blog tour, books

Blog Tour: I Promise You Pain – Bart Baker

ramblingmads

I Promise you Pain copy

“Not your daddy’s Jack Reacher, Cordon Finn is a different breed…”

Welcome to the book tour for I Promise You Pain by Bart Baker. Read on for more details!

bookcover I Promise You Pain

I Promise you Pain (The Cordon Finn Vengeance Series #1)

Genre: Crime Fiction/ Action Thriller/ LGBTQ2+ Books

Publication Date: May 11, 2023

Hired by a Chicago billionaire to pluck his runaway son from the Palm Springs compound of a wealthy pedophile, former military extraction and information specialist, Cordon Finn, believes it will be a simple snatch-and-go job with a big payday. But Cordon discovers that his quarry isn’t the billionaire’s underage son, but rather his trans-daughter, Lucious, whose father wants her dead. After fighting off assassins, Cordon vows to keep Lucious alive. But when the billionaire kidnaps Cordon’s girlfriend and comes after his family and friends, Cordon takes the fight back to the billionaire’s door. With the help of Lucious and his sister, Annie, Cordon craves vengeance, even if the cost is his own life.

I PROMISE YOU PAIN contains brutal violence as well as raw language, consensual and nonconsensual sex. There are trans and gay characters. Not your daddy’s Jack Reacher, Cordon Finn is a different breed. Fascinating, faceted, damaged but relatable, Cordon seeks vengeance for those who can’t.

Add to Goodreads

Excerpt

“I got money,” Lucious says. “Whatever you’re getting paid for, whatever you’re doing, I can get you more.”

“Shut up,” Cordon demands, pushing Lucious behind him as Cordon plots their escape. As he calculates the route out, Cordon is snapped back to the moment when he hears Luscious behind him.

“I’m at Wayne’s! This fucking lunatic is kidnapping me! He about killed Way—” Lucious barks into his phone as Cordon whips around. Yanking the cell phone from Lucious’s hand, Cordon smashes it against the wall. Dropping the pieces to the floor, Cordon stomps on it.

“What the hell!? That’s a brand-new iPhone!”

“Hear me and hear me good, knucklefuck. You pull any bullshit, you call for help, try to signal someone, anything I don’t like, I will rip that little swimsuit off your ass and gag you with it. Understand?”

“Yeah, but—”

Cordon slaps his hand over Lucious’s mouth. “Shut! Up! You talk, you die. You keep your mouth shut, do as I say, you will come out of this alive, Lucas,” Cordon warns in a harsh whisper as he takes his hand away from Lucious’s mouth.

“Lucious! My name is Lucious! She! Her!”

Again, Cordon slaps his hand over Lucious’s mouth again, his face getting close to hers.

“Don’t! Care!” Cordon snaps back.

Lucious glares into Cordon’s eyes, fighting her rage. She carefully reaches up and pulls Cordon’s hand away from her face. “Why are you kidnapping me?”

Cordon’s finger gets right in Lucious’s face, ignoring her question. “We’re going down those stairs together, our arms around each other, and right out the front door. Remember, you try to alert anyone, I will punch you in the head so hard you will wake up in the hospital if you wake up at all. If I’m clear, nod.”

Lucious defiantly does as asked. As Cordon turns back to the door, Lucious seizes the moment and grabs Cordon’s hand, putting a lock on Cordon’s thumb, slamming her elbow into a pressure point in Cordon’s neck. More startled than injured, Cordon’s free hand comes up fast, right into Lucious’s solar plexus, the air blasting from Lucious’s lungs.

Staggering back, Lucious recovers quickly, jumping into the air and surprising Cordon with a kick that connects with his head. Cordon wobbles a step, his fist coming up defensively. Lucious strikes, pummeling Cordon with kicks and punches, her skill as a fighter remarkable but not

unexpected. Cordon knew the kid was a champion and prepared himself for Lucious to fight back.

Blocking Lucious’s attack, Cordon finds his back against the wall. He drops to the floor and sweeps out Lucious’s legs. Lucious hits the floor hard but startling Cordon, Lucious kips back to her feet, ducks under Cordon’s meaty swing, pile-drives a few punches into Cordon’s rib while screaming for help, hoping someone can hear her over the blasting music.

