Tales from the Coffee Pot - Jim Ody

So pleased to be on the Book Tour today with Zooloosbooktours.

Book Blurb

For the first time, the best of Jim Ody’s published short-stories are together in one anthology, including four previously unreleased.
Twelve twisted tales that touch on psychological/thriller, horror and YA, including:
A detective sent to a travelling circus to find a missing boy; A guy with a mysterious trunk must meet a stranger at a motel to survive; A doll turns up and becomes a little girl’s best friend. Then things turn strange; A surprise birthday party is memorable, if only the birthday boy survives; and a group of orphans find the world is about to end…

1 The Reveal
2 A Moth in The Jar
3 The I-Scream Van
4 Teaching Tom
5 Boat Trip
6 The Trunk
7 The Day
8 A Doll Named Sasha
9 Surprise Party
10 The Orphans
11 Hide & Seek
12 Virgin Women From Outta Space

Review

A wonderful collection of stories for those who like their coffee dark and strong!

Some of these stories have been previously published, but they were all new to me. Quite often I find with short stories I can read a few at a time. Not so with these, as I was thinking about the last one still so much that I couldn't concentrate on the next one. Some of them really do mess with your mind.

Each one has a twist of sorts and sometimes more. I didn't even try to second guess what was going to happen as they are so off the edge of the page that I doubt you could. Difficult to choose a favourite but I think The I-Scream Van had the edge for me, but only just.

The fabulous descriptive and atmospheric writing will put you right in the scene and the action, even if sometimes you might wish it wouldn’t.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Zooloosbook tours for the invite to the tour and the ARC to review.

Author

Jim writes dark psychological/thrillers, Horror and YA books that have endings you won’t see coming, and favours stories packed with wit. He has written over a dozen novels and many more short-stories spanning many genres. 

Jim has a very strange sense of humour and is often considered a little odd.  When not writing he will be found playing the drums, watching football and eating chocolate. He lives with his long-suffering wife, three beautiful children and two indignant cats in Swindon, Wiltshire UK.

Follow him at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JimOdyAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimodyauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jim_Ody_Author

Amazon UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Coffee-Pot-Jim-Ody-ebook/dp/B0927KV4VK

Amazon US : https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Coffee-Pot-Jim-Ody-ebook/dp/B0927KV4VK

The Ice Maiden - Jane Badrock

 

I'm delighted to be on the Book Tour for this book today.

Book Blurb :- 

Who is Maddie?

If she doesn’t find out…she’ll die.

Tormented by visions of a woman’s death, 

maths student Maddie’s search for answers

leads her to question her own origins

and puts her life in danger.

Who’s trying to kill her?

Why?

It’s the most critical problem she’ll ever have to solve…

And she’s only got three weeks.

Review

I found the book blurb on this one to be intriguing - and it certainly was...

Maddie is 20 and a uni mathematics student. A number of tragic events occur in her life, the first being the death of her Mother. This begins a quest to find out who she really is, but also to uncover who the woman is that she keeps seeing in her dreams. Helped by a dream scientist she begins to unpick the recurring dreams, but what is a dream and what is real?

The book has an enormous amount of self talk by Maddie. This initially threw me a little as I am not used to reading this amount of internal dialogue. I can say however that by the end of the book this style of writing made total sense. Also don't expect the book title to make any sense for quite some time!

This became a real page turner around half way through with so many red herrings that I began to suspect everyone of having a hand in the events that began to plague Maddie. I even suspected those I should have put in the clear, but so many weird things began to happen in the book that I started to doubt what was real and what was in Maddie's dreams. 

A satisfying ending which had me rethinking what I had read. It's a very clever storyline.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Zooloo's Book Tours for the invite and the ARC to review.

About the author

Jane writes novels, short stories and poems, usually with a good dose of humour in them. She's probably owes it all to her late grandmother who, she's just found out, also wrote short stories and poems. She tends to get an idea and then run with it whether it be a 100 word short story or an 80 thousand word novel. It all depends on the voices in her head at the time…

Follow her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janebadrockauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janebadrock/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janebadrock

Amazon : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jane-Badrock/e/B07HZ2HD3Q

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18510015.Jane_Badrock

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B098F578W2

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098F578W2

Love You Bad - Louise Mullins

 

Description

Kerensa lives a life of privilege few could imagine. Loving husband. Luxury home. Financial security. But in the attic of their sea view mansion is a secret waiting to be discovered, threatening to destroy their perfect marriage.

When their daughter's au pair uncovers Dominic's carefully constructed illusion, one lie at a time, it ends in murder. But whose?

A twisty page-turning psychological thriller perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, and Louise Candlish. Yet will equally appeal to readers of romantic suspense by authors such as Kendra Elliot, Mary Burton, Melinda Leigh, and Willow Rose.

Review

Trigger warning for violence and strong/sexual language.

I actually read this book in one sitting, as once I started I couldn't put it down.

The story is told alternatively from the perspective of Domonic and Kerensa in five parts. The action also flips between the past and the present with each successive part bringing the past nearer to the present. 

It's certainly a very dark and disturbing tale.  I was trying to piece together some of what had happened in the past, second guessing what I thought had happened. However, short chapters meant it was moving so fast I just had to keep reading. When things finally began to come to a head I only hoped it was all going to turn out ok, but it wasn't to be and the book went off again with a new twist. 

