Wednesday 30 November 2016

GenreCRAVE Mega Giveaway Party!

Welcome to the Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian Reader Appreciation Giveaway!

We’re so glad you stopped by! In this giveaway, EVERYONE who enters will win TWENTY FREE – EXCLUSIVE – ebooks by the sponsoring authors (to be delivered at the conclusion of the giveaway), and one GRAND PRIZE winner will also receive a $1000 Amazon Gift Card! The Winner will be announced on February 1st at our Facebook Event. The winner will also receive an email directly.

There will ALSO be other prizes and giveaways happening at that event between now and our Grand Prize announcement! So make sure you mark yourself as attending so you don’t miss those great opportunities to win more prizes and snag more freebies!

VIEW BOOKS FROM THE SPONSORS HERE!





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Tuesday 29 November 2016

Spotlight! Unforgiving - Alisic Adnan

Unforgiving 
Alisic Adnan 
Publication date: January 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

12 years after surviving horrific massacre, 15-year- old Meho commits ruthless murders and sets in motion the event which could change the world order.

The murders are followed by the trial of the century, where media vilifies Meho as a psychopath, mass murderer, and a monster — all under the influence of FBI, who are trying to conceal the identity of the victims and protect the National Security.

The only person who believes that Meho is innocent is his 10-year-old brother Bucky, who will turn heavens and earth to free Meho. After learning the truth, Bucky is devastated, but not all things are as they seem, and the truth will be revealed at the very end.





After witnessing terrible war atrocities, Adnan Alisić escaped from Bosnia and came to Phoenix, Arizona where he became a successful businessman. Entangled in a gambling addiction, he was forced to execute this sensational casino heist.







Please Pass The Books offers a spotlight of this book. If you like what you see, please follow the official book blog tour here:

November 21st
Evermore Books  >> Excerpt
Book lover promo >> Top 10 List
November 22nd
Solafide Book Club >> Guest post
Ceres Books World  >> Excerpt
November 23rd
Cover2Cover >> Excerpt
All in One Place >> Review
November 24th
Desert Rose Reviews >> Top 10 List
The Avid Reader >> Guest post
November 25th
Kara the Redhead >> Excerpt
Fangirls Read It First  >> Review
November 28th
Don’t Judge, Read >> Top 10 List
November 29th
Padme’s Library >> Interview
Girls With Books >> Excerpt
November 30th
Two Ends of the Pen >> Interview
Books,Dreams,Life >> Review
December 1st
The Book Tree  >> Excerpt
Wining Wife >> Review
Bookworm for Kids  >> Excerpt
December 2nd
Jazzy Book Reviews >> Excerpt
Loves Great Reads >> Interview
December 5th
Ms. J Mentions… >> Excerpt
December 6th
The Page Unbound >> Top 10 List
The Silver Dagger Scriptorium >> Spotlight
December 7th
Book Sniffers Anonymous >> Excerpt
Books Direct >> Review
December 8th
Kindle and Me >> Guest post
The Phantom Paragrapher >> Review
December 9th
BooksChatter >> Interview
PoetryBooksYA >> Review

Monday 28 November 2016

Spotlight! Air - L.B. Gilbert


Air
L.B. Gilbert
(The Elementals #2)
Publication date: November 28th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal
Despite being the junior Elemental, Logan’s never had to worry about failing a mission before. Not until an overgrown and annoyingly attractive shifter comes along.
Being an Elemental is in Logan’s blood. Hers is the gift of Air, a vast power she’s still struggling to control. Then a Were named Connell hunts her down. His wolf is missing, and he blames her.
A den of werewolves is the last place Logan wants to be. The testosterone alone is enough to make her choke. But she has a mystery to solve. She will find out who is stealing wolves even if kills her.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the enemy has planned…

Book 1: Fire
Book 2: Air, Available November 28th
Book 3: Water, Coming Soon


USA Today bestselling author L.B. Gilbert spent years getting degrees from the most prestigious universities in America, including a PhD that she is not using at all. She moved to France for work and found love. She's married now and living in Toulouse with one adorable half-french baby.
She has always enjoyed reading books as far from her reality as possible but eventually the voices in her head told her to write her own. And so far the voices are enjoying them. You can check out the geeky things she likes on twitter @elementalauthor, facebook www.facebook.com/elementalsauthor, or www.elementalauthor.com
*If you like a little more steam with your Fire, check out the author's Lucy Leroux titles*



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Friday 25 November 2016

Spotlight! Forever Blue - Abby Wilder

Forever Blue
Abby Wilder 

I never thought it would end like this.
I never thought it would end at all.
But not all stories get a happy ending.

