Suzanne Rogerson's Blog, page 3

Mid-point book tour update for A Christmas Wish #christmasfiction #shortstories #bookreview

We’re half way through the tour and it’s been great to see so many reviewers sharing pictures and reviews of my book.

I always like to give the reviewers and their blogs / Instagram accounts a shout out, so here are a few teaser lines to the reviews and links so you can read the whole post. I hope you’ll pop by and check out their reviews of A Christmas Wish, and maybe find some other great book recommendations while you’re there.

fiction_vixen18 ‘It would be hard to pick a favourite as they are all lovely but Santa Paws Delivery, For The Holidays and The Icing On The Cake all stick in my mind and Blaze will be in my heart forever.’

dorianhellfire ‘They’re sweet and cozy revolving around topics like family, friends, hope and that second chance we all hope to get.’

plumbobmummy – ‘This is a collection of eight very short stories all set around Christmas time. They are all sweet, heartwarming tales, ideal if you are looking for something uplifting with lots of happiness and hope.’

bianca_reads_books ‘Chance Encounters was my favourite. It showed how easily things can get difficult for families and youngsters. It also showed that the bad name teens often assume is not always warranted. They just need someone to really see them.’

meandmybookshelf ‘While I enjoyed all the stories in the collection, two stood out as personal favorites: “Santa Paw’s Delivery” and “For the Holidays.” Both are brimming with charm and carry a magical festive spirit that stayed with me.’

katieluvstoread ‘I am not someone who usually likes short story collections, however this was a very sweet collection that had me wanting more…’

Lisa_reads_alot ‘Hard to say which was my favourite one as I liked them all for different reasons, some feel good tales, others poignant.’

caz.readz ‘This will lift your spirits and get you in the mood for Christmas.’

planteachread ‘…these stories are varied and festive.  They allow us to dip in and out of different lives while giving us a little Christmas warmth. Honestly, get your tree up and treat yourself to a story from A Christmas Wish with a hot drink, I promise it will feed your Christmas spirit.’

Confession_of_a_reading_freak_ It really got me into the Christmas spirit !!

If these little snippets made you need to know more, please check out A Christmas Wish on Amazon. Available as an Ebook, Paperback, Hardback and Audiobook.

There are lots of stops still on the book tour, so I’ll be back at the end of the week with a summary of some more.

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Book Tour for A Christmas Wish #bookreviews #shortstories

Hello. As promised I’m back with a look at the week ahead, which includes plenty of stops on the book tour for A Christmas Wish. See the schedule below.

I hope you’ll get a chance to check some of the reviews and book spotlights for my short story collection. Here’s a sneak peak…

Amazon reviewer – ‘If you’re after something for the festive season that’s emotional and comforting this is the book to read.‘

I’ll be back during the week to share some of the reviews from the book tour.

A Christmas Wish is part of the Winter Warmers Series.

New Release A Little Christmas Magic short story collection #christmas #festive

I’m so excited to be able to share my new festive short story collection ‘A Little Christmas Magic’ part of the Winter Warmers Series.

I’ve left it a bit close to the big day to get it out into the world, but I hope you will have a chance to read it and get in the Christmas spirit with me.

Here’s the cover which I really hope you love as much as I do.

A Little Christmas Magic is a heart-warming collection of stories with a focus on family, friendship, love and goodwill. From a much-loved family pet that’s missing, to a neighbour in need. Chance meetings and the kindness of strangers. Overcoming trauma to help others and being prepared to make sacrifices. A father rushing to get home to his kids in time for Christmas.

Dive into this short and sweet story collection to get you in the festive spirit. Contains eight Stories – Poppy’s Christmas Wish, Last Minute Dash, Driving Home for Christmas, The Honeymoon Period, A Christmas Toast, The Last Train Home, The Wrong Post and Taking Care of Belle.

And I have to give a special mention to Evie, who inspired the first story in this collection. I’ve dedicated the book to her.

You can find out more about the book on Amazon. Free to read on Kindle Unlimited and only £1.99 to purchase. A Little Christmas Magic.

I’ll be back soon with some love for book 1 in the series A Christmas Wish, as the blog tour kicks off tomorrow. See you then.

#bookreview of The City of Stardust Georgia Summers #netgalley #fantasy

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy of this debut by Georgia Summers.

The Blurb

Curses are made to be broken.