Atmospheric writing and believable characters mean it's a little bit like car crash tv. You can't believe what you are reading, but you can't stop either.  It's difficult to say more without ruining the plot of the book. 

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Zooloo's booktours for the invite to the Book Tour and for the ARC of the book for review.

Author

Louise Mullins writes full-time using the experience she gained in a prior life working in the field of forensic mental health, working with offenders and survivors of serious crimes.

 

To keep up to date with her latest releases, visit her website: www.louisemullinsauthor.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as: @mullinsauthor. 

Follow her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Louisemullins80

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mullinsauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MullinsAuthor

Website : www.louisemullinsauthor.com

The C Word - An anthology of murder, mystery, death & destruction

 

Great to be on the book tour today for this book today especially as 100% of all royalties from The C Word will be donated to NHS Together Charities.

Description

So, what do writers do during Lockdown? They create murder, mystery, death and destruction of course!

The C Word is a collection of short stories collated during the COVID-19 pandemic to raise money for NHS Charities Together. A plethora of wonderful stories created by a wide variety of writers, each with their own unique style. Some you will know already and some we’ve yet to introduce you to. However, we’re sure you’ll want to hear from each and every one of them again as we leave 2020 behind us.

With contributions from Steve Mosby, Sophie Hannah, Elly Griffiths, Sarah Hilary, Rob Scragg, Trevor Wood and many more.

Review

A great collection of short stories and certainly written for our times.

Some of these stories were a little too dark for my usual reading tastes, but as they were short I stuck with them. There could also be some subject triggers for some people. I pleasantly surprised on more than one occasion, with a subtle twist, what you think you might be reading about can change in an instant.

One of my favourite stories (although spooky) was set in a supermarket during the lockdown period of the covid pandemic. The understanding of the circumstances which the staff would have found themselves in was brilliantly done and made for a great setting for the story.

There is certainly a mix of styles and themes in this book, You never know exactly what is coming next. Definitely a book you can dip in and out of or as a break from your usual read. 

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Zooloo's booktours for the invite to the tour and and the ARC to review.

Remember 100% of all royalties from The C Word will be donated to NHS Together Charities.
Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Word-some-lockdown-been-murder-ebook/dp/B08RRW8K6P/

The Ballynoon Friendship Circle - Pauline Morgan

 

I'm so happy to be on the blog tour today.

Book Blurb

After finding her dream cottage in a magazine whilst at the hairdressers, Edel Marston, a fifty-year-old retired teacher, makes the life-changing decision to relocate back to Northern Ireland after the death of her husband Ben. 

A rocky start with the neighbours and the knowledge of her past is a little too close for comfort, leaves Edel full of self-doubt. Her emotions have become a law unto themselves and she keeps wondering if she’s made the right decision.

After giving herself a good talking to, she decides to join a local over 50’s club, in a bid to embrace her new life. However, after meeting the friendly ladies of the self-proclaimed Stitch & Bitch group, she’s left with further feelings of uncertainty.

Realising quickly how gossipy these ladies can be, Edel finds herself keeping more and more secrets, especially when her relationship with one particular friend develops into something much more.

Ultimately, Edel has to decide whether to trust again and let all of these new people into her life, warts and all or go back to being lonely but safe and with her secrets intact.

Review

Do you want to escape to Ireland and live in a little gate house? - then this is the book for you.

Sometimes you just want a read that is down to earth and yet still a little bit of an escape from your everyday life, and this is what I got from this charming book. While it's not a chocolate box existence, the new life Edel is carving out for herself was one I found so intriguing and cosy. She's a crafter too so I loved reading about her projects.

Being a newcomer in a small village Edel is obviously ripe for the local gossips. When she joins the over 50s club she realises just how much gossip goes on and how hard she will have to work to avoid being the next one they talk about. I loved that this book was about a woman over 50 and also the banter that goes on between her and the other ladies.

There's a little romance too as Edel is not without her admirers in the new village. I really liked Edel, but she had so much self talk going on. At times I wanted to reach out to her and ask her to stop overthinking but also console her over the loss of her husband.

I don't do spoilers, but it so rare these days to read a book without some doom and gloom. There is one little bit of sadness, but all in all a nice read for these troubled times.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to ZooLoo's book tours for the ARC to review.

Author

The call to Pauline Morgan’s native Northern Ireland was too strong and, after a fascinating stint overseas, she recently relocated there. Pauline had some unique mystical experiences in various houses she lived in and, as a result, self-published the paranormal Special Houses. She has been a member of the Romantic Novelist Association and participated in their New Writers’ Scheme.  She attended a day course in Editing, tutored by author/mentor Morgen Bailey. 

Pauline is a member of Writers Ink, a multi-award winning www.writing.ie 

She has written short stories; published in Woman’s Way and Irelands Own iconic magazine. Pauline enjoyed entering Flash Fiction competitions and was long-listed at Kanturk Arts Festival. 

Her first poem Airborne, published on Pendemic.ie website March 2020 

Pauline has completed a women’s ‘fiction book called The Ballynoon Friendship Circle, her debut novel to be published by SpellBound Books in early 2021. Pauline is working on a standalone book Christmas novel. 

She engages with an extensive network of social writing groups on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

Pauline turns her incredible imagination into words to create beautiful stories in different genres. She has a relaxed style of writing, and her mentor describes it as heart-warming and cosy. Pauline never shies away from any given written tasks. 

Follow her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulinemorganachievingauthor/

Instagram: https://twitter.com/paulinemorgan56