Bloody Soil by S Lee Manning BLOG TOUR #BloodySoil @SLeeManning1952 @RandomTTours #Prize #Win #Giveaway #Competition

 

Evil is on the rise again in Germany. When a mysterious American calling himself Michael Hall arrives in Berlin to join Germany Now, a far-right group, he must prove himself by shooting a prominent Jewish anti-Nazi activist, or face certain death. Afterwards, Germany Now welcomes him into its ranks, planning to use his weapons expertise to create a dictatorship dedicated to the Nazi ideals of ‘Blood and Soil.’

Michael, though, has attracted the deadly attention of an unexpected enemy, Lisette. The girlfriend of a neo-Nazi leader, Lisette has a dark secret. To avenge the assassination of her father years earlier, she infiltrated the group, slowly eliminating the killers among them, and has targeted Michael as her next victim. But is Michael the murderer she believes him to be? And by killing him, could Lisette unknowingly destroy the only chance to save German democracy?

Bloody Soil by S Lee Manning was published in paperback on 9 November 2022 by Encircle Publications and is the third in the Kolya Petrrov thriller series.

As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to have one copy to give away today. Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget in the blog post. UK entries only please.

GOOD LUCK!

One copy of Bloody Soil by S Lee Manning

S. Lee Manning spent two years as managing editor of Law Enforcement Communications before realizing that lawyers make a lot more money. 

A subsequent career as an attorney spanned from a first-tier New York law firm, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, to working for the State of New Jersey, to solo practice. 

In 2001, Manning agreed to chair New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NJADP), writing articles on the risk of wrongful execution and arguing against the death penalty on radio and television in the years leading up to its abolition in the state in 2007. 

An award winning writer, Manning writes espionage novels that feature a Russian Jewish immigrant to the United States working on behalf of the US intelligence community. 

For more on S. Lee Manning and a sneak preview of her books, you can visit her website at www.sleemanning.com.

Suicide Thursday by Will Carver BLOG TOUR #SuicideThursday @will_carver @OrendaBooks #CarverCult #BookReview

 

Eli Hagin can’t finish anything. 
 
He hates his job, but can’t seem to quit. He doesn’t want to be with his girlfriend, but doesn’t know how end things with her, either. Eli wants to write a novel, but he’s never taken a story beyond the first chapter. 
 
Eli also has trouble separating reality from fiction. 
 
When his best friend kills himself, Eli is motivated, for the first time in his life, to finally end something himself, just as Mike did…
 
Except sessions with his therapist suggest that Eli’s most recent ‘first chapters’ are not as fictitious as he had intended … and a series of text messages that Mike received before his death point to something much, much darker…

Suicide Thursday by Will Carver is published in paperback on 24 November 2022 by Orenda Books. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review, as part of this Blog Tour 

So here we are again, back in the hands of one of the most prolific authors that I know. A new book from Will Carver often puts the fear of God into me. Some of his writing, in the past, has made me feel a bit 'urghhh'. Not in a bad way, but in a way that scares the shit out of me sometimes. 

My husband read this one a few months ago and enjoyed it. I've tried to talk about the book with him and he just told me to 'read it' and that he has nothing to say. I think he means, that he doesn't have a clue to explain what goes on between these pages, if he were honest! 

I found Suicide Thursday to be a much easier read than Carver's previous books. It felt more like a 'story', I know that sounds a bit odd, but anyone who has read his novels will understand. 

He's created a story, that whilst not quite linear, is easy to follow and it revolves around a Thursday. Suicide Thursday to be precise. 

Eli is the lead character and it often feels as though you are actually walking in his shoes, with his measured out paces on his journey to and from the office and his often obsessive habits when he gets home. Eli appears quite strange, but I actually think he's pretty normal, it's just that he's vocalising his inner thoughts a lot, something many of us don't do ... we like to appear rationally normal, but are we?

Eli has a girlfriend, Jackie. They've been together for years and Eli wants to break up with her. Jackie doesn't appear too happy in their relationship either and despite her religious fervour and regular confessions, she's embarking on an illicit relationship. She's NOT a nice person. 

Mike is going to take his life on Thursday. It's planned, just as soon as he's finished varnishing the floor in his flat. 

Mike does take his life and I have to be honest and say that the scene where Mike sits, dead in his flat, did turn my stomach a bit. It's hard hitting, yet so matter of fact. 

