We’ve all heard the phrase ‘when you buy from a small business, an actual person does a happy dance.’ Right? Well, if you buy my books direct I will do a Happy Shimmy followed by a Happy but poorly executed Running Man, all capped off by a Happy Time Step. You can even grab a free ebook copy of my novella and short story collection Set in Paris. Just sign up for the occasional email about my books. I promise I won’t be an e-pest!
After a stunt lands heiress and comedian Alia Henry in lock-up, she finds herself under house-arrest in a crumbling mansion owned by Whitehall International, a company she discovers controls much of her ‘free-range’ life. Detoxing and device-free, she must write her contracted novel or face dire consequences.
But she is not alone on the once-magnificent estate. Phillip, Whitehall’s unquestioning aide-de-camp, intrigues and infuriates her in equal measure and wandering the house at night, she meets Braith, eccentric writer-in-residence and mixer of marvellous cocktails.
Each day she struggles to write but at night, under the light of an increasingly implausible full moon, Alia delights in exotic drinks and dazzling conversation with the mysterious Braith.
Not usually one for asking questions, she wonders is Braith a ghost…?
Or is she?
Funny, smart, and full of heart, Alia Henry discovers what happens when you look up from your screen long enough to see the people in front of you.
Review:
This book is a refreshing, unusual and uplifting read for anyone with a creative streak who is torn between the demands of today’s busy, distracting, fame-obsessed world and the struggles of creative output.
Alia Henry is funny, flawed, energetic, and misguided, and, like most of us, isn’t living up to her true potential as long as she is lured by everyday temptations and the instant gratification available through the portal of a smartphone at the touch of a button.
When she finally goes a step too far, decisions are made for her and she finds herself alone, cut-off from the life she knows, facing up to her imperfect self and being held to account for her promises. While hilarious and a rollicking read, this story, like Alia herself, softens into a mystery filled with as many questions as answers. Alia struggles with who she is and her future place in the world as a result of enforced isolation from it but slowly a different path opens up… if she chooses to take it.
I loved this book. It is funny and immersive. I was suspended from my current day-to-day life and transported to the wonderful, magical setting in France, filled with potential, anticipation and hope. I loved experiencing Alia’s life vicariously, feeling every one of her changing emotions. Despite her unique background, there is some of Alia in all of us.
This book inspires action and perseverance to fight for our dreams and to believe!
Rananda Rich – The Ink Rat
Edith Piaf might not have had any regrets, but the women who find themselves at the Hotel Déjà Vu sure do!
They say we only regret the chances we didn’t take, the dream we didn’t chase. Blurring the lines between fantasy and real life, it’s Eat, Pray, Love meets Midnight in Paris, and a little bit of Fantasy Island meets Under the Tuscan Sun. Read preview.
We’ll always have Paris…
Mae, June, and Paul, along with his out of control friend, Digger, meet on a package tour in Paris. In the sweltering heat of the summer of ’94, one unforgettable night sets them on a path that will send ripples out into their lives forever.
If you could go back and do it all again… would you?
Readers who enjoyed Hotel Déjà Vu (Time Step Press, 2018) will love Mae and June.
A COLLECTION OF LOVE LETTERS TO PARIS.
The novella, Paris in a Day, is a sweet romance first published in 2018. When Julie arrives in Paris she doesn’t believe in love or the power of friendship but opens her heart to both. It’s amazing what can happen, in Paris, in a day…
The short stories include a tale of love and redemption at a Parisian wedding, memories of the City of Light, a tale of regret, and a new prologue to the novel Hotel Déjà Vu, also available on Amazon in ebook and paperback.
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