Blog Tour: The Forgotten by Linda S. Prather @jacodypress @Bloodhoundbook


Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: March 7, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Genre: Thriller 

Blurb: 

Loki Redmond is positive her grandfather’s 100 acre farm in Mississippi will be the perfect place for Jake Savior to heal after the murder of his wife and his banishment from law enforcement before they begin their partnership in Redmond Private Investigations.
But fate has other plans.
The discovery of a month old baby and young girl with no memory of her name, running from a man she calls The Devil, plunges them into danger. Loki’s Native American connection to the spirits makes her a target for the delusions of a madman who is determined to kill her.
Tension continues to rise when a special unit of the FBI enters the case, and Jake is forced to decide what he believes in. Can he change the future seen by Special Agent Brian Wilkes, or is Loki destined to die?

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Forgotten. I have a guest post from the author to share today.


Guest Post: 

MY WRITING PROCESS

 1) What am I working on?


I’m currently working on two major projects, the third novel in the Deception series co-authored with fellow bestselling author, M. A. Comley, and the first in a new series, yet unnamed. On the background burner is No Doubt, the third novel in the Jenna James Legal Thrillers, and a group of novellas in the Catherine Mans Psychic Suspense novels. Add to that outlining the second in the Loki Redmond and Jake Savior series, and I foresee lots of hours at the computer ahead for me this year. Exciting!

 

 

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

 

I think you could take a thousand authors and give them the same story to write and each would be unique. My writing is interspersed with my own style, words and emotions. Although mysteries and thrillers have the same general themes of good guys/bad guys, my good guys and bad guys will be different than anyone else’s. My years with the judicial system and working with law enforcement allow me an insight into both areas that carries over into my work. I love character driven fiction and truthfully once the characters are developed they tell the stories.

 

3. Why do I write what I do?


A question I’ve been asked before and it’s one that’s sometimes difficult to answer. I love all things mysterious and things that make me think outside the norm. I’ve always loved puzzles and cryptograms. I love analyzing dreams. My metaphysical studies into psychics, hypnosis, dream analysis, touch healing and natural herbal remedies added a new element to my love of mysteries. By combining the two, mystery and metaphysical, I felt I could write a more entertaining story as well as offer some research and facts into the metaphysical areas that I’ve found beneficial.

 

4. How does my writing process work?


With a lot of blank pages staring at me. Just kidding. With me every book is different. Sometimes I have nothing more than a title that begs to tell a story. Sometimes it’s a character who wants their story told. I’ve often wished I could sit down and do an outline and follow it, but that never works for me. My first draft is usually my outline. It tells the story from A to Z. From there I go back and read and rewrite putting in the facts, geography, fluff as we sometimes call it, until the story is complete. I can spend hours upon hours of computer research for a simple paragraph in order to make sure the facts are correct. I love writing early in the morning and late at night. In the mornings my mind is fresh and perhaps I’ve dreamed a scene I really want to get down on paper. In the evenings my mind is filled with real life emotions, feelings, problems and accomplishments which I can relate to the different characters.

 

Blog Tour: Rome is Where the Heart Is by Tilly Tennant @TillyTenWriter @bookouture


Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: March 9, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Chick Lit 

Blurb: 

Can a holiday romance ever have a happy ending? Escape with Kate to the sun-drenched city of Rome where a love affair is just about to begin …


When Kate’s husband Matt dumps her on Friday 13th she decides enough is enough – it’s time for her to have some fun and so she hops on a plane to Rome. A week of grappa and gelato in pavement cafes under azure blue skies will be just what the doctor ordered.


What she doesn’t count on is meeting and falling for sexy policeman Alessandro. But the course of true love doesn’t run smoothly – Alessandro has five meddling sisters, a fearsome mama and a beautiful ex Orazia. They’re all certain that Kate is not the girl for him.


Can Kate and Alessandro’s love last the distance? Or will she return home with the one souvenir she doesn’t want – a broken heart …


Fall in love with the colourful cafes and the cobbled piazzas of Rome and follow Kate’s dreams and her heart in this enchanting escapist read. Perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Carol Matthews.

Review: 

I’m delighted to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Rome is Where the Heart Is. I’m sharing the day with the lovely Kaisha at The Writing Garnet so be sure and check in there for her thoughts as well. 


Do you need a vacation but it isn’t happening anytime soon? Me too, but after reading this gem of a book I feel as if I’ve had a refreshing holiday in Rome, it provided an absolutely lovely escape from reality and transported me to the sunny streets of Italy. 

Poor Kate, when the story begins she’s just been unceremoniously dumped by her oblivious husband Matt. He seriously needs to get a clue, and though Kate knows she’s better off without him, that’s easier said than done. They’ve been together for almost twenty years after all, and while being suddenly single and free again is exciting, it’s also scary for her. Looking for a way to escape and heal her heartbreak, she books a vacation to Rome, all alone. She has plans to sightsee and eat plenty of delicious Roman cuisine, but almost as soon as she arrives, things don’t go according to her plans, but is that always a bad thing? 

