Tag Archives: guest post

~Blog Tour Guest Post~ Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler

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Hi all,

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler and I’ve got a guest post on What Not To Do When You’re Writing by the author. I recently read and enjoyed the book too, you can catch my review here!

About the book:

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The worst thing that ever happened to you
And no one believes its true . . .

Alex Taylor wakes up tied to an operating table.

The man who stands over her isn’t a doctor.

The choice he forces her to make is utterly unspeakable.

But when Alex re-awakens, she’s unharmed – and no one believes her horrifying story. Ostracised by her colleagues, her family and her partner, she begins to wonder if she really is losing her mind.

And then she meets the next victim.

Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler

 

Guest post:

What Not To Do When You’re Writing.

Prepare yourself to go bonkers when you’re writing and safeguard yourself against embarrassment, injury and costly accidents. Make sure your mind is free of the plot when doing the following; otherwise people who know you may consider that you would suit a white straitjacket:

Never think about the plot when you’re filling up your car at the garage, otherwise you could end up putting petrol instead of diesel into the engine. If you do, however, do this – DO NOT TURN ON THE ENGINE!!

Don’t forget about routine appointments to the dentist or doctor, and if you do remember you have an appointment, please make sure you present yourself to the correct professional – the dentist will not wish to carry out a smear test on you.

When shopping, especially in January, if you have to think about the plot, it is advisable to take only a shopping basket and not the extra-large trolley. Otherwise you will fill it! Pay for the goods and have to explain why you bought an electric barbeque for your garden which doesn’t have an electrical outdoor socket.

Never book a holiday unless your mind is completely focused, otherwise you may forget that you have been there before and not only did you not like it, but your kids didn’t either. They will delight in proving to you that you have been there, no matter how much you deny it, by showing you the evidence of their all-inclusive photo ID, dated the year before.

Don’t forget to pick the kids up from school and if you do, have a very convoluted reason – the dog got out and ran for three miles before you got hold of him! Don’t tell the teacher this excuse in front of the kids; otherwise they may remind you that you don’t have a dog.

Never ever think about the plot when your husband is talking to you about his job. Never call him by one your characters and if you do accidently rename him, just make sure it is the name of the handsome, but diffident, hero of the story.

Lastly, never forget your age. But if you do, make sure it’s a year older! So that when you end up back in the same holiday destination, the one you didn’t like, to the same hotel, the one you definitely didn’t like, and your kids start questioning your memory, you discover that you have been thinking for whole year that you are a year older! Best holiday ever!

 

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~Blog Tour~Watching You by J. A. Schneider~Guest Post

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Hi everyone,

Today I’m one of two stops (The lovely Crime Book Junkie is my blog stop buddy today!) on the blog tour for Watching You, the latest in the Kerri Blasco series by Joyce Schneider and I have a great guest post from the author for you all to check out!

About the book:

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A serial killer texts his victims first. A detective vows revenge. He comes after her.
In the chill of an October night, Detective Kerri Blasco is called to a bizarre murder scene. Leda Winfield, a young volunteer for the homeless, has been shot. Her cell phone displays the frightening text, WATCHING YOU, and into her back, hideously pushed with a hat pin, is a note with the same awful message. Leda’s socialite family and friends insist that no one would have wanted to harm her, but Kerri isn’t convinced.
Until another random young woman is killed in the same way. Kerri and her team profile a monstrous killer who enjoys terrifying his victims before stalking and killing them. But how does he get their phone numbers?
Kerri soon finds that the killer is after her, too, and that the key to finding him may just be in the homeless shelter. When the body count rises, she vows to stop the madman – even if it means battling her own personal trauma, risking her job, her love relationship with her boss Alex Brand, and her life.

Buy the book:

Watching You by J. A. Schneider

About the author:

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J.A. (Joyce Anne) Schneider is a former staffer at Newsweek Magazine, a wife, mom, and reading addict. She loves thrillers…which may seem odd, since she was once a major in French Literature – wonderful but sometimes heavy stuff. Now, for years, she has become increasingly fascinated with medicine, forensic science, and police procedure. She lives with her family in Connecticut, USA.

 

What Makes a Book Compelling? by J.A. Schneider

 

What constitutes the big, mysterious “tug?” That feeling – I call it the ping! – that pulls a potential reader to choose your book over the tsunami of others cramming book stores or Amazon’s pages without number? Is it the cover? The plot or characters?

