Thursday, August 24, 2017

Summer Readers Circle: Romance author Helena Fairfax' Felicity at the Cross Hotel

Romance author Helena Fairfax joins the Readers Circle!

Hello and welcome to the Summer Readers Circle!

The days of Summer are counting down to the season of Fall, but our authors and readers are going strong with the Summer Readers Circle. I am delighted to welcome romance author and dear friend, Helena Fairfax to the circle this week. Helen has come all the way from England to join us.
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Helena has penned an entertaining romance set in the Lake District. Here's my review of this feel-good read.
MY REVIEW: Felicity at the Cross Hotel by J.Q. Rose
The book cover is correct. This IS truly a "feel good uplifting romance" but not just for the summer. This delightful story by Ms. Fairfax will brighten your day any time of the year. Felicity is not such a Pollyanna you tire of her character. Instead the author balances her light-hearted joyful personality with problems that could ruin anyone's day, even Felicity. The story's setting is a small hotel in the Lake District in England. I've only seen pictures, but it must be an area with beautiful landscapes and a romantic place to visit. After reading this book, I am adding a visit to the Lake District on my bucket list. Ms. Fairfax' way with words draws you right into the book and makes you care about the characters. At times I was so wrapped up in the story, I actually wanted to yell out some advice to them, especially Patrick Cross, a tortured soul. I would recommend this book to those who love romantic stories.
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And the good news is Felicity at the Cross Hotel is on special summer promo at 99p/99c until Thursday, August 31 only!
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Summer in the Beautiful Lake District, England by Helena Fairfax 

We don't always get the best of the weather here in the north of England, but when we do the sunny days are a treasure. The Lake District is in the north west of England, in the county of Cumbria. It has the deepest and largest lakes in England and has a lot of visitors in the summer (NB - the entire Lake District and all its lakes could fit in to just one of north America's Great Lakes!) Although the lakes and mountains are small compared to others, this is one of the most beautiful corners of England, and the Lakes have inspired some of the most romantic poetry and literature in the world. William Wordsworth – one of the most famous poets of the Romantic era – made the Lake District his home, calling it "the loveliest spot that man hath ever found". The Lakes are so popular now with tourists that I prefer to visit out of season, when it's quieter. The shining lakes, the green mountains, and the dramatic changes in weather in the Lake District make the perfect backdrop for a romance novel, and a visit there inspired my latest release. It's a shame that nowadays some parts of the Lake District are inundated with tourists, and the roads in summer are very often clogged. But it's only in recent times that the Lakes have become a tourist destination, and there are many quieter areas that have remained unchanged for centuries. Alone in this magnificent landscape, away from the traffic, you can't help but feel a part of a long, long history of the soil that stretches back thousands of years. Lots of people have fallen in love in this wonderful setting, but there are some exceptions. Bill Clinton was famously moved to propose to Hillary for the first time by the shores of Ennerdale Water, but she turned him down. Obviously there are some people who remain unmoved by the romance of the Lakes!
Ennerdale Water, scene of Bill Clinton's proposal 
Photo by Trevor Harris,via Wikimedia Commons 

Back of the Book: Felicity at the Cross Hotel by Helena Fairfax

Felicity at the Cross Hotel by Helena Fairfax
A feel good, uplifting romance for the summer

Will love blossom for Patrick Cross and Felicity Everdene, the hero and heroine of my novel? 
A quaint hotel in the Lake District. The Cross Hotel is the perfect getaway. Or is it? Felicity Everdene needs a break from the family business. Driving through the Lake District to the Cross Hotel, past the shining lake and the mountains, everything seems perfect. But Felicity soon discovers all is not well at the Cross Hotel … Patrick Cross left the village of Emmside years ago never intending to return, but his father has left him the family’s hotel in his will, and now he's forced to come back. With a missing barmaid, a grumpy chef, and the hotel losing money, the arrival of Felicity Everdene from the notorious Everdene family only adds to Patrick’s troubles. With so much to overcome, can Felicity and Patrick bring happiness to the Cross Hotel … and find happiness for themselves?

Felicity at the Cross Hotel is on special summer promo at 99p/99c until Thursday, August 31 only!
Click here to get the e-book now at amazon



 About Helena: 

Helena Fairfax is a British author who was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She's grown used to the cold now which is just as well, since these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town in the north of England, right next door to the windswept Yorkshire moors.
Romance author Helena Fairfax
Helena walks this romantic landscape every day with her rescue dog, finding it the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings. Subscribers to Helena's newsletter receive news of free stuff, competitions with prizes, gossip, and links to cool websites she's been looking at when she should have been writing.

Connect online with Helena:
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7 comments:

J.Q. Rose said...

Hi Helena, Thanks for joining in at the Summer Readers Circle. Are all of the locations in your book actual places in the Lake District?

Anonymous said...

Hi JQ, thanks so much for having me! I've been enjoying your summer series very much.
The locations in my book are fictional, but they're based on real places. Lake Emmswater is based on the real lake called Ullswater. Divers have told me that if you dive beneath the surface of Ullswater, the lake is tinged with green - and this is unique in the Lake District. I gave this tinge of green underwater to my fictional Emmswater. When the hero goes diving in the lake, it has a mystical appearance.

Marsha said...

Hey, JQ. I totally agree with your comment Helena's book is great not just for summer. So delightful. Love the heroine's feistyness. I've shared. :)

Helena Fairfax said...

Thanks so much for your kind comment, Marsha, and for sharing. Have a lovely weekend! x

J.Q. Rose said...

Thanks for sharing , Marsha!!

I remember your description of the lake in the book, Helena. What a magical place.

Misha Gerrick said...

Visiting Cumbria is on my bucket list too. It sounds like such a beautiful place. :-)

J.Q. Rose said...

Hello Misha, I hope you get a chance to visit Cumbria. Thank you for stopping in.

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