Love Is All You Need

Love Is All You Need

10tales of love from The Sophie King Prize 

With any anthology of short stories, one of the most important things is to have a good mix of stories. They shouldn’t all sound the same, and you should find yourself taken by surprise by the selection.

‘Love Is All You Need’ certainly succeeds in this. As Sophie King says of the stories in her introduction: ‘Many stood out in different ways but in the end, I picked those that surprised me and also left a lovely warm feeling.’

The common theme of the stories is love, but it is handled in many different ways.

The beginning of Alyson Hilbourne’s ‘Hot Chocolate Hero’ reads more like an action adventure story, and that promise is certainly delivered on as her unusual theme and an unexpected romance complement each other throughout the story.

In ‘High On Life’ by Yvonne Walus we literally feel the earth move, and in that story as well as Johanna Grassick’s ‘ Rum Truffle’, we experience the emotion of loss as well as that of love.

I absolutely loved Helen Yendall’s trip back in time for her story, ‘The Taste Of Love’ which cleverly recreates the world of Nell Gwyn through the eyes of a young woman working in a Chocolate House in the London of 1669.

You may remember that back in June, when the e-book of ‘Love Is All You Need’ was released, I interviewed Sherri Turner about her contribution, ‘Funny Face’. This story closes the collection and it’s another cracker. It makes a great satisfying end to the anthology and will certainly leave you with a smile on your face. 

This anthology of love stories has something for everyone and I highly recommend it.

Thanks very much to the publishers for a review copy of this book.

The anthology is now available in paperback as well as Kindle versions, and you can find out more here.

Love Is All You Need

10 tales of love from the Sophie King Prize

 

 

 

Love is All You Need

 

Enjoy these 10 great stories with heart - the winning tales of love from The Sophie King Prize 2014, chosen by bestselling author Sophie King.

"I picked those that surprised me and also left a lovely warm feeling A bit like a love affair, really …" Sophie King

Meet 10 women, from different places, backgrounds and times, and each with a different experience of men and romance.

Their stories in turn hold the promise of romance, reflect on finding love, or show the lengths we'll go to for the special person in our lives.

An anthology of stories which are funny, thought-provoking, and thrilling, with characters you'll empathise with as they discover that ... Love is All You Need.

Stories by Alyson Hilbourne, Yvonne Eve Walus, Johanna Grassick, Pauline Watson, Melanie Whipman, Linda Triegel, Laurel Osterkamp, Helen Yendall, Mary Lally, Sherri Turner.

Today, I'm pleased to have Sherri Turner, one of the contributors to this exciting new anthology, as a guest. I asked her some questions about her involvement.

How did you first hear about the Sophie King Prize and what prompted you to enter?

I read about the prize on one of the writing blogs I frequent. I was attracted to it because Sophie herself was the judge and I enjoy reading her books. Also, it was for a romantic story and who doesn’t like a good romance? I entered in 2013 and came second, but there was no anthology that year. So I was thrilled to be on the shortlist again this year and to be offered the chance to have my story published in the anthology.

What was the inspiration behind the story you have in the anthology?

I always find this a tricky question as usually once I’ve written the story I can’t remember where it came from. However in this case the inspiration for ‘Funny Face’ was something that was said to me a while ago that made me look at myself in a different way. I won’t say what in case it spoils the story!

What sort of emotional response are you hoping for when people read your story?

I hope they find it amusing and also touching. It is a humorous story, but it also looks at how we are all our own worst critics and how it can be refreshing to see ourselves through others’ eyes.

Is there a link that ties all the stories in the anthology together?

The link is love, all kinds of love - new love, old love, lost love, rediscovered love. All of the stories in the book have love at their core. Some are funny and some quite sad, but together they show how love touches all of us.

What does it mean to you to have your work included in a high profile anthology like this?

I am delighted to have my story in the book. The fact that Sophie herself chose the stories and the quality of the other authors included in it makes it a very exciting place to be!

You can buy a copy of the e-book here. And the paperback is due out in August. It looks like a great selection of stories, perfect for summer holiday reading, and I can't wait to read it!