Good Deeds Challenge – Year 2 Week 15

Welcome to my second Year of Good Deeds, a challenge I set myself during April 2013. I decided to do at least one Good Deed a day for a whole year, now I an into my second year.

During my week I’ll also being updating you on My Kindness Challenge which I’m also doing. I read about a new challenge to make the world a better place to live in. “Speak Kind Words, Receive Kind Echoes” see the inspiration on  The Kindness blog . During my learning process I’m donating money to charity for my slip-ups to make me work harder to achieve results. I earn no money from any of my book reviews, so having little to spare should focus my mind.

This week I’ve been doing the following;

July 27th – This morning I woke to several new inspiring moments. A new blogger joined us and while visiting the blog I found an excellent post. Women who think too much, check out this post now http://womenwhothinktoomuch.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/the-magic-bank-account/. Imagine a magic bank account which gives you £or $ 86 400 everyday  (or any currency you choose), how will you spend yours? Each night the account is cleared, no savings, no rolling over or transferring to another account, and the bank can withdraw the offer at any time they like. Go check it out and be amazed.

Also heard today how my book review challenge has been uniting more readers with authors they previously didn’t know, Brilliant! Just off to the last league cricket match of the boy’s season. Picked up litter at the match and found some money in the grass.

July 28th – We had a bit of fun on the blog today, I asked the question what book have you read multiple times and why? I’m going to feature reader’s books over the next few days. I thought it was a good way to allow the blog readers a chance to have a bit of a say about books. Here is a link to the post http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5zp

I have been helping out Diane with lots of info about using WordPress and it’s good points.

July 29th – What book have you read multiple times has proved extremely popular, I’ve been chatting to readers on Twitter about their favourite books as well as blog followers and I’m setting up a series of blogs featuring books that you’ve all been telling me about. These are bringing back memories for others too. Today Charles E Yallowitz told us about why he has read Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card multiple times.

July 30th – Picked up litter at the supermarket this morning. Have got myself a little bit too busy and yesterday I forgot to post a guest post for Madi Preda, posted it today instead followed by a big apology. Sue Vincent told us about the book she has read  Moon Magic by Dione Fortune multiple times today and I was featured over at Joanne Guidoccio’s blog in a Seconds Act feature where I talked about what I have been doing in the last two years since I began blogging. Titled “What makes me a better person” http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5BH

July 31st – Posted two more book reviews on Goodreads and Amazon and drafted up posts for later in August. Had to quickly climb in to my suit of virtual armour to face the wrath of an unhappy author for my 3* book review which I sent him. Rather a large tantrum followed with him asking me not to post my review as I believe he was frightened it would affect his glowing 5* reviews. Thank goodness that having not heard from him for a day, I posted my reviews before his e-mail popped in to my in-box. I will not bow down to behaviour like that, I was asked to read and review his book and I followed through. The review will appear on my blog on August 12th. A big thank-you to Terry Tyler for her support today.

Authors of the Romancing September tour are sending in their replies and both Stephanie and I are drafting up their posts as they come in. Today’s book on the “What book have you read multiple times?” featured Uncle Wiggily Longears by Howard R Garis and there were some great discussions which led on from the post.

August 1st – Wow! August 1st already, just where is the year going? Today’s book on our “What book have you read multiple times?” feature is “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint Exupery. Another book that has brought back some memories for readers and lots of good comments.

August 2nd – The boys cricket season has come to the end and was celebrated with an awards morning. Cricket has been played on the club green for approximately 250 years and the club do a really good job of encouraging the youngsters who will be tomorrows adult players. The team managers give all their time freely from the start of indoor training in January to organising matches from April to July. A huge effort goes into collating teams, training boys and girls and preparing pitches, so we all joined in thanking everyone involved. There were reports from all the team managers telling us how the season had gone and there were two awards per team One for The Spirit of Cricket given to a player who promotes good attitude, supports the team and tries their best. The other is for the best all round player per team. I’m really proud that we are part of such of really good supportive club.

Sent off a book review for Beneath The Surface by Mike Martin, a gentle murder mystery set in Newfoundland. My review will appear on the blog later in August. Have been drafting up more book reviews from the book review team and for the Romancing September tour.

What Book have you read multiple times? Features Moon Magic by Dion Fortune

Earlier this week I threw out the question “What book have you read multiple times and why?” http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5zp

Author Sue Vincent has chose Moon Magic by Dion Fortune

Moon Magic is a classic of occult/esoteric fiction written by Dion Fortune, a woman who lived and breathed the magical life herself. The story explores the unfolding relationship between man and woman, priest and priestess and the conditions we impose upon ourselves through the constraints of society. The story is a simple one, but although I’ve been reading it since I was a girl it grows with you, never failing to reveal greater depth in the characters or the wisdom it contains.

Find a copy of Moon Magic on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s Book Review Challenge – A review from Susan

Today I bring you a review from Susan. She blogs at http://www.gardenofedenblog.com/

Susan chose to review “The Heart of Albion” by Sue Vincent and Stuart France

Here is her review.

Extraordinary, in a word! ‘Unusual’ for another, and definitely original and thought provoking.

It begins with the fable of Jack and the Beanstalk which I was happy to revisit. I appreciated the psychological insight given by the two adventurers, Wen and Don as they discuss it. Fairy tales and fables, myths and legends contain hidden meanings and it is in this vein that their journey begins.

Wen and Don set off in the Silver Bullet (their car) with map in hand to find Albion somewhere in Devon; or so I was led to believe in the beginning. They are often in conversation making perceptive and imaginative leaps linking ancient tales with contemporary lives.

There is much play on words where e.g. the same word has two distinct meanings. ‘Cleave’ can mean as in ‘cling to’, or to ‘cleave in half’. From their discussions of words inter alia we’re led into magical tales in which the trials and tribulations of those in the tales are interwoven with their current journey. I enjoyed the many associations and amplifications on words and their deft dealing with the opposites, which are not exclusive to each other but are two sides of the same coin.

Poor Father Fish (who may pre-figure Arthur) becomes ill with longing for the maiden who appeared to him in a dream. In order to find her, he undergoes many impossible tasks. He faithfully fulfils them with friend and foe always accompanying him. Against all odds or, because of them, his mission is finally achieved. He has to search the whole of Albion for her. I was reminded of Psyche’s tasks set by Eros’ mother, also impossible tasks, but her love for Eros and her determination to be re-united with him, is the glue.

Many churches are visited, patterns are perceived dimly and the point is made that ‘… we think we see them, then maybe not – difficult, effort, which is why we avoid them’.

There are pearls interspersed throughout. I liked Don’s words: ‘if we struggle to see things that are staring us in the face in the present, how much more difficult it is to be accurate with the past and even with what we like to call our past’.

