I have the pleasure of welcoming Simon Maltman back to Chat About Books today!

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

I’m a crime writer from Northern Ireland. This is my fifth full length thriller. This book is about post-Troubles Belfast and the shadow it still casts over the city today. It’s about a pastor who tries to escape the pull of the past. He really wants to do the right thing, but makes one bad decision after another.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Literally it could be from anything, or just a random idea during a shower.

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

Yes but I won’t say who haha! You can definitely take little parts from here and there though. I have had the reverse issue when people think a character is based on someone and it’s not!

How do you pick your characters’ names?

It’s usually just pretty random or it can be something obscure just for my own amusement.

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

I try and write every day and usually do. I’m quite a planner and like to have a rough idea of how the story will go, but not too much. It’s got to still be fun.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

That’s very hard. Today I’ll go for: Richard Stark, Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block, Iain Banks and Colin Bateman.

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

Ooooh another hard one. I’d ask Raymond Chandler who killed the chauffer.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I wasn’t a massive one actually, but I am now. I probably got properly into books and crime in particular in my twenties.

When did you start to write?

I started properly about seven years ago.

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

Oh, goodness. I might well change some of mine! I can’t even read at events without editing the text in my head and trying to change it as I read!

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Loads of them!

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

Haha. ‘How I wrote ten bestsellers!’ (I wish)

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

It would be nice to have a chat with Mick Ballou from the Scudder books. It would have to be somewhere pretty rough.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I once was on ‘Police Camera Action’- cycling up a carriageway the wrong way (I was a teenager!).

What are you working on right now?

I’m just finishing off the first draft of an 80’s and New York set thriller.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Probably a cup of coffee and a bun!

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I’m on FB and Twitter and Instagram.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

No, I don’t think so. But thanks very much for having me, take care.

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

God created the world in one week. In six days Pastor Tom destroyed his own. On the seventh day he rested. Post-Troubles Belfast. One flawed pastor believes he can still make a difference. Hardened, ageing paramilitaries make a last grab for power. Murder, kidnapping, corruption. Pastor Tom strives to make a positive difference in his community, but secrets from his past still haunt him. One bad decision follows another as he tries to do “the right thing.” Will he soon be shackled to a path leading him far from redemption?

BUY NOW!

happy reading! 🙂

Hi, and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature!

On the first Friday of each month I like to have a little look back at the books I was reading during the same month in previous years, since starting my blog 🙂

Please do join in, I’d love to see your posts!

Here is my one (yes, one!) review from November 2019 (it was a really long book and November is always a busy Birthday month for me) plus a link to previous November FBFs….

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2019/11/20/the-crow-girl-by-erik-axl-sund-bookreview-netgalley/

Have you read it?

ICYMI

https://chataboutbooks.blog/2019/11/01/flashbackfriday-november-2019-with-l-j-ross-ljross_author-caroline-james-carolinejames12-misha-herwin-mishaherwin/

happy reading! 🙂

I have the pleasure of welcoming Serena Fairfax to Chat About Books today. Serena has very kindly written a guest post about Diwali to share with you all.

DIWALI…lights, fireworks, action

a guest post by Serena Fairfax

     The heavy monsoon rains that pounded the earth have dwindled to a trickle, fields have been harvested, and the year slides into autumn. That’s when the thoughts and minds of Hindus in India and the diaspora turn to celebrating Diwali which symbolises the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. 

     It’s a five-day long festival   associated with a variety of traditions, attributes and motifs none more so than with Lakshmi, the glamorous, goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity, —typically shown as mounted on a lotus flower— the goddess who leads one to one’s goal, and the woman who chose Vishnu, a principal deity, as her husband.   The belief is that she was born from the furious churning, by both gods and demons, of the cosmic ocean of milk.  

     Another tradition links Diwali with the Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic. Here, Rama, of royal blood and descended from the sun, and his beloved wife Sita with their loyal followers return to India after 14 years enforced exile abroad when Rama’s heroic army of monkeys —commanded by Hanuman, the monkey god— finally defeats the evil genius of Ravana (he of ten heads and twenty arms) who’d abducted Sita.      

     As with Christmas, when Diwali approaches, householders go into a frenzy of activity.  Homes are cleaned to an inch of their life and repainted.  Diyas (small clay oil lamps with cotton wicks) are bought and lit and temples, rooftops, balconies, verandahs, doorways and drives twinkle and sparkle in the unfathomable night sky. Rangoli   — a variety of designs made from coloured sand, rice or flower petals and usually done by girls and women — decorate   floors.   And Diwali wouldn’t be Diwali without the invariably fabulous firework displays. 

