tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76372275387450266052024-03-16T01:09:43.727+00:00Random Things Through My LetterboxOccasional musings about the things that appear on my doormat - usually books!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.comBlogger2708125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-54932943454891761452024-03-08T07:30:00.001+00:002024-03-08T11:04:29.574+00:00Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood #StoneYardDevotional #CharlotteWood @SceptreBooks @MrFeditor #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbn1Ty34P0sp0GFhjG_UG9I1dWWLxcopkGf-aVWWPMqBfwToPWldVZnBTxi2bo4Np49zmNPFyJZS5x9WHPf_GrSYN5yAv2RBPJktgJr07ayqltc6h7uYerNdOGiQgUrCbPQ6X5ajcSTTf5Ds4wdz_Vgm3o54OsLjQng5Z-441Z-M3LzWP39OOnFDMOSpL/s1500/81k-Z1slgZL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="991" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbn1Ty34P0sp0GFhjG_UG9I1dWWLxcopkGf-aVWWPMqBfwToPWldVZnBTxi2bo4Np49zmNPFyJZS5x9WHPf_GrSYN5yAv2RBPJktgJr07ayqltc6h7uYerNdOGiQgUrCbPQ6X5ajcSTTf5Ds4wdz_Vgm3o54OsLjQng5Z-441Z-M3LzWP39OOnFDMOSpL/s16000/81k-Z1slgZL._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Burnt out and in need of retreat, a middle-aged woman leaves Sydney to return to the place she grew up, taking refuge in a small religious community hidden away on the stark plains of the Australian outback. She doesn't believe in God, or know what prayer is, and finds herself living this strange, reclusive existence almost by accident.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But disquiet interrupts this secluded life with three visitations. First comes a terrible mouse plague, each day signalling a new battle against the rising infestation. Second is the return of the skeletal remains of a sister who disappeared decades before, presumed murdered. And finally, a troubling visitor plunges the narrator further back into her past.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j3UXA5q7XBwYlzua6mfPYN62TrlI2uf4BdKvQQjT8dLZrLPK2Txgb2JIisCV5BhDhVBYwReV2N7Iqjv4vX7b79po89ZY9NUnFsR_FMcF4XrN5OuJM79q5a8Nae1BIncamT-BTza-mnOL6iQ18zg_qeMvCXQRQPGFC6Ey0R7nUJCoQ-eDH8SKQfXrGF1b/s1024/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(2).gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="97" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-j3UXA5q7XBwYlzua6mfPYN62TrlI2uf4BdKvQQjT8dLZrLPK2Txgb2JIisCV5BhDhVBYwReV2N7Iqjv4vX7b79po89ZY9NUnFsR_FMcF4XrN5OuJM79q5a8Nae1BIncamT-BTza-mnOL6iQ18zg_qeMvCXQRQPGFC6Ey0R7nUJCoQ-eDH8SKQfXrGF1b/s16000/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(2).gif" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/stone-yard-devotional-charlotte-wood/7551618?ean=9781399724340"><b><i>Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood</i></b></a> was published on 7 March 2024 by Sceptre. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was totally entranced by this novel. At around three hundred pages, it's not a long read, but it's one that lingered in my head, even after I'd put it down. <br /><br />Made up of diary-like thoughts of an unnamed woman, this is a quiet book that slowly introduces the reader to the narrator's innermost thoughts. It could be difficult to related to a character when you don't even know her name, but not here, her name is not needed, for we totally understand her and her actions throughout. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;">The woman needs to get away from life. The pain of a broken relationship, the anguish of a close friend's terminal illness and the remnants of grief about her dead parents all combine to make her want to escape. She finds sanctuary at a religious retreat in the Australian outback, far away from her home in Sydney and close to where she spent her childhood years. Whilst she is not religious herself, she respects the nuns, attending their services and working alongside them in the kitchen and the garden. </p><p style="text-align: left;">There are sisters who the woman favours, some who annoy her, yet she is welcomed and soon, this place becomes home. Her stark cabin, the chickens in the yard, and the few other visitors become her way of life. <br /><br />Whilst not religious, the woman's narrative becomes something of a confession, she is able to explore her feelings openly, she accepts her flaws and that her friends and her work colleagues feel let down that she has left them. Her memories of her mother are poignant and telling, very different to how she feels about her late father. We do not know why her marriage broke down, we know that Alex, her husband, left, maybe her leaving her ordinary life is her response?</p><p style="text-align: left;">There are certain things that happen to to woman on retreat, that really shape her story. There is a terrible infestation of mice; a plague almost. The women and the others at the retreat spend hours fighting against the damage done by these small creatures, there are some horrific things witnessed, and the impact of thousands of these small creatures is shocking. </p><p style="text-align: left;">When the nuns receive news that the skeleton of one of their sisters, murdered overseas, has been found, it is a huge task to bring her remains home. The world has been grounded by the pandemic, just getting officials to answer legal questions is almost impossible, and the actual act of getting the remains from one side of the world to another is very trying. The remains do return, and with them is a woman who is familiar to the woman. Now a member of the order, the woman remembers this woman as a girl who was constantly bullied in school, who never fought back, who was the victim of her own mother's failings. At first, the woman is wary, but as time moves on, she and this visitor begin to engage, resulting in a different feeling about the past. <br /><br />Wood's writing is sparse and abrupt at times, yet it is so powerful and moving. There is something so forceful about this novel, from the desolation of the landscape, to the destruction created by the mice and the woman's slow realisation of herself. It is a novel about grief and escape, about finding one's place in the world and dealing with the things that stop life from moving on freely. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Beautiful, quiet and contemplative. Highly recommended. <br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7xSi9Nerc44aPQb8d3NzuAkl-7V43lzQT200hK8bQFPgZMf0bhYYveDc_yP27wunthuB9xlZVUja7nwanwJ4jXXIFLiTZn_jkUTHZVGbLX_QkZP5c_LzYdGKJOuqLAYPAx64IH9mlzOMhiUGNTig1gXnxaRvcG-oX6h822DN-LOly_8QsKVDuSXPdNoV/s1024/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(2).gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="97" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7xSi9Nerc44aPQb8d3NzuAkl-7V43lzQT200hK8bQFPgZMf0bhYYveDc_yP27wunthuB9xlZVUja7nwanwJ4jXXIFLiTZn_jkUTHZVGbLX_QkZP5c_LzYdGKJOuqLAYPAx64IH9mlzOMhiUGNTig1gXnxaRvcG-oX6h822DN-LOly_8QsKVDuSXPdNoV/s16000/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(2).gif" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bU0cRT4aRqc3EqVp1WCEKoeEo_y4fOQ3VtPpzsL6P_FvgbU4v-rF_4FqpcQZNfyGoX0RO12KbFO6K0bfRAkKam-3IE6eRqrR8f-eUyIE-9Vb8uB-3y2kHmvVTaooqdl94-RNqymjxbCr0_ia3kOMLmVhLpAIcQBVlnLVYfp6NPj5xpyvmpwr9TgmzfHA/s480/343670485_749836380171831_6942184604399836765_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bU0cRT4aRqc3EqVp1WCEKoeEo_y4fOQ3VtPpzsL6P_FvgbU4v-rF_4FqpcQZNfyGoX0RO12KbFO6K0bfRAkKam-3IE6eRqrR8f-eUyIE-9Vb8uB-3y2kHmvVTaooqdl94-RNqymjxbCr0_ia3kOMLmVhLpAIcQBVlnLVYfp6NPj5xpyvmpwr9TgmzfHA/s320/343670485_749836380171831_6942184604399836765_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></b></div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Charlotte Wood is the author of seven novels and three books of non-fiction. </span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Her novel The Natural Way of Things won the 2016 Stella Prize, the Indie Book of the Year and Novel of the Year Awards, and was joint winner of the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Fiction. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Her next novel, The Weekend, was an international bestseller and was shortlisted for the 2020 Stella Prize, the Prime Minister's Literary Award and the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In 2019 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and named one of the Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Her features and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, Literary Hub and Sydney Morning Herald, among others. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Charlotte lives in Sydney with her husband.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.charlottewood.com.au">www.charlottewood.com.au</a></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">IG <a href="https://www.instagram.com/charlottewoodwriter/">@charlottewoodwriter</a></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/charlottewoodwriter">CharlotteWoodWriter</a></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3FP63gYsK71gRg71nPz_S2m-EUyL-jqXg89vNt4uf3VIceSRqiD9I1n1L-BWoKIR0-7JJCYNUY63T0tAmXGRlWPNAf6tt7kR3eiQJDaduPUYHjkdOj1YIo2K_LbXUmYfHUZY1WkZv1bgCJrOaL3aELUgnrg-meObOc7SUHoKUImWNMpihadSUA2qU-iN/s970/89244ea4-2158-4c0c-aacf-53ebdb1bb336.__CR0,1,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3FP63gYsK71gRg71nPz_S2m-EUyL-jqXg89vNt4uf3VIceSRqiD9I1n1L-BWoKIR0-7JJCYNUY63T0tAmXGRlWPNAf6tt7kR3eiQJDaduPUYHjkdOj1YIo2K_LbXUmYfHUZY1WkZv1bgCJrOaL3aELUgnrg-meObOc7SUHoKUImWNMpihadSUA2qU-iN/s16000/89244ea4-2158-4c0c-aacf-53ebdb1bb336.__CR0,1,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtwCthCz2x8un34oSAa3Ckha001rd8IkZ2brplgnxPT3j6HL2PBkmyuQBSFEEBZ85YhZFCLURMQyAJK3LUeS2FTeT3S6DtFNm4T9z6Bx4X5tyG3f9qdkD5jRZa2zJvcVnaJzz_Ysw1UPOPRYDD5zHH8O_IdE_IWYohvdERcGbFK41qi1a_y-rDWnrSPRg/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtwCthCz2x8un34oSAa3Ckha001rd8IkZ2brplgnxPT3j6HL2PBkmyuQBSFEEBZ85YhZFCLURMQyAJK3LUeS2FTeT3S6DtFNm4T9z6Bx4X5tyG3f9qdkD5jRZa2zJvcVnaJzz_Ysw1UPOPRYDD5zHH8O_IdE_IWYohvdERcGbFK41qi1a_y-rDWnrSPRg/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-24182524444506782352024-03-07T07:30:00.001+00:002024-03-07T08:09:58.211+00:00All Us Sinners by Katy Massey #AllUsSinners @TangledRoots1 @BooksSphere @edwoodeditior @Gabriellamay24 #BookReview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLrXyvqm1xTpADSZUaBgqqNLv0NKWYlyBJVjSadAWZ-Os8u4kC_El6HQA_plJchGpQkj1CucA1Fq4hDpT9wmHCukopUC4s0UjRt41Lt000kJEZnB7P0McG0JuYUsmIGEIPP9dKFC_bRYWeHFlIKm3slI3A2lB-mJ46Lc7OWDs71Vxa_9zruYt8gwgbSqW/s1000/61-qqsap2oL._SL1000_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="665" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGLrXyvqm1xTpADSZUaBgqqNLv0NKWYlyBJVjSadAWZ-Os8u4kC_El6HQA_plJchGpQkj1CucA1Fq4hDpT9wmHCukopUC4s0UjRt41Lt000kJEZnB7P0McG0JuYUsmIGEIPP9dKFC_bRYWeHFlIKm3slI3A2lB-mJ46Lc7OWDs71Vxa_9zruYt8gwgbSqW/s16000/61-qqsap2oL._SL1000_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Leeds, 1977. A chill lies over the city: sex workers are being murdered by a serial killer they are calling the 'Ripper', the streets creeping with fear.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Tough, sharp, but tender, Maureen runs Rio's, a clean, discreet brothel in the city. She's a good boss who takes great care of her workers - especially her best girls, Bev and Anette. The Ripper may be terrifying girls who work the street, but at Rio's the girls seem safer.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But when Bev's sweet-natured son is found beaten to death, a figure from Maureen's past, DS Mick Hunniford, shows up at her door. Does his arrival herald danger or salvation? And who can Maureen really trust?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The impressive and moving debut crime novel from huge new talent Katy Massey opens up a world we have rarely seen, at a time of great danger and drama.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkXAOLzlnFi55l_j3J2GUFsCC7jCJxspgaHxrF89vzPNcrQy4sGgOUm2jqj7gN_p_1DdXf2dKkIsSQoktaVH244yayNBWY2es9AMAV5UYO_kRSGgmpvbPbLnki11yXaXG7VFfcDdIjwSciqhMubhrWRB1zCSv7Q6JYfXFjF_PH1W5LtNrTPRStJiTfkZJ/s600/hr-johannes-aagaard-2%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkXAOLzlnFi55l_j3J2GUFsCC7jCJxspgaHxrF89vzPNcrQy4sGgOUm2jqj7gN_p_1DdXf2dKkIsSQoktaVH244yayNBWY2es9AMAV5UYO_kRSGgmpvbPbLnki11yXaXG7VFfcDdIjwSciqhMubhrWRB1zCSv7Q6JYfXFjF_PH1W5LtNrTPRStJiTfkZJ/s16000/hr-johannes-aagaard-2%20(7).jpg" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/her-best-girls-katy-massey/7413167?ean=9781408729694"><b><i>All Us Sinners by Katy Massey</i></b></a> is published today; 7 March by Sphere Books. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Despite the themes in this novel, and the grimy, dingy and sometimes squalid setting, there's a powerful, almost poetic feel to the writing. As a reader, I felt somewhat voyeuristic, as though I were standing on the sidelines, privy to the characters's thoughts and emotions. That's not to say that these characters are distant or inaccessible - they are beautifully created and I was totally invested in all of them.<br /><br />Leeds in 1977 wasn't the most jolly of places to be. The city is overshadowed by the on-going search for the man they are calling the 'Ripper'. A fiend who targets sex workers, murdering and mutilating their bodies, and leaving them for others to find. Despite the horrors of women being murdered, there's certainly an element of disdain shown toward the victims. These are women who walk the streets and sell their bodies. Some of the police officers on the case, and many of the public, led by the press have their own opinions about what the Ripper is doing, and some of the comments make for very hard reading. <br /><br />However, the Ripper is not the only murderer on the streets, and women have not been the only victims. When young David is found beaten to death outside a backstreet pub, his mother Bev, and her colleagues are heartbroken, and angry. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Bev and Annette work for Maureen at Rio's; a sauna and massage parlour. Maureen takes the lead in this novel, it is her story and whilst the killings are centre stage, it is Maureen's own life story that is the most compelling. A woman with a tortured background, whose mother left when she was just a girl, Maureen appears hard and at times, very cold. Yet there's a vulnerability in her that shines through every now and again; she cares deeply about her 'girls', and is determined that David's killer will be brought to justice. <br /><br />There's one man who knows a great deal about Maureen. DS Mick Hunniford, from Liverpool originally, but has been in Leeds for many years. Mick knew Maureen when she was that young, abandoned girl, he has watched her enter the sex trade, and knows more about her than he has ever said. I'd love to learn more about Mick, he's not a regular copper, there's so much more to him; from his fastidiously tidy car, to this reaction to comments made by his peers. He has depth and is an intriguing character for sure. <br /><br />This is an intelligent, complex and beautifully written story, led completely by the colourful characters who populate it. As the story progresses, the reader becomes more aware of just how strong Maureen is, the lengths that she will go to to ensure that justice is found. Leeds in the 1970s was a very different place to the city now, and the author's descriptions are magical, along with her clever characterisation and the inclusion of the unexpected along the way. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Written from the heart, with the odd touch of humour to shine a little light into the darkness, All Us Sinners is an accomplished and skilled debut from an author who is certainly one to watch. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V4eiFO7zdl7QmW6-vWGTgd_eT4Hyih1Xsa5ZxqdKCbxvghxQN4xF_knAtQY9ygEfEFcLkoYu5CVxZOepGISt5dEsxmxAVfxqIYdrslyvoN8K4a3C0zutr3W5tM8_rj8P7j_IFcGvrzth-vuv2l4RgJ5Q74M-9csM_WdZnK8LUONCrqUKZ7tIknsjicoH/s600/hr-johannes-aagaard-2%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V4eiFO7zdl7QmW6-vWGTgd_eT4Hyih1Xsa5ZxqdKCbxvghxQN4xF_knAtQY9ygEfEFcLkoYu5CVxZOepGISt5dEsxmxAVfxqIYdrslyvoN8K4a3C0zutr3W5tM8_rj8P7j_IFcGvrzth-vuv2l4RgJ5Q74M-9csM_WdZnK8LUONCrqUKZ7tIknsjicoH/s16000/hr-johannes-aagaard-2%20(7).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5qSanVoXQo3-cgfOniEMLXcXl8OjuNsgPKXyZBfg6cvHtU02e-_L3SjXJpUNxPjAkESKlopFGL9BBzpptvJG-mVLX-RdJfCe9PuqfkFXhdChtd6AUBVfInpveUNV2sXHKxRRgRNZ6B9QmluzoLShadeN6PfDxaR2Yw7dJ-SwnN0yQRnIaEALH-BwSPXi/s259/download%20(14).jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5qSanVoXQo3-cgfOniEMLXcXl8OjuNsgPKXyZBfg6cvHtU02e-_L3SjXJpUNxPjAkESKlopFGL9BBzpptvJG-mVLX-RdJfCe9PuqfkFXhdChtd6AUBVfInpveUNV2sXHKxRRgRNZ6B9QmluzoLShadeN6PfDxaR2Yw7dJ-SwnN0yQRnIaEALH-BwSPXi/w240-h320/download%20(14).jpeg" width="240" /></a></span></i></b></div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Katy Massey was a journalist for many years before studying for an MA and PhD in <br />Creative Writing. </span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Her memoir, Are We Home Yet? was published in 2020 and praised by Bernardine Evaristo as 'a gem'. It was shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize and the Portico Prize. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">In addition, her fiction and nonfiction work has been widely anthologised, including Common People edited by Kit de Waal, The Place for Me, and speculative collection Glimpse. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">All Us Sinners is her first novel, an unusual take on the crime genre featuring Maureen, a tough but tender-hearted brothel-keeper in 1970s Leeds. She is unexpectedly drawn into investigating the killing of a friend's son, events which take place against the disturbing backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper's murder spree.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">X <a href="https://twitter.com/TangledRoots1">@TangledRoots1</a></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katymasseyauthor">KatyMasseyAuthor</a></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25pIpBQN99s1Xtnf1BdMJGTVJLmKiAWu6o48AdEdp7FDjvgFuHU0Y4SQYZE_J5RaiZg9gk0yz1cXwWM_3WdPKAXdfIRtHA-W-YlgqXseiwUYCp9jGdZQQ3ycoDnFt90LLSmC1JmcE0CzrP2w1bsNzuyQKleYraixB8YzkRNs1A1d-u9xYYGPilnt1lJ-8/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25pIpBQN99s1Xtnf1BdMJGTVJLmKiAWu6o48AdEdp7FDjvgFuHU0Y4SQYZE_J5RaiZg9gk0yz1cXwWM_3WdPKAXdfIRtHA-W-YlgqXseiwUYCp9jGdZQQ3ycoDnFt90LLSmC1JmcE0CzrP2w1bsNzuyQKleYraixB8YzkRNs1A1d-u9xYYGPilnt1lJ-8/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-7561521133135244792024-03-06T07:30:00.000+00:002024-03-06T07:30:00.125+00:00Dark Clouds Bring Waters by I R Ridley BLOG TOUR #DarkCloudsBringWaters @IanRidley1 @RandomTTours #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHIMimA0Gi8YBTowgP6y0iSlkno7y7ukXqACxWT9zg8FPrdmVohDubcM20LHWxco15YBBhvVscwPx51qutfk7871tccAStwumRnkLje-yyh5bJuCpSJvqnsWmWxyVXZfjX85kKwxO5wXDW3YGCV_yIjreErqZIHEIc8eATlgOsDLGvtRpEH6kwbU_TvOx/s2339/1%20(3)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHIMimA0Gi8YBTowgP6y0iSlkno7y7ukXqACxWT9zg8FPrdmVohDubcM20LHWxco15YBBhvVscwPx51qutfk7871tccAStwumRnkLje-yyh5bJuCpSJvqnsWmWxyVXZfjX85kKwxO5wXDW3YGCV_yIjreErqZIHEIc8eATlgOsDLGvtRpEH6kwbU_TvOx/s16000/1%20(3)%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We all have questions for the dead...</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Comedy writer Luke Jessop's life is in stasis. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">He hasn't written a word since his wife, Billie, died almost three years ago and on finding a pile of old letters from her ex, Adam, he has begun to wonder how well he really knew her. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Embarking on a pilgrimage to Italy, Luke determines to piece together the full story about his wild and sometimes secretive love. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But with Adam refusing to answer his questions and a flame-haired hotel guest threatening his fragile calm, can Luke finally face the truths of the past and learn to live again?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xWKMHAwy4QpQRv9JVCEj5Lr1AGzkaSiAdGoG7Csd0o97yLN7uStx6Hj3djUybmEM7SsKwCqyvlIGQOChqd_5JvkWkbb1wOLuLzStp0Nm3btZLynveJ3_l_vJ-cKatRNZ5_H095SXfQPqpaHQfRxVvlBu5dCK9g97mffCYpuXvRMkWd94VR3ZHH3r7LFm/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-5%20(28).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xWKMHAwy4QpQRv9JVCEj5Lr1AGzkaSiAdGoG7Csd0o97yLN7uStx6Hj3djUybmEM7SsKwCqyvlIGQOChqd_5JvkWkbb1wOLuLzStp0Nm3btZLynveJ3_l_vJ-cKatRNZ5_H095SXfQPqpaHQfRxVvlBu5dCK9g97mffCYpuXvRMkWd94VR3ZHH3r7LFm/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-5%20(28).png" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Clouds-Bring-Waters-Ridley/dp/1739639626/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SSAB7DMQB6OI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pTNe1KK-MgasXNfwvoRPsA.9C0iV95OikA_hHeif_TaQKtl2vTA7Ay7Gl6idpO10VU&dib_tag=se&keywords=dark+clouds+bring+waters+i+r+ridley&qid=1708702914&s=digital-text&sprefix=dark+clouds+bring%2Cdigital-text%2C82&sr=1-1"><b><i>Dark Clouds Bring Waters by I R Ridley</i></b></a> was published on 7 February 2024 by V Books. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFFShLNTH68y0pp-2sz_Cle9K-YCoZe4TYz6GC26unEjaKxbWd7iu5ZUD4vbV2TW7TtbZKg-fzUqYpgdLND5T8jWwep8fPizyJef4_YojQegxFjP1L2-A2PFbImzSQ6Vtd_kAML3GhlY3Fvt7OfZjYNxGxN7U7VHf3SJ3uuGFiOsIQRSpD3VM4R8h3DYr/s1920/Dark%20Clouds%20BT%20Poster%20.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFFShLNTH68y0pp-2sz_Cle9K-YCoZe4TYz6GC26unEjaKxbWd7iu5ZUD4vbV2TW7TtbZKg-fzUqYpgdLND5T8jWwep8fPizyJef4_YojQegxFjP1L2-A2PFbImzSQ6Vtd_kAML3GhlY3Fvt7OfZjYNxGxN7U7VHf3SJ3uuGFiOsIQRSpD3VM4R8h3DYr/s16000/Dark%20Clouds%20BT%20Poster%20.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Dark Clouds Bring Waters is short novel at just 136 pages in the paperback edition. Despite the short length it is a novel that is so affecting, so emotional and at times very raw. I am positive that the author has drawn from his own emotions and feelings whilst writing this which adds a poignancy to the story. It is breathtaking in its beauty at times, startling in imagery and beautifully developed. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Luke Jessop is a comedy writer, he is also a widow, and the death of his wife Billie three years ago has left him bereft, unable to write and struggling with life overall. Luke recently discovered a box of letters and some diaries in Billie's office, he only read the most recently dated letter which was sent to Billie in May 1993; many years before she and Luke met. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Luke always knew that Billie had had relationships in the past, she was a beautiful, vibrant, intelligent woman, and they didn't meet and fall in love until they were both older. Reading the words written in the letter sparks a thirst for more knowledge in Luke, and the reader meets him as he lands at a small airport in Genoa, Italy.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Luke and Billie had spent happy times together in a beautiful small hotel in the region. Far away from the well known tourist traps. However, Luke's memories are marred by the fact that Billie had been seriously ill on their final visit, and now he has returned alone. This is not just a pilgrimage though. Luke is determined to find the author of the letters, to speak to Adam, the man who Billie once loved. <br /><br />This is wonderfully told novel of searching for the truth and exposing one's inner thoughts and feelings. As Luke learns more about Billie's past, and considers their own relationship, he grows in himself. Both Luke and Billie are flawed characters, and although most certainly desperately in love, their arguments could be as passionate as their love making. At times Luke finds it so hard, walking the paths that he walked with Billie, seeing the sights, taking the same boat trips and eating in the same places. It becomes a healing process for him, although his pain, at times is clearly laid out. <br /><br />This is a novel to savour, with characters to discover and get to know, in a beautiful setting filled with sunshine and colours. Luke learns so much and also understands more about his late wife. It is a story of love, grief and of hope. Highly recommended. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDho5m3m3wjzZ4W0A-k81s8nwCARRVwcO7vXsjrBnMgQso7K5pvwIEYovKRslBCvSHrnPmqTCG_yauUzWVJB_tyF2HvEOneJNbAKSJ7_Kp9jwNfCB_n0khdm8BBDbW7H4duoc3-HMgSJrzOXRy5JVLXurG3gIyV8rilPsAXsQDxS9dvESEzO8g_xDgzsl/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-5%20(28).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDho5m3m3wjzZ4W0A-k81s8nwCARRVwcO7vXsjrBnMgQso7K5pvwIEYovKRslBCvSHrnPmqTCG_yauUzWVJB_tyF2HvEOneJNbAKSJ7_Kp9jwNfCB_n0khdm8BBDbW7H4duoc3-HMgSJrzOXRy5JVLXurG3gIyV8rilPsAXsQDxS9dvESEzO8g_xDgzsl/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-5%20(28).png" /></a></div><br /><p><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8UznklrrpgCKBEXwlniVWVt87-LvaKrvabQVgVQEF8R_BBgVVZpcwhMBz8kZ0S2kpGQUhqZ1NxQk4b9rEq1oo5yVHxP9Gf_T9kuW-n28dm9vFfzK1y6eU7UIXz4AeqpPE2G9ZO0khGc4uEp3gXCx3zhl8ZAdK760NxY-JjpKY6DqD8uKAVN1U0zYk8e1/s2150/ian%20ridley%20author.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2150" data-original-width="1873" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8UznklrrpgCKBEXwlniVWVt87-LvaKrvabQVgVQEF8R_BBgVVZpcwhMBz8kZ0S2kpGQUhqZ1NxQk4b9rEq1oo5yVHxP9Gf_T9kuW-n28dm9vFfzK1y6eU7UIXz4AeqpPE2G9ZO0khGc4uEp3gXCx3zhl8ZAdK760NxY-JjpKY6DqD8uKAVN1U0zYk8e1/s320/ian%20ridley%20author.jpg" width="279" /></a></span></i></b></div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">IAN RIDLEY is a writer and journalist who spent 35 years on national newspapers, <br />including 18 on The Guardian and The Observer. </span></i></b><p></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">DARK CLOUDS BRING WATERS is his third novel, and a move into literary fiction after his two crime thrillers, OUTER CIRCLE and DON’T TALK, in the ‘Jan Mason investigative journalist’ series.</span></i></b></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Ian has also written 14 non-fiction books, including two shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. </span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Addicted, written with the former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams, was a Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller while The Breath of Sadness: On love, grief and cricket is a poignant account of coping with the death of his wife Vikki Orvice, a trailblazing sports journalist, in February of 2019 at the age of 56. </span></i></b></p><p><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.v-books.co.uk">www.v-books.co.uk</a></span></i></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>X <a href="https://twitter.com/IanRidley1">@IanRidley1</a></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVlz-6agJAOnYYRYBXT-axX8yqOxHdrtr68I1FwOuhcAC-lCuzeZz6eOYU98_XZc844fTp80tsFzjoaK8PVoFJsNX7sBFQQKHMyGymHnDld3LXPoihP7bKpkzlRLfUl8p4ME9J8yvszyWQqkQZtHL7I-S0nBp27DIb3anFFWBmE_AagXu43a_rSXjl-Vg/s1500/Dark%20Clouds%20Graphic1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVlz-6agJAOnYYRYBXT-axX8yqOxHdrtr68I1FwOuhcAC-lCuzeZz6eOYU98_XZc844fTp80tsFzjoaK8PVoFJsNX7sBFQQKHMyGymHnDld3LXPoihP7bKpkzlRLfUl8p4ME9J8yvszyWQqkQZtHL7I-S0nBp27DIb3anFFWBmE_AagXu43a_rSXjl-Vg/s16000/Dark%20Clouds%20Graphic1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIrFz600XnLNezBSX-574CkqSjgJKOFLc6UYUjLVfIfoR77EEckFOJV27sPg0V_0NNaJLZlhhe5_GF3HTj1gWhPCY0sWghG5SWbd8i6Cez0Z7q_d4LR3ig0LcmU_U2Y24TgRnrJqGYntxy1KskyhFnS97icR04lcV7G_e8R-auDkXSD-eBhHv_guwMDxI/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIrFz600XnLNezBSX-574CkqSjgJKOFLc6UYUjLVfIfoR77EEckFOJV27sPg0V_0NNaJLZlhhe5_GF3HTj1gWhPCY0sWghG5SWbd8i6Cez0Z7q_d4LR3ig0LcmU_U2Y24TgRnrJqGYntxy1KskyhFnS97icR04lcV7G_e8R-auDkXSD-eBhHv_guwMDxI/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-82085383146907632452024-03-06T06:30:00.001+00:002024-03-06T06:30:00.132+00:00The Colossus by Simon Wright BLOG TOUR #TheColossus @ScarfBooks @RandomTTours #BookExtract<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUgkkfCXE7fkFHdZwOHXfd8nX53y55jglxXT5hPBObi51YpIVXi7dOM5uVDRN9cBqvvnHj_nuBs2f1CboYgTUnzGYViC85xSRGIa6sLgK6-WHKNszxfT2-PYzC3M83Hdh4EOXMklVkrDYxEluONwx6vjgQJyjPOkpWZnNDXIi8n8XWNj7BwL-m6EPJuOW/s2550/The_Colossus_Front_Cover_RGB%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1654" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUgkkfCXE7fkFHdZwOHXfd8nX53y55jglxXT5hPBObi51YpIVXi7dOM5uVDRN9cBqvvnHj_nuBs2f1CboYgTUnzGYViC85xSRGIa6sLgK6-WHKNszxfT2-PYzC3M83Hdh4EOXMklVkrDYxEluONwx6vjgQJyjPOkpWZnNDXIi8n8XWNj7BwL-m6EPJuOW/s16000/The_Colossus_Front_Cover_RGB%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">1630, Constantinople</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A brilliant young thief, Emir, stows away on the Colossus, a ship with a murderous, mutinous crew, who covet a powerful relic on board. Sucked into a treasonous plot, Emir must foil the mutiny and save the precious cargo, before a fellow crewman seals his fate.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">2012, London</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Professor Daniel Fairlight isn’t alone in his search for a lost legendary artefact. An elite Ottoman military unit is tracking him. In too deep to turn back now, Daniel rushes to retrieve the relic and escape with his life.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Duman Osman, a brutal and ruthless zealot, will stop at nothing to control the secret and fulfil his destiny.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Separated by nearly four hundred years, Daniel and Emir are both running out of time to save the relic from falling into the wrong hands.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A fateful voyage of friendship and sacrifice, treachery and redemption, aboard a ship full of secrets ... The Colossus.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPUUnxvomTt_gvZ15DWcvQ3_xMLzsySqoubzA8ccHBE2mvRo_ddd0oGCxrQa_aeYly_78Ffa4hghPPtkgt78iesYVajhunq9_5izVP6zTfOYbsDCRusBPy0YR1GYK8TY-DrqvULzucAWlQ7mWk6xiLJVyNj-6zZuE5wIeqqT1GutRORelY7dA5S6vl1Lu/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPUUnxvomTt_gvZ15DWcvQ3_xMLzsySqoubzA8ccHBE2mvRo_ddd0oGCxrQa_aeYly_78Ffa4hghPPtkgt78iesYVajhunq9_5izVP6zTfOYbsDCRusBPy0YR1GYK8TY-DrqvULzucAWlQ7mWk6xiLJVyNj-6zZuE5wIeqqT1GutRORelY7dA5S6vl1Lu/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-2.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Colossus-Red-Scarf-Book-ebook/dp/B0CGJKH435/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2MYLOX49WKQHM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uv9oBFgsTAVFiG_djzbOzMxv04Utctdh5zb0l65LdfQ.gqReSFt9xfvYve2sdGa4KvA3jCYdnd4dxTdUPzHK_s0&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+colossus+simon+wright&qid=1708702124&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+colossus+simon+%2Cdigital-text%2C85&sr=1-1"><b><i>The Colossus by Simon Wright</i></b></a> was published on 29 February 2024 and is Book One in the Red Scarf series.</div><div style="text-align: left;">As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXaGx-wq5s2Lwb0bTGtBVCqDAq-lvfcPmqHRNQA2gC20_FRgVpJMy6we4PCOr7WqA27dIpFJxo3Nd01WmHzPRJ1GG3Qdv05VanzWARM6g28tqpmHGPoJ1ALq4uGfr3FbgJ7M2eQrvUcuLpTF7EVCah4c-0z5leyINDPocrC2xzNvBNoCXsmD4x4LVP78AR/s1920/FINAL%20Colossus%20BT%20Poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXaGx-wq5s2Lwb0bTGtBVCqDAq-lvfcPmqHRNQA2gC20_FRgVpJMy6we4PCOr7WqA27dIpFJxo3Nd01WmHzPRJ1GG3Qdv05VanzWARM6g28tqpmHGPoJ1ALq4uGfr3FbgJ7M2eQrvUcuLpTF7EVCah4c-0z5leyINDPocrC2xzNvBNoCXsmD4x4LVP78AR/s16000/FINAL%20Colossus%20BT%20Poster.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Extract from The Colossus by Simon Wright </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Prologue</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">September 7, 1566</span></i></b></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Hungary</span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It had been a long, brutal month. The longest of his forty-six-year reign. And it would also be his last.</span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Suleiman the Magnificent knew he was now close to death. Illness had ravaged him in recent years, but this hadn’t kept him from the field. Now, lying on a grand bed in his battle tent, he reflected on his reign. He had much to be proud of. He had conquered lands from Hungary to Persia, from Portugal to Somalia. He counted over twenty-five million people under his rule. And here he was, back in Hungary once again. Had it all been worth it, or was it just a never-ending cycle of lands gained and souls lost?</span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">He listened to raindrops tapping on the tent canvas. A cool breeze blew through the opening, briefly teasing his long white beard, even as life crept from his body. His tall, muscular stature had been eroded by his slow sickness. His gentle hazel eyes had lost their light. All that he had been was leaving him now.</span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">‘Where is my grand vizier?’ Suleiman wheezed to his servant kneeling nearby.</span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">‘He is still at the front, Your Imperial Majesty.’</span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Sokollu Mehmed Pasha had taken much of the burden of leadership off the shoulders of his sultan in recent weeks. They were camped at Szigetvár, no more than ten miles from the southern Hungarian border. In the last days of this siege against the stronghold, the vizier had taken to sleeping in the trenches with his men. Such was his drive to conclude this battle and get his sultan back into the recuperating arms of Constantinople.</span></div><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><i><b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This was an unusual approach for any officer, let alone a grand vizier, but Mehmed was a warrior at heart. His had not been the political upbringing of so many of his predecessors. He had been pressed into military service as a
young boy called Sokollu, through the devşirme system of child slavery. There
he became a Janissary, part of a small elite force who moulded their conscripts
into ruthless fighting machines. He was renamed Mehmed, and it wasn’t long
before he started moving through the ranks. In many ways, he was still at his
most comfortable leading men into battle.</span></b></i></div><div class="page" title="Page 8"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column">
<p><i><b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That very night he had put an audacious new plan in place. If it worked,
it would bring this bloody battle to a rapid and timely conclusion. Both sides
had seen many men fall. Far too many. It was time to finish this.
