Tishylou's World

Well folks, here we are. It's New Year's Eve 2016. I am full of reflection as this year comes to a close. The year began with me drunk, going home to my freezing cold, damp, unfinished bus with no running water, flushing toilet or proper heating. By May I had had enough. I couldn't take bus life anymore, nor could I take being controlled by my ex-fiance. I was down, in a very dark, scary place. I was self harming again, I was crying all the time and I had suicidal thoughts. Then I read Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon and I found the courage to speak up. I told J that I needed help. He promptly threw me out of our home and his life. 14 years, gone in a flash. And you know what? That was the best thing that could have happened. The next few weeks were hard. I stayed with my best friend Tracey and finally saw a gp. I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and depression. I began taking medication for the first time in my life and had a brilliant course of counselling followed ...

Happy Christmas Eve and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse.     What They Say: Freya Braithwaite knows she is lucky. Nineteen years happily married to a man who still excites her, two beautiful teenaged daughters, and her dream career as a health food writer. Her home is filled with love and laughter, with a passion for food at its very core. But no amount of love could have prepared Freya for the devastating impact of anorexia and bulimia on her family. In a desperate battle to rescue her youngest child from its clutches, Freya will do all she can to save her daughter, her marriage and her family. But how can she when food, the social glue of their family, is both the problem and the solution? Is Freya’s own obsession with clean eating partly to blame? And how can you save someone who doesn’t want to be saved?  What I Say: As always, I was excited at the prospect of a new Amanda Prowse novel. I knew I was in for an ...

Ok folks, it's that time of year again! I trolled through my list of books read and turned them into a list of sorts. I read some absolutely amazing books this year and it was hard to choose just 10! But I did it, we have a winner! So, first off is my favourite book from a series. This goes to: Geek Girl Head Over Heels by Holly Smale I have followed this series from the start and have loved every minute of it! Harriet is one of the best characters ever! Ok, here goes; the top 10! 10. In Her Wake by Amanda Jennings - a great twisty turny, dark read. 9. Falling by Jane Green - an emotional, beautiful story of love and loss. 8. Summer Nights at the Moonlight Hotel by Jane Costello - a sweet, funny summery book! 7. The One We Fell In Love With by Paige Toon - surprising, lovely and gripping. 6. Sunshine Over Wildflower Cottage by Milly Johnson - beautiful, captivating and full of hope. 5. My Husband's Wife by Amanda Prowse- funny, sweet, sad and emotional. 4. Take A C...

    Welcome to my stop on the #NotJustForChristmas blog tour! I adored this continuation of the Tindledale series! It was a lovely, touching read and this post has got me feeling all festive!   So, join Alex and the gang and find out who picked who for the Secret Santa!   Tindledale’s Secret Santa To really get everyone in the festive spirit this year, Cher, the landlady of the Duck & Puddle pub on the village green, is running a Secret Santa evening.  Click on the character to see whose name they picked out of the Santa’s hat and the gift they bought for them. Sybil (manager of Hettie’s House of Haberdashery) picked Molly (the butcher’s wife) – knitted a little red jumper for her pet ferret. Cooper (Village Butcher) picked Basil (Sybil’s black Scottie dog) – six of his finest award-winning sausages. Lawrence (chair of the Tindledale Players Amateur Dramatics group) picked Mrs Pocket (Parish Council stalwart and village busybody)...

  Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Mistletoe on 34th Street by Lisa Dickenson! I am very excited by this tour as I adore Lisa and her fabooooolous books! What They Say: Full of romance and festive magic, Mistletoe on 34th Street is the funniest and most charming love story you will read this Christmas! Olivia has never experienced a snow-covered, ‘traditional’ Christmas before. Having grown up in a family that chose winter sun over decking the halls, she’s not sure what all the fuss is about. So when she and her colleagues are stranded in New York after a work trip, Olivia is perfectly happy spending the holiday season in the Big Apple. Jon, Olivia’s friend, on the other hand is desperate to get home in time for his big family get-together. Nevertheless, determined to make the best out of the situation, he sets out to show Olivia how enchanting Christmas in New York can be. And when handsome New Yorker Elijah is added to the mix, could the magic of the se...

