#BlogTour The Happiness List by Annie Lyons

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for The Happiness List by Annie Lyons. I have reviewed quite a few of her books and can honestly say she never disappoints. Lyons always delivers an emotional, solid and yet at times amusing read.

About the Author
 Having worked in the worlds of book selling and publishing, Annie Lyons decided to have a go at book writing. Following a creative writing course, lots of reading and an extraordinary amount of coffee, she produced Not Quite Perfect, which went on to become a number one bestseller. Her second book The Secrets Between Sisters was nominated in the best eBook category at the 2014 Festival of Romance and Life or Something Like It was a top ten bestseller.

Her book, The Choir on Hope Street, is a story of power ballads, community, cake and hope. She tries to write stories which make people laugh and cry, although hopefully not at the same time. Annie lives in a shambolic money-pit of a house with her husband and two children plus a cat, who she pretends not to like. She enjoys channelling her inner Adele as part of her own beloved community choir and trying to grow cauliflower. Her latest book, The Happiness List, was published on the 11th of July 2018.

Follow @1AnnieLyons or @HQDigital @HQStories
Visit annielyons.com or connect with Annie on Facebook
Buy The Happiness List

About the book
Life is about to change forever…

Heather is finally back on Hope Street after running from the memories for so long. She hasn’t bumped into many neighbours yet but with her upcoming wedding to plan there’s plenty to keep her busy!

Fran is still trying to get used to a life without her husband by her side. It’s hard enough raising two children on her own – she doesn’t have time to even think about dating…

Pamela is fed up with being taken for granted by her grown-up children and grumbling husband. She’s ready to shake things up a little, but will her family even notice?

So when the three women hear about a ‘happiness course’ starting on Hope Street, surely it’s the perfect opportunity to let their hair down, laugh with new friends and maybe even change their lives in ways they never expected…

Review
Heather, Fran and Pamela couldn't be more different, and they don't imagine themselves growing closer to each other, whilst on a happiness course of all things. Although the course is supposed to help them focus on the positive and help them to manage and set themselves achievable goals, they start supporting each other instead.

Each of the women have their own burdens to bear. Fran is still trying to deal with the loss of her husband, Pamela is caught between her son and her husband, and Heather is planning a wedding. Heather is still coping with her own losses, which make her insecure, vulnerable and perhaps a little naive about the people closest to her.

Mindfulness is very en vogue at the moment. It's all about focusing one's awareness on the present, as opposed to dwelling on the past or being anxious about the future. Accepting one's own thoughts, feelings and physical sensations and acknowledging them calmly. In this case Heather, Fran and Pamela are asked to create lists of things or goals, which make them or will make them happy.

It's interesting to note how each list changes and evolves as the women grow and learn to focus on themselves and their happiness. How some seemingly important goals become less so to the women, as they learn to let things go and to assert themselves and their needs.

Lyons always delivers an emotional, solid and yet at times amusing read. Although it's infused with a subtle layer of humour, this story is about empowerment and taking control of your emotions and your life. It's about friendship, loyalty and bonds that grow between people. It's about enjoying the small things in life, focusing on the positive rather than the negative, and above all it is about knowing there is always a way forward.

Buy The Happiness List at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Read The Choir on Hope Street, Life or Something Like It  or Not Quite Perfect by Annie Lyons.

The Choir on Hope Street by Annie Lyons

This is a story of support and friendship, and how the smallest of lights can become a beacon of hope in the darkest of times. The members of the group are as different as can be, and yet they all have at least one thing in common.

The Choir brings them all together, and although the main reason is to save the hall, they really enjoy being a group. It's like a home away from home.

Two women strike up the unlikeliest of friendships, even if it is more of a tenuous one at first. Both of them are struggling to cope with problems in their private lives, whilst trying hard to maintain their composure and the outside façade.

Natalie finds her supposedly perfect life in sudden disarray when her husband suddenly decides to change the parameters of their relationship. Caroline is struggling to connect with her mother, with whom she has always had a strained relationship. Dementia is a cruel companion, an illness that takes no prisoners and leaves no family member unaffected.

Lyons knows exactly how to portray the reality of relationships, which is especially evident in the 'thought bubbles' of the characters. You can say one thing, but think an entirely different one. The relationship between the two women is like a tug-of-war of emotional support. They are both frightened to admit that they need someone in their corner.

As always it is a story readers can relate to. Nearly everyone tries to remain strong in difficult situations. Admitting that you need a friend or support can be tantamount to a sign of weakness for some. The truth is everyone needs help now and again. Maybe everyone needs a song too.

Buy The Choir on Hope Street at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @1AnnieLyons or @HQStories visit annielyons.com or connect with Annie on Facebbook

Read The Happiness List, Life or Something Like it or Not Quite Perfect by Annie Lyons.

Life or Something Like it by Annie Lyons

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Annie Lyons, the author of Life or Something Like it, to the blog for an interesting Q&A, which is followed up by my review of Life for Something Like it. I hope you enjoy the the Q&A and my review!

Q&A

Before we get down to business (i.e. talking about your book) I would like to ask a set of questions I call 'Breaking the Ice.'

The last book you read? (Inquisitive bookworms want to know)
The Song Collector by Natasha Solomons - a beautiful story of love and music by a writer I admire greatly.

The last movie you watched, which you felt left a mark (in your heart, soul, wallet...you name it)?Boyhood - left a mark on my heart because it said everything you need to know about growing up in a family - absolutely perfect.

Are you more of a Game of Thrones or Outlander gal? (Combinations are possible) 
I have to confess that I've never watched either. I love Modern Family but I'm guessing that's not quite the same!

Which famous person (dead, alive, barely kicking) would you most like to meet?
Mary Berry - imagine the cakes!

Something you treat yourself to, now and again? (Cream éclairs totally count)
A lovely new hardback book by a favourite author (Louis de Bernieres last week) and Double Deckers. Lots of Double Deckers.

Do you have a Bucket List, and if so name one of the things on it?
Not really but I am very aware how short life is and I try to live in the moment instead of anticipating the next event - easier said than done but my children help with this. Children are very good at it.

All of the above questions are actually a pretty elaborate pysch evaluation disguised as random questions. Have no fear here come the real ones. Let’s talk about Life or Something Like It.

You have this knack of mixing really tough issues with what seem to be normal everyday family dynamics and situations.

When you start writing or come up with a concept is it a conscious decision to mix the two? Are you picking often very contentious issues to bring attention to them or is this more of a subconscious act during the writing process?
What a great question! That made me think... For this book, I wanted to write about a woman, who to all intents and purposes is sorted and happy. She is unapologetically single and child-free with no desire to change this - the introduction of her brother's children forces her to face certain realities for the first time. I am very interested in family dynamics so these became an inevitable part of the story.

Saying that, I really enjoyed the way you plonked or rather subtly weaved the Women: career vs children topic into the story. How do you feel about the choices you have made?
Hopefully it was more subtle than plonked! I was made redundant nearly six years ago just before my daughter started school and I took the decision to stay at home. I started writing firstly to see if I could do it and then I was lucky enough to be offered a contract with Carina. It's a job that I can fit around my family. I think it's a very personal choice and I am very happy with the way things have turned out!

Do you think women, as opposed to men and society in general, are more critical of other women when it comes to choosing either a career or children?
I think there's a lot of chat, partly due to social media & partly due to the way we feel the need to share opinions all the time. I don't think it's one section of society or another but I do believe that it's a personal decision and the world could do with being a little less judgemental sometimes.

Alongside that much discussed topic you also have your characters confront the choice of children or no children. Again an issue, which tends to get debaters all hot and bothered. Who do you think puts more pressure on women? Women, men or society in general? 
I think it's the same as for the career versus children topic and I think we all need to work harder at giving each other a break. Everyone has their own stuff to deal with and no-one understands completely what's going on in another person's life. I'm very much a live and let live person. My aim was to write a story that made people think about these issues and how we face them and as Cat has to look at life from a different angle, so we as readers do too. There are no right answers.

Another hot topic, especially if you are a parent of younger children or teens, is cyber-bullying. E-safety and cyber bullying have become the focus for schools and Ofsted. In your story the school seems reluctant to take the matter seriously. Do you think schools, parents and children should put more emphasis on it and offer training for staff, parents and children? 
I think schools do offer this (my children's school has). In Life Or Something Like It, it's to do with the head teacher's reluctance to admit that there's a problem (she doesn't want bad press for the school) but Charlie's teacher does offer to help. I do think that a lot is expected of teachers and schools these days and that it's our job as parents to work with them and be more aware of what our children face. The internet can be empowering for kids but they need our support and back-up to be able to use it safely and wisely. These are new challenges that we never had to face as kids so we need to make sure that we have the knowledge to be able to help them when they need us.

