Just Katherine

Chasing the Sun by Judy Leigh

About the Book:

Sun, Sangria and new starts, from the author of the bestselling Five French Hens.

Molly’s seventieth birthday comes as something of a shock. The woman in the mirror certainly looks every day of those seventy years, but inside Molly feels she still has so much more living left to do. Widowed and living alone with her cat Crumper, Molly fears she is slipping into a cliché of old age.
When Molly’s sister Nell appears on her doorstep, distraught that her husband of more than forty years, Phil, has left her for a younger lover, the women decide to seize the day. By the morning, flights are booked, bags are packed, and off they go for an adventure in Spain.
The sun, the sea, the new friends and the freedom are just the tonic for broken hearts and flagging souls. But even Spain isn’t enough to revive Molly’s spirit. A solo journey to Mexico is booked as Molly continues to chase the sun and to chase happiness. Will she find what she’s looking for in Mexico, or will she discover that true contentment can’t be found on a map, but it might just be found in a new flame.  
Judy Leigh is back, with her trademark spirit of joie de vivre, fun, warmth and timeless lessons in how to live.

Where to Buy:

http://amzn.to/2YM7DPf

About the Author:

Judy Leigh is the bestselling author of A Grand Old Time and The Age of Misadventure and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Contact Judy:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judyleighuk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyLeighWriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judyrleigh/
Newsletter Sign Up Link: https://mailchi.mp/354a1f3b9119/judyleighnewsletter
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judy-leigh

My Review:

After Heading over the Hill, Chasing the Sun is my second book by Judy Leigh.

Molly and Nell are half sisters. Molly is 70 and is not sure what to make of that at first but soon decides she will make the best of it. She still has lots of things she wants to do. She is a fun outgoing person and I liked how Judy Leigh portrayed her from the start.

Nell is more reserved than her sister. Having two different characters made me feel I knew I was going to enjoy this. The sisters end up in Spain as they leave their hometown of Yeovil in Somerset.

Judy Leigh uses lots of great imagery to show their journey. The fun ramps up a notch when Molly decides to “go it alone” in Mexico. Will Nell keep in contact with her?

Will either of them want to go home?

These were questions in my mind throughout the book. Fun, and some serious moments ensue as the half sisters have the trip of a lifetime.

Again, the Spanish theme in the plot gripped me and this is pure escapism. I just LOVE the cover.

Judy Leigh creates realistic and memorable characters and I did not want this novel to end. It is perfect for a dose of sun, fun love and fabulous food.

Thanks to Judy Leigh, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

DIY MFA Poetry Summit Review Plus My Poetry “Origin Story.”

I have done a few summit events by DIY MFA and also their 3-video course and reading challenge. Every single event has been so memorable, and DIY MFA is the go-to site I come back to for advice, resources and courses.

When I got an email announcing the poetry summit, I signed up straight away.

A big theme to start off each class is that of the “origin story,” or how you came to be interested in writing. I will include that specific origin story in another post, but for now here’s my poetry “origin story”.

When I was in the early years of Primary school (around the ages of 6 0r 7 and up for those of you who are not from the UK), I can remember that our usual teacher was away at one point and we had a substitute teacher called Mrs Wainwright. With her curly salt-and-pepper hair and kind, approachable manner, she soon became one of my favourite teachers.

She taught us poetry. I can remember feeling a lift inside my heart when it was reading time. I also recall that what I first enjoyed about the poetry genre was the rhythm of the words because, even though I didn’t understand all of them, it felt like music and was relaxing. I would try to look for the story in the words and was constantly curious as to what the poem was trying to say, and why the poet may have used specific words. I remember how the words of the poems would swim around in my head and intrigue me all day.

I decided to work on a poetry book for Camp NaNoWriMo some years ago because I wanted to represent myself in poetry, my life, my likes and dislikes as well as my feelings. At the time, I was part of Inked Voices online critique group and submitted some there. They did quite well there.

