Book Synopsis:

Nineteen-year-old Jennifer is regretting her hasty move into Sunset Promenade, an unusual retirement home taking in students to save money.

Despite their differences in age, Jennifer and the older residents thrive and embark on a series of new adventures.

But when Sunset Promenade is threatened with closure, cracks begin to show, and this quirky group of friends must work together to save their home.

The Growing Pains of Jennifer Ebert, aged 19 going on 91 is a funny, warm and uplifting novel about the importance of friendship, the value of community, and how it’s never too late to have the time of your life…

The Growing Pains Of Jennifer Ebert 19 Going On 91 is available now in ebook and paperback.  The ebook is currently only 99 p but you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

I’m on a role for reading fantastic books at the moment and The Growing Pains Of Jennifer Ebert 19 Going On 91 was no exception.  I thought this was a charming, heart warming and hilarious read.  I really loved it and think I’m going to find it hard to put how much into words

Firstly the characters are just fantastic, a real eclectic mix of some quirky characters which I really enjoyed getting to know.  We slowly get to know them and their back stories throughout the book and particularly through ‘Ringo’s Stars’ a wonderful feature thought up by Ringo.  This accidentally probes into their childhood and helps bring past hurts to the surface.

My favourite character was Ringo who was such a nice, genuine guy that was impossible not to like . I loved how be was just himself and how he seemed interested in being friends with everyone. He’s also the main reason why the two originally separate groups finally come together which was great to read about.  I also liked Jenny who I felt quite sympathetic towards as wevweall tried to reinvent ourselves and be someone we’re not to fit in.  Some of her efforts to do so are quite cringy and I felt like simultaneously screaming at her to stop and wanting to give her a hug to tell her it’s all ok.

The book was quite thought provoking as it shows the prejudices that exist between the two generations.  It was interesting to see the characters work through this and become friends.  It was also quite a gripping book as I felt that the characters became almost like friends so I wanted to keep reading to find d out more about them and what they’d get up to next.  There is an added mystery to the story in the firm if some thefts that having taken place in the home which I found quite intriguing.

Some of the descriptions of what the characters do and say were utterly hilarious.  I was actually crying with laughter when it came to them going to the Halloween party together.  It is definitely a book that I’ll remember and be recommending to everyone.

This is the second book by this author and I have already bought his debut book to read too. If you like heartwarming, hilarious books with some unforgettable characters then you’ll love this book.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton and Orion books for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

David Barnett is an award-winning journalist and author based in West Yorkshire. He was born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1970 and has worked in regional newspapers since 1989. He is the author of the Gideon Smith alternate history series from Tor Books, beginning in 2013 with Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl. David is also the author of Hinterland (2005, reprinted 2008), Angelglass (2007) and The Janus House and Other Two-Faced Tales (2009), all published by Immanion Press, as well as popCULT!, published in 2011 from Pendragon Press. His work has been translated into Czech, Russian and German. He is represented by the literary agent John Jarrold. David is married to Claire, also an award-winning journalist, and they have two children, Charlie and Alice.

Book Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Katie Marsh and Marian Keyes, Olivia Beirne’s The List That Changed My Life takes its readers on an hilarious and heart-warming journey of a lifetime, showing us what it means to really be alive.

Georgia loves wine, reality TV and sitting on the sofa after work. She does not love heights, looking at her bank account, going on dates, or activities that involve a sports bra. And she will never, ever take a risk.

That is, until her braver, bolder, big sister finds out that she won’t be able to tick off the things she wanted to do before turning thirty, and turns to Georgia to help her finish her list.

With the birthday just months away, Georgia suddenly has a deadline to learn to grab life with both hands. Could she be brave enough to take the leap, for her sister?

And how might her own life change if she did?

The List That Changed My Life is available in ebook now at the bargain price of £1.99.  You can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

The List That Changed My Life is a wonderful, warm and funny book that made me laugh out loud at times.

Although someone having a bucket list they wish to complete isn’t a new one, the author manages to breathe new life into in the form of reluctant participant Georgia who was my favourite character in the book.  I think this was because she reminded me a little of myself as I’m also not much of a dare devil and I much prefer sitting on the sofa reading a book too.  She is an immensely likeable character that you can’t help but warm too especially as she seems so real with all her little quirks.

There is quite a thought provoking theme running through the book about how people treat those that are sick.  I think our reaction is normally very like that of the characters in that we try and protect them but never consider how it makes them feel.  I found it interesting to see things from Amy’s point of view and to learn about the difference in how people treat her after her diagnosis.

