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blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Shenkin’s Vengeance – Davey Davies

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It is 1834 and Daniel Shenkin a Welsh coal miner, political activist, and bare knuckle fighter has spent two years in the convict barracks prison of Sydney’s penal colony. Together with his fellow convict Regan O’Hara they have been granted their ‘Tickets of Leave’ on the understanding that any misdemeanour would result in the removal of the Tickets and their full sentences imposed. Twenty years hard labour.

They find themselves on the streets. Penniless but for the diamond pendant that Shenkin had hidden away in his ponytail head scarf. This together with the help of the woman he loves and Doctor Tarn from the convict ship The Runnymede, they go looking for the one time London fence Abe Goldspick to sell him the diamond.

After a bare knuckle fight their sworn enemy Lord Feltsham, who wants both the woman and the diamond for himself, arranges a conspiracy headed by Feltsham’s henchman Ketch. It results in Shenkin and O’Hara being sent to the notorious Port Arthur penal settlement. It is a brutal place from where few convicts ever return. But in a two-fisted action-packed story they plan an escape from what seems an inescapable prison. They do it in a way no one would dare risk. The hard way.

It’s a breathtaking adventure set in the grim world of the 19th century. Against all the odds Shenkin is a one-man fighting machine. Survival is his mantra he is not for the faint hearted. Take a deep breath and enter his harsh brutal world with great care.

Born into a Welsh mining village in South Wales Davey Daviesis a former Opera Singer, actor and entrepreneur. A traveller to remote parts of the world he has climbed a number of the worlds mountains including Everest. He now lives in Spain with his partner the artist Celia Vodden where he is busy writing and enjoying Rioja between chapters.

My thoughts: this is a cracking adventure story set in Australia when it was a penal colony, and in the harsh environment, so foreign to British soldiers and convicts alike. Shenkin, a Welsh miner sentenced to transportation for his part in an uprising, alongside his Irish friend Regan has been released, essentially for good behaviour, but he can’t leave Sydney. He’s determined to avenge himself on those who’ve wronged him. Especially slimy Lord Feltsham. When he gets his comeuppance, it feels richly deserved, though I don’t think, after everything Shenkin goes through, that I would have his restraint. I’d have fed him to the sharks in Sydney Harbour.

Shenkin and Regan go through hell on Earth, sent to the extreme prison on Tasmania, where corporal punishment is the norm not the exception, where food is scarce and the punishments are for “offences” so ridiculous that you can’t help but break the rules.

But they also have incredible friends, from Doctor Patrick Tarn to the Aboriginal medicine man Tinker to Sir Edward Standish and fellow bare knuckle fighter Charlie Benson and his ship’s captain brother John Saxon. These friends won’t leave them stranded in a living nightmare, and with their kindness and aid, Shenkin survives to build up his sheep station and become wealthy and successful. He is finally able to take his revenge and even return to his beloved Welsh valleys a free man.

I love good historical fiction and this is well researched and written, with interesting characters and a plot that packs a punch.

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

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Blog Tour: The Other Couple – Diane Jeffrey

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Two couples. A fatal accident. And a decision that changes everything…
Kirsten and Nick are enjoying a weekend away until, on their drive home, they accidentally run over and kill a man. They should call for help – but they have too much to lose, and no one can know the real reason they’re here. Instead, they make a split-second decision to conceal the accident.
Amy and Greg have just celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. Amy is expecting a baby, and they couldn’t be happier. So when Greg fails to come home from a dog walk one weekend, Amy knows the police are wrong to believe he left of his own accord. Someone must be behind Greg’s disappearance, and Amy won’t give up until she gets justice – or revenge.
If you had nothing left to lose, how far would you go to find the truth?

