GUEST POST: 10 Things You Need to Know about Isabella Davidson

Isabella Davidson’s debut novel, The Beta Mum, Adventures in Alpha-Land, published by Silverwood Press, is coming out on June 20th 2017! It's a fun tale of a Toronto mum who finds herself among London's elite mummy crowd...

When Sophie Bennett moves from a quiet, sleepy suburb of Toronto to glitzy west London, she doesn’t know where she has landed: Venus or Mars. Her three-year-old daughter Kaya attends Cherry Blossoms, the most exclusive nursery in London, where Sophie finds herself adrift in a sea of Alpha mums. These mothers are glamorous, gorgeous, competitive and super rich, especially Kelly, the blonde, beautiful and bitchy class rep.  

Struggling to fit in and feeling increasingly isolated, Sophie starts The Beta Mum, an anonymous blog describing her struggles with the Alpha mums. But when her blog goes viral, she risks ruining everything for herself and her daughter. How long will it be until they discover her true identity? Is her marriage strong enough  to survive one of her follower’s advances? And will she ever fit in with the Alpha mums?

Isabella is a former doctor who decided to write The Beta Mum after the success of her blog. Want to know more? Well, here Isabella shares ten things about her and her debut novel...

10 Things You Need To Know About Me And My Book: 

1. As cliché as it is, I’ve always wanted to write a book. The first time I realized it was when I was 10 years old and my English teacher read one of my short stories about a witch and said ‘maybe one day you’ll become a writer.’
2. I was better at Biology than English in school, so I became a doctor instead! But the dream was always there and after I stopped working as a doctor to raise my children, I started a humorous blog about living in west London, www.nottinghillyummymummy.com Through the blog, I was asked to write a feature for The Saturday Times newspaper and thought that perhaps I had enough talent to write a book. Rightly or wrongly! 
3. It took me two years to write the book but before then I had started about ten books without ever finishing them. No one told me quite how hard it was to write a book! The best thing I did to help me finish writing my book was to go on the Faber Academy Novel Writing Course. It helped with my motivation and provided so much support and feedback. 
4. Like they always say ‘write about what you know’ so that’s what I did. I am a mum living in west London, so that’s what I wrote about. I hear so many funny and interesting stories all the time and think ‘Oooh, I need to put that in my book!’ That’s where I get my inspiration from. From everyday conversations and events. 
5. The book is entirely fictional but based on some true events and experiences I have had or stories I have heard. The characters are all fictional and I am not the main character Sophie and the bitchy mum Kelly does not exist either. I did go to a play date once when the housekeeper thought I was there for an interview and started asking me questions about my childcare experience. It was rather mortifying! 
6. Not all west London mums are awful. I live in west London and I love it. Most of my friends are west London mums too, so there are plenty of lovely mums here. But no one wants to read about boring, nice, mums who are nice to everybody. There would not be a story. But there are so many interesting characters who live in and out of west London, it’s fascinating. 
7. I loved writing the bitchy mum’s character, Kelly. She is so awful and yet, I have heard people speaking like her in real life and I think that we should all be kinder to each other. So the moral of my story is: be kinder to each other.
8. It is not a serious book; it is meant to be entertaining, funny and a light, summer read. Anyone who is offended by it is taking it way too seriously. I hope my readers have fun with it and enjoy it! 
9. Writing is full of obstacles: the writing bit, then the getting-published bit and then the selling-and-marketing bit. It is a hard, long road! And I am still working on all three…
10. To any aspiring writers: my tutor once told me that it isn’t about how much talent you have, it’s about tenacity. Sitting down every day on that chair to write, word after word, and then throwing your first draft away and re-writing the book, and then editing, editing, editing. It’s not for the faint-hearted! But I am so proud that I finished it and that I am now able to share it with the world. And I hope everyone enjoys it!

Check out Isabella Davidson's blog, Notting Hill Yummy Mummy, and sign up for news! You can also take part a Goodreads Giveaway for a chance to win a copy of The Beta Mum  -Adventures in Alpha-Land.

