Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "terry-tyler"

Coincidences will be available free on all the worldwide Amazon sites from Sunday 23rd September - Tuesday 25th September 2012!

This will be the last chance for all you Kindle users to download the book for free. After this promo I will be taking the book out of the KDP Select Programme so I can make it more widely available e.g. for Nook, Kobo etc.

I'd be really grateful if all of you could let your friends know about the promotion. Even if you've already downloaded the book, you can still help by tweeting the links on the free days, and posting a link on your Facebook pages.

Thank you all for your continued support!

While I'm on the subject of free downloads, it just so happens that there are a couple of other great books you can download for no pennies this weekend!

From Friday 21st September - Sunday 23rd September 2012, make sure you are ready to download two of the best books I've read recently:


Sign of the Times by Susan Buchanan

and

You Wish... by Terry Tyler


Both books are fabulous and must reads.


Here are all the links you'll need:

Coincidences:



Amazon .com http://www.amazon.com/Coincidences-eb...

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Coincidences-...

Amazon France http://www.amazon.fr/Coincidences-ebo...

Amazon Germany http://www.amazon.de/Coincidences-ebo...

Amazon Italy http://www.amazon.it/Coincidences-ebo...

Amazon Spain http://www.amazon.es/Coincidences-ebo...


You Wish...



Amazon .com http://www.amazon.com/You-Wish-ebook/...

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Wish-eboo...

Amazon France http://www.amazon.fr/You-Wish-ebook/d...

Amazon Germany http://www.amazon.de/You-Wish-ebook/d...

Amazon Italy http://www.amazon.it/You-Wish-ebook/d...

Amazon Spain http://www.amazon.es/You-Wish-ebook/d...

Sign of the Times





Amazon .com http://www.amazon.com/Sign-of-the-Tim...

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sign-of-the-T...

Amazon France http://www.amazon.fr/Sign-of-the-Time...

Amazon Germany http://www.amazon.de/Sign-of-the-Time...

Amazon Italy http://www.amazon.it/Sign-of-the-Time...

Amazon Spain http://www.amazon.es/Sign-of-the-Time...

Happy downloading!!

A few months ago, I was lucky enough to meet today's guest on Twitter. Terry Tyler has published four novels, and is working on her fifth. I recently read one of her books, You Wish..., and after reading that, she is now one of my favourite authors. I can't wait to find time to read the rest of her books.




After reading You Wish..., I had a few questions for Terry. Here's the interview:


Without giving too much away. You Wish... is all about fate and destiny versus free will and choice. What's your personal view about this? Do you think we are responsible for our futures or do you think there's an element of destiny/fate involved?

I think our lives are what we make them. On the other hand, coincidence seems to play a large part, sometimes. I suppose the answer to this is - I don't know! I like to rationalise and say that I think all things like fortune telling, horoscopes, destiny, etc, are a load of bunkum, but of course no-one really knows for certain, do they?



Have you ever made a wish on something like a Wishing Stone that came true?

My first reaction to that was 'don't be ridiculous'. However, you know at the end of the summer when you get those fluffy things floating about? I think they're from dandelions! When I was about 15 my friend told me that if you caught one in mid-float you could wish on it. We called them 'fairies'. I caught one, wished to go out with a certain boy, and it happened. Of course, he wouldn't have asked me out if I hadn't wished on the 'fairy', would he, eh??! Oh, go on, then, I'll admit it. I still do catch and make wishes on them....



One of the most hilarious parts of the book involves Petra and her obsession with a man on Facebook. Have you ever had an Internet stalker? If so, tell us a little about it.

Not a stalker as such, but I've had some pretty persistent would-be male friends on Facebook, who wouldn't stop 'poking' me (they wished!) and sending me friend requests until I blocked them. Also some troll types, but the least said about them the better.


Your book has some scenes that take place in the 1980s and I have to say it really took me back to that time, and was very realistic. Did you research into all the '80s stuff or was it just taken from your memory of the decade?

My memory. I was 21 in 1980 and 30 in 1989, so it was the decade of my twenties. The hair salon, Catz, was taken from a real one, of the same name.


Your character Ruth and her friend Fleur are great fans of Kate Bush. Who were your favourite '80s bands?



I loved Kate Bush, too. My favourite music has always been rock, but in the 80s I also loved Blondie, The Human League, Bowie, UB40, Devo, Madness.... oh, and I bought loads of pop singles, too. Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones, Kajagoogoo - ha ha! And George Michael's first solo album, I seem to remember.


One thing that you've managed to show very well in your book You Wish... is how much technology has changed since the 1980s. For example, people didn't have mobiles and the Internet. If we had to go back to that era what would you miss most, the Internet, your mobile, or something else?

I can't imagine NOT having a mobile or the internet, now, but wasn't it kinda nice when everyone couldn't always get in touch with everyone, all the time? You could actually be a bit elusive if you wanted to be without people sending you Facebook messages to ask you why you haven't been around for a while! I DID more stuff before the internet, too; went out and socialised more. Probably just not having everyone immediately accessible, all the time. Now, if you lose your phone, you can buy another one and email/Facebook message/tweet everyone to tell you their number again. Then, if you lost someone's phone number or address, it was really hard to find it again.


