Welcome to the book tour for historical fiction novel, The Last Cowboy by Jan Herrman. Read on for more details and a chance to win a $25 Amazon e-gift card!
The Last Cowboy
Publication Date: November 7th, 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
As the romanticized period of the American “wild” West wound down, most cowboys rode off into the sunset. Hank Miller must follow a different path. In The Last Cowboy, he survives the Civil War, Texas sized desperados, and the great San Francisco earthquake. With a debt to pay, Hank will place himself and his twin sons in great danger in a new, wild and untamed frontier—Morocco!
This is a sweeping tale of a reluctant hero of the West. It is also a story of romance and international adventure, stretching from west Texas to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, Tangier and the Moroccan Rif. The novel spans an equally expansive time frame: 1860 to 1912. The backdrop is the American frontier with all its enduring myths and troubling realities.
Ultimately, his heroism earns Hank unexpected wealth, friends on three continents, and the love of an extraordinary woman. Now ensconced in a mansion in the most exclusive neighborhood of San Francisco, Hank has a beautiful wife and three remarkable children. He wants nothing more than to enjoy them all and the highly successful international tour business he and Beth now operate. But a last, perilous mission awaits. Hank has a debt to pay and a friend to rescue in a far off land.
Enter a world of simmering heat and shifting sands.
Where danger lies around every corner.
Where death lurks as night falls,
And you will kill – just to stay alive …
Outlines of several once-busy cities shimmer on the horizon. Now empty of inhabitants, their buildings lie in ruins. In the distance a group of people – a family – walk towards us. Ahead lies shelter: a ‘shuck’ the family call home and which they know they must reach before the light fails, as to be out after dark is to invite danger and almost certain death. To survive in this alien world of shifting sand, they must find an object hidden in or near water. But other families want it too. And they are willing to fight to the death to make it theirs.
It is beginning to rain in Fairfax County, Virginia when McKenzie Strathie wakes up. An ordinary teenage girl living an ordinary life – except that the previous night she found a sand-lizard in her bed, and now she’s beginning to question everything around her, especially who she really is …
Two very different worlds featuring a group of extraordinary characters driven to the very limit of their endurance in a place where only the strongest will survive.
THEO CLARE left school at fifteen. She worked as a barmaid, security guard, filmmaker, hostess in a Tokyo club, educational administrator and teacher of English as a foreign language in Asia. She had an MA in film from The American University in Washington, DC and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University, UK. She wrote crime novels under the name Mo Hayder, and her fifth novel Ritual was nominated for the Barry Award for Best Crime 2009 and was voted Best Book of 2008 by Publishers Weekly. Gone, her seventh novel, won the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and her novel Wolf was nominated for Best Novel in the 2015 Edgar Awards and is currently being adapted for the BBC.
Theo Clare was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2020 and passed away in July 2021.
My thoughts: this is an incredibly moving, sad and beautiful book. It’s about family and love and death and what you would do for the people you care for. It mostly takes place in a seemingly endless desert filled with dead cities that resemble ones on Earth, haunted by djinni who suck the life from anyone they catch.
In this terrible place we follow Spider and his family as they scrabble to survive – searching for the mythical Sarkpoint, the vitally important thing they were gathered together to find. Only they don’t know what it is or where. And time is running out.
As the story unfolds and more details are revealed, we learn tiny bits of the characters lives before they came to be in the Cirque – as the desert is known, and they wait for their Scouts to return with clues to aid their desperate search.
A second narrative concerns McKenzie, who dreams of deserts and sees sand lizards in her Virginia bedroom – an impossibility. She tracks the weather and longs for answers to her dreams and hallucinations that feel so real.
