Ray Stone's Blog: A blog for everyone, page 25
November 6, 2014
When you live with a book
In four weeks I will be returning to Cyprus to live. My wife and I spent three weeks there earlier in October and found a nice place to settle. While there I managed to visit several places that I toured in 1974. Six months later, after the Turkish invasion, I became curious about the events that led up to the occupation. Delving into the recent history of Cyprus I found a story about British Colonialism, Greek claims of sovereignty and terrible acts of violence both Greeks and Turks visited on each other before the UN stepped in. This first visit later became a great influence on writing my first Enda Osin Mystery book, ‘ISIA’S SECRET.’
My first stop was the Paphos district where Enda and Jessica Du Rosse spend their first night on Cyprus. What they see is the modern Paphos.
‘The shoreline boulevard of Paphos reminded me of other seaside towns I’d been to. Fast food franchises, souvenir kiosks, banks, estate agents, clothes shops and travel agents all cluttered together in uninteresting little strips. Whatever else happened on the island, nothing stood in the way of tourism.’
In 1955 the Chloraka coastline, part of the Paphos district, and it’s areas of Alyki, Rodalinia and Vrexi were remote and deserted. On the 10th November 1954 Colonel George Grivas landed secretly to lead an armed struggle to free Cyprus from the ‘yoke of English Colonial rule.’ After helping form a committee with Archbishop Makarios III and other Greeks and Cypriots, he had landed to organise a group of fighters for EOKA. (National Organisation for Cypriot Struggle). There followed a short period when propaganda sheets appeared spreading hatred for the Turks and the British army. It was not known until later that Grivas was on the island.
‘By day Koskotas worked for a newspaper. By night he printed The Cypriot Fight, an underground propaganda paper urging rebellion against the ‘occupying imperialistic army’, encouraging desecration of Turkish property and rallying support for the military junta in Athens who were at loggerheads with Makarios. Stevenson reminded us they were turbulent times with Greeks fighting each other as well as the British and Turks.
“Must have been very confusing,” I said. “Your point about Koskotas is what? That he took the picture?”
Stevenson nodded. Koskotas propaganda sheets were the only source for photos of EOKA action. His accounts often implied his presence on the scene. That also suggested he had a camera. There were often quotes from Grivas and Makarios that were more of a personal rather than military view of the campaign.
Jessica recalled Koskotas admitting he was a staunch supporter of The National Organization of Freedom Fighters at the time when he was young.’
I wanted to find the cove featured in ‘Isia’s Secret’ where George Hrisacopolis lands men and arms and is caught by the British and dies after getting shot and leaving a photo of a young girl on the beach. It was the start of the book and the hook that set the rest of the story off to uncover George’s family’s dark secrets. The cove is situated north of the Ahyki coast and unfortunately I did not have time to find it. I did, however get to the Ahyki coast area where one of the most celebrated events of the struggle took place in at Rodafinia. As freedom fighters began ferrying arms and explosives by dinghy from an ocean going wooden fishing vessel, the ‘Saint George,’ a British warship, the ‘Comet,’ lay in wait out to sea having been warned by traitors to the EOKA cause. On the shore the police were also waiting. All the men were captured and the warship fired across the St George’s bows. Eventually all the men served between one and eleven years in jail.
‘Alexander ran back across the beach, breathing heavily.
“There’s a small motor boat coming in.”
“Right, get them off and send the boat back. How many are there?”
“Fifteen men. The fishing boat is laid off further toward the point.”
George’s heart thumped against his chest. “Good. Now lead them out of here as fast as you can, Alex. I’ll cover the rear with two of our men.”
Both men ran toward the boat. George could make out several figures jumping into the surf as they approached.
Then night suddenly turned into day. A bright searchlight at the top of the cliff cut through the night, illuminating the boat and all around it. “This is the British Army…. Stay where you are…. Lay down your arms and walk towards the light.” The megaphone voice repeated the order.
“On top of the cliff.” shouted George. “The bastards are hidden, get the light.” He raised his pistol and aimed at the top of the cliffs.’
