I am delighted to be joining in with Nick Rippington’s Spark Out blog tour! 🙂 

Thanks to Emma Mitchell for the opportunity to take part.

Extract…..

From the prologue …

Big Mo nodded his head slowly, his eyes rolling. “That’s right, Shooter, me old mucka,” he said. “You’ve finally got it… have a gold star.” He gave a mirthless chuckle, pausing before delivering the punch line with perfect comic timing. “Strange, though, because the way you’ve been acting I can only assume you believe my head buttons up the back.”

Everything was still, silent for a moment, the only sound that of laboured snorts coming from the prisoner, who was trying to clear the blood from his airwaves.

“Wh… what sh’you mean?” Shooter stuttered eventually.

“Ripping me off,” said Mo. “I know what you took away from that Holland Park raid. You owe me a lot more – a couple of grand, I reckon – and it’s a bloody cheek you’ve held out on me after I tipped you off to the opportunity. Don’t you know there’s a recession on? I got a wife and kid to feed, with another on the way. I’m sorry Shooter, truly. You always seemed a loyal soldier and a good mate, but now I’ve got to make an example of you. I can’t afford people thinking I’m a soft touch. Seems no one can be trusted these days. Handsome? Keep hold of him. Cozza, get Reg, would you?”

“Oh shit. No!” pleaded Shooter. “Not Reg. Look, I’ll make it up to you. Pay you extra, if that’s what you want. Do another job especially for you. It wasn’t on purpose, honest, I’d never do that to you, Mo, you know that. I must have miscalculated is all I can think. I’ve always been useless at maths…”

Chuck let out a whimper. He didn’t know what it was all about but he didn’t like seeing his daddy so cross. Big Mo looked at him and winked as if to say, “It’s all right son, none of this is real”. Chuck told himself what he was seeing was a magic trick, the red stuff on Shooter’s face not blood but tomato sauce, like he had at home on his chips.

HOURS later Chuck was in bed, crying himself to sleep. Big Mo told his wife the youngster was overtired. They had popped into the pub after their ‘bit of business’, just to take the edge off things, and Chuck had fallen asleep. Beryl Dolan looked at her husband.

“You’ve made him a part of it, haven’t you?” she said. “I asked you, even begged you, but you couldn’t help it. You had to ‘toughen him up’. I can only guess what you’ve been up to. You took that… thing… with you. I can see the blood. There’s a stain on my carpet and a trail on the tiles in the hall.”

Big Mo looked out from beneath his thick, black, caterpillar eyebrows, pushing his hand wearily through the bristles on his head. He didn’t feel like justifying his actions. It had been a long day. He had done what he had done, and in his mind he had made the right call. A row with the missus was the last thing he needed.

Lifting himself from his favourite armchair, Mo reached over and switched on the television, turning up the volume to dissuade his wife from carrying on with the conversation. A well-dressed man was standing in front of a weather map pointing at various areas of the country, but Mo wasn’t interested.

Bending down slowly, he picked up the three-foot length of wood he had propped beside him on the sofa. Noting the dark stains for the first time, he vowed to rub it down with a hot, damp cloth in the morning to get rid of any ‘evidence’. Shame. To his way of thinking it just added to the character, like when you had a champion conker as a kid and the more messed up it looked, the more scars it had, the more you knew it had done its job. Walking out through the sliding glass-partition doors, he swung the sawn-off curtain pole at his side, the spherical ball on the end reflecting the light. Resting it gently against the wall in the corner of the small parlour room, he patted it affectionately.

“Night, Reg,” he said.

Think Arnie Dolan was trouble? Now meet the old man…

MAURICE ‘BIG MO’ DOLAN is prone to headaches and there is one main cause: his family. He believes eldest son Chuck, 7, needs toughening up, his wife Beryl is too lenient, his career-criminal father has no respect for him and he is about to lose his younger brother Clive to the army.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. With Margaret Thatcher’s government backing initiative and suggesting people get ‘on their bikes’ to find work, Mo believes it is the perfect time for him to expand his business… into armed robbery.

As he plans the ultimate raid to drag him out of the poverty trap, he believes his fortunes are bound to get better… but with the Falklands War just around the corner they are about to become a whole lot worse.

A hard-boiled suspense thriller that’s not for the faint hearted.

A prequel to Crossing The Whitewash, the novel is set in 1982 as Britain comes to terms with a Thatcher government and the prospect of war in the south Atlantic…

Buying links:

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spark-Out-hard-boiled-suspense-thriller-ebook/dp/B072229YC6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499186706&sr=8-1&keywords=spark+out

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Out-hard-boiled-suspense-thriller-ebook/dp/B072229YC6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499186706&sr=8-1&keywords=spark+out

About the author…..

