Release date - 11th January 2018
Book length - 432 pages Publisher - Avon Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sabah from Avon Books UK for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. I also want to thank S.D. Robertson for providing an excellent guest post which you can read further on. ABOUT THE BOOK They’ll always have each other…won’t they? Lisa and Elliot have been best friends ever since the day they met as children. Popular, bright and sporty, Lisa was Elliot’s biggest supporter when the school bullies made his life a misery, and for that, he will always be grateful. Twenty years later, life has pulled the pair apart and Lisa is struggling. Her marriage is floundering, her teenage kids are being secretive, and she’s so tired she can’t think straight. So when Elliot knocks on the door, looking much better than she remembers, she can’t help but be delighted to see her old friend again. With Elliot back in their lives, Lisa’s family problems begin to improve – he’s like the fairy godmother she never had. As their bond deepens, she realises how much she’s missed him, and prays that this is one friendship that will last a lifetime. But sometimes, life has other ideas… A heartwarming story perfect for fans of Keith Stewart and Jojo Moyes, that will leave you with a tear in your eye but hope in your heart. MY REVIEW So the award for the first book in 2018 to make me cry goes to STAND BY ME by S.D. Robertson. What a beautifully written, heartwarming and emotional story about the importance of friendship and family. When Lisa moved house as a child all those years ago she never realised that it would bring such a special friendship with it. But it did and as she grew up, Elliot played such a huge part in her life, and her in his. Now twenty years later, Lisa may not have seen much of Elliot since he moved halfway around the world years ago, but she has never forgotten her best friend. Especially now when her life seems to be falling apart at the seams. Her marriage is floundering ever since the incident, and her kids have become more serious and seem to be hiding something. Lisa could do with Elliot's advice. And just like that, he appears on her doorstep for he will always be there for the best friend who saved him so many times during their childhood. With Elliot's arrival comes fresh hope as he slots perfectly into their lives and seems to know exactly what to do and say to make things easier. But Elliot cannot stay forever ... can he? This amazing story completely sucked me in from the very first page and didn't let me up for air until the very end. Be prepared to laugh, smile, and sob, as you fall in love with these characters. The story moves from past to present so that we can see the depth of Lisa and Elliot's friendship which really conveys to the reader just how beautiful and caring their love for each other is. Lisa's life is stressful and as Elliot does his best to bring her fragmented family back together you cannot help but wonder what will happen if Elliot must leave. STAND BY ME by S.D. Robertson is a superb tale of love, loss, and the value of real friends who will do anything for those they love. An outstanding novel that deserves to be read far and wide. I'm a forever fan of S.D. Robertson after finishing this novel. Author Bio: Former journalist S.D. Robertson quit his role as a local newspaper editor to pursue a lifelong ambition of becoming a novelist. An English graduate from the University of Manchester, he’s also worked as a holiday rep, door-to-door salesman, train cleaner, kitchen porter and mobile phone network engineer. Over the years Stuart has spent time in France, Holland and Australia, but home these days is back in the UK. He lives in a village near Manchester with his wife and daughter. There’s also his cat, Bernard, who likes to distract him from writing – usually by breaking things. For more information: Website - www.sdrobertsonauthor.com/p/home_28.html Twitter - twitter.com/SDRauthor Facebook - www.facebook.com/sdrobertsonauthor/] READ ON FOR A FASCINATING GUEST POST ABOUT MAKING CHARACTERS COME ALIVE ... How to Breathe Life into Your Characters by S.D. Robertson A novel’s two most important ingredients, in my opinion, are plot and characters. As a reader, the books that usually get my attention are the ones that give equal weight to both of these things. I always find that a tight, gripping plot is made infinitely better when enacted by a set of strong, believable characters. I need to care about what happens to these people. I need to feel something every time they appear; the stronger that emotion, the better. It could be love, hate, fear or sympathy: whatever it takes to warrant investing time in their story. So that’s me with my reading hat on. As an author, I try to approach my own novels in the same way. What would I think of this if I was the person reading it? That’s what I ask myself over and over again as I’m working on a book, both at writing and editing stages. In terms of my characters, I always try to imagine them as real people. I like to have a mental picture of them in my mind right from when they first appear in the narrative, and I build on this as the plot develops. That way, when they need to make a decision or react to something that’s happened, it’s far easier to imagine what they – rather than I – would do. I find it really helpful to write out character profiles, which I add to as I go along. These include all sorts of little details: appearance, backstory, temperament, manner of speaking, interests etc. The way they talk to one another is also crucial. As in real life, when different people speak in different ways, it helps if your characters can do the same. One person might use very short sentences and get straight to the point, for example; another may be fond of descriptive words or more complex phrases, having a tendency to waffle. There could even be a social chameleon that alters their manner of speech to suit different audiences. Perhaps one character has an accent of some sort. However, I’d advise caution before attempting to reproduce a specific dialect in too much detail on the page. This can be tricky to pull off in a successful and consistent way. It risks being an unnecessary distraction that is annoying or confusing to read. The repeated use of a mannerism, which could be anything from a certain way of speaking to a gesture, may prove a better way of making one character stand out from another. Choosing figures with a varied range of ages, personalities and social backgrounds will also help. Whatever you choose to do in terms of dialogue, be sure to read out loud what you’ve written in order to check that it sounds authentic. And remember that apart from those whose perspectives you write through, the things that your characters say and do are the key windows that we have into their souls. So as a novelist, you really need to make them count. MY THANKS AGAIN TO S.D. ROBERTSON AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!
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WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
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