It has to be said that Winston Churchill shoulders much of the blame for the events that shook the island for two decades and ended with the infamous ‘Green Line’ that today divides Cyprus. Vague promises were made to the Greeks after Crete was invaded by the Nazis during WWII about the future of Cyprus in return for Greek resistance. When nothing happened at the war’s end, the Greeks started pressurizing the British government and fighting the minority of the population – the Turks, in order to support their claims. In the early fifties the British found themselves caught in a struggle that lasted for almost twenty years as all sides fought each other. After eighty-two years of British rule, Cyprus was granted independence in 1960 but the violence still flared on and off for another thirteen years. The invasion ended all that and for forty years the island has remained divided. Lacking recognition for a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus from any other country, the whole of Cyprus was granted EU status in 2003.
After two weeks on the island I found a villa that overlooks one of the valleys north of Kissonerga on the Paphos coast. Our village is a ten minute walk away and the local winery is even closer. What really sold me on living here is the peace and tranquility of living high up in the hill villages. The Cypriots are a warm hearted people and their homes and public places are well kept and clean. I love getting to know my new neighbors and look forward to writing in a new location and enjoying fresh air. It is hard to imagine this island experiencing a civil war. I saw all the EOKA signs daubed on walls and the tension in Turkish quarters as I last toured places in the north – Kyrenia and Bellapais. My wish is that the EU don’t spend another forty years dithering but grow some sharp teeth and get things sorted. Cyprus deserves to be its own master – and that sentiment is also shared by Enda Osin, political correspondent of the ‘Herald.‘
If you would like to read “ISIA’S SECRET” or listen to it please click on the following links. My work is available through Amazon and Smashwords.
Isia’s Secret is the first of a trilogy of Enda Osin Mystery’s and the second, Twisted Wire, is also available with an audio version coming in the new year. The third book, Glassfrogs and Chameleons will be available in the spring of 2005.
http://www.amazon.com/Isias-Secret-Enda-Osin-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00FCRGON8
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/353047
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/472901
Pictures by M. Harahan and I. Kimmel
Day 6 of the Mystery Book Tour
Today’s guest on the Mystery November book tour is Terry Tyler with her book Nobody’s Fault.
Where is your home town?
I live in the land of the Geordies, though I am not one myself!
How many books have you written?
I have published 9 books on Amazon – 7 novels, one novella and a collection of short stories, and am half way through the 10th, which is the sequel to Kings and Queens. In the 1990s I wrote 9 or 10 other novels, a couple of which have been re-written for Amazon publication (Dream On and The Other Side)
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
My favourite sub of any genre is historical fiction – I’m mad for it!
Where is Nobody’s Fault set?
Tyne & Wear, Northamptonshire and Norfolk – the three counties in which I’ve lived. Pity I haven’t lived on a Scottish isle, in New York and Hawaii, instead; my books might be best sellers!!!!!!
How do Adrienne and Nick meet?
At his cousin’s house – they were to have a business arrangement only but fell immediately and irrevocably in love!
Tell us about Sharon.
Ah, poor Sharon. She has so much to give, but life has passed her by. With no family round her and little social life, she makes friends with people on social networking sites.
Give us a hint at the 2 stories in your book
Nobody’s Fault is about the breakdown of Nick and Ria’s marriage, from the point of view of their 15 year old daughter, Tara, and ‘the other woman’, Adrienne. The story running concurrently is that of Sharon, and her all girls’ Facebook group….
What element makes this book a mystery?
We learn early on that, unbeknownst to Sharon, there is more behind the Facebook group than meets the eye – and what is the connection with the story of Nick, Ria and Adrienne? I was delighted to find that NO-ONE got it right when they were reading it – I enjoyed all the guesses! I won’t say any more right now…!
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
The sequel to Kings and Queens, LAST CHILD – a contemporary family drama that parallels the battle for the throne after Henry VIII’s reign. All the passion and drama of the Tudor court, in the 21st century! I’ve just started the fourth draft.
Where can readers find out more about you?
