Category Archives: The Shakespeare Sisters

Release Day Blitz – By Virtue Fall

Posted in By Virtue Fall, New Releases, Release Day, The Shakespeare Sisters by

 

  Title: By Virtue Fall
By: Carrie Elks
Publication Date: October 11, 2018
Publisher: Piatkus (Little Brown)
Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

Love Blooms When You Least Expect It…

Juliet Shakespeare is done with love. With a growing floristry business and an adorable daughter to raise, life after separating from her husband is complicated enough.

But when handsome single father, Ryan Sutherland, arrives in town, everything changes. As much as she tries to distract herself, Juliet can’t help but be drawn to the easy-going Romeo next door and the way he makes her feel.

Photographer Ryan is only back in his hometown for a few months so there’s no point falling for someone he’ll just have to say goodbye to. But he didn’t account for Juliet – the intriguing and beautiful, red-haired woman next door. And in her, he might just have found everything he ever wanted . . .

A gorgeous Shakespeare Sisters romance from the bestselling author of Fix You.

 

UK Buy Links

Amazon UK  | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | WHSmith

US Buy Links

Amazon US | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play (to come)

Advance Praise for By Virtue Fall

This story is amazing, beautiful, intense, sweet & loving. So need more of this series..’ – Teresa, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘Carrie Elks is an excellent story-teller.’ – Steph N, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘Oh wow Elks has written another book that has blown me away.’ – Donna, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘What a blissful read.’ – Shelley, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘An outstanding read.’ – Evonne, Goodreads Reviewer, Five Stars

‘Carrie Elks has a way with her words that takes me into another world and leaves me breathless.’ – Melanie Moreland, New York Times Bestselling Author

 

About the Author

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

Twitter – CarrieElks

Facebook – CarrieElksAuthor

Goodreads – 7266211.Carrie_Elks

Website – https://carrieelks.com

 

Why Single Dads Are Sexy…

Posted in By Virtue Fall, Fabulous Friday, The Shakespeare Sisters by

Have you noticed how in books and movies single dads are completely hot? There’s something very sexy about a man who puts his child above everyone — and everything — else. No wonder it’s so easy to fall in love with them. So what’s the recipe for the perfect single father?

1. He’s Grown Up

There’s nothing attractive about a man who runs away from his responsibilities. But the single dads I’m talking about are ALL about their kids. They’re strong, reliable and will never let you down. Often they have very responsible jobs, too – the kind that will find them in a uniform or a sexy suit (or even better, wearing a stetson on the ranch). Either way, they’re mature AND gorgeous, and I LOVE THAT.

 

2. He’s Ready to Find The Right Woman

The kind of single dads I love to read about aren’t going to be introducing just anybody to their children. They want to make sure whoever comes into their lives is the right kind of woman. The sort who will love their child as much as they do, and understand that the children always come first. It doesn’t always happen right away — in fact most of the fun in reading a single dad romance is seeing him fight against it. But when it does…

 

3. When He Finds Her, He’s Going to Want to Keep Her

For me the best part of any romance novel featuring a single father is when he finally realises he can’t live without the woman he’s attracted to. Sometimes it happens near the beginning of the story, but often not until the middle or even the end. But when that realisation comes over him the fireworks always start. Because once that single father KNOWS what he wants, he’s not going to stop at anything to get it. And that kind of determination is always hot to read.

Now in real life we might be wondering WHY he’s a single dad. But this isn’t real life, it’s the book life and it’s infinitely better, right? So we know from the start that his single status isn’t a big red flag. It’s a delicious plot device to let the story unfold.

 

So with all that hawt-ness it’s no wonder I decided to write about a single dad in my latest book, By Virtue Fall. And Ryan Sutherland really is delicious. A travel photographer, he’s crossed the globe with his adorable six-year-old son, Charlie, and now he’s finally ready to stay in one place for a while. He chooses Shaw Haven, the small town he grew up in on the Chesapeake Bay. But then he meets the woman next door — Juliet Shakespeare, a single mother of one and he’s left wondering if he’ll ever want to leave again…

 

Love blooms when you least expect it . . .

