Becoming an Actorpreneur. I wanted to write a novel and the easiest way was to use my own experiences. Writing fiction is a beautiful thing because you can take things that happened, and then write about them in a fictional way. Pablo Picasso said that art is the lie that helps us understand the truth. I can create a true-to-life experience of the acting world better through fiction than real life, which might not be quite so interesting!

Natasha, the main character, is ambitious, has setbacks and accomplishments and builds resilience. How much of Natasha’s life reflect your own experiences and in what way?

Natasha is more ambitious than me. I paused my acting career after sustaining a really bad injury on a film set. Natasha would have kept on going. Natasha comes from Scotland like me, and studied acting. A lot of the stuff in the book happened to me in a way or was things I saw or heard. I never did nudity because I am a bit of a prude, but Natasha ends up doing that on her own terms. She is stronger than me in many ways. She is incredibly resilient. I love that about her. Natasha is also loyal and a good friend. I am too. Friendship is everything.

Where the Light is Hottest is about going after your dreams. Natasha has real resilience and determination to do this. Have you got dreams you pursue, if so, what are they and how do you go about chasing them?

That’s a good question. I do have dreams and I go after them relentlessly. Natasha and I have that in common. My dreams are more writing based these days. Based around book deals and things I want my books to achieve. I recently wrote for The Sunday Times which was always on my list of dream publications. I would still love to write, produce and act. It’s just hard to fit it all in.

How important do you think it is to promote such strong, positive yet emotive stories set around the acting world and what do you hope readers will take away from this?

I think a lot of people think that books set in the acting world are not relatable, but it is a job like any other. It can be tedious and boring. The actual work is not glamorous at all. I think people will get whisked away into a different world, but it is more of a realistic look. It is not Jackie Collins, which I love. It’s glamorous but Natasha is just a normal person trying to make her way in the world. Most people are too scared to go after their dreams. They are more scared to be successful than they are to fail. I think it is important to promote these strong, positive stories that resonate with people to show that you can be terrified and brave at the same time.

Do you, as an actor and an author feel the challenges within the creative industry affects you in any way and how do you overcome them?

Definitely. They are two incredibly hard professions. Maybe even the hardest. There is no clear path and no guarantees. The challenges are vast but the highs are like nothing else. The privilege of telling stories is huge. I love it. These professions are more of a calling. You have to be like Natasha and relentlessly go after your dreams and take failure well.

Do you feel there is any sort of bridge between acting and writing novels where one helps to do the other?

I think all writers should take acting lessons. Being an actor is a fantastic skill. You learn that everything about a person tells you something about them. From how they hold themselves, how they speak, and how they dress. There are a lot of actors who write, and it is obvious that the skills can cross well. Writing as an actor is also a brilliant idea. Making your own projects will help you stand out.

How do you feel when there are unfavourable comments about actors who also happen to choose to write books and how do you overcome the negativity and keep going?

I am lucky that I have not had much negativity. I brush most things off to be honest. I am happy with myself and my life. My dad would always joke when we were growing up that if we were making fun of him then at least we were leaving someone else alone. I think of that a lot now. How there are a lot of people who want to be negative and take their pain out on other people. It is rarely personal, and at least they are leaving someone else alone!

Have you any plans for writing more books or are there any acting jobs you can tell us about that are on the horizon?

There are a lot more books coming. I am very excited about it. There are some other projects coming too. Not much I can talk about, but I am feeling very privileged and happy at the moment. Hard work pays off eventually. In the creative industries it just takes a lot longer!

