Back Catalogue - Q&A with Sharon Maas

Back Catalogue Books is my new regular Saturday feature, focusing on books that are not the latest releases. There is going to be a mix of Q&As and also reviews, depending on what I have the space for. 

If you are an author wanting to take part in Back Catalogue Books then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you. 

I hope everyone enjoys this weekly look back at some of the slightly older books that are about but still great, and that I eventually make a dent in my TBRs as a result of it!

Hello Readers! My name is Sharon Maas and I’ve been writing, it seems, all my life. But things got really serious after my first publishing deal with HarperCollins in 1999. Since then I haven’t stopped writing, and you can find my books at any good retailer. I was born in British Guiana, now Guyana, but didn’t stay there for long. I went to school in England for several years, and have travelled extensively in South America and Asia, and lived in India. As a result, my novels tend to be multicultural, with a variety of international settings – but with a focus on India and Guyana, two countries I’m close to culturally. However, I live in Germany, and, if all goes well, will be moving to Sri Lanka later this year. If you like discovering new land, you might like to come along for the journey… 

1) Please tell me about your first book, and what started you writing in the first place

Amazon UK

My very first book actually never got published, though it had an agent. It was after giving up on that first attempt, and simply plunging into a completely new story with no idea where it would take me, that led me eventually to becoming a published author. That book was Of Marriageable Age. 

It was a story that seemed to be pre-formed inside me; I simply had to write it down. With that book I discovered the joy and magic of writing. It’s a story set in three very disparate countries and cultures, with three main characters whose story-threads interlock. And only near the end does the reader discover what it is that binds them.


2) Which book are you most proud of writing?

Of Marriageable Age, my first book, is that book that taught me the magic of writing, the book that opened the door for me. It will always be a miracle book for me.

3) Which book was your favourite to write?

Every time I start a new book, it becomes temporarily my favourite! But I think all in all it is again Of Marriageable Age, with another book, written in 2004 and as yet unpublished, a close second.

4) Who are your favourite characters from your books and why?

Again, so hard to say. I love the main characters of all my books. But Savitri of Of Marriageable Age, Winnie of the Quint Chronicles series, and Janiki of The Lost Daughter of India all vie for first position.

5) If you could go back and change anything from any of your books, what would it be, and why?

Amazon UK

I’ve already done it! My second HarperCollins book was called Peacocks Dancing, and it was rather rushed as I had a tight deadline. And I was never happy with the result. It involved two separate storylines, one in Guyana and one in India, which are hooked together in the middle. I felt that the stories didn’t really connect – the link between them being far two tenuous. So I was happy when my publisher, Bookouture, gave me the chance to rewrite Peacocks Dancing. I had to completely get rid of the two original main characters, kill off  a couple others, resurrect one who had died in Peacocks Dancing, and give her a major role, and create an entirely new character, Janiki, who became a lead and in fact my favourite. The final result is The Lost Daughter of India, to be released on January 20th. It was far more work than I thought at the start, but I really enjoyed doing it, and I’m so glad to have rescued that book. I felt that the true story has come out at last. 

As for the huge chunk I cut from Peacocks Dancing: that too is a story in itself, and one day I shall be revising it for publication as a novella.

6) Which of your covers if your favourite and why?

Amazon UK

I like the most recent cover, The Lost Daughter of India, as well as The Sugar Planter’s Daughter cover the best.

7) Have you ever thought about changing genres, if so what else would you like to write?

I don’t think I’ll ever change genres in adult fiction. But I might one day write for children and/or young adults (I’m a grandma now!) and I’m pretty certain I’ll be writing non-fiction before long – books on spirituality, meditation and the like.

8) Looking forward can you let us know what you are working on next?

I’ll be writing the third book in the Quint Chronicles trilogy, and then looking into some of my trunked books – there are several!

9) I dare not ask for a favourite author, but is there any author’s back catalogue you admire and why?

