Publication Day ~ Book Review ~ The Players by Darren O'Sullivan ~ #Thriller

 

TITLE - The Players

AUTHOR - Darren O'Sullivan

GENRE - Thriller

BUY LINK - Click here

SYNOPSIS - 

In this game it’s kill or be killed

‘Brilliantly dark, sinister and twisted’ Lisa Hall

A stranger has you cornered.
They call themselves The Host.
You are forced to play their game.
In it one person can live and the other must die.

You are the next player.
You have a choice to make.
This is a game where nobody wins…

A gripping, must-read thriller for fans of THE CHAIN and THE HOLDOUT and readers of Steve Cavanagh and John Marrs

Wow! What an exhilarating read. This book infiltrated my dreams, and will stick with me for some time. 

The Plot is so well thought and and keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are many characters involved in the book, but it is very easy to follow who is who due to the way it is written. 

I really admired the main protagonist, DI Karen Holt. She was hardworking, feisty and determined. The way her relationship with her DS had been portrayed was an integral part to the story. 

If you've not read anything by this Author, I definitely recommend that you do. This is his best work yet and for it it has to be my book of the year in it's genre. 

See my reviews for other Darren O'Sullivan books, Closer Than You Think and Dark Corners

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Darren O'Sullivan is the author of #1 bestsellers, OUR LITTLE SECRET, CLOSE YOUR EYES and

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. His latest, DARK CORNERS came out April 2020. His next. The Players, is due for publication in Jan 2021

When Darren isn't writing, he is usually rolling around on the floor, pretending to be a pirate with his 5 year old.

You can follow him on Twitter/instagram @Darrensully or on Facebook via his author page Darren O'Sullivan-author

For Darren's Amazon page for all his other books  Click here

Publication Day Book Review - The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood - #TrueStory #WW2 #Holocaust

 

TITLE - The Violinist of Auschwitz

AUTHOR - Ellie Midwood

GENRE - Based on a true story, WW2, Holocaust

SYNOPSIS - 
Auschwitz, 1943: In the depths of hell, can hope rise? And can love triumph over hatred?

Based on the unforgettable true story of Alma Rosé, The Violinist of Auschwitz brings to life one of history’s most fearless, inspiring and courageous heroines. Alma’s bravery saved countless lives, bringing hope to those who had forgotten its meaning…

In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival. Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her skin in pale blue ink. She is cooped up with thousands of others, torn from loved ones, trapped in a maze of barbed wire. Every day people disappear, never to be seen again.

This tragic reality couldn’t be further from Alma’s previous life. An esteemed violinist, her performances left her audiences spellbound. But when the Nazis descend on Europe, none of that can save her…

When the head of the women’s camp appoints Alma as the conductor of the orchestra, performing for prisoners trudging to work as well as the highest-ranking Nazis, Alma refuses: “they can kill me but they won’t make me play”. Yet she soon realizes the power this position offers: she can provide starving girls with extra rations and save many from the clutches of death.

This is how Alma meets Miklos, a talented pianist. Surrounded by despair, they find happiness in joint rehearsals, secret notes, and concerts they give side by side––all the while praying that this will one day end. But in Auschwitz, the very air is tainted with loss, and tragedy is the only certainty… In such a hopeless place, can their love survive?

This devastatingly heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful tale proves that even in the darkest of days, love can prevail––and give you something to live for. Fans of The Choice, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Orphan Train will lose their hearts to this magnificent tale.

I have read some really great books based at Auschwitz and have an interest in the Holocaust. I have to say this is one of the best books I've read in this subject matter. 

Alma, the main protagonist, comes across as a warm and friendly person. She coped amazingly during such an awful period of our history, helping others to survive in the process. 

The author has written a great story, merging both fact and fiction. The characters were really brought to life; not just Alma but also Dr Death himself, Dr Josef Mengele. 

A must read book I couldn't put down. 

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher Bookouture for allowing me to read and review this book. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author.

She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl.

Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it.

Someone Elses Daughter by Linsey Lanier ~ Book Review

 

TITLE - Someone Else's Daughter

AUTHOR - Linsey Lanier

BOOK SERIES - Miranda's Rights Mystery - Book 1

BUY LINK - Click here

SYNOPSIS - 

THE SEARCHING MOTHER
Miranda Steele. Smart-talking, hot pepper-eating loner whose abusive ex-husband stole her baby and gave it up for adoption. She comes to Atlanta to hunt for her daughter.

