Book Synopsis:

All Maya Galen wanted was a happy family, stifling her inner urges to explore the wider world for the sake of being there for her children. But parenting with her husband, Con, wasn’t always easy. Their eldest son, Jamie, broke off all contact some years ago and now Joe, the apple of her eye, has done the same after an argument with his parents about his chosen way of life. Maya and Con are left rattling around ‘The Cottages’ – their enormous home in a Lincolnshire village, wondering what they did wrong.

When they are called to Australia to identify the body of a young man, Maya is given her son’s journal. After a sleepless night she makes the decision to follow in her youngest son’s footsteps and become a vagabond, leaving her husband and daughters to return to the UK without her. From now on she needs to rely on her own physical and emotional strength.

Following Joe’s hand-drawn maps and journal entries, Maya travels from Australia to Denmark and beyond, meeting many young people like Joe along the way and trying to discover what it means to be alive. As months turn into years she can’t bear to go back to the opression of her perfect home. Slowly, she comes to understand that what she is discovering is her most basic human self. 

Another family crisis, involving one of her twin daughters, eventually forces Maya to return home. As she treads carefully through the wreckage of her marriage, unfinished business is tied up and the family once again becomes complete, but in a different way from before.

The Vagabond Mother is available in paperback on the 10th January 2020. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was a heartwarming and poignant read from a new author to me.

The characters are great creations and I warmed to them quickly. I particularly liked Maya as I found her to be a very honest person who is trying her best to discover her failings and work out how to fix them. As a mum my biggest fear is that my kids aren’t going to want to know me when they’re older so the storyline had quite an effect on me. I found I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens and if she gets the answers she wants.

The descriptions in this book are very vivid so that the reader feels like they are actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. It was wonderful to visit all the different places and cultures to learn more about them. The descriptions of the vagabond lifestyle was very interesting as I didn’t know much about it before reading this book.

Overall I thought this was a beautifully written, intriguing book that I enjoyed reading. It is a little slow in places which makes it hard to read at times but my desire to find out what happens made me want to keep reading. The story is told from the point of view of Maya and Joe which took a little while to get used to but it was interesting to see the two different stories.

Huge thanks to Kelly from Love Books Tours for inviting me onto the blog tour and to WildPress for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Tracey is a visual artist who began to write full-time in 2010. She is happiest on the road in the Bus-with-a-Woodstove and in the cosy domain of her shed. Her novels are about family relationships, a sense of place, sexual love and motherhood, the lynchpins of human emotion. She has four grown children, a husband and various animals.

Good morning everyone I’m on the blog tour for Mary Wood’s fantastic new book today and as well as sharing my review I have Katie Tibb’s review to share too. Katie won a competition organised by Mary to have her review included on this blog tour.

Before I share our reviews here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Perfect for winter nights, The Wronged Daughter by Mary Wood is an emotional and moving novel that reunites old friends and heals old wounds.

Mags has never forgotten the friendship she forged with Flora and Ella, two fellow nurses she served with at the beginning of World War I. Haunted by what she experienced during that time, she fears a reunion with her friends would bring back the horror she’s tried so desperately to suppress.

Now, with her wedding on the horizon, this should be a joyful time for Mags. But the sudden loss of her mother and the constant doubt she harbours surrounding her fiancé, Harold, are marring her happiness.

Mags throws herself into running the family mill, but she’s dealt another aching blow by a betrayal that leaves her reeling. Finding the strength the war had taken from her, she fights back, not realizing the consequences and devastating outcome awaiting her.

Can she pick up the pieces of her life and begin anew?

The Wronged Daughter is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

Message From Mary:

Hi all,
I want to thank both Joanna for hosting me, and for being so generous in inviting a guest reviewer to her lovely blog. and Kate Tibbs for this wonderful and excellently compiled review. Thank you, so much girls.
Some of you will remember me running a competition on my Facebook Page to find a guest reviewer for Joanne’s blog. Kate was the lucky winner and received an advance copy from my publishers, Pan Macmillan. 
Well, Kate, you have done a marvellous job. I am so touched and encouraged by your words about my book. And thrilled that you enjoyed it so much.

Thank you again
All my loveMary x

Katie’s Review:

I loved this book and am a huge fan of Mary Wood and like all of her readers send her virtual hugs for being such a consummate storyteller.
The Wronged Daughter is such a great story about friendship, loss and love and even though it is a historical novel it has universal contemporary themes of PTSD and controlling relationships.  
Mags begins her journey in this book with terrible news, doubts her own strength but fights through the twists and turns and highs and lows, she is so much stronger and lovable than she believes. 
As Mags rightly says “In the end, all I suffered has been worth it”, isn’t this a reflection of what we would all like to say about our lives and loved ones?
I cannot wait for the next book in the series: The Brave Daughters.

