Today, I have the fantastic Helen J. Rolfe on Dreaming With Open Eyes talking to me about her latest release Handle Me with Care. Helen, I'd just like to say a huge thank you for agreeing to appear on Dreaming With Open Eyes, it is an absolute pleasure to have you here.

Hi Helen, a warm welcome Dreaming with Open Eyes! Thank you for participating in this interview, would you like to start by introducing yourself…?

Hi, it’s lovely to be here, and thank you for inviting me on as a guest :-) Like many people I had a whole different career before I started writing. I studied business at University and went on to become an I.T. specialist. I soon realised that it wasn’t the job for me and studied journalism and writing which lead me to freelance journalism, a position as an media assistant and finally to writing fiction. I wrote my first book in 2011 but it’s very much a ‘bottom drawer’ book as they say … my practice before the real thing if you like!

I returned to the UK at the end of last year after 14 years in Australia. My debut novel, The Friendship Tree, is set in New South Wales and Sydney, and Handle Me with Care is set in Melbourne. They are two beautiful, amazing cities and inspirational for fiction writing.

Name: Life or Something Like It
Author: Annie Lyons
Format: ebook
Pages: unkown
Release date: 13th July
Publisher: Carina UK

Teaser

Step into someone else’s shoes for a day…
And it will change you for a lifetime.

Cat is very good at her job. She runs a PR company with her best friend (and secret crush) Jesse, and is never happier than when her high-profile celebrities are glittering in the spotlight.

But when her footballer client gets in the press for all the wrong reasons, Cat’s career takes a sudden nosedive. So when her brother Andrew unexpectedly needs her to look after his kids for a few weeks, she can hardly say no. She’s happily single, hasn’t exactly been the ‘World’s Best Auntie’ over the years, and what she knows about looking after children would fit on the back of a postage stamp. But it’s only temporary until she gets her real life back on track – isn’t it?

Name: The Right Design
Author: Isabella Louise Anderson
Format: paperback
Pages: 183
Release date: March 8th 2014
Publisher: Chick Lit Goddess

Teaser

Interior designer Carrie Newman could not have envisioned a more perfect life for herself. She had a great job doing what she loved, wonderful friends, and a close relationship with her sister and brother-in-law. Add in an amazing man who she’d hoped would soon become her husband, and her life was perfect. Until one devastating decision ruins her relationship and changes the course of her life.

Determined to make a new start, Carrie leaves Texas and heads to Palm Beach to pick up the pieces of her shattered and broken life. The last thing she expects is to find herself attracted to her first client at her new job—Brad Larson, who has proven himself time and time again to be cad.

But there’s something beneath the surface of Brad’s arrogant exterior that keeps her craving more of him—something almost sweet that Carrie can’t seem to resist.

Is Carrie ready to take another chance on romance? And will this new design of her life prove to be the right one…?

Name: Handle Me with Care

Teaser

Does true love come along more than once in a lifetime?

Maddie Kershaw doesn’t think so. She lost the love of her life in the 9/11 attacks, and since then has hopped from one casual fling to the next. But when she delivers an erotic cake to a one-hundredth birthday party by mistake, she meets Evan and starts to believe in second chances … until she realises there’s a risk of getting hurt all over again.

Evan Quinn is serially single, yet when he meets Maddie he feels an instant connection, so much so that he confesses on their first date that he may have testicular cancer. Was it a mistake to tell her? He wants Maddie more than he has ever wanted any other woman. But he doesn’t want her pity.With the odds stacked against them both, finding love won’t be easy. But beneath the Australian sun, a Happy Ever After could be worth fighting for.

Name: Drawn to Life
Author: Elisabeth Wagner
Format: ebook
Pages: 273
Release date: 28th April 2015
Publisher: AmazonCrossing

Teaser

Mia Lang always thought she could brave any storm, until a frightening turn of fate caused her to lose everything she once held dear - her best friend, her boyfriend, her career, and even her desire to live.

