Sara Mendes de Costa guest post *Peanuts and Eggcups Blog Tour*

  I'm welcoming Sara Mendes de Costa to Books with Bunny today as part of the tour for her new release Peanuts and Eggcups.  Sara's talking dating today...

 

 

I’ve never really been a dater. My general reaction is…dating? Yeeeech! Scary! OK, I guess what I mean is, I’ve never been into regularly dating lots of guys to see how things pan out – great if you can do it, good on you! Might as well keep going until that guy or gal who’s fabulous comes along, I’m just not very good at it! – or rather, I use up so much energy and adrenaline, and come back in a heap! All that small talk and nerves!

For me, in the past, I’ve generally either got to know someone so that by the time we went out it was likely to be a sure thing, or I’ve had that ‘love’ at first sight experience. So a first date was exciting and led to a relationship.

I remember agreeing to go out on a date when I was a lot younger. I don’t know what made me say yes; I guess I was quite chuffed he’d shown an interest, but when it came to it I couldn’t go through with it! I was really anxious and didn’t actually fancy him at all. My mum had to go out and tell him I wasn’t well and lie on my behalf – she wasn’t best pleased I can tell you! In the end my friend and I had a double date with him and his friend – safety in numbers and all that - but when he turned round from the car’s passenger seat to talk to us sitting in the back, he had the most AWFUL bad breath! I mean seriously bad!! My friend and I were helpless in fits of (trying to be silent) giggles in the back seat as we’d both caught a whiff and spent the rest of the journey holding our noses!

There was another guy some years later who was seriously gorgeous!!! (and he knew it) However, after a few dates, one night when things were getting pretty eh hem – shall we say – intimate, he walked naked into the room I was in and, in the darkness, managed to bang his head on the door frame! I laughed so hard – I couldn’t help myself! Oops! Apparently it really hurt! He wasn’t very happy with my reaction. But I couldn’t stop laughing cos all I could see was a rather graphic silhouette in the doorway clutching his head. Things didn’t last too long after that…

There have been some good experiences too though ☺

Going back just a few years, I was single and so was my best friend Annie so we decided to go out, um, looking around (if you see what I mean) She fancied a cocktail so, off we went to a nearby place and outside there was a guy who I later found out was called Michael (I won’t tell you the comments Annie and I made when we saw him, it’s far too naughty for here!) Anyhow I fell for him on the spot.

Having sat on a table right by him (and eaves-dropped on all his conversations) Annie decided to go to the loo which meant going past Michael’s table…and right past Michael. However, on her way, her big handbag knocked his pint all over the table and on to his lap! Poor guy! But he was really sweet about it. And then – AND THEN - she proceeded to say, without thinking, (and it’s not the sort of thing she’d say)

‘I think my friend would rather like to lick that off you’ !!!!!

Oh my god! Seriously?? Cheers mate!! But, hey, it worked, so who am I to complain? That was the start of a beautiful friendship. After that Michael and I kept bumping into each other on the way to the loo and in the end he plucked up the courage to come over and ask me out on a date.

That was seven years ago and we haven’t looked back. Thankfully, I won’t have to do any dating anytime soon I’m not so sure I’m cut out for it!

Peanuts and Eggcups

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 – fiancée!

 

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.

 

Available from Amazon UK

 

 

About Sara Mendes da Costa

 

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakingclock.saramendesdacosta

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BTSpeakingClock

Love Song - Sophia Bennett

The Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Nina doesn't get why everyone's obsessed with The Point - but when she averts a backstage disaster and is offered a job on tour, she can hardly turn it down. She quickly learns that being with the hottest band on the planet isn't as easy as it looks: behind the scenes, the boys are on the verge of splitting up. Tasked with keeping an eye on four gorgeous but spoiled rock stars, Nina's determined to stick it out - and not fall for any of them ...

The Review

There are some book reviews that I dread writing.  This is one of them.  I just know that it'll be impossible to convey everything I loved about this book in a few short paragraphs, because as young adult fiction goes, Love Song is pretty darn perfect.

Nina is an ordinary seventeen year old - well, sort of.  All around her people are going crazy for hot band The Point, but she doesn't see the attraction.  In fact, she only goes to their gig to keep her sister, who's a big fan, company.  However, when by a twist of fate she's offered an opportunity to join them on tour she sees a different side to each of the boys and they're no longer celebrities staring out of a magazine but real people with real problems...

It's gently humorous and touching and I adored Nina - she's such a relatable character.  Although she's in an extraordinary situation she comes across as a normal, grounded young woman discovering who she is and what she wants from life, which sets this book apart from some of the other reads out there with a celebrity backdrop.  It was well written and engaging, and I genuinely couldn't stop reading it.  I actually fell asleep with it in my hand - that's how unwilling I was to put it down.