</span></b></i></p><p><i><b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></i></p><p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAn6TzYo096tuHchVSVFgo8Bohrhw5Vlk3LVBLGv_z-k9SWpHqelQ24hdR6nGZ2Yz_SfXEcYqY9-4n9ULrNcIXckrLRe9kAiVZokRNhFF20sWecohoZl2fQUuCwdM3QAu82R3h3Wf6PBLuzSCOAgf1Wl60lvmNNh0x1hllG0rSSRouD79dEoa087uNFXp/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAn6TzYo096tuHchVSVFgo8Bohrhw5Vlk3LVBLGv_z-k9SWpHqelQ24hdR6nGZ2Yz_SfXEcYqY9-4n9ULrNcIXckrLRe9kAiVZokRNhFF20sWecohoZl2fQUuCwdM3QAu82R3h3Wf6PBLuzSCOAgf1Wl60lvmNNh0x1hllG0rSSRouD79dEoa087uNFXp/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-2.png" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br /><span style="color: #073763; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></i><p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2JNGJxiq6BXQsltXCBxoQT-vO7feIrqKJ9QLWyDYPWEcS-CfpYW5ApUPfk_Fs3hkAiwOjuarBUq8wDu7YZnJ1Glr-Nzah1RysNNPQFkBRMS-MuFrMI_1oedfegFpbWru3c8kJre86kuvtCATmhL5ONrmGpnBOsmKTSlfSFP5hDdWILjPLZDmHuVL31rp/s1747/image_01__2_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1747" data-original-width="1488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2JNGJxiq6BXQsltXCBxoQT-vO7feIrqKJ9QLWyDYPWEcS-CfpYW5ApUPfk_Fs3hkAiwOjuarBUq8wDu7YZnJ1Glr-Nzah1RysNNPQFkBRMS-MuFrMI_1oedfegFpbWru3c8kJre86kuvtCATmhL5ONrmGpnBOsmKTSlfSFP5hDdWILjPLZDmHuVL31rp/s320/image_01__2_.jpg" width="273" /></a></span></i></b></div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Simon Wright was born, raised and continues to live in and around the Home Counties of <br />London, England. </span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">He has forged a career as a leadership and brand consultant, advising and coaching business leaders internationally. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When challenged on his credentials as a writer he cites a school commendation for creative writing and winning the Jane Austen award for achievements in English at his sixth form college. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">He acknowledges that other writers have more prestigious credentials. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Simon’s first book, The Colossus, is volume one of a series and was inspired by a Guardian article concerning a real life shipwreck salvage operation. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">As a middle aged, middle class, white male living in southern England Simon feels uniquely qualified to take us on a century spanning Ottoman high seas adventure. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">He suggests that, through meticulous collaboration, he has managed to create a highly readable book, but also admits that the Oxford comma continues to keep him awake at night.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.simonwrightbooks.com">www.simonwrightbooks.com</a></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">X <a href="https://twitter.com/ScarfBooks">@ScarfBooks</a></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETgRozMzsvcUNv5Q73E-GLEOHeLWw2DRBLb-EoSXEcfXyh6qTC0FNzyYzQxvrgrKfcRfPqYiCzB0iiPxsT_6RiRNruuDU96ZrXSmmvckP5CoxFeWsuuAFpbTYrrHqz7cyxlWBjsUAQ2Uf1ZdIHpVH6e1y0TOFCYGNcF_hEINbHrTECaWU2bWdiDPGfaNv/s1200/Col%20Full%20Graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiETgRozMzsvcUNv5Q73E-GLEOHeLWw2DRBLb-EoSXEcfXyh6qTC0FNzyYzQxvrgrKfcRfPqYiCzB0iiPxsT_6RiRNruuDU96ZrXSmmvckP5CoxFeWsuuAFpbTYrrHqz7cyxlWBjsUAQ2Uf1ZdIHpVH6e1y0TOFCYGNcF_hEINbHrTECaWU2bWdiDPGfaNv/s16000/Col%20Full%20Graphic.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><br /><i><br /></i></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTnyC2Yp9dYL4T8zLela21p2EOKa-vxsQ1kX2Izuk28jGZvcsBSjFtmXdjXy3UBX_YSqH-pJn3wD04Wqjf4r__vxgAs_7zfcTCax9f4ig27hYxEOckwXNGdHmqLkNbyvwN4iYJEk1Xu8HogoXPab3i3p8wfON53zzFMYv6el88BhqhPOY97GJKmBOm7mx/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTnyC2Yp9dYL4T8zLela21p2EOKa-vxsQ1kX2Izuk28jGZvcsBSjFtmXdjXy3UBX_YSqH-pJn3wD04Wqjf4r__vxgAs_7zfcTCax9f4ig27hYxEOckwXNGdHmqLkNbyvwN4iYJEk1Xu8HogoXPab3i3p8wfON53zzFMYv6el88BhqhPOY97GJKmBOm7mx/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
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</div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-2133680875348985102024-03-05T07:30:00.001+00:002024-03-05T07:30:00.133+00:00In Our Crime by Jude O'Reilly #InOurCrime #ShortStories #Anthology @judithoreilly #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LFdUMnuy5p8o4BBP08r4O4bRpQtOEzt6L41dY5P9SJj5f3b4RugTkJ16qsoMVwkYmxfexYM66Do7cPvyoR7GYRtDuu2gZpSU6ClD6hBeRZSVIjUteNr78WxXZfmuaoDQEFkam1VUppssOQTwP56vGaYig0D7pDdStaQoko2SQTROvYnJeeGyuoJ8-FE9/s1500/81ckZeC0K-L._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LFdUMnuy5p8o4BBP08r4O4bRpQtOEzt6L41dY5P9SJj5f3b4RugTkJ16qsoMVwkYmxfexYM66Do7cPvyoR7GYRtDuu2gZpSU6ClD6hBeRZSVIjUteNr78WxXZfmuaoDQEFkam1VUppssOQTwP56vGaYig0D7pDdStaQoko2SQTROvYnJeeGyuoJ8-FE9/s16000/81ckZeC0K-L._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In Our Crime: An anthology of crime short stories for 2023 from thriller writer Jude O’Reilly</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">An entertaining collection of award-winning crime and mystery short stories from bestselling writer Jude O’Reilly.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Nine engaging short stories from cosy crime to mystery to outright horror.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">MURDER MOST FOUL</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> PACT WITH THE DEVIL</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">and THE 'TRUE CRIME' DISCOVERY OF A YOUNG GIRL’S BONES</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A magic trick that ends in murder and mayhem. A drowned scoundrel found floating in a spa. A serial killer’s widow who just wants to be left alone and a grumpy vigilante with no one to love. Mixed with arson, revenge, and a brave mother's battle against catastrophic grief.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">IN OUR CRIME – it's got something for everyone.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSeSlVIW_vMk6TVNPNxzL1Ws5T9ZxV-PbDlGMebTHPiww3fSpVOEAM3YIu491QsBULLLgo0tXmL37irrpwSfD1ecRk0uiuw7QFxP_Y8-lpX1dio1p19l4ezfz1DVI4XcswPPzUxRQEkhj8a_boRSgMMo5VSjZ-HWOll1ZEkEpnXzv3Z6cWIPlTprue4FJ/s789/hr-darren-northcott-2%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="49" data-original-width="789" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSeSlVIW_vMk6TVNPNxzL1Ws5T9ZxV-PbDlGMebTHPiww3fSpVOEAM3YIu491QsBULLLgo0tXmL37irrpwSfD1ecRk0uiuw7QFxP_Y8-lpX1dio1p19l4ezfz1DVI4XcswPPzUxRQEkhj8a_boRSgMMo5VSjZ-HWOll1ZEkEpnXzv3Z6cWIPlTprue4FJ/s16000/hr-darren-northcott-2%20(1).png" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Our-Crime-Anthology-Short-Stories/dp/1738422100/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SC4E9DX5N47V&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.83AHWpHfFq3VpMBto30VHyuv7iKLpBv2UtyMl8hv6gPGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.VkNnDifvmh3cBi2FkVlsgUruJ9FJHLyaTM4l24zOOIM&dib_tag=se&keywords=in+our+crime+jude+o+reilly&qid=1709546047&s=digital-text&sprefix=in+our+crime+jude+o+reilly%2Cdigital-text%2C70&sr=1-1-catcorr"><b><i>In Our Crime: An Anthology of Crime Short Stories by Jude O'Reilly</i></b></a> was published on 15 November 2023. My thanks to the author who supplied my copy for review. <br /><br />I have enjoyed Jude O'Reilly's writing for many years. Her Michael North thriller series published by Head of Zeus is excellent. I was delighted when Jude gave me a copy of this anthology whilst at Newcastle Noir last year, and look at that cover! It's a stunner. <br /><br />In Our Crime is a collection of ten short stories in the crime genre, and whilst they may all be crime, they are all incredibly different. Set in different eras, with many themes, this is a wonderful collection that I've been dipping in and out of for the past few weeks. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Some of the stories in this collection have won prizes; <i>The Silent Mrs B</i> was joint winner of the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize, 2023. <i>How To Catch A Bullet</i> won the Crime Writer's Association Margery Allingham prize, 2023. Others have been shortlisted for numerous awards. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I cannot pick a favourite story because I enjoyed every single one them. They range from cosy crime, set in 1920s Harrogate, to some darker themes in <i>And So It Begins</i>, and all of them are perfectly produced. I'm sure that writing short stories is very difficult; creating characters that you feel as if you know, with a intricate and gripping plot in so few words is a fine art and O'Reilly has made it her own. Each and every one of these stories are entertaining and extremely satisfying, there's no rushed endings, or vapid characters. I was invested in all of them.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If you are looking for a book filled with intriguing and unexpected stories, look no further. Highly recommended. <br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaY99I8q07Gr-eKAMdMb5njdl33thvFO7VyROS1J3j91BqxCHvOPBhIvlX-hQgo_gmFJctLrBoSZF8ZQyjQ0hr8ahmj6rLr8DUBmaM8CXhTey72LsU9of5ePvji1uxTK6KeMzDw6NdON_hQ_6JrpPJJulcPvr-laCAYz-TdGY0yGqfZLzZBdW2U8ZqpTTt/s789/hr-darren-northcott-2%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="49" data-original-width="789" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaY99I8q07Gr-eKAMdMb5njdl33thvFO7VyROS1J3j91BqxCHvOPBhIvlX-hQgo_gmFJctLrBoSZF8ZQyjQ0hr8ahmj6rLr8DUBmaM8CXhTey72LsU9of5ePvji1uxTK6KeMzDw6NdON_hQ_6JrpPJJulcPvr-laCAYz-TdGY0yGqfZLzZBdW2U8ZqpTTt/s16000/hr-darren-northcott-2%20(1).png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi4uw9qpql9gmpLHOIDp3G7Zt7y3J8RMbOSuP0SONDPPGanCtwvd6GgRLvg6dadvuTMWKiOGHFrnMZkY74Z5KwY2-wD4SAn0_RfaWopKw7AjcvDZ8a4YVutuEFbkoqazBDTODJQ_jnReTMoWs2aWRoey4UwXvhFqIgNHWryxWsnuSS6559bZynTT6zr1O/s450/o8onlr3umdce6c8iib6ct6p3h4._SY450_CR0,0,450,450_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi4uw9qpql9gmpLHOIDp3G7Zt7y3J8RMbOSuP0SONDPPGanCtwvd6GgRLvg6dadvuTMWKiOGHFrnMZkY74Z5KwY2-wD4SAn0_RfaWopKw7AjcvDZ8a4YVutuEFbkoqazBDTODJQ_jnReTMoWs2aWRoey4UwXvhFqIgNHWryxWsnuSS6559bZynTT6zr1O/s320/o8onlr3umdce6c8iib6ct6p3h4._SY450_CR0,0,450,450_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Jude O’Reilly is the author of three action thrillers. Her latest book Sleep When You’re <br />Dead was an FT Best Book of the Year. Lee Child has described her writing as ‘terrific’and David Baldacci as ‘a sheer delight’. Her thrillers, which also include Killing State and Curse the Day, track the adventures of all action hero Michael North, a young, sexy, reckless British government agent who has been dubbed the modern Bond. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Using the pen name Judith O'Reilly (see what she did there), Jude has also written two memoirs, Wife in the North and A Year of Doing Good. Wife in the North reached number three in the UK bestsellers’ chart and was a top ten bestseller in Germany. It was serialised by The Sunday Times and the Daily Telegraph, was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week, and was based on Jude’s eponymous blog which, at the time, was named as one of the top 100 blogs in the world by The Sunday Times.</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Jude is an award winning short story writer whose latest book is an anthology of crime short stories called In Our Crime.</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">She is also a former political producer with BBC 2’s Newsnight and ITN’s Channel 4 News. She’s a former education correspondent with The Sunday Times where she also covered politics, undercover reporting and general news. She lives in Durham with her family and a miniature poodle called Joey.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.judithoreilly.com">www.judithoreilly.com</a></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>X <a href="https://twitter.com/judithoreilly">@judithoreilly</a><br /><br />Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/judith_oreilly/">@judith_oreilly</a></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoCICG7F916qnInJKYj_u6KyGn6vwq38A19W4yyZX-YQcuKWZSu9MgI_wydeprIiEhSpDSvChn0CE7cqMC9CwHfjJe46U7Xcl8lAVFEL2g7zbkBaFuDhh-D6MyL6oNrspL_RTwDFs-9zUzalxhCEn7uqZPbxssXb_8lNh3_ggoqrDznjy83m8_YPMK_GG/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoCICG7F916qnInJKYj_u6KyGn6vwq38A19W4yyZX-YQcuKWZSu9MgI_wydeprIiEhSpDSvChn0CE7cqMC9CwHfjJe46U7Xcl8lAVFEL2g7zbkBaFuDhh-D6MyL6oNrspL_RTwDFs-9zUzalxhCEn7uqZPbxssXb_8lNh3_ggoqrDznjy83m8_YPMK_GG/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-47488097696761637752024-03-04T09:04:00.000+00:002024-03-04T09:04:32.466+00:00The Girl From Donegal by Carmel Harrington #TheGirlFromDonegal @HappyMrsH @HarperCollinsUK @fictionpubteam #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_It9-FPa0kwuGwrp9PfUs4YVgcAdut3tL01EJTmARQ_KcRq9tKlEMui2KhF-Iyv6zOhdhZulWk3C1NN5vQ7mQ1el_6bjmMfxx0nKScqd00Mu22VeskbKNxVKfcoMFh_1lu0-GDsvOtTtBuvtlccOCF9eX3mXiNHb7v1KyF9bkGtzvPO1lbnB7EkPBr_b/s1500/81tOrH+Ad5L._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="993" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_It9-FPa0kwuGwrp9PfUs4YVgcAdut3tL01EJTmARQ_KcRq9tKlEMui2KhF-Iyv6zOhdhZulWk3C1NN5vQ7mQ1el_6bjmMfxx0nKScqd00Mu22VeskbKNxVKfcoMFh_1lu0-GDsvOtTtBuvtlccOCF9eX3mXiNHb7v1KyF9bkGtzvPO1lbnB7EkPBr_b/s16000/81tOrH+Ad5L._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Donegal, Ireland, 1939</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As the world teeters on the brink of WWII, Eliza Lavery is alone in the world after her fiancé, Davey, was lost following the Irish War of Independence. But a fateful meeting on the wild beauty of Ballymastocker Bay could change everything.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Hamilton, Bermuda, 2022</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Eight decades later, troubled by her future, Saoirse O’Donnell walks on the pink sands of Bermuda’s Horseshoe Bay. When she uncovers a connection to Eliza, all those years before, she hears a story that promises to influence her own heart – but that also reveals a long-buried secret.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Two women must each make a choice between their past and their present in this sweeping, epic love story spanning two continents, three generations, and joy and tragedy over nearly a century.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07nm1zId_HaCF5I4ohLDNOVv_3HAaUuQ5kTYkaSx3JhOaQJNdrxmoqfBQJMgrW7P2_bY1TcN2VA60TM0nPnzV4TxY-KLRVKrWjiUmTDQQnR0tWw5RLKwuVH6Js9hyWh5zZwf2y0hZUTkY0l9Fo1fZjpGr2H_Pp9sVyobq099c71sAXx-sJK4T171fXtjO/s600/hr-flowers-isfahan-ashraf%20(13).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg07nm1zId_HaCF5I4ohLDNOVv_3HAaUuQ5kTYkaSx3JhOaQJNdrxmoqfBQJMgrW7P2_bY1TcN2VA60TM0nPnzV4TxY-KLRVKrWjiUmTDQQnR0tWw5RLKwuVH6Js9hyWh5zZwf2y0hZUTkY0l9Fo1fZjpGr2H_Pp9sVyobq099c71sAXx-sJK4T171fXtjO/s16000/hr-flowers-isfahan-ashraf%20(13).png" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-girl-from-donegal-carmel-harrington/7420913?ean=9780008528560"><b><i>The Girl From Donegal by Carmel Harrington</i></b></a> was published by HarperCollins on 29 February 2024. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. <br /><br />As soon as I heard about this latest book from Carmel Harrington, I was intrigued and knew that I had to read it. My late Mum was from Donegal and I spent every summer of my childhood there. It feels like home.<br /><br />I love a dual timeline story and in this novel the author has created a perfect narrative, sweeping over eighty years, it is a story of loss, grief and most importantly of love. From the wildness of County Donegal, to the beautiful pink sands of Bermuda, the reader is transported through the years alongside a cast of characters who are beautifully drawn, with spectacular stories. <br /><br />The prologue and opening of the story belongs to Saoirse; a young woman arriving on Bermuda to visit her Aunts Kate and Esme. Saoirse has packed much into her short life, spending time in Canada before returning to Donegal to open her own stables. Bermuda is her safe place. Her Aunt's house on Horseshoe Bay is the place that she ran to when her short-lived marriage ended, and she is back again. Newly engaged to Irish farmer Finn, but struggling to put her past behind her. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The reader is then introduced to Eliza in 1939, she works for the Rathmullan Gazette in Donegal. Eliza is beautiful and intelligent, but she carries a sadness with her at all times. Her fiancé Davey was killed on a prison boat during the Irish War of Independence and shortly afterwards her parents and younger brothers all died in a house fire. When she meets Matthew on Ballymastocker Bay, she is charmed by his looks and his manners, she is also surprised by herself when she agrees to meet him for dinner. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">And so begins this beautifully interwoven story of two independent but vulnerable women, but the story is not all theirs. One of the most important characters is ninety-year-old Kate, who has spent the last fifty years living on Bermuda with her partner Esme. However, she has kept a lot of her early life very private and as the story progresses, the reader realises just how Kate and Eliza's story connect. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Carmel Harrington has taken real life events and woven them into this fictional story. The horror of the sinking of SS Athenia on the first day of World War Two is sensitively handled and plays such a central part of this sweeping story. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">As both Eliza, and Saoirse battle their emotions, trying to make the right decision about their future, the author creates shocking and unexpected events that leave the reader reeling, and that add such depth and emotion to the story. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a beautiful story set over many years and two continents, it deals with grief and loss so very well, yet there is always hope for the characters, and love .... it's the love that gets them through. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">A stunning story, told with care and compassion. Highly recommended. </span><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHUp81Alqhg-ITNvaC6FEfm2-ZOknVmaPIlAgURIVN7Yn40GEhKmCz_RwZytaMI8IcAJTOdqpxdxx29I2sW46QBPDmLyF46xI9B10Ntvy19mSelkY5IXoXOIk1DBGNZRgFShM8zYGfFU2KRlUTBzssHZmt1kyUW_s55frkYNtMF8GqhjQfm6_pC7-9PSw/s600/hr-flowers-isfahan-ashraf%20(13).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHUp81Alqhg-ITNvaC6FEfm2-ZOknVmaPIlAgURIVN7Yn40GEhKmCz_RwZytaMI8IcAJTOdqpxdxx29I2sW46QBPDmLyF46xI9B10Ntvy19mSelkY5IXoXOIk1DBGNZRgFShM8zYGfFU2KRlUTBzssHZmt1kyUW_s55frkYNtMF8GqhjQfm6_pC7-9PSw/s16000/hr-flowers-isfahan-ashraf%20(13).png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLrJrBoJsGgMD_4BRIa9wtALi-G1VwUchWzpQUo9HhuDIvTTlkHwfskEip88_p5Z7z8_4W0pD_FkPBEWJYdkqFIugEYj75kV93w_91LB8IwwrwkIUhq5GdDcgp2RPCImsDiHlaHSdJkGIPCXQgfhMoMfKkBECcVsh0SLHUcM8zZCqv1IkLsmmgIFUoQfC/s450/5k264mki3c10jq7pbe59vb7mnr._SY450_CR112,0,450,450_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLrJrBoJsGgMD_4BRIa9wtALi-G1VwUchWzpQUo9HhuDIvTTlkHwfskEip88_p5Z7z8_4W0pD_FkPBEWJYdkqFIugEYj75kV93w_91LB8IwwrwkIUhq5GdDcgp2RPCImsDiHlaHSdJkGIPCXQgfhMoMfKkBECcVsh0SLHUcM8zZCqv1IkLsmmgIFUoQfC/s320/5k264mki3c10jq7pbe59vb7mnr._SY450_CR112,0,450,450_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Carmel Harrington is from Co. Wexford, where she lives with her husband, her children <br />and their rescue dog, George Bailey. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">A bestseller and regular panellist on radio and TV, her warm and emotional storytelling has captured the hearts of readers worldwide.</span></i></b></div><div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Carmel’s novels have been shortlisted for Irish Book Awards, and her debut, Beyond Grace’s Rainbow, won Kindle Book of the Year. </span></i></b></div></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">X <a href="https://twitter.com/HappyMrsH">@HappyMrsH</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/happymrsh/">@happymrsh</a></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdiGrLi2LhQaQ_waG6SJCI6PM70C-G-fSP9waftE3ZU6v2df6yC0Um3J99b8y6iKb5EzDevHI1rZIgwZA22Y2Y4Jp0Kg6BB-hNAB1wEE7svrUeXHpke_R5BHAgzMbCgnogzpjcKb3HpZ_W0D0KVLR1Komf0O4KcCF2jgpxckZeeAr2Th01UJYFvVsXb1X/s970/e762a33c-9ab9-4e65-a34b-dab70e5cc2ee.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggdiGrLi2LhQaQ_waG6SJCI6PM70C-G-fSP9waftE3ZU6v2df6yC0Um3J99b8y6iKb5EzDevHI1rZIgwZA22Y2Y4Jp0Kg6BB-hNAB1wEE7svrUeXHpke_R5BHAgzMbCgnogzpjcKb3HpZ_W0D0KVLR1Komf0O4KcCF2jgpxckZeeAr2Th01UJYFvVsXb1X/s16000/e762a33c-9ab9-4e65-a34b-dab70e5cc2ee.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK487Gnf8NTYLyAY-ScamkfvYFD-xnC_wSeioYLFdacih73P9zs40YrlK8s_VnMe86WySm4qvEgm_ZHF_UbWuoWirW9Cecr8jgmr9-ZqI3Li3_Xq0B2xUUbEhv1dPNI1LgzRw74sSjHIRluUdnh3hC6i4moJltclwtkmdovArKpxFOskoweTPRlWIn1NNO/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK487Gnf8NTYLyAY-ScamkfvYFD-xnC_wSeioYLFdacih73P9zs40YrlK8s_VnMe86WySm4qvEgm_ZHF_UbWuoWirW9Cecr8jgmr9-ZqI3Li3_Xq0B2xUUbEhv1dPNI1LgzRw74sSjHIRluUdnh3hC6i4moJltclwtkmdovArKpxFOskoweTPRlWIn1NNO/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-26170124163391895772024-03-01T07:30:00.002+00:002024-03-01T08:35:34.743+00:00The Secret Beach by Veronica Henry BLOG TOUR #TheSecretBeach @veronica_henry @orionbooks @RandomTTours #BookReview<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_lv2_tHrBHZyk2wY8pD_IbyQGcTdnD0DOLTfjZoEuJD0FjJufly_DRo_NnUvKIhRU1Fx7PbW_4f8sKdvFcOdc7BlU_rQrwhMO3JxwIgKjfn_2HekwF-pe-Vb8U6uy2GgRbxpq_ftJ_sr1CEPxafOR4d8N-WwZv2uU1PrEDIRlb6kNIcGdZmjPQDvhnuq/s1000/61pdbiHdCwL._SL1000_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_lv2_tHrBHZyk2wY8pD_IbyQGcTdnD0DOLTfjZoEuJD0FjJufly_DRo_NnUvKIhRU1Fx7PbW_4f8sKdvFcOdc7BlU_rQrwhMO3JxwIgKjfn_2HekwF-pe-Vb8U6uy2GgRbxpq_ftJ_sr1CEPxafOR4d8N-WwZv2uU1PrEDIRlb6kNIcGdZmjPQDvhnuq/s16000/61pdbiHdCwL._SL1000_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><i><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">Twenty years.</span></i></b></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">One secret.</span></i></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><b><i><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;">A promise never to tell...</span></i></b></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"><div style="color: #0f1111; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;">Nikki finally owns the little coastguard cottage of her dreams - and it's a few steps away from the hidden beach that means so much to her.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;">But when a handwritten note lands on her doorstep, she realises it's only a matter of time before the heartbreaking truth of her past is uncovered.</span></i></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;">Twenty years ago, her whole world was turned upside-down when a terrible storm rolled into the small seaside town of Speedwell.</span></i></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;">Ever since that night, Nikki has been keeping a secret. One she knows has the potential to destroy the lives of those she loves most.</span></i></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #0f1111; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;">Because as sure as the tide turns, there are no secrets in a small town...</span></i></div></span></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; text-align: start;"><br /></span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9ESoELMZGavnnJfZqQSmW9DYkzLTdkCtj_ZIv7BVTaFKVqTbBLzNiJdJ3qVvUlmW143y3p1lC8D0u9oSRpnV9mEmWQvfM0KULAu7idUslGvvfon5auFzeLLVjDX5alyY5gt5_y1pEALyNnENQGCq9I-mi7hl-Ux_aJybdseagkgO4kmrIMwLsVSvznTt/s573/hr1-steve-lam%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="54" data-original-width="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9ESoELMZGavnnJfZqQSmW9DYkzLTdkCtj_ZIv7BVTaFKVqTbBLzNiJdJ3qVvUlmW143y3p1lC8D0u9oSRpnV9mEmWQvfM0KULAu7idUslGvvfon5auFzeLLVjDX5alyY5gt5_y1pEALyNnENQGCq9I-mi7hl-Ux_aJybdseagkgO4kmrIMwLsVSvznTt/s16000/hr1-steve-lam%20(2).jpg" /></a></div><p style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/untitled-veronica-henry-2-veronica-henry/5038804?ean=9781398703179"><b><i>The Secret Beach by Veronica Henry</i></b></a> was published on 29 February 2024 by Orion. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQCrebmKd14eZ57KLo3sFwkz-jRTS3KMsafyeNuoIB_maAmmw3NzpJR6R04B_LBXurExK7lSnp1QmlsnPgOGjEfa6_c3AIz7NfJxLd53FGajTikFPAYkaIGpDbVesyPrkmSoX0SGqMN3QLg152U2EaL2awoxVW4DdvP70Ad-LGkHpoY3lkSPp9kNL5laF/s1920/SecretBeach%20BT%20Poster.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQCrebmKd14eZ57KLo3sFwkz-jRTS3KMsafyeNuoIB_maAmmw3NzpJR6R04B_LBXurExK7lSnp1QmlsnPgOGjEfa6_c3AIz7NfJxLd53FGajTikFPAYkaIGpDbVesyPrkmSoX0SGqMN3QLg152U2EaL2awoxVW4DdvP70Ad-LGkHpoY3lkSPp9kNL5laF/s16000/SecretBeach%20BT%20Poster.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />The Secret Beach is Veronica Henry's twenty-third book (including a collection of short stories and a Quick Reads book), and I am almost certain that I've read them all (I must check, to see if there is one that I've missed!).<br /><br />This author never ever lets me down, her stories are jam packed with glorious characters, lots of food and exquisitely described locations. This one is set in Cornwall; a place that I've not visited yet, but I can assure you that my search history now contains lots of Cornish links! <br /><br />The North family have lived in the small coastal Cornish town of Speedwell for generations. Helen is the head of the family, an older woman who bakes wedding cakes for a living. Helen is stylish and wise, she's heavily involved in the community, especially with the local lifeboat service. Graham, her son runs the family building maintenance firm, his wife is an interior decorator. Jess is the eldest daughter, a nurse who likes a wild time and often causes chaos within the family, and there's Nikki - the main protagonist of the story. Nikki runs a wedding planning service and has just moved into her dream cottage on the cliffs, looking out over her 'secret' beach, she has one son Bill, with her ex Woody. Bill is currently living in Bali<br /><br />It's twenty years since Helen's husband William, and Jess's husband Rik were drowned whilst manning the Speedwell lifeboat and a memorial event is planned. <br /><br />Whilst Nikki is successful and popular, she is anxious and worried. She's been receiving anonymous postcards ... someone knows her secret and she is terrified that her world will crumble if her family, and the community find out what she did all those years ago. <br /><br />This is a beautiful story that transports the reader right to the heart of this bustling town where everyone knows everybody. Henry's characterisation is perfect, from exuberant and slightly wild Jess, to her serious, artistic daughter Juno, every one of them are rounded and so realistic. <br /><br />As with all of this author's books, there's a love story at it's heart, more than one in this case and cleverly told in the present day, with flashbacks to twenty years ago. The reader is unsure of Nikki's secret at first, but as we hear her voice from years ago it soon becomes clear. Its intriguing and compelling and very moving. <br /><br />This is a gorgeous story, based around two summers and featuring a cast of characters to fall in love with. Utterly escapist and totally uplifting. I loved The Secret Beach. Highly recommended.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNBfEQs1q7rzcSmL6Y5ljMjszpycPX6Lj6oJtJ-mpA7vg5K1gMEvCyujvW5FmiADOScNQyaIpGDtEv7S7YM2vswH8xRfwlDdeEKVxqh-s7WCAeY2rl-MEEL7_xEeM-_6TFiulZbtKEqdgwJkv0n1qJOPEq2T9bKO85nvuL8P5nEZYFnnWYnz7Z8mTVRQU/s573/hr1-steve-lam%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="54" data-original-width="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNBfEQs1q7rzcSmL6Y5ljMjszpycPX6Lj6oJtJ-mpA7vg5K1gMEvCyujvW5FmiADOScNQyaIpGDtEv7S7YM2vswH8xRfwlDdeEKVxqh-s7WCAeY2rl-MEEL7_xEeM-_6TFiulZbtKEqdgwJkv0n1qJOPEq2T9bKO85nvuL8P5nEZYFnnWYnz7Z8mTVRQU/s16000/hr1-steve-lam%20(2).jpg" /></a></div><br /><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTj7M5fQ8OhaBwLDRja61KutLrMavwJDy3Oah4mH575rJz46jK8aRGumd6IzPaQbiPby-wL5-yHJVeMoxFc51QKfFj3oGQhawkhbF5kdorM8GAHF8QM0b1VV24GLYvgZJwpgQMAsZnVzzsFX25lrt_3nyFr12VGoAB5zsf12hEO0mLPU5ZgVf4MoBtx4L/s2048/Veronica.