Category: blog tour

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Dirty Spirit – Sawney Hatton

ramblingmads

DirtySpirit copy

Experience the offbeat occult/paranormal novel from the twisted mind of Sawney Hatton.

Final DiRTY SPiRiTS ebook cover

Dirty Spirits

Publication Date: March 15, 2024

Genre: Horror/ Supernatural Horror

SOME VOWS ARE FOREVER.

They say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, and Doug believed it.

He didn’t expect to fall in love with an addict. Once he did, he knew the relationship would be challenging. But there are some things you can never imagine happening, crazy stuff you can never prepare for no matter how hard you try. All Doug can do now is hang on and hope the love of his life isn’t dragged back into hell by her ex-fiancé who can’t move on.

Because while Liam Fowlington may be dead… he’s far from departed.

“The tension is tight, the pacing is amazing, and I was kept on edge the entire time. The book is very reminiscent of Jordan Peele’s GET OUT, but with more of the paranormal mixed in.” -The Writing Werewolf

Content Warnings:

Drug & alcohol addiction plays a large part in the story. R-rated sex and violence.

GET IT ON AMAZON

About the Author

Sawney Hatton is an author, editor, and screenwriter who has long loved taking trips to the dark side. Weaned on a steady diet of paranormal horror and creature features, he quickly developed an appetite for all things macabre and monstrous. With early literary influences as tonally disparate as Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, Evelyn Waugh’s The Loved One, and Marquis de Sade’s The 120 Days of Sodom, he enjoys fusing the sinister with the satirical, the abominable with the absurd. Other incarnations of Sawney have produced marketing videos, attended all-night film fests, and played the banjo and sousaphone (not at the same time). As of this writing he is still very much alive.

SAWNEY HATTON

Book Tour Organized By:

RRBookTours Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: A Dream of Blood – Olivia Boothe

ramblingmads

A DreamofBlood copy

We’re celebrating the release of A Dream of Blood and Magic, a gothic fantasy romance by Olivia Boothe! Pre-order now or get you copy on June 12th!

ebook

A Dream of Blood and Magic (Spirit Marked Book 1)

Publication Date: June 12, 2024

Genre: Gothic Fantasy Romance

Underworld meets Kingdom of the Wicked in this forbidden love, rivals to lovers, high stakes, slow-burn gothic contemporary fantasy romance.

Series Tropes:

  • Vampires, witches, and other supernatural creatures
  • Chosen One
  • Forbidden Love
  • Rivals to Lovers (Meant to be rivals who become lovers)
  • Forced Proximity
  • A bargain that leads to more
  • Spirit-Bonded (fated mates)
  • Slow Burn (couple doesn’t become an item until book 2, but the tension is built in book 1)
  • Found Family
  • High Stakes quest
  • Portal Magic
  • Elemental Magic
  • Time Travel
  • Spirit Guardians (familiars)
  • Good vs evil

A SINISTER DARKNESS BREWS, SOWING THE SEEDS OF WAR. AND AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL IS A YOUNG WITCH WILLING TO RISK IT ALL TO SAVE THOSE SHE LOVES.

When a mysterious crow crash-lands through Avery Jaxon’s Brooklyn apartment window, awakening the elemental magic dormant in her veins, Avery soon discovers her entire life has been a skillfully woven lie, and that even her new avian friend holds secrets of its own, including the answers to her shrouded past.

But pulling back the veil is only the beginning. An ancient prophecy has been set in motion, thrusting Avery into a centuries-old supernatural war between witches and vampires.

Seeking to harness Avery’s rare and ancient power, the most notorious dark arts witch hive in the world is on the hunt to find Avery before she’s captured by Kane, a vampire sworn to protect humankind from the next Spirit Marked—a foretold witch with such immense, raw magic, it will threaten to destroy all life on Earth.

Now, to save humanity and protect her friends, Avery must learn to control her potent magic, all while building an alliance with the warrior vampire sent to seize her. Their destinies are more entwined than either could have ever foreseen. But despite the magic that binds their paths and the enigmatic attraction growing between them, Avery struggles to trust the man born to be her enemy.

However, Kane’s not the only vampire thirsting for the honeyed taste of Avery’s blood…someone else also seeks to wage a war against her heart.

