Quick Reads 2014

I'm thrilled to be part of Quick Reads 2014, sponsored by Galaxy

What are Quick Reads?

1 in 6 adults of working age in the UK find reading difficult and may never pick up a book.  People’s reasons for not reading are varied but are often based in fear. Some people say they find books scary and intimidating, thinking they are ‘not for them’ or that books are difficult or boring.

Quick Reads sets out to challenge these beliefs and to show that books and reading can be for everyone. Each year we commission big name authors to write short books that are specifically designed to be easy to read.  They are the same as mainstream books in every respect but are simply shorter and easier to tackle for adults who are less confident in their reading skills. The books are then sold through major retailers, online booksellers and are loaned from libraries.

Quick Reads is making real, lasting changes to people’s lives.  Since 2006 we have distributed over 4.5 million books, registered 3 million library loans and through the outreach work hundreds of thousands of new readers each year, often in some of the hardest to reach communities, are introduced to the joys and benefits of reading. Quick Reads is a unique collaboration and we are very grateful for the support of everyone involved.

Quick Reads 2014 Evaluation Report

Once again, the 2014 Quick Reads Evaluation demonstrates they continue to have a positive impact on engaging and supporting adults with literacy and reading.   As one tutor put it, "I have noticed a confidence in students, who otherwise didn't read books. Many of them have realised how enjoyable it is to read. Most had tried, but failed because the books they had chosen were either to long or had complicated language. Once they started reading the Quick Reads they came back for more. I like to think the Quick Reads turn non-readers into readers."

Read the full report http://www.niace.org.uk/current-work/area/reading-for-pleasure

Quick Reads presents 'An Open Book', a short film that celebrates the power of reading. 'An Open Book' features a host of celebrities and authors, including Lily Cole, Myleene Klass and Andy McNab, who talk openly and passionately about their relationship with reading -- both good and bad.

The Quick Reads 2014 titles, which will officially launch today - 7 February, are:

• Four Warned by Jeffrey Archer (Pan Books)
• Blackout by Emily Barr (Headline Review)
• A Cruel Fate by Lindsey Davis (Hodder and Stoughton)
• Rules for Dating a Romantic Hero by Harriet Evans (HarperColllins)
• The Escape by Lynda La Plante (Simon & Schuster)
• Hidden by Barbara Taylor Bradford (HarperColllins)

I intend to read the whole series, so far I've read Rules For Dating a Romantic Hero by Harriet Evans, which was a fabulous read.  I also enjoyed Cruel Fate by Lindsey Davis which is a historical story, based on fact.

Rules for Dating a Romantic Hero by Harriet Evans

Do you believe in happy endings?

Laura Foster used to be a hopeless romantic.  She was obsessed with meeting her own Prince Charming until she grew up and realised real life doesn’t work like that.

Then she met Nick. A romantic hero straight from a fairytale, with a grand country estate and a family tree to match.

They’ve been together four years now and Laura knows that what really matters is the two of them, not everything else around them. She can’t imagine ever loving anyone the way she loves Nick.

Now, though, people are openly asking when they’ll hear wedding bells, and Nick is keeping secrets from Laura. She’s starting to feel she might not be ‘good enough’ for his family.

Can an ordinary girl like Laura make it work with one of the most eligible men in the country?

About the Author

Harriet Evans is the author of seven previous novels: Going Home, A Hopeless Romantic, The Love of Her Life, I Remember You, Love Always, Happily Ever After and Not Without You. She lives in London with her family.

For more information about Harriet Evans, visit her website www.harriet-evans.com, follow her on Twitter @HarrietEvans

A Cruel Fate by Lindsey Davis

As long as war exists, this story will matter.

Martin Watts, a bookseller, is captured by the king’s men. Jane Afton's brother Nat is taken too. They both suffer horrible treatment as prisoners-of-war.

In Oxford Castle jailer William Smith tortures, beats, starves and deprives his helpless victims. Can Jane rescue her sick brother before he dies of neglect? Will Martin dare to escape?

Based on real events in the English Civil War, Lindsey Davis retells the grim tale of Captain Smith's abuse of power in Oxford prison – where many died in misery though a lucky few survived.

About the Author

Lindsey Davis is best known for her twenty volume mystery series about Roman detective Marcus Didius Falco, and her new series about his adopted daughter, Flavia Albia.

