#BlogTour The Deptford Girls by Patricia A McBride

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Deptford Girls by Patricia A McBride.

About the Author

Patricia lives in Cambridge, England with her husband Rick. She first wrote non-fiction, mainly self-help books, but became inspired to try her hand at fiction. In addition to writing she volunteers for a local museum and Addenbrookes Hospital.

Follow Patricia McBride on Facebook, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Buy The Deptford Girls

About the book

A country at war. Friends in trouble. A fascist traitor. Stepping up can only lead Lily to danger. Rescuing friends or spotting spies; Private Lily Baker always gets involved.

While London burns she looks out for workmates and girlfriends but also uncovers a web of deception at the Depot where she works.

When the ruthless suspect knows she’s closing in, she must act fast to unmask the traitor and save her friends, herself, and the brave soldiers overseas whose lives are at risk.

The Deptford Girls is the fourth in the Lily Baker wartime series. This heart-wrenching story features courage, friendship, betrayal, compelling characters, and a captivating plot.

If you like vivid stories that take you right into the world of the characters, you’ll love The Deptford Girls. Cuddle up with a cuppa and enjoy this exciting, warm-hearted read.

Review

This is the fourth book in the Lily Baker wartime series. This can be read as a standalone novel but I would suggest perhaps reading the others for continuity of character stories.

As London is turned into complete chaos and the person next to you can easily become the next victim, Lily is still alert and invested in keeping those around her safe, even if it is difficult at times. She uses her gut instinct, which serves her well in this story, and yet also never loses her empathy for others, despite the difficult and often challenging circumstances.

The sub-plot of Lily's friend is indicative of the time - plenty of women and children became tragic casualties of old-fashioned rules and societal norms. Scandals that often led to lifelong regrets, damaged individuals and traumatised women.

McBride captures the brutality of living in a country at war. The repercussions of battle on soldiers, who often suffered from conditions, which were yet to be correctly examined or diagnosed. How those left in Britain coped with being a target of vicious bombings. The evacuation of their children, the destruction and death around them. The loss of their loved ones.

On top of that considering the implications of the enemy working from the inside out to weaken the strategy of the opposition, and those who chose to put profit above safety and hide in the chaos of wartime. It certainly shows the reader that life goes on regardless of what is going on around them in a greater context.

It's a quick pleasant read that delivers, drama, action and the emotional turmoil of the genre.

Buy The Deptford Girls at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour A Shop Girl at Sea by Rachel Brimble

Today it's the BlogTour A Shop Girl at Sea, the fourth part of the Pennington series, by Rachel Brimble.

About the Author
Rachel lives with her husband and their two daughters in a small town near Bath, England. Since 2007, she has had several novels published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical.

In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018, A Rebel At Pennington’s February 2019, Christmas At Pennington’s September 2019 and A Shop Girl at Sea April 2020.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America and has thousands of social media followers all over the world. To sign up for her quarterly and new release newsletter, click here to go to her website: https://rachelbrimble.com/

Connect with @RachelBrimble @Aria_Fiction on Twitter, on BookBub, on Goodreads, on Instagram, on Amazon, And with Rachel Brimble on Facebook, Rachel's Readers Group on Facebook,Visit rachelbrimble.blogspot.com, Buy A Shop Girl at Sea 

About the book
Bath, 1912.

Amelia Wakefield loves working at Pennington's, Bath's finest department store. An escape from her traumatic past, it saved her life. So when Miss Pennington sets her a task to set sail on the Titanic and study the department stores of New York, she couldn't be more excited – or determined!

Frustrated with his life at home, Samuel Murphy longs for a few weeks of freedom and adventure. Meeting Amelia on board the Titanic, Samuel can't help wonder what painful history has made the beauty so reserved. But he already has too many responsibilities for love.

Ruby Taylor has always kept her Pennington co-workers at a distance. Making sure her little brother is safe has always been her priority. But when that means accepting Victoria Lark's offer of sanctuary, more than one of Ruby's secrets is under threat of being revealed...

Review
This is the fourth book in the Pennington series, and although there are some characters we meet again in every book these can all be read as standalone novels.

Amelia is a woman throttled by her past, but determined to overcome it. When Miss Pennington picks her to discover what the US department stores do to draw shoppers in she is thrilled. Ruby gets to step up in her absence, which brings a certain amount of jealousy from certain corners with it.
Samuel has landed a cushy sailing job on the Titanic, which Amelia will be boarding shortly, and both of their lives become linked forever as they experience a terrible tragedy.

It's a romance with poignant social issues of the era woven into the plot.

Brimble makes an interesting point about the way male survivors were treated in the aftermath of the disaster. Why did so many of them survive when others didn't, especially with women and children being the first to supposedly be rescued - except those in the lower classes of course. The guilt on top of the trauma of the event would have been a terrible burden made ten times worse by people who weren't there making assumptions and blaming them for surviving.

It was interesting how the author took the event, and the survival of Amelia and Samuel, and turned it into a message or a sign instead of something so dark it could potentially destroy their psyche. It becomes the turning of a corner if they allow it to be.