So, I've rambled her quite a bit about Eli, Jackie and Mike and some of the things that happen, no spoilers here!  What I need to do is talk about the writing and the incredible way that Carver can examine people, and relationships and life. This really is a study in how people love and, often, in the case of Eli's colleague, how they can hate. How other people can impact your life, sometimes even when they are no longer alive ..... cue Eli's Mum, and then Mike. 

Oh, I forgot. Eli wants to be a writer. He is very good at writing first chapters, but after that, nothing. He has a library of first chapters, and Carver shares some of them within the book. I loved these and I'd really love to see a collection of Eli's first chapters published some day. 

I have to admit, I'm feeling a bit like my husband did after he read this one. I loved it, but I don't know why, and I can't really tell anyone what it's about. It's Carver at his very best, it's a little different to his previous novels, but it certainly has his trademark. 

My advice? Just read it, and let me know what you think. 

Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series and the critically acclaimed, mind-blowingly original Detective Pace series that includes Good Samaritans (2018), Nothing Important Happened Today (2019) and Hinton Hollow Death Trip (2020), all of which were ebook bestsellers and selected as books of the year in the mainstream international press.

Nothing Important Happened Today was longlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award 2020 and Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

Hinton Hollow Death Trip was longlisted for Guardian Not the Booker Prize, and was followed by three standalone literary thrillers, The Beresford, Psychopaths Anonymous (both optioned for TV) and The Daves Next Door.

He lives in Reading with his family.

Twitter @will_carver

Instagram @will_carver

www.willcarver.co.uk

 

 

Snowfall Over Halesmere Hall by Suzanne Snow BLOG TOUR #SnowfallOverHalesmereHouse @SnowProse @canelo_co @Katrina_Power #BookExtract

 

Ella is a successful chef who is looking for a temporary change of pace so she can figure out her next career steps. She's been living in the past for so many years, it's time she started living for herself. Luckily, Halesmere House in the Lake District is in need of a manager to kick-start its artists' residence and Ella can't wait to start.

There she meets single dad Max, the son of her eccentric new boss. He's rattled by her presence and is convinced that Ella's passing involvement in Halesmere will only prove painful to his children, who are already growing attached to the fun and lovely manager.

It isn't long before Ella realises she's falling in love with more than Halesmere and its community. But if she stays, is she really choosing a career for herself, or yet again for someone else?

Snowfall Over Halesmere House by Suzanne Snow was published in paperback on 18 August 2022 by Canelo. As part of this Blog Tour, I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today.

Extract from Snowfall Over Halesmere House by Suzanne Snow

As a writer, I’m inspired by many things and a love of landscape is one of them. My inspiration often begins with the setting, and I knew I had found it for Love in the Lakes when I discovered a beautiful Georgian house and garden in Cumbria. I could easily imagine my characters here and saw their story playing out in my mind. This scene is a Sunday evening when Ella is feeling tense, alone in the house on her first weekend at Halesmere. Active by nature, she heads out into the icy night for a walk to settle herself before bed:

Not a thing seemed to be stirring when Ella reached the empty lane; she felt like the only person awake and watching the world at this hour. She really ought to go back to bed; midnight would soon be past, and she couldn’t spend the night marching up and down the drive. 

She heard Prim before she saw her as she neared the house. She saw the dog freeze, then her tail shot up and Prim barked once, cautiously, then let out a volley of noise that had Max running after her.

‘Prim, shut up, there’s nothing there,’ he hissed. ‘Be quiet, you’ll wake the kids up.’

Ella had been looking for a tree or convenient spot where she might hide, but it was too late. Prim had found her and immediately swapped the barking for a madly wagging tail and a desperate wish to put her paws on Ella’s shoulders.

‘Who’s there?’ Max called sharply.

‘It’s me.’ She stepped forward, offering a quick smile she wasn’t sure Max would see through the dark. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to set Prim off like that.’

‘Ella! You had me worried for a minute, Prim’s never barked like that before.’

‘Just doing her job, aren’t you, girl.’ Ella stroked the dog leaning against her legs. 

‘I suppose.’ Max was wearing a T shirt over lounging trousers, and he shivered. ‘It’s pretty late to be out for a stroll. Couldn’t sleep?’

‘No,’ she admitted. ‘Walking usually helps.’

‘I work rather than walk when I can’t sleep.’ He wrapped his arms across his body. ‘Not so easy for me to leave the house.’