She has also written Rebels and Traitors, an epic novel set during the same time as A Cruel Fate.

For more information about Lindsey Davis, visit her website www.lindseydavis.co.uk

Lots more information can be found on the Quick Reads website www.quickreads.org.uk, or follow the Twitter feed at @Quick_Reads

The First Rule of Ten: A Tenzing Norbu Mystery (Dharma Detective 1) by Gay Hendricks & Tinker Lindsay **GIVEAWAY**

Tenzing Norbu has work troubles. 'Ten' has already swapped life as a Buddhist monk for a career in the LAPD; now he's becoming a private eye. His last day as an LA cop could have gone more smoothly: a simple domestic dispute ends with two bodies, three victims and an unceremonious exit. 

But he's in for a rude awakening if he thinks life as a PI is going to be less complicated. His first case is a tangle of strange cults, Hollywood double-dealing and suspicious deaths. 

Even with his years of spiritual training, Ten has a hard time balancing deadly suspects, a wayward pet cat, a fiery ex-partner and the start of a new romance...

The First Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsey is the first of a new detective series published in the UK on 3 February 2014 by Hay House.

It can often feel as though the market is flooded with police crime series, and I'm usually quite wary of embarking on yet another series, but I have enjoyed every page of this story and very much look forward to reading the next in the series.

Our hero is Tenzig Norbu (known to readers as just 'Ten').  He's used to be a Tibetan Monk, then joined LAPD.  We meet him just as he leaves the force and decides to make his living as a Private Investigator.

Ten grew up in a monastery, he loved reading Sherlock Holmes novels and tries to base his actions on what his hero would do. He's had some pretty unique life experiences, he's seen some horrific crimes, yet he tries to live his life according to his spiritual beliefs.  Sometimes that's difficult for Ten, especially when dealing with ex-girlfriends, or gruesome murders, but it's clear that Ten is a good guy through and through.

The First Rule of Ten could quite easily have felt like the authors wanted to preach to the reader, with the references to mindfulness and Ten's reflections on the whys and hows, but it doesn't.  It's a fast paced murder story that draws the reader in very well.   I especially liked the glimpses back into Ten's past, his family relationships, his far from normal upbringing with his unusual parents.  The story is not overwhelmed by this detail, but just enough is added to allow readers to get a real taste for Ten's character.

Murders, cults, disreputable police departments, dysfunctional families and a dash of political intrigue all come together to make The First Rule of Ten an absorbing and quite exciting read, with a bit of difference.

I look forward to the next two books of the series; The Second Rule of Ten,  The Third Rule of Ten and The Broken Rules of Ten which is a prequel to the series and introduces the reader to Ten as a 13-year-old boy.

My thanks to Ruth from Hay House UK who sent my copy for review.   Hay House UK have also kindly offered a set of the Rules of Ten series to the winner of my giveaway.  To be in with a chance of winning, please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.    Good Luck!

Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., is the author and co-author of twenty-five books in conscious relationship, conscious business and bodymind transformation. Included are such enduring bestsellers as Conscious Loving, The Corporate Mystic, Conscious Breathing and Conscious Living. Before founding his own institute, he was Professor of Counseling for twenty-one years at the University of Colorado, where he began teaching in 1974 shortly after receiving his doctorate from Stanford University. Over the past 24 years of their relationship, he and Kathlyn have raised two children, accumulated a million frequent flyer miles and appeared on more than 500 radio and television programs.




Tinker Lindsay is an accomplished screenwriter and author who has written and produced a wide variety of books and films.


For more information about the Rules Of Ten series, check out the website at www.rules-of-ten.com

More information about Hay House UK can be found at their website www.hayhouse.co.uk



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood

In the dazzling summer of 1926, Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley travel from their home in Paris to a villa in the south of France. They swim, play bridge and drink
gin. But wherever they go they are accompanied by the glamorous and irrepressible Fife. Fife is Hadley’s best friend. She is also Ernest’s lover. Hadley is the first Mrs. Hemingway, but neither she nor Fife will be the last. Over the ensuing decades, Ernest’s literary career will blaze a trail, but his marriages will be ignited by passion and deceit. Four extraordinary women will learn what it means to love the most famous writer of his generation, and each will be forced to ask herself how far she will go to remain his wife... Luminous and intoxicating, Mrs. Hemingway portrays real lives with rare intimacy and plumbs the depths of the human heart.

