#BlogTour I'll Be Home for Christmas by Abbey Clancy

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour I'll Be Home for Christmas by Abbey Clancy.

About the Author
Born in Liverpool, Abbey Clancy balances her home life with her career as a model and TV presenter. She is an ambassador for many of the UK's top brands and has designed her own clothing and jewellery lines as well as launching a range of baby products. Abbey is married to Premiership footballer Peter Crouch and has three small children. I'll be Home for Christmas is her second novel.

Follow @OfficialClancy  and @HQStories on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Buy I'll be Home for Christmas

About the book
Popstar Jessika Malone can't believe her luck! Not only has she signed a major record deal and is topping the charts with her latest single, she's just been offered the chance of a lifetime: a tour with gorgeous megastar Cooper Black...

It's everything she's ever dreamed of - except that it means travelling thousands of miles from her boyfriend, Daniel, just when he's finally got down on one knee and popped the question.

Far from home and followed by the paparazzi, her relationship is tested more than Jessika ever imagined - will she make it home for Christmas before its too late?

Review
Jessika doesn't really spend a lot of time reflecting on her own mistakes or choices. Everything is seen through the lens of her own frame of references. She feels hurt by the fact Daniel won't fly out and visit her, and yet doesn't consider doing the same thing. She feels jealous because he is spending all his time with an attractive superstar, but completely disregards the fact she is doing the same thing.

She acts like a spoiled child who is used to getting her own way and she certainly does when her bubble is burst on a surprise visit to her home.

I like the fact Clancy brought up abuse of power. It may not not seem important other than to magnify a certain dramatic point in the story, but it does speak to an ongoing issue that people with large followings have. The use of fans or followers to impact negatively on a third party or person. Doesn't seem like a big thing, but it can destroy lives, reputations and businesses. Not exactly the kind of behaviour that should be supported.

Also the way Cooper does this, which the rich and famous are wont to do. Using the medium of their career to diss or malign someone is childish at best and destructive at worst. The author incorporates this into the read in a subtle way and makes her point without losing the feel-good read aspect of the book.

It's a Christmas romance, a story that proves money and fame can't buy you love or happiness. That trust is an integral part to any relationship, and once it is gone it has to be rebuilt. Clancy delivers a fun, energetic read with serious undertones - just right for the festive season.

Buy I'll Be Home for Christmas at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Mills & Boon; pub date 14th November 2019 - Paperback £7.99 - eBook £5.99 - Audiobook £12.99. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Hive.co.uk

#BlogTour High Heels & Beetle Crushers by Jackie Skingley

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour High Heels & Beetle Crushers: The Life, Losses and Loves of an Officer and Lady by Jackie Skingley.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win 2 x Paperback copies of High Heels & Beetle Crushers (Open UK / US Only)

About the Author
For Jackie Skingley, adventure has been her quest since childhood. Life with the British army allowed Jackie to live all over the world and gain huge appreciation for different cultures and customs. Since 1999, Jackie and her husband have lived in the Charente region of South West France where Reiki, jewellery making, painting and mosaics, as well as writing keep her fully occupied. Member of the Charente Creative Writing Group, mother and grandmother.

Follow @skingleyj on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, on Facebook, Buy High Heels & Beetle Crushers

About the book
A compelling memoir of post-war Britain. Jackie Skingley grew up with limited career choices but joining the Women’s Royal Army Corps offered her a different life, living and working in a military world, against the backdrop of the Cold War. Packed full of stories reflecting the changing sexual attitudes prior to the arrival of the pill and the sexual revolution of the mid 60s, Skingley’s memoir denotes a shift in the political and social fabric of the era. Follow her relationships with the men in her life from finding her first true love, which through a cruel act of fate was denied her, to embarking on a path of recovery.

Review
As the daughter of military parents who served during the Cold War, a lot of the places and scenes coincide with what my parents told me and where we lived during our time abroad and in the UK.

One thing that is always evident is the lack of equality when it comes to the treatment of women and men in the military. Where certain behaviour would mean the end of a career for a woman and yet just a reprimand for a man.

What I found interesting is how Skingley links her sexuality and sexual experience with nearly ever moment in her past. Of course that unfortunately also means having to go through harassment, sexual assault and in general a maligning of reputation. And perhaps the assumption by society that women aren't complete until they become part of a couple. An almost compulsory next step, because to do otherwise would suggest something more nefarious.

