blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Breaker – Annemarie Allan*

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An environmental disaster. An undersea adventure.

Tom and Beth are not happy when they move to Scotland and find themselves facing a rainy, windswept beach, a house that’s falling to pieces, and a school full of strangers.

But when an oil tanker crashes into the Bass Rock, their small seaside town is shaken to its core and Tom and Beth suddenly find themselves in a race to rescue the local sea life and save their new community from environmental catastrophe…

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Annemarie Allan’s first published novel, Hox, won the 2007 Kelpies Prize and was shortlisted for both the Scottish Children’s Book of the Year and the Heart of Hawick book awards. Her third novel, Ushig, a fantasy based on Scottish myths and legends, was shortlisted for the 2011 Essex Children’s Book Award.

She writes for both adults and children and her novels and short stories range from fantasy and science fiction to historical and contemporary fiction, taking their inspiration from the landscape and culture of Scotland, both past and present. Annemarie lives in Prestonpans, near Edinburgh.

My thoughts:

This was a thought provoking read, set on the Scottish coastline, an oil tanker runs aground and threatens the wildlife, Tom and Beth join forces with the eccentric Professor MacBlain and his secret weapon Gaia, to stop the spill.

Growing up I remember seeing the images of birds and fish caught in oil spills and being horrified at the loss of marine life. The oceans are uniquely vulnerable to humanity’s mess and slowly we’re choking them with pollution and plastic.

This is a timely and important novel, written in a light hearted style but with a vitally important message at its heart.

*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: Identity Thief – Alex Bryant*

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A shapeshifting sorcerer called Cuttlefish unleashes a terrifying wave of magical carnage across London. A strange family known as the River People move into Cassandra Drake’s neighbourhood. Are the two events connected?

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Alex has led a largely comfortable but unremarkable life in North London, and more recently Oxford. His main hobbies as a kid were reading and sulking.

When he’s not writing, he’s performing with his improvised comedy troupe, Hivemind Improv. And when he is writing, he’s procrastinating.

The first idea for The God Machine came when he was 19, shortly after falling off a horse. Or possibly shortly before – the exact chronology is lost to history. So is the horse’s name, in case you were wondering.

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My thoughts:

This is a fun, clever fantasy novel, which plays with some of the conventions of the genre, with several surprising twists along the way.

*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: Rebel With a Cupcake – Anna Mainwaring*

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Jesobel Jones is bold and beautiful. The daughter of a hand model and a washed-up rock star, she sees no need to apologise for her rambling house, her imperfect family, her single status … or her weight. Jess makes her own cupcakes and she eats them, too. That is, until Own Clothes Day when a wardrobe malfunction leaves Jess exposed, and a mean girl calling her the one thing that’s never bothered her before: fat.

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Anna Mainwaring read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ at the age of seven and hasn’t stop reading since. After studying English at university, she took the bizarre decision to follow a career in corporate banking. This made her sad so she left, went travelling and trained to be a teacher. When not teaching, writing or hiding from her children in the study, Anna can be found in bookshops, cafes or walking slowly up big hills.

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My thoughts:

Jess is certainly a girl I can empathise with, I was the “big girl” all through high school, the one who made jokes about my love of food to cover up how unhappy I was, but unlike me Jess figures it all out very swiftly. You can bake cakes and work out, you can have curves and kiss cute boys.

With the help of her friends and the support of her somewhat dysfunctional family, Jess is going to be The Rebel with a Cupcake!

This was a fun read with real heart.

*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: The F*ck It List – John Niven*

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You are dying. Who do you kill?

Set in a near-future America, an America that has borne two terms of Trump Presidency and is now in the first term of Donald’s daughter as president, Frank Brill, a retired small-town newspaper editor, lives in a world where the populist policies Trump is currently so keen to pursue have been a reality for some years and are getting even more extreme – an erosion of abortion rights, less and less gun control, xenophobic immigration policies.

Frank, a good man, has just been given a terminal diagnosis. Rather than compile a bucket list of all the things he’s ever wanted to do in his life, he instead has at the ready his ‘fuck-it list’. Because Frank has had to endure more than his fair share of personal misfortune. And he has the names of those who are to blame for the tragedies that have befallen him.

But eventually, as he becomes more accustomed to dishing out cold revenge and the stakes get higher and higher, and with a rogue county sheriff on his tail, there only remains one name left at the bottom of his fuck-it list.

