Saturday 30 September 2023

Look who is in the Spotlight - The Sense of Other (A Love Beyond Reason Novel) by Angelina Kalahari


The Sense of Other
(A Love Beyond Reason Novel)
By Angelina Kalahari



Love, Betrayal, and the Unseen.

How do you live in a world where love seems impossible?

Lee O'Reilly is a troubled young man haunted by a powerful, dark force that hungers for his soul. Determined to find love and acceptance, Lee navigates a treacherous route. But when he crosses paths with James, an enigmatic actor and singer, Lee's life takes an unimaginable turn.

Together, Lee and James embark on a journey filled with hedonism, creativity, and the allure of the unknown. Their friendship is forged through shared struggles with drugs and mental health. Until tragedy strikes and James meets an untimely demise in Lee's bathroom.

But the story doesn't end there.

In the afterlife, Lee and James's connection transcend the boundaries of the physical world. As they navigate the mysterious realms beyond, Lee discovers a chance at the love and acceptance he has always craved. But will he seize this opportunity, or will the dark force within him threaten everything he holds dear?

Immerse yourself in the irresistible mystery of TheSense of Other, a gripping Paranormal Women’s Fiction novel inspired by true events. It’s the third book in the Love Beyond Reason series written in British English by award-winning author, Angelina Kalahari. This spiritual journey delves deep into themes of the supernatural, interwoven with a captivating storyline. Prepare for a rollercoaster ride of emotions, laced with colourful language and sensual encounters. And brace yourself for a mind-bending twist that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew.



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Angelina Kalahari


Angelina entered this life among the red dunes of Namibia’s deserts. There, where the Milky Way flung it splendour across heaven’s canvas, she found her voice.

As her family traversed the desert in search of crops for their herds of karakul sheep, a childhood filled with strange legends, amazing animals and wonderful people, became her universe.

The gift of music by Mario Lanza and other tenors accompanied them on their travels and called to her soul’s desire to share her voice.

When she left to study with other voice obsessives, it introduced her to a world far beyond her beloved Africa and brought fantastic performance opportunities.

Storytelling, such a big part of her childhood, became an inherent element in her performances, and she never stopped writing down her stories. When, due to illness, she could no longer share her voice as she had through singing opera, writing became her perfect creative outlet.

She writes contemporary romance to explore love, women's fiction to understand love and middle-grade novels to give love. What more is there than love?




Friday 29 September 2023

Read an excerpt from Ally Stirling by Ally Stirling

 


The Sight of Heather
By Ally Stirling


Publication Date: September 15th, 2023
Publisher: Author Ally Stirling
Page Length: 338 Pages
Genre: Historical Women’s Fiction / Scottish Folklore

For centuries, the fae folk and spae women of Scotland were feared – and persecuted.

Life in the 1800s countryside, with its unforgiving climate, was both magnificent and harsh – testing cultures, beliefs and the loyalties of crofters.

The first in this series, The Sight of Heather, begins a journey of allegiance, sacrifice, and fortitude in a land of bold, resilient women.

Jessie’s ideal life spirals when she learns she is a first daughter in a biological line of ‘spaes’ endowed with unique gifts of spiritual sight and healing, aided by powerful ancestral stones.

Backed by a vindictive priest intent on charging Jessie with murder and witchcraft, the new owner of the Cruachan Manor plots to rout the spaes and destroy their beloved forest.

Despite grave warnings and family conflict, Jessie determinedly pursues her skills and powers, plunging her family and village into danger.

Resolute in uplifting her fellow women, Jessie consults her stones.
Faced with those who deem her evil, she must choose to relinquish her craft, or sacrifice herself to protect her culture and kin – and Lily, the next first daughter – the future of the spaes.



Excerpt

Her mind emptied as she breathed in the aroma of white heather still hanging in the air from making Jessie’s dress. The stones warmed. Sitting cross-legged, she let her body sway before slipping into weightlessness. Time stood still as her surroundings melted into the dark, allowing her mind to travel. An indeterminate time passed before she opened her eyes, returned both stones to their bag, wrapped the tartan knot in brown paper with a sprig of the white heather from Jessie’s bouquet, then packed both away. After pushing the chest back to its place under the bed, she changed into her nightclothes, climbed into bed, blew out the candle, then prayed to her guides … before crying herself to sleep.

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Ally Stirling



Ally Stirling is a Fiction writer of Scottish origin, currently living in Cape Town with her Braveheart husband, awesome children, the happiest dog in the world, and her menacing cat (aka 'Devil Cat').

An unexpected gift resulting in a prophetic message prompted Ally to give her passion for writing the time it demanded, and in 2018 she joined Cathy Eden's Working with Words writers group. She credits the love, support, and inspiration of this group of talented women, her 'writing tribe' for encouraging her to put words on paper. She also joined (ROSA,) and while Romance is not her genre, this association has been an invaluable source of knowledge and insight into the indie publishing world.

