Harper Impulse Fortnight

Since announcing Harper Impulse Fortnight, I've been inundated with book lovers, bloggers and authors keen to find out more about the event.  Hopefully this post will tell you everything you need to know!

What is Harper Impulse Fortnight?
Harper Impulse Fortnight (HIFortnight) is a two week period celebrating Harper Collins' digital first romance publisher Harper Impulse.

When is Harper Impulse Fortnight?
It runs April 27th 2015-May 10th 2015 inclusive.

Why Harper Impulse?
I've been a big fan of their books since their launch in 2013 and believe Harper Impulse are currently the most diverse of all the romance publishers.  There is something for every romance reader in their back catalogue so I wanted to spread the love!

How Can I Get Involved?
The Harper Impulse Challenge- can you read and review (either on your blog/goodreads/amazon/all three!) at least one Harper Impulse book during HIFortnight?  You can view their titles on the Harper Impulse website to get a flavour of which tickle your fancy.

Blog Posts- If you are a book or lifestyle blogger, could you dedicate one or more posts to Harper Impulse books or authors during HIFortnight?  These could be reviews, guest posts, HI books you'd like to read...or anything else relating to Harper Impulse! 

If you are interested in running a Q and A or guest post with a specific author, most are willing to oblige you with some exclusive content (depending on their writing/work commitments)- you can either contact them directly via Twitter or Facebook, or if you'd prefer, tweet me (@katey5678) and I'll approach them on your behalf.

Follow the Hashtag- To keep up to date with everything that is happening in HIFortnight, including some wonderful giveaways, follow the hashtag #HIFortnight.  It would be great if you'd use this hashtag in your own tweets relating to the event so other readers and authors can read your views and reviews!

So that's the outline for Harper Impulse Fortnight!  There are no restrictions or rules, and you can be as involved as you want, posting about it each day or once during the fortnight...it's up to you. 

You don't need to sign up to take part, although if you let me know you're planning to be involved I can email you the banner for the event and help you get any more information/guest posts if needed.

I'm contactable on twitter, @katey5678.

Persephone Book Group at Bird's Yard, Sheffield

The wonderful Bird's Yard on Chapel Walk, stockist of all manner of independently retailed goods, was the venue for the very first Persephone Book Group run by Handpicked Books, who have a unit in the shop.

On the evening of March 19th, a small group of us met to discuss Miss Buncle's Book, which I've previously reviewed here. We had an interesting discussion about  how society, community life and women were portrayed in the book, and enjoyed dissecting the varied cast of characters.  We also spoke about author DE Stevenson, as well as veering off into other bookish chat and enjoying tea and posh biscuits.

All are welcome to join us when we next meet on June 4th to discuss High Wages by Dorothy Whipple, but please let either @bookshandpicked or myself @katey5678 know via twitter so we can put enough chairs out- and get enough biscuits!  We start at 6pm and stay for around an hour and it's very informal and laid back. None of us profess to be literary geniuses, we just enjoy reading about life in a bygone era.

If you need a copy High Wages prior to the meeting, they are available to purchase from Handpicked Books at Bird's Yard.

Come along and join the fun!  We're a small, but friendly group!

The Gingerbread Cafe trilogy- Rebecca Raisin

 

I am over the moon excited to be the first stop on Rebecca Raisin's blog tour for The Gingerbread Café Trilogy!  I read and adored these books as they came out and am so pleased they have been repackaged as a set-after all, what book lover doesn't love a set?! 

 

You can read my reviews for Christmas at the Gingerbread Café, Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café and Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café by clicking on the links, or find out more by reading the blurb below. 

 

If you haven't discovered Rebecca Raisin yet you're in for a deliciously scrummy treat- pun very much intended!

The Gingerbread Café Series Blurb

Enjoy the warmth, cupcakes and hot chocolate of The Gingerbread Café series, and follow Lil’s journey to happily ever after…

Lil has every recipe down, from gingerbread men to cinnamon muffins. So when gorgeous outsider Damon opens a shop opposite The Gingerbread Café, Lil refuses to let him steal her customers without a fight – no matter how much he makes her heart flutter.

When it comes to love, Lil’s never quite got the method right! But it looks like this time, deviating from the recipe might just lead Lil to the magic ingredient she’s been missing all along…

Don’t miss this delicious series from best-selling author Rebecca Raisin – the ultimate romantic indulgence.

 

About The Author

Rebecca Raisin is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She's been widely published in short story anthologies, and in fiction magazines. And now she is focusing on writing romance.

Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships and believe in true love.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON UK AMAZON US NOOK

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.

Cherry Pie Island series- Jenny Oliver BLOG TOUR

I am a huge fan of Jenny Oliver and I'm really excited about her latest delicious series, Cherry Pie Island.  Jenny very kindly agreed to do a Q and A with Books with Bunny as part of her blog tour, so let's get down to business!

Are you a baker, and if so have you always baked?  What are your earliest memories of baking?
- My earliest memory of baking is helping with the chocolate cake at Christmas - creaming butter and sugar till my arm hurt! At primary school we had baking on rotation and I always prayed it was my turn. I loved it. We would make little cupcakes and eat them when they were still warm. At secondary school we did Home Ec - I remember making swiss roll and us sneaking into the classroom and eating what we’d made at lunchtime which was totally against the rules! Having to go home and tell your parents you got in trouble for eating swiss roll is so ridiculous. We did learn a lot of the basics of cooking though, and I think it was a really important lesson that I hope doesn’t fall off the curriculum completely.