The descriptions of Georgia trying to complete the things on Amy’s list was hilarious and I found myself laughing aloud frequently throughout the book.  Not everything came easy to her and she was often pushed far out of her comfort zone but she was persevered and saw it through which was great to read about.  She’s definitely inspired me to try some new things too.

This is the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her.  If you like heartwarming, funny books that makes you think then you’ll love this book.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Olivia Beirne is a 26 year old writer, who previously worked in casting. She lives in Tulse Hill, London with her friends and their resident mouse and grew up in Buckinghamshire. This novel is a standalone debut and she is currently working on her second novel.

Good evening everyone I’m on the blog tour for The Merest Lost by Steven Neil today and I have a great extract to share with you.  My huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for giving me this extract to share when wasn’t able to read the book in time due to kids being poorly.

The Merest Lost is available now in ebook and paperback, purchase your copy here.

Before I share my extract with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

A story of love and political intrigue, set against the backdrop of the English
hunting shires and the streets of Victorian London and post-revolutionary Paris.

When Harriet Howard becomes Louis Napoleon’s mistress and financial backer and appears at his side in Paris in 1848, it is as if she has emerged from nowhere. How did the English daughter of a Norfolk boot-maker meet the future Emperor? Who is the mysterious Nicholas Sly and what is his hold over Harriet?

Can Harriet meet her obligations and return to her former life and the man she left behind? What is her involvement with British Government secret services? Can Harriet’s friend, jockey Tom Olliver, help her son Martin solve his own mystery: the identity of his father?

The central character is Harriet Howard and the action takes place between 1836 and 1873. The plot centres on Harriet’s relationships with Louis Napoleon and famous Grand National winning jockey, Jem Mason. The backdrop to the action includes significant characters from the age, including Lord Palmerston, Queen Victoria and the Duke of Grafton, as well as Emperor Napoleon III. The worlds of horse racing, hunting and government provide the scope for rural settings to contrast with the city scenes of London and Paris and for racing skulduggery to vie with political chicanery.

The Merest Loss is historical fiction with a twist. It’s pacy and exciting with captivating characters and a distinctive narrative voice.

Extract:

Will they, won’t they? The uneasy relationship between Harriet Howard and Jem Mason ebbs and flows throughout the novel. In chapter twenty one of The Merest Loss another opportunity presents itself. Will they take it?

Chapter Twenty One
House of Cards
Paris, France
1854

On the first day of August, the wealthy Parisians leave the town. Those lesser mortals left behind are the beneficiaries. In the early morning, a calm serenity pervades the parks and open spaces. By mid-morning gypsy children, in ragged clothes, sail makeshift, wooden boats across the lake in the Jardins du Luxembourg. The park keepers are taking their annual holidays and there is no-one to chase the children away. The new ‘pelouse interdite’ signs, so widely hated and thus ignored, are completely unenforced and impromptu picnics spring up here and there, as lunchtime approaches. Small groups grow to larger assemblies and the wine flagons are passed around. A crackle of activity creeps across the park. On past one o’clock, with the sun’s rays scorching the grass, the noise subsides. Solace is sought from the heat and the shady bases of the horse chestnut trees are encircled by reclining figures, sleeping off the effects of the food and alcohol. The occasional lurcher lies sprawled, legs twitching at the thought of a dream rabbit. Only the whispering whirr of the hummingbird hawk moths, flitting between the verbenas, seeps into the slumbering silence.
Harriet enters the gardens by the top gate, on the rue de Vaugirard. She looks left and right. She is well-practised. Her hair is pulled back into a black bonnet and her plain clothes give her the look of a teacher, or perhaps a lady’s companion. No-one gives her a second glance. She walks diagonally south and then turns east along the southern face of the Palais, to the eastern end of the gardens, breathing in the scent of the musk roses, as she goes.
Jem enters by the lower gate, at the meeting of the rue d’Assas and the rue Auguste Comte. His stride is long but halting as if he carries a weight in one shoe. He looks straight ahead. When he reaches the Medici fountain, he sits down on a bench and lights up a cheroot. He leans back, one arm resting along the back of the bench. He crosses his legs and blows out a series of smoke rings. Presently, one of the gypsy children scampers towards him and sits beside him, swinging his legs. They exchange a few words and Jem presses a coin into the boy’s hand. The boy looks at the coin and a beam breaks out across his face. A few more words pass between them and the boy skips away again. Jem finishes his cheroot and stamps it into the dust. He is on the move again. At the far end of the garden, below the fountain, is an orchard. A wooden building, in a beamed, Normandy style, festooned in wisteria, sits almost hidden. There are a few garden tools scattered about and a wheelbarrow, stacked against a wall. A pool of water, from a leaking water butt, spills along the edge of the path and a robin dots down and takes a long drink, ignoring Jem’s approach. Jem pushes at the door of the building and goes in. Harriet is already inside.
They meet like this often. It is not ideal, but it is a relationship of sorts. Sometimes she flies at him, ripping at his clothes, like an animal tearing at flesh. At other times she sits, looking down, waiting for him to come to her. He never knows what he will find. A lot goes unsaid. There is an unspoken rule between them that the lives they live when they are apart are not talked about. They live in the moment. But today there is a different charge in the air. Harriet senses it as soon as he comes in.
‘We cannot carry on like this,’ he says.
‘Like what?’
‘I cannot bear the dishonesty. I don’t want to be slinking about in the shadows.’
‘You know my situation very well. It is difficult. I am hopeful that things will resolve themselves soon. I don’t want to put you in danger. That is my first concern.’
‘I can look after myself.’
‘That is pride talking. I don’t doubt your bravery. But this danger cannot always be seen. It comes out of nowhere. It is driven by spite and fuelled by hatred.’
‘You are talking in riddles.’
‘I am sorry. Please trust me that we must remain covert for the time being. Nothing would please me more than to be open.’
‘I think we need some time to think things through. I don’t know where we are going. Do you?’
‘I am trying to hold us together in difficult circumstances. But I can’t do it on my own. Will you not meet me half way?’
The question hangs unanswered between them. Jem stares at her. He looks as if he might speak, but in the end, he kicks the door open and walks out, without a backward glance.

