Good evening everyone and welcome to another Music Monday. Today I’m featuring the fantastic new single by Dead Shoto, a rapper from New York who’s clever lyrics always make me smile.
Dead Shoto also streams games on twitch and his streams are always entertaining to watch especially because of the easy banter between the members of his party.
If you would like to watch Dead Shoto on twitch you can do so by clicking on the link below.
At the moment Bad For Me is only available on YouTube but it will be available as part of a new album coming out in the summer. Have a listen and enjoy the video below.
How To Listen:
Although Bad For Me isn’t available on streaming platforms yet, Dead Shoto has lots of other fabulous songs for you to enjoy. To listen click on the links below!
You can now listen to Dead Shoto and all previously featured Music Monday artists on a special playlist in Spotify. If you like what you hear why not give the playlist a follow!
Memoirs of a Karate Fighter is a gripping and hard-hitting story of karate training in one of Europe’s toughest dojos during the 1980s. The author is the novelist Ralph Robb, who, in his much younger days, was a Wado Ryu karate champion (UKKW 1982) and a European all-styles silver medallist. Ralph gives an insight into the training methods and philosophy of the Wolverhampton YMCA karate club which was once the top club in Britain. The YMCA won innumerable tournaments but amongst its greatest achievements were two All-styles British Clubs championships, five UK Wado team titles and one Shotokan national team championship (1976 GB Shotokan Karate International)- the only team in the history of British karate not to practise that style ever to do so. Within its ranks were one world, twelve national and three European champions.
Memoirs Of A Karate Fighter is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy via the link below or through your local indie bookstore.
My Review:
Memoirs Of A Karate Fighter was a very intriguing, absorbing read that went much deeper than I expected it too.
I’ve always wanted to learn a martial art so this book really appealed to me. I really enjoyed learning more about the sport and as well as the culture that surrounded it. It was quite eye opening at times and I found it very interesting learning what being a karate fighter involved.
This was more than just about Karate however and it was this that really intrigued me and made the book stand out for me. It was fascinating to learn more about the culture of the 80s and to see what it was like to be a black karate fighter at that time. I was actually an 80s baby but I think I was too young to notice a lot of what was happening. It was therefore quite eye opening to realise how hard it was and to see what people’s attitudes were.
Overall I thought this was a raw and very honest account of the author’s experiences. In a lot of ways it read a bit like a coming of age story as we follow the author from a kid into adult hood. I thought it was a very gripping account and I found it very hard to put down as I felt invested in the story. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I am now very excited to read more from him in the future. I would recommend this book to everyone, not just those interested in Karate as it is a very interesting read.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
My original idea was to write a novel with a karate theme but with the encouragement of my publisher I decided to write an autobiographical account of my time practising karate. Sometimes it was a very painful experience for me and now with the hindsight of 25 years it is easy to see how some of the opinions I had about the world and karate were wrong – although a few may have been right. A lot of the views about karate in the book are – and were – not mine but I have done my best to convey the thinking of the time, as in the case of women competitors. Personally I never had a problem with it but it is easy to recall how many I knew did. Quite obviously, I have made mistakes in my life, as every young man does, but perhaps what I wish to convey, is that despite all its problems and often very petty prejudices and squabbles, the practise of karate was a very positive influence in my younger life. On reflection my tournament successes mean very little, it is what I learned about life that was the greatest prize I attained.
The new must-read novel from the bestselling and highly acclaimed author of FIREWATCHING
Sheffield’s beautiful Botanical Gardens – an oasis of peace in a world filled with sorrow, confusion and pain. And then, one morning, a body is found in the Gardens. A young woman, dead from a stab wound, buried in a quiet corner. Police quickly determine that the body’s been there for months. It would have gone undiscovered for years – but someone just sneaked into the Gardens and dug it up.
Who is the victim? Who killed her and hid her body? Who dug her up? And who left a macabre marker on the body?
In his quest to find her murderer, DS Adam Tyler will find himself drawn into the secretive world of nighthawkers: treasure-hunters who operate under cover of darkness, seeking the lost and valuable . . . and willing to kill to keep what they find.
