Category: Writing

Cover Reveal! Match Me If You Can

Cover Reveal! Match Me If You Can

sandybarker

Book 1 in Ever After Agency series with Boldwood Books is coming soon and this is the gorgeous cover!

Illustrated Book Cover: Background of a large clock; Man and woman, both dressed well and with dark hair, left and right facing off, the woman with her hands on her hips. Match Me If You Can by Sandy Barker; Tagline: A fortune at stake and the clock is ticking...

About the book

Welcome to the Ever After Agency – a clandestine organisation offering bespoke solutions to romantic problems.

Whether you’re looking for the love of your life, a fresh romantic start, or just want to keep up appearances, the agency can tailor a solution to meet your needs.

When Tristan Fellows walks into the agency, Poppy Dean knows she’s in for a challenge. A typical bachelor, Tristan has no intention of falling in love, but in order to receive his 30-million-pound inheritance, he must find himself a wife before his 35th birthday.

This may be Poppy’s hardest case yet, but even the most arrogant of men can sometimes warm a woman’s heart…

Praise for Match Me If You Can

‘With smart banter and swoony moments against a backdrop of Greece, Edinburgh and London, Sandy Barker gives us another brilliant romcom and joyful read.’ ~ Pernille Hughes

‘A wonderfully warm and witty will they/won’t they romance. Match Me If You Can is a perfect romantic read.’ ~ Kathleen Whyman

Out September 28 – Preorder now!

Cover Reveal for Aimee Brown: Stuck With You

Cover Reveal for Aimee Brown: Stuck With You

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Aimee Brown’s 3rd installment in her series for Boldwood Books is out August 9th and here is the GORGEOUS cover!

As with Books 1 and 2 in the series, (He Loves me He Loves Me Not and Love Notes – both highly recommended), this is a romcom with a heart of gold set in Portland, Oregon (a gorgeous city and one we visited often when we lived in Seattle).

Blurb

Jade Monroe has finally found the man of her dreams. 

Or has she? Despite them being newly engaged, her fiancé Conner has suddenly gone radio silent. And even though her family are all giving her the same advice, (he’s just not that into you) she’s not convinced.

River Matthews has always been his authentic self, without apologies. Honest to a fault, light-hearted and a little lonely. Currently he’s the last single standing in his group of friends and he’s starting to feel his clock ticking. He’s got close to happily-ever-after before, but now it’s once-bitten-twice-shy, and the only way he’s going to find love is if he takes a chance.

The wisdom goes that if you just stop looking, your perfect partner will appear, but who will be there when Jade and River stop searching for ‘the one’?

Sexy, sassy and downright irresistible, the brand-new friends-to-lovers romance perfect for fans of Sariah Wilson, Lindsey Kelk and Abby Jiminez.

Preorder here

Follow Aimee

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | BookBub | Amazon

Congratulations, Aimee – can’t wait to read this one!

Catching up with Author Sheila McClure

Catching up with Author Sheila McClure

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It is my pleasure to welcome Sheila McClure to Off the Beaten Track as part of the book blog tour to celebrate her next book (the hilarious, heartwarming and brilliantly fun) SCOTLANDER, out June 21st!

Welcome, Sheila! Tell us what inspired you to write SCOTLANDER?

Hello hello and thanks for having me here. For a while now I have had various people suggesting to me that I look to my own life for inspiration. They were curious…how does a former Hollywood reporter/TV producer end up married to a Scotsman and raising cows? I wanted the story to come with things I had learnt along the way and, of course, hurdles I had to manoeuvre. But I also didn’t want it to be an autobiography. I am not someone who needs the world to know all of my warts (some of them, but not all!). I had also been toying with the idea of superfans and whether their passion for a show/book/film overrode their relationship to reality or whether it was what helped them navigate the pits and falls of reality. And then I came up with Willa – a young woman at a career crossroads who has just endured a painful bereavement. She has lost sight of who she is and where it was she wanted to go in love. What better place to go than an immersive Jacobean experience in the Highlands?

When did you start writing seriously?

I used to write lots of comedy sketches and then I wrote news for about ten years (for TV)…and then, after a couple of years of figuring out if I was a good fit in the world of documentaries, I realised I didn’t want to be observing anymore – I wanted to be participating! (Cue: Handsome Scottish husband who wants to buy a small farm). After a few years learning how to raise pigs and cows and bees and swan diving into the local AmDram club, I decided I needed to finally address a decades old question: Could I actually sit down and finish a book? So…it was about ten or so years ago that I finally typed my first The End. What a day!!! It’s been nine years since I’ve published my first book. And now I have about thirty Mills & Boon and six published novels to my name (don’t ask about the drawer full of the unpublished ones! LOL).

What do you love most about being an author?

Meeting the characters. Going on a journey with them. Getting to know them so well I know exactly what they will say. Editing. (I know, right? I’m a weirdo). Playing ‘what if…’ with my friends on dog walks. Smelling the books when they arrive. 