You can follow Catherine Yardley on these links for social media and her website:

https://x.com/Balavage

@catherineby.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/frostmag

https://www.threads.net/@frostmag

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063463605581

https://www.tiktok.com/@balavage

Website: https://catherinebalavageyardley.com/

#BookReview by Lou – Stealth Review – The book that will have you gripped from beginning to end. @realhughfraser @BloodhoundBooks #crime #Thriller

Review of Stealth
Author – Hugh Fraser
Rating – 5 Stars *****

Stealth is the first book review I’ve ever written on this blog. Now that I’ve completed all the write-ups about Morecambe and Vice Crime Festival, including the talk between Robert Daws and Hugh Fraser.
Stealth is highly gripping and one of Hugh Fraser’s best thrillers to date, with his protagonist, Rina Walker. Please follow down to find out more about Hugh Fraser, the blurb and my review.
Please note that my review is unbiased.

About the Author

*Hugh Fraser is an author and actor who is well-known for tv series and films. He has played many roles over many years, including: The Duke of Wellington in Sharpe and Captain Hastings in the ITV Agatha Christie, Poirot series. In film he is credited in the Patriot Games, 101 Dalmations, The Draughtman’s Contract and Clint Eastwood’s Firefox. He also wrote the theme tune of children’s tv programme, Rainbow. He also supports the charity – First Light Veterans – supporting veterans of the emergency services and armed forces.
In more recent years, he has turned his hand to writing, creating his protagonist -Rina Walker.

There are 4 book in the series so far –
Harm, Threat, Malice, Stealth

*With thanks to Hugh Fraser who gave verbal permission for me to take a photo and use it within my blog.
Please note that the cover has now changed and Hugh Fraser has a new publisher – Bloodhound Books. I have made tweaks where I can, to reflect this. The photo was taken with the original cover, when he was with his original publisher -Urbane Publications in 2018.

Blurb

London 1967. A working girl is brutally murdered in a Soho club. Rina Walker takes out the killer and attracts the attention of a sinister line-up of gangland enforcers with a great deal to prove.

When a member of the British Military Intelligence becomes aware of her failure to fulfil a contract issued by an inmate of Broadmoor, he forces her into the deadly arena of the Cold War, with orders to kill an enemy agent.

Rina needs to call upon her dark skills, not to simply survive, but to protect those she loves.

Review

Stealth is the fourth and most recent of Hugh Fraser’s novels about assassin Rina Walker. It works well as both part of the series or as a stand-alone book, which is gripping from the very beginning, right to the last page. The action and non-action “scenes” are all very well constructed and flow very well, to create what is ultimately a great read. They are so different from what I would normally read, but I have read the series up to and including this latest book and I am glad that I decided to give them a go. The books have a very fresh and new feel about them in terms of content and writing style.

The character Rina Walker is written in the first person, which I have come to really like. She is a well-written, multi-dimensional character who immediately becomes involving to read. I find all the characters are well plotted out and Drake is quite a character to watch out for…

1967, Wardour Street, London is where Stealth begins. Right within the first couple of pages, the book springs into action.
The areas used in London are familiar and well-known, even if not all readers are from London. Rina Walker, from the outset, comes across as a sharp, intelligent, strong protagonist and yet, not always cold as you may expect with her being an assassin. She has a warmer, emotional side to her too as she tries to protect those who she loves in her personal, private life.

The words “Likeable” and “Assassin”, however, aren’t normally words I would couple together, but somehow Hugh Fraser has cleverly ensured that they do go together and really get the reader on Rina’s side.

As the story unfolds further, she becomes more embroiled in the backdrop of the Cold War due to the British Military Intelligence agenda, after the Broadmoor incident. There are many spies and plans of torture afoot. There are plenty of twists and turns as she calls upon her “dark skills”, which she is very adept at and within her travels. She is well-travelled and certainly has some useful tools on her.

Location changes are done very well, there is just enough to see her journeys between various places in London, Clackton to places abroad such as Istanbul and Athens, without compromising the pace. The pace remains quick enough to keep interest, throughout the detail, which also leaves enough space for tension to build and to wonder what is going to happen next.

As for the time period, I was immediately pulled into the dark underworld on 60’s London, with its many shady characters. A picture is clearly painted, but not in a laborious way, it’s done that really encapsulates the era and connects well with the story within the dialogue.
Moving onto the dialogue, it feels at a quick pace. The language used is believable for the time and each situation.