Cordon shoves Lucious back hard into the dresser, but Lucious comes back swinging and kicking. Cordon continues to block most of Lucious’s blows as Lucious continues to scream for help with each swing and kick. The music continues to drown out her pleas.

“I. Should. Be. The. One. Calling. For. Help!” Cordon barks, as he blocks the flurry of Lucious’s punches from doing any damage.

Needing to batter Cordon back long enough to escape, Lucious leaps in the air, her hips jerking hard as she comes around with a furious spin kick to Cordon’s head. But Cordon catches Lucious by the calf and slams her leg into the wall, holding her there, the leg up around Lucious’s face as the barrel of Cordon’s gun jams into Lucious’s balls.

“Hit me again, I’ll open you up like a can of fish,” Cordon snarls into Lucious’s face.

Slowly letting Lucious’s leg drop, Cordon grabs hold of the dozens of necklaces Lucious wears, many appearing homemade, dangling with a charm or amulet, tightening his grip until the necklaces dig into Lucious’s skin, choking her.

“Turn around,” Cordon orders, spinning Lucious towards the wall.

In the small black bag over his shoulder, Cordon pulls out a two zip ties. “I didn’t want to do this,” Cordon says as he binds Lucious’s hands together with the ties, and then grabs the necklaces again to maintain complete control over the kid. Yanking Lucious’s body against his, Cordon holds her tightly, sliding the gun barrel up to Lucious’s cheek. “This is how serious I am about this. I want to get out of here. And unless you want half your pretty face blown off, you’re going to do what I say. I feel you so much as tense a muscle, I’m going to send you home to your family in a plastic trash bag.”

“My father would like that.”

“Let’s not find out, Bruce Lee.”

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Bart Baker headshot (2)

With seven novels, two seasons of a Kindle Vella story, SCRAPS, eight plays, and 19 produced film and TV credits, Bart has been writing for over 40 years. Starting in the theater, the film rights to Bart’s play, RELAY, were bought by Warner Bros., which led him into screenwriting. Bart has had two feature films produced (LIVE WIRE and SUPERCROSS,) eleven produced movies for television for CBS, ABC, USA, Family Channel, and Hallmark as well as work on four television series including DIRT, starring Courtney Cox. Bart’s novel, HONEYMOON WITH HARRY was a critical and commercial success with the movie rights purchased by New Line/Warner Bros when the book was in galleys.

Bart lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his husband, Joe Elvis, and two children, Isaiah and Emmanuel. Besides writing, Bart is a lifelong swimmer and gym rat. Follow Bart on Facebook, on Twitter at @firstBartBaker, on Instagram @thefirstBartBaker, IMDB as Bart Baker, or his website http://www.bartvbaker.com.

Book Tour Organized By:

R&R Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: Cut From Stone – Brendan O’Meara

ramblingmads

CutfromStone copy

Welcome to the book tour for Cut from Stone, a gritty YA dystopian by Brendan O’Meara. 

Cut From Stone Cover Image

Cut from Stone (Crafting Humanity #1)

Genre: YA Dystopian

The world is fresh from humanity splitting in half – the BlankZone in the East and the Federation in the West. As an inevitable attack from the BlankZone looms, the Federation makes swift, mysterious, and unexpected moves to prepare.

James, a 17-year-old living in the Federation, is drafted by the military. He learns that he has been selected to join a group of skilled teens who will be transformed into elite human weapons. Follow James and his friends as they mature from teenagers to lethal warriors. Together, they will face life altering events navigating a new existence dedicated to protecting their friends, families, and humanity at all costs.

Add to Goodreads

Excerpt

One of the motherships from the BlankZone sat offshore. Its size alone was enough to cause concern from any angle, but it surprised him how calm he was looking at one of the largest warships ever created moored miles away from his current location.

“Jesus, man, how the hell did you survive?” James heard Clint say before he was embraced in his vicelike grip, the shorter mechanic’s biceps constricting James’s body until he thought he heard a crunch.

“Let him go. You’re gonna strangle him,” Stacie said, tapping Clint’s arm.

“I shouldn’t have let you go home,” Clint said, letting him go and standing back, shaking his head.“

You didn’t know what was gonna happen. Relax man. We’ve got a battle to plan.” James said, putting a reassuring hand on Clint’s shoulder.