My Review:

The Wronged Daughter is another fantastic, gripping read from one of my favourite authors.

One of the things I most like about Mary is her ability to quickly absorb the reader into her books and make them feel like they are really there watching everything unfold. This book is no exception and I felt myself immersed into the lives of the characters and caring about them like they were my real friends. This story centres around Mags as she marries the nasty Harold which means she has to give up her right to run her family’s Mill, which she had been doing very successfully. Harold is a character that I loved to hate and frequently wanted to punch throughout the book. Why lovely Mags decides to marry him is beyond me and this decision had me wishing I knew her personally so I could have a stern word with her.

There are some brilliant female characters in this book which I have grown fond of during the series. It’s been lovely watching their friendship develop and watch them progress through their lives. All of them become mums in this book so I’m excited to read more about this in the future.

I thought this was a gripping read which managed to be harrowing and happy in equal measures. Its a very realistic story which makes the events in the book hit you hard as you really care about the characters and what happens to them. I always think it shows great skill by the author to make a reader feel so strongly about the characters.

Huge thanks to Mary for inviting me onto the blog tour, Katie for her guest review and Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Born in Maidstone, Kent, in 1945, the thirteenth child of fifteen children, Mary’s family settled in Leicestershire after the war ended.

Mary married young and now, after 54 years of happy marriage, four children, 12 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, Mary and her husband live in Blackpool during the summer and Spain during the winter – a place that Mary calls, ‘her writing retreat’.

After many jobs from cleaning to catering, all chosen to fit in with bringing up her family, and boost the family money-pot, Mary ended her 9 – 5 working days as a Probation Service Officer, a job that showed her another side to life, and which influences her writing, bringing a realism and grittiness to her novels

Mary first put pen to paper, in 1989, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she finally found some success by self-publishing on kindle.

Being spotted by an editor at Pan Macmillan in 2013, finally saw Mary reach her publishing dream.

When not writing, Mary enjoys family time, reading, eating out, and gardening. One of her favourite pastimes is interacting with her readers on her Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/HistoricalNovels
And on her web page: http://www.authormarywood.com
She is also on Twitter: @Authormary

Mary welcomes all contact with her readers and feedback on her work.

Book Synopsis:

Power. Jealousy. Desire.

Twenty-five years ago, a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl and her charismatic teacher disappeared without trace…
When Louisa arrives at Temple House, an elite catholic boarding school, she quickly finds herself drawn to sophisticated fellow pupil Victoria and their young bohemian art teacher, Mr Lavelle. The three of them from a bond that seems to offer an escape from the repressive regime of the nuns who run the cloistered school. Until Louisa and Mr Lavelle suddenly disappear without trace.

Years later, a journalist with a childhood connection to Louisa determines to resolve the mystery. Her search for the truth will uncover a tragic, mercurial tale of suppressed desire and long-buried secrets. It will shatter lives and lay a lost soul to rest.

The Temple House Vanishing is a stunning, intensely atmospheric novel of unrequited longing, dark obsession and unintended consequences.

The Temple House Vanishing will be published in ebook and hardback on the 20th February 2020. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I thought this was an absolutely superb read that I raced through in a couple of days, often hiding away from the kids as I was desperate to read a few more pages!

Firstly I thought the descriptions of Temple House school were very realistic, with accurate depictions of the type of people you find in a boarding school. I actually attended a boarding school from aged 9 -16 and met some of the girls described. The feeling of not fitting in as you’re not posh enough or pretty enough is also quite real too, so I found myself sympathising with Louisa a lot throughout the book.

The story does start off a bit slowly and it took me a bit of time to get used to the writing style but I was soon hooked and found it near impossible to out down. It is hinted from the beginning that something wrong happened and this intrigued me from the start, making me want to keep reading to find out what it was. I loved watching the relationship between Louisa and Victoria develop, especially as they only seemed to have each other as friends making their friendship a very interesting one.

The story is split into sections with one following Louisa’s story and the other following the journalist as she tries to solve the mystery of the mysterious vanishing. I found this very interesting and while I did prefer Louisa’s story I did enjoy finding out what had happened from a neutral observer which is what the journalist helps provide.

Overall I thought this was a gripping, absorbing read which had a bit of a gothic feel to it. I had lot of guesses about what had happened but was proven completely wrong and the ending took me completely by surprise which I always love. It reminded me a bit of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier at times, especially the first line, so if you liked that book I think you’ll like this one too.

Huge thanks to Charlotte Walker from Love Reading for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Kirsty from Corvus for my copy of this book which is going on my keep forever shelf!

About The Author:

Rachel Donohue graduated from University College, Dublin, in Philosophy and Politics before embarking on a career in communications and media relations. She lives in Dublin, and The Temple House Vanishing is her first novel.