I LOVED the characters in this book, Kate is warm and likable, and her relationship with her two sisters, Anna and Lily was sweet and genuine. She meets Jamie in Rome and they immediately hit it off (as friends) he’s there on business from New York and he was just a whole lot of fun, just the type of friend Kate needs at the right time. Alessandro is a local police officer who represents everything you would picture in terms of a sexy Italian man. I kept hearing his accent in my head and let’s just say I could completely understand why Kate was charmed by him. He has a crazy, dynamic family with five sisters and a typical Italian mother. They were all easy to like and made me laugh. 

This was my first Tennant book and I was drawn to her easy, breezy writing style. The beautiful backdrop of Rome was the perfect setting for love and romance and then add in the food? Heavenly! I was suddenly craving good wine and even better food, guess I need to book myself an Italian vacation. I loved the storyline but what I appreciated the most was that even though Kate and Alessandro had an instant connection, it wasn’t a quick fix to happily ever after. Kate returns home and has to deal with her ex and family making it so much more real than if she had stayed with Alessandro initially. I’m so pleased that this is the first book in a new series and the second book is out in April, can’t wait to see what happens with these two next. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 



From a young age, Tilly Tennant was convinced that she was destined for the stage. Once she realised she wasn’t actually very good at anything that would put her on the stage, she started to write stories instead. There were lots of terrible ones, like The Pet Rescue Gang (aged eight), which definitely should not see the light of day ever again. Thankfully, her debut novel, Hopelessly Devoted to Holden Finn was not one of those, and since it hit the Amazon best seller lists she hasn’t looked back. Born in Dorset, she currently lives in Staffordshire with her husband, two daughters, three guitars, four ukuleles, two violins and a kazoo.


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Blog Tour: Anglesey Blue by Dylan H Jones @tudormanx @Bloodhoundbook


Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: March 1, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 

MURDER. BETRAYAL. REVENGE.


It’s not the homecoming Detective Inspector Tudor Manx was expecting, but solving the case is just the start of his problems.


Recently transferred from the London Met to the North Wales Constabulary, Detective Inspector Tudor Manx has come to Island of Anglesey hoping for a quiet life.


But his hopes are dashed when a brutally mutilated body is found crucified to the bow of a fishing boat sending shockwaves through the peaceful community.


Manx’s faces pressure to solve the case quickly equipped with an inexperienced team. 


Is the body a message or a premonition of more murders to come?


Adding to his mounting problems, Manx’s troubled past returns to haunt him. Manx left the island after the disappearance of his younger sister, Miriam; a cold case that still remains unsolved.


Can Manx solve the case before the body count rises?


How will he cope when he is forced to choose between his family and his duty as a police officer? 


This is the first book in the thrilling new DI Tudor Manx series.

I’m the final stop on the blog tour for Anglesey Blue and I have an extract to share with you. 


Extract: 

“You’re telling me. Nearly had a bloody riot on my hands. Should have had you lot on speed dial.” She retrieved a scrap of paper from under the bar, and read it aloud. “Try this one. How many number one singles did the Swedish Super Group, Abba, have in their eighteen-year career?” “UK, or worldwide?” Gwen smiled, and laid down the paper. “See, that’s why you’re a copper, asking the right questions. Didn’t bloody say, did it? So, Dewi Diesel and Mick the Chimney go at it, hammer and tongs. Had to give them both a pint on the house to calm them down. Honestly, men! They’re no better than kids sometimes.” “Well, that’s the problem with pop quiz nights, isn’t it?” Manx paused before continuing. “Winner takes it all.” Gwen thought for a moment. “Very bloody funny!” she said, slapping her hands on the bar like a punctuation mark. “Right, can’t be standing here all night gabbing with you. Aiding and abetting they call it, yeah?” “More like co-operating with police enquiries,” Manx said, waving his nearly finished pint in her direction. “Well, it’s not like much happens round here that needs enquiring about, is there? Proper You should take me up on that haircut, before I put up my prices. Once word gets out,you could be waiting for days.”
“Days?”
“I’m renting the old salon next to the wool shop. Nothing fancy, mind. A couple of stations,and one of those big hair-dryers, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right?” Gwen skimmed afew, frothy centimetres off the top of the beer, and slid it over the bar.
Manx reached for the pint, and caught a glimpse of his long, thin face in the mirror behind the bar. It made him wonder for a moment as to the identity of the middle-aged man staring back at him from behind the bottles and optics. The harshness of the florescent light was hardly flattering, not that it mattered—Manx’s face wore his years too comfortably, he thought. He had longed for some rebellion, some rage against the onset of age, but his face appeared to have surrendered without much of a fight. The dark, puffy rings that puckered beneath his eyes,the three-day old stubble, and the slightly too long sideburns peppered with grey did little to distract from the overall impression of a forty-nine-year-old policeman, with little time for personal vanity, but, as of yet, had not given up completely.
 
