Q&A between Rob Bryndza and his narrator, Jan Cramer - Blog Tour

I'm delighted to welcome to my blog, not only Rob Bryndza, author of the Erika Foster series that I have been enjoying, but also of the Coco Princhard series that I am eager to read whenever I find the time... but also his audio book narrator Jan Cramer, who he is interviewing today.

Hello Jan, thank you for being part of the Coco Pinchard Box Set blog tour. I’m sure that many readers and listeners know and love your narration for my Erika Foster crime thriller audiobooks. They may not know that you also narrate the audiobooks in the Coco Pinchard series. Who was your favourite character to play?

It has to be Ethel. She has all the best lines, is such a character and has a heart of gold. When I first read the book I laughed out loud, and then I found I was still laughing during the recording. If you kept my giggles in, the audiobook would have been twice as long.

You trained as an actor at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and you are now much in demand as a voice over artist and audiobook narrator. Did you always want to pursue this particular area of work?

When I was at Drama School it was very much theatre based training and that’s where I’ve spent most of my career. But I also did a lot of radio drama and that has informed my voice over and audiobook work as I see an audiobook as a radio play with me playing all the parts. The world of audiobooks has expanded in the Uk over the past 5 years or so, and its opened a whole new world of possibilities. I love it

 With the advent of digital, audiobooks have no restrictions on length. The average being 8 -10 hours. How long does it take to record an audiobook? Do you do it all in one go, or over several days?

It takes about 3 or 4 days in a studio reading in say 3, 2 hour sessions each day. It’s very disciplined. No tea or coffee, just lots of water to drink (and a banana if my tummy rumbles). Apples are also good for the sound as the pectin helps take any mouth clicks away. Microphones pick up everything!!

I get very involved in my books and having read them a couple of times before the studio session, making copious notes, I then live and breathe each book until its finished.

If you narrate a book with a huge cast of characters, do you find it easy to remember all the different accents? And how do you decide on an accent for a particular character?

If I ‘m continuing a series like Coco Pinchard or Erika Foster, I listen back to precious recordings before I start just to make sure the characters are consistent. Once I’m back in that world then it all comes flooding back and I’m ready to go.

A voice doesn’t exist with a person. Therefore, I see every character as a three-dimensional living being, and that’s what informs the choice of voice. The listener may not see them as I do, but every one of them is real to me.

Is there a book out there you would love to narrate – if you like, your fantasy narration?

I was over the moon when asked last year to narrate E M Forsters A Room With a View.  A classic with brilliant prose and wonderful characters. Narrator heaven. But I do also love good contemporary writing, with hopefully someone to make me giggle. 

Thank you so much Jan and Rob for that fabulous interview.

The Coco Pinchard Boxset: 5 bestselling romantic comedies in one! 

Amazon UK

For the first time, all 5 books in Robert Bryndza's bestselling Coco Pinchard romantic comedy series are available in one! And this box set includes a new introduction by the author.

Book 1: The Not So Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard

If you enjoyed flipping through Bridget Jones's diary, you'll love perusing Coco Pinchard's emails! Coco confides in her quirky, supportive friends as she deals with her life falling apart. Read the emails that tell the heart warming and often hilarious tale of Coco picking up the pieces, in this fun, feel-good Romantic Comedy. 

Book 2: Coco Pinchard's Big Fat Tipsy Wedding

Coco thinks she's on the road to happily ever after with Adam, until he inexplicably breaks up with her. Will one mistake cost them their whole future? Coco sets out to discover what has really happened, and uncovers a shocking secret Adam has been hiding from her... Full of hilarious twists and turns, Coco Pinchard's Big Fat Tipsy Wedding is a witty, heart-warming, romantic comedy - the stand-alone sequel to no.1 bestselling, The Not So Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard. 

Book 3: Coco Pinchard, the Consequences of Love and Sex

Coco Pinchard has a great life, a bestselling memoir, and a handsome second husband. Things are going exactly as planned -- until her adult son runs into disaster, her ex's mother butts back into her life, and she finds out she's pregnant! Maybe life is more fun if you throw your plans out the window... The third book in Robert Bryndza's bestselling Coco Pinchard series (which can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone story) is a hilarious diary with Coco's trademark wit and honesty, tracing the raging hormones and extraordinary twists that take her to motherhood for the second time. 

