Important message from Anniek and Suze

Dear With Love for Books readers, 

Due to unforeseen circumstances Anniek and Suze will be offline at least until the end of 2018. 

Anniek's father is gravely ill and he's been admitted to the ICU. Suze has been ill for a while now and a team of bright doctors has taken up the challenge to make her feel better again.

All current giveaways will continue to run. Emails won't be replied to for the time being. 

They told me to say that they love you and miss you already.

Best wishes, 

Anton

What Makes My Heart Beat Faster by Karen Gregory - Guest Post & Giveaway

About Karen Gregory

Karen is a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford, and a project manager by day who’s become adept at writing around the edges (strong coffee and a healthy disregard for housework help). A confirmed bookhead since early childhood, Karen wrote her first story about Bantra the mouse at the age of twelve, then put away the word processor until her first child was born when she was overtaken by the urge to write.

Karen lives in Wiltshire with her family and is represented by Claire Wilson at Rogers, Coleridge & White.

Links

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Books by Karen Gregory

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What makes my heart beat faster 

Guest post by Karen Gregory

I could choose something joyful, like catching the autumn light falling on my children at the playground and knowing how completely I love them. Or something fearful; any one of a number of scenes from Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House would do the trick (the car jump scare! That reveal at the end of episode five!) Today though, as I have a deadline looming, I’m going to talk about the peculiar mixture of excitement, hope and dread which comes with getting feedback on your writing.

That first feedback, from someone you trust and respect, is always the scariest part for me. Over the years, the person at the end of the manuscript has changed, but the following steps seem to remain pretty constant.

1. What have I done? This feeling hits roughly five seconds after you hit send on a manuscript. This happens to me every time, no matter how hard I’ve worked, how many times I’ve revised, how much I’m convinced I’ve done all I can and it’s ready for feedback. Each time I send something it feels like a leap of faith.

2. The Nervous Wait, aka the time when you know you should be writing something else, yet can’t bring yourself to, because you’re convinced everything you write is terrible except maybe it’s kind of OK, but actually no you’re circling right back to ‘What have I done?’

3. The Verdict. That’s the point my heart pounds the most, wondering whether things have landed how I want them to. It doesn’t ever seem to get any easier. Then the feedback arrives and there’s the initial rush of taking it all in and picking out all the nice parts while totally glossing over the rest. There’s the joy of knowing you’ve connected and while it’s always nice to hear the things that are working, inevitably there also things that don’t quite hit the mark just yet. The best feedback always makes me think very hard.

4. Blind panic. It’s not that I don’t agree with the feedback; if my editor raises a question, I know it’s because something needs looking at and I think I’m pretty good at not taking it personally. It’s simply because at this point, I literally have no idea how I’ll manage to fix the problem. This is not fun and can last anywhere from minutes to weeks. It’s the hardest part for me to handle and so far, the only thing that seems to work is to wait while all my anxiety and doubt gathers itself up ready for stage five.

5. Meltdown. I have spent more than one evening sobbing to a friend over edits!

Meltdown is invariably followed by the first spark of an idea on how to fix something. I have no idea why it works that way for me. If I could skip it and just get to work without all the angst and naval-gazing I really would. I’m sure my friends would thank me for it! One way or another though, it seems I have to process emotionally before the ideas will come. Perhaps it’s just one small bit of one scene to start with, but after that, it feels like dominos falling. And my heart beats faster all over again because this is the best part of the process; the click as ideas slot into place. The knowledge that the feedback is going to make your book a million times better. Then I can start fixing things. I actually love it, even if can take a while to get there!

Giveaway

Three very lucky readers of With Love for Books will receive a signed Skylarks postcard from Karen Gregory.

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The winner will be notified by email and has 3 days to respond. All of our giveaways are international.

What Makes My Heart Beat Faster by Eve Devon - Guest Post & Giveaway

About Eve Devon

I write sexy heroes, sassy heroines & happy ever afters...Growing up in locations like Botswana and Venezuela gave me quite the taste for adventure and my love for romances began when my mother shoved one into my hands in a desperate attempt to keep me quiet during TV coverage of the Wimbledon tennis finals!