THE PI
Wade Parker. Wealthy owner of the Parker Investigative Agency and most eligible forty-four-year-old bachelor in Atlanta. He still mourns the death of his socialite wife but must now solve a disturbing murder case.

THE MURDERER
A serial killer strangling young girls in a bizarre ritual. Why?

She doesn't need a man.

He needs to find a killer.

Together, can they save a thirteen year old girl?

Often you get into the habit of reading the same authors over and over. Once in a while it good to break away and try other authors. I certainly wasn't disappointed with this novel by Linsey Lanier. A new Author to me. 

This mystery is number 1 in the series. A read of less than 300 pages, so it was quite a nice fit for me. 

I loved the main character, Miranda from the start. If you've read any Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, Miranda reminded me a bit of a Stephanie. Quite clumsy, amateurish but feisty and determined. 

This novel follows Miranda who is determined to find her Daughter who her abusive ex-Husband had adopted 13 years ago. She heads to Atlanta to start her search. She gets herself into trouble not long after being there, so enter Wade Parker, the wealthy and handsome PI. 

Throw in a few murders, a bit of humour and some twists and turns and you've got a good read. The novel kept me gripped and therefore I will certainly be checking out more books by Linsey Lanier. This was a nice easy read. 

At the time of writing this book was free on the Kindle. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writing fiction for over fifteen years, Linsey Lanier authored more than a dozen novels and short stories, including the popular Miranda's Rights Mystery series. She writes romance, romantic suspense, mysteries, and thrillers with a dash of sass.

She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Kiss of Death chapter, Private Eye Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Her books have been nominated in several RWA-sponsored contests.

In her spare time, Linsey enjoys watching romances and crime shows with her husband of over two decades him and trying to figure out "who-dun-it." But her favorite activity is writing and creating entertaining new stories for her readers.

She's always working on a new book. If you'd like to keep up with which project she's working on now feel free to join Linsey's mailing list at linseylanier.com.

We've Come To Take You Home ~ Susan Gandar ~ Book Review ~ Time Slip novel

 TITLE - We've Come to Take You Home

AUTHOR - Susan Gandar

BUY LINK - Click Here

SYNOPSIS - 

It is April 1916 and thousands of men have left home to fight in the war to end all wars. Jessica Brown's father is about to be one of these men. A year later, he is still alive, but Jess has to steal to keep her family from starving. And then a telegram arrives - her father has been killed in action.
Four generations later, Sam Foster's father is admitted to hospital with a suspected brain haemorrhage. A nurse asks if she would like to take her father’s hand. Sam refuses. All she wants is to get out of this place, stuck between the world of the living and the world of the dead, a place with no hope and no future, as quickly as possible.

As Sam's father's condition worsens, her dreams become more frequent - and more frightening. She realises that what she is experiencing is not a dream, but someone else's living nightmare...

We've Come to Take You Home is an emotionally-charged story of a friendship forged 100 years apart.

This was a time slip novel with a difference. One period was set in 1914 at the outbreak of war; the other in modern day. The difference is that whilst Sam was living in the present, she kept seeing things from the past but couldn't understand what she was seeing. Jess meanwhile was living in the past. 

I love these types of reads. It was an incredibly moving in parts and did make you think about what our young men went through during the war. 

It was good how the author blended the past and the present together . I did however get confused sometimes, as although one chapter could be in the present and the next in the past, on several occasions the two would merge in the same chapter, and I found myself having to re-read chapters, which took away some of the enjoyment. The storyline though is well thought out and was an ok read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"I grew up surrounded by stories and storytelling.

My father, John Box, was a film production designer, working on 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'Dr. Zhivago', 'The Great Gatsby', 'A Man For All Seasons' and the musical 'Oliver'. Our house was always filled with people, usually eccentric, always talented, invariably stroppy, discussing stories. My mother put my father's four Oscars to good use as toilet roll holders, doorstops and hat stands.

A major chunk of my childhood was spent loitering around on film sets. Who needs an 'English education' when you have the marble-dusted streets of downtown Moscow, ten miles outside of Madrid, to explore?

