Friday 31 July 2015

Blog Tour: interview with Katharine McMahon author of The Woman in The Picture

Today I am lucky enough to be joined by the author of The Woman in The Picture Katharine McMahon. She has answered some questions for you all today to celebrate the launch of her novel which came out yesterday, here's a bit about the book...

The Woman in the Picture by Katharine McMahon  (published by Orion in paperback on 30 July, £7.99)
 
The page-turning sequel to THE CRIMSON ROOMS by the author of bestselling Richard & Judy Book Club pick, THE ROSE OF SEBASTOPOL.
 
London, 1926. Evie Gifford, one of the first female lawyers in Britain, is not a woman who lets convention get in her way. She has left her family home following a devastating love affair, much to her mother's disapproval.
 
London is tense in the days leading up to the General Strike and Evelyn throws herself into two very different cases - one involving a family with links to the unions and the other a rich man who claims not to be the father of his wife's child. Evie is confronting the hardest challenge of her career when she is faced with an unexpected proposal - just as her former lover returns.  How can she possibly choose between security with a man she admires and passion for the man who betrayed her?
 
Katharine McMahon is the author of nine novels and a magistrate who lives in London.


Thank you so much to Katharine for stopping by today, the book is out in hardback and its lush!


1. Evelyn is a woman ‘doing a man’s job’ at the time the novel is set. While she is certainly feminine, her head rules her heart. Is she typical of the heroines you have created, or more of a departure?

 

Evelyn is something of a departure because she’s a pioneer in the law and is fully qualified in that subject. My previous heroines such as Rosa in The Rose of Sebastopol or Emilie in The Alchemist’s Daughter generally take on an entirely unconventional role because as women they have little or no opportunity to train professionally. Evelyn is highly educated and is struggling to find her feet in a competitive male environment – her nearest counterpart in my fiction is Bess Hardemon in Confinement.

            Evelyn has to be hard-headed in order to survive. She is working within the structure of a legal system based on precedent. But she does things her own way, partly because she has to. She is not supported by the entrenched conventions of the legal profession as her male peers are. And while this makes life hard for her, it also gives her the freedom to do things her own way.

 

 

2. It’s clear that you’ve done quite a bit of research before writing The Woman in the Picture. Have you stuck closely to the facts, or has there been some artistic flexibility?

 

This is a novel set during the General Strike of 1926, a surprisingly slippery period of our history. As always with historical research, ‘facts’ are often quite hard to establish. There aren’t many ‘facts’, for example, about the early women lawyers, let alone about what they were up to during the General Strike. There are, however, some brilliant clues. I know that some pioneering women in the law, for instance, didn’t want to confuse their work with the suffragette cause; they wanted to fight one battle at a time. Women’s opinion was also sharply divided as to whether to support the strikers or to become actively involved in shoring up the establishment by volunteering to do men’s work during the strike. The General Strike, like many other historical moments of crisis, gave women the opportunity to step beyond their conventional roles.

            Part of a novelist’s task, I maintain, is to find these unique perspectives on so-called ‘facts’. Because I am creating a fiction, I am looking at history from a very idiosyncratic viewpoint, but I am not being flexible; I am being clear-sighted.

 

 

3. Many themes are explored in the novel: the place of women; class in British society; politics; race; friendship; family ties. Which theme was the most exciting, or stimulating, to write about? 

 

I don’t think or write with themes in mind. Most of all I want to tell a cracking story, but my characters and my research take me in wholly unexpected and often quite thematic directions. Of all the themes in this book, it is women’s role within the domestic setting which I found most stimulating – perhaps because Evelyn is so determined to step outside of it. I was very interested in the Russell Case, which inspired Annabel Petit’s story, and this strand is poignantly balanced by that of domestic abuse of a much more explicit and brutal kind, which unfortunately is a recurring theme in law reports of the time.

 

 

4. As a writer, what is it that draws you to particular historical contexts, as opposed to the present day?

 

I’m excited by our connections with the past and I think we forget them at our peril. I like the fact that in taking a long view we can see where we’ve come from. I find that the past sheds a fascinating light on the present. I happen to be quite involved with the criminal justice system through my work as a magistrate, and what is happening in our modern world to do with the debate over human rights, for example, with funding in the family courts or with how women progress in the law is given a sharper emphasis because I am engaged in examining the past. But I am writing about the past from the point of view of a twenty-first-century woman and I find that double perspective very exciting.