About The Author:

Steven Neil has a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics, a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the Open University and an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes University. In his working life he has been a bookmaker’s clerk, management tutor, management consultant, bloodstock agent and racehorse breeder. He is married and lives in rural Northamptonshire.
Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100016617465298 and https://twitter.com/stevenneil12

Book Synopsis:

Watching her friend dragged away in handcuffs, Josie couldn’t believe for one second that Gretchen had killed that poor boy. Confession or not, someone else was involved. She would find out who…

When the body of a young student is found on the driveway of a local Denton home, a photograph pinned to his collar, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. The house belongs to Gretchen Palmer, a dedicated member of Josie’s team, missing for the last twenty-four hours.

Working around the clock, Josie is stopped in her tracks when Gretchen hands herself in to the police.She knows that there’s no way Gretchen could ever be a killer, so why would she confess to a murder she didn’t commit? 

Digging deep into Gretchen’s secretive life, Josie uncovers a link between the boy, the photograph and a devastating case in Gretchen’s past. But just when Josie thinks she has it all figured out, the bodies of a young couple surface on the other side of town. Can Josie get to the truth in time to save her friend from a life in prison or certain death?

Absolutely gripping, this unputdownable crime thriller from a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author will leave you gasping for breath. A perfect read for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.

Her Final Confession is available in ebook and paperback now, purchase your copy here.

My Review:

I’m such a huge fan of this series which I think keeps getting better and better.  I love the way the author cleverly manages to breathe new life into this series with new stories and new characters being introduced in each book.

Josie has to be one of my favourite detectives and I love the confident attitude she takes when solving her cases.  She doesn’t suffer fools gladly which I found very impressive.  Her relationship with Noah divided me a little bit.  On one hand I was very pleased she had found someone who she obviously liked but in the other I felt it took away from the more interesting case she was working on.

The story is again very gripping and the plot develops quite fast making it very hard to put down.  It seemed a bit more frantic this time as it was personal to Josie and she was determined to help her friend. There were lots of surprising plot twists  to keep me on my toes and the suspense towards the end had me absolutely glued to the book.  Another fantastic ending from this talented author!

This is Lisa Regan’s fourth book and the fourth book in the fabulous Josie Quinn series.  Whilst this could be read as a stand-alone it might be beneficial to start at the beginning as I feel you would get more of an understanding of the characters.

Huge thanks to Noelle from Bookouture for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.  If you’re looking for a fantastic new crime series then I urge you to try this one!

About The Author:

Lisa Regan has written over 300 published titles for children including picture books, puzzle books, children’s reference and curriculum-linked work books. Having worked on Scooby Doo, Deadly 60 and looking after three young sons, she’s an expert in monster-like creatures and all things gross!

Book Synopsis:

One crossed wire, three dead bodies and six bottles of bleach.

Seth Beauman can’t sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phonebook, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans
But a seemingly harmless, late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late-night talks are turning into day-time meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker, when Seth brings Hadley home…
And someone is watching…
Dark, sexy, dangerous and wildly readable, Good Samaritans marks the scorching return of one of crime fiction’s most exceptional voices.

