Hi and welcome to my stop on Wendy H Jones’s The Haunted Broch blog tour 🙂

With thanks to Wendy H Jones and to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Blurb

A Scottish Broch.

An archaeologist scorned.

A ghost disturbed.

The Detective Duo, Fergus and Flora, are spending their summer on an archaeological dig, searching for the Lost Broch.

But someone—or something—seems set on sabotaging the project. An infestation of spiders—a swarm of mice—the campsite trashed—who knew archaeology could be so dangerous?

And is the Lost Broch really under a curse?

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2PonlNq

Author Information

Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie, is set in the beautiful city of Dundee, Scotland. Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years. This took her all over the world including Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Much of her spare time is now spent travelling around the UK, and lands much further afield. As well as nursing Wendy also worked for many years in Academia. This led to publication in academic textbooks and journals. Killer’s Countdown is her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mystery series. Killer’s Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2107. There are now six books in this series with Killer’s Crypt being released in August, 2017. The Dagger’s Curse is the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries for Young Adults. This book is currently shortlisted for the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year. She is also a highly successful marketer and she shares her methods in the book, Power Packed Book Marketing.

ICYMI….

Bertie The Buffalo by @WendyHJones #BlogTour #AuthorInterview @malcolmdown #LoveBooksGroupTours

Hi and welcome to my stop on Joanne Worgan’s Picking Up The Pieces blog tour!

Many thanks to Joanne Worgan and to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Interview with Joanne Worgan…..

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

Hello, and thank you for inviting me on your wonderful blog.

You’re very welcome, Joanne 🙂

Where to start? I’ve been married to Andrew for 20 years, we met at school, and we have two boys. I studied English Literature and Drama at University, but later went on to train and then work as a renal nurse. Today I work as a freelance copywriter when I’m not busy writing stories.

My book is called Picking Up The Pieces and it’s about the importance of family, of friendship and protecting your child at any cost. The novel revolves around Kate, who is a single mum to Sam, her six-year-old autistic son. She believes that her past is now far behind her, as is her abusive ex-partner, but she soon learns that she is not safe, and her life as she knows it will be turned upside down.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

The story that became Picking Up The Pieces had been brewing inside ne for many years. My youngest son is autistic, and when he was diagnosed at age 3 with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) I wanted to help other parents who were in a similar situation, and so I sat and wrote a kind of self-help book, of all the things I had learned about parenting an autistic child. It was during this time that my mum told me I should write fiction, but I just shrugged this idea off. But, the seed had been planted and I started to write little notes and ideas about a young boy, who eventually became Sam. The rest of the story grew around him.

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

No, not really. I suppose Sam is an amalgamation of my youngest son, and of other autistic children that I’ve had the pleasure to meet over the years. Kate and Matt do have some characteristics of people I know, but I shan’t name them.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Oh, that’s a great question. Sam became Sam as he was originally Joe, but after watching The A Word on TV I decided to change his name. I’ve always liked the name Sam. I chose the name Kate because it is a lovely and popular name and when I pictured this character in my head it was the first name that instantly cane to mind. Now, Matt for some reason became Matt as I started to write about him. It’s a solid name, a no-nonsense name, and I think that this really did reflect Matt’s personality, as the reliable and trustworthy guy next door.

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

In a nutshell? OK. Well, I try and find time to write every day. This may be for half an hour, for most of the day, or just a few minutes. It depends on other work commitments, if it’s the school holidays, and how far I am into the story. I joined Jenn Ashworth (a fantastic northern author) on her 100 days of writing journey on Twitter and I found it so incredibly useful for just getting all those ideas down. As the saying goes, you can’t edit a blank page.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Only 5? Oh my word! That’s so incredibly difficult as there are so many authors that I love and admire greatly. So, five from this huge collection would have to be Jo Nesbo, Joanna Cannon, Amanda Prowse, Jo Spain and Audrey Niffenegger (as The Time Traveler’s Wife is my favourite book of all time). Oh, and Matt Haig, I know that’s six, but I adore How To Stop Time.

