Sunday, April 30, 2017

Literary Escapes Challenge--April Update

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Challenge – Try to read 1 book set in each of the 50 states + the District of Columbia. (51 Points). If you complete the challenge you earn 50 Bonus Points. You also can earn Bonus Points for books set in Countries around the world. 1 Bonus Point for each country. (No repeats – only 1 point can be earned for each country.) Your books can be fiction or non-fiction and can be in any format, print, digital, audio. 


Alabama--
Alaska--
Arizona--
Arkansas--Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women Of Little Rock by David Margolick
California--Scheduled To Death by Mary Feliz
Colorado--Fatality By Firelight by Lynn Cahoon
Connecticut--Pick Your Potion by C.C. Dragon
Delaware--
District of Columbia--Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich
Florida--Child's Play by Merry Jones
Georgia--15 Minutes by Larissa Reinhart
Hawaii--Murder At Turtle Cove by Kathi Daley
Idaho--
Illinois--Life After by Katie Ganshert

Indiana--When The Grits Hit The Fan by Maddie Day
Iowa--
Kansas--Brake Failure by Alison Brodie
Kentucky--A Ghostly Mortality by Tonya Kappes
Louisiana--A Fatal Romance by June Shaw
Maine--Telling Tails by Sofie Ryan
Maryland-- 
Massachusetts--The Witch And The Dead by Heather Blake
Michigan--My Perfect Imperfections by Jalpa Williby
Minnesota--
Mississippi--
Missouri--
Montana--
Nebraska--
Nevada--
New Hampshire--
New Jersey--
New Mexico--
New York--
North Carolina--Purr M For Murder by T.C. LoTempio
North Dakota--
Ohio--Ill Will by Dan Chaon
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina--What She Inherits by Diane V. Mulligan
South Dakota
Tennessee--The Big Overnight by Libby Kirsch
Texas--Say Goodbye For Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington--A Winter's Tail by Kathi Daley
West Virginia
Wisconsin--Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What "Making a Murderer" Gets Wrong by Ken Kratz
Wyoming


International Settings

Canada--Holiday Hangover by Kathi Daley
Italy--A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay
Greece--Evanthia's Gift by Effie Kammenou
France--Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Egypt--Exodus 95 by Kfir Luzzatto

Monday, April 24, 2017

NEW RELEASES/FREE AND BARGAIN BOOKS Weekly Linkup


Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
 Leels Loves Books | IrishdaisylovesRomance | Book Babble | Traci Hayden
Tuesday
Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures 
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | Jude Ouvrard
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Nicki's Nook
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance |
Colorimetry | J.C. Clarke
Saturday
3 Partners in Shopping | I Create Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings 
Sunday

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author
For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author
For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 
For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!

Would you like to share our linkup on your site? click here
Would you like to become a weekly host? sign up here


Come back and check out the new selection every week x


BOOK TRAILER BLITZ AND GIVEAWAY: The Sisters by Don Sloan


About the Book:

Title: THE SISTERS: A MYSTERY OF GOOD AND EVIL, HORROR AND SUSPENSE
Author: Don Sloan
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 239
Genre: Supernatural/Mystery/Horror/Thriller

In this book, written in the style of Stephen King, two young people on vacation in a small New England seacoast town battle unspeakable horror and solve a hundred-year-old mystery. Fourteen Victorian mansions whisper dark secrets among themselves, and a dangerous shadow roams up and down the wide, wintry boulevard in search of new prey.

The Sisters: A Mystery of Good and Evil, Horror and Suspense is available at Amazon


Book Excerpt:

