by mjbaker | 24 May 2019 | A Question of Us, News
I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that I’ve signed a two-book deal with the lovely folk at Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus.
A Question of Us, a romantic comedy following the ups and downs of a northern pub quiz team as they give it everything to try to win the inter-pub quiz league, is out on 5th September. I’m delighted to be working with Hannah Smith and the team at Aria to bring this book into the world. It features some of my very favourite characters and has a special place in my heart.
The full blurb is given below. The book is available to pre-order on Kindle from Amazon at a price of £1.99.
A Question of Us
Two best friends. Eight pub quizzes. One shot at love…
There are some people who seem like they have all the answers in life. Clarrie Midwinter isn’t one of them.
At the age of 26, tomboy Clarrie is still struggling to become a ‘proper’ grown-up. She’s eternally strapped for cash, she hasn’t had a date in nearly a year and her attempts to quit smoking tend to take a nosedive after the second pint. Most annoyingly of all, her ladykiller best friend Simon just won’t stop asking her out. The only thing keeping her sane is her pub quiz team, the Mighty Morphin’ Flower Arrangers.
But when Simon bets her a date their team will win the quiz league, Clarrie is forced to confront what she really wants out of life – and love. Is it finally time for her to grow up?
Gloriously irreverent, badly behaved romantic comedy from the author of Meet Me at the Lighthouse and A Bicycle Made for Two.
by mjbaker | 5 Feb 2019 | A Bicycle Made for Two, News
I’m beyond thrilled to announce that the first book in the Love in the Dales series, A Bicycle Made for Two, has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s prestigious Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year Award 2019! The full list of shortlisted novels in all categories can be found on their website here.
The book is one of five finalists to make the category shortlist for romance novels that are consistently funny, with 300 entries submitted for the awards overall. The Romantic Comedy prize is this year sponsored by Books and the City, publisher Simon & Schuster’s online community for readers of women’s fiction.
The awards ceremony will take place at the Gladstone Library in London on 4th March, when shortlisted authors will find out who has won in their categories. Category winners will then compete for the overall title of Goldsboro Books’ Romantic Novel of the Year. Awards will be presented by bestselling historical novelist Alison Weir.
RNA Chair Nicola Cornick commented, ‘Romantic fiction in the 21st century is diverse and exciting and this year’s shortlist brilliantly reflects the breadth of the genre. We are very proud to celebrate these outstanding books and authors, and the contribution they make to such a successful and popular genre.’
by mjbaker | 17 Aug 2018 | News, The Perfect Fit
Publication day is here for The Perfect Fit, the second book in the Love in the Dales series. Get your copy now!
Blurb
‘A wonderful book with a great story and a sparky, unusual voice. I loved it!’ KATIE FFORDE
After years living in London, costume shop owner Becky Finn is trying to build a new life for herself and fiancé Cole in her old home of Egglethwaite, a sleepy village in the Yorkshire Dales.
Keen to raise funds for the struggling village hall she loved as a child, Becky soon finds herself at the head of a colourful group intent on resurrecting Egglethwaite’s Christmas pantomime. But, as she quickly discovers, there s more to panto than innuendo and slapped thighs.
As opening night grows closer, Becky starts to wonder if her embattled panto will ever make it to the stage and, with handsome co-star Marcus on the scene, if she s picked the right man for her after all.
ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE LOVE IN THE DALES SERIES: A Bicycle Made for Two (Book 1)
by mjbaker | 27 Mar 2018 | A Bicycle Made for Two, News
A Bicycle Made for Two is released in paperback on 5th April, and I’m going to be out and about shouting about it, with book signings in some beautiful locations around Yorkshire. I’d love to see you at any of the signings, and if you’re in the area, please do tune in to BBC Radio Leeds or BBC Radio York on 4th April to hear me rabbiting on about books, writing and everything in between.
April events
- Wednesday 4th April from 1.15pm: interview, BBC Radio York
- Thursday 5th April: publication day for A Bicycle Made for Two
- Saturday 7th April from 2pm: book signing, The Book Corner, Piece Hall Yard, Halifax
- Sunday 8th April, 12noon-3pm: book signing, Waterstone’s, The Wool Exchange, Bradford. Also, keep an eye out for my short story Lawn Order in the Sunday People‘s colour supplement!
- Tuesday 10th April from 10.30am: interview, BBC Radio Leeds
- Wednesday 11th April from 11am: book signing, WH Smith, Monk’s Cross, York
- Saturday 21st April, 11am-12noon: book signing, White Rose Books, Thirsk
by mjbaker | 27 Mar 2018 | Miss Moonshine, News, Short stories
So the secret project I’ve been working on recently has made it on to Amazon, which means I can finally tell people about it. Hooray!
It’s this beauty, an anthology of nine magical stories from a group of very talented ladies (plus me), all northern romance writers based in Yorkshire and Lancashire. The stories are as fab as they are eclectic, ranging from historicals set in the Regency and Edwardian eras to contemporaries. All are set around an enigmatic shopkeeper and her quirky shop in Haven Bridge (a fictionalised Hebden Bridge, where we meet a few times a year to consume cake and wine). Can’t wait till it goes on sale on 18th May!
You can read all about the project and how it came to be, plus drool over some photos of gorgeous Hebden Bridge, over on Helen Pollard’s blog. You can also preorder the book for just 99p on Amazon Kindle.
Sometimes what you need is right there waiting for you…
Miss Moonshine’s Wonderful Emporium has stood in the pretty Yorkshire town of Haven Bridge for as long as anyone can remember. With her ever-changing stock, Miss Moonshine has a rare gift for providing exactly what her customers need: a fire opal necklace that provides a glimpse of a different life; a novel whose phantom doodler casts a spell over the reader; a music box whose song links love affairs across the generations. One thing is for certain: after visiting Miss Moonshine’s quirky shop, life is never the same again…
Nine romantic novelists from Yorkshire and Lancashire, including best-selling and award-winning authors, have joined together to create this collection of uplifting stories guaranteed to warm your heart. This intriguing mix of historical and contemporary romances will make you laugh, cry, and believe in the happy-ever-after.
by mjbaker | 16 Feb 2018 | News, Runaway Bride
Publication day is here for Runaway Bride, a heartwarming tale of love, new beginnings and self-discovery. Get your copy now!
Blurb
Here comes the bride… but how long can she hide?
When Kitty Clayton flees her wedding with no money, no bank card and no phone, her life seems worryingly futureless. All she knows is, she’d rather sleep on the streets than go back home to cheating Ethan.
After picking her up hitch-hiking, widowed children’s author Jack Duffy takes Kitty under his wing, looking out for her until she gets back on her feet. And it’s not long before the two grow close…
But with Jack struggling to recover from the guilt he feels over his wife’s death and Kitty refusing to face up to the problems she’s running away from at home, will the two ever manage to share a happily ever after?