Book 4: A Very Coco Christmas

It's 1985, and eighteen-year-old Coco Pinchard is home for Christmas after her first term at University. She's fallen hopelessly in love with Daniel Pinchard, but Coco's mother wants her to be with Kenneth, the son of posh friends Adrian and Yvonne Rosebury, who will be joining them for Christmas.

As snow falls softly over the city, and Coco tries to juggle a series of hilarious events, the stage is set for a Christmas lunch like no other. A Very Coco Christmas is a delicious, stand-alone prequel short story to Robert Bryndza's smash-hit Coco Pinchard series.

Book 5: Coco Pinchard's Must-Have Toy Story

A sparkling feel-good comedy, which asks the question - how far would you go to get your child the must-have Christmas toy? 

It's December 1992, and children are going crazy for the Tracy Island toy - almost as crazy as the parents! Christmas day is fast approaching and Coco Pinchard is desperately trying to track one down for her four-year-old son Rosencrantz. 

From dodgy dealings in a motorway lay-by, to extreme shopping in Hamley's with a Sylvanian Families fanatic, to having a go at the Blue Peter make-your-own Tracy Island, Coco tries everything in the hope that four-year-old Rosencrantz will open his must-have toy on Christmas morning.

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For the duration of the blog tour, the box set is at these special prices

Amazon UK 99p

Amazon USA $1.99

Amazon AU $0.99

Amazon EU stores €0.99

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author bio: 

Robert Bryndza is the author of the international #1 bestseller The Girl in the Ice, which is the first in his Detective Erika Foster series. It has sold over one million copies.

The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath and Cold Blood are the second, third, fourth and fifth books in the series. The sixth book, Deadly Secrets, has just been published.

Robert's books have sold over 2.5 million copies and have been translated into 28 languages.

In addition to writing crime fiction, Robert has published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels. He is British and lives in Slovakia.

You can find out more about the author at www.robertbryndza.com and on Twitter and Instagram @RobertBryndza

Sign up to Robert Bryndza‘s New Release Mailing List here: http://eepurl.com/UITxz

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryndzarobert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5763380.Robert_Bryndza

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertBryndza

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertbryndza/

website: www.robertbryndza.com

Q&A - Would You Rather? with Catherine Isaac - Blog Tour

Today I am delighted to welcome Catherine Isaac to Rachel's Random Reads, and she has agreed to answer my new fun interview questions entitled - Would You Rather?

1) Would you rather live under the sea or in space? 

Space. Ideally in a Princess Leia costume and with a young Han Solo by my side.

2) Would you rather go skiing or sit by a beach on holiday? 

Ski-ing. I’d take an action-packed holiday over a beach any day. I’m quite an energetic person, so writing and reading books are literally the only times when you’ll see me sitting still for an extended period of time. 

3) Would you rather read ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? 

Definitely physical books, preferably hardback. But I’m a recent convert to Audible, which I listen to if I’m doing chores around the house or garden. I’ve just listened to The Essex Serpent and loved it so much I ended up buying a physical copy too.

4) Would you rather play or watch sports? 

Play. See above about not being able to sit still. I can’t claim to have many brushes with sporting glory since I played netball at school, but I’m always the first to jump up for a game of rounders on a sunny day.

5) Would you rather only be able to whisper the whole time, or shout the whole time?

Whisper. I live in a house with three very boisterous boys and it is LOUD. So I’d welcome the opportunity of communicating in a more civilised manner.

6) Would you rather always be late or always be unprepared? 

Unprepared. I think any working mother is used to winging it.

7) Would you rather have your own luxury car, or private plane? 

Private plane, because you can be in the most luxurious car in the world but if you’re stuck in traffic it’s still a miserable experience.

8) Would you rather look like a fish or smell like a fish? 

This one made me laugh out loud! Neither sounds very appealing but I’ll say smell; I’d simply douse myself in Sure for Women and hope for the best.

9) Would you rather have free books for life or free food for life? 

I’ll recklessly say books although I dread to think what that would do to my already bulging bookshelves. 


10) Would you rather give up social media or alcohol? 

I haven’t had a drink since 2017 and haven’t found it too difficult – so, alcohol! 

