The Torcian Chronicles

Mesham sits dejectedly in a tiny garret above an inn, as the lands of Torcia fall to the magically-enhanced army of the infamous Mivirian Horde. One of the last surviving ancient warlocks of Torcia, Mesham knows he is marked for death. The Torcian king knocks on Mesham’s door later that evening and offers him the chance of rejuvenation in return for a seemingly impossible mission into the heart of Mivir. Mesham reluctantly agrees, only to realise the evil of Mivir has spread to the very top of the Torcian government. As Mesham undertakes his quest to complete the mission, he finds himself hunted by his king, by the mighty Torcian warbands, and by the Horde. But he cannot fail, for the fate of Mesham’s beloved Torcia rests in his hands.

Purchase from Amazon:

http://amzn.to/2lDC4nR

Author Bio –

P.J. Reed –

Writer of warlocks and other magical creatures. P.J. Reed is a writer and poet from England. She holds a BAEd from Canterbury Christ Church University and an MA from Bradford University. She has been widely published in anthologies and collections. P.J. Reed currently lives in Devon, with a handful of teenagers, one feral cat and a dog called Fizz.

Social Media Links –

Website – http://fantasyworlds.jigsy.com

Twitter- https://twitter.com/PJReed_author

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

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews and more with these awesome book bloggers…..

Enjoy!

Hiya! Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Linden Forster 🙂

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

I started writing my first novel when I was seventeen, but put it to one side when I went to university to study marine biology. When I graduated I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with myself. I didn’t have a plan for where I was going, so I didn’t know what the next step should be. I remembered enjoying the little creative writing I had done in school, so I signed up for a part time course.

As one of the components of the course, every week someone would email a piece of work, usually a short story and everyone else would critique it and during class the writer would have to sit and listen to everyone else’s comments. When we came back to class after Christmas nobody had anything to submit, and I remembered about the first chapter of a novel I had written almost five years previously and sent that in. People were really complementary about the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen next.

That was a great inspiration for me. I got my head down and four months later I had the first draft. Now it is just about to be released.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Everywhere and anywhere. From talking to people. From not talking to people. From going for a walk. From sitting in. From reading a book. From browsing the internet.

I wouldn’t describe myself as someone who has specific technique or formula when it comes to ideas. I need to mix things up. I don’t like writing in the same place several days in a row for the same reason. I find change stimulates me and helps me to think about different topics.

Whenever I do have an idea, I send myself a text and once a month these texts are entered into a big file called “concepts” to be dealt with at a later date.

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

There aren’t very many characters in The Hero’s Arc who if I squint at I don’t see myself.

How do you pick your characters names?

Usually when I come to a new character in my writing, I maybe think up two or three names for them in that moment and pick the one I like the best. A few days or weeks or months down the line I might change the name, sometimes it sticks.

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

One of the things that makes my writing life easier right now is I am solely working on The Hero’s Arc series, which has been in my head for seven or eight years. So when I’m writing, I know what I’m writing. I know the major events that need to happen. I know where things are going. I just need to write it. There isn’t the added pressure of needing to take time to get my head around things.

Past that, there isn’t much process. I have to write a book from start to finish. I can’t dive in here and there until all the strings connect. So it’s just putting one word after another until I reach the end and occasionally I get to check off a line from my “concepts” document.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, J.R.R. Tolkien and Douglas Adams

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

I would meet Neil Gaiman and ask him all about his friendship with Terry Pratchett. What they talked about, how they worked together.

Were you a big reader as a child?

I wasn’t, no. I read a bit. I read Harry Potter as that was what kids read in my generation and His Dark Materials and I must have read The Hobbit at least once a year, but I never really started reading a lot until I read Going Postal when I was sixteen and was shocked to find that books could be side-splittingly funny.

When did you start to write?

When I was seventeen, probably as a direct result of discovering Terry Pratchett and having an English teacher who really made the subject interesting for me.

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

Oh, that is a mean question and I wouldn’t dream of answering it.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. I love the way he incapsulates the essence of humanity in that book.

I am also a little upset that I never got a chance to create hobbits. They are perfect little creatures.

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

I wasn’t always like this.

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

Discworld’s Death. I’d take him to a cat café; I think he would like that.

What are you working on right now?

Book three in The Hero’s Arc. Book two is written, but I want to get to grips with the third before I go back and get it edited.

Tell us about your last release? Do you have a new release due?

Well, we are in a bit of a time warp here. At the time of this interview I do not have a last release, but at the time of your reading I will have. Divine Invention, my debut novel came out on the third of March. I hope to have another release for the sequel later in the year, we’ll see if that materialises.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I can say with some surety, that part of my day will consist of signing books at my local Waterstones. I hope in the evening I will be celebrating, but the jury is still out on that one. Fingers crossed.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

My blog at https://lindenforster.wordpress.com/ or on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I’m easy to find @lindenforster for all of them.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Divine Invention is a fantasy/satire/comedy adventure store, which follows the story of an island community who have exhausted their food supply and have just invented the world’s first boat.

If this sounds like something you would like to read it is available on amazon and to order in to your local Waterstones if you prefer.