Juliet Shakespeare is done with love. With a growing floristry business and an adorable daughter to raise, life after separating from her husband is complicated enough – the last thing she needs is a man.

But when handsome single father, Ryan Sutherland, arrives in town, everything changes. As much as she tries to distract herself, Juliet can’t help but be drawn to the easy-going Romeo next door and the way he makes her feel.

Photographer Ryan is only back in his hometown for a few months so there’s no point falling for someone he’ll just have to say goodbye to. But he didn’t account for Juliet – the intriguing and beautiful, red-haired woman next door. And in her, he might just have found everything he ever wanted . . .

UK BUY LINKS:

Amazon UK  | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | WHSmith

US BUY LINKS:

Amazon US | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play (to come)

Why I’m Ready For Autumn!

Posted in By Virtue Fall, The Shakespeare Sisters, Writing by

There’s no denying it, here in the UK the temperatures have definitely dipped. My summer dresses are still hanging in the closet, but every time I open the door they stare at me forlornly, knowing that they’ll be passed over for their warmer, cosier cousins. But rather than be sad at the change in seasons, I have to admit it’s put a smile on my face. I love autumn (or fall as you guys call it). It’s one of my  favorite seasons. And in case you need some persuasion, here’s a few reasons why Autumn rocks…

1. Sweater Weather

I love sweaters. I love the way the wool feels against your skin, I love the way that as soon as you pull it over your head it’s like carrying around your own personal body warmer, and I love the way I can eat a few more things *ahem* without having to worry about the extra poundage showing. You can dress them up with a skirt or a pair of smart pants, or down with your favourite jeans. I have a closet full of them and they make me very happy!

2. Hot Chocolate and Log Fires

There’s nothing better than a warm cup of melting chocolate in front of a blazing log fire. Sadly, in 80 degree heat, that thought isn’t so enticing, but as soon as the the air gets cooler, the fire goes on and the chocolate gets hot. It’s like a warm, sweet hug in a mug, and I can’t think of anything better. It beats cold lemonade and strawberries hands down!

3. The Fall TV Schedules

Let’s face it, TV in the summer is rubbish. Old re runs, terrible reality shows, and nothing that is even worth turning the TiVo on for (do people still have TiVo? I’ve no idea!). All we watched this summer was Netflix. But as soon as the children are back at school, it’s as though the TV schedules wake up, and the new season programmes are fabulous. Here in the UK I’m watching The Bodyguard (Gorgeous and yet troubled bodyguard tries to save the Home Secretary) and The Great British Bake Off (a cooking competition – as British as it sounds, but lovely too!). How about you? What’s your favourite new programme?

4. Halloween

ghost_house_orange

Candy, scary movies, cute costumes and more candy. What’s not to love about Halloween? As soon as the summer’s over, it’s the next thing to look forward to. I can remember when my children were little, we’d spend hours choosing costumes and watching classic films, trying to wait for the day that they could go out and get their buckets filled with sweet goodies. For me, Autumn IS Halloween and Halloween is Autumn. It’s as simple as that.

 

Are you a fan of Autumn? Why not check out my book, By Virtue Fall, which releases next month? It’s a heartwarming love story about a single mother and the guy next door, and I think you’re going to love it!

  

UK BUY LINKS:

Amazon UK  | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | WHSmith

US BUY LINKS:

Amazon US | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play (to come)

 

 

(this piece was originally posted on the Spice Aisle blog)

Ready for a new book?

Posted in By Virtue Fall, The Shakespeare Sisters by

It’s less than two months until By Virtue Fall releases – completing the Shakespeare Sister quartet. I’m so excited and yet sad at the same time — I love these sisters and hope you do too.

The Book: BY VIRTUE FALL

Genre: Contemporary (Small Town) Romance

Series: Shakespeare Sisters

Release Date: Oct 11

 

Description

Love blooms when you least expect it . . .

Juliet Shakespeare is done with love. With a growing floristry business and an adorable daughter to raise, life after separating from her husband is complicated enough – the last thing she needs is a man.