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Diane Jeffrey is a USA Today bestselling author.
She grew up in North Devon and Northern Ireland. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat.
Diane has written six psychological thrillers, all published by HQ /HarperCollins.
THE GUILTY MOTHER, Diane’s third book, was a USA Today bestseller and her fourth
novel, THE SILENT FRIEND, was a Karin Slaughter pick for ASDA.
THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE, Diane’s fifth thriller, is set on the remote island of Rathlin, off the Northern Irish coast and has recently been shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.
She is currently working on her seventh psychological thriller.
Diane is an English teacher. When she’s not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays.
Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

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Giveaway to Win a previously released Diane Jeffrey book of your choice (Open Internationally)
Prize – you can choose between the following books – The Couple at Causeway Cottage, The Silent Friend, The Guilty Mother, He Will Find You or Those Who Lie.

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My thoughts: this started off going one way and then twisted and turned, much like some of the roads in North Devon (I know it well) to somewhere completely different.

After Kirsten and Nick knock down a man in North Devon and hightail it out of there, along with his body and dog, planning to cover up their crime and say nothing, the police don’t exactly look for them that hard. But someone does.

Amy heads to London to take her revenge and it’s here that the story starts to twist and turn. She bides her time, not taking any of the obvious options. She inserts herself into Kirsten’s life, but doesn’t reveal who she is or make a threat. She waits. It makes the suspense so much greater. And Amy’s likeable – she is kind and sweet and it is really easy to feel sorry for her, she’s lost so much. And Kirsten and Nick aren’t. They’re both rather unpleasant, especially Nick.

The interspersed letters from someone waiting to be sentenced in court aren’t from who you might think either. I didn’t figure it out till the end. The story’s clever like that. Not often you cheer for someone who does what Amy does, but it’s so well done and I enjoyed every moment of it.

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

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Blog Tour: The Combat Codes – Alexander Darwin

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Hundreds of years ago on a planet once ravaged by war, the nations swore an armistice never to use weapons of mass destruction again. Today, battle-hardened warriors known as Grievar Knights train to represent their nations’ interests in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Murray Pearson was once a famed Knight until he suffered a loss that crippled his nation – but now he’s on the hunt to find and train the next champion.

Below, in the Underground’s brutal combat rings, an orphaned boy called Cego is making a name for himself. Murray believes he has what it takes to make it in the planet’s most prestigious combat school – but he has to fight his way out of the Underground first.

Alexander Darwin is a second generation Vietnamese-Jewish-American author living in Boston with his wife and two daughters. Outside of writing, he teaches and trains martial arts (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). He’s inspired by old-school Hong Kong action flicks, jRPGs, underdog stories and bibimbap bowls.

My thoughts: I don’t know much about martial arts, except from my family (dad – judo, sister – karate) and friends. But luckily it isn’t needed in this gripping and intelligent fantasy, set in a world where instead of war, there are knights who fight in single unarmed combat representing their countries. Inspired by his own love of martial arts, Alexander Darwin has created a fully realised history and culture in this, his debut novel.

Murray is a former Knight, now a Scout seeking out fresh talent to be trained up like he was, and when he finds Cego fighting in the Underground, he thinks he’s found a new champion. But Cego’s past is something of a mystery and as Murray digs into that, he uncovers some sinister things.

What I loved most is Cego’s friendships with his fellow fighters – especially Knees and Dozer who he comes up from the Ungerground to the training academy, the Lyceum, with. And then his team, the Whelps, most of whom get written off by their fellow students but Cego brings them together. The bond the group build is so important to their sense of self and to the confidence they need to survive.

The writing feels fresh but also like that of a writer much further into their career than a first book, it’s assured and the world building is strong. I really enjoyed it and look forward to book two.

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

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Blog Tour: Canticle Creek – Adrian Hyland

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Two bodies. One long hot summer. A town that will never be the same.When Adam Lawson’s wrecked car is found a kilometre from Daisy Baker’s body, the whole town assumes it’s an open and shut case. But Jesse Redpath isn’t from Canticle Creek. Where she comes from, the truth often hides in plain sight, but only if you know where to look. When Jesse starts to ask awkward questions, she uncovers a town full of contradictions and a cast of characters with dark pasts, secrets to hide and even more to lose.