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

Most stories begin with either an unforeseen turn of events or a problem.
Krank has a problem. For centuries, the people of the island have lived on the animals and plants to be found there. It was bliss and so the population grew. It was not until very recently anyone noticed that the quantity of plants and animals had not. The delicate balance of the ecosystem has tipped and food is dwindling.
The King assigned the island’s two resident self-proclaimed geniuses, the Creators, to find a solution. The fruits of their labour ripen into the invention of the world’s first aquatic transportation device and promises to provide passage from the island to search further afield for food and resources.
So, there it is. Problem solved. End of story. Barring any unforeseen turn of events…

Enjoy!

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming J. F. Kirwan back to Chat About Books. This time I have a great interview with the man himself to share with you all.

Many thanks to Rachel for arranging the following interview.

Interview with J. F. Kirwan…..

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

I’m an ex-scuba diving instructor, and have dived all over the world, including a few rescues and close calls. In my day job I work in aviation safety, looking at human error and how to overcome it. I wrote the first book following back surgery, when I couldn’t dive for a year, and I was missing it. Then HarperCollins offered me a three book deal so I had to write the other two!

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Sometimes I get a lot of insomnia, and I wake up with ideas in my head, so I get up and write them down. For 37 hours, the centrepiece is Chernobyl, and I used to work in the nuclear industry, so know a lot about it. Its history has some fascinating stories and myths, and I borrowed one or two. Another key section is in a fictional place called Anspida, based on a real place I used to dive, where I encountered some rather large sharks and a cavern known as turtle tomb.

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

In 66 Metres, there were a couple based on friends I knew as former diving buddies, but for 37 Hours I kept it clean.

How do you pick your characters names?

That’s a good one. I think of a name, then think again, and maybe one more time. Usually by the third time it feels and sounds right. Once the name ‘takes’, for me it is locked in, and becomes inseparable from the character and the context. I recall during 37 Hours someone asked why I’d called a particular character so, and couldn’t change their name. I replied simply, ‘it’s his name.’ When pressed, I repeated, ‘You don’t get it, I can’t change it, that’s his name!’ Authors are a strange breed…

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

11pm – go to sleep thinking ‘how will Nadia get out of this?’

3:15am – wake up with the solution.

3:20am – start typing, end it on a cliff-hanger

6:00am – shut down computer and get ready for work.

10:30pm – wonder why I’m so tired.

11pm – repeat.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Lee Child

David Baldacci

Andy McNab

James Patterson

Jack McDevitt

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

Lee Child. I’d ask him how often he’s been in a real fight. [I have some issues with his fight scenes]. Then, if he’s still talking to me, I’d ask him his writing process. Then I’d get drunk with him and ask him his real writing process.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes, my first book was Scott of the Antarctic, then Homer’s Iliad, and then the Fantastic 5. Never looked back. Funny that the Fab5 and Ladybird books (for adults) are making a comeback.

When did you start to write?

When I was around fifteen, I wrote a little rag for my schoolmates, called the Adventures of Blackie the Cat, about a cat who was a spy. I put sex scenes in there, though I didn’t really know much about it, but then neither did my mates. The beauty of fiction.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Lord of the Rings

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

Just add water

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

Nadia Laksheva. I’d take her out for ice cream and tell her I’m really sorry for what I put her through.

What are you working on right now?

An idea that came to me just a few days ago. Working title is The Ghost Detective.

Do you have a new release due?

Not for a while. 88 North, the finale and sequel to 37 Hours came out just before Xmas.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Hide. Drink a glass of champagne surreptitiously. Sneak a peak every now and again on Twitter and Amazon. Okay, every hour.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

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

Website http://www.jfkirwan.com

Twitter @kirwanjf

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

(a) You don’t have to be a diver or like diving to enjoy the books. (b) Sharks aren’t really that dangerous to humans.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions 🙂

37 Hours

The only way to hunt down a killer is to become one…

After two long years spent in a secret British prison, Nadia Laksheva is suddenly granted her freedom. Yet there is a dangerous price to pay for her release: she must retrieve the Russian nuclear warhead stolen by her deadliest enemy, a powerful and ruthless terrorist known only as The Client.

But her mysterious nemesis is always one step ahead and the clock is ticking. In 37 hours, the warhead will explode, reducing the city of London to a pile of ash. Only this time, Nadia is prepared to pull the trigger at any cost…

The deadly trail will take her from crowded Moscow to the silent streets of Chernobyl, but will Nadia find what she is looking for before the clock hits zero?

The gripping second novel in J.F. Kirwan’s brilliant spy thriller series. Perfect for fans of Charles Cumming, Mark Dawson and Adam Brookes.

Purchase from Amazon UK –

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hours-Nadia-Laksheva-Thriller-Book-ebook/dp/B01N3KP711/

Author Bio

J. F. Kirwan is the author of the Nadia Laksheva thriller series for HarperCollins. Having worked in accident investigation and prevention in nuclear, offshore oil and gas and aviation sectors, he uses his experience of how accidents initially build slowly, then race towards a climax, to plot his novels. An instructor in both scuba diving and martial arts, he travels extensively all over the world, and loves to set his novels in exotic locations. He is also an insomniac who writes in the dead of night. His favourite authors include Lee Child, David Baldacci and Andy McNab.

Website: http://www.jfkirwan.com

Blog: http://www.jfkirwan.com/blog

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

Twitter – https://twitter.com/kirwanjf

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews and more with these awesome book bloggers…..

Previous post featuring J. F. Kirwan and his books…..

