Review round-up and why I jumped off the promo wagon over the hols

January 3, 2012

First, Happy New Year!

I hope 2012 brings you health, happiness, success and dreams filled with the heir to Downton Abbey getting down on one knee to propose. Or a real life scenario where your Other Half gets down on one knee and promises to do the ironing for the next year.

Whatever floats your boat, I hope it comes your way.

Now, my blog has been quiet of late, partly because of the ‘holidays’. In the UK, the Christmas break lasts, oh, from about mid-December to today. Lots of things grind to a halt while we eat, drink, party and lie around the house, exhausted after a year of Euro-crises, Royal Weddings and working long hours in the dark.

So although I have a new book out, I decided not to spend the last couple of weeks shouting about it at every opportunity because:

1. Personally, once Christmas is here I think people – that’s me and you – need a rest.
2. I wanted to spend the time with my family, not online – and I bet you did too.
3. I’m British. I keep trying to shout a lot, in a gracious way, I suspect I’m annoying the hell out of people in the process but I just can’t keep it up all the time.
4. I have heard of the passing of four people – all loved ones of friends of mine. Two of them were younger than me and although I didn’t know them well myself, I knew the people they were dear to. After that, I just didn’t feel like shouting about my latest book. Sometimes, you need space and quiet to reflect on what really counts.

To be honest, I still don’t feel like squeeing but that would be to ignore some good news and the hard work and generosity of the publicity team at Sourcebooks and the many book bloggers who have kindly read my book over the holidays.

So on a happy note, I am truly thrilled to have had some fabulous reviews for Carrie Goes off the Map – which was previously released in the UK as It Should Have Been Me.

It has been named one of the Books of 2011 by Becky at One Literature Nut who said:

My final choice this year was a delightful British Chick Lit. novel, Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley that I recently read and reviewed. This is now my third by Ashley, and I really have grown to love the escapist nature of her novels. When I need a bit of a reprieve from my own busy life, Ashley’s novels with their strong female characters and romantic tension really fit the bill.

Royal Reviews gave Carrie Five Crowns and nominated it as a Royal Read – their highest award. 🙂

Books Like Breathing also gave it five stars with a very funny review that made me laugh out loud. The reviewer said: I love love love Phillipa Ashley’s books. She is one of those very rare authors who can do absolutely no wrong for me. Seriously, I love her books. I fangirl her. I’m a bit pathetic.

Here’s a four-star one from Laura at Laura’s Reviews.

Marthas’s Bookshelf also gave it four stars. http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.com/2011/12/book-review-and-arc-giveaway-carrie.html

Life in the Thumb gave it four stars and did a gorgeous feature on South West England, the setting for the book.

SOS Aloha – from Hawaii no less – also gave it four stars.

Plus Carrie was Featured Starred Review to trade and readers at Shelf Awareness. 🙂

And there are nine four and five star reviews on amazon.com.

Carrie isn’t a ‘conventional’ romance. Other partners are involved, the hero and heroine make a lot of mistakes and have a very rocky journey to their HEA. It’s not going to suit everyone but I loved writing it, I put my heart and soul into it and I stand by it now. As Meg Cabot might have said (according to my daughter) you’re not a 100-dollar bill, not everyone is going to love you… but on balance, I’ve had a very happy time with Carrie so far.

Thanks for indulging me. Happy 2012. 🙂

I also have some news about my next Sourcebooks release which I’ll share later this week. And I’ve every digit crossed for a brand new book this year. Please keep all your bits crossed too.

Comments

1. On January 3rd, 2012 at 8:48 am
   Felicia Says:
   

   Congrats on all the wonderful reviews! Continued success!

2. On January 3rd, 2012 at 9:28 am
   Rachel Lyndhurst Says:
   

   Lovely reviews, Phillipa, and I’m with you on the ‘shouting’side of things. My blog still has Christmas greetings on it and a big fat silence.It won’t last much longer though …;0)
   XXXXXXX

3. On January 3rd, 2012 at 11:56 am
   Charlotte Says:
   

   It is indeed what Meg Cabot was told by her grandmother: http://www.megcabot.com/booksaspatriciacabot/bookswritingaspatriciacabot.php

4. On January 3rd, 2012 at 1:02 pm
   Phillipa Says:
   

   Thank you, Charlotte – that’s brilliant!

   Hello Felicia and Rachel. 🙂

5. On January 3rd, 2012 at 1:06 pm
   Jayne Says:
   

   It’s hard to trill about the good news when you are still absorbing the bad, and the passing of four people known to you is terribly sad, so sorry for you and your friends/family. But at the same time I am very glad you have done a little shout out here for your book as I might have missed it, and now I know about it and can look out for it. I love the title, and the story sounds just the thing to escape into during these cold months!

6. On January 3rd, 2012 at 1:36 pm
   Phillipa Says:
   

   Jayne – thank you. Not close friends of mine, but a husband of a dear friend, the son of another (absolutely dreadful for them, one of my husband’s younger colleagues and finally, On December 31st, Penny Jordan who I’d met but didn’t know. So I just felt a bit subdued and relective.

7. On January 3rd, 2012 at 2:24 pm
   Debs Carr Says:
   

   Congratulations for those great reviews.

8. On January 3rd, 2012 at 11:15 pm
   Chanpreet Says:
   

   New Sourcebooks news and a possible new book?! Oh please do update this soon! You just made my day! And congratulations for all the great reviews! 🙂

9. On January 4th, 2012 at 8:05 am
   Phillipa Says:
   

   Thanks, Chanpreet. I’ve got the cover for Just Say Yes to post soon. the other one … don’t know when I’ll know but I am hoping, hoping…