Tag: Book Spotlight Page 10 of 24

This morning I’m pleased to host a Book Blitz for Rock Forsberg’s The Entrant—book one in the Antigravity Racing League—to celebrate its publication today. It looks like a heckuva ride.

Book Details:

Book Title: The Entrant by Rock Forsberg
Series: Antigravity Racing League
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Release date: September 28, 2021
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 378 pages

Book Blurb:

The ARL race crafts run on sonic speeds just a few metres from the track and race massive rollercoaster circuits all across the galaxy. It is the biggest sport under the federation.

Zane Silvering, the son of an ARL legend, races in a local antigravity league and dreams of making it big in the galaxy.

On his eighteenth birthday, after being kicked out of his team, an ARL team offers him a position as a substitute. Despite the warning signs, he seizes the opportunity, and boards a massive spaceship, the mobile base of a team competing for the galactic championship.

But the life of an ARL racer isn’t as easy as he thought. The crafts are raw and powerful, the competition relentless—also inside his team—and the game sometimes gets dirty. Just to get to race, he has to beat some of the galaxy’s best racers.

And there’s more to the team than racing: a group of them run secret missions for the enigmatic owner. Soon Zane works night-shift as their getaway pilot.

When the day and night jobs meet, he must step out of his father’s shadow, and race, not only for the glory, but for his life.

If you like underdog stories, awe-inspiring galactic trekking, and high-adrenaline racing, The Entrant will keep you strapped to your seat until the finish line.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

About the Author:

Rock Forsberg is a science fiction author. He loves awe-inspiring stories and started writing so that he could create epic worlds and stories of his own. He has also written songs, poems, and short stories, both in English and in Finnish. He considers writing to be a long game, with a lifetime of learning, and dozens of novels to write.

A dual citizen of Finland and Australia, he splits his time between Helsinki, Finland and Sydney, Australia. If he not writing, he’s reading, keeping fit (he’s a health geek), playing guitar, or enjoying time with his family and friends.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Blitz.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Chronicles of Iona: Exile by Paula de Fougerolles

By HCNewton

On September 27, 2021

In Book Tour, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Blog Tour for the first in Historical Fiction Trilogy, The Chronicles of Iona by Paula de Fougerolles: Exile. This Tour Stop consists in this little spotlight post and then my take on the novel coming along in a bit. Let’s start by learning a little about this novel, okay?

Book Details:

Book Title: The Chronicles of Iona: Exile by Paula de Fougerolles
Publisher: Careswell Press
Release date: May 25, 2012
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 394 pages

Book Blurb:

The Chronicles of Iona: Exile tells the story of the Irish monk and Scottish warrior, Saint Columba and Aedan mac Gabran, who would band together to lay the foundation of the nation of Scotland. They were a real-life 6th-century Merlin and King Arthur and their story has never been told.

The book begins in 563 A.D. The Roman Empire is long gone, freeing the region of Scotland from the threat of imperial rule but opening it to chaos from warring tribes vying for control. Columba, a powerful abbot-prince, is exiled from Ireland to the pagan colony of Dal Riata on Scotland’s west coast for an act of violence. There he encounters Aedan, the down-and-out second son of the colony’s former king, slain by the Picts.

Together, this unlikely pair travels the breadth of a divided realm, each in search of his own kind of unity. Their path is fraught with blood feuds, lost love, treachery, dark gods and monsters, but also with miracles and valor. Beset on all sides, their only hope is to become allies—and to forge a daring alliance with the pagan Picts.

How Columba overcame exile and a crisis of faith to found the famous monastery of Iona (one of the greatest centers of learning in Dark Age Europe) and, from it, the Celtic Church in the British Isles; and how Aedan avenged his father’s death and became, against all odds, the progenitor of Scottish kings and the greatest warlord of his age, begins here.

For both, what begins as a personal imperative becomes a series of events that lead to the foundation of Iona and the kingdom of Scotland—events that literally change the world.

Purchase Links:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Paula de Fougerolles has a doctorate from the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, University of Cambridge, and has taught and published in the field. She has lived and traveled extensively throughout Scotland and Ireland, including a prestigious year-long Thomas J. Watson Fellowship in which she criss-crossed Europe in search of the physical remains of the so-called Dark Ages—research which ultimately led to this award-winning historical fiction series. To learn more, visit www.pauladefougerolles.com.