However, what I loved most about this book was the way it unflinchingly examined what it means to be a fan to the point of what some people might class as 'obsession'.  As a self-confessed fangirl I absolutely related to the hoards of fans who bonded over a shared love the band.  Sophia Bennett captured the essence of what it is to love a band, and more importantly be part of a fandom, perfectly.  I actually shared certain passages from this book on social media to try and explain that "Yes!  This is how it feels to be a fan!" to all those who have mocked and accused and been dismissive of what it means to be a part of a community of people who love the same thing.  Part of me hoped they'd see it and understand.  But there's a selfish part of me that didn't want them to, because it really feels that Love Song is for us die-hards, for those who've pressed F5 until their fingertips have gone numb on ticket release day, or those who've queued for eight hours for the doors to a gig to open. 

I hope all the other fangirls I know read this book and love it as much as I did.  Love Song is a book I know I'll reread again and again and again.

Love Song is out now, published by Chicken House books.

Waiting on Wednesday- On the Other Side- Carrie Hope Fletcher

I admit it.  I'm a fangirl for Carrie.  I read and loved All I Know Now and actually let an audible squeak of delight escape from my lips when I heard her next book was going to be fiction.  I can't wait to see how her voice will develop as she takes this step into novel writing, and wish it wasn't such an incredibly long wait...

 

But I keep reminding myself, all good things are worth waiting for, and I'm sure On the Other Side will be fantabulous!

 

 

The Blurb

Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door,

Leave the weight of the world in the world from before

Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won't open.

Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow, some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love . . .

On the Other Side will transport you to a world that is impossible to forget. Powerful, magical and utterly romantic, this is a love story like no other from everyone's favourite 'big sister', Carrie Hope Fletcher.

On the Other Side is due for release 14th July 2016, published by Sphere.

Waiting on Wednesday- All of the Above- James Dawson

 

 

Today's Waiting on Wednesday is All of the Above by James Dawson.  Now I LOVE James Dawson.  I read This Book is Gay last year and it was so brilliantly open and accessible that it made me check out James Dawson on twitter.  And now I'm addicted, because as well as being a talented YA writer, he's witty and smart (not to mention having an incredibly hot profile pic).  I actually described him as my literary crush when I was talking about him the other day.  And previously there was only Edward Rochester who could seriously take that title (yes, I'm aware Rochester is fictional).

 

So I admit, I'm a fangirl for James Dawson, but what's not to love?  He's a huge champion of YA literature, standing up staunchly for LGBT* rights and he's writes brave and different books. 

 

All of the Above sounds right up my street and I can't wait for it's release on September 3rd (published by the ever wonderful Hot Key Books)!

 



James' twitter profile pic



The Blurb

This is a funny and moving love story about friends, first loves and self-discovery by Queen of Teen 2014.

When sixteen-year-old Toria Bland arrives at her new school she needs to work out who her friends are in a crazy whirl of worry, exam pressure and anxiety over fitting in. Things start looking up when Toria meets the funny and foul-mouthed Polly, who's the coolest girl that Toria has ever seen. Polly and the rest of the 'alternative' kids take Toria under their wing. And that's when she meets the irresistible Nico Mancini, lead singer of a local band - and it's instalove at first sight! Toria likes Nico, Nico likes Toria, but then there's Polly...love and friendship have a funny way of going round in circles.

Writing a reading for My Best Friend's Wedding

This weekend was the wedding of my oldest friend to her partner of 10.5 years.  Emotional enough, without being asked to not just read, but also write a reading!

I blogged about it on my author blog here.

With my best friend Jen on her wedding day.
 

Fortune- A Short Story by Erin Lawless HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

Harper Impulse Fortnight is finally here!  And kicking off the fun is the fabulous Erin Lawless (who wrote the wonderful The Best Thing I Never Had) with an exclusive short story. 

FORTUNE by Erin Lawless

Sarah had always had a hearty appetite, and it had always been a point of amusement for Jack. As it was, she had valiantly matched her old friend course for course, serving for serving, right up until dessert, where the thought of deep-fried fruit was finally enough to make her queasy. Seeing her expression Jack hesitated, before closing the menu and asking instead for the bill.

"It's gonna be massive," he whined, slouching in his chair. "Why do you have to eat so much?" he pointed at chopstick at her accusingly. Sarah batted it away with one of her own.

"Me?" she asked, incredulously. "You had practically that entire duck to yourself!"

They were interrupted by the timely arrival of the bill, placed in a conspicuously inconspicuous manner on a plate piled high with gold-wrapped fortune cookies. Jack whipped the bill out from under them, skimmed it quickly before slipping the waitress his bank card.

"What's the damage?" Sarah asked, reaching for her purse as the waitress went to fetch the card machine.