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

Oh that’s a difficult one. Let me think. Just one author? I’d have to choose George Orwell. I’d ask him, ‘so what do you think about our world now?’ that would make for an interesting conversation.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Oh my goodness, yes I was. Our house was always full of books, and my parents were avid readers. I also adored the local library. My dad took me every Saturday. I loved my library card. I think I read every book in the children’s section. I also have my mum to thank for my love of Daphne Du Maurrier, as she lent me her copy of Jamaica Inn. My favourite book as a little girl was Little Women, as I wanted to be Jo.

When did you start to write?

I’ve always loved to write stories. Aa a little girl I had a notebook and would write short stories. Then, when I went to university I wrote on and off, it’s always been a part of my life. It wasn’t really though until my son was diagnosed that I believed that I could write. From there I wrote my nonfiction books about raising an autistic child, which then led to me writing a blog for the Huffington Post and my local paper, the Lancaster Guardian. I then joined Wattpad and dabbled in romantic fiction and to be honest I haven’t looked back.

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

Oh, that’s another difficult question. You know, to be honest, a book ends how it ends. It’s what the author intended. Now, if I don’t like that I can always change the ending in my head. One book instantly pops to mind, but I feel it would be unfair to say what book, or even to give the ending away.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Oh, so many books I really wish I had written The Time Traveler’s Wife. That and Pride and Prejudice.

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

Love this question. ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.’ I am an eternal optimist.

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

Oh, there are so many characters to choose from. But, if I had to choose, it would be Mr Darcey. I’d take him to the Shore Cafe down the road and ask him when was the moment that he fell in love with Elizabeth Bennett.

What are you working on right now?

I am about 60,000 words into a novel that revolves around a young woman who is losing her sight and that sometimes we all need to take a leap of faith, and a bucketful of courage to simply live life. It’s a lot of fun to write

Do you have a new release due?

Picking Up The Pieces is published by Urbane on November 8^th.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I’ll probably wave the boys off to school and then pop into town for a coffee. I may even bake a cake.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I am on twitter @JoanneWorgan, so feel free to tweet me at any time. I’m on there quite a lot. You can also reach me via my book review site at Brew and Books Review. I’ve also got an author page over on the Urbane website.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Just that I feel incredibly lucky to be a published author. I’d like to thank Matthew Smith over at Urbane for believing in me, and to family and friends who always said I could do it. I suppose my final message is to never give up on your dreams, and to not let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Because, you can.

Thank you so much Kerry for inviting me on your blog and being part of the Picking Up The Pieces blog tour.

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

Blurb

A compelling and emotive fiction debut about a mother’s unbreakable love for her autistic son.

Kate has a six-year-old autistic son, Sam. She has started a new life to escape her controlling and abusive boyfriend Jake. She believes that the past is behind her and that she and Sam are safe. But after spotting Jake through a misted-up cafe window, Kate knows that Jake has found her.

Kate confides in her neighbour Matt, a man running from his own past. He seems to offer a genuine chance at happiness for her and son Sam, but Jake is determined to get them back at all costs….

Picking Up The Pieces is an original, moving and gripping page-turner about a woman’s search for happiness as she fights to protect her autistic son’s future.  

Buy Link  

https://amzn.to/2DEWM22

Happy reading 🙂

Hi and welcome to my stop on David Hewson’s The Savage Shore blog tour! I’m honoured to be one of the lucky bloggers to be kicking things off 🙂

Many thanks to David Hewson and to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Interview with David Hewson…..

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

Over the last 25 years I’ve published 30 or so books (you stop counting after a while) including the Nic Costa series set in Italy, the Pieter Vos books set in Amsterdam, and adaptations of The Killing TV series set in Copenhagen. I live in Kent, England, but travel to Europe a fair bit, especially Italy.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Mostly from travel. The Savage Shore is based upon some research I carried out in Calabria which is the toe of Italy, a wild region pretty much unknown to foreigners.

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

Never. I’d find that very strange.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

Reading local newspapers. Visiting graveyards. Trying to find a name that fits with the kind of person they are and isn’t too difficult to pronounce.

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

I imagine the world of the story. I imagine the characters. I create a starting problem for them to tackle. I then set them loose and see what they achieve.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I only ever list dead ones for that question because the live ones get mad if you leave them out. Robert Graves, Ed McBain, Mary Renault, Jorge Luis Borges and Giorgio Bassani.

