‘We Were The Salt Of The Sea’ Blog Tour

I’m taking part in this blog tour from Orenda on the 22nd. There is a whole month of book reviews and blog posts for you to enjoy however, so do take a look.

I am very much looking forward to reading and reviewing this novel. You may have seen my excitement on Twitter about it, I love the premise and the book quality is fantastic. I love the cover and texture.

I will be in London tomorrow for a few hours, to see ‘Hamilton’ the musical. I am looking forward to it, and no bloody blizzard is going to stop me! I will try to give you a post-musical review. I’m taking my new tablet with me (got a new phone contract last week to decrease the monthly cost – it came with a tablet upgrade!) and it has soooo much more memory that I’ve been able to get all my apps on it, including WordPress. Also, my train reading will be I Know Where You Live, by Pat Young, which I’m reviewing on Saturday, you may have seen the blog tour poster?

Bye, for now, I have a jacket spud in the micro and I need my tea.

Review: ‘An Unquiet Ghost’, by Linda Stratmann

Published By: Sapere Books

Publication Date: 1st March 2018

Format: Kindle

Price: 99p

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

Brighton, 1871

Mina Scarletti, writer of horror stories but supernatural sceptic at heart, is becoming well known for unmasking those who fraudulently claim to be able to communicate with the dead. So it is no surprise to her when a young couple write to her seeking her advice.

They are George Fernwood and Mary Clifton, betrothed distant cousins with a family secret that is preventing them from getting married. Twenty years ago their alcoholic grandfather died in his bed. Though the official verdict was accidental poisoning rumours have been circulating that someone in the family murdered him.

If the murderer is one of their relations George and Mary are afraid they might pass on the ‘corrupted’ gene to their children. Desperate to find out the truth, they have decided to seek out a medium to communicate with their dead relation on their behalf, and they want Mina to help them find one who is genuine.

Though she is not a believer in ghosts, Mina is intrigued by the family mystery and decides to help them in any way she can. Could one of the new mediums advertising in Brighton really be genuine? Will they help George and Mary find the answers they are looking for?

Soon Mina finds herself caught up in a web of deception and intrigue that leads to one of her most fascinating discoveries yet …

Blogblitz: ‘I Know Where You Live’

 

I’m taking part in the blog blitz for Pat Young’s new novel, I Know Where You Live. The tour organiser, Sarah Hardy, very kindly sent me a ebook file for the book in return for an honest review, and on the 3rd that is what you shall get. The blurb and author bio are below if you are interested.

Blurb

Penny believes she’s being watched. Yet no one should know where she lives.

Penny seizes the chance of a new life for her family when her husband is offered a job in Europe.

At the airport they meet charming Sophie, fluent in French and looking for work as an au pair.

Penny, struggling to cope in France, offers Sophie a job and she soon becomes an important part of the family’s life. But Sophie is hiding something.

Then Penny’s toddler son, Ethan, is abducted and an international hunt for the child begins.
The police beg Penny and her husband to take part in a television appeal but the couple refuse. Unknown to the police, Penny and Seth have new identities and are determined to lay low and protect them. But it may be too late for that.

Who has taken Ethan and why?

Are the couple’s true identities linked to the abduction?

And who has been watching them?

To save her son Penny may have to put her own life on the line.

Author Bio:

Pat Young grew up in the south west of Scotland where she still lives, sometimes. She often goes to the other extreme, the south west of France, in search of sunlight.

Pat never expected to be a writer. Then she found a discarded book with a wad of cash tucked in the flyleaf. ‘What if something awful happened to the person who lost this book?’ she thought, and she was off.

Pat knew nothing of writing, but she knew a thing or two about books, having studied English, French and German at Glasgow University. A passion for languages led to a career she loved and then a successful part-time business that allowed her some free-time, at last.

Pat had plans, none of which included sitting at her desk from daybreak till dusk. But some days she has to. Because there’s a story to be told. And when it’s done, she can go out to play. On zip-wires and abseil ropes, or just the tennis court.

Pat writes psychological thrillers. Her debut novel Till the Dust Settles, has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers’ Constable Stag trophy. Following publication in July
2017 Pat was delighted to be chosen as an ‘emerging talent’ for Crime in the Spotlight and read from Till the Dust Settles to an audience at Bloody Scotland – another dream come true.