NICK RIPPINGTON is one of the victims of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal you never hear about. Having proudly taken his dream job as the newspaper’s Welsh Sports Editor, he was made redundant with two days’ notice when Rupert Murdoch closed down Europe’s biggest-selling tabloid six years ago. The dramatic events prompted Nick to write UK gangland thriller Crossing the Whitewash, which was released in August 2015. Spark Out is the second novel in his Boxer Boys series. Married to Liz, Nick has two children – Jemma, 35, and Olivia, 7. A Bristolian at heart, he lives near Ilford, Essex.

I have the pleasure of welcoming Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks today 🙂

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

We have been collaborating on books for forty-six years. Our first joint effort was a student project while Anne was at Bryn Mawr College and Ken attended Haverford. Since then, we have written over twenty books together. We live and work in New York City, where many of our books are set.

Our Jane Larson series of mystery/thrillers involves a high-powered New York City attorney with a penchant for getting involved in situations that she would be better off leaving alone. These novels have been praised by reviewers for their gritty portrayals of city life, lively characters, fast action, surprise endings and highly polished prose. Jane is cynical and rebellious, but she finds herself drawn to the simple life her deceased mother lived as an attorney who served women unable to afford legal services. Weave A Murderous Web. Praise Her, Praise Diana, and Mind Me, Milady have all been published by Melange Books, LLC.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Ideas come many sources, including the newspaper and TV news stories, chatter overheard on the bus, life experiences, and even idle gossip. Imagination takes the bits and pieces and weaves them into a story.

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

We have never consciously based a character on a person we know. That being said, it would be hard not to include aspects of people in characters, and we are sure that some of our creations have various traits of individuals that we know or have run across in the course of our lives.

How do you pick your characters names?

We wanted Jane to have a very simple, one syllable name. It is the kind of name that has been around for a long time, nothing fancy. Her mother, Martha, was a no-nonsense lawyer and woman who would not have given her daughter any other kind of name.

Other characters also have names that we feel fit their personalities in one way or another.

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

One of us will draft a portion of a chapter, and the other will work it over. Then the pages are handed back to the person who originally wrote them and worked over again, and so the process continues until we are happy with the result. We talk a lot about what seems to be effective and what is not.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Charles Dickens, Kurt Vonnegut, William Faulkner, William Stegner, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

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

Ken actually did meet Kurt Vonnegut and asked him when he knew he wanted to be a writer. Mr. Vonnegut’s answer was that he always knew he wanted to be a writer.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes. We both read at an early age and read many books. Anne used to go alphabetically through her age appropriate section at the local library to be sure she didn’t miss anything.

When did you start to write?

We both each wrote our first stories while we were still in elementary school. Anne also wrote rhyming poetry when she was young.

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

Anne would like to finish Dickens’ last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

There are many books that we admire. But we would not say that we wish we had written them. We can only write our books, not anyone else’s.

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

A harmonium from The Sirens of Titan.

What are you working on right now?

We are working on another Jane Larson novel.

Do you have a new release due?

We expect to release a second book in our tween series very soon. It is called Remembering Thomas, and is a time travel book in which four of the main characters from our original book, Things Are Not What They Seem, travel back to the beginnings of the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Manhattan.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Our children generally insist on taking us out to a nice dinner. They have done this for every book we have published. They also follow any reviews we get, especially the good ones, with avid interest.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Our facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/Kenneth-Hicks-and-Anne-Rothman-Hicks-622272714477979

Our blog is: www.randh71productions.com/blog

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Buy links for Praise Her, Praise Diana:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Praise-Her-Diana-Anne-Rothman-Hicks-ebook/dp/B00NVDGCIM/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1485443323&sr=1-4

Barnes and Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/praise-her-praise-diana-anne-rothman-hicks/1120805267?ean=9781612359441

Melange: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/hicks/diana.html

Weave A Murderous Web:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Weave-Murderous-Web-Larson-Novel-ebook/dp/B01CDMB72W/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Barnes and Nobel” https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/weave-a-murderous-web-anne-rothman-hicks/1123847239?ean=2940152901085

Melange Books LLC: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/hicks/web.html

Mind Me, Milady:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Me-Milady-Anne-Rothman-Hicks-ebook/dp/B06XWHY859/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496868407&sr=8-1&keywords=mind+me%2C+milady

Barnes and Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mind-me-milady-anne-rothman-hicks/1126178316?ean=9781680464382

Melange: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/hicks/milady.html

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Anne and Kenneth 🙂

Thanks also to Kelsey Butts for arranging the interview.

