The word heart-warming was made for this book. In fact it doesn’t do it justice!
And look at the sweet cover.
Here’s the blurb…
A dream home Beca Valentino is ready to escape the city. When she sees the perfect house for sale in her hometown, it seems like fate. Is this her chance to build the foster family she dreams of, on the beautiful Pembrokeshire coast?
A big mistake? Returning home isn’t as easy as she thought, however. Her family’s beloved ice cream café is gone – turned into a soulless wine bar by her hateful ex-boyfriend. Reconnecting with her oldest friend, fisherman Griff, isn’t straightforward either. And when, instead of the children she expected to take in, two wary teenage boys appear on her doorstep, Beca fears she’s made a terrible mistake.
A recipe for change But an old family recipe book is just the inspiration she needs. Soon, with a little help from friends old and new, Beca is selling mouth-watering homemade gelato from a pop-up café on the beach.
Then disaster strikes. Will the Valentino family legacy be lost forever? Or can Beca create a new recipe for happiness?
My Review
I can’t quite explain how much I loved this story. It was such an uplifting book to read, with so many moments that had me smiling and wiping away happy tears. Of course it had it’s sad moments too, and moments where I wanted to grab Beca and talk some sense into her.
The supporting cast were brilliant, especially the two teenage boys who came to stay. Watching them come out of their shells was a joy to read. And I love how Griff, Beca’s best friend from childhood, is always there to lend a hand, a shoulder to cry on, anything that Beca needs.
I think this has to be one of my top favourite Jo Thomas books. Give it a read, I’m sure you will love it too.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC copy. The book comes out on 27th April 2023, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories
I can’t believe how time has flown and I haven’t posted anything for a month and a half! Yesterday was the blog tour for my newest audiobook, Love, Loss and Life In Between – a short listen perfect for those who like to dip in and out of audiobooks.
Thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for organising the tour and of course thank you to all the bloggers who listened to the collection and have been posting their reviews over the last few weeks.
It’s great how everyone connects with different stories for different reasons and I just love to read their reviews. Of course I also like to share them with you, so here’s a round up with my review highlights. Here goes…
Lara Maynard gives listeners a taste of the stories in this collection in her post on Instagram. ‘The stories include “Garden Therapy” (to which gardeners like me will relate), “A Cat-Shaped Hole” (which might make pet lovers misty-eyed), a story around domestic abuse, and a second chance romance. Most of the stories are broadly in the domestic fiction realm, with flavours of romance or thriller, but a couple veer into the paranormal.’
The Bookish Hermit says ‘…a selection of very emotionally charged stories that have been written with care, respect and love. The audible version is narrated perfectly by Sandie Keane who does a fantastic job of bringing the author’s (Suzanne Rogerson) words to life.’
Just Katherine Blog says ‘…A quick-paced collection of wonderful little stories that are all so different and capture the difficult task of moving on after loss and tragedy. There’s a message that runs through them all: whatever happens, you have to do your best to move on and be strong…’
Bookworm86 shared mini reviews for each story. ‘A beautiful collection of 10 short stories filled with emotion from heartbreak to love, sadness to new beginnings… 📱 ‘The Phone Call’: This story is definitely my favourite one!! It is one of those stories that hit you straight in the gut and will stay witjh me for a long time!’
Jessica’s reading room shared her review ‘Several of the stories deal with death and moving on. Rogerson did a great job with capturing the emotions of a story in just a few words!’
Lis Carey’s Library shared ‘”A Cat-Shaped Hole” is a sweet story of a cat who makes someone’s day brighter, while “Not Just For Christmas” is a story of a family grieving their departed dog deciding it’s time to welcome a new dog into their family. Both brightened my day.’
Niki Preston says ‘I found Suzanne’s writing style was wonderfully creative and really lent itself to this anthology. You really get drawn in and each story feels complete even though they are all short. She definitely gets to the heart of each one with a precision that makes you wonder how on earth she managed to create each differing story with such honesty. A great listen all round.’