Published by Bloodhound Books, I Know Where You Live is the much-anticipated sequel to Pat’s gripping and unmissable debut thriller, Till the Dust Settles. It too is a psychological thriller with a skilfully told story that makes for an enjoyable stand alone read. It will hook you from the start.

Links:

Twitter – @py321_young

March Review Schedule

I’ve got a busy month with eight scheduled book reviews, plus a trip to London to see Hamilton. There are a lot of blog tours on this month but I’ve managed to fit in an indie book sent to me directly by the author. I hope there’s something for everyone to enjoy here. I know I don’t normally review ‘women’s fiction’, but I liked the sound of the books. I may write a blog post on why I don’t like the genre ‘Women’s Fiction’.

• 2nd March
  • Hamilton – Musical review
• 3rd March
  • I Know Where You Live
  • Pat Young
    • Blog tour – Sarah Hardy
    • Fiction – Crime/thriller
• 5th March
  • How To Write & Publish A Bestselling Book: My journey from firefighter to bestselling author and how you can do it too!
  • Richard McMunn
    • Blog tour – Authoright
    • Non-fiction – Autobiography
• 7th March
  • Ape Mind, Old Mind, New Mind: Emotional Fossils and the Evolution of the Human Spirit
  • John V. Wylie, M.D.
    • Non-fiction – Psychology
• 14th March
  • When I grow up
  • Patricia Asedegbega
    • Blog tour – Anne Cater
    • Fiction – Women’s Fiction
• 22nd March
  • We were the salt of the sea
  • Roxanne Bouchard
    • Blog Tour – Orenda
    • Fiction – Crime
• 26th March
  • The Horse’s Arse
  • Laura Gascoigne
    • Authoright Spring Reading Week
    • Fiction – Women’s Fiction
• 28th March
  • The Book of Air
  • Joe Treasure
    • Authoright Spring Reading Week
    • Fiction – Literary Fiction
• 30th March
  • The Cubit Quest
  • Trevor Leck
    • Authoright Spring Reading Week
    • Fiction – YA

Review: ‘So I Might Be A Vampire’, by Rodney V. Smith

 Published By: Lost Bajan Publishing

Publication Date: 13th February 2018

I.S.B.N.: 9781775007210

Format: Paperback

Price: £13.99

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

Nobody expects to get turned into a vampire, especially a guy like Bob. Everybody hopes that if they somehow get transformed into a vampire, they will instantly become some kind of superhero vampire out of the movies. Bad news guys: not gonna happen. More likely than not, you’re gonna be one of the poor clueless bastards hanging out on Thursday nights with Bob in his vampire support group.

You may think you know what being a vampire is supposed to be like, but Bob is here to set you straight. He’s made it his personal mission to get answers about the reality of being a vampire. He’s been shot, stabbed, thrown off rooftops, survived bad coffee and endured crippling boredom – all in the name of answering the eternal question of what it means to be a vampire.

If you think you might be a vampire, this is the book for you.

‘An Unquiet Ghost’ Blog Tour

I’m reviewing this one tomorrow and I can’t wait to tell you what I think about this one.

Blog Tour coming soon

I will be reviewing this book on the 5th, but you can enjoy other reviews from a variety of bloggers.

How to Write & Publish a Bestselling Book: My journey from firefighter to bestselling author, and how you can do it too!

How to Write and Publish a Book: My journey from firefighter to bestselling author, and how you can do it too! is written by bestselling author Richard McMunn, who has written and published over 150 books.

In this book, he covers everything you need to know in order to write and self-publish your own book in print and ebook format, and also how to get your book on Amazon and in high street stores such as Waterstones.

To write and self-publish a book, you need no prior experience of the publishing world. This might seem surprising, but it’s actually really simple! What you do need is a willingness to learn, and a mentor (someone who will help you). This book is divided into 3 sections: sections 1 & 3 cover Richard’s incredible and inspirational story from being a firefighter to discovering the publishing world and how he went on to publish over 150 bestselling books through his publishing company.

Section 2 covers the different steps you need to take to not only get your book written and published, but also to achieve bestseller status.

In Richard’s book you will learn in a simple, step-by-step format:

– How to write a book in any genre;
– How to give yourself the best possible chance of writing a bestseller;
– Understanding how the Amazon bestseller rank works;
– How to get your book ready for publishing, including critical elements such as proof-reading, editing, typesetting, e-Book formatting, book cover design, book descriptions, and more;
– How to create high-quality, professional artwork for your book, both digital and physical, ensuring that it stands out from the crowd;
– How to self-publish your book and start selling it on Amazon;
– How to effectively market your book to increase exposure;
– How to get your book stocked in Waterstones;
– Plus LOTS more!

