📖 Blog Tour ~ Under a Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft (Giveaway)

 

Avon Books
9 May 2024
Skye Sisters Trilogy #1

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

A chance encounter is about to change everything for Thea Wynter.

The moment she arrived on the Isle of Skye, life changed for Thea. Running from a succession of wrong turns, she comes to the island in search of blue sea, endless skies, and mountains that make the heart soar. Here, she feels at peace.

As head gardener at Rothach Hall, life is exactly how she wants it, with her days spent working in the glorious clifftop garden and her evenings in the cosy local village.

But an encounter with a stranger from the mainland brings with it an unexpected turn – and only time will tell if he is friend or foe.

It seems that even on Skye, life can catch up with you, and Thea is soon faced with the past she left behind – and with it, the family she’s never met...

📖 My Review..

They say that books come along at the right time and just when I was feeling decidedly under the weather with a nasty bout of Covid, along comes Under a Summer Skye to instantly lift my spirits.

Life hasn’t always been easy for Thea Wynter but for the last nine years she has managed to make a comfortable life for herself as head gardener at the Rothach estate on the beautiful Isle of Skye. When a handsome stranger turns up looking for seasonal work, Thea is little prepared for the effect Deveron Downie’s arrival will have on her life going forward which will see Thea having to make some life changing decisions. Under A Summer Skye is such a wonderful story that I was quite entranced by Rothach Hall, which is described so beautifully, and in such glorious detail, by the characters who really come alive and shine on the page, and by the way the story wrapped itself around me like a comfort blanket. 

As this is the first book in a trilogy there’s a definite sense of more to come and I especially enjoyed meeting Thea’s two sisters especially Ezzie who I hope we’ll get to know better next time and also Valentina who seems the more serious of the sisters. The story touches on some sensitive issues, namely the rise of social media influencers and their often malign contributions to society and also the emotional minefield of adoption. There’s also, at its heart, a beautiful love story which made turning the pages an absolute pleasure, a delightful dog called Daisy and the stunning Isle of Skye which is described in glorious detail.

I can’t wait to meet up again with the Skye Sisters in the near future.

About the Author

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author, and her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada and Italy. She writes two books a year for publishing giant HarperCollins and has won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, a HOLT Medallion and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

GIVEAWAY PRIZE

Giveaway to Win a Signed copy of Under A Summer Skye, plus Sue Moorcroft Pen and Bookmarks (Open to UK Only)

RAFFLECOPTER

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

Social Media Links 

Amazon page: Sue Moorcroft

Audible page: Sue Moorcroft

Website: www.suemoorcroft.com

Twitter: @SueMoorcroft

Instagram: @SueMoorcroftAuthor

Linked in: Sue Moorcroft

Link Tree: linktr.ee/SueMoorcroft

Bookbub: SueMoorcroft1

📖 Blog Tour ~ Ascent by Cathie Dunn (Giveaway)

8 April 2023

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book 
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the tour.

A brutal Viking raid heralds the dawn of a new, powerful dynasty – the House of Normandy

Neustria, Kingdom of the West Franks

AD 890

Fourteen-year-old Poppa’s life changes when Northmen land near Bayeux. Count Bérengar, her father, submits to them, and she is handfasted to Hrólfr, the Northmen’s heathen leader, as part of their agreement.

To her relief, Hrólfr leaves immediately in search of further conquest, only returning to claim her years later. In the face of retaliating Franks, they flee to East Anglia, where she gives birth to their son and daughter.

When Hrólfr and Poppa return to reclaim Bayeux, his new campaign strikes at the heart of Frankish power, and King Charles of the West Franks offers him a pact he cannot refuse. In exchange for vast tracts of land in Neustria, Hrólfr must convert to Christianity and accept marriage to Gisela, the king’s illegitimate daughter.

Poppa’s world shatters. She remains in Bayeux, with her daughter, Adela. When Gisela arrives one day, demanding she hand over Adela, to be raised in Rouen, Poppa’s patience is at an end. But Gisela makes for a dangerous enemy, and only one woman will survive their confrontation high up on the cliffs.

Will Poppa live to witness the dawn of a new era?

📖 My Review...

