Bena Roberts's Blog, page 3
October 3, 2018
Review - A Wordy Woman's Guide by Dawn Husted
My Review - A Wordy Woman's Guide by Dawn Husted
Starters guide to writing the first book!
The Good
This is an honest and factual account of how to embark on writing a book. It will benefit the novice who wants to start something new.
The Bad
The book is quite short but also compact and full of good tips like this one!
Don���t go overboard with the number of supporting characters (major characters) or you run the risk of confusing the reader.
Dawn Husted. A Wordy Woman's Guide for Writing a Book (Kindle Locations 415-416). Kindle Edition.
The Ugly
The sad fact of the matter is that few people self-publish to get rich. The author puts all the options of publishing into perspective. If you are just starting out this book will explain the types of fiction and terms such as HEA to you.
4 Stars
October 2, 2018
Christmas on Lily Pond Lane by Emily Harvale
Christmas on Lily Pond Lane
Snow is falling in Little Pondale, lights are twinkling and the smell of pine trees and roasting chestnuts fills the air ���
But Mia Ward is in a bit of a jam. She���d planned to rent out Corner Cottage for Christmas but thanks to best friend, Ella Swann, it���s double-booked. Now Mia���s got to let one ���party��� down, or find another cottage ��� fast.
Best friends and single mums, Cathy Cole and Christy Franks want their kids to have an old-fashioned Christmas. Ice-skating, carol singing, making decorations, and tobogganing are on their list of festive fun and Little Pondale is the perfect place. Especially as it has no mobile phone reception. That will make it harder for Cathy to be found.
City banker, Leo Hardman is wondering if renting a cottage for Christmas as an anniversary surprise for his parents, was such a good idea. Little Pondale may be where his parents met, but his mum doesn���t seem pleased to be back, and his brother, Hal isn���t happy that the village is so tiny and only has one pub.
Meanwhile, Jenny Lake is settling in at her cousin���s bakery, having left her (broken) heart in Florence, but Christmas was never her favourite time of year. And Reverend Glen Fox has taken over at St Michael and All Angels. He���s glad it���s a temporary post because village life is not for him.
But luckily, for locals and visitors alike, there���s a sleigh-load of Christmas magic heading for Lily Pond Lane; enough to put a sparkle in everyone���s festive season. Although Christmas may not go quite as each of them has planned.
Purchase Link: https://newbook.at/christmasLPL
Author Bio ���
Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her home town of Hastings where she now spends her days writing... and chatting on social media. Emily is a Member of the SoA, a PAN member of the RWA and a Pro Member of ALLi. She's an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star. Emily loves writing and her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.
Emily says, "I write about friendship, family and falling in love. I believe in happing endings." When she isn't writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies - and will do anything to avoid both.
Social Media Links ��� https://www.facebook.com/emilyharvalewriter
https://www.twitter.com/emilyharvale
https://www.instagram.com/emilyharvale
Christmas on Lily Pond Lane
by Emily Harvale
#Family #Christmas
The Good
This was very cozy. I knew the characters at the start and fell deep into the story.
The Bad
The story was a bit slow. I loved the Leo/ Hector thing .. but it was too short and near the end. I also didn't like the love with Jett! Ha ha. I preferred the other books with a bit more chasing.
The Ugly
Nothing. This is a warm winter cozy romance. Definitely a stocking filler for a romance reader.
3.5 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour
September 29, 2018
Review - Corruption by Elizabeth Ducie
Corruption!
Out of fear. Out of greed. Out of evil. Corruption springs from many roots.
Teenagers fall prey to a deadly new drug craze sweeping across Russia. Pharmaceuticals destined for Africa turn up on the backstreets of Moscow, St Petersburg and Vladivostok. Regulator Suzanne Jones and her sister, Charlie, fight to stop the pushers before more kids die.
But will their discoveries mean a friend goes to prison? And are they putting their loved ones in danger?
