Tag Archives: book giveaway

Jera’s Jamboree : Author Interview Kate Lord Brown plus giveaway

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Kate Lord Brown to Jera’s Jamboree:

Photo courtesy of author

Photo courtesy of author

Kate grew up in the wild and beautiful Devon countryside.  After studying at Durham University and the Courtauld Institute of Art, she worked as an international art consultant curating collections for palaces and embassies in Europe and the Middle East.  When the family left London for the orange groves of Valencia, Kate began to write full time, publishing work internationally and gaining a MA Dist in Creative Writing. She now lives in the Middle East with her family, and writes a regular blog for writers juggling their work with family life. Her debut novel THE BEAUTY CHORUS was published by Atlantic in 2011, and this year THE PERFUME GARDEN is being published in seven languages.

wpblogheadercrop-006

Hi Kate, 

Please summarise your latest book in 20 words or less.

 (The PerfumeGarden):

 Spain, war, love. You can let go of the past, but what if the past won’t let go of you?

What was the idea/inspiration for your novel?

We lived in Valencia for three years, and I was intrigued by the history of the place, and the events of the Spanish Civil War. I was inspired by the amazing fragrances of Spain, too – the orange blossom in the fields, the incense in the churches. So it seemed like a natural idea to write the story of a young perfumer who inherits a house in Valencia – as she restores the house and garden, she discovers the truth about her family’s loves and losses during the war.

Do you have a book trailer?  What do you think book trailers achieve?

I do - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qViezOftdpM I think book trailers can be a great way to give you a flavour of a story, and I was curious to try making one. It really makes you think about your story. Distilling a whole novel down into a few images, and finding music that conjures up the novel was a great challenge. When I showed it to my daughter, she wasn’t at all impressed that I’d learnt how to make a video, she just said ‘wow, the music’s by Kevin McLeod?’ She knew his work from Youtube!

Do you have a most creative time of day?

We have a young family, and my husband’s a pilot so he’s away a lot of the time. The reality is your work becomes ‘bombproof’ as a writer/mother and you can’t be precious about waiting for inspiration to strike, you work when you can! I liked Stephen King’s advice to just put your desk in the corner and get on with it – there’s always a houseful of children, and pets, and a lot of activity, so after several years I’m now creative the minute I sit down to work.

Which authors have influenced your writing?

I really admire writers like William Boyd, Anne Tyler, Carol Shields, Barbara Trapido and James Salter. I constantly find myself thinking ‘I wish I’d written this …’ They are all tremendously good at conjuring characters, and I admire that a great deal.

Have you done any creative writing/writing courses that you would recommend to others?

I’ve just completed an MA with the Manchester writing school, which took three years. There were a lot of late nights with tutorials, and it was a challenge fitting in the course work with all the usual commitments of family life and jobs, but I’d recommend it to any one who wants to push their work on to the next level. I’ve always belonged to writing groups wherever we’ve lived, and the support and challenge of working with the same small group of writers for three years has been fantastic.

What has been the best part of your writing journey so far?

All the ‘firsts’ have been amazing – holding your published book for the first time. Reading your first reviews. Appearing at the Emirates lit fest alongside authors who are heroes of mine. Being a published author has been a lifetime ambition, and I hope I never take it for granted how lucky I am, and how great it is.

What tips do you have for other aspiring writers?

 Write every day. Read books that inspire you to be a better writer every day. Gather a group of people around you who are supportive – whether that’s in a real writer’s group, or online through forums or social networking. If you really want to write, the only way to do it is to carve out time each day – whether that’s when your babies are asleep, or getting up an hour early before work (trust me, I’ve done both and it works – the words add up). You can do it!

Thank you for sharing with us today Kate.

curlicue_grating_whole

web perf

Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Corvus (1 April 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1848879342
ISBN-13: 978-1848879348

High in the hills of Valencia, a forgotten house guards its secrets. Untouched since Franco’s forces tore through Spain in 1936, the whitewashed walls have crumbled; the garden, laden with orange blossom, grown wild. Emma Temple is the first to unlock its doors in seventy years. Guided by a series of letters and a key bequeathed in her mother’s will, she has left her job as London’s leading perfumier to restore this dilapidated villa to its former glory. It is the perfect retreat: a wilderness redolent with strange and exotic scents, heavy with the colours and sounds of a foreign time. But for her grandmother, Freya, a British nurse who stayed here during Spain’s devastating civil war, Emma’s new home evokes terrible memories. As the house begins to give up its secrets, Emma is drawn deeper into Freya’s story: of crushed idealism, of lost love, and of families ripped apart by war. She soon realises it is one thing to let go of the past, but another when it won’t let go of you.

Author Links:

AMAZON

WEBSITE

Twitter: @katelordbrown

wpblogheadercrop-001

Kate’s publishers have kindly agreed to giveaway a copy of The Perfume Garden to one of Jera’s Jamboree readers.  Easy entry on the Rafflecopter link below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

shaz sign

Jera’s Jamboree : Giveaway ~ Black Diamond by Jennifer Loiske

I have a fabulous YA giveaway for Jera’s Jamboree readers today.