There is also still enough room for imagination within this book, by the way that each “scene” is formed, in what feels like a natural way. Nothing about it feels contrived, which is good for the flow of it all.

Hugh Fraser uses music of the era, which sets a certain tone and atmosphere.
Music within books either works or it doesn’t. In Stealth, the music references work very well indeed! Every reference all adds to the atmosphere and you get a real sense of it all being carefully and deliberately thought out. They also give a real flavour of what was happening in the music scene in the 60’s.
I think it’s worth mentioning that whether you lived through the 60’s or not, the songs used would be instantly recognisable to most and can still be heard on the radio, on some music tv shows and can be found on legal music streaming sites, so don’t let that put you off giving these books a go.

Overall, Stealth is an excellently plotted and developed novel. It is sharp, with plenty going on to draw any reader in, even if reading about an Assassin isn’t your norm. It’s not all violence and torture, there are relationships, emotion, travel, music all enveloping this story too.
As mentioned previously, there are 3 previous books, but this is the best one yet! Hugh Fraser’s writing improves book by book. If you have not already read the others, I would still recommend that you do.
I am hoping there will be a 5th book to come, some time in the not too distant future. The ideas and writing coming from this author are great and they are books that, once you begin, you find you want to read more.

#Interview – Q&A By Lou with Anne Cater and her #RandomThingsTours as part of Celebrating Blog Tour Organisers @RandomTTours #ReadingCommunity #WritingCommunity #Publishers

Interview/Q&A with Blog Tour Organiser and Blogger –

Anne Cater of Random Things Tours
By Lou at Bookmarks and Stages

As part of the lead up to my blog becoming 5 years old, I am celebrating various people from authors to actors to blog tour organisers. Today I am celebrating Anne Cater, a blog tour organiser of her highly successful and prominent company – Random Things Tours in the form of a Q&A session that gives you all an insight into what a blog tour is, what inspired her to go in this direction and how she goes about doing things, including what an average day looks like for her and the ups and downs. The answers are illuminating and highly interesting. Her route is unusual, and I rather like this, since so is mine. You will also see where you can find Anne Cater and what she offers below.

Anne Cater is the second blog tour organiser who took me onto her list of bloggers, way back when I first started blogging, which I am always grateful for with the review opportunities with great books from various publishers that still come my way. I will say, from a blogger’s point of view for what is required from being on her list, everything runs professionally. smoothly, fairly and she is approachable and it remains a pleasure doing business with her.

Without further ado, let us commence with the Q&A.

What or whom inspired you to become, not only a book blogger, but also a blog tour organiser?I always think of myself as a reviewer/blogger first. That’s how I started and I will never stop reviewing books and blogging about them.My route to becoming a blog tour organiser was a little unusual.Around seven or eight years ago I was at a book event in Nottingham organised by No Exit Press. I’d been reviewing their books for years. The publicity manager approached me and asked me if I’d consider organising a blog tour for them. It wasn’t something that I’d ever considered, but I have a background in Admin and knew that it was something that I’d like to try. That tour was a success and I’ve been organising tours for No Exit ever since.

I’ve worked with Karen Sullivan, the owner of Orenda Books since before Orenda was born, when she worked for another publisher. Karen asked me if I’d like to take over the organisation of the Orenda Blog Tours and I jumped at the chance. I’ve been doing those ever since too.

I didn’t intend to branch out but was asked by Judith O’Reilly to organise a blog tour for her independently published book. I had no idea what to charge and just plucked a figure out of my head. The tour was a success and Judith is now traditionally published.

That’s how it started, and I now organise around 30 – 40 blog tours each month for publishers and also directly for authors.

For those who don’t know, what is a blog tour organiser?

A Blog Tour organiser is exactly what it says on the tin! We organise a tour that focusses on one book (or a series of books). The book will appear on a number of blogs for a set amount of time.