Brimble always endeavours to deliver a read that has important messages along with historical facts and a good feeling to it. She doesn't shy away from difficult or uncomfortable topics, despite having the genre platform to just give readers all the happy they want.


Buy A Shop Girl at Sea (Pennington's #4) on Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.  Publisher: Aria; 9 April 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my reviews of Mistress of Pennington's, A Rebel at Pennington's and Christmas at Pennington's by Rachel Brimble.

#BlogTour The Teeth of Giants by Gordon Wallis

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Teeth of Giants by Gordon Wallis. It's wildlife conservation fiction and an action thriller.

About the Author
Gordon Wallis is a 50 year old author based in Zimbabwe , Southern Africa. Born of British parents he has lived there all his life. A keen reader of thriller novels , particularly those set in Africa , he has travelled extensively in Africa , Europe , The Middle East and Asia. He runs a number of businesses in Zimbabwe and is single.

Follow @zimbabaloooba on Twitter, on Facebook, on Goodreads,
Buy The Teeth of Giants

About the book

In the brutal war on Elephant poaching in Africa one man takes a stand against a ruthless international ivory smuggling syndicate. A stand that almost costs him everything.

Jason Green never for one minute expected the appalling violence and horror he would endure when he returned to Africa to pay his respects to an old friend.

A profound sense of guilt and nostalgia prompts London based ex soldier Jason Green to return to Africa for the funeral of an old friend killed in suspicious circumstances in The Zambezi Valley. He is about to be sucked into the murky and brutal underworld of the illegal ivory trade. Grave injury and a burning desire for revenge thrust Green from the blistering heat of The Zambezi Valley to the tropical coast of Mozambique and beyond. Every tortured step of this journey is fraught with extreme danger and the ever present threat of death.

The Teeth Of Giants is the second novel by Gordon Wallis featuring his main character Jason Green. Readers of thrillers set in Africa will devour the frenetic pace and sheer brutality of this gritty crime thriller.

Review
It has the feel of Wilbur Smith action adventure to it. The storyline doesn't just give the reader the imagery of the surroundings and the people, the author also delves into the dangers of said surroundings. This applies to the wildlife and those intent on profiting from the wildlife.

The beginning of the book is especially well-written, and one wouldn't be remiss for thinking the story was going to be a military action read.

Poacher seems to be such a misnomer nowadays. It used to describe people poaching for food and to live, but today it is an industry. A criminal industry, but a very profitable industry no less, which is also an incredibly cruel one. Leaving young animals orphaned, slaughtering adult animals for their tusks, horns and so on. I think the worst part of this brutality is knowing that they are murdered to appease the egos of mankind or become an ingredient in a ridiculous potion. Potions that are known to be complete nonsense.

Nearly two decades into the 21st century and we have already reached the statistical reality of many animals becoming extinct or nearing extinction, which makes this story even more pertinent.
When
Jason Green hears about the death of his close friend and travels home for his funeral, he has no idea that it is the start of an all out war against ruthless criminals, who care zero for the living, regardless whether they are animal or human.

I think there was a slight continuity mistake in regards to how old Hannes and/or Jason were in the present, bearing in mind that the book starts with the two of them as, I assume, seasoned scouts in 1979. Just a small thing - it doesn't detract from the rest of the story.

It's wildlife conservation fiction and an action thriller. A fast-paced read about revenge and justice, one man and his journey to uphold the memory of his friend.

Buy The Teeth of Giants by Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Birdie and Jude by Phyllis H. Moore

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Birdie and Jude by Phyllis H. Moore. It's literary fiction with elements of racism and homophobia, and yet ultimately it is a tale of kindness and hope.

About the Author
Phyllis H. Moore wants to live life experiences more than once: doing it, writing about it, and reading about it. The atmosphere of the south draws her in and repels her. The characters are rich with dysfunction and redemption, real. She’s had two careers and two retirements.

Both careers gave her inspiration for her novels: The Sabine Series, Sabine, Billy’s Story, Josephine’s Journals and Secrets of Dunn House, Opal’s Story, Tangled, a Southern Gothic Yarn, and The Bright Shawl, Colors of Tender Whispers, The Ember Months, Birdie & Jude, and an anthology of spooky short stories inspired by real places and events, The Bridge on Jackson Road. In 2018 she also released a new genre for her, A Dickens of a Crime, a Meg Miller Cozy Mystery. She has authored one nonfiction book, Retirement, Now What? Phyllis has been published by Caffeinated Press in the anthology, Brewed Awakenings 2, Fifteen Tales to Jolt Your Mind Awake.

Phyllis is a retired social worker and former owner/operator of a small bed and breakfast. She’s lived in the rural areas and cities of south Texas. She currently lives on Galveston Island with her husband, Richard.

Follow on @Phyllishmoore on Twitter, on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Goodreads, Visit phyllishmoore.com, Buy Birdie and Jude

About the book
A moving novel of loss, regret, denial, and discovery on Galveston Island, from the author of Opal’s Story and The Ember Months.

