Last year I chose my five most anticipated chick lit reads. This year I’ve gone for bigger and better with ten titles I can’t wait to read – there are so many great books coming out in 2012! Some of the later books don’t have much detail yet but I’ll update this post as and when more information becomes available.

I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (Bantam February)

After reading all of the Shopaholic books as a blogging challenge a couple of years ago, I’m a big fan of Sophie’s books. I’m looking forward to meeting new characters in her latest standalone novel.

I’ve lost it. The only thing in the world I wasn’t supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. And now, the very same day his parents are coming, I’ve lost it. The very same day. Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive!!

A couple of glasses of bubbly with the girls at a charity do and Poppy’s life has gone into meltdown. Not only has she lost her engagement ring, but in the panic that followed, she’s lost her phone too. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number with the hotel staff. It was meant to be!

Except the phone’s owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn’t agree. He wants his phone back, and doesn’t appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, phone messages and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents, can things get any more tangled?

The Out of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty (Headline, March)

This sounds like a fun debut and perfect summer read!

From London ….

Alice Roberts is having a rubbish summer. She’s terrified of her boss, her career is stalling, and she’s just been dumped – by text message. But things are about to change …

… to Italy

When her boss Olivia is taken ill, Alice is sent on the work trip of a lifetime: to a villa in Sicily, to edit the autobiography of Hollywood bad boy Luther Carson. But it’s not all yachts, nightclubs and Camparis. Luther’s arrogant agent Sam wants him to ditch the book. Luther himself is gorgeous, charming and impossible to read. There only seems to be one way to get his attention, and it definitely involves mixing business with pleasure. Alice is out of the office, and into deep trouble …

… with love

Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan (Sphere March)

I love the cover for this book and it sounds like a lovely story.

Rosie Hopkins is about to face major upheaval. Her elderly aunt Lilian – feisty, independent Aunt Lily who never talked about her past – needs her help, so Rosie is moving to the depths of the countryside for a few months to look after her. Plus Rosie will be away from Gerard, the man she hopes to settle down with soon, and they’ll miss each other dreadfully . . . won’t they? Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton’s village sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to sell up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets. And the longer Rosie and Lilian spend together, the more they realise they can learn from each other . . .

White Wedding by Milly Johnson (Simon and Schuster, April)

I read my first Milly Johnson book last year and loved it so am very much looking forward to her next offering!

It’s the day they’ve always dreamed about. But will it turn out to be a nightmare …?

Bel is in the midst of planning her perfect wedding when disaster strikes and everything she thought she knew is turned on its head. Can she hold it all together and, with the help of her friends, and a mysterious man she meets unexpectedly, turn disaster into triumph?

Bel’s best friend, ice-cream parlour owner Violet, is engaged to Glyn, who is besotted by her although Violet fell out of love with him long ago. But however trapped she feels in the relationship, she can’t quite say the words, ‘I don’t want to marry you anymore.’ Then, just when she’s about to give up and resign herself to married life, she finds love in the most surprising of places. Will duty rule her heart or will she allow herself to be swept off her feet?

Their childhood friend Max was planning a quick registry office do with her fiance Stuart until she sees a TV programme about traveller brides and becomes determined to have the most extravagantly glitzy wedding ever. But in all the excitement has she lost sight of what’s really important? Does she want the wedding more than she wants the groom?

And as all three friends find the dress of their dreams at the White Wedding bridal shop, its owner, the lovely Freya, guarantees that her gowns will bring them happiness – though maybe not quite in the way they expected …

The Charm Bracelet by Melissa Hill (Hodder, May)

I have a charm bracelet that I add charms to, to mark important events in my life so I love the premise for this story – it sounds like another gripping read from Melissa.

Every charm bracelet tells a story and Holly O’Neill knows this better than most.

Years ago, at a difficult time in her life, a silver bracelet in a pretty wrapped box was delivered anonymously to her, a single charm attached. Some time later, another mysterious charm appeared, and the same thing happened many times over the years. Each charm proved to be significant in her life, as if her unnamed benefactor understood she needed some kind of talisman to help her through challenging times.

Since then, she has added her own charms – special reminders of the most important events in her life. Her bracelet makes memories tangible – spelling out the nuances of cherished moments through the shorthand of each tiny charm. For this reason, Holly’s charm bracelet is her most prized possession.

