Blog Tour: Guest Post by Leah Fleming Author of The Olive Garden Choir

Today is my stop on the Olive Garden Choir blog tour. I have a guest post from author Leah Fleming for you today. If you like what you read you can click here to order your copy now. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews!

Here's what it's all about:

An evocative novel of secrets, love and redemption under the Greek sun.

On the beautiful island of Santaniki, close to Crete, it’s not all white sands and sunshine. When retired bookseller Ariadne Blunt suggests the English residents form a choir, there are groans of resistance.

After a little persuasion, the group gather in Ariadne’s olive garden to rehearse, but each member of this choir has their own struggles and secrets. Ariadne’s partner, Hebe, is in failing health. Clive struggles to accept the loss of his wife while Della, the Pilates teacher, drinks too much. Then there is Mel, the real songbird amongst them, English wife of a taverna owner who hides her talent until the choir inspires her to raise her voice once more.

In this tiny community, the choir brings the residents together like never before in a bittersweet tale of love and loss – and how life can begin again when you let go of the past.

And here's what Leah has to say:

FAR FROM MY PLOTTING SHED.

Virginia Woolf said “Every woman should have a room of their own”. In my case it is a shed at the bottom of the garden currently in use as a winter rescue home for delicate plants. But as spring approaches, plans are afoot to clear out the debris to restore it once more to my writing room.

From here over the years I have travelled far a field; on a life boat watching the Titanic go down, to a remote Scottish island and the back streets of New York, to the mountains of Crete.

Readers might recognize these locations from some of my novels. Each journey of imagination comes from that first idea of what story I will write next and where it will be set; perhaps a café in wartime Lichfield, the shores of the Mississippi or the outback of Australia. The possibilities are endless.

I can’t seem to stay too close to home in my village when I locate my story; a Yorkshire Quaker family fleeing persecution to help found a colony in Pennsylvania in the 1690s: As with most of these imaginative explorations, I do try and visit the exact spots where I think the story unfolds; the shores of Muscatine, Iowa, the lace city of San Sepolchro Italy, a synagogue in Chania, Crete where I worked as a tour guide for several months. Some are too far to visit but with internet roaming I can Google myself onto the very streets of Adelaide or the cemetery in Halifax Nova Scotia where the Titanic victims were buried. The researches I do are important and sometimes I find personal accounts of real people which add depth to a character. .

Once a subject grabs me I have to follow where it leads. It involves lots of thinking before I visit the location. Now that THE OLIVE GARDEN CHOIR is out on e- book and hardback, where next? Perhaps a sequel that will mean yet another trip to my beloved island of Crete soon?

It’s on these visits I meet friends, now residents there, who know far more than I do about living in another culture , giving me useful anecdotes. So time for me to open up the “Plotting”shed where ideas are hatched, pour a glass of something sparkly, gaze over the hills and get cracking on STRANGERS IN THE OLIVE GARDEN. Wish me luck on my travels.

Leah Fleming.

About the Author

After careers in teaching, catering, running a market stall, stress management courses in the NHS as well as being a mother of four, Leah Fleming found her true calling as a storyteller. She lives in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales but spends part of the year marinating her next tale from an olive grove on her favourite island of Crete.

Follow Leah:   

Twitter: @LeahleFleming

Facebook: @Leah Fleming

Wesbite: leahfleming.co.uk

Thanks so much to Leah for stopping by and sharing today, don't forget to check out the other blogs on the tour!

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2T1mKmW

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2SHh7Lm

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ScX6XG

iBooks: https://apple.co/2ScXrJW

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Review: The Mermaid's Voice Returns in This One by Amanda Lovelace

Goodreads Choice Award-winning poet and USA TODAY bestselling author Amanda Lovelace presents the mermaid’s voice returns in this one — the third and final installment in her “women are some kind of magic” series, featuring a foreword from Lang Leav and 13 guest poems from leading voices in poetry such as Nikita Gill, KY Robinson, and Orion Carloto.

The mermaid is known for her siren song, luring bedroom-eyed sailors to their demise. However, beneath these misguided myths are tales of escapism and healing, which Lovelace weaves throughout this empowering collection of poetry, taking you on a journey from the sea to the stars. They tried to silence her once and for all, but the mermaid’s voice returns in this one.

Review: I absolutely loved the final instalment in the Women are Some Kind of Magic series. Having so enjoyed the previous collections of Amanda's poetry, there was a lot of pressure to love this one and I absolutely did. It felt like a crescendo at the end of a song and that is absolutely how I needed it to feel. 

This book comes with the same kind of care warnings as the previous books and the author notes these at the start of this book. This book also comes with space to start your open poems and stories in the same vain, which Amanda's previous book also had and I love that idea. I know there is also a whole journal out with space for your own poems but having something at the end of a book like this, at the end of a book where I have flagged countless poems to return to-such an amazing idea. 