GUEST POST - S.C. Stephens on Writing Relationships

Furious Rush is the newly-released novel from New York Times bestselling author S.C. Stephens, who also wrote 2015 novel Thoughtful. When it comes to writing relationships, S.C. Stephens certainly knows how, and today she's joined us to share some tips!

Writing relationships: how to make readers invested

Readers connect with characters they understand. If you make the characters as real as possible, and give them understandable, sympathetic reasons for everything they do, then fans will connect with them and cheer them on. They'll become more than characters to readers, they'll become friends, and everyone loves to see their friends overcome obstacles and succeed.

That goes back to my point about my characters becoming real to me. I invest so much in creating them to resemble what could be real people with real problems. It means so much to me when readers tell me that they love them, that they feel like they know them or they see a piece of themselves in them. Or even better—that they once dated someone like Kellan or Hayden. As an author, the most satisfying feeling I have is when a reader relates to my characters. It’s what drives me to continue dreaming and writing.

FURIOUS RUSH by S.C. Stephens 

For Mackenzie Cox, racing motorcycles is in her blood. Born into a family legacy, she's determined to show the world that she has inherited her father's talent in this male-dominated sport. The last thing Kenzie needs is to be antagonised by her rival team's newest rider, Hayden Hayes. Hayden, exceedingly arrogant and outrageously attractive, immediately gets under Kenzie's skin and she can't help but be distracted.

As Kenzie and Hayden push each other on the track, the electric energy between them off the track shifts into an intense - and strictly forbidden - attraction. The only rule between their two ultra-competitive teams is zero contact. Kenzie needs a win, and she also needs to stay away from Hayden. Unfortunately for her though, one thing has become all too clear: she can't.

Fuelled by passion, driven by desire, Hayden and Mackenzie both want to win more than anything else. Except for, maybe, each other. But anger, jealousy and extreme competitiveness aren't their only obstacles...

BLOG TOUR: Patricia Mar stops by for a guest post!

Today, Patricia Mar stops by as part of her blog tour for new novel, Stuck On You. Read on for her guest post about what inspired her to write the book...

The idea for "Stuck on You" was born by chance. A friend of mine showed me a photo shoot by Miriano Vivanco featuring David Gandy, who looked very comfortable with his graces, so to speak. I immediately thought: if I were his girlfriend, I would be so jealous. Something clicked in my mind. I imagined a girl  desperately  in love with a famous model, a model at ease with his body and adored by women all over the world. I imagined her to be one of us – an ordinary girl with small dreams, goals to achieve and looking for a real and lasting love. But I also thought that that model was not only a man, but had a universe within him, a depth he wanted to protect. 

It felt as though their love could become a fairy tale only in dreams, but I wanted to contextualise it in the real world, with real friends, families and problems to make it appear almost possible. However, since these two characters actually lived in two  very different worlds, I had to invent a funny situation that would make them meet and that allowed them to lay the groundwork for a future meeting. I have always believed that true love can overcome any obstacle with tenacity, patience and trust. Daniel and Sara are the result of these ideas. Also the name of the protagonist, Daniel Gant, is a sincere tribute to David Gandy, who was unintentional muse of my novel.

One of my greatest dreams has always been to write a novel that should somehow honour a genre that I love. Films like "You've Got Mail", "The Wedding Date", "Made of Honour," and "The Holiday" to mention a few, are a symbol of style and romance. So I tried to recreate the spirit: romance and humour, brilliant dialogue and feelings, elegance and joy. I so enjoyed writing about Daniel and Sara’s lives – a beautiful and perfect moment of my creative life.  

I sincerely hope that Daniel and Sara give you joy and leave you with lasting memories.

Stuck On You by Patricia Mar

At last, it’s the day of the interview, and Sara absolutely must get the job. It’s two years since she graduated, and she’s not had much luck in her personal or professional life. Much to her dismay she is desperately late, teetering on her heels, soaking wet and out of breath by the time she arrives at the offices of Inside Look magazine.

