“Orchid Girl” an epic story of love set in our darkest days. Available on Kindle, paperback to follow. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756RXQ1L/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1503974716&sr=1-1&keywords=orchid+girl

While the clouds of war gather, two innocent young lovers plan their future. As 1941 draws to a close Malaya is thrown in to turmoil. The couple suffer the ultimate betrayal and their dreams are shattered. Beautiful Lan lives through unbearable hardship while the dangers of war lurk around every corner.

When peace is restored, tragedy leads Lan across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand. But the questions that have haunted her for years remain unanswered. Did her family survive the war? Was Hai taken to the death railways? If he is alive, does he wait for her return or has she faded from his memory?
“Orchid Girl” is a moving story of family, history at its darkest and the power of love. This is the journey of Lan and Hai.

 

 

The last song by Nicholas Sparks

This book is by another one of my favourite authors. But it was not my favourite offering by Mr Sparks.

Having said that, there has not been one book, written by Nicholas Sparks, that I have considered a waste of time reading.

I think my problem was that initially “The Last Song” felt a more suitable read for younger people than myself. It followed the journey of a young woman, Veronica Miller “Ronnie” as she rebelled against her divorced parents and her situation.

However, as the story progressed, Ronnie was faced with some real issues. At that point the book became more suitable for a mature reader.

Did I enjoy “The Last Song,” yes. Definitely a beach type read and a well constructed love story. I would not expect anything less from Nicholas Sparks

Now available as a box set

“Beach and Beyond” Box set Romantic Suspense

“Crumbs to Caviar” (Book one)
Shona and her husband take time to recover at their beachside holiday home after the accident that shattered their world. But what should have been a fresh start for the young couple begins a chain of events that will turn their lives upside down. Shona is forced to face the ghosts of her past with tragic consequences.

An ocean away, Blake Coleman lives the celebrity lifestyle. Numerous women pass through his life. But Blake has no interest in committing again. Caring for his disabled brother and his corporate empire his life is full, yet empty.

A twisted tale of a life shattered by betrayal and dangerous obsession, beachside holidays and a love that could change it all.

“The Cost of Caviar” (Book two)
Building a new life beside magnificent Teal Lake should have been easy. After all, Shona McGuire wasn’t asking for much. A return to the ordinary life, security for her son and a man to love. But when tragedy strikes, and a stranger seeking solitude arrives at the lake, everything is thrown into turmoil.

“The Cost of Caviar” continues the story of Shona McGuire and Blake Coleman started in “Crumbs to Caviar”.

This bundle contains both Book one and Book two of the “Beach and Beyond” series. “Crumbs to Caviar” and “The Cost of Caviar” are also available individually on Kindle.

The author of this book resides in New Zealand. If you are a reader from the United States, the spelling of some words may differ slightly from what is familiar to you. A glossary at the back of the book provides insight in to the New Zealand terms.

New Book Release

Book Two of “The Beach and Beyond” series has just been released.

Building a new life beside magnificent Teal Lake should have been easy. After all Shona McGuire wasn’t asking for much. A return to the world of the white picket fence and ordinary life she once despised, security for her son, and a man that can return her love.

But is the ruthless, workaholic, Blake Coleman capable of being that man. He has left it all behind to join her in paradise, all behind him apart from his corporate life, and his half-truths. When tragedy tears Blake’s world apart, and a stranger, seeking solitude arrives at the lake, Shona finds it is more than an ocean that separates their very different worlds.

“The Cost of Caviar” book two of the “Beach and Beyond” series comes to a chilling conclusion. This is not a sugar coated romance and contains language that may offend some readers.

The author of this book resides in New Zealand. If you are a reader from the United States, the spelling of some words may differ slightly from what is familiar to you. A glossary at the back of the book provides insight in to the lesser known Maori words.

One of my favourite authors

4.0 out of 5 stars Books that a reliably good reading, July 10, 2016

This review is from: Mercy (Kindle Edition)

Jodi Picoult is one of my, if not my, favourite author. I have read many of her books and just finished “Mercy.” I would have to agree with other reviewers that this was not my pick of her work. But having said that it still kept me turning the pages, and her writing was, as always exceptional.

Why wasn’t it up to the previous reads? While it was enjoyable it was a little predictable. Some of the characters were not particularly likeable (or relatable) and some irritating enough to throttle!