     People don their smartest clothes, offer puja (prayers) to Lakshmi, invite guests home, share mithai (delicious confectionery and dessert) and sumptuous meals while exchanging gifts with family and friends.

     Farmers calculate the yield of the harvest and give thanks to Lakshmi; traders, businessmen and shopkeepers balance their books at Diwali time and calculate how much they have profited, or lost, during the year and everyone prevails on Lakshmi for her blessing and for better luck in the coming year.

     Diwali —­ the word is derived from the Sanskrit and means a row of lights — is traditionally big-spending time. People splurge on buying jewellery, gold, new furniture, new cars and equipment; in the countryside, rural villages hold melas  (fairs) where craftsmen and artisans exhibit and sell their wares.   It’s a truly exciting, colourful festival so doesn’t hesitate if you’re invited to celebrate it with friends and neighbours of Indian descent.

Thank you, Serena!

I spent my childhood in India, qualified as a Lawyer in England and joined a London law firm.
Some of my novels have a strong romantic arc although I burst the romance bubble with one quirky departure. Other novels pull the reader into the dark corners of family life and relationships. I enjoy the challenge of experimenting and writing something different.
My short stories and a medley of articles feature on my blog, and I review crime fiction and thrillers for Promoting Crime Fiction.
Fast forward to a sabbatical from the day job when I traded in bricks and mortar for a houseboat which, for a hardened land lubber like me, turned out to be a big adventure.
A few of my favourite things are collecting old masks, singing and exploring off the beaten track.
My golden retriever, Inspector Morse, who can’t wait to unleash his own Facebook page, and I live in London.

Website http://www.serenafairfax.com
Email info@serenafairfax.com
Twitter http://klout.com/user/Sefairfax?n=tw&v=connect_twitter
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/serenafairfax

Jazz clubs, yacht clubs, aunty bars and a Bollywood beauty shadowed by her pet panther. This is glamorous Bombay in the late 1950s.

Love has blossomed in London between vivacious Scottish Presbyterian, Audrey, and clever Indian lawyer, Nat Zachariah.

When the happy newlyweds move to Nat’s exotic homeland and the striking family villa, Audrey must deftly navigate the rituals, secrets, intrigues and desires of his Bene Israel Jewish community, and adjust to perplexing new relatives.

In time, the past unlocks, old family ties unravel, lies are exposed and passions run high as different generations fall out. Then something shocking happens that undoes everything. Will this marriage that has crossed boundaries survive?

happy reading!

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

I’ve had careers in physics, electrical engineering and software, and dabbled as a CGI animator, classical organist, and voice talent. I’m also the “Voice of OTAKON!”

I describe my first novel “Pindlebryth of Lenland,” as equal parts Narnia, DaVinci Code and Jason Bourne. I quite literally pushed the publish button the day before cancer surgery. My second book arose from tales I told at the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild. If the audience laughed or cringed, it went into the collection as a short story. My third book, “My Friend Jackson,” was inspired by Rosalind Wiseman’s study of girl bullying, “Queen Bees and Wannabees,” with a heaping helping of the Twilight Zone thrown in.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Mostly from long walks and long nightmares.

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

As the editor for my writers’ group’s second anthology, I had to deal with an author who thought her first draft was perfect, that rules didn’t apply to her, and loved to couch her responses in thinly veiled insults. In our third anthology, my story’s villain was based on her. The character’s name was even a homonym of the author’s name. It was a wonderful catharsis to kill off her avatar!
What’s that phrase? “Be nice to me, or you’ll be in my next book.”

How do you pick your characters’ names?

That depends on the work. In “Pindlebryth of Lenland,” a few were borrowed from my old Dungeons & Dragons characters. In “My Friend Jackson,” I researched the most popular African American baby names of 2004-6. In my upcoming sci-fi novel, “Sentry of Eternity,” the names are all based on an ancient numbering system.

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

My goal is to write 1000 words a day. Some days I make it, most days I don’t. But I try. And try. And try. I find I write best at 5AM or 11PM, when my subconscious is less bridled.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Kurt Vonnegut Jr., H.P.Lovecraft, Arthur C. Clarke, Richard Matheson, Stephen Donaldson. Although the last one is more of a love/hate relationship.

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

Kurt Vonnegut – Why does each appearance of a Tralfamadorian differ from all previous instances?

