Finding Summer Happiness

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UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Summer-Happiness-wonderful-feel-good-ebook/dp/B093CJZ7PM

US - https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Summer-Happiness-wonderful-feel-good-ebook/dp/B093CJZ7PM

Excerpt
In this extract, Miriam is finally escaping the stresses and strains of her life as the MD of an events and catering company, driving out of London, across the Severn Crossing and into Wales.

 As soon as she arrives at her last-minute holiday rental, she knows that for the next few months, she will be able to relax, unwind, and have no responsibilities at all, for absolutely anyone or anything.

 That’s what she thinks anyway. It’s not going to happen, but she is blissfully unaware of that yet, as she pauses for a moment overlooking the beach at Newgale.

 She stopped at a lay-by on the brow of a hill which swept down towards the sea and texted the contact at the letting agents so they could meet her at the house.  Allowing herself to rest for a few moments, she gazed at the gentle curve of the shore which sloped upwards to dramatic cliffs in the distance.  The sun was slowly setting in the west, the sky a heady mixture of orange, blue and almost black, the darkening waves breaking powerfully on the beach below.  For a moment, she felt peaceful.  Then the buzz of a motorbike speeding past brought her back to the present, so she stretched, checked her sat nav and bean the last part of her journey.  She navigated the increasingly narrow roads, which were dotted alongside with cottages, luscious hedgerows, and protected by high, bowing trees.  The sea glittered in the distance as the lanes swept up over the hills, disappearing again when the car dipped into a valley.

            It was almost dark when she pulled off the tiny village road onto the driveway of her house, and she was too tired to feel anything but relief at her arrival.  A small figure with long, dark, wavy hair and a kind, smiling face, climbed out of the car parked in front of her and waved.

            Miriam got out wearily.  ‘Hello,’ she said.

            ‘Hiya. It’s Miriam, is it? I’m Rhiannon. The letting agent.’

She shook Miriam’s hand, still smiling.  ‘Of course I’m the letting agent.  You’ll have worked that out! Why else would I be here?  I’m really an estate agent, I am, but I’m covering someone else who’s the letting agent, and I have to keep saying it so I remember.  I didn’t know when I accepted the job….’  Her voice trailed off and she looked at Miriam expectantly.

            Miriam smiled.  ‘Good to meet you,’ she said.

            ‘You too.  Lovely house, this.  Apparently.’  Rhiannon took a key out of her bag and put it in the lock.  ‘Not been in myself though, to be honest.  I’m new, you see.  Just moved down from the Cardiff office.  Broken heart I had, so had to get away.  Fresh start and all of that.’  She pushed the door open.  ‘Ta dah! Welcome to The Grange!’

            They both stepped into the hallway and Rhiannon switched on the light.  The walls were striped with yellow and white, with a light slate-grey floor and an elegant stairway to the side.

            ‘Oh, there’s lovely,’ squealed Rhiannon.  ‘I could live here myself.  Aren’t you lucky!’

            Miriam smiled.  ‘It seems I am by the looks of it.’

            ‘It was all very last minute, wasn’t it?’  Rhiannon pushed the nearest door open.  ‘Now, that’s what I call a kitchen.  Look at the range over there.  You can get very creative culinary-wise.’

            ‘I plan to live on ready meals, dips and takeaways,’ Miriam laughed.  ‘So, no creativity here.’

            ‘Oh.  Pity that.  It looks like it likes to be cooked in.  You know what I mean, don’t you?’

            ‘Oh, I do.’  Miriam peered out of the doors into the garden.  ‘I used to own an events company and we mainly did our own catering, so I’ve spent a lot of time in kitchens over the years.’

            ‘Well, you can use this one to sit down and enjoy the view in, then.’  Rhiannon picked up a large file from next to the sink, scattering several pieces of paper on the floor

 ‘Oops…’. She gathered them up and put them back.  ‘The owner seems to have left you a few recipes.  That’s kind.’

            Miriam opened the fridge door in the hope that some kind soul had left some chilling wine in it, but there was nothing there.

            ‘The owner went away in a bit of a hurry, apparently,’ said Rhiannon.  ‘But she’s left a list of instructions here too by the looks of it.’

            ‘I think I’ll look at that tomorrow.  I’ve been driving all day, and I just fancy a glass or two of wine.  Then I’ll head to bed.’

            ‘Would you like me to give you a quick tour of the place?’

Rhiannon looked hopeful.

            ‘No thanks.  I’ll be fine.  But could you help me bring my cases and bags of food in?’

            ‘Pity.  I’d love a look around myself.’

            ‘Well, you can pop over sometime and I can show you.’

            Rhiannon laughed.  ‘That’s a deal then.  Come on, let’s get you settled in.  I’m sure you’ll be very happy here.’

            I’m just looking for some peace and quiet, thought Miriam. Not sure I can stretch to happy.

            Once all the bags were put in the hallway and Rhiannon had noisily left, Miriam couldn’t even summon up the energy to put wine in the fridge, let alone drink it.  So, she ate a couple of breadsticks and went upstairs to locate the master bedroom.  And when she found it, she unpacked the overnight bag she always kept in the car just in case, places her slippers carefully by the bed, put the jiffy bag containing the photographs in the bedside drawer, climbed under the duvet and enjoyed the deepest sleep she had for many years.

www.chrispenhall.co.uk 

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Contemporary Western Romance, Small Town Romance, Romantic Suspense

Published: June 2021

Two lives cross in a fateful roadside encounter. When ranch life turns deadly, will their unexpected love survive?