!cid_5B00D478-EE04-4977-B3F9-A569AFBC4515@bb_dnainternet

(age 12 and up readers)

After her mom’s sudden death, twelve-year-old Shannon McLean has to move from the US to the English countryside to live with her mysterious father, Connor McLean, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a baby. Soon she discovers that he doesn’t want her around and her moving into his huge manor, Greyman Hill, is nothing more to him than a compulsory deal. But if he does not exactly give her a warm welcome, his servant Robert is most likely an incarnation of evil. He runs the house with an iron touch and makes everyone who works there his little puppets.

Weird things start to happen and the whole place scares the crap out of Shannon. Her dad can control her just by looking at her. The walls are full of secret passages and apparently she has the talent to awaken the ghosts in them. Every day is worse than the day before and she wants badly to run away but discovers it’s impossible. If she wants to stay alive she has to do exactly as her dad says or else she will not only jeopardize her own life but also the lives of the people around her.

While Shannon struggles to find the magic inside her, Connor is slowly turning into a demon. One carelessly spoken word from her could either save or destroy them both. In the end she has to decide whether to save herself and her loved ones, or lose her dad to the darkness and evil that threaten to eat his soul.

What was the inspiration behind Black Diamond?  Jennifer says:

It all started from a birthday party invitation to England’s countryside. The minute I Googled the party venue and saw the pictures, my fingers started to tickle and I had to start writing. Endless green fields, old dry-stone walls, mysterious woods, huge stone manors…Yes, I lost my heart to Burford long before I actually visited it and I knew the idea of young witches and demons would haunt me until I’d give in and put it on the paper. Six months later the first draft of Black Diamond was ready and in January 2013 it actually went live and was published in Amazon worldwide.

I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Jennifer

Read on for an Excerpt (Chapter Five):

“Shannon,” Connor said from the doorway. It looked like he had been waiting for her.

Shannon said nothing and tried to pass him.

He blocked her way but didn’t touch her. “Shannon,” he said again, but this time danger lurked in his voice.

She swallowed. Connor’s eyes were so dark and something horrible gleamed behind them. She froze. She could’ve tried to push past him, but his eyes warned her not to even try anything like that, so she lifted her head and met his eyes. “Connor,” she said, and was proud that her voice didn’t shake.

Connor sighed heavily. “Shannon, Shannon, Shannon. What am I going to do with you?”

“You could start by letting me go,” she suggested quietly.

Connor shook his head. “Can’t do that.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Shannon asked and felt the courage coming back to her body.

Connor was quiet. The air around him seemed so dark. Almost like he was a black hole that absorbed all the light around him. He was dressed all in black and looked more like a devil than a human.

Shannon could see Robert grinning wickedly behind him. Her mind was screaming that she should be deadly afraid of this man in front of her, but she wasn’t. She was more afraid of the man behind him and somehow Connor seemed to be the safer choice. There was nothing human in Robert. It was like he was waiting for Connor to strike her down and feast on her dead body. He stared at them with his small, cold, mean eyes and seemed to be encouraging Connor to harm her.

Connor did nothing. After a very uncomfortably long time he shooed Robert away with his hand. “Both,” he said and moved out of her way.

She had almost forgotten what she had asked, but when Connor moved, she moved as well, carefully, from the outside to the inside of the house. He followed. She was scared of him, but there was something so vulnerable in him just then that she couldn’t leave him alone. After all, he was her dad. Robert was gone, thank God, so she dared to speak to him more openly than she had thought possible. “What do you mean? This is your house and I’m your daughter. You can do whatever you want,” she said and hoped she hadn’t gone too far.

“I know. It’s just that I’m no good with little girls like you, and it’s been so long since I remembered what it feels like to be a—” He stopped and looked at her like he was suffering.

“To be what?” Shannon whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

Connor stared into her blue eyes and everything vulnerable was gone from him. He looked even scarier than before. The candles burned brightly around them and when he spoke, their flames flashed like someone had thrown something into them. “Never mind. Just stay away from me and obey my orders. If I tell you to eat, you’ll eat and so on, okay?”

“No! It’s not okay!” Shannon shouted. Tears burned behind her eyes. “You can’t tell me what to do! I’m not a baby anymore!”

“You’ll do what I tell you to do or you’ll be sorry for the day you were born!” Connor thundered and something touched Shannon’s hair. It felt like a spider web but it was really cold. It could’ve been somebody’s bony fingers as well, but whatever it was made her scream.

She ran upstairs, scared to death. If she had turned and looked behind she would’ve seen the pain in her father’s eyes and how beaten he looked, but she didn’t. She ran for her life, and when she reached her room she slammed the door behind her, turned the key in the lock, and hid in her bed. She pulled the blanket over her head and sat under it shaking and crying. What kind of place was this? And what was her dad? Not who but what!