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, I read every Hardy Boys book I could lay hands on. Can’t remember a single one of them.

When did you start to write?

I wrote my first short story in 1988, mostly to vent frustrations caused by a particularly vindictive supervisor.

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

The Bible. Although I wouldn’t re-write it. I’d rather ask the Prophet John to be less phantasmagorical with his imagery and allegory, and write more plainly. Or at least hire an editor.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Not yet. But I would like to get around to writing the 2^nd instalment of the Pindlebryth saga. The trouble is, my six other book projects keep getting in the way!

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

Jack of Not-Enough-Trades

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

Kilgore Trout, True Blue Mediterranean in Emmaus, PA. Come for the coffee, don’t leave without trying the baklava.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

My favourite organ piece to play is “Now Thank We All Our God” by Seigfried Karg-Elert,

What are you working on right now?

Not counting the 3 short stories headed toward anthologies by the Bethlehem Writers Group, Firebringer Press, and the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, there’s two drafts I’m crafting:

Short Story – “Man of His Word”, a strange tale of a sheriff and FBI on the trail of a serial killer;

Novel – “The Sentry of Eternity”, aliens encounter a murderous supernatural force, told from the alien’s point of view.

Tell us about your last release?

“My Friend Jackson” is a gritty YA Urban Fantasy/Horror. Jasmine Price is the target of emotional, physical and cyber-bullies. When rivalries and jealousies reach a fevered pitch, a spectral guardian intervenes, with death in its wake. And that’s just the beginning of Jasmine’s problems!
The book’s inspiration began with Rosalind Wiseman’s study of girl bullying, “Queen Bees and Wannabes.”

Do you have a new release due?

My next short story “If These Walls Could Talk” will appear in Firebringer Press’s anthology “Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity.” Support the Indiegogo fundraiser at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/meanwhile-in-the-middle-of-eternity#/ before Nov 14!

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I really don’t. Maybe I should…

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Like and/or follow me at:

christopherdochs.com

facebook.com/Christopher.D.Ochs

instagram.com/christopherdochs

christopherdochs.wordpress.com

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Please, please, puh-leeeze! File a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you buy books. Do this for EVERY independent press and self-published books you read. This is a “moral imperative!”

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Christopher!

An ancient guardian chose her. Neither the guilty, nor the innocent, nor she are safe.
Fresh out of the Projects, Jasmine Price’s days are filled with emotional, physical, and cyber abuse at the hands of her new school’s queen bees. With her parents mostly absent, Jasmine latches onto Bibi, a grandmotherly figure from Tanzania, and her beloved pet chameleon, Jackson. Rivalries, jealousies and hatred escalate the violence toward Jasmine to a murderous level, until a monstrous force intervenes on Jasmine’s behalf with deadly consequences. When she discovers the secret behind her unholy avenger, Jasmine takes the offensive, becoming a merciless force more terrifying than her worst tormentors. But choices have consequences. Some more horrific than others.
Can Jasmine untangle her life and reclaim her identity, her life—her soul—from her inscrutable guardian, while eluding the police and those who seek revenge?
“Taut and compelling…” ★★★★★ — Readers’ Favorite “Unique and riveting…” ★★★★★ — A Slice of Orange

happy reading!

‘Hugely confident … harrowing, visceral … recommended’ Ian Rankin

‘Kept me hooked’ Angela Marsons

‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole

‘Gritty, dark and chilling’ Mel Sherratt

A murdered woman…

When the body of a young woman is found in a local park, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she’s dealing with no ordinary killer.  The murder victim has been disfigured; her outfit changed to resemble someone else.  Someone Maggie knows all too well…her close friend Dr Kate Moloney.

A determined detective…

Maggie is determined to keep her friend safe, but with Kate already struggling with a threatening stalker, Maggie now fears Kate’s life is in real danger.  Who else would want to harm Kate and why else would the killer be turning his victims into exact replicas – his living dolls? 

Can Maggie find the depraved killer?  Or will Kate become his next living doll?

My review

Dead Perfect

(Maggie Jamieson, Book 3)

Noelle Holten

(Review written on 26^th October 2020)

WOW!

I am SO glad I was able to read Dead Perfect as soon as I’d finished book 2, Dead Wrong, as it ended on such a cliff-hanger!

What a way to start a new book!!

I have absolutely loved the third instalment in this excellent series. The story is tense and fast moving from the very first page. It certainly starts as it means to go on. I love how Noelle Holten’s writing draws me in. Each chapter is written in a way that makes it nigh on impossible to put down without reading just one more, or two, or three, or ten!

