Are you a fan of Dystopian fiction? Fancy a bit of Antipodean adventure?
Well, come join me as I start off the blog tour for Kate Mildenhall’s newest release, published by Harper Fiction, The Mother Fault.
The Blurb
Mim’s husband is missing. No one knows where Ben is, but everyone wants to find him – especially The Department. And they should know, the all-seeing government body has fitted the entire population with a universal tracking chip to keep them ‘safe’.
But suddenly Ben can’t be tracked. And Mim is questioned, made to surrender her passport and threatened with the unthinkable – her two children being taken into care at the notorious BestLife.
Cornered, Mim risks everything to go on the run to find her husband – and a part of herself, long gone, that is brave enough to tackle the journey ahead.
From the stark backroads of the Australian outback to a terrifying sea voyage, Mim is forced to shuck off who she was – mother, daughter, wife, sister – and become the woman she needs to be to save her family and herself.
I’m not sure what I was expecting when I requested this book, but when I began reading I realised it was very different to my usual reading genre. Dystopian fiction is not really my thing, However, when you couple an unknown genre with a topic I love, which is motherhood, and family, and the lengths said mother would go to for hers, then you get a pretty good read. I was intrigued from the off, and seeing the development of Mim’s character, as she tries to save her family, made for a great read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
About the author:
Kate Mildenhall is a writer and teacher, who lives on the outskirts of Melbourne with her young family. She has taught in schools, at RMIT University and State Library Victoria, and volunteered with Teachers Across Borders in Cambodia. Her debut novel, SKYLARKING, was published in Australia by Black Inc. in 2016 and in the UK by Legend Press in 2017. Skylarking was longlisted for the Voss Literary Prize 2017 and the Indie Book Awards 2017.
Kate has received residencies at Varuna, the Writers House and at Bundanon.
With friend and author Katherine Collette, Kate co-hosts The First Time podcast, a podcast about the first time you publish a book.
I am delighted to invite my dear friend, and blog sis, Marjorie Mallon, to my blog today to let you all know about the re-release of her first novel, Bloodstone: The Curse Of Time Book 1. It has recently been picked up by a publisher, been given a makeover of sorts, and is back out there, in the book wild, and I, for one, am thrilled for Marje, because she has worked so hard for this! I read it the first time round, and I’ve also had a sneak peak at a very early draft of Book 2. Lots of fun in store for readers!
Let me pass you over to Marje!
Thank you so much Ritu for being part of my impromptu blog tour for my re-release of Bloodstone, The Curse of Time Book 1.
Next Chapter Publishing – YA fantasy The Curse of Time series:
Bloodstone – The Curse of Time Book 1
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.
When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger.
With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.
A tremor shook my body, and my teeth chattered. My ears rang with the sound of the earth cracking below my feet. It meant that I had left it too late to run. My eyes fell downwards as the world tilted on its axis, and the realisation came to me that the only way out was via a slide that suddenly appeared at my feet.
With one glance, I could tell the slide had a definite beginning but no visible end. I placed a tentative step onto the slide. The minute I touched it, I knew there was no time for fear. I swallowed hard and plunged into the darkness, sliding into oblivion. Every emotion I possessed had compressed into mere seconds—a momentary adrenalin rush. Sensations continued like the aftermath of the wildest rollercoaster ride. Fuelled by fear, it sent my senses reeling, the ultimate blood-pounding, stomach-churning thrill.
I slipped down the slide and landed on a stone floor, yet it cushioned my landing like a silky feather down quilt. No longer afraid of the shadows, I felt welcomed, at home. With wide-eyed astonishment, I took in the magnificent interior of the Crystal Cottage. Gems in a myriad of welcoming shades—purple Amethyst, white Quartz, red Jade, blue Topaz—covered the walls. A riot of colours reflected in the facets of the crystals, which welcomed me with their brightness. This magnificent display promised more, luminous lights twinkled and burst forth from each separate gem in a firework-like extravaganza. I gasped. My breath caught in my throat, and I glanced down at my hands. They were sparkling as if they had touched an enormous glitter ball. A crystalline light bounced off the walls of the cottage, finding a resting place on my face. The brilliant light caressed me.
My heart filled with wonder at this miraculous event and I wished the exquisiteness of the moment would last forever. I willed this spectacle to carry on and on, but the glowing display tapered off. The colours became darker, and glimmers of the crystals’ bright lights darkened to a menacing black, then lightened to a grey, washed-out colour before turning a muddy brown.
