Guest Blog Post – Rosie Travers – Theatre of Dreams
It’s a pleasure to welcome Rosie Travers to my blog today.
If you don’t know Rosie or her novels, here’s your chance to find out –
Welcome Rosie, tell us a little about your background –
I grew up in Southampton on the south coast of England and loved escaping into a good book from a very early age. As a teenager I landed my dream job working in a book shop, and spent much of my spare time scribbling numerous short stories and novels, none of which I was ever brave enough to show anyone. Sadly, the real world took over and my writing habit was put on hold for marriage, mortgages and motherhood. In 2009 I moved across the Atlantic to Southern California when my husband took up a three year overseas work assignment. Life as an ex-pat wife wasn’t quite as glamorous as I’d first envisaged, so to fend off the loneliness and homesickness, I began a blog about our life in Los Angeles, which re-ignited my creative juices.
When I returned to the UK I undertook a creative writing course and boosted by a couple of short story competition successes I joined the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers’ Scheme. My debut novel, The Theatre of Dreams, was published on 1 August 2018.
Tell us about Theatre of Dreams. Great cover and it sounds an intriguing read.
Rosie said: The wonderful thing about being an author is being able to rewrite history – my inspiration for The Theatre of Dreams is the historic Lee Tower which was once situated on the seafront at Lee-on-the-Solent in my native Hampshire. The Art Deco complex was constructed in 1935 and originally comprised a cinema, ballroom, restaurant and 120ft observation tower. The buildings were demolished by the local council in 1971 and the site is now a car-park – a travesty in a town with so few amenities. I spotted a commemorative notice about the tower and my imagination was captured.
The Theatre of Dreams is a story of new beginnings, laced with romance, tragedy and intrigue. Set in a fictional south coast resort, a devious octogenarian, a disgraced actress and a bankrupt architect form an unlikely alliance to save an iconic local landmark, but each has a very different motive.
I was so intrigued that I searched for Lee Tower on Google and here’s what I found – Sadly, the images are copyrighted, but you can look for yourself.
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Official Blurb
Musical theatre actress Tara is down on her luck and in desperate need of a job. When terminally-ill octogenarian Kitty invites her to take over the running of her former dance academy in the old-fashioned resort of Hookes Bay, Tara thinks she’s found her guardian angel. But it soon becomes very clear Kitty is being far from benevolent. Too late, Tara realises helping Kitty will signal the end of an already tarnished career, unless she can pull off the performance of a life-time.
The Theatre of Dreams is published by Crooked Cat Books
Here’s what some reviewers have said about The Theatre of Dreams
“a true pleasure to read from first page to last….I challenge anyone to read this book and not become completely enthralled with these characters. The character development in this book was just simply stellar!”
“This is a highly enjoyable book with just the right balance of all the elements needed to make it a satisfyingly great read. it really does deserve 5 big shiny, glittery stars!”
The Theatre of Dreams is available on Amazon in ebook and paperback.
Official Blurb
Musical theatre actress Tara is down on her luck and in desperate need of a job. When terminally-ill octogenarian Kitty invites her to take over the running of her former dance academy in the old-fashioned resort of Hookes Bay, Tara thinks she’s found her guardian angel. But it soon becomes very clear Kitty is being far from benevolent. Too late, Tara realises helping Kitty will signal the end of an already tarnished career, unless she can pull off the performance of a life-time.
The Theatre of Dreams is published by Crooked Cat Books
If you’d like to read an extract – click on this link:
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If you’d like to learn out more about Rosie, here’s where you need to look –
Website: www.rosietravers.com
Twitter @RosieTravers
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rosietraversauthor
Instagram: rosietraversauthor
STOP PRESS * Rosie’s second book, Your Secret’s Safe With Me, will be released next year.
Take Me, I’m Yours Blog Tour – here’s how it went.
September 15th – The first bloggers to comment on my tour are: Being Anne and A Girl and Her Books and Against the Flow Press,
Anne Williams said: I had the pleasure and honour of being an early reader, and sharing my review on publication day – you’ll find that review again here, and I suspect you might just pick up how very much I enjoyed it.
Deborah wrote: I was hooked from the moment India picked up the monkey wrench, determined to defend herself, if necessary, from the bullying Logan – and I did not want to put it down. I thought all of the characters were totally believable, and the plot twists and turns kept me reading, long into the night.