‘Of course.’ She thought of his children, cosy in their beds. ‘But doesn’t working too many hours late at night just make you more tired?’

‘Yeah.’ She saw the gleam of his smile. ‘But I’ve got two excellent alarm clocks who like crashing on my head first thing, so there’s not much danger of me sleeping in.’

A gorgeous new image jumped into Ella’s mind, one featuring Max being woken with cuddles and love every morning by Lily and Arlo tumbling over him. ‘You’re not still working?’

‘Just finished. I let Prim out last thing before I head up.’ Max stamped his feet, blew out a breath. ‘It’s freezing. You don’t fancy a hot drink, do you?’

Not wise, Ella, she told herself. Not wise at all. But exactly what she wanted and quite possibly just what she needed. ‘I’d love one. Maybe not coffee though.’

‘No problem. I do a mean hot chocolate, and I could throw in a shot of brandy to warm us up.’

‘Perfect.’ It was, and Prim seemed delighted to be escorting Ella safely into the cottage instead of seeing her back to the silent house.

I loved writing this scene as it marks a change in Ella and Max’s relationship as they begin to understand one another and the circumstances which have led them to Halesmere House in search of new beginnings.

Suzanne writes contemporary, romantic and uplifting fiction with a strong sense of setting and
community connecting the lives of her characters. 

Previously she worked in financial services and retrained as a horticulturist to plant redesigned gardens. 

When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can usually be found in a garden or looking to the landscape around her for inspiration. 

Suzanne’s first novel in the Thorndale series, The Cottage of New Beginnings, was a contender for the 2021 RNA Joan Hessayon Award and she is currently writing the Love in the Lakes series for Canelo. 

Suzanne is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors.

www.suzannesnowauthor.com

Twitter @SnowProse

The Will by Rebecca Reid BLOG TOUR #TheWill @RebeccaCNReid @PenguinUKBooks @izzieghaffari @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

The Mordaunts aren't like most families . . .

For one, their family home is Roxborough Hall - a magnificent, centuries-old mansion in the Norfolk countryside. For another, the house isn't passed down from parent to child - but rather to the family member deemed most worthy.

Cecily Mordaunt is dead. On the evening of her funeral, her family will gather for dinner and each will be given a letter, revealing who is the next custodian of Roxborough Hall.

The house is a burden, a millstone, a full-time job . . . but they all want it. And some are willing do anything to get it.

One family. Eight letters. Who will get what they deserve?

The Will by Rebecca Reid was published on 10 November 2022 in paperback by Penguin. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I almost ate this book! I settled down to begin reading and before I knew it, I was half way through. It pulls the reader in and doesn't let go. Filled with characters who make up the most dysfunctional of families, and revolving around a grand country house, this is fast moving and utterly engaging. 

The house in question is Roxborough Hall, nestled deep in the Norfolk countryside and has been in the Mordaunt family for generations. The inheritance of the house is unusual. It doesn't automatically pass to the eldest child when the current owner dies. Instead, the next owner is chosen, by the current one, and it could be anyone in the family. 

Cecily, matriarch of the Mordaunt family has died and her family have gathered for the 'entail'. This is a lavish dinner where individual letters are given out, informing the recipient if they are the next owner, or not.

Like all families, the Mordaunts are a mixed bunch. There are Cecily's three children and their assorted offspring, and added to this, we have Violet. Originally Cecily's maid, she became her constant companion, there when she died and runs the house like clockwork. Violet knows everything about this family, she knows more about them than they know about themselves. 

Oh, it's a twisty, action-packed thrill of a read. The author flashes back to Cecily's early years, and events that have changed the family dynamics over the years and the reader begins to know more about the Mordaunts too. 

Watching the characters develop, as each one of them tries to assure themselves that they don't really want Roxborough, and will be happy for the person who does get it, and then 'listening in' on their private thoughts and conversations and realising that there are so many old scores to settle. There are also long-hidden secrets that are going to have a huge impact on family members, tearing them apart and shocking them to the core. 

This is a great read. I loved the eclectic mix of characters and the wonderfully grand house. It certainly kept me on my toes. Highly recommended. 

Rebecca Reid is the author of the novels Perfect Liars, Truth Hurts and Two Wrongs, and the
nonfiction book The Power of Rude.

She is a freelance journalist and columnist for the Telegraph's women's section and a regular contributor to Telegraph culture.

