This is a new tag, recently started by The Tattooed Book Geek. Thank you Drew for my tag 🙂

The Rules:

• Credit  Drew @ TheTattooedBookGeek as the creator of the tag, either use the created tag name graphic or create your own and link back to The Tattooed Book Geek Blog.
• Answer the questions.
• Tag as many people as you want.

No long list, simple really!

 1). What’s your favourite genre?

I enjoy all sorts of genres, but crime thrillers would have to be my favourite.

2). Who’s your favourite author from the genre?

Mel Sherratt

She is a awesome!

3). What is it about the genre that keeps pulling you back?

Gripping, fast paced storylines with brilliantly written characters.

4). What’s the book that started your love for your favourite genre?

Oh wow, I can’t remember that far back!!

5). If you had to recommend at least one book from your favourite genre to a non-reader/someone looking to start reading that genre, what book would you choose and why?

This is the first DS Allie Shenton book and the first of Mel’s Books I read (I have since read them all!)

6). Why do you read?

I read because I love all of the brilliant stories these fabulous authors keep coming up with and it would be rude not to read them! 😉

I tag:

Joanne @ https://mychestnutreadingtree.wordpress.com/

Kate @ https://bibliophilebookclub.com/

Sarah @ https://bytheletterbookreviews.com/

And anyone else who would like to take part!

Direct from the author/publisher…..

 (ebook from Stephanie Harte)

The tree-lined street in the affluent suburb of Chigwell, Essex was made up of extravagant mansions. Peppermint Park looked picture perfect on the outside, but behind closed doors, it was a different story. It concealed a life of torment, where family secrets were hidden from public view.
In the swinging sixties, Violet boards a plane bound for San Francisco with her boyfriend Bradley, to start a new life at Happy Acres, a hippie commune. Once they stepped inside the boundaries, they entered a different realm, one without clocks and calendars. Where naked yoga sessions and howling at the moon were compulsory activities, and people experimented with marijuana, magic mushrooms and moonshine as a daily pastime.
Violet and Bradley were having the most amazing time of their lives. They were living the dream. But was their amphetamine-fueled existence about to come crashing down around them? Surely you can never have too much of a good thing, can you?
Join Violet and Bradley on their journey as they take a leap of faith into unknown territory in search of a new beginning, set against the stunning backdrop of Northern California.

 (ebook from Rob Sinclair)

Murder. Money. Revenge.

Outwardly, Ben Stephens appears to be a normal, hardworking family man. In reality his life has been in turmoil since the murder of his wife, Alice, seven years ago. The killer was never caught. Now remarried – to the woman he was having an affair with while still married to Alice – Ben’s life is once again spiraling out of control, and he’s become heavily indebted to an unscrupulous criminal who is baying for Ben’s blood.

When Ben’s estranged twin sister, a police detective, unexpectedly returns to his life, asking too many questions for comfort, it becomes clear that without action, Ben’s life will soon reach a crisis point from which there will be no return. In order to avoid falling further into the mire, Ben must examine the past if he is to survive the present – but just how much pressure can one man take before he breaks?

 (ebook from Mark Carey)

“You were born to this path! This quest is your fate.” Imagine a raven appearing out of thin air and guiding you to an exquisitely carved icon that glows with ancient light and pulses with shamanic power. This is how the adventure begins for Nadia and Aidan Shaw, thirteen-year-old twins, who live in idyllic Cold Spring, New York, on the banks of the Hudson River. Armed with the power of the Ravenstone and their own special gifts, they embark on a harrowing quest across centuries, at the bidding of a mysterious old shaman. They must depend on their courage, their faith in their friends, and luck. Or is it destiny? If they succeed, what they bring back could change the course of human existence. ************************************** “Solomon and Carey’s imaginative storytelling sweeps you into a fascinating tale of mystery and adventure. Young twins Nadia and Aidan stumble upon an ancient power that could help their family in the future, or trap them in the past forever.” ~ Linda Zimmermann, successful author of 30 books about hauntings, the paranormal, and mysterious stone sites. ************************************** ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Diane Solomon has had a wonderfully diverse career path that has included her own variety show on BBC TV in England during the late seventies, and major tours with Glen Campbell and Kenny Rogers. She is also a published author with a successful book entitled, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a guide to the homeopathic treatment of CFS/M.E. Co-author, Mark Carey, is a retired biologist, naturalist, and voiceover artist. Diane and Mark live in southern New Hampshire on 55 acres of woods and streams, where they write, create gardens, and watch wildlife.

 (ebook from Sue Shepherd)

Love Them and Leave Them: Sometimes you have to leave the one you love … sometimes you’re the one who’s left behind. The new heartwarming and heartbreaking romantic comedy from the No.1 bestselling author of Doesn’t Everyone Have a Secret?

On his way home, Ed makes a split-second decision that changes the lives of all those who love him.

Six years on, Ed’s daughter, Jessie, is stuck in a job with no prospects, her dreams never fulfilled. It will take more than her unreliable boyfriend, Chris, and temperamental best friend, Coco, to give her the confidence to get her life back on track.

But what if Ed had made another decision? It could all have been so different …

Six years on, Ed’s daughter, Jessica, has a successful career, loving boyfriend, Nick, and a keen eye on her dream home. But when new clients, a temperamental Coco, and her unreliable boyfriend, Chris, walk into her life, Jessica’s perfect world soon starts to unravel.

Love Them and Leave Them is a story of love, families, friendship and a world of possibilities. Whichever decision Ed makes, the same people are destined to come into his daughter’s life, sometimes in delightfully different ways. And before they can look forward to the future, they will all have to deal with the mistakes of the past.

 (ebook from H N Wake)

A mission. A conspiracy. Two veteran agents face-off in a daring cat-and-mouse game that could change the nation.

Gritty, gutsy Mac Ambrose is a twenty-year veteran of the CIA with a penchant for risk-taking and a strong moral conscience. She is recruited by her closest friends to run a dangerous domestic operation: bring down the powerful gun lobby so the Senate can pass new legislation. In four weeks.

From Washington’s corridors of power, to Kentucky’s rolling hills and New Orleans’s wealthy suburbs, Mac baits the snares for a corrupt lawmaker, an unscrupulous lobbyist, and a crooked gun manufacturer. From a safe house in Philadelphia, she begins to rebuild the life–and to reconnoiter the love–forsaken years ago in the name of national security.

But Cal Bertrand, the dogged ATF agent with a checkered past and a lot to prove, is hot on her trail. Will he uncover Mac and the conspiracy before the traps go off?

Corruption, sabotage, and intrigue combine into one gratifyingly taut and intricate novel that could only have been written by an insider.

 (ebook from Kenneth Eade)

Meet terrorism’s worst enemy in BookLife Award’s 2016 Quarter Finalist

From the best-selling & award winning author critics hail as “one of the strongest thriller writers on our scene” comes an unforgettable story of an unlikely “anti-hero.” Robert Garcia was an unremarkable man, tapped out of a promising military career to become a death squad assassin for the CIA. Retirement was not in the cards for Robert, so he disappeared instead. After he comes out of the cold to answer the call to aid a fellow soldier facing a bum rap, he is thrust back into the spotlight when he is in the wrong place at the wrong time and kills a terrorist, thereby saving dozens of lives. He finds gainful employment in the slaughter of jihadists, which sparks an urban legend that Robert, a dangerous and unfeeling assassin, is a living paladin, whose mission is to rid the earth of evil for the betterment of mankind. Social media gives him the name: “Paladine” and God help whoever gets between him and his next target.

 (ebook from Endeavor Press via initial contact from Vena Cork)

Single, childless and reduced to writing celebrity profiles, investigative journalist Suzannah Quinn’s life is not going to plan…

Then, during an interview with top publisher Roland Winterbourne, she meets Jamie Davis.

It’s love at first sight and within hours she has agreed to marry him.

But Jamie insists on inviting no friends or family to the wedding and Suzannah’s millionaire father quickly suspects him of being a fortune hunter.

At first the couple are blissfully happy.

Suzannah’s only worry is Jamie’s mysterious past, which he refuses to talk about.

However, when Suzannah suddenly inherits a flat off Portobello Road, everything changes.

Whilst she is eager to reconnect with her happy childhood roaming the market before her father made his money, Jamie loathes Notting Hill.

The move quickly triggers a change in their relationships and it’s not long before the arguments start.

Then one morning, after a particularly bad row, Jamie goes to work and doesn’t return.

Suzannah thinks he’s sulking, but when he still hasn’t returned after several days, she fears something’s happened to him.

