Tag: Book Spotlight Page 2 of 22

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Haunting Scent of Poppies by Victoria Williamson

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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.

The Haunting Scent of Poppies Tour Banner

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Fiction/YA/Horror
Publisher: Silver Thistle Press
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 59 pages
Publication Date: December 1, 2023
The Haunting Scent of Poppies Cover

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 WilliamsonVictoria 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.

RELEASE DAY SPOTLIGHT: Nameless Queen by Marie Sinadjan

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On November 30, 2023

In Fiction, Urban Fantasy

This morning, I’m very pleased to bring you this Release Day Spotlight for Marie Sinadjan’s Nameless Queen, part of the Norse-inspired Urban Fantasy series, The Prophecies of Ragnorak. Like the rest of this series, this really looks like something to check out.

Book Details:

Book Title: Nameless Queen by Marie Sinadjan
Series: The Prophecies of Ragnarok
Genre: Norse Mythology Urban Fantasy
Release date: November 30, 2023
Format: eBook
Length: 70 pages
Release Price: 99c (US) and equivalent / 99p (UK)
Nameless Queen Cover

About the Book

All things end, and all must die.
But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.

Purchase Links

Universal Purchase Link ~ Goodreads

About the Author

Marie Sinadjan is a Filipino fantasy author, singer-songwriter, and musical theatre actress. She is the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok series, and 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.

You can find her online at @marienettist or at linktr.ee/mariesinadjan.

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

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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.

Wings of the Wild Tour Banner

Book Details:

Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 584 pages
Publication Date: November 22, 2023
Wings of the Wild Cover

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. WillisonD.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.

BOOK PREVIEW: Glorifying and Enjoying God: 52 Devotions through the Westminster Shorter Catechism

By

On November 19, 2023

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Okay, I got this book last week and know it’s going to be a while before I can talk about it intelligently—maybe in June, if not December of next year (possibly January 2025). And that seems too long to wait—also, this seemed like a good excuse to flip through it.

Book Details:

Title: Glorifying and Enjoying God: 52 Devotions through the Westminster Shorter Catechism by Victoria Williamson
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Release date: October 16, 2023
Format: Hardcover/ebook
Length: 229 pages
Glorifying and Enjoying God Cover

About the Book:

For centuries, the Westminster Shorter Catechism has helped Christians young and old to know their “chief end.” Now, authors William Boekestein, Jonathan Landry Cruse, and Andrew J. Miller value this venerable catechism and winsomely introduce a new generation to its powerful message. Dividing the catechism into 52 brief devotions, they explain and apply each question and answer in a year’s worth of Lord’s Days. This valuable new resource is great for individual and family use for all who desire to “glorify and enjoy God forever.”

Read a preview here.

About the Authors:

William Boekestein is pastor of Immanuel Fellowship Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He and his wife Amy have four children.

Jonathan Landry Cruse is pastor of Community Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he lives with his wife and three children. He is the author of several books, including What Happens When We Worship.

Andrew J. Miller is the Regional Home Missionary for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in central Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife Rebekah and their five children.

My Initial Thoughts:

I’ve seen a handful of attempts over the years to break the WSC down into 52 weekly increments—in some sort of Heidelberg Catechism envy. This looks like a workable version of that—nice topical divisions, easy for discussion.

I’ve skimmed a few chapters here and there throughout the book—they seem to average about 4 pages long with a hint of depth, some good review of the subject, and some practical applications. There are references to and quotations from hymns, historical figures from several eras, and other statements of faith, too—with some handy footnotes. Given the length of the book (and the nature of “brief devotions”), that hint of depth is about as much as someone could expect. But it appears to be a decent way to review the catechism questions.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been reading the Heidelberg Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day—and wonder a little bit what adding this to the mix is going to do to me as the two catechisms are organized differently. But I’m pretty sure I’ll come out unscathed. The WSC was my first real exposure to a catechism, and is what I raised my kids on, it’ll be nice to get back to it.

Anyway, if you’re looking for an easy devotional for 2023, you might want to give this a peak—it promises to be worthwhile. It also would probably make a decent gift if you’re looking for that kind of thing.

Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Feast of Ashes by Victoria Williamson

By

On October 2, 2023

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

This morning, I’m very pleased to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Victoria Williamson’s Feast of Ashes. This is yet one more book that I didn’t have time to read, but wanted to point you to, because you and I should think about fitting it into our upcoming reads. It’s Day One of the Tour, so I can’t point you to much that’s been said about the book, but I’ve seen a little about what some of the bloggers are saying about it, so I want to point you to the X/Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours so you can watch what’s being said over the next few days, it appears that people like it and should be saying things that’ll incline you to read it. The book releases October 5—so you might as well go order it now, right?

Feast of Ashes Tour Banner

Book Details:

Title: Feast of Ashes by Victoria Williamson
Genre: YA, Dystopian Fantasy
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Release date: October 5, 2023
Format: Paperback
Length: 334 pages
Feast of Ashes Cover

About the Book:

The Earth’s ecosystems have collapsed and only ashes remain. Is one girl’s courage enough to keep hope alive in the wastelands?

It’s the year 2123, and sixteen-year-old Adina has just accidentally killed fourteen thousand seven hundred and fifty-six people. Raised in the eco-bubble of Eden Five, Adina has always believed that the Amonston Corporation’s giant greenhouse would keep her safe forever. But when her own careless mistake leads to an explosion that incinerates Eden Five, she and a small group of survivors must brave the barren wastelands outside the ruined Dome to reach the Sanctuary before their biofilters give out and their DNA threatens to mutate in the toxic air.

They soon discover that the outside isn’t as deserted as they were made to believe, and the truth is unearthed on their dangerous expedition. As time runs out, Adina must tackle her guilty conscience and find the courage to get everyone to safety. Will she make it alive, or will the Nomalies get to her first?

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Victoria WilliamsonVictoria 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.

COVER REVEAL: Harpyness is Only Skin Deep (Audiobook) by D.H. Willison

By

On September 22, 2023

In Book Tour, Fantasy, Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Cover Reveal for D.H. Willison’s brand-new audiobook, Harpyness is Only Skin Deep, on its publication day! I don’t have a lot of information about the book, but I do have a nifty cover image that we’ll get to here in a bit.

Book Details:

Series: Tales of Arvia, Book 1
Genre: Fantasy

About the Book:

Unassuming human Darin yearns with every fiber of his being to be that grand hero from countless books and games. When given the chance for a one-way trip to the fantastical world of Arvia, he quickly realizes he’s terrible at it. Yet the qualities he’s always undervalued—quick-wittedness and empathy—save his life when he encounters the ferocious harpy Rinloh.

Harpyness is Only Skin Deep is about friendships that defy all odds, laughing at the absurdities of life, and seeing the good in the worst monster in the realm.

The audiobook of Harpyness is Only Skin Deep is available from September 22nd in over 40 global retailers, including Spotify, Kobo, Libro.fm, and Apple.

About the Author:

D.H. WillisonD.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

About the Narrator:

According to her website, Rachanee Lumayno has “narrated about 100 audiobooks in the Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Historical Fiction, and Romance genres.” Lumayno has also published three fantasy novels, with another due next month.

Narrator Links:

Website ~ Instagram ~ Twitter

and now…

The Cover

Harpyness is Only Skin Deep Cover

This nifty cover is brought to you by Papaya Style. You can check out more of their work on Instagram or Artstation.


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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Whistlers in the Dark by Victoria Williamson

By

On September 20, 2023

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

This morning, I’m very pleased to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Victoria Williamson’s The Whistlers in the Dark. My September schedule got the better of me, so all I can do is bring you this Spotlight. For more about the book, you should go read all the good things that the others on this Tour are saying via https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours. The book releases tomorrow—so you might as well go order it now, right?

The Whistlers in the DarkTour Banner

Book Details:

Title: The Whistlers in the Dark by Victoria Williamson
Genre: Middle Grade, Spooky mystery
Age Category: Middle Grade, historical fantasy
Publisher: Scotland Street Press
Release date: September 21, 2023
Format: Paperback
Length: 200 pages
The Whistlers in the Dark Cover

About the Book:

Scotland, 158 AD, is a divided country.

On one side of the Antonine Wall, thirteen-year-old Felix is trying to become a good Roman soldier like his father. On the other, twelve-year old Jinny is vowing revenge on the ‘metal men’ who have invaded her Damnonii tribe’s homeland. At the Damnonii’s sacred circle of standing stones, her planned attack on Felix goes badly wrong, awakening a legend that threatens to bring fire and destruction down on them all.

Can Jinny and Felix overcome their differences and soothe the stones back to sleep before it’s too late?