 

5 Are any of your characters in the novel based on real people – a politician, for example, or a lawyer? A member of the aristocracy?

 

My characters grow from the germ of an idea. Often I’ll use the traits of people who have made a personal impact on me, which is why I never initially base characters on people I haven’t met such as celebrities or aristocrats. That said, an impact can be swiftly made. I remember meeting a local MP once who came across as extraordinarily ambitious – whilst shaking hands and holding conversations he glanced repeatedly about to see who else was in the room and whether they were potentially more useful. When I began to build the character of Timmo Petit I remembered that brief encounter and how irrelevant it had made people feel, and that provided a clue as to what it would feel like to be Annabel Petit, married to the likes of such a man. But once I’d begun to build Petit I looked to other politicians of the time and realised that a particularly charismatic and complex figure was Oswald Mosley, who swapped his political allegiances – and his wife - in pursuit of his ideology, desire and ambition.

 

6 How much do you think things have changed for women, both personally and in terms of wider society, since 1926?

 

That’s a very complicated question because I think our role now is much more complex than it was in 1926. It has taken nearly a hundred years since Evelyn Gifford’s day for us to have one woman judge in the supreme court, for instance. And we have not resolved the problem of who is to raise our children or how important close contact with a nurturing parent is in the early years, as opposed to full-time child care. We still think immensely long working hours, even whilst raising children, are acceptable, either because people are struggling to earn enough or because they are wedded forcibly or otherwise to their professional lives. Women are still vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse – as are men. So things might have changed, but they haven’t got simpler, that’s for sure.

 

7 Do you have any influences, in terms of other writers? Do you have a favourite book or one that sparked a desire to write?

 

I was an obsessive reader as a little girl and one of my favourite books was Jean Webster’s Daddy-Long-Legs. I loved the romance and the mystery and the wit. Monica Dickens’s One Pair of Handsand One Pair of Feet were other favourites, devoured time after time: self-deprecating, witty, firmly rooted in reality. My greatest influence, as an emerging writer, was probably Penelope Fitzgerald – I think her novels The Blue Flower and The Beginning of Spring are delicate and bold. And of course for bad times or flat times or just times when the brain is thirsty, Jane Austen.

 

 

8 Which is your favourite era in history? In which era would you like to have lived, apart from the present day, and why?

 

Since I feel the cold terribly I wouldn’t want to go back in time for long. I love Regency frocks but have no idea how Jane Austen and her pals kept warm in them.

            But to spend a few months as a beautiful and wealthy widow, a patron of the arts, in about 1600 would have been amazing – I’d perhaps have been able to arrange a few chats with Mr Shakespeare, which would be worth any amount of time travel.

            I’d also like a trip back to about 1850 London so long as I could engineer conversations with Charlotte Bronte, Florence Nightingale and the extraordinary Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon.

 

9 Do you have any rituals that accompany your writing process – for example, do you write in a specific place, between certain hours, with or without music in the background?

 

My life is full of rituals. I don’t know any other way of getting things done. I work rigorously between certain hours, have breaks at certain times, do the same things in those breaks (a bit of housework, make coffee, make a phone call). I only work on emails at certain times of the day. We moved recently to a small flat and I now work in a hut in the garden which suits me perfectly. It is small, very warm, very snug, with a window overlooking next door’s trees. I can hear the bustle of the street but am not part of it.

Thursday 30 July 2015

Guest Review: The Little Flower Shop by The Sea by Ali McNamara


Poppy Carmichael, 30, certainly never intended to own a florist. But when she inherits her grandmother's beloved flower shop on the beautiful Cornish coast, Poppy has no choice but to return to the pretty harbour town of St Felix where she spent much of her childhood.

Returning to St Felix brings back sad memories for Poppy. But when she makes new friends such as local flower grower Jake, a young widowed father of two teenagers, Poppy begins to overcome her fears, and discover for herself what's so special about this little flower shop by the sea.