Publisher: Melange Books, LLC; First edition (8th March 2016)

No good deed goes unpunished. When Jane Larson—a hot-shot litigator for a large firm in New York City—helps out a friend, she is sucked into the unfamiliar world of divorce and child support.

Jane’s discovery of the deadbeat dad’s hidden assets soon unravels a web of lies, drugs, and murder that keeps getting more dangerous.

Soon, Jane is involved in a high stakes race to recover a missing suitcase of cash and catch the murderer before she becomes the next victim.

Review…..

“A sleuthing lawyer returns to the streets of New York in this mystery of drugs, murder, and financial skullduggery… the husband-wife team of Rothman-Hicks and Hicks has again produced a fast-paced, engaging story… overall, this is a satisfying read. An enjoyable romp involving a shady attorney and the mob that should make readers look forward to the next Jane Larson caper.” – Kirkus

“Weave a Murderous Web is an enthralling murder mystery. It gets your heart pounding with action and passion, while simultaneously entangling your mind with its ambiguity…. Engaging. Witty. Fast paced. As the plot progresses, the intensity heightens, catapulting you into a surprising twist, then plummets you into a sudden, yet satisfying end.” – 5 Stars, Cheryl E. Rodriguez, Readers’ Favorite

“Jane Larson is the kind of character that will be loved by many readers… The plot is well thought out and masterfully executed, laced with numerous surprises to keep readers turning the pages. This is one of those books that should occupy an enviable place in your shelf if you are into fast-paced thrillers and compelling investigative stories.” – 5 Stars, Ruffina Oserio, Readers’ Favorite

I have the pleasure of welcoming Kate Mildenhall today 🙂

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

I’m an Australian writer and teacher. I have two young daughters and live with them and my husband in Hurstbridge, on the leafy outskirts of Melbourne. My debut novel, Skylarking (Legend Press, 2017), is the story of best friends, Kate and Harriet, growing up on a remote light station on the rugged coast of Australia in the 1880s. As daughters of the lighthouse keepers, the two girls share everything, until a fisherman, McPhail, arrives in their small community. One moment in McPhail’s hut changes everything.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Well, Skylarking is based on a true story, and is actually inspired by a grave I stumbled upon during a camping trip! The grave belonged to Harriet Parker, a young woman who grew up at the Cape St George Lighthouse. I was interested in finding out more about the story of Harriet and her best friend, Kate and what life might have been like for them. Writing this story meant I could explore ideas around friendship, desire, and the place of women in this colonial society. Skylarking reimagines the lives of these two young women, and the tragedy that befalls them.

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

At the heart of this book is the friendship between Kate and Harriet, and so I did draw on some of my own experiences of wonderful and very long friendships I’ve had. My best friend and I have been so since we were 12, and now our children are best friends! Having said that Kate and Harriet are very much fictional characters, ones I hope resonate with many women as they recall their own experiences of childhood and adolescent friendship.

How do you pick your characters names?

This was easy in one sense because I kept the girls’ first names in Skylarking. Although it has been a little awkward that my character shares my own name!

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

Coffee. And no internet!

Besides those two key ingredients, I’m a binge-writer – so I’m most prolific when I can grab a couple of hours down at the local library, or even better, when I’ve been lucky enough to have residential writing retreats for uninterrupted time and space and quiet! It’s all very messy and chaotic, but also just a little bit magic as things start to take shape.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Ooh – too hard! Here are some faves in no particular order!

Margaret Attwood

Tim Winton

Hannah Kent

Charlotte Wood

Alice Munro

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes. Voracious. My first memory of reading independently is falling in love with Anne of Green Gables when I was six.

When did you start to write?

Like many writers, as a child I scribbled poetry and wrote terribly dramatic stories that I adored sharing with anyone would listen. I had a story published in a collection when I was thirteen, my first taste of publication, and, as it turns out, quite addictive.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Just recently – Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West.

What are you working on right now?

My second novel tells the story of a mother forced from her home and looking for a safe place for herself and her kids. It’s a contemporary novel and it’s my way of exploring some of the ideas and political issues that have confronted me over the past few years.

Do you have a new release due?

Watch this space!

