October 25, 2011 10:07 PM

BOOK NEWS: Trailer for Cally Taylor's new novel, Home for Christmas

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 25, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 24, 2011 12:42 AM

NEWS: Sue Moorcroft scoops Festival of Romance award

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 24, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 21, 2011 9:38 PM

BOOK NEWS: I Heart Vegas

Here's some news for fans of Lindsey Kelk's hugely popular 'I Heart' series! The latest novel, I Heart Vegas, is due to be published in December. Yep, after The Single Girl's To-Do List, Lindsey's back with a new adventure for heroine Angela Clark. Read on for the blurb (and take a look at Lindsey's website for more info!)

Angela Clark loves her life in New York. She a Brit who's conquered the Big Apple. Unfortunately, she's also a Brit who's lost her job. And when, just a couple of weeks before Christmas, the immigration department gets wind of this, Angela needs to find a new job urgently. Or a husband. And she doesn't think her boyfriend Alex will be keen.

A girls' weekend in Vegas with her best friend Jenny seems the perfect way to forget her troubles. From the minute they arrive Angela is swept up in a whirl of cocktails, outrageous outfits, late nights and brushes with the chapel of love. But rather than escaping trouble, Angela is up to her neck in it....

But what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas - right?

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 21, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

October 20, 2011 12:07 AM

BOOK NEWS: Sophie Kinsella's new novel, 'I've Got Your Number'

Exciting news! Sophie Kinsella returns next year with a brand new novel, titled I've Got Your Number. We can't wait! As well as writing the hugely successful Shopaholic series, Sophie has penned a number of standalone novels including Can You Keep a Secret and Twenties Girl. The book is due for release in February, and focuses on heroine Poppy, who loses her cherished engagement ring but finds a phone...

"Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry her ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her 'happily ever after' begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring in a hotel fire drill but in the panic that follows, her phone is stolen. As she paces shakily around the lobby, she spots an abandoned phone in a trash can. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect! Well, perfect except that the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn't agree. He wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading his messages and wading into his personal life. What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls, and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents . . . she soon realises that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

Thanks to Chick Lit Club for this news! You can find out more about Sophie Kinsella and her books over at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 20, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

October 19, 2011 1:12 AM

BOOK NEWS: Christmas Magic

With Christmas almost here, it's time to indulge in a festive tale or two. So far we've featured some of the upcoming winter books that'd be perfect to curl up with on a chilly night. (Book and hot chocolate = bliss!) and joining them is Christmas Magic, a new collection of short stories by Homecoming author Cathy Kelly.

The book will be released in mid-November and includes short tales of 'life, love and everyday dilemmas.' Read on for the synopsis!

A festive collection of short stories by the natural heir to Maeve Binchy Cathy Kelly, the number 1 best-selling author, has created her first collection of heart-warming short stories. Christmas Magic is full of charming and witty tales of life, love and the everyday dilemmas that we all face, all told in Cathy's unique voice. From Dolores and Genevieve, two spinster sisters who must finally break free from their mother's powerful personality, to Alice, who is facing having to open her home and her heart to the one visitor that she doesn't want this Christmas, from a captivating family story triggered by a letter to Lily's disastrous arrival at her best friend's wedding, these are stories to make you laugh, cry and nod in recognition. Relax and unwind in front of a roaring fire and indulge yourself in these, and many other humorous and uplifting tales. Remember that Christmas comes but once a year, so let the magic reel you in!

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 19, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (10)

NEWS: We're off to the Festival of Romance!

This weekend Trashionista will be heading to Hertfordshire to check out the Festival of Romance - the UK's first romantic fiction convention. It'll be taking place on Friday and Saturday in King's Langley, and will offer romantic fiction fans the chance to meet authors, gain writing and publishing advice in a variety of workshops, find some great new books and meet fellow readers!

There's still a chance to get hold of a ticket - click here for details!

(Congrats to Jo, winner of our ticket competition.)

For those who are attending - hope to see you soon! And if not, we'll bring you news about this fab event and its authors.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 19, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

October 17, 2011 12:46 AM

BOOK NEWS: Marriage and Other Games

Here's another upcoming title that we can't wait to review! Marriage and Other Games by Veronica Henry (author of The Beach Hut and The Birthday Party) arrived in the post this week, and will be officially released in paperback later this month. Read on for the synopsis...

When Charlotte Briggs' husband Ed is sent down for fraud, she cannot find it in her heart to forgive him for what he has done. Ostracised from their social circle, she flees to the wilds of Exmoor to nurse her broken heart. But despite the slower pace of life, she soon finds that she is not the only person whose life is in turmoil. There's Sebastian, enfant terrible of the British art scene, desperately trying to find his muse amongst the empty bottles. Then Fitch, who married the high-spirited Hayley thinking he would find wedded bliss, but instead has found marital hell. And finally Penny, local GP and recent divorcee, who is determined not to hurtle into middle age embittered and lonely. Over the long winter months, the four of them share advice, copious bottles of wine, laughter ... and maybe more.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (11)

October 16, 2011 11:25 PM

CUTE COVERS: The Space Between Us

We're loving the cover for The Space Between Us, the new novel from Anna McPartlin. Anna wrote the wonderful 2010 novel The One I Love, so we're delighted to hear about her latest book! The Space between us is due for release in January. Here's the synopsis...

From babyhood Eve and Lilly were best friends. But one summer apart, one huge fight and 17 years later Eve wakes up from a horrific accident to find her old friend nursing her.

At first, their reunion is tentative - Lilly merely doing her duty and Eve distracted by her pain and grief. But during the months Eve spends in hospital they confront both the lies of the past and their present failures. Each clearly sees what the other must do to get a messy life back on track: Lilly needs to leave an impossible marriage and Eve needs to face up to the pain she has caused others and open her heart to let people in.

It seems the crisis that brought Eve and Lilly together again was a blessing that has given them a second chance to be there for each when they most need someone to lean on. But little do they suspect that their friendship is under a threat that will change the future forever...

Find out more about Anna McPartlin and her books over at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 16, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (9)

October 13, 2011 10:17 PM

COVER NEWS: The Secret Shopper Affair

We'll shortly be entering into the festive season (I know, right? Where has the year gone?!) and we'll be celebrating with a big selection of holiday-themed books! And there are plenty, one being Kate Harrison's The Secret Shopper Affair, the latest in the popular Secret Shopper series. A copy arrived in the post this morning and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!

The book was released today and is now sporting a new cover, different from the rest of the Secret Shopper novels. What do you think? Are you fond of the new cover or do you prefer the old design? Leave a comment or let us know on Twitter!

Best mates Sandie, Emily and Grazia thought they'd be friends forever, but they reckoned without the dividing effects of men and money... Shopping guru Sandie is on a roll, with a baby on the way and Toby, her posh totty partner, proposing every five minutes. But when she realises the legendary Garnett's Department Store is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, she knows she's the only one to save it, even though Toby's mother seems determined to scupper the rescue bid. For Emily, Sandie's apparently perfect life is a bitter pill to swallow, especially as Emily's been banned from having a second child by her boyfriend, Will, who is more interested in saving the planet than her. As the rifts grow, will she learn to stand on her own two feet, or give in to a new temptation? Glamorous Grazia tries to play peace-maker but she's facing her own big decision: whether to develop her new career as an erotic embroidery artist... or give up on her talent for the sake of her new, needy lover? Can the magic of retail bring the secret shoppers back together, or is it time to shut up shop for good?

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 13, 2011 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (17)

October 12, 2011 10:06 PM

BOOK NEWS: Working It Out

What's more exciting than picking up a book, reading the blurb and thinking, 'hey, isn't that about me?!'. Sometimes, it just happens. And okay, but I'm not a serial job-hopper but until I found my current job I was constantly in search of the dream career. Which is exactly what Ruby's looking for in Working It Out, the new book by Nicola May...

Ruby Matthews has a plan. Twelve jobs in twelve months, until she finds the one of her dreams...

After an unexpected redundancy, Ruby begins to question her priorities. Inspired by a quote from Kahlil Gibran about loving your work, she launches her mission to find the ideal job.

Her year of gainful (and sometimes painful!) employment includes nannying for clients in the South of France; dealing with embarrassing ailments in a Harley Street Clinic; waiting tables in a buzzy Soho cafe; and meeting the celebs of years gone by in a home for retired actors. And even though love is no longer top of her list, relationships just seem to start happening along the way - which sees her handing out some P45s of her own!

But will any of the jobs, or men she meets, see her dreams come true? Or will Ruby just end up back where she started?

You can find out more about Working It Out on Nicola May's website. Nicola will also be talking at the Festival of Romance (go here to find out how you can win a ticket!)

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 12, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (10)

October 6, 2011 10:13 PM

BOOK NEWS: Trailer for Scarlett Bailey's 'The Night Before Christmas'

With Christmas only weeks away, we're gearing up for this year's selection of festive reads. One we are especially excited about is Scarlett Bailey's new novel The Night Before Christmas. You know what else we love? Book trailers! Read on for the synopsis and to check out Scarlett's fab trailer for the book, which will be published on October 27th.

 

All Lydia's ever wanted is a perfect Christmas...

So when her oldest friends invite her to spend the holidays with them, it seems like a dream come true. She's been promised log fires, roasted chestnuts, her own weight in mince pies - all in a setting that looks like something out of a Christmas card.

But her winter wonderland is ruined when she finds herself snowed in with her current boyfriend, her old flame and a hunky stranger. Well, three (wise) men is traditional at this time of year...

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 6, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

October 4, 2011 10:18 PM

NEW RELEASE: Friday Night With the Girls

Shari Low (author of The Motherhood Walk of Fame, My Best Friend's Life and A Brand New Me) is back with another tale - Friday Night With The Girls - which will hit the shelves next week. Read on for the synopsis, and check out Shari's website for more book news and info!

You should write it all down, Lou, so that your daughter can understand what happened. Everything. Right from the start.' Lou Cairney's life has never been dull. But through twenty years of ups, downs and really bad hairstyles, Lou has had the best friends a woman could hope for in Lizzy and Ginger. Growing up together, they shared their dreams and their disasters, broken hearts and career crashes and they survived it all thanks to love, hope and a large dollop of humour. And cocktails. Lots of cocktails. Until now. Lou needs her friends more than ever because her past has just caught up with her in a shocking way. Everyone makes mistakes in life - but Lou has just discovered that she might have made the biggest one of all...

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 4, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (13)

October 3, 2011 10:35 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: And Then It Happened

Linda Green's previous novels (I Did a Bad Thing, 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love and Things I Wish I'd Known) were wonderfully addictive reads and her latest novel, titled And Then It Happened, seems just as interesting. And we also love the new-look cover! The paperback is released in mid-October. Read on for the blurb, or check out Linda Green's website for more news and info.

How would you feel if the only man you'd ever loved was taken away from you? And imagine how he'd feel if he hadn't really been taken away at all - but couldn't find a way to let you know...

Mel Taylor was thirteen years old when she found her Mr Right. Twenty years on they are blissfully in love. She has the man she adores, a gorgeous daughter, a great job and a dream home. But Mel's happiness is spoilt by a dark secret and a niggling fear that her good fortune can't last for ever. Despite her husband Adam's efforts to reassure her that nothing bad is going to happen, Mel can't shake the feeling that someone is about to call time on their happiness. And then it happens...

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 3, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (19)

September 29, 2011 11:32 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Any Dream Will Do

Here's a book we're particularly looking forward to - despite falling for the lovely festive cover, we're also big fans of Twitter. How many of us would love to have a good real-life gossip with our Twitter friends and followers? For one lonely lady, a drunken tweet is about to change her entire life in Maria Duffy's novel, Any Dream Will Do. The book is due for release in early November. Read on for the synopsis...

'Tis the season to be jolly, except single Dubliner Jenny Breslin is feeling something a little closer to gloomy. Everything about her life - her boring job at the bank, the complete lack of romance - has been untouched by holiday magic, and she dreads the thought of spending yet another festive season with her larger-than-life mother and her new boyfriend.

Thank God for Twitter, a place where there are always people ready and waiting to have a chat. She's even managed to make a couple of genuine friends there, even though she's never met them IRL (that's 'In Real Life' by the way).

'So who's on for a few days in Dublin? Would love to meet you all in person. I have a spare room in my house' - this drunken tweet to her Twitter pals changes Jenny's life forever. Before she knows it, she's counting down to a Christmas visit from London-native Zahra Burns, make-up artist to the stars; Fiona Lee, a stay-at-home mum from Galway, and nurse Kerry (the Twitter buddy Jenny feels closest to).

Suddenly, Jenny becomes aware of how her life will appear to these strangers. In a word: Boring. It's easy enough to pretend that you're an exciting and sophisticated person when nobody can see you, but now Jenny's worried about being caught out in the occasional lies that she's told. All the more incentive to change her life for the better! But once her pals arrive, Jenny finds herself pining for the past and wondering if people are ever who they claim to be.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 29, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (13)

BOOK NEWS: Jane Fallon bloggers' event at The Ivy, London

On Monday, Trahsionista headed to the book bloggers' event at London's Club at The Ivy, to celebrate the release of Jane Fallon's new novel, The Ugly Sister. Jane (who previously penned Getting Rid of Matthew, Got You Back and Foursome) was absolutely lovely, and I had fun chatting to not only the lovely ladies at Penguin but also some fantastic fellow book bloggers including Novelicious, High Heels and Book Deals, Chick Lit Club and NewtowritingGirl. 

I was thrilled to be invited to the event, and had such a great time meeting Jane!

Mel from High Heels and Book Deals, Trashi's Elle and the lovely Jane Fallon!

 

Laura from Novel Kicks, Elle from Trashionista and Kate from FMcM.

The Ugly Sister is a wonderfully addictive read - which is not really a surprise given the success of her previous novels! - which focuses on two sisters with completely different lives...

As Abi would the first to know. She has spent her life in the shadow of her stunningly beautiful, glamorous older sister Cleo.

Headhunted as model when she was sixteen, Cleo has been all but lost to Abi for the last twenty years, with only a fleeting visit or brief email to connect them. So when Abi is invited to spend the summer in Cleo's large London home with her sister's perfect family, she can't bring herself to say no. Despite serious misgivings. Maybe Cleo is finally as keen as Abi to regain the closeness they shared in their youth?

But Abi is in for a shock. Soon she is left caring for her two young, bored and very spoilt nieces and handsome, unhappy brother-in-law - while Cleo plainly has other things on her mind. As Abi moves into her sister's life, a cuckoo in the nest, she wrestles with uncomfortable feelings.

Could having beauty, wealth and fame lead to more unhappiness than not having them? Who in the family really is the ugly sister?

Read more about Jane Fallon and her novels at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 29, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

September 27, 2011 11:53 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Ugly Sister

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 27, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (30)

CUTE COVERS: Bond Girl

Here's a cover that we've taken a bit of a liking to (although maybe we're just partial to shoes? Oh my...) Erin Duffy's new novel Bond Girl is to be released in January, and is all about high-flying Alex who's determined to make it in Wall Street...

When other little girls were dreaming about becoming doctors or lawyers, Alex Garrett set her sights on conquering the high-powered world of Wall Street. And while she's prepared to fight her way into an elitist boys' club, or duck the occasional errant football, she quickly realises she's in over her head when she is relegated to a kiddie-sized folding chair with her new moniker - Girlie - inscribed in whiteout across the back. No matter. She's determined she's got the stamina to make it in bond sales at Cromwell Pierce, one of The Street's most esteemed brokerage firms. Keeping her eyes on the prize, she'll endure whatever menial, degrading tasks come her way - trekking to the Bronx for $1000 wheels of Parmesan cheese, discovering a secretary's secret Friday night dance party in the conference room; fielding a constant barrage of 'friendly' practical jokes, learning to ropes from her unpredictable, slightly scary, loyalty demanding boss; even babysitting a colleague while he consumes the entire contents of a vending machine on a $28,000 bet. Ignoring her friends' pleas to quit, Alex excels (while learning how to roll with the punches and laugh at herself) and soon advances from lowly analyst to slightly-less-lowly associate. Suddenly, she's addressed by her real name and the impenetrable boys' club has transformed into 38 older brothers and one possible boyfriend. Then The Apocalypse hits. As her life on The Street falls into the depths of intolerable cruelty - both personally and professionally - Alex is forced to choose between sticking with Cromwell Pierce as it teeters on the brink of disaster and kicking off her Jimmy Choos to run for higher ground.

(With thanks to Chick Lit Club for this news.)

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 27, 2011 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (27)

September 19, 2011 1:58 PM

NEW RELEASE: It's a Man's World

Polly Courtney made news this week after hitting out at her publisher for packaging her books as 'chick lit', just as her new novel, It's a Man's World. was released. (Hmm...) Personally? We think the cover is rather apt, but hey...

The book is about heroine Alexa, who starts work at lads' mag Banter. Read on for the synopsis, or take a look at Polly Courtney's website.

This is women's fiction with bite! Join Alexa as she battles her way through the chauvinistic lads mag's industry and makes real progress - it might be a man's world, but it takes a woman to run it.If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...Alexa Harris loves a challenge. So when she's asked to head up lads' mag, Banter, she doesn't need much persuasion.But life on the all-male editorial team proves harder than Alexa had imagined - and not just because of her ambitious targets. As Alexa battles with a testosterone-fuelled office, she decides to play the boys at their own game.As success hits, she's forced to look at who she has become. Has she forfeited her principles in return for praise from the lads? And what price will there be to pay? An addictive read with a hard-hitting meaning. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 19, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (41)

September 16, 2011 12:31 AM

BOOK NEWS: Miranda Hart to write for Hodder

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 16, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (38)

CUTE COVERS: Me Before You

We're completely in love with the cover for Me Before You, the upcoming novel from Jojo Moyes (author of bestseller The Last Letter From Your Lover). The book is out in January 2012 and is about two people whose lives are about to change...

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 16, 2011 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (40)

September 14, 2011 8:19 PM

NEW RELEASE: Unlike a Virgin

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 14, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (30)

September 13, 2011 8:38 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Anti-Model Agency

Nicky Schmidt's quirky chick-lit tales remain Trashi favourites, so we were delighted to find that the synopsis for her next novel, titled The Anti-Model Agency, has been revealed. The book is due for publication in November and this time Nicky steps away from near-homelessness (Naked in Knightsbrigdge) and hilarious posh family affairs (Marrying Out of Money) and enters the glamorous world of modelling. Only there's one big difference...

Denise 'D' Harris' life has followed the typical 'rags to riches' path. From being headhunted in front of her local chippie at 15, she climbs her way to the top of the commercial modelling world, supported by London's premier agent. However, a combination of bad luck, a world-famous patisserie and the recession lead to a spectacular fall from her goddess-like status. Bitter and determined to make her agent suffer, D sets about bringing down the largest model agency in the world - by making the product they push - thin, gorgeous, tall teenagers - as unfashionable as a shell-suit in Harrods.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 13, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (29)

September 12, 2011 8:26 PM

NEWS: The Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival is back!

We're already excited about lit festival goodness with October's Festival of Romance, and we now have some more great news - the Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival is returning for its third year and is already a fixture on London's literary calendar.

The festival will take place from 11-13 September at the London Jewish Cultural Centre's Ivy House, near Golder's Green. Last year's festival attracted 2500 visitors to 50 events.

Throughout the three days, aspiring authors can take part in workshops in creative writing, genealogy, poetry, playwriting and getting published. Guest authors scheduled to appear include Sarah Brown, Raymond Black, Peter Snow and Barbara Taylor Bradford.

To find out more about the festival and how to book, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 12, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (20)

BOOK NEWS: Ilana Fox's 'No Prince Charming'

Spotlight and The Making of Mia author Ilana Fox has revealed the synopsis of her new novel, No Prince Charming. Having loved both of Ilana's previous books, we're VERY much looking forward to this next offering, which is due for release in February. Here's the blurb, from Ilana's website...

Ella Aldridge seems to have it all. Married to Danny Riding, one of the Premiership's leading goal-scorers, she lives the dream - the mansion, the car, the freebie designer clothes.

But Ella and Danny have a secret. Their marriage is not what is seems. Between them, it takes a lot of hard work to fool the press and the nation that they really are Love's Young Dream, when deep down Danny's desires lie elsewhere.

With Ella's star in the ascendant, the world is at her feet - a TV show, a fashion column. But then she meets Johnny Cooper, the bad boy of British television. He's ruthlessly charming and sexy, and he can see through Ella's sham of a marriage in a heartbeat. Drawn into a risky, high-octane affair, Ella suddenly realises how much she has to lose and how quickly it can be taken from her.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 12, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (19)

September 8, 2011 6:59 PM

NEW RELEASE: Velvet

Mary Hooper, writer of historical teen novel Fallen Grace, is back with new novel Velvet. The book was recently published and focuses on a Victorian laundress who befriends a medium. Read on for the synopsis and the trailer!

Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry is scalding, back-breaking work and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya, a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet's very life is in danger ...

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 8, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (16)

September 6, 2011 6:31 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

Milly Johnson, who's penned various novels including A Summer Fling, Here Come the Girls and A Spring Affair, is back with a new novel. An Autumn Crush will be released on September 29th and is all about Juliet Miller, who gets a new friend and a new love life...

After a bruising divorce, headstrong Juliet Miller invests in a flat and advertises for a flatmate, little believing that in her mid-thirties she'll find anyone suitable. But along comes self-employed copywriter Floz, raw from her own relationship split, and the two women hit it off. When Juliet's twin brother Guy meets Floz, he is overcome with a massive crush. But being a shy, gentle giant, he communicates so clumsily with her as to give her the opposite impression. Guy's best friend Steve has always had a secret, unrequited crush on Juliet. After a night of too much wine, Steve and Juliet end up in bed, after moaning about the lack of sex in their lives. Convinced that Juliet doesn't feel the same way, Steve agrees to a 'just sex' relationship, until they can both hook their dream partners. Just when Guy has finally plucked up the courage to tell Floz how he feels, he finds she has rekindled an old romance. Floz has never had much love in her life and is obviously thirsty for affection. She loves the whole Miller family, from Juliet and Guy's warm, loving parents, to their ancient one-eyed black cat. But can Guy turn Floz's affection for his family into something more - into love for him? Then Juliet makes a series of discoveries which will turn the lives of all four friends upside down and turns that Autumn into a season where love can be harvested.

To find out more about Milly Johnson and her books, take a look at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 6, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (9)

September 5, 2011 6:25 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Watching Willow Watts

Talli Roland's second novel Watching Willow Watts looks set to be a wonderful read (Talli's first novel The Hating Game is certainly one of our favourites!) and we can't wait for the official release. The book will be available on Kindle and other e-book platforms on September 14th, and you can purchase the book here. The paperback edition will be published on November 30th. Haven't heard about Willow Watts yet? Then read on for the blurb, and be sure to check out Talli's blog for an online publication party.

For twenty-five-year-old Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop; nights watching fuzzy telly whilst the elderly residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation is uploaded to YouTube. A canny viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image hidden in the film and Willow becomes an international sensation.

Her dire little town is suddenly overrun with fans proclaiming her to be the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers - whose shops and businesses are cashing in - Willow eagerly embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and scoffing cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.

But when the only man she has ever truly loved returns, seeking the old Willow, it's decision time. Should she risk stardom and the village's new-found fortune on love? Or is being Marilyn Willow's real ticket to happiness?

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 5, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

September 1, 2011 11:01 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Time of My Life

It turns out that Lucy's life isn't what it seems. Some of the choices she's made - and stories she's told - aren't what they seem either. From the moment she meets the man who introduces himself as her life, some of these stubborn half-truths are going to be revealed in all their glory - unless Lucy learns to tell the truth about what really matters to her.

From a big family dinner to an extraordinary work crisis, from chasing after a long-lost boyfriend to learning what home really is, Lucy Silchester has an appointment with her life - and she's going to have to keep it.

Touching, warm, funny and poignant, Cecelia Ahern's new novel explores what happens when you ignore your life.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 1, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

August 31, 2011 10:44 PM

NEW RELEASE: Little Black Dress

Here's a new release that we've been looking forward to for quite some time! Susan McBride's Little Black Dress was released last week and is a sisterly tale about a certain little black number...

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 31, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (11)

August 29, 2011 11:22 PM

BOOK NEWS: French Lessons

Ellen Sussman's French Lessons is soon to be released in paperback and we can't wait! The book will be published on November 3^rd and focuses on Josie, Riley and Jeremy as they explore Paris with their French tutors. Read on for more...

Sometimes the lessons you learn unexpectedly are the ones that affect you the most. Josie arrives in Paris in the hope of healing a broken heart. Riley, a lonely housewife, is struggling to feel connected to her husband, and her new country. Jeremy, a loyal, neglected husband of a famous actress, has accompanied his wife as she films on location, yet he feels increasingly isolated from her world. As they meander along the grand boulevards and intimate, winding Parisian streets with their French tutors - Josie with Nico, a sensitive poet, Riley with Philippe, a shameless flirt; and Jeremy with the beautiful Chantal - each succumbs to unexpected passion and unpredictable adventures. When long-buried secrets come to bear and relationships are challenged - can their lives ever be the same again?

You can find out more about Ellen Sussman and her novels by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 29, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

August 26, 2011 11:18 PM

SPOTLIGHT: It Looked Different on the Model by Laurie Notaro

Here at Trashionista we love Laurie Notaro, author of a number of memoirs including The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club, We Thought You Would be Prettier and I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies), along with 2007 novel There's a Slight Chance I Might be Going to Hell. Laurie never fails to entertain with her blunt, witty tales of life and her latest collection, It Looked Different on the Model: Epic Tales of Impending Shame and Infamy, was released last month. Want to know more? Read on for the synopsis...

Everyone's favorite Idiot Girl, Laurie Notaro, is just trying to find the right fit,

whether it's in the adorable blouse that looks charming on the mannequin but leaves her in a literal bind or in her neighborhood after she's shamefully exposed at a holiday party by delivering a low-quality rendition of "Jingle Bells." Notaro makes misstep after riotous misstep as she shares tales of marriage and family, including stories about the dog-bark translator that deciphers Notaro's and her husband's own "woofs" a little too accurately, the emails from her mother with "FWD" in the subject line ("which in email code means Forecasting World Destruction"), and the dead-of-night shopping sprees and Devil Dog-devouring monkeyshines of a creature known as "Ambien Laurie." At every turn, Notaro's pluck and irresistible candor set the New York Times bestselling author on a journey that's laugh-out-loud funny and utterly unforgettable.

You can find out more about Laurie Notaro and her hilarious books over at Laurie's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 26, 2011 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (11)

August 24, 2011 9:41 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Summer of Living Dangerously

Julie Cohen, author of Girl From Mars, Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom and 2011 novel Getting Away With It, is back with a brand new novel! The Summer of Living Dangerously will be released in November and is about Alice, who takes a job as a tour guide in a Regency home...

Alice Woodstock has her life under control. She's successful and she's happy - as long as she continues to ignore the hurt from her past. But when said past walks back into her life in the shape of Leo - the man she married too young, ran away to Paris with and who ultimately broke her heart - Alice is desperate for an escape route. She finds the perfect thing - a new job as a tour guide in a Regency stately home. But as she immerses herself in acting out the stories of the house, Alice begins to see parallels with her own life, forcing her to confront her feelings about what she wants and, finally, live in the real world.

To find out more about Julie Cohen and her books, check out Julie's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 24, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (13)

August 23, 2011 11:28 PM

BOOK NEWS: Any Dream Will Do

We recently posted about the cute festive covers that will be gracing our shelves in the next few months, and here's another! Maria Duffy's debut novel Any Dream Will Do is an exciting Christmas tale that's all about one regular girl and her life on Twitter - and a real life that's about to change due to a seasonal meetup...

'Tis the season to be jolly, except single Dubliner Jenny Breslin is feeling something a little closer to gloomy. Everything about her life - her boring job at the bank, the complete lack of romance - has been untouched by holiday magic, and she dreads the thought of spending yet another festive season with her larger-than-life mother and her new boyfriend.

Thank God for Twitter, a place where there are always people ready and waiting to have a chat. She's even managed to make a couple of genuine friends there, even though she's never met them IRL (that's 'In Real Life' by the way).
'So who's on for a few days in Dublin? Would love to meet you all in person. I have a spare room in my house' - this drunken tweet to her Twitter pals changes Jenny's life forever. Before she knows it, she's counting down to a Christmas visit from London-native Zahra Burns, make-up artist to the stars; Fiona Lee, a stay-at-home mum from Galway, and nurse Lesley (the Twitter buddy Jenny feels closest to).

Suddenly, Jenny becomes aware of how her life will appear to these strangers. In a word: Boring. It's easy enough to pretend that you're an exciting and sophisticated person when nobody can see you, but now Jenny's worried about being caught out in the occasional lies that she's told. All the more incentive to change her life for the better! But once her pals arrive, Jenny finds herself pining for the past and wondering if people are ever who they claim to be.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 23, 2011 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (6)

August 22, 2011 9:25 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Best Little Book Club in Town

Here's a treat for all fans of short story collections, and with some top chick-lit authors, The Best Little Book Club in Town is bound to be a brilliant one. In aid of charity Breast Cancer Care, the book includes stories from Sophie Kinsella, Jodi Picoult, Kate Mosse and Katie Fforde. It will be published on September 1st, and here's a little bit more about this lovely new release:

Irresistible short stories from some of the top names in fiction writing today. A chance meeting with a handsome Italian stranger...The Christmas list - with a difference A yummy mummy picks up the wrong bag, with surprising consequences The woman who wanted a life change, but got rather more than she bargained for The ex-wife who could provide her ex-husband with an alibi for murder A mother's instincts and a daughter' love life A woman drawn to the mysterious house on the hill...Here are stories of love, passion, mystery and hope - and the discovery that some of the more surprising things in life are often the most important...From Kate Mosse to Jodi Picoult, this is the must-have collection of the year.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 22, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (9)

August 18, 2011 11:44 PM

BOOK NEWS: If Only You Knew

Here at Trashi we're big fans of Irish author Claire Allan, whose previous novels include Jumping In Puddles, Feels Like Maybe and Rainy Days and Tuesdays (a personal favourite!) So we're delighted to hear that Claire is back with a new book, If Only You Knew. The book is out in September, and here's the synopsis..
Cousins Ava Campbell (married, sensible, feeling old before her time) and Hope Scott (single, debt ridden, in love with a man who will never love her back) have nothing in common. But fate is about to throw them together.

When their beloved aunt Betty, the free spirited black sheep of the Scott family, dies in France the girls find themselves flying to the picturesque village of Saint Jeannet, tasked with sorting through her belongings and fulfilling her last wishes.

To guide them on their way, Betty has left them a series of letters detailing her own life, the heartbreak that lead her to move to France and the peace she found there with her beloved Claude

As the women find each letter, Betty's secrets are uncovered one by one with lifechanging results. Can Ava find her self confidence again? Can Hope let go of the love of her life? Can either of them ever be the same again?

If Only You Knew is a heartwarming story of secrets, love, loss, longing and purple shoes.

You can find out more about Claire Allan and her books over at her blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 18, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (14)

August 17, 2011 10:02 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The First Wife

We're looking forward to the release of Emily Barr's latest novel, The First Wife, which will hit the shelves on September 15th. Emily is a former travel writer and columnist who has penned a variety of books, including The Perfect Lie and Atlantic Shift. Read on for the synopsis...

Lily, a young woman left alone in the world on the death of her grandparents, finds purpose when she befriends Harry Summers, a grieving widower, whose wife Sarah recently took her own life in Barcelona. The pair fall in love and Lily finally finds the security she has never had. But Lily's life takes a darker turn when she realises there may be more to Sarah's death than meets the eye. Anxious to find the truth before she marries her beloved Harry, Lily sets off to Barcelona in search of answers. What she discovers is more shocking than she could ever have imagined...

To find out more about Emily Barr and her books, head over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

August 16, 2011 7:44 PM

BOOK NEWS: Read an Excerpt of Modelland by Tyra Banks

Modelland, the new novel from supermodel Tyra Banks, is due for release in September -- and an excerpt is now available online.

By heading over to the Barnes and Noble website, you can read chapter one of the book, in which 'imperfect' heroine Tookie is given the chance of a lifetime - a coveted place in the mysterious Modelland. Read on for the synopsis...

No one gets in without being asked. And with her untamable hair, large forehead, and gawky body, Tookie De La Crème isn't expecting an invitation. Modelland--the exclusive, mysterious place on top of the mountain--never dares to make an appearance in her dreams.
But someone has plans for Tookie. Before she can blink her mismatched eyes, Tookie finds herself in the very place every girl in the world obsesses about. And three unlikely girls have joined her.

Only seven extraordinary young women become Intoxibellas each year. Famous. Worshipped. Magical. What happens to those who don't make it? Well, no one really speaks of that. Some things are better left unsaid.

Thrown into a world where she doesn't seem to belong, Tookie glimpses a future that could be hers--if she survives the beastly Catwalk Corridor and terrifying Thigh-High Boot Camp. Or could it? Dark rumors like silken threads swirl around the question of why Tookie and her new friends were selected . . . and the shadows around Modelland hide sinister secrets.
Are you ready? Modelland is waiting for you. . . .

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 16, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

UPCOMING RELEASE: Watching Willow Watts

Talli Roland's latest novel, Watching Willow Watts, is soon to be released  - and we can't wait! (We loved Talli's hugely successful debut The Hating Game). Willow will be available in eBook format from September 14th, and the paperback will be released on November 30th. Head on over to Talli's website to find out more, or read on for the blurb...

For twenty-five-year-old Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop; nights watching fuzzy telly whilst the elderly residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation is uploaded to YouTube. A canny viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image hidden in the film and Willow becomes an international sensation. Her dire little town is suddenly overrun with fans proclaiming her to be the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers - whose shops and businesses are cashing in - Willow eagerly embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and scoffing cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves. But when the only man she has ever truly loved returns, seeking the old Willow, it's decision time. Should she risk stardom and the village's new-found fortune on love? Or is being Marilyn Willow's real ticket to happiness?

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 16, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 11, 2011 10:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: Sweet Little Lies

Alison Bond (How to Be Famous, A Reluctant Cinderella) is back next year with her latest offering, Sweet Little Lies. Here's the synopsis (with thanks to Chick Lit Club):

Take two childhood friends: glamorous, rich Chrissie and clever, down-to-earth Anna. You'd never guess that beneath the facade of this perfect friendship a web of lies and betrayal would lurk. Years ago, Chrissie did something terrible to Anna and it caused more pain and heartbreak than she could ever have predicted. Anna must never find out. But the guilt of carrying her secret proves increasingly suffocating for Chrissie - especially when the man they both loved comes back into their lives. When she starts to fall apart under the pressure, the one person she wishes she could confide in is the one person who must never know. But perhaps Anna has secrets of her own ... Can a friendship held together by lies survive or will the truth always come out?

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 11, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 10, 2011 9:55 PM

BOOK NEWS: Alison Wonderland

Here's a quirky, fab new title for the summer that we're looking forward to! Alison Wonderland by UK author Helen Smith is due for release on August 16, and is a magical tale about private investigator Alison Temple and her search for a purpose in life.

When Alison discovers her husband has been unfaithful, she divorces him and joins the all-female detective agency, Fitzgerald's Bureau of Investigation. Exciting and fulfilling at first, after a few years Alison finds herself getting bored by the routine of catching cheating spouses and the mundane "temp" jobs she uses as cover. The lack of fidelity, or at least interesting infidelity, only strengthens her commitment to waiting for her "Mr. Wonderland."

Then Mrs. Ella Fitzgerald, her boss and owner of Fitzgerald's Bureau of Investigation, puts her on an odd case involving genetic testing and animal mistreatment. Alison's barely touched the new assignment when things start happening. Odd things. Unexplainable things. Suddenly Alison, her friend Taron, and the circle of people around them, are put in danger. Alison and Taron decide to escape to the seaside for a bit while things settle down, but things aren't any slower at the seaside. While away, the two friends embark on a side-mission of finding an abandoned baby for Taron's mother, a supposed witch, to raise as her apprentice. They go clubbing, stumble upon a transgenic animal, and seemingly dream a baby into existence.

And the rabbit hole goes deeper.

They return to London when Alison learns her neighbor Jeff, an inventor of sorts, has been abducted and is being hidden in a secret room under the Thames. Alison can think of nothing but saving Jeff and with Taron and the baby at her side, traverses London's gritty underground to reach him. Could Jeff be her Mr. Wonderland? And what will she and Taron do with the foundling? As Alison starts to unravel the pieces of her seemingly nonsensical world, she figures out that she might be the key to everything.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 10, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 9, 2011 11:00 PM

BOOK NEWS: Sophie Kinsella's new novel, I've Got Your Number

Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella is back! We're so excited - and her new novel, I've Got Your Number, sounds utterly fabulous. The book is due for release in February next year and the wonderful Sophie has now provided the synopsis (roll on February!)

When Poppy loses her engagement ring and her mobile all in the same disastrous evening, it seems the obvious solution to make use of a phone she finds, by chance, abandoned in a hotel bin. But inevitably her life becomes entangled with the real owner of the phone, a high-flying businessman called Sam who becomes increasingly irritated when Poppy can't resist meddling in his affairs...

To find out more about Sophie Kinsella and her books, check out her official website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 9, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

NEW RELEASE: A Catered Affair

Sue Margolis (Forget Me Knot, Perfect Blend) is back with latest novel A Catered Affair. The book focuses on Tallulah, who's dumped at the altar only to realise that happiness arrives when you least expect it...

When Tallulah gets jilted at the altar, she gets very drunk and starts making passes at the male wedding guests. She even propositions the caterer. But in the next few weeks, reality comes crashing down around her. Her difficult mother becomes more impossible than ever. Her lesbian sister starts trying to have a baby. Nana Ida gets busy matchmaking. What Tallulah is about to discover is that happiness doesn't always come in the form of the perfect doctor- and that sometimes real love doesn't require a catered affair.

Head on over to Sue's website to find out more!

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 9, 2011 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 8, 2011 10:19 PM

CELEBRITY BOOK NEWS: Tess Daly's debut novel

Model and Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly is to release her debut novel. Titled The Camera Never Lies, the book is to be released in October and is said to contain 'enough romance to make the Sex and the City girls blush.' Well, we're looking forward to this debut about heroine Britt Baxter whose dreams are about to come true...

Britt Baxter is unaware of the effect she has on people. A big-hearted, no nonsense northern girl, she naturally looks for the best in everyone she meets, but in her attempts to make it as model she finds she struggles against being pinned down on the casting couch by the most unlikely people...

So when a happy accident lands her a career as a presenter on breakfast television, it looks as if she has made it out of the modelling world of close-ups and cattle calls and into the big time - or at least daytime TV.

But scarcely has Britt had time to wonder at how far she has come, when backstage machinations propel her with ever increasing speed through a series of trapdoors and she soon realises that the drama backstage far eclipses anything that happens in front of the camera.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 8, 2011 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: HarperCollins snaps up Gypsy Weddings memoir

HarperCollins has bought the rights for Tales of the Gypsy Dressmaker - the memoir of dressmaker Themla Madine from Channel 4's 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.' The book is due for release on 1st March 2012 and will document Thelma's life and career, having become a popular dressmakler among the travelling community.

Vicky McGeown, commissioning editor for Harper non-fiction, said: "For us, she was without a doubt the real standout star from the phenomenally successful 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings'. From the moment I met her I was blown away by the wealth of amazing stories she has to share - she's truly going to bring to life a community that has fascinated the nation - and I'm excited to see the reaction when we publish next spring."

Hodder & Stoughton is to publish the official Gypsy Wedding tie-in book in September. To read the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 8, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 4, 2011 10:29 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Idol

Here's one summer read that we're particularly looking forward to! Idol by Carrie Duffy is released in mid-August and is all about two twenty-somethings, Jenna and Sadie...

Meet Jenna Jonsson and Sadie Laine: two gorgeous, glamorous twenty-somethings fighting to make it to the top of their chosen professions.

Beautiful and talented, Jenna is an international pop star, determined to take her career to the next level. And when a chance meeting leads to an opportunity for Jenna to work with world-famous rock band Phoenix, Jenna is quick to agree - although her decision is somewhat influenced by Nick Taylor, the drummer with Phoenix and the most gorgeous man Jenna has ever met...

Meanwhile, Sadie is a struggling dancer and a childhood rival of Jenna's. Ambitious and passionate, she is determined to fulfil her dreams. And a move to Las Vegas yields an unmissable career opportunity and a chance at true love.

Jenna and Sadie's lives are about to collide but will sparks fly? Or will they be able to put the past behind them?

You can find out more about Carrie Duffy over at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 4, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (12)

August 1, 2011 11:55 PM

BOOK NEWS: Pan buys third Pippa Wright novel

Pan Macmillan has snapped up a third novel by author Pippa Wright, which is due to be published in 2013.

According to The Bookseller, Pippa's third book, The Foster Husband, is about a woman whose marriage has broken down, who returns to her home of Lyme Regis to teach her sister's fiance how to be a good husband.

Senior commissioning editor Jenny Geras said: "Pippa is one of the very best writing in the romantic comedy genre at the moment. Her books are clever, sharply observed and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, and we're all delighted to have her signed up for a third novel."

Pippa's first book, Lizzy Harrison Loses Control, was absolutely brilliant and we can't wait for her next offering! Her second book, Unsuitable Men, is set to be published in 2012.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 1, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (10)

July 28, 2011 11:40 PM

COVER NEWS: Modelland

We've been awaiting more news of Modelland, the novel by supermodel Tyra Banks, for quite some time, and now, here's the cover! It's looking rather fab. We're guessing you're well aware of just who Tyra is, but if you're unfamiliar with her upcoming tale, read on for the synopsis. Modelland is due for release in September.

No one gets in without being asked. And with her untamable hair, large forehead, and gawky body, Tookie De La Crème isn't expecting an invitation. Modelland--the exclusive, mysterious place on top of the mountain--never dares to make an appearance in her dreams.
 
But someone has plans for Tookie. Before she can blink her mismatched eyes, Tookie finds herself in the very place every girl in the world obsesses about. And three unlikely girls have joined her.
 
Only seven extraordinary young women become Intoxibellas each year. Famous. Worshipped. Magical. What happens to those who don't make it? Well, no one really speaks of that. Some things are better left unsaid.
 
Thrown into a world where she doesn't seem to belong, Tookie glimpses a future that could be hers--if she survives the beastly Catwalk Corridor and terrifying Thigh-High Boot Camp. Or could it? Dark rumors like silken threads swirl around the question of why Tookie and her new friends were selected . . . and the shadows around Modelland hide sinister secrets.
 
Are you ready? Modelland is waiting for you...

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 28, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

July 27, 2011 12:22 AM

BOOK NEWS: Cally Taylor's new novel

We're highly excited, having today recieved a proof copy of Cally Taylor's new novel, Home for Christmas! Cally's first book, Heaven Can Wait, was one of Trashionista's favourites and we can't wait to review this one. Home for Christmas is to be published in November and there's no cover as of yet (watch this space!) but read on for the synopsis....

Beth Prince has always loved fairytales and now, aged twenty-four, she feels like she's finally on the verge of her own happily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox - a charming but rundown independent cinema - and has a boyfriend who's so debonair and charming she can't believe her luck! There's just one problem - none of her boyfriends have ever told her they love her and it doesn't look like Aiden's going to say it any time soon. Desperate to hear 'I love you' for the first time Beth takes matters into her own hands - and instantly wishes she hadn't. Just when it seems like her luck can't get any worse, bad news arrives in the devilishly handsome shape of Matt Jones. Matt is the regional director of a multiplex cinema and he's determined to get his hands on the Picturebox by Christmas. Can Beth keep her job, her man and her home or is her romantic-comedy life about to turn into a disaster movie?

You can find out mroe about Cally Taylor and her books by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 27, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 26, 2011 10:00 PM

BOOK NEWS: Read an extract of Persuade Me

Juliet Archer's new novel, Persuade Me, is to be published by Choc Lit in September - and now, the prologue and first two chapters are available to read online!

Persuade Me is the second book in Juliet's Austen-inspired Darcy and Friends series. Head on over to the Choc Lit website to read.

When it comes to love, Anna Elliot is stuck in the past. No one can compare to Rick Wentworth, the man she gave up ten years ago at the insistence of her disapproving family. What if she's missed her only chance for real happiness?

Since Anna broke his heart, Rick has moved on - or so he thinks. Out in Australia, he's worked hard to build a successful career - and a solid wall around his feelings.

The words 'forgive and forget' aren't in Rick's vocabulary. The word 'regret' is definitely in Anna's. So, when they meet again on his book tour of England, it's an opportunity for closure.

But memories intrude - the pure sensuality of what they once shared, the pain of parting ... And she has to deal with another man from her past, while his celebrity status makes him the focus of unwanted attention.

With Anna's image-obsessed family still ready to interfere and Rick poised to return to Australia, can she persuade him to risk his heart again?

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 26, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 25, 2011 11:01 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Angel at Number 33

We loved ghostly love story Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor. And just as we're wishing for more supernatural chick-lit goodness, along comes the news of The Angel at Number 33 by Polly Williams (author of How to Be Married and It Happened One Summer). Released in February 2012, the book is about Sophie, who dies leaving her family, and best friend, behind...

Sophie Brady is funny, beautiful, a force of nature. One January evening she kisses her adored husband and young son goodbye, closes the door of number thirty three. At ten pm she's with her best friend Jenny in Soho, polishing off a second bottle of wine. By midnight, she's dead. Except she doesn't feel dead. And she isn't going anywhere until she helps Ollie find love again.

Heartbroken Ollie is unaware of his new eligible status in the neighbourhood. He's busy fathering Freddie, and trying to work out how to use the washing machine. This is a man who once watered a houseplant for a year before realising it was plastic.

Step forward Jenny. Missing her best friend terribly, she throws herself into helping Ollie, neglecting her own imminent wedding. As she gets closer to Ollie, she unearths secrets that make her question quite how well she knew Sophie. And how well she knows her own heart. Where does loyalty end and love begin?

You can find out more about Polly Williams and her books over at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 25, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

July 20, 2011 9:26 PM

BOOK NEWS: I Heart Vegas

Fans of Lindsey Kelk's novels (the massively addictive I Heart series, along with the recently-released Single Girl's To-Do List), will be delighted to hear that there's yet another installment to the bestselling series about travelling heroine Angela.

I Heart Vegas is the latest in the series, and is due for release in December. Which  means we still have five months to wait, but hey, I'm sure it'll be worth it! Here's the synopsis:

Angela Clark loves her life in New York. She loves her job, her friends and her gorgeous musician boyfriend, Alex, who is finally ready to move in with her and start planning their future together. Everything is perfect.

But, after Angela loses her job, her world starts to crumble around her - her visa is revoked and she's given the disastrous news that she must leave New York and her life behind and go back to London.

Confused, heartbroken and desperate to stay, the last thing Angela needs is a girls' trip to Vegas just before Christmas - especially when Manhattan at Christmas is so perfect that she never wants to go home...

You can find out more about Lindsey and her books by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 20, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 19, 2011 10:16 PM

NEW RELEASE: Alice Bliss

We love hearing about debut authors, and have recently come across Alice Bliss, the new novel by Laura Harrington The book was released on July 15th and is about fifteen-year-old Alice, who has to come to terms with the fact that her father may not return from the war. Here's the synopsis...

Alice Bliss is fifteen. She's smart, funny, and clever. Not afraid to stand up for the things she believes in. She also idolises her father and, when he leaves home to fight a war she doesn't believe in, Alice is distraught. She and her mother negotiate his absence as best they can -- waiting impatiently for his letters, throwing themselves into school and work respectively, bickering intermittently and, in Alice's case, falling for the boy next door -- but then they're told that he's missing in action and have to face up to the fact that he may never return.

Telling a story of love and loss, of grief and growing up, of family and friendship, Alice Bliss is a powerful, poignant portrayal of a young girl facing up to the unthinkable.

You can find out more about Laura Harrington and read an excerpt from Alice Bliss over at Laura's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 19, 2011 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (1)

E-READ: A Life That Fits

Here's a promising read for the fans of e-readers! Heather Wardell's A Life that Fits is available now from Amazon and is about heroine Andrea, who decides to give herself a new start - as her complete opposite - in order to get her boyfriend back.

Twenty-eight-year-old Andrea returns home from a business trip to find Alex, her boyfriend of fourteen years, nervously waiting for her. Assuming he's finally going to propose, Andrea's instead horrified to learn he's been cheating on her and is leaving to be with the other woman, who he calls Andrea's opposite.

At first Andrea's paralyzed by shock and sadness, but the business analyst soon forms a plan: change every last detail of her life and become her opposite so Alex will come back to her.

It's a challenge at first, but soon Andrea's loving the changes she's making, the new activities she's doing, and the new people in her life. But will she change enough to get Alex back? And if she does, will he fit into the wonderful new life she's creating for herself?

You can download the novel here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 19, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

July 18, 2011 7:09 PM

BOOK NEWS: Confessions of a Karaoke Queen

We're really looking forward to Confessions of a Karaoke Queen, the upcoming novel by Ella Kingsley (which is the pseudonym of a women's fiction author.) The book is due for publication in December and is about Maddie, the daughter of 80s pop stars, who signs up for a reality TV series.

Maddie Mulhern is suddenly in charge. Her parents - former 80s pop duo Pineapple Mist - have left for the summer on a nostalgia tour, entrusting her to manage their struggling karaoke bar, Sing It Back. Panicking over the dodgy finances, Maddie takes a gamble: she signs up for a fly-on-the-wall reality TV series. With her faithful staff (divalicious drag queen Ruby, shy barman Simon and wannabe actress Jasmine) she'll transform the bar into a huge success. Simple. Right? Executive Producer Evan Bergman knows that scandal sells. It's no coincidence that he hires cool, attractive Nick Craven as director. Evan wants drama on screen - and he'll do anything to get it. As the series builds to a live finale, will Maddie see the truth in a Careless Whisper? Will Nick be able to keep his Poker Face? One thing's for sure: we all do things at karaoke that we regret ...

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 18, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (10)

BOOK NEWS: Outside the Ordinary World

Here's another gem to add to the summer reading pile; American literary author Dori Ostermiller's new novel, Outside the Ordinary World, is to be published next month. The book will be released on August 17. Read on for the synopsis, and visit Dori Ostermiller's website for more information about Dori and her books.

'Do you feel as though you had a choice? Or were you driven by forces beyond your control?' Questions that still echo thirty years later...Sylvia Sandon always swore she wouldn't become her mother. But one August morning she finds herself walking the same path...into an affair she feels powerless to resist. Against the backdrop of California bush fires in the 1970s, twelve-year-old Sylvia had agreed to hold a secret that would devour her family's dream of happiness. Now struggling to create a better life, Sylvia nonetheless feels caught in the coils of history: she confronts the embers of her dying marriage, the all-consuming needs of her two daughters and her faltering artistic career. Then Tai Rosen - the father of a student - ignites an unexpected passion and a familiar betrayal that could illuminate the past, even as it jeopardises everything dear. "Outside the Ordinary World" reveals what lies beneath the surface of infidelity. But at its heart, it is the story of the powerful, sometimes disturbing bond between mothers and daughters, and the shimmering line between self-revelation and self-destruction...

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 18, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 14, 2011 9:45 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Generation Game

The Generation Game is the upcoming debut novel by Sophie Duffy, winner of the Yeovil Literary Prize. Sophie was inspired to write the book, which is due for release on August 1st, by growing up in a sweet shop in Torquay. (We love the cover too!) Here's the synopsis...

Philippa Smith is in her forties and has a beautiful newborn baby girl. She also has no husband, and nowhere to turn. So she turns to the only place she knows: the beginning.

Retracing her life, she confronts the daily obstacles that shaped her very existence. From the tragic events of her childhood abandonment, to the astonishing accomplishments of those close to her, Philippa learns of the sacrifices others chose to make, and the outcome of buried secrets.

Philippa discovers a celebration of life, love, and the Golden era of television. A reflection of everyday people, in not so everyday situations.

You can find out more about Sophie Duffy by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 14, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

July 13, 2011 6:26 PM

BOOK NEWS: Arrow buys two more books from Cathy Woodman

Arrow has snapped up two more titles from Cathy Woodman (author of Trust Me, I'm a Vet and It Must Be Love).

The first book is due to be published in April 2012, with the second novel in the deal to be published in November 2012. There are no plot details as yet, according to The Bookseller.

Arrow editor Gillian Holmes said: "Cathy's books have really struck a chord with readers, and her audience is growing with each publication, which is no surprise to me as she writes with such warmth and humour. I simply love her work and I am so happy that we will be continuing to publish her. The next book can't come soon enough for me."

You can find out more about Cathy Woodman over at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 13, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 6, 2011 9:06 PM

BOOK NEWS: And Then It Happened

Linda Green, author of I Did A Bad Thing and 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love, is back this month with new novel And Then It Happened. We're looking forward to this next tale, which is due for release in October (we're loving the new cover style too!) Read on for the synopsis...

How would you feel if the only man you'd ever loved was taken away from you? And imagine how he'd feel if he hadn't really been taken away at all - but couldn't find a way to let you know...

Mel Taylor was thirteen years old when she found her Mr Right. Twenty years on they are blissfully in love. She has the man she adores, a gorgeous daughter, a great job and a dream home. But Mel's happiness is spoilt by a dark secret and a niggling fear that her good fortune can't last for ever. Despite her husband Adam's efforts to reassure her that nothing bad is going to happen, Mel can't shake the feeling that someone is about to call time on their happiness. And then it happens...

Click here to visit Linda Green's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 6, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 5, 2011 9:30 PM

BOOK NEWS: The First Wife

Emily Barr, author of numerous books including The Life You Want, The Perfect Lie and Atlantic Shift, has a new novel due for release this year. The First Wife will be released in paperback on September 15th. Read on for the synopsis...

What if the man you love isn't the man you think he is?

Lily, a young woman left alone in the world on the death of her grandparents, finds purpose when she befriends Harry Summers, a grieving widower, whose wife Sarah recently took her own life in Barcelona. The pair fall in love and Lily finally finds the security she has never had. But Lily's life takes a darker turn when she realises there may be more to Sarah's death than meets the eye. Anxious to find the truth before she marries her beloved Harry, Lily sets off to Barcelona in search of answers. What she discovers is more shocking than she could ever have imagined...

Head on over to Emily Barr's website to find out more about Emily and her books.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 5, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 4, 2011 8:03 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Lessons in Laughing Out Loud

If you enjoyed The Accidental Mother, then you'll be pleased to hear that Rowan Coleman's next novel, Lessons in Laughing Out Loud, is due for release on July 21st. The book focuses on identical twins Holly and Willow, who share a life-changing secret...

Willow and Holly are identical twins. They are everything to each other. Holly calls Willow her rock, her soul mate, her other half. And Willow feels the same about Holly. They are alike in every respect except one - Willow is afraid on the inside. And all because of a secret - one that binds the sisters closely together and yet has meant their adult lives have taken two very different paths.

Willow often feels there are large parts of her missing, qualities she only knows she's lacking because she sees them in her sister. For a very long time Willow has felt separated from Holly by one terrible moment in time - a moment that meant Willow's life was never the same again. And when the past catches up with her, Willow realises it's finally time for her to face her fears, and - with Holly's help - learn to laugh out loud once more...

To find out more about Rowan Coleman and her books, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 4, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 30, 2011 1:16 PM

BOOK NEWS: Catherine Ryan Howard's new novel, Results Not Typical

We have some exciting news! Catherine Ryan Howard, author of travel memoir Mousetrapped (and more recently, self-publishing guide Self Printed), has revealed the details of her next book! This time, Catherine has crossed over to the world of fiction for upcoming novel Results Not Typical, which will be published in 2011. We can't wait!

We're sure it'll be a fantastic read (Mousetrapped was one of Trashionista's top reads of 2010), and we'll be counting down the weeks. Want to know more? Then read on for the synopsis...

Through their Ultimate Weight Loss Diet Solution Zone System, Slimmit International Global Incorporated claim they're making the world a more attractive place one fatty at a time. Their slogans "Where You're Fat and We Know It!" and "Where the Fat IS Your Fault!" are recognised around the globe, the counter in the lobby says five million slimmed and their share price is as high as their energy levels. But today the theft of their latest revolutionary product, Lipid Loser, will threaten to expose the real secret behind Slimmit's success...

As Director of Security, hunky Aaron Green is held responsible and threatened with his job. Spying an opportunity to get back into Aaron's pants, Marianne Brand, head of Slimming Operations, offers to help him track down the intruder - but what she's really hoping to find is her missing Much, Much More Muffin, a secret prototype she believes the intruder ate. Meanwhile Slimmit CEO Nicola Darcy struggles to stay conscious in the three layers of constricting underwear she needs to hide her new muffin top, while her daughter Emmy - deemed "unacceptably beyond corporate Appearance Policy parameters" - pushes paper in Slimmit's basement and dreams of a skinny life, one she hopes her secret membership of Fat Club, Slimmit's main competitor, will eventually bring her.

The race is on to retrieve the Lipid Loser and save Slimmit from total disaster. If their secrets get out, their competitors will put them out of business. If the government finds out, they'll all go to jail. And if their clients find out... Well, as Slimmit's Slimming Specialists know all too well, there's only one thing worse than a hungry, sugar-crazed, carb addict - an angry one.

Will the secret behind Slimmit's success survive the day, or will their long-suffering slimmers finally discover the truth?

You can find out more about Catherine Ryan Howard and her books over at Catherine, Caffeinated.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 30, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

UPCOMING RELEASE: Breakfast in Bed

Breakfast in Bed, the new novel by Eleanor Moran (author of Stick or Twist and Mr Almost Right) is due for release in on 21st July. We've received our review copy and can't wait to get reading! The book is about just-divorced Amber, whose life is about to change when she lands a job in the kitchen of an angry celebrity chef...

TAKE ONE NEWLY SINGLE WOMAN: At thirty-one, Amber is being bombarded with wedding invitations just as she's collecting her divorce papers - and her bossy best friend has gone one step further and made her chief bridesmaid. It's high time Amber regained control of her life. ADD A PASSIONATE AND FIERY CELEBRITY COOK: Amber's joy at landing herself a coveted role in Oscar Retford's kitchen soon fades as she discovers Oscar is as famous for his furious temper and addiction to firing people as he is for the legendary meals he creates. TURN UP THE HEAT: But as passions start to run high, and her past catches up with her, it looks like Amber's cooked up a recipe for disaster ...

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 30, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

June 29, 2011 10:15 PM

BOOK NEWS: Confessions of a Call Center Gal

We're looking forward to reading Confessions of a Call Center Gal by Lisa Lim - not only does the book sound brilliant but Trashionista has a cameo in it (isn't that awesome?!) The book was released in February and focuses on graduate Madison, who is forced to take a job at a call centre. Having worked at call centres myself I cannot wait to read Confessions! The book is available in paperback and Kindle edition (click here for US and here for UK). Read on for the synopsis, and watch this space for an exciting interview with Lisa.

A fun chick lit romance that will appeal to fans of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes. Bridget Jones meets The Office. Madison Lee is a fresh college grad, ready to take on the world of print media. But she has zero luck landing a job. Unemployment is at ten percent and on the rise. Desperate and left with no other options, she accepts a position as a service rep at a call center in Pocatello, Idaho. At the Lightning Speed call center in Spudsville, Maddy plunges into the wild and dysfunctional world of customer service where Sales is prided over Service and an eight hour shift is equivalent to eight hours of callers bashing her over the phone. Oh sure, the calls are bad. But Maddy manages to find humor on the phone and off the phone. And with all the salacious drama behind the calls, there is never a dull moment at the Lightning Speed call center.

Lately . . . Maddy has been pining for her smolderingly gorgeous co-worker Mika Harket. Now things are heating up on the phone--and elsewhere. Don't hang up on this novel. Working at a call center has never been this garish . . . or this delightful. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 29, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

June 28, 2011 12:07 AM

BOOK NEWS: Claim of Innocence

Attorney and crime novelist Laura Caldwell returns in August with her latest novel, Claim of Innocence, which she was inspired to write after creating the Life After Innocence project. Read on for the synopsis, and be sure to head on over to Laura's official website where you can find out more about her work and books.

Forbidden relationships are the most tempting. And the most dangerous.

It was a crime of passion--or so the police say. Valerie Solara has been charged with poisoning her best friend. The prosecution claims she's always been secretly attracted to Amanda's husband...and with Amanda gone, she planned to make her move.

Attorney Izzy McNeil left the legal world a year ago, but a friend's request pulls her into the murder trial. Izzy knows how passion can turn your life upside down. She thought she had it once with her ex-fiancé, Sam. Now she wonders if that's all she has in common with her criminally gorgeous younger boyfriend, Theo.

It's Izzy's job to present the facts that will exonerate her client--whether or not she's innocent. But when she suspects Valerie is hiding something, she begins investigating--and uncovers a web of secret passions and dark motives, where seemingly innocent relationships can prove poisonous....

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 28, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 21, 2011 9:58 PM

NEW RELEASE: Caitlin Moran's 'How to be a Woman'

Columnist Caitlin Moran's new book, How to be a Woman, has just been released - much to our delight! The book has been dubbed 'part memoir, part rant' and focuses on Caitlin's life, giving an amusing personal insight into feminism.

1913 - Suffragette throws herself under the King's horse. 1969 - Feminists storm Miss World. Now - Caitlin Moran rewrites "The Female Eunuch" from a bar stool and demands to know why pants are getting smaller. There's never been a better time to be a woman: we have the vote and the Pill, and we haven't been burnt as witches since 1727. However, a few nagging questions do remain...Why are we supposed to get Brazilians? Should you get Botox? Do men secretly hate us? What should you call your vagina? Why does your bra hurt? And why does everyone ask you when you're going to have a baby? Part memoir, part rant, Caitlin Moran answers these questions and more in "How To Be A Woman" - following her from her terrible 13th birthday ('I am 13 stone, have no friends, and boys throw gravel at me when they see me') through adolescence, the workplace, strip-clubs, love, fat, abortion, TopShop, motherhood and beyond.

Follow Caitlin Moran on Twitter.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 21, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

June 20, 2011 1:48 AM

BOOK NEWS: Read an extract of Sisterhood Everlasting

Sisterhood Everlasting is the latest novel from Ann Brashares, set ten years after the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. If you're a fan, then you'll be pleased to know that an excerpt of the book, which was released on June 14th, is available to read online. Check it out here, and read on for the synopsis...

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn't take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can't seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever--but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 20, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 17, 2011 9:53 PM

BOOK NEWS: JK Rowling's mystery website

JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series (as if you didn't already know. Pfft!) has made the news again recently with a brand new website launched to promote a mysterious new project.

The website - pottermore.com - displays a holding page with a 'coming soon' announcement and a countdown to June 23rd.

Rowling's spokeswoman said that the project was 'not a new book', according to BBC News, and is not directly related to the final Harry Potter movie that's released on 15th July.

Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

June 16, 2011 5:43 PM

BOOK NEWS: Penguin author Amanda Brookfield to auction a character for charity

Would you like to see your name in a bestselling novel? Well, now's your chance. Amanda Brookfield, author of Before I Knew You, is taking part in a unique auction that gives the winning bidder the chance to name a character in an upcoming tale. Would you like to see yourself immortalised in a novel? Or would you like to give a book-loving friend a one-of-a-kind gift? If so, then read on...

 

Amanda will be auctioning the chance to name a character in aid of Children's Hospice South West, which will help to build a new hospice to serve the families of Plymouth and Cornwall. CHSW is the only organisation in the region providing specialist care for families with life-limiting children.

 

Amanda said: "I can't think of a charity I would rather support. I am lucky enough to have two healthy strapping sons of my own, but fifteen years ago my five-year-old niece, Lucy, died after complications following an operation on her heart. The shock of that loss is with all my family still. She was the dearest, bravest little girl and not a day goes by when we don't treasure her memory."

 

To take part in the auction, please e-mail your bid and contact details here before Friday 1^st July. Bidding begins at £100. The highest bidder can choose to have a character names after them, a friend or a loved one.

 

Click here to find out more about Amanda Brookfield, or head on over to the Children's Hospice South West to read more about the charity.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 16, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 15, 2011 11:47 PM

BOOK NEWS: Katie Price aims for biggest book signing in Guinness World Records attempt

We should all know by now that Katie Price does nothing without a certain level of extravagance (and let's face it, publicity...) so it was hardly a shock to read that she's going to attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for Largest Book Signing by a Single Author.

Katie's new novel The Comeback Girl is out next month, and the attempt will take place at the O2 Academy in Leeds at 11am on Wednesday, 27th July. Katie will sign each copy of her book, and also promises that the name of every fan who attended the signing will be printed in the front of her next book.

The title is currently held by former world chess champion, Anatoli Karpov, who signed 1,951 copies of his book in 8 hours in 2006. Katie's Guinness World Records attempt will be her 113th signing with Random House.

Katie said: "You know me, I've always had a competitive streak so when it was suggested that I try and break a Guinness World Record for a book signing, I thought, 'Bring it on!' I love meeting my fans and I can't wait to make them part of this world record. I really hope they will come out to support me in Leeds on 27 July and as a thank you I'm going to dedicate my next book to them and print all their names in the front."

Liz Smith, Records Manager at Guinness World Records, said: "To beat this world record is going to be tough, it has only been broken four times in the past 13 years and Katie will need to sign nearly 2000 books in one sitting, quite a feat. I'm looking forward to joining Katie and all her fans at the record attempt."

Fans will need to register for the event at the official website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 15, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 14, 2011 8:47 PM

BOOK NEWS: Adele Parks 'About Last Night' launch tour

Calling all UK-based fans of Adele Parks! Would you like to meet her? If so, then here's your chance - Adele will be taking part in a series of events across the UK to celebrate the launch of her new novel, About Last Night. The book is released on June 23rd and if you're near Horsham, St Albans, Preson, Manchester, Chorleywood, Nottingham, Hull, Sheffield and Hook and would like to have fun, meet Adele and attend some great literary lunches and nights out for some good causes, then head over to her website to see the tour dates and venues!

Here's the synopsis of About Last Night:

The gorgeously addictive new novel from the Sunday Times bestseller

For thirty years, best friends Stephanie and Philippa have been practically inseparable. There's nothing they would not do for one another. Until a few simple words change everything.

'I need you to say that I was with you.'

Steph, eternally solid, considerate and dependable, is begging her best friend to lie to the police as she's desperately trying to conceal two shocking secrets to protect her family. Pip, self-consigned to the role of scatty, frivolous hot-head is overwhelmed; she's normally the one asking for help in a crisis although never anything as catastrophic as this. Both women have always believed that friendship is built on mutual selflessness, compromise and trust. Are those beliefs now to be tested beyond endurance?

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 14, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The TV Book Club returns!

The TV Book Club is back! The show, which reaches 3.5 million people each series, will return on More4 on Sunday, June 26th, and the list of authors is set to include a major motion picture writer and producer, Sweden's top selling author and a winner of a Pulitzer Prize.

The new series will include interviews with some of the world's biggest authors such as Philip Pullman, Jackie Collins, Jilly Cooper and Jacqueline Wilson, and will be hosted by Jo Brand, Dave Spikey, Laila Rouass, Ade Edmondson and Meera Syal.

The chosen books for this summer are as follows:

Week One: The Lantern, Deborah Lawrenson (Orion)
Week Two: Moonlight Mile, Dennis Lehane (Abacus)
Week Three: A Visit From The Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan (Corsair)
Week Four: Night Road, Kristin Hannah (Pan)
Week Five: The Book Of Human Skin, Michelle Lovric (Bloomsbury)
Week Six: The Hidden Child, Camilla Läckberg (HarperCollins)
Week Seven: The Radleys, Matt Haig (Canongate)
Week Eight: Grace Williams Says It Loud, Emma Henderson (Sceptre)

If you miss the show on More4, worry not - it'll be repeated on Channel 4. You can find out more about the TV Book Club here.

Do YOU follow the TV Book Club? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 14, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (13)

June 9, 2011 10:25 PM

BOOK NEWS: Rosamund Lupton's 'Afterwards'

Rosamund Lupton's first novel, Sister, was highly successful when it was released last September, making it the fastest-selling debut of 2010. And this June sees the release of her next novel, Afterwards. Read on for the synopsis...

Black smoke stains a summer blue sky. A school is on fire. One mother, Grace, sees the smoke and runs. She knows her teenage daughter Jenny is inside.

Grace runs along to tree-lined driveway, which Jenny had walked down only a few hours earlier. She goes into the burning building to rescue her child.

Afterwards, Grace must find the identity of the arsonist and protect her family from the person who's still intent on destroying them.

Afterwards, she must confront the face of evil and discover the limitlessness of love.

To find out more about Rosamund Lupton and her books, head on over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 9, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 7, 2011 11:40 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Ugly Sister

Being a huge fan of Jane Fallon's addictive novels (Getting Rid of Matthew, Got You Back and the more recent Foursome), I was extremely excited to hear that her next book, The Ugly Sister, will be released in September. The book follows Abi, who has spent her life in the shadow of her beautiful, model sister Cleo. It looks like a fabulous read - roll on September...

When it comes to genes life's a lottery . . .

As Abi would be the first to know. She has spent her life in the shadow of her stunningly beautiful, glamorous older sister Cleo. Headhunted as model when she was 16, Cleo has been all but lost to Abi for the last 20 years, with only a fleeting visit or brief email to connect them. So when Abi is invited to spend the summer in Cleo's large London home with her sister's perfect family, she can't bring herself to say no. Despite serious misgivings. Maybe Cleo is finally as keen as Abi to regain the closeness they shared in their youth? But Abi is in for a shock. Soon she is left caring for her two young, bored and very spoilt nieces and handsome, unhappy brother-in-law - while Cleo plainly has other things on her mind. As Abi moves into her sister's life, a cuckoo in the nest, she wrestles with uncomfortable feelings. Could having beauty, wealth and fame lead to more unhappiness than not having them? Who in the family really is the ugly sister?

[Thanks to Chick Lit Club for this news!]

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 7, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

June 3, 2011 10:36 PM

WRITER FEATURE: Jenny Ryan

We hope you enjoyed Jenny Ryan's first installment of 'Be Your Own Pimp ' on Wednesday - her fab guest feature on self-promotion! Today Jenny's back with part two...


In the past, I sent off carefully crafted queries and packages to agents and publishers.  I followed all the rules in the Canadian Writers' Market. But that was four years ago. In the past four years, the Internet has exploded with blogs, self-published authors, ebooks and twitter feeds. Suddenly, writers, agents, and publishers were all over the web, and it was a community I had to join. After all, my novel-in-progress was being written in a public forum, and only exists in cyberspace. I needed to venture forth and meet my virtual public!

But how?

I am not a "self-promotion" kind of person. I don't talk myself up easily; self-aggrandizement doesn't come naturally. But I knew in order to gain a following, I'd have to suck up my discomfort and learn to love talking about myself and my work.

I was already announcing my "next chapter" posts on Facebook, but I got myself a Twitter account so I could announce new posts there. I then began following authors that I admire, and other bloggers. I began asking friends to RT (it took a few days to figure out what that meant--ReTweet). I started tweeting about other things besides my blog, and I started using the # so my tweets would get noticed. A tweet of mine about the royal wedding got me an invitation to be a guest blogger on katemiddleton.com, which was a nice opportunity to self-promote as well as share my thoughts on the wedding, (which I totally stayed up for). Also, "if you follow me, I will follow you" -- even in the hustle, there is room for friendship!

I often scour the Internet, looking for unusual blogs, literary blogs, writerly blogs, comedy blogs, chick-lit review blogs ... one can get so caught up in reading blogs about writing, that one can stop writing altogether. It's craziness!

Whenever I comment on blogs, I make sure that there's a link back to mine, and whenever someone comments on my blog, I make sure to link back to theirs. Again -- politeness!

As well as offering up my blog for review, I email writers' blogs,  gossip blogs, and fashion blogs to see if they'd like to mention my project. Not everyone agrees, but some blogs post my link for a few days. And sometimes, as with katemiddleton.com, people ask me to be a guest blogger (thanks, Trashionista!)

I am getting creative with this self-promotion stuff. I talked my way into being one of those "Featured Fashion People" in my local newspaper, where you pose in front of a sketchy building and the reporter asks you about your "personal style" and your "life philosophy". Under "Anything else to add?" where most people say, "I want to give a shout out to all my peeps at Starbucks!" or "Be the change you want to see", I said, "Yeah, tell everyone to follow my blog!"

I have a friend who hosts the Book Show* on our community radio station. Whenever she has me on as a guest, I bring the conversation around to my blog at least once.  I have a friend who teaches in New Zealand and she used my blog as an example of "creative narrative construction" in a lesson. I am relentless in my search for self-promotion opportunities.

Perhaps my pimping-est moment was at a work-related conference. I was seated at a table with a lot of middle-aged business men. During a lull in conversation, I smiled engagingly at them and said, "Let me tell you about this awesome chick-lit blog I'm writing...."

So what am I pimping myself out for? Am I hoping that by widening my net, I'll not only attract new readers, but I'll snare myself an agent and land myself that elusive publishing deal and be able to quit my library job?

Not really. I'm doing this for the love of the work, because I believe in art for art's sake, and I believe my blog is a truly unique and enriching experience for writer and reader, both.  

Sure. All of that. But a book deal wouldn't hurt.

If you still haven't checked out Jenny's blog yet, then head on over to You Were Going to be Fantastic to catch up on her choose-your-own adventure story! We'll be bringing you some more writing and promotional tips in the coming weeks, so watch this space.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 3, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

June 2, 2011 12:34 AM

BOOK NEWS: Whisper of Scandal

Here's a book we're particularly looking forward to, and one that fans of historical romance are sure to appreciate. Nicola Cornick's novel, Whisper of Scandal, is due to be published on 17th June, and is set in gossip-ridden Regency London...

Lady Joanna Ware has endured extreme public humiliation following the countless infidelities of her now deceased and much celebrated Arctic explorer husband. Her loveless marriage has left her with no desire to wed again, so in a desperate attempt to deter the flurry of suitors littering her parlour, Joanna brazenly kisses her late husband's friend, the brooding explorer, Lord Grant. Astonished by the burning desire that overcomes her, and afraid of starting an affaire, Joanna's lust turns to loathing.

Although accustomed to scandal, nothing can prepare Joanna for the shocking revelation that her wicked late husband has bequeathed his illegitimate child to her, and her new nemesis, Lord Grant. As joint custodians, Joanna and Lord Grant must embark on a treacherous expedition to the Arctic to rescue the orphan. Battling blizzards, near fatal encounters with Arctic beasts, and above all a blazing attraction to each other, their quest seems set to fail.

But could the chivalrous Lord Grant, on his mission to protect Joanna in the perilous surrounds of the Arctic, prove to be her biggest threat? Defenceless, and with her frigid heart thawing, Joanna finds herself at the mercy of a celebrated hero, who has one overriding intention: to seduce her.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 2, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

June 1, 2011 1:10 AM

BOOK NEWS: Silver Girl

New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand's latest novel Silver Girl, will be hitting the shelves in June, and we can't wait! Be sure to check back on June 15 when Elin will be stopping by at Trashi for a Q&A as part of her blog tour!

If you haven't already heard about Silver Girl, then read on for the synopsis...

Meredith Martin Delinn just lost everything: her friends, her homes, her social standing - because her husband Freddy cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars.

Desperate and facing homelessness, Meredith receives a call from her old best friend, Constance Flute. Connie's had recent worries of her own, and the two depart for a summer on Nantucket in an attempt to heal. But the island can't offer complete escape, and they're plagued by new and old troubles alike. When Connie's brother Toby - Meredith's high school boyfriend - arrives, Meredith must reconcile the differences between the life she is leading and the life she could have had.

Set against the backdrop of a Nantucket summer, Elin Hilderbrand delivers a suspenseful story of the power of friendship, the pull of love, and the beauty of forgiveness.

For more info about Elin Hilderbrand and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 1, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 31, 2011 1:02 AM

BOOK NEWS: Private Lives

We've just received our proof copy of Tasmina Perry's upcoming novel, Private Lives. The book is due for release in August and looks set to be a thrilling summer read, focusing on Anna, a young and talented law associate to the stars who's about to find herself caught in more than a bit of scandal...

Anna Kennedy loves her career. A young associate with a top media law firm, she's the lawyer to the stars, hiding their sins from the hungry media. When Anna fails to prevent a damaging story being printed about heart-throb movie star Sam Charles she finds herself fighting to save not only his reputation, but also her own. But Anna is about to uncover a scandal more explosive than even Sam's infidelities. A party girl is already dead and those responsible are prepared to silence anyone who stands in their way. Not least a pretty young lawyer who knows too much...

To find out more about Tasmina and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 31, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 30, 2011 11:29 PM

Bid for signed books in Macmillan's Book Week!

We've heard from the lovely Cally Taylor on Twitter that Macmillan Cancer Support are soon to be auctioning books for lucky bidders, and there are some fantastic chick-lit titles to be won, all signed by the authors!

The books can be found here at the Make for Macmillan Facebook page. They include Room by Emma Donoghue, Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor, Single in the City by Michelle Gorman and Louise Bagshawe's Destiny.

Happy bidding!

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 30, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 27, 2011 11:07 PM

NEWS: Curtis Brown Creative to run novel-writing course

Curtis Brown Creative, the creating writing school from the Curtis Brown Literary Agency, will be running a second three-month novel-writing course starting in September.

The school aims to help new writers to 'produce distinctive, compelling novels for today's competitive publishing industry.' The course offers tuition from literary agent and novelist Anna Davis and author Christopher Wakling, along with talks from Curtis Brown's agents, top authors and publishing professionals.

The course will take place in Central London and each student will be given a detailed critique of their novel from a Curtis Brown agent, with stand-out students gaining representation.

You can find out more about the course by visiting the Curtis Brown Creative website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 27, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (9)

May 25, 2011 9:12 PM

NEWS: Festival of Romance announces three new literary awards

The Festival of Romance, the UK's first romantic fiction convention, has announced three new literary awards: the Festival of Romance Reader Award for Best Romantic Novel, the Reader Award for Best Historical Novel and New Talent Award.

The Best Romantic Novel and Best Historical Novel awards are for romantic fiction novels published between Septermber 2010 and October 2011. They will be judged by readers.

The New Talent Award is open to unpublished writers, and will be judged by Donna Condon, senior commissioning editor at Piatkus, and Jane Judd of the Jane Judd literary agency.

The Festival itself will take place on 21-22 October at Hertfordshire's Hunton Park. You can check out more information at the Festival of Romance online community.

[News via Booktrade.]

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 25, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (30)

BOOK NEWS: Breakfast at Darcy's

The new novel from Ali McNamara (author of From Notting Hill With Love...Actually) is due to be published this year and we can't wait! Shame we have a while to go yet - Breakfast at Darcy's is out in November - but that doesn't stop us from getting excited. Read on for the blurb...

When Darcy McCall loses her beloved Aunt Molly, she doesn't expect any sort of inheritance - let alone a small island. Located off the west coast of Ireland, Tara hasn't been lived on for years, but according to Molly's will Darcy must stay there for twelve months in order to fully inherit, and she needs to persuade a village full of people to settle there, too. Darcy has to leave behind her independent city life and swap stylish heels for muddy wellies. Between sorting everything from the plumbing to the pub, Darcy meets confident Conor and ever-grumpy Dermot - but who will make her feel really at home?

To find out more about Ali McNamara and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 25, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (34)

May 24, 2011 3:08 PM

CUTE COVERS: A Scandalous Secret

Jaishree Misra, author of Secrets and Lies and Secrets and Sins, has returned with her latest offering A Scandalous Secret. The book is due for release tomorrow and we can't get enough of the gorgeous cover! The novel focuses on a seemingly perfect couple with a shameful secret. Here's the synopsis:

The truth will tear them apart...

They had the perfect marriage...

Glamour, money, and a beautiful home- the golden couple of Delhi, Neha and Sharat appear to have it all. But a dark secret from Neha's past is about to resurface, a heartbreaking moment in her past that she has tried to block out.

While studying at Oxford, a naive eighteen year-old Neha fell pregnant and made the difficult decision to give the baby up for adoption, vowing never to contact her child again. But now, years later, her little girl - Sonya - is now a fully grown woman and determined to find her birth mother.

With the foundation of Neha's and Sharat's world rocked to its very core, will Sonya's arrival in Delhi push it over the edge? And as Sonya begins to confront Neha, can mother and daughter allow themselves to forgive and forget?

To find out more about Jaishree Misra, head on over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 24, 2011 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (9)

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Single Girl's To-Do List

We've been waiting for what seems like forever, but now it's finally here! Lindsey Kelk, author of the bestselling I Heart series, is back with her new novel, The Single Girl's To-Do List. The book is due for release on June 9th.Rachel Summers loves a to-do list:

• Boyfriend
• Flat
• Great job

NOT on the list:

• Being dumped

Best friends Emelie and Matthew ride to her rescue with an entirely new kind of list - The Single Girl's To-Do List. Rachel doesn't know it, but it will take her on all kinds of wild adventures - and get her in some romantic pickles too. And then it won't be a case of what but who she decides to tick off...

• Mr. bendy yoga instructor
• Mr. teenage sweetheart
• Mr. persistent ex
• Mr. deeply unsuitable

The Single Girl's To-Do List gives Rachel the perfect heartbreak cure - and proves love is out there if you're willing to take a chance.

For more information about Lindsey Kelk and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 24, 2011 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (8)

May 23, 2011 11:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: It's a Man's World

We're extremely excited about the upcoming novel from Polly Courtney, author of The Fame Factor. Released in September, It's a Man's World follows Alexa, who's sent to work for a lads' magazine. Read on for the blurb...

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...

Alexa Harris loves a challenge. So when she's asked to head up Senate Media's lads' mag, Banter, she doesn't need much persuasion.

But life on the all-male editorial team proves harder than Alexa had imagined - and not just because of her ambitious targets. As Alexa battles with a testosterone-fuelled office, she decides to play the boys at their own game.

As success hits, she's forced to look at who she has become. Has she forfeited her principles in return for praise from the lads? And what price will there be to pay?

