Hi and welcome to my stop on K T Lee’s Calculated Contagion blog tour! 

Many thanks to K T Lee and to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Interview with K T Lee…..

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

Thanks for having me on your blog! To introduce myself, I’m a writer, mom and engineer. I’ve always loved reading books from a wide variety of genres and have combined elements from some of my favorite genres to create The Calculated Series. These novels blend elements from thrillers and cozy mysteries with strong female leads to create fun, page-turning suspense. Each book in The Calculated Series can be read as a standalone novel or as part of the series.

In Calculated Contagion, vaccine scientist Dani Christensen is kidnapped after speaking at a conference. Because the CIA is watching her kidnappers, they are able to extract her before she comes to harm. However, after the CIA returns her safely home, they realize her kidnappers have followed her back to her lab. Dani teams up with the CIA to figure out why her kidnappers are still after her while trying stop them from releasing a potentially deadly contagion.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Everywhere, really. If I’m daydreaming in the car, I’m usually writing a scene in my head before I put it to paper. I always start a book with the foundation of a few primary characters and then decide which science elements I want to blend into the story. Not to worry – they aren’t textbooks! However, as a woman in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) career, I love getting to add characters with specialities in STEM fields that resonate with readers from all backgrounds. And it helps me create some fun plots too!

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

I share more than one similarity with Dr. Ree Ryland – although I do not have a PhD, I share her outgoing nature, enthusiasm for science, and love of coffee. However, most of my characters start as a seed of a personality trait and then I create a background that helps grow them into their own unique character.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Character names are so challenging for me. First, I try to make sure my villains don’t share a name with anyone I’m close to! If a character is from a certain region, I’ll Google names from that region or popular baby names for their approximate age. Then, it’s a gut-feel process from there.

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

I’m a mom, so I write whenever and wherever I can! I generally write the first 10,000 words, edit from the beginning, then 20,000, then edit from beginning, and so on every 10,000 words until I reach the end of the book. That way, I can repair those sneaky plot holes that arise while I write without completely chasing my tail and never finishing the book.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

My favorite books really depend on what sort of mood I’m in. For an engrossing thriller, Michael Crichton remains hard to top. Romance, Robyn Carr. For a cozy mystery, I really enjoy Rita Mae Brown and Angie Fox. Classic mysteries, Arthur Conan Doyle. I feel like I’m leaving out at least another 10 authors but I’ll stop before I get carried away…

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

Maya Angelou. I was lucky enough to hear her speak many years ago and was captivated by her wisdom and poetry. I’d love to go out for coffee and make small talk – there is often a lot of big wisdom nestled in small talk.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Oh definitely. I read everything I could get my hands on. I was told to stop reading a novel under my desk more than once in grade school. Fortunately, I was encouraged to read by my parents, who also love to read and made sure we made regular visits to the library.

When did you start to write?

I think I’ve always been writing. It just took me some time to figure out that not everyone finds reading and writing a great stress reliever. I started getting serious about writing a book right after our youngest child was born. I sat down to write a story and found it such great fun that three full-length novels and a novella later, I still haven’t stopped!

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

“Consent to Kill” by Vince Flynn. My author side understands that it was a dark thriller, but in that book, the author killed Anna, the wife of the main character. I fully get that these things happen in real life, but I was so attached to her character that it totally broke my heart. If I could use my magic red pen, I’d rewrite the heck out of that ending.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Timeline, by Michael Crichton. There is something so impressive about how he blended history with a science thriller. He made time travel seem plausible using string theory in a page-turning, utterly engrossing novel. Hats off to him!

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

Joyful Chaos

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

Elizabeth Bennet. We would meet in the Lake District or at Pemberley, naturally!

What are you working on right now?

Book 4 in The Calculated Series. Alexis is a character who has appeared in all three full-length books and the prequel novella. She is getting her own story and I’m quite excited to share with readers all of the things I’ve planted in previous books for this story.

Tell us about your last release?

Calculated Sabotage was released in October. It’s all the action and fun banter you love from The Calculated Series, with rockets!

Do you have a new release due?

Book 4 in The Calculated Series is planned for late 2019. I better get back to work!

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I am always so nervous! That hasn’t changed with each release. I try to take a moment to enjoy the day and then plan something unrelated to writing in the evening to keep me busy!

How can readers keep in touch with you?

You can find me on social media – I’m most active on Twitter and Instagram.

