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Showing posts from 2021

Blog tour: Fall

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Welcome to the blog tour for Fall by West Camel! More about the book… Twins Aaron and Clive have been estranged for forty years. Aaron still lives in the empty, crumbling tower block on the riverside in Deptford where they grew up. Clive is a successful property developer, determined to turn the tower into luxury flats. But Aaron is blocking the plan and their petty squabble becomes something much greater when two ghosts from the past – twins Annette and Christine – appear in the tower. At once, the desolate estate becomes a stage on which the events of one scorching summer are relived – a summer that changed their lives forever. Evocative, thought-provoking and exquisitely written, Fall is an unforgettable story of friendship and family – of perception, fear and prejudice, the events that punctuate our journeys into adulthood, and the indelible scars they leave… More about the author… Born and bred in south London – and not the Somerset village with which he shares a name – West Camel

Blog tour: Under the Rainbow

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Welcome to the blog tour for Under The Rainbow by Celia Laskey! More about the book… Big Burr, Kansas, is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone – or so they think. But after being labeled “the most homophobic town in America”, a group of queer activists are moving in, and everything is about to change. Linda welcomes the newcomers. The less they know about the death of her son, the better. Avery is furious at being uprooted from her life in LA. She dreads her classmates discovering that her mom is the head of the queer task force. And Gabe, a lifelong Big Burr resident, is no longer sure about the life he's built with his wife. While new friendships are formed, elsewhere tensions reach boiling point. And every resident, old and new, must reconsider the true meaning of community. More about the author… Celia Laskey’s debut novel Under the Rainbow is out now with Riverhead Books. Her second novel, So Happy for You , is forthcoming from Hanover Square Press in June 2022. He

Blog tour: Cumbria

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Cumbria and Lake District Coast by Kevin Sene! More about the book… The coastline of Cumbria stretches for almost two hundred miles from Morecambe Bay to the Solway Firth and passes through the beautiful Lake District National Park. The Cumbria and Lake District Coast provides suggestions for places to visit along the coast, including picturesque harbours, stately homes, museums and seaside resorts. Readers will also discover less well-known sights such as medieval buildings, lighthouses and stone circles. The Lancashire shores of Morecambe Bay and the Scottish shores of the Solway Firth are included too. For those interested in the history of the coast, there is an introduction to the role of coastal trade through the centuries. Topics include the Roman coastal defences that once extended to Maryport beyond Hadrian’s Wall, how mining contributed to the growth of ports such as Barrow, Millom and Workington, and the canals that linked ports at Lancaster

Blog tour: You'll Be the Death of Me

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Welcome to the blog tour for You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus! More about the book… Ivy, Mateo and Cal used to be close - best friends back in middle school. Now all they have in common is a bad day. So for old time's sake they skip school together - one last time. But when the trio spot Brian 'Boney' Mahoney ditching class too, they follow him - right into a murder scene. They all have a connection to the victim. And they're ALL hiding something. When their day of freedom turns deadly, it's only a matter of time before the truth comes out... More about the author… Karen M. McManus is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her work, which includes the  One of Us Is Lying  series,  Two Can Keep a Secret , The Cousins , and  You’ll Be the Death of Me , has been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. Karen lives in Massachusetts and holds a master's degree in Journalism from Northe

Blog tour: The Bookseller's Secret

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Bookseller’s Secret by Michelle Gable! More about the book… In 1942, London, Nancy Mitford is worried about more than air raids and German spies. Still recovering from a devastating loss, the once sparkling Bright Young Thing is estranged from her husband, her allowance has been cut, and she's given up her writing career. On top of this, her five beautiful but infamous sisters continue making headlines with their controversial politics. Eager for distraction and desperate for income, Nancy jumps at the chance to manage the Heywood Hill bookshop while the owner is away at war. Between the shop's brisk business and the literary salons she hosts for her eccentric friends, Nancy's life seems on the upswing. But when a mysterious French officer insists that she has a story to tell, Nancy must decide if picking up the pen again and revealing all is worth the price she might be forced to pay. Eighty years later, Heywood Hill is abuzz with the hunt

Blog tour: The Quiet People

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Quiet People by Paul Cleave! More about the book… Cameron and Lisa Murdoch are successful New Zealand crime writers, happily married and topping bestseller lists worldwide. They have been on the promotional circuit for years, joking that no one knows how to get away with crime like they do. After all, they write about it for a living. So when their challenging seven-year-old son Zach disappears, the police and the public naturally wonder if they have finally decided to prove what they have been saying all this time... Are they trying to show how they can commit the perfect crime? Multi-award winning bestseller Paul Cleave returns with an electrifying and chilling thriller about family, public outrage and what a person might be capable of under pressure, that will keep you guessing until the final page... More about the author… Paul is an award-winning author who divides his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where most of his nove

