Good afternoon everyone today on Tunes For Tuesday I’m featuring the lovely Josh Taerk and his new song Midnight Mustang.

I first discovered Josh on twitch where I soon grew to love his streams with Josh’s enthusiasm and fantastic originals. Despite there normally being a few people in his streams Josh greets everyone personally and manages to remember little things about their lives which makes you feel included in his streams. He’s often joined by his brother and dad who are also fantastic musicians and there is such a lovely vibe when they all play together.

Josh was nice enough to answer some questions for me so you can find out more about him by reading his answers below!

You can follow Josh on social media or watch him on twitch by clicking on the links below.

How To Listen:

Josh’s music is available on all major music streaming platforms which you can access using the links below. He also has a lot of beautiful covers on his YouTube channel which is definitely worth listening to. I’ve out the videos for Midnight Mustang and I’m here, my personal favourite original of Josh’s, below.

Interview:

Tell us a little about yourself

I was born and raised in Toronto Canada. My favorite color is black (I know it’s a shade but it still counts). My favorite food is meat-filled ravioli or tortellini. I prefer t-shirts over dress shirts, jeans over dress pants, and boots over shoes. I love anything Disney (yes that includes Marvel), and for as long as I can remember my dream has been to play music and connect with people through that music.

What first got you into music?

I have to give credit to my parents for this one. Through my mom and dad, I was introduced to Michal Jackson, Eddie Van Halen, The Who, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Hall and Oates, and from as early as I can remember, I wanted to play onstage like the people coming out of my parents’ speakers. We even have a video of me at 5 years old using a tennis racket as a guitar, playing a song I had written that day. Music was always a way for me to process the emotions I was feeling and the things I was thinking. Whenever I was happy, sad, confused; music was my way of working through it while feeling like someone out there understood what I was experiencing.

Who inspired you to make music?

The first time I really paid attention to the words in Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” I think I was 10 years old. That song just hit me differently that day and I saw the images and felt the feelings running through those lines “Roy Orbison singing For The Lonely, Hey that’s me and I want you only, Don’t turn me home again, I just can’t face myself alone again”. I was crying before I got to the chorus. It was my first real introduction to how cinematic and emotionally impactful the stories we tell through music can be.

Then when I was 15 my buddy asked me if I’d heard Counting Crows and proceeded to play me “Round Here”. “Step out the front door like a ghost, Into a fog where no one notices, The contrast of white on white, And in between the moon and you, Angels get a better view, Of the crumbling difference between wrong and right”. I started devouring Counting Crows music, started listening to Springsteen again, and told myself that I wanted to write music that spoke to people the way these songs spoke to me.

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

I consider myself a storyteller before anything else, and that’s how I approach every moment of inspiration when it comes. I’m a big believer in letting that story lead, tell me how it wants to sound, and where it wants to go. This leads me to mix everything from Pop to Rock, Folk to Country, and just about everything in between; pulling from all the different styles of music that I love to bring the songs to life in a way that honors the story being told.

One of my favorite things to do is talk to people who have taken my music into their lives and hear what the stories mean to them. The fact that these songs speak to them and that they’re able to relate these stories to moments in their lives means more to me than I will ever be able to put into words.

What is your creative process like?

It’s very organic and the songwriting process starts differently every single time. I get my inspiration from real life, the things I’m feeling, experiencing, and/or the things people very close to me are going through. Sometimes it will start as a melody I hear in my head, a guitar part that I start playing, a word or phrase someone says that hits me in just the right way at that moment. I love it because it always keeps me on my toes. The trick is recognizing that moment of inspiration and following it where it wants to go.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

I would love to collaborate with Taylor Swift. I think she is a brilliant storyteller and an awesome songwriter. I would love to write and perform a song with her.

If you could go and open a show for any artist, who would it be?

That’s a tough one. I would say it would probably be a tie between Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift. Both are creative and immensely talented people. I think I would have a lot of fun being on tour with both.

What is one message you would give your fans?

Follow your heart. We get a million chances to do a million different things in life, but we only get 1 chance to live it to the fullest.

What is the most useless talent you have?

