📖 Blog Tour ~ Solstice by Helen Steadman

 

Bell Jar Books
19 September 2023

My thanks to the author, publisher and Random Things Tours
for my copy of this book and the invitation to the blog tour

England, 1673. Still a world of witches, witchfinders and witch trials?

Rose Driver’s mother, brother and grandmother were all put to death by the fanatical witchfinder, John Sharpe.

Almost quarter of a century after the Newcastle witch trials, Sharpe is no longer a threat and Rose should be safe in her quiet village. But is history about to repeat itself?

📖 My Review..

I’ve now followed this trilogy since the first book so was especially excited to be asked to take part in this blog tour to celebrate the final book in the Widdershins series and return to the seventeenth century world which this talented author recreates so beautifully. England in 1673 was still a country which teemed with suspicion and the danger to those women who were suspected of witchcraft hadn’t gone away.

In rural communities where lives were very much caught up in the mysteries of nature some of their more commonplace practices could be seen, by outsiders, as more macabre than they actually were.  Moving to Mutton Clog, in the north of England, with her twin brother Earnest, and clergyman father, Patience Leaton is very much an outsider who neither knows nor cares enough to understand the community in which she is forced to live. This is unfortunate for Rose Driver, a young and rather beautiful shepherdess, who catches the eye of Earnest Leaton, and in doing so antagonises the staunchly puritan, Patience with dire consequences.

In two very distinctive voices both Rose and Patience have a story to tell which, very quickly unravels, becoming darker and more dangerous especially when Patience discovers something about Rose and Earnest which unleashes the very worst behaviour imaginable. Rose’s character I loved from the beginning, and her fate becomes all the more poignant as the story progresses. Patience definitely tried my patience, she really is a piece of work and all credit to the author for allowing the darkness in Patience’s soul to evolve with such evil precision. 

The dark and dangerous mid-seventeenth century rural world is beautifully recreated by an author who really does bring history alive. With every well placed word, and descriptive phrase, it is possible to step back in time to the rural backwater of Mutton Clog, where superstitious practices have been in place for centuries however, when viewed by the wrong person, at the wrong time, these practices can be entirely misinterpreted as having the dark forces of evil at their core.

With its abiding air of sadness and a definite sense of the injustice towards those innocent of any wrongdoing Solstice is an excellent conclusion to this fascinating trilogy. This will definitely be on my book of the year list for 2023.

About the Author

Helen Steadman's first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the 1650 Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf is about a group of master swordmakerswho defected from Germany to England in 1687. Helen's fourth novel, God of Fire, is a Greek myth retelling as seen through the eyes of Hephaestus, perhaps the least well known of all the Olympians. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who left Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword.

X@hsteadman1650 #Solstice #WiddershinsTrilogy

@ RandomTTours

📖 Book Review ~ The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

 

Mira Books
22 June 2021

#2 Jaipur Trilogy

It’s the spring of 1969, and Lakshmi, now married to Dr. Jay Kumar, directs the Healing Garden in Shimla. Malik has finished his private school education. At twenty, he has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema.

Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from Jaipur’s Royal Palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that will serve him as he untangles a web of lies.

📖 My Thoughts..

Told in three voices, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur is a continuation of the story which began in The Henna Artist.  It's now twelve years later and Lakshmi is settled in Shimla with Doctor Jay Kumar whilst her young protégé, Malik, now aged twenty, has returned to Jaipur to become an apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace during an exciting time in the construction of a prestigious cinema for Jaipur. The third voice is that of Nimmi, a young widow, who has left her hill tribe in order to create a new life for herself, and her young children, in Shimla. Her gentle beauty attracts the attention of Malik, only for them to be separated when Malik, on the advise of Lakshmi, makes his move to Jaipur.

The story is clearly told by each of the characters in turn and it is very definitely their distinct voices which come across, however, there are occasions when their stories overlap and this is what makes The Secret Keeper of Jaipur into such an interesting story. It was just as fascinating to be in Shimla with Lakshmi, and Nimmi, as it was to return to the pink city of Jaipur with Malik. The continuous drama and complicated twists and turns in the narrative affect the future for all those characters who we came to know so well in The Henna Artist. 