Addie Malory is struggling to improve the rundown farm she bought. And though she knows she can’t do it alone, she won’t tolerate men who think they can just take advantage of a pretty woman. Worried all her hard work will amount to nothing, both her hopes and her heart lift when she hires a hunky capable ranch hand.

Cade Brody’s past has left him broken. Drifting between rodeos after a shocking betrayal, he’s grateful to the pretty farm girl and her offer of a job. But after thugs vandalize the property and harass his gorgeous new boss, he puts aside his wounded heart as his protective instincts ignite.

With Addie’s dream in danger under a barrage of financially damaging attacks, she wrestles with the risk of her red-hot feelings for her rugged employee. And when his own past returns to haunt him, Cade may have to choose between protecting the woman he loves and the healing reconciliation he’s wanted for years.

Will Addie and Cade fend off disaster and give in to their desires?

Cowboys, ice cream, and reading almost any kind of romance are among her (not so) secret loves. To her, every one of her stories, no matter how dark, must have a happy ending, and she strives to make them impossible to put down until you get there.

She balances her free time between reading her favorite romance authors--in genres ranging from erotica and dark romance to sweet historicals and contemporary romance--and spending time with her family.

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Yaks Can Do Yoga! by Snezana Danilovic  (Author)) Sandy Thornton  (Illustrator)

@snezanawrites @sandyillustrates @lovebooksgroup  @lovebookstours 

Blurb 

Yoga makes children happy, healthy and strong!

But if you are a clumsy yak, with wobbly hooves, who has never done yoga before, it can be tricky. Join Yak in her first Happy Panda class and see how she discovers the power and playfulness of yoga.

Eight yoga poses and their benefits are clearly explained and illustrated at the back of the book so young children can easily do them at home or in the classroom.

Yoga is for everyone! Adorable, engaging characters and humorous story draw in young children and get them hooked on yoga, creating healthy mind-body habits to last a lifetime.

Mindfulness and meditation are lots and fun! The story’s humorous, creative visualisation exercises tap into young children’s innate imagination, facilitating a deeper understanding of their emotions and developing confidence and resilience.

Author and experienced children’s yoga teacher Snezana Danilovic and illustrator Sandy Thornton team up to create the Happy Panda Children’s Yoga picture book series of heart-warming stories full of gentle humour, aimed at encouraging even very young children to get hooked on yoga. Parents, teachers and educators don’t need to be experienced yogis – they can learn and enjoy yoga alongside young readers, too!

Yaks Can Do Yoga! is the first book in the series.

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Bios

Snezana Danilovic is a children's author and an experienced children's yoga teacher. Her mission is to bring yoga to children through her passion for storytelling. She has spent the last 30 years writing and working in theatre and children's TV, creating an array of characters for pre-school and early years. Snezana lives in Windsor with her husband, two children and a hamster. She loves hugging trees and her house is full of balloons and musical instruments!

Sandy Thornton is a picture book maker with over 20 years experience in early years creative play, running her own children's art & craft classes, whilst providing creative ideas and content for children's TV, including Cbeebies Mr Maker. From an early age, Sandy snipped, sketched, glued and stapled her own little books and magazines, influenced at the time by Herge's Tintin and Jansson's Moomins. Sandy lives in North London, with her family, their dog Winston and cat Rocky. 

Purchase Link - https://smarturl.it/cornishgold

Excerpt
Thank you so much for this chance to share a sneak peek of my newest book! It’s called Cornish Gold at Summer’s End and continues the adventure of Julianne Rose, who juggles many plates as a wife, mom, and business owner in the sleepy village of Ceffylgwyn. The scene below finds Julianne attempting to sew her children’s Halloween costumes, despite a decided lack of talent in the seamstress department.

  Green felt fabric, draped like an emerald shawl over my sofa's arm, snipped free of its bolt beneath my shears as I cut a winding trail from one side to the other. Bits of it fell off like confetti and landed on the black tulle that was supposed to become a witch's skirt, but which currently was a velvety nest beneath my bare feet.

"What are these?" My son Heath had discovered the white rubber ball I had sliced in half — with great difficulty and a bandage on my finger from where the big shears had slipped once.

"Frog eyes," I said. "For your costume." Not that this fabric was in any danger of becoming a costume for a six year-old at the moment.

Heath held them in front of his own eyes. "I can't see anything," he announced.

"Of course not, silly," I answered. "Look at the pattern's picture." The one I had bought off Etsy had a smiling kid dressed in a green felt jumpsuit with a hood, and two white goggly eyes on top. I had drawn Kermit the Frog pupils on the white rubber with a permanent marker.

"How come mine doesn't have any way to put it on yet?" asked Sylvia. My daughter was trying to wrap the tulle around her waist, looking more like a bandage roll than an eight year-old witch. Her hat was on the cushy old armchair — a lopsided one that needed a little more re-enforcement to stand up straight. It came from the shops, which is why it was better than the broom I was making, which was a crooked stick with some straw tied at the bottom.

"That's because I haven't sewn the tulle to that black skirt's elastic waistband yet," I answered, trying to re-measure my green fabric to be sure it was the correct size. "Once I do, it will look great with your black shirt."

Sylvia looked at the picture by my sewing basket, and I sensed dubiousness in my daughter's eyes. Unlike her brother, she was old enough to be aware that mummy's sewing skills lacked a little bit.

Julianne Rose will never be the brand name of a famous costume designer, even when it comes to kidswear recycled to make creative clowns and fortune tellers for Halloween, but, luckily for me, I don't have to make a living at it, just make two costumes per year for my kids. It's a small price to pay for one afternoon's fun at the village hall, for the annual costume contest and silly party that they look forward to for weeks after October begins.

Author Bio – Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller 'A Wedding in Cornwall'. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

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