So when one day, she stumbles across a bracelet that somebody else has lost, she recognises a lifetime spelt out through the very different charms, and knows she must try to reunite it with its owner. In order to try and track this person down, she uses each charm to help discover more about them.

But as Holly gradually begins to piece together the details of this person’s life, her quest leads her somewhere she never expected.

One Perfect Summer by Paige Toon (Simon and Schuster May)

My favourite chick lit author – can’t wait to get my hands on this book!

‘Do you still love him?’ Every second of every minute of every hour of every day…Alice is18 and about to start university while Joe’s life is seemingly going nowhere. A Dorset summer, a chance meeting, and the two of them fall into step as if they have known each other forever. But their idyll is shattered, suddenly, unexpectedly. Alice heads off to Cambridge and slowly picks up the pieces of her broken heart. Joe is gone; she cannot find him. When she catches the attention of Lukas – gorgeous, gifted, rich boy Lukas – she is carried along by his charm, swept up in his ambitious plans for a future together. Then Joe is there, once more, but out of reach in a way that Alice could never have imagined. Life has moved on, the divide between them is now so great. Surely it is far too late to relive those perfect summer days of long ago?

Summer Daydreams by Carole Matthews (Sphere, May)

This really appeals to me as someone who is always trying to juggle family, work and a million other things!

What if you had always dreamed of something more…? Nell McNamara has a happy life: her boyfriend Olly adores her, their four-year-old daughter Petal is the centre of their world and Nell has a steady job in the local chip shop. When the chippy needs a makeover, Nell jumps at the chance to unleash the creativity fizzing inside her. Inspired by what she can achieve – and encouraged by the best friends a girl can have – Nell is determined to try something new and starts making her own line of must-have handbags, which are soon flying off the shelves! It seems Nell’s dreams are finally coming true, but her success doesn’t come without a price. Before too long, Nell has to ask herself if it’s really possible to have it all… Full of fun, love and laughter, soak up the sunshine with Summer Daydreams.

I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk (Harper, June)

The fifth in the I Heart Series sees Angela back in London!

Angela’s visa has expired and it looks as though she’s going to have to set foot again on home turf where further romantic trouble awaits. She has to face the ex-boyfriend she ran out on, her best friend’s new baby, and her mum. Is she now a New York girl through and through or can London win her heart again?

When I Fall in Love by Miranda Dickinson (Avon, November)

No synopsis for this one yet but I’ve loved all of Miranda’s book so far and am eagerly anticipating this one!

From Notting Hill to New York… Actually by Ali McNamara (Sphere, November)

Scarlett goes to New York – yay!!

Are your favourite authors on my list? Which books are you looking forward to reading this year?

In the second part of my ‘hot picks’ for 2012 I’ve chosen the paranormal and fantasy books that I’m most looking forward to reading. Are your favourites on the list?

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (Razorbill, March)

I love witch stories and am looking forward to this new YA series. I’ve shown the US cover here – isn’t it lovely?

Our mother was a witch too, but she hid it better.

I miss her.

To me, the magic feels like a curse. According to the Brothers, it’s devil-sent. Women who can do magic-they’re either mad or wicked. So I will do everything in my power to protect myself and my sisters. Even if it means giving up my life – and my true love.

Because if the Brothers discover our secret, we’re destined for the asylum, or prison . . . or death.

Romance, magic, and an age-old prophecy.

The Reckoning by Alma Katsu (Century, June)

The second book in The Taker series – no synopsis yet for this immortal love story but the series has undergone a striking cover change for this release!

666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce (Canvas, June)

I’m very excited about this series which definitey falls into the chick lit side of paranormal – it sounds brilliant.

Welcome to New York City, where the socialites are witches Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, Jane Boyle has been living a fairy-tale. When he proposes, Jane can’t believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job as a fledgling architect and make a new start with Malcolm in New York. But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan’s most feared and revered families, Jane’s fairy-tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world-and herself-is upended. Now Jane must struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them. What if your mother-in-law turned out to be an evil, cold-blooded witch … literally?

Shadow of the Night by Deborah Harkness (Headline, July)

The long awaited sequel to A Discovery of Witches. Enough said

Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown.

