Hippo Blogiversary and giveaway!

So a few days ago I celebrated my third blogiversary, yes, The Hippo is 3 years old!

It seems like only yesterday that I decided to take my first tentative steps into the book blogosphere and what an adventure it’s been. I’ve read so many fantastic books that would probably never have been on my radar, I’ve met, and become friends with lots of amazing people and I’ve attended some fabulous book events.

I think the general consensus is that if you like reading, you’re a bit of an introvert and maybe even anti-social, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The book community is a thriving one, full of wonderful people who write books, read books, publish books, love to talk about books and most importantly share their love for books.

Everyone is so supportive of each other, we share each other’s ups and downs and as a result firm friendships are made. Of course, it’s not always all hearts and flowers, there’s always going to be haters and trolls, people who, for reasons known only to them, get a kick out of knocking us down, leaving snippy comments on our blogs, being openly spiteful on social media and accusing us of not being ‘real readers’, whatever THAT means. 🤔

Then there are the authors. These amazing people spend months, sometimes even years working on their manuscripts, and then bravely send them out into the unknown for others to critique. They love people shouting about their books, whether it’s a blogger or a reader, book love is book love no matter what the source.

I love the diversity of the book blogging community as well. Every blog has their own unique style, their own special features, some only review certain genres, some concentrate on new releases and some only read self-published authors. It’s interesting to read other people’s thought on books that I’ve already read as well as reading reviews of books that I haven’t heard about so that I can add them to my own ever growing TBR mountain!

I’ve enjoyed going to book festivals, meeting up with old friends and meeting authors who I know very little about and coming away with a bag full of shiny, new (and usually signed) books, as well as having fan girl moments like the one I had when I met the hugely talented and super lovely Amanda Prowse.

All in all it’s been a fabulous three years. I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading my reviews as well as my “The Hippo Hands Over” and “The Hippo Hangs Out” features along with my occasional Virtual Mini Book Festivals over the years (watch out for another one coming later this year!) as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. I also hope that I’ve helped you discover some fabulous books as well as introducing you to some new and exciting authors.

So as my little way of saying thank you to everyone for their support over the last three years I’m doing a little giveaway.

One lucky person can win a Techbed in the colour of their choice courtesy of the very lovely Paul at Edge Beanbags (please show them some love on Twitter @edgebeanbags and visit their website to see their whole range of amazing products), a paperback copy of The House by Simon Lelic and a £5 Amazon voucher!

Hamlet & Howie insisted on modelling my techbed!

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning the stash is recommend a book to me, telling me why you loved it and why you think I would love it too, but it has to be one that I haven’t reviewed here on The Hippo. The competition will close at midnight on Saturday 19^th May, the winner will be chosen at random and announced the following day and it’s open to anyone in the UK and Ireland.

Hamlet & Howie with the book and my techbed.

Good luck everyone and thank you all once again for all your love and support. Here's to more books, reviews and blog posts!

Fiona from Cincinnati Zoo joining in the celebrations!

Don't forget you can also find me, Hamlet and Howie hanging out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so why not come and say hello, we'd love to hear from you 😉

#BlogBlitz - Don't You Dare - A.J. Waines

A.J. Waines is one of my go-to authors so I was thrilled to be offered the opportunity to read Don't You Dare and take part in the blog blitz.

                                                             Blurb

 What if your daughter becomes your enemy?

When barmaid, Rachel, discovers her soon-to-be-married daughter, Beth, pinned down by a stranger in the pub cellar, Rachel lashes out in panic and the intruder ends up dead. In desperation, Rachel convinces Beth they should cover up the crime and go ahead with the planned wedding in one month’s time.

Rachel, however, has her own reasons for not involving the police.

Hiding their dreadful secret is harder than they both imagined and as the big day approaches and the lies multiply, Beth becomes a liability. Rachel looks on in dismay at the hen party when, after too many drinks, Beth declares she’s about to make a special announcement. But before Beth can say a word, she disappears...

 When two people share a chilling secret, can both hold their nerve?

This book explores the dark side of a mother-daughter relationship when pushed to the limit.

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I love the way that A.J. Waines always manages to hook me into her books right from the outset and Don't You Dare is no exception. Told in alternating chapters by Rachel and Beth and it was fascinating to see how the mother/daughter relationship evolved following the accidental murder. It's clear that Rachel was only trying to protect her daughter but it soon becomes obvious that both women are keeping secrets from each other. Rachel has her reasons for not wanting to involve the police but Beth has no idea why and she is desperate to talk to someone about what's happened but instead she shuts herself away but that only makes the situation worse as her friends start to become suspicious. Surely a bride to be would be busy making sure things were perfect for her upcoming big day - not shutting herself off from everyone. 

Rachel fears that the wedding won't go ahead so she takes matters into her own hands to ensure that Beth's fiance, Peter is oblivious to the whole thing and she goes to some pretty extreme lengths to ensure that Beth's marriage will go ahead as planned so that her daughter doesn't lose all the opportunities that the union will bring.

Don't You Dare is a gripping tale of secrets, lies and deception and reading it was like being shut in a pressure cooker - I could feel the tension building up all around me and I couldn't wait to reach the end so that I knew how this tangled web of lies was going to be concluded. A.J. Waines has once again written a fabulous psychological thriller that is worthy of a place on every fan of this genre's bookshelf or kindle.

With kind thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for my review copy.

