Author Interview and Excerpt / Eternity's Echoes by Evan Hirson

Aaron was a promising software designer with an upcoming company. He shared a quaint house on the outskirts of town with his best friends; another young man and two girls. 

They'd known each other since school, and lived together peacefully for years with few problems.
Travis the newcomer however had a dark way about him, and all of Aaron's attempts to get along with him had failed. 

But just as the household began to settle down again, a strange device with a peculiar attitude entered their lives.
Would it fulfill all of their dreams, or instead become a curse?

EXCERPT

A little while later they were again transported among the towering edifices of Egypt. As was usually the way, the Shade had selected a quiet uninhabited place to set them down.

As they emerged from a small storage building by the docks, the captivating sight took Aaron’s breath away. A golden yellow sun shone over the rippling waters of the Nile as a cool breeze swayed the palms. Sunbeams played on the water among a flotilla of barges and smaller boats.

“This is amazing,” said Mara with her eyes wide in wonder. “I’m so glad you insisted on coming in the morning Travis. It’s so much cooler too.”

“Great,” he unhappily replied. Even his attempt at sabotage had failed. In his dejected powerless state, he’d insisted on morning rather than evening. It’d been a weak attempt to devalue the experience for everyone.

Aaron soberly considered the way they should go, and wished he’d watched more documentaries on Egypt. “How about if we go that way,” he said choosing a direction at random.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1.  If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?

Among contemporary writers, it would probably be Suzanne Collins. I like her character work.      .

 

2.  What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?

I actually work in my room, which is my haven from the world.

If you've ever seen anyone pacing the room while they think, that's me all over.

The harder I think, the faster I walk. My typical work day depends on what is happening at the time. Learning to write fiction properly is a very steep learning curve.

It's taken me more than three years of long hours to get it the way I like it.

3.  What is the hardest part of the writing for you?

Probably just remaining focused on the work. I can turn out about 2 to 4 thousand words a day. That isn't so great compared to some writers. I've heard figures of 10 to 20 thousand a day being bandied about. On the positive side, the words I turn out don't         need much editing nowadays.

4.  When and why did you first start writing?

It was back in 2014. One chapter in my life had just ended, and the possibility to become a serious author opened up. It was a big risk, but I thought it was worth it.

 

5.  How did you come up with the idea for your book? 

Time travel is a sub genre that I've always enjoyed. It was just a natural choice to go in that direction. In my mind, the creation of a book is like planting a seed.

You begin with virtually nothing, and just keep adding to it. I always trust that my         imagination will come to the party, and so far it hasn't let me down.

6.  Are you a big reader? If so, what are you reading now?

I used to read a lot when I was younger, but not at this time. There just hasn't been     any room for it since I started writing.

   

7.  Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?

First you should see a good psychiatrist. But seriously, you shouldn't start this            journey unless you're willing to give everything you've got. Do a lot of research         online about editing etc. When you think you know everything you need to know, go back and look again. Chances are that you've missed something.

    Get the opinions of others wherever possible, but make sure you read the terms of web sites. Most people in the industry are generally honest. It's the few who aren't that you have to watch out for. If in doubt, do a web search on the subject.

    It's a tough industry, and nobody will tell you everything you need to know. In some ways that's a good thing because it forces you to try harder.

    Just remember to enjoy the experience as much as you can. The more you write, the better your writing becomes.

Book Review / A Baby's Bones by Rebecca Alexander

Archaeologist Sage Westfield has been called in to excavate a sixteenth-century well, and expects to find little more than soil and the odd piece of pottery. 

But the disturbing discovery of the bones of a woman and newborn baby make it clear that she has stumbled onto an historical crime scene, one that is interwoven with an unsettling local legend of witchcraft and unrequited love. 

Yet there is more to the case than a four-hundred-year-old mystery. The owners of a nearby cottage are convinced that it is haunted, and the local vicar is being plagued with abusive phone calls. 

