The Last Christmas by Seelie Kay (@SeelieKay)

What we all love at Christmas: A heart-warming contemporary romance. And today we have a brand new release from Extasy Books that promises to fulfil all our Christmas wishes:

THE LAST CHRISTMAS by SEELIE KAY

First, a few questions for Seelie:

Q.  Why do you write romance?

Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories.

Q.  Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?

I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me! However, I they have to be paired with strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love.

Q.  Why did you write “The Last Christmas?”

My father is 94-years-old and as you might expect, has had a number of serious medical, age-related events. Each time, we were told to prepare for his death. Each time, he survived. The fact was, my Dad wasn’t ready to die. And his children and his grandchildren weren’t ready to let him go either. So I started thinking about terminal diagnoses and how they are really a best guess, not a guarantee. That, of course, led to thoughts how a terminal diagnosis often causes people to give up and prematurely mourn the death of the person who is ill. I wondered how that impacted the outcome. And because I was preparing to write a holiday book, I also started thinking about the power of family, and how, time after time, families are capable of creating miracles.

That led me to “The Last Christmas.” Christmas truly is a time for miracles, and thought it important that everyone be able to experience one through the tale of the Wright Family.

Blurb:

When the doctors say there’s no hope, Santa begs to differ. After all, he claims, miracles are love combined with action to get the desired result. And at Christmas time, everyone deserves a miracle!

David Wright is dying from cancer. He is not expected to see another Christmas. At least that’s what the medical professionals say. Fortunately, Santa begs to differ. After all, modern medicine is nothing more than a best guess. Santa believes anything is possible until you give up. When Santa tells David’s wife, Joan, that heaven is full and she has to keep her husband alive, she is beside herself. She has no medical skills. How can she save anyone’s life? Set your skepticism aside as Santa embraces a family already mourning their father’s terminal diagnosis and teaches them that a Christmas miracle doesn’t always require heavenly intervention. Sometimes, all it takes is a family with enough love to create their own. As Santa says, a true miracle is when love combines with action to get the desired results. And only humans are capable of that. Will Santa’s words fall on deaf ears? Or will Team Wright find a way to save their father’s life?

 

Excerpt:

“It’s not about you, it’s about him, Joan,” a grumbly voice said. “You’re looking at this all wrong.”

Joan turned so fast she almost lost her balance. She glared at the old man who had spoken. He was around seventy, with ruddy cheeks and twinkling blue eyes. And thick white hair. Lots of white hair. Flowing over his shoulders, winding up in a very lush beard. On top of his head was perched a brightly colored red knit hat. She frowned. “Wait a minute. You’re Santa Claus. Without the red suit, but clearly, you’re him. I’d know you anywhere.”

The man bowed and with a smile, said, “At your service.” He gestured toward a park across the street. “Let’s take a walk.”

“Oh, no. I’m not going anywhere with you.” Joan shook her head. “I didn’t mean you actually were Santa Claus. Everyone knows he doesn’t exist. I just meant you looked like him. You’re just a man who looks like him. I don’t know you. Why would I…” She glared at him. “You’re not even wearing a red suit. And since when has Santa taken up armchair psychiatry?”  She ran a hand through her blonde hair. “I must be hallucinating.” Despite her objections, she followed him across the street.

Santa laughed. “My dear, I have been dispensing advice since I was old enough to talk and make people listen. God chose my role a long time ago and I have gotten very good at it.” He looked toward the heavens. “Sorry, old boy. Still working on that humility!” He chuckled. “Man never stops reminding me.” He smiled at Joan. “Do you sense any ill-intentions from me? Of course not. I’m Santa. All I want to do is talk.”

Joan reached out and touched his shoulder.

He laughed again. A laugh that came directly from his belly. “Yes, I’m real. Well, as real as a centuries-old spirit gets. I even eat all those cookies children leave me each year. And let me tell you, that’s a heavenly feat.” Again, he looked skyward. “Yes, sir, I am well aware that borders on gluttony. A sin. You know darn well it has nothing to do with gluttony and everything to do with the magic of Christmas, an affirmation that Santa is real. I do it for the children.” He smiled at Joan. “Sometimes, He gets a little overbearing with his angels.”

