Hi and welcome to my stop on Tamar Hodes’s The Water And The Wine blog tour with Hookline Books and Love Books Group Tours 🙂

Many thanks to Kelly @ Love Books Group

Interview with Tamar Hodes…..

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

I am lucky that ideas seem to come to me all the time, usually in the middle of the night! This novel is a mixture of fact, fiction, research and my own ideas.

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

Yes. Many of the characters are based on the real people who lived on Hydra in the sixties but I have fictionalised them to some extent. Jack and Frieda Silver are based on my parents but again they are a fictionalised version of them. Not all the events in the novel happened.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

That was easy as most of the characters have the real names that they had but the made-up names came easily.

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

I think that a lot of writing is thinking. Driving to work and also swimming provide me with the mental space to try to think about characters and plot and work issues out. By the time I sit at the computer, all that planning and a strange kind of alchemy happen and the words pour out although, of course, there is also a lot of editing and redrafting that comes later.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Alice Munro, Anita Shreve, Virginia Woolf, George Eliot, and Emily Bronte for Wuthering Heights.

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

I would love to have met Virginia Woolf, although I suspect that I would have been intimidated by her manner and her incredible talent.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes. I read a huge amount and my parents always encouraged me to do so, but not in a pushy way.

When did you start to write?

I wrote my first novel when I was eighteen but I was always writing as a child. It seems to be innately what and who I am.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

No specific book but I would urge writers not to feel that they have to have happy endings. I see life as messier and more complex than that. Fairy tales which end with ‘And they lived happily ever after’ seem ludicrous to me.

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

Pageturner. That would capture my own reading, how I want my novels to be for my readers, and my philosophy, which is to try to keep going forwards and to enjoy good times when they occur but to walk through the hard times. My father had a useful saying: There are times to enjoy and times to endure.

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

I like Dorothea in Middlemarch as she embodies that stoical philosophy. I would take her for a treat and give her lovely pastries and good coffee as she is always thinking of others rather than herself.

What are you working on right now?

I always have short stories on the boil or rather on simmer. I can return to them in between novels, when I want to.

Tell us about your last release?

Apart from The Water and the Wine, I have three short stories being published this year.

Do you have a new release due?

Only short stories.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Drink champagne with my family and have a toast.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

They can post reviews on my Amazon page or Goodreads but if they want to ask me a question they can email me on tamar.hodes@virgin.net.

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I see life as difficult, wonderful, beautiful, ugly, magical and mundane. I hope that I convey that in my fiction.

Blurb

It is the 1960s and a group of young writers and artists gather on the Greek island of Hydra. Leonard Cohen is at the start of his career and in love with Marianne, who is also muse to her ex-husband, Axel. Australian authors George Johnston and Charmian Clift write, drink and fight. It is a hedonistic time of love, sex and new ideas. As the island hums with excitement, Jack and Frieda Silver join the community, hoping to mend their broken marriage. However, Greece is overtaken by a military junta and the artistic idyll is threatened.

Buy link:

https://amzn.to/2OtOgUw 

About the Author

Growing up, Tamar Hodes’ neighbours were Leonard Cohen, his girlfriend Marianne, and other writers and artists on the Greek island of Hydra. Her parents took her to the island to pursue their own art and writing. However, the bohemian nature of Hydra destroyed their marriage. The Water and the Wine is a fictional account of those days.; Tamar Hodes’ first novel Raffy’s Shapes was published in 2006. She has had stories on Radio 4 and others in anthologies including Salt’s The Best British Short Stories 2015, The Pigeonhole, Your One Phone Call, the Ofi Press, MIR online and Fictive Dream. Tamar was born in Israel and lived in Greece and South Africa before settling in the UK. She read English and Education at Homerton College, Cambridge. For the past thirty-three years she has taught English in schools, universities and prisons.

Hi and welcome to my stop on Paul Harrison’s Chasing Monsters blog tour with Urbane Publications and Love Books Group Tours 🙂

Many thanks to Kelly @ LoveBooksGroup

Interview with Paul Harrison…..

