BOOK EVENT: Celtic Thistle Book Signing

DESCRIPTION

The Celtic Thistle Book Signing. This signing is to help raise funds for the restoration of Zetland Park in Grangemouth. 
The Signing will be held in the Bowhouse Community Centre in Grangemouth from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday July 29th 2017.

Check out the event on Facebook and tell them you're GOING!

BOOK REVIEW: "Heartbreak Hotel" by Deborah Moggach

When retired actor Buffy decides to leave London and move to rural Wales, he has no idea what he is letting himself in for.
In possession of a run-down bed and breakfast that leans more toward the shabby than the chic and is, quite literally, miles from nowhere, Buffy realizes that he needs to fill the beds—and fast. Otherwise, his vision of the pastoral countryside will go up in smoke.
Enter a motley collection of guests: Harold, whose wife has run off with a younger woman; Amy, who’s been unexpectedly dumped by her (not-so) nebbishy boyfriend and Andy, the hypochondriac postman whose girlfriend is much too much for him to handle. But under Buffy’s watchful eye, this disparate group of strangers finds that they have more in common than perhaps they first thought.

I was given an ARC of Heartbreak Hotel from the publisher for an honest review.

I am one of the few people who didn't go see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in theaters, though I did read the book when it first came out. So I knew to expect a motley crew of characters in a beautiful setting with a lot of snarkiness.
That's exactly what I got and more.
The book reminds me a little of a naughtier Maeve Binchy tale: a wide array of characters, a lovely UK setting and an instantly recognisable voice in the narration. You know immediately upon opening any of her books that yes, you're reading Deborah Moggach.
The story centers around an old actor (I kept picturing Ian McKellen) who inherits a B&B from a dear friend who passed away. While he seems cavalier on the outside, the reader knows of his insecurities and his regrets. They know of his hopes and his woes.
The other characters are fun, confused, hurt, and hopeful, and each of them are wonderfully written. As I read, I wanted to visit the hotel, meet Voda and India (Voda is my favorite character) and have some wine with Buffy and his guests.
I didn't feel like I was reading a fictional book, I felt like I was an intruder on these people's very real lives. That's a rare skill, especially considering the vast cast that's here in the novel, but Mrs. Moggach pulls it off quite well.
I am now officially a fan. Get this on your TBR list ASAP!

5/5--a wonderful read to cozy up with a blanket, cat and glass of wine!

Purchase Heartbreak Hotel via:

Official site (has all international links)

BOOK REVIEW: "Relative Strangers (Sophie Morgan Vampire Series Book 1)" by Helen Treharne

Sophie Morgan is 23 and has always done the right thing. She’s caused no stress for her family, worked hard through university, has taken a successful leap onto the career ladder and nurtured a reasonably healthy bank balance. It’s no small surprise then when, on a post relationship break-up, mini-break to Antwerp, she pursues a pair of thieves who steal her friend’s handbag. But this is only the start of her world being turned upside down. She quickly learns that vampires exist, her neighbors aren't what they seem and new boyfriends can be found in the strangest of situations.

Despite the description talking about vampires and boyfriends, don't expect a romantic tale with a sweet, sexy vampire. This is a modern vampire tale where the undead are exactly what they're supposed to be: killers.
The characters in Relative Strangers are very three-dimensional; you feel like they could be your neighbors or coworkers. Sophie is surprisingly average for a female lead, but her ordinariness is what makes her so endearing and makes this story believable. It could happen to you, too.
I know this is a shorter review than I usually post, but this book needs no more talking up! Reading this is like Deborah Moggach and Bram Stoker had a lovechild who decided to write a book. The scenes are vivid, the people are likable and the vampires are deadly. What more could you want?

4/5--a new vampire classic!

Purchase Relative Strangers via:

Amazon

Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW: "Never Say Die" by Bill Carson

Nick Harland has teamed up with Andy Ryan, a special forces/ MI5 operator and the pair are tasked with tracking down a rogue SAS soldier who is on the loose and creating havoc across London in revenge for his unjust imprisonment. But the destruction that he is causing is all part of an elaborate deception which is designed to mask his true intentions. Harland and Ryan are now in a race against time to find him before he carries out one of the most daring, outrageous and audacious crimes of the 21st century. 
Along with all the mayhem and tension created by the hunt for the SAS man there is a secondary story running parallel with the main one and this part of the story is unconnected to the main theme and remains so until the last chapter. Who is the mysterious unknown man found in a field in Essex with a gunshot wound to his head? The unconscious man is barely alive and is rushed to hospital where he undergoes emergency brain surgery and after a long period of recuperation he wakes from the coma. 
The police are anxious to interview him as in the field where he was found were a dozen dead bodies riddled with bullet holes. They don't get the chance to interrogate to him as he decides to abscond from hospital. The stranger has near total memory loss and has no clue who he is or why he'd been shot and the search is now on to find his past life? And he's anxious to find out why someone wanted him dead?

As an avid Doyle reader and NCIS watcher (not to mention the BBC's MI:5 starring Richard Armitage), I love mysteries set around a lot of action and suspense. Never Say Die by Bill Carson delivers a whole lot of suspense and danger within these pages.
Nick Harland is a likable character, Andy I could go either way. This is not really a character-driven story, but rather a plot-driven story. I mean that as a compliment. Rarely can you find a great spy novel driven more by plot than by the spies themselves. Carson wrote a great thriller with interesting components not usually seen together in the same book.
The reader is enthralled and intrigued by the mysterious man who has no memory. The reader is appalled yet can't help but be sympathetic to Steve Dark, the assassin gone rogue. And you certainly will wonder what on Earth one has to do with the other. A great mystery keeps you guessing and o  your toes, and Never Say Die does just that.
A great plot, well-written with enough mystery and action to keep you reading well into the night make Mr. Carson a writer you HAVE to check out!

