Interview with Anne Coates ~ @Anne_Coates1 @urbanebooks

Congratulations to Anne Coates whose new book, ‘Perdition’s Child’, the fourth in the Hannah Weybridge series is out today in paperback and eBook, published by Urbane Publications.

It’s a real pleasure to welcome Anne back to my blog.  I asked her some questions about her new book.

 

I cannot believe that the fourth book in the Hannah Weybridge series has been published. Can you tell me a bit about ‘Perdition’s Child’ please?

To be honest, Sonya, I am still pinching myself – four books so moving from a trilogy (as it was first seen) to a series! ‘Perdition’s Child’ is once again set in 1994, moving on from the devastating climax of ‘Songs of Innocence’. After a short holiday with Tom, Hannah is back in London only to discover another suspicious death in her locality, this time in Dulwich Library. The police don’t seem interested but the head librarian thinks further investigation is required and passes information to Hannah. Why has an Australian trying to trace his family become a murder victim?

 

Did you find this book easy to write?

Parts of it yes, but some scenes are more difficult. The sense of loss and sadness pervades and that did affect me. The loss of a child, however that occurs, leaves a huge space in someone’s life. However, I love developing and having fun with characters and some have survived from earlier books. Lucy – one of the homeless people in Cardboard City – who appeared in ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ and briefly in ‘Songs of Innocence’ steps into the spotlight as the secrets from her past are discovered.

 

Where do you get your ideas from?

As a journalist I have interviewed people from all walks of life, from prostitutes (Dancers in the Wind) to actors (watch this space) and written about and researched a myriad of topics which inform my scenarios. Plus I have many friends who work in different professions and generously share their experiences. Sometimes observing someone on a bus gives me an idea for how a character is dressed or how they move. I have been known to plunder the habits of my family. Often one idea generates another and before I know it I’m off on another adventure with Hannah.

 

Are there any more books in this series planned and if so what direction do you feel Hannah will take?

The idea that I am working on at the moment – and it’s in the very early stages ­– sees Hannah moving away from freelancing on ‘The News’ and taking a less demanding job working as a “ghost writer” for a famous actor’s memoir. But then she uncovers a mystery that she feels compelled to unravel…

 

Would you like to see the Hannah Weybridge series made into a TV drama?

If only! People often follow this question with and who would you like to play Hannah (and other characters)? I don’t have a preference. The Hannah I see in my mind’s eye is probably quite different from the reader’s and a director would want to ‘recreate’ her own Hannah. It’s a different interpretation and I’d be fascinated to see it.

 

Do you think that you will ever write another series?

I’ve been playing around with an idea for another series set in the here and now and I have a main character developing to fill the role.

 

Would you consider writing a different genre?

Well I have written seven nonfiction books and two collections of short stories some of which would be classed more as ‘women’s fiction’. I’m also working on a psychological thriller that’s a standalone and is loosely based on one of those short stories written some time ago.

 

What do you hope readers will get from your books?

Primarily I hope they are entertained and are engrossed in the story, but also that they would see situations in a new light. Although the Hannah Weybridge series is set in the 1990s many of the problems are still with us today. Sadly our society hasn’t moved on in many respects in terms of racism and discrimination. The homeless situation is worse and food banks didn’t exist then.

 

If you could live your life all over again would you still write books or would you do something different?

When I was studying for my A levels I thought about careers in Law, Psychology and Journalism. My degree was in English and French and I was fortunate enough to find a job in book publishing, which led me to journalism. Even if I had gone into either of the other two options, I think I would have still written novels – but they would probably have had a different focus.

 

What is the last book you read?

‘The Doll House’ by Phoebe Morgan.

 

 

Book Blurb

Dulwich library is the scene of a baffling murder, followed swiftly by another in Manchester, the victims linked by nothing other than their Australian nationality. Police dismiss the idea of a serial killer, but journalist Hannah Weybridge isn’t convinced.

She is drawn into an investigation in which more Australian men are killed as they try to trace their British families. Her research reveals past horrors and present sadness, and loss linked to children who went missing after the Second World War. Have those children returned now?

Once again Hannah finds herself embroiled in a deadly mystery, a mystery complicated by the murder of Harry Peters; the brother of Lucy, one of the residents of Cardboard City she had become friendly with. It soon becomes clear Lucy is protecting secrets of her own.

What is Lucy’s link to the murders and can Hannah discover the truth before the killer strikes again?

Anne Coates gripping thriller is the perfect read for fans of Emma Tallon, K.L.Slater and Laura Marshall.

 

About Anne Coates

Reading and writing has been Anne Coates’ passion for as long as she can remember. Inspired by her mother who taught her to read before she went to school and by the Deputy Head at her secondary school in Harlow, Essex who encouraged her hunger for reading by granting her free access to the books not yet in the school library – she feels still grateful for this, in her eyes, amazing privilege.

After her degree in English and French, Anne moved to London where she has lived ever since. During her career, she worked for publishers, as a journalist, writer, editor, and translator. The birth of her daughter, Olivia inspired her to write non-fiction books, such as ‘Your Only Child’ (Bloomsbury, 1996), books about applying to and surviving university (NeedtoKnow, 2013), but also short stories, tales with a twist, and stories exploring relationships, published in in various women’s magazines including Bella and Candis.

After working on Woman’s Weekly and Woman & Home, Anne went freelance and found herself interviewing all types of people from people working on gas rigs to prostitutes and some of their situations made her think “What if…” And so, investigative journalist Hannah Weybridge was born…

The Hannah Weybridge series is published by Urbane Publications: ‘Dancers in the Wind’ (2016), ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ (2017), and ‘Songs of Innocence’ (2018) plus the latest ‘Perdition’s Child’ (February 2020).

Anne Coates lives with three demanding cats and enjoys reading, going to the theatre and cinema, wining and dining and time with her family and friends.

‘Perdition’s Child’ is available to buy from Amazon UK:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perditions-Child-Hannah-Weybridge-thriller/dp/1912666677/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=perdition%27s+child+by+anne+coates&qid=1580934385&sr=8-1

 

Where to find Anne Coates

Author Website: www.annecoatesauthor.com
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AnneCoatesAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anne_Coates1
Parenting Website – Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParentingWT

 

Blog Tour – ‘White Gold’ by David Barker ~ #LoveBooksTours @urbanebooks @BlueGold201

I am delighted to be taking part in this tour today.  ‘White Gold’, the final book in the Gaia Trilogy, was published in paperback and as an eBook on the 9th May 2019 by Urbane Publications.  I would like to thank Kelly Lacey of Love Books Group for inviting me to participate in this tour.

David Barker has written a guest post for my blog.  First though, here’s what the book is about.

 

 

Book Blurb

VENGEANCE ALWAYS HAS A PRICE

Sim Atkins, Overseas Division agent, returns to Earth, having saved the Moon base from a deadly terrorist plot (see Rose Gold). All Sim can think about is finding the criminals responsible.

But his fury and lust for revenge are put on hold when a nuclear warhead is stolen by Terra Former leader Matthias Larsson. Can Sim and his colleagues track down the terrorist cell and disarm the device in time?

White Gold is the gripping finale in the compellingly original Gaia Trilogy, page-turning thrillers that provoke as well as excite.

 

Guest Post

God of fire

You probably know that volcanoes are not named after Spock’s home planet but after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, right?

And most Europeans will remember the eruption of Eyjafjallajӧkull in April 2010, not only for the huge disruption it caused to flights across the continent but also because of its challenging pronunciation (EYE-a-fyat-la-jo-kutl). If you’re Icelandic, you might recall first and foremost the huge flooding caused by the melting ice sheet. What many won’t know is that this eruption was classified as a 4 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). The index is very similar to the Richter Scale for Earthquakes: a one-point increase represents a tenfold rise in the power and violence of the event.

Readers will also probably know about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79, which resulted in the burial and destruction of several Roman cities, including Pompeii. That was a 5 on the VEI, as was the eruption of St Helens in 1980.

Moving up to a 6 on the index, in other words one hundred times more powerful than Eyjafjallajӧkull, and the most famous example is Krakatoa in 1883. It was the loudest sound ever recorded, heard 5000km away and the pressure wave rounded the world three and a half times. The explosion and subsequent tsunamis killed an estimated 36,000 people.

Not many people can name an example of an eruption recorded as a 7 on the index. The most recent example was Tambora, Indonesia in 1815. It killed 92,000 people and its ash cloud was so pervasive and enduring that Northern Europe and America suffered a year without summer in 1816.

The reason all of this is relevant to my latest release, White Gold? Because there’s another volcano that is not at all famous, but whose eruption a thousand years ago was as powerful as Tambora. And if it was ready to go again, well that would be interesting, wouldn’t it?

Which volcano am I talking about? How can Sim, Freda and the rest of the gang prevent such a huge catastrophe? You’ll just have to grab a copy of White Gold, available from May 9^th at all good bookstores, to find out…

 

About David Barker

David was born in Cheshire but now lives in Berkshire. His working life has been spent in the City, first for the Bank of England and now as Chief Economist for an international fund. So his job entails trying to predict the future all the time. David attended the Faber Academy course and he still meets up with his inspirational fellow students.

 

Links

‘White Gold’ is available to purchase from Amazon UK – https://amzn.to/2WCPQai

Website – http://davidbarkerauthor.co.uk/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/bluegold201

 

Book Review – ‘A Letter From Sarah’ by Dan Proops ~ @urbanebooks @Dan_Proops

‘A Letter From Sarah’ is being published in paperback and as an eBook on the 7th March 2019 by Urbane Publications.  I would like to thank the publisher for my review copy of this book.

You will find out in a minute what I thought about ‘A Letter From Sarah’.  First though, here is the blurb.

 

Book Blurb

Adam’s sister, Sarah, has been missing for seven years, but he hasn’t given up hope of finding her. He is a sculptor and lives with his bedridden father who is a bully and a curmudgeon.

One morning, as the anniversary of Sarah’s disappearance nears, Adam receives a letter from her and she is apparently alive and well, living in New York. Adam travels to Brooklyn to search for Sarah as he’s desperate to see her, but she seems determined to avoid him.

Sarah’s letters arrive weekly, but she continues to remain elusive. Adam is perplexed by Sarah’s requests for secrecy, as is his father and his girlfriend, Cassandra.

He is determined to find her, whatever the cost to his wellbeing, health and sanity….

 

My Review

I really liked the sound of this book and was looking forward to reading it. The author has written a beautiful and poignant story. I found it to be very thought provoking and different to other books I have read.

When Adam received a letter from Sarah out of the blue I really wanted to believe that it was from her. It seemed too good to be true though. After all he hadn’t heard from her at all in the past seven years. But then as the letters started arriving regularly I had no doubt that they were from her, especially with the things she was mentioning in them. Like Adam, I found myself eagerly awaiting the next letter from Sarah and I hoped that one day she would say she wanted to meet up with him.

There were some interesting characters in this story. I liked how the author portrayed them along with their flaws. I really wasn’t very keen on Adam’s friend at all and felt he took advantage of things. Yes, he had problems but the way he behaved wasn’t great.

As I was reading this book I had a number of questions going through my mind. Something just didn’t add up and I was right. I have to say I never expected the story to unfold as it did though and was quite shocked.

‘A Letter From Sarah’ deals with many issues including loss, family and mental health. It will not let go of you even when you put the book down and you will find yourself thinking about it often and wondering what is going to happen next. This is not a story that you will be likely to forget either.

