Promo Blitz: Return to Cornwall Boxset (Books 1-6) with a Guest Post & Giveaway!

Return to Cornwall: Books 1-6

The first six books in the heartfelt UK series are now available in one collection! Look out for the guest post by author, Laura Briggs (check out the giveaway while you’re there too 🙂 )

From a runaway bride to a reality baking show competition, to rumors of a haunted wood and, of course, a Christmas of the cosiest kind, there’s never a dull moment for event planner Julianne in the quirky village she calls home.

This book bundle contains Wedding Vows and Cornish Ribbons, Cornish Sweets and Wedding Treats, Spring Roses Under Topaz Skies, Cornish Gold at Summer’s End, Walnut Mince Pies at the Frost Fete, Secrets and Sunsets at Azure Bay.

Purchase Link – https://smarturl.it/return1-6

Author Bio

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’.

She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Social Media Links

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1JjeMoI

Twitter: h@PaperDollWritesttp://bit.ly/1ME9ivJ

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494518/?

Giveaway – Win either an e-copy of Return to Cornwall: Books 1-6 or A Novelty Scarf (Open INT)

Prize Winner #1: An eBook copy of the box set Return to Cornwall: Books 1-6.

Prize Winner #2: A novelty scarf featuring cover art from my Cornish romance books.

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter link here.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Guest Post

What to Expect from My Cornish Romance Box Set

Thanks so much to Lynne for letting me share about my series RETURN TO CORNWALL with all the lovely readers at Just 4 My Books!

(My pleasure 🙂 it all looks fab!)

It follows the adventures of event planner Julianne in a quaint village where excitement arrives in the form of everything from a reality bake-off show’s competition, to rumours of a haunted autumn wood, and a Christmas filled with surprises. I’ve just released a box set containing the first six books in the series, and thought it might be fun to tell you what readers seem to like best about each one, starting with book one.

Wedding Vows and Cornish Ribbons

Will a runaway bride spoil Julianne’s chances of getting her budding business off the ground? Fans of the series really seemed to enjoy the bride’s will-she-or-won’t-she dilemma in this storyline that finds Julianne trying to advise a client with a reputation for walking out on wedding plans. It definitely comes down to the wire on whether the big day will—or should—take place, and there’s plenty of humor and drama along the way.

Cornish Sweets and Wedding Treats

Fans of The Great British Bake Off won’t have to look too hard to know where inspiration for book two came from, as a reality baking show competition returns to Julianne’s sleepy village. Readers loved the quirkiness of the characters and contest, as well as the first sparks of romance between the manor house chef Michael and Kimmie, the cute comedienne presenting the bake off show.

Spring Roses Under Topaz Skies

This one saw the return of fan favourite guest star character Teagen, the wild hen night planner who first crossed paths with Julianne in the novella An American in Cornwall. This time, her party girl shenanigans and plans to open a business in the community put Julianne in a tough spot with the village council. As usual, Teagen’s zany antics keep Julianne on her toes, but the highlight seems to be the hen night caravan that takes them on a tour to remember.

Cornish Gold at Summer’s End

Rumours of a spooky haunted wood kept readers turning the pages on Julianne’s autumn adventure. Several commented on enjoying the cosy mystery angle, as Julianne investigates the source of the town’s ‘ghost sightings’ with a bit of help from friends, of course, and the local amateur ‘ghost hunters’ club. There’s a hefty dash of humour and heartfelt moments in between the intrigue, and the twist at the end seemed to bring quite a surprise for fans.

Walnut Mince Pies at the Frost Fete

Book five’s theme of family and community struck a chord with readers who enjoyed the cosy atmosphere of Julianne’s latest Christmas adventure. Readers found its lighthearted escapism to be a welcome addition to the series, as well as the focus on Julianne’s home life.

Secrets and Sunsets at Azure Bay

This installment sported another dash of mystery, something readers seem to enjoy whenever it pops up in Julianne’s world. This time, she’s testing her amateur sleuthing skills in an effort to help a young archaeologist uncover a secret from their own past. The story also reunited readers with the characters of Percy and Elaine from the series’ prequel novel, bringing back the popular storyline of an ancient dig site on Cornish soil.

If these stories sound like your cup of tea, I hope you’ll be sure to check them out. The novels are available as individual titles in addition to the box set that contains the first six books in the series.

Mmm, mystery, romance and all in beautiful Cornwall, too. What’s not to love?

Thanks, Laura for sharing this lovely collection & I wish you lots of luck, sales, and new readers.

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Gerard Philey’s Euro Diary: Quest For A Life

Gerard Philey’s Euro-Diary: Quest for a Life

‘Could there be a world of interest and adventure beyond the Midlands? A world of confidence, sex and excitement? A better life – a better me?’ These are the questions Gerard Philey grapples with over New Year, 1995. Sitting in his rented Black Country room, reflecting on his thankless teaching job and miserable love life, he courageously decides to abandon his humdrum existence and embark on a quest for Euro-fulfilment, fun and fitness on the Continent.

After a shaky start in Brussels, events manoeuvre him to Amsterdam where chance encounters shift his world well and truly into fifth gear. He samples the trials and tribulations of new relationships, alongside managing a sex shop in the city’s Red Light Area – on top of the challenges of fat-free living and international travel!

