#PublicationDayPush Danny Mann Super Fan by Ian Slatter

It’s the Publication Day Push for Danny Mann Super Fan by Ian Slatter.

About the Author

Ian published his debut novel, Eco Worrier, in 2020 – a middle grade adventure story with plenty of twists and turns and lots of laughs. He has also written two non-fiction books for adults – Premier League Legends – the top 10 greatest Premier League players of all time and Incredible Moments in Sport.

Ian wrote for satirical website newsbiscuit.com for ten years, as well as writing for comedy sketch shows on ITV and BBC Radio. Follow @slatter_ian on Twitter, Visit ianslatter.com

About the book

Danny loves Chadmouth Town Football Club more than anything, but a run of defeats and terrible luck has left them bottom of the table and looking certain to be relegated with time running out.
But then, Danny and his best friend Nelson stumble across a bizarre pre-match ritual that seems to turn their luck around, and his beloved team starts winning again. Is it too little too late though, and can he keep doing everything right before each match, even when he starts finding more and more obstacles in his way and despite the relentless teasing from his classmates? It’s going to come down to the wire.
Does Danny have what it takes to save Chadmouth’s season?

Review

If you have a reluctant younger reader, which often tends to be boys, who likes football then this might just be the kind of story that creates a new reader.

It’s for readers aged 9 to 12, which shows the world of competitive sports and the sometimes obsessive nature of fandom, and the ensuing overreactions, in the micro cosmos of school. The rivalry, the banter and of course when the banter goes beyond joking and veers into insulting. It’s a whole mindset.

Danny’s team, Chadmouth Town, is on a losing streak until Danny and his friend Nelson discover a way to help the win. A pre-match ritual that shifts the fortunes of said football team onto the side of Lady Luck. Can they change the future of Chadmouth Town?

From a child’s perspective I can see this resonating, especially when it comes to the topic of bullying. When you exchange the topic of football team for any kind of difference at all that could make you a target in school, then the undertone of the story has a more serious note in the midst of all the amusing rituals.

I find any kind of reading material that will help children to engage with books and reading in general is always commendable. Taking a popular topic like football will definitely draw readers in.

Buy Danny Mann Super Fan at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayPush A Bachelor’s Pledge by Penny Hampson

Today it’s the Publication Day Push for A Bachelor’s Pledge by Penny Hampson.

About the Author

Some time ago Penny Hampson decided to follow her passion for history by studying with the Open University. She graduated with honours and went on to complete a post-graduate degree.

Penny then landed her dream role, working in an environment where she was surrounded by rare books and historical manuscripts. Flash forward nineteen years, and the opportunity came along to indulge her other main passion – writing. Penny joined the New Writers’ Scheme of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and  three years later published her debut novel, A Gentleman’s Promise, a historical mystery/romance and the first in The Gentlemen Series. An Officer’s Vow soon followed and the latest in the series is A Bachelor’s Pledge.

But never happy in a rut, Penny also writes contemporary suspense with paranormal and romantic elements. Her first book in this genre is The Unquiet Spirit, published by Darkstroke.

Penny lives with her family in Oxfordshire, and when she is not writing, she enjoys reading, walking, swimming, and the odd gin and tonic (not all at the same time).

For more on Penny’s writing, visit her blog: https://pennyhampson.co.uk/blog/

Follow @penny_hampson on Twitter, on Facebook, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit pennyhampson.co.uk, Buy A Bachelor’s Pledge

About the book

The woman who haunts his dreams – Secret agent Phil Cullen is upset when he discovers that the young woman he rescued from Mrs Newbody’s establishment has absconded from his housekeeper’s care without a word. Thinking he has been deceived, he resolves to forget about her… something easier said than done. The man she wants to forget

Sophia Turner is horrified when she is duped into entering a notorious house of ill-repute. Then a handsome stranger comes to her aid. Desperate that no one learns of this scandalous episode, Sophia flees to the one friend she knows she can trust. With luck, she will never see her mysterious rescuer again.

But fate has other plans…

Months later, Phil is on the trail of an elusive French agent and Sophia is a respectable lady’s companion when fate again intervenes, taking their lives on a collision course.

Traitors, spies, and shameful family secrets – will these bring Sophia and Phil together… or drive them apart?