The authors paraphrase Heraclitus whose original words I believe were: ‘No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man’.

I’m glad they brought out that the word ‘silent’ contains the same letters as ‘listen’ and note that they say ‘listen in silence’ and not necessarily ‘listen to silence’.

I enjoyed travelling through Yorkshire and different parts of England, a land of such beauty and history, symbolism and legend. There are beautiful photographs interspersed throughout. The authors’ knowledge of myth and history made this an engaging and psychological tale, in spite of its sometimes steam of consciousness writing … or so it seemed to me .. with endless … as pauses.

I would give this a 4*.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Guest Author Sue Vincent

Today our guest is author Sue Vincent. I have read and reviewed a couple of Sue’s book “The Osiriad” http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-4lk and “The Initiate” co-written by Stuart France http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-37P  Sue recently offered their book The Heart of Albion for out book Review Challenge.

Let’s find out more about Sue and her books.

1) Where is your home town?

I was born in West Yorkshire, in the City of Leeds, so technically I’m a city girl though these days I live in the village of Waddesdon.

2) How long have you been writing?

My mother and grandfather were both writers, so it seemed a natural thing to do. In 2008 I won the David Burland Poetry Prize. It wasn’t until Gary Vasey asked me to collaborate on The Mystical Hexagram (Datura Press) that I began to write seriously.

Meanwhile I had met Stuart France and together we had embarked upon the adventures in the landscape that gave birth to The Initiate. I would say that the rest is history… but we haven’t finished yet and our fourth book together, Doomsday: The Ætheling Thing, is almost complete.

3) In your book The Initiate you follow myths and legends around ancient sites and old churches. What were you following?

It started with the mysterious blue light that seemed to rise like a mist, caught on camera at sites of ancient sanctity. We were led along a trail of severed heads and coincidences; through the archaeology, art and medieval architecture of England. We found ourselves delving into religious iconography, folklore and legend. Perhaps what we were really following was a growing awareness that beneath the surfaces we see every day there are strange and deep mysteries, hidden in plain sight, just waiting to be noticed and seen with the eyes of the heart.

4) The Heart of Albion continues your mystical journey; where does it lead you? Where is Albion?

What had started as a very local adventure soon seemed to encompass the whole of the country; the mysteries that were unfolding are an integral part of our history, our race and the very land itself.

Albion is the oldest name for Britain and comes from an old word for ‘white’, which means ‘sacred’ too. For us, Albion is the deeper Britain, the life of the land and its people, where stream and blood flow together like the red and white springs of Avalon.

5) In Sword of Destiny your story is set in Yorkshire. Who is the ancient keeper of light?

The Keeper of Light is Merlin. He is the son of the Forest Lord and a mortal woman and it is his task to aid the four people who are brought together to champion the Light at a time of change in the world.

The moors are rich in lore and legend; magical creatures, giants and ghouls are everywhere and each rock and river has a story to tell. As we move into a digital age we do not sit by the fire and listen to these tales from Great Granny as we once did. The land sleeps, its dreams quiescent. Sword of Destiny only brushes the surface of folk memory, but I hope it captures something of the magic that brings the land to life.

6) Tell us about the coincidence of birds who find and follow you on your travels.

It all started at Uffington with the buzzards and the skylark who seemed tuned in to our conversation and mood. You would, of course, simply smile and put it down to coincidence. The long walk along the Ridgeway to Wayland’s Smithy was attended by birds. It seemed a little odd, the way they kept leading us onward. Especially after the great snowy owl that had flown up beside us in broad daylight the previous day. But again… just one of those things. Of course, next morning there were nine of them wheeling overhead… and a combined wingspan of some sixty feet is a little hard to ignore…

7) The Giants Dance is set in Derbyshire, what was the ancient stone circle you found?

One of the most important sites for Don and Wen is the little Barbrook stone circle. It is here that Wen begins an encounter with visions of a far distant past. The circle itself is half hidden by the grasses; cysts and further circles await discovery in the heather and to walk that moor open to the past brings it to a rich and vivid life.

8) Wen and Don set off on great adventures of discovery, tell us about the visions Wen sees.

                Wen has always been close to the land and has felt the echoes of the past as shadows brushing the edge of consciousness. She has a strongly sceptical streak and would have called it imagination, until and she and Don visit Wincobank. Then it gets personal.

What she sees there imposes itself upon Wen’s senses and emotions; an overlay of an other reality that shows her the story of a young girl, a seer, who calls her to witness tragedy and heroism through her eyes before taking Wen on a shared journey through a lifetime… and beyond.

9) You’ve also written a book called The Osiriad, tell us about this book.

My fascination with Egypt started early; behind the stories were deep and timeless truths that hold good for us today. Not simply moralistic tales, but abstract concepts that are only now being echoed in the various branches of Quantum Physics and modern spirituality.

But the tales were disconnected and made little sense on their own, so I pieced them together in a linear fashion that makes them understandable and cohesive. But I also wanted to make them easy and enjoyable to read, so the book is written in the first person, and it is Isis who tells the tales from Her own perspective.

10) Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

                I write almost daily for my blog, Daily Echo and the books and new releases also feature on our website http://www.franceandvincent.com. All the books are available on Amazon, as paperback and for Kindle. I can also be found on Twitter and on Facebook and via The Silent Eye website.

Thanks Sue, Good Luck with the new book.

 

 

More books for the Book Review Challenge

Good Morning, Good Morning, come and pull up a seat once again. So how are you feeling? Glad it’s Friday? Come and take the weight off your poor weary limbs and take a relaxing deep breath. In and out, that’s it release the stress. Pull up a pew or find a comfy seat, kick off your shoes, nobody minds here, we’re all friends.

So what have you missed since you last dropped by? We’ve got some more delicious books for you, just whispering to be read…

If this is your first visit or you’ve been too busy to call we have a little book review challenge planned. It’s SO easy to play just a tiny part. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t like books, who doesn’t like a story? We’ve so many to tempt you.

What’s that I hear? It’s too much effort? Not at all. You haven’t got time? What a terrible shame. A whole month to read a book? Could you possible try? Just for me? Please? Pretty please?

I hear you sigh, what to you have to do? It’s JUST SO EASY. Skip on down the page and find a book to tickle your fancy, tweak your eyebrow, or nudge your curiosity.

LIFT your weary limbs and type a few words in the sign up form at the bottom of the page. Now relax and have a cup of tea.

Is that it, you ask? Is that all? W-e-l-l just one more tiny teeny weeny thing….when we send you the book, the one you’ll enjoy, you’ll fly through it in the month of July, I know you will, just one more teeny weeny ever so small….WRITE A REVIEW? WHAT?! I hear you gasp, not a REVIEW surely not? I can’t do that, I don’t know how, they take too long, what if I don’t like the book? Please not a review.

