#BlogBlitz Angel of the Lost Treasure by Marie Laval

 It’s my turn on the BlogBlitz Angel of the Lost Treasure by Marie Laval.

About the Author

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie has lived in the Rossendale Valley in Lancashire for the past few years. She writes both contemporary and historical romance. Her novels include best selling contemporary romantic suspense novels Little Pink Taxi and Escape to the Little Chateau, which was shortlisted for the 2021 RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Suspense Awards, as well as A Paris Fairy Tale and Bluebell’s Christmas Magic. 

Her latest novel, Angel of the Lost Treasure, was released in February 2021. Marie also contributes to the best selling Miss Moonshine’s Emporium anthologies together with eight author friends from Authors on the Edge. Follow @MarieLaval1 on Twitter, on Facebook

About the book

An ancient secret hidden within a mother’s song … When young widow, Marie-Ange Norton is invited to Beauregard in France by the mysterious Monsieur Malleval to collect an inheritance, she has no choice but to accept.

But when she embarks on the voyage with her fiery-tempered travelling companion Capitaine Hugo Saintclair, little does she know what waits for her across the sea in turbulent nineteenth-century France on the eve of Napoleon’s return from exile. When she arrives, she is taken aback by Malleval’s fascination with her family – seemingly inspired by his belief they are connected to a sacred relic he’s read about in coded manuscripts by the Knights Templar.

As it becomes clear that Malleval’s obsession has driven him to madness, Marie-Ange is horrified to realise she is more the man’s prisoner than his guest. Not only that, but Hugo is the only person who might be able to help her, and he could represent a different kind of danger.

Review

Marie-Ange has a certain degree of naïve innocence that makes her susceptible to anyone who tries to take advantage of her, and there seems to be plenty of them. She is being escorted to France to learn more about her mother, her roots and her inheritance. Hugo Saintclair is a dashing man who becomes her rescuer in many situations.

The two of them represent the division in France, the royalist and the Bonapartist. One enamoured by her mother’s heritage and the other very much aware of the differences between the two of them. As Marie-Ange slowly realises how much danger she is in she relies on Saintclair to help her, but are his loyalties divided between the beautiful stranger and the man who has the power to destroy him.

I don’t think Laval left out anything when it comes to this story. It has sort of dual timeline, romance, magical realism and a pinch of the supernatural, and the historical fiction element has an 80s regency vibe, but put together it may seem like a bit chaotic – it works though.

It’s historical fiction that goes all the way back the Knights Templar, to unexplained powers and the possibility of immortality. It’s certainly a creative read.

Buy Angel of the Lost Treasure at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎ Choc Lit pub date 23 Feb. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. At Kobo.

#BlogBlitz #Audiobook Wombat and Jones – The Great Banana Mystery by Arran Francis

Today it’s my turn on the BlogBlitz for the Audiobook Wombat and Jones – The Great Banana Mystery by Arran Francis.

About the Author 

Arran Francis is the creator of multiple series for BBC’s CBeebies Radio and has worked as an audiobook producer on behalf of MacMillan Audio, Audible and Harper Collins. He launched Wombat and Jones Audio in 2019 with the aim of writing children’s novels to be released exclusively in audiobook format.

The audiobooks for the Daisy May’s Daydream Parade and Wombat & Jones series were released last summer with further books in the series and standalone titles being scheduled for publication in 2020.

Follow @wombatandjones on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Facebook, on Instagram, Buy Wombat and Jones – The Great Banana Mystery

About the book

Wombat and Jones are excited to attend the famous Boris Beaker’s banana bread baking class and like many other friends in town they can’t wait to get to work on making scrumptious banana bread. However, there’s just one problem — before class gets underway, Boris discovers that all of the bananas have gone missing!

Boris Beaker and his disappointed students know there is no chance they can make banana bread without this key ingredient, but Wombat isn’t willing to give up that easily. Putting her investigative skills to the test, she gets help from her trusty sidekick — Furlock Jones — and together they attempt to solve The Great Banana Mystery.

Written by author Arran Francis, creator of multiple series for BBC’s CBeebies Radio, Wombat & Jones: The Great Banana Mystery is a funny tale about friendship, problem-solving, and teamwork. Simple mistakes and jumping to conclusions can happen after all, but Wombat & Jones try their best to put it right and learn from them.

