I’m delighted to be kicking off the blog tour for this fantastic book.  Ivon is such a thought provoking book and I so enjoyed reading it.

Ivon will be released on the 8th February 2018 but is available to pre-order here.

Book Blurb:

The year is 2144, and the world is powered by sport – politically and practically. Each community owes its prosperity or otherwise to the success of its teams and athletes. A person’s class is determined by their aptitude for sport. Once their useful life as an athlete has expired, they are placed in stasis at an age predetermined by that class.

But not in Wales.

Separated from the rest of the world by a huge wall, the Welsh still play games for joy. They play, they carouse, they love, they die. They have fun.

Of all the Welsh, the greatest sportsman is an unreconstructed genius called Ivon. When the chance arises to become the first Welshman to cross the great divide into England, he cannot resist. His parents, exiled from England before he was born, know what London will do to him. They are desperate to have him back. But London will not give up an asset like Ivon so easily.

Ivon is a celebration of where sport has come from and a satire on where it is going.

My Review:

Ivon is a truly fascinating and thought provoking novel that could literally be a glimpse into our future.  For me I felt that it had a 1984 feel to it as we are currently trying to find new ways to fuel our world and it is apparently possible to create power from people’s phyical exertions, though admittedly you would have to do a lot of exercise to gain just a little power.  This did lead me to wonder if this will be a way to create energy in the future.

The world Michael Alywin has created in this book is a truly scary and chilling one.  This is especially true for someone who was never very good at sport at school and therefore would be at the bottom of this society.  The lack of feeling towards other humans is awful, with everything including death being something that just happens for the good of the commune.  The residents aren’t allowed to have relationships, fall in love and start a family.  Anyone who does is dealt with very strictly and kept away from each other.  Sex is only used for the generation of more power and not for the creation of new life, that is done is a lab in the hope of creating more elite sports people.  No one is allowed to have a free thought or to rebel against the leaders and if they do they are sent to The Institute of Improvement and Correction which re-educates them back into model citizens.  I can’t imagine a world without love and free thought and this idea sent a chill down my spine whilst I was reading it.

Even sport activity that is so important in this life is controlled with technology, with every move made in the game carefully thought out and decided by a computer.  The idea of which is very scary as surely sport is one of the only things left in life that can’t be controlled this way and needs free thought in order to work? I sincerely hope this isn’t the case for future sport as half of the fun is the uncertainty of it and the skill and decisions made by the athletes.

As the book progresses the differences between this new world and the one we currently live in are further highlighted by the existence of Wales which stand for The Western of Lapsed Era Savages (tongue in cheek comic genius by the author), the residents of which still live a life that is very similar to the one we live now.

I loved the two man characters Dusty and Ivon.  I thought they were such caring characters is a very cold world who tried their best for their fellow citizens despite great resistance.  It was quite heart breaking to see their continued strive towards trying to create a better world for people and watching them being continually blocked, not least by the citizens themselves who believed their current way of life was just fine the way it was.

This is Michael’s debut book and I very much look forward to reading more from him in the future. If you like clever, thought provoking dystopian fiction then you will love this book.

Huge thanks to Red Door publishing for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Michael Aylwin is a sports reporter for the Guardian and Observer. He lives in Southfields.

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So thrilled to be on the blog tour for Hydra by Matt Wesolowski today and be sharing my review with you.  Hydra is one of the most unique and unsettling books I have read.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more by this talented author.

Hydra is available in ebook and paperback here.

Book Blurb:

A family massacre
A deluded murderess
Five witnesses
Six Stories
Which one is true?

One cold November night in 2014, in a small town in the northwest of England, 21-year-old Arla Macleod bludgeoned her mother, stepfather and younger sister to death with a hammer, in an unprovoked attack known as the Macleod Massacre. Now incarcerated at a medium-security mental-health institution, Arla will speak to no one but Scott King, an investigative journalist, whose Six Stories podcasts have become an internet sensation.

King finds himself immersed in an increasingly complex case, interviewing five key witnesses and Arla herself, as he questions whether Arla’s responsibility for the massacre was as diminished as her legal team made out.

As he unpicks the stories, he finds himself thrust into a world of deadly forbidden ‘games’, online trolls, and the mysterious black-eyed kids, whose presence seems to extend far beyond the delusions of a murderess…

Dark, chilling and gripping, Hydra is both a classic murder mystery and an up-to-the-minute, startling thriller that shines light in places you may never, ever want to see again.

My Review:

Hydra is a very chilling, eerie and enthralling read.  I was hooked from the start by the unusual style of writing and the story which is unlike anything I have read before.

I think what makes this book so effective is how real it feels. It is based in the present day in a non-descript English village that has seen better times.  There is always the feeling  at the back of your mind whilst you are reading it, that you have heard similar stories before on the news of murders in such towns.  The real feeling is further backed up by one of the main characters being a victim of trolling on social media, a very modern crime which makes the book feel like this could happen today to anyone.

