Tag: Book Spotlight Page 17 of 33

Today I’m very pleased to offer this Spotlight post for A Broken Clock Never Boils by C.J. Weiss, a compelling-looking read. Weiss also provided a great Guest Post, Using Horror to Cope With Anxiety, that’ll be posting here later this morning. You should definitely check it out–but first, let me tempt you with his new (published today!) paranormal thriller.

Book Details:

Book Title: A Broken Clock Never Boils by C.J. Weiss
Publisher: Bowker
Release date: September 26, 2022
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 285 pages

About the Book:

IS IT MADNESS OR THE SUPERNATURAL?

Psychiatrist Claire Rossi seeks cases nobody else can treat—cases like her mother’s, whose misdiagnosis of schizophrenia and subsequent death inspired Claire’s career. Initially infatuated with an influx of seemingly schizophrenic patients, interest turns to terror as their ailments infect her too. She sees and hears a man who grows more violent with every encounter. The analysis and training she’s relied on her whole career fail to explain his presence, leaving only one conclusion: that what haunts her isn’t in her head at all. But maybe that’s just what she wants to believe.

As her symptoms escalate, she’s left with two unsettling clues. Her mother speaks to her in twisted idioms, and a mysterious letter taunts her with a single line:

Enjoy your gifts.

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ Apple Books ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kubo

About the Author:

C.J. Weiss loves hiking, board/video games, traveling, and obviously reading (particularly speculative fiction and some history). Trying out new stuff is his jam, so he figured why not spend a few years breaking into one of the world’s most competitive industries?

Weiss lives in Austin, TX. Amazing city, but he’s mainly there because he’d rather walk outside when its 110° than 50° Fahrenheit. Suffice it to say, he’s not moving up north anytime soon. He’s married to his high school sweetheart, “She’s amazing (duh).” They have two cats (mostly hers).

Find C.J. Weiss online at:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Blog ~ Newsletter

BOOK SPOTLIGHT (and GIVEAWAY): Final Heir by Faith Hunter

By HCNewton

On August 22, 2022

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

Today I’m very pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the fifteenth and final Jane Yellowrock novel, Final Heir by Faith Hunter. Along with this spotlight post, I have an excerpt from the novel to share and a quick Q&A with Jane and Eli!. I’ll also be giving my take on the novel (and probably a little on the series as a whole) a little later. Those links’ll work when the posts go live in an hour or two. If you scroll down to the bottom of this post (or, you know, read it), you’ll find a nifty giveaway.

First, let’s take a look at Final Heir.

Book Details:

Book Title: Final Heir by Faith Hunter
Publisher: Ace Books
Release date: September 5, 2022
Format: Ebook/Paperback (Audiobook will be released in October)
Length: 464 pages
ISBN: 9780593335819

About the Book:

The stakes couldn’t be higher in the newest novel in the New York Times bestselling, pulse-pounding Jane Yellowrock series.

Jane Yellowrock is the queen of the vampires, and that makes her a target as she fights to maintain control and keep peace in the city of New Orleans. She has enemies at every turn, because vampires live forever, and they keep their grudges alive with them. That includes the Heir, the vampire sire of the Pellissier bloodline, which gave rise to Leo Pellissier himself—Jane’s old boss and the former master of the city.

With the Heir and all the forces of darkness he can muster arrayed against her, Jane will need all the help she can get. She’ll find it in her city, her friends, her found family, and, of course, the Beast inside of her.

Purchase Links

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

About the Author:

Faith Hunter is the award-winning New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of several series: Jane Yellowrock, Soulwood, Rogue Mage, and Junkyard Cats. In addition, she has edited multiple anthologies and coauthored 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 thunder storms, and writes. She drinks a lot of tea. She likes to kayak Class II & III whitewater rivers. 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:

There’s a tour-wide giveaway open to US residents!

1 winner will receive a Yellowrock Securities leather bracelet
5 winners will receive a Beast is Not Prey leather bracelet
4 winners will receive their choice of a $25 gift card from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If the Widget isn’t showing up, just click here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9751c04272/?

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 SPOTLIGHT: There Goes The Neighbourhood by S Reed

By HCNewton

On June 9, 2022

In Book Tour, Fiction, Science Fiction

Today is the day for The Irresponsible Reader’s Book Tour Stop for S Reed’s There Goes The Neighbourhood—an eccentric SF with a lot of heart.