Since then, I have not gone back to poetry for lack of what to add to the project and also because of working on others, but now I have done the poetry summit by DIY MFA I am inspired to go back to my poetry as I have some topics I feel I could build a poem from.

The Poetry Summit included a video a day of around 45-50 minutes and there was one that was an hour long. I found this workload manageable compared to other summits.

There was a choice of what videos to sign up to during the signup process and as I love to learn and learn as much as possible, I signed up to them all. I was sent an email to say I was in and another with my schedule.

With other DIY MFA summits, I was able to view the videos directly via their website after signing up, but for this summit, I had to enter my email on the video page then check my email with the access link. The video then opened and loaded.

I have done another course with this layer of protection, but if you haven’t do not let this put you off. It’s a quick process, and nowadays with internet security going up, it is a good thing.

Once I was in, the fun could begin. Topics and speakers from the course were:

Reading, Writing and Building a Poetic Life by Kim Addonizio

Exploring Poetic Forms by Marilyn Singer

A Writer’s Journey. From Prose to Poetry by Kim Rogers

A Poet’s Eduction by Manuela Williams

A Deep Dive into Poetry by Danielle Mitchell

Imagery and Detail by Michael Torres

The Art of Teaching Poetry by Brendan Constantine

From Page to Stage by Marcus Omri

Can You Afford Not To? The Business of Writing Poetry by And I Thought Ladies

Building a Career as a Poet and Writer by Joseph Bruchac.

I thoroughly enjoyed them all. I loved Kim Addonizio’s enthusiasm, Marilyn Singer’s wit and Kim Rogers’ journey was fascinating. I gained a very good insight into Manuela Williams’ education as a poet and I identified with her love of libraries and books and still do. Danielle Mitchell’s deep dive was informative and she explained concepts well. I identified with her more difficult start because of the difficulties I experienced due to my physical disabilities.

Imagery and detail are something I love and include a lot in my writing projects so I identified with Michael Torres’ passion for this and gained an insight into the link between art forms (graffiti and poetry).

Brendan Constantine gave an interesting presentation class on teaching poetry.

From Page to Stage was insightful. I am a fan of books that reach the stage or cinema screen and have often wondered about the process so this showed me how to get there. This is what I would one day like for my books, for them to become a film or musical.

And I Thought Ladies were fun and realistic. I already do some of what they suggest as in use social media for sharing but was fascinated by the business side and indeed the clothing side.

Joseph Bruchac has a great story to tell and I enjoyed his and Kim Rogers’ mentions of indigenous culture within their lives and writing.

I would definitely recommend the Poetry Summit and liked it so much as it is a different approach to poetry, with author stories and anecdotes as well as a very good class from all the speakers.

Highly recommended whether you have experience with poetry or not.

The House of Hidden Secrets by C.E. Rose

About the Book:

The imposing gates of Ramsay Hall yawned open. As Serena and 4-year-old Lana walked up the long driveway, little did they know the dark secrets that lay within.
When Serena Green accepted the role of housekeeper for wealthy widower Hayden Ramsay, she never imagined her new home would be Ramsay Hall, an ancient, sprawling mansion in Northern England.
Serena quickly becomes an integral part of the household, making friends with Hayden’s younger son Hugh, despite Jack, his older brother’s, coldness towards her and Lana.
But the hall’s beautiful exterior hides many ugly secrets. Though Serena and Jack begin to grow closer, she’s confused by his behaviour around Lana. What is he guilty of? And is there more to their mother’s death than the Ramsay men will admit, even to themselves?
As the harrowing past of Ramsay Hall unravels, Serena fresh start becomes a fresh horror. She fears for her and Lana’s safety, but what are the bleak secrets in Serena’s own past?
This house is built on a lifetime of lies… and the truth might just bring the walls crashing down.
A twisty, gripping and utterly unputdownable new thriller that fans of Lisa Jewell, C.L. Taylor and Mark Edwards will love.