Review: Here's another lovely tale from the brilliant Ali McNamara. Set in the quaint little coastal village of StFelix, it is a perfect summer read. 

I wasn't sure that I was going to like the heroine of the story, Poppy, at the start, but she soon began to grow on me and I found myself willing her to succeed in everything. As well as Poppy, there are lots of other strong and interesting characters in the sleepy little Cornish village. I especially liked the humour injected by locals, such as bakers Ant and Dec, and a rather zany young lady florist who comes from New York to help Poppy get the flower shop of the title up and running. However, it is not all humour. Some characters, including Poppy herself, are working through some serious problems in their life, but StFelix appears to have some healing magic for everyone. 

Poppy has inherited the flower shop from her grandmother and, against her better instincts at the start, decides to try and make a go of running it. She discovers that there is more to the shop than meets the eye and gradually its secrets are uncovered. 

There is everything you could possibly want in this story. It had me laughing and literally crying as I battled along with Poppy. I particularly liked the fact that each chapter had the name of a flower and its meaning. The language of flowers played a big role in the story. 

I'm sure that anyone would enjoy reading this lovely summery story. Whether or not you can get away to the seaside for your holiday, this book can transport you to a peaceful coastal location with a wonderful spirit of community. I would highly recommend it. 

Wednesday 29 July 2015

Paperback Summer July Wrap Up


So I did a little better in July than I did in June in that I actually read some paperbacks, still not as many as I would have liked but my reading was still suffering the effects of work unfortunately. Here's to August and no school! 

Paperbacks-YEY! 




I read the next three on audiobook and paperback...






Ebooks











Audiobooks



And I am currently listening to: 



(which I may be finished by the end of July!)

So as you can seem my reading has still been audiobook/ebook heavy BUT there were five whole paperbacks on this list so I'm doing a lot better! Here's hoping that August will be even better still. I am currently away and I have a whole bag of paperbacks with me and some reading time right at the end of the month earmarked where I know I'm going to be at home so that hardbacks may come out. 

I'm impressed with how many books I've been able to read, those journeys up north have been great for the audiobooks and two weekends away have meant that actual reading has been a bit better!

Here's to another month of paperbacks (and audiobooks, let's face it!)







Monday 27 July 2015

Blog tour: My Sister's Secret by Tracy Buchanan Exclusive Extract


Today I have an extract for you form the fabulous new novel by Tracy Buchanan My Sister's Secret. It looks to be very mysterious and intriguing and so I'm sure that this will whet your appetite! Here's the blurb and the cover, scroll down for the extract and buy details...

Everything you’ve built your life on is a lie
Willow’s memories of her parents are sun-drenched and full of smiles, love and laughter. But a mysterious invitation to a photographic exhibition exposes a secret that’s been buried since a tragic accident years ago.
Willow is forced to question everything she knew about Charity, her late mother, and Hope, the aunt she’s lived with since she was a child.
How was the enigmatic photographer connected to Willow’s parents? Why will Hope not break her silence?
Willow cannot move forward in her life without answers. But who can she really trust? Because no one has been telling the truth for a very long time.



‘Mrs Tate read a poem in class about a whole town that got flooded in Wales after I told her where Mum was going,’ Hope said.

‘You can still see the remains of its forests when the tide goes out.’

She flicked through her notepad then tapped her finger on a page.

‘Here it is. 

“When waves crashed on the sea-shore / with thunder in
its wake / The bells of Cantre’r Gwaelod / are silent ’neath the wave.”’

‘So these forests are a bit like Atlantis?’ Charity asked.

‘Kind of,’ Faith said. ‘But minus the buildings. And they’re not just beneath the sea. You can find them in lakes and rivers too. There’s one in Austria that only appears in the summer when the snow melts. The water floods the trees, and even a park bench. I found a book in the library about them, and drew a map of all theforests I could find in it.’

Faith pulled out what she’d been hiding behind her back and laid it on the towel. It was a large and rather beautiful drawing of the world map, tiny illustrated trees dotted in different locations. At the top, in Faith’s pretty looped handwriting, was: ‘World Tour of Submerged Forests.’

The three sisters bent over the map, hair trailing across it, dark, red and blonde. They traced their fingers over the trees then all peered up at one another.

