Book Club Fiction

I love to visit Coolangatta. It's one of my favourite places in the world. It's included in the Waratah Inn and Emerald Cove series. And such a beautiful set of beaches, restaurants and walking trails. At this time of year it's perfect. This track around the headland makes for a lovely walk.

Emily has a job she enjoys taking care of a lady with agoraphobia. It's a fun job, they do a lot of cooking. And she gets to live with the lady in a lovely house by the beach. But then, one day, the lady's grandson shows up. He's back in town, after years away, and he needs a place to stay. She gives him the bedroom next to Emily's. But there's one big problem... he was her high school crush, and he broke her heart when he ghosted her after high school.

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A feel-good, lighthearted, small town romantic women's fiction read. Coming this summer!

She sat in the entryway and inhaled a slow breath. It looked exactly the same. It was as if she’d travelled back in time. The feeling sent goose bumps up and down her arms. There were the same framed photographs of Hannah with her various children on the wall above the hall table. The den was still furnished with the old couches that looked as though they’d been upholstered with some type of velvet carpet. The timber hardwood floors were still scratched and worn in the same places beneath the same Turkish rug she’d purchased on a trip to Istanbul.
“Wow, this is great,” Callum said, walking into the kitchen and disappearing from sight. “Have you seen this view?”
She rolled after him. “Of course. I lived here for years.”
“That’s right—I knew that. What a great place.”
“It was the only real home I ever had. At least, that I remember.” She rolled gently to the back door. It was a large sliding glass door with floor-to-ceiling windows reaching across the rest of the room where it joined with the deck. “I can’t believe she’s gone. It feels so strange to be in her house with all her things when she’s not here.”
Milly glanced around. “I keep expecting her to walk down the hallway and shout that it’s been too long and ask why don’t I visit more often.”
She took Callum on a tour of the house, showed him the bedrooms and bathrooms, the TV room at the other end of the house.
“There’s not much to the garden. Hannah loved to grow things, but she wasn’t very good at maintenance, so the vegetable garden always looked more like a tiny forest. But I loved gardening, so when I moved in, it was one of the few things I could to do take my mind off things. I’d harvest beans and peas, potatoes and eggplant. She loved that. Always called me her little farmer. And then she’d turn whatever I brought her into some kind of meal that would feed us all. It usually involved pasta or rice to fill it out.”
“It sounds like you were happy here.”
“I was. I’d been so miserable for so long, I didn’t recognise it at first. But by the time I left, I’d had a few good years here and made some lifelong friendships.”
Callum reached for one of her hands and stood to his feet. “Okay, enough about memory lane. Later, you can figure out where you’re going to put all your things and how your life will look once you’re living in this awesome beach house. Right now, it’s time to focus. Are you ready to take your first real steps since the accident?”
Her heart fluttered. Was she ready? She’d been waiting for this moment for so long. She’d finally gotten the strength back in her spine. The healing had happened so gradually, she couldn’t be sure when she’d realised it was time. But she knew it now with a certainty that pushed a smile across her face.
“I’m ready.”

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With a shudder, he made his way down the hall. The floorboards creaked beneath his feet. He felt the sudden urge to pull his weapon from its holster and held it out in front of him, hands steady.

“Hello. Anyone there?”

The first door on his left didn’t want to open. Perhaps it was jammed. Or maybe it was locked.

Either way, he jiggled the k**b, then used his shoulder to push against it. Not too hard, he didn’t want to break it. Wasn’t sure how he’d explain this to Sergeant Green, and would prefer no one else found out about his visit. So the less damage he did to the boat, the better.

Just then, the door swung open with a creak. The sound made him jump. It was dark inside, and he reached for his torch. When the beam of light swung across the tiny room, he froze. There was a small bed pressed up against one wall and a human-sized lump on the bed, beneath a layer of thin covers, unmoving.

No, no, no!

Heart thudding, Porter stepped into the room with his gun leading the way forward.

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FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Baseball season is over! My boy is obsessed with baseball. And now we only have a few carnivals left before we finally have a break. And maybe we can go to the beach as a family on Saturdays. Lol. But we love it. It's been such a great way for him to bond with his Dad and with his baseball pals. And he's learned a lot about teamwork. It's a fun sport. Who else likes baseball?