Shortly after Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont timewalk to London, 1590, they discover that the past may not provide a safe haven after all. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy Matthew Roydon, the vampire falls back in step with a group of radicals known as the School of Night who share dangerous ideas about God, science, and man. Many of his friends are unruly daemons – the creative minds of the age who walk the fine line between genius and madness – including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot.  Matthew, himself, is expected to continue to spy for Queen Elizabeth, which puts him in close contact with London’s cutthroat underworld.

Together, Matthew and Diana scour the bookstalls and alchemical laboratories of London where they follow the elusive trail of Ashmole 782 – and search for the witch who will teach Diana to control her powers.

Wake by Amanda Hocking (Pan Macmillan, Autumn)

Having just read Switched I’m looking forward to reading the first in Amanda’s new Watersong series.

Beautiful. Fearless. Dangerous. They’re the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Thea, and Lexi have caught everyone’s attention, including the eye of practical Harper. But it’s her sister, Gemma, they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma seems to have it all – carefree, pretty, and falling in love with the boy next door. But her greatest passion has always been the water. She craves late night swims under the stars, where she can be alone yet belong to the sea. Lately she’s had company. Penn, Thea, and Lexi spend their nights dancing, singing, and partying on the cove–and one night Gemma joins them. When she wakes up groggy on the beach the next morning, she knows something has changed.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. As she uncovers the truth about her new mythical powers, Gemma is forced to choose between staying with those she loves or entering a dark world brimming with unimaginable secrets.

The Water Witch by Carol Goodman (Ebury, September)

No synopsis yet for this book which is the second novel in the Fairwick Chronicles series. I loved Incubus and can’t wait to find out what happens to Callie next.

Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her and accused her of having been switched at birth. Although certain she’s not the monster her mother claimed she is – she does feel that she doesn’t quite fit in . . .

The new girl in High School, she’s bored and frustrated by her small town life – and then there’s the secret that she can’t tell anyone. Her mysterious ability – she can influence people’s decisions, without knowing how, or why . . .

When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night – her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers to her strange powers and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist. Förening, the home of the Trylle. Everything begins to make sense to Wendy. Among the Trylle, she is not just different, but special. But what marks her out as chosen for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can trust. But dark forces are conspiring – not only to separate them, but to see the downfall everything that Wendy cares about. The fate of Förening rests in Wendy’s hands, and the decisions she and Finn make could change all their lives forever . . .

My new year has started with cover love; Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy has been beautifully packaged with two sets of covers to choose from (Adult and Young Adult versions), all of which are gorgeous. Many of you will have already heard of Amanda Hocking but for those who haven’t; she self-published her first book less than a year ago and has now sold over a million ebooks so I was very intrigued to see what all the fuss is about!

Switched is the story of seventeen year old Wendy who lives with her Aunt Maggie  and brother Matt after her mother tried to kill her when she was six. Not surprisingly, after a traumatic childhood, Wendy has ‘issues’ and finds it hard to fit in. As a consequence, her family has moved around a lot and as we meet her, she is once again the new girl in school. The story is told from Wendy’s point of view and I enjoyed that she knows she’s different but as the novel starts, doesn’t really understand why although she’s beginning to notice that she has some special abilities. Wendy finds herself drawn to mysterious new boy Finn and it soon becomes clear that he holds the key to finding out who she really is.  Switched is predominantly the story of Wendy’s discovery that she is a Trylle and what this means for her future. I enjoyed following Wendy on her voyage of discovery and despite her supposed ‘issues’, I found her a likeable character, if a little immature for her almost eighteen years.

If you’d told me I’d be so gripped by a book about Trolls I probably wouldn’t have believed you but I couldn’t put this book down. I can certainly see why it has been a huge hit. The story gives an original spin to the Troll folklore and feels fresh and magical at the same time. As a mum I wondered if I could enjoy a story about babies being switched at birth and if I’m completely honest, that part of the story didn’t sit very well with me at the beginning but as the book progressed the ‘switch’ element was explored from a number of angles with Wendy often voicing my thoughts about the changeling practice and and I found myself more intrigued as to how it would all play out than anything else.