Nighthawking is published in hardback and ebook on the 29th April 2021. You can pre-order your copy using the link below or from your local indie bookstore.
My Review:
I was a huge fan of Firewatching so I was incredibly excited to read Nighthawking the second book in the series, though a little nervous that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I needn’t have worried as Nighthawking was every bit as brilliant as the author’s first book.
It was really nice to be back with Adam and Mina and be able to observe them solving another cold case. They make such a great team and it was lovely to see their relationship develop. I really like Adam who despite being a mysterious character at times shows a lot of kindness at times, especially towards Mina. I was slightly frustrated with him in this book as he seemed to be on a mission to find out what happened to his dad and this seemed quite self destructive sometimes. I found myself holding my breath, worrying he was going to be found out. Mina is another wonderful character who I felt really came into her own during this book. She is a very strong women and I loved that she was starting to make an impact in the team so that people actually listened to her. She has to deal with a lot of the work herself in this book and I enjoyed watching her trying to solve the case on her own.
I hadn’t actually heard of Nighthawking before so I enjoyed learning more about it in this book. The information about what type of things had been found with a detector was really interesting and I would actually like to try it myself one day, though in a legal way with the hope of not finding a dead body.
The plot develops at a great pace and I loved watching all the pieces come together. The story is really clever and I found myself marvelling at how the author had managed to write such an intriguing story. The tension in the story slowly builds until it becomes almost unbearable. There are lot of twists in the story that kept me guessing until the shocking, brilliant ending that was so well done. The book does end on a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to read the third book in the series now.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
Russ Thomas was born in Essex, raised in Berkshire and now lives in Sheffield. He grew up in the 80s reading anything he could get from the library, writing stories, watching large amounts of television, playing videogames, and largely avoiding the great outdoors. He spent five years trying to master playing the electronic organ and another five trying to learn Spanish. It didn’t take him too long to realise that he’d be better off sticking to the writing. After a few ‘proper’ jobs (among them: pot-washer, optician’s receptionist, supermarket warehouse operative, call-centre telephonist and storage salesman) he discovered the joys of bookselling, where he could talk to people about books all day. ​ His debut novel Firewatching is the first book in the D/S Adam Tyler series.
An inspiring story set in the first century AD about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings
Ana is born in Galilee at a time when women are seen as possessions, only leaving their fathers’ homes to marry. Ana longs to control her destiny. Taught to read despite her mother’s misgivings, she wants to be a writer and to find her own voice. A voice that will speak for the silenced women around her.
Betrothed to an elderly widower, Ana almost despairs. But an encounter with a charismatic young carpenter in Nazareth awakens new longings in her, and a different future opens up.
Yet this is not a simple love story. Ana’s journey will bring both joy and tragedy, but it will also be enriched by the female friendships she makes along the way.
The Book of Longings is an exquisite tale of dreams and desire, and of the power of women to change the world.
The Book Of Longing is available in all formats now. You can purchase your copy using the link below of through your local indie book store!
My Review:
The Book Of Longing is a beautifully written book from a very gifted writer. I was intrigued by this book from the start as I thought it was a very interesting concept and I was interested to see how it would unfold. I’m not religious so knew nothing of the story of Anna before reading which, from the sound of other reviews, was to my advantage as I didn’t know what was going to happen next.
The story follows Anna, a very strong independent women in a time when women were meant to be submissive and quiet. She is determined to help give women the voice they need and improve things from the women around her. Regular readers of my blog know that I’m a huge fan of strong female characters and therefore quickly warmed to Anna. I loved following here throughout the book and often found myself cheering for her as I read. Her relationship with Jesus was lovely to read about and I enjoyed following their blossoming relationship. It was refreshing to read about a supportive husband and I loved the imagined conversations between them especially the gentle way they had of teasing each other. Part of me wished there was more of this in the book but I think it would have made it a completely different story.
The biblical setting in this book has obviously been well researched and imagined so that I felt like I was really there following Anna. I liked the biblical and historical references that the author includes into the story which makes it seem very realistic. The book has a great pace to it and I found myself quickly absorbed into the story. I especially liked how the female relationships were described and the bond that existed between the women. It was lovely to see how the supported each other through difficult situations.
