News Roundup: New books from Jody Klaire & Jenny Frame, AL Brooks Talks Sex, Cari Hunter Talks Frogs…

Like much of the country, we’re winding down for our summer break here at UK LesFic. So, grab your beach towels, your factor 45, and a hanky knotted in the corners, and prepare to hunker down with a good book.

We’ll be back – tanned, rested, and ready to roll – with more news and features in early September.

~ ~ ~

This update is a bit of a blog fest, so let’s kick off with sex because…actually, do I need a reason?! Anyway, no matter what your lesfic genre of choice, the chances are you’ll have read a few sex scenes in your time. New Ylva author AL Brooks has been discussing “vanilla” versus all the other possible flavours of lady lovin’ in a new blog:

Don’t get me wrong, if they (love scenes in lesbian romance) are written well they can be sexy as hell, without the need to use particular words or phrases that would be more likely to be found in an erotic story. But, it seems to me, in making a clear distinction between romance and erotic romance, a lot of the joy of lesbian sex has been lost in the former. I’m talking about the sheer variety of lesbian sex that two women can share, both in actions and positions. Let’s face it, the list is pretty much endless, so why aren’t those being brought into stories of lesbian romance?

Good question. To read the rest of the piece and add your own two penn’orth, follow the link.

The Giveaway winners from AL’s recent UK LesFic guest blog are: Holli (who won the paperback copy) – just how many bottles of douche did it take to deskunk that dog?!, and ebooks go to Devlyn and BarbaraG. Congrats to all three, and thanks to everyone who entered the draw.

Ms Brooks will also be with Andrea Bramhall at Norwich Pride this Saturday. They’ll be in charge of the Ylva stall in the forum from 10 a.m.

~ ~ ~

Over on the Women & Words blog, Jody Klaire has been talking about her new book Hindsight, and wondering whether a person’s past affects the way they see things:

For some in the book, those scars had created mental barriers that made it difficult for that character to “let the walls down.” Her past affected her relationships and her level of trust. With a lot of experiences, they can make you lose confidence in yourself as much as your view of your surroundings. I wanted to pay special attention to that in my writing so that it reflected that…

Hindsight is due for release on August 1st, and you can read Jody’s guest blog here.

And a quick check on Amazon has just brought me news of Hindsight‘s sequel, Noble Heart, which is slated for publication in March, 2017. Its blurb reads like this:

Some things are worth more than they appear. Aeron Lorelei finds herself thrust back undercover once more. This time it’s to secure the freedom and safety of three generations of one family. Frei, Renee, and Aeron have to pull off their most difficult challenge yet. Infiltrating Frei’s hostile past means maintaining a cover, protecting the POIs, and revealing the truth before it’s concealed for good. Only then do they have a shot at ensuring the POI’s freedom. All Aeron has to do is help save a family, stay true to her cover identity, wrestle the feelings of everyone around her, and wipe a family history from file . . . In other words, business as usual. True gold lies within noble hearts.

~ ~ ~

Another new book for 2017 is Jenny Frame‘s contemporary romance Unexpected. Jenny just revealed the cover and the blurb over on Facebook. The exact release date is still TBC.

Self-made business owner Dale McGuire has always enjoyed two things in life: women and fast cars. Now in her midthirties, she’s restless and can’t work out why. Then one day a ten-year-old boy turns up, claiming to be her son, and her simple ordered world turns upside down.
Rebecca Harper bears the emotional scars of her father’s crimes, and now she has two rules: never let anyone too close, and never admit weakness. Thanks to an anonymous egg donor, infertility didn’t stop her from having her son Jake. Now pregnant for a second time, she’s horrified when Jake brings home the woman he believes is his other mother.
When distrust turns to understanding and passion, can Dale and Rebecca, two women bound by fate, make a family neither expected?

~ ~ ~

Jen Silver has written a GCLS blog discussing the torment of being at a lesbian book fest and only having a limited amount of space in her suitcase:

I was constantly balancing the number of my books that I sold with the number I could take back home. But there were three books I wasn’t going to leave Washington DC without purchasing…

To find out which books those were, click the link.

~ ~ ~

We’ll wind things up with a couple of rainy day links, the first of which is Val McDermid‘s episode of Arts Night on iPlayer: Is fiction the best way to access the truth? Val McDermid explores the relationship between fiction, video games and crime documentary.

