The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan BLOG TOUR #TheMurderRule @DervlaMcTiernan @RandomTTours @fictionpubteam #BookReview

 

No one is innocent in this story.

First Rule: Make them like you.

Second Rule: Make them need you.

Third Rule: Make them pay.

 They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system.

 They think I’m working hard to impress them.

 They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row.

  They're wrong. I’m going to bury him.

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan was published on 12 May 2022 in hardback by HarperCollins. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

Dervla McTiernan's The Murder Rule is her first stand alone novel and instead of her usual Irish setting, in this story, the reader is transported to the southern states of the USA.

Hannah Rokeby is a young law student who is determined to become part of The Innocence Project. This project actually does exist in America, and the people who work there spend their time trying to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions and create a fair justice system.

Hannah manages to secure a voluntary post at the project, and it is clear from the outset that she is quite an unconventional character. Her method of ensuring her place on the project is unusual and shows her total determination to get what she believes is correct. 

Leaving her mother at home, Hannah moves to Virginia and the story really begins.  Michael Dandridge is the prisoner who Hannah is really interested, and once again, she manages to get just where she wants to be ... right in the middle of the case being prepared to free him.

However, the reader is aware that Hannah may not have the same reasons for working on this case as the other volunteers and staff. We are privy to the contents of a diary, written many years ago. The words in this diary are Hannah's fuel, she knows what she wants and she will do nothing to stop it happening. 

With a fairly slow start, the author settles the reader into the story, the background, and most imporantly of all, to Hannah's inner feelings. I really know very little about the legal system in America and have to admit that there are events within the plot that did surprise me, I'm not sure if these were poetic licence taken by the author, or whether the system really does work like that. 

The Murder Rule is a well structured novel that kept my attention throughout. Whilst not always likeable, Hannah is certainly complex and I enjoyed the way she was built by the author. 

Great storytelling, with a fascinating premise. I will certainly look out for more from this author. 

Award-winning, number one bestseller Dervla McTiernan has established herself as one of the
biggest names in crime fiction. Her books have garnered critical acclaim around the world and sold over 400,000 copies in Australia and New Zealand alone.

In 2022, McTiernan returns with her first ever standalone thriller, The Murder Rule. Inspired by the true story of a young law student who worked at the Innocence Project and eventually uncovered evidence which exonerated a man who had been in prison for 26 years, McTiernan has created an unforgettable, twisty thriller – the must-read novel of the year.

Sign up for Dervla's Newsletter at https://dervlamctiernan.com/newsletter/

About Dervla:

Dervla McTiernan’s debut novel, The Rúin, is a critically acclaimed international bestseller published around the world. The Rúin won the Ned Kelly, Davitt and Barry Awards and was shortlisted for numerous others. It was on the Amazon US Best Book of the Year list 2018 and screen rights were snapped up by Colin Farrell’s production company and Hopscotch Features. Dervla’s second book, The Scholar, won the International Thriller Award and debuted straight into the Nielsen Bookscan Top 5 on release in 2019, and her third, The Good Turn, went straight to no.1, confirming her place as one of Australia's best crime writers.

https://dervlamctiernan.com/

Instagram: @dervlamctiernan

Facebook and Twitter: @DervlaMcTiernan

It Never Rains But It Paws by Jacqueline Lambert BLOG TOUR #ItNeverRainsButItPaws #JacquelineLambert @RandomTTours #WorldwideWalkies

 

Five years after giving up work to travel full time, Dog-ma Jacqueline (Jackie) and Dogfather Mark race against time to leave the UK before Britain exits the EU. If Brexit happens, their four Cavapoos (Cavalier/Poodle cross) Kai, Rosie, Ruby, and Lani will lose their puppy passports, and the Lambert Family will be unable to travel together. But Brexit isn’t their only obstacle. A few months into their adventure, the pandemic suddenly shatters their plans, and leaves them trapped in the epicentre of Europe’s No. 1 coronavirus hotspot.