When Lennon Donnelly moves back to the quiet town of Puruwai, she never dreams that a chance meeting with a boy sitting at the cemetery will change her life. Her best friend warns her about Judah Mitchell. There are rumours that he killed his brother. But as Lennon is drawn deeper into the mysterious boy’s life, the events of his past unravel until she finds herself driving over the edge of a cliff and into the depths of the lake below.


Spanning over two years and starting at the end, this compelling novel tells of the intertwining relationships of Lennon, Ruben, Judah, and Cara. Told from the different perspectives of before and after, the story unfolds like a puzzle and reveals secrets that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.





Abby Wilder is an author from the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand.

She loves stories in all forms; film, photography, music, but it’s the simplicity of written words that she loves the most . . . well, written words and binge watching television series.

Since a love of reading has remained constant in her life, she couldn’t imagine anything better than being a writer so she set out to achieve just that.

Abby has one husband, two children, three cats and a dog called Joss.

Girl Behind Glass is her debut novel. Boy in Uniform is a short companion story and Girl Beneath Stars is the final in the Behind Glass Series to follow Willow Stanton.

Her newest book, Forever Blue was released on June 17th 2016.


Thursday 24 November 2016

Spotlight! Faithful - Michelle Hauck

FAITHFUL
Michelle Hauck
Pub. Date: November 15, 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse

Following Grudging--and with a mix of Terry Goodkind and Bernard Cornwall--religion, witchcraft, and chivalry war in Faithful, the exciting next chapter in Michelle Hauck's Birth of Saints series!

A world of Fear and death…and those trying to save it.

Colina Hermosa has burned to the ground. The Northern invaders continue their assault on the ciudades-estados. Terror has taken hold, and those that should be allies betray each other in hopes of their own survival. As the realities of this devastating and unprovoked war settles in, what can they do to fight back?

On a mission of hope, an unlikely group sets out to find a teacher for Claire, and a new weapon to use against the Northerners and their swelling army.

What they find instead is an old woman.

But she’s not a random crone—she’s Claire’s grandmother. She’s also a Woman of the Song, and her music is both strong and horrible. And while Claire has already seen the power of her own Song, she is scared of her inability to control it, having seen how her magic has brought evil to the world, killing without reason or remorse. To preserve a life of honor and light, Ramiro and Claire will need to convince the old woman to teach them a way so that the power of the Song can be used for good. Otherwise, they’ll just be destroyers themselves, no better than the Northerners and their false god, Dal. With the annihilation their enemy has planned, though, they may not have a choice.

A tale of fear and tragedy, hope and redemption, Faithful is the harrowing second entry in the Birth of Saints trilogy.



Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two kids on college.  Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. A book worm, she passes up the darker vices in favor of chocolate and looks for any excuse to reward herself. Bio finished? Time for a sweet snack.

She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.

Her Birth of Saints trilogy, starting with Grudging and Faithful (November 15, 2016) is with Harper Voyager. Another epic fantasy, Kindar's Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing. She's repped by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary.


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Wednesday 23 November 2016

Spotlight! The Silver Baron's Wife - Donna Baier Stein

THE SILVER BARON’S WIFE
BY DONNA BAIER STEIN

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The Silver Baron’s Wife traces the rags-to-riches-to-rags life of Colorado’s Baby Doe Tabor (Lizzie). This fascinating heroine worked in the silver mines and had two scandalous marriages, one to a philandering opium addict and one to a Senator and silver baron worth $24 million in the late 19th century. A divorcee shunned by Denver society, Lizzie raised two daughters in a villa where 100 peacocks roamed the lawns, entertained Sarah Bernhardt when the actress performed at Tabor’s Opera House, and after her second husband’s death, moved to a one-room shack at the Matchless Mine in Leadville. She lived the last 35 years of her life there, writing down thousands of her dreams and noting visitations of spirits on her calendar. Hers is the tale of a fiercely independent woman who bucked all social expectations by working where 19th century women didn’t work, becoming the key figure in one of the West’s most scandalous love triangles, and, after a devastating stock market crash destroyed Tabor’s vast fortune, living in eccentric isolation at the Matchless Mine. An earlier version of this novel won the PEN/New England Discovery Award in Fiction.