That being said, Jodi Picoult does it again. This book is well worth a read and the author is without doubt, brilliant.

This is It, by Jackie Parry

This is a totally absorbing read.

I have just finished reading Jackie Parry’s book “This is it.” Having read her previous stories, “Of Foreign Build” and “A Standard Journey,” I was not convinced the latest offering would be able to maintain the same entertainment value as I had previously enjoyed. I need not have worried.

Following on from her adventures on Mariah, Jackie swept me up on another fabulous journey of escapism. Together with Noel, her husband, they negotiated and purchased Pyewacket, (as with most things in their lives this was not such an easy feat!) a fifty-one-foot vessel and embarked on another nail biting adventure.

I am not as a rule, a huge fan of non-fiction/memoire genres. However, I do make an exception when I come across a book by this author. Jackie Parry has a way of entertaining while passing on practical information. She draws pictures with her words of exotic locations, colourful people and the harsh, often life threatening conditions they encounter while sailing offshore.

I look forward to seeing where this adventurous lady takes us to next.

http://www.amazon.com/This-hemispheres-people-Jackie-Parry-ebook/dp/B01BHW58LU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1461520571&sr=1-1&keywords=this+is+it+jackie+parry

A Capable and Wide Revenge. Review.

If you have read, as I have, Glen Barrera’s previous book, “The Assassin Who Couldn’t Dance” this one is a must.

Again, the author wraps the reader in a fast moving, action packed story, and sweeps them along with a plot that keeps the pages turning.

“A Capable and Wide Revenge” is a well written, and gripping tale set against a vividly described backdrop. It is full of exciting conflict, complex relationships and loss, all weaved together with a little romance.

The characters are flawed, the events often unpredictable, and the ending was satisfying.

I certainly hope there is a third book by this author. I would certainly recommend this story, the previous one and any that follow.

http://www.amazon.com/Capable-Wide-Revenge-Glen-Barrera-ebook/dp/B012LWVTEK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455999127&sr=8-1&keywords=a+capable+and+wide+revenge

Sneak preview

Yesterday I wrote those wonderful words, “The end.”  Actually it should have been “The beginning,” because this is book one of an upcoming series.  A few trusted people have to work their magic before I push the publish button, but not long to wait.

Here is a sneak preview.

Prologue

A bleak December day, a slippery highway, and Shona McGuire’s ordinary life would never to be the same.

Before the accident Shona’s life was not exactly as she would have planned it. In fact, it was nothing like the dreams that filled her head while she struggled with the trials and tribulations of adolescent hood.

For Shona McGuire, her early memories always return to the beach. To the tumble down bach her family have owned since she was a child, covered in sticky candy. As far as she can remember, it has always been tumbled down, with threadbare carpets and frayed curtains. A special place where sand carried in by bare feet, and their old dog’s tooth marks on the corner of the sagging couch, go unnoticed. The lawn is a tapestry of course white sand and sparse patches of Kikuyu, the only grass resilient enough to survive the salt laden air that blows off the waves, and coats the distorted glass windows in a thin, greasy film.

The handful of tiny wooden homes sit empty for most of the year. But when the holidays arrive, they come alive with the sound of laughter, and the smell of sausages, pipi fritters and crayfish cooking on the barbeque.

Her mind takes her back to Sea Dog Takeaways, and the old couple wrapping greasy fish and chips in unsold newsprint. Of her father sipping cold beer, while her mother tossed green salad, and baked fresh loaves of crusty bread.

It takes her back to a time of innocence. Memories of a handsome boy named John Myer, of two free spirits galloping ponies down the windswept beach, of diving in the crystal clear waters of the harbour, and gathering shellfish from the shallows.

Now only the bach remains unchanged, a tumble down wooden structure, that holds the family’s memories etched deep within its walls.

They say you can never go back. That the things you have left behind are best not revisited. But they never told her to go back would be the biggest mistake of her life. It all started on a slippery highway on December 23rd.

http://www.amazon.com/Quilt-Unravelled-Rochelle-Carlton-ebook/dp/B00MCV1BO4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419036240&sr=1-1&keywords=the+quilt+unravelled16994_1680575322174044_3862941668020763788_n