Book after Book

By James Hartley Published by Lodestone Books Synopsis: Set in the magical boarding school of St Francis', Cold Fire centres around a group of teenagers who become involved in the tale of Romeo and Juliet in this contemporary re-telling of the classic story. Meanwhile, four hundred years earlier, a young teacher from Stratford Upon Avon arrives at the school. His name is Will… How did this book end up in my hands? I was asked to join the blog tour for this book and I happily agreed. Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare… all great starting blocks! Was it a page-turner? Like the first novel in the Shakespeare’s Moon series, this is a quick read and the plot twists are added with great timing. Having read the synopsis, did the book meet my expectations? Based on the synopsis, I would expected a closer retelling of the classic Shakespearean love story. Having read the first book in the series, however, the way that Cold Fire is developed makes perfect and coherent sense! Did ...

Welcome to my date on the Cold Fire blog tour!  Having enjoyed the first book in the Shakespeare’s Moon series (you can find my review of The Invisible Hand here ), I was looking forward to reading the second act… and it definitely lived up to my expectations! My review, however, can wait. Today I have something more delicious in store for you! Please welcome author James Hartley as he answers the question… Do you really know Romeo and Juliet? Romeo and Juliet is one of those plays that everyone thinks they know. The star-crossed lovers, the double suicide, the balcony scene and “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo?” Often, though, the things people think they know turn out to be false and even the truths they´ve seen repeated in countless film and stage versions don't stand up to scrutiny. First, a few simple questions: How old is Juliet in the play? How long have she and Romeo known each other when they get married? Over what course of time does the act...

By James Hartley Published by Lodestone Books Synopsis: The Invisible Hand is about a boy, Sam, who has just started life at a boarding school and finds himself able to travel back in time to medieval Scotland. There he meets a girl, Leana, who can travel to the future, and the two of them become wrapped up in events in Macbeth , the Shakespeare play, and in the daily life of the school. The book is the first part of a series called Shakespeare's Moon . Each book is set in the same boarding school but focuses on a different Shakespeare play. How did this book end up in my hands? I borrowed it from the library as I am going to take part in the blog tour for the second book of this series and I wanted to know what happened in the first. Was it a page-turner? The story is gripping and it makes for a relatively quick read. I was also very curious to see how the events from Macbeth were going to be adapted to fit around Sam's narrative. Having read the synopsis, did the...