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A Happy Coincidence … And A Great New Mystery Novel From Ann Cleeves

February 6, 2012 By 8 Comments

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I happened to be in our home gym on Sunday afternoon (not a very frequent occurrence I can assure you), with the television on. The programme which had already started minutes before, titled ‘Vera’, was not one which I had ever come across before, so I decided to keep watching for a while to see what it was about.

It transpired that Vera, was in fact DI Vera Stanhope of the Northumberland police and unconventional doesn’t come near to describing both her appearance and her style of investigating a crime. The character of Vera was played by the multi-talented, British actress Brenda Blethyn, with her very able (not to say ‘dishy’) and seemingly long-suffering Sergeant Joe Ashworth, played by David Leon.  I became so engrossed in the programme that my exercise programme lasted for a full 90 minutes, needless to say, by Monday morning I am now hardly able to move!

I came across this great interview with the two stars of the show and it was only then that I discovered that the series had first aired to television in the Summer of 2011 and was based on a series of books by one of the undisputed Queen’s of the mystery genre, Ann Cleeves.

I haven’t read anything by Anne Cleeves for several years and best associate her with books featuring her earlier created characters of George Palmer-Jones and Inspector Ramsay.

I shall definitely be ordering the four, already established stories featuring DI Vera Stanhope, together with a fifth newly published mystery for her to solve in The Glass Room (Vera Stanhope 5), especially as this case involves a group of aspiring authors, attending a workshop at a country retreat!

I also love the cover of this book, great perspective and light intensity

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‘THE GLASS ROOM’ by ANN CLEEVES

DI Vera Stanhope is not one to make friends easily, but her hippy neighbours keep her well-supplied in homebrew and conversation so she has more tolerance for them than most.

When one of them goes missing she feels duty-bound to find out what happened. But her path leads her to more than a missing friend . . . It’s an easy job to track the young woman down to the Writer’s House, a country retreat where aspiring authors gather to workshop and work through their novels. It gets complicated when a body is discovered and Vera’s neighbour is found with a knife in her hand.

Calling in the team, Vera knows that she should hand the case over to someone else. She’s too close to the main suspect. But the investigation is too tempting and she’s never been one to follow the rules. There seems to be no motive. No meaning to the crime. Then another body is found, and Vera suspects that someone is playing games with her. Somewhere there is a killer who has taken murder off the page and is making it real . . .

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Filed Under: My Latest News And Musings, New Titles Tagged With: , , ,

Featuring … Newly Published Author Colin Browne, With His Debut Novel ‘The Baggage Handler’

January 23, 2012 By 6 Comments

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I was first introduced to author Colin Browne, after he contacted me to enquire whether I would be prepared to read and give my thoughts about his new, debut novel, The Baggage Handler

He had apparently come across Fiction Books, when reading reviews that had been posted here, about his fellow author Nadine Rose Larter’s debut novel,  ‘Coffee At Little Angels’.

Colin sold the concept of the book to me, as that of a ‘romantic comedy’ with a twist, it had been written from a man’s perspective … That idea intrigued me no end, and as I am certainly not averse to a light and easy to read interlude, here we are ….

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First lets find out a bit more about the book itself …

Available From Amazon

Martin White, editor of The Shallow Review of Books, likes his life as he likes his work: shallow. Living in purposeful near-isolation in the middle of a crowded city, he keeps his relationships superficial and his life uncomplicated. His deliberate avoidance of social potholes prompts his colleagues to turn to him for assistance handling their own life and relationship baggage, which only strengthens his resolve never to allow any of it into his life. He’s pretty happy, albeit hollow and empty.

But then Kasia turns up. Young, Polish, focused on minding her own business, she neither invites, nor encourages Martin’s flailing attempts at romance, but he can’t help himself. For reasons that defy logic for an isolationist such as he, he falls for her, hard. Years of handling baggage have done nothing to equip him to handle his own however as he realizes with excruciating displays of ineptitude, again and again. He’s way out of his depth …

Faced with a challenge by Rich, his more socially adept colleague, to ask Kasia out within a week or Rich will, Martin has no option but to open the doors to all the complexity of modern life and relationships as he re-emerges from the shadows.