My blog: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Terry-Tyler/e/B00693EGKM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1and Amazon.com
Buy links for Nobody’s Fault:
http://www.amazon.com/Terry-Tyler/e/B00693EGKM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1/189-8914531-8053155
My Amazon UK page:
http://www.terrytyler59.blogspot.co.uk/
Nobody’s fault is now half price on Kindle Countdown until November 11th.
November 5, 2014
Day Five of the Mystery Book Tour
Welcome to Day 5 of Mystery November , our guest today is Georgia Rose and her book A Single Step.
Where is your home town?
I suppose it’s Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire as that’s my nearest town, and I’ve lived here for 28 years, though as it’s still more than 10 miles away it doesn’t feel much like home. The town that I know best is Bedford because, although I didn’t ever live there, my school life and then the first 12 years of my working life were there so it feels more like a home town to me. I haven’t moved far have I!
How long have you been writing?
I’ve only been writing fiction properly since 2012 when the story that I’m now telling came to me during one glorious week while lying on a sun bed in Gozo. Everything just slotted into place and whilst I’d made the odd feeble attempts to write something in the past, which had never made it past the first page, this time it seems it was meant to be. The beginning, middle and end came together and I’m now just hoping I can do it justice by holding it all together for the entire trilogy.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I like all sorts if I’m reading it, particularly a gritty psychological crime thriller but I guess from a writing point of view it has to be romantic suspense. When I was first coming up with this story I wanted there to be something more to it than just a romance. I like there to be darkness in the backgrounds of my lead characters and a gradual building of suspense throughout, which I’m now finding a challenge to sustain over the three books.
Where is A Single Step set?
The setting for A Single Step is completely fictitious. Emma starts out in a village called Crowthorne but most of the book is set on the glorious estate of Melton Manor, near the village of Melton. I can see it vividly so in a way it does upset me that I can’t actually go and visit it but I also think that’s what people enjoy when they read it. Many have mentioned how they’ve loved the setting and because there are no preconceptions of it being in a particular place that can be however it’s conjured up in your mind.
What has happened to Emma in the past?
I don’t want to give too much away here but Emma has had a tragic past. Orphaned at a very early age she grows up and settles down only to face a loss so tragic that any of us would have great difficulty getting over it.
How does she take a step back into life?
With a little bit of prodding she applies for a new job at Melton Manor to manage the stables and while she goes there, with her faithful dog Susie, thinking that this is a place where she can live the solitary existence she longs for, when she gets there she finds she doesn’t quite get the isolated life she was expecting.
What is the mystery element in this book?
I don’t want to draw too much attention to some of the elements but the main ones are that right from the interview Emma attends there is an air of mystery about the estate. While on the surface it runs as an everyday agricultural enterprise there is more to it and as Emma gradually comes out of the darkness of her previous life she becomes aware that not all is what it seems.Also I have told this story in the first person so we know nothing of Trent’s background and the repercussions of this are not found out until it is almost too late and Emma is in dreadful danger.
It’s a mystery and a romance, does the story continue in the next book?
Yes it does. I think I’ve finished this one off so you’re full and satisfied when it ends, but, there are a few loose threads in there that while you’re not left feeling irritated with the lack of answers do leave some questions hanging.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
Well having launched the second book in The Grayson Trilogy, Before the Dawn, a few weeks ago I’ve just started on the concluding part, Thicker than Water. The story is all formed in my head; it’s just the small task now of getting the words down.
Where can readers find out more about you?
I have a website and write a blog at www.georgiarosebooks.com and you can follow my blog or contact me via this website.
My Twitter handle is @GeorgiaRoseBook and I can be found on Facebook at georgia.rose.books, as well as on Google+ and Goodreads.
The universal link to Amazon for A Single Step is http://t.co/WmKmhktPQy and is usually written as getbook.at/ASingleStep
getbook.at/ASingleStep
getbook.at/ASingleStep
getbook.at/ASingleStep
November 4, 2014
Day 4 of the Mystery Book Tour
Posted on November 4, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Welcome to Day 4 of the Mystery November book tour. Today our guest is E.L. Lindley with her book The Ties That Bind.
Where is your home town?
My home town is Sheffield which is in South Yorkshire. It’s a lovely area because it’s a vibrant city but we’re also surrounded by beautiful countryside.
