March Madness: March 29th Author Teresa Geering "Eye of Erasmus" & "Shasta Summer"

 March Madness for  March 29th Welcomes Author Teresa Geering. 

Two wonderful books to be won.  "The Eye of Erasmus" & "Shasta Summer"

BIO

Teresa Geering was born and raised in the seaside town of Hasting Sussex on the south coast of England. She started to write stories initially in her youth for amusement, but began to write seriously about five years ago.

Whilst sitting in her garden one evening at the height of summer sipping wine, she watched a spider spinning a web. From there Shasta Summer and The Eye of Erasmus were born.

Whilst interviewing an online publisher - Night Publishing on how they

evolved, Teresa was both shocked and delighted to hear that they had been head hunting her for publication of her books. After a long and stony road of rejections she said no twice, thinking it was a con but finally agreed.

The rest as they say …… is history.

Teresa’s books are now sold on the English markets and internationally. Shasta Summer recently reached the dizzy heights of #8 on Amazon’s Romance and Time Travel. She currently holds the #1 slot on Goodreads in The Best Romance and Time Travel.

                            ~~ooOoo~~

Back cover...

'The Eye of Erasmus' is the first of a series of four inter-related fables about time and fate, told in Teresa Geering's characteristic hypnotic prose.


It tells of Erasmus, a baby born during a thunder storm, who is clearly destined to be special, with his flashing black eyes and haughty ways, until he finds love.


The trouble is that the girl literally ‘of his dreams’ hasn't actually been born yet.


No problem …… Oh, but there is ……. Danger lurks ……..


"'The Eye of Erasmus' is a tale gently and beautifully told. Like the Harry Potter novels, it is a book that readers of all ages will enjoy. It is definitely a book that I will read again and again," George Polley, author of 'The Old Man & The Monkey' and 'Grandfather and the Raven'.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, mythological, left me wanting more, July 21, 2010

By 

Tiffany A. Harkleroad "Tiffanys Bookshelf" (Kittanning PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Erasmus is a powerful man. Born during a storm, as he grows up he realizes he has extraordinary powers. He determines he can travel through time, and goes into the future to meet the love of his life, Shasta. Erasmus and Shasta were born on the same date, at the same time, many years apart. They fall deeply in love, and marry. But all the while, Hesper, the begger boy Shasta takes into her home, shows disdain for Erasmus. Who is Hesper, really, and who is he to challenge Erasmus the Omnipotent?


Reading this book was an unusual experience for me. The book is written unlike most modern fiction, where the goal is to create a personal bond between reader and character. Instead, The Eye of Erasmus reads like an ancient myth, slightly removed from the reader because it is sacred, scriptural almost. I loved that aspect of the book, it gave me a feeling of enlightenment and awe.


The book uses language that allows the reader to determine the place and time setting, which I think is fantastic. This allows every reader to paint their own version of Erasmus and Shasta, which in turn does allow the reader to have a personal investment in the story. This story has a quiet, solemn power about it, and I felt myself pushing through drowsiness to read on late into the evening. There was no way I was going to sleep without knowing what was to happen.


The book is written in such a way that I think it will appeal to a large variety of readers. There are some fantasy and supernatural elements to the story, so those fans will enjoy. There is romance, so those readers will love it as well. As because of the mythos involved in the story, I believe it will greatly appeal to classical literature fans, historical fans, mythology fans, and readers who enjoy classic storytelling elements in writing.


To me, this feels like the kind of story that can be passed on for many generations. The fact that there are 2 future installments planned for Erasmus' story leaves me breathless with anticipation.

Shasta Summer

Book Description...

'Shasta Summer' is an entrancing addition to Teresa Geering's romance / fantasy series 'Erasmus, Shasta & Merlin' in which the cunning and resourceful Erasmus continues his devilish attempts to secure the beautiful and enchanting Shasta as his own, while she and Merlin renew their enduring love for each other, impeded by the unfortunate fact that a spell from a previous century has transformed Merlin into a cat.


Written in seductive and mesmerising prose which gives it the feel of an authentic time-honoured fable, 'Shasta Summer' continues the tradition of the much-acclaimed 'The Eye of Erasmus' which records another such attempt by Erasmus when he espies Shasta across the centuries in a vision.


The books in the series can be read and enjoyed in any order and by readers of any age from six to ninety-six.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hypnotic, September 14, 2011

By 

Tiffany A. Harkleroad "Tiffanys Bookshelf" (Kittanning PA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Summer seems to be a normal little girl by all accounts. That is, until her parents take her to visit her Aunt May in the village of Shasta. It quickly becomes apparent that Summer is actually the second coming of Shasta herself, the village's namesake. She is returning to be reunited with her long lost love, Merlin, who has been placed under a spell. In order to try to obtain eternal happiness, the lovers travel back in time to Shasta's original arrival at the village, and try to rewrite history. But it seems the nefarious Erasmus has other plans for the two.