Birdie has lived to regret many of her decisions, but she doesn’t regret offering a stranger, Jude, shelter from an approaching hurricane. Their serendipitous meeting will form a bond that will change their lives forever.

In a character driven story with memories of the protests and inequality plaguing the 1960's, Birdie’s reached middle age and questions her life. Jude is striking out on her own, but has been derailed by a fatal accident claiming her only friend. Although their backgrounds and lives are vastly different, they recognize something in the other that forges a friendship.


As their relationship solidifies, they share glimpses of their pasts. Birdie is a product of the '60's, an aging hippie, with a series of resentments. She had a sheltered childhood in an upper class family. Her parents longed to see her make the Texas Dip at the Mardi Gras ball. Jude, however, entered foster care as an infant. Her parents, victims of a murder/suicide, left her and her siblings orphaned and separated.

There is something about their connection that strikes Birdie as familiar. Can souls know each other in different lives? Birdie struggles with the awareness that she has had regrets and hasn't lived an authentic life, while Jude faces an uncomfortable truth about her own. It has all the feels.

Review

It's a beautiful story. A tale of souls meeting and recognising each other. Proving that life is often more than what science and logic purports it to be. Sometimes there is more to life than logic dictates.

I enjoyed, and was relieved, the fact that Moore didn't bring that sense of connection, belonging and souls back to faith or religion. There is enough space for thoughts of the inexplicable, without dragging mythology or religious beliefs written by man and imposed by man, onto the beauty of the ethereal plane.

The relationship between Birdie and June is founded on something we have forgotten to listen to - instinct. Birdie stopping on that beach and offering a hand is kindness, also something society seems to be lacking at the moment. Asking nothing in return and just helping another human being in their time of despair and need.

The recognition of connection through time is there, but doesn't interfere with reality. Instead it is the conduit to Birdie's past, more specifically her childhood. As the reader is taken back into time, here and there, we meet an entirely different Birdie. The Birdie she should have been, but was never allowed to be. The Birdie who saw a sameness, a connection and a friend. There was no skin colour between Henry and Birdie. Others brought their skewed ideology and racism to the two of them.

This story has the same emotional draw that Beaches has. Just two people and a true depth of feeling. At the same time it confronts the reader with uncomfortable truths about the past. Racism, homophobia and oppression. It makes this a tale of a life lost, a lifetime of opportunities denied, because Birdie didn't fit the stereotype of being a straight, white and black-hating gal.

It's literary fiction with elements of racism and homophobia, and yet ultimately it is a tale of kindness and hope. I really enjoyed it.

Buy Birdie and Jude at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour To The Stars and Back by Camilla Isley

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour To The Stars and Back by Camilla Isley. It's a light-hearted romantic read.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a To The Stars and Back Tote Bag (Open to UK Only)

About the Author
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.

Follow @camillaisley on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Facebook, on BookBub, on Instagram, on Pinterest, Visit camillaisley.org Buy To The Stars and Back

About the book
When Hollywood’s sexiest bachelor meets the girl next door their relationship doesn’t follow the script…

On-screen, Christian Slade is America’s favorite heartthrob. Off-screen, letting romance into his life isn’t as easy. The women he dates all seem to want a piece of his glamorous life rather than his heart, and trust doesn’t come easy for him.

Then along comes Lana. A beautiful rocket scientist who’s also sweet, smart, sexy, and has absolutely no idea who he is. But what will happen when she finds out?
Will their worlds prove too far apart or could love really be like in the movies?

Review

It's a strange way to start a relationship. In a storage cupboard in a big hotel. Sitting side-by-side sharing their troubles and heartbreak. Lana the science professor and Christian, the global movie star. Except Lana doesn't know who Christian is, because she never watches television, watches movies or reads gossip magazines.

For Christian it is a chance to get to know someone who loves him for himself and not the character everyone portrays him as. In Lana's eyes he is just the guy from next door, mister ordinary. Part of him knows it is just a matter of time until she finds out the truth. What will happen when she does?

Even if this is a light-hearted read, Isley has woven a few serious topics into the fabric of the story. The way Christian has to deal with the constant invasion of privacy, both by the press and the public. The paparazzi will go to any lengths to get a picture or create a story. The truth isn't as interesting in our day and age. Fictional narratives and gossip are for more entertaining.

I think his opinion on the public interaction is also notable. The general public believes public figures belong to them, because they see them every day on the television, in the cinema, in magazines or on the internet. A false sense of knowing someone often arises and that it's ok to treat the famous like our best friends.

Invading their private space, their personal space becomes almost normal. Touching them seems appropriate. Talking and writing about them as if we know them. Taking photos and videos without asking. Is it any wonder they become reclusive, annoyed and aggressive when approached? The author throws up some interesting points - food for thought.

It's a light-hearted romantic read. Two people getting to know each other without the world interfering. How long can the good times last?