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

About the Author:

Victoria WilliamsonVictoria 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.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Scareground by Angela Kecojevic

By

On September 14, 2023

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

This morning, I’m very pleased to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Angela Kecojevic’s Scareground. In addition to this Spotlight, my post about the book will be coming along soon. In the meantime, go check out https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours—we’re in the middle of this tour and several bloggers have been writing interesting things about this book and and there are more to come you can find them all there. But for now, let’s learn a little bit about the book, shall we?

Scareground Tour Banner

Book Details:

Title: Scareground by Angela Kecojevic
Genre: Middle Grade, Spooky mystery
Age Category: Middle Grade
Publisher: Neem Tree Press
Release date: September 7, 2023
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 304 pages
Scareground Cover

About the Book:

Roll up, roll up, the Scareground is in town!

Twelve-year-old Nancy Crumpet lives above a bakery and her life is a delightful mix of flour, salt, and love. Yet her mind is brimming with questions no one can answer: Why did her birth parents disappear? Why can she speak with the sky? And why must she keep her mysterious birthmark hidden?

Everything is about to change when the Scareground returns to Greenwich. Nancy is convinced it holds the answers to her parents’ disappearance. Nancy and her best friend Arthur Green meet the fair’s spooky owner, Skelter, and discover a world full of dark magic and mystery. Nancy must confront her greatest fears to get to the truth. But is she ready for all the secrets the Scareground will reveal?

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

About the Author:

Angela Kecojevic
Angela Kecojevic is a senior librarian, author and creative writing tutor. She has written for the Oxford Reading Tree programme and the multi-award-winning adventure park Hobbledown where her characters can be seen walking around, something she still finds incredibly charming! She is a member of the Climate Writers Fiction League, a group of international authors who use climate issues in their work. Angela lives in the city of Oxford with her family.

Author Links:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ TikTok ~ Threads ~ Linktree

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

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Kay-9 The Robot Dog by J.M. Gulmire

By

On September 7, 2023

In YA/MG/Children's Books

I’m very pleased to bring you this spotlight for J.M. Gulmire’s book for younger readers, Kay-9 The Robot Dog this morning. It was just released Tuesday, and I’m looking forward to getting to dive into it soon.

Book Details:

Book Title: Kay-9 The Robot Dog by J.M. Gulmire
Release date: September 5, 2023
Format: Paperback, ebook
Length: 154 pages
Kay-9 The Robot Dog Cover

About the Book

Ryan is lonely. He’s an only child and his dad is away serving in the military. He can’t have pets and all he wants is a dog. So he decides to make one. He loves computers and building things, but everyone thinks he’s just playing around, making a toy. He focuses on creating the best Kay-9 he can but can he prove that his robot dog isn’t just a toy?

Book Trailer

Purchase Link

Amazon

About the Author

J.M. is a kid at heart and private educator with a house full of critters and elves. Also a screenwriter and claymation animator, Gulmire loves inspiring laughs and is the author of “A Vacuum for My Birthday.”

Social Media

YouTube ~ Goodreads

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Catlumbus by Franny Plaia

By

On September 5, 2023

In YA/MG/Children's Books

I’m very pleased to bring you this spotlight for Franny Plaia’s cheery-looking children’s book, Catlumbus this morning. This is one for parents and grandparents to be sure to check out.

Book Details:

Book Title: Catlumbus by Franny Plaia
Release date: February 7, 2023
Format: Paperback, hardcover, ebook
Length: 32 pages
Catlumbus Cover

About the Book

Meet Catlumbus, a cat who loves to sail on his ship and go on adventures. When Catlumbus discovers a treasure map, he sets sail on a journey to find buried treasure on a tropical island. What will Catlumbus find on this island? Who will he meet along the way? Join Catlumbus on his adventure!

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Books-a-Million ~ Magers and Quinn

About the Author

Franny Plaia Author PhotoFranny Plaia is the author of the children’s book Catlumbus. From a young age, she has always loved reading books and that love of reading has continued into her adult life as well. Franny also enjoys creating stories for children and has always wanted to publish books of her own. As someone who has a degree in early childhood education and has worked with children of many ages, both in a child care center and in schools, she understands that instilling a love of reading in children from an early age is the key to lifelong learning. She hopes to inspire young children to love reading and continue to enjoy reading for the rest of their lives.

Social Media

Goodreads Author Page

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