Beyond The Sea by Melissa Bailey *** BLOG TOUR ***

One summer’s day, Freya’s husband and son disappeared on a boating trip. 

A year on, and struggling to cope, Freya returns to the lighthouse-keeper’s cottage on a tiny island in the Hebrides where they spent so many happy times. 

Haunted by visions of the life she used to have, Freya finds comfort in the discovery of her son’s diary, written in the weeks before he disappeared. 

Until a man, Daniel, is washed up on the shore during a storm, and suddenly her dreams turn menacing. 

As dream and reality merge, Daniel seems to be turning up wherever she goes and she has no idea what he wants from her. 

Is her mind playing tricks? Or is the danger she senses real? 

Set amongst the beautiful scenery of the Scottish isles, Beyond the Sea will make you long to go there. Beautifully and sensitively written, Beyond the Sea is a tale of loss, recovery and acceptance.

A very warm welcome to my spot on the Blog Tour for Beyond the Sea by Melissa Bailey. I'm really pleased to be taking part in the tour, my review of Beyond the Sea is posted below along with a piece that Melissa has written about getting a book deal. I hope you enjoy!


Beyond the Sea is Melissa Bailey's second novel and is published by Arrow in paperback and ebook on 16 July 2015.  Melissa Bailey's first novel is The Medici Mirror which was published in 2013.

I really didn't know what to expect from Beyond the Sea, I haven't read the author's first book, so this was my first taste of her work. I have really enjoyed the story, and whilst at times it was just a little bit slow, the detail and mystery is very beautifully crafted.

Freya is a tragic figure. She has returned to the lighthouse-keeper's cottage on the tiny island that is full of memories of happier times. Her husband and son were lost at sea, and Freya is only just beginning to feel strong enough to move her life on. She is lonely and sad, her life has changed so much, and memories can be very painful.

Discovering her son's secrets unlocks more pain, but also gives Freya some answers.

Melissa Bailey cleverly adds another dimension to the story with the introduction of some long-lost letters, and the story within these old pages slowly unfolds and adds a quite ghostly, magical, almost gothic flavour to the tale.

Beyond the Sea is quite intriguing and haunting, with strong characters and a cleverly interwoven dual-time story.

My thanks to the author and the publisher for the invitation to be part of the Blog Tour - please do
check out the other dates on the tour.


I am delighted to welcome the author, Melissa Bailey to Random Things today. Melissa has written a piece about getting a book deal.

My Book Deal Moment

One of the most nerve wracking experiences of my life was waiting to find out whether or not my first novel would be published. Forget ‘A’ levels and Finals, or even buying a house – this was a whole new and acute level of angst.

By the time my first novel, The Medici Mirror, was sent out to publishers, I had already been working on it for four years. The first two were spent writing a draft, then rewriting it, until I considered it was good enough to attract an agent. When I had finally gathered sufficient courage to send the book out, I was lucky enough to get an offer of representation from Luigi Bonomi of LBA. The next two years were spent working with him on the novel. I rewrote large sections of it. And by large, I mean large. He’d tactfully described the last half of it as ‘plot light’ – perhaps a nice way of saying that the story had lost its way! So I wrote and rewrote again, polished and refined, until Luigi felt the manuscript was ready.

The day finally arrived, the much longed for yet still terrifying day, when Luigi pushed the button on his computer and jettisoned The Medici Mirror into the inboxes of fourteen of London’s finest publishers. ‘Keep your fingers crossed,’ he told me then. ‘It’s going to be a nerve wracking time.’ Little did I know.

During the days that followed I somehow managed to get myself to work. I sat in the quiet darkness of a TV recording studio, paying scant attention, and worried, silently. All those warnings that I had heard over the last four years crowded into my mind. ‘You’re crazy to write a novel’. ‘It’s so hard to get published’. ‘It’s a large chunk of your life to invest in such a speculative venture’. I tried to still the voices of the naysayers as I sat in that oppressive darkness and instead attempted to focus on all of the positives. My agent saw something in my writing. That was encouraging. And people got published all the time. So why couldn’t it be me?

