I’m on the blog tour for The Pursuit of Ordinary by Nigel Jay Cooper today and I have a great guest post to share with you.

The Pursuit of Ordinary is available to buy in paperback and ebook now.  You can purchase your copy of both here.

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

Book Blurb:

After witnessing a fatal car accident, a homeless man wanders the streets of Brighton, trying to ignore the new, incessant voice inside his head. But he can’t forget the crash, can’t get the face of the woman cradling her dying husband out of his mind. She stared into his eyes, his soul. He has to find her. Is Dan ill or has he really been possessed by the spirit of Natalie’s dead husband, Joe? If he hasn’t, why does she let him into her home so easily? Does she have secrets of her own? The Pursuit of Ordinary is a twisting tale of modern life and mental health where nothing is what it seems… Following the success of debut novel Beat the Rain, Roundfire introduces the second book from bestselling author Nigel Jay Cooper.

Guest Post by Nigel Jay Cooper:

How reviews inform authors, tears & all

I’ve learnt some things this past week about my second novel, The Pursuit of Ordinary. You see, once a novel is set loose on real-life readers, it has a tendency to become something else, something unexpected. With my debut, this took me by surprise but this time around, I’m enjoying the ride more – I love getting a look inside the heads of my readers.

Let me caveat this entire article by stating the obvious: all authors are different. In my case, I don’t know what I’ve written until I see it through the eyes of the reader. I know what I think I’ve written – but that’s not the same thing at all.

Writing is quite organic for me – I’m not a great planner. I tend to write character-driven stories, and I enjoy exploring characters and finding out who they are and where they take me.

Once I’ve told their story, it’s the readers who tell me what I’ve actually created – I honestly don’t feel capable of saying what the book’s about – it’s not mine anymore, it’s the reader’s. (For this reason, I find writing synopses and back cover blurb particularly hideous).

Being an organic writer doesn’t mean I don’t research – I take the issues I deal with (homelessness, mental health etc) incredibly seriously. But I can honestly say I didn’t write a novel about those issues. I wrote a love story. A weird, contemporary, messy love story, granted – but a love story none-the-less.

So what surprises have readers given me in my first week of publication? Firstly, their generosity and willingness to take an unusual journey – one of my narrators in The Pursuit of Ordinary is a disembodied voice inside another man’s head, something which could so easily have put people off. I’m genuinely amazed how readers have embraced and empathised with both characters.

One reviewer wrote: ‘This author has a genuine talent for creating characters that feel like real people who could be living next door to you.’ – Not something I expected to hear about a homeless character with a history of mental health problems who may or may not be possessed by a dead man.

There were many things in this novel I thought would be polarising – my depictions of mental health and homelessness for a start – but the narrative structure wasn’t one of them. But it seems this has become one of the biggest discussion points.

I deliberately revisit a number of key scenes from different character perspectives in The Pursuit of Ordinary. I wanted to explore how two people could experience the exact same event and yet perceive it completely differently, even if they remembered, by and large, the same details. In everyday life, we bring so much of ourselves to a situation, I genuinely think it’s dangerous to assume your memory of an event is the ‘truth’ and I really wanted to explore this in the novel.

My key learning from that? Some readers really don’t like this approach at all – and others absolutely love it:

‘I really didn’t like the way the same events were relayed by different characters…’

‘The story is told in a sort of overlapping episodic style where we see both sides of what is happening. There were plenty of ‘Nooos!’, ‘Whaaaaats?’ and ‘Bloody Hells!’ from me.’

The above are two examples, but many reviews echo one or the other position – I suppose the reason this has surprised me is that it’s not one of the things I thought much about before publication. I certainly didn’t think it would become a talking point.

My biggest positive take-home from the reviews so far is how many people say they finished the book and now see the world a little differently – again, not something I expected but definitely something I cherish hearing.

The main point of this blog is to reinforce the importance for reviews.

Reviews aren’t important solely to help authors sell books or to help other readers make an informed decision when buying a book. They are also one of the ways – perhaps the only way – a writer can discover the objective truth in the novel they’ve written.

Thank you Nigel for this great guest post.  I wish you lots of luck with your book.

About The Author:

Nigel is an author, father, businessman, ginger-dog owner and sometimes-runner. He co-founded global social media agency Qube Media and previously worked as a writer and editor for Channel 4 Television. His first book Beat the Rain has fast become a bestseller on Roundfire Books and was Semi-Finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016 for Best Debut Author. Nigel lives in Brighton, UK.

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Book Blurb:

Close your eyes…and count to ten.

‘I was gripped by this taut and emotional thriller.’ Louise Jensen, author of The Sister.

He doesn’t know his name. He doesn’t know his secret.

When Daniel woke up from a coma he had no recollection of the life he lived before. Now, fourteen years later, he’s being forced to remember.

A phone call in the middle of the night demands he return what he stole – but Daniel has no idea what it could be, or who the person on the other end is. He has been given one warning, if he doesn’t find out his family will be murdered.