I have an iron stomach. I can digest absolutely anything you could throw at me which has come in handy when touring and the only place to stop for breakfast is a gas station, haha.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

Always, I love singing in the shower. Before anyone ever heard me sing in public, I would have full-on concerts in there. It changes depending on what I’m listening to at that moment. Lately, it’s been a lot of Switchfoot, Jimmy Eat World, and Mayday Parade.

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

I think I would have been an actor or teacher. I was in plays up until I was a teenager and loved taking on different characters.

Thanks so much for answering my questions Josh!

Playlists:

You can now listen to all previously featured Music Monday artists on a special playlist I’ve created on Spotify. I’m in the process of creating one for Tunes For Tuesday too.

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Good morning everyone I’m excited to be on a special blog tour to celebrate The Cheltenham Literature Festival which is happening the 8th – 17th October in various venues around Cheltenham. The event truly has something for everyone with talks from author’s from all genres, proof parties for bloggers and exciting events for children which I’m taking my kids to.

There are still some tickets available so if you’d like to have a look at the program please follow the link below.

Book Synopsis:

If you are the girl, the woman who feels like she is never enough, that she will never be as strong, as good, as capable, I am here to tell you that you are enough. I am here to tell you that while it shouldn’t have been your burden, you can write a different story.

Stronger will change what you think you know about strength and, most importantly, empower you to go on your own journey to discover what strength looks like for you.

Now a competitive amateur powerlifter who can lift over twice her own bodyweight, Poorna Bell is perfectly placed to start a crucial conversation about women’s strength and fitness, one that has nothing to do with weight loss. In Stronger she challenges the notions taught to us as girls, and examines how all of us can tap into our reservoir of inner strength to make us our strongest selves mentally and physically. Describing taking up weightlifting after the death of her husband, she shows how discovering her own strength helped her to find the confidence that physical pursuits can amplify – the confidence that has been helping men to succeed for centuries – and that women can find too.

In these pages, Poorna tells not only her own story but those of a range of women, investigating intersections of race, age and social background. Part memoir, part manifesto, Stronger explodes old-fashioned notions and long-held beliefs about getting strong and explores the relationship between mental and physical strength.

Whether you’re into weightlifting, running, swimming, yoga or don’t consider yourself to be sporty at all, Poorna shows how finding strength can work for you, regardless of age, ability or background.

Stronger is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Wow what an amazing, uplifting and insightful book this was. I must admit I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started reading this book but I was more than pleasantly surprised as I absolutely loved this book.

In her inspiring memoir the author discusses the subject of strength, not just of body but of mind and attitude too. I found the discussion about societies attitude to exercise exceptionally fascinating. As someone who’s perhaps a little exercise shy at times I’ve always been told I have to do certain exercises and make myself exhausted in order to get fit. Exercise isn’t about enjoyment but about working hard. The author completely dispels the idea arguing that you should do do exercise you enjoy which I found very inspirational and has encouraged me to restart Zumba classes soon as I used to love them.

The author discusses other barriers to exercise that may exist including what sports are still considered appropriate for girls to do, which doesn’t include strength training. I know this to be true as I have a friend who’s very into CrossFit who keeps getting comments about being careful not to get muscular arms as it is unfeminine. It’s a shame that these stereotypes still exist in the modern day. I often found myself agreeing with the author as I read as some of the examples she uses are very relatable and likely to have happened to you or someone you know.

Overall i really enjoyed this book which I thought was very well written and researched. Its one of those books that I’ll be encouraging everyone to read and I hope that PE teachers or sports coaches might read it in the as I feel it could help younger children get into sports.

Huge thanks to Midas publicity for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Poorna is an award-winning freelance journalist of fifteen years and a digital editorial expert, having previously worked as UK Executive Editor and Global Lifestyle Head for HuffPost. She freelances for The Times, The i Paper, Grazia, The Guardian, Red magazine, and Stylist among others.

Poorna is an experienced public speaker across ministerial health summits, corporate and consumer events, including Twitter, Ad Week, NHS, ITV and Oath. She’s also spoken on Channel 5, ITV and BBC News, as well as regularly on TalkRadio and BBC 5 Live.

Named one of Balance magazine’s top 100 wellness personalities two years running, she’s also been a judge for Mind Media Awards, Own Media Awards, British Book Awards, Sony World Photography and First Women.

