The Man Across The Street: An uplifting story of love and hope for 2020 (The Hope Street Series Book 1) by Marcie Steele. @Bloodredbooks @marcie_steele #blog #review #romance #womensfiction

January 5, 2020December 27, 2019 / Bookpreneur / 2 Comments

I was SO excited to be given an advance reader copy of this amazing book by Marci Steele. I hadn’t read anything by this author before, but I’ll definitely be watching for her other books in this series.

Description:

Maybe I’m scared to be happy…

Meet Hannah – she’s been her mum’s sole carer since she was eighteen. Now alone after Martha’s sudden death, Hannah feels lost in the only place she’s known as home, Hope Street. Coming up to a milestone birthday, she’s wondering what her purpose in life is.

Meet Doug – a workaholic, he’s in the office from dusk ’til dawn, and when he has a heart attack. Now on the mend, he needs to de-stress his life and focus on living it, to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Doug moves to Hope Street, number 35. Hannah lives at number 34, directly opposite. From the moment they meet, there’s a spark.

But there are secrets too. Hannah’s mum has been keeping something from her, her sister left over twenty years ago, and there can’t be such a simple reason why Doug has moved to Somerley. Can there?

The Man Across the Street is the first of a new series by bestselling author, Marcie Steele. It features a host of characters living on Hope Street in the market town of Somerley, also featured in The Somerley Series. Each character will have their own standalone story in books to follow.

Publisher: Blood Red Books (January 1, 2020)

Publication Date: January 1, 2020

Buying links here

Hannah Lockley is lost. Having cared for her mother after an accident, she has no career prospects and can’t afford to go to college. But is her life as dire as she thinks? Living down a cobblestone road at 34 Hope Street, she knows almost everyone in the neighborhood. You can’t help warming to her lively, social personality and (I agree with her mum) she’d make an excellent nurse.

Doug and Alex Peterson work in the Salford Business Quarter, an office building that overlooks a park. They are embarking on demolishing a derelict factory on the waterfront to build sixteen flats. But when Doug moves into a house on Hope Street, his life becomes forever changed. He cannot get Hannah, his new neighbor, out of his mind. But he also can’t get his workaholic, obsessive past out of his head either.

Told from both Hannah and Doug’s perspectives, I found myself emotionally invested from the start. Steele has a knack of getting under her readers’ sin and this book is no exception. I love books about love, loss, and relationships, and the trials the characters face through each chapter. But this book doesn’t come without it’s hardships, and there’s a mystery to solve—a Pandora’s box—which gives the story an added layer I crave as a reader.

As Hannah chases up questions of her past with the widow at number three, the intrigue thickens. Phoebe is the best friend a girl could want and she’s always there to pick up the pieces. But why was Hannah’s mum holding on to such a secret? Talking to her mother’s grave doesn’t help and working out the ‘wherewithals’ with Thelma and Renee isn’t getting her anywhere. Who else is left to ask? Doug is such a kind man, it’s hard not to fall in love with him. But he has his secrets too.

One of the reasons I loved this book from the start was the age group of the characters. Doug is in his late forties (so I can resonate) and Hannah is not that far behind. You can live their lives through them as the author delivers each character on point and so accurately that it’s impossible not to be affected in some way. You want to wrap Hannah in a big hug and tell her it’s all going to be okay, but in order to grow she has to face pain head on.

In my opinion, Marcie Steel totally smashes this one out of the park. A heartfelt examination of a woman’s most wrenching moments as she struggles to find out who she really is. Another bestseller and one I highly recommend to those who love Women’s Romance Fiction.

Many thanks to the author, Marcie Steele, to the publisher and to the blog tour organizer, Sarah Hardy, for the privilege of reading this book.

Reviews:

‘Marcie Steele writes with such down to earth warmth that you wish you could live in her stories. The Man Across the Street is no exception, full of characters that you’d love to be friends with.’ Tilly Tennant.

‘Love, secrets, intrigue, heartache. Find it all on Hope Street. An engaging tale of ordinary lives to warm you heart and restore your faith in mankind.’ Imogen Clark

If you love an uplifting story about new beginnings, then The Man Across The Street is the perfect read to curl up with. Fans of Hannah Ellis, Debbie Johnson and Emily Harvale will love this book.

About the Author:

Hi, I’m Marcie Steele and I also write under the name of Mel Sherratt.