Review

The famous sleuth Wombat and his sidekick Furlock are on the case when all the bananas go missing. bananas that are desperately needed for the baking class run by Boris Beaker. No bananas means no banana bread! It’s a difficult job looking for elusive yellow fruit, but someone has to do it.

I have said this before and I can’t say it enough – audiobooks really are a forgotten art of storytelling. They make me think of the way tales, folklore and legends were passed on throughout history. Audiobooks give listeners the opportunity to experience stories without having to read and it also conjures up a whole new world of imagination.

Experiencing sounds, noises, different voices without the all encompassing visual aids stories usually come with, is something I highly recommend for children. Learning to take a moment and enjoy is something I think society has lost in general.

It’s a shame that the children who listen to this audiobook won’t really be able to appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humour when it comes to the character names. Wombat and Furlock Jones, Boris Beaker – I love it. Although I have to say Wombat is clearly the one in charge when it comes to the investigations or mystery, despite him being the Watson to the Sherlock – Furlock. And Boris Beaker just happens to be a duck with a German accent. Luckily the narration absolutely matches the humour the author has infused this story with.

Buy Wombat and Jones – The Great Banana Mystery  or go to Goodreads. It can be streamed or borrowed from libraries too.

Read my review of Daisy May’s Daydream Parade: Treasure Island Adventure by Arran Francis.

#BlogBlitz Winter’s Gift by Florence Keeling

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Winter’s Gift by Florence Keeling.

About the Author

Florence Keeling adopted for her pen-name her Great Grandmother’s name, chosen because of the shared birthday of April Fool’s Day.  She is married with two teenage children.  Born and raised in Coventry, England she now lives just outside in Nuneaton.  Reflected Destinies is her first novel.

Florence Keeling also writes for children under the name of Lily Mae Walters.

Follow @KellingFlorence on Twitter, on Instagram, on Facebook, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Buy Winter’s Gift

About the book

Bea Winters is in desperate need of a fresh start. Being bullied at work is not her idea of fun and she longs to follow her dream of becoming a published author. When an advert appears in her local paper to work in a publishing house in the sleepy village of Bloomsdale, it sounds too good to be true.

She strikes up an instant friendship with gorgeous aspiring author, Eddie Richards and her dashing millionaire boss Scott Summers. But all isn’t as it seems in the sleepy village of Bloomsdale.

How does the local clairvoyant know her name? Who does the little black dog that keeps appearing belong to and why does she keep bumping into the mysterious Charlie?

As she starts to unravel the truth, it seems that everyone in Bea’s life is keeping secrets.

Review

Bea finds life a little tedious at the moment. At work she is being systematically mobbed and her dreams of being an author are going to remain a dream. Unbeknownst to Bea her luck is about to change for the better if she will let it.

The stars seem to be aligning for her, whether she wants them to or not. She gets an interview at a small publishing house in a rural area and decides to try her luck. Perhaps she can use the experience to gain a foothold in the industry and finally get her work published.

The small village of Bloomsdale comes with a good portion of handsome men, quirky characters and something odd Bea just can’t put her finger on. The local alleged clairvoyant knows things she couldn’t possibly know and this small dog keeps turning up everywhere Bea is.

It’s a feel good story with romance and magical realism.

Although there are moments of drama and discord, in general this is a light-hearted read. Keeling infuses this story with the same kind of magical realism as her Lily Mae Walters stories. She combines the serious with laughter and the tough moments with a lot of hope. At the same time she delivers a story with a bit of mystery and perhaps even a teensy bit of magic.

Buy Winter’s Gift at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Crimson Cloak Publishing; pub date 15 Nov. 2018. Buy at Amazon com.

Click here to read more about Lily Mae Walters ( Florence Keeling)

Audiobook #BlogBlitz Daisy May’s Daydream Parade: Treasure Island Adventure by Arran Francis

Something different today – a Children’s Audiobook. It’s my turn on the BlogBlitz for the Audiobook Daisy May’s Daydream Parade: Treasure Island Parade by Arran Francis. Narrated by Annette Chown

About the Author

Arran Francis is the creator of multiple series for BBC’s CBeebies radio and has worked as an audiobook producer on behalf of MacMillan Audio, Audible and Harper Collins. He launched Wombat and Jones Audio in 2019 with the aim of writing children’s novels to be released exclusively in audiobook format.