Preorder now! "The Sunshine Potluck Society" is a feel-good, small town story! Don't miss out on ordering your copy so that it's on your kindle when it drops 11th June!

Lifelong friends Joanna, Debbie and Gwen, grew up on Bribie Island together, in the quaint little hamlet of Sunshine. Now that they’re on the cusp of retirement, they hold a weekly potluck brunch to catch up.

Joanna’s grandson, Aaron, moves back to the island, looking for a place to live. She lets him stay with her until he gets on his feet. But that forces Emily to face the boy who ghosted her after high school graduation.

Aaron Gilston was her brother’s best friend, the high school bad boy, and captain of the hockey team.

Her first childhood crush, he stole her first kiss and then broke her heart. And now he’s back in town living in the bedroom beside hers.

This former bad boy is set to shake things up in Sunshine. Will the Potluck Society friendships survive?

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There's a new book on pre-order!
Check out the Sunshine Potluck Society!!!
Preorder now on Amazon. It'll be available soon on all other platforms. Coming in June!
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Readers are loving "The Waratah Inn" series. The first book in the series is free on all platforms. Dive in and enjoy!
Tap > https://buff.ly/2WjxzUo

"And Then She Was Gone" is the debut thriller by Bronwen J Pratley. And it's now selling on Amazon, free with !!! Grab your copy today and dive into this brand new series. A sixteen year old girl disappears from a remote beach, and Detective Jack Porter is on the case. Will this hardened detective be able to find her before it's too late? https://buff.ly/3USeZPC

I've got a new website! Visit bookclubfiction.com to see all of my books, reading order and to purchase direct. You can also subscribe to the VIP Reader Group for a free book, giveaways and behind the scenes insights. Hurrah!
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Visited O’Reilly’s to feed the birds… this king parrot 🦜 decided to stay a while.

"The Island" is discounted on Amazon USA and Canada for today only! 99c!!
TAP HERE >> https://buff.ly/3bAvyeG
"I've met someone else... we're in love... I want a divorce."
Beatrice is starting her life over after her husband broke the news of his affair moments before their anniversary party and vow renewal.

Amazing dinner cruise on the river followed by fireworks to bring in the new year. We even spotted the crocodile hunters boat. Happy New Year! May the year ahead be filled with blessings and abundant good books! 📚 🎇🎆

"The Blue Shoal Inn", book 3 in the Coral Island series is only $1.49 until the end of the month on Amazon Australia.

With a 4.4 out of 5 star rating on Amazon, this book is a fan favourite.

Taya’s inn is under threat. Her father’s company has built a five star resort in Blue Shoal and is taking her business. She renovates the inn, as a last ditch effort to keep it afloat, but will finally have to make a decision about whether to hold onto the past or embrace the future.

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Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the birth of Jesus with your loved ones today. I'm at my sister's and having a wonderful time on the Sunshine Coast. But I have a gift for you! The Waratah Inn is FREE today!
It should be free everywhere, but if it's not free in your location , just let me know and I'll make sure to send you an ebook copy when I'm home.

Grab your copy here >>> https://buff.ly/2WjxzUo

I love putting up our Christmas tree every year. Each ornament has a special meaning for us. We've collected them over the years and enjoy every single one of them. Some of my favourites are our 'Baby's first Christmas' ornaments for each of our children. Do you have a fave ornament?

In "The Wedding Dress", Callum and Milly eat fish and chips at the beach. What's your favourite condiment for fish and chips - do you like it with tomato sauce, ketchup, aoli, vingear? Comment below.

The Wedding Dress > https://buff.ly/3R5fceC

Did you know that I named two of the minor characters in "The Wedding Dress" after readers?
Dianna Northen and Brenda Zurl! Let me know if you spotted their names in the book.