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

BOOK BLITZ: The Forgotten Gun by John Reid

By HCNewton

On September 22, 2021

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

This morning I’m pleased to host a Book Blitz for John Reid’s The Forgotten Gun—the first book in the DCI Steve Burt Mystery series—to celebrate its publication today.

Book Details:

Book Title: The Forgotten Gun by John Reid
Series: A DCI Steve Burt Mystery
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Release date: August 31, 2021
Format: Ebook/Hardcover/Paperback
Length: 210 pages

Book Blurb:

A Metropolitan Police detective about to be dismissed is given a second chance by his old boss, who is now a police commander. He’s given a new unit to run and two misfit detectives to assist him. All three know their status is temporary.

Their first case together is an impossible double murder. Each murder is identical. Both victims are expertly shot in the head from long range, but the post-mortems reveal no bullets were used in the shootings. The CSI teams calculate that in both cases there was no place for the marksman to have fired from, unless suspended over busy roads.

Although it’s a case apparently impossible to solve, DCI Steve Burt reluctantly agrees to investigate with his new team. Their enquires lead them into the murky world of greed, corruption, fraud and money laundering, but they are no nearer solving the murders. The team is stumped until the DCI meets a retired army major and a WW2 veteran who unwittingly hold the keys to solving these impossible murders.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

The author was born in Scotland and after serving in the army embarked on a career in industry and commerce. He has worked in several different sectors of business mostly in senior roles and latterly as CEO of a large international data capture company.

He retired for the first time in 1995 but continued to work as a consultant helping new businesses become established. In 2018, he finally retired from business life to become a full-time author. John lives in the UK and Portugal with his wife and they have two grown-up sons.

John has used the DCI Steve Burt series to get involved with Sense, a great charity that supports anyone living with complex disabilities. Sense helps people communicate and experience the world. They, like John, believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfill their potential.

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Blitz.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT (and Giveaway): True Dead by Faith Hunter

By HCNewton

On September 6, 2021

In Book Tour, Faith Hunter, Fiction, Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood, Urban Fantasy

Today I’m very pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the next Jane Yellowrock novel, True Dead by Faith Hunter. I’m not exaggerating when I say that that this is one of the novels I’ve been most looking forward to in 2021–and the release is just around the corner. Along with this spotlight post, I have a fun excerpt to share, as well as a Q&A with Faith Hunter. Then, I’ll be giving my take on the novel a little later. Those links’ll work when the posts go live in an hour or two.

Oh, and don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post to enter a Giveaway for a cool prize or two.

But first, let’s take a look at True Dead.

Book Details:

Book Title: True Dead by Faith Hunter
Publisher: Ace Books
Release date: September 14, 2021
Format: Paperback/ebook
Length: 384 pages
ISBN: 9780451488732

Book Blurb:

Jane Yellowrock goes back to the city where it all began in the newest installment of this thrilling New York Times bestselling series.

Jane used to hunt vampires, but now she’s their queen. She’s holed up in the mountains with the Yellowrock Clan, enjoying a little peace, when a surprise attack on her people proves that trouble is brewing. Someone is using very old magic to launch a bid for power, and it’s all tied to the place where Jane was first drawn into the world of Leo Pellissier—the city of New Orleans.

Jane is compelled to return to NOLA because someone is trying to destabilize the paranormal world order. And because she now sits near the top of the vampire world, the assault is her problem. She will do what she must to protect what’s hers. Her city. Her people. Her power. Her crown.

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Books-a-Million ~ IndieBound ~ The Book Depository ~ Kobo ~ Google Books ~ Apple Books

About Faith Hunter:

Faith Hunter is the award-winning New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of the Jane Yellowrock, Soulwood, Rogue Mage, and Junkyard Cats series. In addition, she has edited several anthologies and co-authored the Rogue Mage RPG. She is the coauthor and author of 16 thrillers under pen names Gary Hunter and Gwen Hunter. Altogether she has 40+ books and dozens of short stories in print and is juggling multiple projects.

She sold her first book in 1989 and hasn’t stopped writing since.

Faith collects orchids and animal skulls, loves thunderstorms, and writes. She likes to cook soup, bake bread, garden, and kayak Class II & III whitewater rivers. She edits the occasional anthology and drinks a lot of tea. Some days she’s a lady. Some days she ain’t.