Book Details:

Book Title: There Goes The Neighbourhood by S Reed
Publisher: Lake Country Press
Release date: April 26, 2022
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 258 pages

About the Book:

They say there are only five kinds of alien contact…

But what if there is a sixth kind?

Befriending one…

Poppy Field Lane is the place to be in the ’90s. It’s a quiet, affluent New York suburb filled with a few eccentric residents. One, in particular, Ignatius Feltrap.

Ignatius doesn’t abide by the snobbish rules of her cliché cul de sac, but when she stumbles upon the secret of a lifetime while walking on the beach… her life is thrown for an out of this world loop.

Turns out, extra-terrestrials are real.

Enter Væson, a sassy alien on the run from their home planet. Væon has blended in for years, while trying to evade capture from their own evil government along with Earth’s mysterious agency until, of course, Ignatius and her trusty Labrador, Alfie, blunder upon them. It doesn’t take long for a once in a lifetime friendship to form, and Ignatius vows to protect Væson at any cost.

Can they solve the mystery of Ignatius’s late husband’s death before the alien government and Earth’s top-secret one find where Væson is? And more importantly; can they do it before the annual Neighborhood Fete…

Purchase Link:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Knave of Secrets by Alex Livingston

By HCNewton

On May 4, 2022

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for Alex Livingston’s The Knave of Secrets. Later today, and I won’t guess when, I’ll be posting my take on the novel and you should definitely take a look at the feed for https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours to see what other bloggers have to say about the book. But first, let’s get to know a little bit about it.

Book Details:

Title: The Knave of Secrets by Alex Livingston
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing
Release date: June 7, 2022 (US), June 9, 2022 (UK)
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 400 pages

About the Book:

A twisty tale of magicians, con artists and card games, where secrets are traded and gambled like coin, for fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and The Mask of Mirrors.

Never stake more than you can afford to lose.

When failed magician turned cardsharp Valen Quinol is given the chance to play in the Forbearance Game—the invitation-only tournament where players gamble with secrets—he can’t resist. Or refuse, for that matter, according to the petty gangster sponsoring his seat at the table. Valen beats the man he was sent to play, and wins the most valuable secret ever staked in the history of the tournament.

Now Valen and his motley crew are being hunted by thieves, gangsters, spies and wizards, all with their own reasons for wanting what’s in that envelope. It’s a game of nations where Valen doesn’t know all the rules or who all the players are, and can’t see all the moves. But he does know if the secret falls into the wrong hands, it could plunge the whole world into war…

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Alex Livingston grew up in various quiet New England towns before moving to Buffalo, NY to study English at Canisius College. He writes SFF prose and interactive fiction. Alex is married and lives in an old house with his brilliant wife and a pile of aged videogame systems.

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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Of Claws and Fangs by Faith Hunter (and Giveaway!)

By HCNewton

On May 2, 2022

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

Today I’m very pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the collection of shorter works by Faith Hunter, Of Claws and Fangs. Along with this spotlight post, I have a fun excerpt to share. I’ll also be giving my take on the collection a little later. Those links’ll work when the posts go live in an hour or two. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post so you can be entered into a nifty giveaway.

First, let’s take a look at Of Claws and Fangs.

Book Details:

Book Title: Of Claws and Fangs by Faith Hunter
Publisher: Ace
Release date: May 3, 2022
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 352 pages
ISBN: 9780593334348

About the Book:

New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter presents a stunning collection of stories from the world of shape-shifting vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock and beyond.

Collected together for the first time, this volume contains shorter works featuring heroines Jane Yellowrock and Nell Ingram, as well as a host of other characters from the Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series. Faith Hunter is “an expert at creating worlds filled with intriguing supernatural elements and exciting scenarios”* and her skills are on full display in this collection. From a vampire-filled Halloween evening in New Orleans to the searing tale of how a certain were-leopard first got his spots, this collection has something for everyone, and each story is sure to put the super in supernatural.

With eighteen stories in all, Of Claws and Fangs will enrich and entertain—it’s a must-have for Faith Hunter’s readers and all lovers of fantasy.

Purchase Links

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

About the Author:

Faith Hunter is the award-winning New York Times and USAToday bestselling author of several series: Jane Yellowrock, Soulwood, Rogue Mage, and Junkyard Cats. In addition, she has edited multiple anthologies and coauthored 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.

Find Faith online at:

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

Yellowrock Securities website ~ Gwen Hunter website

GIVEAWAY:

There’s a tour-wide giveaway open to US residents!