Once again, Geering writes a book that feels like mythology of long ago. There is a sort of timeless beauty to the book, with no real references to modernity or pop culture, that will make it endearing for years to come. The writing in the book is soft and dreamy, floating from past to present. At times, the two stories, both past and present, seem so similar, the reader may get the feeling of deja vu. This helps lift the filmy veil between the two time periods.

I really enjoyed the character of Shasta, and watching Summer become Shasta. The inclusion of faeries and various magical elements make this seem like a fairytale for adults. The story has a hypnotic quality that urges the reader to continue at any cost (including sleep). The reader certainly feels transported to another time and place.

In order to fully appreciate the book, readers must have the ability to suspend disbelief. This is a romantic fantasy, dealing with elements of time travel, reincarnation, and magic. Readers need to be aware of this and fully comfortable with these subjects in order to fully appreciate the book.

This is the second book of a trilogy, the first being the Eye of Erasmus, but this is actually a prequel. It makes me want to go back and re-read the first book, and makes me long for the third book, to see the full picture of this tale. And rarely do I comment on book covers, because they often change, but the cover for this book is simply gorgeous. That alone is enough to hook the reader, the gorgeous story is an added bonus.

 Erasmus Shasta and Merlin The Movies:http://relaxatnight.blogspot.com/2011/10/20-second-movie-pitch-erasmus-shasta.html

Shasta Summer

Amazon.com:

http://amzn.com/B0054RWUKW

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0054RWUKW

 

Eye of Erasmus

Amazon.com:

http://amzn.com/B003VS0DR8

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003VS0DR8

Video Trailer Music:

http://www.jaiya.ca/firedance/cds/invocation.htm 

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..."Empty Chairs" and "Faint Echoes of Laughter"

More at:
http://tgeering.blogspot.com

March Madness March 28th ..Kimberly Menozzi "Ask Me If I'm Happy."

March Madness for March 28th Welcomes Author Kimberly

Menozzi. 

BIO:

An aspiring writer from the age of eight, Kimberly Menozzi began writing her first stories instead of paying attention in school. While her grades might have suffered, her imagination seldom did. By the time she graduated high school, she'd already written a full-length novel, and when she was twenty-five, she had two more completed novels hidden away.

After a trip to England in 2002, she began work on a new novel, A Marginal Life (Well-Lived), inspired by the music of Jarvis Cocker and Pulp. The project was completed in 2003, and is due to undergo rewrites in hopes of future publication.

Also in 2003, she met and fell in love with an Italian accountant named Alessandro. She married him in 2004. This necessitated her permanent move to Italy and she has lived there ever since. After several months of working for language schools and writing blog entries for her family in the US to read, new story ideas began to develop.

Finally, in 2007, she began work on a new project, inspired by her love/hate relationship with her new home. The novel Ask Me if I'm Happy was completed in 2009 and was first released November 15th, 2010 in the UK. The novel was re-released in the US on May 31st, 2011, alongside its prequel, a novella titled "Alternate Rialto"

Kimberly is presently at work on her next project, 27 Stages, a novel set in the world of professional road cycling.

Sometimes the simplest questions are the hardest ones to ask.
Emily Miller is forced to spend a day in Bologna when she'd rather be catching her flight to the US. Determined to put ten years in Italy and her marriage behind her, she wants to have nothing to do with anything – or anyone – Italian ever again.
 
For Davide Magnani, chivalry isn't yet dead. He accompanies Emily to Milan, if only to reassure himself of her safe arrival. The following morning, he's stunned to realize he's fallen in love with someone he's only known for twenty-four hours – and it seems that she feels the same way.
One year later, Emily and Davide reunite. As their relationship strengthens, unforeseen events reveal deeper, troubling connections all around, which drive Emily away from the first man she's ever really trusted. Can she forgive the lies she's been told, or the truths which have been hidden from her? And how can Davide prove to her, once and for all, that Italy is precisely where she needs to be?