66 Metres #BlogTour J.F. Kirwan @kirwanjf #GuestPost @rararesources

Today I have the pleasure of rounding off Jo Merrett’s Reading Between The Lines blog tour 🙂

This sounds like a great read!

READING BETWEEN THE LINES BRINGS THE BONKBUSTER BACK WITH A BANG

Read Between the Lines of this debut novel and savour shameless shades of sexy

Woking, Surrey – Ballsy reporter Kate Cleaver doesn’t wait for things to happen. A modern woman with a voracious sexual appetite she takes life – and men – by the balls – and makes things happen! Sassy Kate wants to leave cat shows and council meetings behind her and hit the glamour of national journalism – but not before she gets her hands one particular exclusive: the delicious but elusive Chief Reporter, Aidan Tindall.

Reading Between the Lines is a rollercoaster of sexual freedom and angst-ridden rejection, office flings plus desire and ambition and 2am gin soaked confessions.

Former Mirror features writer turned stay-at-home mum of two Jo Merrett’s first book takes her early days as a journalist and spins them into an erotic chick lit, where ambition and sex rule. Acting on an idea that had pole-danced around her head for a decade, 44-year-old Jo finally got creative after watching Fifty Shades at the cinema.

She said: “I was halfway through watching the first film and thought, ‘I can write erotic fiction, what am I waiting for? I started writing it that afternoon! Reading Between the Lines is a book every woman who is in or has been in her 20s can identify with. Kate’s ambitious and confident but isn’t immune to the hurdles life throws at her. You will laugh, cry and cringe – maybe all at the same time!”

Enjoy!

Check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews and more with these awesome book bloggers…..

Many thanks to Kelly Lacey

Hi all, I’d like to introduce you to Regina Timothy…..

Thanks Kerry for inviting me to chat about my debut book Full Circle, a contemporary fiction tale of friendship, family, and hope.

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

My name is Regina Timothy and I grew up in Kenya.

I’ve always had active imagination and I’ve written most of my life. I find myself with a lot of ideas and different scenarios I’d like to see incorporated in a novel setting. I don’t know if everyone has that. I write a variety of genres in both fiction and fiction.

I’ve written short stories and poetry but Full Circle is my debut novel. The story follows the main character Samia-al-Sayyid, a 33 year old Iraqi immigrant living in the U.S. She overcomes a lot, and works so hard to make a good life for her teenage son. In the end, it seems all her all her efforts are not enough.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

A great source of writing inspiration for me is what I observe around me. People, events, and sometimes things get me thinking.

I’ve always loved books and movies with a strong female leads, especially books that highlight that inspire and explore human connections. I wanted to be one of the million voices in the world that gives a voice to these remarkable characters. So, Full Circle was born.

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

No. All my characters are fictitious.

How do you pick your characters names?

I don’t have a set formula per see. Sometimes I’m lucky and a name comes naturally and when I try it out it fits perfectly. Other times I hit a rut. In such cases I make Google my friend. I research the names, see if the name has a meaning and if the meaning of the name will reflect the character’s personality, and makes sense for the era and region.

If the name checks all these checkboxes I then try out the names out aloud and listen to how it sounds. If I like what I hear, then I consider my search over.

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

I don’t have any process that’s set in stone. When it comes to writing I consider myself a panster as opposed to a plotter. For most of my writing, when starting out, I normally have a general idea of what I’d like a story to look like or what I’d like to cover, but I usually don’t have a fixed idea about who I’m going to meet or what’s going to happen. The minute I begin writing the story my imagination runs wild and the story evolves in ways that sometimes surprise even me.

Who are your top 5 favorite authors?

Reading has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. I’ve read thousands of books by different authors in my lifetime and it is kind of hard narrowing it down to five favorite authors.

But if I were going to do it off the top of my mind, in no particular order I‘d go with Khaled Hosseini, Maya Angelou, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Robert Kiyosaki and J. K. Rowling.

These are a few of the authors I greatly admire.

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

I would love to share a cup of tea with Jane Austen. Her books often covered the dependence of women on marriage in an era when marriage was an integral part of society and what was considered an eventual rite of passage. I’d like to know how difficult that was for her confronting the societal norm at the time and what trouble, if any, she got into for her opinions.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes I was. I’ve always loved reading a good book. It didn’t matter what genre it was, as long as it was good, I would read it. I got into a lot of trouble in school because I always got caught reading a novel when I was supposed to be listening to what was going on at the front of the class.

When did you start to write?

I began writing when I was quite young. I enjoyed writing essays at school and was encouraged by a teacher to hone my ability. I kept writing even after leaving school but I didn’t take it seriously until a few years ago.

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

This is a tough one, but if I was to pick one from my favorite list it would be Jane Austen’s Pride or Prejudice.

It would have been nice if all the girls including Mary got a happy ending – I’m a sucker for happy endings.

But that isn’t a good enough reason to change its ending. This is because if you changed anything it simply would not be the story which we all love.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

I consider myself an avid reader of all genres and I’ve enjoyed many books in my lifetime. But there are some books that appeal to the emotions of a reader and stay with you long after the last page. An example is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Other books that appeal to me include ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou and ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. These are a few of the books I greatly admire and would have loved to write.

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

Footprints – Building castles in the sand. I don’t know why I came up with that or if it makes sense.

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

Daenerys Targaryen in the book Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. Who wouldn’t want to meet the mother of dragons? I would probably take her to King’s and watch her reclaim her Iron throne.