The fourth road trip Europe adventure in author Jacqueline Lambert’s “inspirational and hilarious” series of true travel memoirs invites you to join the couple as they discover even more amazing and little-known places, this time in France and Italy. However, this isn’t just a priceless escape travel story filled with humorous mishaps and mountain adventure. The coronavirus pandemic separates the family from their loved ones at home, and leaves Jackie stranded alone during a blizzard in a remote Italian village, with Mark thousands of miles away, back in the UK.

Between terrible weather, political mayhem, and a global pandemic, Jackie and Mark try to take lessons from each hardship. Yet, even with a positive attitude, a sense of adventure, and a caravan full of loved ones, you can’t stop all the obstacles life rolls your way. These “amusing and informative” travel stories are certainly proof that It Never Rains… But It Paws!

It Never Rains But It Paws by Jacqueline Lambert was published on 21 April 2022 by World Wide Walkies. 

As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you here today. 

Extract from It Never Rains But It Paws by Jacqueline Lambert

Our Exit Before Brexit – An Out of Season Odyssey

To guarantee a clean exit from the UK, like the one Boris Johnson promised Britain from the EU, we definitely had to leave before the deadline – no ifs, no buts...

The first time Mark and I set off for Spain, there was an unprecedented heatwave. Temperatures in Iberia soared above 50°C and people died from the heat. On that occasion, we decided to turn left, and towed Caravan Kismet (‘Fate’) to Romania.

This time, two days before our ferry to Santander was due to depart, Mark opened an email and detonated instantly into a rant.

“I don’t believe it! Our tenant has given notice!”

A short delay to redecorate, re-let and restore our income would not usually be a problem. We were nimble retirees; open to spontaneity and not terrorised by schedules. Except a huge, fanged monster

called Immovable Deadline loomed over our plans. The Three Sisters of Fate had waved their distaffs and unleashed their Furies upon us.

After toppling his predecessor, the UK had an illustrious new Prime Minister. Many refer to him as Boris, or BoJo, which I feel is somewhat informal, given his position. An innate reverence for authority demands I show him due respect. As such, I always use his full title, which is befitting a Right Honourable Male Member, and call him ‘The Johnson’.

Elected on a single promise to ‘Get Brexit Done’, The Johnson’s primary Prime Ministerial proclamation determined that Britain would exit the European Union (EU) by 31st October 2019, “no ifs, no buts.” He omitted to say that in the interests of serving democracy, this also meant regardless of whether it flouted any minor inconveniences, such as UK law or the will of a democratically elected parliament.1 Famous for quoting his number of offspring as, “five or six,” it is very clear; The Johnson just isn’t a detail man.

He claimed to have an ‘oven-ready deal’,2 carefully prepared to tickle the EU’s tastebuds. The idea was simple – Britain should keep all the perks of being in the club without paying for membership. Unfortunately, if it existed at all, the deal was still a bunch of disparate ingredients, and he didn’t have a recipe. And it was all on a metal plate that would blow up the second it was placed in the EU’s microwave.

His assertion that he “would rather be dead in a ditch” than extend Brexit beyond Halloween, even if it meant a No Deal Brexit,3 concerned us.

Our quest to Live the Dream is all about a voyage of discovery. We wanted to explore Spain, then spend the winter skiing in Italy. If Britain left the EU without a deal in place, which looked increasingly likely, all agreements with the EU would be void.

Never mind the catastrophe predicted for Britain, our personal No Deal fallout would mean invalid UK pet passports and four fur babies who could no longer travel with us to Europe.

Hence, our pressing need to make our exit before Brexit.

***

The ‘Phew! What a scorcher!’ headlines and pictures of packed beaches that accompany British

heatwaves, however brief, quickly yielded to the mother of all monsoons. Gale force winds cleared the path for ex-hurricane Lorenzo’s boisterous approach to the fair shores of Blighty. With over seventy flood warnings in place across the British Isles, it could mean only one thing.