As Mel, I write crime thrillers, psychological suspense and fiction with a punch – or grit-lit, as I call it. Shortlisted for the prestigious CWA (Crime Writer’s Association) Dagger in Library Award 2014, my inspiration comes from authors such as Martina Cole, Lynda la Plante, Mandasue Heller and Elizabeth Haynes. Since 2012, all eight of my crime novels have been bestsellers, each one climbing into the kindle UK top 20.

However, I’m a romantic at heart and I’ve always wanted to write about characters who were not necessarily involved in the darker side of life. Coffee, cakes and friends are three of my favourite things, hence Stirred with Love for my first book writing as Marcie Steele. The Little Market Stall of Hope and Heartbreak and The Second Chance Shoe Shop are also available now.

I live in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with my husband and terrier, Dexter. You can find out more at Mel’s website http://www.melsherratt.co.uk or I’m on Twitter at @marcie_steele.

Other books by Marcie Steele

Author links:

Webpage: https://www.marciesteele.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marcie_steele

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcieSteeleauthor/

After The End by Clare Mackintosh @PutnamBooks #bookreview #womensfiction

May 19, 2019 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

Clare Mackintosh’s beautiful, page-turner tackles one of the hardest decisions parent ever have to make. I fell in love with Pip, Max, and Leila as they worked together, cried together and struggled together with the question of: What if. After the End possibly the most heart-wrenching book I’ve ever read. So much so, I had to call a friend and talk it through with hankies at the ready. I don’t always recommend books in Facebook’s The Book Club, but this one is a must read! Definitely one of my top ten this year!

Book description:

From New York Times bestselling author Clare Mackintosh, a deeply moving and page-turning novel about an impossible choice—and the two paths fate could take.

“A beautifully written novel, compelling and clever, tender and true. I can’t stop thinking about it.” —Liane Moriarty

“Tailor-made for book clubs and for fans of Jodi Picoult.”—Publishers Weekly

Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They’re best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can’t agree. They each want a different future for their son.

What if they could have both?

A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.

Book Links: UK here US here

Print Length: 400 pages

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons (June 25, 2019)

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC

I don’t have words to describe what I think about this book, other than WOW, bloody, WOW! This is not only a book about a very sick little boy, but also about the unbelievable strains a marriage must endure, especially in the case of Pip and Max. There is no relief, not even after the end, but as the author says, there is hope.

Clare Mackintosh has based this story on her own painful experiences, so be prepared for a tough and emotional ride. As painful as it is, this book is one to be savored. Every single chapter brings a new awareness of how parents feel when faced with an impossible decision to keep their children alive or to remove all life support and let them die. After having read this book, I can say I’m a little better acquainted with the courts and legal decisions in such a tragedy, and the courageous path both doctors and parents must sometimes take.

I loved the characters, especially Leila. Her acute senses, her experience, her observation of the relationship between Max and Pip is beautifully drawn. When research is of such a high standard, it makes a difference to the reader. You learn something and that’s time well spent on a book.

It took me a lot longer to read this book and to comment than I have with any other. It is with some reservation that I say I ‘enjoyed it.’ It was harrowing and draining, but I couldn’t put it down. A departure from this author’s usual thrillers, it initially threw me for a loop. But I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. A book like this is definitely going to be a women’s fiction classic. I had read her book, I Let You Go, so I knew I was in for a very intricate, powerful read.

The only thing I didn’t like was the timeline, but in hindsight, how else could the author have done it? There were places where I had to go back and read sections over again as I did get lost along the way.

I can’t thank the author enough for writing it, and special thanks to Netgalley and to Penguin Group Putnam for an advance copy of this deep and and moving book.

Other books by Clare Mackintosh:

New Book News! INTO THE SILENT SEA available for Pre-Order #BlogTour #NewRelease #Suspense #Psychological #Thriller

October 7, 2018October 8, 2018 / Bookpreneur / 1 Comment

I’m super excited to see psychological thriller INTO THE SILENT SEA now available to pre-order from Amazon. The eBook price has been reduced to 99c/99p until October 24, 2018. It will then revert to the regular price of $3.99.

99c/99p

Now on Amazon Pre-Order HERE

Publish date: October 24, 2017

Offer available until October 24, 2018.

Then eBook will be available for $3.99

Book Description:

Dangerous is one thing. Deadly is something else.

