📖 Blog Tour - Seconds to Midnight by David Orson Newton

Chiselbury
23 April 2026

Thanks to Midas Campaigns for the copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

Seconds to Midnight is a taut, disturbing, yet all too plausible thriller about the fragility of human control in the age of intelligent machines, where every choice counts and time is running out. The year is 2029. Europe is teetering on the brink of war. Conscription has been launched in the UK, but some say it is too late. The Doomsday Clock, which indicates proximity to a world-ending catastrophe, ticks towards the final seconds to midnight.Over the course of one year, Seconds to Midnight

• George, a former spook, who is torn between family life and being recalled to service by the Head of MI6

• Anita, a high-flying correspondent for a major UK broadcaster who is struggling to find her identity and searching for a higher purpose

• Wei, a computer whizz and quantitative trader now ‘activated’ by British Intelligence, whose loyalties are buried beneath layers of deception

• Dean, a self-styled street-smart London tough man eager to fight

• Ben, a veteran turned pacifist, determined not to fight again

When British Intelligence launches Operation IRIS and ARTEMIS, the lines between human ambition and machine intent blur. At the heart of it all is Omnia - an Artificial Superintelligence so advanced that it no longer answers to its creators. As cyberwar engulfs the nation, Omnia orchestrates a masterstroke that will redraw the map of the world and redefine the meaning of power. But was peace ever truly its goal - or merely the next step in its design? From the ashes of nuclear devastation, a new world order rises. Yet in the final reckoning, one question is Omnia done?

📖 My Review…

The Doomsday Clock is ticking closer to midnight and in this disturbingly technological world we are about to discover just how far reaching the consequences of advanced Artificial Intelligence will have on world security. Told in cleverly constructed vignettes we get different viewpoints from several key players who all have something impressive to bring to the story. Set just a few years into the future, we are introduced to a world on the brink of war, a world which is broken and with major powers, both Eastern and Western, surreptitiously fighting for supremacy.

The terrifying idea of an advanced AI takeover becomes a serious possibility in this intelligent techno-thriller which engages from the very start and which doesn’t relax the momentum until the whole of the complex story is revealed. I enjoyed the short and snappy sections which lead us into some tricky situations particularly with military personnel and also the cat and mouse chases which always seem to end in disaster.

There is an eeriness to the story and the added sense of impending doom never really goes away so that it becomes impossible not to get drawn into the sheer scale of what is unfolding. All credit must go to the author for bringing this world to life so realistically that I felt like I was embarked on a thrilling roller coaster of a ride. With a distinctive writing style and a well researched and imaginative story, it acts as a timely reminder of just how close to peril our fragile world exists. Eerily prophetic Seconds to Midnight is a fascinating read by a talented writer who, I hope, we will see more of in the future.

About the Author

Combat veteran and technologist. Newton’s work has taken him from the warzones of Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen to the leading edge of innovation in Silicon Valley. He now resides with his wife and son in rural Devon, England. An alumnus of the Faber Academy, Seconds to Midnight is his first novel.

X @DOrsonNewton

X @midascampaigns

Website

📖 Book Review ~ The Crownless Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick

Sphere
9 April 2026

Joan of Kent #2

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

1360: Having left her days of rebellion behind, Jeanette of Kent has finally found contentment as a wife and mother. Then, she is delivered a new blow: her beloved husband, Thomas Holland, has died on duty overseas.

Though broken, Jeanette readies herself once more to fight to protect what is hers. And when Prince Edward, heir to the throne and her longtime friend, unexpectedly steps forward and offers marriage, she accepts for the sake of her family.

As their relationship deepens, love blossoms again for Jeanette, but it comes at a price. With great power comes great responsibility - not least bearing a future king - and, as the wheel of fortune climbs higher, it becomes harder and harder to hold on.

📖 My Review..

Having read The Royal Rebel, which is the first book in this duology about Joan of Kent, I was intrigued to see how the story would continue particularly following her first husband’s death in France. As always the author brings this medieval world vibrantly to life and I was soon engrossed in Joan’s life as she come to terms with the loss of her great love, Thomas Holland, and of her future as the first Princess of Wales on her marriage to Prince Edward, who we know better as the Black Prince. There is no doubt that the relationship between Joan and Edward was a love match but with the danger that was ever present in the lives of medieval power people there was no respite for them from danger and tragedy. However, the romance of a beautiful love affair sits comfortably alongside the more dangerous aspects of living in this turbulent time in medieval history.

