World Book Day: The book Vs the comic

My little Captain Leo on World Book Day 2016

For many years, on this day, my Facebook timeline would be filled with cute children dressed in an array of costumes. I'd make the usual "ah" sound and hit the like button, maybe even write a little comment. Then I'd move on. However, this year I'm involved: my son has reached school-age and is, as I type, taking part in his first World Book Day.

I was only told last week that the children would be invited to dress up, so didn't have much time to let the creative juices flow. But fear not, the supermarkets were filled with costumes to take care of that problem. Or were they?

As I peered through the selection I was amazed, and slightly disappointed, that what was on offer was characters from The Avengers, Star Wars, Minions and Frozen. Now while I completely understand children like to dress up and have fun, I can't remember reading about any of these characters in a book! They are comic and film characters first and foremost. So while there may be some books featuring them as a merchandise ploy, I feel it's a bit of a cheat... there I said it.

Parents will roll their eyes at my view and kids will call me the boring mum (poor Leo!), but it's how I feel. There are so many wonderful books to choose from, why choose a comic?

So, what did Leo dress up as? Although the picture gives it away somewhat, I'll explain anyway.

Leo's favourite character has always been Peter Rabbit, so I took it for granted he would choose that. No, of course he said he wanted to be the Hulk (who doesn't, right?). And it dawned on me; while I may be a book lover (and I hope as he grows Leo will be too), right now three year-olds want fun and colour and excitement. For them, the likes of Peter Rabbit and Oliver Twists just 'ain't cutting it.

Therefore, we reached a compromise. Leo dressed up as a pirate, and he believes it's because he likes the book Pirates Love Underpants and that swashbuckling show on CBeebies, (but I chose to ignore that). For me, Leo went to school as Captain Hook - Peter Pan's arch-enemy. Now, while I know the story has been on stage, TV and made into a film (or three!), the character is ultimately from an enchanting classic book about a boy who didn't want to grow up.

My February book reviews...

February has been a whirlwind month for me. In the Shadows was returned from my editor, proofreader and beta readers. I also set up a blog tour (more news on that coming soon), which I'm really excited about.

And between all that, I'm pleased to say I still managed to read three fab books - and started a fourth. However, as I've not finished that one, you'll just have to wait until March's round-up for the review.

So, without further ado, here are my February reads:

The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft 

This was the first Kathryn Croft novel for me, and my first 5 star review of 2016. I can't remember reading a book where, at some stage, I doubted every single character. It's an awesome psychological thriller that will keep you thinking, keep you guessing and keep you reading.

You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy The Girl you Lost on Amazon.




The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza 

I loved the gritty nature of the main character, DI Erika Foster and I look forward to reading more about her. She has a background story that I'm sure will be delved into much more. I felt The Girl in the Ice was a bit repetitive at times, which sometimes slowed it down for me, but the characters definitely held my attention.

You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy The Girl in the Ice on Amazon.



CXVI Desperate Measures by Angie Smith 

This was a bitter-sweet read for me. Having thoroughly enjoyed the CXVI trilogy, I knew no matter what the ending of Desperate Measures was - it was saying goodbye. The author does this impeccably and wraps everything up in her usually clever and thoughtful way.

You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to pre-order CXVI Desperate Measures on Amazon.

My debut novel on pre-order

It's been a roller-coaster of a day. One of excitement and anxiety, achievement and nervousness, joy and worry. All those emotions occurring in a few short hours could be attributed to many things, but for me it was creating a pre-order for my debut novel.

In the Shadows now has a place on Amazon, waiting for you supportive readers to one-click and give an eBook a home. It's real to me now - you may well choose to pre-order my novel (and I would be eternally grateful) - and in a few short weeks will be privy to a story I have kept close to my chest for nearly a year.

My characters, words, thoughts and imagination are all being prepared to be shared with you. At least I hope they will be, and not cast into the virtual shadows, never chosen. And there, in a short paragraph you can see how my mind flickers from one train of thought to the other in an instant. What will become of In the Shadows? I'd like to think it will become a firm favourite for many of you - and in case you need a little tempting...