I look forward to more from this author.

~~~~~

‘A Letter From Sarah’ can be pre-ordered from:-

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Letter-Sarah-Dan-Proops/dp/1912666219/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1551723199&sr=8-1&keywords=a+letter+from+sarah

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Letter-Sarah-Dan-Proops/dp/1912666219/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=a+letter+from+sarah&qid=1551723262&s=gateway&sr=8-3

 

About Dan Proops

Dan Proops has been a full time writer for six years and has completed four novels and a memoir. Previous to this he was a professional artist, organising a one man show at the age of fourteen. He has had many exhibitions over a long career and his artwork was purchased by internationally acclaimed art dealer, Eric Franck. His artwork appeared frequently in the national press and his painting was featured in Image of the Week in the Times. One of his exhibitions was previewed in the Telegraph by columnist Colin Gleadell.

Dan is a Twitter influencer and has a following of 22,000; last year 1.2 million people read his tweets, and he currently attends the advanced writing class at Morley College, run by the renowned radio four dramatist Mike Walker. Dan Proops is also the grandson of legendary advice columnist, Marjorie Proops. He lives and works in London.

 

Links

Website – http://dan-proops.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Dan_Proops

Blog Tour – ‘Corrupted’ by Simon Michael ~ #LoveBooksGroup @urbanebooks @simonmichaeluk

‘Corrupted’ is the fourth book in the Charles Holborne series.  It was published in paperback and as an eBook on the 21st June 2018 by Urbane Publications.  I am thrilled to be taking part in this blog tour today and would like to thank Love Books Group for inviting me to participate.

I have a wonderful guest post from Simon Michael.  First though here’s what ‘Corrupted’ is about.

 

Book Blurb

Corrupted is the fourth book in the Charles Holborne thriller series, and Simon Michael’s follow up to the bestselling The Lighterman.

Charles is building his reputation as a brilliant murder trial lawyer and living the good life with partner Sally. But he can’t escape the influences and dangers of the past, and finds himself drawn once more into the orbit of the notorious Kray twins.

It’s not long before Charles is courting scandal and threats to his very life when investigating a sex ring that involves not just the Krays and the Mafia, but goes to the very echelons of the country’s power.

Simon Michael brings the past back to life across a beautifully rendered swinging 60s landscape, and delivers a gripping piece of thriller fiction that will excite any fan of the genre.

 

Guest Post

A SEX SCANDAL … A MURDER … AND A COVER UP

ANOTHER VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL

 

THE GANGSTER

THE LABOUR MP

THE TORY HOME SECRETARY

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE TORY LORD

THE CAT BURGLAR

THE PRIME MINISTER IN WAITING

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Establishment cover-up of the sexual shenanigans of high-profile figures. Who are we talking about this time – Jeremy Thorpe MP? Cyril Smith MP?

If you’ve read any of the Charles Holborne crime thrillers you will know that the 1960s and 1970s were the “Wild West” of British justice. Gangs like the Krays, the Richardsons and the Messina brothers carved their territories with firebombs, razors and shooters, vying for control of the proceeds of London’s prostitution, pornography, protection money and illegal gambling. And departments of the Metropolitan Police such as the Sweeney and the Dirty Squad (Obscene Publications Squad) were almost institutionally corrupt; they skimmed profits, protected the villains and fitted up and verballed innocent men. It wasn’t until 1978, the start of Operation Countryman, that the clean-up of the Met began, and it took well over a decade before most of the bent coppers had been thrown out or imprisoned.

That’s why this period is a goldmine to a crime writer, especially one like myself who spent decades on the inside of the criminal justice system and who saw first-hand just how corrupt and dysfunctional it was. All I needed to do was put an honest but flawed brief in the centre of all this; a brief with “a past” and a single-minded drive to pursue justice at any cost; incorporate details of cases in which I was instructed; mix well; and watch the sparks fly.

While the first three books in the series have generally followed Charlie, and his complicated and dangerous relationship with the Krays, through the early 1960s, in Corrupted I stumbled across an astonishing event that took place during the summer of 1964. It involved not only the usual mix of professional gangsters and bent policeman but also senior members of the Conservative government and of the opposition Labour Party. It led to the Home Secretary putting pressure on the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to lie about an ongoing investigation; it led to a planted question in the House of Lords; it led to huge libel damages being wrung out of a national newspaper for printing what was, essentially, a true story. Most importantly, it led to the Krays becoming untouchable by the police for several years, during which time their reign of violent criminality continued and two men were murdered. It is a scandal that is well-documented but not well-known, and started with Ronnie Kray’s gay sex parties and its high-profile guests.

Corrupted is a violent crime thriller; it’s a “whodunnit” and it’s a “whydoneit”; but it is also a political thriller, one of enormous current resonance, and it seems to have struck a chord: “Crackles with tension” “instantly classic” “jaw-dropping suspense-filled” “old-school espionage with elegance” “A truly awesome thriller”.

Corrupted is published by Urbane Publications.

 

About Simon Michael

During Simon Michael’s years of practice at the Bar he has prosecuted and defended enough murderers, armed robbers, con artists and other assorted villainy to provide him with a lifetime of true crime stories. The Charles Holborne thriller series is set in the dangerous gangland streets of 1960s London. Simon currently lives in London.

 

Links

‘Corrupted’ can be purchased from Amazon UK:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corrupted-gripping-Charles-Holborne-thriller-ebook/dp/B07CRC1GX6/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528636178&sr=1-2&keywords=Corrupted

 

Website:          www.simonmichael.uk

Facebook:        www.facebook.com/simonmichael.uk

Twitter:           www.twitter.com/simonmichaeluk

Blog Tour – ‘Songs of Innocence’ by Anne Coates

‘Songs of Innocence’, the third book in the Hannah Weybridge series, was published on the 24th May 2018 in paperback and as an eBook by Urbane Publications.  I am thrilled to be taking part in this blog tour and would like to thank Love Books Group for inviting me to participate.  I would also like to say thank you for my review copy.

I will tell you what I thought of this book in a minute, but first here’s what its about.

 

Book Blurb

A woman’s body is found in a lake. Is it a sad case of suicide or something more sinister? Hannah Weybridge, still reeling from her friend’s horrific murder and the attempts on her own life, doesn’t want to get involved, but reluctantly agrees to look into the matter for the family.

The past however still stalks her steps, and a hidden danger accompanies her every move.

The third in the bestselling Hannah Weybridge thriller series, Songs of Innocence provides Hannah with her toughest and deadliest – assignment yet…

 

My Review

Having really enjoyed the first two books in the series, I was looking forward to reading ‘Songs of Innocence’. I soon found myself hooked. I loved the author’s descriptions of Peckham Rye Park and I felt as if I was there with all the lovely birds. The mandarin ducks are indeed beautiful. Another thing I really like is how the characters from the previous books keep appearing. It is like visiting old friends again and again.

When the body of a young woman who has apparently committed suicide is discovered in a lake in Peckham Rye Park, things just don’t add up. The last thing Hannah needs or wants is to get herself involved in another investigation, but it doesn’t look like she has very much choice. She soon makes some shocking discoveries. At one point I really thought that was it for Hannah and I feared for her life. It would be absolutely awful if something happened to her.

I was left extremely intrigued at the end wondering about Tom Jordan and Hannah and if they have a future together. I want to know what’s going to happen now!

Out of all three books, ‘Songs of Innocence’ is by far my favourite. Anne Coates has really excelled herself. It is obvious that she does her research. I would definitely recommend that you start at the beginning to get the full benefit of this series, especially as one of the main storylines from ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ continues in this one. I really hope there are going to be more books and that I don’t have to wait too long.

I give this book 5 out of 5.

~~~~~

‘Songs of Innocence’ is available to buy from Amazon UK:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Innocence-Hannah-Weybridge-Coates/dp/191133154X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1527335332&sr=2

 

About Anne Coates

Reading and writing has been Anne Coates’ passion for as long as she can remember. Instilled and inspired by her mother and by the Deputy Head at her secondary school who encouraged her hunger for reading by granting her free access to the books not yet in the school library, and she feels still grateful for this, in her eyes, amazing privilege.

After her degree in English and French, Anne moved to London to stay. During her career she worked for publishers, as a journalist, writer, editor, and translator. The birth of her daughter, Olivia inspired her to write non-fiction books, such as ‘Your Only Child’ (Bloomsbury, 1996), books about applying to and surviving university (NeedtoKnow, 2013), but also short stories, tales with a twist, and stories exploring relationships, published in two collections by Endeavour Press (2015).

The sometimes strange places Anne visited as a journalist often made her think “What if…” And so, investigative journalist Hannah Weybridge was born… The Hannah Weybridge series currently consists of three books, all published by Urbane Publications: ‘Dancers in the Wind’ (2016), ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ (2017), and ‘Songs of Innocence’ (2018).

Anne Coates lives in London with three demanding cats and enjoys reading, going to the theatre and cinema, wining and dining.

Where to find Anne Coates
Author Website: www.annecoatesauthor.com
FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AnneCoatesAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anne_Coates1
Parenting Website – Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParentingWT

 

Book Review – ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ by Anne Coates

I was invited to take part in the blog tour for Anne Coates’ new book, ‘Songs of Innocence’.  Realising that I still needed to read ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’, which was published last year by Urbane Publications, this prompted me to do so.  I know that in many cases some books in a series can be read as standalone novels, but I wasn’t sure if this was the case with this one.

You will find out in a bit what I thought of ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’.  First though, here’s what it’s about.

 

Book Blurb

Death’s Silent Judgement is the thrilling sequel to Dancers in the Wind, and continues the gripping series starring London-based investigative journalist Hannah Weybridge.

Following the deadly events of Dancers in the Wind, freelance journalist and single mother Hannah Weybridge is thrown into the heart of a horrific murder investigation when a friend, Liz Rayman, is found with her throat slashed at her dental practice.

With few clues to the apparently motiveless crime Hannah throws herself into discovering the reason for her friend’s brutal murder, and is determined to unmask the killer. But before long Hannah’s investigations place her in mortal danger, her hunt for the truth placing her in the path of a remorseless killer…

The series is very much in the best traditions of British women crime writers such as Lynda La Plante and Martina Cole.

 

My Review

I bought my copy of ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ at Anne Coates’ book launch last year. I’m so very glad that I decided to read this book first. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was kept on tenterhooks.

Set in January 1994 onwards, the story starts off in The Crypt of St John’s Church where Hannah’s friend Liz has been brutally murdered. Anne Coates actually held her book launch in The Crypt which made it easy for me to picture the scene. Hannah really is an amazing person. You would think after what happened to her she would want to lie low and not get involved in other murders, especially as she has a young daughter. But at the end of the day Liz was her friend and she wasn’t going to let things go so easily. Good for her I say.

I mentioned it in my review of ‘Dancers in the Wind’, but I really do like how this author writes about issues that are to this day are still happening around the world. It reminds you of the suffering caused to millions of people and it certainly makes me very grateful for the life I have. This story dealt with child trafficking and it didn’t make for very pretty reading at all.

‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ is an exciting and thought-provoking story. You will feel that you have actually learnt something from it.