The gradual dissecting of the crime case was very intriguing for me and I loved learning about it  from all the different viewpoints that were available.  I particularly like the psychological analysis and the delving into Arla’s childhood as I have always wondered about why people do murder or commit such violent crimes.

When I first started reading this book I thought Arla was a pretty open and shut case, which made me wonder how the story would work.  However as we delve deeper into what happened that night and discover more about the black eyed children you begin to realise there is more to this case then meets the eye.  I started to doubt everything I had first believed in and I kept jumping between theories.  This was very cleverly done by the author and ensured the book was impossible to put down.

Hydra is a story that sticks with you and gets inside your head.  I kept expecting to see the black eyed children appear everywhere and was frightened to look out at the window at night.  I know I’m not  alone in this as I know from discussions with other readers that they have felt the same. I thought I heard them chattering once too which turned out to be the radio which left me feeling rather foolish.

This is Matt’s second book but the first one I have read though I will look forward to reading Six Stories soon.  If you like eerie, chilling thrillers you’ll love this book and even if you don’t think you do, try this book as i don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

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

About The Author:

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for children in care and leads Cuckoo Young Writers creative writing workshops for young people in association with New Writing North.

Wesolowski started his writing career in horror and his short horror fiction has been published in numerous magazines and US anthologies.

Wesolowski was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at ‘Bloody Scotland’; Crime Writing Festival 2015 and his short crime story ‘Tulpa’ was subsequently published in the Northern Crime One’ anthology (Moth Publishing 2015). His debut crime novel ‘Six Stories’ will be available through Orenda Books in the spring of 2017

You can follow Matt on twitter @concretekraken and his blog can be found at https://mjwesolowskiauthor.wordpress.com/

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Firstly huge apologies to Ellie Pitcher and Canelo Publishers four missing my turn on the blog tour yesterday.  With a newborn baby, a mum in hospital and my car breaking down I’m sorry to say things just got away from me yesterday.

I have an extract to share with you today from the fantastic soundings If I Fall by Ella Harper. This book has had loads of brilliant reviews so far so I’m really looking forward to reading it.   If I Fall is currently only £1.99 and is available to buy Here.

Before we get to the extract here is a bit more about the book.

Book Blurb:

Four university friends, four devastating secrets.

I’m really sorry for what I’m about to do…

It’s fifteen years since graduation, and Connie, Jonas, JJ and Layla have managed to remain close despite the odds. They’ve supported each other, but are some things too big for friendship?

Connie is desperate to maintain the veneer of perfect family life.

Jonas is feeling the pressure at work.

Layla’s career is unravelling thanks to her ill mother

JJ’s past is catching up with him.

When they stumble and fall, who will be there to catch them?

A truly powerful and unforgettable story of love, friendship, and real life, If I Fall is perfect for readers of Alice Peterson, Amanda Prowse and Lianne Moriarty.

Exclusive Extract:

2003

‘Wow.’ Layla turned to face Connie on the picnic mat. ‘Last day of uni. I never thought we’d get here, did you?’

Connie pushed her dark fringe out of her eyes and stared up at a clear, blue sky. Perfect, bar two puffs of cloud in the distance. ‘Tell me about it! Finals – what a bloody nightmare. I only left the house to sit exams. And buy fags.’ She held an arm up to Layla and glanced at her legs, which stretched out under torn-off denim shorts. ‘Look how pale I am! I haven’t seen the sun in weeks. My freckles are fading.’

‘We’re making up for it today,’ Layla said, shielding her eyes. ‘What gorgeous weather! And technically, I’m not actually leaving yet – I still have to complete my master’s.’

‘A master’s degree? To listen to people’s problems and say “and what do you think it all means?”’ JJ propped himself up on his elbows and winked. He tucked the edge of his pristine, white t-shirt into his denim shorts. ‘And… “how did it make you feel?”’

Resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him, Layla pulled a face instead. ‘I know. Shocking, isn’t it? Anyone would think you could literally just invite people into your front room willy-nilly and give unsolicited advice.’ She opened a can of cider; it let out a satisfying hiss. ‘Do shut it, JJ. Some of us actually intend to use our brains.’

‘Ouch!’ JJ pretended to look injured, his thick brows furrowing. He joined her by opening a can of cider. ‘I do have a brain, actually, Lay, but as I was also blessed with good looks and big muscles, I decided to use those instead.’

‘Yawn,’ Layla replied lazily. ‘Big muscles, small…’ She left the comment hanging.

JJ guffawed. ‘Oh really? Do I have to prove something to you?’

Layla shuddered. ‘God forbid…’

‘You two are like an old married couple,’ Connie said, scrabbling around for her cigarettes. ‘Are you sure you don’t fancy one another?’
Layla scoffed, but knew exactly why Connie had asked her oh-so-innocent question. ‘Christ, no.’