Travelling back to the dark days in the latter part of the first millennium takes us right into the heart of Nuestria in the ancient kingdom of the West Franks. There we meet with Hrólfr, the heathen leader of the Northmen, who dares to infiltrate the peace of Bayeux where he lays claim to the town as his own.  Hrólfr strengthens this uneasy relationship with a handfasted marriage to Poppa of Bayeux, the young and spirited daughter of Count Bérengar, which adds to the sense of destiny in these early days of the House of Normandy.

Ascent is a well written historical saga which brings to life the uncertainty and danger of living in a time when it was all too easy to get caught up in violence. Back to a time when danger lurked on every corner and brave, and strong, fighting men were constantly having to protect their hearth, and homes, from marauders who wished them harm. 

Throughout the story there’s a real sense of history and even though the story moves forward through time quite quickly it never felt rushed or lacking in detail. I enjoyed getting to know more about Poppa of Bayeux who was a real historical figure and uniquely instrumental in forging the House of Normandy. Poppa’s relationship with Hrólfr was not without its challenges and this fictional account of their time together helps to put history into context whilst allowing a sympathetic love story to emerge.

Ascent is the first book in a proposed series about the forgotten women of early history who helped to shape the foundations of the House of Normandy for the coming millennium.

About the Author

Cathie Dunn is an award-winning author of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. The focus of her historical fiction novels is on strong women through time.

Cathie has been writing for over twenty years. She studied Creative Writing online, with a focus on novel writing, which she also taught in the south of France. She loves researching for her novels, delving into history books, and visiting castles and historic sites. A voracious reader, primarily of historical fiction / romance, she often reviews books on her blog, Ruins & Reading.

Cathie is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Richard III Society, and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

After many years in Scotland, Cathie now lives in south of France with her husband, and rescued Charlie Cat and Ellie Dog. 

*Giveaway to win a  signed copy of Ascent (Open INT)*

Rafflecopter Entry

*Terms and Conditions– Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

Twitter @cathiedunn #Ascent

Website Facebook Amazon

Ruins and Reading Facebook Group

Pinterest  Goodreads

@rararesources

📖 Blog Tour ~ Hidden in the Mists by Christina Courtenay ( and Giveaway)

Headline
18 August 2022

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

A love forged in fire lives on through the ages . . .

Skye Logan has been struggling to run her remote farm on Scotland's west coast alone ever since her marriage fell apart. When a handsome stranger turns up looking for work, it seems that her wish for help has been granted.

Rafe Carlisle is searching for peace and somewhere he can forget about the last few years. But echoes of the distant past won't leave Skye and Rafe alone, and they begin to experience vivid dreams which appear to be linked to the Viking jewellery they each wear.

It seems that the ghosts of the past have secrets . . . and they have something that they want Skye and Rafe to know.

📖 My Review..

Through the mists of time comes a dual time story which takes us from an isolated croft in Scotland where Skye Logan in struggling to maintain the farm where she and her husband once hoped to build a future together and then further back in time to a ninth century Viking settlement where Ásta Thorfinnsdóttir is left alone following the death of her father.

Both time elements blend seamlessly with no awkward moments which detract from the beauty of the story. Travelling back in time to a Viking settlement is done with fine attention to detail, bringing everything to life in an authentic way. It's difficult for us to imagine what it was like in ninth century Scotland but all credit to this talented writer for giving us a special glimpse into life in a Viking settlement and a sense of what it might have been like to sit at table in the hall surrounded by the sights, sounds and dangerous atmosphere of this ancient world. Equally, I was just as comfortable in present day Auchenbeag as Skye tends her smallholding with enthusiasm and passion, and as someone who loves yarn, I was especially interested in the author's intricate descriptions of dying the yarn from Skye's small flock of sheep, blending natural dyes from plants found in the woodland around Skye's house.

Linked by gold, the secrets of the past are revealed, and as Skye and Ásta's lives intertwine so the elements of the past and present come to life as we follow in the footsteps of these two indomitable women, and of the men who fall in love with them.