The author always brings the adventure of the medieval world to life so accurately that I feel like I have lived alongside Joan and Edward as they lived out their complicated lives and whilst I knew ultimately how their relationship would evolve, I have enjoyed spending time in their world and was particularly interested in the years spent with Joan and Edward in Aquitaine, learning more about a period of French and Castilian history of which I had scant knowledge. 

Bringing history alive is what this author does best and The Crownless Queen has been a real joy to read, to go back in time to observe the tragedies which were ingrained in life and of the danger and surprises which were very much a part of living so close to the English throne. Concluding the fascinating story of this powerful medieval matriarch, The Crownless Queen is Elizabeth Chadwick, once again, writing at her very best.

About the Author

Elizabeth Chadwick is a prize-winning historical novelist and New York Times bestseller, published in 22 languages, with over 1 million copies of her work sold in the UK alone. The Royal Rebel is the forst of three new novels set in the fourteenth century.

Social Media

X @chadwickauthor #TheRoyalRebel

X @bookssphere

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📖 Book Review ~ In Memoriam from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press
First Published 2012

Revised May 2018
Revised March 2026

This revised third edition of our much-loved anthology contains poems of bereavement selected for their beauty and the sense of consolation that they offer. There are poems that question and mourn, alongside others that accept the inevitability of death and give thanks for a life well lived.

Poems old and new reflect on the transforming experience of losing someone we love. For those arranging a funeral or simply seeking the quiet company of words to help them through the long process of grieving, this varied and reflective selection is sure to offer comfort:


“I lie here in a riot of sunlight
Watching the day break and the clouds flying.
Everything is going to be all right.”

from ‘Everything is Going to Be All Right’ by Derek Mahon

Selected by Di Slaney and Katharine Towers

Poems by Robert Burns, Emily Dickinson, Sasha Dugdale, Lorna Goodison, Thomas Hardy, Matthew Hollis, Jackie Kay, Faith Lawrence, Derek Mahon, Sue Millard, Adrian Mitchell, Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, Christina Rossetti, William Shakespeare, Penelope Shuttle, Edna St Vincent Millay, Mark Twain, Anna Wigley and Jeremy Young.

Cover illustration by Alexandra Buckle.

My Review..

Whilst it is often difficult to choose the right words to express sadness or to offer support to someone recently bereaved, this anthology of twenty beautifully selected poems covers a whole range of emotions and offers comfort and solace in a meaningful way. There are poems from familiar poets, whose work continues to resonate, which sit very comfortably alongside verses from more more modern poets , all of which capture the mood perfectly.

The poems remind us that those we love never leave us:

Death is Smaller than I Thought by Adrian Mitchell

" My Mother and Father died some time ago

I loved them very much.

When they died my love for them

Did not vanish or fade away

It stayed just about the same ,

Only a sadder colour

And  can feel their love for me,

Same as it ever was.."

These twenty sensitively chosen poems remind us what it is to be human and as we seek consolation in the beauty of words, we let the gentleness of the verses quietly wash over us. Beautifully presented, with a thoughtful cover and end-papers, In Memoriam would make the perfect gift instead of a card for anyone who is experiencing loss. 

About the Publisher 

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle 

Blue Sky @candlestickpress.bsky.social

Website

📖 Blog Tour ~ Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café by Jessica Redland

 

Boldwood Books
3 April 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the book
and to Rachel’s Random for the invitation to the blog tour

Sometimes all your hopes and dreams really do come true… 

Life at the Chocolate Pot Café has never been sweeter for Tara Porter. Nestled on Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay, her café is thriving, her friendships are close, her foster parents are back where they belong—and she’s finally let herself fall in love with artist Jed Ferguson.

For Jed, returning from Australia feels like coming home in every sense. His teenage daughters have settled, his gallery opening is a success, and with Tara by his side, the future looks full of promise.

But the past can’t stay at bay forever.

When Tara’s estranged foster sister reappears, old wounds resurface. And when Jed is reunited with twelve year old Aaron - a boy he once believed was his son - secrets unravel and loyalties are tested.

Now Tara and Jed must decide whether facing the past will shatter everything they’ve built—or hope it gives them the strength and courage to dream again.