Two days in and Luigi forwarded the loveliest email from an editor at Preface, a part of Random House. Her name was Rosie de Courcy. She had loved the novel and wanted to publish it. My heart leapt. I almost fainted. Was it a done deal then? Unfortunately, my agent explained, it wasn’t as simple as that. Rosie now had to persuade the whole team at Random House to get on board.

My elation slipped into despair. That would be a tall order, a small voice inside me said. Better not get your hopes up too much. For the next fourteen long days, the rejections dribbled in. There were a few very near misses but no-one had said yes. I began to lose faith. But I knew that Rosie was still out there rallying her troops and that gave me heart. Two weeks after her first email, Rosie sent an offer through.

When I read it, I whooped loudly in the darkness of that recording studio. We had to halt and do a swift re-record - I got a black look from the producer. But I didn’t care. My sense of relief and elation was so intense. And Rosie de Courcy at Preface had offered to publish not one, but two, of my books - The Medici Mirror and my second novel, Beyond the Sea.

As soon as I could I called my partner and told him. Finally we had got there. ‘I’ll put the champagne on ice,’ he said. ‘We’ve got something remarkable to celebrate.’

Melissa Bailey read English at Oxford, before studying law in London and then pursuing a career in Media Law. 

Beyond the Sea is her second novel. 

She lives in London with her partner, a human rights lawyer.

For more information about Melissa and her books, check out her website www.melissabailey.info

Follow her on Twitter @mbaileywrites

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First One Missing by Tammy Cohen **** BLOG TOUR ***

There are three things no-one can prepare you for when your daughter is murdered:

- You are haunted by her memory day and night

- Even close friends can't understand what you are going through.

- Only in a group with mothers of other victims can you find real comfort.

But as the bereaved parents gather to offer support in the wake of another killing, a crack appears in the group that threatens to rock their lives all over again.

Welcome to the club no one wants to join.

I am delighted to welcome you to the BLOG TOUR for First One Missing by Tammy Cohen, I'm the 'opening blogger' for this tour and was extremely happy to be asked.  First One Missing is published in hardback today (2 July 2015) by Doubleday (Transworld), and is Tammy Cohen's sixth novel.

I have a very special place in my blogging heart for Tammy Cohen. Her first novel; The Mistress's Revenge was one of the first books that I featured on Random Things, back in April 2011, and I have gone on to feature each of her books as they have been published:  The War of the Wives (August 2012); Someone Else's Wedding (June 2013); The Broken (May 2014) and Dying For Christmas (November 2014).

Tammy Cohen does not shy away from the uncomfortable, or the dark. She writes about issues that most of us are aware of, but would rather not be reminded of. She does it extremely well, and First One Missing is, in my opinion, a novel that places her firmly at the top of the list of psychological thriller authors.

Young girls have been murdered. One by one, savagely snatched from their families. First One Missing explores the impact on the family members who are left behind. Tammy Cohen takes the reader into the heart of these families and we share their heartbreak and sorrow, along with their anger and disbelief.

Central to the story is Leanne, a Family Liaison Officers assigned to the Reid family.

The novel opens as another victim is discovered and Leanne has to contact Emma Reid to inform her of the new developments. Leanne herself is a complex character, with many issues of her own. The author has intricately woven Leanne's story in with the story of the murders. This is very elegantly done, and I found myself completely in tune with all of the characters. In fact, the characters became so familiar that I had to ask myself if this was a sequel, or part of a series, as I felt that I knew them so well.

First One Missing begins slowly, allowing the reader to really get acquainted with the characters and the story. The author then presses down on the accelerator and by the end of the novel, we are hurtling around the racetrack to the shocking, but ultimately satisfying conclusion.

Once again, Tammy Cohen has created a taught, well crafted psychological thriller that is sharp, realistic, disturbing yet sympathetic and quite tender.

If you haven't read anything by Tammy Cohen yet, First One Missing is sure to convince you to try her other novels. Those of you who are already fans will certainly not be disappointed!

My thanks to Sarah at Doubleday who sent my copy for review and organised the Blog Tour. Please do check out the other stops on the tour.