Right now I’m in the middle of Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series and I’ve loved the first three books – I can’t wait for the next. In a completely other genre – and certainly not typical for my normal taste in books – I adore John LeCarre’s back catalogue, especially his early books.

10) Finally, is there anything else you would like to say about your back catalogue of books?

There was a space of ten years between my last HarperCollins novel and my first Bookouture one, in which I wrote one book after the other – novels, memoirs, non-fiction, only a few of which have been published. They all need revising and polishing,  but they’re pretty OK, and one day they will all be out there. So, watch this space!

My Facbook page is https://www.facebook.com/sharonmaasauthor/?fref=ts
My website is www.sharonmaas.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sharon_maas
Sharon Maas on Amazon 

What a fascinating publication story for The Lost Daughter of India, which is out now. Thank you so much for sharing with us Sharon, and I'm envious of the rich range of countries that you have lived in.

Guest Post - Sue Fortin shares her Inspiration for Sister, Sister - Blog Tour

I’m quite often asked about the inspiration behind a book and where I get my ideas from. I enjoy writing about the relationships people have with each other and find the dynamics of family and friendship groups fascinating. For Sister, Sister, I wanted to explore the impact of a family reunited in adulthood after being estranged for a considerable period of time, in this case, for twenty years. 

I have a very good relationship with my own sister, despite living over a hundred miles apart, but I’ve sometimes wondered if our relationship would be different if we lived closer or, indeed, in each other’s pockets. Would we see a lot of each other or would we get on each other’s nerves? With Sister, Sister, I took this idea to the extreme and had my two sisters, Clare and Alice, separated when they were young children and then, as adults, having to get to know each other all over again. Do they automatically love each other or do they just love the memory of one another? Do they even like each other? Sometimes you don’t like your family but you always love them because of the deep bond you share, but if you haven’t got that bond in the first place, what happens if you don’t like them? It was these sorts of questions that helped me develop the relationship between Clare and Alice as reunited adults.

However, this wasn’t the first idea for writing the book. I was having a conversation with a friend and although I can’t say exactly what the conversation was about as it would give away an important revelation in the book, it did spark the beginnings of an idea. From this I was able to play out a scene in my mind which then led to more questions.

Why would someone do that?

Who would do that?

What was their motive?

By answering those three questions I was able to develop the initial scene into something more solid and blend it with my questions about sisters and their relationship with each other. It was from there that the whole story of Sister, Sister developed.

So, for me, inspiration is a fluid and organic process. By asking a few questions it takes on a life of its own, pulling together constructed questions and random every day exchanges. Sometimes the most unremarkable conversations can suddenly become the starting block for a much more remarkable story.

Purchase on Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/2jiNDNQ

Twitter - https://twitter.com/suefortin1

Thank you for sharing your inspiration for Sister, Sister with us all.

Please do follow along with the rest of this blog tour.

Book Review - The Good Girlfriend's Guide to Getting Even by Anna Bell - #AroundTheUKIn144Books #Hampshire

Amazon UK

Title:  The Good Girlfriend's Guide to Getting Even

Author: Anna Bell

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre

Publication Date: 26th January 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

When Lexi's sport-mad boyfriend Will skips her friend's wedding to watch football - after pretending to have food poisoning - it might just be the final whistle for their relationship.

But fed up of just getting mad, Lexi decides to even the score. And, when a couple of lost tickets and an 'accidentally' broken television lead to them spending extra time together, she's delighted to realise that revenge might be the best thing that's happened to their relationship.

And if her clever acts of sabotage prove to be a popular subject for her blog, what harm can that do? It's not as if he'll ever find out . . .

Fun and laughter by the page, in this impossibly long titled book! I have barely been able to keep the big grin off my face, as I have followed Lexi's story with her sports mad boyfriend. 

Set to a backdrop of sport, be it on TV, or real life fixtures, it is what Lexi has to live her life around, due to Will's sporting obsession. He is a life long, and season ticket holder of The Saints (Southampton FC), and everything is set in motion when he claims to have a massive stomach upset, to get out of going to Lexi's best friend's wedding, whereas in truth he caught out at the football. 