I can only speak for myself, how I react to choosing the next book…especially if the author is new to me. My decision always seems to happen in three parts.

 

  1. The cover is what first tugs.

Or doesn’t – no different from why the frosting on one cake looks more wonderful than the frosting on another cake. What’s inside the cake might disappoint, but like the frosting, the book’s cover is what first excites.

Why?

It all comes down to emotion.

Honestly, aren’t all our first reactions based on emotion, before we re-think or tell ourselves we shouldn’t or move on to the next thing? Authors have changed their covers multiple times, hoping that the newer, brighter colors or the half-naked guy’s torso will attract. Sometimes that works, but what to do when every romance cover has an amazingly buff male, or when every thriller/action cover has images that are kinda the same?

Again, emotion rules.

It’s what really grabs, whether the reader is male or female, and regardless of his or her genre preference.

The cover image must have something that pulls at you. Sometimes I’ve even stopped to stare at a cover I thought was ugly…but it was different, and that made it daring, told me something about the author’s voice inside, beckoning.

Her Last Breath is my eighth book, and I’ve never gotten such a response to any of my other covers. The close-up of that woman’s face…oh gasp…is she dying? Desperate? When I first saw her face, after many evenings scouring Shutterstock, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Other cover ideas beckoned, but that face kept haunting me.

And pulling me back.

The emotion of that cover is so focused, intense. Nothing too busy or muddled to confuse one’s emotional reaction. On Twitter I keep hearing, “Ooh, wow.”

It helps a lot if your cover has that “Ooh, wow” feeling.

Because feelings rule.

Always.

 

  1. Character

Character pulls me in next. If the character described in the blurb intrigues or tugs at my heart, I’m hooked.

Because of emotion again.

We all laugh, cry, feel stress and anxiety, and if I identify with the character’s trouble and how s/he deals with it – download!

Ditto the appeal of the antagonist – if what s/he is doing outrages or astounds, I definitely want to know more. (Am I the only one who felt a bit sorry for the husband in Gone Girl? He was a jerk – right, so divorce him! Don’t subject him and your family and everyone to such evil.)

But villains might be the most compelling characters of all. Imagine Peter Pan without Captain Hook: you’d have a bland nothing. Then there are the never-ending parade of serial killers. How to make them astounding? What makes Hannibal Lecter rise above all others in his monstrosity? That in itself could be the subject for a thesis, starting with the fact that Thomas Harris’s writing is so incredibly great.

Which brings us to…

The hardest job of the writer – the one we all struggle with – which is to go deep, explore and develop our characters as fully as possible. Make them emotionally compelling, different, wildly colorful even if they’re bad. THAT is the real challenge, the thing that elevates good writing from depicting mere caricatures.

 

  1. Plot

The plot should work. It really should, but if it doesn’t and if the writing has been fabulous, we are more likely to forgive…a little, depending on the reader. Somewhere I read that Stephen King just doesn’t know how to end a book, whereas he has described the plots of Ira Levin (Rosemary’s Baby, The Boys From Brazil, The Stepford Wives) as having “the brilliance of a Swiss watch.”

 

For me, the best, most satisfying reads combine numbers 2 & 3. A really satisfying ending after a story of fascinating, different characters, deeply explored and developed.

That’s a book that stays with you.  

Huge thanks, as always, to Joyce for today’s great guest post. Make sure to keep up with the blog tour!
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*Blog Tour* Dog Fight by Michael J. Malone

Posted in Blog Tour, Books, Q&A by

Hi everyone,

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Dog Fight by Michael J. Malone and I get to share a guest q&a with you all today. First though, here’s all of the bookish info!

About the book:

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Kenny O’Neill, a villain with a conscience, returns in a hard-hitting thriller of exploitation, corruption and criminal gangs. When Kenny’s cousin, Ian, comes to the aid of a fellow ex-squaddie in a heap of trouble, he gets caught up in the vicious underground fight scene, where callous criminals prey on the vulnerable, damaged and homeless. With Ian in too deep to escape, Kenny has no option other than to infiltrate the gang for the sake of his family. Kenny is an experienced MMA fighter, as tough as they come, but has he found himself in the one fight he can never win?

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the author:

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Michael Malone was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country, just a stone’s throw from the great man’s cottage in Ayr. Well, a stone thrown by a catapult, maybe.