Tammy Cohen (who previously wrote under her formal name Tamar Cohen) has written several acclaimed novels about family fall-out.  The Mistress's Revenge, The War of the Wives and Someone Else's Wedding.  The Broken was her first psychological thriller, followed by Dying For Christmas.  First One Missing is her latest novel.

Tammy lives in North London with her partner and three (nearly) grown up children, plus one badly behaved dog.

Chat with her on Twitter @MsTamarCohen






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Win 10 British Crime books with #BritCrime

To celebrate the launch of BritCrime’s first free online crime fiction festival, 11-13 July, I have teamed up with BritCrime authors to give away one fabulous prize.

You could win a gift bundle of ten print books, including new releases by Colette McBeth and Sarah Hilary, and MJ McGrath’s Gold Dagger longlisted White Heat. This giveaway is open internationally. One lucky winner will win all ten books.

Please complete the entries in the Rafflecopter before midnight 10th July for a chance to win.

To learn more about the BritCrime festival, please visit http//britcrime.com and sign up to the newsletter. There will be giveaways and live Q&As with bestselling British crime fiction authors hosted on BritCrime’s Facebook page 11 & 12 July.

The Magpies + What You Wish For by Mark Edwards

No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary

The Life I Left Behind + Precious Thing by Colette McBeth

White Heat by M J McGrath

Beyond the Rage by Michael J Malone

Follow the Leader + Watching Over You by Mel Sherratt

The Harbour Master by Daniel Pembrey

Good luck!

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I'd like to be a #StarForADay with Hotel Direct

Hotel Direct have launched a new Theatre Hub called Theatre Breaks.

As part of the hub, they have a writing competition for bloggers. The prize is a chance to become a #StarForADay.  To be in with a chance of winning, bloggers are asked to create a London itinerary based on a current West End character.






I've decided to create an itinerary for Johnny (AKA Jesus of Suburbia), from American Idiot.










To begin the day, Johnny is going to go on one of the London Rock Tours. 


I think he would really enjoy their Monsters of Rock tour, taking in over 100 iconic rock sites and locations.







Johnny will be really hungry after such a full-on tour, I've booked a table for him at Hotbox in Spitalfields.  Their menu of  including jalapeno hot link sausage sandwiches and wagyu beef brisket rolls, craft beers and whiskies and bourbons is sure to suit Johnny perfectly, and also remind him of home.


Of course, Johnny couldn't visit London without taking in a performance of Green Day's explosive, award-winning Broadway musical AMERICAN IDIOT,  at The Arts Theatre, starring X factor finalist Amelia Lily. 

To finish off Johnny's perfect day and night he's going to visit Cellar Door in Aldwych. 

This tiny bar is conveniently situated in Central London but it continues to remain a local secret because of its discreet entrance.

This edgy bar has a distinct character – imagine 30’s Berlin meets New York basement dive. With flavoured snuff and daily cabaret and burlesque performances to ensure a perfect evening.

The Flower Arrangement by Ella Griffin

Golden peonies bowing their heads beneath blue delphinium bells. Delicate pink anemones threaded between freckled green orchids. Soft apricot roses woven together with velvety purple irises.

Every bouquet tells a story.

And every story begins at Blossom & Grow, a tiny jewel-like flower shop in the heart of Dublin. Here, among the buckets of fragrant blooms, beneath the flickering candles and lanterns, Lara works her magic. Translating feelings into flower arrangements that change hearts and lives.

But what about her own heart? Has she really healed since she lost her chance to be a mother? What will happen when her own story takes a sudden turn?

Can the flowers that heal the customers work their magic on the florist?

Drawing together a delightful cast of characters, Ella Griffin brings her warmth, wit and wisdom to a captivating tale woven aItround a Dublin florist.

The Flower Arrangement by Ella Griffin was published by Orion on 18 June 2015, and is the author's third novel.

Ella Griffin's first novel, Postcards From the Heart was one of first books that I featured on Random Things, I also read and reviewed her second book, The Heart Whisperer, in January 2013. I enjoyed both of those books so much, and was delighted to receive a copy of The Flower Arrangement for review.