When Clodagh Shepherd’s curiosity gives way to obsession, her thoughts turn to revenge.

In the wake of her husband’s affair and subsequent disappearance, Clo makes an impulsive decision to befriend the beautiful stranger who has stolen her life. Answering an ad for a home help, she moves into the home of her husband’s mistress and is immediately drawn into the chilling reality behind the idyllic façade of Hamptons Life. Central to her terrifying nightmare is a deadly secret–a secret someone will kill to keep.

In this dark and twisting thriller, Clo proves the adage ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ with shocking consequences.

‘An engaging, pacy read which keeps the reader guessing.’ Bookworm Reviews, 5 stars

What people are saying about INTO THE SILENT SEA

‘A stylish beach thriller. Taut and provocative with a flawed but very likable heroine.’ Avid Reader, 5 Stars

‘Holy cow! What a read! Sun, sea and suspense with a chilling cast of lovers and mistresses. What could be better! Get ready to curl up with this churning, dark mystery.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A twisted and suspenseful thriller that entangles an unlikely friendship with a murder… Subtly tips its hat to authors such as Ruth Ware and Paula Hawkins.’ Debonair Debs Reviews, 5 stars.

‘A bracing, knotty ride, where murder won’t rinse clean and plots runs deeper than the ocean itself.’ Bookishly Bookish, 5 stars

Bookpreneur Kindle Monthly deal picks #BookReview, THE GIFT and GOLD MEDAL winner news. #Book #SALE! Just 99p/99cents in the US and UK – EASY PREY by Claire Stibbe 5* – Two best friends. One deadly secret. . .

September 3, 2018September 3, 2018 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

I have just finished Louise Jensen’s The Gift and I have to say this is a definite five star read from me. I hadn’t heard of this author before so I decided to give it whirl. I’m really glad I did.

Jenna works at a vet clinic, but she is also a heart transplant patient, living on her own after a break up with her boyfriend, Sam. If that’s not trauma enough, read on. After the surgery, she begins to feel different. She’s forgetful and anxious, has dreams and memories she can’t explain, all of which are putting her career at risk. But worse, she is obsessed with her donor’s life. After meeting the family to pay respects and to thank them, not only do unfamiliar sights and sounds become familiar but there’s a noticeable personality shift, culminating in questions as to what really happened that night when Callie was killed in an accident.

After splitting with her long-term partner, Jenna digs deep to get to the truth of Callie’s death despite the danger in which she suddenly finds herself. Living alone and not knowing who to trust, readers will empathize with Jenna, a character with scars on her body and in her mind, where her emotions are raw and so are her struggles. The author gives a powerful and intrusive idea of what it must be like to experience such a serious operation, compounded with her obsession with Callie. I think this is what made the book so unputdownable for me and also perhaps a certain cinematic vibe that transports you into the many layers of Jenna’s life.

Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. Jensen has definitely done her homework; Cellular Muscle Memory – an interesting case in hand. I always appreciate the research authors put into their work and this is no exception. The ending was as satisfying as the rest of the book and delivered well beyond my expectations. You can’t help being stirred by Jenna’s story and where a certain residue will remain with you for weeks to come. Definitely another author to watch.

Synopsis:

The perfect daughter is dead. And a secret is eating her family alive…

Jenna is given another shot at life when she receives a donor heart from a girl called Callie. Eternally grateful to Callie and her family, Jenna gets closer to them, but she soon discovers that Callie’s perfect family is hiding some very dark secrets…

Callie’s parents are grieving, yet Jenna knows they’re only telling her half the story. Where is Callie’s sister Sophie? She’s been ‘abroad’ since her sister’s death but something about her absence doesn’t add up. And when Jenna meets Callie’s boyfriend Nathan, she makes a shocking discovery.

Jenna knows that Callie didn’t die in an accident. But how did she die? Jenna is determined to discover the truth but it could cost her everything; her loved ones, her sanity, even her life.

A compelling, gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist from the author of the Number One bestseller The Sister.

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 354

Links: US https://amzn.to/2NJNp1C UK https://amzn.to/2NHWRme

BOOK SALE UPDATE!

Easy Prey by Claire Stibbe is on SALE this week – and on Bookbub – for only 99 cents / 99p. This is an excellent time to grab your copy.

Synopsis: Two best friends. One deadly secret.