AMAZON | BARNES &  NOBLE

Praise

“At long last we get to hear Baby Doe’s compelling side of the hurtful tale that made her the most hated woman in the West. Donna Baier Stein has captured young Lizzie’s Doe’s agency in her first marriage, as well as older Lizzie’s Tabor’s deep spiritual resilience during her decades of isolation. Through Stein’s artistry, Baby Doe’s story makes the heart ache.” —Judy Nolte Temple, author of Baby Doe Tabor: The Madwoman in the Cabin
“Explosive, gripping and romantic, The Silver Baron’s Wife is a story that exposes not only the scandalous marriage and perplexing life of a woman starred in the wealthy 19th century social circles while being shunned from them. It also opens a fascinating window into 19th century American social mores and Washington DC’s politics.
An absorbing read about a fiercely independent woman who charted her own course only to find herself paying the price.” —Talia Carner, author of Hotel Moscow, Jerusalem Maiden, China Doll, and Puppet Child
“The Silver Baron’s Wife is a beautiful and absorbing novel, rich in history and vivid period detail. In exquisite prose, Donna Baier Stein captures the extraordinary and tumultuous life of Lizzie “Baby Doe” Tabor, with all of its longings, joys, and tragedies. This is a moving and memorable book.” —Ronna Wineberg, author of Seven Facts That Can Change Your Life, On Bittersweet Place, and Second Language,
“With The Silver Baron’s Wife, Donna Baer Stein pulls off that most difficult of novelistic feats: breathing fictional life into historic characters and situations. From the dark, unpropitious, and dismal depths of Baby Doe Tabor’s biography, she mines a vein of pure silver.” —Peter Selgin, author of The Inventors, Drowning Lessons, and Life Goes To The Movies
“Donna Baier Stein paints a heartfelt, poignant picture filled with loving details of Baby Doe’s celebrated life that lingers long after the last page is turned.” —Ann Parker, author of The Silver Rush Mystery Series
“Donna Baier Stein reveals the deeper levels of Baby Doe Tabor, the fascinating 19th century woman who caught silver mining fever, and whose fortune vacillated again and again between stunning riches and hardscrabble dearth. Having lost children, spouses, and wealth Lizzie is drawn more than ever to the invisible world, yearning to know if the dreams and visitations which have guided her life are real. With sumptuous, tactile prose, rich historical detail, and an evocative recreation of the American West, The Silver Baron’s Wife excavates the legend of Elizabeth McCourt Tabor to expose a character’s humanity and soul.” —Diane Bonavist, author of Purged by Fire: The Cathar Heresy

About the Author

Donna Baier Stein is the author of The Silver Baron’s Wife (PEN/New England Discovery Award), Sympathetic People (Iowa Fiction Award Finalist and 2015 IndieBook Awards Finalist), and Sometimes You Sense the Difference. She founded and publishes Tiferet Journal. She has received a Scholarship from Bread Loaf, a Fellowship from the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars, three Pushcart nominations, and prizes from the Allen Ginsberg Awards and elsewhere. Her writing has appeared in Ascent, Beloit Poetry Journal, Poet Lore, Prairie Schooner, Virginia Quarterly Review, Puerto del Sol, Writer’s Digest, as well as in anthologies from Simon & Schuster and The Spirit That Moves Us Press. She is currently completing a new collection of stories based on Thomas Hart Benton lithographs.
Donna was also an award-winning copywriter whose clients include Smithsonian, World Wildlife Fund, Citrix, and other non-profit and for-profit organizations. Her website is www.donnabaierstein.com. You can also follow Donna on FacebookTwitter, and Goodreads.

Tuesday 22 November 2016

Spotlight! Shadow Fall - Audrey Grey


Shadow Fall
Audrey Grey
(Shadow Fall, #1)
Published by: Blaze Publishing
Publication date: November 22nd 2016
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
The asteroid hurtling toward the earth will kill billions.
The Emperor and his Gold Court will be safe in their space station, watching from the stars. The Silvers will be protected underground. But the Bronzes must fight it out at the Shadow Trials for the few remaining spots left on the space station.
When an enigmatic benefactor hands Maia Graystone a spot in the Trials, she won’t just get a chance at salvation for her and her baby brother, Max: She gets to confront the mother who abandoned her in prison, the mad Emperor who murdered her father, and the Gold prince who once loved her. But it’s the dark bastard prince she’s partnered with that will make her question everything, including her own heart. With the asteroid racing closer every day, Maia must trust someone to survive.
The question is who?