You can find out more about Polly by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 23, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (9)

UPCOMING RELEASE: Why I Love Singlehood

We loved Faking It by Elisa Lorello, and now she's back with a new novel - this time, teaming up with co-author Sarah Girrell for Why I Love Singlehood. The pair met at university and Why I Love Singlehood, which is due for release on May 31st, is Sarah's debut. Read on for more info...

Eva Perino is single and proud of it. Owner of The Grounds, a coffee shop nestled in the heart of a college town, thirtysomething Eva cherishes her comfortable life filled with quirky friends, a fun job, and no significant other. In fact, she's so content to be on her own that she started a blog about it: "Why I Love Singlehood." Yet when she hears the news of her ex-boyfriend's engagement, her confidence in her single status takes a surprisingly hard hit.

So begins Eva's clumsy (and occasionally uproarious) search for love as she secretly joins an online dating site, tries her hand at speed-dating, and breaks her own rule by getting involved with one of The Grounds' regulars. Soon Eva is forced to figure out exactly who--or what--is the true love of her life. Sparkling with warmth and wit, Why I Love Singlehood is a charming and insightful must-read for anyone--single or otherwise--who has ever been stymied by love.

You can find out more about Elisa Lorello over at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 23, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

BOOK NEWS: Pan buys 'The Killing' novelisations

Danish TV show The Killing, which was aired on BBC4 a few months ago, is to be adapted into novels, with series one to be published in autumn 2012. Publishers Pan Macmillan have snapped up the books based on the series, which scooped the award for best international series at last night's BAFTAs.

According to The Bookseller, negotiations are underway with a "very well-reviewed and highly respected crime author" to write the novels from the scripts.

To read the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 23, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (16)

May 20, 2011 9:33 AM

ONLINE BOOK EVENT: Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Still Missing, the critically-acclaimed novel by Chevy Stevens, is soon to be released and to celebrate, Booktrib is holding an online event on May 24th - and you're invited! Simply head on over to Booktrib at 3pm (ET) on May 24th. There are also exclusive gift bags to give away to ten lucky party attendees.


Read on for the synopsis of Still Missing...

On the day she was abducted, Annie O'Sullivan, a thirty-two year old realtor, had three goals--sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house she hosts is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. She couldn't be further from the truth.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape. This includes her struggle to piece her shattered life back together as well as the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor. Through this, Annie and the reader, discover that the truth doesn't always set you free.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 20, 2011 in Announcements, Book News | Permalink | Comments (42)

May 19, 2011 9:08 AM

TEEN PICK: Overbite by Meg Cabot

Teen favourite Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries, Queen of Babble, Airhead, to name but a few!) is back with the sequel to her supenatural novel Insatiable.

Overbite is due for release in July. Here's the synopsis:

Meena Harper has a special gift, but it's only now that anyone's ever appreciated it. The Palatine Guard--a powerful secret demon-hunting unit of the Vatican--has hired her to work at their new branch in Lower Manhattan. With Meena's ability to predict how everyone she meets will die, the Palatine finally has a chance against the undead.

Sure, her ex-boyfriend was Lucien Anton­escu, son of Dracula, the prince of darkness. But that was before he (and their relationship) went up in flames. Now Meena's sworn off vampires for good . . . at least until she can prove her theory that just because they've lost their souls doesn't mean demons have lost the ability to love.

Meena knows convincing her co-workers--including her partner, über-demon-hunter Alaric Wulf--that vampires can be redeemed won't be easy . . . especially when a deadly new threat seems to be endangering not just lives of the Palatine, but Meena's friends and family as well.

But Meena isn't the Palatine's only hope. Father Henrique--aka Padre Caliente--New York City's youngest, most charming priest, has also been assigned to the case.

So why doesn't Meena--or Alaric--trust him?

As she begins unraveling the truth, Meena finds her loyalties tested, her true feelings laid bare . . . and temptations she never even imagined existed impossible to resist.

This time, Meena may finally have bitten off more than she can chew.

To find out more about Meg Cabot and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 19, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

May 18, 2011 10:59 AM

BOOK NEWS: About Last Night

Bestseller Adele Parks is back in June with her latest offering, About Last Night. The book focuses on best friends Stephanie and Philippa whose lives are about to completely change...

For thirty years, best friends Stephanie and Philippa have been practically inseparable. There's nothing they would not do for one another. Until a few simple words change everything.

'I need you to say that I was with you.'

Steph, eternally solid, considerate and dependable, is begging her best friend to lie to the police as she's desperately trying to conceal two shocking secrets to protect her family. Pip, self-consigned to the role of scatty, frivolous hot-head is overwhelmed; she's normally the one asking for help in a crisis although never anything as catastrophic as this. Both women have always believed that friendship is built on mutual selflessness, compromise and trust. Are those beliefs now to be tested beyond endurance?

For more about Adele Parks, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 18, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

May 17, 2011 10:22 AM

BOOK NEWS: Gypsy Wedding by Kate Lace

Having seen the nation become transfixed by the recent TV show Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, we were excited to hear of Kate Lace's upcoming novel: Gypsy Weddings (complete with big pink sparkly dress on the cover! We love it!) The book is due for release in August.

Here's the synopsis (with thanks to Chick Lit Club):

Brought up in a caravan on a settled trailer park, Vicky could not be happier with her life. At 15 she is engaged to her childhood friend Liam, the handsomest man on the park. Not only that, but she can't help feeling she's got the balance of her life just right. She's doing well at school and if she works hard she might even fulfill her dream of becoming a dressmaker. But as she turns 17 the pressure is on for her and Liam to set a date for the wedding, and suddenly Vicky is not so sure. How can she give up her dreams and spend the rest of her life looking after Liam? Especially as her classmate Jordan seems a far more exciting prospect ...

What on earth is a girl to do? She loves Liam but Jordan makes her feel things she's never felt before, and her best friend Kelly's life seems so much more fun than her own limited options. But can she really turn her back on her friends and family and survive in a hostile world? In the year running up to her wedding, Vicky is about to find out that life outside the traveller community is a lot more complicated than she'd thought...

You can find out more about Kate Lace and her books by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

TUESDAY THREE: Reality TV

We love themes in chick-lit reads and recently, we've found that reality television features in a few! From gameshows with exes who want revenge to wannabe pop stars and makeovers, this Tuesday Three zooms in on the lives of three characters who are about to face the cameras...

Idol by Carrie Duffy (August 2011)
Meet Jenna Jonsson and Sadie Laine: two gorgeous, glamorous twenty-somethings fighting to make it to the top of their chosen professions.

Beautiful and talented, Jenna is an international pop star, determined to take her career to the next level. And when a chance meeting leads to an opportunity for Jenna to work with world-famous rock band Phoenix, Jenna is quick to agree - although her decision is somewhat influenced by Nick Taylor, the drummer with Phoenix and the most gorgeous man Jenna has ever met...

Meanwhile, Sadie is a struggling dancer and a childhood rival of Jenna's. Ambitious and passionate, she is determined to fulfil her dreams. And a move to Las Vegas yields an unmissable career opportunity and a chance at true love.

Jenna and Sadie's lives are about to collide but will sparks fly? Or will they be able to put the past behind them?

The Hating Game by Talli Roland
When Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy.

After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £200,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes.

Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

The Look of Love by Judy Astley (July 2011)
Bella has given up on men. Happily divorced, her latest boyfriend just omitted to tell her about his current wife, so she's back on her own again. Then her ex-husband turns up, wanting to sell the family home in which she and their two teenage children are well settled. But all their lives are changed when a television company rents the house for a reality TV fashion makeover programme. Against her better judgment Bella finds herself taking part in the programme, and while she learns a little bit too much about what really goes on behind the scenes, she also discovers that love can appear in the most unexpected places...

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 16, 2011 7:25 PM

YAY OR NAY - Benidorm TV tie-in?

If you're a fan of ITV comedy Benidorm then you may be pleased to hear this news - a series tie-in has been acquired by publishers Constable & Robinson and will be published in early October.

According to The Bookseller, the book, which is to be based on Derren Litten's series set in a Spanish holiday resort (which has scooped the most popular comedy programme award at the National Television Awards in both 2008 and 2011), is to be called The Benidorm Guide to a Happy Holiday and 'will include tips from the programme's different characters on how to make the most of your sunshine break.' The book will include hilarious tanning tips from well-loved character Madge and Mateo's guide to holiday romance.

Are you a fan of Benidorm? What do you think of the tie-in? Will you be snapping it up ready for next summer or will you be giving it a miss? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 16, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (35)

May 12, 2011 10:21 PM

BOOK NEWS: Never Mind the Botox

It's well known that cosmetic surgery is a booming business, and not just amongst celebrities anymore. And now debut co-authors Penny Davis and Joanna Berry explore the high-profile industry in a series of four books, that follow four high-flying city girls and their lives, loves and careers as they work on a cosmetic surgery business deal.

City lawyer Joanna and accountant Penny have been friends for over ten years and have written the seris to show that women in the city can have it all. The first book, Alex, is due for release on 10th June. Here's the synopsis...

Never Mind the Botox is a book series about four professional women all working on the sale of high profile cosmetic surgery business the Beau Street Group. Each book reveals how the women cope with one of the most glamorous but challenging deals of their careers and the dramatic impact it has on their personal lives. With a briefcase in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, can they navigate their way through a surreal world of boob jobs by day and intrigue by night - and still keep their own love lives on track?

Alex Fisher is a high-flying lawyer close to making partner and busy planning her perfect wedding to Elliott. But life suddenly becomes complicated when she's faced with a hot junior lawyer on her team and an actress threatening to jeopardise the deal by exposing her dodgy surgery. Soon Alex is forced into a series of impossible choices that are all inextricably linked and life will never be the same again.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 12, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 9, 2011 10:57 PM

BOOK NEWS: Alan Titchmarsh to launch a contest for novelists

Publishers HarperCollins have joined ITV1's 'The Alan Titchmarsh Show' in order to find 'The People's Novelist', The Bookseller revealed today.

The competition is being launched to find a new commercial fiction writer and is set to run until the autumn, with novelist Cathy Kelly to head the judging team of three.

Cathy Kelly said: 'I'm simply thrilled to be a part of the People's Novelist competition. There's a wealth of wonderful talent out there, so many marvelous writers who are just waiting for a chance to be published. This competition is about nurturing wonderful talent and giving a marvelous new author a chance to shine.'

HarperFiction publisher Lynne Drew said: 'Already a hugely generous mentor to aspiring writers, Cathy is the perfect person to work with the show to discover new talent. Her warmth, empathy and huge talent for storytelling mean that she will help to pick out a future star.'

Writers will be able to submit their entries over the summer, with the final 12 to appear in a series of autumn heats.

The winner will receive a one-book deal with HarperFiction plus an advance of 10,000. Their book will be published in 2012.

To read the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 9, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 3, 2011 10:54 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Modern-Day Fairytales

With it being Fairytale Week here at Trashi, we decided to give this week's Tuesday Three the theme of modern-day fairytales. From Cinderella tales to fairytale weddings and a book that's been described as 'Shrek mixed with Sex and the City' (yes, really - see the third on our list!), here are three of our favourites!

Personally, I Blame My Fairy Godmother by Claudia Carroll
The fairytale ending was just the beginning...

Jessie Woods absolutely believes in fairytale endings. So would you if you had a recession-proof career as a daredevil TV host, a palatial pink mansion, and the dream boyfriend.

But, quicker than you can say Cinderella, her life falls to pieces and suddenly her prince isn't quite so charming, her party-loving friends disappear and even her faithful friend Visa no longer loves her...

Utterly heartbroken and jobless, Jessie is forced back home, to live with her stepmum and two evil stepsisters.

Is it time for her to give up on the dream - or will Jessie learn that happy endings can come in the strangest of places?

Avon's hot new acquisition presents a tale of princes who turn out to be frogs, Manolo Blahnik glass slippers and not-so-happily-ever-afters...

A Reluctant Cinderella by Alison Bond
Samantha Sharp turned seventeen,left her old life behind and moved to London, determined to make her fortune.Ten years later and she's a super-agent to the stars, with her name in the papers, millions in the bank, and one success after another. Love has taken a back seat because her past has put her off relationships for good.

Everyone's got a history but Samantha's is particularly murky. What's more, she hasn't got to the top of her game without collecting a few enemies along the way. So when she meets a man who might be a little bit dangerous, someone she's finally close to loving, is there anyone to tell her what a terrible mistake she's making?

Will Samantha find her happy ever after? And if her carefully hidden past comes into the light,will her fairytale coach turn back into a pumpkin?

Living With Feet Too Big for a Glass Slipper by Lynne Tapper
Welcome to the mythical kingdom of It Is What It Is, where everything is as it seems and people are the perfect performers in the game of life. In the year of 1212 B.R., Before Reason, the beautiful Princess Innocent is born in the Royal Borough of Look At Me, one of the many Drama Districts that constitute the Kingdom. Having been raise on the propaganda of the fairytale, Princess Innocent is ill-prepared for her life's journey when she leaves the castle to find her one true prince. Unfortunately she finds Prince Badboy, Captain Unavailable, Lord Lie-A-Lot and Prince Rescue-Me, among others. Both a parody of the fairytale and modern-day satire on the search for love in all the weird and wacky places, Innocent's fraught journey captures the essence of what it is to be fantastically human. A whimsical tale of magical realism that takes readers on a journey to a mythical Kingdom, Living with Feet Too Big for a Glass Slipper is the first of five in The It Is What It Is Chronicles. It is illustrated by Monica Alesina.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 3, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 28, 2011 10:48 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Jewels of Manhattan

Carmen Reid is back later this year with her latest novel The Jewels of Manhattan, which focuses on three sisters and one rather risky plan. Sadly we have until November to wait, but I'm sure it'll be worth it. Read on for the blurb...

It started with too many cocktails, as all great plans do...Rob auction house where sister works; sell the jewels; and, disappear and live happily ever after. A completely brilliant and perfect plan...when you are a few Cosmopolitans down! The three very different Jewel sisters, Amber, Sapphire and Em, all came to New York looking for a new life. But things aren't working out as well as they hoped. Em has had enough. She wants fame and fortune, and she's got it all mapped out...

Find out more about Carmen Reid over at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 28, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (9)

April 27, 2011 12:07 AM

BOOK NEWS: 'It Happened in Paris' up for RNA Award

It Happened in Paris, the upcoming debut by Molly Hopkins, has made the shortlist of the Romantic Novelists' Association's Joan Hessayon Award. The award is part of the RNA New Writers' Scheme and is due to be announced in London on 18th May. Here's the award shortlist:

Kate Jackson - Second Chance
Molly Hopkins -  It Happened In Paris
Sally Clements  - Catch Me A Catch
Charlotte Betts - The Apothecary's Daughter
Paula Williams  - A Place Of Healing

It Happened in Paris is to be released next month and focuses on wannabe tour guide Evie Dexter...

Evie Dexter, 26, is in pursuit of a career as a European tour guide. Heart set on success and buoyed on by booze, she begins 'enhancing' her CV and soon lands a job with Insignia Tours, guiding their Paris breaks. Bursting with professionalism, Evie quickly checks her copy of Vogue Paris to remind herself where France actually is. Task accomplished, she's determined to become a cultured and respected chaperone. And she would be, if only the French wine weren't so delicious and Rob, her sexy coach driver, so deliciously distracting ...Join Evie on her maiden voyage as Tour Guide Extraordinaire. It's going to be one hell of a ride.

Thanks to Chick Lit Club for this news!

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 27, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

RWW: Wedding Babylon

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 27, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

April 26, 2011 12:06 AM

BOOK NEWS: Unlike a Virgin

I'm an absolutely huge fan of Lucy-Anne Holmes's books, and couldn't put her first two, about heroine Sarah Sargeant (50 Ways to Find a Lover and The (Im)Perfect Girlfriend) down. So news of her third offering, Unlike a Virgin, is very exciting indeed.

Sadly we'll have to wait until September for this one, but I'm sure it'll be worth it! Unlike a Virgin focuses on the organised Gracie, whose 5-year life plan is quashed when she finds herself dumped and pregnant. Read on for the synopsis...

You know that bit in The X Factor, when the singer tells everyone about the rocky road they travelled to pursue their dream? Well, that's Gracie Flowers' story. Gracie is very focused for a woman of almost 26. Her favourite book is 'The 5-Year Plan: Making the Most of Your Life'. And her five-year plan is going very well. Great job, own flat, long-term boyfriend. Gracie is feeling good. That is, until she is usurped from her big promotion by a handsome, posh idiot, dumped by her boyfriend, then finds out he had the decency to accidentally impregnate her before he left. With her hormones going mental, Gracie finds herself stockpiling ice cream, being sick on her shoes and having inappropriate thoughts about inappropriate men. But, at the same time, a dream she thought she'd buried ten years ago starts to resurface. It reminds Gracie of the girl she used to be and the woman she hoped she'd become - and it stubbornly refuses to go away.

You can read more about Lucy-Anne Holmes and her books at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 26, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

April 25, 2011 9:12 PM

RWW: 24 Hours London - Royal Wedding Edition

Marsha Moore's 24 Hours series is a must-have for anyone heading to London or Paris - the books contain listings of everything you could possibly do in twenty-four hours. And for those making their way to London for the Royal Wedding celebrations, then the handy 24 Hours London: Royal Wedding Edition could be just what you need.

Released on Kindle, the book contains the same as the previous edition, though with updated listings and all royal content marked with a handy crown. Here's more info:

Whether you're in town for a day or a month, 24 Hours: London will ensure you make the most of London. Catering to everyone from tourists to foodies, shopaholics and spa addicts, this dynamic guide is packed full of well-known and totally unusual things to do in London. From fish markets to phantom houses, bat-walks to burlesque teas, Marsha Moore covers it all!

If you'll be in London for the Royal Wedding, don't forget to let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 25, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 22, 2011 12:49 AM

WEDDING READ: The Wedding Girl by Sophie Kinsella

the Royal Wedding excitement in full swing (roll on the 29th!), we'll definitely be bringing you some wedding-themed goodness throughout the week of the wedding. But to get you in the mood for the nuptials, we thought we'd check out some other marriage-based tales, too.

The Wedding Girl by Sophie Kinsella (writing as Madeleine Wickham) is another of Madeleine's novels that's been repackaged to appeal, we're sure, to fans of Kinsella and her witty, fast-paced reads. We love it - do you? Here's the synopsis of The Wedding Girl:

At eighteen, Milly was up for anything. So when a friend asked her to marry him just so that he could stay in England, she didn't hesitate. To make it seem real she dressed up in wedding finery and posed on the steps of the registry office for photographs. Now, ten years later, Milly is a very different person. Engaged to Simon - who is good-looking, wealthy and adores her - she is about to have the biggest and most elaborate wedding imaginable, all masterminded by her mother. Nobody knows about her first marriage, so it's almost as though it never happened - isn't it? But with only four days to go, it looks as though Milly's past is going to catch up with her. Can she sort things out before her fairytale wedding collapses around her? How can she tell Simon? And worse still, how can she tell her mother...?

Find out more about Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 22, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

April 19, 2011 12:54 PM

COVER NEWS: Watching Willow Watts

Back in December we posted about Talli Roland's second novel, Watching Willow Watts. Talli's first book, The Hating Game, spent over 80 days in in the Kindle Top 100, and we can't wait to read this next offering! Also, we can't help but absolutely LOVE the new cover design! What do you think?

Watching Willow Watts is due for release in paperback on 30th November. Here's the synopsis...

For twenty-five-year-old Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop; nights watching fuzzy telly whilst the elderly residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation is uploaded to YouTube. A canny viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image hidden in the film and Willow becomes an international sensation.

Her dire little town is suddenly overrun with fans proclaiming her to be the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers - whose shops and businesses are cashing in - Willow eagerly embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and scoffing cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.

But when the only man she has ever truly loved returns, seeking the old Willow, it's decision time. Should she risk stardom and the village's new-found fortune on love? Or is being Marilyn Willow's real ticket to happiness?

To find out more about Talli Roland and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 19, 2011 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (12)

BOOK NEWS: Manhattan

With some fabulous new releases to look forward to this summer, one that we're particularly excited about is Rock Chicks author Ronni Cooper's second novel, Manhattan. Here's the synopsis...

Raine: Born in Brooklyn, the undisputed queen of the City, Raine owns the sexiest, starriest nightclub in New York - and no one is ever going to take her crown.

Mei-Lin: The beautiful, enigmatic madam moves in all the right circles - but it wasn't always that way. Now her American dream has become a nightmare and she may have to pay the ultimate price for freedom.

Stevie: Once the lead singer of the biggest female rock band in the world, Stevie is now flying solo? but she has a secret that could destroy her. Now all three women are about to discover that payback is the biggest bitch of all...

For more about Ronni Cooper and Manhattan, check out Ronni's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 19, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

April 18, 2011 7:10 PM

BOOK NEWS: California Dreamers

Belinda Jones is back this year with another novel. California Dreamers will be released in July and focuses on Stella, a makeup artist who heads to sunny Cali with her actress friend...

Make-up artist Stella is an expert at helping other people change their images, but when it comes to transforming herself, she doesn't even know where to start.

So when her new friend, glamorous Hollywood actress Marina Ray, summons her a movie set in California, Stella can't resist the chance to start afresh - it is the land of sunshine and opportunity after all!

But are they really friends or does Marina have an ulterior motive? What is the secret that both women are hiding about the nautical (but nice) men in their lives? And what will it take to really make both of their California dreams come true?

In a Pacific Coast journey that takes in Los Angeles, the world's most romantic ranch and California's very own castle in the sky - this story of friendship, long-distance love, kissing (and making up) is the perfect escapist read.

To find out more about Belinda Jones, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 18, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

UPCOMING RELEASE: Becoming Scarlett

Ciara Geraghty's book latest book Finding Mr Flood was a treat, so we were pleased to receive a copy of her upcoming release Becoming Scarlett. Becoming Scarlett was first released last year, and the new edition will be hitting the shelves in May. Here's the synopsis...

Meet Scarlett O'Hara - wedding planner extraordinaire - who's famous for making dreams come true.

From scuba-diving ceremonies to flamingos at the reception, her colour-coded checklists make everything look simple.

Scarlett's personal life ran just as smoothly. Until now.

Her dependable boyfriend has moved to Brazil.
She's had to give up her Dublin flat and move back home.
And she's pregnant.

Worse still, she doesn't know who the father of the baby is . . . even though she's slept with exactly 4 ½ men in her entire 35 years.

How will Scarlett cope now all her best laid plans have gone with the wind?

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 18, 2011 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (4)

April 15, 2011 12:55 AM

ROYAL WEDDING READ: The Queen and I

We all love a parody, and with the royal family making the headlines this month, we couldn't resist revisiting some fab regal reads. The Queen and I by Adrian Mole author Sue Townsend, explores what might happen if the royals were stripped of their titles and jewels and sent to live amongst everyday folk in the Midlands...

This is a seminal comic masterpiece of our time, now published for the first time in Penguin. The monarchy has been dismantled. When a Republican party wins the General Election, their first act in power is to strip the royal family of their assets and titles and send them to live on a housing estate in the Midlands. Exchanging Buckingham Palace for a two-bedroomed semi in Hell Close (as the locals dub it), caviar for boiled eggs, servants for a social worker named Trish, the Queen and her family learn what it means to be poor among the great unwashed. But is their breeding sufficient to allow them to rise above their changed circumstance or deep down are they really just like everyone else?

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 15, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

April 13, 2011 11:07 PM

BOOK NEWS: Trailer for Alma Katsu's 'The Taker'

In February we fell in love with Alma Katsu's The Taker (and rightly so - watch this space for a review!) The Taker is a must for vampire fans, and now you can check out the beautiful new trailer for the book below:




We love it!

We've posted the synopsis below. Also, be sure to check out Alma Katsu's website.

TRUE LOVE CAN LAST AN ETERNITY ...

Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd do anything for them?

When Dr Luke Findley turns up to his hospital shift in the small town of St Andrews, Maine, he's expecting just another evening of minor injuries and domestic disputes. But instead, Lanore McIlvrae walks into his life - and changes it forever. For Lanny is a woman with a past...

Lanny McIlvrae is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. Hers is a story of love and betrayal that defies time and transcends mortality - and cannot end until Lanny's demons are finally put to rest. Her two hundred years on this earth have seen her seduced by both decadence and brutality - but through it all she has stayed true to the one true love of her life. Until now.

An unforgettable novel about the power of unrequited love to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, The Taker is an immortal love story on an epic scale...

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 13, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

April 12, 2011 7:48 PM

NEWS: Choc Lit to publish thriller

You may have heard of Choc Lit, the publisher responsible for great titles such as Sue Moorcroft's Love & Freedom and Want to Know a Secret?, and Christine Stovell's Turning the Tide. Now, Choc Lit will be adding a contemporary thriller to their list of books.

According to Booktrade, Never Coming Home by Evonne Wareham is set in London, Italy and the US, and will be published in 2012. Never Coming Home is Evonne's debut.

Choc Lit's Lyn Vernham said: "We're delighted to have Evonne on board - she's an extremely talented author and her novel is a gripping tale that I'm sure will have the readers guessing all the way through. It was another huge success with our Tasting Panel and we can't wait to see the reaction when released into the marketplace."

Evonne said: "I still can't quite believe I've a publishing contract, it still feels like a dream. I'm delighted that Choc Lit loved my novel and I can't wait to see the finished product."

It was also announced recently that Choc Lit will expand into Australia this month. To view the full story, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 12, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (10)

April 11, 2011 12:56 AM

NEWS: Orion snaps up four more novels from Lesley Lokko

Some fantastic news about bestselling author Lesley Lokko (author of One Secret Summer and Rich Girl, Poor Girl). Orion Books has acquired four more novels - three currently untitled novels and Missing You, which will be released in 2013, The Bookseller reported.

Kate Mills, Deputy Publishing Director at Orion, said: "Lesley is the first author I acquired when I joined Orion in 2002 and I love working with her. She combines enthralling love stories with exotic settings and gripping narratives. Lesley is unique in women's fiction, proving that escapism can be smart and intelligent. She's a key part of our women's fiction list going forward."

We're looking forward to more news on Missing You! For now, to find out more, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 11, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (10)

BOOK NEWS: Not Quite a Fairytale

With the approaching Royal Wedding, there's no escaping that fairytale wedding fever! (Be sure to check out Trashionista's Royal Wedding Week, beginning on April 25th!) We're excited about Colm Liddy's latest novel, Not Quite a Fairytale, although it's not due for release until September (boo!).

Even so, it looks like a great read. Not Quite a Fairytale will be published by Penguin Ireland, and here's the blurb...

How many frogs does a girl have to kiss before finding her prince? From her first boyfriend in college (who allowed her to do his assignments) to her most recent (who allowed her to pay his bills), Evelyn has kissed so many disappointing suitors that she begins to wonder if the heartbreak- and the aftertaste of frog on her lips - is worth it. Her one-time friend John has already given up on his quest for a princess. When they were in college John was the romantic dreamer in their gang. But experience has quashed his dreams and he has settled for no strings attached sex and an uncomplicated life. When Evelyn and John are thrown together after years of bitter estrangement they suddenly feel old and battle-scarred. Now, they realism, they're the grown-ups and it's time to give up on fairytales. But should they give up on love too?

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 11, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

April 8, 2011 1:14 AM

BOOK NEWS: To My Best Friends

Sam Baker's Fashion Victim is one of my all-time favourite chick-lit reads, so it was great to hear that Sam's next novel, titled To My Best Friends, is due to hit the shelves next month. It looks like a compelling read. Here's the synopsis...

Nicci Morrison was always the first of her friends to do everything...

But she wasn't meant to be the first to die.

Saying goodbye is never easy, but at least Nicci has one last chance to make a difference before she goes. She's decided to leave letters giving her most treasured possessions to her closest friends.

To her single friend Mona she bequeaths her husband David, little knowing her best friend found The One a long time ago...To childless Jo, Nicci leaves the care of her three-year-old twin daughters. Jo however is finding it hard enough to cope with the fortnightly arrival of her stepsons. To Lizzie she leaves her garden. But while Lizzie is loyally tending Nicci's plants, the parts of her own life that are in desperate need of attention are falling by the wayside.

But Nicci didn't always know best, and she couldn't have imagined the changes and challenges her letters set in motion for the loved ones she's left behind.

To find out more about Sam Baker and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 8, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: Christmas at Tiffany's

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 8, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 7, 2011 11:52 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Any Man of Mine

Next month will see the release of quite a few new chick-lit novels, including Allie Spencer's Summer Loving, Kay Burley's debut First Ladies and of course, Jen Lancaster's latest offering, If You Were Here. And here's another title we're particularly looking forward to - Any Man of Mine by See Jane Score author Rachel Gibson.

The book is due for release on May 12th. Here's the synopsis:

Hey, pretty lady, haven't we met?

Yes, beautiful thirty-something Autumn Haven has definitely met hockey-superstar Sam LeClaire before. Several years ago she had a passionate, Vegas-inspired fling with him involving getting hitched in an Elvis-themed wedding chapel and ending with her waking up in a hotel room: alone, heartbroken... and pregnant.

So these days, reminding her ex-husband that she even exists isn't high on Autumn's to-do list. But they have a child, Conner, and suddenly Sam claims to have grown up, wanting to be more involved with his son. And handsome, drop-dead sexy Sam always gets what he wants. Being a good dad to Conner is one thing, but to her horror, Autumn realises she still finds it practically impossible to be around Sam without falling for his charms once again. And that's the last thing she wants... isn't it?

To find out more about Rachel Gibson, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 7, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Summer Holiday by Penny Smith

TV presenter Penny Smith's debut novel Coming Up Next wasn't exactly a big hit here at Trashionista. I'll be honest - I personally reviewed the book and let's just say, I decided to give the follow-up, After the Break, a miss.

However, Penny is back this summer with a fresh new novel, Summer Holiday. Released in June, Penny's latest tale focuses on divorcee Miranda Blake, who falls for an eco-warrior. It seems like quite a fun beachy read and I may give Penny another chance. Here's the synopsis:

Miranda Blake is divorced. At 45, things are starting to head south. She's toying with the idea of Botox. Toying with the idea of facial surgery. And toying with getting a job or possibly a toy boy. The only block to all those things is her stiff, uppity daughter, 23-year-old Lucy. Pompous, is what Miranda calls her. (Sane, is how Lucy sees it.)

Her friends are trying to set her up with a collection of bankers and company directors... Similar types to her ex-husband, Nigel (Nigel - just saying his name makes her wince) and every new date ends in disaster. So, one summer's day, Miranda decides to go and help clean out a local canal. She falls for Alex, a dreadlocked eco-warrior. But Lucy does not approve, and sets about sabotaging the relationship. She succeeds...

Miranda, heartbroken, goes on holiday to Spain. But there, things only go from bad to worse - she falls in with a bad crowd, and is soon way out of her depth. What is it they know about Alex and his family? How is the wealthy recluse, and island owner, David Miller involved in their dodgy business activities?

Aboard a glamorous yacht, hosting an award ceremony with former breakfast TV star Katie Fisher, Miranda might be in more trouble than she ever could have imagined. Will Alex get there in time to save her?

What about you? Did you enjoy Penny Smith's first novels? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 7, 2011 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (16)

April 6, 2011 6:16 PM

CELEB NEWS: Tess Daly's debut novel out next year

Another book by Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly will hit the shleves next year - but this time, she'll be releasing her debut novel.

Tess, wife of fellow presenter Vernon Kay and author of 2010 book The Baby Diaries, will be turning her talents to fiction, and her novel The Camera Never Lies is due to be published in summer 2012 (hardback to be released in October 2011). The book will follow an ex-model turned breakfast presenter (familiar?) who faces intense behind-the-scenes drama.

According to The Bookseller, Coronet editor Charlotte Haycock said: "Tess is bringing some of the brilliant and often outrageous things that she has seen in her career as a model and in television to the page. Her incredibly funny novel has a larger than life cast of characters, bags of style and plenty of love and heartbreak too."

We're looking forward to this debut - but what about you? Will you be reading?

To read the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 6, 2011 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (19)

April 4, 2011 12:09 AM

NEWS: Still time to enter HarperTeen's Midsummer Night's Dream Contest!

For the young writers among us, here's an exciting opportunity to get published with HarperTeen. The Midsummer Night's Dream Writing Contest is still open for another two weeks, so there's still time to get your entries in!

Want to know more? Here are the details...

Have you always dreamed of being published in a book? Here is your chance. Reimagine a scene or act of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream from the perspective of the lovers, tricksters, or the faerie royalty--Hermia, Helena, Lysander, Demetrius, Titania, or Puck--and enter for your chance to be published.

Twenty of the highest ranked entries in the Your Midsummer Night's Dream will be reviewed by a HarperCollins editor. Five of the top twenty entries will be selected by a HarperCollins editor as a top projects and will be considered for publication in A Midsummer Night's Dream published by HarperTeen in September 2011.

Head on over to the website for more information. Good luck!

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 4, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 31, 2011 7:28 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Secret Kept

We were recently delighted to get our hands on a copy of Tatiana de Rosnay's new novel, A Secret Kept. Tatiana's previous novel, Sarah's Key, has been adapted into a movie starring Kristin Scott Thomas which is due to hit the screens in August.

A Secret Kept will be published on April 15th. Read on for the synopsis...

It all began with a simple seaside vacation, a brother and sister recapturing their childhood. Antoine thought he had the perfect surprise for his sister Mélanie's birthday: a weekend by the sea at Noirmoutier Island, where the pair spent many happy childhood summers playing on the beach. But the island's haunting beauty triggers more than happy memories; it reminds Mélanie of something unexpected and deeply disturbing about their last island summer. When, on the drive home to Paris, she finally summons the courage to reveal what she knows to Antoine, her emotions overcome her and she loses control of the car.

Alone, waiting for news of Mélanie, Antoine reflects on his life: his wife has left him, his teenage children are strangers to him, his job bores him, and his father is an ageing tyrant who still poisons every aspect of his life. How did he end up here? And, more importantly, what was the secret that his sister wanted to tell him?

A Secret Kept plumbs the depths of complex family relationships and the power of a past secret to change everything in the present.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 31, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

NEWS: Jane Costello's new website!

Author Jane Costello announced the redesign of her website on Twitter today, and we love her sparkly new home! Jane (who has penned novels including Girl on the Run and My Single Friend, has relaunched her site with more book news, videos and links, so if you're a fan, be sure to head on over!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 31, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 30, 2011 8:40 PM

BOOK NEWS: Always Something There to Remind Me

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 30, 2011 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (10)

March 29, 2011 8:17 PM

COVER NEWS: The Time of My Life

Cecelia Ahern fans will be delighted to hear that the cover and details of her next novel, The Time of My Life, ae here! The book is due for release in October. Want to find out more? Then read on...

Dear Lucy Silchester, You have an appointment for Monday 27th July 2011. Yours sincerely Life.

Lucy Silchester has received an appointment card. Actually, she's been invited along a few times to this appointment, but she keeps brushing the gold embossed envelope under the shag pile carpet. She's taken her eye off the ball and has busied herself with work (a job she doesn't love), helping out friends, fixing her car, feeding her cat, seeing her family and devoting her time to their life dramas. But Lucy is about to find out that this is one appointment that she can't miss. And she can't escape it either. Her Life is about to catch up with her in the most surreal of ways.

We can't wait!

With thanks to ChickLitClub for this news.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 29, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

NEWS: Amanda Hocking scoops book deal

A 26-year-old self-published author has gained a $2 million book deal with St Martin's Press.

Amanda Hocking, who writes young-adult paranormal novels, has sold a four-book series to the publisher called the 'Watersong' series. According to the NY Times, St Martin's finally gained rights to the novels after a week-long auction which involved major publishers, including Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster.

In an interview, Amanda said: "I've done as much with self-publishing as any person can do. People have had bad things to say about publishers, but I think they still have services, and I want to see what they are. And if they end up not being any good, I don't have to keep using them. But I do think they have something to offer."

Amanda said that she wanted to publish the traditional way due to getting comments from readers, frustrated that her books were not available in stores, and also having to set out her books, design the covers and hire editors. She stated: "I want to be a writer. I do not want to spend 40 hours a week handling e-mails, formatting covers, finding editors etc. Right now, being me is a full-time corporation."

You can read the full article here, or check out Amanda Hocking's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 29, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

March 25, 2011 8:17 PM

NEWS: Grazia's Book Club

Fancy a night of champagne, cupcakes and great bookish chat? Grazia's Book Club is soon to be hosting its latest meeting, and you're invited. The club has so far hosted several book nights at Waterstones, with authors such as Bret Easton Ellis and Andrea Levy.

The Club's next event will be an evening with Sarah Brown, taking place on March 31st. Sarah will be discussing her newly-released diary Behind The Black Door, and you'll get the chance to ask her your questions.

Want to take part? Tickets for the event, to be held at Waterstones in Piccadilly, are £3. For more information about the Grazia Book Club and how you can attend, check out the official page here, or follow Grazia on Twitter (@grazia_live).

PLUS - want to review some great books and be featured here on Trashionista? We're hosting a monthly book club of our own - drop us an email if you'd like to take part!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 25, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 24, 2011 9:46 PM

BOOK NEWS: Twitter authors signed up by The Friday Project

The Friday Project has announced a new book called Freaks; a collaboration between authors Caroline Smailes, Nik Perring and Darren Craske. The three published authors are also popular tweeters.

Freaks is a collection of short stories written by Caroline and Nik, with comic book-style illustrations from Darren. According to Booktrade, the stories 'each feature a character with an unusual ability such as The Photocopier, a young mum who can duplicate herself at will, or the man who can read the minds of everyone else in the doctor's waiting room.'

Freaks is set to be published in Spring 2012. Scott Pack, publisher of the Friday Project, said: "This is a most unusual book; bizarre stories with amazing illustrations from Darren. We will publish with the look and feel of a manga book because we all think that will be quite fun. It has already won over a number of people in-house and I believe the huge combined online following of the authors will love it as well."

The Friday Project by HarperCollins is a publishing company that specialises in sourcing talent from the web. Titles so far include In Stitches, The Checkout Girl and Almost 5'4.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 24, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 23, 2011 1:09 AM

BOOK NEWS: Love & Freedom

The long-awaited novel by Sue Moorcroft (cue cover-lust!) will soon be here. We've got just three months to wait until Love & Freedom, published by Choc Lit, will hit the shelves. Want to know more? Here's the blurb:

New start, new love.

That's what Honor Sontag needs after her life falls apart, leaving her reputation in tatters and her head all over the place. So she flees her native America and heads for Brighton, England.

Honor's hoping for a much-deserved break and the chance to find the mother who abandoned her as a baby. What she gets is an entanglement with a mysterious male  whose family seems to have a finger in every pot in town.

Martyn Mayfair has sworn off women with strings attached, but is irresistibly drawn to Honor, the American who keeps popping up in his life. All he wants is an uncomplicated relationship built on honesty, but Honor's past threatens to undermine everything.  Then secrets about her mother start to spill out ...

 Honor has to make an agonising choice. Will she live up to her dutiful name and please others? Or will she choose freedom?

To find out more about Sue Moorcroft and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 23, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 22, 2011 11:41 PM

CUTE COVERS: The Truth About You

We've been looking forward to Melissa Hill's latest novel The Truth About You for quite some time, so were delighted to receive a copy of the paperback, which is released in May, this morning. And the cover is stunning! Check it out. And if you haven't heard about The Truth About You yet, then read on for the synopsis...

One morning in the small town of Lakeview, Ella Harris finds a cardboard box on the doorstop of her café. At first she thinks it's her usual muffin delivery but is shocked to find that the box actually contains a newborn baby.

But what kind of mother would abandon a defenceless baby like that, and why?

Could it have been newly single Nina who, after being rejected by the father of her unborn child, has no choice but to return to Lakeview to stay with her estranged (and slightly peculiar) dad?

Or was it Lakeview-born Hollywood actress Eva Seymour, who on the eve of her triumphant return home from LA, has a completely ill-advised fling with a handsome co-star. A baby is certain to ruin her hard-fought-for career.

Or perhaps it's happily married Jess who, as the only non-mum amongst her friends, finds herself increasingly left out. Terrified that she will lose them altogether, she embarks on becoming a mother too. But is she really rushing into something she really knows nothing about?

You can find out more about Melissa Hill over at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 22, 2011 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (7)

March 21, 2011 9:09 PM

BOOK NEWS: Friday Night With the Girls

We love author Shari Low (Why Not?, A Brand New Me, Temptation Street) and can't wait to get our hands on her latest novel, Friday Night With the Girls. The book is due for release in September. Read on for the blurb...

You should write it all down, Lou, so that your daughter can understand what happened. Everything. Right from the start.' Lou Cairney's life has never been dull. But through twenty years of ups, downs and really bad hairstyles, Lou has had the best friends a woman could hope for in Lizzy and Ginger. Growing up together, they shared their dreams and their disasters, broken hearts and career crashes and they survived it all thanks to love, hope and a large dollop of humour. And cocktails. Lots of cocktails. Until now. Lou needs her friends more than ever because her past has just caught up with her in a shocking way. Everyone makes mistakes in life - but Lou has just discovered that she might have made the biggest one of all...

You can find out more about Shari Low and her books by checking out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 21, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 18, 2011 5:56 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Baby Planner

April sees the release of The Baby Planner, the new novel from Josie Brown (author of novels Impossibly Tongue-Tied and True Hollywood Lies). Described as 'The Nanny Diaries meets The Wedding Planner', the book focuses on Katie, who runs a San Fransico baby planning company. Read on for the synopsis...

Katie Johnson may make her living consulting with new moms on the latest greatest baby gadgets no parent should be without, or which mommy meet-ups are the most socially desirable, or whether melon truly is the new black, but the success of her marriage to her husband, Alex, depends on controlling her own urges toward motherhood.

He's adamant that they stay childless. Sure, Katie understands that he's upset over the fact that his out-of-town ex-wife rarely lets him see their ten-year-old son, Peter. But living vicariously through her anxious clients and her twin sisters' precocious children only makes Katie resent his stance more deeply.

While helping a new client--Seth Harris, a high tech entrepreneur who must raise Sadie, his newborn daughter, as a single parent after the tragic death of his wife in childbirth--maneuver the bittersweet journey from mourning husband and reticent father to loving dad, Katie's own ideals about love, marriage, and motherhood are put to the test as she learns ones very important lesson about family:  How we nurture is the true nature of love.

You can find out more about Josie, and read an excerpt of The Baby Planner, over at Josie Brown's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 18, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 17, 2011 7:45 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Single Girl's To-Do List

Lindsey Kelk's 'I Heart...' series (I Heart New York, I Heart Hollywood, I Heart Paris) was extremely popular, so we were excited to hear about Lindsey's next novel that's on its way! After penning heroine Angela Clark's globetrotting adventures, Lindsey's back with a stand-alone novel that's due for release this summer. The Single Girl's To-Do List is to be published in June, and here's the synopsis...

Rachel Summers loves a to-do list:

• Boyfriend
• Flat
• Great job

NOT on the list:

• Being dumped

Best friends Emelie and Matthew ride to her rescue with an entirely new kind of list - The Single Girl's To-Do List. Rachel doesn't know it, but it will take her on all kinds of wild adventures - and get her in some romantic pickles too. And then it won't be a case of what but who she decides to tick off...

• Mr. bendy yoga instructor
• Mr. teenage sweetheart
• Mr. persistent ex
• Mr. deeply unsuitable

The Single Girl's To-Do List gives Rachel the perfect heartbreak cure - and proves love is out there if you're willing to take a chance.

You can find out more about Lindsey Kelk and her books at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

CUTE COVERS: Bad Sisters

We're in love with the cover for Rebecca Chance's new novel, Bad Sisters! It's similar to those of Rebecca's other novels, Bad Girls and Divas, and we're excited to read the latest addition when it's released in August. What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

Read on for the synopsis of Bad Sisters...

Three ambitious, rivalrous sisters. And a deadly secret, which one of them is determined to keep buried at any cost ...Deeley is the fake wife of a Hollywood TV hunk, who is secretly gay. But Deeley's five-year contract is up, and his cut-throat publicist wants Deeley out. So, dejected and penniless, Deeley wends her way home to London, hoping to re-establish links with her two estranged elder sisters ...Devon is married to the nation's-favourite-rugby-hunk Matt, and has her own highly successful TV career, as the sexy hostess of her own cookery show. But behind her buxom facade, Devon is lonely and frustrated, and when a live celebrity cook-off shows her up as a fraud, she leaves sweet Matt and runs off to Tuscany, to learn a few lessons - not just in cookery - from an Italian master. Lastly, there's Maxie: a politician's wife, Maxie is fiercely ambitious. She's furious when Deeley, hard on her luck, sells the sisters' childhood story to a tabloid newspaper, revealing their impoverished roots and unsavoury parentage. The story undermines Maxie's carefully cultivated image, and the fallout threatens to be devastating. But Maxie is only too aware that there is much more Deeley could yet reveal. What murderous secret lies in the sisters' past? And just how far will Maxie go to keep it buried?

To find out more about Rebecca Chance and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (32)

March 16, 2011 7:19 PM

COVER NEWS: Crossed

Fans of Ally Condie's young-adult novel Matched will be glad to hear that the sequel, titled Crossed, has been announced. The book will be released on November 1st, and recently Ally gave readers first look at the cover. What do you think?

In addition, here's the synopsis of this upcoming release.

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky -- taken by the Society to his certain death -- only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander -- who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart -- change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Want to know more about Ally Condie? Then check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 16, 2011 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (27)

BOOK NEWS: With a Little Luck

Here at Trashi we are a big fan of author and screenwriter Caprice Crane's novels, so we're pleased to hear that her latest offering, called With a Little Luck, is to be published in July. Want to know more? Then read on...

If love is in the cards, then somebody stacked the deck.
 
Los Angeles radio DJ Beryl "Berry" Lambert, whose name means luck, doesn't much believe in it--although, thanks to her dear old gambling dad, she's a bit superstitious, certain that everything happens for a reason. She keeps a four-leaf clover in her wallet, never takes off her horseshoe necklace, and won't tempt fate by walking under a ladder or opening an umbrella indoors. Ever.

When it comes to love, though, she could use a little luck. Two disastrous relationships back-to-back can mean only one thing to a woman who knows that everything good or bad happens in threes: A third Mr. Wrong is imminent. But fellow DJ Ryan Riley goes against the odds. Their on-air battle of the sexes is a hit for the station and sparks some serious heat after hours. Ryan is funny and sexy, and he thinks Berry's quirkiness is cute. Is their romance doomed by the numbers--or is a girl who leaves nothing to chance finally ready to gamble?

Caprice Crane's witty, winsome novel about the game of modern romance proves that with a little luck and the right stakes, everybody wins.

For more information about Caprice and her books, check out her website here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 16, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

March 15, 2011 8:27 PM

BOOK NEWS: Hodder acquires The Jane Austen Marriage Manual

Hodder has acquired a new chick-lit novel in which the heroine uses Austen's classic books in order to help her find a husband.

According to The Bookseller, the novel by Kim Izzo, titled The Jane Austen Marriage Manual, focuses on magazine beauty editor Kate, who finds herself single unemployed and homeless. She embarks on a freelance article about whether it's possible to marry for money, and uses Jane Austen's novels for assistance. The book is due for release in 2012.

Isobel Akenhead, women's fiction editor, said: "It is brilliantly written, laugh-out-loud funny an has the most unforgettable heroine, and I feel confident it will appeal to fans of chick-lit favourites such as Bridget Jones's Diary and Alexandra Potter's Me and Mr Darcy, not to mention all the 'Janeites' out there."

Sounds exciting! You can read the full article here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 15, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

NEWS: Live Book Party with Linda Francis Lee!

Linda Francis Lee, author of brilliant new novel Emily and Einstein, will be taking part in a live web-based book event today! You can take part in the live webchat by visiting the Booktrib page. The party starts at 1pm EDT (5pm GMT) so head on over!

Here's a bit more about the book!. And don't forget to check back for a fabulous Trashionista interview with Linda Francis Lee!

He was a man who didn't deserve a second chance. But he needed one...

Emily and her husband Sandy Portman seemed to live a gracious if busy life in an old-world, Upper West Side apartment in the famous Dakota building.  But one night on the way to meet Emily, Sandy dies in a tragic accident.  The funeral isn't even over before Emily learns she is on the verge of being evicted from their apartment.  But worse than the possibility of losing her home, Emily is stunned when she discovers that her marriage was made up of lies. 

Suddenly Emily is forced on a journey to find out who her husband really was . . . all the while feeling that somehow he isn't really gone.  Angry, hurt, and sometimes betrayed by loving memories of the man she lost, Emily finds comfort in a scruffy dog named Einstein.  But is Einstein's seemingly odd determination that she save herself enough to make Emily confront her own past?  Can he help her find a future--even after she meets a new man? 

You can also read an excerpt of Emily and Einstein on Linda Francis Lee's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 15, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 14, 2011 9:37 PM

CUTE COVER: Die for Me

Young adult novel Die for Me will be hitting the shelves in May, and I just couldn't help but fall in love with the gorgeous cover! Die for Me is author Amy Plum's first novel and looks like a great read. Here's the synopsis...

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything. Suddenly, my sister, Georgia and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent. Mysterious, sexy and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen. Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies...immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

To find out more about Amy Plum, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 14, 2011 in Book News, Debut Novels, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 11, 2011 7:05 PM

UPCOMING READS: To Defy a King

For the historical fiction fans among us, here's an exciting new read that will hit the shelves this summer. To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick is due for release in August. Here's the synopsis...

From acclaimed novelist Elizabeth Chadwick comes a story of huge emotional power set against the road to Magna Carta and the fight to bring a tyrant king to heel. The privileged daughter of one of the most powerful men in England, Mahelt Marshal's life changes dramatically when her father is suspected of treachery by King John. Her brothers become hostages and Mahelt is married to Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of Norfolk. Adapting to her new life is hard, but Mahelt comes to love Hugh deeply; however, defying her father-in-law brings disgrace and heartbreak. When King John sets out to subdue the Bigods, Mahelt faces a heartbreaking battle, fearing neither she, nor her marriage, is likely to survive the outcome ...Winner of the RNA Historical Novel Award 2011, TO DEFY A KING is magnificent in scope and detail, with characters that leap off the page - this is historical fiction at its finest.

For more info about Elizabeth, head on over to her gorgeous website!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 11, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

March 9, 2011 9:25 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Sweet Valley Confidential

It's almost here! Now that we're a week into March already, it's not long until the long-awaited novel Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later will be hitting the shelves.

The book follows on from Francine Pascal's much-loved tales of sixteen-year-old twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield in the idyllic Sweet Valley. Now they're back, and twenty-seven...

Now with this striking new adult novel from author and creator Francine Pascal, millions of devoted fans can finally return to the idyllic Sweet Valley. Iconic and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood.

The book will be released on March 29th, and right now you can read an excerpt over at the official Sweet Valley website.

What do you think? Were you a Sweet Valley fan, and will you be reading the latest Wakefield adventures? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 9, 2011 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (19)

COVER NEWS: The Importance of Being Myrtle

Back in January we posted about Ulrika Jonsson's upcoming novel, The Importance of Being Myrtle. And now, the cover is here - check it out! The book will be Ulrika's first fiction novel - she previously released a memoir, called Honest. Here's the synopsis of The Importance of Being Myrtle, which is due for release in September...

Myrtle and Austin have shared a dutiful marriage for over 40 years and, during that time, her life has been one of meek submission to an authoritarian husband. But everything changes in an instant when Austin collapses on the bus and dies in the arms of Gianni, a kind-hearted gardener who makes it his mission to find the dead man's family and share his sympathy. Even without the confines of her marriage, Myrtle finds herself trapped by her newfound freedom. Who is she without Austin? How can she cope with no friends to call upon? And whatever became of the carefree, passionate girl she used to be? Friendship can be found in the unlikeliest of places, though, and Gianni and Dorothy, her neighbour, bring the fragile and unhappy Myrtle into their vivid, warm world. But Austin's death has revealed startling new questions Myrtle's two daughters want answered and the secrets of the past must be brought into the light, as must Myrtle herself, before any of them can move on.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 9, 2011 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (6)

March 8, 2011 9:58 PM

NEWS: Jojo Moyes scoops Romantic Novel of the Year Award

Winners of this year's RNA Pure Passion Awards were announced yesterday in London, with Jojo Moyes scooping the prize of 2011 Romantic Novel of the Year with her book The Last Letter Fom Your Lover.

According to the official RNA website, Jojo said: "The book came about after I eavesdropped on some women unsuccessfully trying to decipher a text message - Later X. It made me realise that all these added means of communication have actually served to make things more opaque. I feel sorry for the generations that are missing out on the joys of the love letter."

Bestselling authors Josephine Cox and Penny Jordan each picked up an Outstanding Achievement Award for their contributions to romantic fiction.

Elizabeth Chadwick picked up the Historical Novel prize for her book To Defy a King. The Romantic Comedy Prize was scooped by Jill Mansell for her novel Take a Chance on Me, and the Love Story of the Year award went to Mills & Boon author Louise Allen for her tale The Piratical Miss Ravenhurst.

Congratulations to all of the winners! You can find more information about the awards here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 8, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: The Sweetest Thing

Cathy Woodman, who brought us small-town romantic tales Trust Me, I'm a Vet and Must Be Love, will be returning this year with her new book, The Sweetest Thing. The book will be released on 28th April - read on for the synopsis!

Jennie Copeland thought she knew the recipe for a happy life: marriage to her university sweetheart, a nice house in the suburbs and three beautiful children. But when her husband leaves her, she is forced to find a different recipe. And she thinks she's found just what she needs: a ramshackle house on the outskirts of the beautiful Talyton St George, a new cake-baking business, a dog, a horse, chickens...

But life in the country is not quite as idyllic as she'd hoped, and Jennie can't help wondering whether neighbouring farmer Guy Barnes was right when he told her she wouldn't last the year.

Or perhaps the problem is that she's missing one vital ingredient to make her new life a success. Could Guy be the person to provide it?

Find out more about Cathy Woodman at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 8, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 7, 2011 8:56 PM

BOOK NEWS: Lisa Jewell signed for new three-book deal

Bestselling novelist Lisa Jewell has been signed up for three new books with publisher Century and Arrow, it was revealed today.

The new deal follows Century's new look for Lisa's previous novels - After The Party will be published next months with a brand new cover design that matches that of upcoming novel The Making of Us, which will be released in May.

Lisa has sold over 1 million copies of her book in the UK, with first novel Ralph's Party being the fastest selling debut of 1999. The Making of Us has been described as a 'fresh, contemporary story' by The Bookseller.

Lisa Jewell says: 'I am overjoyed to have signed up for another three books with Century. Kate and her team are incredibly supportive and inspiring and I feel like part of a big, happy, functional family.'

We can't wait to find out more about the new books! What do you think of the new covers? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 7, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (18)

BOOK NEWS: TV presenter Kay Burley's 'First Ladies'

Sky News presenter Kay Burley will be making her debut as a novelist this year with First Ladies - a tale of three women in the world of politics that will be released in May. It was revealed in January that Kay has joined HarperCollins with two novels, so we're looking forward to reading what she has to offer! Here's the synopsis...

What happens when the power of love challenges the love of power?

'So, have you met the Prime Minister before?'

Suave PM Julian Jenson has just been re-elected. The nation's darling, he has an elegance and natural charm in public. But in private the cracks are starting to show.

At his side is his wife, Valerie. Trim, tall, well educated but deeply unhappy - with her son and daughter away at school, alcohol is becoming a trusted friend.

Sally Simpson is at the peak of her game. Powerful editor of the bestselling magazine Celeb, she can't wait to take her rightful place by Julian's side.

Sexy TV reporter Isla McGovern has caught Julian's eye, and she will do anything (or anyone) to get to the top.

When the three women meet, so begins a perfect storm, and only one can emerge as the First Lady.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 7, 2011 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (6)

March 4, 2011 9:50 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Golden Prince

With the Royal Wedding fast approaching, we can't wait to bring you some fantastic wedding-themed reads over the next couple of months (with a few princes thrown in for good measure!). One title we're particularly looking forward to is The Golden Prince by Rebecca Dean. Despite not having the same happy ending that's destined for Prince William and Kate Middleton, the book - which has been shortlisted for both the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year and Historical Novel of the Year awards - tells a different kind of Royal love story...

Edward VIII became notorious for abandoning the throne for Mrs Simpson, but in the summer of 1911 he was a prince straight from the pages of a fairy-tale. Raised by the harsh disciplinarian King George V and his unfeeling Queen Mary, the prince longed for the warmth that had been deprived of him.

The high society Houghton girls' lives however, were full of fun, both at their magnificent family seat Snowberry, and at the whirlwind of glamorous parties which punctuated their lives. When a moment of serendipity brings Edward and Lily Houghton together, the pressures of a stuffy court are replaced with the lightness that Edward has dreamt of.

But a future monarch could not choose his own Queen, and even an enduring love might falter under the furious gaze of a King. Could the devotion of Edward and Lily triumph against him and the impending doom of World War I? Or would they bow to the inevitable and set in train events that could bring down the Crown, and change the course of history forever?

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 4, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 3, 2011 8:39 PM

NEWS: Another Bridget Jones book and movie in the works?

Could it be? Well, apparently so...the London Evening Standard has reported that Bridget Jones writer Helen Fielding is already working on the third book in the series, and read three pages of her new material at Damian Barr's Literary Salon in Shoreditch recently.

According to the report, there have also been talks about the latest film, with Fielding stating: "I will be working on both the book and the film but I don't know if they are the same thing yet. It's not been decided."

In addition, Helen Fielding said that one of the themes in the next installment will be heroine Bridget having a mid-thirties baby crisis.

What do you think? Would you be happy to see the return of Bridget Jones? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 3, 2011 in Book News, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (12)

February 28, 2011 8:56 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Little Women Letters

Fans of the classic book Little Women are going to love the upcoming release by journalist Gabrielle Donnelly, which is due to be published in May. Take a look at the synopsis...

When Josephine March's great-great-granddaughter stumbles across her letters, the Little Women shed a glorious light on a new generation of sisters.

The Atwaters are a loving, sprawling mess of a family and Fee's three daughters, Emma, Lulu and Sophie couldn't be less alike if they tried. Emma is planning her wedding, Sophie is an up-and-coming actress, but Lulu - the cleverest of them all - is more than a little lost. If life is for living, why is she stuck in a series of dead-end jobs?

Grandma Jo's letters had been gathering dust in the attic for decades, but when Lulu gets her hands on them, everything seems to change and different worlds begin to open up. And even though dark family secrets emerge, Jo's words offer comfort and guidance across the centuries.

Sometimes family is all that matters. And sisters are the closest friends you can find.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 28, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

February 25, 2011 11:54 PM

BOOK NEWS: Faking It by Elisa Lorello

Elisa Lorello's novel Faking It is set to be released next month, and we're looking forward to it. The novel, out on March 15th, focuses on writing professor Andi, whose love life is about to get complicated with a friendly 'arrangement'...

In FAKING IT we meet Andi Cutrone, a 30-something writing professor whose personal life is in flux after she breaks off her engagement. Deciding to yield New England to her ex, Andi moves home to Long Island and new teaching position at Brooklyn University, eager to get a fresh start on her career and herself. Things seem to be going according to plan, Andi's classes are invigorating and she's enjoying the company of her best friend and colleague, Maggie. Then, just when Andi seems to be finding her footing, she meets Devin, a male escort whose client list seems to include at least half of the accomplished women she knows. Devin, totally handsome and charming (and decidedly out of her league), has something else underneath his sexy exterior that piques Andi's interest. So she proposes a "teaching" arrangement: each of them will educate the other in what they know best. Devin will teach Andi to be a better lover, and she'll teach him to be a writer. What starts out as a clear-cut contract slowly develops into a deeper, unexpected relationship. In the midst of lessons in rhetorical theory and foreplay, Andi and Devin delve into profound questions about everything from art to love to politics, stripping away the emotional walls each has built up, and ultimately opening themselves up to each other and the rest of the world.

Watch this space for a fabulous Faking It giveaway!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 25, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

BOOK NEWS: Joanna Lumley memoir set for autumn

Actress Joanna Lumley is to release a memoir this autumn, The Bookseller revealed yesterday. Publishers Weidenfeld & Nicolson has snapped up rights to the illustrated memoir, titled Up Close and Personal, that's due for release in October.

Orion's non-fiction editorial in chief, Michael Dover, who purchased the world rights, said: "To work with Joanna Lumley has to be every publisher's dream. Not only is she ultra-professional, hard working and savvy, she is also a very good writer indeed. She has hoarded, happily, the many photographs and memorabilia that encompass the many aspects of her idiosyncratic life and career. I have no doubt this will prove a fascinating book."

Joanna Lumley's previous book No Room for Secrets, published in 2004, sold more than 100,000 copies. She said: "I have never tried to mix words and pictures before. I love writing and have far too many photographs so I am looking forward to the challenge of putting them together in a book."

To view the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 25, 2011 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (4)

February 23, 2011 7:16 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing

Kathy Canu-Murillo's novel Waking Up In the Land of Glitter was a guaranteed favourite for craft-lovers, and her second novel in the Crafty Chica series is soon to be released. Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing is due for release in early March, and we're looking forward to reading! Here's the synopsis...

Sometimes to find your life's true path, you have to stray outside the lines . . .

Scarlet Santana is never happier than when creating fabulous fashions for women of all shapes and sizes. Now, after years of hard work, she finally has the chance to live her dream and study under the hottest designer in New York. To raise money for her move, Scarlet opens an after-hours sewing school in a local record shop, teaching a type-A working mom whose rigid parenting style is causing her family to unravel and an enigmatic seamstress with a mysterious past.

But as stitches give way to secrets and classmates become friends, the women realize an important truth: There is no single pattern for a good life. Happiness is always a custom fit.

You can find out more about Kathy and her Crafty Chica series (along with her own wonderful crafts!) at the Crafty Chica website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 23, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

February 21, 2011 5:29 PM

BOOK NEWS: Idol

Here's another 2011 debut that looks extremely promising! Actress and dancer Carrie Duffy's debut novel Idol will hit the shelves in August, and is described as perfect for fans of the X Factor. We can't wait! Read on for the blurb...

Meet Jenna Jonsson and Sadie Laine: two gorgeous, glamorous twenty-somethings fighting to make it to the top of their chosen professions.

Beautiful and talented, Jenna is an international pop star, determined to take her career to the next level. And when a chance meeting leads to an opportunity for Jenna to work with world-famous rock band Phoenix, Jenna is quick to agree - although her decision is somewhat influenced by Nick Taylor, the drummer with Phoenix and the most gorgeous man Jenna has ever met...

Meanwhile, Sadie is a struggling dancer and a childhood rival of Jenna's. Ambitious and passionate, she is determined to fulfil her dreams. And a move to Las Vegas yields an unmissable career opportunity and a chance at true love.

Jenna and Sadie's lives are about to collide but will sparks fly? Or will they be able to put the past behind them?

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 21, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

CUTE COVERS: The Taker

Being constantly on the lookout for fab book covers, we were delighted to find out about Alma Katsu's debut novel The Taker. The book will be released in April and we couldn't help but fall in love with the jacket - and it's even nicer in real life! Read on for the synopsis, and watch this space for a review!

Dr. Luke Findley is on the midnight shift in the emergency room when the police bring in a young woman. Few strangers come to this remote town in northernmost Maine in the winter, and this stranger is accused of a bizarre crime: killing a man and leaving his body in the Great North Woods. The young woman, Lanny, tells the doctor that she and the man in the woods lived in this town at its founding two hundred years ago, until fate sentenced them to an eternity of unhappiness until they atone for their sins.

The man in the woods is Jonathan, son of the town's founder, and the love of Lanny's life. After Lanny commits a terrible sin in the hope of claiming Jonathan for her own, she's banished from town and sent to Boston to serve her penance. In Boston, she falls in with a beguiling yet frightening man, Adair, who has otherworldly powers, including the ability to confer immortality. His world is one of unknown sensual pleasures and seemingly limitless power, but at what price?

Adair wants to add Jonathan to the collection of treacherous courtiers who do his bidding (but for unknown ends) and sends Lanny back to Maine to collect him. It seems like the answer to Lanny's deepest desire--to be with Jonathan forever--but once Jonathan has joined Adair's pack of immortals, she sees that Adair is not what he seems and his intentions toward Jonathan are far worse than she imagined. And now it is up to her to save her beloved--and herself--from a terrible fate designed to last for all eternity.

The Taker is a story of the power of love to corrupt, to drive us to do terrible things in its name, and the courage it takes to sacrifice in the name of love and ultimately be worthy of absolution.

You can find out more about The Taker, and read an excerpt, at Alma Katsu's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 21, 2011 in Book Extract, Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (7)

February 15, 2011 10:21 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Weddings!

It's not really the most original of subjects for a Tuesday Three, but with wedding fever hitting the chick-lit world, it had to be done! There are plenty of upcoming wedding-focused titles ready for the summer, and here we take a look at three more new releases with the theme of marriage. Could a certain Royal wedding have anything to do with this? Hmm...

Kate's Wedding by Chrissie Manby (released 31st March)
Thirty-nine-year-old Kate had almost given up on love when she met her fiancé. Now she's planning for the wedding she never dreamed she'd have. But things seem to be slipping out of her control.

Diana, born on the day of the 1981 Royal Wedding, never doubted that one day she would find her prince. Newly engaged, and with daddy's credit card in her grasp, she's in full Bridezilla mode.

Against the backdrop of the other couple getting married in April 2011, both women prepare for the most important day of their lives. But will each bride get her perfect day? Or will it all become a right royal fiasco?

There Goes the Bride by Holly McQueen (released 12th May)
Polly Atkins is getting married.

And her older sister Bella couldn't be more excited. Not only will Polly be home after five years in New York, but she's coming back to marry the most perfect man on the planet, Dev. Dresses, cake, first dance ... Bella's looking forward to getting stuck into the arrangements.

Polly's best friend Grace is just as excited. She's can't wait to walk down the aisle behind her childhood ally, especially as the stylish Polly wouldn't dream of dressing her bridesmaids in anything but the best, which will make a welcome change to the 'mum-wear' she's adopted since her second child was born.

The only person who doesn't seem to be bursting with enthusiasm is Polly. Which is why, before things can get any more chaotic, she calls the whole thing off. And there's no way she's going to tell them why. Some secrets are best kept hidden.

But she's reckoned without Grace and Bella, who are determined to get Polly and Dev back together if it's the last thing they do. After all, solving someone else's problems has got to be better than dealing with their own ...?


To Marry a Prince by Sophie Page (released 31st March)
One night is about to change Bella's life for ever...

Bella Greenwood isn't a fairytale girl. If pushed, she'd probably tell you that her perfect wedding would involve a handful of close friends and family. But as she's never met anyone she'd like to marry, it's a moot point.

Until, in a midnight garden, Bella is helped out of an embarrassing situation by a tall, dark, handsome man with laughing eyes. And suddenly her life changes for ever, because the man is the world's most eligible bachelor: Prince Richard, heir to the throne.

Richard sweeps her off her feet, and before she knows it they're engaged. Which is when Bella's problems really begin. Suddenly she is public property, and as if it isn't enough to have her every move watched - while also learning to curtsy and negotiating the etiquette of how to address her future mother-in-law - she soon finds herself embroiled in bridesmaid politics, a right royal hen night, and a wedding dress controversy that causes a national scandal...

Can this ordinary girl survive the preparations for her very own Royal Wedding?

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 15, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 14, 2011 8:29 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Strip

JJ Salem, author of Tan Lines, is back this summer with his latest novel The Strip. The book will be published on 15 July by Pan, and promises some Las Vegas glamour...

For three Las Vegas women, the Strip is an adults-only playground, a neon-splashed boulevard where excitement, seduction, and betrayal never go to sleep:

Kristin Fox - the bestselling writer of controversial and sexy bestsellers who hungers for passion outside the pages of her money-making fiction.

Jennifer Payne - the insightful marriage and family therapist who has an answer for every relationship problem except the one happening in her own bedroom.

Billie Shelton - the casino showroom headliner who has been saved, remade, and quietly shattered by a darkly obsessive Svengali husband.

And they share one magnificent man: Cam Lawford, the ultimate stud-for-hire who has gone from roaring crowds in sports stadiums to willing and generous women in luxury hotels. But who knew the business of sex and satisfaction could be such a dangerous game?

J.J. Salem lays bare the high-octane glamour and gritty reality of a world where lovers and gamblers play to win. 

To read more about JJ Salem and his books, head on over to the JJ Salem website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 14, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

February 11, 2011 10:05 PM

CUTE COVER: Wrapped Up in You

We were thrilled to discover that the cover and synopsis for the latest Carole Matthews novel, Wrapped Up In You, is available...and it looks fantastic! Okay, so the book isn't out until October so there's quite a wait yet. But the book jacket looks great, and we're sure Wrapped Up In You is going to be a great read. What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know! As for now, here's the synopsis...

'How's your love life Janie?' For thirty-something hairdresser Janie Johnson, this is the question she dreads. Her single status preoccupies her friends and clients at Cutting Edge and after too many nights in (with Archie, her terrifying cat), a blind date disaster (exiting via the bathroom window is never dignified) and news that her ex is getting married (to his pregnant girlfriend), it's time for Janie to do something dramatic. It's time for an adventure! Booking Christmas week off work, Janie decides against a week in Majorca and heads for the sunshine - to Africa! Her friends think she's mad to be travelling alone to such an exotic location, and Janie thinks they may very well be right...but then she falls head over heels for tour guide (and fully fledged Maasai Warrior) Dominic. Is this just a holiday fling - or has Janie found the real thing?

Fine out more about Carole Matthews by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 11, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (16)

BOOK NEWS: The Better Half

The Better Half by former corporate lawyer Sarah Harte will be released in May by Penguin Ireland, and we're sure it's going to be an interesting read. The book focuses on Anita, whose rich lifestyle is about to come to an end due to a revelation. Here's the synopsis...

Anita is a wife on the edge.

Thanks to her husband Frank's success in business she has lived a lavish lifestyle at the heart of the city's elite. However, now that the economy is in freefall, it seems the days of boozy lunches with 'the girls', glittering charity balls and competitive designer shopping are over.

Still, though the banks are breathing down their necks, and their marriage is far from perfect, Anita had believed she and Frank would pull through. After all, they came from nothing. That was until she heard news that shook both her marriage, and the family she thought happy and secure, to its foundations.

As she faces meltdown, Anita is haunted. Why did she walk away from her one chance to prove herself on her own terms? What happened to the love that was once so overwhelming? And how did she let herself get lost in an empty high-rolling lifestyle?

Anita has to find herself again ... but how do you do that when you're just someone else's better half?

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 11, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

February 9, 2011 11:21 PM

BOOK NEWS: Glee star to release memoir

Glee star Jane Lynch, who plays coach Sue Sylvester in the popular show, is to write a memoir for publishers Fourth Estate.

According to The Bookseller, the book is due to be published in September and will explore her career in comedy, her film roles (including Best in Show and The 40-Year-Old Virgin), Glee, her alcohol problems, and coming out as a lesbian.

Said Lynch: "If I could go back in time and have a conversation with my 18-year-old self, the first thing I'd say is, 'Lose the perm.' Second, I would say, 'Relax. Really - just relax. Don't sweat it."

To read the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 9, 2011 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (4)

February 8, 2011 10:56 PM

BOOK NEWS: There Goes the Bride

Back in January we posted about the exciting new novel from Holly McQueen, author of the Isabel Bookbinder series. There Goes the Bride is due for release in May, and this time does not focus on the ditzy yet hilarious Isabel, but new characters entirely.

Here's the synopsis, with thanks to Chick Lit Club...

Polly Atkins is getting married. And her older sister Bella couldn't be more excited. Not only will Polly be home after five years in New York, but she's coming back to marry the most perfect man on the planet, Dev. Dresses, cake, first dance - Bella can't wait to get stuck into the arrangements. Polly's best friend, Grace, is just as excited. She can't wait to walk down the aisle behind her childhood ally, especially as the stylish Polly wouldn't dream of dressing her bridesmaids in anything but the best, which will make a welcome change to the mum-wear she's adopted since her second child was born. The only person who doesn't seem to be bursting with enthusiasm is Polly. Which is why, before things can get any more chaotic, she calls the whole thing off. And there's no way she's going to tell them why. Some secrets are best kept hidden? But she's reckoned without Grace and Bella, who are determined to get Polly and Dev back together if it's the last thing they do. After all, solving someone else's problems has got to be better than dealing with their own?

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 8, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 7, 2011 10:53 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Story of Us

Author Felicity Everett will be making her female fiction debut in early March with her novel, The Story of Us, which focuses on a group of friends who are reunited by a tragedy. Read on for more info...

It is 1982 and Thatcher is in Downing Street, Human League is in the charts and Dallas is on the telly.

But the girls of Albacore Street are too busy to notice. For Stella, Bridget, Vinnie, Maxine and Nell, life revolves around demos, parties and no-strings sex. Against a background of Greenham Common and the Miner's Strike, however, they are about to learn that life is not quite as simple as they thought.

Twenty years on and they are juggling like mad, but dropping all the balls. Their partners are straying, their daughters want plastic surgery, and their careers have stalled. Living increasingly separate lives, the tie that binds them grows thinner, until tragedy brings them back together, giving them a chance to refocus themselves on their friendship, their misdirected lives, and their survival.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 7, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

ANNOUNCEMENT: Trashionista's Book Club!

Trashionista is soon to be starting its very own Book Club, and we'd love for you to get involved!

Starting in March, the Trashionista Book Club will feature a new book every month, giving readers the opportunity to read some fab new titles and share their reviews here on the site. Five readers will be selected each month to be sent the latest book and review it.

We're looking for keen readers who would like to take part. Fancy reading the latest chick-lit titles and sharing your thoughts? Then get in touch!

If you're interested in taking part or would like to know more, please drop us an email. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 7, 2011 in Announcements, Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

February 4, 2011 12:51 AM

BOOK NEWS: Tangled Threads

American urban fantasy writer Jennifer Estep impressed us with her Bigtime series (and more recently, Elemental Assassin.) This year will see the release of Jennifer's new novel, Tangled Threads, which is the next book in the Elemental series.

The book will be released in April, and you can read an excerpt of Tangled Threads over at Jennifer's website. Here's the synopsis...

I'd rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.

But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson's front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn't shy away from my past--or my present. And right now I have a bull's-eye on my forehead. Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there's a fifty-fifty chance one of us won't survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur--or die trying--because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too. The only problem is, Bria has no idea I'm her long-lost sibling . . . or that I'm the murderer she's been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn't know just might get us both dead...

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 4, 2011 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

February 3, 2011 10:08 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Wedding Fever

Due to a certain Royal couple's long-awaited ceremony, there seems to be a lot of wedding excitement going around. Trashionista will be celebrating with our Wedding Week, but for now, here's some news of another wedding-themed title that's soon to be released. Wedding Fever (also titled There's Cake in my Future) by Kim Gruenenfelder, author of A Total Waste of Makeup, will be released at the end of March.

Finding Mr Right and saying 'yes' was just the beginning...

Nicole has a wedding to organise, but first she has a cake to bake.

After listening to her closest friends' latest troubles, bride-to-be Nicole believes she has the perfect recipe for everyone's happiness. So she sets to work on a hen party "cake pull" in which each ribboned silver charm planted in her cake will bring its recipient the magic she needs to change her destiny.

Melissa, still ringless after dating the same man for six years, deserves the engagement ring charm. The red hot chilli pepper would be perfect for Seema, who is in love with her best friend Scott, but can't seem to make their relationship more than platonic. And out-of-work journalist Nicole wants the shovel, which symbolizes hard work, to help her get her career back on track.

But when the charmed cake is mysteriously shifted from the place settings Nicole arranged, no one gets the charm she chose for them. And when the other party guests' fortunes begin coming true, Mel, Seema, and Nicole can't help but wonder... Is the cake trying to tell them something?

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 3, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

February 2, 2011 11:23 PM

BOOK NEWS: Jen Lancaster's new novel

We're excited to hear that one of our favourite memoir writers, Jen Lancaster (Bitter is the New Black, My Fair Lazy), has a debut novel on the way. The book, titled If You Were Here, is out in May.

Told in the uproariously entertaining voice readers have come to expect from Jen Lancaster, If You Were Here follows Amish-zombie-teen- romance author Mia and her husband Mac (and their pets) through the alternately frustrating, exciting, terrifying-but always funny-process of buying and renovating their first home in the Chicago suburbs that John hughes's movies made famous. Along their harrowing renovation journey, Mia and Mac get caught up in various wars with the homeowners' association, meet some less-than-friendly neighbors, and are joined by a hilarious cast of supporting characters, including a celebutard ex- landlady. As they struggle to adapt to their new surroundings- with Mac taking on the renovations himself- Mia and Mac will discover if their marriage is strong enough to survive months of DIY renovations.

We can't wait! You can read more from Jen Lancaster at her blog.

Thanks to Chick Lit Club for this news!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 2, 2011 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (6)

PAPERBACK RELEASE: Spotlight

Ilana Fox's latest novel Spotlight is soon to be released in paperback. The book, which focuses on TV talent show winner Madison Miller, is a fabulous read and Ilana's addictive style of storytelling makes Spotlight just as enjoyable as her first novel, The Making of Mia. The paperback will be released on February 17th. Read on for the synopsis...

'Madison stared at him. His blue-black hair set off his black eyes, which were flashing with fun. He was gorgeous - and he wanted her.' Jess Piper has run away from her wedding in London to follow her dream of being a fashion designer. But New York is proving tougher than she imagined. Then she meets Beau Silverman, who offers her a taste of the high life: glamorous parties, haute couture, media attention. But what does he want in return? Madison Miller is a small-town girl who's wowed the voters on America's hottest talent show. She's also fallen dizzyingly in love with the powerful, attractive mastermind behind her success - Beau. Now Madison's perfect future is about to turn sour ...

Find out more about Ilana Fox and her books by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 2, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

February 1, 2011 9:47 PM

YA PICK: Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance

Here's a fun, new addition to the YA market this year - Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin's new novel Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance. Released by Bloomsbury in early March, and looks to be an enjoyable teen take on the realities of TV...

Teen TV celebrities Jenna and Jonah (real names, Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers) make more money in a month than most people do in a lifetime. They can't stand to be in the same room as each other, but to boost the TV ratings their agents make them a 'real life' couple. Then the deception is uncovered by the paparazzi, and Charlie and Fielding have to disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realise there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 1, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

BOOK NEWS: Who's Afraid of Mr Wolfe?

Here's another debut novel to look forward to this year. Who's Afraid of Mr Wolfe, due for release in April, is the first novel by advertising copywriter Hazel Osmond.

Hazel won the Woman and Home short story competition in 2008, so we're looking forward to this release! Read on for the synopsis, or you can check out Hazel's website.

Ellie Somerset is a great advertising copywriter going nowhere fast - a boyfriend who is always at work, a tendency to dress like a short-sighted bag lady and a Creative Director who rejects her fresh ideas - they all conspire to keep her just treading water. Even her Great Aunt Edith, a demon at filthy scrabble, has a better social life than she does.

All that changes when Jack Wolfe becomes her boss. Whilst everyone else at the agency thinks he's Heathcliff in jeans, Ellie just sees a stalking, scowling Alpha male with a nasty redundancy plan up his sleeve. As Jack makes it his mission to smarten up Ellie's attitude and her appearance, it's time for her to prove herself. But that means getting closer to this very sexy, very wicked man, and as she does Ellie discovers that this particular Heathcliff has an awful lot to hide. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 1, 2011 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (6)

January 31, 2011 10:00 PM

CELEB NEWS: Ulrika Jonsson's novel released in September

The debut novel of UK TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson is due for release in September 2011. According to Chick Lit Club the book, titled The Importance of Being Myrtle, focuses on Myrtle, who gains a new life when her strict husband dies. Ulrika has previously written an autobiography called Honest, but this will be her first foray into fiction.

Myrtle and Austin have shared a dutiful marriage for over 40 years and, during that time, her life has been one of meek submission to an authoritarian husband. But everything changes in an instant when Austin collapses on the bus and dies in the arms of Gianni, a kind-hearted gardener who makes it his mission to find the dead man's family and share his sympathy. Even without the confines of her marriage, Myrtle finds herself trapped by her newfound freedom. Who is she without Austin? How can she cope with no friends to call upon? And whatever became of the carefree, passionate girl she used to be? Friendship can be found in the unlikeliest of places, though, and Gianni and Dorothy, her neighbour, bring the fragile and unhappy Myrtle into their vivid, warm world. But Austin's death has revealed startling new questions Myrtle's two daughters want answered and the secrets of the past must be brought into the light, as must Myrtle herself, before any of them can move on.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 31, 2011 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (6)

January 25, 2011 3:58 PM

Strictly Come Dancing novels?

On one of my regular visits to Waterstones, I was surprised to come across this novel: Strictly Shimmer, by Amanda Roberts. I hadn't heard of this until I saw it right there on the shelf. Strictly Shimmer is a Strictly Come Dancing novel. Strictly novels? Really?!

The book was released in December and penned by a production assistant on the show. Read on for more info...

A 100% official Strictly Come Dancing novel, featuring the dancers, stars and judges you love! What if an ordinary girl's Strictly dreams became a glittering reality? Meet Amanda Roberts: a production runner on the set of Strictly Come Dancing, desperate to fit into the world of the dazzling and the beautiful. And when she discovers all the backstage drama, Amanda wonders if she is tough enough to survive. But then things start to change! And incredibly she finds more GLITZ, more MAGIC and more ROMANCE than she could possibly have imagined. Prepare to be dazzled as you tango into the glamour and mayhem of the world behind the glitter ball. PREPARE TO BE SHIMMERED!

Fans of Strictly are very likely to love this. A little unsure? Then you can read a selection of excerpts for free at the official Strictly Shimmer website.

Have you read the book? If so, what do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 25, 2011 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (35)

January 24, 2011 4:50 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Too Close for Comfort

Clare Dowling author of numerous novels including Expecting Emily, Going It Alone and Just The Three of Us), will be back next month with latest book Too Close For Comfort. The Book will be released on February 3rd and focuses on two sisters who are forced to live together...