Book Synopsis:

As war rages, everyone has to do their bit…

Bristol 1941

As the clouds of war grow bleaker both at home and abroad, the Tobacco Girls are determined to do their bit for King and Country. To that end Maisie Miles and Bridget Milligan become voluntary ambulance drivers.

As well as coping with the frequent air raids, Maisie is kept on her toes with three new junior employees one of whom is particularly testing.

Bridget’s heart becomes torn between family loyalty and American tobacco tycoon Lyndon O’Neill III, the man she loves.

Meanwhile Phyllis Harvey has joined the WAAF, opting to serve overseas whilst trying to escape her past. Her letters home are upbeat and her friends are initially envious of descriptions of sunshine and blue sea. The truth she hides is that life on the island of Malta is fraught with extreme food shortages, daily air raids and the fear that tomorrow might never come.

The future appears far less certain as the reality of war bites into The Tobacco Girls’ lives.

Fire & Fury is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Fire and Fury is a fascinating, gripping and emotional read that I found hard to put down. It is the third book in the fantastic Tobacco Girls series which in my opinion keeps getting better and better!

Firstly it was great to be back with the Tobacco girls and I was quickly thrown back into their lives. I’ve grown very fond of them over the series and they have started to feel like old friends to me so I found myself very invested in their story. I soon felt I had to keep reading as I cared about what happened to them. They are a great group of girls and I loved reading more about the friendship that has grown between them. Each girl is slightly different and they all bring different things to the story which makes for very interesting reading.

This book focuses on a dark time in the war and I enjoyed following the girls as they tried to juggle their work, volunteer work and their personal lives. It was interesting to learn more about what life was like on the home front and the bravery of the woman who stepped up to help the war effort. Phyllis’s posting to Malta helped the reader to experience the war from another point of view and I found it fascinating to learn more about Malta during the war.

Overall I really liked this book and can’t wait to read more in this series The author’s writing style helps draw the reader into the book and there was always something happening to keep me glued to the page. I felt sad when the book ended and I had to leave all the fabulous characters behind.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Bold wood for my copy of this book via netgalley.

About The Author:

Lizzie Lane has written over fifty books a number of which have appeared in the top thirty best selling paperbacks and the Heatseekers charts. Her pet interest is WW2, how little people carried on regardless against the biggest upheaval the world had ever known. She mentions at one stage about how it seemed Britain was sinking beneath the weight of weaponry and allied soldiers from all over the world.Born and raised in Bristol, a number of her family were involved in the tobacco industry which at one time employed 13,000 people in the city. This is the inspiration behind her latest series, The Tobacco Girls which is set against those five years of war and follows their lives and loves, their hope for survival and better times to come.

Book Synopsis:

Josie Morgan never looks forward to December. It’s always a reminder of the life she lost, twenty years ago. Now, she always switches off the radio when Christmas music comes on. She always wants to tear down the tinsel her flatmate insists on pinning up. And she always posts a letter she knows will never be read.

Max Carter never expected to find himself stranded in London just days before Christmas. He never expected it would be so hard to say goodbye to a woman he hardly knows. Then again, he never expected to fall in love.

But, this December, when Josie’s letter leads her to Max, a chance encounter will change their lives in the most remarkable way. And their story is only just beginning . . .

Always In December is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Always in December is a romantic, uplifting read that will stay with me for ages. When I first started reading I was anticipating a cosy Christmas read to help get me into the festive spirit but this book is far more than that.

Firstly I did love Josie and enjoyed following her through the book. She’s a very realistic, likeable character who I wish I knew in real life. She’s definitely been through a lot in her life but I loved the way friends and family came together to help her through the harder moments. Max was an interesting character who I wasn’t sure I liked at the beginning as he seemed to be holding a lot of himself back but as the book went on he grew on me and I found myself hoping for a happy ending for the two of them.

The author has a great way of setting the scene and the festive atmosphere in the book as we follow Max and Josie on their whirlwind romance was wonderful to read about. I so enjoyed the fabulous descriptions of the festive dates spent ice skating and drinking spiced cocktails. The gathering of friends and family was also very touching and helped portray the sense of anticipation there is on the run up to Christmas.