‘ENTHRALLING TO THE LAST PAGE’ SHELLEY PARKER-CHAN

Filled with magic, stardust, and a shockingly dark heart, this is a stunning standalone fantasy perfect for fans of  The Ten Thousand Doors of January ,  The Starless Sea  and  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue .

For centuries, Everlys have seen their brightest and best disappear, taken as punishment for a crime no one remembers, for a purpose no one understands. Their tormentor is a woman named Penelope, who never ages, never grows sick – and never forgives a debt.

Ten years ago, Violet Everly’s mother left to break the curse, and never returned. Now Violet must find her mother, or she will be taken in her place.

Her hunt leads her into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods, and monsters bent on revenge. And into the path of Penelope’s quiet assistant, Aleksander, who she knows cannot be trusted – and yet to whom she finds herself undeniably drawn.

Tied to a very literal deadline, Violet will travel to the edges of the world to find her mother and the key to the city of stardust, where the Everly story began . . .

My Review

This was a very enjoyable read from a debut author. The blurb drew my interest straight away and I really liked the simplistic beauty of the cover, which fits the story perfectly.

From the first page, I knew I would like the story and it didn’t disappoint. There’s plenty of intrigue at the beginning when you have to keep reading to uncover the mystery along with Violet. As she grows up and the story develops secrets are revealed, trust is broken and Violet must face up to her fate or do all in her power to change it. Her journey of discovery drags you along and the final confrontation is satisfying.

There is a certain strangeness to the world Georgia Summers has created which reminds me of Neil Gaiman.

I’m looking forward to more books by this author.

I’m especially looking forward to meeting her at my local Waterstones later this month! I’ll have to try and think of some questions for the Q&A and will hopefully post more about the night here.

You can pick up a copy of The City of Stardust on Amazon and add to your Goodreads shelf.

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Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories

You can follow me on

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My plans and writing goals for 2024 #amwriting #indieauthor

Happy New Year!

I always look forward to this time, when I can set myself goals for the year ahead.

So far I’ve invested in my writing for the new year by purchasing;

1. Notebooks – who can resist a beautiful notebook?

2. Research books – Blueprint for a Book by Jennie Nash. Even though I’ve written quite a few novels, you can still learn new things and new ways of doing things. Blood, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls, not pictured above as it’s on my bedside table. This is a research for book 2 in MH series, the reason will become apparent when I publish! I’m reading Bear’s book at the moment and really enjoying it.

3. Pens with built-in lights for those ideas that strike in the middle of the night.

4. I’ve joined the Romantic Novelist Association’s New Writers Scheme for the second year running.

5. I’ve invested in the BBC Maestro subscription giving me access to hundreds of hours of masterclasses on all sorts of topics, writing being the big one of course.

6. I’ve bought the Mslexia 2024 diary and planner.

7. During Black Friday 2023 I bought the Pro-writing aid lifetime subscription of their editing software.

8. I joined the Marine Conservation Society as it’s a great charity more people should support. Plus it’s research for book 3 in MH series.

My writing plans for this year

First Quarter

Finish and type up the draft of book 0 in my Mermaid Hotel Series. It’s intended to be a prequel spanning Christmas, Valentine’s, and all the way to the following Christmas.

Read Book 1 – Secrets and Love Songs at The Mermaid Hotel. Send it to the publishers on my shortlist.

Write / Edit 1 – 2k words per day of book 2 in the Mermaid Hotel series. I need to get the word count up drastically as I plan to send this book in for my RNA New Writers Scheme entitlement. I can then get some feedback from a professional romance author.

Write something (anything) in my writing diary everyday.

Later in the year

I plan to write a draft of book 4 longhand as that is how I find I am most creative. I also plan to type it up at the weekends. That way I will quickly have a working draft ready to edit and it won’t be such a daunting task typing the whole thing up at once. I’m hoping this method will prove to be a success and I can write future books in this way too.

Each month I plan to write a short story for my Christmas short story collection (in the Christmas Notebook pictured above). Then I will get beta reader comments from my writing group and edit accordingly. I want to have the collection ready for publication in October 2024. This will include a blog tour and I want to have all formats of the book available including audiobook.

At some point in 2024

Revisit my unfinished fantasy series. I really want to work on Starlight Prophecy again.

I would like to take part in Nanowrimo 2024. Whether that is with the fantasy series or one of my mermaid hotel stories, it depends how far I get with the rest of my goals for the year.

Writing Retreats – it would be great to go on an all-inclusive writing break for writers. I think it could really help me get unstuck with my fantasy idea. If that isn’t possible, I hope to go on a writing break of my own design where I stay at a hotel all inclusive and write between meals! Sounds like heaven.

