Elaina James

Today I welcome Jack Steele, author of 'Loose Cannon', to my blog... Bannister House Flats (where I grew up) Capturing the essence of a location in my novels has become somewhat of a mini-obsession. It has to be detailed enough to transport the reader into that place but at the same time allow the mind to fill in the gaps and maintain the flow of the story. I could make it up of course but for whatever reason there is the need for me to visit that location. In my novel ‘Loose Cannon’ I used a pub in Canary Wharf called ‘The Gun’. It has a room upstairs where Admiral Nelson and Lady Hamilton are said to have had their private meetings. They showed me around the pub so I could get a good feel for the place. The research gained from that one visit alone was enough to use in all of my future novels in the series. The compulsion to physically walk through the doors of a pub and enjoy a drink there….. is why I love research! Brick Lane (where a Mafia family m...

Today I welcome Karen King to the blog to introduce 'The Millionaire Plan' and 'Never Say Forever' which have been re-released by Accent this month. Author Bio A member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, the Society of Authors and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists, Karen King writes sassy, contemporary romance just right for reading on the beach. 'I DO - or Do I?' her first chick lit for Accent Press, was published in May. She has been contracted for two more. And she is delighted that Accent Press have republished her earlier romance novels, The Millionaire Plan and Never Say Forever. The Millionaire Plan was nominated for the RONE Award in 2014. Karen has had several short stories for women’s magazine and 120 children's books published. When she isn’t writing, Karen likes travelling, watching the ‘soaps’ and reading. Give her a good book and a box of chocolates and she thinks she’s in Heaven. Author links Website: http://www.karenk...

I’ve just returned from three fantastic days at the RNA conference. Having never been to a conference (of any kind) before, I headed off early so that I had time to settle in and get my bearings before the event begin properly. Thanks to the lovely members of the Birmingham chapter I soon felt right at home in the midst of this busy occasion. I have to admit to being a little bit nervous before I went. Alright, very nervous. I was going to an event attended by so many fantastic and inspiring authors I was afraid I'd feel like an imposer.  Not to mention the nail biting nerves at the thought of pitching my own novel to editors and agents. It turns out though that this is the friendliest group I could ever wish to be part of. It was wonderful to meet so many writers, particularly those who I’ve been chatting away to online for months. As for the terrifying prospect of pitching my novel... Well, it was still nerve wracking, but it was also really enjoyable. It was excitin...

As the velvet cloak of moonlight settled over the ruined towers of Raglan Castle, the shadows beneath them stirred … When newly widowed Tess visits Raglan Castle, an extraordinary hallucination transports her to a past that existed long before her own – to seventeenth-century Wales and to a castle on the brink of a siege. Even when Tess leaves Raglan to return to Merrick Court, her husband’s home, the strangeness continues as her life becomes increasingly intertwined with her dreams and visions. And when the new owner of the estate arrives - New Zealander Josh Owens - the parallels become even more obvious. It's time to confront the past head-on. But perhaps the voices from the past aren’t just trying to tell their own story, maybe they’re also giving a warning … About the author Christina lives in Hereford and is married with two children. Although born in England she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden. In her teens, the family moved to Ja...

Big, but not overly so, my handbag is just the right size to carry my notebooks so I will never be without them.  Its dark black exterior with single beige stripe give no indication of what lies within. To the rest of the world it looks like a smart business woman’s handbag. Who else but I would know its main purpose is to carry my dreams? However, it doesn’t end there. In addition to my dreams my handbag carries pretty much everything you can think of, and probably a few unexpected items too. I always carry at least one extra pen. I have my own portable first aid kit from paracetamol to plasters. I’m prepared for any kind of weather with a pair of sunglasses stashed beside an umbrella. A tape measure. Spare plastic bags. Tissues. A pair of pliers. A torch. My handbag is a girl guide’s delight. Ironically I wasn’t a very good girl guide. At least not according to our troop leader. Nevertheless, I returned each week decked out in my neatly ironed uniform, the traditio...

Rating: About the Author: Author of Please Release Me, Doctor January and Girl on the Run, Rhoda is a former scientist who now works in the field of intellectual property.   Book Summary: Shallow, manipulative Sally thinks she has found everything she could ever need in the wealthy Peter.  However, when a car accident leaves Sally in a coma, Peter beings to realise that he doesn’t know Sally as well as he thought. Grace is everything that Sally isn’t. She is kind, caring, genuine and true.  But most importantly, she’s in love with Peter.  That’s one thing that Sally has never been. Review: Having loved Rhoda’s previous book ‘Girl on the Run’ I was keen to read her latest; ‘Please Release Me’ and I hoped it would be of the same standard.  I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the contrast between the two female characters.  I was immediately drawn to the quiet insecure Grace, who’d suffered so much heart-ache and loss and yet stil...