Category: books

Boyle was born in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. He trained as an actor at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

He is the star, alongside Natalie Clark, of Ryan Hendrick’s multi-award winning short film Perfect Strangers (2015) and of the same director’s feature-film version Lost at Christmas (2020). He plays the role of Detective Marvin Starke in BBC Scotland comedy sitcom Scot Squad (2022). His plays include Eerie Isles, Playthrough and An Isolated Incident, and in 2021 he received a New Playwrights Award from the Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland. His debut radio play Knock of The Ban-Sithe was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2022 and made BBC Sounds drama of the week on the 19th Aug 2022. On the 7th February 2023 Boyle, for his writing on Knock of The Ban-Sithe, was named a finalist for the Imison Award as part of the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2023, and shortlisted for the Celtic Media Festival’s award for Drama (Sound) on the 17th of March 2023

In 2021 he was nominated in the Scottish Emerging Theatre Awards under the following categories: The Flourish Award, The New Writing Award, The Digital Award, and Artist of The Year

His debut novel The Tick and the Tock of the Crocodile Clock, about an aspiring writer from the Southside of Glasgow, was published by Lightning Books in May 2022. Inspired by Peter Pan, the novel was written during the COVID-19 pandemic after Boyle was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. He has said of it: ‘The book is about not wanting to grow up into what society hopes for adults to be and having that conflict of interest between your younger self and the adult you’re growing up to be.’

Blog Tour: The Hotel Room Mix Up – Kathy Jay

Dec 11, 2023Dec 10, 2023 ramblingmads

Two weddings, three hotel reservations gone awry…and one weekend in Cornwall they’ll never forget!
When the similarities between Ella Swift and Callum Smith’s last names lead to a hotel room mix-up, they find themselves sharing a cramped cottage in Porthkara rather than the private luxury hotel suites they expected.
Each in town for a different wedding – and carrying more baggage than just the suitcases in their hands – the reluctant roommates are forced to share a shelter from the storm surge that sweeps in
off the Atlantic. But as the rain crashes down there’s a shift in more than just the atmosphere, and by the time the sun rises on a new day, Ella and Callum’s futures have already been forever changed…

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Author Bio
I live in Cambridgeshire with my family which includes a large dog and a cute cat. I love the changing seasons. I like pyjama days and cosy log fires in winter. In summer, my top things are strawberries
and walking on beautiful beaches in North Wales. I started writing my first romance on a vintage typewriter. Writing got put on hold while I studied for a degree in Drama and French. I’ve been an office temp and a bilingual PA in London. Now I’m a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and thrilled to write fun, flirty romance for One More Chapter.

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My thoughts: I love Cornwall and I love a fun rom com, so this was delightful, especially as a Cornish summer would be wonderful right now, instead of this horrible winter drizzle.

Ella Swift is a former actress headed to her friends’ circus themed wedding, Callum Smith is an IT genius headed to his sister-in-law’s wedding, but due to a mix up at the front desk, both are sharing a room, with one of the groom’s parents! Nightmare.

Instead they’re offered a tumbledown cottage that has at least two rooms, till the roof blows in that is! After not the most comfortable night, the pair awake to wedding chaos, the circus tent blew away, and there’s a missing bride. Luckily both Ella and Callum are quick thinkers and get their separate weddings sorted but somethings definitely begun…

Fun, funny and full of delightful characters, this is a book full of joy and love and should be on your wishlist now!

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

Blog Tour: Murder by Christmas – Lesley Cookman

Dec 11, 2023Dec 8, 2023 ramblingmads

The twisting twenty-fifth instalment of Lesley Cookman’s much-loved Libby Sarjeant series.

Libby Sarjeant is deep into rehearsals for the annual pantomime when a body is found in a doorway two weeks before Christmas – and Libby and her friend Fran are called into action once again, when
their investigation leads them to a local brewery and the sale of many of its pubs.
With the help of a team of local publicans, can Libby and Fran unravel the case before it’s too late?
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Lesley started writing almost as soon as she could read, and filled many Woolworth’s exercise books with pony stories until she was old enough to go out with boys. Since she’s been grown up, following a varied career as a model, air stewardess and disc jockey, she’s written short fiction and features for a variety of magazines, achieved an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Wales, taught writing for both Kent Adult Education and the WEA and edited the first Sexy Shorts collection of short stories, in aid of the Breast Cancer Campaign. Lesley is a member of the Society of Authors and the Crime Writers’ Association.
Lesley has also written pantomimes performed all over Britain, and published a book on how to do it!
Learn more about Lesley by visiting her blog.
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My thoughts: this was a lot of fun, as this series always is, full of laughs, despite being a murder investigation (the bit where Libby and Fran comment on the absurdity of calling crime novels “cosy” made me laugh).

