Kath Middleton's Blog, page 5

In conversation with - Jonathan Hill

Today I’m grilling Jonathan Hill. Bit of barbecue sauce…
 
Jonathan, you’ve just published The Stars Just Watch. This is a new version of your story in our collaborative publication Is It Her? How is this different and why did you decide to go it alone? Abject apologies in the form of cake are acceptable.
 
I should think being thrown on a disposable barbecue is recompense enough?! The Stars Just Watch is essentially the same story as Is it Her? But there are tweaks throughout and, most significantly, an entirely new chapter towards the end, which replaces the chapter centred around the painting on which our stories were based in the aforementioned collaborative release. I’m pleased with this new chapter as I feel it adds greater depth to the story, not to mention the introduction of another character.
 
As to why I’ve rereleased the story… well, it felt apt given that this year marks fifty years since the decriminalisation of private homosexual acts in England and Wales. I wanted to give the story a new lease of life, alongside my other gay literary fiction works, especially as collections of stories - such as our collaboration - notoriously (and sadly) don’t appeal to readers as greatly as stand-alone stories.
 
Tell us about your recent London literary success.
 
Oh yes! The Queen has requested that FAG be delivered to her royal Kindle and I hear that she is presently devouring the novel!
 
Oh… you mean the other news I have! Well, I’m delighted to report that my debut novel FAG is now on the shelves at Gay’s the Word, a well-known London bookshop - recently given more fame following it being featured in the hit film Pride. I can’t describe how it felt seeing my book alongside other authors I love and admire. And yes, of course I got photos!

​What are you working on next? More in your gay literary fiction genre or another comedy?
 
I’m currently working on my second full-length novel. Again gay literary fiction, but as with all my books, I am keen to stress that ‘gay’ is just a label, and the themes and storylines I cover in my prose are for everyone. I have a title and cover for my work in progress, but I’m keeping those under wraps for now. However, I can reveal that the book is set in wartime Berlin, and it’s involved more research than for any previous book.
 
Is there a topic you’d like to tackle but simply haven’t got around to?
 
I’m sure there are quite a few. Much as I enjoy writing comedy, I also love to explore the darker side of life, controversial subjects. The trouble with tackling these, though, is that although you’re writing fiction, there will always be some who feel you are glorifying or endorsing the subject
 
This summer marked the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act. How significant is this for young gay people who never felt the rush of freedom as they’d never had to hide away an important part of themselves?
 
Oh, I think it’s hugely significant. Firstly, it’s important for everyone, no matter their sexual orientation, to remember that just fifty years ago, it was illegal to be yourself with another person.
 
Secondly, I think it can be of comfort to gay people nowadays that anniversaries such as this are highlighted. They bring such relevant issues to the fore, show them that there is hope, change is possible and that acceptance is (generally) on the rise. But let me be clear. There is still not equality. Two men cannot walk down the road hand in hand without people looking. They cannot share a quick kiss on the high street without risking homophobic abuse. So in this sense, out gay people are still hiding away an important part of themselves. And everyday I see heterosexual couples being intimate in public, and it angers me because everyone should be able to do this. Everyone. We have come so far, but there is still much work to be done - and I hate the word ‘work’ in this context as work should never have to be involved with basic human rights. We are fortunate in the UK as many countries are worse off than we are for equality, but there can never be complacency. A glance at the news on any one day shows us that minority groups are still treated differently by some.
 
Thirdly, and finally, I think most gay youngsters do feel that rush of freedom - probably not to the same extent as fifty years ago, when the stakes were so much higher - but coming out (which isn’t a one-off process; you are coming out all the time throughout your life, when you meet new people) nowadays can have that feeling of freedom and release and catharsis. I know this from my own initial coming-out; much later in life than most nowadays, it was akin to a dam breaking, years and years of build-up behind it.
 