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

Paul Harrison has several published books. You will find them all here – Paul Harrison’s Amazon Author Page

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

Mainly from my own life, past and present experiences, and of course from my encounters with serial killers across the globe.

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

Some are based on people I have come across in my life, yes. I can’t name them here though.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I think about the areas the characters are based and try to fit names that would be recognisable there.

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

I commit everything, idea wise to paper, create back stories for everyone in the story, then I begin to plot. I let the story tell itself and unfold before me. It’s a bit scary sometimes. I never plan the ending, it just seems to happen.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

They change over time, however: Martina Cole, Mark Billingham, Guy Fraser Sampson, Danielle Ramsey and Jon Goodman.

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

Stephen King. Where do you get your ideas from?

Were you a big reader as a child?

Yes and no. I loved reading but spent much of my time outdoors, playing football.

When did you start to write?

At school, I was a prolific story teller. Then a few years later whilst I was in the police force, I decided to write my first book. It was true crime and I was fascinated by the Jack the Ripper case and the misinformation that existed in so many of the books.

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

Moby Dick – by Herman Melville. I would like to see that the whale survives, and not simply drag Ahab under the sea. I’d like to know the whale went on to have a happy life. I’m a huge animal lover by the way and hate to see any form of cruelty or abuse.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

I was asked by Reggie Kray to write his life story. I was a Police officers at the time and was advised by the Chief Constable that I would have to give up my career if I wrote it. Reg was such an interesting bloke, not only because of his infamous past, but as an individual. He told me things about himself that not many knew.

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

You Didn’t Win!

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

Batman, and we would go to a coffee shop in Garforth High Street, close to where I was raised. It was relating to Batman that helped me survive my childhood.

What are you working on right now?

A book about the unsolved US murderer known as The Zodiac killer.

Tell us about your last release?

Mind Games – Inside The Serial Killer Phenomenno, it’s about the psyche of serial killers, and my encounters with them. There is also a novel being released the same day – Chasing Monsters, which I loved writing.

Do you have a new release due?

See above

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Smile a lot and feel proud.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

They can contact me via my website www.paulharrisonauthor.co.uk or via Facebook Paul Harrison events or twitter pharrisonauthor

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I am so excited and happy with my writing life at the moment. Thanks to Matthew at Urbane Books for believing in me. They are an amazing publisher to work with.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Paul.

Blurb

The first thrilling book in the Will Scott series.

In a sleepy northern seaside resort, The Eastborough Police Force is shocked into action when a heavily mutilated body is found in a quiet suburb. Murder rarely happens in these parts. Within a short space of time, the body count begins to rise rapidly, as a serial killer runs amok.

DI Will Scott is tasked with finding the murderer. In so doing he treads paths he never expected to traverse and uncovers a web of deceit where no one can be trusted.

The killer relentlessly continues to strike terror across the community, but without warning, the killing ground changes. Where will the killer strike next …?  

Buy Link

Happy reading 🙂

Hi and welcome to my stop on Anita Waller’s Malignant blog blitz with Bloodhound Books 🙂

Many thanks to Emma at Bloodhound Books

I have a brilliant guest post by Anita Waller to share with you all…..

The Importance of Reviews

by

Anita Waller

I review everything, whether it be books, lawn mowers or a pair of knickers. If I’ve bought it, I review it. On a holiday to Crete in 2016 I read thirteen books (purely because my husband was too ill to go anywhere so I sun lounged and read), but after every book was finished, I wrote a review in my notebook, ready for typing when I got home. These included Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers and End of Watch; I know Stephen King doesn’t need reviews, but I wasn’t going to miss him out, was I?

Reviews are an author’s life blood. A long, intricate 5-star review which shows clearly how much the reader has embraced the novel you’ve just spent six months dragging from your soul, is like manna from heaven. You begin to think that just maybe you got it right, that this reader shows wisdom way beyond her/his years whether she/he be ten or ninety.

And then you get the 1-star that simply says, ‘No thank you.’