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on the second of two cosy crime novels with Shirley Ballas, head judge of the UK’s Strictly Come Dancing show. They are set in the gloriously glittery, passionate and backstabbing world of professional ballroom dance. So fun. I’ve been able to enter a world that my two left feet would have never seen me joining before, so it’s been a hoot!

What do you hope readers will take away from Scotlander?

Oooo. Good question. I guess I’d like people who have experienced bereavement to find it relatable. Grief can pull the rug out from under you and make you look at life afresh. I have realised life plans change. All the time! And that’s okay. But sometimes you need to square up with your past in order to face the future. And also – cows are great. And potatoes. Baked in a fire. In Scotland.

My thoughts on SCOTLANDER

What a fabulous read! I absolutely adored Willa – a loveable and complex heroine who is suffering from unimaginable heartbreak. And what a surprising love interest – a perfect match for Willa even if it takes both of them (lots of) time to discover that. I laughed a lot reading this book, but there is also SO MUCH HEART. I am also a huge Outlander fan, but I don’t think you need to be to enjoy this ‘fish out of water’, ‘fake date’ romance. It’s fresh and fun and heartwarming. An easy 5 stars from me.

More about the book

From the glitz of LA to the mists of Scotland. Is it true love for Willa or just a Highland fling?

When the Big C takes her best friend too soon, Willa Jenkins struggles to recapture the joy in her life, and all she wants is to get away from LA’s glitzy party circuit. But superfan Valentina had other plans. For her final, wickedly funny act, she’s packing her bestie off on a two-week Outlander-themed experience at Balcraigie Castle, Scotland.

Expecting a couple of weeks with Valentina’s hot brother Gabe, Willa gets more than she bargained for when she’s put to work doing actual, real-life farm work. Not only that, but to get the ‘full’ experience, she’s paired up with the irritating―and irritatingly sexy―Finn, with whom she will pose as fake husband and wife for the next two weeks.

Willa despairs of Valentina’s terrible trick. But then she makes a discovery. Finn’s family might just lose the castle if they can’t make the experience worthwhile for the other attendees. The stakes are high, but as the days pass and the fake 

Out June 21 – Preorder now!

Amazon AU | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Barnes & Noble

About Sheila

Sheila McClure lives in the English countryside with her Scottish husband, their dogs, Harris and Skye, and a small herd of delightfully striped Belted Galloway cattle. Prior to rural life in the UK, she was a camerawoman and news producer for Associated Press Television. As she’s originally from Seattle, she began her working life as a barista. She has also written books as Annie O’Neil and Daisy Tate. She will never refuse a quality dill pickle.

Follow Sheila

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Giveaway

Enter the GIVEAWAY (UK only) to win a paperback copy of SCOTLANDER plus a packet of Tunnocks Teacakes.

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  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.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for organising the tour. Make sure you catch the rest of it.

Catching up with Nina Kaye on publication day

Catching up with Nina Kaye on publication day

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It is a great pleasure to have Nina Kaye back to Off the Beaten Track.

Nina is a favourite author, particularly her heartwarming take on romance. I absolutely loved Just Like That (you can see my quote on the cover). Jess and Nick are a pair! Both are battling with their own demons and find that a little communication can go a LONGGGGG way. These two flawed but layered characters are dealing with real issues in realistic ways, and I was cheering for them both from the sidelines. I also fell in love with Rana, one of the supporting characters. This read has heart, humour and romance – the perfect read for a chilly Aussie winter or to take on summer holiday if you live north of the equator.

Now let’s hear from Nina…

Tell us what inspired you to write Just Like That?

There were a few things that came together to form this storyline. Anyone who has read my previous books will know that I write more than romance. I write about characters who face change and adversity in their lives, and how they overcome these challenges, finding love along the way.

In Just Like That, my main character, Jess, experiences a huge shift in her life when her brother unexpectedly has a stroke and she takes on the responsibility of being his carer. Having experienced a life altering change when my own life was suddenly shattered by a debilitating illness, I was acutely aware of the impact and pressure it put on those closest to me. This was one source of inspiration for writing about someone taking on caring responsibilities. The other was just how important and overlooked the role of a caregiver is, and I felt there was a need for people in this situation to be more represented in fiction.

Another source of inspiration for Just Like That was a documentary series I watched about sun bears and how, like so much of the world’s wonderful wildlife, they are endangered. It saddened me to learn how they’re illegally hunted for their bile and how they’re losing their natural habitat. In that series, the presenter followed the story of a baby sun bear, which had been rescued after its mother was killed by poachers. The cub was so adorable in the way it tumbled around and treated the presenter like it’s play partner. It really captured my heart. The idea of the wildlife park and Nick the grumpy head keeper/love interest came from that.