Find Faith online at:

Website ~ Facebook (official) ~ Facebook Fan Group ~ Twitter ~

Yellowrock Securities website ~ Gwen Hunter website

Giveaway!

Enter to win some fabulous prizes! Giveaway is open to US residents only.

3 winners will receive a bag of Faith’s tea blend + a signed manuscript revision page
3 winners will receive a signed manuscript revision page

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(in case the Rafflecopter widget doesn’t appear, just click here)

My thanks to Let’s Talk! Promotions for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the book via NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group) they provided.

BOOK BLITZ: Swop The Satsuma-Sized Secret by Lucy Noguera

By HCNewton

On August 19, 2021

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

This morning I’m pleased to host a Book Blitz Lucy Noguera’s Swop The Satsuma-Sized Secret, a charming-looking book that you’re going to want to look into..

Book Details:

Book Title: Swop The Satsuma-Sized Secret by Lucy Noguera
Publisher: Brilliant Monsters Books
Release date: July 16, 2021
Format: Ebook
Length: 133 pages

Book Blurb:

What would you do if you found the world’s smallest dog?

When Ernie and his family leave the countryside to move to the city. Ernie feels like he’ll never settle into their new home.

Yet on his very first night, a surprising new friend introduces himself – Swop is a very tiny dog. A dog that just happens to be the size of a satsuma.

Ernie vows to keep Swop a secret, but Swop has other ideas and he’s determined to make Ernie’s first day at his new school a memorable one!

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

About Lucy Noguera

An ex-primary school teacher and Teacher of the Deaf. I now run a small educational company, specialising in arranging book projects and theatre events for schools and families. I live with my husband, our three children and our three dogs in Ealing, London. Yet the one in charge is our little ex-street dog, even though he has no eyes and three legs. He also happens to be called Swop!

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this blitzl and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Watchman by Rob Parker

By HCNewton

On July 1, 2021

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

I’m so excited to be part of this last day of the Love Books Tour for The Watchman by Rob Parker. I’ve read this whole series in the last couple of months and doing this is a great way to cap off this project. In a little while here, I’ll be giving my take on the novel. But before that, let’s take a minute and learn a little about the book, okay?

Book Details:

Book Title: The Watchman by Rob Parker
Publisher: Lume Books
Release date: June 24, 2021
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 259 pages

Book Blurb:

One last mission for an old friend. What could go wrong?

It’s sold as an in-and-out jaunt to The Big Apple, to pick up a harmless envelope. But when Ben Bracken is offered the assignment, he’s a little hesitant. He’s a family man now, with a duty to stay alive for his loved ones.

But, with the request coming from fellow former military man and trusted friend William Grosvenor, not to mention the eye-watering payout, one last job can’t hurt, can it?

So begins his American road trip, one that takes him from the city that never sleeps to the misty swamps of Florida. All in pursuit of one highly coveted envelope. Because it turns out, this job isn’t the walk in Central Park it was promised to be.

As he’s pursued by New York’s most dangerous mobsters, factions of federal law enforcement, and American Intelligence, Ben’s hunch is that their joint quarry must hold something of international significance.

He’s not wrong. The contents that’s slipping through these influential fingers contains evidence of the world’s biggest cover-up. Evidence that will rewrite history books and incriminate one of the most powerful men on the planet.

It’s probably best it winds up in the right hands.

The Watchman is packed with action, underpinned with believable conspirative intrigue, world-class writing and twists you just won’t see coming.

About the Author:

Rob Parker is a married father of three, who lives in a village near Manchester, UK. Author of the Ben Bracken series A Wanted Man, Morte Point, The Penny Black and Till Morning is Nigh, The Watchman, and the standalone post-Brexit country-noir Crook’s Hollow, he enjoys a rural life on an old pig farm (now minus pigs), writing horrible things between school runs. He writes full time, as well as organizing and attending various author events across the UK, while boxing regularly for charity. Passionate about inspiring a love of the written word in young people, Rob spends a lot of time in schools across the North West, encouraging literacy, story-telling, creative writing, and how good old-fashioned hard work tends to help good things happen.

