Book Review for Summer at Skylark Farm by Heidi Swain

Summer at Skylark Farm

Book Review

I was looking forward to reading this book and managed to read the whole thing in one weekend. Heidi Swain manages to bring the countryside into your lounge in this gorgeous summery read.

For everyone dreaming of escaping to the country, fall in love this summer at Skylark Farm...
 
Amber is a city girl at heart. So when her boyfriend Jake Somerville suggests they move to the countryside to help out at his family farm, she doesn't quite know how to react. But work has been hectic and she needs a break so she decides to grasp the opportunity and make the best of it.
 
Dreaming of organic orchards, paddling in streams and frolicking in fields, Amber packs up her things and moves to Skylark Farm. But life is not quite how she imagined - it's cold and dirty and the farm buildings are dilapidated and crumbling.
 
But Amber is determined to make the best of it and throws herself into farm life. But can she really fit in here? And can she and Jake stay together when they are so different?
 
A story of love in the countryside from the author of the bestselling The Cherry Tree Café. Perfect for Escape to the Countrydreamers, Cath Kidston fans and Country Living addicts!

I absolutely loved Heidi's first novel The Cherry Tree Cafe, so I was confident that I would enjoy this too. The characters are well rounded and I particularly warmed to the main character Amber and the maternal figure of Annie. How I would adore a chance to rummage around in Annie's attic to uncover what treasures must be lying there.
Jake is a fantastic hero and it is clear he has as much love for Amber as he does for Skylark Farm. 
The setting for the novel sounds absolutely idyllic and reminded me - as Heidi herself mentions - of The Darling Buds Of May. I live in Kent and H.E Bates got it spot on with his tales of the Larkin Family and Heidi hits the spot in the same way when it comes to the trials and tribulations of country living.

Grab this book and go out into the open somewhere. Even if you live in a city, find a green space, lean against a tree, find time to be with nature, pour yourself a cider and sit back and lose yourself in this fantastic story.

Buy your copy here

• Simon & Schuster UK | 
• 464 pages | 
• ISBN 9781471150098 | 
• June 2016

List Price £2.99

Kentish Pip Cider

"Skylark"

Totally unrelated to Heidi's book, but by happy coincidence my clever hubby spotted this fantastic cider for sale nearby in Kent. Made by Kentish Pip it is their first sparkling cider and is named Skylark Cider. We bought Heidi some for her book launch present!

Visit their website here Kentish Pip where you can buy Skylark Cider and their other ciders too.

Summer at Skylark Farm

The Launch Party - Saturday 4th June - Norwich

UPDATE:
Summer at skylark farm will be published in paperback exclusive to Sainsbury on August 25th 2016

It was a very tired Mary who had her husband drive her to Norwich late Friday night so she could attend Heidi Swain's launch party for Summer at Skylark Farm.

Heidi's second novel was published by Simon and Schuster on June 2nd and she kindly invited both me and hubby to attend her launch at the Virgin Money Lounge in the centre of beautiful Norwich.

It was also a very special occasion as she had thoughtfully dedicated her precious creation to me. I was told in March and got goosebumps and cried when she told me her intention, but I had to keep it a secret! It was such a wonderful thing to do and I am very honoured.

Hubby and I arrived in Norwich at 10:45pm and found our Airbnb accommodation. A strange experience, but one we would definitely repeat. You literally stay in someones spare room, which I found a little unnerving, but it was OK. We weren't attacked in our beds and there was no wife swapping involved LOL. Our accommodation didn't offer breakfast, but we had a double room and our own bathroom at the top of a town house, which was literally 10 minutes from the Virgin Lounge. They also lent us a parking permit, which in a busy city was a complete bonus.

We made our way to the book launch stopping to breakfast in Debenhams first.

It was great to see Heidi and her hubby Paul again. I also got to meet fellow New Writers Scheme member Jenni Keer in the flesh after chatting online and caught up with my old friend Vicki Bowles and her lovely family.

Jenni Keer and I

Vicki Bowles, Heidi Swain and I

Heidi began her launch by introducing us to the book and thanked us all for coming. She thanked hubby and I for travelling so far to be there and then told everyone I was the Mary Anne she had dedicated her book to. I couldn't look at her and she couldn't look at me as we got quite emotional!

Next she introduced the room to Vicki Bowles who kicked off The Blog Tour last Monday. 

She then embarrassed her hubby by thanking him for his support and getting us all to wish him a Happy Birthday for the following week. He got a rousing "Happy Birthday" and a round of applause.