Thank you so much Catherine for answering me questions, I really hope you enjoyed them and let me just say how much I enjoyed You Me Everything when I read it last week, and for those who missed it my review can be found here. 

Author Bio

Catherine Isaac was born in 1974 in Liverpool, England. She studied History at the University of Liverpool, before completing a postgraduate diploma in Journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University. She began her career as a graduate trainee at the Liverpool Echo. At 27, she was appointed Editor of the Liverpool Daily Post and held the position for five years. For a decade she has written under the pseudonym Jane Costello. She wrote her first book, Bridesmaids, while on maternity leave. She has since written nine books, all Sunday Times bestsellers in the UK.

You Me Everything is her first novel writing as Catherine Isaac. Since writing the novel, Catherine has achieved a large following ahead of its publication. Alongside her decade long relationship with Simon and Schuster, You, Me, Everything has been her first opportunity to write for a US audience, and film rights for the novel have been optioned by Lionsgate.


Catherine now lives in Liverpool with her husband Mark and three sons. In her spare time she likes to run, walk up mountains in the Lake District and win at pub quizzes, though the latter rarely happens.

Twitter - https://twitter.com/CatherineIsaac_

Set in the French countryside over one hot summer, You Me Everything is a tender novel about finding joy and love even in the most unexpected places. 

Jess and her ten-year-old son William set off to spend the summer at Château de Roussignol, deep in the rich, sunlit hills of the Dordogne. There, Jess’s ex-boyfriend and William’s father, Adam, runs a beautiful hotel in a restored castle. Jess is bowled over by what Adam has accomplished, but she’s in France for a much more urgent reason: to make Adam connect with his own son. Jess can’t allow Adam to let their son down because she is tormented by a secret of her own, one that nobody - especially William - must discover.

By turns life-affirming, heart-wrenching and joyful, You Me Everything is a novel about one woman's fierce determination to grab hold of the family she has and never let go, and a romantic story as heady as a crisp Sancerre on a summer day.

Purchase Amazon UK

Please do follow along with the blog tour for even more great posts about this amazing book

Would You Rather? - Interview with P.S. Bridge - #SpringReads

I am delighted to welcome P.S. Bridge to my blog today, and she has answer a series of fun questions all entitled - Would You Rather?

1) Would you rather live under the sea or in space?

Under the sea!  I have always been fascinated by what lies in the depths of our seas and oceans. Besides, before we start exploring space, I believe it’s much better to explore our own planet. Marine life is fascinating, almost hypnotic. 

2) Would you rather only read your genres you write in, or all other genres for the rest of your life? 

I like to be able to change the genre I read. Much as my heart will always lie in thrillers, as a writer and a reader, the best experiences are those which are varied. 

3) Would you rather ride a camel or an elephant?

It has to be an Elephant! They are a lot more comfortable and there is something majestic about these beautiful creatures. 

4) Would you rather eat sweet or savoury food? 

This is a tough one! Sweet would have to be my choice. I love my chocolate far too much, especially Bourbons and Custard Creams! 

5) Would you rather pick all future books to read by their covers only, or their blurbs?

However much we like to believe otherwise, our eyes are always drawn to vivid images. I have fond the majority of my book collection was chosen as a result of their striking front covers. 

6) Would you rather go skiing or sit by a beach on holiday?

I adore the beach. The sounds of the waves lapping on the shore, the warm summer breeze and the feeling of warm sand beneath my feet, and always a great book to read. I cannot imagine anything else more relaxing and inspiring. 

7) Would you rather go to the cinema or the theatre?

Having spent a large amount of time working on stage, the theatre would be preferred. Live action, right in front of your eyes, cannot be beaten. 

8) Would you rather read ebooks, audiobooks or physical books?

Physical books for definite! Nothing replaces a physical copy. It’s the smell of the pages, that first moment of excitement when you thumb through the pages and hold it in your hand before opening it. You cannot beat a physical book!

9) Would you rather be rich but unhappy or poor and happy?

Poor and happy.  I have been there before, and, when everything is said and done, it’s not about what you could have; it’s about what you have already got and how you make the best of it.  

10) Would you rather play or watch sports? 

I used to be very sporty, but these days I prefer to watch rather than participate. We are currently massive fans of winter sports and having been glued to the TV watching the Winter Olympics. 