Hoping to heal her scars and find the will to face the world again, Mia embarks on an adventure across Europe by train. But when she meets Samuel Winter—on the run from his own troubled past—her whole world is turned upside down again. Perhaps this time, though, the pieces will fall where they’re meant to. Armed with the sort of courage that only comes from having nothing to lose, Mia is about to find out, in this beautiful story of resilience and discovery.

Name: On The Edge
Author: T.S. Krupa
Format: ebook
Pages: 318
Release date: 9th June 2015
Publisher: LLC

Teaser

Name: An Unexpected Affair

Teaser

Hearts have a mind of their own

After her divorce, 40-something Eleanor decides it is time to begin again. She leaves behind her busy London life, and moves to a quiet seaside town in Devon. There she opens up a bookshop, The Reading Room, on the local high street and makes quite a success of it. But can Eleanor make a success of her love life as well?

When her sister suggests they take a trip to the South of France to track down her gorgeous ex, Eleanor leaves her beloved shop and lime-green camper van in the care of an eccentric cast of friends and family, and hits the road.

Will she discover what happened to her great love, Christophe? Does Eleanor's heart still belong in France? Or is there something, or someone, she's been missing in Devon?

Author: Aven Ellis
Format: ebook
Pages: 264
Release date: 27th May 2015
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Teaser

Kenley Hunter finally has everything sorted out. Fresh from studying chocolate making in Europe, she's gambling everything on her new business, Confection Consultations.

All Kenley wants in life is people to take her seriously, to see the person on the inside rather than the blond beauty on the outside. While pursuing her passion of chocolate, Kenley discovered people seek her knowledge. They see past the exterior and fall for the chocolate delights in front of them.

So with work as her focus, Kenley is ready to start her career in Dallas. Men are out of her recipe, because she fears that once they get past her looks, they’ll be disappointed in what they find. Kenley decides she's all about the chocolate now.

Or is she?

Because a chance meeting with new Dallas Demon hockey star Nate Johansson might change everything. Sent to Dallas in a blockbuster trade, Nate is somewhere he doesn't want to be, for reasons that have caused him heartbreak on multiple levels. Nate knows he will never trust a woman again after what happened to him in Minnesota.

But when he meets a woman with an intriguing name and a passion for chocolate, Nate isn't so sure about his theory. And he might just learn a definition of icing other than the one used in hockey with Kenley as his guide... 

My new feature Monthly Favourites goes into the second round. If you missed my favourites of January, click here. Every month I share a selection of the posts of several things I loved! This idea is inspired by Lifestyle blogs who are sharing their favourite products every month. I absolutely adore that idea. This is the perfect opportunity to me to give my blog a personal touch. I'm looking forward to share more personal things with you that have kept me happy this month. If you have any improvement suggestions for the categories or anything else, I'd be happy to hear from you.

Name: #Forfeit
Author: Caroline Batten
Format: ebook
Pages: 438 pages
Release date: 31st July 2014
Publisher: self-published

Teaser

Getting divorced at twenty-five sucks
Teaching over-confident rich kids when you're all but homeless sucks. In fact, every single aspect of Daisy Fitzgerald’s life is one big…

#fail
Enter Xander, a Knight-in-Shining-Cricket-Pads, who knocks her off her wedge heels and into his privileged world of It-girls, players and Michelin stars.

High on cocktails & escapism
Daisy agrees to play Forfeit, the ultimate game of dares. A simple kiss dare ignites her relationship with Xander, but the game's called Forfeit for good reason. Can they survive three rounds?

Blackmail • Betrayal • Revenge
Move over Gatsby, there's a new bunch of bored young things in town.

Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I posted my last tag. I spotted this on Clare's A Book & Tea. I really liked that so why not post it on my blog too? I’ve found it hard to read/review as much with life going into my final exams this year, I figured this is a good way to fill some space! :D So instead of tagging anyone, I’m going to say snag this if you would like to try it out :)

How do you keep track of your TBR pile?