Review

There seems to be much too much interest in a simple orphan, who was more or less sold off to a disreputable house, but her enemies want her back now. Seems like a bizarre reaction to a young woman with no prospects and little more than her clothing to her name, and there is also the case of her reputation being in tatters due to landing in a brothel.

Phil, a gentleman and a spy, happens upon her by chance and decides to rescue her, which leads to an intertwining of their lives in a way they never expected. Sophia is determined to be the driver of her own decisions and future, instead of being dictated to by a man, because that is the way the society is structured.

Hampson writes a delightful historical romance, a combination of suspense and relationship that builds slowly. Shame, confusion and the determination of a woman with a fierce sense of independence and a man who wants to protect the vulnerable woman. Two strong personalities clash, which could potentially be dangerous for both of them if they are unable to connect as a team against the forces against them.

It’s an enjoyable read, escapism for those who like their potential couples to squabble before they realise the attraction they have for each, with the added element of the poor maiden in danger and in distress.

Buy A Bachelor’s Pledge (Gentlemen Book ) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: PP&M Publishing; pub date 23 Sept. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayPush The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride by Virginia Heath

Today it’s Publication Day for The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride by Virginia Heath.

Enter the Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride (Open INT)

About the Author

When Virginia Heath was a little girl it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Despite that, it still takes her forever to fall asleep.

Follow @VirginaHeath_ on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit virginiaheathromance.com, Buy The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride

 

About the book

Marriage…To the highest bidder

Lady Lydia Barton cannot seem to avoid Owen Wolfe since he returned after being wrongly transported for stealing her family’s jewels! But Lydia has more pressing problems―like her impending arranged marriage. Until Owen makes her father a counter-offer for her hand. Is Owen purely after her society connections? Or does Lydia dare hope that the charming stable boy she once loved is still within her ruthless, wealthy new husband?

Review

It has a wee bit of a Heathcliff and Cathy vibe to it. Owen, the lowly servant, is wronged and returns on a more equal standing to those who got rid of him in the first place. He returns with intention of getting revenge. He wants to know who betrayed him and the girl he once loved is one of his targets, although one could argue that he actually tries to save her.

Lydia isn’t exactly lucky when it comes to family. They just consider her a valuable commodity. Something they can auction off to the highest bidder. She is disgusted by the thought they are willing to sell her off, but perhaps more so by the fact Owen is eager to buy her as if she were a valuable racehorse.

Heath excels at good old romance with the vibe of a bodice ripper, but with more emphasis on the emotional attraction, as opposed to pure physical gratification. The relationship and love story develops slowly and builds upon the nostalgia and bonds the two main characters have. Their relationship is combative and there is a fair amount of rejection. It’s exactly what romance readers enjoy – the cat and mouse game of love.

Take a little, give a little and ultimately it becomes a battle of wits – of minds refusing to acknowledge what they both want the most.

Buy The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.  Publisher: Mills & Boon Historical;pub date 25 Jun. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win 2 x e-copies of The Scoundrel’s Bartered Bride (Open INT)

Click here to Enter the 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 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.*

#PublicationDayPush Little White Secrets by Carol Mason

It’s Publication Day for Little White Secrets by Carol Mason.

About the Author

Carol Mason is the women’s fiction author After You Left, a Kindle #1 and Amazon Charts Bestseller, The Secrets of Married Women, The Last Time We Met, Send Me A Lover and The Shadow Between Us. Her brand new novel, Little White Secrets, publishes May 1, 2020. She was born in the North East of England and moved to Canada when she was twenty-one and met her now husband. They live in British Columbia. Her novels are translated into more than 10 languages.

Follow @carolmasonbooks on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Facebook, Visit carolmasonbooks.com, Buy Little White Secrets

About the book

A daughter pushing the limits. A marriage ready to crack. A secret that can break them.

For Emily Rossi, life may not be perfect, but it’s pretty close. She has a great career, a house in the country, a solid marriage to Eric and two wonderful children—tennis superstar Daniel and quiet, sensitive Zara. But when her fourteen-year-old daughter brings home a toxic new best friend, Emily’s seemingly perfect family starts to spiral out of control.

Suddenly Zara is staying out late, taking drugs and keeping bad company. And just when Emily needs Eric to be an involved father, he seems too wrapped up with his job in London to care. What’s more, he’s started drinking again.