11) Would you rather always have to tell the truth, or always have to lie?

For me, the truth is always the best option. I have always been an advocate of the truth and I think that’s why I chose the legal profession to work in. Everyone deserves to know the truth despite how difficult it can be to handle. 

12) Would you rather only be able to whisper the whole time, or shout the whole time?

I would rather be able to whisper. If you have to whisper, people have to work harder to listen. And also that means when shouting is required, people take notice! 

13) Would you rather always be late or always be unprepared?

I would never go into anything unprepared. I am obsessed with being on time though and I really begin to panic if I’m late for anything. Victory loves preparation! 

14) Would you rather have your own luxury car, or private plane?

I’d rather have a private plane. It opens up the possibilities for further travel and to get to places cars cannot. Although I wouldn’t turn down a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500! 

15) Would you rather be aged 10 or 30 forever?

With age comes wisdom and I think 30 would be my preferred age. 

16) Would you rather look like a fish or smell like a fish?

Look like a fish! Smelling like one means no one’s going to come near you. At least if it’s only looks, it’s easier to live with! 

17) Would you rather be an only child or have siblings?

I have 2 older sisters, and much as it’s nice to have them, I always wondered what it would be like to be an only child. 

18) Would you rather lose your keys or forget your mobile phone?

I’d rather lose my mobile phone. When I was younger, mobile phones were not so readily available and I managed fine without one! 

19) Would you rather have free books for life or free food for life?

Free books! No one can have too many books! 

20) Would you rather give up social media or alcohol?

I would give up social media. It’s not that I don’t like it, but it somehow doesn’t have the same appeal as a nice 12 year old Scottish Malt! 

A terrorist threat, a sinister organisation, and a threat to the security of the free world.

Renowned British lawyer and Sandhurst military academy dropout, Mark Lucas King is assigned the case of his career: to prosecute known terrorist Mohammed Al-Azidi.

All King wants is justice and to do his job successfully. But his peaceful life is shattered when a team of merciless hitmen targets him and his family and the court case collapses. Framed for assault and suspected of his wife's murder, King must leave his legal career behind and go back to his old career as a British Army sniper in order to catch those responsible and hold them to account. Mark King's brand of justice doesn’t involve a court room.

Forced to battle against highly trained hitmen to clear his name, King discovers that a sinister organisation known as Invictus Advoca is operating behind the scenes. What is their connection to him and the Al-Azidid case?

As the hunt for those responsible takes him far across Europe, can Mark unravel the mysteries that shroud this secretive organisation and peel back the layers to discover why he and his family have found themselves the target of professional hitmen?

Time is not on Mark King's side as he races to prevent a global terror threat, discover who killed his wife, and find out who wants him dead, and why.

Purchase from Amazon UK  or Barnes & Noble

About the author: 

Living in Hampshire, right on the edge of Southampton Water, P.S Bridge has spent over a decade working in the private financial and legal sector. Away from his professional life, he embraces his creative side and is often found writing stories whilst listening to music. An avid reader from a young age he counts author Scott Mariani as one of the many influences that finally encouraged him to put the finishing touches to the first in his Mark King thriller series.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSBridgebooks

Would You Rather? - Q&A with Sue Shepherd - Blog Tour

I am delighted to welcome back Sue Shepherd to my blog today, and she has answered a series of fun questions all entitled - Would You Rather?

Hi Rachel, Thank you for joining my blog tour and thank you for these questions. These ‘would you rather?’ questions remind me of my youngest son – he often asks me, out of the blue, ‘Mum, would you rather have toes for fingers or fingers for toes?’ How am I supposed to answer that? He does make me laugh.

Would you rather live under the sea or in space?

Well now, I am rather claustrophobic. I tried scuba diving once, and my brain simply couldn’t accept the fact that I was able to breathe under water. So, I definitely wouldn’t choose to live under the sea. However, if I’m honest, I’m not keen on the idea of living in space either. For pretty much the same reason. It’s fresh oxygen only for me! I know this is only the first question, but, can I be cheeky and just live here on Earth, please? Funnily enough this ties in nicely with my latest book, ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head.’ In the book, one of my characters is also claustrophobic, and she fears being under the water too. I think she’d choose to remain on solid ground with me.