Despite the need for further change, I sense that the future for LGBT people is looking brighter all the time. We just need to make sure that upward streak continues.
​
The Book -

"We are blowing one another to bits and the stars just watch. Whether we live or die, kill... or love... the stars just watch. We shall extinguish one another, but no one shall extinguish the stars."

Tonight four sit round a table playing cards. Tomorrow two leave to fight. Over an evening already fraught with tension, emotions run deep and life-shattering secrets threaten to escape.

A powerful novella from the author of 'FAG', 'Pride' and 'Not Just a Boy'.

Readers should note that this is a new version of the story previously released under the title 'Is it Her?'




My thoughts -

The Stars Just Watch
 
It’s wartime, and Cliff and Tom have been called up. Jack, Cliff’s brother, is exempt as he’s got a serious leg injury. Violet, Cliff’s wife and Tom’s sister, gets them all together on the eve of their going off to war. The mood is, naturally, dark, edgy, tense and fearful. We soon find out what else Cliff has to fear, in addition to death at the hands of the enemy.
 
Most of the story is dark and dramatic, especially when Jack’s true role is revealed, though there is a glimmer of hope towards the end, when the climate has changed for Cliff. It’s a hugely thought-provoking book and I hope this slightly altered version sees it being more widely appreciated. It’s genuinely both awful and awesome.

When's the next book coming out?

Words I ask myself almost as often as other people ask me! 
​

Beneath the Ink is a satirical look at society's response to a horrific problem with tattoos. It would be dreadful if it happened but was rather fun to imagine. 

This is scheduled for publishing in the second week of September and is a 35,000  word novella. 

Meanwhile, back at the laptop, I had an idea for a short story. You all thought I was just lolling around in the sunshine, drinking gin, didn't you? I wasn't just lolling around... This has clocked up just under 12,000 words, so a rather long short story in length. The book, entitled The Novice's Demon, is, as it sounds, medieval, gothic, a shiver of horror. I now feel it's too close to the publication of Beneath the Ink to let it loose on the world. My feeling is that the dark nights, the flickering of firelight, the draughts at your neck and creaks of the settling house, are more conducive to that kind of story, so watch out for something demonic towards the end of the year.
BOO!
Gotcha!

Blog Tour - Born Bad by Heather Burnside

About the Author

Heather Burnside is a Manchester based author who formerly worked in credit control and is a qualified Member of the Institute of Credit Management. After taking a career break to raise a family, she swapped credit control for writing and decided to study for a writing diploma.

Heather had articles featured in several popular UK magazines before setting up a writing services business, offering copywriting and proofreading services to a range of clients. During that time she also wrote a number of non-fiction books on behalf of clients.

In 2014 Heather published her first Manchester based crime thriller, ‘Slur’, book 1 of the Riverhill Trilogy. She followed 'Slur' with book 2, ‘A Gangster’s Grip’, which focuses on the inter-gang rivalry of 90s Manchester, and the concluding book, 'Danger by Association'. 

Her latest book, 'Born Bad', is the first book in a new, gritty crime trilogy and is now available through Amazon.

You can find out more about Heather’s books by signing up to her mailing list at: http://eepurl.com/CP6YP to receive regular updates, or by viewing her website: www.heatherburnside.com.

​
About the Book

Book 1 in this new, gritty Manchester crime trilogy. When your enemies get close, family loyalty is all you can trust.
Brother and sister Peter and Adele Robinson never stood a chance. Dragged up by an alcoholic, violent father, and a weak, beaten mother, their childhood in Manchester only prepared them for a life of crime and struggle. But Adele is determined to break the mould. She studies hard at school and, inspired by her beloved grandmother Joyce, she finally makes a successful life for herself on her own.
Peter is not so lucky. Getting more and more immersed in the murky world of crime and gangs, his close bonds with Adelegradually loosen until they look set to break altogether.
But old habits die hard, and one devastating night, Adele is forced to confront her violent past. Dragged back into her worst nightmares, there's only one person she can turn to when her life is on the line – her brother Peter. After all, blood is thicker than water...
My review and links to buy

Adele and her brother Peter are like chalk and cheese. Peter turns to petty crime, which then becomes not so petty, while Adele works for her A levels. She’s hard pressed to do so. Her mother lives on tranquilisers and her alcoholic dad is physically abusive to his wife. The children learn to tread carefully. She can’t understand why her mother puts up with the abusive treatment and humiliation her father hands out.