What are you working on right now?

I have several projects that I’m currently working on. The one closest to completion is a non-fiction self-help book.

Tell us about your last release?

My last release is titled Full Circle.

Full Circle is a contemporary fiction tale of friendship, family, and hope. It explores the devastation of loss, the great capacity to forgive and the lengths our loved ones will go to protect us.

The book follows the life of Samia-al-Sayyid an Iraqi immigrant living in the U.S with her son and the relationships she creates with two women – her employer and her best friend. When a terrorist attack destroys these relationships, she feels responsible and she is forced to flee back to Iraqi where imminent death awaits her.

Do you have a new release due?

Full Circle debuted last Christmas Eve. It’s been a rollercoaster of months trying to promote the book. So I’d taken some time off to concentrate on Full Circle, but I am now currently working on a new book due for release later in the year.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Take a deep breath, pour myself a healthy dose of white wine in my Olivia pope wine glass, take a seat, and try not to obsess on sales.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I love connecting with readers from different places and getting their thoughts on my books.

Readers can find me on the following platforms:

Amazon – https://t.co/dIHcck2L0Z

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17539626.Regina_Timothy

Librarythings – https://www.librarything.com/profile/Regina-Timothy

Twitter – https://twitter.com/gina_wann

Blog – http://reginatimothy.wordpress.com

Get in touch with me and I’ll definitely get back to you

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

My book Full Circle is available on Amazon

I am really eager to hear what people think so if you do read it please post a review on Amazon or Goodreads.

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

Thanks too Kerry for having me. I’ve had so much fun.

Book Blurb

Eight years after the 9/11 attacks, Samia-Al-Sayyid an Iraqi immigrant is living a quiet life in New York City after she fled her home to avoid imminent death.

She works hard for her cold, heartless, high-strung boss, loves her seventeen-years-old-son, and cherishes the close friendship she has formed with her best friend Susan.

Nothing can go wrong, or so she thinks – until the estranged brother she left back in Iraqi shows up on her door step. Then she finds herself in a cab, on her way to the hospital to identify her son, a terror suspect who has blown the city, and with it her boss’ husband, and her best friend’s son. With everything lost, she is forced to flee to Iraq where she confronts her past. Will she make peace with her past? Can she get forgiveness for all the damage she has caused?

Full Circle is a contemporary fiction tale of friendship, family, and hope. It explores the devastation of loss, the great capacity to forgive and the lengths our loved ones will go to protect us.

Author Bio

Regina lives in a picturesque village in Kenya where she enjoys amazing landscapes, exotic wildlife, and beautiful sunsets and sunrises. She always had active imagination. By chance, she started blogging in 2010, which rekindled her love for writing and telling stories. When not writing she enjoys watching classic movies (she’s a movie buff), going to the theater and auto shows. You can join her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gina_wann and visit her blog at https://reginatimothy.wordpress.com/

Buy Details

Release date: December 24th 2017

ISBN: 978-1981839438

ASIN: B078M7KFDG

Price Mass Market Paperback: $14.75

Price E-Book: $2.99 Buy Link: http://amzn.to/2EdNl5L

Enjoy!

Today I am thrilled to welcome Jean McNeil to Chat About Books as part of her Fire On The Mountain blog tour, with Legend Press.

*Many thanks to Imogen Harris at Legend Press for arranging the following interview and for kindly offering a giveaway prize*

Interview with Jean McNeil…..

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

I’m something of a veteran now. I’ve been published since I was 21 and am the author of 13 books, including Fire on the Mountain, my most recent book, published by the fantastic London indie Legend Press. Most of my books are novels but I’ve also published one collection of short fiction. I started out writing Rough Guides travel guides in Latin America, which was a very good apprenticeship. Rough Guides’ standards of writing are very high. They worked all of us authors hard but it paid off, I think, in my future writing. I also teach creative writing and run a graduate programme at the University of East Anglia.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Experience. At least I often get the kernel of the idea from what happens to me, or what I observe. I don’t get many ideas from history, say, or pure imagination.

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

No that would be a very bad idea. They might sometime be based on me, or rather alternative me’s. That’s a safer strategy.

How do you pick your characters names?

This is a good question. Names are like book titles, they either come to you immediately as soon as you are writing, or you have to go and find them. The latter is harder. Names are absolutely key. They communicate the essence of the character, they can be symbolic, they have to be somewhat memorable. The thing about names in books is it’s not like names in life – it’s perfectly possible in life to have a sister and a friend both named Rachel but if you try to do that in a novel your editor will insist on changing it so that readers can follow who’s who. We don’t seem to have that problem in life.

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

I sit down and write. That’s all that’s really required. Writers are sometimes too precious about ‘process’. But I’ve noticed I write well on ships – I’ve done a lot of ship-based research, often on long trips across the Atlantic ocean or in the polar regions. Ships are absolutely the best places to write, ever. Even when I’ve had to bolt my chair to the desk to avoid being flung across the room.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Tough one. I deplore having favourites. It’s not fair to the many, many phenomenally good writers out there. Here is a list of the writers I am reading currently and who I think are very good:

Anne Carson

Damon Galgut

Andre Aciman

VS Naipaul

Ben Lerner

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

Proust, but he is dead so it would have to be his ghost. How do you achieve the psychic density of your prose?

Were you a big reader as a child?