The romance element to the story is good with several possible love interests popping up and dramatic events when Wendy realises who she really wants to be with! Hocking has created a detailed fantasy world in the Forening, with its own royalty and strict hierarchies. She has also created the requisite darker Trylle, The Vittra who are determined to use Wendy to thier own ends. Switched is fast paced and at just under 300 pages, the story has a huge amount packed into it meaning that I didn’t want to put it down. Amanda and the Trylle have a new fan in me and I can’t wait to add Torn and Ascend to my shelves in March and April!

4/5

Switched is released today and I’d like to thank Bea at Thinkjam for sending me a review copy.

You can find out more about Amanda Hocking and her books on her blog at: http://www.amandahocking.blogspot.com/ and at http://www.panmacmillan.com/author/amandahocking where you can find an extract from Switched.

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

I actually read this book on Christmas Eve last year but I didn’t get chance to review it. It is such a fun and romantic Christmas read though that I had to review it this year. Dash and Lily is co-written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, authors of hits that include Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist which has been made into a film. This is the first of their novels that I’ve read but I love the way their writing partnership works.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of the two main characters. Both tell their tale in the first person and both are immediately very real and vibrant characters that jump off the page. They are also complete opposites, something which is brought out immediately in their feelings towards the festive season; Dash hates Christmas, dismissing its commercialism, the crowds and schmaltz. Lily on the other hand loves it so much so that she’s set up her own carol group

Given their differences and the huge city they live in, Dash and Lily might never have met had it not been for the red notebook left in their favourite bookshop (the famous Strand Bookstore). The story starts on December 21st and runs through to New Years Eve with Dash and Lily taking an entertaining romp through New York city connected (at least initially) only by the red notebook where they construct an elaborate treasure hunt leaving clues for each other, swapping notes and daring each other into all manner of often humorous escapades across the city (Dash’s trip to Macy’s being one of my favourite parts).

Aided by a lovely cast of family and friends both young and old, Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares is a sweet offbeat romantic comedy. I especially loved Lily’s wealthy Great-aunt Ida with her pearls of wisdom. But as much as this is a book about a potential romance between two New York teenagers it is also a book about books, words and language and I loved the way they were worked into the story which left me wanting to wander the aisles of the Strand bookstore again as soon as possible!

I love books and stories that have an element of serendipity or fate to them and Dash and Lily has this in buckets. It’s also set in my favourite city so there’s a lot to love about it for me. This is a young adult book but I’d recommend it to readers and book lovers of all ages looking for a quick quirky and above all romantic Christmas read and I hope to read more by both authors in the future.

4/5

You can find out more about David Levithan and his books at: http://www.davidlevithan.com/

You can find out more about Rachel Cohn and her books at: http://www.rachelcohn.com/

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares is available in paperback (link goes to amazon.co.uk)

I loved the cover for Amy Plum’s debut Die for Me and I like this one even better (sapphire blue is my favourite colour!).

Until I Die is released on 3rd May 2012. The synopsis hasn’t been released yet but check out Amy’s gorgeous blog for news as it is released: http://www.amyplumbooks.com/

September has to be the quickest month to pass of the year so far. It was all a bit of a blur of sleepless nights and nappy changes for me but I did find time to read six books and post the odd review I also took part in Talli Roland’s If I Could Be Anyone, I’d Be…’ online launch party! and ran three giveaways!

The books I read were:

Book of the Month September

Star Struck by Jane Lovering

Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes by Sue Watson

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

(Un)like A Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes

Persuade Me by Juliet Archer

Netherwood by Jane Sanderson

My book of the month for September is (Un)like a Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes because I absolutely loved lead character Gracie Flowers and her story left me with a big smile on my face!

The three most popular reviews in September were:

(Un)like A Virgin by Lucy-Anne Holmes, Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes by Sue Watson, Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

Searches bringing most people to One More Page were for Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance, From Notting Hill With Love …Actually by Ali McNamara and A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness which came out in paperback this month.

October is already flying by and I have a brilliant pile of books lined up to be read and reviewed including the latest and penultimate installment in the Blue Bloods series, Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz; the highly anticipated new novel from Jeffrey Eugenides The Marriage Plot and two gorgeous Christmas stories; The Night Before Christmas by debut author Scarlett Bailey and Wrapped up in You by Carole Matthews. I’m really excited to be taking part in the blog tour for Wrapped Up In You at the end of the month so look out for that!