September 16th Jerra’s Jamboree posted an extract from Take Me, I’m Yours.
Against her better judgement, India has turned up at the picnic auction and MacFarlane has bought her picnic basket for the outrageous sum of $1000. 
She disturbs him, affects him like no other woman he has ever met and he wants to remind her who the alpha male is in these parts. But India isn’t easily crushed. They both discover that there is a thin line between anger and sexual arousal. Time, India decides, to redraw the boundaries.
September 16th Jess left a comment, too. “It was an amazingly written story with a Romeo and Juliet touch . . . From the very first page I was hooked.”
September 17th – Take Me, I’m Yours is awarded best seller ticket.
On her blog, Jessica Carrow declared: “Take Me, I’m Yours, immediately drew me in with the vivid descriptions of Wisconsin. There was a real feeling to this small town community where everyone knows everyone’s business.” 
Marianne thought TMIY had “a fast paced plot and some great sub-plots and a range of lively characters, it is a story which I was loathe to leave.”
Jazzy Books included an extract: Logan MacFarlane has a wild streak, one hidden beneath a business suit and a smooth manner. From the moment of their first meeting, India Buchanan has got under his skin and destroyed his composure. They have crossed swords and exchanged hot words over the ownership of her aunt’s house. A house MacFarlane wants but which India has vowed will never be his. They are about to meet up at a picnic auction and MacFarlane is determined to show India just who calls the shots in MacFarlane’s Landing.
September 18th – Ali – the Dragon Slayer “I went into it unprepared for the immediate sizzle factor, within minutes my latest book boyfriend had appeared. Good grief, Logan MacFarlane had sparked my interest and the heat and tension increased rapidly. Damn, was he hot!?
Berit, – This is my first book from Lizzie Lamb and I am now a huge fan! Such a beautifully told story filled with so much emotion and heart… The wit and humor in this book was a perfect balance to the emotion… 
September 19th Another extract, this time from Cheeky.pea India Buchanan has had a peripatetic childhood due to the fact that her parents and career diplomats. She’s spent the summer with her English cousins, the winter with her great-aunt in Wisconsin and the rest of the time in boarding school, university or improving residential camps. Now she wants to put down roots, to belong – and to open up and English-style bed and breakfast in her aunt’s old house. Unfortunately, the ownership of the house is contested by Logan MacFarlane . . . a man used to getting what he wants.
Rae Reads commented: If you love stories set in small towns with warmth and romance then I can recommend picking up a copy of Take Me, I’m Yours! Entertaining, romantic with some very sizzling chemistry between the characters. Four stars from me!
Photo by Teodora on Pexels.com
I loved that Julie Ryan drew parallels between the Buchanans/MacFarlanes and the Capulets and Montagues – warring families indeed. And that she added in her review, I’ve read a couple of Lizzie’s books set in Scotland but this one has the best of both worlds, being set in Wisconsin albeit with a strongScottish thread running through.
Friday the 21st brought a fabulous review from Cathy Ryan : “The characters, including the secondary ones, are wonderfully drawn and there’s lots of snappy, entertaining dialogue. The history between the families is intriguing and not what I imagined. It shows how a dispute can escalate and impact on future generations. As the barriers begin to seem insurmountable….will they find a way?”
. . . and an extract from Laura’s Interests, and a heated one at that (!) Cue Fireworks –
Many thanks to Kay at Coffee and Kindle Book Reviews for her review of TMIY. “This was the first book by Lizzie Lamb I have read and boy was it a treat to read. I enjoyed the story from start to finish. I thought all of the characters were written well and I enjoyed learning about the history of both the MacFarlane and Buchanan families, and finding out why there was such a battle for ownership of the house in MacFarlane’s Landing, Wisconsin.”
Thanks to Rachel Gilbey for working so hard to make the blog tour a success and everyone who tweeted, commented and shared. Next week, it’s back to the drawing board for me as I map out my next novel: Scotland, family secrets, romance, astronomy, comets and an unexpected twist in the tale.
Author Q&A Sessions, bios, blurbs and more can be found here: The Writing Greyhound , Donna’s Book Blog, The Writing Garnet, Three Degrees of Fiction and a review from Dash Fan Reviews
💕Just before you go, check out this review from A Girl with Good Book and a Dog who posted: “I so enjoyed this story. The love story pulls at my heartstrings.” 💕
Catch you soon . . . I’m off to write another novel 
How to find keywords for #Amazon ads #WriterWednesday #AmWriting #BookMarketing
Another great blog post from DE Haggerty. Very pertinent as I am considering running an Amazon Ad.