The episode will remain available for just over three weeks. I’m guessing we’ll probably see some wet weather before that deadline.

~ ~ ~
And if you’re still stuck for things to do, you could have a toot at an interview that I recorded with fellow author Alexandra Amor for her It’s a Mystery Podcast. We talked about the Dark Peak books, genre, the (in)visibility of queer characters in mainstream crime, and, um…frogs.
The interview is now up at Alexandra’s blog, where you can listen to it or download it, and there’s also a video over on YouTube.

~ ~ ~

Whatever your plans might be for the summer, have a pleasant and safe one. Eat loads of ice cream, stay up late, and generally muck around 🙂

Welcome to the Club – a bit of research and a giveaway!

Welcome to The Club—leave your inhibitions and your everyday cares at the door and indulge yourself in an evening of anonymous, no-strings, woman-on-woman action. For many of the women who visit The Club this is exactly what they are looking for and what they get. For others the emotions run high, and one night of sex can change their lives in ways they couldn’t have imagined. For Lou, her weekly visits to The Club enable her to set aside her shyness and loneliness and feel intimacy, however briefly. For Kath, caring for her mother at home, The Club is a welcome relief from her everyday toil; while Max needs distraction from her troubled relationship, even as she tries to tell herself she isn’t really cheating. Tania and Jacky find an outlet for a tricky block in their sex life. Cassie and Nina, bar staff at The Club, find themselves staying on after hours. And finally, Stephanie, struggling with her sexuality, finds her life changing in so many ways once she plucks up courage to enter. The lives of these women intersect in ways they don’t realize, and watching over them all is Mandy— the owner, whose own ghosts play a pivotal role in the existence of The Club.

“Welcome to The Club—leave your inhibitions and your everyday cares at the door.”

Aaah… it’s a tough life being an lesfic author. It’s your job to imagine attractive women meeting and falling into bed with each other. It’s hell I tell you. Then there’s the research. Just your everyday research. Here’s AL Brooks to tell you about where the background checks for her intriguing debut, The Club, took her.

~~~

Research for a novel can take you to many strange places, I’ve discovered. The Club is an ensemble piece set in a fictional lesbian sex club. There are many characters and stories interwoven throughout and as a result that led to some, er, interesting research projects.

Over the duration of my time writing The Club, I managed to rack up a Google search list that contained, amongst other things: BDSM equipment suppliers and dungeon-builders, the symptoms of anxiety attacks, the truth about female ejaculation and what real lesbian sex clubs there were in the UK for comparison purposes (I couldn’t find any evidence of any, sadly).

At the end of the process I was thankful for the fact that (a) I was doing this all from my personal laptop, rather than my work one, and (b) that I was old enough not to have my mother monitoring my internet usage.

~~~

Sound intriguing? The Club is now available on Amazon and you can also enter the draw for a free paperback and two ebooks! Just add a comment of interest below, or even better leave a comment letting AL Brooks know about your most surprising topic of research – something you never thought you needed to know!

(Giveaway closes Thursday 28th July.)