A twisted romantic comedy, written from the male perspective, The Baggage Handler is an acknowledgement that if you’re going to be serious about it, this love stuff is hard.

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… And now, something about the author

Colin Browne, has lived and worked in several countries, including Belgium, Dubai and South Africa, however he has returned to his birthplace of England, where these days, he calls London his home.

Colin’s early career was in business-to-business magazines, writing articles which  took  him on his worldwide travels.

Latterly, he has become involved in the conception and and start-up of a successful sales resource company, ‘SALESGURU’, in South Africa, which he has now left in the safe hands of his two partners and which continues to flourish and develop.

Today, Colin is still very much in the thrall of corporate culture and it is this energy which drives him to speak on the subject at almost every given opportunity, where he enjoys sharing the hard fought lessons he has learned over the years, with his audience.

He is now making time to indulge in his love of writing, which has been a big part of his life for many years, although this has yet to bring him recognition as a published author.

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I suspect that is all about to change, with the long awaited publication of his first novel ‘The Baggage Handler’. Colin bills this as a romantic comedy with the twist that it has been written from the male perspective.

In itself, this is surprisingly not a rare phenomenon, as there are more male authors out there, writing in the romance genre, than anyone would have guessed at. The difference lies in the fact that the majority of male writers in this genre, are writing under female pseudonyms, whereas Colin has had the courage of his convictions and published under his own name.

I am sure that many male authors, writing under a female alias, would have much preferred to be recognised and received credit for their work, as themselves, and in many cases that I am aware of, it was purely a publishers directive, which brought about the ensuing subterfuge. However, with access to todays increasingly easy to use, self publishing sites, many, if not all of those decisions are very much down to the individual authors discretion.

Colin is very down to earth and circumspect about his writing career and has written a brilliant post on his blog, about ‘Putting The Emphasis Back On Creating, Where It Belongs ..’

I haven’t yet started to read ‘The Baggage Handler’, however the PDF is sat there just looking at me, so I am sure it won’t be long before I am part of this somewhat quirky synopsis.

I wonder what the male equivalent of ‘chick-lit’ is?

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Filed Under: New Authors, New Titles Tagged With: , ,

In The Spotlight …Writer Rebecca Dahlke’s New Romantic Mystery/Thriller … ‘A Dangerous Harbor’

December 19, 2011 By 7 Comments

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It was my pleasure to have been contacted by author R.P. (AKA Rebecca) Dahlke, firstly as a new ‘twitter’ follower, then subsequently by an email introduction and request for me to read and review her latest romantic mystery/suspense …

‘A DANGEROUS HARBOR’.

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SYNOPSIS

Available From Amazon

‘Bleary-eyed and sleep deprived after a long overnighter into Mexico, solo sailor and SFPD police detective, Katrina Hunter, thinks the mermaid twenty yards behind her thirty-two foot Westsail is nothing more than a sailor’s hallucination But everything she knows about floaters convinces her to turn her boat around for another look.

Now, alone and isolated in the Mexican port’s police station for six hours she’s convinced that reporting the body of a floater to authorities was a mistake. Even the arrival of a handsome, if somewhat dour, Mexican/Italian investigator does nothing to dispel her growing anxiety that she’s about to be charged with the murder.

Chief Inspector, Raul Vignaroli, is as surprised by the attractive solo-sailor as he is to find that she’s a respected member of the San Francisco police force, and after some well-placed phone calls he’s sure that he’s found the perfect partner to help him solve a murder, if not the cure for his broken heart.