You Wish... is full of true-to-life, realistic characters. There will be someone in there that everyone can relate to in some way. Which one of the characters is most like you?

None of them. There's probably a little of me in every character I write, but no-one in that book, specifically.

If you had to spend a day with one of the characters in You Wish... who would you choose, where would you go, and what advice would you give him/her?

I'd probably like to go out and get wrecked with Mel the Builder's Labourer. I always quite fancied him. I certainly wouldn't want to go Jay hunting with Petra, or be all serious with Ruth!

Were any of the people in You Wish... based on people you know?

I take parts of all my characters from stuff within me and observation of others. It's rare that one character is based on one person. That's not to say it never happens, though. All of the characters in You Wish... came mostly from my imagination, though Nicky and Linda who worked in Catz hair salon existed. As did the lesbian owner!! I used to have a friend at school when i was about 8 who had white blonde hair and was a right little madam, so perhaps Fleur came a bit from her!

Apart from You Wish... you have 3 other novels. Can you tell us a bit about each one, what inspired the book, what it's about and what you would hope the reader gets out of it.



Nobody's Fault was my 2nd novel published on Amazon. I'd been wanting to write a novel about a fake Facebook profile for ages, and also one about a grand passion. I just combined the two!







My 3rd one, The Other Side - I've always been fascinated by thoughts of, for instance, what would have happened if I hadn't gone to that party where I met my first husband - then tracing it back by thinking, ah yes, but I went to that party with my friend Angela. So if I hadn't taken that job where I met Angela - and so it goes on! I first wrote this novel in 1999, but the other way round - I started it when the character was 14, then gave the reader options at the end of the chapter - to make his/her own choice. Thus, there were 8 different endings. I remember at the time my step daughter and her friend (then aged 15) spending the WHOLE weekend going back and forth, finding out what would have happened if they'd made different choices...! It was in manuscipt form, of course, and they laid the chapters all over the floor in a pyramid so they could see which one to read next!



My 4th novel, Dream On, I first wrote in 1995. I was in a pub (The King Billy in Northampton, which later became The Romany in Dream On!) with my sister. There were two chaps at the bar, who we didn't know; we started weaving a story around them and their lives, just for a laugh - except that I went home and turned it into a novel. The two characters became Dave and Shane. It was only ever read by my brother, my sister and a couple of others, but they all said they liked it the best of anything I'd ever written, so this summer I decided to dust it off, and write it again. Incidentally, 4 years later I got to know the Shane character, and married him.... the Dave character was best man at our wedding.
What do I hope readers get out of them? I just hope they enjoy them and find them unputdownable, and that the characters become real to them - the greatest compliment I have is when people tell me that they think about my books for a while after reading them.

I know from a recent conversation on Twitter that you've done very well with promotion of your books on KDP Select. I understand you had 17.5K downloads with 2 of your books. Do you have any tips for authors as to how they can best promote the free days on Amazon Kindle. And, have you noticed an increase in actual sales after the free promo?

This is probably too involved a subject for an author interview; I'll just outline some basics: PREPARE. You should build up your network of retweeters a while before you do your free promotion. You will need to get your promotional links retweeted over and over if you are going to make a success of the free days - if you want other people to help you, then you should have already helped them first. You also need to look up all the profiles on Twitter and Facebook on which you can advertise your free promotion, or who will advertise it for you. Be aware that you will need to be at the laptop more or less permanently during the promotional days - you'll need to keep retweeting back all those people who are kind enough to retweet you, don't forget!

The increase in post promotion sales depends on how successful the promotion is. My first one was amazing, and got me to number 24 in the PAID Amazon UK top 100 after it had finished. There is nothing written down anywhere about any of this, but it does seem that the 2nd time you do a free promotion for a particular book, you don't get anything like that huge boost afterwards; I presume this is because Amazon doesn't give you the visibility it does the first time round. I say this only through my own experience, and through observation of others'.

Your books are only available as Kindle eBooks, is that correct? Do you have any plans to make them available as paperbacks or other eBook formats?

No. I might research paperbacks, one day.


Do you have any tips for someone who may be thinking of self- publishing?

Tons and tons - again, too much for an author interview. Do you mean tips about writing or about self-publishing? If the latter, I'd say that unless you are really good at editing, cover art & formatting, get other people to do it for you. Always get it proof read by someone else. I edit my own work but others do my cover art and formatting. Make sure your cover is eye-catching in thumbnail size and make sure your blurb is snappy and interesting. It's an advert for the book, not a synopsis. Be prepared to do a lot of promotional work; you have to realise that you now have your own business; you are trying to sell a product. Don't think you have to join lots of blogging groups and Facebook groups and Goodreads forums and God knows what else; while you're writing ABOUT writing you're not writing your novel(s). Chatting on Facebook author groups about the difficulties of promoting your work or how to deal with bad reviews won't get your book written, and it won't make you a better writer, either. I agree a certain amount of this sort of interaction can be helpful, useful and entertaining, but it's best to keep it limited. Never, ever be tempted to pay for reviews, or get fake ones. If someone has told you they like your book, ask them if they wouldn't mind writing a review for you; most people don't mind. if you can't get reviews, you might need to re-think your marketing - or maybe the book itself. If it's your first novel, don't worry too much if you get a fair few negative comments - very few people get it right first time.