REVIEW:

"An absolutely fantastic book full of restrained passion, think Brief Encounter or Strangers on a Train. The anticipation builds until the reader is nearly bursting. A must for romantics everywhere and should be made compulsory reading for males." Book Shelf Reviews (Facebook)

Paperback:https://www.createspace.com/3607702

or

http://www.amazon.com/Ask-Me-if-Im-Happy/dp/0615490751/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1329131273&sr=8-3

ebook:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Ask-Me-Im-Happy-ebook/dp/B0051BDTXI/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1329131273&sr=8-3

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ask-Me-Im-Happy-ebook/dp/B0051BDTXI/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1329131273&sr=8-3

NOOK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ask-me-if-im-happy-kimberly-menozzi/1100060294?ean=2940012491121

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/57576

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 Burke under her pen name of Stacey Danson.."Empty Chairs" and "Faint Echoes of Laughter"

March Madness: March 25th Welcomes Bill Kirton author of "The Sparrow Conundrum" & "Unsafe Acts"

March Madness for March 25th Welcomes Author BILL KIRTON  with two books to win "The Sparrow Conundrum" and "Unsafe Acts."

Author Bio: 
I’m never sure whether or why readers want to know stuff about the writer. The main thing is to enjoy the books and, if that happens, it doesn’t matter whether I’m a 98 year old man with a penchant for growing cauliflowers or an evangelically-inclined teenage mother of twins.

 For the record though, I was born in Plymouth but have lived most of my life in Aberdeen, Scotland. I taught French at Aberdeen University but I’ve always been a writer. In the early days it was radio plays for the BBC, then skits and songs which I performed with my wife at the Edinburgh Festival fringe. I’ve always written short stories but started writing novels in the late 80s. Unsafe Acts is the fifth in my Jack Carston series so, technically, I’m a crime writer. In turn, that means when I write a historical novel such as The Figurehead or a spoof such as The Sparrow Conundrum, readers are taken by surprise. Some don’t like that; others, thankfully, are more forgiving. The thing is, I like to try different genres. If you want to know more about my books, there’s plenty on my website (www.bill-kirton.co.uk) and in my blog (http://livingwritingandotherstuff.blogspot.com/).

 Unsafe Acts
An offshore platform in the turbulent North Sea is a dangerous place…

…there’s the isolation, the machinery and the constant battle with the whims of nature. For Ally Baxter, a safety officer on Falcon Alpha, those whims take a deadly turn. When his workmates decide he’s gay, an evening ashore turns ugly as they indulge in some drunken queer-bashing. Later his body is found along the route the group followed.

For DCI Jack Carston, the case seems simple enough until a second murder is discovered. This time it’s the prostitute Ally always visited—a young mother with a baby son. Complications mount as Carston, in addition to his investigations, has to deal with an inexperienced officer under his command and a disciplinary charge brought against Carston himself by a vindictive superior officer.

The obstacles keep piling up, but more is to come when he finds evidence of a plot to wreck the platform itself.

Links:

USA: http://amzn.to/wQXCja

UK: http://amzn.to/zsOJKC

 The Sparrow Conundrum

Winner of the Humor category in the 2011 Forward National Literature Awards.

Chris Machin isn’t his name, not to the bottom feeders in Aberdeen squabbling over North Sea oil and gas contracts. Chris has a code name, and when his garden explodes The Sparrow takes flight, plunging the power struggle into chaos and violence.

A sociopathic cop and an interfering ex-girlfriend don’t exactly make for clarity of thinking, not when the one fancies a bit of violence to add spice to an arrest. The ex adds other, more interesting dimensions to Chris’ already complicated life.

The bodies pile up—some whole, some in fragments—and two wrestlers join the fray. A road trip seems just the solution, but then so do Inverness, a fishing trawler and a Russian factory ship as the players face … The Sparrow Conundrum.

Review

... combines the elements of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe with The Biederbecke Affair and throws in Happer from Local Hero for good measure. It is killingly funny, and for those who love farce—from Scapin to Noises Off—this is utterly brilliant, divine, and classic, and couldn’t be bettered.

M.M. Bennetts, author of May 1812 and Of Honest Fame

Links

Amazon USA: http://amzn.to/AbdxuZ

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/AuckFa

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/vsXRvp

B&N: http://bit.ly/zCJ1qr

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

PLUS...Join 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"

Please leave an email or link address where you can be notified if you should win the prize draw.

