Elaina James

I'm so delighted to announce that I'm a recipient of The Katie Fforde Bursary 2019. It's such a huge honour and privilege to receive this award, and know that I am in such great company amongst the fabulous writers who have won previously. Katie seeks to support and encourage unpublished writers each year with her award, and I am so thrilled to be selected as one of this year's recipients. I had a fantastic weekend in London sightseeing and celebrating with my fantastic friend, Ellie Henshaw. Thank you for my beautiful necklace to commemorate the occasion; I will treasure it forever. I have met the most amazing and supportive people since I joined the RNA, and I'm so privileged to be part of such an enthusiastic group. Thank you to all my wonderful friends in the Birmingham Chapter and the whole of the RNA. I'm really grateful for all your kind wishes of support and encouragement. Thank you all xxx

2018 was a year of change for me. Last October I took a 12 month career break from being an accountant to enable me to focus on my writing, and I moved to the South Coast to live by the ocean for a few months while I finish my novel. This truly is living my dream. However, there is one slight snag… Like Cinderella, my fairy tale comes with an expiration date. At the end of September the clock will strike midnight and I will return to my old life and my old job. So this means I have 9 months left to live my dream, and I am making the most of every moment! To be honest moving down here hasn’t turned out to be anything like I expected. But then assumptions are so very often wrong: Assumption 1 I would be so lonely living miles away from everyone I know, that after one month I would be heading home. The reality however, is that I’ve already been here 3 months and I never want to leave. I’ve made some fantastic new friends and have joined two local RNA chapters. Don’t ge...

I'm thrilled to join in with the blog tour for Mary Rosie's War by Catherine Byrne. Both my grandfathers served in World War II. I never knew my Dad's father, sadly he passed way before I was born. But a glimpse into his life during the years he spent fighting for his country can be found in faded black and white photographs. We'll never know the stories behind the photographs, or what became of the men are that are pictured beside him. According to my Dad his father didn't talk much about those dark days. He had lived through the nightmare and didn't want relive it. But occasionally he'd tell of the friendships, the adventure, and the wonder that took him far from his home to places he barely even heard of. Mary Rosie's War is a beautifully told tale of the conflicting emotions that war brought to the young men and women who served their country, and the heartbreaking reality that nothing and no one would ever be the same again. Told from the ...

I'm joined on the blog today by fellow writer  @Naneh_V_H. We met recently at a writing event, and I was struck by her heart wrenching journey to creative writing: THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD: A DIFFERENT ONE Although I was born in the 70s, mine was nothing like your imagined, Western experience of the decade. My native country of Armenia, to the south-east of European frontiers, was part of the Soviet Union then. One good thing about it was that by virtue of association, I’d say domination, alongside my native, Armenian language, I also learnt Russian, the lingua franca of the empire, and grew up bilingual as a result. I am proud of the fact that apart from reading centuries-old Armenian literature, I also studied Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, Pushkin and Chekhov in the original. Being a bookish pupil, I wrote poems and essays in school - in Armenian and Russian - but I began writing in earnest as Arts and Culture Correspondent in the post-Soviet Armenian media; first, there w...

The Season For Love - M. W. Arnold* Rating: Book Summary: Believing she was responsible for the death of her husband, Chrissie Stewart retreats from all those who love her. A chance meeting with mysterious stranger, single-parent Josh Morgan and his bewitching young daughter Lizzy, breathe new life into her and gradually, she feels able to start to let go of the memory of her lost love. Unexpected links are revealed between the two families that strengthen the growing bonds she feels to this man and with the encouragement of her best friend Annie, herself hiding a hidden conflict from Chrissie, she battles with her demons to believe in her ability to trust and love again. Everything comes to a head on Christmas Day; which all goes to show that this is truly The Season for Love. Review: Congratulations to M.W. Arnold on his debut novel; The Season For Love *. There is a strong theme of love, loss and friendship running through the novel, which had me de...

Rating: Book Summary: Cassie Travers is a strong, independent women who is determined to maintain control of everything in her life. However, life is never quite that straightforw ard. In order to get her out of one mess, Cassie ends up in another as she takes a job that causes her to be reliant on a man she vowed never to need again. To resolve her future, she must first resolve her past. Review: Summer in San Remo takes us on a captivating journey from the quaint streets of Bath to the stunning Riviera. The beautiful descriptions had me planning my next holiday destinations! Cassie is a wonderful character; strong and capable, but hiding a vulnerable side that makes her doubt herself and always push herself harder to achieve success. Her curiosity is contagious and I found myself captivated by the mystery that she and her old flame Jake were on a quest to unravel. I loved the fiery chemistry between Cassie and Jake. She might need his help, but that doe...

I'm so excited to tell you that Rhoda Baxter has a new book out today! I loved Girl on the Run  and can't wait to read Rhoda's new novel; Girl in Trouble.  Just to tempt you, here's the fabulous cover and book blurb: Girl In Trouble blurb : Grown up tomboy Olivia doesn't need a man to complete her. Judging by her absent father, men aren't that reliable anyway. She's got a successful career, good friends and can evict spiders from the bath herself, so she doesn't need to settle down, thanks. Walter's ex is moving his daughter to America and Walter feels like he's losing his family. When his friend-with-benefits, Olivia, discovers she's pregnant by her douchebag ex, Walter sees the perfect chance to be part of a family with a woman he loves. But how can Walter persuade the most independent woman he's ever met to accept his help, let alone his heart? Girl In Trouble is the third book in the award nominated Smart Girls se...