Hi Gang

Not sure if this newsletter is late for June or early for July but, because it's a bit of both, I've got a lot to tell you.

I won an award for The Chocolate Lovers' Diet and now have a fancy glass trophy for The Best Happy-Ever-After from The Melissa Nathan Awards for Comedy Romance.

Melissa was a best-selling author who died way too young of cancer and her husband has set up these awards in her memory. Comedienne Jo Brand was the compere which made for a very entertaining evening and writer Joanna Trollope was one of the judges and was very elegent and gracious. If you want to read more go to bbc news.

I was invited to a local charity premiere of Sex and The City - and couldn't go!! How tragic is that? Still, hundreds of copies of The Chocolate Lovers' Club were given away in the goody bags, so I was sort of there in spirit. The event raised over £5,500 for breast cancer. A missed opportunity to buy a new frock though...

Hello to everyone who I met in South Africa - had a lovely time there on my recent book tour. Had three days in Johannesburg and four in Cape Town plus a little trip out into the wine region (hic...) Visited my cousin who lives in Jo'burg and then met lots of journalists, lots of booksellers and some readers too - all very nice.

Then a week after we came back we were up to Newcastle for an event - hello to you too - and then Lovely Kev and I took a few days holiday and went up into Northumbria. Walked on Hadrian's Wall, visited the lovely new gardens at Alnwick, took a boat out to see all the puffins at the Farne Islands (incredibly cute) and cycled (yes, cycled!!) across the causeway to Lindisfarne. How wonderful! It's a beautiful part of the British Isles and a much underrated part. Some photos will be on myspace in the fullness of time.

All You Need is Love

Hurrah! A new book out. I really enjoyed writing this book because it enabled me to go back up to Liverpool - where I was brought up - and do lots of touristy things in the name of research. It's a great city if you get a chance to visit it and this year it's the European City of Culture so there are lots of fab events taking place. It should be on the shelves on 24th July. Think this is one of my best, so hope you like it.

All You Need is Love...
and sometimes it's closer to home than you think...

Single mum and superwoman Sally Freeman wants a better life for herself and her son Charlie. But it's not going to be easy - her home is on a run-down Liverpool council estate, so if she's going up in the world, she'll have to drag it along with her.

Just as Sally's mission to rejuvenate her surroundings gets under way, she's offered a ticket out of there, in the splendid form of Spencer Knight. He has everything she could wish for - the looks, the charm, not to mention the wallet. But is he the answer to her prayers, or does her hapless ex-boyfriend Johnny still have a hold on her heart? Her dilemma is made worse when, for the first time, her home has the glimmer of a future. And as she struggles to choose between her head and her heart, she discoveres that if The Beatles ar right and all you need is love, then everything else falls into place.

Click on the image to order from Amazon

It's a Kind of Magic

It's a Kind of Magic is out in 10th July in paperback with its fabby new cover. If you missed this one, it's a little magical treat!

'If Disney did chick lit, it would probably turn out like this...'
The Telegraph

Start the New Year with a sparkling new book from Carole Matthews. This talented author manages to combine a witty social commentary with a touch of old-fashioned magic. It will make you laugh, believe in the unbelievable, and having you wishing for your own fairy wand. Carole Matthews is one of our favourite authors and we loved it. It's a satisfying, feel-good fabulous read, perfect for curling up with on a cold winter's afternoon' Hot Brands, Cool Place

'This is a fabulous romantic comedy and would make a great movie... we are thinking Reece Witherspoon and David Arquette. We couldn't put this one down. Carole Matthews is a wonderful writer, she creates characters who you can immediately identify with.' Betty Bookmark

'This is a great read both in the magical and literal term, so don't miss it.' The Observer

Emma and Leo have been together - off and on - for ever. But their relationship seems to have lost its spark - it's as though the magic has gone.

When Leo turns up at Emma's thirtieth birthday dinner unforgivably late and horribly drunk, embarrassing her in front of her family, she can't help wishing things were different. In fact, she wishes Leo was different. She loves him very much but if someone could wave a magic wand and turn him into a reliable, considerate boyfriend it would certainly save her a lot of trouble.

When Leo's path crosses with a decidedly sparkly wisp of a girl called Isobel, he falls under her magic spell and Emma sees him altering before her very eyes. Soon she regrets wishing for a 'new' Leo at all. And, surely, Isobel can't be for real? One thing's clear, if Emma's going to win him back, she'll need to do some changing of her own...

Out now!
Click on the image to order from Amazon

Entertainment Africa

While I was in South Africa did an interview for a lovely guy at Entertainment IAfrica website. Thank you, Nils. Very nice, the sort of man you could take home to you Mum. It's now been posted.
Go along to iafrica.com

Book Extract

I thought instead of a short story this month that you could read an extract from my latest book, All You Need is Love. Just click here.

Prize Draw

The winners of the lovely Accessorize scarf is Rozinna Dharamsi. Congratulations!

The Chocolate Lovers' Club WOW mugs are also going out to Joanne Jepson and Jane Parkin.

Thought it was about time we had a handbag prize again. So this month’s prize draw is for a gorgeous Jordi Labanda handbag and matching coin purse. Oh yes! I buy all these lovely prizes and then really want to keep them for myself. Sorry. But I REALLY, REALLY want to keep this one so you'd better be quick with your entries before I change my mind. It's cuter than those puffins on the Farne Islands. If you'd like to be entered into the drawn then please subscribe to the newsletter by clicking here, and in the message field put 'Summer Competition!' If you send me any other message please do it on a separate email, there are just too many entries to look at now!

The closing date is the last day of September - because no one's around in August - and the winner will be the first random email drawn.

Myspace and Facebook

Thanks to everyone for the advice on my bruised bottom. It's much better now, thank you! Arnica certainly did the trick. If you want to chat or comment or whatever - not necesarily about my bottom - then it would be lovely to see you there!

myspace.com/carolematthews
www.facebook.com

Hope everyone has a fab summer and doesn't get blown away in the 70 mile an hour winds...! Catch you soon.
Love and best wishes...

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