Jack waved the moist towelette he'd just unwrapped dismissively. "You'll get the next one." Sarah made a mental note to make sure that she did; she and Jack had a long-standing dinner date, the first Friday of every month, without fail.

As Jack duly checked the amount and entered his PIN, Sarah opened one of the cookies.

There is no limit to love's forbearance - to its trust, its hope, and its power to endure.

Sarah read it through three times, then sighed and lowered her hands to the table, the small slip of paper folding between them. The waitress wished them a good evening and left with her cash tip. Jack made a grab for a cookie of his own.

Trust your intuition. The universe is guiding your life.

He waved his fortune at her with a smug expression.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. These things don't actually mean anything."

"What does yours say then?"

"It says, "Help! I'm trapped in a fortune cookie factory"," Sarah joked, reaching for another cookie.

Only love lets us see ordinary things in an extraordinary way.

Sarah sighed and a curious Jack pulled the little piece of paper from her fingers. His eyes flicked up to look at his companion. The bridge of her nose was flushed pink and her long fingers were occupied with nervously shredding the golden foil the cookies had come wrapped in. Jack pressed his lips together to suppress a smile. She'd been so edgy these last few months. He'd hoped he'd guessed the reason why. He let the paper flutter down to the tablecloth and reached leisurely for the penultimate cookie.

One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes he recited aloud, this time unable to conceal his amusement. Sarah's blush darkened but she maintained an aloof expression, staring into the middle distance.

"These things are just for kids…" she murmured, her agitated fingers plucking and shredding. Jack regarded her in silence for a moment before reaching for the final fortune, extracting it from the cookie and reading it solemnly. Sarah waited for him to announce it in that typical jokey way, but instead he looked up at her, in silence, before folding the small piece of paper in two, sliding it into his wallet and slipping that in turn into his jeans pocket.

He grinned cheerfully at her as he rose from the table.

"C'mon," he said simply, standing at the side of the table and extending a hand to her. "Let's go walk all this food off." Hesitantly Sarah slipped her hand into his and allowed him to pull her up from her chair. Bidding their farewell and thanks to the waiting staff, they exited the restaurant and set off into the darkened city streets. It was finally the right time. He kept her hand in his.

Jack always kept that little paper fortune tucked in his wallet after that night: Decide what you want and go for it.

 

You can find out more about Erin by visiting her website, facebook or by following her on twitter @rinylou.  Her new novel, Somewhere Only We Know , is available for preorder now.

 

Black Eyed Boy- Laura Huntley

The Blurb

Emily is fifteen. She feels like a ghost in her own home as her parents seem increasingly lost in their own worlds, and only has her best friend, Billy, for company.

Then Emily meets Dylan, the mysterious and gorgeous new stranger in town. With his unusual eyes and irresistible charm, she is soon smitten. But with Billy’s growing jealousy and a series of devastating family tragedies, can they last? Should they?

Dylan is hiding a powerful secret; a secret that could change Emily’s life forever.

The Review

I bought this book because I know the author- Laura runs my writing group (you can read more about that here ) and as I'm familiar with her writing style I knew this would be a good read.  I was less sure about whether the plot would appeal to me as although I knew it was a romance, Laura does love her dark twists and turns.  However, although Black Eyed Boy has a distinct gothic air and a feel of foreboding, the romantic in me was pleasantly surprised by just how driven by love the plot actually was.

It's a coming of age tale of that all consuming first love, and reading Emily's feelings towards Dylan took my right back to being a teen again.  However, this book definitely has a crossover appeal and isn't just for the young adult audience-it's fresh and original. 

Emily is fifteen and when she spots traveller Dylan she (along with all the other girls in town) is under his spell.  He's different and mysterious and before long Emily is choosing to spend time with Dylan rather than with her oldest friend Billy or even her terminally ill mother.  She is completely smitten with Dylan and nothing else seems significant.  Except for the raven who sits on her window ledge each evening...

Beautiful historic Whitby makes a dramatic backdrop for this love story with a difference and the exquisite descriptions of the town transported me straight to one of my favourite UK destinations.  In fact, I'd go as far as to say the seaside setting is as much a 'character' as typical teen Emily and gypsy Dylan. 

The difficult theme of bereavement is tackled bravely and with an honest sensitivity. I ran the full gauntlet of emotions reading Black Eyed Boy- it had a bit of everything, and a true Yorkshire flavour to boot.

A final note must be reserved for Emily's caring and insightful neighbour Mrs Bishop.  I loved her so much!  What a wonderful, warm periphery character and a reminder to all readers and writers of the importance of a varied cast to add depth to a novel. 

I'm so happy there's going to be more from these characters as a sequel is in the pipeline- please don't let it be too long a wait!

Black Eyed Boy is out now in ebook format, published by Crooked Cat.