With old adversaries and surprising new allies, the Jones sisters face their toughest challenge to date. The heart-stopping final episode in the Suzanne Jones series of thrillers set in the sometimes murky world of international pharmaceuticals
Purchase Links
Amazon: http://geni.us/Corruption
Link to other ebook platforms: https://www.books2read.com/u/38rGxO
Author Bio
When Elizabeth Ducie had been working in the international pharmaceutical industry for nearly thirty years, she decided she���d like to take a break from technical writing���text books, articles and training modules���and write about some of her travel experiences instead. She took some courses in Creative Writing and discovered to her surprise that she was happier, and more successful, writing fiction than memoirs or life-writing. In 2012, she gave up the day job, and started writing full-time. She has published three novels, three collections of short stories and a series of manuals on business skills for writers.
Social Media Links ���
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Elizabeth-Ducie-Author-312553422131146/
Twitter- https://twitter.com/ElizabethDucie
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.co.uk/educie/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_ducie_author/
Corruption! (Suzanne Jones, #3)
by Elizabeth Ducie
#Krokodil #Russia #Fire #UK and more!
The Good
I loved the intro to this book and finding Anton. I loved the family from the start expected a different story than the one that I read. This book took a much darker twist than I imagined but it was not a problem!
The Bad
Corruption was a bit longer than I like and I felt the start was too detailed and long and different -because the action in the book is exciting and should have started sooner. Suzanne is a clever cookie, but we had to work at finding that out when the Russians arrived.
The Ugly
I love strong female leads and we got this. But, I felt the book was like two books rolled into one - the Anton thing that wasn't there, the ability to do real detective work, the best friends getting involved.. Either I missed out by not reading books 1 and 2.. or a lot was compensated in book 3 and there was too much detail. My favourite part was the romantic premise start, then the spying on Anton plus mama! Great descriptions of places and people though...
3.5 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour
September 22, 2018
Cover Reveal - Snowed In at The Little Duck Pond Cafe by Rosie Green
Woohoo! What a super cover!
Snowed In at The Little Duck Pond Caf��
The biggest snowfall in years has blanketed Sunnybrook, cutting the village off from the outside world. For Fen, who finds herself snowed in at The Little Duck Pond Cafe, it's little more than a minor inconvenience. Her love life is finally running smoothly; it looks as if she's found the perfect man for her.
But then a shocking secret threatens to destroy Fen's new-found happiness.
Will being snowed in be the final straw? Or will Fen find a way through the snowdrifts to the perfect love?
Pre-order Link - https://amzn.to/2Cg99ki
Author Bio
Rosie Green has been scribbling stories ever since she was little. Back then they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ���the baddies���. Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger involved at all, unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.
���
Rosie���s brand new series of novellas is centred on life in a village caf��. The first two stories in the series are: Spring at The Little Duck Pond Cafe and Summer at The Little Duck Pond Caf��.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green1988
Review - The Winter That Made Us by Katie Field
The Winter That Made Us
When Tess finds herself unexpectedly alone and back in Ribblemill, the childhood village she thought she���d escaped, she���s sure she can survive a temporary stay. She���s spent a lifetime making the best of things, hasn���t she?
Determined to throw herself into village life, Tess starts a choir and gathers a team of volunteers to restore the walled garden at Ramblings, the local stately home. Everything could be perfect, if she weren���t sharing a cottage and a cat with a man whose manner is more prickly than the nettles she���s removing���
As winter approaches, Tess finds herself putting down her own roots as fast as she���s pulling them up in the garden. But the ghosts of the past hover close by, and Tess must face them if she���s to discover whether home is where her heart has been all along.
Purchase Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winter-That-Made-Us-ebook/dp/B07F3YS4HM/
Author Bio ���
Kate writes contemporary women���s fiction, mainly set in her favourite county of Lancashire,
where she lives with her husband, daughter and hyperactive cat.
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists��� Association.
Kate���s debut novel, The Magic of Ramblings, won the RNA���s Joan Hessayon Award for new writers in 2017.
Social Media Links ���
Twitter: @katehaswords
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateFieldAuthor/
The Winter That Made Us by Katie Field
#TEARS
The Good
Lovely family drama. Romance, tears, fighting for love. Loved it.
The Bad
To Noah or not to Noah. I fought hard, but then I fell too!
The Ugly
OH my. I hate and love crying in books -but I know I liked it when I least expect it. The whole mum garden thing had me going ....