March Madness: March24th...Author Sheila Mary Taylor. "Pinpont" & "Count To Ten"

March Madness for March 24th Welcomes Author 'Sheila Mary Taylor'

SHEILA MARY TAYLOR

Sheila Mary Taylor was born in Cape Town into a highly intellectual family, but felt inhibited by the fact that she did not have a degree in English, a qualification she mistakenly thought was necessary to emulate her Scottish mother and father in becoming a published author. So she was a very late starter, only galvanised into wielding her creative pen when she heard the horrific diagnosis that her youngest son had teenage bone cancer. The scribbles she produced during this dramatic time were not well enough honed to be published, but with her pen at last triggered, and now realising that writing was what she had always wanted to do, she had four romances published and only then did she polish those earlier scribblings. These were published in 1999 as ‘Fly With a Miracle’ – a dramatic memoir of how her son Andrew fought against the cancer that threatened his life and his dream to become a pilot.  Another romance followed, and Sheila then embarked on a work of love – to resurrect and edit her mother’s three unpublished novels and have them published by Penguin, for which Dora Taylor received the South African Literary Posthumous Award in 2009. With these successes under her belt Sheila returned to her own writing. Pinpoint – a psychological legal crime thriller - was published by Night Publishing in April 2011, followed in December 2011 by a re-written, revised and updated edition of ‘Fly With a Miracle’, with the title of ‘Count to Ten’. She is now working on her new novel – ‘Entangled’.

***

PINPOINT  -  by Sheila Mary Taylor

A lawyer, a murderer and a policeman – caught in a tangled web of love, loss, terror and intrigue

When criminal lawyer Julia Grant interviews Sam Smith who has been charged with a vicious murder, she feels a strange connection to him.
Has she met him before? Does he hold a key to her lost childhood memories?
He feels a connection too. “Julia, you are the only one who can help me,” he pleads.
Is it the same connection? Does he know something she cannot recall?

When he is duly convicted despite her best efforts, he suddenly turns on her in the courtroom and threatens that one day he will make sure to wreak his revenge on her.
But why?
What has she ever done to him?

And then, on his way to prison, he escapes . . .

*

Review on Amazon.com

5.0 out of 5 stars "Pinpoint" -- an extraordinary novel by an a remarkable new writer, May 7, 2011

By 

G. Polley "blogger and writer" (Sapporo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pinpoint (Paperback)

Strangeways Prison, Manchester, England (September 1994). "I've represented many murderers and am often surprised at how normal they appear. But this one is different. As he walks into the interview room he stops dead. His mouth drops open. His eyes bulge. His elbows clamp to his sides as though a knife has plunged into his back. And he looks straight at me unlike most who bow their heads until I say something to make them feel at east, and who look past me when they tell me their stories. Not this one."

Sam Smith is the name of this psychopathic killer, or is it? Could he be ...? "There's an almost imperceptible smile on his face. That smile. And those eyes. I grip the desk. I can't breathe. My skin turns cold, clammy. My fingers tingle. A fragment of long forgotten memory skitters through my head then vanishes ..." Who is he? No, it can't be ... but can it? Is he?

So begins this haunting, magnificently written tale of murder, intrigue, mystery, childhood sexual abuse, loss, survival and love. Solicitor Julia Grant's job is to defend this psychopathic killer of young women. And she must find out who he really is because she is haunted. A widow with a six year old daughter, she has a busy, complicated life. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Moxon is there to help her. But she has to go it alone.

Pinpoint is one wonderful book, Julia Grant is one of the most memorable characters I've encountered, and Sheila Mary Taylor is one fine writer. I'm sure we'll be enjoying her books for many years to come. She has the kind of story-telling talent that not only has wide appeal; it lasts, like a good Agatha Christie tale. Even the title "Pinpoint" is shrouded in mystery.

This one is a clear five star book.

*

COUNT TO TEN by Sheila Mary Taylor

Few things worse can happen to a mother than for her child to be diagnosed with cancer.

It started as a pain. It became an irritation. It grew to be a lump. Ultimately it threatened Andrew's life.

At the very least, his leg would have to be amputated, and how would that affect his life, even if he survived to live it?

'Count to Ten' is the true story of how Andrew and his family coped with the days, weeks, months and years that followed his diagnosis, of the reliefs, the triumphs, the relapses and the outright screaming panics.

It is also a testament to the technological advances in the treatment of cancer and to the doctors who apply it with care, expertise and wisdom.

It is so easy to love your children. It is so hard to hang onto hope, especially onto their hope - the hope they need to carry on.

Review from Amazon.com

5.0 out of 5 stars A riveting and inspirational true story, January 24, 2012

By 

Mrs. G. J. Metcalfe "helygen" (Wales, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Count To Ten (Kindle Edition)

I found "Count to Ten" a riveting and emotional read. From the beginning, Sheila Taylor paints a deliciously vivid and colourful picture of life in Africa, and her travels to London and Menorca. These exotic descriptions give a real sense of an idyllic and carefree life, amplifying with stark contrast her powerful and heart-rending account of the development of Andrew's illness and his subsequent treatments.