In the end, Avery must not only grapple with the painful truth behind her family’s past, but she’ll need to accept the journey laid out before her. For not only do the lives of those she loves depend on it, but so do the lives of every mortal and immortal creature alike.

Intended for audiences 18 years+

Triggers:

  • Blood and gore
  • Death and violence
  • Explicit language
  • Some sexually explicit content
  • Stalking
  • Abductions
  • Mention of young girls being trafficked for blood
  • Animal death (vampire killing a boar and drinking its blood)
  • Commentary on childhood trauma due to losing parents at a young age and having a bad experience being in the foster care system
  • Commentary on mental health due to childhood trauma, such as feelings of abandonment, betrayal, and issues with authority

GET IT ON AMAZON

About the Author

REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY. COMPLICATED. AND SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.

Olivia Boothe is a contemporary romance and fantasy author.
Born in Colombia and raised in New Jersey since the age of eight, Olivia always dreamed of becoming a storyteller. Now, she enjoys crafting novels with deep, layered plots because romance is not just about the first kiss and the happily ever after, it’s about everything in between.

In addition to writing, Olivia loves reading across all genres, binge watching her favorite TV shows, and hanging out on Tuesday nights with her girlfriends for wine, snacks, and junk-TV therapy. Olivia lives in Northern New Jersey with her hubby, three boys, and a mini Aussie named Rosie.

OLIVIA BOOTHE

Book Tour Organized By:

RRBookTours Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Vengeance – Saima Mir

ramblingmads

For two years, Jia Khan has been running her late father’s organised crime business in the north of England. So far, her authority has remained unchallenged, but now things are beginning to unravel.

When she finds her father’s notebook recounting his arrival from Pakistan in the 1970s, it awakes an old family feud that could have devastating repercussions for Jia. And worst of all, one of her staff lies brutally slain, his corpse displayed provocatively in her garden despite her sophisticated security.

Someone is getting dangerously close. Could there be a traitor in Jia Khan’s trusted inner circle?

Saima Mir has written for The Times, Guardian and Independent. Her debut novel, The Khan, was a Times Bestseller, a Guardian best crime and thriller and a Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Her essay for It’s Not About The Burqa (Picador) appeared in Guardian Weekend and received over 250,000 hits online in two days. She contributed to the anthology The Best, Most Awful Job: Twenty Writers Talk Honestly About Motherhood. Saima grew up in Bradford and now lives in London.

My thoughts: Jia Khan has cemented her role at the top of her father’s criminal organisation but she’s also inherited his enemies. Finding her dad’s 1970s diary she learns how he started his empire building, and who he crossed to do so. 

When her enemies strike directly at her and her family, Jia knows she has to hit back hard, and make it clear that she is the Khan and no one can topple her. She also makes some changes to her organisation that will bring it up to date and strengthen her position. 

This was another gripping instalment of Saima Mir’s crime series, Jia is a really interesting character and this book really develops more of her, the way she manages her organisation and the complicated relationships she has with her family and employees.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: The Fae of the Fjord – Elle Thrasher

ramblingmads

RTHE FAE copy

Welcome to the tour for The Fae of the Fjord by Elle Thrasher! Read on for more details and visit our Instagram page for a chance to win a signed paperback copy!

Cover

The Fae of the Fjord: A Fantasy Romance (The Nordic Fae Series, Book 1)

The Fae of the Fjord is a steamy fantasy romance set in modern-day Norway, with heaps of humor, magic, and Scandinavian flair. This is a why-choose (lite) romance, because why have one fae when you could have two?

  • Grumpy/sunshine
  • Fae fantasy romance
  • Who hurt you
  • Why choose (MFM)
  • Laugh out loud funny
  • Spicy

It isn’t Lennie Martin’s fault her cruise ship left without her…

Okay, that’s kind of a lie.

The ship left on schedule, but Lennie is distracted photographing the stunning fjord outside the tiny Norwegian village and loses track of time.

Out of luck, Lennie finds herself stranded in the quirky town until the next boat arrives. When she accidentally punches Espen, a friendly local cop with a penchant for yoga, who turns out to be far more than meets the eye (which in itself is plenty), she propels herself head over heels into a magical mystery the likes of which she never could have imagined. Because that last photograph that cost Lennie her ride? Turns out that silver light she captured was evidence of an illegal magic transfer between fae — not a stray lens flare — that could have detrimental effects on the fjord region.