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I’ve only had one so far, but that was incredibly exciting and nerve-wracking and involved nervously signing books as my youngest daughter unpacked them from boxes at a local independent bookshop. There was also champagne. And lots of pictures from proud friends standing in book stores all around the place. And, of course, some tears.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I’d love for readers to get in touch via my website https://katemildenhall.com/ or on

https://www.facebook.com/katemildenhallwriter/

Twitter: @katemildenhall

Insta: kmildenhall

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Thanks for having me! I hope readers enjoy reading Skylarking and being part of Kate and Harriet’s world for a little while. Kate x

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

Thanks also to Imogen Harris, at Legend Press, for arranging the interview.

Publisher: Legend Press (3rd July 2017)

Kate and Harriet are best friends growing up together on an isolated Australian cape. As the daughters of the lighthouse keepers, the two girls share everything, until a fisherman, McPhail, arrives in their small community.

When Kate witnesses the desire that flares between him and Harriet, she is torn by her feelings of envy and longing. An innocent moment in McPhail’s hut then occurs that threatens to tear their peaceful community apart.

Inspired by a true story, Skylarking is a spellbinding tale of friendship and desire, memory and truth, which questions what it is to remember and how tempting it can be to forget.

Review

I am delighted to be joining in with Conrad Jones’ Hunting Angels blog tour! 🙂 

(My apologies for the late posting)

I will be sharing extract 6, so please make sure you catch up with the previous bloggers posts, if you haven’t already…..

Extract 6…..

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jennifer.”

“I’m not Jennifer here, mundane one,” she whispered. “Call me Baphomet.”

“Baphomet!” Malcolm snorted. He was tiring of the game, and his muscles ached. He needed to stand up and clear his head. The name sent prickles of fear along his flesh. He could feel goosebumps rising on his arms. “You’ve had too much vodka, darling.”

“I didn’t drink any vodka you fool.”

“What do you mean?” Malcolm nodded, laughing. “You were pouring it down your throat. Are you having a giraffe?” As he looked into her dark eyes, he answered the question himself. She wasn’t having a laugh at all. He swallowed hard and felt a raging thirst coming over him. He tried to smile and cock his head to the side, but it was held fast by something. “Look. Let’s stop fucking around. You’ve had a laugh at my expense and now I need a beer and a piss, not necessarily in that order.”

“Shut up, you fat pig, and answer my question.”

“Come on love, I’m gasping for a drink here.” Malcolm laughed nervously. “If you want to tie me up and play rough, I’m game, but I need the loo first.” He struggled with the bonds around his arms, but they wouldn’t budge.

“What were you about to publish about us?”

Publisher: GerriCon Books (28th November 2013)

When an author is asked to help the police with the investigation into a double murder by identifying occult symbols, which had been carved into the victims, he is plunged into nightmare and forced to go on the run. Hunted by law and a powerful cult, he has to stay one step ahead to survive.

Buy your copy…..

About the author…..

Conrad is the author of seventeen novels, eight author guides and two biographies. He has three series;
The Detective Alec Ramsay Series; seven books Gritty Crime Thrillers
The Soft Target Series; Gritty Thrillers six books (Reacher Style)
The Hunting Angels Diaries; three books Horror Thrillers
You can find out more; http://www.conradjonesauthor.com
jonesconrad5@aol.com

I am Conrad Jones, a fifty-year-old author, originally from a sleepy green-belt called Tarbock Green, which is situated on the outskirts of Liverpool. I spent a number of years living in Holyhead, Anglesey, which I class as my home, before starting a career as a trainee manger with McDonalds Restaurants in 1989. I worked in management at McDonalds Restaurants Ltd from 1989-2002, working my way up to Business Consultant (area manager) working in the corporate and franchised departments.
On March 20th, 1993, I was managing the restaurant in Warrington`s Bridge St when two Irish Republican Army bombs exploded directly outside the store, resulting in the death of two young boys and many casualties. Along with hundreds of other people there that day I was deeply affected by the attack, which led to a long-term interest in the motivation and mind set of criminal gangs. I began to read anything crime related that I could get my hands on.
I link this experience with the desire to write books on the subject, which came much later on due to an unusual set of circumstances. Because of that experience my early novels follow the adventures of an elite counter terrorist unit, The Terrorist Task Force, and their enigmatic leader, John Tankersley, or `Tank` and they are the Soft Target Series, which have been described by a reviewer as ‘Reacher on steroids’; You can see them here;

I had no intentions of writing until 2007, when I set off on an eleven-week tour of the USA. The Day before I boarded the plane, Madeleine McCann disappeared and all through the holiday I followed the American news reports which had little or no information about her. I didn’t realise it at the time, but the terrible kidnap would inspire my book, The Child Taker years later. During that trip, I received news that my house had been burgled and my work van and equipment were stolen. That summer was the year when York and Tewksbury were flooded by a deluge and insurance companies were swamped with claims. They informed me that they couldn’t do anything for weeks and that returning home would be a wasted journey. Rendered unemployed on a beach in Clearwater, Florida, I decided to begin my first book, Soft Target. I have never stopped writing since. I have recently completed my fifteenth novel, ‘Brick’, something that never would have happened but for that burglary and my experiences in Warrington.

