Book review & Giveaway - Beneath an Irish Sky by Isabella Connor - incl Guest blog from the authors!

Title - Beneath an Irish Sky

Author - Isabella Connor

Publisher - ChocLit publishing

Synopsis

The past is never over.

Jack Stewart thought he'd put the past behind him. On the surface he was everything - success, money, a big house and he is never short of an attractive woman by his side, but a tragic road accident shatters his world.

Raised as an Irish Traveller. Luke Kiernan hasn't had it easy, and when he wakes in a Dublin hospital to find the man he's hated since childhood at his bedside, he's hungry for revenge.

Two very different worlds collide, bringing new dangers, exposing past deceits and unearthing dark family secrets buried long ago. But from tragedy springs the promise of a fresh start with two women who are intent on helping Jack and Luke mend their lives.

Can new love heal old wounds, or are some scars there for good?

GUEST BLOG POST BY THE AUTHORS........ Yes authors. Carry on reading :)

Beneath an Irish Sky

by Isabella Connor

I can't remember when I began my love affair with Ireland. Or why. It just happened. I think there was always a little fascination but it suddenly erupted into full-blown obsession which has never gone away, and when I'm there, I feel comfortable. More than comfortable - I feel at home.

I buy as many books about Ireland as I can; I buy DVDs of movies set in Ireland; I have a shelf full of CD's featuring traditional Irish music; I have a stash of recorded programmes on the V+ that I'm loathe to delete. And don't start me on the accent - I swear that if I were on a jury for a trial with an Irish defendant, I'd find him innocent irrespective of the evidence. 

The protagonist in ‘Beneath an Irish Sky’ (initially, the book was called Luke) was always going to be Irish. I'd happily have Irish heroes every time, but maybe that would be going beyond passion into fanaticism!

Beautiful Cobh, Ireland - credit psyberartist

Despite my fascination with Ireland and everything/everyone Irish, I didn't actually get there until 1992, when I visited my penpal, lovely Kathleen Ryan, living at the time in Borrisoleigh, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. We'd never met, but she and her family welcomed myself and my children into their home and ensured my first visit to Ireland was everything I’d hoped for. Kathleen will hopefully forgive me for saying she's not unique. I've found everyone I've met in Ireland to be welcoming, so it's no surprise it has a reputation for being one of the friendliest countries in the world.  

Limerick, Ireland - Credit fitm

It's impossible to choose my favourite part of Ireland, but I do love Limerick. It's a typical city, but I loved it there, and felt a real affinity for it. I always loved watching Terry Wogan, so maybe it's his influence! Mallow, Cobh, Cork, Killarney, all places that were once just names on a map, but now I feel the same kind of familiarity that I do with places in England.

Three years ago, I found myself in Ennis, where Luke was living before having to leave so suddenly. Now this is where I probably lose any credibility, because I walked around this lovely little town, thinking he had probably covered the same ground, and when we went into a pub for lunch, I wondered if Luke's family drank there...

Ennis, O'Connell St - Credit Joseph Mischyshyn

But this is what fiction does, right?  It takes you away from reality, and I'm quite happy with that. And I don't think I'm looking through shamrock-coloured spectacles - I know it's not Utopia. But as nations go, it's the best for me. 

Isabella Connor is the pen-name of Liv Thomas and Val Olteanu. Val lives in Canada, and Liv is in England. They met on a Tolkien fan forum and decided to write a novel together. Despite living some 4,700 miles apart (and with an 8-hour time difference), they succeeded in producing their debut novel, ‘Beneath an Irish Sky,’ which is now available as eBook and paperback. 

My Book Review 

Well ChocLit publishing have done it again. They've given us another great author in the form of Isabella Connor.

Beneath an Irish Sky brings us some amazing characters. Some you'll love and some you'll just despise. 

Without giving away anything with spoilers, this book tells the story of how the lives of Jack Stewart, a wealthy man who wants for "almost" nothing, and Luke Kiernan an Irish Traveller, collided in a way neither of them could have expected. This was a great story that drew you in from the start. It is an amazing story of families and deep connections. 

There are so many wonderful characters in the book, but you never lose track of who is who, due to the way the author immerses you into their lives.

Whilst reading the book it took me through so many different emotions from concern to anger and love to sadness. 

The way the author depicts the locations in the book makes you feel like you have actually been there. Bizarrely enough, after reading the book the author sent me some photos, and Ennis (shown in the photo's above) is just how I pictured it to be when reading the book.