Romance that’s out of this world also shared a review saying ‘An eclectic and delightful selection of short stories, which are perfect for listening to when you fancy a few minutes relaxation, or you just want to dip in and out. They range from the slightly eerie to the ‘feelgood’ and ‘cosy’ tale, so there is something for everyone…’
Juliereadzintherockies shared an Instagram post ‘The narrator was lovely as she read through these deep, dark, and passionate stories. I love thrillers but it’s nice to step away and sample something meaningful and touching once in a while.’
A review from MJ Porter says ‘Garden Therapy, with its slight otherworldliness was delightful, and A Mermaid’s Tale was a beautiful account of a young girl coming to terms with the loss of her mother, whereas Catalyst was quite edgy. Not Just for Christmas is a tale many pet owners with feel resonates with them.’
Books we’ve read and loved say ‘I really enjoyed each story. They were like little windows in to different worlds – whole stories in their right but that let you build a world for the characters all of your own. I found myself creating pasts or futures for the characters.’
Storied Conversation was impressed with the narration ‘Sandie Keane did a wonderful job of narrating these stories. I loved her voice and was able to get lost in the stories without having her voice over power them.’
The final review is from Seaside Book Nook. ‘Suzanne Rogerson did a great job pulling me into the story very quickly while telling very touching stories. The stories cover the three Ls: Life, Love, and Loss. After each story, I was able to reflect on the meaning of the story and how it was connected to one of the three Ls. ‘
***
Wow, that was quite a list to go through. A big thank you to everyone who took part, I hope I haven’t missed anyone off.
If you’ve been inspired to check out the audiobook by these wonderful reviews, here’s the link for Audible. Also available on Amazon as ebook, paperback, audio and hardback.
It’s been a good reading year for me. I completed my Goodreads challenge of 25 in plenty of time, getting to 28 books in total. It’s not the biggest target, but I’m pleased I made it.
I’ve read a mixture of romance, urban fantasy and fantasy with a couple of thrillers, a how to book and a graphic novel thrown in.
You can check out all the books I read on my goodreads challenge here.
I’ve been transported to some amazing locations and different worlds, I’ve been entertained and kept up too late at night on many occasions!
I try to read as many books as I can by fellow indie authors or those published by small presses, and I’ve discovered new to me authors whose work I will be searching out in the future.
I haven’t reviewed as many books on my blog as I would have liked in 2022, but I try to leave reviews or at least ratings on Goodreads and Amazon because as an author I know how important these are.
Looking back over the list on Goodreads, I find it almost impossible to pick a favourite. But If I had to, I think I would say The Switch by Beth O’Leary. I only picked it up because so many agents rate her work and having read this book I can completely see why. I highly recommend it.
Did you meet any reading challenges you set yourself? Have you got a favourite read you can recommend?
I will be back in the new year with some of the books I plan to read during 2023.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories
Another great festive read from Jo Thomas. First off, I love the cover. It’s joyful, colourful and pretty, perfect for a Christmas story. It is also a very good reflection of the story itself.
Blurb
Four friends Twenty-five years ago, Freya and her three best friends created a bucket list. The future seemed bright, full of hope and most importantly guaranteed . . .
One promise Now they are travelling to Iceland in memory of the friend they’ve lost, determined to fulfil her dream of seeing the Northern Lights at Christmas.
A life-changing adventure They didn’t count on an avalanche leaving them stranded! Handsome local, Pétur, comes to the rescue, showing them how the community survives the hard winter. With Christmas approaching, Freya and her friends throw themselves into the festivities, decorating and cooking for the villagers using delicious local ingredients.
But will the Northern Lights appear so they can honour their friend’s wish? And can Freya’s own dreams come true, this Christmas?
I really enjoyed this story and escaping into Freya’s world. I liked the premise of keeping a promise to a friend that is no longer with you and fulfilling their dream of seeing the northern lights. However driving out into a building snowstorm? That was never going to be a good idea. Cue Petur, and what a savior he turned out to be!
I loved the friendships and sense of community with this story. I wasn’t let down in the romance department either.
I felt like I went on an adventure with Freya and her friends, though admittedly I hate the cold so you wouldn’t catch me getting up to some the things Freya did! I much preferred snuggling up under the covers and imagining the experiences as I read about them.