When did you first write a mystery?
The first novel I wrote was Business As Usual which is the first story in the Georgie Connelly series. Since then, I’ve written three more in the series and I’m currently working on numberfive.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
As a reader, mysteries are my favourite genre so I suppose it’s only natural that I would head in that direction as a writer. I love reading all mysteries from the more gritty Jack Reacher series to the wacky Stephanie Plum novels. I think my favourites are probably somewhere inthe middle; a serious core but peppered with light-hearted humour and romance. In my own novels, I tend to tackle serious subjects by way of the crimes that are being committed but offset that with Georgie Connelly’s fun approach and the cast of characters who are her support system.
Tell us about the idea which sparked The Georgie Connelly series.
I think I just write the books I want to read. I wanted to create a female protagonist who is tough and tenacious but soften her with humour to make her more appealing. Georgie Connelly has lots of annoying characteristics – she’s bull-headed, arrogant and constantly puts her foot in it but she is loyal to a fault with a big heart.
What is Georgie’s job?
Georgie is a documentary filmmaker who has won awards for her hard-hitting exposes. She is a Brit but based in LA because of the film industry being concentrated there. As a result of her work as a filmmaker, she often becomes embroiled with people who are the victims, or indeed perpetrators, of wrongdoing and she is not the kind of person who can look the other way. Consequently she finds herself fighting crime on a regular basis.
What is the mystery element of this book?
In The Ties That Bind, Georgie is reunited with her mother, Marilyn. The two of them have been estranged for a number of years and find themselves thrown together in less than favourable circumstances when Marilyn is accused of murder. Marilyn is an exasperating character and great fun to write but, for all her faults, Georgie is convinced of her mother’s innocence and sets about trying to exonerate her.
Why is Georgie looking into Public Schools?
Georgie finds herself working undercover in a public school because her investigation leads her into the world of gangs. In order to gain some insight into what’s going on, she needs to have contact with some of the young people who part of gang culture. Georgie started her working life as a media teacher in an inner-city London comprehensive school so the idea isn’tas far-fetched as it may seem.
Who else helps Georgie solve the crimes in this book?
In the previous book, Business As Usual, Georgie met James Finn who, was assigned by her boss and friend Eric Delaney, to act as a sort of bodyguard as she has a tendency to ruffle a lot of feathers with her often controversial documentaries. The two have become firm friends and there’s definitely a spark of romance which The Ties That Bind builds upon. James has formed a private investigative partnership with his old friend Julie Sellars and the two of them help Georgie with her investigation. Eric is married to Georgie’s best friend Callie and they are a constant support to Georgie as is her friend Sean Collins, who is something of a maverick police detective. These characters are fixtures in all of the Georgie Connelly stories.
Tell us a little about the other books in the series.
Business As Usual introduces the character of Georgie Connelly and, in this debut novel, Georgie’s expose on gentlemen’s clubs brings her into contact with a dangerous Russian gangster who, it turns out, is involved in people trafficking and forcing young women into the sex industry. At the same time, Georgie finds herself being stalked by a white supremacist who was the subject of one of her previous documentaries.
The third in the series, after The Ties That Bind, is The Righteous Path which involves a religious cult and sees Georgie going undercover in order to try and locate missing girl who may have been recruited by the cult. The cult leader is a charismatic man called Jed Munro and it’s uncertain whether he genuinely believes his own ideology or is simply a ruthless manipulator.
The fourth book in the series is False Allegiance and in this one Georgie finds herself investigating a college sorority where some of the members may be responsible for the death of a young woman.
Although the books are sequential and we see the relationships between the characters developing throughout the series, they can also be read as standalone stories.
Where can readers find out more about you?
If readers want find out more they can visit my website at ellindley.weebly.com where there’s lots of information about all of my books and I also have a blog.
All of my books are available on Amazon where I have an author page http://www.amazon.co.uk/E.L-Lindley/e/B006S2GRCE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1407160410&sr=1-1 (for UK readers)
And http://www.amazon.com/E.L.-Lindley/e/B006S2GRCE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1369223835&sr=1-2-ent (for US readers)
The Ties That Bind will be free on Kindle until November 7th. Get a copy now.