In horror, I could feel the skin on my face puckering like an orange peel stripped of all moisture. My body shivered, and I shook. I stirred in my sleep, suspended in the haze of the dream. I struggled to remain, not wanting to leave the beauty and comfort of the Crystal Cottage. So I remained, floating in the abyss, fearful but longing to find out more.
In my dreamy state, I lifted my head and looked up. All I could see was the strange creature a short distance above me, standing as if he waited, but for what I could not tell. He held a ladder—two long ropes connected by short crosspieces made of skin and bones—which he dangled down. I grimaced, but with no other choice open, I reached out and latched onto the gruesome ladder device. The creature hoisted me out, and we stood side by side, motionless for a second. We exchanged no words. Once again, I felt the ground beneath my feet shudder and crack wide open into a large gash of exploding brown earth. I stepped back, afraid of the black void looming in front of me. I shrieked as I observed the creature as he plummeted into the depths of the earth, the whole time reaching his arms out towards me as he fell.
My alter ego is MJ – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros!
M J Mallon was born in Lion city Singapore, a passionate Scorpio with the Chinese Zodiac sign of a lucky rabbit. She spent her early childhood in Hong Kong. During her teen years, she returned to her father’s childhood home, Edinburgh where she spent many happy years, entertained and enthralled by her parents’ vivid stories of living and working abroad. Perhaps it was during these formative years that her love of writing began inspired by their vivid storytelling. She counts herself lucky to have travelled to many far-flung destinations and this early wanderlust has fuelled her present desire to emigrate abroad. Until that wondrous moment, it’s rumoured that she lives in the UK, in the Venice of Cambridge with her six-foot hunk of a rock god husband. Her two enchanting daughters have flown the nest but often return with a cheery, heart-warming smile to greet her.
MJ’s writing credits also include a multi-genre approach: paranormal, best-selling horror, supernatural short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She has worked with some amazing authors and bloggers compiling an anthology/compilation set during the early stages of COVID-19 entitled This Is Lockdown and later she wrote a spin off poetry collection, Lockdown Innit.
She’s been blogging for many moons at her blog home Kyrosmagica, (which means Crystal Magic,) where she celebrates the spiritual realm,her love of nature, crystals and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious.
Her eclectic blog shares her love of reading, reviewing books, writing, and photography: https://mjmallon.com/
To always do what you Love, stay true to your heart’s desires, and inspire others to do so too, even if it appears that the odds are stacked against you like black hearted shadows.
Her favourite genre to write is
Fantasy/magical realism because life would be dull unless it is sprinkled with a liberal dash of extraordinarily imaginative magic!
What a thrill to be able to help spread the word about a fabulous book!
I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase, the second novel by Jane Riley, and after reading the blurb, I jumped at the chance!
Here’s the Blurb
His dying wish was to set her free. So why does she feel so trapped?
Jack had two dying wishes: that his wife scatter his ashes somewhere ‘exotic’, and that she not give up on life once he was gone. He intended to spur her on to new adventures, but despite clinging to her red suitcase, Geraldine Verne hasn’t left the house for three months.
It takes an accident for Geri to accept help from her friends, but when Meals on Wheels arrive she is mortified. Yet heartbroken volunteer Lottie brings with her more than cottage pie and custard. Like Geri, she too is struggling to cut loose.
As a gloriously unlikely friendship blossoms, Geraldine begins to feel a long-lost spark of life and a newfound confidence. Perhaps what both women needed most, after all, was each other.
I was thrilled to be asked to read an arc of Jane Riley’s second, book, not least because the blurb hooked me right away. The grief of losing someone is intense, and we all deal with that grief in different ways. Geraldine Verne, or Geri to her friends, is floundering. She is lost without her soulmate, Jack. Upon his passing and subsequent cremation, she finds herself unable to let go of his ashes, and rather than display the urn on her mantlepiece, as some do, she finds solace in wrapping Jack up in special mementoes and placing him in a red suitcase they used to travel with, using it as both a physical and emotional crutch. An accident forces her to rethink her ideas, as she is suddenly in need of help. More help than ashes and a wheelie suitcase can provide her. My heart went out to Geri. A woman in her later years, with nothing more than her husband’s remains, and his collection of butterflies as her support. The way she shut everyone out, in order to wallow in her grief, really hit home with me. But I loved the way her saviour came in the form of a Meals on Wheels volunteer, and now, despite their age difference, and background, they actually helped one another accept the way their lives were going to be. Grief can hit us duer to the loss of a loved one, who has passed away, as well as one who has left us and our life, whilst still living theirs, and this book explores that whole topic in a very sensitive, yet entertailing way.