The Child Taker was the 6th book in the Soft Target Series but it also became the first book in the Detective Alec Ramsay Series when I signed a three-book deal with London based publishers, Thames River Press. The series is now seven books long with an average of 4.8 stars from over 2000 reviews. The first two books are always free with over 1100 5-star reviews. You can see them here;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010DWH57K

As far as my favourite series ever, it has to be James Herbert’s, The Rats trilogy. The first book did for me what school books couldn’t. It fascinated me, triggered my imagination and gave me the hunger to want to read more. I waited years for the second book, The Lair, and Domain, the third book to come out and they were amazing. Domain is one of the best books I have ever read. In later years, Lee Child, especially the early books, has kept me hypnotised on my sunbed on holiday as has Michael Connelly and his Harry Bosch Series.

Conrad Jones’ Amazon Author Page

Welcome to my #FlashbackFriday feature.

On the first Friday of each month I like to have a little look back at what I was reading this time last year. Here are my reviews from July 2016…..

Cinema Lumiere

The Sister

Baby Doll

The Museum Of You

Have you read any of the above?

What were you reading this time last year?

What are you reading right now?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments 🙂

Publisher: Penkhull Press; 1 edition (4th June 2016)

Liz, Bernie and Elsa have been friends since their days at St. Cecelia’s school. Their lives took very different paths but they all have found happiness in their own fashion. Liz is an independent career woman; Bernie a good Catholic mum with four sons and Elsa is supported by her wealthy ex-husband. Then, in the space of a few short weeks, everything they have taken for granted is swept away. Money, jobs and partners are all gone. How will they manage when their worlds are crumbling about their ears? Together Liz, Bernie and Elsa have to find novel ways of avoiding disaster.

Picking up the Pieces is about friendship, cake and the mutual support that only lifelong friends can provide.

My review…..

Picking Up The Pieces has been a lovely read.

Liz, Bernie and Elsa are in their fifties and have been friends forever. They are all very different characters, but very close and always there for each other. When they all find their once happy and settled lives falling apart around them, they know they can still rely on each other.

I love that the story starts with the three of them having afternoon tea at an expensive hotel together, before their lives change forever.

Liz has been teaching for 30 years and her current year 10’s are a difficult bunch. They have no interest in learning and for some of them their only aim is to make Liz’s life as miserable as possible. When one girl accuses her of head-butting her, Liz is suspended whilst the situation is investigated. It is a lie, of course, but the head teacher has never liked Liz and does nothing to support her. She is frustrated at the injustice of it all, but has no choice but to ride it out until she is proved innocent. I felt so sorry for Liz. To spend your life dedicated to trying to improve the prospects of the children you’re teaching, only to have it all thrown back in your face by a spiteful teenager must be devastating.

Bernie is a good catholic wife and mother. She works part-time, but otherwise is cooking, cleaning and generally running around after her family. That is until her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Bernie’s story is one we’ve all heard of many times. Teenage sweethearts marry young as they find themselves expecting a child, then years later, one or other of them find themselves wondering what they might have missed out on being ‘tied down’ so early on in their lives. Again I really felt for Bernie. A dedicated wife and mother left to fend for herself and her boys. I know I wouldn’t cope well in her situation.

Elsa has lived the life of luxury, thanks to her wealthy ex-husband, but is soon to be homeless and penniless as her husband is set to lose everything. She is left with no choice but to stand on her own two feet, but who is going to employ a woman her age who has never had to work before? This is when she puts her head together with Liz’s and Bernie’s to try to come up with a business plan they can make a success of together. I felt less sorry for Elsa, but I liked her character all the same. It would be a shock to find yourself having to pawn jewellery to pay utility bills when you’ve never wanted for anything before in your life.

This is a lovely story of friendship which I am sure many readers will relate to. With very real characters, who I easily warmed to, I soon found myself immersed in their story, almost as if I was a fourth friend sharing their troubles with them and cheering them on as they moved on to happier times and a successful future ahead of them.

A big thank you to Misha Herwin for my paperback review copy. I am more than happy to recommend.

Buy a copy…..

Enjoy!

Today I welcome Charlie Laidlaw…..