John Niven was born in Irvine, Ayrshire. He is the author of the novella Music from the Big Pink and the novels Kill Your Friends, The Amateurs, The Second Coming, Cold Hands, Straight White Male, The Sunshine Cruise Company, No Good Deed and Kill ‘Em All.

My thoughts:

This is a strange book, set in near future America where Ivanka Trump is President and life is horrible for many people, Frank Brill decides to take revenge on the five men who he feels wronged him and his family over the years.

It’s a jarring read, where you find yourself feeling sorry for a serial killer on his cross country mission before the cancer kills him.

Dark and unsettling, with a vision of the future I really hope doesn’t come to pass.

*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: My Pear Shaped Life – Carmel Harrington*

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Meet Greta.

She’s funny.

She’s flawed.

She’s hiding so much behind her big smile she’s forgotten who she is.

But Greta is about to discover that the key to being happy is…being you.

Greta Gale has played the part of the funny fat one her entire life, hiding her insecurities behind a big smile. But size doesn’t matter when you can laugh at yourself, right? Until Greta realises she’s the only one not laughing. And deep down, she’s not sure if she’ll ever laugh again. But with her world feeling like it’s falling down around her, Greta is about to discover she’s stronger than she feels. And that sometimes the best moments in life come when it’s all gone a bit pearshaped…

Carmel Harrington is an internationally published novelist from Co. Wexford, where she lives with her family. She has published seven novels and been shortlisted twice (2016 & 2017) for an Irish Book Award. Her books have captured the hearts of readers worldwide and are published in eight languages to date. She is co-founder of The Inspiration Project and was Chair of Wexford Literary Festival from 2015 – 2018.

My thoughts:

This was a charming, sweet, funny read. The cast of characters are relatable and realistic, I really like Greta and Billie. Uncle Ray was a total sweetheart too.

Funnily enough my Nan’s maiden name is Gale so I felt some kinship with Greta and her love of The Wizard of Oz.

A book with a lot of heart, it reminds you that while life can be tough and there are struggles ahead, you have to do your best to live your best life.


*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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Cover Reveal: Sword – Bogdan Teodorescu

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On the streets of Bucharest, a brutally efficient serial killer is at work. His targets: individuals from the Roma community with a criminal record. Each victim is killed with a single blow to the throat and tensions rise at the same rate as the body count. For not everyone disagrees with this vigilante killer.

With Presidential elections about to take place, and the police seemingly unable to track down the elusive assassin they’ve nicknamed Sword, the government struggles to keep control while other political figures try to stoke public resentment for their own ends.

The demons in Romania’s fractured society begin to resurface, as old distrust and prejudices grow with each new victim from the Roma community. The case is under the media’s relentless spotlight. Meanwhile, ruthless figures both inside and outside the government are manoeuvring to take advantage of the situation. But are they playing with political fire for their own purposes – are they in danger of sparking a vicious racial conflict?

Bogdan Teodorescu paints an acid portrait of a divided society in this powerful political thriller containing themes that will echo around the world.

blog tour, books

Guest Post: Notorious Minds Blog Tour

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PROPOSAL 2020-0794 Judith Holstrom Banner set 5 01 2020-0113 3d Box Set Judith Holstrom on transparent-WEBSITE

TITLE: NOTORIOUS MINDS BOXSET
GENRE: Mystery/Thriller Crime
ISBN: 9781947649651
ASIN: B085S2DYPH
RELEASE DATE: 13th October 2020
PRE-ORDER DATE: 17th March 2020
PUBLISHER: FIRE QUILL PUBLISHERS

What does it take to commit the perfect crime?
Delve into these dark and twisted tales by twenty USA Today and International Bestselling Authors. No matter what kind of crime story typically catch your imagination, there sure is something for everyone.

Conspiracies, political plots, and yes, even murder, are just a few of the crimes waiting inside this box set. Discover a narcissistic grandmother running an underground syndicate, or a support group bent on murder…and even a serial killer who turns his victims into fairytale creatures.

Prepare to delve into an elite killing team who made a mistake, an oil rig filled with secrets ready to explode and a reporter uncovering a treasonous plot.

Uncover how fatal passion, jealousy and fear can be to a group of royal marines and learn from a detective who is far from home fighting demons from his past in order to stay alive.