No, I grew up almost without books, apart from Reader’s Digest. But I made up for lost time once I was 12 and moved to the city and discovered the library.

When did you start to write?

At university, when I was around 18. I started writing poetry and fiction to avoid having to work on my macroeconomics essays.

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

I feel endings are sacrosanct. Some of them are very, very hard to take – bittersweet, they really undo you. Like the ending of Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which I think is one of the most affecting endings in literature.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Call Me By Your Name, by Andre Aciman, which I first read some years ago and have since re-read. It’s so intense, psychological and sensual. It’s just been made into an exquisite film.

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

Don’t Do it Like This

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

Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, to ask what it is like living as both a man and a woman. I’d take him/her to 193 Wardour Street, the coffee shop I meet my literary agent in and which for me has become a literary oasis in London where I can read and think.

What are you working on right now?

A new novel. It’s very early days so I don’t want to say much, but it starts out in ‘the now’: January 2018, in Hackney, so I’m having an interesting time turning what I see outside my window and experience every day into narrative. I haven’t written anything in set in the exact here-and-now in London in awhile.

Tell us about your last release?

My novel The Dhow House was published by Legend Press in the UK in 2016 and in North America by ECW Press in 2017. It’s a sensual story of politics and passion set on the Indian ocean coast of East Africa, where I live for part of the year. It is the most astonishingly beautiful place and readers who know it tell me I managed to evoke it well in the novel. That was my goal, apart from telling a compelling story, so I’m satisfied.

Do you have a new release due?

Not yet, apart from Fire on the Mountain.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Breathe a sigh of relief. The real celebration (champagne, headaches etc.) happens when I hear a publisher will publish one of my books.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

Readers are very welcome to email me via my website http://www.jeanmcneil.co.uk, or via Instagram or Twitter.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Thanks very much for the interesting questions and I hope you and readers enjoy Fire on the Mountain!

Many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Jean 🙂

When NGO worker Nick drops unexpectedly into the lives of Pieter and Sara Lisson, he feels he has found the parents he never had. Nick is enraptured by their lives of splendour and acclaim as much as the stirring setting of the African city where they live, but he soon senses a secret at the heart of his new family. Nick then meets Riaan, the Lissons’ son, and so begins an intense connection that threatens to erupt into a relationship neither had ever considered. In the shadow of the Brandberg, the glowing mountain that stands at the heart of the desert, Nick will discover that his passion for Riaan is not the only fire which threatens his newfound home.

Giveaway…..

For your chance to win a paperback copy of Fire on the Mountain (UK only, due to postage costs) just comment ‘Yes please’ on this post and a winner will be chosen at random.

Thanks in advance for entering! 🙂

Good luck!

Enjoy!

Hiya!

Wow, these months are just flying by, faster than ever it seems!

Welcome to my #FlashbackFriday feature. On the first Friday of each month I like to have a little look back at what I was reading during the same month in previous years. Here are my reviews from March 2017 & a link at the end to last years March #FlashbackFriday

https://chataboutbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/23/mystery-at-maplemead-castle-by-kitty-french-kfrenchbooks-bookouture-blogtour-bookreview/

https://chataboutbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/aftershesgone-by-maggie-james-mjamesfiction-tastpublicity-blogtour-bookreview/

Rome Is Where The Heart Is by Tilly Tennant @TillyTenWriter @bookouture #BlogTour #BookReview

The Mercury Travel Club by @Helen_Bridgett @RedDoorBooks #BlogTour #BookReview

Evie’s Year of Taking Chances by Christie Barlow @ChristieJBarlow @bookouture #BlogTour #BookReview

The Abattoir of Dreams by Mark Tilbury @MTilburyAuthor @Bloodhoundbook #BlogTour #BookReview #AuthorInterview

Flashback Friday with @lucydawsonbooks @TAWilliamsBooks @monicajames81 @TanyaBullock15 @Marcie_Steele

Have you read any of the above?

Please feel free to join in with #FlashbackFriday. Don’t forget to share a link to your post in the comments if you do.

Thanks!

Kerry x

Today I am delighted to be able to bring you a lovely interview with Suzanne Leal who has published her latest novel, The Teacher’s Secret, with Legend Press. 

Many thanks to Imogen Harris, at Legend Press, for arranging the following interview and for offering a paperback copy of The Teacher’s Secret for me to giveaway!

Interview with Suzanne Leal…..

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

I’m a Sydney-based writer, lawyer and mother.

My new novel, The Teacher’s Secret, is about life in the close-knit coastal community of Brindle and the struggles and scandals of the people who live there. Terry Pritchard, assistant principal at Brindle Public School, watches his career collapse when he is accused of inappropriate behaviour towards his students. Nina Foreman, new to the school, struggles to deal both with the breakdown of her marriage and a classroom of students who don’t like her. Rebecca Chuma is also new to Brindle: she’s a curiosity for the locals who don’t know what she’s doing there and just why she can’t return home.

For me, The Teacher’s Secret is the story of a small community and its search for grace, dignity and love in the midst of dishonour, humiliation, grief and uncertainty.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

The Teacher’s Secret is set in the fictional town of Brindle. Geographically, Brindle is very similar to the little town in south-eastern Sydney where I live. In many ways, The Teacher’s Secret is my lovesong to this little place and the community I have there.