“This is just a dream,” she whispered to herself. “Just a dream.”

She tried to calm herself down. She remembered a horror movie she had once watched with her best friend. Mom hadn’t known, of course. This place and these people were just like it. Maybe worse. This was not a movie. This was real and she was trapped. She wondered why Connor had allowed her to come there. He obviously didn’t want her there and for some reason was stuck with her now. But one thing was sure. She was not safe and she needed to get away. If she stayed, something terrible would happen. She was sure of that. Something beyond her imagination, and she didn’t want to find out what it was.

She lowered the blanket a little. She was still alone. No one had followed her and her room looked as white as it had before. There was no threat in there and she felt stupid. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks with her.

“Now you are being stupid,” she whispered. This was not a trick. This was true.

She got up and tried the doorknob. It was still locked. She sat on the bed and glanced at the clock. It was 2 p.m. What in the world was she supposed to do for the rest of the day? She let her hand slide over the pillars on her amazing canopy bed. The wood felt smooth under her hands. It was such a shame they had painted the old bed white. She was sure that it would’ve been stunning in its natural oak color. Her hand stopped. She had felt something. Some kind of mark or engraving. She looked closer, searching for the mark. There it was. An upward-pointing triangle. What did it mean? Was it some kind of ancient symbol, or had it been made by someone that had been held in this room as a prisoner? How exciting! She forgot her fears and searched the other pillars.

Each one of them had the same triangle. She scratched one with her nail. The triangle had originally been red and looked like a campfire. She tried to reveal more of it, but the paint was so thick that all she managed to do was break her nails. She scanned the room. There had to be something sharp. Scissors, maybe, or some cutlery. She found nothing.

She emptied her toilet case and found her nail file. It wasn’t as sharp as she had hoped, but it was better than nothing. She started to work on the paint. The triangle meant fire all right. Soon she had managed to reveal all four triangles, and there was no mistake that they could be pyramids or mathematical triangles. The wood was colored red and the edges of the triangle were rough so they looked like flames. They looked very old. Ancient, actually.

She decided to search the rest of the room. She hoped that she would find a clue to what these triangles meant. She didn’t. She found something much more interesting.

In the middle of the window was a pentagram. It was a weird-looking one but there was no mistake. It was a pentagram. And she found a triangle on the ceiling as well. She almost missed it, as it was tiny and didn’t look the same as the others. She was thrilled. This was better than treasure hunting! She moved the furniture and searched every inch of the room. She dug through all the drawers and closets. She crawled on the floor like a maniac, and that’s where Lily found her.

“Are you all right, Miss?” she asked in her quiet voice.

Shannon freaked out. “How did you get in? The door was locked! I’m sure of it!”

Lily shrugged and showed her the tattooed locks on her palms. Shannon stared at them, and when she finally understood what Lily meant, she was horrified. She wasn’t safe even in her room. It was just an illusion. Connor and his people could get through any door. It didn’t matter if it were locked or not.

Lily stared at the floor and Shannon could swear she saw some red in her cheeks. Good! She was supposed to feel embarrassed. “I don’t want you to come into my room like that. You could at least knock, you know,” she snapped.

Lily nodded and hid her hands behind her back. “I did knock, but Lord Connor’s order was to make sure that you’ll be downstairs at seven o’clock sharp. And it’s ten to seven.”

Shannon glanced at her watch. It really was almost seven. She had spent almost five hours triangle hunting. Her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten anything but an apple all day and she was really hungry. She knew that Lily meant no harm, so she got up and prepared to follow her.

Lily looked at her in shock. “You can’t come to dinner like that,” she said in horror.

Shannon glanced at herself. She was a little bit dusty, she admitted, but so what? She wasn’t going to change her clothes for Connor.

Lily didn’t move. She looked like she could die any minute. Shannon felt sorry for her and shrugged. “Whatever. Give me two minutes and I’ll be ready,” she said.

Lily smiled and whispered, “A dress. You should wear a dress.”

Shannon winced and swallowed the nasty response she was tempted to give. Lily looked so miserable that she didn’t want to make it worse. In silence she changed into clean jeans and a new T-shirt that said ‘It’s better to be dead than a sissy’ on the front. Lily looked even more terrified, but Shannon didn’t care.

The dining room was set for three again. The candles burned and the table was full of delicious-looking food. This time, however, Shannon didn’t have the pleasure of eating alone. Connor sat at the head of the table and looked at her T-shirt in amusement.

He didn’t look as dangerous as earlier, but this time Shannon knew to be wary and didn’t want to irritate him. So she took all the food that the pale women put on her plate. She didn’t eat it, though. She threw it under the table every time Connor looked away, as she was convinced it was poisoned.

