Category: books

books

Cover Reveal: A Scottish Love Story – Gwen Kirkwood

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She came to Scotland for a fresh start — but found a love she never expected.

When Roxanne Carr accepts a job as a companion to elderly Amynta Baxter, she hopes the beautiful Highlands of Scotland will offer peace after the heartbreak of losing her father and her family farm. But her arrival doesn’t go as planned. Her first meeting with Amynta’s son, Ciaran, is anything but welcoming.

Ciaran Baxter is a dedicated dairy farmer with no time for complications — especially not a spirited young woman who disrupts his routine and challenges his guarded heart.

But as winter sets in and Christmas approaches, Ciaran begins to see a different side to Roxie: capable, kind and as passionate about the farm as he is.

Soon their relationship turns from wary allies to something deeper. But when Roxie is called back to Derbyshire to save her brother’s failing farm, she must choose between the family who cast her aside and the man who makes her believe in second chances.

This heartwarming romance is perfect for fans of Katie Flynn, Nadine Dorries, Rachael Lucas, Natalie Fergie, Anne Douglas and Emma Blair.

All my life has been connected to farming, first in Yorkshire and then in Scotland, so authentic farming details help colour my writing in most of my thirty published books.

The family sagas feature two, and sometimes three, generations, with changing times, clothes and customs,
transport, communication, or lack of it, with life’s joys and problems, plus love of course. We all need some love in our lives despite the ups and downs. They have believable characters and settings. A few are shorter romances. The sagas are available as audio books as well as in print, and all are now available as e-books.

I was born on a Yorkshire farm and went to school there. After attending agricultural college and a short spell working for the Ministry of Agriculture in England, I have spent most of my adult life on a Scottish dairy farm with my late husband, who was a well-known breeder and judge of Clydesdale horses. We have three children and now another generation to keep me up to date with changing times and customs.
I enjoy gardening, local history, cookery, and of course reading, as well as my writing.

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Cover Reveal: Above the Ashes – K.M. Lister

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We’re proud to present the cover for Above the Ashes. A dark dystopian fantasy by K.M Lister!

Above the Ashes (Survivors of the Smoke #1)

Expected Release Date: January 12, 2026

Genre: Dark Dystopian Fantasy

🏜️Post-apocalypse
🔮Deadly curse
🖤Slow burn
🚫Can’t touch
🛏️Forced Proximity
💘He Falls First
✨Reluctant Allies
🧭The Quest
🤫Hidden truth

She’s running from her curse. He’s running from his past. Neither can outrun Fate.

In a ravaged world torn apart after The Darkest Day, Eleri Fos, the half-Fae, half-Witch Princess of The Underworld, finds herself stranded in the desolate Upperworld and cursed with a deadly touch. Eleri’s only hope is to journey East in search of a rumored entrance back to her realm. Along the way, she crosses paths with a wanted trio of humans—Kai Eogeum, a mysterious protector; Jaycen Ryuk, his troubled companion; and Rina Yarrow, a faithful young woman—who are on their own perilous mission. Despite the fear and distrust her heritage evokes in herself and others, Eleri gradually finds herself drawn into their quest. Feeling an inexplicable pull toward Kai, the group’s enigmatic leader, she struggles to conceal her deadly gift and true identity.

Kai Eogeum is a man burdened by his own secrets and a haunting past. Carrying the guilt of those secrets, Kai feels a connection to Eleri he doesn’t quite understand. As they navigate a landscape filled with danger—from cannibalistic foes to the search for a sinister figure known as The Siren—Kai must confront his growing feelings for the mysterious being in their midst.

Together, Eleri and Kai’s intertwined journeys reveal a deeper connection and a destiny that neither can deny. As they face old wounds and new revelations, they must decide whether their fragile alliance can withstand the truths that come to light and whether love can bloom even in a life defined by ruin and fear. The end of the world was only the beginning.

COMING SOON!

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Blog Tour: The Gameshow – Alexander Raphael

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In a waiting room hidden high away from everyone, six disgraced celebrities are desperate to recover their heavily tainted reputations. An incredibly controversial new gameshow is offering them a route back to the big time, along with a $7.2 million cash prize. But with no consolation
prizes and serious consequences every time someone loses out, will signing up prove their salvation or their downfall?