When I wasn't consuming books by the bucketload, I could be found pretending to be a damsel in distress or running around solving mysteries and writing down my adventures. As a teenager, I wrote countless episodes of TV detective dramas so the hero and heroine would end up together every week. As an adult, I worked in a library to conveniently continue consuming books by the bucket load, until realising I was destined to write contemporary romance and romantic suspense myself. 

I live in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with my very own sexy hero husband!

Links

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Books by Eve Devon

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What makes my heart beat faster

Guest post by Eve Devon

Okay, so there are two things guaranteed to make my heart beat faster at this time of year … Christmas and Books!

Thinking about it, they may actually be one thing because they go together so perfectly. I truly believe that there’s a perfect book out there for everyone. You just have to know where to find it. Luckily you can start with those fab book lists and charts that all the newspapers and magazines put together about two months before the Big Day. You know the ones I mean? They’re titled things like:

Books that Make the Perfect Christmas Present 

The Top Ten Books for the Jumper-Wearing Log-Felling Ballerina in Your Life

100 Famous People Recommend Books for Brunch

I devour these lists and before I know it my heart is beating faster because suddenly I want … need … crave every single book on the list. I want all my Christmas presents to be books and then I want a month off to sit surrounded by them, reading them, while snuggled in a cosy armchair by a real fire with an endless supply of hot chocolate.

Confession: I’m super-nosy. Opening a book and peeking inside feeds this affliction like nothing else. If you put a book in front of me and asked me not to look at it, I (literally!) wouldn’t be able to stop myself. The subject could be paint-drying and I’d get one look at the cover, feel the book-jacket in my hands and before I knew it I’d be opening it up, wanting to know more. I’m the person that asks to borrow the perfectly placed coffee-table book in your lounge because I started reading it while you put the kettle on.

Then there’s the six degrees of separation issue on the ‘Famous People Read’ lists. Harry and Meghan stay up reading J R Hartley’s ‘Fly Fishing’ every year at Christmas? I do that too! We could start a club! I’ll make Christmas biscuits. Because let’s face it, the only thing better than getting a book as a Christmas present is being in a room with others who love reading too.

All of which brings me to my penultimate heart-beating-faster Christmas Books love: Jolabokaflod. This loosely translates as Iceland’s ‘Christmas Book Flood’ and it’s where its publishing industry releases all their new titles in the months before Christmas. The most fabulous tradition born from it sees family exchanging book gifts on Christmas Eve and then staying up all night to read them. The partaking of hot chocolate is heavily encouraged! How could this not be heart-beating-faster Christmas perfection? Especially if the book you received happened to be one of those gorgeous, scene-setting, get-you-excited-for-the-big-day Christmas romances?

For me there’s only been one thing better … and that was getting to write my very own rom-com Christmas romance!

If you love laugh-out-loud romantic comedy set at Christmas then ‘Christmas at the Little Clock House on the Green’ is guaranteed to make your heart beat faster. Meet Jane-Austen-loving match-making mixologist Emma Danes and Whispers Wood’s very own Mr. Knightley as the countdown to the grand opening of Cocktails&Chai @ the Clock House begins …

To set the Christmassy mood, I’ve got one signed paperback to giveaway …

Giveaway

One very lucky reader of With Love for Books will receive a signed paperback of Christmas at the Little Clock House on the Green by Eve Devon.

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The winner will be notified by email and has 3 days to respond. All of our giveaways are international.

What Makes My Heart Beat Faster by Poppy Blake - Guest Post & Giveaway

About Poppy Blake

Poppy Blake is an avid scribbler of contemporary romance and romcoms. When not writing she loves indulging in the odd cocktail or two - accompanied by a tower of cupcakes.

The Windmill Cafe series follows the life and loves of Rosie and Matt in the glorious countryside of Norfolk and has opened its doors in March 2018 with Summer Breeze. Why not pop in for a visit?

Links

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What makes my heart beat faster

Guest post by Poppy Blake

What makes my heart beat faster? Well, that’s a great question to start off a blog post. For me, it would have to be travel. I love exploring new places, whether that be a hidden part of the city where I live, a seaside town I haven’t visited before, or somewhere much further afield.