Snow pellets blow white across the boulevard and up onto the wide, night-shadowed porch of the house just in the center of the block. Inside, past leaded glass doors and heavy oak furnishings, something moves.
Up the polished mahogany staircase, and up yet another flight to the third story something moves that has no breath, no warmth, no life.
There is a narrow passageway to the attic, locked behind a heavy door with steel bands. The shadow pauses at the door only long enough to pass cold fingers over the padlock. It falls heavily to the floor and the door opens. The shadow passes through, as quietly as a midnight breeze in an icy cold forest. Here, no light at all warms the creaking steps. It is darker than the inside of death.
In the attic, the bitter, knifing cold whirls and eddies around shapeless mounds of old memorabilia and the shadow moves silently to a dormer window. Cobwebs—spun by industrious spiders long dead—are brushed aside and a single candle is placed on the sill. And in the darkness a flame is struck.
Outside, the wind falls off to nothing, and snow drifts listlessly to the ground. The candle flickers briefly and catches, burning a pinprick hole in the vastness of the night.
Far out to sea, a single cry begins and then falls silent.
And in the dormer window, where the shadow has settled down to wait, the candle flares brightly and then goes out.

About the Author




Don Sloan is a former journalist for a large metropolitan daily newspaper and also an avid book reviewer, with more than 200 reviews posted on Amazon. His goal with the Dark Forces Series is to present readers with a new and exciting horror and suspense thriller experience. He currently lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina with his wife of 39 years, and, when not writing, enjoys a cold glass of Chardonnay in the evenings, sitting on his back deck.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK




Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to a $25 Amazon Gift Card
  • This giveaway ends midnight April 24.
  • Winner will be contacted via email on April 25.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

BOOK BLAST AND GIVEAWAY: Occult And Battery (Bay Island Psychic Mystery #2) by Lena Gregory

We welcome Lena Gregory's OCCULT AND BATTERY Book Blast today! Lena will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card at the end of her tour. Leave a comment on this blog for extra points!

Title: OCCULT AND BATTERY
Author: Lena Gregory
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 304
Genre: Cozy Mystery
A murder mystery weekend becomes a little too real in the latest Bay Island Psychic Mystery from the author of Death at First Sight—

Cass Donovan uses her skills as a former psychiatrist to get away with pretending to be psychic, but she’s not about to let anyone get away with murder...

The outlook is not so good for Cass’s psychic shop, Mystical Musings. With winter winds discouraging tourists from riding the ferry from Long Island to Bay Island, Cass hopes to draw in more customers by hosting a murder mystery weekend, complete with a sĂ©ance, in a supposedly haunted mansion.

But Cass begins to lose her spirit when her ex-husband shows up, along with his fiancĂ©e—Cass’s ex-best friend. Then, after one of the guests is found dead, a blizzard blows in, trapping everyone inside with a murderer. Now Cass must divine who did the deed before her reputation and her livelihood fade away.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Book Excerpt:
 

“Stop the car!”
Bee Maxwell slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop on the sand-covered shoulder. Without loosening his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, he turned a glare on Cass. “Are you crazy? What’s the matter?”
Cass released her hold on the dashboard and shot him a grin. “We’re here.”
A hand the size of a baseball mitt fluttered to Bee’s chest, with all the drama of a true diva. “You nearly gave me a heart attack because we’ve arrived at our secret destination?” Gritting his teeth, he shifted gently into park. No way would he jam the shifter into gear, even though she could tell he badly wanted to. The black Trans Am was his baby, always to be treated tenderly. Cass, on the other hand, was a different story. Bee looked about ready to throttle her. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to just tell me where we were going?”
Stephanie Lawrence poked her head between the seats to stare at Cass. “Not that I want to agree with Bee, but really, Cass, you could have just told him where to go. Then maybe this maniac wouldn’t have nearly put us through the windshield.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t think he’d agree to take me if I told him where we were going.”
Bee waved a hand in dismissal and glanced out the window, as if realizing for the first time where they were.
The old, supposedly haunted Madison Estate perched in the center of the highest ground on the island, amid dried-up beach grass, trees long since devoid of leaves, and garbage from whatever kids were brave—or stupid—enough to ignore their parents’ warnings. Thick, grey clouds gathered overhead, lending credence to the haunted stories Cass had heard since childhood.
A dainty shiver ran through Bee’s bulky frame. “Well, if your destination has anything to do with that house, you can just count me out.”
“But it’s perfect.” She opened the door and shot him a quick grin over her shoulder.
“Hey. Where are you going?”
Ignoring Bee’s protests, Cass climbed from the car. She closed the door behind her, effectively cutting off any further arguments. Bee happened to be deathly afraid of ghosts. Not that he believed in them.