Released, she’s free to go. But leaving the police station hits a snag when two policemen march in, dragging a listless prisoner between them. But before Katy can dodge them for the exit, the prisoner raises his head and a startling pair of aquamarine eyes meet hers.

He straightens his back, wincing at the angle of his cuffed wrists. “What the… Whisper?”

Suddenly, the sound of the ceiling fan is terribly loud. Blood pounds in her ears, her mouth goes dry, her palms are damp and her feet are nailed to the floor. In a knee jerk reaction, she hisses, “Don’t call me that!”’

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It turns out that Rebecca Dahlke is already a well established and respected author in the romantic mystery/suspense genre, with two previous titles already on the shelves and some great reviews to boot.

Rebecca was raised on the family crop dusting ranch in California USA, although these days, she lives with her husband in Arizona USA.

She started writing way back in 1994, although a family tragedy curtailed her writing for many years after the publication of  ‘A Dead Red Cadillac’, until she felt able to pick up her pen again in 2010, when ‘A Dangerous Harbor’ was conceptualised and ‘A Dead Red Heart’ was finally completed.

Rebecca set up a chapter of  SINC (‘Sisters In Crime Inc’) in her home town, adding to the some 48 chapters which exist all over the world. SINC is an organisation of about 3600 members in 48 chapters world-wide and founded in 1986, offering networking, advice and support to mystery authors. It comprises authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by their affection for the mystery genre and their support of women who write mysteries. The aims of the organisation are to promote the professional development and advancement of women crime writers to achieve equality in the industry.

Rebecca is also an accomplished artist and is the President of the Board of Directors for the Huachuca Art Association in Sierra Vista, AZ. Clicking on the link above will take you directly to Rebecca’s page on the association’s site, where you can view some of her great paintings.

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‘A Dead Red Cadillac’

Available From Amazon

‘Twice divorced NY model, Lalla Bains, now runs her dad’s Crop-Dusting business in Modesto, California where she’s hoping to dodge the inevitable fortieth birthday party. But when her trophy red ‘58 Cadillac is found tail-fins up in a nearby lake, the police ask why a widowed piano teacher, who couldn’t possibly see beyond the hood ornament, was found strapped in the driver’s seat. Reeling from an interrogation with local homicide, Lalla is determined to extricate herself as a suspect in this strange murder case. Unfortunately, drug running pilots, a cross-dressing convict, a crazy Chihuahua, and the dead woman’s hunky nephew throw enough road blocks to keep Lalla neck deep in an investigation that links her family to a twenty-year old murder only she can solve.’

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‘A Dead Red Heart’

Available From Amazon

‘I like having a man at my feet. Tough guys who grovel are my favorite, though I’m not averse to a little toe kissing when appropriate. I leave the toe kissing for those uneven date nights when my sweety, Caleb Stone, is not on duty and I’m not neck deep in summer time work. None of which had anything to do with the man presently draped across my feet. Dead drunk, I figured, looking down at the patriotic red, white and blue ribbons binding the gray ponytail at his neck. Military sniper, and now homeless poet, he was also my own personal nuisance, and Sheriff Caleb Stone had warned him to persist in this behavior would be ill-advised and considered harassment–his words, not mine. Caleb’s belief that a Marine should always be able pull himself out of the fire didn’t take into consideration the concept that Billy’s alcohol, doctored Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, was not conducive to any such persuasion.’

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This romantic mystery/suspense book, was gifted as an author request for me to read and leave my comments about and as such was free of charge.

This will in no way influence any comments I may express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments will be my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.