After the success of The Henna Artist I worried that the The Secret Keeper of Jaipur wouldn't live up to my expectations but I needn't have worried as the story is every bit as enthralling as I wanted it to be and I am already looking forward to the third book in the trilogy. I am equally excited that the TV series of The Henna Artist  is currently in production.

Thanks to the Borrow Box facility from my local library, I have listened to the unabridged audio version of this fascinating story, which is expertly narrated by Sneha Mathan, Ariyan Kassam and Deepa Samuel. Their wonderful interpretation really brings the story alive in the imagination.

About the Author

Alka Joshi was born in India and raised in the U.S. since the age of nine. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of Arts. At age 62, Joshi released her debut novel, The Henna Artist, which immediately became a NYT bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Book club pick, was Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and is being developed for a TV series. The Secret Keeper of Jaipur is its sequel.

Twitter @alkajoshi

Website

@HQStories

📖 Book Review ~ The Orphan of Ironbridge by Mollie Walton

Zaffre
15 April 2021

#3 The Ironbridge Saga

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Hettie Jones has grown up in Ironbridge. She has never known her father and, since her mother's death, has been brought up by the Malone family, who treat her as one of their own. She works as a pit girl at the local coal mine, alongside her childhood playfellow, Evan - although lately, their friendship seems to be blossoming into something more.

But when Queenie King takes a fancy to her, Hettie's life is transformed. Trained first as a lady's maid, and then hurtled into a world of luxury and gentility, she finds her new position difficult to reconcile with her past life. And with Queenie's daughter-in-law scheming against her, Hettie's situation becomes dire.

Can Hettie really use her new position for good, and will she find a way to bridge the divide between rich and poor?

📖 My Thoughts..

Reading The Orphan of Ironbridge has been something of a bittersweet experience as I knew that this book series was going to come to an end and I would miss the characters who have come, so completely, to life over the course of the trilogy. This book focuses on Hettie Jones on whose young shoulders rests the responsibly for carrying much of the story, and what a treat it has been to follow this determined young woman who, never beaten by the inauspicious start to her life, is more than ready to meet the challenges which undoubtedly come her way.

I have enjoyed being back in Ironbridge again as Hettie goes about her work as a pit bank girl,  breathtakingly hard work, which she does with a fierce stoicism, and strong sense of self worth. Everything is so beautifully described that you get a strong sense of the camaraderie, and yes, sometimes of the petty squabbles which exist between the women, but there's also laughter, loyalty and friendship. 

Those who have followed this lovely trilogy from the start will know that no story has ever been complete without matriarchal Queenie King doing what she does best, which is, meddling in other people's affairs. I'm delighted to say that, thanks to some wonderful writing, Queenie really comes up trumps, and there's a lovely twist in the tale, which made me smile with acknowledgement of  a destiny well achieved.

I'm so pleased that this talented author made her trip to the Shropshire town of Ironbridge which was the inspiration behind her decision to write this excellent trilogy The place, its people and its proud industrial heritage has been allowed fly on the pages of these lovely stories and more than does them justice. So even though there's a sense of the tying up of loose ends in The Orphan of Ironbridge, the author doesn't compromise on giving us her usual flair for authenticity, excitement and excellent storytelling.

The Orphan of Ironbridge can be read as a standalone story but as with all series it is better to start at the beginning.

About the Author

Mollie Walton has always been fascinated by history and on a trip to Shropshire, while gazing down from the iron bridge, found the inspiration for what has become her Ironbridge series of historical sagas.

Twitter @rebeccamascull #TheOrphanofIronbridge

@ZaffreBooks

Amazon UK

🎄 Blog Tour ~ The Smuggler's Wife by Evie Grace

🎄 Thrilled to be the first blog to open today's blog tour stop🎄

Arrow
31 December 2020
#3 Smuggler's Daughters Trilogy

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and the invitation to take part in the blog tour

Kent, 1815

Her heart led her to him, but will loyalty be enough to make her stay . . .

When the beautiful but naïve Grace Lennicker falls for Isaiah Feasey, son of a rival smuggling family and owner of a local tavern, her sisters try to intervene. But as tensions grow, there is another suitor also hoping to win her hand in marriage, the dashing and more favourable Albert Enderby, a young lieutenant in the Revenue.