I would love to visit Cornwall with the family. It is where my book series is set and it’s been far too long since my last visit. I love the idea of catching an overnight train like some of my characters do. I wish Lowenporth existed in the real world and not just in my imagination. We could stay at The Mermaid Hotel, with Mrs Shallon looking after us. We could take a stroll along Kerensa Bay and have a dip in the sea at the Secret Cove. Maybe a visit to Sedgewood Nature reserve or spot some dolphins whilst hiring a boat from Yerling Harbour.

All this talk is making me want to get back to my characters. I hope 2024 is the year I get to write lots more in this world and share it with my readers.

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That’s about it for my plans so far. These will no doubt change as the year goes on, but it’s a starting point. I have the usual plans to eat better and exercise more in 2024, but I’m not setting any strict resolutions.

What about you?

Do you set lots of goals and resolutions?

What do you hope 2024 will bring?

Here’s to the new year everyone, though when this post goes out not doubt we’ll all have had a few too many of these!

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Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories

Find links to all m socials on Linktree.

See all my published books at Suzanne Rogerson Collection.

Year in review 2023 #indieauthor #amwriting #amreading

Another year has flown by. I don’t feel it’s been the most productive, but I do have some achievements worth remembering.

Looking back at the post of my goals for 2023 I could probably copy and paste it and try for the same goals in 2024. Not a good sign!

But I’m feeling positive for 2024, so while we wait for the New Year celebrations to begin, here are some of my successes worth celebrating;

I got a part time job in April 2023 and I don’t hate it! It has taken time away from writing, but it feels good to have funds to support my writing endeavours.

The opening of book 1 in the Mermaid Hotel series won second place in the Flash 500 novel opening competition. See my post here.

I wrote 50K of book 3 in the Mermaid Hotel Series during Nanowrimo 2023 and finished the draft in December.

I’ve written plans for books 4, 5 and 6, plus a prequel in the Mermaid Hotel series.

I’ve planned some short stories for a new Christmas collection that I want to release in 2024.

I managed to get my first ever international Book Bub deal for The Lost Sentinel and hit some best seller lists on Australia! It really helped with sales and proves that you can easily make the huge cost back. I would have done that and more if I hadn’t booked in other ads at the same time. A lesson learned.

I’ve taken part in several month long online writing workshops with Jessica Redland run by the Romantic Novelist Association. One was all about setting, and the other about writing a series. They were informative, fun, and I learnt a lot, and I’ve made some new friends with other writers. I would definitely recommend online courses.

Reading achievements.

In 2023 I set my Goodreads challenge to read 26 books. To date I’ve only read 22. I don’t think I will manage to add anymore to that in the next few days, but I’ve read some excellent books and all have been 4 to 5 star reads. Here’s the link to my Goodreads challenge.

I usually share my fav books of the year, but it will be a struggle to pick the best – they have all been so good. I may do another post with the books I’ve read, perhaps sharing those authors that have inspired me whilst I write my romance series.

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That’s about it for my year in review. How did you do in 2023?

Did you reach your goals, whether that’s writing, reading or life related? Or do you hate setting any goals and prefer to take life as it comes?

I love setting goals and making plans and I’ll back soon to share what I hope to achieve in 2024.

Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories

You can follow me on

Twitter   Goodreads   BookBub   Amazon   Facebook  Instagram

You can also join my Newsletter for writing updates and news of promotions.

Merry Christmas!

As the weekend preparations begin for the big day, I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

I will be spending mine with family, eating too much, drinking too much, playing lots of games and laughing until my face hurts (if the last few years are anything to go by!).

I also hope to write some festive short stories while I’m off work and get them ready nice and early for a Christmas 2024 anthology.

I hope whatever you have planned, that you enjoy your day.

Audiobook reviews for the Silent Sea Chronicles books 1 and 2 #fantasy #audio

I love to read reviews and it seems to be much harder to get reviews on audiobooks. These reviews on Audible made my day.

Book 1 – The Lost Sentinel

‘Everything about it was awesome. From the narrator to the sound effects. The storyline was very intriguing. I would definitely recommend this book’

Book 2 – The Sentinel’s Reign

‘What did I like? I liked everything about this book. Yes, there is some hardships, and friends lost. There is also strong ties as well. Trust me when I say. These books make you want to see them on a big screen’

The idea of seeing my books on the big scene has always been a dream of mine. I’m film obsessed and in more recent years I’ve fallen in love with binge watching series on Netflix and Prime, in particular fantasy. There just aren’t enough fantasy programmes made.