I wanted to cry as the book neared its end, the desperation, the terrible losses they suffered, the heartbreak of Camel, the evil Elephant Family, the moments of joy. The writing is so powerful and knowing that this is the author’s last book, that she died in the summer, adds an element of melancholy to the story. Wonderful, lingering long after its final pages.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Remember, abseiling is only the second fastest way down a church tower.’ The note pinned to the teddy bear lying at the foot of the church tower could have been a joke – if it hadn’t been for the body on the path next to it! Somebody wants to make very sure that everyone knows this was not an accident or suicide. But why? Suddenly, no one in the village has any enthusiasm for the Teddy Bear Abseil, planned to raise money for the children’s play area, as, once again, a murderer walks the narrow, twisty streets of the small Somerset village of Much Winchmoor. And, once again, Kat Latcham, reporter/dog walker/barmaid and occasional reluctant hair salon gopher, finds herself unwillingly dragged into a murder investigation. This fourth Much Winchmoor mystery is spiked with humour and sprinkled with romance. And, of course, one carefully planned, coldly executed murder. Purchase
Paula Williams is living her dream. She’s written all her life – her earliest efforts involved blackmailing her unfortunate younger brothers into appearing in her plays and pageants. But it’s only in recent years that she discovered, to her surprise, that people with better judgement than her brothers actually liked what she wrote and were prepared to pay her for it. Now, she writes every day in a lovely, book-lined study in her home in Somerset, UK, where she lives with her husband and a handsome but not always obedient rescue dog, a Dalmatian called Duke. She is very proud to be a member of both the UK Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Crime Writers’ Association. Her Much Winchmoor Mysteries are based in a small Somerset village which bears in uncanny resemblance to her own – although none of her friends and neighbours have murderous tendencies – as far as she knows! Her novels often feature a murder or two, a dog and cat or two and are always spiked with humour and sprinkled with a touch of romance. Paula is, indeed, living her dream. But she worries that one day she’s going to wake up and find she still has to bully her brothers into performing ‘the play what she wrote’.
My thoughts: I do enjoy these crime novels set in rural English villages where the suspects are probably people you know. They’re often a lot of fun – as this one is. I loved the idea of a Teddy Bear Abseil, shame about the dead body putting people off!
It is a bit worrying though how often these villages harbour murderers, though luckily in this case Kat is on hand to solve the crime for the local police and apprehend the killer. Bits of the book are also very funny, all in all a greatly enjoyable read. More please!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own
Two lonely bookworms. An unexpected friendship. A library that needs their help
Teenager Tom has always blended into the background of life. After a row with his dad and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library. Pensioner Maggie has been happily alone with her beloved novels for ten years – at least, that’s what she tells herself. When they meet, they recognise something in each other that will change both their lives for ever. Then the library comes under threat of closure, and they must join forces to prove that it’s not just about books – it’s the heart of their community. They are determined to save it – because some things are worth fighting for.
Bella Osborne has been jotting down stories as far back as she can remember but decided that 2013 would be the year that she finished a full length novel. In 2016, her debut novel, It Started At Sunset Cottage, was shortlisted for the Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year and RNA Joan Hessayon New Writers Award. Bella’s stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She likes to find the humour in the darker moments of life and weaves these into her stories. Bella believes that writing your own story really is the best fun ever, closely followed by talking, eating chocolate, drinking fizz and planning holidays. She lives in the Midlands, UK with her lovely husband and wonderful daughter, who thankfully, both accept her as she is (with mad morning hair and a penchant for skipping).
My thoughts: once upon a time I was a librarian, I practically lived in various libraries growing up so it made sense. I love libraries, I love the random hodge podge of books and the way they smell and the people who work in them (all of whom are incredibly interesting) and the fact that it’s all free. That you can read any book you like and never have to worry about whether you can afford it is wonderful. Whole worlds live in libraries.
Terry Pratchett wrote that book shops are genteel black holes that know how to read – so are most libraries. Even the small ones, like the one in this book.
Sadly the threatened closure of libraries is all too real, we live in a world now that doesn’t really value them properly. It’s not just a quiet place full of aging hardbacks; they’re vital and alive.
