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

Hi and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this fascinating book…..

Literary Landscapes: the Real-Life Settings of the World’s Favourite Fiction

Literary Landscapes draws together those well-loved authors who are synonymous with a place and time, where landscape is as central to the tale as any character, and just as easily recognized

DAPHNE DU MAURIER’S REBECCA

FOWEY, CORNWALL, ENGLAND

This gothic drama of jealousy and suspense, narrated by Maxim de Winter’s wife, traces the newly-weds’ return to her husband’s ancestral home on the south Cornwall coast, and the narrator’s growing obsession with Maxim’s dead wife, Rebecca.

Ella Westland’s entry on Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca explains how the author fell in love with Fowey’s harbour as a 19 year old girl. Indeed, she got her inspiration for Manderlay, the ancestral home of the de Winters from the overgrown estate of Menabilly on the headland above Polridmouth Cove where she enjoyed . Daphne Du Maurier had grown up in Hampstead and been sent to finishing school in France, but in Cornwall she relished the “freedom to write, to walk, to wander, freedom to climb hills, to pull a boat, to be alone”.

“It proved wonderfully apt that the runaway success of Rebecca and its film adaptation enabled Daphne to make Menabilly her home in 1943.”

Publication details:

Literary Landscapes: the Real-Life Settings of the World’s Favourite Fiction

General editor John Sutherland

Published 25 October, £25 hardback Modern Books

LITERARY LANDSCAPES 

Celebrating the most memorable realist landscapes in classic and contemporary fiction

Literary Landscapes draws together those well-loved authors who are synonymous with a place and time, celebrating Hardy’s Wessex, Joyce’s Dublin and Du Maurier’s Cornwall. It comes right up to date with recent bestsellers, such as Eleanor Catton’s Booker Prize winning The Luminaries, Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City and Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend. Its charm lies in the way these favourites are interspersed with the unfamiliar, providing much to explore.

Led by John Sutherland, a team of specialist literary critics have contributed individual essays on over 70 literary novels where landscape is as central to the tale as any character, and just as easily recognized. Entries are beautifully illustrated with archive material, original artworks, maps and photographs. International in breadth and scope, Literary Landscapes is an enchanting read that book lovers will not be able to resist dipping into.

Purchase link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Literary-Landscapes-Charting-Real-Life-Favourite/dp/1911130773/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540412248&sr=8-1&keywords=literary+landscapes

Fancy winning a copy?

Follow @modernbooks and tweet your own favourite #LiteraryLandscape for a chance to win a copy of Literary Landscapes.

Some stories couldn’t happen just anywhere. As is the case with all great literature, the setting, scenery and landscape are as central to the tale as any character, and just as easily recognised. Literary Landscapes: Charting the Real-Life Settings of the World’s Favourite Fiction delves deep into the geography, location and terrain of all our best-loved literary works and looks at how setting and environmental attributes influence storytelling, character and our emotional response as readers.

Led by John Sutherland, a team of specialist literary critics have contributed individual essays on over 70 literary novels. Entries are beautifully illustrated with archive material, original artworks, maps and photographs.

Literary Landscapes is published by Modern Books

£25 hardback, 25 October 2018

Entries from the UK only Closing date 31 October 2018

Good luck!

Check out the rest of the blog tour with these awesome book bloggers…..

Enjoy!

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…

Check this out!

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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

Hi and welcome to my stop on Colin Sinclair’s Elji and the Galrass blog tour 🙂

Many thanks to Colin Sinclair and to Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours

Interview with Colin Sinclair…..

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

I am a 56 year old Husband and Grandad who lives in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. I have two dogs who enable me every day to gain pleasure from my surroundings, even if it’s raining or snowing.

I have two grandchildren who keep me busy and who I can share my Imagination with, and some of the things we get up to are definitely in the fantasy realm 

My Book ‘Elji and the Galrass’ is the first in a series called “The essence Sagas” and is the introduction to some of the characters and concepts that will stretch across many books.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I have been interested in the Universe, its composition and how it works for a very long time. I also believe that there is a concept that you get what you want in Life by giving what you can and imagining what you want. I am a firm believer in that we get what we desire even if we don’t know what that is, and by clearing the mind to allow you to focus on what you want you change your life.

These concepts allowed me to come up with the idea of “The Essence Sagas” and to utilise my imagination to bring them to a story.