This is the first of another series set in Manchester, my native city, and it has such a sense of place. It’s a long time since I heard one or two of the words or expressions used here and they nailed the story geographically for me. Heather Burnside is so good at getting into characters’ heads and leaving you understanding their predicament, but I confess, I didn’t expect the turn the story took. I found it very good indeed.

You can buy it from  Amazon UK or Amazon.com

Blog Tour - The Man Upstairs by Mark L Fowler

The Book

The Man Upstairs is an author and you can trust Mark Fowler to come at a story from a completely different angle and wrongfoot the reader. 

If you write a story, you have the power of life and death over your characters. You decide what they'll do and what will happen to them, In effect, you're 'god'. What if something went wrong with your mental processes? Intriguing thought, eh? One which Mark Fowler has already had!

Here's what it's about -

Frank Miller, hero of the best-selling mystery novels written by The Man Upstairs, works the weird streets of Chapeltown as a private detective. During the legendary case of the Black Widow everything changed when Frank became aware of his fictional existence. Proclaimed at the time as a work of genius, Frank wonders if it was the first sign that The Man Upstairs was sick.

This latest case, involving the death of a care worker, and coinciding with the appointment of Chapeltown’s first elected mayor, has Frank baffled. The Man Upstairs appears to be losing the plot, giving the womanising Frank a steady girlfriend, Marge, who warns him that to survive he must change from the tired cliché that he has become. 

As the case darkens Frank recognises the depth of his creator’s sickness. His days are numbered as clearly as the pages in the books in which he features. The looming battle with the Mayor of Chapeltown is nothing less than the battle to save himself, Marge, the series - and the mind of The Man Upstairs.

The Man Upstairs is plotting to kill Frank Miller and take Chapeltown to hell.

And here's my review -

Frank Miller is a private investigator and hero of a successful series of crime novels set in the small town of Chapeltown. He's currently looking into the death of a girl working for Chapeltown Angels, apparently a group of carers. The Angels are not what they seem, and the mayor of Chapeltown is up to his fat neck in monkey business. Part way through this successful series, Frank becomes aware that he and his whole world are the product of the imagination of The Man Upstairs, the author of the books. He realises that his creator is sick - and this could result in Frank's death.
 
This is a really unusual premise for a novel. The style is reminiscent of the wise-cracking detective of American literature of the last century. It's a spoof and it's fun but if you let yourself be drawn into the story you share with Frank the worry, at times panic, that the series may suddenly end with his death. He needs to persuade his author that he can change, that the stories aren't stale. To do that, he comes up against the thug of a mayor. This story really makes you think about the meaning of existence, personality, character development and what it means to create. Don’t let that make it sound very serious, though. It’s great fun and a hugely refreshing change from what you might call the standard detective story. I really enjoyed it.


​You can buy The Man Upstairs here if you're in the UK and here in the US. 

Mark's other books can be found on Amazon and are all well worth a read. You'll never mix them up in your mind with anyone else's!

Blog Tour - One Punch by Keith Dixon

Today I'm happy to join the Blog Tour for the excellent One Punch by Keith Dixon.

First, a few lines from the end of Chapter One which explain the title, and give a bit of the flavour of the writing style too.