Best read with...a sip or two of mead

About the Author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden–hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan(2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes.Hidden inthe Mists (timeslip/dual time romance published by Headline Review 18th August 2022) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety)

Twitter @PiaCCourtenay #HiddenintheMists

Website Facebook Instagram

Amazon UK

@headlinepg

@rararesources

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Hidden in the Mists, Viking tea-towel and Viking carved butter knife (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions– Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

To enter use the Rafflecopter Link

📖 Blog Tour ~ Daughters of Paris by Elisabeth Hobbes (and Giveaway)

 

One More Chapter
4 August

My thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the tour

A promise that binds them together. A war that pulls them apart.

Childhood companions Fleur and Colette make a vow, under the trailing ivy of their secret garden, that they will be secret sisters forever. But as they grow up, the promises of childhood are put to the ultimate test. For Colette is the daughter of the house, and her life is all jazz clubs, silk dresses and chilled champagne, while Fleur is the orphan niece of the housekeeper and doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere.

Years later, in 1939, life as they know it will never be the same. As the German tanks roll in and Paris becomes an occupied city, the promise they made as children will have consequences they could never have imagined.

📖 My Review

Whilst Colette Nadon and Fleur Bonnivard grow up in the same household in Paris their lives couldn't be more different. Colette, the daughter of the house is spoiled and pampered, whilst Fleur, being the orphaned niece of the housekeeper, is more used to life below stairs. However, despite their different social standing the girls become friends, playing games and sharing secrets that is until, Colette leaves for England leaving Fleur to create a new life for herself. 

Years later as Europe is on the cusp on war and with the German occupation of Paris not far away, Colette returns, hugging her secrets close. Fleur and Colette soon realise that their secure way of life has disappeared and living in an occupied city has many challenges and hidden dangers. With their own individual problems to work through the women discover that there is an ever present need for watchfulness.The lack of food is a constant problem and yet, both women rise above the challenges and do what they can for the war effort. Both Fleur and Colette are strong characters, with distinct personalities, and observing them grow and develop over the course of the story is what makes this such an enjoyable read.

Daughters of Paris is well written historical fiction which looks at the challenge of the lives of women during the German occupation of Paris. 

📖 Best read with.. a hot tisane of lemon verbena

About the Author

Elisabeth began writing in secret, but when she came third in Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest in 2013, she was offered a two-book contract, and consequently had to admit why the house was such a tip. Elisabeth’s historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon and One More Chapter span the Middle Ages to the Second World War and have been Amazon bestsellers and award shortlisted

Elisabeth is a primary school teacher but she’d rather be writing full time because unlike five-year-olds, her characters generally do what she tells them. When she isn’t writing, she spends most of her spare time reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book.

She was born and raised in York but now lives in Cheshire because her car broke down there in 1999 and she never left.

Twitter @ElisabethHobbes #DaughtersOfParis

Amazon UK

Facebook

Bookbub

@rararesources

Giveaway to win a signed copy of Daughters of Paris by Elisabeth J Hobbes ( UK only)

*Terms and Conditions–UK entries welcome.Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.Any personald ata given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

Enter via this Rafflecopter Link

📖 Blog Tour and Giveaway ~ The Italian Job by Kathryn Freeman

 

Dream job. Dream house. Fake fiancé.

A year in a gorgeous Italian castle...

When Anna Roberts’ life implodes, an online search leads her to an ad for the ultimate dream job–management of a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como,accommodation included. The only catch? Anna can’t do it alone......

With the last man on earth she’d choose!

The castle owners will only accept a couple as caretakers, which means Anna needs a man on her arm at the interview. Enter her neighbour, Jake Tucker.Though Anna and Jake have never seen eye-to-eye, Jake’s had a rough few years and an escape to Italy sounds ideal. Yet, when they get the job and jet off, Anna and Jake face an unexpected challenge. Pretending to be a couple is difficult ... but pretending the tension simmering between them doesn’t exist is quickly proving impossible.

📖 My Review...

Anna Roberts has been dreadfully hurt by the ending of a relationship and desperately needs a new start where she can begin to get her life back together again. When she sees her dream job advertised working in a beautiful Italian Castle, on Lake Como, it seems perfect, the only stumbling block is that the job requires a couple to take on the housekeeping and maintenance duties. 