Heidi then treated us to a reading from Summer at Skylark Farm, which I have read and thoroughly enjoyed, then opened the floor to questions. Questions ranged from "How do you manage to be so fabulous?" (Jenni Keer) to "Does Skylark Farm actually exist?" (Sadly no)

After the questions and answers we all dived into the tasty treats, cupcakes and tea whilst chatting to each other. I met some lovely ladies from the Norfolk Chapter of the RNA and look forward to meeting more members soon.

Our present to Heidi - Skylark Cider from Kentish Pip 

Thank you Heidi for including us in your special day and for such a beautiful dedication.

You are a very special lady and a wonderful, very dear friend.

Heidi and me

 Links: 

Vicki: Blog tour

Laura: Blog Tour

Emma: Blog Tour

Rachale: Blog Tour

Rea: Blog Tour

Kirsty: Blog Tour

Alba: Blog Tour

Heidi's Blog: The Writer Files

Find me on Facebook and on Twitter

A quick catch up!

Hi everyone

I've been a bit lax with blogging and social media as I had a glorious holiday staying with my in-laws in stunning Ireland. Unfortunately we lost our beloved pussy cat Darcy in February, he was nearly 19 and very much a huge part of our family, so a family holiday was just what the Doctor ordered and my in-laws - Wendy and Graham - kindly put us all up for 2 weeks. 

My Hubby, Father In-law, Mother In-law and Son

My Mother in law has fantastic taste and their house that they are renovating looked beautiful. Hubby and I had our own room and bathroom with views across the fields of the mountains beyond and our son Glen had his own room with the same views. We spent time visiting lots of places including the Giants Causeway and the West Coast.

Giants Causeway

Son on the Giants Causeway

Keem Bay, Achill Island

Carrick A Rede

I intended on writing while I was there, but to be honest I was so busy either visiting places or relaxing - can one be busy relaxing? - that I didn't once put pen to paper. I did however get loads of reading done, which was brilliant and book reviews will follow.

I also tried Guinness for the first time in a proper Irish bar called Daly's and I am now a true convert. However as they say it is NOT the same outside Ireland. They really do keep the good stuff for themselves!

First Guinness!

The famous St James' Gate Brewery in Dublin

Sadly we had to come and home and return to work, but we hope to visit again very soon.

I have other things coming up though to keep me occupied and am very excited to be attending the Book Launch of my good friend Heidi Swain's second novel "Summer at Skylark Farm". The book is published on June 2nd and her party is on the 4th, so look out for a special blog dedicated to Heidi next week.

To preorder "Summer at Skylark Farm" please click HERE

Summer at Skylark Farm by Heidi Swain

Finally as I mentioned above we lost our beautiful cat Darcy in February. We got him as a kitten back in 1997 and he was a massive part of our family. We will never forget the joy and love he brought to our lives and we still miss him so much.

Darcy "Chonky" Lewis
1997 to 2016
Never forgotten, always missed

Great Book Survey Part 4

This weeks guest is my friend Jenni Keer. I met Jenni via Twitter after we were both selected as New Writers for the Romantic Novelists Association. We clicked and due to a predictive text error where Jenni was supposed to type "See you soon" which came out as "Siam Son" we have our own little greeting! I thought she was greeting me with a mystical Eastern saying, but no it was a predictive text error.

Jenni is currently writing her first novel and hopes to be a published author soon. I will be of course updating everyone when that happens!

So first question Jenni, age (eekk!) and occupation:

Well let’s just say I feel about 60 and act about 17, so my real age is somewhere in the middle. Full time mum to 4 boys, carer for elderly mother and aspiring author.

What is your preferred genre of book?

My favourite genre depends on my mood. Sometimes I want a Rom Com (which is what I write) to cheer me up and make me believe in happy endings. Other times I want a challenge or something darker, like a thriller or a historical book.

Who is your "go to" author when you fancy a relaxing read?

Go to authors are Milly Johnson, Sophie Kinsella, Lee Child, Harlen Coben, Nicholas Sparkes. I know what to expect and know that I will enjoy the book.

How do you chose your books? Cover designs, friends recommendations, book reviews etc? 

Assuming we are talking about an author I may not have read before, I choose my books based on cover design initially - an excellent indicator of genre of the publisher has done it right. Friend’s recommendations IF I know they like the same things as me. Increasingly I will look at books promoted on social media, especially those promoted by people I respect or adverts that catch my eye. And, as we have just mentioned, I will go back to authors I like, especially when they bring something new out.

Is that an author that you enjoy so much, that you buy every book they publish? If so which author?

