Author Interview and Giveaway: Melanie Hudson

Today's interview is with Melanie Hudson, I read her book The wedding cake tree earlier this month :)

Welcome!

 1. Who is Melanie Hudson?

Officially, Melanie Hudson is the mother of a lovely little boy and lives in Devon with a dog and five chickens. Unofficially she is a woman who often talks too much but doesn’t listen enough. She’s an ex-forces officer who is used to being in control. She is, however, very loving and kind and secretly unbearably emotional. She’s trying to meditate daily to bring a sense of calm to her thoughts – it’s working.

 2. Tell me about your new book, The Wedding Cake Tree?

The Wedding Cake Tree is a romantic adventure story based in four different settings in the UK – all of which are stunningly beautiful. It celebrates the many types of love – parental love, romantic love and love for country. It considers how well we really know those close to us, and also how well we actually need to know them.

 3. What makes Grace and Alasdair great for each other?

Grace and Alasdair at first glance are not great for each other, but they see in each other qualities they admire greatly. Alasdair is very much the white knight, an attribute that Grace (unwillingly) is drawn towards, and Grace is (despite her clothes and profession) very feminine, which Alasdair loves. They are also intensely physically attracted to each other, which helps.

 4. What was the inspiration behind this story?

The inspiration came when I glanced at a picture of myself in military combat uniform that was taken in the desert. I knew that my son would never have any idea about the woman I was before he was born. I liked the idea of a child finding out about her mother’s personal persona after her death.

5. Are you working on something now? :)

My new novel returns to the old question made famous in When Harry Met Sally – can a man and a woman be friends or does the sex part always get in the way? I’m loving it, but I’m a slow writer – real life has a habit of getting in the way.

https://www.twitter.com/Melanie_Hudson_

http://www.melanie-hudson.co.uk/

Thanks!

Giveaway

1 e-copy of the wedding cake tree

1. Open to everyone in the world.

2. Ends May 7th

3. Enter by commenting

PS. Leave a way to contact you (email, twitter), if I can find that info in your profile then yes that is good too, But I will hunt no further.

Blurb

Can a mother’s secret past provide the answers for a daughter’s future?

Celebrity photographer Grace Buchanan has always known that one day, she’d swap her manic day job for the peace and quiet of her beloved childhood cottage, St Christopher’s – she just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

At the reading of her mother’s will, she’s shocked to learn that she hardly knew Rosamund at all, and that inheriting St Christopher’s hangs on one big – and very inconvenient – condition: Grace must drop everything for two weeks and travel the country with a mysterious stranger – war-weary Royal Marine, Alasdair Finn.

Caught in a brief but perfect moment in time, Grace and Alasdair walk in Rosamund’s footsteps and read her letters at each breathtaking new place. As Grace slowly uncovers the truth about her mother’s incredible life story, Alasdair and Grace can’t help but question their own futures. Will Rosamund’s madcap scheme go to plan or will events take an unexpected turn?

An emotional, fun-filled and adventurous journey of a lifetime.

Buying Links:

Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/hIwKKp

Amazon US: http://goo.gl/ZqB7mo

The wedding cake tree - Melanie Hudson

Celebrity photographer Grace Buchanan has always known that, one day, she’d swap her manic day job for the peace and quiet of her beloved childhood cottage, St Christopher’s – she just didn’t expect it to be so soon. 

At the reading of her mother’s will, she’s shocked to learn that she hardly knew Rosamund at all, and that inheriting St Christopher’s hangs on one big – and very inconvenient – condition: Grace must drop everything for two weeks and travel the country with a mysterious stranger – war-weary Royal Marine, Alasdair Finn.

Caught in a brief but perfect moment in time, Grace and Alasdair walk in Rosamund’s footsteps and read her letters at each breathtaking new place. As Grace slowly uncovers the truth about her mother’s incredible life story, Alasdair and Grace can’t help but question their own futures. Will Rosamund’s madcap scheme go to plan or will events take an unexpected turn? 

My thoughts:

Grace lost her mother 6 months ago and it's time for the will. Oh her mum was a strange one because Grace is sent on a journey to learn more about her mum. With her she has a hunky solider named Alasdair. I see what you did there mum ;).

Did I approve of the journey? Yes and no. It was a lovely thing to do and to find out about your mother's past. It was a hard thing to do to find out about your mother and the things she had not said.

The book takes Grace from place to place. Special ones to her mother, and she has letters to read at each step. Telling her a story she did not know. 

Alasdair is there with her to give her guidance, he knew her mum too. But it's also obvious her mother put him there so maybe something would grow. She also wants Grace to find her way and passion again.

There is romance, but this is not a romance. It's a journey. They get to know each other, slowly become friends, and then maybe maybe something will grow, slowly. He is broken at times, she is lost. But they are a good fit, and of course it will have a happy ending too. It might not be a contemporary romance but of course I will give you a HEA :)

Her mother's life was interesting to read about. But she had also been one stubborn woman! Too stubborn. It was a bit sad at times too, not crying sad, just sad about the stubbornness of some people.

Conclusion:
A journey, a mystery and a romance to be had.

Cover
Nice

Paperback, 384 pages
Published April 7th 2015
Romantic fiction
For review