Coming soon - The Cinderella Substitute

Here's the cover for The Cinderella Substitute releasing as e book on November 1st from Astraea press. Also available as audio book from Audiolark.

Behind the scenes of Be My Hero

I'm guesting and giving away more copies of Be My Hero today over at FLY HIGH as a guest of the lovely Maria. There is quite a story behind Be My Hero - one that is very personal to me and my family. Pop over and take a look.

I'm visiting Kate Hardy today!

My lovely friend, Kate Hardy is celebrating the publication of her 50th book! I'm guesting there today and you could win a pdf of Be My Hero!Go over and congratulate her!

Guest Blogger - Carol Hedges

Carol Hedges is the successful author of 11 books for young adults and teenagers. Her writing has received much critical acclaim, and her books have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Angus Book Award. At the beginning of this year,

Carol decided to become an Indie author, and has just published her firsrt YA novel, Jigsaw Pieces on Amazon Kindle. She is currently working on her next ebook, a Victorian detective novel, with werewolf.

Carol lives in Hertfordshire, with her husband, a pink 2CV, two cats and a lot of fish. She has one grown up daughter.

To celebrate the release of her latest novel, Jigsaw Pieces, Carol kindly agreed to allow me to interrogate, um, I mean interview her.

1. Most authors are also big readers. Do you read the same genre you write? and which book has influenced you most in your desire to be a writer?

I am a voracious reader - one of those who always has a stack of books by the bed - which follow me round the house. I don't read YA novels, actually I don't think of myself as a YA author, but as a writer of crime fiction that just happens to have teenagers as the main protagonists. I find it a bit tedious that we have to be categorised all the time! But I do read a lot of crime fiction and thrillers: Henning Mankell, Robert Harris are two favourites as well as Dickens ( well, he writes crime fiction, in a way). In answer to the last part of the question, I could give a frivolous answer and say Orlando the Marmalade Cat, as Kathleen Hale was the first author I borrowed from our tiny local library, when I was 6. The luscious illustrations and funny kittens were an early source of inspiration. Maybe that's why I have so many kittens on my Facebook page! Seriously though, I can't say one book has influenced me; I think the concept of THE BOOK is what inspires me and drives me to write.

2. Are you a plotter or a pantster when it comes to writing your books?

Because I write crime fiction, I have to be a bit of a plotter. I need to work out what the crime will be in advance, and who is the perpetrator. And I need to know how everything will end. Then I just fly by the seat of my pants, because it's more exciting that way. I always try to end a writing session on a cliff-edge, so that I return to a challenge. Being a pantster means that I'm open to new things happening, and I don't panic if the narrative starts veering off-course, because there is no course. Though there is an ultimate destination.

3. If you were giving a dinner party, which 4 fictional characters would you most like to invite and why?

Oh gosh, what a HARD question! Well, one of the guests would be Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind because she's the original Steel Magnolia, isn't she. And then, I'd invite Kurt Wallander, because his Swedish reserve would be an interesting contrast. My third dinner guest must be Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird because I just love the way she reacts to situations and people in Maycomb. My last guest? Ooh, pure indulgence: Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. I adore a man with a crumbly interior. And a wet shirt - no no,wait, that's Colin Firth.

4. What are you working on next?

I'm on the final edits of an historical novel set in 1860. It's called Diamond Girl and is 'Victorian-lite' in that, although researched up to the brim, it's written in a fast-paced and (I hope) humorous style. It also pokes gentle fun at some of the Victorian novel cliches:the bumbling detective, the ragged crossing sweeper, the over-managing mother. Did I mention the werewolf? I hope to get it uploaded around Christmas.

Many thanks to Carol for stopping by today. Jigsaw Pieces is available from AMAZONUK

Here's the blurb!

‘He had been part of my everyday life. I hadn’t liked him much, nobody had liked him much, but he’d been there. Now, I’d never see him again.’ Annie Skjaerstad had been searching for her identity since being uprooted from her native country of Norway. With a spiky personality winning her no friends, and family members suddenly torn out of her life, she is left seeking comfort from a growing intrigue into the stories of fallen war heroes. But one day, a boy from her school unexpectedly commits suicide, changing things forever. Confused by the tragic tale of someone she knew, Annie soon finds herself conducting her own investigation into his death. What she uncovers will bring her to a dark and dangerous place, as suddenly – her own life is put at risk. A tense, coming of age crime thriller by the author of ‘Dead Man Talking’.