Rachael needs to protect her son. Trapped with no way out she will do anything to ensure they survive. But sometimes mothers can’t save their children and her only hope is Daniel’s memory.

Perfect for fans of Holly Seddon, Gillian Flynn and BA Paris.

From the best-selling author of Our Little Secret comes a new psychological thriller with a shocking twist.

My Review:

I read a lot of thrillers so it’s always great to find a book that offers something different or has an original angle.  Close Your Eyes definitely does that with the main character, Daniel suffering from amnesia and unable to remember the crime he has been accused of.  I thought the author handled this superbly, never straying into clichés when it would have been very easy to.  Daniel gradually remembers things which makes the story seem very real and more chilling because of it.  The author has clearly done his research and it really shows .

The story is told from the point of view of Daniel, Rachel and Thomas which helps give the reader a better insight into the story and how everyone is feeling.  It was especially poignant to read about the story from Thomas’s point of view as I don’t think he really understood what was happening and his fear and confusion was almost palpable at times which made me really feel for him.

This story is quite fast paced with a lot of action happening quite quickly.  The book is split into days which count down until Daniel’s deadline and helps add to the tension as you know what might happen if Daniel fails.  This made the book quite hard to put down and I found myself reading long into the night.

My favourite character was Rachel.  I really admired the strength she showed when being held hostage and her determination to keep her son safe.  Her love for her son is very obvious and it brought a tear to my eye reading about what she was going through.  As a mum I know I’d do anything for my kids, so I can imagine the anguish she must have been going through.

This is the second book that Darren O’Sullivan has written but the first u have read.  I will look forward to going back and reading his first book very soon .

Huge thanks to Joe Thomas from HQ Stories for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

If you like gripping, original thrillers then you’ll love this book!

About The Author:

Darren is the ibooks and Kobo number 1 bestselling author of ‘Our Little Secret’ and theatre practitioner. He lives in Peterborough, England where his days are either behind his laptop writing or in front of a group of actors directing.

His thriller ‘Our Little Secret’ was published on the 5th April 2018 and his currently second novel ‘Close Your Eyes’ is due for publication 5th May 2018.

You can follow him on Twitter @Darrensully or on Facebook via his author page
Darren O’Sullivan-author

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I’m excited to be on the blog tour for Unscripted by Claire Handscombe today and have a guest post to share with you.

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

Book Blurb:

No-one is a bigger fan of actor Thomas Cassidy than Libby. No-one. That’s why she’s totally going to marry him.

She is going to write a novel, name the main character after Thom, and find a way to get it to him. Intrigued and flattered, he will read it, fall in love with her prose, write to her and ask to turn it into a movie. She will pretend to think about it for a week or so, then say, sure, but can I work on it with you? Their eyes will meet over the script, and fade to black. It is a fail-proof plan.

Except for the fact that he is a Hollywood star – not A list, perhaps not B list, but certainly C+ – and she is, well, not. Except for the fact that he lives in America. Except, too, for the teeny tiny age gap. Not even twenty years! Totally overcomable. All of the obstacles are totally overcomable. It’s all about determination.

Q&A with Claire Handscombe:

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a British writer who moved to Washington, DC, in 2012, ostensibly to study for an MFA, but really, let’s be honest, because of an obsession with the West Wing. My vices include excessive tea- and coffee-drinking, acquiring books faster than I could ever hope to read them even though I already have enough for a lifetime, and a huge gap in TV knowledge because I’m constantly just rewatching Aaron Sorkin stuff. I spent a good few years working as a language tutor for adults in London and then Brusssels, and loved doing that – the first book I wrote was inspired by that experience and by one student in particular.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I read a lot for work and fun. I love going out with my friends for nice dinners (Washington is great for that) and going to the theatre and ballet. I’ve been dusting off my flute this year and playing that again, too.

Do you have a day job as well?

Not in the traditional sense. I spend a lot of time tending to my blog, the Brit Lit Blog, where I round up daily news and views from British books and publishing, and my podcast, the Brit Lit Podcast, is also a lot of work (and fun!). Crowdfunding with Unbound has also felt like a full-time job at times.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I wrote poems and “novels” prolifically between the ages of around ten and twelve. I started writing again as an adult in 2009 and finished that one in around 2011, I think.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I don’t know that it was a conscious choice. I started writing in a voice that fitted the story and felt natural to me, and what came out was upmarket women’s fiction, or, for people not steeped in industry jargon, “smart beach read”.

Where do you get your ideas?

A lot of them come from my own life or daydreams about what I’d like to happen to me and/or dread happening to me. Unscripted definitely falls into that category.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

It depends what you mean by writer’s block. I often feel emotionally resistant to getting myself to my desk with a blank piece of paper in front of me. I sometimes sit there and panic for a while. Then, if I’ve decided in advance that I’m going to write that day, I make myself write – using a prompt if I have to – and sometimes what comes out is good. Sometimes not.

Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I usually know in my head where the book is going and have some key scenes in mind. I might jot those down as a list to make sure I get them down and have a sense of progress, but I don’t use an outline in the traditional sense.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

So many! I read a lot and I think I learn something about writing from every book. That was especially true when I was just starting to write seriously around 2009-2010. I remember reading Eleanor Catton’s The Rehearsal when I was writing my first novel and some of the rhythms of that seeping into my own writing – she has a way of using adjectives in threes that I loved and adopted.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Oh my goodness, so many challenges. It’s been really quite discouraging and frustrating at times. Unscripted is the third novel I wrote (and now I have two more). I pitched my first to about 100 agents in the UK and the US, and I’m not even sure I got any requests for the full manuscript. I pitched Unscripted mostly in the US, and eventually got a referral from a writer I really admire and got an agent from that. It was so exciting! And I thought I was home and dry. Nobody warns you (or at least, nobody had warned me) that no matter how enthusiastic your highly regarded agent, your book just might not sell.
Editors said so many lovely things about Unscripted, but in the end nobody wanted to publish it. The most painful thing was when I got all the way to the phone-call-with-an-editor stage just a few weeks into my agent’s first round of editor submissions, and she wanted to make me an offer, and then her publisher vetoed her. I was heartbroken – though it was early enough in the process that I didn’t realise that was my one chance at traditional publishing slipping away.
I’m glad Unbound wanted to take my book on, and they produce really quality books, so I’m excited about that.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

A lot of is based on my real-life experiences with one particular celebrity crush. The scene in Cambridge about a third in where Libby meets Thom, the actor she loves for the first time is almost exactly what happened when I met my favourite actor there. Maybe that’s why that scene is one of my favourites. After I wrote my first novel, I daydreamed that I would write the script for it with my favourite actor – and that’s Libby’s dream, too, though she takes hers further than I do mine.

What was your hardest scene to write?

I don’t remember a specific scene, but I’m someone whose first drafts are too short, because I write the scenes that come to me most easily first, and it’s hard when I have to add others later – and even harder when my agent asks me for extra scenes which I hadn’t envisioned being part of the book. There is one scene that makes my stomach tighten – when Libby’s bank calls her about her post-student debt – because I distinctly remember how it felt to have that happen to me at about her age.

How did you come up with the title?

I’m not sure! I seem to like one-word adjectival titles with a negative prefix, though. My first novel (as yet unpublished) was called Inevitable and a memoir piece I’ve had published is called Indelible. “Unscripted” is a bit of word play that relates to the fact that at the heart of this story are a couple of actors, and also refers to the fact that Libby has a detailed plan… but it doesn’t quite go as set out in her blueprint.

What project are you working on now?

I’ve got five novels at various stages of preparedness, but I’m taking a break from any new novels at the moment to promote Unscripted and self-publish a political fiction novel under a different name (secrecy, sorry!). For NaNoWriMo this year, I think it might be fun to write a romance novel inspired by the Canadian figure skating champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (seriously, go and watch some YouTube videos of them), but we’ll see – I know zero about ice skating, so I’d need to do lot of research first!

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

You’re making me wish I’d kept a very detailed journal of such things. Sometimes people say Libby is little shallow and weird for being so obsessed with this actor guy, which is tough to hear because she’s so closely based on me! ! I think a compliment that really surprised me was a writer friend telling me I am good at writing scenes full of romantic tension.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

If you like the sound of Unscripted, please don’t wait for it to be in shops! If you pre-order it now by pledging on Unbound, you are helping make it happen – and you’ll get a thank you in the back, which is pretty cool.

About The Author:

Claire Handscombe is a British writer who moved to Washington, DC in 2012, ostensibly to study for an MFA, but actually, let’s be honest, because of an obsession with The West Wing. (Like her main character Libby, she knows a thing or two about celebrity crushes and the life-changing power of a television series.) She was recently longlisted for the Bath Novel Award, and her journalism, poetry, and essays have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Bustle, Book Riot, Writers’ Forum, and the Washington Post. She is the host of the Brit Lit Podcast, a fortnightly show about news and views from British books and publishing.

Twitter | Blog

Unbound is Claire’s third book, Walk With Us: How The West Wing Changed Our Lives can be found here.

Book Blurb:

At twenty-four years old, Phoebe Marcham is resigned to spinsterhood, unwilling to settle for anything less than the deep love her parents had shared. That is, until adventurer Duncan Armstrong rides into her home wood, larger than life and with laughter in his eyes and more charm in his little finger than anyone she’s ever met.

Far from ridiculing her family ghost, Duncan resolves to help solve the mystery which has left Simon Marcham a spirit in torment for two hundred years.

My Review:

The Ghost of Glendale is a great historical romance with a little bit of a ghost story thrown in.  I wasn’t initially sure if the two would go together but they do very well.

