I would like to welcome, a very special guest on my blog, author Julia Hughes

Watching the Detectives.

It's a pleasure to be amongst the first authors to appear on this very popular review site. Nikki's warm personality shines thorough even in cyberspace, as does her love of reading and books.

I contacted Nikki about a year ago, asking if she had time to read and perhaps review my first foray into independent publishing. A scary step, and if I'd known then what I know now, A Ripple in Time might never have been attempted. With two time lines, three points of view, a splash of paranormal activity and a major tragedy, it isn't a run of a mill romantic adventure. Happily, most people were willing to forgive the novice errors, and even more amazing, readers interpret the story in different ways.

Nikki not only read, but also said publicly that she enjoyed the read – and that was all the encouragement needed! The Celtic Cousins; Rhyllann – (aka Annie) and Wren appear fully formed in A Ripple in Time, and obviously have a history. Some readers picked up on references made to an earlier Celtic Cousins Adventure. In this story, the boys were younger, and so rejected by conventional publishers as being too young for a main stream audience. Having already braved the indie waters, A Raucous Time was polished to a high degree, and this prequel published not as an afterthought, but with high hopes. To hedge bets slightly however, Detective Crombie moved a little more centre stage.

It came as a delightful surprise when readers emphasised with the fat old bloke. He's a typical white hat wearing copper – but understands human fallibility. With four daughters and slightly overbearing wife, I get the feeling he quite welcomes the uncomplicated shenanigans of the cousins. The latest adventure to feature Crombie and the Cousins An Explosive Time will be free to download August 5 – 7, so no excuses not to join in the fun!

Julia's bio:

My first job after leaving college was at the BBC helping to write scripts for their schools' programmes. After a varied career, it is a dream come true to be  writing for myself, and the reader I'd like to be. For the past sixteen years I've lived in the last of London's villages, concentrating on supporting my two sons as they achieve adulthood. Any spare time I have is spent cycling, playing tennis or swimming. Drop by my website anytime, all visitors welcome! Julia Hughes.

PS: Nikki has been kind enough to review The Bridle Path, a complete change of pace for me, because that's the way she rolls. Thank you again for all your hard work Nikki, as both a reader and indie author it's always a treat to browse your site looking for my next great read.