His colleagues are unconcerned because his job as a sales rep often takes him off the radar, but Suzannah becomes increasingly frantic.

When she finds a scrap of paper in his jacket pocket with a name and address in North Devon, she is eager to investigate.

What she discovers when she goes there brings her world crashing down.

After a visit from a mysterious woman, who brings even more life-changing revelations, she realises that in order to move on she must find her missing husband and discover the truth about him once and for all.

If Jamie is not what he claims to be then neither is her beloved Notting Hill, beneath whose perfection beats a dark and rotting heart that is finally exposed over a horrific Carnival weekend.

 (ebook from Endeavor Press via initial contact from Vena Cork)

When you come home to one life but find yourself in another…

When Persey Delaney returns to Britain after working abroad, everything has changed.

Her mother is newly-divorced and her younger sister Meg is still struggling to recover her confidence after a horrific accident.

Together, they have moved from their long-envied, prime address in Mayfair to a seedy block of flats in Willesden.

Soon Persey lives there, too.

And within weeks of Persey’s return home, strange goings-on begin to upset her already unsettling new life.

It seems that Yew Court has become a malevolent witness to secret lives.

The horror begins as the residents are subjected to a series of dreadful events, each getting more and more frightening as the days progress.

The local paper dubs Yew Court the unluckiest block of flats in London, but Persey fears that luck has nothing to do with it.

Dark forces are at work and there’s a race against time to prevent a catastrophe…

Toxic tells of how so many lives are woven by Fate into a tapestry of terror in this gripping thriller.

 (ebook from Roma Brooks)

Limited pre-order special 99c/99p
Christmas has come to Cape Harriet, and this year, it’s all about second chances! Christmas Morning is an emotionally gripping novel in the tradition of Clipper Beach and Wicked Summer.
James & Sandhya have found unexpected love, but their future will be decided by a tormented child. A newly married couple find their vows tested to the limit. A wounded vet finds himself in a Christmas nightmare.
Zadie’s dishing up special Christmas treats, and the town is decked up for the holidays. As the mercury dips, everyone eagerly awaits Christmas Morning.
Stoke up the fire, have a warm drink at hand, and snuggle up to enjoy this sweet contemporary romance, spiced up with a dash of intrigue.
*includes festive recipes from Zadie’s kitchen

Giveaway/competition wins…..

 (paperback)

Embrace a healthy attitude towards sudden outbursts of laughter; oh and maybe grab some tissues as you escape into the lives of three remarkable friends, as they each navigate their own catastrophic mess. Discover the strength of friendship while you submerge yourself in suspense, fury and humour. Let the drama unfold… Emma’s doing her best to raise the adorable Amy while hanging on to the ghost of her past. But is she really the crazy, deranged woman she eventually feels compelled to be? Beneath Siobhan’s picture perfect exterior, the struggle of deception is exhausting. However when life slaps her in the face with an unforeseen twist, will she be able to salvage any of her future, perfect or not? With mounting money problems and an unwanted visit from his expertly suppressed past, Jack must confront his inner demons for once and for all. Can he defeat them and emerge as the true person he really is?

From Netgalley…..

Pub Date 01 Dec 2016

Nancy is four, nearly five. She talks all the time: in the car, on the way to nursery, to her brother, to her collection of bears. And then one day everything changes. Nancy’s mum and dad split up, her father moves across the country, and Nancy stops talking.

Eva is forty-four, nearly forty-five. She always knew marrying a much older man meant compromises, but she was sure it was worth it – until Mickey dies suddenly, leaving Eva with only his diaries and a voice in the back of her mind telling her that perhaps she’s sacrificed more than she meant to.

While Nancy’s parents negotiate their separation, the question of weekend contact is solved when her father volunteers his sister Eva’s house. As spring turns to summer, a trust slowly begins to form between a little girl with a heartbreaking secret, and a woman who has realised too late that what she yearns for is the love of a child.

Pub Date 06 Dec 2016

Previously published by Mira in Australia and New Zealand
 
Amid the vivid beauty of Granada, a woman entrusted with unraveling a family secret will discover the truth about her heritage—and the alluring promise of love…

When her beloved grandmother falls ill, Charlotte Kavanagh will do whatever she asks of her—even if it means traveling to a country that broke her abuela’s heart. Can an unsigned painting of a flamenco dancer unlock the secrets of her grandmother’s youth in Spain? To find the answers she needs, Charlotte must convince the charismatic and gifted musician, Mateo Vives to introduce her to a secluded gypsy clan.

The enigmatic Mateo speaks the true language of flamenco, a culture Charlotte must learn to appreciate if she wants to understand her grandmother’s past—and the flamenco legend that has moved souls to beauty, and bodies to the heights of passion. As Mateo leads her into the captivating world of the music and the dance, Charlotte embraces her own long-denied creative gift and the possibility of a future rich with joy…

Pub Date 11 Nov 2016

‘I’m not your mother. You’re a monster. I don’t want you’

Women who gave a child up for adoption are being killed. A knock at their front door begins a nightmare from which they will never wake up.

For Detective Ruby Preston and her team, it is a race against time to connect the dots before the killer can strike again. But when Ruby receives a sinister email, the case takes a terrifying personal twist.

Could the clues to the identity of the killer lie in Ruby’s own past?

Who can she trust with her secrets?

And could Ruby be next?

Love You to Death is a serial killer thriller packed with twists.

Pub Date 20 Dec 2016

To Rebecca it was a brave decision that led to her freedom from domestic abuse. To Solomon it was the ultimate betrayal.

It’s been ten years since Rebecca’s testimony saw Solomon locked away. Enough time for the nightmares to recede, the nerves to relax; enough time to rebuild her life and put the past behind her.

Then one day a phone rings in her bedroom—but it’s not her phone. Solomon has been in her home, and has a very simple message for her: for each of the ten years he has spent in jail, Rebecca must witness a crime. And, to make matters worse, she has to choose the victims.

Fail to respond and you get hurt. Talk to police and you die. Ready to play? You have sixty seconds to decide…

As the crimes grow more severe, the victims closer to home, Rebecca is forced to confront a past she had hoped was gone forever.

Purchased/free downloads…..

 (Kindle first Prime member freebie)

Peace of mind is all Greg Cole has wanted since the murder of his twin sister, Scarlett.

In his new sun-soaked Florida life, he thought he had found it. But when Scarlett’s killer is released early from prison with a cast-iron alibi, Greg realizes that his past is about to explode into his present, with terrifying consequences.

To expose the truth he must open up old wounds. As a talk therapist, Greg knows all about dark secrets, but when a childhood friendship comes to the fore and the police turn their spotlight on him, the thought of analyzing his own psyche is a disturbing prospect. How far can he trust his own memories?

With his life coming apart at the seams, and his grip on reality beginning to unravel, Greg must face the ghosts of his past if he hopes to prove his innocence and live to see another day.

 (Free)

Has Georgia landed an obnoxious lodger for her London house, or the perfect companion?
A bite of fiction – a complete story to fill your break.

 (Free)

Will she survive her relatives’ demands to meet Massimo, the new man in her life? Food, chats and cigarettes at an Italian family’s festive table in Turin.
A bite of fiction – a complete story to fill your break.

 (Free)

Betty, an English woman in her fifties, struggles to keep up with her elderly parents’ needs while coping with her job, a workaholic husband, a teenage son and her snobbish brother. What now?
A bite of fiction – a complete story to fill your break.

 (Free)

Rakesh and Rossella: a London office affair. Questions answered with questions. Answers which might be too late.
A bite of fiction – a complete story to fill your break.

 (Free)

No matter how sophisticated her cooking, or what amazing ingredients go into her dinners, her middle-class, middle-aged, middle-England friends have other things on their minds.
A bite of fiction – a complete story to fill your break.

 (Free)

An intimate conversation in Palermo between a father and his adult daughter who is finally ready to hear about his first love.
A bite of fiction – a complete story to fill your break.

 (Free)

Marta Brooke has slipped discreetly in and out of many London kitchens. Mrs Rose seems just like all her other clients. But is she really?
A bite of fiction – a complete story to fill your break.

The genteel façade of London’s Hampstead is shattered by a series of terrifying murders, and the ensuing police hunt is threatened by internal politics, and a burgeoning love triangle within the investigative team. Pressurised by senior officers desperate for a result a new initiative is clearly needed, but what?

Intellectual analysis and police procedure vie with the gut instinct of ‘copper’s nose’, and help appears to offer itself from a very unlikely source – a famous fictional detective. A psychological profile of the murderer allows the police to narrow down their search, but will Scotland Yard lose patience with the team before they can crack the case?