Lastly I would like to thank you for answering all my questions, both the bizarre and the more story focused ones.
Thank you for inviting me and posing such interesting and thought-provoking questions.

Review:

Annie Lyons has an intriguing way of mixing normal family life, dysfunctional relationships and important social topics of our time. It is so subtle you can barely tell and yet on a subconscious level you do take them on board. My point is Lyons makes her point without shoving it in your face.

Cat is a career girl through and through. The world of PR and the social media are the first thing she thinks of when she wakes up in the morning and her last thought at night. She has decided not to have children and focus on her career instead.

Unfortunately for Cat she ends up having to step up to mark as an auntie and take care of her niece and nephew. Two small humans, who don't exactly like Cat and aren't afraid to show it. One pre-teen and a very direct six-year old.What could possibly go wrong?

Cat finds herself questioning her own emotions. She realises she does care what her niece and nephew think of her. Ever so slowly the three of them start to build the beginnings of a fragile relationship.

I enjoyed the way Lyons brought up the age-old debate about career vs children. Women often feel as if they have to choose between one or the other, and those that have both know they can't give equal time to both of them. It is interesting to note that women tend to be the harshest critics of other women.

Instead of supporting members of their own gender they tend to point the fingers the most. Women who choose to stay at home are raked over the coals for doing so, and similarly career women are accused of neglecting their children or not being real women if they choose not to have any.

On top of that Lyons has also shone a spotlight on the topic of women choosing in general not to have children. Society tends to be critical and perceive those women as more selfish. Such a shame that the emphasis is placed on our role as baby-growers instead of women as individuals who have the right and freedom to choose.

Life or Something Like it is a breezy, comfortable read with plenty of funny moments and underlying serious ones, without ever being more complex than a just a simple 'girl discovers there is more to life than just her phone' story. It really is one of Lyons talents to create something memorable in such a simple and realistic setting.
Overall a good read and one I definitely recommend.

Buy Life or Something Like it at Amazon.UK or for any other retailers go to Goodreads.

Follow @1AnnieLyons or @HQStories visit annielyons.com or connect with Annie on Facebbook

Read The Happiness List, The Choir on Hope Street or Not Quite Perfect by Annie Lyons.

Not Quite Perfect by Annie Lyons

The story gives one a real sense of the chaos, bustle and the unpredictability of life, especially when small children are thrown in the mix. The miniature humans in this tale could give the kids from the TV series Outnumbered a run for their money.

Speaking from experience I can say that the scenarios with children in this story, aren't unusual at all. One of mine used to be a bit of a Lily, and I also believed in letting her explore her own sense of fashion, much to her grandmothers chagrin and more often than not to my horror. I would like to say that she grew out of it, needless to say she is still a walking fashion statement now at 21, although I still quite uncertain of which particular statement we are trying to make.

As the mother of small children life can often seem like a whirlwind episode on the Harry Potter ghost bus, travelling at high speeds with no stops and many bumps in the road. The adult or mother, who was previously the career gal suddenly becomes just so and so’s mom.

First names cease to exist, personalities get lost, and the relationships between husband and wife are often put on hold until the kiddy stress dies down a little. Not all marriages cope with the extreme pressure of child rearing and family life. A lot crumble under the pressure.

Rachel seems to be losing sight of her relationship within the busy and chaotic life they have built for themselves and Emma thinks she is living in one of the books she helps to edit. Both of them need a wake-up call and unfortunately there is one heading right in their direction.

The author has added an unexpected plot twist, one that I found very emotional and indeed it made me cry. Perhaps because it hits upon a fear or apprehension I have about something I know is inevitable, but have no idea how I will handle the situation when it arises.

I think one of the strengths of this book is Lyons portrayal of a realistic family setting. There are no perfect relationships, encounters or family dynamics for that matter. The reality is none of us are perfect and we all make mistakes.

Buy Not Quite Perfect at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @1AnnieLyons or @HQStories visit annielyons.com or connect with Annie on Facebbook

Read The Happiness List, The Choir on Hope Street or Not Quite Perfect by Annie Lyons.