Where to Buy:

AMZ: https://amzn.to/3cWMXN4
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2MN190l
Apple: http://apple.co/3aIeP4I

About the Author:

Caroline England was born and brought up in Yorkshire and studied Law at the University of Manchester. She was a divorce and professional indemnity lawyer before leaving the law to bring up her three daughters and turning her hand to writing. Caroline is the author of The Wife’s Secret, previously called Beneath the Skin, and the top-ten ebook bestseller My Husband’s Lies. Betray Her is her third novel. She lives in Manchester with her family. The House of Hidden Secrets is the first title written under her pseudonym, CE Rose. To find out more about Caroline, visit her website http://www.carolineenglandauthor.co.uk or follow her on social media:

Twitter: @CazEnglandFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/CazEngland1 Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cazengland1

My Review:

The House of Hidden Secrets was twisty with great details about the characters and setting. I was surprised by the twists.

The opening to the book was an excellent place to start and got me hooked. The chapters, each one alternating in the point of view of a particular character, helped in getting to know the characters better.

Lana was a cute, curious 4 year old and I liked Serena and her drive to move her life forward and courage in accepting the job.

I think it was the atmospheric description of the house and surroundings, but at the beginning of the book I was kind of wary of Hayden. Would he be a nice person or a manipulative, grumpy widower?

I was curious about how Serena would get on with his son, Hugh and his brother Jack was not likeable at all. For me, this melting pot of clearly distinct characters, their interactions, quirks and personalities are what made this novel, as well as the excellent atmosphere.

It reminded me of a darker version of the Secret Garden because of the similarities with the house in northern England, the fact there was a small child in it and that the house had a lot of places to explore yet it was not gory.

It got me curious and gripped me, and I wanted to move through the story and uncover the secrets, twists and turns.

An excellent debut. I would love more books by C.E. Rose.

Thanks to C.E. Rose, Rachel’s Random Resources, Boldwood Books and Hera Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

Willow Weeps by Louise Worthington

About the Book:

A secret is a lie in the making.
A charming divorcee and his young daughter. The promise of a new life – together as a family, in an apartment in a historic building. A fresh start – or the key to a nightmare?
Who will Willow believe – a young offender, or the love of her life?
Page-turning and emotional, Willow Weeps is the gripping new thriller from the author of Rachel’s Garden and The Entrepreneur.

Where to Buy:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Willow-Weeps-secret-lie-making-ebook/dp/B08SQYQ3DF
US – https://www.amazon.com/Willow-Weeps-secret-lie-making-ebook/dp/B08SQYQ3DF

About the Author:

Born in Cheshire, England, Louise studied literature at the University of Essex. As a teenager she read until the small hours, enjoying the darker worlds conjured by Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier.
Louise is the author of the bestseller, Rachel’s Garden, another psychological thriller and Distorted Days which Kirkus Review described as ‘a formidable work.’ Her chilling blend of the lyrical and the dark is themost gripping in her thrillers and horror.
Website: https://louiseworthington.co.uk/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19741912.Louise_Worthington
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Louise-Worthington-105535434860475
Twitter: @louiseworthing9

My Review:

Willow Weeps is my first novel by Louise Worthington. It follows Willow as she lives without her sister Mandy who passed away in a house fire when they were little. I was gripped by it and it has a lot of twists and turns. I wanted more backstory to the characters and was curious about the events surrounding the fire and would have liked more explanation of that as it was somewhat vague.

Willow Weeps was creepy, but not so dark it put me off it. The suspense and sisterly bond are well explored and I felt that Willow really missed Mandy. I felt the mentions near the beginning as to how Mandy would “manifest” herself to Willow were subtle yet visual, imaginative and poignant as well as relevant to the story and that they fit well.

The atmosphere is sad and mysterious but also full of hope within the suspense of what may hapen as I felt that when Mandy was mentioned, she and Willow were closer together.

