Put the Kettle On, Love: Uncover Iconic UK Stories and Traditions Here! #shortstories #quickreads #britishauthors

Enter the world of Put the Kettle on, Love, where you will find fifteen captivating short stories with twists that will enchant and intrigue you. Each story offers a glimpse into the complexities of human relationships and emotions, from tales of sibling rivalry to heartwarming reflections on love and forgiveness.

 In ‘Sisterly Rivalry,’ you can follow the journey of revenge as sisters navigate the complexities of their bond. ‘The Alien’ invites you to see the world through a child's eyes as they encounter the extraordinary. Meanwhile, ‘For the Love of Duncan’ explores the intricacies of destiny and love's enduring power.

With stories ranging from heartwarming to thought-provoking, Put the Kettle on, Love is a delightful collection that promises to captivate and entertain readers. So, pour yourself a cuppa, settle into your favourite chair, and immerse yourself in these tales that will warm your heart and leave you longing for more. 

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When Julie is hurled back to 1973 during a glitch in spacetime, it doesn’t become a simple case of reliving her harrowing childhood. She has to relive it from another perspective in someone else’s body. #timetravel #QuantumLeap

 WIDE AWAKE ASLEEP
by
Louise Wise

I based my novel, WIDE AWAKE ASLEEP, where I grew up in a sleepy village in Potterspury in Northamptonshire.

I wanted the novel to appeal to readers worldwide, so I enlisted Elayne Morgan from Serenity Editing Services in America to work with me on the novel.

Between us, we giggled over the differences in our language:

Bonbons - a chewy sweet in various flavours in England (chocolate in America)

Gas and air - pain relief in child labour (gasoline).

RTA - road traffic accident (MVA, i.e. motor vehicle accident).

Lock-in - widely known in England when a pub owner locked the doors after closing for illegal shenanigans.

Elayne didn’t know who Worzel Gummidge was but told me she loved the name so much she would name her next pet after him!

I haven’t changed my English spellings, and the book is quintessentially British, but it’s free from slang to make it more palatable to those outside England.

It’s been an eye-opener to see how British I am!

So, check out this time travel novel based in a small village that’s so old it was listed in the Domesday book. Modern Julie Compton thinks she has it all until she plunges back to her childhood to relive her life. One problem, she’s in someone else’s body.

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Turning it up to 11. When a scene needs as much as you can give it. #parodies #competition .@HeideGoody .@IainMGrant #wip #writingworld #writertips .@rararesources

Scene Writing

By

Heide Goody and Iain M Grant

On a scale of one to ten, how extreme do you want your scene to be?
If it’s comedy or horror then you should consider dialling it up to eleven.
So, what exactly do we mean by that? Let’s imagine a comedy scene where we want the comedy to come from our main character suffering social embarrassment when they’re on a first date.
What might we think of doing to our character?
– they lose all of their money somehow and cannot pay for anything.
– they dye their hair for the occasion and it goes wrong, so they CANNOT remove their hat.

Either could work. What would we score them: maybe eight out of ten?

How might we turn them up to eleven?
– they lose all of their money somehow and cannot pay for anything — they work out a deal with the restaurant where they will do some waiting in lieu of payment. The downside is that the restaurant wants them to do it NOW as there is a rush on, so our hero must keep disappearing from the date to go and secretly wait on other tables, all the while attempting to keep things “normal”.
– they dye their hair for the occasion and it goes wrong, so they CANNOT remove their hat. Every possible reason for removing a hat must subsequently be encountered, from minor etiquette reasons to an animal getting inside the hat. It should culminate in someone important demanding the removal of the hat.

This is where it can be very useful to write in a partnership, or find some other way to stretch your ideas. It is a muscle that you can develop yourself, if you routinely make the assumption that your first idea might be pedestrian or cliched. What does your second or third idea look like? Keep going until you have the idea that feels as though you have really maxed out the concept you were aiming for.

What about horror?

If you’re going for any kind of gross-out horror, then the concept is very similar.
Here’s an example from our novel A Heart in the Right Place:

Nick has broken into his neighbour’s house to retrieve something of his, and we wanted him to be incriminated by finding a body. The person could have been poisoned or stabbed, but we wanted something spectacularly horrible, so we came up with the idea of using a power tool. In our version of turning it up to eleven, we decided to use all of the power tools.