But even the 1-stars fade away from your memory eventually (clearly that one didn’t), and let’s face it, even a 1-star counts in the great Amazon race to get to the magic number of fifty reviews. That is the point that Amazon concedes your book may be beginning to look like a winner, and maybe they’ll give it some help along the way and advertise it a little via email.

I love getting the email that advises me to buy my own book. I know then that I’ve arrived!

So, the reviews themselves. Readers don’t need to fear doing this! I once had a private message from someone waxing lyrical about 34 Days. She told me exactly what she loved about it, what I had done wrong that she didn’t agree with (I killed off a character that she had grown to love), and she couldn’t wait for the next one. I replied and asked her to remember to leave a review. She went into complete meltdown, saying she didn’t know how to review and she didn’t know what to put. I pointed out that all she had to put was ‘I loved this book’, give it as many stars as she felt it merited, and submit it. I also told her she had already written a review in her message to me!

Every night, ten minutes before I go to bed, I visit the Amazon website. I keep a daily diary of how many reviews I have against every book, and, with newly released books, their position in the charts. When I go on to the site I can see at a glance if I have received any recent reviews during the day; if I have, I read the new ones. I also do this for Amazon.com, the US site. I have a big following in the US, and surprisingly 34 Days has 286 reviews in the US, compared to 203 in the UK.

When Captor was launched the reviews came in very quickly, and now, one month after launch, I have 72 reviews, 96% of which are 4 and 5-star reviews. There is one 2-star review that totally takes my breath away. If you have read Captor, I think you will have realised it bears no resemblance to a Mills and Boon novel, but it is the last sentence that causes me more concern.

To protect her privacy, I have left out her name. It is on the review on Amazon. This is what she wrote.

She writes fluidly enough, but this is cliched formulaic writing of the Mills & Boon variety. I read the prologue, that was enough.

She read 852 words of a 72,897-word novel, meaning that she didn’t read 72,045 words. I will make no further comment on this review but leave it to you to judge.

To even things up, let’s look at the US site, again with Captor. This site has two 1-star reviews. One just defies comprehension.

it say .99 but when you get to Kindle it’s 2.99 what’s up with that?

The second 1-star was so wrong on so many levels. I am only showing the first few lines of this one because her reasons for giving me a 1-star review are explained very clearly. The rest of the review made the biggest mistake of all, it told everybody the entire story.

I do not like to read books about cheating spouses. Nowhere in the blurb is this mentioned. Call me old fashioned, puritanical or whatever, but I have no respect for cheating spouses. Therefore it is unlikely I am going to like characters who embody this trait. I nearly stopped reading as soon as I saw this. Wish I had.

This review came with a SPOILER alert. When you do an author the honour of leaving a review, please don’t spoil it for other readers by revealing key points of the book.

You may think it’s okay to put SPOILER ALERT, but it isn’t. Just don’t do it!

So, Malignant will have been out in the big wide world for a few days by the time you read this. If you have read the book that was so painful to write, please leave me a review, and, if you’ve time, drop me a private message to let me know. I love my fan-mail, whether it is electronic or actual letters and cards.

This is why I take time every day to read my reviews, to interact with fans who enjoy my work; writing is my life, and to know that people appreciate the work I do is reward enough.

Just so that you know I don’t only get 1 and 2-star reviews, here’s a glorious 5-star one for Captor.

By David Liscio on February 22, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition |Verified Purchase

Anita Waller is a masterful storyteller and her latest novel, Captor, filled with mystery and suspense, is a pleasure to read.
More than three-quarters the way through the book I still wasn’t sure who the killer might be. I had my suspicions, but that’s what a good mystery does to its readers before spinning them in a new direction.
Captor is a potent cocktail fashioned from marital secrets, infidelity, deceit, jealousy, ruthlessness, vengeance, family bonds, parental love, and mental illness. The story moves along at a quick pace, the dialogue is crisp and relevant, the characters memorable. What else can a reader ask for? Five well-deserved stars for Captor.