He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. His career as a poet has also included a (very) brief stint as the Poet-In-Residence for an adult gift shop. Don’t ask.

BLOOD TEARS, his debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize (judge:Alex Gray) from the Scottish Association of Writers and when it was published he added a “J” to his name to differentiate it from the work of his talented U.S. namesake.

He is a regular reviewer for the hugely popular crime fiction website http://www.crimesquad.com and his blog, May Contain Nuts can be found at http://mickmal1.blogspot.com/

He can be found on twitter – @michaelJmalone1

Q&A:

We never start on a question – this is your chance to introduce yourself and tell us about Dog Fight.

Cool. The blurb runs thusly – Kenny O’Neill, a villain with a conscience, returns in a hard-hitting thriller of exploitation, corruption and criminal gangs. When Kenny’s cousin, Ian, comes to the aid of a fellow ex-squaddie in a heap of trouble, he gets caught up in the vicious underground fight scene, where callous criminals prey on the vulnerable, damaged and homeless. With Ian in too deep to escape, Kenny has no option other than to infiltrate the gang for the sake of his family. Kenny is an experienced MMA fighter, as tough as they come, but has he found himself in the one fight he can never win?

 

What do we need to know about Kenny O’Neill?  Dog Fight is not his first appearance, does he have baggage?

Our Kenny first appeared in Blood Tears alongside his bezzie-mate, Ray McBain and he has appeared in every one of those novels. He took centre stage in Beyond the Rage and does so again in Dog Fight.

As the blurb says, he’s a villain with a conscience. Kenny is a lot of fun to write, he says and does things I wouldn’t dream of, nor would I (mostly) want to.

As for baggage? A shit-load. That’s an official psychological term by the way. You just have to read the books to get the detail.

 

It gets a bit “punchy” in Dog Fight, have you a history of getting into scrapes and scuffles which helped with your research? Rumour has it that Ayrshire is the Dodge City of Scotland.

Hell, no. I’m the biggest wimp you’re ever going to meet. I did karate for about 6 months as a teenager and learned all about “control”: striking without contact. And I practised this assiduously, while other people were actually hitting me, the bastards, so I gave it up. For research I read some books on MMA fighting, watched some clips of fighting techniques on Youtube, and I also watched some actual fights on satellite TV – through my fingers. These guys are brutal.

As for Ayrshire being the Dodge City of Scotland? My lawyer says I should reply with No Comment. There are restraining orders in process.

 

If you could pick one highlight from your writing career to date which memory brings the biggest smile to your face?

Aww, man – so many, and you want me to pick one? I will say that each time I get the first copy of one of my books, fresh off the press, that makes me smile bigly (to paraphrase a certain orange-tinged fellow).

 

Which book has made the best transition to film or a tv series?

Too many to choose from, and on a different day my answer would change, but today I’ll go with the first four series of Game of Thrones. After that the pacing went to shit. It’s still way ahead of most of the stuff that makes it onto our screens, but the more recent series could have been edited with more care.

 

And the obvious follow up – which of your books would you want to see make its way into film? You get to pick one and explain why that was your choice.

The Guillotine Choice. It’s set in the 1930’s and 40’s and is based on a remarkable true story about a hugely inspiring man from Algeria called Mohand Kaci Saoudi who submitted to a 40 year sentence on Devil’s Island rather than have his cousin guillotined by the colonialial French power. It would make great viewing – it has resonance with the state of the world today and is a demonstration of the power and strength of the human spirit when faced with potentially overwhelming adversity.

 

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

Logan. It was excellent – and a lesson to all the other superhero film-makers that having a few exciting set-pieces isn’t enough. You need an actual story if you really want to engage the viewers.

 

Lots of discussion on whether the next James Bond and also the next Doctor Who should be a woman.  Do you agree (and if you do – who should get the roles)?

I’m not a big fan of either of these franchises so I haven’t spent much time thinking about it. However, I do think it’s important that we have a wider representation of humanity in our popular media – and Tilda Swinton would make an awesome Doctor Who.

 

What book(s) are you reading at the moment?

I just started an advance copy of Dennis Lehane’s next book, Since We Fell – out in May. He’s edging into psychological thriller territory here and I can’t wait to see what he does with it. I’m a huge fan of his work.

And nestling in my kindle is an advance of Lucy Cameron’s debut novel, Night is Watching. I’ve heard big things about this book and can’t wait to get stuck in.