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Half-Mexican, half-Welsh and growing up in London, Alex Raphael was surrounded by different influences and interests. But it was always books that spoke to him most and had the greatest impact.

He started writing when at college, where his love of reading evolved into a desire to write, in particular focusing on poetry and short stories. Studying English and American Literature at university meant he took a break from writing, as well as giving him the chance to see more of
Mexico on his travels. He concentrated on his journalistic career while working on different writing projects, but his favourite genre of literature has always been short stories as they are what first inspired him to write.

That’s why his first book was The Summer of Madness, a romantic short story that tells of a guy who goes out to try to win his ex-girlfriend back. Will you be rooting for Kurt and his big public gesture or is it more complicated than that and you don’t want her to date him again? Either way you’ll get to know a memorable set of characters along for the ride.

His second book Illusions, Delusions reflects Raphael’s love of alternative short stories from the writers of his childhood and challenges the idea of the narrative. Will your favourite be the story in
the form of a questionnaire, a poem or a set of jokes, among the seven very different styles?

Alexander Raphael’s third book is Always Never, Rarely Sometimes, featuring original premises and distinctive characters with his trademark imagination, humour and memorable dialogue. Among others, meet a sinister magician with an array of pranks, a long-suffering husband finally becoming
more decisive and a group of young guys intrigued by a pretty woman at another table.

Alexander Raphael’s latest offering is The Gameshow, about six disgraced celebrities who are unaware of just how much trouble they are in, having signed up for the most provocative of television shows. His satirical debut novel is a look at the constant decision-making needed by stars
to remain popular and relevant, and just how desperate they can become when the wrong decisions are made.

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My thoughts: Six disgraced celebrities, including an American football player, a comedian and a singer, are offered the opportunity to reclaim their spotlight by going on a mysterious new gameshow.

With a spin of the wheel one of them will face their biggest fear – there can only be one winner, it’s all a game of chance and under constant camera surveillance, will one of them crack before they face their fears?

It gets controversial and the enigmatic producer, Selina, refuses to step down the game, pushing the contestants to their limits and amping up the tension.

Even the end of the game comes with a twist, one you won’t expect.

Clever and with a sinister undertone, this is one show you won’t want to miss.

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

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Blog Tour: The Sharp Edge of Fate – TF Johnson

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To get ready for the Halloween release of the final book in the Belladonna trilogy, we’re going back to the beginning! Check out The Sharp Edge of Fate!

The Sharp Edge of Fate (The Belladonna Trilogy Book 1)

Winner: Best Fantasy – Page Turner Awards 2024

Genre: Gaslamp Fantasy

🗡️ Flawed Protagonists
🗡️ Fierce FMC
🗡️ Assassins & Mages
🗡️ Strong Friendships
🗡️ Found Family
🗡️ High Stakes
🗡️ Mysterious Disappearances
🗡️ Reluctant Hero
🗡️ Very Slow Burn Romance
🗡️ Touch Them and Regret It

The Belladonna is a shadow; an assassin who leaves purple-black berries on the bodies of her victims. No one knows her name, or her face.

Piper is desperate to keep it that way.

When an assignment goes spectacularly wrong, Piper’s carefully separated lives begin to converge. Her target becomes a reluctant ally as they search for clues to the disappearances haunting the city of Silversdale; disappearances that include Piper’s close friend, and a member of the empire’s ruling family.

With two children in her care and time running out before she is due to deliver on her contract, Piper will soon find she has only scratched the surface of a plot that threatens everything she holds dear.

Perfect for lovers of Throne of Glass, Six of Crows and Lady of Darkness, The Sharp Edge of Fate is the first in this gripping new fantasy series from TF Johnson. If you love warrior women, cinnamon roll MMCs and powerful friendships, you will love this addictive fantasy trilogy.

READ NOW ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

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Blog Tour: What Goes Around – Michael Wendroff

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Chilling murders terrorize a town in the USA, and bring together two detectives to face the hardest tasks of their lives. Jack, a brawny enforcer, and Jill, a brainy beauty, can’t stand each other, but must find the killer before they kill each other. Their journey takes them into the secret world of Incels, Boogaloo Boys, and supremacists. The novel is full of twists, and the shocking finale challenges the
boundaries of life and death.