Would you rather go skiing or sit by a beach on holiday?

I can answer this in a heartbeat. Beach! I tried skiing once, a very long time ago. I found it thoroughly exhausting. Of course, I was in the beginners group. On the first day, the instructor said, ‘Pick up your skis – we walk.’ And we all lugged these great heavy sticks on to our shoulders and attempted to follow him through extremely thick snow, in weighted boots. Within seconds, I was left behind. The rest of the group reached a rest point and dropped their skis. Sitting in the snow, they waited for a while. (For me to catch up!) No sooner had I joined the group than the instructor (who was very easy on the eye, but an utter tyrant) shouted, ‘And we go again!’ The rest of the group picked up their skis and set off. As you can imagine, this happened repeatedly - and I never got to join them for a flippin’ rest! What was that all about? Why were we walking? Weren’t we supposed to be skiing?

Would you rather go to the cinema or the theatre?

I’d choose the theatre. We have a small theatre locally and I’ve seen a few comedians and plays there. It’s like going into a time warp. Usherettes sell ice creams from a little tray which hangs around their necks! Or, if you prefer, you can pre-order a nice G&T and collect it in the interval. How civilized. If I had the choice I’d love to see a murder mystery. Maybe a good old Agatha Christie. Perfect.

Would you rather read eBooks, audiobooks or physical books?

I would choose audiobooks. I like having the story read to me whilst I potter about in the kitchen, or even better, through my headphones at night, to drown out my husband’s snoring.

Would you rather play or watch sport?

This one is so easy. I would rather watch. I am NOT sporty in any way, shape or form, and I never have been. Hence my skiing failure. I put on a pair of trainers the other day and my husband said I looked as if I was about to go for a jog. Oh, how we laughed!

Would you rather have your own luxury car, or private plane?

I do like the idea of a luxury car. But I think I’d have to choose the plane. My reason being, I live on the Isle of Wight, but I have friends and family on the mainland. A little private plane would come in very handy to pop over and see everyone. Do I get a free pilot too? Is he handsome?

Would you rather be aged 10 or 30 forever?

Thirty. I met my husband just before my 30^th birthday. So, at 30, we were young and newly in love, with every possibility ahead of us. But I wouldn’t want to be that age forever. If we hadn’t moved on, we wouldn’t have our two amazing sons. So, I would eventually have to leave those heady days of being 30 behind and allow myself to age. Every wrinkle and aching bone is worth it for my boys.

Would you rather eat sweet or savoury food?

Savoury please. Given the choice between a starter or a pudding, I would always choose the starter. I’m not a huge fan of cake or overly sweet foods, apart from the odd slice of lemon drizzle cake.

Would you rather give up social media or alcohol?

Oh blimey, that is tough. My instinct is to say I’ll give up social media, because I can’t imagine never again enjoying a nice cold glass of Prosecco. But, even as I type that, my phone is alerting me to the fact that I have a notification, and my fingers are twitching to pick it up and check it out. I think I’ll choose to give up social media, but I can’t promise how long I’ll last!

Would you rather be an only child or have siblings?

Another question that links into my new book. ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ is the story of twin sisters, Beth and Lisa. There are many times in the book when they both ponder how much better life would be if they were an only child. I can answer this very easily – I would choose to have siblings. Well, to be precise – one sibling. I have an older sister, whom I love very much. We’re very close in age. We’ve been through a fair bit together, the loss of both our parents being the toughest parts. As with all siblings, she drives me nuts from time to time, but I cannot imagine life without her.

Thank you for having me, Rachel. Some of your questions were quite tricky and required some serious consideration, but I enjoyed answering them all.

You are very welcome Sue, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your answers and can only apologise I haven't had the time to fit in reading your book yet, but I am eager to read it when I get a chance. 

A moving and funny story about sisters, secrets and second chances.

Twin sisters Beth and Lisa do everything together, so what will happen now they both want a life of their own?

Beth has a secret she's kept from everyone except her sister. But it's time to get on with her life. Could a seductive Italian, a smooth-talking charmer or backpacking around Australia be the answer?

Lisa feels she's always lived in her sister's shadow. Maybe now it's her turn for some fun, whatever the consequences. But will her drunken antics land Beth in trouble?