Then a tragic death makes it all too clear that a modern murderer is at work…





Published:     1st May 2018
Publisher:  Titan Books
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

MY REVIEW

What more could you want in a book than a thriller with an archaeological dig involved and a story line in the past weaved in!  I could not ask for more!  I have read a lot of thrillers and it really takes a lot for a thriller now to intrigue me and surprise me.  This book ticked all the boxes for me.

We follow Sage, an archaeologist, who is called into investigate an old well found on a property near where she grew up.  It is in this well that they find the bones of a woman and a baby.  There are so many things disturbing about this.  Who would kill a woman?  Who would kill a baby?  The woman and baby were murdered a long time ago and as the story goes alone we follow Sage as she tries to discover more.  We also follow characters in the past, at the time the woman and child were alive, and gradually discover the disturbing truth of what happened then.  Back in the present day, you also have the eerie family who live in the house where the well was discovered coupled with a modern day murder mystery.

I just could not put this book down and honestly read it in one day.  Loved it!

Blog Tour Book Review / The Fear by CL Taylor **Contains Trigger Warning**

‘Grabs you by the metaphorical throat right from the start and doesn’t let up until the end.’ Heat

When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn’t what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.

Now 32, Lou discovers that he is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself, she returns home to confront him for the damage he’s caused.

But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that she could once again become his prey…

The million copy Sunday Times bestseller returns with a taut, compelling psychological thriller that will have you glued to the edge of your seat.


Published:     2nd March 2018
Publisher:  Avon
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

MY REVIEW

** TRIGGER WARNING **  Before I start my review, I wanted to highlight a trigger warning in this book.  The main theme of this book centres around grooming of vulnerable young children/adults as well as kidnapping.

Now that the above is dealt with, onto my review.  I had not realised to what extent the main theme of this book ran.  I have to be honest and say that this part of the book did make me feel very uncomfortable but I think that was what was meant to happen. 

We follow Lou as she returns to the town that she grew up in and one that she fled many years before after a traumatic event happened involving her teacher when she was a teenager.  This book does delve into the 'relationship' in the past with Lou and her teacher, involving the sexual 'relationship'.  All of which I found shocking. 

This book definately did keep me on the edge of my seat.  I had no doubt who was the baddie in this book but put in a bad situation it is surprusing how good characters turn bad in those times. 

A truly gripping and uncomfortable read that kept me at the edge of my seat. 

Book Review / The Watchmaker's Doctor by GMT Shulling

If you could go back in time and redo one thing in your life, what would it be?

The Watchmaker’s Doctor is the first novella in Erase and Rewind, a collection for new adults that delves into the biggest regrets of the dying, and follows their stories of what might have been.

10% of G. M. T. Schuilling's proceeds from The Watchmaker’s Doctor will go to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. The Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding scientific research grants to improve treatment. Their vision is to ultimately develop cures and methods of prevention to enable people with mental health issues to live full, happy, and productive lives.
To learn more about them, visit: https://www.bbrfoundation.org
#KnowScience


Published:     1st April 2018
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy

MY REVIEW

There's something about a time travel story that sucks me in, every time!  It has been a while since reading a story like this; I think the last time was The Time Traveller's Wife.   Just the first line of the description grabbed me, I had to know what was going to happen - If you could go back in time and redo one thing in your life, what would it be? 

This is one of those stories that does make you think  - what if?  What if I did things differently?  What if I had the chance to experience something again, would you make the same choices?   Even if you did get the chance to do things over again, can you escape fate?  

A very intriguing story that certainly kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what would happen next!

Blog Tour Book Review / The Lies We Told by Camila Way

 The highly acclaimed author of "Watching Edie" returns with a new novel of dark psychological suspense that explores how those closest to us have the most to hide...

When Clara's boyfriend, Luke, disappears, everyone believes that he's left her, but Clara thinks she knows the truth. Recent evidence suggests that Luke had a stalker, and Clara worries that he's been kidnapped. Then Luke's older sister, Emma, who vanished twenty years ago, suddenly reappears.

