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.

Here are my reviews from April 2018 (including links to previous years)…..

The Small Hand by Susan Hill #BookReview

Manipulated Lives by HALeuschel @HALeuschel #BlogBlitz #BookReview #Giveaway @rararesources

Looking at the Stars by Lewis Hine @hine_hin @BlinkPublishing @bonnier_publish @friendfinder10 #mylifemybigprom #BookReview #lookingatthestars

A Home at Honeysuckle Farm by Christie Barlow📚 @ChristieJBarlow @HarperImpulse #BlogTour #BookReview @rararesources

The Accident by CL Taylor @callytaylor #BookReview

The Key to Death’s Door by Mark Tilbury @MTilburyAuthor #BlogTour #BookReview @Bloodhoundbook @sarahhardy681

Flashback Friday April 2018…..

#FlashbackFriday with @SandyTaylorAuth @lucy_dillon @RSinclairAuthor @TillyTenWriter @Caroline_writes @SteveScaffardi

Have you read any of the above?

What were you reading this time last year?

Please do join in if you have the time, I’d love to see your posts.

(Don’t forget to share your link with us in the comments if you do.)

happy reading 🙂

I am OVER THE MOON to be one of the lucky book bloggers kicking off Jan Edwards’s In Her Defence blog tour 🙂

Bunch Courtney is back and is as feisty as ever! She is an excellent character and it has been great to catch up with her again.

Set in Sussex in the month of May, in 1940, In Her Defence is book 2 in the Bunch Courtney series. It starts with Bunch meeting her pregnant sister, Dodo, for lunch on market day and witnessing the horrific murder of a Dutch girl. It’s obvious she has been poisoned, but by who? And why? Bunch is unable to just leave the investigation to the police. She can’t help but try to help figure things out, however often she is warned about interfering!

When an old school friend, Cecile, gets in touch saying that her father has been murdered in a similar way, alarm bells start ringing and Bunch is convinced these poisonings can’t just be a coincidence. She is determined to discover the truth and Cecile’s secretive behaviour is causing her even more concern.

Jan Edwards knows how to write interesting characters with interesting stories to tell. The descriptive language transported me to a time and place I obviously have no experience of, but could easily imagine as I lost myself in the story. It’s so beautifully written, I was completely captivated.

I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good murder mystery, historical or otherwise.

Bunch Courtney’s hopes for a quiet market-day lunch with her sister are shattered when a Dutch refugee dies a horribly painful death before their eyes. A few days later Bunch receives a letter from her old friend Cecile saying that her father, Professor Benoir, has been murdered in an eerily similar fashion. Two deaths by poisoning in a single week. Co-incidence? Bunch does not believe that any more than Chief Inspector William Wright.

Buy link…..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Defence-Bunch-Courtney-Investigation/dp/0993000894/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=In+her+defence&qid=1554313021&s=gateway&sr=8-1

If you haven’t read book 1, Winter Downs, as yet, then I highly recommend that you do. It was the winner of the Arnold Bennett Award don’t you know!

About the author…..

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.

happy reading 🙂

I am thrilled to be joining in with Monica James’s #BADSAINT cover/blurb reveal today!

Check this out…..

BAD SAINT

Volume One

Monica James

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.

Release date: May 6^th 2019

Series: All The Pretty Things Trilogy, Volume One

Genre: Dark Romance

Cover Designer: Sommer Stein— Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Pre-Order Links

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

UK

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y6rjcost

Australia

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y4nuggl3

Canada

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/y2b7du7b

Excerpt:

The pillowcase and gag are certain to kill me soon, and if not, my racing heart will give out in next to no time. Arms link through mine from behind and help me stand. I know it’s the American. His fragrance gives him away. I stand wearily, but I will stagger to my death before anyone carries me.