Authors I go back to (not necessary buy EVERY one - I’d be bankrupt!) are Milly Johnson, Sophie Kinsella (except the shopaholic series - could never get into that for some reason), Harlan Coben, L.M. Montgomery, Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters, Terry Pratchett, Nicholas Sparkes and I must mention Melissa Nathan - taken from us too soon. 

Sophie Kinsella is a favourite of mine too, but I know what you mean about the Shopaholic series. I've read a few, but the character of Becky just grates a bit. However her stand alone books are absolutely brilliant and The Undomestic Goddess & Can You Keep A Secret make me chuckle.

Do you have a favourite classic novel? Do you have a favourite children's novel?

Classic book probably Pride and Prejudice, Rebecca or Jane Eyre. (NOT Wuthering Heights - one of those instances where I really don’t get what the fuss is all about. Which is exactly how I feel about chocolate. Definitely in the minority though.)
Children’s book (some of which are classics) Alice in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables (oh how I love Gilbert Blythe - possibly my first crush), Little Women, The Faraway Tree. But I must also mention the amazing Julia Donaldson (Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo, The Snail and the Whale). These are so clever and a joy to read out loud. You don't have to be a child to appreciate this genre - or perhaps I am still a child on the inside. There was no way I could narrow that down to just one. You should have seen the pre-edited list!

The Faraway Tree was my all time children's favourite as my Grandad used to read them to me. I can still see Moonface, Silky the Fairy and Mr Saucepan Man in my head and really want to ride the slippery slip from Moonface's house to the bottom of the tree!

Would you say you owned more digital copies of books or paperbacks? Which format do you prefer?

I do have a kindle (how could I hope to be an author and not?) but I still reach for paperbacks by preference. I don't like not being able to see the cover when I pick up what I am reading, and I do read in the bath - not a great idea with an ebook. However, the dictionary feature is really useful, as is the fact you can buy a book instantly. This has proved useful with bored children!

Finally what 10 books would you take to a desert island? You don't have to take a survival guide!

10 books is just impossible, so these really are the first ones that come into my head.

• Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes
• Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella - THE funniest book I have ever read.
• Tell No One by Harlan Coben - the most gripping page turner EVER. He is a master at this. One chapter is never enough.
• Twilight by Stephanie Meyer - ground breaking (well it was in my world)
• Beating About the Bush by Linda Taylor - not only is it a great book, it was also written by my sister, so I saw a different side to this, and appreciated the work that had gone into it. 
• Anything by Betty Neals - just for fun!
• The Nanny by Melissa Nathan
• Any Terry Pratchett

• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen 

… arghh, I’ve run out! Nooooo, I need to take more. Can I have a bigger suitcase please? Or perhaps I can take ten Kindles and some solar panels, and fill them all up with books?

The books you have chosen are fantastic! In fact I could quite easily share a desert island with you. Can You Keep A Secret is one of my favourite books and makes me laugh out loud every time I read it, The Nanny is absolutely brilliant and Rebecca is one of my all time favourite books. 


Thank you so much Jenni for taking part in my survey. If you want to follow Jenni on her writing journey you can find her on Twitter

Great Book Survey Part 3

This weeks book post is courtesy of someone I've known all my life, my cousin & friend Mandy May. We had similar tastes growing up, except she loved Wham! and I was a Duranie through and through! We liked the same books and still do, we have children 1 year apart and she knows my dry sense of humour probably as well as my husband does.

So Mandy the painful part age and occupation

 43 (I think) and I am a single parent to a 21,15 and 7 year old. In my spare time I'm a PA to a Financial Adviser   

What is your preferred genre of book?

I am a big fan of women's fiction, romance and also something a bit saucy 

Who is your “go to author” when you want a relaxing read?

When I want a nice, relaxing read it's Paige Toon every time. I've read all of her books and will do in the future.

Paige Toon

How do you chose your books? Cover design, friends recommendations, book reviews etc?

I generally go by authors and if I read a book and enjoy it I will then read other books by the same author, I have also read books that are recommended by friends or by you. 
That's good to hear, I love recommending authors and books to people and I like it more if they enjoy them.



Is there an author that you enjoy so much that you buy every one of their published novels? If so which author?

I have a lot of favourite authors and have read all of their books, they are Paige Toon, the late Jackie Collins, Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty & Debbie Macomber, I'm sure there are more.


Do you have a favourite classic book? Do you have a favourite children’s book?