The audiobooks for the Daisy May’s Daydream Parade and Wombat & Jones series were released last summer with further books in the series and standalone titles being scheduled for publication in 2020.

Follow on Goodreads, Buy Daisy May’s Daydream Parade: Treasure Island Adventure

About the book

Eight-year-old Daisy May is the writer and star of her very own TV show, Daisy May’s Daydream Parade, which broadcasts live and exclusively in her imagination.

In the latest episode, Daisy May finds herself on a desert island where she discovers a map that leads to buried treasure, but what appears to be a simple quest to find riches soon turns into a roller-coaster ride as evil pirates, grumpy gorillas and a fire breathing dragon stand in her way. However, when travelling across polluted ocean waters and trash covered beaches, Daisy May soon realises that the hunt for treasure can wait — there’s a much bigger issue in need of urgent attention.

Daisy May’s Daydream Parade audiobooks show how 8-year-old Daisy May confronts her real life problems in the stories she writes as she floats off into her daydream adventures.

Review

This is part of a series of adventures featuring a young creative entrepreneur with the most colourful and vivid imagination – Daisy May is a producer, writer and the absolute star of her own tv series Daisy May’s Daydream Parade.

In this adventure Daisy May is off to find a hidden treasure in the middle of a desert island, whilst trying to find it she discovers that the oceans are polluted and the beaches covered in rubbish. Suddenly the treasure doesn’t seem as important.

It’s a wonderful audiobook adventure for children between the ages of 4 to 7, although I am sure Daisy May won’t mind if both younger and older audiences share her adventures with her – just be mindful of the evil pirates and fire-breathing dragon.

I think the form of audiobook as an entertainment, teaching and relaxation tool is highly underrated, especially when it comes to children and young people. Reading is important, but being able to actually listen and enjoy a book read by a narrator is completely different. It’s not the same thing as Mom, Dad or Nan reading a bedtime story either.

I really love the way the author has combined the vivid imagination of a child and important issues of the world they live in today. The moral of the story being that fun can wait, whilst we save the place we live in or make it a better place for living beings to live in. Given the intense curriculum and topics young children are confronted with in the 21st century, teaching them about pollution and littering for instance are absolutely stories that will interest them.

At the same time Francis adds fun and adventures to make an important listening experience an exciting one too.

Buy Daisy May’s Daydream Parade: Treasure Island Adventure on Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Wombat and Jones Audio; pub date 9 January 2020. Buy at Amazon com. On Audible UK. Buy via Wombat and Jones.

Listening Length – 1 hour and 50 minutes, Author – Arran Francis, Narrator – Annette Chown,  Audible.co.uk Release Date – 09 January 2020, Publisher – Wombat and Jones Audio, Program Type – Audiobook, Version – Unabridged, Language – English, Categories: Children, Ages 5-7.

#BlogBlitz One Last Shot by Stephen Anthony Brotherton

Today it’s my turn on the Blog Blitz One Last Shot by Stephen Anthony Brotherton.

About the Author

I was born in Walsall, grew up in the West Midlands and now live in Telford with my two cats, Boris and Tai.

After working in the health and social care sector for over thirty years, I have now written the trilogy that has been rooted in my head for most of my life.

The Shots trilogy is based on a first love relationship I had as a teenager. It tells the story of Freddie and Jo-Jo, who are reunited in a coffee shop three decades after the end of their teenage romance. How they originally met, why they parted, what happens in their lives apart, and what happens when they reunite is all told through a series of first person vignettes.

Getting these stories down on paper has been a cathartic process. I hope you enjoy them.

Follow @FreddieJoJo1 on Twitter, on Instagram, on Amazon, Buy One Last Shot

About the book

Can first love ever be reignited?