Monday, Monday

It's the start of another busy week here. My day job has a big, huge new project launching and I'm putting in extra time so my writing and on line time is somewhat curtailed. I'm also helping my eldest belle to clear out her room ready for her move to Cirencester in two weeks time. My youngest daughter is then going to take eldest's old room and eldest will take the smaller room for when she comes home. I'm almost done with my critiquing commitments for this year and my proofreading tray is empty too so in a few days time I can kickstart my writing projects. I have tons of stuff in my head that I'm dying to get down on paper, including plans for a new series! I've also been busy sorting out my health issues. My GP seems to have found me something which is helping my arthritis and that means I can be more physically active. In turn, that is enabling me to restart a get fit/weightloss programme. Fingers crossed for a slimmer, fitter, more organised me by Christmas!

Be My Hero - Out today!

Nathalie Mayer is thirty-four. On the surface she is an attractive, happy, single, successful woman running her own bridal business. Despite her line of work and her obvious delight in other people’s weddings, including that of her twin brother, Nate. Nathalie has always declared that a settled relationship is not for her. There has only ever been one man whom Nathalie felt she could love. Evan Davies is back in town after a six year absence. Last time he was here, he and Nathalie had tentatively begun to take their friendship to a different level. Now he’s home again and has the reason for his sudden departure from six years ago with him – his daughter, Polly. Available on Amazon UK And Amazon.com And here on Nook book

Be My Hero - releasing September 4th

Available once more as an e book September 4th from Astraea Press. It's also available as an audiobook from Audiolark and will soon be available as a large print edition too!

Passionate Harvest is FREE just for today!

My wonderful publishers at E-Scape Press have agreed to let me give away copies of Passionate Harvest! So just for today hurry along to Smashwords and use the coupon code TX42B. Please be aware Passionate Harvest is NOT one of my sweet titles!

The Belles

The last few months have been pretty stressful here at the Nell household. All three of my teenagers were sitting exams. I'm thrilled to say that the eldest belle got all her A levels and the place she wanted at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester where she'll study environmental and heritage land management. The middle belle took her english language GCSE a year early and has passed with a C! The youngest belle, who was 14 in May took an extra GCSE in film studies and got an A, plus she took her Biology and Physics GCSE's early too and got B's. Well done to all of them for all their hard work and a large gin for me for having felt as if I'd sat everyone of those flipping exams myself!

Guest blogger - Julie Day

A warm welcome to fellow RNA member and writing friend, Julie Day. Here's a little bit about her! I live in SE London and am a full-time writer. I have been writing for 19 years and have had published reader letters in health and writing magazines, short stories in small press magazines Creature Features and Crystal, and my first children's fiction book was published in 2009 called Rosie and the Sick School, about healthy eating at school with magical elements. I have recently self-published two YA ebooks in a series called ‘The Guardian Angels’. Just published my first romance enovella called ‘One Good Turn’. Julie's latest book - One Good Turn is just out on Smashwords and should be on Amazon anytime soon.

Here's a bit about it and a small excerpt to whet your appetite. Fifty-five year old Geraldine Simmonds has died and gone to Heaven, but there’s a catch. She has to earn her place in paradise by making her ex-boyfriend Keith a happier and loving man again. With the advice of her acrobatic helper Coco and a sprinkling of heavenly magic, Geraldine not only wins back Keith but becomes a better person herself. The Boss above approves her request to be allowed to return to Earth to help relatives who need a nudge to get their lives back on track and fall in love once more. Here's a taster Through the expanse of white, Geraldine Simmonds gazed down at the sombre group of people below her. She frowned. Only one of them was crying, her niece Mandy. She heard, ‘Oh, Aunt Geraldine, why did you have to die? I was going to help you find some good in your life.’ Geraldine blinked back a tear. ‘You were the good thing in my life, Mandy,’ she muttered. She watched the group of people leave the graveside and climb into their cars. ‘Where are you going?’ Mandy asked her relatives. ‘The wake is at my flat.’ ‘We’re not coming. We only came cos you asked us to. Bye, Mandy,’ one of them replied. What sort of relatives were these, that didn’t want to say a proper goodbye to her, Geraldine wondered. Oh, Mandy. You being there for me is enough. As the scene faded, she sighed. Some relatives they were. She was well away from them. Horrible, mean people, she thought; especially when she heard a sob from Mandy. * * * The scene changed. The whiteness appeared once more and a flash of bright gold like a shiny new ring shone round Geraldine then. What the...? She blinked to focus on her new surroundings. Her eyes widened as huge pearly gates appeared. And standing guard by them was a tall man with a beard, holding a long golden stick with a ball on the end. ‘Are you Geraldine Simmonds?’ the man asked. Geraldine just nodded, dumbstruck as she realised where she was. ‘Thought you were.’ ‘Am I where I think I am?’ ‘Yes. You have reached Heaven. I’m Head of Security. In charge of all missions and tasks as well as guarding this place.’ Then Geraldine heard a deep, smooth voice. One she didn’t think she’d hear again. It shouted: ‘Get me that apple. Now!’ ‘Oh my, that sounds like…’ ‘Your ex, Keith. Yes, it is.’ ‘He never used to be like that. What’s made him so nasty?’ ‘I believe he’s missing you.’ ‘Missing me? But we’ve not been together for three years.’ ‘Well, your name keeps cropping up when he talks.’ ‘Oh.’ She felt her eyebrows lift as he said this. How could they? Wasn’t she meant to be dead? You can get your copy of One Good Turn HERE