Please – when you read a book, get those fingers tapping and reward the author with a review. They are so important.

Discover a suspenseful and gripping psychological thriller from an international best-selling author

What if a death sentence meant you could get away with murder?

Claudia and Heather have been friends and neighbours for many years and both women decide it is the right time for them to leave their husbands. Together they get a flat but their peace is short-lived when Claudia is diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Being a good friend, Heather takes on caring for Claudia but a lethal meeting with James, Claudia’s ex-husband, results in someone dying.

As life for Claudia and Heather begins to unravel, the answer to their problems becomes clear… it’s murder.

Anita Waller is the best-selling author of multiple psychological thrillers including 34 Days, Captor and Beautiful. Malignant is a suspenseful and twisty thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like S.E. Lynes, Cara Hunter and K.L. Slater.

Anita Waller was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1946. She married Dave in 1967 and they have three adult children.
She began writing when she was around 8 years of age, writing ‘compositions’ at junior school that became books with chapters. She wrote several novels in the romance genre and then realised she wanted to add murders to the romances, so she morphed into a psychological thriller author. Beautiful was her first completed novel in this genre.
The manuscript was submitted to Bloodhound Books who, within three days of reading it, offered her a contract. 31 August 2015 it was released as an ebook, to be followed a couple of days later by the paperback version.
Following the outstanding success of Beautiful, she began a sequel on 27 December 2015, finishing it on 19 March 2016. The new novel, Angel, was launched on 7 May 2016.
Her third novel, 34 Days, followed Angel and was launched on 3 October 2016 to outstanding success; at its highest level, it was #26 in Amazon charts. It is selling equally as well in the US and Australia and has sold over 15,000 copies in the first eight weeks following publication.
She then took time out to temporarily change genre; Winterscroft, a supernatural novel, was launched on 7 February 2017. While she was writing Winterscroft it became clear that fans of 34 Days wanted a sequel, and on 10 August 2017, Strategy was launched.
She is now working on her sixth novel, A Legal Issue, once again set in Sheffield, and once again a psychological thriller.
In addition to writing, she also teaches patchwork and quilting – a little reference to this is likely to surface in every book!
She is a lifelong Sheffield Wednesday supporter with blue blood in her veins! More than a little reference to this is likely to surface – see 34 Days!

Her genre is murder – necessary murder.

Hi and welcome to my stop on Pamela Holmes’s Wyld Dreamers blog tour with Urbane Publications and Love Books Group Tours 🙂

Interview with Pamela Holmes…..

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

My name is Pamela Holmes and I’m a writer of short stories and novels. I live in London have two sons, travel by bike, grow food on an allotment and sing in a band.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

For my first book, I was inspired by a vicar’s wife. I didn’t actually meet this woman. She died in 1868. But when I saw what she’d done – painted an incredible ceiling with golden angels and leaping seraphs on the ceiling of a tiny church in Suffolk, I was inspired. This wasn’t a casual dabble dashed off on a wet Tuesday. I’d always written, worked as a journalist for print and TV, songs for my band, bits of this, scraps of that. But seeing her achievement and the resolve it demonstrated, flicked a switch somewhere inside. Two years later, I’d written The Huntingfield Paintress, the story of what drove Mildred Holland up the ladder.

I was soon on to my second book for there were subjects I wanted to tackle. One was about how a young woman coped with her mother’s death. My mother died when I was 16 and it changed my life; that goes without saying. The character in Wyld Dreamers is most definitely not me but some of Amy’s reactions draws on my experience. I’m also fascinated by secrets. When they’re revealed – which they inevitably are – relationships that seemed unbreakable can implode. On the other hand, coming out with truth can also heal and deepen the bonds between people.

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

You can only write about what you know. All my characters are based on people I’ve met but so vaguely that no one would see themselves. Characters are a mish-mash of personalities, a patchwork of motivations and reactions of the people I talk to, see on TV or hear about on the radio, sprinkled with imagination.

How do you pick your characters’ names?