Website: http://www.ktleeauthor.com

Twitter: @ktleewrites

Instagram: @ktleeauthor

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ktleewrites

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17410508.K_T_Lee

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I’d just like to give a big thank you to everyone who has taken time to rate and review these books. I am so grateful when readers take a moment to tell others they enjoyed the series – it always brightens my day!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! 🙂

Blurb

Dani Christensen is a vaccine researcher who has spent her career proving she is more than just the daughter of the company’s CEO. However, as her accomplishments in contagious disease research grow, the wrong people begin to notice. When Dani is isolated from her colleagues at a well-regarded conference in Europe, she is kidnapped and taken to an isolated camp in the Carpathian Mountains.

CIA officers Cam Mitchell and Tyler Scott are sent to observe a suspicious group of armed men in rural Romania. When Cam sees Dani being brought into the camp against her will, he and his partner rescue her and bring her safely back to the United States. The CIA initially believes Dani was kidnapped for ransom, but they soon realize her kidnapper has followed her back to her lab. Now, the CIA must work with their allies in the FBI to catch Dani’s kidnapper before he releases a potentially deadly contagion for his own political gain.

Calculated Contagion is Book 2 in the Calculated Series. All books in the Calculated Series may be enjoyed as standalone novels or as a series.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2P8y9PH

Happy reading 🙂

Happy Halloween everyone! 👻

What’s your favourite scary story?

Share your recommendations with us in the comments & happy reading! 🙂

Kerry x

Hi and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this fascinating book…..

Literary Landscapes: the Real-Life Settings of the World’s Favourite Fiction

Literary Landscapes draws together those well-loved authors who are synonymous with a place and time, where landscape is as central to the tale as any character, and just as easily recognized

DAPHNE DU MAURIER’S REBECCA

FOWEY, CORNWALL, ENGLAND

This gothic drama of jealousy and suspense, narrated by Maxim de Winter’s wife, traces the newly-weds’ return to her husband’s ancestral home on the south Cornwall coast, and the narrator’s growing obsession with Maxim’s dead wife, Rebecca.

Ella Westland’s entry on Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca explains how the author fell in love with Fowey’s harbour as a 19 year old girl. Indeed, she got her inspiration for Manderlay, the ancestral home of the de Winters from the overgrown estate of Menabilly on the headland above Polridmouth Cove where she enjoyed . Daphne Du Maurier had grown up in Hampstead and been sent to finishing school in France, but in Cornwall she relished the “freedom to write, to walk, to wander, freedom to climb hills, to pull a boat, to be alone”.

“It proved wonderfully apt that the runaway success of Rebecca and its film adaptation enabled Daphne to make Menabilly her home in 1943.”

Publication details:

Literary Landscapes: the Real-Life Settings of the World’s Favourite Fiction

General editor John Sutherland

Published 25 October, £25 hardback Modern Books

LITERARY LANDSCAPES 

Celebrating the most memorable realist landscapes in classic and contemporary fiction

Literary Landscapes draws together those well-loved authors who are synonymous with a place and time, celebrating Hardy’s Wessex, Joyce’s Dublin and Du Maurier’s Cornwall. It comes right up to date with recent bestsellers, such as Eleanor Catton’s Booker Prize winning The Luminaries, Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City and Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend. Its charm lies in the way these favourites are interspersed with the unfamiliar, providing much to explore.

Led by John Sutherland, a team of specialist literary critics have contributed individual essays on over 70 literary novels where landscape is as central to the tale as any character, and just as easily recognized. Entries are beautifully illustrated with archive material, original artworks, maps and photographs. International in breadth and scope, Literary Landscapes is an enchanting read that book lovers will not be able to resist dipping into.

Purchase link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Literary-Landscapes-Charting-Real-Life-Favourite/dp/1911130773/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540412248&sr=8-1&keywords=literary+landscapes

Fancy winning a copy?

Follow @modernbooks and tweet your own favourite #LiteraryLandscape for a chance to win a copy of Literary Landscapes.

Some stories couldn’t happen just anywhere. As is the case with all great literature, the setting, scenery and landscape are as central to the tale as any character, and just as easily recognised. Literary Landscapes: Charting the Real-Life Settings of the World’s Favourite Fiction delves deep into the geography, location and terrain of all our best-loved literary works and looks at how setting and environmental attributes influence storytelling, character and our emotional response as readers.

Led by John Sutherland, a team of specialist literary critics have contributed individual essays on over 70 literary novels. Entries are beautifully illustrated with archive material, original artworks, maps and photographs.

Literary Landscapes is published by Modern Books

£25 hardback, 25 October 2018

Entries from the UK only Closing date 31 October 2018

Good luck!

Check out the rest of the blog tour with these awesome book bloggers…..

Enjoy!

