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Showing posts from June, 2020

Book review: One Split Second

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By Caroline Bond Published by Corvus   Synopsis: When a car carrying five friends home from a party crashes into a wall, the consequences are devastating - not just for the young people directly involved, but also for their families and the wider community. No one escapes unscathed, but some are more deeply scarred than others. Those affected are left to question who was to blame for the accident, and what price they will pay. How did this book end up in my hands? I ordered a copy of this book with the points I collected on Readers First but the pandemic got in the way so I ended up reading a serialisation of the novel via The Pigeonhole app. One day I will hold the physical book in my hands! Was it a page-turner? Absolutely. Even though you will probably want to give your aching heart a break every now and then, it is impossible to stop turning the pages. The first chapter is so full of tension that you’ll just have to keep going. Did the book meet my expectations? I

Blog tour: The Miseducation of Evie Epworth

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Welcome to the blog tour for  The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor , which will be published in hardback by Scribner on 23rd July 2020 . It has been described as “Cold Comfort Farm meets Adrian Mole in the funniest debut novel of the year”. Intrigued? Then keep reading to learn more about it in the author’s own words! Hi Matson! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of  The Miseducation of Evie Epworth ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thank you! Yes, the book is about quite a few things... It's a book about that funny time between childhood and adulthood, a time in which we're a bit of both and we're not really sure which one's best. It’s a book about when the ‘50s finally became the ‘60s, exploring that no-man's-land time (again) between the chronological start of the decade and when the decade actually got going. And it's a book about lost mothers, uncoping fathers, and muddled daughters -

Book review: An Unheard Song

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By Laura Ambrose   Synopsis: Annalie’s dreams came true when her first book became the bestselling debut fantasy of the decade. Awards and accolades were overwhelming and incredible, just like when she used to play professional violin before a manipulative ex silenced her. After her second book tanked with poor sales and worse reviews, her dreams crumbled. She lost her words just like she lost her music. She hasn’t left her flat in Edinburgh in months. Cam is devastated when she doesn’t get the fellowship she needs for her PhD in music history. She suspects it’s because she turned down sleeping with the famous violinist on the board, Melanie. Hard up for cash, Cam takes a part-time job as an author assistant to Annalie Chevalier. Cam didn’t expect to find her so gorgeous. As they both struggle for courage to rebuild their dreams, they can’t deny their attraction. When Cam realises Melanie is Annalie's ex, they plot a little light revenge. But will the risks silence the fra

Blog tour: Little Black Bird

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Welcome to the blog tour for Little Black Bird by Anna Kirchner ! This is an exciting debut novel and I am super pleased that the author was available to take us behind the scenes… Hi Anna! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of Little Black Bird ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thank you! Little Black Bird is a queer YA urban fantasy inspired by Slavic mythology. It’s a story of friendship, belonging, and magic, and it’s full of sorcerers and demons. It’s set in Poland, in the present times, when magic is nearly gone. We follow a seventeen-year-old telekinetic, Wiktoria, whose powers cause her physical pain and hurt people around her. One day, she is hunted down by the local sorcerers and their Guardian, who unravel a whole new magical world to her. They also treat her as a huge inconvenience and try to kill her. Wiktoria discovers that she is an important pawn in an old curse that a powerful demon put upon the city and she m

Blog tour: Crossing in Time

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Welcome to the blog tour for Crossing in Time , the first book in the Between Two Evils series by D.L. Orton . I am so excited about having the author on the blog that, without further ado, here is our Q&A: Hi Deb! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of Crossing in Time ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Silvia!  Much to my chagrin, Crossing in Time is about civilization teetering on the edge of collapse due to a worldwide pandemic, an incompetent US president, and far too many people with guns optimizing for themselves. It follows two forty-something lovers (who had a falling out in their 20s and meet again just as the pudding hits the radiator) and a middle-aged physics professor who gets inexplicably caught up in the maelstrom. Amidst the growing chaos, our three unlikely heroes struggle against impossible odds to find safety, love, and a future. Here's the kicker: The b

Blog tour: A Life Of Their Own

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Welcome to the blog tour for A Life of Their Own by Pauline Tait , which published by Silverwood Books in September 2019 . I am so excited about having the author on the blog that, without further ado, here is our Q&A: Hi Pauline! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of A Life of Their Own ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about?  A: Hi Silvia, thank you. A Life of Their Own tackles the subject of domestic abuse. It follows Kate’s journey, both physically and emotionally, as she flees an abusive marriage in New York to start a new life with her two young children at the foot of the Colorado mountains. Described as “moving and sensitive” it explores the meaning of family, love, power and control. It focusses on the young mother’s struggle to move on, to trust, to be confident in her own decisions, to be open to new friendships, the constant fear of her past catching up with her and the possibility of her ever being able to enter i

In conversation with... Caroline Bond (#3)

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Hi Caroline ! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of One Split Second ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Put simply it’s about the aftermath of an accident. Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing the book or did it take an unexpected turn as the characters grew on the page? A: I had three key elements.  - A desire to look at the decision families have to go through with an organ donation.  - The parental worry that comes with young adults passing their driving tests and beginning to lead independent lives. [My eighteen year old daughter passed her test as I was writing the book.]  - And an interest in what happens to those brave individuals who take part in the restorative justice process. I had some experience of the latter when I worked as a volunteer for Victim Support. The story/ plot for One Split Second was more organic. As always some of my minor characters muscled their way into the fore

Blog tour: Season of Second Chances

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Welcome to the blog tour for Season of Second Chances by Aimee Alexander ! Today I am extremely pleased to be able to share with you a Q&A with the author: Hi Aimee! I am so happy to be able to chat to you about Season of Second Chances . Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: S eason of Second Chances  is about escaping life and starting over. It follows the story of Grace Sullivan who flees Dublin with her two teenage kids, returning to the sleepy, seaside village in West Cork where she grew up. No one knows what she’s running from or that she’s even running. She’d like to keep it that way. Grace is taking over from her dad, Des, as the village GP and, as second chances go it seems a good one. But will Grace and the children adapt to life in a small rural community? Can she live up to the doctor her father was? And will she find the inner strength to face the past when it comes calling? Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started writing