“Might take you up on that offer, after all.” Gwen nodded. “I can fit you in Tuesday afternoon.” “Outstanding. Tuesday, it is,” Manx said, turning his gaze from the mirror’s exacting judgment. “And don’t be a stranger. We could do with some new faces in here, even if it’s just your ugly mug.” There was little chance of being a stranger here, Manx thought. He’d been back on the island precisely fourteen days, and each one of them had ended in the exact same location; the lounge bar at the Pilot Arms, Moelfre. Not much has changed since he was last here, either. The neat regiment of cracked Toby jugs still held court over the fireplace, casting their beady enamel eyes over the clientele. The wide bay windows were still festooned with a rag-tag weave of old fishing nets. In the main bar, a scrap of young men clacked balls around the pool table, and in the snug, a coven of young girls huddled around a table, all hushed secrets and loud makeup. Along the bar, the older men in flat caps and corduroy trousers occupied the barstools that had, by now, shifted and familiarised themselves to fit each of their buttocks with comfortable precision. The pub must have seen better days, Manx thought, but he struggled to remember when. Maybe the Pilot Arms was one of those establishments whose better days were yet to come. Was he really back where it all started? It wasn’t hard for Manx to recall his teenage self, flirting with the barmaid, and pestering the members of the Young Farmer’s Club to buy him drinks, before being thrown out on his ear at closing time. You can take the boy out of Anglesey, but you can’t drink the Anglesey out of the boy, he thought to himself, and savoured another mouthful of beer, as if to prove his own point. Gwen winked at him from the other side of the bar.
 
It was a casual sort of wink; the sort you give your friend when you’re in cahoots about something. Manx guessed she was in her early thirties, give or take a couple of years, and possessed the pale, almost pearlescent Welsh complexion, with the requisite blush of pink around the cheekbones. Her hair was coal-black, and she wore it up in a tousled bun which left two strands to fall in a nonchalant fashion across her cheekbones. It was Gwen’s eyes, however, which captured most peoples’ attention. They would inevitably linger a second too long on her eyes, as if they couldn’t imagine a colour that striking existing naturally—a deep green, tempered by flecks of almond around the pupils. Someone had mentioned to Manx she had a young boy, six or so, but the father had left for Saudi Arabia a few years back. Manx couldn’t blame the man for escaping the island; he’d done the same himself, but leaving behind a kid and a woman like Gwen Schofield seemed like a rash decision he’d come to regret. Manx was about to sink the remaining drops of his sequel and order the full trilogy, when his mobile vibrated anxiously across the bar. He checked the number: work. He contemplated not answering, but they’d eventually track him down, and send over a junior to knock on the door of his neighbour and landlady, Megan Evans, who appeared to know the whereabouts of everyone in the village at any given time. “Manx,” he said, with an abruptness he hoped would ensure whoever was interrupting his off-duty Saturday night, would keep it short. PC Kevin Priddle’s voice was loud and over-excited. The hue and cry of a rainstorm rumbled and cracked in the background as he spoke. Manx looked out. In the past hour, the weather had turned from a chilly October evening into an ugly, full-throated thunderstorm. Along the faint horizon of the Irish Sea, several container ships were already anchored, their pilot lights twitching nervously through the fog. They’d be there for the night; no port this side of Liverpool was going to let them dock until the storm had passed. Manx moved closer to the door. “Where did you say you were?” He sensed an edge of urgency and maybe even a twinge of excitement in the Constable’s reply. “Jesus! And you can’t locate another senior officer? No, it’s fine. I’ll drive myself.” Manx hung up, and returned to the lounge. He placed a twenty on the bar, and instructed Gwen to keep the change. “Leaving me already?” she said. “Can’t keep those super models waiting. They’re very temperamental; goes with the job,” Manx said. “Oh, and by the way, nine number one’s in the U.K., and no one’s completely sure about the worldwide. In case it comes up again.” Gwen smiled. “Fount of knowledge, you are,” she said. “And don’t forget, Tuesday at eleven. Make a new man of you.” * * * The rain swept sideways into Manx’s face, as he stepped from the shelter of the pub. He walked briskly past the sea-front car park, all but abandoned for the winter, and towards the narrow slip of road leading to the Bryn Mawr housing estate. Turning up his jacket collar, he felt a cold trickle of rain trace down his spine. He shuddered. Welcome to fucking Wales, he thought, and ducked his head against the elements he felt were just beginning to conspire against him.

About the Author: 

Dylan is a native, Anglesey-born Welshman who now lives in Oakland, California with his wife Laura and daughter, Isabella. He has worked as a media executive and copywriter at various TV networks and advertising agencies both in London and San Francisco. Currently, he is owner and Creative Director of Jones Digital Media, a video content agency.


Dylan was born on Anglesey and moved away when he was seven years old to the Northeast of England. His family then moved to the Wirral for several years before settling back on Anglesey when he was fourteen. Dylan studied Communication Arts and Media at the University of Leeds, then moved to Cardiff, working for S4C. In 1993 he relocated to London as a Creative Director with Channel 4 TV. Today, he lives in Oakland, California. His parents, sister and most of his immediate family still live on the island.