Overall I really enjoyed this book which I though was an absorbing and intriguing read. I think this would make a great book club read as I feel there would be lots to discuss. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.
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:
Sue Monk Kidd’s first novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, spent 2.5 years on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold over 8 million copies worldwide. THE MERMAID CHAIR, THE INVENTION OF WINGS and THE BOOK OF LONGINGS were all New York Times bestsellers. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES was long-listed for the Orange Prize (now the Women’s Prize for Fiction), and was turned into an award-winning film.
Sue is also the author of several acclaimed non-fiction books including the New York Times bestseller TRAVELLING WITH POMEGRANATES, co-written with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor. Sue lives in Florida with her husband Sandy.
Good afternoon everyone I’m excited to share Bethan and my review of Such A Fun Age which we buddy read together recently. If you’d like to read more of Bethan’s book reviews please follow her on instagram using the link below.
When Emira is apprehended at a supermarket for ‘kidnapping’ the white child she’s actually babysitting, it sets off an explosive chain of events. Her employer Alix, a feminist blogger with the best of intentions, resolves to make things right.
But Emira herself is aimless, broke and wary of Alix’s desire to help. When a surprising connection emerges between the two women, it sends them on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know – about themselves, each other, and the messy dynamics of privilege.
Such A Fun Age is available in all formats now. You can purchase your copy using the link below of through your local indie bookstore.
Bethan’s Review:
I won’t summarise because everyone and their dog has read Such A Fun Age. I really liked the characterisation (not the personality) of Alix (for 90% of the book) because she’s a character I haven’t seen much and a different portrayal of racism than a lot of books represent. It felt very applicable to people you know, not racist bogeymen. Her internal dialogue often felt very real to me and could be super revealing; I think Reid drew her very well. I also loved Briar and her relationship with Emira was cute.
I never fully gelled with Emira. She was seen through Alix’s eyes half the time and maybe because of that I just never felt that she was fully realised. I enjoyed her friend Zara’s scenes more (fan of friend groups generally). Mixed feelings re the ending, and I’m not a fan of books that wrap up what everyone got up to for the next 10 years unless the whole book has been saga style, it just feels like the author needs to tell you where their characters ended up. But your mileage may vary on that.
Despite not loving it, I’d still recommend this as I do think Alix was a very interesting character in her own right and a great way of looking at “woke” racism and privilege.Â
My Review:
Such A Fun Age is a book that I had been hearing a lot about and was very intrigued by, particularly because of the recent discussions about racism in the Media. I have to say that this book wasn’t at all what I had been expecting, in a good way. Due to the hype surrounding it and the awards that it has won I was expecting a very deep, hard to read book when in fact the opposite was true. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was an intriguing, absorbing and thought provoking read.
The characters in this book were great creations that I enjoyed reading about even though I didn’t particularly warm to any of them. They were quite complex characters and I liked that the author gave the reader access to their thought process so we could understand more about where they were coming from. Alix was particularly baffling for me as on one side she seemed to be this very professional, together women but on the other seemed to only care about her looks and getting a teenage girl to like her. As a mother myself I really disliked her for her casual attitude towards her children particularly her eldest. I didn’t understand how a mother could act like that and some of the scenes involving this made me feel quite sick. Emira was probably my favourite character and I particularly liked her friends who seemed absolutely hilarious. Her relationship with Alix’s little girl warmed my heart and I loved how much she seemed to care about her. I didn’t like she put herself down so much for not having a career when she seemed happy and was pleased when she did stand up for herself about this.
It did take me a little while to get into the writing style of this book but once I was in I found the book very absorbing and hard to put down. I quickly found myself wrapped up in the lives of the character and I liked the way that the author kept changing my mind about whose side I was on. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next and which way things would go. I’m glad I read this as a buddy read as this book did raise a few questions for me and I was happy to have someone to discuss stuff with. For this reason I think it would make a great book club read as there would be lots to discuss.
Huge thanks to Bloomsbury Publishers for giving me a copy of this book via Netgalley and to Bethan for buddy reading this book with me.