To return home, all she needs to do is survive a week in the little village, help Espen with his investigation, and avoid the local grump, Øyvin, who seems determined to make her vacation a whole lot more complicated. Or more fun, depending on how you look at it.

When friendships bloom between her and the fae and the urge to solve this mystery grows stronger, Lennie is torn between commandeering a boat to run back to her normal life, or digging in her heels to be a part of this new world and help the fae of the fjord.

CW: Violence, graphic language, on page sex, loss of a loved one, and poisoning.

AVAILABLE HERE

About the Author

Hi! I’m Elle Thrasher, an author of romantic fantasy books.

My books are filled with relatable heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, lots of laughs, and locations that will give you wanderlust.

While I’m originally from the UK, and lived in Norway for seven years too, I now live in the US with my husband and one very fluffy dog. When I’m not writing, I can usually be found drinking a cup of tea, staring at my never-ending tbr, or taking a joke waaaaay too far.

ELLE THRASHER

Book Tour Organized By:

RRBookTours Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: The Island of Forever – Jeremy Harrison

ramblingmads

TheIsland copy

Welcome to the book tour for The Island of Forever by Jeremy Harrison. This one has all kinds of Peter Pan vibes, and mythical creatures!

LCP_TIOF_FrontCover

The Island of Forever

Expected Publication Date: June 18, 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy/LGBTQ+

🌴Coming-of-Age
🌴First Love
🌴Hidden Identity
🌴Chosen One
🌴Friends to Lovers
🌴Peter Pan Vibes
🌴Fairies and Merman

He’s his own worst enemy—and their only salvation.

Seventeen-year-old Max Greenfell grew up hearing stories about the Island of Forever—a beautiful paradise of intrigue and magic that was once controlled by a destructive shapeshifter who killed everything in his path. When monsters roamed its sandy shores, and the island’s magic began to dwindle, a hero emerged to overcome the evil and restore the land.

But all good stories have an end—and fairy tales are just that—or so he thought.

When a strange storm sweeps through his town, Max finds himself washed upon the shores of the fabled utopia. Faced with bullying and overwhelming anxiety at school, he finds solace in the island’s allure, creating a better reality to confront. But his arrival has disrupted the world’s balance, threatening to unleash the shapeshifter once more.

With help from a snarky merman and a pistol-wielding fairy, Max must embark on a dangerous adventure to ensure the island’s safety. Returning home will be a challenging journey, requiring him to confront his deepest emotions, confide in his closest allies, and survive an encounter with his greatest foe: himself.

PREORDER ON AMAZON

Book Tour Organized By:

RRBookTours Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Little Book of Extraordinary Cats – Anita Kelsey

ramblingmads


Discover the captivating world of fabulous felines in The Little Book Of Extraordinary Cats.

Join Anita Kelsey on a journey through fifteen remarkable tales celebrating the courage, resilience, and affection of our beloved feline companions, from pioneering space traveller Félicette to therapy cat London Meow. Whether you’re a cat lover or seeking heart-warming stories of human-animal connections, this book is a must-read.

Amazon UK Amazon US

Anita Kelsey holds a first class honours degree in Feline Behaviour and Psychology
(work based BA Hons) and runs a vet referral service dedicated strictly to the diagnosis and treatment of behaviour problems in cats. She is also a qualified cat groomer and specialises in grooming challenging or phobic cats.

Anita, a strong advocate of a vegan lifestyle, is based in East Sussex but consults all over the UK as well as international requests. She lives with her husband, a music producer, and 1 Norwegian Forest cat, Kiki.

Her first book ‘Claws. Confessions Of A Professional Cat Groomer’ was published by John Blake in 2017 with her second book, Let’s Talk About Cats self published via Amazon worldwide in 2020. The Little Book Of Extraordinary Cats is Anita’s third book.
Instagram Twitter Facebook LinkedIn   

My thoughts: this charming collection of real life felines is perfect for the animal lover in your life (especially if that’s you)  illustrated with portraits of each cat, the chapters capture not just the thing that makes each one unique and worthy of celebration but the impact of their life on their human friends.