Book Synopsis:

The majestic Souter Lighthouse stands proudly at the edge of the cliff top surrounded by open grassy empty fields and overlooking a vast blue wilderness. Anna Charles knows nothing of the life that her grandmother once had here.
It wasn’t until an unexpected engagement, that Anna discovered the past of her Gran and the truth behind an enduring love.

Seventy years earlier, Lillian Smith, had been part of the close-knit community that once thrived in the village that existed next to the lighthouse. A chance meeting with a sailor one day, would change the course of her life forever.

A moving novel set in the North East of England. The Last Village is an enduring love story which spans the 1940’s and modern day, binding the generations.

The Last Village is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

Guest Post:

5 Authors who inspire me
By Audla English, author of ‘The Last Village’

Inspiration can come from anywhere, a rhythm in a song, the sound of crisp snow beneath your feet on a winter’s day or from those childhood tales which have been passed down through the generations. For me, there are many other authors who are an inspiration but for many different reasons. My top five authors who have inspired me are as follows:

Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is my utterly favourite author, I am inspired by his imagination, his playfulness and his ability to make ordinary, even mundane, things magical. I also like how his real-life crosses over into his writing with many of his feelings about situations being conveyed in his stories. My favourite book of all time is ‘Boy’, I can pretty much recite it! It is a book which allows you to get into the authors mind and deepest memories and see where his ideas originate from and how he has developed them in his life and his writing. Even now I enjoy it when I see children discovering a Roald Dahl story for the first time and how much joy and sheer pleasure it brings to them.

Dame Catherine Cookson
Dame Catherine Cookson inspires me not only for her formidable writing talent in writing over 100 books but also because she is from South Tyneside, North East England and has raised global awareness of this region. Despite overcoming significant hardship and trauma in her life, Dame Catherine worked hard to able to write; a gift and a passion which she was able to nurture until her final days. An incredible lady!

Beatrix Potter
I am inspired by Beatrix Potter as she achieved such success by believing in herself and I bet not many people realise that Beatrix Potter self-published her first children’s book about a little rabbit who went by the name of Peter- the rest, as they say, is history. The Lakes District holds a very special place in my heart and is an unspoilt realm. I am hugely thankful to Beatrix Potter as without her talent, self-belief and philanthropic nature, the beautiful Lake District as we know and love it today could have been a very different place.

Gerald Durrell
As a huge animal lover, I have been greatly inspired by Gerald Durrell. I love his vivid descriptions of flora and fauna and his ability to transform his passion for nature into written form. What is most inspiring to me is his legacy with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, with his writing talent he has been able to allow for conservation and protection for some of the worlds most endangered animals. A legacy that will protect species for future generations.

JK Rowling
Lastly, I am inspired by the incomparable JK Rowling not only for her immense writing talent but more so by the fact that she had to face rejection of her writing whilst experiencing trauma in her life, but she continued on regardless. I think that this could only be done by a very strong and determined person and I find that extremely inspirational.

Thanks so much Audla for taking the time to write this fabulous guest post.

A Chill with a Book Premier Readers’ Award winner and 2019 American Fiction Awards Finalist, ‘The Last Village’ is available to purchase on Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback format.

About The Author:

Audla English grew up in the North East of England.

Born in Sunderland, a graduate of Newcastle University and living in South Tyneside, she is passionate about this wonderful region which acts as an inspiration to her writing.

Her award-winning debut novel ‘The Last Village’ is a dual time-line historical fiction and is written as a dedication to the now sadly demolished Old Marsden Village which was built by the Whitburn Coal Company in the 1870’s. The Marsden Rock coastal setting is also used to weave a family saga style narrative around a beautiful part of north east England.

The novel is a moving love story about the life of Lily, a young woman growing up with her friends in 1945 whereas the other side of the story, in 2017, is about Anna and her own discovery of her grandmother’s past life- it is a novel which spans and binds the generations through family and friendship.

Book Synopsis:

In October 1943, when prisoners of war Alfie and Frank escape from a train taking them to Germany, their lives depend on the family of shepherds who shelter them. In constant jeopardy, the young men wait out the winter in the Italian mountains.In 2000, Ros Goudy inherits her music teacher’s home in Exeter and there she finds letters that reveal the soldiers’ fate. Only one made it back, but it wasn’t to a warm welcome and happy ever after. What had happened that turned heads and hearts against him? The trail she follows begins with an charming comic song composed before the war. What she discovers is that everyone, including herself, has something to hide.

Notes From The Lost is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Notes From The Lost is a beautifully written compelling book which I raced through in a couple of days.

I read a lot of historical fiction set in the second world war so I always find it impressive when an author manages to write a unique story. This one has obviously been well researched and I enjoyed learning about new aspects of the war that I didn’t know about. The inclusion of the author’s musical expertise was a nice touch and brought an unusual slant to the story.