Richard McMunn is a Number 1 bestselling author, Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year and Nielsen Digital Marketing Award Winner.

Ideal for any aspiring author, this book is an essential read for anyone looking to get their book written and on sale to millions of readers worldwide.

Purchase from Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Write-Publish-Bestselling-Book-ebook/dp/B078N4LXG7/

About the author: Based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Richard McMunn is the bestselling author of the ‘How2Become’ series of career guides and the founder of his own unique VIP author mentoring programme. After leaving school in Lancashire with just 3 GCSEs, Richard went on to join the Royal Navy — serving four years onboard HMS Invincible as an aircraft engineer. After leaving the navy, Richard took up a childhood ambition to become a firefighter with Kent Fire and Rescue Service where he served for seventeen years. Today, Richard works as a full-time author and publisher and to date has authored 150 books and helped over 100 aspiring writers become published authors. He has also been awarded the IPG Specialist Consumer Publisher of the Year and the Nielsen Digital Marketing Award.

 

Website – http://www.bookpublishingcourses.com/

 

Bonus Review #4: ‘A Georgian Heroine’, by Joanne Major & Sarah Murden

Published By: Pen & Sword History

Publication Date: 27th November 2017

I.S.B.N.: 9781473863460

Format: Hardback

Price: £19.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

Rachel Charlotte Williams Biggs lived an incredible life, one which proved that fact is often much stranger than fiction. As a young woman she endured a tortured existence at the hands of a male tormentor, but emerged from that to reinvent herself as a playwright and author; a political pamphleteer and a spy, working for the British Government and later singlehandedly organising George III’s jubilee celebrations. Trapped in France during the revolutionary years of 1792-95, she published an anonymous account of her adventures. However, was everything as it seemed? The extraordinary Mrs Biggs lived life upon her own terms in an age when it was a man’s world, using politicians as her mouthpiece in the Houses of Parliament and corresponding with the greatest men of the day. Throughout it all though, she held on to the ideal of her one youthful true love, a man who abandoned her to her fate and spent his entire adult life in India. Who was this amazing lady?

In A Georgian Heroine: The Intriguing Life of Rachel Charlotte Williams Biggs, we delve into her life to reveal her accomplishments and lay bare Mrs Biggs’ continued re-invention of herself. This is the bizarre but true story of an astounding woman persevering in a man’s world.

Review: ‘iHunt’, by David A Hill Jr

Cover for the UK Kindle edition

Published By: Independently published 

Publication Date: 11th August 2017

I.S.B.N.: 9781522077435

Format: Kindle & paperback

Price: £3.85 or £11.54 (paperback)

 

 

 

 

 

Blurb

It’s like Uber, but for slaying monsters!

Lana is a monster hunter. She kills vampires, werewolves, demons and all the other terrifying creatures of the night. She doesn’t do it because she’s the chosen one. She doesn’t do it because it’s her duty. She does it because working one job just doesn’t cut it for a millenial in Southern California.

She takes contracts using iHunt, an app which freelance monster hunters use to find profitable prey. It’s like Supernatural meets Uber, Buffy meets Airbnb, and sadly, Blade meets Fiverr.

Lana’s story is about making ends meet, about economic anxiety, and about what a person’s willing to do to pay the bills. It’s a equal parts horror, dark humor, slice of life, and social commentary on the gig economy.

She deals with the same problems other millennials face: begging the landlord to extend your rent due date until the next paycheck comes, dating guys not concerned about their partners’ orgasms, dating women who have to sleep all day because they burn in the sun, the cost of clothing you need to replace because you got into a fight with the undead, and trying to explain that the security footage where you’re killing a guy is actually a viral social experiment to advertise your new film. You know, normal millennial issues. I’m sorry, I meant to say #millenialissues. Gotta get those views!

Cover Reveal! Bridas’ Justice

This is it, the cover for Bridas’ Justice. I decided to have a go at using the cover creator function in Create Space for this one. Mainly because I can’t afford to employ Michelle, my cover designer for the FIRE novels. All the planned Tales From Erce will have a white and blue cover with a relevant cover image. I’ve gone for waves on rocks with this one. You’ll see why if you read the story.

You can get your copy from Amazon:

Paperbook £3.50

Kindle £0.99