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

I’m the author of two novels, The Herbal Detective (Ringwood Publishing) and The Things We Learn When We’re Dead (Accent Press). A third novel, Dark Matters, is due to be published by Accent Press in January 2018.

I was born and brought up in the west of Scotland, which really wasn’t my fault, and am a graduate of the University of Edinburgh. I then worked briefly as a street actor, baby photographer, puppeteer and restaurant dogsbody before becoming a journalist. I started in Glasgow and ended up in London.

Surprisingly, I was approached by a government agency to work in intelligence, which just shows how shoddy government recruitment was back then. However, it turned out to be very boring and, craving excitement and adventure, I ended up as a PR consultant, which is the fate of all journalists who haven’t won a Pulitzer Prize, and which is what I’m still doing.

I am married with two grown-up children and live in East Lothian. And that’s about it.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I wish I knew. My first book, The Herbal Detective, is a satire on superstition. In the dim and distant past I studied Scottish history, with a particular module on the witch craze. I was struck by how religious belief and medieval superstition could produce such a murderous outcome – and how we’ve been doing the same thing ever since: finding scapegoats to blame everything on. Those things can be single mothers, Muslims, immigrants, benefits scroungers – anyone that the Daily Mail decides is the root of all our problems. It always seemed to me to be a good starting point for a novel: to satirise how scapegoats can sometimes become victims.

My second novel, The Thing We Learn When We’re Dead, came to me on a train from Edinburgh to London, which is apt because Edinburgh, as a civilised place, is the only city in the world to have named its main railway station after a book. It is, essentially, a modern retelling of the Wizard of Oz – how a young woman comes to look back at her life to find a new beginning. It’s a story that’s been written many times before, because everything under the sun has been written many times before, but I hope it has imagination and originality.

All of which doesn’t really answer your question!

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

No. I suppose that James Bond and Sherlock Holmes were loosely based on an amalgam of characters that their creators knew. But for most writers, I think that part of the fun of writing is thinking up new characters. I don’t think I would ever base a character on someone I knew – unfair, and sloppy.

How do you pick your characters names?

In a funny way, they choose them. I don’t set out with names for my characters. In the book I’m working on at the moment, all the characters have provisional names. Once I get to know them a bit better, I’ll then decide what their real names are.

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

In the past, I would write most days. That was my routine, and I was determined to stick to it. Trouble was, most of the stuff I wrote went in the bin. I’ve learned that, for me, I should only write when I know what I want to write, and how it will all fit together into a fully-realised narrative. That means that, when I write, I write with greater purpose. (That’s probably a coded way of admitting that I’m a lazy writer).

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Although I haven’t read him for years, Ernest Hemingway. He was a big influence on me. Likewise, Fay Weldon whose body of work is immense and, of course, Graham Greene. Mostly I read contemporary fiction, and Joanne Harris has to be top of my pile, with the likes of Kate Atkinson a close second.

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

Hemingway, if only to ask whether he really did mean to shoot himself.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Absolutely. A book that had an enormous influence on me was Jenny by Paul Gallico – a beautiful story of friendship, as narrated by a boy who is turned into a cat. In many ways, that’s also a Wizard of Oz interpretation: small boy in dream-world imagining a different way to see the world. Maybe that’s what gave me the idea for my current novel.

When did you start to write?

I wrote my first “novel” aged about fifteen, and burned it shortly afterwards. The idea of a Fourth Reich having a secret base in the Norfolk Broads seemed absurd, even to me. My second was written when I was about seventeen, and I still have that. Nobody will ever get to read it. My third was completed a year later, by which time I had learned to type. It will also never, ever see the light of day.

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

The Bible and every other religious text. They would end: believe in me if you have to, but it’s not compulsory and, for God’s sake, try to get along with everyone else. In my view, a lot of the world’s problems are caused by religious belief. In my current book, I do ask: would the world be a better place if we all stopped believing in God. It’s not a question I answer; but it is a pertinent question.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Chocolat by Joanne Harris, or One Day by David Nicholls. Joanne’s book is simply sublime in its beauty and simplicity; David’s is the book that many authors wish they had written. The conceit of setting it only on one day over a period of years? Brilliant!

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

Crows and Seagulls. (I’m trying to train a crow in our garden, and I hate seagulls).

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

I think I’d take Lorna Love, the central character in my current book. She’s complicated and feisty and young enough to be my daughter, and the book ends in 2007. I’d like to see how she’s got on, and whether she’s happy. One of the sadnesses of writing a stand-alone novel is that you don’t see your characters again. As the book is mostly based in Edinburgh, she’ll probably know where to take me.