He smirked. “Even God has his faults. He is by no means perfect.” A strong wind swirled through the plaza, nearly catching his knitted cap. He clapped his hand on his head to hold it down. He whispered, “And he doesn’t take criticism too well, either.”

Joan stared at the man. Surely, she was losing it. Santa a spirit, an angel? He and God didn’t even travel in the same circles. She shook her head, trying to make the hallucination go away.

Santa sighed. “I know, I know. You’ve been taught that I’m not real. That I’m a myth. That’s a rumor started by Satan himself, the old devil. He can’t stand the fact that people embrace the goodness in the world. And that I spread good cheer. He would much rather unleash a plague and make people miserable. He hates Christmas. He hates that the birth of Christ is celebrated, and his birth, well, is not. He really can’t stand the fact that love binds people so tightly during the holidays.” Santa shook his fist toward the ground. “The fool pouts all through the holidays.” He then sat up straight and gazed at Joan. “Christmas is really about love, you know. All kinds of love. The type of love he’ll never have. Love of family, love of children, love of—”

“What the heck do you want?” Joan blurted. “People are starting to stare.”

 

Buy links:

“The Last Christmas” is scheduled for release on December 11, 2020 and will be available from all major booksellers, including-- 

Extasy Books:  Preorder Link Available November 27, 2020

 

About Seelie Kay:

Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen!  In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of 18 works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty Lawyers series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The White House Wedding, and The President’s Daughter. 

When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine. 

Ms. Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS:  Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

Author Links:

Keelie's Website

Keelie's Blog

Twitter: @SeelieKay 

Facebook

Instagram

Amazonauthor page

 

Prior Books:

Kinky Briefs

Kinky Briefs, Too

Kinky Briefs, Thrice

Kinky Briefs, Quatro

Kinky Briefs, Cinque

The Garage Dweller

A Touchdown to Remember

The President’s Wife

Snatching Dianna

The President’s Daughter

Infamy

Seizing Hope

Cult

Hope

The White House Wedding

Martimus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two short stories with a sprinkling of Christmas magic

 

Just Released - two short Christmas stories 

Strange things can happen at Christmas—especially when you least expect them.

The Christmas Present – Empty-nesters Diane and Roger just wanted to do something nice for others less fortunate on Christmas Day, but their good intentions backfired on them in a spectacular way.

Pumpkin – Imogen was delighted when a cheeky little ginger cat seemed to want to adopt her for Christmas.  How could she know that Pumpkin’s agenda was completely different from her own?

Kindle buy links:

Amazon.com  (99cents)

Amazon UK (77p)

First, We Kill all the Lawyers - by Seelie Kay (@SeelieKay)

Released today courtesy of Extasy Books - a sizzling, brand new Contemporary Romantic Suspense novel by Seelie Kay:

FIRST, WE KILL ALL THE LAWYERS

What an intriguing title!  Before we find out more about the story, let's start with a few questions for Seelie:

Q.  Why do you write romance?

Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories. 

Q.  Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?

I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me! However, they have to be paired with strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love. 

Q.  Why did you write “First, We Kill All the Lawyers?”

I have wanted to write a vampire tale for some time, but had difficulty coming up with something consistent with current tropes. Finally, I decided it was time to break all the rules. After all, vampires have been around for centuries. Surely, they have evolved by now. And no doubt, they have many of the same societal problems that humans do. However, I also wanted the vampire to be a lawyer. The title came from my experience as a lawyer. I can’t tell you how many times someone would quote Dick the Butcher, “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” (Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2.) They would laugh heartily, like they had just told a wonderful joke, but for me, it was great inspiration for a story. What if someone was killing lawyers? 

Q.   Obviously your former profession as a lawyer impacts your writing!

My friends say I am obsessed with justice and I guess that’s true. After 30 years, the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and that naturally guides my characters and plots. Injustice infuriates me, but it also leads me to great stories! Even in this book, I find a way to explore social and criminal justice issues.

Let's not wait any longer, let's hear more about the book with the fascinating title.

Blurb:

Someone is killing lawyers, but a particular vampire lawyer won’t stay dead. 