Can you figure out how the police solve a killer’s confession to nine murders that haven’t happened yet? or how a girl tethered to the heart of a serial killer becomes the FBI’s no 1 ally.

This box set is packed with thousands of pages that will hold you on the edge of your seat, crying for answers. Definitely a must for fans of Patterson, Lee, and Grisham. One-click it today!

AUTHOR LINE UP:

Judith Lucci – USA TODAY AND WSJ BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Carlyle Labuschagne – USA TODAY
Eva Winters – USA TODAY
Lena Bourne – USA TODAY
Karen M. Bryson – USA TODAY
Inge – Lise Goss – USA Today
Karen Randau – Award Winning Author
Eric J. Gates – Award Winning Author
Deborah Shlian & Linda Reid – International Bestselling Author
Sian B. Claven – Award Winning author
Brandy Nacole
Kelsey Reed
N. Gray
Majanka Verstraete – International Bestselling Author
Thomas J. Eyre
Adam Alexander
DL Jones
K.L Lamar
D.J Grayson
Judith Holstrom

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE….

Pre-Order now and you will receive our amazing pre-order gift – pre-orders are digital and printing is at readers cost.

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HOW TO CLAIM THE PRE-ORDER GIVEAWAY

PRE-ORDER PURCHASING LINKS

Amazon

B&N

Itunes

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GIVEAWAY READERS BUNDLE

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GRAB IT NOW

My Writing Journey
by Karen Randau

Karen-RandauI think we all know something about what makes us tick from an early age – judging from my 5-year-old grandson’s love of Legos, he’s destined to be a builder, an engineer, or something that involves putting things together.

For me, I don’t remember not having a passion for writing and storytelling.

Writing became a way of life as soon as an elementary school teacher taught me to print Run Spot Run. I’ve processed most of my life’s major events – my best friend moving away, my boyfriend liking someone else, the end of my marriage, the birth of my son – by writing about them. I verbally told myself stories until my sister informed me that talking to yourself meant you were crazy – then I moved my storytelling to inside my head.

It seemed natural to put my love of writing into a career by getting a degree in journalism/public relations from the University of Texas at Austin. That launched a career spanning the industries of high tech, mental health, and non-profit

For nearly three decades, I worked for an international non-profit organization that partners with communities in developing countries to help them end extreme poverty. My travels let me witness life-saving work in Bolivia, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Those experiences inform my writing and storytelling.

While quietly confessing strange thoughts to a friendly co-worker one day, I asked, “Do you think I’m going crazy?” I was, after all, verbally telling myself stories again. My friend answered, “No, I think you have a novel in you that wants to get out.”

So, I sat down to write my first novel.

I’m thankful it never got published but did get edited and rewritten five times. I attended conferences and workshops, continued rewriting, and talked to dozens of published authors about what it takes to produce an engaging, fast-paced story that will grab and keep a reader’s attention.

And I learned that too many edits will destroy a story.

I shelved that first novel and created a protagonist I loved, Rita Avery. Her husband died in a theater shooting in book 1 of my Rim Country Mystery Series, Deadly Deceit. Rita found love again and married Cliff in book 2, Deadly Inheritance, where they nearly get blown up in an Viking burial cave. Rita’s missing mother shows up after 25 years in book 3, Deadly Choices, and Willow has gone from being a vegetarian hippie artist to an ex-con who helps Rita figure out why a woman with an arrow in her chest stumbled into their campsite. In book 4, Deadly Payload, Rita is largely on her own when Cliff and hundreds of towns people are sickened by a bio-terrorism attack. Rita’s sleuthing reveals it was a practice run for a larger attack, and she fights to thwart it before thousands more die. Deadly Payload was a finalist in the Book Excellence Awards and the Beverly Hills Book Awards.

The same characters are featured in Deadly Reception, part of the Tawnee Mountain Mysteries that take place at a posh New Jersey resort where Rita’s daughter is hosting her wedding. What could possibly go wrong there?

You can learn more about these books on my website.

My contribution to the Notorious Minds Crime Mystery/Thriller Boxset is called Mystery Bones Murders. It features Frankie, a young widow who is angry and isolated and suffers from dyslexia. She lives on her Wyoming cattle ranch with two pet cows (Rosie and her calf Diesel), a rescued German Shepherd (Lexi Princess Warrior), and an American Paint Horse (Concho). When Frankie and Concho are rescuing Diesel from a thorny bush one stormy night, they find a human femur. The action shifts into high gear – and the body count rises – as Frankie discovers a serial killer is using her property to bury his victims, and he’s watching her.

