Welcome to my stop on Morgen Bailey’s Hitman Sam blog tour with BOTBSPublicity 🙂

Hitman Sam is a very clever little crime novella and one that I really quite enjoyed. I read most of it on the ferry home from visiting family in Northern Ireland last week and finished it off at home. I was eager to find out which way the story would go. Sam Simpson is a very likeable, but sometimes awkward character, who I couldn’t help but warm to. He’s been made redundant and in an effort to add some excitement to his life he answers a rather vague ad for a job which doesn’t give much away at all. Once he realises he’s signed up as a trainee hitman he imagines himself as the next James Bond, but he doesn’t quite have the same knack with the ladies, which is quite funny at times!

I thoroughly enjoyed following Sam through his training and trying to manage some sort of love life at the same time. Although I had an inkling there wasn’t going to be a nice tidy conclusion I totally didn’t see the ending coming.

Brilliant writing!

I look forward to reading more by Morgen Bailey.

Many thanks to the author and to Sarah @ Book On The Bright Side Publicity for my review copy.

Book Description:

Having been made redundant as a photocopier software designer, Sam Simpson is lured by a cryptic advert. As he learns it is for a trainee hitman, will he be tough enough to see the job through? Even James Bond had to start somewhere and Sam, as his alias Josh Bradley, looks forward to enjoying James’ lifestyle, although soon embroiled in a love triangle, Sam hadn’t expected things to get so complicated so quickly.  

Author Bio:

Morgen Bailey (Morgen with an E) is an author (of novels, short stories, writing and editing guides), freelance editor (for publishers and indie authors), writing tutor (in person and online), Writers’ Forum magazine ‘Competitive Edge’ columnist, blogger, speaker, and co-founder of Northants Authors. The former Chair of three writing groups, she has judged the H.E. Bates Short Story Competition, RONE, as well as the BBC Radio 2, BeaconLit, and Althorp Literary Festival children’s short story competitions. She also runs her own monthly 100-word competition. 2018 events include talks and workshops at Troubador’s Self Publishing Conference speakers, workshops and panels at Delapre Book Festival, interviewing and workshops at BeaconLit, and NAWG Fest with her ‘Editing your Fiction’ weekend residential course. Morgen can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and many others. Her blog is http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com, and email address morgen@morgenbailey.com. 

 Links:

• author
  = https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/books-mine
• editor
  = http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/editing-and-critique
• tutor =
  http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/courses
• blogger
  = https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com
• speaker
  = https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/writer-for-hire/speaking-at-your-event
• Twitter
  = http://twitter.com/morgenwriteruk
• Facebook = http://facebook.com/morgenwriteruk    

• happy reading 🙂

Welcome to my stop on CS Mclean’s They Shoot Corpses, Don’t They blog tour with Love Books Tours 🙂

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Tours for arranging the following interview with CS McLean…..

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

‘THEY SHOOT CORPSES DON’T THEY?’ is a harboiled private eye novel, set in a near future US city where the undead have risen. It’s a genre that I like to call ‘zombie noir.’

I was a finalist in the 2016 Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect competition where I pitched my brand of zombie noir to an panel of industry experts. I was lucky enough to return to Bloody Scotland in 2018 as a ‘Crime in the Spotlight’ author, reading out an excerpt from my debut novel before one of the main events.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I follow Raymond Chandler’s advice – when in doubt have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand.

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

No, it’s more like the other way around. It sometimes feels like Donald Trump is modelling himself after my Mayor character.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Normally, I just use names that seem to fit the character. I sometimes take the name of a jazz/blues artist and then change a few letters. The name of my main character, Patrick O’Hare was derived from Pat Hare, a blues guitarist notorious for killing two people.

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

I’ve tried many different processes, including using detailed outlines, but for ‘THEY SHOOT CORPSES…’ I just winged it, with no idea what was going to happen from one chapter to the next.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Elmore Leonard, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Chester Himes, Joe R. Lansdale.

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

I would ask Stephen King why he used the name Spike Milligan for the main character in his short story ‘Morning Deliveries’. That’s been bugging me for years.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes. I used to love Enid Blyton’s ‘Secret Seven’ books. By the time I hit my teenage years I was reading James Herbert books about people getting eaten alive by rats. I’m not quite sure how I made the transition from one to the other.

When did you start to write?

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing. When I was growing up we had an old-fashioned typewriter at home and I used to write stories on that because my handwriting was terrible. (It still is.)

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

Jaws. In the original book, Brody and company are a pretty obnoxious bunch. I found myself rooting for the shark to win.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Catch 22. I wish I had a mind that could come up with a just a fraction of the ideas that Heller manages to throw around in that book..

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

‘Not wrong, just different’

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

I’d like to invite Leonard Pine from Joe R Lansdale’s Hap & Leonard novels, and take him anywhere that sells vanilla cookies.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on a sequel, entitled ‘THE GHOUL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.’

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

When my debut novel was published, it was such a feeling of relief that I actually forgot to celebrate.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I am on the usual social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, or by casting runes into a dark pit. Details are on my website, which is http://www.stumcwriter.com

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I published my novel under the name CS McLean to avoid confusion with another Stuart McLean, a Canadian humourist known for his Vinyl Cafe stories.

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

An original blend of crime fiction and horror – Zombie Noir.
Pat O’Hare is the only (living) private detective in Farrelton, a crime-ridden city still recovering from the ravages of an undead uprising. Pat is hired to find the missing granddaughter of a rich industrialist. But, what starts out as simple enough job turns into a fight for survival as he finds himself pulled into a deadly mystery where nobody can be trusted. Helped only by a trigger happy ex-cop and a washed up boxer with a pathological fear of trees, Pat has to use every trick in the book just to stay alive. Caught between corrupt police, gun-wielding hitmen and a ruthless crime lord, Pat soon learns that the zombies are not the most dangerous creatures in town.

happy reading 🙂

Welcome to my stop on Liz Treachers’ The Wrong Envelope blog tour with Love Books Tours 🙂

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Tours for arranging the following interview with Liz Treacher…..