Though it’s only October, I’m also starting to plan posts for my Countdown to Christmas which is my book blogger version of an advent calendar with a Christmas-themed post every day from December 1st to 24th. I did the countdown last year and it was great fun but I’m hoping to make it bigger and better this year. As well as reviews of Christmassy books I’ll have book-inspired gift suggestions, Christmas-themed interviews, giveaways and guest posts. I’m looking for contributors so if you are an author, publisher or fellow blogger and you’d like to take part, drop me an email at: onemorepageamanda@gmail.com

Happy autumn reading!

There are so many fab new releases coming this month that I’ve had a terrible time narrowing down my ‘hot picks’ choices but here are the seven books that I’m planning to add to my shelves in September.

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland
E-book Released September, Paperback November
Published by Prospera Publishing
Website: http://www.talliroland.com

I loved Talli’s debut novel The Hating Game and have been looking forward to her next release for a long time! Look out for the official online launch ‘If I Could Be Anyone, I’d Be…’ party! on September 14th:

For Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father’s antique shop and nights watching TV, as the pension-aged residents of Britain’s Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when a YouTube video of Willow’s epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation gets millions of hits after a viewer spots Marilyn’s ghostly image in a frame.

Instantly, Willow’s town is overrun with fans flocking to see the ‘new Marilyn’. Egged on by the villagers — whose shops and businesses are cashing in — Willow embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and ramming herself full of cakes to achieve Marilyn’s legendary curves.

But when a former flame returns seeking the old Willow, Willow must decide: can she risk her stardom and her village’s newfound fortune on love, or is being Marilyn her ticket to happiness?

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Released 5th September
Published by Bloomsbury
Website: http://bloomsbury.com

I’ll be indulging my interest in Greek mythology with this one – it sounds brilliant!

Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles.

Achilles, ‘best of all the Greeks’, is everything Patroclus is not – strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess – and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative companionship gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’s mother Thetis, a cruel and deathly pale sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

Unlike a Virgin by Lucy Ann Holmes
Released 15th September
Published by Sphere
Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Britain-Sings/162133383864884?sk=wall

I’m reading and thoroughly enjoying this one at the moment  – laugh out loud funny; Gracie Flowers is fab!

Is Gracie in love for the very first time? You know that bit in The X Factor, when the singer tells everyone about the rocky road they travelled to pursue their dream? Well, that’s Gracie Flowers’ story. Gracie is very focused for a woman of almost twenty-six. Her favourite book is ‘The 5-Year Plan: Making the Most of Your Life’. And her five-year plan is going very well. That is, until she is usurped from her big promotion by a handsome, posh idiot; she is dumped by her boyfriend; and discovers her loopy mother is facing bankruptcy. Hormones awry and ice cream over-ordered, a dream Gracie thought she’d buried ten years ago starts to resurface. A dream that reminds her of the girl she used to be and everything she wanted to become.

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
Released 15th September
Published by Simon and Schuster
Website: http://www.philippagregory.com/work/plantaganet/the-lady-of-the-rivers/

Philippa Gregory is one of my favourite historical fiction authors and this is another book that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time; the story of Jacquetta, mother of Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen and the third book in The Cousin’s War Series.

Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou’s close friend and a Lancaster supporter – until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines.

The Very Picture of You by Isabel Wolff
Released 15th September
Published by Harper Collins
Website: http://www.isabelwolff.com/

I’ve been a fan of Isabel Wolff since I read The Trials of Tiffany Trott many years ago so I’m really looking forward to her latest release.

Ella Graham is a portrait painter, whose luminous and insightful likenesses are beginning to gain her widespread recognition. But when her younger sister, Chloe, asks her to paint her American fiance, Nate, as a wedding present, Ella is dismayed. She loathes Nate, and she distrusts him – painting him is the last thing she’d like to do. But Ella wants to make her fragile sister happy, and so she puts aside her misgivings and reluctantly accepts. As they start to spend time together in the intimacy of the studio, Ella realises that there is more to Nate than meets the eye.

At the same time Ella is learning about her other sitters’ lives: there’s an elderly widow with a wartime secret, a beautiful French woman who’s dreading turning forty, and a handsome politician who has a confession to make. Then, out of the blue, comes a message from Ella’s father John, who abandoned her and her mother when Ella was five.