Overall i really enjoyed this book which took me through every emotion as I read. I found myself smiling and laughing one moment to crying the next. It was interesting to follow the couple throughout the year as they try to go from a Christmas romance to something more serious. I liked how realistically the author described their relationship at this stage and I felt I had to keep reading to find out what happens. The author touches on some deeper subjects in the story which I felt were well dealt with and which made the book slightly more serious in places. The pace in the book gradually increases as the story goes on and I found the last third of the book near impossible to put down. The ending was beautiful and I found myself crying as I finished. It’s hard to believe this is the author’s debut novel and I very much look forward to reading more from her in the future.

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:

Emily Stone lives and works in Chepstow and wrote Always, in December in an old Victorian manor house with an impressive literary heritage. Her debut novel was partly inspired by the death of her mother, when Emily was seven, and wanting to write something that reflected the fact that you carry this grief into adulthood, long after you supposedly move on from the event itself.

Good afternoon everyone I’m on the blog tour for Butterfly Assassins by Steve Walsh today and I have a great extract to share with you today.

You can find the extract below along with some details on how to purchase your copy, but first here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

When a Brimstone butterfly flaps its wings and a chain of events culminates in a car accident and a young girl’s admission to an intensive care ward, random chance plays no part in Wilson also being admitted to the same ward. Lost in the limbo land of the unconscious, his liberation comes from an unlikely source. Butterfly Assassins is the sequel to Wilson indeed! The WiFi of Dreams Book One.

Butterfly Assassins is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

Extract:

Dusk was descending on The Market Square as Sally arrived in her favourite pyjamas; a pink pair in brushed cotton with a seahorse embroidered on the breast pocket. Lovely as they were, the pyjamas were not going to cut the mustard that night, because a Year 10 fashion show was in progress and Sally was most certainly not, dressed for the occasion. A bench by the Clock Tower offered a vantage point for viewing the catwalk running up the centre of The Market Square and far enough from the razzamatazz for Sally to stay anonymous. Even at that distance, she recognised many of the celebrities in the audience, familiar faces from gossip magazines, reality TV and influencers on Instagram.

Many of Sally’s teachers had accepted their invitations and Rachel Tiffany Thomas, the ringleader of the gang targeting Sally at school had a front row seat. Other girls, most notably the clique of self-centred wannabes from two years above, were playing the part of fashion models strutting down the catwalk as though parading through Cheadle on a Saturday afternoon. Flashes from paparazzi cameras lit the scene in silent bursts of light. Even at her young age, Sally recognised the event as a visual metaphor for her suppressed emotions. This was a dream bearing a grudge.

She studied her tormentor-in-chief. Rachel Tiffany Thomas was puckering her bee sting lips, arranging locks of hair over heavily made-up eyes and sucking in her anorexic cheeks to gorge on selfies. Sally had the urge to go and slap her stupid, idiotic face. And she wouldn’t get into trouble for it either; after all, this was only a dream. To see a stinging, red handprint superimposed on all that pink blusher and the teary look of shock, oh, that would be so satisfying. But Sally didn’t have the malice for such a pointless act of retribution. The fashion show was just a foolish fantasy; the frustrations and torment of school, thinly veiled.

About The Author:

For twenty years Mancunian Steve Walsh honed his skills in prose as an advertising copywriter; his claim to fame is as the creator of the hotel booking service, laterooms.com and the first car insurance comparison site, easycover.com. So, the birth of Meerkats, a Welsh opera singer and being confused.com might be considered as down to him. He now uses his vivid imagination and gentle Mancunian wit to write visionary urban fantasy novels with bold concepts. The second book in the WiFi of Dreams trilogy, Butterfly Assassins, takes the reader on a richly imagined, fact meets fiction adventure story to which we can relate and feel we can touch. A whimsical interrogation of the inexplicable and fundamental tenets of our lives – the role and meaning of dreams, the nature of the hereafter, hard and soft science, a love story – what more can you want?

Book Synopsis:

From the internationally bestselling author comes a tale of long-buried secrets and a discovery that will change everything, perfect for fans of Dinah Jefferies and Lucinda Riley.

An unforgettable discovery

In 1922, Lady Evelyn Herbert’s dreams are realised when she is the first to set foot inside the lost tomb of Tutankhamun for over 3,000 years.