Grace is unwittingly drawn back into the world of smuggling that her sisters fought hard to leave behind, and as violence erupts, she finds herself unable to stand by, knowing the rival gangs will kill anyone who stands in their way.

When her husband becomes involved, Grace is forced to make a difficult decision - turn him in and risk her life, or stay loyal and risk the lives of those she loves...

My thoughts...

Set in Kent, in the early nineteenth century, this series follows the fortunes of the Lennicker sisters who we have met previously in The Lace Maiden and The Golden Maid and whilst it is perfectly possible to read each story as a stand-alone historical adventure/saga, like all series it is better to read the stories in order as that way you get to know each of the sisters in turn.

The Smuggler’s Wife follows the story of Grace Lennicker, the youngest of the girls, and for whom life is always going to be complicated, especially when she has two very different suitors vying for her attention. Choosing to go with her heart’s desire, Grace soon realises that life with, tavern keeper and general bad boy, Isaiah Feasey, isn’t going to be straightforward, nor do her older sisters approve of her associating with a man who seems to attract nothing but trouble.

What then follows is an exciting, and thoroughly enjoyable, historical adventure which has all the hallmarks of this author’s fine writing. The area around Deal in Kent comes alive and the old phrase of ‘keep your friends close but your enemies closer’ springs to mind especially with the vivid description of what it was like to be constantly in danger, either from creditors demanding money with menaces, or in trying to keep one step ahead of the Revenue.

Grace proves to be a feisty young heroine, I enjoyed getting to know more about her and wanted everything to work out well. It was especially interesting to have snippets of information about what was happening in the lives of the older Lennicker sisters and both Winnie and Louisa have much to say on the subject of Grace’s volatile relationship with Isiah Feasey. Of course, as the title suggests this book has references to the smuggling past of this part of the country and the author describes this free trade, particularly after the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars when times were hard, with a fine eye for historical detail.

Beautifully written with an air of authenticity, The Smugglers Wife is a fine continuation of this series and an interesting historical saga on its own merits.

About the author

Evie Grace was born in Kent, and one of her earliest memories is of picking cherries with her grandfather who managed a fruit farm near Selling. Holidays spent in the Kent countryside and the stories passed down through her family inspired her to write her Maids of Kent trilogy. Evie now lives in Devon with her partner and dog. She has a grown-up daughter and son. She loves researching the history of the nineteenth century and is very grateful for the invention of the washing machine, having discovered how the Victorians struggled to do their laundry.

Twitter @eviegrace2017

@ArrowPublishing #TheSmugglersWife

Blog Tour ~ Boxer Boys Collection by Nick Rippington

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be part of the Boxer Boys Collection Blog Tour

Boxed Collection out 9th September

My thanks to the author and to Books On The Bright Side for my invitation to this blog tour

Some Family feuds just won’t go away… For 40 years the Dolans and the Marshalls have lived side by side on the same rundown housing estate in east London. While teens Gary Marshall and Arnie Dolan forge a close friendship, fighting constant battles to survive both on the streets and closer to home, the relationship between their parents is complicated and, at times, toxic. Gradually family secrets emerge which have their roots in the early 80s… and Gary and Arnie realise their entire upbringing was built on lies.

Here are my thoughts on Spark Out

Spark Out starts with real insight into what makes this crime fiction series so compelling. Written as it is with a fine eye for detail and a compelling turn of phrase, the author doesn't shy away from recreating a fairly bleak time in our history. A time when there was social injustice on a wide scale and where the growing discontent between the have and the have nots seemed to grow ever wider.

For 'Big Mo' Dolan, taking the Thatcherite philosophy of getting on his bike to find work opens up a whole new meaning to the term job seekers. Wanting to do right by his family and still earn the respect he thinks is his due, means that Mo has some difficult choices ahead of him, and this forms the basis of how his life starts to unfold in the rough and violent world where only the most craftiest of individuals can hope to survive with any sign of longevity.

I think that the author really gets to grips with this fierce and ferocious way of life. Always telling it like it is, there is, quite simply, no room for sentimentality in the world that Mo inhabits. Dark and gritty violence is sometimes the only language that the people in Mo’s world understand and the author brings this world to life in graphic detail. And yet, there is also a perceptive side to the story, particularly, in the way that Mo’s long suffering wife, Beryl deals with her relationship with her husband, and also the effect on Mo’s son, Chuck, who is doomed to be forever in his father’s shadow. 

