Cheryl Burman's Blog: Blog posts for readers and writers, page 45

My review of Haven Wakes by Fi Phillip

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my Reviews of what I’m Reading page. But as I read more than one book a month, I leave other reviews here on my blog. They also get posted to Amazon and Goodreads.

I came across this book via Twitter and very pleased that I did. As I write MG fantasy, it’s always good to see what others are coming up with and to be astounded at the range of imaginations out there! Fi Phillips doesn’t disappoint!

The story carries you along, always wanting ...

My review of Songbird Karen Heenan

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my Reviews of what I’m Reading page. But as I read more than one book a month, I leave other reviews here on my blog. They also get posted to Amazon and Goodreads.

I hadn’t known before reading Songbird about Henry VIII’s purchase of children for his Music. Although to modern minds it sounds horrific, Songbird shows that some benefited hugely from this practice, and the young Bess was one of these although not without a great deal of struggle...

St Ceyna’s Well

St Ceyna’s well is an important place in my September release River Witch, set in the late 19th century in the Forest of Dean and along the banks of the Severn River.

Much of the story takes place in an invented busy river port town, called Shiphaven. Shiphaven happens to have a steep and narrow main street, buildings running down to a wide river bustling with boats, barges and trows, and a very high tidal bore. (This may be a question when I launch the book – which place is Shiphaven?)

Away from...

My review of The Stars Will Guide Us Back Rue Sparks

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my Reviews of what I’m Reading page. But as I read more than one book a month, I leave other reviews here on my blog. They also get posted to Amazon and Goodreads.

The imagination of Rue Sparks is matched only by the quality of their exquisite writing, which allows us poor readers to share the vividness of their creative brain. I can’t tell you all the details of these thirteen stories, because they have melded into a kaleidoscope of colour a...

All that glitters …

All that glitters … is a piece of flash fiction which came out of a writing workshop prompt of ‘and then I woke up here’. The workshop was held in a friend’s beautiful garden. We were a long way from the sea, but perhaps the idea came to me because river nymphs have been on my mind for some time now, featuring as they do in my upcoming release, River Witch (find that here).

Sunshine warmed her from a washed-out, yet definitely blue, sky. Winter was finally retreating, creeping its way sou...

Thorfinn and the Witch’s Curse Jay Veloso Batista

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my Reviews of what I’m Reading page. But as I read more than one book a month, I leave other reviews here on my blog. They also get posted to Amazon and Goodreads.

Here’s my review of Thorfinn and the Witch’s Curse , Jay Veloso Batista

THE 2020 WISHING SHELF BRONZE MEDAL WINNER!

When Thorfinn and his brothers disturb an ancient crone atop a crumbling tower, it appears they have brought a curse upon themselves. But is that the case? This adve...

Is your novel too short?

I asked some members of the #writingcommunity what they’d like me to research for this month’s Writer’s Corner and this came up as a problem someone was struggling with. I know, I know! Most of us have the opposite problem, having to trim our verbal outpourings and kill off our darlings left, right and centre.
This particular author’s debut novel, released last year, is a quick read but a highly satisfying one and it’s done very well, thank you, including winning prizes. They’re concerned, ho...

Sabrina goddess

Captive damsels, jealous wives, and river nymphs

Sabrina goddess? Most people living where I live know Sabrina was the Roman name for the River Severn, which for much of its length marks the boundary between Wales and England. On a prosaic level, Sabrina, anglicised to Severn, is the Roman translation of the Welsh Halfren which means border.
How very dull!

More romantically, we think of Sabrina as a goddess, which is the river’s character in my soon-to-be released novel, River Witch.
So how...

My review of Protected by Paula Peckham

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my Reviews of what I’m Reading page. But as I read more than one book a month, I leave other reviews here on my blog. They also get posted to Amazon and Goodreads.

Here’s my review of Protected, Paula Peckham

All the adults and many of the children in the small group of pioneers travelling across the prairies to San Antonio have died of cholera within a few days of each other. Abigail, at 18, is the oldest survivor and when the others ...

My review of Labours of Stone by EM Harding

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my Reviews of what I’m Reading page. But as I read more than one book a month, I leave other reviews here on my blog. They also get posted to Amazon and Goodreads.

Here’s my review of Labours of Stone, EM Harding

A delightfully different book

Ephra Stone is stuck writing romance novels forever, under the thumb of his fluorescent pink suit wearing publisher who does very well out of Ephra’s work. Trouble is, Ephra hates the cliched r...