2 winners will receive a limited-edition leather Soulwood bracelet
1 winner will receive their choice of a $50 gift card from Amazon or Barnes & Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If the Widget isn’t showing up, just click here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9751c04266/?

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 SPOTLIGHT: The Carnival of Ash by Tom Beckerlegge

By HCNewton

On April 28, 2022

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Tom Beckerlegge’s The Carnival of Ash. I couldn’t fit it into my reading schedule, but if you take a look at the feed for https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours, you’ll see a lot of bloggers who did find the time to write interesting things about it. Still, I wanted to spread the word a bit.

Book Details:

Genre: Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing
Release date: March 15, 2022
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 528 pages

About the Book:

An extravagant, lyrical fantasy about a city of poets and librarians. A city that never was.

Cadenza is the City of Words, a city run by poets, its skyline dominated by the steepled towers of its libraries, its heart beating to the stamp and thrum of the printing presses in the Printing Quarter.

Carlo Mazzoni, a young wordsmith arrives at the city gates intent on making his name as the bells ring out with the news of the death of the city’s poet-leader. Instead, he finds himself embroiled with the intrigues of a city in turmoil, the looming prospect of war with their rival Venice ever-present. A war that threatens not only to destroy Cadenza but remove it from history altogether…

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Tom Beckerlegge grew up in the northwest of England in a house filled with books. Writing as Tom Becker, he won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize with his debut novel; The Carnival of Ash is his first adult book. He lives in Enfield with his wife and young son.

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

BOOK BLITZ: Dead Man’s Stone by TG Reid

By HCNewton

On April 20, 2022

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

This morning I’m pleased to host a Book Blitz for TG Reid’s Dead Man’s Stone—the third DCI Bone Scottish Crime Thriller—to celebrate its publication today. It looks like a heckuva ride.

Book Details:

Book Title: Dead Man’s Stone by TG Reid
Series: DCI Bone Scottish Crime Thriller
Publisher: Glass Work Pres
Release date: April 20, 2022
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 342 pages

About the Book:

Some secrets are worth killing for.

When DCI Duncan Bone is contacted by a terminally-ill psychiatric patient and given clues linking a forty-year-old unsolved murder to high-profile public figures, he finds himself locked into a conspiracy at the very heart of the Scottish criminal and political establishment.

With his bosses stonewalling the investigation, lives under threat, and his career on the line, Bone faces a race against time to hunt down a group of men who will stop at nothing to cover their murderous crime.

Can DCI Bone catch the killer before the killing starts again?

Set among the dramatic hills and glens of Scotland’s Campsie Fells, Dead Man’s Stone is the third in a series of edge-of-your-seat crime thrillers that will keep you guessing right up to the nail-biting, heart-stopping climax.

Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, J.D. Kirk, Val McDermid and Stuart MacBride.

Purchase Link:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Ventifact Colossus by Dorian Hart

By HCNewton

On March 30, 2022

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for Dorian Hart’s The Ventifact Colossus. Unlike the the bloggers whose posts about it are found at https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours, I didn’t have time to read or write about it. Still, I wanted to spread the word a bit.

Book Details:

Book Title: The Ventifact Colossus by Dorian Hart
Series: The Heroes of Spira, Book 1
Publisher: Jester Hat Books
Release date: January 7, 2016
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 344 pages

Book Blurb:

A tale of epic fantasy begins…

Banished to an otherworldly prison for centuries, the monstrous Emperor Naradawk is about to break free and wreak havoc upon the world of Spira. The archmage Abernathy can no longer keep the monster at bay, and has summoned a collection of would-be heroes to help set things right.

Surely he made a mistake. These can’t be the right people.

Dranko is priest-turned-pickpocket, expelled from his church for his antics. Kibilhathur is a painfully shy craftsman who speaks to stones. Aravia is a wizard’s apprentice whose intellect is eclipsed only by her arrogance. Ernest is a terrified baker’s son. Morningstar is a priestess forbidden from daylight. Tor is a young nobleman with attention issues. Ysabel is an elderly farm woman. Grey Wolf is a hard-bitten mercenary.

None of them are qualified to save the world, but they’ll have to do. Even Abernathy himself seems uncertain as to why he chose them.

What starts with a simple scouting mission soon spirals into something more far-reaching and sinister. The heroes will contest with dream warriors, evil cultists, sentient gemstones, and a devious yet infuriatingly polite gentleman with a perfect mustache, on their way to a desperate encounter with the unstoppable: The Ventifact Colossus.

