Book Synopsis:

What’s it like to reach for the stars, but end up floating in a tin can?

Garth Tyson wanted to be the next David Bowie. He fell short. Waaaay short. Burnt out, he fled the stage at Glastonbury ’85, having been pelted with mud, and was never seen again.

You’re familiar with the stars of this era: the Adam Ants, Duran Durans and Depeche Modes – musicians who successfully navigated punk and New Wave to become icons.

Bet you’ve never heard of Garth Tyson – singer, brother, dreamer. Stallholder.

That’s why we’re here.

Decades after Garth’s disappearance, former bandmates, friends, relatives, lovers, music-biz execs and two fans (you try finding more) reunite to tell Garth’s compelling, tragicomic tale. Can any shed light on what really happened to him?

Not everyone appears willingly. Here’s Garth’s 80-year-old mother, Doreen Thyssen: ‘I don’t like people who dig dirt. Fuck off.’ The charmer.

Loved Daisy Jones? Try this perfectly squalid British version.

Extract:

Well. I…. BB: No, darling, not even close! But you’re very kind! Add a thousand and you’re in the right ballpark. Darling, I am contemporaneous with Tutankhamun and half as moisturised.

About The Author:

Author BioNick Griffiths first printed work was a review of The Shamen, in Sounds, dated November1989. The once psychedelic band had gone house and he simply didn’t understand.After Sounds – his music weekly of choice throughout his youth, so a dream come true – hewas headhunted for the launch of Select magazine, for whom he wrote reviews andfeatures, involving a brief but swoonsome meeting with his all-time hero, David Bowie.David gently advised Nick to given Lodger another listen, so he did.Moving on to women’s and computer games magazines by the mid-1990s, Nick settledfreelancing for the Radio Times and Daily Mail, reviewing TV shows and interviewing theirstars, too numerous to mention. He became Radio Times’ Doctor Who correspondent afterthe show’s return in 2005, which led to him being commissioned by Gollancz/Orion to writehis first book, a memoir about growing up as a Doctor Who fan, titled Dalek I Loved You(2007).A Whovian travelogue, Who Goes There, followed, from Legend Press, who also publishedNick’s comic novels, In the Footsteps of Harrison Dextrose and Looking for Mrs Dextrose.Having also written freelance for several of the national broadsheets, Nick quit journalism in2011 to move from London to Cornwall (where his wife grew up), with his young family.Since 2014 he has been running the vintage-lighting shop, Any Old Lights, in Fowey, butreally missed writing. Hence his first book in ten years: DeadStar.DeadStar, a fictional music oral history, set during punk and New Wave, launches on 25January 2022.

Book Synopsis:

Wynter’s Trees is the home of Christmas. For the people of Wynmouth it’s where they get their family Christmas tree, and where Christmas truly comes to life.

But for Liza Wynter, it’s a millstone around her neck. It was her father’s pride and joy but now he’s gone, she can’t have anything to do with it. Until her father’s business partner decides to retire and she must go back to handle the transition to his son Ned.

When Liza arrives, she discovers a much-loved business that’s flourishing under Ned’s stewardship. And she’s happy to stay and help for the Christmas season, but then she has other plans. But will the place where she grew up make her change her mind? And can it weave its Christmas cheer around her heart…?

Underneath the Christmas Tree is the perfect festive read, promising snowfall, warm fires and breath-taking seasonal romance. Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Carole Matthews and Cathy Bramley.

Underneath The Christmas Tree is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Underneath The Christmas Tree is a fun, feel good, festive novel that is perfect for relaxing with this winter.

Firstly I wish there was a place like Wynter’s Trees near me as I’d definitely be visiting there every Christmas to just soak up the amazing atmosphere. The place just seemed to have everything! Real Christmas trees, sleighs, little gift stores, fabulous sounding food and a very cute dog. I soon found myself utterly absorbed into the world the author had created and could really picture Wynter’s Trees in my mind.

