Tag: reviews

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

Round-up of the week:

gibbsdream

Chuckles-3

 

globe-1290378_640News from around the world

A couple in Kuwait was sentenced to death for killing a Filipina maid. A Lebanese man and his Syrian wife were convicted in absentia. The body of the maid was dumped in a freezer in their abandoned apartment and it was discovered over a year after the murder.

London.jpgNews from London

A paralysed man is hoping to become the first paraplegic male to walk the London Marathon. Simon Kindleysides, 34, from Norwich, was diagnosed with a brain rumour which left him paralysed from the waist down. It will take Simon, 37 hours to complete the course wearing an exoskeleton suit.

What an inspirational man.

Me.1.jpgMy News

Work has been busy and has seen me at two different sites with two different sets of challenges.

My son came home for Easter on Good Friday and will be going home Easter Monday. We went out for a meal with my parents and my sister and niece on Saturday and on Sunday went to Mum and Dad’s for dinner, spending some time with my brother and nephew.

It has been a lovely chilled out weekend.

My sister and I have finally signed up for the half-marathon that we’ve been talking about for the last couple of months. Training to start in earnest now. It won’t be until September, so enough time to do this sensibly.

I’ve been working at challenging a particular fear of mine this week. I have a fear of going around the Hammersmith Roundabout and this week I did it, twice. I won’t say I’m not scared still but I did feel an amazement sense of achievement and if I continue to do it this will be one fear I can say goodbye to.

Me.2Writing News

Sent out March’s newsletter with a sneak preview of my new cover for Sins of the Father which everyone else can see shortly.

I’ve spent my free time working on the edits on Sins, I have reached 68/122.

 

SaveSave

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

My Review of “The Debt & the Doormat” by Laura Barnard

gibbsdream

 

I’ve had this book on my kindle for a while now, my TBR list is immense. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I dipped into this book but I got more than I bargained for. Poppy and Jazz are best friends, they know each other inside out and back to front as good friends do. But therein lies the only similarity between them. Poppy is clumsy and has given up on life after a disastrous relationship, she reclines in life like an old-fashioned heroine from a bygone age would on chaise longue. Jazz, on the other hand, is the rich daughter of a now dead millionaire who made his fortune in the porn industry. She wears revealing clothes but has the freedom of a hippy at heart. On a drunken night in they decide to swap lives and that is where the fun starts.

Poppy can’t help but do everything wrong, she falls flat on her face, she makes plans to help people that backfires spectacularly and she has a pushy mum into the bargain. I laughed out loud on the London Underground because of this book, I also cried in public (think I might have been hormonal at the time!). I rated this book so highly that I rushed out and bought the next book in the series and read that straight away too.

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

My Review of: Where Did Your Heart Go? by Audrina Lane

gibbsdream

 

Chuckles

Builds beautifully to an un-put-down-able read.

http://getbook.at/YourHeartGo

When I started reading this book I found it slow going at first, enjoyable but slow going. I could easily put this book down but when I picked it up again it was like putting on a pair of slippers. The author allowed you to get to know the characters until they got under your skin and what happened to them actually mattered to you. This is a story of a love that spans generations, realistic friendships and a spiteful woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. I think I was about three-quarters of the way through this book when it became un-put-down-able and I devoured the rest of it and went straight into the second book in the series.

Now about the book: Charlotte is struggling with a teenage romance and in order to help her daughter, Stephanie allows her to read her our diary from when she was a teenager. This is a triple thread story, as we follow Charlotte and Stephanie in the present day and Stephanie’s past through her diary but it isn’t only Charlotte who is reading it, Stephanie can’t resist the urge to go back and take a peep herself. All the deep emotions come back to haunt her. Not sure I’d want my daughter (if I had one) to read through my diary but I thought it was a beautiful idea and slowly Charlotte manages to put the angst of her teenage romance behind her as she meets Mitchell. But this new love brings up unexpected complications.