BUT, and my BUT is REALLY important please listen, how’s the tea? BUT when you read a book do you ever talk about it? Do you ever tell others about a good book you’ve read? I see you nod and purse you lips, is that a YES? So couldn’t you possibly, just for me, write down your thoughts on this lovely book, not much, I don’t need an essay, just a few lines. I pause, I see the cracks in your armour you’re beginning to agree, is that a smile and a twinkle in your eye? YIPPEE! I’d grab your hands and we’d dance a little jig but I don’t want you to think I’m more crazy than I am, QUICK, QUICK, QUICK pick a book now. And don’t worry next week we’re doing all sorts of posts about writing that teeny weeny book review that will mean SO MUCH to the authors and me. THANK YOU. Now GO, GO, GO CHOOSE A BOOK.

From July 1st 3 e-copies of the following books will be available FREE for you to choose to read. All we ask is for you to read just 1 and write a review which will then be posted here and other sites where possible. Starting next week on Wednesday 25th June we’ll be posting a series on book reviews to help and advise you.

We’re beginning the book review challenge on Wednesday 25th June with posts from guest book reviewers and authors. There will be book reviewing tips and advice each day in the build up to reading and writing a review.

When books are requested I will confirm by e-mail. Please check your SPAM folder if you think you haven’t heard from me. Similarly when books get sent out by authors they may go into SPAM please do check. I always try to reply within a reasonable time but super efficient spam folders do foil me sometimes.

First come first served.

  Do you fancy an adventure in the forests of Windemere with young warrior Luke Callindor sent to protect the heir of Duke Soloman? REQUEST A COPY OF BEGINNING OF A HERO BY CHARLES E. YALLOWITZ (Fantasy) (2 copies left)

  How about a modern twist on Tudor history? Relive the life of Henry VIII through the eyes of Harry Lanchester and his merry wives. REQUEST A COPY OF KINGS AND QUEENS BY TERRY TYLER (Contemporary) (1 copy left)

  Are you in a romantic mood? How about a romantic Highland fling? REQUEST A COPY OF TALL, DARK AND KILTED BY LIZZIE LAMB (Romance) (2 copies left)

  Or how about a romantic romp with journalists in Norfolk with wedding bells in the air? REQUEST A COPY OF BOOT CAMP BRIDE BY LIZZIE LAMB(Romance) (2 copies left)

  Want to escape your superpowers? Null City is they place to be in this New Adult paranormal fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF ONE WAY FARE BY BARB AND HANNAH TAUB(Paranormal NA Fantasy) (2 Copies left)

  Perhaps you’ve read One Way Fare? Here’s a chance to read the second book in the series. REQUEST A COPY OF DON’T TOUCH BY BARB TAUB(Paranornal NA Fantasy)

  How about a bit of gruesome history? England 1647, civil war and Matthew Hopkins sweeps through the land as the Witchfinder. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BLACK HOURS BY ALISON WILLIAMS (Historical)

  Could you see yourself at a tournament of Gamesmen as they play a game of Comet? There’s a mystery man and a potion maker in this fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BIRR ELIXIR BY JO SPARKES (YA Fantasy)

  Love a thriller? Travel with John Cannon as his relaxing leave of absence turns into a nightmare when his boat is attacked by terrorists. REQUEST A COPY OF MY GRL BY JOHN W. HOWELL(Thriller) (1 copy left)

  Can we tempt you with a spiritual quest? Albion, is the oldest name for Britain. Wen and Don take you on a mystical journey through Myths and Legends of these blessed Isles. REQUEST A COPY OF THE HEART OF ALBION BY SUE VINCENT & STUART FRANCE ( A spiritual quest around England) (1 copy left)

  Crime? The first book in the Georgie Connelly crime series. Join feisty documentary film-maker Georgie as she dangerously plans to expose Gentleman’s Clubs. REQUEST A COPY OF BUSINESS AS USUAL BY E.L.LINDLEY(Crime) (2 copies left)

NON-FICTION here’s the chance to get some help promoting your work. REQUEST A COPY OF HOW TO PROMOTE AND MARKET YOUR BOOK BY MADI PREDA (Non-Fiction) (2 copies Left)

  There’s more romance on it’s way.  Marianne Coltrane’s writes an award winning scoop about the sale of babies. Destiny will take her to an island off the wild west coast of Ireland. Love a mix of Ireland and romance? REQUEST A COPY OF THE HOLLOW HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN(Romance) (2 copies left)

  If you’ve read The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan, here’s your chance to loose yourself in more Irish themed romance with the second book in the series. REQUEST A COPY OF A CHANGE OF HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN (Romance) (2 copies left)

  How about a murder mystery set in a coastal resort in Maine? REQUEST A COPY OF DEATH IN A RED CANVAS CHAIR BY N.A GRANGER (Murder Mystery) (2 copies left)

 Step back in time to Georgia and the deep south for this book, real people struggling to survive with segregation and inequality. This is a fictionalised real story. REQUEST A COPY OF RED CLAY AND ROSES BY S.K. NICHOLLS

 TJ Therien has his fantasy book for FREE on Smashwords and Barnes and Noble (Nook), so no limit on the number of copies but he’d still like reviews. (Fantasy) Only

 British Adult comedy comes in the form of the Derek series, we have the first book available as a kindle download for UK reader/ challengers only. REQUEST A COPY OF PLEASE CALL ME DEREK BY MAC BLACK (British Adult Humour)

 1867, the American Wild West. British raised girl Annie meets wild man Colt McCall after a stagecoach crash. Fantastic cowboy romance. (UK readers + we’re working on a plan for the rest of the world.) REQUEST A COPY OF AN ENGLISHWOMAN’S GUIDE TO THE COWBOY BY JUNE KEARNS (Historical romance) (1 copy left)

 1924, the English Shires. Jazzing flappers and a half share in a million acre ranch in Texas. (UK readers + we’re working on a plan for the rest of the world.) REQUEST A COPY OF THE 20’S GIRL, THE GHOST AND ALL THAT JAZZ BY JUNE KEARNS (Historical Romance) (2 copies left)

 16 year old Jade discovers her Grandmother was murdered. She sets out to find the mystery commune killer. REQUEST A COPY OF JADED BY KRISTY FELTENBERGER-GILLESPI.(YA Thriller) (2 copies left)

Your favourite Book Corner

Come in, Come in, there’s plenty of room for everyone. Find a seat, we’ve all sorts, a cosy chair by the fire, a squishy sofa under the window, a chair to soothe a bad back, huge beans bags to slide into, cushions on the floor, there’s toys in a basket for little ones to enjoy and the kettle’s on for a pot of tea. Help yourself to a cake, I baked them this morning, come in come in.