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

I’m a writer and a Creative Writing tutor. I’ve written two novels – ‘The Wrong Envelope’, and a sequel, ‘The Wrong Direction’, both published. They are set in 1920 and tell a light, witty tale of a romance between Bernard, a London artist and Evie, a Devon post lady. They use humour and irony to explore the years just after the First World War. Life was trying to return to normal but the shadow of the conflict still hung over everyone. I also work as an art photographer and I think that my love of images influences the way I write.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

A few years ago, I stumbled across a tiny suitcase belonging to my late grandmother. It was full of letters written to her by two soldiers during the First World War. I was fascinated by their tone and content and began to immerse myself in the way people communicated at that time. I wanted to write two novels that would explore letter writing, but I didn’t want to set them during the war itself. 1920 seemed a good year. Although the fighting was well and truly over, the effects were still being felt. Women found themselves in a very difficult position. They had possibly lost brothers or sweethearts at the front. Added to this, the jobs they had so competently covered during the war were being taken away again and given back to returning soldiers. I wanted to expose the problems people faced.

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

I don’t really base characters on people I know but places I know have a big influence on where my books are set. In my first novel, The Wrong Envelope I wanted to revisit the high-hedged Devon lanes I loved when I was younger, and a particular house which was quite dreamlike the way it sat, tall-chimneyed in a sunny garden. That house became High View, and Bernard Cavalier, artist and hero of The Wrong Envelope spends a summer there.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I tend to start with one name that I really like and then get the others to fit around it. My grandmother was called Phoebe, and I think it’s a lovely name and it felt suitably dated for a 1920s book so I gave that name to my favourite character, (Bernard’s romantic correspondent). Then I set about finding names that would go with it. Evie, the heroine was next. Originally, I called her best friend Crassie, but I didn’t like the ‘Cr’ sound so changed it to Cassie.

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

I try and write in the mornings because that’s when my brain works best (!) But the first half of the morning usually involves deleting or rewriting half of what I wrote the day before. Coffees are a must. Once I have an overall plan for a novel, I tend to write the ‘best’ bits first and leave the trickier scenes till last. (Tricky scenes need coffee and chocolate!) I always try and have a walk every day and if I’m stuck, I have a long walk and take my mobile so if I have any ideas I can dictate them while I remember. (That also works if I wake up with an idea in the middle of the night!)

I’m sure I’m not the first writer to say this but, once created, characters are hard to control. While I was editing The Wrong Envelope, rather than towing the line and cooperating with rewrites, the characters started whispering: ‘You don’t think that’s it do you? Surely you realise there’s more? And then they started telling me what happened next. So, as I was trying to finish the first book, they were already dictating the second.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Nicole Krauss

Helen Sedgwick

Maggie O’Farrell

E M Forster

Michel Faber

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

I would meet Shakespeare and ask him if he really wrote all those plays…

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes! I loved books. I could read a whole series, one after the other, like the ‘Anne of Avonlea’ books or ‘Little Women’ etc. I guess it’s like the equivalent of gorging on box-sets these days! I always felt cheated that the book stopped when the ‘happy ending’ was reached and I didn’t get to see what happened next!

When did you start to write?

I’d always written bits and bobs, short stories and poems, but never submitted anything for publication and I never embarked on a novel. Then about three years ago, when I was reading some letters my grandmother was sent during the First World War, I got an idea for a plot involving letters and that became The Wrong Envelope which was published in November 2017.

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

That’s a really interesting question! When I read the end of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, (a book I loved) I was devastated and felt like writing to the author to complain! But then when I saw the film, which of course has a different ending, I realised that the book ending worked much better. So now I think that the first ending is probably the right one.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

I wish I’d written The History of Love by Nicole Krauss. It’s wonderful in every way.

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

‘Better late than never!’

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

I would invite Reta Winters, the mother and writer from the novel Unless by Carol Shields. I loved her honesty and her vulnerability and her fury. I’d take her to our local chocolate shop for what’s known as a ‘Mountain Mocha’ and talk to her about writing and being a Mum.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on a darker, contemporary novel about a hapless commuter and a mysterious life-death coach. It explores the themes of family, relationships and our desperate search for fulfilment in life.

Tell us about your last release?

My last release was The Wrong Direction, the sequel to The Wrong Envelope. It’s about what happens after ‘the happy ending’.

Do you have a new release due?

Unfortunately, my current novel is still at the 99^th draft stage…

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

When my second novel, The Wrong Direction was released as a paperback, I had a launch in my local bookstore, with my husband playing 1920s tunes on a piano. Then friends came home for tea and something stronger. It was 1 December and we sat by the wood-burning stove and talked for hours.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Twitter @liztreacher

Facebook @LizTreacherAuthor

Instagram liztreacher

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

The Wrong Envelope

Summer 1920 and two different lives are about to collide.
Evie Brunton is a hard-working Devon post lady. She spins along country lanes on her bicycle, delivering letters from a heavy post bag. Bernard Cavalier is a lazy London artist. He swans around Mayfair, quaffing champagne with the smart set. So when Bernard is packed off to Devon to prepare for an important exhibition, and drops like a meteor into Evie’s sleepy village, there is bound to be trouble. Away from the distractions of London, Bernard is supposed to be painting, but the countryside has its own charms, in particular his young post lady…
Light and witty, and full of twists and turns, The Wrong Envelope captures the spirit of another age, when letters could change lives.
‘Evie is a splendid heroine. She thinks for herself and has a strong moral compass, but her fatal flaw is Bernard. He’s a blustering, impulsive yet endearing character, with a great deal to learn about life, and about Evie.’ – Alison Munro

happy reading 🙂

Welcome to my stop on David Barker’s White Gold blog tour with Love Books Tours!