But then the years of 'Who Will Buy My Sweet Red Roses' came to a rather abrupt end. Reality knocked on the door in the guise of the Metropolitan Line to Shepherds Bush and the BBC. Working in television as a script editor and story consultant, I was part of the creative team responsible for setting up 'Casualty'. I became known for going after the more 'difficult' stories at the same time successfully racking up viewing figures from 7 to 14 million.

I went on to develop various projects for both the BBC and the independent sector. The period I enjoyed most was working with Jack Rosenthal, a wonderful writer, on the series 'Moving Story' - 'That's a situation, a good situation, but now you need to make it into a story.'

Martin, my husband, was made an offer he couldn't refuse and we left England to live in Amsterdam. 'Ik wil een kilo kabeljauw, alstublieft' will, if all goes well, buy you a piece of cod - I decided to concentrate on my writing rather than my Dutch pronunciation.

My debut novel, 'We've Come to Take You Home', set in the present and in 1918, a crossover aimed at the adult and young adult women's popular fiction market, was published March 2016."

Under Currents - Nora Roberts - Book Review

 

TITLE - Under Currents

AUTHOR - Nora Roberts

BUY LINK - Click Here

SYNOPSIS -
From the outside, the house in Lakeview Terrace looks perfect and the Bigelows seem like the perfect family: the respected surgeon father, the glamorous, devoted mother and two beautiful children.

But the perfect facade hides dark undercurrents. Teenager Zane and his younger sister, Britt, are terrorised by their violent father until one dark, brutal night when their father's temper takes a horrifying turn for the worse.

Over time, Zane moves on and builds a new life for himself but a childhood like that can cast a shadow the length of a lifetime. Can Zane ever really be free of his past? Or could those dark undercurrents rise back to the surface, forcing Zane to fight for his life once again...

Do you like romance novels, family dramas or crime novels? Well this book has it all wrapped up in one. This is one of Nora Roberts standalone novels, and the first of her books I've ever read. 

Darby, having escaped an abusive Husband, looks for a place to live, somewhere in another part of the country. Preferably a place with a view of trees and lakes. She eventually found the ideal place, a place she had never heard of before, but having checked it out on the internet it suited exactly what she was looking for. So, having sold her house and her business, she packed up all her wordly goods in her car and headed off.

What comes next for Darby is lots of hard work, new friends, a romantic interest and murder. The author has weaved all of this into one extremely well written novel, which was very hard to put down. Her style of writing is very descriptive. I could almost smell the flowers she wrote about, and picture the boats on the lake. I could see all the delightful houses she described and imagine myself being there. I could also picture the characters as if I knew them personally. I really loved how different families lives were weaved together. The murder and intrigue in the book, blended very well with the family drama's and happy times.

This has to be one of the best books that I've read this year. I didn't want it to end, and would love to have seen a follow up to it as I'll miss the characters.

I thoroughly recommend this read, and I will certainly be checking out more of Nora Roberts standalone novels. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, the youngest of five children. After a school career that included some time in Catholic school and the discipline of nuns, she married young and settled in Keedysville, Maryland.

She worked briefly as a legal secretary. “I could type fast but couldn’t spell, I was the worst legal secretary ever,” she says now. After her sons were born she stayed home and tried every craft that came along. A blizzard in February 1979 forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six year old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate.

Born into a family of readers, Nora had never known a time that she wasn’t reading or making up stories. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of those stories. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981.

Nora met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Since that time, they’ve expanded their home, traveled the world and opened a bookstore together.

Through the years, Nora has always been surrounded by men. Not only was she the youngest in her family, but she was also the only girl. She has raised two sons. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming.

Nora is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.”

Dark Corners by Darren O'Sullivan - Psychological Thriller ~ Book Review

TITLE - Dark Corners

AUTHOR - Darren O'Sullivan

BOOK LENGTH - 400 pages

Buy Link - Click here

SYNOPSIS 

You thought you’d escaped your past

It’s been twenty years since Neve’s best friend Chloe went missing. Neve has never recovered and promised herself she’d never go back to that place.

But secrets can come back to haunt you

When Neve receives news that her first boyfriend Jamie has gone missing, she’s forced to return. Jamie has vanished without a trace in a disappearance that echoes the events of all those years ago. Somebody is watching and will stop at nothing until the truth about what took place that night is revealed …

Darren O'Sullivan was a new author to me, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. All I knew was I loved a good psychological thriller and hoped that this would be one for me. 

I was not disappointed. 