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Filed Under: New Titles Tagged With: , , , ,

Spotlight On YA / Fantasy Author, Richard Due

December 8, 2011 By 10 Comments
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Here at Fiction Books, we would like to introduce you to Richard Due, a brand new voice in the world of the Young Adult Fantasy Adventure genre.
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Richard brings to us in his debut novel ‘The Moon Coin’, the start of a great new series of adventures, (nine in total -  “Nine Moons Make A Realm”), which will collectively be known as,  ‘The Moon Realm’. This epic tale of fantasy is sure to delight and engage children and young adults of middle grade years, and with three more episodes of the series already well underway, you won’t have to wait too long for the adventure to continue …
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‘THE MOON COIN’
synopsis taken from Amazon.co.uk
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“For Lily and Jasper Winter, the Moon Realm began with a single secret bedtime tale. As the children grew older, Uncle Ebb enthralled them with thrilling tales of the Dragondain riding horse-sized, catlike Rinn; mysterious tales of peerin-wielding lunamancers manipulating the magic that lies just beneath the surface of reality; exciting tales of flying dragons, swimming merfolk, stomping giants, and troublesome faeries. But as the magic of their childhood faded, so too did the tales. Eventually, they were just . . . good stories.

Or were they?

Now, nine years after it all began, Uncle Ebb is missing.

Lily and Jasper search for clues, but their uncle’s mansion is full of distractions. A Tesla generator thrums in the basement. Prismatic electrimals flit around walls resembling underwater reefs. Then a most unexpected friend comes to their aid, leading them to a hidden room where they find a mysterious coin—the moon coin. Before the night is out, Lily is transported to the real Moon Realm. But the moons are in trouble. The Rinn of Barreth are under siege, and the lunamancers of Dain are beset by the very dragons they once loved. Most horrifying of all, the moon Darwyth has fallen to a villain named Wrengfoul, whose creeping evil now threatens to overshadow all the Realm.

Are Lily and Jasper too late to save the Moon Realm, or will they have enough time to write an ending of their own?”

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ABOUT RICHARD DUE

Richard knew from an early age that he enjoyed story-telling, although ‘The Moon Coin’ did not come easily and with some major reworking of the storyline necessary before Richard was happy with the adventure and its outcome, some six years had past from inception to publication.

Following some difficult encounters with various publishers and editors, Richard took the brave step of setting up his own small press and self publishing ‘The Moon Coin’ as an ebook. He now has the distinction of being the founder of ‘Gibbering Gnome Press’, a division of Ingenius Inventions Run Amok, Ink. (I love the name ‘Gibbering Gnome’, I must remember to ask Richard how he thought that one up!).

Richard currently hails from Southern Maryland, a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the US, where he is also the co-owner of  ‘Second Looks Books’.

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I feel that there also needs to be some mention of the fantastic cover art and the twenty or so illustrations which adorn the pages of the book. The images on my kindle are small and in black and white, but even so, they scream quality and have been executed by an artist with a fantastic eye for mood and innovation. These are the concept of  illustrator Carolyn Arcabascio, who hails from Massachusetts. Carolyn’s portfolio is quite extensive and impressive and covers a wide range of applications, from children’s illustrations, through to the more formal illustrations of the commercial and academic world.

To get ‘close up and personal’ with just a small selection of the fantastic illustrations in ‘The Moon Coin’ and to find out more about the working relationship between illustrator and author, click here.

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Richard has gifted me a copy of ‘The Moon Coin’ for my kindle, in exchange for me reading and sharing my thoughts about this magical adventure and which, I am sure for Richard, has now become something of a ‘labour of love’.

The fact that my copy was gifted, has not influenced, nor in any way will influence in the future, any comments I may  express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.

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I know that I am still in the midst of reading the first installment of this epic adventure … but no-one is too old for this fantastic journey, in my opinion.

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Filed Under: New Authors, New Titles Tagged With: , , ,

A Great New Thriller From The Pen Of Respected Author Doug Richardson

December 4, 2011 By 4 Comments

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Doug Richardson, is already a well respected and eminent voice in the world of novel authorship, script writing for cinema and film production.

Fiction Books has been fortunate enough to be contacted by Doug, who offers the chance for me to read and pass on my thoughts, about his latest thriller ‘The Safety Expert’, which will be available from December 7th 2011.

