YvonneJust one author review request this week, which came via Goodreads …
This debut novel, by new author Rick Brindle, was gifted as a MOBI file for Kindle download ….
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‘AN ANGEL’S ALTERNATIVE’
Riverside General Hospital, a place of harsh realities.
On Ingram Ward, Staff Nurse John Hunter is a man on the edge. Unable to move on from the recent traumas in his life, pushed to the limit, and liking his job less and less, he makes a drugs error, and questions why he even wants to be a nurse. The incident puts him on a collision course with the hospital’s new matron.
John’s best friend, Australian coronary care nurse, Dave Chiltern, discovers that helping a friend run his pub while he’s unwell can be more rewarding that his current job.
Roxanne Jones, John’s girlfriend and a care assistant on Ingram Ward, is contacted by her former boyfriend, who tries to re-ignite old flames.
Ward Sister Sarah Ashe struggles to focus on her job after leaving her violent husband.
Facing the impossible expectations of front- line NHS care, the nurses who struggle to save lives and preserve their own sanity as they do so, all face choices of their own. Do the angels have an alternative?
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RICK BRINDLE
Rick was born in Dorset, England, in 1968, although as his father was in the Army, he was educated and spent many of his childhood years in Germany.
On returning to the UK, Rick did mostly bar work, before in 1989, joining the RAF Regiment for three years, which included a tour of duty in the Gulf.
In 1993, he began training as a nurse, qualifying in 1996. He left the NHS in 2011, but still works as nurse.
Rick is an avid writer and is passionate about heavy metal music.
My experiences have informed the content of An Angel’s Alternative. I wanted to convey the issues and themes that many nurses are passionate about, but which many people may not be aware of: sense of powerlessness at work, a real wish to give good care, but frustration at the system that seems to create obstacles, fear of being struck off. A big part of the story, the drug error, is something that terrifies nurses. You find very few who actually admit to having made one, but the chances are, most have. The novel’s title is about another theme, what choices do nurses have, what choices do they face. John is tempted away from the health service and he wonders why he is so reluctant to make that move. Many nurses also think the same, and many seem to carry on simply because it’s the devil they know.
An Angel’s Alternative is the fourth novel I’ve written, but the first that reached standard that I was happy to publish. They say you should write about what you know, and the second novel I wrote was An Angel’s Alternative’s prequel, which I hope to publish at some point. I’m currently working on my next novel for publication. It was the first one I wrote, and is about another passion in my life, heavy metal music
Catch up with Rick:-
Facebook –
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Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house during the last week. Be warned that Mailbox Monday can lead to envy toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home, where links may be added each week. So why not stop by, leave a link to your own Mailbox Monday post, oh! and don’t forget to leave a comment for our three new joint administrators, after all, we all like to receive them … ‘Mailbox Monday’
Leslie of ‘Under My Apple Tree’
Serena of ‘Savvy Verse & Wit’
Vicki of ‘I’d Rather Be At The Beach’
This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
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I am looking forward to sharing some of your great ‘new finds’ this week
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This book sounds quite interesting. Our oldest daughter is an RN and though we don’t have a NHS, our system has its challenges as well. I look forward to your review of this.
The only new arrival at my house this week was “Bienville Parish” by Benjamin Brad Dison and it won’t interest anyone other than those with a connection to that area of Louisiana. For me, it’s not the connection to the location, but to the author. He’s (almost) family. 😉
Hi Kelly,
To us Brits, our NHS always seems on the brink of collapse and has a million things wrong with it. However, although it obviously has its challenges, it would still appear to be the envy of most of the World, which I guess is something that we (and that definitely includes me!), should take on board when we are busy complaining!
I checked out ‘Bienville Parish’ and am intirgued by your reference to the author almost being family! I love looking at books about bygone days, no matter whether I have a link to the location or not. It is the social history aspect of the words and images which interests me so much and they are generally excellent ‘coffee table’ books to pick up and browse through occasionally.
There is a publisher called ‘Francis Frith’ who produces a whole series of these books, maps and photographs, although it often feels much more personal if the book is written and populated by a local to the area, who has a keen interest in its heritage.
http://www.francisfrith.com/
Enjoy, and have a great week.