The main Character’s seemed very realistic and I loved following them throughout the book. I quickly grew very fond of them and found myself wanting to keep reading so I could find out how things ended up. They delighted and frustrated me in equal measures and I sometimes wished I knew them in real life so I could talk some sense into the two of them. Their friends and employees make up a great cast of supporting characters who help create the wonderful community feeling you get whilst reading. I felt like I was actually there, part of their group and experiencing everything alongside them.

The story moves at a steady pace and there was always something happening to keep me absorbed in the story. There are a few slower moments but I was so absorbed in the wonderful festive atmosphere that I didn’t care. I loved the way the book ended and I was very sorry to say goodbye to the amazing characters. I’d so love there to be a sequel as I would love the chance to visit Wynter’s Trees again.

Huge thanks to the lovely Karen for forwarding on her copy of this book to me and to the publishers for my digital copy via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Heidi lives in beautiful south Norfolk with her family and a mischievous cat called Storm. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside, collecting vintage paraphernalia and reading. Her TBR pile is always out of control! To find out more, follow Heidi on twitter @Heidi_Swain or visit her website: heidiswain.co.uk.

Good morning everyone and welcome to another Tunes For Tuesday. Today I’m featuring the lovely Dyre and his new album Let’s Die Together. I first met Dyre through Uzi Walker who streams on twitch and also features on a few songs on this album. Dyre is a really lovely guy who’s always happy to chat and answer questions about his music. So if you’d like to learn more about Dyre from the man himself check out his interview below.

If you would like to follow Dyre on social media you can do bye clicking on the links below.

How To Listen:

For me the thing that most stands out are his lyrics which are really heartfelt and emotional. You can tell he’s put a lot of thought into them and I feel they help give you an insight into how he was feeling when he wrote the song. His music is available on all the major streaming platforms which I’ve linked below. I’ve put the YouTube videos for two of my favourite song below, long time readers of my blog might recognise the two artists featured on the songs as they are also previously been featured on here.

Interview:

Tell us a little about yourself?

I go by Dyre, I’m 19, and I’ve been making music for about three years now.

What first got you into music?

I’ve always been interested in music and have used it as a way to cope with life for as long as I can remember. I started playing the guitar around age 12, and from there took orchestra and learned about music theory. 

Who inspired you to make music?

I started making music in late 2018 because I had seen independent artists like Pouya and $uicideboy$ approach to music and the topics they talked about within their songs, it made me believe I could transition from listening to music as a coping mechanism to making music. 

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

I like to make songs that I feel like people can relate to because of how much I’ve relied on music to get me through a lot of problems. I make a lot of sad or angry music just reflecting my mood at the time. 

What is your creative process like?

I typically just make a beat and write about whatever I’m thinking about or feeling right then. I’m not a very organized person, it kind of just happens randomly and I like that aspect of creation, it feels much more meaningful to me that way. 

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

I’d definitely like to make a song with Pouya if I had the opportunity. 

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
If I could open for anybody, It would hands down be $uicideboy$, their shows are an incredible experience and the messages they convey are so sick. 

What is one message you would give to your fans?

To my fans I’d say, thank you for any amount of support you’ve shown me. I wouldn’t be making music and releasing it if nobody listened, so I appreciate all of you for letting me continue to share my thoughts with you. 

What is the most useless talent you have?

I can clap with one hand

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

I listen to music every time I’m in the shower, usually just whatever’s in my playlist which is probably something sad. 

What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?

I honestly don’t think I’d still be here if I didn’t start creating music. If I’m ever going through a lot I just make music to talk about it and I haven’t found anything else that I can use like that. 

Where have you performed? What are your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

I’ve actually yet to perform, but I do have a show coming up in Oklahoma City on December 18th, Excited to finally be on a stage. 

How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?

I think the internet has done a lot of good for the music industry in the sense that it’s much easier to release music and make music from home than it ever has been. At the same time, the music industry has become over saturated with artists, big and small, which makes it harder to reach a lot of people. 

Which famous musicians do you admire?