There's nobody like your sister when things go wrong. At least that's what Ali hopes as she flees America and a broken marriage. Emma will surely take her and her two kids in, and it'll be just like old times, right? But the last thing Emma needs right now is her sister descending upon of her. Not when she's recovering from some earth-shattering news of her own. How can she tell Ali her secret, when she can't even get her head around it herself? Ali and Emma want to pick up where they left off -- but it's not going to be easy.

For more news and information about Clare Dowling, head on over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 24, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

NEWS: Anne Robinson to host TV book show

TV presenter Anne Robinson is to host a new TV chat show about books. According to The Bookseller, the show will be similar to BBC Radio 4 series Desert Island Discs.

The show, titled My Life in Books, will be a literary version of the music show and will be broadcast on BBC2 next month. Guests on the show will include PD James, Peter and Dan Snow and Trevor McDonald.

Mark Bell, BBC chief of arts commissioning, said: "Of course, we want to remind people that the BBC covers literature, but more importantly we want to reflect the fact that people talk more about books now than they ever did."

The show will be filmed in front of an audience and will be broadcast daily from the end of February, incorporating World Book Day on 3rd March, and World Book NIght on 5th March.

For more information on My Life In Books, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 24, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 20, 2011 10:30 PM

BOOK NEWS: Calling Romeo

Alexandra Potter's 2002 novel Calling Romeo is to be re-published, with a brand new cover that fits in perfectly with those of her more recent books.

The novel is to be re-released by Hodder on 10th February (just in time for Valentine's day!), with a new look. The quirky cover will match her other titles, which include Be Careful What You Wish For, Do You Come Here Often and You're the One That I Don't Want.

Here's the synopsis...

What is the worst thing that could happen to you on Valentine's Day? Getting stood up by your boyfriend? Having to spend the evening alone? Being drenched by an idiot driving a sportscar? When all three happen to Juliet on the same night, she reckons her love life can't get any worse. But it's actually about to get a lot more complicated...Because the identity of the driver of the sportscar is revealed to be her arch business rival. She knows she should stay away. Except it's not that easy. Handsome, sexy and utterly glamorous, Sykes is determined to sweep her off her feet and away from her boyfriend Will. But is it worth risking everything for? Are they really destined to be star-crossed lovers? Or is Romeo actually a little closer to home? Juliet is about to find out in Alexandra Potter's delightful romantic comedy about passion, truth and how the path to true love never did run smooth...

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 20, 2011 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (7)

January 19, 2011 11:56 PM

BOOK NEWS: Gemma Burgess to pen 'New Adult' series

(Thanks go to Leah at Chick Lit Reviews for first posting this news!)

Gemma Burgess, author of The Dating Detox and recently released novel A Girl Like You, is to write a brand new series for St Martin's Press in NYC. The series is to be called 'Union Street' and, according to Gemma's blog, is about 'a group of women living together in a brownstone in hip, downtown Brooklyn, and trying to figure out love, life, and adulthood.'

Gemma also writes:

I said that I thought of it as a cross between The Babysitters Club, The Group and The Best Of Everything. But, you know, seriously darn funny. It wouldn't be chicklit, and it wouldn't be YA - it'd be something different.

Little did I know that they are interested in exactly this new genre. They've even coined a term for it: New Adult.

So we started talking. I wrote a proposal. Then I wrote characters. And settings. And themes. We talked some more. I wrote plot outlines. We talked again. I wrote more plot outlines. I wrote three chapters. We talked again. Then I rewrote those three chapters. Then I updated the plot outlines.

And then it all came together in a lovely shiny new book series deal.

We can't wait to find out more!

To read more about Gemma Burgess, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 19, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 17, 2011 11:12 PM

BOOK NEWS: Heaven Scent

Wicked Games author Sasha Wagstaff is back this year with her newest novel, Heaven Scent. Released on March 3rd, the book is set in the south of France. Read on for the synopsis...

When Cat Hayes impulsively married a handsome, penniless French waiter in St Tropez, she didn't realise she'd be widowed in just a few weeks. Neither did she know that her late husband was actually Oliver Ducasse, heir to the Ducasse perfume empire. Invited by the Ducasse family to their glamorous French mansion, Cat finds a family in chaos. What's more she's regarded with suspicion and hostility, especially by Olivier's playboy cousin Xavier. Will she run for the hills as fast as her high heels can carry her? Or will she realise that she is exactly what this mixed-up family truly needs?

To find out more about Sasha Wagstaff and her books, check out Sasha's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

NEWS: John Niven and David Nicholls at Guardian Masterclass

Novelist and screenwriter John Niven will be running the Guardian Masterclass in March, along with David Nicholls, bestselling author of One Day.

There are still places available on the course, which runs for two days in London. Here's a bit more information:

Lean 100-page script or 500-page doorstop novel - which form is the best vehicle for your idea? Is one medium easier to work in than the other and which is better to take to the marketplace?

Having written bestselling novels (Kill Your Friends), had an original screenplay turned into $13m action film (Roadkill) and turned his own books into screenplays (Kill Your Friends, The Amateurs), Scottish author John Niven is uniquely placed to offer insights into finding the right medium for your message. Expect harsh language and indiscreet anecdotes about the rocky road that leads from the lonely garret to poolside at the Chateau Marmont.

The course will run over two days at the home of the Guardian and Observer in King's Cross, London, and will include a special guest seminar by the best-selling author of One Day, David Nicholls.

To book, or to find out more, visit the Guardian website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 17, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 14, 2011 1:22 PM

BOOK NEWS: What You Don't Know

What You Don't Know is the upcoming debut novel from journalist Lizzie Enfield. Released in paperback in August 2011, the book focuses on married Helen, who's about to enter into one big relationship dilemma...

He's nothing like her handsome, successful husband, Alex.

But fifteen years is a long time and Helen can't help wondering what it would be like to sleep with someone else. Has Alex secretly been thinking the same thing? As harmless flirtation develops into something far more complicated, Helen's perfect world begins to look shaky.

It's exciting, alluring, all- You've been together for fifteen years. You've got two gorgeous kids and a great career. All the boxes are ticked. You wouldn't be tempted by a plain, slightly balding man called Graham... Would you?

When Graham Parks walks into Helen Collins' life, the last thing she expects is to fall for him.

But is it worth the risk?

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 14, 2011 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (3)

January 13, 2011 12:21 PM

COVER NEWS: There Goes the Bride

We loved Holly McQueen's Isabel Bookbinder series (The Glamorous Double Life of Isabel Bookbinder, The Fabulously Fashioniable Life of Isabel Bookbinder and Confetti Confidential), so we were VERY excited to hear that Holly's next book is set for release this year.

There Goes The Bride will be published in May. The tagline: 'Polly is getting married...isn't she?' We can't wait to get our hands on it! The cover has been released and looks fab. What do you think?

Even though we loved the series and Holly's addictive, Kinsella-like writing style, the Isabel books gained mixed reviews, so we're curious to find out just what Holly has to offer next.

Sadly there's no synopsis at the moment, but we'll keep you updated!

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 13, 2011 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (8)

January 12, 2011 11:52 AM

NEWS: Richard and Judy to launch children's book club

TV favourites Richard and Judy are set to follow their hugely successful adult book club with one for children. According to The Bookseller, the Children's Book Club will involve real families and the books will be chosen by a variety of children.

Said Rachel Russell, business unit director for books at WH Smith: "The new Children's Book Club will use Richard and Judy in an interesting way, the books will be selected by children but the inspiration behind the club will be to help parents choose books for their children and find what is appropriate for their age and reading levels."

The book club will also be supported by Booktrust, and will have three categories: Reading Together (pre-school to year one), Developing Reader (7-9 years) and Fluent (8 years and over).

To read the full article, click here.  
 

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 12, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

January 11, 2011 3:59 PM

NEWS: Curtis Brown opens writing school

Literary agents Curtis Brown are the first to open a writing school, it was revealed on Saturday.

The course is set to run in Curtis Brown's offices for three months, from 5th May to July 21st.

According to The Bookseller, fifteen students will be selected in March on the basis of a synopsis and 3,000 words of a novel. The course will cost £1,600 and will receive a weekly evening class and a number of extra sessions run by leading writers and other publishing professionals. They will also receive a critique from a Curtis Brown agent.

To find out more about the course, head on over to the Curtis Brown Creative website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 11, 2011 in Book News, Book related | Permalink | Comments (4)

NEW RELEASE: Prima Donna

Kick-starting the new year in terms of new releases is Karen Swan with her new novel, Prima Donna. Karen's book Players was released last year, and this second tale centers around prima ballerina Pia Soto. Read on for the blurb...

Breaking the rules was what she liked best. That was her sport. Renegade, rebel, bad girl. Getting away with it.

Pia Soto is the sexy and glamorous prima ballerina, the Brazilian bombshell who's shaking up the ballet world with her outrageous behaviour. She's wild and precocious, and she's a survivor. She's determined that no man will ever control her destiny. But ruthless financier Will Silk has Pia in his sights, and has other ideas ...

Sophie O'Farrell is Pia's hapless, gawky assistant, the girl-next-door to Pia's Prima Donna, always either falling in love with the wrong man or just falling over. Sophie sets her own dreams aside to pick up the debris in Pia's wake, but she's no angel. When a devastating accident threatens to cut short Pia's illustrious career, Sophie has to step out of the shadows and face up to the demons in her own life. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 11, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 10, 2011 3:51 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Iron King

MIRA books is to publish an exciting fantasy debut this year - The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. This young-adult fiction novel is due for release on January 21st, and focuses on teenager Meghan Chase who discovers that she's the daughter of a fairy king...

My name is Meghan Chase. In less than twenty-four hours I'll be sixteen. Countless stories, songs and poems have been written about this wonderful age, when a girl finds true love and the stars shine for her and the handsome prince carries her off into the sunset. I don't think it will be that way for me.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical fairy king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 10, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 7, 2011 9:12 PM

BOOK NEWS: It Happened in Paris

Here's an interesting release to look forward to in 2011! Molly Hopkins will be making her debut in May with It Happened in Paris, a tale of a 26-year-old wannabe tour guide. The book looks like great fun (and we love the cover too!) Here's some more info...

Evie Dexter, 26, is in pursuit of a career as a European tour guide. Heart set on success and buoyed on by booze, she begins 'enhancing' her CV and soon lands a job with Insignia Tours, guiding their Paris breaks. After all, she is now a bona fide multi-lingual, first aid-certified travel expert. Bursting with professionalism, Evie quickly checks her copy of Vogue Paris to remind herself where France actually is. Task accomplished, she's determined to become a cultured and respected chaperone. And she would be, if only the French wine weren't so delicious and Rob, her sexy coach driver, so deliciously distracting ...Join Evie on her maiden voyage as Tour Guide Extraordinaire - it's going to be one hell of a ride.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 7, 2011 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

NEWS: Hothouse Flower chosen for Richard & Judy Book Club

Lucinda Riley's Hothouse Flower is the most recent addition to the Richard and Judy Spring 2010 Book Club. The book was released in November 2010, and joins chosen reads including Emma Donoghue's Room, Postmistress by Sarah Blake and Helen Simonson's Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.

Read on for the synopsis of Hothouse Flower, or visit the official Richard and Judy Book Club website.

This is a heart-rending page turner which sweeps from war-torn Europe to Thailand and back again ...As a child Julia Forrester spent many idyllic hours in the hothouse of Wharton Park estate, where her grandfather tended the exotic flowers. So when a family tragedy strikes, Julia returns to the tranquility of Wharton Park and its hothouse. Recently inherited by charismatic Kit Crawford, the estate is undergoing renovation. This leads to the discovery of an old diary, prompting the pair to seek out Julia's grandmother to learn the truth behind a love affair that almost destroyed Wharton Park. Julia is taken back to the 1940s where the fortunes of young couple Olivia and Harry Crawford will have terrible consequences on generations to come. For as war breaks out Olivia and Harry are cruelly separated...

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 7, 2011 in Book News, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (5)

January 6, 2011 11:30 PM

IN THE NEWS: Costa Book Awards 2010

The Costa Book Award shortlist winners have been announced! The overall winner will be selected at the end of January, but for now, here's the info about 2010's category winners...

Costa Novel Award 2010 - The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell
A gorgeously written story of love and motherhood, this is a tour de force from one of our most acclaimed and best loved novelists. When the bohemian, sophisticated Innes Kent turns up by chance on her doorstep, Lexie Sinclair realises she cannot wait any longer for her life to begin, and leaves for London. There, at the heart of the 1950s Soho art scene, she carves out a new life for herself, with Innes at her side. In the present day, Elina and Ted are reeling from the difficult birth of their first child. Elina, a painter, struggles to reconcile the demands of motherhood with sense of herself as an artist, and Ted is disturbed by memories of his own childhood, memories that don't tally with his parents' version of events. As Ted begins to search for answers, so an extraordinary portrait of two women is revealed, separated by fifty years, but connected in ways that neither could ever have expected.

Costa Biography Award 2010 - The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal
264 wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox: potter Edmund de Waal was entranced when he first encountered the collection in the Tokyo apartment of his great uncle Iggie. Later, when Edmund inherited the 'netsuke', they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined...The Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the world; in the 1870s, Charles Ephrussi was part of a wealthy new generation settling in Paris. Marcel Proust was briefly his secretary and used Charles as the model for the aesthete Swann in Remembrance of Things Past. Charles' passion was collecting; the netsuke, bought when Japanese objects were all the rage in the salons, were sent as a wedding present to his banker cousin in Vienna. Later, three children - including a young Ignace - would play with the netsuke as history reverberated around them. The Anschluss and Second World War swept the Ephrussis to the brink of oblivion. Almost all that remained of their vast empire was the netsuke collection, smuggled out of the huge Viennese palace (then occupied by Hitler's theorist on the 'Jewish Question'), one piece at a time, in the pocket of a loyal maid - and hidden in a straw mattress. In this stunningly original memoir, Edmund de Waal travels the world to stand in the great buildings his forebears once inhabited. He traces the network of a remarkable family against the backdrop of a tumultuous century. And, in prose as elegant and precise as the netsuke themselves, he tells the story of a unique collection which passed from hand to hand - and which, in a twist of fate, found its way home to Japan...

Costa Children's Award 2010 - Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace
'If I stood you in front of a man, pressed a gun into your palm and told you to squeeze the trigger, would you do it?' 'No, sir, no way!' 'What if I then told you we'd gone back in time and his name was Adolf Hitler? Would you do it then?' Zimbabwe, 1980s The war is over, independence has been won and Robert Mugabe has come to power offering hope, land and freedom to black Africans. It is the end of the Old Way and the start of a promising new era. For Robert Jacklin, it's all new: new continent, new country, new school. And very quickly he learns that for some of his classmates, the sound of guns is still loud, and their battles rage on ...white boys who want their old country back, not this new black African government. Boys like Ivan. Clever, cunning Ivan. For him, there is still one last battle to fight, and he's taking it right to the very top.

Costa Poetry Award 2010 - Of Mutability by Jo Shapcott
Jo Shapcott's award-winning first three collections, gathered in "Her Book: Poems 1988-1998", revealed her to be a writer of ingenuous, politically acute and provocative poetry, and rightly earned her a reputation as one of the most original and daring voices of her generation. In "Of Mutability", Shapcott is found writing at her most memorable and bold. In a series of poems that explore the nature of change - in the body and the natural world, and in the shifting relationships between people - these poems look freshly but squarely at mortality. By turns grave and playful, arresting and witty, the poems in "Of Mutability" celebrate each waking moment as though it might be the last, and in so doing restore wonder to the to the smallest of encounters.

Costa First Novel Award 2010 - Witness the Night by Kishwar Desai
In a small town in the heart of India, a young girl is found tied to a bed inside a townhouse where thirteen people lie dead. The girl is alive, but she has been beaten and abused. She is held in the local prison, awaiting interrogation for the murders she is believed by the local people to have committed. Visiting social worker Simran attempts to break through the girl's mute trance to find out what happened that terrible night. As she uncovers more and more, Simran realises that she is caught in the middle of a terrifying reality, where the unwanted female offspring of families are routinely disposed of. Brilliantly atmospheric, hauntingly real, this is a major debut from an exciting new author.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 6, 2011 in Announcements, Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

January 3, 2011 11:56 PM

IN THE NEWS: 2010's Bestsellers

On Saturday, The Guardian's John Dugdale gave us an interesting glimpse into last year's list of bestsellers, which he describes as 'unrelievedly dispiriting', claiming that cinema has had a big influence on the books in question. Here's a snippet...

At first glance this year's Nielsen top 100 is unrelievedly dispiriting. Too many of the strongest fiction performers are musty, movie-sustained pre-2009 titles - from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (1) to Eclipse (6), Twilight (7) and New Moon (9) - that this year's paperbacks were too feeble to overthrow. The entire chart contains just one new, ie hardback, novel for adults, Martina Cole's The Family (58). Throughout there's a reliance on cinema to sell novels and TV fame to sell memoirs and cookery titles, a sense that books are helpless without a piggyback ride from another medium.

What do you think? Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 3, 2011 in Book News, Book related | Permalink | Comments (2)

December 29, 2010 2:11 AM

NEWS: The Kardashians to release kids' book

Yep, you may find it hard to believe, but there's no stopping those Kardashian sisters. After releasing their autobiography Kardashian Konfidential, they're back - only this time, with a children's book. (Yes, really.)

Orion has snapped up rights to the new book, called The Kardashians: A Krazy Life, which will be written by Posy Edwards. The title will be part of the Me & You series of books, which currently contains 20 books for 9-11 year olds, including books about Lady Gaga and Zac Efron, The Bookseller revealed.

Due for release in May 2011, A Krazy Life will focus on the lives of celeb sisters Kim, Kourtney and Khloe, their style, fitness and how they became famous.

Read the full article here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 29, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 27, 2010 4:44 PM

SNEAK PEEK: Undead and Undermined

MaryJanice Davidson, who brought us the fantastically funny Undead series (along with more paranormal romances such as Derik's Bane, Hello Gorgeous and mermaid series Sleeping with the Fishes) will return next summer with the latest of the Undead books, Undead and Undermined.

The tenth book about vampire queen Betsy will be released in July 2011. We have no synopsis as yet, but if you head on over to MaryJanice Davidson's website, you can read the book's prologue. We're looking forward to this one!

Click here to read a sneak peek.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 27, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: The Beach Cafe

Lucy Diamond, author of Hens Reunited and Over You, is back in 2011 with another novel, The Beach Cafe. Released in June, The Beach Cafe focuses on serial dreamer Evie, who inherits a Cornwall cafe. Read on for the synopsis...

Evie Flynn has always been the black sheep of her family - a dreamer and a drifter, unlike her over-achieving elder sisters. She's tried making a name for herself as an actress, a photographer and a singer, but nothing has ever worked out. Now she's stuck in temp hell, with a sensible, pension-planning boyfriend. Somehow life seems to be passing her by.

Then her beloved aunt Jo dies suddenly in a car crash, leaving Evie an unusual legacy - her precious beach cafe in Cornwall. Determined to make a success of something for the first time in her life, Evie heads off to Cornwall to get the cafe and her life back on track - and gets more than she bargained for, both in work and in love... 

Find out more about Lucy Diamond by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 27, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 23, 2010 8:57 PM

BOOK NEWS: Watching Willow Watts

We're currently loving Talli Roland's The Hating Game, so we were very, VERY excited to hear about Talli's new release - Watching Willow Watts. The book is due for release next year and we can't wait!

Amazon states: Talli Roland's second title follows the trials and tribulations of a hapless country girl, who gets more than she bargained for when she becomes a YouTube phenomenon.

No full synopsis as yet, but watch this space!

To find out more about Talli, you can visit her website (or click here to check out her blog!)

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 23, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWS: Rosamund Lupton's 'Sister' Richard and Judy favourite

Sister, the debut novel by Rosamund Lupton, has been voted the public's favourite in Richard and Judy's WH Smith book club.

According to The Bookseller, Sister, which is published by Piatkus, is also WH Smith's fastest-selling debut title, selling over a quarter of a million copies to date.

Said Lupton: I'm so grateful to all the readers who voted for Sister. The other books are all wonderful reads so it's a real honour to be chosen".

Titles as part of the spring Book Club will be available from January 6, 2011. You can find out more about Rosamund Lupton by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 23, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 22, 2010 12:37 AM

BOOK NEWS: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

Sarra Manning, author of Unsticky, will be returning in February with her new novel, You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, in which good-girl Neve Slater decides to reinvent herself to get the man of her dreams. Read on for the full synopsis...

Sweet, bookish Neve Slater always plays by the rules. And the number one rule is that good-natured fat girls like her don't get guys like gorgeous, handsome William, heir to Neve's heart since university. But William's been in LA for three years, and Neve's been slimming down and re-inventing herself so that when he returns, he'll fall head over heels in love with the new, improved her.

So she's not that interested in other men. Until her sister Celia points out that if Neve wants William to think she's an experienced love-goddess and not the fumbling, awkward girl he left behind, then she'd better get some, well, experience.

What Neve needs is someone to show her the ropes, someone like Celia's colleague Max. Wicked, shallow, sexy Max. And since he's such a man-slut, and so not Neve's type, she certainly won't fall for him. Because William is the man for her... right?

Somewhere between losing weight and losing her inhibitions, Neve's lost her heart - but to who?

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 22, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tell us your top 2010 reads!

It was announced yesterday that celeb chef Jamie Oliver's book, Jamie's 30-Minute Meals, has gained the spot of Christmas Number One due to the book selling 149,640 copies in a week (nice!)

The Bookseller also reported that this is the third year Jamie has scooped first place in the Christmas book chart.

Meanwhile, Dawn French was the bestselling hardback of the week with her debut novel A Tiny Bit Marvellous.

Which brings us to ask: what's YOUR top book of the year?

We've seen some fantastic new releases throughout 2010, from established authors and debut writers alike. What are your favourite books of the year?

Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 22, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

December 21, 2010 12:07 AM

NEWS: RNA Pure Passion Awards Longlist

Last week, the Romantic Novelists' Association announced the longlist of the Pure Passion 51st Romantic Novel of the Year Award. The award covers not just chick-lit but historical romance, romantic comedies, sagas and contemporary.

Twenty novels are in the running, the list of which we've included below. The shortlist will be announced on February 10th, 2011. The winner will be announced on March 7th.

Have you read any of the longlisted novels? Who do you think should scoop the prize? Leave a comment and let us know!

The Longlist:

    * To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick (Little, Brown - Sphere)
    * The Good, the Bad and the Dumped by Jenny Colgan (Little, Brown - Sphere)
    * The Golden Prince by Rebecca Dean (HarperCollins)
    * Sons & Daughters by Margaret Dickinson (Pan MacMillan)
    * Kissing Mr. Wrong by Sarah Duncan (Headline)
    * A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde (Random House)
    * The Jewel of St. Petersburg by Kate Furnivall (Little, Brown - Sphere)
    * Amazir by Tom Gamble (Beautiful Books)
    * The Island by Elin Hilderbrand (Hodder & Stoughton)
    * The Queen of New Beginnings by Erica James (Orion)
    * The Way to a Woman's Heart by Christina Jones (Little, Brown - Piatkus)
    * I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk (HarperCollins)
    * His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm (Little, Brown - Sphere)
    * Christmas Eve at Friday Harbour by Lisa Kleypas (Little, Brown - Piatkus)
    * The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes (Hodder & Stoughton)
    * Virgin Widow by Anne O'Brien (Mira)
    * Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn (Little, Brown - Piatkus)
    * The Search by Nora Roberts (Little, Brown - Piatkus)
    * The Legacy by Katherine Webb (Orion)
    * Hope Against Hope by Sally Zigmond (Myrmidon)

You can find out more about the Pure Passion Award over at the Romantic Novelists' Association website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 21, 2010 in Announcements, Book News | Permalink | Comments (34)

December 20, 2010 9:52 PM

CUTE COVERS: Crystal Balls

Ever one to get excited over truly gorgeous book covers, I couldn't help but fall for this one! Crystal Balls by Amanda Brobyn is due for release in February 2011, and has one of the cutest covers I've seen. Plus, it looks like it's going to be a great read, too! 

We have no synopsis yet, but do check out Amanda's website, where you can read chapter one of Crystal Balls, which is published by Poolbeg.

Amanda's second novel, The Curry Club, is also due for release next year. We'll keep you posted!

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 20, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 17, 2010 7:15 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Secret Shopper Affair

Kate Harrison's Secret Shopper series (which includes Secret Shopper Unwrapped and Secret Shopper's Revenge) is gaining its next instalment. The Secret Shopper Affair is due for release in March 2011 and focuses on life, relationships and retail...

Best mates Sandie, Emily and Grazia have been through so much together: widowhood, divorce and redundancy for starters. They thought they'd be friends forever, but they reckoned without the dividing effects of men and money... Shopping guru Sandie is on a roll, with a baby on the way and Toby, her posh totty partner, proposing every five minutes. But when she realises the legendary Garnett's Department Store is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, she knows she's the only one to save it, even though Toby's mother seems determined to scupper the rescue bid. For Emily, Sandie's apparently perfect life is a bitter pill to swallow, especially as Emily's been banned from having a second child by her boyfriend, Will, who is more interested in saving the planet than her. As the rifts grow, will she learn to stand on her own two feet, or give in to a new temptation? Glamorous Grazia tries to play peace-maker but she's facing her own big decision: whether to develop her new career as an erotic embroidery artist... or give up on her talent for the sake of her new, needy lover? Can the magic of retail bring the secret shoppers back together, or is it time to shut up shop for good?

To find out more about Kate Harrison and her books, head on over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 17, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 16, 2010 10:43 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Girl in the Mirror

Bestselling author Cecelia Ahern (PS. I Love You, Where Rainbows End, The Book of Tomorrow) has returned with The Girl in The Mirror; a book containing two new stories. The book is due for release in early March. Read on for more info...

Two powerful and unforgettable stories from the Number One bestselling author

Girl in the Mirror

Lila knows how lucky she is to have found the man of her dreams. But when a secret from her family's past comes to light on her wedding day, her destiny changes in the most unexpected of ways...

The Memory Maker

They say you never forget your first love. But what happens when those cherished memories start to fade? Some people would do anything to hold on to the past and, for one heartbroken man, that means finding a way to relive those precious moments...

Find out more about Cecelia Ahern and her books by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 16, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 15, 2010 12:54 AM

BOOK NEWS: Save as Draft

Being rather fond of novels written in email format (the Holly's Inbox books, Meg Cabot's The Boy Next Door, Katie Pearson's Don't Try This at Home, to name but a few), I'm really, REALLY excited about the upcoming novel Save as Draft.

Save As Draft is Cavanaugh Lee's debut novel and is due for release in February 2011. Check out the synopsis...

SAVE AS DRAFT @Readers A love triangle evolving over e-mails, texts, and Facebook messages that makes you wonder if the things we leave unsaid--or rather unsent--could change the story of our lives.

6:59 PM Feb. 14th via twitterfeed

Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011

From: Izabell

To: Reader

Subject: Save as Draft

Are we Facebook friends yet? I'm the wactress (waitress/actress) turned lawyer who lives her life online. (Don't we all these days?)

Anyway, I've got this problem. . . . There's this guy. His name's Peter. He's my best friend and co-worker, and we just started dating, which is potentially a huge mistake. But, that's not all. There's this other guy, Marty. I met him on eHarm, and he ran with the bulls in Spain. I can't get him off my mind. What a mess. I'd love your advice if you can take a second out of your crazy, high-tech life. Shoot me an e-mail. Or text me. Or BB messenger me.

And friend me if you haven't already! You can find me on Facebook under Save as Draft.

Izabell

Click here to view Cavanaugh's website.

http://www.cavanaughlee.com/

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 15, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

December 14, 2010 1:03 AM

Goodreads Choice Awards 2010 - Vote!

Goodreads, the hugely popular website that allows you to categorise and add your books, wishlists and share your love of books with other users across the globe, is asking its visitors to vote in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2010.

There are a number of books in a wide variety of categories to choose from, including The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Jen Lancaster's My Fair Lazy, The Girl Who Chased the Moon and House Rules by Jodi Picoult. There are plenty to choose from, so if you fancy voting for your favourite read of the year, head on over to the Goodreads Choice Awards page.

What's your favourite book of 2010? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 14, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

December 13, 2010 8:36 PM

CUTE COVERS: I Think I Love You

Earlier this year, we mentioned that Alison Pearson, the author of bestseller I Don't Know How She Does It, was returning with her long-awaited next novel, I Think I Love You. The hardback was released in the summer, and now the paperback is set to be published in early January 2011.

So what do you think of the new cover? We saw quite a few jacket designs for I Don't Know How She Does It (all of which looked great.)

If you've yet to read the book, then here's the synopsis:

Deliciously clever and touching, with a compelling twist, "I Think I Love You" asks what happens when the man you thought you loved turns out to be somebody else...In her bestselling debut, "I Don't Know How She Does It", Allison Pearson spoke to mothers everywhere. Now, in "I Think I Love You", she is back with her pitch-perfect ability to observe our lives, loves and relationships. We enter the world of two unforgettable friends: Petra and Sharon, in 1970s South Wales, who live for David Cassidy. His fan magazine is the girls' Bible and they memorize every word that he sings and writes, in the hope of becoming the future Mrs Cassidy. But unbeknownst to Petra, and to millions of other hopefuls, David's letters may not be all his own work. The secret lies with Bill Finn, English graduate turned reluctant pop journalist, whose job it is to compile the Ultimate David Cassidy Quiz. Top prize: the trip of a lifetime, to meet your one and only love. Over two decades later, bruised by grief, Petra is living with her thirteen-year-old daughter, who has her own teen crush. By sheer chance - unless you believe in destiny - Petra discovers that the questions which obsessed her back in 1974 are suddenly very much alive. And Bill, successful in business but never in love, has some confessions of his own..."I Think I Love You" is a classic story of friendship across the decades. A romantic comedy with a broken heart, it is Allison Pearson at her humane and captivating best.

Have you read I Think I Love You? What did you think? leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 13, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (4)

December 10, 2010 8:21 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Finding Mr Flood

Ciara Geraghty, author of Becoming Scarlett and Saving Grace, will return in the new year with her next novel, Finding Mr Flood. Released in early January, Finding Mr Flood is published by Hachette Books Ireland. Read on for the synopsis...

Dara Flood always said that the most interesting thing about her life happened before she was born.

Thirteen days before she came into the world, her father walked up the road to buy a packet of cigarettes and never came back.

Now Dara lives an uncomplicated life. She goes to Melvin's for pizza on a Wednesday night with her friends. She has salsa class with her sister Angel on a Friday. And Saturday nights are usually reserved for her boyfriend. People might say that Dara's life is predictable. But it's safe, which is exactly the way she likes it.

And as for Mr Flood? Maybe Dara thinks about him from time to time. But not very often. She doesn't see the point.

Then Angel gets sick and suddenly everything changes.

Now Dara urgently needs to find her father so she hires the scruffily handsome, failed-policeman-turned-private-investigator Stanley Flinter to help her.

As Dara and Stanley set out in search of Mr Flood, Dara's carefully ordered life begins to fall apart. But as she learns some truths about Mr Flood, and herself, she discovers that to let life in, sometimes you just have to let go ...

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 10, 2010 in Book News, Irish Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 9, 2010 11:55 PM

LBD BOOK NEWS: Always the Bride

We like to keep you updated on the fabulous new (and upcoming) titles from Little Black Dress Books. January's new arrival is Always the Bride by popular LBD author Jessica Fox, author of the Hen Night Prophecies series - The One That Got Away, Eastern Promise, Hard to Get and Unlucky in Love.

Always the Bride is the fifth and final instalment of the Hen Night series and we're looking forward to it! Unfortunately we don't have a synopsis yet, but watch this space!

Have you read the Hen Night Prophecies? If so, what do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

(P.S. If you didn't know already, Jessica Fox is the pen name of none other than Katy Carter Wants a Hero author Ruth Saberton. Click here to see the synopsis of her next book, Ellie Andrews Has Second Thoughts, which is out next year.)

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 9, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

YA PICK: The Summer of Firsts and Lasts

Seeing as its Thursday already (and already past the first week of December. Where's time going?! Anyway...) we thought we'd share another YA pick. For young adult fiction fans there are just so many new releases and we want to read them all! For now though, check out info for The Summer of Firsts and Lasts, the upcoming novel from Terra Elan McVoy.

Three sisters. One life-changing summer.

Calla loves summer because summer means Duncan. They've been best friends for years, but Calla has never worked up the nerve to tell him how she really feels. This summer, the summer before college, is Calla's last chance.

Violet isn't much of a rule breaker in real life. But this isn't real life, this is summer, and Violet is determined to make the most of it. Besides, a little sneaking out never hurt anyone. And sneaking out with James is 100% worth the risk...even though James is completely off-limits.

Daisy has never been the sister that boys notice, but when sparks fly with Joel at the first bonfire of summer, it seems so easy and right. So why is being his girlfriend so complicated?

The Summer of Firsts and Lasts is due for UK release in May. Check out Terra's website for more news and information!

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 9, 2010 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

December 8, 2010 9:56 PM

CUTE COVERS: Pieces of My Heart

We love it when we get sent fantastic books, and were delighted to receive a copy of Sinead Moriarty's latest novel, Pieces of My Heart. Sinead is the author of From Here to Maternity and The Baby Trail. Pieces of My Heart will be released on January 13^th, and the cover is gorgeous (the picture doesn't do it justice!)

Read on for the synopsis. Click here to visit Sinead's website, where you can find out more about her books (and also read some extracts!)

The modern woman is a Jill of all trades - wife, lover, mother, daughter, friend, fixer, boss ... it's never-ending. Ava is juggling a life that seems to have too many pieces. First, there are her chalk-and-cheese daughters, Alison the angel and Sarah the tearaway. Then there's husband Paul. Unfortunately, he seems more interested in work than home - which might explain why her sex life is practically on life support. That certainly can't be said about her Viagra-popping Dad, a loveable rogue who is determined to grow old disgracefully. She would envy her best friend Sally, sassy single singleton-about-town, if she didn't know that behind her polished exterior Sally is as vulnerable as a kitten. Somewhere in there is Ava herself, trying to do her best for all of them but lately feeling like she's running on empty. But that's before she notices Alison is in deep trouble. Now she knows there's no such thing as empty - not if she is to hold on to the most precious pieces of her heart...

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 8, 2010 in Book News, Irish Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Amy Huberman's 'I Wished for You'

After her debut novel Hello Heartbreak, which was released earlier this year, actress and author Amy Huberman is returning in 2011 with her new book I Wished for You. The book will be released in June from Penguin Ireland, and we can't wait! Here's the info...

When you put your heart into it, anything's possible...

Annie has cornered the market in quirky style, but her love of all things fashion and is not exactly fulfilled by her job: styling well-to-do ladies who have way more money than fashion sense.

At least her love-life is perky, although she's not getting misty-eyed at the idea of walking down the aisle. Which is more than a bit of a problem when she sees her boyfriend about to go down on one knee.

Into her muddled up life come silver-haired Sylvia - vintage clothing queen, ex-Hollywood costume lady and one hell of a woman. Sylvia has seen it all and done it all. She tells Annie that the secret of happiness is to discover your heart wish. Now, if only Annie can work out what her heart's greatest wish really is...

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 8, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 6, 2010 4:50 PM

IN THE NEWS: Google eBooks to go live in the US

Google eBooks has been launched in the United States with thousands of titles available to download, The Bookseller revealed today.

Sadly for non-US residents, they will have to wait until 2011 for Google eBooks to launch in their country.

The e-books are due to be stored in an online library which will allow them to be read across netbooks, tablets, smartphones and e-book readers, and users will be able to access the books just as they would access their Gmail account.

Readers will be able to buy e-books from independent bookshops as well as the Google e-book store. According to Google, almost 4,000 publishers have signed up to the service.

Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 6, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Postcards From the Heart

Dublin-born novelist Ella Griffin will be making her debut in 2011 with Postcards from the Heart, a novel about four thirty-somethings. The book is due for release early next year. Read on for the synopsis...

Life is looking up for Saffy. She has a great job, a gorgeous flat in the most desirable part of Dublin and - after six years - it looks like her boyfriend, Greg, is going to propose. Greg (just voted the 9th most eligible man in Ireland) is on a high, too - he's about to swap his part as a heart-throb in an Irish soap for a break in Hollywood. His best mate Conor wakes up every morning with Jess, the most beautiful woman on the planet but, even after seven years and two kids, she won't get married. He spends his days teaching teenagers and his nights writing the book he hopes will change everything, including Jess's mind. But their happy endings are playing hard to get. It seems everyone's keeping secrets - one night stands, heartbreak, grief and loss are all in the mix. It's going to take some tough questions and even tougher answers before anyone's being honest - even with themselves. POSTCARDS FROM THE HEART is a book about four friends in their thirties. It's about love, lust, life, death, balloon rides and missing hamsters. But most of all it's about figuring out how to stop saying 'I don't' and how to start saying 'I do'.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 6, 2010 in Book News, Irish Authors | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 3, 2010 10:22 PM

IN THE NEWS: Alexandra Harris wins Guardian First Book Award

Alexandra Harris has scooped the Guardian First Book Award 2010 with her book The Romantic Moderns.

The book, published by Thames & Hudson, is about 20^th-century English art. Alexandra was presented the award on Wednesday during the event at London's Victoria & Albert Museum.

According to The Bookseller, Guardian literary editor Claire Armitstead said: "At a time when universities are threatened as never before, Alexandra Harris' ground-breaking book is a reminder of how important higher education is to literature, and culture as a whole."

Alexandra's prize is £10,000 and an advertising package in the Guardian and the Observer.

To view the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 3, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (11)

YA Pick: My Soul to Take

Rachel Vincent's new Soul Screamers series has been described as one that Twilight fans will love, and the first book in the series, titled My Soul to Take, has just become available in the UK. To find out more about this young adult series, head on over to Rachel's website. For now, here's the blurb...

Being a teenager just got much more complicated. There is something very wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh: she senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

Have you read the Soul Screamers series? Leave a comment and let us know!

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 3, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (9)

December 2, 2010 10:34 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Birthday

Here at Trashionista we get sent some fantastic new releases and we were recently delighted to get our hands on The Birthday, the new novel from Julie Highmore. The book is due for release next week and so far is proving to be an addictive read.

After Julie Highmore's 2009 novel The Message comes The Birthday, in which a family's secrets are soon to be unravelled at Fran's sixtieth birthday gathering...

It's easy to make mistakes. The hard part is keeping them hidden.

Emily spends a few precious hours with her lover, then picks up her children and returns to normal married life. Her brother Ben's career has crashed with the banks, and suddenly he has nowhere to go. But they must both put on a brave face for their mother's sixtieth birthday.

Fran doesn't feel old. Mostly, she's worried about her increasingly depressed husband Duncan, and his slightly odd behaviour. Why did he think they'd been to Florence? Who is Alexa? And she doesn't really want a fuss over her birthday, but her daughter insists they must celebrate. Holding tight to their own secrets, the family gathers around Fran, but as one small revelation follows another, no one can foresee the huge repercussions of this birthday.

To find out more about Julie Highmore, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 2, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 1, 2010 9:17 PM

DECEMBER READ: Twelve Days of Christmas

Now that it's officially December, we at Trashionista can finally call 'festive time' upon the site! We've got some great Christmassy treats a-coming, including reviews, interviews and plenty more festive reads. We will be checking out some seasonal chick-lit, and so with it being 1st of December, we'll start with Twelve Days of Christmas.

Published at the end of October, Trisha Ashley's new book focuses on young widow Holly. read on for the synopsis...

Christmas has always been a sad time for young widow Holly Brown, so when she's asked to look after a remote house on the Lancashire moors, the opportunity to hide herself away is irresistible - the perfect excuse to forget about the festivities.

Sculptor, Jude Martland, is determined that this year there will be no Christmas after his brother runs off with his fiancée and he is keen to avoid the family home. However, he will have to return by the twelfth night of the festivities, when the hamlet of Little Mumming hold their historic festivities and all of his family are required to attend.

Meanwhile, Holly is finding that if she wants to avoid Christmas, she has come to the wrong place. When Jude unexpectedly returns on Christmas Eve he is far from delighted to discover that Holly seems to be holding the very family party he had hoped to avoid.

Suddenly, the blizzards come out of nowhere and the whole village is snowed in. With no escape, Holly and Jude get much more than they bargained for - it looks like the twelve days of Christmas are going to be very interesting indeed!

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Help Talli Roland take on Amazon!

A little while back, we posted about The Hating Game - the exciting new novel from debut chick-lit author Talli Roland (and it's absolutely brilliant! Watch this space for a review.)

The Kindle edition of the book is out today, and we're aiming to help Talli hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon (UK and US) by spreading the word! Even a few sales can push the book up the rankings, and making it visible to more and more readers.

No Kindle? Download a free app at Amazon for Mac, iPhone, PC, Android and more. Keep up with the latest news from Talli at her website.

If you haven't yet heard about The Hating Game, then here's some more info...

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £2000,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 30, 2010 1:01 AM

BOOK NEWS: A Surrey State of Affairs

Here at Trashi we're looking forward to Telegraph journalist Ceri Radford's novel, A Surrey State of Affairs. The book is due for release in March 2011 it'll be interesting to see what talented Ceri has to offer in her debut book. Read on for the synopsis...

Constance is a devoted Home Counties wife and mother. A biscuit-baker, shepherd's pie-maker and founding member of the village bell-ringing club, her time is spent party-planning (disastrous), matchmaking (catastrophic, save once), and dreaming of the hat aisles at John Lewis. But unbeknown to her, Constance's home conceals scandal that would make the vicar blush -- and could dismantle her ordered existence. As her family comes undone, Constance embarks on an extraordinary journey. From tripping in Ibiza to riding bareback with a handsome Argentinean gaucho whose only English words are 'Britney' and 'Spears', she's about to discover a wider world she thought it was too late to find.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 30, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 29, 2010 5:54 PM

BOOK NEWS: Coleen Nolan's Denial

Loose Women presenter Coleen Nolan will be returning to the literary world next year with her second novel, Denial. Denial will be published in February and focuses on a group of presenters caught up in a murder scandal...

The Girl Talk presenters are out of work and out for revenge on the man who publicly humiliated them and destroyed their careers. So when James Almond, the ruthless controller of Channel 6, is murdered, suspicion falls on all five women. Was it icy Julia Hill, recovering from the car crash that almost killed her and blaming James for her crippling injuries? Naughty diva Lesley Gold, who is famed for holding a grudge? Sweet Karen King, who has finally learned to stand up for herself? Ambitious Cheryl, or weak Faye?

As the girls battle to get back on television, sort out their tangled love lives and avoid arrest, the body count starts to rise. Who is the killer, and will they be able to stop her - or him - in time? Full of glamour, scandal and intrigue, Denial is a funny and fabulous read.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 29, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

COVER NEWS: Ellie Andrews Has Second Thoughts

OHMYGOD! IT'S HERE! FINALLY! Okay, I'll cease the excitement now and tell you what it's all about. Remember the hilarious book Katy Carter Wants a Hero by Ruth Saberton? Well, Ruth's returning in 2011 with a brand new novel, Ellie Andrews Has Second Thoughts. (*Squee!*) And here's the cover!

Katy Carter is a personal favourite, so needless to say, I'm excited (as you may have gathered). Ellie Andrews Has Second Thoughts is due for release in May.

We can't wait for this release! Want to know what this next installment is all about? Then read on...

Ellie Andrews is finally getting married. Or she will be if she drinks enough champagne to pluck up the courage for her trip down the aisle. The problem is that after months spent bickering over menus and table placements, Ellie's never felt more distant from the man she's supposed to be spending the rest of her life with. As last minute nerves take hold, a night of soul-searching sees Ellie reflecting back on old flames in a bid to reassure herself she's making the right decision. There's Rupert - adoring but dull; Jay - the teenage crush; Marcus - sexy but toxic; and Xander - a true friend. But as the sun rises and the ceremony looms ever closer, Ellie is still unsure if she's doing the right thing. Then an unexpected encounter turns her world upside down. Should she take a chance? Or should she stick with the choices she's made? As Ellie makes her way to the church, only one question remains: who will be waiting for her at the altar?

To find out more about Ruth Saberton and her novels, check out Ruth's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 29, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 24, 2010 10:05 PM

FESTIVE READ: Falling for Christmas

Debbie Macomber, author of Twenty Wishes and The Perfect Christmas, has brought us another intriguing story to add to the festive to-be-read pile. Her latest novel, Falling for Christmas, was released in October and, along with the Christmassy cover, promises a festive, romantic tale.

Mother-to-be Mary Jo Wyse arrives in Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve, searching for her baby's father. David Rhodes had said he'd be in town. But he isn't, which leaves Mary Jo stranded, pregnant and alone. And there's no room at the local inn...However, the people in Cedar Cove are all willing to lend a hand ensuring there will be plenty of faith, hope and love this Christmas.

"Call me Mrs. Claus" - Clare Keneally is a long-divorced maths professor with four adorable - and very mischievous - grandchildren. With Clare looking after the children for the holidays, their grandfather Jim also drops by and this starts the kids thinking...wouldn't Christmas just be perfect if they 'helped' their grandparents fall in love and get married again?

Find out more about Debbie Macomber by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 24, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 23, 2010 2:06 AM

BOOK NEWS: Friends, Lies and Alibis

Recipe for Scandal author Debby Holt has a brand new novel due for release next year. Friends, Lies and Alibis will be published in January 2011 and looks set to be a great read...

Is there ever a right time to break up your oldest friend's marriage? Fifteen years ago, Merrily disappeared from the lives of her two best friends, Alison and Leah. Now she's back, with a husband who is sapping the life from her. Christopher is a bully who's convinced he's God's gift to everyone, especially his wife. He is also unfaithful, a fact which Leah wished she had never discovered. Should Merrily's friends stand by and watch their old friend sink ever further into drab submissiveness? Alison, happily married to Felix, thinks they should do something. Leah, divorced with two young children, is less convinced. Nevertheless, she joins Alison in a plan to liberate Merrily. As the campaign unfolds, it has dramatic repercussions on the lives of all three friends, and produces consequences that they could never have imagined...

You can find out more about Debby and her books by visiting Debby Holt's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 23, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 22, 2010 12:56 AM

BOOK NEWS: Kardashian Konfidential

With celebrity books on the rise right now, it's not surprising that reality TV stars the Kardashians have released their own autobiography. Entitled Kardashian Konfidential, the book is out today from St Martin's Press and contains some fabulous content for fans of the TV sisters.

"Kardashian Konfidential is bursting at the seams with photos, memorabilia, diary entries, datebook pages, and old Valentines the girls sent to each other, as well as many other artifacts put together just for their book. As glamorous, fun and fashionable as the girls themselves, this is the perfect buy-one-for-me-buy-three-for-friends fan's book."

Check out the trailer...

You can also check out the Kardashian Konfidential page on Facebook.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 22, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 17, 2010 8:27 PM

November's read at the Bloomsbury Book Club

Last month we told you about the wonderful new book club at the Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street Hotel. In London? Then the Bloomsbury invites you to step in from the cold with November's book club title, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson's Inheritance.

Notorious party-loving 'It Girl' Lyric Charlton has it all - the lineage, the looks and the lifestyle. A moneyed upbringing at the heart of one of the upper class's most well-connected families, a finishing school education and an address book bursting with the world's most powerful and high-profile people has crowned her the glamorous poster girl for the aristocratic glitterati.

But when her doomed relationship with suave boy-about-town Ralph Conway means she takes the good times too far, she is packed off to rehab by her worried parents, and the public shame and private humiliation that follow means Lyric's only option seems to be to retreat into sober obscurity.

But what no one can predict is the dramatic chain of events her exile sets in motion. For Lyric's treatment is the start of much more than a life as an ex-addict. It's the catalyst that exposes a complex web of deceit and betrayal - and leads Lyric on an increasingly dangerous quest to find the final missing piece of the jigsaw of her life...

Visit the Radisson Edwardian website to find out more about the hotels and the book club itself.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 17, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 16, 2010 3:04 PM

BOOK NEWS: Matched

It's always exciting to hear of a new debut, and Ally Condie's upcoming novel Matched is exactly that. Only it's even more exciting, due to the fact that film rights have just been snapped up by Disney! We're looking forward to reading this one. Young-adult fiction fan? Then you have to check this one out!

Matched is due for release on December 2^nd. For more info, head on over to the official Matched website, where you can find out more about the book, watch the trailer and find out who YOU are matched with! (A VERY fun Facebook feature, I must say...)

For now, here's the synopsis!

On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her Match. Society dictates he is her perfect partner for life. Except he's not. In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love. How many children they have. Where they work. When they die. But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own. And that's when her whole world begins to unravel...

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 16, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 15, 2010 5:21 PM

BOOK NEWS: Summer and the City (A Carrie Diaries Book)

If you enjoyed Candace Bushnell's The Carrie Diaries, then here's some news for you. Summer and the City, the sequel to the Carrie Diaries, is due for release in April 2011.

There's no synopsis available yet, but here's the cover! (Like it? Let us know!) We'll be bringing you more information about this book as soon as it becomes available.

   

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 15, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

November 12, 2010 11:36 PM

COVER NEWS: The Bum Magnet

Back in August we talked about Karla Brady's The Bum Magnet (quite possibly the best chick-lit title ever) and it's upcoming reprint. Karla originally self-published the book, which focuses on a successful real-estate agent with the misfortune of falling for losers, in 2009 before it was snapped up by top publishers Simon & Schuster.

We have no news on the new release date yet, but here's something just as exciting - the cover image. The latest cover is a lot different from the original and we think it looks brilliant. What about you?

Needless to say, we're particularly excited about The Bum Magnet and will bring you more info as soon as it becomes available.

In the meantime, click here to visit KL Brady's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 12, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

UPCOMING RELEASE: Here Come The Girls

Fans of Milly Johnson (The Yorkshire Pudding Club, A Spring Affair) will be pleased to hear that her latest offering will be released in 2011. Here Come The Girls is set for release in April and has a cute cover that fits in with Milly's later novels. Here's the blurb!

Shirley Valentine, eat your heart out Ven, Jackie, Olive and Benita have been friends since school. They day-dreamed of glorious futures, full of riches, romance and fabulous jobs. The world would be their oyster. Twenty-five years later, Olive cleans other people's houses to support her lazy, out-of-work husband and his ailing mother. Jackie cannot show her kind, caring husband Manus any love because her philandering ex has left her trust in shreds. And she and Benita have fallen out big time. But Ven is determined to reunite her friends and realise the dream they had of taking a cruise before they hit forty. Before they know it, the four of them are far from home, on the high seas. But can blue skies, hot sun and sixteen days of luxury and indulgence distract from the tension and loneliness that await their return?

To find out more about Milly Johnson and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 12, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 11, 2010 12:31 AM

NEW RELEASE: Promises, Promises

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 11, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 10, 2010 11:48 PM

BOOK NEWS: Faking It

2011 is already looking downright exciting in terms of new releases, and now Faking It is one to add to the ever-increasing 'just can't wait!' list. Charlotte Kymberley's novel about Katie, who gets a makeover in order to win back her actor ex, is due for release in February. Here's the blurb...

It's not you, it's me. That's the cowardly text message that Katie receives from Jack, her actor boyfriend of three years, when he dumps her. And things go from bad to worse when photos of Jack canoodling with a famous size-zero actress are splashed across every gossip magazine and tabloid soon after. Just how much humiliation can a girl take? With the paparazzi camped out on her doorstep, Katie decides to preserve what's left of her dignity. So she agrees to become her PR colleagues' next project. They will make her over (hair, teeth, clothes, Botox, boobs - the works) and turn her into an instant celebrity in order to win back her ex and show the world that an ordinary girl can rival a beautiful bimbo. But will a new life in the limelight be everything Katie dreamt of? Can she make it in the cut-throat world of the beautiful, rich and famous? Is Jack worth all the hassle or is there someone else out there who might love Katie just the way she is?

                                                           

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 10, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 9, 2010 8:38 PM

BOOK NEWS: Snapped

Journalist and producer Pamela Klaffke is soon to be making her debut with novel Snapped - a tale about a style icon whose life is about to come back to haunt her. Snapped is due for release in January 2011. Pamela's second novel will be titled Every Little Thing.

Read on for the synopsis of Snapped...

Is the IT girl losing it?

Sara B. has been a style icon and arbiter of the fashion world since establishing the highly successful Snap magazine in 1990s.  With a sharp eye for trends and a no-victim policy, Sara is infamous for her brutally honest DOs and DON'Ts photo spread in which she names and shames some of the city's best and worst dressed.

But on the edge of her fortieth birthday, a particularly bad call on a DO or DON'T makes Sara begin to question her once faultless judgement. To make matters worse, Sara has just hired a new assistant, Eva, her self-confessed biggest fan.  With her orthopedic shoes,  burgundy hair and vintage cardigan adorned with Brownie badges, Eva is definitely a DO.  However, as Eva begins to take over both her business and private life, Sara realises that years spent cutting people down might just come back to bite her.  And what's more Eva might just be the one to knock her off the top of the style pile.

Fueled by alcohol, nicotine and self-loathing, Sara life spirals towards meltdown.  Everything and everyone seem to be changing around her and not only can Sara not keep up, she isn't even sure she wants to.

In this extraodinary debut, Klaffke's dark humour and sharp social observations will make you laugh, cry and cringe.

To find out more about Pamela Klaffke, visit her website.

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 9, 2010 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 5, 2010 10:05 PM

BOOK NEWS: Love Always

Harriet Evans, author of The Love of Her Life, A Hopeless Romantic and I Remember You, has another novel that's due for release early next year! Love Always will hit the shlevs in January 2011. Here's the blurb:

Natasha Kapoor's life is at a turning point. Leaving London for the magical Cornish coast to attend the funeral of her beloved grandmother, this trip will reunite her with her large and complicated family. As she and her family sort through her grandmother's possessions and prepare to sell Summercove, the idyllic coastal home that has been in their family for decades, Natasha is given the long-lost diary of her aunt Cecily, who died in a tragic accident at the age of fifteen.

Returning to her home in London's trendy Shoreditch, Natasha must get back to normality - to her job as a jewellery designer and to her soon-to-be ex-husband. But how can she forget the tragic tale of love, rivalry and heartbreak that emerged from the pages of Cecily's diary? And will Cecily's words, though written forty years ago, inspire Natasha to take a chance on love?

To find out more about Harriet Evans. click here to visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 5, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 4, 2010 8:49 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Great Gals: Inspired Ideas for Living a Kick-Ass Life

It's always exciting to come across those books that are different from the norm; something that little bit individual and/or quirky. A couple of days ago we came across this upcoming gem! Great Gals: Inspired Ideas for Living a Kick-Ass Life is written and illustrated by Summer Pierre, the artist of The Artist in the Office and is said to be a unique journal for all women. Here's some more information:

As women, our lives are busy, chaotic, boring, quiet-you name it. But very few of us think we live amazing lives. Why not? Isn't it the only life we have? Why not make it great?

This is not your run-of-the-mill feel-good guide or journal. It's a whole lotta greatness: greatness to be planned, greatness to be urged, and greatness to inspire. You'll discover Great Gals of the past and present-from Emily Dickinson and Frida Kahlo to Patti Smith and Alice Walker-as well as quotes, prompts, and ideas to help you create your own great life.

Great Gals, like the women it celebrates, is unique. It's a daily planner, a diary, a depository for goals, dreams, experiments, ideas-all of the above! Most of all, it's a reminder that wherever you are, your life is your own. Make it GREAT.

Doesn't this sound like fun? (Would love  to have something like this when the new year rolls along!) Great Gals is due for release in the UK in early December.

Find out more about Summer Pierre by visitng her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 4, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 3, 2010 11:11 PM

COVER NEWS: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Young adult fiction fans may be familiar with Megan McCafferty, bestselling author of the Jessica Darling series (which includes Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings and Charmed Thirds). And Megan's back with her long-awaited new novel, Bumped.  

Bumped is due for release on April 26, 2011. Be sure to check out Megan's website for more book news, event listings and book information.

Read on for the synopsis of Bumped...

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents must pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody's doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they search for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls' lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty comes a strikingly original look at friendship, love, and sisterhood--in a future that is eerily believable.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 3, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 1, 2010 6:31 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Way to a Woman's Heart

Christina Jones, who brought us Love Potions and Seeing Stars, is back with a new novel. The Way to a Woman's Heart is due to hit the shelves on November 4^th in hardback (paperback release is set for February). Here's the blurb...

Cooking seemed like the perfect distraction - until a delicious chef was thrown in the mix ...Escaping from corporate city life into the heart of the Berkshire countryside, Ella Maloney hopes to find rural tranquillity and a chance to sort out the problems in her long-term relationship. On arriving, she realises tranquillity is in short supply, but welcomes the distraction her chaotic new life offers - until she meets devastatingly gorgeous, but equally attached, chef Ash Lawrence, and realises that he's maybe one distraction too many. And when Ella's favourite top-rated TV cookery programme - Dewberry's Dinners - comes looking for a venue to film their latest show, she pulls out all the culinary stops in an attempt to keep her mind on the task in hand (and not on the sexy Ash), but it's hard to keep your head when all around you people are losing theirs ...

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 28, 2010 10:21 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: A Winter's Wedding

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 28, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 27, 2010 11:13 PM

BOOK NEWS: To Touch the Stars

Jessica Ruston's debut novel Luxury was absolutely brilliant (so it's hardly surprising that it scooped Debut of the Year in 2009 at the Elle Magazine Literary Awards!)

Now Jessica's back with her next offering, To Touch the Stars. We've just got our hands on a review copy and can't wait to start reading! To Touch The Stars is due for release on November 11^th. Read on for more info!

Renowned for style, glamour and sophistication, Cavalley's creates the most luxurious millinery in the world. Talented and beautiful, Violet Cavalley has poured her heart and soul into building her multi-million-pound business and raising her three adored children. But behind the Cavalley family's gilded façade lies a streak of darkness. Darkness that now threatens to destroy them all...

You can find out more about Jessica Ruston by visiting her website.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 27, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

IN THE NEWS: Galaxy sponsors Quick Reads

Chocolate brand Galaxy has signed up to provide £300,000 for the Quick Reads advertising campaign for World Book Day, The Bookseller revealed today.

World Book Day takes place on March 3, 2011, and will see ten titles specifically promoted to the event. Among the authors are Sheila O'Flanagan, Mike Gayle and Lucy Cavendish, and each of the books is set to receive a promotional boost. The article states:

The branding and strapline, 'Galaxy proudly supports ...'  will be included on the cover of every Quick Read and on all point of sale and outreach materials, including 250,000 posters, around 2,000 dumpbins and half a million bookmarks.

Gail Rebuck, chair of Quick Reads, said: "We are delighted that Galaxy is partnering with Quick Reads. The advertising campaign is a fantastic opportunity for thousands more people to discover Quick Reads and the joys of reading whilst also improving confidence, skills and self-esteem. Quick Reads are now firmly established and the ten new titles being announced today are a stellar line up of best-selling authors and household names."

To read the full story and find out the rest of the promotional Quick Reads, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 27, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 26, 2010 6:44 PM

BOOK NEWS: Swept Off Her Feet

We adored Hester Browne's previous novels, the Little Lady series and her most recent novel, The Finishing Touches. So we were delighted to hear about her upcoming book, Swept Off Her Feet.

The book isn't out until March 2011 and there's no official synopsis yet, but according to Goodreads, Swept Off Her Feet is the story of 'sisterly love and romantic hijinks at a Reeling Ball in the Scottish countryside.'

We're looking forward to this, and be sure to check back for more updates! We'll post more news as soon as it becomes available.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 26, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 25, 2010 6:24 PM

BOOK NEWS: Corsets & Clockwork

The steampunk genre seems to be growing, with more books surfacing of late. Not that we're complaining - what can be better than a world full of adventurers and wonderfully-dressed, corset-clad heroines? Exactly.

Which is why we're looking forward to upcoming book, Corsets and Clockwork. Released in May 2011, the book contains fourteen romantic steampunk stories and is edited by Trisha Telep. Want to know more? Then read on...

Bestselling romance editor Trisha Telep brings an exciting new element to the fast-growing sub-genre of steampunk, which bends and blends the old and the new in increasingly popular dark urban fantasies. Young heroes and heroines battle evil, in various forms with the help of super-technological or supernatural powers, while falling in and out of love. The contributors include: Ann Aguirre a bestselling author who writes urban fantasy (the "Corine Solomon" series from Roc), romantic science fiction (the "Jax" series from Ace), apocalyptic paranormal romance (as Ellen Connor, writing with Carrie Lofty, from Penguin), paranormal romantic suspense (as "Ava Gray from Berkley"), and post-apocalyptic dystopian young adult fiction ("Razorland and Wireville" coming in 2011 from Feiwel & Friends). Tessa Gratton, her debut novel "Blood Magic" arrives in 2011 from Random House Children's Books, followed by the companion "Crow Magic" in 2012. Jaclyn Dolamore is the debut author of "Magic Under Glass" from Bloomsbury USA. Lesley Livingston is the award-winning author of "Wondrous Strange and Darklight", the first two books in the bestselling trilogy from HarperCollins. Frewin Jones is the bestselling author of the "Faerie Path" series and the "Warrior Princess" books, among many others. Caitlin Kittredge is the author of the "Iron Codex" trilogy, a Lovecraftian steampunk adventure. Dru Pagliassotti's first novel "Clockwork Heart" was one of the first in the rising new genre of steampunk romance and was named by "Library Journal" as one of the five steampunk novels to read in 2009. Dia Reeves is the debut author of the critically acclaimed "YA Bleeding Violet". Michael Scott is the Irish-born, "New York Times" bestselling author of the six part epic fantasy series, "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel". Maria V. Snyder is the "New York Times" bestselling author of the "Study" series ("Poison Study", "Magic Study", and "Fire Study") about a young woman forced to become a poison taster. Tiffany Trent the author of the acclaimed "YA" dark fantasy series "Hallowmere", which was an IndieBound Children's Pick and a New York Public Library Book of the Teen Age 2008. Kiersten White is the debut author of "Paranormalacy", the first book in a new trilogy, which was published by HarperTeen in August of 2010. Adrienne Kress, is the author of "Alex and the Ironic Gentleman" and "Timothy and the Dragon's Gate".

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 25, 2010 in Book News, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 21, 2010 7:14 PM

NEWS: Sweet Valley Cover Released!

Remember the Sweet Valley High Books? And remember the news of an adult Sweet Valley novel set ten years later? Well, it's been long awaited, and sadly, we're going to have to wait that little bit longer! Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later is due for release on 29 March, 2011. (Boo!)

However, the cover for the book is now HERE! Check it out:

What do you think?

If you're not familiar with the Sweet Valley novels, here's a little bit more info:

Now with this striking new adult novel from author and creator Francine Pascal, millions of devoted fans can finally return to the idyllic Sweet Valley, home of the phenomenally successful book series and franchise. Iconic and beloved identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are back and all grown up, dealing with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal, and sisterhood. 

Will you be reading the new instalment? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 21, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (10)

BOOK NEWS: Cecelia Ahern's short story collection

Cecelia Ahearn has released Every Year, a collection of short stories that's only available as an e-book or audio book. The stories have been previously published in the press, but make up a fantastic collection for any Cecelia fans!

Thanks go to Chick Lit Reviews for this news!

Here's the info:

A wonderful collection of Cecelia's short stories.

As the smell of pinecones and cinnamon fill the air and the plump turkey roasts in the oven, the final preparations for Christmas day have begun just as they do every year.

The tree lights are twinkling and the mince pies are cooked and there is just one final tradition to carry out before the Christmas magic can begin. This year though, something is different and it's time for life-long traditions to change.

For years the family has followed the same pattern, not changing their routine through the generations; babies have grown into teens and then adults, and then eventually have had children of their own, but one thing always remained constant throughout...

Time has finally caught up with the family and this year the new traditions must be formed.

You can purchase the book here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 21, 2010 in Book News, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 20, 2010 10:08 PM

COVER NEWS: The Christmas Cookie Club

With Christmas now a mere two months away, it's not surprising that there are some wonderful Christmas titles available and upcoming. One of this year's festive titles is Ann Pearlman's The Christmas Cookie Club, which was released in hardback in 2009. It's soon to be available in paperback, and will hit the shelves on October 14th with a brand new look. And we have to say, the new cover is absolutely beautiful!

The new cover is on the right. Personally we reckon they're both adorably festive, but the new jacket looks fab. What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

If you haven't read The Christmas Cookie Club, then check out the synopsis:

What would we do without one another? It was a statement, not a question. Each of us knew the answer for herself. Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone has to bring a dish and a bottle of wine and, as they eat, they take turns telling the story of the cookies they have baked. Stories that, somehow, are always emblematic of the year that has just passed. This year, the stories are especially important. Marnie's oldest daughter has a risky pregnancy. Will she find out tonight how that story will end? Jeannie's father is having an affair with her best friend. Who else knew about the betrayal? Rosie's husband doesn't want children, but can she live with his decision? Each woman, each friend has a story to tell. The Cookie Club is about the passion and hopefulness of a new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, and above all, it's a celebration of the friendships between women.

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 20, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

October 19, 2010 7:54 PM

CELEB READ: Fern Britton's New Beginnings

British TV presenter Fern Britton (formerly star of This Morning) released her memoir, My Story, last year. Now, however, Fern is launching into the world of fiction with her upcoming novel. New Beginnings is due for release in March 2011 and focuses on a single mother who becomes a TV sensation.

Christie Lynch is a journalist and single mother of two when she gets a lucky break -an appearance on daytime TV talk show, Tart Talk. Spotted by hugely successful talent agent, Julia Keen, Christie's life changes in an instant when Julia secures her a high-profile presenting job.

Soon the nation's new sweetheart, Christie can't help but love her new job and, for the first time in years, she can mend her leaking roof and buy her kids, Libby and Freddie, a few treats. But as her career soars to new heights, Christie's forced to spend more and more time away from her kids and from Richard - the gorgeous single dad she recently met at the school gate.

Can Christie find a way to balance her role as a mother with her increasingly demanding job? And will she make it in the cut-throat world of TV? Whatever happens, Christie's going to give it all she's got...

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 19, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (7)

October 18, 2010 10:23 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The One I Love

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 18, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

CELEB READ: Elixir by Hilary Duff

Fans of US actress and singer Hilary Duff have been eagerly awaiting the release of her debut novel for quite some times, and now Elixir has finally hit the shelves. The book, which was released earlier this month, focuses on photojournalist Clea. Read on for the synopsis...

Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, Clea has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But following Clea's father's disappearance while on a humanitarian mission, Clea's photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man - a man she has never seen before. When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father's disappearance, and begin to discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together the pair find themselves in a race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their futures...

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 18, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (24)

October 15, 2010 11:54 PM

Tony Blair to get Bad Sex Award?

Fine, fine. So it's not chick-lit related, we thought it just had to be mentioned. The Bad Sex Award, otherwise known as 'that award authors generally fear' may this year be handed to none other than former Prime Minister Tony Blair. (Yes, really).

It's normally reserved for novelists, but Tony's accounts of sex with Cherie in his controversial book A Journey granted him a place in the shortlist. And why? Well...*cringe*...

"That night she cradled me in her arms and soothed me; told me what I needed to be told; strengthened me."

"On that night of 12 May 1994, I needed that love Cherie gave me, selfishly. I devoured it to give me strength. I was an animal following my instinct..."

Interesting.

According to the Telegraph, Sir Andrew Motion, chairman of the Man Booker Prize judging panel, said: "I was very surprised. I thought it was going to be a panorama of sexual activity but it absolutely wasn't. The Bad Sex Prize has probably put a lot of people off."

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 15, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 14, 2010 10:30 PM

NEW RELEASE: Nicole Richie's 'Priceless'

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 14, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (2)

UPCOMING RELEASE: Filled With Glee

American TV show Glee gained immense popularity when it hit our screens, with fans all over the globe. So it's hardly surprising that Glee merch, including some great books, is out there to the delight of fans.

Next month will see the release of Filled With Glee. Edited by Leah Wilson and described as the 'unauthorised Glee companion', the book contains show info and essays from a variety of writers, including Diane Shipley, Jennifer Crusie and Claudia Gray.

The book is due for release next month. Read on for more info!

Is Sue is the true driving force behind Glee? Who the real alpha male in New Directions? Why do we really keep coming back to Glee week after week? From its quirky character insights to its inspirational, funny, and touching stories from fellow gleeks, Filled with Glee is the perfect companion for the fan who can't get enough Glee.

Filled with Glee also includes a guide to putting together a glee club in your own school or community; an index of songs by episode; and the musical biographies of the main and guest actors (including where and when they've worked together before).

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 14, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 13, 2010 9:07 PM

BOOK NEWS: Susan Schneider's 'The Wedding Writer'

Rights have been bought recently for The Wedding Writer by Susan Schneider. It's been described as 'The Devil Wears Prada for the bridal industry' and was picked up by St Martin's Press. We're not sure when it's released yet, but according to Booktrade, the book follows four women working at a bridal magazine, and their own life issues.

Author Susan Schneider is based in New York and is a bridal magazine editor. Formerly executive editor of Modern Bride, her book will offer a sneak peek into the real world of the bridal industry.

We're looking forward to it! Watch this space for more info.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 13, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 12, 2010 7:52 PM

UPCOMING READ: Grave Secret

Charlaine Harris, author of the highly popular True Blood series, which has been adapted into a hit TV show, is back soon with another new read. Grave Secret is due for release in early November. Read on for the synopsis...

When she was 15, Harper Connelly was struck by a bolt of lightning, which left her with a spiderweb of red over her body, headaches, and episodes of weakness. Sometimes her right hand shakes. And she can find dead people. It's taken a while, but at last Harper's pretty happy with her life: she's making a living, using her unique talent to help people, and she's got a lover - her stepbrother Tolliver. That creeps some people out, but though they grew up together, and got each other through the real bad times - their parents' drug-use, the abuse, the disappearance of Harper's elder sister Cameron - they're not blood relatives. Then Tolliver's dad arrives on the scene, seeking forgiveness for the sins of their youth, and the police get a tip-off that after all these years, Cameron's been spotted in a mall. With all this going on Harper realises life is getting a little complicated, but she doesn't expect those complications to include Tolliver getting shot, or watching a cop die taking a bullet for her. Harper can find dead people, but now it's clear someone wants her dead ...

You can find out more about Charlaine Harris and her books at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 12, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 11, 2010 5:19 PM

BOOK NEWS: Goodnight Tweetheart

After a number of books being written in email format, it was only a matter of time before Twitter made its way into fiction, and now here it is. In Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros, due for publication in December, writer Abigail is given a Twitter account, only to become slightly infatuated...

Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing. Namely writing her next novel. A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah's stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily. But when her publicist signs her up for a Twitter account, she's intrigued. What's all the fuss?

Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, 'MarkBaynard" - a quick witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical - Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time. And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life. After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living?

Or is he?

Told almost entirely in tweets and DMs, Goodnight Tweetheart is a truly modern take on a classic tale of love and loss - a Griffin and Sabine for the Twitter generation.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 11, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

CELEBRITY READ: Tina Fey's memoir, 'Bossypants'

If you haven't already heard the news by now about Tina Fey's upcoming book, then fear not - we're here to fill you in. Manhattan-based actress (30 Rock, Mean Girls, Saturday Night Live to name but a few) and comedienne has penned a memoir that's going to excite every Fey fan on the planet (well, it's very likely).

The book, titled Bossypants, is due for release in April 2011 and there has also been much talk of Tina's displayed 'man arms' on the cover photo! (Courtesy of CoverAwards.) Odd, but still, it's Tina. And we can't wait.

Here's the book blurb:

Tina Fey, one of the most influential and beloved women in entertainment, brings sharp wit and uncanny observational skill to everything she does, from television to major motion pictures. She's managed to be known as both the thinking man's sex symbol, and every woman's alter-ego/imaginary best friend. Now, for the first time, Fey takes her writing talent off-screen and into the pages of a book.

From her lifetime pursuit of the perfect Beauty Routine to the oversold joys of breastfeeding, from her whirlwind tour of duty as the Other Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live" to her early days in the comedy trenches - Tina Fey puts her unique and endlessly funny mark on modern life, work, marriage, and motherhood.

 What do you think? Will you be reading Bossypants? Let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 11, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (6)

October 7, 2010 10:21 PM

YA PICK: Wrapped

It's been a while since we've featured some young adult titles, and with plenty out there (both current releases and new!) we thought, 'why not?' So welcome to Trashi's very YA, um, Thursday.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 7, 2010 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 6, 2010 10:52 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Sexually, I'm more of a Switzerland

Okay, so the title does sound unusual, but it's definitely funny. After coming across this little gem, we couldn't help but post about it!

If you've ever seen a personals ad, whether on the web or in the back of the local newspaper, you're probably familiar with the short amount of space in which the lonely heart has to share their interests and desires. Some can be funny, some verging on desperate. And now, thanks to this new book by David Rose, you can take a look at some wonderfully funny (and very, very true!) dating ads. Sexually, I'm more of a Switzerland is out in paperback on 15th October and although it seems more of a novelty book, we can't wait to check this out! (Remember I Lick My Cheese? Exactly.) Here's the blurb:

Personal ads -- men and women of all ages, backgrounds and aspirations, laying their souls bare and their hearts on the line -- are the modern world's equivalent of the Japanese haiku . . . or something like that, anyway. Painstakingly crafted, finely honed and, above all, short, they offer an endearing, intriguing and, often, amusing glimpse into the lives of those looking for love. Amid the witty one-liners and laugh-out-punchlines, there is pathos and passion aplenty; there is hope, longing and even good old-fashioned lust; there is romance, regret, ambition, and, occasionally, a hint of bitterness. Whatever the tone, however, these ads make for engrossing reading. Organized into themes ('Mentally, I'm a size eight' and 'Forty years ago I was going to marry Elvis') and fully annotated, Sexually, I'm more of a Switzerland is the perfect gift for the man or woman in your life -- as well as single friends everywhere.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 6, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

UPCOMING RELEASE: A Season to Remember

Christmas is coming (just where did the year go? Where?!) and we've already seen a couple of promising festive titles due for release soon. Joining them is bestselling author Sheila O'Flanagan (Stand By Me, Perfect Man) with her short-story collection A Season To Remember, due for release on October 14^th.

An enchanting collection of warm, poignant and Christmas-themed stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author In this wonderful collection of interlinked short stories Sheila O'Flanagan brings her own trademark sparkle to Christmas -- a time when friends, families and lovers traditionally come together and when every person is hoping their wishes will come true...

To find out more about Sheila O'Flanagan and her books, head on over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 6, 2010 in Book News, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 4, 2010 7:30 PM

BOOK NEWS: Cougars

If you're fan of the popular TV show Cougar Town, here's a book you might enjoy. Cougars is due for release in March 2011 and is penned by magazine editor Claire Irvin, who's worked on a variety of titles including Grazia and OK! Here's the synopsis:

Caroline Walker has it all. At 42, her immaculately groomed looks and toned body belie her age. She's wife to City trading sensation Les Walker, mother to their teenage daughter, Zoe, and a successful international entrepreneur with a string of luxury accessory boutiques. But when Caroline learns that Les has been having an affair, her perfect world falls apart. Now divorced, Caroline is unexpectedly single ? something she hasn't been in a very long time. With the help of Maryanne, her outgoing and ex-Hollywood starlet friend, she is introduced to a hectic social life and Caroline discovers her missing twenties ...and the young men she should have been dating then, too - including the beautiful, sensitive male model, Adam, who is almost the same age as her daughter. But when she finds herself in a situation she thought she'd never have to worry about, Caroline has to answer some big questions about her life again.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 4, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

IN THE NEWS: JK Rowling hints at more Potter books

Bestselling author JK Rowling has hinted that there's a possibility of more Potter books.

In an interview with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey, Rowling said that the Potter characters are still in her head and that she 'could definitely' write new books about them.

In the interview, Rowling also talked about the initial struggle to gain interest from publishers. She said: "My agent knows better than I do. I don't know but, it was a lot. A lot of people didn't want it. A lot of people just sent it back, virtually by return of post. It was like a boomerang.

"I did really believe in it. I just thought, 'no, this is a good story'. For some reason, and I wasn't very resilient at all at that time in my life, I was a wreck in a lot of ways.

"But for some reason I can even remember being quite pleased with it. I know it sounds masochistic but I was even quite pleased with the rejection letters. I just had faith in the story."

You can see clips from the Oprah interview here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 4, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 1, 2010 11:03 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Why do we Have to Live With Men?

Bernadette Strachan, who penned earlier novels The Reluctant Landlady and Handbags and Halos, is back with her latest book, Why Do We Have To Live With Men? The book is due for release on October 28th and focuses on Cat, who decides to try living for six months without men...

Why do we have to live with men? As another evening with her best friends and a few bottles of wine comes to an end, Cat O'Connor is left pondering this very question. And, escaping from a ruined love affair, she is about to find the answer. When Cat joins a group of women in a huge, decaying farmhouse deep in the countryside, she prepares to embark on six months without men. Cat is promised a nirvana of serenity where the chores are done without mutinous mutterings, where nourishing food simmers on the Aga and where feelings are taken seriously. But Cat soon discovers that women are no saints either ...

You can read more about Bernadette Strachan by visiting her blog.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: No Ordinary Girl

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 29, 2010 9:11 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Hating Game coming in December!

We've been looking forward to Talli Roland's novel The Hating Game for quite some time, and now we don't have much longer to wait! Prospera Books have reported that The Hating Game, in which serial dater Mattie is faced with four of her ex-boyfriends in a televised dating gameshow,  is due for release on December 1st. If you aren't familiar with this exciting debut, read on for the synopsis...

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £50,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end? Who will win The Hating Game?

Read more from Talli at her blog. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 29, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Kate Harrison's YA debut!

Here at Trashionista we're big fans of Kate Harrison, author of Old School Ties and the Secret Shopper series. So we were delighted to hear the news of her upcoming young adult debut!

According to Booktrade, Kate's Soul Beach trilogy has just been acquired by Orion Books and the first book in the series, titled Soul Beach, is due for publication in summer 2011. Amber Caravéo of Orion said: 'As soon as I read the first few pages of Kate's spectacular and sinister Soul Beach trilogy, I knew I wanted to publish. I am delighted that my first acquisition for Orion Children's Books could be something that is so original and stand-out in the YA arena.'

Kate Harrison said: 'I had the idea for Soul Beach after spending far too much of my writing time on Facebook, and beginning to see a darker side to social networking. After I started writing the book, I really hoped that I'd find a publisher who'd feel as excited about the story as I did, so it was fabulous when I met Amber and the team at Orion Children's, as they totally 'got it.' It's also brilliant to be able to give rein to my creepier instincts, and even better that I'm being published by the people at Orion, who have done such a great job with my adult novels.'

You can find out more about Kate Harrison at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 29, 2010 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 28, 2010 7:39 PM

CELEBRITY READ: A Tiny Bit Marvellous

Comedienne Dawn French has been entertaining us on our screens for years, and now, Dawn's launching into the literary world with her debut novel, A Tiny Bit Marvellous, which is due for release in October.  We can't wait! Read on for more info.

Everyone hates the perfect family. So you'll love the Battles. Mo is about to hit the big 50, and some uncomfortable truths are becoming quite apparent: She doesn't understand either of her teenage kids, which as a child psychologist, is fairly embarrassing. She has become entirely grey. Inside, and out. Her face has surrendered and is frightening children. Dora is about to hit the big 18...and about to hit anyone who annoys her, especially her precocious younger brother Peter who has a chronic Oscar Wilde fixation. Then there's Dad...who's just, well, dad. A TINY BIT MARVELLOUS is the story of a modern family all living in their own separate bubbles lurching towards meltdown. It is for anyone who has ever shared a home with that weird group of strangers we call relations. Oh and there's a dog. Called Poo.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 28, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (8)

BOOK NEWS: Lizzy Harrison Loses Control

An overly-organised heroine learns to let go a little in Lizzy Harrison Loses Control, the debut from Penny Wright. The book is due for release in March 2011 and looks fantastic! Here's the synopsis:

Lizzy Harrison isn't a romantic heroine. Not even close. She doesn't have a cat, owns no more shoes than the average person, and is in no way hopelessly scatty and disorganised. In fact her life is in perfect order, and that's just how she likes it. Okay, so she hasn't met the right man yet, but she really doesn't have the time what with her busy job in PR and her packed schedule of improving activities. Her diary is planned months in advance and she's determined that nothing spontaneous will force its way into her life...hasn't she? But when her best friend Lulu questions her need for control, Lizzy starts to wonder if she needs to let go a little. So when she's thrown into the arms of her boss' number one client, notorious comedian (and love-rat) Randy Jones, she reluctantly relaxes her hold on routine. Lizzy Harrison is about to find out that losing control could win her more than she had ever imagined. 'Funny, moving, totally gripping' - Harriet Evans.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 28, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 23, 2010 11:09 PM

BOOK NEWS: Stockings and Cellulite

We love finding books from brand new authors, and the upcoming novel from Debbie Viggiano is definitely one to watch! Released in October, Stockings and Cellulite tells the story of Cass, who walks to discover husband cheating on New Year's Eve. Want to know more? Then read on for the synopsis...

As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, Cassandra Cherry's life takes a turn for the worse when she stumbles upon husband Stevie lying naked, except for his socks, on a coat-strewn bed with a 45-year-old divorcee called Cynthia. Suddenly single, Cass throws herself into the business of getting over Stevie with gusto. Her main problems now are making her nine-year-old twins happy, juggling a new social life with a return to work and avoiding being arrested by an infuriating policeman who always seems to turn up at the most inopportune moments. Then, just when Cass is least prepared, and much to Stevie's chagrin, she crashes head over heels in love with the last person she'd ever expected.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 23, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 21, 2010 10:53 PM

BOOK NEWS: Prima Donna

Karen Swan, author of Players, is back with a new novel. Prima Donna, the story of prima ballerina Pia Soto, is due for release in January 2011 and we're looking forward to getting our hands on it! Here's the synopsis:

Breaking the rules was what she liked best. That was her sport. Renegade, rebel, bad girl. Getting away with it.