I give this book 4 out of 5.

~~~~~

‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ is available to buy from Amazon UK:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deaths-Silent-Judgement-thrilling-Weybridge-ebook/dp/B06ZXXCR29/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527327945&sr=1-1&keywords=death%27s+silent+judgement

 

If you want a taster of ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ you can read an extract here:-

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/extract-from-deaths-silent-judgement-by-anne-coates/

 

About Anne Coates

For most of her working life in publishing, Anne has had a foot in both camps as a writer and an editor, moving from book publishing to magazines and then freelancing in both. Having edited both fiction and narrative non-fiction, Anne has also had short stories published in a variety of magazines including Bella and Candis and is the author of seven non-fiction books. Telling stories is Anne’s first love and nearly all her short fiction as well as Dancers in The Wind and Death’s Silent Judgement began with a real event followed by a ‘what if …’; That is also the case with the two prize-winning 99Fiction.net stories: Codewords and Eternal Love. Songs of Innocence will publish summer 2018.

 

Links

Author Website: http://www.annecoatesauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Anne_Coates1

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

 

Blog Tour – ‘Rose Gold’ by David Barker

‘Rose Gold’ was published in paperback and as an eBook on the 10th May 2018 by Urbane Publications.  The second book in the Gaia Trilogy, it can be read as a standalone novel.  I would like to thank David Barker for inviting me to take part in his blog tour.  This book is getting such good reviews.

I have an exclusive extract from ‘Rose Gold’ for all of you, but first here’s what its about.

 

Book Blurb

Rose Gold is a thriller set in the near future, in the aftermath of a world war for water. Geopolitical tensions remain high and terrorism is a daily fact of life. But a mining base on the moon offers a rare example of international co-operation and a possible solution to the world’s energy problems. Yet not everyone on Earth is keen for this endeavour to succeed…

Rose Gold is the sequel to Blue Gold, but can be read as a stand-alone novel. It draws on influences as diverse as Arthur C Clarke’s A Fall of Moondust, the film Moon and Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries.

 

Extract

Click on the link to read Chapters 1, 2 and 3.

Extract from ‘Rose Gold’

~~~~

Like the sound of ‘Rose Gold’?  Well, it’s available to buy from Amazon UK:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rose-Gold-thriller-thats-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B07CF4NS8Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1526224951&sr=1-3&keywords=david+barker

 

About David Barker

David was born in Cheshire but now lives in Berkshire. He is married to an author of children’s picture books, with a daughter who loves stories. His working life has been spent in the City, first for the Bank of England and now as Chief Economist for an international fund. So his job entails trying to predict the future all the time. David’s writing ambitions received a major boost after he attended the Faber Academy six-month course in 2014 and he still meets up with his inspirational fellow students. He loves reading, especially adventure stories, sci-fi and military history. Outside of family life, his other interests include tennis, golf and surfing. Rose Gold, sequel to Blue Gold, publishes spring 2018.

 

Links

Website – http://davidbarkerauthor.co.uk/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/bluegold201

 

Cover Reveal – ‘Stealth’ by Hugh Fraser

It’s a brand new month and I have something very special for you today. Fans of Hugh Fraser will be thrilled to learn that he has a new book coming out. ‘Stealth’, the fourth in the Rina Walker series is being published in hardback on the 4th October 2018 by Urbane Publications.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be revealing the cover for ‘Stealth’. I personally love it and think it’s been very cleverly designed.

Well, are you all ready to see it? Is that a Yes??

Feast your eyes on this then…..

 

Book Blurb

Stealth’ is book 4 in the bestselling Rina Walker series, following ‘Harm’, ‘Threat’ and ‘Malice’.

When a working girl is brutally murdered in a Soho club, Rina Walker takes out the killer and attracts the attention of a sinister line-up of gangland enforcers with a great deal to prove.

Rina will need to call upon all her dark skills not simply to survive, but to protect those she loves.

Publishes October 4^th 2018, £16.99 Hardback

 

About Hugh Fraser

Hugh Fraser is best known for playing Captain Hastings in Agatha Christie’s ‘Poirot’ and the Duke of Wellington in ‘Sharpe’. His films include Patriot Games, 101 Dalmatians, The Draughtsman’s Contract and Clint Eastwood’s Firefox. In the theatre he has appeared in Teeth’n’Smiles at the Royal Court and Wyndhams and in several roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also narrated many of Agatha Christie’s novels as audio books. He has now written three books in the Rina Walker series – Harm, Threat and Malice. Stealth is due in autumn 2018.

 

Links

Hugh Fraser’s other books – https://urbanepublications.com/authors/hugh-fraser/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/realhughfraser/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/realhughfraser

Blog Tour – ‘The Dark Web’ by Christopher Lowery

‘The Dark Web’ is the final book in the African Diamonds trilogy.  It was published as an eBook on the 16th April 2018 by Urbane Publications and is also available in paperback.  Having heard so many good things about Christopher Lowery’s books, I am absolutely thrilled to be taking part in this blog tour.  I would like to thank Love Books Group for inviting me to participate.

I have an exclusive extract for you, but first here’s what the book is about.

 

Book Blurb

The tentacles of the Dark Web are tightening their grip around the world. From Moscow to Shanghai, Washington, UK, the Middle East and Europe, nowhere is beyond their reach.

When a computer scientist dies mysteriously in Dubai, Jenny Bishop’s nephew, Leo Stewart, is hired to replace him. Leo’s life is soon in danger, but he is the only person who can find the key to prevent an impending global cyber-attack. With the help of Jenny and old and new friends, he must neutralise the threat before the world’s vital services are brought to a halt in a flagrant attempt to once again redraw the borders of Europe and Asia. Can the deadly conspiracy be exposed before the world is thrust into a new Cold War?

Christopher Lowery delivers a gripping final chapter in the bestselling African Diamonds trilogy, with a thriller that is powerfully resonant of today’s global dangers, hidden behind the ever-changing technological landscape.

The perfect read for fans of Gerald Seymour, Wilbur Smith and Frederick Forsyth.

 

Extract

TWO

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
March, 2017

“Hi, Guys. You’re in early.” Daniel Oberhart and Sharif were on their second coffee when the Welshman joined them in the canteen at seven the next morning. They were deep in conversation, talking quietly with their heads close together.

Sharif looked up with a start, “Oh, hi, Scotty. We’ve got a full programme of tests today, just making sure Daniel can fit it all in.” He shifted nervously on his chair and checked the time on his mobile, “I’d better get up there and make sure everything’s ready. I’ll catch you later. Don’t forget our revenge match tonight.” He walked quickly past him and out the door.

The Swiss man said, “I was up at five o’clock, it’s too hot to sleep. In Zurich in March, you still need a duvet. That’s what I call normal.”

Scotty wasn’t very keen on Oberhart, he seemed to find something to complain about in everything concerning Dubai and XPC. “You won’t be bitching when you go to the beach at the weekend. Sitting on the sand and swimming in the warm sea in March, you can’t do that in Zurich.”

“I never go to public beaches,” he replied. See you later.” He got up and left Scotty sitting alone with his coffee.

What the hell was that all about? He asked himself. Are the Swiss Germans really so hard to get along with?

 

Sharif won their game that evening hands down. Scotty was still a little preoccupied by the incident with the flash drive, but was waiting until his CEO returned on Sunday.

“What’s on the menu tonight?” He asked.