Things are going from bad to worse and when the receptionist tells her the job has already been given to someone else, Sara tries to slip away without being noticed. But she finds herself stuck in the lift with none other than the dazzling model Daniel Gant. After being thrown together by chance, Sara can't believe it when Daniel wants to see her again. Is her luck beginning to change?

GUEST POST: Carli Palmer

Carli Palmer, author of Down the Aisle with Bridezilla, is back with new book Shore House Slumming. In the novel, editor Dana finds herself facing new adventures (and pitfalls!) when she embarks on a new life in Florida after her happy life in Seattle goes awry.

Where would you go if you suddenly had to choose? Here's Carli's choice!

One free plane ticket…looks like I’m heading to Venice!

What if you received a free plane ticket to go anywhere in the world? Where would you go? After much pondering I decided that Venice is the city for me! Where else can you go where the atmosphere is romantic and adventurous at the same time all the while living on the sea? The streets become water, your car becomes a gondola, and your beverage of choice is a delicious espresso served in a tiny white porcelain cup accompanied by a buttery croissant with jam. I’d walk around in Piazza San Marco taking pictures, stroll over the bridges that crossed the canals, and view films at the Venice Film Festival. To me there is nothing more relaxing than sitting at an outdoor café’, reading a book, and listening to the lapping of water. What better place to do it than a city filled with mystery and intrigue? Who knows what’s lurking around the corner of a building’s foundation as you’re venturing down the waterways?

And the city at night? Don’t even get me started. It would take all my mind’s memory to capture the magic and romance that is the nighttime lights dancing down on the canals. Because it seems so cryptic and alluring is the reason I want to go besides exploring the entertainment (especially carnival and an opera at Teatro La Fenice) and the local food. A fantasy destination should be a place that draws you not something you book because you have to cross it off your bucket list. My fantasy city is just waiting for me to arrive.

Shore House Slumming by Carli Palmer

Working as an editor in Seattle, Dana Kline led a happy life. She had great friends, a career she adored, and her health couldn’t be better. But everything about it was mundane and safe. EVERYTHING. No gamble would have made her change her ways, so life was going to change it for her. After an unexpected release from her job and then finding out that she would become practically homeless for the summer, Dana gathered her courage and found herself ready to try a new life in Florida. The only problem was getting herself across the nation on a tight budget, hardly any connections, and an unadventurous self. After many stops along both coast lines Dana finds out that it’s okay to let her hair down, meet new people, and try new escapades. Just as long as her sanity doesn’t fly away with the seagulls.

GUEST POST: Finding a Voice in Women’s Fiction by Lauren Westwood

Today, Finding Home author Lauren Westwood shares her insights into the world of writing.

It’s a good time to be a reader. Never before have there been so many books published and available in such a wide range of formats. When I was growing up, I spent hours in the library reading hardback books – and lamenting the fact that I was only allowed to take out ten a fortnight. I’d devour those ten books, and read them over and over, sometimes keeping them past their due dates and paying a fine just to read them again. And woe the times when I’d look for my favourite book and find that it was out on loan! Maybe that was a simpler, more innocent age. It certainly feels like ancient history.

A lot has changed even since I moved to the UK in 2000. Amazon, tablets, e-readers, millions of books published and self-published each year – as readers we are spoiled for choice. And as writers, it’s a brave new world full of opportunities and pitfalls. Traditional publishers have tightened their belts, and their lists. Some people believe that chick lit, along with many other genres, is in danger of becoming compartmentalised – is it romance? Is it humour? What about books that fall between the cracks?

When I wrote Finding Home, I knew I wanted to combine several different genres that I love: romance, mystery, humour. Some publishers saw this as ‘risky’ or they couldn’t figure out which ‘box’ it fit into. I was lucky to find a new publisher Aria (Head of Zeus) which was just looking for a good read, willing to take on new writers, and able to take a risk.