But when handsome single father, Ryan Sutherland, arrives in town, everything changes. As much as she tries to distract herself, Juliet can’t help but be drawn to the easy-going Romeo next door and the way he makes her feel.

Photographer Ryan is only back in his hometown for a few months so there’s no point falling for someone he’ll just have to say goodbye to. But he didn’t account for Juliet – the intriguing and beautiful woman next door. And in her, he might just have found everything he ever wanted . . .

*This book is a standalone read as part of the Shakespeare Sisters series.*

 

Pre-order here:

Amazon US ➜ https://amzn.to/2LTuel8

Amazon UK ➜  https://amzn.to/2AcOP2h

iBooks ➜  https://tinyurl.com/y9uhrs4x

Kobo ➜  https://tinyurl.com/y8eyopay

Nook ➜  https://tinyurl.com/ybvaxzkp

 

In the US / Canada it has a special pre-order price of only $2.99 – price will return to $3.99 after publication week – so pre-order now to lock down that price!

 

Spring is the in air today – don’t forget to enter the giveaway!!

Posted in Absent in the Spring, Release Day, The Shakespeare Sisters by

Absent in the Spring is live!!

Losing Control never felt so good…

A successful lawyer, and the eldest of four sisters, Lucy Shakespeare is used to being in control of everything and everyone around her, most particularly herself – that is until she meets the gorgeous Lachlan MacLeish.

Lachlan’s hired Lucy because he needs the best. His inheritance, the Lairdship of Glencarraig, is suddenly in doubt, thanks to his devious half-brother. Glencarraig is the only place where his memories of his family are happy ones and there’s no way he’s going down without a fight. The very last thing he wants is a distraction, but as soon as he sees Lucy, he knows he’s in trouble.

Despite their efforts to resist, it isn’t long before Lachlan has Lucy longing to break all her careful rules. As they travel from Scotland, to Paris and on to New York, Lucy can’t help but wonder: is it sometimes worth risking it all?

 

US Buy Links

Amazon US | iBooks |  Kobo | Nook 

UK Buy Links

Amazon UK | iBooks UK | Kobo UK 

‘You’re cold?’ he asked, his voice deep and low.

‘Freezing,’ she told him. ‘Even the radiator’s put its coat on.’

He laughed. ‘What about your fire? Is that not keeping you warm?’

‘What fire?’

His laugh got louder.

‘No, I’m serious, what bloody fire?’ She was indignant. ‘I haven’t got a fire. Have you got a fire?’

‘Yes, I have. A big orange one. It’s as hot as Hades in here.’

‘That’s not fair.’ She wanted to pout. ‘Where’s my fire?’

‘I could build you one up,’ he offered. ‘Are there logs in your room?’

‘There’s not even a fireplace.’ She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. ‘How come you get the hot room?’

‘I’m practically the laird. I get all the good stuff.’ His tone was enough to tell her he was teasing. Didn’t stop her from wanting to hit him. And kiss him.

Stop that right now.

She huffed. ‘I’m sending a complaint in tomorrow. Right to the top.’

‘They’ll be quaking in their boots, I bet,’ Lachlan said. ‘Pretty much like you are now.’

‘Shut up.’

‘Ah, you’re full of the one-liners tonight.’

‘It’s hard to think of one-liners when your whole body is succumbing to frostbite. Seriously, what kind of place is this? Why would they put me in this room when you have the fire?’

‘You want to swap?’ His offer sounded genuine. For a moment she imagined climbing into his bed. Would it still smell of him? Would she be able to feel where he’d been lying? Would it still hold his warmth?

‘No,’ she managed. ‘I’m fine.’

‘You’re not fine. You should come in here.’

‘But then you’ll freeze,’ she pointed out. ‘It’s fine, I can take it for one night. And after that all bets are off.’

‘Lucy, just get your butt in here. I’m your client, and that’s an order.’

She hesitated, not sure if she was turned on or appalled by his offer. In the end, good sense won out. ‘Good night, Lachlan. Sleep tight.’ Not waiting for his reply, she ended the call, and for good measure turned her ringer to silent.There was temptation, and then there was temptation. The only way to avoid it was to pretend it didn’t exist.

