Author in the Spotlight - Jamie Baywood

Brook Cottage Books is thrilled to have Jamie Baywood as the Author in the Spotlight. 

About the author Jamie Baywood

Jamie Baywood grew up in Petaluma, California. In 2010, she made the most impulsive decision of her life by moving to New Zealand. Getting Rooted in New Zealand is her first book about her experiences living there. Jamie is now married and living happily ever after in the United Kingdom. She is working on her second book.

Getting Rooted in New Zealand is available in paperback and ebook on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1482601907

Jamie Baywood can be followed on the following sites:

Facebook.com/jamiebaywood
Twitter.com/jamiebaywood
Pinterest.com/jamiebaywood
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7069448.Jamie_Baywood
amazon.com/author/jamiebaywood

Getting Rooted in New Zealand book description

Craving change and lacking logic, at 26, Jamie, a cute and quirky Californian, impulsively moves to New Zealand to avoid dating after reading that the country's population has 100,000 fewer men. In her journal, she captures a hysterically honest look at herself, her past and her new wonderfully weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations in unbelievably bizarre jobs. It takes a zany jaunt to the end of the Earth and a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler before Jamie learns what it really means to get rooted.

Some Reviews

“I read this book in one night over four hours. I couldn't put it down. It was so, so entertaining. I laughed out loud on numerous occasions - comedy highlights include brain poisoning from complications over a hair perm, eating stale sunflower seeds and the multitude of accent-related mistakes. Jamie is a lovely, endearing protagonist and I can guarantee you'll fall in love with her. A must read for anyone moving to New Zealand. Or anyone moving anyway for that matter.” (5 out of 5 stars) Thomas Sainsbury (Amazon Customer Reviews)

“Getting Rooted in New Zealand is a diary of a California girl's introduction to a completely different life experience in a new country and never has the phrase `stranger in a strange land' been more relevant than in reading her intriguing and often insightful diary entries! Her observations about both culture and language are a wonderful mix of observation about one person's reaction to the differences that make up the wonderful human race and the minutiae of daily living. I'll be looking forward to seeing if Jamie produces another book about her experiences of coming to live in the UK.” (4 out of 5 stars) Linda Parkinson-Hardman (Amazon Customer Reviews)

"I've got this book and finished read it all so quickly, because I couldn't stop reading it. It's just so hilarious!! I can't wait to read her next book. I highly recommend to read this book for everybody. I absolutely loved it!!" (5 out of 5 stars) S Halls (Amazon Customer Reviews)

Jamie Baywood Up-coming Events

January 20, 2014 – Brixton Fiction Book Group, Brixton, England.

January 22, 2014 – Pimlico Library, London, England.

January 23, 2014 – Kilburn Library, London, England.

February 13, 2014 – Newcastle City Library, Newcastle, England. 

                                                                                          

Barbara's War by Fenella J Miller

 

The Second World War has made its presence known in Barbara's life. Her best friend and childhood sweetheart John is leaving to join the RAF and Barbara feels that she needs to contribute to the war effort and wishes to join the Land Army. In doing so, Barbara will escape a brutal home life with a mother who terrorises her and a stepfather who fails to protect her. A life that not even John knows about. A surprise proposal from John just before his departure throws Barbara and out of duty, she agrees to marry him. Barbara soon discovers something surprising about her natural father and his family that set her on not only a physical journey, but an emotional one also. A journey where Barbara will need every ounce of courage she can muster. Friendships with 2 other young men who come into her life, further adds complication to Barbara's already frayed emotions and battered heart. Throw into this mix a mystery and the reader will not be disappointed in this book.

Barbara's War is a fantastic book of self discovery, love lost and found and family. Fenella J Miller paints such a realistic picture of wartime England that the reader actually feels they have been transported back in time. The language in the book compliments the wonderful picture the author paints of life back in a very difficult time. Barbara starts off as a terrified and shy young woman and it is a joy to see her character develop in the book. She soon blossoms into a young woman of incredible strength and her courage shines through.I really enjoyed Barbara's War and look forward to reading the next book in the series to find out what fate has in store for Barbara. Book 2 should hopefully be published early 2014. Definitely one to watch out for!

                                                                          

Author in the Spotlight - Chris Brown

Brook Cottage Books is thrilled to welcome Chris Brown as the Author in the Spotlight.

Author Bio:

Chris Brown is an avid fantasy fan with the works of Terry Pratchett and J.R.R. Tolkien among his literary favourites. Having first started writing poetry as a means of expression following the breakup of his eighteen year relationship, he followed advice from peers which saw several pieces published in both Forward Press and United Press Anthologies.

Now happily married to his beautiful wife Emma, and with two fantastic children, he has turned his hand to short stories for bed time reading with the latter. It is now with a growing online social media audience that Chris is has turned his hand to more adult orientated genres to cater for all reading tastes. This has resulted in his first novel “One man to Love, One man to Live” being published by Chiado Publishing.

Interestingly, despite Chris’ huge love for fantasy and being an avid rock fan it is worth noting that his book is in fact under the category ‘chick lit’.

Synopsis:

Crystal was a woman who had everything. A career, money and a boyfriend with a body that put most other men’s to shame. But even when life bestows upon you all you could want, monotony lurks in the shadows.

A series of events lead to an unlikely friendship that blurs the boundaries of infatuation which manifests itself into a relationship leading to the inevitable love triangle. Tinged with erotic desire for one man's brain can Crystal stay faithful to her boyfriend's body?