“Jon, Stacie, I need updates. What’s happening out there?” James asked, turning to face the floating screens forming one of the Nest’s walls.

“Looks like they’re taking a break. Haven’t seen any other missiles coming into the city for a few minutes,” Jon said from behind him while the images changed to various scenes of damage spread all over the city.

There must be thousands dead, James thought.

“Do we know what they were using to bomb us?” James asked, zooming in on one of the blast sites and focusing on the melted metal pooling in superheated ponds.

“Nothing we’ve seen before, but none of this is. They’ve managed to decimate the city in an hour,” Stacie said, her voice crisp, clear, and analytical. “In our best estimate this was, frankly, the worst-case scenario.” James heard the break in her demeanor at the end of the sentence before he flipped his view to the ship off the coast.

Ten miles offshore, according to the HOLO’s distance finder, a ship the size of a skyscraper hung in the air elevated just slightly off the water. He couldn’t tell what part of the ship he was looking at, but his mind was stuck trying to piece together the mini nuclear station they would need to move the behemoth to the shore let alone across the ocean.

He took a breath, realizing they were up against an enemy no one understood before turning around to address the team when he heard a rumble from the HOLO emitters’ speakers. The ship opened, its armor plate covering the top pulled back, revealing a row of cannons stretching the length of the ship.

The front armor retracted until it disappeared under the ship’s bow. Meanwhile, the cannons lowered themselves, revealing another row of cannons behind them lining the length of the ship. The two rows of weaponry lowered themselves until they were parallel to the water.

What the hell is happening? James thought, hoping he was wrong about what was coming next.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Brendan OMeara Headshot

Raised in White Plains, New York, Brendan O’Meara formed a love of stories and books from a young age. He has spent his free time over the last decade crafting his debut novel, Cut From Stone, book one in the Crafting Humanity series.

It began in Philadelphia where he attended college daydreaming about a dystopian reality. With a vivid imagination (as described by his middle school teachers) and a passion for adventure, Brendan’s novels will transport you to a different life and capture you from cover to cover.

Brendan lives in Washington, DC with his daughter, wife, and two dogs. You will find him on the weekends drinking a beer watching the Packers and Notre Dame football games. He is an avid reader with a specific interest in sci-fi, anything dystopian, fantasy, history, and all levels of fiction.

Follow him on, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon, and BookBub.

Book Tour Schedule

June 12th

http://rrbooktours

http://readsandreels.com – Feature

http://ramblingmads.com – Feature

https://christinebialczak.com/ – Feature

June 13th

https://www.instagram.com/calhoun.crew/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/jlreadstoperpetuity – Review

https://www.thesexynerdrevue.com – Feature

June 14th

https://www.instagram.com/amanda_coffee_books/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/my.bookish.ways/?igshid=ODMwYzU2MzQ – Review

https://lshadowlynauthor.com/ – Spotlight

June 15th

https://www.instagram.com/abookshelftomagicalrealms/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/mommasbookies/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D  – Review

https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/theclumsybiblio/ – Review

June 16th

https://www.instagram.com/countrymamaswithkids/ – Review

https://countrymamaswithkids.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bookdragonstbr/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/magicalmushroombookshelf/ – Review

https://www.instagram.com/read.em.if.you.got.em/ – Feature

Book Tour Organized By:

R&R Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Vulcana – Rebecca F. John

ramblingmads

Vulcana is a fictional telling of the real story of Victorian ‘strongwoman’ Kate Williams (born 1874), starting when she runs away from home at 16 to travel with the love her life, William Roberts. They perform in music halls as Atlas and Vulcana -the climax of their act is that Kate can lift William over her head. She and William present themselves to the public as brother and sister as they travel the world because William is already married, and William’s wife brings up Kate’s children with her own. Kate is driven by love: for William, for her children, for performing, and for life, and Rebecca’s gorgeous, immersive writing fits perfectly this brave, unconventional woman and her amazing story.

Rebecca F. John was born in Llanelli. Her first novel, The Haunting of Henry Twist (Serpent’s Tail, 2017) was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award. She won the PEN International New Voices Award 2015. In 2017 she was on the Hay Festival’s ‘The Hay 30’ list. Her stories have been broadcast on Radio 4. She lives in Swansea with her dogs. Her previous book for Honno, Fannie, was published in January 2022 and was Waterstones Book of the Month for Wales and the BCW Book of the Month.