Pia Soto is the sexy and glamorous prima ballerina, the Brazilian bombshell who's shaking up the ballet world with her outrageous behaviour. She's wild and precocious, and she's a survivor. She's determined that no man will ever control her destiny. But ruthless financier Will Silk has Pia in his sights, and has other ideas ...

Sophie O'Farrell is Pia's hapless, gawky assistant, the girl-next-door to Pia's Prima Donna, always either falling in love with the wrong man or just falling over. Sophie sets her own dreams aside to pick up the debris in Pia's wake, but she's no angel. When a devastating accident threatens to cut short Pia's illustrious career, Sophie has to step out of the shadows and face up to the demons in her own life.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 21, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

UPCOMING RELEASE: Haunted Honeymoon

Marta Acosta's vampire series Casa Dracula has already gained fantastic reviews, and the next instalment is due for release soon! Haunted Honeymoon, the fourth and final book in the series, will be released in October. Read on for the synopsis...

 

As the only human to survive vampire infection, Milagro de Los Santos has become quite a celebrity among the blood-drinking elite. Too bad the perks of her condition--increased strength, super-fast healing--don't pay her condo fees. There are other complications too. She's feeling guilty about her fling with enigmatic Vampire Council member Ian Ducharme, and pining for her ex-fiancé, Dr. Oswald Grant . . . the fabulous man whose kiss changed her life. It's when Milagro -- irked by Ian's attentions to his neighbor -- travels to London and enjoys a sexy flirtation of her own, that the blood really hits the fan.

Suddenly, those around her are dying gruesome deaths and Milagro's being interrogated. Who would kill to set her up as a murder suspect? Milagro just wants to turn back the clock and have another chance to make things right, but no sooner has she escaped to Oswald's ranch than an accident obliterates her memory. Will the murderer come after her now? And will amnesia spark a romantic do-over with Oswald--or will she make all the same mistakes before she ever gets to say "I do"?

To find more about the Casa Dracula books, head on over to Marta Acosta's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 21, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 20, 2010 12:14 AM

CUTE COVERS: An Ideal Wife

The next instalment of Gemma Townley's Jessica Wild series, An Ideal Wife, has already been released in the States, and it's due for publication here in the UK in March 2011. And we've been checking out the covers!

Trashionista loved the first novel in the series, The Importance of Being Married, in which Jessica Wild hatches a mad plan to marry her boss in order to gain a hefty inheritance. The book was followed by A Wild Affair. An Ideal Wife is the third Jessica Wild tale penned by Gemma, who is the sister of Sophie Kinsella.

Check out the book covers - which do you prefer? The UK version (right) fits in with the current covers which we think are fab. The American version is a little more feminine but despite the difference, it still looks great!

If you haven't heard about An Ideal Wife yet, here's the synopsis:

Married to the man she loves - sweet, sexy Max - Jessica Wild-Wainwright is blissfully happy...except for one tiny little problem. She never confessed to an (almost) tryst with Max's biggest rival right before their wedding. Eaten up with guilt, and with looming threats of exposure, Jessica decides to give Max what he clearly still lacks: the Ideal Wife. With the help of her friends, she will become perfect in every way: doting, devoted, domestic-everything Max deserves. However, the path to perfection is fraught with peril, from culinary chaos to a boudoir disaster that puts Max in the hospital with a broken leg. As Jessica rallies to run Max's company - met with overt hostility by an obsessive co-worker and by an auditor determined to uncover everyone's secrets - things are decidedly less than ideal. Throw in a semi-retired Russian stripper and strange men watching her apartment, and Jessica fears Project Ideal Wife has backfired miserably. Can a less than perfect wife save the day?

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 20, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 16, 2010 9:44 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Revolution

Jennifer Donnelly, author of A Gathering Light, is back next month with her new novel, Revolution. Jennifer's debut novel A Gathering Light has sold 380,000 copies and gained wonderful reviews, also scooping the Carnegie Medal in 2004, so we've been waiting for her next offering for quite some time!

Revolution is released on October 4th. Here's the synopsis:

Andi lives in New York and is dealing with the emotional turmoil of her younger brother's accidental death. Alex lives in Paris and is a maid to the royal family as the French Revolution rages. They're both struggling with their responsibilities and their places in the world. When Andi is sent to Paris to get her out of the trouble she's so easily enveloped by in New York, their two stories collide, and Andi finds a way to reconcile herself not only to her past but also to her future. This is a wonderful and evocative portrait of lives torn apart by grief and mended by love.

You can read an extract of Revolution over at the Bloomsbury website, or head on over to Jennifer Donnelly's website for more information.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 16, 2010 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 15, 2010 11:17 PM

NEWS: HarperPress buys Everything and Nothing

HarperPress has snapped up a debut novel from journalist and former ghostwriter Araminta Hall.

The Bookseller reported that rights have been bought to the novel Everything and Nothing by Araminta, who was once a ghostwriter for the supermodel Caprice. Publishing director Clare Smith described the book as "a stunningly assured debut, superbly evoking an atmosphere of inexorable and sinister menace that builds to a mesmerising climax in a story that is, at its heart, about thwarted and damaged love".

The book is due for release in 2011.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 15, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 14, 2010 9:34 PM

NEWS: The Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival to take place this weekend

A number of authors, including Lionel Shriver, Joanna Trollope, Kate Figes and Fiona Kirk, are due to appear at the Hampstead & Highgate Literary Festival this weekend.

The Festival, which will take place once again in Ivy House, Anna Pavlova's former home, in Golders Green, from Sunday 19th - Tuesday 21st September, is organised and hosted by the London Jewish Cultural Centre (LJCC) in partnership with the Ham&High newspaper and sponsored by BDO.  With 50 different talks and workshops to choose from, there's something to interest everyone.

A spokesman for the LJCC said 'Since the Festival website went live on 1st July we have already taken over 1,700 bookings. We are delighted by the show of public interest in the Festival and grateful for the support of our media partners, the Ham&High, our sponsors and the enthusiastic response of the publishers and authors we approached. Our aim is to become a permanent fixture on the London literary calendar.'

Book sales and signings will be held after each event by Daunt Books.
You can find out more by visiting the Hampstead & Highgate Literary Festival website. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 14, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 10, 2010 2:32 AM

IN THE NEWS: Doubleday picks up 'Mistress' Revenge'

Rights have recently been purchased for a 'very special' first novel, it was revealed today.

 

According to The Bookseller, a deal was made by Curtis Brown and Doubleday, for two books by Tammy Cohen. The first book, Mistress' Revenge, is due for publication by Doubleday in June 2011.

 

Marianne Velmans, publishing director of Doubleday, described the book as 'a smart, darkly funny story about adultery and the wrath of a woman scorned, sharply observant of contemporary marriage, family, and life in general.'

 

We're certainly looking forward to it!

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 10, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 9, 2010 2:28 AM

BOOK NEWS: Walking Back to Happiness

Lucy Dillon, who brought us Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts, is back with a new novel, Walking Back to Happiness. The book is due for release in December and is about widow Juliet whose petsitting job leads her to new realisations. Read on for the synopsis.

Juliet's been in hiding. From her family, from her life, but most of all from the fact that Ben's not around anymore.

Her mother Diane can't do anything to help. But, when she insists Juliet look after her elderly Labrador, it becomes clear that perhaps the dog, Coco, could help her daughter where she couldn't.

Catching on, her neighbours ask Juliet for help with their pets too. But then so does Mark, the gorgeous spaniel-owner she meets out dogwalking. And before she knows it, Juliet realises she's somehow become the town's unofficial petsitter, and is now privy to all the lives and secrets of everyone whose animals she's caring for.

But as her first winter alone approaches, she finally begins to wonder if it's time to face up to her own secrets? To start rebuilding her own life? And maybe - just maybe - to fall in love again?

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 9, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 8, 2010 2:13 AM

CUTE COVERS: Tempest Rising

Despite the old saying being 'never judge a book by its cover', sometimes, we just can't help it! Okay, so we're not judging exactly, but hey - a cute, eye-catching book jacket can do no harm. Personally, I'm attracted to unusual-looking covers and the latest find in my recent lunchtime foray into Waterstones, Tempest Rising, was a pleasant surprise.

 

Tempest Rising is Nicole Peeler's debut, and part of the Jane True series. The cover is absolutely stunning and I couldn't help but check it out further (and want it on my bookshelf, of course!). Tempest Rising, which is followed by Tracking the Tempest and Tempest's Legacy, is a paranormal romance focusing on half-human heroine Jane True. Here's the synopsis:

 

Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human. Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures that are terrifying, beautiful and deadly - all of which perfectly describe her new 'friend' Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never - ever - rub the genie's lamp.

 

To find out more about Nicole Peeler, head on over to her website, where you can also read the first chapter of Tempest Rising (and it's great!).

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 8, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (3)

September 7, 2010 8:31 PM

BOOK NEWS: The One Before The One

We're particularly excited about Katy Regan's new novel, The One Before The One. The witty tale is due for release later this year and judging by the synopsis, it's going to be fantastic. Katy previously penned One Thing Led to Another which received great reviews.

 

The One Before The One will be out in November. Here's the blurb...

 

TO DO LIST
Make something with Quinoa
Pluck eyebrows
Do something 'cultural' every week
Dump married boyfriend

 

Caroline's life was meant to be sorted when she made the decision to end her engagement, 3 months before the big day. With her to-do list tasks getting crossed off and her career going great guns, Caroline is sure she's now a fully functioning adult. So when her 17 year old half-sister Lexi, arrives unexpectedly at her door, it doesn't quite fit with her image that she's drunk and wearing her wedding dress!

 

Lexi has come to stay for the summer but their relationship is strained, as Lexi is the result of their father's infidelity. An affair that led to the divorce that destroyed Caroline's mother and ruined her own childhood. Needless to say, Caroline is in no hurry to confess her relationship with her married lover Toby.

 

As the summer wears on, Caroline has decisions to make, and a life to reconsider, but surely a 17 year old can't teach her anything about how to live well?

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 7, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

September 6, 2010 11:39 PM

NEWS: Read an extract from Gail Carriger's Soulless

Soulless, by Gail Carriger, was released just last week and is set to be a very popular read. The book, which is described as a Victorian comedy romance, focuses on heroine Alexia Tarabotti. Here's the synopsis...

 

Alexia Tarabotti is labouring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette. Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire - and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Or will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart? SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

 

Sounds fun, yes? An extract from Soulless is now available over at the Orbit Books website. Click here to check it out! Alternatively, you can visit Gail Carriger's website.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 6, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 2, 2010 2:30 AM

BOOK NEWS: Belle de Jour's Guide to Men

We're probably all familiar with Belle de Jour, who shot to fame with a series of books and a TV series starring Billie Piper, based on her highly popular blogs about working a London call girl. After releasing her memoirs (and having her identity revealed as research scientist Dr Brooke Magnanti), Belle penned novel Playing the Game, and is now back with her latest offering, Belle De Jour's Guide to Men. The book is due for release in mid September.

 

Read on for the blurb...

 

Belle de Jour is a woman who's met men of every conceivable type. She knows what they want, and how to give it to them. And outside the one-hour appointments, she's also had her heart broken, picked herself back up, put on another stunning pair of shoes and carried on - so she knows a thing or two about love as well as sex. So sit back, relax and listen to what your friends are too polite to tell you. About when you need or want a man, and when you damn well don't. Whether you want to find men, lure them, ditch them, hitch them - here's the lowdown. Funny, surprising and always entertaining, BELLE DE JOUR'S GUIDE TO MEN is must-have reading for every woman out there.

 

If you're a fan of Belle, you may want to check out LoveReading, where she's currently guest editor. Click here to find out more.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 2, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 1, 2010 10:30 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Down to Earth

Melanie Rose's books, with their beautifully distinct covers, have been delighting us for quite some time. Her latest novel, Down to Earth, is due for release in October and looks very interesting indeed...

When Michaela Anderson signs up for a parachute jump she gets more than a case of vertigo...

Suffering last-minute panic, Michaela's three colleagues go first. But just as she takes her leap of faith, an almighty gale blows up from nowhere.

When she returns to the ground, she finds the airfield deserted, her car gone and the seasons mysteriously changed. Posters nearby proclaim Michaela to have been missing for the last six and a half years...

But Michaela is determined to find out the truth. Was she kidnapped? Is she now suffering amnesia, or has something even more extraordinary occurred?

With the help of handsome pilot Matt, Michaela sets out to find the truth. And what she discovers rocks everything she has ever believed in to the core...

To find out more about Melanie Rose, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on September 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 31, 2010 7:09 PM

BOOK NEWS: Over His Dead Body

It's no secret that Trashionista is a huge fan of Little Black Dress books, and there are plenty of upcoming offerings from some well-known romance authors. Laurie Brown, writer of The Death of Bridezilla, is back in December with new novel Over His Dead Body; a romantic tale with elements of mystery...

Ever since Caroline Tucker moved back home from Hollywood to the bright lights of Haven, New Mexico, she's been trying (and failing) to avoid her ex-husband, Town Sherriff Travis Beaumont. Then, when her niece stumbles across the perfectly preserved body of a cowboy at Girl Scout camp, Caroline has no choice but to give Travis a call. But is this actually a crime scene? Or just a potential tourist attraction? As the mystery of the mummy unravels, Travis digs up some sinister evidence. And the more Caroline tries to keep away from trouble - and Travis - the more they come knocking at her door...

 

Click here to visit Little Black Dress Books.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 31, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 30, 2010 1:51 AM

BOOK NEWS: Getting Away With It

Julie Cohen, who brought us the fabulous Little Black Dress novels Girl from Mars and Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom, is back with another chick-lit offering later this year. Getting Away With It is due for release in October and looks like a wonderful, quirky read! Here's the synopsis...

Liza Haven couldn't wait to escape the small village where she grew up with her perfect identical twin sister, Lee. Her life in LA as a stunt woman is reckless, fast and free - and that's just the way she likes it. But when a near-fatal mistake drives her home, she finds Lee gone and everyone in the village mistaking her for her twin sister. Liza has to deal with her ailing mother, the family ice cream business, and Lee's dangerously attractive boyfriend. Liza's always been the bad twin, but as she struggles to keep up the masquerade and puzzle out where her sister has gone, she realises it's not so simple. She's spent her whole life getting away with it - is it finally time to face up to who she really is and where she really belongs?

 

To find out more about Julie Cohen, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 30, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 27, 2010 3:55 PM

NEWS: Bloomsbury Street Hotel Book Club

Here's something special for book fans in London - the Bloomsbury Street Hotel is now offering guests the opportunity to pick up a complimentary copy of this month's featured title, as part of its very own book club.

Based in Bloomsbury, home to literary legends Virginia Woolf and EM Forster, the Radisson Edwardian Hotel invites guests to enjoy the recommended book, and take home a complimentary copy.

The hotel, which was launched in 2009, has dedicated an entire wall to one of Bloomsbury's exports: Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, boasting an art display made from pages of the novel.

So if you find yourself in the capital, whether for shopping, work or seeing a show, don't hesitate to join in with the book fun at Bloomsbury Street!

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 27, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 26, 2010 8:48 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Real Me Is Thin

Last week I came across an interesting article by British actress and writer Arabella Weir, in which she told of her constant battle with weight and self image, which began during childhood. Arabella, who wrote the wonderfully funny novel Does My Bum Look Big in This? In the 90s, is back - and this time, with a memoir. The Real Me is Thin is due for release on September 2^nd, and is set to be a funny yet frank account of life involving watching what you eat.

 

The hapless and hilarious tale of a life lived under the constant and ruthless reign of a chocolate biscuit...

Lumped into 'the too fat for potatoes group' by her mother, carefree eating isn't something Arabella Weir had much experience of growing up.

 

Written with startling frankness, Arabella unravels her own eating history in this humorous appraisal of our attitudes towards eating disorders and obesity. Not easy for someone who still can't be alone unsupervised in a room with a packet of chocolate biscuits.

 

Charting Arabella's neurotic relationship with food, from prolonged abstinence to binge eating, this humorous memoir recreates a childhood besieged with battles over food. Subjected to her mother's capricious feeding regime and taught early on that food was her enemy, happiness meant being allowed to eat what she liked - or more importantly, what everyone else was eating.

 

Recounting stories of unhinged mothers and callous doctors, mystery-meat suppers, and egg custard battles with calculating boyfriends' mothers, this candid memoir vividly recreates a childhood and adolescence marred by the social embarrassment of being marked as different simply due to your weight.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 26, 2010 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (2)

COVER NEWS: My Bollywood Wedding

We're looking forward to Rekha Waheed's Little Black Dress novel, My Bollywood Wedding. The book is due for release next year, and here's the gorgeous cover!

 

We have a while to wait yet (the book isn't released until February!) but here's the synopsis:

 

Maya Malik wants a big glamorous Bollywood wedding.

And now Maya has found Jhanghir Khan, her perfect man, it's time to start the mammoth task of planning it. But fifteen designer wedding boutiques, seven venues, two jet-set dashes to Dubai and Dhaka, and one trip to Tiffany's later, with interfering aunties on her tail, her enthusiasm is flagging. And with the Maliks and Khans fighting over dowries and every decision related to the 600 strong guest list, Maya questions if it's all worth it. Most importantly, she starts to doubt if Jhanghir really is Mr Right...

 

Click here to visit Little Black Dress Books.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 26, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 25, 2010 8:33 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Unlucky in Love

If you've enjoyed Jessica Fox's Hen Night Prophecies series so far, then you'll be pleased to hear that the next installment is on its way. Jessica, who wrote Katy Carter Wants a Hero (under the name Ruth Saberton) has penned Unlucky In Love, the fifth book in the Hen Night series. The book is due for release in mid-September. Here's the synopsis:

Risk-taker Libby Foster wishes she thought things through more - maybe then she'd avoid being humiliated at work over her reckless romantic attachments. So it's just as well that she's swearing herself off men and escaping to a Thai island to work on location casting for a romance-slash-action film. But is she really such a danger to the opposite sex? A series of bizarre events in the serene beach surroundings have Libby fretting, but could it be she's met her match in Craig, the daredevil martial arts instructor training her cast?

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 25, 2010 in Book News, Series | Permalink | Comments (3)

COVER NEWS: New York Valentine

We're big fans of Carmen Reid's Annie Valentine series (The Personal Shopper, Celebrity Shopper, How Not to Shop). So we were delighted to discover that the latest installment about heroine Annie, titled New York Valentine, will be on the shelves next year. And here's the cover!

What do you think? New York Valentine will be released in January. Read on for the synopsis:

Love is in the air! Personal shopper Annie Valentine has a dream job in the heart of fabulous Manhattan. Daughter Lana is lost in the heat of first love, but has she fallen for a heart-breaker? In London husband Ed faces a scandal at work and knows, in his heart, he needs Annie back. What's a girl to do when her true love is in London but her new love is New York? Does it have to be fashion or family, or can Annie Valentine have it all?

To learn more about Carmen Reid, head on over to her website.
 

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 25, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (4)

IN THE NEWS: Twilight tops book charts after just three days

I think it's safe to say that the following doesn't come as much of a surprise! The paperback of Breaking Dawn, the fourth novel in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, has topped this week's Official UK Top 50.

According to The Bookseller, Meyer scooped the top spot five times previously, and has now sold 48,673 copies of the mass-market edition of Breaking Dawn, the final tale in the phenomenal teen vampire saga, in only three days. Her novella, titled The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, gained the top place for three weeks in June.

To read the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 23, 2010 5:10 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Bum Magnet

2011 is already proving exciting in terms of new releases, and here's another to add to the list! Karla Brady's The Bum Magnet is to be re-released in March next year, and we can't wait to get our hands on it!

 

The Bum Magnet, which Karla self-published in 2009, was snapped up by publishers Simon & Schuster and is soon to be getting a new cover. The book won the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Multicultural Fiction. Keep checking back for updates!

 

For now, here's the synopsis:

 

She's a savvy, successful real‑estate agent with a quick wit, a low tolerance for BS, a gorgeous plus‑size body, and a thirst for top shelf vodka. Despite her dream house, luxury car, and appetite for life's best--like fine dining and hot men--she seems to have her own special talent for attracting players. Why do all of her ex‑lovers belong in the Losers Hall of Fame?

 

There was Lamar, the hazel-eyed Adonis who sowed more wild oats than Quaker . . . Sean, an expert at juggling relationships . . . Marcus, whose lips wandered as often as his eyes . . . and others, too.      But just as Rissey swears off sex and vows to dump her emotional baggage, she meets house‑hunting client Dwayne Gibson. There's no way she can resist his seductive smile and rock‑hard body. . .

 

Will Dwayne turn out to be the biggest bum of them all? Or will this time be different?

 

To find out more about KL Brady, check out her website.

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 23, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

RECENT RELEASE: All That Glitters

Samantha Carbon's debut novel is definitely one to look forward to! All That Glitters was released in June and focuses on Sophie, who is trying learn to trust men again after her divorce. But she always seems to fall for the wrong man...

 

Whilst her professional life may be rich and rewarding, Sophie Jones, a trader's assistant at a multi-national bank in the City of London, cannot bring herself to think about the depressing husk that is her social life. Following her divorce from her abusive husband, thirty-seven year old Sophie finds herself drinking heavily to escape her deep-seated loneliness, and partying to excess in a vain effort to fill her evenings and weekends. So when she meets Mitch, a very ordinary and somewhat clumsy American financier, she is ill-prepared for the warm feelings of affection that begin to overwhelm her.

 

But this early flush of love is brought into sharp focus when Sophie learns that Mitch has a difficult ex-girlfriend and a two year old son called Toby, both of whom are living in Germany. And despite his proud responsibilities as a father, Mitch also seems to have a penchant for one night stands and passion fuelled flings; he is no then the ideal romantic candidate for a vulnerable woman still nursing

a broken heart.

 

So when Sophie convinces herself to take a huge leap of faith and embark upon a relationship with Mitch, she is shattered when her worst fears are quickly realised and she discovers that he has been sleeping with an eighteen year Zambian girl called Katie. Their drunken encounters are too much for Sophie to bear, and having given Mitch one last chance, only to have it sabotaged by Katie, she decides to banish Mitch from her life forever and to try to move on without him. But little does Sophie realise that her life is now intrinsically linked to both Mitch and Katie's; all three have been cast off on an emotional journey of self-discovery in which Sophie at least may learn that in absence the heart really does grow fonder.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 23, 2010 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (8)

August 20, 2010 10:03 PM

COVER NEWS: New image for 'Cocktails for Three'

While we may be eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sophie Kinsella's latest instalment in the Shopaholic series, some other Sophie news wouldn't go amiss!

 

The UK cover of Cocktails for Three, which bestselling author Sophie originally wrote as Madeleine Wickham, has recently been revamped with a look that fits in with her other novels. And it looks great! According to Sophie's website, the other six books that were written as Madeleine will also be getting a cover makeover.

 

What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

Here's the synopsis of Cocktails for Three:

Three women, smart and successful, working in the fast and furious world of magazines, meet for cocktails and gossip once a month. Roxanne: glamorous, self-confident, with a secret lover - and hoping that one day he will leave his wife and marry her. Maggie: capable and high-achieving, until she finds the one thing she can't cope with - motherhood. Candice: honest, decent, or so she believes - until a ghost from her past turns up, and almost ruins her life. A chance encounter in the cocktail bar sets in train an extraordinary set of events which upsets all their lives and almost destroys their friendship...

 

You can read more Sophie Kinsella news over at her official website (where you can  listen to a second extract of Mini Shopaholic!)

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 20, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (121)

August 19, 2010 9:13 PM

BOOK NEWS: Sister

Along with some much-anticipated new releases hitting the shelves next month (Mini Shopaholic, anyone?) September will also see quite a few debut authors making their way into the world of fiction. One of them is Rosamund Lupton, whose first novel, Sister, will be released on the 2^nd and is set to be a highly interesting, emotional tale. Here's some more information...

 

Nothing can break the bond between sisters...

When Beatrice gets a frantic call in the middle of Sunday lunch to say that her younger sister, Tess, is missing, she boards the first flight home to London. But as she learns about the circumstances surrounding her sister's disappearance, she is stunned to discover how little she actually knows of her sister's life - and unprepared for the terrifying truths she must now face.

The police, Beatrice's fiancé and even their mother accept they have lost Tess but Beatrice refuses to give up on her. So she embarks on a dangerous journey to discover the truth, no matter the cost.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 19, 2010 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (8)

August 17, 2010 8:08 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Badness of King George

Here's something for all of the puppy lovers among us. If you enjoyed Marley & Me, then here's a September treat for you! Author and journalist Judith Summers' book The Badness of King George is out next month, and is all about fostering dogs...

Judith Summers' life is about to change dramatically. Her five-year relationship with her on-off boyfriend has finally ended. Her son, Joshua, is off to university, and for the first time since her husband died she's living alone. Well, not entirely alone. She still has George, her King Charles Spaniel. Judith knows she needs a new challenge. But how free can she ever be with George in tow? He is, of course, immensely lovely. But he's also spoilt, lazy, and prone to flouncing around the house like a fluffed-up diva. But then, during a chance encounter , Judith finds out about Many Tears, a dog rescue centre. Before she knows it, she has joined a nationwide network of canine foster carers. Far from having Judith all to himself, George suddenly finds he has to share his owner with lots of other less fortunate dogs. And he's finding adjusting to this new way of life a bit of a challenge...

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 17, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 16, 2010 10:38 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Marrying Out of Money

We posted last week about Nicky Schmidt's third novel, The Anti-Model Agency, which is due for release next year. However, we don't have long to wait until Nicky's second novel is published. Marrying Out of Money will hit the shelves in November. Here's the synopsis (via ChickLitClub).

 

Marrying Out of Money follows the life and perils of rich coffee heiress Lou, who is madly infatuated with the less than erudite, tree-hugging, scruffy-to-the-point-of-smelly Hedge - member of rock band 4BY4. Lou's social-climbing mother decides that enough is enough, and hooks up with a poverty-stricken aristocrat to arrange a marriage between Lou and the snotty, outrageously good-looking Harry Partington - 40th in line to the throne. Not surprisingly, for both parties, it's hate on first sight. Still desperately in love with rock star Hedge, but with her beloved father ill and wanting nothing more that to see her married, Lou sets about making herself so repulsive that the aristocrats decide a future on a derelict council estate is preferable to having her as a daughter-in-law. Of course, nothing goes according to plan, and Lou finds herself questioning the wisdom of her actions, when she discovers that horrible Harry has a sensitive side after all.

You can read Nicky's blog here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 16, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: No Ordinary Girl

Little Black Dress Books always have some great new releases on the way, and here's an upcoming novel that's a bit different to most! No Ordinary Girl by AM Goldsher (author of Today's Special, The True Naomi Story and Reality Check) is out in November, and focuses on the life of none other than a superheroine. Here's the synopsis:

 

Abbey Bynum never asked for her strange superpowers; she was born with them and man, does she hate them. Only a few family members and her ex-fiance, the uptight government bureaucrat Murphy Napier, know her secret. But when supervillain Jon Carson appears on the scene under the guise of a brilliant new defence lawyer at her work, Abbey knows she must embrace her 'weird stuff' to have any chance of thwarting his plans for world domination. There's only one person who can assist her: Murphy. He's had a complete makeover since their split two years ago, but can he help Abbey triumph in her epic superbattle of good versus evil, winning back her trust and her heart in the process?

 

To find out more about AM Goldsher, click here to visit his website. Also, go here to check out Little Black Dress Books.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 16, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

August 13, 2010 10:28 PM

BOOK NEWS: Must Be Love

We enjoyed Trust Me, I'm a Vet - the previous novel in Cathy Woodman's Talyton St George series - and now the story continues in the latest novel set in the rural village. Must Be Love is to be published in October. Here's the synopsis!

Vet Maz Harwood loves her job as a partner at a country vet practice in the picturesque town of Talyton St George. To add to her happiness, she's in love with the gorgeous Alex, and he seems to love her back. As the new year dawns, Maz can't help feeling that she's never been happier. But when her business partner Emma suffers a terrible tragedy, it's up to Maz to keep the practice going. Suddenly life is spiralling out of control, what with working all hours, fending off insults from Alex's parents, keeping one eye on the lusty locum, and dealing with Emma's precarious emotional state. It won't take much to upset the apple cart. So when Maz discovers she's pregnant, life gets even more complicated.

To find out more about Cathy Woodman, head on over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 13, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

IN THE NEWS: Final Twilight book set to be biggest paperback release of the year

Not a week goes by without there being more news of Twilight's success, and it doesn't seem to be stopping. The Bookseller recently reported that Breaking Dawn, the fourth novel in Stephenie Meyer's famous teen vampire series, is set to be one of the biggest paperback releases of this year.

 

Breaking Dawn, the final novel in the series, is to be published in paperback on August 19^th. It has been available in hardback for two years.

 

Amazon's Amy Worth said: "We'd expect the paperback of Breaking Dawn to be one of the biggest paperback releases of the year, challenging hugely popular titles including Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol and Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. The Twilight franchise continues to do very well, as does anything vampire related as a whole, with Charlaine Harris's True Blood also featuring several times in the top 100 alongside Stephenie Meyer's series."

 

To read the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 13, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 12, 2010 8:20 PM

COVER NEWS: The Anti-Model Agency

Trashionista LOVED Nicky Schmidt's debut Naked In Knightsbridge, and we can't wait for her second novel, Marrying Out Of Money. Now, we have news of Nicky's third book, The Anti-Model Agency, that's due out in 2011!

The cover has just been released and we love it! What do you think?

Here's the synopsis for The Anti-Model Agency:

The life of Denise 'D' Harris is your average ill-fitting-discount-store-knock-offs to riches story. Growing up in a dusty little terrace on an estate in north London, D realises, at fifteen, that she is different. Thanks to the bizarre science of recessive genes, she is five ten and has the startling blue-green eyes and long golden locks of a wayward uncle who enjoys shooting squirrels and drinking loo water. As 'The Bimbo', as she is not so affectionately known at her agency, she lands a lucrative account early on in her career - the face of a little-known clothing outlet. Thanks to cheap labour in Asia; an owner with the guts to knock off the catwalk collections with an abandon Mussolini would be proud of; her quirky one-letter name and the recession, the store and D become household names. But, as with many models, D turns to substance abuse - although her particular preference is for large packets of home-brand crisps and jumbo-sized chocolate bars. When she is unceremoniously dumped by her only client and her agency for being overweight, D decides it is time to finally stand up for herself and seek her revenge in the only way she knows how.

Read Nicky's blog here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 12, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

August 11, 2010 3:00 PM

IN THE NEWS: Limited edition Twilight covers for Christmas

The Twilight series is set to be republished with a brand new jacket design in time for Christmas.

The limited edition covers of Stephanie Meyer's bestselling books (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) are due to be published with white and red cover designs by Atom on October 14th. The new paperback covers will only be available in the UK and Ireland and, according to The Bookseller, Little, Brown's publishing territories which include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India.

A box-set of the Twilight saga in hardback (along with novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner) will also be released in October.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 11, 2010 in Announcements, Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

COVER NEWS: I Heart New York

We're very fond of Lindsey Kelk's I Heart... series (including I Heart New York, I Heart Hollywood and more recently, I Heart Paris!) And now the first in the series about globe-trotting heroine Angela is being released in paperback in the States, with a whole new cover.

The book is due for release in the States on September 7th. We love the sophisticated American jacket, but what about you?

If you're not already familiar with Kelk's first novel, here's the synopsis:

When Angela catches her boyfriend with another woman at her best friend's wedding, she's heartbroken and desperate to run away. With little more than a crumpled bridesmaid dress, a pair of Louboutins, and her passport in hand, Angela decides to jump on a plane for . . . NYC!
Settling into a cute hotel and quickly bonding with benevolent concierge Jenny--a chatterbox Oprah wannabe with room for a new best friend--Angela heads out for a New York makeover, some serious retail therapy, and a whirlwind tour of the city. Before she knows it, she's dating two sexy guys and blogging about her Big Apple escapades for a real fashion magazine. But while it's one thing telling readers about your romantic dilemmas, it's another working them out for yourself. Angela has fallen head over heels for the city that never sleeps, but does she heart New York more than home?

To find out more, head on over to Lindsey Kelk's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 11, 2010 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 10, 2010 11:05 AM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Homecoming

Cathy Kelly's latest novel is due to hit the shelves soon. Homecoming will be released in mid-September. Cathy has written a number of books including Best of Friends, Past Secrets and Once in a Lifetime.

Eleanor Levine left Ireland seventy years ago with little more than a suitcase and her mother's handwritten recipe book. Now, a lifetime later, she's returning from New York with hard won wisdom and memories of her own. A renowned psychoanalyst, Eleanor knows there's one final journey she has to make! Lovely young actress Megan Bouchier didn't have to chase success -- it arrived effortlessly. Fame was what she always wanted until a disastrous affair made her the wrong kind of headlines -- now Megan needs a place to hide! Darkly beautiful Rae is a wonderful wife, a loyal friend and a dedicated community carer. From Titania's Tea Rooms she dispenses tea and sympathy to everyone -- until a painful secret from her past threatens everything she holds dear. Big-hearted teacher Connie O'Callaghan has given up on love. She's cheerfully approaching forty and besides, why does no man ever match the heroes in her beloved romantic novels? As Eleanor re-reads her mother's comforting words and watches life unfold from her window in Dublin's pretty Golden Square, she slowly becomes drawn into the lives of Megan, Rae and Connie. But can treasured wisdom handed down from mother to daughter really be relevant today? And what are the ingredients for a life well lived?

To find out more about Cathy Kelly and her books, check out Cathy's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 10, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 9, 2010 11:08 PM

BOOK NEWS: Swimming With Dolphins

Deborah Wright, author of The Celebrity Mother, is back with another novel - this time, away from the world of stardom and into the life of a recession-hit thirty-something. Swimming With Dolphins is due for release in November. Here's the synopsis:

Why wait to make your dreams come true? When the bottom falls out of Julia's world, she makes a wish list that will change her life for ever.

Julia is thirty years old and fiercely ambitious. But when the credit crunch wipes out the US bank she works for overnight, she finds herself unemployed and utterly lost. Her flatmate and best friend, Reece, advises her to make a list of all the things she's always wanted to do before she dies - and use her redundancy money to do them. Feeling she has nothing to lose, Julia embarks on a big adventure across countries and continents, armed with her list. She becomes involved in exciting love affairs, enjoys new experiences and heals old family wounds. Ultimately Julia realises she is searching for happiness and a meaning in her life she has always craved...

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 9, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 6, 2010 1:20 AM

BOOK NEWS: Amy Inspired

We were first drawn to Bethany Pierce's new novel, Amy Inspired, by the beautiful cover. The book is due for release in November and focuses on wannabe writer Amy. Here's the synopsis:

Amy Gallagher is an aspiring writer who, after countless rejections, has settled for a career as an English professor in small-town Ohio just to pay the bills. All her dreams suddenly start to unravel as rejections pile up--both from publishers and her boyfriend. But just as Amy fears her life is stuck in a holding pattern, she meets the mysterious, attractive, and unavailable Eli. She struggles to walk the fine line between friendship and something more with Eli, even as staying true to her faith becomes unexpectedly complicated. When secrets, tragedy, and poor decisions cause rifts in Amy's relationships, she must come to terms with who she's become, her unrealized aspirations for her life, and the state of her faith. Can she dare to hope that she will find love and fulfilment despite it all?

To find out more about Bethany Pierce and her books, head on over to Bethany's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 6, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 4, 2010 1:24 AM

NEW RELEASE: Perfect Meringues

Here's another great read for month ahead - Perfect Meringues by Laurie Graham was released at the end of July. Laurie has penned quite a few novels including At Sea, Mr Starlight and Life According to Lubka. Read on for the synopsis of Perfect Meringues...

 

It shouldn't have been like this. Being on television was meant to lead to fame and a glamorous social life. But for Lizzie Partridge, forty-something, divorced and TV cook on Midlands This Morning, it meant dinners for one, coping alone with an air-head adolescent daughter and following middle-aged men into corner shops pretending she needed a bottle of Lea & Perrins. Her good friend Louie - if only he wasn't gay - thought he knew what the trouble was: Lizzie was always on the wrong side of the glass, looking in at other people's lives. True or not, things for Lizzie were going to get a lot worse before they got better...

 

Click here to visit Laurie Graham's website.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 4, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 3, 2010 1:28 AM

BOOK NEWS: A Weekend With Mr Darcy

Here's a Jane Austen-inspired upcoming release that will see both Austen fans (and fans of Molly's Millions author Connelly!) delighted. A Weekend With Mr Darcy is due for release in mid-September and I can't wait to read this - Victoria's tale of lottery winner Molly was fantastic! Here's the synopsis:

 

Katherine Roberts is fed up with men. As a lecturer specialising in the works of Jane Austen, she knows that the ideal man only exists within the pages of Pride & Prejudice and that in real life there is no such thing. Determined to go it alone, she finds all the comfort she needs reading her guilty pleasure - regency romances from the pen of Lorna Warwick - with whom she has now struck up an intimate correspondence.

Austen fanatic, Robyn Love, is blessed with a name full of romance, but her love life is far from perfect. Stuck in a rut with a bonehead boyfriend, Jace, and a job she can do with her eyes shut - her life has hit a dead end. Robyn would love to escape from it all but wouldn't know where to start.

They both decide to attend the annual Jane Austen Conference at sumptuous Purley Hall, overseen by the actress and national treasure, Dame Pamela Harcourt. Robyn is hoping to escape from Jace for the weekend and indulge in her passion for all things Austen. Katherine is hoping that Lorna Warwick will be in attendance and is desperate to meet her new best friend in the flesh.

But nothing goes according to plan and Robyn is aghast when Jace insists on accompanying her, whilst Katherine is disappointed to learn that Lorna won't be coming.

However, an Austen weekend wouldn't be the same without a little intrigue, and Robyn and Katherine are about to get much more than they bargained for. Because where Jane Austen is concerned, romance is never very far away...

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 3, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 29, 2010 10:59 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Class Act

You might know of Kate Lace by her Little Black Dress titles, such as Moonlighting, The Love Boat and The Chalet Girl. Kate's back with another LBD title, due for release at the end of September, this time focusing on high society girl Tilly. Here's the synopsis:

Tilly de Liege may be Lady of the Manor, but it's not quite as fabulous as it sounds - the de Lieges may be high society but they're also flat broke. When boarding school-bound Tilly meets skater boy Ashley from the local comprehensive, it feels like the start of something special. Bur fate - and Tilly's father - are soon conspiring against them. Then moneyed older man Marcus appears on the scene... Are Tilly and Ashley star-crossed lovers or simply poles apart?

You can find out more about Kate Lace and her books at Kate's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 29, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 28, 2010 11:18 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Girl Who Chased The Moon

Being a fan of magical tales, I personally cant wait to read Sarah Addison Allen's novel The Girl Who Chased the Moon (and the cover is stunning!). Released in early August, the book follows Emily, who arrives in North Carolina to find out about her mother. But there's plenty more in store! Here's the synopsis:

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren't solved in Mullaby, they're a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbour, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town's sweet tooth - but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily's backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

To find out more about Sarah Addison Allen and her books, check out Sarah's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 28, 2010 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (1)

IN THE NEWS: Twilight sells two million copies

Stephanie Meyer's Twilight - the first book in of the highly popular saga - has sold two million copies.

The book, which focuses on Bella Swan and vampire love interest Edward and began a vampire craze that swept the world, recently became the 13th novel to reach the 2 million mark in the UK since the turn of the century.

According to The Bookseller, Meyer follows JK Rowling, Dan Brown and Mark Haddon in reaching the number. Twilight sales totalled 27,000 copies in 2007, but hit 355,000 the following year due to the movie adaptation.

£47.7 million has so far been spend on Stephanie Meyer's books since 2006.

To view the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 28, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (53)

July 22, 2010 1:32 AM

BOOK NEWS: No Strings Attached

 

Here's another book to add to the summer reading list! Karyn Grice's No Strings Attached will be released in mid-August, and focuses on Jasmine, who may have found The One...but there's rather a big catch. Here's the synopsis:

 

Jasmine Taylor vowed never to become attached to another man after her long-time boyfriend, Nicco, left her to marry another woman. Sean is a big-time music producer living an extravagant life, complete with a private jet, fancy condos and different women in every city. Although he knows Jasmine is the one, he's not ready to give up his lifestyle for a monogamous relationship. As Jasmine and Sean spiral in their complicated, openly emotional, yet non-exclusive relationship, they try to figure out if they can commit to one another-or if they need to just walk away.

You can find out more about Karyn Grice by visiting her website.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 22, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 21, 2010 10:28 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: Dead Wicked

Here's an upcoming release that looks particularly enjoyable! Juliet Bressan, author of Snow White Turtle Doves and Entanglement, has penned a new novel. Dead Wicked is  due to hit the shelves at the end of this month. Here's the synopsis:

Everybody's got a reason to be on Inish Rua, the magnificent storm-tossed island where wicked billionaire Pierce Fox hosts a retreat for the world's most fascinating artists . . . 

Ciara's solicitor husband Des has just run off with all his clients' money and is wanted by the police. . . . but will running away to Inish Rua be the escape she's looking for or will Ciara be haunted by Des's reputation forever?

Maggie's got a secret - a scandal about Gabriel Murphy, the latest Irish hot actor that she's just got to turn it into the scoop of a lifetime. . . but what if digging into Gabriel's life reveals something much more dangerous than she'd ever bargained for?

And Amy's got writers block with her newly-unemployed husband trying to be a stay-at-home Über-dad . . .but will she find herself in even more trouble once she gets to the island and meets the devilishly handsome Pierce?

So when broody Setanta Lynch, Turner-prize nominated Irish artist and super-brat turns up, nobody's heart is safe on Inish Rua. Mystery, mayhem and a little midnight murder will turn peaceful Atlantis House into bedlam . .

Find out more about Juliet Bressan by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 21, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (10)

BOOK NEWS: Mini Shopaholic extract now online!

We know you all can't wait to get your hands on the latest instalment of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series - but there's still a while to wait! Becky Bloomwood (sorry, Brandon) won't be back with her next retail-crazy adventure until September. But here's some good news - author Sophie has made an extract of Mini Shopaholic available online.

 

You can hear Sophie read the extract over at her website. We can't wait for the release!

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 21, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (6)

July 20, 2010 9:36 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Funny Thing About Love

Valentine author Rebecca Farnworth is back this summer with another novel, this time entitled A Funny Thing About Love. The book, which is due for release early next month, and focuses on comedy agent Carmen. Here's the blurb:

 

The funny thing about love is that just when you think you've got it sorted, it turns round and bites you.

 

Which is exactly what's happened to Carmen Miller.

 

Her soon-to-be ex husband's girlfriend is pregnant, her career as a comedy agent is going down the pan, she's made a fool of herself with fellow agent Will Hunter, a man she's fancied for ages, and to cap it all she has to move out of her flat. Surely things can't get any worse.

 

Moving down to Brighton to write the TV comedy series that she's always dreamed about, Carmen meets the divine Daniel. A man so gorgeous, she doesn't even mind that he's got long hair. It seems that Carmen's life is on the up again.

 

Until, that is... love bites again

 

Looks like Carmen's back where she started. But could it be that love isn't the problem? Maybe she's just been choosing the wrong men.

 

To find out more about Rebecca Farnworth and her books, visit Rebecca's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 20, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Me, Myself and Why

Fans of MaryJanice Davidson (The Undead series, Derik's Bane) will be delighted to hear that MaryJanice has not only just released Undead and Unfinished, the latest tale from the world of vampire queen Betsy, but she'll also be returning later this year with a brand new novel.

 

Me, Myself and Why is due for release in September, and is set to be a comedy focusing on FBI agent Cadence who has...well, an individual 'talent'. Here's the synopsis:

Sweet and innocent with a twist of girl-next-door, Cadence Jones is not your typical girl and certainly not your typical FBI agent.  Just ask her sisters, Shiro and Adrienne.  (Wait. . .best if you don't ask Adrienne anything.)  But it's her special "talent" which makes Cadence so valuable to the FBI and it never comes in more handy than when she and her partner, George, get tagged to bring down the Threefer Killer.  A serial killer who inexplicably likes to kill in threes, leave behind inexplicable newspaper clippings, and not one shred of decent forensic evidence, soon starts leaving messages that seem to be just for Cadence and her sisters.  Could it be that this killer knows all about Cadence's special "talent"?

In the meantime, love blooms in the most unexpected place when Cadence meets her best friend's gorgeous brother who is in town visiting--and she discovers that he knows her secret too!  When attraction burns hot between them her best friend isn't thrilled with the romantic development and this time Cadence just might agree!

Suddenly Cadence finds her unbalanced life turned even more upside down as she tries to date a baker who wants to get in her heart and in her bed, dodge a pesky psychiatrist, keep a leash on her sociopath partner, while trying to catch a serial killer who's now fixated on her. 

Some days it's not even worth getting up in the morning. . .

You can read an extract of Me, Myself and Why (and also a snippet from Undead and Unfinished!) over at MaryJanice Davidson's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 20, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 19, 2010 9:47 PM

COVER NEWS: Mini Shopaholic (US version!)

We're well aware that the world's Becky Bloomwood fans are eagerly awaiting the next Shopaholic instalment - and there's not long to go! Mini Shopaholic will hit the shelves in September, and we've already seen the fabulous UK cover.

 

Recently, Chicklit Club posted the cover image for the US version. And here it is! (The UK cover is on the left). What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

 

For those who don't yet know about the book, here's the synopsis:

 

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) thought motherhood would be a breeze and that having a daughter was a dream come true a shopping friend for life! But it s trickier than she thought two-year-old Minnie has a quite different approach to shopping.

She can create havoc everywhere from Harrods to Harvey Nicks to her own christening. She hires taxis at random, her favourite word is Mine , and she s even started bidding for designer bags on ebay.

On top of everything else, there s a big financial crisis. People are having to Cut Back including all of Becky s personal shopping clients and she and Luke are still living with Becky s Mum and Dad. To cheer everyone up, Becky decides to throw a surprise birthday party on a budget but then things become really complicated.

Who will end up on the naughty step, who will get a gold star and will Becky's secret wishes come true?

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 19, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (6)

July 15, 2010 9:41 PM

BOOK NEWS: Sweet Valley High - Ten Years Later

Do you remember reading the Sweet Valley High novels? If you enjoyed the teen tales of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield all those years ago then here's a little something for you!

The Sweet Valley twins are back - and they're all grown up! Francine Pascal, author of the original Sweet Valley High books, has returned with Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later.

The book, a womens' fiction novel that's set for release in March 2011, will see the return of idealistic twins Jess and Liz as they deal with the complicated adult world of love, careers, betrayal and sisterhood.

Is Liz a hot young journalist engaged to pro-basketball player Todd Wilkins and planning the sweetest backyard wedding? Is Jess gracing the covers of international fashion magazines and breaking the hearts of wealthy jet-setters? After the perfect childhoods, how will the real world affect the lives of the Wakefield Twins? We'll find out soon enough.

There's no official cover yet (we'll bring you updates ASAP!) but the first chapter is available to read on the Sweet Valley Confidential website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 15, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

July 12, 2010 6:48 PM

BOOK NEWS: And One Last Thing...

Molly Harper, author of the Nice Girls paranormal chicklit series, has returned with a new novel, And One Last Thing. The book, in which heroine Lacey gains internet fame after discovering her husband's affair, will be released at the end of July. Here's the synopsis:

 

"If Singletree's only florist didn't deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger's shock and humiliation over her husband's philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike's company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him.

The detailed mass e-mail to Mike's family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike's defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family's lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

To find out more about Molly Harper and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 12, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 9, 2010 12:15 AM

BOOK NEWS: A Vintage Affair

Isabel Wolff's novel A Vintage Affair became an instant hit when it was released in the UK last year. However, it's now set to be even more popular due to its recent release in the States.

 

A Vintage Affair was published on June 29^th by Bantam Dell and has not only gained a gorgeous new cover, but also a place on the current Barnes & Noble Recommends list.

 

For those unfamiliar with the book, here's the synopsis:

 

A Vintage Affair, Isabel Wolff's 8th novel, is about Phoebe Swift, a textiles expert, who gives up her plum job at Sothebys' in order to fulfil a long held pipe dream - to set up her own vintage dress store, Village Vintage.  But as Phoebe arranges the glorious old gowns, suits and 'cupcake' prom dresses in her sun-filled shop she is struggling with a recent trauma - her best friend Emma has died and Phoebe feels responsible.  Then she meets an elderly Frenchwoman, Therese Bell, who has a collection to sell - apart from one garment which she'll never part with - a child's sky-blue winter coat from wartime Provence.  Behind the  coat is a heartbreaking story.  In 1943, the then 12 year old Therese had promised the coat to her best friend Monique, who was in hiding from the Nazis; instead, she betrayed Monique and has lived with the guilt ever since.  Phoebe's friendship with Therese, and her own growing obsession with the fate of Monique is to change Phoebe's life forever.  A Vintage Affair is semi-historical, and can be characterised as a story of fashion, friendship, regret and redemption. It also has mystery, romance and comedy in addition to the pleasure of the beautiful clothes that Phoebe sells..

 

To find out more about Isabel and her books, check out Isabel Wolff's website. Alternatively, you can head on over to Barnes & Noble to watch a video of Isabel talking about A Vintage Affair.

Stay tuned for a giveaway!

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 9, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (3)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Aliya S King

Back in June we published the news of entertainment journalist Aliya S King's debut novel, Platinum, which is due for release this month.  Trashionista was delighted to speak to Aliya about the upcoming title!

 

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer.

Platinum is a saucy, sexy beach read about a group of four women in romantic relationships with entertainers.

What inspired you to write Platinum?

I was inspired to write Platinum after writing a story for VIBE magazine on the lives of rappers' wives. I was very intrigued by what I saw and after I handed in the story, I still had more to say. So I created composites and fictionalized the plot.

Where do you do most of your writing?

I have a wonderfully appointed office space that I rent out. And yet, I do most of my writing in my bed!

What is your favourite book?

I have many favorite books! I'm in love with Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor and I read it over and over again.

Which part of Platinum was the most fun to write?

I have to be honest, I looooved writing the sex scenes. I didn't know I had it in me!

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?

If you want to be published, you have to write. A lot. Preferably every day. The first three books I tried to get published were all rejected. PLATINUM came out of sheer tenacity. I'm not an overnight success.

Who is your favourite heroine?

My favorite heroine of literature would be Sula Peace from Toni Morrison's Sula.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so can you tell us?

I'm working on the sequel to PLATINUM. And it's almost done!! And I'm in love with it!

 

Thanks, Aliya!

 

To find out more about Aliya S King (and read chapter one of Platinum!), check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 9, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 7, 2010 10:49 PM

NEW RELEASE: A Desirable Residence

Most chick-lit fans would recognise the work of Madeleine Wickham as the hugely popular Shopaholic series. (Editor's note: If you haven't heard of those, then clearly you're living under a rock. Or you're an alien. Either way: Hello!) However, aside from penning the wonderful tales of fashionista and retail freak Becky Bloomwood, Madeleine has also been writing books under her...well, actual name...for years.

Madeleine's novel A Desirable Residence was first published in 1996, and has now been re-published in the States by St Martin's Press. For those unfamiliar with the book, here's the synopsis:

The asking price for this house includes a stunning renovation of hearts and dreams....Liz and Jonathan Chambers were stuck with two mortgages, mounting debts, and a miserable adolescent daughter. Then realtor Marcus Witherstone came into their lives--and it seemed he would solve all their problems. He knew the perfect tenants from London who would rent their old house: a glamorous PR girl, Ginny, and her almost-famous husband, Piers.

But soon Liz is lost in blissful dreams of Marcus, Jonathan is left to run their business, and neither of them has time to notice that their teenage daughter is developing an unhealthy passion for the tenants, Piers and Ginny. Everyone is tangled up with everyone else, and in the most awkward possible way. As events close in, they all begin to realize that some deceptions are just a bit too close to home...

To find out more about the book and hear an audio synopsis, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 7, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 6, 2010 12:31 AM

BOOK NEWS: A Touch of Dead

True Blood, the vampire series by Charlaine Harris, is becoming even more popular since its TV darkly additctive (and very sexy) adaptation.  For the book fans, anther addition to the collection is soon to be released. A Touch of Dead: A Sookie Stackhouse Collection, is due for release in August. Here's some more information...

 

Sookie Stackhouse enjoys her job as a cocktail waitress in Merlotte's, a small-town bar in small-town Bon Temps, deep in Louisiana. She's funny and pretty and, thanks to her grandmother, she's very well-mannered - but since not many people truly appreciate her ability to read their minds, the guys haven't exactly been beating down her door ...And then along came Bill, tall, dark and handsome - and Sookie couldn't 'hear' a word he was thinking. He was exactly the type of guy she'd been waiting all her life for. Of course, Bill had a disability of his own: fussy about his food, not into suntans, bit of a night person: yep, Bill was a vampire. But at least now Sookie nows there *are* guys she can date who won't worry about her catching them thinking about other women ...And that's going to make Sookie's life really interesting!

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 6, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

COVER NEWS: Priceless

Here's more celebrity book news  - Nicole Richie, whose debut novel The Truth About Diamonds was published in 2005, is back with a second book, titled Priceless. Nicole recently posted the cover of Priceless on her blog. Here it is!

 

What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 6, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 1, 2010 9:33 PM

New releases from Little Black Dress

The summer is now upon us, and time for a lot of us to be selecting some holiday books. Little Black Dress are known for their great romantic reads (and the perfect size to stash in the hand luggage if you're a bookaholic)! July will see some more fab releases from Janet Gover and Dorothy Howell, so here's to another start-of-the-month LBD update!

Girl Racers by Janet Gover (released 8th July)
Winning the race is one thing, but can Alex be a winner in love?

Tomboy lawyer Alex Reilly loves nothing better than coming first - except her sexy red Lotus sports car. Preparing for the gruelling Snowy Mountains Car Rally, Alex isn't expecting competition in the form of glamorous model Lyn Stanton. Lyn is everything Alex is not: blonde, gorgeous and girlie - and she's also navigating the race for Keir Thomas, the man who left town and broke Alex's heart eleven years ago. When the three are unexpectedly thrown together, Alex realises she must find a way to trust Keir again to have any chance of crossing the finish line first. Will they be able to confront their troubled past and rediscover not only their shared passion for cars, but each other? 

Shoulder Bags and Shootings by Dorothy Howell (released 22nd July)
Little Black Dress's favourite shopaholic sleuth, the lovable (and fashion-crazed) Haley Randolph is in trouble again...

Get ready for another thrilling and funny romantic suspense from Dorothy Howell. (Following on from Handbags and Homicide and Purses and Poisons).

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 30, 2010 9:46 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Only Way Is Up

Carole Matthews, author of numerous novels including It's Now or Never, All You Need is Love and A Compromising Position, has returned this year with another potential bestseller! The Only Way is Up will hit the shelves in September, and focuses on a family who are about to lose everything...

What do you do when there's nothing left to lose?

Lily and Laurence Lamont-Jones had it all: lavish holidays in exotic locations, a top private school for their two children and a beautiful home in the Buckinghamshire countryside.  
Then Laurence loses his job, and their house and all their belongings are repossessed. With nowhere else to go, the family move into a flea-ridden council house on a notoriously rough estate and start to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. But will Lily's dream of returning to a world of luxury ever come true - or have her priorities changed? For with the help of new friends, a little luck and a lot of determination she's about to learn what really matters.

To find out more about Carole Matthews and her books, check out Carole's website. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 30, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 29, 2010 10:20 PM

BOOK NEWS: Inheritance

The Brits among us will certainly be familiar with Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, the well-known IT-girl who's hardly media shy. And now TPT has a novel that's due for release in October, aptly titled Inheritance. (Love the cover though!) Here's some more info...

Notorious party-loving 'It Girl' Lyric Charlton has it all - the lineage, the looks and the lifestyle. A moneyed upbringing at the heart of one of the upper class's most well-connected families, a finishing school education and an address book bursting with the world's most powerful and high-profile people has crowned her the glamorous poster girl for the aristocratic glitterati.

But when her doomed relationship with suave boy-about-town Ralph Conway means she takes the good times too far, she is packed off to rehab by her worried parents, and the public shame and private humiliation that follow means Lyric's only option seems to be to retreat into sober obscurity.

But what no one can predict is the dramatic chain of events her exile sets in motion. For Lyric's treatment is the start of much more than a life as an ex-addict. It's the catalyst that exposes a complex web of deceit and betrayal - and leads Lyric on an increasingly dangerous quest to find the final missing piece of the jigsaw of her life...

What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 29, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (10)

June 28, 2010 9:57 PM

YA RELEASE: What's Your St@tus?

Here's another one for the YA fans! We loved Keris Stainton's debut Della Says: OMG! and this summer will see another upcoming read hit the shelves that focuses on social networking. Katie Finn, author of teen novel Top 8, is back with the sequel, What's Your St@tus? which is due for release in July. Here's the synopsis:

Madison still loves logging on to Friendverse to see what her BFFs and her cute new boyfriend Nate are up to.

But the latest social networking craze is Status Q, which is all about rapid-fire status updates. When one of Mad's friends has to pull off a high-pressure heist, the gang relies on Status Q to send coded messages to each other...all in the middle of a school dance!

What's YOUR status? How about O...M...G.

Click here to view Katie Finn's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 28, 2010 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWS: 82-year-old lands three-book deal

An 82-year-old grandmother is celebrating after her landing a three-book publishing deal. Myrrha Stanford-Smith's first novel, The Great Lie, was released last week and now the teacher and theatre director is looking forward to seeing the rest of the trilogy in print.

Myrrha, who is based in North Wales, described the shock she felt after receiving the phone call about the deal. She told the Telegraph: ''I was gobsmacked. I had to put the phone down and ring them back as I was so taken aback by the whole thing.

''I had to pull myself together before I could even pick up the phone to call back.
''It was out of the blue. I'd been waiting for the manuscript to be sent back really, rejected. It was such a wonderful surprise.''

The Great Lie focuses on Elizabethan hero Nick Talbot. The synopsis reads:

Nick Talbot, 16-year-old son of the late first Earl of Rokesby, escapes the clutches of his tyrannical guardian by running away with Will Kempe's troupe of travelling players. They bring him to London and into a hotbed of political and sexual intrigue. Nick is a talented lad and soon comes to the attention of playwright Christopher Marlowe. So begins a partnership that leads to one of the most audacious plots theatre has even known and puts Nick at the centre of a ring of actors, writers, spies and power-mongers.

Congratulations, Myrrha!

Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 28, 2010 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 25, 2010 11:59 PM

BOOK NEWS: Happiness Ever After

Trashionista adored Heaven Can Wait, the hilarious yet heartwarming supernatural debut from Cally Taylor. And we were delighted to hear that Cally's second novel will be released next year.

 

Happiness Ever After is due for publication in early January (according to Amazon) so we don't have long to wait. We'll keep you updated with the details!

 

Click here to visit Cally Taylor's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Undead and Unfinished

Fans of MaryJanice Davidson will be delighted to hear that her latest novel in the  hilarious Undead Series will be released next month. Undead and Unfinished, the next installment of vampire queen Betsy's adventures, is out on July 8th. Here's the synopsis...

Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor is fed up of trying to decipher the strange things prophesied in The Book of the Dead. At the end of her tether, she strikes a deal with Satan who promises to help - if she and her half-sister Laura pay a visit to Hell. Hell, it would seem, is more terrifying than Betsy could have ever imagined - a waiting room with bad carpeting, re-runs of 70s TV shows and ancient Good Housekeeping magazines. But when Betsy and Laura find themselves catapulted back and forth through time, they realise they could seriously screw everything up for good...

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 24, 2010 6:42 PM

NEWS: Richard and Judy book club on the lookout for 'rising stars'

The Richard and Judy Book Club is set to select its newest reads, with a deadline for publishers of Monday, 28th June. The new club will be with WH Smith, and books are due to be 'ratecarded'. According to The Bookseller, WH Smith has denied that the books will be selected mainly by publishers' payment.

The article states: "W H Smith's buying team will create a longlist of titles, across fiction and narrative non-fiction, which will be submitted to Richard and Judy's team who will select the final six. W H Smith is keeping its marketing and pricing plans under wraps but TV advertising is likely. The retailer's books business unit director Rachel Russell said: "The campaign will be a fully integrated marketing plan across all media.""

The promotion will run across 1,055 WH Smith stores.

Amanda Ross, producer of Channel 4's Richard and Judy, stated: "We take the selection process very seriously to ensure readers are recommended genuinely good books and have never been influenced by commercial interests."

To view the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 24, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 23, 2010 4:45 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: How Did You Get This Number?

Sloane Crosley, who has written for publications including the New York Times, New York Observer and GQ, has a new series of essays that's due for release. How Did You Get This Number is out on July 1st from Portobello Books. Here's the info...

What happens when the minibus full of your fellow wedding travellers hits a bear in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness? Or you hear the voice of your high school's long lost queen bee from a bathroom cubicle? For Sloane Crosley, these are the kind of transformative experiences that define our daily struggle to connect, however reluctantly, to our fellow man. While the title "Show Me on the Doll" refers to the afternoon TV specials of the 80s and 90s, it doubles as a plea from the author for a kind of instruction manual to navigate the difficult journeys of adulthood. From a lonely excursion to a Lisbon cafe to the sometimes disorienting experience of emerging from a New York subway, Sloane's new collection of essays will focus on a range of subjects related to travel.

Find out more about Sloane Crosley by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 23, 2010 in Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 22, 2010 6:11 PM

COVER NEWS: The Birthday Party

This may very well be book news, but I couldn't help but point out that the cover of this book is absolutely GORGEOUS! (Okay, so it might be a personal thing, but hey...I'm big on covers!)

The Birthday Party by Veronica Henry, whose short story collection The Beach Hut will be released in the summer, will hit the shelves in October. Here's the synopsis:

Delilah Rafferty has lived out her tempestuous marriage to hell-raiser Raf in the full glare of the media spotlight. Now, from the luxurious comfort of her beautiful kitchen, Delilah is planning her birthday party, a night that will see a star-studded gathering of friends and family celebrate in traditional Rafferty style. But she has more on her mind than just invitations... Raf has been offered a part in a movie he can't refuse. But will that mean he'll succumb to the temptations he's struggled so hard to resist for the last ten years - beautiful women and too much wine? And Delilah's three daughters, Coco, Violet and Tyger, are building careers of their own, only too aware that the press are waiting for them to slip up. For although the Rafferty girls might look like angels, they are only human. As with all families, there are secrets and rivalries bubbling away, and on one gloriously starry night, it's all going to come spilling out This is your invitation to a birthday party of the year...

For more information about Veronica Henry and her books, check out Veronica's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 22, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Ambition

Burlesque Starr Immodesty Blaize brought us a take of sex, stardom and scandal in her first novel, Tease. And now she's back, with the follow-up novel titled Ambition. Having thoroughly enjoyed Immodesty's insight into the glamorous world of burlesque with heroine Tiger Starr, it's exciting to hear that Ambition will be released in October! Read on for the synopsis...

Money. Fame. Love. Who says you can't have it all? Being the daughter of a showbiz icon is a mixed blessing for Sienna Starr. Though she dreams of following in her famous mother's footsteps, she wants to get to the top on her own merits. Securing a role as a chorus girl in the Follies seems a step towards achieving her ambitions. But life isn't all glamour and glitz and, off the Strip, Las Vegas can be a dark and sinister place. Sienna then makes the mistake of ruffling the feathers of the show's star, Brandy Alexander. A legend in her own dressing room, not least for her astringent charms, Brandy doesn't take kindly to younger, prettier girls trying to outshine her. Yet Brandy's has more than one skeleton in the closet and dark secrets she'd do anything to hide...

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 22, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 21, 2010 12:55 AM

BOOK NEWS: A Million Little Mistakes

We'd all like to experience winning the lottery, right? Well there's no sure-fire way to make that happen (if there is, could you please drop me an email and let me know? Thanks!) But there's soon to be a fun way to imagine it.

Heather McElhatton, who brought us the choose-your-own-ending book Pretty Little Mistakes, is now back with a sequel: A Million Little Mistakes. In which you, the reader, will win $22 million dollars in the lottery. But what will you do with it? Can money really buy happiness?

A Million Little Mistakes is out in August and sounds very exciting! Here's some more information...

A MILLION LITTLE MISTAKES is no ordinarly novel: it has one beginning and fifty different endings that will variously surprise, shock, and delight readers as they hunt for happiness.

Your story begins when you win twenty-two million dollars in the lottery. What happens next? It's entirely up to you. Do you get out of debt? Quit your job? Travel the world? Go on the shopping spree of a lifetime? The possibilities are endless!

Twenty-two million dollars can buy a lot, but can it buy a happy ending?

To find out more about Heather McElhatton, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 21, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 16, 2010 8:38 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Woman Like Me

Here's yet another columnist-turned-author with a new addition to her list of bestsellers! Polly Williams, author of The Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy, a Bad Bride's Tale and How to be Married, will return in March next year with her new novel A Woman Like Me. There's no cover available yet, but here's the synopsis:

Nell Stockdale is in a pretty good place. At 36, she's managing to combine a full-on media career with single motherhood. She's got a lovely London flat, great girlfriends, and has begun an affair with a sexy younger man. But there is bad news: her mother is very ill. Will she return to the family's large, damp Cornish farmhouse for the summer to care for her? It's a dilemma. Normally Nell keeps her family at arm's length. Her sister is engaged to Nell's ex big love. There's the aspirational sister-in-law, the flaky brother, and the inescapable fact that she has never got on with either Cornwall or her eccentric, distant mother. The past is another county. But something powerful is pulling her back.

Meanwhile, in Banbury, April James has finally found the courage to leave safe married domesticity and head south on a mission too, convinced that the Stockdales once played a part in her life. One handsome man will enchant both Nell and April. And as the women's paths cross, dark family secrets, hidden for a generation, change all their lives forever...

To find out more about Polly Williams and her books, check out Polly's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 16, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

COVER NEWS: Love is On the Air

Jane Moore, columnist and author of novels such as Dot Homme, The Ex Files and The Second Wives Club, is back with her newest novel, Love Is On The Air. No synopsis has been revealed as yet, but here's a peek at the cover!

What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 16, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (5)

June 15, 2010 10:12 PM

BOOK NEWS: Platinum

Here's another new release that sounds like a fantastic read. Penned by Aliya S King. Aliya is an entertainment journalist who has also worked on memoirs, Platinum focuses on the world of rap music. Here's some more information about the book, which is due for release in early July...

You only think you want this life . . .

Alex Maxwell is planning her wedding to up-and coming music artist Birdie, ghostwriting video vixen Cleopatra Wright's memoir, and she's just been assigned the story of the year by her editor in chief at a major music industry magazine - an article about the glamorous lives of women married to platinum-selling hip-hop artists. Alex has been interviewing celebrities and hangers-on long enough to know all that glitters isn't gold, so she's determined to get the real scoop. Still, it's not going to be easy to get past the wives' gilded cages. . .

Beth Saddlebrook, wife of aging rapper Z. They have three beautiful boys and a seemingly endless supply of cash. But Beth spends her days trying to keep Z off drugs and fielding calls from women hollering she's just a 'small-town white bitch' and claiming to be carrying Z's baby. Only one person understands what she's going through. . .

Kipenzi Hill, multiplatinum-selling R&B artist and Beth's best friend. Her relationship with rap star and record label president Jake is an open secret in the industry. She knows Jake loves her, but he'd rather break up than publicly acknowledge it. Now she has learned that the newest (and much younger) R&B sensation Bunny has been signed to Jake's label. Josephine Bennett, wife to Jamaican singer and überproducer Ras Bennett. Josephine doesn't just want to spend her husband's money, she wants to contribute. Her fashion company is finally starting to get media attention when her husband admits to something she's suspected all along - he's fallen in love with another woman.

Cleopatra Wright, every man's dream girl, a video vixen with a story to tell and scores to settle. Cleo's got that thing no one can put a finger on and no man (or woman) can resist. Some would call her evil or misguided or both, but Cleo always moves with a purpose and she'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. . .

Alex realizes she may have more in common with these women than she'd like. What if this is a glimpse of how her life will be if Birdie finally gets signed to a major label? Stuck between her loyalty to this newfound sisterhood and her obligation to write the truth, Alex is forced to rethink everything she knows about work, friendship, and love.

Find out more about Aliya S King and Platinum by visiting Aliya's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 15, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 14, 2010 9:46 PM

RECENT RELEASE: Steamed

The steampunk genre is becoming ever popular, and now one author has delved into the enchanting setting for her just-released novel. Katie MacAlister, author of many novels including You Slay Me and A Girl's Guide to Vampires, has also penned Steamed, a steampunk romance, which was released last month.

Here's the info...

When one of Jack Fletcher's nanoelectromechanical system experiments is jostled in his lab, the resulting explosion send him into the world of his favourite nivel - a seemingly Victorian-era world of steampower, aether guns, corsets and goggles. A world where the lovely and intrepid Octavia Pye captains her airship straight into his heart...

To find out more about Katie and her books, check out Katie's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 14, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 11, 2010 10:05 PM

BOOK NEWS: Why Do We Have To Live With Men?

Bernadette Strachan, author of The Reluctant Landlady and Diamonds and Daisies, is back with another book that will hit the shelves later this year. Why Do We Have to Live With Men? Is due for release in October and focuses on Cat, who decides to start a new life...without men! Here's some more information:

Well, it's a good question, isn't it? And Cat O'Connor, escaping from a ruined affair, is about to find the answer. When she is invited to join a group of women in a huge, decaying farmhouse deep in the West Country, Cat prepares to embark on a life without men. She is promised a nirvana of serenity where the chores are done without mutinous mutterings, nourishing food simmers on the Aga and feelings are taken seriously. But Cat soon discovers that women are no saints either. Vegetable-related subterfuge, secret passions, a misogynist ghost and a pig called Dave all nudge Cat on her way to answering the vital question in every girl's life with wit, humour and warmth.

 

Click here to read Bernadette Strachan's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 11, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Glee

American musical comedy show Glee has proved to be hugely successful, and now the series is being adapted into novels, with the first book, New Beginnings, set for release later this summer.

According to Chicklit Club, the first of the five-book series based on the show, which focuses on a high-school singing club, will be published by Little Brown Books and is set to be released in August alongside the launch of the second series. It's penned by Sophia Lowell. The second book will be titled Foreign Exchange.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 11, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 10, 2010 12:10 AM

BOOK NEWS: Hello, Heartbreak

Here's another summer debut that we can't wait to get our hands on! Amy Huberman's novel Hello, Heartbreak is due to hit the shelvs in the UK on 29th July, and focuses on getting your life together in your twenties.

Amy is a TV and film actress who can also be seen on Channel 4's Comedy Lab. We're looking forward to seeing what else she has to offer! Read on for the synopsis...

You'd think twenty-seven years would be enough time to wise up to the rules of love and loss, especially Rule Number 1: Do not, at any time, let him see how much he has hurt you. But no, Izzy Keegan was probably off doing sambuca shots when that lesson was taught. So, starting with public humiliation (that infamous blow-up with her Ex and his new woman...huge mistake), and taking in temporary insanity, rebound sex, and a night in a police cell along the way, Izzy has to make up her own rules for coping with heartbreak. Luckily she has friends who are there for her through thick and thin (even if 'doing an Izzy' is their new shorthand for completely losing it). And she's got her foot in the door of the film business (though dogsbody wasn't exactly the job she dreamt of doing). Now, all she has to do is put the dirty cheating love-rat behind her. You'd think twenty-seven years would be enough time to wise up to the rules of love and loss. Make that twenty-seven and a bit...

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 10, 2010 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (0)

UPCOMING RELEASE: Single in the City

Michele Gorman's debut novel is set to be one of the summer's hottest reads - and we don't have long to wait! Single in the City, out on 24th June, focuses on Hannah, who decides to leave her life in the US behind on a quest to find the perfect life. But is London everything she imagines? Read on for the synopsis...

It's official. Hannah has left her friends and family in the US behind and is following her dream. To live in London. Unfortunately she's completely unprepared for what's in store. She's going to find: 1. Her dream guy. A prince or Hugh Grant would be nice. Or does she have to settle for her half-naked Australian housemate or an "English gentleman" with terrible hygiene habits? 2. Her dream job. Something fantastic in fashion. So how has she ended up being the mini-me for an evil party planner who doesn't even trust her to arrange the paperclips? 3. Her dream friends. But everyone in London seems to have known each other for years and Hannah's having trouble getting to know nice people. Who's she going to have fun with? Dream life? Should Hannah just dream on? Maybe it would have been simpler and cheaper to just get a new haircut. Was she mad to move 3,000 miles away from everyone she knows? Will she ever find love and her perfect life in England?

To find out more about Single in the City and Michele Gorman, check out Michele's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 10, 2010 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (16)

June 9, 2010 11:53 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Secret Shopper Affair

Kate Harrison's  popular Secret Shopper books has been highly enjoyable since The Secret Shopper's Revenge was published in 2008, delving into theworld of employees known as mystery shoppers. And here's some news: the next book in the series is set for release next year.

 

Sadly, we have quite a wait - The Secret Shopper Affair is due to be published in November 2011. Updates will be posted as soon as we hear the details!

 

In addition, Kate's novel The Bride Hunter is set to be published in December 2011.

 

Aside from the Secret Shopper series, Kate Harrison has penned other novels including Old School Ties and The Starter Marriage. Click here to view her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 9, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Vintage Magic

Little Black Dress Books never fail to bring us some delightful romantic reads, and here's another to add to the ever-growing list. Vintage Magic by Sally Anne Morris (author of LBD's Trick or Treat) is out in August, and not only is the synopsis rather interesting but the cover is gorgeous, too! Here's the blurb:

Spirited silk, crafty crepe, lively lace, tricky taffetas and enchanting empire lines... How powerful is the perfect dress?

Her love life in tatters, Rose Taylor decides its time to run away from London and open a vintage dress shop near her sister in Bath. If anyone is able to fully appreciate the life-enhancing power of finding and wearing that one very special dress, it's Rose, but it seems the tea dresses, ball-gowns and lace in Viva Las Vintage! really do have a life of their own... As she uncovers the secret of the shop's magical powers, Rose realises that she can be transformed into a bewitching goddess, one with not only the power to get back the man she lost but to reach out and grab the life she's always wanted. Dressing to impress is about to take on a whole new meaning...

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 9, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (8)

June 8, 2010 10:36 PM

NEW RELEASE (and a competition!): Win a copy of Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Here's some news that'll please fans of Meg Cabot (Trashionista included!) After her highly successful adult books including the Heather Wells series (Size 12 is Not Fat) and Queen of Babble, Meg's latest adult novel, Insatiable, is out today - and we have two copies of the book to give away.

Here's the synopsis of Insatiable:

Vampires. This isn't the first time they've taken a bite out of popular culture.  And with INSATIABLE (June 8), #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot blends trend with tradition as only she can to create a fresh, funny, pulse-pounding and poignant update of our darkest eternal Gothic romance, Dracula.

Sick of hearing about vampires?  So is Meena Harper.  But as a writer for Insatiable, the second-hottest daytime soap (thanks to her burdensome if lucrative psychic ability to see into the future and determine how people are going to die), Meena's being forced to use a vampire story line to boost ratings.  But, just as Insatiable is switching to a vampire theme to attract a younger demographic, a spate of chilling murders-by-exsanguinations grips New York City.

Enter Lucien Antonescu, a sexy, melancholic Romanian history professor / vampire who recognizes that the murders are the work of rogue vampires who have broken away from his order (Lucien happens to be the son of Vlad the Impaler, whom Bram Stoker gave such a bad rep).  Lucien's opposition: Alaric Wulf, a sympathetic detective from the Palatine Guard, who hopes to use Meena and her prophetic gift to stop the murders and track down Lucien.

Unfortunately for Alaric, Meena is a little in love with Lucien.

Meg Cabot winningly applies her trademark likable fallible protagonists and breezy storytelling.  With INSATIABLE, she injects some much needed Gothic romance (and humor) back into the vampire oeuvre, and once again stakes her claim as the "master of her genre."


To order your copy, click here. Or to find out more about Meg Cabot and her books, check out Meg's official website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 8, 2010 in American Authors, Announcements, Book News, Competition | Permalink | Comments (403)

June 7, 2010 10:23 PM

BOOK NEWS: Different For Girls

With so much great new fiction coming out this summer, it was also delighting to receive two new non-fiction releases in the mail this week: Catherine Ryan Howard's Mousetrapped and Different For Girls, a memoir focusing on the music world.

Different For Girls: A Girl's Own True-Life Adventures in Pop was penned by Louise Wener, lead singer of 90s band Sleeper. Sleeper disbanded in 1998, but Louise has since written four novels. Here's more information about the memoir, which is released on June 10th:

This is a story of an ordinary girl's transformation from awkward 80s suburban pop geek to 90s jet-set pop goddess. It's about the embarrassments of growing up and experimenting with who you are and how pop music is both the comic and life-affirming soundtrack that runs through it all. "Different for Girls" is for anyone who ever sang into a hairbrush and slow-danced to Spandau Ballet's "True". It's about growing up with "Look-In" and "Jackie" magazine and daubing your hair with poster paint to look more like Toyah Wilcox. It's about bad perms, bad boyfriends and the nagging feeling that no man will quite measure up to Nick Heyward from Haircut One Hundred. It's also about the journey from bad band to great band, from gigs in toilets to gigs in stadiums with all the mistakes, joys, disappointments and successes in between. It's a journey which starts with a 12-year-old perfecting her dance routine to Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" in front of TOTPs and ends, almost 20 years later, with the same girl having REM's Michael Stipe sing happy birthday to her on a warm summer's evening accompanied by 70,000 strangers. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 7, 2010 in Book News, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (66)

June 4, 2010 10:06 PM

BOOK TRAILER: The Dating Detox

Trashionista loved The Dating Detox, the debut novel by Gemma Burgess, and now the book has a trailer - and it's fantastic. 

To view, head on over to the official trailer website.

You can also find out more about Gemma Burgess and The Dating Detox (and of course, the making of the trailer!) at Gemma's website. Here's the synopsis of The Dating Detox:

If you can't date anyone nice, don't date anyone at all...Dating is a dangerous sport. So after her sixth successive failed relationship, romantically-challenged 20-something Sass decides she's had enough. The Dating Detox is born. No men, no break-ups, no problem. The result? Her life -- usually joyfully/traumatically occupied with dates, clothes and vodka -- is finally easy. Chastity rocks. No wonder nuns are always singing. Everything falls at her feet. Especially men. Will Sass break the rules? Why does fate keep throwing her in the path of the irritatingly amusing -- and gorgeous -- Jake? Will she ever roll the dice and play again? Or is a love-free life too good to risk losing? For the post-Carrie Bradshaw, post-Bridget Jones, post-credit crunch generation of singles, life isn't beautiful, a bitch, or a beach. It's a party.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 4, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 3, 2010 10:31 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Final Hitch

Here's yet another exciting new release form Little Black Dress books this month. Samantha Scott-Jeffries is back with The Final Hitch - the awaited follow-up to I Do, I Do, I Do. Here's the synopsis...

Izzy Mistry loves her job planning weddings in Majorca but she wasn't expecting any proposals herself. And certainly not from two different men in one night! So now she's chosen the one she wants - old flame Harrison - and fallen in love with a rustic house in the mountains, Izzy's life is looking a lot more romantic.

But as the happy couple wrestle with renovations and struggle to settle into village life, suddenly everything seems a little less rosy. Izzy's starting to feel the heat. But is this normal pre-wedding nerves... or is she about to make a massive mistake?

The Final Hitch will be released on 10th June.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 3, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 1, 2010 2:41 AM

BOOK (AND MOVIE!) NEWS: The Duff

Kody Keplinger's upcoming YA novel The Duff (standing for Designated Ugly Fat Friend) is set to be adapted into a movie. The book is due for release in September 2010 and follows the life of seventeen-year-old Bianca who believes she's the 'ugly friend'.

According to ComingSoon, the rights have been optioned by McG, and will be produced by Wonderland Sound & Vision. Read on for the blurb...

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Click here to visit Kody Keplinger's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 1, 2010 in Book News, Movie News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 31, 2010 10:48 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Hating Game

We've seen some exciting upcoming novels so far this year, and they just keep coming! Here's another book that I can't wait to get my hands on. The Hating Game, the debut novel from Talli Roland, is due for release in early 2011. (Okay, we have a while to wait yet, but it sounds fab!)
Here's the synopsis...

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy.
After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £50,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes.

Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

Who will win The Hating Game?

You can find out more about Talli Roland and The Hating Game by checking out Talli's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 31, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: I Think I Love You

Allison Pearson, bestselling author of I Don't Know How She Does It, is  back with another offering, this time focusing on two friends who share a love for David Cassidy. I Think I Love You is due for release in June. Read on for more info...

Deliciously clever and touching, with a compelling twist, I THINK I LOVE YOU asks what happens when the man you thought you loved turns out to be somebody else...In her bestselling debut, I Don't Know How She Does It, Allison Pearson spoke to mothers everywhere. Now, in I Think I Love You, she is back with her pitch-perfect ability to observe our lives, loves and relationships.

We enter the world of two unforgettable friends: Petra and Sharon, in 1970s South Wales, who live for David Cassidy. His fan magazine is the girls' Bible and they memorise every word that he sings and writes, in the hope of becoming the future Mrs Cassidy. But unbeknownst to Petra, and to millions of other hopefuls, David's letters may not be all his own work. The secret lies with Bill Finn, English graduate turned reluctant pop journalist, whose job it is to compile the Ultimate David Cassidy Quiz. Top prize: the trip of a lifetime, to meet your one and only love. Over two decades later, bruised by grief, Petra is living with her thirteen-year-old daughter, who has her own teen crush. By sheer chance - unless you believe in destiny - Petra discovers that the questions which obsessed her back in 1974 are suddenly very much alive. And Bill, successful in business but never in love, has some confessions of his own...

I Think I Love You is a classic story of friendship across the decades. A romantic comedy with a broken heart, it is Allison Pearson at her humane and captivating best.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 31, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 25, 2010 10:27 PM

BOOK NEWS: An Ideal Wife

Trashionista loved Gemma Townley's The Importance of Being Married, the tale of Jessica Wild, who makes it her priority to marry her boss in order to gain a vast inheritance. The book was followed by the sequel, A Wild Affair, in January. Now the third novel in the Jessica Wild series, An Ideal Wife, is set for release in 2011.