In the meantime Chloe is planning her dream wedding: and as the day draws ever nearer Ella realises, to her horror, that she is falling in love with the one man she shouldn’t. She now faces a choice: to tear her family apart by revealing her secret, or to let the wedding tear her apart instead…

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Released 15th September
Published by Harvill Secker
Website: www.nightcircus.co.uk

Magic, mystery and romance – what more could you want?

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Rêves delights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire.

Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the rêveurs – the dreamers. At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter’s daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer’s apprentice. At the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of the imagination, and of their love…

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Released 29th September
Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
Website: http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com

I’m very excited about Maureen Johnson’s new series set in London.

Sixteen-year-old American girl Rory has just arrived at boarding school in London when a Jack the Ripper copycat-killer begins terrorising the city. All the hallmarks of his infamous murders are frighteningly present, but there are few clues to the killer’s identity.

“Rippermania” grabs hold of modern-day London, and the police are stumped with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. In an unknown city with few friends to turn to, Rory makes a chilling discovery…

Could the copycat murderer really be Jack the Ripper back from the grave?

Which new releases are you most looking forward to this month?

Today I’m very excited to be interviewing Keris Stainton. Keris started out as a blogger and has fully embraced Twitter with a brilliant online presence. Earlier this year she set up Authors for Japan in response to the devastation caused by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami raising over £12,000 in the process. On top of that she’s Mum to two gorgeous boys and author of two fab young adult novels; Della Says OMG which came out last year and her latest release Jessie Hearts NYC.

Amanda: Jessie is your second young adult novel; why did you decide to write for this audience?

Amanda: How does it feel to have your second book published and if your sixteen year old self was reading it what do you think she’d say?

Keris: A love letter to New York, first love and fate. And food. There’s lots of food.

Keris: Oh wow. My ideal day. Um, it would start with breakfast in a diner – maybe the Tick Tock Diner on 8th Avenue, which I’ve been meaning to go to for years, but still haven’t managed. I’d eat enough to keep me going until mid-afternoon (in theory) and then I’d get on a bus tour. I’ve been to New York five times and so shouldn’t really keep doing the touristy things, but I love ‘em. The bus tours are great and such an easy and entertaining way to get around. I’d get off in Greenwich Village and have a wander and then I might have a mooch around Central Park before popping to Serendipity III for a frozen hot chocolate mid-afternoon. I’d have to go to Top of the Rock again because it’s just so glamorous and gorgeous and then if there was one showing I’d see a film in Bryant Park and eat a picnic tea from WichCraft. Would a martini and oysters at Grand Central Station be too much late at night? (Would they even still be serving?) It’s my perfect day, so let’s pretend they are. And then a cab back to Hotel on Rivington, which I’ve been gazing at online for a few years now. I’d like this room please.

Keris: If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz, which inspired the character of Finn. Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys, which inspired me to write when I couldn’t get going. New York by They Might Be Giants, which is just perfect for Jessie and Finn’s story: “But the best thing about New York City is you and me.”

Amanda: Jessie and Finn’s story is so romantic; who are your favourite literary romantic hero and heroine and why?

Keris: Oh I’m going to be boring again and go with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy. “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” Just perfectly swoonworthy.

Amanda: I agree! Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing?

Keris: My favourite YA author is Meg Cabot. I’m not sure how she’s influenced my writing but I love her enthusiasm, support of other writers, and outrageous range of ideas. My favourite adult author is Armistead Maupin. His Tales of the City series got me through a very difficult time in my life.

Amanda: And finally … what can we expect next from Keris Stainton?

Keris: I’m afraid I can’t say yet … but almost certainly romantic locations and hot boys will be involved.

Can’t wait! Thanks Keris and good luck with your next projects!

You can follow Keris on Twitter @Keris and find out more about Keris and her books at: http://www.keris-stainton.com/

Here are my August wish list choices – everything from romance to sci-fi next month! What are you looking forward to reading?

Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance
Released 4th August
Published by Simon and Schuster
Website: http://www.rebeccachance.net/

Rebecca Chance is a new author for me but I think this sounds like a great read!