 

You’ve hit your daily word target and saved some seriously good content into the WIP. How do you clear your head and unwind?

Walk the dog, go to the gym, binge-watch something on Netflix, eat too many sugary snacks. Not necessarily in that order.

 

What advice would you give to your 15 year old self?

Where to start? I was SO self-conscious and it was such a waste of energy. People look at you for like a second, dismiss you and then go back to inhabiting a world with their ego at its centre. Mostly, you don’t mean shit to them.

When in company and struggling for something to say ask the other person a question about them. If you are interested you become interesting.

You won’t always be this skinny. The cakes will catch up with you.

The things that come easy? Work harder at them, then you get a career you enjoy.

Embrace your love of cinnamon. Add it to everything. Especially porridge.

Brussel Sprouts. The curse of your childhood. You’ll never get over it. Not even garlic will make them palatable. You will continue to barf at the sight of them for the rest of your life.

You will develop a healthy disregard for the celebrity obsessed culture that is coming your way. Try to spread this particular view to as many people as possible. In fact make it your life’s work.

And finally, if my young self is going to pay attention to any of this it should be: ignore everything you’ve just read – the most effective lessons are the ones you learn for yourself.

 

What is the best job you have ever had?

This one. Writer. 100 per cent the best job ever.

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*Blog Tour* Relics by Tim Lebbon

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Hi everyone,

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Relics by Tim Lebbon and I get to share an excerpt with you all. First though, here’s the bookish info!

About the book:

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Beneath the surface of our world, mythological creatures and their artifacts still exist—corrupt people pay fortunes for a sliver of dragon bone, a basilisk’s scale, or an angel’s wing. Angela Gough is an American criminology student in London whose fiancé Vince disappears, and her investigation leads her into a black market specializing in arcane relics. She meets Mary Rock, a criminal of mythic status who also wants to find Vince… to kill him. Angela and a growing team of adventurers must stop this horrific trade, yet they face a growing menace as the hunted creatures begin to fight back.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the author:

Tim Lebbon was born in London in 1969. He has been writing ever since he can remember. The first story he recalls actually finishing was when he was nine years old. It involved a train hijacking, and one of the hijackers being clumsy enough to drop his gun. Naturally the hero found the gun and went on a killing spree. Die Hard on the 10:17 from Paddington.

His first published story was in the UK indie magazine Psychotrope in 1994, and in 1997 Tanjen published his first novel Mesmer. Since then he’s had almost thirty books published in the UK and US by Bantam Spectra, Allison & Busby, Night Shade Books, Simon & Schuster, Leisure Books, PS Publishing, Necessary Evil Press, Cemetery Dance and many others.

Quite a few of his novellas and novels have been optioned for the screen, including White, Exorcising Angels, Until She Sleeps, Face, In Perpetuiry, and The Nature of Balance.

Late in 2006 Tim Lebbon became a full-time writer.

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Excerpt:

Don’t try to touch it,” Mary said, and she wasn’t even slightly out of breath. “It’s protected by an electronic field, so you’ll get electrocuted.”

“What do you mean, Vince isn’t dead?” Angela’s thoughts were in turmoil. Her skin tingled, her insides buzzed as if from electricity. Can I really afford to believe? She wanted to sit down and gather herself, center her emotions, and try to pin down exactly what was happening here, but Mary would not stop. So Angela had no choice but to follow.

“Just what I said,” she said, “but we’ll talk more about him later.” She said “him” as if spitting a vile taste from her mouth.

“If Vince isn’t dead, then who—?”

“If you discuss with anyone what you’re about to see, they’ll never believe you. You’ll be regarded as a fool. Mad. And you’ll put yourself in terrible danger.”

“From you?”

The attic was lit by a couple of bare bulbs, and there were no nods to aesthetics. Not even carpet. Mary crossed the open space and paused by an innocuous wooden door. It looked old, warped in its frame, but Mary lifted a small timber hatch to reveal an electronic lock pad.

“Make no sudden movements,” she said, fixing Angela with her gaze.

Angela smiled uncertainly, holding back a laugh. The smile slipped when Mary’s stare did not alter.

“What have you got in there?” she asked softly.

“I told you.” Mary tapped in a code. Angela tried to watch, but the woman shielded the pad with her body. The door hissed open. The timber was merely the facing to a modern metal door, with multiple locks and several small, purple lights that ran down its leading edge and must have been some form of alarm. She stepped through.