In the Shadows blurb:

Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton is tasked with apprehending a brutal murderer stalking the streets of London—and leaving not a shred of DNA evidence. As the suspect list mounts, his frustration and pressure from his superiors intensify.

Grace Murphy, who is dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandfather, falls deeper into despair when her friends’ bodies are discovered. Fearing she may be the killer’s next target, she begins to question if her horrifying nightmares are the key to unravelling the murderer’s identity.

How far would you go to uncover the truth? Would you venture into the shadows to unmask a killer?

To pre-order In the Shadows for 99p/99c click the link to take you straight to Amazon

My January book reviews: Lost Girls and 24 Hours

The first month of 2016 was consumed with editing In The Shadows, so I'm chuffed that I still managed to squeeze in two books from my humongous to be read list.

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

I'm a huge DI Kim Stone fan and devoured the first two in the series, so was really looking forward to the latest on offer. It wasn't my favourite of the three, mainly because I felt there was too many voice, but it was full of suspense and kept me guessing until the end.
You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy Lost Girls on Amazon.

24 Hours by Claire Seeber

Although it wasn't as fast-paced as I was expecting, 24 Hours is a very clever and interesting read. It flits between the past, where you really get an insight into the characters, and the present, the window of time Laurie is battling with to reach her goal. It's what I call a "thinking book" because you need to be on the ball and concentrating to enjoy it.
You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy 24 Hours on Amazon.

Thank you: Web of Deceit a week on!

So it's been a week since my first publication day and I just wanted to thank all the readers, bloggers, authors and friends who have showed Mel and I such immense support. I was wished a ‘happy book birthday’ the day Web of Deceit was released, and that phrase still makes me smile now. For those of you who have left reviews on the Amazon sites, Goodreads, Blogs, Google Play and elsewhere, I send you a virtual hug. I now truly understand the importance of reviews, and pleased that as I reader I have left one for every book I’ve read over the past year.

Web of Deceit is a special story for me because there is some truth behind it. I did befriend someone on-line and met-up with her in "real life." It’s an honour and a privilege that that dear friend is now also my mentor and writing partner in crime. Our novella is not only an introduction to me as an author, but something to whet your appetite. The rumours are true, Mel and I are currently working on a new crime series, so watch this space for more info.

If you haven’t read Web of Deceit yet, click on any of the links below to purchase our eBook for 99p/99c.

Amazon: http://hyperurl.co/WebofDeceit

B&N: http://hyperurl.co/i3ydo9
iBooks: http://hyperurl.co/cbpkq2
Kobo: http://hyperurl.co/4iusio
Google Play: http://hyperurl.co/t

Web of Deceit is available now for 99p/99c

Edits are complete... For now, anyway!

My debut novel, In The Shadows, is due for release in March 2016 and I'm over the moon to share with you that I have completed my editing process... For now, anyway.

I have read articles about authors who said writing the book was the easy part of the process and wow, am I beginning to understand that. Luckily, In The Shadows flowed from my mind on to the keyboard; it's great to see your thoughts become real words on the screen. Then you finally type "the end" and there's a feeling of accomplishment: that's right, I did that and hell yeah, I just wrote a book! To say I wasn't ready for what came next is an understatement.

You need energy and concentration for the editing process. You must be critical of your own writing and try not to cry when you read an entire chapter that doesn't make sense. I didn't cry, but I was worried about some parts I had created. I shouldn't be too hard on myself, when you're writing at midnight some nights, your mind may not be completely switched on.

I've learnt that it's okay, and that is what editing is all about. Noticing your mistakes, creating a way for your book to sound better, read better and bring the characters to life is what this process is about. It's true, the chances of anyone actually reading the first draft of you novel are extremely slim. I spent a lot of time in the editing process. It was important to me that I did because In The Shadows is an important story that I want to tell.

And just when I was in a place of happiness and serenity after two months of editing the tension increases. I'm waiting for my professional editor's thoughts regarding the book... nail-biting time for sure!

In The Shadows cover