Mrs Hemingway is Naomi Wood's second novel and will be published by Picador on 13 February 2014.

Everyone has heard of Ernest Hemingway, but there is not so much written about his wives. Mrs Hemingway is a fictionalised account of the women who shared Hemingway's life.

The reader is introduced to Hemingway and his first wife Hadley, it is 1926 and they are staying in a villa in Antibes, also staying with them is Ernest's lover Fife.  Fife is also the best friend of Hadley.  And so, we begin the journey alongside Hemingway and his women.  An unconventional journey, and at times, for the women at least, a very unhappy journey.

Spanning almost forty years, this story takes us through not just relationships, but through war and across a world that is changing quickly.   The lazy days of the 1920s accompanied by some of the most famous names of the time, through war torn Paris and of course in Cuba, where Hemingway spent many years.

Naomi Wood has given each of Ernest's four wives a voice.  Hadley, Fife, Martha and Mary all tell their own story, each of them dealing with the intricacies that he has woven in their own individual way.

Wood writes with flair and passion, creating a captivating story that on the surface appears to be full of glitz and glamour and fame.  The darker side ripples away just below the surface, the heartbreak and pain, the betrayals and deceptions that Hemingway left in his wake.   Each wife sees something a little different in Ernest, he is the central figure in their lives and through him, they become connected forever.

This is a truly beautiful read that casts the reader under a spell, it is addictive and terribly moreish.  The writing is evocative, the characters are huge.  I savoured every moment.

I was lucky enough to meet Naomi Wood at the Pan Macmillan Women's Fiction Party last week.  I'd like to thank Francesca from Picador/Pan Macmillan who sent my copy for review.

Naomi Wood was born in 1983 and lives in London. She studied at Cambridge and at UEA for her MA in Creative Writing. Originally from York, she has gone on to live in Hong Kong, Paris and Washington DC. She is the author of The Godless Boys and Mrs. Hemingway. 


For more information about the author, and her work, visit her website www.naomiwood.com
You can find her on Facebook and on Twitter @NaomiWoodBooks and on Pinterest 

Survivor by Lesley Pearse

It is 1938 and Mariette Carrera is a defiant, strong-willed and selfish eighteen-year-old. And sooner or later, if she stays in the small, gossipy town of Russell, New Zealand, she'll get herself into some serious trouble. Her doting parents, Belle and Etienne, fear for her reputation. So, with the world on the brink of war, Mari leaves home on the SS Rimutaka, bound for her aunt and uncle's house in London. 

Armed with the freedom she's longed for since childhood, Mari quickly falls for Morgan, the handsome cockney steward on board ship. But once she reaches London, there are other temptations. 

Mari loves her new life - caught up in a whirl of dances and parties in the glittering West End, relishing her freedom as she earns her own money as a typist. Finally, she feels she is mistress of her own future. 

Until it is all snatched away by the war. 

As London endures the Blitz, Mari's new life is cruelly blown apart. Forced from her loving new home, she ends up alone in the East End, and it's worlds away from the London she knows. But there, even in the face of so much despair, she finds the chance to make a difference. Amidst the destruction, Mari learns that the only way to survive this war is to fight, with all the strength, selflessness and compassion within her...and only then will she find true happiness. 

Because Mari is a survivor...

Survivor is published by Penguin on 13 February 2014 and is Lesley Pearse's twenty-second novel.  I have been a huge fan of her books for over 20 years now, each of her new releases is highly anticipated and to date, I've never been disappointed.

Survivor continues the story told in Belle (2011) and The Promise (2012), but this is Mariette's story and it really doesn't matter if you've read the others first, this story stands perfectly well on it's own.

1938 in Russell, a small town in New Zealand and Mariette, daughter of Belle and Etienne is strong-willed, a little bit defiant and bored.  There is no doubt that if she remains at home for much longer she is going to find herself in all kinds of trouble.  The neighbours are already talking about her and her parents decide that London is the best place for their wilful daughter.   Mariette sets out on the long journey to Europe, she's going to stay with her parent's friends Noah and Lisette and she can't wait to get away from the isolated town of Russell.  Mariette's adventures start before her feet touch English soil - she's a beautiful young woman travelling alone and it is not long before she catches the eye of the Errol Flynn lookalike steward on board.   Mariette has been badly hurt in love before and this time she is determined that she will have the upper hand, sadly though it appears that all men really are only after one thing.