The Ca-Lamberti, as our friends call us, were back on tour!

Four years previously, when we departed on our very first road trip, cramming our life into a box on wheels was a work of art. This time, we intended to be away for a year, not a paltry three months. Our expedition would incorporate a full span of the seasons, which compelled us to find space for a few extras normally consigned to storage between junkets. 

This included three boxes of ski gear, four pairs of skis, a set of winter tyres for our van, Big Blue, plus the new portable caravan air conditioning system we’d purchased as indemnity against simmering Spanish temperatures. It arrived the day before we had to cancel our ferry.

To compensate for this extra baggage, we left behind the caravan awning (the tent-like extension that goes on the side) and reduced our arsenal of windsurfing equipment by a couple of boards and sails. Mark weighed everything fastidiously: we were within our weight limits.

Just!

“I’ve missed this!” I said to my beloved, as we lay in bed with Michael Flatley and the full cast of Riverdance practising their steps on the caravan roof.

Jacqueline (Jackie) Lambert is a dedicated doggie travel blogger and author.

B.C. (Before Canines) she rafted, rock-climbed and backpacked around six of the seven continents. A passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been bitten by a lion, and appeared as a fire eater on Japanese T.V.

A.D. (After Dog), she quit work in 2016 to hit the road permanently with her husband and four pooches. Initially, they were Adventure Caravanners, who aimed To Boldly Go Where No Van Has Gone Before. 

Now, they’re at large in a self-converted six-wheel army lorry, with Mongolia in their sights.  

Jacqueline has published four books about how she and Mark went from wage slaves to living the dream. Fur Babies In France, Dog on the Rhine, Dogs ‘n’ Dracula and Pups on Piste all fall within one of her favourite genres; light-hearted travel memoirs. Her forthcoming books will chronicle their tour of Poland in a pandemic, and their new life as Trucking Idiots.

All Jacqueline’s books have received multiple five-star reviews and Dogs ‘n’ Dracula was a finalist in the Romania Insider Awards for Best Promotion of Romania Abroad. Dog on the Rhine has been a bestseller in Amazon’s German Travel and Rhine Travel categories, and on release, Fur Babies in France outsold Bill Bryson, albeit for a very short time! 

Keep Her Sweet by Helen Fitzgerald BLOG TOUR #KeepHerSweet @FitzHelen @OrendaBooks #BookReview #SiblingRivalry

 

Desperate to enjoy their empty nest, Penny and Andeep downsize to the countryside, to forage, upcycle and fall in love again, only to be joined by their two twenty-something daughters, Asha and Camille.

Living on top of each other in a tiny house, with no way to make money, tensions simmer, and as Penny and Andeep focus increasingly on themselves, the girls become isolated, argumentative and violent.

When Asha injures Camille, a family therapist is called in, but she shrugs off the escalating violence between the sisters as a classic case of sibling rivalry … and the stress of the family move. 

But this is not sibling rivalry. The sisters are in far too deep for that.

This is a murder, just waiting to happen…

Chilling, vicious and darkly funny, Keep Her Sweet is not just a tense, sinister psychological thriller, but a startling look at sister relationships and they bonds they share … or shatter.

Keep Her Sweet by Helen Fitzgerald is published in paperback and digitally on 26 May 2022 by Orenda Books. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour.

Helen Fitzgerald is one of my go-to authors. Her writing is sharp, shocking, dark and always laugh out loud funny. You do need a dark, almost macabre sense of humour to appreciate her scathing wit. There were passages in this book that I read out to my husband, they are funny, but shocking funny. Be warned!

Fitzgerald takes a family unit and breaks them down into four individual characters who have very few redeeming features between them. Penny and Andeep Malony-Singh are the parents. They thought that relocating to the countryside, to a smaller house where they could upcycle pieces of homeware (basically junk ...) would be their own  happily ever after. The problem here is that no matter where you may roam, your assorted baggage usually arrives too. It may be a little later, but it will arrive.