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTj7M5fQ8OhaBwLDRja61KutLrMavwJDy3Oah4mH575rJz46jK8aRGumd6IzPaQbiPby-wL5-yHJVeMoxFc51QKfFj3oGQhawkhbF5kdorM8GAHF8QM0b1VV24GLYvgZJwpgQMAsZnVzzsFX25lrt_3nyFr12VGoAB5zsf12hEO0mLPU5ZgVf4MoBtx4L/w266-h400/Veronica.jpeg" width="266" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Veronica Henry has always been involved in storytelling, from her first job typing scripts <br />for The Archers to being writer-in-residence on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express. </i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>She was a scriptwriter for many years, working on some of our best-loved dramas including Heartbeat and Holby City. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>She has written over twenty novels, all published by Orion. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>She lives on the North Devon coast where she loves walking on the beach, swimming in the sea or watching the sun set with a killer negroni. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><span class="a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; text-align: start;"></span></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Find out more at <a href="http://www.veronicahenry.co.uk">www.veronicahenry.co.uk</a> or follow her on social media <a href="https://twitter.com/veronica_henry">@veronica_henry</a>. </i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDlpHeDrq7432Me_dObQOZdrKQJlUXuLhUqKy2AVFQO7GPBpzJbZAhMn-amCgaLHOLRkP7UPJt_O6K5rgVz8SVgBvvrIERoAK2iNvUBC3faw0gXFFp0Fzsv9LFKc09tAs1HxEUrnO0Wr7beTWfpN_iMZLy3xo_fcffVJu3qqR3byRauTdxsDEHG2SjcPK/s1500/Secret%20Beach%20Graphic1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvDlpHeDrq7432Me_dObQOZdrKQJlUXuLhUqKy2AVFQO7GPBpzJbZAhMn-amCgaLHOLRkP7UPJt_O6K5rgVz8SVgBvvrIERoAK2iNvUBC3faw0gXFFp0Fzsv9LFKc09tAs1HxEUrnO0Wr7beTWfpN_iMZLy3xo_fcffVJu3qqR3byRauTdxsDEHG2SjcPK/s16000/Secret%20Beach%20Graphic1.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYn1y1SNnYXdmx8A4k6ZTm-5jZWh3PP-rK8J-cj1k7q9oxhB6YLoLI5TcMjxwKvSzS7KbdYfhdCot9egv4WOPHokx65WwehW8XmESmG3k68v4ho7n3RGqdXDfmW4PNWCJ8nW02HgCzeq4bR_2ejYGZ0AlWRxti_mdKFGpQtnYqeTT2jJO9Qwqcizulwtd/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYn1y1SNnYXdmx8A4k6ZTm-5jZWh3PP-rK8J-cj1k7q9oxhB6YLoLI5TcMjxwKvSzS7KbdYfhdCot9egv4WOPHokx65WwehW8XmESmG3k68v4ho7n3RGqdXDfmW4PNWCJ8nW02HgCzeq4bR_2ejYGZ0AlWRxti_mdKFGpQtnYqeTT2jJO9Qwqcizulwtd/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1)%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div><br /></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-68173410204811262192024-02-28T06:30:00.001+00:002024-02-28T06:30:00.256+00:00Freeborn Girls by Sally Keeble BLOG TOUR #FreebornGirls @Sally_Keeble @RandomTTours #BookExtract<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBzvQLk0p7AdMHrmK5p7HmJ0i4BNxab1up1935NATpoIj6_z1y5w80mc3uvmkigHYdnxCxBULlhpL0ZkA8EJPmP0Xh2LTyovEuKD7onaG21PQWLhXagrNxpcUKES_IvLxmGE6z15Yoc3zCia9-y_m9ksapQr_Tk6jl4uMDvpHhMmtTdTNG9UqFcwH-yfg/s2400/Freeborn%20Girls%20Final%20Cover%20.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBzvQLk0p7AdMHrmK5p7HmJ0i4BNxab1up1935NATpoIj6_z1y5w80mc3uvmkigHYdnxCxBULlhpL0ZkA8EJPmP0Xh2LTyovEuKD7onaG21PQWLhXagrNxpcUKES_IvLxmGE6z15Yoc3zCia9-y_m9ksapQr_Tk6jl4uMDvpHhMmtTdTNG9UqFcwH-yfg/s16000/Freeborn%20Girls%20Final%20Cover%20.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"Did life ever deal you a real wild card?"</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So steely Frances Quilter asks her new lover. It's London, summer 2019, and Frances, a Member of Parliament, is distracted from affairs of state by affairs of the heart. She misjudges public opinion over the future of a local housing estate—with disastrous results.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Once the estate was farmland, home to feisty Elizabeth Gardiner, sold as an indentured labourer in the English Civil War, and put on a sailing ship for America.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Two women, separated by 400 years of history, linked by a twist of fate.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Can Frances salvage her career—or her love life? Does Elizabeth survive? And who's the enigmatic American who turns up to work for Frances at the start of that fateful summer.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This pacy dual timeline novel by former MP Sally Keeble lifts the lid on Westminster intrigue and weaves an enthralling story of women finding freedom.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDUeo94atmbz9HhkJiBP-Lt6r03f7R6D6gzPSXPizWix9WJE2U_mRTAvPPcfZeCI2Ukd_8dsK0TsSA2ZrrUyeMmLQr7IKiSO7Utn-_6nNguiXMkSVPWs2K6FoYbzL5T1cq5AMKGOydNqM0DqYePrZk0zKi59-Qj7WqYKluWmvjlKG1d9GlD4vlFZhBxU5/s550/hr-andrea-baroni-countrybird%20(1).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="65" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtDUeo94atmbz9HhkJiBP-Lt6r03f7R6D6gzPSXPizWix9WJE2U_mRTAvPPcfZeCI2Ukd_8dsK0TsSA2ZrrUyeMmLQr7IKiSO7Utn-_6nNguiXMkSVPWs2K6FoYbzL5T1cq5AMKGOydNqM0DqYePrZk0zKi59-Qj7WqYKluWmvjlKG1d9GlD4vlFZhBxU5/s16000/hr-andrea-baroni-countrybird%20(1).gif" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Freeborn-Girls-women-ferocious-times-ebook/dp/B0CVF7Q4VH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3JD0Y7LIVMAYR&keywords=sally+keeble&qid=1708094224&s=digital-text&sprefix=sally+keeble%2Cdigital-text%2C95&sr=1-1"><b><i>Freeborn Girls by Sally Keeble</i></b></a> was published on 9 February 2024 by Eleanor Press. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today.</span><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjZNJRv61qFtZBSsHphljKNXMmbM_cdalxA38DXR3B46ilS9m65-B6WgvXyZd0W5JbvCV63_tSMbEdJf1UpmvO0vFyy2Qvl0zLWfZCWK7vxXqTlDsdhgb70ZELbO2lRWZRnUpG9kd9ilPkiIZk0l2SgJkDY0tZbQQqLnqQsifE82evY49FPePUp8jM-T4/s1080/Freeborn%20Girls%20BT%20Poster%20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjZNJRv61qFtZBSsHphljKNXMmbM_cdalxA38DXR3B46ilS9m65-B6WgvXyZd0W5JbvCV63_tSMbEdJf1UpmvO0vFyy2Qvl0zLWfZCWK7vxXqTlDsdhgb70ZELbO2lRWZRnUpG9kd9ilPkiIZk0l2SgJkDY0tZbQQqLnqQsifE82evY49FPePUp8jM-T4/s16000/Freeborn%20Girls%20BT%20Poster%20.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Extract from Freeborn Girls by Sally Keeble</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">London: 5 June 2019</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It was the summer of my undoing</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The summer Stephanie came.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Not that it was her fault, of course. Nothing that happened that summer was down to her.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But the image of her in the doorway of my parliamentary office that June morning was the last fixed point before life unravelled; neat grey suit, string of pearls, sensible shoes “Hi, I’m Stephanie Gardiner, your American intern.”</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">She’d managed to get past security and arrived unannounced at my office three floors up in Portcullis House in Parliament, epicentre of the political universe. I shrugged off a moment’s discomfort and held out my hand, already hot from the aggravations of the day. ‘Frances Quilter. You’re very welcome.”</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Her hand was cool. </span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I hadn’t wanted an intern, least of all an American. But her Rust Belt university had phoned so often asking for a placement, and given her such glowing references that in the end I said, “OK, three months this summer.” Then shoved her to the back of my mind, behind the daily grind of committee meetings and casework lightened by flashes of shame or glory that e up the life of a backbench MP.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">One of those highlights was about to happen. It was a Wednesday morning, and I was number eight on the list of MPs drawn in the ballot to ask the Prime Minister a question. </span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I planned to raise the plight of the Cooper Estate, a patch of ‘60s council housing in my constituency down the Old Kent Road. It was due to be demolished as part of a multi-million-pound regeneration scheme, with the loss of 800 housing units. No, not units, homes where people had lived, fucked, raised families, fought, died, survived, despaired, laughed, dreamed and clung on. And from which they were about to be kicked out into…. That was the problem. There was nowhere for them to go. </span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI9LH0l_atBO9uD3SHOtW7bTQ62PMwD9cny2jTiGCRQpjiGPRPKDeYZttPWqpN6BGxTn48nIhJlMEtkJi3x4z3hyPl9SF4hViwAqH_TcnYz60fKwsQuty5T3BVWpEPbHoFm_5VxqzeofhyphenhyphenFSEjLQre4Qaf_wpyXuemO-4yDpFXJ6PpQW7V_ZD2YF_OBQh/s550/hr-andrea-baroni-countrybird%20(1).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="65" data-original-width="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI9LH0l_atBO9uD3SHOtW7bTQ62PMwD9cny2jTiGCRQpjiGPRPKDeYZttPWqpN6BGxTn48nIhJlMEtkJi3x4z3hyPl9SF4hViwAqH_TcnYz60fKwsQuty5T3BVWpEPbHoFm_5VxqzeofhyphenhyphenFSEjLQre4Qaf_wpyXuemO-4yDpFXJ6PpQW7V_ZD2YF_OBQh/s16000/hr-andrea-baroni-countrybird%20(1).gif" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJSzBlaNGqDjfpbub4kuA3NoeUGJvGGJ26as3XsMFuHH__MpL4rTo8rGcvIRSTBHosOdVjHh1eiOLKPjVU7Wb279CC0mGWXVk9QHacwdEFw3wWuu8WpdidJ0I_d7iVxzYEYjZFloOla7C5BWDsnoLlwc5zEL4l34-IfIKr7SvRPNLLCGqotmVHWiBZouE/s1280/SKeeblepic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJSzBlaNGqDjfpbub4kuA3NoeUGJvGGJ26as3XsMFuHH__MpL4rTo8rGcvIRSTBHosOdVjHh1eiOLKPjVU7Wb279CC0mGWXVk9QHacwdEFw3wWuu8WpdidJ0I_d7iVxzYEYjZFloOla7C5BWDsnoLlwc5zEL4l34-IfIKr7SvRPNLLCGqotmVHWiBZouE/s320/SKeeblepic.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Sally's debut novel, She, You, I, has been hailed as "a book of our time," and "a gem of a <br />novel." </span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">It's an emotional roller-coaster of a story of lost love, buried hurt and strong women over three generations. </span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Sally writes about the things she’s passionate about—the triumphs and tragedies of people’s lives. It’s what originally took her into journalism and then politics, in the UK and beyond. </span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">She spent her early years in the USA, Switzerland and Australia, returning to the UK after working as a journalist in South Africa. After serving as an MP in the UK, she worked in international development and travelled widely, especially in Asia and Africa.</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Now she splits her time between Northampton and Bawdsey, a village in coastal Suffolk.</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">You can find out more about Sally on her website at <a href="http://www.sallykeeblebooks.com">www.sallykeeblebooks.com</a> or follow her on Facebook: at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sallykeebleauthor">Sally Keeble Author</a> or on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sallykeeblebooks/">@sallykeeblebooks</a> or <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sallykbooks">Tik Tok @sallykbooks</a></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSy5OMWZntpQRpDF-yoKBJh52MPxZiEav4x82hpSPyT9RUsKo13xqhkRB1dG44YI6O86joMnthpR5c6MNE6EhGM0hstxSDDP9l0ROJmPlHPWtEjG4Tzph0h6nfcxt32yV2CP9IGPTD0Rne7bB54qdJh3FqP7KXoa7QPd6EWyUE8bLnK8jU_pV89JbAC0l/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSy5OMWZntpQRpDF-yoKBJh52MPxZiEav4x82hpSPyT9RUsKo13xqhkRB1dG44YI6O86joMnthpR5c6MNE6EhGM0hstxSDDP9l0ROJmPlHPWtEjG4Tzph0h6nfcxt32yV2CP9IGPTD0Rne7bB54qdJh3FqP7KXoa7QPd6EWyUE8bLnK8jU_pV89JbAC0l/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div></i></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-87957894913143839122024-02-27T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-27T07:30:00.343+00:00Her Scandalous Suitor by Rachel Brimble BLOG TOUR #HerScandalousSuitor @RachelBrimble @rararesources #BookSpotlight<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5TM8GYLmdhakzFZeRt3fRUH0rZELlcwyuS8sPwRdG5ve1QC9euxT9kTD_HcPP3VTXpsv3VlJ32Rjt59qzZ85Y-Sj1RNtFNxJV21TdQJqOpUPuMhUQvaAzbyhpT38PnDf9wmz84w0HJM53TaJc-LYErcMH5m4yjStW2o2xL8XmhYQeWydb5LWf6QX74qP/s2244/HSS%20-%20Cover%20(best).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2244" data-original-width="1400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5TM8GYLmdhakzFZeRt3fRUH0rZELlcwyuS8sPwRdG5ve1QC9euxT9kTD_HcPP3VTXpsv3VlJ32Rjt59qzZ85Y-Sj1RNtFNxJV21TdQJqOpUPuMhUQvaAzbyhpT38PnDf9wmz84w0HJM53TaJc-LYErcMH5m4yjStW2o2xL8XmhYQeWydb5LWf6QX74qP/s16000/HSS%20-%20Cover%20(best).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A chance meeting...or so she thought. Is confidence trickster Will Samson the hero he claims to be or someone else entirely...</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Emily Darson assumed her future of propriety and privilege amid a loveless marriage was set in stone. At least, she did until confidence trickster Will Samson came into her life...</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Then everything changed.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">With each revelation about her fiancé and herself that Will uncovers, he also reveals a little more of who is he, what he has suffered, and the volatile vengeance that burns in his heart.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Can Emily really risk security for scandal? Loyalty for love? Only time will tell…</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGKutqCULmTx8S4G3IIBb0l64FeINwv_TGSjENfBLibKUNEYnOeeVNalzMeu7bULiNnWQC2efgNWMpmzLGGHmP1W03D5I0oRKPEIJnNaNj_A-47uLqCvU-eGbPyeTAzaDFH2upB6uOj28gz06I-HsdDkhmXtBKnm700QHBT5jbxPJL51-GpmTd8bUIrQV/s410/hr-kyle-theisen-04%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="42" data-original-width="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGKutqCULmTx8S4G3IIBb0l64FeINwv_TGSjENfBLibKUNEYnOeeVNalzMeu7bULiNnWQC2efgNWMpmzLGGHmP1W03D5I0oRKPEIJnNaNj_A-47uLqCvU-eGbPyeTAzaDFH2upB6uOj28gz06I-HsdDkhmXtBKnm700QHBT5jbxPJL51-GpmTd8bUIrQV/s16000/hr-kyle-theisen-04%20(2).jpg" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Scandalous-Suitor-Rachel-Brimble-ebook/dp/B0CQ8VB3BH/"><b><i>Her Scandalous Suitor by Rachel Brimble</i></b></a> is published on 28 February 2024 by The Wild Rose Press. As part of this Rachel's Random Resources Blog Tour I am delighted to shine a spotlight on this book today. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXGiD6z7Chjfigjr75nfu5WcJIHaGNnARiTGDzTIpfdw6fYUAb99Vo1PAx2BrDjM_iOk6SnVd35x_2VwTb8_QPeB57hvpnXR32BXIuYU_diyr5z9M59vxpdyHzgNM6nOUAzfUTrpuAYltM-HBVh3vHvPziBdom0Tp4klRjpmPcGLDz6lL4yZJ-barGsKx/s2652/Her%20Scandalous%20Suitor%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2652" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXGiD6z7Chjfigjr75nfu5WcJIHaGNnARiTGDzTIpfdw6fYUAb99Vo1PAx2BrDjM_iOk6SnVd35x_2VwTb8_QPeB57hvpnXR32BXIuYU_diyr5z9M59vxpdyHzgNM6nOUAzfUTrpuAYltM-HBVh3vHvPziBdom0Tp4klRjpmPcGLDz6lL4yZJ-barGsKx/s16000/Her%20Scandalous%20Suitor%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3sbhaCch66Ss-ouUnOwl73-sNBsjN1DbtCxcyYfKvn4574V5mKS3ySMAFMKrUt6O4crTVZXWa3Ux2WyQUzMQ4hgvXdsUgEd8PYu9a6sdJ8fCXqsuT60JaO-olc9pZhzpFf-TbCTHOYTxLu8bSmcdx7Vt7fLxYePqyaBVaDDc89EzFW5vzuAPUPuGrrh9/s410/hr-kyle-theisen-04%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="42" data-original-width="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3sbhaCch66Ss-ouUnOwl73-sNBsjN1DbtCxcyYfKvn4574V5mKS3ySMAFMKrUt6O4crTVZXWa3Ux2WyQUzMQ4hgvXdsUgEd8PYu9a6sdJ8fCXqsuT60JaO-olc9pZhzpFf-TbCTHOYTxLu8bSmcdx7Vt7fLxYePqyaBVaDDc89EzFW5vzuAPUPuGrrh9/s16000/hr-kyle-theisen-04%20(2).jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiX1mMFlSwqYCkTIjMAgNCmGZfuJuEqLDMZBVaQ6hbYFFUv39Un2PXFWvQlb5L1EBveeV12hb-v1JkwizytF_q3CQ-3irnuA8IZCtGFnVcO8SwrrfwJlvOs23A94f-CXC3uHJ-AZQzBeaFtB8vx98Vy3iCeDi4oFL7GKpWsYd5NH-qjwq9kmOOPKK9eDf/s1020/Author%20pic%20-%20May%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="722" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiX1mMFlSwqYCkTIjMAgNCmGZfuJuEqLDMZBVaQ6hbYFFUv39Un2PXFWvQlb5L1EBveeV12hb-v1JkwizytF_q3CQ-3irnuA8IZCtGFnVcO8SwrrfwJlvOs23A94f-CXC3uHJ-AZQzBeaFtB8vx98Vy3iCeDi4oFL7GKpWsYd5NH-qjwq9kmOOPKK9eDf/w284-h400/Author%20pic%20-%20May%202023.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She is the author of 29 novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and several single titles with The Wild Rose Press. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She is super excited to be the first historical fiction author writing for Harpeth Road Press and her first novel with them will be released May 2024.</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Female Entrepreneur Association and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt">https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Website: <a href="https://bit.ly/3wH7HQs">https://bit.ly/3wH7HQs</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Twitter: <a href="https://bit.ly/3AQvK0A">https://bit.ly/3AQvK0A</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Facebook: <a href="https://bit.ly/3i49GZ3">https://bit.ly/3i49GZ3</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Instagram: <a href="https://bit.ly/3lTQZbF">https://bit.ly/3lTQZbF</a></span></i></b></div></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenjczl3p-ePV97GV2ti6aAZCAGTVCQOCX0IHMxKdJFjmre-u4blUPqX9R_lyZ5PCFsXpflslfUE-KFRf7Bazj3j43g1Ccq_Om1FS0pH3VAImTXQvT6DclrbsN9eBeTzATojKcSMPHc02_RIwhWFvqwJYVl6DypUGgxNn7acTlzY4HkdV061T9v1qZSaJA/s700/Her%20Scandalous%20Suitor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenjczl3p-ePV97GV2ti6aAZCAGTVCQOCX0IHMxKdJFjmre-u4blUPqX9R_lyZ5PCFsXpflslfUE-KFRf7Bazj3j43g1Ccq_Om1FS0pH3VAImTXQvT6DclrbsN9eBeTzATojKcSMPHc02_RIwhWFvqwJYVl6DypUGgxNn7acTlzY4HkdV061T9v1qZSaJA/s16000/Her%20Scandalous%20Suitor.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqBn-_V0S51pqHP_wAYaXfguzCrzgdqkGfzj6cZaDaRfmSPZOSEQqVGlTa90Cb98BxnFFABuBSMOi-Wtuu-BFoEx7423uYrF5FFQJkbIVmxD8w_nfvhodEn4Z_en5Yx4O8x2zYecSk0tblI5N-RU0r2WmiXw9vwLifJm57WWnKCAec6XkbHjWIzeFpviS/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqBn-_V0S51pqHP_wAYaXfguzCrzgdqkGfzj6cZaDaRfmSPZOSEQqVGlTa90Cb98BxnFFABuBSMOi-Wtuu-BFoEx7423uYrF5FFQJkbIVmxD8w_nfvhodEn4Z_en5Yx4O8x2zYecSk0tblI5N-RU0r2WmiXw9vwLifJm57WWnKCAec6XkbHjWIzeFpviS/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-87316903030904638532024-02-26T07:30:00.000+00:002024-02-26T07:30:00.156+00:00The Descent by Paul E Hardisty BLOG TOUR #TheDescent @Hardisty_Paul @OrendaBooks #ClimateEmergency #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ISi48JMIQDUMYDtD4pef_uXoO87VJWrhWNR_8Qh1eSSBR-kY_djqkuGLiE73G1E-3jsZZaPKMKgxAthncb4SGz6qrFVHTsssnIcm2Zj5prQU51jEwIq11y5MTj2OuiM8J0MVRLwgd8gLcGI7LLWel7hvxCyvpxUWxzHZMUt_HKNzO-ELXA3j2exUHfVL/s2339/THE%20DESCENT%20FINAL%20COVER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ISi48JMIQDUMYDtD4pef_uXoO87VJWrhWNR_8Qh1eSSBR-kY_djqkuGLiE73G1E-3jsZZaPKMKgxAthncb4SGz6qrFVHTsssnIcm2Zj5prQU51jEwIq11y5MTj2OuiM8J0MVRLwgd8gLcGI7LLWel7hvxCyvpxUWxzHZMUt_HKNzO-ELXA3j2exUHfVL/s16000/THE%20DESCENT%20FINAL%20COVER.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A young man and his young family set out on a perilous voyage across a devastated planet to uncover the origin of the events that set the world on its course to disaster … The prescient, deeply shocking prequel to the bestselling, critically acclaimed Climate Emergency thriller, The Forcing.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> Kweku Ashworth is a child of the cataclysm, born on a sailboat to parents fleeing the devastation in search for a refuge in the Southern Ocean. Growing up in a world forever changed, his only connection to the events that set the planet on its course to disaster were the stories his step-father, long-dead, recorded in his manuscript, The Forcing. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> But there are huge gaps in the story that his mother, still alive but old and frail, steadfastly refuses to speak of, even thirty years later. When he discovers evidence that his mother has tried to cover up the truth, and then stumbles across an account by someone close to the men who forced the globe into a climate catastrophe, he knows that it is time to find out for himself.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> Determined to learn what really happened during his mother's escape from the concentration camp to which she and Kweku's father were banished, and their subsequent journey halfway around the world, Kweku and his young family set out on a perilous voyage across a devastated planet. What they find will challenge not only their faith in humanity, but their ability to stay alive.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> The Descent is the devastating, nerve-shattering prequel to the critically acclaimed thriller The Forcing, a story of survival, hope, and the power of the human spirit in a world torn apart by climate change.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVXdc_pHB3ETIjvBCdbAYQQXz_85ZLLXzVULfvaeVWx-SuFBKfzpuuRLJQ9v458A3QwR6-fI0OTjmsaRZ4r05cn3HbhckDBZz92otE30buenREYO07nuTDn82e8aNho5tIWqdLFgRqvsSPDA8Df_xZIhB9A2hR4wEfD3q3Kv65rIx0SNzQmPhzU9ypemc/s758/hr-tamer-yilmaz.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="35" data-original-width="758" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVXdc_pHB3ETIjvBCdbAYQQXz_85ZLLXzVULfvaeVWx-SuFBKfzpuuRLJQ9v458A3QwR6-fI0OTjmsaRZ4r05cn3HbhckDBZz92otE30buenREYO07nuTDn82e8aNho5tIWqdLFgRqvsSPDA8Df_xZIhB9A2hR4wEfD3q3Kv65rIx0SNzQmPhzU9ypemc/s16000/hr-tamer-yilmaz.png" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-descent-paul-e-hardisty/7595373?ean=9781916788039"><b><i>The Descent by Paul E Hardisty</i></b></a> is published on 29 February 2024 by Orenda Books. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. </span><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYnOUHIz3LLKSjOO1DHCfKOv55HDikNkFEN5sZGw1W9Dqy4dqQWMUxWu_AR0bJTJpyO0zcgkUTZomaf-qnT49yTOq3xOYOGfYmVWegdI6-PiEpRDkpd1AZUA_bFXv0Q1O33lY6WN8lzQy2z6kdWyEGuiiWQD53tkDoP119iGawT2AOugEbqXidfR9VGTt/s2245/The%20Descent%20blog%20tour%20banner%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2245" data-original-width="1587" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYnOUHIz3LLKSjOO1DHCfKOv55HDikNkFEN5sZGw1W9Dqy4dqQWMUxWu_AR0bJTJpyO0zcgkUTZomaf-qnT49yTOq3xOYOGfYmVWegdI6-PiEpRDkpd1AZUA_bFXv0Q1O33lY6WN8lzQy2z6kdWyEGuiiWQD53tkDoP119iGawT2AOugEbqXidfR9VGTt/s16000/The%20Descent%20blog%20tour%20banner%20.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I read and reviewed <a href="https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-forcing-by-paul-e-hardisty-blog.html"><b><i>Paul E Hardisty's The Forcing</i></b></a> in February of last year. The Descent is both a prequel and a sequel to The Forcing. The author shows us what happened in the years between 2024 and 2039 that set the scene for the drastic measures demanded by those who governed in the following years. He also takes us forward in time where we meet the descendants of those who made a journey in The Forcing. It is incredibly well structured, and once again, just as I did when I read The Forcing, I felt emotions that ranged from pure anger, to extreme terror. <br /><br />Paul E Hardisty is a well respected environmental scientist, his research is source material for many papers prepared for Governments around the world. I heard him speak at the Newcastle Noir crime fiction festival last year, and there is no doubt at all that his fictional characters and events are based on real science and the truth. I guess it's fairly hard for him to get the general public to read long, fairly dry scientific reports, so writing novels about the same subject makes sense. It helps too that his writing is magnificent. It is often lyrical, almost poetic, yet is filled with tension and suspense at the same time. <br /><br />The Descent has two main threads, both told in the first person. We get to know Kweku Ashworth, the child of the narrator of The Forcing. Kweku has grown up learning about the events that changed the world from his step-father's manuscript. However Kweku has always been intrigued and worried about the gaps in this story and when he discovers a regular recording, narrated by someone who knows so much about the historical events, he is determined to find out more. <br /><br />The second narrator is know as Sparkplug, and she's the voice of the recordings that Kweku listens to. Her story is frightening and alarming, and there are people who would do anything to ensure that her voice is silenced. Sparkplug's story is terrifying, and for me, it was the part of the novel that most resonated. Readers will recognise some of the people spoken about in her revelations; the leader of Russia, the guy who will be the US president, the extremely wealthy and powerful, they are all there and they all walk amongst us. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kweku and his small family set off on a long voyage on the boat that his parents arrived in, and also the boat that he was born on. Their journey is full of danger, they will come across those people who can help, those who pretend they can help and those who are determined to stop them. As they cross the oceans, they land in places that were once thriving, vibrant countries but are now almost deserted, barren and most of the remaining inhabitants are hungry, poverty stricken and hopeless. <br /><br />The two narratives appear to be separate yet it soon becomes clear that the events that Sparkplug describe and the actions of the richest and most powerful have shaped the world that Kweku now lives in. <br /><br />This is a powerful, thought provoking and chilling story that should be a warning to us all. Whilst it is fiction, we have to realise that it really could be reality. Speculative yes, but very very probable too. Hardisty writes with an authority and conviction that cannot be denied. The Descent is utterly brilliant, even if it sends shivers down the spine. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWolgU_mM53a-mBdZKOAyeVMXamwgHiSNCvxX2XT3Db9T7A3sPdxxptgGi1qv_w6n7X4XWd3dru9j5yJkX1bPnKaBGpi9RDMcSkQfghKDd-bhw0JkeqbOAigBJWEheicoYlKjz-K0RpFOp8Df8zscrC8GioPwg6E_d5mDJKTxLCoDLHK9ft1O_24rv8Qr/s758/hr-tamer-yilmaz.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="35" data-original-width="758" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWolgU_mM53a-mBdZKOAyeVMXamwgHiSNCvxX2XT3Db9T7A3sPdxxptgGi1qv_w6n7X4XWd3dru9j5yJkX1bPnKaBGpi9RDMcSkQfghKDd-bhw0JkeqbOAigBJWEheicoYlKjz-K0RpFOp8Df8zscrC8GioPwg6E_d5mDJKTxLCoDLHK9ft1O_24rv8Qr/s16000/hr-tamer-yilmaz.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN48Y7KuxuiYEFIdwve6RH3a73NS9YB5BJZUNM1I7fE5GPhd3A9nuUn-vMckX3y8JMXxLVmwIFeiN9iXLdwzf8nSs471taf7W2qmarpzLIs_78SyxNFKbdNWyGkaxO2sacg3JmvnlVfjoT0CdM-fJ42RX6HOiessw3o-Ab6wHIsvQFgeARsUR-mZfgksX7/s2415/Paul%20Hardisty.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2415" data-original-width="2400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN48Y7KuxuiYEFIdwve6RH3a73NS9YB5BJZUNM1I7fE5GPhd3A9nuUn-vMckX3y8JMXxLVmwIFeiN9iXLdwzf8nSs471taf7W2qmarpzLIs_78SyxNFKbdNWyGkaxO2sacg3JmvnlVfjoT0CdM-fJ42RX6HOiessw3o-Ab6wHIsvQFgeARsUR-mZfgksX7/s320/Paul%20Hardisty.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>Canadian Paul E Hardisty has spent 25 years working all over the world as an engineer, <br />hydrologist and environmental scientist. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">He has roughnecked on oil rigs in Texas, explored for gold in the Arctic, mapped geology in Eastern Turkey (where he was befriended by PKK rebels), and rehabilitated water wells in the wilds of Africa. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">He was in Ethiopia in 1991 as the Mengistu regime fell, and was bumped from one of the last flights out of Addis Ababa by bureaucrats and their families fleeing the rebels. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">In 1993 he survived a bomb blast in a café in Sana’a. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Paul is a university professor and CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The first four novels in his Claymore Straker series, The Abrupt Physics of Dying, The Evolution of Fear, Reconciliation for the Dead and Absolution all received great critical acclaim and The Abrupt Physics of Dying was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and Telegraph Thriller of the Year. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Forcing (2023) was a SciFi Now Book of the Month. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Paul is a sailor, a private pilot, keen outdoorsman, and lives in Western Australia.</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">X <a href="https://twitter.com/Hardisty_Paul">@Hardisty_Paul</a><br /><br />Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/paulhardisty/">@paulhardisty</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCoPrq74oF38HUu_4_NTHKD5ezdHzCn1lL3zYFD0I1zswTj5JGk_HOerK84Z6mBL17I5_6xKBBZ_Zn4694JmaNm-F72EMiggZ40-0Ls0m35YqKp46TqIB-__joj5Le6xChiWoII8s99h4M1SAIOE5E-GRr9gajltjH3-4EH_lmMz4wHmEXZZiMlm9FweN/s1600/Descent%20Graphic2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCoPrq74oF38HUu_4_NTHKD5ezdHzCn1lL3zYFD0I1zswTj5JGk_HOerK84Z6mBL17I5_6xKBBZ_Zn4694JmaNm-F72EMiggZ40-0Ls0m35YqKp46TqIB-__joj5Le6xChiWoII8s99h4M1SAIOE5E-GRr9gajltjH3-4EH_lmMz4wHmEXZZiMlm9FweN/s16000/Descent%20Graphic2.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBONz5keHZqPBnQJUf-aVoQZn78S1BrsbZKxktJ3EVd2qI_BauCsGKSa1CG2yq3sq280R5jj9xjRDXrMGIFKDcQiWlHqEdm0Df6J-k48nGoEoWidugIcV2nT8tG1MW0keMK0VBCFCBaO5lZLSQwELSasNqlkZ08J1CRz_f0jp5tgFyc412Wis1YRTIZI4/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBONz5keHZqPBnQJUf-aVoQZn78S1BrsbZKxktJ3EVd2qI_BauCsGKSa1CG2yq3sq280R5jj9xjRDXrMGIFKDcQiWlHqEdm0Df6J-k48nGoEoWidugIcV2nT8tG1MW0keMK0VBCFCBaO5lZLSQwELSasNqlkZ08J1CRz_f0jp5tgFyc412Wis1YRTIZI4/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b></div><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-1646862927518720502024-02-23T07:30:00.000+00:002024-02-23T07:30:00.156+00:00The Lifeline by Tom Ellen #TheLifeline @TomEllen7 @HQstories #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2ZMCTNaK0twYlFdmA7vHD1ANOuEOxl4gNzUUP_4rv7Mezp7XLAQKM0NdvKH8zTZ2qWlvJguFYpledeKM3BEsWYtRkV50Pzt-rnaZInzQ7fyR0eODgDw4jWi5cj9L1JlC94VeXQ0kOraD2N2NY4YU_f2-rJrL3j2VTr4O7uk9Zea-nsYYB2Cat40Z7NDY/s1500/716QQMGPJZL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="977" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2ZMCTNaK0twYlFdmA7vHD1ANOuEOxl4gNzUUP_4rv7Mezp7XLAQKM0NdvKH8zTZ2qWlvJguFYpledeKM3BEsWYtRkV50Pzt-rnaZInzQ7fyR0eODgDw4jWi5cj9L1JlC94VeXQ0kOraD2N2NY4YU_f2-rJrL3j2VTr4O7uk9Zea-nsYYB2Cat40Z7NDY/s16000/716QQMGPJZL._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Will is sleepwalking through life. He works a dead-end job and volunteers at an anonymous crisis line to avoid facing his own problems.</span></i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Annie is sure she has her five-year plan all worked out. But when things start falling apart, she just needs someone who will listen. . .</span></i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">They’re practically strangers but soon Will and Annie rely on their regular phone calls, challenging each other to be brave and rebuild their lives.</span></i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">They’ve found connection in the most unlikely of places but is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met?</span></i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBhi87I67Dz3l0gF3fEY90lAI7M5e8SBkeZB24jAJfjBmqAgJ9IAl_bltL7UGw7YO8wfHYyzqgQJKxIHszWP7iHkZjBjkGvnTm7wC3HNJLlaPdWovwV2AHC9L7qiyz8YiTFBeDJ7fZlE8saZowTVAROKTByhxT7-4eHDAJUepvCqcIAVhwpyL5QQO8vj0/s800/hr-darren-northcott%20(13).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="57" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBhi87I67Dz3l0gF3fEY90lAI7M5e8SBkeZB24jAJfjBmqAgJ9IAl_bltL7UGw7YO8wfHYyzqgQJKxIHszWP7iHkZjBjkGvnTm7wC3HNJLlaPdWovwV2AHC9L7qiyz8YiTFBeDJ7fZlE8saZowTVAROKTByhxT7-4eHDAJUepvCqcIAVhwpyL5QQO8vj0/s16000/hr-darren-northcott%20(13).png" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-start-of-you-and-me-tom-ellen/6151984?ean=9780008524937"><b><i>The Lifeline by Tom Ellen</i></b></a> is published on 29 February 2024 by HQ. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. </span><br /><br /><br />I have enjoyed every minute that I've spent with these magical characters. Both Will and Annie are complex, a little flawed but so totally beautifully created. Their story is a mix of missed opportunities, regrets and new beginnings and Tom Ellen's writing is quite magical. <br /><br />Will's life is not how he expected or intended it to be. By day, he works in a store that sells extension leads and USB connectors in the centre of London and when he's not there, he's either at home, alone with just his cat for company, or volunteering at an anonymous crisis line. Taking calls from people who have nobody else to talk to .... a little like Will himself. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span>Annie is a writer, although her current job is not exactly thrilling. She compiles quizzes and quick reads for an online page, but would really like to write a novel. She lives with her boyfriend Dom, and her relationship with her Mum and sister is strained since her beloved Dad died a couple of years ago. She is struggling more than she will admit and when she's tasked with tracking down a band that she interviewed years ago, she stumbles across the number for Green Shoots - an anonymous crisis line. <br /><br />It is not long before Will and Annie come to look forward to their regular phone calls. Each of them benefitting from their chats, with encouragement about being brave and how to make their lives better, they become friends, of sorts. <br /><br />The reader is aware of more about Will and Annie's backgrounds. We know about Will's past life as the lead singer in an indie band, we know about his best friend Joe and how much he cared for him, and misses him. We know that Will was once loud and sweary and afraid of nothing, we know that nowadays he never socialises and hates to think back to his younger life. We learn about Annie's relationship with her Dad and how it was his love of books and reading that encouraged her own. We find out why she and her mother and sister are so estranged and we feel the pain that both of them endure. <br /><br />The reader realises where this story is going long before the main characters have any clue, but it doesn't go smoothly and there were times when I felt my eyes begin to water, and had a lump in my throat as I desperately wanted Will and Annie to realise what was happening, and what had happened in the past. <br /><br />Whilst this is, with no doubt, a beautiful romance, the author also deals sensitively and empathically with various darker issues, including mental illness, grief, suicide and loneliness. The details of some of the anonymous calls to Green Shoots, and the reaction of the volunteers who listen is skilfully and eloquently described. His creation of friendships, most especially between Will and Dev, and Will and Tanvi are just perfectly done, that utter feeling of total trust that you find with certain special people is a joy to read about. <br /><br />If you have read and loved books by Jamie Fewery or David Nicholls, you will adore The Lifeline. It is warm and uplifting with characters that you will fall in love with yourself. Highly recommended. <br /><br /><br /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfhTbgNmIx17yR8VEAgG6RsDOFUEOpQ9l_SdLaubZd-9WD20NMVTduS2bIRP9Die7s5OU9HxggW_ZfWXaEYKK-TIZEGKLQT18EY26di2fWPRMA7AYxrjoEkV8ViKXMmPBimSrgrwDTjvNpGEqC9wBQCagVbHAaNRXum7_Q2dMD-98ICaSuyNdiBEPIXty/s800/hr-darren-northcott%20(13).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="57" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfhTbgNmIx17yR8VEAgG6RsDOFUEOpQ9l_SdLaubZd-9WD20NMVTduS2bIRP9Die7s5OU9HxggW_ZfWXaEYKK-TIZEGKLQT18EY26di2fWPRMA7AYxrjoEkV8ViKXMmPBimSrgrwDTjvNpGEqC9wBQCagVbHAaNRXum7_Q2dMD-98ICaSuyNdiBEPIXty/s16000/hr-darren-northcott%20(13).png" /></a></span></div><span><br /><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMc-cGMOa11Mx0EoFSP2o8JUVXdbR9cdEZlLuXmSRKyxKgWpFEp3OlqF_hju5l45rX0HH9lvAoZdBdzbfYwIJEwGPIdjrKjqbcjlxcUNv3MmmN4sZcrlrPpgGEn_e0JleIJEZbvsavQS8nX5-A16rviOlMVlTI3E8O7uFbEjNqRZCJ4HcJWIwUskacwBp/s181/OmQIT0Ut_400x400.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="181" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMc-cGMOa11Mx0EoFSP2o8JUVXdbR9cdEZlLuXmSRKyxKgWpFEp3OlqF_hju5l45rX0HH9lvAoZdBdzbfYwIJEwGPIdjrKjqbcjlxcUNv3MmmN4sZcrlrPpgGEn_e0JleIJEZbvsavQS8nX5-A16rviOlMVlTI3E8O7uFbEjNqRZCJ4HcJWIwUskacwBp/w320-h320/OmQIT0Ut_400x400.png" width="320" /></a></div>Tom Ellen is the co-author of three critically acclaimed Young Adult novels: Lobsters <br />(which was shortlisted for The Bookseller's inaugural YA Book Prize), Never Evers and Freshers. </i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>His books have been widely translated and are published in 15 countries. </i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>He is a regular contributor to Viz magazine, and as a journalist he has written for Cosmopolitan, Empire, Evening Standard Magazine, Glamour, NME, ShortList, Time Out, Vice and many more. </i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">All About Us was his debut adult novel. Tom lives in Paris.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">X </span><a href="https://twitter.com/TomEllen7" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">@TomEllen7</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKIBaEj-M36z1ygv3COJrEspxW52KnWyx0SBJl6N9W6ErwkvVMNyrYF1dIWXbvwjQYD8Cm4S_iLHapm285hjsWTJ5fDMCNgcVFztt_hyphenhyphenAsy0UwvnBtjeIvTCLfD8x8SQ_r00WkLRO_A29Fhncq9D1lR-hAHB7xduFMVcbWzQRhA9pyBRpxv7RWdUG2tqq/s970/e13a6bd2-5109-4973-8272-d77a4ffb2828.__CR0,0,970,600_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKIBaEj-M36z1ygv3COJrEspxW52KnWyx0SBJl6N9W6ErwkvVMNyrYF1dIWXbvwjQYD8Cm4S_iLHapm285hjsWTJ5fDMCNgcVFztt_hyphenhyphenAsy0UwvnBtjeIvTCLfD8x8SQ_r00WkLRO_A29Fhncq9D1lR-hAHB7xduFMVcbWzQRhA9pyBRpxv7RWdUG2tqq/s16000/e13a6bd2-5109-4973-8272-d77a4ffb2828.__CR0,0,970,600_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiaxRYzz4POMN18ONdMqdtnmy9fsn2IY2rJ8GD5j5idtBqrZbaQlja1AlEQtffkKUuOX0uk720Kk7v8tQPBFI6Y_BZmvht7WF6ybb06_86ad3WdRuihyphenhyphenFqUOpiUHsHYb8UNEkBjLl5HCIgFbw9EEQHczx5PZCtkVsao3KG3fDaSGa8_BJ3jJB9GKFvKoE/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeiaxRYzz4POMN18ONdMqdtnmy9fsn2IY2rJ8GD5j5idtBqrZbaQlja1AlEQtffkKUuOX0uk720Kk7v8tQPBFI6Y_BZmvht7WF6ybb06_86ad3WdRuihyphenhyphenFqUOpiUHsHYb8UNEkBjLl5HCIgFbw9EEQHczx5PZCtkVsao3KG3fDaSGa8_BJ3jJB9GKFvKoE/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></i></span></span></div><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-70281216598918073502024-02-22T07:30:00.000+00:002024-02-22T07:30:00.260+00:00Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney BLOG TOUR #DeadlyAnimals #MarieTierney @ZaffreBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHplMBatl7rOwkd6NwiMjzarzv2C70udwi8ewUz09gRxDu-jdxyMN_Gm1G0py81BU6W7ViQESkggKm168JjN7GZgs7N9UlljwVFlTEOfriH5M0_AGu6oqCD_MviVcc7bTXSYCxrtkxRKTxf_pGRcK99DOQGe8o3dzCxe9fx55aEIfdBqJ6keC0cupaV3Q0/s1250/71a-wNsY6qL._SL1250_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="813" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHplMBatl7rOwkd6NwiMjzarzv2C70udwi8ewUz09gRxDu-jdxyMN_Gm1G0py81BU6W7ViQESkggKm168JjN7GZgs7N9UlljwVFlTEOfriH5M0_AGu6oqCD_MviVcc7bTXSYCxrtkxRKTxf_pGRcK99DOQGe8o3dzCxe9fx55aEIfdBqJ6keC0cupaV3Q0/s16000/71a-wNsY6qL._SL1250_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Thirteen-year-old Ava Bonney possesses an unusual intellect far beyond her years. While her friends play, Ava's fascination lies in the intricate process of animal decomposition, studying roadkill found in the streets around her home.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But, one night, Ava's secret nocturnal routine takes a chilling turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of fellow schoolmate, Mickey Grant.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As Detective Seth Delahaye takes charge of the perplexing case, Ava refuses to sit idle. Determined and resourceful, she embarks on a daring quest to unveil the truth behind the string of chilling deaths plaguing her community.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Armed with her unique skills and unrivalled local knowledge, Ava becomes an unlikely force in the race to apprehend the elusive killer before more lives are claimed.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeT8iEvlLOtNqEpapIvnW2Nrm-gLR59lrmfwbVqtNAHU2n4Xgu94PvCnrMOfBEZ0l2ti0ZkNd2NIBA5CWoFkjW4F0Q1pQGuuEfTKPP0cR8ac-X_tjybmunulT3e2EdnYnNbALyCkQ7sPPIREbEJxxGa7_Wyh7sVLAGvrQ1_0-GnCW6xCfuOsVcdQJO5Yy/s800/hr-manasa-malipeddi-04%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeeT8iEvlLOtNqEpapIvnW2Nrm-gLR59lrmfwbVqtNAHU2n4Xgu94PvCnrMOfBEZ0l2ti0ZkNd2NIBA5CWoFkjW4F0Q1pQGuuEfTKPP0cR8ac-X_tjybmunulT3e2EdnYnNbALyCkQ7sPPIREbEJxxGa7_Wyh7sVLAGvrQ1_0-GnCW6xCfuOsVcdQJO5Yy/s16000/hr-manasa-malipeddi-04%20(4).jpg" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/deadly-animals-marie-tierney/7600979?ean=9781804181874"><b><i>Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney </i></b></a>was published on 15 February 2024 by Zaffre. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Compulsive Readers Blog Tour </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7ttl2EGBskaIaA_i5L_ALfK3qBYs3QwFdqloS0Ur9zf-MnwGPUaBNzbykIvtuI5D90mnybLJEHMWZcwPDhaR6_PqIACFlwoxKygnqzXamuJ4uBb1kmHPWEtvtsZ9K2mcp-aLYuDhCuIvNPxifTbsAdeqErYrTw2ZmtpyVQfs8KwkmtmHEkDhNzazpAWv/s1080/Deadly%20Animals%20(insta).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7ttl2EGBskaIaA_i5L_ALfK3qBYs3QwFdqloS0Ur9zf-MnwGPUaBNzbykIvtuI5D90mnybLJEHMWZcwPDhaR6_PqIACFlwoxKygnqzXamuJ4uBb1kmHPWEtvtsZ9K2mcp-aLYuDhCuIvNPxifTbsAdeqErYrTw2ZmtpyVQfs8KwkmtmHEkDhNzazpAWv/s16000/Deadly%20Animals%20(insta).png" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh my goodness! Deadly Animals is both disturbing and poetic at the same time. Marie Tierney is a welcome addition to the UK crime writer's stable. This debut is wonderfully imagined and at times the writing is just beautiful, despite the horrors that it describes. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We meet thirteen-year-old Ava in May 1981. She lives in a pretty deprived area of Birmingham. Ava is an unusual girl. She is fascinated by how dead animals decompose, she's extremely intelligent and knows so much more than the majority of the adults that surround her, and certainly more than the kids that bully her at school. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ava has her own 'lab', an area of waste land where she has buried various dead animals - she hasn't killed them - they are generally road kill. Ava examines them regularly, noting down any differences in the bones, the skin, the innards. It is at one of these examinations that Ava discovers another body. A human body, and she knows who it is. Mickey Grant has been missing for a while, and here he is, in Ava's space. She didn't like the alive Mickey, but realises that she must report her findings. She does, and disguises her voice. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Detective Seth Delahaye is new to Birmingham, recently arrived from the Met and he is assigned the case. When he and Ava meet, there's an immediate connection. Unlike most people, Delahaye doesn't dismiss her words, or treat her badly, he recognises something in her and he listens carefully to what she says. Ava's only other real friend is an older boy, John. John attends a different school, but will meet Ava at the school gates. He's aware of how she suffers at the hands of bullies and they form an unlikely alliance, along with John's grandfather, in what they call their War Room. <br /><br />Whilst Delahaye carries out his investigations, so too do Ava and John, and it becomes clear that there's probably a serial killer on the loose, but is the killer a human? Sightings of a large creature, with yellow eyes make this case seem even stranger. <br /><br />There's a darkness about the story that is overshadowed by the beauty of the characters. It is the relationships formed in this novel that really struck home for me. Yes, there's death, and some pretty gritty scenes, but they fit so well and compliment the overall theme of friendship and reliability. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ava is a fabulous character. Thirteen, but going on thirty, she has a lot to deal with. She's passionate and loyal and tries her hardest to see the best in people, even when they are not so nice to her. <br /><br />Deadly Animals is a novel that will stay with the reader for a long time, populated with characters who are relatable yet unusual. The 1980s era is brilliantly portrayed with a fabulous sense of place too. <br /><br />An author to watch for sure. Recommended by me. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8v36OkqWZguUbZeYNZCPbudjS6pV_tddGodoT1oSEMJF9SjUq1aTlmDB69OVF1iGdrXSBkfcBhyphenhyphenF6viPYkCTITLcvfBRaOa6gNplMHqgnSrJQZoUKxRbL6Jd1Y9PYRpBGQ34P1g_7Q8LNhqflJTL9nKb4YdVJ3-2ANHX6z0wZHF0ifYqVQSZYBLY0y5P/s800/hr-manasa-malipeddi-04%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="51" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8v36OkqWZguUbZeYNZCPbudjS6pV_tddGodoT1oSEMJF9SjUq1aTlmDB69OVF1iGdrXSBkfcBhyphenhyphenF6viPYkCTITLcvfBRaOa6gNplMHqgnSrJQZoUKxRbL6Jd1Y9PYRpBGQ34P1g_7Q8LNhqflJTL9nKb4YdVJ3-2ANHX6z0wZHF0ifYqVQSZYBLY0y5P/s16000/hr-manasa-malipeddi-04%20(4).jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQatDwU9palQ8dz-Qt3NNX1LF8sp7b7e-mjE5uKI2R87e7e19IPcpYyVOeE7ihF86i54dhbSy_eThKvZHIwlc__yfUxnyq0W4krV51qoVBKSoM58WIVl-M1ZA0C3aeWtsO5lOUOMxyKs6nGO0jTwstGk3MjUWvLZLclw8LFeEAPxcXUlB3i09ONun3YniU/s1156/Screenshot-2023-04-18-at-10.09.13.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1156" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQatDwU9palQ8dz-Qt3NNX1LF8sp7b7e-mjE5uKI2R87e7e19IPcpYyVOeE7ihF86i54dhbSy_eThKvZHIwlc__yfUxnyq0W4krV51qoVBKSoM58WIVl-M1ZA0C3aeWtsO5lOUOMxyKs6nGO0jTwstGk3MjUWvLZLclw8LFeEAPxcXUlB3i09ONun3YniU/s320/Screenshot-2023-04-18-at-10.09.13.webp" width="320" /></a></span></i></b></div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">MARIE TIERNEY was a finalist in the Daily Mail First Novel competition and her debut crime novel, Deadly Animals, was selected by bestselling crime writer Peter James as his winner. </span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She cites Richard Adams, Margaret Atwood and Stephen King among her literary influences and, when she is isn't researching criminal history, she writes plays, poetry and creates art in different mediums. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Born and raised in Birmingham, Marie held various jobs across four counties and dedicated almost twenty years to working in education before becoming a full-time writer. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">She now lives in The Fens with her husband and son.</span><br /><br /><br /></span></i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1OLNePFgVtzGZlhTTgrSYMARuMgKZvhcwsATxyuFuhc5i3przAUSf1SG7NQY8R5tKLxmQPZzbhDmEqCHZv5ZkBv3_EkD8N49b2g-ikPYhdG1oooR26mq0YMdfwHXZyOaMi5Cdji23xdEJIdom7R0dQf-Rvz6-1bIGrRd_TJeQPhFkFMTUiTSbC8FcEau/s970/b2d93ee2-54df-49ad-af44-a30b2e133846.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1OLNePFgVtzGZlhTTgrSYMARuMgKZvhcwsATxyuFuhc5i3przAUSf1SG7NQY8R5tKLxmQPZzbhDmEqCHZv5ZkBv3_EkD8N49b2g-ikPYhdG1oooR26mq0YMdfwHXZyOaMi5Cdji23xdEJIdom7R0dQf-Rvz6-1bIGrRd_TJeQPhFkFMTUiTSbC8FcEau/s16000/b2d93ee2-54df-49ad-af44-a30b2e133846.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpeg" /></a></span></i></div><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiO1wH_fo0b7fUGw9Rut6jyVgD3ZlLJhnw3wqNHpKfaLNZLfREO41oC4m37h0p3FxjlTrKzNnPylHyfWJvZIKxbwCG8oZwXVGfJ0psNN1Gis6TzSmlF_mGDwE0172amoIDB3-anEXHCWNY8sz9yEJuTEwRFuXP5EMC14JFKhY_deebARmCZK9Dl9QhnteB/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiO1wH_fo0b7fUGw9Rut6jyVgD3ZlLJhnw3wqNHpKfaLNZLfREO41oC4m37h0p3FxjlTrKzNnPylHyfWJvZIKxbwCG8oZwXVGfJ0psNN1Gis6TzSmlF_mGDwE0172amoIDB3-anEXHCWNY8sz9yEJuTEwRFuXP5EMC14JFKhY_deebARmCZK9Dl9QhnteB/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></span></i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-83893015260859512662024-02-21T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-21T07:30:00.127+00:00Death Flight by Sarah Sultoon BLOG TOUR #DeathFlight @SultoonSarah @OrendaBooks #JonnyMurphyFiles #Argentina #BookReview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT3XFfhdAOEV1F9AU2ASKCrkLuc0sfdQl0Vq9TBCJHLroqs-Dx_3eVln0lq-93z7W59lKoBKF1rvr0J1uBye0I5-bh2qu-e47nVvujg-9-f0bexVIEdINOU2B0b2WXzn6p0gUVhc1-b20LBf1X08B1Dk98jRLGmTWcTd4He4Tx94U4JERR8bnSoUQZoZ7/s2339/DEATH%20FLIGHT%20FINAL%20COVER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="1524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT3XFfhdAOEV1F9AU2ASKCrkLuc0sfdQl0Vq9TBCJHLroqs-Dx_3eVln0lq-93z7W59lKoBKF1rvr0J1uBye0I5-bh2qu-e47nVvujg-9-f0bexVIEdINOU2B0b2WXzn6p0gUVhc1-b20LBf1X08B1Dk98jRLGmTWcTd4He4Tx94U4JERR8bnSoUQZoZ7/s16000/DEATH%20FLIGHT%20FINAL%20COVER.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Cub reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of victims of Argentina's Dirty War, when a headless torso has washed up on a city beach, thrusting him into a shocking investigation…</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Argentina. 1998. Human remains are found on a beach on the outskirts of Buenos Aires – a gruesome echo of when the tide brought home dozens of mutilated bodies thrown from planes during Argentina's Dirty War. Flights of death, with passengers known as the Disappeared.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">International Tribune reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of the missing, desperate to keep their memory alive, when the corpse turns up. His investigations with his companion, freelance photographer Paloma Glenn, have barely started when Argentina's simmering financial crisis explodes around them.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As the fabric of society starts to disintegrate and Argentine cities burn around them, Jonny and Paloma are suddenly thrust centre stage, fighting to secure both their jobs and their livelihoods.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But Jonny is also fighting something else, an echo from his own past that he'll never shake, and as it catches up with him and Paloma, he must make choices that will endanger everything he knows…</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe4Z82CuLZ_fwJlO_sI39tJjl3SRmkPprPASy5zSSzSNoA_KlsSyQeuOdb0B6u_NkPEGpwFhf9pn-gtzzEkFoZ9N7_dUcsTz_Obss9Vae8Gs-6CK_ZLoI8_5QXRBFAZ6R-xXfNwyNBknn174BnSX8WiI07l4WCIu-HPUGI0lfK1QbcFIN81bBY7a96Qzd/s600/hr-johannes-aagaard-1%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKe4Z82CuLZ_fwJlO_sI39tJjl3SRmkPprPASy5zSSzSNoA_KlsSyQeuOdb0B6u_NkPEGpwFhf9pn-gtzzEkFoZ9N7_dUcsTz_Obss9Vae8Gs-6CK_ZLoI8_5QXRBFAZ6R-xXfNwyNBknn174BnSX8WiI07l4WCIu-HPUGI0lfK1QbcFIN81bBY7a96Qzd/s16000/hr-johannes-aagaard-1%20(3).jpg" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/death-flight-sarah-sultoon/7595372?ean=9781916788015"><b><i>Death Flight by Sarah Sultoon</i></b></a> is published on 29 February 2024 by Orenda Books and is the second in the Jonny Murphy Files series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. </span><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMN3FIovAUOb67xdQ3ngzxloiJHwPbONsYElJEvqXqiCpJ-xLEA0TsB4Tk_QWa6c15IIyvpcm4r7vcUCLCgf4zBjlemKvwp7LcLY3eoIX6apCjL359t5xsJcMDhItFyTFkzJ_mwmcidxPIno9Jw44gPvaOJZVPlnl-vstjhxrRkmwnq_MmCxFC_oSHHP1m/s2245/Death%20Flight%20blog%20tour%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2245" data-original-width="1587" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMN3FIovAUOb67xdQ3ngzxloiJHwPbONsYElJEvqXqiCpJ-xLEA0TsB4Tk_QWa6c15IIyvpcm4r7vcUCLCgf4zBjlemKvwp7LcLY3eoIX6apCjL359t5xsJcMDhItFyTFkzJ_mwmcidxPIno9Jw44gPvaOJZVPlnl-vstjhxrRkmwnq_MmCxFC_oSHHP1m/s16000/Death%20Flight%20blog%20tour%20banner.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is the fourth book by Sarah Sultoon that I've read and it is safe to say that I am a huge fan. Death Flight features reporter Jonny Murphy - he made his first appearance in the author's previous novel, <a href="https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/2023/01/dirt-by-sarah-sultoon-blog-tour-dirt.html">Dirt.</a><br /><br />Sultoon draws on her own extensive experience as a journalist who has been all over the world when creating Jonny and the situations that he finds himself in. There are very few journalists as main characters in crime fiction and I find these stories really refreshing and a different take on the genre. What I also love about these novels is how much I learn about the world, the history of the countries in which they are set and also current issues that affect them. <br /><br />Death Flight is set in Agentina in 1998, it is fifteen years after the horrific 'Dirty War' that devastated the country, where prisoners were taken on flights and dropped into the ocean. The perpetrators thought they'd be lost forever, but the sea often washed bodies ashore. The people responsible for these acts still walk free, protected by the Government, never punished or held to account. <br /><br />Jonny and his photographer colleague Palmoa are in Argentina to cover the financial crisis that has brought the country to its knees. Jonny had a tip off that the headless, handless corpse of a woman has recently washed ashore. However, despite the horror of this event, there's no reports of it in the media. Jonny's suspicions are roused and he is sure that there's a story to be found there. Whilst he and Paloma do continue to try to cover the financial crisis, he begins to ask questions that soon find both of them in danger. <br /><br />Jonny is a complex character, still scarred by his experiences in Northern Israel a couple of years ago where he discovered more about himself and his family than he could ever have expected. Paloma also carries a weight on her shoulders, one that won't be fully revealed until the end of the story. These are two perfectly drawn characters, both intent on finding the story, but both with their own vulnerabilities which makes them so human, so relatable and so realistic. <br /><br />As the story progresses, the dangers increase and it is clear that there are people who would like Jonny to keep his nose out, and are prepared to stop at nothing to ensure that he is quietened. There's a sense of mystery about Jonny and Paloma's relationship too, colleagues but also friends, but a feeling of whether we can quite trust this friendship, and whether we are aware of everything. <br /><br />It's a fascinating, thrilling crime thriller, set in a country that has so much history, so much corruption and so much still happening. The sense of place is incredibly well done and as the plot evolves, the tension increases, culminating in an ending that left me breathless. <br /><br />Sophisticated and stunning, Death Flight is an incredible story. Highly recommended. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNJNRDb89mqs5MYYrid96WSBuBPkB9j-C0sX8nTLSvDTiqvR1VcppptW5xVQ0MBvxgvwXpYU1SL3b0QKkuW56jJRxY2MwgoYs_eQQ-3cMbkbQWPhxjF4bX3wCOCnGFG4iC54gEF2mcDPOQfEd-ZRWb-7oDp9uyhuvrfQJThiBtZX5ZEQozAHsr12HEkwm/s600/hr-johannes-aagaard-1%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="600" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNJNRDb89mqs5MYYrid96WSBuBPkB9j-C0sX8nTLSvDTiqvR1VcppptW5xVQ0MBvxgvwXpYU1SL3b0QKkuW56jJRxY2MwgoYs_eQQ-3cMbkbQWPhxjF4bX3wCOCnGFG4iC54gEF2mcDPOQfEd-ZRWb-7oDp9uyhuvrfQJThiBtZX5ZEQozAHsr12HEkwm/w640-h106/hr-johannes-aagaard-1%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFanXiGzazRg6cGH4_Shh4XtiPg1xze4vQ4bqQG8LoxSYRnTq7GFfJD6wcP4D4J5U7jL6sTVZPBHqhLT9e13V86FE8WfWfUuz_HiZJiNPKwLjboFNhky_SxkbJWJJ6v0Zydc8EWbXYPWGSQJaDrILEictLpx7PoUMj6ElQjAh0l6Yi8u6xQOllEBKOoPe/s3633/Sarah-Sultoon%20(2).jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3633" data-original-width="3068" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFanXiGzazRg6cGH4_Shh4XtiPg1xze4vQ4bqQG8LoxSYRnTq7GFfJD6wcP4D4J5U7jL6sTVZPBHqhLT9e13V86FE8WfWfUuz_HiZJiNPKwLjboFNhky_SxkbJWJJ6v0Zydc8EWbXYPWGSQJaDrILEictLpx7PoUMj6ElQjAh0l6Yi8u6xQOllEBKOoPe/s320/Sarah-Sultoon%20(2).jpeg" width="270" /></a></div>Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer, whose work as an international news executive <br />at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When not reading or writing she can usually be found somewhere outside, either running, swimming or throwing a ball for her three children and dog ... </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Her debut thriller The Source is currently in production with Lime Pictures, and was a Capital Crime Book Club pick and a number one bestseller on Kindle. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Shot (2022) and Dirt (2023) followed, with multiple award longlistings, including the CWA Daggers. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Sarah currently works for Channel 4 News and lives in London.</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">X <a href="https://twitter.com/SultoonSarah">@SultoonSarah</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFQwr2tyoXN9TO6r3kIxYyW4lw-h6PdYN7pBGl2WzAQlvioZr0uqtoTA-E47vrP3g4E0YJF3PdbhPWuc3UV-iwTJG4OOncUPQ5Dsc-cUSTTQK1AZaMlDbQ6VCGU8PW84HuK__a8N1k1F0zn3Yvmd-4pVlE_wOd4EYg6L0b59L7rGDHEOa0oG2pFt0958o/s1500/1500x500%20(98).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFQwr2tyoXN9TO6r3kIxYyW4lw-h6PdYN7pBGl2WzAQlvioZr0uqtoTA-E47vrP3g4E0YJF3PdbhPWuc3UV-iwTJG4OOncUPQ5Dsc-cUSTTQK1AZaMlDbQ6VCGU8PW84HuK__a8N1k1F0zn3Yvmd-4pVlE_wOd4EYg6L0b59L7rGDHEOa0oG2pFt0958o/s16000/1500x500%20(98).jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1bPadVL7v9s1yCWCMzlK2IZcplfkhveTKHoT8x-BuQC8vnKUVcS554vj5NZ_nzlVhkx8asYv6jgqE6cFAFl7C5QSgUFxf8qnMmBkl6gVjn_xdBAwhuSomWlOFtlS5vjV5lo4PTDh9r5622whp1W6xFkOv5C1zGyvN2ETTu5X_H8gWuG4xipdurDIU4YH/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1bPadVL7v9s1yCWCMzlK2IZcplfkhveTKHoT8x-BuQC8vnKUVcS554vj5NZ_nzlVhkx8asYv6jgqE6cFAFl7C5QSgUFxf8qnMmBkl6gVjn_xdBAwhuSomWlOFtlS5vjV5lo4PTDh9r5622whp1W6xFkOv5C1zGyvN2ETTu5X_H8gWuG4xipdurDIU4YH/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b></div><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-9012931205027223892024-02-20T07:30:00.000+00:002024-02-20T07:30:00.208+00:00I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh #18AssurancesOnGrief @claremackint0sh @BooksSphere @bookish_becky @laurasherlock21 #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVJJFy7773Ss0CKBtr01zq_iE4lpJSZSM63deshLDVq1O2TjxDyM4_uXFmJpNxedUPdStiD28smXGQLfmMYMi5q5ZJVb-Z4v7j8ai56bqsays5lpxXWMLlhQdHixCvXHvcktUec6SfgbnNw2G9YoTwqT-bF6StdzWBE4v4pRGzelhvYV0zgGB5IBOLY1b/s1000/61GJEEATpzL._SL1000_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVJJFy7773Ss0CKBtr01zq_iE4lpJSZSM63deshLDVq1O2TjxDyM4_uXFmJpNxedUPdStiD28smXGQLfmMYMi5q5ZJVb-Z4v7j8ai56bqsays5lpxXWMLlhQdHixCvXHvcktUec6SfgbnNw2G9YoTwqT-bF6StdzWBE4v4pRGzelhvYV0zgGB5IBOLY1b/s16000/61GJEEATpzL._SL1000_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Grief is universal, but it's also as unique to each of us as the person we've lost. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, lonely, unreasonable, there when we least expect it and seemingly never-ending. Wherever you are with your grief and whoever you're grieving for, I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This is here to support you. To tell you, until you believe it, that things will get easier.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When bestselling writer Clare Mackintosh lost her five-week-old son, she searched for help in books. All of them wanted to tell her what she should be feeling and when she should be feeling it, but the truth - as she soon found out - is that there are no neat, labelled stages for grief, or crash grief-diets to relieve us of our pain. What we need when we're grieving is time and understanding. With 18 short assurances that are full of compassion - drawn from Clare's experiences of losing her son and her father - I Promise it Won't Always Hurt Like This is the book she needed then.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWclvF-HTeL_MI8Cdg_Zs9cKQjW-2WbBBYTedPLJ0TsKF30k5ZMMd6pQcDbARzENAWY1LzFUrntO8qhwzGD9yBhoNmtUKSAY7Sngpv2-msw7hdu7cM83Ono3T2QAMXwrqZdkQYfPIozUwFtrZq7BehWOPc8PfMDkKCM4bnWciJKsY44N7er-cRoXsTks3S/s1024/hr-jade-gordon-04%20(26).gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWclvF-HTeL_MI8Cdg_Zs9cKQjW-2WbBBYTedPLJ0TsKF30k5ZMMd6pQcDbARzENAWY1LzFUrntO8qhwzGD9yBhoNmtUKSAY7Sngpv2-msw7hdu7cM83Ono3T2QAMXwrqZdkQYfPIozUwFtrZq7BehWOPc8PfMDkKCM4bnWciJKsY44N7er-cRoXsTks3S/s16000/hr-jade-gordon-04%20(26).gif" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/i-promise-it-won-t-always-hurt-like-this-17-assurances-on-grief-clare-mackintosh/7071543?ean=9780751584981"><b><i>I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh</i></b></a> is published on 7 March 2024 by Sphere. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;">I have been reading Clare Mackintosh's novels for years now, I've met her many times. She's a lovely women who always comes across as cheerful, welcoming and supportive. What many of us will not have realised is that Clare is also a woman who has lost a child. Her son died in 2006, one of a twin, Alex did not have a long time on this earth. His death shattered Clare and her husband, her grief was overwhelming. Her feeling of sorrow and sadness cast a shadow over everything. In this compassionate and reassuring book, she reaches out to others who are grieving and promises that it won't always hurt like this. <br /><br />The book is split into eighteen assurances on grief, and as the author explains, some of these will not be relevant to everyone, but I am certain that some of these will be relevant to all of us. <br /><br />I feel that this review is more about me, and how I felt when reading this book, and I think that is Clare's intention. Whilst she is utterly frank and honest about her own experience, she creates a safe space for the reader, constantly telling them that it's OK to feel the way that you do. She is also open about the things that did not work for her, for the times when she was angry, and jealous and couldn't bear to see other people's happiness. She makes those feelings feel normal, she understands that human beings are all different, we all react in different ways to things, and even though sometimes we may not like our own behaviour, it is OK. <br /><br />Over the past few years I have lost two of the most important people in my life. One of my oldest friends, Rachel, died, aged 46 from a rare and aggressive cancer. She had a small child. A few years later my Mum died, she was eighty-one and also died of cancer. I dealt with these deaths in completely different ways. I was so angry when Rachel died, angry that this woman who had never smoked, who didn't drink alcohol, and just loved being a mum so much had gone. I was angry that she couldn't be cured. I was angry that I no longer had someone to meet every week for a coffee and a huge slice of cake. I was so angry. I cried buckets, I cried for Rachel, for her little boy and for myself. <br /><br />When Mum died, it was like a hole had been drilled into my heart. It felt like a piece of me had gone with her. Our family dynamics changed. Mum was a tiny, feisty woman and I am very like her, I was part of her. I wasn't angry though. I didn't have the same burning anger that I had when Rachel died. I felt a touch of relief, which in turn made me feel so guilty. I was relieved that my elderly Dad no longer had to spend every hour of every day and night caring for the woman who had been his soulmate. I was relieved that we no longer had to watch her fade away day by day. I realise that relief was about me, and my Dad, and I still get feelings of guilt about it. <br /><br />What Clare does in this extraordinary book is allow us to look at our feelings, about our reactions and realise that there is no right way to grieve. I saw that I have grieved in different ways for different people and I'm no longer going to ask myself why I cried more when Rachel died than I did when my Mum died. I'm just going to accept that it is me, my way and it's the right way for me. <br /><br />I cannot begin to imagine who painful it was for Clare to write this book. The constant memory bombardment must have been hellish at times, and I hope that writing this has helped her as much as reading it has helped me. <br /><br />It is compassionate and understanding. It is non-judgemental and insightful. It is a book that I would urge everyone to read, wherever you are in your grief stage.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem2IsyieosiwPcXNNE-jtoL7vkwjlfLKmXKV9IyTi7rvJjDLPi21TyK9K-Z9CrQhq-4MvUVYXlw0CwuXNTHvHqyeDpElgHOO1BwXOL9aSHdcFN5hcBnGfsFZC2huPvNG3-jJopTnSyz_wuvavHP7TWgCV_dBfEUEuUY36g3rrZAw9S5I2HvotiUPg4NES/s1024/hr-jade-gordon-04%20(26).gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem2IsyieosiwPcXNNE-jtoL7vkwjlfLKmXKV9IyTi7rvJjDLPi21TyK9K-Z9CrQhq-4MvUVYXlw0CwuXNTHvHqyeDpElgHOO1BwXOL9aSHdcFN5hcBnGfsFZC2huPvNG3-jJopTnSyz_wuvavHP7TWgCV_dBfEUEuUY36g3rrZAw9S5I2HvotiUPg4NES/s16000/hr-jade-gordon-04%20(26).gif" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjC50WyBFR1_grMYQ42OPDhMeeWFgvZMcveJuF98ARFJB-6dXukR81N3r5BD7y108AfcNONGxOWqE3nd1bM52Efz1ElIugsVl1uvwY5TUUzD3v6t0U7AFw9UJA_pYdsj8-4OiIdyy4-p9UejUweejp0K2dngCPh_YvLQ6RCOjM5qUIZINktlSMmLG0BFDP/s450/clare%20m.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjC50WyBFR1_grMYQ42OPDhMeeWFgvZMcveJuF98ARFJB-6dXukR81N3r5BD7y108AfcNONGxOWqE3nd1bM52Efz1ElIugsVl1uvwY5TUUzD3v6t0U7AFw9UJA_pYdsj8-4OiIdyy4-p9UejUweejp0K2dngCPh_YvLQ6RCOjM5qUIZINktlSMmLG0BFDP/s320/clare%20m.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></i></b></div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Clare Mackintosh is a police officer turned crime writer, and the multi-award-winning <br />author of seven Sunday Times bestselling novels. </span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Translated into forty languages, her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide and have spent a combined total of sixty-eight weeks in the Sunday Times bestseller chart. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Clare lives in North Wales with her husband and their three children.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">For more information visit Clare's website <a href="http://www.claremackintosh.com">www.claremackintosh.com</a> or find her at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ClareMackWrites">www.facebook.com/ClareMackWrites</a> or on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/claremackint0sh">@ClareMackint0sh</a></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WdR68DfR9IFMJTsggB5GPRjvPjLqjnr8cpatxTpjgIz929SBW2g9mpV8ijMVlzvf8YI3qUT6a0KEfZdzr5LCPR1wsRp-2MaMrwJkc-sIBB0V3T_AJCSs6XsH28YawZeOXcSwMpm-kDquGCCrrW0sUCcffF0LOOervtJX9B_AmOS-5eIlLxuqEUkASqt4/s970/26276a04-d06f-4554-8c84-e3ad3693ff12.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WdR68DfR9IFMJTsggB5GPRjvPjLqjnr8cpatxTpjgIz929SBW2g9mpV8ijMVlzvf8YI3qUT6a0KEfZdzr5LCPR1wsRp-2MaMrwJkc-sIBB0V3T_AJCSs6XsH28YawZeOXcSwMpm-kDquGCCrrW0sUCcffF0LOOervtJX9B_AmOS-5eIlLxuqEUkASqt4/s16000/26276a04-d06f-4554-8c84-e3ad3693ff12.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGcm-bV9zvQz5PpEoIqoLW4SYYyKkA73D8QqucTbRzjKwN2lAGbo3l23NiwI6-R5ZNmv6AQzNd_fbpunp9vuP6b94XTJiE6JWtnOGayjxOhRdNdM-78BsfZPltfqAU7upL8msluMmSpf3HI6LdVqN2xqFXhhKYlTE4qtxDNS55cNdhEaXVYNu57gvGbbq/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGcm-bV9zvQz5PpEoIqoLW4SYYyKkA73D8QqucTbRzjKwN2lAGbo3l23NiwI6-R5ZNmv6AQzNd_fbpunp9vuP6b94XTJiE6JWtnOGayjxOhRdNdM-78BsfZPltfqAU7upL8msluMmSpf3HI6LdVqN2xqFXhhKYlTE4qtxDNS55cNdhEaXVYNu57gvGbbq/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-86116716535440183602024-02-19T07:30:00.002+00:002024-02-19T08:11:54.895+00:00Happy Ever After in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen BLOGTOUR #HappyEverAfterinBellbirdBay @MaggieChriste33 @rararesources #BookSpotlight<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77i5loZ6vMMh9Or8SzVS4weySF5zGQatzS7ndFrD4C0gn8eIxbnB1i-XPY9ksl0_nIkVrWdSbiSkLq3ArRWMxN8xJvzo-O-d-idwGgypu6VYpORVxEdU-vb4fUV715SbMKcZHyUEtJ22B-J7OL8MsEpNp8QkDzoIK-LT_XOErY111IdOybrrUAi2XeT44/s2700/Happy%20Ever%20After%20in%20Bellbird%20Cover%20LARGE%20EBOOK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77i5loZ6vMMh9Or8SzVS4weySF5zGQatzS7ndFrD4C0gn8eIxbnB1i-XPY9ksl0_nIkVrWdSbiSkLq3ArRWMxN8xJvzo-O-d-idwGgypu6VYpORVxEdU-vb4fUV715SbMKcZHyUEtJ22B-J7OL8MsEpNp8QkDzoIK-LT_XOErY111IdOybrrUAi2XeT44/s16000/Happy%20Ever%20After%20in%20Bellbird%20Cover%20LARGE%20EBOOK.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It’s been over twenty years since Cass Marshall’s relationship fell apart, and she returned home to Bellbird Bay. Now, although happy with the success of her beachwear business, Cass often longs for someone special to share her life.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Nursing the wounds of a failed marriage, Mick Roberts has finally accepted his ex has moved on with her life. Determined to avoid his daughter’s attempts at matchmaking, he immerses himself in his whale-watching business.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When family sickness brings the two together, Cass wonders if her life is about to take a turn for the better. But with Mick’s ex-wife also being Cass’s best friend, a seed of doubt emerges.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This doubt intensifies when Cass’s recently widowed ex arrives in town, determined to use any means to drive a wedge between Cass and Mick as he fights for a second chance.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Can Bellbird Bay work its magic again and provide a happy ever after for Cass and Mick, or are they destined to spend the rest of their lives alone?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQf3sXoY11guniH8ePVtKf-vfkHLgCe4yE9wED8b57wR3YBuRyzWsoiGMskXTUl8zaH5wu49IlJvvwKDb_aRo9AsQjugYrMu0cey9TJ0jSm6Xj5D34LV_kTdIWTNLKv87TUauhpRfrjxTIHnwHAI4w-is8JDx1C9jh7OYay0INWa1n9uNFMRPR6RB2FXs/s573/hr1-steve-lam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="54" data-original-width="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQf3sXoY11guniH8ePVtKf-vfkHLgCe4yE9wED8b57wR3YBuRyzWsoiGMskXTUl8zaH5wu49IlJvvwKDb_aRo9AsQjugYrMu0cey9TJ0jSm6Xj5D34LV_kTdIWTNLKv87TUauhpRfrjxTIHnwHAI4w-is8JDx1C9jh7OYay0INWa1n9uNFMRPR6RB2FXs/s16000/hr1-steve-lam.jpg" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Ever-After-Bellbird-Bay-ebook/dp/B0CJ4KYJMH"><b><i>Happy Ever After in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen</i></b></a> was published on 31 January 2024 by Cala Publishing. As part of this Blog Tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources I am delighted to shine a spotlight on the book, and the author here today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbujimrOsvI4rwUzAcY17yAga3hhpd9inSATO8TM3uD9PPrvJUBPu93nTUfmQp-qUb58BqcfIQU3sYKb2LjGi_Eqj4pMcjLzkWZlKADOygqWd3wzpopzk-hs8jX1CQKlwl_zsh2r1gkiMiUwfiRBKvbqW2qxdm0kaEpTafGT82IpJzzlatkQviuQmpJ7P/s2111/Happy%20Ever%20After%20in%20Bellbird%20Bay%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="2111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidbujimrOsvI4rwUzAcY17yAga3hhpd9inSATO8TM3uD9PPrvJUBPu93nTUfmQp-qUb58BqcfIQU3sYKb2LjGi_Eqj4pMcjLzkWZlKADOygqWd3wzpopzk-hs8jX1CQKlwl_zsh2r1gkiMiUwfiRBKvbqW2qxdm0kaEpTafGT82IpJzzlatkQviuQmpJ7P/s16000/Happy%20Ever%20After%20in%20Bellbird%20Bay%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX1Aaj-aVatn8JS0SBIuaGWAFjhEIqr0JoCyoHpqsVyoFjs7c2m_yMnmEfCLGVQyRr3Saf7SwXVSoDF6VWDBHTD-_dapPxgnfzIJskIVVXtZEsU45bnEf3XyWPLhpiN38vSASVOHEDX473Y7caPPIoYVZplDwzBFCL6XNC_doAK2YsPd0pQltfSFqLIkw/s573/hr1-steve-lam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="54" data-original-width="573" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX1Aaj-aVatn8JS0SBIuaGWAFjhEIqr0JoCyoHpqsVyoFjs7c2m_yMnmEfCLGVQyRr3Saf7SwXVSoDF6VWDBHTD-_dapPxgnfzIJskIVVXtZEsU45bnEf3XyWPLhpiN38vSASVOHEDX473Y7caPPIoYVZplDwzBFCL6XNC_doAK2YsPd0pQltfSFqLIkw/s16000/hr1-steve-lam.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Cfgk9FjHBSZYJCi29oilcchKziM_FHgpls4SmejAOkx3GkgUwf9-D33Gw8dB-vBE0m3mv8wiV_By4nnzuR11GIa1vSjtDJM6WkaHFUVuJ8mqZGWwSmvKc9TC8SGCXd4qE9SZIabMQLTbZUxgxyo7KiVMKZVg6g7o6l3hXynSOQab33VV9a8C_DKfqQl6/s200/maggie_profile-removebg-preview.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Cfgk9FjHBSZYJCi29oilcchKziM_FHgpls4SmejAOkx3GkgUwf9-D33Gw8dB-vBE0m3mv8wiV_By4nnzuR11GIa1vSjtDJM6WkaHFUVuJ8mqZGWwSmvKc9TC8SGCXd4qE9SZIabMQLTbZUxgxyo7KiVMKZVg6g7o6l3hXynSOQab33VV9a8C_DKfqQl6/w320-h320/maggie_profile-removebg-preview.png" width="320" /></a></div>After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing romantic women’s fiction, <br />feel good stories of second chances. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor">https://www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://twitter.com/MaggieChriste33">https://twitter.com/MaggieChriste33</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8120020.Maggie_Christensen">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8120020.Maggie_Christensen</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/maggiechriste33/">https://www.instagram.com/maggiechriste33/</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-christensen?list=about">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-christensen?list=about</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://maggiechristensenauthor.com/">https://maggiechristensenauthor.com/</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GH3QjjZvJOI2zVBAuLlle2m_3KUALGCD8O9r4bnO_Nz99sseDXjEL3d2KWO5FuUaSpO7p0B5wg5hZyFKjDXkgrrqgPCyHbqi4MqWLB8Qq8kxSzDAsBpi_z1rbB3_AG-Ipk3aPzkezbTC__znVPMHkBu0r3nropxkHm_yseVLULhxmiXWGy5zVh337uJP/s700/Happy%20Ever%20After%20in%20Bellbird%20Bay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GH3QjjZvJOI2zVBAuLlle2m_3KUALGCD8O9r4bnO_Nz99sseDXjEL3d2KWO5FuUaSpO7p0B5wg5hZyFKjDXkgrrqgPCyHbqi4MqWLB8Qq8kxSzDAsBpi_z1rbB3_AG-Ipk3aPzkezbTC__znVPMHkBu0r3nropxkHm_yseVLULhxmiXWGy5zVh337uJP/s16000/Happy%20Ever%20After%20in%20Bellbird%20Bay.png" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l5rs8QqJUJY9ZYyqiQDzQ_BLLaGNS75skkZhAKn9rQyLcap37F9hpojBUI2nMP5mIUZmF6jTbg5PItOYm-iQnNpp1-4DmFagDuowopO-t9Hy17QSakgDa986p9IIWHUgeKNn0Q3iMXesdVgIPHgDddu9ij5PZWFayNG2hzJxGwIU0HrTd6s0i0m-rVtv/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7l5rs8QqJUJY9ZYyqiQDzQ_BLLaGNS75skkZhAKn9rQyLcap37F9hpojBUI2nMP5mIUZmF6jTbg5PItOYm-iQnNpp1-4DmFagDuowopO-t9Hy17QSakgDa986p9IIWHUgeKNn0Q3iMXesdVgIPHgDddu9ij5PZWFayNG2hzJxGwIU0HrTd6s0i0m-rVtv/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b></div><div><br /></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-83240877517542365952024-02-15T07:30:00.046+00:002024-02-15T08:18:30.483+00:00Token by Beverley Kendall BLOG TOUR #Token #BeverleyKendall @simonschusterUK @TeamBATC #BookReview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcS6z5oFs61BSqATD3PqwLW4Ov6yMKUCUWcYrgYy6VxWEb0Nn6WwuovIVIddc23M_jt6IqyhRDCk2V93VH87oxx_0VKxrxG-sWenKN45dW_UmWjvVuiII_RevvExHoTPFR8ONnASobd1XIniTW4kaVslDBmXCKBUNGs7LyT1rAIVDRF4b_6VjY5IGgFUQ/s1500/71Try92xbgL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="984" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcS6z5oFs61BSqATD3PqwLW4Ov6yMKUCUWcYrgYy6VxWEb0Nn6WwuovIVIddc23M_jt6IqyhRDCk2V93VH87oxx_0VKxrxG-sWenKN45dW_UmWjvVuiII_RevvExHoTPFR8ONnASobd1XIniTW4kaVslDBmXCKBUNGs7LyT1rAIVDRF4b_6VjY5IGgFUQ/s16000/71Try92xbgL._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Kennedy Mitchell is brilliant, beautiful and tired of being the only Black woman in the room.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Two years ago, she was plucked from reception for a seat at the boardroom table in the name of “representation”.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Rather than play along, she and her best friend founded Token, a boutique PR agency that helps diversity-challenged companies and celebrities. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">With famous people getting into reputation-damaging controversies, Token is in high demand and business is booming, but when her ex shows up needing help repairing his reputation, things get even more complicated and soon Kennedy finds herself drawn into a PR scandal of her own.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OI5MJnCbswMihBcokTTxl_j-kOyUD_uRkNN4asqIsDLRTSPjGUjJIAWAMRzV2yOSFtY7v6OwR5-G0w3wZblwGUsRlGUOvzY34KdtYBFLQYjYkmlSZ92n3kPsfU-lQS5m8p_rAoWrSmZDhd3tYHcN06lyPsbCApKddLL-kiO-WGJ6TkO7VXQqZnH9FzkC/s410/hr-kyle-theisen-03%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="42" data-original-width="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OI5MJnCbswMihBcokTTxl_j-kOyUD_uRkNN4asqIsDLRTSPjGUjJIAWAMRzV2yOSFtY7v6OwR5-G0w3wZblwGUsRlGUOvzY34KdtYBFLQYjYkmlSZ92n3kPsfU-lQS5m8p_rAoWrSmZDhd3tYHcN06lyPsbCApKddLL-kiO-WGJ6TkO7VXQqZnH9FzkC/s16000/hr-kyle-theisen-03%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/token-beverley-kendall/7512201?ean=9781398530546"><b><i>Token by Beverley Kendall</i></b></a> is published today, 15 February 2024 by Simon and Schuster. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZ1j0_AhTvKsBeUj-YkYmlMrFN1C_FxNZAKdQWXP0z2mfJo7ZHGfa2IrdchWq_Qy4xR-KXibhNphF0fU0ftUfr49_F3_scficmgmG1nV81Y09vg-Fb3k8l4vT79DJ0-oJwHmXFymecJmos4isMJOU_g8fSIiOuuBNFi7oGU5lmdzKaN8N3HQHsMOAsMs6/s1080/TOKEN%20BLOG%20TOUR%20GRAPHIC.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZ1j0_AhTvKsBeUj-YkYmlMrFN1C_FxNZAKdQWXP0z2mfJo7ZHGfa2IrdchWq_Qy4xR-KXibhNphF0fU0ftUfr49_F3_scficmgmG1nV81Y09vg-Fb3k8l4vT79DJ0-oJwHmXFymecJmos4isMJOU_g8fSIiOuuBNFi7oGU5lmdzKaN8N3HQHsMOAsMs6/s16000/TOKEN%20BLOG%20TOUR%20GRAPHIC.png" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: left;">I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Kennedy Mitchell and her best friend Aurora. This novel is a little different to those that I'd usually pick up. However, it's been a blast. It is well written, a mix of romance, current issues, a smattering of spicy sex and a serious look at the behaviours of those who often have the most power. <br /><br />Kennedy Mitchell is from a working class background. She worked hard, gained a scholarship to an Ivy League university, came out with a first class degree and has recently been made redundant. She's passing her time working as a temporary receptionist for a large clothing company. When she is summoned to the office of the CEO, she is amazed to be offered a huge amount of money to enable the company to secure a wealthy, famous client. The company wants Kennedy to be a token. They need a black face in the meeting, someone who can prove that they are a diverse organisation, modern thinking and fair. Except, they are not. There are no Black people in senior management, and very few women work in high positions either. <br /><br />Kennedy is a woman who is devoted to fairness and demands respect. She is committed to changing the way that organisations work. </p><p style="text-align: left;">This episode spurs Kennedy and her white best friend Aurora to form their own agency, ironically called Token. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Three years later and Token is going from strength to strength, albeit in a slightly different way to how the women originally imagined. Kennedy has become a respected figure, she's able to get companies out of a fix, and at the same time, she and her agency deliver diversity training, with the hope, that eventually, the glass ceiling for both women and people of colour will be smashed. <br /><br />When Aurora's billionaire tech-company owner brother Nate finds himself in the midst of a lawsuit, it is Kennedy that he approaches. Nate and Kennedy have history and it soon becomes clear that there's an attraction still simmering between them. Given this, and his relationship to Aurora, it is Kennedy's first inclination to say no, they can't help him. However, things take a different turn and Kennedy soon finds herself well entrenched in Nate's life. <br /><br />Whilst I do question some of the Kennedy's business practices, I totally understand her reason for how she worked. She's basically a good, kind woman who hates to see so many inequalities in the workplace, and is determined to make change. As a fifty-seven year old white woman, I can't personally relate to the experiences that Kennedy and many other characters in this novel experience, but my life experience has allowed me to see and hear such things happening to others, and it boils my blood. We are told that those days are gone, but in reality, we know for sure that these things happen. The author incorporates her messages into this novel so well, it's a fun read at times, a little hot at others, but always deals sensitively with the issues that arise. <br /><br />A fascinating and fun look at the world of business in New York, combined with the glamour that goes with it and the people who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Recommended. <br /><br /></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_hzn0QGDsPvWMLPDEJtrCqFI4uQgzZpgNiYky58O3FMmeO1bzLhyphenhyphenWsHkzmxMSzR4TjxKbij1YJEibvTfcmTyAMa0sks6YI4gv4kutY8sGo-SfzekyrYHHif0AenpSAiH9yzSQKW61MA69qZM5v6nrelLF21atb0prxPJQGBDrz93RH5lUbxkQEniILWm/s410/hr-kyle-theisen-03%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="42" data-original-width="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_hzn0QGDsPvWMLPDEJtrCqFI4uQgzZpgNiYky58O3FMmeO1bzLhyphenhyphenWsHkzmxMSzR4TjxKbij1YJEibvTfcmTyAMa0sks6YI4gv4kutY8sGo-SfzekyrYHHif0AenpSAiH9yzSQKW61MA69qZM5v6nrelLF21atb0prxPJQGBDrz93RH5lUbxkQEniILWm/s16000/hr-kyle-theisen-03%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7gV1d6qAGKGKr_Sw95gJYPJ0FrC-197EpaXuwALuUqJgfSNEWaQQ2trseBdYcxqrIe1pzlbZUeqteIb1KBJpEFOD_SWPcKZt2IKecVgdA2lcPFwstwiPg3f7POVs5edU2LqqIX4mK8E0aLrBvqkQXyTorNC35S7GKhaIRIgx9m4mFCgn7bWb1t8wnLXv/s450/gfss0jfar7p6vl8gojctmo5fid._SY450_CR0,0,450,450_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7gV1d6qAGKGKr_Sw95gJYPJ0FrC-197EpaXuwALuUqJgfSNEWaQQ2trseBdYcxqrIe1pzlbZUeqteIb1KBJpEFOD_SWPcKZt2IKecVgdA2lcPFwstwiPg3f7POVs5edU2LqqIX4mK8E0aLrBvqkQXyTorNC35S7GKhaIRIgx9m4mFCgn7bWb1t8wnLXv/s320/gfss0jfar7p6vl8gojctmo5fid._SY450_CR0,0,450,450_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Beverley discovered her love of books while growing up in, the then, small city of Barrie, <br />Ontario Canada. <br /></span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />With her love of books and romance, she always wished that everyone would find their happily ever after. <br /></span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />She currently writes sexy historical, new adult and contemporary romances. <br /></span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />As the mother of one too bright and mischievous young boy, she pulls full-time duty on all fronts. <br /></span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />When she's not writing full-time, running The Season review website or mothering, she's probably reading or sleeping and dreaming of a time when she'll have time for her favorite hobbies: knitting, crocheting and sewing. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Beverley has lived on two continents, in three countries, two provinces, and four states. She stopped her nomadic existence and settled in the southeast. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">All things artistic feed her creative passion, but none more than writing. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Readers can visit her at: <a href="http://beverleykendall.com">beverleykendall.com</a>.</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Connect with her on Facebook - <a href="http://on.fb.me/1kMOzbK">http://on.fb.me/1kMOzbK</a></span></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3c1CS0qY2IWfhBacqsSg-xSAoZmG4BrFdp3mKJ-3q36fbqqvvcTiRQaNV3qTUtS1C4ZuEBCUqL6U-fgWI_WgSz4W7rc8FIZ4aip-Vh9S88Gd2n1X8Qv8f5NNmy-emzhWsvh_uxPSA_3Ip2diGc3aFRAq60TgkSnRPLYujtG5N9k_90npzsS7tBz514JS/s970/82527dce-33c0-4097-99e4-44041ef291d3.__CR0,0,1940,600_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3c1CS0qY2IWfhBacqsSg-xSAoZmG4BrFdp3mKJ-3q36fbqqvvcTiRQaNV3qTUtS1C4ZuEBCUqL6U-fgWI_WgSz4W7rc8FIZ4aip-Vh9S88Gd2n1X8Qv8f5NNmy-emzhWsvh_uxPSA_3Ip2diGc3aFRAq60TgkSnRPLYujtG5N9k_90npzsS7tBz514JS/s16000/82527dce-33c0-4097-99e4-44041ef291d3.