Have you ever had a baking disaster?

- Oh loads! The one that scarred me for life was in the aforementioned Home Ec lessons. We had to make a flan for an exam - my pastry crumbled, my pie dish was too small, my patisserie creme didn’t set so all the strawberries sunk into it and disappeared without a trace and then my jam glaze congealed into a lump. It was so awful. Not one bit went right. It sat forlornly at the bottom of our fridge for ages when I took it home. Not even my dad would eat it which is saying something.

You write the most beautiful, vivid descriptions of food in your books- don't you find it makes you hungry to write?  Because as a reader my mouth is always watering when I read them!

- Have you seen the film Hook? When they’re hungry they imagine that they’re eating something and savour the taste in their minds. For me, writing about food is a bit like that. I feel like I’ve been living off cherry pie for weeks.

This is the first book in the Cherry Pie Island series, how many do you envisage overall and how long will readers have to wait for the next instalment?

- At the moment there are four in total, but I’m sure I’ll pop back there in the future. They’re coming out one a month so you don’t have long to wait for the next one!

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Jenny, as always it's a pleasure!

- Thanks for having me! x

 

THE GRAND REOPENING OF THE DANDELION CAFÉ, the first book in the Cherry Pie Island Series, is available now.

Find out more about the Pie Bake Off here.

 

Afternoon tea with Rebecca Raisin

On Sunday 29th March around thirty book bloggers met in London to celebrate Rebecca Raisin's arrival on British soil!  Despite travelling from Australia just the day before, the author looked relaxed and glamorous, and perhaps most surprisingly, wide awake! 

Rebecca has a huge following here in the UK and as her Gingerbread Café trilogy is being repackaged as a collection it was certainly cause for celebration.  The venue was well selected for a host of bibliophiles- the 5th view bar on the fifth floor of Waterstone's Piccadilly, the largest bookshop in Europe. 

We were treated to a gorgeous selection of what our table described as 'teeny tiny food'-the mini Yorkshire puddings and chocolate brownies were dwarfed by the delicious and generously sized scones.  We also had a glass of Prosecco to accompany it, plus a choice from a variety of different teas and coffees.


The teeny tiny food

I had a brilliant time on my table sat with Tay (Chicks That Read), Rebecca (Brunette Lifestyle), Laura (Little Northern Soul), Lisa (Reading Room with a View) and Trish (Trish B's Blog).  We chatted about anything and everything (although admittedly, mostly books) and had a real laugh.

Rebecca gave a short speech thanking everyone for coming and supporting her work, and it was so, so wonderful to spend time talking to her in person.  She's been a huge inspiration and support to me on my own writing journey and given me invaluable feedback, so being able to give her a real hug rather than a virtual one was lovely!



Me with Rebecca Raisin

I finished off my time in London with a visit to the British Library where I pawed at the glass covering the manuscript of Jane Eyre and dreamed about a CIP catalogue record of my book being available from there one day (I have no idea what that actually means, but I ALWAYS notice that phrase in publication details at the start of books.  Whatever it is, I want it.  It sounds awesome.)

At the British Library

All in all a wonderful day full of bookish fun. Huge thanks to Rebecca and Carina UK for allowing me to be part of it, and to 5th View for being so accommodating.

Indiscretion- Hannah Fielding BLOG TOUR

 

I'm thrilled to be today's stop on Hannah Fielding's blog tour!  Indiscretion was released last week,  and I was instantly captivated by the cover- totally alluring and full of Spanish fire (plus, I want those cheekbones...)

 

Keep reading to find out what I thought of Hannah's latest book.

 



The Blurb
Secrets, danger and passion under the scorching Spanish sun from the Award-winning author of The Echoes of Love. Set in the wild landscape of Andalucia, Indiscretion is a compelling story of love and identity, danger and desire, and the uncertainty of happiness when two worlds collide. Written in Fielding's signature style, infused with an old-school Hollywood glamour, Indiscretion evokes the drama and passion of 1950s post-war Spain.

The Review
Having read and enjoyed Hannah Fielding's The Echoes of Love back in 2013, I was delighted to be invited to review Indiscretion.  What I remembered most about The Echoes of Love was the gorgeously descriptive passages that made me feel like I'd been transported to Venice so I was keen to see if this latest offering would also do that-I quite fancied the idea of visiting Andalucia, even if it was via the pages of a novel rather than in real life!

Alexandra, the protagonist of the piece, is a writer in 50s London, but keen to visit her family in Spain for the first time.  She takes the plunge, convincing herself the trip is as much about research for her latest novel as visiting her family, but once Alexandra arrives in Andalucia she becomes embroiled in family drama and falls for the charms of suave batchelor Salvador.

Hannah Fielding's novels are not the most fast paced, but the wonderful descriptions of southern Spain make up for that.  It's dramatic and passionate, a family saga with sharp observations of the intricacies of relationships, and the location adds to the fiery, passionate feel. 

This book is quite a slow burner at the start, so I recommend setting aside some time to devote to reading the first few chapters- get to know the characters and the setting, and then when the drama heats up you'll find the pace picks up too.  However, the description-heavy writing gave me plenty of visual imagery so I could daydream about a bit of Spanish sun as the story built up.

If you like your romances filled with smouldering Mediterranean men, secrets and lies, then Indiscretion could be the perfect read for you this Easter.

Indiscretion is out now in hardback, published by London Wall Publishing.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.