I really like lil peep and his style of music because I feel like it allowed him to convey his thoughts the best way that he could, and I think that’s all that art is, the world from someone else’s perspective.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

To not care about what other people think about you because you can’t control it, and that it’s okay to let yourself feel all emotions but don’t dwell on bad thoughts. 

If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?

I’d change how artists are looked at as products instead of as individuals that are experiencing the same world as everyone else. 

What’s next for you?

In the near future I plan to continue to release music and improve the quality of it indefinitely, I still have a lot further to go and I am nowhere near finished. 

Playlist:

You can now listen to Dyre and all previously featured artists on a special playlist I’ve created on Spotify.

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Good afternoon everyone, hope you are all having a good band holiday if you are in the UK. Welcome to hopefully a new feature every Monday where I’ll be updating you all on what I’ve been reading and what I’m hoping to read next.

Just Finished:

Underneath The Christmas Tree by Heidi Swain

I finished this wonderful festive read over Christmas and absolutely loved it! It was just what I needed to relax with after a hectic day dealing with three very excited kids. Nothing says Christmas to me like a Heidi Swain book so I looked forward to reading a bit more every night, with a glass of mulled wine of course. Review coming this week!

Currently Reading:

Wahala by Nicki May

Wahala is a book I’ve been hearing lots about and I’ve been very intrigued to read. I was immediately drawn into the story and have been finding the book hard to put down as I’m enjoying it so much. I was lucky enough to get a copy of this from Netgalley but at half way through the book I realised I had to have a physical copy so treated myself to the special editions from Waterstones which will be arriving later this week so I’ll be able to show it to you in all its glory next week!

Reading Next:

The Ends Of The Earth by Abbie Greaves

I’m on the blog tour for this book later this week so looking forward to starting it in the next few days. I was a huge fan of her last book so very excited to read this one. Review coming Friday!

Hostage by Claire Mackintosh

I’m thrilled to be taking part in a buddy read with the lovely Kelly and Gemma starting Thursday. Once again I’m a huge fan of this author and have heard nothing but good things about this book so I can’t wait to start! Our buddy read is ending on the 8th of January so I will be posting my review after that.

Have you read any of the books above? What are you reading now? Let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!

Good morning everyone and Happy New Year! Here’s hoping 2022 brings you everything you wish and hope for.

I think it’s fair to say 2021 was a hard year for a lot of us. One of the biggest challenges for me this year was home schooling. I’m definitely not a teacher and I found trying to home school two kids while keeping a preschooler entertained hard work. Thank goodness for my lovely mum who bubbled with us early on and helped me though it. Through all the chaos there were some wonderful moments that stood out however. The many art projects which we never would have completed otherwise, exploring new areas around our house which we didn’t know about and the introduction of the reading garden which the kids still request today.

Other highlights was finally meeting up with friends and family, including a long awaited trip to see Stuart’s family in Scotland which the kids absolutely loved. We also managed to get away to the beach which is always good for the soul. The kids loved playing in the sand and even ventured into the sea!

Blog Plans for 2022:

Tunes For Tuesday:

After the success of this feature last year, I look forward to featuring even more fantastic artists next year. This month I have the lovely Dyre and the new single from the amazing Joshua Woo, plus a few new names for you to listen to. I’m looking to change the interview questions to something a bit shorter and snappier so if anyone has any suggestions about what they’d like to know about the artists do let me know!

Book features:

As well as more reviews, I’m hoping to start doing more interviews and wrap up posts keeping you all up to date with what I’m reading and enjoying. I made the difficult decision to return to work in October which I’m really enjoying but obviously impacted on my blog as I tried to negotiate everything. I’m trying to be super organised and get things planned ahead of times, making full use of the scheduling feature on WordPress. I hope to be able to bring you more regular, fresh content soon though life might get in the way sometimes.

Instagram:

My little book blog is also on Instagram and I’m looking forward to trying to grow it this year. Im going to be trying more stacks, taking creative photos and (if I’m feeling brave enough) maybe attempt my first reel!

If you don’t already follow me on Instagram or Twitter the links are below.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing the book love with you all in 2022! What are you reading/blog plans for this year? Let me know in the comments below!