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Crow Moon by Suzie Aspley#Extract #Giveaway #AMarthaStrangewaysInvestigationBook1

  I am delighted to introduce the first in a new series by debut writer, Suzie Aspley . The atmospheric thriller, Crow Moon was published by Orenda on March 14th. Today I have an extract for you to read and the chance to win a print copy of Crow Moon . Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed… Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire. Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back... When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows. As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes

The Big Little Festival by Kellie Hailes

Welcome to today's stop on the Blog Tour to celebrate Kellie Haile's novel, The Big Little Festival. You have the chance to win a paperback copy of the book and a ferris wheel charm. (Details on how to enter this International Giveaway are at the end of the post). 

I am happy to welcome Kellie to Books, Life and Everything today with an author post on The Joy of being a Homebody but before that, let's find out a little more about the book:

 
Love happens when you least expect it…


Jodi is panicking. It’s only weeks until her little village in Devon holds its first ever festival and everything is falling apart.
Desperate to avoid disaster, she brings in notorious party planner Christian to save the day. Although she wasn’t prepared for just how gorgeous he would be!
Men are off the cards for Jody and surely Christian is the last man she would ever date? But with tensions rising – along with the bunting and home-made scones – she’s about to find out…

Welcome to Books, Life and Everything, Kellie. With no more ado, here's over to you! 

The Joy of Being a Homebody by Kellie Hailes


Dorothy summed it up best when she said as she returned from Oz, ‘There’s no place like home’. You see I’m a dyed in the wool lover of home. I love my bed, I love my squishy feather pillows, I love the pressure of my shower and that I can get the heat just right without spending fifteen minutes twiddling the mixer left and right. I love knowing the place so intimately that I can go to the toilet in the middle of the night and not once have to open my eyes as I weave my way there and back.


Is it any wonder then that I like to write my books as part of a series? Sure, they can be read as standalones, and you can read them in any order you like, but they’re all set in the same place, a place the characters call home. A place that with every Rabbits Leap book becomes as familiar and beloved to me as my own little slice of the world.


Much like my local cafĂ©, which I visit far too regularly according to my bank statement, I feel like a local when I virtually walk into Mel’s CafĂ©. I see her smile at me, I smell the cosy almost burnt scent of freshly made cheese scones, and I know if she’s not busy she’ll have my flat white, double shot of course, already on the go before I get to the counter.


I can’t say since becoming a parent I’ve had much time to head into a pub, but when I enter Tony’s pub ‘The Bullion’ I’m transported back in time, and a sense of giddiness erupts as a glass of wine is poured in front of me, as I see the local blokes of Rabbits Leap gathered around, and I think … what if? (One of the best bit about writing romances? Book boyfriends!)


Then there are the little lanes that run around the town, the rolling green hills, the clouds that huddle low on gloomy days, the swing of the signs on the main street, the flowerboxes filled with colour… touchstones that remind me Rabbits Leap is right where I want to be.


Of course, being a homebody doesn’t mean I don’t like to get out and about. I’m not a hermit. Every now and then I enjoy a weekend away at a friend’s house in the country, or a trip over the ditch to spend a week in the sun while visiting my family, and the same goes for my writing… I may well have a little spin off in the works that will see me inhabit another place on and off throughout the year. But I’ll always enjoy returning to Rabbits Leap, of knowing what to expect, what’s what, and who’s who. Because whether it’s my actual abode or my wonderful imaginary village, there really is no place like home.
Thanks Kellie- I can relate totally to loving home. 

My Thoughts
In the midst of Autumn in the UK, it was rather nice to escape to a bit of summer over at Rabbit's Leap in Devon. The most appealing part of the book for me is the humour. Some of this is generated through Jodi's two sons and the villagers on the Organising Committee but also through Jodi herself. It is story with a lot of heart and you cannot help but sympathise with her as she tries to get the festival up and running. 

   Rabbit's Leap is a great community- the sort of place it would be lovely to visit. Anyone who has ever had even the smallest hand in organising some sort of fete will see just what she is up against. Village politics abounds. Jodi never gives up however and has to work through a few of her demons before the end of the story. 

    There is plenty of romance to make it a heartwarming read. From the moment Christian appears, remonstrating with Jodi's children, it is pretty clear the direction it is going to take and it does not disappoint. That's not a bad thing, of course. I enjoyed seeing how it was going to end. 

In short: great characters and a heartwarming plot make this a lovely read.
About the Author


At the age of five Kellie Hailes declared she was going write books when she grew up. It took a while for her to get there, with a career as a radio copywriter, freelance copywriter and web writer filling the dream-hole, until now. Kellie lives on an island-that’s-not-really-an-island in New Zealand with her patient husband, funny little human and neurotic cat. When the characters in her head aren’t dictating their story to her, she can be found taking short walks, eating good cheese and hankering for her next coffee fix.


You can connect with Kellie here: Facebook  |  Twitter

Book Links - Digital  Amazon UK
                    - Paperback Amazon UK   |  Sainsbury's Books

Thanks to Kellie Hailes and HQ Digital and Jenny at Neverland Tours for a copy of the book and a place on the Tour.

Giveaway (International)

For the chance to win a paperback copy of The Big Little Festival and a ferris wheel charm, follow the link below and good luck!  
a Rafflecopter giveaway
  

Comments

  1. Thank you for the wonderful review - and for hosting me :) x Kellie

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