Good morning everyone today I have a wonderful guest post to share with you from the lovely Faith Hogan to celebrate the up coming publication of her new book The Ladies’Midnight Swimming Club.

However before I share the guest post with you, here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Three women. Three different stages of life. United by one thing: the chance to start again.

‘Uplifting, emotional and brimming with warmth and humour’ – Cathy Bramley

When Elizabeth’s husband dies, leaving her with crippling debt, the only person she can turn to is her friend, Jo. Soon Jo has called in her daughter, Lucy, to help save Elizabeth from bankruptcy. Leaving her old life behind, Lucy is determined to make the most of her fresh start.

As life slowly begins to return to normal, these three women, thrown together by circumstance, become fast friends. But then Jo’s world is turned upside down when she receives some shocking news.

In search of solace, Jo and Elizabeth find themselves enjoying midnight dips in the freezing Irish Sea. Here they can laugh, cry and wash away all their fears. As well as conjure a fundraising plan for the local hospice that will bring the whole community together…

From bestselling Irish writer Faith Hogan, The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is an emotional story about finding new friends and living life to the fullest, that will appeal to fans of Sheila O’Flanagan, Heidi Swain and Liz Fenwick.

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club is out in ebook and paperback on the 4th May 2021. You can purchase your copy by clicking on the buttons below.

Guest Post:

Laughter and Hope – The Secret Ingredients of Faith Hogan’s Latest Summer Read…

I don’t know if you’ve heard that I’ve written a book called The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club, from that simple sentence, you would just assume that I’m simply a writer with an over active imagination who has written a book with a catchy title.

But it turns out, a lot of people assume that because I’ve written a book about open sea swimming, I must be a committed enthusiast.

Let me tell you, nothing could be further from the truth.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to be one of those women who hurtles’ bravely into the water in all weathers. I really felt that when I met some of our local open sea swimmers I could have found my tribe – these are women who know how to laugh. They’ve lived, loved, been pulled down by life and managed to pull themselves back up, stronger and better than before. These are the sort of women I write about, the sort of women we all want to be, the sort who get through and make sure everyone else gets through also.

It’s not a fear of the cold that keeps me from doing so. Rather, believe it or not, it’s a fear of heights. I’ve always been a total scardy cat when it came to climbing on anything much higher than the naughty step. The vaguest possibility of being out of my depth sends cold fear spiking along my spine. The notion of heading out into crashing waves that may be covering over fathomless black holes sends waves of terror through me like I can’t even begin to explain. And no, I’m not planning on swimming towards the Celtic Shelf or the Bermuda Triangle, this is just the nature of my writers imagination running riot – the only holes I’m likely to encounter are ridges created by the last retreating tide!

So, why on earth did I write a book about three women who take to the cold Atlantic Ocean to wash away their cares in midnight swims and sponsored skinny dips?

Well, mainly because I thought it would be fun.

And you know it was. I wrote the book from the comfort of my writing chair, with my imagination on full power and the raucous laughter of three women whom I’ve grown to love, ringing in my ears.

It’s exactly the sort of book we all need to read right now. It’s feel-good, uplifting and hopeful. I didn’t start out writing it so it would lift your spirits, but Lucy, Elizabeth and Jo were set on their own path, and even if things started out quite badly for them, they were determined to make things better.

I’m not saying that it’s all laughs; after all, it has been compared to the Calendar Girls. In places, there are emotional tugs on characters that you may become very fond of – I warn you now; there may be ugly tears while you’re reading this book. But there will also be laughter, lots of laughter, love and yes, ultimately – that one particular ingredient we all need after the last year – there’s hope. There’s a great big bundle of hope from me and all the Ladies of the Midnight Swimming Club, just waiting for you when you pick it up as your summer read.

The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club is out on May 13^th in Bookshops and from May 6^th on all Ebook retailing sites. I can’t wait for you to meet Elizabeth, Lucy and Jo, even if you don’t decide to go swimming with them, you’ll still enjoy the journey!

Over The Rainbow Book Blog: Sounds like a great book Faith I can’t wait to read it myself. Thanks for the guest post!