The third seat was still empty. Shannon wanted to ask who was supposed to sit there, but Connor looked so absent that she didn’t want to disturb him. It was weird to sit and pretend to be eating. Connor hadn’t said a word since she came into the room, and she didn’t want to draw his attention to her and the food she was throwing on the floor. Yes, she knew it was stupid and she would get caught in time, but at least she would be safe tonight.

Eventually, Connor finished his dinner and got up. He nodded at Shannon, looking pleased, and she blushed. How pleased would he be when he found out what she had done? She got up as well. She would’ve thanked the women, but they were nowhere to be seen, so she decided to go to her room and continue her search for triangles. However, this time she moved a heavy bureau in front of the door and hoped it would slow down whoever tried to come into her room without an invitation.

She stared at the pentagram on the window. She traced its lines with a finger and glanced out absentmindedly. She froze. Someone was moving in the forest. She gasped. A faint light flashed between the trees and then faded. The forest was as black as it had been a minute ago. Was it Connor? Or some of his servants? Whoever it was obviously didn’t want to be seen. She kept staring and there it was again. It looked like a flashlight and now she was sure that someone was walking in the forest.

“Run, you idiot,” she whispered. She knew she couldn’t warn that person but wished she could. Who would be so stupid to go into the forest like that in the middle of the night? Well, almost the middle of the night. It was nine o’clock, so it wasn’t technically the middle, but it was so dark that it could’ve been. She wished she had a telescope. The light seemed to follow some kind of path, maybe the same as she had walked earlier. And then it stopped in the middle of the forest. Other lights joined it and for a second there was a bright flash that lit the trees and the sky above them, and then it was all black.

She stared at the forest for a long time but there was no more light. Not even a dim one. Oh my God, she thought. Maybe they were hikers and had been captured by Connor or Robert, or even by some more horrifying person. She felt hot tears burning her eyes. She wanted to run into the forest and help them, but what could she do? She would only get herself hurt or worse and she had no idea how to help those poor people.

“I’ll go there tomorrow,” she whispered. “I promise. Just hang on in there.” She heard a quiet voice behind her door and froze. “Who is it?”

“Lily,” a quiet voice whispered. “Please, let me in.”

Shannon moved the bureau away and opened the door. Lily stood there holding a bag in her hands. She slipped into the room and glanced around. When she decided it was safe she opened the bag and showed its contents to Shannon. The bag was full of food. Not nicely packed food but messy food that looked similar to what had been served at dinner.

Shannon gasped. “Ew! You cleaned my food! Why did you do it?”

Lily shrugged. “I don’t want him to hurt you.”

“Who? Who would hurt me? Connor? Robert?” Shannon asked, stunned.

Lily looked out of the window and shivered. She couldn’t answer and Shannon didn’t want to press her.

“Thank you,” Shannon said and smiled.

Lily smiled, too. Shyly. “You can’t throw it away. They’ll know and they’ll make you eat it.”

“But it’s poisoned!” Shannon yelled.

“No, it’s not.” Lily took some of the food out of the bag. Slowly, she put it in her mouth and ate it. “You see. It’s not poisoned. It’s just food, and if you don’t eat you’ll lose your strength.”

“So?” Shannon didn’t care anymore.

“Then they’ll get you, too.” Lily was obviously scared that she had said too much.

Shannon touched Lily’s narrow shoulders. “Is that what happened to you?”

Lily shook her head and sniffed. “No. I came here of my own free will. Whatever happens to me is my own fault.”

“I came here willingly, too.”

“Yes. But you didn’t know. I did and I still came.” Lily looked at Shannon’s wide eyes. “None of this is your fault. He shouldn’t have allowed you to come. He shouldn’t.”

Shannon was confused. She had no idea what Lily was talking about but it made her more scared than ever. This place was seriously bad and these people, including her dad, were wacky. And that was putting it nicely. And yet somehow she felt sorry for them. Well, not for Robert, but for Lily and Simon, and maybe a little bit for Connor, too. She wanted to run away. To leave and never come back, but she knew she couldn’t. She literally couldn’t, and if she ever found a way to escape she wasn’t sure that she would. There had to be a way to help them. There had to!

She took Lily’s hands in hers. “I’ll help you. Whatever it takes, I’ll help you. You have my word.”

“No! You don’t understand! There’s no way to help me or the others. We’re in this because we wanted to be! Help yourself and run!” Lily said desperately.

“No, you’re not. Maybe you were at first, but you can’t seriously say that this is what you want. Can you?”

Lily looked at her sadly and shook her head. “No. But I’m in too deep. Nothing can save me. Trust me.”

She showed her palms and Shannon saw the locks move again. She touched one of them and in that second it changed into a black diamond.

Lily gasped sharply. They both stared at her palms. Lily’s eyes got wider. “Oh no! You’re the one! Your life is in danger here! You need to run away. Now, before he finds out about this!”

“What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere!” said Shannon stubbornly.

The black diamond seemed to spin round, and the lock on the other hand seemed to change shape into a black skull.