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

I’d love to meet the ghost of Bassani and find out the stories behind his wonderful story of pre-war Italy, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis

Were you a big reader as a child?

Absolutely. I lived in libraries.

When did you start to write?

I left school when I was 17 and joined a local paper so in a sense I’ve been writing all my life. But I didn’t manage to get my fiction to work until I was in my early forties. You need a bit of life behind you to give you something to write about.

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

I wouldn’t change any of them.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

No. I don’t think that way.

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

Probably something along the lines of ‘Like I give a…’

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

The emperor Claudius from Graves’ I Claudius. I’d take him to a favourite restaurant by the ruins of the Roman forum and ask him what he made of things now.

What are you working on right now?

Something I can’t talk about. I never discuss work in progress until it’s announced. But it’s a new project, and set in Italy though not a series book.

Tell us about your last release?

The Savage Shore is the tenth book in the Nic Costa series. It’s set in Calabria where Costa, a Roman detective, has gone to try to engineer the surrender of a gang lord who wants to turn state witness. But in order to get the guy out Costa has to go inside the gang and pretend to be a hoodlum himself.

Do you have a new release due?

I have a couple of projects coming out in 2019 but not ones I can talk about right now. One is audio only which is a medium I work in a lot these days. I won an Audie for best original work earlier this year for an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet performed by that wonderful actor Richard Armitage.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I might find my way to the pub in the evening.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Twitter and the website – the usual.

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

Blurb

Detective Nic Costa finds himself a stranger in a strange land when he’s sent to infiltrate the mob in a remote part of southern Italy.

Roman police detective Nic Costa has been sent undercover to Italy’s beautiful, remote Calabrian coast to bring in the head of the feared mob, the ‘Ndrangheta, who has offered to turn state witness for reasons of his own.

Hoping to reel in the biggest prize the state police have seen in years, the infamous Butcher of Palermo, Costa and his team are aware the stakes are high. But the constant deception is taking its toll. Out of their depth in a lawless part of Italy where they are the outcasts, not the men in the hills, with their shotguns and rough justice, the detectives find themselves pitched as much against one another as the mob. As the tension rises, it’s clear the operation is not going to plan. Is Nic Costa getting too close to the enemy for comfort – and is there a traitor among them …?

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2Ol1abs

Happy reading 🙂

I know I don’t often read and review children’s books, but I was intrigued by City of Secrets and it has been a breath of fresh air to read something a bit different for a change. I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed it! It is aimed at 9-12 year olds and I’m ever so slightly older than that, but I think this will be enjoyed by many children and adults alike. If you have children around this age then I am sure they will love it. Or why not enjoy it together. I think it would be great read aloud. It is beautifully descriptive with an array of interesting characters and an intriguing storyline. I’m sure you’d find it as captivating as I have.

Letty Parker is a feisty little character! She lives alone, selling pies on the streets of Bristol for a living. Bristol is portrayed as a dark and often dangerous city (the eels sound particularly creepy!) making it a very atmospheric setting.

When Letty’s stepsister and others disappear she is determined to find them and hatches a plan with Jeb. Nothing could prepare them for what they would discover though. Will the police believe her and put an end to the evil happening almost under their noses. Letty certainly won’t be giving up without a fight.

Featuring monsters, dragons and gargoyles, what more could you want from a story full of suspense and secrets. Misha Herwin certainly has a vivid imagination which is more than evident in her writing. She certainly brings her characters to life and transports the reader to life with Letty, on the streets of Bristol, effortlessly.

Many thanks to Misha Herwin for my review copy. I highly recommend.

Buy here…..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/City-Secrets-Adventures-Letty-Parker/dp/0993000878/ref=la_B0034P2O9I_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541357576&sr=1-1

It would make a great Christmas gift for the children in your life!