My thoughts: based on her true story of a Victorian strong woman, Kate Williams, whose stage name was Vulcana, this is a fascinating and interesting book. Fleshing out the limited details of Kate’s life, bringing her back to attention, she’s a feminist pioneer – wanting women to cast off their restrictive corsets and take regular exercise.

She travels the world with her lover and business partner – William Roberts, aka Atlas, leaving their four children with William’s wife Alice in Abergavenny. They exist in a strange triad, the women have great affection for one another, and also have their travelling family – the other strong men and women with whom they tread the boards in exhibitions of strength.

She’s friends with Queen of the music halls – Marie Lloyd and is the first person to report Dr Crippen to the police after his wife, also a performer, disappears. These brief glimpses of other notable names and events ground the story in reality, while adding imagined details of Kate’s inner life.

What emerges is a portrait of a truly extraordinary woman, who left her quiet Welsh village to travel the world and do incredible things. I am glad I read this book and learnt about Vulcana, Kate Williams.

*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, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Night Out – Wendy Clarke

ramblingmads

Sean pulls me to him, and we both laugh happily, as we stroll home from our favourite wine bar. It’s our first evening out since our baby girl was born. I’ve only thought about Kitty a couple of times, wondering if she’s settled without my goodnight kiss. But our perfect night is shattered when I see the police car and the two officers on the front steps of our home…

Someone has reported our sweet baby missing.

When I rush inside the house and mercifully find our little girl tucked up inside her crib, you’ll think that’s the end of the story.

And when Sean says a prayer of thanks, the police close the case and I hold Kitty in a tight embrace, you’ll feel grateful it was all one big mistake.

But you’ll be wrong.

You don’t know what I did fifteen years ago, the lies I’ve told or the reason I desperately want the police out of my house. I’m sure the person who reported Kitty missing knows everything about my past…

You don’t know how much danger I’m in. Or how far I’ll go to keep my family safe…

Utterly captivating and gripping until the final page, The Night Out is perfect for fans of The Family Upstairs, The Housemaid and The Marriage.

Amazon

Audio UK Audio US

Listen to a sample

Wendy Clarke was a teacher until the small primary school where she worked closed down. Now she is a writer of psychological suspense but is also well known for her short stories and serials which regularly appear in national women’s magazines.

Wendy has two children and three step-children and lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex. When not writing, she is usually indulging in her passion for dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

Facebook Instagram Twitter

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Wendy Clarke 

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love

My thoughts: what starts as a story that feels like it’s going to go one way, goes somewhere very different. Elise has a lot of secrets – ones even her husband doesn’t know, she’s keeping them because she’s trying to protect her teenage daughter Megan.

Her ex partner is dangerous, and as Elise’s story unfolds you come to understand exactly what she’s been through and why she’s keeping so many things hidden. But Megan is looking for her father, and risks everything Elise has fought so hard for.

A chilling tale of abuse, of women, of power, and of the will to survive and thrive safe from harm. While Megan doesn’t have all the facts, she can’t understand why her mum is the way she is, maybe it’s time to trust her daughter a bit more and finally lay it all out there.

As events worsen, and another face from the past appears, the truth will either bring them closer together or destroy everything. Powerful and shocking stuff.

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

books

Cover Reveal: Sasquatch Summer – Talia Greer

ramblingmads

Cover Reveal Banner

We’re thrilled to share the cover for upcoming monster romance, Sasquatch Summer by Talia Greer! Read on for more details!

Cover

Sasquatch Summer

Expected Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Shifter Romance

🌲Forced Proximity

🌲Size Difference

🌲Light Rope Play

🌲Work Mentor

 🌲Shifted Seggs

🌲Hurt/ Comfort

🌲Touch Her and Die

A hyper independent PhD graduate, an impossible forest monster, and the irresistible attraction between them.

Returning to her hometown of River Pointe, Idaho is at the very bottom of Felicity Clarke’s meticulous to-do list. With an Ivy League doctorate in hand, she’s sure the academic job market will shine favorably on her.

But when her job search turns up nothing, and her estranged mother dies, she’s forced to return to the one place she spent her whole life plotting to leave. There, she happens into her dream job–music faculty at a local college.