Charity smiled. ‘This is so cool, Faith.’

Faith’s pretty face lit up. ‘Isn’t it? I can collect samples from the trees as we travel. I’ll be a marine biologist by then anyway.’ She looked at Hope. ‘And you can write poems about them.’ Hope nodded, grey eyes sparkling. ‘And Charity, you can—’

‘Sunbathe after each dive?’ Charity suggested.

The three girls laughed.

There was the sound of crunching pebbles. They all looked up to see their friend Niall approaching. The top half of his wetsuit was around his waist, exposing the tanned skin of his chest. His face was very tanned too, his blue eyes even more vivid as a result. He looked like he’d grown up in the weeks since they’d seen him last.

Faith supposed he wasn’t the annoying little boy they’d first met on this beach four years before. He was fifteen, after all, nearly a man. She noticed Charity staring shyly at him, her cheeks flushing. Clearly
Charity had noticed the change in Niall too. Hope on the other hand was oblivious, rolling her eyes as she always did when Niall appeared.

‘Come join us, Niall,’ Faith said, beckoning him over. ‘We’ve decided to do a world tour of submerged forests.’

Niall crouched down and looked at the map. ‘There’s a submerged forest off Busby’s coast, apparently.’

Hope looked at him cynically.

‘Seriously. A fisherman saw the branches of a tree during a storm.’

‘That’s hardly proof,’ Hope said.

‘But it’s something,’ Charity said, jumping up and shading her eyes as she looked out to sea. ‘I’d love to see it.’

Niall smiled at Charity. She bit her lip, looking away. Hope shot her a warning glance, but Faith smiled. It was nice, watching the way they were together. Niall was a good kid, despite his troubled background. It wasn’t his fault his parents drank too much and lived on the grim estate at the other end of Busby, was it?
He pulled a pencil from the small blue rucksack Faith always carried around with her and quickly drew a little tree over Busby-on- Sea on the map.

‘If we find it, it can be the first forest we visit,’ he said.

‘We?’ Hope replied.

‘Yeah, who else will teach you all to dive properly?’

The three sisters looked out to sea, the waves crashing and receding before them. Then Niall picked Charity up, throwing her over his shoulder and running into the sea with her as Faith laughed. The happy memory dissipated. A tear slid down Faith’s cheek.

She was so cold, so frightened. Her sisters would find her though. They’d see her bed was empty and they’d come looking for her. Then she’d tell them every littlething that had happened during the past few weeks and they’d figure it all out together, because that was what they always did.

No more secrets, she thought to herself.

She closed her eyes.

Click here to buy http://amzn.to/1LlgEnp

Friday 24 July 2015

Blog Tour: Fairytale Beginnings by Holly Martin-Review


It's my stop on the blog tour for Holly Martin's Fairytale Beginnings today! Can we all take a moment to marvel over the cover please? And once you've read my review: don't forget to check out the next stop on the blog tour and all the previous stops of course, there are some amazing blogs on this list! 

Love is an open door…except when it keeps slamming in your face.

Hopeless romantic Milly Rose has had her fair share of heartbreak. Obsessed with all things Disney, she refuses to give up on finding her Prince Charming – he’s out there somewhere, isn’t he?

When Milly is given a job to investigate the origins of an historical building in the village of Clovers Rest, she’s not sure what to expect. What she discovers takes her breath away - a beautiful real life Cinderella castle, complete with turrets, a magnificent drawbridge AND a very handsome owner…Cameron Heartstone.

As Milly and Cameron begin to unearth the secrets of Clover Castle, they can’t ignore the intense chemistry building between them. But they’ve both been hurt badly before. Can they take a big leap of faith and find their own happily-ever-after?

A deliciously enchanting read that will delight fans of Rachael Lucas, Lucy Diamond and Miranda Dickinson or anyone who has ever blubbed at a Disney movie. Who says real life can’t be a fairytale?




Review: aww what a lovely love story! This is just about as sickly sweet as they come so be awarded, you may have to hang up any romantic cynicism you have at the door. To begin with I did think that the story was a little improbable, but as I went on, I was swept up in the Disney-like story line and fell in love with Milly and Cameron. 