The author has done a commendable job of bringing this destructive world to life whilst still maintaining the notion that the idea of family rises above everything else.

Dark and gritty, Spark Out continues this gangster series with characteristic style.

About the Author

NICK RIPPINGTON is one of the victims of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal you never hear about. 

As the newspaper’s Welsh Sports Editor, he was made redundant with two days notice when Rupert Murdoch closed down Europe’s biggest-selling tabloid in 2011. 

On holiday at the time, Nick was never allowed back into the building, investigators sealed off the area with crime scene tape and seized his computer, which contained all the secrets to his Fantasy Football selections.

Handed the contents of his desk in a black bin bag in a murky car park, deep throat style, Nick was at a crossroads – married just two years earlier and with a wife and 9-month-old baby to support. Options were limited but self-publishing was booming. Having hit on an idea for a UK gangland thriller taking place against the backdrop of the Rugby World Cup, in 2015 he produced Crossing The Whitewash.

The book was praised by many, received an honourable mention in the genre category of the Writers’ Digest self-published eBook awards and more than 25 five-star reviews on both sides of the pond. 

Almost two years after Crossing The Whitewash came the second in the Boxer Boys series, a prequel called Spark Out, which was released in paperback on July 1 and for Kindle on July 10, 2017. The book received an award for best cover of 2017 with the Chill With A Book website, along with a readers award, before receiving the IndieBRAG medallion from a prestigious site covering Independent writers and publishers throughout the world.

The third book in the Boxer Boys series Dying Seconds, a sequel to Crossing the Whitewash, was released in December 2018.

Married to Liz, Nick is now a full-time back bench designer on the Daily Star sports desk and has two daughters – Jemma, 36, and Olivia, 8. A Bristolian at heart, he lives near Ilford, Essex. In the past he has worked for the Sunday Mirror, Wales on Sunday and Media Wales in Cardiff as an executive editor.

Twitter @nickripp #BoxerBoysCollection

@BOTBSPPublicity

Review ~ That Deplorable Boy by Jasper Barry

Matador
2018
(Miremont Trilogy #2)

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

The long-awaited follow-up to The Second Footman. 

A modern take on the nineteenth-century novel, set in 1880s’ France and full of period detail and atmosphere. 

No matter how deplorable Max Fabien appears there is something about this deliciously handsome boy which intrigues and captivates, and perhaps, dare I say it, enthrals even more in this second volume of the trilogy which began with The Second Footman.

In That Deplorable Boy we catch up with the Marquis de Miremont and his young lover when they are some years into their clandestine relationship. Miremont is as besotted as ever with his young protégé and yet, there are signs that perhaps Max has had his head, and affections, turned by other more interesting sexual conquests. Overwhelmed with jealousy, Miremont must not only cope with his feelings of rage towards the perfidity of his young lover, but must also contend with the dreaded arrival of his estranged wife and the interference of his elder daughter as Miremont prepares to launch his younger daughter into the maelstrom which masquerades as the crème de la crème of Parisian high society. 

The author writes so beautifully that, with the utmost charm, the glory of Belle Époque Paris comes gloriously to life, from the boudoirs and grand salons of the great and the not so good, the story never falters, and there is never a moment when you don’t believe, with absolute conviction, that you are walking along the same streets and boulevards as Max Fabien, tiptoeing in his shadow as he goes about his sometimes shady business. And what a fabulous character he is, this deplorable boy who charms you with a glance and then cuts you down like a knife through butter. 

The story is complex, filled with intricate detail of Max and Miremont’s life together and yet, at the same time, there is a real sense of historical authenticity in the way that the places, the people and the era blend together so seamlessly. There is no doubt that from the tip of its glorious cover, to the very last word, That Deplorable Boy is every bit as good as I knew it would be.

If you haven't caught up with this trilogy, then do start with The Second Footman and go back in time to the glorious Belle Époque and become acquainted with Max Fabien.

 About the Author

Jasper Barry graduated from Cambridge with a degree in English and has worked in advertising, then in journalism. Jasper lives in London with too many books and three obstreperous cats.