Praised by fellow authors and readers alike, this is a truly original crime story, speaking to a contemporary audience yet harking back to the Golden Age of detective fiction. Intelligent, quirky and mannered, it has been described as ‘a love letter to the detective novel’. Above it all hovers Hampstead, a magical village evoking the elegance of an earlier time, and the spirit of mystery-solving detectives.

Guy Fraser-Sampson is an established writer best known for his series of ‘Mapp and Lucia’ novels which have been featured on BBC Radio 4 and optioned by BBC television. This is his debut work of detective fiction, and the first title in the Hampstead Murders series.

 (Free)

Murder from the Newsdesk
Seven Crampton of the Chronicle mystery stories
By Peter Bartram

Join Colin Crampton, ace crime reporter on the Evening Chronicle in 1960s Brighton, in seven more cozy crime mysteries.

The Mystery of the African Charity: Amateur sleuth Colin discovers greed – and a murder mystery – behind what looks like a good deed.

The Mystery of the Two Suitcases: Colin interrupts a romantic Valentine’s date with girlfriend Shirley Goldsmith to unravel a case where love will find a way.

The Mystery of the Single Red Sock: Colin’s act of heroism plunges him into the hunt for one of the most violent criminals he’s ever confronted.

The Mystery at the Beauregard Hotel: Colin investigates when two guests disappear unexpectedly in this humorous crime mystery.

The Mystery of the Precious Princess: Colin finds that it’s not only a dog’s life for the canines up at the Greyhound Racing stadium.

The Mystery of the Clothes on the Beach: in another cozy crime story, a local fisherman helps Colin land a surprising catch.

The Mystery of the Phantom Santa: Colin uncovers more than he bargained for when he goes in search of a front-page crime story with a Christmas theme.

This book of cozy mystery stories will keep you smiling to the very last page.

 (Pre-ordered)

Publisher: Bookouture (16 Nov. 2016)

You wake up to find the man beside you is dead.
He is not your husband. This is not your bed.
What do you do?

Tara Logan lives a quiet life with her husband, Noah, and two children, teenager Rosie and eleven-year-old Spencer.

But her peace is shattered when she wakes in her neighbour Lee’s bed, with no memory of how she got there or what happened between them.
And worse – he has been stabbed to death.

Convinced she didn’t kill Lee, Tara stays silent, fearing the truth will rip her family apart.

But as her daughter spirals out of control, and her husband becomes increasingly distant, Tara soon realises that someone in her life knows what really happened to Lee. She must get to the truth before they do.

Tara made a mistake … but will one night cost her everything?

A gripping, shocking psychological thriller, with a twist that will take you by surprise.

The West Pennine moors, endless miles of unspoilt, windswept beauty. A haven for the weekend walker, and nature lover. A playground, for those with disposable income.
Though when the mutilated remains of a fourteen-year-old boy are discovered, it becomes apparent someone is using the desolate landscape as a killing field.

When seventeen-year- old Jenna Fotheringay writes to author Patrick Fossey, she hardly imagines he will take an interest in her research. Unlike many of the girls in the nearby town, she is in no hurry to lose her virginity and gain a cocaine habit. Rather, she spends her days at the local library, searching old microfiche films, and devouring all she can about the Radfield family. Weekends are spent with her grandfather scouring the local countryside. Searching for clues, which will shed light on the powerful landowners who once owned great swathes of the countryside, including the farm, she now calls home.

When Fossey agrees to pay her a visit, Jenna is in some kind of heaven. Although when she takes Fossey to the old gamekeeper’s cottages, neither of them is prepared for the horror that lies within.

Ronnie Fotheringay is a farmer to the core, dark earth beneath his fingernails, money in the bank and bailer twine holding up his trousers. A man raised on the land who adores his only granddaughter. He sowed the seeds, which instilled in her a love of the past. Now in his twilight years he lives for the times they share, the long walks and imparting of knowledge which Jenna, absorbs with relish.

At first, he is delighted when Fossey takes an interest in her research. Yet as fear begins to grip the local community, Ronnie begins to wonder if it was a mistake, as the writer starts to delve into a history Ronnie would sooner lay buried.

Like the town, DS Lasser feels jaded, frayed around the edges, and losing interest in a job he no longer sees as relevant. Families live hand to mouth, fathers spending years on the dole, mothers eking out an existence, supplemented by the occasional win on the bingo, and their offspring running wild.
A town on the skids, no jobs no money, and no hope.
So, when Billy Jones fails to return home it is hardly earth shattering news. A family of thieves, and piss artists, the father and eldest son are doing time and young Billy is rapidly following suit.

As clues are unearthed that lead directly to the Radfield family, Lasser becomes convinced they have found their man.
Ashley Radfield, last of the local aristocracy, a man who has led a life of privilege and undeserved respect. Now along with his ageing father he lives in the rambling manor house. Paint peeling from the windows and weeds in the gutter, mothballed rooms, and a huge kitchen like the cutting room of an abattoir. For the Radfields the days of prosperity and huntsman’s balls are a distant memory.
However, when another body is revealed, Lasser’s convictions are thrown into turmoil. It is all too easy, the clues too convenient, someone is playing a vicious game, someone with a burning hatred for the Radfield family.
As the long hot summer ends and the nights grow longer, Lasser finds himself in a race against time as he tries to unravel the dark secrets that bind the two families. Secrets stretching back over four decades, blackmail and murder reaching out to ensnare the innocent as well as the guilty.

You don’t know him. But he knows you.

Soon he would be able to touch her, to feel the warmth of her blood. And when the time came, nothing would stop him.
As D.C. Jennifer Knight investigates a routine stabbing in the quiet town of Haven, she is shocked at what seems like a personal message from beyond the grave.

When more bodies are found, Jennifer is convinced the killings are somehow linked. What she discovers is more chilling than she could possibly imagine. The murders mirror those of the notorious Grim Reaper – from over twenty years ago. A killer her mother helped convict.

Jennifer can no longer ignore the personal connection. Is there a copycat killer at work? Was the wrong man convicted? Or is there something more sinister at play …

With her mother’s terrifying legacy spiralling out of control, Jennifer must look into her own dark past in a fight not only to stop a killer – but to save herself and those she loves.

A heart-stopping supernatural thriller to engross fans of Rachel Abbott, Paul Finch and James Oswald.

Discover the other books in the DC Jennifer Knight series:

1. DON’T TURN AROUND
2. TIME TO DIE
3. THE SILENT TWIN

 (pre-ordered)

Spring is in the air at Cliffs House, the charming Cornish estate that Julianne Morgen has come to think of as home. Her next big event is a personal favor to her employer: coordinating the perfect wedding for Lady Amanda’s friend and mentor, artist Constance Strong, whose late-in-life courtship is worthy of the storybooks themselves.

But as if helping Lady Amanda isn’t enough to occupy her mind, Julianne finds herself distracted by personal matters. Her long distance romance with Matthew Rose, the handsome and brilliant horticulturist has been on the rocks for weeks now – and when Matthew suddenly returns to Cornwall, he brings news with him that could change everything between them.

Can Julianne help Lady Amanda pull off the perfect surprise wedding for a case of true love? And no matter the odds they face, will Julianne and Matthew finally find their own happily ever after?

A gorgeous country house hotel, a liberal dusting of snow, a cosy weekend away…what more could Lizzie ask for at Christmas?

Every Christmas Lizzie promises herself that things will change and she will leap into the new year a new woman. And yet here she is again, at the beginning of December and nothing is different. Her girls have grown up and left home, her husband Henry is slumped in front of the TV and she is alone in the kitchen, seeking refuge in the cooking sherry and talking to her Gary Barlow calendar. She’s also been very diverted by handsome new neighbour Marcus and she knows she shouldn’t be …

So when best friend Ann suggests a weekend away in the country, Lizzie jumps at the chance. Will this Christmas escape give Lizzie some much needed perspective and allow her to mend her marriage? Or will Marcus prove to be too much of a distraction?

A funny feel good festive read about rediscovering the magic of Christmas – just the thing to curl up with on a cold winter’s night.

Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton is tasked with apprehending a brutal murderer stalking the streets of London – and leaving not a shred of DNA evidence. As the suspect list mounts, his frustration and pressure from his superiors intensify.

Grace Murphy, who is dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandfather, falls deeper into despair when her friends’ bodies are discovered. Fearing she may be the killer’s next target, she begins to question if her horrifying nightmares are the key to unravelling the murderer’s identity.