These are comments from audiobook reviewer Tess, who received a reviewer’s copy of each book and choose to share her honest review. I’m hoping the last book in the trilogy is as well received.

Perhaps these reviews have inspired you to check out the books for yourself.

Here are the links to my audiobook page

For a look at all my book offerings here the link to my Amazon author page

Blurb

Tei has magic in a world where people like her are persecuted and forced into exile. Whilst fleeing their home, her father is attacked and his deathbed confession reveals a dangerous secret that will change Tei’s life forever.

Tei’s homeland, the magical island of Kalaya, is dying and without a Sentinel to restore the magic, it’s only a matter of time before all life is wiped out.

She must join the exiles in the search for the lost Sentinel, but they are not the only ones after the missing guardian. Sinister Masked Riders are on their trail and time is running out.

Tei must risk everything she loves to save Kalaya, but is she ready to make that sacrifice?

1396 pages of magic, adventure and intrigue.

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Whether you prefer reading or listening, I hope you enjoy the trilogy.

Competition win for Secrets and Love Songs at The Mermaid Hotel

I’m really excited to share the news that I came second in The Flash 500 Novel opening 2023 competition. The winners were announced this afternoon and I’m still buzzing.

Here’s what the judges from Headline Publishing had to say…

‘There is much to admire in this submission and it is a thoroughly deserving runner-up. We found it hugely readable and, in the end, there wasn’t much between this and the winner. We found ourselves immediately drawn in by the author’s characterisations, which seemed considered, believable and satisfyingly complex…’

You can read the full comments and learn more about the competition here Flash 500 Novel Opening competition.

It’s a wonderful feeling to reach the final and be placed second in this competition. The book is a special one for me as writing it helped me through those long months of lockdown. I’ve spent the last few years editing it and planning a series around the original story.

Secrets and Love Songs at The Mermaid Hotel will be published in 2024. I still haven’t decided whether that will be with me self publishing it, or through a publisher. Keep following my blog for updates.

I hope to post next week with a 2023 writing and reading annual wrap up, and my plans for 2024.

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Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories. You can follow me on;

Twitter   Goodreads   BookBub   Amazon   Facebook  Instagram

You can also join my Newsletter for writing updates and news of promotions.

#Bookreview The Christmas Love Letters by Sue Moorcroft #netgalley

Heart warming and at times heart wrenching, but so, so good!

Blurb

A secret romance was just the start of the story…

Tucked into a crook of the Norfolk coast lies Nelson’s Bar – an idyllic village where time seems to stand still. Maddy Cracey has called this beautiful spot home all her life, as had her husband Adey – until an epic row sent him storming out into a blizzard, with no sign of him since that fateful night.

Six years on, and Maddy’s life in the village has settled into a gentle pattern with her young daughter and Great Aunt Ruthie. However, when handsome stranger Raff turns up with a handful of long-forgotten love letters, their quiet life is upended as family secrets from the past are unearthed.

As Raff and Maddy get to know each other, they grow closer and a love story of their own seems inevitable. But when Maddy receives a mysterious message, she can’t help but wonder whether her own past is as distant as she’d thought it was…

My review

I really loved this book, as I do with every one of Sue Moorcroft’s stories. She has earned her title ‘Queen of Christmas feelgood novels’!

The characters were great and the situations they were in gave plenty of opportunities to tug at the heart strings. I found myself needing tissues quite a few times throughout this story.

Maddy is a strong woman, she’s had to be after her husband disappeared and left her in debt. She’s caring and always puts others above her own happiness, but with Raff there seems a chance for her to find love and happiness.

I loved Raff as the hero of the story, and I especially loved that he’s an author. A fantasy author at that!

The setting really came alive and the vivid depictions of winter in Nelson’s Bar transported me there. The supporting cast were excellent, Great Auntie Ruthie especially. It’s her backstory woven through the book that leads to so many of the emotional moments.

I love an epilogue and this one rounded off the wonderful tale perfectly.

Another excellent Christmassy 5 star read.

Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC, the publishers and of course thanks Sue Moorcroft for another fantastic story.

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Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy, heart-warming romance and short stories

You can follow me on

Twitter   Goodreads   BookBub   Amazon   Facebook  Instagram

You can also join my Newsletter for writing updates and news of promotions.