Something dark and brooding stalks the mysterious Bosque nature reserve. Bird watchers fall prey to the menace and thefts of rare falcons are on the rise. But it is the body of a murdered girl discovered on the banks of The Rio Grande River that eventually brings Detectives Temeke and Santiago onto the trail.

During a camping weekend, Jessie Bowman’s best friend, Bree, has disappeared. Guilt ridden, yet determined to do the right thing, she tracks the man she believes is responsible and begins to unravel a mystery that tests every ounce of her resilience. She has only two choices – fight or flight. And Jessie is done with running.

Now Detectives Temeke and Santiago must locate Jessie before the madman snares his final prey.

‘Stibbe handles the latest mystery in the Detective Temeke series with the dexterity of a master falconer. The climax will swoop down and seize you when you least expect it, leaving you feeling as if you too have become ‘easy prey’. Dr Maurice Singleton, PhD in Narrative Theory, Author and Lecturer

‘A gripping story with some of the most vivid writing I’ve read this year. Unpredictable and absorbing, it was one of those books that hooked me right from the start.’ Bonnie’s Books

‘If there is a crime fan who hasn’t discovered the Detective Temeke series yet, go and read them all immediately. I love books with that extra-special something, where the author puts you at every scene and doesn’t let go until the last heart-pumping chapter.’ 23rd Avenue Book Club.

Publisher: Bookpreneur

Page: 348

Links: US http://amzn.to/2ldcoyi UK http://amzn.to/2pPXHFN

BLOG NEWS:

Last, but by no means least, is a GOLD MEDAL from Feedspot. Bookpreneur has been selected as one of the Top 25 Thriller Book Blogs on the web. How cool is that! Why not head on over and take a look.

Excerpt from Top 25 Thriller Book Blogs:

The Best Thriller Book Blogs from thousands of Thriller Book blogs on the web using search and social metrics. Subscribe to these websites because they are actively working to educate, inspire, and empower their readers with frequent updates and high-quality information.

These blogs are ranked based on following criteria

Google reputation and Google search ranking
Influence and popularity on Facebook, twitter and other social media sites
Quality and consistency of posts.
Feedspot’s editorial team and expert review

Top Six Books I’ve Read This Year

July 4, 2018July 5, 2018 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

Due to a transfer in career from New Mexico to Utah, I decided to take a brief hiatus from writing. Having completed a stand-alone thriller and nearing the end of the Detective Temeke series, there’s no better escape than reading books. Here are six of my favorites this year written by brilliant, talented writers.

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press, (Simon and Schuster) Pages: 273. Rating 4.3. Reviews 315. Genre: Family Life, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Thriller and Suspense.

Brief Description: Oliver Ryan has the perfect life. Elegant and seductive, he wants for nothing, sharing a lovely home with his steadfast wife, Alice, who illustrates the award-winning children’s books that have brought him wealth and fame. Until one evening, after eating the dinner Alice has carefully prepared, Oliver savagely assaults her and leaves her for dead.

Described as a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit, Unraveling Oliver is an intricately woven story of a man who apparently has everything. Or does he? Highly suspenseful and told from the perspectives of the injured parties, it is the tragic story of a fractured mind. Some of the reviews indicate that readers found the alternating points of view hard to get to grips with, but I love this style. If a book doesn’t have that extra layer it can fall flat for me and I end up distracted and looking for food. This story intrigued me and after the last page, the plot was thick enough to stick for at least a week. Highly recommended.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press. Pages: 342. Rating 4.2. Reviews 1,739. Genre: Women’s Fiction, Psychological, Detective, Suspense.

Brief Description: When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

I found this story intriguing although a little slow to begin with. A twisty plot of love and betrayal written from two points of view, Nellie (the bride) and Vanessa (the disturbed ex). You you get the impression fairly early on that we are not getting the whole story and I had to go back and reread sections to make sure I had it down correctly. It’s well-read territory, twists and turns are a little contrived but around the half-way mark the reveal took me by surprise. The book is described as a clever suspense novel and compared to The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl. I’m not sure it’s quite up there, but it’s well worth the read.

Publisher: Witness Impulse/Harper Collins. Pages: 411. Rating 4.0. Reviews: 1,406. Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense. Heist. Supernatural. United States.

Brief Description: Frank Rath thought he was done with murder when he turned in his detective’s badge to become a private investigator and raise a daughter alone. Then the police in his remote rural community of Canaan find an ’89 Monte Carlo abandoned by the side of the road, and the beautiful teenage girl who owned the car seems to have disappeared without a trace.