“It’s a lot cooler and I need my curry. We’re going to the Karachi House. OK?”

~~~~~

Hopefully by now you’ll be dying to read ‘The Dark Web’ in full.  If so, it is available to buy from Amazon UK – https://amzn.to/2uNAlDg

 

About Christopher Lowery

Christopher is a Geordie, born in the northeast of England, who graduated in finance and economics after reluctantly giving up career choices in professional golf and rock & roll. He is a real estate and telecoms entrepreneur and has created several successful companies around the world. Chris was inspired to write his debut novel, the Angolan Clan, after the Revolution of the Carnations forced him to flee Portugal in 1975 with his family. He and his wife live between Geneva and Marbella.

To find out about the other books in the African Diamond trilogy click on the link below:-

https://urbanepublications.com/authors/christopher-lowery/

 

Guest Post Number 1 by Anne Coates

My competition on Twitter last year for one author to feature on my blog for a whole year was so popular, I decided on a runner-up prize. The lovely Anne Coates was the winner and this year she is writing a series of six guest posts. Here’s Anne talking all about reading and reviewing.

 

The Two Rs – Reading and Reviewing

For most of my working life I have worked either as staff or freelance in publishing/journalism and a lot of my time has been spent, reading and assessing manuscripts, editing, abridging fiction and narrative non-fiction and judging competitions. So when it comes to reading for pleasure I love taking off my editor’s hat to immerse myself in another world.

Although I review some YA and parenting books on my website Parenting Without Tears and therefore receive advance copies, I usually buy novels even though I’m registered with Netgalley. I aim to support other authors by adding to their sales figures and posting a review on Amazon. As an author, I know how important reviews are! However I would rather not leave a review at all, if I didn’t like a book or had problems with it. Who am I to judge a book just because it doesn’t resonate with me? Just writing a book and getting it published it a major achievement and should be celebrated which is wonderful to see on Twitter.

One of the joys of Twitter for me has been finding new (or new to me) authors and getting to know bloggers. I fell in love with Mel Sheratt’s books and was thrilled when she invited me to a launch party in London some years ago. My first Twitter party and I met numerous people in real life who had previously just been names and faces. So many of those people have become friends…

Like most book lovers I have a pile of unread books. Some are patiently waiting their turn while others I have started but not finished for a variety of reasons. When I’m in the middle of writing a book, my reading time is limited so if after a few chapters I’m not engrossed, I tend to put the book aside, often seeking out authors I know whose writing I admire and enjoy.

What I love is being captivated by a narrative so all I want to do is read on – without interruption. The moments when my editor’s hat is left out in the hall are beyond compare but even with some of my favourite authors I get pulled up short by a mistake like someone wiping their nose on the sleeve of a coat they took off two pages before! Or a funeral being arranged two working days after a fatal traffic accident… But these are minor niggles really.

I am full of admiration for book bloggers who manage to read – and review – so many titles as well as having jobs and family commitments. It is obviously a real labour of love. And I feel honoured when anyone reviews one of my books or invites me to be featured on their blog (thank you Sonya!). A couple of years ago I wrote round-up of books I’d read and enjoyed. I was stunned to receive a DM from an author demanding to know why I hadn’t included one of her books. So I am always saddened – but not surprised – when I see that bloggers I know and respect have been subjected to abuse or bullying from writers and publishers.

That’s when I move away from social media and lose myself in a book.

 

About Anne Coates

For most of her working life in publishing, Anne has had a foot in both camps as a writer and an editor, moving from book publishing to magazines and then freelancing in both. Having edited both fiction and narrative non-fiction, Anne has also had short stories published in a variety of magazines including Bella and Candis and is the author of seven non-fiction books. Telling stories is Anne’s first love and nearly all her short fiction as well as Dancers in The Wind and Death’s Silent Judgement began with a real event followed by a ‘what if …’; That is also the case with the two prize-winning 99Fiction.net stories: Codewords and Eternal Love. Songs of Innocence will publish summer 2018.

 

Links

Dancers in the Wind
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dancers-Wind-gripping-thriller-Weybridge/dp/1911129635/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1486815984&sr=1-1

Death’s Silent Judgement
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deaths-Silent-Judgement-Hannah-Weybridge/dp/1911331353/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487075630&sr=1-1&keywords=death%27s+silent+judgement

Cheque-Mate & Other Tales of the Unexpected
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheque-Mate-Other-Tales-Unexpected-Coates-ebook/dp/B008G1FI5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487075707&sr=1-1&keywords=Cheque+Mate+and+other+Tales+of+the+unexpected

Author website http://www.annecoatesauthor.com/

Twitter – @Anne_Coates1

Guest Post by Angelena Boden

I am delighted to welcome the lovely Angelena Boden back to my blog.  Her latest novel, ‘The Future Can’t Wait’ was published last November in paperback and as an eBook by Urbane Publications.  Angelena has written a very interesting guest post about finding balance in her writing life.  I hope you enjoy reading it.

 

Finding balance in my writing life 

When I semi-retired from my training consultancy three years ago, it was with the intention of writing a novel. I made the decision to, partly fulfil a long held ambition like many writers, but also to keep a promise to my English teacher who wrote on my school report, Angelena writes graphically about the dark side of human nature. She’d make a good novelist. I was about to sit my O’ Levels at the time. It was 1972.

I enjoyed the writing process so much that I carried on and published a second book, The Future Can’t Wait with the forward thinking Urbane Publications.  What has given me the most pleasure is the number of online associates I’ve made.

Even though I’m fortunate to have the resources and support to write full time and indulge my hobbies, take courses and travel, I’m choosing to leave my self-imposed isolation and re-join society. Not only do I need the stimulation of other people for my mental health, I am thirsty for a stream of fresh perspectives that, as a character writer, come from observing the behaviour of others first hand.  I’ve been asked if my career as an author is now over. That would be like asking if I’m giving up tea.  Unthinkable.

This year will see me organising a new but limited schedule of workshops and coaching sessions for people who are going through major life transitions and need help in making sense of them. As a transpersonal coach with a professional background in psychology and training, I work with people to harness their Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) so as to tap into the deeper meanings in their lives.

This helps to widen perspectives on issues which block progress.   I’ve already had a company express interest in adding a spiritual dimension to their training programme so it could be a big thing in years to come.

Being out and about will mean greater opportunities to reach potential new readers for my books. It’s when people get to know authors on a face to face basis that they build up a relationship and want to buy a book or two. My hairdresser, a couple I met in the park, my dentist, a few dog walkers have all downloaded my novels because of a casual conversation about what I do. No hard sell. I’m uncomfortable with pushing my work in people’s faces whether in person or online so being able to chat about stuff on great blogs like yours is an ideal platform for me.

I shall continue to offer lots of free downloads as in my new Little Book Series which can be found on my website. These are condensed observations (about 6,000 words) about popular topics.  I am sure my blogging content will grow once I am back out there as I tend to be a prolific writer who loves to give back to those kind  people who support me.

I’ve enjoyed my three years in my writing room, walking in the Malvern Hills where I live and setting my own pace after the years of frenetic travel. My training and experience assures me that when we reach sixty, we reassess life on the approach to the final lap of our journey. It’s a salutary thought. We undergo some major internal transformations in identity which can cause upset and confusion so it’s natural to want to cling to the past.  My goal is to help people manage these transitions through coaching and writing.

On a final note, I’m editing my third book, which is set in my home town in Derbyshire. The lead character, Edna Reid, ponders the meaning of life and death and decides to set up a safe space in her café for the locals to talk about their feelings and fears. It’s not at all morbid!

My editor described it as a “humourous, thought-provoking and moving account of a strong, elderly woman’s struggle to make peace with grief and mortality”.

Thank you Sonya for hosting this post and to everyone who supports my work. You give me the encouragement to keep going. We all need that from time to time.

 

About Angelena Boden

Angelena Boden (M.Soc.Sc PGDE) has spent thirty-five years as an international training consultant, specialising in behavioural management and conflict resolution. She trained in Transactional Analysis, the psychology of communication and behaviour, her preferred tool for counselling and coaching.

She is the author of The Cruelty of Lambs, a novel about psychological domestic abuse.

Her new book, The Future Can’t Wait tackles the issue of mother-daughter estrangement and addiction to psychics.

Both books are published by Urbane Publications.

 

Links

‘The Cruelty of Lambs’ can be purchased from Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cruelty-Lambs-Angelena-Boden/dp/191112966X

 ‘The Future Can’t Wait’ can be purchased from Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-Cant-Wait-Angelena-Boden/dp/191158314X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499170184&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Future+Can%27t+Wait

Website: angelenaboden.com

Twitter: @angelenaboden

Angelena Boden can be contacted by email at bodenangelena@gmail.com

 

Cover Reveal – ‘The Story Collector’ by Evie Gaughan

I have an exclusive cover reveal for all of you today.  ‘The Story Collector’, Evie Gaughan’s new book, is being published on the 14th June 2018 by Urbane Publications.

I don’t think I’d be exaggerating if I said that this cover is a thing of beauty.  It’s absolutely gorgeous and I honestly could stare at it all day.

Are you ready to see the cover?  Here goes……..

 

Book Blurb

The Story Collector is a beautiful and mysterious historical romance from the author of The Heirloom and The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris.

Thornwood Village, 1910. Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help the dashing American visitor Harold Griffin-Krauss translate ‘fairy stories’ from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens the future of her community and her very way of life….. The Story Collector treads the intriguing line between the everyday and the otherworldly – with a taste for the magical in everyday life, Evie’s latest novel is full of ordinary characters with extraordinary tales to tell.

 

About Evie Gaughan

Evie Gaughan is a novelist and lives in the medieval city of Galway, on the West Coast of Ireland. Her books are an eclectic mix of genres, incorporating her love of history, folklore and finding magic in the everyday. She graduated from the Universite de Paul Sabatier, Toulouse with a marketing diploma in 1996 and spent the next few years working abroad and discovering that she didn’t like marketing one bit. Evie abandoned the corporate world to follow her dream of becoming a writer and an artist. Since then, she has written two novels, The Heirloom and The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris, and contributes articles to The Irish Times and Women Writers, Women’s Books. Her third novel, The Story Collector, will be published by Urbane, June 14^th 2018.

 

Links

Evie Gaughan’s Amazon Page – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Evie-Gaughan/e/B00F891U66/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1516044617&sr=1-1

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/evgaughan/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/evgaughan

My Top 12 Books of 2017

Well, it’s New Year’s Eve already and I really don’t understand where this year has gone.  I have had some ups and downs blogging wise and haven’t read half as much as I wanted to, but I’m pleased to say all is good with me now and I am feeling very positive.

I’ve read some fabulous books this year and it’s now time to choose my Top 12.

 

1.  ‘Deep Down Dead’ by Steph Broadribb

 

‘Deep Down Dead’ was published in paperback in January of this year by the fabulous Orenda Books.  I wasn’t too sure if this book would be for me, but I needn’t have worried as I was soon hooked.  If I remember rightly I think I was slightly late to work because of it, i.e. I couldn’t put it down.  Here is my review:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/deep-down-dead-by-steph-broadribb/

 

2.   ‘Fade to Dead’ by Tara Moore

 

March was an incredibly busy month for my blog as it’s when I did my two week Urbane Event.  ‘Fade to Dead’ was published last year and it is the first book in the Jessica Wideacre series.  I absolutely loved it and I want to read more by this author.  Here is my review:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/book-review-fade-to-dead-by-tara-moore/

 

3.  ‘Six Stories’ by Matt Wesolowski

 

‘Six Stories’ was published in paperback by Orenda Books in March.  I took part in the blog tour for this book and it was so different to anything I have ever read before.  I just loved it.  Here is my review:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/29/blog-tour-six-stories-by-matt-wesolowski/

 

4.  ‘The Lies Within’ by Jane Isaac

 

I had the pleasure of taking part in the blog tour for ‘The Lies Within’ which was published by Legend Press.  Until then I had never read any of Jane Isaac’s books.  I was totally gripped and I loved it from start to finish.  I am really looking forward to reading more by this fabulous author.  Here is my review:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/05/23/blog-tour-the-lies-within-by-jane-isaac/

 