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Tours for arranging the following interview with David Barker…..

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

Hi, I’ve been writing for about five years now after spending nearly 25 years trying to predict the future as an economist in the city. My three books form the Gaia trilogy, set in a near-future where geopolitics, terrorism, climate change and scarce resources form a volatile backdrop. Sim Atkins and Freda Brightwell are the main characters – British agents trying to keep the peace.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I was studying commodity markets about 10 years ago, and while everybody was focused on the oil price, it became clear that a lot of trends were pointing to an almost inevitable problem with freshwater (thanks to climate change and demographics). So, my first novel Blue Gold is set during a world war for water.

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

Not directly, but I certainly use traits from different people I know to help make the characters seem more rounded.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Sim and Freda were chosen because of the allegory underlying Blue Gold. Two famous characters from one of the best trilogies of all. That’s all I’m saying… you’ll have to figure it out for yourself.

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

Each of my books so far have been published in May, which means getting the final copy to the publisher in the autumn. As soon as that’s in, I will spend the rest of the year working on the first draft of a new project (having spent the summer gathering thoughts and ideas). Then early in the new year, I’ll do a big edit on the first draft, maybe with the help of beta readers and fine tune it over the spring.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Douglas Adams was a genius of vision and humour. I love Neil Gaiman’s works, he seems able to write for adults and children, in novel form and graphic novels. So impressive. Iain Banks had a fantastic imagination and I particularly love his Culture novels. Elmore Leonard’s characters are brilliant and his dialogue is top-notch. And finally, Tolkien because he broke the mould.

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

Douglas Adams and I would ask him, very politely, if he could please not die so young and maybe write us a dozen more novels, pretty please.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Most definitely. Looking back on it, I remember long summer holidays (my parents were both teachers) when we would spend hours on the beach. In between the swimming, the cricket and the sandcastles, the whole family would always have our nose in a book.

When did you start to write?

In a way, I have always written. But my early career as an economist allowed little scope for imagination. So, I tried to make my reports succinct, clear and as interesting as possible. Surprisingly hard and a very good discipline!

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?

I loved the first 90% of All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy but the ending didn’t live up to the brilliance that had gone before. To Kill A Mockingbird is probably the best novel ever written for all sorts of reasons. I wouldn’t mind having that on my CV!

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

Always looking up. I’m an optimist and I’m also shorter than average…

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

Captain Ahab, and it would have to be to a branch of Starbucks (named after his chief mate in Moby Dick).

What are you working on right now?

A middle-grade children’s adventure. It’s set in a dystopian vision of Britain when the country is torn apart by civil war (I bet you can’t guess the inspiration for that!). 12-year old Pax is just trying to survive the school bully, exams, first girlfriends but soon discovers he has a greater destiny.

Tell us about your last release?

In White Gold, British agents Sim Atkins and Freda Brightwell are re-united for another adventure. In this one, they are trying to prevent the Terror Formers from committing a global atrocity. Sim is distracted by personal issues that relate to the previous mission – Rose Gold – and has to risk his family to expose the terrorists. As for Freda, she has to escape from maximum security prison and evade an unstoppable assassin before the mission even begins!

Do you have a new release due?

Nope. Still trying to find a home for my children’s story, and my next thriller for grown-ups is only at the gestation stage.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Not that much really. For my first two books I had the launch party on the publication day itself which was a great way to celebrate. But this time, for various reasons, they are on different dates.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I keep my website refreshed with new content, such as short stories, updates about forthcoming events or just what I’ve been reading recently. www.davidbarkerauthor.co.uk. I am fairly active on twitter: @BlueGold201.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Dystopian futures (mine and others) are not meant to depress the reader. They are meant to serve as a warning and as a wake-up call. We can still make a difference if we change our behaviour, support some great charities and if we demand change from our leaders.

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

Blurb

VENGEANCE ALWAYS HAS A PRICE

Sim Atkins, Overseas Division agent, returns to Earth, having saved the Moon base from a deadly terrorist plot (see Rose Gold). All Sim can think about is finding the criminals responsible.

But his fury and lust for revenge are put on hold when a nuclear warhead is stolen by Terra Former leader Matthias Larsson. Can Sim and his colleagues track down the terrorist cell and disarm the device in time?

White Gold is the gripping finale in the compellingly original Gaia Trilogy, page-turning thrillers that provoke as well as excite.

Author Bio

David was born in Cheshire but now lives in Berkshire. His working life has been spent in the City, first for the Bank of England and now as Chief Economist for an international fund. So his job entails trying to predict the future all the time. David attended the Faber Academy course and he still meets up with his inspirational fellow students.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2WCPQai

happy reading 🙂

Happy Paperback Publication Day, Misha 🙂

Having thoroughly enjoyed City Of Secrets (Adventures of Letty Parker Book 1) I was very keen to read Bridge Of Lies and I think this book is even better than the first. I think the fact that some of the characters were already familiar to me this time helps, but it is so beautifully written with some beautifully descriptive language it’s hard not to get swept up in Letty’s world and escape from ours for a while.

Although aimed at readers aged eight and above, I know it will be enjoyed by children and adults alike. I think it would sound great read aloud and enjoyed by the whole family.

Letty is such a brilliant character. Feisty and independent, but completely loveable amongst an array of other unique and intriguing characters with their own parts to play in this fast-paced adventure story.

This book sees Letty and friends setting up the Letty Parker & Associates Detective Agency and their first ever case sees them dealing with far more than they bargained for. I was certainly on the edge of my seat when it seems like time is running out and fast!
These books would make a great TV series or film in my opinion.