Letty Parker lives by her wits. Estranged from her family, she sells pies on the streets of Bristol. But this is a Bristol full of dark secrets, peopled by gangs, monsters, dragons and gargoyles – and by creatures older than time. When her friend and stepsister disappear, when members of Jeb’s gang vanish, Letty is plunged headlong into a conspiracy where homeless children are being spirited away to a place where a terrible fate awaits them. These are the poor and the lost children of the streets whom no one seems to care about – except for Letty. But what if a rich child went missing? Would the authorities then act? Together, Letty and Jeb hatch a plan…

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. 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

Happy reading 🙂

Picking Up The Pieces by Misha M. Herwin #BookReview @MishaHerwin @penkhullpress

Shadows On The Grass by @MishaHerwin #LaunchDay #BookReview @penkhullpress

Hi and welcome to my stop on Jacky Dahlhaus’s Living Like A Vampire blog tour!

Many thanks to Jacky Dahlhaus and to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Interview with Jacky Dahlhaus…..

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

I’m a fifty-year-old lover of good stories, movies, traveling, and animals. I’ve had many jobs and tried many hobbies before I realized writing gave me such pleasure. I love stories that take you away from the hustle and bustle of real life, preferably with a bit of humor, action, and romance in them, and that’s what I like to put into my own stories. I hope it gives people a few hours of escapism and a pleasant memory after they’ve read them.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I had a dream in 2015 about a girl running and bumping into a vampire. I told my kids who told me to write it down. I sat behind my computer and wrote 55K words in a fortnight. It gave me such a buzz and have been writing ever since.

Most of my ideas come from dreams or random thoughts during menial housework tasks, when my mind is free to roam.

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

My main character, Kate, has two sisters, and their names start with the same letter as my own sisters. They are both (very loosely!) based on them.

One of the main love interests is a dwarf. As I don’t know any dwarfs personally, he developed into Peter Dinklage. He didn’t start out as him, but the later part of the character certainly is based on him. Caleb, the other love interest, is based on the appearance of Ioan Gruffudd when he played Hornblower.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I try to be as random as possible when picking names, often looking around me and picking a word of something that catches my eye (Dr. Green in Book 3 was picked as I saw green leaves from my window).

Taking ‘typability’ into account is a thing for me, though. You don’t want to pick a name you have trouble typing. The c,x q, and w are letters I have trouble with, so you won’t often see names with those letters in my stories.

I gave one blogger who is a great fan of my stories the honor of naming the main character if my next novel. She was very chuffed with that.

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

The first two books were written ‘on the fly,’ i.e., I let my characters take me on their journey. The third novel I plotted since I had about two years to think about it. I must admit I didn’t like it as much as I needed to steer my characters in a certain direction. I prefer to let them lead me on an unexpected journey. If I’m surprised, I hope my readers will be too.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I love reading books from Anne McAffrey, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gayman, Conn Iggulden, and Kathy Reichs. I love McAffrey’s romantic flair, Pratchett’s humor, Gayman’s creativity, Iggulden’s epic stories, and Reich’s suspense.

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

I’d love to meet Neil Gayman and ask him how he managed to keep positive about his writing when it’s so hard to get heard.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, I like to think so. I used to read really fast, something that is the opposite nowadays. I read the big pills like Shogun and LOTR (and associated books) as an early teenager. For an English assignment I read all the books in Gullivers Travels, only to find out afterwards that I only needed to read the first story. LOL!

When did you start to write?

As mentioned earlier, I only began writing novels in 2015. I have kept diaries, have written (academic) articles, and have been a secretary for years, so writing has always been a part of my life. I only realized in 2015 that it gave me such pleasure.

After writing the first two novels, I realized there is more to writing that putting words to paper. I needed to improve my English grammar, learn how to write American English, and learn how to write eloquently. I used the last two years to hone my craft and all books in the trilogy have now been updated to a better version. It’s a never-ending journey, though, and I’ll always work towards improvement.

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

I once read a book about the sinking of the Bismarck, a German destroyer during World War II. Most of its crew died. Even though they were ‘the enemy,’ the book made me very sad. I wished history was different, so I could re-write the ending to keep these men (and many others) alive.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

All of Terry Pratchett’s novels!

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

‘The boring life of Jacky D.’ That was actually the title I had given my diary when I was studying. It’s actually a fun read. I may read it again one of these days :D.

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

I would take Lord Havelock Vetinari, the Mayor of Ankh-Morpork (in Terry Pratchett’s novels) for a coffee at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory in Western Australia. He’s a very interesting character, and they do a scrumptious chocolate fondue at the Factory.