I had heard of Eric Rickstad but not read any of his novels. Needless to say, I was hooked at the first few pages. He has a rhythmic writing style I love, although I could have done with less of the short sentences. They were a little choppy and when more than one character (narrative voice) attempted the same style, it can get confusing. This was another book I thought I had figured out, but nope. The ending, for me, was a serious twist. Not everyone likes cliffhangers, so I hope he comes up with a second book. Recommended.

Publisher: Berkley, Penguin Group. Pages: 377. Rating: 4.3. Reviews: 1,275. Genre: Women’s Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense. Detective. Psychological.

Brief Description: On a rainy afternoon, a mother’s life is shattered as her son slips from her grip and runs into the street… I Let You Go follows Jenna Gray as she moves to a ramshackle cottage on the remote Welsh coast, trying to escape the memory of the car accident that plays again and again in her mind and desperate to heal from the loss of her child and the rest of her painful past.

The blurb for I Let You Go enticed me to buy it and I was glad I did. The book tells the story of a mother who loses her child in an accident (not a spoiler since this is in the blurb) during those one of those dangerous split seconds of inattention. Its the hit-and-run the reader focuses on and Jenna’s way of coping with this terrible tragedy. Unputdownable and disturbing, and brought home by brilliant, atmospheric writing. Just too many layers of this particular onion that I enjoyed, a truly emotional journey that made me feel no matter what Jenna did, she was going to pay the price at some point. Highly recommended.

Publisher: Scribner, Simon and Schuster. Pages: 545. Rating: 4.6. Reviews: 28,078. Genre: Historical Fiction, French, German, Military.

Brief Description: Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

Probably one of my favorite books of all time, All The Light We Cannot See takes you through the lives of Marie-Laure, her father and the gadget-obsessed German orphan Werner, tied together by a dangerous and priceless gem. It’s an intricate masterpiece that draws you in so you can’t fail to become personally connected. With alternating character chapters, the atrocities and the lasting scars on each will very likely create an image of war some of us have never imagined. I think this book will haunt me for some time. Highly recommended.

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing. Pages: 526. Rating: 4.8. Reviews: 19,097. Genre: Literary Fiction, Biographical, Women’s Fiction.

Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.

With phenomenal ratings—4.8—it’s no surprise that this cinematic and literary work was chosen by Pascal Pictures to be made into a movie. Based on a true story and set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Milan during World War II, this book carries an intense pace and leaves you feeling like one of the characters and not just the reader. Pino becomes a driver for Major General Leyer, and through his eyes we ‘see’ all the harrowing Nazi atrocities and the allied advances to liberate northern Italy. Full of action and suspense, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The writing is poetic and impeccable and as quoted within the opening chapters, nothing will ever be the same. Highly recommended.

There’s nothing like reading a book with that extra special magic, the type of book you can’t bear to finish. If you’re searching for a compulsively readable novel, these must-read books, complete with publisher information, ratings, genre and descriptions, are impossible to put down.

Next, I will be reading a book by Tess Gerritson, Paula Hawkins and K.L. Slater.

A Warm Welcome to Vivienne Tuffnell

April 1, 2016March 7, 2016 / Bookpreneur / 5 Comments

Viv as pirate (2) I am excited to welcome Vivienne Tuffnell who is here to talk about a scene from The Bet, a book of ‘family secrets and wounded souls’ – as quoted by a five star Amazon reviewer.

Vivienne says…

My Twitter bio said writer, poet, explorer and mystic and that probably says it all quite neatly. I’ve written stories my whole life, even before I could actually read. My father mistakenly allowed me to use his typewriter from an early age and I was hooked. I’m not sure the typewriter survived very long having me bash out strings of letters in the belief that what I had in my head would magically transform into words others can read. I’ve got better at that. I write novels, short stories and poetry, and I also blog at http://zenandtheartoftightropewalking.wordpress.com

It’s very difficult to pinpoint favourite scenes but having narrowed it down, this scene from The Bet stands out as it comes at a crucial point in the narrative. The whole novel is written in two narrative strands, one labelled Then, one labelled Now.