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

I hadn’t really thought about anyone I know as I was writing the characters, but in retrospection I think I probably base the character of Dregar a little on myself, or my imagined version of myself 

How do you pick your characters’ names?

It’s an interesting question. Most of the names at the beginning of the book just came to me based on the situation they were introduced in. I tried to base the names on the type of land the characters inhabited, so if it was a desert type land then I chose names that seemed to suit that land. I have been lucky to have travelled a lot and indeed have lived in different countries so I chose names based on what I knew. Some names like that of the ‘Grehonaught’ are just completely made up.

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

When I write I just sit down and let it all just come out. After I have written a few chapters I go back and jiggle the events round and reorder the chapters. I don’t have any kind of timeline or plot written down, I keep it all in my head. Some would say that is not a good thing, but it works for me.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I am going to start straight away with Shakespeare and follow that very quickly by Dickens. After that I move to Tolkien then Steinbeck and last but probably not least I really like James Herbert.

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

I would really like to meet Julian May an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and horror and ask her how she managed to create such complexity in her worlds yet still keep track of who did what and when.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes I was always a big reader. I would read anything if it was lying around. My parents were readers and so that wasn’t difficult and at school I had amazing English teachers that encouraged reading and reading all Genres.

When did you start to write?

I started to write at school when I was about 11. I wrote poetry and short stories. For many, many years after leaving school I didn’t write, but in my 40’s I took up writing Poetry again.

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?

Oh My! Presuming to rewrite the ending of someone’s book would be beyond my ability. I firmly believe that when you have written your book, it’s yours. That ending meant something in context to you and so that is what it is. We all have different opinions on how things end but if you can squarely say that is how you envisaged the end then that is the end. A cop out I know!

I would love to have written “Of Mice and Men” It’s such a tale of the great depression and created such a stir when written.

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

I think I would call it “The Good Believer” based on my belief that doing good, being kind and forgiving gets you what you want, or at least some way towards that. Dependant on your commitment to it.

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

I would really like to meet Dirk Pitt form the Clive Cussler novels. I would take him to St Raphael in France, there is a great little Café that overlooks a pretty deserted beach there that has epic scenery

What are you working on right now?

I am working on the second book in my “Essence Saga” series and it’s coming along. It’s the Introduction of the secret society “The Essaria” which is really exciting for me.

Tell us about your last release?

I released “Elji and the Galrass” through my publisher in June. It has been an interesting journey based on the fact that it has been my first foray into the publishing world. It started off pretty well but I have found that the marketing of the book is a much bigger task than I thought it was going to be.

Do you have a new release due?

Not at the moment I am still working on the next book though I hope it to be early in the New Year.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

I have only had the one Publication day and it was a bit of a damp Squib as we had issues with Amazon listing the book correctly…but with Chocolate, definitely with Chocolate.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I do have a website, which in all honesty is not very good at all, but my Facebook page has much more information on it and is www.facebook.com/authorcol . I do also have a Twitter profile not used as much as it should be @authorcol

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I love to interact with people about the book and what they think so if anyone wants to drop me a message or ask questions I am more than happy to answer them.

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

Blurb

Elji, a boy from a village outside the city of Mehem discovers a “Galrass” a tool usually wielded only by those who understand its power. Perhaps it was left for him to find or perhaps it was just a random happening?

The Galrass embroils him in a struggle he never expected to be part of or even imagined existed. Dregar, a being from a different planet and galaxy ‘feels’ the boys interruption of the universal essence and takes him under his wing and so his journey begins.

Friendships are made and lost and many lives must be put in danger to usher the civilization into its rightful place among the Universal essence. Will Elji fulfill his potential and help save his world or will it fall into darkness?  

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2P6PN34

Bio

Colin lives just outside the city of York in the beautiful Yorkshire country side. He has been married for 32 years and has two children and grandchildren. He has been acting and singing on stage since he was a teenager and still today performs at the large theatres in the region both acting and singing in lead roles.

He is a gym enthusiast and has competed in natural bodybuilding competitions and also engages in many sports such as Badminton, Squash and Bouldering. He has two dogs which keep him busy walking through the countryside.

Before settling in Yorkshire he was brought up between the Middle East, where his parents worked in the Oil Industry and spending the rest of the time in the UK at boarding school. This is where his love for words came from and he has written poetry for many years.

He now has the time to pursue his passion of writing and has written his first book in a fantasy series that he says has been in his head for longer than he cares to remember.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the blog tour for reviews, and more!

Happy reading 🙂