Newly single, Anna makes the momentous decision to invite her exasperating neighbour, Jake Tucker to be her pretend partner in this venture and whilst Jake has his own very personal reasons for taking a chance with this new start he doesn't bargain on how difficult it will be to continue the pretense of a relationship with Anna. Enemies to Lovers is a familiar trope in romantic fiction and The Italian Job certainly makes this into an interesting journey for both Anna and Jake who continue to spar with each other so much that people begin to wonder if they really are a couple at all. 

The setting of the story in Italy is idyllic and the perfect place to escape to in this wonderfully romantic story which ticked all the right boxes for me. A will they, won't they couple who each have had their share of difficulties, and yet they continue to strive to do better. Beautifully written, as always, by an author who never fails to get the balance right in any of her wonderful stories.

Tender romance, sizzling passion and everlasting love come together in a perfectly wonderful romantic adventure.

🍷Best read with.. a glass of red, rich Barolo.

About the Author

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to write a book. It may have had something to do with my obsession with reading romance. Real life interfered and I headed off in a different direction–into the world of science, becoming a pharmacist before joining the pharmaceutical industry. I did end up writing, but it was about disease and medicines. Decades later, I’m finally doing what I always wanted to do.With a husband who asks every Valentine's Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does),all the romance in my life is in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers-and heroes come in many disguises.

Twitter @KathrynFreeman1

@0neMoreChapter

Website Facebook

Purchase Page

@Rararesources

Giveaway to Win a Paperback copy of The Italian Job by Kathryn Freeman (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions–Worldwide entries welcome.

Please enter using this Rafflecopter link 

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

📖 Blog Tour ~ Daughter of the Sea by Elisabeth J Hobbes ( Giveaway)

 

Thrilled to join in with the blog tour today

One More Chapter
20 December 2021

My thanks to the publishers and to Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

On a windswept British coastline the tide deposits an unexpected gift…

It was the cry that she first noticed, the plaintive wail that called to her over the crash of winter waves. Wrapped only in a sealskin, the baby girl looks up at Effie and instantly captures her heart. She meant only to temporarily foster the young orphan but when news reaches Effie that her husband has been lost at sea, and months pass without anyone claiming the infant, she embraces her new family – her son Jack and her adopted daughter Morna.

Effie has always been an outcast in her village, the only granddaughter of a woman people whisper is a witch, so she’s used to a solitary existence. But when Midsummer arrives so too does a man claiming to be Morna’s father. There’s no denying Lachlan is the girl’s kin and so Effie is surprised when he asks her to continue looking after his daughter, mysteriously refusing to explain why. She agrees, but when he returns six months hence she pushes him for answers. And Lachlan tells a story she never anticipated … one of selkies, legend, and the power of the sea...

📖 My Review..

When Effie discovers a tiny baby floating in the sea, it changes her life forever, for even though Effie only means to foster the child alongside her own son no-one in the small Yorkshire fishing village comes forward to claim the tiny girl.  Effie takes the baby into her heart, generously sharing her life in the small cottage above the sea, soon becoming fiercely protective of both her children. 

This is a lovely, light romance which caught my attention from the start. Daughter of the Sea moves effortlessly carrying the essence of the story with a lovely light touch, flickering into and out of a fantasy world of legend, myth and folklore which is so often caught up in the stories of mysterious folk from the sea. I enjoyed Effie's dilemma as she learns more about Morna and also discovers the secrets of the mysteriously handsome man who turns up on Midsummer Eve and who steals his way into her heart changing her life forever. It's charmingly written with an authenticity which brings this sleepy Yorkshire village alive especially as its people are slightly mistrustful of anything out of the ordinary, and who judge Effie for being a widow with strong opinions. 

The story takes us on a lovely journey of discovery especially when Effie discovers the true nature of the tiny girl she calls Morna. Heartfelt, emotional and unashamedly romantic, reading Daughter of the Sea is just what I needed to take me out of the lull after Christmas.

Best read with ...a glass of sloe gin and fish, fresh from the sea...

**Giveaway – Win a signed copy of Daughter of the Sea (UK Only) **

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

Rafflecopter Entry

About the Author

Elisabeth’s writing career began when she finished in third place in Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest in 2013. She was offered a two-book contract and consequently had to admit secret writing was why the house was such a tip. She is the author of numerous historical romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon covering the Medieval period to Victorian England, and a Second World War romantic historical with One More Chapter. She lives in Cheshire because the car broke down there in 1999 and she never left.