This book celebrates all of these uniquely wonderful places and brings Tom and Maggie together – a lonely teenage boy and an equally friendless old woman. They both have deep sadness inside them, and when they become friends, they start to heal. The fight to save their library, to protect what makes it special, helps them too. Both make new friends, and come out of their shells.
Tom’s unhappy home life starts to mend as Maggie encourages him to speak to his dad and gives him a place to stay when home isn’t safe anymore. In turn Tom helps Maggie face up to her past and confront the mistakes she made. There’s also lambs and puppies being born and a lot of cake. It’s a warm, gentle and hopeful book, people can change and can grow. They just need some love. Much like libraries.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
She’s hunting arms smugglers. But who is hunting her?
One dead body, two badly injured operatives and five crates of hijacked rifles.
In Rome, former French special forces intelligence analyst Mélisende des Pittones is frustrated by obnoxious local cops and ruthless thugs. Despite the backing of the powerful European Investigation and Regulation Service, her case is going nowhere. Then an unknown woman tries to blow her head off.
As Mel and fellow investigator Jeff McCracken attempt to get a grip on the criminal network as well as on their own unpredictable relationship, all roads point to the place she dreads – the arid and remote African Sahel – where she was once betrayed and nearly died. Can Mel conquer her fear as she races to smash the network and save her colleague’s life?
Alison Morton writes award-winning thrillers featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her nine-book Roma Nova series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue.
She blends her deep love of France with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, historical and thriller fiction. On the way, she collected a BA in modern languages and an MA in history.
Alison now lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her latest two contemporary thrillers, Double Identity and Double Pursuit. Oh, and she’s writing the next Roma Nova story.
Other works
The Carina strand INCEPTIO where New Yorker Karen Brown is thrown into a new life in mysterious Roma Nova and fights to stay alive with a killer hunting her CARINA, a novella, Carina’s first mission abroad. What could go wrong? PERFIDITAS, six years on, where betrayal and rebellion are in the air, threatening to topple Roma Nova and ruin Carina’s life. SUCCESSIO, where a mistake from the past threatens to destroy the next generation.
The Aurelia strand AURELIA, in late 1960s Roma Nova, Aurelia Mitela battles her life-long nemesis, silver smuggling and is forced to choose between her love, her child and her country NEXUS Mid 1970s, London, where a simple favour for a friend becomes a chilling pursuit across Europe INSURRECTIO, where Aurelia Mitela struggles against a manipulative tyrant grabbing power. But it may already be too late to save Roma Nova… RETALIO, a classic tale of resistance and retribution – the endgame between Aurelia and Caius
Extras ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories from AD 370 to the present
Contributions ‘A Roman Intervenes‘ in 1066 Turned Upside Down How Galla Mitela, Roma Novan imperial councillor, attempts to stop the Norman invasion of England. One of a series of possible alternative outcomes of 1066.
‘The Mystery of Victory’ in Rubicon (HWA/Sharpe Books) What did happen to the Altar of Victory in the dusk of the Roman Empire?
‘The Idealist’ in Betrayal (Historical Fictioneers, 2020)
Non Fiction Military or civilians? The curious anomaly of the German Women’s Auxiliary Services during the Second World War.
The 500 Word Writing Buddy: 35 Inner Secrets for the New Writer
My thoughts: having read the first Melisende book, I was pleased to get an early look at the sequel, and enjoyed it a lot. I like Mel, I like her no compromise, take no prisoners attitude and how she combines her military training with intelligence and teamwork to solve the case. I also like her colleagues, especially Joanna and Andreas. Even her boss, Stevenson, with all his secrets, is interesting.
In this adventure, Mel and Jeff are on the trail of missing weapons, ones meant for the French military but somehow in the hands of terrorists. Mel has some suspicions around her ex-fiance’s overly meddlesome sister, especially when she catches someone following them.