Which authors were your favourites when you were growing up, and was there any author in particular that inspired you to start writing?

As a child? CS Lewis and Enid Blyton. Oh, and I loved the Jill pony books by Ruby Ferguson.





I grew up in the 1960s; you probably won't remember them, Maria! There was no particular author who inspired me to start writing except perhaps CS Lewis, who said that no-one was writing the books he wanted to read, so he wrote them himself.



Have you read any good books lately?

I don't get very much time for reading these days; I'm always writing. I'm currently reading Rathbone Kydd - sex'n'drugs'n'quantum stuff by K J Bennett, about a 1970s rock musician who accidentally time travels into 2012. It's funny, and I'm enjoying it (apart from the fact that Rathbone Kydd says 'street cred', which people didn't say in the 70s, KJ!). This year I've also read a couple of Deborah Moggach books, a new Emily Barr, a new John Boyne (The Absolutist, set in WW1 - marvellous, wish i could give it 8 stars!) and also Thrift by Phil Church which was very funny, and Wild Water by Jan Ruth which I also enjoyed; it reminded me of early Jilly Cooper. There are tons more I would love to read if I only had the time.

What are you working on now?

A sequel to 'Dream On', which I hope to have out in February 2013.

Where can people find you online?

Amazon UK


Amazon US


Facebook


Goodreads

Thank you for inviting me to feature on your blog, Maria!

It's my pleasure, Terry, and I wish you every success with your novels!

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I hope you enjoyed the interview. I'd recommend you pick up a Terry Tyler book next time you're on Amazon. You'll be glad you did!

This is the last post in my series of My Favourite Books. This year, I have been sharing my favourite reads each month, and you can check those out at the links below:


January: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...








February: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...








March: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...








April: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...








May: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...










June: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...








July: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...








August: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...








September & October: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...








November: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...










This is my final choice for the series:
My favourite book for December is You Wish... by Terry Tyler.






Every now and then you discover another favourite author, and when I read "You Wish..." that's what happened. I loved the writing style and the book was very entertaining. I'd recommend it to everyone. Here's the review I wrote when I first read it:

"Wow! Just wow! I loved this book. It's funny, insightful, thought-provoking, well-written, contains realistic characters. It's the perfect book if you want to escape into a story. Terry Tyler's writing style is very relaxed and easy to read. It's reminiscent of Marian Keyes at her best. If you like contemporary fiction that will make you laugh out loud, and will keep you interested all the way through, you should read this book.
The story revolves around a Wishing Stone. Various characters make wishes on the stone and their lives seem to be changed because of it. But the question is, did their lives change because they made a wish on the stone, or did they just choose to think that? The book cleverly looks at the idea of fate and destiny versus choice and free will. It follows the life of the main character Ruth from the 1980s to the present, and the various people she has come into contact with because of the Wishing Stone.
The books covers a variety of topics, such as obsession, drug addiction, Internet stalking, relationships, reality TV chat shows.
You Wish is an entertaining book that you won't want to put down. I felt as if I really got to know the characters and could sympathise with their problems.
The ending was particularly poignant, I thought, bringing the various parts of story together beautifully and really making the reader think about whether we create our own reality or whether there are other forces at play.
This is a must read, and Terry Tyler is now one of my favourite authors. I will be reading her other books. This type of book makes me proud to be part of the indie publishing world."


The book is currently on special offer at Amazon for just $1.23/77p! You should grab a copy now; you won't regret it.

Here are the links: Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/You-Wish-ebook/...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Wish-eboo...

The lovely Terry Tyler has invited me to take part in the Very British Blog Tour 2013. Here's a link to her blog where you can read her answers to the questions, and there are links to some other authors' blogs.

http://terrytyler59.blogspot.co.uk/

The idea behind the tour is to introduce readers to British writers.

Here are my answers to the questions:

Q. Where were you born and where do you live at the moment?

A. I was born in London and I live in London. I did spend a few years living in Hertfordshire, but I'm back in London now. My sister recently bought a house that's only a few doors down from where I was born, actually. It used to be a maternity hospital, but it's an old people's home now, so whenever I visit my sister, I am literally just a few yards away from the place where I was born.

Q. Have you always lived and worked in Britain or are you based elsewhere at the moment?

A. I've always lived and worked in Britain.

Q. Which is your favourite part of Britain?

A. Being a Londoner, I would have to say London. I love the buzz of the city. I have to say, though, I do like to escape to the countryside sometimes. Hertfordshire, where I lived for a while, has some very nice little towns and villages.



Q. Have you ‘highlighted’ or ‘showcased’ any particular part of Britain in your books? For example, a town or city; a county, a monument or some well-known place or event?