I sometimes find it hard to read a series by the same author as it can feel samey, but once Audrina had me hooked I couldn’t not read the whole series. The only thing I would have liked is to have had the name of the character’s whose POV we were in. Even though the author did distinguish between them having their name at the beginning would have made it a bit easier for the reader.

 

 

 

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

Author Spotlight Interview

gibbsdream

20632612_1974477456167211_1824365662_n.jpg

This month it is my pleasure to introduce Sherri A Wingler who now ranks up there with Sharon Penman and Barbara Erskine (and a few others) as one of my favourite authors. She is currently juggling two different series and I am eagerly awaiting the next in series for both. This is the author who writes the books that I wish I had written.

1. Do you write as a full-time author or do you have to squeeze it in around a full-time job or looking after the children? If you don’t write as your main job what are your aims for your writing?

I look at my writing as my other full-time job. I squeeze time whenever I can to write, but I’m constantly thinking about my story. The brain is a wonderful thing. I can hit a snag, with no idea how to get myself out of the corner I’ve written myself into, and three days later the answer will come to me, seemingly out of nowhere. Usually, it comes at the most inopportune moment.

2. What inspires you to write?

Reading a really good story from someone else is always inspiring. Mostly, I write the books I want to read.

3. Tell me about your writing process, when and how? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I want to be a plotter, but I’m more of a hybrid. I start out with a loose outline and adjust it when the story starts twisting itself into knots.
I’ve found my best hours to work are between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., but I have a full-time job, so those hours only work when I’m on vacation. Usually, I grab whatever time I can. I write on my phone a lot and transfer the file to the main manuscript later.
I would love to say if I get an entire day to write, I sit down and whip out ten thousand words, but I’m guilty of procrastination. So guilty. I’m fine once I start, but I’ll find fifty things to do before I start.

4. How much of your life experience goes into your books if at all?

My first book is about a teenaged girl who falls in love with the Angel of Death. It took a reviewer pointing out that ‘if Death came along and intervened in her life, they’d have a serious talk.’ I’m paraphrasing, but it got me thinking. If Death intervenes, you have no choice… you adapt to a new normal. That’s when the lightbulb moment happened for me. My mother died when I was seventeen. Some twenty years later, my brain put a different spin on the story and “Wings of Darkness” was born.
I think all the characters have a certain facet of the author’s personality, even the villain.

5. Describe your ideal writing location if money were no issue.

I can write anywhere, but I require peace and quiet to produce my best work. I have a small, beautiful office I never get to use because my dogs throw a fit if I’m out of sight. Most of my work is done with at least one cat hanging off me and a dog staring at me till I pick him or her up for cuddles. They have me so trained.

6. What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Getting started. Have I mentioned the procrastination thing? I waste more time thinking about why I should be writing, than actually doing it.

7. What one thing would you fix about the whole world to make it a better place?

I feel like the world would be better if people cared more for each other, or cared less, maybe. For my own part, I don’t care about someone else’s religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. If they’re happy and aren’t hurting someone else, it’s none of my business. I don’t get excited about much unless it affects me or mine.
Animal cruelty breaks my heart. If I had one wish it would be for the punishment to fit the crime in those cases.

8. What is your favourite review from any of your books?

It was for “Wings of Darkness,” and it wasn’t even a 5* review, only a 3*. The lady didn’t like the snarkiness of the characters, but at the end of the review she said it was “very well written and well edited book.” I had to love it just for that.

9. When you’re not writing, working, looking after the furry kids what else do you enjoy doing?

I like to think I’m crafty. Every so often I get on Pinterest and find some fantastic project and produce the ugly step-sister version of whatever it was. Halloween is coming up, and it’s my favorite holiday. I’ll be whipping out the hot glue and fake cobwebs pretty soon.

10. Can you tell me what you’re working on now?

I’m working on a couple of things. I’ve got the third book of “The Immortal Sorrows” series almost finished, and I have the second book of “The Dark Woods” series at the halfway point.
“The Immortal Sorrows” is a tale of Reaper angels with a shot of Greek mythology thrown in. It explores Time, Fate, and Death as beings instead of concepts.
“The Dark Woods” is my loose interpretation of the Red Riding Hood story. I’ve taken a lot of liberties with it, and had so much fun doing it.