I change my character’s names as I write. At first, the name I use just pops into my mind. But as the characters begin to live and love, their name might start to feel wrong, somehow. Then I have to listen for other names. I always carry a notebook. When I come across a name or combination of a first and a surname that seems just right, I’ll write it down. I used to assume I’d remember everything because it seems perfect. But that’s not proved to be the case.

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

They key is to slip from bed when my body is barely awake but my brain is clear and constructive. Sipping weak Earl Grey tea, I sit at my computer and, on a good day, write until lunchtime. The afternoon is when I think about plot and how the action or scenes fit together. I’m useless by tea time. I might review and edit what I’ve written before supper.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

I have just read and loved the touching novella West by Carys Davies, the enthralling short stories in Bad Dreams by Tessa Hadley and Aftershocks by AN Wilson, a novel of earthquakes and true love. These authors are my favourites at the moment. I often turn to Elizabeth Strout for her piercing prose and Ian McEwan for his brilliant stories.

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

I’d be fascinated to meet Charles Dickens and to hear about his varied life as a writer, social commentator and journalist. In particular, I’d ask him to describe the process of characterisation and how he creates people we can care and feel about so strongly.

Were you a big reader as a child?

In US kindergarten (as the first class was called) we were given books about two children, Dick and Jane. ‘Go away, Spot’ was the book that taught me to read. The front of the book showed Spot with the hose in his mouth, spraying Dick with water. Hilarious, I thought. Then one day I found could read the words and I fell off the little stool I was sitting on.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

There’s so many books I could mention but I’ll say Small Island by Andrea Levy which is a racism and the power of love which everyone should read, or Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier (not because it’s set in Charleston South Carolina where I was born), which is about a love that is strong enough to drive a soldier, wounded in an appalling civil war, home to his woman.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

I have a website with a sign-up box which I’d ask anyone interested to use to get in contact. Or they can contact me or my agent by email. I love having contact with readers, hearing what they think and what they enjoy reading, too.

In the ‘blog’ section of my website, I also mention events and talks I’m doing. I love to meet readers in person.

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

Blurb

In the summer of 1972, a group of friends is invited to Somerset to help photographer Seymour Stratton renovate a dilapidated cottage on Wyld Farm. Over the next year the group come to regard the farm as offering them a place to be for the rest of their lives, to enjoy ‘the good life’. But despite the commitment and camaraderie the rural idyll collapses.

Twenty-five years later, the group is brought together again in unexpected circumstances. Can events of the past be forgotten? Or will the secrets that are revealed devastate once unbreakable friendships?

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2DDrSao

Happy reading 🙂

Hi all, check this out…..

Do you want an early SIGNED copy of Mel Sherratt’s forthcoming new release, #HushHush? Who wouldn’t!? Please read on…..

Last night I attended a lovely evening with local author, Mel Sherratt at Douglas Macmillan Hospice where all proceeds were donated to Dougie Mac. Now, I’m lucky enough to already have my own copy, courtesy of the publisher, but I purchased a SIGNED COPY last night to AUCTION off to you lovely people, in the hope of raising a few more vital pounds for this more than worthy charity. Who’s with me?

Please check out the pinned post on my Facebook blog page for further details of how to join in –

https://www.facebook.com/KerrysBookBlogPage/

Thanks, Kerry x

It’s 3 years today since I started my little book blog! It’s undoubtedly one of the best things I’ve ever done. I have met SO many lovely people through being a book blogger. I’m looking forward to what year 4 brings 😊

A massive thank you to all who have supported my blog, the authors and all the lovely books featured. Every like, share and click really does help. Keep sharing the book love!

Kerry x

A Stain on the Soul

Resigned to another lifetime of being a witch’s familiar, Caitlyn has found a degree of peace in her role as the Duke of Normandy’s protector and spy.

But that peace is shattered when she returns to her native land only to come face-to-face with her past, and fall in love with a man who she desperately hopes will become her future.