JJ smiled and looked away. Layla was a very pretty girl, but as Connie well knew, JJ preferred brunettes. Ones with faded freckles. He let his eyes wander back to her. Had he made the biggest mistake of his life? Or was he right in thinking that he was simply way too young to settle down?

‘You shouldn’t smoke,’ Jonas commented, nudging Connie. As if realising his tone sounded reprimanding, he reached out to touch her cheek. ‘I worry about you, Con. Can’t help it.’ He turned to his friend. ‘Back me up, JJ. Tell her it’s bad for her. Do the whole “I’m going to be a personal trainer” thing.’

JJ shook his head, laughing. ‘Don’t get me involved in a lovers’ tiff over fags! Besides, I don’t think anyone can tell Connie what to do.’ He met her eyes and held her gaze.

Connie’s eyes flickered for a moment and she felt her stomach fizz slightly. JJ was so… so… well. It didn’t really matter what JJ was anymore. It had, once. Once, it had mattered very much indeed. But Connie had had to get over that. So now JJ was just her friend, instead of her best friend. And everything else he had been for a while.
‘I’m glad someone knows to leave me alone with my cigs,’ she said lightly, feeling she should respond. She smiled at Jonas. ‘I guess I’ll give up one day, but today, I’m still a student and I’m making the most of it.’

Author Information:

As a teenager, I devoured novels and immersed myself in learning foreign languages. I imagined I might get a glamorous job speaking French somewhere but after acquiring a BA in French and Russian studies, I followed in my father’s footsteps and ended up in banking instead. I climbed the ladder, became an Assistant Vice President then starting writing a book on my commute into work. I then left my job to become a writer, publishing four successful novel under the name of Sasha Wagstaff. Pieces of You is my first novel as Ella Harper and it was inspired by a personal loss and fertility issues suffered by friends.

For more information about me, please follow me on Twitter @Ella__Harper and on Facebook at/EllaHarperBooks. You can find information about my other books on my Sasha Wagstaff page on Amazon, on Twitter @sashawagstaff and on Facebook /SashaWagstaff.

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I’m excited to share my review of We All Begin As Strangers which is published in paperback today. I really enjoyed this book and it was one of my favourite reads of 2017.

We All Begin As Strangers is available to buy in ebook and paperback here.

Book Blurb:

HOW WELL DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS?

In the English village of Heathcote the temperature – and the sense of unease – is rising.

It started with small things – a perfume bottle being moved, a photograph left behind in someone’s house. But now Anna is missing.

As the search for Anna gathers pace, suspicions grow and secrets are revealed. Surely one of the villagers can’t be responsible? But then can you ever really know what’s going on behind closed doors…

My Review:

Residents of a small village are alarmed to hear of some break-ins being reported in their village. Quickly nicknamed ‘the fox’ the intruder initially doesn’t appear to take anything, just entering people’s houses to seemingly look around. Then one of the villagers, a sweet girl called Anna, goes missing. Convinced that the fox has taken her the residents are determined to try and find out who the fox is and why he took Anna. As tension builds and accusations fly the villagers are soon forced to realise how little they know each other and how many secrets each of them are hiding.

The author does a great job of setting the scene for this novel. You really get the feeling of being in a small village with everyone having known each other since school and therefore thinking they know everything about one another. The sense of claustrophobia is increased by the descriptions of the village being hemmed in by trees and the hot weather.

The story is told from the point of view of four residence from the village. Each of them are outcasts in there own way and all have secrets that they are hiding. I really emphasized with all of them and felt sorry for them when their secrets were revealed. I liked that they were all so normal, everyday characters that you might find in any village. The fact that they weren’t perfect and all had faults made them seem more real and i could relate to them a lot more. The author adopts a fly-on-the-wall type approach to describing their lives which made for fascinating reading. It really felt like you were there experiencing everything alongside them. The tension in the book is gradually increased as the story progresses and the secrets of the villagers are discovered. The foxes remaining undiscovered also adds to this tension as neighbours start to accuse each other of being the intruder. This makes the book hard to put down as you want to continue reading to find out what happens next.

I thought the ending was brilliant! It took me completely by surprise and I have continued to think about it long after I have finished the book. The meaning behind it is quite poignant and should perhaps be something all of us could try and change in are lives.

This is Harriet Cummings debut novel and I look forward to reading more from her. Thank you to Ben Wills, Orion publishing and Harriet Cummings for the proof copy of this book.

About The Author:

I’m very excited to be kicking of the blog tour for The Intruder, which is truly one of the most unique and fascinating reads I have read.  It is definitely one that will stay with me.

The Intruder is available in ebook on the 1st February and paperback on the 31st May 2018.  You can pre-order both here.

Book Blurb:

He has the key to hundreds of houses.
Maybe even to yours.