Blog tour: All the Places That Were Hurt

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Welcome to the blog tour for All the Places That Were Hurt by Mish Cromer. The author agreed to answers some of my questions so let’s go ahead and dig in! Hi Mish! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of All the Places That Were Hurt ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Hi Silvia, thank you so much!   All the Places that Were Hurt is about a young, recently bereaved woman, May, who leaves her home and beloved sister in London, and returns to rural Vermont in the hope of finding some of her past happiness. Harley, the man she loved and left under painful circumstances ten years before, has unexpectedly also returned and it is their relationship that forms the backbone of the novel. Through this, the story explores the devastating and lasting consequences of trauma and how we might begin to heal from it and find our own place of belonging. It’s also a bit of a love song to the natural world and is very much shaped by the passing seasons. Did

Blog tour: The Chair

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Chair by GB Williams! Fancy a peek behind the scenes? Here we go… Hi GB! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of The Chair ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A:  Thanks Silvia, appreciate that. The book has two elements, the main story is that of Jay, a hacker who hacks into the wrong thing and, in running from his problems, crashes his car on the remote Cader Idris mountain. Luckily, Jay has the good fortune to be found by members of the mountain rescue team. They, Branwen and Cobb, provide shelter and safety to Jay and stand up to the people who come after him. The second part of the story is about the local vet, Branwen Jones and the struggles she experiences. She doesn’t feel she has a place in the village anymore, and her attraction to Cobb is going unrequited. With secrets and pain to hide, she’s not ready for the additional stresses Jay brings into her life and she’s not sure she can survive it. For h

Blog tour: Still Life with a Vengeance

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Welcome to the blog tour for Still Life with a Vengeance by Jan Turk Petrie, who very kindly accepted to answer a few questions for the occasion! Hi Jan! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of Still Life with a Vengeance ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thank you Silvia. Without giving too much away, it’s the story of Eve who is married to a rich and famous rock guitarist Nick Quenington and living in their restored Somerset Manor House. Unable to have a child together, their adoption hopes are thwarted when Nick and his band mates are accused of rape. Eve believes Nick’s claim that he is completely innocent, but with the press ‘doorstepping’ them and his music career in free fall as a result of the allegations, she begins to question everything she thought she knew. 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 began with a rough

Blog tour: The Dance of the Snow Tractors

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Dance of the Snow Tractors ! More about the book… When we hear snowy day we imagine sledding, snow angels, and hot chocolate. Siena, who lives in Ottawa, also thinks of dance! Why? Because, when the snow comes down the ploughs show up and perform what she calls the Dance of the Snow Tractors. Join Siena on her porch with a mug of something warm and enjoy the show. You'll never see snow plows quite the same way again. More about the illustrator… Shannon Wilvers is a Canadian illustrator who loves drawing things on her computer. While she mostly draws and colours digitally, she also likes to experiment and play with different mediums such as watercolour. In her spare time, she enjoys learning new things and watching cartoons. She is currently based in New Brunswick where she lives with her dog, Lucy. My thoughts… Aimed at children aged 4 to 7, this is a sweet and short book that I also found suitable to a younger child. My daughter has only seen a ver

Blog tour: A Single Rose

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Welcome to the blog tour for A Single Rose , written by Muriel Barbery and translated from the French by Alison Anderson. More about the book… Forty-year old botanist Rose arrives in Japan, bitter and unsure what to expect. Haru, the Japanese father she never knew, has died and she has been summoned to Kyoto to hear the reading of his will. In the days before her father ’s last wishes are revealed, his former assistant Paul takes Rose on a tour of the city, following an itinerary set by Haru before his death. An awkward guest in her father ’s house, Rose is initially angry and resentful at the intrusion of the past. But as she visits the beautiful temples and gardens, and experiences the local cuisine with Paul, Rose gradually finds much to love about Kyoto. Through her discovery of the city, she learns about her father and his legacy, and herself, finding gifts greater than she had ever imagined. More about the author… Muriel Barbery is a former lecturer in philosophy and the author o

Blog tour: Lying with Lions

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Welcome to the blog tour for Lying with Lions by Annabel Fieldig! More about the book… Edwardian England. Agnes Ashford knows that her duty is threefold: she needs to work on cataloguing the archive of the titled Bryant family, she needs to keep the wounds of her past tightly under wraps, and she needs to be quietly grateful to her employers for taking her up in her hour of need. However, a dark secret she uncovers due to her work thrusts her into the Bryants’ brilliant orbit - and into the clutch of their ambitions. They are prepared to take the new century head-on and fight for their preeminent position and political survival tooth and nail - and not just to the first blood. With a mix of loyalty, competence, and well-judged silence Agnes rises to the position of a right-hand woman to the family matriarch - the cunning and glamorous Lady Helen. But Lady Helen's plans to hold on to power through her son are as bold as they are cynical, and one day Agnes is going to face an impossi