That's also something the author includes in her memoir - the treatment of homosexuals in the military, during a time in history when it was still a criminal offence to have a same-sex sexual relationship.

It's a post-war memoir that depicts the rather limited options of women in this era. I am sure there are plenty of moments that speak to the hardship of what she had to endure as a woman in the military in post-war Britain. The Cold War service often gets forgotten in the general mention of history, unless it is a spy driven story.

Forgotten are the men and women, who were expecting another conflict after the violent events of WW2, which then melded into other just as serious threats to the country and the world. It's important not to forget those nameless people.

Buy High Heels & Beetle Crushers at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Chronos Books; pub date 14 Dec. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway to Win 2 x Paperback copies of High Heels & Beetle Crushers (Open UK / US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –UK & USA 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.

#BlogTour Audiobook: Cast a Deadly Shadow by Roger Granelli

Today it's a pleasure to kick off the BlogTour for the Audiobook Cast a Deadly Shadow by Roger Granelli. - Roger Granelli (Author), Andrew Wincott (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher)

About the Author
Cast A Deadly Shadow by Roger Granelli - From the author of gripping Italian crime dramas Still Waters, Tough Love and Under the Wide Palermo Sky.

Follow @RogerGranelli on Twitter, Visit Rogergranelli.com, Buy Cast a Deadly Shadow

About the Audiobook
With Cast A Deadly Shadow Roger Granelli has followed his exciting series of Palermo Stories with a full-length novel that is a fast-moving tale of murder, betrayal and lust.

Cast A Deadly Shadow is a vibrant, fast-moving tale of murder, lust, and betrayal, as Inspector Carlo Carpanini and Sergeant Leo Bracchi continue their never-ending fight against the Mafia Dons of Palermo.

Carlo and Leo have managed to capture Bardolini, a leading Mafiosi and psychopathic killer who has been a long-time target. They are bringing him back from Milan to Palermo by train but things go badly wrong. Two other Mafia hit men attempt to free Bardolini, which leads to a bloody confrontation in the railway carriage. Carlo and Leo survive but this sets off a dramatic chain of events and all manner of criminals with their own agenda want to get involved, and none of them can be trusted.

To make matters worse, Leo’s partner Sylvia is kidnapped by one of Bardolini’s henchmen, causing Leo a terrible dilemma of having to choose between duty and the need to save the love of his life. In the midst of all this Carlo and Leo also have to deal with a major raid on a Palermo bank, carried out by the Camorra mafia from Naples who are trying to muscle in on their long-established Sicilian counterparts.

All roads eventually lead to the Villa Moretti, where Sylvia is being held. Carlo and Leo are in their tightest spot ever as they try to save her, whilst being threatened by three different mafia entities, all trying to gain the bloody upper hand over each other and the police in an explosive final climax.

Review
Granelli is the author of the Palermo Stories - singles - and this is a full length novel featuring detectives Carpanini and Bracchi.

Let me start off by mentioning how perfect the choice of narrator is for this audiobook. Andrew Wincott personifies the essence of the characters and the story - perhaps he was too perfect. (Wonders if he has a mafia sideline, that's how convincing he is.)

The story begins with the capture of the volatile killer Bardolini. He is a head honcho in the mafia and doesn't take kindly to being captured. Carpanini and Bracchi soon discover that they might have bitten off more than they can chew when Bardolini's men try to rescue him.

A tit for tat develops, which places one of the detectives in a conundrum. Should he pick his career and everything he believes in or should he save the person he loves. One would think the choice is clear, but at what cost does his choice come?

The author brings the coarse, abrupt and often brutal feeling of mob mentality to the table. Not the mob we know from the US - the romanticised gangster version. This speaks to the origins and the old school mafia, which is a completely different ball game. When you combine that with a character and story definition similar to Montalbano, Maltese or Il capo dei capi - you get a riveting read or listen.

It's an old school urban mafia crime story brought alive by a captivating narrator. He definitely does justice to Granelli's words and characters.This is a story I would recommend to listeners who enjoy crime that is abrasive and oddly charming at the same time.