I’m also on Twitter @LindleyE
and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/EL-Lindley/205011402903349?ref_type=bookmark
November 3, 2014
Day 3 – Mystery Book Tour
New post on Rosie Amber
Mystery Book Tour Day 3 #MysteryNovember The Singing Bowl by Roy Dimond
by Rosie Amber
Please welcome Roy Dimond to the mystery book tour with his book The Singing Bowl
Where is your hometown?
Garden Bay, British Columbia, Canada. It’s a small fishing village on the west coast, a lovely little harbor with wonderful people.
How long have you been writing?
About 12 years. I started decades earlier, but just wasn’t ready. I think writers mature very much like a fine wine… or maybe that should read writers mature only after drinking many a fine wine?
Tell us about the start of The Singing Bowl and what the main character must search for.
The Singing Bowl begins in Tibet just after the communist Chinese have taken over. The story is set in a remote village called Sakya where the monastery is being disbanded. Each follower is given an artifact from the monastery as well as a quest. The main character is given the most important artifact, a singing bowl, and is told to, “Find a book lost to the world.”
What are the elements of mystery in the book?
Like all good mysteries, the protagonist, a monk, is sent on a journey of discovery. Over time, he learns that his quest to find a lost book is very much like a Japanese koan. It is more about the journey than it is about finding a solution. In his travels through bookstores and such mystical places as the Khyber Pass, Samarkand, Nag Hammadi, and Machu Picchu he discovers that it is really about the people he meets along the way. The Sufi, The Old Woman of Alexandria, The Librarian, The Raven Haired Woman and many others are just some of the intriguing characters that he learns from as he travels the world.
Where is the first main city that the Monk travels to? Who does he meet there?
Katmandu in Nepal, where he meets the love of his life, Dorje, a mysterious woman wise beyond her years. As well as Little Brother, a behemoth of a man whose appetite is only surpassed by his kindness. It is here where he realizes Chinese agents, minions of chaos, follow him and mean to stop him from fulfilling his quest.
The monk travels to 3 parts of the world, what are they?
The Ancient World… where his travels take him from Sakya to Katmandu, to Peshawar, to the Kara-Kum Desert, to Istanbul and many other fascinating places. The Old World… where his quest continues to Vienna, Interlaken, Florence and Berlin just to name a few. Then finally the New World… where he looks for the book lost to the world in such places as Arequipa, Ixtlan, Las Vegas, and Vancouver.
What type of establishments does he search to find the lost book?
His journey takes him from the most common and quaint bookstores in the world to some of the finest universities ever created. From bookstores owned by the Medici family to ruins shown to him by Carlos Castaneda, where secret tunnels and caves reveal clues to solving his mystery.
How does the monk travel without a passport?
Tell us some of the ways he crosses borders. In the Ancient World, borders between states are somewhat fluid. Along the Hindu Kush, Pamir Plateau, and Silk Road even today, people cross borders without even realizing they have. In the Old and New World where borders are fixed, he has many who will secretly help him, including other monks disbanded from his old monastery in Sakya. Still more characters come to his aid, people who travel often between Mexico and America, others using old dilapidated bi-planes from another time who can find valleys and old goat trails to follow so that, so called, secure borders are easily circumvented.
Tell us what you are working on at the moment.
My second book, The Rubicon Effect as well as my third book, Saving Our Pennys co authored with Jeff Leitch are both out in bookstores. I have a children’s illustrated book co authored with award winning writer David Ward called, Emma and the Big Bowl of Nonsense which should be out before Christmas and my new publisher, Untreed Reads is launching my novel, Silence and Circumstance this coming January. It is a novel about the eleven days that Agatha Christie went missing as told from the perspective of her Governess.
Where can readers find out more about you?