What are you working on right now?

At the moment I’m working on the first book of my next trilogy, for now called ‘The Extra.’ It’s about a girl from the interior of Alaska who dies in the first chapter. When she is revived, she recognizes everyone except for one person. She has to prove he doesn’t belong there or face insanity. As I’ve never been to Alaska, there’s quite a bit of research involved before I can actually put pen to paper.

Tell us about your last release?

I finished the last novel in the Suckers Trilogy last March. It’s different from the first two books in that it is a whodunnit. Kate’s partner is missing, and she needs to work hard to get him back. It has the same, familiar characters as from the other two books in it, plus some interesting new ones (including one very sexy one).

After I released the book, I worked very hard to make new covers for the trilogy and am finally happy to promote all of the books.

Do you have a new release due?

As mention earlier, I’m working on the first book of my new trilogy and hope to bring this out halfway next year.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

After indulging in a bubbly alcoholic drink, I quickly carry on as normal, working on the next book as soon as possible.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I am present on most social media:

My Website:

https://jackydahlhaus.com

Email:

jackydahlhaus@gmail.com

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JackyDahlhaus

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jackydahlhaus/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14924554.Jacky_Dahlhaus

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Jacky-Dahlhaus-Author-166614624053352/

People can follow me on one, some, or all!

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

My novels are on sale for 99c/99p each during October 2018. Once the sale is over, you can still get them with a 15% discount on my website.

Also, I would love to have readers write some reviews! It’s hard to get promoted by the better promoters with just a few reviews. It puts you between a rock and a hard place. Every review is a step closer to being more visible, so please, please; write reviews, people!

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

It’s been my pleasure 😊

Blurb

Staying alive is hard in a world full of bloodsuckers. What do you do to survive?

Kate has just begun her new job as a high school teacher and is looking forward to living her suburban dream life. All her hopes and dreams turn into smoke as a virus turns people into vampires, roaming the world in packs and killing everybody they can get their hands on. Kate has to pretend to be one of them to stay alive. When she accidentally bumps into a handsome sucker who then mysteriously disappears, surviving is no longer the only thing on Kate’s mind.

Will Kate stay alive and human while pursuing this mysterious stranger?

Pick up this action-packed, fast-paced, suspenseful novel and explore the depths of Kate’s emotions as she struggles to make sense of it all.  

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2OIrqvy

Jacky Dahlhaus in a nutshell

Jacky Dahlhaus lived in many countries, has worked many jobs, and tried many hobbies before she realized writing gave her such pleasure. She now loves to write paranormal fantasy stories full-time while delving into the human psyche with all its faults and mysteries.

Next to writing novels, Jacky helps indie authors by promoting them on her blog, writes an online newsletter/magazine, runs a writing club for adults and for children at the local library, and is a writer/director/producer for Aberdeenshire Film Productions.

When not busy with the above (which is rare nowadays), Jacky works on renovating her Scottish Victorian home, watches movies with her family, and tries to stop her two Jack Russells from barking for no good reason.

Jacky has written three novels, all books of the Suckers trilogy which is set in Maine, US, a novelette (the Prequel of the Suckers trilogy), and Short Shockers, a bundle of short stories. She is currently working on the first book of her next trilogy, this time set in Alaska.

You can connect with me via:

Email:

jackydahlhaus@gmail.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/JackyDahlhaus

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/jackydahlhaus/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Jacky-Dahlhaus-Author-166614624053352/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14924554.Jacky_Dahlhaus

My Website:

https://jackydahlhaus.com

Hi and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature 🙂

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

Please do join in if you get the chance and don’t forget to share your link with us in the comments, if you do.

Here are my reviews from November 2017 (including a link to 2016)…..