Pure escapism!

I hope there is going to be a book 3.

Many thanks to Misha Herwin for my review copy.

Via AmazonUK…..

Letty Parker & Associates Detective Agency is finally in business. But before they can take on their first case, Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s famous suspension bridge is blown up. Letty decides to investigate but getting hired is not as easy as she thought, especially when the Dark Ones have their own plans for her. Then there is Ma Pountney and her witches, plus the Bear and his gang of villains. Each determined to stand in Letty’s way. Nothing goes right from the very start and one by one Letty’s friends desert her.

Even in a city, crowded with folk arriving for the Balloon Festival, Letty finds herself alone – and in the greatest of danger.

Bridge of Lies is the next book in the Adventures of Letty Parker. Following on from City of Secrets, it is a magical fantasy adventure for 8-12 year olds set in an alternative world.

Click here to buy a copy…..

About the author…..

Misha Herwin was born in England of Polish parents. English was not her first language but once she learned to speak it, she has never stopped. At twelve she wrote and staged her first play in a theatre made from a cardboard box. Since then things have improved and her plays have been both performed in England and Jamaica, where she lived for a while. As Misha M Herwin she has written two novels “Picking up the Pieces” and “House of Shadows”, both published by Penkull Press. “Dragonfire” “Juggler of Shapes” and “Master of Trades” are her fantasy trilogy for kids. “City of Secrets” is her most recent book and is the first in a fantasy adventure series for children. Her stories for adult readers have appeared in a number of anthologies including “A Fairy’s Story,” in “Bitch Lit”, and “The Satan Stones” in “Ancient Wonders,” by Alchemy Press. Her latest “The Loop Line” is in “The Darkest Midnight in December”. Her children are grown up and she lives in Staffordshire England with her husband in a house with a dragon in the garden.

Misha blogs at http://mishaherwin.wordpress.com/

ICYMI…..

City of Secrets (Adventures of Letty Parker) by Misha Herwin @MishaHerwin #BookReview @penkhullpress

happy reading 🙂

Happy Publication Day, Monica! 🙂

BAD SAINT

Volume One

Monica James

Out now!!

I was kidnapped on my honeymoon by three masked men.

Blindfolded.

Bound.

Destination unknown.

I was told to stay silent and abide by their rules. But they didn’t realize I wasn’t a victim…not anymore.

The open sea was my backdrop for nine torturous days. During that time, glimmers of my fate were revealed by a man with the mysterious chartreuse-colored eyes. He should have scared me, but he didn’t.

He intrigued me. And I intrigued him.

He punished me when I didn’t listen, which was every single day. But beneath his cruelty, I sensed he was guarding a grave secret.

I was sold.

And in a game of poker, no less.

My buyer? A Russian mobster who likes to collect pretty things. Now that I know the truth, I only have one choice.

Sink or swim.

And when one fateful night presents me the opportunity, I take it. I just never anticipated my actions would leave me shipwrecked with my kidnapper.

He needs me alive. I want him dead.

But as days turn into weeks, one thing becomes clear—I should hate him…but I don’t.

My name is Willow.

His name is Saint.

Ironic, isn’t it? He bears a name that denotes nothing but holiness yet delivers nothing but hell. However, if this is hell on earth…God, save my soul.

Watch this space for my review!

Release date: May 6^th 2019

Series: All The Pretty Things Trilogy, Volume One

Genre: Dark Romance

BAD SAINT IS NOW LIVE!

Grab your copy NOW!

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/yxe58q3p

Nook: https://tinyurl.com/y4app8va

Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y58j4j5l

iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/y3feoblp

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2TyDsWT

BAD SAINT Play List: https://tinyurl.com/yxsufle5

UK

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y6rjcost

Australia

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y4nuggl3

Canada

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y2b7du7b

***

Bio

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

Stalk Me!

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/monicajames81

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MonicaJames

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormonicajames

Website: http://monicajamesbooks.blogspot.com.au

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/monicajames81

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2E3eCIw

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EWZSyS

Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2nUaRyi

MARK YOUR CALENDERS!

FALLEN SAINT, Volume Two is coming July 16^th 2019!

Pre-Order Now:

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/yxrsvxl6

Nook: https://tinyurl.com/y6t4czko

Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/y25y4p48

iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/y567ojrp

UK

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y28rubpa

Australia

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y3u49byn

Canada

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y5zqmmqq

happy reading 🙂

Welcome to my stop on Sue Lawrence’s Down To The Sea blog tour!

With thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours for arranging the following interview with Sue Lawrence…..

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

A: I trained as a journalist and got into food writing after winning Masterchef, writing regularly for the Sunday Times as well as authoring cookery books – 18 of them, up to now. I moved into writing fiction about eight years ago, and Down to the Sea is my third novel.

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

A: All characters are amalgams of people that I know, or I have previously met.

Q: How do you pick your characters’ names?

A: I try to pick the character names to suit the period, and not to be too difficult to remember. Anything too complicated, and readers could forget them!

Q: Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

A: A few of my top authors are:

Maggie O’Farrell

Isabel Allende

Kate Atkinson

Anita Shreve

Isak Dinesen

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

A: Giuseppe Tomasa di Lampedusa. I would definitely ask him about the amazing Macaroni Pie so beautifully described in the book! (Il Gattopardo, The Leopard)

Q: When did you start to write?

A: I began writing after university and also tried my hand at children’s books whilst working as a journalist.

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

A: Non, je ne regrette rien

Q: Tell us about your last release?

A: Down to the Sea is a historical mystery with a dual narrative, set in Newhaven, Edinburgh. It follows the story of a 19^th-century fisherlassie who was consigned to life in a poorhouse, and a young couple who, 100 years later, are converting the same building into a luxury care home, finding that not all is as it first seemed.

Q: Do you have a new release due?