What are you working on right now?

It’s provisionally entitled Darker Matters and is a book about love, loss, family and astrophysics. It’s a dark comedy and one, I hope, that’s filled with compassion and a bit of fun. But it also has its dark and quirky side, because everything in life has a dark and quirky side.

Do you have a new release due?

January 2018.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

My current novel was launched in East Lothian’s last independent bookshop and at the rather wonderful Edinburgh Bookshop in…um…Edinburgh. Bookshops are there to be supported because, once they’re gone, they’re gone. I’d encourage everyone to try and break the Amazon habit.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Facebook @charlielaidlawauthor or at www.charlielaidlawauthor.com

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Many, many things, most of which would be very boring.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Charlie.

Publisher: Accent Press (26th January 2017)

The Things We Learn When We’re Dead

Synopsis

The Things We Learn When We’re Dead is a modern fairytale of love and loss. It’s about the subtle ways in which we change, and how the small decisions that we make can have profound and unintended consequences.

On one level, the book is a simple story of a young woman’s life. But, for those readers who want to make the connection, The Things We Learn is also a retelling of The Wizard of Oz: how a young woman in ultimately tragic circumstances comes to reassess her life and find a new beginning.

Lorna Love, born and brought up in small-town Scotland, is apparently killed in a car accident on the day of the London bus and tube bombings. But the afterlife isn’t quite what she expected. For a start, Heaven is a broken-down spaceship and God is the double of Sean Connery.

However, the book is neither fantasy nor sci-fi; Heaven simply a dreamscape through which Lorna comes to see her life through new eyes. It allows the narrative to move between Heaven and Earth, retelling Lorna’s life in flashback – from the people she loved, to the death of her brother, and the ill-fated pregnancy and termination that precipitated her accident. The emotional finale of the book is when her best friend becomes a victim of the King’s Cross underground train bombing.

The reader will understand the overall familiarity and tradition of the utopia/dystopia narrative and that Lorna is far from dead. As Heaven begins to offer mirror-images of her life on Earth, the reader will also understand that the book is about why Lorna went to Heaven and why she’ll be given a second chance of life.

In fulfilling familiar expectations, the book offers a counterpoint between the absurdities of Lorna’s imagined Heaven and banality of her rather ordinary life. The book, grounded in the 9/11 and 7/7 bombings, also offers the metaphor that we are all connected, even by distant events.

It is, essentially, a humorous book, using an oblique construct to provide a new perspective on a familiar theme. But, while making the familiar unfamiliar – and therefore making the readers’ journey worthwhile – it also reassures them that Lorna will have her second chance.

Of course, like Dorothy before her, Lorna chooses to go home.

This is where I would normally add a link to the book on Amazon, but given that the author would encourage everyone to break the Amazon habit, I won’t, but suggest you keep a look out for Charlie Laidlaw’s books in your local book shop 🙂

I am SO excited to be joining in with Bookouture’s cover reveal for Louise Jensen’s new book, which is to be released on 27th September and is available to pre-order now!

THE SURROGATE by Louise Jensen

‘You know that feeling? When you want something so badly, you almost feel you’d kill for it?’ 

Be careful what you wish for…

Kat and her husband Nick have tried everything to become parents, and are on the point of giving up. Then a chance encounter with Kat’s childhood friend Lisa gives Kat and Nick one last chance to achieve their dream.

But Kat and Lisa’s history hides dark secrets.

And there is more to Lisa than meets the eye.

As dangerous cracks start to appear in Kat’s perfect picture of happily-ever-after, she realises that she must face her fear of the past to save her family…

From the no. 1 bestselling author of The Sister and The Gift, this is an unputdownable psychological thriller which asks how far we will go to create our perfect family.  

And here it is…..

Pre-order your copy HERE

About the author…..

Louise Jensen always wanted to be Enid Blyton when she grew up, and when that didn’t happen she got a ‘proper’ job instead.

Several years ago an accident left Louise with a disability and she began writing once again, to distract her from her pain and compromised mobility. But writing turned out to be more than just a good distraction. Louise loves creating exciting worlds, dark characters, and twisted plots.

Louise lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, sons, a puppy and a rather naughty cat, and also teaches mindfulness.

www.louisejensen.co.uk

Previous posts featuring Louise Jensen and her books…..

The Sister by Louise Jensen

The Gift by Louise Jensen @Fab_fiction @bookouture #BlogTour #BookReview

I am thrilled to be joining in with Kerry Wilkinson’s Two Sisters blog tour! 🙂 

Mine is one of the last two posts, sharing my day with the very lovely Sarah at By The Letter Book Reviews. Make sure you catch up with the others posts, if you haven’t already…..