How far would you go to uncover the truth? Would you venture into the shadows to unmask a killer?

Action, terror and a heroine with second sight! You’ll find all of that and more in White Witch. This novella opens Lyn Horner’s award-winning series, Texas Devlins.

Jessie Devlin is what her Irish ancestors might call a “white witch.” She has a disturbing ability to glimpse the future. When she foresees Chicago on fire, it’s a soul-searing experience. Far worse is the terrible night in 1871 when she and her family and thousands of Chicagoans run for their lives from the towering flames. Worst of all are the horrific nightmares Jessie suffers for months after the destruction.

However, when Jessie’s dreams suddenly begin showing her a strange man with gentle, loving eyes who saves her from a fiery death, she becomes convinced they are destined to meet and fall in love. But will her father give her time to find her dream hero or will he force her into marriage with the wrong man? How can she save herself from such a fate

Charlotte has one desire in life – she wants a daughter. But you can’t choose what you have… can you?

Desire soon turns to obsession as Charlotte embarks on a difficult and controversial journey to sway the odds to have a girl.

How far is she prepared to go, and at what cost?

Added to my wish list…..

                                                                                   

Publisher: Bloodhound Books (8th November 2016)

Wow, what an ending! I genuinely did not see that coming.

I have been a fan of Rob Sinclair since reading The Enemy series, so I was over the moon when Rob offered me an early copy of Dark Fragments!

Dark Fragments is completely different to The Enemy series, but equally gripping.

Ben Stephens seems like your average bloke. He is married to Gemma, with two children he adores, but I felt he was still grieving for his first wife, Alice, who had been murdered seven years previously. Her killer was never found.

We soon discover that he had, in fact, been having an affair with Gemma before Alice’s murder. Alice herself had been unfaithful too, so their relationship had been far from perfect. He had adored Alice though. He isn’t quite sure he’s ever felt the same about Gemma, but they are basically happy.

That is until Ben finds himself in debt to a dangerous criminal and his life starts to spiral out of control. His twin sister, Dani (a police detective), who he hasn’t been close to for years, is back on the scene asking questions he doesn’t want to answer and Ben soon becomes desperate to put his past behind him, once and for all.

I can’t say much more without giving too much away, but I was totally fascinated by Ben’s story and I almost felt sorry for him at times. Almost!

Brilliant writing from Rob Sinclair once again. Dark Fragments is fast paced and full of suspense with great characters, some more dodgy than others! Things do get quite violent at times, but this is to be expected considering the storyline. I was totally hooked and I’m sure any fan of a good psychological thriller would be. I highly recommend to all! I’m looking forward to whatever Rob writes next.

A big thank you to Rob Sinclair for my ARC.

Dark Fragments will be published on 8th November 2016. You can pre-order your copy HERE 

Get clicking!

Description:

Murder. Money. Revenge.

Outwardly, Ben Stephens appears to be a normal, hardworking family man. In reality his life has been in turmoil since the murder of his wife, Alice, seven years ago. The killer was never caught. Now remarried – to the woman he was having an affair with while still married to Alice – Ben’s life is once again spiraling out of control, and he’s become heavily indebted to an unscrupulous criminal who is baying for Ben’s blood.

When Ben’s estranged twin sister, a police detective, unexpectedly returns to his life, asking too many questions for comfort, it becomes clear that without action, Ben’s life will soon reach a crisis point from which there will be no return. In order to avoid falling further into the mire, Ben must examine the past if he is to survive the present – but just how much pressure can one man take before he breaks?

About the author:

Rob began writing in 2009 following a promise to his wife, an avid reader, that he could pen a ‘can’t put down’ thriller.

Rob’s first novel, Dance with the Enemy, was published in June 2014 and is the first in the Enemy Series following embattled intelligence agent Carl Logan. Rise of the Enemy, the second book in the series, was released in April 2015, with the third book, Hunt for the Enemy, being released in February 2016. The Enemy series has received widespread critical acclaim with many reviewers and readers having likened Rob’s work to authors at the very top of the genre, including Lee Child and Vince Flynn.

Rob worked for nearly 13 years for a global accounting firm after graduating from The University of Nottingham in 2002, specialising in forensic fraud investigations at both national and international levels. He now writes full time.

Originally from the North East of England, Rob has lived and worked in a number of fast paced cities, including New York, and is now settled in the West Midlands with his wife and young sons.

Rob’s website is http://www.robsinclairauthor.com and he can be followed on twitter at @rsinclairauthor

You will find all of Rob’s books on his Amazon author page, HERE

Enjoy!

Allow me to introduce author and book blogger, Christina Philippou.

Christina very kindly offered to answer 20 random questions from you lovely people (thanks to all who sent a question).

Here is her interview…..

1 – I’d like to know just how Christina created those awful characters in Lost in Static, especially the foul Yasmine please!

I thought about the stereotype characters in fiction – the self-obsessed one, the good-looking one, the nervous one, the clueless one… and then I made then raw and real, gave them some angst and stupidity, and took away their understanding. I did try to give each character at least one redeeming feature, but I seem to have failed in that with Yasmine!

2 – Having loved your debut, can you tell us what you are currently working on at present and when can we look forward to seeing it?

Aww thank you! I’m currently editing Novel 2 (I know, catchy title!), which is darker – a suspense novel about immigration and the worst sides of love. I again play with perspective, this time looking at similar events from the rose-tinted glasses of youth and then through the (older and wiser but nevertheless) deep scars of recession and displacement. My poor protagonist really goes through the wringer… And I will keep you posted on the when!

3 – Cake or biscuits?

Is saying ‘both’ cheating?

4 – You’re an energetic, unselfish promoter of other authors as well as of your own books. Have you found any particular promotional strategy to be a) more effective and/ or b) less time consuming than others?

Great question. Unfortunately, there’s no easy or time-saving strategy as far as I can tell. I share what I find interesting, I share reviews of books I’ve enjoyed on my blog, and I write about my journey. All of this takes time, and I really wish I had more of it!

5 – What was it like making the leap from blogger to author? Was being on the opposite side of the blog tour and being the author at events what you expected based on your blogging experience?

Terrifying! Reviews have, on the whole, been great, and I think the blogger in me was able to deal with the less favourable ones far better than I would have done otherwise. The beauty of books is that, like the events in Lost in Static, they can be viewed in so many different ways, and what works for you may not work for others. Being the centre of attention at the launch and having to sign books is a very strange feeling, especially when one is normally used to be on the other side!

6 – What is your favourite movie genre?

I do like my action movies. I’m also a sucker for terrible rom coms…

7 – What was your inspiration for becoming a book blogger?

I’ve always loved reading and, once I realised the importance of reviews, I ensured I reviewed everything I read. I then found myself wanting to shout about books I loved, so I started sharing my recommended reads on my blog.

8 – Cats or dogs?

Dogs, although I do like cats too.

9 – What is your favourite TV programme?

Match of the Day. My apologies to those who expected something inspirational here!

10 – Have you seen any singers/bands live in concert?

Too many to list. London is brilliant for that, and I used to love going to gigs before I had kids. Now I rarely find the time…

11 – Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Morning person – I’m a miserable sod in the evenings.

12 – What has been your favourite read, so far this year?

There’s a few: The Black Orchid by Celine Jeanjean (fantasy), The Little French Guesthouse by Helen Pollard (feel-good fiction), Caught Inside by Jamie Deacon (young adult romance), Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley (crime), Euro 2016 by Lloyd Pettiford and Ronan Fitzsimons (non-fiction), and Clanless by Jennifer Jenkins (part dystopian action, part romantic fantasy).

13 – Do you ever re-read books?

I do – although, more often, I re-read particular passages that resonate with me. I normally keep a copy of my favourite reads on my kindle so that if I’m feeling overwhelmed, uninspired, or upset, I can be drawn back into my favourite novels.

14 – If you had to be stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be?

Lionel Messi!

15 – If you were to write an autobiography what would your title be?

Hectic…

16 – Who would you most like to meet for coffee?

Gillian Flynn – I love her writing and I’d love to pick her brains, but I’d be scared to be stuck in a lift with her…

17 – What is your favourite sport?

Football – I love to play it, watch it, coach it…

18 – Do you have pets?

Sadly, no.

19 – What is your idea of a perfect holiday?

Sunshine, action (mind out of the gutter- I mean the healthy exercise kind… Wait, that’s not sounding any better. Aaaargh!), sea, and my family. Yes, all of them. Preferably with a few hours a day to read, but now I really am asking too much!

20 – What is your favourite thing to do on a rainy day?