A gripping, sinister, deeply unsettling novel from the most sociopathic narrator of 2018. Meet Mr Heming…

William Heming is an estate agent. He’s kept a copy of every key to every house he’s ever sold. Sometimes he visits them. He lets himself in when the owners are out. But what will happen if he gets caught?

What will he do next?

My Review:

Wow what an unusual and creepy book this was.  I really enjoyed reading it and it was definitely a book that kept me up at night, both trying to read more and through some weird dreams that I had after reading it.

I think the thing that most struck me about this book is that this could actually happen.  How many people change their locks on moving into a new house, how many old owners of a house keep the key to their old houses and how many estate agents get rid of the keys they are given?  I’d hope the answer is none or if they do they just keep them in a draw or a bag forgotten but it has definitely given me food for thought .  Having just moved house myself I will be asking my husband if we can change our locks at the earliest opportunity.  I think this shows great skill by the author in creating such an creepy and sinister story that it has gotten under my skin in this way and made me think about it long after I have finished reading.

William is a very strange though fascinating character to read about.  His obsession of going into unoccupied houses and spying on people’s lives is very creepy, particularly when you learn how confident he is about doing it.  The fact that he has a routine of what he does whilst he is in someone’s home, including having something to eat and drink, is very calculated.  It sent a chill up my spine imagining him casually sitting there and someone doing similar in our house without my knowledge.  It was very interesting to learn about what he was able to glean about people’s lives from their possessions and what they leave lying about the house.

One thing I did like abut William was the rough justice he dishes out to those who have wronged him in some way.  Some of the things he does are inspired and very funny, helping to break some of the tension and creepy atmosphere.  The incident with the do poo was brilliant and i wish I could do something similar to inconsiderate dog owners!

The book does start of slow as we learn more about William and his childhood but I felt that this is necessary as we are able to establish from it what type of person William is and what makes him tick.  I felt the slow pace also helped to contribute to the creepy, slimy atmosphere throughout the book and complimented William’s character. The story soon picks up though and I found myself riveted as I wondered what William would do next and if he would get caught.  I often found myself holding my breath as he explored people’s houses, wondering if this was the time he’d be discovered.

This is the first book by PS Hogan that I have read and I look forward to reading more from him.  If you like creepy, sinister and gripping books then you will enjoy The Intruder.

Thank you to Rosie Margesson, Hayley Barnes and Transworld books for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

P. S Hogan was born in Yorkshire.  he is married with four children and has been a journalist and columnist on the Observer for over 20 years.

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I’m absolutely thrilled to be on the tour for The fabulous The Confession and to be able to share my review with you.  I really enjoyed this thrilling, addictive thriller and think it is a definite must read for 2018.

The Confession is available in ebook now and in hardback on the 25th January here.

Book Blurb:

SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE NOT ALL THEY SEEM….

SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HIDES A SECRET….

SOMETIMES A CONFESSION IS THE BEGINNING….NOT THE END

Late one night a man walks into the luxurious home of disgraced banker Harry McNamara and his wife Julie. The man launches an unspeakably brutal attack on Harry as a horror-struck Julie watches, frozen by fear. It looks like Harry’s many sins – corruption, greed, betrayal – have finally caught up with him.

An hour later the intruder, JP Carney, hands himself in, confessing to the assault. The police have a victim, a suspect in custody and an eye-witness account, but Julie remains troubled.

Has Carney’s surrender really been driven by a guilty conscience or is this confession the first calculated move in a deadly game?

My Review:

The Confession is a book that has been getting  lot of hype on social media and, I’m always slightly nervous about starting books like that.  There’s always the worry that I won’t enjoy  it as much as everyone else and will spend my days explaining why I don’t like it to fellow confused book lovers.  With The Confession I needn’t have worried as I am pleased to re port it is a fantastic and addictive read that truly deserves the hype.

The story opens with a gruesome attack on banker Harry McNamara which is a fairly shocking opener and definitely ensured that I was hooked early on.  Te reader finds out who was responsible for the attack a few pages in when the suspect turns himself into the police a few hours after the attack.  This did leave me wondering where on earth the story was going to go as half the fun in such books is figuring out who has done the murder.  However the author had something much more clever and compelling in mind.

The story is told from three separate points of view.; Julie (Harry’s wife), Alice Moody (the investigating police officer) and JP Carney (the attacker).  Throughout the book the reader is taken back over the character’s past and discovers what had happened that provoked such a violent attack on Harry.  Through this we discover the true state of Harry and Julie’s marriage and unearth some of the dark secrets contained there.  We discover exactly what sort of man harry was and why someone would attack him.  We are also taken back over JP’s childhood and early life to discover a sad history of neglect and abuse that was very poignant to read about.