Social Media:

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Website

My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Weatherman by Price Doom

By HCNewton

On June 21, 2021

In Fiction, Science Fiction

I just don’t have time to read every book that comes my way, but I’d like to do my part to expose them to as many eyeballs as I can. So, from time to time, I’ll post a Spotlight to lend a hand. If this looks like it’s up your alley, you should jump on it.

Book Details:

Book Title: Can You See My Scars by Samuel Moore-Sobel
Release date: September 1, 2020
Format: Mobi/ePub
Length: 84 pages

Book Blurb:

Heart and her father are on the run from God. At least, that’s what her father, Sonny, tells her. Young Heart believes Sonny’s stories of dying suns and scientists with tranquilizer guns, parachuting out of planes in pursuit of them. Sonny believes only the elements in his body can save the sun, and Heart grows up in fear of the boogeymen from Sonny’s stories—and Sonny himself. After years without proof and questions about Sonny’s mental stability, Heart makes her escape.

About the Author:

Special Education Teacher by day, writer by night, full time dad every night and day.

Social Media

Twitter ~ Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ Goodreads

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Mostly Invisible Boy by A.J. Vanderhorst

By HCNewton

On June 18, 2021

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

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for the first in a a MG Fantasy Series The Mostly Invisible Boy by A.J. Vanderhorst . This Tour Stop consists in this little spotlight post and then my take on the novel coming along a little later today. Let’s start by learning a little about this novel, okay?

Book Details:

Book Title: The Mostly Invisible Boy by A.J. Vanderhorst
Publisher: ‎ Lion & Co
Release date: May 6, 2021
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 298 pages

Book Blurb:

Eleven-year-old Casey is stubbornly friendly, but he’s eternally the new kid at Vintage Woods Middle School. Students look right through him—and they’re not faking. Casey doesn’t know why he’s mostly-invisible, but when he scales a colossal oak, he discovers a fortress in its branches. The forgotten sentry tree marks the border between his safe, suburban life and a fierce frontier.

Casey and his little sister Gloria infiltrate Sylvan Woods, a secret forest society devoted to ancient, wild things. Sky-high footpaths. Survival sewing. Monster control. Shockingly, people here actually see Casey—but being seen isn’t enough. He wants to belong.

Keeping his identity hidden–while struggling to prove he fits–is hard enough, but Butcher Beasts have returned to Sylvan Woods after a hundred years. Trickery is under siege. As the monsters close in, and the fearsome Sylvan Watch hunts Casey down, he and his newfound friends must unearth abandoned magic, buried at the forest’s roots…or be devoured along with everyone else, Sylvans and civilians alike.

A fast-paced middle-grade fantasy/adventure book with all the monsters kids could ever hope for.

About the Author:

AJ Vanderhorst has had many jobs, including journalist, paramedic, escape artist, and baby whisperer. One time in fifth grade, he built a traffic-stopping fort in a huge oak tree, using only branches and imagination, and slept there for a week.

Now he and his wife live in a woodsy house with their proteges and a ridiculous number of pets, including a turtle with a taste for human toes. This makes AJ an expert on wild, dangerous things—invisibility spells, butcher beasts, hungry kids, you get the idea.

He is the only author in the world who enjoys pickup basketball and enormous bonfires, preferably not at the same time. He and his family have drawn up several blueprints for their future tree castle. Visit AJ online at ajvanderhorst.com.

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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Meat is Murder (Stonebridge #3) by Chris McDonald

By HCNewton

On June 15, 2021

In Book Tour, Chris McDonald, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, The Stonebridge Mysteries

I’m excited to welcome the Book Tour for the third installment in The Stonebridge Mysteries, Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald this morning. Check back next hour for my take on the novella, but for now, let’s start by learning a little about this book, okay?

Meat is Murder Tour Banner

Book Details:

Book Title: Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald
Series: The Stonebridge Mysteries
Publisher: Red Dog Press
Release date: June 8, 2021
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook
Length: 142 pages

Book Blurb:

McNulty’s Meats, one of Stonebridge’s oldest businesses, is about to be taken over in a lucrative deal that would make brothers Ron and Kevin very rich men indeed. Unfortunately for them, local activist Tyler Love has other ideas. Convinced that the deal would be bad for the town, he burns the place to the ground and inadvertently kills himself in the process.

At least, that’s what the police think.