A: A Taste of Scotland’s Islands is my next cookbook, due to publish in August.

Q: What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

A: A glass of fizz usually does the trick!

Q: How can readers keep in touch with you?

Through Twitter, @SueHLawrence

Q: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

A: I think books and cakes make a winning combination!

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

Blurb

When Rona and Craig buy a large Victorian house up from Edinburgh’s Newhaven district – once teeming with fishing boats – they plan to renovate and set it up as a luxury care home. But something is not quite right: disturbing sounds can be heard when the sea mists swirl; their unpredictable neighbour makes it clear that the house was not always a happy family home. And their ‘characterful’ historic pile has a gloomy cellar harbouring relics from days gone by.

Back in the 1890s, superstitious fishwives blame young Jessie for the deaths of their menfolk in a terrible storm, and she’s forced into the Newhaven Poorhouse. In those less enlightened times, life was often severe, cruel even, and Jessie is entirely at the mercy of a tyrant matron. But one inmate is not all she seems. Jessie begins to pick at the truth, uncovering the secrets and lies that pervade the poorhouse – and which will have profound and dangerous consequences in the future.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2WemLSp

Author Info

As well as writing three very popular and well-reviewed historical mysteries published in the UK and overseas, Sue Lawrence is one of the UK’s leading cookery writers, with eighteen published cookbooks. Having trained as a journalist in Dundee, she won BBC’s MasterChef in 1991 and became a food writer, regularly contributing to Scotland on Sunday, as well as being the Sunday Times’ food writer for six years. Born in Dundee and raised in Edinburgh, she now lives near Newhaven, Edinburgh – the setting for her latest novel. She has won two Guild of Food Writers Awards and a Glenfiddich Food and Drink Award, and now focuses on researching and writing historical fiction.

happy reading 🙂

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Christy Breedlove (AKA Chris Stevenson) to Chat About Books 🙂

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

My early writing accomplishment were multiple hits within a few years: In my first year of writing back in 1987, I wrote three Sf short stories that were accepted by major slick magazines which qualified me for the Science Fiction Writers of America, and at the same time achieved a Finalist award in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. This recognition garnered me a top gun SF agent at the time, Richard Curtis Associates. My first novel went to John Badham (Director) and the Producers, the Cohen Brothers. Only an option, but an extreme honor. The writer who beat me out of contention for a feature movie, was Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. My book was called Dinothon.

A year after that I published two best-selling non-fiction books and landed on radio, TV, in every library in the U.S. and in hundreds of newspapers.

I have been trying to catch that lightning in a bottle ever since. My YA dystopian novel, The Girl They Sold to the Moon won the grand prize in a publisher’s YA novel writing contest, went to a small auction and got tagged for a film option. So, I’m getting there.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I once wondered what would happen to a very old dream catcher that was overloaded with dreams and nightmares. What if the nightmares were too sick or horrible to contain? What if the web strings could not hold anymore negative images? Would the dream catcher melt, burst, vanish, implode? Something would have to give, if too much evil was allowed to congregate in one spot. I found nothing on the Internet that offered a solution to this problem, and asked myself why hasn’t anybody used this? So I took it upon myself to answer such a nagging question. Like too much death on a battlefield could inundate the immediate area with lost and angry spirits, so could a dream catcher hold no more of its fill of sheer terror without somehow morphing or transforming. What would it be like to be caught up in another world inside the webs of a dream catcher, and how the heck would you ever get out?

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

I see myself in all of my characters, male or female. No matter the gender, they are human beings, with the same thoughts, loves, hardships, and happy times. My male MCs are typically shy but very strong in subtle ways. Clint Eastwood is a prime example of what I call an “Alpheta”, which is the best parts of an Alpha male, minus the controlling, harsh, dominating, loud-mouthed characteristics. So I guess I’m an AlphaBeta male. Gak!

How do you pick your characters’ names?

First and foremost, I use all of my relatives and family names in my books. I do this as a tease and a sense of joy and surprise. I think my family members enjoy having roles and reading about themselves. I don’t make any of them bad characters, per se, but they do have their faults and personality quirks.

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

Nothing special there at all. I don’t have a rigid schedule. If I wake up and I know I have free time, then I will devote that free time to my WIP. I don’t use excuses not to write, so I don’t block up that bad. I know it requires discipline and persistence. I’ll take a break about every four hours, and it’s not unusual for me to press on for eight to 10 hours. My normal day is about five hours.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

This is a strange brew; Poul Anderson, Alan Dean Foster, Michael Crichton, Peter Benchley, Joseph Wambaugh. Steve King sneaks in there occasionally.

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

That would have to be Issac Asimov. He authored hundreds of books, fiction and non-fiction, plus dozens of short stories and articles. I figured if anybody knew what they were talking about it would have to be him. I could learn so much from him. Oh, Anne Rice too.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I was not a big reader as a child at all. I never remember reading books or short stories. That only happened when I reached my late 20s. I did have assigned reading projects in school, but they were far, few and in between. I was a late bloomer.

When did you start to write?

I became a writer very early on in about 1974 when I wrote about five SF novels longhand in spiral notebooks. But it wasn’t until 1986 when I read a short story in Twilight Zone Magazine that the writing bug really hit me. I was so impressed with the structure of the story, I thought I could duplicate the feat, and started writing short stories right away. I wasn’t prepared for how difficult it was to be published, even by small press.

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?

Nope. I’m satisfied with all that I’ve written. Some endings have faded out, and some went out with a bang. However, my first review of Screamcatcher ended with a reviewer wishing that the ending might not have been so predictable. I’m still scratching my head over that one. Time will tell as more reviews come in.

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

I hate to be dramatic, but my writing life has been dramatic and filled with trials and tribulations. I would title it “Impossible Odds.”