5 Stars - Loved it.
I read this as part of a blog tour
September 21, 2018
Cover Reveal - Isolation Junction by Jennifer Gilmour
I will be reading this for a blog tour in October and I am intrigued.... "dark-haired stranger.." always gets me!
Isolation Junction
Rose is the mother of two young children, and finds herself living a robotic life with an abusive and controlling husband. While she struggles to maintain a calm front for the sake of her children, inside Rose is dying and trapped in ���Isolation Junction���.
She runs an online business from home, because Darren won���t let her work outside the house. Through this, she meets other mums and finds courage to attend networking events, while Darren is at work, to promote her business.
It���s at one of these events that Rose meets Tim, a sympathetic, dark-haired stranger who unwittingly becomes an important part of her survival.
After years of emotional abuse, of doubting her future and losing all self-confidence, Rose takes a stand. Finding herself distraught, alone and helpless, Rose wonders how she���ll ever escape with her sanity and her children. With 100 reasons to leave and 1,000 reasons she can���t, will she be able to do it?
Will Tim help her? Will Rose find peace and the happiness she deserves? Can Rose break free from this spiraling life she so desperately wants to change?
Pre-order Links:
Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Isolation-Junction-Breaking-isolation-emotional-ebook/dp/B01LX4HLT0/
Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/Isolation-Junction-Breaking-isolation-emotional-ebook/dp/B01LX4HLT0/
This new edition of Isolation Junction publishes on 22nd October, and Jennifer Gilmour would love to invite you to the online launch party on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/events/699087493784429/
Author Bio
Born in the North East, I am a young, married mum with three children. I assist in running a family business from my home-base and I have a large readership of other young mums in business for my blog posts.
From an early age I have had a passion for writing and have been gathering ideas and plot lines from my teenage years. A passionate advocate for women in abusive relationships, I have amalgamated and fictionalised other survivors experiences alongside my own to write my first novel detailing the journey of a young woman from the despair of an emotionally abusive and unhappy marriage to develop the confidence to challenge and change her life and to love again. I hope that in reading my debut novel, I will raise awareness of this often hidden and unseen behaviour and empower women in abusive relationships to seek help for themselves and find the confidence to change their lives.
Amazon Author link: Author.to/JenniferGilmour
My online store: www.jennifergilmour.com/shop
Facebook: www.facebook.com/isolationjunctionbook
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jenlgilmour
Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorjennifergilmour
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/JenniferGilmour
September 20, 2018
Cover Reveal - Strand of Faith by Rachel J Bonner
Ohh this looks a bit ghostly and haunted. What a mysterious cover reveal!
Strand of Faith
When the choice is between love and life, how can anyone decide?
A girl and a monk, both with extraordinary mental powers, have compelling reasons not to fall in love. But those from whom they expect support are manipulating them both because their choices will have consequences for the rest of the world.
After a stormy youth, Brother Prospero has found comfort and fulfilment in the monastery. That is, until he discovers something that forces him to reconsider his whole vocation. To follow his heart, he���ll have to face his demons again, outside the security of the monastery. Is it worth the risk? Can he beat them this time? Or will they finally destroy him?
Orphaned and mistreated, Leonie has found sanctuary and safety at the abbey. All she wants is to learn how to manage her unusual abilities so that she is not a danger to those around her. When she comes into contact with Prospero everything threatens to spiral out of her control. Whether she leaves or whether she stays, how can she possibly avoid destroying ��� yet again ��� those she has come to care about?
Abbot Gabriel is faced with an impossible choice. He can do nothing and watch the world descend into war. Or he can manipulate events and ensure peace ��� at the cost of two lives that he is responsible for. He knows what he has to do but is he strong enough to sacrifice those he loves?
Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strand-Faith-Choices-Consequences-Book-ebook/dp/B07GKZT8LF
http://www.books2read.com/strandoffaith
Author Bio
Rachel J Bonner is the author of the four book Choices and Consequences series, the first of which, Strand of Faith, is due out in November 2018.
Getting a degree in engineering, followed by a career in accountancy is probably not a conventional path to becoming an author, particularly in paranormal romance. Rachel says that, although accountancy isn���t anything like as boring as everyone thinks, writing is a lot more fun. When not writing, she can be found walking in the beautiful countryside near where she lives, which has influenced much of the scenery in her books, or shooting things with her local archery club. Target shooting only, honest. Nothing to worry about.