Hello Lovelies! Thanks for joining me today! I'm super excited to welcome the sparkly loveliness that is Miranda Dickinson to my blog today as we celebrate her fantastic new book "Searching For A Silver Lining".  So, without further adieu, let's hand over to Miranda.     Meet The Cast - #4: The Silver Five   I always wanted to write about a road trip and when I created The Silver Five I realised their story would be perfect to tell using a journey. With lead singer (and now inimitable pensioner) Reenie Silver, the rest of the band lived out their dreams of stardom in the early part of the 1950s. Drawn to London from all over the UK, The Silver Five were put together in a group by enigmatic impresario and manager Rico, who promised them their dreams. I adored creating The Silver Five, not just as they are now but as the starry-eyed young hopefuls they were in the 1950s.   Reenie assumed lead singing duties, joined by talented nightclub singer June ...

Helloooo! It's been a long time since I wrote a post. Life has been moving along very quickly and very smoothly and I couldn't be happier with the way things are headed. So, what's been happening? Steve and I are completely and utterly engrossed in each other. I had a combined Birthday (I turned 39), housewarming (more about that in a bit) and meet Steve party in the middle of last month. It was lovely to have most of the people I love in one room at the same time. My friends have never met each other and have always been kept separate so it was nice to have them together for the first time ever. I 3 wore a dress and had my hair and makeup done. I felt like a Princess! Steve and I have been splitting our time between my new home in Lancashire and his in Birmingham. The week following my party, we came to Brum and I met up with a friend, Manda, who I haven't seen in 3 years. It was a brilliant day and it was so nice to have her meet Steve and share my happiness w...

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp!     The Blurb:     It was no secret that journalist Jack Sparks had been researching the occult for his new book. No stranger to controversy, he'd already triggered a furious Twitter storm by mocking an exorcism he witnessed.  Then there was that video: forty seconds of chilling footage that Jack repeatedly claimed was not of his making, yet was posted from his own YouTube account. Nobody knew what happened to Jack in the days that followed - until now.   Prepare for the cleverest, most addictive thriller you will read this year. This is the story of the ill-fated Jack Sparks - a man who plays with fire, and pays the price . . . What I Say: I was really intrigued by this book before I started reading. It sounds so bizarre. I wasn't sure if it was meant as a spoof or a real, genuine horror/thriller told from a very odd viewpoint. It was the lat...

Welcome to my Stop on the Blog Tour for the gorgeous Bookshop on Rosemary Lane by Ellen Berry!     I'm thrilled to be able to bring you an exclusive extract from this book! If this doesn't pique your interest, I don't know what will! This is a delicious story and the cover is divine!   Without further adieu, read this and go buy the book!!   ‘I meant,’ Roxanne said, as Della and Mark returned to the living room, ‘what are we going to do about Rosemary Cottage?’ Silence settled around the room. The twins, mercifully with headphones plugged in now, munched absent-mindedly on the remaining biscuits.  ‘There’s no rush, is there?’ Sophie asked with a frown. ‘I mean, we’ve only just had Grandma’s funeral.’  ‘Yes, but there’s no point in letting things drift on.’ Ignoring the pot of tea Della had brought through, Jeff topped up his wine glass. ‘When winter comes,’ he continued, ‘we’ll be talking frozen pipes and slates falling off that godawful r...

Welcome to my stop on the Willow Cottage Blog Tour! I'm very excited to bring you an exclusive extract from this fabulous book by Bella Osborne! The Blurb: Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a safe place for little Leo. When she finally uncovers the cottage from underneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Beth realises this is far more of a project than she bargained for and the locals are more than a little eccentric! A chance encounter with gruff Jack, who appears to be the only male in the village under thirty, leaves the two of them at odds but it’s not long before Beth realises that Jack has hidden talents that could help her repair more than just Willow Cottage. Over the course of four seasons, Beth realises that broken hearts can be mended, and sometimes love can be right under your nose… Exclusive Extract: ...