Once again, Ella Griffin has created a story that is warm and uplifting, dealing with serious and complicated issues at times, with a wonderfully created lead character at it's heart.

The star of the novel for me is Lara's florist shop; Blossom & Grow. I love flowers, and adore florist shops. For me, there is something incredibly special about entering that cool, damp air that every florist shop has and picking out a bunch of flowers that exactly suit my mood. Somedays it could be beautifully scented stocks, another day I'll pick freesias and quite often I'll ask for an assortment of wildflowers. Ella Griffin has so cleverly recreated those feelings with her intuitive and descriptive writing.

Lara, the heroine of this novel has also always loved flowers. Her widowed father bought a bunch of flowers and gave it to her every week. Her Dad brought her and her brother Phil up after the death of their mother. Lara, Phil and their father remain incredibly close and support each other through sadness and tragedy.

Ella Griffin has so cleverly constructed this story. Naming each chapter after a particular flower and dedicating it to a particular character. Each of these individual stories weave together to create the whole thing. Some characters play a bigger role, some develop and some take just a small role, but each one adds something to the depth and beauty of this book.

Filled with descriptions of flowers, and how they add to any and every occasion, from birth to death, this really is a fabulous story. I adore Lara, I felt her sorrow and her pain, and admired her generosity and spirit.

A really special read. Ella Griffin's writing gets better with every book.

Huge thanks to Orion who sent my copy for review.



Ella Griffin was born in Dublin. 

She is an award-winning advertising copywriter and travel writer. 

She lives in County Wicklow with her husband Neil and their deerhound Haggis.


Follow her on Twitter @EllaGriffin1      

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The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop

Cambridge 1963. 

Charlotte struggles to reconnect with the woman she was before children, and to find the time and energy to paint. 

Her husband, Henry, cannot face the thought of another English winter. 

A brochure slipped through the letterbox gives him the answer: '

Australia brings out the best in you'.

Charlotte is too worn out to resist, and before she knows it is travelling to the other side of the world. 

But on their arrival in Perth, the southern sun shines a harsh light on both Henry and Charlotte and slowly reveals that their new life is not the answer either was hoping for. 

Charlotte is left wondering if there is anywhere she belongs, and how far she'll go to find her way home...

The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop is published by Tinder Press on 13 August 2015.

This book is one of those books that made my heart lurch about my chest, for many reasons. Not least is that it's the sort of book that sends fear through a blogger's head. Pure fear. The fear that as someone who is not a writer, but an avid reader and book lover, and a person who wants to shout about the books that I have loved, that I won't be able to find any words to describe the story.

Crikey this one is good. It's one of those 'hair stands up on the back of your neck' affairs. It's slow and gentle and lyrical and almost melodic.

Two people; Charlotte and Henry. Obviously in love despite their contrasting nature and opinions. The parents of two small children. Two little girls who drain Charlotte, who consume her every waking minute. She loves her children, but she yearns for her life as a painter, pre-children. She takes solace in the surrounding countryside, Traipsing the fields, delighting in the wildlife, the greenery, the silence, the open space.

Henry is also consumed. Consumed by his hatred of the cold English winter weather. Consumed by thoughts that he is not quite good enough. Aware that people treat him a little differently because of his mixed heritage. For this is 1960s Britain and despite mixing in the most cultured of company, he is aware of glances and comments.  Henry is also consumed by the contents of a leaflet that describes a land on the other side of the world. The leaflet invites him to apply to emigrate to Australia - land of year-round sunshine, and warmth. A land that he is sure will accept him.

Charlotte does not want to leave the fields and the trees of England, but she is tired and she loves Henry and eventually they arrive in Australia.

Charlotte yearns. Henry realises. Australia is not the answer. It doesn't matter how many thousands of miles that you travel, you cannot leave yourself behind. Your problems, and beliefs will be there, as part of your checked-in baggage.

Stephanie Bishop writes with such apparent ease, her script flows effortlessly, taking the reader as passengers on Charlotte and Henry's journey. Her ability to describe landscapes and places is quite stunning. The cold, wild landscape of rural wintry England, to the cloudless skies and overwhelming heat of Australia; both of these settings come alive evoking such a sense of place that it can be quite startling when you look up from the book and find yourself in your own back garden, or lounge, or on the train.