Good Samaritans is available in ebook and paperback now, purchase your copy of both here.

My Review:

I’d heard a lot of fantastic things about this book so I was very excited to finally read it.  I was not disappointed as Good Samaritans is a very unique book which manages to successfully combine an unusual love story with a dark, gritty crime thriller.

The story is told from the points of view of five different characters who are all brilliantly developed throughout the book.  There is Hadley a troubled lady who keeps trying to commit suicide, Seth who has a lot of trouble sleeping, a call center worker, a detective trying to sort a murder investigation and the killer. The five stories gradually come together and intertwine which was very interesting to read about.

The story is surprisingly gripping almost from the beginning and the characters are ones that you really grow fond of so want to keep reading to find out what happens to them.  I especially liked watching the love affair develop between Seth and Hadley as I felt they were two lost souls and deserved some happiness though obviously this changed slightly throughout the book as things develop.  There are a few rather raunchy passages that might not be to everyone’s taste though they did fit in well with the story.  If you are easily offended you might want to avoid.

The pace of the story increases slowly and there are lots of twists in the story which ensures the book is hard to put down.  Some of these I had guessed but this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book as it helped increase the tension as I waited for it all to unravel.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I will eagerly be waiting more from him.  If you like dark, gripping and sexy novels then you’ll love this one!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Karen from Orenda books for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series (Arrow). He spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age 11, when his sporting career took off. He turned down a professional rugby contract to study theatre and
television at King Alfred’s, Winchester, where he set up a successful theatre company.

He currently runs his own fitness and nutrition company, while working on his next thriller. He lives in Reading with his two children.

Good afternoon I’m excited to finally be sharing my review of Mavis And Dot by Angela Petch today.  This is a very special book as all the proceeds from it are going to Breast cancer research.

Huge apologies to Rachel and Angela for my late post I’ve now got two children down with a chest infection.

Mavis And Dot is available for kindle and paperback now.  The ebook is currently only £2.29 but you can purchase a copy of both here.

Before I share my review with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

A warm slice of life, funny, feel-good, yet poignant. Introducing two eccentric ladies who form an unlikely friendship.Meet Mavis and Dot – two colourful, retired ladies who live in Worthington-on-Sea, where there are charity shops galore. Apart from bargain hunting, they manage to tangle themselves in escapades involving illegal immigrants, night clubs, nude modelling, errant toupees and more. And then there’s Mal, the lovable dog who nobody else wants. A gently humorous, often side-splitting, heart-warming snapshot of two memorable characters with past secrets and passions. Escape for a couple of hours into this snapshot of a faded, British seaside town. You’ll laugh and cry but probably laugh more.”This book is quirky and individual, and has great pathos…[it] will resonate with a lot of readers.” Gill Kaye – Editor of Ingenu(e). Written with a light touch in memory of a dear friend who passed away from ovarian cancer, Angela Petch’s seaside tale is a departure from her successful Tuscan novels. All profits from the sale of the books will go towards research into the cure for cancer.

My Review:

Mavis And Dot is a wonderful, uplifting and funny book that I really enjoyed.  It was the perfect book for me to read whilst awake at night with ill children and in doctors waiting rooms as it helped to lift my spirits. Though I did wake up my little girl by bursting out laughing at one point, a definite mummy fail!

Mavis And Dot are fantastic characters that I wish I knew or that I will know when I’m older.  Their outlook on life was amazing to read about and their antics didn’t fail to make me smile.  I loved following their quest to do all the things on their bucket list which made me laugh out loud at times.

There are some more serious parts in the book though, particularly when we learn more about the two ladies past.  This is particularly true when it comes to Dot who I must admit I didn’t warm to straight away.  It was quite heartbreaking to learn about her sadness but wonderful to see her gradually thaw out and let herself go.

The descriptions of Worthington-on-sea were very vivid and I felt like I could picture them in my mind.  I felt like I had actually visited Humphrey’s Beach and could smell the fish and chips.  It was sad to read about some of the more rundown areas, which I know is happening to quite a few traditional beach towns.

It sounds silly to say that a book about the beach is a perfect winters read but it really is just that.  The wonderful sense of friendship and togetherness as well as the characters zest for life makes it a fantastic book to curl up with.  If you like heartwarming, hilarious books that will make you laugh and cry then you’ll love this book!

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for not only my copy of this book and the invite to be in the blog tour but for her kindness and patience with me when I couldn’t post due to my kids being ill.  It was very much appreciated!

About The Author:

(Author picture and bio taken from Amazon)

Good evening I’m thrilled to finally be able to share my extract from The Dark Web as part of the Urbane Books Christmas Extravaganza! Apologies to all for late post my little girl is now ill too so this fantastic are quite hectic as I’m sure you can imagine.