Lexi rather understandably wasn't too happy, but instead of confronting Will, she starts exacting small but amusing acts of revenge, in an effort to try and make Will learn he can live without some sport. Lexi is also an aspiring author, and when her writing class discuss marketing and have the participants create blogs, Lexi starts one about her revenge  - The Good Girlfriend's Guide to Getting Even!

There is a rather light hearted sense of amusement to the whole book, and I loved the inventive depths Lexi went to, although at some points, as a massive sport lover myself, I was finding myself in sympathy with Will, despite finding Lexi funny. 

If you don't like sports, don't worry, there is very little, nitty gritty details about any of them. Sport is the background to the novel, but more as the collective than specifics. There is mention of all sorts of sporting events, but there are only a few live matches that Lexi attends, and even then the description are more of the atmosphere than what was happening on the pitch. 

Incredibly entertaining story that I really enjoyed, complete with a sex mad best friend, a gorgeous colleague where Lexi works, a couple of  holidays, plenty of revenge and an ending that pleased me greatly. 

Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for this copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - White Lies and Wishes by Cathy Bramley

Amazon UK

Title: White Lies and Wishes

Author: Cathy Bramley

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publicist supplied review copy

Publisher: Corgi

Publication Date: 26th January 2017 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

What happens when what you wish for is only half the story...?

Flirtatious, straight-talking Jo Gold says she’s got no time for love; she’s determined to save her family’s failing footwear business. 

New mother Sarah Hudson has cut short her maternity leave to return to work. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to make partner at the accountancy firm. 

Bored, over-eating housewife Carrie Radley says she just wants to shift the pounds – she’d love to finally wear a bikini in public. 

The unlikely trio meet by chance one winter’s day, and in a moment of ‘Carpe Diem’ madness, embark on a mission to make their wishes come true by September. 

Easy. At least it would be, if they hadn’t been just the teensiest bit stingy with the truth…

With hidden issues, hidden talents, and hidden demons to overcome, new friends Jo, Carrie and Sarah must admit to what they really, really want, if they are ever to get their happy endings.

Three women meet for the first time, at the funeral of a mutual friend's husband, and very soon not only gel, but also decide that life is too short and they put together a wish list, which they will help each other with. This isn't like other bucket list books with loads of outlandish suggestions, all 3 of these wishes are certainly achievable by the women, but with a self imposed deadline of September that year, whether they will or not is another matter. 

So lets meet the stars of the book:

Jo Gold who runs a footwear business that is failing, and she is praying to be able to turn the business around before she needs to make long standing employees redundant. Her wish is to face her fear of heights. Jo is the sort of woman who isn't used to having female company so finds it hard sometimes that she is making new friends. 

Then there is Sarah Hudson, she has a young baby, but has already returned to work, leaving husband Dave as a house hubby. Her wish for their wishlist is to become a partner at the place she works, but as the story progresses I did have to wonder if that was the right thing for her. 

Finally there is Carrie Radley, who in some respects is a bit of an enigma. She is certainly overweight, and over eats. She appears to do not much with her days, and is married to a man, that no one can really get a read on to start with. It is clear she is unhappy, and her wish is to be able to wear a bikini in public. 

What none of the girls realise at the start, is they have all not been entirely truthful, and may just be hiding things, which is what I loved, as it meant there were plenty of surprises in the story, and kept my interest as I really wanted to get to know these three ladies, and just how their fortunes would change. 

I loved the shoe business that Jo runs, and some of the ideas for saving the company, reminded me a musical I saw a year or so ago, but they are also completely different, it was just a similar philosophy. Sarah's journey of trying to get back used to working while also loving being a parent, was enjoyable to see, and is one that a lot of parents will relate to. Equally Carrie's struggle to accept her own body is another storyline that many women will relate to. 