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Michael Wendroff is the author of What Goes Around, a debut thriller published by Bloomsbury, which bestselling author Eric Rickstad calls a “brilliant debut,” and bestselling author Lisa Black says, “starts at a

breakneck pace and doesn’t let up until it reaches its unexpected conclusion.” Plus, #1 bestselling author J.D. Black says, “Relentless and gritty, Wendroff expertly weaves a narrative that begs, ‘just one more page…’”
The book was inspired by what his mother said to him the second he was born: “Oh! How nice to see you–Again!”

Michael has an MBA in marketing from NYU, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. He is a global marketing consultant. He shares his time between New York City, Sarasota, Florida, and Lake Garda, Italy. He is married and has three wonderful children.

His mother was an editor (watching his mother scribbling in red ink on manuscript pages at home on weekends prepared him for his own editor’s comments!). She remarried a literary agent, so Michael was friendly with many authors, and even spent a vacation with Robert Ludlum. Watching Ludlum
hand-write his 450 page novels on yellow legal pads didn’t dissuade Michael from trying to write a novel (though he’s thankful for his PC).

What Goes Around was launched in the USA, UK, and Australia, and foreign language rights have been sold in Italian, Japanese, and Hungarian. The hardcover went through 3 printings, and now the
trade paperback is available (along with audio book and e-book).

Fun fact: Michael’s great-grandfather was brought over by Thomas Edison from the University of Copenhagen to work with him. He holds a number of patents, including for plastic buttons. Michael
proudly wears button- down shirts whenever he can.

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My thoughts: After several apparently random killings and the appearance of a group of white supremacists, detectives Jack and Jill are recruited to a multi agency task force to find the killer and stop the racists from causing any more trouble.

More bodies will be added to their ugly tally as they hunt a sniper and the leaders of several rival supremacist gangs. They have a young man on the inside, but in helping them he risks everything he holds dear.

The case is complicated and the idiotic local sheriff doesn’t help, and even the FBI agent in charge seems a bit stumped. But the two detectives will have to overcome their long rivalry and work together to solve their case and end the violence.

Twisting and far from straightforward, this case is intriguing and has something of a metaphysical bent, as old sins come to light amidst the case that change things for many of the characters.

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

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Blog Tour: Sam Hain – Hamid Amirani

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A misanthropic horror comedy for people who think humanity had it coming.

Sam Hain is a San Francisco P.I. with a permanently raised eyebrow and moronic homicidal parents he hasn’t seen in 18 years — not since they tried to cast him in a DIY snuff film.

Mike is a demon — or, as he prefers, a diabolical entity — with his own ideas about how best to punish the human race.

When an anonymous letter arrives, along with $500 in cash, asking Sam to investigate a murder in a small town, he’s curious enough to get in the car. That, plus he has nothing better to do.

The victim? A man found dead inside a tumble dryer.
The clue? The name MIKE, written in blood above the body.
The twist? The letter was postmarked before the murder happened.

Soon, Sam’s navigating a town full of eccentrics: an elderly laundromat owner who speaks fluent profanity, a death metal teen with conservative parents, a bigoted religious fundamentalist, and a hedonistic teacher on Sam’s wavelength who doesn’t believe in small talk. Meanwhile, the local sheriff — experiencing his first murder case in decades — follows Sam around like a kid at Disneyland.

And Mike? Mike is powerful. Mike has plans. And he really, really hates stupid people. In that regard, he and Sam have something in common.

Twisted, sardonic and wildly inappropriate, SAM HAIN is a critically acclaimed murder mystery wrapped in a demonic satire — and it absolutely does not want to be your friend.

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Hamid Amirani was born in Iran and came to London not long after. He studied Media and  Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Before turning to fiction, Amirani worked across a wide range of media and creative roles – from proofreading and freelance blogging for an American camera bag company, to  interviewing director Michael Bay for a print feature. His horror-comedy spec script earned a Recommend from Script Pipeline, the screenwriting platform set up by Donnie Darko producer
Sean McKittrick.

In the late 1990s, Amirani was a guest on The James Whale Radio Show after a series of calls as his alter ego GanjaMan led to a studio invitation.