__CR0,0,1940,600_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMB4buLFH5NrzpsTyr4opQ068A4x7eYiWZW8vxjT79HSKtLR1wJ9zdmrzgJ-VYhwE1nomryNECE0loJRmFhqR9_zRQpbzYqk3zd0W6x-0whrmU6AYtVnR3TDJaDrZoR8k_5T3aqhmvxLMDh1jrNWypvRSU1RICHDEeDbNRm952fpGevlkZo1UzxfXQP4I/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMB4buLFH5NrzpsTyr4opQ068A4x7eYiWZW8vxjT79HSKtLR1wJ9zdmrzgJ-VYhwE1nomryNECE0loJRmFhqR9_zRQpbzYqk3zd0W6x-0whrmU6AYtVnR3TDJaDrZoR8k_5T3aqhmvxLMDh1jrNWypvRSU1RICHDEeDbNRm952fpGevlkZo1UzxfXQP4I/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #373e3e; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-75952810884210858422024-02-14T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-14T07:30:00.207+00:00Dark Days at the Beach House by Francesca Capaldi BLOG TOUR #DarkDaysattheBeachHouse @FCapaldiBurges @canelo_co @HeraBooks @rararesources #BookExtract #RespectRomFic<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdx2L6S70WIDH3CU_CFEkpgwUn-ImvuXirVIKE5k2UxfSMAIJ9I3Kv6R9NLZiVEv26N-yWqGDv7cWjBB-mSyLwKscKZSyoc-eW08fJZr94MZBtIrkXACT8Aqxmd6Owk6TavAWRqZ6JQRfDJONyC-uf3xx0IDrX2fm-LlyPUkVX6TbeIEzpb0aAunc04SMR/s3200/Dark%20Days%20at%20theBeach%20Hotel%20COVER%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3200" data-original-width="2088" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdx2L6S70WIDH3CU_CFEkpgwUn-ImvuXirVIKE5k2UxfSMAIJ9I3Kv6R9NLZiVEv26N-yWqGDv7cWjBB-mSyLwKscKZSyoc-eW08fJZr94MZBtIrkXACT8Aqxmd6Owk6TavAWRqZ6JQRfDJONyC-uf3xx0IDrX2fm-LlyPUkVX6TbeIEzpb0aAunc04SMR/s16000/Dark%20Days%20at%20theBeach%20Hotel%20COVER%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Can Helen save the hotel... and her reputation?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Helen Bygrove is managing the hotel, now that her husband has been conscripted. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Against all expectations, Helen and her team are doing marvellously, despite the shortages brought by war. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Even the exacting Lady Blackmore agrees. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But then the calm is shattered when poison pen letters are sent to prominent townsfolk and Helen finds herself the target of a police investigation. </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Is someone trying to ruin Helen, and the Beach Hotel? </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And can she rely on the handsome but taciturn Inspector Toshack to help her? </span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When her husband, Douglas, is invalided out of the war he is determined to take back control of the hotel and things go from bad to worse.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">How can she ever escape his bullying? Is she a fool to hope that she may have a second chance at love?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM4AzryQ9rgHlpUJIXyIwOZxNoa1yhX0_Qj3skjcoL9aXu6ewHGZIfmoOY9oaLSIpCX5eZdSZxygcpIWngfxTeMxXKxbEX2vyM5qsW1xbOjXkW3JfAK3-ot2aUiGhU1DCQP8qtfUT7JhyphenhyphenHjE_oOLctwZMSx77JF2o7L3idYFj4xf461WZeIh2rO7zaNaT/s1024/hr-jade-gordon-04%20(25).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM4AzryQ9rgHlpUJIXyIwOZxNoa1yhX0_Qj3skjcoL9aXu6ewHGZIfmoOY9oaLSIpCX5eZdSZxygcpIWngfxTeMxXKxbEX2vyM5qsW1xbOjXkW3JfAK3-ot2aUiGhU1DCQP8qtfUT7JhyphenhyphenHjE_oOLctwZMSx77JF2o7L3idYFj4xf461WZeIh2rO7zaNaT/s16000/hr-jade-gordon-04%20(25).gif" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://geni.us/bXV7C"><b><i>Dark Days at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi</i></b></a> is published on 15 February by Canelo/Hera. As part of this Rachel's Random Resouces Blog Tour I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today. </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU04jxEooSCWwQezmZmRJHNOySHsdzeFQ1LNQuhJ9VBrBreLLznjccgCXL0vXobFFcAhV_3IuEcNDwX2teN_jU_8vivcYnh2rU8B7glk4TIOSN27pgLDS7H2fWuw4nEjIDKT5F_umTv0ryMXKHnUdy9m-An9CQlU7n11qMVkKh08l8adP4r5H1qG13WM6e/s2427/Dark%20Days%20At%20The%20Beach%20Hotel%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="2427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU04jxEooSCWwQezmZmRJHNOySHsdzeFQ1LNQuhJ9VBrBreLLznjccgCXL0vXobFFcAhV_3IuEcNDwX2teN_jU_8vivcYnh2rU8B7glk4TIOSN27pgLDS7H2fWuw4nEjIDKT5F_umTv0ryMXKHnUdy9m-An9CQlU7n11qMVkKh08l8adP4r5H1qG13WM6e/s16000/Dark%20Days%20At%20The%20Beach%20Hotel%20Full%20Tour%20Banner.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Extract from Dark Days at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi</span><br /><br /><br /></i></b></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Helen Bygrove, the manageress of the Beach Hotel, now her husband has been conscripted, is on the front desk, when a couple of her regular, but annoying customers enter, signalling the beginning of future trouble.</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Good morning, Lady Blackmore, Miss Cecelia.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Ah, Mrs Bygrove, I am so glad that you are on duty today.’ Her ladyship strode to the desk, a black umbrella hooked over the arm of her coat. Cecelia trotted behind, limping a little.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘What can I do for you, my lady?’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Was this going to be some complaint about the decline of standards, or about there being less choice of fancies with coffee? Or, alternatively, a comment about what a shame it was that Douglas had been conscripted, and how on earth was she managing without him? Such comments from guests had been rife after he’d been sent away in June. They had dwindled over the summer, thankfully. However, these remarks had started up again after Douglas had been home on leave in the middle of September. </span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">But Lady Blackmore had so far said nothing of the sort in the four months he’d been away, training at the Shoreham-by-Sea camp.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Her ladyship reached the desk. 'I was just saying to Cecelia here, how well the place has been run since Mr Bygrove went away, wasn’t I, Cecelia?’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘You were, my lady.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Not that it was poorly run before, of course. But I was not very hopeful that you would be able to carry on without your husband. However, I have to say that, despite the increasing shortages, if anything, things seem more organised. And we don’t get him in the conservatory every few days, fawning over those he deems to be <i>important</i>.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Lady Blackmore – ’ Cecelia started, in a slightly cautionary tone.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘No, Cecelia, I will say my piece. Despite my title, Mr Bygrove clearly considers me insignificant. You on the other hand, Mrs Bygrove, treat all the guests with equal importance. And you are doing an excellent job.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Helen was stumped for a few seconds. Was Lady Blackmore suffering a bump on the head, or early signs of senile dementia?</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Well, um, thank you, my lady. I’m lucky to have a very dedicated staff.’ </span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Yes, I agree. I was sceptical when the men started to enlist and women took over their posts, but, I have to admit, they’re doing an equally good job. If not better, in some cases. Is that not right, Cecelia?’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘It is, my lady.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘I cannot help but agree about the women,’ said Helen.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘I did not think that anyone could do as good a job of head waiter as poor old Günther, or Mr Smithson who followed him.’ said her ladyship. ‘But Lili has filled their shoes admirably.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The doors opened once more. This time Helen’s heart really did sink.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">It was Isabella Harvey, a friend of Douglas’s from the tennis and bowls club. She owned Selborne Place Guest House, an establishment two roads back from South Terrace, and was someone for whom Helen had little regard. She was certain the woman felt the same about her.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Unlike Lady Blackmore, Miss Harvey, despite being in her mid-forties, was now up to date with her couture, though it had not always been the case. Her navy-blue suit, with its ankle-length, full skirt and flared jacket with a high waist was very stylish, as was the saucer brimmed hat on her fair hair.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Oh dear, not her,’ muttered Lady Blackmore. ‘How tiresome she is.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Helen noticed Cecelia look down and half smile. </span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Good morning to you, Lady Blackmore,’ Miss Harvey pronounced effusively. She ignored Cecelia completely.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The answering, ‘Good morning,’ was said rather stiffly.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘I don’t suppose you approve of the tennis courts being dug up any more than I, especially as you live nearby on South Terrace.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Not this again. Both Lili Probert and Phoebe Sweeton, had reported this complaint from Miss Harvey on several occasions after she’d been in for either morning coffee or afternoon tea.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘I think it was a jolly good idea. And Cecelia agrees, don’t you, Cecelia.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Yes, my lady, for it’s – ’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘What Cecelia was no doubt about to say is that the gardeners have done a splendid job of planting up a vegetable garden, which, I am sure, will be needed by the hotel with the current shortages, which, I am certain, will only get worse.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘That’s right,’ said Helen, determined to have her say. ‘The vegetables we grow there have been a boon to the hotel.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘And why, for <i>goodness</i> sake, would anyone be wasting their time playing tennis when there is work to be done towards the war effort,’ said Lady Blackmore. ‘I, myself, am now on several committees for raising funds for various good causes. And what encouraged me was Mrs Bygrove’s excellent example, with all the charity events she has organised here at the hotel.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘I think you’ll find that Mr Bygrove organised those,’ said Miss Harvey, looking smug.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Douglas would have told her that, and no doubt everyone else in his little golf, tennis and bowls groups.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘No no! I have it on good authority, from Miss Sophia Perryman no less, who runs the committees I’m on, that it was Mrs Bygrove here who organised them. Is that not right?’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">She turned to Helen, who felt she had temporarily replaced Cecelia.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">‘Yes, that is correct, my lady. Douglas, my husband, trusted me to arrange things.’</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">She’d added the last bit in case it got back to him. She was convinced that Miss Harvey was writing to him. It was generally thought, among the staff, that she had a crush on him. They didn’t know she knew, but she’d overheard Fanny Bullen and Gertie Green joking about it once to some of the others. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t suspected it herself. In fact, she had wondered, on more than one occasion, whether there was more to it.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVhb87OE9rmfpoCuuQGexa2-o-1l3OdgHSdwVmToRllJvRx3i8efWGWY25m3-ZBgFCuR_RTkjMUjkEi0ZOpQiq2u8tqvyZvclguMklNNgTeohQ5WoeEU1Rm9IdWv5Xsmp2Ogn9XuYizdUIW0KSydxv-yQ2xtIZN6KTOWO6wSWu13Mlc-o68Yz1LiC7nLu/s1024/hr-jade-gordon-04%20(25).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVhb87OE9rmfpoCuuQGexa2-o-1l3OdgHSdwVmToRllJvRx3i8efWGWY25m3-ZBgFCuR_RTkjMUjkEi0ZOpQiq2u8tqvyZvclguMklNNgTeohQ5WoeEU1Rm9IdWv5Xsmp2Ogn9XuYizdUIW0KSydxv-yQ2xtIZN6KTOWO6wSWu13Mlc-o68Yz1LiC7nLu/s16000/hr-jade-gordon-04%20(25).gif" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaY_2jAHJ_BU7gDWzWBS9GKk15r7Ai92J17HXyfo5_bEBRnK0Vu6t-T1Qa0ywGPw3eeuoE9F61TOis0Cm3lT78u8Vs2wbfZ7zLv87duuHZ2VUueErjsnJUA5nNLNEMBGPfgjcEatrJLYTBJaT5nSdhakqZVB4Yiv4a6T-M8QTaKm21VDidFSSYYFEIvANh/s4608/Dark%20Days%20Francesca%20Capaldi%2020231106_162958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaY_2jAHJ_BU7gDWzWBS9GKk15r7Ai92J17HXyfo5_bEBRnK0Vu6t-T1Qa0ywGPw3eeuoE9F61TOis0Cm3lT78u8Vs2wbfZ7zLv87duuHZ2VUueErjsnJUA5nNLNEMBGPfgjcEatrJLYTBJaT5nSdhakqZVB4Yiv4a6T-M8QTaKm21VDidFSSYYFEIvANh/s320/Dark%20Days%20Francesca%20Capaldi%2020231106_162958.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child, largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was good at improvised story telling. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Writing under both her maiden name, Francesca Capaldi, and her married name, Francesca Burgess, she is the author of historical novels, short stories and several pocket novels. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The first novel in the Wartime in the Valleys series, Heartbreak in the Valleys, was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association Historical Award 2021. Both the Valleys series and the Beach Hotel series are published by Hera Books.</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Francesca was born and brought up on the Sussex coast, but currently lives in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Facebook Author Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FrancescaCapaldiAuthor/"> https://www.facebook.com/FrancescaCapaldiAuthor/</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Website: <a href="https://www.francesca-capaldi.co.uk/">https://www.francesca-capaldi.co.uk/</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@francesca.capaldi.author">https://www.tiktok.com/@francesca.capaldi.author</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/FCapaldiBurgess">https://twitter.com/FCapaldiBurgess</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/francesca.capaldi.burgess/">https://www.instagram.com/francesca.capaldi.burgess/</a></span></i></b></div></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBA0R5Okh0B0lqqtY93FTqrTkwZ3NbAPnXKpCIEQ1k_AxqyITObpOeaIV_lxayHVbTyb1Js8zLj_z1tPJT9b0cFMLkAq7HLf988-4YVUjLseIr6AE_w89lmYeunHUBG9zaVk0d_NpOrUANjC3192r5km5iuAje11Rag6PPBlxE4L74n8xh8L0ZkQnzJEn/s700/Dark%20Days%20at%20the%20Beach%20Hotel%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBA0R5Okh0B0lqqtY93FTqrTkwZ3NbAPnXKpCIEQ1k_AxqyITObpOeaIV_lxayHVbTyb1Js8zLj_z1tPJT9b0cFMLkAq7HLf988-4YVUjLseIr6AE_w89lmYeunHUBG9zaVk0d_NpOrUANjC3192r5km5iuAje11Rag6PPBlxE4L74n8xh8L0ZkQnzJEn/s16000/Dark%20Days%20at%20the%20Beach%20Hotel%20(1).png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIqC2ZKI_GrA9dxqQib88EEnseXtLj3A_NoxC-LEY9bCDLy4XNBehw4OCrGX7h0a44I9et6Od4V55AC3_KusJu9E51Jw0LXIRfhOBOJ3ZULnNO9n5kX8HZAckO-RxD07_l2TgoZHTM-eO0iznjh_1ZIQ6loiqd4Aq3YG7xl0YcTDAN_kN0da6AuwSlEf2/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIqC2ZKI_GrA9dxqQib88EEnseXtLj3A_NoxC-LEY9bCDLy4XNBehw4OCrGX7h0a44I9et6Od4V55AC3_KusJu9E51Jw0LXIRfhOBOJ3ZULnNO9n5kX8HZAckO-RxD07_l2TgoZHTM-eO0iznjh_1ZIQ6loiqd4Aq3YG7xl0YcTDAN_kN0da6AuwSlEf2/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-77361790542904494982024-02-13T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-13T08:33:15.939+00:00Library for the War-Wounded by Monika Helfer - translated by Gillian Davidson #LibraryForTheWarWounded @BloomsburyBooks #MonikaHelfer #TranslatedFiction #BookReview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGjAziXnnlafY9BYxFMlwf7Q-9Je6eB0f7wZrHy4fhXO4-py8Y3QuwNmpCR14CosKmpJInOqJ-zW5NDAOHuq4qLR_1qWogzVTzVMqKbV9OyO6j07O6bIGXQWOaToP6YiP9FD9sD5tQ77wNWAPOhJih7rE-WF4hH_ajUfQIPET1LdXBTvEg2XaLeXNHEP5/s1500/library%20war.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="976" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGjAziXnnlafY9BYxFMlwf7Q-9Je6eB0f7wZrHy4fhXO4-py8Y3QuwNmpCR14CosKmpJInOqJ-zW5NDAOHuq4qLR_1qWogzVTzVMqKbV9OyO6j07O6bIGXQWOaToP6YiP9FD9sD5tQ77wNWAPOhJih7rE-WF4hH_ajUfQIPET1LdXBTvEg2XaLeXNHEP5/s16000/library%20war.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">From Monika Helfer's award-winning, internationally bestselling wartime trilogy, based on her own family. Translated into English for the first time.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">'We called him Vati, Dad. Not Father, not Papa. That's what he wanted. He thought it sounded modern. He wanted to present himself to us, and through us, as a man in tune with the modern age. Though he seemed to come from nowhere.'</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Josef was an illegitimate child, a charity case from Salzburg, schooled by a benefactor. He was drafted to fight in the Second World War while still at school and sent to Russia, returning with only one leg. He married his nurse, and brought his family to the high, idyllic slopes of the Austrian Alps, where he took a position as manager of a home for injured soldiers, a strangely suspended, deeply isolated place with a remarkable library.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">He was a man of many mysteries. To his daughter, Monika, none was greater than his obsession with these cloistered, crumbling books, his great treasure and secret amidst a country barrelling away from the memory of war.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Beautifully written, restrained, and memorable, Library for the War-Wounded turns a real life into great literature by confronting the universal question: Who are our parents, really?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyqihkyr1_RbsclWI2e7NIzbtVNdlLrKWtB6DYGw3tKo84i8GLew_AVyfvUQOD1o_rcL9OL9_Q4anhPAhyuQpH7u0OzD-5hKgKr2C-iBrc2lRggUKcPWKIBSfEJf-cOnxVB-W4VZjhExgczsiIR3aXhPxcNDiysS7RDAeCp5VKxS39pssPSdI3o2JttqD/s600/hr-flowers-isfahan-ashraf%20(12).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyqihkyr1_RbsclWI2e7NIzbtVNdlLrKWtB6DYGw3tKo84i8GLew_AVyfvUQOD1o_rcL9OL9_Q4anhPAhyuQpH7u0OzD-5hKgKr2C-iBrc2lRggUKcPWKIBSfEJf-cOnxVB-W4VZjhExgczsiIR3aXhPxcNDiysS7RDAeCp5VKxS39pssPSdI3o2JttqD/s16000/hr-flowers-isfahan-ashraf%20(12).png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/library-for-the-war-wounded-monika-helfer/7508603?ean=9781526657336"><b><i>Library for the War-Wounded by Monika Helfer, translated by Gillian Davidson</i></b></a> is published on 15 February 2024 by Bloomsbury Publishing. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. <br /><br />I am a huge fan of translated fiction, I usually read translated crime but have also come across some very special books in other genre. Library for the War-Wounded is fiction, but based on the author's own family. It is beautifully translated into English by Gillian Davidson. The writing is spare yet so lyrical, and the characters almost jump from the pages. <br /><br />The lead character is Josef, the father of Monika and her siblings. Josef was an illegitimate child who grew up in Salzberg, and despite being brought up by his single mother, with little money, he always had access to books. <br /><br />Josef was seriously injured in World War One, losing a leg, but at the same time, finding a wife. He married his nurse and they moved their family to the Austrian Alps. Josef became the manager of a home for the war-wounded, allowing a place of peace and comfort to those soldiers so badly injured during the fighting. Josef's love of books never left him and he built up an extraordinary library within the home; not that the residents really cared about the books, but for Josef this was his sanctuary. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Monika narrates her story in an unusual way. The reader is taken back and forth, from the days when Josef first met his wife, to the present time, after his death. Monika always felt that her father was a mysterious man, with no past to tell them about. His ideas were forward thinking, but it becomes clear that he had many emotional difficulties. After the death of their mother, Josef's children were scattered far and wide, cared for by different family members and they saw and heard very little of him. When Josef eventually re-married, he gathered his family together, to make a new start. <br /><br />This is a short novel of just under two hundred pages, and the stye and structure of the story lends itself to being read in large chunks. It's not the sort of novel to read a page or two here and there, it needs as much investment from the reader as has been given by the author, and also the fabulous translator. <br /><br />The reader also gets to know other members of the family, and these characters add colour to what could be more of a musing by the author. There's Aunt Irma who acts as a stand in for their mother and Uncle Sepp, the man who confounds his family by marrying a prostitute. These outlying characters enhance Monika's story so much, confirming that this is no ordinary family at all. <br /><br />How many of us really know our parents? Who they were, why they became the adults that they ended up as. Do we always choose our own path? Are our parents always a guiding light, or are they more of a mystery?<br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A book to savour, not to be rushed, and one that conjures up images and questions of us all. Recommended. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx7oXv3gveWExmCvaT7rIv1to9hHDMoErwfgly1990oG8zPjiQwVtvMwL3vTDE_JnJaBAHkPoFOT-K8VKtibu1jBNHVOnMNUtv9WL1GsqXcP2fxDDeLXVeDEgRD1lux-kT4_D0JA_fUaIqjAmmLHwThRTnLF7veiuYOC6DAdWWkrGs-EhxtqSmA0_3Wgz/s600/hr-flowers-isfahan-ashraf%20(12).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="30" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLx7oXv3gveWExmCvaT7rIv1to9hHDMoErwfgly1990oG8zPjiQwVtvMwL3vTDE_JnJaBAHkPoFOT-K8VKtibu1jBNHVOnMNUtv9WL1GsqXcP2fxDDeLXVeDEgRD1lux-kT4_D0JA_fUaIqjAmmLHwThRTnLF7veiuYOC6DAdWWkrGs-EhxtqSmA0_3Wgz/s16000/hr-flowers-isfahan-ashraf%20(12).png" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobMtcG7XvelMV-eZii1pTILef_49MxeGx0swuKW35ftRfRa51KTph-xC6xBRgZd-5cnoxWkzTMtSvjTrvHqW0AO5lslqsePos-whD3ZhYatFk024qn8btaxZYxJfEcU38ZX6F5bReGcFJbtqd0bFWvo-B_GA_NLvGpGqMKOQ_7ZSsA6PGGqBobcq4Wq-a/s1236/monika-helfer-banner.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1236" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobMtcG7XvelMV-eZii1pTILef_49MxeGx0swuKW35ftRfRa51KTph-xC6xBRgZd-5cnoxWkzTMtSvjTrvHqW0AO5lslqsePos-whD3ZhYatFk024qn8btaxZYxJfEcU38ZX6F5bReGcFJbtqd0bFWvo-B_GA_NLvGpGqMKOQ_7ZSsA6PGGqBobcq4Wq-a/s320/monika-helfer-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Monika Helfer is the bestselling author of novels, short stories, and children's books, <br />including, most recently, Löwenherz (Lionheart), Vati (Daddy), and Die Bagage (Last House Before the Mountain). </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>She lives in Hohenems, Austria.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLSi-lFV736XBgj49PpJ6wfUUZmKioHcoROFUvbxUVn3xwTfaRrw1IrT-Nxjz7Pp4gIP1mlFfG_mDf18u-Tx9h_bkTbNzjn7bk5enlB4uxgY4VGcKojUjIa3Eb9F6SpCNWkX9z6hPQM9jPh-6pjcstGLiUyTqBCaJ2iQK2fKj_U1oy8MEOOnM82dj3r1U/s360/101713.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="360" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLSi-lFV736XBgj49PpJ6wfUUZmKioHcoROFUvbxUVn3xwTfaRrw1IrT-Nxjz7Pp4gIP1mlFfG_mDf18u-Tx9h_bkTbNzjn7bk5enlB4uxgY4VGcKojUjIa3Eb9F6SpCNWkX9z6hPQM9jPh-6pjcstGLiUyTqBCaJ2iQK2fKj_U1oy8MEOOnM82dj3r1U/s320/101713.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Gillian Davidson is a literary translator based in London. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br />Born and brought up in Scotland, she studied French and German at Edinburgh University, spending a year at Würzburg University in South Germany. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>After working in Austria for six months, she returned to London to work in the finance office of a German company. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>She then spent most of her career working as an accountant in the UK public sector. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Now retired, she enjoys devoting herself to her love of languages, adding Spanish to her repertoire. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEb2rKIUJAufnwzDpZPDFqBHfEZNYm4wwxxEwceR4daflNQCN_UKyljk3-UZGUJsB66_B2k2AMgxcbPlPGmHLDM1EPNtfKd7nRM2iqeZBS-n0GYGV8oHunYqKPlFXHPQ8n3RCc9jO6JLcqb0E2b36gbBYDemybHCpYcFk0ROoQuZZuWoKnBsDFTKVYh8x/s1200/GEyOG8SXwAEsOh8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqEb2rKIUJAufnwzDpZPDFqBHfEZNYm4wwxxEwceR4daflNQCN_UKyljk3-UZGUJsB66_B2k2AMgxcbPlPGmHLDM1EPNtfKd7nRM2iqeZBS-n0GYGV8oHunYqKPlFXHPQ8n3RCc9jO6JLcqb0E2b36gbBYDemybHCpYcFk0ROoQuZZuWoKnBsDFTKVYh8x/s16000/GEyOG8SXwAEsOh8.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ7OLCsgmYEDQMVJvQIP2mAHNc8BZ949tVesvzcjcC3WoksUT-exbQGhkrrVCZViQazLRLDYbGeDGpY29Jh9JUT9Ky3S7zwbO6ysQ9uN6ZT9GWHxjbWKRh3Sa3Yv5ncToEw4uuf60CDP5hWqrLkMx9WNTqi2ezN0G9b_CDmj42WB1X2RmrsgoNuCCjxZC/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJ7OLCsgmYEDQMVJvQIP2mAHNc8BZ949tVesvzcjcC3WoksUT-exbQGhkrrVCZViQazLRLDYbGeDGpY29Jh9JUT9Ky3S7zwbO6ysQ9uN6ZT9GWHxjbWKRh3Sa3Yv5ncToEw4uuf60CDP5hWqrLkMx9WNTqi2ezN0G9b_CDmj42WB1X2RmrsgoNuCCjxZC/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-14062094245611312682024-02-12T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-12T07:30:00.136+00:00The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson #TheHappiestEverAfter @millyjohnson @simonschusterUK #Competition #Prize #Win #Giveaway <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLx1bjZDtc-_b-xeUWKFeYaAHvxFgchvUS3QnhRkOReo1q7KTD0UPrp146rGPJ3SZgXicZdhgNYBAcavoj38OhBY99iMxODy-P39chXCpus7Z_DLYlbG2c7qHmHLVY3zdt7keLSnP2FRYkthOADQ9d5jWBJk5KEMEP7E4arA066qOarsBIf9mb7SWUj5t/s1500/619bYQslvPL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="964" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLx1bjZDtc-_b-xeUWKFeYaAHvxFgchvUS3QnhRkOReo1q7KTD0UPrp146rGPJ3SZgXicZdhgNYBAcavoj38OhBY99iMxODy-P39chXCpus7Z_DLYlbG2c7qHmHLVY3zdt7keLSnP2FRYkthOADQ9d5jWBJk5KEMEP7E4arA066qOarsBIf9mb7SWUj5t/s16000/619bYQslvPL._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job – until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris – until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing – there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself – as the fictional Sabrina Anderson.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it’s a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But what if this new life could belong to her after all?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPfrq8E5-Q1SqCYDxMDaKJOcVrpNZt0mSmN0bQorSg7MTOYVHYQpEK7_u9uUI3kkvGZLbaLnQJqdIwrJT4ocLYdUSfSQZuht8DCWW95MLw3DzWh-nwyAKysmm5ysNW3UKfXcJO9HpYrzcAibzuwyA3TRdf8-GzIAhPfpC4lOlpY24ATsG7MtSaVWxVhqm/s1024/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(1).gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="97" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPfrq8E5-Q1SqCYDxMDaKJOcVrpNZt0mSmN0bQorSg7MTOYVHYQpEK7_u9uUI3kkvGZLbaLnQJqdIwrJT4ocLYdUSfSQZuht8DCWW95MLw3DzWh-nwyAKysmm5ysNW3UKfXcJO9HpYrzcAibzuwyA3TRdf8-GzIAhPfpC4lOlpY24ATsG7MtSaVWxVhqm/s16000/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(1).gif" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/untitled-milly-johnson-1-milly-johnson/7387146?ean=9781398523524"><b><i>The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson</i></b></a> is published in hardback on 15 February 2024 by Simon and Schuster.<br />I adore Milly's novels and always eagerly await her newest. You can read <a href="https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-happiest-ever-after-by-milly.html"><b><i>my review of this on here on Random Things </i></b></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">I am delighted to offer one gorgeous hardback copy to one lucky blog follower today. Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget below. UK entries only please.<br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">GOOD LUCK!</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div><p></p>
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/ArpCZ/one-copy-of-the-happiest-ever-after-by-milly-johnson" rel="nofollow">One copy of The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson</a>