I love the fact that there were some guest poems in this one as well because they fitted the tone of the collection so well and yet gave a different voice mixed in with the final section of this book. It was interesting to hear from other poets and a great way to discover other voices and other books to pick up. I flagged some of their poems to return to as well as some of Amanda's. 

There are some amazing poems in this book. I loved some of the poems covering topics such a motherly advice, being called a tease and therapy sessions, as well as some dealing with darker, more personal topics. One of my favourites was 'I Believe in Endless Worlds' and also "Open up the Wardrobe and Step Inside'. One of my favourite guest poems was 'Wading' by Gretchen Gomez. I could relate to so many of these poems and definitely recommend picking up this book even if you are new to poetry. I recommend this whole trilogy and ultimately think it is best to sit down and read them back to back in one fabulous evening!

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK (out 5th April) or US (out now)

Movie Reviews: March 3rd-March 9th 2019

My movie reviews are back! I had a brief break because I made a week of Oscars nominations videos (I'll leave that playlist at the bottom of this post) and then last weekend I was off seeing where they make the movies instead of watching them. 

So I saw 2 movies in cinemas this week as well as seeing a few that I have seen before again. As always, I go into more detail in my video which I will leave at the bottom of this post. 

I absolutely loved this film and would happily go and see it again tomorrow-in fact I might just do that! I thought the humour was spot on and because it is British humour and I saw it with an American audience there were some points where I was the only one laughing out loud. There were lots of points when we were laughing together too. I love the wrestling in the film and the fact that it is based on a true story-spot on!

This is a documentary following the Apollo 11 mission from launch to stepping on the moon to coming out of quarantine following the lunar mission. It was optimised for Imax and in full colour and I thought that it was visually beautiful. If you get the chance to go and see this, definitely take it!

And then I saw these three movies for a second time or a third time in the case of A star is Born. Obviously because I was re-watching them, I highly recommend them all!

Here's my movies reviews video where I go into a little more detail. 

And here's my Oscars week playlist if you want to know my thoughts on ALL of the Oscar nominated movies!

Review: Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Drift down sun-bleached streets.

Lose yourself in the California sound.

Find beauty in a dirty bar.

Love like your life depends on it.

Carry on after the party stops.

Believe in what you’re fighting for.

Fall for Daisy Jones and the Six.

Review: You know when you read one of those books and you can just picture it playing out as a movie in front of you-this was just like that! If you loved the style of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo-this is a very similar conversational style and you are going to love it. It is actually unlike anything I've read before. 

So one of my favourite kinds of movies is a biopic and I think that's because of my love of books about people, just like this one and I think that's why I enjoyed this one so much, it plays out like a biopic on the pages. Although you expect the books to be predominantly about Daisy Jones, with her being on the cover and all, this book is actually about all seven of The Six and so you get to hear from everyone, find out about them all and you also get to hear a little bit about a couple of other people in their lives. Sp if you love a character drive story, this one is for you. 

I also love the climate that this book is set in. We begin in LA with people on Sunset Strip and all that that was for musicians who were going to 'make it' and we meet these people who are somehow thrown together. I loved the dirtiness of the whole thing and the newness of the particular scene that they are entering.  At one point Daisy says she knows that she has to go without a bra in order to be a rock star and that kind of just says it all for you really!

I've already mentioned the conversational style of this book but I think that's exactly what made this such a quick read for me. I love the fact that this was an interview style so we always got to listen to various people's perspectives on any given situation-I love that! I like the fact that we often get differences of opinions from characters we might not expect to have them and also that we get to hear both sides of disagreements and certain fall outs. When it is revealed at the end of this book who the author of the 'interview' is, I did do a little gasp so you've got that to look forward to. 

I listened to this book on audio over 2 days, it accompanied me in the car, the movie theatre, the gym and in bed and I would definitely recommend the audio. It has a full cast of characters, some big names in there and I think this particular media really makes the book come to life and makes you believe you are listening to real people in a real interview. I would definitely recommend this book and I am thrilled and terrified to hear that it has been optioned for a TV series, I really hope they do it justice and if they do, I am all in!

To order your copy now, just click the links: UK or US

Guest Review: Cosy Nights at the Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn

Part Three in the brand new series from Holly Hepburn, perfect for all fans of Cathy Bramley and Katie Fforde. 

The New Year brings hope to Nessie as she begins to put her life back together – she’s almost tempted by a flattering job offer from a rival pub – but things only get worse forSam. The arrival of old flame Nick Borrowdale brings some much-needed perspective, and Sam finally accepts the inevitable and faces up to her responsibilities.

Laurie continues to stir up trouble at the pub, causing Gabe to wonder whether he has another agenda. And then tragedy strikes at the heart of Little Monkham and nothing will ever be the same again.