Angela followed her inside, and the door whispered shut behind them.

The room was lit by a subdued, bluish light, smoothing the bare walls and ceiling and washing across the lowered area that took up more than half the space. The two of them stood on a narrow walkway, and in a sunken pit below them—beyond a fence of narrow electrical wires on porcelain stems—was the fairy.

It was old, dusty and dead, just like the angel she had seen at Fat Frederick’s place. Coming in here, Angela had held only a shred of doubt, and as she stood there and stared, everything she had so recently experienced winnowed that doubt down to nothing.

The fairy was the size of a toddler, probably no more than three feet tall. It was displayed curled in on itself as if asleep, its graceful hands folded beneath its head, athletic legs drawn up so that its knees almost touched its chest. Even in death it retained an ethereal beauty, but there was also something troubling about the remains.

Lacerations, grazes, and impact wounds scarred its body.

Angela moved slightly to the side and crouched a little, looking closer at its face. The creature wore a frown, fossilized there forever and giving it an eternally sad visage. She wondered how it had died. She wondered who or what had killed it.

“It looks so sad,” she said.

“It is,” Mary Rock whispered.

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*Blog Tour* Dead Embers by Matt Brolly

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Hi everyone,

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Dead Embers, the latest DCI Lambert book from Matt Brolly. I haven’t had the time to read this one yet, but I get to share the opening with you all today! Here’s the important bookish information first though!

About the author:

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Following his law degree where he developed an interest in criminal law, Matt completed his Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. He reads widely across all genres, and is currently working on the third in his Michael Lambert thriller series. Matt lives in London with his wife and their two young children.

Website: http://mattbrolly.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewBrolly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattbrollyauthor/

About the book:

Dead Embers

An explosive fire. A double murder. And that’s just the start…

When DCI Michael Lambert is called out to an apparent house fire, he knows it can’t be routine. Instead he finds the remains of a burnt house, a traumatised child and two corpses – one of whom is a senior police officer.

Lambert’s got other problems. Anti-corruption are onto his boss. His relationships is on the rocks. He can’t get over his ex-wife and he keeps blacking out.

But when a detective has been murdered the stakes are too high to get distracted. All is not as it seems. As the investigation continues Lambert realises he is getting drawn into something altogether bigger and more terrifying than he could ever have imagined…

Buy the book:

Dead Embers by Matt Brolly

Excerpt:

Chapter One

 

The girl pulled the duvet over her head and tried to return to sleep.

Her skin bristled with heat beneath the cover and she stuck her head back out. ‘Mummy?’ she whispered, her words lost in the darkness.

Her toys acted as if nothing was happening. She grabbed Laney and studied her face, the glass eyes and stitched smile revealing no sense of fear. A crashing noise came from downstairs and she retreated back further beneath the covers with her doll.

It was hot, and not just because she was wrapped in the duvet. She wanted to leave the room, to make the small journey to Mummy and Daddy’s room, but they didn’t like her leaving her bed in the middle of the night and she wanted to be a good girl. Mummy would come to her if anything was wrong, she was sure. She listened, but all she could hear was the rapid thumping of her heart.

‘What do you think?’ she asked Laney, as more noises rose from the depths of the house. The sounds were familiar but she couldn’t recall from where. She closed her eyes and pictured the dragon from the book Mummy read to her at bedtime.

She poked Laney’s head out of the duvet and turned the doll’s face in a circle so she could check nothing was in the room with them. Laney didn’t say anything so she stuck her head back out.

The room had changed. She rubbed her eyes. She must be tired. Mummy and Daddy always said she was tired when things were going wrong. Her eyes watered, and the room faded. She glanced down at the nightlight, peering closer at the air which danced around the orange glow, when the door blew open.

She grabbed Janey closer and started to cough. A strange figure stood in her doorway. He wore a helmet and a funny mask. Behind him, something glowed like her nightlight but much brighter. It had changed the house. The man mumbled something and she struggled to keep her eyes open as he grabbed her from her bed and placed something over her mouth.

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Previous Matt Brolly posts:

Dead Eyed by Matt Brolly

Dead Lucky by Matt Brolly

Zero by Matt Brolly

An Impossible Dilemma by Netta Newbound *Blog Tour*

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Hi everyone,

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Netta Newbound’s An Impossible Dilemma, her forthcoming novel published by Bloodhound Books!