Pre-Order Link:

http://books2read.com/StainOnTheSoul

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 signed copies of Three Bloody Pieces and A Stain on the Soul plus a magic mug and a coaster. (Open Internationally)

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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

Happy reading 🙂

Hi and welcome to my stop on Rachel Pudsey’s The Watcher of the Night Sky blog tour with Kelly @ Love Books Group Tours 🙂

Interview with Rachel Pudsey…..

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

Hi, my name is Rachel Pudsey. I was born in Scotland but have a ridiculously English surname (*ahem* Pudsey Bear *ahem*). I studied Psychology in university before heading into the big bad world and getting a job absolutely unrelated to my degree. Imagine that. I currently live in South Korea, have been here for almost seven years now, and pay the bills by teaching business English to adults in Seoul. I am the author of the Aronia Series, a YA fantasy romance series set in a fictional land called Aronia. So far there are two titles available: The Watcher of the Night Sky and The Faelti. They follow the lead character, Abigail, as she tries to undo a terrible mistake that resulted in her being cursed: wishing on the stars.

Where did/do you get your ideas from?

All over the place! Sometimes they just pop up in my head. Sometimes a song title or lyric does it. Mostly, my ideas have been sparked by the environment around me. Nature has a big part to play, as does tourist or cultural sites. I think that hearing real folk stories or cultural oddities is really fascinating and they help to get the creative juices flowing.

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

Yes. I can tell you with absolute sincerity that one of the male leads in the Aronia Series is based on an ex-boyfriend. It sounds so corny to say, but when I dated him I felt like I had met my Edward. He was my perfect man. A Korean Taekwondo trainer/ex-bodybuilder who just wanted us to be happy. Obviously, we are broken up now so there were some unfortunate issues that couldn’t be resolved. But at the time of writing The Watcher of the Night Sky, I based the character, and some of his appearance, on him. It was the best way for me to understand the attachment my main character, Abigail, would have for someone she loved.

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

I write whatever comes to mind and worry about the structure later. I don’t map out an entire story from beginning to end. I suppose I use the Stephen King approach. Most of the time I don’t know how my story will end. Too many things happen in life that can affect my story, so I just let it all out and then worry about structure and planning later. Editing is when I knuckle down, fix the plot holes, and make dramatic changes.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors?

Hard question! I guess I’d have to say J. K. Rowling, S. E. Hinton, Brandon Sanderson, William Goldman, and Brent Weeks. Because I like to read them. But I want to add Terry Pratchett, Jane Austin, Ernest Hemingway, and Charles Dickens simply because I highlight sentences in their books for being so epic.

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

Honestly, I mulled over this question for a long time. I am finding it hard to come up with someone. Maybe Jane Austin. I’d like to know more about the era she lived in.

Were you a big reader as a child?

Absolutely. I grew up reading Goosebumps and Point Horror books in primary school.

When did you start to write?

I wrote my first novel (if I can even call it that) in primary school. Maybe primary six or seven, but I can’t quite remember. It was a Point Horror style book with students from my class as the victims. Seems a bit morbid now I look back on it!

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

Probably Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. I really wanted both of the Weasley twins to have survived the battle at Hogwarts. You can’t have one without the other! I am still raging about that. I wish it was Percy instead. And I hope Fred returned as a ghost and helped George run their store.

Is there a book you wish you had written?

Maybe The Princess Bride by William Goldman. That book is genius.

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

I’m as discombobulated as you are.

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

Coffee with Albus Dumbledore would be an interesting day. Since this is entirely fictitious, I would take him to Diagon Alley in Universal Studios, Japan. They have a Three Broomsticks there.

What are you working on right now?

I am writing the third and final book of the Aronia Series. The title is named Aaravale.

Tell us about your last release?

My last release was The Faelti, book two of the Aronia Series. It continues the tale of Abigail as she tries her best to rid herself of a curse she accidentally placed on her life after wishing on the stars. I don’t want to give away too much to those who haven’t read the first one!

Do you have a new release due?

Yes, but unfortunately I can’t give a release date for Aaravale yet. All I can say is it will be released next year.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?