I recommend you pick up this book and devour it with a hot chocolate next to an open fire!
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy and apologies I’m so late posting this review. I’ve been working on a little of my own Christmas magic in the form of festive short stories.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories
It seems like only yesterday I was celebrating the release of Love, Loss and Life In Between but now I have a new short story collection publishing just in time for Christmas!
I can’t believe I only came up with the idea for this collection on 8th October this year. Somehow in less than 6 weeks I was near enough ready to hit publish. One story is an extended version of Not Just For Christmas from Love, Loss and Life In Between. Thanks to Cat for putting the thought into my head about extending the story.
A Christmas Wish is out now in Paperback and Hardback now, and it is available for pre-order on Kindle. The official release date is 3rd December 2022. See it on Amazon.
Here’s the cover…
Blurb
A heart-warming collection of feel-good stories showing snippets of family life and friendship during the festive period.
Santa Paws Delivery
Blaze delivers Christmas cheer to a care home.
Christmas Wish – Part One
During the office Christmas party Cassie is forced to re-evaluate her life priorities.
For the Holidays
A stepdaughter’s not just for Christmas.
Chance Encounters
Two brothers must unite to do the right thing when faced with a life-threatening choice.
Christmas Wish – Part Two
As Lynn contemplates another lonely Christmas, can Harry provide a welcome distraction?
The Icing on the Cake
Preparing for a big family Christmas, will the day go as Jess plans?
Not Just For Christmas (extended version)
The Shelton family welcome a new addition to the family, but could it spell disaster for Christmas?
One Good Deed
Struggling with life after University, Sam is stuck in a rut until he meets a homeless man with an unexpected gift.
I’ve included a cheeky little picture of Daisy in the book. She was my inspiration for the first story, Santa Paws, and I’ve dedicated the book to her. She’s such a sweetheart!
If you fancy a little festive reading, please consider picking up a copy of A Christmas Wish.
I’m looking for reviewers, so if you’re interested in an ARC in exchange for an honest review please get in touch.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
It’s been great seeing new reviews being shared of my latest short story collection, especially when the reviewers pick their favourite stories. It’s cool to see reviews being shared on other platform as well, including Instagram. Here are a few snippets and links to the reviewers Instagram posts;
Jen_loves_reading says ‘This is a very emotive and thought provoking collection of short stories that cover grief and finding love, as well as moving on and finding peace either with themselves or others. Some of the stories will stay with me longer than others, whilst there were a couple that just pulled at the heartstrings.’
Seduced with Literature says ‘This has to be the most emotional collection of short stories I’ve come across to date. Suzanne had really mastered capturing raw, painful emotions in very few words.’
Library of Louise says ‘If you are someone who enjoys short stories then you is one full of variety and solid writing, and perhaps one you may consider.’
InsomniacBookwormBookReviews says ‘Emotionally, heartwarming collection of short stories that are written beautifully.’
Pooled Ink says ‘Suzanne Rogerson has such an ability to explore a vast array of human experiences and threading them through with a breath of magic. These short stories were easy to read in a day, quick yet poignant.’
Tea leaves and book leaves says ‘Love loss and life between are short stories and all of them are written beautiful and very meaningful. I do like Suzanne Rogerson writing it is engaging and emotive and all the stories touched my heart.’
Tizi’s Book Review says ‘…reading each story put me on a rollercoaster of emotions. There were sweet stories in it, heart – warming ones, heart – breaking ones, hopeful stories. But there was also one story that gave me the creeps…’
Tomes and Tales says ‘I loved each of the stories. Rogerson writes beautifully, and her style is warm and concise. The mixed genres make every story different and interesting in its own way. Her way of writing about human emotions and commonplace issues strikes a chord.’
Bound4Escape says ‘These short stories feature several genres. Many of them are sweet, many are about grief and the first steps of moving on, and one I would even categorize as horror.’
Today is the one day blog blitz for my newest release – Love, Loss and Life In Between.
Some great reviews have already come in and I will share the links with you below. First though, I’d just like to thank Rachel for organising another blog blitz for me.