About the Author

Lena Gregory lives in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island with her husband and three children. When she was growing up, she spent many lazy afternoons on the beach, in the yard, anywhere she could find to curl up with a good book. She loves reading as much now as she did then, but she now enjoys the added pleasure of creating her own stories.
Her latest book is the cozy mystery, Occult and Battery.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK


Giveaway Instructions:


Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
  • This giveaway ends midnight April 31.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

BOOK BLAST: Mystery At Manatee Key (Bella and Britt Beach Series #4) by Nancy Stewart


We welcome Nancy Stewart's MYSTERY AT MANATEE KEY Book Blast today!



Title: MYSTERY AT MANATEE KEY
Author: Nancy Stewart
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Pages: 36
Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Bella and Britt love to explore along the beach and at more remote places like Manatee Key as well.  It is there that they discover a manatee smuggling ring. 

The manatees have already been netted, so the girls must act fast!  But a kidnapper snatches Bella, hustling her into their hideout.  When Britt sneaks a look in the window, she discovers that the ranger is being held, too.  Now it’s up to Britt.  But what can a single girl do?

Mystery at Manatee Key is available at Amazon

 


Book Excerpt:
 
A dark animal circled slowly in the shallow water of Manatee Key. Walking closer, Bella whispered. “A baby manatee. And it has a patch of white near its snout.” Britt frowned. “But where’s the mother? It must be hungry. We should tell the ranger.”
“Yeah,” Bella said. “This one’s too young to be without her mom. Let’s go.”
The friends worked their way through the jungle-like brush back to their bicycles. Britt took the lead. “It’s really hot, but we gotta make time.” 
After a twenty minute ride down dusty paths leading to the main road in their coastal town, they reached the ranger station. “It’s quiet in here today,” Bella said.
 The ranger’s assistant glanced up from his reading. “Hi, girls. Can I help you?”
“We need to see the ranger and report an orphaned manatee,” Bella said.
He frowned. “She hasn’t come in today, and that’s not like her. I’ve called her phones. Nobody answered. And no one’s seen her. Have you by any chance?”
“No,” they answered at the same time.
 “Well, it’s a mystery,” he said. “I won’t call the police yet. But I’m getting worried. Now, about that manatee. Can you take me to it?”
 “Sure,” Britt said. “If you can bring us back to town. We rode our bikes here.” He nodded. “Of course.”


Nancy Stewart has been an elementary school teacher and a professor of education.  Having lived in London for ten years, she was a consultant to the University of Cambridge. She is the author of the Bella and Britt series picture books and the authorized biography of Katrina Simpkins, a young girl whose life was forever changed by Winter, the dolphin (Guardian Angel Publishing.)  Her writing of One Pelican at a Time was featured on the PBS special, GulfWatch in 2011.  Nancy’s YA-LGBT novel will be published by Interlude Press autumn of 2017.  She is a member of the Rate Your Story organization as a critique judge.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK



About the Author


Nancy Stewart has been an elementary school teacher and a professor of education.  Having lived in London for ten years, she was a consultant to the University of Cambridge. She is the author of the Bella and Britt series picture books and the authorized biography of Katrina Simpkins, a young girl whose life was forever changed by Winter, the dolphin (Guardian Angel Publishing.)  Her writing of One Pelican at a Time was featured on the PBS special, GulfWatch in 2011.  Nancy’s YA-LGBT novel will be published by Interlude Press autumn of 2017.  She is a member of the Rate Your Story organization as a critique judge.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK



http://www.pumpupyourbook.com

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

COVER REVEAL: Spells To Die For (Witch's Brew Cozy Mystery #2) by C.C. Dragon

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BOOK INFORMATION
Spells to Die For (Witch's Brew Cozy Mystery, #2) by C.C. Dragon
Release Date: May 2, 2017 – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071R9Z354 (preorder link)
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery


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Blurb


Claudia Crestwood and friends are back again for more mystery, murder, and magic!