Tied Up With Love- Amelia Thorne BLOG TOUR

It's the Tied Up With Love blog tour!!!!

 

The Blurb

‘We’re from KMW. Do exactly as you’re told and you won’t get hurt...'

 

Being grabbed off the street, blind folded, tied up and thrown into a van was not what Izzy expected to happen when she stepped out the door that morning. But when an accidental kidnapping at the hands of the sexy Ethan Chase and his 'Kidnap My Wife' sexual fantasy business leads to just that, Izzy seizes the chance to turn her misfortune into a brilliant new job opportunity… Since then, life has been one big tangle of new client meetings, fake kidnapping pick-ups, and handling the temperamental, but drop dead gorgeous 'bad boy' Mr Chase. But, as liberating as being tied up in Ethan's life is, Izzy knows the time is fast approaching when she must make some decisions and take charge of her future. The only question is: will Ethan allow himself to be a part of it?

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The Review

 

I didn't know what to expect from this book when agreeing to review it as part of the blog tour-I said yes because I've been interacting with Amelia on twitter for a while now and was keen to help spread the word about her latest release (you can find her  on twitter by searching @Amelia_Writes).  But it's fair to say I wasn't expecting what I got.  The 'tied up' clue in the title completely passed me by(obviously because I'm such an innocent) and I'd never have predicted the madcap world I was launched into from the pretty cover.

Readers are immediately thrown into a scenario where Izzy is whisked away by the Kidnap My Wife heavies, but it doesn't take long for it to become apparent that this isn't a book built around titillation or smut.  There are some raunchy scenes and there's plenty of sexual tension...my kindle was smoking with the sparks flying between Izzy and Ethan!  But I wasn't expecting a 'kidnap-my-wife-to-spice-up-our-sex-life' company to then become a book which is about so much more than sex.  I had preconceived ideas about what the plot would be and I was totally wrong. 

I'd expected bondage and experimental sex, when in reality Tied Up With Love falls firmly within the boundaries of humorous romance rather than erotica.  It focuses on community life.  Friendship.  Family.  And it has a serious moral at the heart of it, one simple lesson that's tied up in every plot and subplot- not to judge others. 

This makes it sound more heavy going than it is.  It's actually really witty and sharp, a feisty ball-of-fire of a book.  Tied Up With Love is full of one liners and Izzy is a strong protagonist (both in her ability to use her fists and her determined character)- she's a memorable heroine.  And Ethan...not the kind of man I'd usually go for but there's something in him which I fell for.  He comes across as rough and ready but there's a soft centre in there, a vulnerability hidden inside.  I wanted him and Izzy to stop fighting the feelings and just admit they needed each other!  But with two headstrong characters it's always going to be a battle of pride and willpower...

This was a book which seemed to speed along, there's no opportunity to get bored or skim-read because it hurtles along at pace.  It's also fresh and modern, totally different to anything else out there at the moment.  Fantastically fun!

Duende- E.E. Ottoman

The blurb
Famed opera singer Aimé has a lot in common with Badri, the Royal Ballet Company's most popular male lead. They have both dedicated their entire lives to their art, and struggle to be taken seriously among the Empire's elite. And both harbor a secret admiration and desire for the other.

This year for his birthday Aimé treats himself to a night at the ballet seeing Badri perform, and after the show decides to meet Badri and confess his admiration for Badri's skill. But when that first awkward meeting turns to more, they are left wondering if there is room in their lives for both career and romance…

The Review
Oh, how I loved this book!  I can't put into words just how much it touched me. 

Firstly, I adored how art was portrayed as a vessel for life.  That was something I could totally relate to and I felt E.E. Ottoman managed to put that across beautifully.  But most of all, this is a fabulous love story.  Aime and Badri aren't perfect.  But they love each other, imperfections and all, with that total, all-consuming love and fascination. 

It is intense.  It is passionate.  In fact, my heart almost leapt out of my chest because their relationship was so beautiful and tender and real.  And I think I developed a bit of a crush on Badri too.  Partly because he was so wonderfully dedicated, partly because of his love for Aime, partly because he places such importance on family by doting on his brother Sushil.

I can't really compare it to anything else out there.  It kind of defies genre.  Duende is otherworldly.  It is romance.  It is erotica.  And (although I hate classifying things this way) it is GBLTQ.

But above all it is fantastic. 

I didn't realise it was part of a series, but have now greedily got my hands on part one.  And part three is in the pipeline!  Yippee!  I just hope there will be more of Amie and Badri somewhere along the way, even if it is a cameo or reference.  I love them like I love Jane and Mr Rochester.  I want to write fanfics about them.  I want them to be adapted into a TV series shown late night on BBC3 (or maybe E4).

Basically, I want more.

Bring.  It. On.

Duende is out now, published by Less Than Three.

I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review.