Dead Wrong

Book Description:

The serial killer is behind bars. But the murders are just beginning…

DC Maggie Jamieson’s past comes back to haunt her in this dark and gripping serial killer thriller.

Three missing women running out of time…

They were abducted years ago. Notorious serial killer Bill Raven admitted to killing them and was sentenced to life.

The case was closed – at least DC Maggie Jamieson thought it was…

But now one of them has been found, dismembered and dumped in a bin bag in town.

Forensics reveal that she died just two days ago, when Raven was behind bars, so Maggie has a second killer to find.

Because even if the other missing women are still alive, one thing’s for certain: they don’t have long left to live…

Author Bio:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and was a regular reviewer on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast. Noelle worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of cases including those involving serious domestic abuse. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.
Dead Inside is her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson. 

Connect with Noelle on Social Media here:
Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noelleholtenauthor/
Blog FB page: https://www.facebook.com/crimebookjunkie/
Instagram: @crimebookjunkie
Website: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk
Bookbub Author page : https://bit.ly/2LkT4LB

My Review

This is a race against time to find the missing girls - if they're still alive. With the killer supposedly behind bars, it's clear that a second killer is on the loose. This fast-paced thriller gripped me from the start and I read it in two sittings. This time you really get to find out more about DC Maggie Jamieson, who we met in Noelle's first book, Dead Inside. This book has an ending that left me stunned - I absolutely was not expecting that and inside my head, I screamed at the book ' That can't be true'. Guess we'll have to wait for book 3 now! Cleverly done and left me desperate for more.

52 weeks of writing

52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner

Are you ready to become the writer you were always meant to be? 

52 Weeks of Writing will get you cracking by making you plan, track, reflect on, and check in with your progress and goals an entire year long. 

52 Weeks of Writing will help you dig deep by offering questions and writing prompts designed to unravel whatever truths about your writing you’re ready for. 

52 Weeks of Writing will keep you inspired by delivering a thought-provoking writing quote every week. 

-        Do you struggle with setting goals that reflect your daily reality? 

-        Do you want to practise breaking goals down into manageable chunks? 

-        Would you like more insight into your writing habit(s) and figure out why you keep getting in your own way? 

-        And do you want to create a sustainable writing practice that honours your needs and desires as a writer? 

Then the 52 Weeks of Writing: Author Journal and Planner is for you. 

52 Weeks of Writing brings together every lesson Mariëlle S. Smith has learned as a writing coach and writer. Wary as she is of comparisonitis and unhealthy competition, this author journal and planner was designed to help writers develop and fine-tune a practice that works for them. 

If you’re ready to get out of your own way and become the writer you’re meant to be, pick up your copy of 52 Weeks of Writingtoday. 

Purchase Link 

https://mswordsmith.nl/journal/

Author Bio – 

Mariëlle S. Smith is a coach for writers and other creatives, an editor, (ghost) writer, and custom retreat organiser. In 2019, she moved to Cyprus, and island in the Mediterranean Sea, where she organises private writer’s retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count. 

Social Media Links – 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswordsmith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellessmith/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYOpjmj83mvMM2L348F1w

Giveaway to win….

·       THREE paperback copies of the 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner,

·       TWO paperback copies of Tarot for Creatives: 21 Tarot Spreads to (Re)Connect to Your Intuition and Ignite That Creative Spark, and

·       ONE coaching session.

·        

https://mswordsmith.nl/en_GB/giveaway/

My Review

I've been following 52 weeks of writing for a couple of months now. Each week you are encouraged to get into good habits by setting goals. There is a weekly chart where you can schedule when you are going to try and fulfil these goals and then the following week there is a review process. 

The journal and planner is designed to make you evaluate where you are going with your writing and what is stopping you. There are some great writing prompts and you never know where these will take you. One of them, for example, led to a piece on memory for my MA course.

Having used the online version, I feel the printed version that you can physically write in would be more effective. The only downside that I can see is the huge size of the book which makes printing costs expensive. 

I will continue with the journal as many of the exercises are quite enlightening and I sometimes found that the goals I set were not actually the goals I really wanted to set for myself, so it has created a noticeable difference in both what and how I write. 

Songbird

Songbird: A Novel of the Tudor Court

Bess has the voice of an angel, or so Henry VIII declares when he buys her from her father as a member of the music, the Royal company of minstrels, best grows up with in the decadent Tudor Court navigating the ever-changing tide of royals and courtiers. Friends come and go as cracked voices, politics, heartbreak, and death loom over even the lowliest of musicians. Tom, her first and dearest friend is her only constant but as Bess becomes too comfortable at court, she may find that constancy has its limits.

Purchase Link: 

https://books2read.com/tudorsongbird

Author Bio –  

Karen Heenan was born and raised in Philadelphia. She fell in love with books and stories before she learned to read, and has wanted to write for nearly as long. After far too many years in a cubicle, she set herself free to follow her dreams – which include gardening, sewing, traveling and, of course, lots of writing.

She lives in Lansdowne, PA, not far from Philadelphia, with two cats and a very patient husband.