5.  ‘The Wild Air’ by Rebecca Mascull

 

Rebecca Mascull has done it again with this book, published by Hodder & Stoughton.  It was absolutely incredible and I loved everything about it.  I also was lucky enough to meet Rebecca at her book launch for which I won a ticket.  You can read my review and write up on the launch here:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/05/31/the-wild-air-by-rebecca-mascull/

 

6.  ‘Skin Deep’ by Laura Wilkinson

 

Laura Wilkinson is one of my favourite authors.  I have read and reviewed all her novels so far and was delighted to take part in the blog tour for ‘Skin Deep’ which was published by Accent Press.  This lady is so very talented and can turn her hand easily to writing about different subjects.  I could have cried with joy at being mentioned in the acknowledgements and at having my review quoted inside the book too.  Here is my review:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/blog-tour-skin-deep-by-laura-wilkinson/

 

7.  ‘No Accident’ by Robert Crouch

 

I was given the wonderful opportunity to take part in the blog tour for this book.  I thoroughly enjoyed ‘No Accident’ and was delighted to discover yet another new author and to start reading another series.  You can read my review here:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/08/30/blog-tour-no-accident-by-robert-crouch/

 

8.  ‘Lost in the Lake’ by A.J. Waines

 

I was delighted when A.J. Waines invited me to take part in her blog tour.  ‘Lost in the Lake’ is the second book in the Dr Samantha Willerby series.  I hadn’t read the first one but this didn’t spoil things for me.  I totally loved it and I can’t wait to read more by this author.  Here is my review:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/blog-tour-lost-in-the-lake-by-a-j-waines/

 

9.  ‘No Way Back’ by Kelly Florentia

 

I absolutely loved ‘No Way Back’ which was published in September by Urbane Publications.  I could kick myself for not having read Kelly Florentia’s first novel.  Kelly’s writing is incredible and I really can’t wait to read her next book.  You can read my review here:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/no-way-back-by-kelly-florentia/

 

 

10.  ‘You’re Next’ by Michael Fowler

Until recently I had never read any of Michael Fowler’s books.  But then I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘You’re Next’ and I’m so glad I took part.  Published by Caffiene Nights Publishing, this is the second book in the DS Scarlett Macey series and I really enjoyed it.  I will definitely be reading more of this author’s books.  Here is my review:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/11/25/blog-tour-youre-next-by-michael-fowler/

 

11.  ‘Hell to Pay’ by Rachel Amphlett

 

I have read this series from the start and loved every single book, but I think ‘Hell to Pay’ has to be my favourite.  It was a real pleasure taking part in the blog tour.  I can’t wait to read more by Rachel Amphlett.  Here is my review:

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/11/17/blog-tour-hell-to-pay-by-rachel-amphlett/

 

12.  ‘Brighter Days Ahead’ by Mary Wood

When Mary Wood was looking for people to take part in her blog tour I was happy to help as I really liked the sound of ‘Brighter Days Ahead’, which was published in November by Pan Books.  It’s been absolutely ages since I have read a saga and I absolutely loved it.  I now want to read this author’s backlist.

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/blog-tour-brighter-days-ahead-by-mary-wood/

 

I hope you have all enjoyed finding out what my top 12 books of the year are.  I look forward to reading many more great books next year.

 

Guest Post by Pete Adams

It’s a pleasure having both Pete Adams and his famous hat back on my blog again.  I recently asked Pete where he was going with his writing and after seeking some good advice from his hat (it talks you know and is a real hatleman) he, or rather they, came up with an answer.

 

Life after

Kind Hearts and Martinets

 

“There is no limit to my creative ability, provided I am not required to be coherent”

Someone said that, didn’t they, not sure who…was it me?

Sonya Alford, your inquiry for an update on my writing is opportune. Although book 4 of the Kind Hearts and Martinets series, Ghost and Ragman Roll, is only recently published, you are correct that all the originally planned 8 books have been completed. You ask good questions, astutely probing:

So, what is next? Is it hard to start something new after living with Kind Hearts for so long? Where do you go when you have written a long series over an extended length of time? Do you look to the supporting characters, who over time, have developed, and maybe deserve a leading part of their own? I love a series, and love also spin-offs, where a new book might relate to characters and storyline extensions. So, what of:

 

Your Readers?

An author is aware when readers like to hear what happens to the people who have populated the books they have enjoyed. The difficulty, if there is one, is when some of the characters have become so popular, the reader demanding more, coinciding with a writer wanting to move onto pastures new. I often think this of authors who have a long running series with a detective or a detective pairing; how do they cope?

Your Publisher?

A Publisher likes to have a series that readers can become wedded to. It means they will buy the next book. I believe that the reading public are intelligent beings and do not want to be spoon fed a diet of more of the same. Characters can be taken on, maybe in different directions, provided there is a satisfactory coherence, and the storyline extensions are in context and believable.

…and You, the Writer?

As an author I like to explore different characters, and often find they can  drive a new narrative. I worry about becoming stale. I love it when I fall upon a new storyline and direction, with or without established characters. Balancing that with demand from my Publisher and my readers, now, that is a different matter.

Your Advisors, do you have any?

Yes, and lately I have been quiet, but not inactive. After nearly nine years writing, I have made good friends, and acquired positive critical colleagues and advisors who I will listen to, even if sometimes their probing is uncomfortable. I have completed eight books in the Kind Hearts and Martinets series, books 5 to 8 awaiting publication. However, following up on often insightful suggestions, and thinking long and hard, I have distilled a new direction I want to take. I intend to create a line of books that will develop into 3 separate (new) series:

 

Book 5 – Merde and Mandarins, when published next year, will be the final book in the Kind Hearts and Martinets series. There is a natural conclusion, but, as in life, it opens up new directions and opportunities to be seized.

Over the past few months I have been rewriting books 6 to 8, and they are now adapted to the future I am striving toward. These books will form the start of two separate series, albeit there are extensions and linking references back to the narratives in Kind Hearts, and some of the previously secondary characters take on a life of their own. Having said that, the central protagonists in Kind Hearts have become very popular, and appropriately, they will continue in another of the series, retiring from the police to form, DaDa, an eccentric Detective Agency. The character of Jack (Jane) Austin is just so radically fluid, if that is not an adumbration, the emphasis on the  dumb, and so long as he continues to be expertly steered by his intelligent wife Amanda, he opens up so many possibilities for real and surreal narratives, much as I believe life is, if only we would stop to look.

The fascination of Dadaism? It was an arts movement that flouted the conventional by producing works marked by incongruity. For me, in this series, it is about writing books with an idiosyncratic narrative, but with a grounded underlying concept, albeit it may appear at first skewed, there is a rational intendment, and, a significant ending.

Picasso said, “Everything you can imagine is real”, and that is the joy of the DaDa books, in the writing, and, I suggest, will be in the reading.

 

——

 

The Dada Detective Agency books:

Book 1 – The Duchess of Frisian Tun, writing as my female pseudonym, Susan Narmee, is a pivotal novel that embraces Kind Hearts as well as setting the scene for the subsequent Dada books. New characters join Jack (Jane) Austin, and his wife Amanda. The story, with a World War 2 twist,  is loosely, though lavishly, based upon the Canterbury Tales, except the characters go nowhere, the story set principally in one room in a house on Frisian Tun:

An au courant, romantic comedy, crime thriller. A droll and saucy insight into the Middle Class, Haute Monde, and Geography. Tales of a reclusive England with: The Journalist, The Professor, The Synchronised Swimming Instructor, The Fish Wife, The Dame, The Actress (really Jack Austin), The Geography Teacher, The Gossip Columnist, The Spy, The Police Inspector, The Man from the Council, The Priest, The Knight, The Super-grass (deceased), The Gangster, and, The Lady Blanche.

I see this also as a script that can readily become a stage play, something I would love to see.

Book 2 – Umble Pie – the Nun’s Orchestra, continues the genre, crime thrillers with an idiosyncratic narrative, the generative concept being Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. A spiraling, intertwined DNA of a real and surreal plot that exposes a conspiracy within a spate of sacrificial religious murders, featuring, the Vatican Intelligence Agency, The Pope  with his parrot Claudio, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Numpti of Cairo, and, heaven forefend, The Holy Barbaras. And what of Dada, rescuer, narrator, or maybe instigator? This novel establishes progressive new characters and storyline threads for future DaDa novels.

Book 3 – currently in my head and will NOT keep quiet:

DaDa and the Man from the Council.

 

——

 

Series 2: The Rhubarb Papers – Nakka of the Yard.

Rhubarb in the Mammon – is a crime thriller that picks up a popular secondary character from Kind Hearts, a Priest, who subtly steers this, the first book in the Rhubarb Papers series, that ranges from Portsmouth, and firmly places itself in London, where the series will be based.

An inept grandfather becomes a recluse in Portsmouth, to protect his granddaughter, Juliet; his wife, daughter and her husband, killed in a London car bomb ten years ago, a bomb that permanently disfigured his granddaughter. Juliet grows into a precocious 16 year old, and with her boyfriend, they stir a hornet’s nest when she tries to find out what really happened to her parents and Nan. A Scotland Yard Detective Inspector, landed with the old case notes, visits Nakka and his granddaughter in Portsmouth. Juliet’s unofficial, mysterious, back door inquiry, has been flagged at the Yard, opening a can of deadly worms thought buried; multiple murder, conspiracy, a corruption riddled Met Police, linked, tenuously at first, to an Establishment Bank in the City of London.

The second book in the Rhubarb Papers series has the working title:

A Misanthrope’s Toll – Wigs on the Green.

 

——-

 

Series 3: Completely new, will be a saga, from 1966 to modern day.

Book 9,  Larkin’s Barkin’, A Midsummer Night’s Chutzpah, is written, and is completely different to my other books. It is a sober, dark, crime thriller, set in 1966, East End of London. Two family gangs, a woman police detective sergeant, a  Palestinian Doctor, and a mysterious Irish detective inspector, who turns out to be looking to disrupt a planned IRA campaign in London. The link, a ceaselessly bullied and abused runt of a schoolboy, Chas Larkin, who through his experiences, and love of Roisin Dubh, the Black Rose, discovers his chutzpah, and asserts himself in a most unusual way, with unpredictable results.

This book stirred my emotions during the writing, often causing me to question where the story came from, it not having the light touch, of my previous books. It introduces a number of characters, both sides of the law and order divide, and gives the reader an insight into their personalities and circumstances. I see this opening up a long series of novels, with swings in character focus, that will eventually take us to modern day. A saga, following two families, The Larkins and Saints, The Police, MI5, the clergy, as they lose their grip on the hearts and minds, and a multitude of East End of London characters popping in and out, and their reaction to the politics and news of the day.

The tenth book and sequel, Flummery, A Syncopated Palaver, is underway, and we are in 1969 (the first IRA bomb in London was 1970).

And what of the Black Rose, I hear you ask, myth or reality? Wikipedia describes a Black Rose: “The symbolism in many works of fiction usually contrives feelings of mystery, danger, or some sort of darker emotion, like sorrow and obsessive love.” Now what is there not to like about that?

 

——-

 

How will these new series progress to Publication? You are a prolific writer, what else is there?

I would like to see my self-published first two books of Kind Hearts and Martinets, brought out by my Publisher with coordinated covers to go with the series (I love the Urbane designed covers). The first book, Cause and Effect, was originally titled Kind Hearts and Martinets, and I would revert to that. Then, book 5, Merde and Mandarins, published to conclude the story and set the platform for the future divergent series of books. However, all this will depend largely on the Publisher, but the books being all written, offers a tantalising next few years, and not unusually, I find myself in the hands of others, while I teeter on the precipice.

In the meantime, I just write. Outside my novels, my short story collection is growing, and I have written and illustrated 3 Whopping Tales. I would like to find a Publisher for them, and as you can see, things are moving along nicely at the gym:

 

 

Links

‘Cause & Effect’ (Kind Hearts and Martinets Book 1) can be purchased from Amazon UK:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CAUSE-EFFECT-Kind-Hearts-Martinets-ebook/dp/B00BG12YO2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

‘Irony in the Soul’ (Kind Hearts and Martinets Book 2) can be purchased from Amazon UK:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irony-Soul-Kind-Hearts-Martinets-ebook/dp/B00G6OP8TW/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

‘A Barrow Boy’s Cadenza’ (Kind Hearts and Martinets Book 3) can be purchased from:-

Urbane Publications – http://urbanepublications.com/books/a-barrow-boys-cadenza/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barrow-Boys-Cadenza-detective-Martinets-ebook/dp/B01080YCJQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489138659&sr=1-1&keywords=pete+adams