A final source of inspiration relates to the setting. Just Like That is set in my home city of Edinburgh and the beautiful countryside and coastal towns of East Lothian, where I’ve been fortunate enough to spend quite a bit of time in recent years. East Lothian, which is just a short drive from Edinburgh, provided the perfect setting for the wildlife park and for Jess to go on her journey of self-discovery to find her happy ever after. 

What’s your most recent read that you’d like to recommend?

I think I’ll share my current read, which is Under a Greek Sun by Mandy Baggot. It’s about a young woman, Eve, who visits her friend Abby on the beautiful Greek island of Corfu. Eve’s looking forward to some much-needed downtime, but things don’t go quite to plan. She ends up leaving for her break with her troubled brother, Ben, in tow, then discovers Abby has multiple jobs on top of running the local animal sanctuary, leaving little time for them to chill together. Between her worries about Ben and not getting a moment to relax, Eve’s starting to wonder if this holiday is going to deliver on its promise, but there’s one thing – or more accurately – one person who can offer a glimmer of hope: Gianni, the gorgeous Italian. He has his own family challenges, so maybe it’s not the right time for either of them to be thinking about love. Or maybe there’s an opportunity to find some common ground and for a beautiful summer romance to blossom… Obviously I haven’t finished it yet, so I’ll need to find out!

This book actually has some similarities to Just Like That, in that it features family struggles and romance with a backdrop of cute animals. It’s also got everything I love in it. A strong storyline, a fabulous setting, characters I care about and some great humour. I’d already highly recommend it! 

(Note to reader: I loved Mandy’s book too!)

What has been your author highlight over the past year?

I’d say it’s been securing my two-book deal with Canelo for Just Like That and Stand Up Guy, which will be my next novel to be published. Having this contract has allowed me the opportunity to grow my writing career further and to keep improving my writing skills as I go. I learn best ‘on the job’ so I love working with my editor, Emily Bedford, who always offers such great ideas for how I can improve my stories. I’ve also had a couple of smaller highlights in the last few months in getting my first audiobook deals. Just Like That will be my first novel to be published in audio, so I’m really looking forward to hearing how the narrator brings the story to life.  

What are you working on now?

I’ve just submitted my next novel, Stand Up Guy, to my editor for review. It’s due out in January next year and I’ve really enjoyed writing it. It’s another Edinburgh based story, this time about a lonely young woman who invites a stand-up comedian to stay with her when she learns that his dream of making it big at the Edinburgh Festival has come to grief. It’s written with my usual style, combining humour with poignancy – my aim being to create all the feels, offering some moments of reflection as well as an entertaining read. 

What do you hope readers will take away from Just Like That?

Just Like That is a story of change and self-discovery as well as a romance, peppered with light-hearted moments and humour, so I’m not looking for readers to learn any serious life lessons from it. But what I do hope they will take away is that real life isn’t picture perfect. It’s messy – with complicated relationships, miscommunications and vulnerabilities we don’t always want to share. We all make mistakes and we can choose to be forgiving of others who do the same. And we all deserve to have love in our lives, regardless of the challenges we’re faced with! 

More about the book…

Is fur-ever on the cards for these enemies-at-first-sight?

Jess is smashing her Edinburgh events management job right now. Her boss is talking about a promotion, her clients love her and other companies want her. But all of that comes to an abrupt halt when her brother has a sudden stroke. Jess doesn’t think twice about stepping in as his carer, but her boss is not so understanding.

Demoted to managing low-end events, Jess is less than thrilled to be assigned to a small animal park in need of raising funds. She’s even less happy when she clashes with arrogant head keeper, Nick. He’s frustrated with her squeamishness; she thinks he’s a lech. Nick wants a baggage-free life; Jess has so much drama going on, even the Kardashians can’t keep up.

But maybe saving the animals of East Lothian Wildlife Park will help these op-paw-sites find some common ground…

Where to get the book

Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Amazon CA | Waterstones | Foyles | Google Play | (and all your favourite book retailers)

More about Nina Kaye…

Nina writes warm, witty and uplifting romances with a dollop of humour. Life is not straightforward and she likes to reflect this in her writing – by creating realistic characters with complex lives who can learn along the way. Her debut novel, The Gin Lover’s Guide to Dating was published by Orion Dash, followed by Take A Moment, which was inspired by her own life, and One Night in Edinburgh with Canelo. Just Like That is her fourth novel and her fifth, Stand Up Guy, will follow in January (both also with Canelo). All her novels are set in her hometown of Edinburgh and really bring the city to life.

Follow Nina…

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

New Year’s Absolutions 2023

New Year’s Absolutions 2023

sandybarker

It’s that time again! The time of year when I reflect on the year that was, mentally and emotionally prepare for the year to come, and absolve myself from a selection of ‘must dos’. Life is simply too short to get swept up in ‘must dos’, especially those I have no inclination towards.

