March Madness for March 30th Welcomes author Hannah Warren. Her book "Casablanca my Heart"

 March Madness for March 30th Welcomes author Hannah Warren with her soon to be released book..."Casablanca my Heart"

Bio

Hannah Warren (Paris- France, 1956) is of Anglo-Dutch descent and lives in the Province of Zeeland, in the south west of Holland. When she’s not writing or translating, she is teaching Yoga classes, playing the saxophone, hiking or mothering. Hannah is also a social media ‘devotee’ and an active blogger. She equally loves and supports all her virtual writing pals, many of whom feature on her website with interviews and guest blogs. Casablanca, My Heart is her first book soon to be published by Night Publishing. Check more of Hannah’s work out at www.hannahwarrenauthor.com

 

What happens when a grieving romantic novelist meets a

 Moroccan Prince in Casablanca – the city of her dreams?

Romantic novelist Heather Simpson’s idyllic marriage to renowned artist Luuk Routers ends in tragedy when he is permanently brain damaged in a car accident for which Heather is wrongly held publicly responsible.

To distance herself from this heartbreak, she assumes the pen-name Femmy Lovecraft and after several years of nursing her comatose husband is persuaded by her closest friend, Rita, to take a much needed break to do research for her next novel – a cruise to the city of her dreams – Casablanca.

But the night before the ship docks in Casablanca, Heather is accosted by a mysterious stranger purported on the ship to be a Moroccan Prince, and she ends up with far more than a break or research for her novel.

How did the mysterious stranger find out Heather’s real identity? Why does he follow her ashore in the port of Casablanca? And why has he been stalking her for years?

And what is it about this handsome half French/half Moroccan man that Heather cannot resist? 

The massive consequences of their brief one-day lustful liaison are far reaching and lasting for Heather.

But will she and Ghalib Tourniquet ever find each other again?

Review of Casablanca my Heart .

This is an unusual romantic novel, and I was mesmerised by it from the very first page.

Heather Simpson is a successful romantic novelist whose first love and marriage to the famous artist Luuk Routers has come to a tragic end after an unavoidable car accident for which Heather wrongly takes the blame. To protect her identity she assumes the pseudonym Femmy Lovecraft for her novels, at the same time continuing to nurse her beloved Luuk who remains in a coma. Persuaded by her friend Rita to give herself a break from this sadness and follow her dream to visit Casablanca to do research for her new novel, she embarks on a cruise which calls at Casablanca. But just before the ship docks she is confronted on deck by a handsome stranger who mysteriously knows her true identity.

From this moment on her life changes dramatically. Although at first shunning the attentions of the stranger, annoyed and puzzled that he should know her true identity, she nevertheless finds herself overcome with lust for this handsome half French, half Moroccan man of royal blood. But his passionate seduction of her is short-lived. Overcome with guilt, Heather flees back to the ship that afternoon, vowing never to see Ghalib Tourniquet again.

  

Told first from Heather’s point of view, and then from Ghalib Tourniquet with his fascinating blend of two cultures, the two voices complement each other in a most intriguing way. Warren has the enviable ability of being able to place herself in the head of each of her main characters, giving the prose an immediacy and a directness which is both vibrant and cinematic and made me feel I was right there watching the characters and living every moment of the action, the emotion and the heartache.

 This debut novelist has a keen eye for detail; her prose is enriched by her fresh observation of things one often overlooks, and I found myself re-reading some of her passages for the sheer joy of the sound of them.

The characterisation is deep and revealing, especially of the main characters, whose lives the author explores far beyond the boundaries of the plot, which I will not reveal any further, but which will leave you on the edge of your seats as you follow the intricacies of their lives and bite your nails wondering whether Heather and Ghalib will ever get together again.

 This book will be available soon on Amazon. The winner of the book will receive an e/book copy as soon as Amazon have it up and running.

March Madness for March 21st Author M. A McRae.

March Madness for March 21st welcomes Author M.A McRae

Biography:   M. A. McRae (Marj) is Australian. Her father, grandfathers and great grandfathers all Australian and all farmers,  only that 'way back when', an ancestor came from Highland Scotland. She has been an avid reader all her life, but has only begun to write in the last few years.

Her first published book is ‘Not a Man.’

Description: From boy of the slums to Oxford Graduate. This is the story of Shuki Bolkiah, modern day eunuch.

"Not a Man' is set in an unnamed country of Arabia. Shuki is aged ten, and a 'bed-boy.' His master wants his beautiful boy to stay beautiful, so arranges for him to have 'a small operation.' This traumatic event changed forever the life of a clever, determined boy.