It’s always nerve-wracking publishing something new, but even more so when that is in a new genre. Thankfully Love, Loss and Life In Between has been well received. Take at look at some of the comments below and follow the links to read the full reviews. I’ll share another update later or tomorrow with links to the remaining blogs.
Just Katherine says ‘Love, Loss and Life in Between is an incredibly well-written short story collection. The emotions in each story are so powerful and the writing style is excellent, with each word carefully chosen to give maximum effect and make the reader feel.’
The Strawberry Post says ‘This is a lovely set of short stories, each of them quite different from the others but all of them centering on the subjects of love and loss…’
Jenny Lou’s Book Reviews says ‘This is a lovely collection of short stories, you can have heart-breaking, heart-warming and shocking moments all in one collection.’
Mai’s Musings says ‘…I was surprised at just how much emotion Suzanne managed to inject into each of these small but perfectly formed tales.’
MJ Porter Author Blog says ‘…This really was a delightful collection of short stories. The author has a lovely turn of phrase and manages to evoke strong feelings in her characters which make them believable, so that in only a few words the reader is already rooting for them.’
At last, my new mixed genre short story collection is published! This has been a long time coming and I’m so pleased to share it with you all today.
It’s available from Amazon for only 99p worldwide, and the paperback is out now too.
I’m planning to release a hardback and large print edition to cover more bases very soon. The hardback edition will likely just be for my own benefit, but I’m hoping the large print edition will be more attractive to libraries. The audiobook option is something I’m less sure about as I don’t know what the market for short fiction is like. But it could be another avenue to follow in the future.
This collection of short stories gives a glimpse into life, love, loss, and the inexplicable in between.
With themes of grief, finding hope and second chances, facing the consequences of your actions and getting help from the unlikeliest of places.
As Cecilia helps the dying, she questions what happens to their spirits. But is she ready to find out?
Can a mother’s race through the New Forest save her son?
Will visiting a medium bring Christina the closure she needs?
Can an intruder help an old lady with her loneliness?
Will the start of another wet and miserable Monday morning end with Maeve’s happy ever after?
The anthology includes the prize-winning flash fiction story – ‘Spirit Song’.
Spirit Song judge’s critique – ‘Unusual, emotional, warm, surprising — a warm, unusual story. It moved me when I read it.’
Full story list: Spirit Song Goodbye Forever Garden Therapy Starting Over A Cat-Shaped Hole The Phone Call Knocked Off Her Feet Catalyst Not Just For Christmas A Mermaid’s Tail
***
There is still time for reviewers and bloggers to join the 1 day blog blitz run by Rachel’s Random Resources. Sign up here.
At some point I will share some insight into some of these stories, especially Spirit Song, which is precious to me and won me my first success in a flash fiction competition.
Please consider sharing this new release with everyone you know, and if you have time in your busy lives for a quick read, why not give Love, Loss and Life In Between a go.
Thanks for reading.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
Things haven’t been going to plan at the moment, at least not the plans I set myself a few months ago. I still like to look back, take stock and make new plans in the hope I can get back on track. With this in mind, I’m going to take a moment to celebrate what I have done so far this year.
Achievements in 2022
I’ve published not one, but two short story anthologies!
After a barren couple of years of not publishing anything, it’s been brilliant to break back into self publishing. These are passion projects that I hope fans of my writing will enjoy, but they will also hopefully help me reach new readers too. I had a blog blitz for Fantasy Short Stories in June and have another planned in October for Love, Loss and Life In Between. Rachel’s Random Resources is still taking sign ups for anyone interested.
The Mermaid Hotel Romance series
I’ve edited and rewritten parts of Evie’s Song, including adding a new VP character (the match making hotel owner Mrs Shallon) and adding more scenes which include a prologue and an epilogue. I’m trying to find time to read through all the changes and decide if it’s finally ready or not.
I’ve spoken with a few agents via the Winchester Festival in June and have taken steps to make changes to Evie’s Song as per their suggestions.