#ThrowbackThursday #BookReview Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb @lizzie_lamb
Many thanks to Cathy Murray for this fabulous reminder of what a great book BOOT CAMP BRIDE is. If you like the review, why not download a copy (or buy a paperback?)
For several years I wrote a book blog and accumulated reviews of some really good reads. I saw on Twitter that Renee at It’s Book Talk started using the #ThrowbackThursday meme as a way to share books that are old favourites or have been waiting to be read for a long time. I decided to visit my old book reviews and re-post my favourites here on 3sixtyfiveblog for #ThrowbackThursday.
So far I’ve included:
An Englishwoman’s Guide to the Cowboy by June Kearns
Kings and Queens by TerryTyler
Make a Joyful Noise by Jenny Worstall
and Everybody Lies by Julia Hughes
This week it’s Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb.
Boot Camp Bride is romantic novelist Lizzie Lamb’s second book but it was the first of her stories I read.
And I enjoyed it so much I read her first novel, Tall, Dark and Kilted – and…
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New Novel – Take Me, I’m Yours – a Wisconsin love story
I hope you’re having a great summer and enjoying these endless days of sunshine. It reached over 35 degrees in SCOTLAND (Motherwell) when I was there this summer researching my next novel. However, I turned my back on the glorious sunshine and spent time in the caravan putting the finishing touches to Take My, I’m Yours. 
For some of the time, I was working with my formatter, Sarah Houldcroft of Goldcrest Books almost 600 miles away in Leicestershire. In one hilarious incident I had to travel across north-west Sutherland to find a phone signal in order to finalise the last details with her. Then I was forced to sit in the car park of the Fisheries Dept in Lochinver to check through and upload the final version of the novel.
See how I suffer for my art?
Anyhoo, here’s the blurb – I hope it’ll tempt you to download a copy of Take Me, I’m Yours, or buy a paperback for yourself or a friend.
You’re probably wondering why I have deserted the highlands of Scotland for Lake Michigan. If you download the novel you’ll find the answer in the dedication. In Take Me, I’m Yours the hero Logan MacFarlane quotes Robert Frost, saying that he has ‘promises to keep’. I promised my friend Dee Paulsen that when I left the teaching profession to become a full-time author, I would write a romance set in Wisconsin. Take Me, I’m Yours is that novel.
Many years ago we stayed in Door County, Wisconsin. On our last day, we went to Egg Harbor and Cana Island to explore the lighthouses there. Images of that day stayed with me and when I came to write Take Me, I’m Yours, I had no trouble imagining Aunt Elspeth’s dilapidated house with its ancient lighthouse looming over it. The story almost wrote itself because I’d spent many years thinking about it and having conversations with the characters in my head.
Here’s how the novel begins . . .
The first reviews are in – Goodreads – and here’s what they say:
- From the moment that Logan MacFarlane roars into view on his vintage Triumph motorcycle and India Buchanan grabs her monkey wrench to defend herself for their first skirmish, I knew I was going to love this book
- I fell in love with Scotland reading Lizzie’s books, and now with Wisconsin, too!
- As usual Lizzie’s characters leapt off the page and I felt as if I knew them; loved some and despaired of others. A very satisfying read.
- Be ready for 19 chapters of pure escapism where witty, ironic dialogues mix skilfully with top romance.
If you’d like to read some of Take Me, I’m Yours click here. TMIY is also free to read for Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime subscribers.
I am proud of this novel and everything I’ve achieved over the last five and a half years as an an indie publisher. I could rest on my laurels but I am burning to start novel number 6, a ‘road-trip’ romance which will take readers from Cornwall of Scotland on the trail of two runaways.
And, of course I have another gorgeous hero waiting in the wings to meet you . . . and a less-than-impressed heroine who will keep him on his toes.
Planning sheet for #6 which I started while in Scotland in June
Finally, from the 15th – 21st of September, Take Me, I’m Yours will be on tour
footnote: I received an email this morning from Amazon inviting me to enter Take Me, I’m Yours into the Kindle Storyteller Award 2018 judged by Lorraine Kelly and readers. Will I do it? Of course I will – as Del Boy once so famously said: she who dares, wins. It would really increase my chances of being shortlisted if you downloaded a copy and left a review.