Despite it being panto season, and Libby playing the Fairy Godmother, she still finds time to help Ian and the local police out asking questions about the deceased and his family. The family owned a brewery and a number of pubs and other property, but have been divesting themselves of a lot of it recently. Something iffy seems to have been going on, did Dickie try to stop it and lose his life or was there something else?

Libby has a good knack in getting people to open up and talk, even when they’re a bit suspicious, they trust her reputation and her various links to the local community over the police.

I had a great time reading this book, and I can’t wait till next time.

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

BBNYA Semi-finalists: The Switchgrass Crown – Amanda Innes

Dec 10, 2023 ramblingmads

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Seventeen-year-old Lucas Rowland is spending the summer with his family at the exclusive Lake Avalon, and things are getting… weird. His wealthy peers welcome him and his younger sister Fay with seemingly open arms, and by the time Lucas discovers why, Fay is already fully enmeshed in both high—and questionable—society. But does she need saving? Or is it all a harmless game? Lucas must decide whether to play along or put a stop to it.

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Amanda Innes is the award-winning author of THE GHOSTS OF MARSHLEY PARK and the popular Drew & Rayze series. Find her on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@mplbooks and on TikTok as Amanda_Innes.

Blog Tour: Umbrate – A.D. Jones

Dec 10, 2023Dec 8, 2023 ramblingmads

Welcome to Dalton

Home to Humans, Dwarves, Elves and the shadowy Umbral Populace.

Detective Vanic Bradley works hard to keep the peace, coming down hard on the criminal underbelly of the city.

After putting his life on the line multiple times in recent weeks, all he wanted was a day off work to spend time with his son, and re-evaluate his place in the world – but forces beyond his control have other ideas.

For reasons unknown, he will find himself in a race against time as two hundred innocent citizens become collateral damage in a murderous plot centred around him.

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A.D Jones lives in the North of England; where he spends his time favouring books over people and can be found writing or devouring said books to review online. He loves Cola, Twin Peaks, cult movies and all things horror. He dislikes the movie ‘The Karate Kid’ with a passion that burns brighter than the sun.

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My thoughts: this was an interesting take on an alternate version of our world, where humans live alongside elves, dwarves and a race of people known as umbrals. The umbrals are black, with razor sharp claws and a sensitivity that means they turn invisible in sunlight. For the most part the different species rub along, but there are always tensions.

When detective Vanic Bradley gets involved in a hostage situation with his young son, it seems to be aimed at him. Could the killer be related to his latest case, or is it more personal?

Exploring prejudice and unconscious bias, this is an intelligent and intriguing fantasy thriller.

I also really want to know why the author hates the Karate Kid so much!

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

BBNYA Semi-finalists: The Stars Within – Alex Arch

Dec 9, 2023 ramblingmads

Thomas fights to beat cancer. Colette fights to save the human race.

A colonial miner crippled with debt, Thomas must flee his home to cure his recurring cancer. With his health declining at an alarming rate, his options are limited. Spend his last days surrounded by his loved ones or leave them behind for a slim chance to live. The choice is impossible, the prospect grim, and not for him alone.

A pragmatic military hero, Colette enrolls in a mission to thwart an alien invasion. She always gets the job done… unless Mia’s involved. She must then put her feelings aside as always or risk jeopardizing her assignment for the woman she once loved.

Two battles. Two realities. For one to succeed, the other must fail.

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I grew up in Canada, as most would expect, playing hockey. Always willing to give the best of myself, I added mountain biking, firefighting, and now, unexpectedly, writing to the list.

Loving all things science-fiction and fantasy, I decided to create worlds where I could make people think outside the usual boundaries. Fast-paced, crisp, and intense stories with meaningful parallels to our own realities await readers who can only be certain of one thing: world-shattering twists are inevitable.