My favourite character was Grace.  I loved her strength and determination to do what she wanted to do.  Her love for her father was very touching, especially in a time when a daughter wasn’t considered much of an asset compared to a son.  The parts showing this relationship were lovely to read about and I enjoyed the easy conversations between them.

The ghost story is quite a plausible one and I liked that the author keeps us guessing about the outcome.  There are lots of twists and false leads which means the pace of the book is quite fast and therefore hard to put down.

The romance between Grace and Duncan was lovely to read about and I enjoyed watching it develop.  It was great to see Grace come out of herself and relax in Duncan’s company.

This is quite a short book at just over 100 pages and the pace insures it is a quick read.  I will look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random reads for inviting me onto the tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

I’m thrilled to be kicking off the blog tour for Grace After Henry by Eithne Shortall.  It will be published in ebook and paperback on the 3rd May 2018 but you can pre-order your copy here.

Before I share my review with you here is a bit about the book.

Book Blurb:

Grace sees her boyfriend Henry everywhere. In the supermarket, on the street, at the graveyard.

Only Henry is dead. He died two months earlier, leaving a huge hole in Grace’s life and in her heart. But then Henry turns up to fix the boiler one evening, and Grace can’t decide if she’s hallucinating or has suddenly developed psychic powers. Grace isn’t going mad – the man in front of her is not Henry at all, but someone else who looks uncannily like him. The hole in Grace’s heart grows ever larger.

Grace becomes captivated by this stranger, Andy – to her, he is Henry, and yet he is not. Reminded of everything she once had, can Grace recreate that lost love with Andy, resurrecting Henry in the process, or does loving Andy mean letting go of Henry?

My Review:

Oh my goodness I did enjoy this book! I think I went through every emotion possible whilst reading it, one moment I was laughing the next sobbing much to my husband’s bemusement.

I loved Grace she is such a fantastic main character as she is so real.  Right from the start, with her hilarious attempts to put off other house buyers she got me on her side. Her relationship with Henry was lovely to read about, especially all the cute little personal routines or idiosyncrasies that become normal in a relationship.  I particularly loved that they were reading the same book together and taking it in turns to read out loud.  It was heartbreaking to see how altered Grace is after Henry died and my heart ached for her as she tried to live without him.

The idea that someone could help you heal and move on from beyond the grave is a lovely thought and one I so wish was true.  I’m not sure if this was exactly what the author meant to imply but I took her seeing Andy as Henry to mean he was helping her in some way which lead to some very poignant scenes that brought a tear to my eye.  It was very touching to be able to watch Grace heal and develop in her new relationship.  The intimate view that the author gives makes you feel like you are intruding sometimes on Andy and Grace especially in the more emotional moments.  I really felt for Grace and her anguish at starting again and her loss was palpable at times. I really wished I could give her a hug and help her.

This is a fairly easy read as the writing just flows allowing the reader to be easily caught up in the story.  There is always something happening so the reader is never bored and the mix of funny and sad moments helps to keep the reader engaged. The characters are brilliantly developed and the fly on the wall view meant that I felt I knew them very well by the time the book ended.

This is the author’s second novel and I will look forward to reading more from her in the future.  If you are a fan of PS I Love You I think you will enjoy this book.

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

About The Author:

Eithne Shortall studied journalism at Dublin City University and has lived in London, France and America. Now based in Dublin, she is chief arts writer for the Sunday Times Ireland. She enjoys sea swimming, cycling and eating scones.

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Book Blurb:

Will you look her in the eyes, just before she dies? A terrifying crime thriller that will set your pulse pounding. Perfect for fans of M. J. Arlidge, Robert Bryndza, and Angela Marsons.

On the streets of London, a vicious killer is using social media to turn murder into entertainment . . .

I, Killer has posted two photos of his first victim online – Before Death and After Death. They’ve gone viral before DCI Fenton’s team even discovers the body.

Soon, another victim’s photo is similarly posted . . . and so begins the killer’s following.

DCI Fenton is determined to discover the identity of I, Killer before another innocent life is claimed. Then the case takes a dark turn, and Fenton’s search becomes a matter of life or death for him and his young daughter.

But as I, Killer’s body-count rises, his number of online followers is growing – and he loves to give his fans what they want . . .

What readers are saying about Now You See:

‘A well written and brilliantly structured novel that exposes the thoughts of a serial killer. It grabs you and won’t let go until, tense and sweaty, you reach the climax‘

‘Max Manning chills to the bone and keeps the pace up brilliantly. Very good read!‘

‘A gripping thriller that had me hooked from start to finish and gets a full five stars from me’

Now You See is available to buy in ebook and paperback now.  The ebook is currently the bargain price of £1.99, you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

Wow I read a lot if Crime thrillers so it’s always great to read one that has an utterly original story line.  I think what makes this book so chilling is how real it seems.  With the popularity of social media I think it’s probably only a matter of time until a real killer flaunts his murders in this way.

