Category: Book Tour Page 3 of 46

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Clytemnestra’s Bind by Susan C Wilson

On December 11, 2023

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for Susan C Wilson’s Clytemnestra’s Bind, the first of her The House of Atreus trilogy! The Tour starts today–go check out https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours from now until the 22nd to see a what those who’ve read it have had to say. But in the meantime, let me tell you about the book.

Book Details:

Title: Clytemnestra’s Bind
Series: Susan C Wilson
Genre: Historical Fiction/Greek Mythology
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook
Length: 300 pages
Publication Date: June 15, 2023

About the Book:

Queen Clytemnestra’s world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself.

Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to Agamemnon. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten, once more, to destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.

From one of Greek mythology’s most reviled characters—a woman who challenged the absolute power of men—comes this fiery tale of power, family rivalry and a mother’s burning love.

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Susan C Wilson is a working-class Scottish writer. Her lifelong passion for ancient Greece was ignited as a child by stumbling across stories of gods and heroes in the dictionary. She loves to explore what makes us human: the eternal motivations, desires and instincts that cross time and place.

She has a degree in journalism from Napier University and, in preparation for writing her novels, gained a diploma in classical studies from the Open University. Clytemnestra’s Bind, her debut novel, was long-listed for the Mslexia Novel Competition 2019. It is the first in The House of Atreus trilogy and will be published by Neem Tree Press in June 2023.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Haunting Scent of Poppies by Victoria Williamson

By HCNewton

On December 6, 2023

In Book Tour, Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Victoria Williamson’s The Haunting Scent of Poppies! A handful of bloggers have already been talking about it on the tour, and a few more are coming–go check out https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours to see a what those who’ve read it have had to say. But in the meantime, let me tell you about the book.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Fiction/YA/Horror
Publisher: Silver Thistle Press
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 59 pages
Publication Date: December 1, 2023

About the Book:

A spine-chilling winter ghost story set in the months after the Great War. Perfect for lovers of MR James and Susan Hill

The War is over, but for petty criminal Charlie his darkest days are only just beginning.

Charlie Briggs is never off-duty, even when a botched job means he’s forced to lay low in a sleepy Hampshire town for the holiday season. Always searching for his next unwitting victim, or a shiny trinket he can pilfer, he can’t believe his luck when he happens upon a rare book so valuable it will set him up for life. All he needs to do is sit tight until Boxing Day. But there’s a desperate story that bleeds beyond the pages; something far more dangerous than London’s mobsters is lurking in the shadows.

Could the book be cursed? Why is he haunted by the horrors of war? Can he put things right before he’s suffocated by his own greed?

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

EXCERPT from Nameless Queen by Marie Sinadjan: Who is She?

By HCNewton

On November 30, 2023

In Book Tour, Fiction, Quotations, Urban Fantasy

We continue to celebrate Release Day for Marie Sinadjan’s Nameless Queen here with this excerpt.

from Nameless Queen by Marie Sinadjan

Standing on the bank of the river Gjoll, Hel listened to the names of the Dead in the wind. This was her life now, as difficult and strange as it was to accept.

The Allfather had banished her from Asgard for treason, trapping her in Niflheim and erasing her name. However, she eventually realized that the realm itself was alive and had other plans. Niflheim did not intend for her to merely wallow in her despair and slowly starve herself to death.

The realm wanted her to be its caretaker.

A line of longships stretched toward the horizon and disappeared into the mist. In the ships were bodies, and the first one had come alive at Hel’s accidental touch.

The man lurched like he had been holding his breath underwater for far too long. “Where am I?”

For a moment she stared back at him with an equal measure of fear. What just happened? Was it her appearance that scared him?

But it soon became clear that it was not the case. “Who am I?” he asked her, distraught.

His name came to her in the wind. “Egil Hringson,” she repeated.

Her eyes flew wide as the man clung to her and wept like a child. She hadn’t realized how important it was for the Dead to be remembered, not until then. And while she did not have the details of his life, revealing his name seemed to help him find peace.