The main character for the book was Neve. I instantly warmed to her as there was something vulnerable about her. After her best friend went missing when they were young, she escaped her home town saying she'd never go back. She started a new life, and eventually became a part owner in a cafe with a friend.  Her demons would not go away. Her life was becoming a mess. Strange things were happening. Then her first love Jamie went missing and she knew she had to go home. 

The Author has developed some great characters in this book. Neve definitely being my favourite. I enjoyed how the relationship between Neve and her estranged Dad was written. It was very heartwarming.

The way the book went back in time and then brought us back to the present, was very well written and it helped you to connect with all the characters. There were several characters in the book, but it never got to the stage where you were confused about who was who, due to the way it was written. 

There were so many twists and turns in the book, with a big one at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to those who like psychological thrillers by Authors like Louise Jensen and Teresa Driscoll. I am now seeking out more books by this Author. 

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in return for an honest review. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Darren O'Sullivan is the author of #1 bestsellers, OUR LITTLE SECRET, CLOSE YOUR EYES and CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. His latest, DARK CORNERS came out April 2020.

When Darren isn't writing, he is usually rolling around on the floor, pretending to be a pirate with his 5 year old.

You can follow him on Twitter/instagram @Darrensully or on Facebook via his author page Darren O'Sullivan-author

Book Review ~ The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village ~ Author Joanna Nell

TITLE - The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village

AUTHOR - Joanna Nell

FORMAT - Kindle

PAGES - 368

SYNOPSIS - 

It's never too late to grow old disgracefully...

The life of 79-year-old pensioner Peggy Smart is as beige as the décor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. The highlight of Peggy's day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim.

Peggy dreams of inviting the handsome widower - treasurer of the Residents' Committee and one of the few eligible men in the village - to an intimate dinner. But why would an educated man like Brian, a chartered accountant no less, look twice at Peggy? As a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties.

But a chance encounter with an old school friend she hasn't seen in five decades - the glamorous fashionista Angie Valentine - sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

Can she channel her 'inner Helen Mirren' and find love and friendship in her twilight years?

MY REVIEW

This book really did make me laugh out loud and I want to grow old disgracefully just like the main character Peggy Smart. 

I wasn't really sure if this book was my kind of thing as I don't normally read humorous books, but someone had recommended it to me so I thought I'd give it a try. 

Well, I kept picturing my Nan, my Mum's Mum, as she was a fun loving lady and I can imagine her living like this if she'd gone into a retirement home. This made me smile even more. I wondered if the author herself had modeled it on people she knew.

Peggy was a hen-pecked Mother. Hen pecked by her own children, who thought she should be in a home and not in a retirement village. There are so many comical sentences in this book and I highlighted so many on my kindle to include in my review but I don't want to spoil the read for others. From her Grandchild saying that Peggy needed some marbles as his Mum said she had lost hers. Or Peggy commenting on a dirty work surface saying it was full of orgasms, instead of organisms.

I loved the way the author had developed the relationships between all the characters, from her old friend Angie to the other residents in the home. There are some fabulous people in this book. I'm sure if you read it you will be able to identify with people in your life too.

A while after reading this book, the publisher asked our local library if we would like to have a Jacaranda tea party just like the one in the book, including the Port. So we decorated the library with bunting and ate food the same as in the tea party itself. We invited a few keen readers along who had also read the book and sat and had a book discussion. It was fun. 

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Nell was born in the Midlands and graduated from Oxford University with a medical degree in 1991.

In 2003 she moved to Australia where she now works as a GP with a passion for women's health and care of the elderly.

Joanna writes character-driven stories of self-discovery for women of a certain age, creating young-at-heart characters who break the rules and defy society's expectations.

She lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches with her husband and two children. THE SINGLE LADIES OF JACARANDA VILLAGE is her first novel. Her second novel is THE LAST VOYAGE OF MRS HENRY PARKER.

Book Review ~ The Tattooist of Auschwitz ~ Author Heather Morris

TITLE - The Tattooist of Auschwitz

AUTHOR - Heather Morris

FORMAT - Kindle

PAGES - 293

Buy Link - click here

SYNOPSIS - 

**4 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE**

For readers of Schindler's List, The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas comes a heart-breaking story of the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.

I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.

In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.

Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.

So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.

MY REVIEW 

I have always had an interest in the subject of the Holocaust. I don't know why, but it's something I like to read about and something that I think should be talked about and shared.