About The Author:
Kiley Reid earned her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was awarded the Truman Capote Fellowship and taught undergraduate creative writing workshops with a focus on race and class. Her short stories have been featured in Ploughshares, December, New South, and Lumina. Reid lives in Philadelphia.
A MISSING WIFE. FOUR FRIENDS. WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH?
Anna Robinson hasn’t been seen since she went on a night out with her four closest friends. She has a loving husband and a son she adores. Surely she wouldn’t abandon them and her perfect life. . .
But what has happened to her?
At the school gates, it’s not long before the rumours start. Anna’s oldest friend Grace is beside herself with worry – desperately searching for answers, and certain that someone is hiding the truth.
With each day that passes, Anna’s life is under increasing threat. And as the pressure mounts, it won’t be long before something cracks. . .
The Whispers is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.
My Review:
I’m a huge fan of this author so I was very excited to read The Whispers her latest thriller. Although hard to believe, as she’s written some amazing books, I think this one is her best yet. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I really don’t want to give anything away.
The story is told from the point of view of both Grace and Anna who were childhood friends before Grace emigrated with her family to Australia. I really felt for Grace and how strange it must have been to be back in her childhood town but not to know anyone. Her sadness and confusion about Anna’s unenthusiastic reaction to her being back is almost palpable at times which made me warm to her early on. The author does a great job of describing how complicated and toxic female friendships can be so that I felt I was watching a real friendship group. The scenes at the school gates were particularly hard hitting for me as I know how cliquey such situations can be.
This book gripped me from the start with the tension slowly increasing so that the book became impossible to put down. I kept changing my mind about what had happened and who was responsible throughout the book. The author does a great job of keeping the reader in suspense and drip feeding them clues so that I only started to see the full story in the last part of the story. The final twist was amazing and one I definitely didn’t see coming. I’ve continued to think about the book long after I’ve finished reading and I want to reread the book again soon now that I know the ending to see if I could have figured it out sooner.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Arrow publishing for inviting me onto the blog tour. If you like gripping, clever and twisty thrillers then you’ll love this book!
About The Author:
Heidi Perks worked as a marketing director before leaving to become a full-time mother and writer. Her first novel, Now You See Her, was a Sunday Times bestseller and a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Heidi is a voracious reader of crime fiction and thrillers and endlessly interested in what makes people tick. She lives in Bournemouth with her family, where she writing her next thriller.
Sometimes to catch a killer you have to become the prey.
The Foreign Secretary is being held under the Terrorism Act. He will answer the police’s questions on one condition – they let him speak to Dr Augusta Bloom.
He asks Bloom to track down his niece, Scarlett, who hasn’t spoken to her family for ten years. The last they heard, Scarlett was getting involved with Artemis – an organisation dedicated to women’s rights and the feminist movement, led by the charismatic Paula Kunis.
But as Bloom learns more about Artemis, she’s torn. Is this organisation everything it claims to be, or do they have a secret side and an alternative agenda? And if so, what has become of Scarlett?
The only way to find out for sure is for Bloom to go undercover. But will she make it out safely – or will she become the next Artemis woman to disappear?
Hunt is out in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.
My Review:
I’ve been a huge fan of this series so I was incredibly excited to read this book. I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed and I absolutely loved this fast paced, absorbing thriller which had some absolutely fantastic characters in it.
Firstly, as I might have mentioned before, I always find reading about cults fascinating so I found the descriptions of Augusta’s undercover work there very intriguing. The group campaigns for women’s empowerment and is lead by the very believable Paula Kunis. The author takes the reader behind the scenes of the cult which I found very interesting, especially learning more about the techniques that are used to manipulate people. It was interesting that despite everything she sees Augusta seems to agree with the groups beliefs though to me I found some of the tactics used quite shocking. Seraphine was a brilliant villain who I loved to hate. She’s definetly a piece of work and seems to have her hand in everything. I was a little confused as to how she fitted into the story toward the end but I like reading about her.