Tyler’s mum disagrees and pleads with amateur sleuths Adam and Colin to investigate. Although, going up against the psychopathic McNulty brothers, a rival businessman, a group of hippies, and a girlfriend with secrets of her own might not be such a good idea… Someone has something to hide, and will go to great lengths to keep that secret buried.

Meat is Murder is the third book in The Stonebridge Mysteries series of Cosy Crime novellas.

About the Series:

Stonebridge is a small town on the north coast of Northern Ireland. Most of its inhabitants are friendly, happy people. Most of them… Because bad things happen even in the happiest of places. It’s a good thing, then, that Adam Whyte and Colin McLaughlin call Stonebridge home.

Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of detective shows, a misplaced sense of confidence, and a keen desire to see justice done, these two are the closest thing the town has to saviors. Which isn’t that reassuring…

About Chris McDonald:

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

Purchase Links:

Amazon ~ Kobo ~ Google ~ Red Dog Press

My thanks to Red Dog Press for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Creature Feature (Audiobook) by Steven Paul Leiva, Seamus Dever, and Juliana Dever

By HCNewton

On June 10, 2021

In Audiobook, Book Tour, Fiction

Today I welcome the Book Tour for the audiobook for Creature Feature by Steven Paul Leiva and narrated by Seamus Dever and Juliana Dever. Following this spotlight post, I have an excerpt (from the text version) here in a bit, and then I’ll be giving my take on the audiobook. But let’s start by learning a little about this here book, okay? Oh, and be sure to check out the Giveaway of the audiobook below!

Book Details:

Book Title: Because You’re Mine by Luna Miller
Narrators:
Publisher: Magpie Press (print edition)
Release date: September 21, 2020 (print edition), April 13, 2021 (audiobook)
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 158 pages; 4 hours and 23 minutes

Book Blurb:

THERE IS SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENING IN PLACIDVILLE!

It is 1962. Kathy Anderson, a serious actress who took her training at the Actors Studio in New York, is stuck playing Vivacia, the Vampire Woman on Vivacia’s House of Horrors for a local Chicago TV station.

Finally fed up showing old monster movies to creature feature fans, she quits and heads to New York and the fame and footlights of Broadway.

She stops off to visit her parents and old friends in Placidville, the all-Ameican, middle-class, blissfully normal Midwest small town she grew up in.

But she finds things are strange in Placidville.

Kathy’s parents, her best friend from high school, the local druggist, even the Oberhausen twins are all acting curiously creepy, odiously odd, and wholly weird. Especially the town’s super geeky nerd, Gerald, who warns of dark days ahead.

Has Kathy entered a zone in the twilight? Did she reach the limits that are outer? Has she fallen through a mirror that is black? Or is it just—just—politics as usual!

About Steven Paul Leiva:

A Scribe award-winner, receiving the praise of Ray Bradbury and the Oscar-winning film producer, Richard Zanuck, Steven Paul Leiva is no stranger to the business of telling a good story. Author of several novels, and with a writing-style that lays hard on the satire, this Hollywood-escapee doesn’t pull punches when it comes to politics.
Need to know more? Follow him on Amazon or Goodreads, or check out his blog here: http://emotionalrationalist.blogspot.com/p/about-steven-paul-leiva.html

About Seamus Dever:

Seamus Dever is best known to television audiences as Detective Kevin Ryan on ABC’s Castle. He played Sherlock Holmes in the Audie Award-winning “Hound of the Baskervilles” with LA Theatre Works and has 10 other radio plays with them and the BBC. He is the voice of the villain John Seed in the hit video game “Far Cry 5” and originated the DC Comic’s bad guy Trigon on “Titans.” Dever has performed in over 80 plays and has 300 hours of television to his name. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Juliana.

About Juliana Dever:

Juliana Dever is a professional actor, writer, and world traveler. She’s best known for her role as Jenny Ryan on the globally popular show Castle. Recently you may have seen her brilliant performance in “Stalked by My Husband’s Ex” on Lifetime. Having traveled to over 60 countries, her award-winning travel blog CleverDeverWherever.com (named Best Independent Travel Blog in North America) helps readers find unexpected experiences in unusual places. She curates adventures through former communist countries and Frommer’s listed her tours as a trend that will shape travel.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My thanks to Let’s Talk Promotions and Psst…Promotions for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including a copy of the audiobook) they provided.