When a dark secret from the past emerges, Emily’s life is turned upside down. Struggling to protect the people she loves, can she save her damaged family? Doing so may mean keeping a secret of her own…

Review

Emily and Eric are happily married – white picket fence and two kids kind of thing, until the reader starts to encounter the scratches on the surface of perfection and harmony. Turns out the picture perfect family is just like any old dysfunctional unit with secrets, fights and troubled teenagers.

It’s a toss up with teens and their formative years. You can’t always control external influences or the way your kids will react or interact with them. If they do start to rebel it doesn’t discharge the parent from the necessity to keep their child safe and out of harms way. The difficulty arises when you encounter complete and utter walls of silence, avoidance and aggression.

Zara is slowly being drawn in by the seduction of a new friendship. A peer who is willing to listen to her and giggle with her, but perhaps this new friend doesn’t have the best intentions. Emily wants the new friend gone and her daughter to go back to being quiet, responsible and timid.

It’s a dramatic domestic thriller – a seemingly functional family on the brink of a meltdown.

The decision that Emily makes towards the end of the story is actually one of the most interesting aspects of the book. Is there any accountability or should there be any? Given the same circumstances what would you do if it were your child? Do two wrongs make a right? I know what my answers to those questions would be. I wonder what yours will be.

In a way I am glad that Mason ends the story on that particular note and not just because it gives the entire read a more sinister cherry on top of the sundae of terrible turmoil and destruction.

Buy Little White Secrets at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Lake Union Publishing: pub date 1 May 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayPush A Train from Penzance to Paris by Laura Briggs

Today it’s the Publication Day Push  for A Train from Penzance to Paris by Laura Briggs.

About the Author

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Follow @PaperDollWrites on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit paperdollwrites.blogspot.com, Buy A Train from Penzance to Paris

About the book

When Maisie accepts a celebrated author’s invitation to mentor her, she finds herself leaving Cornwall behind on train tracks bound for the glitter city of Paris. Instead of making beds and serving coffee at the Penmarrow hotel in Cornwall, she’s making notes on her manuscript while sitting in a French cafe, meeting famous writers at private dinner parties, and trying to ferret the secrets behind the author’s unfinished future novel. It’s glamorous, it’s breathtaking … but it’s also an ocean channel away from the place that she loves, and, more importantly, the person to whom she just recently confessed her deepest feelings. Separated from Sidney by distance and circumstances, Maisie fears that their connection will be lost despite her words to him – and maybe because of those words, and the ones she didn’t allow him to say in return.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of things in her new life trying to distract her – the professional editor hired to critique her novel, the eager young literary agent who sees pie-in-the-sky potential for Maisie’s talent, but Maisie finds solace in the eclectic group of amateur writers into whose midst she finds herself by accident. Their critique and advice is fast becoming as important as the editors – maybe even more important than the published author Maisie believed held the keys to refining her skill.

But it’s missing Sidney that fills Maisie’s thoughts the most, along with her life back in Port Hewer, and she can’t stop wondering whether his feelings are the same as her own. His unspoken answer has become one of the most important pieces of her life, even as she struggles to match the pace of her new life and keep her dreams in sight. And when she unwittingly becomes privy to a seeming literary conspiracy, she must decide what to do in light of its truth – and decide what’s most important in her quest to become a professional writer.

Review

In this book I think Maisie drifts away from the Maisie we met in the previous books. This is book five in the A Little Hotel in Cornwall series and can be read as a standalone novel, but I would recommend reading the others to get the full gist of the characters and their stories.

Maisie is living the life of luxury after meeting the famous author Allie, who opens the doors to many different worlds and opportunities to her. Travel, luxury and more importantly very good contacts in the publishing world. People who can help her get a foot on the ladder when it comes to publishing her first novel.

It’s part five of a chick-lit series which wanders into a more serious tone.

This is more a trip of self discovery, whereas the earlier books are charming and more romcom in substance, perhaps even purely a story about publishing a book. I miss the Maisie who was up for a challenge and happy to get involved in everyone’s business. Kind, quirky and looking for fulfillment. This Maisie is obsessed to the point of everyone else, especially everyone at home, having to take third place. We see a more driven character, but not always in a good way.  And the story takes on a one-dimensional feel.

I thought Briggs made an interesting point about editing and changing your written work based on expert opinions. When major points are being changed is it still the story you wrote? If, aside from structural and technical edits, so much is changed by others that you don’t recognise your story or the entire gist of it is it now the idea that has sprung forth from someone else – is it really still your work?