You can get your copy now for the special release price of 99 cents, and be sure to meet us at the Facebook Party happening right now!




Audrey Grey lives in the charming state of Oklahoma, with her husband, two little people, and four mischievous dogs. You can usually find her hiding out in her office from said little people and dogs, surrounded by books and sipping kombucha while dreaming up wondrous worlds for her characters to live in.






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Monday 21 November 2016

Excerpt! The Silent Land - David Dunham

THE SILENT LAND
BY DAVID DUNHAM

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Rebecca Lawrence reached a count of sixty in her head and slid her finger into the back pages of her mother’s diary. Mistaking the diary for a book granted her innocence the first time she’d opened it. She had no argument for innocence now.’
Just when Rebecca Lawrence believed joy had come into her life, she learns the truth about how her mother died years before. Marriage to her first love and motherhood pulls her back from resentment, only for the First World War to threaten her peace when her husband is sent to fight.
When she discovers another lie which could fracture her world, she is faced with the choice of ignoring it, or letting the scars of the past corrupt her.
Set between 1903 and 1919, The Silent Land explores the complexities of love and the pursuit of truth in grief. The inspirational purity of the heroine will draw readers in, demonstrating how strength can be found at times when it would have seemed inconceivable.
The Silent Land explores the different shades of grief – the loss of a mother through assisted suicide, the loss of a father through a heart attack, and the loss of a husband through conflict. Comparable to works by Colm Tóibín and Sebastian Faulks, this is a moving and eloquently written tale of the overwhelming struggle faced by women left at home during the war.
A poignant tale through a woman’s viewpoint that won’t scare the horses or male readers with an especially effective second half.” – the bookbag.co.uk
I loved the story… makes you appreciate life and what you have.” – Mojomums.co.uk
A detailed story that shows what happens when there are dreadful and terrible secrets within a family and how the shadow of the great and terrible Great War was a long a dark one.” – thatsbooks.blogspot.co.nz

AMAZON UK | WH SMITH | WATERSTONE’S | WHITCOULLS

Excerpt

The boys were sat at the table, their hands on their laps.
‘Please, begin,’ said Rebecca, pulling out her chair.
         James and Sebastian began to eat. Rebecca waited until their mouths were full and said, ‘I’ll be coming with you in the morning. I’ll meet you after school and we’ll travel home together.’
James swallowed. ‘Why will you be in Worcester all day?’
‘I’m not, darling. I’ll be in Birmingham.’
‘Why are you going there?’
‘To visit your Uncle Teddy.’
James looked confused. ‘Why is he in Birmingham?’
‘He’s in hospital.’
‘Is he poorly?’
‘I don’t believe so.’
‘So why is he there?’
Rebecca hesitated and said, ‘I expect he’s hurt.’
‘From the war?’ asked Sebastian.
        ‘Yes.’ Rebecca took a sip of wine, hoping the questions would stop. James was soaking a potato in melted butter and Sebastian was chewing on a piece of bread.
‘Was Uncle Teddy with Papa?’ said James.
Rebecca remembered what Edward had written: Giving his life to protect mine. ‘He might have been.’
‘How do you know he’s in hospital?’
‘He wrote to me.’
‘What did he write?’
Rebecca took a longer sip of wine. ‘He told me the hospital he’s in and the time I could visit.’
‘Can we come?’ asked Sebastian.
‘No, you need to be at school.’
‘Can we go on Saturday then?’
‘Perhaps.’
James stabbed another potato with his fork. ‘Why didn’t he tell you what was wrong with him?’
‘I really don’t know, James.’
‘Can I read his letter?’
‘No, you can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because you can’t.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘It was addressed to me, that’s why.’
‘But…’
‘That’s the end of it. No more questions.’
James released his cutlery on to his plate.
‘James!’ snapped Rebecca, banging her fist on the table. ‘You will not behave like that.’
        James dropped his head. He finished his dinner in silence and was excused from the table, taking Sebastian with him. Rebecca looked at the three empty chairs and reached for the wine bottle. She poured herself a second glass and then a third, and a fourth, not touching her food. The boys had gone to Rupert whenever she had raised her voice. Now they only had each other.