Aside: Looking back, I realise that I didn’t do my absolutions for 2022. This time last year was not awesome for me, as was the experience for many of you. I simply wanted to make it to 2022 and do my best to get through the year with my mental health intact (like many of you).

Also, looking back at my 2019 Absolutions, I admit to failing on two counts: I have since joined Instagram and I love Beatsaber, an extremely fun VR game in which you slash musical notes as they come towards you with lightsabers (yes, really and it is just as fun as it sounds and, yes, the tech has improved on stabilisation, so I no longer get sick―hooray!).

Onto next year’s absolutions … I hereby absolve myself from:

Not reading reviews

As authors, we’re constantly told, ‘Don’t read reviews!’ This is excellent advice when you receive a bad review because, as authors know, one bad review equals 10000 excellent reviews. Bad reviews burrow into your brain and nestle there, ready to leap out when you’re feeling your most vulnerable, when you’re crippled by imposter syndrome or awaiting the email that will tell you you’ve successfully pitched your next book and it takes months.

Yet, every time one of my books comes out, I read the early reviews. Every. Review. Every. Day.

Why? Two reasons: I am a masochist and most of my reviews are positive. This means that all those hours I spent labouring over my book have been fruitful, they meant something to someone. Some reviews even induce tears―happy ones. It’s a wondrous thing to have someone gush about how much my story or my characters or my turn of phrase impacted them for the better and how much they love my book.

So, I will continue to read reviews, even the bad ones, like this for my first book, One Summer in Santorini.

Actually, that review and others like it, make me laugh. If ever there was a reason to buy a book it’s because it’s sweary and sexy. And if that’s your thing and you’ve read all mine, check out Aimee Brown.

Paying for a blue checkmark

I have been actively building my Twitter following for years now, and have previously applied for a blue checkmark (when they still meant something). I wasn’t noteworthy enough to earn one a couple of years ago but, until recently, I was still working towards that milestone. While the verified accounts of notable people and organisations are still denoted by a blue checkmark, there’s now a cheaters’ route: the option to pay for one. Blue checkmarks have become the vanity plates of social media. I may still earn one, but I will never pay for one.

Catching up on the entire Marvel Universe

There are too many Marvel movies in the MCU. There, I said it. And because there are so many (and I have a life), I’ve missed a few―Iron Man 2, something about a civil war, a Spiderman or two (even though I’m a HUGE Tom Holland fan), and both Black Panther films. And some that I have seen, I wished I’d missed them. I’m looking at you Thor: The Dark World and Eternals (seriously, though, what the hell was that movie?). I say all this with the caveat that there are some MCU films that I’ve loved. Thor Ragnarok is hilarious and Chris Hemsworth is a massive spunk, especially with short hair. I loved Black Widow because Natasha is a bad-ass (and so is her sis). And Ant-Man is just fun, because … well … Paul Rudd.

Aside: Paul Rudd is the type of guy women both want to sleep with and have as their best friend. Fortunately, I have one of those at home.

So, while Marvel has had some hits, they’ve had enough misses―I mean, is Infinity War called that because the story goes on SO LONG it took two movies to tell it???―that I am absolving myself from watching their back catalogue, and very possibly their front catalogue too. Except Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania because (hello?!) PAUL RUDD.

Keeping track of which show is on which streaming service

When are household AIs going to get so good, I can ask, ‘Hey, Google, what the hell streaming service is [INSERT TV SHOW TITLE HERE] showing on?’ and it not only ignores my mildly rude profanity, it replies with, ‘It’s Disney+, which you pay for and share with your mum (who shares her Stan with you), your bestie, your Aunt Jackie (who also shares your Netflix account), and your cousin’s best friend, Sharon (who shares her Amazon Prime account with you)’? That’s what the brilliant minds at Google/Apple/Amazon should be working on.

Thank god I live with (aforementioned Paul Rudd-like) Ben, who not only keeps all of this information in his head, but also 1. sources most the shows I tell him I’m dying to watch and 2. keeps and eye out for shows we can watch together―White Lotus … Yellowstone … The Bear … Call My Agent … (Thank you, Ben!)

Joining TikTok (still)

Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy the TikToks my family and friends send me. This one is the funniest thing I saw online this year and it still makes me laugh―EVERY TIME! I hope that family never has to work again for the sheer genius of filming that clip and posting it on TikTok.

BUT I already have two jobs. I work four days a week at my day job in adult education and every day as an author. I’ve published 8 books in less than 4 years and I spend 10-12 hours a week on social media and marketing. I is TIIIIRRRED. And even the thought of creating content for a new social media platform makes me queasy. The people who excel at it work so hard and do such a great job at curating and creating content. Maybe one day when I’m writing fulltime, I’ll consider joining TikTok (or its equivalent), but until then I’m leaving it to the pros.

That’s it. That’s all I absolve myself from for 2023. Wherever you are in the world, I wish you good health, love, laughter, good times with family and friends, grand adventures, and most of all, peace. Take care. Look after you. And happy reading.