Let me spin you a yarn and let your imagination fly, can you see the shelves stacked with all sorts of books, all calling to you softly to be read. Old favourites, classics, serials, and short stories, poetry, and plays. Can you imagine their covers? Can you see the colours? Can you hear the words whispering to you?

Look all around, the coffee table is spilling with new titles fresh of the presses, paperbacks, hardbacks, book sleeves to touch and hold.

Twinkling at you from the corner, sparkling in the sunlight, Kindles, e-readers, tablets and more all hum and weaving a spell of enchantment drawing you near.

Take your pick, browse, peak inside, read a page or two….

Leave the world outside,  take a deep refreshing breath, take the weight off your feet and put your life on hold.  Join us to read and then write a book review.

REQUEST A BOOK TODAY AND GET YOUR NAME ON THE LIST – BOOKS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM THE START OF JULY FROM AUTHORS

ANYONE CAN REQUEST A BOOK, ALL WE ASK IS A REVIEW IN RETURN

Books are rolling in for this book review challenge. It’s open to anyone and everyone, not just readers. Are you an author? What can you give back to others who read your books? Ever heard of “What you give out you get back ten-fold?” Take action today.

From July 1st 3 e-copies of the following books will be available FREE for you to choose to read. All we ask is for you to read just 1 and write a review which will then be posted here and other sites where possible. Starting next week on Wednesday 25th June we’ll be posting a series on book reviews to help and advise you.

Why not choose your book today? First come first served.

So where can we take you?

1) Do you fancy an adventure in the forests of Windemere with young warrior Luke Callindor sent to protect the heir of Duke Soloman? REQUEST A COPY OF BEGINNING OF A HERO BY CHARLES E. YALLOWITZ

2) How about a modern twist on Tudor history? Relive the life of Henry VIII through the eyes of Harry Lanchester and his merry wives. REQUEST A COPY OF KINGS AND QUEENS BY TERRY TYLER

3) Are you in a romantic mood? How about a romantic Highland fling? REQUEST A COPY OF TALL, DARK AND KILTED BY LIZZIE LAMB

4) Or how about a romantic romp with journalists in Norfolk with wedding bells in the air? REQUEST A COPY OF BOOT CAMP BRIDE BY LIZZIE LAMB

5) Want to escape your superpowers? Null City is they place to be in this New Adult paranormal fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF ONE WAY FARE BY BARB TAUB

6) Perhaps you’ve read One Way Fare? Here’s a chance to read the second book in the series. REQUEST A COPY OF DON’T TOUCH BY BARB TAUB

7) How about a bit of gruesome history? England 1647, civil war and Matthew Hopkins sweeps through the land as the Witchfinder. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BLACK HOURS BY ALISON WILLIAMS

8)  Could you see yourself at a tournament of Gamesmen as they play a game of Comet? There’s a mystery man and a potion maker in this fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BIRR ELIXIR BY JO SPARKES

9) Love a thriller? Travel with John Cannon as his relaxing leave of absence turns into a nightmare when his boat is attacked by terrorists. REQUEST A COPY OF MY GRL BY JOHN W. HOWELL

10) Can we tempt you with a spiritual quest? Albion, is the oldest name for Britain. Wen and Don take you on a mystical journey through Myths and Legends of these blessed Isles. REQUEST A COPY OF THE HEART OF ALBION BY SUE VINCENT & STUART FRANCE

11) Crime? The first book in the Georgie Connelly crime series. Join feisty documentary film-maker Georgie as she dangerously plans to expose Gentleman’s Clubs. REQUEST A COPY OF BUSINESS AS USUAL BY E.L.LINDLEY

12) NON-FICTION here’s the chance to get some help promoting your work. REQUEST A COPY OF HOW TO PROMOTE AND MARKET YOUR BOOK BY MADI PREDA

13) There’s more romance on it’s way.  Marianne Coltrane’s writes an award winning scoop about the sale of babies. Destiny will take her to an island off the wild west coast of Ireland. Love a mix of Ireland and romance? REQUEST A COPY OF THE HOLLOW HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN

14) If you’ve read The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan, here’s your chance to loose yourself in more Irish themed romance with the second book in the series. REQUEST A COPY OF A CHANGE OF HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN

15) How about a murder mystery set in a coastal resort in Maine? REQUEST A COPY OF DEATH IN A RED CANVAS CHAIR BY N.A GRANGER

16) Step back in time to Georgia and the deep south for this book, real people struggling to survive with segregation and inequality. This is a fictionalised real story. REQUEST A COPY OF RED CLAY AND ROSES BY S.K. NICHOLLS

17) TJ Therien has his fantasy book for FREE on Smashwords and Barnes and Noble, so no limit on the number of copies but he’d still like reviews.

18) British Adult comedy comes in the form of the Derek series, we have the first book available as a kindle download for UK reader/ challengers only. REQUEST A COPY OF PLEASE CALL ME DEREK BY MAC BLACK

19) 1867, the American Wild West. British raised girl Annie meets wild man Colt McCall after a stagecoach crash. Fantastic cowboy romance. UK readers + we’re working on a plan for the rest of the world. REQUEST A COPY OF AN ENGLISHWOMAN’S GUIDE TO THE COWBOY BY JUNE KEARNS

20) 1924, the English Shires. Jazzing flappers and a half share in a million acre ranch in Texas. Historical romance. Uk readers + we’re working on a plan for the rest of the world. REQUEST A COPY OF THE 20’S GIRL, THE GHOST AND ALL THAT JAZZ BY JUNE KEARNS

21) Next we have a Young adult thriller set in and around a  commune. REQUEST A COPY OF JADED BY KRISTY FELTENBERGER-GILLESPI

I’m also waiting confirmation of several more books, so I’ll keep you all posted.

Book Review Challenge Series

Book review Challenge Series

How often do you write and post a review of a book you’ve read? Ever wondered if your review would be of any use to anyone? Don’t know how to write a review?

Readers

I have a book review challenge series planned over the next few weeks. We will be hearing from several book reviewers on how they go about writing a review and from authors about the importance of reviews.

Coming up on Wednesday 25th June – Book reviewing by Rosie Amber + easy to follow tips for writing your own review.

Thursday 26th June – Book reviewing by Bodicia from A Woman’s Wisdom + How to download a PDF file of a book to your kindle.

Friday 27th June – The Importance of book reviews by author Terry Tyler + a look at Goodreads + A bad or negative review, should you write it?

Saturday 28th June – Book Reviewing by Diane Coto from Fictionzeal + Shelfari + Going in deep, talking reviews

Sunday 29th June – Book reviewing by Ionia Martin from Readfulthings + Reviewing to Amazon + Gearing up to write that review

Monday 30th June – The Importance of book reviews by Lizzie Lamb + Authors should walk to the book reviewers side of the fence

Readers and Writers

Then at the end we will have a small selection of books for challengers to try their hand at writing an informative and interesting review on offer. Anyone can join in authors, readers, writers or someone who just loves books.