About the book:

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Would you choose to save your child if it meant someone else had to die?

Victoria and Jonathan Lyons seem to have everything—a perfect marriage, a beautiful daughter, Emily, and a successful business. Until they discover Emily, aged five, has a rare and fatal illness.

Medical trials show that a temporary fix would be to transplant a hormone from a living donor. However in the trials the donors die within twenty four hours. Victoria and Jonathan are forced to accept that their daughter is going to die.

In an unfortunate twist of fate Jonathan is suddenly killed in a farming accident and Victoria turns to her sick father-in-law, Frank, for help. Then a series of events present Victoria and Frank with a situation that, although illegal, could save Emily.

Will they take their one chance and should they?

A Sinister and Darkly Compelling Psychological Thriller Novel, this book is intended for mature audiences and contains graphic and disturbing imagery.

 

About the author:

Netta Newbound, originally from Manchester, England, now lives in New Zealand with her husband Paul and their boxer dog Alfie. She has three grown-up children and three delicious grandchildren.

As a child, Netta was plagued by a wild imagination, often getting in trouble for making up weird and wonderful stories. Yet she didn’t turn her attention to writing until after her children had grown and left home.

Although she mostly writes psychological thriller novels, all of which consistently rank highly in the best seller categories, she has also written several non-fiction books with a close friend and fellow author under the names of Sandra Rose & Jeanette Simone.

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Guest post:

10 Books that have helped shape me as a writer

I have read thousands of books and, to be honest, forgotten most of them. But there a few along the way that have had such an impact they will stay with me forever.

My love of books began when I was a child; I had my head in a book from a very early age. I loved the Famous Five and Secret Seven, but The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton stood out from the rest by a mile.

As I grew, I dabbled in many different genres, including Mills & Boon, of which my nanna had piles, to James Herbert’s Rats. But I loved romance back then and still remember the physical pain I felt while reading The Promise by Danielle Steele. I sobbed for hours and hours.

By the time I left school, I had developed a taste for horror. Of course, I read anything and everything by Stephen King I could get my hands on. Pet Sematary by Stephen King stays with me to this day. My middle son was the same age as the boy in the book and I was deeply affected by this story. This is when I fell in love with the type of book that makes you question how you would react in a given situation.

I also read a lot of Dean Koontz and Richard Laymon. The Cellar by Richard Laymon freaked me out. I re-read it recently and was still as terrified.

I took a break from horror for a while to turn my attention to family sagas. After the birth of my third son, I scored a job as Book Department Manager of a well-known book shop and was lucky enough to be invited to several book launches. At one of these swish evenings, I was given a copy of Roses Have Thorns by Beverley Hughesden. This is a wonderful story, like a 90’s version of Beauty and the Beast. This is still one of my all-time favourite books and my heart still melts when I think about it.

Inevitably, I turned back to the darker novels. Lady Killer by Martina Cole was a total shocker for me. The killer was a gentle, henpecked guy on the surface but a total nutter underneath.

I fell madly in love with Jamie Fraser from the Cross Stitch series by Diana Gabaldon and he’s still my ideal bloke (after my lovely husband, of course).

And I found 11.22.63 by Stephen King to be an extremely clever and thought provoking novel.

I rarely read romance these days, but was intrigued by all the hype of Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. I’ve got to say I wasn’t disappointed. Once again, I found myself crying buckets.

And, more recently, Beneath the Watery Moon by Betsy Reavley took me instantly back to the Richard Laymon days. I almost threw my kindle at one point; I was so shocked, which rarely happens to me these days.

So there you have it. Ten books that have helped shape me as a writer. If you look closely I’m sure you’ll will see a little of each of these in my books.

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The Sixth Window by Rachel Abbott- Rachel Abbott’s Hot Books for 2017

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Hi everyone,

Today is my turn on the blog tour for The Sixth Window, the new DCI Tom Douglas novel, by bestselling author Rachel Abbott. I have a great guest post for you all but first, here’s the all-important book info!

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About the book:

The perfect man… or a perfect stranger?

After eighteen months of grieving for her husband Bernie, killed in a horrific hit and run accident, Natalie Grey has found love with her husband’s best friend – Ed Cooper – and has moved herself and fifteen year old daughter, Scarlett, into his home. But Natalie begins to suspect Ed has a dark side – and even darker intentions.