One Last Shot concludes the trilogy of Freddie and Jo-Jo, which has moved through time in a series of flashbacks, showing how the couple fell in love as teenagers, why they drifted apart, what happened in their lives away from each other, and what happens when they meet up again over three decades later. At the end of the second book, An Extra Shot, Jo-Jo tells Freddie about her dark secret. Confused, vulnerable and in a state of shock, he says he needs time to think about what to do next. Jo-Jo’s right to be worried. Freddie doesn’t react well…

Review

This is the last book in the trilogy – the story of Freddie and Jo-Jo. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to read the others per se, because this can be read as a standalone novella, but if you want the entire gist of their story I would advise reading Another Shot and An Extra Shot too.

In the account of their relationship this book deals with the fallout of a dark secret Jo-Jo decides to reveal to Freddie, which has unexpected consequences for both of them.

Taking into account that the author says this is semi-autobiographical I hope the reactions to Freddie and his attempt to deal with his pain aren’t based on real conversations, because they are uninformed, insensitive and ignorant.

Lack of understanding is the last thing Freddie needs when his emotional turmoil drives him to most extreme thing he can think of. Pull yourself together – get over it – it will be fine – those just aren’t the right things to say or the best way to deal with him. Find more informed help, and if you read this and are in a similar situation or are having thoughts like Freddie this absolutely isn’t the response you should expect or deserve.

I found the bouncing back and forth into different timelines and experiencing the memories of Freddie and Jo-Jo a little disjointed in a sense that it was often difficult to comprehend the connection the author was trying to make from one memory or experience to the other, and how it related to the present.

It’s very much as Brotherton says himself, a cathartic process. A rush or waterfall of emotions being pushed forth into the atmosphere.

Buy One Last Shot at Amazon Uk. Publisher: Book Guild Publishing Ltd; pub date 28 Feb. 2020. Buy at Amazon com. At Waterstones. At Blackwells.

#BlogBlitz The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer

Today it’s my turn on the BlogBlitz The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer. It’s magical realism with poignant storylines, vibrant characters and a romance that brews like nice cup of tea.

About the Author

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker was published in January 2019. The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows is out in July 2019.

Follow @JenniKeer on Twitter, on Instagram, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit jennikeer.co.uk

Buy The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows

About the book

When Maisie Meadows finds herself single and jobless on New Year’s Day, she resolves that this will be the year she focuses on bringing her scattered family back together. Romance is all very well, but it’s the people you grew up with that matter the most.

But a new job working at an auction house puts her in the path of Theo, a gorgeous but unattainable man who she can’t help but be distracted by. As their bond begins to grow, Maisie finds herself struggling to fulfil the promise she made to herself – but the universe has other ideas, and it’s not long before the Meadows family are thrown back together in the most unlikely of circumstances…

Can dealing with other people’s treasures help Maisie to let go of the past, and teach her who she ought to treasure the most?

Review

I loved the idea of the inanimate object having an underlying magic. Nothing tangible or written in ceramic, just something special out there in the universe. I also thought it was beautiful how the tea set became a synonym for family. The compelling premise of the tea set being incomplete also equating to a family being broken or torn apart.

Maisie Meadows love a planned life, an organised life and everything has a place. After an unfortunate break-up she finds a new job, new friends and an item from her past. An old teapot of an elderly neighbour turns up in the auction house. It causes flashbacks and she spends a lot of time reminiscing about her family and childhood.

In her mind they were the perfect family with the perfect sound-bite memories, but perhaps that is just the way the little girl Maisie wants to remember it. The truth is her family split in so many directions and has been for many years.

Maisie feels a pull to reunite the pieces of the tea set. She isn’t quite sure why it is so important, but she is determined to figure out the secret. Maybe she will find more than she ever hoped, perhaps it will help her to reconcile with some unacknowledged subconscious inner pain.

It’s a story that will resonate with many readers, because family is something the majority of us share, and unfortunately a lot also have broken ones. Broken can also mean far apart or growing apart.

It’s magical realism with poignant storylines, vibrant characters and a romance that brews like a nice cup of tea. I have to admit it made me laugh out loud quite a few times. Stickergate, that’s all I’m saying. It also made me thoughtful and sad sometimes, but overall it is a brilliantly loving read. It’s refreshingly perky and thought-provoking.

Buy The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway below to win a signed copy of The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker,  pack of Scratbag notelets,  pretty purple pen and a Maisie bookmark (Open to UK Only)

Click here to Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

*Terms and Conditions – UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

#BlogBlitz How NOT to Write Female Characters by Lucy V. Hay

Today it’s the BlogBlitz How NOT to Write Female Characters by Lucy V. Hay. It’s educational non-fiction, an add-on guide for writers.