Roy Dimond
Thank you Rosie for this opportunity. Great questions. My books are in all the regular places, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., as well as many brick and mortar stores. This site below shares many of my interviews, promotional videos, and hopefully some interesting information about me. Again, Rosie, thank you so much for your time…
Find a copy of The Singing Bowl from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
I reviewed this book a while ago here is a link to my review http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-50f
Fantastic offer: This book will be available for e-readers at $1.99 direct from the publishers only 11/3-8/14 (3rd -8th November)
Here’s a link to the publisher’s ebooks on their site:
EPUB: http://greendragonbooks.com/the-singing-bowl-3.html
Kindles: http://greendragonbooks.com/the-singing-bowl-4.html
Rosie Amber | November 3, 2014 at 7:15 am | Tags: Amazon, Ancient World, Monk, mystery, Mystery November, Roy Dimond, Saving Our Pennys, The Rubicon effect, The Singing Bowl, Tibet | Categories: books, Mystery November | URL: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5LU
November 2, 2014
Ray’s Smash List
Category: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Sci-Fi & fantasy $2.99
by: Travis Simmons , published 20 January 2015
A Plague of Shadows
Enter the world of O, where a plague of shadows creeps through the land, ensnaring those it infects and turning them into soulless shadow people damned to pollute all of the nine worlds along the world tree. Fear of these darklings, and the magic they possess drives people to kill those that appear different or go against the light.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/489139?ref=raystone
Category: Fiction » Romance » Contemporary $3.99
by: Carole Mortimer , published 18 January 2015
DARK ALPHA
Lucien Wynter wants Nicky McKenzie from the first moment he sets eyes on her. And what he wants he usually gets. Nicky has other ideas. Nicky takes one look at Lucien Wynter and knows that he’s trouble, the very last man she should ever be attracted to. But much as she fights the attraction she can’t seem to stay away. When Lucien’s violent past catches up with him it could destroy them both.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/481508?ref=raystone
Category: Fiction » Romance » Contemporary $3.99
by: Angela Benson , published 15 January 2015
FOR ALL TIME
A novel in the Sweet Passion series Newlyweds Joshua and Gloria Martin are a middle-class professional couple, well on their way to achieving the American dream. When Josh loses his job, their plans for the future take a stark detour and their marriage faces its biggest challenge.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/436965?ref=raystone
Overkill (The Belinda & Bennett Mysteries, Book Four)
$3.99
Category: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
by: Amy Saunders , published 13 January 2015
Belinda’s peace from scandal and her grandmother is short-lived when a painting and a body wash ashore. As she and Bennett team with Det. Jonas Parker to figure out how the two connect, a possible art forgery comes to light – and another victim. With the heat of summer upon them, the future is more unpredictable than ever.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/488013?ref=raystone
Dusk (The Dire Wolves Chronicles #2)
$2.99
Category: Fiction » Romance » Paranormal
by: Alyssa Rose Ivy , published 12 January 2015
The Dire Wolves Chronicles continue… After you have sacrificed your freedom what else is there to lose?
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/482327?ref=raystone
Peter Pomperfield and the War for Camp Willalacky
$3.99
Category: Fiction » Fantasy » General
by: D.A. Thompson , published 12 January 2015
After uncovering a secret plot to bring the evil witch Norgana back to life, Peter must race to find the final box containing her soul. Posing as Orienteer Scouts, Peter and his friends use Camp Willalacky as a starting point for their journey to Mt. Massive. But when the boys stumble upon an ancient Dwarf mine they discover a long forgotten secret that will put them in the middle of a war.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/456506?ref=raystone
The Scarring
Mystery Book Tour Day 2 #MysteryNovember Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by D.E.L.Connor
Posted on November 2, 2014 by Rosie Amber
Please welcome to the mystery book tour, Della Connor and her book Spirit Warriors: The Scarring
Where is your home town?
I live in a small town in Texas about 90 miles north of Houston. We jokingly say that we live “behind the pine curtain.” This area is home to immensely tall pine trees that seem to isolate us from the big cities, which are just a short distance from us.
This is book 2 in your series when did you start writing them?
I had the idea for the series about twenty years ago but I didn’t start writing them until 2012. I am a late bloomer or as I like to say I never grew up I just grew old.
What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
I would have to say historical mysteries. I love history, old places and buildings, and people who have been gone a long time.
Where is your book set?