Buy Cast a Deadly Shadow at Amazon Uk . Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Audible Uk.

Audible Audiobook
Listening Length: 8 hours and 27 minutes,  Program Type Audiobook, Version: Unabridged, Publisher: Audible Studios, Audible.co.uk Release Date: 12 Dec. 2019, Language: English, English., ASIN: B081VRMCN3

#BlogTour Anatomy of a Dress by Juliette van der Molen

It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Anatomy of a Dress by Juliette van der Molen.

About the Author
Juliette van der Molen is a poet currently living in the United States. She is a poetry editor for Mookychick Magazine. Her books include:  Death Library: The Exquisite Corpse Collection (Moonchild Magazine), Mother, May I? (Animal Heart Press) and the forthcoming Anatomy of A Dress (The Hedgehog Poetry Press).

Follow @j_vandermolen on Twitter, on Goodreads, Visit JulietteWrites.com, Buy Anatomy of a Dress

About the book
Anatomy of A Dress explores messages sent and interpreted regarding how women have historically been encouraged to dress, mainly for the pleasure and subjugation of the patriarchy. Folded into these pieces are my own experiences and internal conflicts with these issues. Sometimes encouragements or rules are handed down by those of our own gender (i.e. grandmothers, mothers) and reinforced by a male-led society that has a vested interest in the disenfranchisement of women. This poetry is speaks of the struggles women go through when making a decision most men would consider simple– What should I wear today?

Review
When I read the premise for this book of poetry it spoke to me, but I also wondered how the poet would vocalise said premise. When I read the first poem I knew. Zip Me - holds so much power and tension in the words, how one action can simultaneously mean so many things. The ability to conjure up a sensual image and yet also one of weakness. The prey waiting for the hunter to pounce. Fear sitting in the back of your neck. Vulnerability and exposure.

My Hem - what a strong impassioned statement about consent. A loud scream about physical appearance not being an invitation to invade, touch, harass or hurt. Appearance isn't open for debate. My Hem is followed by Buttoned Up , Dart, Won't You Call Me Sweetheart, Silhouette Shame, Schooled Pleats, Dupioni Darkling, Girls on Parade, S(mocked), Eye Let, Prêt-à-Porter, Painted legs, Pretty Thing, Unmentionables and Anatomy of a Dress. All of them hard-hitting punches straight into the very structure of our outdated society.

I would love to see the author/poet perform her words as performance art. Hear the strength and conviction that flows from the words she pierces onto the page. They are screams of outrage delivered in a calm, firm and determined manner.

It's bold, pulsing and passive aggressive poetry. Truth spoken through the iron barred windows of a patriarchal society. Van der Molen invites the readers to shine a spotlight on a seemingly innocent daily routine, which has so many conscious and subconscious implications for each individual. As a woman have you ever thought about how much time and energy you give to choice of clothes, as opposed to the lack of the same that men put into it.

How will I be perceived, if I wear this will someone think that? Have you ever told your daughter not to wear something because xyz could think of them a certain way? Just think of how much power that suggests. The male-centric and driven rules in regard to uniforms that impose skirts and dresses on girls because it suggests femininity, sexuality and cements the lack of equality and power in relationship between men and women.

Van der Molen is certainly a poet and author to watch.

Buy Anatomy of a Dress at Amazon Uk . Publisher: The Hedgehog Poetry Press; pub date 16 Dec. 2019. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Hive.co.uk. Buy at JulietteWrites.

#BlogTour A Portrait of Death by Rhen Garland

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour A Portrait of Death by Rhen Garland.

About the Author
Rhen Garland lives in Somerset, England with her folk-singing, book-illustrating husband, approximately 4000 books, an equal number of ancient movies, and a large flock of stuffed sheep.
She enjoys the countryside, peace, and Prosecco and the works of Ngaio Marsh, Glady Mitchell, John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson, Agatha Christie, and Terry Pratchett.

"I watch far too many old school murder mystery films, TV series, and 1980s action movies for it to be considered healthy."

"A Portrait of Death" is a murder mystery thriller with paranormal touches set in late Victorian England and is the first book in the Versipellis Mysteries Series.

Follow @RhenWitch on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Bookbub, on Goodreads,
Buy A Portrait of Death

About the book
In the quiet English village of Marmis Parva, a weekend house party is organised by a society hostess and all the top names are invited. But this is no ordinary party.