As a lawyer, I have worked in criminal law and in child protection. In The Teacher’s Secret, I drew upon this experience to consider those issues of trust and suspicion that can emerge within a school setting.

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

I have worked in refugee law and, in the course of my work, have encountered many people seeking asylum in Australia. Many have been strong, articulate and impressive women who had experienced great hardship. The character of Rebecca Chuma emerged from my knowledge of these women and their lives.

With the character of Nina Foreman, I wanted to look at the juggle for a working woman who is also a single parent. For some years, I was a single parent myself and I used this in creating Nina’s story.

How do you pick your characters names?

When I can visualize my character, I google lists of names and scroll down until I find the name that best suits him or her. There’s always a name that jumps out at me as the right one, even if it takes a bit of searching.

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

Whenever I begin a new manuscript, I open a new project on the software package, Scrivener, and start to plot my story and develop my characters and settings. Then I sit down and make myself write for three hours every day. Once I have a full draft of the manuscript – however rough – I go back to the beginning and fix it up; then I do it again and again and again and again.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Jane Austen

Roald Dahl

Emile Zola

Ruth Park

Rachel Seiffert

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

I would meet William Shakespeare and I would ask him how on earth he managed to be so prolific.

Were you a big reader as a child?

As a child, I would read all the time. For me, reading gave me the chance to live other lives and escape into other worlds.

When did you start to write?

I was always writing as a child and always hoped to become a writer when I’d grown up. Then one day, I realized that I had, in fact, grown up – I’d even had a baby – and still wasn’t a writer. So when the baby finally went to sleep, I would sit down – mostly sleep deprived – and start to type.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

I wish I’d written A Boy in Winter by Rachel Seiffert

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

I would invite Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables for coffee. I would take her anywhere she wanted to go to thank her for letting me grow up with her and for allowing me to lose myself in her world.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve just finished the manuscript for a time travel story for children aged between 10 and 14 years. I’m now working on a new novel about the far-reaching consequences of long-held family secrets.

Tell us about your last release?

The Teacher’s Secret was released in hardback in the United Kingdom last year.

Do you have a new release due?

The paperback edition for The Teacher’s Secret is being released in the UK on 1 March 2018.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

After working so hard to get the book finished, on publication day I finally allow myself to simply wallow in euphoria.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I love to hear from readers.

My website is suzanneleal.com

You can find me on:

Instagram @suzannelealauthor

Twitter @suzanne_leal

My Facebook page: suzannelealauthor

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

Thanks for the interview and for the great questions.

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

Giveaway…..

For your chance to win a paperback copy of The Teacher’s Secret (UK only!) simply comment ‘Yes please’ below and a winner will be chosen at random.

Thanks in advance for entering

Good luck!

Things aren’t always as they seem…

A small town can be a refuge, but while its secrets are held, it’s hard to know who to trust and what to believe.

The Teacher’s Secret is a tender and compelling story of scandal, rumour and dislocation, and the search for grace and dignity in the midst of dishonour and humiliation.

Perfect for fans of The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray.

‘Packed with heart and suspense… I absolutely loved it’ Jenny Ashcroft

‘Delicately woven… a big-hearted book’ Joanne Fedler

‘Elegantly structured, unsettling, yet with moments of surprising wit’ Kathryn Heyman

‘Masterfully constructed… Drawn with wit and clear-eyed affection’ Mark Lamprell

‘Leal’s novel shows us, achingly and beautifully, the slippery nature of truth’ Maggie Joel

‘A rich interweaving of beautifully drawn characters’ Robin de Crespigny

‘A gutsy yet intricate examination of one of society’s nightmares’ Robert Wainwright

‘Leal writes with her hand on her heart’ Charles Waterstreet

‘Suspenseful, moving and full of heart. I couldn’t put it down’ Richard Glover

‘An eloquent story of a life thrown into disarray; it drew me in and held me’ Rachel Seiffert

Buy a copy here…..

Enjoy!

OUT NOW!

Happy Publication Day to Caroline Mitchell 🙂

My review…..

(Written 15^th January)

Wow! Another awesome read from Caroline Mitchell and a privilege to have been able to read it ahead of publication.

Caroline always creates the most interesting characters. Not always likeable, but fascinating. Their stories draw you in from the very beginning and this was exactly the case with Silent Victim. We meet Emma, Alex and Luke. Emma and Alex are married with a four year old son. Luke used to be Emma’s teacher when she was 15 years old. He groomed her and abused her using her difficult childhood as a weapon against her. Telling her lies to gain her trust and making her believe he loved her until he had got what he wanted. Then he blamed her for everything, made her life a complete misery until he pushed her too far.

Emma has spent the last few years keeping the secret that she killed Luke and buried him on their land in Mersea. When Alex finally pushes for a move to Leeds, she worries about new owners making a grim discovery and her past starts to torment her all over again.

The book is set in 2017, but flashes back to 2003 and 2013. The whole story flows beautifully and certainly kept me glued to my kindle paperwhite.

Emma is a fragile character. I can’t imagine trying to build a future whilst keeping such horrendous secrets and having felt completely alone thinking no-one will believe what you have been through. No wonder her nerves are shot to pieces.

Luke made me so mad! His chapters made my blood boil. It’s so scary to think there are people like him in positions of trust with easy access to our children. These are clever and manipulative people who most people would never suspect of anything untoward, which is just terrifying, especially as a mother of the teenage daughter. This story highlights just how easily we can be manipulated and I hope anyone who has been a victim of anything like this is brave enough to speak out. Someone will believe you.