Another Kind of Magic

“I am a cat. But I am no ordinary cat. I am a witch’s familiar. I am also a woman, with a woman’s heart and a woman’s frailty.”

Nearly two hundred years have passed since Caitlyn was trapped by supernatural forces and black magic, and she has known many mistresses. This time, the witch she is enthralled to is Joan, wife of Llewelyn, Prince of Wales.

At first, this mistress appears no different to any of the others Caitlyn has served – until Llewelyn captures William de Braose, and Joan falls in love, risking everything, including Caitlyn, to fulfil her desire.

Caitlyn, meanwhile, has her own cross to bear in the form of the gallant and reckless Hugh of Pembroke…

Check this out!

⇓⇓⇓

Pre-Order Link:

https://www.books2read.com/AnotherKindOfMagic

Author Bio –

Elizabeth Davies is a paranormal author, whose books have a romantic flavour with more than a hint of suspense. And death. There’s usually death…

Social Media Links –

Website – www.elizabethdaviesauthor.co.uk

Twitter – @bethsbooks

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethDaviesAuthor/

Instagram – @elizabethdavies.author

Hi and welcome to my stop on Colin Sinclair’s Elji and the Galrass blog tour 🙂

Many thanks to Colin Sinclair and to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Interview with Colin Sinclair…..

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

I am a 56 year old Husband and Grandad who lives in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. I have two dogs who enable me every day to gain pleasure from my surroundings, even if it’s raining or snowing.

I have two grandchildren who keep me busy and who I can share my Imagination with, and some of the things we get up to are definitely in the fantasy realm 

My Book ‘Elji and the Galrass’ is the first in a series called “The essence Sagas” and is the introduction to some of the characters and concepts that will stretch across many books.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I have been interested in the Universe, its composition and how it works for a very long time. I also believe that there is a concept that you get what you want in Life by giving what you can and imagining what you want. I am a firm believer in that we get what we desire even if we don’t know what that is, and by clearing the mind to allow you to focus on what you want you change your life.

These concepts allowed me to come up with the idea of “The Essence Sagas” and to utilise my imagination to bring them to a story.

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

I hadn’t really thought about anyone I know as I was writing the characters, but in retrospection I think I probably base the character of Dregar a little on myself, or my imagined version of myself 

How do you pick your characters’ names?

It’s an interesting question. Most of the names at the beginning of the book just came to me based on the situation they were introduced in. I tried to base the names on the type of land the characters inhabited, so if it was a desert type land then I chose names that seemed to suit that land. I have been lucky to have travelled a lot and indeed have lived in different countries so I chose names based on what I knew. Some names like that of the ‘Grehonaught’ are just completely made up.

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

When I write I just sit down and let it all just come out. After I have written a few chapters I go back and jiggle the events round and reorder the chapters. I don’t have any kind of timeline or plot written down, I keep it all in my head. Some would say that is not a good thing, but it works for me.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I am going to start straight away with Shakespeare and follow that very quickly by Dickens. After that I move to Tolkien then Steinbeck and last but probably not least I really like James Herbert.

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

I would really like to meet Julian May an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and horror and ask her how she managed to create such complexity in her worlds yet still keep track of who did what and when.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes I was always a big reader. I would read anything if it was lying around. My parents were readers and so that wasn’t difficult and at school I had amazing English teachers that encouraged reading and reading all Genres.

When did you start to write?

I started to write at school when I was about 11. I wrote poetry and short stories. For many, many years after leaving school I didn’t write, but in my 40’s I took up writing Poetry again.

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

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Oh My! Presuming to rewrite the ending of someone’s book would be beyond my ability. I firmly believe that when you have written your book, it’s yours. That ending meant something in context to you and so that is what it is. We all have different opinions on how things end but if you can squarely say that is how you envisaged the end then that is the end. A cop out I know!

I would love to have written “Of Mice and Men” It’s such a tale of the great depression and created such a stir when written.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

I think I would call it “The Good Believer” based on my belief that doing good, being kind and forgiving gets you what you want, or at least some way towards that. Dependant on your commitment to it.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

I would really like to meet Dirk Pitt form the Clive Cussler novels. I would take him to St Raphael in France, there is a great little Café that overlooks a pretty deserted beach there that has epic scenery

What are you working on right now?

I am working on the second book in my “Essence Saga” series and it’s coming along. It’s the Introduction of the secret society “The Essaria” which is really exciting for me.

Tell us about your last release?

I released “Elji and the Galrass” through my publisher in June. It has been an interesting journey based on the fact that it has been my first foray into the publishing world. It started off pretty well but I have found that the marketing of the book is a much bigger task than I thought it was going to be.