There were times when I held my breath, filled with compassion for this mother and her son, anticipating each stage of his gruelling battle against the most dreaded of diseases. Despite its subject, which one would normally expect to be maudlin and depressing, this is an uplifting story that is told with a simple honesty that's quite breathtaking.

I'm so full of admiration for Andrew, and everyone involved in the trials he faced. It was quite a humbling experience to read what they all endured, and I thank the author for sharing it with us.

Pinpoint:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pinpoint-ebook/dp/B004UST5Q8

http://www.amazon.com/Pinpoint-ebook/dp/B004UST5Q8

Count to Ten:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Count-To-Ten-ebook/dp/B006GQXR4I

http://www.amazon.com/Count-To-Ten-ebook/dp/B006GQXR4I/

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 Burke under her pen name of Stacey Danson.."Empty Chairs" and "Faint Echoes of Laughter"

March Madness: March 22nd Barbara Morton. "Mrs Jones"

 


March Madness for March 22nd Welcomes  Author Barbara Morton 

BARBARA MORTON...MARCH 22nd
 
BA Morton writes Crime thrillers, 
Romance and Historical Fiction.
She shares her rural Northumberland home with 
her family and a collection of animals.
Mrs Jones is the first book to feature 
Detective Tommy Connell.
 
Review by writer, Kristen Gleeson
 
"Mrs. Jones is a 
pacey thriller that was hugely enjoyable with enough twists to satisfy anyone 
looking for a great escape on a rainy weekend. Mrs. Jones, a young English 
woman in trouble, is understandably appealing to Connell, the hardbitten New 
York detective, who's had his own troubles. We follow Connell's attempts to 
protect Mrs. Jones from the various people that are after her and, like Mrs. 
Jones, we can fall under Connell's spell. We cheer as he bends the rules and 
understand that his imperfections only make him more human. Both characters are 
compelling and strong and contribute to a strong and interesting plot."
 

A British girl with a secret.
A New York cop with a past.
And a mob that wants revenge


In the slickest, sneakiest twistiest-turniest hard-boiled crime noir novel to come out in a long time, ruggedly pragmatic but honest cop Detective Tommy Connell picks up an English girl, Mrs Jones, who claims to be the witness to a murder, and promptly falls in love with her.


Well, Mrs Jones, whoever she is, must be very attractive because an awful lot of people seem to want to get their hands on her if they can prise her from Connell's determined grasp, including some prominent representatives of organised crime and the Feds.


Detective Connell definitely has his work cut out here if he wants to end up with the body of Mrs Jones, dead or alive, that's for sure.


All-in-all it's probably safe to say he hasn't a clue what is going on. It is probably equally safe to guess that Mrs Jones does.


Not that 'safe' is quite the right word to use here or, there again, maybe it is.


(The next in the series, 'Molly Brown', will be released during 2012).

---

Links http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mrs-Jones-ebook/dp/B006OEVRBM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329171647&sr=1-1  

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mrs-Jones-B-Morton/dp/1468116886/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1329171647&sr=1-1  

http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Jones-ebook/dp/B006OEVRBM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top 

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 Burke under her pen name of Stacey Danson.."Empty Chairs" and "Faint Echoes of Laughter"

Don't forget to leave an email address where your book can be sent should you be the lucky winner .

March Madness March 18th John Holt.."Epidemic " & "The Marinski Affair"

 March Madness for March 18th Welcomes author John Holt: 

 2 books to win..."Epidemic" and "The Marinski Affair"

Born in 1943 in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire. I currently live in Essex with my wife, Margaret, and my daughter Elizabeth. For many years I was a Chartered Surveyor, until I retired in 2008. I had always wanted to write a novel but could never think of a good enough plot. My first novel, The Kammersee Affair, written in 2008. was inspired by a holiday in Austria. We were staying in Grundlsee. 

The next lake, Toplitzsee, was used by the Germans during the war to test rockets, and torpedoes. There were rumours of gold hidden in that lake. Despite extensive searches the gold was never found. In my book, however, it is found, only in the next lake, Kammersee.
The books that followed, The Mackenzie File, The Marinski Affair, and Epidemic, feature Tom Kendall, a down to earth private detective. My fifth book, A Killing In The City, another featuring Tom Kendall, is currently with my publisher and should be available within the next few weeks. I am currently working on another novel featuring Tom Kendall, and have made a tentative start on an Adventure novel.

Epidemic

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Epidemic-John-Holt/dp/161667170X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329126790&sr=8-1

Tom Kendall, a down to earth private detective, is asked to investigate the death of a young newspaper reporter. The evidence shows quite clearly that it was an accident: a simple, dreadful accident. That is the finding of the coroner and the local police. Furthermore, there were two witnesses. They saw the whole thing. But was it an accident, or was it something more sinister? Against a backdrop of a viral epidemic slowly spreading from Central America, a simple case soon places Kendall up against one of the largest drug companies in the country.