Depends how you define TBR, to be honest. I keep my unread books separate from my to read books, and my ARCs as well. Goodreads is a fantastic help for me to keep track of my TBR pile. I don’t know how I would even begin to manage my TBR list without it! Every time I buy a new book, won are been accepted for a review copy, I add it to my several list on Goodreads. For example I name my shelves for example “bought but not read paperback”, “bought but not read ebooks”, “to review” or “NetGalley”, “Wishlist” and so on. Nevertheless, every time I look at my TBR shelf on Goodreads I panic a little bit inside! It’s a never ending story.

Is your TBR pile mostly print books or ebooks?

I own the same amount of ebooks as I own print books. I try to do a healthy mixture of them but in the last few months I read more and more ebooks. I feel much more comfortable with them. It’s so easy to read them and I read them a lot quicker as print books.

How do you determine which books from your TBR to read next?

It definitely depends on my mood! Sometimes I plan ahead what I’d like to read but most of the time I change my mind and I pick up other books. I don’t set myself a goal anymore. Reading is supposed to be fun and I want to enjoy it.

A book that’s been on your TBR list the longest?

Mhm, that’s a tough one. It’s probably Eat, Pray Love. I bought this book when I was living in Dublin in 2010/2011. I heard a lot of good things about the movie. I prefer reading a book before I see the movie adaption. Sadly I still have not read the book yet.

A book you recently added to your TBR

I recently added Diamonds from Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill to my TBR pile. It’s a follow up to her novel Something from Tiffany’s which I completely adored. I’m so excited to read this book and find out what happens to the characters in this new story! 

From Archie to Zolon, Ramona is determined to find a happy ending to her fairytale. Ramona Rawlings is going to make dating fun again. Armed with an alphabet poster, post-it notes and her best friend Emma, Ramona is going to date the alphabet - from A to Z, Archie to Zolon and everything in between. 

Throw in the chaos of managing a theatre restaurant with a roster full of strong personalities, unfulfilled dreams and lustful hook ups and Ramona's world is turned upside-down. In between Evan the arrogant, Ivan the emotionally stunted and Glen the racist, Ramona discovers what she really wants: to be a good friend, to emotionally connect with a man and to replace her vodka-tonics with kale smoothies. But how many frogs will she have to kiss before she finds her fairytale?

More information about this book: Amazon  UK / Goodreads

Name: Love ... From Both Sides
Author: Nick Spalding
Format: paperback
Pages: 320 pages
Release date: 21st August 2014
Publisher: Coronet

Teaser

Sometimes, the hardest part of finding love is keeping a straight face...

For Jamie Newman, being a single guy isn't proving to be much fun, especially when confronted with a sexually belligerent divorcee and a goddess so far out of his league she might as well be a different species.

Mind you, being a girl in search of love isn't a bowl of cherries either. Just ask Laura McIntyre, who's recently contended with a horny estate agent on a quest for light relief and a rabid mountain bike enthusiast with a penchant for lycra that leaves little to the imagination.

When Jamie and Laura bump into one another (quite literally) it looks like their luck may have changed - but sometimes finding the right person is only the start of your problems...

Name: Maggie Does Meribel (Girls On Tour Book 3)
Author: Nicola Doherty
Format: ebook
Pages: 96 pages
Release date: 4th December 2014
Publisher: Headline

Teaser

Maggie can't wait for her first ever skiing holiday. New Year's Eve in the French Alps with her boyfriend Leo and two other couples: what could be more romantic? She's picturing hot chocolate, romantic snowball fights and evenings snuggled together in front of the log fire. What she didn't picture is near-death experiences on the mountains, falling out with Leo and sharing a chalet with the unbearable Jenny. 

When she meets Sylvain, a gorgeous ski instructor, the line between harmless flirting and full-on misbehaviour becomes ... well, blurry. Will Maggie stay on the nursery slopes, or go seriously off-piste? 