She also enjoys swimming, eating chocolate chip cookies and growing aromatic herbs, especially thyme and rosemary. It���s no coincidence that her heroine likes the same things.
You can find out more about her books and sign up for Rachel���s newsletters at www.racheljbonner.co.uk.
https://twitter.com/RachelJBonner1
Cover Designer���s Social Media
www.patreon.com/oliverpengilley
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/oliverpengilley
September 19, 2018
Review Costa del Churros by Isabella May
The rain in Spain doesn't mainly fall on the plain���
Brits abroad Belinda, Julia, Laura and Georgina need more than the sweetness of churros with chocolate dipping sauce to save them from their unsavoury states of affairs.
Cue Carmen Maria Abril de la Fuente Ferrera, the town's flamboyant flamenco teacher! But can she really be the answer to their prayers?
One thing's for sure: the Costa del Sol will never be the same again.
Purchase Link - mybook.to/costadelchurros
Author Bio ���
Isabella May lives in (mostly) sunny Andalucia, Spain with her husband, daughter and son, creatively inspired by the sea and the mountains. When she isn���t having her cake and eating it, sampling a new cocktail on the beach, or ferrying her children to and from after school activities, she can usually be found writing. As a co-founder and a former contributing writer for the popular online women���s magazine, The Glass House Girls ��� www.theglasshousegirls.com ��� she has also been lucky enough to subject the digital world to her other favourite pastimes, travel, the Law of Attraction, and Prince (The Purple One). She has recently become a Book Fairy, and is having lots of fun with her imaginative ���drops���! Costa del Churros is her third novel with Crooked Cat Books, following on from the hit sensations, Oh! What a Pavlova and The Cocktail Bar.
Social Media Links ���
Twitter - @IsabellaMayBks
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IsabellaMayAuthor/
Instagram - @isabella_may_author
My Review
Costa del Churros
by Isabella May
#theraininSpain..
The Good
As an expat in Germany, I could relate to this book. I also spent six weeks driving around the south of Spain from Malaga to Tarifa and when Tarifa was mentioned, I put down the book and basked in corny memories!
The Bad
This was so real, I could relate to the people and it was almost so expatty - I couldn't stand it! If you are not an expat and people viewing on holiday - read this first!!!
The Ugly
This was a fun read, not my ideal cup of tea but not terrible. It made me cringe a lot and I do think it is a great summer read if you are going to Spain or thinking about relocating!
3 Stars - I read this as part of a blog tour
September 17, 2018
Review - Hunter's Revenge by Val Penny
Hunter's Revenge Blurb
Hunter by name ��� Hunter by nature: DI Hunter Wilson will not rest until his friend's death is revenged.
DI Hunter Wilson is called to the scene of a murder. He is shocked to find the victim is his friend and colleague, George Reinbold. Who would want to harm the quiet, old man? Why was a book worth ��23,000 delivered to him that morning? Why is the security in George's home so intense? Hunter must investigate his friend's past as well as the present to identify the killer and identify George's killer. Hunter also finds a new supply of cocaine from Peru flooding HMP Edinburgh and the city. The courier leads Hunter to the criminal gang but Hunter requires the help of his nemesis, the former Chief Constable, Sir Peter Myerscough and local gangster Ian Thomson to make his case. Hunter's perseverance and patience are put to the test time after time in this taught crime thriller.
Purchase Link - myBook.to/HuntersRevenge
Author Bio
Val Penny is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and two cats. She has a Law degree from Edinburgh University and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, lawyer, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer. However she has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballet dancer or owning a candy store. Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories and novels. Her first crime novel, 'Hunter's Chase' set in Edinburgh, Scotland was published by Crooked Cat Books on 02.02.2018. The sequel, 'Hunter's Revenge' will be published on 09.09.2018.
Social Media Links ��� @valeriepenny
www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739
My Review Hunter's Revenge
(Edinburgh Crime Mysteries #2)
by Val Penny
#Thewar #TheGermans! #Booksdrugs and more!