Emma wants to help Clara with her search for Luke, but she refuses to talk about what happened--even though it nearly destroyed her family when she vanished. And the deeper Clara digs into Luke's mysterious disappearance, the more convinced she is that the two incidents are connected.




Published:     5th March 2018
Publisher:  Harper Collins UK
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

MY REVIEW

I just love it when I come across a thriller that I can't figure out where the story is going until near the very end.  This was one of those books for me.  We follow Clara as she discovers that her boyfriend Luke has disappeared but there may be more to his story than meets the eye.  In this story, we also follow the story of Hannah who, as a kid, was very, for want of a better word, evil - or that is what she comes across as being.  What I wasn't sure of until nearer the end was how or whether the two stories came together.  I did not expect the ending that came along! 

This book kept me at the edge of my seat all the way through and would highly recommend to all those who loves a good thriller that has a surprising twisted ending and a very interesting array of characters.

Author Interview / Kitty Lewis (The Colourless Series)

When Kandrina's beloved older brother was taken by the fearsome Lightning Demons, she swore an oath to the gods that she would avenge him. But the Demons may not be as evil as the People's temples say they are. They may not even be responsible for her brother's death. Her tutor Remlik has another theory, but after she tries to explain his teachings to her father she is declared a heretic. The priests punish her, but she is rescued by a curious Demon, who takes her to their crystal city on the plains and begins teaching her that the two races are not so different.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1.  If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?

I’d love to work with Raymond Feist. I love his style of writing, and I admire the way he can connect multiple complex plot lines into one over arcing story. If I could get hold of a time machine or visit the afterlife somehow, I’d also like to work with Douglas Adams – from what I’ve heard my writing method seems similar to his, so it could have made for an interesting project!

2.  What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?

 

I try to fit some writing in around my day job as a cleaner, so quite a few pages have been scribbled quickly in a cupboard during my breaks. I also tend to get a couple of hours in the evening when I can sit down and work on something for a bit longer, or just type up what I’ve made a note of during the day. I don’t have a particular place really, I just tend to write wherever I can find some spare time – I actually wrote the epilogue for The Colourless while sitting in a bus station, though I wouldn’t recommend that as a good place to write!

3.  What is the hardest part of the writing for you?

The hardest part is probably writing the middle of a book. Most of the time, I know how the story begins and I have some idea of where I want it to end, but getting my characters from start to finish is pretty difficult at times. I have several separate threads going at once, different sides to the story and several sub-plots, or things that are setting the stage for the next book, so working out how to bring them all together can be quite a challenge. It is enjoyable though, and very satisfying when I manage to weave it all into a good ending.

4.  When and why did you first start writing?

I’ve been making up stories and telling them to myself since before I can remember, but I first started writing them down when I was about 14. It took me another 5 years to work up the courage to show anyone anything though, and I wish I’d had that confidence sooner.

5.  How did you come up with the idea for your book?

I honestly don’t remember where the idea came from. The world in the Lost Tribes series is the world I spent most of my childhood building up in daydreams and pretend games, so really it’s been a work in progress for the last 20 years or more. It kind of feels like I met these characters a long time ago, and I’m just writing the stories they’ve told me.

6.  Are you a big reader? If so, what are you reading now?

I do enjoy reading, most anything that falls within the fantasy / sci-fi / horror genres, or ‘anything weird’ as a friend of mine says! The last book I read was First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde, which is a sort of fantasy humour along similar lines to Terry Pratchett. I’m currently working on a book of my own, so I’m taking a break from reading to make sure I don’t get someone else’s story mixed up with mine, but I do have a small pile of books to be read once my own work is underway.

7.  Do you have any advice for other aspiring writers?

Write something that you would want to read. I was told several years ago, write for yourself, because if you like what you’ve written, chances are other people will like it too.