And her faculty mentor? The super hot, hairy, 7ft-tall Cedric Byrne.

Determined to resist her infuriating attraction to Cedric, Felicity gives him the cold shoulder. But between living in her dead mom’s trailer and reuniting with her high school BFF, Felicity has more than enough to worry about. And Cedric and his kindness–and good looks–prove highly persuasive. She can’t help but warm to him.

But Cedric is not just a man. He’s a monster. Bigfoot, to be precise. And behind every monster is someone who threatens to destroy them.

Will Felicity stand with her Bigfoot boyfriend? Or will she do what she does best when it comes to River Pointe–flee?

Sasquatch Summer is a dual-POV, full-length, small-town standalone monster romance with a guaranteed HEA that features forced proximity and size difference. See author’s website for more detailed content warnings.

Pre-order Here

About the Author

TGBooks Logo (1)

Talia lives in the mountains with her gamer husband and two chaotic cat children. When she’s not writing, she’s drinking iced coffee or watching truly terrible horror movies.

Talia Greer

Cover Reveal Organized By:

R&R Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Girls in the Cabin – Caleb Stevens

ramblingmads

AN UNPUTDOWNABLE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER WITH A STUNNING FINAL TWIST.

They find a cabin in the woods and think they’re finally safe. But little do they know, the nightmare is just beginning.

This camping trip is Chris’s last chance to keep his family together. His wife is gone and, after what he did, his daughters aren’t speaking to him. But things go wrong as soon as they get to the mountains.

Kayla is still so pissed at him, and Emma runs off into the woods. By the time they find her, she’s broken her ankle and there’s a bad storm rolling in. They need shelter, fast.

They think they’ve found sanctuary when they come across an old farmstead. The woman inside welcomes them in out of the howling blizzard and straps up Emma’s ankle.

But the phone lines are down. The roads are blocked. And the woman in the cabin is not what she seems . . .

Will Chris and his daughters survive the night?

Set in the stunning wilderness of the Colorado Flat Tops, this addictive thriller packed with shocking twists will make you question everything you think you know about family.

An utterly breathtaking thriller perfect for fans of Harlen Coben, Gregg Olsen, Mary Kubica, Lisa Jackson and Stephen King’s Misery .

Goodreads Buy Links

Caleb Stephens is a dark fiction author writing from somewhere deep in the Colorado mountains. His short stories have appeared in multiple publications and podcasts, including The NoSleep Podcast, Chilling Tales for Dark Nights, MetaStellar, The Dread Machine, Tales to Terrify, and more. His dark fiction collection If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror is available through Salt Heart Press and includes the short story “The Wallpaper Man”, which was adapted to film by Falconer Film & Media.

You can join his mailing list (and receive a free story!) and learn more.

Instagram Twitter Website

My thoughts: this is why I don’t go camping anymore, there’s some terrible, scary people living in the middle of nowhere! Chris and his daughters are mourning the death of their wife & mother, when they take a camping trip in Colorado.

After a terrible accident they find shelter in a local homestead. Clara seems kind, offering them a place to stay as a snowstorm sets in. But there’s something not right about her and her brain damaged son Billy. Who is Miss Sydney?

Trapped in the house with no working phone lines and an increasingly unhinged situation, Chris, Kayla and Emma will have to fight to survive.

This was a horror film in a book, honestly it was so dark and shocking. Clara’s life was horrendous and how she coped was understandable – to a point. But what Chris and his daughters go through really had my heart in my throat. Billy too, he’s such a gentle, innocent soul and he suffers for it. The ending thankfully saved it from being too horrific, but this wasn’t a book I could have read just before bed – nightmare fuel.

Click on the image for more about the tour

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

books

Cover Reveal: The Father of Monsters – Abigail Linhardt

ramblingmads

Cover Reveal Banner

Another beautiful cover for the Season of the Runer series by Abigail Linhardt. This one is called The Father of Monsters. 

eBook - Season of the Runer Book IV The Father of Monsters

The Father of Monsters (Season of the Runer IV)

Expected Publication Date: November 10, 2023

Genre: Dark Fantasy

With the wildling Signar in tow, Tzarik and Sybal track Tarkan to Alika only to find he’s in a race to the mythical Mahit’Nomicon against the would-be sorcerer Abigor Sharar. Now on the hunt for two of the most dangerous sentients to have ever existed, the Runers come closer to finding out that their paths might not have crossed with Sharar’s entirely by chance and the hunters may have in fact been the hunted.