In London Mariette throws herself into her new life of glamour and parties, she adores earning her own money and having some independence.

Mariette's life is shattered on the night of her twenty-first birthday.  Hitler's bombs do not stop for birthdays and Mariette finds herself alone in a London that no longer appears to glitter with anything except tears.  As the war rages Mariette discovers an inner strength that she certainly didn't realise was there.  Her wilfulness and sense of adventure serve her well and she grows from a head-strong immature girl into a brave and resilient young woman.   Tested by heartbreak and sorrow and faced with terrors that she could never imagine Mariette emerges from the war years with a strength  and compassion that changes her whole outlook.

Survivor is another triumph from one of the most engaging authors around.  Although Mariette is the central figure of the story, the supporting characters are fabulous too.   From the small rural town of Russell in New Zealand to the vibrancy and glitter of London, the sedate and peaceful Somerset and then the horrors of Nazi occupied Northern France this is a passionate and evocative novel that grips from the opening chapter.

Mariette's character develops throughout the story, as she matures and experiences situations that test her to her limits, she grows from a selfish teenage to a  strong, brave and compassionate woman.  Lesley Pearse has delivered yet another huge story, and despite it's length never feels too long or a chore to pick up. Mariette joins the Pearse stable of strong, likeable heroines.  The meticulous research that must have gone into this story is clear throughout.

I'm delighted to say that Survivor is another five-star read and that Lesley Pearse remains one of my favourite authors.

My thanks to Emma from ed public relations who sent my copy for review.

Photo from
www.lesleypearse.com

Lesley Pearse is one of the UK's best-loved novelists with fans across the globe and sales of over 7 million copies of her books to date. A true storyteller and a master of gripping storylines that keep the reader hooked from beginning to end, Pearse introduces you to characters that it is impossible not to care about or forget. There is no formula to her books or easily defined genre. Whether crime as in 'Till We Meet Again', historical adventure like 'Never Look Back', or the passionately emotive 'Trust Me', based on the true-life scandal of British child migrants sent to Australia in the post war period, she engages the reader completely.

For more information about Lesley visit her website www.lesleypearse.com.  Follow her on Twitter @LesleyPearse

Pan MacMillan Women's Fiction Party & Launch of The Window Seat

What a busy week it's been, I've been hectic at work, struggling with a kidney infection and mild toothache and in the middle of it all I went down to London to the annual Pan Macmillan Women's Fiction Party.

I had an absolute ball!   I had loads of time owing from work, so was able to take the whole day and travelled down on the afternoon train from Retford to Kings Cross.

I'd arranged to meet Nina, Jenny and Rebecca from the Pan Macmillan Reading Group Panel - we've stayed in touch since the programme started and it was so good to see them all again.  Sadly, Rose our number four was poorly and unable to join us - we missed her.   After drinks in the bar at the Bloomsbury Hotel we made our way to the Paramount Bar at Centre Point.   Wow! What an amazing venue, the bar is 32 floors above London and the view is just fantastic - it was mesmerising.  I'm just terrible at taking photos, but luckily Jenny isn't so she handled my camera for me.  Cheers Jenny!

Champagne and nibbles - lots of wonderful authors to chat to, editors, publishers and other book bloggers and reviewers - every book fan's dream evening.  Add to that the piles of books just everywhere, and the wonderful goodie bags and we felt like we were in heaven.

Last year I was a little shy and a lot in awe of all of these authors, some of whom I've loved for years and didn't really talk to many people - this year I was determined that would change.   I especially wanted to meet Lucy Diamond  - we've chatted on Twitter and on Facebook so often, I felt like I already knew her.  I tracked her down amongst the clinking of glasses and laughter and we had a really good chat, she's just as lovely in real life.   I also chatted to Rebecca Wait (View on the Way Down) and Naomi Wood (Mrs Hemingway).

It was a fabulous party and I was really sorry to have to leave at 8.30, but I had to get back to Kings Cross for the last train of the night, if I'm lucky enough to get invited to the party next year then I'm definitely staying overnight!    I have to thank Jodie and the team at Pan Macmillan for hosting a terrific night, we had a ball!