The character development in this book is brilliant and I found myself changing my opinion on them as the book progressed.  My favourite character was actually JP (yes the attacker!).  His story was a very sad one and I found myself feeling a lot sympathy for him and the hard decisions he had to make.  He had to take on a lot of responsibility quite young and I found myself admiring him for doing this.  His loyalty toward others and how he puts his life eon hold for them was very admirable.  Alice was another great character who I enjoyed reading about.  She was very clever and thorough, refusing to give us even when everyone else had made up their minds. I like that she wasn’t perfect and had flaws as it made her seem so much more human.  Her banter with DS Gallagher was very funny to read about and helped provide a few lighter moments that broke the tension. I really disliked Julie, finding her incredibly silly and naive.  I did feel sorry or her and the situation she finds herself in but I was almost screaming at her to wise up at times as she seemed so determined to  hide her head in the sand.

The back stories of the characters gradually reveals the secrets they have been hiding, and a few twists revelations definitely kept my interest and made me want to keep reading.  The story is very compelling and I found myself looking forward to picking up the book again to find out what was going to happen.  For this reason I think it would be a good book club read as I think it would be a book that everyone would enjoy and be able to read fairly quickly as they would find it impossible to put down.

This is Jo Spain’s second book and I will look forward to reading more from her.  If you are a fan of clever, compelling and utterly addictive thrillers you will love this!

Thank you to Quercus books and Anne Cater for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Jo Spain’s first novel, top ten bestseller With our Blessing, was one of seven finalists in the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller Competition 2015. It was named as an Irish Times crime fiction book of the year by Declan Burke. Beneath the Surface (2016) and Sleeping Beauties (2017), the second and third in the DI Tom Reynolds series followed, to further critical acclaim. Her standalone thriller, The Confession, will be released January 2018.

Jo is currently writing for TV.

A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and their four young children. Jo previously worked as a policy advisor in the Irish parliament and as vice-chair of the business body InterTrade Ireland.

Jo’s debut novel is set against a background of the infamous Irish Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby homes. The author’s own father was born in one such home in Dublin and the novel’s backdrop was constructed based on the in-depth research she undertook while attempting to trace her family roots.

Her favourite writers include Pierre LeMaitre, Fred Vargas, Louise Penny, Jo Nesbo, Ann Cleeves, B.A. Paris, Elizabeth Haynes and Agatha Christie.

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I’m so pleased to have an exclusive Q&A with the lovely Andrew Swanston to bring you today.  Andrew was such a professional regarding this Q&A and answered all my questions and returned them to me immediately which was such a help for a busy mum!

Beautiful Star will be available on the 11th January in ebook and paperback here.

Before I get to the Q&A with Andrew here is a little bit about his book Beautiful Star which I can’t wait to read!

Book Blurb:

History is brought alive by the people it affects, rather than those who created it. In Beautiful Star we meet Eilmer, a monk in 1010 with Icarus-like dreams; Charles I, hiding in 1651, and befriended by a small boy; the trial of Jane Wenham, witch of Walkern, seen through the eyes of her grand-daughter. This is a moving and affecting journey through time, bringing a new perspective to the defence of Corfe Castle, the battle of Waterloo, the siege of Toulon and, in the title story, the devastating dangers of the life of the sea in 1875.

Q&A with Andrew Swanston:

Hello Andrew and Welcome to Over The Rainbow Bookblog! Can you Tell Us A Little About Yourself?

I live in Surrey, near our three children and two grandchildren. At school I was a classicist and read Law at Cambridge, having no idea of what I would do in the real world and being not at all keen on the prospect of having to extract a living from it. After a bit of messing about, I found a niche at WH Smith in the book marketing division, and later became a director of Waterstone & Co (as it was then) and chairman of Methven’s plc – both bookselling chains. If there is a common thread through my sixty-nine years, it is books.

What Do You Do When You Are Not Writing?

I spent much time as a young man playing games, although now only golf. I like gentle gardening (no heavy digging, thank you), go regularly to the gym and am learning Italian. And, of course, reading.

Do You Have A Day Job As Well?

Absolutely not! Although I have done some English and Latin tutoring and might again if asked.

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

I remember at the age of about five spending my pocket money on pencils and notebooks and filling them with goodness knows what. I always had the urge to write, although it was not until I was sixty that I had the time to complete a full length novel. I have now had five novels published. Beautiful Star is my first collection of short stories.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I have always read a lot of history and historical fiction, so it seemed natural. I like the discipline an historical context demands and the intricacies of mixing of real characters and events with imaginary.

Where do you get your ideas?

Such a difficult question. Reading mostly – footnotes are a productive source – and combining ideas from different places. For example, in The King’s Spy, my first novel, Thomas Hill, the protagonist, is a cryptographer who finds himself unwillingly in royalist Oxford in 1643. Travel, too. A visit to Malmesbury resulted in ‘The Flying Monk’ and another to Corfe in ‘The Castle’. Happily for the scribbler, there are stories everywhere.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Not yet, touch wood!

Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I always write an outline and a brief summary of all the main characters first. Quite often, however, the story refuses to stick to the outline and goes off in a different direction altogether. Then one is faced with turning back or battling on in the hope that the final destination will still be reached.

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

As a boy, I loved the Sherlock Holmes stories (still do) and CS Forester. Horatio Hornblower is my favourite literary hero. A little later, Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene. Now all good narrative historians and historical novelists. Happily, there are many.

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

I went about it in an unusual way. First, following the usual ration of rejections from agents and publishers, I self-published The King’s Codebreaker, which later became The King’s Spy. The Codebreaker fell into the hands of Emma Buckley at Transworld who liked it enough to commission three books in the series. Then, having secured a contract, I persuaded the wonderful David Headley at DHH Literary Agency, to represent me for future books. Publisher first, agent second. Bit odd, I know.

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

All the stories in Beautiful Star are based on real events and real people and it is impossible, even if one wanted to, not to base some characters on people one knows. There are also times when one inevitably draws on one’s own experiences to try and get at how a character might behave in a particular situation. I don’t know why but I find this to be so particularly when writing about a journey.

What was your hardest scene to write?

Having been advised, long ago, to ‘write about what you know’, I avoid tricky things like sex. (I did try once to ‘sub-contract’ a sex scene out to the wife of a friend, but she couldn’t do it either). In ‘A Witch and a Bitch’ I had to try and get inside the head of a young girl whose grandmother is falsely accused of being a witch and is sentenced to hang. I found that difficult.

How did you come up with the title?

When researching the fishing disaster upon which the title story is based I soon discovered that Beautiful Star was the name of one of the boats involved and that she was on her maiden voyage. It seemed perfect.

What project are you working on now?

The sequel to Incendium, which was published in February 2017. It is set in 1574 and features Dr Christopher Radcliff, intelligencer to the Earl of Leicester. I would also like to write another collection of shorter stories.

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

I hate being told that I have got some historical fact wrong, even if I haven’t and even if it is trivial. As to compliments, modesty forbids…..

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

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write. I want my stories to be read and enjoyed and I really, really, hope that they are.

 

Huge thank you to Andrew for taking the time to answer my questions.  I wish you all the best with Beautiful Star!

About The Author:

Andrew read a little law and a lot of sport at Cambridge University, and held various
positions in the book trade, including being a director of Waterstone & Co, and Chairman
of Methven’s plc, before turning to writing.
Inspired by a lifelong interest in early modern history, his Thomas Hill novels are set during
the English Civil Wars, and the early period of the Restoration.
Andrew’s novel, Incendium, was published in February 2017 and is the first of two thrillers
featuring Dr. Christopher Radcliff, an intelligencer for the Earl of Leicester, and is set in
1572 at the time of the massacre of the Huguenots in France.
The Dome Press will publish Beautiful Star, a collection of short stories documenting a
journey through time, bringing a new perspective to the defence of Corfe Castle, the battle of Waterloo, the siege of Toulon and, in the title story, the devastating dangers of the life of the sea in 1875.

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I’m excited to be on the blog tour for What She Left by Rosie Fiore.  Unfortunately due to a busy schedule and having a new baby I have been unable to read this book yet, but the author and Rachel have kindly given me a copy and I hope to read it soon as I have a spare moment as I have heard some great things. Thank you to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

What She Left is available now in Kindle & paperback now here.

I have an exclusive guest post from the author but first here is a bit of information about the book.

Book Blurb:

Helen Cooper has a charmed life. She’s beautiful, accomplished, organised – the star parent at the school. Until she disappears.

But Helen wasn’t abducted or murdered. She’s chosen to walk away, abandoning her family, husband Sam, and her home.

Where has Helen gone, and why? What has driven her from her seemingly perfect life? What is she looking for? Sam is tormented by these questions, and gradually begins to lose his grip on work and his family life.

He sees Helen everywhere in the faces of strangers. He’s losing control.

But then one day, it really is Helen’s face he sees…

Exclusive Guest Post:

A happy and exciting 2018 to come

I’m writing this post at my desk at home, at 3pm on a Thursday afternoon. That may not sound like an important detail, but I note it with guilty pleasure. You see, it feels like I should be at work, at the desk in the university where I was employed for some years. Instead, this is my second full day as a fulltime author so while I type this, I AM at work!

I began writing my first novel, This Year’s Black, almost exactly 15 years ago, in January 2003. Since then I have completed nine books, all of them written in stolen moments. I have always worked full-time as a copywriter, and the novels have had to fit in around my job, my home and family. But a series of happy events have brought me to this moment, when writing books will become my main job. For 15 years, when someone has asked me what I do a living, I’ve said, “I’m a copywriter, and (mumble) I also write books.” Now, although it’s really difficult for me to pluck up the courage to say it, I have to say, “I… am… a novelist.”