As the temperature soars, and the ground bakes, the wilderness surrounding Canticle Creek becomes a powderkeg waiting to explode. All it needs is one spark.

A twisty crime thriller set in small town Australia perfect for readers of The Dry and Scrublands.

Adrian Hyland is the award-winning author of Diamond Dove, Gunshot Road and Kinglake-350, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for non-fiction in 2012. His books have been published internationally, including in Britain and the US, and translated into a variety of languages, including German, French, Swedish and Czech.

My thoughts: an excellent addition to the Outback noir genre, with murder and intrigue aplenty out in the bush.

Jesse Redpath is a copper from the hardscrabble Northern Territory, who thinks something isn’t quite right about an apparent murder in Canticle Creek, a small town over the border in Victoria. She knew the accused killer, himself dead in a car accident, and he just wasn’t the type.

So, accompanied by her artist father, and her suspicions, she heads off to investigate. Aided, and occasionally stymied, by the local police officers, she starts to take a closer look, but could be putting herself straight into the firing line.

There’s conspiracies and drug dealers lurking in the Creek, locals put in danger and several near attempts on her life, but Jesse is determined to solve Daisy and Adam’s deaths and put a stop to whatever is going on in Canticle Creek, ideally before a terrible wild fire hits.

Gripping and cracking crime drama here, with an interesting cast of characters and a great protagonist. I hope this is the start of a series of Jesse Redpath novels.

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

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Blog Tour: Tropical Issues – Dorothy Dunnett

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Rita, a small, tough Scottish make-up artist is on Madeira trying to find out who killed Kim-Jim, an American make-up supremo. Also anchored off the island is Dolly, the yacht of Johnson Johnson with whom she teams up. Rita’s fighting spirits are aroused despite her danger. She is not one for quitting, even when she learns she is caught up in an international drug-smuggling ring. But she also discovers that dealing with the maddeningly enigmatic Johnson Johnson is, by no stretch of the imagination, plain sailing.

Dorothy Dunnett (1923-2001) gained an international reputation as a writer of historical fiction. She moved genres and turned to crime writing with the acclaimed Dolly books, also known as the Johnson Johnson series. She was a trustee of the National Library of Scotland, and a board member of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. In 1992 she was awarded an OBE for her services to literature. A leading light in the Scottish arts world and a renaissance woman, Dunnett was also a professional portrait painter and exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy on many occasions.

My thoughts: this was lots of fun, it’s a shame I hadn’t come across Dorothy Dunnett before (what a name for the crime genre!) as she’s a great writer. In this book we’re off to Madeira and then onto the Caribbean in the company of Rita Geddes, make up artist and now amateur sleuth.

She’s not entirely thrilled to be out of the UK, and certainly not in the company of artist (and spy) Johnson Johnson. But her friend Kim-Jim is dead, her other pal Ferdy is on hand and she wants justice, and to rehome the parrot she just inherited.

But there’s a whole conspiracy of drug smuggling, trans Atlantic proportions going on and a hurricane closing in. As Rita and her colleagues race to get ahead of the murderous smugglers on a boat called Dolly, will they be in danger too?

Tremendous fun and the first in a series of adventures featuring Johnson Johnson and Dolly, though sadly not Rita, who I loved.

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

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Blog Tour: A Plague of Hatred – Jeremiah Cain

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APlagueofHatred copy

Welcome to the tour for dark, epic fantasy A Plague of Hatred by Jeremiah Cain. Read on for more details!

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A Plague of Hatred (The Encroaching Chaos #1)

Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy/ LGBTQ2+ Rep

Publication Date: June 13, 2023

“This dazzling epic fantasy is packed with memorable characters in black, white, and gray.” — BookLife Reviews

On the verge of adulthood, Roslyn’s dreams are simple: Marry Jon and become a healer.