Three ambitious, rivalrous sisters. And a deadly secret, which one of them is determined to keep buried at any cost …Deeley is the fake wife of a Hollywood TV hunk, who is secretly gay. But Deeley’s five-year contract is up, and his cut-throat publicist wants Deeley out. So, dejected and penniless, Deeley wends her way home to London, hoping to re-establish links with her two estranged elder sisters …Devon is married to the nation’s-favourite-rugby-hunk Matt, and has her own highly successful TV career, as the sexy hostess of her own cookery show. But behind her buxom facade, Devon is lonely and frustrated, and when a live celebrity cook-off shows her up as a fraud, she leaves sweet Matt and runs off to Tuscany, to learn a few lessons – not just in cookery – from an Italian master. Lastly, there’s Maxie: a politician’s wife, Maxie is fiercely ambitious. She’s furious when Deeley, hard on her luck, sells the sisters’ childhood story to a tabloid newspaper, revealing their impoverished roots and unsavoury parentage. The story undermines Maxie’s carefully cultivated image, and the fallout threatens to be devastating. But Maxie is only too aware that there is much more Deeley could yet reveal. What murderous secret lies in the sisters’ past? And just how far will Maxie go to keep it buried?

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
Released 4th August
Published by Piatkus Books
Website: http://www.eloisajames.com/

Combining two of my favourites; fairytales and the Regency period, this is the first in a series of classic fairytales reworked and sounds like a fun read.

Miss Kate Daltry doesn’t believe in fairy tales …or happily ever after. Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince, and decides he’s anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman – a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfil his ruthless ambitions. Gabriel likes his fiancee, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn’t love her, and knows, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him. Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after – unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

What You Don’t Know by Lizzie Enfield
Released 18th August
Published by Headline Review
Website: http://www.headline.co.uk/

I love the cover for this book and the synopsis has me really intrigued!

You’ve been together for fifteen years. You’ve got two gorgeous kids and a great career. All the boxes are ticked. You wouldn’t be tempted by a plain, slightly balding man called Graham… Would you?

When Graham Parks walks into Helen Collins’ life, the last thing she expects is to fall for him. He’s nothing like her handsome, successful husband, Alex.

But fifteen years is a long time and Helen can’t help wondering what it would be like to sleep with someone else. Has Alex secretly been thinking the same thing? As harmless flirtation develops into something far more complicated, Helen’s perfect world begins to look shaky.

It’s exciting, alluring, all-consuming. But is it worth the risk?

Idol by Carrie Duffy
Released 18th August
Published by Harper
Website: http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/Titles/63189/idol-carrie-duffy-9780007421503

It was cover love at first sight for me when I saw Idol so it had to go on my wishlist!

Meet Jenna Jonsson and Sadie Laine: two gorgeous, glamorous twenty-somethings fighting to make it to the top of their chosen professions. Beautiful and talented, Jenna is an international pop star, determined to take her career to the next level. And when a chance meeting leads to an opportunity for Jenna to work with world-famous rock band Phoenix, Jenna is quick to agree – although her decision is somewhat influenced by Nick Taylor, the drummer with Phoenix and the most gorgeous man Jenna has ever met…Meanwhile, Sadie is a struggling dancer and a childhood rival of Jenna’s. Ambitious and passionate, she is determined to fulfil her dreams. And a move to Las Vegas yields an unmissable career opportunity and a chance at true love.Jenna and Sadie’s lives are about to collide but will sparks fly? Or will they be able to put the past behind them?

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
Released 23rd August
Published by Michael Joseph
Website: http://www.iamnumberfour.co.uk/

I read I Am Number Four last year and had really mixed feelings about it but I can’t resist finding out what happens next.

We are the last defence.

I’ve seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened to John Smith. To the world he’s a mystery, but to me … he’s one of us. Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us, if we all still believe in our mission.

There are six of us left. We’re hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another, but our Legacies are developing and soon we’ll be ready to fight. Is John Number Four – and is his appearance the sign I’ve been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who might be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio … and failed. I am Number Seven. And I’m ready to fight.

Here are my six ‘hot picks’ from the July releases:

The Raising by Laura Kasischke
Released 1st July
Published by Corvus
Website: http://www.corvus-books.co.uk/

This book sounds so intriguing – I can’t wait to read it!

A sudden death.
In Godwin Honors Hall, the walls are draped in black. The college is in mourning for Nicole Werner, a blonde and beautiful prom queen who died in a car crash last semester. She was a straight-A student, and a prized member of the Virgin Sisters, the most powerful sorority on campus.