‘Looking at this place you had a lot of fights at five grand a piece.’
‘You’ve got the wrong end of the stick, my man. I didn’t make money from boxing. I made it from property. Investments. Done well in London then moved up here, bought this place when it was a shithole and done it up. And I’m still ducking and diving.’
Storey said, ‘Well, thanks for the whiskey and the biography, but I don’t think I’ll fit in here.’
‘Sorry to hear that.’
Storey put his glass down and stood up. He said, ‘Were you a good boxer?’
Doyle was also standing now. ‘Terrible boxer. Good fighter. Do you know what they called me?’
‘No idea.’
‘I’d knock ‘em down so quick they called me One Punch Doyle. Bear that in mind.’

Who's Keith Dixon?

I didn't know until a couple of months ago but I bought what turned out to be the second in a series but it reads brilliantly as a stand-alone. Here's how Keith's Amazon page describes him.

Keith Dixon was born in Yorkshire and grew up in the Midlands. He’s been writing since he was thirteen years old in a number of different genres: thriller, espionage, science fiction, literary. He’s the author of seven novels in the Sam Dyke Investigations series and two other non-crime works, as well as two collections of blog posts on the craft of writing. When he’s not writing he enjoys reading, learning the guitar, watching movies and binge-inhaling great TV series. He’s currently spending more time in France than is probably good for him.

What's the book about?

Paul Storey is an ex-cop looking for a job. Bran Doyle was a boxer but he’s now looking for a driver. And perhaps a little more. 
Storey takes the job but soon finds himself involved in more than driving. There’s a murder. And conspiracy. And another murder. 
And then the real trouble starts.
One Punch continues the series begun by Storey, described by one reviewer as a “highly intelligent, witty and well-plotted thriller”, and by others as “very entertaining”, “a great read” and “an unusual thriller”.

If you like thrillers with surprising characters, intricate plots, lots of humour and exciting action, then One Punch should fit the bill.

Well, I do and it did!

​
My review - 

Paul Storey is an ex-copper, now working as a driver/security man and One Punch is the nickname of his new employer, Bran Doyle. Doyle made his money through boxing – not always legal fights, either – and now has a business as a property dealer and developer. He’s having money troubles, family troubles, old acquaintance troubles. In fact, none of the characters in this book seems to be who they appear to be superficially. Its great strength is the way it unfolds their individual stories.
 
This is the second in a series but is perfectly good as a stand-alone. I haven’t read anything else by this author but I can see that changing! The writing is very good, pulling you into the story. The characters are three-dimensional and complex. Unlike many a crime book these days, which seem to strive to find the most shocking twist, the power of this book is that it all feels extremely plausible. I enjoyed this a great deal and highly recommend it.
​
And you can buy it here in the UK and here in the US. Enjoy it!

Guest Post - Tallis Steelyard (via Jim Webster)

​Today my blog is host to Tallis Steelyard, jobbing poet and a creation (and possibly friend) of Jim Webster. 

A nice touch with the pastry

I confess that I will often adopt a world-weary demeanour and generally give the impression that nothing surprises me. Between ourselves, people seem to expect this from a poet, especially one who is not perhaps in the first flush of youth. Apparently poets are allowed to remain romantic into their early thirties at the latest, but must then make their way down the heavily beaten track to cynical, perhaps passing through jaded on the way. But between ourselves I continue to find the world, and especially the city of Port Naain to be a fascinating place; not least because it is inhabited by some truly fascinating people.

I make my living as a jobbing poet, and will regularly perform at soirees, afternoon ‘at-homes’ and similar events. Thus I suspect that cakes and other confectionery form a larger part of my diet than they do for most folk. I must say that the fact that I still have the trim figure of my youth owes more to the irregular nature of other meals than it does to my iron discipline when faced with temptation in the form of pastry, cream and sugar.

Over the years I have eaten all sorts of pasties and similar, and frankly I have to say that the pastry I ate at Madam Dolbart’s was as good if not better than anything else I’ve ever eaten in Port Naain. Her pastry was genuinely amazing.

Now when I say ‘her pastry’ I really mean the pastry served to her guests. Madam Dolbart was a busy lady with a crowded social calendar and at least one cook. She had neither the time nor the need to make her own pastry.