New witches are welcomed to town. Even invited to a coven meeting. Then deadly spells turn up missing from the family collection—was it the rival witch or the one who turned up dead? Either way, Claudia needs to retrieve the spells and solve the murder…

With a competing coven growing and a new werewolf in town, Claudia has her hands full. Add in the personal secret she’s still trying to uncover plus her first magical ball and she needs all the help she can conjure!

ABOUT C.C. DRAGON

Cozy Mysteries With Sass & Romantic Suspense That Sizzles!

A loyal Chicago girl who loves deep dish pizza, the Cubs, and the Lake, C.C. Dragon is fascinated by mysteries, sleuthing, as well as the supernatural. The southern connection comes in because her sister moved down there and the material was too fun and entertaining not to set a series there.
C.C. loves creating characters, especially amateur sleuths who solve crimes in their spare time. A coffee and chocolate addict who loves fast cars, she’s still looking for a hero who likes to cook and clean…so she can write more! http://www.ccdragon.com/


AUTHOR LINKS

GIVEAWAY

Win $25 Amazon Gift Card, Signed copy of the book of your choice, and a CC/Cheryl Dragon swag pack! Ends April 30, 2017. Open to US residents only.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: Dial P For Poison (Movie Club Mystery #1) by Zara Keane

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Book Information
Series: Movie Club Mystery
Number in Series: 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date of Release: 13 April 2017
Publisher: Beaverstone Press
Number of Pages: 352


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Synopsis: Movies. Muffins. Murder.

Maggie Doyle moved to Ireland to escape her cheating ex and crumbling career in the San Francisco PD. When the most hated woman on Whisper Island is poisoned at her aunt’s Movie Theater CafĂ©, Maggie and her rock-hard muffins are hurled into the investigation.

With the help of her UFO-enthusiast friend, a nun, and a feral puppy, Maggie is determined to clear her aunt’s name. Can she catch the murderer before they strike again? Or will her terrible baking skills burn down the cafĂ© first?


Review: This is a great first entry for this series. This is a new to me author, but I'll definitely want to continue reading about the Movie Club.

Maggie is a very likable main character and her misadventures in baking at the cafe are a great source of humor. Being a former police officer also makes it a foregone conclusion that she will get involved in the investigation when a member of the Movie Club is found dead in the theater after the most recent movie night.

The author manages to work a lot of information about Maggie's past into this story without making it feel too burdensome. She also keeps us guessing about the identity of the murderer for most of the book as well.

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**
  Rating: Four stars

About the author
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USA Today bestselling author Zara Keane grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and spent her summers in a small town similar to the fictional Smuggler’s Cove, the setting of her new cozy mystery series.
She currently lives in Switzerland with her family. When she’s not writing or wrestling small people, she drinks far too much coffee and tries – with occasional success – to resist the siren call of Swiss chocolate.
Author Links
Purchase Links: http://smarturl.it/dialpforpoison     AMAZON  Kindle
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Monday, April 17, 2017

NEW RELEASES/FREE AND BARGAIN BOOKS


Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
 Leels Loves Books | IrishdaisylovesRomance | Book Babble | Traci Hayden
Tuesday
Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures 
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | Jude Ouvrard
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Nicki's Nook
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance |
Colorimetry | J.C. Clarke
Saturday
3 Partners in Shopping | I Create Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings 
Sunday

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author
For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author
For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 
For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Here is this weeks awesome selection!

Would you like to share our linkup on your site? click here
Would you like to become a weekly host? sign up here


Come back and check out the new selection every week x


Friday, April 14, 2017

THE DECORATOR WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (Madison Night #4) by Diane Vallere

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Book Information
  • Series: Madison Night Mystery (Book 4)
  • Print Length: 264 pages
  • Publisher: Henery Press (April 18, 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1635111986
  • ISBN-13: 978-1635111989


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Review: I'm a HUGE fan of this author and can't believe I haven't read this series yet! Madison Night is a wonderful main character....she is an interior decorator who specializes in mid-century modern decorating, and consistently dresses the part, wearing clothes made from Butterick patterns of the fifties and channeling her inner Doris Day.