And when it comes to the crunch, will one sister have to give up what she wants so the other can have what she needs?

Another entertaining page-turner from the No.1 bestselling author of Doesn't Everyone Have a Secret? – where things, and people, are not always as they first appear!

Purchase from Amazon UK 

Sue's Bio:

Born in Harrow, Sue went on to spend several years living in Hertfordshire before selling up and taking a leap of faith across The Solent. She now resides on the picturesque Isle of Wight with her husband, two sons and a standard poodle. Her passions in life are: her family, writing, the seaside and all the beautiful purple things her sons have bought her over the years. Happiest when hunched over her laptop with a cup of tea on the go, Sue loves to create stories with plenty of heart and laughs, but she makes sure to include a bit of naughtiness too. Ask Sue to plan too far in advance and you'll give her the heebie-jeebies and she'd prefer you not to mention Christmas until at least November!

Sue's links:

www.sueshepherdwrites.co.uk

twitter.com/thatsueshepherd

Please follow along with the rest of this tour, with all these fabulous book bloggers taking part. 

Would You Rather? - Q&A with Emily Williams - Blog Tour

I am delighted to welcome Emily Williams to my blog today, and she has answer a series of fun questions all entitled - Would You Rather?

 1. Would you rather live under the sea or in space?

I would much rather live under the sea. There is something so peaceful and serene about swimming underwater. I love snorkelling on holiday amongst the rocks and marine life and think I would be completely at home in the sea. Space would terrify me!

2. Would you rather only read your genres you write in, or all other genres for the rest of your life? 

All other genres! Although, so far, I haven’t completely stuck to one genre with my writing but they both have elements of romance. I do like variety, so think I would get bored just reading one genre for the rest of my life!

3. Would you rather ride a camel or an elephant?

I’d rather ride a camel, as long as the conditions the animal were ridden in were good. There are horror stories about how elephants are trained to be ridden so I would be very cautious about riding an elephant – although I’d still love to and would find the experience amazing. The animal would have to be kept in exceptional conditions as would the camel, but I choose the camel!

4. Would you rather eat sweet or savoury food? 

Hard one! Ahhh, can I say both?! I’m not sure I can choose as it depends on my mood but overall, I’d probably pick savoury as there as so many things I’d miss if I couldn’t. I could never give up cheese for example!

5.    Would you rather pick all future books to read by their covers only, or their blurbs?

Blurbs as I am incredibly influenced by the cover, but with the blurb I can make a much better judgement as to whether I’d enjoy the book or not. It’s true a great cover does pull you in but the blurb would give me a hint of the story.

6. Would you rather go skiing or sit by a beach on holiday?

The beach. I can’t read when skiing! I love being active but not too fond of being cold. So the beach, with a beautiful sea to swim in, warm sun and a good book would be perfect.

7. Would you rather go to the cinema or the theatre?

Cinema, unless the theatre production is very good. I haven’t been to many theatre shows so couldn’t really compare, but I’d like to experience more.

8. Would you rather read ebooks, audiobooks or physical books?

I definitely would rather read physical books. There is nothing like the feel and smell of a good book. However, practicalities mean that I normally read from an eBook, sadly.

9. Would you rather be rich but unhappy or poor and happy?

Poor and happy. I value happiness above everything.

10. Would you rather play or watch sports? 

I would prefer to play, if my body allows. Sadly, I have an autoimmune condition which means my body wouldn’t cope with sports but I’d still rather play than watch! I can cope with watching the Olympics but that’s about it!

11. Would you rather always have to tell the truth, or always have to lie?

Hard one! Occasionally white lies are useful but if I had to choose, I would go for always tell the truth. Otherwise, the world would be a terrible place.

12. Would you rather only be able to whisper the whole time, or shout the whole time?

Whisper. I’m a bit noise sensitive and can’t bare shouting so would find my own voice terrible to listen to all day!

13. Would you rather always be late or always be unprepared?

Always be late, but then at least I’d be prepared and could just waltz in and complete whatever needs doing! I normally hate being late but I’d rather that that be unprepared for something.

14. Would you rather have your own luxury car, or private plane?

Neither! I’m not too bothered by luxury stuff, but I suppose a car would be more practical.