A. As writers, we draw our inspiration from the world around us, I think; so yes, I've always tended to set my books in London, or places that are very much like London even if fictional. I recently wrote a short story for the BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology which is set in the area around Russell Square in London. I mentioned the 2011 London riots in my book, Haunted. I also mentioned red telephone boxes in that book too! I've mentioned the London Underground in many of my books and stories, and I'm sure I've made lots of references to London and British places and things in my novels over the years.



Q. There is an illusion – or myth if you wish - about British people that I would like you to discuss. Many see the ‘Brits’ as ‘stiff upper lip’. Is that correct?

A. I think it's more of an upper/middle class thing... Yes, sadly, we still have remnants of a class system in this country. I think the average Brit is quite comfortable showing emotion these days, but maybe twenty to thirty years ago, demonstrative behaviour was still frowned upon by those in high places (still is by some, unfortunately)... We're slowly breaking out of that mould, I believe (I hope!).

Q. Do any of the characters in your books carry the ‘stiff upper lip’? Or are they all ‘British Bulldog’ and unique in their own way?

A. I have written hundreds of characters over the years, and they all tend to be inspired by real people. There have been some with a stiff upper lip, and some who are quite the opposite... It all depends on the story, I suppose. Most of my characters tend to be British, though.

Q. Tell us about one of your recent books

A. "Haunted" is my latest novel, and I'm very proud of it because it is my first thriller and is being well received by lifelong thriller fans. It's about a man who, in a moment of rage, does something he regrets, and it's a study into how that one act affects the rest of his life, and in particular his mind; although the book also looks at how the people around him, and the victim's family, are changed by the repercussions of the event.



Q. What are you currently working on?

A. I'm editing a collection of short stories. It was meant to be a collection of some old short stories I found on my computer and on an old floppy disk, but I have since written three new stories for the collection, and added a 'Part 2' to one of the old stories. One of the new stories is in four parts, and is called Delusions & Dreams. I'm using that as the title for the anthology. I hope to publish it in the next few months. I've also started writing a sixth novel, but it's been put on the back burner until I finish the short story collection.

Q. How do you spend your leisure time?

A. I hardly have any leisure time. I work full time, then when I get home I try and catch up with a bit of writing or promotion of my books online. I usually get waylaid by Facebook and Twitter. I try to read and review books for fellow indie authors because I know how hard it is to get our books noticed out there; that takes up a lot of time too. I hardly have time to relax. When I do, I like to listen to music, go to concerts, the theatre, comedy nights, that sort of thing.

Q. Do you write for a local audience or a global audience?

A. World domination... Is there any other reason to write? But seriously, I write the stories that come into my head and I am happy that a global audience seems to appreciate them as I have readers in many countries who enjoy my books, and I'm very thankful for that.



Q. Can you provide links to your work?

My website: http://www.mariasavva.com has links to all my books. There are excerpts from some of the books, and book trailers; purchase links, and more.

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I would like to invite the following British authors to take part in this tour:

Julie Elizabeth Powell

Andrew Blackman

Andrew Peters

Tasha Harrison

Alex Sumner

Gareth Lewis

Mark Rice

James Everington

Neil Schiller

Terry Tyler's book, Full Circle, will be FREE to download from Amazon between the 18th and 20th October 2013!

Remember, you don't need a Kindle e-reader to be able to read Kindle books. You can download free apps from Amazon that allow you to read the books on your PC, Mac, iPad, and smartphone.




FULL CIRCLE is the sequel to Terry Tyler’s fourth novel, DREAM ON, but many have enjoyed it as a stand alone work.

It’s a tale of love triangles, infidelity, an English rock band, the lure of celebrity, and the destructive nature of alcohol addiction. FULL CIRCLE - love and parenthood dramas, rock music and secret affairs, with a few laughs along the way!

REVIEWS:

"One thing I love about Terry Tyler's writing is her ability to capture and convey her characters"
- 5 stars from Book Addict, Amazon Top 1000 reviewer and Vine Voice.


"Those who are used to me by now know that I do NOT give five stars lightly, not at all ... it's not a ditsy, shallow romcom, it has substance"

- 5 stars from Storm Dunning, book blogger.

"I've been waiting for this with an itchy Kindle since I heard it was coming out, and I wasn't disappointed ... a well told tale of lovers, friends, family and ROCK!"

- 5 stars from Andy Angel, book blogger.


Blurb:

Singer-songwriter Ariel thought her hard work and perseverance had been rewarded when she met record producer Theo Perlmutter - then a tragic event turns her dreams to dust.

Newly married Janice was happier than she’d ever been - but the honeymoon ends when born again alcoholic husband Max careers off the wagon and into the nearest bar.

Being forced onto The Jeremy Kyle Show in DREAM ON was not enough to make ladies’ man Shane learn his lesson – will his philandering ways eventually catch up with him?

Singer and Rock-God-In-Training Dave is unhappy, trapped in a domestic situation not of his choosing. What is his girlfriend Isabel hiding?

Will there be a happy ending for any of them?


Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Full-Circle-e...

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Full-Circle-ebo...

Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Full-Circle-eboo...

Amazon FR: http://www.amazon.fr/Full-Circle-eboo...

Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Full-Circle-eboo...

Amazon ES: http://www.amazon.es/Full-Circle-eboo...

Amazon IT: http://www.amazon.it/Full-Circle-eboo...

Amazon IN: http://www.amazon.in/Full-Circle-eboo...

Amazon BR: http://www.amazon.com.br/Full-Circle-...

Amazon JP: http://www.amazon.jp/Full-Circle-eboo...

Amazon MX: http://www.amazon.com.mx/Full-Circle-...

Don't miss this book. I've read a couple of Terry's books and I love her writing style. She has a knack for creating realistic characters, and there's always a lot of humour and thought provoking content!

Happy downloading!

I realise I haven't blogged much here recently, sorry... To make up for it I'm going to fill you in with lots of interesting stuff that's been going on in the book world. When I say 'the' book world, I mean 'my' book world of course. Not only my books, but books by my favourite authors.

It's been an exciting few months with lots of my favourite authors releasing new books. One I must mention straight away is a FREE Kindle book that came out today! It's Nine Lives



Beautiful cover, isn't it?

You can get a free copy for your Kindle for the next few days from Amazon.

I've read You Wish... and The Other Side, by Terry Tyler, and would not hesitate to recommend both of those to anyone who loves a good book.

Here's the link to Amazon.com, but it's available worldwide: http://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Terr...

Other notable new releases this month are:






I'm looking forward to reading all of those.

Recent books I've read that I would recommend are:







Ooh... I've just realised there's kind of a cat theme going on here, what with Terry Tyler's book cover, Jason Mcintyre's new release, and 'Four Paws', alongside 'Kiwi in Cat City' :)

I'm currently reading, and enjoying, 13, by Julie Elizabeth Powell - a dark fiction/horror novel that really shows how great this author's imagination is (oddly enough, there's a cat in this book too!).



Julie has one of her books on sale until Christmas, Knowing Jack is a wonderful adventure story, and only 99cents at the moment. Here's the link to the book on Amazon.com (it's also available at the reduced price in worldwide Amazon stores): http://www.amazon.com/Knowing-Jack-Ju...




Books that have been sitting on my Kindle for far too long (and which I hope to read very soon), include:

... and about 100 others ;)





Books that I've heard will be released soon and that I'm looking forward to, are:

The Christmas Spirit, by Susan Buchanan



Keep an eye on her blog for the release date: http://www.susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk

Fastian, by Jay Finn



Again, details of the release date should be on his blog soon: http://jayfinnauthor.wordpress.com


More news!

1. A writer I met at The Literary Consultancy's recent conference, Laxmi Hariharan, has started writing a series of short stories on UK Asia Online. You can read Bombay Shorts and follow the series, at the following link: http://www.ukasiaonline.com/features-dp1

2. I've just found out about this Kickstarter campaign by a new author, Charles H. Penn, that seems well worth backing. All you science fictions fans, take a look and help this young author realise his dream! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/c...


My writing

Now, a quick update on my own writing. I've been busy editing A Time to Tell, for a second edition. I have a brand new cover for it too, designed by Aeternum Designs http://aeternumdesigns.com/. I'm hoping to be revealing that soon.

I would imagine the book will be released in the early part of 2014.

I'm also working on a new short story collection, as yet untitled, but might be called 'Far Away in Time', which is the title of one of the stories.

Although I haven't yet finished the collection, I think there will be 10 short stories altogether. I have written 7 of those already, and have written the beginnings of the other 3 stories. I'm looking forward to sharing these stories with you all. They range from fantasy to dark fiction.

That's all for now.

If you'd like to keep up with my other blogs, I am currently the main blogger at Bestsellerbound Recommends, which brings you news of all the best indie books and authors: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...

And, I blog on the UK Music Directory (and UK Arts Directory): ukmusicdirectory.com/category/blog/ma... - you can find interviews with lots of great bands, ranging from pop, to rock and heavy metal.

One of my favourite parts of self-publishing my books is choosing the right cover. In the past I have used my own artwork, or photographs that have caught my eye in some way.

For me, the important thing is that the cover should reflect what is inside the book. I love art and I've always liked browsing bookstores just to look at the book covers. Some of them are very eye-catching and I've sometimes bought a book just because I like the cover so much!

I thought it would be nice as an end of year list to choose my favourite book covers of 2013.

I'm going to include the covers of my books, Delusion and Dreams, and 3, both of which were published this year. I love the photographs on the covers.

Here are my favourites from this year. (I'd also be interested in hearing about yours, so if you have any favourites, please comment with a link so we can all see!)

My Favourite Book Covers of 2013 (in no particular order)

Rise of the Shadow by J. Michael Radcliffe



The Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan



13 by Julie Elizabeth Powell



Delusion and Dreams




3




Nine Lives by Terry Tyler




Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale (The Weaver Saga, #1). by Jay Finn




An Eye For An Eye For An Eye by Marc Nash



Nocturnal Embers by Helle Gade




Sandcastle and Other Stories byJustin Bog



The Conversationalist by Justin Bog



A Virtual Love by Andrew Blackman

This is a list of my favourite reads from this year. The books were not necessarily published this year, but I read them in 2013.