Read, preferably in front of an open fire…

🙂

Many thanks to Christina for joining in with my #AskMeAnything feature.

Lost in Static

Sometimes growing up is seeing someone else’s side of the story.

Four stories. One truth. Whom do you believe? 

Callum has a family secret. Yasmine wants to know it. Juliette thinks nobody knows hers. All Ruby wants is to reinvent herself. 

They are brought together by circumstance, torn apart by misunderstanding. As new relationships are forged and confidences are broken, each person’s version of events is coloured by their background, beliefs and prejudices. And so the ingredients are in place for a year shaped by lust, betrayal, and violence… 

Lost in Static is the gripping debut from author Christina Philippou. Whom will you trust?

Links

Lost in Static is available from, amongst others, Amazon UK, Amazon US, and direct from the publisher, Urbane Publications.

Author Bio

Christina Philippou’s writing career has been a varied one, from populating the short-story notebook that lived under her desk at school to penning reports on corruption and terrorist finance. When not reading or writing, she can be found engaging in sport or undertaking some form of nature appreciation. Christina has three passports to go with her three children, but is not a spy. Lost in Static is her first novel.

Christina is also the founder of the contemporary fiction author initiative, Britfic.

You can connect with Christina on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+.

If you haven’t already and would like to, you can read my review here – Lost In Static by Christina Philippou *Review* @CPhilippou123 @urbanebooks

If you would like to be featured on #AskMeAnything please feel free to email me – bellaboobos11@outlook.com

I am over the moon to be today’s stop on Diane Chandler’s Moondance blog tour!

Blackbird Digital Books are one of my favourite publishers so I jumped at the chance to read and review Moondance.

Diane’s previous novel, The Road To Donetsk was the WINNER OF THE PEOPLE’S BOOK PRIZE FOR FICTION 2015/16 don’t you know!

I have my review to share with you, as well as a Q&A with Diane herself and a giveaway, so keep reading…..

MY REVIEW

(written 20th October)

I finished Moondance a few days ago now and I originally awarded it 4 stars on Goodreads, but I think I’m going to have to change it to 5 stars because I have thought about (and talked about) this book a lot over the last few days. Now I can’t really think of a reason why it shouldn’t be a 5 star read.

My original reason for only awarding 4 stars was that I didn’t like Catriona, the main character. I didn’t warm to her at all, unfortunately. She is not someone I could imagine myself being friends with. Mainly because I imagine she would be the type of woman to look down on someone like me. I am not an ambitious person. I am a housewife and I have been a stay at home mum since I was pregnant with my first baby (who is now 16). Before that I was a carer in an elderly residential home. I was clever and achieved good grades at school and college, but I never had any big career goals. I knew I would want my children young, if possible, and I knew I would want to be the one at home, bringing them up myself when I did. I am one of those “fat housewives” who I imagine someone like Cat would have absolutely no respect for. I have huge respect for women who manage a career and a family, but it doesn’t make them better people. Each to their own. Anyway, I’ve gone off on a tangent……

I could not relate to Cat in any way, but I did feel sorry that she was unable to conceive naturally. I can only imagine how heartbreaking that must be. I did feel, however, that in Cat’s case she was more focused, initially, on getting pregnant to prove to herself and the world that she could because she had never failed at anything in her life before. She is a very self-centred character who obviously thinks very highly of herself and is very used to getting exactly what she wants, when she wants it, including her successful career and her husband, Dom. When she decides the time is right to fit having a baby into her busy schedule, she is naturally disturbed by the fact that it’s going to be more of a battle than she anticipated. Of course, what she goes through is emotionally and physically difficult, but she has no sympathy for the effect it is having on Dom. It’s all about her and what she is going through. I think we’re all guilty though of neglecting the Dads when it comes to babies, however easy their conception is. I know my husband felt particularly helpless when I had our two. They have no control over what is happening to us which I imagine must be quite overwhelming. I can’t say I really liked Dom either, but I did kind of feel sorry for him.

I have a very close relationship with my mother, so Cat’s dislike of her mother was very odd to me also, although I am aware that many families aren’t close. It just highlighted Cat’s conceitedness (is that even a word?) further, for me.

I know I’m rambling (sorry), but there are so many thoughts going around my head about this book and Catriona really got under my skin.

The front cover alone, to me, gives the impression that this might be a luvvy duvvy story about a devoted couple and their struggle to have a baby, with a typical happy ending, but it isn’t like that at all. It’s a much more complex story exploring the emotions surrounding infertility, marriage, family relationships and friendship.

I think my point is going to have to be that although I didn’t particularly connect with the characters, I found their story completely captivating! As much as Cat’s selfish ways annoyed me throughout the story, I still wanted her to achieve her dream of becoming a mother. It’s so brilliantly written that there is no way I could not have read until the end. I think it’s a story that will stay with me for a long time to come and one I will no doubt talk about often.

Surely a book that kept me hooked to the very last page, despite not really liking the characters, is worthy of a full 5 stars!?

I urge you to read it for yourself. I’d be interested to know what you think.

Many thanks to Blackbird Digital Books for my ARC of Moondance. I hope it achieves the success it deserves.

Q&A

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

I’m Derby born and bred, but lived abroad in Brussels for many years working in overseas aid, until I got homesick and came to live in London. I gave up work when I was 38 to focus on trying to conceive. My husband Nick and I ended up going through IVF which was successful on our 4th cycle and my daughter Maddie was born. Since then I’ve been part-time mum / part-time writer / part-time cushion plumper (though tend to neglect the domestic goddess bit). My first novel, The Road to Donetsk, came out in 2015 and Moondance is my second – although I actually wrote the first draft ten years ago when IVF was fresh in my mind.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Both novels draw on my personal experience, a mix of memories, research and imagination, but both are pure fiction. The Road to Donetsk is set in Ukraine 20 years ago just after the fall of communism and is about a naive and idealistic young woman who wants to save the world and goes to Ukraine to work on an aid programme. She’s not me – but some claim to have seen a resemblance! Moondance is about a high-flying career woman who finds herself and her relationship unravelling as she battles through IVF. Again, it draws heavily on my personal experience of the physical and emotional impact of IVF, but again it is pure fiction. Cat is not me – though I did have fun writing her, as she’s not entirely likeable! I set myself the task of trying to create and sustain empathy for her despite this.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

I guess some of them are loosely a mish-mash of people I’ve known many years ago, or even just met fleetingly. Physically I usually have someone in mind. For example, Dom with his tight blond locks and flushed cheeks, looks like an ex-fling from university days!

How do you pick your characters names?

Good question. Cat, I think because of the feline connotation – I imagine her drawing her claws out. In The Road to Donetsk I took many Ukrainian names from old business cards.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

Well it’s a real passion. When I’m writing I don’t notice the time passing. It’s like wearing one of those virtual reality helmuts and going into a scene, walking round, seeing, smelling, tasting, feeling what I see.

Do you have a favourite author?

I do love Ian McEwan, as I think he can turn his hand to any subject and pull it off. At home I have an oil painting depicting the spines of my favourite twenty books, created by an artist friend and a gift from my husband for a special birthday.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

I would love to meet Jojo Moyes and ask her to tell me about her journey as an author from writing her first novels to arriving at the incredible Me Before You. I sobbed so much when reading that book.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes … Enid Blyton.

When did you start to write?

I began writing about 15 years ago. I have a first novel in a drawer which will never see the light of day! I hope I’ve progressed somewhat since then.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

I would not have ended Gone Girl as she did. If it’s not a spoiler (well it clearly is…) I would have had the guy put her away or something worse – and not stay with her. I found that upsetting and creepy. But then I guess I was meant to.

What are you working on right now?

I have written about three pages of a new idea. Am looking forward to sitting down and putting that virtual reality helmet on any day now.

Do you have a new release due?

Moondance is published on 1^st November – to coincide with National Fertility Awareness Week. The National Fertility Network are an amazing organization which supports couples struggling to conceive with its helplines and local support groups http://www.infertilitynetworkuk.com

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I have a www.facebook.com/theroadtodonetsk facebook page and a (badly maintained) website www.dianechandlerauthor.com Always love to hear from readers.

And thank you so much for the interview!

Many thanks to Diane for taking the time to answer my questions and to Blackbird Digital Books for including me in the Moondance blog tour.

Publisher: Blackbird Digital Books (1st November 2016)

Bittersweet, at times funny, and always emotionally raw, this is by far the most moving and honest novel you’ll ever read about IVF and its impact on a marriage.

How can you long for someone who doesn’t exist?