Interesting points to make in a world full of opportunities for both traditional and indie published authors.

Buy A Train from Penzance to Paris at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publication pub date 8 April 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise and A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs.

#PublicationDayPush The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise by Laura Briggs

It’s the Publication  Day Push for The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise by Laura Briggs. It’s the fourth book in A Little Hotel in Cornwall series.

Enter the Giveaway below  – 3 Winners to win a ‘surprise’ three-dimensional pop-up card & receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall. (Open INT)

About the Author

Laura Briggs is the author of several feel-good romance reads, including the Top 100 Amazon UK seller ‘A Wedding in Cornwall’. She has a fondness for vintage style dresses (especially ones with polka dots), and reads everything from Jane Austen to modern day mysteries. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, caring for her pets, gardening, and seeing the occasional movie or play.

Follow @PaperDollWrites on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, Visit paperdollwrites.blogspot.com, Buy The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise

About the book

As spring slips away from the hotel Penmarrow, excitement builds for an exclusive auction hosted at the hotel, featuring priceless possessions from a Hollywood actress turned lady of the manor, including her famous diamonds. Celebrities and collectors form a crowd that is keeping Maisie and the rest of staff busy, even as Maisie faces a crossroads for her manuscript.

But when the diamonds are stolen and Sidney is accused by the authorities, Maisie’s dilemma as a writer is pushed aside out of fear that his future in Port Hewer is in jeopardy. Desperation to prove that someone else is behind the theft will lead Maisie to uncover a very different secret outside of jewel thieves and village rumors … one that could change her life and her future forever.

Can Maisie deal with the latest secrets exposed — including those that paint Sidney’s past in a questionable light? And as summer’s dawn alters her idyllic life in Cornwall, will Maisie’s feelings for Sidney change as well?

Review

Although this is the fourth book in the A Little Hotel in Cornwall series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone book. I would recommend reading the others just for the joy of it. It will be easier to understand the eccentricity of some of the characters and the endearing nature of others.

The most relevant and ongoing relationship is that of Maisie and Sydney. The couple destined to be friends, and want to be more, but somehow people, things and the police keep getting in the way.

It has a sweet charm to it, especially the mystery part of the story. You still get the romantic moments between the couple doomed to be kept apart by circumstance and suspicion. It’s a nicely balanced read that ventures out in different directions, which also means it widens any potential audience.

It’s the Thomas Crown Affair done Cornwall style, with plenty of misdirection and mystery. However it also includes the big finger of blame being pointed directly at Sydney. Maisie believes in his innocence and is determined to find the real culprit, whilst others are all too eager to believe he is a master jewel thief.

It’s a contemporary read, a story about romance, fulfilling your dreams and it’s also a mystery. Briggs is stepping up the ideas as the series continues to grow. The characters have greater depth and the storylines are broadening out. I wonder where book fifth will take us?

Buy The Cornish Secret of Summer’s Promise at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs.

Enter the Giveaway  – 3 Winners to win a ‘surprise’ three-dimensional pop-up card & receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall. (Open INT)

Each winner will receive a ‘surprise’ three-dimensional pop-up card handcrafted by an Etsy artist and bearing a clue about the next book in Laura Briggs’ Cornish romance series. The winners will also receive a digital copy of Book One, A Little Hotel in Cornwall.

Click here to Enter the  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 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.*

#PublicationDayPush Christmas at Ladywell by Nicola Slade

Today it’s the Publication Day Push for Christmas at Ladywell by Nicola Slade.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a .mobi or PDF of The Convalescent Corpse by Nicola Slade (Open INT)About the Author

Nicola Slade is an award-winning, bestselling author of historical and contemporary mysteries and romantic fiction, all set in and around Winchester and Romsey in Hampshire – which is where she lives. The House at Ladywell – a contemporary romantic novel with historical echoes – won the Chatelaine Grand Prize for Romantic Fiction at the CIBA awards in April 2019.

She is the author of the mid-Victorian Charlotte Richmond mysteries and the contemporary Harriet Quigley mysteries and The Convalescent Corpse, published November 2018, is the first in a new series, The Fyttleton Mysteries, set in 1918.