In no particular order:

The Other Side



My review:

Brilliant! This is an absolutely superb novel that completely surprised me. Just when I was beginning to think it was going to be another book about four different women and what their lives could have been like if they'd only done something differently when they were young (which is a nice idea for a novel, but not an awe-inspiring one) the author put a spin on it which totally changed everything.

Having read You Wish... by this author, I knew that she is a very talented writer, and was looking forward to reading more of her books. This book has left me wondering why Terry Tyler hasn't been snapped up by one of the major publishing companies.

'The Other Side' will entertain you, but more importantly, it will make you think. So much of our time is spent comparing ourselves with others and cursing our luck. This book drives home a very important point about life. I don't want to give too much away, so I will leave it at that. I think everyone would enjoy this book. It's full of believable characters, and everyone will be able to relate to at least one of the characters. This book isn't as funny as 'You Wish', but it is just as entertaining and thought-provoking. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's work.



Killing Instinct: A Michael Sykora Novel




My review:

This is the third in Darcia Helle's Michael Sykora series. I hadn't read any of the other books in the series, but this book reads well as a stand alone novel. The author effectively gives details of the background of each character as we meet them, so anyone who is unfamiliar with them will be able to read the book and enjoy it.

This book delves into an obscure and scary world that exists just beneath the surface of society. A hidden Internet site that deals in the darker side of life; where people are no more than commodities to satisfy the needs of disturbed individuals. One such person is at the head of the organisation: Sandman. This elusive man must be found and stopped.

In this novel, Michael Sykora and his partner in crime, Sean Riley, go in search of this evil ringleader, and in their search they discover things that surprise them about him, but also about themselves.

For Sean Riley the search is personal, his girlfriend's life is at risk, and emotions fuel his need for justice.
This book looks at how there is always more to a person, or a situation than meets the eye.

It's a compulsive read that you won't want to put down, and like many of Darcia Helle's novels, it will have you biting your nails and worrying about the characters! A must read for fans of suspense/thrillers.


Joe Soap



My review:

Absolutely brilliant.

Andrew Peters is an absolute master at comedy writing (check out his Blues Detective series), and after reading Joe Soap, I believe he is also an extremely talented all-round writer. This is a dark thriller, with lots of lovely dry humour to stop it being absolutely terrifying!

Joe Soap is actually a fictional character; a character in a series of books by author Jed Higgins. Jed is the main character in this expertly crafted story.

The novel has lots of twists that kept me interested, and there's a lot of thought-provoking stuff here. What would you do if faced with no option but to kill a stranger? After Jed is threatened by a criminal gang, that is exactly the position he finds himself in. One day he is an ordinary man, trying to make a living with his writing, the next he is involved in all sorts of criminal activity. In the past, the only crimes that happened in Jed's life were the fictional kind that he made up in his novels, now all of that was becoming a frightening reality. How will he cope? You'll have to read this book to find out.

I enjoyed the humour in this book, and also the way the story was constructed to keep you guessing until the end. Grab a copy now, you won't regret it.

Rock'n'Roll Suicide



My review:

A 30 year old mystery about the death of a rock band; a conspiracy theory about the death of John Lennon; a string of recent murders that may be linked to those deaths. This book is a wonderful suspense novel that kept me turning the pages to find out what happened.

John Lockwood used to work for the police as a psychologist but after a spell in a mental institution when he suffered a nervous breakdown, he finds himself unable to get back into the work he once enjoyed. When we meet him, he is working on a book Crash and Burn about the untimely deaths of rock stars. His friend, Ken, helped him to pick himself up after his breakdown, and with his contacts in publishing, helped him to get the contract for the book. Matters take a sinister turn when Jack begins to investigate the death of Maggi O'Kane, a member of the rock band, Border Crossing, who allegedly killed the rest of her band and then committed suicide in 1980. It appears that there might be a link with the John Lennon murder, and perhaps a cover up; were Maggi and her band murdered? As he tries to get to the bottom of the 30 year old mystery, Jack finds himself dropped by his publisher, and almost killed a few times... To make matters worse, he is sure he is being followed by a serial killer, Edward Van Leer, the man who almost killed him years ago. But how can that be when Van Leer is locked up for murder? This book is full of twists and turns, and action packed scenes that will induce nail biting.

The story is told in the first person, from Jack Lockwood's perspective. It is not only a great crime thriller, but also very insightful about the human psyche, betrayal, friendship, loneliness, relationships, and other such matters. The descriptive quality of the narrative is such that the reader can easily imagine the sights and sounds, which makes the nail biting scenes even more thrilling! This is part one of a series of books. Chapter One of the second book is included at the end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good suspense thriller.