The boxset is available pre-order on several online retailers for only 99 cents, and we authors would like to thank you for your purchase with a free gift of several of our novels. Go to the Notorious Minds Boxset website for details on how to order and claim your free gift.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Bitter Wash Road – Garry Disher*

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A modern western set in an isolated Australian bush town with a soaring crime rate, where a local constable with a troubled past must investigate the death of a teenage girl whose murder threatens to set the dusty streets ablaze.

Constable Paul Hirschhausen—“Hirsch”—is a recently demoted detective sent from Adelaide, Australia’s southernmost booming metropolis, to Tiverton, a one-road town in the country three hours north.

Hirsch isn’t just a disgraced cop; the internal investigations bureau is still trying to convict him of something, even if it means planting evidence. When someone leaves a pistol cartridge in his mailbox, Hirsch suspects that his career isn’t the only thing on the line.
But Tiverton has more crime than one cop can handle, due largely to the town’s stagnant economy, rural isolation, and entrenched racism and misogyny. When the body of a 16-year-old local girl is found on the side of the highway, the situation in Tiverton gets even more sinister, and whether or not Hirsch finds her killer, there’s going to be hell to pay.

My thoughts:

A remote Australian town, a violent death, a dysfunctional police force and a cover up gone wrong. Hirsch is in disgrace but determined that crime and murder won’t be brushed away this time.

Unhelpful colleagues aside, the lack of witnesses and general disinterest from the community makes it hard for him to solve the murder of a young woman; despite the convenient “accident” Hirsch’s instincts sense more going on than it appears.

The setting, the plot and the sense of isolation give the novel a claustrophobic feel, as Hirsch drives along the handful of roads, trying to solve crime in his truck, despite a campaign of intimidation against him.

A clever, twisted read, with an ending I didn’t see coming.

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

books, reviews

Book Review: Plan for the Worst – Jodi Taylor

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I would have trusted this man with my life. Until a couple of days ago, anyway.

You know what they say – hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

Max is quite accustomed to everything going wrong. She’s St Mary’s, after all. Disaster is her default state. But with her family reunited and a jump to Bronze Age Crete in the works, life is getting back to normal. Well, normal for St Mary’s.

And then, following one fateful night at the Tower of London, everything Max thought she knew comes crashing down around her.

Too late for plans. The worst has happened. And who can Max trust now?

My thoughts:

The Chronicles of St Mary’s are some of my absolute favourite books, hilarious, ridiculous, thrilling fun.

I am so pleased that another one has been published because they cheer me up no end.

In this, book 11, Max and co are off to Crete, to witness the end of the Minoan culture, get chased by bulls and then several natural disasters, of course.

There’s the general mayhem that ensues whenever the History Department is involved, a few scrapes with the Time Police and an old foe or two, plus Max in the Tower of London, but thankfully not under arrest.

Laughed out loud several times, to the horror of my husband, in my defence he’s normally at work, but that’s lockdown life for you!

I was super kindly sent a copy by the publishers, but all opinions remain, as always, my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Night of the Dragon – Julie Kagawa*

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All is lost.

To save everyone she loves from imminent death, kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko gave up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must make one desperate final effort to stop the Master of Demons from using the scroll to call the Great Kami Dragon and make the wish that will plunge the empire into chaos.


Shadow clan assassin Kage Tatsumi has regained control of his body and agreed to a true deal with the devil — the demon inside him, Hakaimono. They will share his body and work with Yumeko to stop a madman, and to separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.


But even with their combined skills and powers, this unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of evil may be impossible to overcome. And there is another player in the battle for the scroll, a player who has been watching, waiting for the right moment to pull strings that no one even realised existed…until now.

My thoughts:

I didn’t realise this was the third book in a trilogy till I started reading it, however I still really enjoyed it despite not having read the previous books.

The back story would have been useful but this still stood on its own merits and was readable without knowing the previous adventures of the characters.

Building to a climatic battle between good and evil, the heroes travel to stop an evil mage from summoning a god and destroying the world.

Drawing on Japanese myth and culture, the story is epic and sweeping, the writing rich and gripping, you are carried along by the plot and the strong 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.