 

A Glimpse into Darkness: Prequel of The Immortal Sorrows

http://amzn.to/2wG2byp

20632547_1974477542833869_1295272894_n.jpg

Clotho has everything; beauty, power, and immortality. She has everything she could ever want, except the love of the one she wants the most.
Witness the moment when obsession turns to hate… and love to madness.
Author’s Note: This is a short story and serves as the prequel of “The Immortal Sorrows” series. Attached is a free sample of book 1, “Wings of Darkness.” I hope you enjoy it!

Wings of Darkness: Book 1 of The Immortal Sorrows series

http://amzn.to/2vziTz6

20632349_1974477656167191_1371406678_n.jpg

Death comes for everyone eventually, but Izzy Maitland plans to live forever. At nearly eighteen years old, it’s not an unreasonable goal, but Fate has other plans. Izzy has a car accident. A bad one. Suddenly, strange things start happening and her ordinary life is turned upside down. She wakes up tasting blood, more often than not, and her injuries heal at an alarming rate. Her friends and family weaken, and every day, Izzy grows stronger. Strangest of all, she seems to have acquired a stalker, and he might be the Angel of Death.

Wings of Shadow: Book 2 of The Immortal Sorrows series

http://amzn.to/2wURuaC

20643590_1974477759500514_627247164_n.jpg

Mortals never see me in their final moments. Isabel saw me. From the very beginning. She saw me, knew me for the monster I am, and still she loved me. That beautiful young woman with fire in her blood. I wanted her the moment I laid eyes on her. She was perfect, made just for me by a cruel and merciless twist of Fate. Isabel was my mate and my match, in every way, but loving me destroyed her.
Fate stole my love from me, simply to watch me suffer. Oh, it cost her, but not nearly enough. A few dead Reapers were nothing compared to what I would do when I found her. The River of the Dead could run red with the blood of the guilty, and it would never be enough. My revenge would be a bitter-sweet thing, for it would never bring my Isabel back to me. Once she faced Judgment, she would be lost to me, forever.
I could not accept that. I would not.

Crimson Moon: Book 1 of The Dark Woods series

http://amzn.to/2wFW2SF

20643803_1974477856167171_999523201_n.jpg

In the old days, people whispered about the wolf, said he came only at night, and only by the light of the full moon. They locked their doors and huddled close to their fires, safe in the knowledge they could prepare for his coming. The truth is, no one is safe, because the wolf walks in the skin of the man. Always.

Harlow Hayes is a runaway, thief, and failed Southern belle. Forced to grow up fast after what her mama delicately referred to as, ‘the incident,’ she learns the hard way not all strangers are kind, real monsters hide in plain sight, and family can be found in the most unexpected places.
Harlow Hayes is about to meet the Wolf.

 

Thank you very much, Sherri, for sharing so much with us. If you aren’t lucky enough to win an e-copy of one of Sherri’s books then I would highly recommend you go and buy them, she is a phenomenal author

If you have subscribed to my newsletter then you will be entered into the August prize draw, don’t forget sometimes the emails make their way to the junk folder! (How vary dare they!) The winner will be announced one week later.

 

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

Should we stifle our characters/books in case we offend

gibbsdream

 

owl-47526_640

More and more I am seeing people say that they are getting bad reviews because they didn’t warn the reader of something that may potentially offend them. A love story that contains an affair or anything that someone may find controversial.

What is a book?

A story that is either a reflection on real life or a trip into a fantasy world which has no connection to reality. We will never be able to write 100% to please every reader and what works for one person will rub raw on another.

I have a love story that is bouncing back between me and my editor at the moment and she, rightly so, has pointed out some comments that my characters have made or thought that could be seen as offensive. I have chosen to leave them in, however, because I believe this to be a reflection on the time that it is written, the characters and the thought processes of some men in this country. I have no wish to offend anyone but if I start to second guess everything that my characters say then I might as well give up writing now. I will put a warning at the front to make it clear that this book is meant in no way to offend.