About the Author03_David Dunham

Having spent his career in the media industry, David Dunham has worked as a reporter, deputy editor, senior producer and homepage editor. David lives in New Zealand, where he was born, though from time to time can be found daydreaming about Worcestershire, England where he was raised.
For more information please visit David Dunham’s website. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Please Pass the Books offers a spotlight of this book. Please feel free to follow the official blog your here:


Monday, November 21
Review at Adventures Thru Wonderland
Tuesday, November 22
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, November 23
Review at Beth’s Book Nook
Tuesday, November 29
Guest Post at What Is That Book About
Friday, December 2
Guest Post at Man of la Book
Monday, December 5
Review at Creating Herstory
Wednesday, December 7
Review at Book Nerd
Thursday, December 8
Guest Post at A Bookaholic Swede
Monday, December 12
Guest Post at Books,Dreams,Life
Tuesday, December 13
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Wednesday, December 14
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Friday, December 16
Review at The Paperback Pilgrim
Saturday, December 17
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook
Monday, December 19
Blog Tour Wrap-Up at Passages to the Past

Friday 18 November 2016

Far Afield: Rare Food Encounters from Around the World - Shane Mitchell

Far Afield: Rare Food Encounters from Around the World
Shane Mitchell
Ten Speed Press

A vividly photographed culinary travel book featuring profiles of the stewards of the world's traditional foodways--farming, hunting, foraging, and fishing--along with 40 recipes.

Journalist Shane Mitchell and photographer James Fisher have traveled the world on assignment for publications such as Travel + Leisure and Saveur. Along the way, they have encountered fascinating people who are rooted in their culture and landscape, keeping their food traditions vital, such as taro farmers in Hawaii who have never left the islands, fisherman on the Swahili coast, and Icelandic shepherds who still use the techniques of their Viking ancestors. Full of vibrant photography from far-flung locations all over the globe, Far Afield profiles these people, sharing their unique and captivating stories and recipes.

Amazon     Goodreads     BN     Publisher



Please Pass The Books Review:

Oh my God, what a book. Seriously. Exquisite photography and engaging commentary surround a sampling of recipes from the most remote corners of the world. I believe my life will be forever changed by the introduction of Kahawa coffee and pineapple pie. I wasn't expecting such a contemporary perspective, but the inclusion of The Jungle—a refugee camp in Calais—just pushed an already extraordinary food and travel journal into a class of its own.

Truly, truly exceptional.

FIVE STARS

I'd like to thank Net Galley and the publisher, Ten Speed Press, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which this certainly is.



SHANE MITCHELL is a Saveur contributing editor. She writes about food and culture for Australian Gourmet Traveller, The Bitter Southerner, Departures, Serious Eats, and other publications. She is a James Beard Foundation Award finalist, has been awarded the IACP Culinary Writing prize, and collects handmade knives wherever she travels. She lives in New York state’s North Country.




Thursday 17 November 2016

Spotlight! The Butcher’s Daughter - Mark M. McMillin

The Butcher’s Daughter
Mark M. McMillin
Historical Fiction

In an age ruled by iron men, in a world of new discovery and Spanish gold, a young Irishwoman named Mary rises from the ashes of her broken childhood with ships and men-at-arms under her command.  She and her loyal crew prowl the Caribbean and prosper in the New World for a time until the ugly past Mary has fled from in the old one finds her.

Across the great ocean to the east, war is coming. The King of Spain is assembling the most powerful armada the world has ever seen - an enormous beast - to invade England and depose the Protestant “heretic queen.” To have any chance against the wealth and might of Spain, England will need every warship, she will need every able captain. To this purpose, Queen Elizabeth spares Mary from the headman’s axe for past sins in exchange for her loyalty, her ships and men.

Based on true historical events, this is an epic story about war, adventure, love and betrayal. This is a timeless story about vengeance. This is a tale of heartbreak…

Amazon     Website     Goodreads


Mark is an attorney by day and an author by night. He has always had a passion for history and writing. The Butcher’s Daughter is his fourth book. Mark began his career with the military. He is a veteran of the “Cold War” and served with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany. Mark currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia and is the general counsel for an airline and freight forwarding company.







