Cheryl Burman's Blog: Blog posts for readers and writers, page 47

Keepers – the perfect Mother’s Day gift

Still time to get Keepers – the perfect Mother’s Day gift for a mum who loves a book she can’t put down!

I love it when friends volunteer that they’ve read the book and loved it -whether or not they agree with the ending!

And I’ve been thrilled with reviews like this –

‘This is a beautifully written book, uplifting and heart warming . I could not put this book down and read it in one session. I do hope you will write another book soon’

‘Despite being a decent size novel, over 300 pages, I read ...

My review of Learning to Fly, Crispina Kemp

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 Learning to Fly
A fascinating mix

I’ve come to this series at a mid point, but it made no difference to my enjoyment of this fascinating mix of deeply researched history and fantasy. I love history, and I love certain kinds of fantasy so this story of ang...

Legend of the Winged Lion on tour 17-21 March

Very excited to have my new MG fantasy release – and the prequel to Guardians of the Forest – Legend of the Winged Lion on tour for the next few days.

Here are all the blogs where you can read different bits about the book. Go here for links to extracts to whet your appetite.

March 17 Rocket Book Tours 
March 17 Bluebird Book Tours & Reviews  
March 18 Action Packed Book Tours & Reviews  
March 19 Black Cat Book Tours & Reviews  
March 20 Book Reviews & Tours for Book Lovers  
March 21 Books! ...

The people’s battle to save our forests inspired my books

Yes, it was the true life story of the people’s battle to save our forests which inspired my first books, the Guardians of the Forest trilogy.

In 2010 the UK government thought it would be a good idea to sell off England’s public forests. The people’s indignation was felt across the country, with even central London MPs bombarded with emails protesting the very idea. I live in the Forest of Dean where small towns and villages are located right within the Forest itself and where rights to acce...

My review of Carrie’s War

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my Reviews of What I’m Reading page. Given I read more than one book a month, I leave other reviews here on my blog.

Here’s my review of Carrie’s War

This is hardly a new book and was in fact first published in 1974. It’s a timeless book, however.

Find Carrie’s War here

In my role with Dean Scribblers here in the Forest of Dean, I find myself in primary school classrooms learning with the kids about the impact of both world wars on the...

My journey to self-publishing

My journey to self-publishing my books tells how I clambered out of the querying trenches into the frightening no-man’s land of self-publishing. And survived!

Budding novelists are increasingly faced with the decision these days whether to go the ‘traditional’ publishing route or to self-publish.

Traditional generally implies seeking a literary agent for your manuscript who will then attempt to sell it to one of the mainstream publishers. It also covers that halfway house of independent a...

My review of The Landlord of Hummingbird House by Jane Harvey

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my 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 The Landlord of Hummingbird House

I originally reviewed The Landlord of Hummingbird House when it was released in 2021, but with the promised sequel on its way (not the one I asked for but never mind), it seems a good time to remind people what an excellent book this i...

My review of Empire’s Daughter by Marian Thorpe

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my 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 Empire’s Daughter

Well written, pacy and full of interesting characters, Empire’s Daughter won’t disappoint.

The world of Empire’s Daughter

Marian Thorpe admits that the world of Empire’s Daughter is drawn from bits of our own – most made up worlds are – bu...

Make verbs work harder to strengthen your writing

How can we make verbs work harder for us?

Writers are often told: ‘get rid of was’, and ‘ban -ing words’ when talking about verbs. We must be sure to banish all words ending with -ly: those related abominations called adverbs. No place for adverbs here, please. What’s the rationale behind these injunctions and are they black and white?

Consider these examples

A. The book was read by her mother vs Her mother read the book.
B. He was gazing about vs He gazed about.
C. He read the book...

Review of Moments and Memories by Lily Lawson

My monthly newsletter book reviews can be found on my 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 Moments and Memories by Lily Lawson

An apt title
Lily Lawson is best known for her poetry, but her debut collection of short stories marks her as a versatile and talented writer.

Bite-size yet satisfying stories which range from the ghostly and mystical, such as ...