Holiday!

We're off tomorrow to Wales for a lovely two weeks on the Cerediggion coast staying near Aberaeron and New Quay. We plan to go to the beach, watch the bottle nosed dolphins and the seals. We hope to eat Bara Brith and walk along the Welsh coastal path, metal detect on the sand and shop in Aberystwyth. We hope to see Red Kites and avoid the Olympics. I have my kindle loaded and Miss La is also suitably stocked with books. I will have no net access so if it's urgent it'll have to wait till I'm home. Hopefully there'll be some sunshine!

Grab a bargain!

All Astraea titles by me are just 99c or 77p for a limited time - so pop over to Amazon or B&N and stock up! Now is your chance to get all of the Cornish New Bay Series for a bargain price - Making Waves, September Song, A Cornish Christmas,Easter Holiday, New Bay Wedding and Dangerous to Know and Cue Me In too!

What we did in Penrith

This weekend was the annual romantic novelist association conference. This year we were back in Penrith. The conferences are always superbly organised by the wonderful Jan Jones and Roger Sanderson and this was no exception. The campus was jammed to the rafters with writers, editors and agents. I arrived on Friday afternoon and shared a taxi in with Jude Roust and another lovely friend from Twitter. Accomodation was in the student houses which have single bedrooms clustered around a communal kitchen. In my house I had Anna Louise Lucia, Biddy Coady, Julie Cohen, Liz Fenwick, first time conference attender Rose, and Kate Walker with her lovely hubby, Steve, aka the Babe Magnet. Steve and Kate celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary with us so it made the weekend extra special. It was lovely to be with friends and so nice to have time to catch up properly. My housemates appeared to have cornered the world wine market and stashed it in our fridge which always helps. I met up with my good friends Sandra and Ann for a belated celebration of Sandra's special birthday. Conference opened with a celebration of everyones good news, contest wins, agent signings, book sales etc and then a panel, ably chaired by the wonderful Janet Gover, which considered book translation and the international market. We had a delicious dinner, served by the incredible staff who were all so pleasant, patient and helpful they made the weekend a delight. After that it was kitchen party time! It was lovely to meet conference first timers, including Abbi, our youngest conference goer at sweet 16. I'm sure the poor girl is now corrupted for life - hopefully someone covered her ears when she met some of the erotica authors! Saturday had some fab workshops, I went to Maggie Seed, who gave a brilliant talk on submitting to Pocket Novels before giving my workshop on editing. Jan had warned me to expect a lot of people but the room was jammed! They were a fantastic group as always asking lots of inciteful questions and every handout disappeared - and I had a lot of handouts! In the afternoon I talked with Kim Young, one of the editors for Mira, which was great fun and very interesting. I then went to listen to Moira from Book review site Vulpes Libres. That was another good talk. By then I was a bit socialed out and needed a break so went back to the house kitchen where I spent a lovely hour with Biddy, Julie, Liz and Anna just chatting about books, writing, workshops, Pixar, and wine. The gala dinner was fab and I got to chat with Sally Clements who had come over from Ireland, and some of the other romaniacs, including Romy, who had come all the way from South Africa. After dinner, Sandra, Ann and I ended up in the Scottish kitchen with a group of lovely writers from north of the border where we chatted away for the rest of the night. Sunday bought sunshine and a fbulous funny talk from Jane Wenham - Jones, a great workshop on sex in YA books with Tamsyn Murray and a session with a life coach before it was time for lunch. I spent lunch with Cally Taylor and Rowan Coleman before we all headed for the station and the journey home. Another fab weekend gone too soon.