Wednesday 16 November 2016

Wonder Women - Sam Maggs

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History
Sam Maggs

Ever heard of Allied spy Noor Inayat Khan, a Muslim woman whom the Nazis considered “highly dangerous”? Or German painter and entomologist Maria Sibylla Merian, who planned and embarked on the world’s first scientific expedition? How about Huang Daopo, the inventor who fled an abusive child marriage only to revolutionize textile production in China?

Women have always been able to change the world, even when they didn’t get the credit. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs introduces you to pioneering female scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors—each profile a study in passion, smarts, and stickto-itiveness, complete with portraits by Google doodler Sophia Foster-Dimino, an extensive
bibliography, and a guide to present-day women-centric STEM organizations.



Please Pass The Books Review:

I read this and then passed it to my thirteen-year old daughter who read it right after me. This is a combination review from both of us: myself on content, hers on its delivery.

I'm always intrigued by books that celebrate women. As a mother who loves to read, when I come across something that could be empowering to my young daughter, that intrigue intensifies. I loved that Maggs put forward many women who aren't very well known (or, frankly, who aren't known at all) in Wonder Women.

Sadly, all of this was lost on my teen daughter because she couldn't get past the writing. Wonder Women was tossed aside with a sigh and a simple statement: "The writing is like when Grandma pretends to talk to me like we're the same age." When Grandma does it, she's just being silly and knows she sounds ridiculous. When it's done in Wonder Women, it's embarrassing.

It's impossible to rate a book above two stars when the people it's meant to educate (tweens, teens, and young women) won't read it because it's trying too hard to sit at the cool-kid table. Sadly, all the good that could have come from this book is lost when my daughter (a voracious reader herself) refuses to finish it.

TWO STARS

I'd like to thank Net Galley and the publisher, Quirk Books, for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which this certainly is.

UPDATE: I have to add something here, as I received an unusual comment on another forum attempting to contradict this review. Here's a note to publishers, authors, and their friends and family: It is generally considered in bad taste by most casual readers - and certainly by all professional reviewers - to have reviews argued over online by people who (whether true or not) will be presumed to be affiliated with the author. This is particularly true when it appears the commenter is on a personal crusade to try and invalidate the opinion of a 13-year old girl, as was the case here.


Tuesday 15 November 2016

Spotlight! THE SECRET DIARY OF LYDIA BENNETT - Natasha Farrant

THE SECRET DIARY OF LYDIA BENNETT
Natasha Farrant

A fresh, funny, and spirited reimagining of Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice, The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet brings the voice of the wildest Bennet sister to life.

Lydia is the youngest of the five Bennet girls. She's stubborn, never listens, and can't seem to keep her mouth shut -- not that she would want to anyway. She wishes her older sisters would pay her attention, or that something would happen in her boring country life.

Luckily, that something is right around the corner, and it's the handsome Wickham, who arrives at Longbourn to sweep her off her feet. Lydia's not going to let him know THAT, of course, especially since he only seems to be interested in friendship. But when they both decide to summer in the fasionable seaside town of Brighton, their paths inevitably become entangled again.

At the seaside, Lydia also finds exciting new ways of life and a pair of friends who offer her a future she would have never dreamed possible. Lydia finally understands what she really wants. But can she get it?



I am one of those rarities, a Londoner born and bred.  And like most true Londoners, I’m not completely English, but three-quarters French with a little bit Dutch thrown in.  I can’t imagine living anywhere else, though I would like a horse, a big old house with a secret passage or two, a fig tree, a walnut tree, lots of dogs and a vista of rolling hills on one side and the sea on the other.  All of which are sadly incompatible with both life in the city and my income.
 
I write partly because in my stories I can live the lives I’m not…
 
I have two teenage daughters, Justine and Lily, who provide endless inspiration for my books.  I am pleased to say inspiration works both ways. One of them has dyed her hair pink, and the other has taken to hanging out on the roof in the middle of the night.
 
The “person” I talk to most is my tortoiseshell cat, Amber.  This is because as a writer you spend a lot of time alone, which makes you go slightly mad.  Amber repays me for my conversation by trashing my house.  Soon we are going to buy a dachshund puppy called Blue, and presumably he will be equally destructive.
 
I get very grumpy if I don’t have a good book to read, if I’m not writing, if I’m hungry, tired or don’t get enough exercise.  Otherwise I am a generally cheerful person.
 
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