I loved this book and I didn't want it to end. I would love to know what happened to all the characters next. I didn't want it to end and I didn't want to leave them behind. A great read.

I loved this video of Ennis as it was all about families - Some beautiful music too. Enjoy.

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Book Review - Just a little drop more by Gordon Macleod

Title - Just a Little Drop More 

Author -  Gordon Macleod

Genre - Family drama

Available from Amazon UK / Amazon US

This author was recommended to me and I had not heard of his work before. I am always keen to try new authors so was happy to read and review it.

 The story is set in a beautiful area of Scotland, and the main character James, takes you on a wonderful journey across the sea’s on different Caledonian Macbrayne ferries to different Scottish Isles. The writer really brings this area to life and immerses you into the travelling so you can almost smell the salty seas.

The main part of the story is centered around James’ who whilst on route to his Daughter's ends up with a stay in a care home. He meets some lovely residents with whom he becomes good friends with. James is a very caring character and is always concerned for the welfare of his fellow man.

Also in the care home are a multitude of staff in varying positions. It is run with a rod of iron. He meets some friendly staff like the lovely Natalie, but then also comes across some horrendous staff. This really hit home to me as I spent a shift working in a care home, after taking on a position as a carer as a 2^nd job. I too witnessed things that I never envisaged went on behind closed doors. I fortunately was in a position to report it. James himself is not in such an easy position as he expects no-one will believe him.

I won’t say much more about the plot as it will spoil the story. I felt that the author handled the story extremely well, and very delicately. It was an upsetting book at times, but very well written.

The grammar needs refining at odd times, and on the odd occasion he transposed the word he with she. I also felt the book ended abruptly and I would have liked it to have gone a little further.  Aside from this, I really enjoyed the book and liked the way the author relayed the story by making James a compassionate person. It is hard to put down as you just want to see what happens next. I would certainly read other books by this author.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Gordon MacLeod, born in 1967, was raised on the Isle of Arran in Scotland.
He now lives in the Far North of Scotland.

He wrote his first novel in 1997, which was published in 2009, when tartanmoon.com, an electronic publishing house, published it.
It was an immediate success being one of that publisher's best sellers at the time, and was compared by them to 'Whisky Galore'.

His next, '76', was written in 2009, and published by Amazon for Kindle and other applications in July 2011.

Gordon has also completed another novel called, 'Just a Little Drop More', and this was released in the third week of July, 2012, on Amazon for Kindle.

Gordon podcasts monthly about his work and social issues, and these Podcasts are available from the Apple itunes store for free.
A link to his most recent about his new book, 'Just a Little Drop More', is given below:

http://audioboo.fm/boos/880743-just-a-little-drop-more

Gordon's early novels are based on the island of Arran where he grew up.
Also featured are many of his other favourite locations, like the Isle of Raasay which he views as his ancestral home, and other picturesque places across the Highlands of Scotland.
He communicates a deep respect for these environments, and recounts much of the history that has impacted upon them, in his novels.
Although the genre of his novels is often adventure, there are more serious underlying themes to be detected in his works by the more discerning reader, including environmental concern, migration, independence, cultural diversity and inhumane and degrading treatment.

Throughout his works, the features of Arran can often be found personified in some of the characters, and it is the beauty of that island that he seems to draw the reader to, time and time again.
It is apparent that this small island in the Firth of Clyde, off the West Coast of Scotland, has been the inspiration behind much of his writing.

You can learn more about Gordon and his writing projects by visiting his website:

http://gordonmacleod.weebly.com/index.html

Why not have a look at Gordon’s other book “76”.
Click Here

This "about the author" excerpt was kindly reproduced from the Author's Amazon Web page, by kind permission of the author himself.

Book Review & International Giveaway - A Lifetime Burning by Linda Gillard

Title - A Lifetime Burning

Author - Linda Gillard

Publisher - Transita

Available from Amazon UK or Amazon US
both in Kindle and Paperback form.

THE BLURB
Greedy for experience but determined to be good, Flora Dunbar spends a lifetime seeking love, trying to build a future out of the wreckage of her past - an eccentric childhood spent in the shadow of her musical twin, Rory; early marriage to Hugh, a clergyman twice her age; motherhood, which brings her Theo, the son she cannot love; middle-age, when she finds brief happiness in a scandalous affair with her nephew, Colin.

"If you asked my sister-in-law why she hated me, she’d say it was because I seduced her precious firstborn then tossed him onto the sizeable scrap-heap marked Flora’s ex-lovers. But she’d be lying. That isn’t why Grace hated me. Ask my brother Rory..."