Overall I really enjoyed this fast paced, clever thriller that had me guessing until the end. There is a wonderful creepy atmosphere which helped keep me on my toes as I was never entirely sure where the story would go next. I liked that the reader finds out what is going on at the same time as the characters as this helped increase the excitement and the tension in the story. The ending was very interesting and I found myself reading faster as the story reached it conclusion. I’m now very excited to read more from this talented author.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book. I you like atmospheric, fast paced and clever read them I think you’ll enjoy this book.
About The Author:
Leona Deakin started her career as a psychologist with the West Yorkshire Police. She is now an occupational psychologist and lives with her family in Leeds. She has written three novels in the acclaimed Dr Augusta Bloom series: Gone, Lost and Hunt.
A brilliant, heart-warming and intensely funny story of love, heartache, friendship and family. Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Beth O’Leary.
Brutally dumped by her girlfriend, Ally is homeless, friendless and jobless… but at least she has Malcolm. Wounded and betrayed, Ally has made off with the one thing she thinks might soothe the pain: Emily’s cat.
After a long train journey she arrives home to her dad in Sheffield, ready to fold herself up in her duvet and remain on the sofa for the foreseeable. Her dad has other ideas. A phone call later, and Ally is reunited with her first ever beard and friend of old, Jeremy. He too is broken-hearted and living at home again.
In an inspired effort to hold each other up, the pair decide to sign up for the local half marathon in a bid to impress their exes with their commitment and athleticism.
Given neither of them can run, they enlist the support of athletic, not to mention beautiful, Jo. But will she have them running for the hills… or will their ridiculous plan pay off…?
The Split is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below of through your local indie bookstore.
My Review:
The Split is an absorbing, funny and uplifting read which is hard to believe is a debut novel.
Firstly I absolutely loved the main characters in this book who I instantly fell in love with and enjoyed following through the book. Ally was such a brilliant, realistic character and I felt like I could have been friends with her in real life. Her attitude to things and her love of cake and tea made her very likeable in my eyes as I feel the same way. Her experiences of trying to run was absolutely hilarious and exactly how I remember my experience being, even down to what I was thinking as I was running. This made me warm to her even more and I was completely on her side as I read wishing she’d do well though hoping she didn’t end back with Emily who’s attitude I really didn’t like. The cat was another great creation and I loved how it was almost human in its reactions or at least Ally’s perception of what it was thinking. Some of the scenes involving the cat had me laughing out loud , he was definitely a highlight in the book for me.
The book has a lovely pace to it and I enjoyed getting lost in the story. It was hugely entertaining to follow Ally and Jeremy’s bid to win the race while attempting to get back with their ex’s. The book isn’t just about the race though however, I felt it was also about finding yourself and it was lovely to watch Ally discover who she was outside of being with Emily. The reader gets to go through the breakup process with her and I found it quite therapeutic almost to watch her go through this process. There were some bits that I wanted to scream at her to stop as some of her interactions with Emily (especially the emails) were a bit cringe for me but there were others when I was firmly on her side cheering her on.
As mentioned above this is the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her in the future. Huge thanks to Milly Reid for inviting me onto the blog blast and to Quercus for my copy of this book via Netgalley.
About The Author:
Laura Kay is a writer and editor. She has an MA in American History from the University of Sheffield, and now lives in East London with her wife and cats. In 2018 Laura was selected as one of the ten PRH WriteNow mentees. The Splitis her first novel.
When she was thirteen years old, Ada Howell lost not just her father, but the life she felt she was destined to lead. Now, at eighteen, Ada is given a second chance when her wealthy godmother gifts her with an extravagant art history trip to Italy.
In the palazzos of Venice, the cathedrals of Florence and the villas of Rome, she finally finds herself among the kind of people she aspires to be: sophisticated, cultured, privileged. Ada does everything in her power to prove she is one of them. And when a member of the group dies in suspicious circumstances, she seizes the opportunity to permanently bind herself to this gilded set.
But everything hidden must eventually surface, and when it does, Ada discovers she’s been keeping a far darker secret than she could ever have imagined…
The Favour is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
The Favour is a wonderfully atmospheric, absorbing read which was completely different from what I was expecting.