I'd heard a lot about this book so had to read it. What is upsetting is that this is not a book of fiction, but based on a true story. It's harrowing but at the same time unputdownable (if that is even a word!)

It's based in 1942 around Auschwitz-Birchenhau concentration camps. The main character, the Tattooist, is Lale. He was determined to do whatever he could to survive. He did not sacrifice others along the way, and did all he could to help them, with the privileges he was given being the Tätowierer. He even fell in love, so made the best of life that he could whilst he was in the camp. 

This book is a sad read, all the more knowing these events happened. It's very rare I ever shed a tear reading a book but I have to admit having done so reading this one.

It's an important read and something that should never be allowed to happen again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(Courtesy of the authors website)
I was born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand, a small rural town in the middle of the North Island. I had an older brother, then three more boys followed. My childhood was spent in the even smaller village of Pirongia with four generations of my family living within proximity of each other. My primary school years were spent at the local school which at that time only had a handful of classrooms. For secondary schooling I went to Te Awamutu College.

Photo by Lori Mayger 2019

An average student, according to my reports, except for commercial subjects, shorthand and typing, and sport. I was an athlete, a swimmer, played netball and tennis. And while I loved reading, devouring the Encyclopaedia Britannica where I could escape to far-away exotic lands, attempts to make me write my own stories, failed. I was told from a very young age, I could tell a good story, and growing up in a time when children where asked to be seen not heard, was enough.

In 1971 I moved to Melbourne, Australia, to escape what I considered the claustrophobic environment of having too many extended family members around me. Soon after arriving in Melbourne I met my husband to be Steve (don’t call me Stephen) Morris and we married in 1973.

In 1975 Steve and I returned to New Zealand, living in Christchurch, South Island, a reasonable distance from my hometown and family in the North Island.

Our first son was born in 1976, another son in 1980 and our daughter in 1985.

Waking up one morning I realised I had missed out on something – the extended education I secretly craved that was not offered when I left school. I commenced a B.A. degree at Canterbury University (NZ) in 1986 before moving back to Melbourne in 1987. After a year settling our family into a much bigger city, I enrolled and completed my B.A. at Monash University in 1991. I majored in Political Science.

In 1995 I began work in the Social Work Department at Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne where I stayed until 2017.

During this period, I watched our three children grow into amazing adults. I was involved in their sport and at the age of forty-five became a competitive Veteran athlete, primarily taking part in the various ‘throwing’ competitions. Shot-put, discus, javelin and my favourite, hammer throwing. I never stopped telling stories, or as my husband called them – long-winded tales.

In 1996 I decided to follow my passion for storytelling and enrolled in The Professional Scriptwriting Course through the Australian College of Journalism.

I went on to attend many screenwriting courses, seminars and workshops in both Australia and the U.S. My workplace provided me with a wealth of heroic storylines, several of which I adapted into screenplays that now line the bottom drawer of my desk.

And then I met Lale Sokolov.

http://www.heathermorrisauthor.com/about-heather/

Book Review ~ The Family by Louise Jensen - Psychological Thriller - Pre Order now #NorthantsAuthors

Title - The Family 

Author - Louise Jensen

Genre - Psychological Thriller

Pre-Order - Click here

SYNOPSIS

ONCE YOU’RE IN, THEY’LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE.

Laura is grieving after the sudden death of her husband. Struggling to cope emotionally and financially, Laura is grateful when a local community, Oak Leaf Organics, offer her and her 17-year-old daughter Tilly a home.

But as Laura and Tilly settle into life with their new ‘family’, sinister things begin to happen. When one of the community dies in suspicious circumstances Laura wants to leave but Tilly, enthralled by the charismatic leader, Alex, refuses to go.

Desperately searching for a way to save her daughter, Laura uncovers a horrifying secret but Alex and his family aren’t the only ones with something to hide. Just as Laura has been digging into their past, they’ve been digging into hers and she discovers the terrifying reason they invited her and Tilly in, and why they’ll never let them leave…

MY REVIEW 

Firstly I'd like to say thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher to allow me to read this book before it's publication date in October. 

Louise has become a best selling author with her great psychological thrillers, and this is another book that makes you see why.

The books main two characters are Laura and her Daughter Tilly. Having lost her Husband in a tragic accident, Laura needs to rebuild her life, not just for herself but also for Tilly. When she is assisted by a stranger after falling ill, her life takes her and Tilly on a different path. 