A feverish obsession.
Nicole’s boyfriend Craig was at the wheel that night. He has no memory of the crash, but he is plagued by guilt. For as winter sets in and the nights darken, Nicole’s death dominates college life. Candlelit vigils and fetishistic rituals become nightly events –and then the hauntings begin.

A flicker of suspicion.
Craig’s roommate, Perry, doesn’t believe in ghosts. A no-nonsense type who always thought Nicole was as manipulative as she was charming, he refuses to be swept up by the hysteria. But when he and his fellow sceptics join forces, he too sees Nicole’s spirit in the crumbling college halls.

Something very strange is going on…

David by Mary Hoffman
Released 4th July
Published by Bloomsbury
Website: http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/

I haven’t read anything by Mary Hoffman before but I intend to change that with David!

Michelangelo’s statue of David is renowned all over the world. Thousands flock to Florence to admire the artistry behind this Renaissance masterpiece, and to admire the beauty of the human form captured in the marble. But the identity of the model for this statue that has been so revered for over five hundred years has been lost . . .

In this epic story Mary Hoffman uses her persuasive narrative skills to imagine the story of Gabriele, an eighteen-year-old who, by becoming Michelangelo’s model, finds himself drawn into a world of spies, politicking, sabotage and murder. Set against the backdrop of Florence, this is a rich, colourful and thrilling tale.

All For You by Sheila O’Flanagan
Released 7th July
Published by Headline
Website: http://www.sheilaoflanagan.net/

I really enjoyed Sheila’s last book, Stand By Me and this one sounds like another great read.

As TV’s favourite weather forecaster, Lainey is good at making predictions. But what she doesn’t foresee is that her own life is about to hit a stormy patch. With a string of failed relationships behind her, surely history isn’t about to repeat itself with her beloved Ken? To add fuel to the fire, her estranged mother announces that she’s returning to Dublin. Deanna has always been dismissive of Lainey’s choices – particularly in men. And Deanna’s lectures are the last thing Lainey needs now.

Yet is there more to her mother than she knows? Uncovering some long-concealed family secrets, Lainey begins to reassess her life. Is the happy-ever-after she’s always dreamed of really what she wants after all?

California Dreamers by Belinda Jones
Released 21st July
Published by Hodder
Website: http://www.belindajones.com/

I’ve always wanted to go to California and I loved Belinda’s last book Living La Vida Loca. This sounds like an ideal summer read.

Ever wished you could make-over your life?

Make-up artist Stella is an expert at helping other people change their images, but when it comes to transforming herself, she doesn’t even know where to start.

So when her new friend, glamorous Hollywood actress Marina Ray, summons her a movie set in California, Stella can’t resist the chance to start afresh – it is the land of sunshine and opportunity after all!

But are they really friends or does Marina have an ulterior motive? What is the secret that both women are hiding about the nautical (but nice) men in their lives? And what will it take to really make both of their California dreams come true?

Baby Be Mine by Paige Toon
Released 21st July
Published by Simon and Schuster
Website: http://authors.simonandschuster.co.uk/Paige-Toon/62701361

I don’t really need to say much more about this do I? I’ve been looking forward to the release of this book for so long!

‘He’s not mine, is he?’
That’s the question I fear the most.
You see, I have a secret. My son is not fathered by my boyfriend, but by one of the most famous rock stars that ever lived. And he doesn’t even know it.
One-time celebrity personal assistant to wild boy of rock Johnny Jefferson, Meg Stiles is now settled and living in the south of France with her doting boyfriend Christian and their son Barney. But they’re living a lie – a lie that will turn their lives upside down and inside out – because as Barney reaches his first birthday, Meg can no longer deny that her son is growing to look more and more like his rock star father every day, and less and less like Christian, and sooner or later, the world is going to realise . . .

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
Released 26th July
Published by Atom
Website: http://www.andreacremer.com/

Another eagerly awaited sequel (to Nightshade) – I can’t wait to find out what happens next to Calla, Ren and Shay!

‘You’re an alpha, a leader. That’s what we need. It’s what we’ve always needed.’ When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. Then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save her pack – and the boy – she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? Will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials love can endure.