As someone who lost a sister, I think this resonated with me more. The plot is certainly original and I love the title. It automatically made me ask “why? why does Willow weep?” As with another book I enjoy where Willow is the name of a main character, Willow Weeps is a great play on the real name of the tree, weeping Willow and ties in well with the themes of grief, self-discovery, discovery of secrets and the bond between sisters.

A very well thought out thriller that kept me up at night.

Thanks to Louise Worthington, Rachel’s Random Resources and Red Escape Publishing for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

Staying Out for the Summer by Mandy Baggot

Staying Out For The Summer, Mandy Baggot
Publication date: 01/04/2021

About the Book:

After a summer of staying in, it’s time to let your hair down and escape to Greece!

For Lucie Burrows, it’s time to embrace Greek life and put the past behind her! Having spent the summer of 2020 battling a global health crisis, Lucie Burrows is looking forward to a summer out of lockdown.

When best friend, Gavin, finds them the perfect Greek escape Lucie finally starts to think this summer might just go without a hitch.But after a landslide puts the village into a local lockdown, Lucie is thrown together with Michalis Andino, the super sexy village doctor. It’s not quite the holiday she had planned, but things could certainly be worse.

As Lucie relaxes into the Greek way of life, she begins to wonder whether this lockdown might just end in a new life, a new love…

About the Author:

Mandy Baggot is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer. The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance, her romantic comedy novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy’s books have so far been translated into German, Italian, Czech and Hungarian. Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu, white wine, country music and handbags. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1’s Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Mandy is a member of the Society of Authors and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.

Follow Mandy:

Facebook: @mandybaggotauthor
Twitter: @mandybaggot
Instagram: @mandybaggot

My Review:

Staying Out for the Summer is escapism from the pandemic. Two nurses take a trip to Corfu. Mandy Baggot always creates such relaxing settings and the plot was fun and laid-back. The characters, Lucie and Gavin are fun and realistic.

Staying Out for the Summer is laugh-out-loud and true to life. A real escapist treat.

Great to review Mandy Baggot’s latest.

Thanks to Mandy Baggot and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

Where to Buy:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IlGbDt
Kobo: https://bit.ly/36R5TJy
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3gxtjXP
bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/36SETt8

Extract:

‘No one noticed, did they? No one, right?’
Lucie couldn’t help grinning at Gavin as they both sat on her sofa ready to devour bacon and egg rolls they had purchased from the local café. Ordinarily, still enjoying the novelty of being able to, they would have sat in to have a full hangover curing breakfast. But today, given the hair crisis they were both having, they’d opted for a dash, grab and speedy retreat back to Lucie’s flat. Gavin seemed far more self-conscious about the demise of his eyebrows than Lucie was about the loss of her luscious locks. This past year had taught her many things and one of them was definitely what was important and what really wasn’t. Her hair would grow back… somewhen. And, at least the crop was the same length all over. A major miracle.
‘Gavin,’ Lucie said, unwrapping her bap. ‘It’s really not that bad.’
‘I have no eyebrows!’ Gavin wailed. ‘None!’
‘At least we found your clothes,’ Lucie countered. ‘I’m not sure why you took them off in the first place or why you ended up in my bed with me but…’ She took a bite of the bacon, egg and fluffy Scotch morning roll and rested her back against a cushion as comfort food heaven headed south towards her grateful stomach.
‘Name one famous actor without eyebrows. One.’
‘Whoopi Goldberg,’ Lucie answered, egg running down her chin. She reached for the kitchen roll on the coffee table and mopped up.
‘How do you know that?!’ Gavin complained.
‘Your eyebrows will grow back,’ Lucie reminded him. ‘Probably really quickly. Unlike my hair.’ She put her roll down on the plate. ‘Why aren’t you as concerned about that? Seeing as it was you who obviously made it shorter than… than… one of Cher’s Eighties outfits!’
‘Oh! The absolute shade!’ Gavin said, hands – now gloveless – going to beard.
‘Anyway,’ Lucie began, shifting on the settee as her shoulders gave a twinge. ‘You aren’t a famous actor, you’re a nurse. Once you’ve got your hair covered and your face shield on, no one is going to see your eyebrows.’
Still none of the patients saw very much of their features. Albeit slightly more than they had at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. There were still masks, face shields, gloves and full-length gowns, just thankfully with less of a volume of new admissions. But still they celebrated every single victory against the silent viral assassin. Hence the obvious need to let off steam last night…
‘People will see if we go on holiday though,’ Gavin said, waggling the space that would have housed his eyebrows if his eyebrows were still there.
‘Oh, Gav, I thought you’d dropped that plan,’ Lucie said, balancing her plate on her knee.
‘What gave you that idea?’
‘Maybe the fact you asked me about it and I said I didn’t want to?’
‘You do want to though.’
‘I said I didn’t.’
‘But you don’t mean that. You can’t mean that.’
Did she mean it? Lucie sighed and put her plate on the coffee table, picking up her two-spoon-black coffee. Why was she so opposed to having a break?