He began writing his debut novel, SAM HAIN, during lockdown, which helped stave off cabin  fever. A genre-blending satire, it marks his first full-length work of fiction.

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My thoughts: I am aware that I have a rather dark sense of humour, and this book was hilarious, but it won’t be to everyone’s tastes.

PI Sam Hain (yes, his awful parents did that to him on purpose, even though the pagan festival is pronounced slightly differently) is directed to a small town to investigate a murder. There’s a dead man in a tumble dryer (you could definitely get a body in an industrial dryer – they’re huge) but no evidence or explanation as to how he got there.

Working with the small town sheriff, Sam is attempting to figure out what’s going on, when a detective from Oregon arrives, keen to talk to Sam about his awful (really awful( estranged parents. He last saw them when he was 17, and they were trying to kill him. They’ve disappeared after a killing spree that defies explanation. 

As it becomes apparent that both cases are connected, the three men team up to try to make sense of all the murders.

Then Mike the demon shows up and things take a much weirder turn.

I really enjoyed this twisted, weird, horror comedy, it made me laugh and is populated with some very unique and memorable characters. The narrator is hilarious and has plenty to say about the world we live in. Hopefully Sam will return in another weird and wacky case at some point.

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

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Book Blitz: Be Our Ghost – Carla Luna

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The only thing scarier than ghosts is falling in love.

Knox McIntyre has mastered the art of avoiding drama, especially the romantic kind. Ever since his screenwriting career went up in flames, the grumpy bartender has kept his past buried and his heart
off-limits. But when a paranormal reality show sets its sights on the boutique hotel where he works, he gets roped into the production—and partnered with the one woman who just might unravel him.

Charlotte “Charlie” Fraser is the Duchess Hotel’s sunny front office manager, a hopeless romantic with a weakness for happy endings and broody bartenders. After months of pining for Knox, she’s
finally ready to act—even if it means battling her inner scaredy-cat by helping him bring a ghost-hunting show to the hotel this Halloween.

As Knox and Charlie dig into the hotel’s chilling past, they find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. Every lingering look, near kiss, and shared secret brings them closer to something real. But
unless they can summon the courage to face their feelings head-on, their love doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

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Carla Luna writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humour and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she still dreams of travelling to far-off places and channels that wanderlust into the
settings of her stories. Her books have been called “escape reads,” ideal for perusing during a beachside vacation, a long flight, or a relaxing weekend at the lake. When she’s not writing, she
spends her time reading, baking, and taking long walks while listening to pop culture podcasts.
Though she has roots in Los Angeles and Vancouver Island, she currently resides in Wisconsin with her family and her feisty Siberian cat.

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Amazon Author Page BookBub 

My thoughts: This was a very cute Halloween-infused romance about a screenwriter turned bartender and a hotel manager falling in love as they organise and attend events at the hotel and bar they work at. Oh, and they get locked in a haunted room by a really angry ghost.

Charlie talks Knox into helping out with the events, even though he basically hates parties, but because he’s a bit in love (and lust) he’ll pretty much do anything for her – including wearing fancy dress and indulging her pirate and wench fantasies 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

But they’re also getting the hotel ready to feature on Canada’s Most Haunted – there’s a ghost trapped in the storage room, the victim of a murder, and she’s not happy. Charlie can sense her rage and wants to help, while Knox can only see the physical side effects, like when things start getting thrown around. I don’t personally really believe in ghosts, but buildings do seem to sometimes hold onto energy or something.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a little romance for this time of year – this one should keep you going till it’s time to roll out the Christmas reads.

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Cover Reveal: Breakthrough – Judy Kroll

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Neddy Emory and her brother Charles head up Angiras, a family-owned start-up with a radical innovation that will transform patient care for cystic fibrosis. They’re about to go live with a revolutionary life-saving medical device. But they’ve hit a major snag. Critical
research is unraveling and, to their shock and horror, one-by-one, team members are falling mysteriously ill.

Neddy and Charles race to move the project forward, while struggling to keep their employees safe. Failure is not an option. Without the device, their younger brother Daniel will die. But Neddy begins to suspect the company’s innovative research methods are being tampered with. When probed, Charles gaslights her. He refuses to slow down, claiming he is
Daniel’s only hope.