Now for myself I am perfectly happy to sample the delights of my host’s table, pass generous compliments and leave it at that. It has never occurred to me that I might steal my host’s cook to ensure that I got to eat those delightful meals all the time. I notice from your expression that you’re not entirely surprised at this. ‘Given this Tallis Steelyard fellow can barely put food on the table, what would he do with a cook?’

That is not entirely kind. My honesty in this matter is grounded firmly on ethical principles, not my inability to benefit from discarding said principles.

Still there are others out there who are less upright than I am. No sooner was it accepted that Madam Dolbart had a cook with a real gift for pastry than somebody would try and steal her away.
I realise that I have to be careful with my words here. This is Port Naain, not the wilds of Uttermost Partann. Even in the less reputable suburbs of Port Naain it is exceedingly rare for desperate adventurers to throw a sack over your cook’s head and make off with her. But when it comes to luring a cook away, the ladies of Port Naain are second to none. Madam Dolbart’s cook was offered an increased salary, a more pleasant room, indeed a suite of rooms; and in one case a house of her own in the grounds. Finally, tempted beyond endurance, she succumbed. Much to the chagrin of the lady who had succeeded in her stratagem, Madam Dolbart’s cook produced merely excellent pastry. In the cook’s absence Madam Dolbart’s table continued to feature exquisite pastry.

Rumours started to fly round a certain stratum of society. The pastry was in reality prepared by the assistant cook. The pastry was the contribution of an elderly scullery maid who couldn’t cook but had a gift with pastry. It was even suggested that the pastry was made by one of the maids who learned the knack from her grandmother. Some did suggest Madam Dolbart might prepare it, but this was discounted because Madam Dolbart herself admitted that she had no culinary skills.
The result of this speculation was that it seemed that the ladies of Port Naain had declared open season on Madam Dolbart’s kitchen staff. In the course of a year, she’d found and lost four cooks, a housekeeper, three scullery maids and an upstairs maid who somebody noticed brushing flour off her pinny. The situation was beyond ridiculous, it was becoming a scandal. Cooks were applying for a position with Madam Dolbart on the assumption that they would be poached for better wages within the month. Yet throughout this period the quality of the pastry remained undiminished.

It was at this point that I bumped into Haggaty Dolbart, the husband of Madam Dolbart. I bumped into him at the Fatted Mott. This is a chop house popular with single men and tends to be frequented by clerks, lawyers and city bureaucrats. I was dining there because my lady wife Shena was dining with usurers and suchlike and fortunately I had the money to fend for myself for once.
The place was full and Haggaty recognised me and asked if I minded if he sat at my table. I made a welcoming gesture (my mouth was full) and as we ate, we talked about all manner of subjects.
Finally as he pushed his empty plate away from him he sighed.
“I enjoyed that. Eating at home has become so much of a gamble.”
I must have raised a quizzical eyebrow (a skill I practiced in my youth and have used occasionally to good effect).
Thus he continued, “I’ll arrive home from work looking for my meal and I’m never sure who the cook is or whether we’ll have one. Then no sooner do I get one trained so she cooks stuff just as I like it, she’ll up and away.”
I was sympathetic. “Must be a strain.”
He stared into his wine glass as if hoping it knew who would be cooking breakfast for him. “It is; the one consolation is that I’m guaranteed a nice pasty from time to time.”
It suddenly struck me that here was the man who could answer the question that had been nagging most of my patrons. If I could answer it, I might well find myself generously recompensed. So obviously I asked, “So who makes the pastry in your house?”
“Me.” He obviously saw the look of surprise on my face. “My grandmother insisted all her grandsons could cook, and it turns out I had a way with pastry, so I’ve kept it up.”
I asked, “So what do your staff think about it?”
“Oh they think Madam does it.”

When he left I continued to sit and ponder the situation. I didn’t think various ladies would go so far as to steal Madam Dolbart’s husband to get hold of the pastry, but frankly, knowing some of them I couldn’t be sure. There are times when it’s best to keep your mouth shut and know nothing.