“In the middle of the hallway was a Black and Decker workbench. He recognised it because his dad owned one just like it. There were several power tools clamped to the workbench. Nick wasn’t sure what they all were, but knew his dad would not only know what each was called, he’d also know how to operate them and what sort of job they’d be used for. Nick was pretty sure the scenario in front of him was not one recommended by any of the manufacturers. Each of the tools had its gouging, drilling, sawing bits turned upwards, and the mutilated remains of a man’s body lay face down on them. The whirring sound Nick heard from outside was made by several tools which were running. Some of them stuck out from the back and side of the man’s body. There was even a lengthy drill bit, still spinning, poking out through the skull.

“Oz?” asked Nick. He felt like an idiot. He felt sick.

Oz was in no state to confirm or deny his identity. Chunks of his body had splattered the walls. Blood had pooled on the hall rug, seeping through and spreading to the skirting boards. The parts left on the bench juddered with the tools’ movements, as if Oz was having sex with his workbench. The dog was licking at the dead man’s dangling hand. Perversely, Nick thought this was particularly wrong.

“No. No. This isn’t right?” he heard his mouth say. 

~

Introducing…

A Heart in the Right Place

All Nick wants to do is take his dying father for a perfect father-son weekend in the Scottish Highlands. It’s not much to ask, is it? A log cabin, a roaring fire, a bottle of fine whisky and two days to paper over the cracks in their relationship.

Amazon

However, Nick didn’t plan on making the trip with a dead neighbour in the back of his car. Or the neighbour’s dog. He really didn’t plan on being pursued by a psychotic female assassin intent on collecting body parts. And he really, really didn’t plan on encountering a platoon of heavily armed mercenaries, or some very hungry boars, or a werewolf.

A Heart in the Right Place - a horror comedy about setting out with the very best intentions and then messing everything up.

Facebook | Website | Twitter Heide | Twitter Iain | Amazon

About the authors:

Heide Goody is the stupid one in the writing partnership and Iain Grant is the sensible one. Together, they are the authors of over a dozen books.

The ‘Clovenhoof’ series (in which Satan loses his job and has to move to Birmingham) has recently been optioned by a Hollywood production company.

Heide and Iain are both married, but not to each other.

And now for the competition!

Giveaway – Win a gorgeous Moleskine Passion Traveller's Journal (Open Internationally)

The Moleskine Traveller’s Journal is a structured before and after record of every journey you make, from weekends away to life-changing trips and everything in between. 

Note down your travel plans before you leave and list all the things you hope to see and do, then add maps, photos, tickets and keepsakes when you return. 

The Traveller’s Journal is a place to dream, get practical and create a unique and lasting paper archive of your travels that you’ll want to revisit again and again.

·        premium box with themed graphics related to your passion
·        hard cover with themed debossing, rounded corners, elastic closure
·        2 ribbon bookmarks
·        double expandable inner pocket
·        front endpaper with ‘in case of loss’ notice
·        ivory-coloured 70 g/m² acid-free paper
·        tabbed sections to guide your note-taking
·        themed introductory pages
·        400 pages 
·        themed stickers to customize your journal
·        Moleskine S.r.l. creates and sells FSC®-certified products "

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494183/?

If you enjoyed BBC's Bodyguard, you'll LOVE House Divided by .@rachelmcwrites #political #books #fiction #thriller .@rararesources

A House Divided

by

Rachel McLean

Jennifer Sinclair is many things: loyal government minister, loving wife and devoted mother.

But when a terror attack threatens her family, her world is turned upside down. When the government she has served targets her Muslim husband and sons, her loyalties are tested. And when her family is about to be torn apart, she must take drastic action to protect them.

Amazon.com | Amazon UK

A House Divided is a tense and timely thriller about political extremism and divided loyalties, and their impact on one woman.

 The theme on WWBB is all about the character from an author's book, and today Rachel McLean discusses her character Yusuf Hussain, and why she made him. 

Over to Rachel...

Yusuf Hussain - why is he the way he is? 

by 

Rachel McLean

 In A House Divided, Yusuf Hussain is the husband of the protagonist, the politician Jennifer Sinclair, and father to their two sons, Samir and Hassan.

Yusuf first landed on the page fifteen years ago in the first draft of the book and to be honest, at that stage he was a bit of a wet blanket.

I painted him as the perfect husband: handsome, supportive, great with the kids and handy in the kitchen. While Jennifer was having all sorts of crises thrown at her by the other characters, I wanted him to be the rock she could retreat to.

But I soon realised that was the wrong approach. A man doesn’t have to be perfect to be a good husband, nor does he have to be so much of a ‘new man’ that he’s unbelievable.

So I changed him.