Lily screamed. And then came the wind.

About the Author:

Photo courtesy of author

Photo courtesy of author

Jennifer Loiske lives in Finland in Naantali, which is a small sunny town on the southwest coast. She is a pre-school teacher by profession but she stayed at home when her youngest daughter suffered brain fever, which developed into severe epilepsy in 2004. She is a workaholic Teen/Young Adult author, who loves dark fantasy, teen movies, chips and candies and warm sunny days. She’s also very keen on charity work and a big part of her royalties goes to charity; mainly to help families with epileptic children but also to the epilepsy units in the hospitals.

Jennifer is one of five authors from the group Authors for Charity.  Check out their Facebook page. They donate every penny from their charity books to the charity.

Her books can be found on Amazon worldwide, Barnes & Noble and Lulu.com

Want to know more? Visit www.jenniferloiske.com

Jennifer tweets @JenniferLoiske

Jennifer’s Author Page on Facebook

Get the book from:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Lulu.com (Paperback)

wpblogheadercrop-001

If you would like the chance to own a paperback copy of Black Diamond, follow the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway.  I will be posting to the lucky winner so UK/IRE entries only.  The giveaway ends Thursday 4th April at 12am GMT.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

signature

Jera’s Jamboree: Exclusive film clip! Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness and giveaway

I’m excited to be able to share with Jera’s Jamboree readers an exclusive film clip from Deborah Harkness.

Photo courtesy of publishers

Deborah Harkness is the author of the All Souls trilogy and in the film clip she is talking to UK book bloggers, introducing new characters in the second book in the trilogy, Shadow of Night.

 

 

 

Historian Diana Bishop, descended from a line of powerful witches, and long-lived vampire Matthew Clairmont have broken the laws dividing creatures. When Diana discovered a significant alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, she sparked a struggle in which she became bound to Matthew. Now the fragile coexistence of witches, daemons, vampires and humans is dangerously threatened.
Seeking safety, Diana and Matthew travel back in time to London, 1590. But they soon realise that the past may not provide a haven. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy for Queen Elizabeth, the vampire falls back in with a group of radicals known as the School of Night. Many are unruly daemons, the creative minds of the age, including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot.

Together Matthew and Diana scour Tudor London for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782, and search for the witch who will teach Diana how to control her remarkable powers… 

Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew once more in this stunning, richly imagined, epic tale.

 

If you missed my review you can read it here.

I am fortunate enough to be able to offer a giveaway of two SIGNED copies of Shadow of Night courtesy of Caitilin at Headline.

To enter, just leave a pick me comment below and I will use random.org to choose two winners.

The giveaway is open to UK readers only and will close for entries midnight 4th July 2012.

Good Luck

 

 

Jera’s Jamboree: Guest Author Lorin Barber plus Giveaway

I’d like to welcome author Lorin Barber to Jera’s Jamboree today.

Photo courtesy of author

Lorin Barber has an MBA from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in Japanese Language. He has had a successful career in Manufacturing Management, travelled the world in business assignments and run his own company. He has six children and so far eight grandchildren. He lives in a small town outside of Seattle with his wife of 38 years. In his spare time you might find him panning for gold in the wilds of Washington State.

Publisher: Sweetwater Books (13 Mar 2012)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1599559293
ISBN-13: 978-1599559292

“The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow” is the story of a brain so powerful it can stop a speeding vehicle or heal internal bleeding.

“Orphaned at the age of two when his father shot his mother, Copernicus H. (Nick) Stringfellow is a genius of unprecedented capacities. Educated in Medicine, Engineering and almost every other scholarly discipline at America’s leading Universities, Nick goes quietly about the country performing miraculous feats. He devotes his life to saving others and combating evil while striving to remain conspicuously anonymous.”

Barber’s novel brings Copernicus to Seattle where opportunities for changing lives, including his own are abundant. He makes family of friends and friends of acquaintances as all learn that when it comes to his activities you “just don’t ask”.  

“As the story unfolds Nick is held at gunpoint by a grungy teenage hitchhiker he has picked up. Nonchalantly letting his mind wander to happier hitchhiking adventures Nick is threatened with death by the greasy youth. As the trigger is pulled the kid finds himself shot in the leg and the weapon moved to Nick’s hand. Expelled from the car with his wound healing, a $100 bill in hand and an admonition to “never use a gun again” the adolescent sees Nick calmly drive away leaving him a lonely walk back to civilization.

In his disguise as a ‘Nurse at Large’ Nick enters the society of Harborview Hospital in Seattle. The mini civilization of the Institution includes patients to be healed, coworkers to elevate and protect, and arrogant doctors to be put in their place. Nick embarks on his errand using telekinesis, mental marvels and common sense, all the while munching on the Twinkies that seem to impart supernatural skills to his already impressive intellect.