This time around, Madison is on a "vacation" in Palm Springs with Hudson, where they are helping his brother-in-law with a construction/decorating project. When she finds a dead body in the river, the focus of her time switches to solving the murder, especially when she discovers several people she knows had a connection to the victim.

There is action all through the story, as well as several plot twists to keep the reader guessing. When the killer is finally revealed, it is a complete surprise....but at the same time, the motive is totally believable.

I can hardly wait to read more of Madison's adventures!!

Rating: Four stars


Links:


About the author
 photo Diane Vallere Author 300 dpi_zpsu1lrcdwy.jpg
Diane Vallere is a former fashion buyer turned mystery writer, trading fashion accessories for accessories to murder. She is president of Sisters in Crime and writes the Samantha KiddMadison NightCostume Shop, and Lefty-Award Nominated Material Witness Mysteries. She started her own detective agency at age ten and has maintained a passion for shoes, clues, and clothes ever since. 

Thursday, April 13, 2017

SPRING READING WEEK: Peanuts And Eggcups by Sara Mendes da Costa

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Book Information
  • Paperback: 727 pages
  • Genre: Women's fiction
  • Publisher: Clink Street Publishing (June 28, 2016)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1911110500
  • ISBN-13: 978-1911110507
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Synopsis: For Maggie Parsons there’s only ever been one man: the stunningly delicious Luke Henderson. Unfortunately, he left her, without explanation, after their ‘first night’ together …breaking her heart in the process. 

Now ten years on, without any contact, he’s back and going to her school reunion. Great! And, to confuse matters…so is his suave, sexy, brother Tony who makes a major play for Maggie, then turns up with his insufferable - supposedly ex – fiancĂ©e! 

Via the reunion, a black eye, getting the sack (as a result) a madcap girlie holiday and juggling her confused emotions around the two alluring brothers…Maggie starts to build a picture of what she really wants in life. 


Trouble is, Maggie’s a pawn in a game she doesn’t even know she’s playing …and things are about to get a whole lot more complicated. 

EXCERPT

Four best friends, my protagonist Maggie, Catherine, Jenny, and Pauline have just returned from a madcap girlie holiday in Spain where they were joined part way through the week by Pauline’s gay cousin Timmy. All apart from Catherine have just arrived back at Jenny’s dad’s farmhouse (he’s known as Mr. H) They’re spending a night there before returning to their respective homes.

Mysteriously, whilst in Spain, Maggie stopped hearing from Tony, the guy she’d been seeing before jetting off (who also happens to be Jenny’s brother/Mr. H’s son) She’s about to find out the reason why.