All of the characters have the sorts of qualities that you will recognise in people that you know, they are instantly human and likeable, and the sorts of women that you could imagine hanging around with yourself. The book as a whole is a pleasure to read, and as a fan of Cathy Bramley, it makes a change to read a story that hasn't been split into four parts. It is one complete story that flows incredibly well, and did I mention it has a gorgeous cover! 

Thank you so much to Becky Hunter at Transworld for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - New York, Actually by Sarah Morgan

Amazon UK

Title: New York, Actually

Author: Sarah Morgan

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: HQ

Publication Date: 26th January 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Meet Molly

New York’s most famous agony aunt, she considers herself an expert at relationships…as long as they’re other people’s. The only love of her life is her Dalmatian, Valentine.

Meet Daniel

A cynical divorce lawyer, he’s hardwired to think relationships are a bad idea. If you don’t get involved, no-one can get hurt. But then he finds himself borrowing a dog to meet the gorgeous woman he sees running in Central Park every morning…

Molly and Daniel think they know everything there is to know about relationships…until they meet each other that is…

New York, Actually is the start of a new three book series by Sarah Morgan, but it has connections to her New York series of books from 2016 too,. Not huge connections, but for fans of the author enough to smile in recognition and to be happy to see some familiar characters. It is though a completely standalone story that is great fun to read. 

In the opening few pages you get a real glimpse of Molly's personality and her thoughts on relationships, given her favourite man is Valentine. Valentine is in fairness everything you would look for in a partner, gorgeous, completely loyal, loves exercise as much as Molly and is a fabulous listener, so of course he isn't human but a dashing dalmatian! 

Molly meets Daniel while they are jogging their dogs around Central Park, and to start with its just a slight exchange of banter, and then as they get to know each other a bit more, hot drinks, move onto to dinner invitations etc... 

Now you may think that will be nice an simple, but Molly doesn't believe she can fall in love, and according to Daniel's reputation he doesn't have a heart, so what you get is a book where as a reader, I could see things occurring between the two characters ahead of their own thoughts processes. 

In fact this is one of those books where I loved being the all seeing reader, as I could see things from both perspectives, and thus had a good understanding of both Molly and Daniel. I also loved Daniel's twin sisters who are animal lovers and will be featuring in the rest of the series, and I can't wait to get to know them better. 

Daniel and Molly both act in ways that my not be entirely honest, but both of them have good intentioned reasons for their actions, which made them really believable. I also loved Daniel's dog Brutus, and Brutus' friendship with Valentine. 

I thoroughly enjoyed both of their jobs too, Molly is a relationship expert with an alter ego, and Daniel is a divorce lawyer. The book is peppered with Dear Aggie letters, and her replies to them, while Daniel we see just how he advises in the case on one particular client. 

There was clear chemistry in this wonderful romance, and its written to the quality that I now expect from Sarah Morgan. An easy to read book,  that had me grinning from the start. 

Thank you to Lucy Richardson at HQ for this copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Honeymoon Suite by Wendy Holden

Amazon UK

Title: Honeymoon Suite

Author: Wendy Holden

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: EDPR 

Publisher: Headline Review

Publication Date: 26th January 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

When Nell is marooned at the altar, her feisty best friend Rachel says she'll come with her on honeymoon instead. Why waste a week in a posh country hotel?

So the duo, plus Rachel's Agatha Christie-obsessed small daughter Juno, head for the hills and idyllic Edenville, on the edge of the beautiful Pemberton estate. Awaiting them is a cast of colourful characters from Jason the harassed hotel manager to the ruthless Angela, Director of HR. Not to mention the handsome Dylan, a bestselling writer on the run from his past.

Nell doesn't want to go back to London, so when a job on the estate comes up, she's happy to stay. Even if it is arranging weddings in the Big House! As she becomes entangled in the lives of the locals - and they weave their way into her heart - she realises there might be a way to reach the rainbow's end after all.#

From its stunning cover, to the wonderful story inside it, Honeymoon Suite is a brilliant romantic comedy, taking in many storylines that all interlink in a great way.  