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THE SAFETY EXPERT

Synopsis and cover image courtesy of the author

“Ben Keller lives life by one simple rule. Safety first. Ben is keenly aware of life’s hidden dangers. Ben never smokes. Ben always uses the crosswalk. Ben always drives within the speed limit. He has to be because safety is his business. From his home in Simi Valley, California, one of the safest cities in the United States, Ben works hard at living a perfectly normal, perfectly uneventful, perfectly safe life.

And life is good until the past reaches into the present. In the dark of the night, a man crosses a lonely intersection and is struck by a car, setting events in motion that will unravel the finely stitched strands of Ben’s cocoon, from a recently retired porn actress who is desperate to be a mother to the butch cop determined to shield her young son from the whisperings of the queen bee moms at his private school to the addict who is clawing to hold onto the sobriety which cages the violence within him.

A long dismissed demon has resurfaced, presenting Ben with a most unsafe dilemma: preserve the haven he has carefully built for himself or confront the evildoer who decimated his carefree young life all those years ago.

Ben is in danger. Ben’s world is unsafe. Ben’s life will be changed forever. Again.”

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The shadowy world of the thriller is one of my most favourite genres, so I am doubly pleased to have the opportunity to read this book, whose plot reads like the stuff nightmares are made of and seemingly has more twists and turns than a snake in the grass.

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Doug was born, raised and still lives in the State of California USA, attending ‘the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema’ to complete his education towards his chosen profession of movie director, although he wisely revised this course of action, turning instead to screenplay writing and since then he has never looked back.

His resume reads like a list from ‘who’s who’, with his feature films including ‘Die Harder‘, ‘Bad Boys‘ and ‘Hostage‘ and his two previous novels ‘Dark Horse’ and ‘True Believers’, which have both received nothing but 5 star reviews.

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Available From Amazon

Crusading Texas lawyer Mitchell Dutton is running for the U.S. Congress – and is a virtual shoo-in come November.  But his opponent has different plans.

The opposition nominee, Shakespeare “Shakes” McCann, is an almost total unknown – a dark horse candidate with no past and no principles who has come out of nowhere to challenge Mitch Dutton.  There is no weakness McCann will not exploit, no secret he cannot expose.  He will lie to reporters and newscasters, alter photographs and circulate fraudulent documents.  If all else fails, he will resort to violence.  And no one is safe – not Dutton’s friends, his colleagues, his beautiful, vulnerable wife…not even the leaders of McCann’s own party.  There is nothing the dark horse won’t do to get elected.

Now front-runner Dutton is running scared.  Because Shakespeare McCann would kill to be congressman…

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Available From Amazon

The child the Sullivans have long prayed for will soon be theirs, thanks to a special procedure performed at a confidential Dallas clinic.

But the miracle of a small life growing within Gwen Sullivan has placed her husband’s destiny and her own in the murderous hands of a dark messiah.

A politician on the verge of greatness and the woman he cherishes have suddenly become the pawns in a conspiracy of staggering proportions, masterminded by a condemned psychopath who plans for his last act on earth to be the total enslavement and destruction of a powerful American family.

 

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As this was an author invitation to read and review, a copy of ‘The Safety Expert’ was sent to me free of charge.

This will in no way influence any comments I may express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.

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Filed Under: New Titles Tagged With: , ,

A Great New Book From Historical Romance Author Grace Elliot

November 7, 2011 By 10 Comments

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I originally met Grace Elliot, just after the publication of her first Historical Romance ‘A Dead Man’s Debt’, which she kindly asked my to read and give my thoughts about.

For an inaugural published novel, the book has recieved some fantastic reviews and comments and has gone from strength to strength, with a whole new makeover to its cover art adding an aura of class and distinction. Grace herself is busy out there in the blogging world, talking about what she enjoys the most The Georgian and Regency  periods, making some great new friends and invaluable contacts, who have no doubt been providing excellent encouragement in this, her latest venture … not just one new book, but a whole new trilogy in the offing.