She is the former digital editor of Grazia magazine and has previously written for Stylist, the Independent, the Guardian, The Times, Marie Claire, the New Statesman and Glamour Magazine. 

She regularly contributes to Good Morning Britain, Sky News and various BBC radio programmes. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway.

Twitter @RebeccaCNReid

Hope ..... and the Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan BLOG TOUR #HopeandtheHedgehog @mrtomvaughan @RandomTTours #Giveaway #Prize #Win

 

From party king to people’s philosopher: New Book Hope... And The Hedgehog aims to unpick life’s biggest questions: how did we get here, why are we here and where do we go next?

How did life begin? How does it end? What happens to those qualities that make each of us alive as individuals after the bodies they animated die and disappear?

Taking inspiration from Sir David Attenborough's maxim 'Nature wastes nothing' and drawing on the wisdom of commentators as varied as NASA astronauts, the Dalai Lama, existential philosophers, a couple of prescient teenagers and even an engagingly 'human' gorilla - Hope . . . and the Hedgehog distils the thinking behind the principal interpretations of creation, before presenting them to the reader in an easily digestible summary.

This is not a religious book and nor does it extol religion - rather it offers the same kind of assurance Bear Grylls presents to his readers. In the same way, it helps unpick the enduring puzzle that prompted Steve Jobs, creator and co-founder of Apple, to enigmatically describe death as 'Very likely the single best invention of life.' Which reinforces the importance of hope addressed here.

Hope ..... and the Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan was published on 5 May 2022 by Choir Press. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I am delighted to offer one copy as a prize. Entry is simple; just fill out the competition widget in this blog post. UK entries only please.

GOOD LUCK!

One copy of Hope ... and the Hedgehog by Tom Vaughan

‘I chose the book’s title Hope ... and the Hedgehog because hope is one of the principal drivers we resort to as human beings when confronted with a challenge to which there is no obvious solution. In the case of this book, that challenge is a very prickly issue: how we came into existence. It is an issue that we are all drawn to, but at the same time we do not want to handle or investigate too closely. Like the proverbial elephant in the room, we know that little hedgehog is there, we just prefer to leave it be – even if, in the end, there is no avoiding it.’

Tom Vaughan is an author and entrepreneur. 

He was the co-founder of the successful chain of Juliana’s discotheques, which he started in the 60’s with his brother and grew to be the world’s largest entertainment group of its type at the time, and the first discotheque chain to ever go public. It was sold in 1989 for $30m. 

Since then Tom was one of the founding directors of a property investment business and held a number of directorships, as well as forging a successful career as an author.

Hope...And The Hedgehog is Tom’s third book and is self published. 

His debut memoir is called No Ordinary Experience and he’s also written a successful novel, The Other Side of Loss. 

More on Tom here: www.tomvaughan.com/bio

Twitter @mrtomvaughan

What Writers Read edited by Pandora Sykes #WhatWritersRead @BloomsburyBooks @hayleycamis #BookReview @Literacy_Trust

 

Time and again, writers are asked the same questions about their favourite books: What are they? What’s the book you wish you had written? What’s the book that changed your life?

 In What Writers Read, Pandora Sykes – herself a voracious, omnivorous reader – collects short essays from bestselling and beloved writers, to discover the books they hold most dearly and made them who they are.

Curated and introduced by the award-winning writer and broadcaster Pandora Sykes, What Writers Read is a love letter to reading and the life-changing power of books

What Writers Read : 35 Writers On Their Favourite Book edited by Pandora Sykes was published on 1 November 2022 by Bloomsbury. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Proceeds from the sale of the book will be supporting The National Literary Trust. 

Curated by Pandora Sykes, and with entries from:

 

Ann Patchett, Elif Shafak, Leila Slimani, Nick Hornby, David Nicholls, Sara Collins, Derek Owusu, Paris Lees, Paul Mendez, Diana Evans, Lisa Taddeo, Taiye Selasi, Nina Stibbe, Elizabeth Day, Kit de Waal, Damon Galgut, William Boyd, Fatima Bhutto, Monica Ali, Benjamin Zephaniah, Elizabeth Strout, Tessa Hadley, George the Poet, Marian Keyes, Ali Smith, Dolly Alderton, Jojo Moyes, Sebastian Faulks, Meena Kandasamy, Nikesh Shukla, Ruth Ozeki, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Deborah Levy, Naoise Dolan, Emma Dabiri

This is a beautiful little hardback book, ideal for gifting to any book lover at Christmas. Dark blue cover with embossed gold script and a gorgeous illustration on the front. It also has a gold coloured silky bookmark inside. 