Have you read it yet? > https://buff.ly/3R5fceC

My dearest Bronte,

It’s hard for me to believe that you’re gone. The summer is over, and you’re back in the city where you belong. And yet you don’t belong there. You belong here, with me. And I’ll never stop believing that.
Why would you leave after everything we had together?
It doesn’t matter anyway because I’m going to work and save for us to be together just as soon as we can. I know your parents want someone better for you, but I’ll prove to them and to you that I can be that man. As soon as I graduate, I’m going to get a full-time job and I’ll save enough for us to get our own place and then we can be married.
I hope you want to spend your life with me. I sure want to marry you. But you haven’t said yes yet, so I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.
When you first came to Toowoomba, I was sure you’d never speak to me. You were so beautiful standing there in the park, Mick dared me to talk to you. But it wasn’t hard—you were friendly right from the beginning. I knew that I’d love you forever, just like that.
Do you miss me as much as I miss you?
Mick says I’m a mess now that you’re gone. We played football on Sunday, and I was tackled on the try line, which almost never happens to me. You’ve ruined my game. But I don’t regret a thing because I would give up footy entirely if you were here with me again.
Write to me soon. I have to know that you’re okay and your parents haven’t banned you from speaking to me ever again. I know they were mad when they found us at the creek. Are you grounded? Is it worse than before? I wish we could speak on the phone, but I know that’s impossible.
Get a message to me somehow. If you can. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll write again anyway. I won’t stop, because I love you too much to let go.
All my love forever,
Flynn

The Wedding Dress > https://buff.ly/3R5fceC

The horse quivered beneath her fingers. Her stomach clenched, and her head felt light.
Carefully she slid onto the horse’s back. He stood still, ears twitching. She smiled. “Good boy…”
As the words left her mouth, the horse rose on his hind legs into a rear, then bucked. She held on to the reins and a handful of mane, her legs wrapped firmly around his sides.

“Whoa!” she called.

But the brumby wasn’t listening. He bucked again, over and over. Head down, he was doing everything he could to dislodge her, and she felt her grasp slipping.
Then she was sailing through the air. She readied herself to hit the ground, but it still knocked the wind out of her. She landed hard, on the top of her back, and heard a crack.

That’s not good.

As she lay on her back, looking up at the washed-out sky overhead, she marvelled at how calm she felt. Nothing hurt too badly—maybe she’d be okay. She tried to sit up, but she found she couldn’t move. Then the pain washed over her. It emanated from her neck, and it rushed up to her head, making her cry out.

“Milly!”

She heard Bob’s voice in the distance. Then he was beside her, looking down with concern, his grey eyes bloodshot and his mouth ajar as he puffed thin, wheezing breaths.

“You okay?” he asked.

She tried to shake her head but couldn’t. The pain was too great, and her body wasn’t cooperating.

“Can’t move,” she said.

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t try. Stay still. I’ll call the ambos.”

What followed was a blur of pain, panic, anger, denial and flashing lights. The ambulance took an hour to get to the remote station, and by that time, Bob had run through every conversation he could think of to keep her distracted and now sat quietly by her side holding her hand. She could feel his warm hands around hers, but she still couldn’t feel her feet. And she asked him a question he refused to answer over and over.

“What’s wrong with my legs? Why can’t I feel them?”

He’d pat her hand again and reply, “Don’t worry about that right now. They’ll be here as soon as they can. Then we’ll get some answers.”

She’d never seen Bob anxious before, and certainly never held his hand. But he was worried now—she saw it in his eyes. So she closed her own and tried her best to think of other things. The beach, the curling waves, jumping over the waves and catching them to shore. She thought of her time living with her last foster mother in Palm Beach and how it’d changed the direction of her life, having someone who finally seemed to care whether she ate, did her homework, or ditched to smoke behind the library. It bothered her to have rules, but at the same time, it gave her a sense of security she’d never had before, and now looking back, she could see how much Hannah had impacted her, even though she’d only taken her on at fifteen years of age.

Tears filled her eyes. What would Hannah say if Milly never got her legs working again? Milly had lost contact with her, hadn’t called her in months. Leaving her past behind was the easiest way to pretend it never existed, but she shouldn’t have let go of the one person who’d made that past bearable. She wouldn’t do it again. If she made it out of there, she’d call Hannah and reconnect. She hadn’t realised just how much she missed her, along with a few of the foster sisters who’d come and gone over the years and who’d been her lifeline during that lonely period of her life. She’d pushed them all away when she moved out of home and went on with her life. But now they were the people who sprang into her mind, who lingered in her thoughts, as she lay waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

The horse wandered by, reins dragging in the dust. Bob let go of her hand to walk him back out of the yard and release him into an adjoining field to graze on bales of scattered hay with the other horses.