This scene, from chapter six is from the Then strand. The driving force of the novel is the bet from the title: one woman challenges another to track down and seduce “the one that got away”. The fact that the male in question had been only fourteen at the time of the first attempted seduction isn’t something that bothers either woman; he becomes prey, not a person. This scene delineates the level of obsession that Jenny is already subject to by the time she finally meets the object of her hunt, Antony Ashurst. Set in a wing of a museum closed for refurbishment, this meeting might be seen by Jenny as serendipity as her attempts to find Ashurst have so far failed; she knows him instantaneously, as she was told she would. Ashurst, however, is at this stage oblivious of her and her quest.

It’s this that made the scene so powerful to write; it’s one of those meetings where one party knows how significant it is, yet the other remains innocent of the whole matter. There’s a hint of coming tragedy in this innocence; all the stuffed and posed animals in glass cases, like hunting trophies, looking on, all glassy-eyed, immobile, and helpless.

Greville Thornicroft was about sixty and tweedy, very like a caricature of the eccentric archaeologist, but his grey eyes seemed kind behind a gruff manner.

“Do come upstairs to my office,” he said. “We can discuss the visit in more detail there.”

More detail possibly, but certainly not more comfort. His office was packed with shelves crammed full of neatly labelled boxes and cartons. A stuffed owl sat on the shelf behind his desk, looking down on her with shiny glass eyes that looked scarily real, and the only spare chair was occupied by a stuffed badger.

“Just put it on the floor,” he said vaguely when she held it up. “I did say work was still very much in progress. The powers that be want a more up-to-date museum, more hands-on stuff,” he used the phrase with evident distaste, “more accessible, whatever they mean by that. Living history; that sort of thing. No more Victorian cases of dead things. Yes well, that’s all fine and good, but the money only goes so far, and then what are we meant to do with all the dead things in glass cases?”

“I really don’t have any idea, Dr Thornicroft,” Jenny said politely.

“Well, nor do I, but apparently we aren’t allowed to just chuck them away or have a big bonfire. The more modern wing has been revamped by professional exhibition designers, all clever people certainly, but we’re left in the original wing with rooms full of big Victorian cases and lots of,” he gestured at the owl and badger, “dead things, and we have to try with the tiny budget we have left to make the dead things in cases somehow fresh and new and interesting.” He sighed. “Oh and shards of pottery and Roman glass and stone arrowheads and the like to make it even more interesting. However,” he managed a smile, “I have been fortunate in acquiring an assistant who has some excellent ideas as well as a physique considerably more suited than my own to clambering inside these Victorian cases to rearrange and revamp exhibits. I have also found him excellent working with just the sort of school visit you are proposing. May I suggest we include him in our discussions, and our tour of the museum?”

“Certainly,” said Jenny, amenably, but slightly bored.

“Do follow me; I shall endeavour to try and track him down quickly.”

The old man took her out of his office and up to a second floor gallery with a sign declaring it to be closed for renovations. The long darkened room was filled with rows of huge display cases, many of them empty, their contents laid out on the floor in boxes and bags, some of the larger items uncovered. It felt quite eerie as the eyes of some of the stuffed animals seemed to gleam in the subdued light and to follow her as she followed Dr Thornicroft.

“Ah, there he is,” said the old man, striding across the room with greater speed than Jenny expected.

At the far end, there was someone inside a display case: stretched out, back arched slightly, slender body poised over a display of small brownish grey animals. Their arrival had caught his attention: a dark head turned slightly towards them, then back to what he was doing.

“Just a minute,” he said. “This rat has been giving me trouble.”

As she got closer, she could see that the inside of the case had been redone to show a mock-up of a storm drain or sewer; the brown animals were rats. When she looked more closely Jenny could see he was carefully fixing a stuffed rat to a brick jutting out from high up the sewer wall.

“Done it,” came the voice, and the figure wriggled carefully backwards out of the case, which was open at one end. Thornicroft’s assistant stretched his arms above his head, getting the knots out of muscles cramped from an hour or so inside the confines of the case, pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked at them.

“This is Miss Graham,” said Thornicroft, “who is hoping to bring a class to see our humble establishment. Miss Graham, the young man so artistically directing rats is not as you may think the Pied Piper of Hamlin, though he may be just as good with children-”

“I don’t usually use tacks and wire to keep them in place, though,” interrupted the young man with the most devastating grin.

“Indeed. I should hope not. Nor yet with an enchanted flute. No, as I was saying, Miss Graham, this is my assistant, Antony Ashurst.”