The Good
What a magnificent start to this book. I loved it. Makes you want to read and read.
The Bad
Although I read and read and enjoyed the book, the start and the murder and the German was the best for me. After that, I enjoyed it and loved Edinburgh but somehow I wanted a more powerful read. I am not sure of powerful is the right word.. but I loved the war theme and the wit in the epilogue to run the whole way through the book.
The Ugly
Strong characters, that I enjoyed and got to know with the first book, but I wanted a bigger thriller mystery than there was...
3.5 Stars - I read this as part of a Blog Tour
September 16, 2018
Cover Reveal - The Step Sister by Jenny O'Brien
The Step-sister
Book Blurb
When a stranger leaves step-sisters, Victoria and Ness, a half-share in a house in Holland, they think it must be a mistake.
But there's no mistake when Ness goes missing.
Desperate for the truth, Victoria heads to Holland to find out what happened to her. Has she, as her texts show, embarked on a whirlwind romance? Has someone abducted her or even worse?
But there���s someone watching, and that person wants her dead.
Can Victoria find out the truth before it���s too late?
Pre-order on Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07H3TH4HT
Prologue
I died yesterday, or so I���ve been told.
Yesterday is the day my life changed but how or why is still a mystery. There are things I know and there are things that they���ve told me but I can���t seem to trust any of it.
I know I���m a woman but I don���t know my age. I know how to hold a cup in the same way I know it���s rude to stick the end of a knife in my mouth. So, somewhere along the way, someone cared enough to drill manners into me. Those are the things I know, the things I can trust but as for the rest���
They tell me I���m in Holland but can I believe them? I don���t remember if I���m Dutch but I also don���t remember if I���m not. I can���t speak Dutch. I���ve been trying all morning but can one lose a language overnight? I seem to have lost everything else. Who knows? Maybe I took the wrong train or something and just rolled up in the wrong city. That would make sense except that it���s not just my sense of place that���s missing. It���s my sense of everything. I have no name, no age and no identity. Yesterday I died and today I���m still here.
They���ve left me alone now while they try to puzzle out what to do and in the meantime I���m going to try to remember stuff. I don���t know how long they���ll leave me alone but I need to take this opportunity to come up with some answers to all the questions they���ve been throwing at me like who the hell I am.
Slipping out of bed I recoil as bare feet meets cold tiles, but that���s not going to stop me. Pulling the back of the hospital gown closed in an effort to retain some degree of dignity, I shuffle over to the bathroom and then the mirror only to stare into the face of a stranger.
It doesn���t matter what I look like or that I���m suffering from the worst case of bed-head known to man. It doesn���t matter that my eyes are green or that my hair is that shade of nondescript mouse that keeps colourists in business. The only thing that matters is my reflection, which holds no clues as to my identity. I���m a stranger to them. I���m a stranger to me.
My body holds a clue though - just one.
I push up my sleeve again to stare at the tattoo on my arm. The tattoo puzzles me. It���s not me, or part of me or who I think I am and yet it���s there, a large indelible letter V.
I have no idea what it stands for. Oh, I���m not stupid or anything or, at least I don���t think I am. I can���t quote which exams I���ve passed or if indeed I���ve ever attended school but I do know V stands for victory. But what does it mean to me? Am I victorious? Am I making a statement about something? It must be important because it���s the only tattoo I have. It���s also the only clue.
I���m tired now. My eyelids collapse over my eyes even as I struggle to shift them upwards as I remember the cocktail the nurse told me to swallow like a good girl. I want everything to go away. I want to hide under the blankets and forget. I���ve already forgotten���
Author Bio ���
Jenny O'Brien was born in Ireland and, after a brief sojourn in Wales, now resides in Guernsey.
She's an avid reader and book reviewer for NetGalley in addition to being a RoNA judge.
She writes for both children and adults with a new book coming out every six months or so. She's also an avid collector of cats, broken laptops, dust and happy endings - two of which you'll always find in her books.
In her spare time she can be found frowning at her wonky cakes and even wonkier breads. You'll be pleased to note she won't be entering Bake-Off.
Readers can find out more about Jenny from her blog: https://jennyobrienwriter.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennyOBrienWriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScribblerJB
