Today I’m delighted to feature author B. R. Maycock who writes warm, funny, read-in-one-sitting romantic comedies. Her Abbeyglen and Riverside series are available on Kindle, both to buy or read via the Kindle Unlimited library and are awaiting your enjoyment!

Fellow bloggers will also know her as Berni, as she also runs BRMaycock’s Book Blog.

Berni lives in the Midlands of Ireland with her brilliantly out there husband, Keith, and their four epic little men. She has one goal and that’s simply to make readers smile and/ or laugh (a splutter rates highest ;)).

Over to Berni:

Which five pieces of music/songs would you include in the soundtrack to your life and why?

Madonna -True Blue is the first song I remember being obsessed with.

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Kylie -Je ne sais pas porquoi, again another song I listened to over and over again. I was a die hard Kylie fan in the 80s, I was even a fan of her fan club and it was the first concert I ever went to ( I was seven!)!

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Mike and the Mechanics -The Living Years. This song always affected me the way it did-I can bawl crying at it at the drop of a hat, but I don’t have any particular history with it!

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Shawn Colvin -Sunny Came Home. I could listen to this over and over again. I love any song that tells a story.

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REM – The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight. I always remember going for drives with my dad to deliver his work documents and he’d let me play Atlantic 252 on the radio there and back and we’d both try to figure out the words to this song (they always played it!)

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What five things (apart from family and friends) would you find it hard to live without.

Kindle (I sometimes charge it ahead of my phone!)

Our iMac, which is so sad as it’s currently showing signs of finding what we’re all asking it to do very tough!

Pyjamas (come seven o clock in the evening I’m ready for them to go on!)

Wellies and raingear-I honestly think they’re the best invention! I have both since I was in college (20 years ago now) and they’re still keeping me dry!!!

Avene skin soothing cream-I have roseacea and this calms my skin right down.

I’m adding a sneaky sixth of our 4 kittens and their mammy, I’m sure they fall under family and friends, but just in case they don’t I can’t chance that I’ve said pyjamas are more important than them!

Give five pieces of advice to your younger self?

Sleep is an underrated thing-enjoy it!

Take more pictures (and print them!!)

Do what you can do.

You will change your mind on just about everything you say you won’t do.

Spending time with family and friends is the most important thing. End of!

Tell us five things that most people don’t know about you

I think I’m funny. Like really properly funny (winces at admission), and I love reading/hearing about comedy and the little tricks and quirks and all about timing, pacing etc.

I am also obsessed with music, but in particular with listening into the background of music for hidden instruments, beats etc. One of my proudest moments was Paul picking out and announcing a background instrument in Bohemian Rhapsody when he was 2 or 3!

When I was fifteen I did a paraglide over in Spain. It was amazing. My dad came with me and after he died I desperately tried to find any pictures of that day with him in them but sadly I didn’t.

I’m married with four kids but the only thing I’m really any good at is being there for them and trying my best, I’m horrendous at the ‘homemaker’ thing!

The smell of coffee makes me feel sick!

Tell us five things you’d still like to do or achieve.

Paperback and audio versions of all of my books

My biggest goal book wise is to become a name people recommend and have heard of -so to be recommended alongside Sophie Kinsella or Jenny Colgan.

I have two new genres I’m trying my hand at, Witch cozy mysteries and equestrian books

My last goal is simply a list of places in my head I’d love to get to with my kids and husband, which has obviously widened since the pandemic!

My life goal or ‘in the end’ gift, is just that I hope when people think of me, it will be as someone who made them smile

Thanks so much for joining us today Berni. Although I ‘know’ you from blogging and via Twitter, it’s lovely to discover more about the real you. Your choice of Mike and the Mechanics is one that really resonates with me as it came it was released the year my Dad died. I can listen to it now, but at the time I had to turn it off when it was played. Don’t worry about sneaking your kitties in, I count pets as family ( I keep meaning to alter the question to include them). Sorry you didn’t have pictures of your paraglide experience with your Dad – a great memory to have though. I really hope that you get to see your books in paperback and audio and good luck with the new genres. I’m sure you’ll always make people smile so your life goal is a given!

Berni’s Books

Snowday (Riverside Book 1)

Sometimes hot cocoa just isn’t enough to keep you warm in the snow…

Eloise is too busy juggling the chaos of three kids, an ever present ex-husband and a demanding boss to even remember the last time dating crossed her mind.

But as soft snow falls silently all around, romance twinkles with the flakes.

After being single for so long, Eloise suddenly has a lot of choices. Too many choices. Will anyone be worthy of melting the guard around her heart to let love in?

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Pushing her Luck (Abbeyglen Book 1)

Holly Caulfield has won the Irish National Lottery and sets in motion a plan to save the village of Abbeyglen. But who would have thought that giving money away could be so difficult?

With a resident’s association that’s clamouring for more and more money, an old lady who’s decided that a dream cruise is in her grasp and a couple who may not want that dream wedding after all, Holly’s finding it hard to keep it together!

With a new love interest and an ex-husband hot on her heels, it’s up to Holly to figure out what can truly make her happy.

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The Greatest of Enemies (Abbeyglen Book 2)

Light the blue touch paper and stand back. Fireworks are about to go off!

Bex has settled into her new life in the small town of Abbyglen. Setting up a new cafe, blogging and her day job keeps her busy and happy.

Louise is ready to return to the comfort of Abbeyglen. Okay, so it isn’t her favourite place to be, but once she can talk the problems of the last few years over with best friend Holly, she can begin to move forward.

But when Louise arrives on the scene and instead finds an unwanted stranger in friend Holly’s apartment it’s handbags at dawn and all the hours in between as Bex and Louise cross swords. Who will win? Let the battle commence …

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Collaborations with the Imagine Write Inspire Writers Group

All I Want For Christmas

All I Want For Christmas is a short story all about love and finding your way home. All royalties received from Amazon will go directly to the Disasters Emergency Committee Charity for the Philippines Disaster Fund.

It was written collectively by members of the Imagine, Write, Inspire Group. The story was compiled by Author Carmel Harrington who wrote the multi-award winning Beyond Grace’s Rainbow.

It’s Christmas Eve at Dublin Airport, the busiest day of the year for ground hostesses Holly and Lorna. Hapless Holly only wants one thing for Christmas – to win the heart of sexy pilot Luke. But despite her best efforts it looks like it will be another lonesome Christmas, spent pulling crackers with her hilarious parents Stephanie and Frank. Lorna meanwhile is counting down the weeks till her fiancee Matt finally gets home from South Lebanon where he is stationed with the Irish Army.
As Holly tries to keep on the right side of her hard-to-please supervisor Norma, will her Christmas wish finally come true?
All I Want For Christmas is a funny, light-hearted and often poignant tale of love, family and friendship, written beautifully by the Imagine, Write, Inspire Group. It will leave you smiling and looking for more!

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Stop Waiting For Friday

“Stop waiting for Friday, for summer, for a boy to fall in love with you. Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for it and make something of the moment you’re in right now”.

Stop Waiting For Friday is a collection of short stories by Carmel Harrington’s Imagine Write Inspire Writing Group. Carmel set the group the challenge for each author to write their own short story based on the same theme, like the authors themselves, each story is wonderfully unique, with a message that hooks them perfectly together – start living your best life!!

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The Little Book of Love

“The Little Book of Love” depicts a beautiful mosaic of many kinds of love and brings you on a roller coaster of emotions. Be prepared to be surprised, shocked and inspired, this is no ordinary little book of love!

You can follow Berni via her website, Facebook, Twitter and  Instagram