Review

I must admit that when I opened the package from New Books Magazine and found Epidemic was my latest review book, I really didn't think that it was going to be my cup of tea. Published by Raider Publishing, the book has that 'self-published' feel to it, and the blurb on the back really didn't appeal to me.

However, I'll give anything a chance, and I'm so glad that I did. Epidemic centres around Tom Kendall - a Miami Private Investigator, who along with his ever faithful secretary Mollie runs a small Detective Agency. Tom Kendall is possibly the most laid-back, even lazy, PI that I've ever read about. He is asked to investigate the death of a local newspaper journalist. The death has been put down to 'accidental death' but the family are convinced that it was murder. Tom is not that keen to investigate - it all seems cut and dried to him, but he agrees to take on the case - encouraged by Mollie.

As Tom digs deeper into the background of the case, one name begins to crop up on a regular basis, that of Trenton; a large American drug company. Trenton are also very involved in the numerous cases of Rican Flu that are being reported on a daily basis all over the world.

The plot is very well thought out and makes the reader consider just how and why these super viruses suddenly occur - and the role that drug companies play in the cure and prevention - and possibly the start of the virus. This is a complex plot with many characters, but the stars of the story are definitely Tom and Mollie.

John Holt writes a good thriller, with great pace and good plot. With some tweaking of dialogue, I'm positive that John Holt's Detective Tom Kendall could be a real success in the future.

The Marinski Affair

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marinski-Affair-John-Holt/dp/1616670150/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

The Marinski Affair began as a dull mundane case involving a missing husband. Okay, so he was a rich missing husband, but he was nonetheless, still only a missing husband. The case soon developed into one involving robbery, kidnapping, blackmail and murder. But was there really a kidnapping? And exactly who is blackmailing who? Who actually carried out the robbery? Who committed the murders? Who can you trust? Who can you believe? Is anyone actually telling the truth? What have they got to hide? And what connection was there with a jewel theft that occurred four years previously? All is not as it seems. 

Tom Kendall, private detective, had the task of solving the mystery. He was usually pretty good a solving puzzles, but this one was different, somehow. It wasn't that he didn't have any of the pieces. Oh no, he wasn't short of clues. It was just that none of the pieces seemed to fit together.

Review

This is the second of John Holt's books I've read. His strengths are for characterisation, and especially, for well thought-out plots. I very much like Detective Tom Kendall and his offsider, Mollie. Well worth a read. "

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.

March Madness: Welcomes Ruth Barrett Author of "Base Spirits"

 March Madness for MARCH 16th Welcomes Author 

 Ruth Barrett "Base Spirits."

Bio:

Ruth Barrett was born in Pointe Claire, Quebec, and now makes her home in Stratford, Ontario. Between then and now, she studied English Literature at Trent University and the University of Leeds, and classical acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

Ruth pursued an acting career in Toronto where her love of the stage saw her perform in everything from Shakespeare to sketch comedy, eventually settling into voice-over work. Transforming herself into a writer has provided a rewarding new way for her to explore character and spin tales. Ruth has published numerous short stories in various anthologies and periodicals, and she formed her own Spirited Words Book Co. in Summer 2011. 'Base Spirits' is her first novel. Look for a batch of short stories coming up soon!

Back Cover Blurb:

‘Murder has took this chamber with full hands

And will ne’er out as long as the house stands.’

~A Yorkshire Tragedy, Act I, Sc. v

In 1605, Sir Walter Calverley’s murderous rampage leaves a family shattered. The killer suffers a torturous execution… but is it truly the end? A noble Yorkshire house stands forever tarnished by blood and possessed by anguished spirits.

Some crimes are so horrific, they reverberate through the centuries. 

As an unhappy modern couple vacation in the guesthouse at Calverley Old Hall, playwright Clara, and her scholar husband, Scott, unwittingly awaken a dark history. Clara is trapped and forced back in time to bear witness to a family’s bloody saga. Overtaken by the malevolent echoes, Scott is pushed over the edge from possessive husband to wholly possessed…

Inspired by a true-life drama in Shakespeare’s day, this is itself a play within a play: a supernatural thriller with a historical core. 

Only one player can survive.