I strongly believe that we need to write the story in the way that it demands to be written and allow the character to have their foibles, bad habits, thoughts that may not be politically correct because this is real. Not everyone in life thinks in the same way.

This does not mean that I agree with these thoughts or that should I hear them being expressed in real life in a manner that is aimed to harm someone that I wouldn’t step in and say something.

Books are full of situations that are unacceptable in real life: murder, rape and much more so lets put this back into perspective. I had an English teacher once who told us that if we needed to use swear words in our writing then we should. If they’re not needed then leave them out. I think this is true for anything, if you feel that what you have written is in keeping with your story/character and the time they live in then use it, if not then don’t.

Books, Life, Self-publishing

My Review of Bloodgifted: The Dantonville Legacy 1 by T M Lacoba

gibbsdream

 

 

This book has been jumping up and down screaming ‘Read Me’ for quite some time now. The cover is very alluring but it has sat on my Kindle for a while. This is a tale of a woman who at the age of fifty discovers a family secret which is passed down to her at her coming of age – yes that is at the age of fifty, not eighteen or twenty-one. Laura who is comfortable in her new relationship with a Police Officer finds her whole world turned upside down. For her own protection, she is assigned a hot guardian, Alec Munro, to protect her. This story contains love, betrayal, lies, family loyalties, greed and vampires galore. The pacing is perfect as it the characterisation.

Will I read more by this author? Hell yeah!

Books, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

Author of the Month – Rose English

gibbsdream

 I will be featuring one author of the month who will spotlight with a brief interview and showcase their books. For anyone who has signed up to my email mailing list you will be entered into a prize draw, a week after I send my newsletter, to win an e-copy of one of the spotlight author’s books.

This month we will be starting with a lady who I have come to know well and have the pleasure of calling friend. I know her by the name of Su but she writes under the name of Rose English.

thumbnail_Rose English.jpg

1. Do you write as a full-time author or do you have to squeeze it in around a full-time job or looking after the children? If you don’t write as your main job what are your aims for your writing?

I work four days a week in a hospital taking care of the medical equipment. To be honest I am not sure I would actually want to be a full-time author, I am more a Read-a-holic and I write as a hobby. I lose myself in reading for pleasure and often for research. Perhaps I will feel different when I actually retire (still a way to go though).

2. What inspires you to write?

I often get inspiration from things that I read, for example a few years back I picked up a book in my local library about the longcase clock. It inspired more research about how this type of clock became the grandfather clock and finally I turned it into ‘The Magic of Grandfather Time.’

3. Tell me about your writing process, when and how? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

The best time I have written is during National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo I seem to be able to organise myself a bit better having a set target to work to, 50,000 words. However I am very easily distracted by research, via books or online so I would say I am a bit of both plotter & pantser. I have lots of notebooks all over the place and scraps of paper, sometimes I will come home from work with my pockets full.

4. How much of your life experience goes into your books if at all?

Sometimes my life experience goes into my stories, generally they are GREATLY exaggerated. Or they may be from true life tragedies not my own. I like to mix a little reality with my fiction. I am working on a collection of ‘Shoe Shorts’ and my title story ‘One Night in Fabulous Shoes’ is loosely based on a tragedy that happened in Frecklton where my brother lives. During the war the Americans were based close by, whilst out on a test flight the weather turned and one of the planes crash landed into the infant school killing many children and teachers.

5. Describe your ideal writing location if money were no issue.

I dream of a log cabin either overlooking a stream or away from anywhere in the snowy mountains. (Dreaming of winter with hot chocolate & masses of floating cream)

6.What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?

I have a real problem with my points of view (POVs) I very easily get mixed up with writing in first person or third and so on.