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‘Eulogy’s Secret’ by Grace Elliot

Available From Amazon Greed, prejudice and a stolen identity.

Greed, prejudice and a stolen identity…

In the four weeks since her guardian’s death, Eulogy Foster has lost everything. She travels to London seeking the help of Lord Lucien Devlin, the estranged brother who doesn’t know she exists. But Lord Devlin turns her away and alone on the streets, Eulogy is attacked, robbed and thrown onto the mercy of a passing stranger.

Jack Huntley – bitter, cynical and betrayed in love -believes women are devious, scheming creatures and not to be trusted. So when one night he saves a naive young woman from rape, little does he suspect how life is about to change. Despite his growing attraction to Miss Foster, Jack has a problem: Eulogy Foster has a secret and he can’t trust her.

As Eulogy learns the haunting story of her mother’s past, she knows she will only marry for true love. Deeply drawn to Jack Huntley, she needs him to confess his love before she shares the secret of her birth. Caught in a deadlock, with neither able to confess their true feelings, events take a sinister turn as it becomes clear someone wants Eulogy Foster dead and will stop at nothing to achieve it.

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About Grace Elliot

 HISTORY, ROMANCE AND…CATS! Grace Elliot leads a double life as a vet by day … she is obsessed by all things feline, and author of intelligent historical fiction by night.

She is an avid reader and turned to writing to de-stress from an emotionally demanding job.

She firmly believes that smart people read romance – as an antidote to the modern world!

Grace only discovered the wonderful world of social history many years after leaving education and, after working her way through the Tudors and medieval history, finally decided that her passion lay firmly with the Georgian and Regency periods.

Her inspiration to delve into the world of the historical fiction novel came initially from Margaret George who encouraged her pick up and read her first social history book, and Stephanie Laurens who showed Grace that to fully escape to her new-found world, she needed to write about it.

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This has got to be a real ‘must read’ for any lover of historical romance out there.

I have been fortunate enough to be asked by Grace, to read ‘Eulgy’s Secret’ and publish my thoughts about it. I have finished reading what for me, was a fantastic romp around the drawing rooms of Georgian England and my thoughts about my journey will appear here soon.

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Filed Under: New Titles Tagged With: , ,

New Title …. ‘There Your Heart Will Be Also’

October 3, 2011 By 6 Comments

From the author of ‘The Perfect Rose’, Felicia Rogers, comes her latest book, ‘There Your Heart Will Be Also’, due for release Autumn 2011.

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This book is an historical suspense romance, which is a complete change from the genres of YA and contemporary romantic fiction, which have to date been the signature of Felicia’s writing.
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Once again fantastic cover art design by the resident cover artist at E-Publisher Astraea, Elaina Lee. Another signature mark, that for me is my first important contact with the book, offering great visual appeal, with a strong image and colour element.
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Synopsis
 
 Only daughter of an English lord, Sarra of Greenbriar, is used to getting her way. So when her father passes and the King begins sending suitors, she feels justified in taking matters in her own hands. Through a series of harmless pranks, Sarra works to keep the potential husbands at bay.
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Cedric MacNeil is a Scotsman who has lost it all. Death claimed his parents and jealousy claimed his entitled position as Laird of his clain. Since his mother was a familiar of the English court, he leaves his native land and heads to England to fight on behalf of the English King.
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Tournaments are won, earning honor and glory for the crown. Cedric’s reward is the opportunity to gain what he wants most in his life, land.
But as he gets to know Sarra, he realizes he might get more than he bargained for.
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About The Author

Felicia Rogers, modestly describes herself as “just your average, ordinary woman, with a side interest– writing.”  Born and raised in Southern US, she committed many years of her life to being a good Christian wife and mother. After reading book after book, she then decided that with a little more time to herself, the opportunity to try writing a book of her own, was now…

Her first thought was towards writing an historical romance, however as the ideas began to develop, a paranormal story with a twist suitable for the YA market drew the most inspiration and so The Key was discovered, closely followed by its natural sequel Mara’s Secret.