In the state of Montana in the present time. If you have never been there you must add it to your bucket list. Words can’t properly describe the beauty of Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
Introduce us to the main characters in the book.
Emmeline Rima Belrose: Emme is the storyteller of the books. She is strong-willed, brave, and fierce. Her spirit animal is the majestic soaring osprey, Eros.
Charlie Hunt: Charlie is a seer and a gifted medicine man. Charlie is the leader of the group. He has the visions and the powers that guide the others. He is Emme’s protector, as he alone knows how valuable she, and her gifts, are to his people and to the future of their tribe. His spirit animal is the fierce grizzly, Hercules.
Lilly Grayson: Lilly is soft, petite, and kind. She is loved for her kindness and grace. She loves cheerleading and barrel racing with her spirit animal the beautiful mustang Arion.
Betsy Ross: (Bets) Bets is the beauty of the group with reddish blond hair and green eyes. She is the questioner of the group, always wanting to know why, and then wanting to make things better. Her spirit animal is the graceful mountain lion, Electra.
Lachlan Jackson Arrington: (Jack) Jack moved back to the family ranch in Montana when he was in high school. He came from Australia after his father was killed in a car accident. He is not a part of the spirit warriors, but he knows about them and he helps them. Jack is the listener and solver of the group. He is the one the others turn to when they need to talk about something. He is also the one to come up with solutions when things get tough.
Oliver Graves: (Ollie) Ollie provides all the fun of the group. He always has a joke or a smile to share. Ollie’s spirit animal is the fast coyote, Zephyr. Read more about them here: http://dellaconnor.com/character-bios/
What is the element of mystery in the book?
The kids must find and destroy an evil spirit, the machayiwiw, before he kills Emme. The only problem is they don’t know where or in what body they will find him.
What unusual skills do the children have?
Emme, Bets, Charlie, Lilly, and Ollie all have the ability to move their spirits into an animal host.
Tell us a bit about Em’s new power.
Emme has discovered that in addition to her ability to move her spirit to her osprey Eros, she can communicate with animals.
What was the best bit about researching this book?
Reading all of the Native American stories. They have stories to explain everything from the stars in the skies to the water in the rivers. I have started adding the stories to my blog. Read about the origin of summer and winter here: http://dellaconnor.com/native-american-stories/
Where can readers find out more about you?
My website www.dellaconnor.com, my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DelconnorSpiritwarriors, or follow me on twitter: del_connor and instagram: delconnor
Find a copy of Spirit Warriors; The Scarring here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com This book will be down to 99c November 8th -10th
I reviewed this book here on the blog. Follow the link to read the review http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5FG
November 1, 2014
Mystery Book Tour with Rosie Ambers
Today sees the start of an exciting month
Visit Rosie every day this month to read about the latest from an author who has recently published work in the mystery genre. Every day I will be posting and sharing each author including myself with you. Please support us and enjoy Rosie Amber’s Blog. Follow today for reviews and interesting articles.
New post on Rosie Amber
Mystery Book Tour Day 1 #MysteryNovember Murder at the Maples by Joanne Phillips
by Rosie Amber
Welcome to #MysteryNovember, 30 authors bringing you books from across the mystery genre to tantalise your reading taste buds.
We start our Mystery Book Tour month with Joanne Phillips and her book Murder at the Maples.
1) Where is your home town?
I live in Whixall, a rural village in North Shropshire, but I’m originally from just up the road in Chester.
2) How long have you been writing?
Forever! Like most writers, I’ve always made up stories, created narratives, but I’ve been writing novels for publication since 2012. I’m close to completing a Masters degree in creative writing, which has been a fantastic experience. I hope to teach creative writing in the future, as well as write.
3) What is your favourite sub-genre of mystery?
My favourite sub-genre is definitely the cozy mystery. I love mysteries, but I can’t cope with upsetting themes or gore! Cozies are the perfect answer, and there are many favourites on my bookshelf, including Edie Clare’s Never … series, which was the series that set me on the way to writing my very first cozy.
4) Where is Murder at the Maples set?