 Twitter @ElisabethHobbes

Facebook

BookBub

Amazon 

 

📖 Blog Tour ~ Tempted by the Runes by Christina Courtenay ( and Giveaway)

 

  Delighted to host one of the stops on this blog tour

Headline Review
9 December 2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

Born centuries apart. Bound by a love that defied time.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. The runes were normally so reliable and she had never doubted them before.

Madison Berger is visiting Dublin with her family for a Viking re-enactment festival, when she chances upon a small knife embedded in the banks of the Liffey. Maddie recognises what the runes on the knife’s handle signify: the chance to have her own adventures in the past.

Maddie only intends to travel back in time briefly, but a skirmish in 9th century Dublin results in her waking up on a ship bound for Iceland, with the man who saved her from attack.

Geir Eskilsson has left his family in Sweden to boldly carve out a life of his own. He is immediately drawn to Maddie, but when he learns of her connection to his sisters-in-law, he begins to believe that Fate has played a part in bringing them together. Amidst the perils that await on their journey to a new land, the truest battle will be to win Maddie’s heart and convince her that the runes never lie.

📖 My thoughts..

I often think that if I were able to time travel I would make sure that I had all the skills necessary to survive and that's just what happens when Maddie Berger, no stranger to Viking re-enactments, finds herself transported back to 9th Century Dublin, where her skill in martial arts comes in useful when she threatened by a group of rough individuals. The story takes on an interesting twist when Maddie awakens on board a Viking ship bound for Iceland and a new life as settler.

Set against a harsh landscape this exciting Viking adventure takes us right into the heart of a new world. A place where cold and ice exist and where, after a day of work, the prospect of a warm soak in a sulfur infused geyser is the height of luxury. It must be said that that Maddie adjusts to this life of hardship really well, all of which is heightened by her growing friendship with the handsome Viking leader, Geir Eskilsson, whose  tender strength is particularly attractive to this modern day Valkyrie.

Tempted by the Runes is such a pleasure to read. I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Maddie, Geir and the rest of the settlers as they learn to live in their new surroundings and start to gel as a community. Maddie's burgeoning attraction to the handsome, and charismatic leader, is beautifully imagined, and even though there's an instant chemistry between her and Geir, their relationship, as we discover, is far from guaranteed. And that's where the joy of the story lies, in getting to know these wonderful characters, and experiencing all the joy and heartbreak of living in 9th Century Iceland.

This is now the third book in the series of time travel novels which take us back to the time of the Vikings and whilst they can each be read as standalone stories there is some overlap of characters which helps to keep a lovely sense of continuity amongst these fascinating time travellers. All the stories are beautifully written and meticulously researched and Tempted by the Runes certainly keeps the spirit of these lovely stories alive with this deliciously, romantic tale. 

About the Author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014), and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. Tempted by the Runes (time travel published by Headline 9th December 2021) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

Website

Facebook

Twitter @PiaCourtenay #TemptedByTheRunes

Instagram

@headlinepg

@Rararesources

**GIVEAWAY**

Giveaway to Win a signed paperback copy of Tempted By The Runes, a pair of silver Thor's hammer earrings and a Thor's hammer Christmas tree bauble (Open INT)

Terms and Conditions–UK entries welcome.Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used for fulfillment of this prize, after which Rachel's Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch of delivery of this prize.

RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY

📖 Book Tour ~ A Simple Wish by Rosie Goodwin (#Giveaway)

 

Bonnier
28 October 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and the invitation to the blog tour

1885.

Ruby Carter works hard in her parents' bakery. Whilst life isn't easy, she's happy enough - her gentle mother protects young Ruby from her cruel father and loves her unconditionally. So, when her mother falls seriously ill, Ruby is heartbroken. Then, from her deathbed, her mother reveals that Ruby was adopted.

Stricken by grief and alone with the violent man she called her father, Ruby feels she has no choice but to flee. At just fifteen, homeless and alone she is relieved when a kindly stranger named Mrs Bamber takes pity on poor Ruby and welcomes her into her home.

