This conversation has a lovely back-story about how a book blogger was discovered by a writer who loves reading ChocLit novels! As you see, when I released my review for Margaret James’s novel The Silver Locket I had the pleasure of interacting with Ms Driscoll via Twitter! I like to check to see who appreciates what I’m tweeting about in the twitterverse, and being that I had such a strong emotional connection to the novel and the story as a whole, it was a joy to find people engaging with my tweets by either re-tweeting them or favouriting them! It’s a small gesture to know someone out there is appreciating what your sharing and more times than naught, I like to take a moment to interact with these tweeters.

As a writer myself, it goes without saying ‘writers are dedicated readers’ because we all came through the gateway of literature inspiring our own literary paths therein. It did not surprise me finding a writer was keen on the Charton Minster series, in other words! What I hadn’t realised is this interaction about my ChocLit readings would lead to a lovely DM convo with the publicist at Bookouture! Ms Nash is a delightfully bookish soul who not only champions interest in the publisher but she knows how to unite readers, book bloggers and authors!

Bookouture is an Indie publisher from England – a digital first publisher (similar to ChocLitUK) who also releases their novels in print (via Print on Demand) with a focus on the quality of their submissions rather than focusing on quantity. This is a trend that I’m finding across the board with the Indie Publishers I’m currently hosting as I shift away from hosting blog tours and working directly with publishers. This is why you’ll be seeing me champion the stories and authors not only from Bookouture but from my continued appreciation of ChocLitUK, Seventh Star Press and World Weaver Press; whilst adding Prometheus Books (and their imprints: Seventh Street Books & Pyr), Impress Books (also from the UK) and Curiosity Quills Press. I will be going into a bit more about all of this on my End of the Year Survey 2015 which I’m releasing on my 3rd Blogoversary 31st of March, 2016.

If you’d like to check out the founder of Bookouture, I direct you to the introductory page on behalf of Oliver Rhodes.

Meanwhile, I am happily going to be showcasing their authors through bookish conversations which not only directly relate to the author’s new release but will encompass their writerly life as well. Each conversation I bring to Jorie Loves A Story (and on my contributions via steampunkcavaliers.com) have the same focus and concentration: to use dialogue to engage in a conversation everyone will enjoy reading!

I am delighted to bring my conversation with Ms Driscoll to my readers today on her #pubday as I hadn’t realised I’d have the pleasure of celebrating her new release in coordination with her book birthday whilst beginning my showcases for Bookouture! It’s quite fitting I get to begin with her book, as without her ‘wink of a nod’ on Twitter on behalf of Margaret James’ novel, I might not have discovered her collective works or those of her authorial colleagues at Bookouture!

I stroked the top of my baby’s head and whispered to him gently that I would find a way. I will not let them take you… 

Once upon a time Kate’s life was full of love and smiles and laughter. A time where she dared to dream and hope. But then her perfect family unit is shattered in the most unthinkable way. And now Kate is silently and steadily falling apart. 

When she meets Martha, Kate recognizes a kindred spirit. Martha is searching for a lost love; tragedy has touched her life too. Why are they so inexplicably drawn to one another? And why are they both keeping secrets about their pasts? 

As Kate and Martha are forced to face the painful memories they’d each locked away, can they save each other and learn to live again? 

A beautifully written story full of emotion,

hope and the redeeming power of love and friendship. 

The back-story of inspiration on behalf of your sophomore release Last Kiss Goodnight has such a powerful impact on the emotional journey of a mother’s soul as she attempts to find peace where ambiguous loss has resided. How did you prepare yourself to dig inside the emotional anguish necessary to convey the emotional eclipse of your characters?

Driscoll responds: This story was inspired by an experience that has haunted me since I was a television reporter years ago. One day I was sent to a campaign launch near the House of Commons to film a group of women releasing balloons. Each one, I was to learn, represented a child who could not be found. The reasons for the estrangements were varied but all the mothers’ stories were heartbreaking. I interviewed a number of the mothers and learned something very important that day…the difference between empathy and sympathy. These women truly understood each other. Read More