But Jenny already knew that.

Thank you Vivienne for visiting my blog today. Good luck with The Bet, a book which has already garnered many five star reviews on Amazon.

For more of Vivienne’s books, why not visit her at the links below:

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bet-Vivienne-Tuffnell-ebook/dp/B009ISHLYI/

Amazon US:

Blog: https://zenandtheartoftightropewalking.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/guineapig66

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/VivienneTuffnellAuthor/

Also by Vivienne Tuffnell

The Most Excellent Worldwide Book Tour ~ Jean Gill

October 11, 2015October 5, 2015 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

Author Name: Jean Gill

Book Title: Plaint for Provence

Genre and Sub-Genre: Historical Fiction / Romantic thriller

Book Content Rating: G, PG, PG13, Adult (18+) Based on language, violence, sexual content.

Author Bio

Jean Gill is a Welsh writer and photographer living in the south of France with a big white dog, a scruffy black dog, a Nikon D750 and a man. For many years, she taught English in Wales and was the first woman to be a secondary headteacher in Carmarthenshire. She is also mother or stepmother to five children so life was hectic.

Publications are varied, including prize-winning poetry and novels, military history, translated books on dog training (from French), and a cookery book on goat cheese.

Book Blurb:

1152 : Les-Baux-de-Provence

From the winner of the Global Ebook Award for Best Historical Fiction

Summoned to the court of Les Baux, Estela and her lover, Dragonetz, are embroiled in two rival claims for power as their feuding liege lords gather in Provence. Although Estela is reluctant to leave her idyll with her young child Musca, and her pursuit of Arabic medicine, she welcomes the chance to show her musical skills and to support Dragonetz, who must use his swordsmanship to play peacemaker.

The visit of the Comte du Barcelone to Les Baux sparks bitter memories of the recent civil war and Lady Etiennette des Baux has no intention of ceding to her overlord. Nor does she plan to remain a widow. With good friends on both sides, Dragonetz weaves a precarious path through the rival factions at court where an uneasy truce prevails behind the chivalry of hunt and tournament.

Meanwhile, Estela faces her own demons. Confronted with her childhood abusers, threatened and attacked, she confides in her friends. Unfortunately, one of those friends is Dragonetz’ worst enemy and Estela has no idea of what he is capable.

In this third volume of the Troubadours Quartet, Jean Gill, the ‘master of historical intrigue’, continues to weave the gripping adventures of Dragonetz and Estela seamlessly into real historical events. Medieval France comes alive in all its facets, from healing with leeches to training a goshawk.

‘A stunning masterpiece of tangled alliances, conflicting loyalties and tested love.’ Kristin Gleeson, the Celtic Knot series

Review(s):

‘Historical Fiction at its best.’ Karen Charlton, the Detective Lavender Mysteries

Book Trailers: Youtube book trailers https://www.youtube.com/user/beteljean

Book Links: The Troubadours Quartet Book 3 Plaint for Provence http://smarturl.it/plaint

Book 1 Song at Dawn http://smarturl.it/dawnsong

Book 2 Bladesong http://smarturl.it/bladesong2

Author Links:

Thank you for having me on your blog. I’d like to offer a free ebook copy of ‘Plaint for Provence’ to one of your readers. To enter, all they have to do is write a comment here on the blog.

In celebration of the new Troubadours book, Book 1 ‘Song at Dawn’ is free at the moment and there’s also a free ebook copy of my collection ‘One Sixth of a Gill’, which was shortlisted for the Wishing Shelf Award’, for every new subscriber to my newsletter. Just sign up here for news and offers on my books. http://eepurl.com/AGvy5

Feel free to contact Jean at Jean.gill@wanadoo.fr

IPPY Silver Award for Best Author Website www.jeangill.com

Blog www.jeangill.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/writerjeangill

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/writerjeangill

The Troubadours Page https://www.facebook.com/jeangilltroubadours

A Warm Welcome to Vanessa Couchman

October 9, 2015October 4, 2015 / Bookpreneur / 2 Comments

Today I’m delighted to welcome Vanessa Couchman, author of THE HOUSE AT ZARONZA. Vanessa lives in France and is passionate about French and Corsican history and culture, which provide inspiration for her writing. The House at Zaronza is based on an intriguing true story that she came across when holidaying on the beguiling Mediterranean island of Corsica.