Alex is a likeable character. I think his reactions towards the truth, or not knowing the truth as the case may be, were very believable. I would have been confused also! Heart and head battling against each other trying to figure out who and what to believe.

I knew Theresa was hiding something, I just didn’t realise what!

Absolutely brilliantly written, as always. Full of suspense, twists and a roller-coaster of emotions as some very sensitive subjects are tackled. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last and I will recommend happily!

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC.

You lucky people can read it right now! Grab your copy here…..

Enjoy!

Previous posts featuring Caroline Mitchell and her books…..

Caroline Mitchell – Paranormal Intruder: The true story of a family in fear

Love You To Death (Detective Ruby Preston Crime Thriller Series Book 1) by Caroline Mitchell *Review* @Caroline_writes @bookouture

#Witness by Caroline Mitchell @Caroline_writes #BlogTour #BookReview

My 5* reads of 2016…..

Sleep Tight #BlogTour @Caroline_writes @bookouture #BookReview

Murder Game #BlogBlitz @Caroline_writes @bookouture #BookReview

#FlashbackFriday with @ChristieJBarlow @Caroline_writes @Fab_fiction @LouiseRoseInnes @AlexMarwood1 @HollyKammier @Marcie_Steele & Bill Clegg

First of all, my apologies to Lara Temple and Rachel for this post being a day late, but I hope you enjoy this fab interview I have with the author herself.

Interview with Lara Temple…..

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

Hi, I’m Lara Temple and I write historical romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon set during the Regency period (give or take a few years). I’m a bit of latecomer to romance writing. I’ve worked in finance, high tech, and consulting most of my life and I only began publishing two years ago after entering the Harlequin SYTYCW contest and being offered a contract. I’m now about to release my fifth book with them and hard at work on more. It isn’t easy, juggling the writing between my other work and my family (I have two amazing but time consuming little kids), but the high I get from writing is something I could never give up. Thankfully I work from home and my husband and kids (and dog) are pretty forgiving when I get that blank I’m-lost-down-a-plot-rabbit-hole look.

2) Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I should say from my degree in history and a life-long love of reading historical fiction and romance but while those provide background for my stories, the ideas themselves often come from just about anywhere – a dog I see on the street, a chance line I overhear at a café, and very often in the middle of the night after having been woken up by one of my kids. The number of times my mind has gone into overdrive as I try to get back to sleep at 4am might explain the bags under my eyes. Suddenly I’m swamped by heroes, heroines and all manner of characters climbing onto my mind’s stage and demanding I drag myself out of bed, open my laptop, and get to it…

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

Very rarely. Once an idea is sparked, my characters just take on a life of their own, they grow as I write and I often have no idea who they are going to be until I am finished writing them. That is part of what I love about writing – it is like watching a movie and I simply have to stay and find out how it is all going to work out.

4) How do you pick your characters names?

Sometimes characters come name-ready (4am inspiration again) but sometimes I browse through time appropriate lists of names, or in the indices of old books, until I come across a name that sounds right. Sometimes I even sneak names from books I loved – my Lord Ravenscar is a case in point (Max Ravenscar was the first Georgette Heyer hero I encountered and it was love at first card playing scene). Once I find that name there is always a kind of inner sigh – ‘yes, that’s it.’

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

I’m an absolute pantser who wishes she was a plotter and decides before every new books that she will reform but fails miserably. For the first trimester of my book I just sit down and write and my characters take over and I pretty much discover them as I go. It really is like watching (and listening to) a movie in my head. This doesn’t mean it is easy. I often run myself into a plot ditch and then I have to take a step back and rethink where they are going – I force myself to stop being a passive reporter and start taking a hand in their destinies. This second trimester is usually the hardest. Then after that agonizing attempt to make believe I’m a plotter, it gets easier again and I can finally see where they are heading and start wrapping things up.

This whole process is complicated by the fact that I don’t have much writing time, but I do try to maximize it by having a few hours set aside only for writing between dropping my kids off at school and seeing to my other commitments. Oh, and I drink lots and lots of tea in the process…

6) Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I actually can’t name just five, because the list keeps changing, but there are some authors that shaped my reading world and I go back to them again and again including Jane Austen, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Georgette Heyer. I’m also currently rereading my P.D. James collection and I also just read a marvellous historical mystery by Arianna Franklin, Mistress of Death.

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

This is hard. Very hard. I think I would like to find myself with the three Bronte sisters and all I would ask was to be with them so I could try and puzzle how they created such brilliant stories in a world so ungenerous to women. The same would be true if I could ask Mary Shelley what was going through her mind when she wrote Frankenstein, or any of the brilliant genius women who were writing works of art during the period I write about.

8) Were you a big reader as a child?

I devoured books. My mother would take us to the public library in Farringdon and my brother and I would cry when we had to leave. Even when I was a little older I would fall in love with a series and then, again, cry when I came to the last book (we read every Sherlock Holmes but I still found it hard to accept when we reached #64 and my mother told me that was the end – so we started at the beginning again…). I especially liked mysteries until the day I discovered Georgette Heyer and my fate was sealed…

9) When did you start to write?