Sandy xxx

Cover Reveal for The Christmas Trip!

Cover Reveal for The Christmas Trip!

sandybarker

I am very excited to share the cover of my next book with One More Chapter, The Christmas Trip.

This is the follow-up to The Christmas Swap (2020) and I SO loved reconnecting with your favourites from Book 1.

About the book

It’s a year on and our three May Ladies are all loved up but still living worlds apart.

Chloe has had a whirlwind year amongst the glitz, glamour (and demanding work) of Hollywood. She’s taken on the role of Assistant Producer on the film, ‘An Extraordinary Woman: The Eloise Capel Story’, Archer’s passion project and as Archer’s girlfriend, she’s now schmoozing with A-listers.

Jules is immersed in her Melbourne life, working for a non-profit and sharing an increasingly crowded flat on the waterfront with flatmate, Ash ― and their frequent visitors: Ash’s boyfriend, Davo, and Jules’ love, Matt, and his dog, Dexter. She’s considering moving out on her own, only Matt keeps hinting at Jules moving to his vineyard down south.

Lucy, meanwhile, is stuck in long-distance-relationship hell. While her career is flying high ― a promotion and frequent trips to the US for work ― her relationship with Will has stalled. She doesn’t want to be a part-time girlfriend, finding their time apart agonising, but Will seems perfectly content.

When Archer’s planned Parisian proposal at Christmastime is derailed by an ash cloud over Europe, he hatches a plan to bring all six of them together for a Christmas ― and a marriage proposal ― to remember. In Hawaii!

I invite you to join the May Ladies and their loves in the most beautiful destination yet for a Christmas filled with mayhem and misunderstandings, and rocking romance around the Christmas tree!

And check out this stunning cover! I am in love with it! Huge thanks to cover designer, Lucy Bennett.

Cover of The Christmas Trip: Couple sitting on a Hawaiian beach on the lower half, a cove covered with palm trees in the distance. At the top, a snowy scene of an English village; a cottage and a fir tree decorated with Christmas lights and a couple standing admiring the cottage.

Where you can preorder

It’s out in ebook on November 10th and print on December 8.

Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon US

iBooks | Nook | Kobo | Google Play | Waterstones

(Coming soon) Foyles | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Catching up with Author Pernille Hughes

Catching up with Author Pernille Hughes

sandybarker

It is my great pleasure to welcome fellow One More Chapter author, Pernille Hughes to Off the Beaten Track today to celebrate the publication of her next book, Ten Years.

My thoughts on the book

This is a highly original story that had me hooked from the very first page. The author brings to the page two real, complex and well-drawn characters that I championed all the way through. This is a true slow burn and I loved seeing how the characters evolved each time they met up – how they change as people and how their relationship evolves.

No spoilers but a VERY satisfying ending , including a lovely twist. An absolute must read.

And loving this cover!

A closeup illustration of a man and a woman kissing. 'They're perfect for each other. They just don't know if yet.'

Pernille joins us to tell us more about her and this fabulous read.

Tell us what inspired you to write Ten Years.

The book came from a conversation over lunch with my lovely editor Charlotte Ledger. Normally I write comic romances, so writing Ten Years, blending funny and sad, was something new. I’d once heard the brilliant psychotherapist Julia Samuel on the History Hit podcast talking about our
modern attitudes towards grief. She described grief as “love that doesn’t know where to go.” That idea stayed with me and certainly sat with me in the writing of Ten Years. Becca and Charlie had to see that you can’t shoo the pain away or ignore it, you have to accommodate it, find a place for it
within you.


I also had the notion buzzing in my head of ‘all magic comes at a price’ which I think I might have got from Once upon a time, the TV show? It was something that came up at the end of my last book Probably the Best Kiss in the World, where Love is the ‘magic’. I was still thinking about it here. What would the price be for Becca and Charlie? Essentially, I came to the conclusion that if you’d asked them, they’d have said the same; in losing Ally, they’d already paid upfront.

When did you start writing seriously?

In 2012 I came runner up in a competition to have a story in a Women’s Fiction short story anthology. The Sunday Times had also printed 36 short stories of mine in their Travel section (Confessions of a Tourist), and those two things combined showed me that Women’s fiction was where my voice lay. So, I started writing a full-length novel (Punch-Drunk Love) and sending it out, which got me an agent, and it was published in 2018.

What do you love most about being an author?

The writing community, especially the romance writers community. It’s so generous and supportive. There’s no need to be competitive, as we
physically can’t write the books as quickly as readers read them, and so the focus is on revelling in the love of books and welcoming other writers who want to share their stories.

What are you working on now?
A bit of a passion project, one of those that sits in your head and keeps knocking to be let out. It germinated from a guided tour through Highgate Cemetery, which I would recommend to anyone interested in British social history, or just an interesting walk on a sunny day. It’ll still be a romance of course! I’m ‘out of contract’ so who knows whether it’ll ever see the shelves, but I need it to come out now, it’s been in there too long.