Twitter @JasperBarry2

Amazon UK

Review ~ Daughter of the Dales by Diane Allen

Pan Macmillan
20 September 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

What's it about..

A moving Yorkshire saga, Daughter of the Dales is the much anticipated finale in Diane Allen's Windfell Manor Trilogy.

My thoughts..

Daughter of the Dales is the third book in the trilogy which began with The Mistress of Windfell Manor and which focuses on the Yorkshire families who have made this little corner of the Yorkshire Dales their own. The author has such a lovely way of evoking time and place that the era, 1913, just before the outbreak of WW1, comes alive in the imagination. Filled with that robust sense of plain speaking which is so reminiscent of Yorkshire folk, the story is a real delight to read.

The story opens with the demise of one of the main characters who has played such a central role in this trilogy, and it's interesting to see just how the family will progress without the woman who has been such a lynch-pin to everyone. But change is coming, old secrets come to the fore, and there are some tough decisions to be made for the inhabitants of Windfell Manor who will have to adapt and change in order to keep going in a world which is on the cusp of change. 

The author writes with an obvious love for her characters and surroundings, bringing to life the trials and tribulations of living in a small village. A place where everyone knows each other's business and secrets, which, although deeply buried, are never going to stay hidden for long. Those readers who have followed the Windfell Manor trilogy form the beginning will find much to enjoy in this finale. Loose ended are neatly tied up and there is, by the ending, a sense of continuity and of looking to the future, whatever that may bring.

There's a lovely poem at the end of the novel, Noel,Christmas Eve 1913 by Robert Seymour Bridges which adds a nice touch and festive feel to the ending.

  

About the Author

Diane Allen was born in Leeds, but raised at her family’s farm, deep in the Yorkshire Dales. After working as a glass engraver, raising a family and looking after an ill father, she found her true niche in life, joining a large-print publishing firm in 1990. She now concentrates on her writing full-time and has recently been made Honorary Vice President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Diane and her husband Ronnie live in Long Preston, in the Yorkshire Dales, and have two children and four beautiful grandchildren.

Website

Twitter @_DianeAllen 

@panmacmillan

His Fic Saturday ~ By Sword and Storm by Margaret Skea

On Hist Fic Saturday

Lets' go back to ...France, 1598

Corazon
11 July 2018

My thanks to the author and the publisher for my e-copy of this book

When the first book in the Munro Scottish saga was published in 2012, I became fascinated with the story of the violent feuding between two prominent sixteenth century Scottish families and since then I have followed this saga with great interest. With each continuation it’s been interesting to see the progression of the characters and to observe just how far the story has come since its inception. The connection between all the characters has been built with such intricate precision and a unique eye for historical accuracy that real historical figures blend seamlessly alongside fictional characters each of them adding their own distinct personality to the overall effect of the story.

This third book of the saga, By Sword and Storm, is aptly titled as not only are there disagreements aplenty, but there is also action across the sea as the Munro family are living in Paris where, in the aftermath of French religious wars, Adam Munro is now a colonel in the Scots Gardes serving King Henri IV. When Adam saves the life of the King, the Munros find that, once again, their fortunes are set to change when they become involved in the intricacy of life at the French court. The description of the splendour of the royal court is wonderfully described, and I enjoyed seeing just how the Munro family would adjust to this very different way of life. As you would expect in this Scottish saga, Scotland is not forgotten, and the Cunninghames and the Montgomeries, so vital to the story, continue to feud and fight. As always, this is so accurately researched that it adds such a distinct sense of history bringing sixteenth century Scottish politics and plotting alive in a very readable way.

Whilst By Sword and Storm comes to a natural conclusion, there is always a possibility that the story could be revisited at a later time and it would be no less fascinating for taking a break. It’s worth mentioning that even though each story can be read as a standalone, the saga is best read from the beginning to appreciate just how the story and the characters progress through time.

There is no doubt that the author has brought this period to life in her own distinct style, ensuring that the world of sixteenth century politics with all its passionate complexities once again takes flight in the imagination.

About the Author

Margaret Skea grew up in Ulster at the height of the 'Troubles', but now lives with her husband in the Scottish Borders.