The taxi pulled up onto the gravel in front of the farmhouse.
My H must have seen us as the front door opened and he stood there all smiles. He came out and opened the back door of the taxi wearing his long shorts and gardening shirt, his face ruddy from the oppressive heat and his eyes twinkling. Somehow, he made coming home slightly more bearable. As we clambered out he hugged us one by one, genuinely pleased to see us all.
‘Welcome. Welcome!’ he boomed. ‘Come on in. The lawns are mown, the flowers are tucked up in their beds for the night and we’re all about to have a cup of tea in your honour.’ He ushered us towards the open door and into the hallway, taking each of our cases and putting them to one side at the bottom of the stairs.
All? I wondered. Who’s all?
Once in, the others followed Mr. H into the kitchen where he immediately made a fuss of Timmy who he hadn’t see for ages. For some reason, I found myself heading for the lounge. Another one of those invisible pulls? And there he was. Sitting slightly hunched on one of the old sofas, elbows on his knees, head in his hands, staring at the floor. He looked startled as I came in and our eyes met. He appeared…worried?
‘Hello, Tony,’ I said quietly.
I started to give him a shy, neutral, smile, one that I hoped wouldn’t suggest one thing or another but, as I did so, it froze on my face. From the door leading to the kitchen, entered a slim, pretty, fair-haired woman carrying a tray full of tea and cake.
She glanced up as she came in and her face also seemed to stop mid expression. Placing the tray down on the coffee table, she straightened herself up, brushed her hands off and smoothed down her skirt with her delicate little hands.
‘Hello,’ she smiled rather too sweetly, holding out her hand to shake mine.
‘I’m Laura. You must be…let me see, Maggie? Am I right?’ I may have imagined it but I could have sworn I detected a note of disdain in her voice.
My mind was working overtime. Laura? But wasn’t Laura…Tony’s Ex!?
Bewildered, I shook her hand, which was like shaking a limp lettuce leaf. Yick.
Glancing across to Tony, this time he wouldn’t meet my eye.
From behind me, Pauline and Timmy came in and Mr. H entered from the kitchen. Full of bonhomie, he introduced Laura to Pauline and Timmy who took turns in shaking the lettuce leaf.
Laura smiled a fake smile at them.
‘I’ve made the tea, just what we all need. Shall I be mum?’ she simpered.
I think I hated her on the spot.
Delicately – no make that annoyingly delicately – Laura began to pour tea into the china cups before sitting on the edge of the sofa like a little Kylie Minogue doll. I felt like a baby elephant by comparison.
We were still standing like lemons when Jenny skipped in. She stopped in her tracks staring at Laura then frowned.
‘What are you doing here?’ Her stare became a glare.
Her father interjected. ‘Jenny! That’s no way to talk to our guest now is it?’
Jenny shrugged, collapsing into the other armchair. Sliding round so she was sitting sideways she swung her legs over one arm like a little kid.
‘Sorry,’ she shrugged again. ‘Just thought these two were history.’
It didn’t appear anyone was going to offer any explanation about the reappearance of Laura. Tony seemed jittery and an awkward silence settled over the room. Mr. H broke it.
‘Cake anyone?’
‘For goodness sake, you lot, sit down will you,’ Jenny exclaimed. ‘I’ll break my neck having to talk up to you all!’
Pauline and Timmy sat on the two-seater, Mr. H on his favourite armchair and before I realised what was happening the only space left was the one on the sofa, next to Tony and Laura.
I glanced nervously at the empty seat, then at Tony who was beside it and then back at the seat.
‘Come along, Maggie, sit yourself down now. You’re making the place look untidy!’ Mr. H chortled. He’d always said that when we were kids.
I sat down tentatively, aware of Tony’s knees next to mine and trying desperately to stop them actually touching. Trouble was, the sofa was a really old squashy one that dipped in the middle. It was, therefore, almost impossible not to fall into the centre of it and onto Tony. I held on tightly to the arm so as to keep myself as upright as possible but it kept creaking whenever I moved and drawing attention to me. I sat perched as still as I could, hoping no one would ask me why I was doing an impression of someone riding the waltzers.

Review: This book had me laughing virtually from the first chapter to the last. Maggie Parsons is a quirky, likable character, as are her friends and coworkers. Poor Maggie finds herself facing one disaster after another, which gives the reader more laughs, but also makes us feel compassion for her.
When Maggie and her friends take a holiday to Spain to get away from the madness, the misadventures continue, with huge hangovers and trying to remember what happened the night before.
I was a bit intimidated by the fact the book was 727 pages long, but reading the journey of the four friends toward maturity and responsibility, with plenty of humor and romance along the way, made it easier to get through than I had expected. I would highly recommend this as a vacation read.

Rating: Four stars

About the author
 photo Sara Mendes da Costa_zps5ksufcmn.jpg Sara Mendes da Costa is the voice of the BT Speaking Clock; the fourth person to hold this prestigious title since 1936.

A successful, world-renowned voiceover artist, her dulcet tones are easily recognisable on television, radio, film and across countless media.

Never far from the press, she’s known for her appearances on BBC Breakfast, ITV This Morning, Children in Need, Wake up to Wogan and The Today Programme, and balances her prolific voiceover career with her passion and commitment as a novelist.

Peanuts & Eggcups, her debut novel - hotly anticipated by the industry - is “The perfect & highly addictive reading companion for women’s fiction fans”. `

A lover of laughter, creativity, great storytelling and a wee dram, Sara adores writing novels and seeks to entertain, uplift and inspire. 

Her upcoming novels: Time & Time Again & Maggie Ever After, are expected in 2017.

Visit: www.saramendesdacosta.com