‘Ghost and Ragman Roll’ (Kind Hearts and Martinets Book 4) can be purchased from Amazon UK:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Ragman-Roll-Hearts-Martinets/dp/1911583034/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489138659&sr=1-3&keywords=pete+adams

 

Pete and his hat can be found on Twitter – @Peteadams8

 

‘No Way Back’ by Kelly Florentia

‘No Way Back’ is Kelly Florentia’s second novel. It was published in paperback and as an eBook on the 21st September 2017 by Urbane Publications. I would like to say thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review.

Audrey Fox was due to get married, until that is her fiancé, Nick Byrne dumped her. Totally heartbroken and confused she jumps on a plane to join her parents in Cyprus so she can convalesce. But a chance meeting with handsome entrepreneur Daniel Taylor weaves her into a dating game she’s not sure she’s even ready for.

Audrey’s life is thrown into further turmoil when she finds out that Nick has been involved in a serious motorcycle accident. Should she go and visit him in hospital or not?

Though distraught, Audrey is determined to look to the future. She has to decide what to do, follow her heart or listen to the well-meaning advice from her family and friends. Because sometimes, no matter what, it’s the people that we love who can hurt us the most.

I loved, loved, loved this book. I really liked Kelly Florentia’s style of writing and from the very first page I just knew I was going to enjoy it. There were so many shocks and surprises throughout the story and I really didn’t know what to expect next. Just when I thought things had settled down a bit for Audrey, something else happened. Great cover too!

There were some interesting characters in this book. I warmed to Audrey from the start. She came across as a very caring and loving person despite what she was going through. Life became rather complicated for Audrey and she had some big decisions to make regarding her love life. At one point it felt like practically everyone was keeping secrets from her. I really liked Audrey’s parents too and her brother was just lovely.

The ending left me dying to know what is going to happen next and as a reader I really can’t wait for the sequel to come out. Will the shoes tempt Audrey? Kelly Florentia’s writing is magical and I could kick myself for not having read her first novel and her collection of short stories yet. This author is going to go very far indeed.

‘No Way Back’ is definitely one of my favourite books of the year.

I give this book 5 out of 5.

 

‘No Way Back’ is available to buy from Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Way-Back-must-read-intelligent-ebook/dp/B0745DM4GR/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510411765&sr=1-1&keywords=no+way+back+by+kelly+florentia

Blog Tour – ‘All The Colours In Between’ by Eva Jordan

‘All The Colours In Between’ was published on the 19th October 2017 by Urbane Publications.  I am delighted to be taking part in this blog tour which the lovely Michelle Ryles has organised.  I have an extract for all of you to read and there’s also a fantastic Rafflecopter giveaway being run throughout the tour.  First though here’s what the book is about.

 

Book Blurb

It’s not a life, it’s an adventure!

Lizzie is fast approaching 50. Her once angst ridden teenage daughters, now grown and in their twenties, have flown the nest, Cassie to London and Maisy to Australia. And, although Connor, Lizzie’s sulky, surly teenage son, is now on his own tormented passage to adulthood, his quest to get there, for the most part, is a far quieter journey than that of his sisters. The hard years, Lizzie believes, are behind her. Only, things are never quite as black and white as they seem… A visit to her daughter in London leaves Lizzie troubled. And that is just the start. Add to that an unexpected visitor, a disturbing phone call, a son acting suspiciously, a run in with her ex husband plus a new man in her life who quite simply takes her breath away; Lizzie quickly realises life is something that happens while plans are being made. Gritty but tender, thought provoking but light-hearted, dark but brilliantly funny, this is a story of contemporary family life in all its 21st century glory. A story of mothers and sons, of fathers and daughters, of brothers and sisters, and friends. A tale of love and loss, of friendships and betrayals, and coming of age. Nobody said it would be easy and as Lizzie knows only too well, life is never straightforward when you see all the colours in between.

 

Extract

Connor

The handle to the shed door slowly turns. Thank god I locked it. ‘Who is it?’ I shout. Muffled giggling drifts under the door and I wonder if it’s Cas, only it doesn’t sound like Cas. Maisy, maybe?

‘Can we come in?’ a familiar voice asks.

‘Shit, It’s my bloody nan!’ I exclaim. ‘Robbo, put that dooby out NOW!’ Robbo looks at me, grinning, as smoke escapes from the corner of his mouth. The Rickmeister grabs the spliff from Robbo’s hand, takes another quick drag then stubs it out, placing it in the sacred tin. I grab the deodorant can out of my bag and spray the shed to within an inch of its life, manically wafting my hands around like some demented ballerina. Everyone starts coughing and I realise I’ve sprayed way too much deodorant. Jake unlocks the door and we all fall out of the shed, desperate for some fresh air.

We are greeted by my smiling nan and Aunt Marie. ‘Hello boys,’ Nan says. ‘Ooh, smells very nice in there,’ she continues as she sticks her head inside the shed. To my surprise, Nan asks us for a smoke.

‘But, you don’t smoke?’ I reply.

‘Aunt Marie used to,’ Nan says.’

‘When?’

‘About forty years ago.’

‘What? And she just happens to fancy a smoke now, forty years later?’

Nan explains that Aunt Marie is a little stressed right now. ‘As am I, so I’ll have one, too.’

‘Did you used to smoke as well, when you were younger?’

Nan shakes her head. ‘Nope, but I know I could do with one right now.’

We all follow Nan and Aunt Marie back into the shed. I explain that we only have baccy and Rizlas so they’ll have to wait a minute while we roll them one.

‘Or they could have a drag of the one we’ve already made,’ Jake suggests, tapping the sacred tin.

Panicking, I look at his huge grinning face. ‘No. Jake.’ I reply through gritted teeth, ‘we’ll make them a new one.’

‘Oh, don’t roll a new one just for us,’ Nan replies, ‘we’re not fussy.’

Before I know it, Jake has lifted the spliff from the tin, lit it and passed it to Nan and Aunt Marie.

Aunt Marie takes a drag then pulls a strange face. ‘Tastes different to how I remember,’ she says, expertly blowing smoke from her mouth as if it was something she did all the time.

Aunt Marie passes the dooby to Nan who drags heavily on it and then starts to choke. I pass her my can of fizzy shit, which she greedily drinks then, to my surprise, I watch as Nan takes another huge drag. Jake, Robbo, the Rickmeister, and I all look at one another. We each wear the same look of horror as we watch the spliff get smaller and smaller. I tell Nan that I think I can hear someone calling her and somehow, we manage to push the two very high, very giggly, old ladies out the door.

‘Shit man,’ Robbo says, ‘your nan rocks.’

I can’t help thinking there may be hell to pay for this later but that doesn’t stop me laughing my arse off.

 

Giveaway

There’s a chance to win 2 x signed paperbacks and 2 kindle eBooks of All The Colours In Between (UK only).  To enter click on this link – Rafflecopter Giveaway

 

About Eva Jordan

Eva Jordan, born in Kent but living most of her life in a small Cambridgeshire town, describes herself as a lover of words, books, travel and chocolate. She is also partial to the odd glass or two of wine. Providing her with some of the inspiration for her novels, Eva is both a mum and step mum to four grown-up children. Her career has been varied including working within the library service and at a women’s refuge. She writes a monthly column for a local magazine and currently works as a volunteer for a charity based organisation that teaches adults to read. However, storytelling through the art of writing is her passion. All The Colours In Between is Eva’s second novel.

 

Links

‘All The Colours In Between’ can be purchased from:-

Urbane Publications – http://urbanepublications.com/books/all-the-colours-in-between/

Amazon UK – http://amzn.eu/3kKSFbb%20

Amazon US – http://a.co/25M1oMD%20

 

If you want to know more you can find Eva at all the usual places. She loves to hear from readers and reviewers so please feel free to contact her.

Website – http://evajordanwriter.com

Twitter – @evajordanwriter

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/EvaJordanWriter/

 

Blog Tour – ‘No Way Back’ by Kelly Florentia

‘No Way Back’ was published in paperback and as an eBook on the 21st September 2017 by Urbane Publications.  I am currently reading this book and am enjoying it immensely.  For those of you who are planning to read ‘No Way Back’ I can tell you now that you are in for a real treat.

I am thrilled to be taking part in this wonderful blog tour for which Kelly Florentia has written a really interesting guest post.  First though here’s what the book is about.

 

Book Blurb

When two eligible and attractive men are vying for your heart, it should be the perfect dilemma…

Audrey Fox has been dumped by her unreliable fiancé Nick Byrne just days before the wedding. Heartbroken and confused, the last thing she expects when she jumps on a plane to convalesce in Cyprus is romance. But a chance meeting with handsome entrepreneur and father-of-one Daniel Taylor weaves her into a dating game she’s not sure she’s ready for. Audrey’s life is thrown into further turmoil when she discovers on her return to London that Nick has been involved in a serious motorcycle accident that’s left him in intensive care. Distraught yet determined to look to the future, Audrey must make a decision – follow her heart or listen to well-meaning advice from family and friends? Because sometimes, no matter what, it’s the people that we love who can hurt us the most…

 

Guest Post

Creating Characters

On the bus the other day, a pregnant lady sat opposite me with her little girl – about four-years-old, blonde hair tumbling over her narrow shoulders, blues eyes, incredibly cute. Her legs dangled over the seat, feet almost touching my legs.

“We used to go to that park,” she announced suddenly, pointing out of the window. “The one with the brown gate.”

“Yes,” Mum replied, smiling, “Highgate Woods, and we’ll go there again when the weather warms up.”

“Yes,” said the girl, “Highgate Woods.”

She gazed out of the window for a few moments, swinging her little legs over the seat, then took a sip of water, ate a few gummy bears that her mum handed. It wasn’t long before her pink canvas shoes collided with my knees. She looked at me, eyes wide, clinging to her mother. “I kicked that lady with my feet,” she said warily. Mum looked at me, apologised, and I smiled warmly, said it was okay.

“The lady knows. It’s okay,” she told her.

The little girl studied me for a while, chewing on a gummy bear, then said, “Mummy, I think you’ve got bigger feet than the lady.”

Of course, I glanced down at mum’s feet, I think we all did, and yes, mum’s feet were considerably larger than mine. But I’m not sure she wanted to share this information with the entire bus.

“Yes,” Mum said dryly, “I think I have.”

And I smiled again because in that instant I recognised that little girl. She’s Lily from my second novel No Way Back. I took snapshots of her with my eyes and brought her to the forefront of my mind whenever I wrote a scene about her. And that’s how I create some of my secondary characters.

 

About Kelly Florentia

Kelly Florentia was born and bred in north London, where she continues to live with her husband Joe. No Way Back, released 21st September, is her second novel.

Kelly has always enjoyed writing and was a bit of a poet when she was younger. Before penning her debut The Magic Touch (2016), she wrote short stories for women’s magazines. To Tell a Tale or Two… is a collection of her short tales.

Kelly has a keen interest in health and fitness and has written many articles on this subject. Smooth Operator (published in January 2017) is a collection of twenty of her favourite smoothie recipes.

As well as writing, Kelly enjoys reading, running, yoga, drinking coffee, and scoffing cakes. She is currently working on the sequel to NO WAY BACK.

 

Links

‘No Way Back’ is available to buy from Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/2xGjZMe

Website – http://www.kellyflorentia.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/KellyFlorentiaAuthor

Twitter – @kellyflorentia

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kellyflorentia/

‘No Way Back’ Spotify Playlist – https://open.spotify.com/user/11135145039/playlist/0IbxzB3L6ZPdbrFiUY5fAI

 

Cover Reveal – ‘The Trouble Boys’ by E.R. Fallon

Today I have an exclusive cover reveal for you all.  ‘The Trouble Boys’ is being published on the 22nd February 2018 by Urbane Publications and we would love to know what your thoughts are on this cover.

Here’s what ‘The Trouble Boys’ is all about:-

 

Book Blurb

The Godfather meets Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels, but with Gaelic complications, in E.R.Fallon’s thrilling new novel. Trouble Boys is an historical crime novel about the Irish mob in New York City from the 1930s to the 1950s. The story opens in pre-WWII Europe when young Irish immigrant Colin O’Brien settles with his family in New York City. There Colin befriends a Cuban-American boy named Johnny Garcia. Life in America isn’t what Colin’s family expects and he experiences a shocking tragedy that alters his life. As Johnny and Colin grow into men, their friendship changes. They begin working for different crime syndicates, with Colin joining the ranks of charismatic Tom McPhalen’s Irish mob and Johnny becoming a member of debonair Tito Bernal’s Cuban gang. As Colin’s rise in the ranks of organized crime becomes increasingly more brutal and demeaning and his friendship with Johnny deteriorates, he begins to question his place in the seductive yet violent world he’s found himself in.

 

Guest Post by Beverley Harvey

I am delighted to welcome Beverley Harvey to my blog.  Her debut novel, ‘Seeking Eden’ was published last month by Urbane Publications.  Beverley has written a guest post which I hope you all enjoy.

 

Are older women having a moment?

By Beverley Harvey, author of Seeking Eden, Urbane Publications, from July 2017

When I first wrote Seeking Eden in 2015 I contacted a well-known and hard-hitting female editor regarding a critique.  I badly needed a professional and external view as spending the best part of a year making stuff up and creating imaginary friends (otherwise known as creating plots and characters) can be an insular business and over time, one stops seeing the wood for the trees.