7. What one thing would you fix about the whole world to make it a better place?

There are so many things wrong in this world I really would not know where to begin, but my pet hate is exhaust fumes and pollution hence why I’ve made my home out in the countryside. So although I feel I should say something like work hard to defeat terrorism and stop child abuse etc. I would like to breathe clean air.

8.What is your favourite review from any of your books?

It was only a 4* review but I thought it summed up the short story perfectly. This sticks in my memory most. Plus it is one of the first reviews I ever received.

4**** ‘One Breath’

Beauty in its brevity….

A tale that pulls on the heart strings, stimulates the senses and paints a vivid picture for the reader. Skilfully written to leave a lasting impression.

9. When you’re not writing, working, looking after the kids what else do you enjoy doing?

I am a Read-a-holic any spare moment I get I read, walking from the carpark to my place of work anywhere. Oh I do enjoy walking in the woods listening to the wind in the trees and I have been known to hug a tree on the odd occasion (have you seen the beautiful texture on the trunk of a redwood?)

tree.jpg

10. Can you tell me what you’re working on now?

I have a couple of projects on the go one I mentioned earlier an anthology of ‘Shoe Shorts’. I once photographed my shoes when I was trying to have a clear out, I have images of 50 pairs of shoes and just thought hey why not write a story based around each pair of shoes?

Also I have a story that I finished ages ago ‘The Seal Mother’ I want to add images but keep changing my mind or something comes up it is about a Selkie seal maiden a folktale. I started to extend the story by writing a tale of a Selkie man. I thought why not two short stories together to make one decent sized book. However, my Selkie man is not lending itself to being short, so currently it is on hold. Watch this space.

The most complete novel is another in ‘The Magic of Grandfather Time’ series called ‘Last Orders Jack’ but it needs a lot of work still before it could go to the editors.

Rose’s books:

‘The Magic of Grandfather Time’

Grandfather.jpg

Buy me: http://amzn.to/2biVzim

‘A grandfather clock has a face and a voice. As its name suggests, it is more than a piece of furniture; it is a member of the family’

Richard C.R. Barder 1983

DECEMBER 1880. There will be no jolly Christmas cheer this year. The harsh winter had descended; snow blankets the ground and the lake is frozen solid. Within the walls of Clement Cottage, the fire is dwindling, its embers barely bright enough to cast the shadow of the broken man upon the wall. Cole is lost in his deep sadness; he has just one heartfelt wish. To be re-united with his beloved, the soulmate so cruelly stolen from him – Cornelia.

A sad mournful ticking comes from a blackened corner of the parlour where a longcase clock is hidden. Tall and stately, noble of face, loud of voice and keeper of great secrets, he is Grandfather Time. Bestowed with the gift of magic from Old Father Time himself, as he begins to chime out the magical hour of midnight, can he grant Cole his wish?

~*~

‘Rainbows & Roses – Poetry & Prose’

 Rainbows & Roses.jpg

 

Buy me: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rainbows-Roses-Poetry-Colour-Illustrations-ebook/dp/B01IQAAL5O/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1482657213&sr=1-3&keywords=rainbows+and+roses

‘Today I am the soft summer rain,

You are my sweet golden sunshine.

Together we’ll build us a rainbow

To last, a life time.’

‘Rainbows and Roses’ is a delightful selection of whimsical short stories, along with a collection of poetry inspired by memories from childhood, the environment, together with a little bit of fun.

Featuring:

‘One Breath’: a heartfelt story of love and loss.

‘The Symbolism of the Rose’: with some basic history, myths & legends surrounding the ‘Queen of Flowers’.

‘Grandfather Time’: An ancient longcase clock with a spark of magic.

 

~*~

 

‘Lost Love in Spring’

 Love lost.jpg

Buy me: http://amzn.to/2ilzq56

 

‘…And many a weary heart shall sing The Snowdrop bringeth Hope and Spring.’