“Ten steps,” the American whispers from behind me. I flinch at his muffled voice through the pillowcase. He stands at my back, ensuring I don’t fall. I could mistake his actions for him giving half a shit, but it’s clear that wherever I’m going, they need me alive. If not, they would have killed me already.

This isn’t a robbery. It’s a kidnapping.

Once I shakily descend the ten steps, my feet hit the sand, and in any other circumstance, I could appreciate the softness between my toes. But when I’m pushed and shoved as the American no longer seems to be near, all I can appreciate is that I’m not dead—well, not yet anyway.

Through the pillowcase, I can hear the gentle lapping of the ocean against the shore, but it’s none the wiser that three criminals are about to use it to aid in changing my world forever. When my feet tread water, I jolt with the sudden fear that they’re going to drown me. But that doesn’t make any sense.

If I’m going to survive this, I have to keep my head clear.

“Boat. In,” says someone, maybe Russian two or one. They all sound the same.

I’m yanked up—someone pulling on my floppy arms while the other lifts my legs—and I feel like a chew toy being ripped into two. Once I’m dragged onto the boat, I’m directed on where to go as someone shoves me in the back, screaming at me in a language I don’t understand.

I’m then forced down some stairs where I lose my footing and fall flat onto my stomach. Grunting on impact, I instantly search around, hoping to distinguish where I am—I’m in the bottom of the boat. The galley.

“Stay,” someone commands, ensuring I be the good dog they clearly see me as being.

Fuck them.

I rise slowly, using my hands as eyes as I feel my way around blindly. I need to find a weapon. One small enough to hide. Blood is seeping into my eyes from the wound on my temple, so I close them because I can’t see through this thick pillowcase anyway.

My fingers come into contact with what feels like a small torch. Not the weapon I had in mind, but it’ll have to do.

I’m interrupted when I hear someone tsk me before I’m being dragged by my long hair and hurled against what feels like a cushioned bench seat. The pain in my head just amplifies. “Arms behind. Hands together.”

I shakily comply, sobbing around the gag.

He reaches around me, and when the unmistakable feel of metal snaps around my wrists, I know my freedom is dwindling by the second. He yanks at the handcuffs to ensure they are tight. They are.

My breathless panting reveals my fear, but when I feel the predatory touch at the back of my calves, I freeze. Two hands glide up and down my flesh, humming in satisfaction. He’s on his knees before me.

Oh, god.

“You pretty.” His English is broken, but I’m not lost in translation. I know what he wants.

“We going to have fun, and it’ll be our secret.” Next, I feel a wet tongue lap its way up the side of my calf. The smell of cigarettes and sweat has my stomach roiling.

Adrenaline takes over, and I attempt to kick him, but he’s too fast, chuckling as he pushes down on my ankles. He then begins to bound them with coarse rope.

Once he tugs at my restraints, it sounds like he stands. I try to kick my feet out, but they’re tied to something hard beneath me. I’m bound. Hands and feet. And gagged. I’m not going anywhere.

“She tied up?” I almost sigh in relief when I hear the American. He was the only one who showed me an iota of mercy. The other two scare me. The American doesn’t.

“Yes, like a present. You want to unwrap her?”

I suddenly feel so objectified and dirty and attempt to recoil, but I can’t move. My heart is racing, and my breathing is uneven. The tears have long dried as I’m awaiting their next move.

“Shut the fuck up and let’s go.”

That was not the response I was expecting. The Russian laughs.

“Calm down, неудачник.”

“Fuck you. Up on deck now.” The American talks big and seems to be calling the shots. I wonder who he is?

My only clue to what’s going on is what I hear, and before the hatch closes, I’m presented with clue number one. “Be in Turkey soon. I hope you don’t get seasick, Saint.” Then the hatch closes, leaving me with the sound of the muted voices above me.

Turkey? Why are we going there? But more importantly, I just uncovered the name of my American captor…Saint.

Ironic, isn’t it, that someone who bears a name denoting nothing but holiness can deliver nothing but hell.