Follow @nicolasladeuk on Twitter, on Facebook, on Pinterest, on Goodreads, on Amazon, nicolaslade.com, nicolaslade.wordpress.com, Buy Christmas at LadywellAbout the book

A time for spilling secrets…

Having refurbished her inherited house and upcycled her whole life in the process, Freya – now happily married to Patrick, and with a small child –  has to transform her tiny stone barn into a romantic hideaway for a mystery guest who is also looking for change. With Christmas only a week away, things don’t go according to plan…

In the past old uncertainties are resolved when an elderly woman seeks the truth of a legend on Christmas Eve and confesses to a deception; a Tudor wife listens to a story that must never be repeated and is given a precious relic that must never be displayed; and in the early nineteenth century an old woman tells a younger one the story of the hares at Ladywell.

Past and present are only a whisper apart when Freya learns of an astonishing discovery that will make Ladywell famous, but meanwhile her house is full of unexpected visitors, she has a turkey to cook – and a very special secret of her own that must be told.

Review

This is a novella length read. If you want to find out how the main character in the present, Freya, found her way to Lady’s Well then I suggest reading The House at Ladywell by Slade. Both can absolutely be read as standalone books though.

Perhaps it is wrong to say Freya is the main character, because that isn’t really correct. The main character will always be Ladywell or the Lady’s Well. The stories take place here – just in different periods of time and history. They are told mainly by the women who are empowered by the strength and earthly magic of Lady’s Well.

Each one of them, and often also the men of the Wellman family, have a story to tell about survival and belief. How their resilience and determination to keep their family and Ladywell safe is the main factor throughout time.

It’s magical realism and historical fiction combined with the story in the present. What’s really intriguing is the way each snippet of the past constitutes its own story and all within the same setting. Then each tale and the characters are strengthened by the essence of faith or belief in the power of an almost ritualistic pagan magic. Be kind to the earth and creatures and that kindness will returned to you and yours tenfold. It’s an important message in our day and age.

Slade takes an interesting element of earth or natural magic and the power of women, which is cemented in the soul and base of Mother Earth. It gives the story an aura of magic, but without wandering into the realm of magic.

Buy Christmas at Ladywell at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Crooked Cat Books; pub date 4 Nov. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win a .mobi or PDF of The Convalescent Corpse by Nicola Slade (Open INT)

Click here to Enter the 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 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*

#PublicationDayPush The Wife’s Revenge by Deirdre Palmer

Today it’s a pleasure to take part in the Publication day Push for The Wife’s Revenge by Deirdre Palmer. About the Author

I live in Brighton with my husband and a tabby cat called Chester. After a career in public sector admin, most recently at the University of Brighton, it was time to stop dreaming about being a writer and actually do something about it!  Fast forward to the present, and now I’m both traditionally published and self-published, with five women’s fiction novels under my own name, and five ‘cosy’ reads, writing as Zara Thorne.  I’ve also published a book of short stories, most of which were previously published in The People’s Friend magazine. ‘The Wife’s Revenge’ is my first foray into the psychological suspense genre.

Follow @DLPalmer_Writer onTwitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit deirdrepalmer.com, Buy The Wife’s Revenge

About the book

Sometimes the lie is safer than the truth.

Fran made the biggest mistake of her life when she had an affair with Ben. Both families live in the village of Oakheart; their children are friends. Fran’s guilt shadows her days. But it’s no more than she deserves, or is it? At least she’s managed to protect her husband, Hector, from the harsh truth. But for how long?

Tessa has left her troubles in the past and now has the perfect life. Ben might have his faults, but his life has not been easy. They need each other, and Tessa will do whatever it takes to eliminate any threats to her marriage. Threats from women like Fran.

A cliff overlooks a disused chalk-pit. The locals call it High Heaven. It’s a place of secrets. And it’s where Oakheart newcomer Maria died. When Fran discovers a link between Maria and Ben, disturbing questions arise to which she has no way of knowing the answers.

Faced with an ultimatum from Tessa, time is running out for Fran. She’s scared, every minute of every day. But where does the real danger lie?

Review

From the outside Fran has a great marriage, three beautiful children and a wonderful life. But this is Fran now and not then. Not so long ago Fran was so happy with her life that she needed to seek more pleasure outside of her marriage. Pleasure with Tessa’s husband. That’s right with someone else’s husband.