RNA Conference 2012

Tomorrow I'm heading off to Penrith for the Romantic Novelist's Assoc annual conference. Last year was the first one I'd missed for years. This year I'm giving a workshop on editing - how to tweak, polish and shine your manuscript. My lovely editor at Astraea Press - Kay Springsteen Tate has generously shared some of her material with me and having had a an 'oh my God, what am I doing' moment yesterday, I think I'm now prepared. I love the conference as it gives me chance to catch up with old friends, make new ones, talk writing and drink wine for a whole weekend. What's not to love? The workshops are great and this years programme looks fantastic. Support from other writers is what makes romantic novelist's so special. I can honestly say I have always had nothing but support and help from my fellow authors and it's a pleasure to be in their company. Today I get to meet Phillipa Ashley and Elizabeth Hanbury, my fellow coffee crew members for lunch and a catch up. We have heard the Queen is visiting nearby, hope we're not anywhere she could eavesdrop on our conversations. Mind you, Prince Phillip might enjoy them!

Guest Blogger - Liz Fenwick

I'm delighted to welcome Liz Fenwick to the blog today. Liz is a long time writing friend and fellow RNA member and her first novel, The Cornish House is out now! Writer, ex-pat expert, wife, mother of three, and dreamer turned doer....born in Massachusetts, and after nine international moves now live in Dubai with her husband and two mad cats. She made her first trip to Cornwall in 1989, bought her home there 7 years later and although she lives in Dubai, her heart is forever in Cornwall, creating new stories. her debut novel THE CORNISH HOUSE is published by Orion and German, Dutch, Portuguese and Norwegian editions are being prepared.

When artist Maddie inherits a house in Cornwall shortly after the death of her husband, she hopes it will be the fresh start she and her step-daughter Hannah desperately need.

Trevenen is beautiful but neglected, a rambling house steeped in history. Maddie is enchanted by it and determined to learn as much as she can about its past. As she discovers the stories of generations of women who've lived there before, Maddie begins to feel her life is somehow intertwined within its walls.

But Maddie's dream of a calm life in the countryside is far from the reality she faces. Still struggling with her grief and battling with Hannah, Maddie is unable to find inspiration for her painting and realises she may face the prospect of having to sell Trevenen, just as she is coming to love it.

And as Maddie and Hannah pull at the seams of Trevenen's past, the house reveals secrets that have lain hidden for generations.

Excerpt... It was nearly eleven and Maddie had been behind the wheel of the car for over eight hours. She yawned and forced her eyes open wider. Slowing the car she approached yet another blind bend. Moonlight silhouetted the twisted trees against the sky. Their tortured shapes rose from the hedges, forming a tunnel. It seemed to be closing in around them. A shiver went down her spine. The engine stuttered.

“Come on old girl. It can’t be much further to Trevenen, and once there, both you and I can have a much deserved rest.” Maddie stroked the dashboard. Smoke seeped from the edges of the bonnet.

She glanced at her stepdaughter asleep in the passenger seat. Hannah looked sweet with her blonde hair in spiky disarray. She changed position and a tattoo appeared on the teen’s arm. Maddie shook her head. Hannah had disobeyed her. She’d had to call on all her patience reserves when Hannah had displayed it last night. Maddie had just let it go. She too had been a teenager. However she’d obeyed her parents.

Turning her attention back to the road, Maddie knew if the map was accurate they must be near their new home Trevenen. This, of course, assumed she’d followed it correctly and she’d no idea whether she had or not. The last thing she needed was to be stranded on a remote country lane.

When she’d visited the house back in April, the solicitor had driven her there. It hadn’t seemed confusing then, but maybe she hadn’t been paying attention as well as she should have. That was no surprise. She hadn’t done anything as well as she should have since her husband, John, had died.

1. Most authors are also big readers. Do you read the same genre that you write? and which book has influenced you most in your desire to be a writer? I love reading and I do read in the same genre that I write, but not when I am writing a first draft…don’t want to find I have lost my voice and begun using another person’s. I’m not sure any one book has influenced me to be a writer. I have always had stories going on in my head and eventually I felt the need to put them onto a page and share them.

2. Are you a plotter or a pantser when it comes to writing your book? A total panster – I begin with a title, a heroine, a setting and hope I will come out the other side with a complete story.