Hi, I’m Jane Riley!
I was born and raised in New Zealand. After graduating from Auckland University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in French and English literature, I headed to Europe to practise my French, got waylaid in Germany and ended up in Australia.
I have had a varied career in public relations, publishing, freelancing as a writer and editor, and launching an online e-commerce business, which involved writing a design blog interviewing makers and creators. When The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock was published, I achieved my dream of becoming a full-time author.
I live in Sydney with my husband, an energetic but scared-of-heights Australian cattle dog-staffy cross, and two daughters old enough to not be living at home anymore. I volunteer as an English language tutor for the Adult Migrant English Program, am learning the piano and teaching myself Italian.
I’m hazarding a guess that this will be another quiet reading month, as not only do we have the move to continue with, but it is also report writing month, which is always hectic! Anyway, let’s see what I managed!
5. I managed 5. And if I am totally honest, I am still reading one of them! It has been a really hard month, time is whizzing by…
The premise for the book, Songs In Ursa Major, intrigued me and it made for an interesting read. The story follows the meeting of Jane, lead singer in a local band, and Jesse, up and coming popular musician, who ends up needing medical care after an accident. Jane and Jesse’s relationship is very complex, but you can feel.the strength of their bond, and I was taken on an emotional roller coaster as their relationships journey progressed. Filled with music, and the relaxed atmosphere of the 60s, coupled with more serious issues, dealing with drug culture, and loss, as well as the male-dominant industry that the music business was, at that time it was a compelling read. My only disappointment was that the ending felt very displaced and abrupt, jumping from then, to the present, with not a lot to explain what had happened in the half century between where we were, and where the story actually ends. An interesting debut. Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw the cover, with that cute pug face, how could I refuse a chance to read? And, the title, Pug, Actually, made me giggle out loud, so, of course, it was a given that I would read this one! We have Julia, stuck in a somewhat restrictive relationship with a married man called Luke, and a pug, called Doug (Yes, really!) who knows this man is not for his mistress, at all. The book is all told through the large, sometimes bulging eyes of Doug, the pug, as he tries very hard, with the help of a few other humans, to manipulate situations, to make Julia realise exactly how bad this man is for her. Knowing this Luke already has something called a ‘wife, at home, Doug knows that Julia could do much better, as he steers her towards Tom, a V-E-T-, (not ideal, because, well, his job, but so much better than Luke with the dodgy smell that he leaves in his wake!) A delightful romance with a canine twist! Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Digital for an Arc in exchange for an honest review.
Released 29th June, 2021
Review to follow in a Blog tour post! But, here’s the blurb to whet your appetite!
His dying wish was to set her free. So why does she feel so trapped?
Jack had two dying wishes: that his wife scatter his ashes somewhere ‘exotic’, and that she not give up on life once he was gone. He intended to spur her on to new adventures, but despite clinging to her red suitcase, Geraldine Verne hasn’t left the house for three months.
It takes an accident for Geri to accept help from her friends, but when Meals on Wheels arrive she is mortified. Yet heartbroken volunteer Lottie brings with her more than cottage pie and custard. Like Geri, she too is struggling to cut loose.
As a gloriously unlikely friendship blossoms, Geraldine begins to feel a long-lost spark of life and a newfound confidence. Perhaps what both women needed most, after all, was each other.
Released 29th June, 2021
Another one I read, for review purposes, and I shall not share the review until the release date, which is at the end of July, but, if you know Sacha, you know this will be a goodie!
Do your characters fail to bring your story to life? Are they flat, boring or have no depth? Is your story lacking a little cohesion or sparkle? In 8 Steps to Side Characters, you’ll discover:
+ A step-by-step guide for creating side characters that bring your story alive + The main types of side characters and what you should do with them + The key to crafting character depth that hooks readers + How to harness your character’s voice to deepen your reader’s experience + Tips and tricks for using details to enhance characterization + Methods for killing characters that will help deepen plot, theme and story + Dozens of ideas for creating conflict with your side characters + Tactics for differentiating characters and making them feel real to your reader + Character archetypes and functions + The most common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid
8 Steps to Side Characters is a comprehensive writing guide that will help you create the side characters your story needs. This book is packed with tips and tricks for polishing characters for writers at any level.