Bon voyage.

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

happy reading 🙂

Welcome to my stop on Jonathan de Montfort’s Turner blog tour!

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours for arranging the following interview with Jonathan de Montfort…..

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

About me:

I’m a passionate reader and writer of course; I seemed to be plagued by ideas for new stories in every waking moment, perhaps writing is just a way to get the ideas out of my head!

I like to keep myself fit and train daily in triathlon although I’m fairly mediocre at the three sports! When I have a spare 2 or 3 months, I like to climb the world’s highest mountains. So far, I’ve climbed Aconcagua and Elbrus; I still have dreams about Everest!

On a normal day, I’m a big coffee drinker and I’m relentlessly jibed about my convoluted coffee making routine which involves filtering water, heating all the equipment prior to grinding freshly roasted beans and filtering the coffee!

About Turner:

Turner is a rich, dark, layered text that slowly draws you in before taking you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions in a story about what it means to be human, pure love and the sacrifices people make to preserve those things.

I would say that Turner is not for the faint hearted as there are some graphic depictions, although wholly appropriate for the story, but nevertheless…Warning: it is a rollercoaster of ever increasing pace, so hang on to your hat!!

Where did / do you get your ideas from?

Ideas can strike at any time, for example Turner has been with me since I was 15 years old or so. In its early form it was called Turner’s Chess Game and it was an idea about a person playing a chess game which was symbolising a strategy he was carrying out in the real world. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it gave me goose bumps and I knew I had to write it.

But it’s also important, once you have the inspired scenes down, to plot from beginning to end

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

For sure, in Turner there are quite a few. I think this is always likely for a first book. My second book has far less ‘real world’ characters. In any case, if I know them well, I always tell them in advance, get permission and put in an acknowledgement.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Sometimes I feel a name is exactly correct, like it fits the character for example, Hero, James Turner and Inspector Bertrande. Other times it’s just a random pick from popular girls’ or boys’ names at the time the book is set.

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

I’m a big plotter, from a very early stage in actually writing Turner, I sat down and put a very simple set of steps as to how the protagonist, Richard (or Hero), was going to get from the start of the book as a thirteen-year-old boy to the end of the book, defending the world from evil.

I think story is the most important part and that’s why I spend a large amount of time on plotting and outlining to quite a detailed degree.

I’m in the process of filming a tutorial on how I write. I have a large magnetic white board in my writing room and I have a set of magnetic post it style cards that I can attach to it. Whenever I have an idea for a scene I can write on a new card and attach it to the board. This also allows me to reorganise the rest of the story to accommodate the new idea fairly easily. It also allows me to see the story flow in a glance which naturally helps with keeping the narrative pacing correct.

When writing a scene, firstly I look over the entire story on my story board, pick out the scene I want to write, read through the extensive journalist’s account (an in-depth bullet point outline of the scene) then I ask questions about the scene about the five senses, the emotions etc. sometimes I might play a piano piece in the emotional feeling of the scene. And then I write it (or speak it – I have quite an advanced speech to text setup in my writing room).

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I’ve listed 6 as I make a point of reading authors from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. I wanted to list my favourite three male and female authors.

David Mitchell

Virginia Woolf

Stephen King

JK Rowling

Roald Dahl

Margaret Atwood

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

David Mitchell. I’m not sure what I’d ask, I’d probably be star struck to be in the presence of such an incredible writing genius. Perhaps I’d blurt out to ask where the idea for Cloud Atlas came from.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, I read many books including The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, 1984, Good Omens (which has just been made into a TV series and I can’t wait to watch it!) Flowers for Algernon, Brave New World, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and many, many other Roald Dahl books!)

When did you start to write?

In many ways, I’ve been writing short stories all of my life, just personal ones to myself. But I officially sat down to write my debut novel Turner in August 2013.

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?

Bridget Jones’ Diary, it seemed to end a bit too quickly for my taste.