Writers

I’m looking to have up to 3 e-copies of several books for challengers to choose just 1 to read and review at the end of the series. I’m looking for romance, fantasy YA, thriller or contemporary books. Contact me via e-mail or the contact form at the top of the blog if you have a book you would like considered.

I already have authors who have offered their books. I will add more books as authors get back to me. You’ll be able to choose  from the following books to read and review;

I Have 3 e-copies of Beginning of a Hero by Charles E Yallowitz (Fantasy)

Luke Callindor was born into Windemere’s most decorated family of adventurers. Since his birth, he has been treated with the greatest amount of respect and awe. Now, with a lifetime of training and the reckless cockiness of youth, Luke has set out to prove that he deserves the admiration that comes from being a Callindor.

Luke gets his chance when he convinces a royal messenger to hire him to protect the heir of Duke Solomon. This future leader is secretly attending Hamilton Military Academy, an esteemed school run by the former mercenary, Selenia Hamilton. It is a dangerous secret mission requiring that Luke pretend to be an average student while keeping an eye out for any sign of danger. Unfortunately, Luke has no idea which student the heir is and a demonic assassin is already several steps ahead of him. Finding himself in over his head and constantly in trouble, the young warrior realizes that the only things he has on his side are some new friends and his unwavering courage.

Can Luke find and protect the heir while keeping his own head attached to his neck? And, can he avoid being suspended long enough to see his mission through to the end?

We also have 3 e-copies of Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler. (contemporary)

KINGS AND QUEENS” tells of the life and loves of charismatic Harry Lanchester, which just happen to mirror the story of Henry VIII and his six wives. All the passion and suspense of the Tudor court, but set in modern times.

Harry’s realm is his South of England property developing company, Lanchester Estates, while his ‘wives’ are the twentieth century sisters of their historic counterparts: Anne Boleyn is reincarnated as the equally intriguing Annette Hever, and Henry VIII’s fifth wife with the risqué past, Catherine Howard, lives again in 1999 as Keira Howard, a former lap dancer.

The saga is narrated by each of the six women, in turn, interspersed with short chapters from the point of view of Harry’s lifelong friend, Will Brandon.

Lizzie Lamb will have e-copies of her romance books on offer, either Tall Dark and Kilted or Boot Camp Bride.

Notting Hill Meets Monarch of the Glen . . . Fliss Bagshawe longs for a passport out of Pimlico where she works as a holistic therapist. After attending a party in Notting Hill she loses her job and with it her dream of one day being her own boss. When she’s offered the chance to take over a failing therapy centre, she grabs it with both hands. But there’s a catch – the centre lies five hundred miles away – in Wester Ross, Scotland. Fliss’s romantic view of the highlands populated by hunky Men in Kilts is soon shattered when she has an up close and very personal encounter with the Laird of Kinloch Mara, Ruairi Urquhart. He’s determined to pull the plug on the business, bring his eccentric family to heel and eject undesirables from his estate – starting with Fliss. Faced with the dole queue once more, Fliss resolves to make sexy, infuriating Ruairi revise his unflattering opinion of her, turn the therapy centre around and sort out the dysfunctional Urquhart family. Will Fliss tame the Monarch of the Glen and find the happiness she deserves? Read Tall, Dark and Kilted to find out…

Boot Camp Bride – Lizzie Lamb

Charlee Montague is an up-for-anything rookie reporter desperate for her big break. She dreams of something, anything, which will take her away from the daily grind at celebrity-driven magazine What’cha! When she is sent undercover to a boot camp for brides on the windswept Norfolk marshes, it seems as if all her Christmases have come at once. Posing as a blushing bride-to-be, Charlee has to get the skinny on supermodel Anastasia Markova and her oligarch Russian boyfriend. However, every rookie needs a more experienced partner as backup and Charlee is no exception. At her side (posing as her fiancé), is award winning photographer Rafael Ffinch. World-weary Rafa has recently survived a kidnap attempt in Colombia and is no mood to cut inexperienced Charlee any slack. Furthermore, he makes it plain at the outset of their assignment that there is no room for love in his complicated life. Once the investigation is over, their partnership and fake engagement will be terminated.

Barb Taub has offered readers a choice from her mature YA books; One Way Fare and Don’t Touch.

Superpowers suck. If you just want to live a normal life, Null City is only a Metro ride away. After one day there, imps become baristas, and hellhounds become poodles. Demons settle down, become parents, join the PTA, and worry about their taxes.
Null City is the only sanctuary for Gaby Parker and Leila Rice, two young women confronting cataclysmic forces waging an unseen war between Heaven and Hell. Gaby and her younger brother and sister are already targets in the war that cost their parents’ lives. Should they forsake the powers that complete their souls and flee to Null City? Meanwhile, Leila has inherited a French chateau, a mysterious legacy, and a prophecy that she will end the world. Gaby and Leila become catalysts for the founding and survival of Null City.
It just would have been nice if someone told them the angels were all on the other side.

Book 2 in the series;

Hope flares each morning in the tiny flash of a second before Lette touches that first thing. And destroys it. Her online journal spans a decade, beginning with the day a thirteen-year-old inherits an extreme form of the family “gift.” Every day whatever she touches converts into something new: bunnies, bubbles, bombs, and everything in between.
Lette’s search for a cure leads her to Stefan, whose fairy-tale looks hide a monstrous legacy, and to Rag, an arrogant, crabby ex-angel with boundary issues. The three face an army led by a monster who feeds on children’s fear. But it’s their own inner demons they must defeat first.

Alison Williams has 3 e-copies of her book The Black Hours.

‘Look upon this wretch, all of you! Look upon her and thank God for his love and his mercy. Thank God that he has sent me to rid the world of such filth as this.’ 1647 and England is in the grip of civil war. In the ensuing chaos, fear and suspicion are rife and anyone on the fringes of society can find themselves under suspicion. Matthew Hopkins, self -styled Witchfinder General, scours the countryside, seeking out those he believes to be in league with the Devil. In the small village of Coggeshall, 17–year-old Alice Pendle finds herself at the centre of gossip and speculation. Will she survive when the Witchfinder himself is summoned? A tale of persecution, superstition, religious fundamentalism, hate and love, ‘The Black Hours’ mixes fact with fiction in a gripping fast-paced drama that follows the story of Alice as she is thrown into a world of fear and confusion, and of Matthew, a man driven by his beliefs to commit dreadful acts in the name of religion.

Jo Sparkes has offered us copies of her YA fantasy The Birr Elixir.