 5 star Amazon review

An engrossing first novel from Ruth Barrett, November 16, 2011

By 

Stephen Ayres

This review is from: Base Spirits (Kindle Edition)

By grounding Base Spirits in actual past events, Ruth Barrett lends her story a credibility which permeates through the centuries and into the modern day telling of an already troubled relationships' final days. It's this mix of fact and fiction which Barrett expertly intertwines to create an imaginative, engaging story. The reader is compelled to not simply observe from afar, but to take this terrifying, supernatural journey along with Clara Ravenscroft and Scott Atkinson - the married couple at the centre of the story - as they unwittingly explore the darkest depths of the human condition.

Her obvious love and understanding of Shakespearean times adds yet another layer of authenticity to Barrett's narrative, transporting the reader from the opening passages and holding us in her grasp through the centuries and back again. Like the historical events which reverberate so horrifically into the lives of Clara and Scott, Base Spirits stays with the reader long after the final pages are consumed and the bedside light extinguished, lingering in the dark, just on the edge of our senses. Base Spirits is an excellent read and achievement, marking a highly promising start to this exciting new authors' arrival on the literary landscape.

Amazon Kindle e-book link: 

http://www.amazon.com/Base-Spirits-ebook/dp/B005L38G8E

Link for paperback version:

https://www.createspace.com/3462705

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"

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

March Madness: March 14th. Author ANDY SZPUK.

 A March Madness welcome to Author Andy Szpuk. "Sliding On The Snow Stone"

To participate and be in with a chance of winning "Sliding On The Snow Stone" please scroll to the end of the post when you finish reading and leave a comment where indicated. Good luck!

ANDY SZPUK:

Andy is a novelist and short story writer from Nottingham, UK. In 2011, his debut novel, a historical memoir, Sliding on the Snow Stone was published by Night Publishing.

He is currently researching and planning his forthcoming historical novel, Carved into Crystalline Heights which chronicles the story of a Ukrainian ethnic group, the Lemkos, who live in the Western Carpathian Mountains in the deep south-east of Poland. Their lifestyle is hard and they are poor people, but they are fiercely proud of their Ukrainian roots. They celebrate their language and rich culture, and support the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, who also inhabit the Mountains, and fight for a free Ukraine.

BOOK REVIEW: Sliding on A Snow Stone by Andy Szpuk

A Moving Tale . . . 

(Amazon US review by Juliana Mantooth)

‘A stark and moving biography of a Ukrainian who lived through the Holodomor or Ukrainian Holocaust where millions perished as a result of Stalin's custom-made famine and firing squads.

With amazing detail, Andy Szpuk transcribed the life of his father, born into a catastrophe he could little comprehend and his journey through unimaginable hardship which in many ways depicted the lives of many other fellow Ukrainians of that time. At times sweet, other times heartbreaking, even shocking, Sliding On The Snow Stone unveils through the eyes of a young boy, Stefan, the mindlessness and cruelty of war. As he trekked through neighbouring countries, first with his father, and later, alone, the reader experienced alongside Stefan the fear, anger and bitterness and despondency, the desperation of hunger and starvation.

The many little details captured by the author coloured the episodes and made the scenes come alive, allowing us readers to weep, groan and laugh alongside Stefan as he journeys through life. Reading this wonderful book leaves me with a profound experience, reminding me to count my blessings for what I have and the age I live in today.’
It is astonishing that anyone lived this story. It is even more astonishing that anyone survived it. Stefan grows up in the grip of a raging famine. Stalin’s Five Year Plan brings genocide to Ukraine – millions of people starve to death. To free themselves from the daily terrors of Soviet rule, Stefan and his friends fight imaginary battles in nearby woods to defend their land. The games they play are their only escape. ‘Sliding on the Snow Stone’ is the true story of Stefan's extraordinary journey across a landscape of hunger, fear and devastating loss. With Europe on the brink of World War Two, Stefan and his family pray they'll survive in their uncertain world. They long to be free.

(In 1932-33, as part of their drive towards industrialisation, the Soviet Union demanded impossibly high requisitions of grain from rural areas in Ukraine. In a deliberate act of genocide, Ukrainian smallholdings were stripped of food, and the population began to perish, with some estimates as high as 10 million deaths, from starvation. In Ukraine, this atrocity became known as the Holodomor (death by hunger). The following years saw Soviet purges and terrors resulting in the elimination of academics and intellectuals, or of anyone who spoke out against Soviet rule. When World War Two arrived on Ukraine’s doorstep, many people viewed the Nazis as liberators – a view that was quickly proved wrong. ‘Sliding on the Snow Stone’ is Stefan’s personal account of a historical period drenched in the blood of a nation, and of his yearning for freedom.)