Nothing much. Maybe just some drinks and dinner with close friends.

How can readers keep in touch with you?

They can contact me through my website: http://www.rachelpudsey.com
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2LScrcZ
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorrachelpudsey
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/rachelpudsey
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rachelpudsey

Is there anything else you would like us to know?

I am a Gryffindor.  I love The Outsiders. And wish you all to Stay Gold ^^

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

Blurb

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR 

Fifteen-year-old Abigail Crumble was never much for talking about love and marriage and other such nonsense – no matter how often her boy obsessed best friend pestered her to do so. Or so she so adamantly proclaimed. 

Yet on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Abigail makes the biggest, most contradictory mistake of her life. She wishes on the stars for love, or even the smallest amount of attention, without knowing the full impact of such a feat.

 Abigail soon finds her simple life in chaos as princes, men and mysterious creatures come to her door, each adamantly in love with her and refusing to leave her side.

Mixing fantasy, humour, and romance, The Watcher of the Night Sky begins the tale of one girl’s quest to rid herself of a curse that was definitely far more than she wished for.

Author Bio

Rachel was born and raised in Scotland but has a ridiculously English surname. A graduate of psychology, she now resides in South Korea. She has dabbled in teaching children, but after a few blessed years has succumbed to teaching business English to adults in Seoul. 

Rachel has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. An obsession with Point Horror books led to her first novel being written at the age of ten. Truth be told, it wasn’t very good. The following years were spent reading, amateur acting in a youth group, occasionally playing guitar, and dabbling in songwriting, all the while continuing to write stories unworthy for print and developing her own style.

A mixture of inspiring authors had a huge influence upon her mind: S. E. Hinton, Mario Puzo, R. L. Stine, William Goldman, C.S Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Neil Gaiman, J. K. Rowling … the list goes on. For years, Rachel has cited The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton as her favourite book. These days, she considers The Princess Bride by William Goldman to be at the top of the list. But the list always changes. How can one simply pick a favourite from all the wonderful books out there? It’s like trying to pick one favourite food. Inconceivable! 

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2QJ3Tc4

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 the previous year.

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

Here are my reviews from October 2017…..

A Cosy Candlelit Christmas by Tilly Tennant @TillyTenWriter @bookouture #BookReview #BlogBlitz

Silent Lies #BlogTour @KatCroft @bookouture #BookReview

THE CABINET OF LINGUISTIC CURIOSITIES A Yearbook of Forgotten Words by Paul Anthony Jones @paulanthjones @HaggardHawks @eandtbooks @alisonmenziespr #ForgottenWords

Her Last Secret #BlogBlitz Barbara Copperthwaite @BCopperthwait @bookouture #BookReview

The Madam by Jaime Raven @JaimeRaven1 #BookReview @AvonBooksUK

Have you read any of the above?

Hi and welcome to my stop on Michelle Scott’s Just The Two Of Us blog tour 🙂

Interview with Michelle Scott…..

For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please? Maybe it’s because of my Halloween birthday, but I’ve always been attracted to scary stories. On the other hand, I love romances as well. Once I discovered that these two genres existed side-by-side in urban fantasy novels, I was in heaven! Urban fantasy is like chocolate and peanut butter: a perfect, to-die-for combination that I can never get enough of.

I’ve been writing since childhood, but earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology and my master’s in English literature. When I’m not writing, I’m a straight-laced English teacher at a two-year college in Detroit. I’ve been married to Mr. Right for over twenty-five years. I also have three teenaged children: a boy and two girls, all of whom have threatened to never speak to me again if I turn them into characters and put them into my books.