Brad is my younger daughter’s partner of several years. 😉 He put this book together on his own, but when my daughter was in college, she was part of a collaborative effort on a similar book:
http://www.amazon.com/Austin-College-Campus-History-The/dp/0738578576/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401640604&sr=8-1&keywords=austin+college
I got two copies of Brad’s book…one for myself, and one for the genealogy room at my local library. Even though it’s not relevant to my area, you never know what someone is searching for when working on their history.
Hi Kelly,
As you so rightly say, you never know what someone will search for when working on the their family history. My mother-in-law decided to research both her own and my father-in-law’s family trees, some years ago now, and it was amazing just how much history she managed to uncover and from sources and resources, that I would never have thought relevant.
The research involved in putting together such a piece of social history, must be so interesting and so rewarding. To then see that book published and on the shelves for sale, must be such a proud moment.
An Angel’s Alternative sounds interesting. I’m intrigued by the premise. I haven’t read a novel with nursing in the plot, so I’m curious to hear your thoughts Yvonne.
Happy weekend and happy reading 🙂
Hi Naida,
The only books I have ever previously read with nursing central to the plot, were many years ago and would have been the very occasional ‘Mills & Boon’ that I picked up. I no longer read any of those books, so discovering a more serious novel with a nursing theme, is quite exciting!
Thanks for stopping by, I hope that your weekend was good and that you managed to relax with a little reading along the way!
Whilst I love tv hospital dramas (Casualty, Holby City etc) I don’t often read fiction set in hospitals and when I do it tends to be books set in the 1950’s that are largely based on fact and set around trainee nurses so this sounds like it would make a wonderful change. Definitely one I’ll look out for, thanks.
Oh and on the subject of the NHS. In my opinion and experience whilst at its best during an emergency – I’d hate to be ill and worrying how I was going to pay for treatment . As a person with several health on the whole I’m amazed by how our health service copes despite all the ever growing pressures on it.
Hi Tracy,
When ‘Casualty’ first started … wait for it, way back in 1986 ( the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world), we used to watch it all the time. However, I can’t remember the last time we caught an episode and we certainly don’t watch any of the subsequent spin-offs, or other similar programmes. In fact, aside from ‘Eastenders’, I have no idea about any of the current soaps or television dramas!
I guess that the effieciency and effectiveness of the NHS, differs from area to area and can only be based on personal experience. As someone who (touch wood), seldom visits the GP or hospital, when I do really need their help, they just don’t seem to be there for me, which leaves me feeling annoyed and not in the least bit sympathetic towards the nursing staff at all. I am pleased that your experiences have, on the whole, been relatively good and that you get the treament you need in a timely and caring way.
Thanks for your interesting comments and have a good week.
This sounds really good to me, must look into it, enjoy!
Hi Mary Ann,
I think there is more than a little fact incorporated into the fiction of this story, so I am quite intrigued to see just how that mix works out.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment, I appreciate it.
Have a great week.
I hope you enjoy your book!
Hi Vicki,
I haven’t read this genre of story for some time now, so I shall be looking forward to reading ‘An Angel’s Alternative’ without a doubt.
I hope that you enjoy your new ‘finds’ this week and thanks for stopping by.
A good nurse really is an angel but they are so overworked and underpaid, I can how the pressure would get to them. This sounds interesting.
Hi Kathy,
I agree that a good nurse really is an angel and also that conditions within the health service can find them overworked and caring for far too many patients at any given point in time. However, having been on the not so nice end of nursing service, where caring was definitely not on the agenda, I find myself torn between having sympathy for them and antipathy, in equal proportions.
I am hoping that ‘An Angel’s Alternative’ offers an unbiased and even handed approach to the story, then it should make for an interesting read.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and for your interesting comments, I always value both.
ENJOY your reading week, Yvonne.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
Hi Elizabeth,
I have done a little reading this week, but only a little and my blogging has been almost non-existent! I just don’t know where the time has gone to and now the weekend has come around again!!
I did decide to join Goodreads last week, so I have been busy entering some of my reviews. Now all I need to do is to become involved in the community and start acquiring some friends …. more time that I don’t have …. HELP!
Have a great weekend and I’ll catch up with you soon.