There is Dylan the author, who starts the book with a psycho girlfriend, but then after an incredibly nerve wracking incident, he changes his life completely and his identity, He works out what triggered this, was after a chance meeting with Nell in a pub, with a different case of mistaken identity. 

Nell also thinks that everything that goes wrong in her life is based on this one meeting with Dylan, not that she knew his name. From that she meets her future husband, and is then jilted at the altar, which then triggers her and her new best friend Rachel, plus Juno, Rachel's rather unique daughter to go spend the week in the honeymoon suite at the Pemberton Arms. 

I loved the main setting of Edenville, a gorgeous little Midlands town, that features the Pemberton Estate at the heart of it. There is a colourful cast of characters, some of them completely over the top like Angela who is not the nicest of women, but as you see more of her you realise, she may have another side to her, to Jason who runs the pub but also isn't being entirely honest, to Dan Taylor a dishy gardener, and George who is an elderly gentleman that I grew to love. 

There is so much good in this book it is really hard to know what to say, as I don't want to give anything away. There are many secrets and half truths to find out, as well as some romance, definitely a lot of humour, loads of drama and an overall well written book. 

The story has been split into three reasonably distinct parts, and Part 1 gives all the vital backstory to Nell and Dylan, while its from Part 2 where for me the goes from good, to really great and very hard to stop reading.

I've read all of Wendy Holden's books, and this is certainly one of my favourite of her more recent releases. If you are a fan of the author then like me, I'm sure you will enjoy this book, whereas if you haven't read her before this is a very good time to start. 

Honeymoon Suite is a very enjoyable and entertaining book that is a pleasure to read, and one I suspect I would enjoy re-reading should I ever have the time, and still get more out of it. 

Thank you to Heloise Wood at EDPR for this copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - French Legacy by Jennifer Bohnet - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #49

Amazon UK

Title: French Legacy

Author: Jennifer Bohnet

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Competition Win

Publisher: Self Published

Publication Date: 18th December 2013

Rating: 3 Stars

Blackmailed into moving to France for the sake of her son Oliver's inheritance, Nicola buys a run down pépinère in the South of France. Full of reservations she leaves England and her long-term friend Andrew behind to begin a new life. As she struggles to renovate both the cottage and the land of her new home she also has to face up to Henri her interfering ex-father-in-law who is determined Oliver will live the kind of life he wants for him whatever plans Nicola has. Slowly life in France improves and Nicola realises she is happy - especially when Gilles Bongars is around. But when Andrew unexpectedly decides to join her wanting to be a part of her new French life, Nicola has another decision to make. Does she love Andrew enough to make the commitment?

French Legacy is one of Jennifer Bohnet's earlier books, and having read some of her newer releases, I know she has written better.  There is nothing at all wrong with French Legacy, and I did enjoy the story, but at the same time if felt like the book was missing some oomph. 

I got a real feeling for La Prouveresse, which was the farm that Henri, and the aunts Odette and Giselle live on. Henri has blackmailed Nicola into moving to the South of France, so that he can get to know his grandson Oliver better, after Henri's son, Oliver's father Marc died. 

When Marc died he was estranged from Henri, and divorced from Nicola, so there are all sorts of mixed emotions in the family, although Nicola and Oliver are trying to make a go of it in France. Nicola to try and get some distance from the family has bought a smallholding to do up, and has assorted decisions to make about her friendships with various men. 

Andrew is a friend from England who wants a lot more than friendship with Nicola, but Nicola seems to spend the majority of the time unable to make a decision, which really irritated me. 

French Legacy was easy enough to read, and I'm unsure whether its length is a blessing, or a shame, as if the book was longer, perhaps I would have felt like I cared about the characters more.  It's around 220 pages, and it feels as though a lot of plot points were put into the book, but that they just weren't explored in enough detail. 