Where did/do you get your ideas from? Ideas come from everywhere. Sometimes I’ll zone out in the grocery store because a can of soup gives me an idea for a scene in a story. Other times, I’ll be talking a walk or even sleeping when an idea comes! I’m always on the lookout for something to weave into a book. Kind of the way robins will use random bits of ribbon and thread to weave into their nests in the spring.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know? My family often tells me that they seem themselves in the book. In reality, however, I don’t base any of the characters on friends or family. Unless it happens subconsciously…

How do you pick your characters’ names? Believe it or not, this is a hard part of writing! Many times, a name will pop into my head, but then I’ll realize that I know someone with that name. Or that I’ve used it before in another story. Google is oftentimes a huge help. I’ll search for baby names or, if I know I want a certain-sounding name, I’ll Google ‘nature, baby names,’ or something.

Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell? I’m kind of all over the place when it comes to a process. I have a terrible habit of writing ¾ of a book then setting it aside for an idea that suddenly storms my brain. In fact, I have four books halfway completed right now. I know that I’ll eventually complete them, but it’s so hard to focus on an old story when a new one comes along.

Who are your top 5 favourite authors? Stephen King, Jodi Picault, Sarah Waters, J. K. Rowling, and Kazuo Ishiguro. Not necessarily in that order.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them? I would definitely want to meet J. K. Rowling. I’d love to ask her how she comes up with those amazing names of things. Hogwarts? Flourish and Blotts? Pure genius!

Were you a big reader as a child? Definitely! My mother was a big reader as well, and she always made sure to take me to the library. She’d give me books for Christmas or my birthday, as she knew how much I loved them. I would spend hours reading everything I could lay my hands on.

When did you start to write? I’ve written stories ever since I was a kid. If I wasn’t writing them, I’d dream about them or imagine them. I also wrote Star Wars fan fiction back in the 1970’s when the original movie came out. We didn’t call it fanfic back then. In fact, I didn’t realize that fan fiction was a thing until recently.

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

Is there a book you wish you had written? I’ve always wanted to rewrite Anna Karenina. Surely, she deserved a happier ending!

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be? Head in the Clouds since that’s me most of the time.

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them? I love Molly Weasley! I’d love to chat about ordinary things like raising kids and maintaining a household. I would also press her for stories about how she fought Voldemort. To me, she’s a great example of a strong woman. I’d definitely take her to Starbucks where my son works so that he could meet her.

What are you working on right now? Right now, I’m in the middle of writing a supernatural thriller. It’s a ghost story in which a young man named Ethan is trying to solve (what he thinks is) his best friend’s murder.

Tell us about your last release? Just the Two of Us is a romance with a love triangle. Two sisters, one guy. There’s a fair bit of sibling rivalry between these two, as well as a history of deceit. The older sister, Janice, suffers from a brain injury related to a suicide attempt. She blames her condition on her younger sister, Starla. Starla, on the other hand, feels guilty for what happened to her older sister. Although there’s plenty of drama, there are also many bright spots. For one thing, Nick is both an excellent frisbee player and a good sport. Starla, on the other hand, enjoys making art out of other people’s trash.

Do you have a new release due? No, not yet. I’m hoping, however, to release something in the winter.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day? I like to give myself a day off from writing. I’ll sleep in, enjoy my coffee, and then spend most of the day with a good book.

How can readers keep in touch with you? I’m on Twitter as @mscottwriter and on GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2896599.Michelle_Scott. I have a Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/MichelleScottsFiction/

Is there anything else you would like us to know? I can tie the stem of a cherry in a knot with my tongue. Don’t ask me how I learned that. 😉

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

Blurb

Starla wasn’t trying to steal her older sister’s boyfriend. In fact, she was fighting him off when Janice caught the two of them alone in the dark. Unfortunately, love-struck Janice didn’t see it that way and tried to end her life. Although she didn’t succeed, her suicide attempt left her brain damaged, and it became Starla’s responsibility to care for her. Four years later, the sisters’ peaceful lives are interrupted when Nick, a handsome, young attorney, moves in upstairs. Seeing that Janice is attracted to him, Starla keeps herself out of the picture. After all, she hurt her sister before, and she’s not about to do it again. Yet as much as Starla tries to ignore her feelings for Nick, she can’t bury them entirely. Especially not when he seems to be choosing her over her sister.   

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2xpzhVj

Happy reading 🙂