Penny and Andeep's baggage are their two adult daughters; Asha and Camille. You've heard of sibling rivalry? Well, take that and multiply by thousands and you get some sort of idea of this relationship. The new house is certainly not big enough for the four of them, and the chances of them living in harmony is almost nil. 

When things become violent, Joy is called in to help. A family therapist, in her seventies, widowed and with a grown up daughter of her own, Joy appears to be the salve that could help to heal these family wounds.  However, Joy herself says, in the very first line of the book; 'Unhappy families always cheer her up.'   A strange thing to think to oneself, and an indicator that all is not glorious in Joy's life either. 

The story gets darker and darker as the author cleverly untangles and lies bare the family dynamics in the Malony- Singh household. We come to learn that Andeep is a washed-up, unfunny comedian who really has no interest in his family. He just wants fame and glory. Penny is familiar with the bottom of a drinks glass and Asha and Camilla are totally f***** up beyond help. It's a car crash waiting to happen, and it's played out in glorious technicolour, every single step downwards into an actual pit of hell. 

I loved it. Its cruel and funny and true and violent. Helen Fitzgerald always challenges her reader, there's no hiding here, you will read things that leave a mark on your brain, something like staring at a bright light and then still seeing it when you close your eyes. 

All honour to Joy, who tries her best but is gradually worn down by her own family issues, culminating in a finale that I certainly didn't expect, but welcomed with open arms and a little bit of glee too. 

Read it, if you dare! 

Helen Fitzgerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and adapted for a major BBC drama. 

Her 2019 dark-comedy thriller Worst Case Scenario was a Book of the Year in the Literary Review, Herald Scotland, Guardian and Daily Telegraph, shortlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and won the CrimeFest Last Laugh Award. 

Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. 

She grew up in Victoria, Australia, and now lives in Glasgow with her husband. 

Follow Helen on Twitter @FitzHelen.

Misadventures in the Screen Trade by Alison Ripley Cubitt BLOG TOUR #MisadventuresintheScreenTrade @lambertnagle @RandomTTours #careermemoir #BookExtract

 

A young woman in a man's world takes on the media industry. Can she hit the heights of her dreams, or will she fall flat on her face?

Sydney 1981 Alison Ripley Cubitt couldn't wait to make her mark. Having escaped her fractured New Zealand family only to end up dying of boredom behind a Mad-Men-era reception desk, she was determined to shatter the media's glass ceiling. Thrilled to score an unpaid television internship in London, she still needed to survive alone...

Climbing her way up the career ladder, only to fall down again, Alison's life-changing moment finally arrived when she landed her dream job at Disney. But after a documentary presentation to the masters of animation ended in disaster, the driven young woman refused to let her march to the top miss out on a spectacular finale.

In this entertaining true tale of the reality of working in the cutthroat world of show business, Alison shares the highs-and-lows of chasing bold goals. Navigating a patriarchial industry with wit and determination, her straight-to-the-point style will have you laughing out loud, and in awe of her courage.

Misadventures in the Screen Trade is a dazzling peek into one woman's climb from rural New Zealand to Tinseltown. If you like fiery heroines, self-deprecating humour, and insightful tales from backstage, then you'll love this spirited memoir.

Misadventures in the Screen Trade by Alison Ripley Cubitt was published in February 2022. As part of this #RandomThingsTours blog tour, I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today. 

Extract from Misadventures in the Screen Trade by Alison Ripley Cubitt

Malaysia, 1960s

My Brilliant Career

 I’m five years old and at the cinema in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with Dad while Mum’s in hospital having her appendix out. He’s taken me to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but I don’t understand a word the wicked Queen is saying. There’s been a mix-up, Dad explains. The cinema has received the German version of the film instead of the English one.

I don’t care. As the Queen talks into the mirror, ‘Spieglein, spieglein an der Wand,’ I can tell by her low, menacing tone that it had better tell her what she wants to hear.

Or else.

That voice gives me nightmares, yet I’m wide awake.

