Wednesday 11 October 2017

#bookreview ~ Forgotten Places #Australia #HistFic @JohannaCraven

Forgotten Places
 by Johanna Craven


Van Diemen's Land, Australia. 1833

English settler Grace Ashwell flees an abusive lover in Hobart Town, with six-year-old Violet in tow. In her head, escape is easy: find work in the northern settlements and earn enough for passage home to London. But the terrain beyond the settled districts is wilder than Grace could ever have imagined. She and Violet find themselves lost in a beautiful but deadly land where rain thunders down the sides of mountains, the earth drops away without warning and night brings impenetrable darkness.

Deep in the wilderness, they find a crude hut inhabited by Alexander Dalton, an escaped convict long presumed dead. Hiding from civilisation in an attempt to forget his horrifying past, Alexander struggles to let Grace into his world.

When Violet disappears, Grace's fragile trust in Alexander is put to the test. And while she searches for answers, he will do anything to keep his secrets inside.

Inspired by the true story of the Macquarie Harbour bolters; one of the most horrifying events from Colonial Australia's bloody history.


What did I think of the book?

Is it possible to come back from Hell and start again?

Travelling to Australia was meant to be a grand adventure, but Australia is nothing what Grace Ashwell imagined it to be. Instead of an adventure, it becomes her worst nightmare.

Alexander Dalton had no choice about coming to Australia, but when the opportunity arose he escaped his bondage, and for the last eleven years he has hidden in the forest. The last thing he wants is a woman, who is running from an abusive lover, to intrude upon his solitude.

I opened this book, read the first paragraph, and I found myself smiling because from that short excerpt I knew this book was going to be great. Oh my days, was I in for a surprise because this book wasn't great it was fantastic! Forgotten by Johanna Craven was simply unputadownable. From that first paragraph, I was drawn into this desperate story of Grace and Alexander as they struggle to survive and find a purpose to their lives in the wild and unforgiving Australian outback. The pages flew by while I lost myself in this unforgettable story. In fact, I stayed up half the night so I could finish it, there was no way I was going to put this story down, I wanted to find out how it ended!

The story is incredibly well crafted, and it kept me guessing until the end. When I thought I understood where the story was going Ms. Craven threw a massive curve ball into the plot, which left me with my mouth open in surprise! I really wasn't expecting that!

Forgotten is inspired by a true story about the Macquarie Harbour bolters and it raises some interesting questions about that time and how prisoners were treated. It really brought this era to life.

If you are a lover of historical fiction then Forgotten by Johanna Craven really should be on your To Read list!

I Highly Recommend.


Links for Purchase

About the author

Johanna Craven is an Australian-born writer of historical and new adult fiction. She is also a film composer, music teacher and pianist. She has lived in Melbourne and Los Angeles and is currently based in London.

Her more questionable hobbies include ghost hunting, meditative dance and pretending to be a competitor on The Amazing Race when travelling abroad. 


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Tuesday 10 October 2017

#NEWRELEASE ~ The Du Lac Princess #Arthurian #HistFic #ASMSG

The Du Lac Princess
(Book 3 of The Du Lac Chronicles)
By Mary Anne Yarde


The multi award-winning series, The Du Lac Chronicles, continues…

War is coming…

The ink has dried on Amandine’s death warrant. Her crime? She is a du Lac.

All that stands in the way of a grisly death on a pyre is the King of Brittany. However, King Philippe is a fickle friend, and if her death is profitable to him, then she has no doubt that he would light the pyre himself.

Alan, the only man Amandine trusts, has a secret and must make an impossible choice, which could have far-reaching consequences — not only for Amandine, but for the whole of Briton.



Links for Purchase
Available on Kindle and in Paperback!


Catch up with The Du Lac Chronicles series.
Free with



About the author

Mary Anne Yarde is an award winning author of the International Best Selling Series — The Du Lac Chronicles. Set a generation after the fall of King Arthur, The Du Lac Chronicles takes you on a journey through Dark Age Briton and Brittany, where you will meet new friends and terrifying foes. Based on legends and historical fact, the Du Lac Chronicles is a series not to be missed.

Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury--the fabled Isle of Avalon--was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.
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Monday 9 October 2017

#bookreview ~ Tabula Rasa (A Lambeth Group Thriller) @ADPase

Tabula Rasa: the end is nigh…
(A Lambeth Group Thriller)
By Gordon Bickerstaff


A hundred years ago, a wealthy family of visionaries prophesied the devastation that global warming would bring to world food supplies in the 21st century. They decided to prepare for the worst, and embark on an ambitious plan of revolution.

Lambeth Group agents, Zoe Tampsin and Gavin Shawlens, prepare to investigate the unusual death of a government defence scientist. Someone is determined to stop them before they get started. Zoe uncovers two unfamiliar words, Tabula Rasa. The only other clue is the curious behaviour of the dead scientist's son, Ramsay.

Posing as a couple, Gavin and Zoe enter the secret and dangerous world of Ramsay's aristocratic guardians, headed by philanthropist billionaire, Lord Zacchary Silsden.