It was a sobering experience – and a body blow to my ego. One of the reasons my partial manuscript was deemed unviable was the age group of my main characters; a collection of forty and fifty somethings who converge on the brink of their respective midlife crises, in Home Counties suburbia.

Briefly I considered making my cast younger, but after seeking the opinion of friends and family, the general consensus (especially among my forty and fifty something friends) was that they loved Seeking Eden because of the age group of the characters, not in spite of it.

So I pressed on, looking for a publisher and to my joy found Urbane Publications which specialises in breaking new authors and exploring new genres; its founder had no such reservations and was supportive of the depth and realism of my characters and their plotlines.

And no wonder. According to *ONS figures from 2015, there are around 4.6 million women in the UK, aged between 45 and 55.  That’s a lot of ladies!

Baby boomers and those bubbling just beneath that age group tend to be voracious readers, hailing from a pre-social media era – in short, we like technology but we love books.  So it stands to reason that we want relatable heroes and heroines, doing stuff we do ourselves – which is much the same things as people do in their twenties and thirties; fall in love, fall out of love, have children, make and lose friends, change jobs and so on.  Our hair may turn grey but our lifestyles do not.

For authors, the lives of older people are a rich seam to mine. Seeking Eden tackles a range of dilemmas: whether to have children in middle age, empty nest syndrome, infidelity and materialism.

If we step sideways for a moment into telly land, British networks have already made the leap that older women are hot, hot, hot.  Who can resist Gillian Anderson as Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson in The Fall, Sarah Lancashire as Catherine Cawood in the gritty and compelling Happy Valley, or gun-toting beat-pounding duo Scott and Bailey?

My money is on Kay Mellor’s forthcoming TV drama, Girlfriends, becoming the hottest must- see since Broadchurch.  Airing later this year, the series stars Phyllis Logan, Miranda Richardson and Zoe Wanamaker; all women of a certain age and British acting royalty.

More of it I say.  High octane drama, whether in literature or on screen is for everyone – and not just for people under forty.

 

[*Overview of the UK population: March 2017 ]

 

About Beverley Harvey

Beverley Harvey is a former PR professional, and is now a freelance writer and author who lives and works in Kent with her partner Mark and their naughty terrier, Brodie.  More at : www.beverleyharvey.co.uk

 

Links

‘Seeking Eden’ is available to buy from:-

Urbane Publications – http://urbanepublications.com/books/seeking-eden/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seeking-Eden-Beverley-Harvey/dp/1911331892/

Website – http://www.beverleyharvey.co.uk

Twitter – @BevHarvey_

 

Blog Tour – ‘The Lighterman’ by Simon Michael

‘The Lighterman’ was published in paperback on the 8th June 2017 by Urbane Publications and is out as an eBook as well.  I am delighted to be taking part in this blog tour.  Having loved ‘the Brief’ I just know that this is bound to be a winning series.  I have an extract for all of you to read and a competition at the end, but first here’s what the book is about.

 

Book Blurb

The Lighterman is the third book in the bestselling series of legal thrillers starring barrister Charles Holborne.

Simon Michael’s follow up to the bestselling The Brief and An Honest Man, continues the adventures of criminal barrister Charles Holborne. The Lighterman provides more of Charles’ personal history, dating back to the war years when he worked on the River Thames with his cousin Izzy.

When Izzy is accused of murder Charles must dig up the secrets of the past to defend him. But brutal gangland leader Ronnie Kray will stop at nothing to get his revenge on Charles for the events of An Honest Man. Can Charles save his cousin…and his own life?

Simon Michael brings the past vividly back to life across a beautifully rendered 60s landscape, and delivers a gripping piece of thriller fiction that will excite any fan of the genre.

 

Extract

Prologue
September 1940

Luftwaffe Hauptmann Heinz Schumann releases his bombs at 03:45 hours. His Dornier 215 is in the middle wave of the attack and although several of the escorting Messerschmitt 109s have been shot down, the approach has been easy. The cloud cover as they crossed the Channel had melted away, and the bomber squadron had simply followed the meandering line of the Thames, deviating slightly every now and then to avoid the puffs of smoke from the anti- aircraft fire and then returning to its course. Ahead of Schumann clusters of incendiaries continue to rain onto the city, dropped by the leading bombers in his formation. As each new cluster falls there is a dazzling flash followed by a flame soaring up from a white centre, turning the underside of the barrage balloons silvery yellow and throwing up great boiling eruptions of smoke. And as each burst of black smoke clears in the breeze, the great river reappears, a black snake in a brightly-illuminated landscape of uncontrolled fire.

As he releases his payload, Schumann is able to look down and obtain a perfect view of the U-shaped bend in the river known by the Britishers as The Isle of Dogs. He watches the bombs drop, becoming tiny black dots before they are swallowed up by the great orange and yellow tongues of flame which leap hundreds of feet into the night air, as if making futile attempts to lick the belly of his Dornier. The Port of London is burning to the ground, and to Schumann’s eye it is both terrible and beautiful.

It takes the 1000 kg bombs 42 seconds to hit the ground. This is what happens on the ground during that period of 42 seconds:

Hallsville Junior School, Agate Street, Canning Town is heaving with over 600 East Enders – men, women and children – awaiting evacuation. Almost all of them are homeless, their houses and schools having been destroyed in the first few days of the Blitz. Some have gathered together a few treasured possessions; some have a cardboard suitcase or two; some, recently dug out from collapsed buildings, have nothing but the nightclothes they stand in, their modesty covered by borrowed blankets, soot and building dust. Almost all have lost family members and the majority carries injuries; the walking wounded of working class London.

New dazed families continued to arrive at the already overcrowded building but, despite all, spirits have been reasonable for much of the day. Then, as the hours pass and the promised transports fail to materialise, muttering turns to anger and anger to shouting at the hopelessly overrun authorities. They are sitting ducks, they protest, with no air raid shelter to protect them and another bombing raid inevitable. By early afternoon a blind eye is being turned to the dozens of East End servicemen who desert from nearby postings to slip into the school and spirit their families away.

The unrest turns to barely-contained panic when the air raid starts. Children shriek with terror and cling to their mothers’ legs as the bombs scream down, shaking the ground with each impact, and the drone of the oncoming Luftwaffe planes goes on, and on, and on, wave after wave, dulling the senses, making it impossible to think beyond the thundering engines and the rising hysteria.

40 seconds.

Harry Horowitz, tailor and furrier, lately of British Street, Mile End, and his wife Millie Horowitz, milliner, huddle at the very end of a corridor at the back of the school with their boys, Charles aged 14 and David, 12. Despite the noise of the German planes, the bombs raining down all around them which shake the entire building, and the thick dust-laden air which catches in her throat, Millie’s lifelong debilitating anxiety is focused mostly on David. Her younger son had been running a fever when dragged out of their damaged home two nights earlier, and he now lies in her arms, sweating and shivering uncontrollably. Crouched next to them on the floor of the narrow corridor are four other families, one being that of Millie’s best friend, Sarah, who along with her husband and three girls had arrived earlier that afternoon to claim the last remaining floor space just inside the door leading out to the playground.

30 seconds.

Another bomb – one in fact released by the plane preceding that of Luftwaffe Hauptmann Heinz Schumann – screams down towards Agate Street and for a few seconds every adult in the school building holds their breath and falls silent. It lands with an almighty impact and the entire building shakes violently, but it misses the school, destroying instead the row of buildings on the opposite side of the road. Pieces of masonry and shrapnel ping off the cobbles of Agate Street and several heavy pieces of debris crash into the school roof at the front of the building.

‘That’s it,’ announces Harry. ‘We’re leaving.’

Harry Horovitz is a short, dapper man, always perfectly turned out in a three-piece suit, a watch chain across his slim torso. He works long hard hours in his little East End factory which produces high-quality fur coats, stoles and hats for the carriage trade. When he returns to the family home, invariably late and tired, he speaks little, preferring to sit in his armchair by the coal fire in waistcoat and shirt- sleeves and read the newspaper from start to finish in silence. Everyone knows that Millie, sharp-featured and sharp-tongued, wears the trousers in the Horovitz household. However, few realise that on the rare occasion when Harry put his foot down, Millie always complies without a word. She stands and lifts David to his feet, turning to her friend.

‘You coming, Sal?’

Sarah looks up at her husband, who nods his assent.

The nine East End Jews grab their pathetic suitcases and shoulder their way through their terrified neighbours and friends, shouting their apologies over the drone of the aircraft and the explosions all around them, and emerge through the door into the playground.

15 seconds.

‘Run!’ shouts Harry, as he leads them across the playground.

10 seconds.

Charles hesitates, looking back down the corridor as the rest of his family hurry outside into the orange tinted, dust-filled, cacophony of the air raid. Further down the corridor, into the bowels of the school and just outside its combined gymnasium and hall, is another East End family. The Hoffmanns live only 30 yards from the Horowitz household and their house had, like that of the Horowitz family, been almost completely destroyed in the raid two nights before. The two families often queue together with the same ration books; eat the same sparse food; speak essentially the same language in their respective homes, and have much in common besides. But they never speak beyond an occasional nodded greeting. The Hoffmanns, although refugees from Hitler like many in the surrounding streets, are not Jewish, and Millie and Harry Horowitz’s social circle simply does not include non-Jews. Their lives simply revolve around their home, their business and their synagogue. The Hoffmanns are, simply, “goyim” – of “The Nations” – and accordingly outside the circle. But the Hoffmanns have a daughter, a slim, fair and blue-eyed girl of fourteen, named Adalie. Unknown to either set of parents, while walking back from school every evening Charles Horowitz and Adalie Hoffmann have become friends. They have shared their thoughts on their teachers, their homework and on Hitler. And at Adalie’s instigation, they have shared several sweet, chaste, kisses.

So Charles lingers for a second or two, trying to catch a last glimpse of Adalie, and as a result very nearly loses his life. The rest of his family have stumbled across the rubble- strewn playground and are disappearing through the rear gates of the school. Outside on the street the air glows, backlit by orange flames on all sides; the fires of hell.

The shriek of Luftwaffe Hauptmann Heinz Schumann’s bomb fills the air as Charles, having given up his quest, races across the playground after the shadowy figure of his mother, the last of the party to disappear through the school gates ahead of him. Charles reaches the gate and takes two steps up Agate Street.

Impact.

The 1000 kg bomb scores a direct hit on the school. Charles is blown off his feet and finds himself sailing eight feet into the air, the explosive pressure drop making him feel as if his eyeballs are being sucked out of their sockets. He lands in an adjoining garden, destroying the rhododendron bush which breaks his fall, and suffers a bruised back and a cut to his scalp from a piece of flying masonry from the school wall. Everyone else in the family is unscathed. Although winded, Charles manages to roll back onto his feet in a single movement and continue running.
Harry Horowitz, soft-spoken East End tailor, has saved the lives of his family.

Later that day the government places a “D Notice” on the event, preventing accurate reports of the number of casualties to avert a collapse of morale in London. Officially 73 people died. Locals know that of the 600 or so men, women and children in the building, over 450 were killed instantly, many more in the hours thereafter, and almost all of the survivors suffered injuries. The Hoffmann family were blown to unrecognisably small pieces.

Four days later the Horowitz family unfolds stiff limbs and climbs down the steep steps of a bus in the centre of Carmarthen, and are introduced to the farmers who are to take them in. Four weeks of regular enforced chapel attendance later, Charles runs away and jumps on a Great Western milk train to London where he spends the next, and best, years of his life, running wild on the rubble-strewn streets of London and the one artery the Luftwaffe never managed to close: the River

 

Competition

Matthew Smith of Urbane Publications is very kindly giving away a paperback copy of ‘The Lighterman’ for each stop on the blog tour.  To enter just leave a comment telling me what you thought of the extract.  Has it left you wanting to read more?  Are you totally intrigued?

Terms and Conditions

This competition is open to UK residents only.

The closing date is 11:59 p.m. tonight, 13th June 2017.

The winner will be randomly selected and notified by the end of this week and their details will be passed on to Matthew Smith who will send out the prize.

 

‘The Lighterman’ is available to buy from:-

Urbane Publications – http://urbanepublications.com/books/the-lighterman/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lighterman-Book-Charles-Holborne-x/dp/191158300X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497331771&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lighterman

Guest Post by Richard Whittle

Big congratulations to Richard Whittle whose new book, ‘The Man Who Played Trains’ is out today published by Urbane Publications.  Richard took part in my Urbane Blog Event in March and it is a real pleasure to have him back on my blog with a guest post.