This started off as a sad tale, but led into a feeling of hope for the future, for both Mother and Daughter. Oak Leaf Organics seems to be just what they both needed to get their life back on track. But in true Louise Jensen style, nothing is ever quite what it seems, and that is why I love her books. 

There is nothing pink and fluffy about this book, it's just full of suspense, intrigue and more suspense. The book is so full of twists and turns that you don't know who to believe and who to trust. A note appears that says "Trust no-one" and that about sums the story up. 

If you want a book that grips you and makes you want to keep turning the page, then this psychological thriller is just the one for you. It's out in October, but you can pre-book it now from the link above or order it from your local library. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Louise Jensen has sold over a million English language copies of her International No. 1 psychological thrillers The Sister, The Gift, The Surrogate and The Date. Her novels have also been

translated into twenty-five languages, as well as featuring on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestseller's List. Louise's fifth thriller, The Family, will be published in Autumn 2019 by Harper Collins.

The Sister was nominated for the Goodreads Debut Author of 2016 Award. The Date was nominated for The Guardian's 'Not The Booker' Prize 2018. The Surrogate has been nominated for the best Polish thriller of 2018. The Gift has been optioned for a TV film.

Louise lives with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat in Northamptonshire. She loves to hear from readers and writers. 

Also see my review of her book The surrogate

Contact Louise on Facebook // Instagram // Blog

Giveaway ~ Love, Secrets and Absolution by @K_L_Loveley ~ Psychological family drama @_Globeflower_

An emotional and gripping psychological, family drama

TITLE - Love, Secrets and Absolution

AUTHOR - K L Loveley

Publisher: Globeflower Books / The Globeflower Agency (www.globeflower.co.uk)

Publication day: Wednesday, 1 November 2017

Love, Secrets, and Absolution is available as a pre-order from all Amazon websites UK  // USA

SYNOPSIS

People in the village gossip about Grace’s son, Alfie.

He’s a lonely boy full of secrets, lies, and obsessive thoughts.

How far can a mother’s love go? Will she ultimately sacrifice her life for his?

Set in Nottinghamshire, this family drama follows the lives of Grace and Alfie as he transforms from a naïve, young boy into a teenager spiralling out of control.

Love, Secrets, and Absolution is a coming of age story with a difference.

Deceit, betrayal, love, and addiction, a family falling apart in the midst of teenage angst and torn loyalties; will anybody find absolution?

BOOK TRAILER 

A cinematic book trailer for Love, Secrets, and Absolution is available on YouTube at:

EXCERPT

Love, Secrets, and Absolution: An emotional and gripping psychological, family drama.

By K.L Loveley

Grace lifted Alfie out of the royal blue carrycot and gently rocked him in her loving arms, kissing each tear stained cheek, she whispered, ‘I love you, Alfie, I love you with all my heart and I always will.’ Her heart filled with such overwhelming love and devotion, and a determination to be the best possible mother she could be. However, she was already questioning whether she would be good enough for her darling boy.

‘Now, my sweetheart, it is time to leave the hospital. Your father has been working hard to make a nursery for you to sleep and play in.’ She cuddled him and then sighed ‘we are going home, and I for one am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, with your father next to me. I haven’t slept well here, with all those screaming babies’, Alfie whimpered, and Grace reassured him, ‘Don’t worry, I will always keep you close by.’

She returned Alfie to the carrycot, covering him in the afghan blanket her parents had brought him. He cried immediately, and it got louder and louder. It was a piercing cry that hurt her ears and made her head spin. She began to panic. As Paul made his way towards them, he looked worried and asked, ‘Are you alright, Grace? Whatever is wrong with Alfie, his face is scarlet red, he looks very hot!’ Paul removed the afghan blanket, but Alfie continued to scream. ‘Perhaps he is in pain, what shall we do?’ Paul asked. Grace did not answer at first, and when she did, her voice was high-pitched and shaky.

‘I’m not sure, he has been fed and winded, his nappy changed. I really don’t know, it’s the first time this has happened.’ She tried hushing Alfie but no avail. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ she confessed, ‘perhaps I am not going to be any good at this. I feel all stressed and panicky over the smallest thing.’