<script async="true" src="https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC56a1QuWYAA-u1pVLg2KtY3eLQh9FKtaIVzafzAXqCzcS6qgUGZq7ApM88FGmZwMCXWuN_aSPMeRMpTLU8dF2c-PHTAtMgm7AgL6o-DwyikifsIBaM_DPMvCvl4q75Pk2ACFJw8WeSq1uaYjJG00IT8MBt9hTsaoIajHA-Ge54fRnzbJMNHhd7TYT0OpV/s1024/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(1).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="97" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC56a1QuWYAA-u1pVLg2KtY3eLQh9FKtaIVzafzAXqCzcS6qgUGZq7ApM88FGmZwMCXWuN_aSPMeRMpTLU8dF2c-PHTAtMgm7AgL6o-DwyikifsIBaM_DPMvCvl4q75Pk2ACFJw8WeSq1uaYjJG00IT8MBt9hTsaoIajHA-Ge54fRnzbJMNHhd7TYT0OpV/s16000/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(1).gif" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">'Gloriously funny, witty, wise and wonderful, this book is a total joy!’ Alexandra Potter</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">‘A delicious warm hug of a book’ Jill Mansell</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">‘Guaranteed to put a spring in your step – I loved it’ Jo Thomas</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">'Gorgeous, heartwarming and moving, The Happiest Ever After is so original and brilliantly written in the typically funny and clever Johnson style' Lucy Vine</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">'An escapist, uplifting read full of heart' Libby Page</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">‘Funny and brilliant and gorgeously warm, Milly Johnson always, always delivers’ Paige Toon</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">'Takes you on a classic transformative journey in the most wonderful and original way. What a joy!' Julietta Henderson</span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLZMDOsRGO8QbCp9mQ1xaQBkHzKQpGqXX8t3kd9MHHRVoqABBM2JimHWSfUxcYEuu0PHfdp-XcZb_wuFt0uSZ8Gx4YHMkysCsZh0endPoQPQGB-uAo1uYb_qB1CSKlsbNip1LSXydA5uDcXJizgxfCHAMy1sUQGe03UhfBPFZU9Ja7XEgSk4_z-6g_1c-/s1024/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(1).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="97" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLZMDOsRGO8QbCp9mQ1xaQBkHzKQpGqXX8t3kd9MHHRVoqABBM2JimHWSfUxcYEuu0PHfdp-XcZb_wuFt0uSZ8Gx4YHMkysCsZh0endPoQPQGB-uAo1uYb_qB1CSKlsbNip1LSXydA5uDcXJizgxfCHAMy1sUQGe03UhfBPFZU9Ja7XEgSk4_z-6g_1c-/s16000/hr-abhijit-sagade-02%20(1).gif" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmW71U8nBLFq7SN7joAJ7fs1RMBoaT2S4gxTnp08y8IgMnOWkAjPVHQX94hokm76Bdo9Cq0sbt2KsmR7_jeFsDJ5o4eFIk2Lp8Afjb1y_N9k_D_ASBeGGIuJSyOoo38CHu58_flQ2Sx7UNpdZ7cWXcQUXyLN1keOXMOzoNfLmaaP8qz-RvcKxK52Hn2c7j/s400/nQYw-9C0_400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmW71U8nBLFq7SN7joAJ7fs1RMBoaT2S4gxTnp08y8IgMnOWkAjPVHQX94hokm76Bdo9Cq0sbt2KsmR7_jeFsDJ5o4eFIk2Lp8Afjb1y_N9k_D_ASBeGGIuJSyOoo38CHu58_flQ2Sx7UNpdZ7cWXcQUXyLN1keOXMOzoNfLmaaP8qz-RvcKxK52Hn2c7j/s320/nQYw-9C0_400x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br />A Sunday Times bestseller, she is one of the Top 10 Female Fiction authors in the UK, and has sold millions of copies of her books sold across the world. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>The Happiest Ever After is her twenty-first novel. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Milly's writing highlights the importance of community spirit and the magic of kindness. Her books inspire and uplift but she packs a punch and never shies away from the hard realities of life and the complexities of relationships in her stories. </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>Her books champion women, their strength and resilience, and celebrate love, friendship and the possibility and joy of second chances and renaissances.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i><a href="http://www.millyjohnson.co.uk">www.millyjohnson.co.uk</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8Q9R0XS5PjpY-uwweAbK6rQMUMrwfFPQe84Rx-bTz2tmnFbId2F5GcqrHPQ9BYuWNuv10ImRVaFjiKB7hiPyZ7-FdlEPkcA3yM1IcsztScmjqxEH4YkNHJcIOLp7rWagzICKOZCnD_K6SnrKqgnSJssJ6AWvYp5caQvlSIOIhuJNFh1slwSBi_P19VXS/s970/56984b32-e82e-4f4b-819d-4c1dbb3fda53.__CR0,0,1940,600_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8Q9R0XS5PjpY-uwweAbK6rQMUMrwfFPQe84Rx-bTz2tmnFbId2F5GcqrHPQ9BYuWNuv10ImRVaFjiKB7hiPyZ7-FdlEPkcA3yM1IcsztScmjqxEH4YkNHJcIOLp7rWagzICKOZCnD_K6SnrKqgnSJssJ6AWvYp5caQvlSIOIhuJNFh1slwSBi_P19VXS/s16000/56984b32-e82e-4f4b-819d-4c1dbb3fda53.__CR0,0,1940,600_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><b><br /></b></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5SAJZwq-trJ8dKmDyxPzIaz5_N-G3-Hlt7UmSuqXHRLFpzYm-XI77qAcvXQHH6SoIdgs6hKmqBTNDs6nu4boSDD7hYc-mDIDQzwFe0Z4XTTrD7czrXNZgSO9Z9_syVLoIuOPg2uq1ttxmQiR-LimPBoaH4eOK0DWI0Wr_mwhEwnCCruGIDuyzrhv19pP/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5SAJZwq-trJ8dKmDyxPzIaz5_N-G3-Hlt7UmSuqXHRLFpzYm-XI77qAcvXQHH6SoIdgs6hKmqBTNDs6nu4boSDD7hYc-mDIDQzwFe0Z4XTTrD7czrXNZgSO9Z9_syVLoIuOPg2uq1ttxmQiR-LimPBoaH4eOK0DWI0Wr_mwhEwnCCruGIDuyzrhv19pP/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-41660949643972553042024-02-08T07:30:00.002+00:002024-02-08T07:30:00.142+00:00In Her Shadow by Emma Christie #InHerShadow @theemmachristie @welbeckpublish @CaledoniaCrime @feliciah_33 #BookReview<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnvv8IwpzahzgNQU7WAmkTAuvijaABR7sS53_ii-1xuTR71t-QllV5HGZk42wmV9_Ihy9LTd45jfkDY_nFM457WhcP98ACNkt5qOlOA8RRIFMANR9ojzkwFdyhTbiJNTbaSqEsDpwVGzDrotA-C9fl2MLYTpJ6xE8j2aFWuXPYbD04uqQBDnjA3iAfvoM/s1500/81DW-PFUwmL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="980" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnvv8IwpzahzgNQU7WAmkTAuvijaABR7sS53_ii-1xuTR71t-QllV5HGZk42wmV9_Ihy9LTd45jfkDY_nFM457WhcP98ACNkt5qOlOA8RRIFMANR9ojzkwFdyhTbiJNTbaSqEsDpwVGzDrotA-C9fl2MLYTpJ6xE8j2aFWuXPYbD04uqQBDnjA3iAfvoM/s16000/81DW-PFUwmL._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dave Kellock is a pillar of the community in Portobello, Edinburgh. A tireless volunteer who never misses a chance to help others, he's just been recognised on the King's Honours List.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dave Kellock is also a fraud. A moment of panic, violence and blood twenty years ago plagues his dreams. He's been hiding himself in Portobello, terrified that his past will catch up with him. Now that his photo has been in the paper, collecting his award, the truth won't stay buried for long.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Someone is watching Dave, at every turn, even making calls from within his own house and bringing the police to his door. The clock is ticking – he needs to find who's behind this before the police find him.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When a local teenage girl goes missing, Dave is suddenly a suspect and not only is his freedom in jeopardy but her life is too. Will he find this girl? And just how is she linked to the secret he's been keeping all these years?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfHGESZ2bwLeiA1FtBxaesmuW19shM33Wz6LV5UK_AC2gsNcKH0J1K8ROt29AIxqDMNmP49sjj3jCavEGQ48HEJejdWEsz2KljQXOhTDQlfIxKlWvgi4uMP4FKS3HxmUNdLSJqWgPq494HsGzUYh7W-jn3NX8UO98S7P831UZLQHHA00v4UboMnkzEU5V/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-5%20(27).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfHGESZ2bwLeiA1FtBxaesmuW19shM33Wz6LV5UK_AC2gsNcKH0J1K8ROt29AIxqDMNmP49sjj3jCavEGQ48HEJejdWEsz2KljQXOhTDQlfIxKlWvgi4uMP4FKS3HxmUNdLSJqWgPq494HsGzUYh7W-jn3NX8UO98S7P831UZLQHHA00v4UboMnkzEU5V/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-5%20(27).png" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/in-her-shadow-emma-christie/7525279?ean=9781802794656"><b><i>In Her Shadow by Emma Christie</i></b></a> is published on 15 February 2024 by Welbeck. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.<br /></span><br />I don't think that I've read a crime novel where the lead character is a bus driver before. Dave Kellock is not just any bus driver, he is also a great man. Voted locally as an outstanding citizen, he's always in work early, he always cleans his own bus. On the whole, he's an all round nice guy. <br /><br />However, Dave has a past. He recently returned to his home city of Edinburgh after many years away in exile. He left after the tragedy that has blighted his life ever since. He's a loner, he's very tidy, he keeps himself to himself. His elderly mother has died, and he lives alone in his childhood home. <br /><br />It feels like just another day, just another driving shift for Dave, until he sees a woman get on his bus. Dave is shocked and just a little bit terrified when he sees the face of the woman that he killed twenty years ago. From this point on, Dave's life spirals out of control, and the reader is faced with as many questions as Dave is. <br /><br />Emma Christie brings Edinburgh, and especially the Portobello district to life in her writing. The reader really gets a fabulous sense of place, as we follow Dave across the city in his quest to find out more about the woman that he saw. <br /><br />It's a complex plot, that took a few turns that I really didn't expect. The story deals with grief and with guilt so very well, it's not a typical 'killer' story by any means, the reader slowly and surely learns more about Dave, and his past as the plot unravels. Accompanied by some very well drawn characters - Crystal was one of my favourites - this story will keep you turning the pages well into the night. Trying to pre-empt where the author is taking you doesn't work, the revelations and the finale are unexpected and expertly handled. <br /><br />At times emotional and powerful, this is crime fiction with a heart. Characters to cheer for in a setting that is quite gloriously created. I enjoyed this one very much. Recommended. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQS6Ck6SoSWk3KvL4Gnu5efeCYNa4EmcbiCue0miB70y6DqQ7ua1DpTNZGKTGclNdQhkcjBW8gBJ_jVpRWxYAh8-Uxq2eb2nInBQYdSYzIFgs12qgqg-5P3jNGTPzeQWVKntahXWn4EOmYXl_SaJicyKxu4wFG7y9PcyrMxffz2CmKSDvec4_ntqX4car/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-5%20(27).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQS6Ck6SoSWk3KvL4Gnu5efeCYNa4EmcbiCue0miB70y6DqQ7ua1DpTNZGKTGclNdQhkcjBW8gBJ_jVpRWxYAh8-Uxq2eb2nInBQYdSYzIFgs12qgqg-5P3jNGTPzeQWVKntahXWn4EOmYXl_SaJicyKxu4wFG7y9PcyrMxffz2CmKSDvec4_ntqX4car/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-5%20(27).png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytMppRJkNtbwvZczTXwvIlrVMfOuV5HMivekzcJixMApcuHvUy_JswASWF2ALw2GbuavyhbyiCvavxkjOvNkLXoSFvCy-tkuCelbI0p5Q2p-ZTknKDLL2jIeRO_I5owVE76cBqRoHWRCgtR3WoN58MiqfWop3xsyde4XezpWPNSVJ30SNQsAoFjVHeQCm/s450/ltvgkndcge5cjb8u4j7qi1036t._SY450_CR29,0,450,450_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytMppRJkNtbwvZczTXwvIlrVMfOuV5HMivekzcJixMApcuHvUy_JswASWF2ALw2GbuavyhbyiCvavxkjOvNkLXoSFvCy-tkuCelbI0p5Q2p-ZTknKDLL2jIeRO_I5owVE76cBqRoHWRCgtR3WoN58MiqfWop3xsyde4XezpWPNSVJ30SNQsAoFjVHeQCm/s320/ltvgkndcge5cjb8u4j7qi1036t._SY450_CR29,0,450,450_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Emma Christie was born and raised in a book-filled house in Cumnock, an Ayrshire coal-mining town. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She spent five years working as a news reporter with one of the UK's top-selling regional daily newspapers, The Press and Journal. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She lives in Barcelona with her partner, Maria Jose, and their campervan, Jarry. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Emma can be found across social media at <a href="https://twitter.com/theemmachristie">@theemmachristie</a> and at <a href="http://emmachristiewriter.com">emmachristiewriter.com</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqDieXMwUiNb7prGEJdBBRRIiba3iDcMgE49cqrQMgCG4gF_ONsnxV0YH2NFA6uwKJg193wZB-Qnw-kUm9xL-zeFpMuUCLFyfxkb2q6ciPK12XasP7M2JJ6YHjCQXdan8St_GqqUAfsX4B61UyqeI8P4vGJ6_4sr4ELhdMsLhyphenhyphenztOz66v2piRh60WBJDE/s1500/1500x500%20(96).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqDieXMwUiNb7prGEJdBBRRIiba3iDcMgE49cqrQMgCG4gF_ONsnxV0YH2NFA6uwKJg193wZB-Qnw-kUm9xL-zeFpMuUCLFyfxkb2q6ciPK12XasP7M2JJ6YHjCQXdan8St_GqqUAfsX4B61UyqeI8P4vGJ6_4sr4ELhdMsLhyphenhyphenztOz66v2piRh60WBJDE/s16000/1500x500%20(96).jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D62RQ0gF0AJQABr0D00h89MPr6jJWRfCn2w4Pgthso3Yr9Ef91hEeKd6eSaWma-uRV_RQI0ARa09s3to9Ut1oLshTjno1slSt5WEr1sk37sfa0bwjEnRwiMeDSRqeF_Megmjdu8cNxr5rsB2K8GgFrcJvJk4hVJNLy5f7bgrLItH_s84SOlfQ1VRzcbD/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D62RQ0gF0AJQABr0D00h89MPr6jJWRfCn2w4Pgthso3Yr9Ef91hEeKd6eSaWma-uRV_RQI0ARa09s3to9Ut1oLshTjno1slSt5WEr1sk37sfa0bwjEnRwiMeDSRqeF_Megmjdu8cNxr5rsB2K8GgFrcJvJk4hVJNLy5f7bgrLItH_s84SOlfQ1VRzcbD/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b></div><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-66687081673169232362024-02-07T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-07T07:30:00.133+00:00A Sign Of Her Own by Sarah Marsh #ASignOfHerOwn @SarahCMarsh @TinderPress @RandomTTours #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMKsH_-_Ii71DEqi0Eyl5YdCRwNNnfP7mS2u0xsF-KilZyvSwBBQK8i0o9-ZM71DsuBm44hAHj1NIDocmO4PFi9H1avCQ1ClmoAV_lbc2JHvsQh9DT67fT1Hu4N9YH97zV0bX52k2YDCAq0FJFZwrD5kXAqpV64_l9jPU6dUEAbA_OhBpHyZdGOeu1iJe/s1500/91Q6P1L8tFL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="975" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMKsH_-_Ii71DEqi0Eyl5YdCRwNNnfP7mS2u0xsF-KilZyvSwBBQK8i0o9-ZM71DsuBm44hAHj1NIDocmO4PFi9H1avCQ1ClmoAV_lbc2JHvsQh9DT67fT1Hu4N9YH97zV0bX52k2YDCAq0FJFZwrD5kXAqpV64_l9jPU6dUEAbA_OhBpHyZdGOeu1iJe/s16000/91Q6P1L8tFL._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Ellen Lark is on the verge of marriage when she and her fiancé receive an unexpected visit from Alexander Graham Bell.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Ellen knows immediately what Bell really wants from her. Ellen is deaf, and for a time was Bell's student in a technique called Visible Speech. As he instructed her in speaking, Bell also confided in her about his dream of producing a device which would transmit the human voice along a wire: the telephone. Now, on the cusp of wealth and renown, Bell wants Ellen to speak up in support of his claim to the patent to the telephone, which is being challenged by rivals.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But Ellen has a different story to tell: that of how Bell betrayed her, and other deaf pupils, in pursuit of ambition and personal gain, and cut Ellen off from a community in which she had come to feel truly at home. It is a story no one around Ellen seems to want to hear - but there may never be a more important time for her to tell it.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7F-T1tkKmFBU5OQyhqa-fXUKFQPT5qgzFYEWgFFoGEXx9TznPt-sLz-4SOsW99oXcwX9rleWqz0ge40_QlFimrbP6DtnOrHbkjb3PVALpLD0-Rm7hl4sO5G5Kst5DTslJdlj2uN48iQzmBGAERuzqPoTwcx53XZLcqXkdjR5aShaRo7FPtNxd4eT3bAV/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-3%20(10).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7F-T1tkKmFBU5OQyhqa-fXUKFQPT5qgzFYEWgFFoGEXx9TznPt-sLz-4SOsW99oXcwX9rleWqz0ge40_QlFimrbP6DtnOrHbkjb3PVALpLD0-Rm7hl4sO5G5Kst5DTslJdlj2uN48iQzmBGAERuzqPoTwcx53XZLcqXkdjR5aShaRo7FPtNxd4eT3bAV/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-3%20(10).png" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-shape-of-his-words-sarah-marsh/7108022?ean=9781035401611"><b><i>A Sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh</i></b></a> was published on 1 February 2024 by Tinder Press. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour. </span><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ccmm7Ot9zGgg6jhEBbwAM19kvIluwBesILVgzB9rcHu7zzBCwo6I3WFNIkKMLc8sZQMCmztp2DH285PoMyujBldXi8DBsbCGaznte7_c-j2vwsHH__fLoDbXPOUjk8z38nL0zJsQAhFr0_CmjaWNVXjlcDgDJ3x0UeS6nDThCiptmEkJ3enCfbMFxHmc/s1920/Sign%20of%20her%20Own%20BT%20Poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ccmm7Ot9zGgg6jhEBbwAM19kvIluwBesILVgzB9rcHu7zzBCwo6I3WFNIkKMLc8sZQMCmztp2DH285PoMyujBldXi8DBsbCGaznte7_c-j2vwsHH__fLoDbXPOUjk8z38nL0zJsQAhFr0_CmjaWNVXjlcDgDJ3x0UeS6nDThCiptmEkJ3enCfbMFxHmc/s16000/Sign%20of%20her%20Own%20BT%20Poster.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A Sign of Her Own is a rich and vibrant novel that explores another side of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, narrated by fictional Ellen Lark in her own special words. <br /><br />Told in two time lines, we meet Ellen as she prepares for a meeting with her old mentor Bell. Ellen is about to be married, and Bell wants her to support him in his fight for recognition as the inventor of the telephone. However, Ellen has only bad memories about the time she was under Bell's instructions, she remembers who she and others in the deaf community were betrayed. How Bell was desperate for fame and fortune and how she and her peers became a useful plaything for him. <br /><br />The reader learns how Ellen lost her hearing due to Scarlet Fever when she was just four years old. Her mother encouraged her to use sign language; signs that they made up along the way. Whilst Ellen seemed to thrive, her paternal grandmother Adeline became convinced that she should study Visible Speech as advocated by Bell. The family were in debt to Adeline and Ellen was sent off to Bell's school whilst her mother went to England, where she re-married. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bell's pupils are discouraged from using sign language and must communicate using only Visible Speech, and notebooks. Whilst Ellen does learn quickly, she's a bright and astute young woman who soon becomes unsure of Bell and his methods. Ellen feels vulnerable in the hearing world and when she meets Frank McKinney, a deaf man, her worries are confirmed. <br /><br />Marsh takes the reader back and forth throughout the novel, and I have to admit that at times, this was a little confusing. However, once familiar with the structure of the novel it all flows quite well. <br /><br />The later era in the novel is concerned with Bell's fight to patent the telephone and his attempts to get Ellen on board. For her to support him in his quest. Bell comes across as quite an extraordinary character, determined and a workaholic, his teachings and inventions can only enhance life for millions, yet it is not other people who are his main concern. As Ellen is told; Bell sees people, but only people, he doesn't appreciate individuals or consider their personal needs. <br /><br />A Sign of Her Own is a wonderful and eye opening look into the life of deaf people. It exposes the vulnerability of living in a noisy hearing world, surrounded by people, yet feeling alone and lonely. The controversy about whether sign language should be used, or whether deaf people should be made to communicate via other way is fascinating and something that I had not heard of before. <br /><br />This is a novel written with passion and authority that exposes many issues. Ellen is an amazing character, finely detailed and so easy to empathise with. Recommended by me. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8lhR-AT8GTD3kr5R1h5EH6zWLvoqyWDRluDFBcT0UCGJUP9SxACqBpwwmKldWJjW93vy8gfhrxIqJjwRDer-Il8GyxaoC0x5SwTo57gAi6r_cNyTmMe8b8Tm-nIaECqwfz2gCPp9AFqiOMBhADHkFgR9I7bYgZ8NfLUIGXz6GhMWfiw5HlJn6VKqFr2D/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-3%20(10).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8lhR-AT8GTD3kr5R1h5EH6zWLvoqyWDRluDFBcT0UCGJUP9SxACqBpwwmKldWJjW93vy8gfhrxIqJjwRDer-Il8GyxaoC0x5SwTo57gAi6r_cNyTmMe8b8Tm-nIaECqwfz2gCPp9AFqiOMBhADHkFgR9I7bYgZ8NfLUIGXz6GhMWfiw5HlJn6VKqFr2D/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-3%20(10).png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvqOlW97485tvOVPPUWR01dZfWO089nqCNxkFGqkOc13OaGnQHrqWDqBXjwvHbu1hjyhpsKKn9-KakUrRjV-5dyG6SBt3trSMwAQN48EERAA6jMsyfCwa5V5STSeQtTvNdbCnzCfL9LJDzhXYYz756W_DjJupKKQZxpw0Bpf4bLMXoC73AxCZedmHEyvn/s400/Sarah%20Marsh.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvqOlW97485tvOVPPUWR01dZfWO089nqCNxkFGqkOc13OaGnQHrqWDqBXjwvHbu1hjyhpsKKn9-KakUrRjV-5dyG6SBt3trSMwAQN48EERAA6jMsyfCwa5V5STSeQtTvNdbCnzCfL9LJDzhXYYz756W_DjJupKKQZxpw0Bpf4bLMXoC73AxCZedmHEyvn/s320/Sarah%20Marsh.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Sarah Marsh was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish prize in 2019 and selected for the <br />London Library Emerging Writers programme in 2020. <br /><br />A Sign of Her Own is her first novel, inspired by her experiences of growing up deaf and her family's history of deafness. <br /><br />She lives in London.<br /><br />X <a href="https://twitter.com/SarahCMarsh">@SarahCMarsh </a><br /><br />Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarahmarshwrites/">@sarahmarshwrites</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObO2x8ucSWu__LbC4b-lq6RcyOtw67tE6uEAcx_ccqS_mmv9fbwrVRSh5ZxbLyAUBvsz00lEv-u0H9AOcni52ToCGW5bw9jKeLnZogPKAsw7-D2dCNvOlQVK9yAfEt_Lq2_t4o9u5eHFIY3lYo60rTrt0Q08sLRhsVa_S11_hEPe5aML_M4g1k_FcvuhI/s970/6bd09673-054e-4954-88ad-95fce805c4c4.__CR0,0,970,600_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObO2x8ucSWu__LbC4b-lq6RcyOtw67tE6uEAcx_ccqS_mmv9fbwrVRSh5ZxbLyAUBvsz00lEv-u0H9AOcni52ToCGW5bw9jKeLnZogPKAsw7-D2dCNvOlQVK9yAfEt_Lq2_t4o9u5eHFIY3lYo60rTrt0Q08sLRhsVa_S11_hEPe5aML_M4g1k_FcvuhI/s16000/6bd09673-054e-4954-88ad-95fce805c4c4.__CR0,0,970,600_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbmpptpRpsmQQHZhnuTSiC9BYt63qPplQPwPktmDypnkX7l1cMPGkdSiMdUwLMNMKEzxQbyA7tNdTuojsUckh0Rw87cKlLY5LYRavLAIqf2udCGIhNno3D6fcjheKkQ748cdm68z6_3PKSM_XYyGr-dk-9JnErraFAsYZth3a_Vcijcc02SF0YB1gq-Xv/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbmpptpRpsmQQHZhnuTSiC9BYt63qPplQPwPktmDypnkX7l1cMPGkdSiMdUwLMNMKEzxQbyA7tNdTuojsUckh0Rw87cKlLY5LYRavLAIqf2udCGIhNno3D6fcjheKkQ748cdm68z6_3PKSM_XYyGr-dk-9JnErraFAsYZth3a_Vcijcc02SF0YB1gq-Xv/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></b></div></div><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-35791651422263412402024-02-06T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-06T07:30:00.150+00:00Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson #Giveaway @DorothyKoomson @headlinepg #Prize #Win #Competition <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlL8uye0HqYJMHXYmgOfea8rbiHM12-HfWDSszje3oNSPu3OKVgs55u1_AV_KwdF7hh7OeAoi2RUAyoGGpX7H-JSJ1PCgIB2QNg82-9nOo1uR84IKsB9e18ZhPvjLT5PCvDe-JcJXXPk0VAi2Jrh8ODbNY5HTqf-amxADYapIC5xkIqiOVqctFd62Hl1Qn/s1500/819eLLWdWJL._SL1500_%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="977" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlL8uye0HqYJMHXYmgOfea8rbiHM12-HfWDSszje3oNSPu3OKVgs55u1_AV_KwdF7hh7OeAoi2RUAyoGGpX7H-JSJ1PCgIB2QNg82-9nOo1uR84IKsB9e18ZhPvjLT5PCvDe-JcJXXPk0VAi2Jrh8ODbNY5HTqf-amxADYapIC5xkIqiOVqctFd62Hl1Qn/s16000/819eLLWdWJL._SL1500_%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Please take care of my baby. But don't try to find me. You'll put him in danger. x</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Profiler and therapist Kez Lanyon is shocked when she finds a baby on the backseat of her car, with an unsigned note asking her to take care of him.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Kez has a pretty good idea who the mother is - Brandee, a popular social media star with a troubled background, who once lived in Kez's house.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Brandee recently dropped out of the limelight and if the internet rumours are true, Kez knows Brandee's life is in danger.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Kez is torn. Should she simply take care of the baby as she's been asked, or should she risk her whole family by using contacts from her previous job to save this young woman?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Time is running out for Brandee. Can Kez find her before it's too late?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is the heart-stopping new novel from The Queen Of The Big Reveal.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglL1bkaTvZlQyFrpWpiFK3ZJBlC-bIPnFNVitG-Xzg8SkqaBCwapvcz8E8vA5OZNcuHJ0AvKBkACBTuQ0_vp67siRlpiK1pmmRwixve1faTuQssWGxsw2g9aC03iYjqGe4UjipQYShxOSC81mIGBt_jylu4PJNOF1dKYRA0hAcbrlkZZhrnFGVoj5QowZJ/s1024/hr-jade-gordon-04.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglL1bkaTvZlQyFrpWpiFK3ZJBlC-bIPnFNVitG-Xzg8SkqaBCwapvcz8E8vA5OZNcuHJ0AvKBkACBTuQ0_vp67siRlpiK1pmmRwixve1faTuQssWGxsw2g9aC03iYjqGe4UjipQYShxOSC81mIGBt_jylu4PJNOF1dKYRA0hAcbrlkZZhrnFGVoj5QowZJ/s16000/hr-jade-gordon-04.gif" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/every-smile-you-fake-the-gripping-new-novel-from-the-bestselling-queen-of-the-big-reveal-dorothy-koomson/7412041?ean=9781472298102"><i><b>Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson</b></i></a> is published in hardback by Headline on 15 February 2024. You can read <a href="https://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.com/2024/01/every-smile-you-fake-by-dorothy-koomson.html"><b><i>my review of the book on Random Things here </i></b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">I am delighted to be able to offer one hardback copy to one lucky winner today. Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget below. UK entries only please.<br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">GOOD LUCK!!</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div><p></p>
<a class="e-widget no-button" href="https://gleam.io/sXN8e/one-copy-of-every-smile-you-fake-by-dorothy-koomson" rel="nofollow">One copy of Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson</a>