~~~~~

Sonya, thank you for inviting me to write a Guest Post, I really appreciate it! In March you were kind enough to interview me and to publish an extract from my novel, The Man Who Played Trains, which will be published on 25^th May by Urbane Publications. My publisher calls it an intelligent thriller.  What more could I ask?

The Man Who Played Trains is not my first novel. Fifteen years ago I was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association’s Debut Dagger Award and received a runner-up prize, presented by Ian Rankin – who, tongue in cheek, asked me not to set any novels in Edinburgh. He also told me to keep writing, encouragement I didn’t need at the time but which I would have appreciated many times before, and since, that day. Like so many writers, I’d had short stories published, but no full-length novels. I had been submitting novels to publishers and agents for years, receiving those negative responses we all know so well. Also, occasionally, a few words of encouragement.

The best writing advice and encouragement I ever had was from Random House. Years before my modest success with the Dagger I submitted the typescript of a full novel to the company (probably as part of a scattergun approach to publishers and agents, I cannot even remember which novel I sent). Somehow it fell into the hands of one of the company’s directors and he personally edited, with a lot of red pen, the first three chapters of my book. The letter accompanying the returned typescript ran to two single-space pages of helpful critique and suggestions. He ended by assuring me that one day I would be published. He did add that it might take some time. He was right.

A few years ago I became so disheartened with the responses to my submissions that I gathered up all my correspondence and ceremoniously shredded the lot. Regretfully, the Random House letter died in this purge – though if I am honest with myself I see little point in keeping such things – I read somewhere that we are known for what we do today, not what we have done in the past. That is not always true (think Mandela, Einstein, Pankhurst, Shakespeare, Tchaikovsky…) but it is sound advice that keeps me on my toes.

So where are all these novels, you might ask? Complete and incomplete typescripts litter my hard drives – stories not dead but merely sleeping, awaiting modification and renovation. Many stem from a stage when I wrote only for myself (I had spent far too much time submitting my work to agents or publishers and not enough time writing). During this time, a period of about four years, if I tired of the novel I was writing I put it aside and started another. It is rather like having a big garage full of old cars, some in bits, some almost ready to run (apologies for the analogy if you know nothing about old cars. I am sure you can think of another).

One of these restarts and rewrites was Playpits Park, a novel I self-published on Amazon. To my surprise it acquired more 5-star reviews that I could ever have wished for. The Kindle version was downloaded more than six thousand times.

So who do I write for now, myself or the reader? That is not an easy question to answer. When you read The Man Who Played Trains you enter a world I inhabited before you, a world built from real and imagined places, real events and fictional events. I believe Robert Harris said it first – there are holes in history that you can fall through. This story, set in Edinburgh (sorry, Ian), the far north of Scotland around ten years ago and in Germany in wartime, is a crime novel, a mystery, a thriller and adventure story. My greatest wish is that you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoy writing it. That makes it all worthwhile.

I wrote at the start of this post that The Man Who Played Trains is not my first novel. Nor is it about trains, though they do appear now and again. Thank you for reading this guest post until its end. That, too, makes it worthwhile!

 

Buy The Man Who Played Trains from Urbane: http://urbanepublications.com/books/the-man-who-played-trains/

Also at Waterstones, Blackwell’s, Amazon and all good bookshops.

 

Blog Tour – ‘Blue Gold’ by David Barker

Congratulations to David Barker whose debut novel, ‘Blue Gold’ was published yesterday the 11th May by Urbane Publications.  For a taster of David’s book click on the link below:-

https://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com/2017/03/09/extract-from-blue-gold-by-david-barker/

It’s my turn on the blog tour celebrating the publication of ‘Blue Gold’ and I am delighted to be hosting a guest post written by David Barker.

 

Water, water, everywhere…

And not a drop to drink, as the Ancient Mariner once said. Hopefully by now you know that Blue Gold is a thriller set in the near future during a world war for water. Articles about water shortages are becoming more common. I’ve been thinking about this for the past seven years or so as I tried to craft a setting for my novel. So, what’s the problem and why is it getting worse?

Many of you may know that only 2.5% of the world’s water is drinkable, the rest being seawater. And two-thirds of the freshwater is locked up in polar icecaps or glaciers. That in itself is scary but not a problem; our ecosystem has always been like that.

The problem is a combination of three factors: demographics, economics and climate change. The demographics part is quite easy to follow. Over the next twenty years the global population is expected to rise by 20%, that’s 1½ billion people who need food and water. Unfortunately, most of those extra people are likely to be born in regions of the world already stressed by water shortages: Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Many of the countries with the biggest populations are showing economic success, raising families out of poverty towards better incomes. That, of course, is fantastic news – and an oft forgotten aspect of the global inequality debate – but richer families tend to consume more water. Their diets shift away from vegetarian to meat-based. Cattle require ten times as much water as crops do to grow. And when a family can afford its own apartment, with their own bathroom, they use more water.

So, it’s obvious that demographics and economics will boost the demand for water significantly over the next 20-30 years. The effects of climate change are more subtle. A hotter atmosphere doesn’t change the amount of water in the ecosystem. But extreme weather events – droughts and floods – are becoming more common. California just went through its worst drought in over a thousand years. Floods, oddly, are unhelpful for water supplies too because rivers and drains can’t cope with the deluge; the excess water is often contaminated and can’t be stored. The effective supply of rainwater is declining with weather extremes.

What can we do about this problem? In the first instance, we simply tap into the underground stores of water known as aquifers. But these take millennium to refill, and the rate of depletion in most suggests a looming problem.

People often assume that desalination – removing salt from seawater – can solve the problem, but even with technological improvements it’s still expensive. It leaves behind a concentration of salt that can be devastating for the local environment. Water is very heavy. If the city you are trying to supply is miles from the sea, or as in Yemen’s capital Sana’a, 7000 feet up an escarpment, you can forget about desalination as a practical source of freshwater. And desalination uses a lot of energy. It will be hard enough for us to meet the Paris Agreement on carbon emissions without the extra burden of powering desalination plants and transporting water inland.

The real solution lies in using our freshwater more carefully. Educating households and businesses on the importance of looking after this precious commodity. Reducing pollution in our rivers. Building homes that catch rainwater and use that to flush our toilets. Modernising our sewage systems. Inevitably, all of this will require a helping hand from Adam Smith’s ‘invisible hand’. The price of water will have to rise significantly to persuade people to take the issue seriously and to reward the innovators.

What will happen in the poorest parts of the world then? It was probably no coincidence that the Arab Spring of 2010-12 occurred during a period of rapid increases in the price of flour and bread. People like to grumble when luxury items become more expensive. People riot when basic, essential items becomes unaffordable. I hope it doesn’t come to that. It’s one prediction I’ll gladly get wrong.

 

Find out more about Blue Gold and me on my website:

www.davidbarkerauthor.co.uk

 

About David Barker

David was born in Cheshire but now lives in Berkshire. He is married to an author of children’s picture books, with a daughter who loves stories. His working life has been spent in the City, first for the Bank of England and now as Chief Economist for an international fund. So his job entails trying to predict the future all the time.

David’s writing ambitions received a major boost after he attended the Faber Academy six-month course in 2014 and he still meets up with his inspirational fellow students. He loves reading, especially adventure stories, sci-fi and military history. Outside of family life, his other interests include tennis, golf and surfing.

 

‘Blue Gold’ can be purchased from:-

Urbane Publications – http://urbanepublications.com/books/blue-gold/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Gold-David-Barker-x/dp/1911331655/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488657122&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+gold+by+david+barker

 

Final Post – My Urbane Blog Event

Well, my Urbane Blog Event is over.  I have really enjoyed doing it and I really don’t know where these past two weeks have gone.  I’ll let you all into a little secret now.  Whilst organising this event I had a few doubts.  I thought I had lost the ability to organise another blog event.  As it goes, it all went very well.

I’d like to thank all my fellow book bloggers, authors and of course the Urbane authors for taking the time and trouble to share my posts.  I really was and still am totally overwhelmed at all the support I got.  You Urbane authors really are like one big happy family.  I’d also like to thank Matthew Smith for providing me with the book extracts.  Long may your publishing business continue.

I have decided that I would really like to feature Urbane authors on my blog on a monthly basis, about two or three posts a month.  If your book is due to be published do feel free to get in touch with me anytime.  I am always open to hosting guest posts and doing interviews.  I will also be reviewing lots more books.

Thanks again everyone!

 

Love from Sonya xx

 

Book Review – ‘Reunited’ by Daniel Gothard

‘Reunited’ is Daniel Gothard’s second book to be published by Urbane Publications. It came out in October of last year and seems to have been getting some very good reviews. I bought a copy for my kindle.

It’s 2012. Ben Tallis is thirty-six years old, has achieved his ambition of becoming a journalist and he’s engaged to a very ambitious lawyer. But there seem to be a couple of problems within the relationship. When Ben receives an invitation to a 20 year old school reunion he really doesn’t want to go. By mistake he mentions the reunion to his editor who smells a great feature article and insists that Ben returns home, faces his past, and writes a feature on how much we change and yet in so many ways we stay the same. It doesn’t look like Ben has much choice. So he reluctantly returns home, re-engages with his past and realises that you can never run from the truth or who you really are. The reunion gets Ben thinking back to 1992 when he was still at school and his best friends, including one he was secretly in love with. How will Ben get on at the reunion? Well, that’s for you to find out.

I started reading this book straight after ‘Simon says’. Again, the cover is very retro and bright which is a good thing as it stands out. Having read and enjoyed Daniel Gothard’s first book I was looking forward to ‘Reunited’, although to be honest I wasn’t entirely sure how I would get on with it. My school days aren’t exactly something I like to think about and I would never even consider going to a reunion. As it goes I really enjoyed this book.

I think going back between the past and present worked extremely well. I did on a couple of occasions get a bit confused though, as in I thought I was still reading about Ben’s school days when in actual fact the story was back in the present. Maybe this is because I got hooked and wanted to know what happened next in Ben’s past. Ben and one of his best friends had a really hard time because of bullies. I think going back home and meeting people from his past really helped Ben to put things into perspective.

I am looking forward to reading future books by Daniel Gothard and will definitely be buying a copy of ‘Reunited’ in paperback to add to my collection.

I give this book 4 out of 5.

 

Links

‘Reunited’ is available to buy from:-

Urbane Publications – http://urbanepublications.com/books/reunited/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reunited-Daniel-Gothard/dp/1911129546/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1489950517&sr=8-1

 

Book Review – ‘Simon says’ by Daniel Gothard

‘Simon says’ was published by Urbane Publications at the beginning of last year. I read several different genres and as I liked the sound of this book I bought myself a copy.

Simon Templar was named after a suave and heroic man of action, but of course he’s nothing like him. Out with his future father-in-law who gets rather drunk, poor Simon really doesn’t expect the night to end the way it does. It seems his one chance of happiness has just been taken away from him. Everything has changed in an instant. Simon is determined however to rebuild his life, hopes and dreams.

With the help and support of his best friend Sean and some rather interesting dates, Simon goes on a personal journey of self-discovery. Can he learn to trust again and finally understand what the true meaning of love is?

I so like the cover for ‘Simon says’. It’s bright, it’s retro and it shouts out to you, saying “Buy Me!” This book is very different from any I have read in a while. I really liked Daniel Gothard’s style of writing and how text messages played a big part in the story. It did take me a bit of time to get into the story, but once in I found it enjoyable and couldn’t wait to get back to it. There were some really funny moments too. Surely only Simon could get into certain situations.

I really liked Simon and not just because he worked in a bookshop. When Simon learnt what he did from his soon to be father-in-law he was naturally angry and upset. There were two ways to look at things, but personally I didn’t blame Simon for feeling the way he did. He needed to go and lick his wounds, take some time out and decide what to do for the best. I was so glad that Simon had Sean to turn to.

‘Simon says’ takes an honest look at relationships, love, life, longing and friendship. It is proof that male authors can write really good rom-coms.

I give this book 4 out of 5.

 

‘Simon says’ is available to buy from:-

Urbane Publications – http://urbanepublications.com/books/simon-says/

Amazon – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simon-says-Daniel-Gothard/dp/1910692484/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451671468&sr=1-1&keywords=simon+says+daniel+gothard