31 December 2019

A YEAR IN NORWAY



How has your 2019 been, lover? I have spent a lot of time cleaning dog poo out of toddler wellies, so there's that 😬. One lady I know, however, has had a million more adventures!

Interiors designer Marit, from Norway, was so inspired when she read the Norwegian edition of my book The Year of Saying Yes that she's spent the past year following in Izzy's footsteps! "My life is full of everyday duties. I needed some more adventure and excitement in my life and was up for some challenges," she tells me.

So she wrote to Kamille, a glossy Norwegian mag, and pitched the idea. If you haven't read The Year of Saying Yes, journalist Izzy spends her New Year's Eve spectacularly failing at life and trundles back to London the next day feeling super miffed. She writes a list of boring New Year's resolutions and suddenly everyone at her magazine's first editorial meeting is talking about how they, too, have vowed to say no to things. But surely a new year should be all about saying yes to fresh adventure, rather than no to muffins? Suddenly the editor asks her to try 12 new things in 12 months and so begins Izzy's journey of a lifetime.

Back to Norway, and Kamille magazine loved the idea of Marit doing something similar for them. She adds: "I was so ready to step out of my ordinary life from time to time and try something new."

Just like Izzy, Marit has spent the past year stepping out of her comfort zone with challenges like...

Slam poetry (in which she wrote and performed a deeply personal poem for her father), going vegan, caring for a poorly little girl, visiting a recycling plant, nude bathing (which made her giggle), volunteering at a soup kitchen, giving a lecture to 200 women and so much more.

Throughout 2019 Marit has kept me updated on her progress and I have absolutely LOVED hearing all about her adventures.

She says: "You don't know what might happen when you get out of your comfort zone. Maybe you'll meet new people who will mean a lot to you, or learn something new that leads you in a new direction in life, or maybe you'll grow in confidence because you dared to try something new. You never know until you try!"

I'm bowled over by these words and wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Marit for being so brave, and for dedicating an entire year to this challenge. I'm so in awe of all the things you have done!

Thanks also to Kamille magazine for loving the idea and everyone in Norway who has read the book. Tusen takk! And I hope your 2020 is just as exciting.



More book chat...

> The Year of Saying Yes
> One Hot Summer in Booksville
> Just My Type
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17 December 2019

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...



🤶 Faux pearl hair clips from Zara which I'll get tonnes of use out of while wiping mud off my kids at the park

🤶 All the luxurious bathroom products so 2020 Hannah smells divine

🤶 A happy, healthy family

🤶 A feature commission in which I spend the next two months travelling the world while reviewing all the best spa hotels (possibly unrealistic)

🤶 Reviews for Just My Type and GUESS WHAT! You could help me with this one! Have you read it? Did you love it? I would be so chuffed if you took the time to give it a little festive review on Amazon.

Reviews are super important to us authors, first and foremost because they are an incredible way to connect with readers. I love to hear your opinions on the characters I've written and the dramas they get involved in. So if I know that you like something, I can totally focus on that! Want more fabulous female friendships? More travel? More romance? Less romance? Tell me and I shall deliver.

Also, reviews make our publishers happy, which is a bit like presenting your child's teacher with a prosecco at the end of the year. Never a bad thing.

If you want to be an absolute treat and send some festive cheer my way, please do drop a quick review of Just My Type on Amazon. And if you haven't bought it yet, it's currently £3.99 and the perfect laugh-out-loud read for your holidays.

Happy Christmas Elves! 
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19 November 2019

TREAT YO-SHELF



HELLO! This never-ever-ending rain is fun, isn't it? I've been hibernating with all the books and thought I'd share my latest favourites with you. If you like the sound of them then you too could... treat yo-shelf.

Shall we move swiftly on from that, the world's worst pun? Let's.

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1 October 2019

LIFE LESSONS FROM MY HIGH SCHOOL DIARY



On the hunt for some school photos for a friend's hen do recently, I uncovered a couple of old diaries in the process and OH how they made me laugh. It was an absolute joy to be transported back to teenage life!

Here are some life lessons 17-year-old Hannah has brought to my attention...

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30 July 2019

THREE BRILLIANT BOOKS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP



MATES. Where would we be without our best mates? It's World Friendship Day and though official days for stuff are obviously ridiculous, I'm never not on board with an extra reason to celebrate the wonderful women in our lives.

These babes, pictured above, are the sisters I got to choose. They are the cheese on my taco and the jam in my doughnut.* I love them so thoroughly that even the many miles between us can't dampen my ardour.

Friendship's a powerful thing, isn't it? And there are some fabulous books celebrating exactly that, so I've rounded up some of my favourites. Check out these little gems...

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29 April 2019

LITTLE GREEN KITCHEN


Recently my sons have been "getting into cooking". At two point five, this involves brandishing spatulas and creating Heston-style culinary masterpieces in their mini kitchen. "IT'S A SAUSAGE PANCAKE."

So this new cookbook from the couple behind blog Green Kitchen Stories, designed specifically to get children involved in the kitchen, arrived right on time and I was instantly impressed with Luise and David's honesty.

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18 April 2019

JUST MY TYPE


Just in time for the long weekend. Just waiting to jump on your Kindle right this instant. Just My Type is finally here!

*do a little dance / make a little love*

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10 March 2019

MY STORMY SUNDAY READING LIST

It's absolutely chucking it down! It's a bit drizzly. There's a least one cloud in the sky and it looks a smidge menacing. Maybe it's even totally glorious outside but hey, a Sunday spent wrapped up in a good book is my kind of Sunday.

These three are my latest favourites and now that I've written them down, I realise that this post called also be called THREE BOOKS THAT BEGIN WITH 'THE', though that's maybe not so catchy?



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