Monday 31 August 2015

A To Z of Katie Button Part One

A to C


Phew. It’s been an amazing two months since The Adventures of Katie Button was released through Crooked Cat PublishingTwo months of fab reviews and comments.

I thought I’d share a few titbits about Katie Button and her world by doing an A-Z, after getting the idea from Laura Huntly, author of Black Eyed Boyalso released through Crooked Cat.

So here goes . . . at least the beginning is easy . . . not looking forward to X! Hopefully something will crop up.
                                                              A
Alana
In Three words: Confident. Honest. Loyal.
Katie’s best friend and work colleague. Alana affectionately calls Katie ‘Sweets’ and supplies the morning coffees and pastries. She dresses for the job she wants and is not afraid to go for it. Although not a major character, without Alana in the background, being there with a cheeky mojito, Katie’s life would be in danger of imploding spectacularly.

B
Boots & Brownies
I couldn’t choose! Both are an important part of Katie’s life.
Boots
Katie is a shoeaholic and a pair of purple suede boots are her latest buy and favourite pair. Buying them wasn’t easy. The results in wearing them were unexpected too.
Brownies
The most deliciously moist, fudgy, chewy brownies Katie has ever tasted. Homemade by Peter, a guy she meets after experiencing some rather emotional dreams. A brownie or two or five always make the situation better.

C
Chocolate

This list seems to be food related. Chocolate is very important to a girl and Katie is no exception. Not only does she love chocolate, she ends up working with it in her role at Red Communications, a branding company. She can often be found chomping her way through bars of Galaxy or Cadbury as she sits at her desk. Table picnics are a common occurrence for Katie.   

And that's it for now. Hope that's whetted your appetite for The Adventures of Katie Button, a quirky little chicklit. 














                                                        Amazon UK             Amazon US
                                                                        Smashwords





Blurb
What happens when your dreams collide with reality?

Katie Button doesn’t believe in soulmates. When charismatic Jack Masterson asks her out on a date, despite him being her new boss alongside his more aloof brother, James, she agrees.

But her romantic dreams about a dashing highwayman, heroic gladiator and Tudor lord are becoming more frequent. And, worryingly, they feel real. She remembers every detail, every touch, every kiss. Until she realises the man in her dreams is James.

But Katie doesn’t even like James. And what about Jack, who is whisking her away for sexy mini breaks in the here and now?

Katie knows she needs to put an end to her dreams before they ruin her life. But how?



Some cute words from some of the reviews

                                 

Saturday 29 August 2015

Indi Doesn't Like Me Any More


This is Indi, my gorgeous cat. 
                        

                                           Unfortunately, he has the right raving hump with me. 


And not because I take silly pictures of him with pink and purple flowers. It's because I disappeared for two weeks on holiday. And then after being back for two days, I disappeared again for a week. 


It's not like I abandoned him. My lovely sister fed him, gave him lots of strokes and kept him company while we were all away in Spain. He was spoilt! Lots!


My Hubby and boy were here when I was in Suffolk so he wasn't alone then. And they fussed over him.

I take oodles of pics of Indi. I let him sleep on my bed. Shhh, don't tell Hubby that. 

                                             I even let him sleep on my fluffy blanket.


I think he might have missed me! Cats have feelings too and I think he's demonstrating to me that he's pissed off right now because of my absence.
                               Oops

He doesn't eat the food I put out for him but will eat it if Hubby or teen do it.

I'm not even his first choice when he comes in chattering away for food.  Grrrrrr





                                                                              

I'll just have to wait for Indi to forgive me for my gallivanting. Hopefully he won't take too long and hopefully before I disappear again; back to work next week after six weeks where I'll be out all day.  

                                                      Don't think he'll like that much. 




Wednesday 26 August 2015

Five Sentence Fiction Breakfast


 Light streamed through the window, casting its beam across the crisp white linen as Stacey awoke, stretching out her legs until they touched the resting limb beside her, rumbles beginning to fill her empty tummy.  
Her mind wandered back to just a few hours earlier when she first laid eyes on Aaron across the bar where he worked, generously topping up her drink between snatched conversations.

He stirred, wearing a small smile as he opened his eyes, seeing Stacey grinning back but his smile quickly evaporated as he jumped from the bed like it was on fire, already attempting to strip it, sending Stacey and her words of breakfast tumbling.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a panicked voice, “you weren’t meant to spend the whole night! My girlfriend will be back from work in half an hour."