3. If you were giving a dinner party which four fictional characters would you most like to invite and why? This is so tough…OK starting with the most recent – Matthew Clairmont the Vampire from The Discovery of Witches, Professor Snape from Harry Potter, Julian from Regency Buck, and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice…but can I have them one at a time please…

4. What are you working on next? I’m working on my next book, August Rock, for my publishers in the UK. It, like The Cornish House, is set on the Lizard and is about Judith who flees her wedding in the States when she realizes she is living life my other people’s directions…but what happens when she starts taking control?

Available from Amazon and all good etailers Hardback also available - paperback to follow. Many thanks Liz for visiting and agreeing to be interviewed!

Guest Blogger - Tracy Krauss

Tracy Krauss is an author, artist, playwright, director, worship leader, and teacher. Originally from a small prairie town, she received her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Saskatchewan. She has lived in many places in northern Canada with her husband, a pastor, and their children. They currently live in Tumbler Ridge, BC.

Published works include four romantic suspense novels: AND THE BEAT GOES ON, where archeological evidence for creation comes at a heavy cost; MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER, the story of a ‘cougar’ who takes on more than she bargained for; PLAY IT AGAIN, about an unlikely match during the 1980s rock n’ roll scene; and WIND OVER MARSHDALE, where strong spiritual forces rock a seemingly peaceful prairie town. She also has several stage plays in print. Visit her website for more details. http://www.tracykrauss.com

Marshdale. Just a small farming community where nothing special happens. A perfect place to start over… or get lost. There is definitely more to this prairie town than meets the eye. Once the meeting place of aboriginal tribes for miles around, some say the land itself was cursed because of the people’s sin. But its history goes farther back than even indigenous oral history can trace and there is still a direct descendant who has been handed the truth, like it or not. Exactly what ties does the land have to the medicine of the ancients? Is it cursed, or is it all superstition? Wind Over Marshdale is the story of the struggles within a small prairie town when hidden evil and ancient medicine resurface. Caught in the crossfire, new teacher Rachel Bosworth finds herself in love with two men at once. First, there is Thomas Lone Wolf, a Cree man whose blood lines run back to the days of ancient medicine but who has chosen to live as a Christian and faces prejudice from every side as he tries to expose the truth. Then there is Con McKinley, local farmer who has to face some demons of his own. Add to the mix a wayward minister seeking anonymity in the obscurity of the town; eccentric twin sisters – one heavily involved in the occult and the other a fundamentalist zealot; and a host of other ‘characters’ whose lives weave together unexpectedly for the final climax. This suspenseful story is one of human frailty - prejudice, cowardice, jealousy, and greed – magnified by powerful spiritual forces that have remained hidden for centuries, only to be broken in triumph by grace.

Tracy kindly agreed to be interviewed as part of her stop here: 1. Most authors are also big readers. Do you read the same genre that you write? and which book has influenced you most in your desire to be a writer? Actually, I don’t write my favourite genre which is spec fiction or Sci-fi. When I was a teen all the girls my age were reading YA romances while I was heavy into Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan – all 30+ of them...) I was in love with Spock and had Star Trek posters in my room instead of the latest teen idol. My tastes really haven’t changed. I love a good Spec/ Sci-fi/ Fantasy/ Paranormal book with a really twisted ending. The irony is, I don’t write in this genre. I write Romantic Suspense, but I do try for an element of surprise at the end. After what I just said, it probably sounds out of sync to say that Lucy Maude Montgomery’s Anne series may have inspired me to follow my writing dreams. Anne is a strong heroine who loved to write and followed her dream by submitting her stories. There are so many inspiring authors it’s hard to pick one. I think I was also inspired early on by C.S. Lewis and Margaret Atwood. Lewis for his imagination and Atwood for her ability to tell her story her way.

2. Are you a plotter or a pantser when it comes to writing your book? I always start off as a ‘plotter’. I like to create detailed character sketches and I outline the basic plot. Then as I get going, things evolve and change so a lot of the ‘panster’ comes into play as well. I go through multiple rewrites, that’s for sure.

3. If you were giving a dinner party which four fictional characters would you most like to invite and why? Sherlock Holmes, Spock, Lizzy Bennett, and Festus the fool from ‘Twelfth Night’. All of them have a very keen intellect and while the first two are sparring over details and technicalities, Lizzy and Festus could make fun of them with sharp witted comments. It would be fun to watch. Of course, I’d probably have to invite them out somewhere since I really don’t enjoy throwing dinner parties and they might not like my cooking. (I’d like the sharp witted comments directed at one another, not my culinary abilities.)