Firstly I’ve always loved stories set in Italy. There’s somethings so wonderfully opulent and exciting about books set in Italy with all of its rich history that I alway enjoy. This book was no exception and I loved following the characters on their adventures, living precariously through them.
The character’s in this book were great creations, who I wasn’t sure I liked. They are very privileged, spoiled people who I didn’t feel a lot of sympathy with though that might be down to jealousy. I both wanted to be like them and included in their group but I also didn’t as I think I would find them too annoying. The main character Ala wasn’t a likeable person and I found her attempts to fit in quite cringey at times. I found myself wishing she would realise how desperate she seemed and hoped that the others wouldn’t take advantage. It was interesting trying to work out what type of person everyone was. Whether they were here for their own gain or whether they were innocent and just caught up in the moment. I liked trying to guess who I thought had an agenda and who was trying to be a real friend.
The story develops nicely and I liked how the mystery part of the story wasn’t the only thread to the story as it gave me a chance to understand the characters more. The story develops at a steady pace and gives the reader time to get to know the characters better. I did guess part of the ending half way through but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment and I found I had to keep reading to discover if I was right. This is the authors first adult book and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the blog tour and to Corvus for my copy of this book. I think this would be a great bookclub read as there would be lots to discuss.
About The Author:
Laura Vaughan grew up in rural Wales, and studied Art History in Italy and Classics at Bristol and Oxford. She got her first book deal aged twenty-two and went on to write eleven books for children and young adults. She lives in South London with her husband and two children. The Favour is her first novel for adults.
As the war effort gathers steam in Europe, it’s all hands on deck on the home front.
Gloria is over the moon to be reunited with her sweetheart Jack. But her sons Bobby and Gordon are away with the Navy and still know nothing of their mother’s divorce and new half-sister.
Rosie’s squad of welders must work gruelling hours in the yard as they prepare for the Allied invasion of Normandy. All the while Rosie herself waits anxiously for news of her husband Peter, who is carrying out dangerous work as an undercover operative in France.
Meanwhile welder Dorothy has a feeling that her beau Toby is planning to pop the question when he’s next on leave. But it seems that her head is being turned by someone closer to home…
It will take great strength and friendship if the shipyard girls are to weather the storms to come.
The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
I’m a huge fan of this author and I was so exited to learn there was a new Shipyard Girls book to read. I purposely kept this book until the kids went back to school so I could sit and just enjoy it properly.
Firstly it was so amazing being back with the Shipyard Girls and getting to catch up with all that has been happening in their lives. There is definitely a lot going on in this book with lots of things to celebrate with the girls and a few things to commiserated too. Throughout the series the girls have all started to feel like old friends so I felt every up and down they experienced personally as if it was happening to me. I often wished I could somehow climb into the book to give them a hug or do something to make things better.
The book is set in a very interesting period in the war when things finally began to turn in the allies favour which I enjoyed learning about. It was interesting to see the arrival of the American troops to England and the impact their arrival had for the Shipyard Girls. There were some very emotional moments which had me sobbing along as I watched them play out but also some really uplifting ones which I really loved watching unfold.
This book is quite fast paced and there was always something happening to keep me reading. It’s an easy book to get lost in and I’d often start reading promising myself I’d only read one chapter then look up and realise that hours had gone by. All of the character’s go on a real journey in this book and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next, though a bit sad as I think this series will be coming to an end soon.
Huge thanks to Rachel Kennedy for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Nancy Revell is the Sunday Times bestseller author of The Shipyard Girls series, which is set in the north-east of England during World War Two. Nancy is the pen name of Amanda Revell Walton, a former journalist who worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She also wrote amazing and inspirational true life stories for just about every woman’s magazine in the country. When she first started writing The Shipyard Girls series, Nancy relocated back to her hometown of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, along with her husband, Paul, and their English Bull Mastiff, Rosie. They now live just a short walk away from the beautiful award-winning beaches of Roker and Seaburn, within a mile of where the books are set. The Shipyard Girls is particularly close to Nancy’s heart as she comes from a long line of shipbuilders, who were well known in the area.
Over The Rainbow Blog 