Nocturnal Embers




My review:

After reading her debut collection of poetry, Silent Dreams, I was keen to read more from this writer. In this collection, as well as poetry, Helle Gade is also showcasing some of her photography. Just like her first book, this is a passionate collection of poetry. These are words from her soul. Many of the poems focus on pain, loneliness, and isolation, as seen through the eyes of someone who has a chronic illness. Her poem, 'Excruciating Pain' gives us some idea of how someone suffering Fibromyalgia feels. It's a touching and heartfelt collection of poetry. I think the photographs really fit with the poems and added a little extra. A nice touch. Some of my favourites are 'Dust', 'The Sting', and 'Hush Hush'. The title for the collection is great because there is a real dreamlike feel to much of the poetry and you really get the sense of the silence and darkness of the night when reading it. At the end, there is even a poem which was written while the author was asleep! I enjoyed this collection as much as Silent Dreams, and look forward to reading more from this talented artist in the future.

The Blues Detective




My review:

This book is hilarious. I think there is at least one laugh out loud moment on every page. It's a collection of short mysteries where a private detective, Otis King, tries to solve a few cases for random clients. Every client has a link to the Blues in some way. The stories are mostly set in Memphis. Otis is originally from Wales in the UK, and tries his best to fit in to the US lifestyle. His comments about the language differences are very funny. Unable to completely give up his Welsh roots, he still has traditional Welsh food packages sent to him by his mum and aunts. He has an interesting way of looking at life, has a love for blondes, alcohol, and of course the Blues, and an aversion to jazz musicians. You must read this book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of Andrew Peter's books; he is a comedy genius.

A Virtual Love



My review:

I had great expectations when I started reading this novel, because Andrew Blackman's debut novel, On The Holloway Road is one of my all time favourite books. A Virtual Love is just as absorbing, and just as thought-provoking as his first book. I love this writer's style. It takes no effort to read and understand what he is saying, and that is a mark of quality literature. It's no surprise he has won awards for his writing.

In this novel, Blackman has taken the topic of today's obsession with the Internet and has created a carefully structured story examining one man's manipulation of the web that is scarily realistic, and makes you wonder whether this is already happening all around us. How many people are pretending to be someone else when they are online? The book shows how easy it is for people to create multiple identities on the Internet, and it touches on the subject of how the anonymity of hiding behind a computer can be misused by the untrustworthy as a way to manipulate others. The fragility of truth is exposed in this story.

The main character is Jeff Brennan, but we never hear the story from his point of view; each chapter is narrated by different characters, in the first person as if they are talking to Jeff. I thought this was a very interesting way of telling the story, and it works well.

Towards the end I wondered whether the story might seem unfinished if we don't hear from Jeff at least once, and was expecting the last chapter to be from his viewpoint, but the ending surprised me and is extremely well done leaving the reader with a lot to think about.

All the characters are believable and seem like real people, and the Jeff Brennan character is well-developed as we see his life change throughout the book as seen through other people's eyes.

This book is all about secrets, lies, and how the world wide web has changed the way we live, and the way some people view reality.


Contemplations: An Anthology of Short Fiction & Poetry





My review:

There are writers who stand out from the crowd. L.M. Stull is one of those writers. I read a lot of books, but not many of them are able to keep me interested and make me feel compelled to read in this way. Not only that, but I was totally engrossed in the stories and really sensing the characters' emotions, and understanding them. L.M. Stull takes the reader to some dark places with this collection of short stories and poems. Reading the collection was almost like reading someone's private diary. The characters' feelings seem real, the characters could be real people. Themes include: abuse, secrets, revenge, betrayal, and regret. At the end of the collection, there is a short story told in about 9 chapters, so it's almost a mini-novella. In this story we follow two different characters, in what is, in essence, a love story.

One of my favourites in the collection, only because it totally surprised me at the end, is, 'The Things You Keep To Yourself'.

'The Bus' is another stand-out story; very poignant.

I enjoyed all the stories, and poems. There is a realism, sometimes quite dark, that pervades the writing.

Having read this collection, I am looking forward to reading more from this talented author. If you're looking for a new writer to try, you must pick up a book by L.M. Stull. Her literary skills are exemplary. Definitely an author to look out for.


Rise of the Shadow



My review:

This is the third book in J. Michael Radcliffe's Beyond The Veil Trilogy. It's sad to see the end of such a wonderful fantasy tale. Before reading the first book in the series, The Guardian's Apprentice, I didn't read these types of fantasy books, but it is such an engrossing story and so imaginative, it made me more interested in this type of fiction.

The second book, Bloodstone - The Guardian's Curse, is just as enthralling as the first and I was very much looking forward to reading this final instalment. I was lucky enough to receive a pre-publication copy of this book.

I think, Rise of the Shadow is a very well written conclusion to the story. The author has done well to write this as the third book in the series as well as making it readable as a stand alone book. Each of the characters is reintroduced in the book; this worked well for me as it had been a while since I read the second book and it was nice to be reminded who everyone was. I found that remembering the characters also brought a nostalgic feel to the story as they are all well drawn characters who seem larger than life and I found myself almost getting to know them all again.