When asked what suggestions I’d give to people who are writing their first book, I would definitely say to read everyday and write everyday (or, at least as often as you can). It’s also important to learn the ‘craft’ of writing and structuring a novel. When I was first starting out, I took an evening course which taught me some valuable basics, and more importantly, introduced me to other writers. We formed a critique group that still meets regularly almost ten years on. It’s important to get support in what can otherwise be a lonely pursuit. Eventually, even your family can get fed up with amount of time you spend with your ‘imaginary friends’!

Beyond the writing itself, even established writers need a thick skin to handle rejection, criticism, and the subjective opinions of others. It’s not possible to please everybody, so first and foremost – to paraphrase Toni Morrison – I suggest that you try to write a book that you would want to read. There’s a good possibility that there are others out there who would like to read it too!

Lauren Westwood’s debut novel Finding Home is published by Aria (Head of Zeus). Originally from California, she now lives in Surrey with her partner and three young daughters. She is working on her next book – working title ‘Finding Secrets’ – which will hopefully be published in spring 2017. She loves hearing from readers and getting feedback. You can contact her on: 

twitter: @lwestwoodwriter 

facebook: laurenwestwoodwriter 

website: www.laurenwestwoodwriter.com

GUEST POST: Elle Turner on writing and perseverance

This week, Elle Turner, author of short story collection Tapestry, joins us with a guest post about patience and rejection in the life of a writer...

When I was eight years old I started to write my first book. I didn’t get any further than chapter headings, but I knew then that it was something I wanted to do. In my teens I set myself age related goals – I’ll write a book by the time I’m 21! or I’ll write a book by the time I’m 30! Both these milestones passed without me having written a book. I turned my attention to doing something “more sensible”, assuming that I just wasn’t the sort of person who could produce a book. It wasn’t until my children were born that I allowed the possibility to enter my head again and, instead of plucking age related goals from thin air, I decided it would be better to work at writing in the same way as any other job by learning, practicing and working hard. To help me with this I simultaneously joined the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers’ Scheme and took a short story course by distance learning with the London School of Journalism, two things that gave me the focus I needed to start me down this route.

Since then I’ve written four books. I would love to find an agent and/or traditional publisher interested in them, so that’s one of the things I’m working on at the moment (please keep your fingers crossed for me!). I’ve also written Tapestry, a collection of twelve short stories, which I self-published in September. Over my writing years I’ve learned a lot about patience, rejection and perseverance, so when Elle kindly allowed me a spot on Chick Lit Uncovered for a guest post, we thought that was one subject (or three subjects) it might be useful to talk about.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t find it easy to be patient. There’s no two ways about it, though, if you want to submit your writing for consideration by an agent or publisher, patient is something I’ve found you just have to be. I mean, no one is sitting about waiting for me to land in their lap, are they? As someone who’ll buy hair extensions rather than wait for their hair to grow, or who’ll walk between stops rather than stand ten minutes waiting for a bus, I would class this need for patience as NOT FUN, but it’s part of the process. I've found the best way to deal with it for me is to have several different projects on the go at once so I never feel like I’m “waiting” for something to happen.

The variety helps with rejection too, another inevitable part of the writing for publication process.  No one is sitting around waiting for me, but equally I know no one’s out to get at me either and rejection isn’t personal. I try not to get upset, although it’s definitely easy to feel discouraged, which I do from time to time. I try, though, to look upon rejection as something to be expected and see what I can learn from it. If I have several things on the go, I always have something else I can turn to while I’m rethinking whatever’s been rejected. I think the frustrating part is not always knowing exactly why something’s been rejected, because there can be so many variables. It really helps, therefore, to have a source of feedback to help gauge writing ability. For me primarily this is the RNA NWS although, more recently, it’s helped to have feedback about Tapestry too. I’ve been so chuffed with the reviews so far. They are something to (patiently) hold on to whilst being rejected, I guess…

If you’ve got the patience and can cope with the rejection, chances are you’ll be happy to persevere! This is probably my only natural ‘win’. I like to think I’m determined (shush now to whoever said stubborn) and, although I do feel discouraged sometimes, I believe the best things that happen in life are hard won. So actually having to work hard and persevere are GOOD THINGS…

That’s the way I try to look at it, anyway, but I’d love to know what others think!