Review: This story is part three in a four-part ebook from Holly Hepburn in which we return to the Star and Sixpence pub and the lives of the Chapman sisters and the inhabitants of the village of Little Monkham. I have read and enjoyed the first 2 parts and have been awaiting publication of this penultimate instalment with anticipation; I was not disappointed.

This part of the story covers the run up to Easter, when a big celebration is planned for the village. Nessie is still coming to terms with the tragedy that befell her in the last instalment and with the shocking news from Sam. Sam herself is getting used to her new condition and wondering what the future will hold for both of them. In the meantime, Nessie has a big decision to make that could affect the whole family. Meanwhile, a truly shocking event occurs just after the Easter extravaganza that rocks the entire village.

Once again I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to reading the final part. I am not a great fan of serialised stories, but I have followed the fortunes of the Chapman sisters from the very beginning and didn’t want to wait for the book to appear as a complete entity. I think that each part has been interesting so far and the tension is building nicely towards the finale next time. I am looking forward to finding out how it all pans out.

To order your copy now, just click here!

March 2019 TBR

Ok so February was  really rubbish month for me in terms of reading, I only read 4 books and I only loved 2 out of those 4! So I have over compensated this month by literally just putting ALL the books on my TBR!

I'm travelling again at the end of the month so I don't know what I was thinking but I think we all know how I'm going to be spending my weekends in March don't we?

As always these are broken down into March releases, other books I want to get to and a few April releases in there for good measure. I will be travelling until the 5th April so getting a few April releases in there would be ideal! Wish me luck!

March Releases

7th March (UK) 5th March (US)

5th March (US)

5th March (US)

7th March (UK)

7th March (UK)

12th March (US)

12th March (US)

18th March (UK)

26th March (UK)

29th March (UK)

Other Books I Want to Get to

Before the movie comes out...

A February release I am buddy reading

Started this in February and I would like to finish

 Another one leftover from last month!

Before the companion novel comes out...

And if I get through those...

April Releases

2nd April

4th April (UK)

4th April (UK)

4th April

Even just writing this post full of books has worn me out so wish me luck with my TBR!

Blog Tour: Review of The Mum Who Got Her Life Back by Fiona Gibson

It's my stop on the blog tour for The Mum Who Got her Life Back by Fiona Gibson. This book is already out in ebook and comes out in paperback on Thursday-exciting! You can click here to order your copy now. Don't forget to check out the other stops on the tour for more reviews and exclusive content. 

When her 18-year-old twins leave for university, single mum Nadia’s life changes in ways she never expected: her Glasgow flat feels suddenly huge, laundry doesn’t take up half her week, and she no longer has to buy ‘the Big Milk’. After almost two decades of putting everyone else first, Nadia is finally taking care of herself. And with a budding romance with new boyfriend Jack, She’s never felt more alive.

That is, until her son Alfie drops out of university, and Nadia finds her empty nest is empty no more. With a heartbroken teenager to contend with, Nadia has to ask herself: is it ever possible for a mother to get her own life back? And can Jack and Nadia’s relationship survive having a sulky teenager around?

Review: I really enjoyed this book right from the word go. The books is split into multiple parts as well as chapters within those parts and each part begins with bullet points of advice for parent who've children have left home to go to university or other reasons. These pieces of advice are absolutely hilarious and yet I could definitely recognise that they were true to life, but they involve and absorb you in the story right away as well as providing a little bit of light change from the main storyline of the book. 

This books follows Nadia and her life after her children leave to go to university and then again after the both come back for the summer. I really liked Nadia as a character because she is down to earth and works hard for a living. She has twin teens and a partner whom she has had an amicable separation from. This book then changes narrative every other chapter and we also get to hear from Jack. Jack manages a Charity shop and he also had an amicable separation from his partner and has a teenage daughter-I wonder what could happen when these two meet? I like the fact that Jack is involved in charity work but also thinks about his own life and his own family. 

One of the things I loved most about this book was the setting. It is set in Glasgow and that is just my favourite city in the world. I loved all the other references to Scottish towns and cities and spending time with the characters moving around Glasgow either on foot or on the subway-it was great fun being back there. I read the majority of this book on a flight between Denver and Los Angeles and so it was lovely to have a little taste of my favourite place in such an alien place to me. 

I think that, as I mentioned above, the storyline is definitely true to life and some of the frustrations that both these characters go through and the highs and lows they experience are definitely things that other people in similar positions might feel. There are funny moments, sweet moments and sad moments throughout this book and it is definitely structured to be a page turner that takes you between those moments seriously. Even if, like me, you are not a mum, I think you will find humour and truth in this book and enjoy spending time with Nadia in Glasgow as much as I did.