4. What are you working on next? I’ve got two novels that need polishing up and which I hope to submit to my agent by the end of the summer. I’ve also got three new stage plays coming out sometime this year, so I’ll be busy promoting those. I also have a children’s book which I’ve illustrated which I’m in the process of shopping around.

Thanks, Tracy, that was fun and the book sounds great. You can get Tracy's book from: AMAZON or you can find her on Facebook or Her website.

Exams end in sight!

Thankfully this should see the last of the belle's exams. Eldest takes her last A2 paper today, Middle dd takes her drama assesment and youngest finishes off her film studies and science exams. I feel as if I've sat all of them! Mr Nell and I left them all hard at work on Saturday and escaped for a few hours. Where did we go to spend some couple time after barely seeing each other for almost a month? Mr Nell took me to look at touring caravans. Caravans we can't afford and aren't planning on getting till the belles have left home. On the plus side he did buy me lunch - and cake. I refused to go unless cake was involved. A huge thank you to everyone who's been downloading my New Bay Cornish series. I know thee weather hasn't been great but I'm still surprised that my Christmas title is still top of your pops. If you've read and enjoyed them please consider leaving a review on Amazon, B&N or Goodreads or your own blog. I've been taking a few days off from writing to plan mynext projects and to catch up on my own reading. How do you all like to spend your down time?

#APparty

Come and join the fun on Twitter - look for #APparty. We're there from 5-8GMT 1-3EST today! To win a pdf of New Bay wedding as part of the party giveaway leave me a message with your email addy in the comments telling me your best party trick. I'll draw the best tomorrow - Wednesday at 8pm GMT

June Catch up!

I can't believe it's almost halfway through the year already!The belles are all busy with exams. Eldest is sitting her A levels and hopes to take up a place at the Royal Agricultural College in the Autumn - Fingers crossed! Middle belle is sitting some GCSE papers a year early. Youngest belle is sitting science and an extra GCSE in film studies 2 years early. It's stress city right now. Add in Middle dd's dance show and theatre commitments - she's in Great Expectations next month at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton - and it's a bit busy here. Writing wise New Bay Wedding has just released - the latest in the Cornish short and sweet series. Radio Gaga is finished and I'm deciding what I want to do with it. My special collaborative project is also done now in draft form, I just have to polish and send it to an editor. Now I need to prepare my editing workshop which I'm delivering at the RNA conference in Penrith in a couple of weeks time and work on another very short little project before I get back to the book ideas I want to get done before Christmas. Life wise my hip and back have deteriorated and I'm waiting for the results of X-Rays and test to see if I can hold off the surgery for a few more years. More finger crossing! The day job is very busy with lots of new work coming on stream and our constant quest to maintain funding. Keeps us all busy and out of mischief! What about you? What are you all up to these days?

Releasing Tomorrow! New Bay Wedding, A Cornish short n sweet

Releasing tomorrow! The next of the New Bay short n sweets - A perfect short read for Summer! Emma has been busy organizing her older brother’s lovelife but now Noah plans to turn the tables on his meddlesome match-making sister. But is Ian the best man for this very particular bridesmaid? Here's a snippet! “To our best man and chief bridesmaid.” Noah grinned at them and raised his glass to chink it against theirs. “Cheers!” Emma dutifully lifted her drink for the toast. True to form Ian managed to knock her glass so hard with his that half of her drink slopped over the rim of her glass and onto the table. “Oh, Emma, your jeans are soaked.” Posy pulled some tissues from her bag. “I’ll get a cloth.” Ian’s face turned a deeper shade of crimson and he jumped from his seat to beg a towel from the bar staff. Ian rushed back with a small cloth towel and began to dab ineffectively at the wet patch on Emma’s thigh. “Sorry, Em.” “It’s okay.” She took the towel from him and soaked up as much of the spilled cider as she could. How Ian had ever managed to become a vet she would never know. Whenever she met him he either trod on her, spilled something down her and, on one memorable occasion, he’d managed to set her hair on fire. He was a one man walking disaster area and her brother had asked him to be his best man. (C) Nell Dixon 2012 Available from Astraea press and all good e-tailers Don't forget you can meet the people of New Bay, Cornwall in Making Waves, September Song, A Cornish Christmas and Easter Holiday.