Gill Stewart | Novels Now

I did promise there would be two book launches in our Lockdown world this week. Here is the first:

Gemma’s Not Sure by Gill Stewart is published today by Sweet Cherry Publishing.

Gemma’s not sure if she’s brave enough to go to her audition, or if she even wants to study music at all. She’s definitely not sure forming a band with Lily’s hot ex-boyfriend is a good idea.

And what could be more enticing for a romance reader than that? Gill is an established author of romance and Young Adult fiction, a long term member of the RNA and highly recommendable.

Zoom continues to delight and frustrate in equal measure. Those of us in the book group who managed to log in had an interesting discussion of Valerie Luisella’s Lost Children Archive. My gut reaction to the blurb for this book was ‘How very American. I can read this.’ I wasn’t disappointed but it is nonetheless a difficult book, in my opinion. Difficult subject matters – lost children, the treatment of children travelling alone, marriage in the 21st century, marriage in any century, land clearances… And the author, while she lives in New York, was born in Mexico.

Have you experienced a reaction to a book similar to my ‘How very American’? Care to share?

And finally, The Quiet Gentleman by the Queen of Regency herself, Georgette Heyer, continues to delight.

Anne

A small selection of the novels by EWC members past and present.

Courting the Countess – Anne

I did finally manage to turn the remaining calendar to May yesterday.

So, the major woe is not mine but of a self-isolating/shielding friend whose laptop has given up the ghost. She’s hoping her regular expert will be able to sort things out over the air, but is meantime bereft. The prospect of trying to lead life in these days without an internet connection is truly a waking nightmare.

My own woe is minor in comparison – sticky keys keeps sliding on. Adjusting it in settings restores the letters to functionality but not keyboard scrolling. Ah well, the WIP will be very well considered.

Will have news of not ONE but TWO new books from fellow scribes in the next few days. Mesdames Stewart and Stormont have been featured on Novels Now before. It’s an honour to be able to mention them again.

Yesterday was a shopping day. Brought in a couple of things for a neighbour. Scrabble. More 2nd honeymoon – in Gargonza this time. Made a mushroom risotto – may have got the hang of that now (as opposed to savoury rice which we’ve eaten for decades). Watched the workmen working in the heat. Made virtually no progress on the jigsaw.

Anything broken down in your house?

Anne