I don't really have a favourite classic book, but one that is etched in my brain is "What Katy Did" I was made to read that book all day whilst my parents were at work and I can't even bare to look at the cover anymore!!!! I love children's books and as an avid reader myself I have tried really hard to encourage my children to enjoy books. My favourite has to be Enid Blytons "The Wishing Chair" 
I loved The Wishing Chair too, but my all time favourite was The Faraway Tree collection by Enid Blyton

Sorry! What Katy Did

Would you say you own more digital copies of books or paperbacks? Which format do you prefer?

I definitely own more paperbacks but more recently my preference has been digital books purely as I have no room for more books, but I have recently reignited my love for the library which gives me the best of both worlds, paperbacks and no need to store them. I absolutely love to receive books as presents, there is nothing quite like a new book!!!  


Finally which 10 books would you take to a desert island? You don’t have to include a survival guide!

The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty 
Malory Towers by Enid Blyton (to re-live my teenage years)
The Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton 
The Santangelos by Jackie Collins
All the Harry Potter books as I've not read them and it would keep me busy

One perfect Summer by Paige Toon 

Chasing Daisy by Paige Toon 

Calendar Girls by Audrey Carlan (for the lonely nights) 

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber  

What Katie Did- to throw in the sea and hope it doesn't float 

The Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton

Some great books there Mandy, especially the Enid Blyton ones. Malory Towers was definitely a firm favourite of mine and I really wanted to go there. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Paige Toon at a book event and am ashamed to say that I hadn't read any of her titles before, but I was given an advance copy of her next novel The One We Fell In Love With (published 19th May 2016) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be working my way through her library soon.

My last interviewee Kevin Hanney expressed a desire to use a book to start a fire, whereas you want to throw a book into the sea! It just shows that books forced upon you are not going to be enjoyed. I'm glad in both your cases that it didn't put you off reading for life.

Thank you so much Mandy for taking part. Next week I feature another book lover so please look out for the links. 

The Great Book Survey Part 2

So the first book survey was a success so here is part 2! It is really interesting to get a view into other people's "book lives". I am getting a good cross section of people wanting to take part, which is great as I thought it may just be women of my age contacting me - not there is anything wrong with that!

This week I am featuring Kevin Hanney. I met Kevin at my Creative Writing Class at the local Adult Education Centre and we bonded over pies and cleavage! Maybe I should explain. One of our first exercises was to create a story from cards given to us by our tutor. I ended up writing a short story about a Chief Inspector who had a wife with a magnificent bosom, who couldn't cook for toffee. They had been invited to a garden party where each wife was expected to bake a pie. His wives offering was of course below par and he schemes to swap it with one of the more bitchy wives pies. I read my story out to the little group and Kevin and I have been buddies ever since.

Kevin

Kevin has written a book called Do Unto Others, which I have had the great privilege of reading. It is set in the fast paced world of advertising and the characters are phenomenal. He is yet to find a publisher, but I am sure it will not be long, so look out for the title soon.

So Kevin firstly the basics, name, age (if you feel like disclosing) and occupation apart from fantastic writer!

Kevin Hanney, 57, Accountant

What is your preferred genre of book?

Crime Fiction, with strong characters. I don’t like wishy washy people or characters. So no vegan art lovers, who hug trees at the weekend.

Who is your “go to author” when you want a relaxing read?

Kate Rhodes. I met her last year on creative writing course.

How do you chose your books? Cover design, friends recommendations, book reviews etc?

Friends, Radio 2 Book Club reviews and Waterstone's staff reviews are sometimes useful.

 Is there an author that you enjoy so much that you buy every one of their published novels? If so which author?

Robert Galbraith, aka J K Rowling. Strong private detective, with an interesting personality and an artificial limb.

Do you have a favourite classic book? Do you have a favourite children’s book?

I don't have a favourite classic book, but my favourite children's book is Peace at Last by Jill Murphy. I used to read this to my son when he was 2 or 3.

Would you say you own more digital copies of books or paperbacks? Which format do you prefer?

I prefer hard copies to digital, as I prefer CDs and vinyl to downloads.

Finally which 10 books would you take to a desert island? You don’t have to include a survival guide.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

            

The Devil’s Alternative by Frederick Forsyth

             

Do Unto Others by Kevin Hanney

            

Monty Pythons Little Red Book

            

The History of West Ham United

             

Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

              

A biography of Winston Churchill

              

Guinness Book of Records

              

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

Emma by Jane Austen (I would use this to light a fire, as I had to read it at school)

             

Some great answers Kevin. I too used to read Jill Murphy's "Large Family" books to my son when he was younger. We still have all the books as they hold really nice memories for us.