About the Author

Lucy V. Hay is an author, script editor and blogger who helps writers via her Bang2write consultancy. Lucy is the producer of two Brit Thrillers, Deviation (2012) and Assassin (2015), as well as the script editor and advisor on numerous other features and shorts.  Lucy’s also the author of  writing and selling thriller screenplays  for Kamera Books’ “Creative Essentials” range, as well as its follow ups on Drama Screenplays and Diverse Characters.

Follow @LucyVHayAuthor  on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Goodreads, Visit lucyvhayauthor.com

Buy How NOT to Write Female Characters

About the book

Female characters. When fifty per cent of your potential target audience is female, if you’re not writing them in your screenplay or novel? You’re making a BIG mistake!

But how should you approach your female characters? That’s the million-dollar question … After all, women in real life are complex, varied and flawed. Knowing where to start in creating three dimensional female characters for your story is extremely difficult.

So … perhaps it’s easier to figure out how NOT to write female characters?

Script editor, novelist and owner of the UK’s top screenwriting blog http://www.bang2write.com, Lucy V Hay has spent the last fifteen years reading the slush pile. She has learned to spot the patterns, pitfalls and general mistakes writers make when writing female characters – and why.

In How Not To Write Female Characters, Lucy outlines:

•WHO your character is & how to avoid “classic” traps and pitfalls

•WHAT mistakes writers typically make with female characters

•WHERE you can find great female characters in produced and published content

•WHEN to let go of gender politics and agendas

•WHY female characters are more important than ever

Lucy is on a mission to improve your writing, as well as enable diverse voices and characters to rise to the top of the spec pile.

Review

There is nothing quite so hilarious as a Twitter thread on how men write female characters. Some of the examples are ludicrous, embarrassing and often downright misogynistic. When you take a closer look the hilarity then changes to disappointment and outrage. Then the cherry on top of the sundae is the fact women are writing their female characters in the same way.

How is this still happening in the 21st century? Ignorance, lack of experience, complacency or just unawareness? I think it depends on the writer, and their willingness to look more closely at the tropes the use ad infinitum.

It’s quite an interesting read, mainly because Hay manages to give both readers and writers a completely different perspective on certain elements of writing female characters. At times I felt myself disagreeing, but then as she went deeper into her point I found myself understanding and agreeing.

It’s an eye-opener of a read, albeit a short one. It’s educational non-fiction, an add-on guide for writers. In a way it’s also valuable for readers, because it isn’t wrong to expect more from our literature and excursions into the world of reading pleasure.

It’s written in a no nonsense and straight to the point way. Hay calls it as she sees it, which isn’t often complimentary. It’s a handy guide for the scribes and scribes to be, The question for me is whether readers will see female characters in a different way after this read.

Buy How NOT to write female characters at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of The Other Twin, The Lynmouth Stories and Do No Harm by Lucy V. Hay.

#BlogBlitz Storms over Babylon by Jennifer Macaire

Today it’s my turn on the BlogBlitz Storms over Babylon by Jennifer Macaire. It’s historical fiction with time travel.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a $10 Amazon gift certificate (Open INT)

About the Author

Jennifer Macaire lives with her husband, three children, & various dogs & horses. She loves cooking, eating chocolate, growing herbs and flowering plants on her balcony, and playing golf. She grew up in upstate New York, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. She graduated from St. Peter and Paul high school in St. Thomas and moved to NYC where she modeled for five years for Elite. She met her husband at the polo club. All that is true. But she mostly likes to make up stories.

Follow @jennifermacaire on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Goodreads, Visit jennifermacaire.wordpress.com or about.me/jennifermacaire

Buy Storms over Babylon

About the book

The Time for Alexander Series Book 4

From the scorching plains of Persia to the opulent city of Babylon, Ashley and Alexander continue their sensuous and passionate journey through history.