Buy To The Stars and Back (First Comes Love , book 4) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Pink Bloom Press; pub date 14 Jun. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a To The Stars and Back Tote Bag (Open to UK Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions - UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopte above. 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 winner' information. This will be passed to the gveaway organiser and used only for fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel's Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for the despatch or delivery of the prize.*

#BlogTour Solstice Sizzle by Lilliana Rose

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Solstice Sizzle by Lilliana Rose. It's paranormal romance with plenty of sizzle, romps and eroticism.

About the Author
Lilliana is an Amazon Bestselling author, who writes romance in the subgenres of contemporary, paranormal, steampunk, and rural. She enjoys helping characters overcome problems, or issues, and the misunderstandings that often plague relationships, to help them fall in love. Whether it city heels being replaced with country work boots, or some magic beyond this world, or cogs and gears and corsets, each story shows how love can prevail.

Follow @LillianaRose2 on Twitter, on Facebook, on Pinterest, on Goodreads, on Instagram, 

Visit lillianarose.com
Buy Solstice Sizzle

About the book
Johan Rogers is a sharpshooting family lawyer who is close to burn out. This is affecting his ability with the Magiks and his once reliable skill as a medium. On a whim, he’s come south to Edi’s shop, Crystal Sands, for a break over the summer solstice. He’s looking for fun, nothing serious, and definitely no commitment.

That’s how things start with the stunning Nova. But then a side of him he’s repressed to be a lawyer begins to emerge. Can he get a handle on his emotions, or will Nova help him to realize his full potential with the Magiks?

Nova McGinnis is struggling to find her unique skill with the Magiks. She’s been repressed too long, and despite Edi’s help, her ability is erratic at best. It’s been nearly a month of trying and she’s made minimal progress. Frustrated, she sees Johan as the perfect distraction.

It was meant to be just a summer love affair, but things are developing into something more lasting. Will a hot love affair prevent Nova from discovering her Magik ability, or help her?

Review

This is the second book in the Pagan Pleasures series. The first book, Beltane Bliss, features the story of Edi, who is also one of the characters in this one. In fact she plays a hand at helping two people open themselves up to their desires and inner abilities.

Nova is trying to access the skills she has repressed for many years. She has no idea how to access her magik, and her only memories are the ones of her mother doing everything she could to ensure Nova never used those skills.

Johan on the other hand is a workaholic who finds his talent or skills are diminishing as the years pass. He is trying desperately to reconnect to his innate abilities. When he meets Nova everything else becomes secondary, because what could be better than a holiday fling?

The first in the series was more of a paranormal romance, whereas I would put this one in that category and erotic romance too. Some of the sex scenes are explicit. A lot of male chickens and cats colluding to have spontaneous rumpy pumpy, if ya know what I mean.

There is a difference between the two reads, the focus was on the romantic connection in Beltane and this time it was about the physical connection and lust. Both very different ways to approach the genre and topic, and yet at the same time equally valid ones. I do think readers looking for the first approach may find the second one less appealing - if it's the less graphic and more romantic read they are looking for. Perhaps even vice versa. Something to keep in mind in regards to consistency and retaining readership.

Saying that, the author clearly has a nose for creating a lot out of little. Think minimal cast, structure and world-building, and yet still being able to create a short pleasurable read. Not something everyone can do.

It's paranormal romance with plenty of sizzle, romps and eroticism.

Buy Solstice Sizzle (Pagan Pleasures #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy on BookBub.

Read my review of Beltane Bliss by Lilliana Rose.

#BlogBlitz The Rats: A White House Satire by Douglas Board

Today it's my turn to host the third book on the three book Blog Blitz, The Rats by Douglas Board. It's a thought-provoking satirical short story.

Buy The Rats: A White House Satire at douglasboard.com

About the Author
Douglas Board is the author of the campus satire MBA (Lightning Books, 2015), which asked why so much of the business world is Managed By Arseholes. Time of Lies, his second novel, is a timely exploration of the collapse of democracy.

Born in Hong Kong, he has degrees from Cambridge and Harvard and worked for the UK Treasury and then as a headhunter. He has also had a distinguished career in public life, serving as treasurer of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and chairing the British Refugee Council.
As well as writing fiction, he is the author of two applied research books on leadership, which was the subject of his doctorate. He is currently a senior visiting fellow at the Cass Business School in London. He and his wife Tricia Sibbons live in London and Johannesburg.

Follow @BoardWryter on Twitter, on Amazon, Visit douglasboard.com
Buy The Rats

About the book
Ros March, disabled lesbian mum and former Royal Marine, has just moved to Turnberry on Scotland's west coast. Her cottage overlooks one of the world's most famous golf courses - Trump Turnberry - as well as the scenic bird sanctuary Ailsa Craig. But idylls deceive. In truth Ailsa was once overrun by rats, who were exterminated at the end of the twentieth century, and Ros's landlord turns out to be a delusional Islamophobic misogynist who calls himself 'Potus Two'. When Potus Two announces that both he and Ros will have the chance to meet the President on Turnberry's hallowed grounds, Ros hatches a plan. Even a slim chance to do something about one of the biggest rats in the world is not something she will pass by.