News roundup

It’s a topsy turvy week when Britain puts forward the Blonde Bombshell Boris Johnson as the face of UK diplomacy, but things have been a little more sane in lesfic land.

~~~

To start with, that talented writer Cari Hunter got what her books deserve at the Golden Crown Literary Society Awards this week when she was awarded the best Crime novel. Both books one and two of her Dark Peak Series made the short list but Cold to the Touch came out on top. Congratulations Cari!

No other Brits won awards this time. Maybe Boris can put a good word in for us when he nips over to see Hills.

On to forthcoming books.

KE Payne is done checking the proofs for her new YA romance Before.

The novel will be out in September and here’s the blurb:

When the confident, determined Alex Brody joins the successful band Be4, sparks fly between her and her bandmates, none more so than with Tally Mullins. But as their success continues and Tally learns more about Alex, her dislike turns to admiration. Soon Tally finds out that there’s far more to Alex than she first thought.

Clare Lydon continues the adventures of Toni and Holly in the next of the All I Want series.

The next installment, All I Want for Summer, is out in two weeks. No blurb yet, but watch this space. Not this space literally. But that kind of space, or thereabouts in the next news. I digress….

Meanwhile, we do have a blurb for Jody Klaire’s Hindsight. This is part of the Above and Beyond series, and here’s that blurb in this space:

Escaping your past isn’t always easy. Aeron Lorelei gets a vision that her general and close friend, Ursula Frei, has been captured and seriously hurt but Aeron doesn’t know by who, where and why. All she knows is that Frei is getting weaker and they have to find her… fast. So Aeron and her commander, Renee Black, set out on the trail using the only information they have to go on: the memories of Frei’s past which are triggered when Aeron touches a padlock, a padlock that shows the depth of the scars Frei holds inside. As the memories get more vivid and Aeron’s still dimmed burdens begin to drain her, Renee is faced with losing both the women she adores. But, the memories begin to point to just why Frei is missing and Renee faces the decision to keep faith in Aeron’s “burdens,” and what her own heart is telling her, or pull Aeron out and lose Frei, her best friend and the woman who once saved her life.

Hindsight will be out in August and is available for pre-order on Amazon.

On to reviews and the Romantic Reader enjoyed Clare Ashton’s sunny tale of romance in mid-Wales.

“This book is a true gem. For the very first pages you are taken by the beauty of the Welsh village as much as the main character Poppy. You become invested in the characters, rooting for their triumphs, and sharing their sadness. Poppy Jenkins is not the book to pass on. This one will steal your heart. Good luck on getting that back!”

You can read the rest of the review here.

And Jenny Frame’s hairy tale of love, Heart of the Pack, was reviewed on Inked Rainbow Reads:

“I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the first page! I was pulled into the story and couldn’t put it down. The romance between the two women was beautifully written. I loved finding out about the pack and meeting many of them. The pack dynamic they have is so interesting. I wouldn’t mind moving there!”

Read the full review here and also catch Jenny reading from the Heart of the Pack on the Lesbian Talk Show podcast.

~~~

A couple of reminders before I go and check the news and inadvertently extend the kids’ vocabulary in an unfortunate way.

It’s the last Polari on Sea event on Wednesday the 27th July with an impressive lineup including Maureen Duffy and VG Lee.

It will be held in the evening at the Printworks in Hastings and you can get more information and tickets here.

And a quick reminder about new books.

The Club by AL Brooks is available now from the Ylva site and from Amazon on the 20th (pre-order is available).