The Drowning of Arthur Braxton by Caroline Smailes THE BLURB: “An urban fairy tale.Arthur Braxton runs away from school. He hides out in an abandoned building, an old Edwardian bathhouse. He discovers a naked woman swimming in the pool. From this point on, nothing will ever be the same. The Drowning of Arthur Braxton is an unflinching account of the pain and trauma of adolescence and of how first love can transform the most unhappy of lives into something miraculous.” I have read all of Caroline’s previous books so I thought I knew what to expect when I started reading Arthur. I was wrong, oh so wrong! This was so much more than I could have ever imagined! You are transported to a magical world that is, at times dark and despairing, at others so full of hope and happiness. Laurel is an amazing character, I actually loved her. Arthur and Delphina are so touching and genuine. I couldn’t wait to finish this book but at the same time, didn’t want it to end...

Welcome to my Sweet Sixteen Party!   I actually can't believe that it was sixteen year ago today that me, my Mum, my Dad and my brother left our childhood home in Ontario, Canada and started a new life in Lancashire, England!   Leaving everyone and everything I knew behind was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. Starting over with virtually nothing in a country I didn't really know was daunting. But I still maintain it was the best thing I've ever done. I have always felt like I belonged here. Even when life got hard, when things got unbearably difficult, this was where I belonged. I have moments where I would give anything for some kind of Star Trek beam me up contraption and I could just be back home when someone needed me, but those are in equal measure with days where I am so grateful for the people I have in my life now because I am here. Does that make sense?     Before I moved here, the most difficult thing I ever had to deal wi...

  Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for the fabulous Would Like To Meet by Polly James!!!!   I'm so excited that I get to bring you an exclusive audio clip! So, sit back have a read, have a listen and enjoy!     WOULD LIKE TO MEET Polly James Publishes in eBook & Paperback: 30 th June   A hilarious, heart-warming read perfect for fans of Shirley Valentine and You’ve Got Mail. Could the worst thing that’s ever happened to Hannah Pinkman also turn out to be one of the best? She and her husband Dan have reached the end of the line. Bored with the same gripes, the same old arguments – in fact, bored with everything – they split up after a trivial row turns into something much more serious. Now Hannah has to make a new life for herself, but that’s not easy. She’s been so busy being a wife and mum that she’s let all her other interests slip away, along with her friends. And when Hannah is persuaded to join a dating site, her ‘b...

Can you believe that Valley of the Dolls is 50 years old? That is madness! This book is timeless and a true classic! What They Say: Before Jackie Collins, Candace Bushnell and Lena Dunham, Jacqueline Susann held the world rapt with her tales of the private passions of Hollywood starlets, high-powered industrialists and the jet-set. Valley of the Dolls took the world by storm when it was first published, fifty years ago. Never had a book been so frank about sex, drugs and show business. It is often cited as the bestselling novel of all time. Dolls - red or black; capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight. For Anne, Neely and Jennifer, it doesn't matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three beautiful women become best friends when they are young and in New York, struggling to make their names in the entertainment industry. Only when they reach the peak of their careers do they find there's nowhere left to go but down - t...

Lovely Readers (Both of you! Haha) The fabulous, funny and ever so lovely Carol Wyer needs our help! So, have a read below and then please, please go and vote for her! I adore the woman and her books are so bloody brilliant! Thanking you!!!  :) Over to you, Carol ! I really need your help. My book Grumpies On Board is a finalist for The People's Book Prize award. I really want it to win not for me but for my new publishers who have put so much faith in me by taking it on and the lovely Aimee Coveney who designed the cover. Please could I ask you to vote for it? I have put the details below and if you have any difficulty please let me know. Thank you all. Voting is very easy and only takes a couple of minutes. Head to The People’s Book Prize Award website http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/finalist.php … Register if you have not voted before by clicking on the registration box and answer the maths problem or it’ll think you are a robot. You will be sent a code to use to vote....

  Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for the fantastic Four Weddings and A Fiasco by Catherine Ferguson!     eBook & Paperback: 16 th June 2016   Katy Peacock lives a life as colourful as her name. As a wedding photographer, she spends her days making other people smile as she captures all sorts of fun and capers at celebrations that range from the wacky to the wild. But her own life isn’t looking quite so rosy. Her mum is acting out of character, her menacing ex is back on the scene, and she is torn between two gorgeous men. And that’s before we even get started on the trouble her sister is causing . . . As Katy weathers the ups and downs of the season, she revisits problems from the past, discovers new friendships and finds that four weddings and a fiasco have the power to change her world beyond measure.   I'm very excited to host an extract of an exclusive short story featuring the characters from the novel! Take a look and the...

Re-Post of my Review of The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell. WOW!! Just wow! I didn’t think Lisa could top Before I Met You, but she did! This is simply stunning! It’s sad, funny, sweet, gripping, tragic… It’s just sublime! It’s everything I had hoped for and a million times more! The characters and their lives are so intricately woven together and create a glorious web where things may not be quite as easy as they seem. I love the wives, I adore the kids (I had a soft spot for Pearl and Beau). Adrian is really trying his best to do what he thinks is right for everyone but not everyone is happy with his choices The ex wives are brilliant characters and saints as far as I’m concerned. There are twists and turns all through this incredible book. I didn’t see things that were later revealed and I was pleasantly surprised. I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to give anything away. Just READ THIS BOOK! You seriously won’t regr...

Welcome to my stop on the Blog tour for The Secret of Orchard Cottage by Alex Brown!     I'm so excited to have Alex here today, sharing a recipe from her fantastic new book! If you missed my review, it's here on the blog. Go take a look! The Secret of  Orchard Cottage Alex Brown 2nd June | Paperback Original £7.99 | eBook £2.99 ‘A lovely book to curl up and unwind with, as sweet and charming as homemade apple pie’ Milly Johnson The wonderful new novel from Alex Brown, bestselling author of The Great Christmas Knit Off, this is the third book in the much-loved Tindledale Series. April Wilson is wondering what to do next – her life has been turned upside down after the loss of her husband so she’s hoping to piece herself together again with a visit to her elderly great aunt, Edith. Arriving in the rural idyll of Tindledale, she’s dismayed to find Edith’s cottage and the orchards surrounding it in a sorry state of disrepair. Edith seems to have lost ...

Welcome to my stop on Blog Tour for The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza From the phenomenal No.1 bestselling author Robert Bryndza comes the second heart-racing, electrifying thriller in the Detective Erika Foster series. Already a top 20 ebook bestseller with over 60,000 pre-orders sales. UK: http://amzn.to/1pLtbYX US: http://amzn.to/1WqsTkE If the Night Stalker is watching, you’re already dead… In the dead of a swelteringly hot summer’s night, Detective Erika Foster is called to a murder scene. The victim, a doctor, is found suffocated in bed. His wrists are bound and his eyes bulging through a clear plastic bag tied tight over his head. A few days later, another victim is found dead, in exactly the same circumstances. As Erika and her team start digging deeper, they discover a calculated serial killer – stalking their victims before choosing the right moment to strike. The victims are all single men, with very private lives. Why are their pasts shrouded in secre...

Welcome to my blog tour stop for All Together Now by Gill Hornby! I'm very excited to welcome Gill today with an extract just for you! This book is fantastic, have a look and then go buy it! You'll love it, it's such a feel good story! What They Say: The small town of Bridgeford is in crisis. The high street is half empty, businesses are closing and the idea of civic pride seems old-fashioned to the commuters rushing home from work. Somehow, it seems to have lost its heart. But there is one thing that might just bring the town together: music. The Bridgeford Community Choir has a chance of winning the county championship. First though, the small band of singers must find a lot of new members and a whole new sound.  Enter Tracey - one of life's soloists, and hiding a secret past; Bennett - a church choir refugee, baffled by the modern world. And Jazzy - who sees her voice as her passport straight out of town to a future of fame and fortune. Can they really...