Review
This was my favourite story by Board so far. Probably because it is relevant to the political climate we are living in at this very moment in time.

Ros is a war veteran, a woman who has served and come back injured both physically and psychologically. Someone who has had to reinvent her life and the way she is going to provide for herself and her loved ones going forward.

Her landlord, who has dubbed himself Potus2, reminds her of everything there is to dislike about the real Potus. His fascination with Trump is an obsession, which is probably a good representation of the way the majority of his voters think of him, despite his many negative attributes.

It's certainly a relevant story because we are living in very divisive times; the United Kingdom is split down the middle because of Brexit. The far right is on the rise and Nazi's march again in Europe, oh and in the US. Putin is putting Mother Russia back together with little opposition from the rest of the world.

He and his minions have spent a lot of time ensuring that the conditions and peace set in place after WW2 and in the decades after to create bridges between European countries, are being set alight. Simultaneously they helped one of the singly most dangerous men of our time get elected to the highest office in the United States.

From the outside looking in the world can see him turning the US back into the lawless West by placing himself above the law. He is a despot in the guise of a ruler of a great democracy.

Unfortunately, as if often the case, the US is driven very much by two political parties. One of whom is willing, and are willing to vote for the person destroying their democracy and place in the global power structure, as long as they aren't voting for a Democrat. The other party is so busy fighting internally for power and splitting off into splinter groups that they are unable to pick the right person to both represent the country, their party and convince the other voters not to vote for Trump.

This short story speaks to the division in the majority of people. To be completely fair I have to say both sides feel equally strong about Trump, regardless of whether it is for or against. The question in this story is whether it is right to go to extreme lengths to rid yourself of someone you believe to be the single most dangerous person to our country, your loved ones and yourself.

Obviously Board uses exaggeration to make his point, as is his forte, but this time the difference between exaggeration and reality is a really slim margin. He makes his point, yes he certainly does that, and the timing couldn't be better as the person in question is causing great waves and debate on his state visit in this country.

It's a thought-provoking satirical short story. Board presents the truth of this fictitious story wrapped in a layer of sharp-tongued wit and with an extremely provocative scenario.

Buy The Rats: A White House Satire at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Watch a Promotional Video of The Rats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq07R072IhU

Read my review of Time of Lies by Douglas Board here
Buy Time of Lies
Read my review of MBA by Douglas Board here
Buy MBA

#BlogBlitz MBA by Douglas Board

Today I am hosting the second book on this three book Blog Blitz. MBA by Douglas Board. It's a thriller come tongue-in-cheek satirical story on the convoluted hand in hand world of business and business schools.

Get 30% off MBA with discount code BLOGTOURMBA at Lightning Books eye-books.com

About the Author
Douglas Board is the author of the campus satire MBA (Lightning Books, 2015), which asked why so much of the business world is Managed By Arseholes. Time of Lies, his second novel, is a timely exploration of the collapse of democracy.

Born in Hong Kong, he has degrees from Cambridge and Harvard and worked for the UK Treasury and then as a headhunter. He has also had a distinguished career in public life, serving as treasurer of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and chairing the British Refugee Council.

As well as writing fiction, he is the author of two applied research books on leadership, which was the subject of his doctorate. He is currently a senior visiting fellow at the Cass Business School in London. He and his wife Tricia Sibbons live in London and Johannesburg.

Follow @BoardWryter on Twitter, on Amazon, Visit douglasboard.com
Buy MBA

About the book
Why is so much of the world managed by arseholes? When workaholic business school hot shot Ben Stillman is fired, he has the chance to find out. Not a guy to sit still, Ben jumps head first into turning his former business school into a world-class madrassa of capitalism.

Ben has ten days to rescue the launch of its spectacular glass tower, and his own career – ten days during which he will have to confront terrorist plots, undercover police, the extravagant demands of the super-rich, and the only woman who can save him from this madness.

A satirical thriller, a love story, and a wry look at modern management ideology all rolled into one – MBA is a piercing yet hopeful enquiry into the meaning of success.

Review
MBA stands for Managed By Arseholes. It certainly seems as if this a common theme nowadays. Managed by them, governed by them and often betrayed by them. This is a fast-paced thriller set around a 'fictional' business school.

Let me digress here for a minute, as I am wont to do.

People with a high number of psychopathic traits often end up in certain professions. An alleged 21% of CEOs are psychopaths (probably more - just saying, the study was based on a mere 261 senior professionals in the US), 1 in 5 CEOs. These traits are seen as favourable in the corporate world, and whilst I understand it means the endgame of profit, wealth and power is being achieved, there is an definitely argument to be made for the damage left in the wake of decisions made by those with said traits.

That doesn't mean corporate leaders or people in business can't make hardcore decisions that equate to a tidal wave of damage on the economy and common man, but one would hope their empathy would make them ponder longer on said tidal wave. Recently I was doing a test with a friend, we discuss data and results ect of certain areas, this time of narcissistic personality traits. Studies show there is a rise in those tendencies in undergraduates.

