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With a love of old-school chick lit and of the fabulous seventies, Andrene decided to combine the two and her Seventies Collective was born. As the title implies, it's all about the 70s and the challenges facing women at the time. But it wasn't all bra burning and doom and gloom, there was a lot of laughter, too. Andrene likes to think she's captured this authentically.

     To help get you into a 70s' state of mind, here's a little video we put together. It was so much fun finding the right sort of images and footage. That image of Burt Reynolds was a big hit back in the day - no apparently, it was.

Friday Night Fever Cover

Samantha Bennett dreams of marriage. But, before she can fall in love with her dream guy, she needs to fall in love with herself. Easy, right?

Sam’s life is perfect until she finds out her boss wants to bed her and her fiancé (well, that was the plan) is sleeping with someone else. Willing to do anything to avoid confrontation, she escapes to Australia packing her lack of self-worth right next to her beloved flares and platform shoes.

 

It’s only after running into a hunky Italian Stallion that she discovers even 3,000 miles isn’t far enough to escape your troubles. And with this man’s nasty habit of stalking, she’s going to be hard pushed to escape him, too. Will Sam learn to love herself enough to fight for Chris, or does she still have more to learn?

Brush With Fame Cover

She’s lost her soul mate. She doesn’t believe you get a second. Will the least likely candidate of all be able to change her mind?

Jennie Farrell always believed there was a happily ever after out there for everyone. Shame she’s missed out on her own. Rocking up in London with close friend Samantha, Jennie falls back on her long-ignored artistic skills to make ends meet. Her future is even looking bright when she runs into Rupert Smythe-Brown, an aristocratic prat used to getting his own way, no matter who gets hurt in the process.
     

Painted into a corner, Jennie turns feral and Rupert doesn’t know what’s hit him. Well he does, but for once he’s not enjoying it. Thank goodness she’s got Mark, a strapping six foot four Aussie bloke watching her back and keeping her out of trouble — at least when he’s not trying to get her into it.

Strapped for Cash Cover

A stolen nest egg, historic art thefts, and politically-charged B&D? Life's never boring when Brenda is around.

Brenda Munroe was mercenary even as a child. It was that or going hungry, or worse. From stealing school lunches, she’d moved onto bigger, better and even legal things. Life is finally looking up for her when her carefully created world comes crashing down.
     

Strapped for cash — and with a real aversion to the old nine-to-five — Brenda opens a residential school for girls, teaching them in weeks what it’s taken her years to master. Namely, how to get by on good looks and a bucket-load of charm. Will her students be the only ones learning new skills, or will Brenda finally understand family’s about a whole lot more than the blood relations you’ve been lumbered with?

Life on the Edge Cover
Have you ever wondered what happened to those characters that appear briefly in a series, only to then be left alone to get on with their lives?

HEELS AND A TIARA

OUT OF BOUNDS

MAID IN CHELSEA

GOLD DIGGER

 
While there are a lot of humans in Andrene's books, the list of stars doesn't end there. Here are just a few of the dogs that feature in the books as well as Charlie the Cougar, who is scarrier than any lap dog.

Friday Night Fever

This is a picture of Sapphire Farquar a blue toy poodle that features in Friday Night Fever, the first in Andrene's Seventies Collective retro chicklit series. When clicked will take you through to a Wikipedia entry with more information about poodles
Sapphire Farquhar

Toy Poodle

Gentian Silver (that's blue to you and me)

 

Sapphire has a room at least five times the size of Sam’s. The bloody dog’s even got a double bed complete with a pale blue satin cover and bone-shaped pillows. A basket, full of balls, leather chews and assorted bits of fluff, sits next to the bed. The dog has a newer model telly than the girls have at the flat.

This is a picture of Monty Courtenay, a Jack Russell Terrier who also appears in Friday Night Fever. When clicked you will be taken to a Wikipedia entry on Jack Russells
Monty Courtenay

Jack Russell Terrier

Loves swimming and burying shoes

 

Sam absently walks back across the curved step. Monty follows, tight on her heels and up to his undercarriage in water. She swings around and starts the return journey. Monty doesn’t. She overbalances and does a headlong tumble into the pool.

This is a photo of John-John de Graaf. He's a pug who'se on the chonky side due to a poor diet. When clicked on, you are taken through to a Wikipedia page about pugs. They sniff too much for my liking, but some people love them. Oh, and he also makes an appearance in Friday Night Fever.
John-John de Graaf

Pug - Fawn

Weight challenged, great balance

 

They hear yapping from the back of the house that makes its way towards them confirming for Sam that John-John is definitely not human. He flies around a corner and into the entrance hall. Once he clears the white carpet and hits the marble, he demonstrates cornering skills more commonly seen in competition-level speed skating.

Brush With Fame

This is a photo of a tuxedo cat who's rather large, hence him being called Charlie the Coogar.  He appears in Brush With Fame, the second in Andrene's Seventies Collective. Charlie is an acquired taste with claws that tend to shred things he's not keen on. Click on the image to learn more about Tuxedo cats on Wikipedia.
Charlie the Cougar

Tuxedo Cat of Mixed Origins

Has been known to be vicious

 

“Charlie, out of there now,” she hisses at the large black and white cat who’s concentrating on sucking a pale yellow t-shirt into submission. He ignores her, the goofy look on his face proving beyond doubt that he’s entered his catnip zone.

This is a photo of Peanut Leicester a spoiled-rotten Chihuahua who rather likes wearing fancy outfits. Also appearing in Brush With Fame, learn more about this breed of dog on Wikipedia
Peanut Leicester

Chihuahua

Hates Polaroid cameras

 

While Jennie chats to their hostess and gets a feel for the style of painting she’s after, Sam takes some Polaroids of Peanut. This proves difficult when the micro dog explodes into a fluffed-up, bouncing, yapping mess each time the flash goes off and a photo pops out of the front of the camera. Sam gives up after three attempts and the small dog calms down.

What can I say, Monroe Michaels is a Maltese who rather likes to sleep. Click on the image to learn more about his high maintenance breed on Wikipedia. Monroe also appears in Brush With Fame.
Monroe Michaels

Maltese

Loves sleeping

 

She walks over and picks up the limp and sleepy pooch. Monroe hardly rouses, draping herself limply over Caroline’s arm. The little face is clear of a fringe, the hair pulled back tight and held in place with a pale pink bow. The eyes, nose and mouth look dark in comparison with the pure white fur. If it weren’t for those features and the bow, the dog would be borderline albino.

Strapped For Cash

Meet Countess Smythe-Brown, a Chihuahua who is as posh as she is spoiled. Countess lets her presence be known when she appears in Strapped for Cash, along with Charlie the Coogar and a couple of other spoiled pets. Click on the link to learn more about this little yapper on Wikipedia.
Countess Smythe-Brown

Chihuahua

Hates Charlie the Cat

 

Countess transforms from shivering and timid to pulling on her leash in an effort to reach the cat and rip it to shreds, but if Charlie’s concerned, he doesn’t show it. Rather than become a fluffed-up spitting ball of mean, he growls deep in his throat; on seeing his bum winding up in readiness to launch himself at the interloper, Brenda jumps between the pair.

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