Lorin says: I began writing “Copernicus” during a period of unemployment in 2004. I got re-employed then inherited a construction related business which went under during the recession in 2010. With a lot of free time on my hands again I was able to finish and have accepted for publishing the manuscript for “The Secret Life”.

I’m now working, though greatly under-employed and am hoping that success with “The Secret Life” will allow me to quit my day job and finish a sequel that I have begun as well as several others in a series about “Copernicus”.

I know Jera’s Jamboree readers will join me in wishing Lorin success with his writing career.

Contact details:

Email: lorin@lorinbarber.com

Facebook: Lorin Barber

Twitter @lorinbarber

Goodreads: Lorin Barber

LorinBarber.com

“The Secret Life” can be purchased at Amazon COM, Amazon UK Kindle and Amazon UK Paperback

Or at Barnes and Noble and many other .coms around the world.

It is also available through many retail book outlets.

Lorin is generously offering one of my readers an e-copy of ‘The Secret Life’  To enter just leave a comment saying who is your favourite superhero and why.  Giveaway is open internationally and closing date is midnight 4th July 2012.

Good luck!


The winner of my one year blogoversary giveaway is …

 

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my one year blogoversary.  It’s great to be a part of such a network – a sense of belonging :)

I loved all your party memories and why they were important to you.  My 18yo (@samuelsparrow on Twitter) read your comments, went away and thought about them and chose the winner because this particular comment stuck in his mind.

Kirsty

 

Thank you for taking part everyone.  There will be more giveaways so keep reading :)

Shaz

x

 

How Scharnelle Got Us UnScrooged by Katri Cardew

Today, Jera’s Jamboree would like to welcome author Katri Cardew.  





Katri is an Australian author and is sharing with readers why Christmas this year is different.  She has also kindly offered an e-book (any format) giveaway for five of my readers.





How Scharnelle Got Us UnScrooged


My Dogue de Bordeaux Scharnelle and Ialways know when silly season has come upon us because the mailbox is stuffedwith junk catalogues from shops we have never patronised. As much as I mightenjoy having a muffler on my car, I have no reason to celebrate that Mr.Muffler is having a Christmas blow out sale! Usually, this is the time of yearwhen we dust off the solar fairy lights and decorate the mulberry tree outfront. Living in outback Australia has some benefits, after all something hasto balance up against spiders that can kill you, snakes that will kill you,crocs that will eat you and sharks snacking on you. The copious amount of solargadgets available to take advantage of the unrelenting sun is something we bothappreciate. Me, because of the reduced electricity bill, her because thatreduced bill means I can still afford to maintain her 45 kilos of FrenchMastiff.


Scharnelle wearing her festive look



 The fibre optic tree is hauled out from theback of the cupboard and a wreath made of bottlebrush and gumtree leaves isfirmly wired to the front door knocker. Maybe some sort of paper koala wearing aChristmas hat is hung somewhere. It’s not that I don’t value the idea ofdecoration, more than when it is 40 Celsius outside you are not that chuffedabout clogging your space up with bright colours. Summer is the time ofpastels, using the new influx of lemons for cool drinks and keeping your gardenalive under water restrictions. Despite a dinner composed more of salad thanturkey, Scharnelle loves the Christmas spirit and gets excited whenever thewrapping paper comes out of the closet. She faithfully guards the mantle everynight until she is allowed to open her presents. After which, I get to watchthe Doctor Who Christmas special while being regaled with the relentlesssqueaking of dog toys.

This year is different.

This year I didn’t notice the catalogues inthe mailbox until they burst into the garden and covered the marigolds. Thisyear, they sat for two days on the kitchen counter before they were viewedagain. This year, Scharnelle didn’t drool in anticipation when viewing therolled up rejects that she is allowed to tear into shreds.

This year somehow we changed.

The glitter of half priced goldtrinkets didn’t entrance, the lure of latest upmarket electronics didn’tentice. The bright pictures of shortbread, fruitcake, pavlova, chocolatecovered almonds and mince pies didn’t tempt. This was the year that I wrote andpublished four books and when I look back, I can’t seem to remember much of theoutside world.  Not even thetemptation of perfume samplers usually released at Christmas woke me from myexhausted apathy. I have been so busy trying to make a career that I ignoredhow to celebrate life. This left me without inspiration and desire. While I canrecognise that a life without consumer durables would do me no harm, thethought of life without chocolate is just plain foolish!

 I offered the bundled brochures toScharnelle, who took them more out of good manners than any sense of Christmasjoy and I went back to work. You would think four books meant resting but thatis only the start. There is the relentless promotion of the work, trying forreviews, getting noticed in a vast world of talent and the overwhelming fear ofnever being good enough. To make things worse it rained for three days and thewreath fell off the door.

When the sun decided to visit thesunny country, I popped my large dog into my small car and took her down to theFarmer Market for a bit of a look around. She drooled and sniffed while makingalarming noises, all of which made us socially unacceptable in public. My doglikes to grunt like a pig and I have long given up wondering about the ways ofthe Bordeaux.