Torn between loyalty to her family and the welfare of the staff, Neddy desperately searches
for the truth. Then the unspeakable happens. A fatality. Charles appears to finally be persuaded. But his next move shocks her, and she realizes: the danger is only beginning. And she is on her own.

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Judy Kroll worked for over twenty years in large and small corporations, including four years
in the pharmaceutical industry, as a human resources professional and later as a career
counselor. She provided job search assistance to hundreds of individuals, including physicians,
pharmacists, medical device developers, chemists, and other scientists impacted by mergers
and downsizings. She is a practicing yogi (twenty-three years.) Both corporate experiences as
well as many years ‘on the mat’ inspired her book, Breakthrough. Specifically, in both of these
very disparate worlds, she observed the same phenomenon: the devastation wrought when a
much-respected boss or mentor turns out to be unethical, and one must find a new path forward,
seemingly alone.
She lives in northern New Jersey, and in addition to writing, gardening, and practicing yoga,
Judy co-chairs a not-for-profit conservation organization.

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Blogathon: The Caller – Chris Carter

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After a tough week, Tanya Kaitlin is looking forward to a relaxing night in, but as she steps out of her shower, she hears her phone ring. The video call request comes from her best friend, Karen Ward. Tanya takes the call and the nightmare begins.

Karen is gagged and bound to a chair in her own living room. If Tanya disconnects from the call, if she looks away from the camera, he will come after her next, the deep, raspy, demonic voice at the other end of the line promises her.

As Detectives Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia investigate the threats, they are thrown into a rollercoaster of evil, chasing a predator who scouts the streets and social media networks for victims, taunting them with secret messages and feeding on their fear.

My thoughts: The murders in this latest instalment of the Hunter & Garcia books are really grisly. The killer calls the best friend, the husband, the sister, of his chosen victim and forces them to play a horrific game, before killing their loved one in front of them, via video call. There’s nothing they can do to stop him, and each murder is extremely brutal.

Hunter and Garcia can’t find the link between the victims, they seem to have been chosen completely at random, and they have no idea who the killer is. They’re in a race against time to stop him from taking more lives, but when it seems the victims could be anyone, how can they predict where he might strike next?

Hunter also gets a bit of a personal life, meeting the lovely psychology professor in the UCLA library and connecting over their love for Scottish whisky. It’s nice to see Hunter off duty for a change, obviously, his brilliant mind is searching for the killer, but all the previous books have him just working and not sleeping, this gives us another side to his character.

Another edge-of-your-seat, twist-you-won’t- see-coming read, with writing that keeps you hooked (or at least it does me).

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

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Blog Tour: The Hollow Man – Rachel Amphlett

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After being summoned to a crime scene late one Friday afternoon, Detective Mark Turpin arrives to find the body of a man, his face obscured by a plastic sheet wrapped around his head.

When the victim’s final moments are traced to a rented property in the Oxfordshire countryside, Mark discovers another body, one that has been brutally cut to pieces and left to rot.

As the manhunt for the murderer intensifies, Mark uncovers several unresolved cold cases with similarities to his own and exposes a killer who has managed to escape both national and
international scrutiny.

Then one of his colleagues disappears without a trace, and Mark is faced with an
impossible situation that could plunge his entire future into jeopardy…

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Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant.
She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction with over 30 crime novels and short stories featuring spies, detectives, vigilantes, and assassins.
A keen traveller and accidental private investigator, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship.
You can find out more about Rachel and her books at http://www.rachelamphlett.com.

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My thoughts: Another clever case from one of the best crime writers out there. A man is found in a rented office, suffocated by bubble wrap, he was also renting a house locally, which contains another dead body. Who is this man and why does he appear to have committed murder and then been killed himself?

As the detectives unravel the secrets of their gruesome finds, following a trail that stretches across the country and even as far away as Dubai, they’re looking not just for one killer, but possibly two.

When Jan disappears while following a lead, the team must put their investigation on hold to search for one of their own, and time is running out. Has she fallen foul of their killer or someone else?

Clever, twisting and engaging, you’ll be on the edge of your seat as the detectives race to rescue their colleague and find the killer before he escapes.

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