Alexander the Great is now king of Persia and Greece – but his reign will be short. Time-travelling Ashley knows when her husband will die. She’s determined to cheat Fate and save Alexander and her children, even if it brings the gates of time crashing down. Following Alexander on a tour of his new kingdom, she plans her moves and bides her time. She must, however, convince Alexander to abandon his crown and his kingdom.Review

This is the fourth book in the Time for Alexander series. You can read it as a standalone, however a lot of references are made to events of the previous books, so I think reading from the beginning is probably going to be a more satisfying reading experience.

Time-traveller Ashley has hitched her ride to Alexander the Great. I’m not sure why she is travelling in time, something which is probably more of a focus in the first books. What I do know is that she has to adhere to the rules or she will be whipped back into her own time.

Don’t change history. Do not actively try to change or manipulate an outcome or event that she knows will happen. Not an inch or a minute, and yet how can that be true when she is already manipulating time to serve her own purpose. On top of that she has become part of history by inserting herself into the life of Alexander and having children with him. Hmm does that mean she was always part of history or is she changing it bit by bit?

It definitely makes you want to get your own ticket to travel time. It also makes me want to start swotting history just in case I end up needing to thrill the past with my predictions of the future. Like Ashley, I’m not sure I could avoid changing history. Saving lives or killing the bad guys, but then you also have to live with the repercussions of the butterfly effect. That doesn’t seem to apply to this scenario though.

It’s historical fiction with time travel. Macaire takes history, shoves it into a bag and shakes it about, then drops it out again like a bunch of runes. She messes, perhaps even destroys history a little, but in a ‘as long as it’s a good read’ kind of way. I’ll admit it made me laugh.

Buy Storms over Babylon at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Accent Press; pub date 14 Jun. 2018. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Accent Press. Buy at Kobo. Buy at Barnes and Noble.

Enter the Giveaway to Win a $10 Amazon gift certificate (Open INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

#BlogBlitz Three: Deception Love Murder by K. J. McGillick

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour Three: Deception Love Murder by K.J. McGillick. It’s a crime and mystery thriller, emerging readers into the world of modern crimes.

Three will be 99 p/c for the duration of the tour!

About the Author

K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that’s what New Yorker’s do. Right? A Registered Nurse, a lawyer now author.

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing, she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing.

Follow @KJMcGillickAuth on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Facebook,Visit kjmcgillick.com

Click here to watch the Book Trailer for Three

Buy Three: Deception Love Murder

About the book

Inviting a stranger into your home can be dangerous. Inviting a stranger into your life can turn deadly.

How would you feel if you discovered your death was meticulously planned by someone you loved? You didn’t know how or when or even why. All you could do was wait. Emma has it all-a job she loves and a man who professed to love her. Or did she? How could she be so blind?

When her lover’s car is found burned and abandoned in another state, the police come asking some hard questions. What she discovers upends her world completely. Jude had been living a double life right under her nose. A deceitful life, a treacherous life. Who was this man that had already groomed another woman to take over Emma’s life? A woman who was Emma’s body double and now dead.

Why had she so easily trusted this psychopath with her heart? Betrayed on every level, consequences not of Emma’s making were nipping at her heels. Tick. Tock.

THREE is a gripping crime thriller that will have you hooked. A fast-paced psychological thriller that has been compared to the works of Dan Brown. It can be read as a standalone and serves as the first book in the Path of Deception and Betrayal series.

Review

Aunt Mary absolutely steals the show in this story. On meds or off meds she is always a hoot. You just never know what’s going to come out of her mouth next. When she isn’t on high alert and on the look out for Russians and spies, she is actively engaged in sourcing the right man for Emma.

The day starts out with some confusion about Emma owning a safety box she has no knowledge about. Her domestic partner is missing, her career has taken a turn for the worst and for some reason she has become a person of interest to law enforcement.

The amount of strange events seems to be in direct correlation to Jude’s disappearance, but that has to be some kind of coincidence, right? Surely there is no way the man who loves her so deeply can’t be involved. Hmm then again, when Emma thinks about it perhaps things haven’t been so hunky-dory between them lately.

It’s quite interesting how Eloise and Mary draw all the attention and give the reader the best moments in the book, as opposed to the main character Emma, who sometimes seems to be completely lost in the chaos of her life.

The romantic element of the story was a bit bada bing bada boom at the end with little bada in the middle, again Emma floats along whilst others swim.