She did not sleep for three whole days, traversing the bank of the river to bring the newly deceased out of their stupor. There were surely hundreds of them; she’d stopped bothering to count after she reached twenty. Some ships had elaborate carvings on the prow, while others were simple wooden vessels that appeared to have been put together at the last minute. None of that mattered to her, however. It was not her place to judge or choose who awakened in this realm, unlike Odin the Allfather and his band of Valkyries.

At first, only the old woman helped her. But after three days of tireless work by the river, the inhabitants of Niflheim came to see that she was something more than merely a deranged soul who could not embrace the fact that she was dead. One by one, they joined her, seeing those she’d awakened into settlements and communities. Most of them were patterned and named after actual Midgardian locations, which provided a small comfort to the Dead.

“Who is she?” Egil asked the old woman when he returned to the river the day after his awakening.

“Hel,” the old woman answered.

It was not Hel’s real name, but it was all she had.

The one she had been born with had been taken away from her.

Interested in the rest? Go grab your copy of Nameless Queen by Marie Sinadjan now at https://books2read.com/NamelessQueen!

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Arvia: Wings of the Wild by D.H. Willison

By HCNewton

On November 23, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for fourth volume of D.H. Willison’s Arvira series, Wings of the Wild, as the Tour kicks off! Over the next week and a half, you should check in on https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours to see a lot of bloggers write interesting things about it.

Book Details:

Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 584 pages
Publication Date: November 22, 2023

About the Book:

It’s easy to stand up for your friends. What about for anonymous creatures nobody else cares about?

With their homes apparently safe from the magical storms, Darin and Rinloh venture to an isolated elven village and another ancient mystery: ruins of an imperial city whose entire population vanished centuries ago.

The duo befriend a host of eccentric new characters, from a chipper ogress and hipster troll to a deadpan griffin. Yet the Forest of Nightmares challenges them as never before. Merciless carnivorous trees, subterranean horrors, ethereal creatures no mortal weapon can slay… and most sinister of all, the greed and ambition lurking within the human heart.

Darin and Rinloh’s empathic connection grows stronger the deeper into the wilderness they go, but will it be enough to stop a dark conspiracy from ravaging the land?

Arvia: Wings of the Wild challenges the harpy-human duo with their grandest adventure yet. They must balance their deepening relationship as they sharpen their skills and work together as never before to unravel a deadly new plot.

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

D.H. Willison is a reader, writer, game enthusiast and developer, engineer, and history buff. He’s lived or worked in over a dozen countries, learning different cultures, viewpoints, and attitudes, which have influenced his writing, contributing to one of his major themes: alternate and creative conflict resolution. The same situations can be viewed by different cultures quite differently. Sometimes it leads to conflict, sometimes to hilarity. Both make for a great story.

He’s also never missed a chance to visit historic sites, from castle dungeons, to catacombs, to the holds of tall ships, to the tunnels of the Maginot Line. It might be considered research, except for the minor fact that his tales are all set on the whimsical and terrifying world of Arvia. Where giant mythic monsters are often more easily overcome with empathy than explosions.

Subscribe to his newsletter for art, stories, and humorous articles (some of which are actually intended to be humorous).

Author Links:

Website ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

COVER REVEAL: Partial Function by JCM Berne

By HCNewton

On October 16, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased to welcome Day 2 of the Cover Reveal for JCM Berne’s Partial Function to The Irresponsible Reader this morning! This means you’ve likely seen it already, but just in case…also, it’s such a cool cover, for such a cool book (as i’ll hopefully expand upon in a day or three), how could I say no? Before we get to revealing the cover, let’s learn a little bit about the book and author, shall we? I won’t take too much of your time, and then we can lay our eyes on the cover.

Book Details:

Book Title: Partial Function by JCM Berne
Genre: (wuxia-adjacent) Fantasy
Release Date: November 7, 2023

About the Book

If Taken starred Michelle Yeoh and was set on a Jurassic Park-inspired Cradle.

Monster hunter Akina Azure inherited the most powerful weapon in the martial world before retiring to a peaceful life raising her twin girls.

The Reaver has them kidnapped, thinking Akina will trade that weapon for their safe return.

Will she? Or will she use it to wreak a terrible retribution on the men who took her girls?

You get one guess.