Awarded the Beryl Bainbridge Award for Best First Time Author 2014 and Historical Fiction Winner in the Harper Collins / Alan Titchmarsh People's Novelist Competition for her debut novel Turn of the Tide, the sequel A House Divided was longlisted for the Historical Novel Society New Novel Award 2016. The third book in the series, By Sword and Storm, was published in July 2018. 

Katharina: Deliverance is the first of two novels based on the life of Katharina von Bora, the escaped nun who married Martin Luther. She is passionate about well-researched, authentic historical fiction and providing a 'you are there' experience for the reader.

An Hawthornden Fellow and award winning short story writer - recent wins include, Neil Gunn, Chrysalis Prize, and Winchester Short Story Prize. Placings and listings include Rubery Short Story, Historical Novel Society Short Story, Mslexia, Fish - Short Story and One Page Prize and the Matthew Pritchard Award. She has been published in a range of magazines and anthologies in Britain and the USA.

 Website

Facebook

 Twitter @margaretskea1

Amazon

Review ~ Strawberry Sky by Jan Ruth

The Midnight Sky Series - Part 3
April 2017

What's it all about...

A rosy future seems certain but Laura has some tough decisions to make.

Maggie is devastated by her daughter's plans, but Jess is determined to remove the past from her life no matter the upset it will cause. James is no longer running from his past, but a multitude of unresolved issues are set to catch up with Laura.

As an orphaned foal and a motherless teenage girl slip seamlessly into her life, are they key to a positive change or an omen for impending danger? Armstrong is a troubled young man and a trail of minor events ends in a catastrophe no one could have predicted. Can the family ever recover, or should they simply trust in destiny?

What did I think about it...

For those readers, who like me, who have followed the Midnight Sky series from the beginning returning to the lives of James and Laura in this final part of the trilogy is like coming home after an absence and hoping that once the door opens a warm welcome from loved ones will await you inside.

Despite the catastrophic events which occurred in book two, James and Laura are getting on with their lives together, they share the ups and downs of running their successful equestrian business and even though their objectives clash on occasion, there is always the noticeable warmth and passion of the love they share. For Laura's sister, Maggie, life is less accommodating and Maggie’s flighty daughter, Jess once again proves that she only has her own selfish interests at heart by leaving her mum, Maggie and dad, Pete, to care for her baby. A situation which is fraught with worry as Maggie and Pete try desperately to keep their own lives from spinning out of control.

As always, this clever author gets right into the intricacies of life, and with warmth and wisdom draws together the final strands of a story which has seen much action take place. Those who have followed the story will know just how bumpy a ride it has been for James and Laura, certainly the path of their true love has never been allowed to run smooth and neither has the complex family drama which seems to have shrouded Maggie and Pete’s lives from the very beginning.

Strawberry Sky once again draws on the author’s love of horses and it is in the moments of equestrian housekeeping where the story becomes truly fascinating. The lure of horsemanship and the remarkable power of an animal’s spirit to heal those who are damaged are so well explained that I almost wish I could take a trip to James and Laura’s new equestrian centre to see the set up for myself.

Of course, the story is not just about horses; it’s about love and healing, it’s about tragedy and misfortune. It shows both the best and the worst of human nature, but ultimately, what shines throughout is the power of really good story telling by an author who knows just how to draw readers into a story and what’s more important, keeps them reading page after page, and it must be said, leaves them always wanting to read more.

Best Read with...sweet and tender Welsh strawberries and a sparkling glass of strawberry pink prosecco 

About the Author

Jan Ruth writes contemporary fiction about the darker side of the family dynamic with a generous helping of humour, horses and dogs. Her books blend the serenities of rural life with the headaches of city business, exploring the endless complexities of relationships. 

Amazon

You will find the Kindle copy of Strawberry Sky on Amazon UK 

Find Jan on Facebook, Follow on Twitter or visit her Website



Read an interview with Jan here

Huge thanks to Jan for sharing Strawberry Sky with me.

~***~

Blog Tour ~ The Fortunate Brother by Donna Morrissey

I am delighted to host today's stop on the  The Fortunate Brother Blog Tour

With the Author - Donna Morrissey

A warm welcome to you, Donna and thank you for spending time with us today. Tell us a little about yourself and how you started writing?