Tessa isn’t blind to all the carnal shenanigans though. In fact she knows exactly when Ben starts to look elsewhere and stray. He can look and he can play for a while, but as soon as it gets serious Tessa has to take steps to ensure her family doesn’t fall apart. Even if that means doing the absolute worst and unthinkable.

Palmer keeps the reader guessing when it comes to a question of guilt, because there are quite a few characters who appear to have a screw loose or are sailing close to the precipice of disturbed. Tessa is the classic jealous wife with vengeance on her mind and hatred in her heart. Ben seems to have some sociopathic tendencies he is hiding well, because he performs daily as the perfect and caring husband, and yet there is a dark and insidious side to his character.

The author plays with the different levels of culpability and guilt. How each character deals with it or not as the case may be. Humans are fallible – there is no such thing as perfection.

It’s a riveting psychological thriller, a story with multiple layers of guilt and accountability. Palmer writes a gripping story. The kind that reels you in and keeps you on the hook until the last page.

Buy The Wife’s Revenge at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Crooked Cat/Darkstroke books; pub date 22 Oct. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDay Birth of the Mortokai by D.G. Palmer

It’s Publication Day for Birth of the Mortokai by D.G. Palmer.

About the Author

Currently residing in London, England, D.G. Palmer writes in the Spec Fiction genre, using his imagination to create vivid worlds and captivating characters.

An avid reader and player of video games, in the past, he was part of table top roleplaying groups where he nurtured his storytelling by penning several story arcs.

If you wish to receive updates about his latest books, event dates and other exclusive news, sign up to The World of D.G. Palmer and enter his mind. He warns it can be a mess sometimes, so make sure you wipe your feet on the way out – you never know what you might take with you.

Follow @DGPalmer3 on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Instagram, on Pinterest, on BookBub, Buy Birth of the Mortokai

About the book

Daniel Welsh was born different—and to Daniel, to be different means to be alone. But what if he’s wrong?

Born an albino with a photographic memory, Daniel Welsh never expected to fit in. Yet, when he is approached by Trinity—a young girl who definitely isn’t human—she reveals a whole new world where he might just belong. Ariest is a place where his features aren’t a disability or the mark of a freak, but rather a trait of powerful mages born of human-faerie unions. His father is a renowned war hero and swordsman, his mother is a human doctor, and that makes him a powerful mage that’ll tip the scales. Magic is real—and so is the threat it brings.

Trinity and her father, a battle mage, aren’t the only ones to have discovered Daniel and his gifts hidden in the human realm.

The Shade have awakened.

Enemies to the fae realm long thought dead have been lying in wait for their moment to strike. Young mages like Daniel are the perfect morsel for their starving appetites and they start their killing spree without delay with the nearest unsuspecting mage boy. Daniel cannot sit idly by while monsters take innocent lives, so he will embrace a destiny he is only just beginning to understand… even if it means losing a life that’s finally worth living.

Birth of the Mortokai is a young adult coming of age fantasy adventure novel. Trigger warning: this novel contains descriptions of albinism, a real genetic disorder that affects 1/17,000 persons worldwide per year.

Review

I think it’s fair to say that Daniel has a tough life. His albinism makes him a target for bullies and he has become used to being alone. When a young girl called Trinity befriends him and introduces him to a whole new world Daniel discovers a new path for himself.

Being drawn into a world of magic, fae, bizarre creatures and beings of all shapes and sizes gives him a new perspective on his life. He evolves into someone he always was on the inside, but now others can see it too.

Although I commend the author for creating a character who has to deal with discrimination, bullying and constant harassment, due to his genetic disorder, I did have some reservations. In many cultures and countries, albeit it for the most part in Sub-Saharan African communities, especially East African communities, albinos are a target.

They are persecuted and hunted, then caught, sold, tortured and killed. They are presumed to be cursed or bring bad luck. There is a belief, a superstition, that their body parts carry magical powers, ergo using a part of them in a potion or spell makes them a highly sought after commodity.

So, creating a main character with albinism and magic sort of plays into those superstitions, myths and the very real threat people with this genetic disorder face in Sub-Saharan African communities. This book may not be circulated there, but it’s something to consider.

Aside from that I like the idea of a character who doesn’t fit into what is considered the stereotypical norm. It is a better reflection of society and readership, and gives readers who are considered slightly different a chance to be the hero in the story.