(From the book Poetry of the Flowers by Mrs CM Kirtland 1800)

Hope is all Emmeline has. After a raging storm Alfie is felled by some unseen force Emmeline drags her unconscious husband back to their cottage. Throughout the winter she ministers to his needs, following her Grandmother Aspasia’s recipes collected over the years in her delicately penned book of ‘Home Remedies’. Alfie appears to be on the mend when the gentle, shivering snowdrops begin to raise their dainty heads above the snow, bringing hope. But sadly Alfie takes a turn for the worse and Emmeline loses her soulmate.  

With the arrival of ‘The Anniversary’ comes a surprise visitor. Will this visitor rekindle the light in Emmeline’s delicate brown eyes? Can the hole in her heart ever be healed?

This heartfelt short story now includes a sample of some of ‘Aspasia Cherry’s A~Z of Herbal Remedies’ along with poetry, a few myths and a little magic about the local flora that would have been found in and around Emmeline’s cottage.

~*~

 

Thank you very much Rose for taking part in my spotlight of the month. I can highly recommend all her books, if you want to check out my reviews you can see them on the Gibbsdream Reviews page. Don’t forget if you are signed up for my newsletters you will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky winner will receive an e-copy of one of Rose’s books. If you aren’t one of the lucky ones I would highly recommend picking up a copy for yourself.

Maria x

 

 

Books, Life, Self-publishing, Uncategorized

Round up of the week

gibbsdream

Round up of the Week

World

Builders in the Canadian city of Quebec have unearthed a live cannonball fired by the British in 1759 when they besieged Quebec while fighting the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. The builders posed for photos with the 90kg shot unaware that it was still potentially explosive. Archaeologist Serge Rouleau, who examined the munition before the army noticed that it still contained a charge and said it was more of an incendiary bomb than a cannonball. A Senior munitions technician was quoted as saying, “The ball would break and the powder would ignite, setting fire to the building.

Seems as though the builders had a lucky escape.

London

A 31-year-old man has been stabbed to death by two attackers on a moped during an early-morning altercation in south-east London, police said.

The victim was fatally wounded during a clash in which shots were also fired in King William Walk in the centre of Greenwich

The assailants, both male, then fled the scene on the moped and emergency services arrived to find the man with stab injuries. Paramedics tried to revive the man but he was declared dead at the scene.

We seem to be seeing more crime from people on scooters/mopeds/bikes including an epidemic of bike theft with the perpetrators going out with machetes and other weapons. Every morning the first thing I do is check that my bike is where I parked it.

My world

This week my cousin’s 23-year-old daughter came from Wolverhampton to stay with me in London for a few days. Despite the big age gap, we get on incredibly well but then maybe that’s because I don’t act my age. Unfortunately, I had to work but Kat was able to go off and explore the city without me and we caught up in the evenings for pizza and prosecco.

Last week I mentioned that there was something potentially on the horizon for me which I couldn’t discuss this is still on the down low.

I’m ending the week with a family meal as we all catch up for my mum’s birthday.

My Word

I’ve been anxiously waiting while the editor slashes my book with her red pen but I should be out of my misery by the middle of next week as she returns the first edit. Or will I be in more misery lol.

I’ve been working on the spin off from ‘A Boy from the Streets’

I’ve also been thinking a bit more are a follow on from ‘As Dreams are Made on’ and after seeing a picture I wanted have had JC Clarke from The Graphics Shed design me a cover that has left me speechless. (I know right! Me speechless LOL)

Books, Life, Self-publishing

My Review: Girls & Boys by M B Feeney

gibbsdream

G&B

 

Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2t1MG1g

 

I was given an ARC copy of this in exchange for an honest review.  Having read two other books by this author I was more than happy to do this. This is not the kind of book where you’ll find high drama but it is a gently paced story about Jack and his friend Andy and the life they lead in London after leaving their home. You will    also meet Nina and Ruth who become friends when arriving in London. Their lives entwine with Jack and Andy’s and what follows is a    story packed with LOL moments, love, betrayal and friendships. The pacing is perfect and the characters are so well written that I can picture them clearly. Everyone knows a Jack or an Andy. Another   well-written book from an author who’s a natural. I look forward to reading Andy’s story in the near future.