Blog tour: BElieve in YOUrself (BE YOU)

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Welcome to the blog tour for BElieve in YOUrself (BE YOU) by Lexi Rees More about the book… Want your child to be more focused, feel calmer, and increase their self-belief? This unique activity book is packed with fun, creative tasks, plus a wide variety of mindfulness strategies including ✓  visualisation exercises ✓  breathing techniques ✓  mindful arts and crafts  ✓  games to improve focus and concentration  ✓  mind and body detective skills Written by primary school teacher and founder of Mindful Mentors, Sasha Mullen, and best-selling author and tutor, Lexi Rees, this fully illustrated activity book provides children with the essential tools to be their best selves, every single day. More about the author… Lexi Rees was born in Scotland but now lives down south. She writes action-packed adventures brim full of witch-doctors, fortune-tellers, warriors and smugglers, combining elemental magic with hints of dystopia. She also writes fun activity books for children.  Her fantasy adven

Blog tour: A Tiger Named Lee

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Welcome to the blog tour for A Tiger Named Lee by SinĆ©ad Murphy . More about the book… Lee is a tiny tiger who lives with his Mum in the safety of his treetop house. There he feels safe from the dangers of the dark jungle below. But one wild stormy night, Lee and his Mum are thrown to the ground and Lee is forced to face his fears in order to help her. A Tiger named Lee tells the story of a timid little tiger who refuses to leave his tree-top perch and go down to the jungle floor for fear of what may lie there. However, he and his Mum are thrown from the tree on a stormy night and the little tiger has to overcome his fears. More about the author… SinĆ©ad Murphy is an Irish author, television Director, and filmmaker. ' A Tiger Named Lee ' is SinĆ©ad's debut picture book, published in 2021 by Tiny Tree Children's Books. SinĆ©ad wrote ‘ A Tiger Named Lee ,’ for her young daughter to show her that it’s normal to have fears and worries and that help is always there if you ask

Blog tour: The Secret Keeper of Jaipur

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Welcome to the blog tour for The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi . More about the book… Henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protĆ©gĆ©, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur Palace in this tale rich in character, atmosphere, and lavish storytelling. It’s the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education. At twenty, he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema. Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favours flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover th

Blog tour: This Fragile Earth

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Welcome to the blog tour for This Fragile Earth by Susannah Wise , who kindly accepted to answer my questions about this book and beyond! Hi Susannah! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of This Fragile Earth ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thank you so much! It’s a very exciting time and I’m thrilled to be here and answering these questions with you. The novel is a deeply grounded science-fiction thriller with at its beating heart the very real love between a mother and son. In near-future London, utilities, water and all communications are suddenly cut off. Signy, a forty-something ex-composer and her six-year-old son Jed are worried, but Matthew her partner is less concerned. When something terrible happens, Signy and Jed flee the city and cycle 100 miles up the motorway to find her mother in a village in Northants. What they find there though, is not what they expect. Did you have the plot entirely figured out when you started wr

Blog tour: The High-Rise Diver

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Welcome to the blog tour for The High-Rise Diver by Julia Von Lucadou, translated from the German by Sharmila Cohen. More about the book… Riva is a “high-rise diver,” a top athlete with millions of fans, and a perfectly functioning human on all levels. Suddenly she rebels, breaking her contract and refusing to train. Cameras are everywhere in her world, but she doesn’t know her every move is being watched by Hitomi, the psychologist tasked with reining Riva back in. Unquestionably loyal to the system, Hitomi’s own life is at stake: should she fail to deliver, she will be banned to the “peripheries,” the filthy outskirts of society. For readers of  The   Handmaid’s Tale, The Circle , and  Brave New World , this chilling dystopia constructs a world uncomfortably close to our own, in which performance is everything. More about the author… Julia von Lucadou was born in Heidelberg in 1982. She studied film and theater at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz and Victoria University of Wel

In conversation with... Cecily Blench

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Hi Cecily ! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the publication of The Long Journey Home ! Can you please briefly tell us what it is about? A: Thank you! The novel follows the stories of Kate and Edwin, two English friends who meet in Rangoon, Burma, in 1941, just before the Japanese invasion. They become separated and Kate must flee on foot to India, along with many other refugees. In trying to find Edwin, she realises that she has also spent years trying to outrun the past, and that the only way to lay the dead to rest is to make peace with the living. 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 no idea where it was going! I began with the city of Rangoon (Yangon), which I visited in 2013, and imagined a young woman living there as war approached. I found the plot developing organically as I wrote. I really admire writers who can form a plot before writing, I