The way people react to the murders seemed very true to life and I could imagine some of the comments in the book actually being comments from real people. It also brought up some intriguing questions as to what people’s reactions would be if pictures of murder victims where posted on line.  Would they look? Would it make killer famous? I’d love to say I wouldn’t but I think it’s part of human nature to have a little bit of morbid curiosity about such things.

I couldn’t decide if I liked DCI Fenton or not.  In one hand he was clearly a hard working cop and a loving father who wanted to ensure they caught the killer.  However he also seemed very grizzly and unnecessarily rude at times.  His pedanticness annoyed me too along with his refusal to take risks.

The reader gets to see the killers point of view too as there are short descriptions about what he’s thinking, why he’s killing and his real to his ‘fame’ in each chapter.  This is very chilling to read, particularly when you realise how into his infamy he is and how much of a kick he’s getting from it.  In a world where people get famous for the stupidest things, it sent a shiver down my spine thinking this might be how someone achieves it in the future.

Think is a fairly fast paced book that has lots of revelations and twists that kept me interested throughout.  I was kept guessing to the end who the killer was which is unusual for me as I’m normally quite good at guessing!

Now You See is Max Manning’s debut crime novel and I really hope he doesn’t keep us waiting long for his next book as I am very excited to read it.

Huge thanks to Jenni Leech for inviting me onto the blog tour and giving me a copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to everyone! A definite must read.

About The Author:

Max Manning is a former national newspaper journalist. He started his career as a news reporter on regional newspapers before moving on to Fleet Street. There he worked for several titles, including Today and the Daily Express. He later joined the staff of the Daily Telegraph where he worked for sixteen years as a news sub-editor. Now You See is his debut crime novel.

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Book Blurb:

Play dirty, play to win.

Josh Flynn is the king of the bare-knuckle gypsy fighters. His reputation is un-blemished; his fist a deadly weapon.

Claire Milo has always loved Josh, they were destined to be together from the day they met. Two gypsy lovers with their whole lives ahead of them. If only Josh would find a different way of earning a living instead of knocking the living daylights out of another man in the boxing ring. One day, she knew something really bad was going to happen. She could feel it . . .

Shauna Everett always wanted what she couldn’t have, and nobody, especially Claire Milo was going to stand in her way. She’s had her eye on Josh Flynn for years and she knew just how to get him. If it meant playing dirty, then so be it. What had she got to lose?

In a world ruled by violence, crime and backstreet brawls, only one woman will win in Jessie Keane’s Fearless, but how low is she prepared to go to achieve that goal?

Fearless was published by Pan MacMillan on the 22nd of March 2018.  It is available now in Hardback and ebook, you can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

In Fearless Jessie Keane has truly created an utterly gritty, violent and believable world.  I was drawn in from the start and kept guessing as to what was going to happen next.

My favourite character was the lovely Claire who seemed a little out of place at times in the harsh world she lives in.  Her love for Josh was lovely to see and I really felt for her and all that she goes through throughout the book.  I hate unfairness so I really wanted her to win and get the happy ending I felt she deserved.  I really didn’t like her arch rival Shauna.  She really sent a shiver up my spine with some of her antics.  How anyone can be so uncaring about other people is completely beyond me but she didn’t seem to have one ounce of compassion in her! A very nasty piece of work!

The story is quite fast past and the short chapters make the story easy to read.  I was soon gripped and found myself turning the pages faster and faster to see what would happen next.  ‘Just one more chapter I kept telling myself’ only to look up a while later and find an hour had past!

The gangland world the author has created seems very real which makes the violence even more shocking, more so when it is women doing it.  This might not be to everyone’s taste but is obviously necessary due to the world the novel is set in.

This is the first book by Jessie Keane that I have read and I will look forward to reading more from her in the future.  If you like gritty crime novels you will enjoy this book.

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

About The Author:

Jessie Keane is the best-selling author of hard-hitting gritty dramas like No 1 Heatseeker Dirty Game, Black Widow, Scarlet Women and Playing Dead – all part of the Annie Carter series – and also Jail Bird starring Lily King, and The Make, starring Gracie Doyle.

Good morning and Happy Weekend everyone.  I’m on the blog tour for The Kindness of Strangers by Julie Newman today and I am excited to have a Q&A with the author to share with you.

The Kindness of Strangers is available to buy in ebook and paperback now, with the ebook currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy here.

Before I share my Q&A with you here is a little about the book.

Book Blurb:

‘An intricate portrayal of love and loss, redemption and revenge which will stay with you long after the final page.’ – Anne Coates, bestselling author of the Hannah Weybridge thrillers

Deception abounds in Julie Newman’s breath-taking new novel.

Widow Helen is desperate for a perfect family life, and will do everything she can to get what she wants.

A veteran of the Afghanistan conflict Martin is adrift and seemingly without hope – can he ever win back his estranged family?