I started to think about how he’d react to the political situation he and Jennifer found themselves in and the way it victimised him and his sons as Muslims. I analysed Jennifer’s actions, sometimes impulsive, and considered how Yusuf, as a real person and not some idealised version of manhood, might react to those.

And the conclusion I came to was that, while still being a great guy (which really comes out in book three of the trilogy), he’s angry.

He’s angry at a government that’s victimising Muslims like himself. He’s angry at a school system that wants to segregate his sons. He’s angry at a society that doesn’t trust him. And often he’s angry at Jennifer for being a part of that system as a government minister, albeit a rebellious one.

He doesn’t get as angry as his eldest son Samir, whose reaction to Islamophobia is a key driver for the plot. But he understands where Samir is coming from, and often argues with Jennifer about it.

They argue about the fact that she’s part of a government that wants to increase surveillance. They argue about the riots that take place, and how they make him scared for his kids. And they argue about how to respond when Samir gets into trouble for fighting at school.

But when push comes to shove, can Yusuf and Jennifer put aside their differences and channel their different forms of anger at the same target? Can they work together and use that anger to make things better?

The only way to find out is by reading the book!

A House Divided is out now in eBook and paperback. You can also find out more about the characters (including Jennifer) and read excerpts at my website.

Twitter | Facebook | Amazon Page | Website | Instagram

'I'm Rachel McLean and I write thrillers and speculative fiction.

I'm told that the world wants upbeat, cheerful stories - well, I'm sorry but I can't help. My stories have an uncanny habit of predicting future events (and not the good ones). They're inspired by my work at the Environment Agency and the Labour Party and explore issues like climate change, Islamophobia, the refugee crisis and sexism in high places. All with a focus on how these impact individual people and families.

You can find out more about my writing, get access to deals and exclusive stories or become part of my advance reader team by joining my book club at rachelmclean.com/bookclub.

This is The Devil Wears Prada clashing with Bridget Jones.. and it's only #99cents! #literature #fiction #booksale #Bookshelf

Oh no, I've Fallen in Love!

Depression is a curse; a taboo illness which Valerie Anthrope has suffered with for most of her life.

And so far, her way of dealing with it is to hide it, which means no friends. Ever. She works hard at keeping all acquaintances at arms’ length, and has thrown herself into building her financial brokerage business. Happiness to Valerie is a successful mortgage deal.

Ellen Semple is happy-go-lucky. Her world is all-dancing and all-singing fun. She’s Valerie’s new employee.

Lex Kendal is Valerie’s client. He wants to screw Valerie.

This is the story of a depressive woman changing the views of two egotistical people, and in turn, Valerie comes to realise that these selfish people are the ones who can help her—if she dares to open up to them.

A story of true friendship.

A story about the power of love.

A story of how one women gained the strength to fight her depression.

Oh no, I’ve Fallen in Love! came second in the eFestival of Words Best Independent eBook Awards 2013. Oh no, I’ve Fallen in Love! is told through the eyes of Valerie Anthrope and Lex Kendal in varying chapters—‘a unique way of storytelling.'

Click below to purchase

Oh no, I've Fallen in Love!

Extract from Oh no, I've Fallen in Love!

I smiled, but found I couldn’t hold his gaze. I had never teased anyone before, but that’s exactly what I had been doing. And he’d returned it. Our easy bantering was happening as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

I opened my diary, and pretended to look through it. ‘I’ve a lot to do this morning, Mr Kendal. You really should have phoned for an appointment.’ He perched himself on the spare desk, leaving a long leg swinging down.

‘I’m here to make one.’

‘Oh.’

‘I want to make an appointment to take you out to dinner. Shall we say Saturday night?’

‘This Saturday?’

‘This Saturday, yes. That’s the day after Friday, and the day before Sunday.’

A tingle of excitement was bubbling up inside my stomach. It was only a dinner date, I told myself. I could keep him at arm’s length, just like everyone else, no problem. Except he wasn’t like any man I’d met before. He seemed to revel in my sharp comments and caustic sarcasm.

A bang from the outer door told me my staff had arrived back from lunch. I cleared my throat, and made an effort to look in control.

‘Yes, that would be lovely.’

The arrogant bastard grinned, telling me that’s what he expected me to say.  I remembered reading about the kiss-and-tell that his ex-wife leaked to the papers, which backfired on her and made him famous. It was all about how she couldn’t compete with his affairs and was filing for a divorce after fifteen years. She then demanded a hefty settlement and posed topless.

‘Good. There’s a new fish restaurant just opened along the Thames that I thought we could try. Or is there anything else you fancy? Apart from me,’ he added with a wider grin.