Anglesey Blue is the first in a series of crime novels featuring the sardonic, sharp-witted but troubled detective, Detective Inspector Tudor Manx. Dylan’s life, both on and off the island, inspired him to develop the series.


 “I love to use my imagination to create believable characters in a setting I know well,” Dylan says. “I want DI Tudor Manx and all the supporting characters to live in readers’ minds for many years. I’m looking forward to writing more of Tudor’s journey as he confronts the demons of his past to find the peace and redemption he’s searching for.”


Blog Tour: Sins of the Father by Sheryl Browne @SherylBrowne


Goodreads|Amazon UK|Amazon US
Release date: February 28, 2017

Publisher: Death by Choc Lit

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Blurb: 
What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?

Detective Inspector Matthew Adams is slowly picking up the pieces from a case that nearly cost him the lives of his entire family and his own sanity too. On the surface, he seems to be moving on, but he drinks to forget – and when he closes his eyes, the nightmares still come.

But the past is the past – or is it? Because the evil Patrick Sullivan might be out of the picture, but there’s somebody who is just as intent on making Matthew’s life hell, and they’re doing it in the cruelest way possible.

When Matthew finds himself accused of a horrific and violent crime, will his family stand by him? And will he even be around to help when his new enemy goes after them as well?

Excerpt: 

Matthew woke abruptly, hurtled from sleep by a nightmare he thought would never end. Sweat saturating his face, pooling in the hollow of his neck, he pulled himself upright and squinted against the thin trickle of sunlight filtering through the slatted blinds at the window. His first thought was that he had a hangover the size of an airdrome. His second, that they had no blinds at their bedroom window.

Easing his legs over the edge of the bed, a wheeze rattling his chest and nausea gripping his stomach as the room revolved in sick-making revolutions around him, his gaze went instinctively to the bedside table. His inhaler was there, the blue curative he carried with him, lined up neatly alongside his phone. Disorientated, Matthew blinked hard. His vision was blurred. His memory? Where the bloody hell was he?

A hotel room. Functional, he registered. Scanning his surroundings, he noted the fire instructions pinned to the door, the ancient fire extinguisher on the wall, the dusty circa nineteen eighties carpet. A shithole. Matthew closed his eyes and swallowed against the acrid taste in the back of his throat, then almost had a heart attack as his phone rang, loud and shrill, screeching through his brain like an express train. Scrambling around his mind for some recollection of what had happened the night before, he came up with nothing that was tangible, his tenuous thoughts seeming to slip away, like sea filtering ineffectually through sand. He had a few grainy, grey memories: Jasmine, the apartment, tastefully decorated; the painting, abstract colours intermingling; coffee, dripping; shoes, clacking, like the ominous slow tick of a clock. One shoe. A stiletto. Connor …? Had he been there? Here? Matthew squeezed his eyes shut, tried desperately to remember. Natalie? Christ, no.

His phone rang again, sharp, insistent. Becky, it had to be, and Matthew had no clue what to say to her. Attempting to control his escalating panic, to regulate his breathing, he let it ring and reached for his inhaler instead … and then stopped dead.

Seeing the crimson stains on his hand, Matthew’s heart somersaulted in his chest.

Dried blood, he registered, trying hard not to let the panic, now gripping his gut like a vice, cancel out logical thought. Old blood. His? How old?

Bringing both palms shakily to his face, he examined them. They were ingrained with the stuff. He flipped them over. His knuckles were bruised. Right hand. Sweet Jesus, what had he done? Disentangling himself from the duvet, Matthew scrambled to his feet, then quelling the nausea now clawing its way up his windpipe, he checked himself over. Deep wheals ran vertically down his chest. Four. Matthew swallowed hard. Checked his limbs. Found scratches on his arms. His neck, too. He could feel those, raw and sore.

His pulse rate ratcheting up, he yanked the duvet back. More blood. Too much. Stark against the grey-white of the sheets. Trying desperately to keep a lid on his emotions, he turned, stumbling towards the bathroom, where he leaned over the toilet and vomited the sparse contents of his stomach.

Oohh doesn’t this sound great?! I’m also going to share a little information about her other book, After She’s Gone

Blurb: 

After She’s Gone

He’s killed your child and kidnapped your wife. What would YOU do?

There’s evil and then there’s Patrick Sullivan. A drug dealer, pimp and murderer, there are no depths to which Patrick would not sink, and Detective Inspector Matthew Adams has found this out in the most devastating way imaginable. 

When Patrick’s brother is shot dead in a drug bust gone wrong, the bitter battle between the two men intensifies, and Matthew finds it increasingly difficult to hold the moral high ground. All he wants is to make the pimping scum suffer the way he did … the way Lily did.

But being at war with such a depraved individual means that it’s not just Matthew who’s in danger. Patrick has taken a lot from Matthew, but he hasn’t taken everything – and now he wants everything.

About the Author: 


Sheryl Browne brings you edgy, sexy contemporary fiction and psychological thrillers.

A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Romantic Novelists’ Association and awarded a Red Ribbon by The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies, where she completed her MA in Creative Writing.