She is working on a sequel, set in World War II, and another novel set on Corsica during the 18th century.

Book description of The House at Zaronza:

Rachel Swift travels to Corsica to discover more about her forebears. She finds a series of passionate love letters and the story unfolds of a secret romance in the early 20^th century between a village schoolteacher and Maria, the daughter of a bourgeois family. Maria’s parents have other plans for her future, and she sees her dreams crumble. Her life is played out against the backdrop of Corsica, the “island of beauty”, and the turmoil of World War I.

In the extract, Maria’s father has told her she must marry her cousin Vincentello to keep the family possessions together. She is carrying on a secret relationship with the village schoolmaster and reacts vehemently against her impending marriage. Her mother tries to get her to “see sense”, illustrating the Corsican attachment to family honour and the futility of struggling against it.

Extract:

My father stamped down the corridor, his heels ringing on the flagstones. The front door stuck and grated as usual on the uneven floor. The knocker banged on the door, such was the force with which Papa slammed it.

Maman sank down into the chair opposite me. She looked at me for a moment and a fleeting glimpse of something crossed her face. Sympathy? Understanding? I couldn’t tell, but it seemed unlikely. She sighed.

“Maria, you know your father always does what’s right for you, for us all, for the family. You can’t expect to love your husband at first, but it will come. Papa and I married because our families agreed it was in everyone’s best interests. I have never regretted it, even though… even though I have never been able to have any more children.”

She glanced away for a moment. Despite my own problems, I glimpsed the sadness behind the façade.

“But, Maman. You and Papa talk as if I were goods to be parcelled up and sold, like a barrel of olives. As if I had no will or wishes of my own. What about my feelings? I can’t love Vincentello. I never will. When I marry I want it to be to a man I love and have chosen myself.”

Rugged Corsican landscape

“Maria, stop being so unrealistic. You’re a woman. Women have little choice in these matters. And you know that once your father has made up his mind he won’t change it. You would do much better to reconcile yourself and prepare yourself for your marriage. So that you and Vincentello can get to know each other a little better, we have invited him to spend Christmas Eve with us. Your father and I expect you to be hospitable and agreeable towards him.”

Christmas Eve! But that was only two days away. What was I going to do? I had to get a message to Raphaël in his village. But how? The posts were unreliable at the best of times.

“And now,” Maman said. “I’ll leave you to think about all this. I must admit that your father and I find your response to this good news very disappointing. I hope that, on reflection, you’ll realise your good fortune and thank your father for having your best interests at heart.”

She left me and went back to the kitchen.

Interests, interests. That was all anyone could talk about. What about love? What about feelings? Was life just to be reduced to a series of financial transactions? I thought of Vincentello and his thin, cruel lips. Papa said he would respect me. I wasn’t so sure. I had heard the stories about the way he treated his mother and sisters after his father’s death. His sisters got away by marrying, his mother by following his father to the grave. Why hadn’t Papa heard about these things? Or maybe, in the family’s “interests,” he had just shut his mind to them.

Corsican village that inspired the novel

I dragged myself upstairs, heavy as lead. I didn’t have the energy to fling myself on my bed but sat down on the edge of it like an old woman, worn out. Even the tears didn’t come, just a cold numbness that weighed me down. Now the mist that obscured my future had cleared away and I saw it stretching before me. But instead of a warm, sunny prospect, a stony, frozen wasteland spread out without end.

Bio:

Vanessa Couchman lives in France and writes for magazines and websites about French life and writing. Her short stories have been placed and shortlisted in creative writing competitions. The House at Zaronza is her debut novel set in early 20^thcentury Corsica and at the Western Front during World War I.

Vanessa describes herself as a “young” author, having been writing fiction since 2010. Her short stories have won, been placed and shortlisted in creative writing competitions and published in anthologies and online.

She runs a copywriting business and also writes magazine articles on French life and the art of writing.

You can find out more about Vanessa and her books on her Website and blog: http://vanessacouchmanwriter.wordpress.com

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vanessa-Couchman/e/B00LQM4T9O/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Why not check out her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/houseatzaronza.vanessacouchman

Follow Vanessa on Twitter: @Vanessainfrance

Zaronza on Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-House-Zaronza-Vanessa-Couchman/dp/190984182X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Zaronza on Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/House-at-Zaronza-Vanessa-Couchman/dp/190984182X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=