In Dead Perfect Maggie, and the team, are faced with a frantic race against time to ensure the safety of a close friend and colleague. There is a killer on the loose who has an extremely unhealthy obsession with her. However, there are no obvious suspects and time is running out.

I love how unique and mysterious the perpetrator is in this book. I have to admit that I did figure out quite early on who it was, but I had absolutely no idea what his motives would turn out to be. Very clever writing! Creepy would be an understatement. It’s quite scary how some people’s minds work.

I thoroughly enjoyed being swept along for the ride as Maggie and the team battled on tirelessly in the hope of solving this case before it was too late. I was holding my breath on more than one occasion I can tell you!

What a jaw dropping ending again!!

I can’t wait for book 4!

Out Now!

happy reading! 🙂

‘He spreads out his hands. They glow yellow, then orange. Threads emerge from underneath his nails, shining out of the skin. They weave themselves together, the fingers knitting their light-made lace until the threads form a fabric heading out of the glass panes and towards the fields. They cross the glass without so much as a shudder. Seo crafts his land.’ Seo Kuroaku has it all. Adopted as a boy by the formidable Sir Neil, he’s the youth champion of Twine, the high-pressured national sport. Played in arenas where thousands come to watch, weavers craft creatures from their fingertips to wage battle against fearsome opponents. But this is a Britain of much darker times – and Seo is harbouring a secret. When he is outed, Twine can’t help him. With the help of his little brother Minjun and Jack, the man he can’t decide if he loves or not, Seo has to find a way to get his life back on track, whilst facing the biggest match of his life. In The Game Weavers, Rebecca Zahabi has created a fantastical yet hauntingly contemporary narrative which is both love story and fable – The Game Weavers is a coming of age story about the importance of intimacy, family and self-acceptance.

My review

The Game Weavers

Rebecca Zahabi

(Review written on 5^th October 2020)

The Game Weavers is quite different to the books I generally read, but it’s always good to try something completely out of my comfort zone every now and again. The Game Weavers was pitched to me as a “fantasy/magical realism YA novel with LGBTQ themes exploring love, identity and coming-of-age.” I have enjoyed the escapism this book has provided. It’s an interesting concept and puts a unique spin on gaming.

Weaving is a game where the weavers literally weave twine directly from their fingertips and compete against each other in massive arenas. It sounds terrifying and painful to me, and sometimes is. However, it’s also extremely creative. I could easily visualise some of the scenes created during the matches. Some of the creatures and scenes sound amazing! There is some beautifully descriptive language used throughout this story.

There are some lovely characters in this book (and some not so lovely!). Seo is a well-known, competition level, teenage weaver. He has a lot of fans, and he lives for his sport, but he has a secret he feels he needs to keep so as not to offend anyone, especially Sir Neil, his adoptive father. He is gay, but the society he lives in makes him feel he is unable to be open about this, which I find extremely sad.

Minjun (Seo’s younger brother) is a lovely character. It was interesting to view their lives through his younger eyes.

Sir Neil is a harsh character, but quite believable. He isn’t particularly affectionate with the boys, but he has given them a comfortable life and mentored Seo throughout his career and success. He struggles to accept the idea of Seo having a boyfriend, mostly I think because he feels his fans might turn against him. He makes no secret of this either.

Jack is an adorable character. I was routing for him and Seo the whole time.

I think there will be a lot of readers who will relate to Seo’s story or at least empathise with him. I’m also sure gamers will love the concept of weaving!

Many thanks to Emily Walton and Zuntold Publishing for my review copy.

Out Now!

happy reading! 🙂

Mark Tilbury is re-launching two of his outstanding books next month and has revealed the new covers today!

Check these out!

Cover reveal One!

You Belong To Me is going to be re-launched on the 10th November.

Here’s the book description:

Can two wrongs ever make a right? The police never found fifteen-year-old Ellie Hutton. She vanished ten years ago after walking home from school along a disused railway track. But Danny Sheppard knows exactly what happened to her. She is dead and buried in a field near Lassiter’s Brook. Now Cassie Rafferty has gone missing. Same age. Similar circumstances. And Danny also knows what has happened to her. Can Danny fight his demons and tell the truth this time? Or will history repeat itself and leave another innocent girl dead?

And here is it’s FANTASTIC new cover, thanks to Emmy Ellis.

Cover reveal two!