And now I’m going to work for the folks who dreamt up my scariest childhood movie experience. I hope it’s not an omen.

London, 1996

I work in a swanky office in West Kensington with a fancy job title: Producer, Television Specials at Buena Vista Productions, in the TV division of Walt Disney. It’s a staff job, with a pension plan, paid holidays and plenty of travel, plus I am invited to film previews and West End shows. For the office Christmas party, Disney books out Madame Tussaud’s for the night. I earn more than I ever thought was possible, doing what I love.

‘I’ll lead on the Cirque du Monde project. How about you take The Making of the Hunchback of Notre Dame?’ my boss Ros says. Ros is a warm-hearted, gregarious sort with Northern roots, maybe ten to fifteen years my senior. She’s one of a select few women in senior roles here in London.

Every Disney feature film release in the UK is accompanied by documentary footage as part of the marketing campaign. The USA studios record a version of bland and generic EPK (Electronic Press Kits) stitched together. In Europe, we produce a broadcast-quality 52-minute documentary, in this case commissioned by the BBC and due to be screened on BBC1 on a prime-time early weekend evening slot.

‘I’d love to. I’d better read the book,’ I say.

‘Get the kids’ version. I bet that’s what Feature Animation read,’ Ros says, laughing. I laugh too. ‘They’re ruffling a few feathers in France.’

I bet they are. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a classic of French literature given the Disney treatment and turned into an animated movie for children.

‘I have a director in mind. I’ve known him for a while, I think you’ll get on.’ She gives me his card, which I glance at briefly. I’ve never heard of him. ‘He’s not done television, but here’s his showreel,’ Ros says, passing it over. ‘He’s coming in for a meeting. He’ll be here in an hour.’

I return to my desk and watch a couple of the short films. They’re beautifully shot and edited, but there’s nothing on the showreel that indicates this Director—let’s call him Stephen—has worked on any commissions. I fast forward, hoping to find a commercial or a pop video so that I can talk to someone he has worked for and get a second opinion. I’m looking for evidence he can work under pressure. And I don’t find it.

How is someone new to TV expected to make the leap from a short film to a commissioned documentary? I don’t have the answer to that. But I realise I’m the one who has to make this happen.

Alison Ripley Cubitt left New Zealand with an arts degree and the ability to make a white sauce without a recipe, carry three plates at once and ride a horse (though not at the same time). Before she started writing memoir, non-fiction and screenplays, she received an MA in Scriptwriting from the Northern Film School at Leeds Beckett University.

She lives in a world of her own with her trophy husband. On occasion they co-write thrillers, writing as Lambert Nagle.

For the past two years, she has divided her time between home and the shops—all within the permitted five-kilometre radius. But in 2022, she hopes to travel further afield and finally get to use at least one of her three passports.

In her downtime, Alison volunteers with St Kilda Doggy Daycare and is a fully paid-up member of the Organisation for Australasian Insomniacs.

Keep in touch with Alison 

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

Twitter @lambertnagle

The Wildwater Women by Ellie Wood BLOG TOUR #TheWildwaterWomen @EllieWoodAuthor @HarperNorthUK @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

Sometimes the best things in life happen when you dare to get out of your depth.

Abby lives and works in the heart of the Lake District. She splits her time between bringing up her daughter, working in the Plum Pie Bakery – and dreaming of the time before her husband, Ben, left.

Lori is on holiday from the States, hoping to find her way to the lake that she’s looked at for years in a picture on her wall back home.

Rebecca is contemplating taking the plunge too. Despite her immaculate appearance Rebecca is keeping quiet about a childhood trauma which has left her scared of the water.

Clarissa is the founder of The Wildwater Women. An all-year-round open-water swimming veteran, and with a fearsome manner, she knows the lakes like no one else and her boundless energy defies her years.

Four women, all from very different lives, all with reason to step into the water and wash away their past. But will the friendship they build be enough to keep them afloat when they each must face their fears?