MY REVIEW

This is a complex family drama with lots of twists and turns.

The main character in the book is Flora Dunbar. She is a twin and has an incredibly close relationship with her twin brother Rory. They grow up in what appears a warm household.  Rory becomes a famous pianist, whilst Flora becomes the wife of a clergyman who was a lot older than her. Flora is a complex character and never seems really happy with her lot.  She creates scandal in her family in more ways than one, as lots of family secrets are unearthed and some taboo relationships are formed.

I loved this story and all of the characters involved. It was a complex story, full of love and passion, warm relationships but also hate. It was beautifully written and full of happy times, sad times and tragedies. So much all rolled into one book.

The only thing I didn't like about the book (but then this is often one of my gripes with many books not just this one) is the fact that it kept going backwards and forwards in time. This is okay for me if you read the book over a couple of days, which you could easily do if you had the time. However I read it over a span of about 10 days and kept forgetting where I was and in which decade and I had to keep going backwards and forwards to work out what was going on. It wouldn't deter me from reading more though. 

I did however love how the author managed to make you warm to some characters and feel sorry for others. The way the characters are intertwined in a complex way, made the story very fulfilling.

I thoroughly recommend it as it has a lot of content and makes you want to keep reading it. I love the style of writing that Linda Gillard produces and have read many of her books, and recommend you do the same.

Learn more about the author by going to her author page. Click here

Also take a look at Linda's other books which are on her author page. .

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY TO WIN A FREE KINDLE EDITION OF THIS BOOK - INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY! STARTS AT MIDNIGHT GMT 4TH JANUARY! ENDS MIDNIGHT 12TH JAN.

AS AN EXTRA BONUS, THE AUTHOR HERSELF HAS OFFERED A SIGNED PAPERBACK TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE UK READER!!! THANK YOU LINDA. 

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Book Review -- Confessions of a Call Centre Gal -- Lisa Lim

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Title: Confessions of a Call Centre Gal

Author: Lisa Lim

Store: Amazon



This is not my usual genre of book but the author invited me to review it for her.

This tells of the life and loves of Maddison (Maddy) and Karrsyn (Kars)who are friends, well most of the time.

They both find themselves working in a call centre, which is not their ideal job. They work with some very different and mostly amusing characters and a supervisor who is quite fearce. Maddy hankers after her colleague Mika and ends up helping him improve his grasp of the English language by introducing him to decent works of fiction.

The story has many laughs along the way, and working in a call center like I do now, I can understand their talk of the "not ready" button, and how heavily supervisors monitor it. Maddy talks about her 8 hour shifts, speaking to some rather rude people, who she handles expertly.

I did feel that some of the calls Maddy spoke about were a bit too detailed and laboured and she rambled on a bit. I found myself getting bored in parts and quickly flicking through the pages.

For me there was just not enough substance and the book didn't grip me enough to keep my interest. Nevertheless it is a light hearted book and for those lovers of chic-lit you may well thoroughly enjoy it, as many others have.

My rating 3/5

Book Review -- Belfast Girls by Gerry McCullough

Belfast Girls

Kindle Edition

Published 24 Nov 2010
by Night Publishing

My rating - 5* Excellent read

Currently £1.39 UK

I thoroughly enjoyed this kindle book. It was mainly about 3 girls who grew up in Northern Ireland and became good friends. All of them intelligent girls, doing well at school but their lives taking completely different paths.

Sheila who was always the tall beautiful one. In love with a man who expected perfection from her but left her when he realised she wasn't perfect. She went on to be famous, travelling all over the world, but still holding a torch for her man despite the many temptations thrown in her way. She still compared them all to him.

Mary who was clever but got into bad ways and with the wrong people. Could she turn her life round before she ended up in a bad way?

Phil (Philomena) who was kind and caring and always loved her man Davey, despite him getting mixed up with some bad people. Northern Ireland had been going through the ceasefire, but drugs and money laundering and people trafficking had taken over. Phil knew Davy was into something bad but she loved him and he kept her out of it so she would be safe, but would she?

The Belfast Girls lives separated somewhat when they left school as their lives took them down this different path, only to end up back together again when they most needed each other.

This book kept me wanting to read more. I loved the way the characters came from the same backgrounds but their lives went down totally different paths, only to collide in the end. Very well written, and a hint into what life in Northern Ireland became like for some after the ceasefire. A very good read!