This is a classic Disney style story, boy and girl fall in love, then it looks like all might be in vain because someone tries to sabotage it all, there are even points where they hate it other, there are also points where it looks like their love might be, but I'm sure, whatever happy ending you are looking for form this pair, you will find it in some way. 

I liked Milly as a character, although she did seem a bit quick to jump to conclusions without actually thinking about the possibilities first. She is a very undisney-like heroine though becaus she is more than capable of looking after herself and doing the saving of the prince, or prince equivalent in this case. Cameron is also very quick to jump to conclusions and is rather naive when it comes to business, but we can't hold this against him because he is big and strong and wants to have lots of hot sex all the time! There are a host of other comedy characters and of course a few Disney villains along the way too, who are very easy to love to hate! 

There is quite a a lot of magic and legend in this book but Lso some interesting historical details, Holly Martin has done a good job of balancing fact and Fairytale. Overall it was a fairly easy, quick read which I enjoyed once I had turned off my cynical real life head and put on my Disney princes romance crown! 



Here's the link to grab yourself a copy now: http://amzn.to/1JztVGx

Connect with Holly on Facebook: www.facebook.com/hollymartinauthor
Connect with Holly on Twitter : www.twitter.com/hollymartin00
Holly’s website link is https://hollymartinwriter.wordpress.com  



Thursday 23 July 2015

Reading all the Audreys

A couple of weeks ago I realised I had 3 books with Audrey in the title sitting on my TBR pile. So what better to do than read them all at once? Have myself a bit of an Audrey marathon... I am currently reading:

 

And listening to: 


But when I am finished both of these beauties (I'm really enjoying them) I'm going to move onto my three Audrey books...

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella (on audiobook or ebook, I can choose!)


A Night in With Audrey Hepburn by Lucy Holiday-paperback


Oh Yeah Audrey by Tucker Shaw-hardback. I got this one on my trip to Texas and started reading it in the taxi to the airport but haven't picked it up since, now I really will! 


So to bring some sort of order To my TBR pile, I'm going to read all these Audrey books together as soon as I finish my current reads-I can't wait! 










Tuesday 21 July 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: books that celebrate diversity 21/7/15





I want to highlight not just diversity in sexual orientation or race or gender, but books which celebrate standing out from the crowd and celebrating our differences because I find diverse books so uplifting to read and so I wanted to include all of them!


1. Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan 


2. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley


3. One  Moment One Morning/ The Two Week Wait/ Another Night Another Day by Sarah Rayner


4. Wonder (and the spin off Ebooks) by RJ Palacio


5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett


6. This Book is Gay by James Dawson


7, The Geek Girl Series by Holly Smale


8. The Darcy Burdock series by

9. The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson


10. I'll Give you The Sun by Jandy Nelson


Some great reads on here, most of which I've read. I'm sure I've missed out quite a few so do leave me a comment and let me know!





Monday 20 July 2015

Review: Greedily Yours Episode 4 by Emma Hamilton

Mia Maxwell loves food. She loves it so much that she's made it her career. On the surface Mia seems to have it all sewn up. She lives in trendy east London with her best friend. By day she runs her own food PR consultancy, and by night she's a food blogger enjoying a burgeoning audience. Mia has a banker boyfriend who enjoys travelling the world, enabling her to taste the globe's culinary delights. But Mia is still hungry and, when she heads down to Cornwall to run a food festival, she doesn't realize that her entire life is about to be cast adrift.

Episode 4 of 8: Mia Maxwell gets the break she's been hoping for - the chance to publish a book from her blog. She sets off excitedly on a culinary voyage of discovery to Ethiopia and Lebanon. From ancient grains to coffee ceremonies, will she learn enough about life and love to create her own recipe for love?
 


Review: This Episode was particularly exciting because the love story is cranked up a whole massive notch and there was so much, will they, won't they, oh they will, oh it looks like they're not going to that it left me quite breathless-I loved it. I thought I would love this episode because it was to do with coffee, but in fact it isn't entirely coffee overload and there are still a lot of other tantalising recipes and mouthwatering food and drink description that any foodie or indeed anyone that enjoys food, will be happy. 