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

Something like, ‘Finding my soul’ or ‘Bumbling my way’!

What are you working on right now?

Yes, I’m currently working on a bittersweet love story spanning 2000 years between 1986 and 2038; entitled ‘Saves 9’.

Although not yet on Amazon etc. (as the cover is still being designed) these should appear within about one or two months, pre-orders can be made De Montfort Literature. ISBNs: HB: 9781912770045 PB: 9781912770052 Kindle: 9781912770038

Tell us about your last release?

Turner is my debut novel

Do you have a new release due?

Saves 9 should be out towards the end of this year, but there’s no release date yet.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I breathe a momentary sigh of relief followed by intensely worrying about what people will think / say about my book.

Publication day was / is often a bit of an anti-climax, because, mostly nothing happened apart from a few people posting on social media that they had received their copies!

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I can be contacted by direct message (DM) through my personal social media channels:

https://twitter.com/jrdemontfort

https://www.instagram.com/jonathandemontfort_author/

https://www.facebook.com/jrdemontfort/

Or through the publisher channels:

https://twitter.com/DeMontfortLit

https://www.instagram.com/demontfortliterature/

https://www.facebook.com/DeMontfortLit/

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

Blurb

One Family.

Two Brothers.

One Big Decision.

“We Are the Light Join Us”.

Turner is a rich, dark, layered text that slowly draws you in before taking you
on a roller-coaster ride of emotions in a story about what it means to be
human, pure love and the sacrifices people make to preserve those things.

Hero, a young boy joining a new school, discovers he has a unique ability. One
he finds that he shares with his mysterious, enigmatic older brother James.
Upon this realisation, the brothers’ bond is cemented as they embark on a
complex emotional journey together, honing their skills and developing their
understanding of what this new found ability can bring for them both. However,
upon his eighteenth birthday, Hero learns that with his new ability comes a
choice and whenever he makes a decision there are serious consequences.

The story contrasts the parallel lives of the brothers as Hero decides to “Join
the Light” whilst James takes an entirely different path and disappears . .
.

Will they ever be reunited? 

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2SYvKK5

Bio

Jonathan de Montfort may not have had a conventional route into being an author, but his first novel “Turner” demonstrates his passion and commitment to the craft of writing, having taken four and a half years to write it! He already has ideas for a series of “Turner” novels and is committed to writing a new novel by 2020. Starting his professional life trading the US500, he went on to work as a hedge fund manager. His experience in this area was the inspiration for a more innovative route into publishing and the birth of De Montfort Literature in 2018. Offering a new alternative route to the traditional agents and publishers, publishing has entered a new era. De Montfort Literature is a division of De Montfort Capital, a successful hedge fund with a passion for literature. Recognising there is a dearth of good, new novelists, they decided to take what we know about hedge fund management and apply it to literature and the creation of a new generation of best-selling novelists. Turner is the first book to be released from DML, an engaging and challenging novel of love and sibling rivalry that is guaranteed to provoke both interest and outrage.

happy reading 🙂

My review…..

I have to say that I haven’t read a Mills & Boon novel for years, but I will definitely be adding others to my TBR list as I have thoroughly enjoyed The Disgraceful Lord Gray. I’m so glad Rachel Gilbey convinced me to add this one to my review list. If you’re a historical romance fan (or even if, like me, you don’t read them often) I would highly recommend.

Miss Theodora Cranford (Thea) is a feisty little character and one I warmed to immediately. She resides with her Uncle and Aunt since the untimely death of her father and she is sitting on an inherited fortune. This proves to be somewhat of an obstacle when trying to find a husband as many suitors don’t see past her money and Thea is determined that she will not settle for anything less than true love and I for one can’t say I blame her. When she stumbles upon a naked Lord Gray (skinny dipping in the river) their attraction is evident from the start. They do try to deny it, but this proves to be quite difficult for the both of them. What Thea doesn’t know is Lord Gray’s real reason for trying not to get to close to her. His job is to spy on her Uncle, which isn’t the best starting point for any relationship. However, the chemistry between them is palpable and it isn’t long before heart rules over the head.