Pregnant teenager Charley is striking out on her own to create a new life for her unborn child, but her mother Lizzie has other ideas.

When three seemingly disparate lives connect, the past and the present collide to reveal secrets, lies and how far people are willing to go to hide the truth.

Following the gripping and controversial Beware the Cuckoo, Julie Newman’s thrilling new novel lifts the lid on the dark past that haunts a seemingly happy household.

Q&A with Julie Newman:

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I was born in East London but now life a rural life in North Essex. I am married with two children. I have had a variety of jobs but have always wanted to be a writer.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I’m either spending time with my family or reading, cycling or running. I love music and I’m an avid theatre goer.

Do you have a day job as well?

No. Family commitments and writing keeps me busy.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I first started writing as a child; I kept a diary and liked to write poems and short stories. My first published book was a children’s book in 2003. My first novel was finished in 2015.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I haven’t actually chosen a genre that I intend to stay with. My next book is very different.

Where do you get your ideas?

From all around. Sometimes I may read something like a news item for instance that sparks an idea, sometimes it’s a conversation or observation.

Do you ever experience writers block?

Yes. Some days things do not seem to flow as well.

Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I always write a biography for each of my characters. I also do a timeline. I recall reading a book, many years ago, where one of the characters was pregnant for the duration of the story which covered a fourteen month period.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way, either growing up or as an adult?

The first book I ever read on my own was A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond, this kick-started my love of reading. Other authors that I love include Roald Dahl, (I love his sense of the macabre), Joanne Harris, Michael Ondaatje, Toni Morrison, John Steinbeck, Mary Shelley and George Eliot and so many more.

Can you tell us about the challenges in getting first book published?

I had many rejections before I got my publishing deal. It is a little disheartening, but I was encouraged by one of the agencies that rejected me to keep on trying. They told me of alternative routes to publication including looking at Independent Publishers. That was how I came across Urbane.

Is anything in your book based on real life experience or purely all imagination?

No, all pure fiction.

What was your hardest scene to write?

I can’t answer that as it will reveal a plot twist, sorry.

How did you come up with the title?

The phrase is used by Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire, and carries more than a hint of irony. I wanted a title that could convey more than one meaning if not viewed literally…

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The toughest was when someone said they couldn’t finish my book. The best was when someone said they didn’t want it to end.

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Yes, if you do enjoy the book, or any book for that matter, please leave a review and tell your friends. We authors do rely on ratings and reviews and word of mouth recommendations. Thank you.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, I wish you the best of luck with your book.

About The Author:

Julie was born in East London but now lives a rural life in North Essex. She is married with two children. Her working life has seen her have a variety of jobs, including running her own publishing company. She is the author of the children’s book Poppy and the Garden Monster and the thriller Beware the Cuckoo. Julie writes endlessly and when not writing she is reading. Other interests include theatre, music and running. Besides her family, the only thing she loves more than books is Bruce Springsteen.

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I’m excited to be on the blog tour for Dead Man’s Badge by Robert E Dunn today.  This looks like a great book and I look forward to reading it soon.

You can buy a copy of this book in ebook or paperback here.

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

Book Blurb:

When you dig your own grave, it always ends up ragged and shallow.

Career criminal Longview Moody, on the run from killers, assumes his dead, twin brother’s identity as the new Chief of Police of a Texas town that’s being terrorized by a Mexican drug cartel. To pull off the deadly deception, Longview desperately works to become the kind of cop and man that his brother was. But when the two lives he’s living converge, he’s forced to embrace the violence within him to get justice…and vengeance.

PRAISE FOR “DEAD MAN’S BADGE”

“It’s terrific. It’s lean and smart and very good. I say, check it out.” Joe Lansdale

“Brutal, vivid, and unforgettable…a modern-day western morality tale in crime-novel wrapping with a blood-red bow. This one will haunt you.” Lee Goldberg, #1 NY Times bestselling author

“Robert Dunn unloads both barrels – Dead Man’s Badge is a fast, furious shootout from beginning to end. This tale of corrupt cops, cartel killers, and one bad guy just trying to make good, lingers like gun smoke. Bloody, dark, and pistol-whip smart, it’s Border noir at its best.” J. Todd Scott, author of THE FAR EMPTY

“Riveting thriller about coming back from the dead, revenge and redemption. The pages fly by even faster than the bodies pile up. DEAD MAN’S BADGE establishes Robert E. Dunn as a formidable new name in hard-boiled fiction.” R.G. Belsky. author of YESTERDAY’S NEWS

Guest Post by Robert E. Dunn

BONES

After you write a few books you begin to learn things. Your writing does not only speak to readers. It whispers to you. In truth writing novels releases an inner voice that at times is telling you all the things you already know. Other times it is a stranger that knows the secrets you hid from yourself. One of the most revealing things, the non-boring and non-weird things your writing shows are the bones of your personal style.