Follow Aria:

Website: www.ariafiction.com
Twitter: @aria_fiction
Facebook: @ariafiction
Instagram: @ariafiction

Our Second Wedding Anniversary

Today is our second wedding anniversary. Two years since we said “I do,” and vowed to love and look after each other whatever life bought our way.

We ate salad, soup and Chicken Tikka Masala and had some wine.

The Twilight Saga films were on and I really like them, we both enjoyed watching them.

In these two years we have been married, we have supported each other whatever we were going through. I have kept on with my writing projects and we have planned things and then had to put them on hold because of the pandemic.

My hope is that next year we don’t have to celebrate another anniversary in the pandemic like we have the last two and that above all we can make our dreams come true. We always make the best we can of what happens and today was a good day.

Hollywood Hero (Hollywood in Muskoka Series, Book 3) by Madelle Morgan

About the Book:

Unrequited love is hell on earth
Personal assistant Wendy Davila is in love with her boss, Halden Armstrong, megastar of the Apollo superhero film franchise. But she can’t compete with the succession of stick-thin blond beauties he’s caught and released. Or can she? When Halden asks Wendy to accompany him on a fishing trip to Muskoka, it’s her chance to remake her dark-haired, curvy Latina self into his ideal woman and cast her hook for Halden.

Can he trust her?
Halden has been burned by love. The last thing he wants is a woman like his ex who faked it until she landed him. Wendy is special, and the private trip is an opportunity to explore his feelings for her. However, the Greek god has an Achilles’ heel. Can he trust Wendy with a secret that could ruin his career? And will she still care for him when she learns the truth?

When Apollo falls off his pedestal, Wendy must decide if the man she adores is a keeper.

Where to Buy:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X3QWD3B
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08X3QWD3B
Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08X3QWD3B
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/hollywood-hero-1
Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/hollywood-hero/id1556258012?ls=1

About the Author:

Growing up, Madelle enjoyed nineteen summers at her grandparents’ cottage on Georgian Bay in the beautiful District of Muskoka, Ontario, Canada, named by National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of their top 20 Best of the World Must-see Places.

Muskoka is Canada’s summer playground for many wealthy families and Hollywood celebrities. The Hollywood in Muskoka series updates the upstairs/downstairs trope: successful people in the film industry on vacation fall for service providers.

Madelle lives in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, with her husband and their labradoodle Raven. She dreams of owning a waterfront cottage. Or at least a pool.

Contact Madelle:

Amazon.com
Goodreads.com
MadelleMorgan.com
Pinterest.com/madellem
Twitter.com/madellemorgan
Facebook.com/MadelleMorganAuthor

Giveaway to Win an eBook boxset of Hollywood in Musoka Books 1-3 (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 despatch or delivery of the prize.
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My Review:

Wendy is personal assistant to Halden in their movie business. Halden has been unlucky in love. A fishing trip is the way for them to find out what they really feel for each other.