What Gavin uncovers, shocks him to the bottom of his soul. Does he have the courage and the conviction to stop the greatest revolution in human history?

What Zoe discovers about Gavin—words can't describe. Zoe is faced with an impossible choice, but one thing is certain, she will not hesitate to do her duty, no matter the cost.

What did I think of the book?

What if Armageddon wasn't an act of God, but an act of man?

There is something very suspicious about the death of a renowned British Scientist. Lambeth Group agents, Zoe Tampsin is determined to find out the truth. But at what cost?

Well, Gordon Bickerstaff has done it again!

Full of intrigue and ripe with action, Tabula Rasa: The end is nigh ...  by Gordon Bickerstaff is a not to be missed read. This book is a gritty race against time story, which is simply unputdownable.

Zoe Tampsin is a female James Bond, I can think of no other way to describe her. She is tough, clever, but human. Her character came across as very real in the telling. As for the antagonists, they are a twisted bunch with a warped idea about how to save the world. Their goal is to create a new Eden, but at what cost?

The story is super fast-paced, and it certainly is a very compelling read. I really enjoyed it.

If you love high action thrillers then you can not go far wrong with  Tabula Rasa: The end is nigh.

I Highly Recommend.

Links for Purchase


About the author


I was born and raised in Glasgow but spent my student years in Edinburgh. On summer vacations, I learned plumbing, garden maintenance, and I cut the grass in the Meadows. I learned some biochemistry and taught it for a while before I retired to write fiction. I do some aspects of DIY moderately well and other aspects not so well. I live with my wife in Scotland where corrupt academics, mystery, murder and intrigue exists mostly in my mind. I have written the Gavin Shawlens series of thrillers: Deadly Secrets, Everything To Lose, The Black Fox, Toxic Minds and Tabula Rasa. More will come in due course. I enjoy walking in the hills, 60s & 70s music, reading and travel.
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Wednesday 4 October 2017

#bookreview ~ Remedy (The Forgotten Legacies Series Book 3) #fantasy @SimmillKj

Remedy

(The Forgotten Legacies Series Book 3)


By K.J.Simmill


Before there were legends there was war. 
Before fables came twisted truth and distorted tales. 
Things deemed too dangerous were sealed, and bound for all eternity. 
Or so it was believed. 

Whispers from an ancient realm threaten the peace, drawing a lone adventurer into The Depths of Acheron. 
He seeks something from within this sealed domain, and those banished want something in return. 
Something belonging to them. 

There was a prophecy forged of rebirth and death. 
But knowing what is to come can change what will be. 
And there is one who seeks to do just that. 
He intends to use every tool at his disposal, every distraction and manipulation, to ensure the future will be his. 

The time has come for the forgotten to be unveiled, and for the sealed to be unbound. Only then will the world know true fear.


What did I think of the book?


What if everything you thought you knew, everything you had been led to believe, was a lie?

Taya has suffered from terrible hallucinations all her life. Abandoned as a baby, if it was not for the care and diligence of Sunniva, then she did not dare think where she would be. Sunniva had warned that one day Taya's illness, her madness, would consume her, but what if the madness wasn't madness at all. What if her illness was caused by the woman who had so-called sworn to protect her?

Oh. My. Days! Buckle up and get ready for one hell of a ride. Remedy (The Forgotten Legacies Series Book 3) by K.J. Simmill is one of the most compelling and page-turning mythological fantasies that I have ever read.

There is a huge cast of characters in this book, they all have back stories, and no one is as they seem — what on earth was going on with Bray? I wasn’t expecting that! I loved the portrayal of Taya, and I really felt for her. Several times, in fact, I was actually in tears because of what she had to endure. Rob, was also one of my favourite characters although sometimes I just wanted to shake him. He could be so self-centred and driven to achieve his own desire that sometimes he came across as very callous, but underneath it all, he does have a very caring heart.

K.J.Simmill certainly has a way with words and her vivid descriptions really made this world come to life. Her word building was very elegant and a real joy to read. Remedy (The Forgotten Legacies Series Book 3) does work very well as a standalone but I think you would be doing yourself a disservice if you started with book 3. If you are looking for epic fantasy, then look no further than The Forgotten Legacies Series.

I Highly Recommend.


Links for Purchase

About the author

K.J. Simmill is an award-winning British author with books released in both the fantasy and non-fiction genres. It is her intention to ensure each book she writes will donate a percentage of her royalties to a good cause.

She is a qualified Usui Reiki master, with certifications in various fields of holistic therapy, inclusive of aromatherapy, crystal healing, colour therapy, ethereal Reiki, Indian head massage, shaman power Reiki, sound therapy, and massage therapy. She has also spent many years researching various practices of magic and herbal medicine. She is also currently working towards a herbal practitioner qualification.

When she is not writing, she is an avid reader and a passionate gamer.
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New Release - Riddle of the Gods by Eric Schumacher

Riddle of the Gods By Eric Schumacher Publication Date: 25th March 2024 Publisher: Bodn Books Page Length: 280 Pages Genre: Historical Ficti...