Now don’t get me wrong, being a novelist won’t all be staring into the distance, chewing on my pencil and thinking up lovely ideas. There’s a lot more to it than that. My to-do list for the first few months will be largely administrative: I need to revamp my largely out-of-date website. I need to create a new website for my pseudonym, Cass Hunter (The After Wife, by Cass Hunter, will be out in e-book in March 2018. I am wildly excited about it!). I need to work to build social media followings for both writing personas. I have to create blog posts and write responses to interviews (like this one). When I am deep in a book, there are other things to be done as well – research, edits, responding to queries from my agent and editor, not to mention actually writing and refining the words!

And of course, there is now time to do other things that I enjoy, which I feel will add to my practice as a writer. So I am signing up FINALLY to learn to touch-type properly. After nine books, my two forefingers have typed close on a million words… I am amazed I haven’t worn them away! I also want to learn other artistic skills, both to add new elements to my life and to be sociable… writing can be a lonely business! I have begun a beginner’s drawing and painting course this term. In the months to come, I would like to do some ballet (don’t laugh… I don’t have to be good, I just have to enjoy it!), to learn Italian, and to study piano and singing. I’m going to keep it to one class at a time, both so I don’t fritter away too much money, and also because there’s no one so good at procrastination and displacement activity as a writer on deadline!

One of my biggest concerns has been the loneliness of my new life, so I have signed up for some hot-desking space in Camden Town. I won’t go there all the time, but it’s a buzzy, friendly space with good coffee and other people. It’ll make a great change of pace!

What She Left was one of the most complex, difficult books I have ever written, a tangled story written from multiple perspectives. I wrote much of it in my lunch hour at the university, sitting in the refectory with my laptop. I am so proud of it, and I hope readers will enjoy it. And as I go into 2018, my mind buzzing with ideas, I wonder what exciting stories I will be able to spin now I have a lifetime to write them.

About The Author:

Rosie Fiore was born and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. She studied drama at the University of the Witwatersrand and has worked as a writer for theatre, television, magazines, advertising, comedy and the corporate market. Her first two novels, This Year’s Black and Lame Angel were published by Struik in South Africa. This Year’s Black was longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Award and has subsequently been re-released as an e-book. Babies in Waiting, Wonder Women and Holly at Christmas were published by Quercus. She is the author of After Isabella, also published by Allen & Unwin.

Rosie’s next book, The After Wife (written as Cass Hunter), will be published by Trapeze in 2018, and in translation is seven countries around the world. Rosie lives in London with her husband and two sons.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rosiefiorewriter/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/rosiefiore 

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I’m so excited to be on the blog tour for The Secrets Between Us by Laura Madeleine and be able to finally share by review of this fantastic book.

The Secrets Between Us is available on ebook now and will be available in paperback on the 19th April.  The ebook is currently only 99p for the whole of January and can be purchased here.

Book Blurb:

A gripping mystery with a heart-breaking revelation, The Secrets Between Us is a sublimely satisfying story of lost love, betrayal and the dangers of war.

Perfect for fans of Kate Morton’s The Lake House and Dinah Jeffries’ Before the Rains.

High in the mountains in the South of France, eighteen-year-old Ceci Corvin is trying hard to carry on as normal. But in 1943, there is no such thing as normal; especially not for a young woman in love with the wrong person. Scandal, it would seem, can be more dangerous than war.

Fifty years later, Annie is looking for her long-lost grandmother. Armed with nothing more than a sheaf of papers, she travels from England to Paris in pursuit of the truth. But as she traces her grandmother’s story, Annie uncovers something she wasn’t expecting, something that changes everything she knew about her family – and everything she thought she knew about herself…

My Review:

I’ve been a big fan of Laura Madeleine since I read her first book The Confectioner’s Daughter.  So you can therefore imagine my excitement when I was offered a copy of her latest book and invited onto the blog tour, as I think this is her best book yet.

The story alternates between 1993 and Annie’s journey to try and find her grandmere, and Ceci’s story in 1943 describing her life in a small mountain village near the Italian border.  Unusually for a dual time line story I enjoyed both sides of the story, finding both Annie’s and Ceci’s story fascinating.

I’m a big fan of WW2 fiction and love reading books about that period, particularly if they are regarding a different side of the war then I had read before.  I hadn’t read much about the Italian Occupation of parts of France or about the Jew that were sent to border towns to be kept an eye on.  The story of their plight was very poignant to read about .  We all know the story of what happened in the Holocaust but I still always hope for a happy of different outcome and then the truth of what happened always shocks me anew.

Laura’s fantastic descriptions of life in the small french town makes you feel that you are really there watching all the action unfold.  I felt that I knew all of the characters personally which made me much more invested in what happens to them.  As with her other books the author particularly has a fantastic way of describing food, sot that the reader feels that they can almost smell and taste the food mentioned.  I again found myself looking up recipes for the food that she mentions as I wanted to make it myself.