Where am I going with all of this? The mindset of men and women in the industry, and that of the those teaching them and defining the future senior leaders in economy, commerce, politics, government and business. Then, as is demonstrated quite well in this story the collusion between the teaching institutes and the big businesses who wield the power, and correlation between decisions and actions which are detrimental to the common man.

It's both ironic and amusing that the word ethics is used in combination with business and this premise is an example of how some people have no moral compass at all.

Towards the end the plot becomes a wee bit outlandish and perhaps hard to follow, because it seems a bit disjointed. Board has a very specific style though. Short rapid bursts of info, dialogue and actions. Look here, look over there, listen to this, whilst reading another thing. It's a clever way to conceal the information he wants to impart with his audience, whilst lulling the reader into a false sense of security with the more fictitious aspect of the story thereby distracting them. The result is you come away with tidbits of info that burrow in like moles and create connections you may previously have been unaware of.

It's a thriller come tongue-in-cheek satirical story on the convoluted hand in hand world of business and business schools.

Buy MBA at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Lightning Books: pub date 7 Sept. 2015. Buy at Amazon com.

Watch a Promotional Video for MBA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=hUOs5YqqkBg

Read my review of Time of Lies by Douglas Board here
Buy Time of Lies

#BlogBlitz Time of Lies by Douglas Board

This is one heck of a Blog Blitz. In the next three days I will be hosting all three books on the tour starting with Time of Lies by Douglas Board today. It's political satire hidden in satirical comedy.

Get 30% off Time of Lies with discount code BLOGTOURLIES at Lightning books eye-books.com

About the Author
Douglas Board is the author of the campus satire MBA (Lightning Books, 2015), which asked why so much of the business world is Managed By Arseholes. Time of Lies, his second novel, is a timely exploration of the collapse of democracy.

Born in Hong Kong, he has degrees from Cambridge and Harvard and worked for the UK Treasury and then as a headhunter. He has also had a distinguished career in public life, serving as treasurer of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and chairing the British Refugee Council.

As well as writing fiction, he is the author of two applied research books on leadership, which was the subject of his doctorate. He is currently a senior visiting fellow at the Cass Business School in London. He and his wife Tricia Sibbons live in London and Johannesburg.

Follow @BoardWryter on Twitter, on Amazon, Visit douglasboard.com
Buy Time of Lies

About the book
In 2020 the United Kingdom elects its own Donald Trump.
Bob Grant, former football hooligan, now the charismatic leader of the Britain’s Great party, has swept to power on a populist tide. With his itchy finger hovering over the nuclear trigger, Bob presides over a brave new Britain where armed drones fill the skies, ex-bankers and foreigners are vilified, and the Millwall football chant ‘No one likes us, we don’t care’ has become an unofficial national anthem.

Meanwhile, Bob’s under-achieving, Guardian-reading brother Zack gets a tap on the shoulder from a shady Whitehall mandarin. A daring plot is afoot to defy the will of the people and unseat the increasingly unstable PM. Can Zack stop his brother before he launches a nuclear strike on Belgium? And just what is ACERBIC, Britain’s most closely-guarded military secret?

A darkly comic political thriller, Time of Lies is also a terrifyingly believable portrait of an alternative Britain. It couldn’t happen here… could it?

Review
Based on the pub date and a lot of the witty repertoire and political satire, the author appears to have been ahead of his time. There are quite a few things in the story that apply to the world and the United Kingdom we are living in right now. A country split down the middle because a public schoolboy from the old men's club decided to put our future at risk by asking the people for their opinion and then chickening out when the result wasn't what he expected.

Although this definitely comes under the banner of satire I have to say Board sailed very close to reality and truth. In fact aren't we living what appears to be a version of someone else's harsh comedy of errors. I wish. I really wish we weren't.

His take on Brexit, nuclear deterrence, our very staunch and proper class structure and the joy that is Britain's bureaucracy. He takes aim at all of them and doesn't hold back at all. It may be fictional characters doing the walking and the talking, but I can imagine the author is quite the conversationalist.

It's extremely well researched and the author is clearly a smart cookie. Smart to the point of taking the proverbial urine, and yet now we are smack bang in the middle of complete chaos. There are elements of the book that made me want to debate and discuss, certainly a sign of a book worth reading.

Written with multiple narrators, which can sometimes give the appearance of being completely unrelated. despite the fact they are. It's an interesting way to show both sides of the coin.

It's political satire hidden in satirical comedy. I actually think the author could have left fiction, comedy and satire aside, and just written a book on politics. It would have been equally as intriguing, perhaps more so.