BBNYA Semi-finalists: The Soul’s Aspect – Mark Holloway

Dec 8, 2023 ramblingmads

A healer forced to become a killer for an empire that would grind his country to dust.

Kehlem, the sickly son of a widowed physician, has devoted his life to learning his father’s craft. Wanting to finally step out of his father’s shadow, he embarks on a project of his own, seeking out the help of Themia, the town’s newly arrived Alchemist and a rare wielder of magic.

But Themia has secrets of her own, secrets carried from the heart of the empire itself, secrets that would steal Kehlem away from his home and into the empire’s Academy for magic users.

The Isale Academy beckons, but can Kehlem survive the academy and its brutal regime? And if so, what would he have to become?

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Mark Holloway is an indie fantasy author from the UK. With a keen interest in the weird and esoteric, and a day job in medical science, these interests filter into the epic fantasy series, The Aspect. You can find Mark on most social media platforms IG:@markholloway.author/Twitter:@markholloway_1

books, reviews

Book Review: The French Affair – Theresa Howes

Dec 8, 2023 ramblingmads

A country at war. A dangerous secret.

After a failed honey-trap mission for British Intelligence leads to the breakdown of her marriage, French journalist Iris escapes to Dijon, seeking refuge in the cottage of her beloved aunt, Eva. But Eva is gone, the streets are full of distrust, and Iris is soon followed by the very last man she wants to see – the British civil servant and traitor she was tasked with catching, now keen to rekindle their affair.

Eva’s home used to be a comforting place, where the locals sought out Eva’s homemade tinctures and cures and gifted jars of fresh honey from the garden. Now it is a place of danger, where threats loom in every corner. And as Iris spends more time there, she discovers a secret that will change the way she sees her aunt forever – and the course of her own life too…

Don’t miss this utterly sweeping WW2 historical novel, perfect for fans of Suzanne Goldring, Mandy Robotham and Kristin Hannah.

My thoughts: thank you to HQ for gifting me a Netgalley copy of this book to review.

I don’t usually like war stories – for some reason they annoy me – I prefer autobiographical accounts of that time instead for the most part.

This I did enjoy, however, partly because I think it could have been set at other periods of history where there was conflict. And also because it felt slightly removed from the usual stories.

Set in Dijon, France, it follows Iris a French operative for British Intelligence. She heads to her aunt Eva’s house, only to find her aunt has died suddenly, after an op ends and she needs to distance herself from the fallout in order to carry out her next mission.

She must convince the German spy turned soldier, that she wasn’t involved in him being exposed as an enemy agent, and then kill him. All while reckoning with Eva’s killing and convincing the locals she’s not a collaborator, oh and winning back her husband Jack, currently hiding out with the maquis (French Resistance).

It is a lot to deal with, and as she grew up in her aunt’s house, there are memories and people from her past also drawing on her time and energy. She’s got to come up with a plan all by herself, or so she thinks. When Eva’s friend Clemence gradually reveals what happened before Eva was killed, Iris realises she’s not alone, and Eva’s house might hold some answers to her predicament.

The book is packed full of plot and interesting characters, I would have liked to stick around and learn their stories, but Iris needs to keep moving, keep suspicion falling on her as she carries out her plans.

BBNYA Semi-finalists: The Shareholders – H.S. Down

Dec 7, 2023 ramblingmads

In the late 21st century, Earth is ravaged by climate change. The billionaires have bioengineered immortality, fled to Mars, and rule Earth’s last biospheres as their personal shares. Those left on Earth struggle as the planet tumbles into its terminal years of habitabilty.

Ian Gateman, a bureaucrat, is tasked with finding a buyer for fledgling colony of ecological refugees. As Ian travels to the estates of several visitng shareholders, it becomes clear the shareholders have other plans for humanity’s future.

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Author Bio

An earnest scribe born at 348.65 ppm of atmospheric CO2. An unreliable narrator, feral but mostly harmless. The Shareholders is my debut novel and it is attempt to wrestle with the human drive to live forever, both figuratively and literally, amidst widespread ecological extinction. I swear, I’m a little less of a kill-joy in person. Keep an eye out for my next novel, Children of the Fall. Coming Fall 2023.