Cat has always been in control of her life. Happily married to Dom, but flying high as a political lobbyist, she dismisses his desire to start a family … until she herself is ready.

But what if it is then too late?

Complex and selfish, intelligent and open, if she is to succeed in having that elusive child, Cat must battle through gruelling fertility treatment and the emotional strain it places on her marriage. By her side, Dom, easygoing and ever the optimist, finds that he too risks being run ragged by their journey.

Both are forced to come to terms with their longing for a baby against the blitz on a relationship tested like never before.

By the winner of The People’s Book Prize for Fiction 2016

A rare, raw, engaging fictional account of the traumas of infertility told with frankness and humour.

Buy your copy HERE

GIVEAWAY!

I have 3 digital copies of Moondance to giveaway, courtesy of Blackbird Digital Books. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and I will be pick three winners at random!

Good luck!

Make sure you catch up with and follow the rest of this fab blog tour…..

Enjoy!

I am delighted to welcome husband and wife team, Mark and Diane to my blog today!

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For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourselves and your book(s) please?

Diane & Mark: The Ravenstone: The Secret of Ninham Mountain, is a middle-grade fantasy/mystery, the first of a new series.

Thirteen-year-old twins, Aidan and Nadia Shaw, discover a beautiful icon of black basalt stone carved with raven heads. This magical stone, the Ravenstone, can transport twins through time! Not wishing to spoil the story, all we can say is that an ancient shaman sends them on a mission to find something that will change their lives, and the lives of their family, and indeed, all mankind. If they can survive the incredible challenges and dangers that beset the path.

They are aided by the power of the Ravenstone, by their friends, and by their own special gifts of high intuition and photographic memory. The story is full of mystery, adventure, valor, glory, with a sweet touch of redemption and heart.

About us: Diane: I was fortunate to enjoy a highly successful singing career in the UK, with my own BBC TV variety show and many other TV appearances such as on Morecambe and Wise. Highlights of this wonderful time included a sold-out concert tour culminating at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and major concert tours with Kenny Rogers and Glen Campbell.

Then the dreaded M.E., or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, destroyed my entertainment career. I struggled for almost eight years, years of wading through half a life that felt like all descriptions I have ever read of hell. I finally regained my health with the help of a homeopathic remedy, which launched me into new studies and a second career: homeopath and nutritionist. But, I knew that the path of writer awaited, in the distance. Now it is here and I am loving it!

My husband Mark Carey is a brilliant, funny, insightful man and I get to write with him! How cool is that? He is a retired biologist, naturalist, and accomplished voice-over artist. We live in New Hampshire, on many acres of woods and streams, where we design gardens and meadows, sing, write, and watch wildlife.

We have a “green” home, with geothermal heating and cooling, and solar panels in the meadow and on the roof. We have no utility bills at all for about nine months of the year!

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Mark: Diane likes to say when a truly great idea comes along you channel it rather than take credit for it. I must say that is what happened a lot during the brainstorming and writing of The Ravenstone.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

Mark: There is a chicken or egg component to this answer. Even I am not sure if we decided to pattern Nadia after my daughter or simply noticed that they shared personality traits. Either way, once the connection was made, we absolutely wrote Nadia by asking, “What would Kathleen do?” Aidan was based much more loosely on me, me if I were a tween, to be more accurate.

How do you pick your characters names?

Mark: Hmmm. It isn’t a science, that’s for sure. More channeling, I think. I came up with the interplay of twins whose names are the reverses of each other Nadia and Aidan, but I cannot for the life of me explain how. Wine might have had something to do with it.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

Diane & Mark: For the pure logistics, we are outliners. We use a large board, into which we stick pushpins to hold up postcard-sized cards with scenes, sections, or individual pieces of the story (or sections if non-fiction). Then we can physically see the jigsaw puzzle and move things around until they feel right.

Character is vital: We spend a long time on character development, and each day before either of us writes, at least at the beginning, we tend to read through all the notes and reacquaint ourselves with the character.

Diane: Yes, if I am beginning to live and breathe the character – if I am in the protagonist’s head, and she is in mine – she will write her own actions and words.

But, I want to bring up something else, something required for the writing process for me. It’s hard to define, but essential. My writing seems to stem from what my husband calls my “extreme heart.” My writing process only works well if heart is involved. By that I mean it has honor, integrity, caring for others, meaning, courage, and love in some form. I can’t write in fields of horror or terror, or genres that focus on shallow, meaningless violence. The protagonists, the main characters in fiction need to be real, to be human, with flaws, certainly, but with good hearts. The character arc of the main character must move toward kindness compassion, truth, honor. When working in non-fiction I lean towards self-help books or educational books that offer something of value to the reader. Ok, ok, yes, I am Pollyanna.

And perhaps the most important note about the writing process, for me, is to leave my ego outside the door. Get out of my own way. Leave judgment until the editing process begins. Let the flow happen. That is also where the great fun is! Mark and I are very good at that with each other. We just want what is best for the book, and often either of us will say, “Oh, yes, let’s go with your idea, that’s much better.” We don’t fall out at all when writing together, for which I am completely grateful!

Do you have a favourite author?

Mark: A single favorite? No. I wouldn’t dream of placing one author on a pedestal above all others. I live in awe of so many writers that I view them more like a pantheon of gods, or stars in the sky. But a short list would have to include Jane Austin, Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain, Hemmingway, Oscar Wilde, Jack London. Yes… I am olde-school.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Mark: I would love to meet Jack London. I would ask him to take me with him on his next trip to the Klondike.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Diane: Oh yes! I was that kid who created a tent of the sheets and surreptitiously read with a flashlight, until my mom said softly at the door, “Diane, put the book away, now, dear. Time to go to sleep.”

The biggest impact stories for me were 101 Dalmations, in the third grade and A Wrinkle In Time around the same time. Great stories, well told! They inspired me to float in my imagination and begin to try the “What if?” game. Asking “What if?” is often how my ideas arrive.

When did you start to write?

Diane: I was about eight or nine years old when I realized that I could describe a place or tell a story in such a way that other people would enjoy reading it. I had written a short essay for school about walking into an empty church. The piece was only a page long, hand-written, but the mood, the description, the feeling of the piece seemed to write itself. My teacher was very complimentary and right then I knew I would be an author and writer as a full-time career one day.

I have been writing ever since: songs, screenplays, ghost-writing fiction and non-fiction, solo books, and now writing with my husband, Mark.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

Diane: Oh my. The part of me that breaks easily would like to say Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. I long for a happy-ever-after ending, or “continuing,” I should say. But, if our protagonist does not die at the end, would it have the same soul-wrenching power? Would it portray as strongly, and shatteringly, the effects of war on love and our existence? Perhaps not. I shall not presume to imagine Mr. Pasternak’s work any other way.

What are you working on right now?

Diane & Mark: We have structured most of the second book in The Ravenstone series, to be called, The Book of the Stone.” We will write it over this winter, which makes the long snowy evenings in New Hampshire cozy and fun!

Diane: My next project, which is more or less running parallel with the second Ravenstone adventure, is for women. Entitled, 88 Guys for Coffee, it falls somewhere between memoir and fiction, perhaps a little like Eat, Pray, Love. It tells the story of a 45-year-old woman, shockingly and painfully abandoned by her husband, and her humorous, self-searching path to recovery via five years of online dating. I am using my own personal experience in this rather bizarre realm (falling under the category of “you can’t make this stuff up!”) but have created an all-new woman character. Not me. Too painful! Too embarrassing!

You will not believe some of the stories, but they are all true. And, I hope you will love Laura, whose big heart is broken, yet she keeps laughing, running, helping her patients with alternative medicine, and trying to figure out why she, and other human beings, do the things they do. Feel the things they feel. Mess up the way they mess up.

Do you have a new release due?

Diane & Mark: The Ravenstone: The Book of the Stone is planned for mid-June 2017, so kids can read it during their summer break. 88 Guys for Coffee does not yet have a set publishing date… Its resolution is more amorphous!

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Our website and blog: http://www.EloquentRascals.com

http://www.Facebook.com/EloquentRascals.com

http://www.Twitter.com/DianeSolomon

http://www.Twitter.com/MarkCareyWriter

http://www.Twitter.com/EloquentRascals.com

Book Links

Amazon Kindle and paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/Ravenstone-Secret-Ninham-Mountain-ebook/dp/B01K3A2PGI

Nook Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ravenstone-diane-solomon/1124326984?ean=9780990709435

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/656703

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31427632-the-ravenstone

Publisher: Eloquent Rascals (30th September 2016)

“You were born to this path! This quest is your fate.” Imagine a raven appearing out of thin air and guiding you to an exquisitely carved icon that glows with ancient light and pulses with shamanic power. This is how the adventure begins for Nadia and Aidan Shaw, thirteen-year-old twins, who live in idyllic Cold Spring, New York, on the banks of the Hudson River. Armed with the power of the Ravenstone and their own special gifts, they embark on a harrowing quest across centuries, at the bidding of a mysterious old shaman. They must depend on their courage, their faith in their friends, and luck. Or is it destiny? If they succeed, what they bring back could change the course of human existence.