I feel like Mia is really developing as the series goes on, she's developing her independent, her career, branching out to try new places, it's really great to see and something which definitely drives me to buy/read the next installment. I really love her friends as well, there are secondary storylines going on left right and centre as that's really impressive for something which is so short each time you read it! 

The love story is of course fabulous and is turning into quite the triangle, if you've read any of this series, you'll know what in talking about, if not, get into it now! I love the fact that the two main characters are both bloggers as well and we get to see messages, emails and blog posts, it just mixes it up a bit and makes it even more fast paced! 

Needless to say, I love this series, it's well worth the money to get each installment and now you can read them all so YEY! 


Friday 17 July 2015

Gypsy at The Savoy Theatre

Now I know this isn't a book post but it's something I really want to shout about so I just had to write a post about this!

Last night I went to see Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre with Imelda Staunton. I didn't know what to expect but I love the film so I couldn't wait to go and see it on stage. The Savoy Theatre is a great theatre and I love to go and see things there, its really comfortable and just gorgeous to look at as well! We had great seats and a great view...



From the moment the curtain went up I was just spellbound. It was loud and brash and fun and I could hear every word of what was going on on stage. The set was fabulous with lots of moving bits and countless scene changes which were just seamless! There was one moment where the scene went from young children to older youths and that transition was just phenomenal (I won't spoil it for you as to how they did it!)

Of course the story is a great one, as any of you that have seen the film, but it was done so well in this production. The singing was just amazing and we definitely all found ourselves swept up in the music, swaying along with the rhythm.


The most powerful thing about the show though, was Imelda! She had such power and such presence, whether she was belting out Everything's Coming up Roses or shouting at someone on the stage because they weren't helping her babies to become stars, she had us in the palm of her hand. The was one powerful, emotional scene where Rose, played by Staunton, was alone of the stage and there was a moment of silence where you literally could not hear a breath in the theatre! That is a serious talent to be able to achieve that!

Overall I was left rather emotional by the power of the whole thing. I didn't once check my watch to see when it was going to finish and there was no shuffling in the seat because I was kept on the edge of it the entire time by what was going on on the stage! I'm already trying to find a time in the diary when I can return and I definitely think that you should too!

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Blog Tour: Guest Post from Designated Alpha Author Crissy Smith



Today I am lucky enough to be joined by author Crissy Smith who told me all about writing secondary characters! 

But what about Designated Alpha? Want to read the blurb?



Piper’s happily ever after has been postponed. Destiny is funny like that.

In Last Call, Piper Maxwell revealed her true self to her mate, Jace Anderson. After fighting to survive the night on which her biggest secret was exposed, Piper believed she’d get her happily ever after. Too bad fate had other plans.

Jace would do anything to protect Piper. Finding out who and what Piper truly is seems like the best way to help. Unbeknown to Jace, though, the more he seeks answers, the bigger the risk he’s putting Piper and himself in.

All Piper wanted was to run the bar Jace owned and make her home with the man she loves. Now she’s being stalked by a scared young man, Jace’s best friend is looking into her past while staying with them, and they have a meeting with a stranger who shares Piper’s abilities. Things are changing rapidly and Piper finds herself struggling to understand what is really going on with her. 

Nothing is what it appears to be as Piper and Jace are captured and held hostage. The only way they’ll be able to survive this time is if Piper can keep her newest and largest secret yet from the man who holds their lives in his hands. 

Now I'll hand over to Crissy but keep reading on because below is an excert from the novel & a competition so you can win yourself a copy!!


Writing Secondary Characters

This is the second day of my Designated Alpha blog tour and I’m so pleased to be here and get to spend some time with all of you. It’s always so fantastic to get to talk to others about one of my books and a little about my writing process. 


Designated Alpha is part of Totally Bound’s imprint What’s her Secret? When I was asked to be involved in this project I jumped at the chance to come up with a story that was based around the heroine having a deep dark secret. 

Piper and Jace, our two main characters, met and fell in love in my short story Last Call. You can pick up this story to see their relationship begin—however, you do not have to read Last Call to enjoy Designated Alpha. 