Do you have a new release due?

Not at the moment I am still working on the next book though I hope it to be early in the New Year.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I have only had the one Publication day and it was a bit of a damp Squib as we had issues with Amazon listing the book correctly…but with Chocolate, definitely with Chocolate.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I do have a website, which in all honesty is not very good at all, but my Facebook page has much more information on it and is www.facebook.com/authorcol . I do also have a Twitter profile not used as much as it should be @authorcol

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I love to interact with people about the book and what they think so if anyone wants to drop me a message or ask questions I am more than happy to answer them.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Colin 🙂

Blurb

Elji, a boy from a village outside the city of Mehem discovers a “Galrass” a tool usually wielded only by those who understand its power. Perhaps it was left for him to find or perhaps it was just a random happening?

The Galrass embroils him in a struggle he never expected to be part of or even imagined existed. Dregar, a being from a different planet and galaxy ‘feels’ the boys interruption of the universal essence and takes him under his wing and so his journey begins.

Friendships are made and lost and many lives must be put in danger to usher the civilization into its rightful place among the Universal essence. Will Elji fulfill his potential and help save his world or will it fall into darkness?  

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2P6PN34

Bio

Colin lives just outside the city of York in the beautiful Yorkshire country side. He has been married for 32 years and has two children and grandchildren. He has been acting and singing on stage since he was a teenager and still today performs at the large theatres in the region both acting and singing in lead roles.

He is a gym enthusiast and has competed in natural bodybuilding competitions and also engages in many sports such as Badminton, Squash and Bouldering. He has two dogs which keep him busy walking through the countryside.

Before settling in Yorkshire he was brought up between the Middle East, where his parents worked in the Oil Industry and spending the rest of the time in the UK at boarding school. This is where his love for words came from and he has written poetry for many years.

He now has the time to pursue his passion of writing and has written his first book in a fantasy series that he says has been in his head for longer than he cares to remember.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews, and more!

Happy reading 🙂

Hi all!

To say I am thrilled to be a part of Mel Sherratt’s Hush Hush blog tour would be a massive understatement! I am SO excited to join in with the fun 🙂

WOW! What a fantastic start to a new series. Gripping is an understatement. The fact that I have read it in less than 48 hours says a lot. Not much else has been achieved over the last couple of days, I can tell you, and I’m not even sorry! Mel Sherratt’s books never disappoint, they just get better and better.

Hush Hush is an excellent police procedural in which we get to meet DS Grace Allendale for the first time. I have loved getting to know Grace. I take my hat off to her as I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to move back to my hometown with her family history. She is a dedicated professional though, determined not to let her family connections stand in the way of her new position. It was never going to be easy, but she’s a feisty character. We see a very personal side to Grace also, when we learn about the relatively recent death of her husband. She’s had more than her fair share of heartache.

She barely has her feet under her new desk before being faced with their first murder, and others following soon afterwards. The link to her past won’t make the investigation any easier and she hopes her new colleagues won’t judge her when they find out the truth of her past. She needs them to work as a team to piece together the clues and bring this murderer to justice.

This is an extremely fast-paced crime thriller with an intricately woven plot. Such clever writing! The characters are very real and believable and for me the fact that it is set is Stoke-on-Trent is a massive bonus. Reading about places I recognise in a book is always so cool.

I love how Mel Sherratt has a way of portraying the killer as cold and calculating, but at the same time damaged and vulnerable. I couldn’t help but feel some empathy towards them despite their horrific crimes.

This is a story full of suspense, twists and turns, secrets, lies and revenge. Short chapters add to the tension and pace of the story making it a true page-turner. As with most of Mel Sherratt’s books I found myself holding my breath towards the end and my heart was beating so fast as I was finding out the truth. Just brilliant! I highly recommend to anyone!

I love that Allie Shenton is still around also. If you haven’t read the Allie Shenton series yet then you really should.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my gorgeous paperback copy for review and for the honour of being a part of this amazing blog tour.

‘Fans of MARTINA COLE will love this’ Katerina Diamond

A gripping new series from million-copy bestseller Mel Sherratt.

‘I love all Mel Sherratt’s books’ IAN RANKIN

‘Twists and turns and delivers a satisfying shot of tension’ RACHEL ABBOTT

A killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.

All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.

To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?

An unforgettable thriller that fans of MARTINA COLE and CARA HUNTER won’t be able to put down.