It may be that you might not realise that Tallis Steelyard has just produced his second book of stories and anecdotes. This is book, ‘Tallis Steelyard, a harsh winter, and other stories,’ is available from the first of June here in the UK or here in the US.

Here's my review of the new book -

This is a collection of stories about Tallis which go to show that it’s not all drinking afternoon tea or partaking of soirees for a jobbing poet. We discover some of his early life, some of the society feuds he became entangle with, and the story of how he met his wife and acquired the boat on which they live. Great little tales!

Were Tallis less busy he’d doubtless remember to thank me, Jim Webster, for the efforts I make on his behalf. But you know what it is with someone like Tallis who is constantly in demand. So I just get on with writing his stuff down for him and from time to time making collections of his wit, wisdom and jumbled musings available for a grateful public.

Tallis does have a blog; it is apparently de rigueur now for all writers. It is available here.

Riding in on his coattail,s I’ll merely mention that my own books can be seen at Jim Webster’s Amazon page.

Blog Tour - The Coffin Maker by Mark Fowler

About the book

The Coffin Maker lives and works alone in the Kingdom of Death. When he completes a coffin a life on Earth ends. That’s how it’s always been.

One day as Coffin sits writing in his journal, The History of Death, trying to sum it all up in one perfect sentence, a note sails past his window.

Is he about to gain a glimpse of the elusive Divine Plan that has eluded him for centuries? Is life in the Kingdom of Death about to change forever?

There are rumours that the devil is finally arriving in the guise of Colonel Gouge. Rumours started by a priest who has upset the Church by writing a book: Coffin Maker. A book written to comfort a bereaved nephew. A book that appears to prophesy not only the arrival of Gouge, but also the cataclysmic events about to unfold in the Kingdom of Death.

It's available here in the UK or here in the US.

My review - 

When Coffin Maker strikes the last nail home and the coffin is completed, that's when the intended recipient dies. He has been doing his job as long as life has existed. In effect, he is Death, Life's antithesis. Father Henry has written a story about him and given it to his little nephew. This book is almost a fable or dark fantasy, dealing as it does with Coffin Maker and his two recent companions; his apprentices. Something, some evil being, has entered the world while Coffin was distracted and that's never happened before. 

How do I categorise this book? It’s got elements of fantasy, mythology, philosophy and metaphysics. The story is both full of action and somewhat introspective and I very much enjoyed Coffin's internal dialogues, his insistence upon being The Poet of Death and keeping a journal, and his conversation with the apprentices. I can imagine this story not appealing to some people but I found it very compelling indeed. I couldn't imagine how it would end, and I loved the way it did.

Silver was the first book of Mark's which I read, and I followed on very quickly with The Coffin Maker and The Man Upstairs. The things these books all have in common is that they take a step outide fiction. They look at the story in a way which puts the concept of story under the microscope. I find them very refreshing. His new book, Red is the Colour, is a more traditional crime novel but still has that feeling of being 'something a bit different'.

I asked Mark if he thought his university subject (philosophy) impacted on the sense of otherness I always find in his books. Here's what he said -

Curiosity is what initially drew me towards philosophy. Curiosity about life and death, good and evil, freewill and determinism, about who we are and why we are here, and is there a God and why do we all have to suffer? And these are all good questions that can drive and have driven many a good story. I'm not an academic writer, I don't have that discipline. I choose to explore the world, and life, through storytelling. I love a good mystery, and that can be a whodunit, a crime mystery, or it can be a more metaphysical mystery, involving the nature of death itself. And I guess that's where Coffin Maker comes in. I think that a sense of wonder is a good starting point for both philosophy and storytelling. We are all detectives, trying to fit together the pieces of the puzzle, to uncover the mystery, make sense of it all. 