As for using Emma by Jane Austen to light a fire. Tut, tut, but I totally understand how being forced to read a book at school can damage your view of that book for life. I had to read Thomas Hardy and although I enjoy some of his work, I can't read the Mayor of Casterbridge as I had to not only read it, but write endless essays on the thing too.

Reading is very much a personal thing. Classics and other titles should be recommended at school, but not forced upon people.

Thank you for some great titles. You introduced me to Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) and I have to say I really enjoyed the writing.

Good luck with your novel Kevin - Do Unto Others - and keep us posted.

Find Kevin on Twitter

The Great Book Survey!

I decided to put together a short book survey for friends to complete and so I had some lovely "booky" blogs for the next few weeks. I asked for volunteers on Facebook and sent the survey out to a few brave souls. I wanted to dig deep and see just what my friends like to read and if they had any little reading "guilty secrets" I should know about!

So first up is the amazing Vicki Bowles. Vicki self published her own novel My Unintended and is currently writing her next novel. We met a few years ago a a Creative Writing Masterclass held at Books and the City publishers. I basically plonked myself down next to her and she hasn't been able to get rid of me since!

Mary, Natalie and Vicki 

So Vicki first question is a fairly simple one names you go by and your *ahem* age...

Vicki Bowles / Vikbat / MUUUUUM*

Age: Very nearly 43**. What's that you say? A Kindle? For my birthday? What a FABULOUS Idea....

*has to be shouted v loud

** ok, ok, I know I don't act it.

What is your preferred genre of book?

Women's Fiction and Contemporary Romance, but it has to have a bit of a bite to it. You know, with lots of swearing and rudity. 

Who is your “go to author” when you want a relaxing read?

Jeez.... there's far too many... Jane Costello, Paige Toon (though I've only read a couple of hers so far but I LOVE them!), Mhairi MacFarlance, Lindsey Kelk... the list goes on and I know I've left loads out. But the Queen of All Fabulousness for me is the Goddess Jilly Cooper. That Rupert Campbell-Black is such a bad boy – I love him!

 How do you chose your books? Cover design, friends recommendations, book reviews etc?

All of the above

 Is there an author that you enjoy so much that you buy every one of their published novels? If so which author?

Jilly Cooper. She has such a way with words, and her descriptions are gorgeous. I can practically smell the wild garlic of Rutshire when I'm reading one of her books. And she's so naughty. Rupert Campbell-Black taught me everything I know!

Do you have a favourite classic book? Do you have a favourite children’s book?

My favourite children's book... actually can I have two please? From my own childhood I loved  'Heidi' by Johanna Spyri. I used to imagine myself living up on a mountain with all those flowers and goats around me. And eating all the cheese.

My other favourite children's book is Dinosaur Roar by Henrietta and Paul Stickland. I've read it with all my four kids, and I still enjoy it with my youngest, Zach. We put on really silly voices to match the dinosaurs. That's one book that will never ever make it to the charity shop.

As for classic books – does Heidi count? Otherwise it would be 1984 by George Orwell. He was amazingly ahead of his time. Actually I think he may be the inspiration for Doctor Who – I'm convinced he must have nipped ahead and seen the future. Which is a bit scary when you think about it...

Would you say you own more digital copies of books or paperbacks? Which format do you prefer?

Looking at my TBR piles (note the plural!) I'd say it's about 50/50. When I first got my Kindle I much preferred that, for storage, accessibility etc. But then I visited Simon & Schuster and my love for the physical book was rekindled (Ha – see what I did there?). I blame Sara-Jade Virtue for introducing loads of fabulous, gorgeous books, with beautiful covers.

 Although I do swear lots when I am reading a book at night, drop it and lose my place. But on the flip side, my Kindle has died, so I'm having to read my Kindle & Netgalley books on my phone. Technology is not infallible.

Finally which 10 books would you take to a desert island? You don’t have to include a survival guide!

Erm... Riders, Rivals, Polo by Jilly Cooper; River God and Warlock by Wilbur Smith; Out of This World: The Story of Muse by Mark Beaumont; Our Song by Dani Atkins; Watchers by Dean Koontz; It by Stephen King; and finally Castaway by Lucy Irvine.

But if I took a Kindle and a solar charger, I could take SOOOO many more....

(I actually read 5 books in 10 days on honeymoon in the Maldives. And yes I'm still married 18 years later.)

Great answers Vicki. I think we can take from most of your answers that you are a fan of "naughty" books! I love your desert island choices although if I took Our Song I think I would need lots of tissues too.

Thank you so much Vicki for taking part in my survey xxxx

 Find Vicki on her Blog, on Facebook and on Twitter