**************************************

“Solomon and Carey’s imaginative storytelling sweeps you into a fascinating tale of mystery and adventure. Young twins Nadia and Aidan stumble upon an ancient power that could help their family in the future, or trap them in the past forever.” ~ Linda Zimmermann, successful author of 30 books about hauntings, the paranormal, and mysterious stone sites.

**************************************

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Diane Solomon has had a wonderfully diverse career path that has included her own variety show on BBC TV in England during the late seventies, and major tours with Glen Campbell and Kenny Rogers. She is also a published author with a successful book entitled, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a guide to the homeopathic treatment of CFS/M.E. Co-author, Mark Carey, is a retired biologist, naturalist, and voiceover artist. Diane and Mark live in southern New Hampshire on 55 acres of woods and streams, where they write, create gardens, and watch wildlife.

Buy your copy HERE

Many thanks to Mark and Diane for answering my questions and for my kindle copy of The Ravenstone: The Secret of Ninham Mountain: Volume 1

Watch this space for my review!

I am thrilled to be today’s stop on Rosa Temple’s #SinglebyChristmas Blog Tour  🙂 🙂 🙂 I have a fab Q&A with the lady herself.

Enjoy…..

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

Well, I’m a relatively new writer to the chick lit genre and I specialise in romantic comedies. I didn’t set out to only write romantic comedies but that’s how my stories seem to turn out! So far I’ve published a novella called, Sleeping With Your Best Friend and a full length novel called, Natalie’s Getting Married. Single by Christmas is my first Xmas novel and it’s released on 18^th October 2016.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I think the ideas tend to start with a few threads of a storyline that seem to just pop into my head when I least expect them. Like in a shopping queue or when I’m doing the washing up. I get a ‘what if’ scenario going on and the characters I need to tell the story seem to fall into place.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

I tend not to borrow real characteristics from anyone I know – I don’t want to upset or annoy anyone 🙂 But I do borrow physical features from people I know once in a while. Mind you, even that could get me into trouble so I’d better not say too much!

How do you pick your characters names?

Mostly they’re just random but sometimes I might choose a name that goes with an identity. For example, in Single by Christmas, I chose Charlie as my hero. He was named after a great jazz musician because his parents happened to be jazz lovers and passed the passion onto him.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I write everyday. In the morning I’m usually trying to get my paid writing jobs out of the way so I can concentrate on my own books. My best time of day for writing is first thing in the morning or early evening. I also get lots done on nights I can’t sleep. So, no real process, as such – I’m just a writing machine.

Do you have a favourite author?

I find it so hard to choose a favourite as my taste is so varied. It ranges from Jane Austen to Jodi Picoult and from Alice Walker to Cecelia Ahern.

If you could meet any author, who would it be? And what would you ask them?

Probably J K Rowling to ask how she stayed motivated to write such a long series of books.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, definitely. I was always at the library. I liked the smell of the place and I couldn’t wait to start devouring a new book after I’d finished the last one. I kind of gave up on reading as a teenager but got really into it again as an adult, having to kill forty minutes on a tube to and from Central London everyday.

When did you start to write?

I only started writing seriously a few years ago. About five years. I came to it late, even though it was something I loved to do when I was younger.

What are you working on right now?

Right now I’m working on a three part series about a character called Magenta Bright who comes into a small fortune and the adventures revolving around her chaotic life in London.

When can we look forward to a new release?

Book one of the series should be out in Spring of 2017, closely followed by the next two books in the series.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I love to talk to readers and they can find me on the following:

My website is on: www.rosatemple.co.uk

My blog: http://rosatemplewrites.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RosaT_Author

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosaTempleWriter/

and Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14071311.Rosa_Temple

So no excuses really!

A huge thank you to Rosa for answering my questions and for inviting me to be a part of her fabulous blog tour!

You’ve heard the saying, ‘opposites attract’ haven’t you? Well meet 27 year old Alex Marshall, a party girl with a penchant for free flowing Prosecco, and her devilishly handsome scientist boyfriend, Charlie, who loves jazz and dinner for two.
Alex and Charlie are together for 11 blissful months until Alex goes out of town and does something she will later regret. Was she drunk? You bet. Does she want Charlie to know? Well what do you think?
With the couple about to spend their first Christmas together will Charlie be the forgiving kind or will Alex be Single by Christmas?
This is a feel good, Christmas novel with very few mince pies, not much snow and absolutely no mistletoe – just a couple of best friends, a sociopathic nemesis and a lot of drinking.

Watch this space for my review!

Rosa is also offering you the chance to win an ebook copy of Single By Christmas.

There are 5 copies up for grabs! Just click on the link below and don’t forget to spread the word…..

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Giveaway will close on 1st November 2016

If you’re not lucky enough to win a copy you can buy yours HERE

Don’t forget to catch up with and follow the rest of Rosa’s Blog Tour with these lovely book bloggers…..

12 Days of “Single by Christmas” Blog Tour

17^th October – 28^th October 2016

Monday 17^th

Rae reads …

Linda’s Book Bag

Tuesday 18^th

Kraftireader

The Book Magnet

Wednesday19^th

Whispering Stories

Boon’s Bookcase

Thursday 20^th

Chick Lit Chickadees

Han’s Book Reviews

ai love books

Friday 21^st

Reading…Dreaming

Comfy Reading

Saturday 22^nd

Reviewed The Book

Grass Monster

Sunday 23^rd

Sparkly World

Monday 24^th

Book Lover in Florida

Hello … Chick Lit

Tuesday 25^th

Rae reads …

The Book Wench

Granny Loves To Read

Wednesday 26^th

Chat About Books

The Book Magnet

Chick Lit club – Connect

Thursday 27^th

Rachel’s Random Reads

Annie’s Book Corner

Friday 28^th

Han’s Book Reviews

Pretty Little Book Reviews

Enjoy!

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Michelle Davies to my blog. Michelle’s debut novel, Gone Astray (DC Maggie Neville Book 1), was published on Kindle by Pan Macmillan on 24th March 2016 and in paperback on 20th October 2016.

I have a lovely Q&A for you to enjoy…..

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?

I’ve been writing professionally for 26 years, first as a reporter on my local paper, then for national women’s magazines. I’m currently freelance, writing for titles including Marie Claire and Stylist. Gone Astray is set in my home county, Buckinghamshire, and is about a missing 15-year-old girl whose parents are EuroMillions winners. The police officer at the centre of the novel is Family Liaison Officer DC Maggie Neville, who is assigned to the parents as the search continues. The million-dollar question is whether the girl’s disappearance is related to the money they won, or something else entirely.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

As a journalist I’m constantly scouring the news, so my ideas often are sparked by reports I’ve read. It was a news item about the fate of lottery winners – and how so many wished in hindsight that they’d never won, because the money has caused so many problems and rifts – that sparked the theme for Gone Astray.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?

There are a few elements of people I know in my characters (myself included), but I’m very careful to disguise who I’ve borrowed from! I think it’s okay for authors to use tics and traits of people they know in novels – after all, real life is what informs our writing – but I would never base a character wholesale on someone I knew. I would be too worried about them working out it’s them!

How do you pick your characters names?

For first names I usually determine how old the character is then look up the top 100 baby names for the year they were born. I think it’s important to give them a name that suits the era they were raised in. With surnames I tend to pick them from newspaper reports and occasionally I’ve borrowed from friends. Maggie Neville is an amalgamation of one of my favourite girls’ names – I wanted to call our daughter Maggie but her dad, my partner, wasn’t keen! – while Neville is my late father-in-law’s first name. I sadly never got to meet him as he died more than 20 years ago, but it’s nice he’s played a part in all of this.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?

I tend to binge-write my novels around my freelance work as a journalist. So I’ll spend a few weeks writing chapters, then go back to my day job for a couple of weeks – working at home allows me that flexibility. But before I get started on a novel I write a 5,000-word plotline and do my research: I like to have the book fairly well mapped out before I begin writing.

Do you have a favourite author?

