Guest Post & Giveaway - For the Love of Dogs! by Carol Thomas - #CuteChristmas

It is said that there are two types of people in this world, cat people and dog people. Of course this is not strictly true, some people have cats and dogs, some have a menagerie and some have no animals at all. However, for those that fall firmly into the dog or cat camp their chosen furry friend is said to reveal character traits by association.

Of course there are always exceptions, but broadly speaking cats (and therefore their owners) are considered largely self-sufficient, they like life to be on their terms and they are not overtly social. Dogs, on the other hand, are considered both more needy and more giving than cats. They demand attention and yet reward the smallest of gestures with unconditional love. Requiring frequent exercise, dogs encourage their owners to go out and inspire all manner of social exchanges. They are known for being protective and loyal.

For these reasons dogs frequently crop up in romance novels. They create opportunities for interaction, by association they lead us to believe we know something of their owners, we trust their judgment and they play a good supporting role. The fact my contemporary romance novel, Crazy Over You, is in part dedicated to my dogs Benson and Milo (it’s OK no one ever gets labeled a crazy dog lady) shows I am very much a dog person.

Benson, my chocolate Labrador, was the inspiration for Bramble the dog in Crazy Over You. Writing him into the story felt completely natural, especially as his take on love and loyalty was an inspiration. He seemed the perfect character for a story in which, for the humans at least, love, loyalty and living happily ever after are put to the test. At a time when Abby, the protagonist, feels alone Bramble is the one who remains by her side, a constant support. 

My thoroughly gorgeous boy, Benson, was the strong silent type, saying more with a look than he ever did with a bark. Never being one to go for long walks (seriously he would simply sit down and refuse to go on) he made his own fun when it came to exercise: Puppy running (that is the kind of full-pelt-arched-back running you see in cartoons) around our living room even once he was fully grown; playing throw and catch, with him launching the ball from his mouth and me catching it; and enjoying hide and seek, waiting patiently while I hid his favourite toy for him to find.

As I reflect on our time together I see that he was one of my constants, I could rely on him for a cuddle no matter what the ups and downs of life. He was generous with his affection, strong and yet gentle (even when he dragged my eldest daughter through a flowerbed in pursuit of a cat, covering her in pansies, he meant her and the cat no harm). Although I have also been lucky enough to own Milo, my adorable black Labrador, and I have Hubble, my loveable puppy, Benson was one of those dogs that will always hold a special place in my heart.

When he passed away earlier this year, a month before his sixteenth birthday, it was a terrible loss. This will be our first Christmas without him, he won’t be hear to knock the baubles off the tree with his tail, or to rip up the wrapping paper once the presents are open. It will be a strange time without him, but one full of happy memories. I am pleased he is a part of Crazy Over You. In reading about Bramble I hope others feel his warmth too.

Thank you so much Carol for sharing Benson with us. He sounds like an amazing dog, and I hope Christmas doesn't feel too weird without him.

Crazy Over You: Love can drive you crazy… in more ways than one!

When Abby met Simon it was the start of something special, a love Abby believed would last a lifetime.

A wedding, two daughters and fifteen years later Abby’s world is falling apart. Having discovered Simon has had an affair her normally ordered mind is spiralling out of control. Crushed by the betrayal and shocked by her own reaction, she knows she needs to get herself together. She’s just not sure where to start.

With Simon on a mission to win her back and a close friend hiding a secret that could push her further over the edge, Abby finds strength and support where she least expects it. But as she attempts to gain control of her life and make decisions about her future, it may be more than the limits of Abby’s mind that are put to the test!

Genre: Contemporary romance
Release date: 28th October 2015
Publisher: Matador

To buy Crazy Over You: 

http://www.carol-thomas.co.uk/books

Amazon.co.uk 
http://tinyurl.com/COY-Amazonuk

Amazon.com
http://tinyurl.com/COY-Amazon

Giveaway to win 2 x signed copies of Crazy Over You (Open Internationally)

Thank you to Carol Thomas for kindly donating 2 signed copies of Crazy Over You

Giveaway open to UK only, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 3/1/2017. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win 2 x signed copies of Crazy Over You (Open Internationally)


Author bio:

Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband, four children and excitable young Labrador. In 2017 Carol intends to launch two new books with a k9 connection. The first is an illustrated children’s book, aimed at under-fives, about a puppy in need of a friend. And the second is a contemporary romance novel. 

This WIP, currently titled Regret Me Not – the best is yet to come, depicts the story of pet sitter Lisa Blake, who finds fleeing her life in London and returning to her home town sets her on a path of revisiting the past. But with a neglected friendship, a rejected love and a mystery man to contend with Lisa has to decide if going back is really the best way forward. 
While Carol’s second novel is unrelated to Crazy Over You, she states, “Readers of this book will be able to catch up on the life of one of the characters from Crazy Over You.”