Probably the most fun thing I’ve done this year is go to a weekend writing retreat run by Alison May and Janet Gover. It was so helpful and wonderful to spend a whole weekend just focused on writing, in particular Evie’s Song. The 1-2-1 feedback was invaluable! I would love to do it again, but funds are tight so it maybe a while before that is possible. They run these retreats 3 times a year and I highly recommend them.
Not gone to plan
Starlight Prophecy
The trilogy has stalled while I worked on the two short story publications and focused on Evie’s Song. I haven’t looked at it for months, but hopefully my subconscious has been working on those plot issues while I’ve been busy. I love fantasy and really would love to get this going again. I’d hate to abandon the 139k I’ve written between books 1 and 2, and Delaphine is an awesome anti-heroine I can’t wait to share her with the world!
MH Romance Series
I had hoped to have up to 3 books in the series published in 2022. Evie’s Song is coming along nicely and I have the drafts of books 2 and 3, but I just haven’t gotten around to continuing with them. With funds tight, the idea of self publishing may have to go on hold, and I’m still toying with the idea of approaching agents and publishers direct. We’ll just have to see where things stand in a few months.
Plans for the rest of 2022
The Mermaid Hotel Series
Finish Evie’s Song and make a decision on publication method. If self publishing I would love to have this ready by December. But I’m not sure yet. And is December / Christmas the best time to release a summer romance anyway?
Work on the drafts of book 2 and 3 so they are in more publishable shape.
Plan and develop series arc.
Starlight Prophecy
I want to work on this, even if it is just to plan the series and characters arcs so I can finish the first draft.
Future Projects– no date in mind
Reworking the old
Whilst watching the first episode of the House of the Dragons (the difficult birth scene) I was reminded of the second fantasy book I ever wrote. It was written 20+years ago, and will no doubt have many amateur mistakes. But as I started explaining the scene to my husband and all the events leading up to it, I got really excited for the idea again. I also realised I had a pretty twisted imagination back then, I’m definitely a lot kinder to my characters now!
I would love to revisit my old novels and see how much effort it would take to re-write them because I still want to tell those characters stories. I’ve even transferred them to my kindle so I can read them without being tempted to start editing straight away. It’s been in the to do list a long time!
Series and other ideas
I would love to write a fantasy series with shorter instalments than my trilogy. I’m think around the 100 to 150 pages mark. I have a project in mind, but nothing planned beyond the first few chapters.
I have ideas for a timeslip romance, and spin off stories around the Mermaid Hotel series.
Silent Sea Chronicles
I would still love to write the prequel to book 1. I recently reviewed the prologue I’ve written for it and really like it, but I’m still not sure if a prequel would spoil the rest of the trilogy. That’s what’s been holding me back for so long.
I would also love to continue the story of the various characters and see what the future holds for them. I just need to decide what format those stories will manifest in. A book of short stories, novellas, or a whole new novel / series?
***
I think that will do for this update. I will review my achievements and goals at the end of the year. I can’t believe that’s only a few months away.
Have you any goals to share? Ones you are happy with achieving, or ones you’ve set yourself to complete by the end of 2022?
I will share my reading goals in another post very soon. Until then, happy reading and writing!
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
On 15th October 2022 Rachel’s Random Resources will be running a 1 day blog blitz to celebrate the publication of my new book – Love, Loss and Life In Between. We’re looking for reviews and promo posts so if that sound like your thing, you can sign up now.
If you are not a book blogger, you can pre-order a copy of the book for only 99p. Love, Loss and Life In Between comes out on 9th September 2022.
Here’s a little taster of what the book is about;
With themes of grief, finding hope and second chances, facing the consequences of your actions and getting help from the unlikeliest of places.
As Cecilia helps the dying, she questions what happens to their spirits. But is she ready to find out?
Can a mother’s race through the New Forest save her son?
Will visiting a medium bring Christina the closure she needs?
Can an intruder help an old lady with her loneliness?
Will the start of another wet and miserable Monday morning end with Maeve’s happy ever after?
The anthology includes the prize-winning flash fiction story – ‘Spirit Song’.
It will be great to have my second short story collection out this year and hopefully the change of genre will encourage some new readers to take a chance on my work.
***
Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance
Suzanne Rogerson Fantasy Author 