07 Mar Welcome to Day 2 of the #RRBC March “SPOTLIGHT” Author Blog Tour! #JoyMLilley @JoyGerken @RRBC_Org #FigsVinesRoses #RRBC #RRBCSA

RRBC SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR: JOY M. LILLY

Welcome to Day 2 of the RRBC MARCH “SPOTLIGHT” Author Tour!  It is my pleasure to introduce you to Author, Joy M. Lilley, who I don’t believe has ever graced us with her presence here before.  I could be wrong, but I think I’m right.

Joy is sharing her re-released title, FIGS, VINES & ROSES with us.  Please, grab your copy today and support Joy along her tour!

EXCERPT: FIGS, VINES & ROSES 

Chapter 3 Snippet:

Agnes and Ralph met when they were in their late teens. Both came from families who were the epitome of Englishness and everything that went with it. To the outside world, both were of good character; the sort of people that others aspired to be.

 After their marriage, they exuded a false and frighteningly united front whenever they were out, to impress at the many social functions they attended. It was not so much that they were unhappy, but there was much amiss in their union, and marriage had proved to be disappointing for them both. Victorian values and expectations being what they were, they, in no way wished to give the impression of anything but an idyllic match.

Agnes’ background was not as grand as Ralph’s … there were extravagances seen in the Merryweather household that were unseen in hers. Her family certainly was not poor by mid-nineteenth century standards, but when she was exposed to the finer things in life, she thoroughly enjoyed them. This confirmed her intention to make a good, solid life for herself, and the family she would one day have.

Cattle and crops were the main source of income for her large family, along with income from a small allowance each year from a dowry for her mother. Her father was a farm owner. Agnes had three brothers and two sisters and a mother who was not in the best of health. She suffered from consumption, which was responsible for her untimely demise at the tender age of 40 years.

Agnes was the second eldest child, so after her mother’s death, she was expected to help care for her younger siblings. She did not take kindly to this and felt that she was being treated unfairly and put upon. This was the cause of considerable upset between her and her father, whom she was disagreeing with more and more. It became the catalyst to persuade her father to take in a governess for the children. This proved to be a good move, as the relationship between Agnes and her father improved considerably after that appointment.

Agnes was a pretentious and spoiled girl. From an early age, she learned the skill of manipulating a situation to her own ends, invariably getting her way in everything. She was not gifted academically, but her wits and common sense got her by. Even at quite a young age she would go to great pains to develop the right circle of friends, and interestingly, this was encouraged by both her father and the children’s governess. It was her father who first spoke to her of the ways of the world; how it mattered that you mixed with the right people in society and how you presented yourself when in the public view.

AUTHOR BIO: JOY M. LILLY

My pen name is Joy M. Lilley (aka Joy Gerken).  I am a writer and have been writing seriously since 2011 with seven books published to date. My previous career was as a trained nurse [R.G.N.] which I loved but it offered little time for me to write until my retirement.

I joined Rave Reviews Book Club (RRBC) almost 6 years ago and have been amazed by the friendship and support offered by all.

FIGS, VINES & ROSES was the first novel produced by me. I paid a considerable sum to have it edited at the time. This proved not to be adequate for a number of reasons.  Several folks in RRBC commented about the need for further editing, and when that number reached three people, I felt it necessary to do something about it.

It was recently re-edited by 4WillsPublishing.  Nonnie kindly offered to help me with the extra work at zero cost.  It’s been re-released on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats. If you took a stab at the first version, I would appreciate it if you would reach out to Amazon for the updated version and give it another go.  

I promote my work via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I also pay for promotion. I am ever grateful for the amazing support given by the members of RRBC.

I enjoy audio recording short stories on my advanced home equipment, and I now offer voice-over work through Fiverr.

SOCIAL MEDIA & PURCHASE LINKS:

Twitter  ♣  Facebook    ♣  Instagram

FIGS, VINES & ROSES on Amazon