It’s a crime and mystery thriller, emerging readers into the world of modern crimes. A story of betrayal, deceit and a relationship built on a mountain of lies.

Everyone needs an Aunt Mary, especially if you inadvertently end up in the middle of a global scam with possible terrorist links. This is the first book in the A Path of Deception and Betrayal series, which hopefully means we will soon be hearing from Emma and Aunt Mary again very soon.

Buy Three: Deception Love Murder (A Path of Deception and Betrayal #1) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: KJRM Publishing LLC; pub date 5 Jan. 2018. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogBlitz The Raven Coven by Emma Miles

Today it’s my turn on the BlogTour The Raven Coven by Emma Miles. It’s paranormal fantasy with intricate world-building.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win 3 x Paperback copies of The Raven Coven (Open INT)

About the Author

Emma Miles: ‘I presently live in the stunning county of Dorset where I’m a cat slave to Wolfe and Piglitt. I spend as much time as I can outside in nature and love exploring and learning about new cultures and languages. I’ve visited Greece, Serbia, Transylvania, Sicily and Norway as well as making several road trips around our beautiful United Kingdom. I paint, sculpt, dabble in photography and do a little archery but most of all – whenever I get a chance – I write.

My writing started from a very young age when I often found myself being the one taking charge of and entertaining all my younger cousins. They loved to hear my stories and although they mostly called for ghost stories it was fantasy I fell in love with when I read The Lord of the Rings when I was ten. I went on to write stories and short ‘books’ for my friends through school and college; then one evening whilst I was waiting for my aunt and uncle to visit an image came to my mind of a boy sitting beneath a bridge. I didn’t know who he was or why he was there, but from exploring those questions ‘The Wind’s Children’ trilogy blossomed and grew with roots going back into his far history as well as stretching out to his future. The boy’s name was Tobias.

I have since left Tobias’s world of ‘Naris’ to explore the Valley with Feather in the ‘Hall of Pillars’ which is now available through Amazon. I am now presently finding my way through Elden, the beautiful Fulmer islands, the ravaged Borrows and haunted Chem with Kesta Silene; a shamaness of sorts with a big journey ahead of her. I hope you come along to share her story and join her adventure; she needs you and you won’t regret it.’

Follow @EmmaMilesShadow on Twitter, on Facebook, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit emmamilesauthor

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About the book

Kesta had left her heart across the sea. They were at peace, her people saved from slavery, and yet… her soul was uneasy.

Chem lies in chaos, its people suffering as a result of the death of the ruling sorcerers. Refugees flee the cursed Borrows, begging for help from those they had made their enemy. A Queen unknowingly makes a dark, deadly pact, and new powers rise to fill the seats left empty by the Dunham necromancers.

Review

This is the second book in the Fire-Walker series, and I would definitely recommend reading the first book The Raven Tower. It has quite complex world-building, a lot of storylines and characters, which may seem unclear if you don’t read the first. The fact the second begins with a series of correspondence between said characters speaks even more to the need to read the first book.

Kesta makes the ultimate sacrifice by leaving the man she loves behind, but in this book it becomes clear that her sacrifice may have been a lot of hot air. Saying it is one thing, doing it is something else entirely. When she reunites with Jorrun they both realise that neither of them can bear being apart. So the trick is being able to find a way to be together, despite the opposition and obstacles.

Miles has incorporated important topics such as the oppression of women, the prejudice, fear and discrimination against those who hold elemental power and the people who appear to be the enemy. Sometimes there are grey areas, and Kesta and Jorrun have to navigate these difficulties to find a way for everyone to coexist.

It’s quite interesting how the two of them find it hard to balance the fact they are powerful in their separate universes, however when one of them steps into that of the other one of them becomes less powerful, which is probably the real reason they find it hard to agree about certain matters along the way. In this case it’s Kesta, because she finds it hard to be relegated to a secondary position, hence the real reason for her inability to understand her adopted nation.

It’s paranormal fantasy with intricate world-building. Although Miles brings everything together at the end there is always an opening to take the story forward from that point. It has a paranormal aspect to it, however I do think this has more of a high fantasy feel to it. Again, I recommend reading the first book in the series to get the full flavour of the story.

Buy The Raven Coven (Fire-Walker #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

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