Desperate to get her daughter to a place of safety, she and Scarlett move to a new home that holds secrets of its own. But has removing Scarlett from one potential threat placed her in far greater danger?

DCI Tom Douglas is also chasing the truth, as his investigation into the suicide of a teenage girl draws him ever closer to Natalie and Scarlett. But will he be too late to protect them from the peril they face, or from the truths that will tear their lives apart?

Out now in ebook, click HERE to get your copy!

About the author:

Rachel Abbott’s debut thriller, Only the Innocent, was an international bestseller, reaching the number one position in the Amazon charts both in the UK and US. This was followed by the number one bestselling novels The Back Road, Sleep Tight and Stranger Child, Nowhere Child (a short novel based on the characters from Stranger Child) and Kill Me Again. In February 2017 Rachel released her seventh novel, The Sixth Window.

Her novels have been translated into over 20 languages.

In 2015 Amazon celebrated the first five years of the Kindle in the UK, and announced that Rachel was the #1 bestselling independent author over the five-year period. She was also placed #14 in the chart of all authors. Stranger Child was the most borrowed novel for the Kindle in the first half of 2015.

Rachel splits her time between Alderney – a beautiful island off the coast of France – and the Le Marche region of Italy, where she is able to devote all her time to writing fiction. For more information, see Rachel’s website, or follow her on Twitter.

Rachel’s website can be found at

Website : http://www.rachel-abbott.com
Blog : http://rachelabbottwriter.com/
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/RachelAbbott1Writer
Twitter: @RachelAbbott

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Rachel Abbott’s Hot Books for 2017

Like most readers, I look forward eagerly to new books from my favourite authors, but it’s also good to find new writers to add to the list, and I am lucky enough to occasionally get advance copies of books to read from the publishers. It’s a great way to discover novels that otherwise I might not have read, and the first book in my list comes into that category. And it’s one book that I would have hate to have missed.

Ragdoll by Daniel Cole

I was sent a pre-release copy of this book some months ago, and I couldn’t believe it was a debut novel. I loved everything about it, and will be buying my very own copy very soon – it’s just out now. The shout line on the Amazon page says it all:

One body. Six victims.

Not only is it an incredible plot that will keep you hooked throughout, but as a book it has more to offer than most thrillers – because Daniel Cole has a dark humour that I found irresistible.  

***I second this wholeheartedly!!!!***

Lost Girls – Angela Marsons

Two girls go missing. Only one will return. The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die.

What an introduction to a story! I haven’t read this, but I LOVE Angela Marsons’ books. This one is out later in the year, but I will definitely be reading it as soon as I can. The protagonist in the series is DI Kim Stone – a fascinating character with her own demons – and Angela has developed her so well that I feel as if I know her.

Wrong Place – Michelle Davies

Michelle’s debut novel, Gone Astray, is an excellent story, so compelling, and Michelle is a brilliant writer. She introduces a family liaison officer as her main police character, which gives a different and fascinating perspective on the crimes. I used a FLO (as they are known) in my first novel, and enjoyed the insights into the family that the role provided. Unlike me, Michelle has carried the character forward into this second book, and it’s another one that I’ve had the pleasure of reading in advance. It begins with the story of a man whose attempt to kill his wife fails, as does his attempt to commit suicide. Somehow, DC Maggie Neville – who has her own secrets – has to try to unravel the complex case.

Dead Woman Walking – Sharon Bolton

I am a huge fan of Sharon Bolton and, this book has a brilliant with a shout line of:

She’s seen the killer’s face. But he’s also seen hers…

it sounds like one that I have to read. I have read every single book written by Sharon Bolton, so it’s a given that I will be reading this one. Her books over the years have been so different – from Awakening – a book described as a “gothic thriller” to the Lacey Flint series, and she seems able to surprise with each new novel.

Into the Water – Paula Hawkins

Surely readers everywhere must be waiting for this book? I don’t think I know anybody who hasn’t read The Girl on the Train, and so this is a highly anticipated release later in 2017.  Described as:

Aan urgent, satisfying read that hinges on the stories we tell about our pasts and their power to destroy the lives we live now

It’s a book that’s bound to have everybody talking. I can’t wait.

I’m always looking for recommendations; so if there’s a book readers have loved recently please do share! You can tweet me @RachelAbbott

As always, my thanks to Rachel Abbott for this brilliant post, and to Maura for inviting me to take part in the blog tour!

Make sure to keep up with the blog tour:

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