I really enjoyed this romance as well as the smuggling investigation aspect of the story. It’s so beautifully written, you can’t help but love the characters. Lord Gray comes across as very self-assured, but just the right side of arrogant I think. It’s easy to see why Thea falls for him.

I LOVED Trefor (the dog) too 🙂

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy.

The Disgraceful Lord Gray

A spy on a mission…Until he meets this heiress!
Miss Theodora Cranford’s learned to keep her impetuous nature locked away. She won’t be deceived by another man who can’t see past her fortune. She wants an honourable, sensible sort – not a self-assured scoundrel like her new neighbour, Lord Gray. Although she’s sure there’s more to him than meets the eye… But after that first captivating kiss, she’s certainly left wanting more!

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disgraceful-Mills-Historical-Kings-Elite-ebook/dp/B07JKL8BD1/

US – https://www.amazon.com/Disgraceful-Mills-Historical-Kings-Elite-ebook/dp/B07JKL8BD1/

Author Bio –

When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Fortunately, the lovely people at Harlequin Mills & Boon took pity on her and decided to publish her romances, but it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/virginiaheathauthor/
https://twitter.com/VirginiaHeath_
https://www.virginiaheathromance.com/

Giveaway –

Win one of three e-copies up for grabs of The Disgraceful Lord Gray (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

happy reading 🙂

With very best wishes to you and yours this Mothering Sunday.

If you’re blessed, as I am, to all still have each other then have a lovely day celebrating.

Thinking of those who no longer have their Mum and also Mums who have lost children.

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

xXx

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Jill Marsh to Chat About Books 🙂

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

My name is Jill and I write under the pen name JJ Marsh. I live in Switzerland with my husband and three dogs. My Beatrice Stubbs books are European crime dramas with more brains than blood. I’m a founder member of author collective Triskele Books, Co-Editor and Creative Director of The Woolf, and reviewer for Bookmuse. Also qualified fire-eater.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Overheard conversations, dreams about Starsky & Hutch, news articles, a ginger-haired bloke in the Post Office, intriguing locations, Dusty Springfield and the urge to write crime with more roles for women than dead prostitute.

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

Adrian (wine merchant, gay chorister and amateur detective) owes much of his personality and skills to three special individuals from the London years.

How do you pick your characters names?

Great question! My books are set in various European cities, so I often trawl that country’s politicians, footballers, actors and musicians until I find something that fits the personality. Arch villain Arturo Aguirre came from Werner Herzog’s eponymous film featuring Klaus Kinski.

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

Research, plot on a massive grid, write 2K words a day, edit seven times, send to Triskele Books (our five-person author collective), rewrite and send to the proof reader. Usually takes me a year.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Perennials like Kate Atkinson and Louis de Bernières etc, but current discoveries would be Jane Davis, John Ironmonger and Louise O’Neill. Reading good writing makes me raise my game.

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

Dylan Thomas. I’d ask him if he fancied a pint.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Obsessively. I got kicked out of the school library because I overstayed my welcome.

When did you start to write?

To make a living out of it? 2004. That said, I’ve always been a storyteller. When I was three, my mother found me in the field outside our house entertaining the cows with fairytales.

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

Torch Song Trilogy’s Fugue in a Nursery. Please, not Alan!

Is there a book you wish you had written?

My next one and the one after that.

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

Till the Cows Go Home

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

Flann O’Brien. I’d take him to the pub to meet Dylan and we’d all have a pint of plain.

Tell us a random fact about yourself.

It’s true that I can eat fire but I’m a woeful juggler.

What are you working on right now?

Honey Trap, the eighth in The Beatrice Stubbs Series. It’s about culinary espionage in Naples – the research is a joy.