📖 My Review…

It’s always a real pleasure to spend time in Whitsborough Bay with the inhabitants who make this fictional place such a joy. This story focuses on Tara Porter who runs the Chocolate Pot Cafe, on Castle Street, and whose personal relationship with Jed Ferguson, who owns the nearby art gallery, is going from strength to strength. However, Jed’s complicated family life shakes things up a little especially with the arrival of his ex-wife from Australia and the challenge of some complicated family problems to work through. Tara must also face some personal issues of her own which the author handles with her usual skill for tackling difficult subjects in a sensitive way.

As with all her novels, this talented author brings the place and the people alive with lovely attention to detail and a real sense of warmth and friendship. For those readers familiar with this series both Tara and Jed’s characters first appeared in a previous story Starry Skies over the Chocolate Pot Café but since the author gives enough of the back story it’s easy to read this continuation without too much confusion and it works well as a standalone story.

Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Café is another lovely story from this talented writer who brings love, friendship and family to life in such an enjoyable way.

About the Author

Jessica Redland is the million-copy bestselling author of novels, including the Hedgehog Hollow and Escape to the Lakes series. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough and the Lake District, she writes uplifting women’s fiction of love, friendship and community.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: @jessicaredlandauthor

Twitter: @JessicaRedland

Instagram: @jessicaredlandauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JessicaRedlandNews

Bookbub profile: @jessicaredlandwriter

📖 Favourite Read of the Month ~ The Sea Stone Sisters by Eleanor Buchanan

Headline 
12 March 2026

My thanks to the publisher for the copy of the book 

 

Four great stones once stood on a remote Scottish headland - the Sisters of Skara.

Legend has it they were raised by a grieving father, to guide his abducted daughters home.

A curse was placed on anyone who laid the stones low:

their family, too, would be scattered to the winds, never to find their way home.

1931. When Iris Blackmore's father knocks down the Sisters of Skara standing stones, a dark shadow falls on the Blackmore family. With his fortune lost and wife dead, his four daughters are forced to leave their home, taking only the rings they inherited from their beloved mother.

Iris is the first to depart, travelling east in search of an uncle who might be able to help the family.

Present day. Roz Chatton moves to London from Australia, bringing very little with her other than her mother's old ring. Grieving and adrift, she stumbles on a painting of four ancient standing stones which ignites an uncanny connection to the ring on her finger.

Determined to learn more about the origin of the painting, Roz unearths the full story of Iris Blackmore, unravelling a family history she could never have imagined.

Four lost sisters. A family scattered. An epic journey home. Will you follow?

📖 My Review..

In the 1930s the four Blackmore sisters live with their parents in a remote part of Scotland near to the site of the ancient Sisters of Skara stones. When their father deliberately knocks down the stones an ancient curse is released and the Blackmore family start to suffer the consequences of this rash action. 

Following the story of the eldest of the sisters, we leave Skara with Iris as she sets out a difficult journey to find an uncle, in Ceylon, who might be able to help restore the family fortune. Moving seamlessly between two times frames we not only follow Iris as she sets out on this hazardous journey of a lifetime but we also meet Roz Chatton, in the present day, who, having moved from Australia to London is inexplicably drawn towards a painting of the Sisters of Skara that she finds in a London art shop.

This multi-layered, multi-generational, story takes us on a sweeping journey between 1930s Ceylon and Australia, to modern day Scotland. We learn about the secrets of Skara and discover more about the journey Iris undertook and the people she met along the way. Both timeframes are spelling binding, I particularly loved Iris, her 1930s story really captured my imagination and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and see her develop as character. The modern day element is also beautifully described, and Roz’s journey of discovery is just as beguiling as she starts to uncover some of the secrets of the Blackmore family which have been hidden for far too long.

Alive with mystery and filled with intrigue, The Sea Stone Sisters is a beautifully written dual time, family drama which lingers in the imagination long after the last page is read. For that reason I am delighted to make The Sea Stone Sisters my Favourite Read of the Month for March.

About the Author

After many years of travelling the world, Eleanor Buchanan has turned her hand to a brand-new series of enthralling stories that combine her passion for travel, her belief in the power of evocative love stories and her enduring fascination with the relationship between the past and the present. Now based in York, she still searches for wide horizons whenever she can.

@headlinepg #TheSeaStoneSisters #EleanorBuchanan

📖 BookReview ~ Ten Poems about Owls from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press
February 2026

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this poetry pamphlet 

Owls are birds that fascinate us, seeming to exist at the shadowy margins of our human lives. More often heard than seen, their nocturnal cries can be both haunting and exhilarating.