Carved into Crystalline Heights opens in 1938, with Mikhaylo, a smallholder whose wife has just given birth to a second daughter, Maria. Mikhaylo is desperate for a son and heir, and for a pair of strong arms to help him with the farming work. But he loves his wife Genya, and doesn’t wish for her to suffer the way their forefathers did, by having large families. Genya has six sisters and a brother.

Across the horizon, a storm is brewing – a man-made storm of world war.

A year later, the Nazis invade, plunging the community deeper into poverty. The war years are tough, but the Lemkos survive, and they find their own heroes from that period.

Post-war, the Insurgent Army remains active, ambushing Polish and Russian Army patrols, and attacking anyone who is not Ukrainian. Still their goal is freedom for Ukraine, but they reach a crossroads when one of their men kills a decorated Polish General, and the Poles come looking for revenge . . .

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..."Empty Chairs" and "Faint Echoes of Laughter"

The Book Depository:

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Sliding-on-Snow-Stone-Andy-Szpuk/9781466305687

Nottingham Books:

http://www.nottinghambooks.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1396

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sliding-on-the-snow-stone-andy-szpuk/1037103755?ean=9781466305687&itm=1&usri=szpuk

Amazon US:

http://www.amazon.com/Sliding-Snow-Stone-ebook/dp/B005OSABPC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329855743&sr=8-2

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sliding-Snow-Stone-ebook/dp/B005OSABPC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329857207&sr=8-1

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/108501

March madness: March 10th Kristen Stone" Edge of Extinction"

March Madness for March 10th welcomes Author Kristen Stone:"Edge of Extinction"

Kristen Stone is a mother of one daughter and grandmother to three lovely children aged from 15 years to 2 years (roughly speaking).  She lives in the Midlands of England with her very supportive and hard working husband.

Kristen has wanted to be an author from the age of 14, but was put off trying when told by her careers teacher ‘You can’t just be a writer.’  So she has drifted from one clerical job to another, not really having any real interest in what she is doing, apart from mastering the latest word processing package as each emerged.

Kristen works best in the evening and as most office jobs require an early start she finally made the decision to ‘go for it’.  After several attempts at getting an agent she has knuckled down to work and now her first book has been published by Night Publishing, who specialize is publishing struggling new authors.

Kristen also provides an editing service.  For full details visit her website :  www.kristen-stone-the-writer.com

Blurb

Why were his people dying?  This is the question Kianda Mala needed to answer.  Considered a god because  he has a tail, accepted as a leader, Kianda emerges from the jungle to confront the modern world.

What he finds is a world beyond his comprehension where his people are deemed worthless and big business rules.

Links

http://www.amazon.com/Edge-of-Extinction-ebook/dp/B005EZ3JLI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311942084&sr=1-1

http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=edge+of+extinction

Review

What I felt mostly after I had read Edge of Extinction was that it is so important that we stand up for the weaker groups on our globe - in this case - an Indian tribe in the Amazon. It is good when fiction books are dedicated to such a cause. I felt outrage at the lot the native inhabitants suffered at the hands of capitalists, who polluted their river by exploiting a mine upstream and making all the people of the tribe fall ill. I think that in fact fiction is a powerful tool in educating people, because we can identify better with the emotions and tribulations that the main characters have to face than when it is served as a real-life account and thus misses this emotional layer that can be so brilliantly tapped into by means of fiction but then only in the hands of someone as skilled as Kristen Stone, of course.

I liked the book because the story is built up excellently and I admire the way Kristen Stone has handled the first person narrative to describe the world through the eyes of an Indian man. There can hardly be a bigger difference between her English upbringing and this main character but she takes us through the book from within his mind in a consistent and clever way. 
The setting, both in the jungle and in the miners' village, is described in a precise and vivid way. At times I felt the book was written by a clinical observer with the sharpest of vision. Every detail of this - often quite imaginative story - is elaborated. 
I also enjoyed the descriptions of all the rituals in the tribe, really stunning research or imagination? 
Last but not least, this book is very well-written and immaculately edited, which makes it a delight to read. 
But no book is perfect and it is almost impossible to keep looking through the eyes of a "primitive" at Western society and not miss something here and there. So I would doubt the main character Kianda Mala would have called latex gloves by their proper name the first time he sees the doctor wear them or name a Jeep when being confronted with a car for the very first time. But these two things were the only ones that struck me as odd in the complete picture of perfect "innocence" with regard to western civilisation.

What made the book original for me was the type of story, fictional but almost palpably real. It keeps surprising me that Ms Stone has such an immense imagination and weaves this story so elegantly and seemingly effortlessly. The book is a great delight and a good educator. The images still stay with me after finishing reading it yesterday. Well done!

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.