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

Well, provided she looked like Helen Slater, I would invite Supergirl out on a date. She might be a veggie, so I would take her to a vegan restaurant. I wouldn’t mind her taking me on a flight around the city.

What are you working on right now?

The Screamcatcher books; The Dream Chasers (book 2) and The Shimmering Eye (book 3) have to be editorially prepped pretty soon, so they are next. My new standalone is a Middle Grade Portal fantasy. It’s in serious triage at the moment.

Tell us about your last release?

Screamcatcher: Web World, is a YA portal fantasy, something likened to the Narnia World. It has high stakes like The Hunger Games. I’m in the process of acquiring reviews and interviews for it. My whole campaign for it revolves around promotion and marketing. It is a huge job, very time consuming, but a lot of fun too. I get to meet people like you!

Do you have a new release due?

Only Screamcatcher so far. And then the next two in the series.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I surely don’t relax. It means my publisher and myself have to announce it to the world, via every social media source I have, and there are many of those.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

The can follow me on FB, FB Author page, Twitter, Pinterest, SSF, Author’s Den, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Kindle Boards and other social platforms.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Kerry, what you are doing is such an unselfish gesture for us scribblers, it goes without saying that it is people like you who sustain and promote literature. I want to thank you on behalf of all of us who appear in your pages. I think someone ought to pin a medal on you for service above and beyond the call of duty. It was my pleasure to be here.

What a lovely thing to say 🙂 It is an absolute pleasure to share the book love! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!

Amazon Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Harold-Stevenson/e/B001K8UUBK

Christy’s Website:  https://christysyoungadultfabuliers.com/

Blog:  http://guerrillawarfareforwriters.blogspot.com/

Screamcatcher

 When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent’s deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she’s half blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Indian lore is so yesterday, but she’s willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory’s most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They’re in an alternate universe—locked inside of an insane web world filled with murders, beasts and thieves. How can they find the center of the web where all good things are allowed to pass? Where is the light of salvation? Are they in hell?

happy reading 🙂

I spent a lovely few hours at my local library today listening to some local authors share their writing with us. The event was opened with a talk by Mary Torjussen which was both entertaining and informative. Mary Torjussen is a new-to-me-author who I first came across thanks to a fellow book blogger’s review of her debut novel Gone Without A Trace, which has been on my bookshelf since. I was lucky enough to get it signed by the lady herself today as well as grabbing a signed copy of her second novel, The Girl I Used To Be 🙂

I was also gifted a copy of Buried Tears by Vivien Jones, another new-to-me-author, which was so kind of her.

Here was the line up…..

I have to say Spoz the Poet is just brilliant! It was a real pleasure to hear him recite poems to us from memory, with accents and all. Such talent! 

Mary Torjussen…..

Amazon Author Page

Mary Mae Lewis…..

http://www.author-marymaelewis.co.uk/

Facebook:@solymarpublishing

Mary Mae Lewis has been writing all of her life; she has kept a diary since she was sixteen and it is from the pages of her memoirs that her fiction is born.

Mary Mae has had articles published in the Press, including The Telegraph, and is also a published poet.

The Author has always been a prolific letter writer, too, and prides herself on having kept most correspondence ever sent to her… in fact, her dream is to write forever!

The Stoke-on-Trent born Mary Mae, always had a yearning to live in foreign climes and, together with husband, Chris, and their first son, lived in Grand Cayman for four years and then Malawi for five, where two other sons were born. Mary is now a frequent visitor to The United States, where one son and his and family live and has also visited Australia where both her brother, and a long standing pen-friend reside.

In Grand Cayman, Mary Mae worked as a reporter for the Island’s weekly newspaper and as a copy writer/account executive for the monthly magazine, The Northwester. In Malawi, she was Secretary of the local Golf Club and produced a monthly newsletter with all the local Expat news.

Mary Mae excelled in sports and as a teacher helped others to fulfil their potential (she loved netball and was a champion swimmer ). She taught English as a foreign language for the last ten years of her working life, after completing a degree in Combined Studies, with Spanish and French as her main subjects.

The Author, now spends her time equally between Southern Spain – where she does most of her writing – and Newcastle-under-Lyme, where she enjoys buying and selling antiques, and delving into local history.

Mary Mae Lewis Amazon Author Page

John Anakwenze…..

Do you have a terrible memory from your childhood that you can’t escape? Maybe you remember it daily, or maybe there is a certain trigger that takes you back to that time and place. Udenka, a boy in Nigeria, thought his painful memories were left in the past. His childhood was difficult; he was small, underfed and struggled to make it through school. Poverty, civil war and death were all trying to block his future. Despite this, he used his humble persistence and intelligence to eventually become a doctor. However, one experience in his past was different than the rest: the bee chase. Read on to share in his journey and uncover how a traumatic sight in Udenka’s young life vibrantly comes back to him, even with all else he has overcome in the passing years.

Vivien Jones…..

Vivien grew up in a small terraced house in the village of Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England with her three brothers and two sisters. She married in 1971 and has one daughter, a son-in-law and a grandson.

After leaving Summerbank Secondary Modern Girls’ School at fifteen years of age Vivien continued to study part-time and finally graduated as a mature student from Manchester Metropolitan University with a BA (Hons) degree in Professional Studies in Education. She worked for many years as a Lecturer in Medical Administration at Stoke-on-Trent College.

Vivien Jones Amazon Author Page

Phil Emery…..