In this story Keegan, newly crowned Guardian of the Veil begins his life as Guardian without a Veil to protect, as of course it had been destroyed in book two. Keegan's task in this final story in the trilogy is to stop the wraith of his enemy committing murder five thousand years in the past. Will he be successful? We follow him as he travels back in time, risking his life and that of everyone dear to him. Some new and interesting characters are introduced in this final part of the trilogy. The author is a gifted storyteller, in my opinion, and I think his writing style has progressed in leaps and bounds throughout the course of this series; he started off as a fabulous and enchanting storyteller and is now a master. The ending of Rise of the Shadow is a testament to his skill. Read it and find out why.

No Justice: A Michael Sykora Novel



My review:

I'm already a big fan of Darcia Helle's writing. I've read most of her stand alone novels, and short stories. I've been wanting to read this series of books for ages. I finally found a bit of time and am so glad I did! This is a fast-paced action packed thriller that is so well written you feel as if you know all the characters and that they're real people. I actually read the fourth book in the series before this one as I was lucky enough to receive a pre-publication copy, and I have to say, this character, Michael Sykora, is larger than life. He is a likeable man even though he kills for a living. He's a hitman with a conscience: he only kills bad people.

In this book he's on a mission to protect an old friend, Nicki, whose life is in danger after she becomes involved with the wrong people. Will he be able to eliminate them all before it's too late?

This book introduces the character, Michael Sykora, and we learn the reason he became a hitman. We meet his best friend, a policeman, and learn of the reason they have such a tight bond. We see what could be a developing relationship between Michael and Nicki, we find out about his history and see learn of his less than perfect childhood. His father is dying and he's forced to face demons from his past as he reconnects with him. Towards the end of the novel there is also mention of him trying to find a long-lost sister, one of the things I'm looking forward to finding out more about in book two.

There is so much to like about this book. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes good suspenseful crime fiction.

Darcia Helle's books are a joy to read, and though the subject matter is often quite dark, there is a wonderful sense of humour throughout that always brings a smile.

I've been tagged by the talented Terry Tyler to take part in this blog tour. Terry's written lots of novels and short stories and I always love her books. You should try one if you haven't yet. I'd recommend 'You Wish...' as a starting point.






Here's a link to Terry's blog post: http://terrytyler59.blogspot.co.uk/20...

The rules: Provide the link back to the post by the person who nominated you. Write a little about and give the first sentences of the first three chapters of your current WIP, then nominate four other writers to do the same.


Untitled

(Well, that's a bit of a lie as I do have a title for it, but I think I want to keep it under wraps for now!)

My current WIP is a novel. It started life as an idea for a short story, but then another idea was formed, and another, until the only way to fit everything in would be to write it as a novel.

It's part horror, part comedy, part drama, part romance, and part unknown quantity as I am still writing it so I'm not sure where this tale will lead. I'm really enjoying the writing process though, it seems that every time I pick up a pen to continue it, new ideas are born.


Chapter One

‘Can you kill it, Daddy? Please.’

Chapter Two

Abigail set the table as she did every evening.

Chapter Three

‘You’ll never guess what happened this morning when I was taking Robbie to school,’ said Roisin.


**********


I'm nominating the following 4 talented writers to reveal their WIPs :)


Lucy Pireel - http://www.lucypireel.com/

Jaleta Clegg - http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.co.uk/

Bianca Sloane - http://biancasloane.blogspot.co.uk/

Jennifer Lane - http://www.jenniferlanebooks.com/

Check out their blogs and their books!!

I've heard about a few free book promotions that some of my author friends are doing at the moment. I think all of these will be worth a read, so you should grab them while they're free.

One free promo that is going on only for the next couple of days is: Nine Lives, a wonderful collection of short stories by the brilliant author Terry Tyler.

If you've never read any of her books, this short story collection is a fabulous way to sample her style. She writes contemporary fiction and creates very real characters. She's one of my favourite authors. When I pick up one of her books I always know I'll enjoy it.

Get your free copy of Nine Lives on Amazon worldwide between 5th - 7th August 2014.

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nine-Lives-Te...
US: http://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Terr...



Michael Pugh is giving away pdf copies of all of his books at the moment. I'm not sure how long this offer will go on for, so grab yours now :)

Here's a link to his website where you can read about and download the books:

http://theprojectsofmichaelpugh.com/a...



I haven't read any of his books yet, but they sound great!

Last but not least, Effrosyni Moschoudi is giving away both of her books on Amazon between 7th - 11th August 2014.



I'll be downloading both books. I haven't read her books, but they sound fascinating.

The Lady of the Pier is an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-Finalist!

Amazon:

UK: The Necklace of Goddess Athena: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Necklace-Godd...

The Lady of the Pier: The Ebb: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lady-Pier-Ebb...

US: The Necklace of Goddess Athena: http://www.amazon.com/Necklace-Goddes...

The Lady of the Pier: The Ebb: http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Pier-Ebb-E...

I hope you'll find some great stories to love, and if you enjoy these books, please think about leaving a nice review on Amazon.

Happy Reading!