About The Author:

Faith Hogan is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author of five contemporary fiction novels. Her books have featured as Book Club Favorites, Net Galley Hot Reads and Summer Must Reads. She writes grown up women’s fiction which is unashamedly uplifting, feel good and inspiring. She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children and a very busy Labrador named Penny. She’s a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker and reluctant jogger – except of course when it is raining!

Faith’s latest book, ‘The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club’ is out in May!

Book Synopsis:

A year can go quickly. Particularly when it’s your last.

Adam had a good life: a job he enjoyed, a nice house, a loving partner and a bright six-year-old daughter. Then he cheated on his partner. Then she kicked him out of their home. And then he was given approximately twelve months to live.

Despite the devastating news, Adam is determined to turn his life around before it finally runs out. Help comes in the form of an ex-junky, a cantankerous train driver, a nun experiencing a crisis of faith, and a teenager intent on losing her virginity – all living on borrowed time, all desperate to feel alive before their time is up.

The Last Act Of Adam Campbell is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using one of the buttons below.

My Review:

The Last Act Of Adam Campbell was an absorbing read which manages to be both heartbreaking and heart warming at the same time.

The story follows a group of people Adam meets at a self help group and I found it very emotional to follow their stories. All of the members are sadly dying and watching them having to come to terms with that was very poignant. I can only imagine how hard this must be to come to terms with and I found I had a lump in my throat whilst reading. As a parent I found Adam’s story particularly hard as I realised how much he would miss if his daughter’s life.

This was a really absorbing story and I quickly found myself absorbed in the group. The reader is given access to the character’s inner most thoughts so I felt I was going on their hard journey alongside them. Although there were some emotional moments in the story there was also a little bit if humour which helped the story not become to bogged down in sadness.

i thought the ending was very well done and hit just the right note for me. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I’d definitely be interested in reading more from him in the future.

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

About The Author:

Andy Jones is the author of five novels for adults, and two picture books for young readers. His latest project is also his first non-fiction book. ‘Unleash Your Creative Monster – a children’s guide to writing’ will be published by Walker books in October 2021. In the pipeline are two novels for middle grade readers – look out for a genie, a dog-thief, time travel and zombies. Andy lives in London with his wife and two little girls. Chances are, he’s writing something. Follow Andy on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram where he posts as andyjonesauthor. Or visit his website to read his ramblings, tips, prompts, and various lists. Visit: http://www.andyjoneswrites.com PLEASE NOTE: Andy has not written any books about American presidents, farts, burps, pub quizzes, barefoot girls called Helen, or risk management. Those were written by a bunch of other Andy Joneses. (It’s a popular name.) In case of doubt: if it’s not on my Amazon Author Page (here), I didn’t write it.

Book Synopsis:

Sometimes there is only one course of action…

When intruders enter a radio station and kill a famed presenter it sets in motion a chain of events that will push the Metropolitan Police to their limits.

Officers Hayes and Miller are on the trail of a suspect and when Eric Helsey is detained, the police realise they have arrested the wrong man. 

As the case grows more complicated with each revelation, and the body count rises, they find themselves investigating a series of crimes, all of which may be linked. 

But what ties the murder of the radio host with a Turkish casino owner and the killing of two employees at a valve factory?  

Hayes and Miller find themselves in a race against time to get to the truth before more people are hurt…

The Hard Way is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

The Hard Way is a very fast paced, gripping crime novel from a new author for me. Its going to be a hard one to review as I really don’t want to give anything away.

Firstly i always love books that feature believable characters that you can get behind and believe in. So I loved this book as it did just that and included some brilliant back story for them which I always enjoy!

The plot line was really fast paced and fantastically written with lots going on so the book was hard to put down. There were lots of different threads going on at once which just added to my enjoyment as it was interesting to see how everything came together. The many twists and turns kept me guessing until the end and I was taken by surprise with the ending which I always like. I’d definitely like to read more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Zoe from Zooloo tours for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Duncan Brockwell is a full time dental technician from West Sussex, an avid gardener and part-time mixologist, meaning he loves mixing cocktails of an evening for his wife, Beks. He writes crime thrillers, horrors and romantic dramas. His first book, The Southern Belles was self-published under his pseudonym, Katie Simpkins, in July 2019, and has received positive feedback. Since then, he has signed a 3 book deal with Bloodhound Books for his Nasreen Maqsood series, the first of which will be released on Wednesday 8th July 2020, called No Way Out. Subsequent instalments, Bird of Prey and Bad Blood will be released on September 1st and November 9th respectively. On January 4th, his birthday, and the day the story starts on, Mr Invisible will be released by Bloodhound, and will be his first standalone novel. On the 19th April 2021, Bloodhound Books will be publishing his fifth novel, The Hard Way, a crime thriller set in London about two female detectives investigating a triple murder. The case takes them somewhere they never dreamed possible. On July 1st 2021, Spellbound Books are publishing Duncan’s first contemporary supernatural fantasy novel, Oakwood Falls, followed by his first horror, Hellingly in October. Follow him at: Facebook: DC Brockwell Author Instagram: @dcbrockwell Twitter: @dcbrockwell1