GIVEAWAY!!

I’m giving away a $20 Gift Card to celebrate my new release. Be sure to enter HERE

 

Is spring here yet?

Posted in Absent in the Spring, Announcements, Coming Soon, Cover Reveal, The Shakespeare Sisters by

I’m seriously sick of snow. I never thought I’d be the one to write that. Firstly because where I live it hardly ever snows. And secondly because I LOVE snow. I really do. I love sitting beneath a blanket, with a hot chocolate in one hand and a book in the other, watching the world turn into a Winter Wonderland.

BUT — and it’s an important but — I LIKE IT AT CHRISTMAS TIME. My white stuff has to be festive and timely. If it arrives in March, it’s way too late. Like a wedding guest turning up when the bride and groom are already on their honeymoon!

It’s not supposed to snow in springtime. It’s just not. So let’s talk about the kind of spring where the wet weather slowly morphs into flower-filled sunshine. Where you can fly to the Highlands of Scotland and be frozen, then fly over to Miami and sit on the beach and worry about getting burned.

In short, let’s talk about my next book, Absent in the Spring, where all this happens. It releases on April 26th, and is available to pre-order now!

It’s Lucy and Lachlan’s book, and I hope you love these two as much as I do. They’re both strong, powerful and totally in control… at least until they meet each other. And that’s when the fun begins.

He’s a rich American businessman who’s just inherited a castle in the Scottish Highlands. She’s an Edinburgh lawyer who doesn’t let anything ruffle her.

Here’s the UK Cover:

And here’s the US Cover:

Here’s the Synopsis:

Losing control never felt so good . . .

A successful lawyer, and the eldest of four sisters, Lucy Shakespeare is used to being in control of everything and everyone around her, most particularly herself – that is until she meets the gorgeous Lachlan MacLeish.

Lachlan’s hired Lucy because he needs the best. His inheritance, the Lairdship of Glencarraig, is suddenly in doubt, thanks to his devious half-brother. Glencarraig is the only place where his memories of his family are happy ones and there’s no way he’s going down without a fight. The very last thing he wants is a distraction, but as soon as he sees Lucy, he knows he’s in trouble.

Despite their efforts to resist, it isn’t long before Lachlan has Lucy longing to break all her careful rules. As they travel from Scotland, to Paris and on to New York, Lucy can’t help but wonder: is it sometimes worth risking it all?

If you like the sound of it – you can pre-order ABSENT IN THE SPRING in all these places:

UK BUY LINKS:

Amazon UK  | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | Google UK | WHSmith

US BUY LINKS:

Amazon US | iBooks |  Kobo | Nook & Google Play – to come

ADD IT TO GOODREADS HERE

Release Day – A Winter’s Tale

Posted in A Winter's Tale, Release Day, The Shakespeare Sisters by

A Winter’s Tale is Live!

Christmas comes but once a year… but true love lasts a lifetime

Struggling film student Kitty Shakespeare is as bad at interviews as she is talented at making films. She’s given herself until the end of the year to score an internship in LA, otherwise it’ll be back to London with her tail between her legs. Unfortunately the only job offer on the table is as nanny to major producer Everett Klein’s son, Jonas. It’s not exactly the career she’d hoped for, but if she can get this right, then surely he’ll take a moment to look at her work. However, what Kitty hasn’t allowed for is Everett’s sexy-as-hell brother, Adam – and love at first sight this is not.

Adam Klein may be sexy, but he’s also gruff, rude and completely impossible. All he wants to do hole up in his cabin and hide from the brother who destroyed his life. If only he could find it easier to ignore the way Kitty makes his heart race . . .

As Christmas approaches, Kitty and Adam realise that although the course of true love never does run smooth, just maybe, it’s more interesting that way…

A heartwarming Shakespeare Sisters Christmas romance from the bestselling author of Summer’s Lease and Fix You.