The Hippo Hangs Out . . . . with Lizzie Page

I'm a real fan of historical fiction so today I'm delighted to welcome Lizzie Page to The Hippo today. Lizzie's book The War Nurses is the first book in a trilogy, and  just the kind of book that I love to lose myself in so let's start by talking about that while Lizzie gets herself comfy.

                                                       Blurb

As war takes its toll, the love and care of two brave young nurses become everything to the wounded soldiers they tend…

Two plucky young nurses pledge to help the war effort: Mairi, a wholesome idealist hoping to leave behind her past and Elsie, a glamorous single mother with a weakness for handsome soldiers. Despite their differences, the pair become firm friends.

At the emergency medical shelter where they’re based, Elsie and Mairi work around the clock to treat wounded soldiers. It’s heart-breaking work and they are at constant risk from shelling, fire and disease. Occasionally there are happier times… parties, trips and letters. And maybe even the possibility of love with an attractive officer in their care…

 But as the war continues and the stress of duty threatens to pull the two women apart, will Elsie and Mairi’s special nurses’ bond be strong enough to see them through?

Based on a true story, this is a WW1 saga that will make you smile and cry, perfect for fans of Diney Costeloe, Soraya M. Lane and Donna Douglas.

The War Nurses is currently available to download for only 99p/$1.36

Amazon UK 🇬🇧

Amazon US 🇺🇸

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It looks like Lizzie is all settled in now so I'll let her introduce herself.

Photo courtesy of Lizzie Page

I was born in February 1971, in Essex, England.  After studying politics at Warwick University, I worked as an English teacher in Paris and then for five years, in Tokyo.

I then went to live in London, and had various uninspiring jobs there. I did an MA in creative writing at Goldsmiths and came back to live in Essex a few years ago and have worked in marketing, teaching, assisting, etc ever since.

My partner Steve, three children and cockapoo all conspire to stop me writing.😉

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What book/books made you cry and why?

Books about the first and second world war ALWAYS make me cry. I have been known to cry on the first page or even the blurb: Testament of Youth, Suite Francaise, Birdsong, Goodnight Mr Tom, anything by Michael Morpurgo, God, I’m nearly crying at the thought of them all. Stop me now!  

Birdsong is on my list of all time favourite books Lizzie and one of the few books that I will go back and re-read. It still gets me every single time!

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

Lizzie Page IS a pseudonym, or ‘pin-name’ as my daughter says. Why? I wanted something saga-author-like, something a bit classical and my own (modern) name just didn’t fit the bill. Lizzie Page was a combination of family names and something easy to spell. I also like having someone else to blame things on: “It wasn’t me, it was Lizzie Page.”   

What other authors are you friends with and how do they help you become a better writer?

I’ve done lots of writing classes, attend lots of bookish things, and did an MA in creative writing, so I’m fortunate to know many wonderful unpublished and published writers: Fiona Rintoul, Rachel Lichtenstein, Syd Moore, Jane Dolby, Tom Lee, Nick Sweeny: They’re all fab. Have they helped me to become a better writer? Hmm. I dunno about that! A happier writer, a more - I can do this - writer maybe.  

What did you edit out of your last book?

There was a big change, not an edit out so much as a put in. When I originally wrote ‘The War Nurses’ it’s ending was, as the editor kindly said, ‘a bit too bleak’. So I changed it – going for heart-warming instead of heart-breaking. People have asked if I minded doing that, no, I didn’t. It’s SOOO much the better for it. Readers don’t want to come away feeling that dark. I think it was a good change. If you’ve read ‘The War Nurses’, I’d be very grateful if you let me know what you think about the ending. 

If you could spend time with a character from your book who would it be and why? What would you get up to?

Without doubt, Elsie Knocker. Elsie who is inspired by the real-life courageous war-nurse of the same name -  had so much energy, passion and compassion. A fearless, glamourous single mother, I, (and most of the other characters in ‘The War Nurses’) think she is just awesome. If I went for a night-out with her, perhaps to Gingers Bar, in Pervyse, Ypres, in 1916, I just know I would need to lie-down for three days in a darkened room afterwards, ah but it would be worth it.

Which literary character is most like you?

When I was 11, in spite of having no theatrical aspirations or inclinations, I was selected for a large speaking part in the school play. It was Toad of Toad Hall, and the character was…Mole.

It sucks but I really am like Mole. Short-sighted, small and dark. ‘Scrape and scratch and scrabble and…’ I am quite hard-working and single-minded but also terribly malleable/suggestible. I’ll go along with anything Toad or Ratty – or a Hippo - suggested.

Aww, I think mole’s are cute. I mean, look at that little guy above, he’s adorable! Granted, I think that hippo’s are cuter (of course!) but this little hippo will never lead you astray. . .well not intentionally anyway! 😘

Do you have any bad habits?

Not really, my habits are old companions, they’re not bad, they just are. 😉

 If you were a superhero what would you be called, what would your super-power be and what would you wear?

* * * *Time-travel of course.

I would wear a black cape (traditional) but also a purple leotard because, naturally, I would have the body of Jane Fonda in her aerobics days. I would be able to go back and forth in time, stone age, ancient greeks, Vikings, tudor times, world wars and with a swish of the cape, I would make things better. I would be ‘History-girl’.

 

If you could swish your cape like that, I'd be very impressed Lizzie!

 

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You can find out more about Lizzie, The War Nurses and connect with her using the links below:

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon

I'd like to say a big thank you to Lizzie for taking the time to hang out with me today. It's been great fun chatting and getting to know you. Wishing you lots of success with your book and I hope you enjoy the rest of the long Bank Holiday weekend. 😉