As a fan of Jennifer Bohnet, I'm glad I had a chance to read one of her books before her publishing contract with HQ Digital, but I think I will stick with her newer books in future. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for French Legacy last time around. A few people commented it was a tricky selection as they had barely heard of any of the books, so I hope I can find space to feature a few more of them in the future, just so that we can all discover them together. 

Rachel Reads Randomly - Vote #50

 

Thank you everyone for your input last time. The results of the last vote were:

1 Votes - His Sicilian Cinderella by Carol Marinelli

1 Votes -   Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

2 Votes - Upside Down by Lia Riley

2 Votes -  Dead in the Water by Ann Granger

10 Votes -  French Legacy by Jennifer Bohnet 

Well there was a clear winner last time, French Legacy by Jennifer Bohney, which I did enjoy, but I think I like her newer books more. I did get quite a few comments saying that it was a tough selection to pick from, as they hadn't really heard of any of the books, all I can say to that is these are books that I own, and it really is random what comes out in these posts, and at some point I do want to read them! 

Since January often feels like a time of reflection, I've decided this week I'll randomise from books published last year that I clearly haven't had time to read yet! 

Below is my initial theory for this feature, and then a bit further, what you are all waiting for... This weeks's vote! Enjoy!

I am also awful at deciding what book to read next, as I often have about 10 titles or authors jumping into my brain at any time, shouting at me to read them, and I tend to worry I have made the wrong decision while reading a perfectly good book. I am hoping this will save me having to make at least 1 choice a week, while possibly providing a review to the site of a book you all either love or are curious about yourselves. 

So what I am proposing, is my lovely loyal readers of Rachel's Random Reads, select one book for me to read a week, and I will post the review the following week. 

This week's random numbers are...

And the books these numbers correspond to are...

So the 5 choices with my gut feeling responses are:

27 - Undertow by Elizabeth Heathcote - I've heard great things about this psychological thriller, and I recall receiving my copy in a goody bag at a Rooftop Book Club event! 

28 - The Cornish Guest House by Emma Burstall - This is the second book in the Tremarnock series and I really enjoyed the first book. 

49 - What My Best Friend Did by Lucy Dawson - I've read two books by Lucy Dawson and been impressed with both, which is why I have bought a few of her others

67 - Gigi's Island Dream by Rosie Dean -  Was scrolling twitter last week and spotted that Rosie Dean had a new book out, not read anything by this author yet, but this definitely looks like the sort of book I would enjoy

68 - The Other Sister by Rowan Coleman - Previously published as Lessons in Laughing Out Loud, which I never read, this is a book by a very good that author that I always tend to enjoy. 

This looks like there should be a book that appeals to everyone in this selection, from the psychological thrillers to the romance, to books set in Cornwall and at least three authors I have read in the past! I have a feeling that I am going to find the comments on this one quite eye opening and am thoroughly looking forward to seeing what will win! 

Pick your favourite or the one you most want me to review, or just the one you are curious about, and leave me a comment below, before midnight on Wednesday. 

I look forward to seeing what I will be reading over the weekend, courtesy of you all.

The explanation if you haven't seen the feature before. 

How is this going to work?

Every Monday, I am going to have a post like this, which is going to have some choices on it. I am planning on using random.org to select 7 random numbers, to coincide with my spreadsheet of unread books.  

I will from that produce a list of hopefully 5 books, I reserve the right to veto any books, and will give reasons for them, if it occurs.

I will take screenshots and post them, of the chosen books, and also give you my instinctive reactions to the choices (without checking blurbs or any other info about them, which could be interesting as there are probably many forgotten about books on my spreadsheet!). 

Your task is to post a comment on this post, with the book you would like me to read this week. At midnight on Wednesday I will take a tally of the votes and the book with the most, I will read and review for the following Monday, where you will also get a new choice post. 

In the event of a tie, I will chose which one appeals most, for the Monday review, and possibly try and read and review the other to appear when I can. 

I am hoping this will provide some variety to the books appearing, and will let me potentially read or discover some great authors that I have wanted to read but not got around to yet.