A cursed life

But the months after the discovery are marred by tragedy, when Eve’s father dies suddenly and her family is torn in two. Desperate to put the past behind her, Eve retreats into a private life with her new husband.

A deadly choice

But she is harbouring a dark secret about what really happened in Egypt. And when a young woman comes asking questions years later, the happiness Eve has finally found is threatened once more…

The Collector’s Daughter is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author so you can imagine my excitement at being invited onto the blog tour for The Collector’s Daughter, her latest book. Once again the author has written an absorbing, emotional piece of historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Firstly the author has clearly done her research and her vivid descriptions helped transport me to another time, often making me feel like I was actually there experiencing everything for myself. I didn’t know much about Egypt’s history before reading this so I eagerly drank in all the fascinating details about ancient Egypt and Egypt between the two world wars. It was especially interesting to see how archaeological digs were carried out at that time and how different they are compared with today. It was also great to experience the expat scene there and interesting to see the difference between how they lived compared with the locals.

The characters were all fantastic creations that I loved following throughout the book. They were all based on real historical figures and I so enjoyed researching more about them on the internet, especially when I discovered some photographs of them towards the end of the book which helped bring them to life. I absolutely loved Eve who was a very strong lady who is, even from a young age, determined to succeed. It was wonderful to see her fight against others expectations of her from a young debutant determined not to just get married and be a socialite to an older lady rehabilitating after a stroke, Eve wanted to do things her way! Her relationship with her husband was really beautiful to read about, especially how they complimented each other despite being so different.

Overall I adored this book and felt I was quickly drawn into the story which had a great pace to it. There was always something happening that helped keep my attention and I found I enjoyed both timelines equally which is unusual for me. The gradual revealing of secrets was cleverly done and I enjoyed the tantalising way in which the reader discovers what happened. If you are a fan of dual timeline historical fiction then I highly recommend this book.

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

About The Author:

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in the twentieth century and often writing about the lives of real women. Her novels have topped bestseller lists in the US and Canada as well as the UK and have been translated into twenty languages. The Secret Wife has sold over half a million copies and is a book-club favourite worldwide.

She is also the author of several non-fiction books on historical subjects. She lives in London and swims year-round in a wild pond.

Book Synopsis:

A darkly beautiful dual-timeline novel with a captivating mystery, for fans of Diane Setterfield and Kiran Millwood Hargrave

’Like a surreal cabinet of curiosities – haunting, eerie, evocative’ Bridget Collins, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Binding

When Tartelin Brown accepts a job with the reclusive Marianne Stourbridge, she finds herself on a wild island with a mysterious history.

Tartelin is tasked with hunting butterflies for Marianne’s research. But she quickly uncovers something far more intriguing than the curious creatures that inhabit the landscape.

Because the island and Marianne share a remarkable history, and what happened all those years ago has left its scars, and some terrible secrets.

As Tartelin pieces together Marianne’s connection to the island, she must confront her own reasons for being there. Can the two women finally face up to the painful memories that bind them so tightly to the past?

Atmospheric and deeply emotional, The Unravelling is the captivating novel from the author of The Illustrated Child.

The Unravelling will be published in hardback and ebook on the 6th January 2022. You can pre-order your copy using the links below.

My Review:

The Unravelling is an atmospheric, immersive dual timeline story about butterflies, silk and secrets.

Firstly the thing that most struck me about this book was the author’s beautiful special style of writing that just draws the reader into the story. I felt completely transported to the island with the author’s vivid descriptions helping me to picture the scene so I felt like I was actually there watching everything unfold.

Marianne was an interesting main character who I enjoyed learning more about throughout the book. The timeline moves back and forth between her as a young girl to her as a grown lady. I found both timelines to be very interesting though I must admit Marianne did irritate me in her youth as she seemed so full of herself and quite vain at times. The house and the island seemed like characters themselves at times as they seemed to be trying to hide their secrets at some points. It was great fun to explore them alongside the characters and discover their secrets. I especially loved the beautiful descriptions of the wild life on the island and the unusual taps in the house.