Recommended to the publisher by the WH Smith Travel fiction buyer, Sheryl’s contemporary fiction comes to you from multi-award winning Choc Lit.

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Trailers for the books: 

DI Matthew Adams series: https://youtu.be/0MqZ5TpBwGk

After She’s Gone: https://youtu.be/ujK0mFpYYrM

Blog Tour: Guest Post Dead Embers by Matt Brolly @MatthewBrolly


Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: March 6, 2017

Publisher: Canelo 

Genre: Crime Thriller

Blurb: 

An explosive fire. A double murder. And that’s just the start…


When DCI Michael Lambert is called out to an apparent house fire, he knows it can’t be routine. Instead he finds the remains of a burnt house, a traumatised child and two corpses – one of whom is a senior police officer.


Lambert’s got other problems. Anti-corruption are onto his boss. His relationships is on the rocks. He can’t get over his ex-wife and he keeps blacking out.


But when a detective has been murdered the stakes are too high to get distracted. All is not as it seems. As the investigation continues Lambert realises he is getting drawn into something altogether bigger and more terrifying than he could ever have imagined…


Trust no one.


Gripping, chilling to its core and full of twists, the powerful new DCI Michael Lambert from Matt Brolly is perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Helen H. Durrant and Michael Hambling. 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Dead Embers, I have a guest post from the author to share today. 

Guest Post: 

First Draft to Finished Copy

 

I’ve read that some writers hate the sight of a blank page – but I love it! Figuratively and literally (I have way too many unused notebooks in my office!) A blank page has infinite possibilities and you never know where it is going to take you.

 

I started writing Dead Embers, the third in the DCI Lambert series, in the middle of 2016. Being part of a series brings its advantages and drawbacks. Whilst it’s great already knowing the majority of the leading characters, the structure of a series means that you have to respect what has happened before – this even goes so far as having to remember how characters spell their names!

 

For me, the first draft is all about mapping the story out. I try to write it as quickly as possible. This usually means that I’m left with basic structure of a novel which is in one hell of a mess. Then the real work begins.

 

I often have to tell myself at this stage that everything will be ok. Having bulldozed my way through the first draft it is easy to get hung up on the numerous errors and plot holes. But as this always happens I remind myself that continuous editing will get the novel into shape.

 

For the next draft I start ironing out plot holes and obvious structural errors. For Dead Embers these were quite significant. There are a number of strands in Dead Embers and it was important to clarify how these all gelled together. I probably worked through the whole text another two or three times before I felt that the structure was working, then another two looking more in depth at each paragraph, sentence and word. After one more read through, I sent it over to my agent and publisher.

 

Then the waiting. Although I felt pretty confident the book worked, it’s impossible to know for sure what the reaction will be. Fortunately my agent and publishers are awesome and their feedback was hugely positive. However, there were a few minor structural concerns (including a couple of paragraphs which had mysteriously disappeared during email) and some recommendations on character development which I dutifully completed over a few more versions. And then the book was finished…

 

Oh yes, then the line edit. I am very fortunate working with Canelo who supply an amazing line editor who really gets to grips with the nuts and bolts of the language used in the book. I value this part of the process so much as it sharpens the finished work and hopefully results in a book which makes complete sense and has no wasted sentences!

 

Then my publishers do a copy edit checking for any glaring spelling, grammar errors, and I sign off on the book – simple!

 

I made the mistake once of comparing a first draft to a finished draft. The two documents were almost incomparable but I guess that’s what makes the process so satisfactory.

 

And now that Dead Embers is out there for everyone to read…back to that lovely blank page.

 

About the Author: 


Following his law degree where he developed an interest in criminal law, Matt completed his Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. He reads widely across all genres, and is currently working on the third in his Michael Lambert thriller series. Matt lives in London with his wife and their two young children.

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Blog Tour: Guest Post by T. A. Williams @TAWilliamsBooks

Title: To Rome, with Love

Author: T.A. Williams

Release Date: February 17, 2017

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Publisher: HQ Digital

About TO ROME, WITH LOVE



It’s a summer of second chances…



Just a week before her big day, Sarah returns home to find a note from her husband-to-be – the wedding’s off! So when her boss decides to send her on an epic cycling trip, from Venice to Rome, it seems like the perfect distraction…



Although she never expected the distraction to come in the form of her oh-so-handsome, but slightly serious, cycling companion, Miles. And with still 600 miles of beautiful scenery, mouthwatering food and delicious wine yet to cover, anything could happen!


Where to find TO ROME, WITH LOVE

Goodreads  ||  Amazon  ||  iTunes  ||  Barnes & Noble

Enter the Giveaway!

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Guest Post: 

T. A. Williams (Trevor) tells us why he decided to set his latest romantic comedy in Italy.

 

  Why is To Rome, with Love set in Italy? Easy answer – I love the place. After university (I did French and German) I couldn’t find a “sensible” job in the UK, so I decided to learn another language. I was offered a job teaching English in Italy and it changed my life forever.

  I spent almost four years living in the very north of Italy, in the Alps, and then moved to Florence for another four years. In the course of my time in Italy I met and married Mariangela, my wife of 41 years now, and made a lot of friends. If you live in a country for all that time you get to learn the language really well and get to know the people really well, with all their quirks.