The Dark Web is available now in ebook and paperback, the ebook is currently only 99 p but you can purchase a copy of both here

Before I share my extract with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

The latest thrilling instalment in the gripping African Diamonds trilogy!

The tentacles of the Dark Web are tightening their grip around the world. From Moscow to Shanghai, Washington, UK, the Middle East and Europe, nowhere is beyond their reach.

When a computer scientist dies mysteriously in Dubai, Jenny Bishop’s nephew, Leo Stewart, is hired to replace him. Leo’s life is soon in danger, but he is the only person who can find the key to prevent an impending global cyber-attack. With the help of Jenny and old and new friends, he must neutralise the threat before the world’s vital services are brought to a halt in a flagrant attempt to once again redraw the borders of Europe and Asia. Can the deadly conspiracy be exposed before the world is thrust into a new Cold War?

Christopher Lowery delivers a gripping final chapter in the bestselling African Diamonds trilogy, with a thriller that is powerfully resonant of today’s global dangers, hidden behind the ever-changing technological landscape.

The perfect read for fans of Gerald Seymour, Wilbur Smith and Frederick Forsyth.

Extract: Prologue 

Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Monday, 9 July 2012
‘That man from the syndicate called again, that’s the fifth time since we turned them away.’ Madame Xiu Lee-Win poured a glass of green tea for her husband.
‘What did you say?’
‘The same as every time they came and every time they’ve called, “The company is not for sale, please stop pestering us”.’
‘I don’t understand their obsession with our business,’ Chongkun Lee-Win sipped his tea. ‘There’s dozens of microprocessor companies around just as good as ours. If they’ve got the kind of money they say, they can take their pick. Just keep refusing, dearest,
and they’ll finally realise we won’t change our minds.’
‘I suppose so, but I’m tired of answering the phone and hearing that man’s voice. And he said a peculiar thing before he rang off this time.’
‘And that was?’
‘He said, “I think it’s time to convince you to sell”.’
‘I don’t know how they’d do that. They’ve already offered a fair price. Don’t worry about it, just ignore them and they’ll go away.’

‘You’re right, I’ll stop answering the phone. I’ll get the Filipino girl to answer in Spanish, that’ll put them off. Anyway, how was your day?’
‘Excellent. We just got the second quarter results and they’re very good, we’re ten per cent ahead of revenue forecasts with two per cent gross margin improvement. We can afford to continue to invest in our development programmes without worrying about
cash flow.’
‘You’re talking about the ACRE project, aren’t you? How’s it coming along?’
‘We’re making good progress; Han and I were reviewing the latest test results this afternoon. I think we’re still a year or two from perfecting it, but you know how long it takes to transform a concept into a working solution.’
She wagged a finger fondly at him. ‘You’d better deliver it soon or you’ll be embarrassed in front of the world. Remember? I told you not to authorise those press releases last year. “Announcing ACRE, The Ultimate Level of Encrypted Transmission from Lee-
Win Micro-Technology”. You could be prosecuted under the Trade Descriptions Act.’
Her husband laughed and kissed her cheek. ‘Nonsense. It was a smart move, it brought us lots of publicity and new customers. They’re all waiting for ACRE and we’ll get there in the end. It’s just a
matter of time and money and the breakthrough will come, you’ll see.’

‘Yes, it certainly is. According to the cost summary I saw on your desk, we’ve invested over $40 million since you came up with the concept two years ago. And you were sixty years old last month, are you going to follow that dream into retirement?’
‘It’s not just a dream, Xiu. ACRE is much more than that. Do you remember how we pioneered the change in the concept of CPUs and microprocessors back in the eighties? Now we’re going to do the same thing for encrypted transmission. I forecast that five years from now, Automatic Constant Recurring Encryption will be the de facto system of protecting and transmitting data all over the world.’

‘If you say so, darling. You can keep up the project, just don’t
stress about it constantly, or it will be the death of you.’

Thursday, 26 July 2012

It was six-thirty on a dark, rainy morning when Chongkun climbed
into his white 2009 Volkswagen Golf. Although he had a chauffeur and several other cars, including a 1999 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit Mark IV, he preferred to weave through the traffic in the little saloon and drop it in the employees’ parking lot behind the Lee-
Win building in Pudong, leaving the luxury travel for his wife. The sky was black with heavy rainclouds, and he strained to see through the windscreen wipers as he drove slowly along the street lit up by the headlights of the passing cars. Their colonial-style town house in the Jing’an area was about fifteen kilometres from the office, on
the other side of the Huangpu River. Chongkun would meet their two sons, Junjie and Jiang, for a coffee before work and chat over the day’s programme. Both were married and worked with him in the microprocessor business, as heads of finance and marketing respectively. Although the family owned several other companies
involved in manufacturing and commerce, he loved the challenge
of the continual innovations in the world of the Internet, often led by Lee-Win under his stewardship.