What do you hope readers will take away from Ten Years?
While I really wasn’t setting out to hammer anything home, I suppose there were a few things I worked to get across; that we all grieve differently, for example, and that ‘people change’. Also, that ‘good teams’ needn’t be identical people. Becca and Charlie are wildly different, but they bring out the best in each other. That yin yang image of two-different entities ‘clicking’ together to make a working whole is one that resonates with me.

More about the book

Becca and Charlie have known each other since university.
Becca and Charlies have also hated each other since university.

Until now. Until Ally’s bucket list. The death of their loved one should mean they can go their separate ways and not look back. But completing the list is something neither of them can walk away from.

And sometimes, those who bring out the worst in you, also bring out the very best…

Over the course of ten years, Becca and Charlie’s paths collide as they deal with grief, love and life after Ally.

Where to get it

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Waterstones | WH Smith

More about Pernille

Smiling woman with shoulder length medium brown hair, held back with reading glasses on top of her head, wearing a polka-dotted black and white top and a silver heart pendant.

Before she moved to writing full-time, Pernille Hughes studied Film & Literature at university. After she graduated she went on to market Natural History films before working in Children’s television, which meant living in actual Teletubbyland for a while! From 2011–2015, she was a regular contributor for The Sunday Times column ‘Confessions of a Tourist’. She’s had two novels published to date – Punch-Drunk Love and Probably the Best Kiss in the World – and her new book Ten Years is released on August 31st 2022. 

Pernille lives in Buckinghamshire, England and while the kids are at school she scoffs cake and writes stories in order to maintain a shred of sanity. 

www.pernillehughes.com  (Free short story here!)

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

Publication Day for Fiona Leitch

Publication Day for Fiona Leitch

sandybarker

It’s a pleasure to welcome my dear friend and writing partner, Fiona Leitch, back to Off the Beaten Track to mark the publication of Book 5 in her Nosey Parker cosy mystery series, A Cornish Recipe for Murder.

Cover of book: Illustration of baked goods in foreground and a marquee in the background where the baking competition is held. Tagline: 5 bakes, 1 killer

Tell us what inspired you to write A Cornish Recipe for Murder?

I’m a massive fan of The Great British Bake Off and I thought it could be a lot of fun, planning a murder around the big tent! Plenty of scope for suspects – not just contestants, but the presenters and judges, and the crew… Bake Off is such a popular show, with versions filmed all around the world (we have The Great Kiwi Bake Off here, which is almost identical apart from the presenters!), so I’m hoping that means there’s a wide audience for this book.

What’s your most recent read that you’d like to recommend?

I love Jane Harper’s work, and I literally just finished The Lost Man. Oh my god, it’s so good! Lots of twists and turns, you think you know what’s going on and then…another twist! Highly recommended.

What has been your author highlight over the past year?

The relaunch of the Nosey Parker series, with all new covers (and titles). The old covers were lovely and colourful, but the new ones are beautiful; classy, and somehow more British! I think they really reflect the tone of the books inside.

What are you working on now?

Book 6 of the series, A Cornish Seaside Murder. I’m also working on an idea for a whole new series, set in London, still cosy and fun but very different. Plus I recently finished a quirky crime novel set in the Australian Outback, which I’m in the process of finding a home for.

What do you hope readers will take away from A Cornish Recipe for Murder?

I hope readers get a lot of laughs, and maybe a few new recipes!

My thoughts

This book is an absolute, twisty-turny blast. I am such a huge fan of Jodie and the gang. It’s a terrific series – funny and clever, as well as a great who-dunnit? series – and this latest book is a great addition.

More about the book

‘When popular TV baking contest and national institution ‘The Best of British Baking Roadshow’ rolls into town and sets up camp in the grounds of Boskern House, a historic stately home near Penstowan, former police officer Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker finds herself competing to represent Cornwall in the grand final.

But with a fellow contestant who will stop at nothing to win and a drag queen host with secrets of their own, Jodie discovers that the roadshow doesn’t just have the ingredients for the perfect showstopper cake, but also for the perfect murder…

And when a body is found in the grounds of the house, Jodie is drawn into another high-stakes case along with local DCI Nathan Withers.

Can Jodie expose the culprit? Or will the murderer become the real showstopper?’

Where to get it

Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Amazon CA

Barnes & Noble | Waterstones | Foyles | A&R | Dymocks | Booktopia

And all good book retailers

About Fiona Leitch

Fiona Leitch is a novelist and screenwriter with a chequered past. She’s written for footballing and motoring magazines, childbirth videos and mail order catalogues; DJ-ed at illegal raves in London, been told off by a children’s TV presenter during a studio debate, and she was the Australasian face of a series of TV commercials for a cleaning product. All of which has given her a thorough grounding in the ridiculous, and has helped her write funny stuff. She writes the Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker series for HarperCollins, because she loves thinking about Cornwall, food, and murdering people (not necessarily in that order).