This case will take her out of Europe and into Africa, but not before she goes to Rome, the UK and all over France and Belgium. They put in a lot of travel time tracking leads and interviewing suspects, with the sometimes begrudging help of local law enforcement.
Mel’s feelings for Jeff complicate things after he’s injured and puts himself in danger – his hard headedness is no match for serious concussion. But Mel always gets her man – even if it is someone from her past.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
When Hope loses her husband, she fears her happiest days are behind her. With her only connection to London broken, she moves home to York to be near her family and to begin to build a new life.
Taking a job at the antique shop she has always admired, she finds herself crossing paths with two very different men. Will, who has recently become the guardian to his niece after the tragic death of her parents. And Ciaran, who she enlists to help solve the mystery of an Egyptian antique. Two men who represent two different happy endings.
But can she trust herself to choose the right man? And will that bring her everything she really needs?
My thoughts:
This was lovely, I cried, I laughed and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hope’s story. I want a sequel! I want to know what happens next with Hope and Will and how Brodie grows up and the kittens and the wonderful shop that brought them together.
Originally published as a 4 part ebook, this is a sweet, charming story about grief and love and moving on. Hope has moved to York, closer to her family, following her husband’s early death, and applies to work at a wonderful antiques shop – The Ever After Emporium. There she meets Will and Brodie and discovers a mystery. Unravelling it introduces her to more new friends and a wonderful romantic love story from the 1930s.
She begins to live again, finally feeling happy and content. She starts to date, takes up belly dancing and develops new skills at her work, but it’s the friendships that take centre stage, and could lead to more. The characters are so well written and the book feels infused with joy and love. Something Holly Hepburn is very good at doing.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
For Lara and her daughter Eliza, it has always been just the two of them. But when Eliza turns eighteen and wants to connect with her father, Lara is forced to admit a secret that she has been keeping from her daughter her whole life.
Eliza needs answers – and so does Lara. Their journey to the truth will take them on a road trip across England and eventually to New York, where it all began. Dreams might have been broken and opportunities missed, but there are still surprises in store…
Anything Could Happen is a warm, wise, funny and uplifting novel about love, second chances and the unexpected and extraordinary paths life can take us down.
My thoughts: this was a lovely, fun read about family and not having any regrets. Eliza wants to find her biological dad, Laura isn’t so sure about digging in the past, she thinks she’s moved on, but she does have some questions.
Ben has no idea about any of this, he’s living in Cambridge and blissfully unaware of how much his life is about to change.
This book cut right through the winter gloom, it’s upbeat and everyone in it gets their lives stirred up but not in necessarily bad ways, maybe it’s time to make some changes in their lives.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
FOUR FRIENDS. THREE ENEMIES. TWO TRAGEDIES. ONE TERRIBLE TRUTH.
A small English town is rocked by the disappearance of a local woman, Tina. As the search continues, someone is targeting her former best friends for revenge. Lauren, Jess, Claire. They all hide secrets. Who knows what they did? Who’s watching them? The truth is stranger and far more sinister than they can ever imagine.
A dark, twisty thriller which will grip you until the very last page.
N S Ford is a book fanatic, blogger and cat lover who lives in the UK with her family. She has a First Class degree in English. When not reading or blogging, she juggles her writing time with parenting, working in heritage and playing the piano.
My thoughts: this was an interesting thriller about secrets and friendship. Lauren and her friends know something about the missing Tina – something they’ve held over her since they were teenagers. Are they responsible for her disappearance?
As Lauren digs into where her former friend has gone, someone from her past resurfaces and she’s pretty sure she’s being followed. Then Jess is in a car accident, Lauren’s flat is broken into and Claire is fired – are these connected?
There’s a very odd twist at the end, one that jarred somewhat with the rest of the book, and definitely needs more explanation. However it also fills in a few gaps in the preceding narrative too, as the reader pieces together all the differing perspectives that form the story.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
When Tartelin Brown accepts a job with the reclusive Marianne Stourbridge, she finds herself on a wild island with a mysterious history.