Book Synopsis:

Dressed in pajamas covered with stars, the little girl’s body is perfectly still, her arms folded neatly over her chest. The wildflowers decorating her hair scatter across the grass in the sharp breeze. Her lips are parted slightly, as if to whisper goodnight for the very last time…

When twelve-year-old Holly Mitchell’s fragile little body is found on the steps of a mountainside church in the small town of Denton, a doll made from pine cones clasped tightly to her chest, Detective Josie Quinn rushes to attend the scene. She knows this little girl’s angelic face, her mother had offered Josie help when she’d needed it most.

Searching the girl’s house, Josie is devastated to find that Holly’s mother is dead too, and her little sister is missing. But why has this family home been stripped of all sharp objects? Re-tracing her steps, Josie finally finds a secret hiding place with Holly’s sister inside, terrified, but alive. Moments later, anotherdoll made of twigs turns up.

Certain the killer is close by, Josie holds the little girl tight and tries to coax answers from her, but it’s clear the pile of burnt photographs and letters found in the greenhouse is her only lead. No one is safe until Josie can figure out the dangerous secret that has escaped this remote family home.

Just when Josie is finally closing in on the killer, the unthinkable happens, a tragedy that shakes her to her very core. And on the windshield of her car: a third wooden doll. Could stopping this twisted monster from taking more innocent lives come at the ultimate price for Josie?

An absolutely gripping rollercoaster ride of a crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.

Hush Little Girl is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using one of the links below.

My Review:

I’ve been a big fan of this author since her first book and in my opinion she keeps getting better and better.

This book was no exception and I quickly found myself absorbed into the story. I always love how the author gives the reader access to the investigation so that I often felt like I was working alongside them. The pace was very fast as I’ve come to expect with these books and I found the book very hard to put down at times as there always seemed to be something happening to keep me very intrigued.

I think I went through every emotion possible whilst reading and there were definitely some heartbreaking moments which I found very hard to read at times. There are some interesting themes discussed in this book which I found very interesting, especially as I hadn’t known much about them before. I hope that this book helps spread some awareness in real life.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next in the series. Josie has to be one of my favourite police characters and I really felt for her in this book as she seemed very changed by the end. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens next.

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 new crime thriller series I’d definitely recommend this one!

About The Author:

Lisa Regan is an Amazon bestselling suspense novelist. Her titles include Finding Claire Fletcher, Losing Leah Holloway, Hold Still, Cold-Blooded, Kill For You, and Vanishing Girls. Lisa is a member of Sisters In Crime, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S. with her husband, daughter, and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip.

Good morning everyone I’m very excited to be sharing a Guest Post from one if my favourite authors Leigh Russell today. Leigh’s new book is slightly different from her previous ones as it is dystopian fiction rather than a crime book. It sounds really interesting and I can’t wait to read it in the near future.

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

Book Synopsis:

In a world where food is scarce, the government rules and ordinary people only exist to serve, can there ever be happiness? 

As a child, living in a post-apocalyptic world, the only person Rachel can rely on is her mother. But when her mother is killed, Rachel is initiated into The Programme where selected young girls are medicated to make them fertile. 

Fearing for her future, Rachel escapes. But freedom comes at a price and Rachel must navigate through a terrifying landscape of persecution to survive.

What is on the other side of the city wall?

Will the repressive government hunt her down?

One thing is certain. Rachel’s world will never be the same again…

Rachel’s Story is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently the fantastic price of 99p. You can purchase your copy of this book via the links below.