But on the world of Perdinok, the capture of the Church of Deagar by hate-filled fanatics puts Roslyn and all other followers of the blue God Karulus at risk. Soon, soldiers arrive to assassinate Roslyn’s mentor and priest. Dreaded Silthex knights lock eight hundred of Roslyn’s fellow villagers in the local inn–intending to burn them alive. Roslyn must act quickly and grow up quickly.

Years later, having become the legendary resistance leader known as the Blue Rose and an ambassador rallying forces against the repressive Empire, Roslyn is given another assignment: Find out how Chaos energy has been allowed to leak into Perdinok from the Plane of Chaos.

Now, on the slopes of Mount Triumph, Roslyn must call upon all her skills as an Azerent Mage to wrest truth from the twisted temptations and taunts that spew from the mouth of the devious Harpy that she has called up from the Nightmare Realm. Unless she can distill the tint of truth contained in the Harpy’s obscure prophecy of doom, her very planet may be at risk.

Excerpt

She kept walking, continuing unhurriedly down the thin dirt road through the dark woodlands. Her legs ached from the extensive journey, yet she could not risk a carriage driver knowing her destination. Nocturnal insects provided the only sound she’d heard in hours. A hooded cloak, long and forest green, hid all that she was. The constant need to hide had become a crucial necessity.

For over a decade, the Church of Déagar had stood as the one and only legal church within the Dayigan Empire. The worship of God Karulus, her God and savior, was punishable by death.

Nevertheless, Roslyn would not bow.

And so it came to be that, on this cool early spring night of her thirty-second year, she arrived in the shadowy yard of a moonlit cabin.

She knocked five times on the simple wooden door and waited five seconds. She knocked twice more.

A square panel at eye level opened within the door, and a young man peered out. “Bit late, innit, miss? Who may I ask is calling?”

She drew back her hood, showing a thin face with delicate features. Sadness lingered in the blue of her eyes and a frown crossed her lips. Her hair, dirty blond in both color and state, hung limp, retreating into her cloak.

“My name is Roslyn.” Even as she talked to him, she did not meet his gaze. Instead, she kept her eyes, as well as her head, lowered, as was proper. “I’ve come to sail the Veiled River. Will you allow me passage?”

“Sorry, miss. If such a river did exist, ’twould be unsafe to travel.” He began to close the panel.

“But yet, I have my ticket here.” She removed a folded note from a purse on her belt and held it to the hole.

The man pulled in the page and closed the panel door, leaving her in dark silence.

Roslyn waited. As nervous as she was, she remained calm. In the unlikely event that she was being watched, the observer should see nothing but an unsuspicious woman at an unsuspicious door. Luckily—or sadly—she’d had much practice in this sort of thing.

Finally, the door opened and the same young man showed her in. “Welcome to Port Lytel, miss. Lord Karhelm will see you.”

By flickering candlelight, he led Roslyn down a slight, tight hall.

“In here, miss.” He opened a final door, but did not enter with her.

This room was better lit. A fireplace cast a glow supplemented by a tin candelabra on a simple table. Its tallow candles streamed thick lines of black smoke.

A tall, well-built man in his mid-thirties stood in the center of the room.

Even as Roslyn entered, his face gave no sign of salutation.

“I was told you wished to see me, my lord,” she said, keeping her head at a downward tilt.

“You are the Azerent Mage sent by Father Hanugfrie.”

“Azerent Master Healer, my lord. I primarily perform the magic of my specialty and have taken a vow to do no harm. But I trained under Father Hanugfrie for three years and studied at Azerent College for five. Afterwards, I served God Karulus as a healer in multiple ports, during which time I received accolades for skill and merit from both the Order of Azerents and the Karulent Church. Also, I received multiple awards from the Veiled River Commission for bravery as a healer and as an evacuation coordinator, both under life-threatening conditions. I am pleased to join your port, and I know I will be an asset to your team.”

“Quite a mouthful.” He paused without expression and looked her up and down. “At least your appearance is adequate,” he said. “They warned me you’d be a woman. You should know, I find it obscene. A woman casting magic.”

