Pages

Thursday 26 June 2014

New release!!! Under A Blood Moon and a little bit of Flash!

Hi everyone
 
so my biggie news is that my latest book, "Under A Blood Moon" is now out there for you to have a look at on both Kindle and paperback, through Amazon.  I have already had a couple of nice reviews for it and it is my latest project exploring the paranormal world of vampires, witches and warlocks.
 
Here's the cover, which I have to thank Lucy for designing and of course, my wonderful proof reader Debbie for her work on finding all my errors.
 
 
 
When Detective Harry Shepherd stops a young teenager throwing himself from the end of Blackpool pier, he has little idea that the world around him would change forever. As the boy scampers away, he vows to discover why the lad was so willing to die.

However, Alex Hayden is no ordinary teenager, but one with an insight into the multiple murders that are occurring within the town. Sensing a loss within the soul of Detective Shepherd, he becomes embroiled in the search to stop the killer at the risk of exposing his own secret.

As the worlds of mortals and the paranormal collide, Alex and Harry battle to stop the vampire pack from achieving their goal of forming an army that would rip apart the fragile balance between the two worlds.

Under A Blood Moon is the first book in the Alex Hayden Chronicles.
 
 
So it has been an exciting couple of weeks for me with the release of my book, and I have been doing the social network thing, with an interview on Rosie's blog to come soon.
Of course I have been looking at other things as well, and one thing that I have found is some of the groups on Goodreads do flash fiction threads.  Having seen one of the pictures, I looked at it long and hard and despite it supposed to being a romantic thread, I wrote this little piece of flash fiction.
 
I hope you like it as much as my friends on Facebook.
 
 
Missing You by Michael Andrews
 
I’m sat here with my besties less one, not quite believing, not quite understanding that you are gone.  You were the best of us, the smartest, the cutest, the most loving.  Is that why they turned on you, on us?  Is that why they made your life, our life, hell?
We tried to stop it, the sneers, the names, the punches and kicks, but in the end it must have been too much for you to bear.
Now you’re gone and the world has lost a beautiful person, and we are left here, sitting, wishing you were still with us.
Other than my own stuff, I've been reading other books as well and here is my review of the latest one that I have read.  I thoroughly recommend this if you like a different genre to the norm.  I had never heard of Clockpunk but boy, this has me into a whole new genre of fiction.
 
Forever Boy (Clockpunk Wizard, #1)
 
 
More please! May 23, 2014
Format:Kindle Edition
I received a free copy of Forever Boy in exchange for an honest, non-reciprocal review and boy, was I pleased that I did.

I’ll admit that I had never heard of Clockpunk, or Steampunk, before reading this story but now that I have, it has opened up a whole new genre of reading for me to look forward to.

The story in itself was well written and constructed with likeable characters and a fast flowing plot, but for me it finished just as it really should have gotten going. I am hoping that this is the first book in an ongoing series as I could see this one as the ‘pilot’ episode introducing you to the characters where episodes two onwards gets to the meat of adventures.

Overall an enjoyable read and I will be keeping my eye out for a hopefully second release in the series.
 
 
Well, other than the news that Nigel Pearson has signed a new three year contract at the mighty Premiership Foxes, I am gonna sign off!!
 
Peace!
 

Monday 23 June 2014

Oh wow....I didn't realise I'd left it thing long!

Sorry everyone...I knew that it had been a while but November???  Jeez...sorry peeps.
 
So what's been happening?  Well, I have been a busy bunny on Goodreads, finding new authors to read and review their books.  I have found a couple of absolute crackers.
 
 
 
This is an enthralling, sardonically funny tale of man versus the Devil as a down and out, long term liar is given the chance to be granted a wish by the Devil. All he has to do is race him to the habour, some five miles or so away and he wins. If he loses, the Devil gets his eternal soul. As Louis ventures through his nine levels of personal hell, the constant monologue of description of his feelings and thoughts are at times laugh out loud material. In fact, I was attracting some very strange looks on the bus as I sat reading my kindle.

At 47 pages of Kindle viewing, it is a story that you will find yourself unable to put down and easily readable in one sitting, which is what I did.

Thoroughly recommendable to all readers who like the supernatural with a twist that caught me unawares, I will definitely be looking into other books that this author has written.


After that, I moved on to a longer length novel...and boy did I???  At over a quarter of a million words, Deneb by Pearson Moore which was a challenging read, but one that I gave four stars out of five.
 
 
 
I always worry when an author proclaims his own work as an epic and so approached Deneb with cautious anticipation. However, my fears were allayed within the first few chapters as I discovered the wealth of interesting and differing characters mixed into a complex plot that certainly pushes itself into that category.

From the moment that flight Pacific 159 is hit by a blinding flash of light, you are thrown into a story of how the passengers try to survive not only the weird new environment that they find themselves in, but also the mysterious appearance of an 18th Century French navy ship as well as the native inhabitants who believe in an ancient prophecy that the passengers seem to be fulfilling.

The story does involve some violence and sex but the fact that it is over a quarter of a million words long will probably take it out of the range of any younger readers who may be offended. However, I feel that this is important to the story and it would certainly be less without it. I would liken my reading of this book to that of The Lord of the Rings, in that it is now a book that I can say that I am pleased to have read it.

There are two versions of the book, the “normal” version which includes maps and sketches in a style similar to Matthew Reilly’s Scarecrow and Jack West series of books, as well as an “illustrated” version which includes the author’s impressions of the characters and places.
 
So after completing some reading, I got back to writing and in my next blog, which I promise not to be too long, I'll tell you about my new release as well as a little piece of flash fiction that I have written.
 
As for other things, the World Cup is upon us, but for my lot, it's already over.  England have to do something against Costa Rica tomorrow otherwise this team will have our worst ever results in Finals history.  I've just heard the team and it is basically giving everybody who hasn't played yet a taste of the action.  Hopefully they will be hungry to prove themselves and not leave us with the dreaded NIL points!
 
So, with a promise to you that I will be back to regular posts, I'll sign off and wish you all a goodnight!