Allowing her imagination freedom to roam resulted in various short stories, before one in particular rooted itself, evolving into her first full-length novel. This book has now become first in a series, with the second and third ready to follow, four and five in the planning stage. Who knew her characters would be so demanding.

Her love of writing fiction stems from her belief that it transports us to magical places when life gets too real. 

Addicted to her friends, coffee, every colour of wine, and any type of chocolate, she describes her clan as the family and friends who have built her castle and keep her sane, without whom she'd be short on humour and drinking games. 


Connect with Ally:
Website •  Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • BookBub • Amazon Author Page 




Thursday 28 September 2023

Look who is in the Spotlight - The King’s Command: For God or Country by Rosemary Hayes



The King’s Command: For God or Country
By Rosemary Hayes


Publication Date: July 3rd, 2023
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Page Length: 415 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

16 year old Lidie Brunier has everything; looks, wealth, health and a charming suitor but there are dark clouds on the horizon. Lidie  and her family are committed Huguenots and Louis XIV has sworn to stamp out this ‘false religion’ and make France a wholly Catholic country. Gradually Lidie’s comfortable life starts to disintegrate as Huguenots are stripped of all rights and the King sends his brutal soldiers into their homes to force them to become Catholics. Others around her break under pressure but Lidie and her family refuse to convert. With spies everywhere and the ever present threat of violence, they struggle on. Then a shocking betrayal forces Lidie’s hand and her only option is to try and flee the country. A decision that brings unimaginable hardship, terror and tragedy and changes her life for ever.

Praise

‘One of the very best historical novels I have ever read’
Sandra Robinson, Huguenot Ancestry Expert


This novel is FREE to read with #KindleUnlimited subscription.

Rosemary Hayes


Rosemary Hayes has written over fifty books for children and young adults. She writes  in different genres, from edgy teenage fiction (The Mark), historical fiction (The Blue Eyed Aborigine and Forgotten Footprints), middle grade fantasy (Loose Connections, The Stonekeeper’s Child and Break Out)  to chapter books for early readers and texts for picture books. Many of her books have won or been shortlisted for awards and several have been translated into different languages.

Rosemary has travelled widely but now lives in South Cambridgeshire. She has a background in publishing, having worked for Cambridge University Press before setting up her own company Anglia Young Books which she ran for some years. She has been a reader for a well-known authors’ advisory service and runs creative writing workshops for both children and adults.

Rosemary has recently turned her hand to adult fiction and her historical novel ‘The King’s Command’ is about the terror and tragedy suffered by the French Huguenots during the reign of Louis XIV.

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Monday 25 September 2023

Look who is in the Spotlight - Dancing in the Ring by Susan E. Sage

 


Dancing in the Ring
By Susan E. Sage


Publication Date: 22nd June  2023
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Page Length: 350 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance

Detroit in the 1920s proved to be the Paris of the West for many – including Catherine McIntosh and Robert Sage. These two law school students become as passionate about each other as they are their dreams.

From a poor family in the Detroit neighborhood of Corktown, Catherine learned early on, the necessity of being resilient. She becomes one of the first women in Detroit to obtain a law degree. Bob, the ‘battling barrister,’ boxes in order to pay for law school. Despite his gruff and tough-boy personality, my great uncle Bob was a friend to all:  judges, cops, and even a couple members of the notorious Purple Gang. The couple becomes legendary in legal circles for their commitment to social justice causes – as well as notorious in the local speakeasies and dancehalls.

At first, their optimism seems boundless, as it had for so many following an era of trauma and challenges that include the 1918 flu pandemic. It isn’t long before their passionate courtship turns into a tempestuous marriage. Then the Great Depression hits and their lives are forever changed. 




Read for FREE with #KindleUnlimited subscription.

Susan Sage


Susan Sage has published three novels: Insominy (2015), A Mentor and Her Muse (2017), and Dancing in the Ring (2023). Her writing has appeared in various literary magazines and journals. She received her English degree from Wayne State University where she was a recipient of the Tompkins Award in creative writing. 

Although a Detroit native, she has resided most of her adult life in Flushing, Michigan with her husband and two cats.  

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Wednesday 20 September 2023

Book Review – (UN)Bury Your Gays: and Other Queer Tales by Clinton W. Waters

(UN)Bury Your Gays: and Other Queer Tales
By Clinton W. Waters

A new collection of short stories, compiling the novella (Un)Bury Your Gays and six other pieces of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror fiction. Reanimated best friends, monsters beneath the kitchen sink, desires made manifest, creek creatures, 80s cyberpunk, ghosts, and crashed alien ships all find homes between the pages of this anthology.