Two men are savagely murdered during the course of the first evening and a young man, presumed dead, returns home after two years imprisonment in South Africa bringing with him proof of treason.
Detective Chief Inspector Elliott Caine’s long-awaited holiday in the Lake District is cancelled as he is brought in to investigate the peculiar nature of the murders. More bodies are discovered and Elliott has to manoeuvre between high society, Government protocols, and the heinous nature of the crimes if he and his old friend Detective Sergeant Abernathy Thorne, are to catch the sadistic killer, and the traitor lurking amongst them.

When Caine’s past comes back to haunt him, will his judgement be too clouded to focus on solving the crime? Will the Boer spy’s identity be uncovered before they can flee? How are these murders connected to another in New York?

Review
Think Downton Abbey with the mystery vibe of a Christie and the murderous intent of a paranormal story with a hint of horror.

A weekend house party turns into a nightmare and the place of intrigue, death, threats, treachery and betrayal. Detective Chief Inspector Elliott Caine has to follow all the leads and disentangle the motives to find the real culprit. It's fair to say he discovers more than he expected to.

The upstairs, downstairs culture plays an important role in the storytelling, especially when it comes to the hierarchy in both of the structures and class elements. The intricate structures that determine the life they lead. How the vulnerable become victims of those who use their power status to oppress and abuse.

It's a Victorian crime mystery with elements of the paranormal and the mysterious brutality of a modern killer. Murder committed in the form of a shadow. A faceless unknown entity that comes and goes without leaving proof of existence.

At times it seemed as if less would be more, because it is fast-paced with lots of characters and different threads and the beginning takes the reader to different time sequences.

Garland brings multiple genres together in this crime mystery, which is set in the late 19th century, but often has the feel of a more vicious and modern crime read. The scenes with the murderer and the crimes give off this feel of something very dark and intense. It's quite interesting how the author sets the imagery of gruesome and bloody scenes without relying on gratuitous details and yet manages to instill this feeling of unseen and very much imagined horror.

Buy A Portrait of Death (Versipellis Mysteries) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy Amazon com.

#BlogTour Too Many Heroes by Jan Turk Petrie

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Too Many Heroes by Jan Turk Petrie.

About the Author
Jan Turk Petrie lives in the Cotswolds, S.W. England. She is the author of the fast paced Nordic thriller series: the Eldísvík novels. All three of these novels are set in 2068 in a fictional city state just below the arctic circle.

'Until the Ice Cracks' - the first of the trilogy was published in July 2018. Volume Two - 'No God for a Warrior' was published in November 2018. The third and final volume - 'Within Each Other's Shadow' was published in April 2019

The ebook boxset - The Eldísvík Trilogy was published in August 2019. Jan's fourth novel - 'Too Many Heroes' - a gripping new post-war thriller set in the East End of London was published in August 2019. She is currently working on her fifth book - 'Towards the Vanishing Point.'

A former English teacher with an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Gloucestershire, Jan has also written numerous, prize-winning short stories.

Follow @TurkPetrie on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit janturkpetrie.com, Buy Too Many Heroes

About the book
Where can a wanted man hide in a country full of returned war heroes?
It’s 1952 and Frank Danby has been looking over his shoulder for the last ten years, forced to lead an itinerant life, getting work wherever he can while trying to keep one step ahead of the police.

Returning to London, he finds a job in an East End pub, where he becomes entangled with Grace, the young and beautiful wife of the landlord. Then the law comes knocking. Facing a justice system prejudiced against him, Frank must find a way to escape the gallows.

Too Many Heroes is a gripping period thriller, exploring love, belonging and betrayal in a country still recovering from WW2. A must for fans of the post-war novels of Philip Kerr, Kate Atkinson and Sara Sheridan.

Review

Frank wants to be able to make a living without attracting a lot of attention. He wants to stay under the radar - way under the radar. Living a normal life isn't possible when you're technically a criminal. What's worse, in the eyes of many people being a deserter is the ultimate betrayal to all of those who fought and lost their lives in the war. Hiding away instead of supporting his fellow soldiers - there is no excuse for that and it is simply cowardice.