Shuki learns to manipulate his master. He learns to read and write, he gets his master into the habit of giving him large sums of money, and he makes friends with the master's sons.

Shuki becomes more beautiful with every passing year. His master becomes more possessive, more jealous, and Shuki is guarded. When his master takes him to England, he escapes and starts a new life with the money he's saved. He is fifteen.

Excerpt from a review by Harper Collins: ‘Not a Man’ is an ambitious and insightful novel; it tells the story of Shuki, a young boy from the slums of Elbarada, a fictional area of Arabia, who is castrated against his will at the age of 10. Shuki’s journey is one of great trial but also incredible strength, courage, and determination, and as a hero, he is fantastic, evoking not only sympathy, but aspiration and reverence. I loved the fact that the operation which is supposed to prevent him from reaching manhood is the very thing that makes him strong and mature. The novel is written in a pared down manner; the narrative reminded me of the prose styling of Paulo Coelho: unaffected and matter-of-fact.

The  book can be purchased from Amazon and other suppliers such as The Book Depository, which does not charge for freight.

 http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Not-Man-McRae/9781466394704  

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93156

I’ll also add that in June, I expect to release a second book about Shuki, ‘The King’s Favourite.’

It was the greatest scandal that Oxford had ever known. The culprits were the sons of the rich and famous, even of Royalty. The trials went on for years, and the story of the eunuch's uttermost beauty and desirability spread.

Shuki now lives in his own remote home, overlooked by his beloved mountains. He is happy with his family, his studies, and is respected.

Feroz Hady is just sixteen, yet he is the all-powerful monarch of an oil-rich country of Arabia. When an important and complex trade deal hangs in the balance, an extra concession is made. Shuki’s freedom is traded away by his own country, a gift for a king.

There are stories from ancient times of eunuchs standing at the side of kings, wielding enormous influence, and influencing the fate of nations. Can it happen again? 

Please remember you MUST leave a comment on this post to have a chance at winning this book!
 

PLUS...Follow this blog and be in the running to win not one but TWO books written by your host Soooz Burke under her pen name of Stacey Danson.."Empty Chairs" and "Faint Echoes of Laughter"

March Madness Welcomes Author George Polley

 The author of several books, George Polley grew up in Seattle, Washington, and now lives with his wife in Sapporo, Japan. His most recent books are “The Old Man and the Monkey” and “Grandfather and the Raven”. A poetry collection is forthcoming from Night Publication. Earlier books are “Fernandez’s Tale and Other Stories”, “Living and Working in the 21st Century”, two poetry chapbooks, “We Play Each Other Like Jazz Musicians” and “Horsewoman of the Apocalypse” (1975), and a poetry broadsheet, “For Jonathan, Who at Eight, is a Poet” (1975, Smith Park Poetry Series, St. Paul, Minnesota). Seven of his flash fiction stories are featured in the e-book “Sherlock Holmes in a Flash: New Short Holmes Stories”, Abbott ePublishing,http://www.abbottepub.com/holmes.html   He has also published several booklets in the mental health field, one of them with Ana E. Dvoredsky, M.D.

“George Polley’s ‘Grandfather’ stories are fables capable of teaching children -- and not a few adults -- about the value of appreciating all living creatures, of the wisdom of being open-minded enough to seek solutions in unlikely places, of the rewards of working systematically towards your dreams, of the futility of bullying and aggression, and of the reassurance of a loving and harmonious environment in a world which tips all too often toward the arbitrary destruction of war.

As ever, George Polley recounts these near-legends in a voice which lulls and beguiles, and above all nudges us toward a kinder and more spiritual approach to the world around us.”

•  Review

“The stories all carried a message, much like Aesop's fables, but were not overly 'preachy' and as such I was not turned away. I particularly liked the Sir Raven as a character (I have many ravens around where I live, but I have not enquired as to their names! We also get wagtails too!). The underlying messages, for instance of taking responsibility for your actions, accepting the need to work for what you want, patience, and negotiation, are of use to all ages. I shall be reading more of his books.”  -- Peter Tapsell, Perth, Australia

Links to the book:

Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/Grandfather-The-Raven-ebook/dp/B003T0GIXG/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330557591&sr=1-1

Paperback:  http://www.amazon.com/Grandfather-Raven-story-George-Polley/dp/1452897832/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330557591&sr=1-6

Please remember you MUST leave a comment on this post to have a chance at winning this book!

PLUS...Join this blog and be in the running to win not one but TWO books written by your host Soooz under her pen name of Stacey Danson..."Empty Chairs" and "Faint Echoes of Laughter"

Make certain you leave a link or an email where you can be notified of your win.