(UN)Bury Your Gays:

It's the late 2000's. Humphrey West and his best friend Danny are just trying to survive their senior year. Unfortunately, Danny falls short of that goal after a risky rendezvous. But Humphrey has just the thing: a concoction borne of magic and science that is able to bring the dead back to life (at least it's worked on a bee so far). Against all odds, Danny comes back from the clutches of death.

The Danny that returns is...different. And it's not just the missing memories. Soon, Humphrey is doing everything in his power to keep his friend alive, but none the wiser to what is happening.

A queering of the Lovecraft classic "Herbert West - Reanimator", (UN)Bury Your Gays is about blurring the boundaries between life and death, love and obsession, and secrets and lies.


Grab a copy HERE!


This book is, in itself, a collection of a few different stories. Let us have a look at each in detail, for to think about the book as a whole, we must first look at each story that makes up a component of the completed book.


(UN)Bury Your Gays

There is a difference between surviving your senior year at high school and being brought back to life during your senior year. Namely in the second one, you clearly didn’t survive the year. Humphrey has been obsessed with finding the answer to the colony collapse bees are suffering from, but when his best friend, Danny, is killed, Humphrey must turn his immediate attention away from the bees, and use his research to reanimate his friend.

The Danny that comes back, however, is not the Danny that died. He now doesn’t look well and doesn’t act right. Humphrey must figure out how to keep his friend alive, while also trying to get his old friend back. Once I started reading this book, I was immediately drawn in and couldn’t stop reading. This story is utterly captivating, I found it next to impossible to put it down and walk away. The mystery as to what Danny has become is more than enough to keep you reading. I also loved that, while the two were both gay, there was no romantic relationship between Humphrey and Danny. This is not a horror story with a romantic sub-genre, it is simply who the characters are. The story does not push them towards each other but simply lets them exist as two individuals who are very good friends. The book itself is well crafted, there are small hints throughout the book revealing what effect Humphrey’s actions have had on everything around him, making the story incredibly realistic in the telling.


You & Me and the Devil Makes Three

Alan Jr has started to grow concerned about his mother. She seems to spend a lot of the time in the kitchen and often talking to… something. She isn’t mumbling to herself, she is definitely having a conversation with someone. But there is no one there. When Alan starts investigating, though, things start to go rapidly downhill. This is a very short story, easily readable in under 20 minutes, but it is not lacking in anything. It is an incredibly creepy story, one that can, and will, easily send chills down your spine.


The Wanting

A man would rarely have made it so far in life without getting their Wanting, but so far, Walter has avoided it. But, it seems to have finally reached him, and he might not be able to hold it off any longer. This story is a little more on the slightly strange side, and definitely more on the sexual side of things. This story is not my usual kind of read, and while I wasn’t too much of a fan of the sexual storyline, it is very original, I don’t think I have come across anything like it before, and, like the rest of this book, it is very well written.


SnakeDoctors

The wisdom of a grandmother is not always accepted at first, even though everyone knows she is probably right, and should be listened to. Although there was a warning not to go down to the crick, what better way to escape the stifling heat of the summer than with a nice, cool, swim? Of course, making sure to keep an eye out for snakes… This story is fast-paced and keeps you reading with everything happening quite quickly. It doesn’t have time for suspense, it is simply action-packed from beginning to end. It is undoubtedly an exciting read, and another excellent addition to this book. 


Nephilim.Exe

Nessie has just started a new job, one that comes with a large paycheck, but a few things are a little on the strange side. To start the job, Nessie had to have surgery, to implant ports into her brain, and so when she arrives for her first day, she is not entirely sure what to expect. The strangeness of the job, as well as the uncertainness as to what she has let herself in for builds to suspense and concern, keeping you reading to find out what will happen to Nessie. I think this was one of my favourite stories in the book. It has just the right level of unease and intrigue to make you want the story to keep going on and on. I would love an extended version of this story, as I think it has so much to offer.


Double Exposure

Seeing Kyle in the prom pictures was a shock, especially since he had been dead for nearly a year. Yet, here he was, posing for the picture, and digging up feelings that had never truly gone away. The pain of losing one you love so much, mixed with the morbid curiosity of trying to find out if that loved one is still lingering in the land of the living, makes this story a very emotional one. There are some darker emotional levels to this story, which have been handled by the author with care, and I truly felt for the main character as I read about their despair.


Out There

The human race has always wondered about aliens, whether they are out there or not, and what they might be like. So when proof arrives, the world comes together to try and find out as much as they possibly could. But what they find isn’t necessarily what they want to find. This story shows that, sometimes, what we don’t know can’t hurt us. I loved the whole premise of this story, and think that this one would also make a wonderful full-length novel. 