Authors love HUSH HUSH:

‘On a thriller cocktail list, Hush Hush would be a Bloody Mary with a perfect twist…’ FIONA BARTON

‘Mel Sherratt is the new queen of gritty police procedurals’ C.L. TAYLOR

‘Gripped me from the first page and didn’t let go until the heart-stopping conclusion!’ ROBERT BRYNDZA

Rated FIVE STARS by real readers:

‘This book had me hooked from the start.
DS Grace Allendale is a great character.’

‘I have read nearly all of Mel Sherratt’s books and thoroughly enjoyed them. However, this one is my favourite!’

‘A brilliant police procedural: deliciously intense and addictive with a suspenseful storyline that didn’t disappoint!’

‘Couldn’t read fast enough!’

‘A riveting read and hopefully the first of many in this new series, 10 out of 10 and highly recommended!’

‘I loved this book. Mel Sherratt is a new author for me and I’m so glad I found her…’

Happy reading 🙂

My novels take you to the heart of the crime. I write police procedurals, psychological suspense and crime dramas – fiction with a punch. Shortlisted for the prestigious CWA (Crime Writer’s Association) Dagger in Library Award, my inspiration comes from authors such as Martina Cole, Lynda la Plante, Mandasue Heller and Elizabeth Haynes.

Since 2012, I’ve sold over one million books. All eleven of my crime novels have been bestsellers, each one climbing into the Kindle UK top 10 and I’ve had several number ones. I’ve also had numerous Kindle All-star awards, for best read author and best titles.

My latest book, HUSH HUSH is the first in a new series featuring DS Grace Allendale. It’s a police procedural which finds Grace returning to her hometown of Stoke-on-Trent and coming face to face with her estranged family during her first murder investigation. It’s a story of ‘is blood thicker than water’ and being stuck between a rock and a hard place. And there’s a serial killer on the loose…

SHE DID IT is a standalone psychological thriller, and my first novel set in London. I wanted to write about a character who was nice to everyone using one persona but out for revenge with another side to her that she tries to keep hidden away. The reader knows exactly what she is up to – but not the reason why.

TAUNTING THE DEAD is my best selling book. It’s part police procedural/part psychological thriller. It was standalone for two years but I have now written two more books with Detective Sergeant Allie Shenton as the main character to create a trilogy. FOLLOW THE LEADER is book two and ONLY THE BRAVE is book three.

THE ESTATE SERIES is a mix of psychological suspense and family life with a sprinkling of grit and a dash of menace – where drama meets crime. There are four books, available individually or you can read the first three as a box set.

DETECTIVE EDEN BERRISFORD works in a community intelligence team and helps to gather information and intel for investigations. THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR is the first book, followed by DON’T LOOK BEHIND YOU.

WATCHING OVER YOU is another standalone psychological thriller. It’s dark in places, light in places, disturbing in places too – where obsession and friendship turn into murder.

I also write women’s fiction under the pen name of Marcie Steele. Stirred with Love, The Little Market Stall of Hope and Heartbreak and The Second Chance Shoe Shop are out now.

I live in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with my husband and terrier, Dexter (named after the TV serial killer) and make liberal use of my hometown as a backdrop for some of my books. You can find out more at my website http://www.melsherratt.co.uk or I’m on Twitter at @writermels

***Not tried The Estate Series yet? For a limited time, you can grab a copy of the ‘behind the scenes look’ at the series, Secrets on The Estate. Just copy and paste this link into your browser for your free book: http://bit.ly/1fFPgmD ***

Hi all! I am absolutely OVER THE MOON and honoured to be one of the lucky bloggers kicking off Tilly Tennant’s The Christmas Wish blog tour! 🙂

Many thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to join in with this awesome tour!

My review…..

Awwww, Tilly Tennant’s books never fail to put a smile on my face! The Christmas Wish has been such an adorable read. I’ve LOVED it! It does have it’s fair share of drama and sadness and one particularly annoying character who I could happily slap! It’s a very character driven story and I did love almost all of them.
When we meet Esme she has moved back in with her Grandmother in Derbyshire after splitting with her boyfriend, Warren. WOW, he’s a piece of work and is the character I was referring to above. Esme is definitely better of without him, but he has a certain hold over her. However, her Grandmother makes her realise she is worth so much more until the worst happens and Esme finds herself alone with a pair of tickets for a trip of a lifetime to Lapland, which her Grandmother had planned for the both of them to enjoy together that Christmas.
Before long she succumbs to Warren’s ‘charms’ (and I use that term very loosely!) and agrees to move back to London with him. She really wants him to go on the trip with her, but of course everything has to be on Warren’s terms and he refuses point blank. I was SO happy when Esme decided to go anyway, alone. I’m not sure I would have been as brave though. Esme agrees to meet other lone travellers at the airport and this is when we meet Hortense (fab name!), Brian and Zach who couldn’t be any different from each other, but the four of them become friends and decide to enjoy their holiday together. What a fabulous mix of characters! Zach is just so lovely, but it seems he has a past which he is finding difficult to move on from.
This is the most heart-warming of story’s, set in such a stunning place at the most magical time of the year and I can’t imagine anyone not loving every single page. Tilly Tennant has a way of drawing you in and not letting you go until the end of the very last page. I was totally captivated! Beautifully written, as always. I highly recommend!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC via Netgalley and also a massive thank you to Tilly Tennant for my beautiful signed paperback copy 🙂