Follow Fiona

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Publication Day for Lynne Shelby

Publication Day for Lynne Shelby

sandybarker

It’s my pleasure to welcome Lynne Shelby to Off the Beaten Track today to celebrate the publication of her latest book, Rome for the Summer. Not only am I a huge fan of her books, but I LOVE Roma! It is one of my favourite cities in the world and look at that cover! The perfect romantic read for those of us who love a little armchair travel!

Cover of Rome for the Summer: A dark-haired man and woman riding on a red scooter past the Victor Emanuel II monument in Rome. Tagline: There's no better place to mend a broken heart. Quote: 'A wonderful fresh new talent' - Katie Fforde.

And now over to Lynne.

Tell us what inspired you to write Rome For The Summer.

Rome For The Summer, was inspired by a snatch of conversation between two girls – one American, one Italian – that I overheard some years ago when I was walking through Rome with my husband, heading back to our hotel after a day’s sight-seeing. The American told the Italian girl that ‘the job will only be for six months.’ I still have the notes I wrote that day as soon as we reached our hotel: ‘American in Rome. Why? Tourist? What job? Is she working in Rome for six months? Or going back to the States for six months? Does she have an Italian boyfriend who she’s leaving? Or is there an American boyfriend pining for her return?’ Not that I wrote the book immediately – I was half-way through writing another novel at the time – but some months later, back in England, I happened to fall into conversation with a woman sitting at the next table in a restaurant who turned out to be a professor from an American university with an extremely interesting reason for visiting Europe, which gave me the answer to what the American girl was doing in Rome, and sparked off my ideas for most of the plot for what was to become Rome For The Summer – although I visited Rome again, and wrote another novel, before I wrote this one! The American girl has become my English heroine, Kate, and the Italian girl has become her English colleague, but the novel’s location in Rome, and the first question I asked myself – What is this girl doing in Rome? – led to all the rest. 

What’s your most recent read that you’d like to recommend?

My most recent read that I’d like to recommend is The Duke And I by Julia Quinn, the first of her Bridgerton Regency romances. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the first and second Bridgerton TV series, but have only just got around to reading the books. I found The Duke And I a wonderful read and I’ll certainly be reading the other books in the series.

What has been your author highlight over the past year?

My author highlight over the past year was having my novel Love On Location shortlisted for a Romantic Novelists’ Association Award. I was thrilled to be nominated, and I was particularly pleased that the award I was shortlisted for was the Jane Wenham-Jones Award for Romantic Comedy, as I was lucky enough to attend one of Jane’s writing courses at Chez Castillon some years ago, and her advice was invaluable. The Awards ceremony itself was a glittering event held at a London hotel, and it was a fabulous evening.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently writing the first draft of a novel set in the world of the theatre, and doing some research for a novel set in Venice. Both novels are contemporary romances/romcoms.

What do you hope readers will take away from Rome For The Summer?

Most of all, I hope readers will enjoy the romantic elements in the book, and that they will be willing my heroine to find her happy-ever-after-ending. I also hope that readers will take away a sense of what it’s like to visit Rome. It’s one of my favourite cities, with so much to see and do, whether you enjoy sight-seeing or looking at art, or simply exploring the narrow streets, soaking up the atmosphere, and discovering a fabulously romantic restaurant for dinner.

More about the book

Kate Harper has always loved the painting that has hung in her parents’ dining room for years, never suspecting that it is worth a fortune. When her art dealer boyfriend cheats her family out of the proceeds of the painting’s sale, she is left devastated and alone.

Kate discovers that two hundred years ago, the girl in the painting, Charlotte Browne, ran off to Rome with the artist who painted her portrait, but her eventual fate is unknown.

Hoping to uncover the mystery of what happened to Charlotte, Kate seizes the chance of a summer job in Rome, where she strikes up a friendship with Jamie Taylor, an English artist. As they explore the city and start to piece together the surprising secrets of Charlotte’s life, Kate finds herself wondering if a summer in Rome can mend a broken heart…

Where to get it (ebook & print)

Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon US | Amazon CA

Google Play | Nook | Kobo

Waterstones | Foyles | Barnes & Noble

More about Lynne

Lynne Shelby: A dark-haired, smiling woman with shoulder length hair and wearing rose-coloured lipstick and a blue blouse.

Lynne Shelby writes contemporary romance/romcoms. Her debut novel, French Kissing, now re-published in ebook as Meet Me In Paris, won the Accent Press and Woman magazine Writing Competition. She has done a variety of jobs from stable girl to child actor’s chaperone to legal administrator, but now writes full time. When not writing or reading, Lynne can usually be found at the theatre or exploring a foreign city, writer’s notebook, camera and sketchbook in hand. She lives in London with her husband, and has three adult children who live nearby.