When I decide which characters I want to begin with, I choose their name (you’d be shocked by how long this can take) and write their personality descriptions. Piper and Jace were already written about from Last Call so they were easy. It was the secondary characters that I added into this book that I had to put a lot of time and thought behind. 


Firstly, I would like to introduce you to Mitch. Mitch is Jace’sbest friend and the two of them served together in Special Forces. While Jace is retired Mitch is still in the military and not sure what he’ll do when it’s time for him to leave the only career he knows. Mitch is a big, bad, tattooed biker that loves to cook, and is too smart for his own good. He had me laughing and wanting to pull out my hair at the same time. 


Have you read a book that the secondary character is so strong and loud that he just steals the show? That’s what Mitch did to me. Poor Mitch! His parts of the book were outlined and he was supposed to come in and save the day. That is not what happened—because he wouldn’t leave me alone he is involved in one of the major plot twists. It’s his own fault but I’m not sure he’s forgiven me yet. 


Designated Alpha is an action packed novel with mystery, intrigue, and a sexy relationship between Piper and Jace. You have characters like Mitch that add in humor and take you on an unexpected ride. It’s the book that I am most proud of this year I would encourage you to pick up Designated Alpha and give it a try. 



 

Designated Alpha Excerpt: 

Jace wasn’t surprised to see Mitch already awake and sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and his laptop. Since his friend didn’t even glance up when Jace entered in he walked around the table to peer over Mitch’s shoulder. 

Robert ‘Bobby’ Gibson’s picture and information was on the screen. 


“From what I’ve found I’d say the kid is telling the truth. There is a police report on the attack at the rest stop. Although, the authorities blamed the violence on a group of wild animals,” Mitch said without looking up.


“Well I didn’t really expect them to say the incident was orchestrated by a werewolf.”


“Bobby’s story sounds a lot like Piper’s. I wonder how many others are out there.”

“I have no idea,” Jace replied honestly. “Piper hasn’t even met a handful.”

“The only thing I can’t figure out is why Bobby was taken. They’d kept him for five days, drank from him, fed him their blood, and then just disappeared?”

“You think they are looking for him?” Jace asked. He had the same fear. 


“You said that after Piper got away from the man who changed her he still came after her. I don’t see why these two would be any different.”

“And if they do come for him they’ll find Piper.”


Mitch nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t feel right sending Bobby out on his own. Even if he does bring trouble. He’s so…young. It makes me wonder if that was how I appeared before I joined the Marine Corps.”


“I know.” Jace didn’t think he had ever been as innocent as Bobby seemed, though. “I want to help him but I have to put Piper first. I’m not even sure where to go from here?”

“I want to talk to Cody. He mentioned his sighting for a reason. He believes he saw something, at least enough for it to bother him. I’ve gone through a lot of classified reports so far but haven’t found anything as directly connected as what Cody reported.”

“You know if you keep hacking into the government’s files they are going to catch you one day.”

Mitch’s smile was blinding. “Let them try.”

 

There is so much more to this book so I hope you enjoyed that small sample and will give Designated Alpha a try. Please join me this week as my Blog Tour continues and of course I am all over social media and would love to become friends!  

Like the sound of Designated Alpha? Buy it here.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpt_rlAEVOs

 

About Crissy Smith:

Crissy Smith lives in Texas with her husband, daughter, and three Labrador retrievers. The three dogs love to curl up under her computer desk and nap while she writes. It doesn't leave a lot of room for her but what's a woman to do?

When not writing or reading, she enjoys hunting, camping and shooting. But she has a girly side too and is addicted to pedicures and coffee.


She has been writing since she was a teenager and still loves everything to do with the paranormal. Her stories and characters all have a place in her heart. She loves the alpha male, the dominant werewolf, or the Master vampire which find their way in most of her books.


Learn more about the characters she has created at her website where they have their very own page. It will be updated from time to time to let you know what's going on with them. Also you can find out who will be in the next book.

Paranormal Romance on the ‘WILD’ side

http://www.crissysmith.net

http://www.werechronicles.com

 

 

Enter Totally Bound’s July blog tour competition for the chance to win an eBook of your choice. This does not include boxsets or anthologies.

 

https://www.totallybound.com/tb-july-blog-tour-competition