Read on for the synopsis...

Married to the man she loves - sweet, sexy Max - Jessica Wild-Wainwright is blissfully happy...except for one tiny little problem. She never confessed to an (almost) tryst with Max's biggest rival right before their wedding. Eaten up with guilt, and with looming threats of exposure, Jessica decides to give Max what he clearly still lacks: the Ideal Wife. With the help of her friends, she will become perfect in every way: doting, devoted, domestic-everything Max deserves. However, the path to perfection is fraught with peril, from culinary chaos to a boudoir disaster that puts Max in the hospital with a broken leg. As Jessica rallies to run Max's company - met with overt hostility by an obsessive co-worker and by an auditor determined to uncover everyone's secrets - things are decidedly less than ideal. Throw in a semi-retired Russian stripper and strange men watching her apartment, and Jessica fears Project Ideal Wife has backfired miserably. Can a less than perfect wife save the day?

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: From Notting Hill With Love...

Here's an upcoming release that's highly likely to delight the film fans! Ali McNamara's first novel, aptly titled From Notting Hill With Love...Actually, is out in November, and even though we have quite a while to wait (boo!), it certainly sounds like an interesting debut...

Scarlett O'Brien is in love ...with the movies. Utterly hooked on Hugh Grant, crazy about Richard Curtis, dying with lust for Johnny Depp, Scarlett spends her days with her head in the clouds and her nights with her hand in a huge tub of popcorn. Which is not exactly what her sensible, DIY-obsessed fiance David has in mind for their future. So when Scarlett has the chance to house-sit an impossibly grand mansion in Notting Hill ? the setting of one of her all-time favourite movies ? she jumps at the chance to live out her film fantasies one last time. It's just a shame that her new neighbour Sean is so irritating ? and so irritatingly handsome, too. As a chaotic comedy of her very own erupts around Scarlett, she begins to realise there's more to life than seating plans and putting up shelves. What sort of happy ending does she really want? Will it be a case of Runaway Bride or Happily Ever After? The big white wedding looms, and Scarlett is running out of time to decide ...

Click here to visit Ali McNamara's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

NON-FICTION RELEASE: Mousetrapped

Recently I stumbled upon the blog of Catherine Ryan Howard, author of Mousetrapped. With the summer on its way and the UK being sunny for once, many will be dreaming of heading off abroad to somewhere hot and exciting, and of course, many won't want to leave. And with Disneyland being dubbed the happiest place on earth, who WOULDN'T want to move there? Well, 29-year-old Catherine from Cork did exactly that. In Mousetrapped, her memoir, Catherine tells all about her move to paradise which isn't exactly as happy as it seems...

When Catherine Ryan Howard decides to swap the grey clouds of Ireland for the clear skies of the Sunshine State, she thinks all of her dreams - working in Walt Disney World, living in the United States, seeing a Space Shuttle launch - are about to come true. Ahead of her she sees weekends at the beach, mornings by the pool and an inexplicably skinnier version of herself skipping around Magic Kingdom.

But not long into her first day on Disney soil - and not long after a breakfast of Mickey-shaped pancakes - Catherine's Disney bubble bursts and soon it seems that among Orlando's baked highways, monotonous mall clusters and world famous theme-parks, pixie dust is hard to find and hair is downright impossible to straighten.

The only memoir about working in Walt Disney World, Space Shuttle launches, the town that Disney built, religious theme parks, Bruce Willis, humidity-challenged hair and the Ebola virus, MOUSETRAPPED is the hilarious story of what happened when one Irish girl went searching for happiness in the happiest place on Earth.

View the Mousetrapped book trailer here, or check out view Catherine Ryan Howard's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 25, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (10)

May 21, 2010 3:31 PM

BOOK NEWS: Picture Perfect

Jodi Picoult fans will be pleased to hear that her latest book will be out next month. Picture Perfect is due for release on June 24th. Here's the synopsis:

A woman wakes to find herself in a graveyard, hurt and bleeding, her memory wiped clean. She doesn't know what she's doing there - or even who she is.She is rescued by a police officer, himself a newcomer to Los Angeles. After days of waiting, she is taken by complete surprise when she is finally identified by Alex Rivers, Hollywood's biggest movie star - and her husband.Cassie is dazzled and bewildered by the fairytale in which she suddenly finds herself. But everything is not quite right, and there is something dark and disturbing behind this glamorous facade. It is only as her memory gradually returns that her picture perfect life comes crumbling down, and Cassie is faced with choices she never dreamed she would have to make.

To find out more about Jodi Picoult and her books, visit Jodi's official website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 21, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 20, 2010 12:34 PM

NEW RELEASE: Kissing Mr Wrong (plus, win a copy!)

Kissing Mr Wrong by Sarah Duncan (author of Adultery for Beginners and A Single to Rome) hit the shelves on May 13th and is set to be a great summer read. Here's the synopsis:

Lu Edwards believes in travelling light, not even a goldfish to tie her down. All she needs is a Mr Right to slip into her streamlined life. 

She knows what she wants: she's even made a list, and Marcus fits the bill to perfection - if only he wasn't moving to Minneapolis. Meanwhile Lu's grandmother has another man she wants to track down, a soldier from the First World War, but there's only a photograph to go on.

Lu turns for help to Nick, a WWI expert with more baggage than Heathrow, right down to the kids, ex-wife and hamster. He is, on paper, everything she doesn't want in a man. But as he helps Lu trace her family history, she finds herself falling for his chaotic charms and as she does, her life starts to unravel...Perhaps Nick's not the only one with baggage after all.
 Playing the wicked step-mother was never on the list, so why, when she should be looking for Mr Right, is she getting so hung up on Mr Couldn't-be-more-wrong?

To find out more about Sarah Duncan and her books, head on over to Sarah's website.

Trashionista has a copy of Kissing Mr Wrong to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave a comment, making sure you leave your email address in the email field so that we can contact you if you've won. Competition will close on June 1st. Good luck!

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 20, 2010 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (14)

May 19, 2010 10:38 PM

NEW RELEASE: Heaven, Hell and Mademoiselle

Here's yet another seemingly interesting new release to add to the summer reading list! Harold Carlton's Heaven, Hell and Mademoiselle hit the shelves last week, and it focuses on four young newcomers to the world of fashion. Read on for the blurb...

Four young fashion hopefuls arrive in Paris, 1968, determined to claw their way to the top of the ruthless world of the haute couture. Monique, a seamstress destined to become so much more, watches Chanel's staff spray No 5 perfume in the street outside the famous maison de couture. Can her dreams of success and love come true in this magical place? Christopher, London born and bred, a handsome new designer, determined to make it in a world where sex-appeal and success go hand in hand - and heterosexual men are rare and prized. Samantha, an ultra-spoiled Daddy's girl who always gets her way, has the gift of selling French perfume and fashion with sex, sex and yet more sex. But can a loud, brash American ever conquer the sophisticated ladies of Paris? And hauntingly beautiful Sophie, the top model who becomes Chanel's 'Face' on a million billboards and magazine covers, yet has a terrible secret in her past that refuses to stay buried. Four young lives collide and entangle in the secretive world of French fashion as Harold Carlton weaves a spellbinding tale of passionate love, ambitious rivalry and exquisite clothes.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 19, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 17, 2010 1:34 PM

IN THE NEWS: Cafe novelist scoops £250,000 advance

We've all heard about how coffee-shop wirter JK Rowling was rejected countless times by publishers before making her fortune. Now here's another similar story (something nice and motivational for all the aspiring writers out there!)

37-year-old Marina Fiorato write her historical novel, The Glassblower of Murano, in cafes with her baby perched on her lap, according to The Telegraph.

Marina's book was rejected by every major publisher in Britain before being taken on my a small publisher. However, she has recently gained a £250,000 advance for her current novel The Botticelli Secret and its follow-up.

Fiorato also signed a deal for a Hollywood adaptation of the book this week. The article states:

Fiorato spent months writing her first novel in London coffee shops, to escape her cramped one-bed flat, choosing ones in bookshops so she could check historical details in books.
It has now become a global best-seller in 21 languages and this week she revealed she has been commissioned by a US producer to write a movie screenplay.

Her follow-up novel The Madonna of the Almonds went on to emulate the success of her debut and her latest, The Botticelli Secret, looks set to be her biggest hit yet.

She said: "The reaction I got from the major publishers was very disheartening. I was told it was derivative and even unpublishable, but I kept on sending it off to people.

"Every major publishing house turned it down flat. We had dozens of rejections. Finally Beautiful Books saw promise in it and took a chance on me. "

Read the full article here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 17, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: Chanel Sweethearts

Cate Kendall, the pen name of Australian writing duo Lisa Blundell and Michelle Hamer, are back with another release following previous novels Gucci Mamas and Versace Sisters. Chanel Sweethearts is due for release this month. Here's the info:

Country girl Jess has lost so much in the past year. So when an old flame reappears to offer her a new life in the city, far from the idyllic country town where she grew up, Jess decides to trade her work boots for stilettos and reinvent herself as a sophisticated city designer. But can she leave Stumpy Gully and her beloved General Store, which she transformed from rickety shed into a thriving, funky destination at the heart of the small town? Has she got what it takes to succeed in the city? And what about the friends she will leave behind, and the possibility of a romance with her oldest, dearest friend?

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 17, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 14, 2010 9:57 PM

BOOK NEWS: Waxed

It's already been proven that you don't necessarilly need to be female to write great female fiction (see Mike Gayle and of course, the author behind Holly's Inbox!). Now former New York publicist Robert Rave (author of Spin) is set to join the summer reading lists with his brand new novel, Waxed.

Waxed will hit the shelves in August and seems like an interesting read. Here's the synopsis:
 
Waxed is the story of three relationship-challenged sisters working together at New York's hottest waxing salon, catering to socialites, actresses and regular folk alike.
 
Yank. On the surface, glamorous Carolina Impresario--big sister and owner of Impresarios--unapologetically wants it all, but secretly she is caught between her successful boyfriend and the one man she has ever truly loved.

Pluck. After a painful divorce, middle-sister Anna reluctantly reenters the workforce and puts on a brave face while attempting to raise her children, one of whom is decidedly different.
Tear. Newlywed Sofia is a hybrid of her two older sisters: she loves the idea of domestic life like Anna, but is entranced by New York nightlife and a new best friend, resulting in some major complications at home.

Amidst the sticky confines of a perfectly manicured world, these three sisters search for love, friendship, and better versions of themselves.

Waxed is a funny and heartfelt novel that illustrates the lengths to which some women will go to present a seemingly flawless exterior, even when it involves pain...

To find out more about Robert Rave and Waxed, visit Robert's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 14, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: What the Hell is He Thinking?

For those who are into dating bibles (Well, who HASN'T read He's Just Not That Into You?), there's another addition that's due for release this summer. What the Hell Is He Thinking?: All the Questions You've Ever Asked About Men Answered by journalist Zoe Strimpel is set for release in July. In the book, Zoe (also known as Girl About Town in thelondonpaper) aims to delve inside the minds of men and find out the answers to the questions women REALLY want to know...

What does he think if I sleep with him on the first date? Why is he possessive even when he isn't all that into me? What does it mean when he won't call me his girlfriend? Why does he freak out when I leave my stuff at his house? What the HELL is He Thinking? Having spent a good part of her post-pubescent life picking apart dating dilemmas with her girlfriends over cocktails, Zoe Strimpel decided it was time to do something once and for all about the mystery that is the male mind. So, instead of moping about in the Mars/Venus divide, Zoe did something completely crazy: she talked to actual guys, getting them to explain the tales of confusion that she had gathered from her friends. And - would you believe - they had a lot of gems to offer. So while she had their attention, she also asked them the Eighty Questions You Most Want Men to Answer. 
 

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 14, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 13, 2010 10:22 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Perfect Proposal

Bestselling author Katie Fforde has brought us some a whole host of wonderful novels, and now she has another to add to the list! Katie's latest book, A Perfect Proposal, is due for release in hardback in June. Here's a bit more about the book:

Sophie Apperly's frustratingly dismissive family has never taken her seriously.  Fiercely academic, they see her more practical skills as frivolous - whilst constantly taking advantage of her.  So when her best friend Milly invites her over to New York, she jumps at the chance.  It'll do her ungrateful family good to do without her for a while and, as Milly keeps telling her, it's time she spread her wings.  What's more, she's on a quest - America holds the key to solving her family's financial woes, even if they don't deserve her help.

From the moment Sophie hits the bright lights of Manhattan she's captivated. Feeling like she's stepped into the middle of a film set, Sophie is determined to enjoy every minute of her big adventure.  So when an evening at an art gallery opening throws her into the path of Matilda, a spirited old lady who invites her to Connecticut for Thanksgiving, Sophie willingly accepts, much to the dismay of Matilda's grandson Luke.  Undeniably attractive but infuriatingly arrogant, he is very protective of his grandmother and seems to doubt Sophie's motives for befriending her.  No match for the formidable Matilda, he eventually admits defeat, but first he has a proposal to make.  He'll help Sophie in her quest to save her family from financial ruin if she returns the favour.  But just what does she have to do in return...?

To find out more about Katie Fforde and her books, check out Katie's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 13, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

COVER NEWS: Elixir

We posted back in April about American singer and actress Hilary Duff potentially beginning a new career as a novelist with her debut book, Elixir. Now, the synopsis and cover are available! Read on for the book blurb...

Ever since she was small, Clea Rayner has been haunted by both a gift and curse. When she takes photos, extra pictures appear on the camera - photos she hasn't taken. These photos are a calling; she must find and go to their location, where she always discovers a tragedy that only she can stop. She has seen some harrowing things, and it's made her wary of opening her heart to anyone. Yet what haunts Clea most is not the dire situations she sees, but the mystery of her father, who disappeared two years ago and is now presumed dead. She has only one clue about what happened to him: a photograph that arrived after his disappearance.

No matter how much she studies the picture, Clea can't tell where it is, but she carries it with her everywhere, just waiting for the revelation that will help her. That revelation comes on a trip to Colombia, where she meets Race; a strikingly handsome, magnetic and enigmatic stranger and despite Clea's reticence to open her heart, she feels an instant connection to Race that she can't explain. But whatever has brought them together is also threatening to tear them apart and as the mystery of her father's disappearance unravels, Clea discover that she has powers that are bigger than anything she could have anticipated...

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 13, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (6)

May 11, 2010 9:51 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Keris Stainton

It's always exciting when someone you know has a dream come true! You may remember Keris Stainton as one of the previous Trashionista editors. Now, however, she'll be answering the questions as her debut novel, Della Says, has just been released. We spoke to Keris about her brand new novel, the inspiration behind it, and what she'll be working on next!

To check out the Della Says blog tour, click here.

Please describe your books in 15 words or fewer.
Della's diary's missing. How can she enjoy first love when someone is spreading her secrets?
(That was hard!)

What inspired you to write Della Says?
My own diary going missing when I was a teenager! My sister had a party when our parents were away and the next day I couldn't find my diary. It eventually turned up, but in the meantime, I was expecting someone to use it to humiliate me (cos that's the kind of paranoid teenager I was!) So then I started thinking about how much worse that would be if you were a teenager now, with so many more opportunities to share information.

Where do you do most of your writing?
In my office (the front room of our house). It's very messy and I'm surrounded by piles of washing, bags of stuff to go to the charity shop, my 5-year-old's bike... And in the summer ants come in from the front garden and scurry all over my desk!

As you were previously editor here at Trashionista, I have to ask: What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Lisa Jewell's Thirtynothing. Every detail is perfect. I love the characters and the setting. I could happily read it over and over.

And what about your favourite YA?
The Princess Diaries series. I know that's cheating, picking a whole series, but I couldn't choose just one book. It's so sweet and funny and Mia Thermopolis is such a great character.

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
Probably Mia. I love her so much that if my son had been a girl, I was planning to name him Mia.

Do you write in any other genre?
Not so much, no. I've written an adult book, but that's chick lit too. It's what I (mostly) read, so it's also what I write.

What part of Della Says was most fun to write?
I love Della's parents, so I had fun writing any of their scenes. But really all of it was fun apart from the actual diary extracts, which I found really hard. They have to be embarrassing to Della, which meant they were embarrassing to me too. I had to get over it, but I still cringe thinking about them.

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?
Join a writing group. An online one is fine if you're self-conscious about reading your work aloud (which is also fine, btw - I still can't do it). If you can't find one that suits, start your own. I founded a chick lit writing group a few years ago and it was the best thing I did for my writing.

What are you currently reading?
I'm re-reading Meg Cabot's All-American Girl: Ready or Not. And after that I'll be reading Judy Blume's Deenie and the a book called Pop by Aury Wallington. And if anyone knows what those three books have in common (the reason I'm reading them, I mean, rather than that they're all YA or by American authors or whatever), then I'll send them a copy of my book!

Are you working on anything at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
At the moment I'm spending so much time promoting Della that I haven't really got time for anything else. But soon - very soon - I'll have to knuckle down and get on with the next book, which will hopefully be out next summer. It's about Jessie who, after having her heart broken, goes to New York for the summer, and an American boy named Finn who is in love with his best friend's girlfriend. Working title is 'Jessie *hearts* NYC'.

Thanks, Keris!

To find out more about Keris and Della Says, check out Keris's website!

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 11, 2010 in Book News, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK NEWS: 'Modelland' by Tyra Banks

This week we've already posted the news of upcoming novels from celebs Katie Price and Sarah Silverman. The celebrity stories and memoirs just keep coming - and here's another household name joining the ranks of celeb novelists.

Model and presenter Tyra Banks has recently gained a three-book deal with Random House, starting with her first novel, entitled Modelland.

There's no synopsis or publication date as yet, but according to People magazine, the idea for the novel has been with Tyra for quite some time.

The article states:

"I said I was going to do it, and here it is!" Banks, 36, writes in a note to fans posted Tuesday on Tyra.com. "It's for all the girls and guys who want a lot more FANTASY in their lives ... and some fierceness and magic, romance and mystery, crazy and wild adventures, and yeah, some danger too.

"It's my novel called Modelland (pronounced "Model Land") that takes you to a fantastical place you've never seen, or heard about, or read about before ... Where dreams come true and life can change in the blink of a smoky eye."

Read the full article here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 11, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 10, 2010 6:40 PM

IN THE NEWS: Sarah Silverman autobiography

American comic Sarah Silverman delights many and offends an equal amount! And now she's written an autobiography that has 'wowed' the critics, according to the Guardian.

39-year-old Sarah's book, The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee, was released in hardback in April and is already gaining quite a bit of attention. The article states:

"Race and sex have been hot-button topics within the male-dominated comic world for decades. Silverman is cutting-edge because she is one of the few women to be openly offensive and make a name for themselves," said Ashley Dos Santos, a celebrity expert at Crosby Volmer International Communications.

But now Silverman has done, perhaps, the most unexpected and outrageous thing yet: she has written a heart-warming and revealing book that has critics swooning at its portrayal of the real Silverman behind the TV persona. It has also offered an intensely personal look at a comic who has zealously guarded her private life and revealed little about how her true personality differs from her potty-mouthed stage creation.

To read the full article, click here. Below is the synopsis of Silverman's autobiography (via Amazon):

Demonstrating that her penchant for swearing began at an early age, comedian Silverman begins her hilarious memoir by describing how, at age three, she gleefully responded to her grandmother's offer of brownies with shove 'em up your ass. Growing up in New Hampshire (where cows are well done and Jews are rare), Silverman naturally gravitated toward performing and moved to New York, where she attended and eventually dropped out of New York University to pursue a standup comedy career. Mixing show business moments (she wrote for Saturday Night Live for one season, but none of her sketches made it past dress rehearsal) with stories of her childhood and adolescence (punctuated by a persistent bedwetting problem), Silverman never shies away from poking fun at her own expense. Though she's best known for sexually explicit jokes, Silverman is able to address more serious subjects in the book without losing her edge, particularly her teenage struggle with depression and that her often abrasive public persona allowed her to say what I didn't mean, even preach the opposite of what I believed.... It was a funny way of being sincere.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 10, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Paradise

Katie Price (otherwise known as Jordan) isn't exactly getting the best press at the moment, but that won't stop her releasing her books. Katie's latest novel, Paradise, is due for release in late July. There's no synopsis available yet (watch this space!) but judging by the cover, seems as though it will follow on from Katie's previous novels: Angel, Crystal, and Sapphire.

Katie Price's book credentials (although mostly ghostwritten) include not only the above mentioned chick-lit series, but also a series of autobiographies, a 'style guide', and a children's series about ponies.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 10, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 7, 2010 7:34 PM

Jodi Picoult in The Telegraph

Jodi Picoult is renowned for her many (seventeen!) powerful, emotional novels, including latest book House Rules and of course, My Sister's Keeper, which was recently adapted for the big screen starring Cameron Diaz.

The Telegraph this week posted an interesting article about Jodi and her books and of course, House Rules. Here's a snippet:

Reviews of her books on Amazon - she rarely gets attention on literary pages - reveal a loyal following. Readers enjoy the way she reflects multiple points of view, underlining how little we really understand one another. Book clubs love her novels because there's always something to discuss. But there's a common criticism. Her stories can seem formulaic: moral dilemma, several viewpoints, death, court case, twist.

"I can't stand that accusation," she says. "I defy you to find another writer who has written about as many subjects and taken you on as many journeys as I have. John Grisham doesn't get complaints because his books are about the legal system. Maybe it's because I'm a girl."

Picoult, 43, doesn't do self-deprecating. She's an all-American achiever who goes for a 5.30am run and used to write in 15-minute bursts when her three children, now teenagers, were small. I already feel I've met the whole family because pictures of her with them - some gloriously unflattering - are posted on her website, giving the lie to the glamorous publicity shots of Picoult in her slimmer days.

"What would you do?" readers are asked on her book covers to highlight a moral dilemma. But Picoult doesn't appear to have had to agonise over whether it is worth sacrificing privacy and time at home in order to be a successful author. She is tireless, driven, and seems to thrive on it. Every day she answers hundreds of emails, personally.

Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 7, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

BOOK NEWS: Falling Is Like This

It's set to be a fantastic summer with all the new 2010 releases, including Ronni Cooper's Rock Chicks. Here's another debut set in the music industry which we can't wait to get our hands on!
Falling Is Like This by Kate Rockland is due for release on May 11. Here's the synopsis:

Tabloid-writer Harper Rostov breaks up with her boyfriend only to fall into the arms of Nick Cavallero - certified punk rock God who is considered a genius by fans and critics alike. Her newly single heart gets an overdose of chemistry from the Hitchhiker's Revenge guitarist, falling for his intoxicating charisma. Over the course of a single week, Harper is swept up in their sexual energy and the allure of the band. But soon she can't help but wonder if what she thought she wanted - what she left her sweet, caring boyfriend for - is everything she'd hoped it would be. Plotted with precise timing and set against an incredibly vivid portrait of the ever-changing East Village, Falling is Like This is a comedic and touching account of the whirlwind affair with a rock star every girl dreams about.

To find out more about Kate and Falling Is Like This, check out Kate Rockland's website. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 7, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: My Fair Lazy

Trashionista has always been a big fan of Jen Lancaster, ever since her first book, Bitter is the New Black, in which she chronicled her experiences of being unemployed. Jen's honest and witty memoirs seem to keep getting better (memoirs include Bright Lights, Big Ass, Such a Pretty Fat and Pretty in Plaid) so we were delighted to hear that her latest book is now available.

My Fair Lazy was released on 4th May, and looks set to become yet another great book from Jen, who also writes the amusing Jennsylvania blog. Here's a little bit more about the book:

Readers have followed Jen Lancaster through job loss, sucky city living, weight loss attempts, and 1980s nostalgia. Now Jen chronicles her efforts to achieve cultural enlightenment, with some hilarious missteps and genuine moments of inspiration along the way. And she does so by any means necessary: reading canonical literature, viewing classic films, attending the opera, researching artisan cheeses, and even enrolling in etiquette classes to improve her social graces.

In Jen's corner is a crack team of experts, including Page Six socialites, gourmet chefs, an opera aficionado, and a master sommelier. She may discover that well-regarded, high-priced stinky cheese tastes exactly as bad as it smells, and that her love for Kraft American Singles is forever. But one thing's for certain: Eliza Doolittle's got nothing on Jen Lancaster-and failure is an option. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 7, 2010 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 6, 2010 6:43 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Make-overs

Getting a makeover is always fun, and for some chick-lit heroines, a whole new look has brought on more than just a change on the outside. In Nell Nixon's upcoming novel Just Look at Me Now, former ugly duckling Tia Carpenter tries to keep her past a secret. Tia isn't the only chick lit lady to change herself for the better - read on more more makeover tales!

Just look at me Now by Nell Dixon (released August 2010)
Synopsis: Life is fabulous for Tia Carpenter. She has it all, money, looks, a great job as the beauty expert at stylish Platinum magazine and, at last, the attention of her unrequited high school love, Josh Banks. But Tia has a secret - back at school she was Barbara Baker, overweight, crooked teeth, frizzy hair and no fashion sense. Cosmetic dentistry, losing seven stones in weight and a complete makeover later, Tia has successfully erased her past life as Big Barb, tub of lard, until the day Juliet Gold, the bane of her teenage existence, arrives to work at the magazine. Juliet always got everything she ever wanted, and now she wants both Tia's job and Josh. Tia will have to use every makeover trick she's ever learned to stop Juliet from uncovering her past and stealing her man.

The Making of Mia by Ilana Fox (2008)
When Jo Hill lands a job as a PA at Gloss magazine, she thinks it's the job of her dreams. But it soon turns into a nightmare. As a mousy secretary with a penchant for giant bags of maltesers and comfy shoes, Jo doesn't exactly fit in at the uber-chic office. Her boss humiliates her; her colleagues bitch about her; even the receptionist ignores her. At first, Jo's not sure why - is it her hair, her figure, her clothes? Then she realises it's pretty much all of the above and that she'll never be like the sleek, glamorous girls flitting round the office in their Sass & Bide jeans and Gucci mules. Or will she? Jo might be overweight and overlooked, but she's different in other ways too. She's bright, ambitious and smart, and what's more, she has a plan. Reduced to tears for the umpteenth time by her boss - the gorgeous but vicious magazine publisher Joshua Garnet - Jo knows it's time for drastic action. She's had it with magazines and knows that 'discovering a whole new you' takes more than a manicure and a new MAC blusher. Jo's going to give herself the ultimate make-over and by the time she's finished, the magazine world - and Joshua - won't know what's hit them.Goodbye Jo, hello Mia - magazine diva extraordinaire.

Jemima J by Jane Green (1998)
Jemima Jones is overweight. About seven stone overweight. Treated like a slave by her thin and bitchy flatmates, lorded over at the Kilburn Herald by the beautiful Geraldine (less talented, better paid), her only consolation is food. That and a passion for her charming, sexy colleague Ben. Her life needs to change and soon. But can Jemima reinvent herself? Should she? A novel about attraction, obsession and the meaning of true love.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 6, 2010 in Book News, Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Bad Girls

Fans of Rebecca Chance's novel Divas will be delighted to hear that the sequel will soon be here! Bad Girls will be hitting the shelves in August and follows the life of troubled stars at Cascabel clinic. Want to know more? Then read on...
 
They met in rehab - but some of them had rather more therapy than they bargained for. Supermodel Amber Peters should have the world at her feet. But her secret addiction has led her down a dangerous path. Lap dancer Skye Ellwood is desperate to get out of the life she's living, but has no idea how - until a client makes her an unusual proposition. Following an ultimatum from his fiance, A-list movie star Joe Jeffreys is finally heading to rehab to sort out his sex addiction - and save his squeaky-clean image. Spoiled daughter of a legendary rock god, Petal Gold is convinced she's a huge star in waiting, and she'll trample on anyone she thinks is standing in her way. Passion, jealousy, betrayal, revenge and scandal: during their tumultuous thirty days at Cascabel clinic, the lives of Amber, Skye, Joe and Petal will be transformed forever. But for one of them, the stakes could not be higher - or more dangerous. 

To find out more about Bad Girls and Rebecca Chance, click here to visit Rebecca's website (where you can also read the first chapter of Divas.)  

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 6, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 4, 2010 10:29 PM

BOOK NEWS: I Remember You

I Remember You by Harriet Evans is soon to be released in paperback, and we can't wait! The book will be available on 13th May, and here's the synopsis...

For Tess Tennant, spring brings the promise of a fresh start. She's moving back to her picture-perfect home town to take up a teaching job. Langford is a place of pretty stone cottages, friendly locals in oak-beamed pubs and of course Adam, her best friend since childhood. But Adam is preoccupied with a new girlfriend, and the past - which Tess thought she'd put behind her - is looming large again.So by the time she has to take her class on a trip to Rome, Tess is feeling reckless. She is swept off her feet by a mysterious stranger, and finds herself falling in love. But her magical Roman Holiday is about to turn into a nightmare...Back in Langford Adam is gone and everything has changed.Tess has to decide, once and for all, where she belongs and with whom.

To find out more about Harriet Evans and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 4, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 3, 2010 10:22 PM

IN THE NEWS: Mills & Boon meets National Trust for new novels

Mills & Boon are set to team up with the National Trust for a new series of sexy novels, it was revealed recently.

The renowned publisher of racy books is pairing up with the National Trust in order to create new stories set in actual Trust properties and including former inhabitants.

According to the Guardian, the initiative will begin this week with the release of Scandalous Innocent by Juliet Landon, which is set in Ham House in Surrey, and focuses on the Duke and Duchess of Lauderdale who lived in the property during the 17th century.

The article states:'A host of romantic stories have their base in National Trust properties, from a scandal at Dunham Massey in 1855, when the Earl of Stamford fell in love with a bareback rider from a circus act, to Montacute House in Somerset, where the former Viceroy of India, George Nathaniel Curzon, brought his mistress, raunchy romantic fiction author Elinor Glyn, in 1915. Mills & Boon and the National Trust hope to continue the collaboration if Scandalous Innocent proves successful.'

To read the full story, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 3, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May Releases from Little Black Dress

It's the start of a new month, which yet again means time for some more new titles from Little Black Dress Books! This month, LBD will be publishing some great new novels by both Jessica Fox and Kate Lace.

Read on for more info...

The Hen Night Prophecies: Hard to Get by Jessica Fox (released 27th May)

Communications officer Charlotte loves her job at the Arts Council - it's just a shame she has to share the office with her ex-husband, who also happens to be dating her boss. If there's one thing that Charlotte doesn't possess in her current romantic predicament, it's hope. So when she finds herself in the beautiful Yorkshire moors visiting the Council's current funded projects, including the aptly-named Hope Foundation, she can't resist a wry smile. But it's not long before Charlotte has three potential suitors to choose from: her repentant ex Richard, devoted single-parent Paul, and the notoriously dashing but ever-so-moody Heath. Perhaps Charlotte has reason to hope after all...

Moonlighting by Kate Lace (released 13th May)

By day, Jess Dryden is a police officer. By night, she is an exotic dancer at Shoq nightclub. Holding down two jobs is not easy, but she's skint, and the money she earns dancing is too good to turn down. But when Jess's DI asks her to investigate some dodgy dealings at Shoq, her two lives threaten to collide, and the results could be explosive. And with her sexy police colleague Matt jumping to all the wrong conclusions, it's more than just her career that's on the line...

To find out more about Little Black Dress books, check out the website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 3, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 28, 2010 7:10 PM

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies...the graphic novel?!

Yep, it's here...just when you started to think that all this zombie-mania had finally come to a quiet halt, out comes yet more zombie-lit, and this time, it's in a whole new format. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies amused us all (and horrified some!) when it was released in paperback...a twisted rewrite of Jane Austen's classic. The book spurned a few more similiar gory adaptations of cherished works.

However, if you're a fan of graphic novels, then Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel should be right up your street. The book was released on April 23rd. Will we be seeing more of these mashups? We've yet to find out.

'Its a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.'

Hmm....agreed?

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 28, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Thin Rich Pretty

Here's another title to add to the list of upcoming summer reads! Thin, Rich, Pretty by Beth Harbison is set to be released in July, and focuses on three girls who each believe that something different will make them happy...something that the other two have. Want to know more? Read on for the synopsis...

Twenty years ago, when they were teenagers, Holly and Nicola were the outsiders at summer camp. Holly was the plump one, a dreamer who longed to be an artist. Nicola was the shy, plain one who wanted nothing more than to be beautiful. Their cabin nemesis was Lexi. Rich, spoiled, evil Lexi. One night, Holly and Nicola team up to pull one, daring act of vengeance. But they never dream that this one act will have repercussions that will reach into the future, even twenty years later. And they never realize the secret pain that Lexi holds very close, and how their need for revenge costs Lexi a great deal.

Today, Holly is a successful gallery owner, who has put her own artistic dreams on hold. She struggles with her weight and for approval from her constantly-criticizing boyfriend. Nicola, is an almost-famous actress who believes that one little plastic surgery fix is just what she needs to put her over the edge into fame. And Lexi...Lexi is down on her luck and totally broke.

Holly will do anything to be thin. Lexi will do anything to be rich. And Nicola will do anything to be pretty. Thin, Rich, Pretty is the story of three women who believe that happiness is the next dress size down, the next dollar figure up, or the next appreciative glance from a stranger. But mostly it's the story of how three women save each other, and show each other the path to true contentment. Told with Beth Harbison's knack for thirty and fortysomething nostalgia, and heartwarming humor, Thin, Rich, Pretty will strike a chord with any woman who has ever got on the scale, looked in the mirror, or the bank, and said, "if only..."

To find out more about Thin, Rich, Pretty and Beth Harbison, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 28, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 27, 2010 9:08 PM

CHECK OUT: 10 Celebrity Writers Worth Reading

Here at Trashi we always aim to bring you the latest in celebrity books, and when an interesting article dropped into the inbox this morning, I though I'd share. Online Universities has put together a list of '10 celebrity writers worth reading.'

The list includes comedienne Ellen DeGeneres, actor Ethan Hawke and House star Hugh Laurie.

Click here to read the full article.

Which celebrity books have YOU enjoyed? Do you think more should be added to this list? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 27, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 26, 2010 10:44 PM

BOOK NEWS: Pictures of Lily

Paige Toon, author of Johnny Be Good and Chasing Daisy, is back with a new novel that will hit the shelves this summer. Pictures of Lily will be released in July, and looks set to be a great read (with a gorgeous cover, too!) Here's some more info:

'Will you marry me?' I think of you, then. I think of you every day. But usually in the quietest part of the morning, or the darkest part of the night. Not when my boyfriend of two years has just proposed. I look up at Richard with his hopeful eyes. 'Lily?' he prompts. It's been ten years, but it feels like only yesterday that you left. How can I say yes to Richard with all my heart when most of it has always belonged to you? I take a deep breath and will myself to speak...Ten years ago when Lily was just sixteen, she fell in love with someone she really shouldn't have fallen in love with. Now, living in Sydney and engaged to another man, she can't forget the one that got away. Then her past comes back to haunt her, and she has to make a decision that will break her heart - and the heart of at least one of the men who love her.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 26, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 23, 2010 10:37 PM

NEWS: Lisa Jewell event in May

Back in March, we posted about Lisa Jewell's new sequel to her 1999 bestseller Ralph's Party. After the Party was released on April 15th and to celebrate, Lisa will holding an event in London on May 10th.

Lisa will be at West End Books in West Hampstead to talk about After the Party. If you'd like to attend and meet Lisa herself, go here to sign up. (This is a ticketed event, so be sure to sign up in order to get a free ticket!)

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 23, 2010 in Announcements, Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 22, 2010 9:30 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: The Finishing Touches

She may be known for her fabulous Little Lady series (The Little Lady Agency, Little Lady, Big Apple), but author Hester Browne now has a brand new novel on its way to publication - The Finishing Touches - about a girl who takes over her family's posh London finishing school, the Tallimore Academy, in order to save it from financial ruin. The book will be released on 13th May. Read on for the synopsis...

Every girl should know what the finishing touches are.

That dash of gloss on the cheekbones to lift your complexion.
High heels for poise, and a luscious lipstick for the perfect pout.
It's the spritz of perfume on the pulse points and the...

....ability to stand on your own two feet?

When 21st century girl Betsy is called in to rescue an exclusive finishing school from financial ruin, she knows she must change the school drastically, if it's ever to survive.

So it's out with debutante decorum and in with modern manners and man-management.

But before she can teach the girls how to walk in high heels, Betsy may just have to remember how to wear them herself.

With the added bonus that her gorgeous friend Jamie and the surprisingly hunky bursar Mark both seem to rather approve of her new stilettos...

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 22, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 21, 2010 10:32 PM

BOOK NEWS: Gallery Girl

Wendy Holden fans will be delighted to hear that there's not much longer to wait until the release of her latest novel. Wendy, author of many novels including Fame Fatale and Filthy Rich, has brought us Gallery Girl, a funny, romantic tale set in the world of art. Here's the synopsis:

Zeb's the darling of Brit Art; the rock n' roll bad boy artist whose works go for bazillions. But can he keep his end up - in every sense - now that his powerful female patron is losing interest? Beth loves art and the traditional gallery she works in and loves her boyfriend, doctor David. But the hospital hours he keeps are putting a strain on the relationship. Marie's pop-star husband was big in the Nineties; he's relaunching his boy band with a vengeance. But where does this leave Marie and her dreams of being a painter? Ben's a brilliant portrait artist but no-one wants his stuff. Why have a picture that actually looks like you when you could have a gold-sprayed prosthetic limb? Disillusioned Ben's reduced to living in the country and holding adult education life classes. But what happened to his life?

Then Beth finds herself catapulted into the crazed world of contemporary art. Marie walks into Ben's life class. And the picture changes completely.

To find out more about Wendy Holden and her books, check out Wendy's official website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 21, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 20, 2010 10:55 PM

BOOK NEWS: Up Close and Personal

Leonie Fox, author of Members Only, is back with another novel - Up Close and Personal. Released in August, this seems a definite must for the summer reading list (and I can't stop looking at the cute cover!) Here's the synopsis:

Juliet, Nicole and Yasmin. Best Friends Forever. Stunning, sexy and anything but sensible. Yasmin is a straight-talking game player who's got no-strings sex down to a T. So why is she suddenly craving commitment from the one man she can't have? Nicole is trapped in a passionless marriage but tangled up in a passionate affair. Should she risk the safety of her happy-ever-after for something that's oh so sexy but oh so risky? They both envy Juliet who seems to have it all. She's bagged a gorgeous toyboy of a husband but is she still entertaining naughty thoughts about a dangerous old flame? These girls will go to the ends of the earth for one another . . . and any lengths to get their men. But when everything starts to unravel, will they chose close friendship - or sex?

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 20, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 19, 2010 10:33 PM

BOOK NEWS: It's Got To Be Perfect (plus the chance to appear in it!)

Claire Allan, author of Rainy Days and Tuesdays, Feels Like Maybe and Jumping in Puddles, has yet another new release at the ready! It's Got To Be Perfect is due for publication in October 2010, and you can now view the first chapter over at Claire's website.

Read the opening chapter of It's Got To Be Perfect.

In addition, Claire is offering readers the chance to bid for a cameo appearance in the book, as part of a fundraiser for charity Camille's Appeal. Here's some more information from Claire's blog:

The highest bidder by the end of this month will win the prize.

They can feature in the book themselves, or nominate a family member or friend to appear in the book.

Their name will appear in the book which will be published by Poolbeg Press at the end of September 2010.

The winner will receive a mention in the acknowledgements of the book along with a plug for Camille's Appeal. They will also received a signed copy of the book for them and/or their chosen special guest star.

Want to be in with a chance of winning? Then head on over to the website now to bid and learn more about Claire Allan, It's Got to be Perfect and Camille's Appeal.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 19, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 16, 2010 6:35 PM

BOOK NEWS: Hilary Duff's debut novel

Actress and singer Hilary Duff has recently signed with publishers Simon & Schuster for a multi-book deal.

The American star's first young adult novel, Elixir, is due to be published in October 2010. In Spring 2010, Hilary is set to release her non-fiction title which, according to The Independent, focuses on the challenges faced by children of divorce.

Elixir focuses on young photojournalist Clea Raymond, who 'travels the globe to unravel a centuries-old mystery.'

Hilary said: "I've always loved the escape of a great book, especially one that features a strong, inspiring female character you feel you really understand, someone who could be you, but living a more fascinating life. I'm hoping Elixir will be that kind of book-a novel that will transport readers and open new worlds for them."

Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 16, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 14, 2010 9:23 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Last Letter From Your Lover

There are some fantastic new releases upcoming this summer, and the latest book by Jojo Moyes (author of The Horse Dancer) is sure to be one of them. The Last Letter From Your Lover is out in early July. Here's the synopsis:

When journalist Ellie looks through her newspaper's archives for a story, she doesn t think she'll find anything of interest. Instead she discovers a letter from 1960, written by a man asking his lover to leave her husband and Ellie is caught up in the intrigue of a past love affair. Despite, or perhaps because of her own romantic entanglements with a married man.

In 1960, Jennifer wakes up in hospital after a car accident. She can't remember anything her husband, her friends, who she used to be. And then, when she returns home, she uncovers a hidden letter, and begins to remember the lover she was willing to risk everything for.

Ellie and Jennifer's stories of passion, adultery and loss are wound together in this richly emotive novel interspersed with real 'last letters'.

For more information about Jojo Moyes and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 14, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Famous Last Words

Those who loved the previous offerings of Annie Sanders (Busy Woman Seeks Wife, The Gap Year For Grown Ups) will be delighted to hear that Annie's latest novel is soon to be released.

Famous Last Words is due for publication in August 2010. Here's the synopsis:

Lucy spends her days beavering away at her sewing machine, making divine, flamboyant clothes that express all the passion and flair that she cannot, and at night she sits alone with her latest creations, fretting over her struggling business. Her life is one of unfulfilled ambitions and missed opportunities. Then one evening Lucy meets the beautiful, fey and enigmatic Micah, who has an uncanny knack for foretelling fortunes, and manages to convince even the cynical Lucy. So when Micah tells her that her future isn't looking too rosy - in fact she doesn't have one - Lucy embarks on a spree of 'what the hell and why not'. She faces her demons, confronts those that have annoyed her, and takes risks for the first time in her life, convinced that the accident he predicts will befall her. When the day of her prophesied demise comes - and goes - Lucy storms round to challenge Micah, who sheepishly admits he must have got it wrong this time. The appalled and angry Lucy has a hell of a mess to put right now, and demands that Micah help her do some damage control. So begins an edge-of-the-seat, race-against-time to repair Lucy's reckless actions. But halfway through Lucy asks herself if everything is worth mending? Has she inadvertently improved her life just as she thought it was about to end? And why is Micah so reluctant to help her untangle her biggest gaffe of all?

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 14, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 12, 2010 9:11 PM

COVER NEWS: Mini Shopaholic

Shopaholic fans everywhere (yours truly included) are eagerly awaiting the release of the latest book in the series - Mini Shopaholic. It's a long wait, what with the book not due to be released until September (boo! Hiss) but now, we have a cover!

The cover shows shopaholic Becky and her new daughter - which makes the release even more exciting. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments.

And for those who are unfamiliar with the latest addition to the series, here's the synopsis for Mini Shopaholic:

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) thought motherhood would be a breeze - but it's trickier than she thought. Two-year-old Minnie is a little tearaway who has created havoc everywhere from Harrods to Harvey Nicks to her own christening. She hires taxis at random, her favourite word is 'Mine', and she already has a penchant for Balenciaga bags. Becky is at her wits' end. On top of this, she and Luke are still living with her Mum and Dad, there's a big financial crisis so everyone's having to Cut Back - including all her personal shopping clients - and her husband Luke is feeling low after the death of his beloved stepmother. To cheer Luke up, Becky decides to throw him a surprise birthday party - on a budget - and that's when things become really complicated. As Becky tries to keep the arrangements secret, misunderstandings and excuses sprout everywhere, and soon she's told so many fibs she can't keep track of them. Will Becky pull off the surprise? Will Minnie give everything away? Will Minnie's godparents ever stop arguing? Who will end up on the naughty step and who will get a gold star? And what will happen when Becky discovers Luke is keeping a big secret too?

(Synopsis via ChickLitClub).

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 12, 2010 in Book News, Sophie Kinsella | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 9, 2010 6:59 PM

BOOK NEWS: Other People's Secrets

Louise Candlish, author of The Double Life of Anna Day, is back this summer with a brand new novel. Other People's Secrets is due for release in July - read on for more info!

When Ginny and Adam Trustlove arrive on holiday in Italy they have been torn apart by personal tragedy. A boathouse on peaceful Lake Orta is exactly the place to start piecing together their lives. A day later, the silence is broken by the arrival at the main villa of the Sale family: wealthy, high-flying Marty, his beautiful wife Bea, and their privileged, confident offspring. It doesn't take long for Ginny and Adam to be drawn in, especially when the teenage Pippi introduces a new friend into the circle. For there is something about Zach that seems to loosen old secrets ? and create shocking new ones ...

To find out more about Louise Candlish and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 9, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 8, 2010 1:08 AM

CELEB NOVEL: Sugar and Spice

Unless you live under a rock, you've probably heard of TV show The Hills at least once. And when the news arose that star Lauren Conrad had started to write books, we really didn't know what to expect! However, Lauren's LA Candy series seems to be a hit. We posted in January about Sweet Little Lies, and now Lauren has returned for the final in the LA Candy trilogy,  Sugar and Spice, which is due for release in October 2010.

According to Chicklit Club, the synopsis is as follows:

After being picked up to star in a reality TV show, Jane Roberts has become a bona fide celebrity, enjoying VIP treatment, couture clothes and starlet looks. But on the downside she's also had to contend with tabloid scandals, fake friends and prying paparazzi. Having learned a few things from her first season on the air, Jane is trying to surround herself with the people she knows love her for her ... and take a break from boys. But when her high school sweetheart, Caleb, and her unrequited LA crush, Braden, show up, Jane has a hard time remembering her no-boys rule. Then Jane makes a shocking discovery which changes everyone's definition of "reality" forever.

Click here to visit Lauren Conrad's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 8, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Fame Factor

Fans of celebrity tales and shows such as The X Factor will be partial to The Fame Factor - the upcoming novel by Polly Courtney, author of Poles Apart. The book will hit the shelves in August.

Here's the synopsis:

Does for the music industry what The Devil Wears Prada did for fashion. By day, Zoe Kidd lives a tedious existence, following orders and trying to appease her parents. By night, she's the raucous lead singer of all-girl rock band, Dirty Money. For six years, Dirty Money has toured the London scene, playing pubs, clubs, shopping centres and the odd public toilet. They're gifted, they're beautiful and they're determined to make it to the top. So when the American hit-maker Louis Castle appears at one of their gigs with talk of record deals and stadium tours, it seems as though their dreams are finally beginning to come true. But fame turns out to be more elusive and divisive than any of the girls could imagine! The Fame Factor is a fast-moving story of friendship, resilience and revelation, exposing the darker side to an industry obsessed with the limelight.

To find out more about Polly Courtney and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 8, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 7, 2010 4:31 PM

BOOK NEWS: You're The One That I Don't Want

Alexandra Potter, author of Me & Mr Darcy, Be Careful What You Wish For and Who's That Girl, is back with another new title this year. You're The One That I Don't Want is due for release in August. Here's the synopsis:

What if you found your soulmate...and then discovered you couldn't lose him? When Lucy meets Nate aged 18, it is love at first sight. As far as she's concerned, he's The One. Caught up in the whirlwind of first love, they kiss under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice at sunset and -- according to the legend -- are tied together indefinitely. But ten years later, they've almost forgotten about each other. That is, until fate starts to bring them together. Again. And again. And again. It doesn't seem as wonderful as it had before, but if Nate's not The One -- then why on earth is it proving so hard to break up with him? A funny and magical romantic comedy about what happens when every girl's dream of finding her dream man comes very true indeed...

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 7, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: I Heart Paris

We loved Lindsey Kelk's first novel, I Heart New York, and the sequel, I Heart Hollywood, was just as enjoyable. And now Lindsey's globetrotting heroine Angela Clark is back...and this time, she's taking over France!

Yep, Angela's off to Paris as suggested by her boyfriend Alex. After living the dream in New York, Angela can't wait to head back to Europe...but will her wonderful love life remain in tact?

I Heart Paris is due for release in July 2010. Here's the synopsis:

Angela is in the City of Love - but her own love life is heading for trouble...Angela Clark is a British girl living the dream in fabulous New York. But she's never been to the romantic capital of the world - Paris. So when her lead singer boyfriend Alex suggests a trip there and she is asked to write insider's guide to the hip city - she jumps at the chance! Meandering along charming streets, perusing Paris's hot destinations - all in the name of research - Angela decides she could get used to the joie de vivre of Paris. But there's something awry, Angela soon realises that evil forces are at work, conspiring to sabotage her big break! And when she spots Alex having a tete-a-tete with his ex in a Paris bar - without best friend Jenny to counsel her - Angela begins to crumble. With London and her old life only a train journey away - now is the time to decide if she should stay and face the music or return to the safety of home.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 7, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 6, 2010 1:37 PM

BOOK NEWS: Scandalous

Here at Trashi we love a good tale of scheming and scandal (who doesn't?) and were delighted to hear about the debut release by journalist Martel Maxwell. Scandalous is due to hit the shelves in just a week and we can't wait. Here's the synopsis:

Meet Max and Lucy Summers - half-sisters and the best of friends. Max is a gorgeous showbiz reporter whose life is a whirlwind of celebrity parties, glamorous bars, juicy gossip and gorgeous men. Lucy, a beautiful, elegant fashion writer, has always been the sensible one, taking care of her little sister and never seeking the limelight. But that all changes when she falls for Hartley, Britain's sexiest royal bachelor, and her lovelife is suddenly splashed across the front pages of the tabloids. And when Hartley's ex-girlfriend starts scheming to get her man back, Lucy realizes that she's up against more than just the paparazzi... Meanwhile Max, tired of the non-stop partying that her job entails, has finally met the perfect man but when she finds out who he really is, she realizes that they can't be together. Can Max walk away from the love of her life? And will Lucy play the fame game in order to keep hers?

To find out more about Scandalous and Martel, head on over to Martel Maxwell's website. (Plus, watch this space for an author interview!)

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 6, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 5, 2010 8:55 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Castaways

Elin Hilderbrand, author of  Barefoot and A Summer Affair, is back with a brand new novel that's due for release on May 13th. The Castaways follows the life of a group of friends after two are killed in a boating accident. Here's a bit more about the book.

They hadn't known, then, what was coming. They didn't know about September 11th, they didn't know about miscarriages and love affairs, they didn't know about a girl named April Peck. They didn't know they were going to die. Back then, they had been happy.'

From the outside, the close-knit circle of friends calling themselves 'the Castaways' share an idyllic lifestyle on the charming island of Nantucket, blessed with money, children, beauty and love.

But when Tess and Greg are killed in a tragic boating accident, orphaning their seven-year-old twins, it sends devastating shockwaves through the rest of the group. As the friends grieve, the truth behind their relationships gradually begins to emerge in a chain of staggering revelations. And for the first time they are forced to ask the hardest of questions.
Can you live without the person who made you whole?

And how do you mourn for a secret lover and a relationship nobody knew existed?

An utterly absorbing novel exploring the tangle of secrets and lies that can lurk beneath even the closest of relationships . . .

To find out more, visit Elin Hilderbrand's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 5, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 1, 2010 8:47 PM

April releases from Little Black Dress

It's the start of a new month, which means that Little Black Dress books are guaranteed some fantastic new romantic releases! This month sees the release of Allie Spencer's Not so Secret Diary of a City Girl (which is hilarious, by the way - watch this space for a review!), Rekha Waheed's Saris and the City, and About Time by Niamh Shaw. Want to know more? Then read on...

The Not So Secret Diary of a City Girl by Allie Spencer (released 1st April)

Banking analyst Laura McGregor's electronic diary is full of things which definitely shouldn't be made public: musings on her lacklustre relationship with trader boyfriend Tom, disturbing irregularities in new boss Will's trading accounts, and the small matter of her attraction to gorgeous journalist Alex. So when the diary is accidentally uploaded on to the internet in blog form by clueless younger sister Mel, suddenly not only Laura, but her bank too, is facing meltdown and, even worse, Laura suspects Alex of using it as a scoop. Fighting to convince the world's media to believe her over Alex is one thing, but can Laura win the battle with her heart?

Saris and the City by Rekha Waheed (released 15 April)

When ambitious City analyst Yasmin Yusuf's hope for a traditional 'happy ever after' in the romance stakes is shattered she decides there's only one course of action: get smart, sexy and successful. And what better way to achieve it than by turning around a failing lingerie company? Swept head-first into her glamorous new job by suave private banker Zachary Khan, Yasmin is soon clashing with snobby fashionistas, pedantic accountants, her culturally conservative Bengali family and, worst of all, Hannah Gibbs-Smythson, Zach's indomitable senior advisor. With the odds stacked against her and her attraction to Zach complicating matters even further, the stakes for Yasmin have never been higher... Is she prepared to risk everything for the success she craves?

About Time by Niamh Shaw (released 29th April)

Unlucky-in-love Lara sure knows how to pick 'em - losers, that is. But who can blame her when she's never gotten over having her heart (and self-esteem) smashed to pieces by her one and only true love, the super-intelligent, super-geeky, and super-emotionally-inept Conn? Six years later, working alongside her ex on an energy-generating project in Dubai is the last thing Lara expected. It's not long before sparks are flying, but can Lara trust Conn with her heart again?

To find out more about the books and future releases, head on over to the Little Black Dress website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

IN THE NEWS: Ruth Saberton

Ruth Saberton, author of the fantastically funny Katy Carter Wants a Hero, hit the news this week when she admitted to posting her manuscript through the door of TV book lovers Richard and Judy in order to try and get it noticed.

When her novel was rejected, Ruth decided to go one step further and deliver the book to the presenting pair when she heard that they too lived in Cornwall.

To Ruth's surprise, the pair loved romantic comedy Katy Carter and, with a written endorsement from Richard Madeley, she went on to obtain an estimated £10,000 book deal.

She is now in talks with film producers.

To read the full Daily Mail article, click here. Also, check out Ruth on the BBC website.

Congratulations, Ruth!

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 31, 2010 9:08 PM

IN THE NEWS: Twilight novella to be available online

Stephanie Meyer's next work is set to be published on the internet for fans to read for free.

Meyer, who dreamed up the teen vampire phenomenon that is the Twilight saga, is planning on putting her upcoming novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, online as a thank-you to her fans.

The novella will be published on June 5th, but will be available to read online via www.breetanner.com. It will then remain on the site until 5th July.

According to the Telegraph, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is a spin-off from Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series. Meyer said: "When I began working on it in 2005, it was simply an exercise to help me examine the other side of Eclipse, which I was editing at the time.

"I thought it might end up as a short story that I could include on my website.

"Then, when work started on The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide, I thought the Guide would be a good fit for my Bree story. However, the story grew longer than I anticipated, until it was too long to fit into the Guide."

To read the entire article, click here. (Cover image from Stephanie Meyer's official site).

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 31, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The C Word by Lisa Lynch

I was recently told about the upcoming book by Lisa Lynch (author of the blog Alright Tit) which looks like an interesting read. At 28, Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer, and decided to blog about her journey. The C Word will be released on 15th April. Here's a little bit more about Lisa and the book...

Lisa Lynch is a journalist and magazine editor. At the age of 28, while editing her second interiors title, newlywed Lisa discovered a lump in her breast - a lump that spawned not just cancer, but a blog, a book and a writing career....

What do you do when you discover you have advanced breast cancer in your twenties? Well, after throwing more than a few (justified) tantrums, dissolving over the prospect of losing your hair and saying goodbye to your left boob, you might just blog about it.

The last thing Lisa had expected to cross off her 'things to do before your 30 list' was beating breast cancer, but that's what she's stuck doing. So while she had to park her life, blogging about dealing with cancer became an outlet that helped her to cope and keep friends and family updated.

Lisa's raw emotion and dark humour combined to make for very compelling reading. And now, in this brilliant, brave and insightful book, Lisa tells her whole story as it really was. Whatever you face in life, whatever cards you've been dealt, reading this will make you laugh, cry and feel hopeful again.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 31, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

COVER NEWS: Last Night at Chateau Marmont

Back in January we posted the news of Lauren Weisberger's latest novel, Last Night at Chateau Marmont - and here's the cover!

 

The high-heeled shoe seems to be a signature cover for Lauren, who brought us The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing, and Chasing Harry Winston.

 

The book will be released on May 25^th, 2010. Click here to visit Lauren Weisberger's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 31, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (11)

March 30, 2010 8:02 PM

BOOK NEWS: The (Im)Perfect Girlfriend

For those who recall 50 Ways to Find a Lover, the debut novel by Lucy-Ann Holmes, then here's an umpcoming release you'll love!

The (Im)Perfect Girlfriend is the sequel to 50 Ways (which was based on Lucy's blog) and heroine Sarah Sargeant is back. This time, she's managed to get a seemingly perfect guy - however, will she be able to keep him?

This sounds like a hilarious read and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Sadly it's not released until early August but we can wait patiently...right? Here's the synopsis:

We kissed until it became necessary to stop so that we could breathe, by which time my lips were so swollen it looked like I'd been pleasuring a brillo pad. We grinned at each other again and I felt the urge to utter something brilliantly intellectual.

'Have I mentioned that I'm hopelessly in love with you?'

Actress Sarah Sargeant has finally landed the perfect boyfriend. But as she leaves London for LA, Sarah finds herself morphing from the perfect girlfriend, baby voicing 'i love you's, into a nutty one who throws phones and screams a lot.

Where did it all go wrong? Was it the photo of a semi-naked ex-girlfriend doing a downward dog she found in her boyfriend's filofax? Or maybe it's the steamy sex scene she films with the handsomest man in the world, ever.

Laugh-out-loud funny and brutally honest, The (Im)Perfect Girlfriend is the story of one woman's search for her happy ever after. It is a novel that firmly establishes Lucy Anne Holmes as one of the best writers of romantic comedy today.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 30, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 29, 2010 7:29 PM

RECENT RELEASE: Stephanie Meyer, Queen of Twilight

With the increased fame of the Twilight saga, we knew it wouldn't be long before Stephanie Meyer's biography hit the shelves. And here it is. Whilst passing through a bookstore recently I couldn't help but notice the book cover featuring the phenomenon herself, Ms Meyer. Whereas I'm not personally a huge Twilight fan, this does look interesting. Here's a bit more about the bio:

On 2 June, 2003, Stephenie Meyer had a dream that would change her life forever. She dreamt of a young girl and her sparkling vampire lover lying in a field, and that dream became Twilight. Now, her vampire romance novels have become a publishing phenomenon, selling over 70 million books worldwide, and have been translated into 37 difference languages.

Click here to visit Stephanie's official site.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 29, 2010 in Book News, Book related, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 25, 2010 12:51 AM

BOOK NEWS: A Summer Fling

April will see the release of Milly Johnson's latest novel. The next book by Milly, who brought us The Birds and the Bees and The Yorkshire Pudding Club, is called A Summer Fling and is due for release at the beginning of next month. Here's a bit more information:

When dynamic, power-dressing Christie blows in like a warm wind to take over their department, five very different women find themselves thrown together at work. But none of them could have predicted the fierce bond of friendship that her leadership would inspire...Anna, 39, is reeling from the loss of her fiance, who ran off with a much younger woman. Her pride in tatters, these days Anna finds it difficult to leave the house. So when a handsome, mysterious stranger takes an interest in her, she's not sure whether she can learn to trust again? Then there's Grace, in her fifties, trapped in a loveless marriage with a man she married because, unable to have children of her own, she fell in love with his motherless brood. Grace worries that Dawn is about to make the same mistake: orphaned as a child, engaged to love-rat Calum, is Dawn more interested in the security that comes with his tight-knit, boisterous family? When a sexy, footloose rock singer catches her eye, will Dawn have the courage to follow her heart? At 28, Raychel is the youngest member of their little gang. And with a loving husband, Ben, and a cosy little nest for two, she would seem to be the happiest. But what dark secrets are lurking behind this perfect facade, that make sweet, pretty Raychel so guarded and unwilling to open up? Under Christie's warm hand, the girls soon realise they have some difficult choices to make. Indeed, none of them quite realised how much they needed the sense of fun, laughter, and loyalty that abounds when five women become friends. It's one for all, and all for one!

Click here to visit Milly's gorgeous website!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 24, 2010 12:05 AM

Your chance to enter the 'Wicked' Young Writers' Award

If you're a young writer (or know of one!) and reside in the United Kingdom. then the Wicked Young Writers' Award may be of interest to you. The competition is open to writers from the age of 5 to 25 - it;s the first of it's kind to reward writing excellence through such a broad age range.

Interested in entering? Here's a bit more info...

Entrants will be divided into five different age categories, and the winning 20 entries from each will be invited to a prize ceremony to be held in the autumn. The overall winner from each category will receive four tickets to see the London production of Wicked, along with the opportunity to meet the cast! The lucky winners will also get a writing master class from one of the Wicked Award judges.

In addition, the 100 winning entries will be published in an anthology.

Entries must be no longer than 750 words. Here are some more Wicked facts from the website:

Wicked tells the untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two girls who first meet as sorcery students. As the audience follows them on their extraordinary adventures in Oz that will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West, they are encouraged to look at things differently by exploring themes of friendship, trust, tolerance, bullying, the use of propaganda and the manipulation of public opinion.

Over 250,000 pupils have seen Wicked as it enters into its fourth year at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre, and in 2009 the Women of the Future Awards acknowledged the show's leading ladies as role models for young people today when it named Dianne Pilkington and Alexia Khadime winners in its 'Art and Culture' category.

You can find out more about the Wicked Young Writers' Award (or enter online!) by visiting the official site.

Good luck!

(Thanks to Chicklish for this news.)

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 24, 2010 in Book News, Book related, Competition | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 23, 2010 1:53 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Truth About You

Melissa Hill, author of Please Forgive Me, The Last to Know and Never Say Never, is back with another new novel. The Truth About You will be published in May. Read on for the synopsis...

One morning in the small town of Lakeview, Ella Harris finds a cardboard box on the doorstop of her cafe. At first she thinks it's her usual muffin delivery but is shocked to find that the box actually contains a newborn baby. But what kind of mother would abandon a defenceless baby like that, and why? Could it have been newly single Nina who, after being rejected by the father of her unborn child, has no choice but to return to Lakeview to stay with her estranged (and slightly peculiar) dad? Or was it Lakeview-born Hollywood actress Eva Seymour, who on the eve of her triumphant return home from LA, has a completely ill-advised fling with a handsome co-star. A baby is certain to ruin her hard-fought-for career. Or perhaps it's happily married Jess who, as the only non-mum amongst her friends, finds herself increasingly left out. Terrified that she will lose them altogether, she embarks on becoming a mother too. But is she really rushing into something she really knows nothing about?

For more information about Melissa Hill, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 23, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

MOVIE NEWS: Eat, Pray, Love

The trailer for Eat, Pray, Love - the big screen adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir - has finally been released!

The movie will star Julia Roberts as a journalist who sets out to change her life after a divorce. You can view the trailer here (and find out more about the movie) at the official movie website.

Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

If you aren't familiar with Eat, Pray, Love, here's the synopsis of the book:

It's 3 a.m. and Elizabeth Gilbert is sobbing on the bathroom floor. She's in her thirties, she has a husband, a house, they're trying for a baby - and she doesn't want any of it. A bitter divorce and a turbulent love affair later, she emerges battered and bewildered and realises it is time to pursue her own journey in search of three things she has been missing: pleasure, devotion and balance. So she travels to Rome, where she learns Italian from handsome, brown-eyed identical twins and gains twenty-five pounds, an ashram in India, where she finds that enlightenment entails getting up in the middle of the night to scrub the temple floor, and Bali where a toothless medicine man of indeterminate age offers her a new path to peace: simply sit still and smile. And slowly happiness begins to creep up on her.

(Thanks to Five Minutes Peace for this news!)

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 23, 2010 in Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (13)

March 19, 2010 11:47 PM

NEWS: Dannii Minogue memoir set for autumn

After the news of Cheryl Cole's sky-high auction for her life story and countless other celebrity biographies for sale, we thought there couldn't possibly be many more...but we were wrong! Publishers Simon & Schuster has recently won the auction for X Factor judge Dannii Minogue's memoir.

According to The Bookseller, the book will be published in the autumn of this year, and will be written by both Minogue and songwriter and author Terry Ronald. The memoir will contain stories from Dannii's childhood, her teenage work on Australian soap Home and Away, life with superstar suster Kylie and her role as a judge on the X Factor.

To read the full article, click here.

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 19, 2010 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (7)

March 18, 2010 11:34 PM

BOOK NEWS: After the Party

Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of many titles including the recent The Truth About Melody Browne, is back with another novel. After The Party will be released in April, and it follows Lisa's 1999 book Ralph's Party. Here's a little bit more about the long-awaited sequel:

It's eleven years since Jem Catterick and Ralph McLeary first got together. They thought it would be for ever, that they'd found their happy ending. As everyone agreed, they were the perfect couple. Then two became four, a flat became a house. Romantic nights out became sleepless nights in. And they soon found that life wasn't quite so simple any more. But through it all Jem and Ralph still loved each other, of course they did. Now the unimaginable has happened. Two people who were so right together are starting to drift apart. And in the chaos of family life, Ralph feels more and more as if he's standing on the sidelines, and Jem that she's losing herself. Something has to change. As they try to find a way back to each other, back to what they once had, they both become momentarily distracted - but maybe it's not too late to recapture happily ever after ...A warm and involving novel that will restore your faith in life, love and the power of starting over, "After the Party" is Lisa Jewell at her unforgettable best.

To find out more about Lisa Jewell and her books, check out Lisa's website. Or view her Facebook group here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 18, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Poor Little Bitch Girl

Fans of Jackie Collins will be delighted to hear that her 27th book - Poor Little Bitch Girl - is now available, and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for four weeks. Here's some more information...

Denver Jones is a hotshot twenty-something attorney working in L.A. Carolyn Henderson is the personal assistant to a powerful and very married Senator in Washington with who she is having an affair. Annabelle Maestro - the daughter of two movies stars - has carved out a career for herself in New York as the Madame of choice for discerning famous men. The tree beautiful women went to high school together in Beverly Hills, and although Denver and Carolyn have kept in touch, Annabelle is out on her own with her cocaine addicted boyfriend, Frankie. Frankie's best friend is Bobby Santangelo Stanisloplous, the Kennedy-esque son of Lucky Santangelo and deceased Greek shipping billionaire, Dimitri Stanisloplous. Before he was calling the shots at New York's hottest club, Mood, Bobby was a classmate of Denver, Carolyn and Annabelle.

When Annabelle's' beautiful movie star mother is found shot to death in the bedroom of her Beverly Hills mansion, the five of them find themselves thrown together...And secrets from the past have a way of coming back to haunt everyone.

For more information about Jackie Collins and her books, visit Jackie's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 18, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 17, 2010 10:29 PM

BOOK NEWS: Mother of the Bride

After having enjoyed Kate Lawson's novel Keeping Mum, I'm delighted to hear that she'll soon be back with another offering. Mother of the Bride is due for release next month, and it sounds like a fantastic read. (The cover's lovely, too!) Here's the synopsis:

3 women. 1 wedding. Whose big day is it anyway!? Molly Foster's daughter Jess is getting married! To Molly's delight - and surprise. And with Molly's show featuring a wedding countdown, the whole town of Wells-next-the Sea is ecstatic - even as Molly worries that groom-to-be Max's commitment may not be all it seems! Meanwhile, Jess's control freak step-mother Marnie is determined to turn the event into a chi-chi society bash - a world away from the day that Jess envisaged. But does Jess really know what she wants? Especially when she meets the gorgeous Oliver! Though there's no going back now - is there? Can Jess take back control of her wedding - or will the mothers of the bride run the show? Grab your big hat and pearls for the funniest read of the year, a must-read for fans of Carole Matthews and Jane Green.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 17, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

RNA Award Winners!

The Romantic Novelists' Association yesterday presented their awards in honour of the RNA's 50th anniversary. The winners were announced at the Pure Passion Awards lunch in London.

Authors Joanna Trollope and Maeve Binchy each picked up a Lifetime Acheivement Award for their contributions to the genre. Joanna Trollope said: "I am amazed and thrilled to be given this, and so touched, too. Of course it means a lot in itself, but it means even more to me because I have such admiration and respect for the RNA, which must be one of the most professional and supportive of literary associations around, as all its aspiring writer members know, and of course, I was one of them, once...So my pleasure and gratitude are very heartfelt."

Lucy Dillon scooped the Romantic Novel of the Year award for her book Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts, and Nell Dixon picked up the award for Love Story of the Year for Animal Instincts, published by Little Black Dress.

RNA Romantic Film of the Year, chosen by the general public via Lovereading.co.uk, was won by An Education (written by Lynn Barber, movie script by Nick Hornby.)

In addition, the Romantic Comedy Award was presented to Jane Costello for The Nearly-Weds, and the People's Choice Award - a new award which recognises new or developing authors - was won by Louise Douglas for Missing You.

Katie Fforde, Chair of the RNA, said: "The new awards introduced to celebrate the RNA's 50th year not only showcase this fantastic, best-selling and popular genre but also provide a wonderful excuse for readers to get to know new writers across the diversity of themes and plots that comprise the romantic fiction genre. These Pure Passion Awards have enjoyed a higher standard of entries than ever before but the judges were unanimously won over by Lucy Dillon and Nell Dixon, whose character development and storylines kept us hooked to the very last page. Clearly the public, who were invited to vote for their favourites for the first time in the new People's Choice and Romantic Film Awards, were equally as excited by the books as they pointed us to the clear winners."

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 17, 2010 in Book News, Book Websites, Book related | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 15, 2010 3:18 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Katy Carter Wants a Hero By Ruth Saberton

We interviewed Ruth Saberton last month as her novel, Katy Carter Wants a Hero, is due for release in April. I was lucky enough to read it and it. Is. HILARIOUS.)

 

Schoolteacher Katy Carter lives in a fantasy world. Well, most of the time. With dreams of becoming a romantic novelist, Katy often finds herself scribbling her tales of voracious heroines and strapping heroes - even in the back of her student's exercise books. Trying to focus on school meetings is one mean feat when you can't stop thinking about that perfect, handsome, caring hero...

 

It's not as though Katy's down on the hero front, however - in fact, she's due to marry James - her charming, high-flying banker fiance who Katy can't help but adore. And even though Katy's no champion dieter, has flyaway hair and her culinary skills are dire, she's determined to become the perfect wife for James. Despite his overbearing mother for whom nothing is quite right and workaholic James's constant jibes, Katy Carter is going to be the heroine to her hero (although not as waif-like and glam); a wife like those of his city friends, who look good all the time and host great parties. So when James is due to invite his important coworkers (and boss) home for a gathering, Katy's mission is set.

 

However, when disaster strikes in the form of a runaway lobster (and then some!), Katy finds that her romantic dream is in tatters, along with her potential bestseller...

 

Together with her best friend Ollie, Katy has to get back on her feet. And of course, get back to writing her perfect story. But with no fiance to go home to and a job she doesn't really like anymore, it's time for Katy to make some life changes. Off she heads to Cornwall, where she bumps into the most unlikely stranger. Soon Katy finds herself set for a whole new life (and a whole new job) including a makeover, a celebrity 'boyfriend' and a whole town full of inspiration. Yet can this new turn of events bring her the hero she's always wanted?

 

It was difficult to write this review without mentioning all of the funny and wonderful parts, but I prefer to avoid spoilers wherever possible. This book is one of the funniest I've read and is full of hilarious moments from chapter one. Katy is a little naive at the beginning, yet a fabulous, down-to-earth character who's immensely likeable. James? Not so much. But you'll soon find out why... 

 

Ruth has a natural wit that makes this book a page-turner. I found myself not only unable to put this down until I'd finished, but also prone to random bouts of the giggles in public. But it's well worth the strange looks! Katy Carter Wants a Hero is not only funny but a lovely tale, and already I can't wait to find out what Ruth Saberton has in store next.

 

Rating: 5/5

 

(Stay tuned for more news of a Katy Carter competition!)

 

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 15, 2010 in Book News, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 12, 2010 10:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: Things Your Mother Never Told You

With Mothers' Day coming up this weekend, we have a great new release by Olivia Lichtenstein that fits the bill perfectly. (A lovely read for you or your mum!) Things your Mother Never Told You will hit the shelves on March 18^th. Here's some more information:

'When I'm a mother, I'm never going to be like you . . .'

These words come back to Ros, years later. Her marriage of twenty years is over; her sons are moving out and her dead mother, Lilian, seems to have taken up residence in her head, reminding her of things she once said. As Ros adapts to sharing custody of the family dog and life without her husband and boys around, she embarks on a new regime: yoga, herbal remedies and internet dating.

But when a parcel arrives containing a portion of her mother's memoir, Ros discovers a barely recognisable woman within its pages. As long-buried secrets are revealed, Ros finds the journey into her mother's past could change her own future . . .

A forum has been set up for the the book - head on over here and sign up. Olivia says: 'The relationship between mother and daughter is arguably one of the most complex there is; the one I had with my own mother certainly was. More than twenty years have passed since her death and I can still hear her voice offering me advice and criticism in equal measure. I'd like to hear the things your mother did and didn't tell you. Please join the forum and share your stories.'

There's a prize of bestselling Orion fiction up for grabs to those who share the best stories - so get writing!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 12, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 11, 2010 10:28 PM

COVER NEWS: The One That Got Away

Lucy Dawson, who brought us the darkly addictive novels His Other Lover and What My Best Friend Did, is back with another offering -and we can't wait. The One That Got Away is due for release in October this year, so we'll be waiting quite a while yet! However, the cover image was recently released - here it is!

What do you think?

Here's the synopsis of The One That Got Away...

Molly Greene is having trouble packing up her old life to embrace the new challenges and grown up adventures that are waiting in the wings for her and husband Dan. She loves him, but with life as she knows it about to change forever, she just can't quite seem to make the final jump. Then, just as she's teetering on the brink of the biggest decision of her life, she stupidly sends an impulsive message to the very last person she ought to have contacted, someone who should have stayed forgotten, and is now coming looking for her. And when he finds her, when old and new collide, there is no more turning back. One night is all it takes to threaten everything she holds dear - for good. Would you risk your future for a night with your past?

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 11, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

Could YOU be a book editor?

Here's a little something for American book-lovers! Would you like to try your hand at working in the NYC publishing industry? Do you have what it takes to be a book editor?

If so, casting is soon to begin for a new reality show (along the lines of Top Chef and Project Runway) that's about books. Disposable is looking for people who have interesting personalities and strong opinions, who are interested in working in the book industry.

To find out more, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 11, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 10, 2010 9:47 PM

NEW RELEASE: Bulletproof Mascara

Being a fan of spy novels, I was delighted to come across the news of Bulletproof Mascara - the debut novel from Bethany Maines. Described as a 'spy spoof', Bulletproof Mascara focuses on Nikki as she joins cosmetics company Carrie Mae, which turns out to be a lot more serious a job than she expected. The book was released earlier this month. Here's a bit more info (from Publishers Weekly):

In Maines's delicious spy spoof debut, wide-eyed linguist Nikki Lanier joins the confidential side of Carrie Mae, a cosmetics giant like Mary Kay or Avon, whose charity foundation uses covert means to help women. Nikki doesn't bat an eyelash as she undergoes rigorous training at the company's academy in Santa Clarita, Calif., where female spies are stylishly equipped with gizmos like pepper spray perfume, flash grenade lipsticks, mini-scanner compacts, knockout breath mints, acid nail polish, plastic explosive foundation, and stiletto stilettos. With Valerie Robinson, a jaded pro, Nikki embarks on her first mission, to rescue Lawan Chinnawat, one of the loudest voices protesting the sex trade that flourishes throughout Asia, who's been abducted. The plot takes a few surprise twists before reaching the exciting climax. Maines deftly combines humor with action in this fashion-forward thriller, which will remind many of such TV shows as Charlie's Angels, Alias, and Heroes.

To find out more about Bethany Maines and Bulletproof Mascara, check out Bethany's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 10, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 9, 2010 2:43 AM

MOVIE NEWS: Twenty Times a Lady

Anna Faris and Chris Evans are set to star in What's Your Number - a movie based on Karyn Bosnak's chick-lit novel Twenty Times a Lady.

According to ComingSoon, What's Your Number will be directed by Mark Mylod (Entourage) and will begin production in May.

For those who have not read Karyn's hilarious book, here's the blurb:

How many men does it take to find true love?

Delilah Darling's magic number was supposed to be twenty. She always thought she'd find the perfect guy by the time she'd slept with twenty of them. But when she wakes up naked in her disgusting boss's bed after a drunken night out, she's filled with regret -- and realizes she's hit her self-imposed limit. Unwilling to up her number but unable to imagine a life of celibacy, Delilah does what any girl in her situation would do: she tracks down every man she's ever slept with in a last-ditch effort to make it work with one of them.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 9, 2010 in Book News, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (4)

COVER NEWS: Best Friends Forever

Last year, Jennifer Weiner's novel Best Friends Forever hit the shelves, and now publishers Simon & Schuster have given it brand new look. The new cover is on the left - personally, I much prefer the new one. But what do YOU think? Leave s a comment and let us know!

If you're not familiar with Best Friends Forever, then here's the synopsis...

A story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and neighbourhood secrets, living through sorrow, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends...forever. Addie Downs and Valerie Adler were eight when they first met and decided to be best friends forever. But, in the wake of tragedy and betrayal during their teenage years, everything changed. Val went on to fame and fortune. Addie stayed behind in their small Midwestern town. Destiny, however, had more in store for these two. And when, twenty-five years later, Val shows up at Addie's front door with blood on her coat and terror on her face, it is the start of a wild adventure for two women joined by love and history who find strength together that they could not find alone.

Click here to visit Jennifer Weiner's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 9, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 8, 2010 10:48 PM

NEWS: Cheryl Cole's £5m bidding war for autobiography

A bidding war for singer Cheryl Cole's autobiography has reached £5m, with publishers Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins all said to be in the running,

According to the Daily Mail, it's been claimed by insiders that the competition has grown so fierce that the price could be the highest ever piad for a celebrity memoir. And it's been said that Cheryl could make even more money if she chooses to tell all about her role on the X Factor, and her recent split with cheating husband Ashley.

The article states:

However, the offer still represents something of a gamble. Although celebrity memoirs often come with large advances, very few sell more than a few thousand copies.

Jonathan Ross is believed to have received £1.5million from Bantam for his memoirs Why Do I Say These Things? However, since its publication in October 2008, the book has sold just 139,500 copies.

Click here to read the full story.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 8, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the news: Could you go without books for a week?

Would you be able to go one week without books? Personally, I don't think I could. But Guardian writer Bibi van der Zee was up to the challenge and tells of her seven-day book ban in a rather interesting article! Bibi writes:

'I decided to try giving up books for a week because I have come to the point where I wonder if they are holding me back. On the whole, the world seems to think that books are always a good thing, that you can never get too much of them. People admit to being bookworms in the same way they admit to being "just too tidy really", or "a bit of a workaholic". But if you are a compulsive reader like me, who reads walking down the road, and while she's making her children's dinner, and on the loo and in the bath and in bed and on the bus, and at every other possible second of the day, and if what you're reading is mostly . . . well . . . pulp, then sometimes you end up feeling as if books are eating you up instead of the other way round...'

Click here to read the full article!

Could you go without books for an entire week? Let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 8, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 5, 2010 12:37 AM

BOOK TRAILER: Before I Fall

Kirsty over at Novelicious recently posted these fab trailers for Lauren Oliver's new book, Before I Fall. The book was released on March 4th (watch this space for a review!) and there are two trailers - a UK version, and one for the US.

Click here to view the UK trailer...

...and here for the US version!
 

What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!

If you haven't yet heard about Before I Fall, here's the synopsis:

They say that when you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that's not how it happened for me Sam Kingston is dead. Except she isn't. On a rainy February night, eighteen-year-old Sam is killed in a horrific car crash. But then the impossible happens: she wakes up in her own bed, on the morning of the day that she died. Forced to live over and over the last day of her life the drive to school, skipping class, the fateful party she desperately struggles to alter the outcome, but every morning she wakes up on the day of the crash. This is a story of a girl who dies young, but in the process learns how to live. And who falls in love... a little too late. Before I Fall is a brave and complex novel about the territory between life and death. As astonishing as The Lovely Bones and as luminous as Jenny Downham s Before I Die, it will make you want to live every day as if it were your last.

Find out more about the book at Lauren Oliver's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 5, 2010 in Book News, Book related | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK NEWS: Desire

Following her bestselling novel Passion, Louise Bagshawe (author of Glitz, Career Girls and Glamour, to name but a few!) is back with a new offering that's due for release this year. Desire will hit the shelves on April 15th. (And we're loving the cover!)

Here's more information about the upcoming release:

Lisa Costello is leading a charmed life - until she wakes up the morning after her glamorous Thailand wedding to find her new husband Josh dead in their bed, the murder weapon in her hand. She remembers learning at the wedding that Josh had been unfaithful, but she certainly doesn't remember killing him. As Lisa flees the scene for Europe, ex-FBI trainee Sam Murray is on her trail. Catching up with her, he's quickly convinced she's been set up, and they start to work out which of movie producer Josh's many enemies could be behind the hit. It's a race against time to unearth the truth and keep Lisa out of jail - or gunned down by the professional assassin tailing them. And the danger only adds to the excitement of the passion brewing between them...

To read more about Louise and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 5, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 4, 2010 11:41 PM

COMING SOON: Della Says: OMG!

I just can't WAIT to read Keris Stainton's debut novel (admittedly I love YA fiction too) and we won't have to wait THAT much longer. Della Says: OMG! is due for release on 6 May by Orchard.

For those new to the site, Keris was previously editor of Trashionista. She's also written a number of articles and blogs over at Five Minutes Peace. You can find out ore about Keris at her website.

Here's the synopsis of Della Says - this looks fantastic!

Della's over the moon when she kisses her long-standing crush at a party - but then she discovers her diary has disappeared...