Overall I loved this book which I found hard to put down as I didn’t want to exit the wonderful world the author had created. The gradual revealing of secrets was really well done and there were some twists which took me completely by surprise. I can’t wait to read more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Sian for inviting me onto the blog tour and to HQ for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Polly Crosby lives in Norfolk with her husband and son, and her very loud and much-loved Oriental rescue cat, Dali. To find out more about Polly’s writing, please visit pollycrosby.com. Polly can also be found on Twitter as @WriterPolly.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the first Tunes For Tuesday – the same as Music Monday but on a Tuesday as I seem to find it hard to post on Mondays…

Today I’m featuring the lovely Tom Didsbury and his fantastic EP Broken Minds. I first found Tom on Twitch, first as a friendly person in another music streamers chat and then as as streamer when he decided to start streaming. Tom has an absolutely amazing voice which always blows me away. He streams on a Sunday morning and I always love the chill vibes that help me wake up. He plays some of his amazing originals, some chill indie tunes (with the exception of a black eyed pea song that snuck into the list) and, as he’s a huge Disney fan, a lot of Disney songs that my daughter loves dancing along too.

Tom was kind enough to answer some questions for me which you can read below.

You can follow Tom on twitch or social media by clicking on the links below.

How To Listen:

Tom’s music is only available to listen to on SoundCloud at the moment though he is hoping to get his music in other platforms soon. Sound is a free app and works like Spotify in that you can make a library featuring songs and artists that you like. It is also available via computer using their website.

If you would like to listen to Tom on SoundCloud I have included a link below.

Interview:

Tell us a little about yourself?

Hello! My name is Tom, I’m 28 and I am sat here in my pyjamas listening to yet another film soundtrack, and that pretty much sums me up! I am new to the Twitchosphere, starting my streaming journey in March (after a very successful charity stream in January), and am beyond grateful to the friends I’ve made along the way. I graduated university in 2014 gaining Honours in Music Composition and Technology, which I then put straight to use as a manager of a well known coffee chain in the UK… Music always been a pipe dream for me, and one that I have pushed to the background for fear of failure, with every excuse under the sun for not pursuing something even as a part-time venture. After my Dad died in early 2020, I realised I had used one too many excuses in my life and that I could not wait any longer to get back to writing and performing music. My Dad was a lover of all things music and my biggest fan. So the Twitch streams are for him, and I know he’d be as equally proud as I am of myself for taking this step and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

What first got you into music?

I had piano lessons from a very early age, and there was always music playing in the house. One of my most vivid memories is coming downstairs on a Saturday morning to the theme tune of ‘Sound of the 60s’. I was lucky enough to have passionate teachers at school who showed me how to play, write and enjoy music to the fullest.

Who inspired you to make music?

I remember discovering City & Colour in the late 00s which pushed me to beg my parents for an acoustic guitar. I had always played piano, but I had never composed until discovering Dallas’ music. When I received an acoustic guitar for my birthday (must have been 15/16 years old I think), I began to play in different tunings and seeing what interesting chords I could come up with. Fast forward a few years to university, and I was lost in Bon Iver, Bon Iver which shaped my musical creativity and lead me to my EP: ‘Ethereal Man’ in 2014. 

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

A mix of Radiohead and Bon Iver, an attempt to ignore the norms of rhyming couplets, bridges, choruses, etc.

What is your creative process like?

It probably sounds daft, but if I sit at the piano/guitar and a song doesn’t come to me within 5 minutes then I stop and come back another time. Almost all of my songs have been written in one sitting and within a short time-frame – an equal measure of luck and laziness haha!

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

How long have you got? Justin Vernon/Thom Yorke, either or and I’d probably be too incapacitated to create anything!

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

Any – just the opportunity to play live and be given a chance would be more than enough!

What is one message you would give to your fans?

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to having “fans” – crikey! I would say: thank you for helping me re-discover my enjoyment for playing/writing music, I wouldn’t be doing it without any of you. 

What is the most useless talent you have?

Being able to name 99% of the flags of the world? That or being able to recite The School of Rock front to back.

Do you sing in the shower? What songs?

Not as often as you might think! But when I do, it’s *always* Disney.

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

I’d still be doing my actual career of being a financial analyst haha – got to pay the bills!