Writers like to talk a lot about voice in writing. It is the personal print of ourselves that we leave woven into the words. Most of us don’t know what our voice is until we are comfortable enough to get out of our own way and let it come. Often it comes but we don’t even see it until we have some books we can point to and say, there it is—that works.

I would like to tell you a little about the bones of my voice. It came by letting go of I want and embracing I am. Growing up I wanted to write science fiction and horror stories. I loved the pulpy adventures and the intriguing science and all the what if’s. I have written a few horror novels and horror with science fiction themes to some degree of success.

One thing I noticed as I was writing these books was my heavy reliance on location as character. I paid so much attention to the environment my people operated in it was hard to imagine the same story working in a different place.
There were other kinds of books I enjoyed growing up too. Actually I would read just about anything, but some kept showing up in my hands no matter what I thought I was in to at the time. These were mysteries. It started with Hardy Boys and kept growing from there. Then one day I discovered James Lee Burke. It was by chance I noticed the title, IN THE ELECTRIC MIST WITH CONFEDERATE DEAD, on a library shelf.
Now when I was growing up and reading all those books that helped shape me, I was living in the Missouri Ozarks. I had a connection to the place and the people from the hillbilly cliché to the colorful Branson show culture. The Ozarks have a compelling darkness under the branches of walnut and oak. They a wild and bloody history. And they have a shape. The eroded plateau of limestone is gouged by water and riddle with caves. How could it not seep into a young man’s bones?
I think you see where I’m going.

Discovering other authors who infuse location so vividly in their writing led me to search more of them out. It led me also to let my own world come even more strongly into my writing. I had wanted to write a particular kind of book. But I discovered that I was a particular kind of person. I that be my guide.

In 2015 I wrote a book called A Living Grave. It was a mystery featuring Katrina “Hurricane” Williams, a female sheriff’s detective in the Ozarks. She—it—worked. I worked. The bones of my voice knitted. Katrina gave me my first multi book contract and my second.
The question then became, will that voice hold up in other environments?
In my life I have been geographically blessed. I mentioned growing up in the Ozarks. The truth is that was where we ended up. I was an Army brat. We moved around. Once I was old enough to get out on my own I felt that itch in my heel and got to moving. For a long time I had a job that took me all over the world. So I had a personal library to choose from when thought about a new book. A favorite place is south Texas. I wanted to write about that. I wanted to drape the border over my personal bones.

That particular ground is littered with bones. From westerns to modern border noir, so many other authors have staked out claims on that dirt. That was certainly on my mind as I wrote DEAD MAN’S BADGE. So much as a matter of fact I named the fictional town the story is set in, Lansdale, Texas. Joe Lansdale is a writer I admire. He has a deep, literary stamp on the Texas landscape. To make matters worse for me, as I was writing, J. Todd Scott released a novel, set on the same stretch of ground as my Lansdale, TX. His book, THE FAR EMPTY was such a big hit I refused to read it until I was finished with DEAD MAN’S BADGE. I feared being intimidated by the quality and of falling into the trap of imitating. I had good cause to fear comparison by quality. Todd’s book is amazing. I have had the pleasure of talking with him on social media and told him so many times.

So did my bones hold up under the weight of Texas? I won’t presume to tell you. That’s for you to decide after reading the book. I will tell you that both Joe Lansdale and J. Todd Scott read my book and commented for the back cover. Now that’s a proud moment for me.

I hope you do read DEAD MAN’S BADGE. I hope also, that this peak at the bones of my voice help you understand and enjoy the book a tiny bit more. Look for me on social media and tell me how I did. Careful though, I might tell you another long story about how I write.

Thank you very much Robert for writing this fascinating guest post.  I wish you lots of luck with your book.

About The Author:

Robert E. Dunn was born an Army brat and grew up in the Missouri Ozarks. He wrote his first book at age eleven turning a series of Jack Kirby comic books into a hand written novel. Over many years in the, mostly, honest work of video and film production he produced everything from documentaries, to training films and his favorite, travelogues. He returned to writing mystery, horror, and fantasy fiction for publication after the turn of the century. It seemed like a good time for change even if the changes were not always his choice.

In addition to DEAD MAN’S BADGE, Mr. Dunn is the author of the horror novels, THE RED HIGHWAY, MOTORMAN, and THE HARROWING, as well as the Katrina Williams mystery/thriller series, A LIVING GRAVE, A PARTICULAR DARKNESS, and the upcoming A MOMENTARY LIFE.

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I’m excited to be on the blog tour today for Escape And Evasion by Christopher Wakling and to be able to share a Q&A with the author.

Escape and Evasion will be published on the 3rd May 2018 and you can pre-order your copy here.

Before I share the Q&A with you here is a little about the book.

Book Blurb:

Escape and Evasion reads like a Network for the Bitcoin era.’ Tony Parsons

City banker Joseph Ashcroft has stolen £1.34 billion from his own bank.

He has given it – untraceably – to impoverished strangers worldwide, and has fled.