Chongkun always took the same route to work. Experience had taught him it involved the fewest hold-ups, and the trip took less than thirty minutes at that time in the morning. He made his way to the Fuxing East Road to cross the river by the tunnel and then come
down Century Avenue to the business park. At the roundabout near the Xiao Taoyuan Qingzhensi Mosque, the cars were bunched up, nervous drivers waiting for a gap to enter the traffic. As Chongkun inched his car forward, a massive black Hummer pulled alongside him on the right and a green Ford saloon came up on his left side,
moving to the inside lane of the roundabout.  The Hummer also moved ahead and he drove slowly out with it, protected by the saloon on his left. Suddenly he felt a soft impact from behind and the Golf was pushed several metres forward, onto the roundabout.

He jammed his foot on the brake and looked in the rear-view mirror. An old red Land Rover had run into the back of his car. The Ford on his left had stopped, and he looked past it to see a Tsingtao Beer truck bearing directly down on him. The Hummer had also stopped on his right, and he pushed the throttle flat to the floor to try to get past it and over the roundabout.

The fully loaded lorry smashed into the Golf, pushing it into the Hummer. The little car was crushed to half its size, with Chongkun inside. It took the firemen three hours to extricate his
dead body from the wreckage. The Land Rover had disappeared from the scene. In the dark, pouring rain no one was sure what had happened and why he had driven into the path of the truck.
The verdict of the inquest was accidental death, but his heartbroken widow didn’t believe it. In October, she sold Lee-Win Micro-Technology to the syndicate for twenty per cent less
than their original offer, and the Lee-Win family left Shanghai and settled in Macau.

Xiu Lee-Win’s prophesy had proved to be accurate, but not for the
reasons she supposed.

About The Author:

Christopher Lowery is a ‘Geordie’, born in the northeast of England, who graduated in finance and economics after reluctantly giving up career choices in professional golf and rock & roll. Chris left the UK for Switzerland in 1966 and has lived and worked in six different countries over the last 50 years. He was a real estate developer and Telecoms/Internet entrepreneur and inventor and has created several successful companies around the world, notably Interoute Communications, now Europe’s largest cloud services platform provider and Wyless Group, now part of Kore Telematics, one of the world’s largest Internet of Things providers.

In 2014, Chris started writing historically/factually based thrillers and the first two volumes of his African Diamonds Trilogy – The Angolan Clan & The Rwandan Hostage, were published by Urbane Publications, a UK publisher. These books are based upon his family’s experiences during the Portuguese Revolution of the Carnations of 1974 and his daughter’s work as a delegate with the ICRC in Rwanda in 1996. The third volume, The Dark Web, was published in April 2018, and draws on his experience as one of the creators of The Internet of Things, between 2002 and 2016. His fourth book, The Mosul Legacy, an unrelated story, will be published in September 2018. His illustrated All About Jack stories for children are written in humorous verse, and were published privately.

Book Synopsis:

The deliciously sinister new novel from the No 1 bestselling author of Richard and Judy Book Club pick, Lying in Wait‘

‘I could probably have been an actress.
It is not difficult to pretend to be somebody else.
Isn’t that what I’ve been doing for most of my life?’

Cordelia Russell has been living on the French Riviera for twenty-five years, passing herself off as an English socialite. But her luck, and the kindness of strangers, have run out.

The arrival of a visitor from her distant past shocks Cordelia. She reacts violently to the intrusion and flees her flat to spend a drunken night at a glittering party. As dawn breaks she stumbles home through the back streets. Even before she opens her door she can hear the flies buzzing. She did not expect the corpse inside to start decomposing quite so quickly . . .

Skin Deep is available now in paperback and ebook, purchase your copy here.

My Review:

Ooh I did enjoy this dark, unsettling and addictive book.  It’s the sort of book that you sit down to read a chapter of and then before you know it two hours have gone by!

I really didn’t like the main character Delia, which is unusual for me.  She is a very vain, calculating person who I was unable to feel much sympathy for despite all the hardships she faces throughout her life.  Her obsession with her looks and the importance she places on her beauty made me further dislike her.  The story is told from her point of view and I thought she was quite an unreliable narrator as I didn’t feel I could trust what she was saying.