​

About Mark Fowler

Mark L. Fowler is the author of the novels Coffin Maker, The Man Upstairs, Silver, and Red Is The Colour, and more than a hundred short stories. His particular interests are in crime and mystery, psychological thrillers and gothic/horror fiction.

In 2016, Silver, a dark and disturbing psychological thriller was published by Bloodhound Books. When a famous romance novelist dies in mysterious circumstances, she leaves behind an unfinished manuscript, Silver. This dark and uncharacteristic work has become the Holy Grail of the publishing world, but the dead writer’s family have their reasons for refusing to allow publication.

Red Is The Colour is Mark’s latest book, a crime mystery featuring two police detectives based in Staffordshire. The case involves the grim discovery of the corpse of a schoolboy who went missing thirty years earlier. Red Is The Colour is the first in a series featuring DCI Tyler and DS Mills, and will be published in July 2017 by Bloodhound Books.

A graduate in philosophy from Leicester University, Mark lives in Staffordshire, and is currently writing a follow up to Red Is The Colour. When he isn’t writing he enjoys time with family and friends, watching TV and films, playing guitar/piano and going for long walks.

Fact Meets Fiction

​A few days ago I read the obituary of a man who was rather like one of my characters - but a couple of generations older. The real life Nicholas Sand was a chemist and a campaigner for LSD. Ed Joye, my character, was a chemist and a creator of a best-selling recreational drug. Sand believed he'd heard a voice when on his first LSD trip. It told him that his job on this planet was to make psychedelics and turn on the world. Ed just wanted to make Joyes and turn himself into a millionaire. Oh, and a Nobel Prize winner. Aim high, right?

Sand's creation was known as Orange Sunshine and was claimed to be the purest LSD on the market. The creation and distribution of this drug was part of his mission to 'build a new world of peace and love'. It sounds like Ed's sales pitch, but Ed wasn't so altruistic. Sand spent years on the run from the government and to avoid capture, he lived under an assumed name for twenty years in Canada. Eventually he was caught and served six years in prison - a fate which still haunts Ed Joye.  I knew nothing about this man until I read his obituary but it's true that there's not much genuine fiction. Most of it (sci-fi and fantasy apart) has happened somewhere, to someone.  

Ed Joye also wanted to 'bring a new level of consciousness to the human race' but only insofar as it would enrich himself. I like to think he came good eventually. 
​
​​(Photo from Wikipedia) ​
​Ed's journey to riches and to a better understanding of himself is available here.

His medication was endorsed by The Fellowship of the Enlightened Path. Sand's orange pills were distributed by The Brotherhood of Eternal Love. It's amazing how close they sound!

If you want to read about the creator of Orange Sunshine, Nicholas Sand, there's a quick overview here on Wikipedia and there's an obituary in the Los Angeles Times which is more than Ed Joye will get!

Blog Tour - The Spy Who Chipped The China Teacup

Angie Smith's novel is published on May 18th 2017 This is surely a contender for the best title award!

What's it all about?

Arms dealing. Murder. Corruption.

In Africa, Taylor Hudson reaches the stark realisation that she is in imminent danger. Time is nearly up when, out of nowhere, she is thrown a lifeline.  Left with little option, she places her trust in a complete stranger. But who is this stranger and why the interest in saving her?

The answers lie 6,000 miles away, deep inside the British Secret Intelligence Service, where a former, disgraced, senior officer is attempting to work his way back into the heart of the organisation. But what are his real intentions?

What ensues is a deadly game of bluff, double-bluff and triple-bluff. Can The China Teacup survive this time?

Who wrote it?

Angie Smith, having recently survived locally advanced breast cancer, discovered that her lifelong desire to write had been rekindled. Consequently, her love for international crime thrillers became the springboard to the creation of the highly acclaimed CXVI Trilogy.

Her passion for travelling to exotic places greatly inspires her work. A recent trip to Southern Africa inspired her fourth novel, The Spy Who Chipped The China Teacup.