Buy Time of Lies at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Lightning Books; pub date 25 June 2017. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of MBA by Douglas Board
Buy MBA

Watch promotional Videos for Time of Lies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvExzv39qs8&t=37s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqBwnl4rtk8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_clB5pM7Gbw&t=48s

#BlogBlitz The Raven Coven by Emma Miles

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Raven Coven by Emma Miles. It's paranormal fantasy with intricate world-building.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win 3 x Paperback copies of The Raven Coven (Open INT)

About the Author
Emma Miles: 'I presently live in the stunning county of Dorset where I’m a cat slave to Wolfe and Piglitt. I spend as much time as I can outside in nature and love exploring and learning about new cultures and languages. I’ve visited Greece, Serbia, Transylvania, Sicily and Norway as well as making several road trips around our beautiful United Kingdom. I paint, sculpt, dabble in photography and do a little archery but most of all – whenever I get a chance – I write.

My writing started from a very young age when I often found myself being the one taking charge of and entertaining all my younger cousins. They loved to hear my stories and although they mostly called for ghost stories it was fantasy I fell in love with when I read The Lord of the Rings when I was ten. I went on to write stories and short ‘books’ for my friends through school and college; then one evening whilst I was waiting for my aunt and uncle to visit an image came to my mind of a boy sitting beneath a bridge. I didn’t know who he was or why he was there, but from exploring those questions ‘The Wind’s Children’ trilogy blossomed and grew with roots going back into his far history as well as stretching out to his future. The boy’s name was Tobias.

I have since left Tobias's world of 'Naris' to explore the Valley with Feather in the 'Hall of Pillars' which is now available through Amazon. I am now presently finding my way through Elden, the beautiful Fulmer islands, the ravaged Borrows and haunted Chem with Kesta Silene; a shamaness of sorts with a big journey ahead of her. I hope you come along to share her story and join her adventure; she needs you and you won't regret it.'

Follow @EmmaMilesShadow on Twitter, on Facebook, on Amazon, on Goodreads,
Visit emmamilesauthor

Buy The Raven Coven

About the book
Kesta had left her heart across the sea. They were at peace, her people saved from slavery, and yet… her soul was uneasy.

Chem lies in chaos, its people suffering as a result of the death of the ruling sorcerers. Refugees flee the cursed Borrows, begging for help from those they had made their enemy. A Queen unknowingly makes a dark, deadly pact, and new powers rise to fill the seats left empty by the Dunham necromancers.

Review
This is the second book in the Fire-Walker series, and I would definitely recommend reading the first book The Raven Tower. It has quite complex world-building, a lot of storylines and characters, which may seem unclear if you don't read the first. The fact the second begins with a series of correspondence between said characters speaks even more to the need to read the first book.

Kesta makes the ultimate sacrifice by leaving the man she loves behind, but in this book it becomes clear that her sacrifice may have been a lot of hot air. Saying it is one thing, doing it is something else entirely. When she reunites with Jorrun they both realise that neither of them can bear being apart. So the trick is being able to find a way to be together, despite the opposition and obstacles.

Miles has incorporated important topics such as the oppression of women, the prejudice, fear and discrimination against those who hold elemental power and the people who appear to be the enemy. Sometimes there are grey areas, and Kesta and Jorrun have to navigate these difficulties to find a way for everyone to coexist.

It's quite interesting how the two of them find it hard to balance the fact they are powerful in their separate universes, however when one of them steps into that of the other one of them becomes less powerful, which is probably the real reason they find it hard to agree about certain matters along the way. In this case it's Kesta, because she finds it hard to be relegated to a secondary position, hence the real reason for her inability to understand her adopted nation.

It's paranormal fantasy with intricate world-building. Although Miles brings everything together at the end there is always an opening to take the story forward from that point. It has a paranormal aspect to it, however I do think this has more of a high fantasy feel to it. Again, I recommend reading the first book in the series to get the full flavour of the story.

Buy The Raven Coven (Fire-Walker #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win 3 x Paperback copies of The Raven Coven (Open INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above. 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.

#BlogTour The Refuge by Jo Fenton

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Refuge by Jo Fenton. This is the second book in The Abbey series and also the second book of this two book blog tour. It's a dark psychological thriller set in the aftermath of the disassembly of a religious sect. A fast-paced sometimes disturbing read.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win 3 x E-copies of The Brotherhood and The Refuge (Open Internationally)

About the Author
Jo Fenton grew up in Hertfordshire. She devoured books from an early age, particularly enjoying adventure books, school stories and fantasy. She wanted to be a scientist from aged six after being given a wonderful book titled “Science Can Be Fun”. At eleven, she discovered Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer, and now has an eclectic and much loved book collection cluttering her home office.

Jo combines an exciting career in Clinical Research with an equally exciting but very different career as a writer of psychological thrillers.

When not working, she runs (very slowly), and chats to lots of people. She lives in Manchester with her husband, two sons, a Corgi and a tankful of tropical fish. She is an active and enthusiastic member of two writing groups and a reading group.

Follow @jl_fenton on Twitter, on Facebook, Visit jofenton137.com, Buy The Refuge

About the book
Following the death of The Brotherhood’s charismatic but sinister leader, Dominic, Melissa and her husband Mark resolve to turn the Abbey into a refuge for victims of domestic abuse. But when Melissa’s long-lost sister, Jess, turns up at the Abbey, new complications arise.