Description:

Christmas is coming but it doesn’t feel that way for Esme. Jilted by her cheating fiancée Warren and mourning the death of her beloved grandmother she’s determined not to let life beat her and books a trip to Lapland, on a holiday that her grandmother had always dreamed of taking.

Beneath the indigo skies of Lapland, love is the last thing on Esme’s mind but she can’t ignore a spark with Zach, a broodingly handsome actor, also nursing a broken heart. But when Esme is bombarded by messages from Warren promising he’s changed and she discovers that Zach is hiding something-will her head be turned? And when a trip to the northern lights reveals the full extent Zach’s own secret past is there any hope that Esme will get the happy ending that her grandmother wished for her?

 Author Bio:

Tilly Tennant was born in Dorset, the oldest of four children, but now lives in Staffordshire with a family of her own. After years of dismal and disastrous jobs, including paper plate stacking, shop girl, newspaper promotions and waitressing (she never could carry a bowl of soup without spilling a bit), she decided to indulge her passion for the written word by embarking on a degree in English and creative writing. She wrote a novel in 2007 during her first summer break at university and has not stopped writing since. She also works as a freelance fiction editor, and considers herself very lucky that this enables her to read many wonderful books before the rest of the world gets them.

Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was her debut novel; published in 2014 it was an Amazon bestseller in both the UK and Australia. In 2016 she signed to the hugely successful Bookouture and is currently working on her next Tilly Tennant novel. She also writes as Sharon Sant, where she explores the darker side of life, and Poppy Galbraith, where things get a little crazier.

Author Social Media Links

 FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TillyTennant/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TillyTenWriter

WEBSITE: www.tillytennant.com

Interview with Brenda Bannister…..

with thanks to Rachel @ Rachel’s Random Resources

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

My name is Brenda Bannister and I’m a retired college librarian, living in Frome, Somerset, where I write, volunteer at the local theatre box office, potter in my garden, visit my elderly mum and look after the cat. I am the current organiser for the Frome Festival Short Story Competition and a founder member of Frome Writers’ Collective. My first novel, The Tissue Veil, is set in East London where I worked for eighteen years. It’s told over two time frames, beginning in 1901 and 2001, with the narratives alternating. There’s an element of the supernatural — the two main characters live in the same house 100 years apart and a mysterious link develops between them — but the real concern is with the lives of young women in both eras, and the problems they share in following their own paths.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

The area of East London where I worked for 18 years was a big influence, as were the people there.

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

Mostly they are amalgams of aspects of lots of people, with a healthy dose of make-believe. However, one of the lecturers — Andy — in the modern narrative owes a debt to a past colleague.

How do you pick your characters names?

I take care to choose first names which fit the period or the age of the character. With the Edwardian story, it helped to think of famous people from that era — politicians, writers etc. The modern story features a Bangladeshi family: some of their names were familiar, others came from online lists of muslim names aimed at new parents. Characters are like babies — they soon grow into their names and couldn’t be called anything else!

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

It’s a bit shambolic. A few days of thinking, maybe scribbling an outline in a notebook, then type straight onto the screen.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I’m not great at lists and don’t read ‘series’ very often, though I do enjoy Bernard Cornwell’s ‘Uhtred’ books. I’ll say Dickens would have to be there, Philip Pullman for young adult and fantasy, Jane Smiley, Hilary Mantel, David Mitchell — but if you ask me next week, I might have changed my mind!

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

I’d like to ask Hilary Mantel when the third book in the Wolf Hall trilogy will be published!

Were you a big reader as a child?

Definitely. I’d choose an Enid Blyton from the library, sit reading it on the front doorstep, then complain bitterly that I couldn’t exchange the book until the following day. In my teens I read anything from Dickens to Dumas and Hemingway to Emily Bronte.

When did you start to write?

I’d written short pieces on and off since my teens, but didn’t really write seriously until I retired to Frome, nearly eight years ago.