To find out more visit:
http://www.carol-thomas.co.uk

https://facebook.com/carolthomasauthor

https://twitter.com/carol_thomas2

Guest Post - Beyond Publication, by Carol Thomas, author of Crazy Over You

Prior to my novel, Crazy Over You, being released a fellow Matador author told me publishing a book is like giving birth, you focus so hard on aiming for the birth you forget that’s when the hard work begins. They weren’t wrong.

Reaching publication and holding your first book in your hands is a huge achievement. But after you have stared at it for long enough and stopped grinning at it, it is time to think how to get it into other people’s hands. You want readers and not just your friends and family.

Having an author platform is spoken about a lot and it is undoubtedly invaluable for encouraging pre-orders (lifting you in rankings as your book comes out) and future sales. Ideally this should be built some time before your book is actually out, but in reality this is not always achieved.

Facebook is a good place to start. Having a dedicated page, allows people to follow you and for you to start building a buzz about you as a writer and your book/s.

Twitter enables you to reach people beyond your usual circle. Follow other writers and those people who may be your future readers, the chances are they will follow back. Use hash tags such as #amwriting and those relating to your book, such as #romancenovel. Avoid doing too many “buy my book” type tweets. Aim to be interested in others and interesting yourself.

Create a professional looking website that enables people to learn more about you and your writing. Establish your brand by creating a banner that reflects your book covers and displaying it across your website, Facebook and Twitter pages. From your website you should also, ideally, encourage people to sign up to your newsletter or blog (still a work in progress for me).

Begin to get reviews for your book, research book bloggers who enjoy your genre. Follow them on Twitter, read their blog and follow their review policy. Make your request personal – maybe offer an interview or guest blog post. Don’t hassle them; almost all book bloggers are doing it in their spare time because they love books. Once you have a review be grateful, add it to your website and link to it from your own social media.

Contact local bookshops, visit with a copy of your book (at a time convenient to them) and ask if they would stock it. If they do, show your gratitude by encouraging buyers to their shop. Promote it to local magazines (they will do articles on you or reviews on your book if you contact them with a local connection); mention it on Facebook and tweet about it.

Events can be tricky as without being a big name it can be hard to attract people. Attend some by other authors to see what works and to see what might work for you. There is safety in numbers, so working with fellow authors can be of benefit. I met the Chindi, Chichester Independent Authors, group and have worked with them on promotional events. We have monthly meetings and a private forum (where we share ideas) as well as our public pages http://www.chindi-authors.co.uk.

Obviously all these things are just a start and to be built on over time. Most importantly keep writing. Don’t lose focus of your next book, as that will be the force that carries your readers forward with you. And that is where I am at now!

Thank you so much for this informative post Carol, and really appreciate the section about book bloggers. I couldn't agree more!

Author bio:

Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband and four children. She enjoys taking on a challenge and writing her novel, Crazy Over You, while looking after her children and working part-time has proved to be one of her most exciting challenges to date. Carol has taught in the primary sector for fifteen years and works as a copywriter for commercial websites. She has a passion for reading, writing and people watching and can often be found loitering in local cafés, drinking too much tea and working on her second novel. 

To find out more about books by Carol Thomas:

http://www.carol-thomas.co.uk

https://facebook.com/carolthomasauthor

https://twitter.com/carol_thomas2

To buy Crazy Over You: 
http://www.carol-thomas.co.uk/books

Amazon.co.uk 
http://tinyurl.com/COY-Amazonuk

Amazon.com
http://tinyurl.com/COY-Amazon

Guest Post - Carol Thomas talking about Crazy Over You her new book

Thank you to Carol Thomas, for coming onto Rachel's Random Reads, to talk about her new romance, Crazy Over You. My review has also been posted today, so take a look after you read what Carol has to say.

Love, loyalty and living happily ever after are put to the test in my new romance novel Crazy Over You!

Have you ever been driven crazy by love? As the subtitle of my book states, love can drive you crazy in more ways than one. There are times – particularly in the early stages of a relationship – when you can feel completely crazy, head over heals in love, and then there are the times when you can feel aspects of your partner or relationship might literally drive you crazy! It is this range of emotions that I set out to explore in Crazy Over You. 

Like many women Abby Turner always assumed her take on infidelity would be zero tolerance – walk away, don’t look back (cue Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive) and move on in the knowledge that the person left behind didn’t deserve you. From the vantage point of her mostly happy, fifteen-year marriage and with her opinions informed by books and films it had all seemed so straightforward. So why isn’t it that simple when it becomes her reality? 

Abby’s story begins almost two months after she has discovered her husband Simon has had an affair. In the wake of their separation she feels ashamed of the darkness that sometimes engulfs her and unwilling to confide in those closest to her (her family perceive her as one of life’s copers, while her best friend is away, working in America). Abby feels hurt, confused and unable to move forward in the way she had always imagined she would. 

This, for me, was an important starting point. I had read other great novels on the theme of infidelity but often found that the impact of the affair on the central character tended to be sidelined in order to move forward with the plot. In writing Crazy Over You I felt I had something different to offer; the exploration of Abby’s feelings is very much part of the plot. In fact they are the driving force throughout the story.