Book Links:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Dorian Hart graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in creative writing. This led circuitously to a 20-year career as a video game designer, where he contributed to many award-winning titles including Thief, System Shock, System Shock 2 and BioShock. He is also the author of the interactive novella Choice of the Star Captain.

Dorian now lives in the Boston area with his fantastic wife and two clever daughters. When not serving as house chef and chauffeur, he works on the kinds of novels he’s been itching to write since he was ten years old.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter

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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: These Walls Were Never Really There by Bryan Blears

By HCNewton

On March 21, 2022

In Book Tour, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

I’m very pleased to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for by Bryan Blears to the blog today. I couldn’t fit this into my schedule on time, sadly, but you should absolutely check out some of the posts about it at https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours to see why you should give it a read. But before you go there, let’s learn a little about this book, shall we?

Book Details:

Book Title: These Walls Were Never Really There by Bryan Blears
Publisher: 2qt Limited
Release date: April 1, 2022
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 286 pages

About the Book:

Based on the author’s own experiences of leaving home and traveling across Europe on less than a pound a day, These Walls Were Never Really There is a compelling true story described by publishing editors as ‘immersive and moving’ and ‘a potential prizewinner in the making’.

Initially set in the heart of Manchester’s homeless community, These Walls follows twenty-year-old Cameron, who is propelled on a physical and spiritual journey which will take him far from the life he once knew.

A surprising story about mental health, friendship, and redemption, this compelling debut will take you on a journey across Europe and beyond, as Cameron and his traveling companion Jacob navigate perilous border crossings, packs of wolves, and the harsh realities of life on the road.

Set against the backdrop of the emerging Arab Spring, Cameron and Jacob will have their friendship pushed to its limits as they find themselves trapped thousands of miles away from home…

Book Links:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Bryan Blears is an author of contemporary literary fiction from Salford, Manchester. He has written for the Huffington Post, the New Statesman, and the Philosophical Society of England, among others.

Focusing on social issues, mental health, and overcoming personal adversity, his fiction has been compared to George Orwell, Sylvia Plath, and Donna Tartt. His debut novel, These Walls Were Never Really There, has been described by critics as an ‘immersive and moving true story’ and ‘a fantastic talent, and a potential prizewinner in the making.’

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter

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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Under the Bridge by Jack Byrne

By HCNewton

On March 15, 2022

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

I’m very pleased and excited today to welcome The Write Reads Blog Tour for Under the Bridge by Jack Byrne. The problem is, I was supposed to do this on March 9th (I apparently put it in my calendar as May 9th). Even if I’d gotten the date right, I couldn’t fit this into my schedule on time, sadly, but you should absolutely check out some of the posts about it at https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours to see why you should find room for it. But before you go, let’s learn a little about this book, shall we?

Book Details:

Book Title: Under the Bridge by Jack Byrne
Series: The Liverpool Mysteries
Publisher: Northodox Press
Release date: February 18, 2021
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 360 pages

Book Blurb:

2004 – The discovery of a skeleton in the Liverpool docklands unearths long buried secrets. Reporter, Anne McCarthy, is keen to prove herself and dives into the case with abandon where she finds Michael, an old Irish caretaker who knows far more than he’s letting on and may have a connection to the body.

Meanwhile, Vinny Doyle, is starting a postgrad degree, researching Liverpool’s immigrant history and a burgeoning Scouse identity. But Vinny has been neglecting his own family history and stranger Michael might know about his father’s disappearance in the 70s.

1955 – Escaping violence in Ireland and fresh off the boat, Michael falls in with Wicklow boys Jack Power and Paddy Doyle, who smuggle contraband through the docks putting them at odds with unions while they rally the dock workers against the rackets and the strikebreakers. A story of corruption, secret police, and sectarianism slowly unravels. But will the truth out?

As the conflict heightens, Michael questions the life sprawling out ahead of him. In the present, Anne races to solve the mystery, but is she prepared for what she’ll find?

Book Links:

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

I was born and raised in Speke Liverpool, (Paul McCartney lived in the street behind us for a while) although my parents first lived ‘Under The Bridge’ in Garston, and all my family goes back to Wicklow in Ireland.

The Liverpool Mystery Series will be four novels. Under The Bridge is the first. I am writing Fire Next time now, and The Wicklow Boys will follow next year. You can find The One Road prequel a collection of short stories on Amazon.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

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