Book Review - Perfect Remains by Helen Fields - Fab Firsts - #AroundTheUKIn144Books #CityOfEdinburgh

Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!

If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.

I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!

This is Helen Fields debut novel as far as I'm aware, and is the first in the new DI Callanach series. 

Amazon UK

Title:  Perfect Remains

Author: Helen Fields

Format reviewed: Paperback 

Source: Publisher supplied review copy

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 26th January 2017 

Rating: 4.5 Stars

On a remote Highland mountain, the body of Elaine Buxton is burning. All that will be left to identify the respected lawyer are her teeth and a fragment of clothing.

In the concealed back room of a house in Edinburgh, the real Elaine Buxton screams into the darkness.

Detective Inspector Luc Callanach has barely set foot in his new office when Elaine’s missing persons case is escalated to a murder investigation. Having left behind a promising career at Interpol, he’s eager to prove himself to his new team. But Edinburgh, he discovers, is a long way from Lyon, and Elaine’s killer has covered his tracks with meticulous care.

It’s not long before another successful woman is abducted from her doorstep, and Callanach finds himself in a race against the clock. Or so he believes … The real fate of the women will prove more twisted than he could have ever imagined.

For a large part of Perfect Remains I found myself grimacing each time we had a chapter from the murder's point of view. The writing for what he has been up to was a bit too graphic for my liking and he is an immensely cruel man. However he is also very calculating and has been planning a lot of what he's been up to for a long time, and thus is very careful to cover his tracks. 

It was this calculating nature, which had me intrigued as to just how DI Luc Callanach would solve this case, as there was so little evidence. DI Callanach has only been working in his new job in Edinburgh for a couple of days when this news of Elaine Buxton's murder is discovered. 

However for a lot of the book it wasn't this case that had me continuing to read, although it was the main focus of the book, and I was thoroughly hooked on it by the conclusion. What I was most interested in was Luc's new friendship with the other DI in his department, Ava Turner. 

Luc and Ava provide each other with a great support to each other's cases and its from that, that I was hooked on discovering just what was occurring in Ava's current investigation. This was the secondary storyline, but possibly because it wasn't as graphic, I could cope with it better, although the subject matter is still tough and not exactly palatable. 

The writing is clear, concise and descriptive, and I really felt as though I was alongside Luc in this investigation. At the point that Luc reveals just why he has moved to Scotland from Lyon, I really felt sorry for him.  He is the the sort of detective that I will be happy to see in future books, as well as seeing just how the rest of his team get on. I didn't get a feel particularly for the others in the team, apart from Lively, who seems to have a problem with DI Callanch. 

A great start to a brand new series, and its one I will be keeping my eager eye on. 

Thanks to Avon for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Fab Firsts - Q&A with Morton S. Gray

Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of!

If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you.

I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus!

Hi, I’m Morton S. Gray and I write novels for Choc Lit Publishing. I live in Worcestershire, U.K. with my husband, two sons and my little white dog, Lily. Thank you, Rachel, for including me in this new feature on firsts.

1) Can you tell us a bit about your first book?

My first book is e-published by Choc Lit on 24 January 2017, having won the publisher’s Search for a Star competition in March 2016. The Girl on the Beach is a contemporary romantic suspense novel based in the fictional seaside town of Borteen.

2) What was your original inspiration to become a writer, and to write your debut?

I won a short story competition in 2006 at a time when I was looking for a new direction in my life and the win made me explore and discover a love of writing novels. My debut was inspired by a friend running an art competition at my son’s high school and various news articles around the same time.

3) How long did it take you to write your first book? 

I began The Girl on the Beach in early 2014, with a few breaks the first draft was complete by the end of November 2014. After editing, I put the manuscript through the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme critique system in 2015 and submitted it to Choc Lit in October 2015 for their competition.

4) If you could do anything differently in retrospect, what would you change about your debut, or how you went about writing it?