4/5--a page-turner!

Purchase Never Say Die via:

Amazon

Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW/AUTHOR INTERVIEW: "To The Lions" by Claire Meadows

REVIEW:

I always find it difficult to review poetry. It's a stylized version of emotions and personal memories, usually, but I manage to do it whenever a poetry collection comes my way.
Dagda Publishing seems to be today's best in finding and publishing the best modern poets out there, like Claire Meadows, whose latest poetry collection, To The Lions, is short, sweet and deep.
Each poem is different, though in the same style, and all fit perfectly together to make a beautiful and slightly dark little story.
The poems talk about love, loss, strength and survival of life. They are thought-provoking, and musical. If you like to dissect poetry for the deeper meaning, you'll love this book. If you like to read poetry for the music of the mind, you will also love this book.
I felt tearful at some parts, empathetic at others and always, I was entertained. I just wish the book had been longer than 15 poems!
I know I will be reading more from Claire Meadows!

5/5--beautiful and deep!

INTERVIEW:

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I've had a lifelong love affair with the written, and spoken word. I cut 
my teeth at the age of 3, teaching myself to read by absorbing the News 
of the World every Sunday morning. Cover to cover. I absorbed enough of 
the 'reportage' style of writing that I began crafting fake news stories 
to amuse myself. I remember at the age of 7 handing one of these into my teacher - some nonsense I'd made up about me marrying Jason Donovan and having a swimming pool and a thousand cats in a mansion. I don't think she quite knew what to make of it. I've always had a very fertile imagination, as you can see.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

I was fond of the racier end of the spectrum. Nabokov, and believe it or 
not Jackie Collins. At the age of 14, I made my local library order 
every single one of Jackie's Lucky Santagelo novels that they could get 
their hands on. The worlds Jackie created were glamorous, full-throttle 
passionate places - where I wanted to be, and were as far from my own 
home life as you could imagine.
Now, I read whatever takes my fancy. I have an omnivorous library of 
1500 books - everything from quantum physics to Colin Dexter.

3. What was the inspiration behind your latest poetry collection, To The Lions?

Those I have loved, do love, and will love.

4. Will you ever or are you planning on writing fiction?

It's certainly something I want to explore. Dagda have just published 
one of my short stories, Vacant Spaces, as a kindle download. It's had a 
great response so far. So let's see.

5. Your poetry in To The Lions was all of a similar style. What styles of poetry do you want to try writing?

I'm happy as I am, I think. There's nothing I hate as much as gimmicky 
writing, or writing that's contrived in any way to be something it 
shouldn't be. Stay true to your vision. If you want to experiment, 
that's great. But if you write falsely, your reader will sniff you out
in a moment.

6. Where do you take your general inspiration from (music, lost love, etc.)?

Inspiration hits when I least expect it. I'm sure many writers are the 
same. All I know is I get an urge, and I write. It can be anything.

7. What is it like working on After Nyne Magazine? How has it shaped your poetry career?

Bringing After Nyne Magazine to life has been, and continues to be, 
extremely exciting. It hasn't shaped my poetry career, but we seek to 
promote the work of other authors by publishing creative writing 
submissions in each issue. There's so much talent out there, and I love 
sniffing it out.

8. What genres of novels do you prefer?

It can be anything. Seriously. As I've got older, I've become more
comfortable with ditching a book if it's not doing it for me. Why 
struggle?

9. What do you personally see as the future of poetry, because, now, I
don't think enough people are enjoying it.

Those who want to be touched by poetry will be. The right teacher can 
make all the difference. The right teacher can make the sun shine 
through clouds of incomprehension, and break down barriers. This is why 
I would never approve of Shakespeare being taken off any curriculum - 
Shakespeare's Sonnets are sexy as hell. You just need someone who is 
passionate enough in teaching them to bring that out, and make it 
relevant to a contemporary audience.

10. Do you prefer to recite your own work or would you like an actor to narrate it? Which actor?

I think it's great for the author to recite their own work, as they are 
perfectly placed to offer the perfect interpretation. I prefer to do my 
own readings.

11. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

Still doing exactly what I love, which is what I'm doing now. Ten years 
ago I was a civil servant studying for a degree on the Open University, 
and starting work on the poems that became my first collection, Gold 
After. I could hardly have imagined my life as it is now. Dream big. And 
have courage.

12. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

I've tried not writing. I've done everything I can to get away from 
writing. And failed miserably. I'm stuck with it, I'm afraid. For better 
or worse.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next?

My publisher has asked for my fourth poetry book. It's brewing.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I'd love to work with Henri Cartier-Bresson, the photographer, on a 
version of To The Lions. He's a dead one, alas. But I'd love to have 
seen what photographs he could come up with to illustrate the book. 
Semi-sexual, gritty and real. I think we'd have worked together well.

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

I'm a qualified legal secretary.
I'm taking French lessons in my spare time.
I know far more about naval history then you'd think I would. I'm fascinated by shipwrecks.

Find Claire Meadows online via:

Twitter

Official site (has purchase links for her books as well)