Donovan Trait is a marked man. Flamboyant, stunningly handsome, and notoriously insatiable, his attitude and style belie his skills in the courtroom. No one survives a cross-examination at Donovan’s hands. His knowledge of the law and trial practice has accumulated over the years… and years, of experience. More than three hundred years. You see, when Donovan isn’t seducing judges and juries, he’s a creature of the night. And now that someone has decided that it’s time to kill all lawyers, his lust for attention has set him in the murderer’s sights. The problem is, vampires don’t die. Not easily, anyway. That’s good news for Donovan, not so much for his very human lady love, also a target of the serial killer. Will several unsuccessful attempts on his life expose Donovan’s true nature? Will the killer learn the secret that will guarantee a permanent death? Or will Donovan finally manage to put an end to the killer’s murderous spree and live happily ever after, with his lady love?

Excerpt:

Donovan’s cell phone pinged. He pulled himself into a small alleyway, away from the stampede trudging back to their workplaces after lunch, and leaned back against a building to read a text. His face screwed up in confusion. The text read, The first thing we do, let’s kill all lawyers! Starting with you!

“What the bloody hell?” he muttered. “Is this some kind of joke?” Donovan’s eyes surveyed his surroundings. He gazed right, then left. It did not appear that someone had made him the focus of their attention. Everyone was scurrying about, like mice in pursuit of a big cheese. “Must be Finley,” he said. “Finley is always plying me with lawyer jokes. He thinks he’s funny.”

Donovan shrugged. Not funny at all. He left the alleyway and re-entered the mass migration on the sidewalk. He approached the crosswalk at Michigan and Superior and emitted a snort of frustration as the light changed and the crosswalk filled with cars. He was bumped hard by someone behind him. Donovan was forced to step into the street to regain his balance. A cab rushed by and narrowly missed clipping his side. Donovan jumped back onto the sidewalk.

A woman screamed and Donovan jerked his head around, trying to see what all the fuss was about. The woman was pointing at him. Donovan frowned and turned away. God save me from simpering females who saw the last issue of City Magazine. Donovan had appeared on the cover after being named as one of Chicago’s most eligible bachelors. Since then, he had learned that the female population was comprised of women of questionable morals and distressing behavior. He was growing weary of the attention. While his colleagues thought it a wise marketing strategy, it had brought him nothing but unwanted female attention. He had become prey.

Vampires were predators. They stalked their victims. Sometimes, they pursued them with a vengeance. That was why he had joined the legal profession. His predilections were well-suited to that particular world. Now, his role had apparently shifted and he was not pleased.

Someone tapped Donovan on the shoulder. “Sir? Are you alright? You’re bleeding. It appears someone stuck a knife into your side.”

Donovan’s mouth gaped and he turned toward the man who had spoken. Then he looked at where the man pointed. There was indeed a knife sticking out of his left side and a stream of his blood was flowing onto the sidewalk. He had a very high threshold of pain. He hadn’t felt the knife thrust into his side. If it wasn’t so appalling, he would be embarrassed. Donovan opened his mouth to reply. Then the pain in his side exploded and his vision dulled. Slowly he slid onto the sidewalk as if he planned to sit on the curb.

Then everything went black. 

Book Trailer: 

Buy links:

ExtasyBooks 

Also available from

Amazon:  

Barnes & Noble:  

Kobo:  

 

About Seelie Kay:

Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen!  In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms. Kay is the author of 18 works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty Lawyers series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The White House Wedding, and The President’s Daughter. 

When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.

Ms. Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS:  Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

Author links:

Keelie's Website

Keelie's Blog

Twitter: @SeelieKay 

Facebook

Instagram

Amazonauthor page

 

Prior Books:

 

Kinky Briefs

Kinky Briefs, Too

Kinky Briefs, Thrice

Kinky Briefs, Quatro

Kinky Briefs, Cinque

The Garage Dweller

A Touchdown to Remember

The President’s Wife

Snatching Dianna

The President’s Daughter

Infamy

Seizing Hope

Cult

Hope

The White House Wedding

Martimus

 

Coming soon:

The Last Christmas, date of release:  December 11, 2020.