He’s such a jerk, I thought. But a sexy jerk. A flutter of appreciation feathered my spine as I took in his broad shoulders and imagined myself in his arms again.  But did I want to be another notch on his bedpost – hell, I was a modern woman – he could be a notch on mine!

💋 Need a chuckle? Check out this British #romcom - A Proper Charlie. Giggles guaranteed, and only #99c! #chicklit

Charlotte (Charlie) Wallis dreams of being a journalist and being part of a family unit. Life hasn’t been easy for her—born to a junkie mother and brought up in a children’s home—she craves a family life, but her current boyfriend has palpitations at the mention of commitment, and Charlie’s beginning to believe she’s going to be the office gofer forever.

Then she hears of a possible Jack the Ripper style story, which has London in its gruesome grip. Bodies aren’t showing up even though prostitutes are going missing at a rate of one a month, and the police are stumped.

Without telling anyone, Charlie dons her best fishnet stockings and hits the streets pretending to be a prostitute in the aid of securing a story to further her career.

But seeing her new boss, Ben Middleton, kerb crawling was the last thing she expected.

Then Ben lets her into his secret, and she not only becomes part of the ‘Jack the Ripper’ story, she finds herself the starring role!

Romcom at its craziest, funniest and British-iest.

Told is varying points of view between the protagonist, Charlie, and her love interest/could-be kidnapper/boss/geek/misunderstood, Ben. He's in the wrong place at the wrong time ALL the time. And they say Charlie's a klutz.

A Proper Charlie

Amazon.UK | Amazon.com

Excerpt:

It was when she plumped up the cushions for the fourth time that she decided she would go out and do some more research on the prostitutes.

She grinned, brightening as a plan began to formulate in her mind. ‘I’ll approach it differently this time,’ she said aloud, feeling ingenious. ‘And I’ll be a hooker for the evening. I’ll get information undercover!’

She rubbed her hands together, warming to her plan and picturing Melvin’s face when a publishing house took on her book and elevated her up the best-selling list. She would be sending Fanny to the canteen for her lunch and not vice versa; she imagined sending him for lattes and Sushi as Mr Middleton looked on in admiration.

‘Obviously, I won’t be sleeping with the clients, unless Orlando Bloom or Will Smith pulls up,’ she continued, ‘but that’s not very likely. Hell, I’d settle for anyone at this rate! Hmmm, what to wear…’ and she danced off towards her bedroom and pulled out a pair of stockings and a red garter from her drawer while humming to herself. In her enthusiasm, the dangers she might encounter were completely submerged.

Usually, makeup was just a slick of lipstick and sometimes mascara. Therefore, the hunt was on for her makeup bag, which contained cosmetics not worn since her schooldays, unless you included the hideous occasion where she embarrassed herself in front of Mr Middleton at the fancy dress party. She found it after turning her bedroom and bathroom upside down, and emptied the contents in the bathroom sink.

She picked up a red lipstick and pulled off the gold lid. Before the sensible side of her talked her out of her mad plan, she applied the lipstick to her mouth. Smacking her lips together, she looked at herself critically in the mirror. It was amazing how a little makeup changed your face.

She wiped it off and set about making up her face properly using foundation, lip liner and black kohl to line her eyes. She viewed herself in the mirror again: sparkly purple eyeshadow, pillar-box red lips and cheeks. Her makeup would match her red mini skirt and garter that she’d planned to wear.

She straightened her hair and added the blonde hair extensions she had used at the disastrous party, only this time she used all she had instead of just a few. When she’d finished, she looked like a blonde bombshell from a 1980s budget movie.

‘Goodbye Wallis,’ she told her reflection. ‘Hello Charlotte.’

Only 99p!

A British read that sums up the entire chick lit genre: fun, relationships and 'finding yourself’.

Sssh, don't tell everyone, but it's half price for one week only

Sorry, folks, but it's back to normal price now.

A Proper Charlie

Charlie Wallis is ditzy but her heart is the right place, it’s just a shame her brain isn’t.

Without a family, she was brought up in a children’s home and subsequently craves to fall in love and be loved herself. She is heart-broken when her boyfriend dumps her, but then feels attracted to her boss, Ben. And it's mutual! Problem is he's wanted for murder.

Is her life destined to meet bad men? Or is Ben as innocent as he claims?

A true British book - A Proper Charlie will take you around the streets of London on Charlie's journey to contentment, and it's where she least expects to find it!

99c / 77p for one week only!

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