Why has he done this? And will he get away with it?

Joseph knows that if he leaves the country, he will easily be tracked down. So he opts for hiding close by – first in the city, then in the woods near the home of his estranged family. An ex-soldier, he’s adept at the art of camouflage.

On Joseph’s trail is Ben Lancaster, the bank’s head of security and, as it happens, a former army friend with whom he shares a violent, guilt-ridden past.

The hunt is on.

Escape and Evasion is a tragicomic tale of buried secrets, the lengths a man will go to win back those he loves, and the fallout from a monumental change of heart.

Q&A with Christopher Wakling:

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

ESCAPE AND EVASION is my seventh novel. I used to work in the City, where the book begins. I was a lawyer; men like the book’s banker ‘hero’, Joseph Ashcroft, were my clients. I left that job to write my first novel, in Australia, where I also learned to surf (badly) and fly a plane (better, but still). I started out writing travel journalism in Australia, too.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?

I like mountain biking. There are lots of good trails where I live – Bristol – and I head out on them to clear my head. I also like being with my children, who are lovely the whole time, except when they’re not, and that takes up time, too. I spend a fair bit of time reading, as well.

3. Do you have a day job as well?

No. Since I stopped working as a lawyer I’ve either written fiction full time or combined it with other writing-related work. At the moment I’m running a six month novel writing course for Curtis Brown Creative. I’ve taught elsewhere, and, as I say, I write travel journalism from time to time as well.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I first started writing as a child. Mostly I wrote diaries detailing exactly what I ate and when I went to bed. They’re fascinating documents. In adolescence I graduated to mawkish poetry. I started writing fiction and travel articles at university, where I studied English. The further I got into my career as a lawyer the more badly I wanted to spend my time writing. I finished my first novel in 2002.

5. How did you choose the genre you write in?

I didn’t. I was surprised when that first novel was described back to me as a ‘literary thriller’. I just tried to write a story about something that mattered to me, careful to make sure the themes it explored were wrapped up in a story that would keep the reader turning the pages. I’ve written historical fiction, comic fiction, and thrillers (apparently). There’s a bit of all of that in ESCAPE AND EVASION.

6. Where do you get your ideas?

There’s this great shop round the corner…

7. Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Sometimes writing is hard and sometimes its less hard, but it never, in my experience, just arrives on the page. The term ‘writer’s block’ annoys me. It suggests it’s okay to give up. ‘I’ll be back when the muse strikes,’ it says. You can waste a lot of time waiting for the muse. The best way of overcoming ‘writer’s block’ is to say, ‘It’s hard today, and maybe what I’m writing won’t be very good, but I’m a writer, so I should keep at it. Even if I produce nonsense, it’s all good practice.’

8. Do you work with an outline, or just write?

A bit of both. Having worked with lots of aspiring writers over the year I’ve seen many people sink without a plan. But outlining things in too much detail risks making the writing boring. I tend to know roughly where I’m going.

9. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

I remember being blown away by Anthony Burgess’s A CLOCKWORK ORANGE when I was about fourteen. It was the voice that got to me. Horroshow.

10. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

I was in a writing group for five years while I was working as a lawyer. It was tough to meet the deadlines we imposed on ourselves while holding down a deadline-packed job. Of the four of us three ended up as published novelists (I’m the least famous) and the fourth has had an illustrious career in publishing. She was just starting out as an agent back then, hungry for good work to sell. I was lucky to have her as a first point of contact with the industry, but then again we worked hard in that group.

11. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Again, abit of both. I’ve used my own experience of working in the City and building dens in bomb holes, pimped them with the experiences of friends, and lied outright about other stuff to make a truthful whole.

12. What was your hardest scene to write?

The scene where Joseph, during his time in the army in Bosnia, discovers two small children dead in an oven.

13. How did you come up with the title?

The phrase ESCAPE AND EVASION is a nod to Joseph’s military past. I like the sound of the words, their shape. On the surface they say what the story is about, a man on the run. But they also raise questions: who is he escaping from, and what is he really trying to evade?

14. What project are you working on now?

I’m deep into a new novel, and I’m helping fifteen writers at Curtis Brown Creative improve their own books. There’s a story on every ridge.

15. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

I once didn’t speak to a good friend for six months or so after he said scenes in my draft novel were wooden. Trouble was, he was right. I rewrote them! And the best praise? Any praise, from anyone who has enjoyed one of my novels, is always encouraging. Specifically, a reviewer in a national newspaper said my last novel, WHAT I DID, ‘should have won the Booker prize’. That was nice.

16. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you for reading my book.

Thank you very much for answering my questions today, I wish you the best of luck with your book!

About The Author:

Christopher Wakling is a novelist and travel writer whose previous books include On Cape Three Points, The Undertow and Towards the Sun.

Born in 1970, he was educated at Oxford, and has worked as a teacher and lawyer. He lives in Bristol with his wife and children.

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