Through his bittersweet diary, we see how Gerard steers a laugh-out-loud course through farcical episodes and fanciful characters…and how entanglements from past and present draw him unwittingly into a criminal underworld where events ultimately take their toll.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3spEKZ9

Author Bio

Brendan James is the author of the new comedy novel, “Gerard Philey’s Euro-Diary: Quest for a Life”. Though this is his first novel, he has a large number of non-fiction publications (under the name Brendan Bartram) as a former university lecturer and researcher.

A passionate linguist and Europhile, he spent a number of years working in the Netherlands, France and Germany. He lives in the West Midlands with his husband.

Social Media Links

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/450811.Brendan_James

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-james-4343a8237/

Twitter – @Brendan23015569

My Review

There’s much to like about this book, and as a fellow Midlander and Europhile, this totally appealed to me. It’s humorous, sad, eye-openingly honest, far from subtle and, generally, a fun read. Gerard’s encounters with the likes of Frank, Joop and Sandra are heart-warming and puzzling in equal measures. Getting to know them is an adventure, it’s a challenge, but oh so worth it. These people, with all their idiosyncrasies, show him a side to European culture that differs from the glitz and glamour of Paris and Rome. In Brussels and Amsterdam, Gerard lives a life that is colourful in an altogether different way – from working in a sex shop to delivering “paintings” to shady characters for an even shadier thug-boss.

Here, the British tendency to “polite silence” is shot down by vocal outbursts, blunt statements and a laissez-faire attitude. This is all too visible when his friends from England venture across the Channel on a visit. It is cringingly uncomfortable to see their reaction to this “permissive” society, and it’s all quite pompous of them to look down on Gerard’s lifestyle compared to his life back in Walsall.

Stepping out of his comfort zone makes him reflect on his past life and question whether this time away from his old life could ever be a permanent thing. He has his doubts, wonders if he’s just drifting through life, but it is the relationships he forms that convince him how much richer is life is. I can’t wait to see how how things develop for him and hope a sequel is not too far away.

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – The Lodger

The Lodger

She’s in your home…

Leigh Simons can’t say for sure what made her do it. A moment of madness, perhaps, but when the young, loud and gorgeous waitress at her favourite coffee shop reveals she is homeless, Leigh offers her the empty room in her house.

In your head…

Gina is the perfect lodger; Leigh, lonely and frustrated with her life, becomes infatuated with the woman – her boldness, her zeal. If only Leigh could be more like Gina…

And missing without trace.

So when Leigh returns from a work trip she’s shocked to find Gina missing. Where could the young woman have gone…and why?

Leigh fears that something terrible has happened – why else would Gina leave her?

But as she sets out to find her missing lodger, what Leigh discovers changes everything she knows about Gina….and her own life, too.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3aPOkOg

Author Bio

Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound.

She originally comes from Dublin but now lives in Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years.

Her first thriller for Boldwood will be published in August 2022.

Social Media Links

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/2913036085376315

Twitterhttps://twitter.com/ValerieKeogh1

Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/valeriekeogh2/

Newsletter Sign Up:https://bit.ly/ValerieKeoghNews

Bookbub profile:https://www.bookbub.com/authors/valerie-keogh

My Review

The Lodger is a story that drags you into the plot, if only to scream and shout at the main character, Leigh, about so many things. She should have stood up to the creep at work and reported him sooner; she should have not let the boyfriend walk all over her …and she should never, never, never have taken in a lodger on a whim, no matter how kind of her it was to do so.

But that’s where we’re at now. Leigh has a lodger in Gina, a selfish boyfriend in Matt, and an anger management course to attend as a result of finally showing Bernard Ledbetter that his leery ways are not acceptable.
At this point, Gina seems to be the least of her problems. That is, until she returns from the anger management course to find Gina gone, clothes all packed up, and the briefest of notes saying, “I’m sorry.” Matt is in Salisbury where his teaching job is based, acting very oddly and cutting her phone calls short. So, Leigh returns to work to face Ledbetter, only to find he has not been in since she called him out, and everyone seems to have taken his side, blaming her for upsetting the ‘poor man’.
Is there any wonder she feels angry? She has so many unanswered questions: Why did Gina leave? Why is Matt being such a jerk? And why would anyone believe Ledbetter over her?

Things go from bad to worse when she hears movement in her house overnight, finds a disembodied hand in her garden, discovers Matt is lying to her about being at school, and questions are being raised about the missing Ledbetter.

So many twists, so many secrets … just when you believe one thing happened, along comes a swift change of direction to send you into another rabbit hole. If you don’t get giddy from all the twists, then are you even human? 😉

The Lodger is a fantastic thriller in the vein of “if it can go wrong, it will”. Leigh’s self-doubts and insecurities lead her to imagine all sorts of scenarios, and she feels that she’s being mocked for simply thinking those things could be possible. I think this phrase sums it up best:

Sometimes, the brain can overload, decide it’s not going to process anything else. And so it was with Leigh. This last week was the end of her capability.

Getting to the truth is complicated as there are so many layers to peel back, yet Leigh is left with a dilemma –to do the right thing or take the easy way out. Her decision might surprise you, but it will leave you believing in the ability to turn your life around … and if it means wearing more purple, then so be it.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and now I’ve learnt she has a vast back catalogue that I’m going to check out.

For more news and reviews,

As always,