This book follows Delia through her life from nine years old and the tension in the book gradually increases as the reader learns more about the type of person Delia is.  There are quite a few chilling events in her story which further increased my unease as I was never sure what she would do next.  I felt that I had to keep reading to find out more about her and to see what she’d do next.

Skin Deep is an utterly addictive book which gripped me from the start and I found very difficult to put down.  When I wasn’t able to read it I found myself constantly thinking about it and plotting ways I could read a few more pages.  A sure sign of a fantastic book!

This is the fourth book by this author but the first I have read and I can’t wait to read more from her.  It would make a great book club book as there is lots to discuss which is why it’s was chosen for the Richard and Judy book club!  If you like dark, unsettling and thrilling books then you’ll love this book!

Huge thanks to Georgia from Penguin for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Liz Nugent is an Irish novelist, born in Dublinin 1967.

Liz Nugent attended Holy Child Killiney Secondary School Co.Dublin.

Her first novel Unravelling Oliver (PenguinIreland) won an Irish Book Award in 2014 and has been translated into seven languages, including Spanish, Italian and French. It was published by Scout Press (Simon & Schuster) in the US in August 2017.^[1][2]

Her second novel Lying In Wait also won an Irish Book Award and was selected for the Spring list of the UK’s Richard & Judy Book Club in 2017, winning the overall Readers’ Vote ^[3] and was published in the US in June 2018.^[4]

Her third novel Skin Deep was published in April 2018.^[5][6]

She lives in Dublin with her husband.

(Author picture taken from Amazon and bio from Wikipedia)

Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for Stoned Love by Ian Patrick today and I have a great guest post to share with you.

Stoned Love is available in ebook and paperback now.  The ebook is currently only £2.49 but you can purchase a copy of both here.

Before I share my guest post with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Detective Sergeant Sam Batford has been lying low at a remote safe house in the highlands of Scotland. He’s doing his best not to attract the attention of the enemies he made, on both sides of the law, during his last under-cover operation but Batford knows he’s just killing time until he’s called to account.

Inevitably the sharks begin to circle and as Batford is called back to front-line action in London he’s thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse where it seems everyone is out to get him.

After having to endure a frustrating resolution to their previous undercover operation together DCI Klara Winter from the National Crime Agency is determined to prove that Batford has crossed the line into criminality and finally bring him to face justice.

All Sam Batford wants is to outwit his enemies long enough to stay alive and come out ahead of the game.

Ian Patrick’s previous Sam Batford novel, RUBICON has been optioned by the BBC.

Guest Post: 

Inspiration

This is a strange one for me to answer, as my protagonist, Sam Batford, isn’t your average DS! For a start he’s corrupt. I guess most writers / readers would think that writing crime as a retired cop or anyone with a background knowledge of policing would be easier. I’d argue It’s somewhat harder. The reason being is that we have to make the story entertaining. The realities of police work are far from this. There can be many days of waiting around on surveillance where your target doesn’t leave home.

My books explore the world of covert policing and the same can be said of this area of police work. As I wrote the first in the series, Rubicon, the strangest thing occurred. My protagonist became corrupt. My mind clearly wanted more of a challenge than writing the thing in the first place!

A key part of covert work is to be vigilant to corruption. This is why there’s security vetting you must pass before you can enter the command and random drug testing is the norm too. On occasions you could be handling significant sums of money. That money must be accounted for. It’s not the officers but ultimately yours, the taxpayer.

With this awareness you begin to see how those officers with a criminal intent could exploit the system. I’m not saying they’d succeed but the potential is there. I had a small team to manage and we were a tight unit. If there was a sniff of corruption then we would have happily nicked each other and ensured a conviction. So the inspiration happened and I ended up turning my own beliefs upside down to get the character that is DS Sam Batford.

Writing characters’ like him has its moments. I often ask myself, how can he get away with this? That’s also why I enjoy him as he provides the challenge through writing I miss from policing.

I’m so grateful to be included on your blog and thank you for all the support you give to so many authors. Without good people like you my writing wouldn’t be getting the recognition of readers that it is.

IP

My pleasure Ian! Thanks for a great guest post, I wish you all the best with your new book!

About The Author:

Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for Edna’s Death Cafe by Angelena Boden today and have a great guest post to share with you.  Thanks so much to the lovely Sarah for letting me post a guest post instead of a review as my ten month old has a bad cold, isn’t sleeping and is very clingy.

Edna’s Death Cafe is available in ebook now for the bargain price of £2.99.  You can purchase your copy here.

Before I share my guest post with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

As in life, death is not without its agenda. This is something seventy-nine year old Edna Reid finds out when her partner, Ted, suddenly dies.