Hustling her back to the car, wecrossed the street and passed by a local bookstore. I had not looked at thiswindow in over a year and what I saw stopped me. There was the usual display ofChristmas cheer and general books they were trying to flog but amongst theclutter, some gems glowed.

Books! Books about art, history, fantasy,stories told and invented, all begging to be explored and I would have enteredexcept I had a rather large drooling dog in tow. Well she was more like towingme because I was being dragged over to the doorway of the shop. I looked overwith dismay to see Scharnelle chomping down on a roll of Christmas paper withglee. She had cleverly associated the garish paper with the bounty of squeakytoys and chewy treats, so was determined to bring it home with her. It took afew minutes to convince the manager that I had not trained my silly lookingmastiff to steal wrapping paper and that she just liked the colours.

We made it back home with a pile of droolmangled Christmas rolls, a shiny book catalogue and a renewed joy of theholiday season. As I told Scharnelle—we got lost in the ideal of owning stuffinstead of celebrating life and the treat of discovering other minds.  I am looking forward to some good readingthis silly season.

I also think the marigolds will look greatin my new wreath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



The four novels that Katri Cardew has written this year can be found on Amazon.  Three are a series of novels called the Vampiris Sancti.  She has also written Not Really Mr Smith which Jera’s Jamboree will have the pleasure of reviewing in the near future.

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 310 KB
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Breedles Publishing; 1 edition (13 Nov 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B0067FZB0G

When a strange accident had the family lawyer suspicious, James Geraghty was brought in as a replacement bodyguard for the heiress Aden Barrington. What he didn’t expect was that the job not only entailed him being renamed and joining her menagerie of staff but that she would drag him all over the countryside while she drew trees.

The association with James causes Aden to withdraw from her fantasy world to face the realities of life, except that hers consists of a cousin who might have organised her removal. James finds himself struggling to keep Aden safe while coping with her strange and deadly family. He would be far more confident if her eyes weren’t the colour of honey and her hair a halo of sunshine. James discovered he got much more than he bargained for when he accepted the job of being Mr. Smith because falling in love wasn’t part of the job description.





You can find Katri on her blog or tweet her.  She also has a Facebook page.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~




RafflecopterSettings = { raffleID: ‘Y2M2Zjk0Y2YwZGE3ZjZlNzVmZGUxZDc5MGIxNWY4OjQ=’};<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

Book giveaway with author Shalini Boland

Today Jera’s Jamboree would like to introduce to you a local author.  Yes, Shalini Boland also lives in Bournemouth! and she is a self-published author.




Shalini says ‘Books and music are my passion and I’ve always been a writer in some shape or form. Before children, I was signed to Universal Music as a singer songwriter. I had the opportunity to collaborate with some amazing musicians and songwriters and was lucky enough to sing with Basement Jaxx on their album Rooty and live on stage. But that all seems like several lifetimes ago.

Now I combine motherhood with writing Teen Fiction. I write the kinds of books I love to read – gripping young adult adventures with a spattering of horror and a sprinkling of romance.’





Shalini has kindly offered a giveaway of Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series) to readers of Jera’s Jamboree.  Read on to find out more about Hidden and watch the mini book trailer.  The giveaway is for a signed paperback copy (UK readers) and an e-copy (International readers).


You can find out more about Shalini on her blog, on Facebook and she also Tweets.

Paperback: 414 pages

  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1461012287
  • ISBN-13: 978-1461012283

Format: Kindle Edition

  • File Size: 695 KB
  • Print Length: 415 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1461012287
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B004SCS738





HIDDEN is a paranormal romance that spans the centuries from modern London to 19th century Paris and ancient Cappadocia.


Sixteen-year-old Madison Greene is in foster care until one day she inherits a fortune, she inherits a house, she inherits a cellar full of danger.


Eighteen-year-old Alexandre lives in 19th century Paris. On an archaeological expedition he discovers a lost underground city where his life changes forever.


For each of them, life is finally starting. Little do they know it is closer to ending. Something lies buried which should have been forgotten. A Pandora’s Box that was meant to stay shut. But Madison and Alexandre have never been any good at following the rules. They are about to find everything they’ve ever desired and everything that could destroy them. 


Falling in love has never been so dangerous.




Hidden has sixteen 5* reviews and one 4* review on Amazon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



RafflecopterSettings = { raffleID: ‘Y2M2Zjk0Y2YwZGE3ZjZlNzVmZGUxZDc5MGIxNWY4OjM=’};<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

Guest post and giveaway Daniela Sacerdoti

  • Today, Jera’s Jamboree has great pleasure in hosting author Daniela Sacerdoti.



In celebration of publication of debut novel Watch Over Me, Daniela is sharing with readers the inspiration behind her characters … also, her publishers Black and White Publishing are offering two lucky readers the chance to win a paperback copy!