UK Buy Links

Amazon UK | iBooks UK | Kobo UK | Google Play UK

US Buy Links

Amazon US | iBooks |  Kobo | Nook | 

TO COME

Google Play US 

Surprise Cover Reveal – Summer’s Lease

Posted in Announcements, summer's lease, The Shakespeare Sisters by

Sometimes you have to make some tough decisions. Changing the US and Canadian cover for Summer’s Lease was one of those for me. You see, I loved the old cover. The designer and I worked really hard at getting the concept right, choosing the right model and background to really get the essence of the story. And yet, from the feedback I was getting, it just wasn’t working.

I’m a Brit, and we have particular tastes in covers. You only have to take a look at the top books in the UK romance charts to see that. We like covers with girls on, with bright colors and happy fonts. Especially when it comes to a summer book.

But then if you look at the US romance charts, the cover preferences are completely different. They’re dominated by two concepts — either the manchest (pic of man with a naked torso from the waist up) or by couples. There aren’t a whole lot of pictures of women on their own in there. Yes, there are a few, but these prove to be the exception rather than the rule. Usually, a  woman on her own signals Women’s Fic — and that wasn’t the vibe I was looking for here.

So with a heavy heart (and a lighter wallet) we’ve gone back to the drawing board and created a whole new cover for Summer’s Lease, and I have to say I LOVE it. I love the colours, I love the couple, and I love the way it feels so summery, and yet really screams romance, too. Because Summer’s Lease is definitely a romance, between a sexy movie star and a girl who’s just looking for an escape.

MY BRAND NEW US COVER!

If you still prefer female-centric covers, don’t panic – my UK cover remains the same, with a pretty girl staring out across Lake Como, toward a glorious vista of Varenna, Italy. So really, I have the best of both worlds.

HERE’S THE UK COVER!

It’s now only 4 days until release day, and I really CAN’T WAIT! I’ll be having lots of giveaways and celebrations over on Facebook and Twitter, not to mention with my newsletter subscribers, so make sure to join me there!

And don’t forget that you can still pre-order Summer’s Lease for only 99p / 99c at these places:

AMAZON UK

iBOOKS US & CANADA

From Italy with Love… more on Summer’s Lease

Posted in summer's lease, The Shakespeare Sisters, Writing by

Like many good things, my latest book, Summer’s Lease, started off with a ghost of an idea. What if a girl who’d lost everything came face to face with the man who’d ruined her career. And what if he’d had more success than he’d ever dreamed of? From that little kernel a story started to grow. As the heroine – Cesca – is a playwright, I wanted the setting to be secluded, almost like a theatre in itself. That’s where the idea of an isolated villa came from. It had to be behind gates, with no connection to the outside world, and yet beautiful enough for the seclusion to feel luxurious.

And on top of that, there had to be a reason for the heroine to be thrown together with the hero — Hollywood superstar Sam Carlton. And what better reason than the fact they both thought they’d be the only person at the villa? So when Sam, the man who caused Cesca’s fall from grace, turns up at his family’s villa on Lake Como, all hell breaks loose. And thus begins the story of Summer’s Lease.

When it came to researching the location, I felt truly blessed. I also managed to do it a little back-to-front. I started off with my good friend, Google, spending hours on trip advisor and travel blogs, soaking up the hot atmosphere of Lake Como, and becoming hugely jealous of all those rich people and celebrities who spend their summer there. I also spent a lot of time researching the food – finding out about the local produce, some of the best restaurants, as well as the luscious wine that’s produced in the region.

When I finished the first draft, I realized I’d not only fallen in love with the hero and heroine, but also with a whole country. So I turned to my long-suffering (but lovely) husband and said, “can we go on holiday to Italy this year?”

Thankfully, he said yes.

In the end, we agreed that Lake Garda was more suitable for our family of four than Lake Como. So last summer we hauled ourselves and our bags to our local airport and flew out to Milan, where we picked up a hire car and drove across to the lakes. And in a weird way I felt a bit like a girl going to meet a boy she’d met online. I was nervous that it wouldn’t be as beautiful as the pictures and descriptions had made it out to be. That somehow I’d been cat-fished by a country.