Our job is to ensure that we get the right bloggers for the book. We make sure that the bloggers receive a copy of the book, create a schedule and then send out a media pack. We also share all of the blog tour posts on every tour.

What does a typical day look like for you?

When I first started this job, I already had another job, so blog tour organising was usually done later in the day/evening and at weekends.
In October 2020 I went full time as a blog tour organiser.
My average day begins at around 8am.

Every day I will share the blog tour posts for the day, and any that were posted later the previous evening.
I will go through to find any missing posts and contact the individual blogger with a reminder that they agreed to post on that day.

The remainder of my day is dealing with hundreds of emails. Creating new tours and sending out invitations. Sending out quotations to publishers and authors etc.

I try to finish by 6pm each day.

What are the benefits of going to a blog tour organiser for both author and publisher and for a blogger signing up to be part of a tour?

I think that the big publishers find it really convenient to be able to use blog tour organisers. Publicists have a massive job to do, and a blog tour is just a tiny part of the publicity machine, but for a blog tour organiser, it is their main focus, so they will get a truly dedicated service.

Blog tour organisers know most of their bloggers really well. They know what time of day they will post their slot on the tour, they know their genre preferences and they know if they will read digitally.

An author or publisher can hand over the whole thing to the organiser, without having to worry about getting the bloggers to take part, the organiser will do all of the work.

I think bloggers all have different reasons for signing up for tours. Everyone is different. I know some bloggers feel incentivised to read a book that they may already own by having a particular date to post, that’s certainly one of my main reasons for taking part in a tour as a blogger.

I also know that some bloggers really dislike blog tours, and that’s absolutely fine too. There’s room for everyone

Why should people choose you in-particular?

I do find this question quite difficult! I work really closely with some other organisers, especially Rachel Gilbey, Zoe O Farrell, Tracy Fenton and the Bookouture team. They are all fabulous at what they do.

I’d suggest that authors and publishers should look at tours that I’ve already done, to see if I cover the genre that they want to tour.

Every single tour is treated in the same way by me. It doesn’t matter if it’s a debut self-published author, or an author who has had multiple best-selling novels, they all get the same service.

What are the upsides and downsides of being a blog tour organiser?

The upsides far outweigh the downsides!
What I love best is that I am my own boss. I choose when I work, and who I work with.
Working with books, and being a tiny part of a book’s journey is an honour and a pleasure. It’s something that I always dreamt about, but never ever imagined actually doing.

The positive feedback from authors and publishers is wonderful too. Helping to launch a book is a fabulous thing to be involved with.

I’ve made a lot of friends whilst doing this job, that’s such a bonus too.

Downsides few, but very frustrating!

Occasionally, I am not able to pull together a blog tour, for various reasons and I hate having to let an author know this.

I am fortunate to work on some hugely popular books and having to tell bloggers that the tour is full is one of the things that I hate the most. Some books are so popular that I have to turn away 40 or so bloggers and every time I send that ‘sorry’ email, I am sad.

Chasing bloggers who don’t post on their date is another time consuming job that I really hate. I’m really approachable, I think most of my bloggers know this and a little advance warning of a non-post, or late post is welcome
Over the years there have been bloggers who’ve arrived, committed to a tour, taken a book and then disappeared, never to be seen again.
I HATE this. It looks so bad, for me and for bloggers in general and I really wish it didn’t happen.

Oh, spoilers! Spoilers in reviews are a huge no-no!

Where can people find you?

Twitter @annecater

Email : anne.lcdp@hotmail.co.uk
https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/p/services-to-publishers-authors-blog.html

Thank you Anne for your time in giving an interview to me – Lou at Bookmarks and Stages.

#Interview with a #BlogTourOrganiser By Lou with Kelly Lacey @KellyALacey #CelebratingBlogTourOrganisers

Interview with A Blog Tour Organiser
With Kelly Lacey
Conducted by Lou

I am celebrating various authors and actors on my blog in individual blog posts, until September, when my blog turns 5 years old. Part of my journey in blogging is also joining blog tours. I recently had the opportunity to interview Kelly Lacey who founded Love Books Tours. Find out more below, and then onto the Q&A.