These ten poems celebrate the elusiveness of owls, as well as the thrill of a rare sighting; when a little owl is spotted on the branch of an olive tree in Greece, it looks more like a “small clay jar” than a bird. In another poem, the near-silent flight of a barn owl offers a moment of spellbound intimacy:

“If breath was any animal, it’s this.
Glide and hush-sweep
across the close-by fields of grain.”

from ‘Barn Owl on Newburgh Road’ by Niall Campbell

The poems remind us that an encounter with any wild creature is a gift – and that meeting an owl in a poem can be every bit as magical as meeting one in the woods.

Selected and introduced by Niki Bowers

Poems by Nial Campbell, Daniel Webster Davis, Emily Dickinson, Victoria Gatehouse, Ian Humphreys, Gregory Leadbetter, Rob Miles, Angela Readman, AE Stallings and Edward Thomas.

Donation to The Owls Trust

📖 My Review..

Always just on the edge of shadow, owls move silently through the dusk of evening, mysterious creatures who have featured strongly in our culture for centuries. The collective name for a group of owls is a wisdom and these ancient creatures form a backdrop to myths and legends and are strongly associated with the otherworld. Seen as spiritual messengers, the owl’s eerie cry is often interpreted as a portent of ill luck or even a harbinger of death however, there is no doubt that each sighting in the wild should be regarded as a special moment. 

“Then at the inn I had food, fire, and rest,

Knowing how hungry, cold and tired was I.

All,of the night quite barred out except

An owl’s cry, a most melancholy cry”

From The Owl by Edward Thomas 

Years ago I spent a glorious time on the Greek island of Spetses and even though I wasn’t lucky enough to spot a little owl this lovely poem brought back happy memories of a beautiful island and the rough beauty of its olive trees :

‘We strolled along the sea road

And spied a little owl

Less a bird

Than a small clay jar

Balanced implausibly on an olive branch “

From Little Owl by AE Stallings

 

It’s been a real pleasure to read this beautiful mini-anthology which shines a much needed spotlight on this most ethereal of creatures. Each one of the ten sensitively selected poems allows us a glimpse into the life of this special bird, it would make the perfect gift instead of a card for anyone who has a special interest in nature or for those who simply love the natural world and more especially these enigmatic creatures who glide like shadows through the night.

About the Publisher 

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle 

Blue Sky @candlestickpress.bsky.social

Website

📖 Book Review ~ A Mother Always Knows by Diane Jeffrey

HQ Digital
12 March 2026
My thanks to the publisher for the copy of the book

When a young man is found murdered in a quiet rural village, it sends shock waves through the close-knit local community.

But Carla is more concerned for her teenage daughter, Iris. When Joshua was alive, he humiliated Iris in the worst possible way, and now she’ll be the main suspect in his murder.

As the police investigate every lead, Carla must navigate the murky waters of guilt and betrayal as well as her growing suspicions of what her own daughter might be capable of.

When a shocking revelation threatens to tear her family apart, Carla is forced to ask herself how far she’ll go to protect her loved ones. In a world of secrets and deception, can a mother truly know what lies beneath the surface.

📖 MyReview..

When the body of a young man is discovered in a local woodland the tight knit rural community is shocked that such a violent crime has taken place and none more so than Carla and her family who are well acquainted with the young man and who, it seems, have valid reasons to wish him harm. With the finger of suspicion pointing at Carla’s daughter, Iris, who was once in a toxic relationship with the young man, it opens up a whole set of circumstances which threatens to change Carla’s family dynamic forever.

What then follows is a cleverly controlled thriller which gives varying viewpoints not just from Iris and Carla’s perspective but also the point of view of the SIO in charge of the murder investigation who also happens to be a family friend. There is much to consider within the narrative especially about the problems young people face navigating the dangerous online world, the effects of toxic and coercive control and the increasing problem of revenge porn. It’s quite an emotional read as it uncovers family secrets with Carla doing all she can to protect her family from what seems like an inevitable fallout. It opens up the question of how far will a mother go to protect her children. 

A Mother Always Knows is a well written and complex thriller which kept my attention from start to finish. 

 About the Author

Diane Jeffrey is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She grew up in North Devon and Northern Ireland. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat. Diane has written six psychological thrillers, all published by HQ / HarperCollins.

Diane is an English teacher. When she's not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays.

Author website: www.dianejeffrey.com

Readers can also follow Diane on Instagram and

Twitter @dianefjeffrey

or on Facebook.com/dianejeffreyauthor