This year I went to Tuscany, Florence to be precise – it was an amazing experience. Of course, I spent some time touring the world-famous museums and art galleries, the food markets and the spectacular gardens of the Pitti Palace, but the best days were the ones I spent simply meandering the cobbled streets, exploring the shady alleyways, stopping occasionally for a saffron-flavoured ice cream, a rich, dark espresso, or a delicious home-made pastry. Every nook offered an architectural surprise, every cranny a floral masterpiece. I’d love to go back with my sketch pad!

One of the best travel experiences I had was a trip to New York for a milestone birthday. It was an awe-inspiring place and the few days we had there didn’t do it justice – there was just so much to see! We took in a show, Mama Mia, boarded a boat trip up the Hudson River, rode the elevator to the top of the Rockefeller center, and spent an amazing day at the American Natural History museum. For me, though, the best thing was the visit to Tiffany’s. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of my favourite films and it was a ‘bucket list’ moment having my photo taken outside the iconic store.

However, I have to say that the best holiday I’ve ever had was when I went with my family to Walt Disney World in Florida. It was just such a magical place to visit with something for everyone, no matter what age! Just to see the expression on my family’s faces when they saw the daily parades with their favourite Disney characters taking centre stage, or the spectacular nightly firework displays, was worth the eighteen-hour journey to get there. It’s another place I’d like to go back to. Those rides certainly did make my heart beat faster!

Books by Poppy Blake

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Giveaway

One very lucky reader of With Love for Books will receive a $10/£10 Starbucks egift card from Poppy Blake.

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Dead of Night by Baileigh Higgins - Book Review & Giveaway

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Review by Anniek

Traveling to Sint Francis wasn’t without danger and Nadia is devastated after losing Logan. He gave his life so they could escape the zombie herd that swarmed them. Within the safe walls of Sint Francis, Nadia feels uneasy. She’s being treated like a teenager, but surviving in a zombie world has made her grow up very fast. Nadia knows that she’s as much of a danger to the living as are the zombies. Nadia has been bitten and survived, making her a carrier of the virus. Can Nadia find a way to fit in or will her grief force her to flee?

Nadia, Cat and Lisa have become best friends. Together they’ve fought, laughed and cried and they do everything to keep each other safe. When Cat and Lisa found out that Nadia was planning on running away they decide to join her. Outside the group danger lurks behind every corner. It’s not only the walking dead they have to look out for. The living can be just as deadly. What are their options when one of them gets captured by a ruthless gang?

Nadia, Cat and Lisa all have their own issues to deal with. They’ve been through a lot, however they have always found a way out. After all the time they’ve spend together the girls have became resilient, resourceful and a true force to be reckoned with. I loved the dynamics between them. They understand each other perfectly and know their individual strengths and flaws very well. I had an immediate connection with the girls ever since the very first time they’re introduced in the Dangerous Days series and I couldn’t wait to read more about their own journey.

Dead of Night is a frightening story about surviving in a new world. Little things become very important again and their will to live has never been higher. I love to read stories about strong female characters. Baileigh Higgins has managed to make them come alive realistically. The girls are true heroines and stand for what they believe. Dead of Night is the first book in the Dangerous Nights series and the unexpected terrors made my heart skip multiple times. Baileigh Higgins is an experienced and skillful writer and I highly recommend this brilliant book.

Advice

If you love the post-apocalyptic and zombie genre, then Dead of Night would be a perfect choice for you. 

Free books

If you sign up for Baileigh Higgins's newsletter you will receive Survive Another Day, Lycan Advent and The Hybrid Theory for free, plus you will be notified when she has a new release, promotion or giveaway.

About Baileigh Higgins

South African writer and coffee addict, Baileigh Higgins, lives in the Free State with hubby and best friend Brendan and loves nothing more than lazing on the couch with pizza and a bad horror movie.

Her unhealthy obsession with the end of the world has led to numerous books on the subject and a secret bunker only she knows the location of. She's never happier than when surrounded by friends and family. After all, home is with those you care the most about.

Links

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Giveaway

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One very lucky reader of With Love for Books will receive a digital copy of the complete Death's Children by Baileigh Higgings box set.

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The winner will be notified by email and has 3 days to respond. All of our giveaways are international.