Written for http://lilliemcferrin.com/ for Five Sentence Fiction, the prompt 'breakfast' and based on a true story.















Monday 24 August 2015

Book Review by ChicklitPlus The Adventures of Katie Button


Have you got your copy? It's only a click away . . .  Amazon UK

My novel, The Adventures of Katie Button was released on June 12th 2015 through Crooked Cat publishing. It was a dream come true to not only write a novel but have it accepted for publishing. 

I sent a free copy of my novel, The Adventures of Katie Button, for an honest review to http://chicklitplus.com/ where you'll find everything in the latest Chicklit. 

This review is amazing because the reviewer loves Katie Button, the main character in my quirky novel. As Katie is the main character, it's important people like her and can relate to her.  I love Katie Button too which is why I'm working on a sequel. I can't stop reading this review so thought it time I shared it with you.  

http://chicklitplus.com/about/review-policy/ 

Reviewer: Leah

I received a review copy

the adventures of katie buttonReview:

In The Adventures of Katie Button, Katie Button is your average person. She likes concerts, chocolate, watching T.V., and shopping. She and her best friend work at a marketing firm, where they have the supervisor from Hell that dislikes her. The thing that isn’t average about her, is that she is having these extremely vivid dreams. In all of her intense dreams, she is involved with this hunky man James, but they are sadly parted. Her dreams take place from all reaches of time and sometimes in different languages. Katie doesn’t think much of it, that is until she discovers that one of her new bosses is a dead ringer for her dream man, and they even share the same name. Unfortunately, “reality” James isn’t much interested in her or nearly as charming; while his older brother Jack seems more her type. When the dreams won’t stop, and threaten to be a problem at work and in her new relationship with Jack, she seeks help and discovers that these realistic dreams are more than she ever imagined. These dreams are fragments of her memories from her past lives, as she and James are soul mates. Now she has to try and reunite them, while at the same time excel at her job and keep her evil overlord supervisor from firing her.
I am not one that is interested in paranormal tales, reincarnation, or anything of that semblance, but I extremely enjoyed this tale. And the main reason for why I had trouble putting this book down? Katie Button. Katie Button was an all-around fun character who the reader could relate to. Katie was just a regular girl who could be awkward at times, didn’t always make the best decisions, and was more at home watching Diagnosis Murder marathons than clubbing or partying. Her wit, compassion, and all around character are a lot of fun and incredibly endearing. I could have just read about her everyday life without the dreams and past lives, and had been just as entertained. I thought it was a great read and give it a four out of five stars.

4 stars

                     The Adventures of Katie Button is available at 

                                  Amazon UK & Amazon US

the adventures of katie button

Here's that all important blurb 

What happens when your dreams collide with reality?

Katie Button doesn’t believe in soulmates. When charismatic Jack Masterson asks her out on a date, despite him being her new boss alongside his more aloof brother, James, she agrees.
But her romantic dreams about a dashing highwayman, heroic gladiator and Tudor lord are becoming more frequent. And, worryingly, they feel real. She remembers every detail, every touch, every kiss. Until she realises the man in her dreams is James.
But Katie doesn’t even like James. And what about Jack, who is whisking her away for sexy mini breaks in the here and now?
Katie knows she needs to put an end to her dreams before they ruin her life. But how?



A few more reviews and a short, sexy snippet



Another review, this time from  Amazon US


Hope you enjoyed the review, blurb and sexy snippet. If you've read The Adventures of Katie Button, then think about leaving a review. It doesn't have to be as long as Leah's; just a sentence would be cool; if you liked it of course :-) .



Saturday 22 August 2015

Six Word Saturday . . . Lovely Week For Fluff and Stuff



Lovely Week of Fluff and Stuff


Six pic highlights of my week
     Bundle of fluff 1                                                                                             Bundle of fluff 2
Met this cutie for the first time
my great niece (9months).
Spent time with my niece (4 months)


                                                                                       

We visited Thorpeness where
you'll find The House in the Clouds 
We messed around taking selfies


                                                                                 Stuff
A gorgeous 5* review for my chicklit novel started the week. Reviews are what makes an Indie author's novel a success so I was chuffed to bits by this review, and a writer too.
Available through Amazon

And to finish the week?