When scans of embarrassing pages are sent to her mobile and appear on Facebook, Della's distraught - how can she enjoy her first proper romance when someone, somewhere, knows all her deepest, darkest secrets?

You can read an excerpt of Della over here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 4, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (4)

February 26, 2010 5:36 PM

Austen and Twilight graphic novels

You've read the books, but how about the graphic novels? Graphic novels are certainly becoming more popular, and now you can even read Pride and Prejudice in this very format. Original? Yes.Odd? Perhaps. That's up to you to decide! Here's some information about Pride and Prejudice, which was published by Marvel in 2009.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife... " Tailored from the adored Jane Austen classic, Marvel Comics is proud to present Pride & Prejudice! Two-time Rita Award-Winner Nancy Butler and fan-favorite Hugo Petras faithfully adapt the whimsical tale of Lizzy Bennet and her loveable-if-eccentric family, as they navigate through tricky British social circles. Will Lizzy's father manage to marry off her five daughters, despite his wife's incessant nagging? And will Lizzy's beautiful sister Jane marry the handsome, wealthy Mr. Bingley, or will his brooding friend Mr. Darcy stand between their happiness? Collects Pride & Prejudice #1-5.

In addition, Twilight will also be making its debut as a graphic novel later this month. (Here's the short synopsis, in case you live under a rock weren't aware of what Twilight is all about already...)

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...

What do you think of this new Austen adaptation? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 26, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

Jane Austen books from Canongate

Here's some news for any Jane Austen fans - UK publishers Canongate have released two great titles based on the work of Austen: parody Pride and Promiscuity and Jane's Fame.

Pride and Promiscuity: The Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen is a hilarious short story collection from Arielle Eckstut. Here's the info:

In 2002, an amateur Jane Austen scholar, while staying at a Hertfordshire estate, stumbled upon a hidden cache of manuscript pages and made an extraordinary literary discovery - lost scenes from Jane Austen's novels that reveal an altogether different dimension to her oeuvre. Pride and Prejudice's Bingley sisters appear as Sapphic seductresses; Mansfield Park's incest subtext becomes manifest; and Darcy gets more than his shirt wet. This incisive parody of academic study is sure to astonish and delight mischievous Austenites.

Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World by Claire Harman focuses on Jane's life, fame and literary career. Click here to find out more about the book and Claire herself.

Part biography and part cultural history, this splendid book not only tells the captivating tale of Jane Austen's life, but also her literary legacy. The slow growth of Austen's fame and the changing status of her work and what it stands for in English culture is a story of personal struggle and family dynamics as well as a history of critical practices and public taste.

To visit the Canongate website, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 26, 2010 in Book News, Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 25, 2010 7:03 PM

BOOK NEWS: Getting Over Mr Right

July will see the release of Chris Manby's fourteenth novel - and we'll be bringing you a review soon! Getting Over Mr Right is set to be a fantastic read - here's the info (see for yourself!)

Have you ever had your heart broken? How did you get over it? Did a tub of ice-cream cheer you up? Did you delete his number and start again? Are you now friends with your ex? Perhaps you're godmother to his children?

In which case, you're a weirdo and this book is not for you.

But if you reacted with denial, begging or a spot of casual witchcraft, then you've come to the right place. This is one woman's journey from love to lunacy and back again. If you ever recall past heartbreaks with acute embarrassment and an urge to go into hiding, this will make you feel better. Sure, you may have sent his new girlfriend a bunch of dead roses, but did you spend a grand on psychic hot-lines and a voodoo curse?

You can read more about Chris Manby at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

RECENT RELEASE: Willow

For the lovers of YA among us, here's a new addition by Julia Hoban. Willow was released in the States recently, and makes its way to UK shelves in March. Here's some more info about the book:

On a rainy March night, Willow Randall's parents drank too much and asked her to drive them home.  They never made it - Willow lost control of the car, and both of her parents were killed. Now, seventeen-year-old Willow has left behind her home, friends, and school to move in with her older brother, his wife, and their new baby.

Trapped in a life she never expected, Willow desperately wishes things would return to the way they were - but they can't. Tormented by guilt and petrified by grief, she goes through the motions just trying to cope. Willow numbs her new, grim reality by secretly cutting herself - the only way she thinks she can gain control amidst dysfunction and chaos. When her classmate, Guy, discovers her secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the "safe" world Willow has created for herself upside down. His refusal to let her go forces Willow to relearn how to let people in.

Willow explores the utterly painful and isolating effects of loss with the paradoxically essential need for human connection and understanding.  Julia creates a character as complex as her situation. Extremely smart and thoughtful, Willow not only faces the task of refiguring her life without the people who mattered most, but falls in love with the first person to know everything about her. It is through this connection with Guy, their shared love for books, and the love of her family, that Willow begins to heal.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 24, 2010 1:06 PM

NEWS: Cheryl and Ashley breakup book to be published (already!)

As if you hadn't heard enough about the recent breakup of stars Cheryl and Ashley Cole (if you haven't heard, simply pick up a tabloid - you can't exactly escape from it at the moment.) In any case, it seems that a book about the split between the pop singer and millionaire footballer is already on the cards.

According to The Bookseller, John Blake plans on publishing a more recent account of the relationship. This news comes straight after the couple announced a divorce (due to Ashley's cheating). The book, written by John McShane, will be entitled 'Love Wars' and is due out on 4th May.

It will cover the public scandals following the pair and will be, according to Blake's head of marketing, "as up to date as we can get it.

"This is the inside story of how the UK's most loved solo artist found herself in the most roller coaster relationship of all time."

Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 24, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 22, 2010 11:09 PM

COVER NEWS: Movie tie-ins

Also, Rick Riordan's children's novel Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief has also had a new cover design to celebrate the recent movie release. Here's the new cover (right). What do you think?

If you haven't yet read The Lovely Bones, click below to read a synopsis:
On her way home from school on a snowy December day, 14-year-old Susie Salmon is lured into a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold's haunting and heartbreaking debut novel, unfolds from heaven, where "life is a perpetual yesterday" and where Susie narrates and keeps watch over her grieving family and friends, as well as her brazen killer and the sad detective working on her case.

As Sebold fashions it, everyone has his or her own version of heaven. Susie's resembles the athletic fields and landscape of a suburban high school: a heaven of her "simplest dreams", where "there were no teachers... We never had to go inside except for art class... The boys did not pinch our backsides or tell us we smelled; our textbooks were Seventeen and Glamour and Vogue".

The Lovely Bones works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the lost world of the living, following her family's dramas over the years. Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun. Random acts and missed opportunities run throughout the book--Susie recalls her sole kiss with a boy on earth as "like an accident--a beautiful gasoline rainbow."

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 22, 2010 in Book News, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEW RELEASE: Just Dance

Love her or hate her - everyone seems to have an opinion on outrageously-dressed pop sensation Lady Gaga. And it was only a matter of time before a biography was released, and here it is. Just Dance - The Biography was released on the 18th February by Orion. Here's a little more about the book:

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 22, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 19, 2010 7:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: Saris and the City

Rekha Waheed, author of 2005 title The A-Z Guide to Arranged Marriage, is back with a second novel, this time from publishers Little Black Dress. Saris and the City is due for release on April 15th. Here's the synopsis:

Love, lingerie and family loyalties collide in this sexy, sassy tale of chasing success - but at what cost?

When ambitious City analyst Yasmin Yusuf's hope for a traditional 'happy ever after' in the romance stakes is shattered she decides there's only one course of action: get smart, sexy and successful. And what better way to achieve it than by turning around a failing lingerie company? Swept head-first into her glamorous new job by suave private banker Zachary Khan, Yasmin is soon clashing with snobby fashionistas, pedantic accountants, her culturally conservative Bengali family and, worst of all, Hannah Gibbs-Smythson, Zach's indomitable senior advisor. With the odds stacked against her and her attraction to Zach complicating matters even further, the stakes for Yasmin have never been higher... Is she prepared to risk everything for the success she craves?

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 19, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 18, 2010 11:39 PM

BOOK NEWS: Revenge of the Spellmans

We loved The Spellman Files, the novel by Lisa Lutz about a family of private investigators. The book was followed by the sequel Curse of the Spellmans, and now, Lisa's back with the THIRD installment about PI Isabel Spellman - Revenge of the Spellmans.

Revenge is out very soon - Feb 22nd to be exact. Here's the synopsis. You can find out more about the book at the website of Lisa Lutz.

Having been ordered into therapy after getting a little too close to her previous subject, former private investigator Izzy Spellman is wisely taking a break from Spellman Inc, having embarked on a less controversial career as a barmaid. But when her boss, Milo, simultaneously cuts her bartending hours and introduces her to a 'friend' looking for a private eye, Izzy reluctantly finds herself with a new client. A suspicious husband who wants his wife tailed, it would appear to be a routine case involving nothing more than that most boring of PI rituals: surveillance. But Izzy soon discovers that she's not the only person keeping a close eye on Mrs Ernie Black and with each passing hour the Case of the Wayward Wife throws up more questions than answers.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 18, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 17, 2010 11:57 PM

Guardian's guide to writing for Mills & Boon

We know that plenty of aspiring writers visit Trashionista, and we love to keep you all updated with the latest writing tips and articles. Well, if you fancy writing Mills & Boon - here's a handy 'inside guide' courtesy of The Guardian. In the article, writer Alison Flood talks to three of the publisher's most popular authors to find out just what it takes to write a romance good enough to grace the shelves.

Click here to read.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 17, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

COVER NEWS: The Body at the Tower

We recently posted about YS Lee's upcoming novel, The Body at the Tower - the second novel in her Agency series. We've just been alerted that the book cover has been redesigned, and looks great! Check out the new cover - what do you think?

To read more The Agency, visit YS Lee's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 17, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (3)

February 16, 2010 11:19 PM

BOOK NEWS: Spooky Little Girl

Laurie Notaro, who's written a variety of hilarious autobiographical books including The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club and We Thought You Would be Prettier, delighted us with her first novel. And now she's back with a second book - a paranormal tale that we just can't wait to read! Spooky Little Girl will be released in April 2010. Here's the synopsis:

Death is what happens while you're busy making other plans.
 
Coming home from a Hawaiian vacation with her best girlfriends, Lucy Fisher is stunned to find everything she owns tossed out on her front lawn, the locks changed, and her fiancé's phone disconnected--plus she's just lost her job. With her world spinning wildly out of her control, Lucy decides to make a new start and moves upstate to live with her sister and nephew.

But then things take an even more dramatic turn: A fatal encounter with public transportation lands Lucy not in the hereafter but in the nearly hereafter. She's back in school, learning the parameters of spooking and how to become a successful spirit in order to complete a ghostly assignment. If Lucy succeeds, she's guaranteed a spot in the next level of the afterlife--but until then, she's stuck as a ghost in the last place she would ever want to be.

Trying to avoid being trapped on earth for all eternity, Lucy crosses the line between life and death and back again when she returns home. Navigating the perilous channels of the paranormal, she's determined to find out why her life crumbled and why, despite her ghastly death, no one seems to have noticed she's gone. But urgency on the spectral plane--in the departed person of her feisty grandmother, who is risking both their eternal lives--requires attention, and Lucy realizes that you get only one chance to be spectacular in death.

To find out ore about Laurie and Spooky Little Girl - and to read an excerpt! - head on over to Laurie Notaro's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 16, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 15, 2010 7:10 PM

BOOK NEWS: Married With Zombies

It's true - zombies are becoming more popular. They've already caused havoc in Jane Austen's world, and it was only a matter of time before zombies started to make their brain-munching way into the mainstream. September will see the release of a brand new zombie series from author Jesse Petersen, published by Orbit (US). The first in the series is titled Married With Zombies.

The books will see a married couple in crisis who are forced to work together in a zombie apocalypse. There's no synopsis available as yet, but here are a few tips, from the author's current website:

Marriage survival tips during a zombie apocalypse:

• Balance the workload in your relationship. No one person should be responsible for killing all the zombies.

• Put the small stuff into perspective. It's better to be wrong and alive than right but eating brains.

• Talk out your big decisions. Hear both opinions before you decide if you're going to flee the city or hole up with Campbell's Soup and CNN.

• Share in your activities and interests. If you're going to kill zombies anyway, why not do it together?

• Plan romantic getaways. Or just getaways.

• Show physical affection. Nothing says 'I love you' like bearing the entirety of your spouse's body weight.

Chapter one of Married With Zombies is available on Jesse's website.

(Thanks to Book Chick City for this news).

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 15, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (3)

February 12, 2010 11:16 PM

IN THE NEWS: Chick-lit cliches

An interesting article about new chick-lit cliches was posted recently at the Huffington Post. Writer Pauline Millard explores the most recent cliches that the genre has picked up. Pauline writes:

Soon, though, chick lit became a parody of itself, with its pastel colored covers that almost always included a martini and/or a woman wearing stilettos. Plots often involved a disgruntled assistant working in New York media (usually a thinly veiled magazine) and there was usually a gay sidekick and a wacky friend. A crushing break up occurred in the early chapters and our fearless female had to spend the remaining pages rebuilding her life with the aforementioned motley crew in tow.

Click here to read the full article.

Have you noticed any recent cliches in chick-lit? What are your chick-lit pet peeves? Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 12, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: The Body at the Tower

YS Lee's first book in the Agency series - A Spy In the House - was fantastic. Needless to say, it was exciting to hear that the sequel will be released later this year! The Body at the Tower, the next in the series about Mary Quinn, a young detective in Victorian London, will be published in May 2010. Here's a little bir more about the book, which can found on YS Lee's website along with other Agency goodies!

In The Body at the Tower, spy-in-training Mary Quinn disguises herself as a twelve-year-old boy to investigate a mysterious death at St Stephen's Tower - better known as Big Ben. Passing as a poor boy is hard enough. Yet things get worse: almost immediately, she makes enemies on site. And then her nemesis, James Easton, turns up. And he recognizes her...

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 12, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

RNA's Pure Passion Awards

The RNA (Romantic Novelists' Association), yesterday launched a new set of awards in celebration of the Association's 50-year anniversary.

The Pure Passion Awards will include not just the Romantic Novel of the Year and Love Story of the Year awards, but also some new honours - The People's Choice Award. the Rom Com Awards, and Romantic Film of the Year.

According to the RNA website, the Pure Passion Awards will be promoted nationally in both libraries and retail outlets. Author Katie Fforde, Chair of the RNA, said "In our 50th year we are celebrating with more awards and more opportunities which provide a wonderful opportunity for readers to be introduced to writers they may not yet have heard of.

"We are proud to showcase contemporary women's fiction, chic lit, sagas, and historical fiction.  Some are written by newcomers and some by more established authors. What links them all is that they have been selected by discerning readers to be loved by everyone."

The winners will be announced in Kensington on Tuesday 16th March.

Click here to read the full story.

Here are the shortlists...

The Love Story of the Year
The Notorious Mr Hurst, Louise Allen, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Animal Instincts, Nell Dixon, Little Black Dress
Always the Bridesmaid, Nina Harrington, Harlequin Mills & Boon
Fair Deception, Jan Jones, Robert Hale
The Wedding Party, Sophie King, Hodder
Claimed for the Italian's Revenge, Natalie Rivers, Harlequin Mills & Boon

The People's Choice Award
Missing You, Louise Douglas, Pan
Remembrance Day, Leah Fleming, Avon
I Heart Hollywood, Lindsey Kelk, Harper
Rich Girl Poor Girl, Lesley Lokko, Orion
Heiresses, Lulu Taylor, Arrow

The Romantic Comedy Award
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend, Jenny Colgan, Sphere
The Nearly-Weds, Jane Costello, Simon & Schuster
50 Ways to Find a Lover, Lucy-Anne Holmes, Pan
Rumour Has It, Jill Mansell, Headline Review

RNA Romantic Film of the Year
Confessions of a Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella, Black Swan (Transworld)
An Education, Lyn Barber, Penguin
The Time Traveller's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger, Vintage (Random House)
Twilight: New Moon, Stephanie Meyer, Atom, Little Brown

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 12, 2010 in Book News, Book Websites, Book related | Permalink | Comments (3)

February 11, 2010 8:52 PM

BOOK NEWS: Confetti Confidential

Isabel Bookbinder has returned! Well...almost. We'll have to wait until June (another four months - argh!) for Holly McQueen's next Bookbinder novel - titled Confetti Confidential - but it's soon to be here...and here's the cover!

Serial dreamer Isabel will return in the third novel in the series (following The Glamorous Double Life of Isabel Bookbinder and The Fabulously Fashionable Life of Isabel Bookbinder), and this time she seems to have deserted her previous dreams of being a world-famous novelist and fashion designer, and has set her sights on being a wedding planner instead. Here's a little it more about the next installment...

Isabel Bookbinder dreams of pearly white weddings, happy brides, handsome grooms. And champagne towers that don't topple over. She dreams of the perfect wedding. But not for herself...for her clients. It's all about bride management as far as Isabel's concerned. Even when she misplaces a couple of brides and loses her job working for wedding guru Pippa Everitt, Isabel isn't disheartened. She throws herself straight into launching Isabel Bookbinder, Individual Weddings, and with a pop starlet and a millionaire as her first clients, business is looking rosy. Unfortunately for Isabel, nothing ever goes quite according to plan... 

We can't wait!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 11, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

NEWS: Katie Davies wins Waterstones prize

Katie Davies has scooped the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, with her novel The Great Hamster Massacre. The book, which is Katie's debut, is published  by Simon & Schuster and gained first place over nine other books including Pat Walsh's The Crowfield Curse and Lucy Christopher's Flyaway.

Katy will recieve not only a £5,000 cash prize, but also an ongoing commitment to her writing career from Waterstones nationwide.

According to The Bookseller, Sarah Clarke, Waterstones children's buying manager, said: "The Great Hamster Massacre is a wonderful book and an exciting winner, particularly as this is the first time in the history of the prize that a book written for a younger audience has won. This was the closest competition we've ever had, but in the end Katie Davies' brilliant execution in telling her sweet and funny story won the judges over."

To read the full article, click here. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 11, 2010 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 10, 2010 8:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: WAGS at the World Cup

If you liked Alison Kervin's WAGS series so far (The WAG's Diary, A WAG Abroad), then you'll be pleased to know that Alison is back with a third offering in the series - WAGS at the Wold Cup. The cover is a bit different to the previous two novels in the series, but it still looks fab! Here's the synopsis:

Forget Victoria Beckham. Forget Coleen. You can even forget Cheryl Cole...Tracie Martin is the true queen of the Wags. From her lemon-frosted highlights to the tips of her bejewelled bronzed toes, Tracie is the ultimate footballer's wife and this is going to be her year. The England squad are heading to South Africa for the World Cup and Tracie's husband Dean has a place on the coaching squad. So the Martin family are on their way to South Africa ...And while the fight may be on for England to regain their rightful place in the history books, Tracie knows that the true battle of the tournament will be fought in Gucci and in the pages of her favourite tabloids. But that's before she discovers that an international crime syndicate is trying to fix the world cup. Can Tracie save the day?

Click here to check out Alison's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 10, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (6)

YAY OR NAY: Bookstores vs Online

We knew that the book industry was rapidly changing with the closure of high street book chain Borders. And now, recent reports have shown that more and more independent bookstores are closing across the UK.

According to the Guardian, independent bookstores are closing at a rate of one or two per week, and have been since last year. The article states:

With independents blaming increased competition from the internet, supermarkets, a declining British high street and the credit crunch for their troubles, figures from the Booksellers Association show that 102 independent stores closed in 2009, leaving just 1,289 left in the UK - a decline of 27% since 1999. Last year also saw the 45-store book chain Borders fall into administration, while like-for-like sales at Waterstone's were down by 8.5% in the crucial Christmas trading period.

"The current economic climate is undeniably tough and the book retail sector is suffering across the board," said the Booksellers Association's head of membership services Meryl Halls. She called on readers to support independents, saying that those shops which "are fighting so hard to survive continue to deliver an outstanding service - knowing the books they recommend and sell, knowing their customers, focusing on things that the deep price cutters can't offer and running fantastic and value-adding events".

Read the full story here.

Understandably, the internet is the biggest factor here, with a wider choice in titles and, quite often, lower prices. It's no wonder that many are deciding to  shop online rather than in the Bookstores (on websites such as Amazon, and Play - who offer free delivery.) As easy shopping online may be, independent bookstores (As well as the main high street book retailers) are suffering.

What about you? Do you prefer going to stores, or do you shop online for your books? (And why?) Leave a comment and let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 10, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 8, 2010 10:27 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Carol Snow

Carol Snow is the author of upcoming novel Just Like Me, Only Better (and I cant wait to read this!) Here, Carol talks about Just Like Me, her inspiration, and of course, a whole load of lookalikes... (Click here for the book synopsis!)

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
Struggling single mother gets hired as celebrity double for imploding young Hollywood starlet. That was thirteen words. Do I get extra credit?

What inspired you to write Just Like Me, Only Better?
Inspiration came in pieces. First: Ten years ago, during the heyday of Friends, I was at a housewife-populated Pokeeno party (don't ask) in Scottsdale, Arizona, when Lisa Kudrow walked in the door: there was her face, her hair, her height, her mannerisms. Only it wasn't Lisa Kudrow -obviously -- but if I had seen the same woman walking down the street in L.A., I would have sworn it was. When I asked her if anyone had ever commented on the resemblance, she said oh, sure: all the time. Plus, a kid had just asked for her autograph at an amusement park and didn't believe her when she said she wasn't Kudrow.

Second: A few Halloweens ago, in the midst of her meltdown, I dressed up as Britney Spears. To come up with costume specifics, I Googled her and could not believe just how bizarre her life was. Obviously, she had some, shall we say, "mental health issues." But the poor girl couldn't go anywhere without being mobbed by paparazzi just waiting for her to do something crazy. I thought: what is it like to live with that kind of scrutiny?

And, third: My husband works with a man who's a dead ringer for Jack Nicholson - and whose daughter works as an Angelina Jolie celebrity double at parties and corporate events. I don't know how that happens from a genetic standpoint, but it sparked some ideas!

Do you look like anyone famous?
When I was eleven, people said I looked like Nadia Comenici. Unfortunately, I couldn't do gymnastics like her. Also when was eleven (it was a big year, apparently), my eyebrows were frequently compared to Brooke Shields's. Since then, we have both embraced facial waxing.

Where do you write your books?
I usually write on a couch in my office, with a cat on my lap and a computer on my knees. It's terrible for my posture but quite cozy.

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Most of my favorite chick-lit books were published before the term was coined. Compromising Positions by Susan Isaacs had a huge impact on me. Not only was it compulsively readable, it gave me the first inkling of the kind of books I hoped to write someday.

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
Kinsey Millhone, Sue Grafton's private eye, is self-sufficient, tough, crafty, and wry: in other words, not like me at all.

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?
Ask yourself: Do I like spending long stretches of time alone? Do have large reserves of self discipline? Can I take criticism? Do I love writing more than anything else? If you answer "yes" to all of those things, great! Now spend the next 10-15 years honing your craft before worrying about publication. If you've already put in that kind of work and have a finished manuscript, you can fast forward to "Find a good agent." I've recommended Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents so many times, the guy should be giving me a cut of his royalties.

What are you currently reading?
I just finish Richard Price's Lush Life. It was dark, violent, and made me question humanity's capacity for altruism and redemption. I really liked it!

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
Yes. And no.

Thanks, Carol!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 8, 2010 in Book News, Book related, Irish Authors | Permalink | Comments (11)

Win a weekend in New York!

Fancy an all-expenses paid trip to New York? Well, here's your chance. Publishers Simon & Schuster are giving away a weekend in fabulous NYC in order to celebrate the release of Adriana Trigiani's new novel, Very Valentine, on February 9th.

To win, head on over to the site and fill out the online entry form. Want to know more about Very Valentine? Here's more info...

Meet Valentine, an unforgettable and passionate woman with a heart and a dream as big as New York City. Her dream? To design the perfect pair of shoes ...The Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes since 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. Now, in the twenty-first century, the company run so devotedly by Valentine and her grandmother Teodora faces financial ruin. Juggling a romantic relationship with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family, and a design competition for a prestigious department store, Valentine accompanies her grandmother to Italy in the hope of finding inspiration. There, in Tuscany and on the Isle of Capri, she discovers her artistic voice and much more, turning her life around in ways she never expected.

You can read an excerpt of Very Valentine here, or check out Adriana's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 8, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News, Competition | Permalink | Comments (5)

February 5, 2010 8:07 PM

NEW RELEASE: Loves Me, Loves Me Not

With Valentines Day on its way, there are plenty of newly released (and upcoming!) love stories to choose from - one being the brand new short-story collection, Loves Me, Loves Me Not.

Loves Me, Loves Me Not was released today and contains 40 short stories from a variety of bestelling authors such as Carole Matthews and Adele Parks. Edited by Katie Fforde (author of Love Letters and Wedding Season), the book is set to be a fantastic ready for those who love short tales of romance! Here's some more info...

"Loves Me, Loves Me Not" will give you hours of outrageously indulgent reading pleasure. With over 40 stories to choose, this fabulous collection has something for everyone - from bittersweet holiday flings to emotional family weepies; from fun chick-lit tales to Regency romances . "Loves Me, Loves Me Not" is a true celebration of the very best in romantic fiction. Read all-new stories from the bestselling authors of today - including Joanna Trollope, Katie Flynn, Carole Matthews, Maureen Lee and Adele Parks - and discover the bestselling authors of tomorrow.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 5, 2010 in Book News, New Releases, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Sweet Temptation

If you're a fan of Lucy Diamond (Hens Reunited, Over You), you'll be pleased to know that Lucy has another novel on the way. Sweet Temptation will be released in May 2010. Here's the synopsis:

Maddie's getting it from all sides. Her bitchy new boss at the radio station humiliates her live on air about her figure, her glamour-puss mum keeps dropping not-so-subtle hints that Maddie should lose weight and her kids are embarrassed to be seen with her after the disastrous Mums' race at their school sports day. Something's got to change...

Maddie joins the local weight-watching group expecting more humiliation but instead finds two unlikely allies - bitter divorcee Lauren who, despite running a dating agency, has signed off romance for ever and shy Jess, the beautician, who's desperate to fit into a size 10 wedding dress for her Big Day.

Read more about Lucy Diamond and her books at Lucy's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 5, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 3, 2010 5:05 AM

BOOK NEWS: Secrets and Sins

We absolutely adored Jaishree Misra's novel Secrets and Lies (click here to read Trashionista's interview with Jaishree) and now there's a second novel heading our way.

Secrets and Sins is due for release in June 2010, an having thoroughly enjoyed the mysterious Secrets and Lies, we can't wait! Here's the synopsis:

Be careful what you wish for! Seven years ago, Riva Singh and Aman Khan had a passionate love affair. Despite their attraction, Riva rejected Aman for reliable Ben, the man who became her husband. Now, Riva is a bestselling London novelist, whilst Aman is a Bollywood superstar. Both have watched each other from afar but have stayed apart since their painful split. But Fate appears to have other plans for them as they are thrown together at the Cannes film festival. Aman is torn between his desire for Riva and his young family - not to mention the havoc an affair would have on his golden boy public image. Beset by guilt, Reva knows that their love could destroy everything that they hold dear. With so much at stake, will these star-crossed lovers follow their hearts - or their heads?

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 3, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 29, 2010 9:43 PM

NEWS: Celebrity memoirs are here to stay, apparently

Just when you thought you'd seen enough of them over the Christmas period, it seems as though celebrity memoirs will not be going away anytime soon. According to The Bookseller, publishers believe that the memoir market is 'here to stay', despite poor sales last year.

Books from celebrity favourites such as Ant and Dec and Peter Kay will continue to grace the shelves, with some new additions in 2010. Michael McIntyre, Michael Parkinson, Russell Brand and Keith Richards will all each have memoirs released later this year.

Non-fiction director of publisher Hodder & Stoughton, Rowena Webb, told The Bookseller: "We certainly do think the celebrity memoir is here to stay . . . people are looking for strong stories, big careers and very often people who can write themselves. Those people who span the generations, books that the whole family can gather around and listen to."

And Katie Price, aka Jordan, will be releasing yet another memoir - entitled I'm Still Standing - pretty soon. (Like we didn't see THAT one coming.)

To view the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 29, 2010 in Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

COVER NEWS: Emily Barr

Emily Barr, whose previous novels include Backpack, Plan B and The Sisterhood, is back with a new book that's out later this year. The Perfect Lie will be available on 13th May, and here's the gorgeous cover (left). The new cover matches that of The Life You Want, Emily's 2009 novel. What do you think? Or do you prefer the style of covers used for Emily's previous books (such as , right?) Let us know!

In the meantime, here's more about The Perfect Lie.

A girl flees to Venice to escape her dangerous past in this electrifying novel of intrigue, psychological tension and suspense...

For Lucy Riddick, Venice has always been the dream destination. A dream inspired by the pretty picture pinned to her mother's kitchen wall. To Lucy, Venice seems the ideal place to lose herself. And now she needs to do just that. The secret she's been keeping from her boyfriend and her friends has finally caught up with her and Lucy needs to disappear - and fast. There's no better time to pack her bags and head for Italy. But what if, when she sets foot in Venice, Lucy finds that the one thing she has been running from, the one thing she has been trying to escape, is already there, lying in wait for her? Time to run away again? Or time to end the chase, once and for all?

To find out more about Emily Barr and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 29, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 27, 2010 8:38 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jackie Dolamore

Jackie Dolamore is the author of recently released novel Magic Under Glass. Here Jackie talks about her love for the Victorian era, her inspiration, and her own magical tale.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
A dancing girl discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman trapped inside a clockwork automaton.

What inspired you to write Magic Under Glass?
A lifelong fascination with the Victorian era, and novels set in creepy old houses full of secrets, most notably Jane Eyre. The structure of Jane Eyre was certainly an inspiration for the structure of Magic Under Glass, although it takes some very different turns. Also The Secret Garden and A Little Princess. The automata aspect of the book, on the other hand, was inspired by an exhibit of Japanese automata I saw at a museum, and an exhibit of mechanical music.

Where do you write your books?
At a desk. Yawn. A very messy cheap IKEA desk. Sometimes with my big heavy boy cat on my lap, getting his paws in the way.

What is your favourite chick-lit book?
Hmm, that's a hard question. I think chick-lit was a big trend here in America and then the market got oversaturated and now people don't use the term "chick-lit" much. I tend to veer more toward historical and fantasy anyway. Sorry for the lousy answer!

Who is your favourite heroine, and why?
Emily Byrd Starr, from L. M. Montgomery's Emily books. I identified so fiercely with her love of writing, for one thing, but it was more than that...she had a sort of spirit and pride that I understood, that I felt as a child too, which adults rarely seemed to understand or capture, but L. M. Montgomery did. It was never overwrought or unrealistic.

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?
The best thing you can do is strive for active improvement. Learn how to edit and take it seriously. Find some good critique partners... or at least some mediocre ones, if you can't find good ones right away. You'll learn as much from critiquing their work as you well from their critiques of yours. And don't be afraid to put your work out there.

What are you currently reading?
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey, and the comic book series Fables.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
My next book is a starcrossed romance between a mermaid and a winged man. I'm about to work on revising that with my editor, along with working on the first draft to a Magic Under Glass sequel!

Thanks, Jackie!

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 27, 2010 in Book News, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 26, 2010 8:13 PM

NEWS: Sophie Kinsella's 'Twenties Girl' is number one

Well, it was to be expected what with Sophie Kinsella's popularity and her absolutely brilliant latest book (fine, I'm biased!) but the news is out - Twenties Girl is this week's new number one.

According to The Bookseller, the paperback edition of Twenties Girl - Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella's ninth book (16th including those written under Madeleine Wickham) sold 36,378 copies in the UK last week. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer is third on the list.

Click here to read the full article.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 26, 2010 in Book News, Sophie Kinsella | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Take a Chance on Me

Fans of Jill Mansell (author of Rumour Has It and Thinking of You) will be delighted to know that her latest novel is on its way. Take a Chance on Me will be released by Headline on February 18th. Here's a little bit more about Jill's latest offering...

Cleo Quinn doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to men, but now Will's come along. Handsome and attentive, he could be her Mr Right. Things are definitely looking up for Cleo... apart from one small problem with a rather large ego. Johnny LaVenture, sculptor extraordinaire and her personal childhood nemesis, is back in Channing's Hill and tormenting her as if he'd never been away. Meanwhile Cleo's sister Abbie has a problem of her own - husband Tom has become distant and withdrawn, and she's determined to find out why. But will the shocking truth mean the end of their idyllically happy marriage? The sisters are about to discover that the past can come back to haunt you, and that love can flourish in the unlikeliest of places...

To find out more about Jill Mansell and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 26, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 25, 2010 8:54 PM

RECENT RELEASE: Shoo, Jimmy Choo!

It's coming to the end of January, which means that those of us who made resolutions ('what are those again?' some might say) will either be smiling with success, or have given up on their new year plights a couple of weeks ago. Even so, there's still time - and what with 'save more/spend less' being one of the top new year mantras, I thought I'd give you the heads-up on a rather interesting recent release...

Shoo, Jimmy Choo: The Modern Girl's Guide to Spending Less and Saving More is the new book from Catey Hill, money editor at the New York Daily News online. It promises to help you manage your finances and make way for a nice retirement. Whereas some of us have never owned a pair of Jimmy Choos (boo!) it might still make an interesting read...

Remember when Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw faced the brutal realization that she couldn't buy her apartment because she'd already spent her money on a closet full of Manolos? Well, if Carrie had met Catey first, she'd own her co-op and be on her way to a comfortable retirement!

Catey Hill is the online money expert for the Daily News Web site--and author of this humorous, practical "girlfriends guide" to personal finance for 20- and 30-something females. (The ones with the designer shoes...and maxed-out credit cards.) With a hip, "I've been there" voice along with worksheets and exercises, she helps women evaluate why they spend, get out of debt, and create a savings and retirement plan that even allows for the occasional splurge. Among the topics she covers: student loans, car payments, investing, saving for a home, and more.

To find out more about Catey Hill and Shoo, Jimmy Choo, check out Catey's website. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 25, 2010 in Book News, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva

Those in the United States may have heard of Victoria Rowell, who played Drucilla Winters on The Young and the Restless. Well, Victoria's penned a book based on her former soap actress life. (After previously writing The Woman Who Raised Me, a bestselling memoir.) Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva will be released in May 2010 by Simon & Schuster. Here's a little bit more about the book.

Calysta Jeffries is the hottest black actress in daytime and the diva of the soap opera world, known for her role as Ruby Stargazer on television's most popular soap opera, "The Rich and the Ruthless."

After fifteen years, three returns from the dead, two failed pregnancies, one alien abduction, and overcoming retrograde amnesia, Calysta still hasn't managed to snag the biggest award in daytime drama: the Sudsy. Now is supposed to be her moment. But Calysta's onscreen/offscreen rival Emmy Abernathy wins the award for the fourth time. The drama begins when journalist Mitch Morelli asks Calysta for a quote after the award show and her true feelings for her costar slip out.

Ripped from the headlines of Soap Opera Digest and straight off of the television screen, Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva will give readers plenty to talk about as they try to guess where the real world ends and Rowell's imagination begins.

To read more about Victoria Rowell, head on over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 25, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 22, 2010 11:50 PM

NEWS: Stephanie Meyer one of Europe's top 2009 authors

Yep, Twilight author Stephanie Meyer is among one of the top authors in Europe for 2009, according to a recent analysis. The Bookseller reported that the results came from an anaysis of the top 10 international fiction bestsellers over 12 months.

Stephanie Meyer, Dan Brown and Steig Larsson (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) came top of the list. Meyer came second, which 'ht the bestseller charts of five of the countries measured: Germany, Spain, UK, Sweden and Italy.'

Well, we're not exactly surprised!

Click here to read the full article and to view the entire list.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 22, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Temptation Street

Being a huge fan of the hilarious Shari Low (absolutely LOVED A Brand New Me and The Motherhood Walk of Fame!), I'm excited to hear that Shari has a new book for release this year. Temptation Street is due to be published in May 2010. The cover is fab, and I'm hoping the book will be just as great, too! Here's the synopsis of Temptation Street:

Have you ever taken a wrong turn into Temptation Street...?

Suze has a niggling feeling that her husband Karl's marital sat-nav has taken a wrong turn and led him down the road to temptation. What's a suspicious wife to do?

Mel knows that her sweet, docile husband Joe would never, ever cheat. But when Suze, her sister-in-law, hires a honeytrap to test Karl, the results blow Mel's world apart.

Mel, Joe, Suze, Karl. They're family. They're friends. And they're about to discover whether or not they can navigate those other f-words - fidelity and forgiveness.

Or is relationship misbehaviour much more fun when it's a two-way street?

To find out more about Shari Low and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 22, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 21, 2010 11:25 PM

BOOK NEWS: Lauren Weisberger's latest novel

Lauren Weisberger, author of The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing and Chasing Harry Winston, has recently revealed the title of her upcoming novel.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont will be published on May 25, 2010 by Simon & Schuster, according to Lauren's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 21, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 20, 2010 8:25 PM

BOOK NEWS: Chocolate Wishes

Any chocoholics here? Yes? Then you might like Chocolate Wishes - the upcoming release from Trisha Ashley (author of Singled Out and A Winter's Tale.) I'm looking forward to this one, even more so now that I've read the first part.

The prologue and first chapter of Chocolate Wishes is available to download at Trisha's website. Here's a little bit more about her latest novel, which is due for release on March 4th.

Life is sweet for chocolate maker Chloe Lyon! Business is booming at her artisan chocolate-makers 'Chocolate Wishes' in the picture-perfect Lancashire village of Sticklepond - not least because all of Chloe's sweet treats contain an inspirational prediction for each customer. If only her own life was as easy to read in the cards, perhaps Chloe could have foreseen being jilted at the altar! But Chloe has long put thoughts of love behind her - after all, life is busy enough, especially as she tries to sort out her friends' tangled love lives and the village welcomes its new vicar, Raffy Sinclair. However, the village rumour mill goes into overdrive when it is revealed that Raffy is the distinctly unorthodox ex-front man of rock band 'Dark Angels' - and also happens to be Chloe's first love, who left her broken-hearted! Whilst Chloe tries to ignore this blast from her past, will she discover that wishes can come true when you least expect it!?

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 20, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 19, 2010 10:55 PM

BOOK NEWS: Soulmates

Whether you love it or hate it, Valentines Day is not far away (and yes, we'll be featuring some fab Valentine reads!). I've recently received a copy of Soulmates by Sonali Fernando - a perfect book for Valentine's.

Soulmates: True Stories from the World of Online Dating is a fab new guide to online dating, featuring tips and true stories from those looking for love online. Here's a bit more about the book:

Online matchmaking is the dating phenomenon of our times.

In 2007, 7.8 million Britons used some form of online dating service in pursuit of romance, and no fewer than one thousand people sign up to the Guardian dating service Soulmates every week.  

In fact, there is a 50:50 chance that any single person you know logs on to find love.

This book is a quirky guide to the world of online dating, showing you how to construct the perfect profile, giving tips on dating etiquette, and offering bags of advice to help you find the right match.  Along the way, you'll be treated to true stories of adventures in the online dating world that are witty, eye-opening, and, in places, toe-curlingly embarrassing or heart-warmingly touching.

Whether you're thinking of logging on to kick-start your love life or just to meet new people, or even if you simply want to find out a bit more about this fast-growing phenomenon, Soulmates will prove interesting - and enlightening - reading.

Review coming soon!
 

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 19, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Living La Vida Loca

Belinda Jones is back with a new offering that's due for release later this year. Living La Vida Loca (love the cover!) will be available in June and seems like a fantastic summer read! Here's the synopsis:

Carmen has been feeling the need to break free for Too Darn Long. So when her equally frustrated friend Beth suggests the ultimate escape - dancing their way through a series of scorchingly-hot countries - she can't resist!

There's just one catch... they can only go on this adventure if they participate in a reality TV show, one intent on teaching them the mournful tango in Argentina, the feisty flamenco in Spain and the sassy, celebratory salsa in Cuba!

As they travel from Buenos Aires to Seville and ultimately steamy Havana, each dance has a profound effect on the girls - and indeed the sexy gauchos, matadors and dirty dancers who partner them...

But, when the sun goes down, do they have what it takes to go beyond the steps and free their hearts for love?

To read more about Belinda Jones and her books, head on over to her website. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 19, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 18, 2010 11:55 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Carrie Diaries

Following Sex and the City and other bestselling novels (including Lipstick Jungle, One Fifth Avenue), Candace Bushnell is back with a book to make SATC fans rejoice - The Carrie Diaries. If you fancy reading all about the high school days of New York fashionista Carrie Bradshaw, then here's your chance!

The Carrie Diaries will be released in April 2010. Here's more abot the book.

Meet the teenage Carrie Bradshaw before 'Sex and the City!' Before Carrie Bradshaw became the queen of the New York City social scene, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation? THE CARRIE DIARIES opens in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends are inseparable -- and then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy -- older, intriguing and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school -- until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realise it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted. Fans of SEX AND THE CITY will love seeing Carrie Bradshaw evolve from a regular girl into a sharp, insightful writer. And we'll see what brings Carrie to her beloved New York City, where the next CARRIE DIARIES book will take place. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 18, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Tease out in paperback

We loved Tease - the debut by UK burlesque star Immodesty Blaize - which has recently been released in paperback. The paperback edition has a lovely new (though just as sexy!) cover. Check it out!

Below is the synopsis for Tease, if you haven't read it already. (Click here for the review - I've tried not to spoil TOO much!)

Tiger Starr has risen from nothing to become burlesque's most sensational showgirl...She's bewitched an adoring public and media with her old school Hollywood glamour, hourglass curves and wickedly, sexy stage shows.

Tiger's life is a whirlwind of glamour, diamonds, celebrity parties and more than her fair share of suitors. She seems to finally have it all. But though she may have the talents to bring any man - or woman - to their knees, Tiger never lets her friends or lovers get too close. Only now, she's finally ready to take a chance on love...

But beneath all the glitz and the feathers, she's hiding more than her modesty. As she prepares for the most important show of her life, it seems somebody is intent on exposing the dark secrets of her carefully guarded past.

Unfortunately, there's more than one likely candidate. Is it one of Tiger's discarded lovers? A rival showgirl? Or even her jealous sister? As her world starts to unravel, Tiger will have to fight for survival, by delivering the performance of her life...

Click here to visit the website of Immodesty Blaize.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 18, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 15, 2010 12:30 AM

BOOK NEWS: A Mother's Guide to Cheating

I'm delighted to hear that Kate Long has an upcoming novel, having adored her previous books (Swallowing Grandma, The Bad Mother's Handbook, Queen Mum).

New offering A Mother's Guide to Cheating will be released on February 18th and I can't wait! (The cover reminds me of that of How to Kill Your Husband...or is it just me?) Here's the synopsis:

Carol married young -- to philandering Phil; and became a mother young -- to highly-strung Jaz. Carol put up with Phil's infidelities: suffer in silence and keep the family together was her mantra. Not so Jaz. The moment she discovers her own husband Ian's errant ways -- with a woman he barely knew -- she throws him out of the house, changes the locks and bans him from seeing their toddler son Matty. In so many ways independent and strong, where her daughter is concerned Carol is a coward. When Jaz finds out that her mother has enlisted the support of Ian's father David to try to get her back together with Ian, Jaz is beyond furious and disappears with Matty. With a deft lightness of touch -- and a dash of unexpected romance -- Kate Long takes us into the heart of this mixed-up but utterly recognisable family who fight for what they believe in, even if it puts the closest members on opposing sides.

You can read more about Kate and her books by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 15, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 14, 2010 12:03 AM

COVER NEWS: Foursome

Being a huge fan of Jane Fallon (Getting Rid of Matthew, Got You Back), I was delighted to hear a while back about her upcoming novel, Foursome. However, Chloe at Chick Lit Reviews recently alerted us to the cover change. Foursome now has an official cover (left), unlike the original (right). Personally? I much prefer the new one. It fits in perfectly with those of Jane's previous dark yet wonderfully written novels.

What do you think?

Here's the synopsis of Foursome, which is released in March:

Rebecca, Daniel, Alex and Isabel have been best friends since university. Rebecca married Daniel, Alex married Isabel and, for twenty years, they have been inseparable. But all that is about to change... When Alex walks out on Isabel, Rebecca thinks things can't get any worse. But then she finds out the reason why and she's left harbouring a secret she'd rather forget... And there's more upheaval to come in Rebecca's life as her emaciated, neurotic, self-obsessed colleague, Lorna - her arch nemesis at work - suddenly becomes a regular feature in her social life. Rebecca's once-happy foursome is now a distant memory and with hearts broken and friendships fractured, it seems that change is never a good thing. Or is it?

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 14, 2010 in Book News, Book covers, Books | Permalink | Comments (4)

January 13, 2010 10:06 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Friend of the Family

Here's another brand new release for February! Lauren Grodstein's novel A Friend of the Family is die for release on Feb 4th and looks like a great read. For more about the book, read on...

Sometimes the wrong decisions can be made for the right reasons ...Peter and Elaine Dizinoff have been friends with Joe and Iris Stern since medical school. Living the perfect life in a wealthy New Jersey neighbourhood, their children have grown up together and their lives are irrevocably intertwined. Until the Sterns are faced with a nightmare they could never have imagined - one that shatters the suburban idyll and forces both families to question everything they have ever believed in. In time, the fragments of their fractured existence knit together once more, but the echo of their heartbreak still lies below the surface. And just when the Sterns have a chance to come to terms with their tragedy, Peter makes a fatal error of judgement that sends shock waves through all their lives, testing their friendship to the very limits and threatening to destroy it for ever.

For more information about Lauren Grodstein and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 13, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marian Keyes top seller in the top 100 paperbacks (2009)

Marian Keyes topped the list of the 100 bestselling paperbacks of 2009, it was revealed today.

According to The Bookseller, Marian's novel This Charming Man sold 490,770 copies. Fiction was the top selling genre of last year.

Read the full article here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 13, 2010 in Announcements, Book News, Marian Keyes | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 12, 2010 4:39 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Not-so-Secret Diary of a City Girl

Allie Spencer, author of Tug of Love (winner of the RNA New Writers' Award 2009) is back with another offering. The Not-so-Secret Diary of a City Girl. The novel sounds like a fantastic read, and will be available in April 2010 from Little Black Dress Books. Here's the synopsis:

Banking analyst Laura McGregor's electronic diary is full of things which definitely shouldn't be made public: musings on her lacklustre relationship with trader boyfriend Tom, disturbing irregularities in new boss Will's trading accounts, and the small matter of her attraction to gorgeous journalist Alex. So when the diary is accidentally uploaded on to the internet in blog form by clueless younger sister Mel, suddenly not only Laura, but her bank too, is facing meltdown and, even worse, Laura suspects Alex of using it as a scoop. Fighting to convince the world's media to believe her over Alex is one thing, but can Laura win the battle with her heart?

To read more about Allie and her books, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 12, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

January 11, 2010 2:33 AM

BOOK NEWS: Magic Under Glass

It's evident already that the new year is proving to be fantastic in terms of new releases. Jaclyn Dolamore's novel, Magic Under Glass, is yet another brand new book that seems set to be great! Here's more information...

Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.

To read more from Jaclyn Dolamore, check out her blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 11, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 8, 2010 10:10 PM

New releases from Little Black Dress

It's the beginning of a new month, and Little Black Dress fans will be aware that with a new month comes MORE BOOK NEWS! Little Black Dress Books have two fab upcoming titles for February: Improper Relations by Janet Mullany and Sarah Monk's Bittersweet. Here's some more information...

Improper Relations
After losing best friend and distant cousin Ann Weller in marriage to the Earl of Beresford, sharp-witted Charlotte Hayden feels inclined to be even ruder than usual to potential suitors. But after a compromising liaison with Beresford's wicked, wayward cousin, Shad, she's suddenly propelled into a reluctant marriage, and finds herself missing Ann more than ever. But when Ann returns from her honeymoon, she drops a bombshell - not only is she not sure she loves Beresford, she's also had a child out of wedlock, and is planning to betray her husband with her former lover. Charlotte's realisation that she's falling in love with Shad only serves to make her dilemma even worse: should she keep Ann's secret, or tell her husband the truth?

Bittersweet
Nell and Ange have their whole lives mapped out with their fiancés - brothers Marcus and Justin. But when a trip to Prague goes pear-shaped, the plane brings them back down to earth with a bump. Desperate for a change of direction, Nell sacks off her job and her sorry excuse for a boyfriend, and sets off to see her much-loved Aunt in Cornwall with Ange in tow. The girls soon settle into village life - Nell opening up her own cake shop and Ange pulling pints (and men) as a buxom barmaid. But not everything in this quaint seaside town is quite what it seems...

Click here to visit the Little Black Dress website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 8, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: LA Candy: Sweet Little Lies

Those who watch MTV show The Hills should be aware of who Lauren Conrad is. As if being a TV star isn't enough, Lauren has penned two novels. LA Candy was released back in July of last year, and now the second book in the series, Sweet Little Lies, is due out in February.

I've not yet read LA Candy but am interested to know what it's like. I can only guess, what with the blurb stating it's about a reality show. (Well, write what you know...) Here's the synopsis of the upcoming LA Candy: Sweet Little Lies...

In TV star Lauren Conrad's deliciously entertaining novel about young Hollywood, the lies are only as sweet as the people telling them. Jane Roberts was the average girl next door until she and her best friend Scarlett Harp landed their own reality show, L.A. Candy. Suddenly they found themselves thrown into the public eye with VIP tickets to everything. But the starlets quickly discover that fame goes hand in hand with scandal when Jane finds herself the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons. Even her relationship with Scarlett is threatened. Things go from bad to worse when Scarlett falls for a guy who is strictly off limits! In reality TV nothing stays secret for long and with all this drama L.A Candy's ratings rocket. The show is a bona fide hit - but can the girls stand another season in the spotlight?

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 8, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 7, 2010 12:43 AM

COVER NEWS: The Seven Secrets of Happiness

The Seven Secrets of Happiness by Sharon Owens was released today in paperback. The book, originally released in August last year, has had a drastic cover change (the updated, paperback cover is on the right.)

What do you think?

Here's the book synopsis for The Seven Secrets of Happiness:

Once upon a time Ruby O'Neill lived in her very own ivory tower (a beautiful little cottage) with her very own fairytale prince (her handsome husband Jonathan). She had roses round her door and her friends were never far away - life in her fairytale land was perfect. But grown-up fairy stories don't last forever and one dark night Ruby's life is smashed into a million pieces. With her castle in the air destroyed and her heart broken, she swears she will never love again. Yet guardian angels hide in the strangest places and from Ruby's darkest night, six magical secrets slowly emerge to show her life is for living and that tomorrow is not too late for love. But who is the mysterious stranger who holds the seventh secret, the hardest one to find? And is he the person who holds the ultimate secret, the key to Ruby's frozen heart?

You can read more about Sharon Owens here, or visit her blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 7, 2010 in Book News, Book covers, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 6, 2010 11:19 PM

BOOK NEWS: Second Thoughts

If you enjoyed Ruth Saberton's first novel (Katy Carter Wants a Hero), then you'll be pleased to hear that Ruth's second offering is due for release next year. Second Thoughts will hit the shelves in April 2011, and even though we have no cover to show you, there is a synopsis!

 

Clover Grace is finally getting married. Or she will be if she drinks enough champagne to pluck up the courage for her trip down the aisle. The problem is that after months spent bickering over menus and table placements, Clover's never felt more distant from the man she's supposed to be spending the rest of her life with. As last minute nerves take hold, a night of soul-searching sees Clover reflecting back on old flames in a bid to reassure herself she's making the right decision. There's Rupert - adoring but dull; Jay - the teenage crush; Oliver - sexy but toxic; and Xander - a true friend. But as the sun rises and the ceremony looms ever closer, Clover is still unsure if she's doing the right thing. Then an unexpected encounter turns her world upside down. Should she take a chance? Or should she stick with the choices she's made? As Clover makes her way to the church, only one question remains: who will be waiting for her at the altar?

 

Find out more about Ruth Saberton at her website.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 6, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 5, 2010 11:38 PM

Jessica Ruston in The Lady

Jessica Ruston, author of Luxury, is writing a weekly fiction serial for magazine The Lady. The first episode is now online.

Click here to read!

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 5, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWS: Colm Toibin wins Costa Novel of the Year award

Irish author Colm Toibin has scooped the Costa novel of the year award. His novel Brooklyn, 'a sparely written account of a young woman's account of emigration from 1950s Ireland to New York', won the category prize and will now go ahead to compete in the overall Costa book prize.

As announced in th Guardian, the winner of the poetry category was Christopher Reid. Graham Farmelo took the biography award, Patrick Ness won in the children's category, and the first novel award was given to Raphael Selbourne.

Go here for the full article, or visit the Costa book awards website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 5, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 4, 2010 11:18 PM

COVER NEWS: Welcome to my World

Miranda Dickinson, author of Fairytale of New York, will return in 2010 with her second novel, Welcome to My World. Miranda recently posted the cover of her latest book on her blog, and here it is - we can't wait!

More info about the book will be posted as soon as we get it!

Fairytale of New York was released in November and made the longlist for the RNA's Romantic Novel of the Year Award. To read more about Miranda and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 4, 2010 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 1, 2010 11:37 PM

NEW YEAR READ: Up for Renewal

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 1, 2010 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

December 29, 2009 8:08 PM

BOOK NEWS: Playing the Field

I really enjoyed Zoe Foster's first novel, Air Kisses - and now the Australian author is back with a second book. Playing the Field is set for release in February 2010. (Thanks to Chicklit Club for this news.) Here's the synopsis:

Jean Bennett knows as much about football as she does astrophysics. But when she moves to the bright lights of Sydney and falls in love with a star footballer, Josh Fox, she has to learn - fast. Thrown eyelashes first into the world of WAGs, Jean is way out of her league. She navigates her way through semi-finals, a gruelling social calendar and salacious scandals on Josh's arm, safe in the knowledge he belongs to her or so she thinks. But as her hair gets blonder, her heels higher and her tops lower, Jean begins to wonder who she's become.

Click here to check out Zoe Foster's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 29, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (16)

NEWS: Channel 4's new Book Show revealed

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 29, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

December 28, 2009 11:20 PM

NEWS: Author threatens reviewers with FBI on Amazon (wtf?)

Obviously book reviewers speak their minds (ahem), and for authors, a negative review on Amazon can't be a particularly nice thing. However, when most take the criticism the mature way and put it down to the fact that you simply can't please everyone, others are...well, NOT so grown up about it.

Romance author Candace Sams made the news this week when she threatened to report unhappy reviewers to the FBI via Amazon. Yes, really.

According to The Bookseller, after a site user dubbed her book (Electra Galaxy's Mr Interstellar Fella), 'a sad excuse for romance, mystery and humour', Sams took to the forum under a different name and started the heated discussion, which gained more than 400 posts.

Sams said: "Authors rarely have full editorial control; rarely do they have even 'scant' control over their covers or the language used in dialogue or even sequencing of scenes: love scenes, kissing scenes, scenes of violence, etc. These are ultimately controlled by editorial staff...very rarely the author alone."

"It might behoove them to understand that all romances will not read they way they think they should; romances should 'not' be cookie-cutters of one another. This has been the biggest complaint about romance on the whole - that they all sound alike. Apparently 'some' reviewers 'want' them to sound alike. When they don't, they aren't able to handle the material."

Needless to say, the comments were later deleted (but worry not! You can take a lookie over here...).

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 28, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: Girl in a Spin

Clodagh Murphy, whose novel The Disengagement Ring was released earlier this year, is back with another book. Girl in a Spin will be published by Hachette in May 2010. Here's some more info about the book:

On the run from an unhappy childhood, Jenny Hannigan is a rootless party girl with a murky past and an uncertain future. But all she secretly craves is a life of domestic bliss and solid respectability,

So when she crashes into the arms of Richard Allam - the young, handsome, recently separated leader of the Conservative Party, hotly tipped to lead them to victory in the upcoming election - she thinks she's found exactly what she was looking for.

But Jenny isn't exactly perfect PM's wife material and Richard recruits publicist extraordinaire, Dev Tennant as the Conservative Party's spin doctor in the run-up to the election. His brief is to 'spin' Jenny to the Party and the public.

But Jenny is a girl with a lot of skeletons in her closet, and as the election campaign gains momentum, someone is working overtime to ensure that every one of those skeletons gets its very own public parade.

As Jenny's life starts to spin out of control, suddenly, she isn't sure what she wants anymore . . .

Read more about Clodagh Murphy at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 28, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 25, 2009 2:35 AM

And the Christmas number one is...

...Dan Brown! (Yep, here's one site that's NOT joining in with the whole X Factor/RATM chart debate, however fun it was...)

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is currently number one in the book charts, having sold 58,468 copies this week. According to The Bookseller, Brown's book sold 2,546 more copies than Guiness World Records 2010, which came second place.

The Lost Symbol has now sold 1,222,780 to date - thus smashing the hardback fiction record. Last year, JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle The Bard gained the top spot in the book charts.

Here's the UK Christmas top ten, from The Independent:

1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
2. Guinness World Records 2010
3. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
5. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
6. Where's Stig?
7. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
8. Delia's Happy Christmas by Delia Smith
9. Ooh! What a Lovely Pair by Ant and Dec
10. My Sh** Life So Far by Frankie Boyle

　

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 25, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 24, 2009 7:41 PM

BOOK NEWS: Meg Cabot's Runaway

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 24, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHRISTMAS READ: I Am Scrooge

So far we've seen Jane Austen's world attacked by zombies (ans sea monsters!), and even Queen Victoria has been given the undead treatment. Just when you thought it couldn't happen again, here comes another zombie take on a classic. And just in time for Christmas, too.

I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas by Adam Roberts was released in October by publisher Gollancz and, as you've probably guessed, tranforms the Victorian world of Charles Dickens' Scrooge into...well, a zombie-ridden tale of gore. Here's some more info!

Marley was dead. Again. The legendary Ebenezeer Scrooge sits in his house counting money. The boards that he has nailed up over the doors and the windows shudder and shake under the blows from the endless zombie hordes that crowd the streets hungering for his flesh and his miserly braaaaiiiiiinns! Just how did the happiest day of the year slip into a welter of blood, innards and shambling, ravenous undead on the snowy streets of old London town? Will the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future be able to stop the world from drowning under a top-hatted and crinolined zombie horde? Was Tiny Tim's illness something infinitely more sinister than mere rickets and consumption? Can Scrooge be persuaded to go back to his evil ways, travel back to Christmas past and destroy the brain stem of the tiny, irritatingly cheery Patient Zero? It's the Dickensian Zombie Apocalypse - God Bless us, one and all!

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 24, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 23, 2009 11:35 AM

BOOK NEWS: Just Like Me, Only Better

I just can't wait to read Carol Snow's latest novel, Just Like Me, Only Better. Carol's previous books include Been There, Done That and Here Today, Gone to Maui. Just Like Me, Only Better focuses on Veronica, who is constantly mistaken for a Hollywood A-lister and embarks on a whole new life when offered a job as a celebrity double.

The book is due for release in April 2010. An excerpt of the book is available on Carol Snow's website (warning: you'll be hooked!) For now, here's the synopsis...

Ever since Veronica's husband found the love of his life--and it turned out not to be her--she's been a mess. It doesn't help that she keeps getting mistaken for Haley Rush--the Hollywood starlet whose dazzling life is plastered on every magazine at the checkout line of her suburban California grocery store.

So when Haley's manager offers Veronica a job as a celebrity double, it only takes a moment for the shock to pass before she says yes. Is it a fantasy come true or a disaster in disguise?

For more information about Carol and her books, head over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 23, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 22, 2009 7:36 PM

NEWS: Cally Taylor in Writers' Forum

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 22, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 21, 2009 8:51 PM

BOOK NEWS: Katy Carter Wants a Hero

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 21, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 18, 2009 6:27 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Revenge of Lady Muck

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 17, 2009 7:30 PM

BOOK NEWS: Temptation

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 17, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 16, 2009 1:37 AM

COMPETITION: Win a copy of The Dating Detox

The Dating Detox, the debut novel from Gemma Burgess, will be released in late December. (I'm currently reading this and can't put it down!) Here's a little bit more about this fantastic book:

If you can't date anyone nice, don't date anyone at all.

Dating is a dangerous sport. So after her sixth successive failed relationship, romantically-challenged 20-something Sass decides she's had enough. The Dating Detox is born. No men, no break-ups, no problem.

The result? Her life - usually joyfully/traumatically occupied with dates, clothes and vodka - is finally easy. Chastity rocks. No wonder nuns are always singing. Everything falls at her feet. Especially men.

Will Sass break the rules? Why does fate keep throwing her in the path of the irritatingly amusing Jake? Will she ever roll the dice and play again? Or is a love-free life too good to risk losing? For the post-Carrie Bradshaw, post-Bridget Jones, post-credit crunch generation of singles, life isn't beautiful, a bitch, or a beach. It's a party.

We have three copies of The Dating Detox up for grabs, and to be in with a chance of winning, simply leave a comment below. However, don't forget to leave your email address so that we can contact you if you're a winner.

Good luck!

For more information about Gemma and The Dating Detox, visit Gemma's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 16, 2009 in Book News, Competition | Permalink | Comments (32)

BOOK NEWS: Love in Mid Air

Kim Wright is set to make her debut next year, with her novel Love in Mid Air. The book is due for release in March next year, from Grand Central Publishing. Here's a bit more about the book...

A chance encounter with a stranger in an airplane sends Elyse Bearden into an emotional tailspin. Suddenly, Elyse is willing to risk everything: her safe but stale marriage, her seemingly perfect life in an affluent Southern suburb, and her position in the church. As Elyse embarks on a risky affair, her longtime friend Kelly and the other women in their book club begin to question their own decisions about love, sex, marriage, and freedom. In the end it will take an extraordinary leap of faith for Elyse to find--and follow--her own path to happiness.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 16, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Canongate and Walker set up YA imprint

Canongate books, the publisher who brought us Kelly Link's spooky short story collection Pretty Monsters, as well as Anne Donovan's beautifully written Buddha Da, have teamed up with Walker books in order to create a young adult imprint.

Walker Canongate will launch in July, with titles, according to The Bookseller, 'abridged for the YA market'. The books will be represented and marketed via Walker.

To read the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 16, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 15, 2009 11:11 PM

BOOK NEWS: Waking up in the Land of Glitter

Artist Kathy Cano-Murillo, who runs art and craft website CraftyChica, has penned a novel that's due for release next year. Kathy has written a variety of craft books, including Crafty Chica's Guide to Artful Sewing and The Crafry Diva's DIY Style Book, and now she's turned to fiction! Waking Up in the Land of Glitter will be available in March 2010. Here's some more information...

Struggling domestic-goddess-in-training Ofy is determined to turn heads at this year's International CraftOlympics. To do that, she'll need the help of her best friend, Star. Considering herself a serious artist, Star is hesitant, but finally agrees to help as a way to end her own creative slump. Truthfully she thinks Ofy is a little loca about the whole craft thing - and about her idol: Local TV personality, Crafty Chloe. Star doesn't trust the bottle-blonde, even after she becomes part of their crafting team. As the competition heats up, Star will learn Chloe's dirty little secret, why crafting means so much to Ofy, and that beauty, art, and creativity can take many more forms than a canvas hanging in a gallery.

To read more about Kathy and her books (and to check out some wonderful craft projects!), check out CraftyChica.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 15, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations

The Romantic Novel of the Year Award longlist for 2010 has been announced! The award, run by the Romantic Novelists' Association, is in it's 50th year, and the latest list includes books from Lindsay Kelk and Louise Bagshawe. Twenty novels were selected from the one hundred and fifty eight submitted, from twenty-four publishers.

The shortlist of six books will be announced on 11th February, and the overall winner will be announced on March 16th in London.

The list includes novels from Louise Bagshawe (Passion), Lindsay Kelk (I Heart New York), Linda Green (10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love), Lucy Dillon (Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts) and Sarah Duncan (A Single to Rome).

The judges are Sharon Gurney (Sainsbury's Senior Book Buyer), author and journalist Alyson Rudd, and Moira Briggs, from book website Vulpes Libris.

To find out who else is on the longlist, click here to visit the RNA website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 15, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 14, 2009 10:55 PM

BOOK NEWS: Things I Wish I'd Known

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 14, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEWS: Richard and Judy launch their own book club

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan will soon be launching their own book club, following news that Channel 4 will be launching a new show...without them.

According to the Telegraph, Richard and Judy will be launcing their own club, which will be promoted on their website and in magazine columns.

Said Richard: "We should see the first of our recommended reads in bookshops next year. All copies will be clearly marked as recommended by us and prominently featured in bookshops all over the country."

The couple decided to launch their own club after their former Channel 4 producer Amanda Ross announced that she was launching TV Book Club - a new show comprising of famous names including Jo Brand, Gok Wan and Laila Rouass. The show is due to begin next month on More4.

Amanda Ross said: We're thrilled to be bringing the Book Club back and to have a home on More4," said Ross, who is the sister-in-law of Jonathan Ross. "Publishers, libraries and retailers have all provided invaluable support, which is set to continue to create a whole new wave of star authors."

Well, bring it on...

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 14, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 11, 2009 12:39 AM

Zombie chick-lit: It's already started...

Following the vampire fad that doesn't seem to be going away, zombies seem to be cropping up and becoming quite popular. (Heck, they even made it into Jane Austen's world!) It's only a matter of time before zombies start edging their way towards chicklit - and it's already been done in YA. Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby was released in March 2009. Here's more about the book:

Quiet, unpopular, non-cheerleading Mia is blissfully happy. Rob-super hot football god-has asked her to prom! Life couldn't get any better. Enter Samantha -cheerleader queen and Miss Popularity-who has made it quite clear that Rob should be her prom date. Mia is desperate to make sure she doesn't end up dumped in front of the whole school. So with prom in just a few days, she turns to Candice-her holistic, hypochondriac best friend-and decides to try a love spell to make Rob stay with her. Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus on her whole class instead, and she is their zombie leader! At first she loves all the attention. But when she learns from zombie hunter hottie Chase that her classmates will actually try to eat her in a few days, she's not too thrilled. She's sure she and Chase can figure something out, but in the meantime, she's suggesting that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy.

To read an excerpt of the book, check out Amanda's website. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 11, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 10, 2009 12:12 AM

BOOK NEWS: Daughters of the Witching Hill

Daughters of the Witching Hill, the new novel by Mary Sharratt, is due for release in April next year. I've been sent a copy of this book and can't wait to read it, so watch this space for a review very shortly! Here's some more information about the book.

Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow living in Pendle Forest, is haunted by visions and gains a reputation as a cunning woman. Drawing on the Catholic folk magic of her youth, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future. As she ages, she instructs her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft, as well as her best friend, who ultimately turns to dark magic.

When a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate, eager to make his name as a witch finder, plays neighbors and family members against one another until suspicion and paranoia reach frenzied heights.
 
Sharratt interweaves well-researched historical details of the 1612 Pendle witch-hunt with a beautifully imagined story of strong women, family, and betrayal. Daughters of Witching Hill is a powerful novel of intrigue and revelation.

For more information, head on over to Mary Sharratt's website, where she is interviewed about Daughters of the Witching Hill.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 10, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 8, 2009 11:21 PM

YAY OR NAY? Celebrity memoirs

Christmas time is almost upon us; a time of festive cheer, mince pies, hectic rounds of shopping...and of course, celebrity memoirs. Not a year goes by without celebrities pushing forth a plethora of autobiographies, but is it getting tiresome?

When Katie Price (aka Jordan, not that you needed reminding!) was caught trying to hide the discount sticker on her new style guide, Standing Out, as soon as it was released, this posed the question - are readers still interested in celebrity memoirs?

Autumn sees an array of books from celebs, all ready to be purchased for the Christmas period. But according to the Independent, literary agents have branded this season 'disastrous' for celebrity memoirs, and UK publisher Hachette will be cutting back on the celeb books it usually takes on. The article also states that 'he total value of hardback celebrity titles in the top 50 this year is, so far, £3.3m a significant decrease on 2008's figure of £4.6m.'

Ouch.

And Curtis Brown's cheif executive Jonathan Lloyd said that such books 'lacked the sensational factor.'  He said: 'In the end, you can't fool the public. They expect to have the real book and the majority of offers this autumn are not real books, certainly not 'must-haves.'

Memoirs took over the book charts last year, but now? They're seemingly not so sought-after. Jordan's Standing Out is currently number 50 on Neilson's BookScan. Other celebrity offerings this year include Ant & Dec's Ooh, What a Lovely Pair! Peter Kay's Saturday Night Peter, My Sh*t Life So Far by Frankie Boyle and JLS - Our Story So Far.

What are your thoughts on celeb memoirs? Are you a fan, or fed up? Leave a comment and let us know.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 8, 2009 in Book News, Yay or Nay, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: Insatiable

Older fans of Meg Cabot can finally rejoice, as Meg's latest adult novel, Insatiable, is due for release in June 2010 by publisher William Morrow. This time she's taking on vampire lit - a world away from her usual adult novels (including the light and funny Heather Wells series and Queen of Babble). Interesting! Here's the synopsis (from ChickLitClub).

Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper. But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn't believe in them. Not that Meena isn't familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you're going to die (not that you're going to believe her; no one ever does). But not even Meena's precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets - then makes the mistake of falling in love with - Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for. The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that's why he's the first guy Meena's ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena's always been able to see everyone else's future, she's never been able look into her own. And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare. Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . . If she even has one.

 

Head on over to Meg Cabot's website to find out more about her books (and to read her hilarious blog!)

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 8, 2009 in Book News, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 7, 2009 7:20 PM

Kate Clanchy wins BBC Short Story Award

Following the news of the all-female shortlist of the BBC National Short Story Award, the winner of the contest (and £15,000 prize!) was revealed yesterday.

Kate Clanchy scooped the prize with her short story The Not-Dead and the Saved - the third piece of short fiction she has written. Click here for the full article.

Also in the Guardian, Sam Jordison is in search of the worst books of the decade. What were yours?

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 7, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Death of Bridezilla

There are plenty of new reads coming up in the New Year, including Lindsay Kelk's I Heart Hollywood, Coming Home by Melanie Rose, and Mink Elliott's The Pissed-Off Parents Club. However, there's another new novel heading our way in January that seems like a great read (if not a little sinister!). The Death of Bridezilla by Laurie Brown (author of What Would Jane Austen Do?) is due for release on January 21st. Here's the synopsis...

After the collapse of her wedding-planning business, Caroline Tucker returns to her childhood New Mexico home, hoping to leave recent troubles behind her. But then she agrees to help organise her cousin's wedding, and it's not long before her frustration levels with the hellish Barbara reach breaking point. Driving through a local beauty spot the morning of the wedding, Caroline is shocked to discover the tangled pink mess of Barbara's car, and even more so when she's arrested for her murder. Suddenly she finds herself face-to-face with Sheriff Travis Beaumont, the ruggedly handsome cop who also happens to be her ex-husband. Caroline had hoped she'd never see Travis again; now she'll have to find a way of working closely with him to have any chance of proving her innocence...

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 7, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 3, 2009 10:08 PM

December releases from Little Black Dress

It's the beginning of a new month, which means some fab new books from Little Black Dress! December sees the release of two new titles - A Date in Your Diary by Jules Stanbridge (out on December 10)  and Talk of the Town (out December 24) by Suzanne Macpherson. For more about these new novels, read on...

A Date in Your Diary

How far would you go to find the perfect date?  
 
Harriet Peel knows what's hot and what's definitely not. As the 'what's on' writer for her local magazine, it's her job. Her own social life, however, is teetering on the verge of non-existence. With the last of her friends tying the knot and the threat of being replaced at work by some annoying London 'it' girl, it's time for drastic action. Determined to find the ideal partner to take to the wedding, Harriet decides to register on a dating website. And when the resulting liaisons turn into experiences worth writing about, she suddenly finds herself the unwitting star of a hugely popular new column. Will her newly acquired social status as a minor celebrity help in her quest or is she destined to go to the wedding alone... again?

Talk of the Town

Kelly Atwood thought she'd found Mr Right, so when she discovers her new husband has a heavy-duty sideline in drug smuggling on her wedding day, she doesn't think twice about punching him in the nose and fleeing to the small town of Paradise, Washington, where she immediately gets gorgeous upright attorney and local hero Sam Grayson feeling hot under his stiff collar. Unfortunately, the one thing Kelly hasn't realised is that she inadvertently took off with a suitcase stuffed full of money that isn't hers, and now there are some decidedly dodgy characters hot on her stiletto heels, determined to get it back... Sizzling hot passion and dangerous pursuits can only mean one thing - there's going to be big trouble in Paradise.

To find out more, check out the Little Black Dress website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 3, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 1, 2009 11:47 PM

All-female shortlist for National Short Story Award

A BBC short story competition has five shortlisted writers - and all are female.

The winner National Short Story Awards, one of the most prestigious for a short story contest according to the BBC, will be revealed on December 7th, on Radio 4's Front Row programme.

The shortlisted authors are Naomi Alderman for her story Other People's Gods, Kate Clanchy for The Not-Dead and The Saved, Sara Maitland for Moss Witch, Jane Rogers for Hitting Trees with Sticks, and Lionel Shriver for Exchange Rates.

The winner will receive a £15,000 prize, with the runner-up gaining £3,000. The shortlist was chosen from more than 600 entries.

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 1, 2009 in Book News, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Optimist

Right now, Christmas is almost here, and aside from the manic Christmas shopping run and the prospect of cooking huge dinners, the festive season is usually a cheery one, right? But what about January? When it's all over - when the turkey and trimmings are long gone and replaced with the new-year blues? Laurence Shorter possibly has the answer, in his new book, The Optimist.

The Optimist will be released by Canongate on January 22nd, and I can't wait to read it. Here's more info:

When it comes to bad news, we've never had it so good. Today we face a greater range of potential disasters than ever before. Laurence Shorter is feeling anxious. Every time he turns on the radio or opens a newspaper he finds another reason to be tearful. It's time to make a change. "The Optimist" charts Laurence's quest for inner happiness. Can Desmond Tutu bring a smile to Laurence's face? Will he ride out the tide of pessimism with California's famous Surfing Rabbi? Or will it fall to the ultimate icon of optimism, Bill Clinton, to show Laurence the brighter side of life?

Posted by Elle Symonds on December 1, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 27, 2009 9:04 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Expat Diaries

The Expat Diaries by Michele Gorman is due for release next year, and I have to say, it looks fantastic! The book will hit the shelves in April 2010 (love the tagline - One girl, one city, one disaster waiting to happen.) Here's some more info from Michele's site:

What happens when you take one 26-year-old America, add to one 2,000 year old city, add a big dose of culture clash and stir? Hannah Cumming and the population of London are about to find out.

How is Hannah to know that there's a special technique to crossing the street or riding a bus, or that words like tomato will elicit snide elocution lessions from the locals? Hannah lands alone in London only to find that she is totally ill-equipped to live there. Not that a complete lack of forethought has ever stopped her before. She charges headlong into London life, perplexing its residents with continual faux pas and cultural misunderstandings in her pursuit of a new life, new love and sense of herself.

To find out more, head on over to Michele Gorman's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 27, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 25, 2009 1:52 PM

NEW RELEASE: Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts

Following her debut novel The Ballroom Class, Lucy Dillon is back with another new release, and we don't have long to wait! Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts is due out on November 26th (tomorrow!) by Hodder and looks like a promising read. Here's some more info...

When the abandoned strays from a local dogs' home are matched with brand new owners, it turns out it might not just be the dogs who need rescuing.

Rachel's aunt has left her a house, a Border Collie and, despite knowing nothing about dogs, a crowded kennels. But since her life has collapsed she's not sure she can deal with any more lost souls.

Zoe's ex-husband has given their children a puppy. The kids are in love, but she's the one stuck training Toffee the impossible Labrador. She's nearly at the end of her tether - until Toffee leads her to a handsome doctor...

Meanwhile Natalie and Johnny's marriage hasn't been easy since they started trying for a baby. But is a fridge-raiding, sofa-stealing Basset hound like Bertie really the child substitute they're looking for?

As the new owners' paths cross on the town's dog-walking circuits, their lives become interwoven. And they - and their dogs - learn some important lessons about loyalty, companionship and unconditional love...

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 25, 2009 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 23, 2009 9:04 PM

BOOK NEWS: Tangled

The latest novel from YA author Carolyn Mackler will be released at the end of this month. Tangled is out on December 29th from HarperTeen and is set to be a good read for the young adult fans among us! Here's the info...

Paradise wasn't supposed to suck.

Not the state of being, but a resort in the Caribbean. Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all there for different reasons, but at Paradise their lives become tangled together in ways none of them can predict. Paradise will change them all.

It will change Jena, whose first brush with romance takes her that much closer to having a life, and not just reading about those infinitely cooler and more exciting. It will change Dakota, who needs the devastating truth about his past to make him realize that he doesn't have to be a jerk just because people think he's one. It will change Skye, a heartbreakingly beautiful actress, who must come to terms with the fact that for once she has to stop playing a role or face the consequences. And it will change Owen, who has never risked anything before and who will take the leap from his online life to a real one all because of a girl he met at Paradise....

From confused to confident and back again, one thing's certain: Four months after it all begins, none of them will ever be the same.

For more info about Carolyn Mackler and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 23, 2009 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 20, 2009 11:26 PM

BOOK NEWS: How to Date a Vampire

Following on from the Twilight movie news, here's another title for the vampire lovers among us! How to Date a Vampire by Sophie Collins, a young adult romance, is due for release on November 23rd. Here's some more information:

This is a fantastic magazine-style guide to romance for young teens...with a twist! For any girl looking for a boy who's more Cullen than caveman, this book is your helping hand to a happy ending. A vampire boy is smart, he's sexy, and he's waiting to discover someone a little bit different; so use this little lifesaver to show him what's so special about you and set his pulse (if he had one) racing. Of course, if like Bella or Buffy, the man of your dreams is more than just a high school crush, you won't find help in the problem pages. Luckily for you, this book is packed full of quizzes, charts and failsafe advice, from finding out if the guy giving you sleepless nights is a real vamp or a fanged faker, to great date ideas that don't involve Type-O milkshakes. With space to write about your own close encounters, plus style advice and beauty tips that are sure to slay him on sight, this is the only guide you'll ever need to spotting a vampire and knocking him (un)dead.

(Note: Whilst searchng for more info about this, I came across a real guide to dating a vampire on eHow. Yes, really. Would still advise checking out the book, though.)

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 20, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 19, 2009 9:51 PM

BOOK NEWS: How to be Married

Polly Williams, author of A Good Girl Comes Undone and The Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy, is back with a new offering that's out next year. How to be Married will be published by Headline in March 2010. Want to know more?

Domestic goddess? Yummy mummy? Having it all? It's impossible.

It's hard to be a woman. It's even harder to be a wife...

Sadie Drew thinks she must be the world's worst wife. She only needs to walk into a room to make it untidy. She wears flannel pyjamas in bed. She can't cook. Furry things live in her fridge. But she's a busy, working mother not a wifebot, and her husband Tom loves her as she is. Until he gets a new, high-pressure job and things start to change.

There are his colleagues' terrifying uber-wives to entertain. Tom works later and later. Then there are the endless rows, and the smell of another woman's perfume on his suit. Sadie has a choice: risk losing everything or transform herself into the perfect wife.

What is a perfect wife anyway?

Check out Polly's website for more information. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 19, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 18, 2009 5:43 PM

BOOK NEWS: Crystal Clear

Here's yet another exciting release coming soon from Little Black Dress Books. Crystal Clear by comedy roance writer Nell Dixon will be published in January 2010. Here's the info:

For years Zee has tried to ignore her real name (who calls their kid Azure Dawn?) and her mother Marla's alternative lifestyle. A million miles away from all that new-age nonsense, she's got a reliable teaching job, a perfect life plan and sensible accountant Simon for a fiancé. But when Marla gets sick, the foundations of Zee's rock-steady world are seriously shaken. Soon she's back home, in touch with the boy who broke her heart and even being sucked into one of her mum's hare-brained schemes. What about Zee's plans for the future? Could they ever include a free-spirit from her past?

Head on over to Nell's website for more information about her books, writing tips, and to read an extract from Crystal Clear.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Loving Kind

Sarah Webb's latest novel will be reaching us next year. The book, by the author of Take a Chance and When the Boys are Away, is called The Loving Kind and is published in February 2010. Here's a little bit more about the book:

Romance writer, Libby Small, has just been dumped. By her agent, her publisher and now her husband and she's finally had enough. So she's over the moon when she's given the opportunity to ghostwrite a novel for ex Miss Ireland, Lulubelle Ryan. Particularly as it means travelling around the world as part of Lulubelle's entourage. Two months to write a raunchy bonk buster set in the glitzy world of modelling should be easy - right? Wrong! Especially when it becomes very clear to Libby that the story behind this book is very close to Lulubelle's heart for a reason. There are some benefits though - and Lulubelle's handsome and enigmatic manager, Leo, is certainly part of the attraction - if only Libby could forget about her other male addiction.

For more info about Sarah Webb and her work, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 16, 2009 5:32 PM

Stephanie Meyer 'burned out' on vampires?

We didn't think we would hear it, but Twilight novelist Stephanie Meyer has admitted she's 'a little burned out on vampires right now' and needs a break.

Meyer, author of the Twilight series which has now sold more than 70m copies across the globe (the latest movie adaptation, New Moon, is released in cinemas on November 20) said on the Oprah Winfrey Show that she had no plans as yet to return to the saga of Bella and Edward. Also, she stated that her next would would most likely be a follow-up to The Host - Meyer's adult book.

Meyer said: "I have another book that's kind of been itching in the back of my brain, that's completely unrelated, totally fantasy. So fantasy it'll have a map in the front - that's always the judge, right?"

And according to the Guardian, Meyer is currently unsure of whether to return to Midnight Sun - a book which tells the Twilight story from Edward's point of view. However, the book was put on hold due to an unfinished draft being leaked online. Said Meyer: "I need to feel alone with something to be able to write it and I do not feel alone with that manuscript at this point. So many people have chimed in on it. I'm over the shock of it but not over the feeling that everyone's involved now, and it doesn't feel like mine so much anymore. I 'm hoping that with a little time, time to write something else, get my head out of it for a while ... it's so clear in my head, I'd like to go back to it."