One of the best things about this book was that there were no amazing coincidences .  Annie doesn’t discover her grand mere or her story by chance, instead she unfolds the secrets in real time at a normal pace which I felt made this story more realistic and enjoyable.

The build up to the ending was absolutely brilliant.  The reader is aware about halfway through the book that something big happens at a certain date, and with every chapter headed with a date the reader is very aware of a count down as such towards this date.  Toward the end of the book I literally couldn’t put the book down and read late into the night, when with a small baby I should have been getting sleep while I could.  The tension and uncertainty felt by the characters, in particular Celeste, was almost palpable and felt so real that i was totally swept away with the story.  I simultaneously wanted to read on to discover what happened and wanted the story to never end as I had so enjoyed it! Always a sign of a good book.

This is Laura Madeleine’s third book and the third that I have been lucky enough to read.  She is one of my favourite authors and one that I always recommend when asked.  A comparison to Kate Morton is quite common at the moment but in this case it is definitely deserved and if you are a fan of Kate Morton or Kate Mosse you will enjoy this book.

Huge thanks to Hannah Bright and Transworld publishers for my copy of this book and for inviting me on the blog tour.

About The author:

After a childhood spent acting professionally and training at a theatre school, Laura Madeleine changed her mind, and went to study English Literature at Newnham College, Cambridge. She now writes fiction, as well as recipes, and was formerly the resident cake baker for Domestic Sluttery. She lives in Bristol, but can often be found visiting her family in Devon, eating cheese and getting up to mischief with her sister, fantasy author Lucy Hounsom. You can find her on twitter @esthercrumpet.

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I’m on the blog tour for A Map of The Dark by Karen Ellis a fascinating, intellectual and unusual psychological thriller.  A Map Of The Dark is the first in an exciting sounding new series.

A Map Of The Dark is available in hardback and ebook now here.

Book Blurb:

A girl missing
A woman, searching
A killer, planning…

A thrilling new FBI series for fans of Tess Gerritsen and Karin Slaughter. 

FBI Agent Elsa Myers finds missing people.
She knows how it feels to be lost…

Though her father lies dying in a hospital north of New York City, Elsa cannot refuse a call for help. A teenage girl has gone missing from Forest Hills, Queens, and during the critical first hours of the case, a series of false leads hides the fact that she did not go willingly.

With each passing hour, as the hunt for Ruby deepens into a search for a man who may have been killing for years, the case starts to get underneath Elsa’s skin. Everything she has buried – her fraught relationship with her sister and niece, her self-destructive past, her mother’s death – threatens to resurface, with devastating consequences.

In order to save the missing girl, she may have to lose herself…and return to the darkness she’s been hiding from for years.

My Review:

A Map Of The Dark is an unusual psychological thriller as it doesn’t just focus on the kidnapping and the fate of the victim.  Instead there is a lot of character development, particularly in the first half of the book.  We learn more about Eliza’s past in particular her childhood which was quite traumatic at times and the fraught relationship she had with her mother.  This is done in a series of flashback which is interspersed with chapters regarding the ongoing investigation and are quite harrowing to read at times.

Eliza is definitely a complex character but one that I found myself warming to more as the story unfolded and I learnt more about her.  It was quite poignant to learn about how her childhood still affects her in her everyday life, even when she is at the top of her game work wise.  Most of the time she comes across as being quite confident and able but she has moments of self doubt due to her experiences which make her seem quite human.  It was heart breaking to read about the coping strategies she had in place for such occasions and how little things could floor this otherwise very confident women.  Her partnership with Lex seems very well suited, particularly when the reader starts learning a bit more about his history too.  I enjoyed reading about their partnership and how they dealt with the case throughout the book.

The story is quite dark due to some of the subject matters discussed and is quite chilling in places, particularly when it becomes obvious that not everything is as it first appears regarding Ruby’s disappearance.  Not everyone is telling Eliza and Lex the truth which adds a very intriguing edge to the story as the reader tries to figure out what is happening and why supposed friends and witness are lying.

This is the first book by Karen Ellis that I have read and it will be interesting to see where this series goes next.  Her writing reminded me a bit of Sarah Hillary as it was quite character driven and emotional which is similar to her writing I felt.  The focus on the characters made the book more interesting then a normal crime book as I felt I was more invested in what happened to the characters and that I cared more about what happened to them.

Thank you to Louise Swanell and Jenni Leech for my copy of this book and for inviting me on the blog tour.

About the Author:

Karen Ellis is the psuedonym of Katie Lief, the author of several internationally best-selling crime novels including The Money Kill, which was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and One Cold Night which was one of the UK’s top selling digital publications in 2012.  For more information and to contact Katia follow @katialief.

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