The Wildwater Women by Ellie Wood was published on 28 April 2022 by HarperNorth. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I have really enjoyed reading about the adventures of these four strong and interesting women, added to the wonderful location of the Lake District, this is a book to be savoured.

Three very different women come together to embark on a daring new hobby. Abby lives by the Lakes, she's single, still missing her husband Ben and has a small daughter. Abby works in the local Plum Pie Bakery. She enjoys the job, but her boss is a force to be reckoned with.

Lori is American and has recently arrived at the holiday cottage next door to Abby's home. Lori is exuberant and beautifully dressed. She welcomes Abby and firmly encourages her to take a step out of her comfort zone. 

Rebecca also lives in the area. Abby has seen her many times in the Bakery and often wondered just what this beautifully dressed, immaculately turned out woman did. Rebecca works at a luxury hotel nearby, but she's really not as composed as she appears.

The three women are going to try wild swimming. They are going to plunge deep into the cold water of a large lake. Lori seems the keenest and Abby is determined to do something different. It is Rebecca who really struggles. 

As they are taken under the wing of the formidable Clarissa who leads the group, they gradually learn more about each other, and about themselves. Clarissa herself is a colourful character, with a past that she rarely talks about. Her aim is to encourage the women, to enable them to discover their true selves.

This is a warm hearted and uplifting book, despite the descriptions of the icy water, which did make me shiver at times (I'm a real wuss and cannot imagine ever jumping into deep, cold waters!)

The author uncovers some serious issues in her story and it is done deftly with sympathy and is never heavy. A real joy to read and perfect for curling up on the settee on a lazy weekend. 

Ellie Wood was born and raised in the Lake District where she still lives. 

Passionate about the benefits of getting out into the wild, she’s swum and walked the landscape that inspires her writing since she was small.

Twitter @EllieWoodAuthor

Instagram @elliewoodauthor

After Dark by Jayne Cowie #AfterDark @CowieJayne @centurybooksuk @lauraodbooks @PenguinUKBooks #BookReview

 

WELCOME TO A WORLD WHERE WOMEN HOLD THE POWER.

They dominate workplaces, public spaces and government.

They are no longer afraid to cross a dark car park, catch the last train, or walk home alone.

With the Curfew law in place, all men are electronically tagged and must stay at home after 7pm.

It changed things for the better. Until now.

A woman is murdered late at night and evidence suggests she knew her attacker.

It couldn't have been a man because a Curfew tag is a solid alibi... Isn't it?

After Dark by Jayne Cowie is published in paperback by Century on 12 May 2022. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

In the year 2023 the Prevention of Femicide Act was passed by the UK Parliament. This piece of legislation came about after women began to make a stand, they began to protest widely about the increasing violence toward women, and the rising murder rate. There was no doubt that women were no longer safe in the UK. Men were hurting and killing women. The Act makes it law that all males, from the age of ten, must be electronically tagged and a curfew was imposed. No male can leave their home between the hours of 7pm and 7am.

After Dark begins in the 'present day' - it is sixteen years after the bill was passed and women are now the dominant force. Violence toward women has reduced and the man on woman murder rate is zero.

Pamela is a police officer. She's been around for thirty years, and is due to retire soon. She remembers the time before curfew very well, however most of her colleagues have only policed the new world. The body of a woman has been found in a local park. Pamela's experience tells her that this woman was killed by a male. Her colleagues mock her and her superiors try to silence her. 

The story goes back and forth, we hear the stories of three other women; Sarah, her daughter Cass and Cass's teacher Helen. These three women all feel very differently about men, and about curfew.

Sarah is now a single mother, her husband is in prison for breaking curfew. Sarah is most certainly a man hater, she's recently trained to be a tagger; fitting the electronic devices to men's legs and regularly checking them. Cass is bitter and angry, she hates her mother and blames her entirely for her father's imprisonment. Helen is desperate for a baby and is currently going the process of obtaining a Cohab certificate. She and her boyfriend must attend counselling sessions and if they pass, they will be allowed to live together, and start a family. Marriage is a thing of the past, and every woman only wants a daughter. To give birth to a boy only puts added pressure on the mother, ensuring that they are kept inside during curfew and curtailing anything that they wish to do too. 