  So, what do I really love about Italy?

  Well, there’s the climate. I come from Devon, down in the southwest of England where the winters are normally mild, but grey, and the summers occasionally warm, but often punctuated by a lot of rain. The thing about Italy is that it has a climate, not just weather. If you want to invite friends round for a barbecue on a summer night, you can be pretty sure it won’t suddenly develop into a mad rush for cover as the heavens open. All right, in spite of what some people say, this global warming business seems to be a real thing and climates aren’t quite as predictable as they once were but still… summer in Italy generally means hot and dry, and winter cold and dry. The way I like it.

  The people are wonderful. When I arrived in Italy, unable to speak a word of the language, I found people only too happy to help me out with odd words of English, French or, on one memorable occasion, Latin. I have been invited into so many people’s homes for dinner, I have lost count. If you ignore the pickpockets in the big cities and, of course, the Mafia, the Italian man (and woman) in the street is almost invariably warm, welcoming and very generous.

  So, I like the place and the people. So why set the book on a bike ride? Venice to Rome is a ride I did myself a few years back with a group of friends and the experience has stayed with me. Hopefully, as you read To Rome, With Love, you will get a sense of the overwhelming beauty of what it’s like to cycle round the Venice lagoon, through the wonders of Umbria, or up the infernal climb to the little Republic of San Marino. I would like to think that my love of the historical splendours of Italy will shine through, particularly as my group of cyclists visit amazing places like Ravenna, Gubbio or Orvieto and, of course, Rome itself.

  My books always tend to be set in lovely places like Tuscany, Cornwall, the south of France (my next book is set in Provence) or rural Spain. I always like to try to transport my readers away from their own lives for a few hours, to somewhere different, beautiful and fascinating. Hopefully, as you read To Rome, With Love, you will get a taste of why I love Italy so much.

About T.A. Williams

Firstly, my name isn’t T A. It’s Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, “Dirty Minds”, one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn’t possibly comment. Ask my wife…


I’ve written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I’m enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.


I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.  


I’ve been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she’s right.


Where to find Trevor

Website  ||  Facebook  ||  Twitter  ||  Goodreads  ||  Amazon

Blog Tour:  The Hell of it All by Bob Kroll


Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: March 14, 2017

Publisher: ECW Press 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

Retired detective T.J. Peterson is working the table scraps that his former partner, Danny Little, sometimes throws his way. One of them has Peterson hearing from a snitch about a body buried 30 years ago, the same time a drug kingpin went MIA. Peterson is also ducking an ex-con with a grudge, a hitman who likes playing jack-in-the-box with a 12 gauge. Then a former lover re-enters Peterson’s life and begs him to find her daughter, an addict who knows too much about the local drug trade for her own safety. The search for the girl and the truth about the 30-year-old corpse takes Peterson down into the hell of it all, deep into the underworld of crack houses, contract killing, money laundering, and crooked professionals doubling down on their investments of black money.

Welcome to my stop on the The Hell of it All blog tour. I have an excerpt to share with you today and the second part of it will be available on Do Some Damage on March 9th. This book sounds great, definitely on my TBR list! 


Excerpt: 

Chapter One

Peterson swung the black Jetta onto the shoulder of the narrow coastal road, grabbed the cell phone from the shotgun seat, and caught the call on the fourth ring.

“You’re late,” a man’s voice said.

“I’m five minutes away.”

“I don’t like it, man.”

“Just sit tight!”

“Five minutes, and I’m counting.”

The phone went dead, and Peterson gunned it. In the darkness, he missed the snowed-in path to the beach and squealed to a stop. He scowled at his mistake, then popped the transmission into reverse, backed up, and made the turn into the icy snowmobile ruts.

Scrub spruce and alders raked both sides of the Jetta. The occasional frost-heaved boulder ground hard against the undercarriage. Peterson heard a snowmobile roar to life not far away. Then the path took a wide turn and abruptly ended in a small clearing surrounded by snow-matted grass. At the far end, a heavy-set man in a black snowmobile suit and black helmet stood beside his machine.

Peterson knew him as a low-level criminal with big dreams; the kind who talks speed but cruises twenty clicks under the limit. His name was Harvey Roop, but because of the way he hunched over, as though he were carrying a heavy shell on his back, everyone called him Turtle.

Peterson reached for the .38 Ruger in the glove box and climbed from his car. He shoved the gun into the right-hand pocket of his brown field coat. He could taste the salt air in the cold wind off the ocean and looked over to where he heard waves breaking against the rocky shore. In the moonlight, he saw their crests bright with foam and the dark shapes of wild pea and rose bushes poking through the snow.

Then Turtle snapped on a heavy-duty flashlight and blasted the beam into Peterson’s eyes. Peterson hollered for him to aim it somewhere else.

“I don’t like being here with you,” Turtle said, his voice muffled through the helmet. He crossbeamed the path Peterson had driven down.

“You’re the one dressed like Darth Vader,” Peterson said.