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 16, 2009 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 13, 2009 11:03 PM

The Telegraph's '100 Books that Defined the Noughties'

It's safe to say that the past decade has brought forth some brilliant books in all genres, from Dan Brown to Zadie Smith. It comes as no surprise that JK Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' has reached number one on the list, but what about the rest?

 

The Telegraph's '100 Books that Defined the Noughties' list is up, and details the most memorable and popular books of the past ten years. As we head into 2010 (and now doubt look forward to what the future of publishing has to offer), it's nice to have a look back at what made the bestseller lists previously.

 

Titles on the list include blogger Belle du Jour's explicit memoir The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl, Donna Tartt's The Little Friend, and Audrey Niffenegger's bestseller The Time Traveller's Wife, which was later adapted into a movie. Also included is Alice Sebold's beautiful novel The Lovely Bones, which tells the tale of murdered teenager Susie Salmon, who watches over her family in heaven. (Also soon to be on the big screen).

 

Not surprisingly, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer makes the list, as does Brick Lane by Monica Ali and Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

 

Take a look at the list for yourself at the Daily Telegraph.

 

How many books on the list have YOU read?

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 13, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 12, 2009 11:22 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Good, the Bad and the Dumped

Jenny Colgan fans will be pleased to hear that the author's latest novel - The Good, the Bad and the Dumped - will be released next year. The next offering from Jenny, who has brought us such reads as Do You Remember the First Time? and Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend, is out in April 2010. Here's the blurb:

Posy is delighted when Matt proposes - on top of a mountain, in a gale, in full-on romantic mode. But the next morning disaster strikes: he backs out of the engagement. Crushed and humiliated, Posy starts thinking. Why has her love life always, ALWAYS ended in total disaster? Determined to discover how she got to this point, Posy resolves to track down her exes ...Is there hope for Matt, or will she fall back in love with an old flame? What about Lord Voldemort, the old boyfriend that cannot be named? And could Posy face up to the idea that, actually, one day she could live life on her own terms?

For more information, check out Jenny Colgan's website. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 12, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 11, 2009 10:58 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Bed of Roses

The latest novel from Nora Roberts is due for release next year. A Bed of Roses, the next book in the Bride Quartet series, will be available in paperback from 29th April 2010. Here's a bit more about the book:

Emmaline Grant has always loved romance, so it's really no surprise that she has found her calling as a wedding florist. And she gets to work with her best friends Mackensie, Parker and Laurel - she couldn't ask for a better job. Yet while men swarm around her, she still hasn't found Mr Right. But the last place Emma's looking is right under her nose. And that's just where Jack Cooke is. He's been best friends with Parker's brother for years, which makes him practically family. Now the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship, and when she returns his passion - kiss for blistering kiss - things start to get complicated. Jack has never been big on commitment. Emma yearns for a lifelong love affair. And if the two are to find common ground, they must trust in their history - and in their hearts...

To find out more about Nora Roberts and her books, take a look at Nora's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 11, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Coming Home

Melanie Rose, author of Could it Be Magic, is back with another novel. Coming Home is due for release fro HarperCollins in January 2010. Here's the blurb:

Ever experienced deja vu? An enchanting and magical novel from the author of Could It Be Magic? A freak snowstorm leaves a young woman unconscious and stranded. Coming to, she has no recollection of who she is or how she happened to be stuck in the middle of unfamiliar countryside. All she recalls is the warm arms of a passing stranger coming to her rescue and carrying her to safety! She awakes in an idyllic country cottage, a cottage belonging to Vincent, a recently widowed city banker who uses it as his rural getaway. Dashing and polite, the woman can't think of a better knight in shining armour. While the housekeeper isn't best pleased abut her arrival, Vincent's six-year-old daughter Jadie, can hardly contain her excitement, chattering away excitedly. Trouble is, she's been mute for the past two years! As she struggles with flashbacks to her past, memories come back to the woman which aren't her own, bringing with them a stream of questions. What secrets does Vincent hide? Why has Jadie being silent for so long? Will she ever discover her true identity? Or is she, as Jadie believes, an angel come to save them all? An enchanting and magical novel about forgotten lives and second chances.

Visit the site of Melanie Rose to learn more about Melanie and her books.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 11, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 10, 2009 2:22 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Dresskeeper

Prospera Publishing (who brought us the hilarious Naked in Knightsbridge) have another new novel heading our way. The Dresskeeper is a young adult novel by Mary Naylus, and it's out on November 30th. Here's a little bit more about the book:

When Picky's Mum forces her to look after Gran, who has dementia, Picky is accidentally transported back to the year 1685, where a man in a wig insists she is someone called Amelia and tries to kill her. Managing to get the dress off just in time, Picky returns to the present with the dress covered in blood. Who is Amelia? Is she dead? Will wearing the other dresses in the chest take Picky back in time too? And does she dare put herself in danger again?

To find out more about The Dresskeeper, visit the Prospera website - where you can also download a sneak peek!

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 10, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 6, 2009 1:06 AM

BOOK NEWS: Unbelievable

The latest novel from Sara Shepard - titled All the Things We Didn't Say - is now available. However, Sara's back with the latest tale from her Pretty Little Liars series, the first of which I thoroughly enjoyed (I have yet to read the others!)

Sara's next offering is called Unbelievable and is due for release in early December. Here's some more information:

In Rosewood, where the air smells like apples and Chanel No. 5, nothing is as it seems. Five best friends once shared everything - even their deepest, darkest secrets. Back then for Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily it was a dream come true ...until Alison, the most beautiful of them all, suddenly vanished. Now someone named A has turned their charmed lives into a living nightmare. With A's threats turning dangerous and Ali's killer still on the loose, the girls must uncover the truth, but will it bring an end to the horror ...or is this just the beginning?

You can read more about the Pretty Little Liars series on the official website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 6, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 5, 2009 12:27 AM

RE-RELEASE: Boys That Bite

Of course, vampire fiction is seemingly the 'in thing' at this moment in time. (I love it, The shame!) So it was interesting to see the book trailer for Boys That Bite, Mari Mancusi's Blood Coven novel.

Boys That Bite is the first novel in the series, and it's just been re-released (with a gorgeous cover, I might add!) Here's some more about the book:

Technically Sunshine can't get killed-because she's immortal. Well, not quite yet. Due to the worst case of mistaken identity with her dark-side-loving twin sister at a Goth club called Club Fang, Magnus, a vampire hottie, went for Sunshine's innocent neck. Now if she doesn't reverse it in time, Magnus will be her blood mate forever and she's doomed to be a blood-gulping, pasty, daylight-hating vampire. That would seriously bite.

And now, after the unfortunate slaying of the vampire leader, Sunshine, her sister Rayne, and Magnus must find the one thing that can solve her problem: the Holy Grail. They wish it were a joke but it's not. It's absolutely necessary that Sunshine gets out of this in time, because somehow she scored the hottest prom date in her school, the mouth-watering Jake Wilder. So she just can't be a vampire for the prom-let alone the rest of eternity.

Click here to view the trailer.


For more info, check out Mari's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 5, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 4, 2009 6:48 PM

Nicky Schmidt news

Nicky Schmidt, author of the soon to be released Naked in Knightsbridge, is already working on her net two novels. A source at London publishers Prospera tell us that her next novel, Marrying Out Of Money, will be released in early 2010. It'll be followed by Nicky's third novel, currently titled The Anti-Modelling Agency.

Already can't wait!

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 4, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 3, 2009 9:49 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Bed of Roses

The latest novel from Nora Roberts is due for release next year. A Bed of Roses, the next book in the Bride Quartet series, will be available in paperback from 29th April 2010. Here's a bit more about the book:

Emmaline Grant has always loved romance, so it's really no surprise that she has found her calling as a wedding florist. And she gets to work with her best friends Mackensie, Parker and Laurel - she couldn't ask for a better job. Yet while men swarm around her, she still hasn't found Mr Right. But the last place Emma's looking is right under her nose. And that's just where Jack Cooke is. He's been best friends with Parker's brother for years, which makes him practically family. Now the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship, and when she returns his passion - kiss for blistering kiss - things start to get complicated. Jack has never been big on commitment. Emma yearns for a lifelong love affair. And if the two are to find common ground, they must trust in their history - and in their hearts...

To find out more about Nora Roberts and her books, take a look at Nora's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 3, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 2, 2009 10:10 PM

BOOK NEWS: Celebrity Shopper

Carmen Reid, author of The Personal Shopper, Late Night Shopping and How Not to Shop, is back with the latest instalment. Celebrirty Shopper is due for release in March 2010, and here's a bit about the book...

Q: How does a successful woman keep her feet on the ground? A: By wearing the most incredible shoes! Personal shopper Annie Valentine is presenting her own popular TV fashion series. But with success comes pressure, plus the expensive PA, personal trainer, driver and make-up artist. As Annie comes to terms with fame, her boyfriend Ed is left at home looking after their brand new twin babies. Not to mention Annie's children Lana and Owen and their increasingly dotty granny. Ed was almost coping but now Annie's booked in the builders to do a conservatory, a wet room and somehow, somewhere, a golden cupola...And then just when Annie least expects it a stranger arrives, forcing her to think twice about everything she's ever wanted.

For more about Carmen Reid and her books, head on over to her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 2, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 1, 2009 9:48 PM

BOOK NEWS: Spotlight

Being a big fan of Ilana Fox's previous novel The Making of Mia, I'm definitely looking forward to her next offering. Spotlight is due for release in April 2010. Here's some more information...

A fallen star. A runaway bride. They're about to be pitted against each other by a very powerful man. Madison Miller has everything - beautiful, talented and just a little bit naive; she's the small-town girl who swept to victory on America's hottest talent show to become the nation's sweetheart. She's also head-over-heels in love with the man who's masterminded her career - the head-spinningly powerful, lethally attractive Beau Silverman. But there's trouble in paradise...

Jess has bolted from her approaching wedding and a dead-end job in London to chase dreams of being a fashion designer in New York. But she's finding life in the Big Apple tough, until she meets a man who makes her an offer she can't refuse. It means a taste of a life she's never had - glamorous parties, paparazzi, haute couture - but at what price? Sweeping from the hotspots of LA to the coolest bars of New York, SPOTLIGHT cuts a gloriously fun swathe through the world of celebrity and glamour, with a page-turning story at its heart.

Find out more about Ilana and her books at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 1, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 31, 2009 7:53 PM

BOOK NEWS: Undead and Unfinished

MaryJanice Davidson's chick-lit take on the vampire world is loved by many, and for those fans of Betsy Taylor the Vampire Queen, here's some news - the latest novel in the Undead series will be released next year.

Undead and Unfinished will hit the shelves on 10th July, and will see Betsy Taylor and her friends on a visit to Hell (well, it had to be done). Here's some more info...

Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor is fed up of trying to decipher the strange things prophesied in The Book of the Dead. At the end of her tether, she strikes a deal with Satan who promises to help - if she and her half-sister Laura pay a visit to Hell. Hell, it would seem, is more terrifying than Betsy could have ever imagined - a waiting room with bad carpeting, re-runs of 70s TV shows and ancient Good Housekeeping magazines. But when Betsy and Laura find themselves catapulted back and forth through time, they realise they could seriously screw everything up for good...

More news and info about the Undead series and MaryJanice Davidson (author of Sleeping With the Fishes and Derik's Bane), can be found at her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 31, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 28, 2009 6:41 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Monday Night Cooking School

Erica Bauermeister, author of The School of Essential Ingredients, is back with a brand new novel. The Monday Night Cooking School is due for release on February 25, and here's a bit of info about the book...

On Monday nights eight people gather in Lillian's restaurant for a cooking class. There's Claire, who can barely remember the last time she went out without her two kids; bachelor Ian, who exists on Chinese takeaways; Chloe, the distracted waitress who is forever dropping things; Carl and Helen, getting past a betrayal in their marriage; and Tom, mourning the tragic loss of his wife. Plus Lillian, who taught herself to cook to reach out to her unhappy mother. From delicious feasts to dining disasters, will the cooks find what they are looking for? And among the utensils and mouth-watering ingredients, will some of them even fall in love? "The Monday Night Cooking School" is a gorgeous novel about possibilities and the magic of food.

To find out more about Erica and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 28, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 26, 2009 4:31 AM

Angels - the new vampires?

Renowned vampire fiction author Anne Rice claims that angels are set to be the new trend in literature. (I thought it was set to be zombies, but hey...)

According to the Guardian, Anne is due to launch a new book series 'starring a contract killer recruited by a seraph.' And that Rice's upcoming novel is not the only book featuring angels due to hit the shelves. Others include Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick that's due for release this week; Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler, and The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech.

From the article:

"Being on the side of the angels, it feels much better than being on the side of the vampires. Vampires were tortured, tragic figures," Rice told the Wall Street Journal. Her novel, Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim, follows the adventures of Toby O'Dare, an American killer who is given the chance by a mysterious stranger (who turns out to be an angel) to go back to 13th century England to find salvation.

"Vampires for me were always like feeling grief for my lost childhood faith, being cut off from that life. I reached the point where I didn't have any more stories to tell from that point of view."

And on the Twilight film: "I felt that it reflected the deep desire of young women to have the mystery and protection and wisdom of older men," said Rice, whose own vampire novels have featured the cruel but sensual Lestat - a long way from Meyer's abstinent vampire family the Cullens. "I think many girls mature much earlier than boys, and they are frustrated when they approach young boys for love or protection. Hence the fantasy of a wise and protective vampire coming into the life of a young girl who, of course, appreciates him in a special way."

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 26, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: I Heart Hollywood

Following on from Lindsey Kelk's fish-out-of-water tale I Heart New York, is I Heart Hollywood - the next adventure of Angela Clark. After she left her London life behind for the States in the first book, Angela is now heading off to discover sun and celebs in Hollywood. The book is out on 7th January, and here's a bit more info...

Celebs, sunshine and beautiful boys!enough to lead a girl astray? Angela Clark can't believe her luck! she's an English girl living in New York with a dream job at hip magazine The Look and a sexy boyfriend. Her latest assignment takes her to Hollywood to interview hot actor and fellow Brit James Jacobs.Thrown in at the deep end she heads west with best friend Jenny dreaming of Rodeo Drive and Malibu beach. Soon Angela discovers that celebrity life in Hollywood is not all glamour, gloss and sunshine. Despite his lady-killer reputation, the only person who seems genuine is James. Then a paparazzi snaps them in an uncompromising position and suddenly Angela is thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons! Can she convince all those close to her -- especially her boss and her boyfriend -- not to believe everything they read? And will Hollywood ever win Angela's heart?

To learn more about Lindsey and her books, check out her website (where there's even a cool guide to the Big Apple!) Also, go here for Lindsay's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 26, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 25, 2009 12:43 AM

BOOK NEWS: Recipe for Scandal

Debby Holt, author of The Ex-Wife's Survival Guide and Love Affairs for Grown-Ups, has written a new novel that's due for release in early January. Recipe for Scandal will be out next year, and here's the synopsis...

Living with her partner, Tony, his parents and their precocious teenage son, Alberta Granger considers she belongs to the perfect modern extended family. With her catering business booming and her daughter embarking on a glittering career in London, Bertie reckons she can cope with the mild irritants of her difficult stepson's visits and her father's ongoing disapproval of Tony. But some truly shocking news is about to rock Bertie's world to its foundations. As a torrent of tabloid headlines engulfs the family in a very public scandal, Bertie is forced to face the fact that some of her nearest and dearest, those closest family members she thought she knew so well, have been keeping secrets, leading mysterious double lives she knew nothing about. As revelation follows revelation, old wounds re-open and former grudges re-surface. Is Bertie's family unit tight enough to survive? Is her relationship with Tony solid enough to withstand the battering? And, when temptation arises in the form of a handsome stranger, is Bertie herself strong enough to resist?

To read more about Debby Holt and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 25, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 24, 2009 6:29 PM

BOOK NEWS: Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom

The run-up to Halloween is the perfect time for ghoulish novels, and there are vampire tales aplenty. Sadly, we'll have to wait a while for this new Little Black Dress title as it's not out until next year. But I love the cover (and the title!)

Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom is the latest novel from Julie Cohen, author of Girl From Mars, Honey Trap and Spirit Willing, Flesh Weak. All of Julie's books are original and fun, so I'm really looking forward to this one. Here's the blurb...

All work and no play makes Nina a dull girl... But when you're PA to a celebrity chef who's even tastier than one of his delicious dishes you can't help loving your job. And what's wrong with fancying the pants off your boss? Erm, everything if he's married to someone else. So when Nina meets sexy Spaniard Juan, she's thrilled to escape to a new life abroad... until Juan does a runner with her hard-earned cash. Nina has no choice but to head home and brave 'The Temple of Gloom' - a gothic flat with some unusual inhabitants. Nina's had enough of bloodsuckers. But is her mysterious neighbour Viktor really a vampire?

For more information about Julie and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 24, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 23, 2009 7:04 PM

BOOK NEWS: Nanny Returns

Fans of the Nanny Diaries, the bestseller by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krauss, will be delighted to hear that there's a sequel - and it's due to hit bookshelves soon.

Nanny Returns will be released on December 15th (so we've still got a short while to wait. Boo! Hiss!) The latest story returns to the Upper East Side of Manhattan and focuses on the same characters from the previous New York Times bestseller.

A sneak peek of the book will be available to read on the site on November 2nd, so make sure you check out Emma and Nicola next week!

Here's a little bit about the book, from Amazon...

Nan is back. After living abroad for twelve years, she and her husband, Ryan, aka H.H., have returned to New York to make a life for themselves. In the midst of getting her new business off the ground and fixing up their fixer-upper, Ryan announces his sudden desire to start a family. His timing simply couldn't be worse.

To compound the mounting construction and marital chaos, her former charge, Grayer X, now sixteen years old, makes a drunken, late-night visit, wanting to know why she abandoned him all those years ago. But how can she explain to Grayer what she still hasn't come to terms with herself? In an attempt to assuage her guilt, yet against every instinct, Nan tries to help Grayer and his younger brother, Stilton, through their parents' brutal divorce, drawing her back into the ever-bizarre life of Mrs. X and her Upper East Side enclave of power and privilege.

After putting miles and years between herself and this world, Nan finds she's once again on the front line of the battle with the couture-clad elite for their children's wellbeing.

With its whip-smart dialogue and keen observations of modern life, Nanny Returns gives a firsthand tour of what happens when a community that chose money over love finds itself with neither.

Read more about Emma, Nicola and their books at their website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 23, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 22, 2009 12:43 AM

BOOK NEWS: Foursome

I'm a huge fan of Jane Fallon, and especially loved her previous offerings, Getting Rid of Matthew and Got You Back. Now, Jane has penned another book and I simply can't wait to check it out! Here's the blurb...

Rebecca, Daniel, Alex and Isabel have been best friends since university. Rebecca married Daniel, Alex married Isabel and, for 20 years, they have been inseparable. But all that is about to change... When Alex walks out on Isabel Rebecca thinks things can't get any worse. But then she finds out the reason why and she's left harbouring a secret she'd rather forget... And not only that, Alex's new girlfriend just happens to be Rebecca's skinny, neurotic, self-obsessed colleague, Lorna, her arch nemesis at work and now a regular feature in her social life too. They say you should keep your friends close and enemies closer but sometimes your best friend can become your worst enemy...

Foursome is due to be released in March 2010.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 22, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Princess for Hire

It's been a while since we've featured any YA titles, and this one definitely deserves a mention. Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt is due to be released in March 2010. (Admittedly, I love YA and will definitely be reading this one!)

 

When an immaculately dressed woman steps out of an iridescent bubble and asks you if you'd like to become a substitute princess, do you

 

a) run

b) faint

c) say Yes!

 

For Desi Bascomb, who's been longing for a bit of glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C--that is, once she can stop pinching herself.  As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient Egyptian formula "Royal Rouge," she can transform temporarily into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?

 

Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras. Like, what do you do when a bullying older sister puts you on a heinous crash diet? Or when the tribal villagers gather to watch you perform a ceremonial dance you don't know? Or when a princess's conflicted sweetheart shows up to break things off--and you know she would want you to change his mind?

 

In this hilarious, winning debut, one girl's dream of glamour transforms into something bigger: the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.

 

For more information about Lindsey and Princess for Hire, check out her website.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 22, 2009 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 19, 2009 10:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: Last Christmas

With October almost over (nooo!), it's safe to say that the festive season isn't that far away. If the sudden influx of tinsel and mince pies on sale everywhere hasn't yet put you in the Christmas mood, then how about this?

Last Christmas, the new novel by Julia Williams, will be published on October 29th and is described as 'a seasonal treat for fans of Love Actually and The Holiday'.

Catherine Tinsall is dreading Christmas. As the 'Happy Homemaker' she is an online sensation, but the reality couldn't be more different. With Catherine's marriage in tatters, her children running wild and her mother increasingly forgetful, seasonal cheer is running low. Husband Noel also hides a secret: he's facing the axe at work. Until he chances upon the village of Hope Christmas, deep in the Shropshire countryside, which could be the second chance he's searching for. If he can save it from the developers!

In Hope Christmas itself, schoolteacher Marianne Moore is trying to heal her battered heart. But Christmas is a time for families, and memories of what she's lost haunt her at every turn. Meanwhile, Gabriel North faces a lonely Christmas but hides his sadness for the sake of his son. Will his wife ever come home? Or does love lie elsewhere? All four need a Christmas miracle. And it might just happen - courtesy of a mysterious guardian angel ! Forced to reassess their lives, will Catherine, Noel, Marianne and Gabriel discover what the meaning of Christmas really is? An irresistible gift of a tale that will warm the hearts of Christmas-lovers and Scrooges alike!

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 19, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 18, 2009 5:30 PM

BOOK NEWS: Naked in Knightsbridge

 
With mounting debts, threats from a crazy landlord and a cleaning business that was going well until she set fire to someone's house, Jools Grand is about to find herself Naked in Knightsbridge. She has to come up with a cunning plan, and fast... 

Describing this fast-paced chick lit as 'Bridget Jones meets Shopaholic with an edge,' London Publisher Suzy Brownlee says 'Naked in Knightsbridge takes things that one step too far, which will make you laugh, cringe and gasp, all at the same time!' 

Set in London, the novel begins with Jools finding herself perilously close to living on the streets. With a lack of options and an acute sense of desperation, Jools decides to auction herself online for a marriage of convenience. Who knows, she might even find romance... 

What Jools isn't banking on is a bidding war for her between two not so eligible bachelors; a wealthy, gay, would-be politician who needs a 'wife' as a cover to win an election and a deranged loner who wants to keep his wife in a newly refurbished basement. At that moment, Jools discovers nothing in life comes without a price. 

Author Nicky Schmidt says 'Naked in Knightsbridge takes chick lit to a whole new level. With a high society mother-in-law who encourages Jools to adopt a coke habit in order to fit into her wedding dress, a best friend Mel, who has an obnoxious quasi-French boyfriend and a hot hobo in the mix, this is a book you may miss your tube-stop reading.' 

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 16, 2009 12:20 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Pissed-Off Parents Club

Mink Elliott, recently editor of Practical Parenting magazine, has penned her debut novel that hits the shelves in 2010. The Pissed-Off Parents Club is due to be released In January and sounds like a brilliant read. Here's the info:

First-time mum Roxy feels perennially ticked off. She and her partner Jack have left London for a new life in the village of Riverside, with their ten-month-old daughter Joey. But their new house resembles a building site and Roxy is struggling to cope with parenthood. With no family or friends to turn to for help, Roxy sets up a club in order to meet like-minded parents, and so begins The Pissed-Off Parents Club. Hilarious and refreshingly original, this is a story telling it like it is -- for mums and dads of all descriptions.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 16, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 14, 2009 7:15 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Mistress

Television actress Martine McCutcheon's new novel is due to hit the shelves next month, and now you can read the first chapter.

 

Martine's The Mistress is published by Pan on November 9^th, and by visiting Read The Mistress, you can have a peek at the opening chapter, as well as gain more information and watch Martine talk about her book. Want to know more? Here's what the book has to offer:

 

He took one last long look at her before walking away and disappearing into the night. At that moment, Mandy knew her life would change forever ...Mandy Sanderson is turning thirty and has everything going for her - dark ebony hair, flashing black eyes, flawless skin and a job she loves - yet, so far, true love has eluded her. Then, on the night of her birthday party, surrounded by friends she adores, Cupid strikes as Mandy and the gorgeous Jake Chaplin lock eyes across the restaurant and fall for one another in an instant. Jake is confident, successful, oozing with sex appeal and utterly irresistible. He is also married, with two children, and Mandy has always sworn not to break her own golden rule: never encourage a man to play away. Jake is used to getting what he wants, and this time it is Mandy he's determined to win, and with Jake, seduction comes in more ways than one ...Warm, sexy and heart-wrenchingly moving, "The Mistress" is written by one of Britain's best-loved actresses and offers a refreshingly modern take on what it is that women want.

 

For more information, check out the website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 14, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 12, 2009 3:55 PM

BOOK NEWS: Handle With Care

Fans of Jodi Picoult will be happy to pleased that her new novel, Handle With Care, will be released in paperback on December 10th. Here's the blurb:

Charlotte O'Keefe's beautiful, much-longed-for, adored daughter Willow is born with osteogenesis imperfecta - a very severe form of brittle bone disease. If she slips on a crisp packet she could break both her legs, and spend six months in a half body cast. After years of caring for Willow, her family faces financial disaster. Then Charlotte is offered a lifeline. She could sue her obstetrician for wrongful birth - for not having diagnosed Willow's condition early enough in the pregnancy to be able to abort the child. The payout could secure Willow's future. But to get it would mean Charlotte suing her best friend. And standing up in court to declare that she would have prefered that Willow had never been born...

Click here to watch the Handle With Care book trailer.

Jodi Picoult has written a number of novels including The Tenth Circle and My Sister's Keeper. For more information about Jodi and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 12, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 9, 2009 6:03 PM

BOOK NEWS: Fern Britton's fiction debut

Fern Britton is currently working on her debut novel

The former This Morning presenter has gained a two-book deal from major publishers HarperCollins. The fiction novels will be based on Fern's 30-year career in television.

According to The Bookseller, the first novel, due to be released in time for Mother's Day 2011, focuses on journalist and single mother Christie Lynch. Christie lands a high-profile job in TV and soon forced to decide whether certain people in her life can really be trusted. With her mother disapproving of her fame and daughter disappearing altogether, Christie's is becoming difficult. That is, until she meets singla dad Richard.

Fern said: "Are the characters based on people I have worked with? Have any of the storylines actually happened? Or have I made it all up? Readers will have to read the novel to decide."

The book will be Fern's first published work of fiction. Her autobiography, My Story, has so far sold 222,095 copies.

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 9, 2009 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Girl with a One Track Mind: Exposed

I'm sure we all remember the story of Abby Lee, who blogged in great detail about her sex life (under a fake name, of course), only to be outed by the national press. That was after she'd gained her book deal, which saw the nation clamouring to read all about Abby's bedroom secrets. (Personally, I didn't find it that exciting - but each to their own.)

Now, Abby's back with a brand new book - Girl With a One Track Mind: Exposed: Further Revelations of a Sex Blogger, in which Abby reveals all about life and sex after being discovered as movie industry worker Zoe Margolis.

Girl with a One Track Mind: Exposed will be released in March 2010, so for all the Abby fans - you've got a while to wait! Here's the blurb:

Based on her hugely popular sex blog, Abby Lee's Girl With a One Track Mind was a publishing phenomenon. Unfortunately for Abby, her true identity was revealed shortly after publication andher private life - now public - was thrown into disarray. Suddenly all her friends, family and colleagues knew her most shockingly intimate secrets.

In her follow up book she details how she coped once the whole world knew she was Britain's most famous sex diarist, and reveals her attempts to lead a satisfying sex life once more. Once again this results in hilarious adventures, from doomed sex with a rock star and uneventful sex with a newspaper columnist to an on-off relationship with a tv presenter and a one-night stand with an internet celebrity. In spite of the disastrous dates, Abby doesn't give up on her search for a more meaningful relationship with a trustworthy companion. With her life on display, she dates in secret...until now.

As entertaining, witty and wise as her first book, with the same humorous 'The Girls Guide to...' advice sections, this is the book Abby's many fans have been waiting for.

Abby has since written for many blogs and publications, and has also made several TV appearances. Read her blog here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 9, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

October 7, 2009 9:47 PM

BOOK NEWS: Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter

Okay, so remember Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? The announcement gained some mixed opinions back before its release. Now, however, there's another classic tale-turned-gory but rather than the Regency love story of the Bennets and Mr Darcy, we have...um, Queen Victoria.

And some demons.

Really.

Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A E Moorat is due for release on 15th October. Here's the blurb:

There were many staff at Kensington Palace, fulfilling many roles; a man who was employed to catch rats, another whose job it was to sweep the chimneys. That there was someone expected to hunt Demons did not shock the new Queen; that it was to be her was something of a surprise.

London, 1838. Queen Victoria is crowned; she receives the orb, the sceptre, and an arsenal of blood-stained weaponry. Because if Britain is about to become the greatest power of the age, there's the small matter of the demons to take care of first...

But rather than dreaming of demon hunting, it is her love for Prince Albert that occupies her thoughts. Can she dedicate her life to saving her country when her heart belongs elsewhere?

With lashings of glistening entrails, decapitations, and foul demons, this masterly new portrait will give a fresh understanding of a remarkable woman, a legendary monarch, and quite possibly the best Demon Hunter the world has ever seen...

An axe-wielding, demon-killing Queen of England? Very odd, but admittedly, it sounds like a lot of fun!

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 7, 2009 in Book News, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 5, 2009 12:07 PM

IN THE NEWS: Jordan's autobiography set to be 'banned'

Katie Price, aka Jordan, faces having her latest autobiography banned by bookstores - as chains see the memoir as 'milking' fans.

According to The Sun, glamour model Jordan's latest autobiography - which is her fourth in five years - could be 'boycotted' by major chains. The book is set to tell all about her split from Peter Andre (why am I not surprised here?) and would be released in the run-up to Christmas, alongside the autobiography of Pete himself.

Katie Price has already 'written' (*cough*) a series of novels, and was signed by Random House three years ago to pen a series of childrens' stories. A source at the publishing house said: "Bookshop managers are really worried. They fear this latest book could do more harm than good for business and are seriously considering shunning it altogether. Booksellers do not want to annoy their customers by putting out yet another autobiography from the same person who has already had three printed. It seems to them as though she is trying to milk her fans for everything they've got."

Blackwell bookstores have stated that branches would not be stocking the book unless copies are requested. A Blackwell spokesman said: "She has done three already. This is not a book we would say to our readers, 'You must buy'." Waterstones have agreed that the book will only make it into their stores if it was seen as 'the right thing to do.'

Of course, Christmas is the time for celebs to cash in with their life stories, and personally? I think it's refreshing to see that major bookselling chains are taking fans and customers into consideration.

Do you agree that booksellers should decide not to stock certain books? Tell us your thoughts!

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 5, 2009 in Book News, Book related | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 3, 2009 12:11 AM

BOOK NEWS: All the Things We Didn't Say

Sara Shepard, author of the Pretty Little Liars series, has penned another book that's due for release soon. All the Things We Didn't Say will be available on October 29th, and looks like a fab read (and the cover is gorgeous, too!) Here's the info from Amazon...

Emotional, issue-led fiction perfect for all fans of The Memory Keeper's Daughter and Jodi Picoult Tragedy came as if so often does: a teenage party, emotions running high, followed by a horrific car crash. A girl is left dead and a boy is forced to leave his home town, with a secret that he will carry with him forever! Years later, when Summer's mother disappears one summer, she is left with her father who is going slowly crazy. Obsessed with an accident from years ago, he slowly descends into mental illness. And as he becomes more disorientated, he reveals small fragments of a secret that has been hidden since his youth, a secret that changes everything. Summer supports her father as much as she can but eventually realises that she has to escape. She finds refuge with her great-aunt, Stella. Feisty, fun-loving, and dying of cancer, Stella holds parts of the family secret. Slowly, things fall into place for Summer - or at least so she thinks! This is a story of the importance of family, of the damage a lie can do, and of how nothing is ever what it seems.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 3, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 8, 2009 10:38 PM

BOOK NEWS: Heaven Can Wait

Trashionista spoke to new author Cally Taylor back in March, and her novel, Heaven Can Wait (previously titled Haunting for Beginners) will be released in October. Not long to go! Here's the info...

'What would I do without you, Lucy Brown?' he said, and kissed me softly. I held his face in my hands and kissed him back. I felt that life just couldn't get any more perfect. And I was right, it wouldn't. By the end of the next day, I'd be dead. Lucy is about to marry the man of her dreams - kind, handsome, funny Dan - when she breaks her neck the night before their wedding. Unable to accept a lifetime's separation from her soulmate, Lucy decides to become a ghost rather than go to heaven and be parted from Dan. But it turns out things aren't quite as easy as that. When Lucy discovers that Limbo is a grotty student-style house in North London she's less than thrilled. Especially after meeting her new flatmates: grumpy, cider-swilling EMO-kid Claire; and Brian, a train-spotter with a Thomas the Tank Engine duvet and a big BO problem. But Lucy has a more major problem on her hands - if she wants to become a ghost and be with Dan she has to complete an almost impossible task. How the hell does a girl like Lucy find a girlfriend for the dorkiest man in England? IT geek Archie's only passions are multi-player computer games and his Grandma. But Lucy only has twenty-one days to find him love. And when she discovers that her so-called friend Anna is determined to make a move on the heart-broken, vulnerable Dan, the pressure is really on...

To find out more about Cally, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 8, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

NEWS: Jennifer Weiner signing in NYC

Jennifer Weiner fans in the USA will be pleased to know tht the author will be holding a book signing event next week in NYC, in order to promote her new novel Best Friends Forever. Jennifer will be speaking, answering questions and signing copies of her new book.

The event will be held Barnes & Noble (Lincoln Center, 1972 Broadway at 66th Street), New York City at 7:30PM.

Click here to read Jennifer's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 8, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 4, 2009 10:31 PM

Twenties Girl Trailer

Sophie Kinsella's new novel, Twenties Girl, is almost here (eeep!). In the meantime, check out the book trailer.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 4, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (9)

June 27, 2009 10:36 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Popularity Rules

Abby McDonald, author of teen novel Sophomore Switch, has penned chicklit novel The Popularity Rules which will be released in September. Here's the info...

Rule 1: All's fair in love, war and popularity...Kat Elliot is no social butterfly: she's spent her life rebelling against phony schmoozing - and it's led her nowhere. Just as she's ready to give up her dreams and admit defeat, in steps Lauren Anderville. One-time allies against their school bullies, Lauren and Kat had been inseparable. Then one year later Lauren returned from summer camp - blonde, bubbly and suddenly popular, and Kat was left to face the world alone. Lauren finally wants to make amends by teaching Kat the secret to her success: "The Popularity Rules". A decades-old rulebook, its secrets transformed Lauren that fateful summer. And so, tempted by Lauren's promises of glitzy parties and the job she's always dreamed of, Kat reluctantly submits to a total makeover - only to find that life with the in-crowd might have something going for it after all. But while Lauren has sacrificed everything to get ahead, is Kat really ready to accept that popularity is the only prize that counts?

To know more about Abby, check out her website. Or go here to pre-order The Popularity Rules on Amazon.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 27, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 21, 2009 12:07 AM

June releases from Little Black Dress

Summer's here, in terms of fab summer reads, you can't get much better than the Little Black Dress collection. LBD have two new releases for this month - Girl From Mars by Julie Cohen, and Marisa Heath's Perfect Image...

An edgy, glitzy, addictive romance – be careful what you wish for.

Young, naïve and stunning, Katrina is trying to make it as a model in Paris, sharing a tiny, run-down dorm and only just scraping a living. She’s about to cut her loses and head back to London when she’s spotted one night and asked out by THE ultimate movie heart-throb, actor Dominic Cayley. She knows not to get too excited though – his girlfriends never last longer than a few dates. But when he keeps turning up on her doorstep, whisking her off for super-glam party weekends in Monaco, showering her in expensive jewels and designer clothes, she’s more than happy to be swept off her feet...

Check out Little Black Dress Books for more information and fun.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 21, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

June 20, 2009 1:46 AM

BOOK NEWS: Air Kisses

Fans of The Devil Wears Prada will enjoy the debut novel from Australian writer and former beauty editor, Zoe Foster. Air Kisses will be released in August and personally? I can't wait. Here's the blurb, courtesy of Alison & Busby...

If the devil wears Prada, then God wears La Mer.

Hannah Atkins - the girl most likely to be sporting unblended foundation, orange wrists or a wobbly trail of liquid eyeliner - has bluffed her way into the position of beauty editor at Gloss magazine. Just as she's carving a path into the shiny world of guerrilla air kisses, achingly hip PR campaigns and goodie-bag overload, she reads about her boyfriend and another girl in the gossip pages of the local rag. Then she gets dumped. By text.

Vowing to claw back some dignity and make her ex regret what he's done, Hannah adopts a manifesto of hardcore rules. Don't become best friends with the scary girls at work. Don't drink fourteen glasses of Moët & Chandon at PR launches. Don't go home with inappropriate men. And certainly don't get all besotted with your best friend's brother.

As her rules start to slip away, Hannah finds herself having to decide on more important things than just the perfect shade of lip gloss . . .

Pre-order your copy at Amazon.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 20, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

June 15, 2009 11:54 AM

BOOK NEWS: I'm So Happy for You

What happens when your best friend outshines you in every possible way? I'm So Happy for You, by Lucinda Rosenfeld, is a novel about best friends and will be released in the States on July 29.

What if your best friend, whom you've always counted on to flounder in life and love (making your own modest accomplishments look not so bad), suddenly starts to surpass you in every way?

Wendy's best friend, Daphne, has always been dependably prone to catastrophe. And Wendy has always been there to help. If Daphne veers from suicidal to madly in love, Wendy offers encouragement. But when Daphne is suddenly engaged, pregnant, and decorating a fabulous town house in no time at all, Wendy is...not so happy for her. Caught between wanting to be the best friend she prides herself on being and crippling jealousy of flighty Daphne, Wendy takes things to the extreme, waging a full-scale attack on her best friend-all the while wearing her best, I'm-so-happy-for-you smile-and ends up in way over her head.

Rosenfeld has a knack for exposing the not-always-pretty side of being best friends--in writing that is glittering and diamond-sharp. I'm So Happy for You is a smart, darkly humorous, and uncannily dead-on novel about female friendship.

Pre-order at Amazon.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 15, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 11, 2009 10:22 AM

BOOK NEWS: French Kissing

Blogger Catherine Sanderson (of Petite Anglaise fame) has penned a novel, French Kissing. It's out on 27th August. Blurb will follow...

Name: Sally Marshall. Status: single mother. Age: 32. Nationality: 10 years in France, yet still English through and through. I like: living in Paris, playing with my daughter Lila (4-years-old), the company of good friends, the smell of baking bread. So reads Sally's ad, posted on a French online dating site called Rendez-Vous. Sally left Nicolas, her French boyfriend of ten years and Lila's father, after she discovered he was having an affair with his secretary. Six months have now passed, she's beginning to bounce back. But making a new start is fraught with complications, and to what extent can she keep Lila and her love life separate...

Click here to read Catherine's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 11, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 10, 2009 12:06 AM

BOOK NEWS: Best Friends Forever

Best Friends Forever, the new novel from Jennifer Weiner (author of Good in Bed and In Her Shoes) is due out in the States on July 14th. Watch this space! For now, here's some info about her latest book...

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That's what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they're both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her schools scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents’ house in their small hometown of La Prairie, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the internet.  She has just returned from Bad Date #6, when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, with terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. "Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you're the only one who can help."

Best Friends Forever is a grand, funny, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small town secrets. It’s about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together forever.

Click here for Jennifer's blog.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 10, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 7, 2009 11:42 PM

BOOK NEWS: Turning Japanese

Cathy Yardley, author of chick-lit writing guide Will Write for Shoes, has just released her new novel, Turning Japanese. Being a manga fan, I can't wait to get my hands on this! Here's the info, courtesy of Cathy's site.

Meet Lisa Falloya, an aspiring half-Japanese, half-Italian American manga artist who follows her bliss by moving to Tokyo to draw the Japanese-style comics she's been reading for years. Leaving behind the comforts of a humdrum desk job and her workaholic fiancée, Lisa has everything planned-- right down to a room with a nice Japanese family-- but hasn't taken into account that being half-Asian and enthusiastic isn't going to cut it. Faced with an exacting boss and a conniving “big fish” manga author, Lisa risks her wedding, her friends, and her fears for a shot at making it big.

Head on over now to read an excerpt!

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 7, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 28, 2009 11:51 PM

BOOK NEWS: Star Struck

Judging by the success of shows such as X Factor and Britain's Got Talent (I'll admit it - I watch the auditions at the start. Mean, me?), it seems the nation loves the televised talent show. And even better, Anne-Marie O'Connor's new novel, Star Struck, focuses on just that.

All Catherine wants to do is sing, but a TV show is about to make her a star....

Catherine Reilly is 24, single and still lives at home with her dad and two of her sisters. The only thing Catherine's ever been any good at is singing, but she has no connections, low confidence and isn't exactly glamorous. However, when she sees a TV ad for the latest series of "Star Maker" - the biggest talent show on national television she decides to enter. Catherine now has the best voice coach in the business, a team of sadistic trainers and stylists and the world's number one music mogul on her side. But can an ordinary girl's dreams really come true?

Star Struck will be released in August.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 28, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 18, 2009 2:39 PM

BOOK NEWS: Pop Tart

 Pop Tart, the new novel by Kira Coplin (pop culture journalist and US Weekly writer) and Julianne Kaye (LA celebrity makeup artist), is due to be released on 28th May. Here's the info!

She was America's sweetheart. Until the love affair ended with a bang! Young make-up artist Jackie Reilly has always dreamed of making it big in TinselTown, concealing the flaws of the rich and famous. Stuck in a rut with a crazy boss, she thinks her big break will never come - until she meets a girl who guarantees her life will never be the same again! 16-year-old Brooke Parker is bubbly, vivacious, charming - and about to become the world's most famous teenager. A pop singer on the verge of superstardom, Brooke instantly takes a shine to Jackie and draws her into a world of white-stretch limos, screaming fans and invitations to VIP events. But as Jackie quickly finds out, fame has its dark side. Forced to juggle the various egos of Brooke's entourage - from bitchy stylists to over-eager publicists and a manager that serves his own interests before all else - all preserving the golden girl image of brand Brooke. Caught in the tight grip of the P.R machine, Brooke starts to rebel, taking Jackie along for the ride. At first her bad girl antics are a blast, earning her even more column inches, but when her heavy partying brings Brooke's demons to the surface she begins to fall apart and soon, she is taking Jackie down with her. When Jackie is forced to learn the rules of showbusiness the hard way, her friendship with Brooke is put to the ultimate test - will she be yet another casualty of Brooke's increasing quest for fame? Or can she save herself - and Brooke?

This is set to be a fantastic read - review coming soon!

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

May 14, 2009 11:52 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Sister Diaries

Karen Quinn, author of the fantastic Ivy Chronicles and Wife in the Fast Lane, has penned another offering that's due to be released shortly.

Here's the blurb:

Love her or loathe her, you need a sister by your side.

Although they couldn’t be more different, Amanda, Serena and Laura Moon have always been there for one another.

Amanda sizzles in the high stakes arena of New York City real estate - but drags herself home each night to a cold, empty bed. From top executive at Prada, Serena is now an over-the-top, stay-at-home Mum, plunging her marriage into crisis and her four-year-old into therapy. Laura spent the last six years caring for their dying mother. Now she is trying to breathe new life into her abandoned music career.

Emotions explode when the sisters learn that their mother left everything - the multi-million dollar family home and a priceless Willem de Kooning painting - to Serena. But why? In an effort to make sense of the bequest, the girls journey to glamorous East Hampton to unravel the mystery behind their mother’s past, setting off a chain of events that threatens the very core of their sisterhood.

The Sister Diaries will be out in July. For more information about Karen and her books, visit her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 14, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 2, 2009 10:12 PM

BOOK NEWS: Valentine

Valentine, the first novel of Katie Price's ghostwriter Rebecca Farnworth, is due to be released next week. Here's the info...

Will a shocking secret cause a rising star to fall? Valentine Fleming dreams of making it as an actress but after years of failed auditions and bit parts her hopes are fading fast - so too is her self-esteem. She is staring into the abyss and a large jar of peanut butter. Her love life is faring no better, with too much time wasted with an ex who has bad news written all over him. So when she gets a call from her agent telling her she has a part in a play with a sexy leading man, she's over the moon. She's not packing her bags for the Hollywood hills just yet but could this be her lucky break? But just as it seems that her luck might be set to change she learns a shocking secret and Valentine's world is turned upside down...Rebecca Farnworth's first novel is an enchanting page turner with a heroine who you just can't help warming to, however many mistakes she makes.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 2, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 25, 2009 11:20 AM

BOOK NEWS: Celebrity Mother

Celebrity Mother, second novel of Olivia's Bliss author Deborah Wright, will be hitting the shelves in July. It sounds like a fabulous summer read, but judge for yourselves! Here's the info...

Funny, heartwarming and absolutely gripping: get ready for an emotional roller coaster, a sizzling celebrity scandal – and a little girl who just wants to be loved

Ex-girl-band-member-turned-PR-disaster Karina West didn’t see it coming. Her career’s history, her reputation’s in the gutter, and she’s completely on her own. She needs to get back in the gossip pages, and fast. How better to achieve it than by adopting a child, the sweet, ten-year-old Devika, from a far-off place? Karina and Devika are soon front-page news, but neither of them realise they are starting a journey that will change their lives – for ever.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 25, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 18, 2009 4:17 PM

BOOK NEWS: Sapphire by Katie Price

Admittedly, I haven't yet picked up any of Jordan's...sorry, Katie's...novels. But from what I've heard, the Angel and Crystal aren't bad reads. Katie's fourth book, Sapphire, is out in July. Here's the info...

Sapphire Jones doesn't believe in relationships anymore - not since she caught her husband in bed with another woman. Now Sapphire only sees men on her terms which is why her current lover is younger than her, good looking, doesn't place any emotional demands on her [so far, fingers crossed] and is great in bed. What more does a girl need? Sapphire puts all her passion into running her own business - a high end lingerie and hen weekend company. She is doing well and life seems pretty good until she meets a very handsome, charming businessman who seems more than a match for Sapphire. Then things go badly wrong at the hen party she has planned for a soap star and tabloid darling. The evening is one that everyone will be talking about for all the wrong reasons and Sapphire faces front page headlines all of her own...Suddenly her business is in jeopardy, her well-controlled private life is falling apart, and in the middle of all this Sapphire realises that she is not immune to love after all, but has she left it too late?

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (7)

April 13, 2009 7:38 PM

BOOK NEWS: After the Break

Judging by the reviews of her debut novel Coming Up Next, it seemed as though Penny Smith's writing career wasn't off to a promising start. But the GMTV presenter is back with a second book, After the Break. Despite finding Coming Up Next very disappointing, I just might give the sequel another chance.

After the Break is set to be released on 25th June. Here's the info, courtesy of Borders...

Katie Fisher, one-time presenter of breakfast TV show Hello Britain!, nearly has her life in perfect order. She's recovered from her humiliating dismissal, improved her relationship with the drinks cabinet and, most importantly, found a gorgeous new TV producer boyfriend. But her dream job as a chat show host has come to an end and there doesn't seem to be much work around - she's starting to get worried.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 13, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 10, 2009 1:04 PM

BOOK NEWS: Flawless by Tilly Bagshawe

Here's some news for fans of Tilly Bagshawe - her new novel, Flawless, will be released next month. Read on for the blurb...

In the glitteringly ruthless diamond business, Scarlett Drummond Murray is a force to be reckoned with. As stunningly beautiful as the diamonds she works with, Scarlett is determined to make her mark on the industry with her fabulous jewellery creations. But to do so she must battle through a world that is steeped in greed and corruption. Blazing a trail from London to Beverly Hills, Scarlett is plunged into the world of shady diamond dealers and the stunningly beautiful women for whom they all compete, in business and in bed. All of them are prepared to sacrifice everything in pursuit of that one, elusive, perfect stone. No matter what the cost. Will Scarlett be blinded by the brilliance of the temptation that surrounds her? Or can she keep her nerve - and her principles - and make it to the top with her heart and her business intact?

For more info about Tilly and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 10, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 9, 2009 7:25 PM

BOOK NEWS: If This is Paradise, I Want My Money Back

Having just finished reading Claudia Carroll's brilliantly funny Do You Want To Know a Secret? (Review coming soon!) I was delighted to hear the news of Claudia's latest offering - If This is Paradise, I Want My Money Back - which is due to hit the shelves in June.

Okay, so we've got a while to wait, but judging by the blurb, it's going to be good...

 Charlotte Grey is hovering between life and death, but the weird thing is, it's taken a coma for her to finally open her eyes and see things clearly. Namely that she's made a complete mess of her short time on Earth, and don't even get her started on the five precious dating years she's just wasted on the worthless, faithless James Kane. But after a quick peek at the afterlife, she decides that it's not all it's cracked up to be either. Kind of like a big retirement home in the sky, with an awful lot of bingo and bridge and absolutely no sign of Elvis/Princess Di/Kurt Cobain or anyone it would actually be nice to spend eternity with. So when Charlotte is offered a chance to go back to Earth, this time as a bonafide angel, she jumps at it. But there's a catch. The person she's assigned to watch over is ...a certain James Kane; which is where the fun really starts. Well, just because she's passed on doesn't necessarily mean she's moved on, does it?

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 9, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

April 7, 2009 7:58 PM

May releases from Little Black Dress

Following this month's Little Black Dress releases (I'm just about to pick up Niamh Shaw's Smart Casual!), LBD have updated their site with new releases for May, including You Kill Me by Alison Gaylin, Jessica Fox's The Hen Night Prophecies - The One That Got Away, and True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson.

Heartache, hockey and heavenly bodies – get ready for another red-hot read from Rachel Gibson.

When money-bags Virgil Duffy leaves his widow a stash of cash and his beloved ice-hockey team in his will, team captain Ty ‘Saint’ Savage is fu';/rious. The Chinooks are set to win the biggest prize of the season, and a beautiful young ex-stripper taking over the reins is the last thing he needs. Even if Faith, former playmate of the year, is the sexiest woman he’s ever laid on. Soon tensions are mounting between the Saint and the Sinner from Vegas – but maybe Ty’s forgotten the first rule of play: never underestimate your opponent...

Head on over to the Little Black Dress website for more book news!

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 7, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 20, 2009 7:48 PM

BOOK COVER: The Cupid Effect

I really like the Dorothy Koomson book covers. They are so crisp, clean and contemporary. The new one, The Cupid Effect, certainly doesn't disappoint. But I have to say I think my favourite one has to be The Chocolate Run.

You can read an extract from The Cupid Effect  (which I think has a great opening line) here. It is out in the summer. Click over the cut for the blurb.

Ceri D'Altroy's hero-worship of Oprah Winfrey is beginning to have serious repercussions. Bored with London life and writing yet another 'black is the new black' fashion feature, she's decided to take Oprah's advice and follow her heart's desire. Going back to college might not be everyone's dream but all Ceri's has ever wanted to do is teach...But though her professional life seems to be sorted, Ceri's personal life is still a no-go area. After six long, long, months without so much as a snog, she's given up hope of ever finding anyone who'll put up with her various idiosyncrasies. In fact just lately, her pent-up energies and frustrations seem to have been diverted into solving other people's romantic problems. Since arriving in Leeds she's reunited a happily uncoupled couple, encouraged her new flatmate to do something about his unrequited love and outed the closet relationship of two of her new colleagues. All this, in spite of her new life resolution to mind her own business. But is Ceri destined to always play Cupid? Or can she use some of her powers where they're needed most - to help herself? A delicious romantic comedy about love, life and good intentions…

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 20, 2009 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 19, 2009 7:33 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Cally Taylor

Now I know I use the phrase "I'm so excited..." quite a lot here on Trashionista. In my defence it is with good reason as I do get incredibly excited about good books. However, today, with this post, I have something that I think is extra special. An interview with newly signed author Cally Taylor. And it isn't because I know her (as I do, just a little bit) but because I think she has a fantastic career ahead of her as a writer. Her book, Haunting For Beginners, is out in October this year and this is her first ever interview.

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer:

Lucy is dead and desperately trying to be reunited with the man she loves.

How were you ‘discovered’?

I bought a copy of the Writers and Artists Yearbook and wrote a list of all the agents who accepted chick-lit and women's fiction. The first one on my list was Darley Anderson (I really liked his name. I also thought he was a woman!) so I sent him my synopsis and first three chapters. That was on a Friday morning. The next Monday afternoon he rang me up and asked me for the whole manuscript. I was so excited I thought I might pass out but managed to get myself together enough to print it off, read it through (again) for typos and send it off. Six weeks later he rang me back. He liked it and it had a lot of potential, he said, but it needed some more work. I was absolutely gutted (I’d convinced myself that he'd send me a letter if he hated it and only ring if he wanted to sign me!) but, after a couple of weeks of sulking, I started to make the changes he’d requested and sent it back five months after his second phone call. Three months after that I received a phone call from Madeleine Buston. She told me that Darley had given her my revised manuscript to read on the train to Scotland and that she’d fallen in love with it. We talked about the book and her plans for it for a while and then I (tentatively) asked, “So are you my agent then?” and she said yes!

Have you always been a writer?

Yes, I guess so. As child I loved writing stories and making up plays and sent my first ‘book’ (an ‘illustrated’ story about The Evil Weed and his flower friends) to Penguin Publishers when I was eight. I even bound it myself – in pink wool! It was rejected, of course, but I wasn’t deterred.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

Before I start writing my books I scribble down lots of notes in the notebooks that I carry around with me everywhere. Ideas for characters and plot developments pop into my head while I’m on the train, walking to town and even in the pub and I always have to stop to write them down otherwise they’re lost forever. When I actually start writing a book I type straight onto the laptop which is on my very messy desk in my tiny, cluttered bedroom.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Tough one! It’s a toss-up between Ralph’s Party by Lisa Jewell and Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. Those were the first two chick-lit books I ever read and they opened up a whole new world of literature to me. I realised that yes, you could write books about modern women with flaws and dreams and complicated love lives, and that other women wanted to read about them too.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

My favourite female heroine ever or my favourite chick-lit heroine? My favourite female heroine ever would have to be Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. My favourite female chick-lit heroine is Cannie in Jennifer Weiner’s Good in Bed.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Read a lot, write a lot, get your novel critiqued by people you aren’t related to or friends with, and then polish it until it gleams before sending it out to agents.

Develop a thick skin. Criticism and rejection sting like hell but you have to learn from them, bounce back and keep writing.

One more thing - put your novel to one side for at least 3 weeks before you start editing it and then read it aloud – it will sound very different to the way it did in your head when you wrote it, and you’ll find it easier to spot the mistakes.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. I think it was a Trashionista review that made me buy it in the first place and I’m loving it. I’ve only just started it and it’s already wonderfully magical and compelling.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

I’m working on my second book, currently titled “Dead Romantic”. It’s about two single people in Brighton and what happens when a couple of hapless guardian angels are tasked with making them happy.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

If you died how long would you want your partner to wait before he moved on?

Well I’d probably tell him that two years would be just about acceptable but secretly I’d want him to mourn me forever and never love anyone as much as he’d loved me!

Thanks, Cally!

To find out more visit her website at www.callytaylor.co.uk

The following is the blurb for Haunting For Beginners,

'"What would I do without you, Lucy Brown?" he said, and kissed me softly. I held his face in my hands and kissed him back. I felt that life just couldn't get any more perfect. And I was right, it wouldn't. By the end of the next day, I'd be dead. Lucy is about to marry the man of her dreams - kind, handsome, funny Dan - when she breaks her neck the night before their wedding. Unable to accept a lifetime's separation from her soulmate, Lucy decides to become a ghost rather than go to heaven and be parted from Dan. But it turns out things aren't quite as easy as that. When Lucy discovers that Limbo is a grotty student-style house in North London she's less than thrilled. Especially after meeting her new flatmates: grumpy, cider-swilling EMO-kid Claire; and Brian, a train-spotter with a Thomas the Tank Engine duvet and a big BO problem. But Lucy has a more major problem on her hands - if she wants to become a ghost and be with Dan she has to complete an almost impossible task. How the hell does a girl like Lucy find a girlfriend for the dorkiest man in England? IT geek Archie's only passions are multi-player computer games and his Grandma. But Lucy only has twenty-one days to find him love. And when she discovers that her so-called friend Anna is determined to make a move on the heart-broken, vulnerable Dan, the pressure is really on ...

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 19, 2009 in Book News, Brand new authors, British Authors, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (5)

March 18, 2009 9:03 PM

BOOK NEWS: Air Confidential and top tell-all career books...

Wicked Whispers: Confessions of a Gossip Queen

Former 3am girl Jessica Callan released her tell-tale book in 2007, detailing life as a showbiz journalist. Jessica dished the dirt on both the nice celebrities, and...well, the not so nice ones. Working as one of the most renowned showbiz journos in the country, Jessica and the 3am girls were subject to a vast array of celebrity shenanigans...and so, she penned this scandalous diary.

Tabloid Love

What are your favourites?

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 18, 2009 in Book News, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (4)

BOOK NEWS: Honour Thyself

Danielle Steel books have never really entered my radar. By chance I read the plot for her new one, Honour Thyself, and it certainly piqued my interest. Whether it's the obvious parallels to Princess Diana's last moments or that it just sounds gripping, I'm not sure, but perhaps may finally encourage me to pick up one of her books.

Carole Barber has come to Paris, with its rain-slick slate roofs and winding streets, to work on her novel - and to find herself after a lifetime in the spotlight. A legend of film and stage, Carole has set a standard of beauty and grace, devoting herself to her family and causes around the world. But on this cool November evening, as her taxi speeds into a tunnel just past the Louvre, a fiery instant of terror shatters hundreds of lives - and leaves Carole alone, unconscious and unidentified in a Paris emergency room. At the Ritz, they wonder where their famous, incognito guest has gone.From California to London, Carole's friends and family begin to make inquiries. Then comes a moment of shock as they realize that Carole is in a hospital far from home, fighting for her life. In the days that follow, the paparazzi swarm. A mysterious stranger, a man famous in his own realm, quietly visits the hospital to see the woman he once loved and never forgot. Carole's two grown children rush to her bedside, waiting and praying - until the miraculous begins to happen ...But as a woman whom the whole world knows slowly awakens, she knows nothing of herself.Every detail must be pieced back together - from a childhood in rural Mississippi to the early days of her career, from the unintentional hurt inflicted on her daughter to a fifteen year-old secret love affair that went tragically wrong. But for Carole, an extraordinary opportunity has arisen in a life-threatening crisis: a second chance to count her blessings, heal wounded hearts, recapture lost love ...and to live a life that will truly honor others -beginning with herself. A tale of survival and dignity, of small miracles and big surprises, Honor Thyself creates an unforgettable portrait of a public figure whose hopes, fears, and heartbreaks are as real as our own.Her courageous journey inspires us all.

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 17, 2009 8:34 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Girl Next Door

As a writer I like a good nosy into to observe other people's lives. I wonder what goes on behind closed doors, what people are really like. And who better to wonder about than your neighbours. The premise of Elizabeth Noble's new book, The Girl Next Door, promises that I can have a good peek and rummage around an interesting group of people. But legally.

A gorgeous and unforgettable novel set in a turn-of-the-century New York apartment building on the Upper East Side, The Girl Next Door features four interwoven stories about love, life and living together. Meet Eve Gallagher in Apartment 7A, newly relocated to New York from London with her ambitious banker husband. But she's lonely and lost ... until she meets elderly neighbour Violet, who's concealing a tragic story of her own. The Kramers and the Schulmans in Apartments 6A and 6B are about to find their lives intersecting in a most unfortunate manner when Jason Kramer falls head-over-heels for Rachael Schulman. Jackson Grayling III in Apartment 5A is 26, fantastically wealthy and a directionless and hapless layabout ... but he's attracting the attention of a gold-digger in 2B even though he's far more interested in the beautiful and hardworking Emily Mikanowski in 3B. And finally, plain, dull and self-conscious Charlotte Murphy rents 2A and works in the Public Library ... she lives in a dreamworld and is desperate to be anyone but herself. Will any of her neighbours ever take enough notice of her to save her?

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 17, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 12, 2009 5:32 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Wild Affair

For those who liked Gemma Townley’s The Importance of Being Married, here’s some good news. Jessica Wild is back for the second book in the Wild trilogy, A Wild Affair.

 

Following on from Jessica’s adventures in love and money after she inherited four million pounds and an entire estate (which she could only get hold of if she married her imaginary husband-to-be, aka her boss. Cue Project Marriage. Yes, it’s a must-read.), she seems to have learnt her lesson. At least, we hope so.

 

It looks like we’ll have to wait a while until it’s released (UK Amazon is stating January 2010), but I’m sure another Jessica adventure is worth the wait.

 

Click over the cut to read the blurb…

Jessica and Max are finally going to tie the knot, and Jessica is determined to have the biggest, best wedding ever. The only problem is, recently Max has been evasive—and when Jessica follows him and sees him in an apparent tryst with an attractive woman, it’s the last straw. The next thing she knows, she’s drunk at a bar, cozying up to the top rival of Max’s firm, and letting some top-secret work details slip . . . details that could cost Max everything.

The next morning Jessica is deeply ashamed of her actions, and when a series of events leads her to discover an important truth about her past, she realizes she shouldn’t have doubted the only man she’s ever loved. But as evidence of her own indiscretion surfaces, she knows that the same can’t be said about her. Is her Big Day, as well as her job and reputation in jeopardy?

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 12, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 10, 2009 8:03 PM

BOOK NEWS: It's A Fine Life

Jodie Prenger has only been famous for about five or six minutes but she does have a story to tell. If you watched I'd Do Anything in the UK she was the winner of the show and went on to become Nancy in the stage musical of Oliver in London's West End.

She may only have been famous for a short while, but her story is an inspirational one. Touring the working men's clubs, appearing on The Biggest Loser and losing eight stone then going on to do the job of her dreams...If you're stuck in a rut and want to change your life, maybe you should give her story a go. See over the cut for the blurb.

Over 7 million viewers watched as Jodie Prenger was crowned the people's winner of "I'd Do Anything" and achieved her dream of starring in a West End musical. Now you can read Jodie's inspirational life story, as she describes her childhood as a plump little girl, who hid behind her wide smile even as she piled on the pounds, and her early career as a singer touring working men's clubs, appearing in regional theatre and as support for comedians including Ken Dodd, Ricky Tomlinson and Frank Carson.Yet it was Jodie's appearance on "The Biggest Loser" which changed her life forever, as she lost over 8 stone and shrank to a size ten. Feeling like she had a new lease of life and determined to pursue her dream, less than two years later she entered "I'd Do Anything" - and the rest is history. As Jodie stands ready to embark on her sellout West End debut, she tells her story with her trademark down-to-earth charm, and heart-rending honesty, featuring her personal and professional highs and lows alongside delicious back stage gossip. Jodie's life is the stuff of dreams and an inspiration to aspiring singers and dieters alike.

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 10, 2009 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (5)

March 9, 2009 12:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: Her Fearful Symmetry

Her Fearful Symmetry is the title of the brand new novel from Audrey Niffenegger. It has been simply ages since The Time Traveler's Wife was released and I can't wait for this one to come out. It may yet be some time however, as the auction for the rights is still going on.

According to Publishers Weekly it is described as a 21^st-century ghost story which centres on two American teenagers, identical twins, whose lives change when an aunt whom they didn’t know dies and leaves them a flat overlooking Highgate Cemetery in London. Feeling that their lives can finally begin, the twins have no idea that they’ve been summoned into a tangle of fraying lives, including that of their dead aunt herself, who never got over her estrangement from the twins’ mother, and in fact can’t seem to leave the flat.

Speaking of The Time Traveler's Wife - anyone know what has happened to the film? It was supposed to be screened in December last year.

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 9, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 5, 2009 7:52 PM

Latest news from The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency

Remember we told you about a new six part series being filmed of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency? Well, there isn't much longer to wait as the series starts (in the UK) on Sunday March 15th.

In book news, the tenth volume of the series by Alexander McCall Smith is out in hardback this week. See over the cut for the blurb.

It is a troublesome fact on which even Mma Ramotswe and her assistant Mma Makutsi agree: there are things that men know and ladies do not, and vice versa. It is unfortunate, for example, when Mma Ramotswe’s newest client is the big-shot owner of the ailing Kalahari Swoopers, that one thing lady detectives know very little about is football. And when the glamorous Violet Sephotho sets her sights on Mma Makutsi’s unsuspecting fiancé, it becomes exasperatingly clear that some men do not know how to recognise a ruthless Jezebel even when she is bouncing up and down on the best bed in the Double Comfort Furniture Shop.

In her attempt to foster understanding between the sexes and find the traitor on Mr Football’s team, Mma Ramotswe ventures into new territory, drinks tea in unfamiliar kitchens and learns to trust in the observational powers of small boys. And, as wise and warm-hearted as his heroine, Alexander McCall Smith reminds us that we must dig deep to uncover the goodness of the human heart.

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 5, 2009 in Book News, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 4, 2009 10:40 AM

BOOK NEWS: Hens Reunited

Speaking of gorgeous covers, I have just stumbled across this sassy one from Lucy Diamond. Hens Reunited is her third adult novel, following Any Way You Want Me and Over You, and will be published in the summer.

Katie, Georgia and Alice were at each other's hen nights but now the chickens have come home to roost: their marriages have fallen apart and their friendships have been tested to the limits. Control-freak Katie has become a commitment-phobe - there's no way she wants to get married again. Is there? Ambitious Georgia always puts her career first. If anyone gets hurt, it's their look-out - right? And faithful Alice wants to make a fresh start, but can't get over her cheating ex - and Georgia's betrayal. Hearts have been broken, and feathers ruffled ...can the hens ever be reunited?

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 4, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 3, 2009 10:38 AM

BOOK NEWS & COVER: Adele Parks

I am just loving the new covers from Adele Parks. The black and white with a hint of colour looks really striking and makes me forget all about my aversion to just showing the woman's legs. In fact, the more I look, the more I like.

Tell Me Something is out now in paperback and Love Lies will be out in July. The synopsis for Love Lies is over the cut.

Fern is staring thirty in the face and stuck in a stale relationship. Living with Adam used to be great – before the novelty of falling over smelly trainers wore off – and these days, swinging from the chandeliers means DIY not SEX.

Fern's looking for commitment of the marrying kind or it's all off. But a chance encounter with Scottie Taylor – the hottest male singer since Robbie – lights fireworks in Fern that won't stop exploding. It's mind expanding love at first sight for both Fern and Scottie and when he proposes to her in front of a sellout crowd at Wembley Stadium, Adam is relegated to the bottom division.

Before you know it, Fern is leading the glamorous life in LA and the wedding planner is arranging organic cake showers. But isn't this all happening a little too fast? Didn't she once have an OK life in a rented two bedroom flat in rainy Clapham?

Fern must choose which reality she prefers – but it's a tough call when you're living the reallife fairytale...

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 3, 2009 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (6)

February 28, 2009 4:57 PM

BOOK NEWS: Celebrity Bride

Journalist Alison Kervin, author of The WAG's Diary and A WAG Abroad, has another novel to hit the shelves this year.

Her next offering, Celebrity Bride, is due to be released in June. Here's some info:

It's the celebrity wedding of the season...The news that Hollywood bad boy Rufus George is finally settling down has caused a media storm. Especially since his bride is a civilian - a nobody. Kelly Monsoon is a pretty, curvy theater administrator. She never expected to meet a mega-star like Rufus let alone have him fall in love with her. And when Rufus asks Kelly to come and live with him, in his magnificent mansion, she feels like it's a fairytale come true.

Only this Prince Charming comes with a 12-person entourage, a bevy of beautiful ex-girlfriends and the world's press camped on his doorstep. But when Rufus proposes Kelly accepts and the media interest in this new couple hits the roof. However, the small, intimate wedding Kelly always dreamed of is taking on Hollywood epic proportions...Rufus's manager is trying to book Buckingham Palace for the wedding reception and all Kelly's mum wants to know is where to buy a nice hat. It's a clash of cultures: British versus American, celebrity versus civilian - with poor Kelly stuck in the middle, not knowing where she belongs. Will this celebrity bride ever make it up the aisle?

To find out more about Alison and her books, check out her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 28, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 26, 2009 9:10 PM

BOOK NEWS: It's The Little Things

The beautiful blue of this book cover caught my eye. By Erica James, It's The Little Things is about a couple and their friend who survive the Boxing Day tsunami. It is now three years after that terrible day and their lives have changed dramatically.

Dan and Sally are now parents. Dan is enjoying being a stay-at-home father taking care of their young son, and Sally is the bread winner and loves her job as a partner in a Manchester law firm. The arrangement has so far worked well, but when Dan starts to question whether Sally has got her priorities right, the cracks in their marriage begin to appear. Dan and Sally have everything Chloe wishes for in life - a happy marriage and a beautiful child. Dumped by her long term boyfriend just weeks after the tsunami, she's been on a mission ever since to find the perfect father for the child she craves. When she meets Seth Hawthorne, she thinks she may have hit the jackpot. But is Seth the man she thinks he is?

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 26, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 25, 2009 6:31 PM

BOOK NEWS: Molly's Millions

Ever wondered what you'd do if you won 4.2 million pounds in the National Lottery? It's certainly something that we've all thought about. And in Victoria Connelly's new book, Molly Bailey is about to scoop the jackpot...and then try to get rid of it.

Molly's Millions has already been released in hardback. I can't wait to read it, but for now, here's the info...

Hard-up florist Molly Bailey has just won £4.2 million pounds in the National Lottery. And she needs to get rid of it - fast!

Tom Mackenzie is on the verge of losing his job. He needs one hell of a story if he hopes to secure his future in journalism.

With Ebenezer Scrooge for a brother, and a strong belief that sharing her good fortune is the only way forward, Molly unwittingly becomes the most sought-after person in the country as, in true Robin Hood style, she distributes her wealth to the masses.

With only her terrier pup, Fizz, for company, Molly embarks on the journey of her life, crossing the country in her trusty – or should that be ‘rusty’? – yellow Beetle. But with Tom Mackenzie hot on her heels and the nation on the look-out for her, Molly must outwit them all if she’s to achieve her grand finale.

Will she succeed before her family and the media catch up with her? And with Tom leading the pack, would that really be such a bad thing?

To find out more about the author, and to read an excerpt of Molly's Millions, head on over to Victoria's site.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 25, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Perfect Fifths

For the closet (or not so secretive!) teen-lit fans, here's some news on bestselling YA author Megan McCafferty.

Perfect Fifths, Megan's final novel in her Jessica Darling series, will hit US shelves on April 14th.

Here's the blurb:

Old flames are reignited in this eagerly awaited fifth and final book in the Jessica Darling series. Captivated readers have followed her through every step and misstep, from a tormented, tart-tongued teenager, to a college grad stumbling toward adulthood. Now a young professional in her mid-twenties, Jess is off to a Caribbean wedding...

To continue reading (with spoiler alert! Am refusing to take responsibility for ruining the plot for anyone here...) head on over to Megan's site.

We'll keep you updated!

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 25, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 20, 2009 3:30 PM

BOOK NEWS: Michelle Harrison scoops Children's Book Prize

Michelle Harrison has been named winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, for her debut novel The Thirteen Treasures.

29-year-old Michelle started to write the book, about a teenage girl called Tanya who can see fairies, at university in 2002. She picked up the award on Wednesday at Waterstones in Piccadilly.

To view the 2009 shortlist, check out the Waterstones website .

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 20, 2009 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 18, 2009 8:34 PM

BOOK NEWS: Girl From Mars

Julie Cohen writes brilliant books for Little Black Dress so I am excited to see she has a new one out in May called Girl From Mars. The blurb is below, but if you want an excerpt then pop on over to her website.

“I, Philomena Desdemona Brown, do solemnly swear to forsake all romantic relationships. There. Do I really have to repeat it in Klingon?”

It’s not like the vow, made by Fil and her two nerdy best male friends so they’d always stick together, was a big deal at the time. Frankly, Fil wouldn’t know romance if it hit her in the face anyway. Her one true love is her job as the artist for the famous comic Girl from Mars. Just like the comic’s alien heroine, Fil’s never had or needed a love interest—just her best friends.

Until one of her friends breaks the vow and falls in love, bringing her smack back down to earth. Could it be that romance is in the stars for Fil after all?

Related posts: Book Review: Honey Trap | Book Review: One Night Stand

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 18, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 16, 2009 8:01 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Little Stranger

Remember we told you a while ago about a new Sarah Waters novel called The Little Stranger? Well, now I have the blurb,

In a dusty post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, a doctor is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once grand and handsome, is now in decline, its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become entwined with his. Prepare yourself. From this wonderful writer who continues to astonish us, now comes a chilling ghost story.

If you go to Virago's website, you can take part in their competition to win a hardback proof of the first chapter.

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 16, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 11, 2009 8:30 PM

Julia Gregson Wins Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2009

East of the Sun by Julia Gregson has won this year's Romantic Novel of the Year Award. Her novel, described as a novel to cherish is about friendship, love and adventure in 1920s India. You can read more on the RNA website.

India Grey won the romance prize for Mistress:Hired for the Billionaire's Pleasure. The judges were impressed by the sheer verve and style of her novel.

Congratulations, Julia and India!

 

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 11, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Isabel Bookbinder sequel

For those who loved Holly McQueen's The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder, here's some good news – Isabel's back!

Yep, the funny, ditzy daydreamer (who yes, I'll agree, is a lot like Shopaholic's Becky Bloomwood) is returning for a sequel, The Fabulously Fashionable Life of Isabel Bookbinder, due to be released this April.

Last time Isabel, determined to become a famous novelist, spent so much time daydreaming about becoming a rich author that she forgot to do what novelists do. You know, writing an actual book.

However, this time around Isabel has traded in her writing dreams for new aspirations in the fashion world. For more info, read on after the cut...

When aspiring designer Isabel Bookbinder bags a job with Nancy 'Fashion Aristocracy' Tavistock, she's sure her career is finally on track. Dazzlingly glamorous, this is a career that she can feel truly passionate about - after all, she knows her Geiger from her Louboutin, her Primark from her Prada, and she's always poring over fashion magazines. Well, ok, the fashion pages of heat. So, learning from the very best, the future's looking bright for Isabel Bookbinder: Top International Fashion Designer. Within days she's putting the final touches to her debut collection, has dreamt up a perfume line, Isabelissimo, and is very nearly a friend of John Galliano. And on top of that she might even have fallen in love. Yet nothing ever runs smoothly for Isabel, and fabulously fashionably as her life is, it soon seems to be spiraling a little out of her control.

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 11, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 10, 2009 9:07 PM

Cheryl Cole to be next celebrity author

Thanks to a link on Freya North's blog I see Cheryl Cole has just signed a multi million pound deal for four or five romantic novels. A source says, at the moment Cheryl can do no wrong. Whatever she touches turns to gold.

Apparently she hadn't previously thought of writing, but she's come around to the idea(!) and has been told to emulate the style of Marian Keyes. Hmm. Well. I'd like to see anyone emulate Marian Keyes, never mind Cheryl Cole. [via Bookseller.com]

Related posts: Fourth Jordan Biography | Coleen's Style Tips - a bestseller?

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 10, 2009 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Secrets

Good grief. 2009 is turning out to be a great year for new releases from the big chick lit names. We have told you about Marian Keyes and Lisa Jewell and now I have just seen that Freya North, probably my favourite chick lit writer ever, has a new one called Secrets. It is available in airports now and on general release from May 5th.

I thought I'd pop over to Freya's website to find out more only to see she has a fab new website and blog. Go check it out.

Click over the cut for the blurb on Secrets.

They drive each other crazy.
And they both have something to hide.
But we all have our secrets.
It’s just some are bigger than others…

Joe has a beautiful house, a great job, no commitments - and he likes it like that. All he needs is a quiet house-sitter for his rambling old place by the sea. When Tess turns up on his doorstep, he’s not sure she’s right for the job. Where has she come from in such a hurry? Her past is a blank and she’s a bit of an enigma. But there’s something about her - even though sparks fly every time they meet.
And it looks like she’s here to stay…

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 10, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 8, 2009 9:59 PM

Writing a book? Here's how NOT to do it...

So, for all the aspiring authors out there...what writing guides do you swear by?

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 8, 2009 in Book News, Inspirational | Permalink | Comments (5)

February 6, 2009 6:35 PM

Black Boxes Competition

The fantastically talented writer, Caroline Smailes, is launching a competition to celebrate the paperback version of Black Boxes. To enter you have to "spot" a copy of the book at any retailer and take a photograph. As Caroline says on her blog, The most creative photograph wins. Simple.

The competition is sponsored by Think Parents and there is some cool stuff to be won, like a WALL.E backpack! To enter check out her blog for more details.

Caroline has an extremely original voice with Black Boxes described as heartbreaking but impressive. The details are over the cut.

Meet Ana Lewis. She is 37 years old and lives with her two children, Pip and Davie. She has just taken an overdose of pills.

By the end of this book Ana will be dead.

Black Boxes follows the final hours of Ana’s life, recording her thoughts and memories. As the drugs start to kick in, we discover the awful sequence of events which have brought her to this moment.

We also get to read pages from the diary of Pip, her teenage daughter, which reveals another side to the story and, just perhaps, a small glimmer of hope.

The second novel from the acclaimed author of In Search of Adam is a heartbreaking but impressive work, from one of the most original voices in modern fiction.

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 6, 2009 in Book News, Competition, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 5, 2009 3:38 PM

BOOK NEWS: Tell Me Something

The paperback version of Adele Parks' latest, Tell Me Something, has just been released. I'm not normally a big fan of her book covers as they feature women's legs but I am loving this cover (and I love the advert for it even more).

Elizabeth has wanted two things her entire life to keep her happy and fulfilled - an Italian husband and lots of rosy-cheeked bambini. The first is ticked off now she's bagged dark and sexy Roberto, the second is proving harder to achieve. But when Roberto loses his job and decides to leave London for Italy and the family business, Elizabeth hopes the change in lifestyle might help her relax and boost her chances of conceiving. Except, no matter how much ice cream she eats in the sun-drenched piazza, it's impossible to relax when her wily mother-in-law (the original black widow) seems hellbent on destroying her marriage. The language barrier is tricky, as is Roberto's beautiful, significant ex who practically lives next door. Is Elizabeth's desire for a baby enough to hold her marriage together or is it ripping it apart? And why is she suddenly craving the company of a gorgeous, blond American stranger? Her filthy, flirty thoughts about him are totally inappropriate. Yet undeniably temperatures are rising ... and it's nothing to do with the Mediterranean sun.

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 5, 2009 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 4, 2009 8:01 PM

BOOK NEWS: How To Be Single

Liz Tuccillo, who co-wrote He's Just Not That Into You, has produced a solo effort, How To Be Single.

Following a disastrous night out that began with steaks and martinis and ended in a trip to A&E, Julie Jenson decides that she and her four single friends are doing something wrong. Between them, there's more dysfunction and disappointment than she can handle. So Julie quits her job and sets off to discover how women around the world deal with the dreaded phenomenon of the Single Life. From proud Parisiennes to intense Italians, from ice-cool Icelanders to brazen Brazilians, Julie attempts to learn the secrets of these women's success. Will she come back with the answers? Or will her journey of self-discovery take her in another direction entirely?

The book cover on the left in the US version with the one on the right being the UK. I know which one I prefer (clue it's not the cartoon one with a woman cut in half).

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 4, 2009 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 2, 2009 10:19 AM

YAY OR NAY: Pride and Prejudice and... Zombies?

Did you ever read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice? 

Did you delight in the tale of plucky, picky heroine Elizabeth Bennett and her on/off passions for the brooding Mr Darcy - but felt that something was missing from the story?

Was it zombies?

If so, then make sure you pick up a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, "reimagined" by Los Angeles-based writer Seth Grahame-Smith to inject "all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action" into the cherished classic.

Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy will continue their courtly mannered sparring, but Elizabeth will also be waging war against the legions of undead rising from their graves as a mysterious plague turns the residents of Meryton into flesh-eating monsters.

Yes, I am serious. No, it isn't the 1st of April.

Grahame-Smith's previous novels include How to Survive a Horror Movie and The Big Book of Porn, so it's safe to assume that his tongue was lodged firmly in his cheek when he wrote this:

'Complete with 20 illustrations in the style of C. E. Brock (the original illustrator of Pride and Prejudice), this insanely funny expanded edition will introduce Jane Austen's classic novel to new legions of fans.'

Of course, references to Jane Austen spinning in her grave would be entirely appropriate here, but thankfully I have too much taste to make them. 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies will be available from Quirk Books from the 15th of April 2009.

Posted by on February 2, 2009 in American Authors, Book News, Classic Novels, New Releases, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (74)

January 26, 2009 7:22 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Secret Shoppers Unwrapped

Anyone who is a fan of Kate Harrison (like me), particularly her latest book, The Secret Shopper's Revenge, will be delighted with the recent announcement on her blog, that she is currently writing the sequel, The Secret Shoppers Unwrapped. Kate says,

It’s set over Christmas and New Year. It follows Emily trying to put all her secret shopping knowledge to good use in her new store – and facing the credit crunch head on. Meanwhile Grazia is out in the dating world, getting her share of attention from toy-boys. Sandie is struggling to juggle family and relationship dramas with running her own business (and drafting in her grandmother as the oldest mystery shopper in the UK). And the mysterious Charlie is out there somewhere, desperate to get his own back. The book also introduces a brand new secret shopper with an extremely murky past…and there are lots of great assignments, like Operation Grotto Fabulous (checking up on Santa and his elves).