Guest Post by Leigh Russell

Just over a year ago, few of us foresaw a pandemic that would effectively bring the world to a standstill. Perhaps if we had worried more about the possibility of such a calamity we might have been able to avoid it, or at least limited the devastation, but we were preoccupied with other issues. 

When the virus struck, with such deadly effect, there was discussion among members of the writing community about how to deal with it in our books. Some writers felt they couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist. Along with many others, I made a conscious decision to completely ignore coronavirus in my crime novels. 

Fiction for me is an escape from reality, and the pandemic was the last thing I wanted to be thinking about when writing. So my detective, Geraldine Steel, continues to investigate murders without any need for social distancing, masks, or singing happy birthday while washing her hands. She lives in a parallel pandemic-free universe, which was the right decision for her. Readers of my crime novels want to read about fictional murder investigations, not about sickness in the real world. In the words of TS Eliot, ‘Humankind cannot bear very much reality.’

But writers find inspiration all sorts of unlikely places and the pandemic started me thinking, in spite of my decision to ignore it in my writing, What might happen if this new virus evolved to attack not just humans but all life forms? Of course that would ultimately prove self destructive for the virus, if it killed off all possible hosts, but the idea was sufficiently disturbing to capture my imagination. 

So a vision of a dystopian future emerged in my mind, a post-apocalyptic world where food is scarce, and the government use fear and deprivation to maintain absolute power over the people. This is the world in which Rachel grows up. As a child, she is initiated into The Programme where selected young girls are medicated to make them fertile, and conditioned to obey. Fearing for her future, Rachel escapes, only to discover that freedom comes at a price and she must navigate her way through a terrifying landscape of persecution if she is to survive.

Dystopian literature offers us more than fantasies about possible future worlds. As with other novels in the genre, Rachel’s Story invites the reader to think about our own world today, and the direction in which we could be heading, as individuals, as a society, and as a species. In so doing, Rachel’s Story also looks at issues including women’s role in society, the exercise and abuse of power, love and betrayal, and addiction. 

I found the idea for Rachel’s Story captivating, but launching a dystopian novel was challenging for someone known as a crime writer. Having written twenty-three crime novels, I was afraid my readers might be disappointed by my decision to try something new. So far I am absolutely thrilled that reviews have been very positive. I can only hope that when the devastation caused by coronavirus slides into history, people will continue to read all my books, including dystopian story that was in part inspired by the real twenty-first century pandemic. 

Thanks for the interesting guest post Leigh. I can’t wait to read the book now.

About The Author:

Leigh Russell has sold over a million crime fiction novels, and writes full time. Published in English and in translation throughout Europe and in China, her Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson titles have appeared on many bestseller lists, and reached #1 on kindle. Leigh’s work has been nominated for several major awards, including the CWA New Blood Dagger and CWA Dagger in the Library, and her books have been optioned by major television production company Avalon Television. She chairs the CWA Debut Dagger Award, and is a Royal Literary Fellow. Leigh writes the Lucy Hall mystery series published by Thomas and Mercer. Find out more about Leigh on her website http://www.leighrussell.co.uk where news, reviews and interviews are posted, with a schedule of Leigh’s appearances. You can contact Leigh via her website, where you can subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Twitter and facebook.

Good morning everyone and welcome to another Music Monday. Firstly huge apologies for not doing this feature for a couple of weeks I’ve had the kids off school and things have been rather hectic.

Today I’m featuring the lovely Bethan Le Mas and her new album One Man’s Crust Is Another Good Woman’s Seed. I met Bethan through, you’ve guessed it, twitch and she quickly became one of the regular streams I visit. Her streams are always great fun as they often end up with us talking about Harry Potter or books as Bethan is an avid reader.

If you would like to follow Bethan on twitch or on social media, including the book review account she’s started on Instagram, then please click on of the buttons below!

Bethan’s Music:

Bethan can play guitar, piano, cello and harp which she plays regularly on stream as well as in her music. Her music is really chilled folk music which is really relaxing to listen to. Her lyrics are always very clever and I always enjoy listening to them.

Below are two of my favourite songs from her new album but you can listen to the whole album via the links below.

Music Monday Playlist:

Bethan’s new music and all the artists previously featured on Music Monday are all available on a special playlist I have created. You can listen to it via the link below and if you like it why not give it a follow!