I do love to find new books to read, and especially love a recommendation. There's such a wide variety of authors choosing an eclectic and mixed selection of books in here, there's certainly something for everyone. 

Not only does each writer choose their favourite book, they tell us why, with interesting and heart warming tales about why that particular books means so much to them. 

It's an utter delight and a book to treasure, and to gift. 

Pandora Sykes is a journalist and broadcaster. 

She has written for the Sunday Times, Guardian, Vogue, Grazia and ELLE, is behind five No.1 podcasts and audio documentaries including the culture-shaping The High Low, and curates a monthly book club, Pandora's Books. 

In 2020 she published a bestselling essay collection, How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? 

She lives in London.

www.pandorasykes.com

Twitter @PINsykes

Instagram @pandorasykes

Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley #MerrilyEverAfter @CathyBramley @orionbooks #BookReview

 

Two strangers. One big secret. And a Christmas to remember . . .

Merry has always wanted a family to spend Christmas with, and this year her dream comes true as she says 'I do' to father-of-two Cole. But as she juggles her rapidly-growing business, wedding planning and the two new children in her life, her dream begins to unravel.

Emily is desperately waiting for the New Year to begin, so she can finally have a fresh start. She has always put her family first, leaving little time for happiness and love. When her beloved father Ray moves into a residential home, she discovers a photograph in his belongings that has the potential to change everything.

As past secrets come to light, will this be a magical Christmas for Emily and Merry to remember?

Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley was published on 13 October 2022 by Orion. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Sometimes the perfect book comes along at the perfect time in your life. This happened for me when I picked up Merrily Ever After and started to read. It's been a tough year here, I've been unwell and feeling very sorry for myself. This book brought such joy, love, warmth and sparkle into my life. It's like a huge soothing hug, in a book and I loved every single page. 

I don't usually read a lot of Christmas themed books, but I know that Cathy Bramley writes so well that I just had to pick this one up. Honestly, it brings such joy to the reader, with characters who become almost friends and a setting that really is the perfect place to spend Christmas. 

Merry and Emily have lived in the same area for years, they've bumped into each other a couple of times, and each time has left lasting memories for them. Both of them immediately knew that the other could become a friend. Little do they know just how close they will become. 

Merry is marrying Cole, the man of her dreams. They will have a Christmas Eve wedding surrounded by friends and family. However, Merry's one sadness about this is that the family member are all Cole's. She doesn't have parents, or siblings to invite and whilst she's delighted that she's being welcomed so warmly by Cole's father and his two children, she'd love someone of her very own to be there. Merry's Mum died when she was just a young girl, and she was never told who her father was. 

Emily is struggling to care for her Dad Ray. Her parents were never married and her Dad wasn't around for much of her childhood. However, she loves him and she wants to do the best for him. His dementia is worsening and he just can't look after himself now. Reluctantly, Emily decides that he must go into a care home. It's a wonderful place, full of quirky, interesting residents and Ray will fill in just fine. The staff care for the people there, and there's one staff member who has taken Emily's eye. 

Ray's dementia means that he's begun to say things that don't make sense to Emily at all, and when she discovers his old tin, full of memories, she's really confused. 

This is where Merry's and Emily's stories begin to interweave, with so many reveals and long held secrets exposed. It's beautifully done, with humour, and sensitivity and empathy. Cathy Bramley's ability to depict dementia is wonderfully done, there's touches of humour and sadness in equal measure. 

This is a feel-good story to warm the hardest of hearts. The characters are a joy to discover, and whilst there are some serious and emotional topics dealt with, it is full of love.

The perfect read for the season, in fact, it's the perfect read for any time. 

Cathy Bramley is the Sunday Times Top Ten best-selling author of THE LEMON TREE CAFE. 

Her other romantic comedies include Ivy Lane, Appleby Farm, Wickham Hall, Conditional Love, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food and White Lies and Wishes. 

She lives in a Nottinghamshire village with her family and a dog.

Cathy turned to writing after spending eighteen years running her own marketing agency. 

She has been always an avid reader, never without a book on the go and now thinks she may have found her dream job!

Cathy loves to hear from her readers. 

You can get in touch via her website www.CathyBramley.co.uk 

Facebook page Facebook.com/CathyBramleyAuthor or on Twitter @CathyBramley