My absolute favourite is Ruth Rendell, but I also love Tana French, Sophie Hannah and Erin Kelly. Erin’s a good friend of mine – we first met working on magazines 17 years ago – but I’m not saying I like her novels because of that. She is one of the best psychological thriller writers there is and her new one, He Said/She Said (out Feb) is her best and cleverest yet.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?

Gosh, what a brilliant question! Can I go back in time? Because I think it would have to be Harper Lee. To Kill A Mockingbird is my favourite novel, the one I return to time and time again, and I’d like to ask her if she really was happy that Go Set A Watchman was published. I hope she was.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I don’t remember a time as a kid when I didn’t have a book in my hands! The first book I remember reading was a Hamlyn collection of fairytales; I read it over and over until the spine cracked. I was heartbroken when it had to go in the bin!

When did you start to write?

I started writing short stories around the age of eight – I would spend my pocket money buying those red Silvine exercise books from our local newsagent’s, Bunces, and would fill the pages with my own versions of Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven books. I was 12 when I decided I wanted to be a reporter when I grew up and got a job as a trainee on my local paper at 18. I was blinkered to the idea of doing anything else, including going to university.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?

I might not agree with some endings or feel disappointed/let down by what happens, but I respect every author’s right to end their novel as they see fit, so I’m not going to answer this one! I would hate it if someone wrote an alternative ending to Gone Astray; feels a bit too 50 Shades-fan-fic to me.

What are you working on right now?

Before the summer I finished the edits on my second novel, Wrong Place, which features DC Maggie Neville again in the role of FLO. It’s about a murder-suicide attempt that goes wrong.

Do you have a new release due?

Wrong Place is published on February 27 next year.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Anyone can tweet me at @M_Davieswrites or message me at https://www.facebook.com/MichelleDaviesAuthor/

A big thank you to Michelle for answering my questions and to Francesca Pearce, Publicity Manager at Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity.

Buy your copy of Gone Astray (DC Maggie Neville Book 1) HERE  

Publisher: Pan; Main Market Ed. edition (24 Mar. 2016)

When a Lesley Kinnock buys a lottery ticket on a whim, it changes her life more than she could have imagined . . .

Lesley and her husband Mack are the sudden winners of a £15 million EuroMillions jackpot. They move with their 15-year-old daughter Rosie to an exclusive gated estate in Buckinghamshire, leaving behind their ordinary lives – and friends – as they are catapulted into wealth beyond their wildest dreams.

But it soon turns into their darkest nightmare when, one beautiful spring afternoon, Lesley returns to their house to find it empty: their daughter Rosie is gone.

DC Maggie Neville is assigned to be Family Liaison Officer to Lesley and Mack, supporting them while quietly trying to investigate the family. And she has a crisis threatening her own life – a secret from the past that could shatter everything she’s worked so hard to build.

As Lesley and Maggie desperately try to find Rosie, their fates hurtle together on a collision course that threatens to end in tragedy . . .

Money can’t buy you happiness.
The truth could hurt more than a lie.
One moment really can change your life forever.

 

Happy Publication Day to Robert Bryndza and Bookouture!

Dark Water is out today and I’m thrilled to be able to share an extract with you.

Everyone who has read Robert Bryndza’s books has loved them and I’m feeling totally left out, so they are on my MUST read before the end of the year list!

Dark Water: A totally gripping thriller with a killer twist (Detective Erika Foster Book 3)

Publisher: Bookouture (20th October 2016)

Beneath the water the body sank rapidly. Above her on dry land, the nightmare was just beginning.

When Detective Erika Foster receives a tip-off that key evidence for a major narcotics case was stashed in a disused quarry on the outskirts of London, she orders for it to be searched. From the thick sludge the drugs are recovered, but so is the skeleton of a young child.

The remains are quickly identified as seven-year-old Jessica Collins. The missing girl who made headline news twenty-six years ago.

As Erika tries to piece together new evidence with the old, she must dig deeper and find out more about the fractured Collins family and the original detective, Amanda Baker. A woman plagued by her failure to find Jessica. Erika soon realises this is going to be one of the most complex and demanding cases she has ever taken on.

Is the suspect someone close to home? Someone is keeping secrets. Someone who doesn’t want this case solved. And they’ll do anything to stop Erika from finding the truth.

From the million-copy bestselling author of The Girl in the Ice and The Night Stalker, comes the third heart-stopping book in the Detective Erika Foster series.

Watch out for more from DCI Erika Foster.

She’s fearless. Respected. Unstoppable. Detective Erika Foster will catch a killer, whatever it takes.

1. THE GIRL IN THE ICE
2. THE NIGHT STALKER
3. DARK WATER

**EXTRACT**

Dark Water

by

Robert Bryndza

Autumn 1990

It was a cold night in late autumn when they dumped the body in the disused quarry. They knew it was an isolated spot, and the water was very deep. What they didn’t know was that they were being watched.

They arrived under the cover of darkness, just after three o’clock in the morning – driving from the houses at the edge of the village, over the empty patch of gravel where the walkers parked their cars, and onto the vast common. With the headlights off, the car bumped and lurched across the rough ground, joining a footpath, which was soon shrouded on either side by dense woodland. The darkness was thick and clammy, and the only light came over the tops of the trees.

Nothing about the journey felt stealthy. The car engine seemed to roar; the suspension groaned as it lurched from side to side. They slowed to a stop as the trees parted and the water-filled quarry came into view.

What they didn’t know was that a reclusive old man lived by the quarry, squatting in an old abandoned cottage which had almost been reclaimed by the undergrowth. He was outside, staring up at the sky and marvelling at its beauty, when the car appeared over the ridge and came to a halt. Wary, he moved behind a bank of shrubbery and watched. Local kids, junkies, and couples looking for thrills often appeared at night, and he had managed to scare them away.

The moon briefly broke through the clouds as the two figures emerged from the car, and they took something large from the back and carried it towards the rowing boat by the water. The first climbed in, and as the second passed the long package into the boat there was something about the way it bent and flopped that made him realise with horror that it was a body.

The soft splashes of the oars carried across the water. He put a hand to his mouth. He knew he should turn away, but he couldn’t. The splashing oars ceased when the boat reached the middle. A sliver of moon appeared again through a gap in the clouds, illuminating the ripples spreading out from the boat.

He held his breath as he watched the two figures deep in conversation, their voices a low rhythmic murmur. Then there was silence. The boat lurched as they stood, and one of them nearly fell over the edge. When they were steady, they lifted the package and, with a splash and a rattle of chains, they dropped it into the water. The moon sailed out from behind its cloud, shining a bright light on the boat and the spot where the package had been dumped, the ripples spreading violently outwards.

He could now see the two people in the boat, and had a clear view of their faces.

The man exhaled. He’d been holding his breath. His hands shook. He didn’t want trouble; he’d spent his whole life trying to avoid trouble, but it always seemed to find him. A chill breeze stirred up some dry leaves at his feet, and he felt a sharp itching in his nostrils. Before he could stop it a sneeze erupted from his nose; it echoed across the water. In the boat, the heads snapped up, and began to twist and search the banks. And then they saw him. He turned to run, tripped on the root of a tree and fell to the ground, knocking the wind out of his chest.

Beneath the water in the disused quarry it was still, cold, and very dark. The body sank rapidly, pulled by the weights, down, down, down, finally coming to rest with a nudge in the soft freezing mud.

She would lie still and undisturbed for many years, almost at peace. But above her, on dry land, the nightmare was only just beginning.

Buy your copy HERE

Thank you to Kim at Bookouture for letting me join in with todays publication celebrations 🙂

Read what everyone is saying about Dark Water:

‘OH MY GOD! Just let me a take a moment while I catch my breath! I LOVED IT! WHAT A BOOK! WHAT AN AUTHOR! WHAT A READ! It is all consuming, there is no let up… every twist and turn is designed to make you gasp, to make your head spin and your heart beat out of your chest.’ Emma the Little Bookworm

‘HOLY MOLY Robert Bryndza has only gone and done it again… it’s one of those books you can’t bear to put down, as each chapter ends you just “have to read one more” and before you know it it’s the middle of the night! Unsettling and disturbing, the actions of the all too human characters lead to a devastating and tense climax. I can and will wholeheartedly recommend Dark Waters for anyone looking for an original crime story but with all the hallmarks of a truly thrilling tale.’ Book Review Café

‘The characterisation in this story is incredible. There are so many well developed characters and this makes the story so much stronger. It is a compelling read which once you start you won’t want to put down!’ Tea Chocolate and a Book

You will find all of Robert’s books HERE

Enjoy!