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

I suppose it’s only human to want happy endings — make Cordelia survive in King Lear, save Hardy’s Tess from hanging – and I really wanted Lyra and Will to be able to stay in the same world together in The Amber Spyglass, but no — I wouldn’t change them.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Another difficult one! Much as I admire the grand sweep of nineteenth century novelists, I think I’d choose something small but perfectly formed like J.L. Carr’s A Month in the Country.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

It’s unlikely, but as an arch procrastinator, I’ll tell you tomorrow.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

If she hasn’t reformed too much, I reckon Jane Austen’s Emma would have plenty of gossip to share.

What are you working on right now?

A story set in Somerset in the first half of the twentieth century. Lily, the feisty heroine, is let down by her father and makes a disastrous marriage in the search for a substitute figure.

Do you have a new release due?

No, I have to finish it first!

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I haven’t published enough yet to set a pattern — probably a get-together with my writing buddies over a bottle of wine.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

There’s a contact form on my website (http://brenbannister.co.uk/) or go to my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/brendabannisterwriter/). I’d be happy to hear from you!

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Just that I’m really grateful for this opportunity to ‘chat about books’ with you and your followers. Thank you for having me!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Brenda 🙂

The Tissue Veil

What if you discovered a hundred-year-old diary under your floorboards – and then found references in it to yourself? Or if you lived in 1901, yet kept seeing glimpses of a girl from modern times? And what if both of you had problems that only the other could really understand? Emily and Aysha live in the same Stepney house and an inexplicable link develops between them, fuelled by Aysha’s discovery of a journal and Emily’s sightings of a ‘future ghost’. Each takes courage from the other’s predicament – after all, what’s a hundred years between friends?

Purchase Links:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tissue-Veil-Brenda-Bannister/dp/1785451464

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Brenda-Bannister/The-Tissue-Veil/20721984

Author Bio –

Brenda studied English at university and later qualified as a librarian, working in various educational settings from schools to higher education. Moving from London to Frome in Somerset in 2010 proved a catalyst for her own writing as she joined local fiction and script writing groups. She has had a number of short stories published, plus short plays produced in local pub theatre, but all the while was incubating a story based in the area of Tower Hamlets where she had worked for eighteen years. This germ of a story became ‘The Tissue Veil’.

Brenda is a founder member of Frome Writers’ Collective, an organisation which has grown from a handful of members to over a hundred in the past four years, and helped set up its innovative Silver Crow Book Brand. She is also the current organiser of the annual Frome Festival Short Story Competition. A lifelong reader, Brenda rarely follows genres, but enjoys modern literary fiction, historical fiction, classics and the occasional detective novel. The latest Bernard Cornwell might be a guilty pleasure, but she’ll be even more eager to get her hands on Hilary Mantel’s final instalment of Thomas Cromwell’s story.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/brendabannisterwriter/

http://brenbannister.co.uk/

http://silvercrowbooks.co.uk/

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews, and more, with these awesome book bloggers…..

Happy reading 🙂

Happy Publication Day, Mel 🙂

#HushHush

A gripping new series from million-copy bestseller Mel Sherratt

‘On a thriller cocktail list, Hush Hush would be a Bloody Mary with a perfect twist…’ FIONA BARTON

‘An absolute masterpiece. Twisty, turny and full of surprises!’ ANGELA MARSONS

‘Twists and turns and delivers a satisfying shot of tension’ RACHEL ABBOTT

A killer is on the loose, attacking people in places they feel most safe: their workplaces, their homes. It’s up to DS Grace Allendale to stop the murders, and prove herself to her new team.

All clues lead to local crime family the Steeles, but that’s where things get complicated. Because the Steeles aren’t just any family, they’re Grace’s family. Two brothers and two sisters, connected by the violent father only Grace and her mother escaped.

To catch the killer, Grace will have to choose between her team and her blood. But who do you trust, when both sides are out to get you?

An unforgettable thriller that fans of MARTINA COLE and CARA HUNTER won’t be able to put down.

Out now!

Get clicking people!

Watch this space for my review as part of the blog tour 🙂

#TeamSherratt

Hi and welcome to my stop on Kate Donne’s Bobby ‘Chicken Legs’ Muldoon: Fame and Fortune in the Gorbals (The Bobby Muldoon Trilogy Book 3) blog tour with Love Books Group Tours!

Many thanks to Kate Donne and Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Interview with Kate Donne…..

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

My name is Kate Donne and I live in Dollar, Clackmannanshire with my Welsh husband Steve, my dog Brodie and eight chickens!