Blog Tours! Lots of you will see this as a tag on social media or an intro before a review, thanking a particular organiser. I join in on quite a few, as do lots of other bloggers. I am aware this can be a bit of a mysterious world for some. So, I wanted to uncover for what this really means and what a day in the life of one looks like. Discover all of this from a Q&A I conducted with Kelly Lacey from her company – Love Books Tours, who, incidentally, along with Wendy H. Jones, who I wrote an article about recently, encouraged and persuaded me into starting a blog. Also discover Kelly was inspired to start a blog and then become a blog tour organiser, how to sign up if you are a blogger and how she can assist, if you are an author and some of the recent blog tours she has organised, including one I joined.

So, without further ado, let’s welcome Kelly Lacey, the founder of Love Books Tours onto my blog for 6 questions and her 6 informative, fascinating answers, plus links to social media and website at the end.

1. What or who inspired you to become, not only a book blogger but also a virtual book tour organiser?

Back in 2017, Joanne from Portobello Book Blog inspired me to become a book blogger. I remember sitting with her during lunch as she explained everything. After that day, I knew that I had to create my own blog. Through my journey as a blogger, I found myself connecting with a lot of authors. After my mother had experienced a number of strokes, I needed to find something I was good at that I could do from home. I realized my next step was to delve into book publicity. In 2018, I decided to take a leap of faith and started Love Books Tours.

From the get-go, LBT has always supported both indie and traditional authors. Not only do we work with big publishing houses such as Marvel, Penguin, and Canelo, but we also work with smaller publishing houses such as Fledgling Press. I am proud to say that we have really taken off, and it has been an incredible journey thus far.

2. For those who don’t know, what is a blog tour organiser?

As a virtual book tour organiser, LBT offers the perfect solution to promoting books and helping them reach a larger audience. With our 7, 10 and 14-day campaigns.

Our LBT tour hosts are amazing and during the campaign period, they will read and review your book and provide constructive feedback every day. We pride ourselves on the honesty of our reviews as we believe that this is an integral part of improving and promoting a book.

But wait, there’s more! A book can have multiple tours, not just one at the time of its release.

Virtual book tours are an excellent way to breathe new life into your book, creating a buzz and generating interest among your target audience.

At LBT, we understand the effort and hard work that goes into writing a book. Hence, we make it our priority to provide a hassle-free experience and help your book achieve the recognition it deserves.

3. What does a typical day look like for you?

As a tour organiser, I stay busy with six to ten tours scheduled every week, along with a one day campaign and our beloved read-along service.

My mornings start bright and early at 6 am with the task of tackling emails and social media. There is a lot to do on social media, from sharing posts to choosing review quotes that best fit our client’s needs. I also have to regularly connect

with clients over video calls to ensure they have the best possible book package.

4. What are the benefits of going to a blog tour organiser for both author and publisher and for a blogger signing up to be part of a tour?

The benefit for my author/publisher clients is delivering a successful campaign with a high reach and the bonus of all the reviews. Their satisfaction and approval is my top goal.

For book bloggers, applying to be a tour host is a great way to support authors.

With LBT we work with new and established authors. I have created a small family of hosts on our Whatsapp chat who are amazing. We also have our super supportive host team. With over 2000 book bloggers signed with us and more applications each day, we love to build up the bookish support.

If you are considering starting book blogging or bookstagramming you can apply here. We work worldwide with all genres.

5. Why should people choose you in particular?

Embarking on a virtual book tour can be daunting, but luckily, the UK boasts a few reliable tour organisers. The key is finding the perfect fit for your unique needs. It’s crucial to select an organiser with an established presence and reach. Before deciding, read their testimonials and review the quality of their work. If you’re looking for someone who’s passionate about your success and will handle your campaign with the utmost professionalism, look no further than me.
I am dedicated to crafting a tailored tour that resonates with your readers and drives traffic to your platform. Let’s work together to bring your book to the masses!