Tartelin is tasked with hunting butterflies for Marianne’s research. But she quickly uncovers something far more intriguing than the curious creatures that inhabit the landscape.
Because the island and Marianne share a remarkable history, and what happened all those years ago has left its scars, and some terrible secrets.
As Tartelin pieces together Marianne’s connection to the island, she must confront her own reasons for being there. Can the two women finally face up to the painful memories that bind them so tightly to the past?
Atmospheric and deeply emotional, The Unravelling is the captivating novel from the author of The Illustrated Child.
My thoughts: despite coming from one, there’s something a bit spooky about islands – especially the small ones. Part way between the UK and Holland, the island here – Dohhuhland – aka Dogger Bank (the remains of ancient Doggerland – Google it if you’re interested in ancient history – I found it really interesting) in the shipping forecast, is certainly very creepy in this story of generational trauma and family.
Inspired by the history of Orford Ness – a place I am definitely going to have to visit next time we go to my in-laws, the number of books it’s popped up in, the story Marianne slowly reveals to Tartelin is one of terrible sadness and loss.
Tartelin is no stranger to grief herself – she has recently lost her beloved mother, and she empathises deeply with the older woman, at the same time as finding her extremely difficult. She also begins a sweet romance with a young tourist on the island – Jacob, there to see the wildlife (Orford Ness is a nature reserve now) and he provides an outlet from the claustrophobia of Marianne’s partly closed up house.
Marianne has lost almost everyone in her life – and is haunted by her losses, but there is someone she hurt who might return, if Tartelin can convince her. In doing so Tartelin also learns to say goodbye to her beloved mother. Moving and quietly beautiful, this was a beguiling piece of historic/contemporary fiction with Gothic undertones and a gently redemptive conclusion.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
Welcome to the book tour for a hilarious fantasy debut called The Demon, The Hero, and the City of Seven by A.E. Kincaid! Read on for more info and a chance to win a $25 Amazon e-gift card!
The Demon, The Hero, and The City of Seven (A Mal & Reg Novel of Widdershins Book 1)
Publication Date: December 14th, 2021
Genre: Fantasy/ Humorous Fantasy
Sometimes a little bad can do a lot of good.
What happens when good and evil collide?
They yell, “Ouch!”
When you’re a demon who’s been magically connected to a human for eternity, life is bound to be annoying. But when that human is also an inept hero who tosses his lunch whenever he gets stressed out? Breaking the connection becomes priority one.
Plus, there’s a mystery at the heart of their bond that needs unraveling. When the magical object that bound them broke, it weakened the barrier between Widdershins and the Underworld. The duo hopes to find a wizard in the City of Seven who will be able to help with both problems.
Follow along as our demon, Lord Malgon and our hero, Sir Reginald make themselves unwelcome with fairies, humans, dwarves and giants—all while racing to get to the City of Seven before Mal’s supremely evil brother.
In this debut humorous fantasy adventure novel, Kincaid pairs an endearing cast of characters with expert world-building and laugh-out-loud dialogue. The Demon, The Hero, and The City of Seven will leave a Mal and Reg shaped stamp on your heart.
In my 550 years of existence, I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who exasperates me more than Sir Reginald P. Asstradle, the ersatz Hero of Widdershins. When he speaks, I imagine drop-kicking him off a cliff. When he snores, I fantasize tossing him into a fiery volcano. Don’t get me wrong—he’s a good lad. For a human, anyway. But when you are magically entangled with another being in such a way that putting just a few yards’ distance between the two of you triggers the spell to physically smash you back together? That can wear on anyone’s nerves. Like my nerves, for example. Right now.
By day I am the Creative Director at a branding studio in Iowa. By night I write humorous fantasy novels. In between I drink coffee to keep up with a small human, and try to convince my cat she’s not as great at dictation as she thinks she is. The Demon, The Hero, and the City of Seven is my first published novel.
ramblingmads 