More stuff
I was in Suffolk and got this text from my son in Sussex. As you can see he is a boy of very few words. Kept me dangling for what felt like ages before he told me and then not much detail. But proud to bits for my boy who can now go on to do what he wants to do. 

So there's my week in six pictures for Six Word Sat over at  http://www.showmyface.com/ hosted by Call Me Cate


Saturday 15 August 2015

No Wi-fi But Quality Family Time #SixWordSaturday



Our gorgeous sunny holiday is over!!!




I’m so sad to be home as it doesn’t take long for the holiday to seem a lifetime ago (when we only got back yesterday) and normality to set in- washing (loads of it), shopping (Old Mother Hubbard has nothing on my cupboards, fridge and freezer), paying bills (grrr) and being absolutely freezing cold despite the sun shining.


But the saddest thing of all is that now we’re home, we’re back to doing our own thing. The teenager has gone to the gym and meeting up with friends. The Hubby is on his XBox and I’m tippy tappy on the laptop (whilst waiting for the washing machine to do it’s thing).  


On holiday there was no wi-fi which meant no continuous status updates or chats with friends or sharing photos. (Well I shared the odd one which no doubt will cost a small fortune but I’ll worry about that when the bill comes in). It also meant I missed the week my book was on sale so there was minimal publicity for that (I may have posted a few tweets . . . again, I’ll see what the bill says . . . eeekkk).


But no wi-fi!!


What were we to do??? I thought I would go into meltdown. The teenager’s life had officially ended.


Talk!


It meant we had to talk to each other for two weeks! Face to face conversations over a meal . . . ate at a table . . .  in a restaurant  . . . with fantastic views.


I still took pics of my food!
The sangria!! Yummy!!! 
And boy, did we talk. Even the teenager couldn’t stop (the odd beer loosening his tongue). OK, so I now know about the superhero movies and the order to watch them, how they link to the comics etc. I know some stories from a life when my Hubby wasn’t my Hubby (didn’t his life start when he met me?). I probably know some other stuff too as we talked about random things, rambling on, late into the night, sitting on the balcony, watching the twinkling lights of the fishing boats come and go as we drank Sangria.




But it’s over and it may be the last holiday we have as a family as the teenager will be 18 next year, and already talking about holidays with his mates.


So, I’ll just gaze through the photos of our tanned, smiling faces and remember that actually no wi-fi wasn’t the end of the world for any of us.

The view from the balcony. Pure bliss

Saturday 1 August 2015

Darth Vader, Batman, Pants in Topman #Six word Sat


Darth Vader, Batman, Pants in Topman


On a rare shopping trip, the teenage son asked if I would buy him some pants. It’s my job apparently to buy the boring essential bits such as pants and socks. I wonder when this will stop being my job? When he hits 20? 30? Leaves home? When he moves in with a girlfriend where I will pass the pants baton on to her?


He said Calvin Klein. I can’t repeat what I said. But ended it with Primark. He came back with Topman.


So I’m in Topman, looking at the packs of pants, all bright colours, wondering what ones to choose, when I overhear this:
“Who would win a fight between Batman and Darth Vader?”
The price of the pants forgotten, I pick up two packs and go to the counter where I say:
“Batman.” I would have loved to have said it in a Batman voice!
Not to scale but you get the picture


It seemed to be the general consensus that Batman would annihilate Darth Vader.
Then came Superman v Batman which my son had explained to me the night before when I asked; “But why are they fighting each other when they’re both supposed to be on the same side?” So I was well up on the ins and outs of the superheroes from DC Comics.


Then, Thor came into the conversation (that might have been my fault) as he is my favourite superhero played superbly by Chris Hemsworth). I know, I know, he’s from Marvel Comics (which I did mention so not to look a complete doofus whilst trying to hold my own and impress the young men of Topman).  All this whilst I was paying for two packs of pants.
Cute little Thor but no Chris Hemsworh


It was agreed that whilst both Superman and Thor are Gods, Thor would win as Superman is a bit ‘prissy’ (although Henry Cavill makes Superman rather appealing).


I was so distracted by the conversation, it hadn’t really registered until I got home that I’d spent 30 quid, yes 30 quid! on six pairs pants. (Why do we say a pair of pants, a pair of knickers, a pair of trousers when they’re obviously not pairs????)


That could possibly be the last time I buy my son the boring essentials which he probably won’t agree with but he agrees with me that Batman would whoop Darth Vader’s butt (read awesome mother son conversation here).