‘The Perfect Rose’ was conceived as a ‘Novella’ and took Felicia into the world of adult romantic fiction, with her upcoming new book ‘There Your Heart Will Be Also’ finally fulfilling that original dream of penning an historical fiction novel.

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UPDATE 29/10/2011

There Your Heart Will Be Also is now available from Amazon

and all other good ebook retailers.

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Filed Under: New Titles Tagged With: , , ,

Mailbox Monday … 8th August 2011

August 7, 2011 By 26 Comments

 

Earlier in 2011, I introduced you to Geraldine Solon, a great new voice in the world of contemporary fiction.

At that time, she had just had her debut novel in the genre, ‘Love Letters’ published, and had kindly approached me with a copy of the book and a request to read and review.

Since then, Geraldine’s writing career seems to have taken off apace, and she has spoken to me again, this time about her new book ‘Chocolicious’.

This is another storyline that seems to be written straight from the heart and I am sure will be another great hit for her.

I hope to be reading this book very shortly and my review will be available in due course.

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Synopsis

This Title Is Available From Amazon

A week after Blair Nightingale’s husband, Larry, dies, she learns she’s about to lose everything she owns due to a foolish mistake Larry made.

In an instant, Blair’s life is transformed from rich, Silicon Valley trophy wife to poor, widowed single mom. Her only goal now is to provide for her daughter.

As Blair begins to pick up the pieces, George—Larry’s best friend and the man she truly resents—seems to always be around.

When Blair is overwhelmed by all the challenges she faces, she seeks comfort in baking rich, filled, three-layered chocolate cupcakes that her grandmother once taught her, and soon Blair’s life is changed forever.

 

The title and cover art on their own, are enough to make a confirmed chocoholic such as myself, want to know more.

Don’t you think that the chocolate cupcake, against the dark background, just looks so scrummy?

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So What Is ‘Mailbox Monday’?

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Mailbox Monday, is currently ‘on tour’ and being hosted by a different blogger each month. Your host for the month of August is Staci, over at ‘Life in the Thumb’.
So why not stop by, leave a link to your own Mailbox Monday post, oh! and don’t forget to leave a comment for Staci, she likes to hear from us all!
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Filed Under: My Latest News And Musings, New Titles Tagged With: , ,

New Title Due Out September 2011 … ‘Trackers’ by Deon Meyer

July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

Since I have become a fan of South African crime writer, Deon Meyer, I am eagerly awaiting the September 2011 release date of his latest novel ‘Trackers’

I started reading Deon’s hard-hitting, South African crime novels, late on into the series, but have become an instant fan of this page-turning, fast-paced style of crime detection. I have also become quite attached to the character of DI Benny Griesel, however this story brings to the fore the character of Mat Joubert, who featured as a detective in the book ‘Dead Before Dying’ and is now working on this, his first case as a Private Investigator. As I haven’t come across this character before, I am looking forward to meeting him, as he becomes central to solving this latest case, which leaves a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

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Synopsis

This Title Is Available From Amazon

Lemmer’s First Law: Don’t get involved.

But when Emma le Roux looks at him with pleading eyes, when the roof of his Karoo house needs big repairs, when the cause is good and just, laws can be broken. So he sighs, and says, yes, he’ll ride shotgun for the two rare black rhino’s.

Bad call.

Because on a dark and dusty road in Limpopo, they stick a Smith & Wesson Model 500 against his head. They kick him and beat him, they lie, they deceive him, and they steal his Glock, the one with his fingerprints all over it. He wants it back. And he wants revenge.