What kind of club do you think those two gals have joined…?

~~~

Toodle-pip!

 

News Roundup: New Novels from Clare Ashton & Gill McKnight, New Author Neve Fontaine, Events, Reviews & More!

It’s no understatement to say that a hell of a lot can happen in a couple of weeks. If – like us – you’re feeling the urge to batten down the hatches, duck beneath a duvet, and shut out the rest of the world, then perhaps we can brighten your outlook somewhat with this fortnight’s news (which, I can assure you, will contain no mention of beleaguered politicians, referendum reruns, financial meltdown, or Boris bloody Johnson.)

~ ~ ~

If you want a cheerful summery read to take under those covers with you, then look no further than Clare Ashton‘s latest release Poppy Jenkins which is currently flying high at the top of the UK LesFic charts:

Two old friends, one hot summer, a whole load of confusion.

Poppy Jenkins makes everyone smile. She’s the heart of Wells, a beautiful village in mid-Wales, leaving light and laughter in her wake. She has a doting family, an errant dog and a little sister with a nose for mischief. But she’s the only gay in the village and it’s a long time since she kissed a girl: the chance of romance in sleepy Wells is rarer than a barking sheep.

If she doesn’t think too hard, life is cosy, until a smart sports car barrels into town with the last woman Poppy wants to see behind the wheel. Beautiful Rosalyn Thorn was once Poppy’s high school BFF even though she was trouble. Then one day she abandoned Wells and Poppy without explanation. Now the highflier is back and bound to cause fresh havoc in the village and with Poppy’s heart; folk are not happy.

Wells needs to wake up to the 21st century and Rosalyn can help, but old prejudices die hard. If they can be friends it could be the chance to make everyone’s happy ever after. Couldn’t it?

Clare has been chatting about the inspiration behind Poppy Jenkins and its setting over at the Women & Words blog:

I grew up in Mid-Wales, a beautiful green country of rolling hills and picturesque castles with fresh air a plenty. It drove me bonkers. As a teenager I thought it the most frustrating place on the planet. So did all my friends and we sat on the common room sofa at school dreaming of places we’d rather be…

Read the full piece by clicking on the link, and the book has also been reviewed over at the Lesbian Reading Room:

But beyond all of that this is a most exquisite piece of writing. The language is fulsome, rounded and glorious. The sentences flow across the page and into your heart and mind with genuine elegance… It is, genuinely, a modest and tender romance, but suffused with a tone of voice and love of language which makes it feel like so much more.

~ ~ ~

Next up is a new author, Neve Fontaine, who was born and bred in South Yorkshire. Neve released her debut novel A Dangling Fish last December. I’ve added Neve’s bio to our Author page, and you can find out more about her over at her blog.

The blurb for A Dangling Fish goes like this:

Gabbi Sinclair is trying to pick up the pieces after a failed relationship and, though she doesn’t realise it at first, the hang-ups it’s left her with about women. She decides the best thing to do is pick up that life, and attempt to claw back the lost years of her youth, where it was a decade ago. Where better to do it than a Greek island full of women. Easy enough, right?

~ ~ ~

There seems to be a growing trend for multi-author series at the moment, and August 10th will see the publication of Gill McKnight‘s novella Daughter of Baal which is book three in the five book Law Game series (the other four books are all scheduled to be released on the same date.)

A 1920’s society wedding attended by the richest and most fashionable people possible ends in murder. Lady Margo, top sleuth and Maid of Honour suspects there is more to it than the ‘curse’ of the stolen idol in the garden grotto. The Clamp family have been looting the Middle East of archaeological finds for decades, could the culprit be a rival for this lucrative and illegal trade, or more likely has a love triangle gone horribly wrong.

As the weekend unfolds Lady Margo, and her trusted servant and chauffer, Jones, find a house full of secrets and lies. From the elite guests upstairs to the lowest estate worker, no-one is as they seem and none can be trusted.
And through it all, the Daughter of Baal watches with a knowing grin.

Gill has also been blogging about her current release Welcome to the Wallops with her Five Things You Should Know About Welcome to the Wallops feature:

1- It’s a contemporary romance. I haven’t written one of those since forever, they tend to bore me as there’s no werewolves, ghosts, or villainy. In fact, the only other contemp rom I’ve written was my debut novel Falling Star, everything else has been tampered with werewolves, ghosts, and villainy.

Catch up with the remaining four facts at the link.

~ ~ ~

We shared the cover for Jenny Frame’s new erotic short story Dapper a few weeks ago, and its blurb is now up on the Bold Strokes website. The story is due for release in September and, according to Jenny, it is “burning hot!”

Amelia Honey, cutter and suit designer at an exclusive London Savile Row tailor, is happy with her professional life, but her love life is barren and cold. When she is asked to stand in for her boss’s private appointment with the mysterious Byron De Brek, she couldn’t be more excited—or nervous. Byron is the perfect example of a dapper butch, and someone who fuels Amelia’s darkest fantasies.

Will she follow Byron’s lead and explore those darker needs, or will she run away from what her heart and her body truly hunger for?

~ ~ ~

First time author A.L. Brooks has launched a new website and will be appearing at this year’s LFest (to be held July 17th-20th). As if that’s not keeping her busy enough, she will also be hosting a launch party for her debut novel, The Club. The event will be held at The Loft, Players Bar, Charing Cross Theatre, on July 22nd (19.00-22.00):

To celebrate the publication of my debut novel, The Club, I’m hosting a little soiree. Glass of Prosecco as you arrive, nibbly buffet food to munch on, and general all-round happiness throughout the evening. All welcome!

See this Facebook events page for more info.

~ ~ ~

Finally this week, the first in Jane Fletcher’s Celaeno series, The Temple at Landfall, is now available as an audio book. Originally published in 1999 by Dimsdale Press (as The World Celaeno Chose), the book was republished by Bold Strokes in 2005, and was followed by four sequels. Its short and sweet blurb reads like this:

Lynn feels more like a prisoner than the chosen of the Goddess. Transfer to another temple is her chance to taste a little freedom on the journey, but all does not go to plan and her dull life is shattered by the dangers and choices that await her.

~ ~ ~

And that’s about yer lot. Hopefully it’ll tide you over for the next couple of weeks assuming, of course, that the sky doesn’t fall in the meantime…