This author also gets deep into the minds of her characters, both male and female. The reader is well aware of the character's failings and real issues long before they realise themselves.

There are so many strands to this story, with issues of culture and parenthood, relationships and honesty all addressed so beautifully.

A slow-moving, gently unfurling story that is sure to be a huge success for Stephanie Bishop .... oh, and that ending ......

I don't really like to compare authors, but if you love Maggie O Farrell's writing, then you are sure to love The Other Side of the World too.

Huge thanks to Tinder Press who sent my copy for review.



Stephanie Bishop was named as one of the Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Australian Novelists for her first novel, The Singing, and has been shortlisted for numerous Australian literary awards.
She studied at Cambridge, where much of The Other Side of the World is set, and is currently a lecturer in creative writing at the University of New South Wales.

Follow her on Twitter @slb_bishop and look out for the Twitter buzz by searching for #TOSOTW










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The Silk Factory by Judith Allnatt

Anyone who’s ever lost someone is haunted

Rosie Milford inherits a house in an old silk factory after her mother’s death and moves there with her young children. The discovery of a shocking truth about her own childhood, when she is already reeling from the breakup of her marriage, fills her with distrust and fearfulness. Then she starts seeing a strange child, wandering in the garden, who seems as lost as she is.

In 1812, silk master Septimus Fowler has grand plans to keep his factory in step with the industrial revolution: he will plant mulberry trees, rear silkworms and import new mechanized looms. Orphan Beulah Fiddement works as a bobbin winder and has secrets that the master would go to any lengths to get. Caught up in a dark adult world of illicit love, rebellion and revenge, Beulah must put away her childhood and draw on all her spirit to protect those she loves.

Beulah’s story of guilt and bravery will echo down two centuries and change Rosie’s life as she struggles to overcome the hand of her own past and find redemption.

The Silk Factory by Judith Allnatt was published in hardback on 21 May 2015 by The Borough Press,

Judith Allnatt's first novel; A Mile of River is one of my all time favourite books, I reviewed it here on Random Things back in February 2013.  I was delighted to receive a copy of The Silk Factory from the publisher for review.

The Silk Factory is not just the title of this story, it is also it's heart. Rosie Milford and her two small children have moved into a house that was once part of a silk factory. The house was left to Rosie when her mother died recently, and she hopes that she and her children can make a new start there. They've come through some difficult times recently with the death of her mother and the break-up of her marriage, and although Rosie often feels unsettled by being surrounded by her mother's belongings, she also feels comforted.

Judith Allnatt then effortlessly transports the reader back to the early nineteenth century as Rosie begins to notice strange things in the house with ghostly apparitions and discovers truths about her own childhood.

The harsh reality of life as employees of the owner of the original silk factory are exquisitely depicted through the authors writing. The young family of Effie, Tobias and Beulah struggle daily to exist, suffering at the hands of their employer Septimus Fowler and as their wages are docked once again, Effie begins to despair. Until she meets a soldier who promises to love her, but meanwhile Beulah is caught up in his own problems with their master.

The legacy of Beulah's story impacts on modern-day Rosie. This is a story of love and of memory, of loss and of hauntings. Judith Allnatt binds the two stories together wonderfully well, creating a novel that is evocative and moving. The dual time method works extremely well, and although I preferred the nineteenth century story, the modern-day Rosie is a very authentic character too.

My thanks to Ann from The Borough Press who sent my copy for review.


Judith Allnatt is the acclaimed author of A Mile of River, a Radio Five Live Book of the Month, The Poet’s Wife and The Moon Field. 
Her novels have been shortlisted for the Portico Prize for Literature and the East Midlands Book Award. Her short stories have featured in the Bridport Prize Anthology, the Commonwealth Short Story Awards and on BBC Radio 4. 
She lives with her family in rural Northamptonshire.

For more information about Judith Allnatt, visit her website www.judithallnatt.co.uk

Follow her on Facebook or on Twitter @JudithAllnatt






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