After two decades of study, Sharar finally believes he knows the resting place of the Mahit’Onomicon. Just before he’s sure, an old nemesis appears, stronger and more vengeful than ever before. Armed with the djinn he enslaved long ago, protected by a sell-sword Runer, and informed by a traitorous necromancer, Sharar sees no way he can possibly fall to the revenge-bent Necro’Khan. He will be a sorcerer before the winter cools the desert sands of Alika.

Tarkan is gathering not only Apostles to his side but also unearthing spells and magic that Ishmael began to create one thousand years ago–long before Tarkan thought his father even existed. The more powerful the Necro’Khan becomes, the less he fears Sharar. In fact, Sharar as a sorcerer might be the missing piece he needs to become truly free and enthrone himself as the most powerful sentient on the map.

Pre-order Now

Screen Shot 2022-06-17 at 1_41_57 PM

About the Author

unnamed

Abi has been a writer all her life, but is a mentor at heart. When she is not writing, you can find her slaying enemies online or hunting for the next bohemian adventure. She has published works of fiction, poetry, academia, and even won awards for her short stories in science fiction and horror.

Abi is also a proud mom of two…ferrets! She live streams on Twitch where you can enjoy her terrible gaming skills and join the live discussion. She works part-time as a freelance ghostwriter, editor, and audiobook narrator, hoping to one day make these passions her full-time job. She currently resides in Kansas.

She is one of nine children–all who share the creative spark.

Abigail Linhardt | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

Cover Reveal Organized By:

R&R Button

R&R Book Tours

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: My Husband’s House – Sheryl Browne

ramblingmads

A new home. A loving wife. A secret that could kill…

With its peeling wallpaper and overgrown garden I know our new home isn’t perfect. But my husband Ben promises it’s the fresh start we need. I remind myself that he’s an amazing father to our two children, and that we have years of happy marriage behind us. He’s been distant for months but I’m desperate to believe the move will bring us back together.

When I meet our next-door neighbour Sara, I’m immediately relieved. She’s so welcoming and full of local gossip. But the moment she meets Ben I’m sure an angry frown flickers across her smiling face. Later he says I’m imagining things…

Why is my husband lying?

Then one night as I tuck our children into bed, the silence is broken by a knock on the front door. A stranger is standing on our doorstep. I turn to look at Ben’s face as he stares at her with unconcealed fury. Has he met this woman before? Nothing could prepare me for what she says:I know who you are. Get out of my house.

How well do I know the man I married? And by moving to this house, did I put my children’s lives in danger?

If you enjoyed reading The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Wife, you will love My Husband’s House. Gripping and totally addictive, you’ll be hooked from the first page.

Amazon

Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has also obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath. Sheryl’s latest psychological thriller HER HUSBAND’S HOUSE comes to you from BOOKOUTURE. Her previous works include the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series, along with contemporary fiction novels, The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love.
To find out more about Sheryl go to her website
If you would like to join her Bookouture Mailing List you can grab her short story 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗬 #FREE!

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Sheryl Browne  

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love

My thoughts: there’s something not quite right about the house the family has just moved into. What happened to the previous residents? Are they connected to a little girl who disappeared years ago? Ben is acting very strangely, and Sara’s boyfriend is too.

As Naomi attempts to find out what is going on in her new home with her children and husband, while heavily pregnant. She doesn’t know who to lean on, having moved away from all their old friends. She wants to trust Sara next door, but can she?

It all gets a bit unhinged at times, with a series of awful events that threaten Naomi’s life and then Sara’s. Who is behind all of this? And why? Dark and twisted, this isn’t a family getting their happily ever after any time soon.

*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, books, reviews

Blog Tour: No Worries If Not – Sophie Galustian

ramblingmads

In the spirit of My Mad Fat Diary by Rae Earl and Slug by Hollie Mcnish, No Worries If Not is a relatable coming-of-age story, that explores Soph Galustian’s experiences of poverty, queerness, mental health, grief and community. She recounts her life from childhood, to teens, into adulthood through a mixture of short stories, spoken word, illustrations, and space for the reader to reflect.