Social Media Links – 

www.karenheenan.com

www.facebook.com/karenheenanwriter

www.twitter.com/karen_heenan

www.instagram.com/karen.heenan

My Review

This is a wonderful angle from which to tell a story of the Tudor Court. The history is well researched and the story flows, weaving in and out of the politics of the time. At heart though, this is a love story between Bess and Tom that will leave you rooting for them to come together. I really enjoyed this story with a difference and learnt a lot about the Tudor Court. I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in this period.

From Thailand with love

From Thailand with Love

All Logan has to do is to get the gold and get the girl. Easy, right?

Travel photographer Winter Knowles and archeology professor Logan Spencer dislike each other at first sight. Stuck together on a wild island, these two unwilling teammates will bicker and banter their way through a laugh-packed treasure hunt.

After years of searching, a new mapping technology has given Logan a clue to the location of the legendary Lost City of Gold. A discovery that could make his career. So the last thing he needs on this life-changing expedition is for his team to get distracted by a pair of long legs.

When Winter accepted the assignment on a tropical island she didn’t sign up for a brooding team leader who’d clearly prefer to run a boys-only club. Never one to back down from a challenge, Winter is ready to show him she’s no damsel in distress.

But when a treasure like no other is uncovered and ruthless enemies will want to keep it for themselves, it’ll be up to the two of them to save the day. Left alone to fight in the jungle, they will soon discover their lives might not be the only thing at stake—their hearts could be too.

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime. 

A fun read packed with danger, action, romance, and comedy.

From Thailand with Love is part of a series of interconnected romantic comedies but can be read as a standalone novel as all the other books in the First Comes Love series.

Purchase Links: 

Amazon http://smarturl.it/FTWL

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/from-thailand-with-love/id1479292065

B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-thailand-with-love-camilla-isley/1133420733?ean=2940163330850

Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9788887269383

Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=-NytDwAAQBAJ

Author Bio – Camilla is an engineer turned writer after she quit her job to follow her husband on an adventure abroad.

She’s a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.

Social Media Links – 

https://www.facebook.com/camillaisley/

https://twitter.com/camillaisley

https://www.instagram.com/camillaisley/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14135080.Camilla_Isley

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/camilla-isley

https://www.pinterest.com/camillaisley/

Giveaway to Win a From Thailand With Love Tote Bag (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494351/?

My Review

This is a light-hearted enemies to lovers romance with more than a touch of Indiana Jones. Nice to see that in this story though, the female is no mere pretty accompaniment but a strong, feisty woman who shows her mettle when put to the test. Perhaps that's why it took me a long time to warm to Logan. At first, he seems a typical alpha male, chauvinistic and not particularly likeable. He does mellow though so don't be put off. The background of the Thai jungle is lavishly described and brought back many memories of the country, An easy read, an exotic location and two characters that really come alive on the page.

New beginnings at Wynter House

New Beginnings at Wynter House

The New Year brings unexpected revelations at Wynter House.

Neva Grey’s Christmas brought several surprises. Now a shocking secret has life-changing consequences for the Wynters, as the New Year brings revelations ... and relatives to Wynter House.

It also brings Hazel Smart and Amelia Goodbody. And it’s not just Adam and Rafe Wynter who are pleased Hazel and Amelia have come to stay. Olivia Wynter will enjoy bossing nurse Hazel around and she also makes it clear Amelia – who is handling the marketing for Rafe’s new business venture – is far more suited to be her grandson’s girlfriend than Neva will ever be.

Whilst Amelia is ensconced at Wynter House, Neva is busy with her new hair and beauty salon in Merriment Bay. Perhaps she should enlist her niece, Sasha’s help because just when she thought she had found the love of her life, old secrets, ghosts from the past, and new arrivals might shatter all her dreams.

At least she has her best friend, Jo Duncan to lean on. But newly single, Jo is determined to have some fun, both at Wynter House and in Merriment Bay. And so is Adam Wynter.

This is book two in the Wyntersleap series but it can be read as a standalone. The Wyntersleap series is interlinked with the Merriment Bay series and several characters appear in both series.

Purchase Links:

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082SXKFKZ/

US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082SXKFKZ/

Author Bio 

Emily writes novels, novellas and short stories about friendship, family and falling in love. She loves a happy ending but knows that life doesn't always go to plan. Her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.

Emily loves to connect with her readers and has a readers' group in which many have become good friends. To catch up with Emily, find out about the group, or connect with her on social media, go to her website at www.emilyharvale.com.

Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her home town of Hastings where she now writes full-time. She’s a member of the SoA and the RWA, an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star. When not writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies - and will do anything to avoid both. Emily has two mischievous rescue cats that like to sprawl across her keyboard, regardless of whether Emily is typing on it, or not.