Angie, born in 1961, was educated at Huddersfield University where she graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Education and Training. She was nominated for an award on her knowledge transfer partnerships work, during which she co-produced and presented a journal article at the International Social Work Conference in Durban.

I asked Angie whether she visited any of her exotic locations in person or is Google her best friend? She's been there! Here's her reply -

That is an excellent question Kath. I would be lying if I said I never used Google Earth, sometimes even for places I have visited. However, in my view, travel broadens the mind and enriches the soul - particularly exotic places! 

So, yes, I have visited many of the locations in my books. I do believe it helps to get a true feel for a place. I need to see the colours for myself, to experience the smells, the sounds be they nature or human. I have to feel I can get into the heads of my characters (they are real you know), so I know how exhilarating it is to fly over the Bazaruto Archipelago in a helicopter, to see Mozambique locals in their coulorful attire balancing goodness knows what on their heads. I’ve stood on the derelict balcony (on Paradise Island) where Bob Dylan composed the song Mozambique. I’ve witnessed a kill in the bush in South Africa, and seen the unbelievable vivid sunsets while watching two crocodiles mate (really!).
 
All these experiences are what aids articulation - to bring everything to life - and I love it! Life is short - live it!  
My review -

Taylor Hudson’s husband wants her dead. He’s paid someone to make sure she is. However, another someone offers to keep her safe. Why should she trust him? Her husband is swimming in very murky waters and she gradually finds out what he’s capable of. The Secret Intelligence Service are involved and there are good and bad within that organisation. We are pulled from side to side, not knowing who is trustworthy and who’s a villain.
 
I’ll admit that at the beginning I kept mixing Taylor up with another woman who has important scenes – Stephany Pascal. Once I’d got my brain in gear, the action flowed inexorably. Angie Smith can weave a multitude of threads into a single story and take you by surprise as you round each corner. She writes a really mean baddie! The book takes us to various parts of the world and the added detail makes the story come alive. A treat for espionage lovers and an exhilarating read.

You can buy it here and in the US, here.

Blog Tour - Guilty Innocence by Maggie James

The Author

Maggie James is a British author who lives in Bristol. She writes psychological suspense novels.
 Before turning her hand to writing, Maggie worked mainly as an accountant, with a diversion into practising as a nutritional therapist. Diet and health remain high on her list of interests, along with travel. Accountancy does not, but then it never did. The urge to pack a bag and go off travelling is always lurking in the background! When not writing, going to the gym, practising yoga or travelling, Maggie can be found seeking new four-legged friends to pet; animals are a lifelong love!

The Book

When Natalie snoops through her boyfriend Mark’s possessions she finds more than she bargained for. Mark was once convicted of a brutal killing. Heartbroken by what she has discovered, Natalie’s dreams of a future with him collapse.

However, Mark was not the only person sentenced for the murder of two-year-old Abby Morgan. His former friend, the violent and twisted Adam Campbell, was also convicted and Adam knows more about the murder than he will admit.

When circumstances thrust Mark back in contact with Adam, the past comes back to haunt him. Can Mark ever break free from Adam? Will the truth ever come out? 

My review - 

In a story which will have real-life echoes for many, two eleven year-old boys kidnap and kill a toddler. Mark Slater is one of those boys and with his new identity he has carved out a place in society for himself. He has a decent job and a girlfriend, even though he is not supposed to have a relationship because of his child-killing conviction. Mark knows he's innocent. We find out about him, the other boy, the dead child's family and his girlfriend, Natalie. Mark acknowledges his own weakness. I was longing for him to come good.
 
This is a great story, detailing the effects of bullying, parental indifference, fear turning to hatred, and the gradual eating away of these things on a person's confidence and self-belief. Maggie James writes clearly and eloquently. She has a deceptively easy style in which she can convey so much. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this is definitely the book for you.

Links - 
​You can buy it here and it's currently only 99p

Maggie's Amazon Author Page is here and you can see details of her other books. Every one I've read is a great story!