Guest post: 10 Things you need to know about author @CarrieJoHowe @unbounders #RandomThingsTours @annecater #islandlifesentence

About Island Life Sentence:

Peg Savage has contractually agreed to move to Key West, Florida. The smudged signatures on the damp cocktail napkin are irrefutable proof.
“An adventure…” her husband Clark says.

Peg can’t swim; she’s afraid of bridges (there are 42 of them); and she doesn’t want to leave her friends. However, after a bottle of Cabernet, a move from Chicago to the southernmost city in the United States seems like the best decision ever.

But now Clark has taken a long term job in Cuba and she’s on her own.
Neither her dog Nipper, nor the ghosts in the attic, offer up any good advice. But how hard can it be living in paradise?

Peg dives into island life but the more effort she makes, the wider her wake of catastrophes. She is tortured by a paddle board, a giant poisonous toad, the local Conservation group, and the patron saint of hurricanes. Not to mention the persistent sweat rash under her left breast.

A tropical depression descends on the island – one that can’t be cured with medication. Peg must gather her strength if she has any hope of surviving the storm.

10 Things You Need to Know about Carrie Jo Howe:

1. I’ve written 2 books:

Book Review: Days of Wonder by @keefstuart @LittleBrownUK

Magical, heartbreaking, beautiful - Days of Wonder reminds us that stories have the power to save lives.

Tom, single father to Hannah, is the manager of a tiny local theatre. On the same day each year, he and its colourful cast of part-time actors have staged a fantastical production just for his little girl, a moment of magic to make her childhood unforgettable.

But there is another reason behind these annual shows: the very first production followed Hannah's diagnosis with a heart condition that both of them know will end her life early. And now, with Hannah a funny, tough girl of fifteen on the brink of adulthood, that time is coming.

With the theatre under threat of closure, Hannah and Tom have more than one fight on their hands to stop the stories ending. But maybe, just maybe, one final day of magic might just save them both.

A tale about growing up, the beauty of a special bond between father and daughter, and finding magic in everyday life, Days of Wonder is the most moving novel you'll read all year.

Days of Wonder Book Review:

I really loved A Boy Made of Blocks. It was such a touching story so I was delighted when Little Brown asked me to take part in the blog tour for Days of Wonder.

I found A Boy Made of Blocks to be a slow burner. It was clear the author really wanted the reader to get to know his characters so I was not surprised to see that Days of Wonder followed the same path. Sometimes it's really nice to read a book that's about the characters rather than just the pace of the plot. 

The story is told from two viewpoints - Tom the father and Hannah the daughter who suffers from a heart condition. As someone with a chronic illness, I could really relate to Hannah and her being mature beyond her years. It's a common trait among people who are ill and it was a nice addition to her character. It shows the level of research the author did into children who suffer from illness from a young age.