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I have always used the creative side of my brain! I’m no academic. In fact, I failed my O grade Arithmetic in secondary school! From school plays to directing musicals to writing scripts, that has been my life. I spent three years at The Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow, studying drama and we did a lot of character building work there. Ideas for characters and scenarios seem to come easily but I must admit, where they come from I have no idea!

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

I have been running my personal development company for many years and, thinking back to the first book, I would say I based my characters on personality types rather than specific people.

Bobby is a young man with no confidence but he is very determined and has a sharp, witty sense of humour. Maw is an aggressive character and Granny Pat is simply aff er heid! Then there’s Faither who is extremely submissive. I felt that mix gave me plenty of scope for conflict! Then I added Jeannie, Bobby’s girlfriend, to bring a bit of normality to the mix as a very clear thinking, confident young woman.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I use lots of combinations of first and last names until I find the right fit. I think the names have to reflect the characters personalities. I write comedy so I needed names with a touch of humour. For instance, I don’t think Bobby ‘Chicken Legs’ Ferguson would have worked!

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

I have been trained to think in pictures so I see the characters in the storyline before I write it! Does that make sense? If I can’t see it then I know it won’t work! Perhaps all along I have been writing a stage play and I’ve only just realised it! Many of my readers have said they love reading Bobby out loud. That’s great feedback.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Number one would have to be Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret. I have read the whole series, The Secret, The Power, Hero and How The Secret changed my life. Her books certainly changed my life!

Numbers two and three would be Scottish authors James Kelman (How Late It Was, How Late) and Anne Donovan (Buddha Da). Both have had real success using the Scottish dialect and their work is a joy to read.

Four would have to be Alexandra Sokoloff. I am working my way through her book Screenwriting Tricks for Authors at the moment. It’s a big read full of amazing advice.

Five is Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence. He claims EQ is much more important than IQ and his book is packed with self development advice! His chapter on turning our negative affirmation into positive affirmation is mind blowing!

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

I’d like to meet Chris Brookmyre! I was short listed last year in the Tarbert Book Festival short story competition and Chris did an amazing presentation as part of the weekend. The guy’s a genius!

Were you a big reader as a child

My honest answer would be ‘No’. I was part of a folk group when I was very young and I sang professionally all through my teens until my late twenties. There was very little time for reading.

When did you start to write?

It started at primary school when I was 12. I wrote a story about Rabbie Burns and all his girlfriends and it won the Robert Burns competition! I went on to write humorous weegie poems and short stories and was pleased to have some of them published. That’s when I decided to take my writing to the next level.

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

This has got to be the ending in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. I remember reading somewhere that her publisher went against her wishes and insisted on the unsatisfactory ending! I would rewrite it and do a happily ever after ending for Jo and Laurie and leave Amy to be bored out of her mind with the dull professor!

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

Me, Myself and I. (I have many different characters in me!)

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?

I would invite every single character from Shakespeare’s Complete Works! Then I would host a massive costume party in the grounds of Stirling Castle and stand back and wait for the fireworks!

What are you working on right now?

I am working on a stage adaptation of the trilogy. I plan to spend the next year working on this and create a three act stage play. Then I want to tour Scottish theatres with Bobby! I have many professional contacts who are already interested in working as a team so I am very excited at the moment! All I need is lots of funding and I’m aware that will be the biggest challenge!

Tell us about your last release?

Book three of the trilogy, Fame and Fortune in The Gorbals, was released earlier this year. It brings the story to a very positive end but still leaves it open for future books!

Do you have a new release due?

I am about to release the complete Trilogy. It’s called Life in The Gorbals and it will be out next week!

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Breathe a sigh of relief first, then start planning the next phase of Bobby’s journey!

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Readers can find me on

Website: weegiewords.com

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

Instagram: katedonne

Twitter: @Donnekate

Linkedin: Kate Donne (BA Dramatic Studies)

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Not much more to say except ‘thank you’!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Kate 🙂

Blurb

Robert James Muldoon. That’s me. Sixteen years auld, four feet three wi bright red hair an legs like a chicken…’

It’s 1969 and Bobby, as he is usually known, has spent the last year dealing with one crisis after another. He’s a Gorbals’ boy though so with sheer determination and a witty sense of humour he’s moving on. Thanks to some carefully considered action plans and the support of Jeannie, the love of his life, Bobby has so far overcome every obstacle in his path. Now he and Jeannie have a plan to create a good life for themselves. Will Bobby finally become a confident, successful young man? Or will he go one step further and find…

Fame and Fortune in The Gorbals?

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2Pfv7pD

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews, and more, with these awesome book bloggers…..

Happy reading 🙂