Follow Lynne

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Thanks so much for being on the blog, Lynne, and so looking forward to this one.

Catching up with Author Alana Oxford

Catching up with Author Alana Oxford

sandybarker

Today, I’m pleased to welcome author, Alana Oxford, to Off the Beaten Track to celebrate the upcoming release of her lovely romcom, Scotsman in the Stacks, which is out on June 14! And check out that cover! How sweet is that?

Cover of Scotsman in the Stacks. In foreground a librarian with a dark reddish brown bob, holding a stack of books. In the mid-ground, a redheaded man with a goatee reading on a sofa, one leg crossed over the other. The background is the silhouette of books.

Now let’s chat to Alana …

Tell us what inspired you to write Scotsman in the Stacks?

The very first seed of inspiration for this story is the real-life love story of my friend, Karen, and her husband, Rhys. Karen and I were both working as circulation clerks at a public library when a good-looking guy with a delicious accent walked in and asked Karen how to get a library card. After that, he came in all the time to talk to her. The whole staff got to know him and he was so kind and friendly to all of us, but it was clear from the beginning that he and Karen had something special.  They always said I should write their story someday. And here we are, quite a few years since they met. They’re happily married with kids and are still the love of each other’s lives. Scotsman isn’t the Karen and Rhys story, but their adorable relationship inspired my fictional exploration of how a beautiful international romance can be sparked at the library.

When did you start writing seriously?

Ever since 2nd grade, I loved to write and knew I wanted to be a writer someday. My wake-up call came when my daughter was born. At that time, I had a lot of ideas for picture books in my head and I remember sitting on the couch with her, reading a board book and thinking, “Awww, one day I’ll be reading my own books with her.” Then it dawned on me. What books was I planning to read with her? I wasn’t actually writing them down. How would they ever exist if I didn’t put my dreams into action? So I started right then and there – yes, with a new baby in the house. I wrote while she napped. On the good writing days, my husband would do the bedtime routine so I could squeeze in some more writing time in the evenings.

My first book came out in 2011. It was a digital picture book written under a different pen name, and I haven’t looked back since.

What do you love most about being an author?

I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t telling stories or enjoying books. My favourite thing is when I see a review from someone who really enjoyed my work. It’s that connection with readers that makes it all so special. An idea from my mind, that I worked on, usually for years, has resonated with someone who doesn’t know me. It’s mind-blowing every time.

What are you working on now?

I have a few things fighting for dominance of my writing time right now. I’ve been working on a women’s friendship story on and off for a few years now. I’m also working on a short story. Then, as writer brains love to do, I got hit with a quirky cast of characters who just popped into my mind and said, “Write about us. Now!” I couldn’t think about anything else until I grabbed my notebook and pen and started taking notes on who they are and what their story might be.

What do you hope readers will take away from Scotsman in the Stacks?

It’s been a very difficult couple of years for everyone. I finished my first draft of this book in March 2020, just before the world shut down. All of my revising and editing took place in the throes of lockdowns, virtual life, and near-constant worry. The world was an uncertain, difficult place with new brands of terrible news everyday. I want my book to put the opposite energy out there. I purposely wrote this book to be a low-angst, happy place for readers. It’s meant to be a feel-good love story to escape into for a little while.

More about the book

Paige wants two things: to land a full time librarian job and find the man of her dreams. On the cusp of thirty, she finds herself suddenly single and working part-time in a Michigan library. A handsome patron with a delicious accent appears at the reference desk, inadvertently sparking an idea that might help her land the promotion she so desperately needs. But that’s not the only thing he sparks.

James is in town from Glasgow, Scotland, on a summer artist residency. Luckily, the trip got him away from the pressure he feels to take over his uncle’s river tour business. He only wanted to clear his head and make his art in peace, but he wasn’t counting on finding an attractive librarian to fill his days.

With only eight weeks before James goes home to Scotland, Paige knows she should protect her heart. After all, she already wasted years with her commitment-phobe ex. But the more she gets to know James, the less she can stick to her plan to just be friends. Is she just wasting her time again, or can they bridge the ocean between them to find a happily ever after of their own?

Where you can pre-order:

Readers who pre-order, can win a fun prize pack – see details on Alana’s website (link below).

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon CA

Kobo | iBooks | Nook

More about Alana

A smiling woman with straight brown hair that falls just below her shoulders. She is wearing pink lipstick, a stripy shirt (vertical, various shares of pink) and glasses.

Alana Oxford is a Michigan author of romcoms, sweet romance, and humorous women’s fiction. She wants her stories to bring sunshine and smiles to her readers. She enjoys improv comedy, moody music, everything book related, and has an ongoing love affair with the United Kingdom.

Follow Alana

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Thank you so much for being on the blog, Alana, and wishing you all the best for the launch of this book.