The Abbey residents welcome the new arrival but find it hard to cope with the after-effects of her past. As Jess struggles to come to terms with what she’s been through, her sudden freedom brings unforeseen difficulties. The appearance of a stalker – who bears a striking resemblance to the man who kept her prisoner for nine years – leads to serious problems for Jess.

Meanwhile, Mark also finds that his past is coming back to haunt him. When a mother and daughter venture from the Abbey into the local town for a shopping trip, there are dreadful consequences.

A build-up of tension, a poorly baby and a well-planned trap lead Mel, Jess and their family into a terrifying situation.

Can Jess overcome the traumas of her past to rescue her sister?

Review
I'm sure this can be read as a standalone novel, however I do think reading the first book in the series puts everything into more perspective, especially because previous characters and events feature heavily in this one.

This book starts where The Brotherhood left off, with Melissa reunited with her baby and with Mark.
Her sister, who has been missing since she was child, has escaped her captors. She is reunited with her sister at the abbey, which is in the process of being turned into a refuge for victims of  domestic violence. Very apt considering the terrible crimes the members and leader of the sect committed.

Jess has a lot of trauma to overcome. Being held captive and both experiencing and seeing the depravity some people are capable of, well it's no wonder she needs time to adapt. It certainly doesn't help when someone turns up at her supposedly safe haven, someone who looks a lot like her captor. What are the chances of that happening?

It's a dark psychological thriller set in the aftermath of the disassembly of a religious sect. A fast-paced sometimes disturbing read.

This sequel follows on from the basic storyline and characters of the first book, which means there are bound to be certain similarities. I do think Fenton needs to move beyond the basic structure of this premise. The sexual harassment, crimes against women and rape tropes become repetitive or overdone the second time round. There needs to be a slight element of freshness.

Buy The Refuge at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Crooked Cat Books; pub date 28 May 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win 3 x E-copies of The Brotherhood and The Refuge (Open Internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above. 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.*

#BlogTour The Promise Between Us by Barbara Claypole White

Two days late and a dollar short - here is my blog post for the BlogTour the Promise Between Us by Barbara Claypole White. It's a contemporary read and women's fiction with a focus on mental health.

About the Author

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White has created her own idiosyncratic niche in mainstream fiction: hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina, where she lives with her family. Her novels include:

The Unfinished Garden, Mira Books, 2012, winner of the Golden Quill for Best First Book 2013; The In-Between Hour, Mira Books, 2014, chosen by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as an Okra Pick; The Perfect Son, Lake Union, 2015, Goodreads Choice Awards Semi-finalist for Best Fiction; Echoes of Family, Lake Union, 2016, WFWA 2017 Star Award Finalist; The Promise Between Us, Lake Union, 2018. (View the book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLW9XFo0nlg&t=5s)

Barbara is also an OCD advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity.

To listen to Barbara’s 2018 interview with Frank Stasio on The State of Things, click here: http://www.wunc.org/post/her-family-grapples-ocd-author-tackles-stereotypes-through-writing?fbclid=IwAR08E-DQ73f31jWBP2uKlix-eFsV7OOSQk_pXfS4uX3kqgnuHkbtVeB1Wvc

To watch Barbara’s 2018 interview with Linda Hurtado on Fox 13, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJUPUBZLCf8&t=33s

For more information on Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com

Follow @bclaypolewhite on Twitter, on Instagram, on Facebook,
Buy The Promise Between Us

About the book
Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.

But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?
To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret.

Review
The core theme throughout the book is fascinating, and I have to say kudos to the author for trying to bring more understanding to the topic and for trying to educate readers. I think walking away from this read plenty of readers will look upon postpartum OCD, anxiety and OCD in general in a completely different way.

I think a lot of mental health conditions are thrown under the umbrella term of OCD, and perhaps equally just as many that belong there aren't. Claypole White shows the more intrusive and devastating side of the disorder. The side of OCD that is misdiagnosed, misinterpreted and often goes undiagnosed, due to a lack of understanding and information flow. More importantly she also writes about the genetic component to the disorder.

The author shows these quite well when it comes to Maisie. As her anxiety and worries grow her coping mechanisms deteriorate and the symptoms of her OCD multiply. It may manifest itself in a slightly different way to an adult, but it is far more realistic to assume that said symptoms may be confused for something else, such as hormones, teenage years and just being a girl. Yes, that sort of sexism and gender inequality does exist when it comes to young children and teenagers, especially in relation to diagnosing medical or mental health conditions. Heck it still happens in adulthood.

There is no one person to blame for the situation between Katie and her ex-husband, and yet neither of them are blameless either. His refusal to accept the need for therapeutic help isn't an unusual opinion, unfortunately there is still too much stigma attached to mental health.

It's a contemporary read and women's fiction with a focus on mental health. It's a story about family and what constitutes being a family in a world full of patchwork ones. The meaning of the word family has been redefined over the last few decades.

Buy The Promise Between Us at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Lake Union Publishing' pub date 16 Jan. 2018. Buy at Amazon com.