But of course it was MORE than I ever thought possible. The lake was as sparkling and blue as I’d hoped it be, the scenery as breathtaking, and the food as mouthwatering as I try to describe in the book. And when our two weeks were over, I got back onto that aeroplane knowing that I’d be back very soon.

And since a picture paints a thousand words, I’ll leave you with some photographs of our time at Lake Garda, and maybe you’ll fall a little in love with it, too.

        

Summer’s Lease will be released on July 13th, in eBook and Paperback. For more information please click here.

 

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My Writing Year – a Six Monthly Review

Posted in A Winter's Tale, Coming Soon, Reading, Writing, Living, summer's lease, The Shakespeare Sisters, Writing by

Credit: Depositphotos

As a dyed-in-the-wool planner (and an ex-HR practitioner) I’ve always set myself targets, in fact it’s often the only way I get things done. If I don’t have a daily things-to-do list written down, then I feel lost. Or rather, I feel entitled to make myself a cup of coffee, sit back and get lost in my latest read. Either way, I need to have goals in order to motivate myself,

That’s why back in January I wrote a post about my writing goals for 2017. To give myself some accountability, and to have something to measure myself against at the end of the year. And a bit like reading an old diary, it’s fun to look back and see what I was thinking a few months ago.

In HR, we always used to preach that objectives are only useful if they’re regularly reviewed. And though I no longer have a ‘boss’ to sit me down for a bi-annual appraisal, that doesn’t stop me from rating myself. So let’s see how I’ve done so far this year.

Target 1 – Edit & publish Summer’s Lease, the first in my new series.

Result – Done and dusted. Well almost. The book is fully edited and will be released on July 13th this year. It’s already getting some lovely reviews on Goodreads, and is available right now to pre-order for 99p / 99c.

Goal achieved. YAY!

Target 2 – Revise & submit A Winter’s Tale – the second in my new series.

Result – achieved. In fact, I think I overachieved this one. Not only has it been submitted, but it’s been through revisions, line edits & copy edits and is just awaiting a proofread. It will be released in November, and I can’t wait for people to read this one!

Target 3 – Write the first draft of Book 3 in the Shakespeare Sisters series

Result – target achieved. I spent most of the first 3 months of the year writing this book (tentatively titled Absent in the Spring), and since then have set it aside. One of my targets for the next couple of months is to revise and submit it to my publishers. I’m slowly learning to love the revision process (or certainly the outcome) but it’s still damn hard work. Wish me luck!

Target 4 – Write book 2 of my super-secret project

Done! Wish I could tell you more, but my lips are currently sealed. As soon as I can share, I promise I will 🙂

Target 5 – Attend author events to publicise new books

Result – partially achieved. I talked in this post about an author signing I attended in Newcastle, which was amazing. I also got to network with some fabulous authors at the RNA Summer Party, and at Goldsboro Books’ Romance in the Court. In August I’ll be attending Chaptercon, a multi-author/reader/blogger event in London, and I’ll be going to my first RNA Summer conference, too.

In 2018 I’ll be attending a number of author events, and I’m really excited about them!

So What Haven’t I achieved?

As it’s only half way through the year, there are a lot more targets that I need to achieve by the end of December 2017. These include:

  • Write book 3 of my super secret project
  • Plan release events for A Winter’s Tale
  • Complete revisions & publisher edits for book 3 of the Shakespeare Sisters series
  • Make plans for 2018

But my biggest goal, and one I haven’t spoken about much yet, is that I need to really working on marketing these books. I’ve started to work with the fabulous Social Butterfly PR, who will be helping to coordinate the release of both Summer’s Lease and A Winter’s Tale, along with helping me plan sales, special events and other things to make my readers happy.

By the end of 2017 I’ll have 6 books published, with at least another 2 to come in 2018, and it’s time to make sure they get as much attention as my new projects do. Balancing writing the next book with marketing my backlist is always a hard job, but one I’m determined to work on in the latter part of 2017. Want to know how I get on? Check back in December for my review of 2017!

So that’s it for my half-yearly review. After that I think we all deserve a drink down the pub. I’ll buy the first round, see you there!

Love,

 

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