In Loving Hate - a romance with suspense - #FREE this weekend only #Kindle

For most of us, foreign travel is off the cards this summer, but that doesn't mean we can't escape to gorgeous destinations through our choice of reading.  And if you fancy a sojourn in Greece this weekend, you can do so for FREE, if you have a Kindle.  Just click on the image, or this link:

http://mybook.to/InLovingHate

In Loving Hate begins with Lyssa actually leaving Greece, a country she loves, but where she was deeply unhappy and she shares her story with a sympathetic stranger on the ferry from Greece to Italy—a stranger who later becomes the only person to whom she can turn for help when she returns to England and her life turns upside down.

What readers say:

"In Loving Hate is a fascinating study of a woman who in order to embrace her future has to learn to leave much of her past behind her."

"Lynette has created fantastic characters and a plot that is fabulously constructed, building suspense and never quite giving away the answers until the very end. "

"Elegantly written, and filled with romantic entanglements and a fast moving pace this book is one exciting page-turner."

The Blurb:

How far will the rich and powerful go in order to achieve their goals? That is the question Lyssa must decide when she finds herself caught between two formidable adversaries: powerful business tycoon and shipping magnate, Alex Andrakis and close childhood friend, ‘Dynamic’ Nell Winters, brewery heiress and prolific businesswoman.

Following the failure of her marriage in Greece, Lyssa returns to her family home in London, to discover that her mother, a once-celebrated actress, is now facing crippling debts. When Lyssa begins to investigate these, she becomes embroiled in the intricate business dealings of Nell and her arch-rival Alex. Irresistibly drawn to widower Alex and his unhappy young son, Lyssa begins to uncover some unexpected and disturbing facts. 

The more involved she becomes, the more shocking are the discoveries she makes. The conflicts culminate in a frightening battle for survival as Lyssa finds herself the prime target between the possessive Nell and obsessive Alex. With her loyalties deeply divided, Lyssa needs to make the right choices for everyone concerned.

But does she?  Find out by downloading your FREE copy—but be quick; the offer ends on Sunday.  I'd hate you to miss it.

 http://mybook.to/InLovingHate

Guest Author Marcia King-Gamble (@soflamuse) on her sizzling new summer releases

What a summer this has turned out to be. I bet you it’s the summer you’ll never forget. Most of us living in Florida and other places have been on lockdown. And when on lockdown what do you do? Writers write. Readers read.  I’ve been doing a lot of both.

First up, this summer, was my new release By Heart, the second in the H. E. Caldwell series about the department store that almost went under if not for Elle Stanford, Caldwell’s newly hired sales associate.  This time it’s Cyndy Lawsen’s story of finding romance or rather romance finding her in the store. The link to purchase this novella is below, or alternatively, click on the book cover.

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-H-Caldwells-Book-ebook/dp/B08CRC78W1

Here is an excerpt of By Heart:

     The phone rang and rang. She waited for voice mail to pop on.

     “Jacques Moreau. Can I help you?”

     The sound of Jacques voice left her breathless and goosebumps popped out on her forearms.  She had to say something. “Jacques, it’s Cyndy.  Cyndy from Caldwell’s.”

     “Bonjour Cyndy from Caldwell’s. I’ve been meaning to call. Unfortunately, I had to go out of town unexpectedly.”

     The warmth of his greeting reassured her. Cyndy plunged on. “I’m calling because the courier isn’t able to deliver the gift you need for Valentine’s Day. . .” 

     “What!”

      “Not to worry. I can fix this.”

      “But I trusted you to get it there.” The slight edge to Jacques’ voice couldn’t be missed. “You promised me. What happened?” 

     He was making her feel guilty.  Just who was Eva, and why was she so important? And, why if she meant so much to him, wasn’t he spending Valentine’s Day with her? It seemed silly to be jealous of a complete stranger. One dinner did not a relationship make.

     Keeping her voice even, Cyndy got down to business.  “Can I confirm the address we have on record is the correct one?”.                    

    Jacques repeated the address, confirming it to be the one on record.

    “And the unit number?”

    “501. Cheri, didn’t I give you the number?”

     “I am not your cheri,” thought Cyndy.         

     Cyndy’s diplomacy kicked in.  “This may be my fault. Unfortunately, the courier doesn’t have the unit number.”

      “So how do I get my Valentine’s gift to Eva on time?” Jacques asked.

      Damn Eva! And he still hadn’t said a word about Valentine’s Day and them. “I’ll handle it,” Cyndy said. “We’re Caldwell’s. We’ll do what it takes.”