Related posts: The Secret Shopper's Revenge Book Extract | The Self-Preservation Society Review

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 26, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 23, 2009 11:38 AM

BOOK NEWS: Do Not Disturb

With a newborn in the house sometimes you need a bit of escapism, which is why I jumped on Do Not Disturb by Tilly Bagshawe when I saw it in the book shop yesterday. Passion, adultery and revenge - not something I have the energy or inclination for at the moment - so I'll look forward to reading about it instead.

What would you give for one night in the world's most luxurious hotel? Now imagine you own it. Honor is trying to save the family hotel that shares her name. Palmers, a beautiful old jewel of a building nestled on the coast of the Hamptons, used to be the most glamorous destination in the world. Now Honor wants to restore its reputation, its glitz and its guestlist. But there's a new boy in town with a different plan. Lucas Ruiz is manager of the new hotel on the block, and wants to bring modern boutique-chic to the States. As Honor and Lucas prepare to go head to head to get the rich and famous checking in, the locals are busy checking out the backstairs gossip. Blackmail, adultery and the dirtiest of dirty tricks are all in a day's work behind the scenes of the five-star facades.

Related posts: Adored Review | Yay or Nay Wednesday | Glamour by Louise Bagshawe

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 23, 2009 in Bonkbusters, Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (3)

Richard & Judy Book Club 2009

The Richard & Judy Book Club has now begun on the Watch channel. Every Wednesday the couple will feature one book, leading to a public vote for Best Read Award in April. [via The Telegraph] I've already bought myself a copy of December by Elizabeth H Winthrop.

Has anyone read read any of them yet? What did you think?

Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman
Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
The Bolter by Frances Osborne
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite by Beatrice Colin
December by Elizabeth H Winthrop
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

Related: More Richard & Judy Posts
 

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 23, 2009 in Book News, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 21, 2009 11:07 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Brightest Star in the Sky

December was a bit of a busy month for me, so I missed Marian Keyes' latest newsletter. In it she excitedly says her next novel, The Brightest Star in The Sky, will be out in Ireland and UK in October 2009, in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in December 2009 and in Canada and US in Feb 2010. At the moment she is trying to rewrite it and make it perfect and lovely, which I am sure it will be. (Thanks to Little_King for the heads up.)

Related posts: Spotlight | Marian Interview | This Charming Man Review

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 21, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

January 20, 2009 9:53 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Truth About Melody Browne

I mentioned yesterday that Lisa Jewell has a new book out in April this year, and here it is with a rather beautiful looking cover. It sounds intriguing. I can't wait.

When she was nine years old, Melody Browne's house burned down, taking every toy, every photograph, every item of clothing and old Christmas card with it. But not only did the fire destroy all her possessions, it took with it all her memories - Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in a council flat in the middle of London with her seventeen-year-old son.

She hasn't seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody doesn't mind, she's better off on her own. She's made a good life for herself and her son and she likes it that way. Until one night something extraordinary happens. Whilst attending a hypnotist show with her first date in years she faints - and when she comes round she starts to remember. At first her memories mean nothing to her but then slowly, day by day, she begins to piece together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her to the seaside town of Broadstairs, to oddly familiar houses in London backstreets and to meetings with strangers who love her like their own. But with every mystery she solves another one materialises, with every question she answers another appears. And Melody begins to wonder if she'll ever know the truth about her past.

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 20, 2009 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 28, 2008 11:01 AM

BOOK NEWS: Rumour Has It

Here is a book to look forward to in the new year. Rumour Has It (not to be confused with the film of the same name) by Jill Mansell is out in February and has a gorgeous cover which I can't stop looking at.

When newly single Tilly Cole impulsively quits her London job for a fresh start in the small town of Roxborough she finds she's arrived in a hotbed of gossip, intrigue and rampant rivalry for the most desirable men. Tilly has no intention of joining in – she's just happy with her new Girl Friday job. Then she meets Jack Lucas. Jack is irresistible… and he's got his eye on Tilly. But there are shocking rumours about his wicked reputation. Tilly doesn’t want to be just another notch on anyone's bedpost. But is she being mature and sensible – or is she running away from the love of her life?

Related posts: Book Cover: Jill Mansell's Kiss | Review: An Offer You Can't Refuse | Spotlight: Jill Mansell

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 28, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

November 25, 2008 10:53 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Secret Shopper's Revenge

The Secret Shopper's Revenge by Kate Harrison which, incidently, I loved - is out in glittery paperback this week.

According to her blog, if you buy your copy from Asda you will also get extras with special material from my three secret shoppers – a guide to luxury on a budget from Grazia, advice from Emily on how NOT to be treated like dirt by shop assistants, and a shopper’s guide to spotting the best stores by Sandie.

You can read an extract here.

Related posts: Helen's Heroines: Emily Prince | Review: The Self Preservation Society | Spotlight: Kate Harrison

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 25, 2008 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 19, 2008 12:27 PM

BOOK NEWS: Crossed Wires

I loved Rosy Thornton's More Than Love Letters and I love the sound of her third book, Crossed Wires.

This is the story of Mina, a girl at a Sheffield call centre whose next customer in the queue is Peter, a Cambridge geography don who has crashed his car into a tree stump when swerving to avoid a cat.

Despite their obvious differences, they’ve got a lot in common – both single, both parents, both looking for love. Could it be that they’ve just found it?

Crossed Wires is an old-fashioned fairy tale. It is about the small joys and tribulations of parenthood; about one-ness and two-ness; about symmetry and coincidence; about the things that separate us and the things that bring us together.

Rosy Thornton, you had me at "Old-fashioned fairy tale"!

Related: Rosy Thornton interview

Posted by Keris on November 19, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 18, 2008 4:14 PM

BOOK NEWS: 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love

Opinions of Linda Green's debut, I Did A Bad Thing, were mixed. Her follow-up, 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love, is out in January. What's it about?

Jo Gilroy is done with love. And who can blame her, after her partner Richard walked out on her on their son's first birthday? Richard, unfortunately also Jo's boss, is now happily ensconced with the station's stick-thin weather girl. And what's more, he's demoted Jo, an award-winning news reporter, to covering the fluffy 'And finally' stories at the end of the news. Can the humiliation get any worse? But then Jo meets Dan, a mysterious balloon sculptor, whose creations enchant her son Alfie. Jo is determined not to lose her heart again - but she may have just met her match...

Will you be reading it?

Posted by Keris on November 18, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 17, 2008 12:21 PM

BOOK NEWS: Love and Other Natural Disasters

Because I am an extremely lucky duck, I received a parcel of books last week and I got completely overexcited. Not just because they were matching proofs and the looked so pretty, but also because one of them was this book, Love and Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas.

I loved Holly's debut, Five Things I Can't Live Without and so I can't wait to read this. It's out in January. (I know I can read it sooner, but I have to read books in order, you know!) Read all about it here.

Posted by Keris on November 17, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Fourth Jordan autobiography

Well she might be training for an olympic gold, the London Marathon and launching countless branded items, but Katie Price still has time to "write" her fourth autobiography. She is also penning her fourth novel as well as a style guide. [via The Sun]

There really is no stopping her. She even made it onto Meg Cabot's blog (near the bottom if you are looking).

Related posts: Is There No End to Jordan's Talents? | Jordan Outsells The Bookers | Yet Another Jordan "autobiography"

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 17, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 13, 2008 2:25 PM

BOOK NEWS: Stick or Twist

Goodness, this book sounds so very, very chick litty it makes even me cringe a leetle. Check it out:

Name: Anna Christie Age: Very, very early thirties Marital status: Living with boyfriend Sex: It’s been a while. Maybe six weeks? Career: Crafting sparkling features for magazine Casual Chic such as ‘Man Boobs: Why No Marriage is Safe’ Current dilemma: What to do when your much loved boyfriend of ten years gets down on one knee and pops the question you’ve been secretly dreading?

Options: Stick – say yes, jump on the marriage bandwagon, accept that babies are now standard issue and always wonder if the grass is greener ... OR Twist – walk away, move onto your best friend’s sofa, pine for your ex but perk up once sexy and seemingly perfect Harry comes breezing into your life… Hilarious, romantic and painfully honest, Stick or Twist proves that sometimes the most unlikely man turns out to be the One.

What do you think? It sounds a bit more 1998 than 2008, no?

Posted by Keris on November 13, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 11, 2008 12:52 PM

BOOK NEWS: Oscar Season

I love the Oscars. Everyone does, don't they? So when I saw this book - Oscar Season by  Mary McNamara - I was surprised that there haven't been more chick lit books featuring the most glamorous awards show in the world.

The Pinnacle is the place to stay during the Oscars, and this year the pre-Awards crises have reached fever pitch: a very recognizable body is found in the pool, Hollywood's leading man is secretly holed up in the Presidential Suite, and the larger-than-life producer of the Oscars will stop at nothing for higher ratings.

A consummate professional, the hotel's PR manager Juliette Greyson must do a careful dance to save the hotel while somehow sparing herself and her famed clientele in the process. But first Juliette must figure out what is real and what is staged? Who is lying and who is acting? And when does murder stop being murder, and start becoming damn good publicity?

Sounds fab to me. (The cover's a bit disappointing though, isn't it?) What do you think?

Posted by Keris on November 11, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ways To Live Forever Wins Prize

Sally Nicholls' debut Ways To Live Forever which Keris found moving, but also sweet, charming and funny, has been awarded the Glen Dimplex New Writers Awards 2008. [via Booktrade]

The young adult book, about a boy dying of leukaemia, was written when Sally was 23. Her second novel, Season of Secrets, will be out in April next year.

More Book News

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 11, 2008 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 10, 2008 4:18 PM

BOOK NEWS: This Year It Will Be Different

If you have never read any Maeve Binchy before, but would like to, then this selection of short stories is an ideal introduction to her work. The book evokes the lives of wives, husbands, children, friends and lovers, all set during the one holiday when feelings cannot easily be hidden. Christmas.

I have got a copy and will review it soon. I've been warned however, that if you have read some of her short stories before in other collections they may be repeated in here.

Related posts: The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club review | Heart & Soul review

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 10, 2008 in Book News, Irish Authors | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: What My Best Friend Did

I haven't read Lucy Dawson's debut, His Other Lover, but I do like her covers, despite the whole decapitation aspect. It's just nice to see a bold photo instead of a pastel illustration, don't you think? Anyway, her second book, What My Best Friend Did, is out in February.

When Alice meets Gretchen for the first time, it feels a bit like falling in love. Life's got a bit boringly grown-up of late: weekends at weddings and baby-showers, celebrating friends' transitions to a life she isn't quite up for yet, and, at home, a sweet-and-stable boyfriend she suspects she's outgrown. Gretchen Bartholomew, with her air of impulsiveness and intuitive style, is that rarest of things: a proper, new friend who knows how to have fun.

Even the added complication of Gretchen's gorgeous brother, Bailey, might actually be just what Alice needs. Before she knows what's hit her, Alice's brilliant new best friend is turning her world upside down. But Gretchen has a dark secret, which - like a grenade ticking in her hand - won't stay hidden for ever. The explosion may teach them both more than they ever wanted to know about how female friendships can go wrong.

Okay, glossing over the truly dreadful "a grenade ticking in her hand" simile (a grenade ticking in your hand is, in no way, hidden), it sounds interesting, don't you think?

Posted by Keris on November 10, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 7, 2008 12:45 PM

Richard & Judy Christmas List

Eep, sorry, two Christmassy posts in a row, it wasn't deliberate, honest!

Richard & Judy, with their new programme Richard & Judy's New Position on the Watch channel, have revealed the first twenty books of their Richard & Judy Christmas Presents book strand.

The categories include Coffee Table Books, Cookery, Serious Non-Fiction, Stocking Fillers, Children's Books and Celebrity Autobiography. See over the cut for what is in each category. The feature begins on 19 November. [via The Bookseller]

Coffee table books:
The Half by Simon Annand
The Book of Islands by Philip Dodd/Ben Donald
Wisdom by Andrew Zuckerman
UltraLuxe Hotels

Cookery:
Cooking for Friends by Gordon Ramsay
Bake by Rachel Allen
Ripailles by Stephane Reynaud
Venezia by Tessa Kiros

Serious non-fiction:
Dr Who: The Writer's Tale by Russell T Davies/Benjamin Cook
Mckie's Gazetteer: A Local History of Britain by David McKie
Homework for Grown-ups by E Foley/B Coates
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

Stocking fillers:
Ladybird Pack For Boys
Harry Hill's Whopping Great Joke Book
The Mighty Book of Boosh
Love Letters of Great Men

Children's books:
Pink! by Lynne Rickards
This Dinosaur is So Big by Nick Sharratt
Spells by Emily Gravett
Dogfish by Gillian Shields

Celebrity Autobiographies: To be announced

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 7, 2008 in Book News, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (348)

BOOK NEWS: Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend

Goodness, Jenny Colgan seems to be very prolific lately, doesn't she? She's got yet another book - Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend - next year.

Sophie is a girl about town - living the party lifestyle with Daddy footing the bill. But when she gets embroiled in a scandalous affair, she is thrown out of home and left to fend for herself on the mean streets of London. Scraping a living as a cleaner in a photographic studio, living in a bedsit on the Old Kent Road, eating baked beans from the can - this is one spectacular fall from grace.

On top of that, she is papped by photographers every time she leaves the flat, with her so-called friends laughing at her downfall. But stepping in to solve a crisis at the studio, Sophie discovers that she is also quite handy with a camera, and a new career behind the lense is born. But when she is hired as the photographer for a society wedding, Sophie is thrust back into her old lifestyle, and discovers that perhaps money can't buy you happiness after all ...

Are you a Jenny Colgan fan? Will you be reading it?

Related posts: Do You Remember the First Time? review | Talking to Addison review

Posted by Keris on November 7, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 6, 2008 12:19 PM

BOOK NEWS: New Ellen Meister

I loved Ellen Meister's first novel, Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA and I'm currently enjoying her second, The Smart One. I've just read that she's moving to a new publisher for her third, The Silver Line, which tells the story of a suburban mom expecting her second child who discovers that she might be able to slip through a wrinkle in time and return to her single life.

It sounds great, but it also sounds uncannily like the book I plan to read next, Allison Winn Scotch's Time of my Life.

[via Publishers Weekly]

Posted by Keris on November 6, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 5, 2008 11:38 AM

Romancing the Credit Crunch*

It may be that the country is sliding into negative equity and more and more of us are shopping at the cheaper supermarkets - but there is a company that is doing very well, thank you very much, during these dark and dismal times.

Mills & Boon. Yup, the publishers who are celebrating their centenary this year, could be having their best year yet. It appears that women are cheering themselves up and escaping the economic mess with titles such as The Italian's Captive Virgin and Mistress: Hired for the Billionaire's Pleasure (both by India Grey). [via Scotsman]

*Apologies for the use of this phrase, I know certain people hate it.

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 5, 2008 in Book News, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Being Nikki

I LOVED Airhead, the first in Meg Cabot's, er, Airhead series.

The second, Being Nikki, isn't out until May 2009, but I thought I'd tell you about it anyway, because I'm excited. Are you? (Read more about it over the cut.)

Related posts: TV & Movie News: Meg Cabot | Meg Cabot interview

Things aren't pretty for Emerson Watts. 

 

Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel.   

 

But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts.

 

How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns - especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side...

Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular.

 

But then, nobody said it was going to be easy being Nikki.

Posted by Keris on November 5, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (24)

November 4, 2008 11:30 AM

BOOK NEWS: Very Valentine

We have very mixed feelings about Adriana Trigiani here at Trashionista. Two of our worst ever reviews were for her books, but her Lucia, Lucia is probably one of my top 10 novels of all time.

And she has a new book - Very Valentine - coming out (appropriately enough) in February 09 and I'm almost afraid to read it. It's the first of a trilogy featuring Valentine Roncalli, a contemporary New York shoe designer whose family company makes custom wedding shoes.

Related posts: Home to Big Stone Gap review | Queen of the Big Time review

Posted by Keris on November 4, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 3, 2008 12:02 PM

Coleen's style tips - a bestseller?

We reported a while back that Coleen (now wife of footballer Wayne Rooney) had a five book deal with HarperCollins for a reported £2 million. However, even though Welcome to My World went straight to number one, her follow up, Coleen's Real Style, about make up and stuff, has only sold fewer than 10,000 copies. [via Mail Online]

Could it be the trend for celebrity books is slowing down? (Or do we just not want make up tips from a footballer's wife?)

Related posts: Coleen Style Queen | Yay or Nay Big Advances for Celebritites

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 3, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 31, 2008 11:22 AM

BOOK NEWS: sTori Telling

I'm only really featuring this book because the title made me laugh (also because she was Donna! In 90210!). Tori Spelling's got the perfect name for a memoir, no? I haven't seen such a perfect title since Keith Chegwin's story of his alcoholism, which he wanted to call Cheggers Can't Be Boozers, but his killjoy publishers wouldn't allow it...

Anyway, in sTori Telling, Tori reveals all about "her decadent childhood birthday parties, her nose job, her fairy-tale wedding to the wrong man, her so-called feud with her mother." Sounds fabulous.

Related posts: My Booky Wook by Russell Brand | Madonna and Me by Nikki Racklin | Growing Pains by Billie Piper

Posted by Keris on October 31, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (7)

October 29, 2008 10:14 AM

BOOK NEWS: Everyone is Beautiful

I've finally read Katherine Center's debut novel, The Bright Side of Disaster and I loved it just as much as I thought I would (review coming soon). The timing is perfect, since I've also just read that her second, Everyone Is Beautiful, will be out next year.

Lanie Coates just piled everything she owns into a U-Haul and drove with her husband, Peter, and three boys (all under four) across the country. She’s left her helpful parents, her mom-friends, and the comforts of home behind—all because Peter got into graduate school. Even though Lanie wants to help him follow his dreams, she suspects that she’s ignoring her own. If only she could remember what they were.

Lanie can’t shake the feeling that important things from her pre-mom life have gone missing: her marriage, her ambitions, her body. She feels homesick, capsized by motherhood, and just dead certain that she is no longer fabulous. Not even close.

When another mom humiliates her at the park, Lanie decides it’s time to retool her life. She sets change after change in motion, hoping to recapture her lost self. But she also creates ripples that will come to threaten everything she holds dear. In the end, Lanie must figure out once and for all how to find herself without losing everything else in the process.

Related: Bright Side of Disaster covers 

Posted by Keris on October 29, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 24, 2008 9:55 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Penny Pinchers' Club

I think I've mentioned before that I can't stand the phrase "the credit crunch", but I'm already seeing its influence in forthcoming books.

Mostly non-fiction*, granted, but I also spotted (in her recent newsletter), that Sarah Strohmeyer's next novel has a timely subject matter.

* Like The Credit Crunch Cookbook and         Love Food Hate Waste: A Cookbook to Help You Munch Through the Crunch

"I'm putting the finishing touches on my next book - The Penny Pinchers' Club - about a woman who stays with her husband to 'save up for a divorce' only to find their finances are so dire she has to save her family, first."

The first of many "crunch lit" books, no doubt...

Related posts: Sweet Love | The Sleeping Beauty Proposal review

Posted by Keris on October 24, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Martine McCutcheon to publish novel

Martine McCutcheon (star of Love Actually) has finally found a publisher for her debut novel, The Mistress. Pan Books will publish Martine's book at the end of May next year. Said to be the first of a trilogy it is rumoured in The Daily Express to be directly based on her own experiences with a certain chef...

The second title is called The Actress and Martine will be writing the books herself. The book might not be out until half way through next year, but I have found the synopsis on Amazon. It's over the cut.

Mandy is turning 30 and has a lot of love to give, but that special person has so far eluded her. Then, at her birthday party with close friends at the Wolseley, Cupid strikes from across a crowded room. It's love at first sight, but Jake, the man she's fallen for, is happily married. Mandy is determined to stick to her principles and not enter into such dangerous territory, but her resistance is to prove futile. But can she make it as a mistress? Can it work for someone to love two people? A romance with a twist, "The Mistress", has an unusual, modern take on what women want. It's a warm, fun, highly commercial novel by one of Britain's best-loved actresses.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 24, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 23, 2008 11:35 AM

BOOK NEWS: Succubus in the City

No, I don't usually like pun titles, but this one is so blatant that it made me laugh out loud!

Lily has what looks like the perfect life: a fabulous day job at a fashion magazine; a killer figure she can literally never lose; and a great group of girlfriends who are always there for her. Oh, and she also just-so-happens to be a succubus: an immortal demon who draws her power from other men's pleasure. Although working for the Devil does have it's perks, Lily's realising that serving up bad boys to the fiery pits of Hell is just getting ...well, lonely. Just once, Lily would like to wake up in the morning to something more than a pile of ashes but, contractually bound to Satan, she will only be released if someone truly loves her.

Then the devilishly handsome PI Nathan Coleman enters her life and Lily begins to wonder if he might be the man she's been waiting for. He wants to ask Lily a few questions about a missing man, but suddenly someone ? or something ? wants Lily and her demon friends dead, and Nathan seems to know more than he'll admit to. Can a sweet-talking mortal and a girl from Hell ever really find true love?

I haven't read much paranormal chick lit yet, but I think this one could be the one. Sounds very Buffy-esque, no?

Related (kind of) posts: Rex and the City by Lee Harrington | Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

Posted by Keris on October 23, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 22, 2008 12:02 PM

New Sarah Waters Novel

Exciting news that I have been waiting for, for what seems like ages.

Sarah Waters is writing a new novel called The Little Stranger which will be released late in the Spring of 2009. After the critically acclaimed The Night Watch she is staying with the 1940s, setting her story in rural Warwickshire, in a crumbling country manor house haunted by a dying way of life - and perhaps by something more sinister... Ooh, Sarah is writing a ghost story, brilliant. [via Little Brown]

Related posts: Thursday Trailblazer: Sarah Waters | Fingersmith

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 22, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Importance of Being Married

I don't know anything about Gemma Townley, except that she's Sophie Kinsella's sister. I never see or hear anything about her books and I've always wondered why her publishers haven't given her a bigger push, considering the family connection. But her latest book, The Importance of Being Married, has a shiny new cover design, so will it be the one to propel her into the big time?

Jessica Wild isn't big on commitment. 'Don't depend on anyone' is her motto. But her friend Grace, a sweet old lady she met in her grandmother's nursing home, can't believe that Jess is truly happy on her own. Eventually Jess caves and tells Grace she's got a boyfriend: her glamorous boss, Anthony Milton.

When in time her fantasy boyfriend becomes her fantasy husband, Grace is thrilled for Jess. So much so, that she leaves Jess an inheritance. But there's a snag. It's in the name of Jessica Milton. Grace trusted Jess to look after the house she adored. If Jess is to keep that trust, it will mean turning her Little White Lie into a Big White Wedding - and getting Anthony to fall in love with her and pop the question for real.

With the help of her formidable best friend Helen and Gloria, a Russian escort experienced in the ways of men, Jess reluctantly learns the art of flirting, seduction and playing hard to get. But just when it appears that Operation Marriage is a success and Anthony is about to ask the million-dollar question, Jess wonders if it's right to say 'I do' for all the wrong reasons...

Sounds interesting, don't you think?

Posted by Keris on October 22, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

October 20, 2008 10:33 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Cradle Snatcher

Tess Stimson's been around for ages - making her one of them there chick lit veterans (Soft Focus was published in 1995) - and yet I haven't read any of her books. Will The Cradle Snatcher be the one?

Clare Elian has always known the risk of being married to a rich, handsome younger man like Marc. She just never thought she'd be the one to bring the danger home. But when she gives birth to two gorgeous babies - one of each, naturally - she discovers motherhood isn't quite the cinch she'd expected.

Desperate to escape back to her chic chain of boutique flower shops, she hires Jenna, a confident, efficient nanny keen to escape a relationship that has gone horribly wrong. Before long, a deadly rivalry emerges for control of the nursery. And as events spiral out of their control, both women find themselves forced to make wrenching decisions about love, loyalty and motherhood.

Um, possibly not. What about you?

Related posts: The Adultery Club review | More book news

Posted by Keris on October 20, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 17, 2008 2:37 PM

The Wonderful Weekend Book

Since January this year, when we decided to get the builders in, until very recently when the last of the decorators finally finished, weekends in our family have been Hectic. Yup, Hectic with a capital H. Oh and of course, I've been pregnant for a lot of this time too. So when I saw this book, The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson, on Jane Brocket's blog, I actually heard myself exhale, then relax. Why? Well, read the blurb below.

Elspeth Thompsons original and inspiring book shows we can reclaim the weekend by re-charging our batteries and relationships through enjoying the simple pleasures in life. That means no more builders! (For more see over the cut.)

For too many of us the weekend has become just another overcrowded couple of days dominated by duties, traffic jams, hassle and expense as we dash from supermarket to superstore catching up with the weeks chores. But it doesnt have to be this way. From watching the sunset and the stars, making chutney and writing proper letters to borrowing a dog, going to dance classes and using the internet inventively, The Wonderful Weekend Book is packed with ideas that will help restore the balance in our lives, reconnect us to the seasons, and quite literally not cost the earth.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 17, 2008 in Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Love Struck

How do you feel about live swap books? There've been loads now and I think I've enjoyed most of them, but do we need more? Melanie Rose's debut, Love Struck, does sound a little more interesting... because there's lightning! 

When Jessica Taylor is struck by lightning one afternoon, she has no idea how dramatically her life is going to change! Lucky to survive, Jessica wakes up in a hospital bed - but as someone else. Apparently she's now Lauren Richardson, wife and mother of four young children. No one will believe her story - she can hardly believe it herself.

Later that night, Jessica wakes up again - as herself. She quickly works out that when Lauren sleeps, she wakes up as Jessica. But when Lauren is awake, she must sleep - whatever the time of day. Needless to say, it plays havoc with her work and her blossoming relationship with Dan Brennan, the handsome stranger who saved her on the Downs that fateful day.

Jessica has no idea what has happened to her and whether she can get back to life as she knows it. Meanwhile, she must quickly get the hang of looking after four demanding children, an even more demanding husband and also learn all about the woman in whose designer shoes she now stands.But as she digs deeper into Lauren's life, she unearths some secrets, secrets which may tear the family apart...

I do think it sounds interesting, but will you be reading it? Or has the life swap book had its day?

Related posts: Life Swap by Jane Green | Another Man's Life by Greg Williams | Switchcraft by Mary Castillo

Posted by Keris on October 17, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 16, 2008 2:23 PM

BOOK NEWS: Ex-Girlfriends United

Currently riding at number ten in the Lovereading chart is honorary Trashionista, Matt Dunn, with his fourth novel, Ex-Girlfriends United, which is, in his words, a sort of sequel to The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook.

The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook was shortlisted for the 2006 Romantic Novel of the Year Award and the Melissa Nathan Award for Romantic Comedy so a sort of sequel is very exciting news indeed. See over the cut for what it's all about.

Ever wish there was a website where you could read reviews about someone you’re thinking of dating?

Dan Davis doesn’t. Because thanks to SlateYourDate.com, Z-list TV personality and womaniser Dan isn’t having much luck with girls any more. Okay, so he’s treated a few women badly in his time, but that’s just what men like Dan do, isn’t it?

But best friend Edward Middleton thinks it’s a great idea. Dumped in the past for being the typical clueless bloke, and determined not to suffer the same fate with new girlfriend Sam, Ed sees it as the perfect place to find out how to keep Sam happy.

Faced with the prospect of a lifetime of singledom, Dan sets off on a hilarious quest to track down his ex-girlfriends to find out how he can put things right. But will a man like Dan ever truly change – especially if the biggest change means actually listening to a woman? Meanwhile, Ed’s awkward attempts to move things forward with Sam make him realise that when it comes to relationships, unless you deal with your past, you can’t have much of a future…

The boys from The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook are back. And just as hopeless.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 16, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

BOOK NEWS: In Bed With...

In Bed With... is described as "a unique, sometimes humorous, often wicked and totally sizzling collection of unashamedly sexy bedtime stories by bestselling, award-winning and well-known novelists". Authors featured include Chris Manby, Adele Parks, Jane Moore, and Joanne Harris.

Interesting. But the most interesting thing is that they're writing under pseudonyms (a combination of the name of their first pet and their street). So who are Pom Pom Paradise and Minxy Malone? Tutty Monmouth or Sunset Proudfoot? Read the stories and then try and guess the author!

Related posts: Sexy Shorts for the Beach | Do the Write Thing | This Is Chick Lit

Posted by Keris on October 16, 2008 in Book News, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 15, 2008 4:04 PM

The White Tiger Wins Booker Prize

This year's Man Booker Prize winner is Aravind Adiga's debut novel, The White Tiger. Writing the kind of book he'd like to read, Aravind, a 33 year old, was the youngest writer on the shortlist.

The book is set in the India of today with Aravind describing it as revolving around the great divide between those Indians who have made it and those who have not. [via BBC]

To read more of what it is about, see over the cut.

Balram Halwai is the White Tiger - the smartest boy in his village. His family is too poor for him to afford for him to finish school and he has to work in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur, and takes him to live in Delhi. The city is a revelation. As he drives his master to shopping malls and call centres, Balram becomes increasingly aware of immense wealth and opportunity all around him, while knowing that he will never be able to gain access to that world. As Balram broods over his situation, he realizes that there is only one way he can become part of this glamorous new India - by murdering his master."The White Tiger" presents a raw and unromanticised India, both thrilling and shocking - from the desperate, almost lawless villages along the Ganges, to the booming Wild South of Bangalore and its technology and outsourcing centres.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 15, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 14, 2008 3:05 PM

BOOK COVERS & NEWS: Husbands and Lies

I read about Susy McPhee's debut novel in The Bookseller a couple of weeks ago. I looked it up on Amazon and it featured the cover on the right. I've just looked it up again this morning and found, instead, the cover on the left.

They're not massively different, but the bright (rather than pastel) colours look much more modern to me and I'd be much more likely to pick up the book. Would you?

Covers aside, what's the book about?

There are some people you'd do anything for...For Fran that list would include her husband, Max, her daughter, and her best friend, Alison. Only Alison is now desperately ill and she needs Fran's help. She wants to find her husband a new wife, and leave her young daughter with a new mother. Fran finds the whole idea deeply uncomfortable, but it's hard to refuse your closest friend at the best of times, let alone ignore her dying wishes.

So Fran reluctantly logs on to an internet dating site, where she stumbles across a startlingly familiar profile. 'Footloose' describes himself as divorced, but his photo looks exactly like Fran's husband, Max. What's a wife to do when she suspects her husband's cheating and can't bear to confront him outright? Posing as 'Sassy', Fran sends a reply to 'Footloose' and sets out to date her own husband...But this increasingly crazy plan leads Max to start to have doubts of his own. Torn between suspicion and love, life for Fran just got very complicated - can her marriage survive?

Ooh, sounds interesting!

Related posts: The Accidental Family | Judging books by their covers | Diane Shipley on book covers (or Why I could be wrong)

Posted by Keris on October 14, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Happy Birthday

I've not read anything by Christina Jones before, but I have her new paperback , Happy Birthday, to review (out November), so I thought I'd do a bit of research on her (including on this very site.) She sounds like an incredibly popular author, which makes me think, where have I been?

Happy Birthday is, according to Christina's website, a follow-on to the mad-village/practical-magic shenanigans in Hubble Bubble, Seeing Stars, Love Potions and Heaven Sent but it also stands alone so you don’t need to read the others first...It sounds like great escapism, so a review will be coming very soon. In the meantime see over the cut for more.

On midsummer’s day, Phoebe Bowler should have returned to her pretty garden flat as an ecstatically happy new bride. A devotee of all things astrological, Phoebe simply can’t understand what has gone wrong with her astrally-charted, tarot-planned perfect marriage. For the first time in her life, Phoebe’s forays into planetary aspects, transits and positions have let her down. Badly.

Her upstairs neighbour, the gorgeous but grumpy Rocky Lancaster, has huge problems of his own, none of which he can possibly blame on colliding planets or black stars. Avoiding one another as much as possible – after all when your life has fallen spectacularly apart there really isn’t room for anyone else’s problems – Phoebe and Rocky attempt to get their lives back on track. These tracks eventually collide when they discover they both have connections with elderly Essie Rivers and her merry band of geriatric reprobates in The Twilights Rest Home.

Essie also knows far more about astrology, personolgy, numerology – any ology you care to mention – than Phoebe has ever heard of. Entranced by these ancient arts, Phoebe attacks life with renewed vigour, and uses Essie’s folk lore – especially the secret magic of birthdays – to sort out not only her own future, but also Rocky’s and Essie’s. Can Phoebe’s amateur dabbling in this new ology really ensure that they all have a Happy Birthday to look forward to – or should she really leave well alone?

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 14, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 13, 2008 10:51 AM

BOOK NEWS: Beautiful People

I feel like I'd only just finished reviewing Wendy Holden's last book, Filthy Rich, when her new one thudded onto my doormat the other day. I say thudded as there are nearly seven hundred pages. Filthy Rich was nearly six hundred pages long. How does she write so much so fast?

Anyway, Beautiful People (out Jnauary), what's it all about? There is badly paid actress, Darcy who receives The Call. Belle, a size zero film star who'd do anything to get back on top. Sam, a model agent, desperate to sign up the Next Big Thing and Emma, a nanny who is offered the charge of a celebrity baby. Sounds fab. Hopefully the length won't affect the pace like in Filthy Rich.

Related posts: Spotlight - Wendy Holden | Wendy Holden's Favourite Books | Musical Book Covers

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 13, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 10, 2008 4:20 PM

BOOK NEWS: Life's Too Short To Frost a Cupcake

Being pregnant (have I mentioned that before?) my attention is grabbed by anything which has food in the title - particularly cake. Life's Too Short to Frost a Cupcake by Rosie Wilde has been mentioned on a few emails I've received today and is also number eight in the Lovereading top ten, so I thought I should take a closer look.

See over the cut for the blurb. This definitely sounds like one for me...

It should have been a normal Monday, just like any other. But if it had been, Alice would not now be standing at the airport, thinking her boyfriend was about to propose, when all he had in mind was a spreadsheet for shared expenses.

Alice has a steady job at Carmichael Music, a reliable boyfriend, a nice flat and a cleaning habit she can't just kick. But everything changes one Monday morning. Her kindly boss isn't there, but sends a mysterious text advising her to watch her back. And a new boss has arrived from the American head office: the extremely scary Phoebe Carmichael.

Alice is sure she is about to be fired in a "streamlining" exercise - instead she's offered a dream job in America. Her brief: to persuade the once massively successful, now reclusive, recovering alcoholic singer songwriter Wyatt Brown to record a new album.

So Alice is off to New York - only New York turns out to be Ohio. And when Alice finally reaches Wyatt's ranch, she mistakes the music legend for a hired hand.

When Wyatt makes it clear he has no intention of making a new album, all Alice wants to do is get the first flight out of Ohio. She certainly isn't going to stay; she isn't going to get involved in the Dairy Prize at the Ohio State Show; and she definitely won't be entering a competition for Best Cupcake Froster in Town...

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 10, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 9, 2008 2:43 PM

Dancing Books

When I mentioned Strictly Love yesterday, it reminded me of another ballroom dancing book which I knew I'd reviewed, but couldn't remember what it was (I have pregnancy memory). Anyway whilst in the bookshop this morning I saw it, The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon, with a dancy new cover for the paperback version (on the right). It even has a quote from Arlene Phillips, It's for everyone who loves to watch dance, join in a dance and all those whose heart is in dance.

Related posts: Marian Keyes on Strictly | It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 9, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: The Disengagement Ring

Clodagh Murphy - along with Claire Allan, Luisa Plaja and more - was in the same chick lit writing group as me. We're very successful! (I've got a book too! It's out in 2010! Look at me! Look at me!)

Anyway, back to Clodagh. Her debut novel, The Disengagement Ring, sounds fabulous and I love the cover (it makes me want to go on holiday). The book's not out until March next year, but it'll soon be here! Read all about it over the cut.

A summer cooking for an ultra-cool rock band sounds like the job of Kate O'Neill's dreams. So, when Will Sargent, manager of Walking Wounded, asks her to cook for the band while they record their new album in Tuscany, she jumps at the chance. Even though it means spending three months apart from her fiance Brian, it gives her a chance to get away from her interfering, eccentric family who've made it all too clear that they don't approve of her engagement.

But little does Kate know that the job is all part of a plot hatched by her mother, Grace, to scupper Kate's wedding plans. Brian, a wannabe New Age shaman, has never fit in with the larger-than-life O'Neills and Grace is convinced that Will, old family friend and unrequited love of Kate's life, could provide a change of direction for Kate's affections.

But Grace doesn't count on Will's glamorous, model girlfriend, Tina who is determined to hang on to him at all costs. As the long, hot Tuscan days drift by, temperatures in the villa start to heat up. Will Kate finally learn to stand up to her meddlesome mother or will she find her feelings for Will are stronger than ever?

Posted by Keris on October 9, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 8, 2008 11:38 AM

BOOK NEWS: Strictly Love

'Tis the season for Ballroom and Latin so what better book to read whilst watching Strictly Come Dancing but Strictly Love by Julia Williams. This second novel from Julia promises the foxtrot, tango, waltz and the cha-cha-cha and I can't wait to read it.

A review will be coming very soon, but in the meantime click over the cut for the blurb to whet your appetite.

Guilty feet have got plenty of rhythm! Kick off your shoes and snuggle up with this warm and witty new novel from the author of the bestselling Pastures New. Lawyer Emily promised her late father that she'd devote her life to good causes. So how comes she spends her days defending Z-listers, desperate to prolong their 15 minutes of fame? Katie is obsessed with being the perfect wife and mother - unlike her own one. In which case, why is husband Charlie permanently AWOL these days? Dentist Mark is licking his wounds after his wife walked out on him and desperately missing his kids. Can he cope with becoming a singleton again - on top of a devastating legal case against him? Meanwhile, happy-go-lucky Jack the Lad Rob is hiding a secret tragedy. Isabella's dance classes give the four the perfect opportunity to forget their troubles and re-invent themselves. They can be whoever they want to be - they'll just let their feet do the talking. Over the weeks, as they foxtrot, tango, waltz and cha-cha-cha their way into each other's lives, they discover the truth about each other - and themselves. But will they like what they learn?

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 8, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 7, 2008 11:46 AM

BOOK NEWS: Heiresses

I'm not a huge fan of the bonkbuster myself, but apparently they're back in a big way. And the latest name in bonkbusters is Lulu Taylor... (I do love the opening line of this blurb - very Judith Krantz.)

They were born to the scent of success. Now they stand to lose it all ...Fame, fashion and scandal, the Trevellyan heiresses are the height of success, glamour and style. But when it comes to ...WEALTH: Jemima's indulgent lifestyle knows no limits; Tara's one purpose in life, no matter the sacrifice, is to be financially independent of her family and husband; and Poppy wants to escape its trappings without losing the comfort their family money brings...

LUST: Jemima's obsession relieves the boredom of her marriage; while Tara's seemingly 'perfect' life doesn't allow for such indulgences; and Poppy, spoiled by attention and love throughout her life, has yet to expose herself to the thrill of really living and loving dangerously...FAMILY: it's all they've ever known, and now the legacy of their parents, a vast and ailing perfume empire, has been left in their trust. But will they be able to turn their passion into profit? And in making a fresh start, can they face their family's past?

What do you think? Will you be reading it?

Related: More bonkbusters

Posted by Keris on October 7, 2008 in Bonkbusters, Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK COVERS & NEWS: The Accidental Family

Every time I have written a review about one of Rowan Coleman's books, I've mentioned the covers. I thought they were a terrible injustice to her excellent writing and her subject matters. So I am delighted to see that her new release, The Accidental Family, the sequel to The Accidental Mother, is coming out in February next year with a hugely improved design.

The Accidental Mother has also had a revamp. Click over the cut to see the before and after shots and to see what The Accidental Family is all about.

The Accidental Family (sequel to The Accidental Mother)

Six months ago, city girl Sophie Mills gave up everything to move to Cornwall. All to be with the man she thinks she loves, and his two daughters who she knows she loves. But adjusting to life as a semi-permanent mother in the countryside isn't quite as easy as Sophie imagined it would be. Designer shoes aren't nearly so readily available - not that she ever has any occasion to wear them - and her best pair of vintage Manolo's have already found their way into the girls' dressing-up box.Sometimes Sophie doesn't recognise herself; which most of the time makes her happy but every now and then scares her to death. The hardest thing of all is making that final commitment to actually move in with Louis and the girls - she's been the longest paying guest of the Avalon B&B, St Ives in the history of the establishment. And as she tries to adapt to country life, her newly adopted family and discovering more about Louis' past, she begins to wonder if she's got what it takes to make it all work...

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 7, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 6, 2008 1:17 PM

Katie To Write Crime?

Katie Price, in the television programme, Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter, attended a book signing in Derby a while ago and nine hundred people turned up. Nine hundred?! But that isn't the big news. Whilst talking to her publisher she announced to their bemused expressions that she'd like to write a crime book as her next novel, saying, everyone knows my sick mind. [I want to include] forensics, real sadistic scenes that are so obscene... people getting chopped up...serial killers...

After seeing her "Angel" costume (pictured) to promote Angel Uncovered, what I want to know is, what will she wear to promote a crime novel?

Related posts: Angel by Katie Price review | The Ultimate Trashy Tell All: Kerry Katona on Katie Price | Crystal by Katie Price Book News

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 6, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK COVERS & NEWS: Patricia Scanlan

I haven't read any of Patricia Scanlan's novels, but I was interested to see that she's been given a new cover for her latest book, Forgive and Forget. Her first covers were bright and eyecatching, but ... meh. Her second covers were wishy-washy and a bit old-fashioned, no? Her third? Going for Jodi Picoult's audience? Again?

But, covers aside, what's the book about?

What happens when ex husbands start to fancy their first wives again? Can first wives forgive and forget when their husband has done the dirty on them? Connie Adams has to make choices. The lead up to her daughter's wedding has been utterly fraught. Debbie is absolutely adamant that she does not want her father, Barry, his glamorous second wife, Aimee or her stepsister, Melissa to attend. Barry is equally adamant that they will. But as Connie and Barry join forces to get things sorted sparks begin to fly...Few weddings go as planned especially when there is tension between families and the events that occur at this particular wedding will have far reaching repercussions that will leave their mark for years to come.

Are you a Scanlan fan? Will you be snapping this one up?

Related posts: Diane Shipley on book covers (or why I could be wrong...) | Chris Manby's covers | Jenny Colgan's covers

Posted by Keris on October 6, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 3, 2008 1:29 PM

BOOK NEWS: My Judy Garland Life

The cover of this book made me want it before I even knew what it was about. It has also popped up in a few places as highly recommended. On the front cover the blurb says, for anyone who's ever held a candle to a star. I can't say I have (unless you count my crush on Gary Barlow) but it sounds fascinating nevertheless.

Judy Garland has been an important figure in Susie Boyt's life since she was three years old, comforting, inspiring and at times disturbing her. (Continues over the cut.)

In this unique book, Boyt travels deep into the underworld of hero worship, reviewing through the prism of Judy our understanding of rescue, consolation, love, grief and fame. What does it mean to adore someone you don't know? What is the proper husbandry of a twenty-first century obsession? Boyt's journey takes in a duetting breakfast with Mickey Rooney, a Munchkin luncheon, tea with the largest collector of Garlandia, an illicit late-night spree at the Minnesota Judy Garland Museum and a breathless, semi-sacred encounter with Miss Liza Minnelli ...

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 3, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

October 2, 2008 11:01 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton

Catherine Alliott's name was mentioned when I asked in a previous post which female authors made you laugh out loud. Elise Chidley also said in her interview that A Crowded Marriage, Catherine's last book, made her too laugh out loud. We've not really mentioned Catherine on Trashionista before, so maybe we should check her out with her latest.

The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton, is out in January next year. The synopsis is over the cut.

Evie Hamilton has a secret. One she doesn't even know about ...yet. Evie is the wife of successful, handsome husband Ant and mother of high-achieving, accomplished daughter Anna, and her biggest worry in life is whether or not she can fit a manicure in on her way to fetch Anna from clarinet lessons. She doesn't think about much else outside her own, charmed circle. There simply isn't time. But all that is about to change. One sunny Oxford morning a letter - a ticking time-bomb - lands on Evie's immaculate doormat and up ends Evie's comfortable life.Something she could never have anticipated has been waiting in the wings to sabotage everything she holds dear, and it's not going away. She will have to reappraise everything in her carefully arranged universe. But Evie is a fighter and she will fight for what she loves. And in the process, find there is more to her than she thought, and more to her life. What will remain? What will change for ever? And can a woman's entire world really be as fragile as her best china?

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 2, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 1, 2008 11:10 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Boy In The Dress

David Walliams, one half of the little Britain duo, has released a children's book. Before you think, oh *yawn* another celebrity children's book, let me point out the front cover. It is illustrated by Quentin Blake, famous illustrator of the Roald Dahl books, and I think it looks great.

Speaking of the content of the book, where a boy of twelve likes to wear girl's clothes, David said, kids feel different for all manner of reasons and I want them to read the book and see it as a celebration of being different. [ See BBC Newsbeat for the full interview.]

Related posts: The Adventures of Dotty & Bluebell | Ugenia Lavender | Coleen Style Queen

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 1, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 30, 2008 3:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: Extreme Kissing

Luisa Plaja's debut, Split By A Kiss, was one of my favourite books of last year, so I am v. excited about her second book, Extreme Kissing, due out... next April! April! Gah, that's ages away! Anyway, time flies, so it'll be here before we know it.
And what's the book about?

Carlota and Bethany are best friends. Bethany is the sensible one with a long-term boyfriend, Carlota is the crazy one with a wild past and rebellious nature. All is fine in their world - apart from Carlota hating her stepdad and longing for a old flame. And apart from Bethany thinking her boyfriend is about to dump her and that her period is late...

Carlota comes up with a plan to put all their troubles behind them and go on a girls-only wild day out, with only their favourite magazine to guide them through the day. If they open it on a fashion page they have to get hold of a fabulous new outfit and pretend to be models. If they open it to a page on snogging, they have to find a boy to snog. The magazine will take them everywhere they need to go - but will it help them to reveal the secrets they are keeping from each other?

Related posts: Luisa Plaja interview | Luisa Plaja on Teen Book Review

Posted by Keris on September 30, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK NEWS: The Other Queen

My new favourite author has recently released her twenty fifth (I believe) novel. This time about Mary Queen of Scots who was forced to flee to England. The book is the culmination of years of research...into...the iconic character...by Philippa Gregory and promises to be a great read.

It is out now in hardback. She is currently touring the US on a book tour, click here for the dates if you are interested. The synopsis is, as ever, over the cut.

At the centre of this novel is Mary Queen of Scotland, forced to flee into England. Mary, a devout Catholic, is, of course, a living threat to the rule of her cousin Elisabeth, whose Protestant reign is uncertain. We’ve been here before, of course, in various books and films. But Philippa Gregory’s story this time has a different emphasis: Elizabeth’s chief advisor, Cecil, formulates a plan in which the destabilising Mary will live under guard with his faithful friend, Bess of Hardwick. Bess is a remarkable woman herself; someone who has forged her own destiny, and is now in her fourth marriage, to the distinguished Earl of Shrewsbury. But soon Bess and Mary find themselves plunged into very different personal crises – with Bess’s marriage under considerable strain.

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 30, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 29, 2008 11:12 AM

BOOK NEWS: The To Do List

I have lists of things to do dotted all over the house. I've filled volumes of notepads with my lists, stuff to get for Christmas, son's birthday party, what jobs need to be done around the house, things to buy before the baby arrives. There are a lot of things to do.

But this is nothing, it seems, compared to Mike Gayle's list. He has written a massive list of things he wants to get done or to achieve. And published it. It will be out early next year. See over the cut for the synopsis.

On the eve of his 36th birthday, bestselling author and journalist Mike Gayle picked up a pen and contemplated his life. In less than twenty-four hours he would be officially closer to 40 than to 30; his second child was due; his ten-year wedding anniversary imminent – despite his best efforts he had become an adult. Well, nearly. Gripped by a determination to sort out his life once and for all, Mike writes a To-do list of all the things he has meant to do but never quite got round to. Everything from empty kitchen of Chinese takeaway menus (467) to spend more time with parents because they won’t always be around (12). It’s a long list. There’s a lot of stuff that needs doing. But unlike previous lists, made and long abandoned, Mike promises himself that this one will actually get DONE.

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 29, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

September 26, 2008 12:18 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Stepmother's Diary

I went off Fay Weldon after studying her for my English A-level. No disrespect to Fay, but ever since then I associated her novels with exams and coursework. However, her latest book, just released in hardback, is described as "vintage Fay Weldon", "a fairytale for our times" and a "wickedly funny secret diary".

See over the cut for the synopsis.

The wicked stepmother is a classic figure of literature. From "Cinderella" to "Hamlet", she is portrayed as an evil manipulator out to do down her husband's children. Reality is all too often the reverse, with stepchildren using all their cunning to do down daddy's new wife in a no holds barred, down and dirty fight to the death. Being on the receiving end of that kind of attack is no fun at all, as Fay's heroine can tell you. And tell you she does in her only solace - her secret diary that is her lifeline.

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 26, 2008 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 25, 2008 12:57 PM

BOOK NEWS: Planet Pregnancy

Possibly because I'm pregnant, I love this cover for Linda Oatman High's novel, Planet Pregnancy.

Written in free verse, it's the story of sixteen-year-old Texan, Sahara, who finds herself pregnant and decides to keep it a secret while she decides what to do. [via Jacket Whys]

Related posts: A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone (also written in verse) | Feels Like Maybe by Claire Allan (in which a character keeps her pregnancy a secret. I don't just throw these links together, you know!

Posted by Keris on September 25, 2008 in Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 24, 2008 10:19 AM

BOOK NEWS: Let It Snow

It's nearly Christmas, you know. No, really. You can tell because Strictly Come Dancing is back (back!).

Okay, yes, it's still a little while away, but that doesn't mean I can't tell you about Let It Snow, does it? It's three interconnected stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle and the blurb makes me feel all happily wintery.

Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda.

After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks...

Posted by Aigua Media on September 24, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 23, 2008 12:02 PM

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

There are an abundance of autobiographies beginning their journey towards Christmas by making an appearance on chat shows. We have already reviewed The Celeb Diaries and Lorraine Kelly and told you about Dear Fatty by Dawn French. So who else might you find in your Christmas stocking?

Julie Walters, Jonny Wilkinson, Alan Carr, Paul O'Grady, Michael Parkinson, both Craig Revel Horwood and Len Goodman from Strictly Come Dancing, My Word is My Bond by Roger Moore (great title!), Fern Britton, Girls Aloud, Christopher Biggins, Richard Madeley and Frank Skinner are just some of the personalities to release books in the next few months.

Related posts: Yet Another Jordan "autobiography" | Yay or Nay Ghostwritten Books | The Return of Jade Goody

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 23, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Wish You Were Here

I've loved all of Lani Diane Rich's books, so I don't know how she's managed to get two books ahead of me!

I haven't read her latest, A Little Ray of Sunshine, yet, but now I hear there's another one - Wish You Were Here - out in November!

And she's got a blog! Why didn't anyone tell me?

Related: The Fortune Quilt review

Posted by Keris on September 23, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 22, 2008 2:27 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole

I know this isn't chick lit, but like me you may have grown up with Adrian Mole and are therefore interested in his latest diary (written with help from Sue Townsend).

This isn't a book that follows The Weapons of Mass Destruction diary, which was the latest in the series from 2005. I'm glad about that as I thought he'd finally (bless him) arrived at a good place in life at the end of that one. No, as the title shows this is the lost diaries between 1999 and 2001.

Related posts: Helen's Heroines:Pandora Braithwaite | My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 22, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Zoya Factor

I read about Anuta Chauhan's debut novel yesterday and I was kind of stunned. Apparently it's "the new blockbuster from HarperCollins India" and also "soon to be made into a major motion picture" but it sounds... rubbish. Doesn't it?

When the younger players in India's cricket team find out that advertising executive Zoya Singh Solanki was born at the very moment India won the World Cup back in 1983, they are intrigued. When having breakfast with her is followed by victories on the field, they are impressed. And when not eating with her results in defeat, they decide she's a lucky charm.

The nation goes a step further. Amazed at the ragtag team's sudden spurt of victories, it declares her a Goddess.

So when the eccentric IBCC president and his mesmeric, always-exquisitely-attired Swamiji invite Zoya to accompany the team to the tenth ICC World Cup, she has no choice but to agree.

Pursued by international cricket boards on the one hand, wooed by Cola majors on the other, Zoya struggles to stay grounded in the thick of the world cup action. And it doesn't help that she keeps clashing with the erratically brilliant new skipper who tells her flatly that he doesn't believe  in luck…

I mean, seriously? Chick lit about cricket? What shall we call that - crick lit? Oh and something else bugged me about it. Timeout's review said, "A sophisticated first novel, The Zoya Factor brings the insouciance, humour and heart back into chick-lit". Um, when did it go away?

So what do you think? Is it just me and my own cricket prejudice? I guess it could be kind of Jilly Cooper-esque. I would never have thought I'd me interested in a book set in the world of polo, but I was.

Will you be reading The Zoya Factor?

Related: Bollywood Nights by Shobhaa De 

Posted by Keris on September 22, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 18, 2008 12:27 PM

BOOK NEWS & COVER: A Vintage Affair

In one of my earliest reviews for Trashionista I remember being quite annoyed with the cover of Isabel Wolff's Forget Me Not. I believed the design did not do the book justice nor match the plot.  A few moments ago, flicking through Amazon's list of soon to be released books, I see Isabel has a new book coming out in January next year. With a simple but stunning cover. And this time it appears to match the plot.

See over the cut for the synopsis.

Do fairytale dresses bring fairytale endings? Every dress has a history, so does Phoebe! Phoebe always dreamt of opening her own vintage dress shop. She imagined every detail, from the Vivienne Westwood bustiers hanging next to satin gowns, to sequinned cupcake dresses adorning the walls. At the launch of Village Vintage, Phoebe feels the tingle of excitement as customers snap up the fairytale dresses. Her dream has come true, but a secret from her past is casting a shadow over her new venture. Then one day she meets Therese, an elderly Frenchwoman with a collection to sell, apart from one piece that she won't part with. As Therese tells the story of the little blue coat, Phoebe feels a profound connection with her own life, one that will help her heal the pain of her past and allow her to love again.

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 18, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: The Carrie Diaries

I was sent this news in an email last night (thanks, Katie) and, when I woke up this morning, I thought I'd dreamed it, because it just seems so unlikely, but apparently, no, it's true.

Candace Bushnell's has signed a deal to write two young adult books based on Carrie Bradshaw's high-school years. The first, The Carrie Diaries, is due to be published in autumn 2010. [via The Longstockings]

I just can't see it working, but that's probably because I'm picturing Sarah Jessica Parker trying to pass herself off as 15... What do you think?

Related posts: Reading Sex and the City | Candace Bushnell - yay or nay? | Young adult archives

Posted by Keris on September 18, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

September 17, 2008 10:24 AM

BOOK NEWS: Ransom My Heart

By Princess Mia Thermopolis, the utterly fabulous heroine of Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series! I know! Yes, a fictional character has written a book. That's a first for me... at least I think so, how about you?

The book, a historical romance entitled Ransom My Heart, will be released on 6 January 2009 (the same day as the final - sniff! - Princess Diaries book) and all proceeds are going to Greenpeace.

Read the plot over the cut.

Hugo Fitzstephen is a tall, handsome knight who has just returned from the Crusades with a life-altering secret. Finnula Crais, “the fair Finn,” is an adventurous beauty with more than a few secrets of her own. Finnula needs money for her sister’s dowry, and fast. Luckily she happens upon a knight in need of rescue in a local tavern – a nobleman who evidently has returned home to England from the Crusades with saddlebags of jewels, money, and lots of it.

Finnula reasons what could be simpler than to kidnap him and hold him for ransom? Well, for starters, Finnula could make the terrible mistake of falling in love with her hostage . . . and falling into bed with him. Now they’re stuck with one another, and their lives-and the lives of everyone they know-will never be the same.

[via Meg Cabot]

And don't forget there's still time to enter the Meg Cabot question competition

Related posts: Helen's Heroines - Mia Thermopolis | Princess Diaries To the Nines review

Posted by Keris on September 17, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

September 16, 2008 10:53 AM

BOOK NEWS: Moan About Men

You may not already know this, but I am, in fact, pregnant. And what does pregnancy mean? Hormones. What do hormones mean? Well...bad news for my husband, certainly. So this book by Juliana Foster, a brilliantly funny take on all the things men do that make women weep with frustration - and also with mirth along with an amusing and all-encompassing rant is exactly what I need right now.

Related posts: Men Are Wonderful | Love Letters of Great Men

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 16, 2008 in Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 12, 2008 10:36 AM

BOOK NEWS: Corduroy Mansions

Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will be excited to know that he is writing his first online novel on The Telegraph's website. There will be a new chapter every weekday for the next twenty weeks (which is a lot of chapters).

It is set in Pimlico, in London, and is about an unassuming cast of characters who live in Corduroy Mansions. You can meet the characters, read the novel, listen to the podcast and even write a story of your own. All details can be found at The Telegraph.

Related posts: Blue Shoes and Happiness Review | The Good Husband of Zebra Drive Review | Free Online Novel

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 12, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 10, 2008 12:05 PM

BOOK NEWS: Another Belle de Jour book

Is anyone still interested in these kind of books? The publishers must think they are, since they keep releasing them, but I'm not sure. I mean, Billie Piper's portrayal on TV is one thing (not that I've ever watched that either), but reading further adventures is another thing altogether. Isn't it?

So tell me. Have you read a sex memoir? Will you be reading this one? Or are you bored too?

Related posts: Book cover - Secret Diary of a Call Girl | Two takes on call-girl lit - is it sexy or squalid?

Posted by Keris on September 10, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

September 9, 2008 4:36 PM

Shock shortlist for this year's Booker

I've totally missed all the fuss about the Booker Prize this year (unless, perhaps, there hasn't been any). I was only aware of one book that seemed to be being touted as a likely winner (Joseph O'Neill's Netherland) and that one's not even on the shortlist.

The titles of the final six books were released today and the choice has been described as "unpredictable", mainly, I think, because Salman Rushdie's latest wasn't on it. Read the shortlist over the cut.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant
The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz

Have you read any of them? Not only have I not read any, I've only heard of one (the Linda Grant). I'm really slacking...

[via The Bookseller]

Related posts: Booker Prize shortlist - predictions proved wrong (again) | Anne Enright wins the 2007 Man Booker Prize | The Best of the Booker prize

Posted by Keris on September 9, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: A Modern Girl's Guide To The Perfect Single Life

Yet another guide for girls (however did we manage without them?), although, er, perhaps, this one isn't for me.

A Modern Girl's Guide to the Perfect Single Life by Sarah Ivens promises tips on going to events alone, fending off exes and enjoying your freedom, as well as advice and guidance on living on your own, surviving the weekends and holidays and dating rules for the single girl.

Related posts: Jane Austen's Guide to Dating | A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy | The Girl's Guide to Losing Your L-Plates

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 9, 2008 in Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Thrift Book

It seems a little incongruous that India Knight has written a book on thrifty living; while I adored her book on shopping - The Shops - it was totally indulgent and aspirational.

The Thrift Book, on the other hand, promises to teach readers how to "live well and spend less" and includes tips on making your own jam, sewing your own clothes and finding cheap holidays.

Every time I hear those two medium-sized words beginning with "c" and "c", it makes me want to stab myself in the head, but I guess that situation will also make this book a big seller.

If you can afford to buy it, that is. It's out in November.

Related: India Knight's diet book and dirty bits

Posted by Keris on September 9, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 8, 2008 1:32 PM

BOOK NEWS: Dear Blue Peter...

This is a collection of letters that children have sent into the programme over fifty years of Blue Peter put together by Biddy Baxter, the editor. I never sent a letter to Blue Peter myself, but I remember sending off for sleigh instructions and when they arrived I was convinced the letter had been addressed by Simon Groom (it wasn't, it was my Dad's self addressed envelope).

At one point Blue Peter were receiving over 7000 letters a week. Obviously not all of them are in the book but they're representative of the original, moving, often very funny, sometimes abusive,  letters in which children (and `big kids') offered their ideas, pictures and stories providing a unique snapshot of life in the 20th century.

Marvellous stuff.

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 8, 2008 in Book News, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: How (Not) to Murder Your Mother by Stephanie Calman

I loved Stephanie Calman's first two books so I'll definitely be reading her latest - How (Not) to Murder Your Mother.

The title's pretty much self-explanatory (isn't it?), but you can read an extract here.

Related posts: Confessions of a Failed Grown-up review | Tuesday Three: Mothers and daughters

Posted by Keris on September 8, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 5, 2008 12:19 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Celeb Diaries

Look what has just arrived through my door! The Celeb Diaries by Mark Frith is out now and promises "sensational" insider gossip on celebrities (and behind the scenes of working on the phenomenon that is Heat magazine - which is why I want to read it, obviously). I've had a sneaky peak at the first few pages and this is what he has got to say,

Celebrities. I've been writing about them for eight years solid and I still don't understand them...There is no group of people on God's earth more infuriating, ego-driven, contradictory, pampered, spoilt and downright ridiculous than celebrities.

Quite. This threatens to be a very entertaining book. A review will be coming soon.

Related posts: The Celeb Diaries | Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 5, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Mr Cavendish, I Presume

Currently riding high at number two in the lovereading chart is Julia Quinn's latest novel, Mr. Cavendish, I Presume.

Lying firmly within the genre of regency romance, Mr. Cavendish, I Presume is about Amelia Willoughby who has been engaged to be married to the future Duke of Wyndham since she was six months old. Now much older (obviously) she is getting tired of waiting. Reluctant to set the date, the Duke rather likes having a fiancee as it protects him from the husband hunters. Then a bombshell arrives in the form of the Duke's long-lost cousin who may well be the true Duke of Wyndham...meaning he is contracted to marry Amelia. Which is unfortunate for the current Duke as he is starting to fall in love with her.

Sounds fab, especially as I'm all Jane Austen-y at the moment. It is released in October.

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 5, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 4, 2008 9:48 AM

BOOK NEWS: Cycler

Now how's this for an idea?

As far as anyone at her high school knows, Jill McTeague is an average smart girl trying to get her dream date to ask her to the prom. What no one knows, except for Jill’s mom and dad, is that for the four days Jill is out of school each month, she is not Jill at all. She is Jack, a genuine boy - complete with all the parts.

Jack lives his four days per month in the solitude of Jill’s room. But his personality has been building since the cycling began. He is less and less content with his confinement and his cycles are becoming more frequent. Now Jill’s question about the prom isn’t who she'll go with, but who she'll be when the big night arrives.

The mind boggles. Sounds like a must-read to me. By Lauren McLaughlin, it's out now. [via Jezebel]

Related posts: Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn review | Tuesday Three: Sex Swap

Posted by Keris on September 4, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 3, 2008 2:01 PM

Jordan Gets Left Behind

Once more Jordan has appeared in the top ten books that customers leave behind at Travelodge Hotels. This time with two books as Crystal and Angel Uncovered both grace the list. First place though goes to John Prescott, former deputy Prime Minister and Russell Brand's My Booky Wook is in second place.

A number of fictional books have graced the top ten this year, including Lessons in Heartbreak by Cathy Kelly, Blind Faith by Ben Elton and On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. [via sky.com]

Related posts: Jordan Can't Even Make it to Number One on the Most Discarded List | Angel by Katie Price

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 3, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 2, 2008 11:42 AM

BOOK NEWS: Inside The Whale

The title and cover both attracted me to this debut novel by Jennie Rooney. It is a tale of two lovers, Michael, an ex Morse code man and Stevie, a widow. They look back on their lives which have been shaped by World War Two. The blurb is over the cut - it sounds a little chaotic, but also witty and romantic. One for me to put on my to be read list right now...

Stephanie Sandford, recently widowed, must tell her family the truth - but the past is indistinct and it's complicated. First, there was her mum, who developed an anxious streak after marrying the wrong Reg. Then there was the young man from the dairy who taught Stevie to swim and broke her heart. War came, and four years spent chopping root vegetables in the canteen of the Sun Pat peanut factory on the Old Kent Road, followed by wet London nights, with the Doodle Bugs slipping through the sky like huge silvery fish. It's not until Stevie's under an umbrella with Jonathan that Stevie finally starts to sense safety. Meanwhile, Michael Royston's memories are squashed into a shoebox (along with Queen Matilda's Dicken Medal for bravery) ready for his move into hospital. Years ago, he trained military carrier pigeons for the Royal Corps of Signals in Cairo yet his own homecoming has taken a lifetime. Michael has never been good at putting things into words; he's more comfortable with the click of Morse code. But Anna, a young healthcare assistant, has the patience - and rare tenderness - to eke out his story. And so he begins.

Stories have the power to change things, and this one will alter Stevie's past and transform Anna's future...

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 2, 2008 in Book News, Debut Novels | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 1, 2008 8:32 AM

Love Letters of Great Men

Cast your mind back to Sex and the City, the movie. The bit where Mr Big was trying to woo Carrie. What did he use? Why a book of love letters of course. And now you can have your very own thanks to Macmillan who have put together a real life book (Mr Big's didn't really exist).

From the private papers of Mark Twain and Mozart to those of Robert Browning and Nelson, Love Letters of Great Men collects together some of the most romantic letters in history.

Sadly they aren't reproducing copies of Mr Big himself.

Related posts: Candace Bushnell's 'salon' | Reading Sex and the City

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 1, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 29, 2008 4:27 PM

Anthony Horowitz on "Tw*tgate"

You've probably already read about this since it's been all over the press, but Anthony Horowitz's take on it in The Bookseller made me laugh... and he also makes some good points.

I can't really say here, since it's a family blog, but basically, out of 150,000 copies of Jacqueline Wilson's My Sister Jodie sold, the publishers received three complaints about one word used and so decided to change the word in the next edition.

Related posts: Jacqueline Wilson honoured | Call to ban Sarah Dessen's Just Listen | Meg Cabot banned

Posted by Keris on August 29, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 28, 2008 10:02 AM

BOOK NEWS & COVER: City Dog

We've loved all of Alison Pace's first three books here at Trashionista so of course we're looking forward to her next... even more now that I've seen the cover. How cool is it? Dogs and New York. You can't go wrong. But what's the book about?

After her divorce, Amy Dodge thought she’d finally write the next Great American Novel. Instead she’s written a bestselling children’s book series, Run, Carlie, Run! starring her adorable and spirited West Highland White terrier and a dashing (but fictional) Scottish explorer. When Carlie is offered a starring role in her own television show, and the explorer begins to take on a life of his own, Amy’s world takes a surreal turn.

It's out soon and I can't wait to read it.

Related posts: Pug Hill review | Through Thick and Thin review

Posted by Keris on August 28, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (4)

BOOK NEWS: Sharon Osbourne to become novelist

Apparently Sharon Osbourne is to become a novelist in order to tap into the Katie Price/Jordan market. The novel is believed to be set in the "glitzy world of reality TV competitions". It is to be published next July although there has been no confirmation from Little, Brown Book Group on how involved Sharon will be. She has previously worked with a ghostwriter.

Sharon has published two autobiographies. Her first, Extreme, sold more than one million and her second, Survivor, was the best selling female autobiography of 2007.

[via Guardian.co.uk]

Related posts: Jordan pushed to the limit | Angel by Katie Price

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 28, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 27, 2008 12:58 PM

BOOK NEWS: Class

I read about this book - Class by Jane Beaton - on Jenny Colgan's Facebook page and it sounds right up my (and Helen's) street.

Loved and blurbed by Trashionista faves, Lisa Jewell, Sophie Kinsella and Chris Manby (not to mention Jenny Colgan), it's described as "a Malory Towers for grown-ups".

I cannot wait to read it. (In fact, last night I dreamed I was buying it!)

Posted by Keris on August 27, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: New Enid Blyton Books

Chorion, the company who own the rights to the Enid Blyton characters, are planning twenty new books over the next two years. Not new versions of old Enid Blyton books but brand new stories. They plan to bring back The Famous Five, The Faraway Tree, The Wishing Chair, Malory Towers and The Secret Series. [via BBC]

Chorion has said they would remain true to Blyton's classic storytelling style and values. I hope they do. I think they're taking a big risk because I wasn't impressed with what they did to The Famous Five in the cartoon version (and I know I'm not the only one).

Related posts: Enid is top of the poll | Thursday Trailblazer: Enid Blyton | Helen's Heroines: George Kirrin

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 27, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 26, 2008 9:42 AM

Richard & Judy Summer Reads 2008 Winner

The winner of the Richard & Judy Summer Reads 2008 is No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay, a creepy, sinister tale about Cynthia's family who disappear without a trace. Cynthia wakes up one morning, worrying about what her parents will say to her about her behaviour from the night before...but her parents aren't there. Or her brother. Read the blurb over the cut or click here for an extract. Just reading that has given me the chills. Brr.

On the morning she will never forget, suburban teenager Cynthia Archer awakes with a nasty hangover and a feeling she is going to have an even nastier confrontation with her mom and dad. But when she leaves her bedroom, she discovers the house is empty, with no sign of her parents or younger brother Todd. In the blink of an eye, without any explanation, her family has simply disappeared. Twenty-five years later Cynthia is still haunted by unanswered questions. Were her family murdered? If so, why was she spared? And if they're alive, why did they abandon her in such a cruel way? Now married with a daughter of her own, Cynthia fears that her new family will be taken from her just as her first one was. And so she agrees to take part in a TV documentary revisiting the case, in the hope that somebody somewhere will remember something - or even that her father, mother or brother might finally reach out to her... Then a letter arrives which makes no sense and yet chills Cynthia to the core. And soon she begins to realise that stirring up the past could be the worst mistake she has ever made...

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 26, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (5)

August 22, 2008 3:31 PM

BOOK NEWS: Reaching for the Stars

It's aaaaages until it's out (March 09!), but I was very excited to hear about Lola Jaye's Reaching for the Stars.

Part of the Quick Reads promotion, it's non-fiction, detailing how Lola... hang on, I'll let the blurb explain:

Lola Jaye had always dreamt of being a writer but her journey to getting published wasn't easy. She would come home from her day job and write every evening and weekend.But it wasn't until years later, after several rejections, that she finally got her first book deal. Now Lola wants to help others reach for their dreams.In this simple step-by-step guide, she shows that with plenty of self belief, confidence and hard work, anything is possible.

If it's half as inspiring as her last guest blog for us, it should be a huge success!

Related posts: By the Time You Read This review | Lola's first guest blog

Posted by Keris on August 22, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS & COVER: Testimony

I was looking through the new releases on Amazon, as I often do, when this book cover caught my eye. I think it is beautiful. It will be autumn soon (sorry but it will) and the soggy but still red and orange leaves on the floor of the wet steps make for a great cover. Plus what is she thinking about? Maybe I should read the book...

Testimony is by Anita Shreve and will be out in October.

Carry on over the cut for the description.

At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora's box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voice -- those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal -- that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment. A gripping emotional drama with the pace of a thriller, Anita Shreve's Testimony explores the dark impulses that sway the lives of seeming innocents, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

Related posts: Light on Snow review | All He Ever Wanted review

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 22, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Book covers, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (9)

August 21, 2008 2:36 PM

BOOK NEWS & COVER: Someday My Prince Will Come

When I was ten, Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles and I became an obsessed royalist. (After seeing how that all turned out, I'm not one anymore.)

When Jerramy Fine was practically a toddler, she became obsessed with royalty. Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips, in particular. She was determined to marry him and Someday My Prince Will Come is the story of how she attempted to go about it (sorry to spoil it for you, but she didn't succeed - he's recently married a Canadian woman named Autumn).

Anyway, I've been reading and enjoying the hardback version on the left, but I just spotted the forthcoming paperback on the right. What do you think? I like it more than the original, but I think it looks like a young adult book.

Related posts: Princess books - yay or nay? | The Little Lady Finds Her Prince

Posted by Keris on August 21, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 20, 2008 4:19 PM

BOOK NEWS: Dear Fatty

We wrote a while ago about the fact that Dawn French was being paid in the region of £1.5million for her autobiography and now I've seen the title and the cover. (It's out in October.)

I have to say, I'm not wild about the title - Dear Fatty. We all know she's on the large side, no need to flog it. She looks beautiful on the cover though, don't you think?

Related posts: Growing Pains by Billie Piper | Multi-million pound advances - yay or nay?

Posted by Keris on August 20, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (7)

Enid Blyton is top of the poll

I have been a massive fan of Enid Blyton since I could read and it seems I'm not alone. A recent poll by Costa, of both children's and adult's books, places Enid Blyton as the best loved author of all time.

Interestingly Roald Dahl is in second place and JK Rowling in third, both children's authors, showing perhaps that we associate out favourite reads with our childhood.  [via Mail Online]

Carry on over the cut for the top twenty.

1. Enid Blyton
2. Roald Dahl
3. JK Rowling
4. Jane Austen
5. William Shakespeare
6. Charles Dickens
7. JRR Tolkien
8. Agatha Christie
9. Stephen King
10. Beatrix Potter
11. CS Lewis
12. Catherine Cookson
13. Martina Cole
14. Bill Bryson
15. Charlotte Bronte
16. Jacqueline Wilson
17. Oscar Wilde
18. Maeve Binchy
19. Dan Brown
20. Emily Bronte

By my reckoning, that's 11 women and 9 men...

Other writers in the top fifty were

Jackie Colins (21) Margaret Atwood (24) Marian Keyes (26) Danielle Steel (31) Judy Blume (33) Jodi Picoult (34) Jilly Cooper (47) Beryl Bainbridge (48)

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 20, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 19, 2008 3:18 PM

BOOK NEWS: Party Animal

I'm a bit late with this one. I do feel fairly confident that I meant to write about it when it came out, but then... didn't.

Anyway, I've just read a review of it and this particular bit piqued my interest:

Marian Keyes mixes her trademark humour with an imagination that defies even itself to bring us Patch and Sox, a pair of sheepdog/ King Charles spaniel crossbreeds led astray by a duo of debauched Peruvian llamas who spend their days smoking cigars nicked from the QE2, and their nights cavorting around Lillies and Renards in a Mercedes SL convertible. No, really. What's more, it's entirely plausible. Well, sort of.

Who could resist?

Related posts: Marian Keyes interview | This Charming Man review | Thursday Three: Must Love Dogs

Posted by Keris on August 19, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Busy Woman Seeks Wife

I'm a big fan of Annie Sanders, the pen name behind the writing duo Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders. Their books are just so relaxing, you can immerse yourself into them, forget your to do list and curl up. So when I saw the paperback version of Busy Woman Seeks Wife has just been released I dug out my slippers.  With the British summer fast turning into autumn, this sounds like a great way to spend a few evenings.

'What you need,' said Saffron, pouring Alex another glass of wine, 'is someone to take away your worries, someone you can rely on, someone to deal with all the boring details.' 'But I've got a bloke already,' protested Alex. 'No, no!' replied Saffron. 'I mean, what you need is a WIFE.'

On the surface Alex Hill is every inch the polished high-flying career woman. But that just means she's rushed off her feet with barely enough time to take out the bins, let alone pull together an amazing product launch. Then she discovers her Spanish cleaner has been using her flat to turn tricks in the afternoons, and in her bed! And to top things off, her demanding mother - an ageing 60s style icon - has a bad fall, requiring her to move in with Alex indefinitely. With so much to juggle, Alex begins to realise that she needs someone more committed than a cleaner - so she advertises for 'a wife'. Enter Ella - a brilliant cook and carer. But Ella isn't quite what she appears, and pretty soon Alex is contemplating 'divorce'...

Related posts: The Xmas Factor review | The Xmas Factor

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 19, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 18, 2008 2:35 PM

BOOK NEWS: A new Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles

I have just been reading Tess Gerritsen's blog and discovered the exciting news that there will be a new Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli book out very early next year in the UK, although US readers only have to wait until September this year.

It will be called Keeping The Dead in the UK and The Keepsake in the US. Carry on over the cut for the US cover.

Related posts: Bloodstream review | TV Series | The Bone Garden review

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 18, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Crime / Mystery | Permalink | Comments (5)

August 15, 2008 10:26 AM

BOOK NEWS: Honey Trap

I reviewed Julie Cohen's last book, One Night Stand and I was pleasantly surprised, resolving to read more of her books in the future. Well, the future is now, as they say, as Julie has just released another book, Honey Trap. I look forward to reading it.

Private investigator Sophie Tennant has realised knowing everyone’s dirty little secrets isn’t that much fun. Retraining as an aromatherapist should rebalance her karma – or so she thinks, until she goes on tour as resident de-stresser with a rock band whose moody, magnetic frontman Dominick Steele is none other than her very first honey trap. Yes, the man she pretended to seduce in order to shop the evidence to his broken-hearted wife, spelling the end of their marriage.

Dominic may be a reformed character these days, but Sophie hasn’t forgotten the games he used to play… and he certainly remembers Sophie. A little bit too well…

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 15, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 14, 2008 1:54 PM

BOOK NEWS: Country Pursuits

It seems the journalists at Heat magazine are a talented lot. Not only has Lucie Cave, their features editor, ghostwritten for Abi Titmuss and Jade Goody, but her colleagues are also writing books. Paige Toon has released Johnny Be Good and now Jo Carnegie, Heat's deputy editor, has released her debut novel, Country Pursuits. It is another of these modern day bonkbusters with scandal, sex and men. Fab.

I have to comment on the cover though. The woman looks like her head has been sliced off. At least in the paperback version (over the cut) you can see a whole woman.

The gorgeous women of Churchminster know exactly what they want - a constant flow of champagne (on tap at the local pub) and the love of a good man. But faced with the likes of braying, beer-guzzling farmer Angus, foul-tempered Lord Fraser and suave banker Sebastian (devoted only to himself), their attentions are increasingly drawn to more attractive possibilities ...Meanwhile, when a part of their beloved village comes under threat from a villainous property developer and his bulldozer, the community is united by a different kind of passion. Can they raise enough money to save Churchminster? Will Mick Jagger turn up to the charity ball? And can a person actually die from too much extra-marital sex?

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 14, 2008 in Bonkbusters, Book News, British Authors, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK NEWS: The Case of the Imaginary Detective

Some people loved Karen Joy Fowler's The Jane Austen Book Club. I wasn't one of them. But I'm still intrigued by her latest, The Case of the Imaginary Detective.

Rima Lanisell has a habit of losing things - car keys, sunglasses, lovers, and family members. Following the death of Rima's father, she goes to stay with her godmother Addison, a wildly successful, albeit eccentric, mystery writer. Addison's beach house seems the place to make sense of Rima's loss, yet she is soon caught up in a mystery of her own.

Who stole a small and highly valuable object from Addison's kitchen? Why is Rima corresponding with an obsessive fan, using someone else's family name? Most importantly: what exactly was the relationship between Addison and Rima's father, and why did Addison name a murderer after him in one of her novels?

What do you think? Will you be reading this one?

Posted by Keris on August 14, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 13, 2008 3:54 PM

BOOK NEWS: My Best Friend Has Issues

My Best Friend Has Issues is a darkly comic book by Laura Marney, author of Only Strange People Go To Church and No Wonder I Take A Drink. It has been described as shocking at times, but in a funny way, which, going by the titles of her other books I can't say I'm surprised. Apparently they are a cross between dark humour and chick lit. They certainly seem to be a little bit different.

What did I know about life, a wee heifer like me, a twenty two year old no mates stay at home from the rump end of Cubernauld? 

What did I even know about sex, never mind drugs, or violence, or murder? Alison, an innocent Scottish girl, moves to Barcelona and meets Chloe, a not so innocent American heiress. Chloe as well as introducing Alison to a multitude of sins, teaches her new friend about the sweet taste of revenge. Throwing off her Presbyterian morality (and hopefully her embarrassing virginity), Alison begins a sex and drugs romp through the gothic streets of Bacelona, while sending vengeful postcards home...Dear Lisa and Lauren, Chloe and I on beach with beautiful Latino boys, wow! Need to buy new clothes, size twelve way too big now! Suppose you'll be watching Emmerdale. Hope cystitis not causing you too much agony. Alison xxx.

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 13, 2008 in Book News, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Dragonfly Summer

It seems Eva Rice's latest book has been "coming soon" for ages now (it *has* been a couple of years), but it looks like it might finally be out this October. There's a cover on Amazon, at least.

Actually, what do you think of the cover? At first, I thought it was a bit insipid, but it's growing on me. It's a bit different (peach hasn't been overused, has it?) and atmospheric. No such concerns about the book, though, it sounds just as lovely as Rice's last book, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets. 

Set at the end of the 1950s and leading into the Swinging Sixties, The Dragonfly Summer is about Tara Jupp, a shy vicar's daughter from a small English village. Tara's beautiful voice is her passport to fame and riches. It means leaving her beloved, chaotic family and the small village where she grew up - but will it bring her what she wants?

Posted by Keris on August 13, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 12, 2008 3:38 PM

An Interview With Princess Mia

As many of you know, the next Princess Diaries book to be released is to be the tenth - and final - book of the series (boo hoo). It is out in January next year, but in the meantime I found on Meg Cabot's website that Mia has been interviewed by teenstyle magazine here. Whilst teenstyle wants to talk to her about romance and prom dresses, Mia is a little preoccupied with the small matter of an election due to take place in Genovia soon...

Related posts: To The Nines | After Eight | Meg Cabot Interview

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 12, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK NEWS & COVER: The Smart One

Love this cover. Just love it. I love apples on covers (I don't know why) and I really love cakes...

I also loved Ellen Meister's first book, Secret Adventures of the Applewood PTA so I've been looking forward to The Smart One for a while. Read more about it here.

Posted by Keris on August 12, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 7, 2008 9:54 AM

Breaking Dawn - what do you think?

After I posted the news about Breaking Dawn's huge sales yesterday, Val left a comment saying some people were so disappointed with the book they were burning them. So I researched it, and I have to say never before in my (admittedly short) career as a writer about books, have I come across so much anger with a book or an author (Stephenie Meyer).

There are forums up on Amazon discussing it and the idea now seems to be that instead of burning them they should all return them instead. Now I haven't read any of the Twilight series, yet, but I am interested to see what any of you thought about the final book. Anyone read it?

Posted by Helen Redfern on August