But soon, Ruby learns Mrs Bamber is not as generous as she first seemed - she forces Ruby into a life of crime as a jewel thief in Birmingham's jewellery quarter. With nothing to her name and nowhere to go Ruby has no choice but to go along with it, despite the guilt and shame she feels. But Ruby is determined that she will atone for what she's done, and be reunited with her birth parents.

Ruby's only wish is to find her family.

 📖 My thoughts..

Ruby Carter's young life hasn't got off to the best of starts and when her mother dies a devastating secret is revealed which spirals Ruby's life out of control. Rescued by a woman who, on the surface, seems to have a good heart, it soon becomes obvious that the enigmatic Mrs Bamber wants Ruby for something quite sinister.

What then follows is a lovely rags-to-riches story in which we see young Ruby battle against everything life threw at her and even though her good nature and enthusiasm will be tested to the absolute limit of her endurance what shines throughout is Ruby's simple wish to discover more about her origins.

Beautifully written with all the trademark characteristics which are so reminiscent of this author's popular writing we once again have a story which wrings out every last drop of emotion to leave us wanting only good things for Ruby and also for those who care for her. Bringing the dark side of Victorian Birmingham to life, from the wealthy drawing rooms of the rich, to downright creepy asylums, there is never a moment when the story doesn't draw you into Ruby's world. I especially enjoyed the references to jewellery making and wished I could have seen some of Ruby's clever designs for myself.

I've now read several of this author's heartwarming historical sagas and I think A Simple Wish is one of my favourites.

A Simple Wish is published by Zaffre, in hardback, ebook and audio and is available to buy from all good book retailers.

About the Author

Rosie Goodwin is the million copy bestselling author of more than thirty novels. She is the first author in the world to be allowed to follow three of Catherine Cookson's trilogies with her own sequels. Having worked in the social services sector for many years, then fostered a number of children, she is now a full-time novelist. She is one of the top 50 most borrowed authors from UK libraries. Rosie lives in Nuneaton, the setting for many of her books, with her husband and their beloved dogs.

Website

Twitter @RosieGoodwin #ASimpleWish

@ZaffreBooks

To enter the special Christmas giveaway visit 

The Memory Lane Book Group on 26th November on Facebook

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Secrets of Hawthorn Place by Jenni Keer (and Giveaway)

 

Thrilled to be joining in with today's blog tour

Headline Accent
14 October 2021

My thanks to Boldwood Books for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for my invitation to the blog tour

Love will always find a way… Discover the intriguing secrets of Hawthorn Place in this heartfelt dual-time novel, filled with warmth and charm, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley and Cecelia Ahern.

Two houses, hundreds of miles apart...yet connected always.

When life throws Molly Butterfield a curveball, she decides to spend some time with her recently widowed granddad, Wally, at Hawthorn Place, his quirky Victorian house on the Dorset coast.

But cosseted Molly struggles to look after herself, never mind her grieving granddad, until the accidental discovery of an identical Art and Crafts house on the Norfolk coast offers her an unexpected purpose, as well as revealing a bewildering mystery.

Discovering that both Hawthorn Place and Acacia House were designed by architect Percy Gladwell, Molly uncovers the secret of a love which linked them, so powerful it defied reason.

What follows is a summer which will change Molly for ever..

📖 My Thoughts..

With her life in disarray, Mollie Butterfield has to make some important life choices and spending time with her elderly grandfather at his home, Hawthorn Place, is part of the plan to get her disordered life back on track. Hawthorn Place is unusual and in many ways its quirks and foibles are very much part of this heartwarming story which looks at how the magic, and mystery, of the house pull together to make Molly's life all the more meaningful.

This fascinating dual time story has an interesting twist so that it becomes a story not just about what is happening to Molly as she discovers the secret nature of Hawthorn Place but also where she learns far more about herself in the process. The slipping back through time is done really cleverly and the first time it happened it took me completely by surprise so much so I had to back track a little to get the sequence settled but once I understood the quirky nature of the time travel element I began to enjoy both aspects of the story. Running alongside Molly's unique story in the present is the story of architect, Percy Gladwell, and his client, Violet Marston, whose lives in the late eighteenth century also form an integral part to this lovely story.