***

Next up, and released in August is  Last Chance Beach: Summer’s End, a collaboration with thirteen other bestselling authors. These are 14 sweet to sassy short romances, choc-a-block full of hot alpha males and heartwarming heroes. I can’t think of one person who won’t like a second chance at love.

Last Chance Beach: Summers’s End can be purchased on Amazon at the bargain price of 99 cents. If that’s not bargain enough, download the free companion cocktail recipe, then pull up a beach chain and join us on Last Chance Beach.

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-Beach-Summers-End-ebook/dp/B08CV3GN3R

My story is titled One Last Shot. Imagine an up and coming sitcom star in hiding from the press. Turns out, the guy next door just happens to be a disgraced celebrity photographer. Will he accept tabloid money for pictures of her? Or will he choose love over jumpstarting his career?

There’s even a legend that comes with this island; a very sweet and poignant second chance romance that will leave you in tears.  Poor boy begs passage on wealthy tycoon’s ship and falls in love with owner’s daughter. Dad forbids the romance and banishes his guest to the ship’s hold. Man escapes and swims to shore where is rescued by a minister and his wife. The daughter goes in search of him, runs out of money and is taken in by the same minister and his wife. The couple reunites. By then he is lame.

So, pull up a beach chair and pour yourself a beverage, preferably made from this free drink recipe book you can download by clicking on the link below, or the book cover:

 https://www.amazon.com/Cocktails-Last-Chance-Beach-Reeves-ebook/dp/B08DR4K3YX/ref

Make this the summer you read, and I’ll continue to write. Stay happy and stay safe!

About Marcia King-Gamble

Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This former travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, caring for her animal family, and trying to keep sane.

Instagram * Amazon * Website* Facebook * Twitter

Now in Print and with a lovely new cover - Buried Treasure by @gilliallan

It's no secret that I love Gilli Allan's latest story Buried Treasure - so much that when I finished reading it, I immediately began reading it again.  When Gilli told me she was preparing to release a print copy and working on a new cover for it, I thought I would burst with curiosity; covers are such tricky things and every author knows the crucial value of finding exactly the right one.  I think Gilli has succeeded, and furthermore, has made my week by allowing me to reveal it here.  She also agreed to share a few words about the pain and pleasures of writing.  Over to Gilli. 

Writing - the pain and the joy, by Gilli Allan

It had been too long since I wrote something new.  There were always other things to do, and I’m not one of those lucky authors who brim with new plot ideas and can’t wait to get them down. What I need to confess here is I that actually hate writing.  Up until that precious moment when I cease trying to tell my story where to go, and it begins to tell me, beginning a new book is like carving a lump of granite with a teaspoon.  The urge to create, however, is quite another thing.  This becomes increasingly demanding even when I don’t know what I want to create.  

And so it was with BURIED TREASURE, except I just called it “New Book”, nor did it have a plot, characters or location, but I trusted in the fact that once I actually began, the scenario would spring into focus, the characters come to life and the plot would gradually unknot and spool out in front of me. 

There are always personal elements in my stories– something I’ve experienced, or events I’ve heard about or seen. So, in order to come up with my background theme I began by reflecting on subjects I already had an interest in or an understanding of.  This gave me my initial building blocks. 

I’ve always had a fascination with archaeology, probably stemming from the fact that my great uncle Sydney Ford uncovered a hoard of silver Roman table-ware on his Suffolk farm. Known as the Mildenhall Treasure it is now one of the most famous UK discoveries housed in the British Museum. http://gilliallan.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-connection-to-mildenhall-treasure.html 

And before the current crisis, I have been involved for more than a decade in the organisation of biannual conferences held at Queens’ College, Cambridge.

If I made my hero an academic archaeologist, and my heroine an events & conference planner, and the back drop for a proportion of the story a university college in Cambridge, I could use my own experience to flesh out the detail and then trust, once set loose in this world I’d created, my imagination would do the rest.  After all, I already had another ingredient – a historian and archaeologist I could call on to advise on the plausibility of my plot, and to assure me I’d made no howling errors - my son, Thomas Williams, author of ‘Viking Britain’ and ‘Viking London’.    What could go wrong?  This book was going to be easy-peasy.