Hollywood Hero is my first book by Madelle Morgan. It is romantic and I was wanting to know how the story would unfold. I am glad I discovered a new author.

Thanks to Madelle Morgan, Rachel’s Random Resources and McBride Publishing Group for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

The Charity of Strangers by Alison Burke

About the Book:

You can find almost anything in a charity shop, but can you find love?
            You can certainly find friendship and there is both laughter and tears ahead when 19yr old Zaffron, lonely, anxious and without direction, meets Blaire Daintry, good-looking, charming, and gay.
            Both volunteers in the charity shop, he has a hidden agenda, she has secrets, but they are friends from the start, despite Blaire’s constant sparring with Ida, the stern, good-hearted older volunteer who Zaffron admires. And perhaps Ida has secrets too.
            Together with other victims of the city’s housing crisis, Blaire and Zaffron set up a safe and happy home. Secure at last, she tells him of the dreadful incident in her childhood that has marred her life, but not even his total acceptance gives her the confidence to start a relationship with an attractive and decent young army sergeant who falls in love with her.
            Is it fear of the truth coming out that holds her back? Or is there some other reason, buried too deep in her heart for her to recognise?

Where to Buy:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charity-Strangers-friends-secrets-lies-ebook/dp/B08NXHTG2B/
US – https://www.amazon.com/Charity-Strangers-friends-secrets-lies-ebook/dp/B08NXHTG2B/

About the Author:

I was born and grew up in Lancashire, gained several nursing qualifications and had the privilege of a long and varied nursing career, briefly in the Royal Army Nursing Service abroad, mainly in the NHS in UK. True love and a happy family came my way and now I have the time to read, write and remember.

Contact Alison:

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lilydaleco
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lily_dale_companies/
Website https://www.alisonburkefictionwriter.com/

My Review:

Everyone has their own story in life. When Blaire and Zaffron meet in a charity shop, they don’t really know what is going to happen. They are both victims of the housing crisis and have their secrets hopes and dreams in life.

They move in together and there starts a set of new experiences for them both.

The Charity of Strangers: Strangers and friends, Secrets and Lies, is a real eye-opener of a book and author Alison Burke deals with tough subjects that are very relevant t0day in a way that had me hooked. Blaire and Zaffron are people I was worried for and I also enjoyed being witness as to where their journey in life would take them.

Happy sad, tense hopeful and very raw, The Charity of Strangers is an excellent novel for a reality check in these trying times. I am grateful for what I have. For those who struggle to be, or compare themselves to others, this novel will teach you to be true to yourself. The biggest takeaways I get from it are honor your reality, fight for what you want and that kindness and friendship can be found in the strangest of places.

Thanks to Alison Burke, Rachel’s Random Resources and publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

Another Camp NaNoWriMo Win Plus Event Progress Update

If you are really into competitions like I am, and if you love anything to do with words as I do then you’ll know that when April starts, it’s time for Camp NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month is officially in November but the great people at “NaNo HQ” have organised a spring session in April and a summer one in July.

I “won” my 8th Camp NaNoWriMo session today. On the first of April I knew that I wanted to do a short story rather than a novel because I did not have many ideas for a novel.

I decided to work on my entry for the Rebel Writers competition. I knew that, for this, I had to create a story with an unexpected hero, twists and mischief. I heard of this contest after I got an email newsletter from author Sacha Black.

I quickly decided that Violet (a witch) and Matthew (a wizard) would be my main characters. I did not do too much planning this time, but just wanted to find out where the story took me.

On the first of April I started with 300 words and I dictated between 350 and 3500 every day until today. Today was my most productive day with 3500 words.

My story is a paranormal romance with lots of spells, magic and mischief. And there’s a quest. It was the first time I had tackled this genre, and it was really fun (my research watching Ghost Whisperer and Charmed paid off 😃 ).

I am proud that I finished in 8 days and 7,500 words was not that tough a target. That’s something I have learnt over the years as I have done more and more short stories.

I find the winner badge cute too this year.