That is not to say that Crazy Over You is grounded in sadness, far from it. Yes it has its moments but I think this isn’t a subject you can tackle honestly without reflecting some of the impact on those concerned. However, as we follow Abby as she attempts to gain control of her life and make decisions about her future, it becomes very clear that this is as much a story about friendship, family and love as it is of infidelity.

Yes, Crazy Over You is a novel for all those who have experienced a break up, but it is also very much a story for all those who know that living happily ever after is not quite as simple as meeting your man. 

Crazy Over You: Love can drive you crazy… in more ways than one!

When Abby met Simon it was the start of something special, a love Abby believed would last a lifetime.

A wedding, two daughters and fifteen years later Abby’s world is falling apart. Having discovered Simon has had an affair her normally ordered mind is spiralling out of control. Crushed by the betrayal and shocked by her own reaction, she knows she needs to get herself together. She’s just not sure where to start.

With Simon on a mission to win her back and a close friend hiding a secret that could push her further over the edge, Abby finds strength and support where she least expects it. But as she attempts to gain control of her life and make decisions about her future, it may be more than the limits of Abby’s mind that are put to the test!

Genre: Contemporary romance
Release date: 28th October 2015
Publisher: Matador

Buy Crazy Over You: 

http://www.carol-thomas.co.uk/books

Amazon.co.uk 
http://tinyurl.com/COY-Amazonuk

Amazon.com
http://tinyurl.com/COY-Amazon

Author bio:

Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband, four children and two lazy Labradors. She enjoys taking on a challenge and writing her novel, Crazy Over You, while looking after her children and working part-time has proved to be one of her most exciting challenges to date. Carol has taught in the primary sector for fifteen years and works as a copywriter for commercial websites. 

Commenting on the release of her ‘thought provoking and entertaining’ debut novel, Carol states, “While Crazy Over You is undoubtedly a work of fiction, I enjoy writing from real experiences, drawing on what I know and depicting emotions I, and hopefully others, can relate to.”

She has a passion for reading, writing and people watching and can often be found loitering in local cafés, drinking too much tea and working on her second novel. 

To find out more about books by Carol Thomas:

http://www.carol-thomas.co.uk

https://facebook.com/carolthomasauthor

https://twitter.com/carol_thomas2

Book Review - Crazy Over You by Carol Thomas

Amazon UK

Title: Crazy Over You

Author: Carol Thomas

Format reviewed:  Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Troubador

Publication Date: 28th October 2015

Rating: 4 Stars

Love can drive you crazy… in more ways than one! 

When Abby met Simon, a drink in the uni bar lead to keeping in touch, late-night phone calls and intimate catch-ups. It was the start of something special, a love Abby believed would last a lifetime. 

A wedding, two daughters and fifteen years later, Abby’s world is falling apart. Having discovered Simon has had an affair, her normally ordered mind is spiralling out of control. Crushed by the betrayal and shocked by her own reaction, she knows she needs to get herself together; she’s just not sure where to start. 

She wanted all the pain and angst gone from inside her. Would meeting someone do that? She was one lone person in a world of people. Who would notice her? Nobody had in the last fifteen years. 

With Simon on a mission to win her back and a close friend hiding a secret that could push her further over the edge, Abby finds strength and support where she least expects it. But as she attempts to gain control of her life and make decisions about her future, it may be more than the limits of Abby’s mind that are put to the test! 

Crazy Over You is a refreshingly honest portrayal of a woman’s reaction to her husband’s infidelity while also being a touching story of friendship and love. It is a novel for all those who have experienced a break-up and know that living happily ever after is not quite as simple as meeting your man!

There is a lot to like in Crazy Over You, especially the sense of humuor, Abby's children (her own and the ones she teaches), and also some of the soundtrack that is mentioned at points. I had very similar tastes in music. 

For a debut novel, its witty, charming and has a good story. I did though find I was struggling to get into the story a bit, but suspect that is more to do with me, than the book itself. 

Abby has just discovered Simon, has cheated on her, and she is struggling to come to terms with it. Her emotions fly all over the place, but it takes the help of fellow teachers Melissa and Brad for her to start feeling normal again, let alone anything else. 

There was a clear chemistry between Abby and Brad, but I found I wasn't sure I was really willing them together. Can't put my finger on it, but I didn't take to Abby that much in the beginning, and even by the end had formed no real bond with her, which is a shame for a main character. 

That being said despite that I found plenty to enjoy, there are some great scenes, including abseiling, and  lingerie party, both outside of Abby's comfort zone, with some interesting reactions from her. 

You can tell that Simon really is trying his hardest to win Abby back and has some romantic gestures. Watch out for origami animals, they are more relevant than I thought when they were first mentioned. 

Overall a pleasant and entertaining book, that I enjoyed. 

Thanks to Netgalley and Troubador for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.