Tapestry 

In hope, in pain,

we lose, we gain,

but always and forever

the human heart braves life

in light and in shade

A collection of twelve short stories exploring the complexities of life and love. Tapestry - Available now from Amazon.

Elle dedicated Tapestry to her mum so, to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend in the UK, Tapestry is free from 4-6 March 2016.

Elle Turner writes contemporary women’s fiction and lives in beautiful Scotland with her husband and two children. She loves scones, Coronation Street, all songs by Sara Bareilles and will happily admit to having little or no sense of direction. If you offer her a 50:50 she will ALWAYS get it wrong and, despite living in Scotland, she rarely manages to wear shoes that don’t leak.

  

If you would like to find out more about Elle or her writing, she’d love to see you at www.elleturnerwriter.com on Twitter @ElleTWriter, Instagram elletwriter or she’s on Facebook as elleturnerwriter.

GUEST BLOG: Please Retweet by Emily Benet

Emily Benet, author of The Temp, is back with her new novel Please Retweet, about a celebrity social media manager. Today - the publication date of Please Retweet! - Emily joins Uncovered to share her thoughts on how social media can often take over our lives, and especially that of heroine May...

Check it, check it - a novel for all us social media addicts

Do you ever randomly open your front door to check if someone's there? Even though no one's rung the door bell, do you think: let's just have a quick look
And after you've opened it and found no one there, do you go back and open it again a minute later, just on the off chance there's someone there now. Two minutes later, do you open it again?
No. You don't. You only open the door when someone knocks.
SO WHY ARE WE ALWAYS CHECKING OUR PHONES WHEN WE HAVEN'T EVEN RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION?!!!
As soon we wake up: We check our phone.
At the bus stop: We check our phone.
When we have to do something difficult to do at work: We check our phone.
At lunch: We check our phone.
When we go to the loo.... Ahem. Some people check their phones.
What are we hoping for? Well, I reckon we're hoping for a little high. 'Likes' on our Facebook post gives us a little high, a 'retweet' on Twitter gives us a little high, an email reply from someone gives us a little high, a comment on our blog gives us a little high...
How long does the little high last?
Approximately 1 minute.
Which is why we keep checking our phones! We need the the next high!
The main character in my new book, #PleaseRetweet, is always checking her phone because it's her job. May Sparks is paid to manage the online profiles of several C-list celebrities. They're a bunch of loose cannons who would offend half the planet if they were left to run their own Twitter and Facebook accounts by themselves. May has to be careful to get their voices right and not mix up accounts. As her client number grows it gets increasingly challenging.
Posting as several people means May is always getting notifications on her phone. She's experiencing so many highs and lows in her day it's like being on an electric seesaw that won't stop...
Imagine if your phone was going off every second of the day. And every notification required a clever reply.
Welcome to May's world. Coming out this August.

#PleaseRetweet is out in ebook from today, and paperback on 5th November  

HOLIDAY READS: Robyn Neeley shares an excerpt from Holiday Wedding

This weekend, Batter Up author Robyn Neeley stops by to share an excerpt from her new festive romance, Holiday Wedding.

Happy Holidays Romance Readers!

I’m so excited to stop by and share an excerpt from my Christmas romance, Holiday Wedding. This is the sequel to Destination Wedding and reunites all the characters from the first book including my handsome twins, my feisty and fun heroines and the best wedding planning friend on the planet!

This time it’s Drew’s story to tell, and he’s been waiting over a year for it! Check out the character interview I did last year on Drew’s take on his twin brother’s Happily Ever After. Then read an excerpt below from Holiday Wedding.