Social Media Links –  https://www.facebook.com/emilyharvalewriter

https://www.twitter.com/emilyharvale

https://www.instagram.com/emilyharvale

My Review

Lovely to see the characters develop in this second book. I particularly like Sasha because as a child she can get away with saying things that adults are thinking but can't say. Olivia too comes into her own in this book.  Good to see Jo leave her demanding boyfriend but I was hoping all the way through that she wouldn't get hurt. Amelia presents a threat to Neve's happiness if Olivia has anything to do with it - will love prevail? You'll have to read it and find out.  With an easy to read style that is as comforting as lashings of tomato soup on a cold day - this book will warm your heart.

When we were brave

The face of woman in the photograph was tilted upwards, as if enjoying the sunshine just for a moment, even as the wreckage of the bombed-out street lay behind her… 

1944, Cornwall: Blinded by love, Vivienne Hamilton eloped to Paris with a Nazi prisoner-of-war, never to be seen again. A disgrace to her family, her name would not be mentioned by any of her relatives for over 75 years. 

Present day, London: When Sophie discovers a photograph of her great aunt Vivi from World War Two, it throws her into a world of confusion. Because, as she learns about this secret relative, she quickly realises that the photograph doesn’t fit with her family’s story. It shows Vivi leaving an address associated with a spy network in London – a place she had no reason to be – and it is dated right before she disappeared. 

Meanwhile Sophie’s own life feels as blasted and bombed as the Blitzed city in the photograph she’s looking at. Her beautiful daughter – as full of joy and wild energy as Vivi had apparently once been – is gone; and Sophie’s heart has been left broken into pieces. 

Retreating to the family home in rural Cornwall to seek solace from her pain and the feelings of guilt that she could have done more to protect her daughter, Sophie finds herself becoming obsessed with Vivi’s life. 

But nothing can prepare Sophie for what she is about to uncover – the story of a woman who risked everything for the person she loved the most; and a secret family history that could be the key to Sophie’s own future. 

Suzanne Kelman is the Amazon International Bestselling author of "The Rejected Writers' Book Club", published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Also in the series, "Rejected Writers Take the Stage" and "The Rejected Writers' Christmas Wedding".

In 2019 Suzanne is releasing her first Historical Fiction book inspired by a true story called, "A View Across the Rooftops", published by Bookouture, an imprint for Hachette U.K. 

Kelman is also an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival. 

In 2015 her script, Held, was regonized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition. 

As well as an screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright and her award-winning comedy play, "Over My Dead Body", has its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019. 

Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.

My Review

This is a fascinating read and draws the reader in as we discover Vivi's story. Little by little her great-niece Sophie pieces together what must have happened to make Vivi, once an undercover agent for her country, change sides and join the Nazi party. This is cleverly told but absolutely heartbreaking and the ending will leave you in tears.

The Forgotten Girls

BUY LINKS:

AMZ: https://geni.us/B081JTJ8SPSocial

Apple Books: https://buff.ly/35hyBPZ

Kobo: https://buff.ly/2KyLhKt

Google Play: https://buff.ly/35bO0kR

Description:     

Elaine was typing out letters from POWs and reminding herself that she would not cry. Poor Sam in Burma doubted whether he would ever see his children again. ‘Tell them they mean the world to me.’ Come on, Sam. Elaine wanted to reach out into the letter, hold his hand. Hang in there. If only he knew that she was half a world away, reading, listening…

London, 1943. German bombs rain down on London, but Elaine Parker knows her job transcribing letters from far-away prisoners of war is more important than her own safety. As she pores over each tearful letter from a soldier to his family far away, she’s not only making sure the notes reach their destinations, but also looking for secret messages hidden between the lines to help the allies win the war.

At home, Elaine’s life isn’t so simple. What the other clerical girls don’t know is that Elaine’s family isn’t respectable, and with her parents long dead, it’s up to Elaine to make ends meet. But with one brother increasingly in trouble with the law, and the other suffering a violent breakdown, it doesn’t leave Elaine much time to consider her own future hopes and dreams.

And then Elaine meets dark-haired and passionate Bobby – a wartime photographer on the dangerous front line – and her world shifts. The uncertainties of war feel more personal than ever. Will Elaine be forced to choose between her difficult family and her growing passion for Bobby? And how do you let yourself love someone with your whole heart when each moment could be their last?

A heartbreaking World War Two novel – emotional and unforgettable. Perfect for fans of Orphan Train, Sold on a Monday and Before We Were Yours.

         

Author Bio: 

Lizzie loves reading ALL the books and has always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to her to write historical fiction.

She lives with her family by the sea in South East England. And with her dog. She enjoys traveling and lived in Japan for several years. Lizzie has had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling - but being a writer is her absolute favourite.

She'd love to hear what you think of her books - feel free to send her a message on twitter @LizziePagewrite or on FB or leave a review on amazon.

Author Social Media Links: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizziePagewrite

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizzie.page.75

  My Review

Two gripping stories in one that intertwine with a shocking finale. I really enjoyed both stories and the suspense of discovering what really happened to Elaine as we join her granddaughter's search for the truth. The modern story of Jen's doomed marriage is just as enthralling as Elaine's story as they search for a connection to war photographer, Robert Capa. Who knows what skeletons in the closet they will discover as a result? Very enjoyable read.