“Read widely,” they say. “If you want to write, first you must read.”
Trouble is, I’d rather be writing than reading. So I am taking the 2012 National Year of Reading (and The Australian Women Writers Challenge) to change that, to catch up and to read outside the genre I write in. But the books have to be good to keep me reading so…
Lucky for me I hit the trifecta with these three:
Scared Yet? by Jaye Ford – Her first book voted highest selling debut crime novel in Australia in 2011.
The Road Home by bestselling ru-ro author Fiona Palmer.
Holiday Affair – Annie Seaton’s debut novella that rocketed up the Amazon bestseller list.
Three very different but very enjoyable novels. Here’s why.
Couldn’t put it down. No, not an overused cliché but a fact. This book is every bit as 
fabulous as Jaye’s debut novel – Beyond Fear. A clever book from a clever author who knows how keep readers guessing until the very end.
Scared Yet? throws one ordinary woman into one extraordinary week of fear and uncertainly as she deals with the fallout of a faceless stalker who has her questioning everything and everyone she trusts. And all the while the notes keep arriving. ARE YOU SCARED YET, LIVIA? Brrrrrrrr! I get goose bumps just thinking about this book. In fact, it should come with a warning: do not read at night!
It’s the kind of book that makes me glad I left the big smoke behind a few years back and took the road home to the country.
Hmmm, kinda cute segue to…..
The Road Home, by Western Australian author, Fiona Palmer. 
Anyone who has ever dreamed of a life in the country will relate to this story. I did and, okay, yes, my little slice of country is only one very busy acre (rather than Fiona’s characters who have vast properties) but you get my drift! And size isn’t what matters.
Decisions aren’t always about bigger and better; sometimes it’s as simple as ‘have to’. Like Lara Turner whose life is at the crossroads. It’s not a matter of will she or won’t she quit the city for life on the family farm, but a case of the land drawing her to it.
Fiona’s books follow similar themes with characters passionate about farming life. Having met the author, she epitomises the young (you owe me for that Fee!) country girl whose love of the land cannot be ignored; much like Fiona’s books cannot be ignored if you love a good romance.
Publishers claim lots of things in their book promos, but in this case they are spot on: The Road Home is a heartwarming novel about finding your true place in the world, and the healing power of the land.
And when the country gets too quiet, there’s always the idea of a….
Holiday Affair, a novella by Annie Seaton. 
A holiday affair is exactly what Annie Seaton’s character gets up to in this well crafted and entertaining debut novella.
The rather staid academic, Melissa Macintyre, invents an alter ego (Lissy) while on a holiday in the Whitsunday Islands where she meets up with hunky sailor, Nick. Yes, it’s the kind of story in which the characters have more ups and downs than the Aussie dollar and you know there will be happy ending – that’s why the romance genre outsells any other books when the real world gets a bit too dire. It’s escapism – stories that take you away and let you forget your troubles.
Annie Seaton’s story telling is so vivid I found myself wishing it was an audio book so I could close my eyes. The pictures Annie paints – her charming settings and feisty characters – kept me engaged until the last page and made my very first Amazon/Kindle experience a great one. I recommend this read to anyone who needs a holiday from life’s everyday. Thank you Annie. Please keep writing. I am ready for my next affair!!!!!!
I’m also ready for my next book(s):
Bella’s Run by Margareta Osborn
Today’s authors
http://www.jayefordauthor.com/
http://www.annieseatonromance.com/books.html
You are doing an awesome job reviewing Jenn! I’ve falling by the wayside a bit but I’ve just finished Fleur McDonald’s Purple Roads, so I’ll try and get my act together!
What great reviews Jenn. Makes me want to run out and get the books I’ve yet to read. Loved “Holiday Affair:. So easy to read.
I’ll race you to read the next books:
Dead Heat by Bronwyn Parry
Bella’s Run by Margareta Osborn
Morgan’s Law by Karly Lane
Oh a new author for me to read! Thanks, Jenn. Totally agree with you comments on Scared Yet and The Road Home. Both so very memorable in very different ways!
Thanks Jenn, you are so lovely. I have Bron’s book next to read on my list too. Can’t wait till I can add yours also 🙂