Name: The Chateau
Author: Karen Aldous
Format: ebook
Pages: xx pages
Release date: 21st August 2014
Publisher: Carina UK

Teaser

Can young hearts ease a restless spirit?

On the shores of stunning Lake Geneva, Gina Remy is celebrating her brother’s wedding – when the figure of a woman appears hovering above the water, beckoning to her. Ghostly visitations do not happen to Gina - a self-confessed control freak with her own successful property business, she prides herself on being level-headed. But as she is tormented by dreams and visions, her perfect life begins to unravel, and she knows she needs to help this ghost find peace if she’s to get any of her own!

Enter Ollie Martin, an Anglo-Swiss property developer who’s sexy as hell and knows it. His arrogance annoys Gina, but he’s the only one who will take her seriously… and the closer they come to understanding the quest the ghost has set for them, the closer they get to one another…
 

Teaser

Fledgling journalist Ellie Newton is keen to prove herself when she lands a hard-won job at the Millrise Echo. So when reports come in of a man camped on the corner of a local street, refusing to move until the girl who has jilted him takes him back, Ellie is on a mission to get the scoop.

She arrives to meet Ben Kelly, a man she is instantly attracted to. But she has a job to do and an incredible story to write and has soon pledged to help him win back the girl of his dreams. With Ellie’s help, Ben’s plight captures the hearts and imaginations of the public. And when a TV film crew appears to make a feature on the most romantic gesture the town of Millrise has ever seen, Ellie’s mission gets its happy ending...

But while Ellie has been busy fixing the lives of her wayward parents, providing shoulders for heartbroken friends to cry on, and worrying about her terminally-ill aunt, she hasn’t noticed that she has also been falling quietly in love – with the very man she has now ensured is hopelessly out of her reach.

Ellie must choose between doing the right thing, and the thing that feels right. And whatever choice she makes, someone will get their heart broken.  

Hi everyone, welcome to a new feature on Dreaming With Open Eyes. I thought I’d share a selection of the posts I’ve loved each month in a regular feature called Monthly Favourites! This idea is inspired by Lifestyle blogs who are sharing their favourite products every month. I absolutely adore that idea. This is the perfect opportunity to me to give my blog a personal touch. I'm looking forward to share more personal things with you that have kept me happy this month. If you have any improvement suggestions for the categories or anything else, I'd be happy to hear from you.

Name: New Year at the Ritz
Author: Nikki Moore
Format: ebook
Pages: 40 pages
Release date: 22nd December 2014
Publisher: Harper Impulse

Teaser

New Year, New Love… or Old Love, New Start?

Everyone keeps telling Frankie Taylor that a new year is a time for new beginnings. She's not so sure. Single for six months, she's been more than happy on her own, thanks very much! At least, that's what she thinks until she receives a note on New Year’s Eve inviting her to follow the clues, and her heart, across Knightsbridge.

But who's behind the romantic adventure? Old flame Christian who she loved for years and was always there for her, or new admirer and work colleague Zack, who has the habit of turning up in all sorts of unexpected places?

There's only one way she's going to find out…

Name: Kate & Alf
Author: Carrie Stone
Format: ebook
Pages: 339 pages
Release date: 5th February 2015
Publisher: Harper Impulse

Teaser

Kate loves Alf. And Alf loves Kate… Doesn’t he?

Kate can’t wait for her long-term boyfriend Alf to propose. So he might be a bit of a control freak who’s obsessed with his career … and he also seems to have conveniently forgotten their two-year plan to get married, buy a bigger house and have children. But Kate’s sure that ring will be on her finger soon.

When her thirty-second birthday ends in humiliating, proposal-less disaster, even Kate is left wondering if Alf really is The One. Then Alf’s friend, Marcus, needs a place to stay. With his dark eyes, easygoing manner and kind concern for Kate, Marcus is everything Alf is not - and it's not long before Kate begins to wonder if there’s more to life than diamonds.