First, I am going to share with you more information about Watch Over Me:


Paperback: 256 pages

  • Publisher: Black & White Publishing (17 Nov 2011)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1845023668
  • ISBN-13: 978-1845023669







Eilidh Lawson’s life has just been turned upside down. Her marriage is ending and she’s lost her much longed-for baby. Mentally and physically exhausted, she’s not sure what to do but feels oddly compelled to return to Glen Avich, a small village in the Scottish Highlands, where her family has lived for generations. Here, she meets her best friend from childhood, Jamie McAnena, who is raising his daughter alone. Following the death of his mother, Elizabeth, Jamie has resigned himself to being a family of two, closing himself off and devoting his life to his daughter, Maisie. What none of them can know is that it is Elizabeth who has called Eilidh back to Glen Avich. Though dead for three years, she has not been able to leave Jamie behind in his lost and lonely state. Now, she starts working behind the scenes for Jamie and Eilidh to get close again, but both are scared of repeating the past and Elizabeth’s influence can only reach so far. An ethereal tale narrated from several different perspectives, Watch Over Me is a beautifully written debut novel. It is a poignant yet subtle story about letting go and moving on – with a little bit of help from beyond the grave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I asked Daniela ‘How did your characters grow and take on a life of their own?’  


I suppose it’s quite a cliché to say that the inspirationfor Watch Over Me came from a dream, as it sounds very Stephenie Meyer! But inthis case, it’s true, at least for the character Elizabeth. It was a dream Ihad in extraordinary detail: I was kneeling on a wooden floor in a statelyhome, and from the window I could see green fields and a few trees. I waswearing a brown skirt, and those flesh-coloured tights that were fashionable inthe seventies, which made me feel I was sort of back in time. I knew, in the way you ‘know’ in dreams,that I was in the Highlands of Scotland, that there was an older couple in theroom, a lord and a lady, and that my name was Elizabeth. The snapshot finishedwith a little blond boy running in my arms, and me holding him tight. I woke upwith a sense of loss, and nostalgia, and profoundly touched. That’s when thecharacter of Elizabeth was born, and of course, her son, the little blond boy –grown up to become dark-haired Jamie. I’ve often wondered since then what thatdream meant – I know it was probably some reworking of a scene I’d seen, orsome story I’d heard – but it made me once again wonder if it actually was amemory of somebody else’s life drifting in my consciousness somehow, like amessage; or a memory of a past life of mine. I suppose I’ll never know, but Ican still see that dream so clearly, as if I’d had it yesterday.

As for Eilidh, well, Eilidh was born around a kernel ofme; and then she became herself, individual and very much her own person. Thekernel is my own search for a home, that just like Eilidh’s ended in Scotland. Hertwo themes – exile, and longing for a family, are certainly the main componentsof my own identity. Aside from this, though, Eilidh has a life of her own, anda history of her own: finding out all about her, her job, her best friends, hertastes in food, the way she has a little bit of a temper under that sweetexterior…was so easy, so natural. Like she was telling me. When I was writing the book, Eilidh was like a sisterto me, so present in my head and in my heart that when I finished the book Iwas quite bereaved, having to say goodbye.

And then, there’s Jamie. But how Jamie came to be, and whohe is, and what he means to me…it’s a secret. If you really, really want toknow, read the dedication – and then keep the secret for me.

Thank you Daniela.  I’m intrigued and can’t wait to read Watch Over Me :)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can read the first three chapters of Watch Over Me here.


Daniela’s publisher says ‘it’s a great Christmas read’ so if you’re looking for that Christmas gift, buy your copy now in plenty of time! 


To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions below. Daniela will be choosing her two favourite answers.  The giveaway is open to residents in Europe and will receive their copy via the publisher. 





RafflecopterSettings = { raffleID: ‘Y2M2Zjk0Y2YwZGE3ZjZlNzVmZGUxZDc5MGIxNWY4OjI=’};<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

Celebrating 50 blog followers …

Yes it’s true!  Earlier this month I hit a landmark.  It’s a landmark to me because 50 seemed a very long way off when I started blogging my book reviews in February! I had no idea I would have so much fun and meet such fabulous people.



To say thank you for your continued support I have a giveaway… 

The lovely publishers over at Choc Lit are giving one lucky blog follower the PICK from any of the books they’ve published!  Yes, you did read that correctly … it’s your choice!




If you haven’t heard of Choc Lit (where have you been?!?!) they are an independent publisher creating a delicious selection of fiction.  I haven’t been disappointed by any of their authors I’ve read.  They’ve published contemporary, historical and fantasy genres … with a few thrillers coming soon. 

What do you have to do to be the lucky person? Leave me a comment stating which book you are choosing and why. 






Entries are for UK residents only.  Closing date is Friday 30th September at midnight after which time I will get a member of my family to choose the winner.  ONLY leave your email address if I am unable to contact you through Google Account/Twitter/Facebook.  I’ll notify Choc Lit so they can get the book posted out to you.


Good Luck :)