<script async="true" src="https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Praise for Dorothy Koomson</span></i></b></div><div><br /></div><div>A brilliant rollercoaster of a thriller about obsessive love and hidden secrets. Tense, twisty and unputdownable -- <b>Claire Douglas</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The very definition of a page-turner, it's suburban noir at its finest -- <b>Harriet Tyce</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Just like Desperate Housewives, but even darker and more devious ― <b>Woman & Home</b></div><div><br /></div><div>An expertly-crafted rollercoaster of a novel that had me gripped from the beginning -- <b>Jendella Benson</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Queen of the killer hook line and master of the jaw-dropping twist ―<b> S Magazine</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Another delightfully twisty thriller from the Queen of the Big Reveal ― <b>Heat</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Koomson hooks us from the very first page ― <b>Refinery29</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Another superb thriller from one of our favourite authors ― <b>Bella</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Dark and compelling . . . prepare for revelations aplenty! ― <b>Fabulous</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Written with verve and insight ― <b>Stylist</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoEVXU1PkGwpEJxCWgWXBz2RlAYlJ3nEttovsumsRGh_6rS2xOQulNLzK1vU0ywgcGphKZkw9FkrHyBXp8D9S6b5J4gXnrmox9A02Thv0fD_ZtZNVUhwxTkzq3avk6YGjxq0gi34RYNL81LMbclJG9-XqYXkxGL1WuJL-c5HawpwyUK51mmqcTfUFWwlJ/s1024/hr-jade-gordon-04.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoEVXU1PkGwpEJxCWgWXBz2RlAYlJ3nEttovsumsRGh_6rS2xOQulNLzK1vU0ywgcGphKZkw9FkrHyBXp8D9S6b5J4gXnrmox9A02Thv0fD_ZtZNVUhwxTkzq3avk6YGjxq0gi34RYNL81LMbclJG9-XqYXkxGL1WuJL-c5HawpwyUK51mmqcTfUFWwlJ/s16000/hr-jade-gordon-04.gif" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS9G3Iq7Y1E3KcRHG_4vM66JkQ-KON05zRhocvFIfnSpmBgjmxTDPyZlADeMDTAaj8QXbxVhHyoLNUf_p4S-bIhaEOo039YTnfM7KN6oRcImpqjJJhDtmvudC8xuoj3GvTvkjBv9cOCdoeZxDZs13KbmGCvU_G3wk_ESsE3A4wzk9YAvyHfhnhvEpd96y/s320/Dorothy-Koomson-wpv_850x780_center_center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="320" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS9G3Iq7Y1E3KcRHG_4vM66JkQ-KON05zRhocvFIfnSpmBgjmxTDPyZlADeMDTAaj8QXbxVhHyoLNUf_p4S-bIhaEOo039YTnfM7KN6oRcImpqjJJhDtmvudC8xuoj3GvTvkjBv9cOCdoeZxDZs13KbmGCvU_G3wk_ESsE3A4wzk9YAvyHfhnhvEpd96y/s1600/Dorothy-Koomson-wpv_850x780_center_center.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>DOROTHY KOOMSON is an award-winning, internationally bestselling author and journalist <br />whose books have been translated into more than 30 languages, with sales that exceed 2 million copies in the UK alone.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>Her third novel, My Best Friend's Girl (2006) was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club, while a TV adaptation based on The Ice Cream Girls was shown on ITV1 in 2013.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>Dorothy was featured on the 2021 Powerlist as one of the most influential Black people in Britain and appeared in GQ Style as a Black British trailblazer.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>She loves reading and writing, and is passionate about supporting other writers no matter what stage they are at in their career.</i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i><a href="http://www.dorothykoomson.co.uk">www.dorothykoomson.co.uk</a></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>X <a href="https://twitter.com/DorothyKoomson">@DorothyKoomson</a></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><b><i>Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dorothykoomson_author/">@dorothykoomson_author</a></i></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoooDwIZfgVofD6xF72HUuu5XZyL8GmtoaQWJiuEEFUupPLo_0VCiD6nMB0x_h91ZOku1vaKibXl5lMRZ2sJyPUQTArgHxadxIUq59Mqr5-TOQ9v5m4lYNmfzsHjjTHHJGsrWTBHUJZtzuDYWGR49EMhlVGopKh6PHmn9yC0uGEbLYH9pwFGzIdz3wBjU/s970/7f051ead-c5f5-4918-9e13-162d59eec709.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoooDwIZfgVofD6xF72HUuu5XZyL8GmtoaQWJiuEEFUupPLo_0VCiD6nMB0x_h91ZOku1vaKibXl5lMRZ2sJyPUQTArgHxadxIUq59Mqr5-TOQ9v5m4lYNmfzsHjjTHHJGsrWTBHUJZtzuDYWGR49EMhlVGopKh6PHmn9yC0uGEbLYH9pwFGzIdz3wBjU/s16000/7f051ead-c5f5-4918-9e13-162d59eec709.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8C_spVTaLDALR518ZJwtG4KPfVi3lGYSzh0sOjyZTnt7Zum2CZ0RWVBNtsL0dFGUXblinJ7MPeOQ0WcV1YWCOmvgzDrDZ_iKfI2ClwS_pr6IGg1Upj3AMvXVwRa5omYa4jI2lVZcZZ-oM-_CUpJzfsxjnAVOjJr1aIh40WKaykTFdWRr6ZnZZ0oBEkqym/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8C_spVTaLDALR518ZJwtG4KPfVi3lGYSzh0sOjyZTnt7Zum2CZ0RWVBNtsL0dFGUXblinJ7MPeOQ0WcV1YWCOmvgzDrDZ_iKfI2ClwS_pr6IGg1Upj3AMvXVwRa5omYa4jI2lVZcZZ-oM-_CUpJzfsxjnAVOjJr1aIh40WKaykTFdWRr6ZnZZ0oBEkqym/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></div></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-75566474245985534572024-02-05T09:28:00.000+00:002024-02-05T09:28:30.016+00:00Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra #Nightwatching @tsierraauthor @VikingBooksUK @PenguinUKBooks @Jane54321 #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0X-p1Jwl6cgKDmnU1DZTAZKufhKwUjUFymL6CH0hdIaOcft3oV77DVWlo7qikXp2iLfA1CoHjCF5eDWkBYaboWVolHGUL_KigAnqGfbtEMs9I53SAjtKZkE-XSmQymp-sn1lSykqj2FkqXGpefMAO56FyTT33PFwFDEXTjnro6aWxRxe2Ygg6jZjVRuM/s1500/81EwG2CQ4KL._SL1500_%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="932" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0X-p1Jwl6cgKDmnU1DZTAZKufhKwUjUFymL6CH0hdIaOcft3oV77DVWlo7qikXp2iLfA1CoHjCF5eDWkBYaboWVolHGUL_KigAnqGfbtEMs9I53SAjtKZkE-XSmQymp-sn1lSykqj2FkqXGpefMAO56FyTT33PFwFDEXTjnro6aWxRxe2Ygg6jZjVRuM/s16000/81EwG2CQ4KL._SL1500_%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">There was someone in the house.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a mother tucks her son back into bed in the middle of the night. Then she hears a noise - old houses are always making some kind of noise. But this sound is disturbingly familiar: it's the tread of footsteps, unusually heavy and slow, coming up the stairs...</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In that split second, she has three choices.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Should she hide? Should she run? Or should she fight?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8XMqgFuObqYKGOb9OvJxybevd_ta4C9AGNk12x3yj7BlIE_jlsdaezTIWQ_2E0gri9IvO1SzYnQCjgynnrZNm0mMumjL4bKDNWJNGaZkKR22Q_JmiD4Mqjk7WQj1szknxViz8_F-8ZT1z_-QIw0A3ktRwUjWBvhBtrLIBq6G-5Hn2djDf2WY6-RiidcU/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-2%20(18).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8XMqgFuObqYKGOb9OvJxybevd_ta4C9AGNk12x3yj7BlIE_jlsdaezTIWQ_2E0gri9IvO1SzYnQCjgynnrZNm0mMumjL4bKDNWJNGaZkKR22Q_JmiD4Mqjk7WQj1szknxViz8_F-8ZT1z_-QIw0A3ktRwUjWBvhBtrLIBq6G-5Hn2djDf2WY6-RiidcU/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-2%20(18).png" /></a></div><p style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><b><i><br /></i></b></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/nightwatching-the-most-gripping-thriller-i-have-ever-read-gillian-mcallister-tracy-sierra/7598307?ean=9780241639863"><b><i>Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra</i></b></a> is published by Viking / Penguin on 8 February 2024. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. <br /><br />This truly is one of most terrifying books that I've ever read. It is a psychological thriller that crept it's way into my head and wouldn't leave. Even when I wasn't actually reading it, I was thinking about it. I have to give credit to an author who can make me invest so much into characters that don't even have names. <br /><br />The opening line is enough to send icy chills down the spine ..... 'There was someone in the house' .... <br /><br />Nightwatching is set in a very old house, made up of different sections that have been added on at various times, with a central staircase that leads to all parts of the house. There's a blizzard blowing outside, the snow is very deep, the house and its inhabitants are isolated and alone. But they are not alone ....... The mother sees a figure on the landing, at first she thinks she is imagining things, but soon realises that there really is a man in her house. <br /><br />She is desperate to get her son and daughter out of harms way, to protect them, to keep them safe, just like any mother would do. The house is so old, and creaks and shudders in the wind, but the woman knows all of the noises that her house makes; each squeaky floorboard, every loose step. Trying to keep calm and not pass on her terror to her children, she manages to get them all into a safe hiding place within the house, convinced that the man will not find them there. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The author does not prepare her reader for this, we land smack bang in the middle of this event and my heart began to pound faster and faster as I willed the woman to save her children. We know nothing about the characters, and the author's decision not to give the characters names doesn't detach the reader at all, in fact, for me, it made me feel more concerned, more curious. Where is the woman's husband that she thinks about so often? Why are they alone in the house? <br /><br />However, the woman does give the intruder a name, she refers to him as Corner. I think this was done to dehumanise this person, not allowing him to have human traits, he's a monster. <br /><br />Whilst the three are hiding, the woman's thoughts go back to when she met and married her husband, she thinks about her own family, and she remembers how her father in law has always treated her so badly. She seems to be a woman who has suffered at the hands of men, and Corner only reinforces these feelings. The gradual getting to know the woman through her thoughts is expertly done, and the reader begins to understand her actions and why she takes them. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is so much more to come, but those things are for other readers to discover, it's not my job to relay the entire plot, the author does it so much better, with style and in tense and gripping prose.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The house itself and the surrounding area are so central to this story. The description of the blistering cold weather conditions, the nearby forest with branches that seem to attack, and a graveyard of tombstones and added dangers increase the tension. The sometimes disjointed thoughts and actions of the woman, and her interactions with yet more men who show nothing but disrespect may often make the reader question her too. With an ending that both shocked and satisfied me, Nightwatching is one of the most atmospheric, heart pounding and totally gripping thrillers that I've read for many a year. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQNk0mr22n5DPBu4SOxJdyLWZdhFVWhI5pECJ8ZmsI2tSMse7ACF3Ff7tekgMFVZbSwK9Tp8QfAK5lUkEBHXGMQG8MWoEMMtLx6dce20AGSdQhG6WRwYYAE8LwiUYKRHbPkAN00SPgYv2Y3olEbJo-wzBKivdMWl4sFH7tTFtwz-v4st8s2tZPValPDU2/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-2%20(18).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQNk0mr22n5DPBu4SOxJdyLWZdhFVWhI5pECJ8ZmsI2tSMse7ACF3Ff7tekgMFVZbSwK9Tp8QfAK5lUkEBHXGMQG8MWoEMMtLx6dce20AGSdQhG6WRwYYAE8LwiUYKRHbPkAN00SPgYv2Y3olEbJo-wzBKivdMWl4sFH7tTFtwz-v4st8s2tZPValPDU2/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-2%20(18).png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGuJDuzS-M20r3RTF0Re3mRnsbPPy60Sw6e5yLvDqrOq6w9PKSetzzLbhdg85E-uohZotkWmu5zHua-SiQAYg_bsgIL2bawBPz4noi82KXI2zq1wlPik-yt50BLXXI3IyTj1cUSBf0hNwfpguy_AiyhSGxloxZ7NprdHuD9clSj5KF2qKVUb2b-Mab5Xn/s450/dge55qpde95mju9fhp9e0df8hk._SY450_CR0,0,450,450_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGuJDuzS-M20r3RTF0Re3mRnsbPPy60Sw6e5yLvDqrOq6w9PKSetzzLbhdg85E-uohZotkWmu5zHua-SiQAYg_bsgIL2bawBPz4noi82KXI2zq1wlPik-yt50BLXXI3IyTj1cUSBf0hNwfpguy_AiyhSGxloxZ7NprdHuD9clSj5KF2qKVUb2b-Mab5Xn/s320/dge55qpde95mju9fhp9e0df8hk._SY450_CR0,0,450,450_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Tracy Sierra was born and raised in the Colorado mountains. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />She is an attorney who currently lives in New England in an antique colonial-era home complete with its own secret room. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When not writing, she spends time with her husband and two children. </span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Nightwatching is her debut novel.</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.tracysierraauthor.com">www.tracysierraauthor.com</a></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>X <a href="https://twitter.com/tsierraauthor">@tsierraauthor</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>IG <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tsierraauthor/">@tsierraauthor</a></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-eskzNHig9Pwdq5PX_c8P2U-0sHsEwQBrfMuE-vSUNdWuxCzj_-UsgCrNj0u3q3iOrK8fiQhHiJYuVOeBQXTqWDrGIBqo_PJxTn64Vq0vtE04tExISAymVVqTFwHamVHkH-rvH0PZd9t1Wcm87hUWnzS_F_f6hFfd7MxS6pdBpmBRxou4Cf6We0ULCDm/s970/8e12bab0-c7e4-40b4-9ea0-05dd38c65f91.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-eskzNHig9Pwdq5PX_c8P2U-0sHsEwQBrfMuE-vSUNdWuxCzj_-UsgCrNj0u3q3iOrK8fiQhHiJYuVOeBQXTqWDrGIBqo_PJxTn64Vq0vtE04tExISAymVVqTFwHamVHkH-rvH0PZd9t1Wcm87hUWnzS_F_f6hFfd7MxS6pdBpmBRxou4Cf6We0ULCDm/s16000/8e12bab0-c7e4-40b4-9ea0-05dd38c65f91.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYjAUW3D7YGzu-y0N2NqxyltmhcHJoR7OctMscufgx93AucHcBCAVw98CAzYS_y-dH8RWYjb4ZpEJnYTWOiuGSoG0fl9ztjD0q8uQD9Eh9l0g72359D5Kx6B68-OkXCJkreM98mn0aqctBT0u5uN_zE1r5gY3C5Ob0g8yqtejSzlZ5h-FkfQrx9lHJgbC/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYjAUW3D7YGzu-y0N2NqxyltmhcHJoR7OctMscufgx93AucHcBCAVw98CAzYS_y-dH8RWYjb4ZpEJnYTWOiuGSoG0fl9ztjD0q8uQD9Eh9l0g72359D5Kx6B68-OkXCJkreM98mn0aqctBT0u5uN_zE1r5gY3C5Ob0g8yqtejSzlZ5h-FkfQrx9lHJgbC/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><p></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-40236412680073852372024-02-01T07:30:00.001+00:002024-02-01T07:30:00.133+00:00Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate #TwentySevenMinutes @tate_ab @headlinepg @RosieMargesson #BookReview <p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7q3ehHovJayo14yCOunEQWfv4k898SGStSIOg1gDvkidNrW0Z8atkepfCMiLp-BQ8IlacGQIzDzPRyZUAiSCnHKkJhZJo-zzDbBouStmYoR-fA2AcCoRfjsVaRrCo5cyE3jMunH9CTs6E2HdPnjbNBbKZhMCFehkDTgXhLRxfzAH0dBh4e4kKwDZvkt_/s1500/81anZqgxR3L._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="975" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7q3ehHovJayo14yCOunEQWfv4k898SGStSIOg1gDvkidNrW0Z8atkepfCMiLp-BQ8IlacGQIzDzPRyZUAiSCnHKkJhZJo-zzDbBouStmYoR-fA2AcCoRfjsVaRrCo5cyE3jMunH9CTs6E2HdPnjbNBbKZhMCFehkDTgXhLRxfzAH0dBh4e4kKwDZvkt_/s16000/81anZqgxR3L._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">THE QUESTION</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For the last ten years, the small town of West Wilmer has been struggling to answer one question: on the night of the crash that killed his sister, why did it take Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help? If he'd called sooner, Phoebe might still be alive.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">THE SECRET</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As the anniversary of Phoebe's death approaches, Grant is consumed by his memories and the secret that's been suffocating him for years. But he and Phoebe weren't the only ones in the car that night. Becca was there too - she's the only other person who knows what really happened. Or is she?</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">THE TRUTH</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Everyone remembers Phoebe, but local girl June also lost someone that night. Her brother Wyatt has been missing for ten years and, now that her mother is dead, June has no one left - no family, no friends. Until someone appears at her door. Someone who knows what really happened that night. And they are ready to tell the truth.</span></i></b></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3h68EDPu6-g5Pz5f7-uutvUNLrNWOzZgTmzJB1-1aq2lVZWuk5KKyavgQV2wLcRa06jceFwQq4sH61pBz09CXF6CGK4xkn3vV5G_RRwewjdGQQFFcYw764duhXJKchMkAjPkIwKd0XpWwNXHsRQekJkVGNw9GqNNvzIlWDbSuLuRmlfZ7PEOsgLBJGcgX/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-3%20(9).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3h68EDPu6-g5Pz5f7-uutvUNLrNWOzZgTmzJB1-1aq2lVZWuk5KKyavgQV2wLcRa06jceFwQq4sH61pBz09CXF6CGK4xkn3vV5G_RRwewjdGQQFFcYw764duhXJKchMkAjPkIwKd0XpWwNXHsRQekJkVGNw9GqNNvzIlWDbSuLuRmlfZ7PEOsgLBJGcgX/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-3%20(9).png" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/twenty-seven-minutes-a-b-tate/7403319?ean=9781035401512"><b><i>Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate</i></b></a> is published today; 1 February 2024 by Headline. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. <br /><br />West Wilmer is a small town packed with people who know everything about each other. Or do they? The community does know that the old bridge on the edge of town has just claimed another life. An elderly lady, who really shouldn't have been driving, has died. The bridge is better known as the place where young Phoebe Dean died ten years ago. She was a passenger in a truck, driven by her brother Grant. Becca was also a passenger that night. </span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">June also lives in West Wilmer, her mother recently died and June was the only person at the funeral. June's brother Wyatt disappeared on that night when Phoebe died. Their father left soon afterwards and June and her mother never heard from Wyatt again. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">As Phoebe's mother prepares to hold a memorial to mark ten years since Phoebe's death, her brother Grant becomes more and more paranoid about the secrets that have been kept for all of those years. Everyone in town wonders why it took Grant twenty-seven minutes to call the emergency services after the crash. Everyone thinks that if Grant had acted sooner then Phoebe would still be alive. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Becca is determined to attend the memorial. She's kept quiet about that dreadful night for a decade, she has loved Grant from afar. Becca has been totally destroyed by what happened that night, she feels like she is in a constant glare from residents, yet is unable to speak her truth. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">As the memorial gets nearer, Grant, Becca and June each struggle with their current life. Wishing that they could go back, wishing that things were different. In June's case, desperate for the truth, whilst Grant and Becca want nothing more than to keep everything covered up. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Told alternatively by the three main characters, with flash backs to the days leading up to the accident on the bridge, this is a tense and quite challenging read. It feels very claustrophobic at times, with the characters always feeling as though they are being watched, and judged. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each of the lead characters are finely drawn, including Phoebe in the flash back episodes. It's difficult to like or empathise with any of them except for June, but this just adds to the story. The reader will certainly take sides along the way, but as more detail is exposed, that initial opinion may change.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">The pace quickens as the novel gets towards the end, with more and more reveals until the shocking finale that left me quite stunned. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a dark, literary domestic thriller, very character led but with a compelling and dynamic plot line too. The secrets are buried deep, but when they become exposed, they are explosive and unexpected. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">A fabulous debut from this very talented author. I will look forward to reading more from Tate. Highly recommended. </span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRdGLh6_Kplz2iUh7pM6po7ZlGkElRimlxUR0ciZR7DO9m2mkTklWinEtG8sDyF-hLVDVULvS2xblIMKm3I61dq0r8DWuPfUqxtfjPKiflmTAiops-sP7YUc8CrurUKWzh8fdq54_yozplVSsplDpSeaUh7Wm6zpxULeRpbYKss07V2s-QV7hz0YG3JZv/s600/hr-jehzeel-laurente-3%20(9).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="76" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcRdGLh6_Kplz2iUh7pM6po7ZlGkElRimlxUR0ciZR7DO9m2mkTklWinEtG8sDyF-hLVDVULvS2xblIMKm3I61dq0r8DWuPfUqxtfjPKiflmTAiops-sP7YUc8CrurUKWzh8fdq54_yozplVSsplDpSeaUh7Wm6zpxULeRpbYKss07V2s-QV7hz0YG3JZv/s16000/hr-jehzeel-laurente-3%20(9).png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #424243; text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIX0_Rkjd6vpVlCSwM0xH4lY75bSyAhG2W9Ehcs4BYeYoUp76pzhZWtWGJCY-opOZl-MPp40cBSLUUMRLueiSsOEXh74Vkra7IIKFI4T-RQqY2PqN11cuQKWba-Vh5lsCCEj4Wfys-pCXSu5u_uiwqfLMZZdf4Xk6zljsbSL8M1eF2ogbt5uvbOZ15ajT/s600/img_0953-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIX0_Rkjd6vpVlCSwM0xH4lY75bSyAhG2W9Ehcs4BYeYoUp76pzhZWtWGJCY-opOZl-MPp40cBSLUUMRLueiSsOEXh74Vkra7IIKFI4T-RQqY2PqN11cuQKWba-Vh5lsCCEj4Wfys-pCXSu5u_uiwqfLMZZdf4Xk6zljsbSL8M1eF2ogbt5uvbOZ15ajT/s320/img_0953-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>ASHLEY TATE worked for over a decade as a writer and an editor for various <br />publications as well as Canada’s first online magazine. </span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #424243; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #424243; text-align: start;">Twenty-Seven Minutes </span><span style="color: #424243; text-align: start;">is her debut. </span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #424243; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #424243; text-align: start;">She lives with her husband, their two children, and their dog in Toronto.</span></span></i></b></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #424243; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #424243; text-align: start;">X <a href="https://twitter.com/tate_ab">@tate_ab</a><br /><br />Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ashleytateauthor/">@ashleytateauthor</a></span></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPG1VjWLXV3ZaaiNTJkIr6yRfmURxsiwRvDWKHN1tj1YluCC4KmIxbDrrbi_Hy3bXeXwst9rT9vs8nUFIZ_IDUJWKHXILoQMQxKcq2Bf8HCpokmvghZXLUJ0J6IfS5GAzty9JVq3BuwdIAt7l1PybNhfELbQCcFFo0CJFQjzt1XQJC6YfRGVA1q1p-_jt/s970/40a2d838-ce4a-4073-b6de-10c2510aa1de.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPG1VjWLXV3ZaaiNTJkIr6yRfmURxsiwRvDWKHN1tj1YluCC4KmIxbDrrbi_Hy3bXeXwst9rT9vs8nUFIZ_IDUJWKHXILoQMQxKcq2Bf8HCpokmvghZXLUJ0J6IfS5GAzty9JVq3BuwdIAt7l1PybNhfELbQCcFFo0CJFQjzt1XQJC6YfRGVA1q1p-_jt/s16000/40a2d838-ce4a-4073-b6de-10c2510aa1de.__CR0,0,970,300_PT0_SX970_V1___.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2v35xHQMfs3-71uDZ8R2tyNaaHvzIMp_w28j-sWND5WAUJKrYSgFFhxDC9ZtNz0PLBjELYmpZha8s3Xr1SuHY86WWOrVhhlonALAqewK82TWb_V2fXhaeM8jKoEU2DU-b_4hs3w2zzSzRrFdRPnEosjxEnRmcDXTbNmeMcT4cQ_t0NH1CTW7DbajjtR-i/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2v35xHQMfs3-71uDZ8R2tyNaaHvzIMp_w28j-sWND5WAUJKrYSgFFhxDC9ZtNz0PLBjELYmpZha8s3Xr1SuHY86WWOrVhhlonALAqewK82TWb_V2fXhaeM8jKoEU2DU-b_4hs3w2zzSzRrFdRPnEosjxEnRmcDXTbNmeMcT4cQ_t0NH1CTW7DbajjtR-i/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7637227538745026605.post-1339374973793165332024-01-31T07:30:00.002+00:002024-01-31T08:35:35.128+00:00The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz BLOG TOUR #TheBadWeatherFriend @deankoontz @FMcMAssociates<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRMRoGSTZnThX8DR7dky5oOeC0A1x1suAuQ6yXrrVfMbiaGhtUcXy6IP8P9MKeodwc15ZCcfdQTLa3cZzefN2YBJvO5j6R5iSKIufRKWgqvpkytM9x3442eiliMs9NW58isE9y-W17km7N6-Maxm4ftIvpXIqQ4EqZm1Tp0V91YXSuefwTgdBRKimSmil/s1500/81GkJIs4EtL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRMRoGSTZnThX8DR7dky5oOeC0A1x1suAuQ6yXrrVfMbiaGhtUcXy6IP8P9MKeodwc15ZCcfdQTLa3cZzefN2YBJvO5j6R5iSKIufRKWgqvpkytM9x3442eiliMs9NW58isE9y-W17km7N6-Maxm4ftIvpXIqQ4EqZm1Tp0V91YXSuefwTgdBRKimSmil/s16000/81GkJIs4EtL._SL1500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Benny is so nice they feel compelled to destroy him, but he has a friend who should scare the hell out of them in this breathtaking new kind of thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean Koontz.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Benny Catspaw’s perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He’s not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he’s never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">How strange―though it’s a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what’s inside the crate. He’s a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn’t such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him.</span></i></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUopVWRMkmibBowQKp1ofgjL4ICkLXhYjbc-9Ax7AT7qNhe02s1felZQBKRet4iu8LT6IfMVMAbJ8vXRBzdY5vp82AGnx3bwq1E0Gwf8DFC82mbSks8OzaQseI7uEykSt9vpODUFWF19ZMhOM9_zRPcl3eH1-vx-w0vyEc1hQVniUCxlpqi3J4RGNm8m3/s688/hr-vernon-kesner-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="70" data-original-width="688" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihUopVWRMkmibBowQKp1ofgjL4ICkLXhYjbc-9Ax7AT7qNhe02s1felZQBKRet4iu8LT6IfMVMAbJ8vXRBzdY5vp82AGnx3bwq1E0Gwf8DFC82mbSks8OzaQseI7uEykSt9vpODUFWF19ZMhOM9_zRPcl3eH1-vx-w0vyEc1hQVniUCxlpqi3J4RGNm8m3/s16000/hr-vernon-kesner-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-bad-weather-friend-dean-koontz/7539856?ean=9781662500497"><b><i>The Bad Weather Friend by Dean Koontz </i></b></a>is published on 1 February 2024 by Thomas & Mercer. My thanks to Antara at FMcM who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFB91st66sdRR18ceqhS0ksu9Ap66g_CHyF8a9Sw4G2id_0n3IjzSF7gLpWw7Er7fLW9TfsasA1HhRxBmF-bEjohJkAqw7htUeous0eZKzLdOuXR0LKeg-BpMo37RykzXJ3SEbvIqgUlHxMPH-G6OtyvKGnBN72x5LLLXTggvjJ4SpXLBzWRp55n4-fue/s2480/Bad%20Weather%20Friend%20Blog%20Tour%20asset.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2480" data-original-width="2480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFB91st66sdRR18ceqhS0ksu9Ap66g_CHyF8a9Sw4G2id_0n3IjzSF7gLpWw7Er7fLW9TfsasA1HhRxBmF-bEjohJkAqw7htUeous0eZKzLdOuXR0LKeg-BpMo37RykzXJ3SEbvIqgUlHxMPH-G6OtyvKGnBN72x5LLLXTggvjJ4SpXLBzWRp55n4-fue/s16000/Bad%20Weather%20Friend%20Blog%20Tour%20asset.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dean Koontz has written and sold so many books, in fact his titles have sold over five hundred million copies around the world. That is a lot of books!<br /><br />This is my first experience of reading Koontz and I'm led to believe that The Bad Weather friend is very different to his normal style. <br /><br />I have to be honest, I really thought this book was more than a little bonkers! It is an incredibly easy to read story, with characters who are well thought out and easy to like, but the whole concept just blew my brain to smithereens at times. <br /><br />The story opens in Florida where we meet two men loading a very large trunk that is to be put on an aeroplane. We learn a little about the guy who is sending the trunk. We then meet the lead character of the story; Benny Catspaw (oh, most of the characters have VERY strange names). Benny arrives at work, he's an estate agent, only to be called immediately to the boss's office. He is then fired, but Benny doesn't know why and can get no straight answers from his boss. <br /><br />Benny Catspaw is a very nice bloke. We learn that he's had a terrible childhood, but that he is still very nice. His days are not getting any better when he is dumped by his girlfriend. So, no job, no girlfriend, what next?<br /><br />The trunk that was being loaded in the opening in the book is for Benny, and when it arrives, Benny finds he now has a 'bad weather friend'; this is Spike, a seven-foot-tall 'craggle' and is supernatural. Benny also finds himself a new girlfriend; Harper Harper (yes, you read that correct, double Harper). This unlikely trio band together to try to discover why Benny was fired, and it's a crazy journey for sure. <br /><br />The current story is interwoven with snippets from Benny's past, some of this is really dark and violent and goodness knows how Benny turned out so 'nice'! <br /><br />Koontz often talks directly to the reader throughout the book which to be honest, I found a little off putting and it felt as though I was kicked out of the story at times, and was listening to his own opinions of current affairs. That's the style though and some readers may love it. <br /><br />The author can definitely spin a great yarn, his writing is easy to follow and his characters are vividly created (although those names!). Not really my usual type of read, but one that I did enjoy once I'd settled into the style. <br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsch8-drpv11rzQPYcXGGBmJqe3zRLUZcmHxuyRi4EovrgPS7yD57sKTeJ_0_mZDRBfFQa6uHB68MiWaejQiPR8mIcoqwzEEJ2fPTgWcZV5mp5YWgvIxuKNDd4PK67qm51ra__yWXKCzW7dsVjzZ2lDYWVg-iZOqlNykTEqzT_A5Val4jXJo00oZilj4s/s688/hr-vernon-kesner-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="70" data-original-width="688" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsch8-drpv11rzQPYcXGGBmJqe3zRLUZcmHxuyRi4EovrgPS7yD57sKTeJ_0_mZDRBfFQa6uHB68MiWaejQiPR8mIcoqwzEEJ2fPTgWcZV5mp5YWgvIxuKNDd4PK67qm51ra__yWXKCzW7dsVjzZ2lDYWVg-iZOqlNykTEqzT_A5Val4jXJo00oZilj4s/s16000/hr-vernon-kesner-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHxbFCJsyYR8P4SEr50EDtVPYLhx3ucOYrwBZSKf1LM-tteYoQAMktZa_gnpuQ9zL46uJ4R4G2anFmq4qOjb9kotd5ZmiynNtIOZs6WO90K-MEMlunKhvrsQXvSqYL2dwrHbBmY9BAYScEK15BhraZlzMYnCemOcKfcvHeykyhBE_4rjXfQUDwjzhMaSA/s400/RKfuKrMr_400x400.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHxbFCJsyYR8P4SEr50EDtVPYLhx3ucOYrwBZSKf1LM-tteYoQAMktZa_gnpuQ9zL46uJ4R4G2anFmq4qOjb9kotd5ZmiynNtIOZs6WO90K-MEMlunKhvrsQXvSqYL2dwrHbBmY9BAYScEK15BhraZlzMYnCemOcKfcvHeykyhBE_4rjXfQUDwjzhMaSA/s320/RKfuKrMr_400x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Dean Koontz is the author of many #1 bestsellers. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">His books have sold over five hundred million copies in thirty-eight languages, and The Times has called him a “literary juggler.” </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">He lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, and their golden retriever, Elsa. </span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.DeanKoontz.com">www.DeanKoontz.com</a><br /><br />X <a href="https://twitter.com/deankoontz">@deankoontz</a></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/deankoontzofficial/">@deankoontzofficial</a></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Facebook / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/deankoontzofficial/">DeanKoontzOfficial</a></i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUxe8UtpwXpIWDJKPcTdDhfyle4IG1J-14eenWLylSj0GhueSPYz4480xLVUq4k-OfqsrxCWldJ7I0tIk5189E32ydW0JGDu2pMyTY9awjbLp68Y2GIBXDFJE-HqCyqOCIdPsqfJLExOwnzBhIryCfziOY_I_PhMnHfJXcBXLBp-92fsoeFHrcB3IcOlI/s1600/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUxe8UtpwXpIWDJKPcTdDhfyle4IG1J-14eenWLylSj0GhueSPYz4480xLVUq4k-OfqsrxCWldJ7I0tIk5189E32ydW0JGDu2pMyTY9awjbLp68Y2GIBXDFJE-HqCyqOCIdPsqfJLExOwnzBhIryCfziOY_I_PhMnHfJXcBXLBp-92fsoeFHrcB3IcOlI/s16000/Blog%20End%20(1).jpg" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div> </div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07924239447789629612noreply@blogger.com0