Happy Listening!

Good afternoon everyone I have a very exciting cover reveal to share with you today. I’m so excited to read the book and I will be bumping it up my reading list as soon as possible!

There is a great trailer for this book that you will be able to view on my Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Book Synopsis:

EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNOWS HIS NAME.
BUT IT’S YOU HE WANTS.

At thirty-nine, Solène Marchand is a devoted mother, a dedicated colleague and a considerate ex-wife.

But it’s a long time since she’s felt like herself.

So when someone comes along who seems to see her – to want her – for who she really is, the attraction is instant. And so begins a jet-setting, earth-shattering secret love affair.

But what if that someone is world-famous sex symbol Hayes Campbell? Captivating frontman of boy band of the moment August Moon – whose face is everywhere. Including Solène’s teenage daughter’s bedroom wall.

Can Solène allow herself to fall for the boy the whole world wants?

OR WILL SHE HAVE TO MAKE A DEVASTATING CHOICE..?

The Idea Of You is available in ebook now for the amazing price of £2.99 and will be published in paperback on the 8th July 2021. You can purchase your copy using the link below or by ordering through your local indie bookstore.

Advance Praise:

About The Author:

Robinne Lee is an actor, writer, and producer. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, she was born and raised in Westchester County, New York. Robinne has numerous acting credits in both television and film, most notably opposite Will Smith in both Hitch and Seven Pounds.

Book Synopsis:

When everything you love is in danger, how long can you keep running to survive?

Life can be brutal
Winter in Idaho. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.

Jack knew it
Jack Dahl has nothing left. Except his younger brother, Matty, who he’d die for. Their mother is gone, and their funds are quickly dwindling, Jack needs to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison.

So did I
Ava lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father, a merciless man, has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one.

Did I feel the flutter of wings when Jack and I met? Did I sense the coming tornado?
But now Ava wants to break the rules – to let Jack in and open her heart. Then she discovers that Jack and her father are stalking the same money, and suddenly Ava is faced with a terrible choice: remain silent or speak out and help the brothers survive.

Looking back, I think I did . . .

Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Meg Rosoff and Daniel Woodrell, What Beauty There Is an unforgettable debut novel that is as compulsive as it is beautiful, and unflinchingly explores the power of determination, survival and love.

What Beauty There Is will be published on the 8th April 2021. You can pre-order your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

I thought What Beauty There Is was an intense, gripping read which definitely packs an emotional punch and kept me reading far too late at night.

Firstly wow what an incredible story this was, I don’t think I’ve read many books which manage to be so gripping but also so emotional at the same time. It was very poignant to meet Jack and to follow him on his mission to try to make things better for his brother. It’s hard not to like Jack and I found myself wishing I could somehow go into the book to help him. His adventures often meant he put himself in a life threatening situation which made me feel very nervous for him. I found I wanted to keep reading as I wanted to ensure he’d be ok.

This story is told from the point of view of Jack, Matty, Ada and Sheriff Doyle who were all characters I grew to love. Jack and Matty are lovely main characters who I loved to read about, especially when the reader sees how much love there is between them. I wasn’t sure about Ava to begin with as I wasn’t convinced I could trust her but she grew on me as the story progressed.

The descriptions of the beautiful, harsh landscape of Idaho helped make the story more unique and created more atmosphere in the story. The unique quietness of the wilderness made me feel it was hiding something and I sometimes felt like it was holding its breath waiting to see what would be discovered. It sometimes felt like a rather volatile character itself as it appeared to be helping Jack on his journey sometimes but hindering him at other points too.

Overall I really enjoyed this gripping read that was very hard to put down. I was quickly drawn into the story and into the predicament Jack finds himself in. As a parent I found some of the scenes very hard to read and couldn’t believe the brothers had been out in such a perilous position. This made me feel more involved in what was happening as I felt almost responsible for making sure they were ok. This is unbelievably the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her soon.

Huge thanks to The Write Reads for inviting me onto the blog tour and to penguin for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Cory Anderson is a winner of the League of Utah Writers Young Adult Novel Award and Grand Prize in the Storymakers Conference First Chapter Contest. She lives in Utah with her family. What Beauty There Is is her debut novel.