It’s a YA fantasy, suitable for both younger and older readers. A story infused with Potteresque magic and a tale of the underdog who came, saw and conquered.

Buy Birth of the Mortokai:The First Chronicle of Daniel Welsh at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: DGP Creative Solutions; pub date 1 Aug. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayPush The Sentinel’s Alliance by Suzanne Rogerson

It’s Happy Publication Day for the third part in the Silent Sea Chronicles, The Sentinel’s Alliance by Suzanne Rogerson. It’s fantasy with a compelling plot and intriguing characters.

To celebrate publication day, all three books of the Silent Sea Chronicles series are 99p today! 

Buy The Lost Sentinel #1 Silent Sea Chronicles, Buy The Sentinel’s Reign #2 Silent Sea ChroniclesAbout the Author

Suzanne lives in Middlesex, England with her hugely encouraging husband and two children.

She wrote her first novel at the age of twelve. She discovered the fantasy genre in her late teens and has never looked back. Giving up work to raise a family gave her the impetus to take her attempts at novel writing beyond the first draft, and she is lucky enough to have a husband who supports her dream – even if he does occasionally hint that she might think about getting a proper job one day.

Suzanne loves gardening and has a Hebe (shrub) fetish. She enjoys cooking with ingredients from the garden, and regularly feeds unsuspecting guests vegetable-based cakes.

She collects books, loves going for walks and picnics with the children and sharing with them her love of nature and photography.

Suzanne is interested in history and enjoys wandering around castles. But most of all she likes to escape with a great film, or soak in a hot bubble bath with an ice cream and a book.

Follow @rogersonsm on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Bookbub,

Visit suzannerogersonfantasyauthor.com,  Buy The Sentinel’s Alliance

About the book

Can new alliances save the islands of the Silent Sea from the murderers stalking their shores?

As the island of Kalaya and its people recover from civil war, a new threat surfaces. Invaders from the island of Elkena hunt the seas, butchering those who possess magic. Their scar-faced captain seeks the Fire Mage who it has been foretold will kill him and Tei and her people are in his warpath.

Tei and a band of Kalayans travel to Stone Haven, the home of their new allies, planning to restore magic to the dead island. But the Stone Haven Council have abhorred magic since their people were massacred by Elkenan invaders twenty years before. Commander Farrell must persuade his people to accept magic again, but his plans expose them to their biggest fear and he risks leading Tei and her people into danger, and jeopardising the safety of both their islands.

Under Farrell’s guidance treaties are forged, but is the newly formed Silent Sea Alliance enough to defeat the invaders and stop their bloodthirsty quest to destroy magic forever?

The Sentinel’s Alliance is the final book in the Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy.

Review

This is the third and final book in the Silent Sea Chronicles series. I recommend reading the other two books in the series to get the full background of the characters and the storyline.

In the first book the search is on for the new sentinel. In the second book the new sentinel has to prove their worth and establish themselves, which isn’t an easy thing to do, because the Elders like everything to stay the same. In this third book the users of magic have to trust they are making the right choice for their people. Hate seems to be everywhere and fear of magick threatens their lives once more.

It’s ironic that after all of the trials, deaths and tribulations Tei and her people have been through, they still aren’t safe. After bringing the hatred in Kalaya to a halt they now find they have become a target for the Stone Haven people. Their hatred, mistrust and fear of magick, makes them an even bigger threat to magick users.

Rogerson puts a focus on the relationships, especially the romantic ones and bonds of friendship. The problems Callisa and Tei have to deal with, whilst the adventure and battles continue all around them. Tei is finally able to allow her true feelings to flourish and Callisa realises it is quite lonely at the top.

At the heart of the series is a group of people who are trying to survive the oppression and annihilation of their people. Magick is considered dangerous and not trustworthy. The only thing the Sentinel and her people want is to live in peace and safety. The question is whether it is possible.

It’s fantasy with a compelling plot and intriguing characters. Rogerson threads an undercurrent of romance throughout the fantasy, which then invites readers of other genres in for a read.

Buy The Sentinel’s Alliance, book 3 of Silent Sea Chronicles at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Buy The Lost Sentinel, book 1 of Silent Sea Chronicles

Buy The Sentinel’s Reign, book 2 of Silent Sea Chronicles

Read my review of The Lost Sentinel and The Sentinel’s Reign.