The Liar’s Promise #BlogTour Mark Tilbury @MTilburyAuthor #BookReview @Bloodhoundbook

Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land @byAliLand #BookReview @penguinrandom

The Last Post #BlogBlitz @BKDuncanwriter @Bloodhoundbook #BookReview

Puppy: 12 Months of Rhymes and Smiles by Patricia Furstenberg @PatFurstenberg #BookReview

Dark Chapter #BlogTour Winnie M Li @winniemli @Legend_Press #BookReview

December Girl by Nicola Cassidy @ladynicci @bombshellpub #blogtour #BookReview

Christmas at the Falling-Down Guesthouse by Lilly Bartlett AKA @MicheleGormanUK #BlogTour #BookReview

Murder Game #BlogBlitz @Caroline_writes @bookouture #BookReview

Flashback Friday November 2017

#FlashbackFriday with @grahnort @JessikahHope @KatCroft @Caroline_writes

Have you read any of the above?

Hi and welcome to my stop on Wendy H Jones’s Bertie The Buffalo blog tour 🙂

Many thanks to Wendy H Jones and to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Interview with Wendy H Jones…..

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

Firstly, thank you for inviting me on your blog. It is a real honour.

You’re very welcome, Wendy 🙂

I am actually the author of 9 adult and young adult crime books, set in Scotland. I started writing after spending twenty-three years in both the Royal Navy and the Army. I reached the rank of Major, a rank I keep until the day I die. I then worked in Academia where I wrote frightfully boring textbooks and articles. I turned my hand to fiction after a long period of illness.

I currently have four series running and another one which I am planning. The first, the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries, is a police procedural. Shona is smart, sassy funny, sharp and always knee deep in dead bodies. The books are unusual in that you see the story from both the police point of view and the point of view of the killer. You get to see inside the killer’s mind and what motivates him or her. The first in the series is Killer’s Countdown and there are five others so far with another three planned.

The second series is the Cass Claymore Mysteries. Cass is a red headed, motorbike riding, ex-ballerina who inherits a private detective agency and accidently hires an ex-con dwarf and an octogenarian. The first book, Antiques and Alibis, is a laugh out loud tale of bungling incompetence littered with dead bodies, antique teddies, hapless crooks and a Lord of the Realm who has gone AWOL. This series does not take itself seriously.

My Young Adult series, The Fergus and Flora Mysteries is a bit Famous Five meets Scooby Doo but for an older age group. Fergus and Flora are a couple of teens who rattle through the countryside causing havoc whilst saving Dundee and other parts of Scotland from all manner of evil. There are two books so far – The Dagger’s Curse and The Haunted Broch. I am currently half way through writing the next one, The Warrior’s Revenge.

I was commissioned to write Bertie the Buffalo as the story is based on a true story of real buffalo who escaped in Scotland. Scotland’s very own wee escape artist managed to rattle around Fife for 13 days escaping detection.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I’m never short of an idea or two and people say my mind is a worrying place to be. They are probably right as everything comes straight out of my head. Remember one of my series involves serial killers. With regards to the humorous books I find life extremely funny anyway and try to see the laughter in everything. I have a fairly dry sense of humour and even in my police procedurals there are elements of laughter. Life is too short to take yourself seriously.

The initial idea for Bertie the Buffalo was handed to me on a plate. Thankfully the Buffalo on this plate was still alive and kicking. The wee chap escaped from a Buffalo Farm in Fife and was on the run for 13 days. The idea was that I wrote about his adventures whilst the wee escape artist was on the run.

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

I have real characters in all my books, apart from Bertie the Buffalo. My friend’s son, Brian Gevers, is a policeman in the DI Shona Mckenzie Mysteries. Two of my friends sons are written into the Fergus and Flora mysteries. Both Bek Slater and Nathan Black are characters and based on the boys themselves.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I chose Cass Claymore because I started with the name Cass and needed something Scottish and strong to go with it. Shona McKenzie started out as Shona MacLeod until I thought is sounded too much like a character in another crime series. I then went through every Mc until something sounded right. With Fergus and Flora, I wanted the female character to be a descendent of the original Flora MacDonald. Then I needed a Scottish boy’s name which would go with that. I sat in the car going through boys’ names until I came to something that sounded right.

Bertie the Buffalo was actually called Bert by the BBC. They were looking for him when he went missing so I already had a name. Bertie sounded much better then Bert so I used poetic licence.