This book is for anyone who was raised struggling, anyone who wrestled with coming out, who accidentally killed their childhood pet, who has lost the person closest to them…

Filled with flashbacks to the 2000s/2010s, No Worries If Not is equally for the straights and the gays, the rich and disadvantaged. In this book Soph offers up her experiences and a space to reminisce and laugh at life’s misfortunes.

Soph Galustian is a born-and-bred Mancunian writer and actress of Armenian heritage, who specialises in comedy writing and spoken-word poetry. This is her first book. She is the writer and star of BBC Three comedy threesome Peck ‘Eds. A comedy about the testing moments of growing up as a young, working­class woman in South Manchester. Soph is currently starring in Channel 4’s Everyone Else Burns, a coming-of-age comedy about a Mancunian family and the puritanical Christian sect they are devoted to. This is her first book.

My thoughts: complete with a playlist you can listen to on Spotify, this is the memoir of a writer and actress who grew up very much in the Internet age, she talks about MSN Messenger and Facebook, the mid 00s is very much alive in this funny and at times heartbreaking memoir of growing up in Manchester without much money but with plenty of love and adventure.

Soph (not Sophie unless you’re her passport or mum) has a lot to say on the subject of being young and trying to find your way in the world. She’s gay and struggling to work out how to deal with that. She tries dating boys but that’s really not her thing, and falls in love pretty hard with her friend.

There’s some really sad and dark moments as well, and Soph explores a lot of her emotions through her poetry and drawings, shared throughout her book. There’s a lightness of touch to her writing, the way she chats to the reader, like a friend catching you up on things that makes it readable and relatable.

I can remember the years Soph writes about really well, the quite recent past but being a wee bit older than her, my memories of those years are somewhat different, but I liked the thought of the next generation coming up behind me doing a lot of the same stupid shit I did as a youngster.

*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, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Fall – Shari Low & Ross King

ramblingmads


They climbed up from the mean streets of Glasgow to the top of the world. Now these Hollywood icons are heading for a fall.
Twenty-five years ago, three friends from Glasgow shocked the world when they became Oscar-winning legends.
But now, they are all fighting for survival.
A-list actor Zander Leith has finally found happiness with his adored wife, Hollie. But a stalker with a familiar face is determined to take away the only peace he’s ever known.
Mirren McLean is one of the most powerful women in the industry. Successful. Respected.
Untouchable. Until one mistake threatens to destroy her marriage and her career.
And Davie Johnston was once the king of late-night television. Now, his only chance to reclaim his crown is to gamble everything on himself.
Three stars, three tales of struggle and success. Now they’re discovering that in Hollywood, happy endings don’t last for ever.
Sometimes they’re just the calm before the storm…
Purchase


Shari Low and Ross King MBE is a writing partnership forged in a friendship of over 30 years. Scottish author Shari is the bestselling writer of over thirty novels including bestsellers My One Month
Marriage, One Summer Sunrise and The Story of our Secrets. Los-Angeles-based Ross King is a four times news Emmy award-winning TV and radio host, actor, producer, writer and performer, and is
currently the Los Angeles correspondent for ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain. They are publishing their Hollywood thriller trilogy with Boldwood, the first of which is called The Rise and is
due for release in September 2022.

Shari Low: Facebook Twitter Instagram Newsletter Bookbub
Ross King: Facebook Twitter Instagram

My thoughts: another trip to Hollywood to check in on Glaswegians done good Mirren, Davie and Zander. They’re all finally in a good place, but that doesn’t last.

As everything starts to fall apart, and in pretty spectacular fashion too, it seems like there might be something more behind it, does Sarah’s investigation into producer and powerhouse Wes Lomax have something to do with it?

This book digs into the dark side of the glitz and glam, the #MeToo scandals, the way powerful men manipulated the industry and abused vulnerable women when it suited them. While our three Scots came from a place of darkness, and have had to fight their demons, they did what they did not for power but to survive.

Can they survive these new challenges and tragedies? And will Davie’s mum, Ena, be there to keep watch over them as she has done all their lives? (I love her and she can make me a bacon butty anytime)

Another brilliant thrill ride of a book from the fabulous team of Shari Low and Ross King.

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