Torment is going to be re-launched on 19th November

Here is the book description:

Who can you really trust? Beth couldn’t be happier. She is eight weeks pregnant and married to the man of her dreams. But after returning home from a celebratory meal, she finds a wreath from her sister’s grave hanging above the bed and a kitchen knife embedded in her pillow. There are no signs of a forced entry. Nothing is stolen. And no one other than the cleaner has a key to the house. Then a campaign of terror begins. Beth becomes increasingly paranoid as it becomes clear that someone close to the family is behind these disturbing events. But who would want Beth dead? Does the past hold the clue? And can Beth find the answer before it’s too late? Torment is a story of misplaced loyalty, revenge and sacrifice. And here is the AMAZING new cover, thanks again to the talented (and very patient,) Emmy Ellis

Loving both new covers!

What do you think?

Dead Wrong

(Maggie Jamieson, Book 2)

Noelle Holten

Publisher: One More Chapter

(Review written on 16^th October 2020)

WOAH! What a cliff-hanger to end on!!

I am SO glad book 3, Dead Perfect, has published today so I don’t have to wait to find out where the story will lead.

I think I read this book, and finished it, at the perfect time.

Having read, and thoroughly enjoyed, Dead Inside (Maggie Jamieson, book 1) I was very much looking forward to reading Dead Wrong. It has been another excellent read. I have LOVED it!

Maggie Jamieson is a very likeable character. I feel like I got to know her that little bit more in this book. This is partly what I love about a series, the characters almost become like old friends I look forward to catching up with again in each new book. I love that Maggie is supportive of her brother, but there’s something about him I can’t put my finger on. He hasn’t grown on me so far. I’m not convinced there isn’t more to his story, but it might just be me.

Anyway, in this book Maggie, and the team, are forced to re-visit a murder case which they thought was closed years before. Bill Raven, who is serving a life sentence having confessed to the murder of three missing women, is appealing his sentence claiming he was coerced in to confessing. When body parts start turning up it starts to look like they may have convicted an innocent man after all. Maggie is convinced that Bill Raven is still responsible in some way though and she is determined to prove it, even if it means putting her career on the line.

Dead Wrong is a fast-paced police procedural crime thriller which ticks all the boxes for me. Noelle Holten is a natural storyteller and certainly knows her stuff!

I love that many of the characters throughout this story have extremely familiar names.

I love that it is set near to my hometown also.

An easy five stars for me!

If you haven’t read Noelle’s books as yet, then you really are missing out on a brilliant series. Give them a go, you won’t be disappointed.

I’m off to start Dead Perfect now….

About the author….

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.
Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.

Connect with Noelle on Social Media here:
Subscribe to Newsletter: http://ow.ly/cgww50BkBtt
Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noelleholtenauthor/
Blog FB page: https://www.facebook.com/crimebookjunkie/
Instagram: @author_noelleholten
Website: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk  
Bookbub Author page : https://bit.ly/2LkT4LB

Find all of Noelle Holten’s books here – https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Noelle-Holten/e/B07HZ685TL/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

happy reading! 🙂

Fiona’s Guardians

Dan Klefstad

(Review written on 8^th October 2020)

Having read two short stories by Dan Klefstad, The Guardian and The Interview, back in 2017 I have been quite intrigued by Fiona and Daniel, so I was very much looking forward to reading this full novel. Fiona’s Guardians has been well worth waiting for.

Fiona is a powerful character, in many ways. She commands your attention, and I can’t help but be impressed by her. She is feared and respected. Cross her and she wouldn’t think twice about snapping your neck. However, she has her weaknesses and relies on a Guardian to protect her as she sleeps, and to keep her fed. Fiona is a 250-year-old vampire. Being her Guardian is no regular job. Daniel knows this only too well.

Daniel is an excellent character. I love the loyalty he has shown to Fiona. His frankness impresses me too. He’s been in this job too long to take any s**t. He is tired and is training a new Guardian in the hope of finally retiring. I really wished a peaceful retirement for him, but nothing is ever straight forward and being a Guardian has never been more dangerous.

An ancient order of Monks are determined to destroy Fiona and those she has sired. Fearing Fiona’s demise Daniel is forced out of retirement, unable to deny his devotion to her. Will he ever enjoy the peace and quite he craves with the money he has more than earned over the years? Will Fiona survive long enough to need another guardian?

Fiona’s Guardians is a unique story with many fascinating characters on both sides of the battle. Fast-paced and compelling, I think this book will appeal to many readers whether a vampire fan or not.

Many thanks to Dan Klefstad for my review copy.

happy reading 🙂