There are plenty of absolutely amazing stories within this book, and with so many different themes, there is something for everyone. The first story is much longer than the others, and is certainly the main attraction for the book, but the stories that come with it are a wonderful addition, and with them all quick enough to read during a short break, they make the book perfect to put down and come back to when you have a few minutes. The author has clearly explored several threads of creativity and genres within this book, and has been successful in the creation of a book full of wonderful stories.

If you like a good supernatural suspense story, a bit of gore, a touch of space-travel, and a little bit of the weird and wacky, you are bound to love this collection of stories! 


Born and raised in Bowling Green, KY, Clinton W. Waters holds a degree in Creative Writing from W.K.U. Their work has been featured in university publications from W.K.U. and the University of Regensburg. They are the lead writer/co-founder of Sundog Comics and their webcomic Variants.

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Tuesday 19 September 2023

Check out The Husband Criteria by Catherine Kullmann



The Husband Criteria
By Catherine Kullmann


Publication Date: 24th August 2023
Publisher: Willow Books
Page Length: 297 Pages
Genre: Historical Romance / Regency Romance

London 1817

The primary aim of every young lady embarking on the Spring frenzy that is the Season must be to make a good match. Or must it? And what is a good match? For cousins Cynthia, Chloe and Ann, well aware that the society preux chevalier may prove to be a domestic tyrant, these are vital questions. How can they discover their suitors’ true character when all their encounters must be confined to the highly ritualised round of balls, parties and drives in the park?

As they define and refine their Husband Criteria, Cynthia finds herself unwillingly attracted to aloof Rafe Marfield, heir to an earldom, while Chloe is pleased to find that Thomas Musgrave, the vicar’s son from home, is also in London. And Ann must decide what is more important to her, music or marriage.

And what of the gentlemen who consider the marriage mart to be their hunting grounds? How will they react if they realise how rigorously they are being assessed?

A light-hearted, entertaining look behind the scenes of a Season that takes a different course with unexpected consequences for all concerned.




Catherine Kullmann 


Catherine Kullmann was born and educated in Dublin. Following a three-year courtship conducted mostly by letter, she moved to Germany where she lived for twenty-five years before returning to Ireland. She has worked in the Irish and New Zealand public services and in the private sector. Widowed, she has three adult sons and two grandchildren.

Catherine has always been interested in the extended Regency period, a time when the foundations of our modern world were laid. She loves writing and is particularly interested in what happens after the first happy end—how life goes on for the protagonists and sometimes catches up with them. Her books are set against a background of the offstage, Napoleonic wars and consider in particular the situation of women trapped in a patriarchal society.

She is the author of The Murmur of Masks, Perception & Illusion, A Suggestion of Scandal, The Duke’s Regret, The Potential for Love, A Comfortable Alliance and Lady Loring’s Dilemma. 

Catherine also blogs about historical facts and trivia related to this era. You can find out more about her books and read her blog (My Scrap Album) at her website. You can contact her via her Facebook page or on Twitter.

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Monday 18 September 2023

Look who is in the Spotlight - The London Forgery (A Fabiola Bennett Mystery) by Heidi Eljarbo



The London Forgery
(A Fabiola Bennett Mystery)
By Heidi Eljarbo


Publication Date: 29th August 2023
Publisher: Self-Published
Page Length: 252 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery / Dual Timeline Historical Fiction

1973

Art historian Fabiola Bennett sees herself as a prudently observant deer who becomes a daring and even mischievous lioness if the situation calls for it. And that’s exactly what’s required when greedy criminals steal, forge, and tamper with treasured artwork. When the crooks add murder to their list of crimes, the chaos is complete.
A mysterious note is delivered anonymously at the door of the National Gallery in London, and the director immediately calls Fabiola’s office in Oslo and pleads with her to come without delay. The message is confusing, but it seems one of her favorite eighteenth-century portraits is in trouble.

Fabiola hops on the first plane and meets up with her vibrant side-kick Pippa Yates and the ever-loyal Detective Inspector Cary Green from New Scotland Yard. But she is not naïve enough to think untangling the purpose and meaning of the mysterious note will be as simple as a walk in Hyde Park. These things never are.

1750

Newly married Robert and Frances Andrews, members of the landed gentry of Suffolk, England, hire young and talented Thomas Gainsborough to paint their wedding portrait. Their desire is a lovely conversation piece showing their wealth and class, an artwork to remember them by for generations to come.

Little do they know the gifted artist portrays their personalities exactly how he perceives them, and the artistic symbolism is not as flattering as they’d hoped for. Even the looming clouds in the distance promise a troublesome future.

This is the first book in a new dual timeline series by Heidi Eljarbo—an intriguing spin-off from the much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries.




Heidi Eljarbo


Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.
Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter. 
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.
Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

Connect with Heidi: 
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