To cope with her loss, she sets up a Death Cafe to break down the taboo around death and to encourage other members of the community to discuss it openly. Over tea and cake, the participants hide their fears behind a veil of dark humour.

Religious fanaticism clashes with Victorian spiritualism as Edna’s meetings trigger lively conversations on the fragility of life, anxiety over dying, cost of funerals, and making sure long-lost greedy relatives don’t benefit from inheritances.

Soon, a series of events begin to unfold which threaten to undermine Edna’s livelihood and the Death Cafe meetings. These events just happen to coincide with the arrival of a mysterious stranger into the village.

Who is she and why is she so hostile to Edna?

Guest Post:

DYING TO EAT

Food is the essence of life. Without it we would die which is ironic considering the last thing we want to do is eat when someone we love has died. Notice I am not using euphemisms of passed away or called to be an angel. It’s because I believe that to conquer a fear we need to name it.
The first time we are faced with having to eat publicly after a death is usually at the funeral. Well-wishers encourage us to ‘keep up our strength,’ or ‘to just have a little something.’ The funeral tea or wake is about sharing memories over platefuls of nibbles, maybe some favourites of the deceased, and raising the mood.

We get buried in food when news breaks of a death of a close family member. Plied with soups, stews, curries and sponges by neighbours and friends the moment the news of a death breaks, eating is often the last thing we want to do yet the act of making comfort foods for those who need comforting replaces a need to search down the back of the sofa for those lost words of consolation.
Fridges and freezers get packed to overflowing so that no-one has to think about what to buy, prepare and cook. The business of grief needs all available energy.

There lies the problem. We should eat but our stomach tells it isn’t not ready. If we could swallow a little of the creamy pasta, not only would we bring relief to those desperate to find a way to heal our broken hearts but also to ourselves as a small act of defiance against the raging beast of grief which feeds on our loss like a vampire guzzling blood.
The link between grief and loss of appetite is often seen as an emotional one but from my experience it was physical. Nausea, a weakness in the joints, muscle fatigue, brittle hair, insomnia and an inability to stop crying went on for months. My body craved essential vitamins and minerals but I didn’t care if I never ate another morsel.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with this dangerous situation but it needs support from family, friends and medics. Swallowing was my biggest problem and it was liquid compounds three times a day that helped make the switch back to regular eating. It took two hours to drink one small bottle in between sleeping but it was a start. Small portions of nursery food followed – banana and custard, ice cream, then liquidised soups, white fish. It took time and maybe my situation was unusual.
Foods that triggered painful memories were avoided for a long time and nobody should be pushed into eating more than they can manage as in the ‘just one more mouthful’ scenario of our childhood tussle with Brussel sprouts.
Emotions can shut down our appetite or they can scream out to be fed. Grief eating is common but if we stuff down excess carbohydrates which are known to be mood lifters then we run the risk of weight gain, feeling unwell and in some cases self-hate. Extremes are never helpful, especially when it comes to maintaining good health and what we need for a full physical recovery.
Water is essential as opposed to alcohol which is not. I drank lots of it with lemon or Vitamin C tablets mixed in. As taste returns from its shocked state, like the rest of the body, we become attracted by colourful, natural foods; berries, peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, honey and find ourselves returning to a new sort of normal.

Food is best eaten with a companion. The lonely bereaved know they have to look at an empty place setting across the table so stop eating. If this is you, then take a tray, put on some music, watch TV, do something different. If you know of someone who has been bereaved and is alone, don’t just take a pot of macaroni cheese over. Ask if you can eat with them or better still invite them to your home once a week as something to look forward to. It’s important to tell them that you would really like that.
Some of this might resonate with you. Or maybe not. We are all so different and respond to grief in our individual ways. Some prefer to be alone to process their thoughts, others are terrified of the strength of their own emotions.

All I can say is that a portion of chips was worth more than words to me in the early days. Especially when shared. Even though that contradicts everything in this blog, I think Edna would approve of that. 

If you’ve been affected by any issues in this blog, you can speak to:- https://www.cruse.org.uk/
https://www.samaritans.org/
They can put you in touch with specialist support groups.

About The Author:

Angelena Boden has spent 35 years writing and delivering training programmes on resolving conflict, interpersonal skills and advanced communication. Amongst her many international projects, she set up a charm school for nightclub door staff in the 80s, worked in Belfast on a skills development programme to help people on the Shankill Road get back into work and has helped large numbers of young unemployed and ex-offenders to find their place in society.
She speaks four languages and has travelled extensively.

Angelena writes dark, compelling fiction which are described as gripping psychological thrillers and domestic noir. She is keen to connect with readers via twitter @AngelenaBoden