Thanks to Kim Nash, at Bookouture , for the opportunity to take part.

UK 🇬🇧 http://amzn.to/2pZjCXk
US 🇺🇸 http://amzn.to/2oH4YCO

They told us he had been missing for nearly two days, that he probably drowned. They told us a lie.

Megan was ten years old when her older brother, Zac, went missing among the cliffs, caves and beaches that surround the small seaside town of Whitecliff.

A decade later and a car crash has claimed the lives of her parents.

Megan and her younger sister Chloe return to Whitecliff one summer for the first time since their brother’s disappearance. Megan says it’s to get her parents’ affairs in order. There are boxes to pack, junk to clear, a rundown cottage to sell. But that’s not the real reason.

Megan has come to confront her family’s past after receiving a postcard on the day of her parents’ funeral. It had a photograph of Whitecliff on the front and a single letter on the back.

‘Z’ is all it read.

Z for Zac.

A totally gripping psychological thriller that will have fans of Louise Jensen, Sue Fortin and The Silent Child absolutely hooked.

My review…..

This is the first book I’ve read by Kerry Wilkinson, but I can guarantee it won’t be the last.

Two Sisters follows the story of Megan and Chloe who have returned to Whitecliff, to a cottage they now own since the sudden death of their parents in a car crash. They weren’t particularly close to their parents, having been sent away to boarding school. They don’t know each other that well, as they always went to different schools, but they are all each other has now and Megan (being the oldest) is very protective of Chloe. Their brother went missing 10 years previously and is presumed dead, but they want answers. Or, at least, Megan wants answers and she knows the people of Whitecliff must know something. However, their presence in the village and the questions Megan asks of the locals just seems to unnerve everyone. Why is everyone acting like they’ve forgotten Zak? 10 years is a long time, but surely such a small community would remember such a tragedy.

Megan isn’t the most likeable of characters. She doesn’t go out of her way to make friends and/or be particularly nice to people. She’s very blunt and a bit standoffish, but she has problems. She has an eating disorder. She is very aware of how she is, but can do nothing to stop her behaviour. She seems to relish the control she has over food. She doesn’t seem to see much pleasure in life. I did warm to her though.

Chloe is the complete opposite. A typically happy-go-lucky teenager, happy to make the most of a week at the beach. She’s less inclined to push people about Zak. She seems to just want to move on.

The people of Whitecliff seem a bit dodgy in general, with the exception of a few, including Arthur. People obviously know more than they’re letting on and Megan isn’t prepared to let it drop and I found myself as determined as her to find out what happened. I could totally understand her need for the truth as I couldn’t cope with the not knowing either.

The truth is just shocking! The end left me totally gobsmacked! Brilliant!

If you like a good psychological thriller with an interesting mix of characters, and plenty of suspense, then you will love this book.

Many thanks, as always, to Bookouture for my auto-approval status on Netgalley and to Kim Nash for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour.

About the author…..

I am delighted to be joining in with Jodi Taylor’s cover reveal for her upcoming release, White Silence.

*The first instalment in the new, gripping supernatural thriller series from international bestselling author, Jodi Taylor*

“I don’t know who I am. I don’t know what I am.”

Elizabeth Cage is a child when she discovers that there are things in this world that only she can see. But she doesn’t want to see them and she definitely doesn’t want them to see her.

What is a curse to Elizabeth is a gift to others – a very valuable gift they want to control. When her husband dies, Elizabeth’s world descends into a nightmare. But as she tries to piece her life back together, she discovers that not everything is as it seems.

Alone in a strange and frightening world, she’s a vulnerable target to forces beyond her control.

And she knows that she can’t trust anyone…

White Silence is a twisty supernatural thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.

And here it is…..

The ebook is publishing 21/09/2017 with the paperback to follow in Spring 2018.

Available to pre-order HERE

About the author…..

Jodi Taylor is the author of the bestselling Chronicles of St Mary’s series, the story of a bunch of disaster-prone historians who investigate major historical events in contemporary time. Do NOT call it time travel!

Born in Bristol and educated in Gloucester (facts both cities vigorously deny), she spent many years with her head somewhere else, much to the dismay of family, teachers and employers, before finally deciding to put all that daydreaming to good use and pick up a pen. She still has no idea what she wants to do when she grows up.

You can keep up with all the latest developments at St Mary’s on her Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJodiTaylor

Jodi Taylor’s Amazon Author Page

Enjoy!