In reality, BURIED TREASURE was probably the most difficult book I have ever attempted.  I won’t go into the whys and wherefores; it would take too long and bore you to death.  But it became a total joy when I realised how to navigate the maze, iron out the wrinkles, and unravel the knots.  (Apologies for the mixed metaphors!)

I am sure you will agree that when something has been a struggle, you love it even more. For those of us who have given birth…..!  Need I say more?  And it is a proud and thrilling moment, but also sad, to release your book into the world and wave it goodbye. All you can do is wish it well.

*****

So true, Gilli.  It's exactly a year since I read Buried Treasure, but I remember it vividly and think about it often.  In case you need any further incentive to read this haunting story, this was my 5 star review: 

I was delighted to receive an early copy of Gilli Allan’s latest story, since I have read her other books and have the highest regard for this talented author.  The title intrigued me from the outset; who hasn’t at some time in their life dreamed of finding buried treasure?  I know I have, and found this treasure of a story deeply satisfying.

The story concerns two very different people, and two diverse ‘treasure’ hunts.  For university lecturer Theo, his quest relates to evidence he needs to find of an ancient civilisation on the site of a proposed new supermarket near his university campus, in order to prevent its construction on a possibly sacred site.  Events and conference planner Jane’s treasure is much closer to home.  Her great uncle Alf uncovered the haul while ploughing one of his fields with his son during World War II.  Sadly, the find was confiscated by the government and placed in the British Museum without recompense, but, according to family rumour, one special artefact was missed, and subsequently secreted away.  In the fullness of time, Jane will inherit this, and her curiosity about it is as immense as the moral dilemma it will create if and when it comes into her possession. 

You might expect this common ground between the two would lay the groundwork for a promising relationship, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Jane sees Theo as an ‘upper class fogey’, a ‘brain on legs’, while a typical ‘Essex girl’ is at the forefront of Theo’s mind whenever he considers Jane.  But there is a far more powerful area of common ground between them, if only each could break down the barriers to discover it.  Both characters have been damaged by their pasts, far more so than each realises. 

This richly-drawn pair drive the action of the story and I would defy any reader not to empathise with them and become engrossed in their personal histories.  There are several other colourful supporting characters, all adding depth and interest as well as helping to reveal more about these two, but it is Jane and Theo who will stay in your mind long after you’ve finished reading.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story because you owe yourself the pleasure of reading this and discovering it for yourself.  And I promise you will not be disappointed.  It is a very satisfying romance, to be sure, but as always with Gilli Allan’s stories, Buried Treasure is about so much more than the relationship between two people.  Parental relationships, sibling, marital, workplace and that all-important relationship with oneself all come under compelling scrutiny.  The writing is intelligent and honest, and made all the more interesting by the author’s knowledge and evident love of archaeology, which gives the story that extra credibility.  I wholeheartedly recommend Buried Treasure as a must-read this summer.

Buried Treasure - Blurb

Jane thinks he sees her as shallow and ill-educated. Theo thinks she sees him as a snob, stuffy and out of touch.

Within the ancient precincts of the university the first encounter between the conference planner and the academic is accidental and unpromising. Just as well there’s no reason for them ever to meet again. But behind the armour they’ve each constructed from old scars, they’ve more in common than divides them. Both have an archaeological puzzle they are driven to solve. As their stories intertwine, their quest to uncover the past unearths more than expected.

About Gilli Allan

Gilli began to write in childhood - a hobby pursued throughout her teenage. Writing was only abandoned when she left home, and real life supplanted the imaginary kind. 

After a few false starts she worked longest and most happily as an illustrator in advertising and only began writing again when she became a mother. 

Living in Gloucestershire with her husband Geoff, Gilli is still a keen artist. She draws and paints and has now moved into book illustration.

All of her recent books TORN, LIFE CLASS, FLY or FALL and BURIED TREASURE have gained ‘Chill with a Book’ awards.

Following in the family tradition, her son, historian Thomas Williams, is now also a writer.

BURIED TREASURE LINKS:

mybook.to/BURIEDTREASURE

Find Gilli’s other books TORN, LIFE CLASS and FLY or FALL at

author.to/GILLIALLAN

Contact Gilli at

http://gilliallan.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/gilli.allan.1

https://twitter.com/gilliallan