Imaginatively written, with clever characterisation, The Secrets of Hawthorn Place is a lovely story about the undeniable power of love, both past and present.

About The Author

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the S

Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing commercial women's fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere, with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

Jenni is also the author of The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker and The Unexpected Life of Maisie Meadows.

**Giveaway**  

 Win a Signed copy of the Secrets of Hawthorn Place, plus chocolate and a sparkly pen.(UK Only)

Enter via Rafflecopter here

Terms and Conditions–UK entries welcome.Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used for fulfillment of this prize, after which Rachel's Random Resources will delete the data. I am bor responsible for dispatch of delivery of this prize.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Her Previous Self by Anne Allen (GIVEAWAY)

  

Delighted to be hosting a stop on the final day of this blog tour

Sarnia Press
2 August 2021
My thanks to the author for my copy of this book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to the blog tour

Two women, living two hundred years apart but closer than sisters.

Mary, miserable in her marriage to Thomas Carre, a merchant and privateer and living in the newly built family mansion in Georgian Guernsey.

Lucy, separated from her husband after a tragic loss and now acting as an unwilling sitter for her elderly grandfather, Gregory Carre, who has inherited the same mansion.

Lucy is haunted by Mary’s continued presence in the house and finds herself being pulled more and more back in time. How is it possible for her to live as Mary? To experience scenes from her tragic life? Lucy is forced to come to terms with Mary’s grief as well as her own.

The more enmeshed she becomes the more anxious Lucy is to discover the truth. Why is Mary still restless? What caused her mysterious disappearance two hundred years ago?

And can Lucy move on from her own loss to find happiness again?

My thoughts..

Lucy Stewart has been asked keep her elderly grandfather company while her parents are on an extended holiday. Lucy is hoping that recuperative time spent on the sheltered island of Guernsey will give her the space she needs to come to terms with a sense of loss after a devastating tragedy shattered her life into pieces. 

Picking up on the faded grandeur of Carreville, her grandfather's Georgian home, Lucy is inexplicably drawn towards the portrait of Mary Carre, a distant ancestor, who seems determined to tell her own emotional story through Lucy. Moving effortlessly between past and previous Her Previous Self shares just what happened to Mary Carre in the early nineteenth century, whilst at the same time allowing Lucy the opportunity to explore the fractured threads of her own life. 

Separated by centuries these strong, but emotionally adrift, women seem to recognize a kindred spirit and all credit to the author for bringing such a strong sense of history into the time slip element. All too often in time slip stories one time period seems to dominate but not so with this as I felt equally at home with Mary Carre, in 1800, as she struggles with an unhappy marriage, as I did in 2013 with Lucy's own search for happiness.

The soothing atmosphere of the wonderful island of Guernsey takes centre stage and it's been so lovely to return to the island in this eighth book in the series. As always the author brings the place, and its people so beautifully alive, it's  just as if you are revisiting old friends, who you haven't seen for a while but in whose company you feel comfortable, and at ease.

Beautifully written, Her Previous Self is a worthy addition to this lovely series and even though it can be read as a standalone story, it would be best to start the series at the beginning in order to enjoy this talented writer's wonderful storytelling. Let the enjoyment of The Guernsey Novels sweep you away to this beautiful island - you won't be disappointed.

About the Author

Anne Allen lives in Devon but originates from Rugby. Finding early on in life that she loved the sea she spent most of her adult years moving from one coast to another. Her happiest time was spent in Guernsey where she lived for nearly 14 years and her books are all set on that beautiful island. Until recently Anne was a psychotherapist but has now retired to write full time. So far she has published Dangerous Waters, Finding Mother, Guernsey Retreat, The Family Divided, Echoes of Time, The Betrayal, The Inheritance and Her Previous Self, forming the Guernsey Novels series. The books focus on love, mystery, drama and relationships. In her spare time she dabbles in art and very occasionally housework.

Twitter @AnneAllen21 #HerPreviousSelf

@Rararesources

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Amazon UK

**GIVEAWAY**

Win x 1 paperback copy Her Previous Self  (UK Winner) or ecopy for an international winner

Rafflecopter

*Terms and Conditions* 

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel's Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for dispatch of delivery of the prize.