When a young apprentice makes a mysterious elixir from a recipe in an old book, she’s suddenly the talisman for a daring Gamesman – and the weapon in the conspiracy against a prince.

John W Howell is offering us e-copies of his thriller My GRL

My GRL is the story of John J. Cannon, successful San Francisco lawyer, who takes a well-deserved leave of absence from his firm. He travels to a small Texas fishing town and buys a boat, unaware that his new purchase, renamed My GRL, had already been targeted by a terrorist group. John’s first inkling of a problem is when he wakes up in the hospital. He learns he was found unconscious next to the dead body of the attractive young woman who sold him the boat in the first place. John now stands between the terrorists and the success of their mission.

Sue Vincent & Stuart France are offering us copies of The Heart of Albion

What does Jack and the Beanstalk have to do with a spiritual quest? What, for that matter, is the nature of the relationship between Salome and the Jester? Why is Wen conversing with a llama in the Yorkshire Dales? And what links the beautiful and sacred landscape that is the Heart of Albion with Breakfast in Slug Town? These, and many other questions, must be considered as Don and Wen continue the journey begun in The Initiate exploring the shadowy roots of the ancient myths and legends of these Blessed Isles, steering a perilous path through the murky waters of religious symbolism and iconography. Join them on their continuing quest for knowledge and understanding as they explore the landscape of England and people it with strange creatures and even stranger theories, using sacred intent and guided imagination to penetrate into the mysteries unfolding before them. Illustrated in full colour throughout.

E.L. Lindley is offering you the first in her Georgie Connelly crime series, Business As Usual.

Documentary film maker, Georgie Connelly, wonders if her life can get any worse when, after a misunderstanding, she is arrested and forced to do community service. The answer comes back as a resounding yes when she is stalked by a vengeful white supremacist whose hate crimes she exposed in a previous documentary, whilst becoming embroiled in the seedy world of Maxim Petrov, a Russian gangster and the subject of her current project.

Adrienne Vaughan is offering two romance books with Irish themes; The Hollow Heart and A Change of Heart.

Marianne Coltrane is a feisty, award-winning journalist who is far from lucky in love. Taking herself off to the wilds of the west of Ireland to recuperate, she literally runs into Ryan O’Gorman, the most conceited, infuriating man in the world.

Escaping to a remote Irish isle, journalist Marianne Coltrane had not bargained for a tumultuous affair with movie star Ryan O’Gorman. When Ryan leaves to pursue his career, Marianne remains to care for those who need her most, but Ryan soon realises he cannot live without her and returns to woo her back. Tricky enough without his problematic ex-wife or the contract he cannot break, but when a good deed puts all they treasure in jeopardy, it’s time to take stock and fight for what matters most …or is time running out for this charismatic couple and everything they hold most dear?

Madi Preda is offering 3 copies of this Non-fiction book. How to Promote and Market Your Book.

If you are looking to take advantage of social media this book is a good overview, with many tips and creative ideas. How to make the most of social media marketing, where to start? Detailed, accessible and practical advice on what to do and how to do it. Planning and research are often forgotten in the rush of get a book published and drawing up a marketing plan and carefully planned campaign are the only way to ensure the success of your book and to meet the readers’ requirements. See the benefits in minutes.

Noelle Granger is offering 3 copies of her mystery. Death in a Red Canvas Chair.

On a warm fall afternoon, the sweet odour of decay distracts Rhe Brewster from the noise and fury of her son’s soccer game. She’s a tall, attractive emergency room nurse with a type A personality, a nose for investigation and a yen for adrenalin. This time her nose leads her to the wet, decaying body of a young woman, sitting in a chair at the far end of the soccer field. Her first call is to her brother-in-law, Sam Brewster, who is Sheriff of Pequod, the coastal Maine town where she lives. Sam and Rhe’s best friend Paulette, Pequod’s answer to Rachel Ray, are her biggest sources of encouragement when Rhe decides to help the police find the killer.

Rhe is thwarted in her investigation by an old frenemy, the Dean of Students at the local college, and her husband, a professor at the college, who resents her involvement in anything other than being a wife and mother. While looking for a name and information about the young woman, Rhe discovers an escort service using college students, which leads her to a high class brothel at a local seaside estate and a company dealing in stolen body parts. She can dodge bullets, but is no match for the kidnappers who leave her to die in a mortuary freezer.

Susan Nicholls is offering copies of her fictionalised real life story. Red Clay and Roses.

Outside the realm of genre fiction, Red Clay and Roses is literature in the form of a “faction” novel; a fictionalized true story of life in the Deep South during the time of Jim Crow Law, and before Roe vs. Wade. Women were supposed to keep quiet and serve, abortion was illegal, adoption difficult, and racism rampant. The discovery of an old ledger opens a window into the dynamics of the 1950s-60s, when the world was beginning to change.

A different option from TJ Therien for his book Scrolls of Scion. This book is FREE to download only on Smashwords or Barnes and Noble so has no limit to the number of copies available, but he’s still appreciate reviews.

For five thousand years after the Great War, the world of Brynmor knew peace. The Orc had been driven from the land and the uprising of the Dark Elf ended in the near extinction of their Race. What survived of the Drow fled the crypt city of Sion and for five thousand years they dwelled in secret and shadow restoring their numbers deep in the Iron Hills. Not since Lolth had there been a Drow more ambitious than Rianon, High Priestess of the Cult of the Spider and Queen of the Dark Elf. Follow Rianon as she plots and schemes to reclaim Sion, the fallen city of the Dark Elf and the lost scrolls of Lolth that contain the ancient and forgotten dark spells of the God-Queen.

Mac Black is offering 3 copies of his first book in the humorous Derek series Please Call me Derek (Uk readers only Kindle download)

Derek travels from child to confused adult, from reporter for the local paper to any job available, doing everything he thinks he should, but doing it his way. Pursuing life and employment leads Derek to fling himself into the sort of sticky situations he won’t want to have to explain to his friends or his family. With determination, gritting his teeth, doing everything for the best, how could anything go wrong.

June Kearns is offering readers copies of her two books. An Englishwoman’s Guide to the cowboy and The 20’s Girl, the Ghost and All that Jazz. Available for UK readers and we’re working on a plan for the rest of the world.

The American West, after the Civil War -a wild and restless place. Into this background, wanders a party of Englishwomen. Well-bred, bookish spinster, Annie Haddon – (product of mustn’t take off your hat, mustn’t take off your gloves, mustn’t get hot or perspire Victorian society)- together with an aunt the last word in snobbery, and a spoiled and brittle cousin.
After a stagecoach wreck, Annie is thrown into the company of Colt McCall – a man who lives by his own rules and hates the English. Can two people, moulded by their backgrounds and pasts, overcome that conditioning? Annie and McCall find out on their journey across the haunting, mystical landscape of the West.