The two storylines were well plotted and unusually for me I found I enjoyed following them both equally. The author does a great job of setting the scene in both timelines so the reader is transported into both stories. The two stories are very different from each other so I didn’t get confused and develop well alongside each other with realistic twists and discoveries which I always enjoy. Alfie is a great main character who I warned to instantly and I liked the stark differences in him between the two timelines from scared pow to blind but jovial older gentleman. He’s definitely a character that I warmed to instantly and I wanted to keep reading the story to find out what happened to him.

The story unfolds at a good pace with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the page. I liked that the book isn’t just bogged down in sadness, though there are some incredibly sad moments, but that the story is interjected with some humour too as I think it made it seem more realistic. The ending was beautiful and I liked how the author didn’t tie everything up nicely in a bow but instead wrote a genuine and realistic ending as it made the story seem more real and ensured I’ve continued to think about it long after I have finished reading.

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

About The Author:

Cathie Hartigan lives in the beautiful, historic city of Exeter.

Although her professional training was in music, a decade ago she swapped one keyboard for another in order to take her life-long love of writing more seriously. Since then, she has won several prizes for her short stories and was a finalist in the annual Woman and Home short story competition three times.

Cathie lectured in creative writing for nine years at Exeter College before leaving to found CreativeWritingMatters.co.uk, which offers a range of writing services and administers four international literary competitions a year, including The Exeter Novel Prize and The Trisha Ashley Award.

When not writing, Cathie sings in a small vocal ensemble. The beautiful Devon coastline also provides plenty of distraction but on a rainy day if there’s an opera or theatre screening at the cinema, she’ll be there. 

Book Synopsis:

Suspended from duty after her last case ended in the high-profile arrest of one of Britain’s wealthiest men, DC Constance Fairchild is trying to stay away from the limelight. Fate has other ideas . . .

Coming home to her London flat, Constance stumbles across a young man, bloodied, mutilated and barely alive. She calls it in and is quickly thrown into the middle of a nationwide investigation . . . It seems that the victim is just the latest in a string of similar ritualistic attacks.

No matter that she is off-duty, no matter that there are those in the Met who would gladly see the back of her, Con can’t shake her innate determination to bring the monsters responsible for this brutality to justice.

Trouble always seems to find her, and even if she has nothing to hide, perhaps she has everything to lose . . .

Nothing To Hide is available in all formats now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author’s books as they are always fantastic, gritty and dark stories which I really enjoy! This story had a bit of a modern feel to it as it included witch doctors and spice addicts which have both been in the news recently. This instantly intrigued me and also made the story seem very real as I knew that some of the things in this book could actually happen.

I loved Constance Fairchild, the main character, and the attitude she has to what other people think which was very inspiring. She really doesn’t care what others think of her and is able to stand up for herself when needed which had me cheering for her in all the awkward situations she finds herself in. I liked that she is so supportive to other female police officers and lends her support to them when needed. My frustration with how her colleagues were treating her meant I was firmly on her side and I wanted to keep reading to find out if she would prove them all wrong.

Part of this book is set in Edinburgh, which is one of my favourite cities so I enjoyed following Constance on her visit there. This part also features a bit of a cross over with characters from the MacLean series which as a huge fan of the series I found hugely enjoyable. I’d love the two teams to feature in future books!

I found this a fast paced, gripping read which I found hard to put down. There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader very interested in the story, which helped keep me guessing what was going on. I had to keep reading to find out what was happening and to see if Fairchild comes out on top again.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Wildfire Books for my copy of this book. I can’t wait to read more!

About The Author:

James Oswald is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Inspector McLean series of detective mysteries. The first two of these, Natural Causes and The Book of Souls were both short-listed for the prestigious CWA Debut Dagger Award. Set in an Edinburgh not so different to the one we all know, Detective Inspector Tony McLean is the unlucky policeman who can see beneath the surface of ordinary criminal life to the dark, menacing evil that lurks beneath.

He has also introduced the world to Detective Constable Constance ‘Con’ Fairchild, whose first outing was in the acclaimed No Time To Cry.

As J D Oswald, James has also written a classic fantasy series, The Ballad of Sir Benfro. Inspired by the language and folklore of Wales, it follows the adventures of a young dragon, Sir Benfro, in a land where his kind have been hunted near to extinction by men. The whole series is now available in print, ebook and audio formats.

James has pursued a varied career – from Wine Merchant to International Carriage Driving Course Builder via Call Centre Operative and professional Sheep Shit Sampler (true). He moved out of the caravan when Storm Gertrude blew the Dutch barn down on top of it, and now lives in a proper house with three dogs, two cats and a long-suffering partner. He farms Highland cows and Romney sheep by day, writes disturbing fiction by night.