Paul hugged his wife and took the carry cot from her, ‘Perhaps he will be settled when we get home, come on let’s go to the car.’ As they left the hospital, a fierce wind was blowing outside, so Paul put the hood up on the carrycot and secured the blanket again. Alfie continued to scream fiercely. With his free hand he held his wife’s tiny trembling hand, ‘Come on, Grace, let me drive you home.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR K.L Loveley is a former nurse, who has seen, heard, and dealt with a wide range of medical, social and family dramas. She has used her nursing experience, along with her excellent

people watching skills to create fascinating characters and intriguing scenarios within her books. She writes contemporary fiction, psychological dramas and poetry.

Her debut novel ‘Alice’ was published in February 2017, and the story tackles alcoholism head-on, and presents the reader with an empathetic account of a spiralling addiction and the resulting pattern of hopelessness that many fall into.

K.L Loveley’s second novel ‘Love, Secrets, and Absolution: An emotional and gripping psychological, family drama’ is a coming of age story with a difference. Deceit, betrayal, love, and addiction, this story is about a family falling apart in the midst of teenage angst and torn loyalties.

If you enjoy reading authors like Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain, you will enjoy K.L Loveley!

K.L Loveley lives in Nottinghamshire, England and loves socialising with friends and family. She is an avid reader and enjoys a variety of genres including psychological, thrillers and historical fiction. Her favourite authors include John le Carré, K.L Slater, Marian Keyes and Philippa Gregory.

You can contact the author in a variety of ways

Website  Goodreads  Google +      

Twitter    Facebook     LinkedIn:    Publisher Globeflower Books 

               

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Showcase ~ Nearly Dead by Conrad Jones ~ Detective Alec Ramsay Novel

TITLE - Nearly Dead

SERIES - Detective Alec Ramsay

AUTHOR - Conrad Jones

BUY LINK - Click here

SYNOPSIS - The renovation of a remote farmhouse on the outskirts of Liverpool uncovers a chamber of horrors but the crimes are historical. DI Alec Ramsay must sift through the evidence to identify both the victims and the perpetrators, while trying to dismantle the dangerous drug gangs that plague the city. The prequel to The Child Taker, this book is a must for fans of the Alec Ramsay series.

The Child Taker is currently free for the kindle at the time of writing. Click here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Conrad is the author of 18 novels, 8 author guides and 2 biographies. He has three series;
The Detective Alec Ramsay Series; 7 books Gritty Crime Thrillers
The Soft Target Series; Gritty Thrillers 6 books (Reacher Style)
The Hunting Angels Diaries; 3 books Horror Thrillers
You can find out more; www.conradjonesauthor.com
jonesconrad5@aol.com

From the Author Himself
I am Conrad Jones a 50-year-old Author, originally from a sleepy green-belt called Tarbock Green, which is situated on the outskirts of Liverpool. I spent a number of years living in Holyhead, Anglesey, which I class as my home, before starting a career as a trainee manger with McDonalds Restaurants in 1989. I worked in management at McDonalds Restaurants Ltd from 1989-2002, working my way up to Business Consultant (area manager) working in the corporate and franchised departments.

Conrad's the one on the left. Name who's on the right.

On March 20th 1993 I was managing the Restaurant in Warrington`s Bridge St when two Irish Republican Army bombs exploded directly outside the store, resulting in the death of two young boys and many casualties. Along with hundreds of other people there that day I was deeply affected by the attack, which led to a long-term interest in the motivation and mind set of criminal gangs. I began to read anything crime related that I could get my hands on.
I link this experience with the desire to write books on the subject, which came much later on due to an unusual set of circumstances. Because of that experience my early novels follow the adventures of an elite counter terrorist unit, The Terrorist Task Force, and their enigmatic leader, John Tankersley, or `Tank`and they are the Soft Target Series, which have been described by a reviewer as ‘Reacher on steroids’ ; You can see them here;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Target-Series-Length-Mystery-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B00JEN607Q 

Catch up with Conrad on Facebook  Amazon  Twitter Goodreads Website

In my opinion he's an author who needs to be read if you're into crime fiction.

Showcase & Giveaway - Secrets we Keep ~ Faith Hogan ~ Women's Fiction - @gerhogan #Aria Fiction

TITLE - Secrets we Keep

AUTHOR - Faith Hogan

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release Date: February  2017

Publisher: Aria Fiction – Head of Zeus

Synopsis
Two distant relatives, drawn together in companionship are forced to confront their pasts and learn that some people are good at keeping secrets and some secrets are never meant to be kept..

