I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for Eliza J Scott's The Talisman - Molly's Story. This is the second book in her Life on the Moors series but can be read as a standalone. I have an extract to tempt you with today, as well as a great Giveaway. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.
Molly’s dream of taking over her childhood home at Withrin
Hill Farm with husband Pip and their three children has finally come true. And,
as they settle into the stunning Georgian farmhouse, with their plans to
diversify into glamping nicely taking shape, the family couldn’t be happier.
But tragedy suddenly strikes, and Molly’s world is turned
upside down.
Heartbroken and devastated, she struggles to face each day.
True to form, her fiercely loyal best friends, Kitty and Violet, rally round
offering love and support, but Molly doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to smile
again. Until the day a tall, dark stranger with twinkly eyes arrives…
Follow Molly’s story in book 2 of the Life on the Moors
Series set in Lytell Stangdale, a picture-perfect village in the heart of the
North Yorkshire Moors, where life is anything but quiet.
A heart-warming story of love, friendship and hope.
Extract
This is part-way through Chapter 4 and
shows Molly and Pip enjoying an all-too-rare quiet moment of relaxation
together.
CHAPTER 4
‘Mmmm, this is nice,’
Molly sighed. She swung her legs round, resting her feet on Pip’s lap as she
plumped a cushion behind her back. ‘Just listen to that peace and quiet.
Bliss.’
‘Aye, lass, it is.’ Pip smiled, giving her leg an
affectionate rub.
‘Doesn’t seem to happen very often these days, a bit of you and
me time. There’s always at least one of the kids around making a racket or
people calling in — not that I mind it — I love having a house full, but
sometimes it’s just nice to…’ Her words were swallowed by a wide yawn. ‘Ooh,
that fire’s making me sleepy.’ Despite it being the middle of summer, the
farmhouse was perched in an exposed spot on Withrin Hill and could get chilly
of an evening; consequently, there was always a fire blazing in the large
inglenook fireplace with, more often than not, Phoebe stretched out in front of
it, snoring gently.
‘Don’t suppose you know what day it is next Friday, do you?’
Pip took a sip of his beer and turned to look at Molly, an eyebrow cocked
quizzically.
‘Erm,’ Molly frowned as she wracked her brains. ‘Erm,
today’s the twenty-fifth?’
‘Nope, today’s the twenty-seventh.’
‘The twenty-seventh, so tomorrow’s the…there’s thirty-one
days in July, which means,’ she counted on her fingers, ‘Oh my God, of course!
It’s the sixth of August. Our anniversary! With everything that’s been going
on, I’d completely lost track of time. I don’t even know what I’ve had for
breakfast at the minute, never mind what day of the week it is.’
‘Good job one of us is on the ball enough to remember in
time to book a romantic table for two at the Sunne on Friday the sixth of
August at seven-thirty prompt, isn’t it?’
‘A romantic meal, just you and me?’ Molly smiled as the
thought sank in; she couldn’t remember the last time they’d gone out just the
two of them.
‘Aye, lass, just thee and me. And I’m giving you plenty of
notice cos I know you’ll say you have nowt to wear, but you’ve got a good ten
days to find summat. And you don’t need to worry about shopping with little
bubba upstairs, my mum says you can drop Emmie off at hers and tootle off to
York, shopping to your heart’s content. Molly tried to suppress a groan at the mention of her
sour-faced mother-in-law.
‘But, the twins are out at an eighteenth over in Danskelfe
next Friday, so they won’t be able to…’
‘Before you say it, the babysitter’s taken care of. I’ve
spoken to your mum and dad, and they’re more than happy to do it. And good old
Jimby’s offered to do the taxi service back so we can both have a drink. See,
I’ve thought of everything.’
Molly eyed Pip suspiciously. It was always a battle to get
him dressed up and out for a meal, never mind a romantic one, and this latest
news was somewhat out of character. ‘You’re up to something, aren’t you?’ She
narrowed her eyes at him. ‘I can tell. That’s what all this wining and dining’s
about. Come on, you might as well spill the beans cos I’m going to find out
sooner or later.’ She pursed her lips as she swirled the wine around her glass.
‘I don’t know what you mean! Can’t a bloke take his wife out
for a slap-up meal on their anniversary without being accused of being up to
summat?’ You’ve got a suspicious mind, you have, Molly Pennock.’ He wagged a
finger at her.
She wagged one back at him. ‘That, Pip Pennock, is because I
know you too well. This is the man who buys his wife a hoover as a gift. Or,
worse, a couple of bloody pigs for Valentine’s day. This is not the man who
arranges romantic evenings and a day’s clothes shopping.’
My Thoughts
Mollie's character is established from the opening scene and you are in no doubt that she is an independent, brave and feisty young girl. As the story develops, you see her come up against tragedy and see that she is a sensitive and determined person, and her family means everything to her. Set in a lovely little community of friends and family, there are plenty of other characters around her to entertain and to keep her story going. You are given a whole range of people from the rather unpleasant 'comers-in', to the down to earth farmers.
With some humorous moments to offset the more serious passages, this is a story with plenty of light and shade. I read it in one sitting and found that the book was full of warmth and some emotion. You get a sharp sense of the North Yorkshire setting with its beauty and yet at the same time, exposure to the elements. I was quite amused to be given a glossary at the end to explain some of the local sayings which are used throughout.
In short: A romance full of warmth and emotion.
About the Author
Eliza lives in a 17th-century cottage on the edge of a
village in the North Yorkshire Moors with her husband, their two daughters and
two mischievous black Labradors. When she’s not writing, she can usually be
found with her nose in a book/glued to her Kindle or working in her garden.
Eliza also enjoys bracing walks in the countryside, rounded off by a visit to a
teashop where she can indulge in another two of her favourite things: tea and
cake.
Eliza is inspired by her beautiful surroundings and loves to
write heart-warming stories with happy endings.
Follow the rest of the tour!
Giveaway (International)
Win The Letter – Kitty’s Story, chocolate and a clutch bag
(Open Internationally) To enter, just follow the link below and good luck!
The prize is worth over £40 and consists of a paperback copy
of the first book in the Life on the Moors Series, The Letter – Kitty’s Story,
3 bars of Love Cocoa chocolate by James and a Caroline Gardner clutch bag.
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box
below. The winner will be selected at
random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter
and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random
Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all
entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal
data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and
will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’
information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for
fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete
the data. I am not responsible for
despatch or delivery of the prize.
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