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

I haven’t performed in many places unfortunately, mostly open mics and weddings. But my claim to fame is that back in 2012 I supported Rudimental at Chester University’s summer ball, the night that ‘Feel the Love’ went to #1! Attending gigs, however, I’ve been privileged enough to visit many, many venues. Top of the list is MK Bowl – I’ve seen both Kings of Leon and The Prodigy (I know, tad different) as the sun sets and into the night, what an incredible place. That and Blackpool Opera House for Bon Iver – the sound of that hall was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced. Worst venue has to be The Met Lounge in Peterborough watching The View and Iglu & Hartly (throwback). Sweaty, noisy, sticky – I think I was born a grumpy old man! 

No upcoming shows, no, but I am available for gigs and weddings so please consider me if you or someone you know is getting married!

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

A huge question – the internet has allowed artists from all of the world to have their music heard, shared, and loved far more easily than we could have dreamed 20 years ago. We can write and produce tracks from our bed and have them on Spotify the same day. So in terms of releasing music, fantastic.

That being said, in terms of artists making a living, well we could be here all day. The current model of music subscription services is unsustainable. Artists cannot keep making 0.00004p per stream, because if they do, gig prices go up, audiences are priced out of gigs, less likely to stream the music, and we go round and around. The % artists get in 2021 is criminal and there needs to be a bigger drive on actually purchasing artists’ music (remember CDs/LPs?), and we have the internet to blame for that.

What is your favourite song to perform?

Anything Disney – I have so much fun doing them!

Which famous musicians do you admire?

Bon Iver, my favourite artist. Radiohead for pushing boundaries and ignoring the status quo. Queen for being the greatest band to have ever lived (don’t challenge me on this). Hans Zimmer for being kick ass!

What is the most trouble you’ve ever

I have never been in trouble, I would never do anything I’m not supposed to…

Thanks so much for answering my questions Tom!

Music Monday Playlist:

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

Thanks for reading and happy listening!

Book Synopsis:

Forbidden friendship, political conspiracy and incendiary passion draw Australian woman Annie Brand deep into the glamour and turmoil of 1920s Shanghai.

Leaving behind the loneliness and trauma of her past in country Australia, Annie Brand arrives to the political upheaval and glittering international society of Shanghai in the 1920s. Journeying up the Yangtze with her new husband, the ship’s captain, Annie revels in the sense of adventure but when her husband sends her back to Shanghai, her freedom is quickly curtailed.

Against her will, Annie finds herself living alone in the International Settlement, increasingly suffocated by the judgemental Club ladies and their exclusive social scene: one even more restrictive than that she came from. Sick of salacious gossip and foreign condescension, and desperate to shake off the restrictions of her position in the world, Annie is slowly drawn into the bustling life and otherness of the real Shanghai, and begins to see the world from the perspective of the local people, including the servants who work at her husband’s Club.

But this world is far more complex and dangerous than the curious Annie understands and, unknowingly, she becomes caught in a web of intrigue and conspiracy as well as a passionate forbidden love affair she could not have predicted: one with far–reaching consequences…

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

My Review:

The Shanghai Wife is a beautifully written story about an interesting period in China’s history. It’s a book that spans a few genres as it’s part historical, part romance and even part thriller towards the end.

Annie was an interesting main character who I both wanted to hug and shake at different parts of the book. I loved her rebellious nature and that she didn’t want to conform to the normal social rules of the day. However I felt frustrated with her niavity and some of the things she manages to get involved in. I found myself wishing I could somehow step into the book and help her.

The historical details in this book were incredibly vivid and I felt transported back to 1920s China. I hadn’t read much about Chinese history so I loved learning a bit more about the time. It was definitely a turbulent time in the country’s history with lots of political upheaval, riots and danger. It was interesting to see the contrast between this, the lives of the other expats and the romantic scenes at the beginning. It made the book seem quite realistic and I enjoyed looking more on the internet.

Overall I did enjoy this book which wasn’t what I was expecting it to be – in a good way. The pace of the book was well developed and I enjoyed going from the more detailed descriptions at the beginning to the faster, more grittier bits at the end. I’d definitely recommend it to a friend and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

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

About The Author:

Emma Harcourt has worked as a journalist for over 25 years, in Australia, the UK and Hong Kong. In 2011, she completed the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course and The Shanghai Wife was borne. Emma lives in Sydney with her two daughters. She is currently working on her second novel.