I dictated my first story to my mum when I was four years old so I suppose that counts. It had lots of dinosaurs and skeletons and secret stairways, which makes me wonder just what bedtime stories she was reading to me at that age. I kept writing stories over the years but I never made an effort to become published. I worked in finance and high tech and used writing as an escape and a private pleasure – I wrote what I wanted to read. When my kids were born I started looking for less stressful careers but it still took a stroke of circumstance to make me embrace the choice of becoming a writer.

One day my mom drew my attention to Harlequin’s SYTYCW contest and to my absolute amazement I made the top ten and was offered a contract. In two years I will have published five books with them and so I am finally beginning to face the wonderful reality that I am a bona fide writer.

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

Romeo and Juliet. Not because I like the story in that play, but because I have a problem with the romanticization of suicide. I hate that two teenagers (yes, I’m aware things were different back then and they were considered adults) felt so boxed in by circumstance they had to obliterate themselves. Yes, I know it’s only a story but it is iconic and it always bothered me.

11) Is there a book you wish you had written?

That has happened to me many times, but I remember that feeling very strongly when I was in my late teens and was addicted to Milan Kundera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Dostoyevsky, and Camus. I devoured their books and was really depressed I would never write anything as brilliant. I’ve grown up since then and realized we all have our own stories to tell and our own way to tell them but I can still remember that burn of envy when faced with genius.

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

I’d never write one, that’s for sure. But a possible title could be: Did Not Go According to Plan.

13) What are you working on right now?

I’m working on my next series. In my third Wild Lords’ book Lord Stanton grapples with the toxic legacy of his mother’s family – the Sinclairs. In a scene where he was telling the heroine Christina about escaping to play with his Sinclair cousins Lucas and Chase in the woods, I had an image of two dark haired, intense brothers. So the moment I finished writing Stanton’s story (which comes out in June) I began writing their stories, which are called for the moment, the Sinful Sinclairs.

14) Do you have a new release due?

My second Wild Lords, Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal, is out 1st March and my third, Lord Stanton’s Last Mistress, is our 1st June. I love that all three of my Wild Lords are coming out in such a short period of time so people still have each one in mind as they read the other. They are definitely standalone books but the heroes do make appearances.

15) What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Publication day is one of mixed feelings for me. My baby is finally out there after months of tender care and I’m full of hope everyone will love it as much as I and worry that they will hate it. So on the day itself I don’t at all do what I would like – which is put up my feet, open the bubbly, and celebrate. That usually waits for the day after, when my nerves have calmed.

16) How can readers keep in touch with you?

I love hearing from readers (criticism too – I’ve learned so much from reader feedback in the past couple of years and I benefit from it). I’m in touch with an amazing group of readers through Facebook (www.facebook.com/laratemple1), twitter (@laratemple1), and my website (www.laratemple.com). Also – I and a group of amazing historical romance Harlequin Mills & Boon authors manage a Facebook group where we chat with readers, share amusing and amazing stories, and do giveaways. I recommend all romance lovers come and join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheUnlacedBookClub/.

17) Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I think I’ve taken up more than my fair share of your time, but there is one thing I’d like to add. One of the most wonderful things about writing romance is the women – I work in a very male world and during the past two years I’ve met so many amazing, enriching, and generous women (readers, authors, and editors) I am simply blown away. It has been a double gift – not just seeing my writing published and enjoyed, but also becoming part of an amazing world I hadn’t even known existed. I wish I had taken some steps to become part of that world even before I published – like joining a local RNA or RWA chapter. To all the women contemplating writing but not sure about it – I really recommend find a community of romance lovers/authors around you!

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

You are so welcome, Kerry! It’s been a pleasure to be on your blog.

Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal

“Women either ran from Lord Ravenscar or ran to him.” A Wild Lords and Innocent Ladies story Alan Rothwell, Marquess of Ravenscar, is furious when unconventional heiress Lily Wallace refuses him purchase of her property. He can’t even win her over with his infamous charm. But when fever seizes him and they’re trapped together, horrified, Alan realizes Lily’s attentions will compromise them both! His solution: take Lily as his betrothed before desire consumes them completely…

Purchase Link:

myBook.to/Ravenscar

Author Bio –

Lara Temple writes strong, sexy regency romances about complex individuals who give no quarter but do so with plenty of passion. Her fifth book with Harlequin Mills & Boon, ‘Lord Ravenscar’s Inconvenient Betrothal,’ will be published in March 2018, and is the second in her Wild Lords series. Her four previous books are: Lord Hunter’s Cinderella Heiress, The Duke’s Unexpected Bride, The Reluctant Viscount, and Lord Crayle’s Secret World. When she was fifteen Lara found a very grubby copy of Georgette Heyer’s Faro’s Daughter in an equally grubby book store. Several blissful hours later she emerged, blinking, into the light of day completely in love with Regency Romance but it took three decades of various fascinating but completely unrelated careers in finance and high tech before she returned to her first love. Lara lives with her husband and two children who are very good about her taking over the kitchen table for her writing (so she can look out over the garden and dream). She loves to travel (especially to places steeped in history) and read as many books as possible. She recently went looking for that crowded little bookstore but couldn’t quite remember around what corner it was…hopefully it is still there and another girl is in the corner by the window, reading and dreaming…

Social Media Links –

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laratemple1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laratemple1

Website: http://www.laratemple.com

Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/2mWin9R

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LaraTemple 7

As I’m the last why not go back through the tour and check out the fab posts by these awesome book bloggers…..

Enjoy!