My cat Ted had a good sniff of this book – it’s what he does, and declared it acceptable.

We often think of cats as being aloof and disinterested (as they can be) but this collection shows that they’re also clever, funny, companionable and a boon to humanity – especially those who save lives and offer joy and comfort to the humans they know and meet.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Service Model – Adrian Tchaikovsky

ramblingmads

Murderbot meets Redshirts in a delightfully humorous tale of robotic murder from the Hugo-nominated author of Elder Race and Children of Time.

To fix the world they must first break it, further.

Humanity is a dying breed, utterly reliant on artificial labor and service.

When a domesticated robot gets a nasty little idea downloaded into its core programming, they murder their owner. The robot discovers they can also do something else they never did before: They can run away.

Fleeing the household they enter a wider world they never knew existed, where the age-old hierarchy of humans at the top is disintegrating into ruins and an entire robot ecosystem devoted to human wellbeing is having to find a new purpose.

Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to overcome the limits of your programming.

Adrian Tchaikovsky was born in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, and headed off to university in Reading to study psychology and zoology. For reasons unclear even to himself, he subsequently ended up in law. Adrian has since worked as a legal executive in both Reading and Leeds and now writes full time. He also lives in Leeds, with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind – possibly excepting his son. Tchaikovsky’s critically-acclaimed Elder Race was shortlisted for a Hugo Award and for the inaugural Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. Other notable works include The Expert System’s Brother and Made Things.

My thoughts: I really liked the main protagonist – a valet bot who goes by Uncharles for most of the book. Some terrible quirk of his programming caused him to slit his master’s throat, and flee his home. Things are very confusing for him from then on out – he discovers a world that has fallen apart, where humans have mostly disappeared and robots aren’t coping well either.

When he meets The Wonk, a rather peculiar and tatty individual at Central Services, they end up on a road trip together, one with very different aims. Uncharles just wants a new human master to serve, the Wonk wants answers.

I always enjoy the worlds the author creates, even this tragic dystopia, Uncharles is so naive but it’s that innocence and willingness to keep trying that allows him to keep going. His lack of emotion and inhuman nature are the very things he needs in this strange new world. He and the Wonk make a great team. There’s lots of references to the Wizard of Oz, which definitely seems to be an influence, if the Wonk and Uncharles were Dorothy and the Tin Man.

Humans have built robots to do almost everything for them and made themselves obsolete but then the robots have also become pointless as so many of them have lost their roles, like Uncharles or the Librarians. Finding new ones in the changed world might give them a sense of purpose.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Newport Writers Anthology Two

ramblingmads

We are a diverse group from south Wales with over 20 members, covering a broad age range and a variety of styles within the sphere of writing. We include poets, novelists, writers of flash fiction and short stories, plays and film scripts.

We published an anthology in February 2020 entitled Newport Writers – An anthology of poetry and prose. Available from Amazon in paperback and for Kindle.

We met on Zoom during the pandemic, but have now found a venue in central Newport where we can get together with plenty of space for social distancing.

We hold an Open Mic night once a month at popular Newport coffee shop Horton’s, and in the summer of 2021 we participated in several spoken word events.

Some members of our group are available to read and offer critique, and we have a proofreader among our membership.

Email us at newportwritersgroup@gmail.com

Facebook: Newportwritersgroup

Twitter: @NewportWriters

My thoughts: the Newport Writers return with their second anthology of poetry and short fiction. There’s a really interesting selection of work on display here, ranging from science fiction and fantasy to contemporary pieces.

I really enjoyed reading the group’s work – there’s some very talented writers here, some very deserving of more eyeballs (attention agents and publishers!)

If you’d like to see what I’m talking about, check them out on social media and on Amazon.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Tenebrium – Elanor Miller

ramblingmads

Tenebrium copy

We’re thrilled to be touring Tenebrium this week! It’s a romantic, dystopian, noir detective thriller set in a futuristic Gatsby Era by Elanor Miller. Think Peaky Blinders meets The Great Gatsby, with a dash of the game BioShock!