I was a high school drop-out, traveled around the country wearing beads and head bands for several years, had a “love-child,” married and then had another. A family tragedy sent me back to Newfoundland and it was then, during a horrible illness of my own, that I started back to schoo. A divorce and a university degree later, I started writing.

How did you get started as a fiction-writer?

I met this eccentric, knowledgeable a woman who prompted me to start writing, arguing it’s one’s duty to bring tragedy to the realm of myth. To give it meaning and a place of honour. The tragedies I’d suffered took me to that place where pain can be felt as holy. And holy can be felt as sublime. I picked up the pen and was instantly addicted. I've been writing every single solitary day since. And I wouldn't recommend it to anybody for it imprisons you for life.

What can you tell us about The Fortunate Brother without giving too much away?

The Fortunate Brother is the story of Kyle who is mourning the loss of his elder brother. He is caught between a mother who is attempting to sweep her house of grief, and a father who drinks to dull his pain. The family’s trauma is escalated when a local bully is murdered and his blood is found on Kyle’s doorstep.

What do you consider to be the strongest elements of the book?

The dichotomy between despair and hope. Between judgement and understanding. The hero, Kyle wrestles with all of those concepts as he works through his grief and anger re the death of his brother, his mother’s illness, and the involvement of both savory and unsavory characters from the community that are impinging on his life.

How do you plan your writing, are you a plotter, or a see where it goes kind of writer?

I sit in the muck and struggle for firm footing, day after day, minute after minute. Everything comes in a big smudge and nothing is ever defined. So, yeah, the later…no plotter here.

What do you hope that readers will take away from the story?

A sense of, ‘Wow, that was great. I want to go there.’

What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?

Having a reader approach me, holding my book in one hand, and his other covering his heart and tears in his eyes. And I knew that he suffered grief and our hearts connected. May God bless all of us.

Out of all the books you've written, do you have a favourite?

Yes. The one you are about to read…..eh eh….okay, now I’m being clever. Why, this one, of course. Ok, ok…..it’s….well….To quote someone: Every artists feels their greatest work is ‘just about to happen.’ That’s why we live so uncomplainingly in the discomfort of poverty….hope that each one will be greater still!!

About the Author

Donna Morrissey is the award winning author of five novels. |She grew up in The Beaches, a small fishing outport in Newfoundland, and now lives in Halifax, Canada.

Goodreads

Follow on Twitter #thefortunatebrother 

**The Fortunate Brother is published today**

Canongate
20 April 2017

What's it all about...

The Fortunate Brother is a dark, atmospheric and compelling novel about the aftermath of a murder in a claustrophobic rural community in Newfoundland. When a body is found in the lake suspicion falls on the troubled Now family. As the mystery unfolds other, far deeper, secrets are revealed.

What did I think about the book...

This dark, and somewhat brooding story, is set in a small coastal community in Newfoundland and focuses on the petty indifference of a small town at odds with itself.  Sylvanus Now, his wife, Addie and son, Kyle, have had their share of family tragedy which has left an indelible mark, not just in the relationships between themselves, but also in the way the community reacts to their misfortune.

Told through considerate dialogue, a story emerges of a brutal sort of truth, which lays bare the thoughts and feelings of a family in complete disarray. When tragedy, once again, strikes at the heart of the Now family, they each deal with the fall out in their own inimitable style.

Considerately written, The Fortunate Brother is one of those stories which make you want to take your time over reading. It is the third book in a trilogy which started with Sylvanus Now and continued in What They Wanted, and whilst it possible to read and enjoy The Fortunate Brother as a standalone book, I do think that it is better to have read the series from the start in order to have a more rounded view of the Now family, of their past tragedies, and also of their place in this small town environment.

Whilst this is not a fast action, all guns blazing sort of story, there is no doubt that the book works well, both as a character driven drama, and also as an emotionally complex human story, which looks at the complicated layers between grief and loss, misfortune and tragedy, and which then brings the whole together in a story of hope over adversity.

Best Read with ...Line caught fish and a mug of sweet tea.

My thanks to Becca at Canongate for her help facilitating this interview

 and for sending my review copy of The Fortunate Brother.

Canongate20 April 2017

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