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

I’m an any time, any place, anywhere girl, in a literary sense of course. I have written in some odd places and have turned where I work into a game on social media. For example:

Today’s writing is brought to you form Captain Scott’s cabin on board the RRS Discovery

Today’s writing is brought to you from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s desk in the Toronto Public Library

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

My this is a tough one. They have to be:

Eleanor M. Brent Dyer

Janet Evanovich

James Patterson

Alex Gray

Julia Donaldson

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

It would have to be Enid Blyton and I would ask her how she managed to be such a prolific writer.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I was a huge reader as a child. I was an early reader and had a library card at age three. You couldn’t get one until you were five way back then. I also had an adult library card at the age of ten as I’d read my way through the entire children’s section of the library.

When did you start to write?

About six years ago when. I moved back to Scotland from the South of England. I was bored and had an idea for a book. The rest as they say, is history.

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?

Blimey, that really is a tough one. I can’t give any specifics as I can’t remember the names, but there are a couple I would have written a happier ending. I like books to end on a positive note, although I appreciate life is not always like that.

I wish I had written The Hound of the Baskervilles as I truly love that book.

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

Grab Life by the Horns

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

Sherlock Holmes and I would take him to Fortnum and Masons for afternoon tea.

What are you working on right now?

Five different projects but the main one is Killer’s Curse, the seventh DI Shona McKenzie Mystery.

Tell us about your last release?

My last release was The Haunted Broch, my second Fergus and Flora Mystery. The Detective Duo, as they call themselves, are on an archaeological dig at Scotland’s Lost Broch, in Stirling. Within minutes of touching base, they are awash in ghostly events and evil deeds. Will the Detective Duo be able to save the dig from ghosts, ghouls and deadly goings on/

Do you have a new release due?

My next release is Bertie the Buffalo which will be out by the beginning of November.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Have a glass of champagne, a slice of cake and start the next book.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Through my website wendyhjones.com. There is a contact form on there.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Writing books is the most fabulous job in the world. Being able to write for so many age groups is a privilege and I enjoy every single minute of it. I want to thank all readers everywhere. You are what makes it all worthwhile. Thank you once again Kerry for your hospitality and for asking such interesting questions.

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

How cute is this…..

Blurb

Bertie the Buffalo is based on a true story of when a Water Buffalo escaped from a Buffalo Park in Fife, near Dundee, Scotland. A rhyming book about the adventures Bertie got up to and how he safely returned home, demonstrating how important each of us is no matter how insignificant we feel. Bertie felt that no one noticed him. But he didn’t need to think that as we are all special. We are all a part of one big family.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2Phntyv

Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie, is set in the beautiful city of Dundee, Scotland. Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years. This took her all over the world including Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Much of her spare time is now spent travelling around the UK, and lands much further afield. As well as nursing Wendy also worked for many years in Academia. This led to publication in academic textbooks and journals. Killer’s Countdown is her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mystery series. Killer’s Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2107. There are now six books in this series with Killer’s Crypt being released in August, 2017. The Dagger’s Curse is the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries for Young Adults. This book is currently shortlisted for the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year. She is also a highly successful marketer and she shares her methods in the book, Power Packed Book Marketing.

Another Kind of Magic

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

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

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

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

Pre-Order Link:

https://www.books2read.com/AnotherKindOfMagic

Author Bio –

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

Social Media Links –

Website – www.elizabethdaviesauthor.co.uk

Twitter – @bethsbooks

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

Instagram – @elizabethdavies.author

Giveaway –

Win Tote bag and a signed paperback copy of each of the three books in the Caitlyn series. (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box 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!

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

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

Interview with K T Lee…..

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

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

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

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

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

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

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

How do you pick your characters’ names?

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

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

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

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

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

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

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

Were you a big reader as a child?

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

When did you start to write?

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

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

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

Is there a book you wish you had written?

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

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

Joyful Chaos

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

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

What are you working on right now?

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

Tell us about your last release?

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

Do you have a new release due?

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

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

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

How can readers keep in touch with you?

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

Website: http://www.ktleeauthor.com

Twitter: @ktleewrites

Instagram: @ktleeauthor

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

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

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

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

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

Blurb

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

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

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

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2P8y9PH

Happy reading 🙂

Happy Halloween everyone! 👻

What’s your favourite scary story?

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

Kerry x