About the Author

JCM Berne has reached middle age without outgrowing the notion that superheroes are cool. Code monkey by day, by night he slaves over a hot keyboard to prove that superhero stories can be engaging and funny without being dark or silly.

Linktree ~ Author Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Threads ~ BlueSky ~ Book Berne-ing authortube show ~ Free short story

and now…

The Cover

Partial Function Cover

That’s a spiffy cover, right? I’m telling ya, the book is even better.

It’s out November 7, be ready to jump on it then!

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COVER REVEAL: Serpentus by A.J. Calvin

By HCNewton

On October 11, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased to welcome the Escapist Book Tour’s Cover Reveal for A.J. Calvin’s Serpentus to The Irresponsible Reader this morning! Before we get to revealing the cover, let’s learn a little bit about the book and author, shall we? It’ll just take a moment, and then we can all feast on the cover.

Book Details:

Book Title: Serpentus by A.J. Calvin
Series: Standalone related to The Relics of War series
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Adult
Length: 250 pg.
Release date: August 4, 2023
Publisher: February 27, 2024 (tentative)

About the Book

Dispatched to Stone Hill to oversee the city’s defenses among nebulous rumors of the Shadow Council’s threat, Owen Greenwaters must rely on the city’s guard and its natural defenses to protect the citizens.

But when an army of mythical hooded ones bolstered by a sea serpent and the Soulless arrive in the wake of a terrible storm, he knows there is little he can do beyond hope the walls hold – and pray to the gods he and Stone Hill’s people will survive.

They are outnumbered, outmatched, and without magical support. Owen is the only knight present in the city. They will be overrun.

The Soulless are merciless and rarely take prisoners, but Owen and the survivors of Stone Hill are exceptions…

And some fates are worse than death.

Book Links

Author Website (where other retailer links will be posted once preorders are set up) ~ Goodreads

About the Author

A.J. Calvin is a science fiction/fantasy novelist from Loveland, Colorado. By day, she works as a microbiologist, but in her free time she writes. She lives with her husband, their cat, and a salt water aquarium.

When she is not working or writing, she enjoys scuba diving, hiking, and playing video games.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ BlueSky

and now…

The Cover

Serpentus Cover

Okay, I don’t know what those things in his hands are called, but they look like they would hurt. My guess is that behind that cover, more than one character will get to find out just how much that’s true.

My thanks to Escapist Book Tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided. The opinions expressed by me are honest and my own.

Cover Reveal: Arvia: Wings of the Wild by D.H. Willison

By HCNewton

On October 6, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Cover Reveal for fourth volume of D.H. Willison’s Arvia series, Wings of the Wild this morning! Before we get to revealing the cover, let’s learn a little bit about the book and author, shall we? It’ll just take a moment, and then we can all take a peak at the cover.

Book Details:

Book Title: Wings of the Wild by D.H. Willison
Series: Tales of Avira, Book 4
Genre: Humorous fantasy adventure + fantasy romance
Length: 584 pages
Release Date: November 22, 2023

About the Book:

It’s easy to stand up for your friends. What about for anonymous creatures nobody else cares about?

Darin and Rinloh’s empathic connection grows stronger the deeper into the wilderness they go, but will it be enough to stop a dark conspiracy from ravaging the land?

Arvia: Wings of the Wild challenges the harpy-human duo with their grandest adventure yet. They must balance their deepening relationship as they sharpen their skills and work together as never before to unravel a deadly new plot.

About the Author:

Subscribe to his newsletter for art, stories, and humorous articles (some of which are actually intended to be humorous).

Author Links:

Website ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Twitter~ Goodreads

and now…

The Cover

Arvia: Wings of the Wild Cover

Keep your eyes peeled for this one, folks. It’ll be out in a little over a month and will be worth the wait!

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this reveal and the materials they provided.

COVER REVEAL: Mist Gallows by Meri Benson, Marie Sinadjan

By HCNewton

On October 6, 2023

In Book Tour, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I’m very pleased to welcome the Cover Reveal for Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan’s Mist Gallows to The Irresponsible Reader this morning! This novel is the third in the series, The Prophecies of Ragnorak. Before we get to revealing the cover, let’s learn a little bit about the book and author, shall we? It’ll just take a moment, and then we can all feast our eyes on the cover. Oh, and there’s a word about a sale on the series, too.