Thank you very much , Lizzie x
#BlogTour #Review of The Girl in The Castle by Lizzie Lamb @LoveBooksGroup @lizzie_lamb #LoveBooksGroupTours #backablogger
Many thanks to donnasbookblog for reviewing Girl in the Castle and for giving it five stars 🌟
Her academic career in tatters, Dr Henriette Bruar needs somewhere to lay low, plan her comeback and restore her tarnished reputation. Fate takes her to a remote Scottish castle to auction the contents of an ancient library to pay the laird’s mounting debts.
The family are in deep mourning over a tragedy which happened years before, resulting in a toxic relationship between the laird and his son, Keir MacKenzie.
Cue a phantom piper, a lost Jacobite treasure, and a cast of characters who – with Henri’s help, encourage the MacKenzies to confront the past and move on.
However – will the Girl in the Castle be able to return to university once her task is completed, and leave gorgeous, sexy Keir MacKenzie behind?
Book trailer for Girl in the Castle (YouTube): https://tinyurl.com/GITCvideo
MY REVIEW
I really enjoyed this story – it was well written and I loved the plot!
I…
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LOVE BOOKS GROUP BOOK TOUR: THE GIRL IN THE CASTLE by LIZZIE LAMB 25TH JUNE 2108
Fabulous interview as part of my blog tour for Girl in the Castle – currently 99p to download.
I’m really pleased to be part of Lizzie’s blog tour for Girl in the Castle. It’s a fabulous read and great that she’s been able to spare some of her valuable time to come along to chat…
Where did the inspiration for Girl in the Castle come from?
We were touring Scotland in our caravan and decided to travel as far north as Fort William. Rounding a bend, we saw cars double-parked in a layby and tourists taking photographs of the loch. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw Castle Stalker for the first time in all its glory. We pulled in to Castle Stalker View café and walked down to the side of the loch to get a better view. Something about the castle made shivers of excitement run down my spine – so solid, unexpected and unashamedly Scottish. As a writer of romance I was hooked…
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Brora to Bettyhill – Coast Road 500
When I was a child, my family would gather round the radiogram and play old 78’s. One of their favourites was Granny’s Heilan’ Hame sung by Kenneth McKellar and by the time the record finished there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
- (c) History Links
I hadn’t thought about that song in years but when we left the Black Isle and headed towards Brora I saw a sign Granny’s Heilan Hame and it triggered some happy memories. I researched the eponymous granny ( Kate Mackay), and discovered more about her and the song, including a photograph of her highland home.
Rain bucketing down we headed for Golspie and the campsite at Brora. The wind dropped enough to allow us to explore the sand dunes and we had the glorious beach almost to ourselves. We considered taking the single track rail journey to Wick the next day but were talked out of it by a fellow camper who said that most of the journey was between brown hills dotted with telegraph poles. Next time, maybe. 
If you do find yourself in Brora consider visiting Dunrobin Castle. 
(see turrets in photo on right) We’d visited years before so we headed up the A9 instead for Dunnet Bay and the Castle of Mey. We thought that touring Scotland in September the camping/caravan sites would be empty – not so. The popularity of Route 500 meant that sites were very busy and it’s wise to book ahead.
That’s me pointing at a dead jellyfish on the beach (one of many!) and the view from our caravan window over Dunnet Bay. Bit stormy as you can see, but no midges.
![IMG_5490[1]](https://i0.wp.com/lizzielamb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_54901.jpg?w=399&h=299&ssl=1 "IMG_5490[1]")
![IMG_5788[2]](https://i0.wp.com/lizzielamb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_57882.jpg?w=600&h=450&ssl=1 "IMG_5788[2]")
Next day we drove into Thurso. Being used to large towns and cities I turned my nose up at the rather old fashioned shop fronts. Once inside the shops, I revised my opinion, I found them to be well-stocked and the staff were very helpful and welcoming. So don’t drive past Thurse, take time to stop and look around. The following day we visited John o’ Groats. We hadn’t been there in twenty years so we were surprised to find it vastly improved, – fabulous cafe. cool gift shop, free wifi, and the best roast beef sandwich ever.
I 
![IMG_0450[2]](https://lizzielamb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_04502.jpg?w=300&h=225)
was glad I was able to get on the internet because there was a message from Amazon offering me a three month #PRIME deal on Boot Camp Bride. I had to reply before the end of the day. Did I accept? You bet I did.