“The Déagrians would say the same of all who practice magic.”

He crossed his arms. “I assume that was meant to be humorous. It wasn’t.”

“Actually, I meant it to be accurate, which it was.”

“Regardless, you are here. Let us hope God Karulus keeps you strong, for in this desperate time, we have no other choice than to utilize your gifts.”

“My thanks, my lord, for allowing me to serve our God.”

“I prefer that you call me Lieutenant.”

“An army rank? You are a soldier?”

“Once, at twenty, I was an honored Dayigan soldier with a royal commission and on my way to commanding thousands. But in an hour, I became a despised criminal. I continue to use the rank to remember that the world can change in a moment. You’d do well to remember the same.”

“Lessons I’ve learnt quite well on my own, Lieutenant.”

Available on Amazon

About the Author

author-pic-jeremiah-cain

Jeremiah Cain is a dark epic fantasy writer of a vivid world that BookLife Reviews called, “rich with detail and myth-lore that traipses brightly through the darker themes.” He served as an army medic and has a BA in Communication with a minor in English. In addition to reading and writing, he loves video games, particularly RPGs. 

Jeremiah Cain

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Blog Tour: Mr Stoker & the Vampires of the Lyceum – Matthew Gibson

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London, September 1888. Jack the Ripper roams the streets. A scream rings out from beneath the stage of the Lyceum Theatre…

A young ‘actress’ has been attacked, suffering peculiar bite wounds to her neck; an event that announces a series of strange, vampiric happenings, and thrusts an unwitting Bram Stoker – acting manager of the Lyceum and aspiring author – into the limelight, and the action.

Increasingly perplexed by the unsettling behaviour of his ‘Guv’nor’, the brilliant but mercurial actor, Henry Irving, and Irving’s acclaimed leading lady, Ellen Terry, Stoker soon starts suspecting the worst. And then, another attack reveals a vicious Prussian baron, returned to London as a vampire seeking revenge…

Alive with Gothic intrigue, reversal and surprise, Mr Stoker will keep the reader enthralled and confounded until its final, shocking scene – indeed, until its very last word.

‘This is a fully realised Gothic world, a stimulating mix of homely familiarity and lurking menace which will engage readers of all ages.’ David Punter, author of The Literature of Terror

Matthew Gibson is a leading scholar on Bram Stoker and the Gothic. Currently an Associate Professor at the University of Macau, he previously worked at the universities of Surrey and Hull, as well as in Poland and Bulgaria. Author of Dracula and the Eastern Question, and contributor to The Cambridge Companion to Dracula, Matthew curates Stoker resources for Oxford Bibliographies. Mr Stoker is his first novel.

My thoughts: this is a richly imagined tale of terror and blood, told through the eyes of Bram Stoker, manager of the Lyceum theatre, who later wrote the infamous Dracula. Working under the famous actor Henry Irving, Stoker was responsible for the day to day running of the theatre, while also training to be a barrister at the behest of his wife.

Here he, Irving, and his brother George, a surgeon, chase after a mysterious figure – the baron Lucarda, responsible for a series of murders (not the Whitechapel ones however) and a violent attack on Ellen Terry, the actress.

Peopled with real life associates and friends of Stoker, Gibson brings the Victorian world to life, from the thick London fog, to the rattling carriages and murky Underground railway. The story is fun and exciting, as these very normally sensible men chase across Europe in the pursuit of the deranged baron and get involved in the dark world of vampires and cult like orders of Rosicrucians and Masons.

Drawing on his scholarly research into Stoker’s life, this is a solid and well written Gothic thriller, complete with mysterious goings on in the theatre cellars and murders in Bayswater mansions. A treat for fans of the genre.

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

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Blog Tour: I Promise You Pain – Bart Baker

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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.

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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.

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Blog Tour: Cut From Stone – Brendan O’Meara

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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.

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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.