Just then, the ambulance pulled into the yard. Milly heard the tyres crunching on the circular gravel drive. Bob spoke to them in a tone she recognised as concern, but she couldn’t make out the words they exchanged.

The paramedics were chipper and loud when they spoke to her. But before she could answer, her thoughts grew foggy around the edges, and then she slipped into darkness.

Keep reading... "The Wedding Dress"
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"The Wedding Dress" is now selling!
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Read on for an excerpt...

“I’ve got to get back to Longreach. I’m needed at work, and I’ve got that family barbecue this weekend. Mum wants me to pick up the drinks on my way there. No one else can do it. They’re all busy.”
“You’re leaving me here so you can pick up drinks on the way to a barbecue?” Was she hearing him correctly? Surely he didn’t mean it. She wasn’t ready to be alone yet. She couldn’t do anything herself. Couldn’t even reach her phone if it was a centimetre too far from her grasp.
“You’ve got a whole team here caring for you. There’s nothing much for me to do.” His face reddened. “I’d stay, but…”
“But what?”
“You don’t really need me. Do you?”
“Of course I do. I’m completely alone.”
“Your foster mother is coming today. You’ve got nurses in and out of here every five minutes. You’re not alone.” He shook his head, unable to meet her gaze.
“I can’t believe it…” She didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, she stared at her hands, clasped over the blanket across her lap. Five years of her life with a man who didn’t care enough to stay for more than a week when she was going through the worst.
“You know I’m not good with this kind of stuff.” He waved a hand in her direction.
“What kind of stuff is that, Kev?”
“Sickness and things like that. I don’t like hospitals. I’m not the person you call if you’re throwing up or have a fever. It’s just not something I’ve ever been good at.”
“No one likes hospitals, Kev. But you suck it up for the person you love. You deal with it like an adult.”
“Don’t talk to me about being an adult, Milly,” he spat, his tone changing to one filled with bitterness. “You’re the one who didn’t want the commitment. Well, now I’m calling it. We’re not a committed couple, and I can’t do this. I’m going home.”
He stood to his feet, still not looking at her. Instead, his gaze flitted to the doorway and back to his feet as though seeking escape.
Her head was muddy. Her mind seemed not quite attached to her body, like she was floating slightly outside of herself. She heard her own voice, but it sounded strange.
“I guess you should leave, then.”
He studied her for a moment, then turned on his heel. At the doorway, he glanced back. “You were never going to be what I needed.” And then he was gone.

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If you're on the fence about whether you like historical fiction, check out this podcast review of "Beyond the Crushing Waves" by Bronwen Pratley Author from Taryn Fagerness. I love her description of the book, its themes and its characters.

‎Taryn Fagerness Agency: Taryn talks BEYOND THE CRUSHING WAVES by Lilly Mirren on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Taryn Fagerness Agency, Ep Taryn talks BEYOND THE CRUSHING WAVES by Lilly Mirren - Dec 9, 2021

Release day is fast approaching!
Grab your copy of "The Wedding Dress" and fall in love with Milly and Callum.
Milly's had a hard life as a foster child, but when she falls off a horse and injures her back, she faces the hardest chapter yet.
As a former police officer, Callum is ready for a new adventure in life when his job as a personal trainer brings him face to face with a young woman who may never walk again.
Preorder "The Wedding Dress" today: https://buff.ly/3R5fceC

Don't miss out on this great deal!
99c USD for FOUR CHRISTMAS ROMANCES! Enjoy these Hallmark style stories to get into the holiday spirit in time for Christmas.
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Me and my honey visited a lovely little art gallery in Maleny. I really loved these paintings by David Hinchliffe. Such an incredible use of light. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

I love meeting up with friends. This morning it was a cheeky breakfast with a good friend - yummy food with wonderful company and conversation!

Four Christmas Romances for 99c! *** LIMITED TIME OFFER ***

I love Christmas ! It's my fave time of year. And so to celebrate I'm discounting this bundle for 99c USD for a limited time. Grab your copy before it's too late and get into the holiday spirit!

Read today > https://buff.ly/3RjWZeT