Book Details:

Book Title: Mist Gallows by Meri Benson, Marie Sinadjan
Series: The Prophecies of Ragnorak, Book 3
Genre: Norse Mythology Based Urban Fantasy
Digital Release Date: October 13, 2023
DPaperback/Hardcover/Audiobook Release Date: TBA

About the Book

Are you ready for the battle of a lifetime?

The end has begun. Ragnarok has arrived as prophesied. The Great Winter has brought Midgard to its knees, and it’s only a matter of time before the gods and their armies clash on Vigrid one last time.

Desperate to save the realms, Victor leads his friends on a mission to the underworld. He intends to seek out Hel, daughter of Loki and Hodr’s lover, and convince their side to stand down and make peace with Odin, therefore averting the war.

But a far greater threat than the reckoning of an ancient feud looms on the horizon. Silje learns that Yggdrasil is dying, and if the Tree of Worlds dies, the worlds die along with it…

Book Links

Purchase Link – TBA – live release (wide) but no preorder
Hotel Fen (book 1) – https://www.books2read.com/b/HotelFen
Monster Ridge (book 2) – https://www.books2read.com/b/MonsterRidge
Short stories:
- Midnight Son – https://www.books2read.com/b/MidnightSon
- Polar Knight – https://www.books2read.com/b/PolarKnight
- Nameless Queen (preorder, out 30 November) – https://www.books2read.com/b/NamelessQueen

Pre-Release Sale

Digital Edition Sale (October 6-13) Info:

Hotel Fen – $0.99 all retailers
Monster Ridge – $1.99 all retailers
Midnight Son – free via newsletter signup https://mariesinadjan.substack.com
Polar Knight – free via newsletter signup https://meribenson.substack.com

About the Authors

Meri Benson is a Chicago native that has always been in love with the written word. When not living in other people’s worlds, she’s creating her own. From urban fantasy worlds that mirror our own to fantasy worlds that are all their own. Her favorite distractions from creative endeavors and writing are her two cats that enjoy ‘helping’ by settling themselves on her, or whatever project has stolen her attention away from her number one “fans”.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ TikTok ~ Threads ~ Newsletter ~ Linktree

Marie Sinadjan is a Filipino fantasy author, singer-songwriter, and musical theatre actress. The Prophecies of Ragnarok is her debut series, though her short stories have appeared in anthologies, magazines and literary journals. She mainly writes fantasy of the mythology, fairytales and folklore variety. When not crunching numbers for her full-time job or spending time with her family, she’s traveling, drinking coffee, reading and reviewing books, dreaming up more worlds, writing more songs, or serenading vegetables. She currently lives in the United Kingdom with her husband.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ TikTok ~ BlueSky ~ Threads ~ Newsletter ~ Linktree

and now…

The Cover

Mist Gallows Cover

You see that on a shelf, you’re taking a second look to catch the details, right?

It’s out next week, be ready to jump on it then!

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COVER REVEAL: Midsummer Night’s Curse by Anca Antoci

By HCNewton

On October 5, 2023

In Book Tour, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

I’m very pleased to welcome the Cover Reveal for Anca Antoci’s Midsummer Night’s Curse to The Irresponsible Reader this morning! This novel is an an urban fantasy (with a romantic subplot) focused on Romanian mythology (by a Romanian), if you’re like me, that alone will pique your curiosity. The blurb will crank that up for you. Before we get to revealing the cover, let’s learn a little bit about the book and author, shall we? It’ll just take a moment, and then we can all feast on the cover.

Book Details:

Book Title: Midsummer Night’s Curse by Anca Antoci
Series: Paranormal Misadventures, Book 1
Genre: Paranormal Mystery, Urban Fantasy
Length: 342 pages
Release date: October 20th, 2023
Preorder: Yes

About the Book

Amidst the misty hills and ancient forests of Transylvania, Ella Martin thought she found a perfect place to escape from her old life. She’s a witch on the run from her coven and no one would think to seek her amid vampires at Count Dracula Inn. What could go wrong?

