A feel-good romance to fall in love with.

Out today. My first ever sequel publishes today. It has been very last minute and I’m not holding a book launch out of respect for our incredible Queen, who inspired us with her strength every day and who will be sadly missed by so many.

I hope that this book finds its way to my lovely readers and that they enjoy the sandy beaches, delicious cupcakes and gorgeous new characters.  The little cupcake shop by the sea has been written because my readers asked for a sequel. That made my heart soar and I’m so happy that I could continue Genie’s story and introduce you to Fern’s background. Surf shop owner, Jessie, is not impressed by his new landladies when they take over the lease of his shop and film star, Brad, does not take other men vying for the attention of his secret girlfriend very well.

Grab your copy of book 2 in this series here! Book 1 is just 99p in an Amazon Kindle Deal during September, so if you haven’t read that yet, treat yourself to a bargain with one-click. Usual ebook price, £2.99/$3.99

Book blurb:

A seaside escape, filled with new beginnings and magical settings. Will moving to a sun kissed coast lead Fern to love? From the bestselling author of The little ice cream shop by the sea.

When a broken relationship takes Fern on a journey to find out more about her family, it’s a chance to put heartache behind her. She quickly falls in love with a beautiful cove and adjoining shops which awaken her dream of a cupcake and cocktail café by the sea, but an emotional revelation and a handsome but grumpy new tenant make her question her past decisions.

Genie is excited about the new café and the arrival of Fern, but is trying to balance the demands of a famous boyfriend and her unpredictable family.

Jessie wakes up one day to find he has a new landlady for his surf shop, which makes him furious. But the more time he spends with Fern, it’s clear that they have a connection that neither of them can deny.

Can Fern find the courage to tell both Jessie and Genie about her past? And if she does, will she get the lasting love she’s been dreaming of?

I’m running a prize giveaway for this book, which is a beautiful canvas book bag and a signed paperback copy of the little cupcake shop by the sea. There will be two winners, each winning a book bag and a signed book.

To enter, just post a photo of one of my books or ebooks that you own, to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok and tag me into say hi so that I can see it. If you send the image via Twitter, then i’ll happily retweet the post to my lovely followers. I talk a lot about books and writing on my Twitter page, so it’s a fun place to stop by for a chat. My social media links are here:

Twitter: @Lizzie_Chantree

Facebook: @LizzieChantree

Instagram: @Lizzie_Chantree

TikTok: @Lizzie_Chantree

The winners will be selected by midday on the 2nd October and notified. T’s & C’s are on my prize page. Competition open worldwide.

 

Writing buddies.

Hello everyone. I’m excited to have been invited on to Chelmsford Community Radio this evening, with the lovely Christine Penhall to chat about the FREE writing buddy session we are running at Fete café in Chelmsford on the 5th July.  It’s always fun to try something different and we are hoping to encourage local writers to meet up, get writing and enjoy some coffee! 

Fete Cafe. Chelmsford. Lizzie Chantree

I’ve finished organising my seminar for The Essex Book Festival on the 11th June and hope any writers who attend will find it useful. I’ll be talking about how to make the most out of categories and keywords, how to use stacked promotions in the run up and the time after launch, and how my books got into the bestseller lists even when I was an unknown author and publishing my first book.

I’m currently writing book twelve, which is the first sequel I’ve ever written. I’m finding it a bit daunting, but also great fun. The characters are making me laugh and I can’t wait to decide on a publication date. The book is the sequel to, The little ice cream shop by the sea.

Platinum Jubilee photo. Lizzie Chantree

We had neighbours round for a Jubilee celebration at the weekend, so that was a good way to relax and enjoy being part of the local community. It was brilliant to see photos of the parties that people were having all across the country. We were lucky enough to sample the famous Jubilee pudding, as my neighbour followed the recipe and brought it round. It was delicious!

Jubilee pudding. Lizzie Chantree

Wishing you all an amazing week and I hope that it’s productive and full of books and sunshine. From Lizzie.  x

Introducing, Emma Jackson.

This week I’m thrilled to be able to introduce you to Essex Life Magazine’s book reviewer, Emma Jackson. I thought it would be really interesting to find out more about how she chooses books to review, what the pressures of her job are and what surprises her about the books she’s sent to read. I’ve been lucky enough to have two of my most recent books reviewed in this wonderfully glossy and popular magazine, so I asked Emma if she could share some insights with other authors, to help with their writing journey.

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1-How did you become a book reviewer for a magazine?

I was very lucky when I became a book reviewer, I had emailed a few magazines and the Essex Life was one that got in touch and I’ve been doing it for about four months.

 

2- What are the biggest pressures you face in your job?  

The biggest pressures I have in my job is reading and reviewing three books in a month as well as holding down a full time job and doing my coursework!

 

3- Do you have to read genres you don’t enjoy?

I’ve actually been lucky with the genres as I’m happy to read anything. I struggle more with history but I’ll still give it a go.

 

4- What makes a book stand out to you?

The books that stand out for me is when the front cover catches my eye with the captions on them, it gets my attention and and I’m instantly intrigued with the book.

 

5- What would make you put a book down and stop reading it?

The only things that make me want to put a book down is if it’s slow pacing and doesn’t flow, or if it’s got too much swearing in it. I know sometimes it’s if a character is portrayed that way and I understand that bit if it’s for the sake of it I’ll put it down. 

 

6- Have you got any tips for other writers for submissions to magazines? 

When you submit your submissions to a magazine, my tips are to write it and leave it for a couple of days, then go back to it and do the finalizing. Make sure that the guidelines, word count and genre etc are what they’ve asked for. 

 

7- How do you find time for other writing projects?

Finding time for my other writing projects is a nightmare! Though I did get told to spread my work out a bit and to set an alarm so I’m not over doing it.

 

8- What are your plans for your future writing career?

My plans for my future writing career would be to write and sell my own book/books and to carry on book reviewing.

 

9- Have you ever been really surprised by a book?

I’ve been surprised by many books but the ones that surprise me the most seem to be rom-coms as I’m not a particular big fan of them. 

 

10- What qualities do you look for an author to be showcased in a magazine? 

The qualities I look for in an Author to be showcased in a magazine is someone who is genuine, friendly and approachable. 

Not only do the book reviews Emma writes go in The Essex Life Magazine, but  she very kindly puts them on her Facebook page which is called Loulousbookpage. They also go on goodreads and Amazon. You can also find Emma on Twitter: Emma-Lou @loulousbookpage