Tell us about your last release?

That was An Empty Vessel, a detour from my crime series into literary/historical fiction. A woman is on death row for murder in the 1950s. Everyone has an opinion, except her.

Do you have a new release due?

Honey Trap will be out end of June, if I ever stop researching Italian food and wine.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Stare at screen, worry, wish I’d rewritten it one more time, refresh screen, worry, and eventually collapse onto the sofa with Prosecco and pugs.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

http://www.beatrice-stubbs.com/relaunch/

or on Twitter: @JJMarsh1, but to be honest, I mostly rant about politics.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I’m a polyglot. I can say ‘A white wine spritzer with soda and no lemon’ in five languages.

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

Today’s the day Nancy Maidstone is going to hang.

In her time, she’s been a wartime evacuee, land-girl, slaughterhouse worker, supermarket assistant, Master Butcher and defendant accused of first degree murder. Now she’s a prisoner condemned to death. A first time for everything.

The case has made all the front pages. Speculation dominates every conversation from bar to barbershop to bakery. Why did she do it? How did she do it? Did she actually do it at all? Her physical appearance and demeanour in court has sparked the British public’s imagination, so everyone has an opinion on Nancy Maidstone.

The story of a life and a death, of a post-war world which never had it so good, of a society intent on a bright, shiny future, and of a woman with blood on her hands.

This is the story of Nancy Maidstone.

“From its chilling opening as a death sentence is passed, this book had me gripped. The 1950s setting, the entirely believable characters and the tight plot all held me as, fully engrossed, for the first time I went in the wrong direction on the Tube. Thoroughly recommended”.
– Dr Alison Baverstock, Associate Professor of Publishing, Kingston University, London

happy reading 🙂

I always struggle to review short stories, but I did enjoy this little collection…..

Full Circle –

A short, but very sweet love story. Who doesn’t love a happy ending!? Some people are just meant to be.

The Perfect Murder –

A clever little tale of entitlement, greed, deceit and murder.

Who’s Sorry Now –

Madeleine is regretting divorcing her husband, Carl, a year ago. He was unfaithful though, so the trust was gone. Or was it? Was there the possibility of a reconciliation? This may be short, but it’s full of bitterness, manipulation and reaping what you sow.

Katie’s Christmas Wish –

A lovely little romance about finally seeing what has been there all along.

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

Blurb:

Who’s Sorry Now? Is a collection of four crime and romance stories. 

It’s about love, betrayal and dreams. 

Do we really know the people we love?

Can love be rekindled?

Do dreams come true?