Holiday Wedding
Going home for Christmas this winter just might turn Drew Cannon into a real Grinch. When his college sweetheart, Lauren Kincaid, broke off their engagement a year ago, Drew retreated to Tokyo to run the Asia-Pacific division of the family’s toy company and lick his wounds. If that weren’t enough, his attempt at a high-profile holiday doll for the company was a bust. Now he’s headed back to New York City to spend the holidays with his lovestruck dad, his pissed-off twin brother, and an ex who broke his heart.

Lauren isn’t exactly keen to spend Christmas with her former flame, either. But as JDL Toys’ marketing director, she’s forced to deal with their doll problem, holiday or not. Things take a turn when she and Drew are tasked with planning surprise nuptials for his brother.

With all their focus on happily ever after, Lauren and Drew soon discover things might not be so settled between them after all. Can a holiday wedding offer them a second chance at forever? 

Excerpt

Drew leaned back in the steamy Jacuzzi, letting the hot water jets do their magic. There was something to be said about relaxing in a hot tub in the brisk outdoors.
     He breathed in the fresh mountain air. Today had started out a little weird, but touching Lauren’s sugary lips, even if it was only with one finger, had been a highlight. If the bakeshop owner hadn’t appeared, would they have kissed? He was all but sure of it.
     If only the whole day had been about flirting with Lauren. But no, his brother had turned them into elves. Why had Luke sent them to Santa’s Workshop to make toys?
     Didn’t he want them to plan his wedding? Losing three hours this morning to paint train sets didn’t seem like the best way to hit the ground running.
     Today should have been devoted to the task at hand as they would spend the weekend pushing the Happily Ever After dolls at the festival.
     The dolls. Drew had beelined it to his laptop when they got back to the cabin. Only two more boy dolls were registered for the site to meet their matches. Two. Freakin’. Dolls.
     His head dropped to the left in frustration and his gaze lifted up to Lauren’s bedroom window. She had disappeared when they returned, saying she needed to get the rest of the frosting out of her hair. That was a couple of hours ago.
     Selecting the cakes—and then wearing them—had been the best part of this day. She had been absolutely right about their not choosing their own wedding cake. He let out a heavy sigh. Maybe if they had been more involved in all the different pieces of planning their wedding, things would be different.
     He should have given into his feelings and pressed his mouth to her frosted lips. But what if she’d pushed him away? Would he then have his answer to the question he didn’t have the balls to ask? Did she no longer love him?
     He sank down into the tub, letting the hot water massage his shoulders. Then there was Olivia. She’d sent three text messages earlier saying how much she missed him before going radio silent this evening. He wasn’t quite sure when he’d do it, but they wouldn’t be a couple for much longer. It was not only the right thing to do; it was the honest thing to do.
     “Hey, is there room in there for another?”
     His head flew up and his heart raced as he watched Lauren glide over in a white cotton bathrobe. She held her iPad in one hand and large ruby red towel in the other. “Depends.”
     “Oh, really.” She lifted an eyebrow. “On what?”
     He pointed to the iPad. “As long as you promise we’re not Skyping with Miles.” He drew an imaginary circle around the hot tub. “This is an annoying wedding-planner-free zone.”
     She giggled. “I can’t make any promises, but I’m pretty sure he has no desire to see us exposing so much skin.”
     His groin tightened as he waited for her robe to hit the ground. Was Lauren wearing his favorite lavender bikini? Three seconds later he had his answer as she removed her robe and slid into the Jacuzzi. Hello, string bikini. I’ve missed you.

Holiday Wedding is available on Amazon and other e-retailers.

About Robyn
Robyn Neeley is an East Coaster who loves to explore new places, watches way more reality TV than she cares to admit, can’t live without Recess Peanut Butter Cups and has never met a Christmas cookie she didn’t like. (Her favorite cookie made it into Holiday Wedding!) She writes romantic comedy, sometimes with a hint of magic, but always with a happy ending.

You can find out more about Robyn Neeley by visiting her website, Facebook page, or by following her on Twitter.