The next Camp NaNoWriMo session is in July but I have to decide on a project. This year, it was between a story about twins and the paranormal romance. I still don’t have a plot for the twins story and enjoyed myself so much with the paranormal romance. I enjoy every story I work on.

I just need to edit now.

Will you be doing Camp NaNoWriMo? What will you work on?

Moonlight over Muddleford Cove by Kim Nash

About the Book: When thirty-four-year-old Nellie Wagstaff loses her job and discovers her fiancé is a cheating scumbag in a single day, she feels like the world has come crashing down. And that’s before the solicitor’s letter, along with a request to visit a place she hasn’t thought about for a very long time.Heartbroken, Nellie escapes to the beautiful seaside town of Muddleford in Dorset, where she discovers she’s inherited more than she ever bargained for. Nellie never knew why her mother stopped talking to her sister, but now childhood memories of Muddleford come flooding back: long hot summers, the sea glistening beyond the sandy cove… and a stolen kiss with a boy called Jack.Jack, now a devilishly handsome vet, has the local pet owners swooning over him, and as Nellie and he become close once more, and she gets used to gossiping with the locals and sipping wine at her beach hut with sand between her toes, she’s sure she can feel sparks flying once more. But just as she thinks she might be able to open her heart again, her newest frenemy, the glamourous Natalia, tells her a secret about Jack that changes everything.Nellie will never know why her mother and aunt parted ways. She’ll sell the house, forget about Jack, and get back to real life. Because there’s nothing for her in Muddleford… is there?An utterly uplifting and completely hilarious summer read about learning to trust yourself and of finding love and friendship in the least expected places for fans of Jessica Redland, Heidi Swain and Holly Martin. Where to Buy: UK: https://amzn.to/2NXKaJ7 US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VHNLRML About the Author: Kim Nash is an author of uplifting, funny, heartwarming, feel-good, romantic fiction.Her latest book, Sunshine and Second Chances, was shortlisted for the 2020 Amazon Kindle Storyteller Award.She lives in Staffordshire with son Ollie and English Setter Roni, is Head of Publicity for Bookouture and is a book blogger at http://www.kimthebookworm.co.uk.Kim won the Romantic Novelists Association’s Media Star of the Year in 2016, which she still can’t quite believe. She is now quite delighted to be a member of the RNA.When she’s not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog, reading, standing on the sidelines of a football pitch cheering on Ollie and binge watching box sets on the TV. She’s also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Cannock, Staffs.Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone else and you will only contacted about Kim’s books.https://www.kimthebookworm.co.uk/Amazing Grace was her debut novel with Hera Books and came out in April 2019.Escape to Giddywell Grange is Kim’s second novel and was published by Hera Books in September 2019.Sunshine and Second Chances is Kim’s third novel and was published in June 2020. Moonlight over Muddleford Cove, Kim’s fourth novel is available to pre-order now and will be published on 30th March 2021.You can read Kim’s Blog here: http://www.kimthebookworm.co.uk Contact Kim: Twitter: (@KimTheBookworm) https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimTheBookWorm/ Instagram: @Kim_the_bookworm My Review: Nellie Wagstaff is 34 and has just lost her job. She feels sad and doesn’t really know what to do. A tragic event means she has to return to Muddleford Cove, an area of Dorset. Will she be able to move on? Jack, a childhood friend is back in her life and they have a lot to catch up on. But will sparks fly? And if they do, will Nellie be able to move on and rebuild her life? Nellie has difficult people in her life too. Her nemesis and also her sister and then there are secrets her mother had. What will happen when she uncovers them? Moonlight Over Muddleford Cove is the first book by new-to-me-author Kim Nash that I have had the pleasure to review. The setting is beautiful and the writing is raw, yet hopeful positive real and romantic. I love novels set in the Dorset area as I have many a happy memory of summers spent there during my childhood and teen years. If you have never been to Dorset, this novel will make you want to go. Thanks to Kim Nash, Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. 5 stars.