It’s set in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, close to where I live. But loosely – I don’t like to get too bogged down making a setting exactly right down to the last detail. I once had a reader get in touch (about another book, not this one) to point out that such and such a road isn’t exactly the way I described it, that I should have mentioned this landmark or other, but I disagree. It’s fiction, after all. I create my own worlds, based on a setting. So Flora Lively’s Shrewsbury is a special place, and it comes alive for her.
5) Introduce us to Flora Lively.
Flora is a reluctant sleuth at first. Her adopted parents recently died, leaving Flora in charge of the family business – Shakers Removals – a business she never really wanted to get into. Flora forms a friendship with an old lady at the Maples Retirement Village, and through her is drawn into the mystery …
6) Tell us about her friend Joy.
Joy is one of my favourite characters of all time! I love writing about the older generation – I love giving them the qualities I hope I have when I’m old. Joy is nearly eighty, mischievous and sparky, loyal and passionate, but also haunted by a mistake she made in her teens. It’s this guilt that is at the heart of the novel – Flora imagines Joy to be seeing everything through the lens of her guilt, but Flora is actually struggling with her own guilt about her mother, which skews her view of everything. (It sounds heavy, but this is in fact a fun read!)
7) What event causes Flora to become a reluctant sleuth?
An old man, the Captain, falls to his death at the Maples. Flora isn’t convinced by the warden’s description of how the accident occurred, and Joy has been pressuring her to look into some odd goings-on for weeks. When Flora discovers a connection between a strange ‘man in black’ and some oddities in the Captain’s will, the race is on to solve the mystery.
8) What is it that Joy fears will happen to others at the retirement home?
Joy is terrified of being moved up to ‘the third floor’ – she says that everyone who goes up to Special Care dies within three months. Because of this, she keeps her asthma and chronic eczema secret from the Maples’ doctors, with potentially devastating consequences.
9) You’re just about to launch the next Flora Lively mystery, can you give us a hint to the storyline?
I can! This time, Flora finds herself right in the thick of the action, solving a murder while holed up with the suspects in an English country house. When best friend Celeste returns from her travels with a Spanish film crew in tow, Flora is delighted to have the chance to hang out on the set. But when Alberto, the director, is stabbed, Flora finds the direction of the official investigation a little too close to home …
10) Where can readers find out more about you?
My main point of contact for readers is my website: http://www.joannephillips.co.uk Readers can sign up to my newsletter, email me, or contact me via the website.
I also have a lively blog about writing and publishing at http://www.writersjourney.co.uk, and I can be found on Facebook and Twitter, natch.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joannephillipsauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannegphillips
Buying links:
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Maples-Flora-Lively-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GVQ/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Maples-Flora-Lively-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GVQ/
I reviewed this book here on the blog , here is a link to the review http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-4lV
Rosie Amber | November 1, 2014 at 7:05 am | Tags: Amazon, books, Flora Lively mystery, Joanne Phillips, Murder at The Maples, mystery, Mystery November | Categories: books, Mystery November | URL: http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5OZ
October 27, 2014
review
BOOK REVIEW: “TWISTED WIRE” By Ray Stone from Susan Marie Molloy
Political intrigue, industrial espionage, and games played between M5 and MI6 are just the beginning to this thriller that brings the Herald’s political columnist, Enda Osin, into the vortex. Add Moscow’s fingers in the pie, a mole in the British secret service, and an enigmatic telephone call, and “Twisted Wire” becomes a thriller worthy of other great “spy versus spy” genres. Enda Osin is a political columnist who, in this second of Ray Stone’s trilogy, becomes accidently involved in a ginormous political scandal when he receives a mysterious telephone call from a seemingly wrong number. Edna finds himself caught in one of the most thrilling and nefarious adventures ever published in a novel. “Twisted Wire” has richly developed, unforgettable characters. They are believable and three-dimensional. Ray Stone displays his talented ability to keep the story interesting and organized, while moving along quickly with just the rightly placed twists that the reader would expect. The dénouement is, indeed, a grand surprise, and I will leave it to future readers of “Twisted Wire” to discover it as I did. I handily give five out of five stars to Ray Stone’s “Twisted Wire.”
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