The party wasn't just to celebrate Pan Macmillan's wonderful women's fiction authors, it was also launch night for The Window Seat:

Pan Macmillan is this week launching a new women’s lifestyle website –The Window Seat  – which will contain books content as well as culture and entertainment news.

The company is also teaming up with magazine publisher Hearst’s allaboutyou.com to launch a new women’s fiction book club.

The Window Seat, which will launch on Thursday (30th January), is a “Pan Macmillan branded audience-focused vertical bringing together the best in women’s fiction, as well as non-fiction and lifestyle content targeted at this core group of readers”

It will include exclusive content from authors including Lucy Diamond, Lucinda Riley, Karen Swan, Diane Chamberlain, Kate Morton and Jane Green. Book bloggers will also contribute to the website through a series of guest blog posts. The first blogger will be Charlotte Foreman from BestChickLit.com. There will also be a rolling programme of creative writing advice provided by authors and editors, and lifestyle pieces from Pan Macmillan’s non-fiction authors covering topical news stories, careers and business, women’s history and cookery.  

Jodie Mullish, head of fiction marketing, said: “It's a core strategy of ours to deepen our relationship and engagement with women readers across the genres. We wanted to create relaxing, enjoyable online spaces, which we intend to be perfect places for women to discover and share their next good book – whether that’s by a talented debut author or an established favourite.”

Pan Macmillan’s partnership with Hearst will feature authors including Riley, Charlotte Mendelson, Joanna Rees and Jessie Keane and offer readers the chance to win a book a month, as well as read exclusive extracts, take part in live author webchats and contribute their reviews to editorial coverage of the books.

There will also be a series of masterclasses offering expert advice on creative writing and how to get published from Pan Macmillan editors and authors including Rees and Diamond.

In Pursuit by R E Kemp

Frank’s dying wish is to be spared from his carer. Ritchie looks for love online. 

Their stories bookend In Pursuit’s ten tales of growing old, growing up and growing young. A gripping and absorbing narrative of life, sex and love. 

Frank wants to die alone, but Jean has other ideas. Mike prefers the good old days when gay men really had something to fight about. At fifty-five, Jackie’s pretty pleased he can still bed a nineteen-year-old. John places an ad in The Farmer’s Journal looking for a male companion. Cathal’s relationship is threatened when his celebrity lover confesses all to a newspaper. Conor admits to his dying father he is gay, only for his father’s condition to stabilise. Ciarán hits rock bottom, until he sees John’s ad in The Farmer’s Journal. Scott’s on a high when he meets Ben, all he needs to do is tell his girlfriend. Traveller Ritchie realises he can be out and proud online – any other alternative is fatal. 

In Pursuit is a progressive journey built around the universal emotions of love, friendship and the pursuit of happiness and how this can shift over time for us all.

I don't read a great deal of short stories as I generally feel a little let down by them, sometimes they can feel a little rushed and unfinished.  However, when Rebecca Kemp, the author of In Pursuit contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in reading her collection of stories, I was intrigued enough by the description to say yes.    I'm really pleased that I did.   I have enjoyed this collection immensely.  Unlike the majority of short story collections that I've read before, I wasn't let down by any of them.  In Pursuit contains stories that are touching, believable and very well written.

Each story is set in modern-day Ireland and features a gay man, starting with Frankie aged 75 in the first tale and ending with Ritchie aged 19 in the very last.  The reader is taken on a journey across the country, from farms to cities, and with men from different generations.  On the surface these men are all very different, but underneath, each one of them is dealing with their own difficult personal issue - the one thing that joins them - their hidden sexuality.

These stories are gritty and down to earth, they are explicit in places but they are also heartfelt and the author writes with compassion and understanding.  The overwhelming feeling that emanates through each of these stories is that of fear and hidden pleasures and denial.

I was extremely impressed by this collection and am not surprised that In Pursuit was Winner 2013 Kerry's Eye Short Story Competition and has been longlisted for other prizes too.

Rebecca Kemp is an author to watch out for.   I must thank her for contacting me and giving me the opportunity to read and enjoy this fabulous collection.