1924. The English Shires, after the Great War. When her jazzing flapper of an aunt dies, Gerardina Mary Chiledexter inherits some silver-topped scent bottles, a wardrobe of love-affair clothes, and astonishingly, a half-share in a million-acre ranch in south-west Texas. Haunted by a psychic cat and the ghost voice of that aunt Leonie, Gerry feels driven to travel thousands of miles to see the ranch for herself. Against a background of big sky, cattle barons and oil wells, she is soon engaged in a game of power, pride and ultimately, love, with the Texan who owns the other half.

Kristy Feltenberger-Gillespi has offered us 3 copies of her YA thriller Jaded

After sixteen-year-old Jade discovers her late grandmother was poisoned, she’s devastated yet determined to find the killer commune member and their motive. With help from her mysterious friend Tyrian, and Peaches, the commune leader’s sweet daughter; Jade unearths dark secrets that involve her mother’s affair, her maternal grandparent’s abandonment, and a plethora of murders. To make matters worse, someone is hell bent on ending Jade’s mission for the truth.

The Review

Each challenger’s appropriate review will appear here on this blog and other platforms where possible. You’ll have the month of July to read and review your book of choice from ones on offer here or a book you’ve chosen yourself. You may have a book sat at home that you’ve been meaning to read for ages but just haven’t got around to it. Books will be sent to readers from the authors at the beginning of July. No more than 3 books from each author is available and books can be requested at any time between June 17th and June 30th. Bookings will have to be on a first come first served basis, by requesting a book you agree to guarantee to read and write a review by the end of July 2014. 

Your Feedback

Let me know if you’re interested in taking part either as an author or reader.

The Osiriad by Sue Vincent

The Osiriad: Isis and Osiris, the Divine Lovers by Sue Vincent

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a delightful book which looks at the role of stories throughout history and their purpose in explaining day and night, the seasons and life and death. By looking at the Egyptian Gods, Sue retells the birth of the Egyptian world through the eyes of the God Isis. The Egyptians are known across the world and the stories of their Gods are echoed in many other religions. In fact Sue adds her own thoughts at the end of this book about the importance of stories and their use in explaining life through pictures and images. She draws together beliefs that we still learn from stories if we can engage with the writing and share the messages. In fact a story can be a many layered article depending on the reader. I really enjoyed my own lessons from the book, it was a delight to read about the Gods in a short easy to read style and then to think about the messages that the Egyptians were giving their people and handing down to future generations to come.
Find a copy of this book here on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Good Deeds Week 29th December – 4th January 2014

Welcome to New Year week of my Good Deeds weekly challenge. My own challenge to do one Good Deed a day based on the book by Judith O’Reilly called “A Year of Doing Good”

Find your own copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Whoop, Whoop! This week we step across to 2014, what a wonderful year this is going to be. My year long challenge doesn’t stop here because I began on 16th April, the day I began reading Judith’s book. Judith will be our guest today  (Sunday 5th January) in a second post, I’m so excited that she agreed to give up a piece of her valuable time to talk to us on the blog.

So what have I been up to this week?

December 29th – Cooked a lovely roast dinner for my parents as we didn’t see them on Christmas Day. The January issue of Fleet Life was delivered this morning, so I was able to write a second post today and let authors know about their books. This months books were “No Strings Attached” by Lily Bishop, “The Initiate” by Sue Vincent and Stuart France, “Ghost in the Machine” by Ed James, “Passion United” by Phillip Miles and “Summer’s Passing” by Randy Mixter. You can check out my post here http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-4mz or go to the online version at www.fleetlife.org.uk, click on the online directory and find Rosie’s Good Reads on page 48.

Good Deeds received; Mum really appreciated not cooking or doing the washing up and it was lovely to spend some relaxing time with them.

December 30th – We have a friend of my son over today, the boys have some school work to complete together and I’m providing lunch. Launched my Rosie’s Good Read Collections – Historical books today. Good Deeds received; Had some lovely comments and support for my post today, thanks folks it makes it all worthwhile. Here is a link to the post http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-39v

December 31st – At work today I spent extra time doing a job today which makes out lives easier and one that I could have left, but didn’t. Came home and visited lots of my wonderful friends on WordPress. It’s so busy that my like buttons haven’t been loading on people’s sites, so I shall endeavour to go back later to support you all. My yearly WordPress stats were a delight to read and I’ve sent off some personal thanks to followers and contributors to my site who have helped make my year such a success. Special mention to Stephanie Hurt , Harula at Words That Serve and Marin Thomas plus all my guest and fellow authors and writers who have given their precious time and words to my blog.

Good deeds received; The postman delivered a copy of “Please Call Me Derek” by Mac Black which I can’t wait to start reading, and author Julia Hughes offered me a copy of her recently published book “The Griffin’s Boy.” These should start my next year of reading off to a flying start. In 2013 I read 154 books in my Goodreads challenge.

January 1st – HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all, and it’s off to a flying start. 3 people contacted me today asking for book reviews. I have finished reading my first book of 2014 and have just sent the review off to the author before I post on Goodreads and Amazon. I have set my Goodreads book challenge at 120 books at the moment, if I’m near to smashing it before the end of the year then I’ll increase the target. Good Deeds received: Have had lots of lovely comments and support from fellow bloggers and readers of my New Year post. If you missed it here is the link. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-4mZ

January 2nd – Started off with a Good Deed Received; Author Julia Hughes who recently sent me her latest book to read, this morning sent me another book on behalf of  Sean and Daniel Campbell. The best bit was that she reminded me about a great website for authors and writers called Words Unlimited where they have book promotions and author posts, they get about 600 views per day so why not check them out, please mention my name if you do decide to make contact with them, thanks.

Good Deeds; Have finished my second book already this year and posted my review on Goodreads and Amazon. A Haunting tale from Randy Mixter called “A Girl of the Paper Sky”

January 3rd – Strong winds and driving rain have been bending our neighbour’s tree over the fence until it hits our roof, so today we helped out our neighbour who has been too ill to tackle the tree. With her permission we cut back the tree finding a split in its lower trunk which could have meant it toppled over in the next windy storm. It was sad to cut the tree, but it was becoming too big for it’s small patch and a danger to our house. Good Deeds received;  My brother-in-law took the tree away at no cost to anyone.

January 4th – I have finished my third book of the year and written a review for author Mac Black of his book “Please Call me Derek”. This will appear on the blog later in January and Mac has agreed to be a guest author as well. We’re working on the interview at the moment. That’s all for this week, don’t forget to check out Judith’s guest post.

Rosie’s Good Read Collections; Historical Adventures

Welcome to “Rosie’s Good read Collections”, I’ve put together the books I’ve read into subject headings that I think the books belong to, for you to browse.

