49-year-old Tilly Thomas would never have known any different if she hadn’t unexpectedly turned up at hubby Robin’s office to surprise him with an off-the-cuff evening at the theatre. Instead, the surprise is on Tilly when she interrupts Robin and his young PA in a compromising position.
Stumbling from the office, blinded by tears, Tilly thanks God she was never gifted the children she once craved and is spared explaining why Mummy and Daddy will now be living apart. Instead, Tilly has an adopted daughter – but this little girl has a wet nose and warm heart.
Mongrel Cindy is privy to all her mummy’s hopes and dreams as Tilly prepares to start over in the village of Starlight Croft. Thank goodness a dog can’t speak because Cindy knows things her mistress has never shared, including a secret that once broke Tilly’s heart.
As Tilly prepares to embrace an unknown future and make peace with her past, she discovers that sometimes difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations…
Starting over at Starlight Cottage is an engaging second-chance romance novel, with Tilly as our main character. This is the second of Debbie’s books that I’ve read and I really enjoy how ‘real’ her characters feel, with all their quirky foibles and often, inner monologues, and sometimes saying things outloud which should probably stay thought but not said.
Poor Tilly is in a difficult place, but quickly realises she needs to get on with her life if she’s to be happy again. And she is determined to be happy without her soon to be ex-husband.
Her encounter with Starlight Cottage begins a tale of redemption and romance, which is fun and sweet and the ending will warm every readers heart.
Meet the author
Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued pooch from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her adult children return home bringing her much joy… apart from when they want to raid the fridge or eat her secret stash of chocolate. Tweet @DebbieViggiano or follow her on Facebook!
I’m delighted to welcome Marcia Clayton and her new book, A Woman Scorned, The Hartford Manor Series, to the blog with a snippet.
Snippet
Snippet 4:
Excerpt from Chapter 16
It was a starry moonlit night, and Robert was astounded by the number of people waiting around the estuary of the River Taw. Despite the late hour, men, women and children carried buckets, nets, and sieves, indeed anything to catch the slippery little eels and get a few free meals. Jim led Robert to where his men stood in the water, ready to pull the fyke nets out when full.
When the tide turned, Robert could not believe his eyes. Suddenly, the river and the ground around his feet seemed to be alive with millions of tiny, translucent eels about three to four inches long. As well as swimming upstream, they slithered over the long, wet grass, and the children squealed in delight as they captured them by the bucketful.
There seemed to be a never-ending flow of elvers, and Jim told Robert that most folk would be there all night, or at least until the tide turned or the supply of elvers reduced.
“Goodness, they’ll be so tired; don’t they have to work tomorrow?”
“Aye, of course; some might be lucky enough to grab an hour or two of sleep before they turn in for work in the morning, but I expect most had a nap after supper and will go straight to work at dawn. I doubt many children will be at school for the next week or two, but it’s more important to gather free food when it’s available. Anyway, have you seen enough? Shall we leave them to it and have a nightcap before we turn in?”
Robert nodded gratefully. “Yes, I like the sound of that; thank you.”
Jim smiled to himself, thinking it never did any harm for the gentry to see how the other half lived.
Here’s the blurb
1886 North Devon, England
Lady Lilliana Grantley has been seriously ill with typhoid, a disease that recently claimed her husband Edgar’s life and that of his long-time lover, Rosemary Gibbs. Now recovering at last, the lady wastes no tears on her husband but is determined to wreak revenge on his two illegitimate children.
Embarrassed for years by his affair with Rosemary, a childhood sweetheart living nearby, she has falsely accused Sir Edgar’s daughter, Millicent, of the theft of a precious brooch and wants to see her jailed or hung.
Fortunately for Millie and her little brother, Jonathan, their granny, Emily, insisted they leave home as soon as she heard of Sir Edgar’s death, for she knew his widow would seek revenge. The old lady was soon proved right, and Lady Lilliana, furious the two youngsters were nowhere to be found, evicted the old woman despite the fact she, too, was dangerously ill.
After a long and hazardous journey to North Devon, Millie and Jonathan were united with some long-lost family members who made them welcome and gave them a home. However, aware that Lady Lilliana has put a price on Millie’s head, they know they are not yet out of danger. Despite this, they are determined to find their granny, Emily, who seems to have disappeared.
Aided by her long-time lover, Sir Clive Robinson, Lady Lilliana is determined to find Millie and Jonnie and get them out of her life once and for all, but how far will the embittered woman go?
All the books in The Hartford Manor Series can be ordered from any bookshop.
Meet the Author
Marcia Clayton writes historical fiction with a sprinkling of romance and mystery in a heart-warming family saga that stretches from the Regency period through to Victorian times.
A farmer’s daughter, Marcia was born in North Devon, a rural and picturesque area in the far South West of England. When she left school at sixteen, Marcia worked in a bank for several years until she married her husband, Bryan, and then stayed at home for a few years to care for her three sons, Stuart, Paul and David.