The truth always comes out in the end. 

~~~

Author bio:

Born into a bilingual family (Swedish/ English) Hélene Fermont enjoyed an idylic childhood on the outskirts of Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city and major cultural hub. Growing up in the 1970s she had a brief musical career on Swedish TV and radio. Hélene lived in London for over 20 years but has recently returned to Sweden. Hélene is a former teacher, a practising psychologist, and currently the author of three novels, all of which are psychological suspense with a nordic noir flavour. Her fourth novel is coming soon!

happy reading 🙂

Welcome to my stop on CM Thompson’s Who Killed Anne-Marie blog tour!

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours for arranging the following interview with CM Thompson…..

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

My first novel “What lies in the Dark” is a book about a serial killer and how murders can affect a community as well as how they affect individuals.

My second novel “Who Killed Anne-Marie?” is a sadder book about the suspicious death of an alcoholic and how her death affects her husband, family and her neighbourhood.

As for myself, I am not as interesting as my novels. I work two jobs and spent most of my time reading, cooking or thinking about (but not actually) writing.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I don’t ask where the ideas come from, encase they stop. But I thinking of them as little sparks of electricity shooting across my brain that must be captured, grown and harvested before they fade away. Also I work in customer service and meet many many interesting people ;).

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

Loosely yes, also people I personally have never met but have heard legends of. I am not going to go into details encase they have good lawyers.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Sometimes a character tells me their name. The first novel I ever tried to write (unfinished, unpublished) had a character who insisted her name was Lola but I wanted to call her Rose. I still think of her sometimes, stamping her feet, insisting her name is Lola and demanding to be finished.

Other names I use baby names websites and when all else fails, I ask Twitter for suggestions.

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

Ugh I don’t want to.

Maybe I will do something later.

That’s mostly the process, it can be as difficult as pulling teeth, forcing a small child to blow their nose or convincing a person to change their political outlook.

Mostly process-wise I read research, write random notes, let the notes form a massive pile on my desk, then a few months later try and make sense of it all and form some kind of loose plot. Then write a skeleton of a novel, flesh it out, edit it, edit it some more, show it to my publisher, ignore it in favour of a new idea, edit it again, consider becoming a nun / hermit, rewrite it, rewrite it again and then edit it some more. It’s a process that takes around 2-3 years.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Terry Pratchett

Sue Townsend

Banana Yoshimoto

Stephen King

George R R Martin

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

Shakespeare, Sue Townsend or Terry Pratchett, I wouldn’t ask them anything but I think whatever they have to say would be interesting, unless all they do is ask “How the heck did I get here?”

Were you a big reader as a child?

I once dented my glasses as child by walking into a lamppost whilst reading.

When did you start to write?

I don’t really remember anymore, preteen I started writing awful poetry and even worse fanfiction and slowly I got better. (in my opinion) but there has always been stories.

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?

Taming of the Shrew, I would rewrite the ending. But then there are so many different ways of interpreting that play, so many possible versions. And to me, an ending that leaves you cold, empty or angry can inspire as much or more than a happy ending.

But honestly, if there was a book I wish I had written, I think would rewrite it in my own words, with my own plot, changing the characters so only I would recognise them. Why waste time wishing when you could be writing? 😉

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

Level 4158 on Candy Crush and still wasting time.

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

Nanny Ogg from the Discworld. Somewhere that serves really good coffee and cakes, with a pub very close by.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on a direct sequel to What Lies in the Dark (also an indirect sequel to Who Killed Anne-Marie?) At the moment it is a mighty pile of notes, but one day it will be a book.

Tell us about your last release?

It’s getting there. It is definitely a marmite novel, there are people who like it, there are people it resonates with and there are people who would willingly burn it. Sign of a good novel I think.

Do you have a new release due?

Not yet, it will be a while.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

First book I celebrated in a pub in Nottingham with 2 friends. Second book I celebrated with a launch party, also in a pub in Nottingham. Generally I celebrate in secret with a bottle of wine when the book is accepted for publication, then I gird my loins for the long harsh editing journey that lies ahead.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