Turtle shut the flashlight, then leaned over the snowmobile and killed the motor. He removed the helmet and set it on the seat. He worked a wad of gum in his mouth.

 

Excerpt to be continued on March 9 on Do Some Damage

 

Excerpted from The Hell of It All by Bob Kroll. © 2017 by Bob Kroll. All rights reserved. Published by ECW Press Ltd. http://www.ecwpress.com

 About the Author: 


Bob Kroll has been a professional writer for more than 35 years. His work includes books, stage plays, radio dramas, TV documentaries, and historical docu-dramas for museums. The Hell of It All is the second novel in a projected trilogy featuring T.J. Peterson. Kroll lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Visit Bob Kroll’s website to learn more about him.

 

Blog Tour: Cursed by Thomas Enger @EngerThomas @OrendaBooks


Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: February 15, 2017

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

When Hedda Hellberg fails to return from a retreat in Italy, where she has been grieving for her recently dead father, her husband discovers that his wife’s life is tangled in mystery. Hedda never left Oslo, the retreat has no record of her and, what’s more, she appears to be connected to the death of an old man, gunned down on the first day of the hunting season in the depths of the Swedish forests. Henning Juul becomes involved in the case when his ex-wife joins in the search for the missing woman, and the estranged pair find themselves enmeshed both in the murky secrets of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, and in the painful truths surrounding the death of their own son. With the loss of his son to deal with, as well as threats to his own life and to that of his ex-wife, Juul is prepared to risk everything to uncover a sinister maze of secrets that ultimately leads to the dark heart of European history.

Review: 

I’m so pleased to welcome you to my stop on the Cursed blog tour today! I’m sharing today with Never Imitate so please visit there as well. 


This is the fourth book in Enger’s Henning Juul series but my first book and man do I want to go back and catch up now! I wasn’t confused by jumping in at this point, but the characterization was so great in this book that I just know I’m missing out by not reading the first three. 

Henning is the ultimate flawed protagonist with so much baggage. He’s currently on leave from his job as a journalist and he’s haunted by the death of his six year old son, Jonas. My worst fear is losing one of my children, I just cannot imagine it, so seeing him so desperately searching for answers as to who set the fire that killed his son was something I could completely understand and respect. The only thing that keeps him going most days is that he’s getting so close to getting justice for Jonas. As he continues to follow leads, he’s dealing with his ex wife and Jonas’ mother, Nora. These two broke my heart, their grief is heavy and palpable and their relationship is so complex. Nora is also a journalist and she’s investigating the disappearance of Hedda, an old friend from school. When their two separate investigations collide, shocking betrayals and secrets are revealed. 

There were several threads running throughout this book and I was hard pressed to see how they would all fit together, but Enger brilliantly weaves them together in the end. I’ve come to love the gloominess and oppressive feelings associated with Nordic Noir and Enger hits on both levels. The pacing here was fantastic, it wasn’t too fast or too slow, it kept me engaged and turning pages like a maniac. The tension kept mounting and mounting until things all came to a head in a spectacular conclusion. Then there was the very end, I’m talking about the last line, oh my God did that throw me for a loop!! I’m frantic for the next book, well done. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my review copy.

About the Author: 


Thomas Enger (b. 1973) is a former journalist. He made his debut with the crime novel Burned (Skinndod) in 2009, which became aninternational sensation before publication. Burned is the first in a series of 5 books about the journalist Henning Juul, which delves into the depths of Oslo’s underbelly, skewering the corridors of dirty politics and nailing the fast-moving world of 24-hour news. Rights to the series have been sold to 26 countries to date. In 2013 Enger published his first book for young adults, a dark fantasy thriller called The Evil Legacy, for which he won the U-prize (best book Young Adult). Enger also composes music, and he lives in Oslo.

Website

Blog Tour: The Promise by Casey Kelleher @CaseyKelleher @bookouture


Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: February 17, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Thriller

Blurb: 

Family ties can be deadly…


THE PROMISE


Two sisters. One murder. And an unbreakable bond.


Growing up in squalor with their drug-addicted prostitute mother, sisters Georgie and Marnie Parker have had to endure the very darkest side of life. 


When their mother is sentenced for brutally murdering a client, Georgie and Marnie’s already precarious lives are blown apart and they now share a terrible secret. Sent to a children’s home, the sisters hope this might finally be their safe haven after years of neglect. But they soon discover they’re in real danger.


Desperate to find a place of safety, Georgie and Marnie run for their lives, but end up in the hands of Delray Anderton. A violent London gangster and notorious pimp, Delray has big plans for beautiful teenager Georgie, seeing her as a chance to make some serious money.


Fiercely protective of each other, Georgie and Marnie must escape the clutches of a man who will do anything to keep the sisters for himself. And, they must keep the promise they made to each other – no one can ever know the truth. 


A gritty, shocking and gripping thriller that will engross fans of Kimberly Chambers, Martina Cole and Jessie Keane.

Review:

I’m delighted to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for The Promise. Today is the last day and I’m sharing it with the lovely Chelle’s Book Reviews, do check out the previous stops on the tour. 