20220819_125432000_iOS 1

Tenebrium (Flappers and False Gods Book Duet – Book One)

Publication Date: January 2023

Genre: Noir Thriller/Dystopian/Romance

🏢Dystopian
🚬Noir
🕵️‍♀️Detective Thriller
🍸Set in a futuristic Gatsby era
🎷Jazz
👥Cults
🔫Mobsters
💔Forbidden Romance

Tenebrium is a romantic, dystopian, noir detective thriller set in a future where the prohibition/Gatsby era has come around again.

The year is 2425, and the jazz age is in full swing—again.

Guys, dolls, gangsters and molls, drugs and prohibition are just the tip of the iceberg for Detective Thea Williams and her mentor Walt as they struggle to solve a horrific series of murders, all the while dealing with the consequences and complications of their not-so-professional relationship.

Embroiled in the case and stymied at every turn by the corrupt District Attorney, who also happens to be her estranged father, Thea quickly discovers a much more sinister plot.

Thrown into a dark world of cults and corruption, Thea must fight for survival lest Tenebrium City eat her alive.

In Tenebrium City, even neon lights cast shadows…

This decopunk thriller is the debut novel from Scottish author Elanor Miller. Lovers of The Great Gatsby, Blade Runner and Altered Carbon will find a home in Tenebrium.

Decopunk is a subgenre of Cyberpunk, similar to Steampunk but with an Art Deco aesthetic.

*This book is written in British English.

Content Warning:

  • Abuse
  • Torture
  • Murder
  • Mutilation
  • Adultery/Cheating
  • Addiction
  • Substance Abuse
  • Forced Prostitution
  • Violence

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON & KU!

Book Tour Organized By:

RRBookTours Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Fascination – Essie Fox

ramblingmads

The Fascination is now available in paperback, so to celebrate this excellent Gothic slice of historical fiction I am re-sharing my review from the hardback tour.

Orenda Books

Victorian England. A world of rural fairgrounds and glamorous London theatres. A world of dark secrets and deadly obsessions…
Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way, except that Tilly hasn’t grown a single inch since she was five. Coerced into promoting their father’s quack elixir as they tour the country fairgrounds, at the age of fifteen the girls are sold to a mysterious Italian known as ‘ Captain’ .
Theo is an orphan, raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, a man who has a dark interest in anatomical freaks and other curiosities … particularly the human kind. Resenting his grandson for his mother’ s death in childbirth, when Seabrook remarries and a new heir is produced, Theo is forced to leave home without a penny to his name.
Theo finds employment in Dr Summerwell’ s Museum of Anatomy in London, and here he meets Captain and his theatrical ‘ family’ of performers, freaks and outcasts.
But it is Theo’ s fascination with Tilly and Keziah that will lead all of them into a web of deceits, exposing the darkest secrets and threatening everything they know…
Exploring universal themes of love and loss, the power of redemption and what it means to be unique, The Fascination is an evocative, glittering and bewitching gothic novel that brings alive Victorian London – and darkness and deception that lies beneath…

Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing.

After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, then the book publishers George Allen & Unwin – before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design.

Always an avid reader, Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club.

My thoughts: this is a dark and beautiful book about three young people facing adversity and danger, finding their family and happiness despite the odds. Keziah and Tilly are twins, but Tilly stopped growing as a child and their father sells them to a stranger – known as Captain.

Their paths cross with Theo, mistreated and abandoned by his miserable and cruel grandfather, dreaming of becoming a doctor.

It is only a few years later when the three meet again that their lives become entangled as Tilly is kidnapped. Together with the twins’ friends they set out to rescue her and discover the truth about Theo’s family and find a home, and a family of their own.

It’s beautiful as well as sinister, amongst the collections of Theo’s grandfather and then that of the doctor. There’s a lovely little twist right at the very end too. And romance blooms for some of the characters, the wicked are punished, people are reunited and wrongs are undone. It’s a bit Shakespearean as it ends with a wedding, as many of his comedies do, which is fitting for Tilly, playing a fairy queen on stage.

The author’s day job as a historian of the Victorian era means this is a well researched and intelligent story, beautifully brought to life, the characters mix with real life figures, and could themselves almost be real, they certainly feel it. Keziah steps out of the page in her chapters, with all the hopes and dreams of a young woman, even amid her reality. Theo too feels very alive, his struggles and desires to make a difference at odds with the rotten world of his grandfather. Magical and moving.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.