They can either set some kind of elaborate trap up at one of the theatres in Nottingham and wait patiently. Or they can find me on Twitter @cmtwrites, Goodreads or failing that, they can send a pigeon.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

The biggest piece of wisdom I can impart at this time of my life, the biggest lesson I have ever learnt, is never to brush your teeth with antiseptic cream. Just don’t, seriously, learn from my mistakes.

LOL!!!

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

Blurb –

Daniel and Anne-Marie’s marriage isn’t just on the rocks, it’s about to go six feet under. Anne Marie Mills is out of work, out of love and out of whisky. Everyone else is out of
patience. When Anne-Marie is found dead who is to blame? The neighbours who
despised her drunken rants? The husband who wondered how much more he could
take? Or is there another killer in the neighbourhood?

Buy Link –

https://amzn.to/2Tfl3TT

happy reading 🙂

Welcome to my stop on K T Lee’s Calculated Sabotage blog tour 🙂

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Calculated Sabotage – Excerpt #2

Morgan Grady stepped into the Director’s office and closed the door behind her. Dan Floyd’s office was bigger and more formal than hers, but it wasn’t so stuffy it made him seem unapproachable. Well, he scared the new recruits a little, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Director of Special Operations. He had a reputation to uphold. Dan had been nothing but dependable since they’d met at the Farm a lifetime ago. While Dan was in his mid-forties and single, Morgan was married and had twin sons, now in college. It had been some time since either of them had worked undercover in the field but it wasn’t easy to shake the veil of secrecy and the burden of distrust in others’ motivations.

Dan gestured for her to sit. “I heard Falcon met your man last night.”

Morgan sat in the chair across from Dan and crossed her arms. “Yeah. It sounds like she misled him about the op. Cam was under the impression she would arrive next week. We’re on the same team, Dan.” Morgan didn’t like games and wasn’t going to let Dan off the hook that easily.

Dan crossed his arms. “Look, Falcon is still recovering from the loss of her partner. She said he came early and they bumped into each other in a bar. After some initial confusion, they figured it out.” Morgan raised a skeptical eyebrow and Dan cringed. “Uh oh. How close to the truth was that explanation?”

“It sounds similar to Cam’s version, although I expect there was more to it than that, since he was pretty amped up about catching her until he found out she was CIA. I don’t have all the details yet – he just sent me a short note saying she’d shown up unannounced and they’d had a near miss. I plan on asking him for the full story on our regular update call tomorrow. Is Falcon a liability?”

“She’s trustworthy, just a little careful.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Falcon is used to operating independently. She threatened to go rogue unless we let her in on this. Trust me, she’s the type you want working with you, not against you.” Dan looked down at his notebook and tapped his pen against it.

“So, she strong-armed you. That’s a first. And a concern.”

“Mo, I trust her.” Morgan narrowed her eyes at him. It’d been a long time since anyone besides her brother had called her that. Dan was either spooked or trying to charm her. Or both. “More than almost anyone. Her sense of right and wrong is absolute. Like someone else I know.” He nodded at her.

“Flattery doesn’t work on me, Dan.”

“Regardless, I stand by my opinion.”

Morgan crossed her arms. “My assessment of Cam is the same.”

“Good. We’ve done what we can. Thanks for the update and let me know if you have any other problems. Let’s continue to keep it compartmentalized, please. Only you, me, and the two operations officers, unless I say the word.”

Morgan leaned forward. “This is the second time you’ve asked me to treat this like it was an inside job.”

“I don’t have any hard evidence to conclude it was an inside job.”

“You can’t charm me and bullshit me in the same meeting, Dan. You’ve already used up your quota.”

Dan sighed. “I can’t prove that it wasn’t an inside job. I’m proceeding as if someone in the Agency was involved unless we hear otherwise. It’s prudent and in line with our protocols. Nothing more, nothing less.” Dan chose his words carefully. He was nervous.

“Let’s meet on this. Regularly. So there aren’t any more misunderstandings.”

Blurb

CIA operations officer
Quinn King will do whatever it takes to find the person who killed her partner.
She follows the evidence to Innovative Rocket Technologies, a start-up company
and current darling of the rocket world. Their most recent launch, however, ended
in an explosion that Quinn believes is connected to her partner’s death.

The CIA sends Cam Mitchell to provide backup for Quinn — and to make sure she
isn’t too emotionally invested. With Cam watching her back, Quinn embeds
herself at IRT. She soon discovers there is more to the failed launch than IRT
has shared with the public. And someone has a vested interest in keeping that
information under wraps.

When the CIA finds new evidence that someone is actively sabotaging the next
launch, they call in Parker, Ree and Mike from the FBI to help manage a growing
number of loose ends. However, once Cam and Quinn realize why the rocket is
being sabotaged, it puts them right in the crosshairs of a killer.

(Calculated Sabotage is Book 3 in The Calculated Series. All books in The
Calculated Series may be enjoyed as standalone novels or as a series.)

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2C0W0t6

happy reading 🙂