As the children grew older, Marcia enrolled in a secretarial course, which led to an administrative post at the local college. Marcia progressed through various jobs at the college and, when working as a Transport Project Coordinator, was invited to 10 Downing Street to meet Tony Blair, the then Prime Minister. Marcia later worked for the local authority as the Education Transport Manager for Devon County Council and remained there until her retirement.
Now a grandmother, Marcia enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She’s a keen researcher of family history, and this hobby inspired some of the characters in her books. A keen gardener, Marcia grows many of her own vegetables. She is also an avid reader and enjoys historical fiction, romance, and crime books.
Marcia has written six books in the historical family saga, “The Hartford Manor Series”. You can also read her free short story, “Amelia”, a spin-off tale from the first book, “The Mazzard Tree”, by downloading the story here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/amelia-free-download/
In addition to writing books, Marcia produces blogs to share with her readers in a monthly newsletter. If you would like to join Marcia’s mailing list, you can subscribe here: https://marciaclayton.co.uk/
I’m delighted to welcome Sara Powter and her new book, Madeline’s Boy, from the Convict Birthstain Collection, to the blog.
Here’s the blurb
England 1830s to New South Wales 1840
The race to protect an orphaned Boy
All is not straightforward when money and titles are involved.
Orphaned, afraid and on the run, Chip must Flee.
Madeline was his mother’s best friend. Maddie now needs to keep her charge safe and alive. She must give up her life to protect the boy she has loved since birth.
Months after Chip’s parents’ demise, Maddie sets out to deliver Chip to his Uncle Humphrey, who lives in Sydney. Through him, she meets Chip’s friend Tim, who falls for Maddie— but will they find happiness?
The menacing presence soon finds Chip, and Maddie needs to hide him again. They are moved from hidden farms to secret valleys, ending up in an aboriginal encampment.
Can Tim find a way to be with Maddie? And if so… Will Chip ever be safe?
Sara Powter lives on the NSW Central Coast. Her childhood was spent with her parents, mainly travelling up and down the East Coast of Australia, fishing, shell collecting, and doing some of her education through correspondence schooling.
With a passion for science, she worked as a Scientific Assistant in the Entomology Department of the Department of Agriculture. She married Stephen soon after leaving there, and they spent 30 years in Ministry in the Newcastle Anglican Diocese in NSW, only retiring at the end of 2020.
When ‘Covid 19’ hit, time was available to pen some of the stories she’d wanted to write for some time. Within twelve months, eight stories were finished, and ideas for more were coming (after four years, she had recently completed her twenty-eighth book). These stem from her passion for Colonial Australia, her convict ancestors, and the fantastic country’s remarkable history!
Sara wrote these as she wished to complete one of her mother’s unfinished manuscripts. The series prequel, “Dancing to Her Own Tune,” is now completed and ties in Sheila Hunter’s Australian Trilogy with Sara’s Lockley series and many others. All are Clean Australian Historical Fiction.
But… Watch for more in The Hunter to Macquarie Collection and The Convict Birthstain Collection.
Cristó Lovetta, a skilled stonemason, arrives in the rural village of Pieve Santa Clara to work on a nobleman’s house.
Haunted by a tragic past, Cristó wonders if he will ever find happiness again. However, as he immerses himself in his work, the warmth of the community and the beauty of the landscape convince him to begin a new life there.
Cristó designs and builds his own house, which he names Casa Paradiso. Over the centuries, Casa Paradiso becomes home to many generations, standing testament to lives beginning and ending, and witnessing the everyday challenges and triumphs of its inhabitants – from love lost and found, to the tragedies of war, the far-reaching consequences of political decisions made by powerful men and the evolving role of women in Italian society.
Casa Paradiso – the fourth instalment of the Paradiso Novels – is a shining, evocative saga spanning three hundred years in the life of a very special house, and a book that explores the enduring strength of the human spirit, contrasted with the transient nature of life itself.
Casa Paradiso is such an engaging collection of stories, all interlinked, and all taking place with the same house as it’s main character.
The reader is swept through tale after tale, century after century, in the life of the house. Not all of our characters are immediately likeable, and not all of the tales are happy, and some of them truly make sense with the poignancy of retrospection for the next people to live within the property.
A truly charming collection of stories that drive you through the centuries, even though, sometimes, you might like to linger in one particular tale.
A fabulous idea, beautifully executed.
Meet the author
Francesca Scanacapra was born in Italy to an English mother and Italian father, and her childhood was spent living between England and Italy. Her adult life has been somewhat nomadic with periods spent living in Italy, England, France, Senegal and Spain. She describes herself as ‘unconventional’ and has pursued an eclectic mixture of career paths – from working in translation, the fitness industry, education and even several years as a builder. In 2021 she returned to her native country and back to her earliest roots to pursue her writing career full time. Francesca now resides permanently in rural Lombardy in the house built by her great-grandfather which was the inspiration for her ParadisoNovels: Paradiso, Return to Paradiso, The Daughter of Paradiso and Casa Paradiso. Her novel The Lost Boy of Bologna was also published by Silvertail Books.
MJ Porter 