If you want to power up your characters, eliminate dull and lifeless archetypes, and perfect your characterization, this is the book for you. By the end of this book, you’ll know how to strengthen your characters to give your story, prose and plot the extra something special it needs to capture a readers and fans for life.
If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create better side characters, then you’ll love Sacha Black’s guide to crafting supporting roles with intention, purpose, and power. Read 8 Steps to Side Characters today and start creating kick-ass stories.
Now, just the name of this book drew me to request it, and I was not disappointed at all with the story. I have been struggling to read, recently, and this book pulled me out of the rut I had found myself in! So we have Lottie, the blonde sparky, never an intellectual person, and definitely not known for her love of words. She’s been attending a book club, but really isn’t feeling it, what with all the literary greats they are meant to be reading, when all she really wants is a bit of romance, happy endings, and a little steaminess thrown in. An idea sparks (see what I did there?!) with the help of some other members of said book club to start their own, a more inclusive one, with less formal rules, and here’s how she finds herself the head of the Beach Reads Book Club, with a slowly growing number of members, who do like a book with a bit of a romp in them, but more than anything, they cherish the time they spend together, and the friendships that evolve. Oh, and I can’t forget the romance within this book, either, can I? Matthew, the rather serious new book shop owner is eye candy for more than one of the members, but, slowly, as he sheds layers of clothing and his own mystique, he ends up being a perfect candidate for our Lottie. Though, nothing is ever that simple. There is family drama, exes, and a gorgeous, protective dog, involved. Oh, and who could forget the oldest member of the club, Audrey, who has a potty mouth disguising a heart of gold. Such a lovely book, I highly recommend it! Many thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Released 30th June 2021
So, were you any better than me with your reading?
Now, if you read this blog regularly, you’ll know that I am one HUGE Amanda Prowse fan, and any book she releases, will automatically go to the top of my TBR pile, because, well, you know, she is my FAVE!
So, a few short months ago, I was approved for an arc of what is her twenty seventh full length novel, called Waiting To Begin. Here’s my signed copy! (Sorry, #fangirling like mad, here!)
Here’s the blurb:
From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: what would you risk for a shot at happiness?
1984. Bessie is a confident sixteen-year-old girl with the world at her feet, dreaming of what life will bring and what she’ll bring to this life. Then everything comes crashing down. Her bright and trusting smile is lost, banished by shame—and a secret she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life.
2021. The last thirty-seven years have not been easy for Bess. At fifty-three she is visibly weary, and her marriage to Mario is in tatters. Watching her son in newlywed bliss—the hope, the trust, the joy—Bess knows it is time to face her own demons, and try to save her relationship. But she’ll have to throw off the burden of shame if she is to honour that sixteen-year-old girl whose dreams lie frozen in time.
Can Bess face her past, finally come clean to Mario, and claim the love she has longed to fully experience all these years?
And my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!
Waiting To Begin is the story of a woman, Bessie, but told on two simultaneous days, her birthday, but thirty-seven years apart. At sixteen, Bess thinks she has it all. Her results are out today, her future is all but planned out, she just needs those results to get where she wants. Bess’s family is your usual type, a caring, but an annoying set of parents and an older brother who is just – urgh! She’s got a tentative boyfriend and dreams of their life together Thirty-seven years later, Bess is content. Well, on the surface, anyway. Nothing quite panned out how she hoped, but she’s not unhappy with her life. A doting husband, two great kids, one of them married, their own home. But, there are still gaping holes in her life. There are still secrets that are eating away at her, affecting everything she does, though no one else knows. Not wanting to give the story away, I will comment on the essence. Decisions we make, flippantly, can have huge effects on our life. The need to be keeping up with the rest of the world can eat away at you, making you do things you might not have, otherwise. My heart filled with pity for teenage Bess. I wanted to scoop her up into a hug, and tell her everything will be okay. I will admit to wanting to physically harm a certain young man, too, The same sorrow was felt for older Bess, who is sifting through her life decisions, not sure whether to rock the boat, but finding herself in a situation where she has no choice. An emotional story that will definitely tug, hard, at your heartstrings. When Waiting To Begin flashed up as another new book to come, by Amanda Prowse, I jumped at the chance to read, because she is my all-time favourite author. Her stories never fail to touch the heart, and the way she tells them leaves you emotional for a long time to come, Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
Amanda is a hugely prolific author, writing stories that really resonate with the reader. You need to check out her website to find out about all the amazing books she has written. I can proudly say, I’ve read them ALL!
But I Smile Anyway... 