Phil Emery teaches creative writing in Britain. His work has been published in the UK, USA, Europe and Canada since the seventies. Besides a novel, “Necromantra”, published in 2005, a radio play, “Virtual Grafix”, was produced by Minute Radio Drama and a short story, “ID” is regularly broadcast on BBC radio since 2007. Other short stories appear in a variety of locations, including several of the “Rogue Blades” anthologies. In 2003 he was jointly awarded a script development grant from the PAWS Drama Fund. The play “Sirens” was performed in 2006 at Leicester and Staffordshire universities and the monologue “Identity Crisis” can be found on thegoodearreview.com website. He was nominated for the Rhysling long poem award in 2000. The novelette, “Blasphemer” came out from Damnation Press at the end of 2010, and another book, “The Shadow Cycles”, came out in 2011. The short stories “Vicious Circle” and “Pricks of Conscience” are now available on NAWE’s Cutalongstory website (http://www.cutalongstory.com/authors/phil-emery/1095.html) A story and verse collection, “The Celt in the Machine” is now out in e-book and “Echoes out of Abaddon”, an e-chapbook of gothic monologues, was released at Halloween!

Phil Emery Amazon Author Page

Phil Tittensor…..

John Baverbrook was an ordinary man with a dangerous job and a tendency to play as hard as he worked. He was also a dreamer, so when a stranger with a story so implausible it might just be true crossed his path, he was hooked.

The Nubian Quest tells Baverbrook’s story, as he plans a mission to recover an ancient artefact, passed down through generations of his new acquaintance’s family. His tenacity to solve the mystery surrounding the object leads him from the desert of southern Egypt, to the spires of Oxford and the United Nations in New York, eventually taking him to a place unseen by human eyes for almost three-thousand years.

Baverbrook enlists the help of old friends in his adventure, but events do-not go entirely as planned. It’s not long before he is forced to trust strangers with his life to see the job done, particularly as his exploits have not gone unnoticed by the world’s superpower. A game of cat and mouse with United States military intelligence ensues, running the risk of global Armageddon. Only Baverbrook can put right the ensuing mayhem… if he can piece together the jigsaw in time.

Julie Bagnall…..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cissie-Bella-familys-Julie-Bagnall/dp/0993055532/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=julie+bagnall&qid=1556988043&s=digital-text&sr=1-2-catcorr

Roger Bloor…..

Dr. Roger Bloor is a retired consultant psychiatrist and former Senior Lecturer and Teaching Fellow at Keele University School of Medicine. He was prior to his retirement the Lead for Medical Humanities at Keele and has written scientific research papers, popular medical journal articles, medical history articles and has also been writing poetry for over 60 years.
Some of his poetry writing is influenced by his experiences as a Royal Air Force Medical Branch psychiatrist and a specialist in Addiction Psychiatry the remainder owes a great deal to life in general.
I have poems published or in press in The Hippocrates Prize Anthology 2017, Poetry Now Anthology ” Growing Old’, Allegro Poetry , Affect Publications ‘StillBorn’ & Words for the Wild Anthology 2018.

My collection of Poems ‘A Less Clear Dream’ was shortlisted for the Arnold Bennet Book Prize 2018.

Roger Bloor Amazon Author Page

Misha Herwin…..

Misha Herwin was born in England of Polish parents. English was not her first language but once she learned to speak it, she has never stopped. At twelve she wrote and staged her first play in a theatre made from a cardboard box. Since then things have improved and her plays have been both performed in England and Jamaica, where she lived for a while. As Misha M Herwin she has written two novels “Picking up the Pieces” and “House of Shadows”, both published by Penkull Press. “Dragonfire” “Juggler of Shapes” and “Master of Trades” are her fantasy trilogy for kids. “City of Secrets” is her most recent book and is the first in a fantasy adventure series for children. Her stories for adult readers have appeared in a number of anthologies including “A Fairy’s Story,” in “Bitch Lit”, and “The Satan Stones” in “Ancient Wonders,” by Alchemy Press. Her latest “The Loop Line” is in “The Darkest Midnight in December”. Her children are grown up and she lives in Staffordshire England with her husband in a house with a dragon in the garden.

Misha blogs at http://mishaherwin.wordpress.com/

Misha Herwin Amazon Author Page

Jan Edwards…..

Jan Edwards – Winner of the Arnold Bennett Book Prize (for her crime novel ‘Winter Downs’) Recipient of a Karl Edward Wagner award (British Fantasy Awards) and Recipient of the Winchester Slim Volume award (for Sussex Tales). Short listed for both the British Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction and Best Collection.

Her short fiction has appeared in many crime, folk horror, horror, pulp, weird fiction, main stream and urban fantasy anthologies. For full list of writing credits follow the link to: Author Bibliography (Details here) inc Bookmuse Reccommended Read award for her crime novel, Winter Downs!

She is part of the script team writing Olive Hawthorne: Daemons of Devils End – a 3 disc Dr Who DVD. As an editor Jan has produced fiction anthologies with editing partner Jenny Barber for The Alchemy Press and Fox Spirit Press. Jan has ghost written for several other titles.

Born in Sussex, despite her thoroughly celtic parentage, Jan is currently living in Staffs Moorlands with 3 cats and husband, Peter Coleborn. In addition to being a writer she is also a Reiki Master Teacher and Meditational Healer and has been (in no particular order) Master Locksmith, motorcycle seller, bookseller, civil servant, ostler, market gardener, librarian…

BA hons, Eng. Lit. with creative writing; past chairperson of the British Fantasy Society and Fantasycon organiser.

Jan Edwards Amazon Author Page

Jem Shaw…..

Jem became fascinated by words in a small primary school in Sutton Coldfield and by the age of five and a half had consumed all of the available Dick and Dora stories and moved onto a child’s edition of Homer’s Odyssey.

His love affair with aviation came a little earlier. Brought up close to Castle Bromwich aerodrome in the early post-war years, he would pursue his father and elder brother into the back garden to watch Spitfires, Walruses and, later on, Vampires and Venoms as they swept over the chimneys.

Nowadays he spends as much as possible of his time aloft in venerable aircraft. He earns part of his living by writing articles and designing and developing web applications for one of the world’s largest flyable vintage aircraft collections.