But locals don’t take kindly to outsiders, so when a teenage girl goes missing on the midsummer night at the inn, the villagers point their fingers at Ella. But then the handsome Inspector Felix Goia starts digging into her past, suspecting she must be hiding something. And the witch knows she must find the missing girl to get everyone off her back. If she fails, she has to flee before everyone finds out she’s a witch and they turn on her.

Adding to the chaos, the recently appointed police captain, Radu Lupu, dove into the fray. Beneath his charming exterior lies a ruthless streak that few people have seen. They reluctantly work together to solve the case of the missing girl, and the jaw-dropping discovery they make leaves everyone speechless. Faced with magic, they resort to mischief to save the girl. But can they succeed in their paranormal misadventure?

Book Links

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author

Anca’s overactive imagination pours into her stories bringing otherworldly creatures to life. Her debut novel, Forget Me Not, is the first part of a trilogy published in 2020.

Before starting her writing journey, Anca was active in the blogging community as a fantasy book reviewer. The fanfiction stories she wrote long before she dreamed of being a writer are still popular and available on her blog. Although not as often, she still posts book reviews and book recommendations on her blog www.summonfantasy.com.

Living in Romania, Anca speaks English as a second language and is quite self-conscious about her accent, which is why she never speaks in her videos on TikTok. She loves taking long walks through the parks to recharge her batteries before a writing sprint. Anca loves cooking and can often be found in the kitchen trying out a new recipe while an audiobook keeps her entertained.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Medium ~ Mastodon

and now…

The Cover

Midsummmer Night's Curse Cover

That’s one sharp-looking cover right there.

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COVER REVEAL: Traitor’s Tome by Emma L. Adams

By HCNewton

On October 4, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased to welcome the Escapist Book Tour’s Cover Reveal for Emma L. Adams’ Traitor’s Tome to The Irresponsible Reader this morning! Before we get to revealing the cover, let’s learn a little bit about the book and author, shall we? It’ll just take a moment, and then we can all feast on the cover.

Book Details:

Book Title: Traitor’s Tome by Emma L. Adams
Series: Death’s Disciple
Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy
Intended Age Group: Adult
Length: approx. 450 pages
Release date: Kickstarter October 10 – October 26, retail release Feb. 2024
Publisher: Self-Published

About the Book

Several weeks have passed since the capital of Laria narrowly escaped destruction at the hands of the god of death and His followers. Former Captain Yala Palathar is attempting to lie low, but the dead no longer rest easily in their graves, and her role in the battle has drawn attention from potential allies and foes alike.

Niema, too, has been irrecoverably changed by the choices she made during the battle of Dalathar, and journeying home to the Disciples of Life reveals the devastating consequences of her actions. Niema grapples with her desire to protect Yala’s secrets, but when monsters start appearing in the forest, she fears that she’s brought doom upon her own people.

When the Disciples of the Flame come to Yala with the news that a dangerous book used by the god of death’s followers has gone missing, Yala is compelled to seek it out to avert further disaster. Her quest takes her to Setemar, home of the Disciples of the Earth, where her path soon crosses with Kelan and the Disciples of the Sky. It isn’t long before Kelan’s alliance with Yala puts him at odds with his fellow Disciples, and the closer Yala treads to the domain of the god of death, the louder Mekan’s voice whispers in her own ear.

With threats stirring above and below ground, ally is set against ally, and not everyone will survive the calamity that will follow…

Book Links

Kickstarter ~ Goodreads

About the Author

Emma L. Adams spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing fantasy novels. She has a BA in English Literature with Creative Writing from Lancaster University, where she spent three years exploring the Lake District and penning strange fantastical adventures.

Now, Emma lives in the middle of England and is the international bestselling author of over 50 novels including the world-hopping Alliance series, the urban fantasy Changeling Chronicles series, and the fantasy adventure Relics of Power trilogy. When she’s not immersed in her own fictional universes, Emma can be found with her head in a book, playing video games, or wandering around the world in search of adventure.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

and now…

The Cover

Traitor's Tome Cover

That’s a heckuva cover right there. The Kickstarter gets underway soon, so Adams can put that cover on a hardcover book to make your shelves all the prettier. Be sure to kick some start next week!

My thanks to Escapist Book Tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided. The opinions expressed by me are honest and my own.