In the middle years of the ninth-century, the fierce Danes stormed onto British soil, hungry for spoils and conquest. Kingdom after kingdom fell to the ruthless invaders until but one realm remained. And suddenly the fate of all England—and the course of history—depended upon one man, one king. From New York Times bestselling storyteller Bernard Cornwell comes a rousing epic adventure of courage, treachery, duty, devotion, majesty, love, and battle as seen through the eyes of a young warrior who straddled two worlds. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2An

Imagine wandering through an ancient landscape wrought in earth and stone, exploring the sacred sites of peoples long ago and far away in time and history. The mounds and barrows whisper legends of heroes and magic, and painted walls sing of saints and miracles. Now imagine that the lens of the camera captures a magical light in soft blues and misty greens and gold. A light that seems to have no cause in physical reality. What would you do? If you were open to the possibility of deeper realities, perhaps you would wish to explore this strange phenomenon…something two people came to know as sacred chromatography. The Initiate is the story of just such a journey beyond the realms of our accustomed normality. It is a factual tale told in a fictional manner. In just such a way did the Bards of old hide in the legends and deeds of heroes those deeper truths for those who had eyes to see and ears to hear. As the veils thin and waver, time shifts and the present is peopled with the shadowy figures of the past, weaving their tales through a quest for understanding and opening wide the doors of perception for those who seek to see beyond the surface of reality. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-37P

When Anne and Neil leave on a one-week holiday hoping to reconcile after a two-year separation, little do they know that destiny has other plans for them. Their discovery of human bones and a bejewelled cross in the hollow of a tree open the door to the supernatural realm and the anguished life of Genevieve, a nun from medieval England. Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve her eternal rest? The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-1tb

Next two books by author Kathy Steinemann.

ALTERNATIVE HISTORY:
LISETVILLE, 1890 — Murders are committed; homes are burned; family secrets are buried; an unexpected romance complicates lives. Amid the mystery and violence, a vigilante brigade emerges to administer justice. Flowing through the intrigue and drama is a dark undercurrent that will touch your heart as you empathize with the victims. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-eQ

ALTERNATIVE HISTORY: Vanguard or villain? Who is the real Owen Vargas? SARGENT, 1898 — The Doctor has a secret, a secret he never revealed to his departed wife, a secret he kept from his childhood friend. Is he afraid that the Brigade will find out? Does he fear Retribution? Or does he have another reason for his mysterious behaviour? Discover the truth about the Doctor and the vigilante group known as the “Sapphire Brigade”. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-1O3

A PUNCTUAL PAYMASTER travels 70 years through the secrets of the white Thanos family and the black Taylor family, twisted like strands of yarn woven together on a loom. The wealthy, powerful Nikkos Thanos owns a woolen mill and almost everything else on the north side of Delphi, Missouri, and is the overseer of a fractured society. The brave, judicious Thaddeus “Cousin” Taylor owns a grocery store and a tavern on the south side and carries a past hauntingly shrouded in tragedy. Each man tries to shepherd his part of town through the turmoil of racism, the depression, and war. With the passage of time those roles are filled by Evangelina, Nikkos’ beautiful and strong-willed daughter, and T.J., the grandson who worshipped Cousin. Forty-five years after high school, two friends, Ab and Grady, return for the funeral of their mentor, T.J., and walk into the middle of a mystery. They unweave the black and white threads that are the town’s concealed, troubled past, revealing a tapestry of life and death, revenge and triumph. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2vY

In a story of breathtaking scope, Colleen McCullough returns to the magnificent setting of her international bestseller The Thorn Birds. Following the disappearance of his only son and the death of his beloved wife, Richard Morgan is falsely imprisoned and exiled to the penal colonies of eighteenth-century Australia. His life is shattered but Morgan refuses to surrender, overcoming all obstacles to find unexpected contentment and happiness in the harsh early days of Australia’s settlement.
From England’s shores to Botany Bay and the rugged frontier of a hostile new world, Morgan’s Run is the epic tale of love lost and found, and the man whose strength and character helped settle a country and define its future. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5z

Yorkshire, 1904. On Netherwood Common, Russian émigré Anna Rabinovich shows her dear friend Eve Williams a house: a Victorian villa, solidly built from local stone. This is Ravenscliffe, and it’s the house Anna wants them to live in. It’s their house, she says. It was meant to be. As Anna transforms Ravenscliffe, an attraction grows between her and union man Amos. But when Eve’s long-lost brother Silas turns up in the closely-knit mining community of Netherwood, cracks begin to appear in even the strongest friendships. Meanwhile, at Netherwood Hall, cherished traditions are being undermined by the whims of the feckless heir to the title, Tobias Hoyland, and his American bride Thea Stirling. Below stairs, the loyal servants strive to preserve the noble family’s dignity and reputation. But both inside the great house and in the world beyond, values and loyalties are rapidly changing. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2bh

Lillian’s life spans the 20th century.Born in Suffolk in 1900, in service at the age of 12, her life is greatly changed by her experiences in two world wars. The Great Depression, the austerity years,President Kennedy’s assassination, Neil Armstrong’s moon walk and the death of Princess Diana are among the many events of this turbulent century that are told through their effect on her long life. Author Sally Patricia Gardner, writing with great affection for an
endearing character, traces Lillian’s Story as national and international events intersect with her own personal milestones. By the end of this compelling story, Lillian is living a more affluent lifestyle. At the heart of it, though, she has been changed by the eventful century into which she was born, and to which she undeniably belongs. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-8b

China, 1929. For years Lydia Ivanova believed her father was killed by the Bolsheviks. But when she learns he is captive in Stalin-controlled Russia, the fiery-haired girl is willing to leave everything behind – even her Chinese lover, Chang An Lo. Journeying with her half-brother Alexei, Lydia begins a dangerous search. Tension grows between the two, for while Alexei is searching for his past, Lydia is looking for her future. But when Alexei disappears, Lydia is left almost penniless in Soviet Russia – and doubting the choices she has made. Surrounded by dangers, she searches for information and soon finds herself entangled with a Russian officer.
But Chang An Lo has not forgotten Lydia. He knows things about her father that she does not. And while he races to protect her, she is prepared to risk treacherous consequences to discover the truth…Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5Z

This tells the poignant tale of a Chinese farmer and his family in old agrarian China. The humble Wang Lung glories in the soil he works, nurturing the land as it nurtures him and his family. Nearby, the nobles of the House of Hwang consider themselves above the land and its workers; but they will soon meet their own downfall. Hard times come upon Wang Lung and his family when flood and drought force them to seek work in the city. The working people riot, breaking into the homes of the rich and forcing them to flee. When Wang Lung shows mercy to one noble and is rewarded, he begins to rise in the world, even as the House of Hwang falls. Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, My Review: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-2ir