Friday, July 5, 2013

Blog Tour: The Runaway Year - Excerpt and Giveaway


Title: The Runaway Year

Author: Shani Struthers

Release date: July 2, 2013

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Contemporary romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours: http://atomrbookblogtours.com/



Dumped by her hotshot boyfriend and boss, Layla Lewis quits her job and heads to Trecastle to house-sit for a friend. Trecastle isn’t new to her; it’s a place where she holidayed regularly with her now-estranged mother. It’s also the home of Hannah McKenzie,her childhood friend. Hannah has tempted her with a place to live and a job in the local pub. Needing time to nurse her battered heart and escape her "real life" for a year, Layla accepts.

Hannah is a talented artist as well as a barmaid. She lives in the village center with her boyfriend Jim, a singer in a local band. They are happy together, or as happy they can be, considering. Hannah loves Jim, but there is someone she loves more: her old boyfriend Joseph Scott, who is also Jim’s best friend and soon to be Layla’s neighbor.

Meanwhile, Layla's fiery yet loyal friend Penny seeks revenge on her behalf, sending a forged email that could damage her ex's business prospects. Penny wonders if she has gone too far but is soon preoccupied with her own problems: the sizzle has fizzled in her marriage, and she feels neglected. After getting frisky with Dylan one night, she confesses all to her husband—and he’s been like ice ever since.
Over the course of a year, there is laughter and heartache as all three endeavor to reign in their love lives—discovering you can run all you like, but you just can’t hide.


Chapter 1 – Excerpt 1
“You’ve done what?” said Penny, choking on her pinot grigio.
“I’ve left, walked out, told her to stick it,” repeated Layla, biting down hard on her lip.
“Told who to stick it?”
“Hazel, of course. I told her to stick her job where the sun don’t shine.” Layla leaned forward in an almost conspiratorial manner. “Honestly, you should have seen her face—what a picture!”
“Oh, God!” said Penny, her jaw dropping. “I don’t believe it.”
And, in truth, Layla could hardly believe it either.
At precisely 6:05 p.m., she had marched up to Hazel Smith, Marketing Manager of Easy Travel Holiday Company and all-round dragon of the department, and told her, in no uncertain terms what she had decided only five minutes earlier: she was relinquishing her role as marketing executive. Why? She couldn’t bear the thought of Alex, her boss and former lover, returning in the morning from his so-called “work” trip to Florida with office assistant, Sarah-Jane Johnson. Layla had rent due at the end of the month, numerous bills outstanding, and now, due to her self-imposed unemployment, barely any money to pay them.
“Look, Layla, I know you’ve been through a lot lately, but a job’s a job. There aren’t many of them around at the moment. Go back. Hazel might still be there. Tell her you didn’t mean what you said, you were having an off day. Blame it on hormones. No one ever questions hormones.”
“But I do mean it,” said Layla, the cozy confines of their favorite after-work pub beginning to feel really quite stifling. “I can’t be there when he gets back. I just can’t. Anyway, you know what Hazel’s like; I’ve told you often enough. She’d never let me waltz back in as though nothing’s happened. Not after what I said to her.”
Penny was stumped. Layla could almost see her brain whirring away, searching frantically but failing to find the words that would inspire her to stay and stand her ground, to face up to Mr. Big Boss Man and demand his explanation for dumping her so callously.
Watching her friend struggle and feeling increasingly guilty at being the cause, Layla placed a hand on Penny’s arm. “Don’t worry, Pen, I’ll be fine. Whatever happens, I’ll be okay.”
“Really?” said Penny, clearly not taken in at all.
“Really,” said Layla, avoiding Penny’s eyes entirely.
One of those rare creatures—a true Brightonian—Shani was born and bred in the sunny seaside town of Brighton on the UK’s south-coast. One of the first literary conundrums she had to deal with was her own name: Shani can be pronounced in a variety of ways, but in this instance, it’s Shay-nee not Shar-ney or Shan-ni, although she does indeed know a Shanni—just to confuse matters further! Hobbies include reading, writing, eating, and drinking—all four of which keep her busy enough. After graduating from Sussex University with a degree in English and American Literature, Shani landed a job at a well-known holiday company. Although employed as a Brochure Production Executive, she promptly reinvented herself as a Copywriter, a new position they were happy (if a tad bewildered) to concede to. At twenty-four, Shani became a freelance copywriter and has been one ever since, in-between writing novels, that is. Contemporary romance The Runaway Year is her first book and set between Brighton and North Cornwall, the latter a home-from-home for Shani, her husband, and three lovely kids. She also has a penchant for Glastonbury, another magical place, and don’t even get her started on Scotland—we’d be here all day!
(10) eBook copies of The Runaway Year - international 
(1) Swag Bag includes
Postcards of places mentioned in TRY (can message and sign them?)
A coaster with Gull Rock on.
Brighton Rock (of course!!)
A beautiful polished shell from a Cornish gift shop (and hopefully from a Cornish beach too!!!)
Fairy dust (so you can make like the Smoke Fairies and sprinkle some magic into your life)



a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can follow the tour to see reviews, guest posts, and excerpts by clicking the button below


3 comments:

  1. Love the cover. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  2. Thanks so much for featuring me on your lovely blog Rose - and Shirl, glad you like the cover, I do too, it's all gorgeous and sunshiney! Living in Britain, we're not having too much sun at the mo (although today is glorious). Whenever I need a fix tho I just look at the cover and I feel all summery again! xxx

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  3. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BOOK AND THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY!SHELLEY S. calicolady60@hotmail.com

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