So given these ingredients it’s pretty inexcusable that he passed the age of sixty before it occurred to him to put them together and write a novel.

He lives in Staffordshire with his long-suffering wife and enjoys the peace that results when the kids grow up and leave home.

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Raquel Rich to Chat About Books 🙂

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

My debut novel, Hamartia, follows Grace, a woman on a mission to save her son from a horrific disease plaguing the human race. Metagenesis is the name of the disease. When a soul has completed too many lifecycles, it dies, leaving the host prematurely, never to be reincarnated again. Grace puts her trust in a doctor who promises a cure for her son through an illegal clinical trial, travelling back in time and cloning souls. When she discovers the doctor has omitted crucial information—saving her son would come at a great cost—she is forced into an ethical dilemma. The human race is counting on Grace to let her son die.

Hamartia is a sci-fi adventure (time travel) for adults. It’s written in YA style, with quick chapters and mini cliffhangers meant to keep you up reading. All. Night. Long.

A bit about me: This week, my hubby and I are proudly celebrating 25 years together. I’m a mom to two boys aged 24 and 21 and I never tire of people thinking they’re my siblings. Sadie, my sweet bluetick coonhound, is one of my favourite “people”. Obviously I love to read, but I’m also addicted to learning about other cultures. Travelling is a symptom of my addiction and I see no signs of quitting.

I am a proud member of Broad Universe, an international, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, encouraging, honoring, and celebrating women writers and editors in science fiction, fantasy, horror and other speculative genres.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

A conversation at a science museum with my son about a fears and phobia exhibit sparked the idea of Hamartia. After that, it didn’t take much to inspire me. Any museum, song lyric, lucid dream, long car ride, or afternoon walk would result in a head filled with cool plot twists.

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

Grace’s best friend, Kay, is loosely based on my real life best friend. She is loyal, hilarious, smart, and the most selfless person I know. The rest of the characters are completely made up. Any similarities between other characters and my real life family and friends can be attributed to laziness. While writing my first draft, I often borrowed appearances and characteristics from people in my real life as placeholders but then I didn’t bother to modify them during revisions.

How do you pick your characters names?

My main character, Grace, was named after a friend’s ex-wife who knowingly made a terrible mistake. She lost the respect of many for a selfish decision and I remember thinking it ironic that her name was Grace because in the eyes of many, she had ‘fallen from grace’ just like my main character had. My sister named most of the other characters, using names of those she loved and hated in her real life, accordingly.

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

If I’m writing indoors I listen to music. Once the summer hits, I’m outdoors with my laptop. Regardless of the season, I write every single morning without fail. I start at 8AM and stop when either; A) I get bored, or B) My dog gets bored watching me. In both cases, I take my dog for a walk which doubles as a brainstorming session for me. I do my best thinking during long walks and drives.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I might be the only author in the history of the world who doesn’t have a favourite author. I pay little attention to who wrote the book. I choose my reads based on cover, title, and reviews. Then, if the story grabs me in the first chapter, I commit. I rarely read the book jacket.

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

Octavia E. Butler. I wouldn’t ask her anything. I’d just thank her for helping to pave the road for female sci-fi writers of colour like me.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Oh yes. Big time. My tastes varied from Goosebumps, Babysitters Club, Sweet Valley Twins / High, and anything Stephen King. Yes, I started reading Stephen King when I was ten-years-old. It was scary AF.

When did you start to write?

I don’t recall when I started to write because I don’t recall a time when I wasn’t writing. I remember creating scripts for my Barbies to act out and I would spend hours rehearsing and revising until I was satisfied. As for writing for a living, I was thirty-three.

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

I wasn’t keen on how the Hunger Games trilogy ended. I know the author was trying to show Katniss suffering with PTSD but I felt it too heavy a topic for a YA novel. It also annoyed me how nicely the story wrapped up with her and Peeta and a couple of kids.

If I had written the ending, I would’ve toned down Katniss’s PSTD and Peeta’s after affects from the experiments conducted on him. I also wouldn’t have shown them as a couple with their children. Instead, I would’ve ended the story with the two of them memorializing her sister, Prim, and hinted that the two of them ended up together without spelling it out for the reader.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Not really. I mean, who doesn’t wish they had written the Harry Potter series? But we all know why.

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

title: 101 Ways to Make Lemonade

subtitle: why my life doesn’t suck despite all the lemons

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

I have a small obsession with Beauty & The Beast. The first time I met Belle, I was the only adult in line without a kid by my side. I was giddy and near tears when I finally made it to the front of the line, practically throwing my camera at the person behind me to take a picture. I was thirty-three.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on Deus Ex Machina, the sequel to Hamartia. If I told you more, I’d have to silence you. 

Do you have a new release due?

I plan to release Deus Ex Machina around Hamartia’s one year book-iversary.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

After I yell and scream and jump around my house like a lunatic, I put on a pretty dress and go out for dinner my family.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I blog about life and my travels here: https://www.raquelrich.com

Like my Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRaquelRich/

Follow me on Twitter: @RaquelRiosRich

Follow me on Instagram: rich.raquel

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

Grace’s nine-year-old son, Jordan, is dying. First, the Metagenesis disease will tear his soul from his body, and then it will kill him. Desperate for a cure, Grace agrees to take part in an illegal clinical trial cloning souls. Supported by her best friend Kay, the two embark on the ultimate “Vegas Vacation” to the past in search of the right soul to clone, racing against time to save Jordan’s life. But someone is trying to stop them and when they discover why Grace must make a choice: let her son die or kill her husband. If she kills her husband, she triggers widespread Metagenesis, sealing the fate of the human race with a new plague.

Humanity is counting on Grace choosing to let her son die.

A link to the trailer: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN-byRKWNeY 

happy reading 🙂