Every time I begin a manuscript, I tell myself that I will write it chronologically, but that never seems to happen. I end a first draft with a muddle of scenes that takes ages to sort out, but I guess at least I’m editing as I sort out the story.

5) Was your first book self or traditionally published, and how did you go about making that decision?

My debut is to be traditionally published as an e-book. I was so pleased to win Choc Lit’s publishing competition as they are the publisher I’ve aimed for since taking my writing seriously. It was also special as my book was chosen to win the competition by a panel of readers.

6) Do you have any tips for other first time authors?

Learn your craft. Go to classes. Join an organisation for the genre of writing you want to write and talk to other authors. Submit your work to publishers and agents, even though it feels the scariest thing in the world.

Tell us about your first…

7) Book you bought

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen in my teens. It is still a favourite comfort read.

8) Memory

I think my earliest memory is aged about four. My cousins and I were sitting around my grandad’s feet. I don’t know what he was saying, maybe he was telling us a story, but I can still feel my adoration for the man who died as a result of a car accident shortly afterwards.

9) Person you fell in love with

A lad called Andrew Thompson when I was seven. We used to walk home from school hand in hand and share a kiss at each lamp post on the way. I was devastated when he moved south when I was eight.

10) Album you purchased

It rather gives away my age, but it was Headquarters by The Monkees and I still love the songs on it, even though it came out in 1967.

11) Sport you enjoyed participating in

This one is easy. I’ve never been sporty and hated always being the last one picked for teams at school.

12) Pet

Gulliver the guinea pig.

13) Toy that you recall loving

Two, my teddy and a rag doll that was as big as me aged four.

14) Dish you cooked

Lemon meringue pie in a domestic science lesson at school. I remember it particularly, because one of the girls in the class grated a plastic Jif lemon to put into hers. My pie was quite nice, but hers was like toxic scrambled egg.

15) Choice of alternative career if you weren’t an author

I’ve had several changes in my working life. I’ve worked in administration, committee services, staff development and training. I then left office work to be a therapist. I’m a clinical hypnotherapist, Reiki master, Tuina acupressure massage therapist and energy field practitioner. If I had to choose a new career now it would be as an artisan jeweller and I may yet train in this field in the future.

Congratulations on winning Choc Lit's Search for a Star, and I wish you a happy publication day for Tuesday. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.

Biography for Morton S. Gray

Morton lives with her husband, two sons and Lily, the tiny white dog, in Worcestershire, U.K.

She has been reading and writing fiction for as long as she can remember, penning her first attempt at a novel aged fourteen, the plot of which closely resembled an Errol Flynn film. As with many authors, life got in the way of writing for many years until she won a short story competition in 2006 and the spark was well and truly reignited.

She studied creative writing with the Open College of the Arts and joined the Romantic Novelists’ New Writers’ Scheme in 2012.

After shortlisting in several first chapter competitions, she won The Choc Lit Publishing Search for a Star competition in 2016 with her novel ‘The Girl on the Beach’. This debut novel is published on 24 January 2017. 

Blurb For “The Girl on the Beach” by Morton S. Gray

Who is Harry Dixon?

When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon, she can’t help but feel she recognises him from somewhere. But when she finally realises who he is, she can’t believe it – because the man she met on the beach all those years before wasn’t called Harry Dixon. And, what’s more, that man is dead.

For a woman trying to outrun her troubled past and protect her son, Harry’s presence is deeply unsettling – and even more disconcerting than coming face to face with a dead man, is the fact that Harry seems to have no recollection of ever having met Ellie before. At least that’s what he says …

But perhaps Harry isn’t the person Ellie should be worried about. Because there’s a far more dangerous figure from the past lurking just outside of the new life she has built for herself, biding his time, just waiting to strike.

Author Links
Website - www.mortonsgray.com
Twitter - @MortonSGray
Facebook Page – Morton S. Gray Author - https://www.facebook.com/mortonsgray/
Purchasing links for “The Girl on the Beach” at http://www.choc-lit.com/dd-product/the-girl-on-the-beach/