Whilst there are some unanswered questions in the story, for example, we have to assume that women do all of the jobs that men would previously do during night hours; hospital doctors and nurses, paramedics, police officers, utilities workers etc, this really does not detract from what is a fascinating and cleverly written novel. 

The characters are incredibly flawed, it is not always easy to empathise with them, especially Sarah, who is often so single minded that she doesn't take any other feelings into account. Cass is a typical moody, hormonal teenager, full of angst and mood swings. Helen is often gullible, but good at heart, probably the most realistic character in the story. 

This is a novel that makes the reader think so hard, not only is is well written and totally enthralling, it also raises questions that are very difficult to answer. The author has added a note at the back that details her reasons for writing the story, this is a very personal note and it is clear that the novel is written from the heart.

After Dark is a powerful and very relevant novel, reflecting problems faced by women of the world today, and offering up a solution that appears to be a great answer .... however, things don't always go according to plan.  A page turner that gripped me from page one, I flew through this one. 

An avid reader and life-long writer, Jayne Cowie also enjoys digging in her garden and
makes an excellent devil's food cake. 

She lives near London with her family. 

You can find her on Instagram and Twitter  as @CowieJayne

The Children Of Pisces by R E Lewin BLOG TOUR #TheChildrenOfPisces @RachaelRuthH @matadorbooks #TenThingsAboutMe @RandomTTours

 

It's 2070 and our post-apocalyptic world is different. Aliens secretly invaded with a lethal biological weapon. A terrifying virus annihilated almost every living creature in its path. People still believe it was a natural virus, oblivious to aliens and the truth. Humanity's survival is in the hands of the alliance, a team of humans and aliens who stand against the evil arch-enemy alien leader. Orphaned children are raised in army-style schools. But from this barren wasteland, a few shall rise...

Tammy and Mikie are half-human and half-alien siblings, with immense metaphysical powers and a crystal weapon. Their powers are extraordinary alone, but together they are unstoppable. At twelve, these two are already too powerful to ignore. Can Mikie overcome his inner conflict? Will his compulsion to protect put those closest to him in even more danger? Can Tammy rise above her animal instincts and maintain her humanity? This adventure will take them across the world and maybe into the stars beyond. They must reunite their family and decide where their loyalties lie. The seekers are coming...

The Children of Pisces by R E Lewin is part of the Two Pendants series and was published by Matdor on 28 March 2022.

As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I am delighted to welcome the author here today. She's talking about Ten Things About Me 

Ten Things About Author R E Lewin

I wrote my first novel when I was 13 – it was a romance.

I have 12 large cats and dogs, chickens and still want more land to rescue more animals.

I’m a bit of a nyctophile, which means I prefer the peace of night and dark. I write a lot in the evenings and or very early in the morning.

I had a poem published in a small magazine in America called ‘Temporary motherhood’

I’m a fun and spontaneous person who doesn’t always like to make plans – even a book plan – despite my project management planning background. I’m such a rebel!

I like animals more than people and my mantra is “I can live without a man but I can’t live without a dog.”

I adore travelling and wish I could do more

I dream of living in isolation with just my cats and dogs – I am conflicted between numbers 7 and 8 – travelling and being with my animals…

I am a water baby – I totally change and find peace and happiness whenever I am in and near water

I practice daily as an arhatic yogi and consider my spiritual practice the most important thing to focus on every day

Rachael has loved writing since she finished her first book at age thirteen. 

Since then she has broadened her experiences by becoming a project manager, energy healer and helping animals with applied zoopharmacognosy, as well as helping nurture creativity in others, including her twins, who are the primary age group for this, her debut.

Twitter @RachaelRuthH

Instagram @rachaelruthholistic

www.rachaelruthholistic