We decided to visit the Queen Mum’s former home at the Castle of Mey and had a guided tour which made it well worth the visit. It’s a pity it wasn’t high summer because we were told that the rose gardens there are something else. The castle was very comfortable and I could have easily have lived there because it wasn’t too large – and it had central heating (!)
![IMG_5503[1]](https://i0.wp.com/lizzielamb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_55031.jpg?w=399&h=299&ssl=1 "IMG_5503[1]")
![IMG_5502[2]](https://i0.wp.com/lizzielamb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_55022.jpg?w=197&h=148&ssl=1 "IMG_5502[2]")
![IMG_5498[1]](https://i0.wp.com/lizzielamb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_54981.jpg?w=197&h=147&ssl=1 "IMG_5498[1]")
The next day, as we drove through Thurso, we were held up to allow a police convoy to pass us by at high speed. It consisted of outriders on motorbikes, and a couple of large vehicles packed with armed officers wearing SWAT gear and carrying machine guns. We never found out what the drama was, but we wondered if it was a drill or something similar. Anyhoo, undeterred, we moved on – past the former nuclear plant at Dounreay and towards our goal, BettyHill.
![IMG_5514[2]](https://i0.wp.com/lizzielamb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_55142.jpg?w=279&h=210&ssl=1 "IMG_5514[2]")
I’ve always wanted to visit Bettyhill because that was my maiden name, and I remember as a child wondering why a place in the remote north of Scotland shared a name with me. Just as we were travelling along the rather narrow road (sans caravan, obvs) we drove past over a thousand cyclists – luckily going the other way – on the last leg of the Lands’ End/ John O’ Groats Ride Across Britain . We stopped at the Bettyhill Hotel and had coffee and a bacon butty while we watched them swoosh past. Brave souls. Here are two stragglers . . . and a view from the hotel dining room.
![IMG_0451[1]](https://i0.wp.com/lizzielamb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_04511.jpg?w=298&h=224&ssl=1 "IMG_0451[1]")
Then it was on to Bettyhill. I discovered that the Countess of Sutherland had built it as a replacement village the to rehouse 15, 000 tenants removed from prime sheep grazing land as part of the Highland Clearances. The Countess (Elizabeth) named the village after herself and probably considered that she’d looked after her former tenants/crofters well. We might have a different take on that nowadays. Read some of the first-hand accounts of the distress caused by the clearances and make up your own mind.
- 74269077 – haunting remains of arichonan township, a cleared village in the highlands of scotland.
One of the places we would have loved to visit and camp overnight is Altnaharra but everything we read advised against taking a caravan to the site. So we pressed on the Durness and my favourite cafe – Cocoa Mountain – and the best hot chocolate in the world. But I’ll tell you more about that in my next blog post.
Meantime, if you haven’t read any of my novels, check out the blurbs and download one from Amazon. Paperbacks also available.
I’ve just finished proofreading my latest novel – Take Me, I’m Yours – which will be published July 2018. If you’d like to learn more about THAT, subscribe to my newsletter and be in with a chance to even win a signed paperback and other goodies.
Five Photos … with Lizzie Lamb
Many thanks to Sharon Booth for hosting me and my photos on her wonderful blog. I hope you find time to read it and to search out Sharon’s novels, too.
#throwbackthursday
My Life in Five Photos –https://t.co/zANsWybTVj#author #dreamer #teacher #bloggerstribe #romance pic.twitter.com/aOXBqqXYGJ— Lizzie Lamb 🏴 (@lizzie_lamb) May 24, 2018
Writing Tip #5 – Plotters vs. Pantsters
Are you a plotter or a pantster? Read this excellent blog and find out. I think I’m a bit of both.
Hello my lovelies,
where has the sunshine gone? In any case, we’re not worried, because you have better things to do than worry about the weather don’t you? Yes, it’s time to think about plotting and planning your book! In earlier posts we identified what genre you’re going to write in, along with what you know and love, and can therefore write about, so we made a good start. A quick disclaimer: This post isn’t about the technical aspects of writing a book = how to create a story arc, how many acts to use etc. it’s about your approach to plotting and planning… with my own experiences thrown in for good measure.
Because guess what? As with many things when it comes to writing, plotting/planning is slightly different for everyone. There are as many ways of doing this as there are authors. Some people love to fly by the…
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Lizzie Lamb - author 