In Pursuit was published independently in June 2013.  For more information about the author and her work, visit her website www.rebeccakemp.com   You can also find her on Facebook and on Twitter @REKemp1

The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill **Guest Review**

It is 1845, and Hannah Gardner Price dreams of a world infinitely larger than the small Quaker community where she has lived all 25 years of her life - for, as an amateur astronomer, she secretly hopes to discover a comet and win the King of Denmark's prize for doing so. 

But she can only indulge her passion for astronomy as long as the men in her life - her father, brother and family friends - are prepared to support it, and so she treads a fine line between pursuing her dreams and submitting to the wishes and expectations of those around her. That line is crossed when Hannah meets Isaac Martin, a young black whaler from the Azores.

Isaac, like Hannah herself, has ambitions beyond his station. Drawn to him despite their differences, Hannah agrees to tutor him in the art of navigation. As their shared passion for the stars develops into something deeper, however, Hannah's standing in the community is called into question, and she has to choose: her dreams or her heart. 

Loosely inspired by the work of Maria Mitchell, the first American woman to become a professional astronomer, The Movement of Stars is, at its heart, a glorious - and unusual - love story. With shades of Chocolat and Remarkable Creatures, it will appeal to fans of Tracy Chevalier and Joanne Harris.

Angi & I

I'm as pleased as punch to introduce you to my friend Angi who is the guest reviewer here today on Random Things.   I've known Angi for around 6 years now, we met online through our love of books and have met in person many times over the past few years.  Angi is an Associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan
University and also writes herself.  Angi is on Twitter @josephsyard


The Movement of Stars was published by Penguin in May 2013 and is Amy Brill's first novel.  Here is Angi's review:

It is 1845, and twenty-five year old Hannah Gardner Price lives with her widowed father in the Quaker community of Nantucket, a small island off the Massachusetts coast. She is clever, a free-thinking academic who seems out of place amongst the other girls at the meeting house, who dream of nothing more than marriage and babies and are committed to the faith. Her adored twin brother, the only person she really relates to, has left the island on a whaling vessel in defiance of their father’s ambitions for him. But despite her loneliness, Hannah is reasonably content. She has a post at the library and in the evenings she keeps accounts for the family farm and recalibrates chronometers for the boats which dock in the harbour. 

          Star-watching is her undoubted passion. Night after night, she charts their movements across the sky, always searching for that elusive ‘wanderer’, the comet that – should she be first to record it – will bear her name and perhaps win her the prestigious King of Denmark’s Prize. 

          When a young black whaler approaches her for navigation lessons, she is forced to reassess her way of life. Like Hannah, Isaac Martin has ideas ‘above his station’. The Quakers were at the forefront of the abolition of slavery, but still the opportunities for black workers are woefully limited. Despite these expectations, Isaac dreams of one day skippering a whaling ship. As they work together, exploring the night sky, Hannah and Isaac challenge one another’s values. Gradually they fall in love. 

          This is a fascinating story. Hannah is an engaging character – awkward and somewhat lacking in social graces, yet self-aware, reflective and always interesting. Amy Brill’s descriptions of the Nantucket community are brilliantly evocative, from the distinctiveness of their language and customs to the minutiae of their dress and homes. The Great Fire is rich with detail: the stench of fear and burning buildings. 

          I loved this novel. Even in the first week of January, I know it will be one of my top reads of 2014. It might even be the best debut novel I read this year. Which brings me to my one concern. The Movement of Stars is loosely based on the story of Maria Mitchell, a Nantucket Quaker who became renowned as the ‘lady astronomer’. Clearly the author has done her research, both into the stargazing and cultural aspects of her novel. Over a decade’s worth of research, in fact. I don’t want to wait another decade for her second novel, but I want it to be as good. Is that possible?

I'd like to say a huge thanks to Angi for that wonderful review. She has certainly made The Movement of Stars sound like a very tempting read. Angi mentioned that there are quite a few spoilers in the reviews left on Amazon for The Movement of Stars - maybe best avoided before people read the book!




Amy Brill is a writer and producer who has worked for PBS and MTV and has been awarded fellowships by the Edward F Albee Foundation, the Millav Colony, and the American Antiquarian Society, among others.  This is her first novel.  She lives in Brooklyn.


For more information about the author and her work, visit her website www.amybrill.com.   Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @amy_brill