6. What are the upsides and downsides of being a blog tour organiser?

The upsides are plentiful, all the amazing love for each book on tour is very satisfying. The feedback I receive after sending my client report after each tour always makes all the hard work worth it. Supporting the book community fills me with pride.

When it comes to the disadvantages of organising the tours. The only hiccup is the occasional book blogger who may take advantage of the situation by signing up for tours and not delivering on their end of the bargain by not posting their review. But fear not, as these delinquent bloggers are quickly caught and barred from any future opportunities. So, there’s really no need to worry about any major downsides when it comes to receiving a quality experience.

7. Where can people find you?

https://kellylacey.com/love–books–tours/

https://www.facebook.com/LoveBooksTours

https://twitter.com/KellyALacey

https://www.instagram.com/lovebookstours/

#Article by Lou – Celebrating Authors – Fern Britton @Fern_Britton #HarperCollinsUK @fictionpubteam #CelebratingAuthors #ContemporaryFiction #LiteraryFiction #RomanticFiction #HistoricalFiction #TV #ReadingCommunity #WritingCommunity #CelebratingAuthors

Celebrating Authors – Fern Britton
By Louise – Lou

As part of my blog in 2023 until it reaches 5 years old in September, I will be celebrating an author or publisher every so often. Join me as I celebrate works of Fern Britton in this part of my series of blog posts. Find a short article and a bit about a couple of her books and links below.

Fern Britton is a well-known TV presenter and author. She has successfully published over 15 books – stand-alone books, novellas and non-fiction over many years and at least one was a Quick Reads book in the Reading Agency scheme. She is also known for her tv presenting on programmes such as Ready Steady Cook, This Morning, Watercolour Challenge (rebooted), My Cornwall and many more.

I’ve read a number of books by Fern Britton, most pre-blog, so one day I will write reviews of more as I highly recommend her; but whilst writing my blog, I have had amazing opportunities such as to review her books and during lockdown, be part of a small group of people on Zoom to interview her in a Q&A set up by her publisher, all of which you can find in the links below in this short article. I was fortunate enough to attend an in-person talk at Good HouseKeeping magazine a couple of years later where she talked warmly and intelligently about The Good Servant as well as candidly about her life, including gardening. She also gave people opportunity to have a signed book and to meet her, which was fortunate for me as her kindness has been beyond and I like to thank people in person. I highly recommended her books, tv programmes and her talks.

Fern Britton’s tv programmes are inspiring, interesting and warm. Anything she touches, her passion and genuine curiosity oozes, pulling in her audience. It’s a great skill and no mean feat, considering the amount of programmes made on many channels.
Her books are excellent for curling up with for all year round reading with your favourite snack and drink, whatever the weather. They are evocative and compelling, whether it is romantic fiction, such as A Seaside Affair or historical such as The Good Servant. She has the mystique in her writing to enthral and enchant as she envelopes the reader in the scenery and gives them a clear window into many characters lives. She also has the ability to use facts as a base and fictionalise a story just enough to steer away from it becoming non-fiction as she has in Daughters of Cornwall and The Good Servant.

Daughters of Cornwall is fiction, but was inspired by her own family. It’s a fascinating story across the generations, taking in 1918, 1939 and 2020. It truly is a compelling read with bloodlines and secrets from start to finish.

Within the link for the blurb and full review, you will also find a write-up of the Q&A and about the online book launch. Daughters of Cornwall

The Good Servant is a fictional story based on fact about Marion Crawford (Crawfie) is a young Scottish woman who becomes a governess to two princesses – Princess Margaret and the princess who became our queen – Queen Elizabeth II. It is a thoughtful, interesting book that now holds a deeper poignancy than ever before.
There are twists and motives uncovered and a sense of duty revealed in this engaging read.

Find out more about the fascinating, well researched book in the blurb and review within the link. The Good Servant