15. Would you rather be aged 10 or 30 forever?

30 forever. Thirty is a good age. You are past the horrific teenage years but still have youth on your side. I’d happily go back to be thirty again!

16. Would you rather look like a fish or smell like a fish?

Haha, I’d probably prefer to look like one?! I think I would be put off by myself if I smelt like one. As much as I love eating fish, the smell is strong!

17. Would you rather be an only child or have siblings?

I have a sister, I’m not sure it would be fair to answer this question! Only joking, from experience, I think it’s great having a sister. I’m pleased my children have each other to talk to and play with, so siblings are important.

18. Would you rather lose your keys or forget your mobile phone?

I’m terrible at both of these! I absolutely hate losing my keys. My daughter recently put them down behind the radiator and it took days to find them! With a phone being left behind, by the end of the day I’d have it back. So I’d probably choose the phone.

19. Would you rather have free books for life or free food for life?

Probably free books, although this was a hard decision. I do love food, very much so. But with free food, I would just eat and eat and eat, which wouldn’t be very healthy. So for my health’s sake, I’d choose books.

20. Would you rather give up social media or alcohol?

Social media! I love gin and wine too much! Social media has only really become important to me since I started blogging and joined the author world and I can see how important it is. But to give up alcohol forever, hmmm I’m not sure I could! 

A word from the author…

I wrote Rafferty Lincoln Loves… as I have always wanted to write a novel involving horses. I read many pony stories as a child, but have found that there are very few to read as a young adult/adult so I wanted to fill this void. I have been around horses from a very early age and spent many years saving to afford my own horse. Sadly, due to a road accident and then a fall of a horse, I can no longer ride. However, my passion and love for equines hasn’t diminished. Due to arm injuries from the accidents, I have had to dictate the novel, Rafferty Lincoln Loves… and am donating the proceeds of the novel to the British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre – a charity I have supported since childhood.

Many thanks for supporting the novel and I do hope you enjoy it!

Emily x

Link to the novel: http://amzn.eu/dzZSU0y

Rafferty Lincoln doesn't like horses. Not one bit. But when the popular high school girl of his dreams, Liberty Ashburn, pulls him into a world of lead ropes and horse brushes, who is he to say no?

Except this isn't any old horse. This is the missing racehorse, Profits Red Ridge. The horse Rafferty and three of his friends are hiding from the world. And Liberty Ashburn isn’t just any ordinary high school girl. How far will Rafferty go to win her over?

An intense, witty and powerful coming of age story with startling consequences.

About the charity ‘The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre’

 The proceeds from the novel ‘Rafferty Lincoln Loves…’ will be donated to The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre.

BTRC is dedicated to improving and promoting the welfare of retired racehorses through education, retraining and suitable rehoming in order to ensure that our Thoroughbreds have a rewarding and valuable life after their racing careers have ended.

Each year thousands of horses leave racing, some because they reach the natural end of their career and others through injury or lack of ability. Established in 1991, The British Thoroughbred Retraining Centre was the UK’s first charity dedicated to ex-racehorse welfare, retraining, rehoming and protection for life.

‘It is fantastic to see a contemporary novel for young adults embracing passion and love for horses, as well as advocating for their welfare. Emily’s fast-paced novel not only explores the relationship and incredible bond between horse and rider but also delves into darker aspects relevant to today’s challenging world of growing up. Rafferty Lincoln Loves… deserves to be celebrated for bringing an important cause to the forefront of today’s young adults.’ Frankie Dettori MBE

‘I am thrilled to have written this novel for the BTRC and to be donating the proceeds to such an important and dedicated charity for the welfare of retired racehorses.’ Emily Williams 

Author Bio

Emily Williams lives by the seaside in West Sussex with her family and a menagerie of small pets, including her own horse Bella, and welsh mountain pony, Lucy. After graduating from Sussex University with a BA in Psychology, Emily trained as a primary school teacher and teaches in a local school. 

Rafferty Lincoln Loves... is her first YA novel after the success of her debut adult novel, Letters to Eloise, released in 2017.

You can follow Emily on twitter @EmilyRMWilliams

Find out more about Emily’s other books on Amazon: http://amzn.eu/dzZSU0y 

Read reviews and find out more on her blog: emilywilliamsauthor.blogspot.com