There is no consideration for the fear someone like Frank might have felt or guilt he may have burdened himself with. The why doesn't matter to the country. So Frank lives like a nomad.

He doesn't expect to meet someone like Grace and feel an instant connection. Unfortunately she has a husband and isn't in a position to embrace the attraction she feels for the wanderer. The clandestine relationship ends in tragedy for the two of them.

It's historical crime fiction set after WW2. The author lets the story and the tension between the characters develop slowly and gives the reader glimpses, via flashbacks, of why Frank is in such a precarious position. They tell a tale of torment which he carries within him on a daily basis. A side of him he is reluctant to share with the world for fear of judgement and disdain.

I would have liked the author to explore the topic of desertion and perhaps even conscientious objectors a little more, aside from the information in the appendix. In another story perhaps? The trauma and permanent psychological scarring of people who are or were involved in war or combat is underestimated, and even in our day and age the support for veterans is severely lacking.

Buy Too Many Heroes at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Pintail Press; pub date 23 July 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Storm of Ash by Michelle Kenney

Today it's a pleasure to kick off the BlogTour Storm of Ash by Michelle Kenney.

About the Author
Michelle is a firm believer in magic, and that ancient doorways to other worlds can still be found if we look hard enough. She is also a hopeless scribbleaholic and, when left to her own devices, likes nothing better than to dream up new fantasy worlds in the back of a dog-eared notebook. Doctors say they're unlikely to find a cure any time soon.

In between scribbling, Michelle love reading, running, attempting to play bluegrass and beach treasure-hunting with her two daughters (dreamers-in-training).

Michelle holds a LLB (hons) degree, an APD in Public Relations and is an Accredited Practitioner with the CIPR (with whom she's won awards for Magazine & PR work). But she's definitely happiest curled up against a rainy window, with her nose in a book.

Book of Fire is the first in a brand new YAFantasy Trilogy published by HarperCollins HQ. City of Dust, Book 2, was published October 2018 (digital) and December 2018 (paperback), and Storm of Ash, the final instalment is out on 11 December (Digital) and February 2020 (Paperback)

Follow @mkenneypr on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, on Facebook, Visit michellekenney.co.uk, Buy Storm of Ash

About the book
The brand new novel from Michelle Kenney, author of the Book of Fire and City of Dust!
As Talia treks back through the treacherous North Mountains, she knows only three things: Pantheon has stolen nearly everyone she loves; Her blood is the only control over the Voynich's oldest secret; And Cassius won't stop hunting Arafel until every last outsider is destroyed. Will Talia finally face her legacy and defeat Cassius before it is too late?

Review
This is the third book in the Book of Fire series. It absolutely can be read as a standalone novel, however I would highly recommend reading Book of Fire and City of Dust to get a better overall view and to be able to enjoy the vision and complexity of the storytelling.

This book starts with the conundrum Talia faces when it comes to Lake. The draco-chimera has become a potential threat to everyone, as Talia always thought she possibly would. Can the power be tamed and controlled or is Lake destined to be an object of destruction?

It's difficult to talk about this third part without giving too much of the plot away, so I am going to keep the details to a minimum. Needless to say both Lake and Talia bring fire to the table in their own specific way. The bond between them since the day Talia discovered the chimera will be drawn and chipped at, but perhaps not quite in the way certain adversaries expect it to be. Belief, friendship and ultimately trust is what speaks from their connection to each other.

Kenney writes fantasy the way it should be written. She wants her readers to sink into the folds of the intricate world-building and become immersed in the worlds she weaves. Much like a spider, she spins a web that one cannot help but fall into.

I was impressed by how many different elements the author wove into the structure of the story. History, mythology, evolution and of course the power of magic, which is defined and controlled only by the boundaries of her imagination. It is however also without boundaries, exceptionally expressive and simultaneously filled with rivers of emotion that flow throughout the story as it evolves.

It's high fantasy with elements of evolution, history and magic. The powerful world-building is combined with strong descriptive writing and an excellent plot. It's a cracking read, especially if you enjoy your fantasy intense, complex and relentless.

Buy Storm of Ash (Book of Fire #3) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.  Publisher: HQ Digital, ebook pub date 11 Dec. 2019 - Paperback pub date 6 Feb. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.