A bittersweet story of love, loss and life. Perfect for fans of Patricia Scanlan, Adele Parks and Rosamunde Pilcher.

The beautiful old Bath House in Ballytokeep has lain empty and abandoned for decades. For devoted pensioners Archie and Iris, it holds too many conflicting memories of their adolescent dalliances and tragic consequences – sometimes it’s better to leave the past where it belongs.

For highflying, top London divorce lawyer Kate Hunt, it’s a fresh start – maybe even her future. On a winter visit to see her estranged Aunt Iris she falls in love with the Bath House. Inspired, she moves to Ballytokeep leaving her past heartache 600 miles away – but can you ever escape your past or your destiny?

Extract from Secrets We Keep by Faith Hogan

‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ Kate said. It was her first thought as they turned down the cove and saw the bathhouse snuggled into the cliff face. It was a turreted, stocky grown-ups sandcastle. ‘It could have been emptied from a child’s bucket,’ was her first reaction. It had been painted, white with a light blue trim once, then the waves and the spray had all but washed that away. It still sat proudly, if shabbily, on a huge flat rock, that upturned in a lip over the sea. It was a plate, large enough for any giant.


‘Genesis Rock – it’s a metamorphic rock, probably over a thousand million years old,’ Rita said. ‘Sorry, did I mention I taught geography and home economics, once upon a time.’


‘No, but I probably should have guessed.’


‘I don’t remember the bathhouse even being open. I could imagine that I’d have spent all my days here if I had.’ Rita looked at the washed white walls that reached high into the cliff face.


‘Well, Archie said they ran it for a few years, but he didn’t say when it shut.’ This place probably held sadness for Archie, if his brother died here. Kate couldn’t feel it. Instead, it made her feel energized, as though the sea was spraying something like an invitation deep into her lungs. It made her heart pound with an expectation she hadn’t felt in years. Even the deserted castle keep that loomed up in grey stone at the tip of the headland seemed to carry a hopeful secret in its towers.


‘It must have been lovely once. Even now, you can see.’ Rita rested her hands on the thick window ledge, her nose pressed firmly to the cold glass of the windows. ‘It looks like they just closed up one evening and never came back.’


Kate walked to the back of the bathhouse; it dug into the cliff face, as though the construction of one depended on the other. Alongside the building, a small narrow road clung to the cliff for a couple of hundred yards before it feathered off onto what counted as a main road in these parts. Far below, the waves lapped serenely against the stone. It was low tide now; Kate wondered how close the water actually came to the rock. ‘I’d love to get a look inside.’ Rita followed her round to the front of the bathhouse. They peered through a sea sprayed window for a few minutes. Inside, Kate could see there were tables and chairs, a small stove and an old-fashioned counter where once someone had taken orders for afternoon tea. ‘It’s a little café, wouldn’t it be lovely if it was open for coffee?’ Kate mused, it was so much more than just a bathhouse.

BUY LINKS
Amazon.com:
Secrets We Keep - Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk
Secrets We Keep - Amazon.UK

Kobo:
Secrets We Keep - Kobo

Nook:
Secrets We Keep - Nook

GooglePlay
Secrets We Keep - Googleplay

iBooks
Secrets We Keep - iBooks



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Already an international best seller, Faith Hogan is an original voice in women’s fiction, she



has been hailed as a Maeve Binchey for a new generation. Her stories are warm and rooted in a contemporary Irish landscape which has lost none of its wit or emotion thanks to its modern vibe.

Faith Hogan was born in Ireland. She gained an Honours Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree from University College, Galway. She has worked as a fashion model, an event’s organiser and in the intellectual disability and mental health sector.

She was a winner in the 2014 Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair – an international competition for emerging writers.

‘Secrets We Keep,’ is her second novel published with Aria Fiction. Her first, My Husbands Wives has been a top ten best seller and is currently available in paperback.

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

Twitter: @gerhogan

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15109450.Faith_Hogan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithhoganauthor/

Website: https://faithhogan.com




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BLOG TOUR

Checkout other blogs who have been on this wonderful blog tour as some also have reviews you can read too!

Date: 2nd October
- Being Anne

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Date: 4th October
- The Book Magnet

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- Boon's Bookcase
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Date: 11th October
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- Author's & Readers Book Corner

Date: 12th October
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Date: 13th October
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