Kelleher has managed to write yet another electrifying, dark and twisted book. I’m beginning to appreciate a good thriller more and more lately, not just a thriller with a huge mystery. Though this earns a firm spot in the thriller category, there were some surprising elements that I wasn’t expecting, making for a riveting read. 

This one was heartbreaking on so many levels. Georgie and Marnie have had such a sad and tough life. Their mother Josie is a prostitute and a drug addict who can’t seem to get it together and be the mother that her children deserve. The poor little things have witnessed some horrifying stuff that no one, much less a child should ever see. This is an extremely dark and gritty read, there are several instances of abuse and at times it was very hard to read. But what kept me going was my concern for these sweet girls, I so badly wanted them to be well taken care of. 

There are a wide variety of characters in this book and many of them are downright awful, but along the way I may have changed my mind about a few. Josie was a hard woman to like, she cares more about herself and what she wants than what her children want or need. From the start I hated her, but as I began to learn more about her history and what drove her to make the decisions she made, I understood why she was this way. Her life hasn’t been easy and there were times when she really did think that she was doing right by her girls even if she really wasn’t. 

This was a harsh and difficult read, but in the end still a very enjoyable one for me. There was loads of action and the pacing was lightning fast and utterly absorbing. I compared her last book, The Taken to an action movie and this had the same gripping qualities. If you’re not adverse to reading about the sad reality of abuse and neglect, give this a try. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 


Born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, Casey Kelleher grew up as an avid reader and a huge fan of author Martina Cole. 


 Whilst working as a beauty therapist and bringing up her three children together with her husband, Casey penned her debut novel Rotten to the Core. Its success meant that she could give up her day job and concentrate on writing full time. 


 She has since published Rise and Fall, Heartless, Bad Blood, The Taken and her latest release, The Promise. 

Website

Blog Tour: The Abattoir of Dreams by @MTilburyAuthor @Bloodhoundbook


Goodreads|

Release date: February 28, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Blurb: 

The past is never far away. 


Michael Tate has not had an easy life. With his father in prison, and his mother dead, Michael was sent to Woodside Children’s Home. 


Now an adult, Michael wakes up from a coma in hospital suffering from amnesia and paralysis. 

Confused and terrified, he is charged with the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Becky. He also learns he attempted to end his own life.


Detective Inspector John Carver is determined that Michael is sent to prison.


With no way of defending himself, Michael isleft in his hospital bed awaiting transfer to remand.


But then strange things begin to happen and hischildhood comes back to haunt him. 


Can Michael ever escape the past?


Will he ever discover the truth about Becky’s murder?


And why is DI Carver so eager to make him suffer? 


The Abattoir of Dreams is a bitter sweet story of murder, innocence and abuse.

Review: 

I’m am beyond excited to welcome you to my stop on the Abattoir of Dreams blog tour! This book was so fantastic and it’s earned itself a spot on my top reads of 2017 list, I was blown away by everything about this one. 


Tilbury is a new author to me and while the blurb sure grabbed my attention, I had no idea what kind of treat I was in for. For the first time I didn’t even post what genre this book fits into, it’s far to special to be slotted into place. Sometimes a book will be labeled as one thing on Goodreads but after reading it I may add in another that I think it’ll fit under, but this time? This book cannot be properly filed into one, two or even three appropriate categories. It honestly has something for everyone, there’s suspense, a bit of horror, romance, supernatural elements and enough thrills to keep your heart racing. 

It opens with Michael waking up in a hospital with no memory and he only knows a few things for sure; that he is paralyzed and what he is told, and what is revealed is enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Supposedly he brutally murdered his girlfriend and then jumped off of a building, but he doesn’t even remember Becky, much less killing her. Then strange things begin to happen to him at night, is he dreaming, maybe a side effect of the pain medication he’s taking? It’s all very eerie and unsettling but beyond fascinating. I couldn’t wait to find out what had really happened and the way it was revealed to the reader and Michael was sharply clever. 

The subject matter here is very dark and disturbing, it’s truly not for the faint of heart. There is abuse of every kind imaginable, it’s graphic and horrifying, but if you can stomach that, this is a must read. It evoked a wide range of emotions within me from shock, horror, sadness and tears all the way to laughter and warm moments, it was a hell of a ride. The characterization was excellent and even though I didn’t discuss all of the characters in detail, that doesn’t mean that this isn’t chock full of them, rather that I want you to discover them for yourself. The good ones will squeeze your heart and have you rooting them on, and the villains will make your skin crawl and want to vomit. (I mean that as a compliment, Tilbury has created some bad guys that may be the most despicable characters I’ve come across in years) This was a gritty and twisted read with so much heart and now if you’ll excuse me I’ll be on Amazon buying Tilbury’s other books. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for my review copy. 

About the Author: 


Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria,although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.


After serving in the Royal Navy and raising his two daughters after being widowed, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused. 


When he’s not writing, Mark can be found trying and failing to master blues guitar,and taking walks around the beautiful county of Cumbria.

Website