So he tracks them, leaving a trail of violence that will run the length and breadth of a country, and touch the lives of:

  • Former cop Mat Joubert, working on his first dossier as a private investigator. It’s a ‘fifty-five’, police slang for a missing persons case. Danie Flint, easy-going, life of the party, route planner at the Atlantic Bus Company, disappeared three months ago. The SAPS bungled the case, and Flint’s wife is at the end of her tether. Joubert must track him down before her money runs out. But it’s been years since he did the grunt work, he no longer has the might of the State behind him, and the trail has gone icy cold.
  • And Milla Strachan, the former housewife, who walked out on her rich, cheating husband and abusive teenage son to start a new life. Milla, who had only seen South Africa from behind the high walls and alarm systems of her plush northern suburbs home, and through the rose-tinted glasses of the privileged.Struggling with being suddenly single at forty, trying to rebuild her relationship with her son, lost in a job market favouring the young and the wired, she has to settle for a lowly ‘journalism’ job at a secretive government agency. A whole new world opens up for her – including the murky realm of organised crime, Muslim extremism and terrorism, right on her doorstep. And then this world reaches out and touches her, draws her in.

A trail of death, stretching from the Chizarira tot the Cape Waterfront. And at the end of it, nobody will be untouched.

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About The Author

Picture Attributed To Krimidoedel From Wikimedia Commons

Deon Meyer was born in the South African town of Paarl in the winelands of the Western Cape in 1958, and grew up in Klerksdorp, in the gold mining region of Northwest Province.

After studying at the Potchefstroom University, he joined Die Volksblad, a daily newspaper in Bloemfontein as a reporter. Since then, he has worked as press liaison, advertising copywriter, creative director, web manager, Internet strategist, and brand consultant.

Deon wrote his first book when he was 14 years old, and bribed his two brothers into reading it. They were not impressed.

Heeding their wisdom, he did not write fiction again until he was in his early thirties, when he started publishing short stories in South African magazines.

“I still believe that is the best way to learn the craft of writing. Short stories teach you a lot about story structure – and you have limited space to develop character and plot,” says Deon.

All novels, with the excetion of the first, have been translated into 25 languages, having been written in his native Afrikaans.

Deon lives in Melkbosstrand on the South African West Coast with his wife and children

Other than his family, his big passions are motorcycling, music, reading, cooking and rugby.

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This is already on my reading list, although as I am on a book-buying ban, it may have to be a sneak download to my kindle!!!

 

 

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‘The Egyptian’ by Layton Green

June 23, 2011 By 4 Comments

 

After the success Layton Green has had with his first novel ‘The Summoner’, get ready for the next action packed adventure for his character, Dominic Grey.

‘The Egyptian’ is due for release on August 27th 2011, initially as an e-book only, but with plans for a paperback edition to follow a little later down the line.

I have already started reading the ARC copy, which Layton kindly forwarded to me and will be publishing my thoughts about it, a little nearer to the official release date.

For anyone interested in reading some great cult fiction, full of intrigue, hard-hitting action and suspense, then watch the events page, where details of a great double offer on both books, will be be announced soon….

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Synopsis taken from the author’s advance reading copy information

At a mausoleum in Cairo’s most notorious cemetery, a mercenary receives a package containing a silver test tube suspended in hydraulic stasis.

An investigative reporter tracking rogue biomedical companies is terrified by the appearance of a mummified man outside her Manhattan apartment.

A Bulgarian scientist who dabbles in the occult makes a startling discovery in his underground laboratory.

These seemingly separate events collide when Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, are hired by the CEO of an Egyptian biomedical firm to locate stolen research integral to the company’s new life extension product.  However, after witnessing the slaughter of a team of scientists by the remnants of a dangerous cult thought long abandoned, Grey and Viktor turn from pursuers to pursued.

From the gleaming corridors of visionary laboratories to the cobblestone alleys of Eastern Europe to a lost oasis in the Sahara, Grey and Viktor must sift through science and myth to uncover the truth behind the Egyptian and his sinister biotech – before that truth kills them.

 

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